Podcasts about gifted

Walk Worthy series will take us through the book of Ephesians.  Jesus has united the church into one body and we are to walk worthy of the calling that we have been given.  Though we will be going through entire chapters during this period, it will be up to the speaker to choose which parts of each chapter to focus on or highlight if the chapter is lengthy or delves into various topics.

Welcome back to another episode of the unSeminary podcast. We're talking with Dr. Allen Holmes, Senior Pastor of Definition Church. Allen has served at Definition for 25 years, leading it from a congregation of 30 people to one of the fastest-growing churches in the country. But in this conversation, we don't start with strategy—we start with the soul. Allen shares how a personal marriage crisis early in ministry exposed deep character issues and launched him on a decades-long journey of spiritual formation that has shaped both his leadership and his church. Is it possible that the greatest lid on your ministry isn't your strategy—but your inner life? Allen challenges leaders to rethink success, crisis, and longevity through the lens of character formation. Pressure reveals who you really are. // Leadership rarely collapses because of incompetence—it collapses because pressure exposes unaddressed character issues. Early in seminary and marriage, Allen's wife told him she didn't love him and didn't want to remain in ministry. The crisis shattered his sense of calling and identity. Allen—by God's grace—was able to ask: What in me has produced this? That shift from defensiveness to humility marked the beginning of deep transformation. From gifted producer to formed leader. // Allen explains that many leaders are rewarded for production, not formation. A gifted communicator can build a crowd while remaining insecure, defensive, and relationally immature. You can be a great producer and a poor leader. True leadership requires learning to lead yourself. For Allen, that meant confronting independence, insecurity, and relational blind spots—issues rooted in his upbringing that were sabotaging both marriage and ministry. Prioritizing presence over performance. // The turning point in Allen's growth was deceptively simple: he began prioritizing his relationship with Jesus. Guided by a mentor, he learned to read Scripture for formation rather than information and to cultivate rhythms of prayer, worship, and dependence on the Holy Spirit. Ministry leaders face an occupational hazard—handling Scripture transactionally for sermons while neglecting personal communion with Christ. For Allen, consistent morning surrender became the foundation for long-term sustainability. Marriage as spiritual formation. // Allen describes marriage as God's primary classroom for sanctification. Drawing from the biblical metaphor of Christ and the Church, he explains how learning to live in the presence of his wife taught him how to live in the presence of God. Simple daily rhythms—morning prayer, consistent check-ins, shared meals, evening walks, praying together—have sustained their relationship for decades. Rather than competing with ministry, his marriage strengthens it. What God forms privately shapes what leaders produce publicly. Culture flows from character. // Over 25 years, Allen's commitment to personal formation has shaped Definition Church's culture. Every staff member has a “rule of life” and an intentional growth plan. Personal development is written into job descriptions as the number-one responsibility. Staff are given monthly retreat days to spend extended time alone with Jesus. Spiritual practices are embedded into the life of the church. Allen believes you reproduce who and what you are—so the greatest contribution a leader can make is becoming more like Christ. The power of staying. // Allen notes that lasting impact often requires long tenure. His senior leadership team has served together for decades, building trust and shared formation. In a skeptical culture, credibility grows through consistency. But longevity without formation is dangerous. The process prepares leaders for the purpose; bypassing the process risks collapse. Like Joseph's journey from entitlement to anointing in the Old Testament, leaders must pass through refining seasons before they can steward influence well. To learn more about Definition Church, explore their resources, and connect with Allen, visit definition.church. Thank You for Tuning In! There are a lot of podcasts you could be tuning into today, but you chose unSeminary, and I'm grateful for that. If you enjoyed today's show, please share it by using the social media buttons you see at the left hand side of this page. Also, kindly consider taking the 60-seconds it takes to leave an honest review and rating for the podcast on iTunes, they're extremely helpful when it comes to the ranking of the show and you can bet that I read every single one of them personally! Lastly, don't forget to subscribe to the podcast on iTunes, to get automatic updates every time a new episode goes live! Thank You to This Episode’s Sponsor: Portable Church Your church is doing really well right now, and your leadership team is looking for solutions to keep momentum going! It could be time to start a new location. Maybe you have hesitated in the past few years, but you know it's time to step out in faith again and launch that next location. Portable Church has assembled a bundle of resources to help you leverage your growing momentum into a new location by sending a part of your congregation back to their neighborhood on Mission. This bundle of resources will give you a step-by-step plan to launch that new or next location, and a 5 minute readiness tool that will help you know your church is ready to do it! Click here to watch the free webinar “Launch a New Location in 150 Days or Less” and grab the bundle of resources for your church! Episode Transcript Rich Birch — Hey friends, welcome to the unSeminary podcast. So glad that you have decided to tune in. Today’s going to be a really good conversation. It’s one of those conversations that I think we all need to have, looked carefully at, think about ourselves, think about the teams we lead. I really do think it’s one of those make or break kind of conversations. And so you’ll be rewarded for tuning in today. Rich Birch — Excited to have Dr. Allen Holmes with us. He’s a senior pastor of a church called Definition Church. He’s been there since 2000, so a few years. They’re located in North Carolina and is one of the fastest growing churches in the country. They have a residency program as well that’s called to train and develop next generation of mission-minded ministry leaders. And believing that generosity is a privilege, Definition Church also partners with a number of other ministries, churches, and organizations to really serve their community. Dr. Allen, so glad you’re here. Thanks for being here today.Allen Holmes — Wow. Well, I’m so excited to be here, Rich, and appreciate the invitation.Rich Birch — Oh, this is going to be a fun conversation. Why don’t you kind of fill out the picture?Allen Holmes — Yeah.Rich Birch — Tell us a little bit about Definition. Kind of tell us the story. Give us a sense of the church.Allen Holmes — Well, my wife and I, we grew up down in Wilmington, which is on the coast of North Carolina. In 2000, we were finishing seminary and looking for a church, really looking for a city where we could plant our life and stay in one place kind of forever. And we were in a small town. Our first church was in a small town of about 1500. And Greensboro was one of the cities we visited, and there was a church here that had lost their pastor. They only had about 30 people.Allen Holmes — And the truth is that was safe and kind of gave us a a lot of freedom to make mistakes and learn and grow as leaders and as a man and a woman, as a married couple, as parents, you know, all the things without mistakes, really the pressure of a big church and a lot of expectations. And that was perfect for us. And and we fell in love with the city and it’s been 25 years now. It’s hard to believe that. And and but we love it here. Greensboro’s home now and and Definition’s been great to us.Rich Birch — So good. Well, I want to take advantage of the fact that you’ve been at your location, at your church for a number of years. When you look back over two and a half decades of ministry, and you know you’ve seen a lot of churches in your community, and then just even wider you know across the country, that sort of thing. Where have you seen leadership fall apart in churches? We’ll start with the negative to start.Allen Holmes — Yeah.Rich Birch — When’s it break down most often? Why does, you know, why do the wheels come off? Where have you seen that happen?Allen Holmes — You know, I think generally it’s just anything that creates pressure. So I think we have a tendency to train and prepare as leaders when there’s no pressure.Rich Birch — Right.Allen Holmes — And then all of a sudden we find ourselves in a situation where there’s a tremendous amount of pressure. And in those moments, it’s not what we know that matters, but who we are. Rich Birch — So true.Allen Holmes — It kind of gets it gets exposed. And this happened for me the first time I was in seminary. It was my second semester. My wife, Tina, and I had just gotten married. So we were five months into marriage. I was living my dream. I mean, seminary for, you know, somebody who wants to be a pastor is like Disney World, right? I mean, I’m in class every day studying the Bible, surrounded by all these people that love Jesus. I’ve got this vision for changing the world. I mean, it was just wonderful.Allen Holmes — And in month five, towards the end of that second semester, I came home and and my wife wasn’t doing well. I didn’t realize, you know, how bad it was. But that day I came home and she said, I don’t love you. Rich Birch — Wow.Allen Holmes — And I don’t want to be married. I will never be in the ministry. I'm going home.Rich Birch — Wow.Allen Holmes — And it’s like, all of a sudden, my whole world just began to fall apart. You know, at that stage of life, the only thing that really mattered to me was ministry. You know I had this call, this sense of calling. And my marriage.Allen Holmes — I really I grew up in a broken home, really didn’t have any family. And my wife and actually her family were family to me.Rich Birch — Right.Allen Holmes — And so in that moment, it felt like I was losing everything that mattered. Rich Birch — Wow. Allen Holmes — And I realized that despite all of my gifts and my zeal and my passion and my good intentions, beneath the surface, I had all of this on all of these unaddressed issues from my life story that were now coming to the surface and creating a mess in my marriage. And that crisis, that pressure exposed those things and created an opportunity for me to learn and grow. And by God’s grace, we dropped out of seminary, we moved back home. And I met Dr. Bennett, who became a mentor to me. He was a retired pastor.Allen Holmes — And I just started this journey of instead of being focused on just what I do and what I could produce, which is all I knew up until that moment, to really asking some deeper questions about who am I? And what’s driving all of this behavior and what’s creating this problem in my marriage? And how do I invite Christ to really do a deeper work in my heart and life and character? And and I’ve been on that journey now for almost 30 years.Rich Birch — Wow. That’s incredibly compelling. One of my mentors, he talks about how he burnt out early and he had kind of, you know, ended up on the side of the road and, you know, in a really bad spot in