Podcasts about holy god

The Danger and Necessity of a Holy God

Up To Jerusalem - Teaching 10 Scripture Luke 22, Exodus 6:6-7, John 13 & 14, Psalm 113, 114, 115, 116, 117, 118 Jesus' Last Supper -  Pastor opens with an interesting piece of history. Based on writings from Rabbis during the time of Jesus - the Passover lambs were actually “crucified.” What we know from Rabbinic writings is that when the priests killed the Lambs at the Temple in preparation for the Passover meal - they then took a thin stave and ran it through the shoulders of the killed lamb and then another stave was driven through its mouth and down its spine forming a cross, making it ready for roasting. As our story opens - Jesus and His disciples gather in the upper room that Peter and John have prepared. Passover - how it may have been in Jesus' Day - Passover Table - banquet style meal, low table surrounded by couches or pillows for reclining on, head supported by left hand, ate with right hand, was a lengthy meal that started at sunset. - Four Cups Kiddish Cup (to set apart - Sanctify) Plagues Cup (story of the Passover was shared followed by singing of Psalms 113 and 114) Blessing Cup (during the meal followed by singing of Psalms 115-118) Hallel Cup (Praise cup with singing of Psalm 126. Also referred to as Elijah's cup) Jesus shares that He will not have this meal again until the meal finds its fulfillment in the kingdom of God (following His return). There's a possibility that Jesus ended the meal early. But here's a possible order of the sequence of the events of the meal     - the seating - bickering about who sits where     - Jesus washing the disciples feet     - Jesus tells that one of them will betray Him     - Judas leaves There is uncertainty around when the meal was actually eaten.  Was Judas there or not. Based on text from Luke and John it appears Judas was present for the meal. Pastor shares that Jesus is still merciful to Judas - to the very last He is trying to help Judas see what he is doing. When considering Judas' worthiness to be at the meal, the question becomes were any worthy of participating in this meal? The meal was attended by traitors and cowards. It is a table not of merit but of GRACE. Our God is a merciful and gracious God. His own disciples would run away that very night and leave Him in the garden - abandoning Him in His hour of need and yet Jesus still loved them. He knew what was going to happen and He still gave His disciples this meal as an indication of His incredible love. This meal - the Lord's Supper - is something we have turned into law rather than grace.  None of us can stand before a Holy God and say, “Look how good I am.”  The moment we do that we walk away from the Gospel of Grace. We come to God as sinners, covered by the blood of His Son, made new by Him and when we receive the meal - the very meal He has with His disciples, we are being reassured of His incredible love, a love not based on our merit, accomplishments or achievements, but a love that is based upon the incredible love of The Father for those He has made and those He has redeemed with the blood of His Son. It is NOT a table of merit. IT IS A TABLE OF GRACE. Our website –  https://www.awakeusnow.com Watch the video from our website! https://www.awakeusnow.com/2-year-study-of-the-gospels-upper Watch the video from our YouTube Channel!! https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLTaaqrC3dMOzMkhPyiNWwlJRpV6Bwpu01 Up to Jerusalem is a study of the final weeks of Jesus' ministry concluding with His resurrection and ascension, using the books of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John together with material from ancient sources and recent discoveries.  Up to Jerusalem is part four of our Two Year Study of the Gospels. Up To Jerusalem is the story of the plan of God to redeem the world, and the story of a Savior willing to obey the Father's plan. As we study Jesus' final days, we will be impacted as we discover the Love of God for each one of us.  This study is great for large group, small group or home group study and can be started at any time.

Send us a textGood morning! Thank you for taking a few minutes to listen. If you are interested in the Daily Bible Devotional, you can find it at the links below:Amazon - (paperback, hardcover, and Kindle)Spiritbuilding.com - (premium quality paperback)Youtube Video Introducing the ContentFeel free to reach out with any questions: emersonk78@me.comJohn 6 Jesus feeds 5,000 people with five loaves and two fish. The people proclaim Him as the Prophet of God. They want to make Him king, so He withdraws to the mountains. His disciples then cross the sea to Capernaum. Several miles out, in high winds, Jesus walks to them on the water! He gets in the boat, and they are immediately at the land. The crowd from the previous day crosses the sea looking for Him. Jesus explains they come to be fed, but that He is the bread of life. All who digest His words will be raised on the last day and live forever! Sadly, many are confused and leave Him. But the twelve apostles remain saying, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.” Jesus performs physical signs to validate spiritual messages. When He feeds the people, some think of Him as a source of physical blessings. But the miracle is simply to demonstrate that He is the Source and Sustainer of life. His nourishment is truth, love, and forgiveness. He fills us with His goodness and spiritual promises so our souls will never lack and will live forever! God gave Israel manna, but they died in the wilderness. God has given us Jesus so that we may live now, and forever after the final resurrection. Jesus' teaching is not always easy to understand or follow, but to whom shall we go? He is the Holy One and He has the words of eternal life.  Holy God, Your Son is a miracle worker. He feeds thousands. He walks on water. He calms the storm. It is not just what He does that draws us, but who He is. He is Your Son. He is the bread of spiritual and eternal life. He is the Prophet who promises a future and resurrection into the glory of heaven. He is everything to us. Lord, fill our hearts with thanksgiving and embolden our lives and lips to pronounce His majesty. When we struggle to understand, hold us close and help us learn to trust Him in all things. Thought Questions: -       Christians understand that following Jesus is about spiritual richness over physical provisions. How do you show that in your life? -        Jesus says to eat His body and drink His blood. In practical Christian terms, what does that look like in your walk of faith? -       When things got hard, many disciples left. What keeps you serving Jesus when His will is difficult to understand or follow?

