Podcasts about Godward

In this episode we examine Luke 1–2 to show that the true Spirit of Christmas is worship — an inward, Godward response as seen in Mary, Elizabeth, Zacharias, the angels, the shepherds, Simeon, and Anna. We contrast superficial holiday rituals with heartfelt praise, and this highlights Mary's recognition that this child was her Savior, and points listeners to Christ as Savior who brings peace and redemption. (Remastered).

(Psalm 147:1, 12, 20) Learning to praise God teaches you to live a Godward life. When you are consumed with Jesus Christ, you will want to vocalize His praises to others. He is the only one that is worthy! (09284251125) Keep Studying  Whether you're a new believer or have walked with the Lord for years, you'll find thousands of free devotionals, Bible studies, audio series, and Scripture tools designed to strengthen your faith, deepen your understanding of the Bible, and help you stay rooted in the Word of God. 

Schrodinger's blowjob and the curious case of the Epstein files flip flop.Bannon's Epstein ties and the gayest thing in the world.Ratcheting up the crank.The only winning move against the machine is to not play.J.D. Vance's rise to power helped by an actual gay vampire.Sumo's neighborhood witch.Sumo's fight with Tani, when given opportunities people don't say no to the system. Self-righteousness is your sin.A Lutheran goblin man and the It.Sumo tries to make the show not X-rated.Mother HateGodward and a real Jew join the podcast.Becoming a Jew, Sedevacantism, the fault of logic, voluntary rape.The Red Pill, what is it?Pre-marital sex, sexual ethics and throwing dildos around the street.A litany of degeneracy.How to talk to your kids about things, don't force anyone to take the red pill. Living your time in the cave.Can there be a solution?A bit of ending Flat Earth talk.Support the showMore Linkswww.MAPSOC.orgFollow Sumo on TwitterAlternate Current RadioSupport the Show!Subscribe to the Podcast on GumroadSubscribe to the Podcast on PatreonSubscribe to the Podcast on BuzzsproutBuy Us a Tibetan Herbal TeaSumo's SubstacksHoly is He Who WrestlesModern Pulp

Send us a textA compliment can feel like a hug—until it becomes a runway for a rebuke. We walk through Eliphaz's opening to Job: the soft words, the strategic praise, and the swift pivot to “practice what you preach.” It's a move many of us have felt in moments of pain, when someone seems to care yet uses that care to justify a verdict. We dig into why this approach wounds, why it often sounds wise, and how to spot it when it shows up in our own counsel.Together we unpack the harmful equation that visible suffering equals hidden sin. That tidy formula promises control but collapses under the weight of real life and honest Scripture. Job's grief, his talk of darkness and despair, isn't a confession of hypocrisy; it's the language of a heart still turning Godward while everything else falls apart. We reflect on God's sovereignty and goodness when affliction strikes, how comfort received becomes comfort given, and why tears aren't evidence against faith but expressions within it.We also get practical. What helps a friend in ashes? Presence over answers. Charity over certainty. Truth carried on a gentle voice rather than a gavel. We explore how knowledge without love becomes noise, how tactical praise manipulates, and how to hold hope without silencing lament. By tracing Eliphaz's errors, we learn a better way to walk with those who suffer: lift before you lecture, and if you must choose, choose to lift.If this conversation helped you rethink comfort, share it with someone who needs gentleness today. Subscribe for more thoughtful, Scripture‑rooted episodes, and leave a review to tell us what challenged you most.Support the showBE PROVOKED AND BE PERSUADED!

Message from Matthew Richey on November 16, 2025

The fear of the Lord derives from a right view of His glorious perfections and excellencies. It is the consequence of beholding and thus knowing Him as holy, just, and gracious. Godward fear is realized in all its goodness and gladness to the redeemed in Christ. But it is not something that can be acquired by human effort. It is a divine grace. Yet the redeemed are still responsible to steward the means of grace to grow in Godward fear. This last sermon in the series focuses on our responsibility to grow in Godward fear.

Here is another sermon in which you detect notes of what today might be called ‘pastoral theology.' Spurgeon could preach to preachers, certainly, and you see much of that in some collections of lectures and sermons, especially his Lecture to My Students. However, he also wants those who hear the Word of God to have some understanding of what it is to preach the Word of God. So, earlier in this year, you have his sermon on the pastor's life being wrapped up with the steadfastness of the saints. Here, he opens a window into what is taking place in the man who preaches and to the man to whom he preaches. How does God fit a man to be a minister of the gospel? What does God do in the heart of a converted man? And, what does that converted man have to do, in terms of his own experience of and response to the work of God? Here then you have two divine operations, one upon a preacher, and one upon a hearer, the second developing into its Godward and its manward elements, and yet never merely theoretical, but constantly brought close to the life of those who preach and those who hear. Read the sermon here: https://www.mediagratiae.org/resources/gods-work-minister-and-convert Check out the new From the Heart of Spurgeon Book! British: https://amzn.to/48rV1OR American: https://amzn.to/48oHjft Connect with the Reading Spurgeon Community on Twitter! https://twitter.com/ReadingSpurgeon Sign up to get the weekly readings emailed to you: https://www.mediagratiae.org/podcasts-1/from-the-heart-of-spurgeon. Check out other Media Gratiae podcasts at www.mediagratiae.org Download the Media Gratiae App: https://subsplash.com/mediagratiae/app

Here is another sermon in which you detect notes of what today might be called 'pastoral theology.' Spurgeon could preach to preachers, certainly, and you see much of that in some collections of lectures and sermons, especially his Lecture to My Students. However, he also wants those who hear the Word of God to have some understanding of what it is to preach the Word of God. So, earlier in this year, you have his sermon on the pastor's life being wrapped up with the steadfastness of the saints. Here, he opens a window into what is taking place in the man who preaches and to the man to whom he preaches. How does God fit a man to be a minister of the gospel? What does God do in the heart of a converted man? And, what does that converted man have to do, in terms of his own experience of and response to the work of God? Here then you have two divine operations, one upon a preacher, and one upon a hearer, the second developing into its Godward and its manward elements, and yet never merely theoretical, but constantly brought close to the life of those who preach and those who hear.

