Podcasts about Hidden Treasure

https://slasrpodcast.com/      SLASRPodcast@gmail.com  Welcome to Episode 223 of the Sounds Like a Search and Rescue podcast. This week we're joined by Dave, who's back with us and may or may not finally decide whether he's going public with his last name. We've got some follow-up on Great Britain versus the United Kingdom, more coyote talk as mating season ramps up and how not to get yourself in trouble, a little animal-track trivia now that winter actually showed up, and some positive feedback on Stomp's return. We've got listener shoutouts, including some love for Dave's PSAs, a funny comment about Mike's snow sculpture on Tecumseh, updates on our Alzheimer's 48 Peaks plans — including a potential Mount Adams hike — and a look at what's been happening around New Hampshire with rescues on Camel's Hump, avalanche incidents on Mount Washington, a disturbing number of snowmobile press releases, and new technology being used in long-term missing person cases as we mark the anniversary of Maura Murray's disappearance. Nationally, we'll talk about a K-9 finding a missing child during a bomb cyclone, fatal ski accidents out west and in Europe, and why this winter seems determined to remind people that mountains don't care about your Instagram plans. Plus, we've got gear talk, a dad joke, a music minute featuring Great Grandpa, recent hikes, future plans, and — in our main segment — Dave brings us the wild and surprisingly dark legend of the Silver Virgin Madonna, a New England treasure story that sits right at the intersection of frontier warfare, folklore, and wishful thinking. Join the SLASR Podcast 48 Peaks Team on June 13 to hike Mount Adams   Topics Tech Support misadventures with Dave and Welcome back Dave Nick's photography and instagram  Catching up with Dave - Recent Hike on Mount Dinsmore, 50 finest Difference between the United Kingdom, England, Britain…  Coyote Talk Everyone loved Stomp's return to the show Dave's Public service announcements and gear/safety tips Snow Sculptures on Tecumseh Mount Washington Road Race Rescue on Camels Hump in Vermont Avalanche season on Mt. Washington Maura Murray Snowmobile crashes NH Dog wins agility contest at Westminster Dog Show Hiking Movie filmed in NH National news and Olympics talk Nick's new photography gear Music minute - Great Grandpa Alzheimer's Association Beer talk, Recent Hikes, Future Plans, Notable listener hikes History Segment - The Legend of the Silver Virgin Madonna Show Notes Apple Podcast link for 5 star reviews SLASR Merchandise SLASR LinkTree SLASR's BUYMEACOFFEE Order Hike Safe Card 48 Peaks website Nick's Instagram Monadnock's Fifty Finest List Three ways to prevent conflict during coyote mating season MWRR deets released Hikers Rescued in Vermont on Camels Hump Skier caught in an avalanche takes a tumble down Mount Washington 22 year Anniversary of the disappearance of Maura Murray New Technology being used to search  13 press releases for injured or lost snowmobilers in the last 10 days.  NH Dog and its owner win agility competition at the Westminster Dog Show https://www.imdb.com/title/tt21236688/  Bo the K9 finds missing boy during bomb cyclone  Skier dies after fall at Mammoth Italian mountains see record toll as 13 skiers, climbers, and hikers die in one week Four skiers killed in avalanches in the French Alps in 3 days Nick upping his astrophotography game with a skytracker Join the SLASR Podcast 48 Peaks Team on June 13 to hike Mount Adams The legend of the Silver Virgin Madonna New Article about the treasure  History news article Treasure Hunting post Sponsors, Friends  and Partners Wild Raven Endurance Coaching burgeonoutdoor.com 48 Peaks - Alzheimer's Association Mount Washington Higher Summits Forecast Hiking Buddies  Vaucluse - Sweat less. Explore more. – Vaucluse Gear Fieldstone Kombucha CS Instant Coffee The Mountain Wanderer 

Fluent Fiction - Catalan: Unveiling the Hidden Treasures of Montserrat Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/ca/episode/2026-02-17-08-38-20-ca Story Transcript:Ca: Neix un nou dia a Montserrat.En: A new day is born in Montserrat.Ca: La boira cobreix les muntanyes.En: The fog covers the mountains.Ca: El vent bufa fred, jugant amb les branques dels arbres coberts de neu.En: The wind blows cold, playing with the branches of snow-covered trees.Ca: En aquest paisatge hivernal, Esteve, un arqueòleg decidit i curiós, camina amb un mapa antic a les mans.En: In this winter landscape, Esteve, a determined and curious archaeologist, walks with an ancient map in his hands.Ca: Aquest mapa, trobat per casualitat durant la restauració d'una biblioteca vella, diu que hi ha un tresor amagat en el Temple Ocult de Montserrat.En: This map, found by chance during the restoration of an old library, says there is a hidden treasure in the Hidden Temple of Montserrat.Ca: Alguns ho consideren una llegenda.En: Some consider it a legend.Ca: Esteve, però, vol demostrar que és veritat.En: Esteve, however, wants to prove it's true.Ca: Marta acompanya a Esteve.En: Marta accompanies Esteve.Ca: És amiga de confiança i historiadora.En: She is a trustworthy friend and a historian.Ca: Ella creu en les llegendes catalanes.En: She believes in Catalan legends.Ca: Aquest matí, Joan, un altre arqueòleg, els segueix a distància.En: This morning, Joan, another archaeologist, follows them at a distance.Ca: Joan dubta dels mètodes d'Esteve.En: Joan doubts Esteve's methods.Ca: Creu que perseguir llegendes és una pèrdua de temps.En: He thinks that chasing legends is a waste of time.Ca: Però, sap que si Esteve té raó, serà una gran descoberta.En: But he knows that if Esteve is right, it will be a great discovery.Ca: El camí cap al temple és difícil.En: The path to the temple is difficult.Ca: La neu fa que cada pas sigui pesat.En: The snow makes each step heavy.Ca: Els arbres amaguen camins falsos.En: The trees hide false paths.Ca: Esteve, Marta i Joan caminen amb cura.En: Esteve, Marta, and Joan walk carefully.Ca: De tant en tant, el vent xiuxiueja secrets vells.En: From time to time, the wind whispers old secrets.Ca: Marta mira les ombres amb esperança, mentre Esteve, encara una mica escèptic, guia el grup amb decisió.En: Marta looks at the shadows with hope, while Esteve, still a bit skeptical, guides the group with determination.Ca: Prop del temple, Joan intenta persuadir Esteve de tornar enrere.En: Near the temple, Joan tries to persuade Esteve to turn back.Ca: "Esteve, no hi ha res allà.En: "Esteve, there is nothing there.Ca: Tornem.En: Let's go back.Ca: Són només contes de la vella Catalunya," diu Joan amb to de desafiament.En: They're just tales from old Catalunya," says Joan with a defiant tone.Ca: Però l'Esteve, amb el cor ferm, diu: "Les llegendes també tenen veritat, Joan.En: But Esteve, with a firm heart, says, "Legends also have truth, Joan.Ca: Seguiré endavant.En: I'll keep going."Ca: "Arriben al temple.En: They arrive at the temple.Ca: El portal està cobert de gel.En: The portal is covered in ice.Ca: Sembla una entrada a un altre temps.En: It seems like an entrance to another time.Ca: Esteve, amb ajuda de Marta, neteja la porta.En: Esteve, with help from Marta, clears the door.Ca: Amb molta força, aconsegueixen obrir-la.En: With great effort, they manage to open it.Ca: Dins és fosc però senten una presència màgica a l'aire.En: Inside it is dark but they feel a magical presence in the air.Ca: Avançant amb llanternes, troben una sèrie de gravats que expliquen la història de les ofrenes antigues.En: Advancing with flashlights, they find a series of engravings that recount the story of ancient offerings.Ca: Tots tres s'aturen davant d'una porta de pedra.En: All three stop in front of a stone door.Ca: Està tancada.En: It is closed.Ca: Marta llegeix un dels gravats.En: Marta reads one of the engravings.Ca: Explica una clau amagada al camí.En: It explains a hidden key along the way.Ca: Seguint les pistes, l'Esteve descobreix un mecanisme ocult que obre la porta de pedra.En: Following the clues, Esteve discovers a hidden mechanism that opens the stone door.Ca: Darrere, hi ha una cambra plena d'artefactes.En: Behind it, there is a chamber full of artifacts.Ca: Calzes, llibres antics i estàtues de deesses.En: Chalices, old books, and statues of goddesses.Ca: La llum rebotant dóna vida a aquell lloc secret.En: The rebounding light brings life to that secret place.Ca: Esteve, incrèdul però esperançat, somriu.En: Esteve, incredulous but hopeful, smiles.Ca: Les llegendes eren certes.En: The legends were true.Ca: Joan observa amb silenci, sorpresa i respecte.En: Joan observes in silence, surprised and respectful.Ca: Esteve se n'ha sortit.En: Esteve has succeeded.Ca: El seu instint i fe en les llegendes ho han aconseguit.En: His instinct and faith in the legends have accomplished this.Ca: Marta, esperançada, diu: "Les històries antigues són com fils que connecten el nostre passat i present.En: Marta, hopeful, says, "Old stories are like threads that connect our past and present."Ca: "A partir d'aquell dia, Esteve sap que es poden combinar la ciència amb la màgia de les llegendes.En: From that day on, Esteve knows that science can be combined with the magic of legends.Ca: La seva fe s'ha renovat.En: His faith has been renewed.Ca: A Montserrat, els somnis i la realitat es troben, i una nova història neix, per ser explicada a les generacions futures.En: In Montserrat, dreams and reality meet, and a new story is born, ready to be told to future generations. Vocabulary Words:fog: la boirawind: el ventbranches: les branqueslandscape: el paisatgearchaeologist: l'arqueòlegmap: el maparestoration: la restauraciótreasure: el tresortemple: el templelegend: la llegendahistorian: la historiadoramethod: el mètodediscovery: la descobertapath: el camístep: el passhadows: les ombressecret: el secretentrance: l'entradapresence: la presènciaengraving: el gravatoffering: l'ofrenamechanism: el mecanismechamber: la cambraartifact: l'artefactechalice: el calzestatue: l'estàtuagoddess: la deessalight: la llumhopeful: esperançatinstinct: l'instint

Fluent Fiction - Hungarian: Hidden Treasures: A Castle Adventure with Unexpected Lessons Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/hu/episode/2026-02-17-23-34-02-hu Story Transcript:Hu: A hó finom rétege borította a Budai Várat, a decemberi naplemente fényei pedig hosszú árnyékokat vetettek az ősi falakra.En: A delicate layer of snow covered the Budai Vár, and the lights of the December sunset cast long shadows on the ancient walls.Hu: Az iskola osztálya hófehér bundákba öltözve várt Bence tréfáira és Janos tanár fegyelmességére.En: The school's class, dressed in snow-white coats, awaited Bence's jokes and Janos the teacher's discipline.Hu: De Katalin, a csendes álmodozó, másra vágyott: egy felfedezésre, ami eltér a megszokottól.En: But Katalin, the quiet dreamer, longed for something else: a discovery that was different from the usual.Hu: Amikor Janos tanár úr összesítette a gyerekeket, szigorú hangon figyelmeztette őket az idő fontosságára.En: When Janos the teacher gathered the children, he sternly reminded them of the importance of time.Hu: „A vár hatalmas, és fontos, hogy együtt maradjunk. Katalin, Bence, a ti figyelmetekre különösen szükség van!”En: "The castle is vast, and it's important that we stick together. Katalin, Bence, your attention is particularly needed!"Hu: Bence lelkesen körülnézett, szemében csintalan fény csillogott.En: Bence looked around eagerly, a mischievous light shining in his eyes.Hu: Súgott Katalin fülébe, amikor a csoport éppen a főbejárat felé tartott.En: He whispered into Katalin's ear as the group made their way towards the main entrance.Hu: „Mi lenne, ha eltűnnénk egy kicsit? Van egy hely, amit mutatni akarok neked."En: "What if we sneak away for a bit? There's a place I want to show you."Hu: Katalin hezitált.En: Katalin hesitated.Hu: Tudta, hogy nem lenne szabad, de a kíváncsisága nem hagyta nyugodni.En: She knew she shouldn't, but her curiosity wouldn't let her rest.Hu: „Rendben,” mondta végül bizonytalanul, „de nagyon gyorsnak kell lennünk!”En: "Okay," she finally said uncertainly, "but we have to be really quick!"Hu: Amint a csoport belépett a várba, Bence elkapta Katalin kezét, és kiszivárogtak egy mellékfolyosóra.En: As the group entered the castle, Bence grabbed Katalin's hand, and they slipped down a side corridor.Hu: A fából készült lépcsők halkan nyikordultak lépteik alatt.En: The wooden stairs creaked softly under their steps.Hu: Egy szűk folyosóra értek, ahol egy régi ajtó várt rájuk, porfedte zárjával.En: They arrived at a narrow hallway, where an old door awaited them, with a dust-covered lock.Hu: „Találtam ezt tavaly,” suttogta Bence, mielőtt meglökte az ajtót, amely egyszerűen kinyílt.En: "I found this last year," Bence whispered before he pushed the door, which swung open easily.Hu: Odabent egy rejtett szoba tárult fel előttük, régi, királyi tárgyakkal, elfeledett történetek hírnökeivel.En: Inside, a hidden room revealed itself, filled with old royal artifacts, messengers of forgotten stories.Hu: Katalin ámulattal fordult a falakban rejtett freskók felé.En: Katalin turned in awe toward the frescoes hidden in the walls.Hu: „Ez csodálatos!” sóhajtott elképedve.En: "This is amazing!" she gasped in astonishment.Hu: Percek teltek el, talán órák.En: Minutes passed, perhaps hours.Hu: És amikor rájöttek, hogy a körüljáró óra gyorsabban ketyeg, mint azt gondolták, a pánik egyszerre érte őket.En: And when they realized that the clock was ticking faster than they had thought, panic hit them all at once.Hu: „El fogunk késem a tanár úr elől!” mondta Bence.En: "We're going to be late for the teacher!" said Bence.Hu: Gyorsan visszatértek a főcsoporthoz, szívdobogásuk hangosabb volt, mint a hó alá eltemetett lépéseik.En: They quickly returned to the main group, their hearts pounding louder than their snow-buried steps.Hu: Janos tanár úr szigorú tekintete fogadta őket.En: Janos the teacher greeted them with a stern look.Hu: „Katalin, Bence, hová tűntetek?” kérdezte komolyan.En: "Katalin, Bence, where did you disappear to?" he asked seriously.Hu: Katalin mély lélegzetet vett, és bevallotta: „Találtunk egy régi szobát, tanár úr.En: Katalin took a deep breath and confessed: "We found an old room, sir.Hu: Artifaktokkal és freskókkal..."En: With artifacts and frescoes..."Hu: Janos arca lassan elmosolyodott.En: Janos' face slowly broke into a smile.Hu: „Én is erre jártam diákként.En: "I used to come here as a student too.Hu: A történelem néha a legváratlanabb helyeken rejtőzik."En: History sometimes hides in the most unexpected places."Hu: S egy pillanatra leengedte szigorú álarcát.En: And for a moment, he lowered his strict mask.Hu: Katalin és Bence szája tátva maradt a meglepetéstől.En: Katalin and Bence were left speechless with surprise.Hu: Janos tanár úr elismerése elűzte a félelmeiket.En: Janos the teacher's acknowledgment dispelled their fears.Hu: A nap végén Katalin új leckével tért haza: néha a szabályok megszegése utat nyithat felfedezésekhez, és a kíváncsiság az igazi tanulás forrása.En: At the end of the day, Katalin returned home with a new lesson: sometimes breaking the rules can lead to discoveries, and curiosity is the true source of learning.Hu: Janos tanár pedig újfent rátalált a mesélés örömére.En: And Janos the teacher rediscovered the joy of storytelling.Hu: És amikor az iskolabusz visszatért Pest utcáihoz, mindketten tudták, hogy egy új kaland már úton van feléjük.En: And as the school bus returned to the streets of Pest, they both knew that a new adventure was already headed their way. Vocabulary Words:delicate: finomancient: ősidiscipline: fegelemdreamer: álmodozódiscovery: felfedezéssternly: szigorúmischievous: csintalancuriosity: kíváncsisághesitated: hezitáltcorridor: folyosócreaked: nyikordultakhallway: szűk folyosóraartifacts: tárgyakkalfrescoes: freskókastonishment: elképedvepanic: pánikconfessed: bevallottahidden: elrejtettgasped: sóhajtotttick: ketyegunearthed: felszínre hozottunexpected: váratlanabbacknowledgment: elismerésespeechless: meglepetéstőldispelled: elűzteunveiled: leplezteadventure: kalandwhispered: súgottlonging: vágyottmask: álarcát

Today on the podcast, Jeff, Jared & Liam discuss some epic recent rides before chatting about the latest and the upcoming KETL Mtn Treasure Hunts. Then they take a walk down memory lane, reminiscing about the glory days of MTB innovation and products that truly revolutionized the mountain bike experience. Finally, we jump into a few classic listener questions ranging from picking the right hydration pack to T-Type drivetrain cross compatibility and everything in between. Tune in! Our YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/channel/UCczlFdoHUMcFJuHUeZf9b_Q Worldwide Cyclery YouTube Channel: www.youtube.com/channel/UCxZoC1sIG-vVtLsJDSbeYyw Worldwide Cyclery Instagram: www.instagram.com/worldwidecyclery/ MTB Podcast Instagram: www.instagram.com/mtbpodcast/ Submit any and all questions to podcast@worldwidecyclery.com. Join us on epic mountain bike trips that you will never forget. Grab $250 off any All Mountain Rides trip by just mentioning WWC: https://worldwidecyclery.com/blogs/worldwide-cyclery-blog/all-mountain-rides-all-inclusive-mountain-bike-guided-trips-w-worldwide-cyclery-crew Get your off season training program dialed with Train to Ride with Dee Tidwell: https://traintoride.com/programs/mtb-strong-worldwide-cyclery/ Get 15% off your TransRockies race registration with code " LIAMW15OFF"

Remember the joy of belonging to Jesus' eternal kingdom, where His love, favour and welcome are ours. Tonight's reading is: Matthew 13:44-46.No matter what kind of day you've had, rest in hope and peace tonight as you draw near to the heart of God. This short, uplifting meditation from His Word will create a space at the end of the day for you to refocus on the goodness and nearness of the Lord, entrust your burdens to Him and fill your mind with His promises and faithfulness towards you. Tonight's meditation is read by Adeyinka. Meet the team at odb.org/meet-the-team.Send us a text message to let us know how we can make the Evening Meditations an even better experience for you! Please be aware, that while we read and value every message, your phone number is kept hidden so we cannot respond.Support the showYou can now share the Evening Meditations through the updated Our Daily Bread app! If you've not done so already, download it for free from your app store.We hope that you have enjoyed this Evening Meditation from Our Daily Bread Ministries! You can find more exciting content from Our Daily Bread Ministries by following us on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and TikTok. You can even sign up to receive Our Daily Bread Bible reading notes sent straight to your door for free: ourdailybread.org/meditation. All our funding comes from our listeners, like you, who value what we do and want to help us reach more people. You can make a donation towards our mission at eveningmeditations.org.