Up the carpenter went to Jerusalem, knowing full well why. It was time, HIS time, the time, the eternal time as appointed when a world changing event would happen.It was to be the end of his earthly journey, a time for the transition between the Jesus of history and the Christ of Glory.There came that time in the Garden of Gethsemane where he went to pray. He asked his disciples to participate, to watch with him, to stay awake with him. Not knowing the incredible events about to happen, they slept. But the Master prayed, communed with the Father. How wonderful the humanity of Jesus the Christ in Gethsemane. As man, he knew the incredible suffering and agony to come, the crucifixion which would happen and he prayed to the Father:LET THIS CUP PASS FROM MELet there be another way to introduce your love and saving grace rather than crucifixion. But the answer was clear, the plan in place. There would be no change.Perhaps that was the greatest expression and revelation of the WILL of God at work. The plan of salvation would begin with Him, Jesus of Nazareth so that all men might know that He was indeed the SON OF GOD.And so, in blessed surrender, the soon to be Christ of Glory uttered this incredible prayer:NOT MY WILL BUT THY WILL BE DONEOn earth even as it is in heaven. He was ready, and willing.Jesus of Nazareth loved Jerusalem as all Jews do. There stood the temple, the holiest place on earth to the Jews, the earthly abiding place of the HOLY OF HOLIES. It was ordained so by the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and it was the place, the center for the longing, the love and the passion of all Jews. Jerusalem, the one and only Jerusalem, the City of David.Jesus of Nazareth poured out His love on the city and its people so very special to him. He passionately lamented how he would love to take the city and its people under his wing and to show them what he firmly believed was the way, the truth, and the life, allnew things. There would be from God through him a new creation possible, all thingsand people born again, a fresh and vital spirituality. But before these new gifts fromGod could become universal, a tragic and horrific event must occur followed by themost miraculous and wonderful event in the history of mankind.HE had dined in Jerusalem with his disciples, a loving Last Supper to commemoratethe event to come, the celebration of his body and his blood. That communion of thedisciples and the Lord, that spiritual fellowship celebrated vicariously with bread andwine, was the end event for them but only the beginning of a lifelong celebration for us.Roman soldiers found him in Gethsemane. There came the mockery of trial andinterrogation before Pilate and Herod. The world knows of the hands–washing, therefusal to make the decision of death for a just and innocent man and the offering tothe people of a choice between Jesus of Nazareth and a convicted criminal. The crowdof course chose the criminal.Then came the walk to the cross, the VIA DOLOROSA, the way of sorrow still todaycommemorated in Jerusalem by the 12 Stations of the Cross. When His cross becametoo heavy to bear, another carried it for him. Crowds lined the way, watching andlistening, some mocking, some wailing, all perhaps sensing this was no ordinary mannor would there be any ordinary crucifixion. But none could know that the world couldchange.And so, the cruelest and most brutal death possible occurred for an innocent man, apublic crucifixion. Roman soldiers nailed Jesus of Nazareth to that wooden cross.It seems ironic indeed, does it not, that a man who lived and worked with wood died abrutal death on wood itself.He hung on that cross for hours, a criminal on each side. The sky grew dark and itwas as though the earth and all in it mourned. The Christ of Glory hung in utteragony, and the horrific pain he experienced caused Him to utter these unforgettablewords:MY GOD, MY GOD WHY HAVE YOU FORSAKEN MEWHY?So alone, in utter agony, feeling even that the FATHER had forsaken Him. It isimpossible to know how He felt, how awful that death must have been for Him. But Hewas man, human. We as humans like him can understand the cruelty of man and thesuffering and agony he suffered in death as many of us have. HE took on the sufferingof mankind on that Golgotha Hill. So many who loved him watched, mourned andprayed, never really knowing that this tragic crucifixion would turn into a gloriousResurrection.It seemed indeed that in that darkest moment, God Himself had departed, forsaken.Perhaps it was, as some scholars think that this Holy God could not look upon theultimate and tragic event as they were laid on him the sins of the world. On that cross, in the blood and tortured flesh of the body of the Son of God, in that death unto sin were in fact the sins of the world, all of them and all of ours. That final bloody act of remission and propitiation had to be finished. There had to be that tumultuous and cataclysmic collision of worlds, when heaven and earth became one through Him. For hours, He suffered in agony and pain. His precious body was exposed, mutilated and mocked. He was crowned in the ultimate sarcasm with a crown of thorns to mock the claim of:KING OF THE JEWS.Roman soldiers taunted him, challenging him to use His miraculous powers to come down from the cross, laughing all the while. They cast lots for his garments and treated in cavalier style this world changing event as ordinary, the crucifixion and death of yet another fanatic, yet another would be Messiah as there were so many of them in that day. Never could these men know what would happen on the third day.And so He died and as He was removed from the cross, there came mercifully and lovingly Joseph of Arimathea to claim the body, something which rarely happened in early Roman times, so that Jesus of Nazareth could be buried in His very own tomb. And there He lay as all who knew him, loved, followed and believed in Him mourned. There was perhaps that day a sense of no hope, the law so tragic that HE would never be replaced. Like doubting Thomas, none really believed what would happen that third day.But on that third day, they hurried, they ran to the tomb, the women did. They were so anxious lovingly to attend His body. Instead, they found in the tomb the Angel of the Lord. The stone which had covered the tomb had been rolled back. The event was so terrifying it overwhelmed the Roman guards. The women announced that they had come looking for Jesus of Nazareth, He who had been crucified, buried and laid in this tomb. They demanded to know who took His body. But the Angel of the Lord said to them, words which would change the world:HE IS NOT HERE HE IS RISENHE IS ALIVE. Death as we know it had no power over Him. For millions, that is impossible for us to believe. But for us who do and especially those of us never having seen, heard or been in His physical presence, we who believe the truth and reality of the Resurrection are entitled to the power and the eternal victory over death even as it was with Him. Even as He returned to the Father, so shall we at our appointed time be with Him and the Father as well. The Resurrection of Jesus Christ is not a myth, not symbolic, but the most real event in all of human history.The Apostle Paul states that the Resurrection of Jesus Christ is the most fundamental event, the crux of Christianity. If, says Paul, there was no Resurrection, then Christianity is a farce and more importantly our FAITH is in vain. If the Resurrection was myth, or symbolic and not real, actual, factual, a bodily resurrection, then our faith is in vain. But thank the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, as Paul did, that the Resurrection was real, it endures with everlasting power even now and for allveternity. OUR FAITH IS NOT IN VAIN. The tomb was empty and the empty lives of all mankind could now be filled with the power of this