The consequences of godly fear are not only good for us but induce a marvelous and mysterious mixture of gravitas and gladness. Godward fear is not simply compatible with joy, it is a way of depicting the sheer intensity of it. Joy without fear lacks weight. But the fear of the Lord has both.

The Household: A Study Though 1 Timothy 1 Timothy 6:2-10

OverviewRyan and Brian launch a fresh series on the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5–7), Jesus' iconic teaching on kingdom living. Often quoted but rarely lived out, it calls for radical repentance (metanoia: heart/mind shift to action) and distinctiveness from "hypocrites" and "pagans" (e.g., no showy prayers or fasting in Matt. 6:5–8, 16). They cover intro context, Jesus' authority, and the first four Beatitudes as a Godward progression.Key Discussion HighlightsSermon Essentials: Full red-letter discourse (ch. 5–7); contrasts John's back-and-forth dialogues and Luke's Sermon on the Plain. Likely Matthew's memorable summary—not verbatim—but stresses doing over hearing (Matt. 7:24–29: wise builder on rock vs. fool on sand). Crowds follow post-sermon, amazed by Jesus' authority (7:28–29).Setting & Echoes: Jesus ascends mountainside amid crowds, evoking Moses at Sinai (law mediated) but speaking directly as living Word—no barriers. Ties to OT: distinct people (e.g., no pagan practices like raisin cakes).Kingdom Ethics: Draws from law (from above), prophets (future hope), wisdom (human observation). Frames as loving God/neighbor (Matt. 22:34–40). First four Beatitudes focus on God-relationship; latter four on others. Quotes: John Stott (familiar yet least obeyed); Stanley Hauerwas (new age realized now).Beatitudes Breakdown (Matt. 5:3–6): Paradoxical "blessed" (makarioi: flourishing in God's favor, not mere happiness). Describes kingdom citizens' traits—calling all to repent toward these:Poor in spirit (v. 3): Recognizing spiritual poverty/utter dependence on God (vs. wealth as "blessing" in culture; cf. Luke 6:20's "poor"). Promise: Theirs is the kingdom of heaven.Those who mourn (v. 4): Grief over personal sin/failure (e.g., tax collector's humility in Luke 18:9–14 vs. Pharisee's self-righteousness). Promise: They will be comforted.The meek (v. 5): Humility/gentleness (praus: not weakness, but not self-important—like Jesus in Phil. 2 or silent before accusers). Contrasts Roman power. Promise: They will inherit the earth. (Martyn Lloyd-Jones: true self-view expressed humbly.)Hunger/thirst for righteousness (v. 6): Deep craving for justice/rightness (like desert thirst satisfied). Promise: They will be filled.Progression: Spiritual poverty → mourning sin → meek approach → desiring God's righteousness.Resources MentionedBooks: The Message of the Sermon on the Mount by John Stott; Sermon on the Mount (Story of God Commentary) by Scot McKnight (narrative flow, ethical models).Key Verses: Matt. 5:1–2; 6:5–8,16; 7:24–29; 22:34–40; Luke 18:9–14 (Pharisee/tax collector).Next EpisodeBeatitudes 5–8: Mercy, pure in heart, peacemakers, persecuted—shifting to loving others as kingdom ambassadors.

This sermon begins a look at the consequences of godly fear. That is the benefits of it. After introducing the fear of the Lord and focusing on three categorical attributes of God that furnish cause to fear Him, we set before us consequences of fearing Him. First in line is the good of godly fear, that is the good that is given to those who fear the Lord.

Why does God command our joy? In this episode of Light + Truth, John Piper shows from Nehemiah 8:10 how delighting in God gives us strength and displays his glory.

This sermon introduces a series of messages on the fear of the Lord. It lays some of the groundwork for rightly understanding the meaning of fear. It addresses some of fear's complexities, the concept of a godless and a Godward fear, and touches on how the fear of the Lord brings peace, comfort, and joy. There is no other theme in Scripture that is more comprehensive, more pervasive, or more penetrating concerning man's relation to God.

Science confirms many of the things taught in the Bible, such as the benefits of exercising gratitude.  Thinking daily about what you are deeply grateful to God for rewires your brain and improves your physical and mental wellbeing.  When Jesus healed the ten lepers, the one that returned to thank Him and glorify God was not only healed but for his faith he was saved.  Expressing your gratitude directly to God affects your whole attitude and relationship with Him. VF-2500 Luke 17:11-19 Watch, Listen and Learn 24x7 at PastorMelissaScott.com Pastor Melissa Scott teaches from Faith Center in Glendale. Call 1-800-338-3030 24x7 to leave a message for Pastor Scott. You may make reservations to attend a live service, leave a prayer request or make a commitment. Pastor Scott appreciates messages and reads them often during live broadcasts. Follow @Pastor_Scott on Twitter and visit her official Facebook page @Pastor.M.Scott. Download Pastor Scott's "Understand the Bible" app for iPhone, iPad and iPod at the Apple App Store and for Android devices in the Google Store. Pastor Scott can also be seen 24x7 on Roku and Amazon Fire on the "Understand the Bible?" channel. ©2025 Pastor Melissa Scott, Ph.D., All Rights Reserved

Psalm 103 | JD Summers We will all have to deal with grief. It is the appropriate emotional response in times of loss. But in God's grace, there is something unique about the way Christians grieve. Christians mourn loss, but we do so with hope. Our grief should draw us near to God, basking in his steadfast love. As we walk through deep grief, let us fix our eyes on Jesus, whose faithfulness to us will never end.