life. And he says, he looks back on that and says, wow, by by God’s grace, that happened. Allen Holmes — Right. Rich Birch — You know, and, and wow, that, you know, his whole, it changed the whole trajectory of you know his life and he made a whole bunch of changes. And he feels really, in a weird sort of way, thankful for for that, if even though you’re thankful, it feels like a weird emotion to have around such a crisis you know in you know in your life. Allen Holmes — Right.Rich Birch — Now, so many leaders, we’re so focused on the mission. We’re so focused on leading others. We’re so focused on pushing forward. We miss this stuff. There's there are these things bubbling under the surface. And and we haven’t had the grace of a wife who would raise her hand and say, hey, this enough is enough. Why do you think that gap is so common in ministry? Why is this just like a thing we see all the time?Allen Holmes — Well, I think to your point, in ministry, just like not just in ministry, but any organizational leadership, you’re rewarded and celebrated for what you produce. And the truth is that’s all most people can see. I mean, when my marriage blew up, if you would have gone around and interviewed my friends, my family, Tina’s family, my professors, if you would have asked anybody about me, they would have said, Allen's a rising star. He loves God. I mean, he he’s doing all the stuff. He’s checking all the boxes. This guy’s going to really be somebody one day.Allen Holmes — But what you couldn’t see is that beneath the surface, I didn’t know who I was. And I was insecure. I was defensive. I was independent. I really didn’t know how to do relationships well. I was insensitive.Allen Holmes — I didn’t have like a bad, ugly heart. I mean, I loved and cared about people. I just had all of these unaddressed, unfinished issues in my life. But my giftedness would allow me to produce despite that.Allen Holmes — You know, I think sometimes people um wonder why are leaders great at leading, but, you know, they struggle to lead themselves. I’m not sure that’s really a real thing. What leaders are good at doing is they’re great at producing. They’re not great at leading if they're not great at leading themselves. In other words, I can be a great producer and a bad leader.Rich Birch — Right. Right.Allen Holmes — I can be great on stage and draw a crowd and kind of be a slave-driving leader. And it might, from a numbers perspective and people that aren’t close, they look at it and think, wow, this is wildly successful. But the people on the inner circle know better, that the culture is unhealthy and and this person’s, you know, shallow or he’s a tyrant or whatever the, you know, whatever the case might be.Allen Holmes — There’s all kinds of ways to build a crowd in American culture today that have very little to do with Jesus. And we’ve seen that over and over and over again. So I think in order to be a great leader, you have to be able and willing to lead yourself.Rich Birch — So what did that process look like for you the kind of internal journey of trying to name what your wife had or or define maybe what your wife had named to really get clarity on that? Maybe unpack that step a little bit first before we get on to what changed. You know, how how did you, what did that look like? How, what kind of space did you have to create? What, what, did where did that, what did that part of the journey take you?Allen Holmes — Yeah, that’s a great question. You know, when I look back on all this, I’m, you know, I’m just so grateful for God’s grace because I didn’t even understand the process I was in. I mean, you know, I was just in it and trying to navigate it. But by God’s grace, I decided to ask the question, what in my character has produced this in my marriage. And what’s really shocking about that is all of my seminary buddies were saying, what is wrong with your wife? Rich Birch — Right.Allen Holmes — And I, by God’s grace, was saying, what’s wrong with me?I had enough humility to look at my wife and go, you know, I married this woman because she was so full of grace and kind and gentle, this beautiful soul, this beautiful person. So if she’s reacting this way, chances are she’s not the problem. You know, sometimes.Rich Birch — Wow. Wow.Allen Holmes — Something about our relationship is producing that. And actually, so what it was is, my wife grew up in this really great, healthy family, parent, two-parent home, siblings, people in her house all the time. Her mom cooked every night. I ate at their house five nights a week. I mean, it’s like their family became my family.Rich Birch — Right.Allen Holmes — Well, I grew up with none of that. I grew up with a single mom, basically all by myself, raising myself. And those two worlds just collided. So when we went seminary, I was doing school full-time and working full-time, and she was working full-time. And I thought, well, that was normal. That’s what I’d been doing for years and years. I’d worked my way through college. I’d been and on my own since I was 18.Allen Holmes — And so that seemed normal. But for Tina, it’s like she went from living in this beautiful community to being all by herself at seminary, and I’m not even there. Rich Birch — Right, right. Wow.Allen Holmes — And she’s and so she was relationally just dying, and I didn’t know how to be sensitive to that. You know, I wanted to just say, you know, get over it. Life’s hard…Rich Birch — Right.Allen Holmes — …which would not have worked. Rich Birch — Right. Yes. Allen Holmes — You know But I just had enough grace to begin asking, God, what are you trying to do in my heart? And and like you were saying earlier about your buddy, the thing I would say today, if I would have married a woman strong enough to tolerate that moment, I would have been I would have never survived in ministry because I would have been a driven, legalistic, judgmental, demanding kind of pastor that that really, I think, used the Bible to beat people up.Allen Holmes — And I mean, instead of being a man who really actually experienced, I guess, an inner this inner, deeper work and can invite people into something that is deeply spiritual and transformational and life-giving, you know, I would have just been this ugly, difficult pastor to be with. And so I’m so grateful. I mean, that that really began this journey that just changed and has literally touched everything about my life and ministry and our marriage today. I mean, it’s amazing.Rich Birch — Yeah. So what, what changed? What, how did you change your, you know, approach to making decisions, to dealing with the pressure, dealing with the pace? You know, obviously we were kind of at the point in the journey where you took a pause and made some changes, but eventually, you know, you ended up back on that path and back into ministry and have been leading and the ministry has been flourishing. So what were some of the, the kind of shifts that you made that were that, in hindsight seemed like that was, those were keystone decisions.Allen Holmes — Well, this sounds so silly to even say it, especially to Christian leaders, but I had to prioritize my relationship with Jesus.Rich Birch — Right, right.Allen Holmes — Well, there’s a good idea.Rich Birch — Right. Yeah, exactly. Write that down. What did he say? No but that’s true, though. Lean in on that because you know that there are…Allen Holmes — Yes.Rich Birch — Listen, we all know we go, we all go through seasons where that our relationship goes colder. Some of us, we, you know, we just, it’s been like years, decades since we feel like we’ve had a thriving relationship. So lean in on that.Allen Holmes — Well, you know, it’s interesting when I when we moved back to Wilmington and I started spending time with Dr. Bennett, he just he just pressed me on that all the time. Give your mornings to Jesus. Give your mornings to Jesus. And I just began learning how do I develop a meaningful time with Jesus every day? How do I read the Bible for formation instead of information.Rich Birch — That’s good.Allen Holmes — And how, you know, how do I worship for formation? How do I what is my relationship to the Holy Spirit and inviting him into those moments to help me see and to understand, to teach and to heal and to counsel me into healing, wholeness, growth, all those things.Allen Holmes — You know, how do I press into community? You know, I was so independent. And the truth is, I mean, 30 years later, I’m still working on this.Rich Birch — Right.Allen Holmes — I was so trained to be independent and I liked being independent. I wasn’t unhappy independent… Rich Birch — Right. Allen Holmes — …but independence allows you to hold on to your immaturity because nobody’s challenging it.Rich Birch — Nobody’s in your business.Allen Holmes — Nobody’s confronted. That’s right. And so I just began really developing that time with Jesus and just fell in love with spending time with Jesus. And again, that that changed everything. And again, as silly as that sounds, I’ve been in so many groups. It’s kind of shocking how often I’m with pastors and they just say, I just, I don’t have time to read my Bible.Rich Birch — Right.Allen Holmes — I don’t have time to worship. I can’t give 15 or 20 minutes in the mornings to the Lord. And it’s like, if that if that’s true, then something is just so out of order about our life and ministry. And we’ve not learned to juggle all of that. And because we’re not handling that well, so many pastors, they don’t finish in ministry. Rich Birch —Right.Allen Holmes — Ministry chews them up and spits them out. And so we have to make that the priority. So important. So important.Rich Birch — Yeah, I really appreciate that. I appreciate you leaning in on that. And this is an area where it’s an occupational hazard in what we’ve picked to do…Allen Holmes — Oh, yeah. That’s right.Rich Birch — …because our our job is to produce that in other people. And so we have to handle the scripture in in a way, you know, it’s like a part of what we do to produce the content we produce or whatever that is. And it can become very transactional if we don’t watch. And so I really appreciate you leaning in on that.Allen Holmes — That’s exactly right.Rich Birch — What about on the married side? What advice would you give? Again, you’ve, you’ve are happily married today and you know, all these years later.Allen Holmes — Yeah, that’s right.Rich Birch — And, what, what rhythms have you found that have worked well for you and your wife, for you to continue to lead and to lead, you know, at a high level. The reason why we’re talking is because you’re leading a fast-growing church.Allen Holmes — Yeah.Rich Birch — But, you know, you’re doing that and keeping your marriage. What are some of the rhythms that you, that you help coach other, maybe younger leaders to, to really instill on that side, to, to, to be, to be whole on that side?Allen Holmes — One of the things that was so helpful early on is recognizing that my marriage was God’s gift to me to learn, not just to grow and to mature as a man, but even to learn to walk with God.Allen Holmes — And one of the things you see in Scripture over and over and over again is the primary metaphor God uses to describe our relationship with Him as a husband and a wife, that we’re the bride of Christ.Allen Holmes — And what I found is that my marriage and my relationship with Jesus were running in parallel. So if I learned something with Tina, it strengthened my relationship with Jesus. And when I would learn something with Jesus, it would actually strengthen my relationship with Tina, that they were you know playing off of each other that way.Allen Holmes — And so as Tina and I started working on our marriage, I mean, it was it was