incredible resurrection. The words again which changed the world:HE IS NOT HERE! HE IS RISEN!And so came the Resurrection witness. The resurrected and risen Christ was seen, heard, touched, and otherwise fully experienced as living once again. There were those who doubted, demanding proof. They touched the nail pierced hands and the side pierced with that Roman spear. And they said with the words of doubting Thomas:MY LORD AND MY GODTheir eyes were opened and they recognized Him. They fellowshipped with Him and ate with Him. And He said to them “why are you disturbed and troubled.” Why do such doubts and questionings arise in your hearts? He told them to see His hands and feet and know that it is I MYSELF. No mere spirit, He said, has flesh and bones as I have. His disciples were filled with sheer joy and marvel. Their minds were open to understand Him and the Scriptures. Now said the Resurrected Christ, you are witnesses of these things. Go and preach this wonderful event and our message to all nations. He blessed them and sent them.GO YE, He said, into all of the world and preach the Gospel to everyman, to the Jew first but then to the Gentiles. TO ALL MANKIND. The saving power of the Resurrection was for everyone. So many of us doubt in some ways even today. We see through a glass darkly, said Paul. Our understanding of these things is limited, human here and now. But hereafter, we will know, really know when we see HIM:FACE TO FACEBlessed are those who have never seen and believe!There is nothing in this world like this belief, the outpouring of the saving grace of the Resurrection. The power of life and life eternal through Him is the most powerful force on earth. It comes by acceptance and an open heart, the outpouring of this transforming love. It has been my blessing and I hope and pray that you have had such an encounter with THE LIVING CHRIST, that you have experienced the forgiveness of the cross and that you have accepted and believed in the power of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. That is Easter, that is what Easter means. It is life anew, one born again. A decision to encounter is the most important decision any person can make. It changes life here and it creates life hereafter. It allows the unfolding of the Kingdom of God now and fellowship in that Kingdom for eternity. We become ONE WITH HIM now, and then forevermore.And so, we who believe sing on Easter Sunday and all year long:CHRIST THE LORD IS RISEN TODAYHALLELUJAH!Let the heavens and the earth sing with joy and praise and fill the mind and heart with the power and love of the Resurrection. May the meaning of Easter be with you always, and firmly fasten in your mind the words of the angel, the Messenger of God who stated to those women so many years ago and consequently to all mankind:HE IS NOT HERE!HE IS RISEN!Christ the Lord is in fact risen and our faith is not only NOT in vain but the greatest thing in life. As He was with them in those days following His Resurrection, so He will be with us. His words to that effect are unforgettable.HEAR ME!I AM WITH YOU ALWAYS!EVEN UNTO THE ENDS OF THE EARTH!Christ is Risen!HALLELUJAH!

Daily Anglican Prayer – Good Friday Passion Prayer – 18th April 2025 Readings NRSV: Psalm 22; Isaiah 52.13-53.12; Hebrews 10.16 – 25; 5.7-9; John 18.1- 19.42. Led by Felicity Scott, an Anglican prayer minister in Queensland, Australia. The full prayer transcript is available by going to this episode on the Podcast website. https://dailyprayeranglicanprayerbookforaustralia.podbean.com Today we commemorate the Good Friday solemn liturgy of the passion and death of our lord. Prayer for the Day (as provided in APBA pages 494-499). Almighty God, look with mercy on this your family, for whom our Lord Jesus Christ was willing to be betrayed and to be given into the hands of sinners and to suffer death upon the cross, who now lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God for ever and ever. Amen.   THE MINISTRY OF THE WORD Old Testament Reading: Isaiah 52.13 – 53.12 52.13 See, my servant shall prosper; he shall be exalted and lifted up, and shall be very high. 14 Just as there were many who were astonished at him —so marred was his appearance, beyond human semblance, and his form beyond that of mortals— 15 so he shall startle many nations; kings shall shut their mouths because of him; for that which had not been told them they shall see, and that which they had not heard they shall contemplate. 53.1 Who has believed what we have heard? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? 2 For he grew up before him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground; he had no form or majesty that we should look at him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him. 3 He was despised and rejected by others; a man of suffering and acquainted with infirmity; and as one from whom others hide their faces he was despised, and we held him of no account. 4 Surely he has borne our infirmities and carried our diseases; yet we accounted him stricken, struck down by God, and afflicted. 5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the punishment that made us whole, and by his bruises we are healed. 6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have all turned to our own way, and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. 7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth. 8 By a perversion of justice he was taken away. Who could have imagined his future? For he was cut off from the land of the living, stricken for the transgression of my people. 9 They made his grave with the wicked and his tomb with the rich, although he had done no violence, and there was no deceit in his mouth. 10 Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush him with pain. When you make his life an offering for sin, he shall see his offspring, and shall prolong his days; through him the will of the Lord shall prosper. 11 Out of his anguish he shall see light; he shall find satisfaction through his knowledge. The righteous one, my servant, shall make many righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities. 12 Therefore I will allot him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he poured out himself to death, and was numbered with the transgressors; yet he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.   Psalm Reading:   Psalm 22   New Testament Reading: Hebrews 10.16 – 25 10.16 “This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, says the Lord: I will put my laws in their hearts, and I will write them on their minds,” 17 he also adds, “I will remember their sins and their lawless deeds no more.” 18 Where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer any offering for sin. A Call to Persevere 19 Therefore, my friends, since we have confidence to enter the sanctuary by the blood of Jesus, 20 by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain (that is, through his flesh), 21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22 let us approach with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.           The Gospel Passion Reading from the book of   John 18.1 – 19.42 –   The humble reading of the Passion of our Lord Jesus Christ according to John beginning at chapter 18 verse 1. Glory to you Lord Jesus Christ   John 18.1 After Jesus had spoken these words, he went out with his disciples across the Kidron valley to a place where there was a garden, which he and his disciples entered. 2 Now Judas, who betrayed him, also knew the place, because Jesus often met there with his disciples. 3 So Judas brought a detachment of soldiers together with police from the chief priests and the Pharisees, and they came there with lanterns and torches and weapons. 4 Then Jesus, knowing all that was to happen to him, came forward and asked them, “Whom are you looking for?” 5 They answered, “Jesus of Nazareth.” Jesus replied, “I am he.” Judas, who betrayed him, was standing with them. 6 When Jesus said to them, “I am he,” they stepped back and fell to the ground. 