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Psalm 93,The Lord reigns; he is robed in majesty; the Lord is robed; he has put on strength as his belt.Yes, the world is established; it shall never be moved.2 Your throne is established from of old; you are from everlasting.3 The floods have lifted up, O Lord, the floods have lifted up their voice; the floods lift up their roaring.4 Mightier than the thunders of many waters, mightier than the waves of the sea, the Lord on high is mighty!5 Your decrees are very trustworthy; holiness befits your house, O Lord, forevermore. Most mornings in the Schumann household start out the same way. Following time in the word, we make a round of toast with peanut butter and honey for everyone at the table. Next, if it's nice, we go outside for a walk or scooter ride around the block. After that, I get ready for work, grab my lunch, and then right before leaving, ask each of our kids three questions. They are the exact same questions every single morning.Who is the king of the world?Who are the king's people?And, What is better than being the king's people?Just about every morning in our house starts out this way and has now for quite some time. There are easier, simpler ways we start out a morning. For one, we could just skip the questions. I mean, the same three questions every single morning? Is that really necessary? Is that really worth slowing your progress out the door? I think it is. And the reason I think that is because none of us ever truly knows what the day ahead of us is really going to bring — it may be a whole set of circumstances that leave you feeling completely disorienting. Significantly unsteadied. Life can tend to do that kind of thing, you know. It can tend to knock-us-off-balance just when we're least expecting it. Each day carries with it the potential for quite the barrage of disorienting experiences: A suddenly fractured friendship you thought would stand the test of time, shocking news of a failed marriage you believed stood as solid as a pillar, an unforeseen illness in place of ongoing health, an unexpected accident in place of continued safety, loss of trust in someone you had thought trustworthy, or loss of life in someone you had thought invincible.Life can be disorienting. Any given day can leave you feeling turned totally upside down. And that's why, coffee in hand, backpack on shoulders, about to head to work, I ask our kids the questions: Who is the king of the world?Who are the king's people?And, What is better than being the king's people?And then, I listen for the answers we've taught them. Who is the king of the world? God is the king of the world.Who are the king's people? We are the king's people.And, What is better than being the king's people? There is nothing better than being the king's people. That is the message I hope to give my kids every single morning, and it is the message I believe Psalm 93 aims to give us this morning. Cities Church: God is the king of the world. Psalm 93 invites us to anchor ourselves to that truth, that we might be able to ride out all life's disorienting storms.Let's pray and ask for God's help before going any further. King Over the WorldSo, Psalm 93 — God is king over the world. More specifically, God is king over the world's future, its floods, it's faithful. Let's begin with what it means for God to be king more generally, then we'll consider his kingship over the future, floods, and faithful. So, God is king over the world. Beginning with verse one:“the Lord reigns.” The Lord reigns. He reigns. He does not merely manage or supervise — he reigns. As a verb, reign pertains to the realm of royalty. Reigning involves sitting upon a throne, wielding complete authority, and bearing the title “king.”And, this is something God does by right, for his kingly throne is “from of old.” Verse 2,“Your throne is established from of old; you are from everlasting.”So, verse one, God is king, and, verse two, his status as king is no new thing. He is king and he has been king, and there has never been a time, or a world, in which God was not King.Go ahead, take all of reality, all that has ever been, bind it all together into a single book. Turn to its very last pages and then start flipping backward. You'll just keep seeing it over and over again — God seated upon a throne. Brothers and sisters, the empires of our world are as a blink of an eye compared to the reign of God. Entire royal lines — a snap of the fingers. The timeline of the universe is the timeline of God's reign.So, God is king. God reigns as king, and he does so, still verse one, “robed in majesty.”“The Lord reigns; he is robed in majesty;” You've all seen movies or books where ancient kings have been depicted. Sometimes they're clothed in garments of purple laced with gold, or a cloak of red with white and black-dotted collar. King Aragorn kind of ends up with this cool black cloak with the white tree insignia — that one's pretty cool. Take all those images together, the basic idea is the same: kings set themselves apart from others by way of clothing. They choose, from all the finest clothing in the land, garments to signify their unique position. They adorn themselves, and they do so with articles of clothing that are exterior, outside themselves.The image here of God, the true High King, is similar — but not the same. Verse one describes the Great King's attire, but with one major difference. Here, it seems the Lord, the true reigning King, does not go looking for something exterior himself to wear. He doesn't go searching for outward, purchasable splendor. Rather, it seems he possesses within himself an inherent majesty, inherent greatness, which emanates out from him so real and so palpable that it is to him his robe.In other words, he's robed not in the majesty of man. Majesty is his very essence. He is what it means to be majestic.We see much of the same in terms of his belt. The text reads, still verse one,“He has put on strength as his belt.”Now, remember, we're talking about God here. God who does not borrow strength from elsewhere. Does not increase in strength, as if some form of it could even exist outside of him. He's what all forms of strength depend upon. And so when we read, God has put on strength, or God has robed himself in majesty, I believe we are meant to understand it as not suggesting God is adding anything to himself, but rather that God is revealing something of himself to us. Put another way: His putting on of strength, robing himself with majesty is simply what God looks like, from our angle, whenever he reveals himself to us.Brothers and sisters: God is king over the world. And, more specifically, God is king over the future of the world. King Over the FutureTake another look at verses one and two, and notice what's sandwiched between the words on God's kingship. See it with me, on one side of the sandwich, verse one:“The Lord reigns; he is robed in majesty; the Lord is robed; he has put on strength as his belt.”All thoroughly Godward statements, yes? All concerning God's kingship. On the other side, verse 2:“Your throne is established from of old; you are from everlasting.”Again, thoroughly Godward statements. All concerning God's kingship.But then, in the middle, a statement that doesn't immediately seem to fit. End of verse one:“Yes, the world is established; it shall never be moved.”Nothing thoroughly Godward here, right? The world is what's in view. Not God's kingship, but the world and the promise that it shall never be moved.Now, how does that fit here? What is the connection? God, God, God on one side. God, God, God on the other. Earth sandwiched in the middle. I think the point is this: We don't know what tomorrow will look like for our world, do we? We don't know the world's future. From a purely scientific angle, it doesn't look great. Think about it: We are literally standing on a ball, that's currently hurling through space, and held in the orbit of an even bigger ball, that's burning like a furnace, so massive and so powerful, that it makes nuclear reactors look like candle sticks.Will the sun go out tomorrow? Will the earth erode? Will a gigantic asteroid smash into us and break our planet in two? Will food run scarce? Will the waters dry up? Will the temperature rise too high?What will the future of our world hold? Any future at all?Psalm 93:“Yes, the world is established; it shall never be moved.”And the reason it won't ever be moved is because God is king over its future. He is king over the world's tomorrow. The world does not exist independently from God. The world is not a clock simply wound up by God and left to tick away on its own.God has told us his son is coming back to this world. God has told us he is going to free this world from its bondage to decay. Till he does, he has also told us his Son is the one who upholds the universe by the word of his power (Heb. 1:3). God is not going to let this world turn to dust. Psalm 93: “Yes, the world is established; it shall never be moved.” God is king over the future of the world.You feel flipped upside down by certain reports in the news. You feel disoriented, confused, by the possibility of chaos or catastrophe. Take heart, God is king over the future of the world. No one gets to decide what tomorrow will bring save him.God is king over the future of the world. And, God is King over the floods of the world.King Over the FloodsVerse 3,“The floods have lifted up, O Lord, the floods have lifted up their voice; the floods lift up their roaring.”Certainly seems significant, given recent events. Last I read, the death count