as simple like even when I think about giving my mornings to God. When I wake up every day, the first thing I do is I roll over on my knees. I acknowledge Jesus, you are my king, king of my heart and life.Allen Holmes — I invite the Holy Spirit to fill me fresh for that day. And I probably pray there three to five minutes, and then I roll over on my back and put my hand on my sleeping wife. And I just take a minute and begin praying and and blessing my wife.Allen Holmes — And then I’ll get up and I’ll I’ll kind of have of usually a couple hours where I can just be in the Word, I can worship, I can be in so have silence and solitude and just allow God to minister to my soul. And then i don’t ever leave the house without giving my wife a kiss, telling her I love her, embracing her.Allen Holmes — During the day, I’m going to check in two or three times. How’s your day going? What’s going on with you? You know, if I’m driving somewhere or between meetings, you know, little quick touches. Rich Birch — That's good.Allen Holmes — When I get home, I’m going to walk in the house. The first thing I’m going do is I’m going to find Tina. We’re going to eat dinner together that night. At the end of the day, we’re going to maybe go on a walk that night. We may get in bed and just both be reading a book for a little bit. We might talk about our day or what’s going on with our kids or life.Allen Holmes — Before we go to bed, before we go to sleep, we’ll pray together. And again, I want to make sure that I’m affirming my love for… When I describe all of that to people and what I try to tell them is have a response. The Christian life is learning to live in the presence of God. And marriage is learning to live in the presence of your wife.Allen Holmes — And so I know throughout the day what’s going on in the heart of my wife and how to love and serve her well, even when I’m here at work. And as a Christian, I’ve got to learn how do I live in the presence of God and recognize he’s always with me. And I want to bring Jesus into every moment, every meeting, every decision. And versus I have devotional time and I leave God at home. And then I come to work and do my work.Allen Holmes — So that’s just one example. As I learned how to do that with Tina, I saw how to apply to my relationship with God and vice versa.Rich Birch — That's so good. Yeah, that’s so helpful. Let’s talk about how your internal life and your own growth and your own staying close to him, what impact has that had on the church, on your team, on the people you lead? How do you see those two, you know, working together?Allen Holmes — Yeah, that’s a great question. So part of it is you reproduce who and what you are. Rich Birch — True. Allen Holmes — So what we’re describing, and of course, I’ve got 25 years of this, and so that gives me a little bit of an advantage in that regard because this takes time to build. You know, it doesn’t happen overnight. But when this has been kind of the direction of your life for over 25 years, then it becomes the direction of the organization and the people that you lead. And so on our on our church staff and our church and the way we do ministry, the way our we you know our mission is all affected by what we’re talking about.Allen Holmes — And so our staff, that you know, they all have a rule of life. They all have a very intentional plan a plan for their spiritual and personal and leadership growth in their life. And and we work as a team to to facilitate that. In fact, in our job descriptions, their number one responsibility is their personal growth and development. And we tell them all the time, the greatest thing you can do for everyone in your life is to learn and grow as a leader. That’s the greatest contribution you can make. When you do that, you everybody comes up. you You bless everybody. So work harder on who you are than what you’re building.Allen Holmes — And so we just emphasize that. And and then we do little things like, you know, in our in our church culture, we once a month, they have a retreat day where they’re required to go and be alone with Jesus for a whole day. And they’re being paid to do it. Rich Birch — Right.Allen Holmes — It’s their, you know, it’s part of their job. We emphasize a spiritual practice every month, and we’re doing that in all of our groups, and we model that as a staff. Like in January, our spiritual practice is fasting, and we’re about to begin you know a season of prayer and fasting like a lot of churches do in January. And so that’s integrated into everything that we’re doing as a church and to our staff. They’re encouraged to do that, and so we’re just constantly making sure that they’re learning and growing. And then that begins to shape the culture your church. It shapes your ability to actually make disciples in your church. I mean, at the end of the day, if on a scale of 1 to 10, as a follower of Christ, if I’m a five, I can only lead three and fours… Rich Birch — Right. Allen Holmes — …and I can only attract twos.Rich Birch — Right.Allen Holmes — And then there’s nobody that I can help, right?Rich Birch — Right. Yes. Yes.Allen Holmes — Because I’m already at the bottom.Rich Birch — Right. Right. Yeah.Allen Holmes — But if I can be an eight and lead sixes and sevens and attract four and fives, then we can reach down and help the two and threes get up, you know. So my what God is doing in me, and that’s true for everybody on our team, is the greatest contribution they can make, and it brings everybody up. And so that’s just really worked into our culture.Rich Birch — Think at like from a diagnostic point of view. A church calls you up and they feel stuck organizationally. They feel like, man, things are just, they’re not going well. When you take a call like that, is your reflex to go towards, well, where are things with the with the leadership team internally?Rich Birch — Or you know do we start organizationally? Hey, let’s fix a couple of things. Help us talk think Help us think through um how do you handle that kind of conversation? Or how does this conversation inform a conversation like that when it comes your way?Allen Holmes — That’s a great question. I mean, generally my response will be, I’ll tell people really, if you need organizational, just kind of practical, how do I do it information, I just give them some resources, you know, so I’ll send them, go to the Grow Conference. They’re probably the best in the world at it. Rich Birch — Yeah, they're so good.Allen Holmes — They can tell you how to do these different things. But then I want to come back to the thing I think we can help you with is really the soul of your organization, which is a reflection of what God’s doing in you. So let’s talk about who you are as a leader, the way you live your life, the way you lead your staff, the culture that you’re building and creating. Because ultimately, if you get all these systems, but you don’t have culture, culture trumps systems every single time.Rich Birch — Right.Allen Holmes — And when you get the systems and the culture right, you begin, everybody’s attracted to that. In fact, I think maybe one of the big problems in Western culture, and this is hard to admit, but I think the church has to admit this, is that people, people are not going to church. Church attendance is on decline, but it’s not because people don’t want God. They’re just not convinced they can find him at church.Rich Birch — Right. Yeah, that’s so true. Yeah.Allen Holmes — I mean, they’re they’re spiritually hungry, but the cultures of our church, people come into that culture and what they kind of intuitively know is that this doesn’t feel healthy or spiritual. So you can create all the systems you want and send out flyers and do all kinds of things. But if people show up at your church and what they intuitively know is that this isn’t healthy and spiritual, you can’t grow your church. So you have to begin there.Allen Holmes —It’s also true if it is healthy and spiritual, even if your systems are a little suspect, people will tolerate a lot of a lot of that because they’re so spiritually hungry. And I think that’s more true than ever before.Rich Birch — Yeah, that’s very true. Yeah. Well, yeah, my good friend, Carey Nieuwhof, he says like, man, it would be so sad if people came to our churches and all they found was us, right? You know, at the end of the day, right? Like we were trying to point them to Jesus and as as kind of elementary as it sounds, but it’s just so true.Rich Birch — If there isn’t something happening there that’s bigger than just what they can get anywhere else, why would they come to us? Why would they engage in our churches? Yeah, that’s that’s…Allen Holmes — You know, we just came through Christmas, and and one of the things that I think Protestants miss is is when we think about Christmas, we think about Emmanuel, God with us. We think about the incarnation, God became flesh, and we think that’s something that happened 2,000 years ago. And the truth is, that’s supposed to be true of the church today. We are the body of Christ.Rich Birch — Yes.Allen Holmes — God in us. And when that’s true, people, when they show up at our churches or show up at our dinner table, they should experience Jesus when they’re with us because we’re becoming more and more like him.Rich Birch — Yes. Yeah, it’s good.Allen Holmes — And then our life gives validity to our message.Rich Birch — Well, one of the things I’m working on a book for for churches about breaking the 2,000 barrier. And one of the interesting stats that we’ve bumped into is that oftentimes the, when a church breaks the 2,000 barrier, the senior leader and often the senior leadership team have been there for going on two decades, 18 years, 19 years, 22 years. Like it’s just a really common pattern you see.Rich Birch — Now that’s not the perception. Our perception is like, oh, there’s like the just add water mega fast church that just explodes and it all happens. But that actually isn’t the normative pattern. the Normative pattern is it’s it takes a long time. You’ve been at your church for 25 years. Talk us through how longevity, how does that tie into this conversation? How does it tie into the impact you’re seeing, you know, at Definition? Talk us through that.Allen Holmes — Yeah. You know, it’s interesting when I, one of the other real key moments for me is I went back to do my doctorate of ministry degree at Gordon-Conwell in redemptive leadership. And so much of what we were studying is how God works in the crisis, in these pressure moments to, you know, expose the unfinished places in our character so that we can grow and become more like Jesus and therefore maximize our kingdom impact in the world.Allen Holmes — And one of my professors, Dr. Powers, he actually wrote a book called Redemptive Leadership. It’s a simple little book, but profound, where he describes leadership development in five stages. And stage one is is a skilled leader where you get a leadership role just based on your skill. So maybe the ability to preach. And so they call you to be the pastor. That’s how I became the pastor of my first church. I could preach. I hadn’t done anything else. But they let me be a pastor because I can preach.Allen Holmes — And then the second stage is a principal leader where you begin to understand why you do what you do. But the third stage, which is so important, is the character stage. And in order for a leader to go through the character stage, God always uses a crisis to bring him into that stage. But when he comes into that stage, he has a choice.Allen Holmes — In that stage, he can open his heart and allow God to do that deeper work, or he can go back and hide behind his skills and principle. And that’s what pastors