7 Again he asked them, “Whom are you looking for?” And they said, “Jesus of Nazareth.” 8 Jesus answered, “I told you that I am he. So if you are looking for me, let these men go.” 9 This was to fulfil the word that he had spoken, “I did not lose a single one of those whom you gave me.” 10 Then Simon Peter, who had a sword, drew it, struck the high priest's slave, and cut off his right ear. The slave's name was Malchus. 11 Jesus said to Peter, “Put your sword back into its sheath. Am I not to drink the cup that the Father has given me?” Jesus before the High Priest 12 So the soldiers, their officer, and the Jewish police arrested Jesus and bound him. 13 First they took him to Annas, who was the father-in-law of Caiaphas, the high priest that year. 14 Caiaphas was the one who had advised the Jews that it was better to have one person die for the people. Peter Denies Jesus 15 Simon Peter and another disciple followed Jesus. Since that disciple was known to the high priest, he went with Jesus into the courtyard of the high priest, 16 but Peter was standing outside at the gate. So the other disciple, who was known to the high priest, went out, spoke to the woman who guarded the gate, and brought Peter in. 17 The woman said to Peter, “You are not also one of this man's disciples, are you?” He said, “I am not.” 18 Now the slaves and the police had made a charcoal fire because it was cold, and they were standing around it and warming themselves. Peter also was standing with them and warming himself. The High Priest Questions Jesus 19 Then the high priest questioned Jesus about his disciples and about his teaching. 20 Jesus answered, “I have spoken openly to the world; I have always taught in synagogues and in the temple, where all the Jews come together. I have said nothing in secret. 21 Why do you ask me? Ask those who heard what I said to them; they know what I said.” 22 When he had said this, one of the police standing nearby struck Jesus on the face, saying, “Is that how you answer the high priest?” 23 Jesus answered, “If I have spoken wrongly, testify to the wrong. But if I have spoken rightly, why do you strike me?” 24 Then Annas sent him bound to Caiaphas the high priest. Peter Denies Jesus Again 25 Now Simon Peter was standing and warming himself. They asked him, “You are not also one of his disciples, are you?” He denied it and said, “I am not.” 26 One of the slaves of the high priest, a relative of the man whose ear Peter had cut off, asked, “Did I not see you in the garden with him?” 27 Again Peter denied it, and at that moment the cock crowed. 28 Then they took Jesus from Caiaphas to Pilate's headquarters. It was early in the morning. They themselves did not enter the headquarters, so as to avoid ritual defilement and to be able to eat the Passover. 29 So Pilate went out to them and said, “What accusation do you bring against this man?” 30 They answered, “If this man were not a criminal, we would not have handed him over to you.” 31 Pilate said to them, “Take him yourselves and judge him according to your law.” The Jews replied, “We are not permitted to put anyone to death.” 32 (This was to fulfill what Jesus had said when he indicated the kind of death he was to die.) 33 Then Pilate entered the headquarters again, summoned Jesus, and asked him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” 34 Jesus answered, “Do you ask this on your own, or did others tell you about me?” 35 Pilate replied, “I am not a Jew, am I? Your own nation and the chief priests have handed you over to me. What have you done?” 36 Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not from this world. If my kingdom were from this world, my followers would be fighting to keep me from being handed over to the Jews. But as it is, my kingdom is not from here.” 37 Pilate asked him, “So you are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. For this I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice.” 38 Pilate asked him, “What is truth?” After he had said this, he went out to the Jews again and told them, “I find no case against him. 39 But you have a custom that I release someone for you at the Passover. Do you want me to release for you the King of the Jews?” 40 They shouted in reply, “Not this man, but Barabbas!” Now Barabbas was a bandit. John 19.1 Then Pilate took Jesus and had him flogged. 2 And the soldiers wove a crown of thorns and put it on his head, and they dressed him in a purple robe. 3 They kept coming up to him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” and striking him on the face. 4 Pilate went out again and said to them, “Look, I am bringing him out to you to let you know that I find no case against him.” 5 So Jesus came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. Pilate said to them, “Here is the man!” 6 When the chief priests and the police saw him, they shouted, “Crucify him! Crucify him!” Pilate said to them, “Take him yourselves and crucify him; I find no case against him.” 7 The Jews answered him, “We have a law, and according to that law he ought to die because he has claimed to be the Son of God.” 8 Now when Pilate heard this, he was more afraid than ever. 9 He entered his headquarters again and asked Jesus, “Where are you from?” But Jesus gave him no answer. 10 Pilate therefore said to him, “Do you refuse to speak to me? Do you not know that I have power to release you, and power to crucify you?” 11  Jesus answered him, “You would have no power over me unless it had been given you from above; therefore the one who handed me over to you is guilty of a greater sin.” 12 From then on Pilate tried to release him, but the Jews cried out, “If you release this man, you are no friend of the emperor. Everyone who claims to be a king sets himself against the emperor.” 13 When Pilate heard these words, he brought Jesus outside and sat on the judge's bench at a place called The Stone Pavement, or in Hebrew Gabbatha. 14 Now it was the day of Preparation for the Passover; and it was about noon. He said to the Jews, “Here is your King!” 15 They cried out, “Away with him! Away with him! Crucify him!” Pilate asked them, “Shall I crucify your King?” The chief priests answered, “We have no king but the emperor.” 16 Then he handed him over to them to be crucified. The Crucifixion of Jesus So they took Jesus; 17 and carrying the cross by himself, he went out to what is called The Place of the Skull, which in Hebrew is called Golgotha. 18 There they crucified him, and with him two others, one on either side, with Jesus between them. 19 Pilate also had an inscription written and put on the cross. It read, “Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews.” 20 Many of the Jews read this inscription, because the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city; and it was written in Hebrew, in Latin, and in Greek. 21 Then the chief priests of the Jews said to Pilate, “Do not write, ‘The King of the Jews,' but, ‘This man said, I am King of the Jews.' ” 22 Pilate answered, “What I have written I have written.” 23 When the soldiers had crucified Jesus, they took his clothes and divided them into four parts, one for each /soldier. They also took his tunic; now the tunic was seamless, woven in one piece from the top. 24 So they said to one another, “Let us not tear it, but cast lots for it to see who will get it.” This was to fulfill what the scripture says, “They divided my clothes among themselves, and for my clothing they cast lots.” 25 And that is what the soldiers did. Meanwhile, standing near the cross of Jesus were his mother, and his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. 