from the recent flooding in Texas has reached 134 people. The floods have certainly lifted up their roaring, and it's not the first time. Now its true, the term “floods” here could also be translated as rivers. NIV has “seas.” So we want to be careful here to not interpret this too narrowly. Waters is the idea. Bodies of water. Whether in the form of an ocean threatening deep sea fishing boats far from land, or a rising tide that breaks over embankments and floods into a city. Bodies of water, and all the potential energy amassed within them — that's the idea here. And in the ancient world, these bodies of waters were regularly feared as extremely threatening and unpredictable. Thought by many to be the realm of worldly chaos.In fact, so threatening, unpredictable, and chaotic were these bodies of water that the term itself — whether rivers, waters, or floods — became synonymous for enemy nations.Isaiah 8:7, with regard to Assyria:“The Lord is bringing up against them the waters of the River, mighty and many, the king of Assyria and all his glory. And it will rise over all its channels and go over all its banks,”Jeremiah 46:7, with regard to Egypt:“Who is this, rising like the Nile, like rivers whose waters surge? Egypt rises like the Nile, like rivers whose waters surge.”Revelation 12:15, with regard to Satan himself:“The serpent poured water like a river out of his mouth after the woman, to sweep her away with a flood.”So, floods here, could mean literal floods, like that which recently swept over parts of Texas. Or it could mean figurative floods, like warring nations that have swept over our world. Truth be told, I think both are in mind here in Psalm 93, because what follows is just as true concerning both. See it with me, verse 4: “Mightier than the thunders of many waters, mightier than the waves of the sea, the Lord on high is mighty!”God is king over the world's floods — it's literal floods (think Noah and the Ark) as well as its figurative floods (think Egypt's watery grave). God is king, and can be king, over the world's floods because he is mightier than they. His power far exceeds their own. The floods are to him as freshly poured tar upon the road, where he is to them the steamroller. He drives his will right on through without the least degree of resistance.Does he, at times, allow the floods to wreak havoc? Yes, according to his all-knowing, loving, and perfect wisdom, he does. But that's the key word, allows. And the moment he stops allowing, the floods must cease. Jesus slept for a time in the boat, yes? The waves crashed, the waters roared. But when Jesus woke, and spoke: “quiet, be still.” The waves were forced to bow to him. Our Psalm 93 king is mightier than the floods. Friends, no matter how out-of-control things look. No matter how in-control the enemy may seem to be. In seasons of disorientation and confusion, step away from the tilt-a-whirl of circumstances. And steady yourself upon the truth that God is king over the floods of the world.Anchor yourself to that truth, and ride out the storm from there. God is king over the floods of the world.Lastly, God is king over the faithful of the world.King Over the FaithfulVerse 5:“Your decrees are very trustworthy; holiness befits your house, O Lord, forevermore.”Key terms here — decrees, think Laws. And House, think household, or family. In other words, what's in view here is the church. The faithful who are in Christ. After all, it is we who are the members of his house, “holiness befits your house.” It is we who are the possessors of his decrees, “Your decrees are very trustworthy.” We, the church, the faithful in Christ, we are in view here. Which means, God is king over us as well. God is king over the faithful of the world.And I want us to really think for a moment about what that means. God is king over us. Kings, as we said, sit upon a throne. They wield complete authority. They reign. And as they do, their citizens do what? They obey. They submit. They endeavor to do what the king tells them.In the church, we call Jesus our friend, and we should, because Jesus first called us his friend (John 15:15).We call Jesus our Good Shepherd, and we're right to, because Jesus told us that's who he is (John 10:11).We call the Father our Father, because Jesus invites us to call him Father (Matt. 6:9).We call Jesus our Savior because that's just what he came to — save us from our sin (Matthew 1:21). We call Jesus, Jesus, because though fully God, he also became fully human, even to the point of taking on a human name, Jesus. How often do we call Jesus king? How often do we call him king and really mean it? To call Jesus king means you intend to submit to him, right? You intent to obey him. You intend to abide by the rules of his kingdom.Are you winking at any of King Jesus' commands in this season? Are you taking lightly any of King Jesus' words? Friends, in all our love for, nearness to, and enjoyment of Jesus, don't forget, this same Jesus is also King. A King deserving of our obedience to him.DecreesAnd now, two quick words concerning your King: First, verse 5, his decrees are very trustworthy. Speaking to the king,“Your decrees [think testimony, Law — the words of this book he's given us called the Bible] are very trustworthy.”His decrees are very reliable. And that's important, because his word is also very challenging, “better to pluck out your eye than with two eyes to be thrown into hell.” Pluck out my eye? Am I really to take sin that seriously? His word is also not always intuitive, “whoever loses his life for my sake will find it” (Matthew 16:25). Really, I have to lose it, to find it? How can that be? His word is also humbling, “no one is righteous, no not one.” Ouch. Self-help books don't talk that way. His word is also very candid and to the point, “Here you have no lasting city.” Phew, kind of sobers you to reality just a bit, huh.So, given the challenging, not always intuitive, humbling, and to-the-point nature of God's word, we could tend to find ourselves sifting through it a bit, don't you think? Customizing it — I like this part, not that part. But these are not the words of a common citizen. Advice from the guy on the corner to either be taken or dismissed. They are the words of your King. And your king is telling you that they are very worth your trusting them.The world would have you to doubt God's word. Your sin would have you ignore it. Follow the king's word. Submit to it by faith. His decrees are very worth your trust.HolinessSecond, and lastly, holiness befits his house. Speaking to him in verse 5, “Holiness befits your house.”Whether his kingdom in heaven, his church here on earth. Holiness befits his house.And, look, this ought to be such a relief. Such an encouragement. I mean, a King can be a frightening thing. All that power, handed over to one single person? Turn the pages of history, human kings have wreaked havoc on the world. There's a reason most countries don't want them anymore.But, here's good news of a good King. One who is purely, perfectly, unchangeably holy. A king who is set apart and entirely untouched by sin, unmarred by evil, unendingly good.“Holiness befits your house.”You need not ever fear this King acting capriciously, selfishly, or deceptively like human kings. This King has no sin for you to worry about. He is radiant in holiness and it decks the walls of his house. No sin or evil ever touches this king. And the fact that holiness befits his house, means that everyone he calls near to it, he too makes holy. 1 Peter 2:9,“But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation,”Christian, God has made you holy, that he might bring you near. So, be holy, because you're headed to his house in heaven. And, don't miss this, be holy now, because you are his house on earth. 1 Cor. 3:17,“If anyone destroys God's temple [God's house], God will destroy him. For God's temple is holy, and you are that temple.”Holiness befits his house. You are that house. Therefore, be holy.Application for you: What is one step you can take today toward greater holiness? One sinful habit you can drop. One godless activity you can quit. One decision by which you can say, “God, you've made me holy by your Son, you've called me to live holy in this world. You are my king, and as a member of your household, I will choose holiness here. What is here for you this morning?Christian, we've got good news about a good king. It's news we can anchor our souls to in the midst of stormy weather and disorienting seasons.Who is the king of the world? God is the king of the world.Who are the king's people? We are the king's people.And, What's better than being the king's people? There is nothing better than being the king's people.The TableNow, what brings us to the table this morning is the fact that none of us here deserve to be the king's people. Had the king done nothing, and we continued in our sin just as before, we could expect nothing but rightful judgment from him. But, King Jesus did, in fact, do something. He left heaven, came to earth, took on the form of a servant, was mocked, beaten, scorned, and then hung upon a cross to die for us. Our King purchased our citizenship into his kingdom, by his life, death, and resurrection. So, because that's what this table represent, if you're here today and you've trusted in Jesus as your Savior King by faith, then we invite you to take and eat with us. If you've not put your trust in Jesus, we ask that you'd let the bread and cup pass, and in this moment, turn from your trust in all other things, give your full allegiance to Jesus. Say “Jesus, be my king.”