do a lot of times. The reason you see this turnover every, you know, depending on what statistic you read, every two to four years, pastors are leaving churches is because they come into a church and they have this honeymoon season, and then all of a sudden there’s a crisis that exposes some things, and they start floating their resume and hiding behind their skill, rather than allowing God to deal with their character so that they can advance and become a transformative, redemptive leader. Rich Birch — That’s so good.Allen Holmes — So I think one of the things that’s been so true for us is we’ve just tried to say to people, when there’s a crisis, don’t panic, don’t run away, see it as an opportunity.Rich Birch — Right.Allen Holmes — In fact, I ended up doing my dissertation on the idea that if we could teach this model to leaders, that it would cause them to respond differently in the crisis. Instead of running from it, they would run to it and open their heart, and God could use that to really propel them into their redemptive future. And the research said that was true.Allen Holmes — And so we’ve tried to really work that in our culture to understand when something goes wrong, don’t run away and don’t hide.Rich Birch — Right.Allen Holmes — Let’s run into it and trust God to meet us there so that this thing, God works redemptively to use it for your benefit and to launch you into your future. And because that’s been our culture, people have stuck around. I mean, my lead team, Rick has been here 25 years. He’s actually here two Sundays longer than I’ve been here. Rich Birch — Love it.Allen Holmes — Eric’s been here 24 years. Jonathan’s been here 19 years. Steve’s been Chelsea’s been here almost this year will be 14 years. Steve’s been here 10 years. I mean, so they’ve just been here a long, long, long time, and that but that’s why, is that they’ve seen these moments and we’ve helped them to find God in it so that actually works for us instead of against us.Rich Birch — Yeah, that’s that’s great. I love that. You know, I think if more churches, if more leaders had the mindset, even as we led our people that like, hey, if they come to us and it feels like there’s a crisis brewing here, I do feel like our culture is so bent towards like, it’s not just them leaving, it’s us leaving them. It’s like, okay, time’s up, you’re done, like move on. We would never say it that way because we’re better Christians and we know, but but that’s the vibe we give people.Allen Holmes — Right.Rich Birch — And And I do think it’s been interesting as we’ve been looking really from a church growth point of view, this is a really sticky trend that we see that it’s like you, the key leaders have to be here for a long time. And it makes sense on lots of levels. Allen Holmes — Right. Rich Birch — This level, it makes sense. It makes sense on just like community influence. Like you you have to be around for a long time. People are super suspicious of the church and they’re not You know, they don’t come like that maybe 30 years ago, people trusted the church. Well, that’s just not true anymore. Allen Holmes — Right. Rich Birch — And so when you’re around for a long time that, you know, that makes a difference. And it’s hard to, it’s not like a really pithy bullet point because it’s like, well, just stick around. But it is, it’s critically important to the, you know, to the overall mix.Allen Holmes — Yeah, you know, that make that reminds me of a couple of things. One, one of the, think, things we have to be careful about today is I think we are doing such a good job of planting churches. We’re all for church planting. We just help the church in our city plant. We’re about to launch somebody out next year to plant under the church. I mean, that’s a fantastic thing, but we’ve gotten so good at it.Allen Holmes — If you’re a 30-year-old and you plant a church and you start with 500 on day one, it could be detrimental to your spiritual journey. And we just have to kind of recognize that.Rich Birch — Talk more about that. Why would that be?Allen Holmes — Well, like when I think about myself, when I came to Definition, we had about 30 people, and we did not average 100 for an entire year until my seventh year here.Rich Birch — Right. Right.Allen Holmes — Now, during those seven years, I thought it was the greatest church in America. I mean, we were having a good time, and we were basically a college ministry more than a church back then. When I came, we had an older congregation, but my first Sunday, 15 college students showed up.Rich Birch — Okay.Allen Holmes — And, of course, I was only 26, and so I naturally gravitated towards them. We kind of became this college ministry, and it wasn’t until several years later that they were old enough to get married and start having babies that we actually became a real church. And, uh, but during that time, the truth is God, I just believe God was in that because I was still so young and inexperienced and immature as a man and leader that the last thing I needed was any more success.Allen Holmes — It would have really, success can really blind you to your areas of, you know, where you need really need to grow. In fact, one of the things that you see in several places in Scripture, and one of the things that we tell our church all that time, that the Christian life is a lifelong, transformational journey with Christ. Rich Birch — Yep.Allen Holmes — And you see this in several places in Scripture. Let me give you a couple examples. You think about Joseph. I don’t if you’ve ever thought about this story, but I was preaching on it a couple of years ago, and I realized in this story, there are three times that Joseph has a coat. His first coat as a child is a coat of entitlement, and it needs to be ripped off.Rich Birch — Yes.Allen Holmes — His next coat was given by Pharaoh. It’s a coat of self-sufficiency. It needs to be ripped off, and Potiphar’s wife took it off. And then third, there’s a coat of anointing where he’s come through this crucible. He’s come through these seasons of pain and struggle and wrestling and and suffering that has produced this character. And now God can elevate him and give him almost unlimited power and authority without the threat of him abusing it.Allen Holmes — Well, without that process, God could never. If God puts any man in that position without that process, it destroys you. I mean, you you’re not prepared. You can’t handle that. You know, tell people all the time that one of the reasons God doesn’t just tell us our future, you know, people are always wanting to know, you know, what’s God going to do?Allen Holmes — And the truth is, if God told us what we were going to be doing in 10 years, we’d try to go there tomorrow. And the process prepares us for our purpose. You cannot bypass the process… Rich Birch — That’s good. Allen Holmes — …and still fulfill your purpose.Rich Birch — That’s so good.Allen Holmes — And so God works in that that challenge. I think about Psalm 23, and I think Psalm 23 describes three stages. First stage is that I’m this child. I’m very young and immature in my faith. And then I become this warrior. And then I eventually become friend. But I have to go through the valley of the shadow of death to get up that mountain in order to be a friend of God. Allen Holmes — And there’s no way to bypass that. it’s seeing you You see this over and over and over again in scripture. And it’s just part of our sanctification. It’s the way God works in our lives.Rich Birch — It’s so good.Allen Holmes — Now, one of the things that sometimes somebody might hear all this and they go, well, I know so-and-so. I’ll give you a great example, classic example of this. Chris Hodges is one of the most respected pastors in America.Rich Birch — Yeah, for sure.Allen Holmes — And he he has pastored one of the fastest growing churches in in America. But there is a reason he has been so fruitful. And the reason is before he ever became a pastor, he didn’t start that church until he was 40.Allen Holmes — And before becoming that pastor, he’d served under two of the best pastors and two of the strongest churches in America. So he was so much more mature than the average church planter when he started. And I’m 53, I don’t think I’m where Chris was at 40 when he started that church.Rich Birch — Right. Right.Allen Holmes — So that was a big advantage in why they’ve been able to be so consistently fruitful for such a long period of time. And we just have to recognize that. And again, that’s why it’s so important that we’re focused on what God is doing in us… Rich Birch — So good. Allen Holmes — …because over time, that’s what produces the best results. It’s just a mature man or woman of God.Rich Birch — Yeah, it’s so good. Love it. Well, Allen, thank you so much for today’s conversation. This has been a great, it’s been really rich conversation. There’s a lot more we could we could talk about, but I really appreciate you giving us the time today. As we wrap up today’s episode, what any kind of final words you’d give to a leader, as they’re thinking about reflecting on this kind of inner life, leading themselves, you know, trying to align who they are outside with who they are inside. Help us Help us with the kind of final word as we kind of wrap up today’s call.Allen Holmes — Yeah, you know, I was reading a book recently, and and this quote, I’ve just been meditating on it the last couple of weeks, and it the quote is, God loves us as we are, not as we should be, for none of us are as we should be.Rich Birch — It’s good. Oh wow that's good.Allen Holmes — And I say that just to say I think so many pastors are trying so hard like the older brother in the prodigal story. They’re trying so hard to work for God and to prove something. And I just think we got to begin with falling in love with him and trust he’s better at producing than we are. And if we just fall in love with Jesus and allow him to make us more like that father, his kids will come running home.Rich Birch — That’s so good.Allen Holmes — because they’re looking for fathers. They’re they’re looking for that place of grace and life and hope. And so that characterizes who we are in our soul. And people are just so attracted to that. So I would just say to all the pastors and leaders listening, God is crazy about you. You can’t do anything about that. You don’t have to earn it and none of us deserve it. And if we can learn to really receive that and fall in love with Jesus again, it just changes everything.Rich Birch — So good. Well, sir, I appreciate you being on today’s episode. If people want, if we want to send people online somewhere to track with you or with definition, where do we want to send them so they they could connect with you?Allen Holmes — Yeah, they can just Google Definition Church. And I do have a website. There’s not much on it yet. There’s probably not anything there that’s going to help them. But I need to do a better job of developing some content and getting it out there. But the best place to look would be just to go to our website. There are some resources there for churches.Rich Birch — That’s great.Allen Holmes — And of course, you know, we’d love to hear from them. And we really appreciate you just letting us, inviting us to be on the show today and to get to encourage leaders is such a such a privilege.Rich Birch — No, I appreciate you. I just want to honor you. You know, publicly. We reach out to churches like this, frankly, because you end up on the fastest growing church list. And we’re like, hey, what’s God using? And I love where this conversation went today. I think super helpful for people. So thanks so much, Allen. Appreciate being on today.Allen Holmes — Thanks, Rich. Have a great day.