26 When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing beside her, he said to his mother, “Woman, here is your son.” 27 Then he said to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” And from that hour the disciple took her into his own home. 28 After this, when Jesus knew that all was now finished, he said (in order to fulfil the scripture), “I am thirsty.” 29 A jar full of sour wine was standing there. So they put a sponge full of the wine on a branch of hyssop and held it to his mouth. 30 When Jesus had received the wine, he said, “It is finished.” Then he bowed his head and gave up his spirit. Jesus' Side Is Pierced 31 Since it was the day of Preparation, the Jews did not want the bodies left on the cross during the sabbath, especially because that sabbath was a day of great solemnity. So they asked Pilate to have the legs of the crucified men broken and the bodies removed. 32 Then the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first and of the other who had been crucified with him. 33 But when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. 34 Instead, one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear, and at once blood and water came out. 35 (He who saw this has testified so that you also may believe. His testimony is true, and he knows that he tells the truth.) 36 These things occurred so that the scripture might be fulfilled, “None of his bones shall be broken.” 37 And again another passage of scripture says, “They will look on the one whom they have pierced.” The Burial of Jesus 38 After these things, Joseph of Arimathea, who was a disciple of Jesus, though a secret one because of his fear of the Jews, asked Pilate to let him take away the body of Jesus. Pilate gave him permission; so he came and removed his body. 39 Nicodemus, who had at first come to Jesus by night, also came, bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, weighing about a hundred pounds. 40 They took the body of Jesus and wrapped it with the spices in linen cloths, according to the burial custom of the Jews. 41 Now there was a garden in the place where he was crucified, and in the garden there was a new tomb in which no one had ever been laid. 42 And so, because it was the Jewish day of Preparation, and the tomb was nearby, they laid Jesus there.   Silence is kept.   We acknowledge the sacrifice of our Lord Jesus Christ.   Silence is kept.   God shows great love for us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for our forgiveness.   Let us confess our sins.   O Christ, we are stripped bare by your suffering. You see our dreams, our demons, and the secrets we keep even from ourselves. Forgive all that needs to be forgiven, healed all that needs to be healed, awaken all the good that sleeps in us, banish all the fears that paralyse us. Put the power of your cross into our lives for ever, and clothe us with hope and love.   The absolution   We have turned our hearts to God in repentance and our sins are laid bare before the cross of Jesus Christ. In the name of the living God, your sins are forgiven. Amen.   A hymn may be sung. THE SOLEMN PRAYERS   The Solemn Prayers may follow the Proclamation of the Cross.   The presider says God sent the Son into the world, not to condemn the world, but so that the world might be saved through him. So let us bring the needs of the whole world to the foot of the cross of Christ. We pray for the Church of God throughout the world, that God the Almighty, eternal One will guide it, and gather it in unity and peace. Lord, in your mercy hear our prayer.   Holy God, you have shown your glory to all nations in Christ your Son: guide the work of your Church, help it to keep the faith, proclaim your Name, and bring your salvation to all people. We pray for all God's people in their vocation and ministry, for all bishops, priests and deacons and Primates across all religions, and for all Christians and those who are preparing for baptism and confirmation into the Christian faith. Lord, in your mercy hear our prayer.   Holy God, by your Spirit you teach your Church and make us holy: help each of us to do your work more faithfully. We pray for all who confess Christ crucified, that God will heal our divisions. Lord, in your mercy hear our prayer.   Holy God, in baptism you make us one in Christ: help us to persevere in faith, and make us one in love and service. We pray for the peace of Jerusalem, and for the Jewish people, the first to hear the word of God. Lord, in your mercy hear our prayer.   Holy God, long ago you gave your promise to Abraham and Sarah. Bless the people you first made your own: keep them in the love of your Name, and in faithfulness to your covenant. We pray for all who do not look to Christ as Saviour, and all who do not believe in God. Lord, in your mercy hear our prayer.   Holy God, you created man and woman in your image: draw all people to yourself, that they may acknowledge you as the maker and redeemer of all, and know Christ's mercy and grace. We pray for the peace of the world, for those in authority, and for all who shape our common life. Lord, in your mercy hear our prayer.   Holy God, you desire justice for all the earth: guide our leaders and guard all peoples in the way of righteousness, freedom and peace. We pray for the sick, the dying and all in need; for the homeless, the hungry and the oppressed, for those in darkness and despair. Lord, in your mercy hear our prayer.   Holy God, all tenderness and healing flow from you: give strength to the weary and courage to the downhearted, and show mercy to all who are in trouble. We pray you remember us. Lord, in your mercy hear our prayer.     The presider says,   Most merciful God, we commit ourselves to you and pray for the grace of a holy life, that, with all who have died and are alive in Christ, we may come to the fullness of eternal life, and the joy of the resurrection in Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.   The PROCLAMATION OF THE CROSS A cross is laid nearby: As we focus and acknowledge your cross of salvation, we say: We adore you; O Christ and we bless you, because, by your holy Cross you have redeemed the world.   As we focus and acknowledge your cross of salvation, again we say: We adore you; O Christ and we bless you, because, by your holy Cross you have redeemed the world.   As we focus and acknowledge your cross of salvation, again we say: We adore you; O Christ and we bless you, because, by your holy Cross you have redeemed the world.   Following: Behold the wood of the cross of salvation on which the Saviour of the world was hung. Come, let us adore him.   The conclusion, O Saviour of the world, By your cross and precious blood, you have redeemed us. Save us, and help us, we humbly beseech you, O Lord.   The Lord's Prayer As our Saviour Christ has taught us, we are confident to pray Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us. Save us from the time of trial and deliver us from evil. For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours now and for ever. Amen.   Final prayer. Lord Jesus Christ, the story of your suffering is written on our hearts, and the salvation of the world is in your outstretched hands. Keep your victory always before our eyes, your praise on our lips, your peace in our lives. Amen. A hymn is played amazing grace.   © Anglican Church of Australia Trust Corporation. Used by permission This text may be reproduced for use in worship in the Anglican Church of Australia Music by Rosemary Siemens. A reminder disclaimer to the listener. The readings in the podcast may include ancient and old-fashioned sayings and instructions that we do not in any way condone as in use or to be used in today's modern world. The readings have not been modernised to reflect todays thinking, instead the readings remain from the old version of the NRSV bible. The podcast owners explicitly declare that each listener is responsible for their own actions in response to the bible readings and the podcast owners bare no responsibility in this sense.