The Gospel Moves us from Shameful to Singing . . . I. See and Grieve our Sin as Sin! (1-5) A. Pitfalls: 1. Excuse, minimize, blame shift 2. Measure Manward vs. Godward 3. Law of God vs. Heart of God 4. Act of sin vs. Depths of Sinfulness II. Confess the Forgiving & Restoring Grace of God! (6-9) III. Seek Change by God's Empowering Grace! (10-17) Practical Implications o Where do you get hung up in the process of repentance? o What would concrete biblical change look like for you today? o Walk through the Put Off/Renew/Put on Process this week, and tell someone about it.

(Ecclesiastes 3:1-8) Much like the world, life is made up of seasons. Every season prepares you for the next one, because God is interested and involved in each stage of your life. When your perspective on seasons is Godward, you can persevere through any hardship.  (09146250617)  Keep Studying  Whether you're a new believer or have walked with the Lord for years, you'll find thousands of free devotionals, Bible studies, audio series, and Scripture tools designed to strengthen your faith, deepen your understanding of the Bible, and help you stay rooted in the Word of God. 

In this exhortation, Jon Hoglund reminds us of one of the short prayers we found in Psalm 86 last Sunday that calls us to pray beyond ourselves to God's wider purposes. Do you pray beyond the fenced in yard of your own needs toward God's glory?

“Proposals don't save energy… action does.”  — Bill Spohn   “I didn't know how cool this thing was until we started sharing it with the world.”  — Amanda Godward “Change is hard—but that's what makes it great.”  — Amanda quoting Ross Trethewey from This Old House   In this episode of Building HVAC Science, hosts Bill Spohn and Eric Kaiser welcome Amanda Godward, founder of Ecotelligent Homes and Ecotelligent Software. Amanda shares her journey from mechanical engineer in the auto industry to a passionate home performance contractor and software developer. Her Excel-based audit tool, born from a need to streamline customer reports and drive action, eventually evolved into a full-blown mobile and desktop app that's now saving contractors hours per appointment.   Ecotelligence Software is designed by a contractor for contractors. It supports fast, accurate energy audits and work orders, including customizable good-better-best proposals, automated workflows, and rich documentation via mobile-friendly tools. Amanda highlights how her engineering background helped her embed best practices, consistency, and compliance into the platform, resulting in better customer outcomes and more efficient field operations.   From audit to install, Amanda's thoughtful approach and personal joy in helping others shines through. The conversation underscores the value of consultative selling, real-time proposals, and how the right tool can empower contractors to fix more homes faster—all while delighting customers and installation crews alike.   Amanda is offering discount code: BSHVAC to get half off your first month of service with Ecotelligent, this code expires June 30, 2025.    Ecotelligent software: https://ecotelligentsoftware.com/   Amanda's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amanda-godward-28898b9/   Amanda's email: amanda@ecotelligentsoftware.com   Amanda's home performance business: https://www.ecotelligenthomes.com/     This episode was recorded in May 2025.  