This episode explores how to respond effectively when giftedness appears as behavior problems, focusing on asynchronous development and strategies for educators and parents.

The life of King Solomon was truly extraordinary.  Gifted with outstanding wisdom, King Solomon's wisdom blessed Israel with outstanding abundance.  And even though everything in his life was not worthy of imitation, the Bible is careful to record that he used his gifts to build the temple of God.  This might surprise us.  Why would God want his leader to dedicate himself to building a temple?  It's a question that opens us to a deeper understanding of our own leadership today.

Pastor Micah Klutinoty preaches from 1 Corinthians 12:1–11 and we see that spiritual gifts aren't badges of spiritual status, but Spirit-given expressions of grace meant to help every member strengthen the church. These gifts come from the triune God and are given “for the common good,” blessing believers, building a dynamic witness, clarifying God's leaders, and deepening unity and joy. Ultimately, the Spirit sovereignly distributes different gifts to different people so the whole body is equipped and built up.

Join us for church in-person at 9am and 11am or online at 9am every Sunday. Discover more about Pathway Church in Vero Beach, FL at https://pathwayvb.com  If you were encouraged by this message and want to help us share hope and make a difference, we'd be blessed by your partnership. Your giving helps further our mission to Restore, Raise Up, and Reach Out. You can give securely at https://pathwayvb.com/give. Access the sermon & LifeGroup notes here: https://pathwayvb.com/mt-content/uploads/2026/02/fyi-02.29.26.docx.pdf 

Message from Andrew Hopper on March 1, 2026

This is the twenty-fifth sermon in our Ephesians: Becoming Who We Are series at 4TheCity Church of Greensburg, PA.

Hollywood's Headlines includes Artemi Panarin making waves after reportedly gifting a Rolex to a team mascot in exchange for wearing his No. 72. The guys also preview the WWE Elimination Chamber this weekend, with Joe admitting his wrestling knowledge might be a little rusty. Off the field, drama surrounds Tampa Bay Buccaneers receiver Tez Johnson amid reports of infidelity before and after his proposal. Plus, a classic “Florida Man” story as one suspect faces multiple felonies for allegedly pulling off dozens of thefts at Target by ringing up taco seasoning packets while stealing trading cards to resell online.

In this episode of Pray the Word on Exodus 31:1–5, David Platt calls us to steward the gifts and abilities we have been given by God.Explore more content from Radical.

Explore the secretive history of CIA psychic experiments, remote viewing programs, and Project SOAR in this riveting episode of The Good Trouble Show. Cognitive neuroscientist Dr. Julia Mossbridge joins host Matt Ford to investigate whether the 1980s "gifted" and talented education programs were covert fronts for government ESP research targeting children. Dive deep into redacted school records, GATE program anomalies, and the CIA's use of hearing tests and pharmaceuticals to identify children with psychic potential. This episode links these covert operations to current events involving UAP (unidentified aerial phenomena), UFO research, and national security disclosures, providing a rare glimpse into the intersection of science, intelligence, and the UFO phenomenon.If you were part of a gifted program in the 1980s, this insightful interview about government psychic programs like Project SOAR might illuminate forgotten memories and raise new questions about the involvement of secretive agencies in educational initiatives.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-good-trouble-show-ufo-uap-politics-interviews--5808897/support.Sponsorship Inquires:  sponsors@thegoodtroubleshow.comSubstack:  https://substack.com/@thegoodtroubleshowLinktree: https://linktr.ee/thegoodtroubleshowPatreon: https://www.patreon.com/TheGoodTroubleShowYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheGoodTroubleShowTwitter: https://twitter.com/GoodTroubleShowInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/thegoodtroubleshow/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@goodtroubleshowFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/The-Good-Trouble-Show-With-Matt-Ford-106009712211646Threads: @TheGoodTroubleShowBlueSky: @TheGoodTroubleShow

In April 2014, an anonymous whistleblower, using the pseudonym Captain Kaye, came forward to share his amazing secret space program testimony in an audio-only five-part interview series. What follows is the original video of the interview with Capt Kaye (aka Randy Cramer), which is being released for the first time.Born in 1970 to a working-class family, Captain K describes a childhood marked by strange nocturnal encounters, unexplained medical anomalies, high-level IQ testing, and eventual recruitment into a classified U.S. Marine Corps special section known as Project Moonshadow.In this explosive interview, he details:Early anomalous experiences and missing timePhysical markings and disturbing night encountersTalented & Gifted program attention and covert observationRecruitment into a 300-child super soldier initiativeGenetic augmentation, implants, and advanced medical proceduresCooperation between a Marine Corps special division and extraterrestrial beingsThe purpose behind creating “Golden Age” super soldiers instead of trauma-based operativesAccording to this account, Project Moonshadow was not simply about creating weapons — but engineered heroes designed for long-term strategic roles in a rapidly changing world.Was this advanced military experimentation?Extraterrestrial cooperation?Or something far more complex?Watch Part 1 as we uncover the origins of a classified program hidden within the shadows of official history.Join Dr. Salla on Patreon for Early Releases, Webinar Perks and More.Visit https://Patreon.com/MichaelSalla/

Episode Transcript (provided by Riverside - forgive any errors): https://docs.google.com/document/d/1RsG6zlv0jLTM7nK1CIR3VgjK4W57S5qVnxmlCVmqaMA/edit?usp=sharingFollow I Must Be BUGN on IG @sheldongayisbugnSummaryIn this episode, I chat with Shakela Strawberry, a mom, special-education teacher and non-profit founder who is a dedicated advocate for neurodivergent people. Shakela shares her journey from being a mother to an advocate and educator, highlighting the challenges faced by neurodivergent children in the education system. She discusses her nonprofit, A.D.E. (Audacity to Dare to Educate), which empowers neurodivergent folks. We talk about the complexities of mental health, especially as it relates to Black and otherwise melanated youth. She also speaks to the importance of having empathy as a parent and an educator. This leads to discussions such as how depression often manifests as anger in young Black men. Shakela shares alarming statistics about neurodivergence in education and its relationship to juvenile detention. She also discusses the importance of recognizing the strengths of neurodivergent people and the historical context of education for marginalized communities. This is a really good episode for parents, educators and those who felt the school system treated them more like a problem to fix than a human whose needs deserved support.Key PointsNeurodivergence is often misunderstood and misrepresented in education.Labels can be harmful and do not define a person's abilities.Neurodivergent individuals have unique strengths that should be embraced.Parents can educate themselves on how to support their neurodivergent children.Understanding the root cause of behavior is crucial for effective parenting.Community education is essential for understanding neurodivergence.Empathy can be cultivated through experiential learning and simulations.The school-to-prison pipeline disproportionately affects neurodivergent youth.Accommodations like audiobooks can significantly aid learning for neurodivergent students.A world where people are free to accept themselves without stigma is crucial to empowering neurodivergent individuals.Helpful Links:A.D.E. website: www.audacitytodaretoeducate.orgFollow A.D.E. on Instagram: a_d_e_labA.D.E. on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/audacitytodaretoeducate/Email Shakela: shakela@audacitytodaretoeducate.orgHire me to speak or as your personal coach! sheldongayisbugn.comFree GroupMe Community for Talented and Gifted adults: https://groupme.com/join_group/108040800/igLaxqNGND Connect - Online community for neurodivergent people: ndconnect.appUmbrella ND - Non-profit focused on neurodivergent advocacy: https://umbrellaopensdoors.org/Keywordsneurodivergence, advocacy, education, dyslexia, special education, creative learning, equity, awareness, empowerment, depression, minority youth, parenting, school-to-prison pipeline, accommodations, giftedness, diversity, communityIntro and Outro music provided by byrdversion1 - "Understand" from the album Nevermore Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome, to a Dark Minisode.On today's Dark Minisode, when a newly engaged listener receives a mysterious wooden statue as a gift, they initially believe it to be a symbol of protection. However a visit from spiritually sensitive friends reveal a chilling possibility — that the object may be more than light, protective and decorative. What follows is a terrifying transformation In this episode, we explore attachment, belief, and the dangerous question: what if the thing in your home is far more than a conversation piece or quirky item?Stay safe,Kevin.We're giving a full weeks trial of our Patreon away! Just head over on the link below and away you go!www.patreon.com/thedarkparanormalIf it's not for you? Simply cancel before your trial expires, meanwhile enjoy FULL access to our highest tier, and thank you for being the best listeners by miles.By making the choice of joining our Patreon team now, not only gives you early Ad-Free access to all our episodes, including video releases of Dark Realms, it can also give you access to the Patreon only podcast, Dark Bites. Dark Bites releases each and every week, even on the down time between seasons. There are already well over 180+ hours of unheard true paranormal experiences for you to binge at your leisure. Simply head over to:www.patreon.com/thedarkparanormalTo send us YOUR experience, please either click on the below link:The Dark Paranormal - We Need Your True Ghost StoryOr head to our website: www.thedarkparanormal.comYou can also follow us on the below Social Media links:www.twitter.com/darkparanormalxwww.facebook.com/thedarkparanormalwww.youtube.com/thedarkparanormalwww.instagram.com/thedarkparanormalOur Sponsors:* Check out Acorns: https://acorns.com/DARKPARANORMAL* Check out BetterHelp: https://www.betterhelp.comAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Gifted double bassist talks about the intangibles that he learned from playing live consistently in D.C. and how he creates music that feels right and inspires him.