Fluent Fiction - Serbian: Uncovering Belgrade's Hidden Treasures Amidst a Snowy Mystery Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/sr/episode/2026-02-07-08-38-20-sr Story Transcript:Sr: Снег је тихо падао преко Београда, прекривајући улице и дахом зиме приводећи утишање града.En: The snow was quietly falling over Belgrade, covering the streets and bringing the city to a silent pause with the breath of winter.Sr: Природњачки музеј био је осветљен, а топлина његове унутрашњости привлачила је посетиоце који су тражили уточиште од хладноће.En: The Natural History Museum was lit up, and the warmth of its interior attracted visitors seeking refuge from the cold.Sr: У пространим ходницима музеја, где су чаробне приче из прошлости оживљавале, ускоро се одигравала једна врло савремена драма.En: In the museum's spacious corridors, where magical stories from the past came to life, a very contemporary drama was soon unfolding.Sr: Владимир је, са великом страшћу према историји, волонтирао у музеју.En: Vladimir, with a great passion for history, volunteered at the museum.Sr: Коса му је увек била нешто разбарушена, а очи му сјајиле са ентузијазмом кад год је говорио о артефактима.En: His hair was always a bit tousled, and his eyes shone with enthusiasm whenever he spoke about artifacts.Sr: Међутим, овај пут није причао о древним временима.En: However, this time he wasn't talking about ancient times.Sr: Његова пажња била је усмерена на важан комад српске културе који је нестао у току изложбе.En: His attention was focused on an important piece of Serbian culture that had disappeared during the exhibition.Sr: Јована, оштра и способна кустоскиња, осећала је огроман притисак.En: Jovana, a sharp and capable curator, felt immense pressure.Sr: Одговорност да се брине о оваквим комадима била је на њеним плећима, и ова крађа претила је угледу музеја.En: The responsibility of caring for such items weighed on her shoulders, and this theft threatened the museum's reputation.Sr: Сваки приступачан траг је био неопходан, али традиционалне мере притиснуле су је да остане сувише конзервативна.En: Every accessible clue was essential, but traditional measures pressed her to remain too conservative.Sr: Стефан, пријатељ Владимира и обезбеђење у музеју, делио је Владимирову забринутост, али био је скептичан према његовим детективским способностима.En: Stefan, a friend of Vladimir's and the museum's security, shared Vladimir's concern but was skeptical of his detective abilities.Sr: Владимир га је, ипак, убедио да барем покуша.En: Yet, Vladimir convinced him to at least try.Sr: „Морамо да нађемо артефакт“, рекао је Владимир уверавајуће док је снег јачао споља.En: "We have to find the artifact," Vladimir said convincingly as the snow strengthened outside.Sr: „Јована је под притиском, а ја желим показати шта знам.En: "Jovana is under pressure, and I want to show what I know.Sr: Стефане, треба ми твоја помоћ.En: Stefan, I need your help."Sr: “Стефан је слегао раменима, знајући да нема шта изгубити осим времена.En: Stefan shrugged, knowing he had nothing to lose but time.Sr: Одлучили су да потрага остане тајна.En: They decided to keep their search a secret.Sr: Док је Јована разматрала да ли да препусти Владимировом ентузијазму или да следи традиционалне протоколе, устајао је поветарац који јој је говорио да треба веровати у нешто ново.En: While Jovana considered whether to yield to Vladimir's enthusiasm or follow traditional protocols, a gentle breeze suggested to her that she should believe in something new.Sr: Снег је сада већ густо прекривао све, а затим, током ноћи, снежна олуја изазвала је прекид струје.En: The snow had now densely covered everything, and then, during the night, a snowstorm caused a power outage.Sr: Поход у мрачан подрум музеја унапређен је спонтаном одлуком.En: A spontaneous decision led them to the dark basement of the museum.Sr: Владимир и Стефанси ушли су у полутаму, светлећи батеријским лампама.En: Vladimir and Stefan went in with flashlights.Sr: На скривеном месту, Владимир је открио важан траг.En: In a hidden spot, Vladimir discovered an important clue.Sr: У облику ситних честица прашине и свеже трагова, пронашао је оно што је тражио.En: In the form of tiny dust particles and fresh tracks, he found what he was looking for.Sr: Откриће их је водило до губитка, уместо губитка самог.En: The discovery led them to the loss, instead of the loss itself.Sr: Јована је пратила развој догађаја са изненађењем, видевши како Владимир и Стефан са успехом увиђају истину.En: Jovana followed the events with surprise, seeing how Vladimir and Stefan successfully uncovered the truth.Sr: Артефакт је нађен и сви погледи су сад били усмерени на Владимира.En: The artifact was found, and now all eyes were on Vladimir.Sr: Одједном, Владимир је стао на поносну висораван, снажан у свом науму и ватрен у својој жељи да импресионира.En: Suddenly, Vladimir stood on a proud plateau, strong in his resolve and fiery in his desire to impress.Sr: Стефан је признао његову сналажљивост, а Јована је одлучила да му више верује у будућим пројектима.En: Stefan acknowledged his resourcefulness, and Jovana decided to trust him more in future projects.Sr: Систем тренутка побегао је од дубоких сјена несигурности, уступивши место пријатељству и новом уверењу.En: The system of the moment escaped from the deep shadows of uncertainty, making way for friendship and new belief.Sr: Музеј је наставио свој живот, сведочке да је вера у људе понекад највеће благо које смо икада могли стећи.En: The museum continued its life, a testament to the fact that faith in people is sometimes the greatest treasure we could ever obtain. Vocabulary Words:quietly: тихоcovering: прекривајућиlit up: осветљенrefuge: уточиштеspacious: пространимcorridors: ходницимаunfolding: одигравалаtousled: разбарушенаartifacts: артефактимаexhibition: изложбеcurator: кустоскињаpressure: притисакresponsibility: одговорностconservative: конзервативнаskeptical: скептичанdetective: детективскимenthusiasm: ентузијазамyield: препустиprotocols: протоколеsuggested: говориоbasement: подрумflashlights: батеријским лампамаparticles: честицаtracks: траговаplateau: висораванresourcefulness: сналажљивостshadows: сјенаuncertainty: несигурностиtreasure: благоobtain: стећи

Greetings and welcome! This is our daily devotional for February 5, 2026. Today, we continue our series on Matthew in Chapter 13 with the parables of the Pearl of Great Price and the Hidden Treasure. Are these a refutation of Calvinism? Or is something else going on here altogether? Thanks for joining us!

A HIDDEN TREASURE? Our theme this month is Love In A Vacuum, and kicking it off is an episode that's pivotal to understanding the Kirk-Spock relationship and the interiority of Mr. Spock -- so why isn't it one that frequently comes up when discussing the best episodes of the franchise? Bryan and guest Curtis Fortier try to reason it out. Check out Curtis's show 12 Sided Die here: https://12sideddie.com/ And their Season 2 Kickstarter here: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/12sideddieseason2/12-sided-die-season-2/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this week's Kingdom Parables series, we hear Jesus' parables of the Hidden Treasure and the Pearl of Great Price. These are not moral lessons about proving our devotion. They are Kingdom stories about what the King does for His people. We'll see how the King, Jesus, gives up everything for sinners, calls us by name, and makes us His own. Because of Him, we're freed from trying to earn our value, and we're able to see others as priceless treasures too. Isaiah 43:1–5 2 Corinthians 8:8–11 Matthew 13:44–46  

Fluent Fiction - Spanish: Unearthing Secrets: The Hidden Treasures of the Amazon Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/es/episode/2026-01-26-23-34-02-es Story Transcript:Es: El sol de verano iluminaba la densa selva amazónica, pintando sombras misteriosas en el suelo.En: The summer sun illuminated the dense Amazon jungle, casting mysterious shadows on the ground.Es: Ismael, Catalina y Ramiro se adentraban en el corazón de la jungla.En: Ismael, Catalina, and Ramiro ventured into the heart of the jungle.Es: Cada paso crujía bajo sus pies, mientras el coro de insectos y aves llenaba el aire.En: Each step crunched beneath their feet, while the chorus of insects and birds filled the air.Es: Ismael, un arqueólogo apasionado, buscaba un artefacto antiguo descubierto por accidente.En: Ismael, a passionate archaeologist, was searching for an ancient artifact discovered by accident.Es: Su última señalización había sido cerca del río, pero parecía estar siempre moviéndose como si la selva misma quisiera ocultarlo.En: Its last known location was near the river, but it seemed to always be on the move, as if the jungle itself wished to hide it.Es: Ismael anhelaba la fama y el reconocimiento, pero más que eso, deseaba entender los secretos que el artefacto guardaba.En: Ismael longed for fame and recognition, but more than that, he wished to understand the secrets the artifact held.Es: Catalina lideraba el grupo, su machete abriendo paso con destreza.En: Catalina led the group, her machete skillfully forging a path.Es: "No confíes en el bosque.En: "Don't trust the forest.Es: Es engañoso," decía, su voz llena de experiencia.En: It's deceptive," she said, her voice full of experience.Es: Ramiro, a su lado, guardaba sus propios secretos sobre el artefacto.En: Ramiro, at her side, harbored his own secrets about the artifact.Es: Conocía las leyendas que hablaban de sus poderes cambiantes.En: He knew the legends that spoke of its shifting powers.Es: "El artefacto es más que una pieza de historia," empezó a contar Ramiro.En: "The artifact is more than a piece of history," Ramiro began to recount.Es: "Dicen que pertenece a una civilización que podía controlar la naturaleza misma."En: "They say it belongs to a civilization that could control nature itself."Es: Ismael escuchaba con atención, consciente de los ojos escépticos de Catalina sobre él.En: Ismael listened intently, aware of Catalina's skeptical eyes on him.Es: A medida que avanzaban, las nubes oscurecieron el cielo.En: As they advanced, the clouds darkened the sky.Es: Un trueno retumbó, anunciando una tormenta.En: Thunder rumbled, announcing a storm.Es: Sin tiempo para reaccionar, la lluvia los atrapó, transformando el suelo en barro resbaladizo.En: Without time to react, the rain caught them, turning the ground into slippery mud.Es: "¡Rápido, sigamos el río!"En: "Quick, let's follow the river!"Es: gritó Catalina, confiando en su instinto.En: shouted Catalina, trusting her instincts.Es: El grupo se resguardó bajo un gran árbol, mientras las aguas arrastraban tierra y hojas.En: The group took shelter beneath a large tree, as the waters swept away earth and leaves.Es: En ese caos, el suelo comenzó a ceder y parte de un brillo dorado emergió entre el barro.En: Amidst the chaos, the ground began to give way, and a part of a golden shine emerged from the mud.Es: El artefacto.En: The artifact.Es: Ismael, mojado y agotado, se arrodilló frente al hallazgo.En: Ismael, wet and exhausted, kneeled before the find.Es: Entendió entonces que el valor del artefacto no estaba en poseerlo, sino en conservar su historia.En: He understood then that the artifact's value was not in possessing it, but in preserving its history.Es: Miró a Catalina y Ramiro, encontrando en sus ojos un nuevo propósito.En: He looked at Catalina and Ramiro, finding in their eyes a new purpose.Es: "Lo dejaremos aquí," decidió, sorprendido de escuchar sus propias palabras.En: "We will leave it here," he decided, surprised at hearing his own words.Es: "Es parte de este lugar.En: "It's part of this place.Es: Documentaremos su historia y protegeremos su legado."En: We will document its history and protect its legacy."Es: La tormenta cesó, y con ello, una nueva paz inundó el bosque.En: The storm ceased, and with it, a new peace flooded the forest.Es: Ismael, ahora cambiado, comprendió que algunos misterios debían permanecer en el corazón de la selva, protegidos por el manto viviente de la Amazonía.En: Ismael, now changed, understood that some mysteries were meant to remain in the heart of the jungle, protected by the living mantle of the Amazonía.Es: El artefacto no era solo un descubrimiento antiguo, sino un recordatorio del equilibrio entre la curiosidad y el respeto.En: The artifact was not just an ancient discovery but a reminder of the balance between curiosity and respect.Es: Con el sol brillando de nuevo, los tres regresaron por el camino que los llevó al asombroso secreto de la selva, dejando el artefacto en su altar natural, protegido para siempre.En: With the sun shining again, the three returned along the path that led them to the jungle's astonishing secret, leaving the artifact on its natural altar, protected forever. Vocabulary Words:the jungle: la selvathe artifact: el artefactothe archaeologist: el arqueólogothe machete: el machetethe storm: la tormentathe mud: el barrothe river: el ríothe shadows: las sombrasthe fame: la famathe recognition: el reconocimientothe civilization: la civilizaciónthe thunder: el truenothe rain: la lluviathe sky: el cielothe peace: la pazthe harmony: el equilibriothe secret: el secretothe purpose: el propósitothe mystery: el misteriothe mantle: el mantothe leaf: la hojathe forest: el bosquethe history: la historiathe legend: la leyendathe balance: el equilibriothe path: el caminothe instinct: el instintothe shine: el brillothe legacy: el legadothe curiosity: la curiosidad

Fluent Fiction - Hungarian: Hidden Treasures of Budapest's Silent Streets: A Tale of Hope Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/hu/episode/2026-01-24-23-34-01-hu Story Transcript:Hu: Budapest jéghideg utcainak csendje nyomta rá bélyegét a világra.En: The silence of Budapest's ice-cold streets left its mark on the world.Hu: A szél zúgott a romos épületek között, a hó fátyolként borította be a romokat.En: The wind howled between the ruined buildings, and snow covered the debris like a veil.Hu: A város kísérteties árnyéka megmutatta a régi idők dicsőségét.En: The ghostly shadow of the city revealed the glory of bygone times.Hu: Bence, akit a múlt iránti vágy hajtott, fázósan húzta össze magát egy régi épületben.En: Bence, driven by a yearning for the past, shivered as he gathered himself in an old building.Hu: Egyetlen vágya volt: valamit találni, ami újra reményt ad.En: He had just one desire: to find something that would give hope once again.Hu: Ebben az omladozó épületben Bence egy régi térképre bukkant.En: In this crumbling building, Bence stumbled upon an old map.Hu: Poros és szakadozott, és ismeretlen szavak borították.En: Dusty and torn, it was covered with unfamiliar words.Hu: A térkép egy föld alatti páncéltermet mutatott, tele olyan dolgokkal, amelyek talán megmutatják a világot a katasztrófa előtt.En: The map showed an underground vault, full of things that might reveal the world before the catastrophe.Hu: Szemei felcsillantak, szíve gyorsabban vert.En: His eyes lit up, and his heart beat faster.Hu: Ez lehetett az, amire várt.En: This could be what he had been waiting for.Hu: A térkép rejtélyes volt.En: The map was mysterious.Hu: Nem értette minden részét, de a remény hajtotta.En: He didn't understand every part, but hope drove him.Hu: Ám Bence nem volt egyedül.En: Yet Bence was not alone.Hu: Zsuzsa, egy másik túlélő, szintén felfigyelt az ő kincsére.En: Zsuzsa, another survivor, had also taken notice of his treasure.Hu: Mindkettő tudta, csak egy esélyük van.En: Both knew they had only one chance.Hu: Vajon az út a régi metróalagúton át vezet?En: Might the path lead through the old metro tunnel?Hu: Bence eltökélte magát, hogy az alagutat használja, még ha veszélyes is.En: Bence resolved to use the tunnel, even if it was dangerous.Hu: Az alagút sötét volt és szűk, de az izgalom vezette lépteit.En: The tunnel was dark and narrow, but excitement drove his steps.Hu: Hozzá csatlakozott Zsuzsa, nem bízott benne, de a kényszer nagy úr.En: Zsuzsa joined him; she didn't trust him, but necessity was a great force.Hu: Az út során érződött a feszültség.En: Along the way, tension was palpable.Hu: Vajon melyikük éri el előbb a célt?En: Which of them would reach the goal first?Hu: A föld alatti világ csendje hirtelen megszakadt.En: The silence of the underground world was suddenly broken.Hu: Egy omlás rekedtette bent őket.En: A cave-in trapped them inside.Hu: Bence és Zsuzsa, ellenségből hirtelen társakká váltak.En: Bence and Zsuzsa, once enemies, suddenly became allies.Hu: Együtt dolgoztak, hogy kiszabaduljanak.En: They worked together to free themselves.Hu: Az idő szorított, és a túlélésért folytatott küzdelem kezdett átalakulni egy közös cél iránti vágyként.En: Time was pressing, and the struggle for survival began to transform into a desire for a common goal.Hu: Mikor végül elérték a páncélterem ajtaját, mindketten megpihentek.En: When they finally reached the door of the vault, both rested.Hu: Amit bent találtak, az több volt, mint amit reméltek.En: What they found inside was more than they had hoped for.Hu: Az ajtó mögött művészet és kultúra ereklyéi várták őket.En: Behind the door, relics of art and culture awaited them.Hu: Egy világ, amelyet már majdnem elfeledtek.En: A world that was almost forgotten.Hu: Bence és Zsuzsa szíve megtelt reménnyel.En: The hearts of Bence and Zsuzsa filled with hope.Hu: Megértették, hogy ezeket a kincseket meg kell osztaniuk.En: They understood that these treasures needed to be shared.Hu: A túlélők közösségében újra reményt ébreztettek.En: Hope was rekindled in the community of survivors.Hu: Együtt döntöttek úgy, hogy a jövő nemcsak a túlélésről, hanem az újjáépítésről is szól.En: Together, they decided that the future was not just about survival, but about rebuilding.Hu: Bence számára ez az út nemcsak az ismeretlen felfedezéséről szólt, hanem valami sokkal mélyebbről.En: For Bence, this journey was not just about discovering the unknown, but something much deeper.Hu: Megtanulta a bizalom és az együttműködés fontosságát.En: He learned the importance of trust and cooperation.Hu: Az út végén már nem egyedül állt.En: By the end of the journey, he was no longer alone.Hu: Zsuzsa mellett, együtt terveztek egy új jövőt Budapest elfeledett világában.En: Beside Zsuzsa, they together planned a new future in Budapest's forgotten world. Vocabulary Words:silence: csendjeice-cold: jéghideghowled: zúgottruined: romosveil: fátyolkéntghostly: kísértetiesshadow: árnyékayearning: vágyshivered: fázósangathered: összecrumbled: omladozóstumbled: bukkantdusty: porostorn: szakadozottunfamiliar: ismeretlenvault: páncélteremcatastrophe: katasztrófamysterious: rejtélyesresolved: eltökéltenarrow: szűknecessity: kényszerpalpable: érződöttcave-in: omlástrapped: rekedtetteallies: társakkápressing: szorítottrelics: ereklyéirekindled: ébreztetteksurvival: túlélésrőltrust: bizalom

Sunday Evening Service - Parable Of The Hidden Treasure & Pearl Of Great Price - Elder Fraser Dodds Legacy Standard VersionMatthew 13:44-46Matthew 13:20-21Galatians 6:92 Corinthians 8:9Matthew 6:19-21Proverbs 13:12Luke 18:29-301 Corinthians 10:12

Happy New Year from Dads on the Fly! We're starting 2026 with a fun and meaningful interview with Justin Ravenel of Ravenel Fishing Charters. Justin opens up about growing up on the water alongside his mom (who was the only female crabber around at the time) and how that made for some unforgettable (and sometimes uncomfortable) moments in a tight-knit coastal community.We also dig into life as a fishing guide, raising kids around the water, and Justin's go-to secret for keeping kids engaged on the boat—featuring a little bit of treasure hunting.If you love fishing stories, family legacy, and practical ideas for getting kids excited about time on the water, this episode is for you.Follow Justin on InstagramGet your Dads On The Fly Merch in our online store .Check out our sponsors:https://catchcamnets.com/https://turtleboxaudio.com/https://saludabeads.com/https://rambler.co/