Brad Kelly's background and why he left the Art of Darkness podcast.Tolkien and his lack of character development.The hero's journey post World War 2, Catholic vs Protestant stories.The Internet as the printing press times a hunded.Grammar used to be different.Stock market astrology, the Age of Aquarius, the world ended in 2012.Cave spelunking stories.Post burning man depression.Godward does a card trick.Kavi's KornerWho were the Nephilim, where were they mentioned in the Bible and why is this relevant for eschatology and Jesus's ministry?LinksBradkellyesque SubstackMethod and Madness PodcastMore Linkswww.MAPSOC.orgFollow Sumo on TwitterAlternate Current RadioSupport the Show!Subscribe to the Podcast on GumroadSubscribe to the Podcast on PatreonBuy Us a Tibetan Herbal TeaSumo's SubstacksHoly is He Who WrestlesModern Pulp

Rev. Brian Habig

As we listen to the prophet Joel, we hear him speak of devastating judgment, redeeming restoration, and sharing in the blessing that comes through repentance that is inward, outward, and Godward. Listen to this reading of the book of Joel and Pastor David's sermon on the whole book.

Sermon - Mark

141:1-2 Cry for help141:1 O Lord, I call upon You; hasten to me- “The cryptic phraseology indicates urgency” Miller, 433. Call (Ps. 4:1, 3; 17:6; 88:9; 130:1) and hasten or come quickly is used in Pss. 22:19; 38:22; 40:13; 70:1, 5; 71:12.Give ear to my voice when I call to You!- Give ear is used in Ps. 55:1; 86:6; 143:1.141:2 May my prayer be counted as incense before You- “Incense and evening sacrifice come from the realm of formal worship” Longman, 458. “Incense symbolized the prayers of the saints (Rev. 5:8) and the priestly intercession accompanying their prayers on behalf of the people (Rev. 8:3-4; Exod. 30:10)” Miller, 433. “Incense is intended to present a sweet fragrance before the Lord, and so the psalmist wants his prayer similarly to please God” Longman, 458. The lifting up of my hands as the evening offering- Lifting up of hands was a common posture in prayer- Ex. 9:29; Ps. 28:2; 63:4; 134:2; I Tim. 2:8. The morning and evening offering are described in Ex. 29:38-42; 30:7-8; Num. 28:4-8. Because he mentions the evening sacrifice, BK, 893, calls this “an evening prayer for sanctification and protection.” A similar idea appears in Longman, 458.This shows that he knew that sacrifices were acceptable and longs for prayer to be just as acceptable. Portions of Scripture like Isaiah 1:10-15 are not anti-sacrifice. 141:3-7 Petition141:3 Set a guard, O LORD over my mouth- “The prayer for the worshiper himself builds on bodily images” Broyles, 492.  There were guards who waited at the temple- I Chron. 15:18, 24; II Kings 11:4-8; II Chron. 23:1-7. “He needs this strong Ally to help him guard his tongue” Laymen, 697. “Pure prayer Godward must be controlled speech manward (James 3:10-12)” Laymen, 579. “Religious ritual and moral lifestyle were to be integrally connected in ancient Israel” Broyles, 492. His first request is not judgment on his enemies but a plea that God will keep him from sin- Longman, 458. “Speech is an indicator of one's relationship to the Lord (cf. 34:13; 39:1; Prov. 13:3; 21:23; James 3:1-12)” VanGemeren, 847. The malicious intention of the speaker's enemies seems to manifest itself in vicious speech. The special emphasis here is on the speaker's prayer that he not answer them in kind, that he keep his own speech from slander and invective” Alter, 487. Faithful and Christian at Vanity Fair prayed “Turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity” Kidner, 470. Keep watch over the door of my lips- “The psalmist desires not to sin in word (34:13; 39:1; Prov. 13:3; 18:21; 21:23)” Miller, 433. Speech can do much harm- Prov. 10:6; 12:6; 22:10.141:4 Do not incline my heart to any evil thing- Matt. 6:13 More fundamental than his speech is his heart and he prays his heart will be right with God. “He knows too the dominant pull of his heart toward involvement in evil” Laymen, 697. “Whereas the psalmist prayed in Psalm 140 for deliverance from ‘evil' (see vs. 1-2), here the prayer is that he be prevented from joining the wicked in their ‘evil' (v. 4)” McCann, 1244. “This is a remarkable expression of divine control over the mind; I Sam. 16:14; I Kings 22:21-23; Ps. 119:36” Allen, 270.With men who do iniquity – “He resolves to leave their circle with its lavish hospitality (cf. 23:5)” Laymen, 697. And do not let me eat of their delicacies- “To eat of their dainties could mean to eat of their delicacies attained through wickedness, or it could suggest the strong temptation to follow the ways of those who used a false hospitality to influence him for evil (cf. Prov. 23:6-8, 20-21; Hos. 7:1-7)” Miller, 433. Prov. 4:17.

Can a fractured world be healed without a Godward vision? In this episode of Light + Truth, John Piper turns to 1 Corinthians 3:5–9 to call us beyond a man-centered worldview.