What is up, Los Angeles? On this episode of the Rams LAFB Show, Ryan Anderson breaks down the Rams' defensive line depth—or lack thereof—and why a recent move by the Kansas City Chiefs could be the perfect solution. With veteran defensive end Mike Danna now available, Ryan explains how his situational pass-rush prowess and interior flexibility could keep Jared Verse, Byron Young, and the rest of the line fresh, boost pressure on passing downs, and transform L.A.'s front in 2026. Use promo code RAMSLAFB on Sleeper and get 100% match up to $100! https://Sleeper.com/promo/RAMSLAFB. Terms and conditions apply. #Sleeper Become an LAFB Lifer and get special perks by joining our Exclusive Los Angeles Rams Community: https://www.lafbnetwork.com/plans/join/ Check out our FREE Rams Message Board: https://www.lafbnetwork.com/forums/forum/los-angeles-rams/ Listen to our Rams Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-rams-skinny-a-los-angeles-rams-podcast/id1707103542 Check Out Our Rams LAFB Merch: https://lafbnetwork.myshopify.com/ Go to www.LAFBNetwork.com for FREE full access to all of our podcasts and join the community! Social Media: @LAFBNetwork | @RyanDyrudLAFB | @RLAndersonLAFB Sponsors: Sean McVay is the Los Angeles Rams' Football Head Coach as the team heads into the 2025 NFL Season, looking to build upon their playoff divisional appearance from one year ago. Matthew Stafford is back at quarterback, and he will lead the Rams throughout the season with Puka Nacua, Davante Adams, and Kyren Williams. Jared Verse and Braden Fiske will look to build upon stellar rookie campaigns on defense for the Rams. Make sure to subscribe to the Rams LAFB YouTube Channel and head to https://www.lafbnetwork.com for all of your Los Angeles Rams content needs! #rams #nfl #nflshorts #ramshouse #all22 Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

As Paul closes his letter, he gives a surprising amount of attention to people—ordinary believers with extraordinary faithfulness. He names over two dozen individuals, reminding us that God's work happens not just through apostles, but through households, coworkers, risk-takers, and hard workers. This week we'll explore what it means to value people over platform, and how the Church grows through humble, relational investment.

Join us for church in-person at 9am and 11am or online at 9am every Sunday. Discover more about Pathway Church in Vero Beach, FL at https://pathwayvb.com. If you were encouraged by this message and want to help us share hope and make a difference, we'd be blessed by your partnership. Your giving helps further our mission to Restore, Raise Up, and Reach Out. You can give securely at https://pathwayvb.com/give. Access the sermon & LifeGroup notes here: https://pathwayvb.com/mt-content/uploads/2026/02/fyi-02.22.26.docx_699c5ace253f1.pdf 

From “In the Beginning” to Amen // Gifted by the Spirit of God for WorkBezalel and Oholiab Exodus 31:2-3 (NLT)“Look, I have specifically chosen Bezalel son of Uri, grandson of Hur, of the tribe of Judah. I have filled him with the Spirit of God, giving him great wisdom, ability, and expertise in all kinds of crafts.” 1 Corinthians 12:4-11 (NIV)“There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work. Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues. All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines.” Romans 11:29 (AMP)“For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable [for He does not withdraw what He has given, nor does He change His mind about those to whom He gives His grace or to whom He sends His call].” James 1:17 (NIV)“Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, with whom there is no change or shifting shadow.” Ephesians 2:8-10 (NIV)“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”  Do What's in Your Heart to Do and Do It to the Best of Your Ability

Dimitri and Khalid speak with researcher Kay about the copious references to “gifted children” in the Epstein files, and the dark MK-Ultra/occult/eugenics-inflected history of Gifted and Talented Education (GATE) programs in American schools. For access to full-length premium SJ episodes, upcoming installments of DEMON FORCES, and the Grotto of Truth Discord, subscribe at https://patreon.com/subliminaljihad.

The episode opens with a dramatic look at Ray J’s recent Valentine’s Day performance, where fans were shaken after seeing what appeared to be blood dripping from his eyes as he performed with a heart monitor strapped to his chest. Recent reports note that Ray J has publicly shared serious heart issues—including his heart functioning at only 25%—and footage from the show intensified concern as viewers questioned whether the moment was a medical emergency or theatrical staging. The conversation then shifts to Beyoncé facing online scrutiny after the daughter of her longtime stage manager alleged he was dismissed after more than 20 years of service and received no severance, sparking heated discussions about loyalty, worker protections, and the realities of entertainment‑industry labor dynamics. From there, the show highlights Megan Thee Stallion’s glamorous 31st birthday, where she was surprised with a baby‑blue Bentley reportedly worth around $200,000, gifted by her boyfriend Klay Thompson—an eye‑catching moment that dominated entertainment headlines and social media feeds. The episode closes on an inspiring note as Jaden Smith outlines his long‑term dream of opening a permanent building on Skid Row to provide free daily meals, a continuation of his “I Love You” initiative aimed at feeding and supporting L.A.’s unhoused community, with plans extending beyond food to job creation and community upliftment. Website: https://www.urban1podcasts.com/rickey-smiley-morning-show See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The show highlights Megan Thee Stallion’s glamorous 31st birthday, where she was surprised with a baby‑blue Bentley reportedly worth around $200,000, gifted by her boyfriend Klay Thompson—an eye‑catching moment that dominated entertainment headlines and social media feeds. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 23 of Matt Likes Beer features Dolly Hole, a hazy IPA collaboration between Tactical Brewing and Sideward Brewing, two of Matt's most frequently visited and personally meaningful Orlando-area breweries. Gifted to Matt by a fellow homebrew club member, the beer marks the first local brewery review of 2026, setting the stage for more hometown highlights throughout the year. Matt opens the episode by explaining his approach to note-taking, clarifying that while the show is unscripted, he keeps minimal reference notes to ensure accuracy—especially when discussing unfamiliar breweries or beer descriptions. That leads into a discussion of Tactical Brewing's intentionally minimal website descriptions, which prompted Matt to dig slightly deeper than usual, confirming that Dolly Hole was a recent rebrew rather than an older release. The beer itself is evaluated strictly under BJCP Category 21C: Hazy IPA, eliminating the ambiguity that often surrounds modern IPA substyles. Appearance-wise, Dolly Hole pours an opaque, butter-yellow color with a dense, mousse-like head, though Matt notes that the haze borders on murky, a technical fault under BJCP guidelines. Aromatically, the beer bursts with orange rind, citrus juice, and tropical fruit, supported by subtle esters and a faint herbal note. While expressive and inviting, the aroma lacks sufficient malt presence, costing it points in the judging process. Flavor-wise, the beer leans heavily into sweet, candy-like citrus, fruit punch, and lemon-lime soda character, with only a fleeting bitterness appearing late in the finish. The mouthfeel is one of the beer's strongest attributes—soft, silky, and medium-bodied, perfectly aligned with the hazy IPA style. However, excessive sweetness and minimal bitterness ultimately hold the beer back from higher marks. Matt scores Dolly Hole 32 out of 50, placing it in the “Very Good” range while emphasizing that the score reflects stylistic evaluation—not overall enjoyment. With no one-star reviews to read, the episode transitions into a detailed breakdown of the Beer Judge Certification Program (BJCP). Matt explains what the BJCP is, how judging works, and demystifies the certification process—from the notoriously difficult online entrance exam to the tasting exam and the various ranking levels. He also shares how becoming a BJCP judge has made him a better brewer and more thoughtful beer drinker. The episode closes with an invitation for listeners interested in judging or learning more to explore structured study resources, reinforcing one of the podcast's central themes: beer appreciation improves with education, curiosity, and community involvement.

Sunday | The House That Jesus Built - Gifted To Serve | Tim Moslander | 2.15.26

They told us we were gifted. They pulled us from class. They tested us behind covered windows. Now thousands of adults are asking the same question: what was that?