Daily Anglican prayer - Monday morning – 14th April 2025. Readings NRSV: Psalm 21; Lamentations 1.1-12; John 14. Led by Felicity Scott, an Anglican prayer minister in Queensland, Australia. The full prayer transcript is available by going to this episode on the Podcast website. https://dailyprayeranglicanprayerbookforaustralia.podbean.com Welcome to Monday Morning prayer. We proclaim the Good News of our Lord Jesus Christ: GOD in his infinite mercy, forgives all sins, and through my baptism in the name of my Saviour, Jesus Christ, I have been given a rebirth into new life, free from the burden of all sin. ALLELUIA With faithfulness we respond to the good news: We acknowledge Christ as our saviour and accept with gratitude, that we are forgiven for all wrong doings, past and present. To honour the gift of forgiveness, we release our burden of guilt and rise up to live in the glory of God forever more. Blessed be God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, Blessed be God forever. Let us Pray.   1 God's love has been poured into our hearts, through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.  Romans 5.5     Glory to God; Father, Son and Holy Spirit:  as in the beginning, so now, and for ever. Amen.     2 The Opening Canticle, A Song of God's Marvellous Acts I will sing a new hymn to my God:  O Lord you are great and marvellous,  you are marvellous in your strength, invincible.  Let the whole creation serve you:  for you spoke and all things came to be;  You sent out your Spirit and it formed them:  no one can resist your voice.  Mountains and seas are stirred to their depths:  rocks melt like wax at your presence;  But to those who revere you:  you still show mercy.  Judith 16.13–15     3 The Opening Prayer The night has passed, and the day lies open before us;  let us pray with one heart and mind.    Silence may be kept. As we rejoice in the gift of this new day,  so may the light of your presence, O God,  set our hearts on fire with love for you;  now and for ever.  Amen.   4 The Psalms as appointed. A pause is observed after each. Psalm 5 At the end of the (last) pause there may follow Creator Spirit, Advocate promised by our Lord Jesus: increase our faith and help us to walk in the light of your presence, to the glory of God the Father; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.   6 One or two Readings from the Bible as appointed.   1st Reading   Hear the word of the Lord. Thanks be to God. 2nd Reading The readings may be followed by a period of silence, a reflection, or Hear the message of Christ. Thanks be to God.   7 The Canticle, A Song of Isaiah ‘Behold, God is my salvation:  I will trust and will not be afraid;  ‘For the Lord God is my strength and my song:  and has become my salvation.'  With joy you will draw water:  from the wells of salvation.  On that day you will say:  ‘Give thanks to the Lord, call upon his name;  ‘Make known his deeds among the nations:  proclaim that his name is exalted.  ‘Sing God's praises, who has triumphed gloriously:  let this be known in all the world.  ‘Shout and sing for joy, you that dwell in Zion:  for great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel.'  Isaiah 12.2–6      8 The belief and principle is said I believe in God, creator of heaven and earth, whose love and merciful forgiveness endures everlasting. I believe in Christ the saviour, whose example of love and compassion, taught us a restored way to live, in collaborative unity with all people. I believe in the Holy Spirit, whose divine guidance brings us together to be one with the Holy Trinity.      9 The Prayers Lord have mercy.  Christ have mercy.  God have mercy.    10 The Lord's Prayer and the Collect of the Day   Our Father in heaven,  hallowed be your name,  your kingdom come,  your will be done,  on earth as in heaven.  Give us today our daily bread.  Forgive us our sins  as we forgive those who sin against us.  Save us from the time of trial  and deliver us from evil.  For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours  now and for ever. Amen.    Ash Wednesday Almighty and everlasting God, You hate nothing that you have made, And you forgive the sins of all who are penitent; Create and make in us new and contrite hearts, That we, worthily lamenting our sins, And acknowledging our wretchedness, May obtain of you, the God of all mercy, Perfect remission and forgiveness; Through Jesus Christ our Lord. amen   Prayer of the Week Holy Week prayer . Amen.   11 Intercessions and Thanksgivings may be made according to local custom and need.   Let us Pray Let us pray for the world and for the church. God, how great your majesty abounds before us. We thank you for all your generosity. May the peace and blessings of our Lord Jesus Christ be abundant across all nations and countries forever more. In faith we Pray – LORD hear our prayer   Holy God divine and merciful, your blessing on the people is loved by all, for which our gratitude knows no end. Grant, we pray, your saving blessing on all those experiencing times of trouble or strife, that they may receive the guidance of wisdom to lead them to a path of safety. In faith we Pray – LORD hear our prayer   Almighty God, hear our prayer to bring about a change throughout the people, we ask for your grace to relay the wisdom to each man and each woman how to co-exist in peace and the will to do so, to continue to respect one another and teach their offspring to do so also. In faith we Pray – LORD hear our prayer   Blessed God, we ask your blessing for those listed on the Anglican cycle of prayer: The Diocese of Matlosane – The Anglican Church of Southern Africa Ministry with the Torres Strait Island People of Australia The Parish of Goodna: All Diocesan Committees St Margaret's Anglican Girls School, Ascot: All Prison ministry chaplaincy teams All people joining in this prayer offering. In faith we Pray – LORD hear our prayer   12 The Morning Collect Eternal God and Father,  by whose power we are created  and by whose love we are redeemed:  guide and strengthen us by your Spirit,  that we may give ourselves to your service,  and live this day in love to one another and to you;  through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.   13 The Lord be with you. And also with you.  Let us praise the Lord.  Thanks be to God.    God did not give us a spirit of cowardice  but a spirit of power and of love and of self-discipline.  May we rekindle the gift of God within us.  Amen. see 2 Timothy 1.6–7   Music by John Keys – Anglican Chant Canticle organ accompaniments. A reminder disclaimer to the listener. The readings in the podcast may include ancient and old-fashioned sayings and instructions that we do not in any way condone as in use or to be used in today's modern world. The readings have not been modernised to reflect todays thinking, instead the readings remain from the old version of the NRSV bible. The podcast owners explicitly declare that each listener is responsible for their own actions in response to the bible readings and the podcast owners bare no responsibility in this sense.    