Deuteronomy 4 commences with Moses commanding obedience from Israel. Verses 1-14 speak of the people being told that the Word of the LORD was to observed without adding to it, nor subtracting from it. This was because Yahweh their God demanded exclusive worship; He would tolerate no rivals. The demands for obedience were reasonable since He had rescued His people and shown them mighty miracles in the process. He had given them an incomparable Law, at which the surrounding nations could only marvel. Israel needs to diligently observe all the LORD's laws and ensure that these laws were ingrained into their children's minds. The Ten Commandments were delivered to them accompanied by an impressive display of the might and majesty of their Sovereign. So these commandments were morally imperative for Israel to keep when they came into the Promised Land. Verses 15-31 says that idolatry in any form was forbidden. They were not to fashion, or carve, the likeness of any living creature lest it become an idol. The consequences of idol worship would bring punishment upon the nation. If they forsook the idols then Yahweh would show them His love and mercy, which are essential qualities of His character – read verse 31 aloud slowly and contemplate what it teaches you. Verses 32-40 teach that there is no other God than our Almighty Father. And so worship of Him is demanded to the exclusion of all others – idols, covetousness and self (Colossians 3:5; 2 Timothy 3:2). Verses 41-43 describe the assigning of 3 additional cities of refuge east of the River Jordan.Proverbs 31 concludes the book with section 7 – the words of king Lemuel, which his mother taught him. Once again Lemuel, although exceptionally wise, is not Solomon David's son – whose wisdom was taught to him firstly by his natural father David; and later, and more importantly by his Heavenly Father. Another sad contrast between Lemuel and Solomon is Lemuel's writing about a virtuous woman, who may have been his soulmate; whereas even though Solomon had a thousand wives (including his concubines) he seemingly failed to find a true companion – Ecclesiastes 7 verses 28. Verses 1-9 are balanced contrastingly with verses 10-31 the virtues of the wise, diligent and faithful wife. Lemuel's counsel is an “oracle” ie wise counsel that harmonises with God's Word. It is recorded here in holy writ as it is endorsed as inspired advice. The name Lemuel means “Godward, or God is Bright”. The author's intention is to focus his reader's minds on their Sovereign, “who dwells in unapproachable light” as we are told in 1 Timothy 6 verses 14-16. Verses 3-7 counsel us against immorality and drunkenness. Verses 8-9 are Lemuel's third admonition to his readers. Only open your mouth to confer a benefit to others – see Ephesians 4 verses 29; James 3 verses 1-10.

Each person's life journey includes intense wrestles with the matter of "authority." When we are young, we are in a position in which we must defer to another's authority in order to survive. As we grow, we soon become self-conscious, taking into account how we are viewed by others. And in order to fit in, we will often defer our own authority to that of the group. At first it will be to our immediate friends and acquaintances. Heidegger noticed that we give away our authority to larger, more diffuse cultures and societies, referring to it as "the tyranny of the they." In our maturation processes, we hopefully will come to understand these pressures on us and begin to form a firm sense of our own self and can more easily walk our particular path without relying on others for the final word about what we should do and think.  Our religious lives bring extra complications with regard to authority. When we view certain texts or particular leaders as spiritually and ethically authoritative, it becomes even harder to stand our ground because we worry that we might be upsetting God should we stray from its or their directives.  This podcast discusses our views of God and how these are typically quite influential when it comes to whether we yield our authority to these texts and people. Do we view God as completely "other," external to us, and distant, or can we allow ourselves to believe that God is a part of us, intimately caring, compassionate, and ever encouraging us Godward? If the former, we are more likely to allow authority figures more sway, perhaps complete sway, over our thoughts and actions. If the latter, we can typically differentiate from these others and begin to trust our own experiences over their interpretations and directives. Certainly, these will align with each other at times, but when they don't, we will follow our own light. LDF host Dan Wotherspoon is joined by board members Mark Crego and Terri Petersen in a li

Chess lessons and black people speak a different language.Godward's thoughts on the conversation with MyFitnessFeelings from last week.Benevolent dictatorship, trusting that your government doesn't want to kill you, the noble lie.The government is following an alchemical process.The 4 phases of alchemy.We love the jews.Steelman arguments for lying to the public.People want to be anxious and fearful.Dentistry is fake.You can become the expert now.The point of bureaucracy is to distribute blame, don't write down any laws.Killing Walt Whitman, breaking the rules, the law is a teacher.Left brain vs right brain, a Trinity built into each person.How is Godward doing? Kavi is a mystery.LinksGodward Podcast on YouTubeGodward's PateronMore Linkswww.MAPSOC.orgFollow Sumo on TwitterAlternate Current RadioSupport the Show!Subscribe to the Podcast on GumroadSubscribe to the Podcast on PatreonBuy Us a Tibetan Herbal TeaSumo's SubstacksHoly is He Who WrestlesModern Pulp

Listen to one of the sermons from our Sunday morning services.

As we begin a four-week series entitled “Building a Life of Prayer,” we will focus on one of the stones in the foundation – listening prayer. By listening prayer, we mean a quiet and settled godward orientation where we hold ourselves open before God, free of striving, settled and attentive, seeking both to encounter and to receive from God, even when we remain silent. For God is alive and does not merely passively listen to our words of prayer but actively communicates to us through both his word and his Spirit, if only we have ears to hear. Join us this week, bring a friend, and let us together learn to better tune our hearts and our ears to hear the living God, who through the ages has been pleased to speak to those who will listen.

From a very young age Larry McClure's life was rife with tragedy following the deaths of his cousins, neighbors, his twin brother as well as his father all before the age of 12.  This series of events led him on quest to find answers to help him explain all this distress and suffering that had been laid upon him and his family.  So, he turned to the church for answers. His years of going to church not only didn't answer his questions it just added to them.  So, he left the church and began searching for answers on his own.  After over 40 years of research, and study he finally found the answers he was searching for. He had spent many hours recording and documenting his research and felt that spiritually he was in a good place.  But life had other intentions.  In February of 2017 he was diagnosed with stage four colon cancer that had spread to his liver. Without treatment he had only six months to live, and with treatment maybe only two years.  He was ready to accept the six months when a miracle happened in his life, so he decided to take the treatments. During the time he had left he decided to turn his spiritual journey into a book. With only two years to go he hurriedly self-published the first book Godward | The Prodigal Steps. After living past the two years, he was able to self-publish his second book, Godward | The Wilderness Steps.  And that leads us to today, eight years later, which he is in the middle of writing his third book, Godward | The Promised Land Steps. For more info on the book click HERE