About The Guest:Yulianna Vilkos is a career journalist with over 20 years of experience in market-moving financial journalism in London. Originally moving from Ukraine to build a career in a major financial hub, she specialised in debt capital markets and bond deals within emerging markets. Her reporting was influential enough to move bond prices and market trends quite literally.Driven by a lifelong interest in psychology and a desire to help people move forward, Yulianna transitioned into coaching. Unlike therapy, which she felt was too focused on the past or passive listening, coaching allowed her to use her personality and focus on the present to help others achieve their goals.Today, Yulianna specialises in coaching senior financial journalists. She helps them navigate career transitions, leadership challenges, and the unique pressures of the industry, guiding them to design careers that align with their values and priorities. Her mission is to help journalists realise that their skills are transferable and valuable across many industries, empowering them to edit their own life stories rather than feeling trapped in someone else's.About the Episode:In this episode, Sarah chats with Yulianna Vilkos, a former financial journalist turned coach who found success by returning to her roots. After initially trying to build a generic personal brand on the advice of a business coach, Yulianna realised that her true strength lay in her 20-year background in financial journalism. She discusses her journey from reporting on debt capital markets to coaching senior journalists, the pitfalls of trying to be the next "Tony Robbins" without a multimillion-dollar budget, and why focusing on your existing strengths is the key to building a sustainable coaching business.Key Topics Discussed:From Journalism to Coaching: Yulianna shares her 20-year history in London's financial sector and why she pivoted from market-moving journalism to coaching.Why Not Therapy?: Yulianna explains why she chose coaching over psychotherapy, preferring a forward-looking, active approach to helping people.The Trap of "Generic" Business Coaching: Yulianna opens up about a negative experience with a business coach who advised her to ignore niches and focus solely on "personal branding" to emulate global giants like Tony Robbins—advice that ultimately didn't work for her lifestyle or goals.The "Tony Robbins" Fallacy: Sarah and Yulianna discuss why trying to market to "everyone" is a mistake for new coaches who lack the massive marketing budgets of global celebrities.Finding the "Hidden Treasure" Niche: How Yulianna rediscovered the value of her own network and experience, realising she was "sitting on a treasure" by choosing to coach financial journalists rather than starting from scratch.Coaching Journalists: The specific challenges journalists face, including transitioning to editors, burnout, losing interest in their beat, or feeling misaligned with organisational values.Market to Your Strengths: Yulianna's core advice for both journalists and coaches: stop trying to fix weaknesses and instead build a career and business around what you are already good at.Are you a coach struggling to find your niche or a journalist looking to pivot? Yulianna advises focusing on your strengths rather than fixing weaknesses.Have you enjoyed this episode? Find out more and take the FREE quiz at: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://thecoachingrevolution.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Join the FREE Facebook group at: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/groups/buildacoachingbusiness⁠⁠

Get AudioBooks for FreeBest Self-improvement MotivationUnlock the Hidden Treasure in Your Sales MessageDiscover the hidden power inside your sales message. Dan Lok reveals how to sharpen persuasion, boost conversions, and unlock more revenue.Get AudioBooks for Free⁠We Need Your Love & Support ❤️https://buymeacoffee.com/myinspiration#Motivational_Speech#motivation #inspirational_quotes #motivationalspeech Get AudioBooks for Free Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Fluent Fiction - Norwegian: Bergen's Hidden Treasure: A Tale of Friendship & Discovery Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/no/episode/2026-01-06-08-38-20-no Story Transcript:No: Nyttårsdagen hadde nettopp passert i Bergen, og kulda utenfor kaffebaren Silkehuset fikk folk til å søke tilflukt i varme omgivelser.En: New Year's Day had just passed in Bergen, and the cold outside the coffee shop Silkehuset led people to seek refuge in warm surroundings.No: Stedet hadde store vinduer som rammet inn de snødekte gatene.En: The place had large windows framing the snow-covered streets.No: Den behagelige lukten av nytraktet kaffe blandet seg med duften av vintergran pyntet i hjørnene.En: The pleasant smell of freshly brewed coffee mixed with the scent of winter pines decorated in the corners.No: Espen satt ved sitt vanlige bord, omringet av bøker fra universitetet.En: Espen sat at his usual table, surrounded by books from the university.No: Han likte å drikke kaffe mens han studerte her.En: He liked to drink coffee while he studied here.No: Det var da han fant den - en mystisk lapp stukket inn mellom sidene i en gammel bibliotekbok.En: That's when he found it - a mysterious note tucked between the pages of an old library book.No: Det var en gåte, en slags rebus, som snakket om en skjult skatt i byen.En: It was a riddle, a kind of rebus, that spoke of a hidden treasure in the city.No: Ingrid, baristaen med det vennlige smilet, satte fra seg en kopp kaffe ved Espens bord.En: Ingrid, the barista with the friendly smile, placed a cup of coffee on Espen's table.No: "Hva leser du nå, Espen?En: "What are you reading now, Espen?"No: " spurte hun muntert.En: she asked cheerfully.No: Espen kikket opp og smilte tilbake.En: Espen looked up and smiled back.No: "Jeg tror jeg har funnet noe interessant," sa han, og ga Ingrid lappen.En: "I think I've found something interesting," he said, and handed the note to Ingrid.No: Hun så på den, nysgjerrigheten vekket.En: She looked at it, her curiosity piqued.No: "Merkelig," mumlet hun, "det ser ut som gammeldags skrivemåte.En: "Strange," she murmured, "it looks like an old-fashioned way of writing."No: "Espen bestemte seg for å vise den til en annen kunde, en mann ved navn Knut som alltid satt i et hjørne med nesa i en bok.En: Espen decided to show it to another customer, a man named Knut who always sat in a corner with his nose in a book.No: Han var stille og tilbaketrukket, men den siste tiden hadde Espen lagt merke til at Knut var uvanlig oppmerksom på omgivelsene.En: He was quiet and reserved, but lately, Espen had noticed that Knut was unusually attentive to his surroundings.No: "Knut, vi trenger hjelp," sa Espen og ga lappen til ham.En: "Knut, we need help," said Espen and gave him the note.No: Knut tok imot papiret og gransket det i stillhet.En: Knut took the paper and examined it in silence.No: Øynene hans lynte av en plutselig erkjennelse.En: His eyes sparked with a sudden recognition.No: "Dette er en gammel familiehistorie," sa han tilbakeholdent.En: "This is an old family story," he said cautiously.No: Espen og Ingrid var lamslåtte.En: Espen and Ingrid were stunned.No: "Vet du noe om det?En: "Do you know anything about it?"No: " spurte Ingrid.En: asked Ingrid.No: "Det var farfarens bok," svarte Knut nølende, "han drev med historieforskning om gamle Bergens legender.En: "It was my grandfather's book," replied Knut hesitantly, "he was into researching old legends of Bergen."No: "Trioen jobbet sammen for å dechiffrere gåten.En: The trio worked together to decipher the riddle.No: Det ledet dem gjennom gamle gater og til en bortgjemt del av biblioteket, som snart skulle stenge for renovering.En: It led them through old streets and to a secluded part of the library, which was soon to close for renovations.No: Bak en rekke gamle, støvete bøker fant de en liten kasse.En: Behind a row of old, dusty books, they found a small box.No: Den inneholdt et arvestykke - en medaljong med inskripsjoner fra Knuts forfedre.En: It contained a family heirloom—a medallion with inscriptions from Knut's ancestors.No: "Dette er ufattelig," sa Knut, fylt av følelser.En: "This is incredible," said Knut, filled with emotion.No: Etter å ha løst gåten, satte trioen seg tilbake i kaffebaren.En: After solving the riddle, the trio returned to the coffee shop.No: Espen kjente på en ny følelse av fellesskap, en forståelse av at eventyr kunne være nært hjemme, og at lagarbeid var nøkkelen til å oppnå mer enn man kunne alene.En: Espen felt a new sense of community, an understanding that adventure could be close to home, and that teamwork was the key to achieving more than one could alone.No: Ingrid smilte til dem mens hun helte varm kaffe i koppene deres.En: Ingrid smiled at them as she poured warm coffee into their cups.No: "Kanskje vi skal gjøre dette til en vane?En: "Maybe we should make this a habit?"No: " spurte hun.En: she suggested.No: Espen nikket, takknemlig for opplevelsen som ikke bare hadde brakt en skatt frem i lyset, men også skapt nye bånd mellom dem.En: Espen nodded, grateful for the experience that had not only brought a treasure to light but also created new bonds between them. Vocabulary Words:refuge: tilfluktsurroundings: omgivelserframing: rammet innbrew: bryggerebus: rebuscuriosity: nysgjerrighetcautiously: tilbakeholdentancestor: forfedredecipher: dechiffreresecluded: bortgjemtheirloom: arvestykkeinscription: innskriftemotion: følelsercommunity: fellesskapadventure: eventyrattentive: oppmerksomrecognition: erkjennelsehesitantly: nølenderesearching: historieforskninglegend: legendedusty: støveterenovations: renoveringexamined: granskethabit: vaneunusually: uvanligreserved: tilbaketrukketstunned: lamslåttereconciliation: forsoningbonds: båndscent: duften

[Winter tales] Some treasures tell beautiful stories. Others are connected to tragedies...As is the case with the Jewish Treasure of Colmar.Hidden in dramatic circumstances, it was miraculously preserved. The treasure, comprising objects of a rare luxury, along with more modest items, is the witness to a past filled with darkness, but also with light.Voice of Jewels, a podcast from L'ÉCOLE, School of Jewelry Arts supported by Van Cleef & Arpels. Unveiling the stories and secrets behind History's most fascinating jewels.With Léonard Pouy, Art Historian and Content and Transmission Manager at L'ÉCOLE, School of Jewelry Arts.Written by Martin Quenehen and Aram Kebabdjian, performed by Edoardo Ballerini and produced by Bababam. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A Hidden Treasure of Great Value. Matthew 13: 44-46. December 21st, 2025. Rick Reeves

Photo by Alexander Grigoryev on Unsplash Published 22 December 2025 e536 with Andy, Michael R, and guest host newly-retired Ian “Epredator” Hughes – a dive into gaming in 2025, retro computing and games, how to fix old paintings, and what’s coming to the public domain on January 1st. The show kicks off with a number of gaming topics, discussing what the hosts have been playing lately, including the results of the Steam Replay for 2025. There’s also a chat about Commodore (joysticks, and the new Commodore 64 Ultimate), ZX Spectrum, and other retro machines. Netflix has been making acquisitions in the gaming space, where will they lead? Michael is fascinated by the process of restoring old paintings; Andy and Ian have seen a lot more of this on TV in the UK! In the wrap, the hosts cover an incident of apparent smart glasses-induced rage on the subway; and briefly talk about what’s coming into the Public Domain on January 1st 2026. Wishing all our listeners a happy and peaceful break to close out 2025, and we’ll be back with new episodes in 2026. Selected Links Gaming Open Source Cannon Fodder Engine Steam Replay shows high interest in older games Andy’s Steam year in review Michael's Year in review Uber Eats spoofed by SNL Old new Commodore 64 Joystick Hackster review of Commodore 64 Ultimate ESP32 Rainbow (ZX Spectrum Re-created) Picocomputer 6502 board Netflix buys Ready Player Me Makers A satisfying painting restoration on YouTube UK alternatives: Hidden Treasures of the National Trust The Repair Shop Media Smashed smart glasses Public Domain Day 2026

Fluent Fiction - Hindi: Unlocking Jaipur's Hidden Treasures: Arjun and Neha's Adventure Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/hi/episode/2025-12-22-23-34-02-hi Story Transcript:Hi: जयपुर के बाजार में ठंडी हवाएँ चल रही थीं।En: In the markets of Jaipur, cool breezes were blowing.Hi: इस सर्दियों की खूबसूरती ने हर कोने को रोशन कर रखा था।En: The beauty of this winter had illuminated every corner.Hi: बाजार में हर ओर रंग-बिरंगी दुकानों की रौनक थी।En: The market was adorned with vibrant shops everywhere.Hi: कहीं गज्जक और रेबड़ी की महक थी, तो कहीं गर्मागरम पकोड़ों का स्वाद हवा में तैर रहा था।En: The scent of gajak and revari lingered in the air, while the aroma of hot fritters wafted around.Hi: इस बाजार के बीचोंबीच एक छोटी-सी, पुरानी सामानों की दुकान थी।En: Amidst this market, there was a small shop selling old items.Hi: इस दुकान में धूल से ढके सामान थे, जो सैकड़ों वर्षों की कहानियाँ समेटे हुए थे।En: This shop contained dust-covered items, each holding stories from hundreds of years ago.Hi: इसी दुकान में अर्जुन और नेहा धीरे-धीरे चलते हुए पहुंच गए।En: Arjun and Neha found their way to this shop, walking slowly.Hi: अर्जुन इतिहास का विद्यार्थी था।En: Arjun was a student of history.Hi: उसे पुरानी चीजों में दिलचस्पी थी।En: He was interested in antiquities.Hi: नेहा, उसे समझदार साथी बनकर उसकी मदद कर रही थी।En: Neha, being his sensible companion, was helping him.Hi: दुकान के एक कोने में, उन्होंने एक अजीब, पुराना संदूक देखा।En: In one corner of the shop, they noticed a strange, old trunk.Hi: उस पर सुंदर नक्काशी की हुई थी।En: It had beautiful carvings on it.Hi: यह संदूक अर्जुन का ध्यान तुरंत खींच लिया। लेकिन नेहा को इसमें कोई खास बात नहीं लगी।En: This trunk immediately caught Arjun's attention, but Neha didn't see anything special in it.Hi: "अर्जुन, इसमें समय मत बर्बाद करो। दुकानदार इसके बिना चाबी के बेचने को तैयार नहीं है," नेहा ने चिंता जताई।En: "Arjun, don't waste time on this. The shopkeeper is not willing to sell it without the key," Neha expressed her concern.Hi: "नेहा, यह कितनी पुरानी चीज है! हो सकता है इसके अंदर कोई अनमोल खजाना हो," अर्जुन की आँखों में चमक थी।En: "Neha, this is such an ancient piece! There might be a priceless treasure inside," Arjun's eyes sparkled.Hi: संदूक का ताला खोले बिना अर्जुन मानने को तैयार नहीं था।En: Arjun was not ready to give up without unlocking the trunk.Hi: आखिरकार, अर्जुन ने उसे एक स्थानीय इतिहासकार के पास ले जाने का तय किया, जिसने उसे इसके बारे में जानकारी देने का वादा किया।En: Finally, he decided to take it to a local historian, who promised to provide information about it.Hi: चलते-चलते, उनकी नजर संदूक के नीचे एक छिपे हुए लेख पर पड़ी।En: As they were walking, they noticed a hidden inscription beneath the trunk.Hi: उसमें एक रहस्यमयी पैगाम लिखा था, जो एक प्राचीन मंदिर के एक गुप्त स्थान की ओर इशारा करता था।En: It contained a mysterious message pointing to a secret location in an ancient temple.Hi: वे तुरंत उस मंदिर की ओर बढ़े।En: They immediately headed towards the temple.Hi: मंदिर रंगीन झिलमिलाहट से भरा हुआ था।En: The temple was filled with colorful glimmers.Hi: वहाँ पहुँचकर एक खास स्थान पर सिक्का रखते ही एक गुप्त मार्ग खुल गया।En: Upon placing a coin at a particular spot, a secret path opened.Hi: अपनी उत्सुकता में वे अंदर की ओर बढ़े।En: Driven by curiosity, they proceeded inside.Hi: वहाँ एक प्राचीन कक्ष था, जो सदियों से छुपा हुआ था।En: There was an ancient chamber that had remained hidden for centuries.Hi: इस कमरे में बेशकीमती हस्तकला और चित्रकारी के नमूने थे।En: This room contained invaluable handicrafts and artistic paintings.Hi: अर्जुन की आँखें चमक उठीं।En: Arjun's eyes lit up.Hi: उसकी खोज रंग लाई थी।En: His search had yielded results.Hi: नेहा को यह देखकर सुकून मिला कि अर्जुन का जुनून वाकई कुछ खास था।En: Neha felt at ease seeing that Arjun's passion was truly special.Hi: इस अनुभव के बाद, अर्जुन ने नेहा की चिंताओं को समझना शुरू किया।En: After this experience, Arjun began to understand Neha's concerns.Hi: वह अब उसकी सलाह को महत्त्व देने लगा।En: He started to value her advice.Hi: दूसरी ओर, नेहा ने अर्जुन के इतिहास प्रेम को समझा और ऐसे अनुभवों का आनंद लेना सीखा।En: On the other hand, Neha understood Arjun's love for history and learned to enjoy such experiences.Hi: इसी तरह, जयपुर के इस सुंदर बाजार की एक और कहानी इन दोनों ने खुद के लिए रच दी।En: In this way, Jaipur's beautiful market became the setting for another story that they crafted for themselves.Hi: उनकी दोस्ती अब और भी गहरी हो गई थी, दोनों ने एक-दूसरे की दुनिया को समझने का नया नजरिया पाया।En: Their friendship deepened, and they found a new perspective to understand each other's world. Vocabulary Words:breezes: हवाएँilluminated: रोशनadorned: रौनकvibrant: रंग-बिरंगीscent: महकlinger: तैरwafted: तैरantiquities: पुरानी चीजेंsensible: समझदारtrunk: संदूकcarvings: नक्काशीpriceless: अनमोलtreasure: खजानाunlocking: ताला खोलेinscription: लेखmysterious: रहस्यमयीlocation: स्थानglimmers: झिलमिलाहटchamber: कक्षinvaluable: बेशकीमतीhandicrafts: हस्तकलाpaintings: चित्रकारीcuriosity: उत्सुकताyielded: रंग लाईexperience: अनुभवperspective: नजरियाcompanionship: साथीcenturies: सदियोंartifact: सामानinsight: समझ