Holy God, we gather on this Palm Sunday and find ourselves in solidarity with the crowds who shouted for salvation. We know our needs, both individually and collectively. Our hunger for righteousness and justice compels us to proclaim, “Hosanna! Save us!” two thousand years later. As we begin this journey toward the cross, from admiration to despair, we know we are well-nourished for the path ahead. You have prepared us, fed us with love and truth, and refreshed our spirits throughout the Lenten season. Let us carry the spirit of Hosanna in our hearts, ready to serve and love, knowing the journey continues toward resurrection and renewal. May the bread we break, both physical and spiritual, remind us of your presence in every step. Guide us on this path and sustain us for the work ahead. Amen.

Imagine the vastness of the universe; billions of stars; galaxies, beauty beyond our imagination- and yet scripture tells us that the Heavens cannot contain Him. Jesus taught us to pray to our Father in Heaven, leading our thoughts to His greatness as we pray. In this podcast America Pray Now leader, Josiah Alway explores the phrase, “Hallowed be Thy name,” a call for us to Worship and reverence such a mighty and Holy God.------America Pray Now publishes a magazine on prayer that is free of charge and can be delivered directly to your home. You can sign up for this magazine on our website at americapraynow.comIn addition to our weekly podcast, we meet in 16 different cities every month to pray in person. Most of our in-person prayer meetings are in Virginia, but we also have meetings in Maryland, West Virginia, Delaware, and North Carolina. See our website for times and dates at americapraynow.comEnjoy the Podcast? Let us know! Email us at podcast@americapraynow.com

"Through the Chaplet you will obtain everything, if what you ask for is compatible with My will." – Jesus to St. Faustina (Diary, 1731)The Rosary. The Divine Mercy Chaplet. Formal Prayer.I had resistance to praying in this way.I had resistance to even saying His Name for years.But the more I said It, the more I saw—I needed to say It.Whatever is keeping you from saying It,Or feeling It,Or believing It,Or knowing It—That's exactly why you have to say It.That dissolves.That lets you go.It frees you to move on,To forgive,And to share.Because that's all we're here to do.I love you,NikTHE DIVINE MERCY CHAPLET The Image - Look at it and then see it within!Opening Prayers (On the Crucifix):You expired, Jesus, but the source of life gushed forth for souls,and an ocean of mercy opened up for the whole world.O Fount of Life, unfathomable Divine Mercy, envelop the world and empty Yourself out upon us.(3x) "O Blood and Water, which gushed forth from the Heart of Jesus as a fountain of mercy for us, I trust in You."Step-by-Step Instructions for the Chaplet:On the Our Father bead (large):"Eternal Father, I offer You the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Your dearly beloved Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, in atonement for our sins and those of the whole world."On each Hail Mary bead (small):"For the sake of His sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world."Repeat the Our Father (large) and Hail Mary (small) prayers for all five decades of the rosary.Traditional Prayers:Our Father:Our Father, who art in Heaven,hallowed be Thy name.Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done,on earth as it is in Heaven.Give us this day our daily bread,and forgive us our trespasses,as we forgive those who trespass against us.And lead us not into temptation,but deliver us from evil. Amen.Hail Mary:Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee.Blessed art thou among women,and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. ( I trust in you)Holy Mary, Mother of God,pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.Apostle's Creed (On the Crucifix):I believe in God, the Father Almighty,Creator of heaven and earth;and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord;who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,born of the Virgin Mary,suffered under Pontius Pilate,was crucified, died, and was buried.He descended into hell;on the third day, He rose again from the dead;He ascended into heaven,and is seated at the right hand of God the Father Almighty;from there He will come to judge the living and the dead.I believe in the Holy Spirit,the holy Catholic Church,the communion of saints,the forgiveness of sins,the resurrection of the body,and life everlasting. Amen.Closing Prayers (After the Decades):(3x) Holy God, Holy Mighty One, Holy Immortal One, have mercy on us and on the whole world.Final Prayer:Eternal God, in whom mercy is endless and the treasury of compassion inexhaustible,look kindly upon us and increase Your mercy in us,that in difficult moments we might not despair nor become despondent,but with great confidence, submit ourselves to Your holy will,which is Love and Mercy itself. Amen.Take your time with these prayers. Say His Name. Start here. Trust your heart. You're held in His grace. Always.Send me your stories, reflections, or reviews. Wherever you are, you're not alone. I see you.I Love you,nik_________________________--Wake Up to Love, and pray the Holy Rosary, pray the LOVE with us LIVE every weekday morning at 4:44 am ET

Jesus is the one who makes you accepted with the Holy God. Broadcast #7538To help support this podcast, please visit walkwiththeking.org/donate and select "Podcast" from the dropdown menu.A transcript of this broadcast is available on our website here. To hear more from Bob Cook, you can find Walk With The King on Facebook or Instagram.