Gifted doesn't mean easy, and it certainly doesn't mean perfect. With gifted educator and 2e advocate Erin Vanek, we dig into what giftedness actually looks like day to day: lightning-fast connections, rich vocabulary, and inventive solutions alongside emotional intensity, executive function gaps, and meltdowns over the smallest snag. We share the language that helps—neurodivergent, twice exceptional, asynchronous development—and the practical moves that turn tension into traction for bright kids who think differently.We talk through why “definitions” of giftedness vary wildly across schools, and how that confusion leaves many families feeling isolated or dismissed. Erin explains how to spot authentic strengths—rapid learning with fewer repetitions, cross-domain links, divergent thinking—and how to honor them without feeding perfectionism. When a child refuses to show work or challenges a one-right-way method, we model how to teach the why, offer real choice, and compare solution paths for efficiency. If big feelings take over, you'll hear a simple re-engagement technique that brings the prefrontal cortex back online so problem-solving can start again.For homeschoolers and parents looking for ways to support their child after school, we map a path that values depth over speed. Instead of racing up grade levels, go lateral: invent operations, flip number orders, and use Bloom's higher levels to analyze and create. Protect reading joy by pairing accessible texts with deep conversations about character, structure, and theme. And leverage games as a secret classroom for cognitive flexibility, planning, patience, and losing well—ending early when needed and debriefing with curiosity. The takeaway is freeing: gifted is not better or worse, just different. When we stop measuring worth by acceleration and start nurturing thinking, resilience, and engagement, our kids learn to thrive on their terms.If this conversation helped, follow and share the show, leave a quick review, and subscribe to our newsletter at TheBrainyMoms.com for more smart, usable tools.ABOUT US:The Brainy Moms is a parenting podcast hosted by cognitive psychologist Dr. Amy Moore and Sandy Zamalis. Dr. Amy and Sandy have conversations with experts in parenting, child development, education, homeschooling, psychology, mental health, and neuroscience. Listeners leave with tips and advice for helping parents and kids thrive. If you love us, add us to your playlist and follow us on social media! CONNECT WITH US:Website: www.TheBrainyMoms.com Email: BrainyMoms@gmail.com Social Media: @TheBrainyMoms Subscribe to our free monthly newsletter Visit our sponsor's website: www.LearningRx.com

Life Changes Show with Filippo Voltaggio and cohost Mark Laisure, with Executive Producer Dorothy Lee Donahue New Awareness: Conscious Appears to Be Field-Like – Ep881 Featuring Interview Guest, Neuropsychiatrist, Consciousness Researcher, and Author of The ESP Enigma, Renowned for Her Work with Gifted and Autistic Children and Her Global Talks on the Science of Anomalous Phenomena, Diane Hennacy, M.D.; and Performance Guests, Musicians and Artists, Sudama Mark Kennedy, Joss Jaffe, and Steve Miles Interview Guest: DIANE HENNACY, M.D.; and Performance Guests: SUDAMA MARK KENNEDY, JOSS JAFFE, and STEVE MILES

The crew kicked off hour three today with a make up of the “Dating Game!” Mason and Ramona Shelburne follow with Fast Track! Was this year's All-Star Weekend in the NBA a success? What NBA player is now in partnership with a  prediction market? Game of Games, plus Supercross Talk! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week's episode is a conversation with Juliet O’Rourke for her brand new podcast, Gifted with ADHD.  Gifted with ADHD brings together mental health, wellbeing, and a big-picture spiritual understanding of how the mind works, particularly an ADHD mind. In our conversation we go deep into the role of thought and emotion, particularly experiences like boredom, rejection, and restlessness.I recommend subscribing to Juliet's podcast here: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/gifted-with-adhd/id1870876412She has some amazing episodes and guests coming up! The post EP392: Breaking Habits and Ending Self-Doubt: My episode on Gifted with ADHD appeared first on Dr. Amy Johnson.

rWotD Episode 3210: Kalamunda Senior High School Welcome to random Wiki of the Day, your journey through Wikipedia's vast and varied content, one random article at a time.The random article for Monday, 16 February 2026, is Kalamunda Senior High School.Kalamunda Senior High School is a public co-educational high day school, located in the Perth suburb of Kalamunda, Western Australia.Kalamunda Senior High School offers enrolment for students from Year 7 to Year 12. Additionally the school offers various specialist programs which include:Gifted and Talented Visual Arts ProgramAcademic Excellence ProgramOutdoor Adventure ProgramPerforming Arts Program (General and Music streams)This recording reflects the Wikipedia text as of 00:00 UTC on Monday, 16 February 2026.For the full current version of the article, see Kalamunda Senior High School on Wikipedia.This podcast uses content from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.Visit our archives at wikioftheday.com and subscribe to stay updated on new episodes.Follow us on Bluesky at @wikioftheday.com.Also check out Curmudgeon's Corner, a current events podcast.Until next time, I'm neural Kevin.

The Epstein files exposed what he gifted to powerful people; sometimes, the gift was as simple as an Apple Watch. Plus, Gov. Tim Walz wants federal dollars to repair the damage caused by Minnesota rioters.  Visit the Howie Carr Radio Network website to access columns, podcasts, and other exclusive content.

The Cyclops solo series is finally here—and we're breaking it all down with series writer Alex Paknadel.We dive deep into Scott Summers' history, his complicated origin story, his relationship with Jean Grey, and how Mister Sinister has been pulling the strings—plus what readers can expect as Cyclops steps fully into the spotlight.

LET IT ALL HANG OUT! The Olympics are BACK and so is yet another scandal, this time involving something big you were least expecting. Plus Super Bowl predictions, Jaxon Hayes crashing out, and a massive online fashion hater gets gifted shoes from Ronnie Fieg as a warning. Want to stay up to date with the podcast? Give us a follow on our social media platforms, and check out the video version of this show on YouTube in the links below! Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ittakesallkindspodcast/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/ITAKPodcast YouTube: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLSQ1H-tYJrxroyz82ygvJoI9splHke-Ez 00:00 Intro 04:11 Super Bowl predictions 18:35 Penisgate 28:36 Jaxon Hayes pushes Wizards mascot 35:23 Gifted shoes for being a hater 41:46 LEGO Crocs 49:20 Tim Allen read the Bible 51:24 Carson's Cinema Corner 01:01:07 Whatcha Listening To? 01:03:23 Outro

Connect with us! https://www.lifebaptistchurch.com/connect

In today's episode, Dr. Sheila White talks with Billy Branch, a well-known and talented blues artist from the Chicagoland area in the state of Illinois, about how blues music is the root of all music genres in the world today and is the soundtrack of life through both good and bad times.

Spiritual Gifts / Week 2Learn more at cccfamily.com

02.01.26 What is it that God has gifted you? Is it yours? Can you return it back to God and still use it? Listen in to this powerful message and ask God what he is saying to you today. 

Joyce talks about :The Grammys and celebrities using award shows to virtue signal and forgetting about the causes afterward.A Native American tribe has called out Billie Eilish for virtue signaling when she owns a home on their Sacred ground. DHS released rap-sheet of some of the illegal immigrants who have been detained on the one year anniversary of the initiative. American Polling says the majority of people support Trump's effort with illegal immigrants. More information surrounding that kidnapping of Savannah Guthrie's mom. Two volunteers with the Florida Stands with Israel license plates, call in to the show to talk about the initiative. Clintons agreed to depositions regarding the investigation into Jeffrey Epstein. Government Shut in. New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani reportedly looking to scale back on the Gifted and Talented programs in schools. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In the 1980s and 90s, a series of programs for exceptionally talented students began appearing in schools across the United States. But in recent years, many former students from the Gifted and Talented Education, or GATE Program, have begun comparing their stories online. And many of them have come to believe that the GATE Program was a cover for a top secret government experiment. Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/theconspiratorspodcast YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@theconspiratorspodcast Notes: https://www.yahoo.com/news/enrolled-gifted-classes-child-now-230027333.html https://www.cia.gov/readingroom/ https://www.cia.gov/readingroom/docs/cia-rdp96-00788r001700210016-5.pdf https://hemi-sync.com/product-category/by-genre/gateway-experience/?srsltid=AfmBOopztzPlvnIDZFmey3N9SZD6UDuUD_iG0bXgjzX_KypE2zv30CuF https://www.monroeinstitute.org/products/gateway-experience-wave-ii-viii?srsltid=AfmBOopsTkd0QZjYf4HvaQKG_BS7rd0QaIomASg9h3J22SQhljuuiuWe https://www.warhistoryonline.com/war-articles/project-stargate.html https://www.reddit.com/r/Gifted/comments/1hspxok/cia_involvement_in_gate/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Full Text: https://eggshelltherapy.com/existential-depression/Sometimes, you have a lingering, niggling sense that says you are capable of more than your life currently reflects.Perhaps you wake up with a quiet, persistent hum that whispers you are in the wrong city, the wrong company, the wrong room. You function well on the surface, meeting obligations and appearing competent, but underneath there is a constant awareness that you are hemorrhaging meaning, that something essential remains unlived and unexpressed. You watch peers announce promotions, publications, and prestigious positions, and feel a burning mixture of longing and shame at your own reaction. Does that mean you are somehow a horrible person to be feeling a bit envious?Existential depression in gifted adults can come from sensing the gap between your capacities and what your circumstances allow. It is the warfare between the part of you that wants to unfurl toward something larger and the part that has learned, through years of correction and dismissal, that your brightness is dangerous.We shame ourselves for wanting recognition, for caring about prestige, for imagining ourselves in contexts that finally match our internal magnitude. But what if the pain is not pathological? What if it is developmental, a sign of growth, and the seed of your next breakthrough? Psychoanalyst Heinz Kohut wrote about our human need for mirroring, for having our inner reality reflected back accurately by our environment. For those whose complexity, intensity, and particular cognitive capacities were rarely recognized or understood, the longing for congruence between internal and external reality is not shallow vanity. Continue reading to understand why your envy is a messenger, how the lack of mirroring created your current distress, and what it means to hold the tension between who you are and who you might become without collapsing into either denial or self-destruction. Note: Existential depression as discussed here is not a clinical diagnosis in the DSM and can coexist with clinical depression. Please do not hesitate to seek psychiatric input if clinical depression is part of your experience.Eggshell Therapy and Coaching: eggshelltherapy.com About Imi Lo: www.imiloimilo.comInstagram:https://www.instagram.com/eggshelltherapy_imilo/ Newsletters: https://eepurl.com/bykHRzDisclaimers: https://www.eggshelltherapy.com/disclaimers Trigger Warning: This episode may cover sensitive topics including but not limited to suicide, abuse, violence, severe mental illnesses, relationship challenges, sex, drugs, alcohol addiction, psychedelics, and the use of plant medicines. You are advised to refrain from watching or listening to the YouTube Channel or Podcast if you are likely to be offended or adversely impacted by any of these topics. Disclaimer: The content provided is for informational purposes only. Please do not consider any of the content clinical or professional advice. None of the content can substitute mental health intervention. Opinions and views expressed by the host and the guests are personal views and they reserve the right to change their opinions. We also cannot guarantee that everything mentioned is factual and completely accurate. Any action you take based on the information in this episode is taken at your own risk.