Fluent Fiction - Hindi: Unlocking Jaipur's Hidden Treasures: A Mysterious Fort Adventure Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/hi/episode/2025-12-21-08-38-20-hi Story Transcript:Hi: जैपुर की सर्दियों की एक खुशनुमा सुबह थी।En: It was a pleasant winter morning in Jaipur.Hi: आमेर किले की ऊँची दीवारों के बीच अरविंद, लीला और किरण घूम रहे थे।En: Among the towering walls of the Amer Fort, Arvind, Leela, and Kiran were wandering.Hi: किला बहुत ही भव्य था, अपनी विशाल गलियारों और intricate नक्काशी के साथ।En: The fort was magnificent, with its vast corridors and intricate carvings.Hi: चारों ओर क्रिसमस की सजावट थी, जिससे माहौल और भी रंगीन हो उठा था।En: All around, there were Christmas decorations, making the atmosphere even more colorful.Hi: अरविंद इतिहास के प्रति बेहद उत्सुक था और कुछ रोमांचक खोजने की चाह रखता था।En: Arvind was extremely curious about history and eager to discover something exciting.Hi: उसी समय, लीला हमेशा ही चीजों को लेकर सतर्क रहती थी, उसे पुरानी चीजों पर इतना भरोसा नहीं था।En: Meanwhile, Leela was always cautious about things and did not trust old artifacts much.Hi: किरण, अपनी जिज्ञासा और थोड़ी शरारत वाली आदत के साथ, हर नए रास्ते की ओर दौड़ पड़ती थी।En: Kiran, with her curiosity and playful nature, would run towards every new path.Hi: वे तीनों किले के अंदर एक संकरी और थोड़ी टूट फूट की स्थिति में दीवार के पास पहुँचे।En: The trio reached a narrow and slightly dilapidated spot near a wall inside the fort.Hi: वहाँ एक पत्थर थोड़ा हटकर अदृश्य दरवाजे की तरह दिखता था।En: There, a stone seemed slightly out of place, resembling a hidden door.Hi: अरविंद ने तुरंत अपने हाथों को खिसकाकर उस पत्थर को बाहर खींचा।En: Arvind immediately slid his hands and pulled out the stone.Hi: वहाँ से एक पुराना, घिसा-पिटा सा नक्शा गिरा।En: From there, an old, worn-out map fell.Hi: "यह क्या है?En: "What is this?"Hi: " किरण ने उत्सुकता से नक्शा उठाते हुए कहा।En: Kiran asked eagerly, picking up the map.Hi: नक्शे पर कुछ रहस्यमई रास्ते थे जो कि किले के भीतर गहनों की ओर इशारा कर रहे थे।En: The map showed some mysterious paths pointing towards treasures inside the fort.Hi: अरविंद की आँखों में एक चमक थी, "हमें इसे देखना चाहिए!En: Arvind's eyes sparkled, "We should check this out!"Hi: ""यह नक्शा कितना पुराना है, और यह किले का बंद क्षेत्र भी तो हो सकता है," लीला ने अपनी चिंता जताई।En: "This map seems very old, and it could also be a restricted area of the fort," Leela expressed her concern.Hi: लेकिन अरविंद और किरण ने जल्दी से फैसला किया कि वे अवश्य ही इस रोमांचक यात्रा पर निकलेंगे।En: But Arvind and Kiran quickly decided that they had to embark on this adventurous journey.Hi: फोर्ट बंद होने का समय नजदीक आ रहा था, लेकिन उन्हें रोकना मुश्किल था।En: The fort's closing time was approaching, but it was difficult to stop them.Hi: वे नक्शे के रास्ते पर चल पड़े।En: They started following the path on the map.Hi: पथरीले गलियारों से होकर एक गुप्त कक्ष के पास पहुंचे।En: Through the rocky corridors, they reached a secret chamber.Hi: सूरज का प्रकाश धीरे-धीरे गायब हो रहा था, और तभी अचानक उन्होंने पीछे से किसी के कदमों की आहट सुनी।En: The sunlight was slowly fading, and just then, they heard footsteps behind them.Hi: वे निश्चित रूप से अकेले नहीं थे।En: They were definitely not alone.Hi: लेकिन साहस का परिचय देते हुए, उन्होंने कमरे के बीचों-बीच एक पुराना बॉक्स खोला।En: But showing courage, they opened an old box in the middle of the room.Hi: उसमें नकदी या गहने नहीं थे, बल्कि एक ऐतिहासिक कलाकृति थी, जो मूल्यवान थी।En: It did not contain cash or jewels, but a historical artifact, which was invaluable.Hi: उनके सामने का रहस्य सुलझ चुका था।En: The mystery before them was solved.Hi: अरविंद को अब समझ आया कि इतिहास कितनी कहानियाँ समेटे हैं।En: Arvind now realized how many stories history holds.Hi: लीला भी थोड़े रोमांच की खुशी महसूस कर रही थी।En: Leela also felt the joy of a bit of adventure.Hi: उन्होंने उस महत्त्वपूर्ण कलाकृति को एक स्थानीय इतिहासकार को देने का फैसला किया, ताकि वह इसका सही आंकलन कर सके।En: They decided to give the important artifact to a local historian so that it could be properly assessed.Hi: इस अनुभव ने अरविंद को रोमांच से ज्यादा इतिहास के प्रति नई नजरिया दी।En: This experience gave Arvind a new perspective on history beyond just adventure.Hi: वहीं, लीला ने सीखा कि कभी-कभी नए अनुभवों को अपनाने में भी आनंद हो सकता है।En: Meanwhile, Leela learned that embracing new experiences can also bring joy.Hi: जैपुर की सर्द रात में, आमेर किले ने इन्हें एक अद्भुत कहानी दे दी थी।En: In the cold night of Jaipur, Amer Fort had gifted them an amazing story. Vocabulary Words:pleasant: खुशनुमाtowering: ऊँचीmagnificent: भव्यintricate: जटिलcorridors: गलियारोंexciting: रोमांचकcautious: सतर्कdilapidated: टूट फूटresembling: मिलता जुलताeagerly: उत्सुकता सेsparkled: चमकrestricted: बंदembark: प्रारंभapproaching: नजदीकsecret: गुप्तchamber: कक्षfootsteps: कदमों की आहटshowing courage: साहस का परिचयbox: बॉक्सhistorical artifact: ऐतिहासिक कलाकृतिinvaluable: मूल्यवानperspective: नजरियाembracing: अपनानेjoy: आनंदamazing: अद्भुतdiscover: खोजनाtreasures: गहनेassessed: आंकलनnew experiences: नए अनुभवsunlight: सूरज का प्रकाश

Series - The Parables of Jesus: Stories That Shape the Kingdom Heart - Pastor Russ Atter

Fluent Fiction - Dutch: Bram's Winter Quest: Discovering Friendship's Hidden Treasure Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/nl/episode/2025-12-15-23-34-02-nl Story Transcript:Nl: Het was een koude winteravond in Amsterdam.En: It was a cold winter evening in Amsterdam.Nl: De stad schitterde in het licht van Sinterklaas.En: The city glistened in the light of Sinterklaas.Nl: Bram, een jonge man vol nieuwsgierigheid naar oude verhalen, zat samen met zijn vrienden Sofie en Max in een rondvaartboot op de grachten.En: Bram, a young man filled with curiosity about old stories, sat with his friends Sofie and Max on a canal boat in the canals.Nl: De lucht was scherp en helder, de feestelijke lichtjes weerspiegelden in het donkere water.En: The air was sharp and clear, the festive lights reflecting in the dark water.Nl: Terwijl de boot onder de verlichte bruggen doorgleed, staarde Bram uit over het water.En: As the boat glided under the lit bridges, Bram stared out over the water.Nl: Plots viel zijn blik op iets vreemds naast zich op de bank.En: Suddenly, his eyes fell on something strange next to him on the bench.Nl: Het was een oud, vergeeld stuk papier.En: It was an old, yellowed piece of paper.Nl: Zijn hart klopte sneller terwijl hij het voorzichtig openvouwde.En: His heart beat faster as he carefully unfolded it.Nl: Het was een kaart, getekend in complexe lijnen en vreemde symbolen.En: It was a map, drawn with complex lines and strange symbols.Nl: Er stond een kruis ergens midden in het centrum van de stad.En: There was a cross somewhere in the center of the city.Nl: "Sofie, Max, kijk eens!"En: "Sofie, Max, look!"Nl: zei Bram enthousiast.En: said Bram excitedly.Nl: "Ik denk dat dit een schatkaart is!"En: "I think this is a treasure map!"Nl: Sofie lachte en schudde haar hoofd.En: Sofie laughed and shook her head.Nl: "Bram, het is vast een grap.En: "Bram, it's surely a joke.Nl: Het is Sinterklaas, iedereen is in de stemming voor verhalen."En: It's Sinterklaas, everyone is in the mood for stories."Nl: Max keek op van zijn glühwein.En: Max looked up from his glühwein.Nl: "Ja, kom op Bram, laten we genieten van de feestdagen."En: "Yeah, come on Bram, let's enjoy the holidays."Nl: Maar Bram was te gefascineerd om het op te geven.En: But Bram was too fascinated to give up.Nl: Ergens voelde hij dat dit zijn kans was op avontuur.En: Somewhere, he felt that this was his chance for adventure.Nl: Die nacht, terwijl Amsterdam in feeststemming verkeerde, besloot hij weg te sluipen om het mysterie van de kaart te ontrafelen.En: That night, while Amsterdam was in a festive mood, he decided to slip away to unravel the mystery of the map.Nl: De aanwijzingen op de kaart leidden Bram door de kronkelige straatjes van de stad, onder met sneeuw bedekte bomen door en langs de drukke wintermarkten.En: The clues on the map led Bram through the winding streets of the city, under snow-covered trees and past the busy winter markets.Nl: Elke stap bracht hem dichter bij een antwoord dat hij niet kende maar hoopte te vinden.En: Every step brought him closer to an answer he didn't know but hoped to find.Nl: Hij stond uiteindelijk stil voor een oude brug.En: He eventually stopped in front of an old bridge.Nl: Onder de brug vond hij een verroeste oude kist, precies zoals de kaart had aangegeven.En: Under the bridge, he found a rusty old chest, just as the map had indicated.Nl: Met enige moeite kreeg hij de sloten van de kist open.En: With some effort, he managed to open the locks of the chest.Nl: Binnenin vond hij geen goud en juwelen, maar een verzameling oude brieven en kleine voorwerpen.En: Inside, he found no gold and jewels, but a collection of old letters and small objects.Nl: Verward en gefascineerd begon hij de brieven te lezen.En: Confused and fascinated, he began to read the letters.Nl: Het waren de verhalen van vrienden, van gedeelde avonturen en ontdekkingen, achtergelaten door iemand lang geleden.En: They were stories of friends, of shared adventures and discoveries, left behind by someone long ago.Nl: Elk stuk papier sprak van de waarde van vriendschap en avontuur, meer waardevol dan enige schat.En: Each piece of paper spoke of the value of friendship and adventure, more valuable than any treasure.Nl: Bram stopte de brieven voorzichtig terug in de kist.En: Bram carefully put the letters back in the chest.Nl: Hij voelde zich vreemd tevreden.En: He felt strangely content.Nl: Het avontuur zelf en de verbinding die zijn ontdekkingen onthulden hadden hem een nieuw perspectief gegeven.En: The adventure itself and the connections his discoveries revealed had given him a new perspective.Nl: De ware schat was nooit materieel geweest maar lag in de reis en in de mensen om hem heen.En: The true treasure had never been material but lay in the journey and in the people around him.Nl: Met een glimlach keerde hij terug naar zijn vrienden.En: With a smile, he returned to his friends.Nl: De feestelijke muziek en het gelach omarmden hem als een warme deken.En: The festive music and laughter embraced him like a warm blanket.Nl: Sofie en Max stonden te wachten met warme chocolademelk.En: Sofie and Max were waiting with hot chocolate.Nl: "En?"En: "And?"Nl: vroeg Sofie nieuwsgierig.En: asked Sofie curiously.Nl: "Heb je je schat gevonden?"En: "Did you find your treasure?"Nl: Bram knikte met een zachte glimlach.En: Bram nodded with a soft smile.Nl: "Ja," zei hij.En: "Yes," he said.Nl: "Meer dan je je kunt voorstellen."En: "More than you can imagine."Nl: Het was Sinterklaasavond, en terwijl de stad verder vierde, wist Bram dat hij niet alleen een schat had gevonden, maar ook zichzelf een beetje beter had leren kennen, omgeven door vrienden en een wereld vol wonderen.En: It was Sinterklaas evening, and while the city continued to celebrate, Bram knew that he had not only found a treasure but had also learned a bit more about himself, surrounded by friends and a world full of wonders. Vocabulary Words:glistened: schitterdecuriosity: nieuwsgierigheidcanal: grachtlit: verlichtesharp: scherpglided: doorgleedstrange: vreemdbenches: bankenyellowed: vergeeldcomplex: complexsymbols: symbolenlaugh: lachtefascinated: gefascineerdunravel: ontrafelenwinding: kronkelingcovered: bedektrusty: verroestechest: kistlocks: slotenjewels: juwelenconfused: verwardadventures: avonturencontent: tevredenconnections: verbindingenperspective: perspectieftreasure: schatjourney: reislaughed: gelachblanket: dekenembraced: omarmden

Fluent Fiction - Hebrew: Galil's Hidden Treasures: A Hanukkah Adventure Unveiled Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/he/episode/2025-12-15-08-38-20-he Story Transcript:He: הכביש המתפתל בגליל כמו ציור במפת יד מונח לפניהם, אך המפה שמצאו במכונית שונה.En: The winding road in the Galil lay before them like a drawing on a palm, but the map they found in the car was different.He: חורף, כבישים חלקלקים, אך הרפתקה קוראת להם.En: Winter, slippery roads, but adventure calls to them.He: יעל, אבי ותמר יצאו לדרך.En: Yael, Avi, and Tamar set out on their journey.He: ״יעל, המפה הזו לא בתכנית שלנו,״ אמר אבי וגלגל עיניים.En: "Yael, this map isn't part of our plan," Avi said, rolling his eyes.He: ״אבל אולי היא מובילה למשהו מיוחד!En: "But maybe it leads to something special!He: זה כמו תעלומה שצריכה להיפתר.En: It's like a mystery that needs solving.He: תמר, את הרי אוהבת היסטוריה, בואי נבדוק,״ ענתה יעל בהתרגשות.En: Tamar, you love history, let's check it out," Yael replied excitedly.He: ״טוב, אם יש לה קשר לחנוכה, אני בפנים,״ חייכה תמר, מותירה את אבי מחויך בפנים, אף שהוא נשאר מסופק.En: "Well, if it has a connection to Hanukkah, I'm in," Tamar smiled, leaving Avi smiling inside, even though he remained skeptical.He: הם נסעו בדרכי הגליל, כשהשלג מתחיל להיערם על הגבעות הירוקות ופולח רוח קר.En: They drove through the roads of the Galil, as the snow began to pile on the green hills, pierced by a cold wind.He: עצי זית נראו כמו משמרות העתיקה שעדיין כאן.En: Olive trees looked like ancient sentinels still standing firm.He: המפה הובילה אותם בכבישים ציוריים ופסלים טבעיים, ובסוף הגיעה לנקודה מבודדת בקצה הגבעה.En: The map led them through picturesque roads and natural sculptures, eventually reaching an isolated spot at the end of a hill.He: שם, במנחה של חנוכה, פתחו גומחה מסתורית, וחיוכיהם זורחים כמו הנרות שהדליקו באותו ערב.En: There, during Mincha of Hanukkah, they opened a mysterious alcove, their smiles shining like the candles they lit that evening.He: ״הנה, כאן היו אנשים לפני שנים רבות, אולי חיילי חשמונאים,״ לחשה תמר בהתלהבות אמיתית.En: "Look, people were here many years ago, maybe Hasmonean soldiers," Tamar whispered with genuine excitement.He: רעשי הרוח גברו, והיה להם קשה לשמוע זה את זה.En: The sound of the wind intensified, making it hard for them to hear each other.He: הם מיהרו להתארגן לעזוב.En: They hurried to get ready to leave.He: ״הייתה זו חוויה מדהימה,״ אמרה יעל כשהם התכוננו לשוב.En: "That was an amazing experience," Yael said as they prepared to return.He: במכונית, תחת שמיכה מהבגאז', הם חגגו נר נוסף של חנוכה.En: In the car, under a blanket from the trunk, they celebrated another candle of Hanukkah.He: יעל התחילה להבין את ערך התכנון, ולראות את ההנאה שבגילוי המפתיע.En: Yael began to understand the value of planning and saw the joy in unexpected discovery.He: אבי פתח לבו להרפתקה, ואילו תמר חשה חיבור חדש להיסטוריה המקומית.En: Avi opened his heart to adventure, while Tamar felt a new connection to local history.He: בערב הזה, עם אור הנרות, הם הבינו כמה השילוב של עבר והווה יכול להאיר את דרכם, אפילו בטיפות השלג הכבדות ביותר.En: That evening, with the light of the candles, they realized how the combination of past and present can light their way, even in the heaviest snowflakes. Vocabulary Words:winding: מתפתלslippery: חלקלקיםadventure: הרפתקהmystery: תעלומהconnection: קשרpierced: פולחsentinels: משמרותpicturesque: ציורייםsculptures: פסליםisolated: מבודדתalcove: גומחהintensified: גברוblanket: שמיכהcelebrated: חגגוplanning: תכנוןgenuine: אמיתיתunexpected: מפתיעdiscovery: גילויlocal: מקומיתrealized: הבינוcombination: שילובlight: יאירheaviest: הכבדותsnowflakes: טיפות השלגdrawing: ציורwhispered: לחשהexcitedly: בהתרגשותgenuine: אמיתיתvalue: ערךintensified: גברוBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/fluent-fiction-hebrew--5818690/support.

Fluent Fiction - Catalan: The Hidden Treasure of Montserrat: A Christmas Adventure Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/ca/episode/2025-12-14-23-34-01-ca Story Transcript:Ca: Amb el Nadal a prop i una fina capa de neu cobrint la muntanya de Montserrat, Oriol, un nen de deu anys amb una imaginació desbordant, estava més emocionat que mai.En: With Christmas near and a thin layer of snow covering the mountain of Montserrat, Oriol, a ten-year-old boy with a boundless imagination, was more excited than ever.Ca: Sempre havia escoltat històries de tresors amagats a la muntanya i somiava amb trobar-ne algun.En: He had always heard stories of hidden treasures on the mountain and dreamed of finding one.Ca: Aquell dia no seria només una excursió familiar, sinó una autèntica cacera del tresor.En: That day would not just be a family excursion but a true treasure hunt.Ca: El fred era penetrant i el vent bufava amb força, però Oriol estava ben abrigat amb el seu anorac vermell.En: The cold was piercing, and the wind blew strongly, but Oriol was well bundled up in his red anorak.Ca: La seva germana Laia, que tenia disset anys, estava més interessada a fer fotos del paisatge que a buscar tresors.En: His sister Laia, who was seventeen years old, was more interested in taking photos of the landscape than in searching for treasures.Ca: En canvi, el Martí, el pare de l'Oriol, estava decidit a passar un dia tranquil i gaudir de l'aire fresc i de la vista espectacular de la Serra de Montserrat.En: On the other hand, Martí, Oriol's father, was determined to spend a peaceful day enjoying the fresh air and the spectacular view of the Serra de Montserrat.Ca: Amb una motxilla a l'esquena i un mapa que havia dibuixat basant-se en els contes que havia llegit, Oriol es va unir a la caminada familiar.En: With a backpack on his back and a map he had drawn based on the tales he had read, Oriol joined the family hike.Ca: Caminaven per un sender estret i nevat, el terra cruixia sota les botes mentre avançaven entre els arbres nus per l'hivern.En: They walked along a narrow, snowy path, the ground crunching under their boots as they advanced among the winter-bare trees.Ca: De sobte, aprofitant que els pares i la seva germana es distreien fent un descans, Oriol es va endinsar per un petit camí lateral.En: Suddenly, taking advantage of his parents and sister being distracted during a break, Oriol ventured down a small side path.Ca: El seu cor bategava ràpidament mentre observava el seu mapa, que assenyalava un lloc misteriós prop d'on eren.En: His heart beat quickly as he looked at his map, which marked a mysterious place near where they were.Ca: El vent bufava més fort a mesura que Oriol s'allunyava del camí principal.En: The wind blew harder as Oriol moved away from the main path.Ca: Les roques semblaven dents gegants, formant un laberint confús i desorientador.En: The rocks seemed like giant teeth, forming a confusing and disorienting labyrinth.Ca: Va sentir un calfred, tant pel fred com per l'emoció.En: He felt a chill, both from the cold and from excitement.Ca: Finalment, va arribar a un petit altar antic cobert d'una crosta de glaç.En: Finally, he arrived at a small ancient altar covered with a crust of ice.Ca: Allà va veure un símbol gravat que coincidia amb el seu mapa.En: There he saw a symbol engraved that matched his map.Ca: Una barreja de sorpresa i triomf el va envair.En: A mix of surprise and triumph overwhelmed him.Ca: Havia trobat una pista!En: He had found a clue!Ca: Mentrestant, el Martí i la Laia van adonar-se que Oriol no era allà.En: Meanwhile, Martí and Laia realized that Oriol was not there.Ca: Espantats, van cridar el seu nom.En: Frightened, they called his name.Ca: Els crits van ressonar entre les parets de la muntanya, fins que finalment el van trobar.En: Their shouts echoed against the mountain walls until they finally found him.Ca: Oriol va sentir una barreja d'alleujament i vergonya quan els va veure.En: Oriol felt a mixture of relief and shame when he saw them.Ca: Ell no havia trobat or ni joies, però va comprendre quelcom molt més valuós.En: He hadn't found gold or jewels, but he understood something much more valuable.Ca: El caliu de la seva família, preocupada i alleugerida per trobar-lo sa i estalvi.En: The warmth of his family, worried and relieved to find him safe and sound.Ca: Aquella experiència va fer que Oriol entengués que la màgia no estava només en els tresors físics, sinó en les aventures compartides.En: That experience made Oriol understand that magic was not only in physical treasures but in shared adventures.Ca: Com van quedar junts contemplant la posta de sol, amb Montserrat com a testimoni, Oriol va somriure.En: As they remained together watching the sunset, with Montserrat as their witness, Oriol smiled.Ca: Havia descobert un tresor que ni l'or podia comprar.En: He had discovered a treasure that not even gold could buy. Vocabulary Words:Christmas: el Nadallayer: la capasnow: la neumountain: la muntanyaimagination: la imaginaciótreasure: el tresorhunt: la caceracold: el fredwind: el ventanorak: l'anoraclandscape: el paisatgefresh air: l'aire frescview: la vistabackpack: la motxillamap: el mapatales: els contesnarrow: estretpath: el senderground: el terraboots: les botestrees: els arbreschill: el calfredaltar: l'altarice: el glaçclue: la pistashame: la vergonyawarmth: el caliusafe: sa i estalvimagic: la màgiaadventures: les aventures

Join us for an epic episode of the Relic Radio Podcast as we sit down with Troy McCormick, the real-life treasure hunter known for his adventures on Expedition Unknown.Troy opens up about his most dangerous hunts, mysteries that still keep him up at night, and the discoveries that the Expedition Unknown TV crews never filmed. From lost gold legends to unexplained artifacts, this conversation goes deeper than anything you've heard before.If you love treasure hunting, unexplained history, or the behind-the-scenes world of Expedition Unknown, you won't want to miss this.