Send us a textAll Christians at times encounter difficulty in praying. At such times it is important to understand that prayer starts with bring one's attention Godward. Genuine prayer begins inwardly before it is expressed outwardly. Believers have turned to the Psalms through the centuries to help them express their thoughts to God and to themselves and toward and with others. The Psalms gives us models of communication with God. Today we read-pray Psalm 3,"Arise, O Yahweh!Save me, O my God! Salvation belongs to Yahweh."We can locate prayer when God is addressed  directly by his name or roles. Sometimes the psalmist will engage in self talk and at other times people talk. The Psalms are dynamic in nature and should be read and prayed in this manner. Bible Insights with Wayne ConradContact: 8441 Hunnicut Rd Dallas, Texas 75228email: Att. Bible Insights Wayne Conradgsccdallas@gmail.com (Good Shepherd Church) Donation https://gsccdallas.orghttps://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJTZX6qasIrPmC1wQpben9ghttps://www.facebook.com/waconrad or gscchttps://www.sermonaudio.com/gsccSpirit, Truth and Grace MinistriesPhone # 214-324-9915 leave message with number for call backPsalms 119:105 Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.

In this episode, Going Godward guest hosts X's Audrey Horne in a Doomer Optimist/e-girl crossover. GG and Audrey discuss how the Machine affects women and its consequences on beauty standards, self-image, and identity.

Send us a textThis week I'm in NYC talking with sculptor and now race car driver Ben Godward. Back in August Ben told me he was building a race car with a few friends. I wanted to catch with him after he and his team raced in the 24 hours of lemons race in New Hampshire back in October. 

Text: Colossians 4:2-4   Dependance Upon Christ in Prayer (4:2) Pray with steadfast consistency. Pray with persistent watchfulness. Pray with Godward gratitude.   Devotion to Christ's Mission Through Prayer (4:3-4) Pray for opportunities to declare the Gospel. Pray for obedience to make the Gospel known.

By God's design, truth serves emotion. Thinking serves feeling. The lyrics of our best songs serve the Godward longings of our hearts.

Godward recommends unemployment.Talking about an anonymously written blog post about hyper reality. What do weird rules in the Old Testament mean? Waiting for the messiah to fulfill prophecies in 2024. How people tell history and what is relevant?One of the greatest first sentences ever conceived in a novel.How did prophecy ever become part of the Biblical canon? What do all the strange details in stories in the Bible mean?The problem with Post-Modernism, America is polytheist, how do we know that the selection of facts passed down is any good?The Biblical canon was never officially closed…The news cycle moves so fast now and no one cares about anything anymore. The rate of information has exceeded the ability of the editor. The A.I. speech from Metal Gear Solid 2, algorithms, war as a reset.Islam is falling to modernity at record speed.Predictions about the U.S. election, how elections work, maybe it's a good thing the President isn't actually in charge of anything.How to avoid a possible future draft.The election is going to be a fun time and everyone's going to be okay.Links:The Hyperreality of Sacred WritingsThe A.I. Speech from Metal Gear Solid 2SOUL Radio Music:TWRP: All Night ForeverDeep Chills & Brendan Mills - NaluTWRP & Montaigne: OnlineHaunting Space Banjo | Ambient Space Western ChillwaveMore Linkswww.MAPSOC.orgFollow Sumo on TwitterAlternate Current RadioSupport the Show!Subscribe to the Podcast on GumroadSubscribe to the Podcast on PatreonBuy Us a Tibetan Herbal TeaSumo's SubstacksHoly is He Who WrestlesModern Pulp

This episode is a joy. In it, LDF host Dan Wotherspoon chats with his friend Stan Bennion about Stan's life and experiences as a Latter-day Saint whose sense of adventure led him and his family to live in interesting places. Stan has had the good fortune to be able to marry his fascination with new and interesting things to his Mormon life in ways that allow him to be more fully himself in church than many people feel able to do. We hope his story and sense of things might help others find this sweet spot as well. The topic thread that emerges from the conversation is about transactional and transformational ways of living the gospel. He shares great sense about how it is essential to grow up viewing the world in mostly transactional ways. It helps us be safe, gives us a sense of what's fair and not fair, and helps bring a little bit of order out of chaos. But he also lays out some of the pitfalls that can arise when we hold too tightly to this way of being, how it can warp our perceptions and inhibit our growth Godward. The transition from the Old Testament to the New Testament was from a world dominated by transactions, including in its sense of and rules for justice, to a new vision taught by Jesus's changes everything. Everything and everyone become more significant, and as we come to understand new ways of seeing them and ourselves, wonderful things unfold in us. In taking us through a few elements of the Sermon on the Mount and then a couple of Jesus's parables, Stan brings this message to life. Enjoy!

This is a wise and inspiring episode, which uses as a springboard the recent emphases on garment wearing and its relationship to worthiness, including a new statement to be read during the temple recommend interview. It is a conversation between LDF board member Terri Petersen and show favorite Jody England Hansen that addresses these things through a tour of the history of garment wearing in the church, but even more so the garment as symbol within a symbolic ritual, with symbols by definition belonging to each of us individuals for its meaning. The temple endowment's ritual is an ascension story, taking us from one state of being and relationship with the Divine to progressively higher and wider ways of relating to and loving God. With each section, we are forced to confront ourselves and ask what are the things that are holding us back as we take this Godward journey? It is also a wisdom journey, because how can we gain such a boon without our taking responsibility for ourselves and our decisions? One of these responsibilities is making our own decisions about how and when we wear garments. Wearing garments can be problematic for the health of our bodies, and this is especially true for women's bodies. Whether it is because of climate conditions, immune systems, allergies, or body shapes and sizes that don't work well with the standard cut of the garment, wearing these as one's underwear at all times (with very few exceptions) can cause many difficulties. Shouldn't it then be up to each individual to decide how and when she or he wears garments? Why would anyone want to give up her or his own body autonomy because of church statements (which are changing all the time) made most often by men if they know it is harmful to them (physically but at times psychologically as well)? The garment as symbol is to be understood by each of us individually. It follows that part of our own growth to greater wisdom and love should apply to how we choose to wear them. Listen in! This conversation is incredible—and important.