Send us a textEpisode 595Julie Ann Emery"Better Call Saul", "Gifted", "Solo Mio".Julie joins me to talk her new film with Kevin James, "Solo Mio".We talk about her previous work, Better Call Saul and the legendary Betsy Kettleman the original "Karen".  The amazing movie "Gifted" and how underrated and beautiful that film is.We discuss all those things and so much more.Wonderful discussion with a wonderful actor. #bettercallsaul #bettercallsauledit #breakingbad #breakingbadcast #solomio #walterwhite #chrisevans #kevinjames #preacher #starwars #saulgoodman #nachovarga #vincegilligan #gifted #saulgoodman #jessepinkman #bobodenkirk #bryancranston #jimmymcgill #breakingbadfans #gustavofring #kimwexler  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mondaymorningcritic/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/darektorscutTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mondaymorningcriticdarektorscut@gmail.comdarektorscut.comSupport the show

Jeph Loeb on the podcast! Buckle in for this two hour deep dive into Nate Grey, Age of Apocalypse, and Marvel in the 90s!

Sign up for “Different by Design: A Retreat for Gifted, Sensitive & Neurodivergent Adults” happening January 30-31, 2026 https://retreatwithdianne.com/   The most important rule: always ask before doing something for someone.   In this episode of Someone Gets Me, Dianne A. Allen shares how neurodivergent and gifted people can be present and hold a truly safe space without absorbing other people's energy. She explains how to show up with dignity and kindness while still honoring your own limits.   Dianne unpacks how the body pays a physical price for absorbed energy, why doing things for someone can unintentionally lower their self-esteem, and how overstepping—even with good intentions—can cross important boundaries.   It's not noble to carry the weight of everyone else's pain. When you respect your inner boundaries and stand in your agency, you create healthier connections for yourself and for others.   Watch the Someone Gets Me Podcast – Holding Space: Supporting Others Without Absorbing Their Energy   Did you enjoy this episode? Subscribe to the channel, tap the notification bell, and leave a comment!   You can also listen to the show on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Amazon Music.   Dianne A. Allen, MA is an intuitive mentor, speaker, author, ambassador, hope agent, life catalyst, and the CEO and Founder of Visions Applied. She has been involved in personal and professional development and mental health and addiction counseling. She inspires people in personal transformation through thought provoking services from speaking and podcasting to individual intuitive mentoring and more. She uses her years of experience coupled with years of formal education to blend powerful, practical, and effective strategies and tools for success and satisfaction. She has authored several books, which include How to Quit Anything in 5 Simple Steps - Break the Chains that Bind You, The Loneliness Cure, A Guide to Contentment, 7 Simple Steps to Get Back on track and Live the Life You Envision, Daily Meditations for Visionary Leaders, Hope Realized, and Where Do You Fit In?   Website: https://msdianneallen.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dianne_a_allen/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/msdianneallen/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dianneallen/# Twitter: https://x.com/msdianneallen   Check out Dianne's new book, Care for the Neurodivergent Soul. https://a.co/d/cTBSxQv   Visit Dianne's Amazon author page. https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B0F7N457KS   You have a vision inside to create something bigger than you. What you need is a community and a mentor. Personal mentoring will inspire you to grow, transform, and connect in new ways. The Someone Gets Me Experience could be that perfect solution to bringing your heart's desire into reality. You will grow, transform, and connect. https://msdianneallen.com/someone-gets-me-experience/   For a complimentary “Get to Know You” 30-minute call: https://visionsapplied.as.me/schedule.php?appointmentType=4017868   Join our Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/someonegetsme   Follow Dianne's Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/msdianneallen   Email contact: dianne@visionsapplied.com   Dianne's Mentoring Services: https://msdianneallen.com/  

This week, Nikki & Brie are joined by the one and only Morgan Jay—comedian, singer and viral sensation. From singing through spicy sets to turning DMs into punchlines, Morgan keeps it raw, real, and ridiculously funny. He opens up about how the bit “Would You Be My Dad?” became a runaway hit, what it meant to buy his mom a house, and how the Goofy Guy Tour is going global (Asia, get ready!). Plus, Nikki & Brie get the inside scoop on Morgan's new live show setup—full band, big laughs, and a James Brown-style experience.The trio also dives into the hustle of comedy, learning to unplug, where to find the best dessert in LA, and the craziest DM that Morgan ever received (and it's wild!). And stick around for a rapid-fire game that ends in laughs, F-bombs, and Morgan singing his answers. It's unpredictable, unfiltered, and undeniably fun.Press play for good vibes, goofball energy, and an affirmation that feels handwritten just for you!     Call Nikki & Brie at 833-GARCIA2 and leave a voicemail! Follow Nikki & Brie on Instagram, follow the show on Instagram and TikTok and send Nikki & Brie a message on Threads! Follow Bonita Bonita on Instagram Book a reservation at the Bonita Bonita Speakeasy To watch exclusive videos of this week's episode, follow The Nikki & Brie Show on YouTube, Facebook, and TikTok! You can also catch The Nikki & Brie Show on SiriusXM Stars 109! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Netflix. Morons in the News. Talkback Callers.   The People’s Movie Critic: “The RIP” The Deadpool Killer. Everyone Needs a Laugh.   Talkback Caller. Can You Believe This.   The Zippy Zodiac. From the Vault.

Some dogs are more adept at learning language than others. Researchers studying these special dogs discovered that, much like toddlers, these smart furry canine companions can pick up words just by eavesdropping on their owners' conversations.PLUSTracking space debris using seismometersUsing nitrogen to boost treesHow Mars shapes our climateExtracting ice age mammoth RNA and using lichens to find dino bones

Day 1,422.Today, as Trump is finally gifted a Nobel Peace Prize – just not quite the one he wants – we hear how Germany has denied a Russian shadow-fleet tanker access to the Baltic Sea, and assess Emmanuel Macron's claim that France is now supplying two-thirds of Ukraine's strategic military intelligence, as he and Italy's Giorgia Meloni suggest the time may be right to begin talks with Vladimir Putin again. Plus, we discuss the findings of a major new report on the occupied territories, and bring you the latest updates on acts of resistance in those regions.ContributorsDominic Nicholls (Associate Editor of Defence). @DomNicholls on X.Lily Shanagher (Foreign Reporter). @LilyShanagher on X.Gareth Corfield (Transport Correspondent). @GazTheJourno on X.Francis Dearnley (Executive Editor for Audio). @FrancisDearnley on X.Dr. Jade McGlynn (War Studies Department of King's College). @DrJadeMcGlynn on X.SIGN UP TO THE ‘UKRAINE: THE LATEST' WEEKLY NEWSLETTER:http://telegraph.co.uk/ukrainenewsletter Each week, Dom Nicholls and Francis Dearnley answer your questions, provide recommended reading, and give exclusive analysis and behind-the-scenes insights – plus maps of the frontlines and diagrams of weapons to complement our daily reporting. It's free for everyone, including non-subscribers.CONTENT REFERENCED:Dr Jade McGlynn's report on the Occupied Territories:https://www.csis.org/analysis/thresholds-survival-resistance-occupied-ukraine Exclusive: Rail union boss sang pro-Russia chants in occupied Ukraine (Gareth Corfield in The Telegraph):https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/01/16/union-boss-eddie-dempsey-sang-pro-russian-chants/Uncovered: Secret room beneath Chinese embassy that poses threat to City of London (Gareth Corfield in The Telegraph):https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/01/12/revealed-china-embassy-secret-plans-spy-basement/ Germany blocks Russian “shadow fleet” tanker from entering its territorial waters in unprecedented move (The Insider):https://theins.press/en/news/288483LISTEN TO THIS PODCAST IN NEW LANGUAGES:The Telegraph has launched translated versions of Ukraine: The Latest in Ukrainian and Russian, making its reporting accessible to audiences on both sides of the battle lines and across the wider region, including Central Asia and the Caucasus. Just search Україна: Останні Новини (Ukr) and Украина: Последние Новости (Ru) on your on your preferred podcast app to find them. Listen here: https://linktr.ee/ukrainethelatestSubscribe: telegraph.co.uk/ukrainethelatestEmail: ukrainepod@telegraph.co.uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.