David Leventhal teaches from Matthew 13:44–46, where Jesus presents two parables that reveal the surpassing worth of the Kingdom of Heaven. In a cultural moment saturated with commercialism, Jesus calls us to see Him as the Hidden Treasure and the Pearl of Great Value—the One who brings true joy, identity, and freedom. We explore why commercialism has such a strong pull, how these parables dismantle the lie of "not enough," and what it means to reorient our lives around Jesus. You'll also be equipped with reflection questions to help you slow down and behold Christ during the Christmas season. Sermon notes and discussion questions available at: https://www.citybridgechurch.org/messages Subscribe for weekly Sunday Messages on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen. Questions or feedback? DM us @citybridgecc or email info@citybridgechurch.org. Enjoyed the message? Leave a review on Apple Podcasts.

In this special replay of the June 19, 2023 Morning Manna broadcast, we revisit two of Jesus' shortest and most powerful parables—the Hidden Treasure and the Pearl of Great Price (Matthew 13:44–46). These twin stories reveal the incomparable value of God's Kingdom and the radical joy that compels true discipleship. A man stumbles upon treasure and sells everything with gladness; a merchant searches for the finest pearl and gives up all he possesses to obtain it. In this teaching, Rick Wiles and Doc Burkhart explore the nature of kingdom desire, the cost of genuine commitment, and the surpassing worth of Christ Himself, who remains the greatest treasure a believer can ever find. Teachers: Rick Wiles and Doc Burkhart You can partner with us by visiting FaithandValues.com, calling 1-888-519-4935, or by mail at PO Box 399 Vero Beach, FL 32961. MEGA FIRE reveals the ancient recurring cycles of war and economic collapse that have shaped history for 600 years. These patterns predict America is now entering its most dangerous period since World War II. Get your copy today! www.megafire.world Get high-quality emergency preparedness food today from American Reserves! www.AmericanReserves.com It's the Final Day! The day Jesus Christ bursts into our dimension of time, space, and matter. Now available in eBook and audio formats! Order Final Day from Amazon today! www.Amazon.com/Final-Day Apple users, you can download the audio version on Apple Books! www.books.apple.com/final-day Purchase the 4-part DVD set or start streaming Sacrificing Liberty today. www.Sacrificingliberty.com

In this follow-up to Thursday's broadcast, Morning Manna returns once more to Jesus' paired kingdom parables—the Hidden Treasure and the Pearl of Great Price (Matthew 13:44–46). Part 2 deepens the focus on the seeker's joy, the totality of the exchange, and the holy urgency that marks those who recognize the surpassing worth of Christ and His Kingdom. Rick Wiles and Doc Burkhart revisit the themes of discovery, evaluation, and decisive surrender, showing how genuine disciples gladly release all lesser things to gain the one treasure that cannot fade. Teachers: Rick Wiles and Doc Burkhart You can partner with us by visiting FaithandValues.com, calling 1-888-519-4935, or by mail at PO Box 399 Vero Beach, FL 32961. MEGA FIRE reveals the ancient recurring cycles of war and economic collapse that have shaped history for 600 years. These patterns predict America is now entering its most dangerous period since World War II. Get your copy today! www.megafire.world Get high-quality emergency preparedness food today from American Reserves! www.AmericanReserves.com It's the Final Day! The day Jesus Christ bursts into our dimension of time, space, and matter. Now available in eBook and audio formats! Order Final Day from Amazon today! www.Amazon.com/Final-Day Apple users, you can download the audio version on Apple Books! www.books.apple.com/final-day Purchase the 4-part DVD set or start streaming Sacrificing Liberty today. www.Sacrificingliberty.com

Fluent Fiction - Italian: Hidden Treasures: A Family's Bond Beyond Heirlooms Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/it/episode/2025-11-25-08-38-20-it Story Transcript:It: Sui bordi della città di Venezia, un vecchio magazzino attendeva.En: On the outskirts of Venezia, an old warehouse waited.It: La sua struttura era grande, con pareti che sembravano trattenere storie e segreti di tempi passati.En: Its structure was large, with walls that seemed to hold stories and secrets of times past.It: In questo autunno, mentre le foglie cadevano, due figure si mossero al suo interno: Luca e Giulia.En: In this autumn, as the leaves fell, two figures moved inside: Luca and Giulia.It: Luca era determinato.En: Luca was determined.It: Il suo obiettivo era trovare un cimelio di famiglia, un oggetto prezioso che poteva salvare la sua casa dai debiti.En: His goal was to find a family heirloom, a precious object that could save his house from debts.It: Sua sorella Giulia, pur scettica, era lì per sostenerlo.En: His sister Giulia, though skeptical, was there to support him.It: "Luca, sei sicuro di questo?"En: "Luca, are you sure about this?"It: chiese Giulia mentre avanzavano sotto i raggi di sole che filtravano dalle finestre rotte.En: asked Giulia as they moved under the sun rays filtering through the broken windows.It: "Lo sono, Giulia.En: "I am, Giulia.It: Ne ho bisogno," rispose Luca.En: I need it," replied Luca.It: Il magazzino era freddo e polveroso.En: The warehouse was cold and dusty.It: Affrontare il passato non era mai facile.En: Facing the past was never easy.It: Improvvisamente, un grido spezzò il silenzio: Giulia inciampò su un pezzo di legno e cadde.En: Suddenly, a cry broke the silence: Giulia tripped over a piece of wood and fell.It: "Oh no, la mia caviglia!"En: "Oh no, my ankle!"It: lamentò.En: she lamented.It: Luca si avvicinò rapidamente, osservando il dolore sul volto della sorella.En: Luca quickly approached, observing the pain on his sister's face.It: Il tempo era contro di loro; la sera si avvicinava.En: Time was against them; evening was approaching.It: Luca affrontò un dilemma.En: Luca faced a dilemma.It: Continuare da solo o aiutare Giulia?En: Continue alone or help Giulia?It: "Giulia, devo trovarti un posto sicuro," disse Luca, osservandola con preoccupazione.En: "Giulia, I have to find you a safe spot," said Luca, watching her with concern.It: "No, Luca.En: "No, Luca.It: Vai a cercare il cimelio.En: Go find the heirloom.It: Posso aspettarti qui," rispose lei, con una determinazione che combaciava la sua.En: I can wait for you here," she replied, with a determination matching his own.It: Luca, il cuore in tumulto, decise di cercare il cimelio rapidamente.En: Luca, his heart in turmoil, decided to search for the heirloom quickly.It: Trovò una vecchia piattaforma di legno.En: He found an old wooden platform.It: Spostandola, scoprì un compartimento nascosto.En: Moving it, he discovered a hidden compartment.It: Eccolo!En: There it was!It: Il cimelio da tanto ricercato era lì.En: The long-sought heirloom was there.It: Ma il suo trionfo fu interrotto da un nuovo gemito di Giulia.En: But his triumph was interrupted by a new moan from Giulia.It: "Giulia!"En: "Giulia!"It: esclamò Luca, lasciando il cimelio per correre da lei.En: exclaimed Luca, leaving the heirloom to run to her.It: Le aiutò a mettersi in piedi, sorreggendola mentre si spostavano verso l'uscita.En: He helped her stand up, supporting her as they moved toward the exit.It: "L'hai trovato?"En: "Did you find it?"It: chiese lei, con speranza nella voce.En: she asked, with hope in her voice.It: Luca annuì, sorridendo.En: Luca nodded, smiling.It: "Sì, ma la famiglia è più importante."En: "Yes, but family is more important."It: Giulia sorrise attraverso il dolore.En: Giulia smiled through the pain.It: Insieme, si diressero verso l'uscita del magazzino.En: Together, they headed toward the warehouse exit.It: Con il cimelio in mano e Giulia al suo fianco, Luca aveva trovato qualcosa di molto più prezioso: l'importanza dei legami familiari.En: With the heirloom in hand and Giulia by his side, Luca had found something much more valuable: the importance of family bonds.It: Il sole calante li seguiva, promettendo un nuovo inizio per entrambi.En: The setting sun followed them, promising a new beginning for both. Vocabulary Words:the outskirts: i bordithe warehouse: il magazzinothe heirloom: il cimeliothe debts: i debitiskeptical: scetticathe sun rays: i raggi di solefiltering: filtrandothe broken windows: le finestre rottedetermined: determinatothe past: il passatothe silence: il silenziotripped: inciampòthe ankle: la caviglialamented: lamentòobserving: osservandothe pain: il dolorethe evening: la serathe dilemma: il dilemmaconcern: preoccupazionethe turmoil: il tumultothe platform: la piattaformathe hidden compartment: il compartimento nascostomoan: gemitothe triumph: il trionfothe importance: l'importanzathe family bonds: i legami familiarithe setting sun: il sole calantethe new beginning: il nuovo iniziothe structure: la strutturaprecious: prezioso

Matthew 13:34-35; 44-46.

Robert Bishop (Lead Pastor) | The Way of Wisdom, Ep. 12 | Nov 23, 2025

Pastor Kurt takes a deep dive in Colossians 2:1-7 highlighting the way in which Paul contends for a church that stands firm in the truth, encouraged in heart and united in love. And from that foundation, he calls them to keep flourishing in a life with Christ, rooted deeply and built up daily as their thanksgiving overflows.

On a visit to the U.S. Virgin Islands in winter 2018, we took the pulse of the national music of St. Croix – quelbe. Rarely recorded, rarely exported, quelbe is an energetic form, led by sax or flute with percussion and banjo, and it fuels the traditional dance style, quadrille. St Croix is the largest of the U.S. Virgin Islands, and sits alone 42 miles south of St. Thomas and St. John. That's part of why traditional music and dance forms have remained strong on St. Croix. Meet bandleaders Stanley Jacobs of Stanley and the 10 Sleepless Knights, and Dmitri Copemann of the Renaissance Band, who are cultivating a vibrant next generation. Produced by Marika Partridge and Banning Eyre APWW #782

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom! Explore how this healthy reverence guides you on your spiritual journey and listen to powerful takeaways on how to seek wisdom actively and intentionally.

Fluent Fiction - Hebrew: Hidden Treasures: Unveiling Hanukkah Mysteries in Old Jerusalem Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/he/episode/2025-11-20-23-34-02-he Story Transcript:He: ברחובות הצרים של העיר העתיקה בירושלים, בערב הקריר של סוף הסתיו, אי אפשר היה לפספס את אווירת החנוכה.En: In the narrow streets of the Old City of Jerusalem, on the cool evening at the end of autumn, it was impossible to miss the Hanukkah atmosphere.He: נרות המאירים מחלונות הבתים ומשלבים שירים ושמחה ברחובות.En: Candles illuminating from the windows of houses mixed with songs and joy in the streets.He: אריאל ושירה, שני חברי ילדות, עמדו בפתח סמטה צרה, כשהם מביטים סביבם בהתרגשות ובדאגה.En: Ariel and Shira, two childhood friends, stood at the entrance of a narrow alley, looking around with excitement and concern.He: אריאל היה סטודנט לארכיאולוגיה מלא תשוקה.En: Ariel was a passionate archaeology student.He: מאז ומתמיד רצה לגלות משהו היסטורי ומשמעותי.En: He had always wanted to discover something historical and significant.He: שירה, חברתו, אהבה היסטוריה אך הייתה זהירה הרבה יותר.En: Shira, his friend, loved history but was much more cautious.He: היא הייתה שם כדי לתמוך, וגם אולי כדי למצוא קצת הרפתקה, עמוק בתוכה.En: She was there to support and maybe also to find a bit of adventure, deep inside.He: "זו ההזדמנות שלנו," אמר אריאל בשקט כשהוא מצביע על קיר אבן עתיק.En: "This is our chance," Ariel said quietly as he pointed at an ancient stone wall.He: "אני בטוח שיש משהו מאחוריו."En: "I'm sure there's something behind it."He: שירה הסתכלה בשעון.En: Shira looked at her watch.He: "אבל אנחנו צריכים להזדרז. החברה להתחיל בשיפוצים."En: "But we need to hurry. The company is about to start renovations."He: אריאל התקרב ומשך את שירה יחד איתו.En: Ariel approached and pulled Shira along with him.He: הם החלו לנבור באבן, לבנה אחרי לבנה, עד שפניהם האיר זיק של ההצלחה.En: They began to dig into the stone, brick by brick, until a spark of success lit up their faces.He: מעבר לקיר היה פתח קטן.En: Behind the wall was a small opening.He: ברגע זה עיניהם נצצו.En: At that moment, their eyes sparkled.He: הם לחצו על האבן, ובזהירות היא זזה.En: They pressed on the stone, and carefully it moved.He: פתח גדול יותר התגלה לפניהם, ובתוכו חדר סודי.En: A larger entrance was revealed before them, and inside, a secret room.He: החדר היה מלא בפסלים קדומים וכלים יקרי ערך.En: The room was filled with ancient statues and valuable artifacts.He: עבר זמנים נשכחים שב אליהם.En: A forgotten past returned to them.He: בדיוק כשעמדו להיכנס פנימה, שמעו קול.En: Just as they were about to enter, they heard a voice.He: "היי, מה אתם עושים שם?" זה היה שומר הביטחון של האתר.En: "Hey, what are you doing there?" It was the security guard of the site.He: שירה נשמה עמוק והתקרבה אליו.En: Shira took a deep breath and approached him.He: "אנחנו סטודנטים להיסטוריה וארכיאולוגיה. מצאנו כאן משהו חשוב מאוד."En: "We are students of history and archaeology. We found something very important here."He: השומר הביט בהם, בעיניים מבינות.En: The guard looked at them, with understanding eyes.He: "החנוכה וזה. תראו, אני מבין שאתם אוהבים היסטוריה," הוא אמר.En: "Hanukkah and all that. Look, I understand you love history," he said.He: "אנחנו יכולים לדווח על זה ולוודא שזה יתועד בצורה ראויה לפני השיפוצים."En: "We can report this and ensure it is documented properly before the renovations."He: בהרגע הזה, אריאל הבין את כוח שיתוף הפעולה, ושירה מצאה התרגשות חדשה בגילוי סיפורים לא מסופרים.En: At that moment, Ariel realized the power of collaboration, and Shira found new excitement in uncovering untold stories.He: החגיגות בחוץ המשיכו, אז השניים, לצד השומר מסור, החלו לתעד את כל מה שמצאו בחדר.En: The celebrations outside continued, so the two of them, alongside the dedicated guard, began to document everything they found in the room.He: הנרות המשיכו להאיר, והחדר המסתורי שמר בתוכו סיפור שהשתמר שוב לתוך ההיסטוריה הגדולה של ירושלים.En: The candles continued to illuminate, and the mysterious room preserved within it a story that was once again preserved into the great history of Jerusalem. Vocabulary Words:narrow: צריםalley: סמטהpassionate: מלא תשוקהarchaeology: ארכיאולוגיהsignificant: משמעותיdestroy: לנבורancient: עתיקsparkled: נצצוrenovations: שיפוציםvaluable: יקרי ערךartifacts: כליםuncharted: לא מסופריםpreserved: השתמרforgotten: נשכחיםstatues: פסליםdocument: לתעדsupport: לתמוךsecurity guard: שומר הביטחוןunderstanding: מבינותcollaboration: שיתוף פעולהadventurous: הרפתקהconcern: דאגהhidden: נסתרilluminating: מאיריםentrance: פתחexcitement: התרגשותrevealed: התגלוcautious: זהירהopportunity: הזדמנותspark: זיקBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/fluent-fiction-hebrew--5818690/support.

Fluent Fiction - Mandarin Chinese: Mystery in the Mist: Guilin's Hidden Treasure Unveiled Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/zh/episode/2025-11-19-08-38-20-zh Story Transcript:Zh: 在桂林的一个宁静村庄，秋天的清晨，阳光透过山间薄雾，洒在村里的石板路上。En: In a tranquil village in Guilin, on an autumn morning, sunlight streamed through the mountain mist, spilling over the cobblestone paths of the village.Zh: 村子四周是雄伟的喀斯特山脉，仿佛大自然的守护者。En: The village was surrounded by the majestic karst mountains, standing as if they were nature's guardians.Zh: 蒋毅站在村口，手里捧着一本泛黄的老书。En: Jiang Yi stood at the village entrance, holding a yellowed old book.Zh: 他对村里的古老传说着迷，尤其是关于村庙里那件价值连城的古文物的故事。En: He was fascinated by the village's ancient legends, especially the story about the priceless artifact in the village temple.Zh: 中秋节将至，村子充满了欢庆的气氛，但村子里也弥漫着一丝紧张感。En: As the Mid-Autumn Festival approached, the village was filled with a celebratory atmosphere, but there was also a hint of tension.Zh: 因为那件文物，最近不见了。En: The artifact had recently disappeared.Zh: 他的好友美琳走过来，手里拿着一盏纸灯笼。En: His friend Mei Lin walked over, carrying a paper lantern.Zh: 美琳是个重视传统的人，总能在蒋毅异想天开时给予冷静的建议。En: Mei Lin was someone who valued tradition and was always able to provide calm advice when Jiang Yi had whimsical ideas.Zh: “蒋毅，你别再看那些传说了，村里的长老们可不喜欢我们调查。”美琳提醒道。En: “Jiang Yi, stop reading those legends; the village elders don't like us investigating,” Mei Lin reminded him.Zh: 然而，蒋毅不想放弃，En: However, Jiang Yi did not want to give up.Zh: 他对美琳说：“也许传说里有真的秘密呢。我们去找找线索吧。”En: He told Mei Lin, “Maybe there is a real secret in the legends. Let's go look for clues.”Zh: 村子里来了个陌生人，名叫魏辰。En: A stranger named Wei Chen had come to the village.Zh: 他带着丰富的古文物知识，然而对他过去的故事，没人了解太多。En: He brought with him a wealth of knowledge about ancient artifacts, but no one knew much about his past.Zh: 村民们有些怀疑他。En: The villagers were a bit suspicious of him.Zh: “魏辰来了之后，文物就不见了。”村民们耳语道。En: “After Wei Chen arrived, the artifact disappeared,” the villagers whispered.Zh: 蒋毅和美琳决定秘密调查。En: Jiang Yi and Mei Lin decided to investigate secretly.Zh: 他们注意到魏辰很少与人交谈，却似乎对村庙异常关注。En: They noticed that Wei Chen seldom talked to people, yet seemed unusually interested in the village temple.Zh: 中秋节的晚上，村子举行了一场大型庆祝会。En: On the night of the Mid-Autumn Festival, the village held a large celebration.Zh: 月饼飘香，灯笼高挂，村中小孩嬉戏，增添了欢乐的气氛。En: The aroma of mooncakes filled the air, lanterns hung high, and the children playing added to the joyous atmosphere.Zh: 就在此时，蒋毅无意中在一个月饼里发现了一张古老的地图。En: It was at this time that Jiang Yi accidentally discovered an old map inside a mooncake.Zh: 地图上标记着一个隐蔽的房间。En: The map marked a hidden room.Zh: 蒋毅和美琳按照地图的指示，悄悄进入了村庙的地下室。En: Following its directions, Jiang Yi and Mei Lin quietly entered the temple's basement.Zh: 他们点亮了带来的灯笼，隐约看见一个秘室的入口。En: They lit the lantern they brought and faintly saw the entrance to a secret room.Zh: 推开石门，丢失的文物静静地摆在石台上。En: Pushing open the stone door, the missing artifact sat quietly on a stone platform.Zh: 蒋毅和美琳心中无比震惊，却同时松了一口气。En: Jiang Yi and Mei Lin were stunned, yet they breathed a sigh of relief.Zh: 村子里的长老们惊讶地看着被完好无损的文物。En: The village elders were astonished to see the artifact intact.Zh: 然而，他们更惊讶的是魏辰的无辜。En: However, they were even more surprised by Wei Chen's innocence.Zh: 在他的帮助下，文物背后的古老传说得以完整解开，揭示了村子的历史，也是靖江通往更美好未来的桥梁。En: With his help, the ancient legend behind the artifact was fully unraveled, revealing the village's history and serving as a bridge to a brighter future for Jingjiang.Zh: “看吧，传说有时也是真实的。”蒋毅轻声对美琳说。En: “See, sometimes legends are true,” Jiang Yi softly said to Mei Lin.Zh: 他明白了信任与友谊的可贵，村民们也用敬佩的眼光看着他。En: He understood the value of trust and friendship, and the villagers looked at him with admiration.Zh: 桂林的秋风轻轻吹过，带来了新的开始。En: The autumn wind of Guilin gently blew, bringing a new beginning. Vocabulary Words:tranquil: 宁静cobblestone: 石板majestic: 雄伟guardian: 守护者fascinated: 着迷artifact: 文物celebratory: 欢庆tension: 紧张whimsical: 异想天开investigating: 调查secretly: 秘密地suspicious: 怀疑aroma: 飘香joyous: 欢乐accidentally: 无意中basement: 地下室faintly: 隐约entrance: 入口astonished: 惊讶intact: 完好无损innocence: 无辜unraveled: 解开legend: 传说admiration: 敬佩whispered: 耳语hidden: 隐蔽platform: 石台tradition: 传统mooncake: 月饼sigh of relief: 松了一口气

You might feel stuck or uncertain, but what if God's greatest miracles are hidden in plain sight? This message will reignite your faith and remind you that the wilderness isn't wasted. It's where treasure is waiting to be found. Lean in and discover what's been hidden for you all along. ----more---- ABOUT UNION CHURCH We exist for one thing: to help unite people with purpose. At Union Church, we believe that heaven can be experienced on earth when people live intentional and purposeful lives, submitted to God's word. We fulfill our mission by helping people know God, find freedom, discover purpose, and make a difference. We are one church in multiple locations through Maryland, Virginia and Charlotte North Carolina. Find a Union location near you: www.theunionchurch.com/findalocation    FIND US ON SOCIAL MEDIA Facebook: www.facebook.com/weareunionchurch  Instagram: www.instagram.com/weareunionchurch  Instagram: www.instagram.com/stephenrchandler YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@weareunionchurch  Website: https://theunionchurch.com

Fluent Fiction - French: Unveiling Secrets: Art, Mystery, and a Hidden Treasure Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/fr/episode/2025-11-17-23-34-02-fr Story Transcript:Fr: Par une journée d'automne à Montmartre, les feuilles dorées tourbillonnaient dans les rues pavées.En: On an autumn day in Montmartre, the golden leaves swirled through the cobblestone streets.Fr: Lucien, un jeune écrivain curieux, flânait dans un magasin d'antiquités.En: Lucien, a curious young writer, was strolling through an antique shop.Fr: C'était petit, mais plein de trésors.En: It was small but full of treasures.Fr: Les vieilles étagères boisaient des objets poussiéreux, des livres anciens, et même un vieux bureau.En: The old shelves were laden with dusty objects, ancient books, and even an old desk.Fr: Maëlle, une étudiante en art au sourire timide, l'avait rejoint.En: Maëlle, an art student with a shy smile, had joined him.Fr: Elle était là pour s'inspirer, ses crayons à la main.En: She was there for inspiration, her pencils in hand.Fr: Lucien et elle se connaissaient depuis peu, mais partageaient une passion pour le mystère.En: Lucien and she had not known each other long, but they shared a passion for mystery.Fr: C'est alors que Lucien remarqua un tiroir verrouillé dans le bureau.En: That's when Lucien noticed a locked drawer in the desk.Fr: Après avoir demandé au propriétaire du magasin, il parvint à ouvrir le tiroir avec un peu d'aide.En: After asking the shop owner, he managed to open the drawer with a bit of help.Fr: Dedans, se trouvait une lettre mystérieuse.En: Inside, there was a mysterious letter.Fr: Elle était codée, remplie de symboles étranges.En: It was coded, filled with strange symbols.Fr: Lucien voulait à tout prix déchiffrer ce mystère, mais les références dans la lettre le déconcertaient.En: Lucien was eager to decipher this mystery, but the references in the letter puzzled him.Fr: Il parla à Maëlle, plein d'espoir qu'elle pourrait l'aider.En: He spoke to Maëlle, hopeful that she could help him.Fr: Maëlle hésita.En: Maëlle hesitated.Fr: Elle avait un projet d'art urgent.En: She had an urgent art project.Fr: Mais la curiosité l'emporta, et elle décida de joindre Lucien dans son enquête.En: But curiosity won out, and she decided to join Lucien in his investigation.Fr: Ensemble, ils arpentaient Paris, se perdant parfois dans des ruelles oubliées.En: Together, they roamed Paris, sometimes getting lost in forgotten alleys.Fr: Ils retournèrent souvent à l'antiquaire pour étudier la lettre.En: They often returned to the antique shop to study the letter.Fr: Un jour, en explorant plus loin le magasin, ils découvrirent un passage caché derrière une étagère.En: One day, while exploring the shop further, they discovered a hidden passage behind a shelf.Fr: Une salle secrète apparut, remplie d'artefacts reliés à la lettre.En: A secret room appeared, filled with artifacts related to the letter.Fr: Sous un tableau poussiéreux, ils trouvèrent une autre lettre non codée.En: Under a dusty painting, they found another uncoded letter.Fr: Elle décrivait l'emplacement des dernières peintures jamais découvertes d'un artiste célèbre.En: It described the location of the last paintings ever discovered by a famous artist.Fr: C'était un trésor inestimable.En: It was an invaluable treasure.Fr: Lucien et Maëlle étaient abasourdis.En: Lucien and Maëlle were astonished.Fr: Grâce à cette découverte, Lucien comprit l'importance de collaborer.En: Thanks to this discovery, Lucien understood the importance of collaboration.Fr: Maëlle, elle, se découvrit des talents d'enquêtrice qu'elle ignorait.En: As for Maëlle, she discovered investigative talents she never knew she had.Fr: En sortant du magasin, ils se promirent de ne jamais oublier cette aventure étonnante à Montmartre, où l'art et le mystère se mêlent.En: As they left the shop, they promised never to forget this amazing adventure in Montmartre, where art and mystery intertwine.Fr: La collaboration avait éclairci leur chemin, et les feuilles continuaient à danser autour d'eux.En: The collaboration had illuminated their path, and the leaves continued to dance around them. Vocabulary Words:autumn: l'automneday: la journéeleaves: les feuillescobblestone: pavéestreasures: les trésorsshelves: les étagèresantique shop: le magasin d'antiquitésshelf: l'étagèredesk: le bureauart student: l'étudiante en artshy smile: le sourire timideinspiration: l'inspirationmystery: le mystèredrawer: le tiroirowner: le propriétairehelp: l'aideletter: la lettresymbols: les symbolesreferences: les référencesinvestigation: l'enquêtealleys: les ruellespassage: le passagehidden: cachéroom: la salleartifacts: les artefactspainting: le tableaulocation: l'emplacementtalents: les talentscollaboration: la collaborationpath: le chemin

In this thought-provoking episode, Tony and Jesse delve into Jesus's twin parables of the hidden treasure and the pearl of great price from Matthew 13:44-46. They explore the profound economic metaphor Jesus uses to illustrate the incomparable value of the Kingdom of Heaven. Through careful examination of both parables, they discuss what it means to "count the cost" of following Christ while simultaneously recognizing that no earthly sacrifice can compare to the infinite worth of gaining Christ. The conversation moves between practical application—considering how believers assess value in their spiritual lives—and deeper theological reflections on Christ's perfect sacrifice that makes our entrance into the Kingdom possible in the first place. Key Takeaways The Kingdom of Heaven has such surpassing value that sacrificing everything to obtain it is considered a joyful exchange, not a loss. Both parables show different paths to discovering the Kingdom (unexpected finding vs. intentional seeking), but identical responses: selling everything to obtain the treasure. The parables are not primarily commanding material poverty, but rather illustrating the "sold-outness" required in pursuing the Kingdom of God. Counting the cost of discipleship is not only permissible but necessary to fully appreciate the value of what we gain in Christ. The ultimate treasure we receive in salvation is not merely benefits like eternal life, but God Himself—union with Christ and fellowship with the Trinity. Christ Himself is the one who ultimately fulfills these parables perfectly, giving everything to purchase us as His treasure. The irresistible draw of the Kingdom illustrates how God's grace works in the heart of believers, compelling joyful surrender. Exploring the Incomparable Value of the Kingdom The economic metaphor Jesus employs in these parables is striking—both the hidden treasure and the pearl are deemed so valuable that the discoverers "sell all they have" to obtain them. As Tony and Jesse point out, this transaction reveals something profound about how we should view the Kingdom of Heaven. It's not simply that the Kingdom is valuable; it's that its value so far exceeds anything else we possess that the comparison becomes almost absurd. As Tony notes, "For sure the worth of the kingdom of heaven surpasses anything we could imagine... there's no measure that is satisfying, there's no measure that can actually show us how worthwhile it is." This perspective transforms how we understand sacrifice in the Christian life. When opportunities or comforts are foregone because of our faith, we're not simply losing something—we're experiencing the reality that we've chosen something infinitely more valuable. The parables teach us to view these moments not with regret but with a clearer vision of the treasure we've received in Christ. The Ultimate Prize: God Himself Perhaps the most powerful insight from the discussion is the realization that the ultimate treasure of salvation is not the benefits we receive, but God Himself. As Tony eloquently states: "All of those things are attending gifts. But what we get in salvation ultimately is we get God... we get union with God, we get fellowship with Jesus Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit. We get swept up into the life of the Trinity... We gain the relationship that the son has with the father by nature. We gain that by grace and nothing can compare to that." This perspective reshapes how we understand the value proposition of the gospel. It's not merely that we receive eternal life, freedom from suffering, or other benefits—though these are real. The pearl of great price is relationship with God Himself. This helps explain why both men in the parables respond with such dramatic, all-encompassing sacrifice. When we truly grasp what's being offered, nothing seems too great a price to pay. Memorable Quotes "What we get in salvation ultimately is we get God. We get union with God, we get fellowship with Jesus Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit. We get swept up into the life of the Trinity... We gain the relationship that the son has with the father by nature. We gain that by grace and nothing can compare to that." — Tony Arsenal "I often say in my own line of work, that cost only matters in the absence of value... it's like at the end of days when we think about the worthiness of our God, that there's no one like him, that he's unequal, that he has no rival, that the gospel is the sweetest message that we're rescued literally from the pit. We'll just say no matter what the cost of us personally, great or small, totally worth it." — Jesse Schwamb Full Transcript [00:00:08] Tony Arsenal: All of those things are attending gifts. But what we get in salvation ultimately is we get God we get union with God, we get fellowship with Jesus Christ in the, the power of the Holy Spirit. We, we get swept up into the life of the, the God of the universe. Like the life of the Trinity indwells us. And we, we become a part of that. We get swept up into that. We gain the relationship that the son has with the father by nature. We gain that by grace and nothing can compare to that. [00:00:47] Jesse Schwamb: Welcome to episode 469 of The Reformed Brotherhood. I'm Jesse. [00:00:54] Tony Arsenal: And I'm Tony. And this is the podcast with ears to hear. Hey brother. [00:00:59] Jesse Schwamb: Hey brother. Discussing the Value of the Kingdom of Heaven [00:01:00] Jesse Schwamb: Speaking of ears to hear, we're back at it again with a whole new, or let's say different parable from our Lord and Savior Jesus. And we've been talking about how really these parables give us this view of the face of heaven through these earthly glasses. And I am pretty interested in our conversation about what's coming up because sometimes we don't like to put too fine a points to our, our point of question to our faith. And in this case, we're gonna get to ask the question, what is it all worth, this kingdom of heaven, this rule and reign of Christ? What is it all about? Who are the beneficiaries of it? And what is it all actually worth? There's a little bit of economics in this, so we're gonna get there. And while we talk and do a little affirming or denying, you should just go ahead write to just skip, go. Do not collect $200 or maybe. Pass, go and collect $200. I dunno. But just go to Matthew chapter 13 and hang out there for just a second. Affirmations and Denials [00:01:58] Jesse Schwamb: But first, I'm always curious to know whenever we talk, are you gonna affirm with something or are you gonna die against something? We've been on a string of lots of affirmations, but I'd like to think that's just because we're fun, loving, optimistic people. But there was a day where we had to do both. And now that I only have to choose one, I do find myself gravitating almost naturally toward the affirming width. But I leave it to you, Tony, are you affirming with or denying against? [00:02:22] Tony Arsenal: I, unfortunately am denying tonight. Technical Issues with Apple Podcasts [00:02:25] Tony Arsenal: So you and I already talked about it a little bit, but uh, I'm denying Apple Podcast Connect. Oh yes. So, uh, I. Obviously, like if you're affected by this, you're not hearing the episode 'cause it's not updating for you. But, uh, if you happen to be using Apple to listen to the podcast and for some reason you're listening somewhere else, maybe you realize that the podcast has not been updating for several weeks. And so you went to a different podcast catcher. Um, apple just decided for some reason that none of our feeds were gonna update. No good reason. So I've got a ticket out to Apple and hopefully we'll get it fixed. Uh, if you do know someone who listens to the show and they use Apple, please tell them to subscribe to something else or to, uh, go to the website. You can get all of the, all of the episodes on our website. You could go to Spotify, you could do something like, uh, overcast or PocketCasts. Um, it really is just Apple. It's, it's the actual account that we use to, uh, to access. Apple's Directory is not pulling new episodes and it's not pulling new episodes on another show that I run as well. So, uh, it's not just this show, it's not our RSS feed. These things happen. It'll, you know, you'll get four or five episodes all at one time. When it, when it corrects itself, usually they're pretty quick. I put in a ticket like late on Friday afternoon, so I didn't expect them to get to it on, uh, Saturday or Sunday. So hopefully by the time you're hearing this, uh, it's resolved. I would hope so, because that means it would be about a week from today. Um, so hopefully they'll have a resolve. But yeah, it's just th thorns and thistles. This is our own, our own, uh, manifestation of the curse here in this little labor that we do. It's, it's thorns and thistles right now, but no big deal. Just, uh, catch up when you can. And, uh, yeah, so denying Apple Podcasts now, really, it's, it's a great service and this is a, a little glitch. It's, it's just a little frustrating. [00:04:20] Jesse Schwamb: The sweat of our brow. Yes. Here it is. We're just toiling over getting Apple to please release our episodes. Well, it'll be your happy day if you use Apple Podcasts and then get a bunch of them all at once. That's fantastic. It's like the gift that is over in abundance. Supporting The Reformed Brotherhood [00:04:36] Jesse Schwamb: Yeah, it is a good reminder that you just said, Tony, that everybody should go, just take some time. Head on over to our form brotherhood.com. You can find all the other 400 some odd episodes living over there. And while you're over there and you're perusing or searching by topic to see what we've talked about before, you're probably gonna think to yourself, this is so incredible. How is this compendium, this omnibus of all these episodes just hanging out here free of cost? And I'm so glad you're thinking about that because there are so many lovely brothers and sisters who have decided just to give a little bit to make sure that all that stuff gets hosted for free for you Yeah. And for us, so that anybody can go and explore it and find content that we hope will be edifying. So if that's something you're interested in, maybe you've been listening for a while and thought, you know what? I would like to give a little bit one time or reoccurring, we would love to, for you to join us in that mission. You can go to patreon.com/reform brotherhood, and there's all the information for you to give if that's something that you feel you would like to do, and we would be grateful for you to do it. [00:05:32] Tony Arsenal: Yeah. Yeah. We, we have a group of people who support the show. They make it possible for your, uh, your ear holes to be filled with our voices. And, uh, but again, you know, the costs are going up all around and, and we would, uh, certainly love to have people partner with us. Um, we've committed to making show that the, making sure that the show is free and available. Um, it's never our intention to put anything behind a paywall or to, to barrier and in that way, but we can only do that if there's people who are supporting the show and making, making sure that we've got the funding that we need to, to keep going. So, thank you to everybody who gives, thank you to anyone who's considering it, uh, and thanking anybody who decides to, uh, jump on board with that. [00:06:11] Jesse Schwamb: Right on. We're appreciative who we really are. [00:06:13] Tony Arsenal: Yeah. So Jesse, what are you affirming or denying today? Exploring Open Webcam DB [00:06:16] Jesse Schwamb: Uh, this is what I've kind of done before, but I think I've found a new place for it. I just am continually impressed and fall in love with how great and big and lovely God's world is. So I love these types of sites that give you insight into this great big world, even if it's in unexpected places or maybe in strange places. So I'm affirming with a website called Open webcam db.com. Open webcam db.com. And it's exactly like what it sounds like. It's a database that has something like 2000 live cameras streaming daily from over 50 countries, all searchable by a category. So you can find natural landscapes, airports, construction sites, and one of my recent favorites, honestly, and this is. It's so strange, but kind of awesome is this warehouse, it's called Chinese Robotic Warehouse Buzz, and it's just robots moving pallets around or like stacks of all of these items. It's mesmerizing. But I would encourage you go to open webcam db.com, search for like your stage or your country. You'll find so many amazing things. So I've sat and just watched, you know, between tasks or when you know you just need a break or you're just curious about the world. Like I look, I watched the Krakow Maine Market Square quite a bit because it's. Beautiful and brilliant, and to think about the people moving to and fro and what they're doing, what their lives are like. There's some great scenes from San Francisco Bay. There is a bird feeder in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania that I often watch. So of course, like go out as we've said, and live and breathe and be in your own communities. And as well, if you're looking at scratch that itch of just seeing all these different places, all the different things that are happening in God's created world, I can firmly and unreservedly recommend open webcam db.com for that. [00:07:58] Tony Arsenal: Nice, nice, uh, little known fact at one point, Dartmouth Hitchcock, which is the hospital that I worked for, had to block a penguin cam, uh, because it was causing such a productivity drain combined with an actual measurable decrease in internet bandwidth at the hospital. 'cause so many people were watching this little penguin cam at some zoo in Boston. I think it probably was. Yeah, I, I love this kind of stuff. I think this kind of stuff is great. Uh, I use, uh, Dartmouth College has a, like a live one that I use all the time, especially when we're trying to figure out what the weather's gonna do. You can see it on the camera. Uh, we, we often will, you know, see, especially as we get closer to the season when we're talking about traveling to the beach and whatnot, uh, often look at the ocean grove. Oh, that's right. Uh, pier cam. So yeah, check it out. Uh, sounds like a fun time. Do not share it with too many of your friends at work. Or it may crash the network and Yeah. But [00:08:53] Jesse Schwamb: yeah, for [00:08:54] Tony Arsenal: sure. That was a funny email that they had to send out. I remember that [00:08:57] Jesse Schwamb: for sure. Use, use the penguin cam responsibly. I just did a quick search. There are four different penguin cams. Uh, three of them are in the United States, one is in New Zealand, and you better believe I'm gonna be checking those bad boys out. Yes. I didn't even think about. The penguin feature here and penguins are an amazing animal. Like we could stop right now and just shift our topic to penguins if you want to. [00:09:16] Tony Arsenal: Yeah. ' [00:09:16] Jesse Schwamb: cause there's so much there. And the spiritual truths are so broad and deep, but I just think penguins are kind of undervalued. Birds. Everybody should go check them out. [00:09:26] Tony Arsenal: Yeah. Yeah. They're, they're pretty cool. [00:09:28] Jesse Schwamb: Yeah. Um, I'm like, I will watch any Penguin documentary and just be astounded by Penguin. Like, whether they're Emperor Penguins or South African Penguin, wherever. I just think they're phenomenal and hilarious and seem to be living the dream. And he doesn't want a little bit of that. [00:09:46] Tony Arsenal: You just gotta get Morgan Freeman to do the voiceover in any documentary or, or nature documentary is better with Morgan Freeman doing the voiceover. [00:09:55] Jesse Schwamb: Well, I all, this might be a deep cut real quick, but I just learned this, and I'm guessing some of our listening brothers and sisters probably already know this. Maybe you do too, Tony. So, Benedict Cumberbatch, do you know where I'm going with this? Yep, [00:10:06] Tony Arsenal: yep. Pen wing. [00:10:07] Jesse Schwamb: Yeah. I didn't. I cannot say that word or stumbles over its pronunciation. He did some kind of big documentary in which Penguins played at least some part. Yeah. And they were in an interview. They were giving him such a hard time because they played his reading of it like within the same kind of five minutes. And his, the word just kept degenerating in his mouth every time he said it. So it became like almost undistinguishable from the actual word. And it's like initial pronunciation. It was so hilarious. Apparently it's a big joke on the internet and I just didn't know it. [00:10:38] Tony Arsenal: Especially for someone like Bent Cumberbatch who just is, uh, like he's a world-class voice actor. [00:10:44] Jesse Schwamb: Right. [00:10:45] Tony Arsenal: And like a super smart ude guy and he just can't say the word penguin and penguin. Yeah. [00:10:51] Jesse Schwamb: Yeah. He said, you got everybody go look it up. 'cause it is super hilarious. And now it's kind of gotten stuck in my head. But um, again, this suddenly became like the All Penguin episode all of a sudden. [00:11:01] Tony Arsenal: I mean like, he can pronounce his own last name just fine, but the word penguin escapes him. I like to call 'em blueberry crumble bottom or whatever. Crumble bunch. [00:11:11] Jesse Schwamb: Uh, see that's the good stuff right there. That's what everybody we know. This is what you all tune in for. This is what you're missing when Apple Podcast doesn't send everything out on time. Yeah. You're welcome. [00:11:22] Tony Arsenal: Yeah. The Parable of the Hidden Treasure and the Pearl [00:11:23] Tony Arsenal: Well, Jesse, why don't we, why don't we get into it? Because you know it, it's interesting. Let's [00:11:27] Jesse Schwamb: get into it. [00:11:28] Tony Arsenal: Well, it's interesting because when you, you know, you kind of, we, we sort of do the little lead to the episode and I, I suddenly realized that I think I've been interpreting this parable very differently than maybe you have or other people. Great. Do, uh, because I, I think I, I think I might have a different take on it. Let, let's do it. Yeah. So let's get into it. Uh, do you have the, the text in friend you wanna read? Uh, why don't we just do 44 all the way through 46? We'll do both parables in one reading. We'll come back and talk about it. [00:11:54] Jesse Schwamb: Yeah. Sorry, everybody. So here's a two for one for you. Beginning in where we're in verse 44 of Matthew chapter 13. This is Jesus speaking. The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy, he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field again. The kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls, who on finding one pearl of great value, went and sold all that he had and bought it. Interpreting the Parables [00:12:22] Tony Arsenal: I think maybe this is the, like the beauty of parables, uh, when Christ doesn't give us a interpretation. I, I think we're, we're, we're not free to like make up whatever we want, but these kinds of teaching tools are useful because the fact that there can be multiple interpretations actually is, is probably intentional. [00:12:43] Jesse Schwamb: Right. [00:12:43] Tony Arsenal: So it's funny because I think when you intro the episode here, it sounds like you're going to the kingdom of Heaven being a treasure hidden in a field, being something that we should sell everything we have and go after. And when I read this, I read it as the kingdom of Heaven is like a treasure hidden a field. And the man who is Jesus goes and sells all that. He has. He gives all that he has and buys the field. So, and I, I think this is one of those ones where like. Probably both of those things are in play. Sure. But it's interesting 'cause I've never, I've never really read this and thought about myself as the person who buys the field. [00:13:19] Jesse Schwamb: Yeah. Interesting. [00:13:20] Tony Arsenal: I've probably heard sermons or read devotionals where people have said that and it just never clicked. And it didn't register until just now. And you were, when you were, uh, introing the parable that maybe you are the, maybe your way of introing your, your interpretation. Maybe that's the dominant one. So I, I looked at a couple quick, um, commentaries while you were speaking and I didn't get a chance to do my commentary reading before the episode. It seems like I'm the weird one. So, but it's interesting, um, 'cause again, I think that's the, kind of the beauty of parables is that sometimes the, the, um. Ambiguity of what the possible meaning could be, probably plays into the, the, um, teaching technique itself. [00:13:58] Jesse Schwamb: Yeah, I, I think that's fair. I totally can take and understand what your perspective is on this. What I find interesting is that these, we've got these two abutting each other, like the cheek to cheek parallel approach here, and in doing so, there seems to be like kind of an interesting comparison between the two. Actors in this. And I think we should get into that. Like why in one case Jesus is talking about a person who finds this in a field, which by the way, I think the, the thing that jumps out to me first about that person is this person doesn't actually own the field at first. Right. That the treasure is in. So that is interesting. I'm totally with you. But then the second one, so in the first one there's kinda almost like this sense, and I don't wanna like push this too far, but that this person who finds this treasure does so very unexpectedly, perhaps like he's even the hired hand and of course not the one who owns the field. [00:14:48] Tony Arsenal: Yeah. [00:14:49] Jesse Schwamb: And in the second case, we have somebody who almost is volitionally looking for this thing of great value, but finds the one thing above all the other things that they're used to looking for that clearly has the greatest and most. You know, essential worth and therefore the end is always the same in both of 'em. They give everything they have. They're willing for forsake all other things with great joy, recognizing the great value that's in front of them. I think there is a place to understand that as Christ acting in those ways. I think there's also interesting, again, this comparison between these two people. So I'm seeing this as we've got these varied beneficiaries of the kingdom. They both come to this place of the incomparable value of the kingdom, but then there's also like this expulsive power of the kingdom. All, all of that's, I think in there, and again, these are really, really, really brilliant, I think, because the more that you spend time meditating on these, the layers just kind of come and they fall away and you start to really consider, well, why again is Jesus using these two different characters? Why is he using this kinda different sense of things of, of worth what the people are actually after? I think all of it's in play. You're totally right. [00:15:54] Tony Arsenal: Yeah. Yeah. The Cost and Value of the Kingdom of Heaven [00:15:55] Tony Arsenal: So I think, you know, when we think about the kingdom of heaven, when we think about these perils, we made this point last week, we shouldn't, um, we shouldn't restrict, we have to be careful not to restrict the comparison to just like the first noun that comes up, [00:16:08] Jesse Schwamb: right? [00:16:08] Tony Arsenal: So it's not just that the kingdom of heaven is like a treasure, it, it is like a treasure, but it's like a treasure that's hidden in a field. Yes. And it's not just like a treasure that's hidden in a field, it's a treasure that's hidden in a field which a man found and covered up. Right? So, so like we have to look at that whole sequence. And I think, I think, um, you know, obviously like the, the interpretation that we are the, we're the man who finds the kingdom of heaven and we, you know, we go and buy the field. Um, that, that obviously makes perfect sense now that I'm looking at a few different commentaries. It seems to be the predominant way that this gets interpreted. And we, we look at it and we say, what, well, what does this mean for like our Christian life? Like. What does it mean? Do we have to, do we have to give everything away? Do we have to sell everything we have? Is that the point of the parable? I think some people make that the point of the parable. Um, I'm not convinced that that actually is the point of the parable. Um, because it, you know, it, it, it just, there's lots in the scripture that, that, uh, doesn't seem to require that Christians automatically like, give away everything they have. Um, maybe that's your calling. Maybe it is something that God's calling you to do to sort of, um, divest yourself of your, your belongings, either to sort of fight materialism or greed or, or just because like you're gonna need to have that fluidity and liquidity to your assets 'cause you're gonna need to move around or whatever it is. But I don't think we look at this parable and have like a, like a, a command for a life of poverty or something like that. Right. Um, really this is more about the. Utter sold outness of the Christian to pursue and seek the kingdom of God. [00:17:48] Jesse Schwamb: Right? Right. [00:17:49] Tony Arsenal: And and I think that that's the same in both, even though the way that the person in the parables comes a, comes across the kingdom or they come across this, this thing of great value or thing of great price, that they find their response in both parables is the same. And to me, that that actually tells me that that's more the point of these parables. Um, or, or maybe we shouldn't even think of these as two parables, right? Some of the introductory language that we see in when we transition from one parable to another, we don't really see that here. Uh, and if, if we're gonna follow that, actually we would be going to the next parable would also kind of fall into this. But he says the kingdom of heaven is like a treasure. And then in 45 he says, again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls. We're gonna run into something like this later on when we get to like the parable of the lost sheep and the parable of lost coins. Where there are these distinct parables, but they're kind of stacked on top of each other in order to make a specific point. All of the parables that are sort of in these parable stacks are making the same point. And so I think it's not so much about like, how do we find the Kingdom of Heaven or how do we come upon the kingdom of heaven? It's more about what do we do once we've come upon it? Once we've thrown it's, that's the point of the parable that we need to unpack. [00:19:03] Jesse Schwamb: That's right. And I would add to that, like who is it that is the beneficiary of this kingdom? We have two different, very different individuals, which I, again, I think, we'll, we'll talk a little bit about, but I'm totally with you. I, I think it's, it's easier, it's almost too narrow and too easy to say. Well, this is really just about like physical ma or about wealth. Like in some way the, what we're being taught here is that you have to get rid of everything of value in exchange for this. In some ways, that almost feels too transactional, doesn't it? As if like what, what we need to do is really buy the kingdom. We express our seriousness about this kingdom or the rule and reign of God by somehow just giving up everything that we own as if to prove that we're really worthy of receiving that kingdom that we prayed enough. Right. That we've done enough, even though that we're contrite enough. Yeah. And all that stands like in direct opposition to the mercy and grace, which God gives to us through his son by the power of the Holy Spirit to bring us into this kingdom. So we know it can't really be about that. And so that leads me back again to just like the lovely details here. And like you've already said in the first case, here's what really strikes me is. For probably most of us in the West, this idea of treasure is novel and maybe romantic. There's a adventure and an energy to it. Because we've all heard stories about this, whether it's like, I don't know, pirates of the Caribbean or the county Mount Cristo. Like there's something about treasure finding some kind of, or national treasure. Sorry, that just came to my mind. Like I couldn't go any further without mentioning Nick Cage. So you know, like there's something there that pulls us in that finding this thing almost unexpectedly in a hidden place of immense worth and value is, has a real draw to it. But I imagine that in Palestine being like a war torn region in Jesus' day, in the way people might store goods of great value in the fields they own. And then of course the owner may never be able to achieve for lots of reasons, including death. And then somebody might stumble upon it. And as I understand the, the laws there, of course, if you were to stumble upon something. I was in somebody else's property and and on earth that thing take it out of the ground. In this case, you would be by law required to bring that back to the person who owned the field. So there's something interesting here that this first person, probably the more meager and humble of the two with they at least respected, like their socioeconomic status is let's, we could presume maybe going about their normal work. They find this unexpectedly in the field and it's immediately recognized to be something of great value that it is to stop and to, again, there's like a measuring that happens behind the scenes. This person at least is measuring of all the things that I own, all things I could possibly own. The better thing for me to do is to consolidate all the rest of my wealth. And this case, again, it's not the message of the story to do this, it's the exemplification of what's happening here. This person is so sold out to ensure that they acquire this great treasure that they stumbled upon, that they will take literally everything else of value that they own to exchange it for this very thing. So I'm totally with you because I think the predominant message here is not like take all your wealth and make sure that you give it to the church or that it goes to ministry or to missions. That may all be well and good and it may all be the kind of calling that you receive. However, I think the principle message here is the kingdom of God is so valuable that losing everything on earth, but getting the kingdom is a happy trade off. Like that's actually a really, really good deal. And so having the omnipotent saving reign of Christ in our lives is so valuable that if, if we lose everything in order to have it, it would be a joyful sacrifice. [00:22:20] Tony Arsenal: Yeah. Yeah. And you know, I think, um, I think there is a level of. Encouragement in Sacrifice and Joy in the Kingdom [00:22:27] Tony Arsenal: Sacrifice that happens for every Christian and. I mean, I, I know there's a lot of people who they, uh, come to faith as young children and we've kind of talked about that as like, that's that testimony that, you know, I think everybody really wants is like they wish they never had a time that they didn't know Jesus and Right. I don't know any parent that I've ever spoken to, and I'm certainly not any different here that doesn't want that testimony for Jesus, but, or for, for their kids in their relationship with Jesus. But. I think most people who come to faith at some point in their life when they're able to remember it, like they, they have a conscious memory of their conversion experience. There is this sort of sense of sacrifice and e even a sort of a sense of loss. Um, I think there, there are times where, and, and you know, I think maybe, um, even people who've always been in the faith, um, they probably can resonate with this. I think there are times when we might look at how our lives could have been different or could be different if we weren't in the faith. Um, and, and sometimes there's a sort of wistfulness to that. Like being a Christian can sometimes be difficult right On, um, you know, maybe you miss a promotion opportunity because you're not willing to work on the Lord's day or because you're not willing to do something unethical. Like you, you miss out on some sort of advancement and you think, well, if I could just, you know, if I could have just gotten past that, like my life would be much different. And what this parable teaches us is. That's an understandable, like that's an understandable emotion or response. Um, and there is this weighing of the cost. And in the parable here, he, like you said, there's this calculation that goes on in the background. He finds this treasure, he makes the calculation that to have this treasure is worth. Everything it's worth everything he has. He sells everything he has, and he buys the field in order to get the treasure right. And, and there's some interesting textual dynamics going on through this chapter. We've talked about how the parables kind of like the imagery across the parables in chapter 13 here of Matthew, they kind of flip certain figures around and almost, it's almost intentional because he is getting the treasure and the treasure. The kingdom of heaven here is like the treasure, but he's also getting the field right. And the kingdom of heaven is, is the field in other parables. Um, but this, this calculation that happens, um. I don't know, maybe my heart is just sensitive to this right now. I, I, I, I feel like a lot of times we look at that sort of wis wistful second glance at what could have been if we were not Christians, and we automatically feel like that's gotta be a sinful impulse. Like, how could I ever even consider what life might have been? Like this parable implies that that's the thing we actually have to do. You have to know and consider what it is you've sacrificed or will be sacrificing in order to make this transaction happen. You can't just blanketly say like, oh, of course. You know, you've gotta, you've gotta count the cost, as it were, and then you have to actually make the purchase. So I think we should look at this as a source of encouragement. Um, like I said, I'm not sure why. I feel like maybe there's, maybe there's just a, a. I dunno, I'm feeling a little weird and charismatic right now. I feel like this is something that I definitely need to be saying, like, I feel like someone needs to hear this. Maybe it's just me that needs to hear this. And that's, I'm tricking myself by thinking of someone else. But we are able, as Christians, I think God permits us and in some sense, maybe even expects and commands us to recognize what we have given to be Christians in order that we might realize how much we have gained with that transaction. It's not just this like remorse or regret, um, for the sake of remorse or regret. It's to be able to see how good and how beautiful and how worth it is the kingdom of God, uh, to, to, to claim that. [00:26:23] Jesse Schwamb: I like that there is a great discipline and a great joy in remembering worth and worthiness. So there's gonna be times, like you said, when it's hard and if you look back, look back at the ministry of Jesus, I've often thought that he's like a poor evangelizer from like modern standards. Yeah. Because often people come to him and say things like. I, I wanna be part of the kingdom of God. Well, what do I need to do to enter the kingdom of God? And here you have like a seemingly a willing convert. And he always says things like this, like, you gotta go count the cost. Yeah. Like is, is this worth it to you? Like you have to deny yourself, you have to hate your own father and your mother, and your wife and children, and brothers and sisters, even your own life. Otherwise you cannot be my disciple. And in this kind of language, it's clear that Jesus is saying you fail often. And maybe this goes back like you're saying, Tony, it's like the parable of the soil that you fail to really take into account what it means to follow with full fidelity, to commit yourself in a fully unencumbered way. Are you willing to do that? Are you willing to consider that? And as human beings, we're just not good often at counting costs. We're not good at thinking about opportunity costs. And it's interesting here that we're called out to say, even if you've already purchased the field as so to speak, that as if you've been saved by Christ, to continue to remember how good it is to be in the kingdom of God. And that the joy. Of knowing as like the Heidelberg Catechism says in the first question that all things are subservient to our salvation. Yeah. That incredible worth of, that should be a source of encouragement in times of great trial and tribulation, no matter how big or small, so that this joy that this person has when they go and sells everything he has and he buys this field, you know those details, like you're saying, do press us. It really comes to us with this idea that we should be able to see plainly why having Christ is more valuable than all other things. If the omnipotence all wise, God is ruling, ruling over all things for our joy, then everything must be working for our good, no matter how painful and in the end, God is gonna triumph over all evil and all pain. So this kingdom is a real treasure. Like it is a, it is a real. A real quantity in our life and our wellbeing and in our spiritual consistency, that'll ought demand some reflection of how valuable it truly is. And then knowing that in our minds, that like influencing our behavior, our other thought patterns, and then our actual feelings about stuff. So that when, like you said, we're passed over, we're looked over, we're ridiculed for something, we go back and we count it all joy to be worthy of being part of God's kingdom, knowing that it was because of the entrance and acceptability and the identity in that kingdom that we experience. Those things, those hardships begin with. [00:29:05] Tony Arsenal: Yeah. Yeah. And, and I, um, I don't want us to miss out on the fact that even as the parable may be encouraging or forcing us to think about. The cost. It, it really is trying to emphasize the great value of the kingdom. Right? Right. We, like I said, we, we don't just count the cost. In order to count the cost for its own sake. We count the cost in order to understand the great blessing that is ours in Christ. Right. All I, I count all that I have as a loss compared to the greatness of Christ Jesus. And, um, I think we just don't often do that. I, I, I think as Christians, that's probably a thought that is in our head more as young Christians, especially if we come to the faith in, in a time in our life where we're aware of things like that. We think about things like that. Reflecting on the Cost of Faith [00:29:59] Tony Arsenal: You know, I was 15 when I first came to faith and, um, I, I don't think I was in a frame of mind as a 15-year-old boy to think about, like. The cost of what I was doing, right? It's not like I was a particularly popular kid. I didn't have a, you know, I didn't, I wasn't unpopular, but it wasn't like I lost a ton of friends when I became a Christian. I didn't really lose anything that was measurable. Um, but I do think that, as, you know, someone now in my forties, looking back at, you know, 15, 20, 25 years of, of Christian life, it's easy to see that things could have been different on a sort of temporal scale. Like my, my life could probably be more comfortable in terms of wealth or opportunities or other things that might, uh, aren't, aren't even bad things necessarily. There is a sense of sacrifice. But again, God has brought us into this kingdom and he's given us parables like this and given us the ability to recognize. That we do have a cost, that there is a cost to be counted in order that we might now look at it and praise him for how great and glorious and valuable the gift that he's given us is. Understanding the Parable of the Pearl [00:31:08] Tony Arsenal: And so I think, you know, I think that's the same basic meaning of this second, second half of the same parable. I guess the, the pearl of great price or the pearl of great value. But it's not exactly the same, right? It's not like Christ is just repeating the same ver, you know, parable with, with different words for variation. Um, every word is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching correction, reproof, and training and righteousness. And I had a, I had a prophet in, uh, in Bible college who would say like, difference means difference. And he was often talking about like minute things, like the difference, um, or why, why is this word used instead of that word? This word would've worked. And, and the author chose that one. There's a reason for that. Difference means difference, but. Christ here chooses to, to tell the parable a second time, um, in a slightly different way. Uh, and Matthew chooses to record these in the same sense next to each other in slightly different ways. So what, what do we, what do we wanna pull out of this second parable that's different and what do we think it's telling us that's a little bit different than the first version Y? [00:32:14] Jesse Schwamb: Yeah, that's a great question. Diverse Approaches to the Kingdom of Heaven [00:32:16] Jesse Schwamb: Uh, I love this idea because not until really, I was thinking about it this week when I read through them, was I really, again, drawn to the differences between these two main characters. Interestingly, I think in both, and we can make the case that the, the treasure, the kingdom of heaven here represented in both this pearl or in this literal treasure is in a way hidden. Certainly the first man is not necessarily looking for, it's still revealed to him, but the second in a way. And on the other hand, he knew this guy knows treasure. He's been seeking it with diligence in vigor, or at least like this is what he does for a living in his vocational career. He's out there trading pearls, presumably, and he knows something about them and how to evaluate them effectively. And so it's his business and he's dedicated himself to finding them. And apparently he's seen plenty of them over the years. But then all of a sudden, and this is wild, the beautiful, all of a sudden, clearly the search comes to like an abrupt end because he finds this one of immeasurable value, so much beauty exceeding and value exceeding all the other ones. And he doesn't need to search anymore. He just finds the one pearl that he can retire on a pearl with more than everything else. Or anything else that he's ever possessed and he gets it again. He does. And this brings him into symbol two with the first man. He does the same thing, then liquidate everything else and go after this one. Great pearl. So to me, and I'm curious your perspective on this, I'm not necessarily promulgating that. Well, the first one is not a seeker and the second one is like a seeker of of God things. Right? There is though, like you said, a difference in their approach and what they're after. And so I think what we can take from this, at the very least, is that there is diversity in these beneficiaries of the kingdom of God that's covering everybody. And just by these two kind of bookended or polar examples, that's what Jesus draws us to. But I would turn the question back to you. What do you think about this second guy? What do you think about the fact that his business is searching after these things? What? What do we take away from that? [00:34:07] Tony Arsenal: Yeah. The Ultimate Value of the Kingdom [00:34:07] Tony Arsenal: And you know, the thing that drop that jumps out to me immediately in the first parable, the kingdom of heaven is, is like the treasure hidden in the field, [00:34:16] Jesse Schwamb: right? [00:34:16] Tony Arsenal: In the second one, the kingdom of heaven is the merchant who's searching, [00:34:20] Jesse Schwamb: right? [00:34:20] Tony Arsenal: Right. The kingdom of heaven is like the merchant in search of fine pearls who finds one. That's right. And so I think that they kind of are like, almost like mirror images of each other, right? One of them is about the treasure and what it takes to come upon it and then obtain it. The second is about the person who is coming upon the treasure and, and finding it. And then what it takes again to obtain that treasure. And I think, I think you're right, there is an element here that. Um, in this second parable, the person who is seeking for this treasure is one he's seeking for the treasure, right? Right. You get the image in this, in this first parable that the dude just kind of stumbles upon it. Um, I've heard this Todd as like, it's actually more like a guy who's just walking through a field rather than like a person working the field. And I'm not sure that matters that much, but there is this sense in the first parable that the guy kind of stumbles upon it. He wasn't looking, it wasn't what he was trying to do, but you're right in the second one, the kingdom of heaven, and this is where I, this is where I think I need to think more about it, is what does it mean for the kingdom of heaven to be like a merchant searching for fine pearls right [00:35:23] Jesse Schwamb: on. [00:35:23] Tony Arsenal: Rather than the pearls being the kingdom of heaven, which is what we see in the first bearable. Um, and I don't know the answer to that question. I think I need to, need to think about it and study it a little bit more. But I do like this distinction that in, in the first case, it's sort of a happy accident. And in the second case, this is, this is the life, this man's life work. He finds he's, he's in search of fine pearls. I'm not sure I know exactly what he's trying to do with the fine pearls. It seems like it implies that he's a pearl merchant or a pearl trader, but then he finds this pearl. He doesn't seek to sell it. He buys it. Right. [00:36:00] Jesse Schwamb: Right. [00:36:00] Tony Arsenal: And, and the, the, the fact that the parable stops with him buying it sort of implies that like. He actually is not going to sell it. He's just gonna keep this pearl. Now before the, the pearls, the, the source of the value of the pearls was kind of in the, the financial gain that selling or trading them could bring. But now he suddenly finds this pearl that is so valuable. It's so great, it's so beautiful. Everything he was working to obtain before all of the money he's gathered by finding and selling pearls in the previous like mode of living. He now gets rid of all of that just to purchase this one pearl and presumably to keep it. And I think that again, is kind of a, kind of a, um, statement on our Christian life is that we, we probably have all sorts of things that we've been doing our whole life and we are seeking to, to move forward in our life. And the kingdom of heaven is kind of the ultimate goal of all of that, for those who are in Christ, for those who are called according to his purpose. The purpose is not just to accumulate wealth. It's not even necessarily, uh, in and of itself to like grow in righteousness. It's to be transformed to the, uh, to the image of God's glory son, for the purpose of making him great, making his name renowned. Right. When we look at that passage in Romans that have kind alluded to, he's, he would transform into the image of Christ so that he might be the first born among many brothers. The Incomparable Worth of Salvation [00:37:24] Tony Arsenal: Ultimately, our, our sanctification and glorification is about making Jesus great and glorified, um, to give him glory, to have our glorification reflect his already intrinsic glory and the gift that he gives us, and I think that's kind of, kind of in play here, is that. Uh, we might have all sorts of goals in our life. We might have goals in our Christian life, um, that are good things that we should strive for, but at the end of the day, all of those things only serve to bring us to the kingdom of heaven, which is this pearl of great price that we, we purchase, we buy it and we just kind of hang onto it. It is its own treasure and it's, it's not about what this, this treasure can bring to us, right? Which is what the fine pearls were before they were about what the merchant can find and sell. It's, it's now about just obtaining the pearl and enjoying that pearl. Um, which I think is a little bit different than, than, um, what I would've thought of with the par before. [00:38:19] Jesse Schwamb: Yeah, I totally agree with you. I think, I think you're actually onto something with the distinction because I think of. So much of my career has been spent in financial services among people who are buyers and sellers of things. They're traders. And the way I read this was very similar to what you were saying to me. What resonated was if this gentleman or this person is. Trading, collecting these pearls. Presumably they have appreciation for the beauty of the pearl itself. So there is like something innate that draws them to this particular thing. And with that experience and with that knowledge and with that, that appreciation of that beauty. I think when they see this other pearl, it moves from, well, why would I ever sell that? I've seen everything. This is the most beautiful pearl I've ever laid my eyes on. And now I want to keep it for me. I want to have it in my possession. I want to cherish it and not just keep it in the inventory and then turn around and sell it for markup, presumably, because there is no nothing that would be of greater value to this person. 'cause they just sold everything else that they had. So they, it's appreciation for the pearl itself. It's going after that finding and seeking that great beauty. And then that led me right into Philippians chapter four, where Paul writes the church in Philippi, beginning of verse eight. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever's honorable, whatever's just whatever's pure, whatever's lovely, whatever's commendable. If there's any excellence, if there. Anything worthy of praise, think about these things. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me. Practice these things and the god of peace will be with you. So this idea, like you and I, Tony, have talked about like the world has great wisdom, it has great knowledge, it has things that can lead us by way of common grace into certain amounts of peace. But the pearl of great price, the seeking after the going after all these great things is to find the gospel, to be given the gospel it revealed to you. And then say everything else I count as a loss. Everything else is worthless compared to this thing. And if you're a person that can appreciate even just by turn of mind or God's influence in your life, you know, knowledge and wisdom, and you're seeking after that, which is the ultimate expression and representation of those things, and then you find you come upon this pearl of great price, the gospel wisdom and the beauty of God represented in his son Jesus Christ. And you say, this is it. I, I know enough to know, again, by the regeneration that comes through the spirit, this is the real deal. Then I think the message still stands. We come through two different directions into the same final culminating point, which is there is a condition for having this kingdom of God, for having the king on your side as your friend, but the condition isn't like wealth or power or negotiating or intelligence or even good trading behavior or going out and finding the right thing. The condition is that we prize the kingdom more than anything else we own. The point of selling everything in these parables is to simply show where our hearts are at. And so I often say in my own line of work, that cost only matters in the absence of value. Actually, it's true for everything that we. We presumably spend our time or our money on cost only matters in the absence of value. And I think like you and I could do a fun little experiment where I don't know, you ever talking to somebody about something and you're paying a cost to have that service delivered to you and you're, and you're just like totally worth it, like I would do totally worth it. Like, yeah, that's kind of the vibe I'm getting here. It's like at the end of days when we think about the worthiness of our God, that there's no one like him, that he's unequal, that he has no rival, that the gospel is the sweetest message that we're rescued literally from the pit. We're just say no matter what the cost of us personally, great or small, totally worth it, that that's what we'll be saying for all of eternity as we worship him. [00:41:45] Tony Arsenal: Yeah, and I think even more than saying, totally worth it. I think when we are given our new eyes to see, and we no longer see through a da a glass dimly, we're gonna recognize saying that it was worth, it is is like it's a pale, like it's a faulty answer to begin with because the, for sure the worth of the kingdom of heaven surpasses anything we could imagine. And in our, you know, locked in little meat brains that we have now, we're kind of com we're just comparing it to. You know, like what, what we could have had or what we, what we've given up. Um, it, it's gonna be an incomparable comparison. Like there's no, there's no measure that is satisfying, there's no measure that can actually show us how, how worthwhile it is. And, you know, we've, we've made a point of it, like the, the blessing of salvation and, and really like what it is that we're getting, uh, in, in the. You know, the Christian understanding of salvation, it's not, it's not an eternal destiny. It's not bigger mansions in heaven. It's not freedom from death. All of those things come with it. All of those things are attending gifts. That's right. But what we get in salvation ultimately is we get God we get union with God, we get fellowship with Jesus Christ in the, the power of the Holy Spirit. We, we get swept up into the life of the, the God of the universe. Like the life of the Trinity indwells us. And we, we become a part of that. Uh, not, not in the, you know, like. Eastern Orthodox deification sense, although I think there's a proper way we can talk about deification. Um, but we get swept up into that. We gain the relationship that the son has with the father by nature. We gain that by grace and nothing can compare to that. There's nothing that we could ever point to. Um, it's funny, my, my wife and I, um, this is a little corny, but, um, we'll often say to, to each other instead of saying, I love you more than anything, we'll say, I love you more than everything. Right. And, and it's, it's a way to say like. You could take all that there is in the world, everything that I have that I could possibly consider and sum up the value. And I love my wife more than that. I love my children more than that. So it's not that I love them more than any one thing, it's that I love them more than everything combined. And this is even greater than that, right? We, we will look back at our lives and if, if it's even in our mind, if we even can, can comprehend anymore. The idea of thinking about what it costs us to obtain this pearl of great value, which is the kingdom of heaven, which is just another way to say, is just fellowship with the God of the universe. Um, we'll look at it and say no matter what it was. No matter what it could have been, I would give everything I, I love God more than everything. Right. Right. There's nothing that could ever possibly be considered that even comes close to what we gain in, in Christ Jesus, in union with, with God. And I think that's the point of this, like I think the guy who, um. Christ's Perfect Sacrifice and Our Response [00:44:58] Tony Arsenal: I think about what it would take for me to even like to sell everything, like the concept of selling everything I own. I'm not even sure how I would do that, to be honest with you. Like, I don't even know the mechanism for that kind of thing. But the idea that there's anything that could be valuable enough that I would just sell every piece of human property that I have, there's probably nothing like that in this world. Like, there probably isn't. And to, to take that comparison and then basically say like, that's just what the kingdom of God is like. 'cause that's the other thing I think we miss about parables is you, you only make a comparison when you can't describe something, um, analytically, right? There's the difference between analogically and analytically Ana lot analytically means we're able to actually quantify and explain it kind of in strict terms, right? I can, I can say that, um, uh, a heavy object ways, X number of grams or it, you know, or, um. Pounds or whatever. I can, I can measure that and make an analytical statement, or I can make an analogy, an analogy that is comparative. Uh, but by definition, or almost by by nature of the thing, when you make that comparison, you're kind of saying like, not only is it like this, but it's actually it, like it's more like this than I can even describe. Right? So when we're talking about the kingdom of Heaven here, and we say it's, it's like, it's like a man who goes, he finds a treasure and then he sells everything. He has to get that treasure. It's infinitely more like that than it actually can be described. Does that make sense? I feel like I'm rambling on that a little bit. Maybe trying to describe something that can't be described is, is hard to do. [00:46:35] Jesse Schwamb: It's, that's, yeah. But yeah, that's, that's very difficult to do. I'm actually totally with you on this. I think I understand clearly what you mean, this idea that no matter how hard we actually try to value it, we'll be incapable of doing so. Yes. And at best, it almost seems like this is a strange command in a way because it's, it's asking us to do in some ways a thing that is impossible for us to do. However, I think what you're saying is it doesn't mean that we shouldn't turn our minds toward that. We're a bit like people who, I don't know if this show is still on PBS, but like, do you know that show, remember that show The Antiques Road Show? Yeah. Where people would like come, they'd ran ransack their homes or their garages with these old antique items and they bring them to this road show where there'd be experts who would value them. And inevitably we'll be like those people who come with what we think is like a. A thousand dollars clock that we got at a garage sale thinking, wouldn't it be great? I know this is valuable. It's probably a thousand dollars. It'll be, look at the return, tenfold return, I'll get on this item, and then instead finding that it's worth $10 million when it's appraised. Yeah, I assume it'll be just like that in the Beautific vision that even maybe for all of eternity will be growing in our appreciation for just how valuable this great salvation is. And yet at the same time, I think what this should encourage us to do is to pray things like God make us real in seeing and savoring Christ in his saving work above all the other things. Yeah. So that, as you said in your example, we would cherish him above everything, above all things that you have that right place in our hearts or that we be inclined to undertake that posture, which says, God, though I cannot understand it in full. Would you help me to see that? Encouragement in Our Spiritual Journey [00:48:08] Jesse Schwamb: And I wanna just say like, as a word of encouragement, maybe I'm speaking more to myself here so everybody else can disregard this if you like, but I think sometimes there can be a little bit of intimidation then when you hear these things and say like, ah, I'm just not, I just dunno if I love God enough, like I wanna love him, or I want to want to love him more. And I think even that posture is appropriate. Yeah. Sometimes there, oftentimes in my personal life, I'll pray something like, God, help me to know how much you love me and would you give me the strength to love you back? So that even that awareness, that energy, that volition, that vitality, that, that heat, all of that, that fire itself is kindled by the Holy Spirit. It's not like we need to like try to again manufacture here. Because the point of these, these stories is not again, that we just find the means to do a transactional exchange here, but that instead we really just sit in the full promises of God. And of course to that, I would say we always need to go back to, to something like Romans eight. I mean, I know that we should, like you said, Tony, the. The standard description we give for the Bible is the one that gives itself, which is that all of it, all of it's is carried along by the Holy Spirit. All of it is God breathe. All of it is useful for something. And yet, of course, I say somewhat tongue in cheek that, you know, if I have 10 minutes to live, I'm probably not gonna the s descriptions of reading a genealogy, I'm going straight from Roman and say, Romans say, I think it's just like the pinnacle of the scriptures. And so just a couple of verses at the end there, because I think this is, this is leading us into what is this great treasure? What is the kingdom of God? Why do we value it so much? What is the saving power? And uh, these verses, I mean, always just entirely get me ready to run through a wall. So this is the end of, of Romans eight beginning verse 35. Who shall separate us from the law of Christ? Shall tribulation or distress or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword as it is written for your sake. We are being killed all the day long. We are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered. No. In all these things, we are more than conquerors through him who loved us for I'm sure that neither death nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from a love of God in Christ Jesus, our Lord. [00:50:22] Tony Arsenal: Yeah. Yeah. That's, that's a good word. And I, I, I like what you're saying too, is, is I think we, we can. There's this paradoxical thing that happens when the scriptures is trying to encourage us to do something, is we often like to get our, in our own way. And, and actually that becomes a source of discouragement for us. The Bible calls us to something and we know we can't live up to it. And that's actually like part and parcel of, of reform theology to recognize that this is law, like the, the, the, the, you know, maybe not in like the strict sense, like when we talk about dividing the scripture into law and gospel, um. It may not be that this particular passage would fall under that rubric of law normally, but this idea that we need to count the cost and that we need to be treasuring Christ more and more, and then when we feel like I'm just not getting it. I'm just not there. Like, I don't, I don't treasure Christ as much as I so should. Um, that Yeah, that's right. Nobody does. Nobody can, like, that's, that's kind of the point of this, and that's why it's law is it's, it shouldn't drive you in Christ. It should not drive you to despair. Right. It should not drive you to discouragement. It should drive you to gratitude that God saved you anyways. That, that this pearl of great value is still yours even though you can't possibly deserve it. Um, you know, we're, we're a little bit different than the, the merchant and the man who finds the treasure in the field in that we can't sell everything we have and obtain it like they have the ability to do that in the, in the parables. Right. Um, we, we don't, and we never will. And so rather than let that drive you to being discouraged that like you're just not getting. I recognize God is of infinite value and we are finite creatures. So we, we could, uh, value God perfectly. Like whatever that means, and I don't even know what that means, but we could value and cherish and love God perfectly as far as our capacities are concerned, and it still would not be enough to sufficiently merit God's favor for us. Like as much as we can, even in, even in eternity. As much as we can value and worship and love and praise Jesus, he is worth infinitely more than we could ever give, even when we do it perfectly. And this is, this is why you know Christ coming to die, to live on our behalf, to die in our place. Why that's necessary is because only this is a, maybe a different take on it. We, I think we talk a lot about how, um. Only God could, could carry, bear the wrath of God and not be destroyed. Right. Right. Only God could, um, could stand up under his own wrath, could stand up under the wrath of God and bear that punishment and not be destroyed. And so therefore, um, Christ had to be not just a man, but had to be God. But on the flip side. And God requires perfect perpetual obedience, which involves loving the Lord your God, perfectly with your whole heart at all times. Right? Only God can do that too. So it's not just that God. It's not just that G

In week two of our Parables series, Pastor Eric Sebastian dives into Jesus' teaching on the hidden treasure and the pearl of great price. These two short parables reveal a powerful truth - that the Kingdom of Heaven is worth more than anything we could ever own or pursue. When we truly see the value of knowing Christ, surrender stops feeling like loss and starts looking like joy. Discover what it means to treasure the Kingdom above all else and find lasting joy in following Jesus.

In this message, Alisha Wiseman explores Jesus' parables of the Hidden Treasure and the Pearl — two short stories about discovering something so valuable it reshapes your whole life. Through themes of discovery, sacrifice, and joy, Alisha reminds us that the Kingdom is a treasure worth giving everything for—and that in Jesus' eyes, we are the treasure He joyfully gave everything to have.

Daniel Clouthier • Selected Scriptures • Sojourners

685 - Recorded live on October 07, 2025 Ambience for the night: Skhemty - Goddess of the Nighttime Sky & Hidden Treasures of Egypt https://skhemty.bandcamp.com **Playlist** 1) Gegenentwurf - Første nattefrost 2) Niveous - Glacial Kingdom: Frozen Utopia 3) Evil Tree - Snorting for Satan 4) Ofermod - Belialistic Gra'al Codex **talk** 5) Withered Land - Dark Pale Winter 6) Desert Eagle - III 7) Fin - Insignia 8) Valac - Envisioning Desolate Idols **talk** 9) Svartrit - Pandemia Live every Tuesday at 9pm ET on NSTMRadio.com

Museums usually keep art behind glass or tucked in storage, but one Lawrence museum lets people get closer. We'll take a trip to “Open Fridays” at the Spencer Museum.

In this free-for-all-Friday Trent reveals why you're old box TV in the garage is worth more than it looks.