Delight with our Holy God as Apostle Tonya teaches from the Holy Bible on our Risen Christ and The Last Supper.For more teachings on our Lord Jesus Christ, and her testimonies on supernatural manifestations, visit ⁠https://apostletonya.org

Join host Craig Dalton and Trek Travel's Rich Snodsmith as they take you on an exhilarating journey through the heart of gravel cycling in Italy. In this episode of The Gravel Ride podcast, they share their recent experience at the Strade Bianche Gran Fondo trip organized by Trek Travel. With over three decades of friendship, these two avid cyclists reminisce about their chance meeting at the Lugano Cycling World Championships in 1996 and their shared passion for the sport. Throughout the episode, Rich and Craig discuss their incredible adventures, from vintage bikes at L'Eroica and witnessing the Strade Bianche professional bike race, to participating in the challenging 140-kilometer Gran Fondo alongside 7,000 other riders. They also share their encounters with pro cyclists and the camaraderie of the Trek Travel group. If you're looking for an immersive and unforgettable gravel cycling experience, this episode will inspire you to find dirt under your wheels and explore the breathtaking landscapes of Italy. Topics discussed: Introducing the Strade Bianche Gran Fondo trip with Trek Travel  Riding an international Gran Fondo  Experiencing the energy and spectacle of professional bike races  Meeting pro cyclists and gaining insights into the sport  Challenges and rewards of gravel riding in Italy  Stunning scenery, castles, and brick towns on the route  The supportive and well-organized nature of Trek Travel trips  Exciting plans for future cycling adventures Full Transcript: Craig Dalton (Host) | 00:00:03 to 00:00:33 Hello and welcome to the Gravelride podcast, where we go deep on the sport of gravel cycling through in depth interviews with product designers, event organizers and athletes who are pioneering the sport. I'm your host, Craig Dalton, a lifelong cyclist who discovered gravel cycling back in 2016 and made all the mistakes you don't need to make. I approach each episode as a beginner to unlock all the knowledge you need to become a great gravel cyclist. This week on the show, we welcome Rich Snodsmith from Trek Travel. Rich is one of my oldest cycling friends. Craig Dalton (Host) | 00:00:33 to 00:01:00 We met over 30 years ago, actually, in Italy. As you'll hear from our story, Rich and I were recently in Siena in Italy for the Strada Bianchi Gran Fondo trip. With track travel, we were able to watch both the professional bike race as well as participate in a 140 kilometer mass start. Gran Fondo across the white roads, the white gravel roads of Siena. Fantastic trip. Craig Dalton (Host) | 00:01:00 to 00:01:10 I can't wait for you to hear more of the details. With that said, let's jump right into the show. Hey, Rich, welcome to the show. Hey, Craig, good to see you. Thanks for having me on. Craig Dalton (Host) | 00:01:10 to 00:01:36 Yeah, absolutely. You and I just shared a magical experience on the roads and trails of Italy, which is the purpose of you joining this call. But you, you and I have a rich history, no pun intended, of cycling experiences in Italy. That's right. We met randomly in 1996 at the Lugano Cycling World Championships and have stayed friends ever since. Craig Dalton (Host) | 00:01:36 to 00:01:51 Yeah, fortunately I. I eventually moved to San Francisco a few years later. So we were able to ride together, right? Yeah, yeah, yeah, we were able to ride together for. Gosh, it's hard to believe it's three decades at this point, which is crazy to think about. Craig Dalton (Host) | 00:01:51 to 00:02:14 My end of our Lugano story was I was working in Italy and my colleague, who we both know, Jeff Sanchez, said to me, going to go to the World Championships and oh, by the way, we have to go pick up Rich. He's going to be at the Duomo in Milan on the way. Pre cell phones, be there at 5:00. Don't be late. Yeah, exactly. Craig Dalton (Host) | 00:02:14 to 00:02:34 So super fun to finally go back to Italy together. Obviously, we've been riding on the roads and trails of Marin county for a long time, but to finally have the stars align on this trip was fantastic. Yeah, it was great to get out there and do that again. We also saw another World Championships together in Richmond, Virginia. That's right, yeah. Rich Snodsmith (Guest) | 00:02:34 to 00:02:40 The thing for the World Championships, you've. Seen a few and we've got a future one. I Think in our plans, right? Oh, yeah. Montreal 2026. Rich Snodsmith (Guest) | 00:02:40 to 00:02:55 Let's go. There we go. See you there. So this, you put the idea of this trip in my mind probably December of last year. And the trip, to be specific, because I don't think we've mentioned it, although I probably mentioned it in the intro. Craig Dalton (Host) | 00:02:55 to 00:03:09 Is the Strada Bianchi professional bike race trip with Trek Travel. Was it me that put it in your mind? I was asking you where you were going to go. I thought you. I thought you convinced me, but I was down as soon as you suggested it. Craig Dalton (Host) | 00:03:11 to 00:03:52 It's interesting. Obviously, we're on a gravel cycling podcast and this is sort of a. A hybrid trip almost because we're road riding, but we're riding on the Strada Bianca, the white roads of Tuscany outside Siena. And for those listeners who are fans of both professional road racing and gravel cycling, I think Strada Bianchi is the race that gets us most excited because we see the coverage, we see the professional road riders riding on gravel, and the visuals are just awesome. And they're kind of like what we experience as gravel racers and riders routinely. Craig Dalton (Host) | 00:03:52 to 00:04:19 But so cool to see all the pro bike teams go through and participate in the event. So I was super stoked, obviously. I'd been on a Trek Travel gravel tour in Girona a couple years prior, so I'd had that experience with Trek, but this is the first kind of pro bike race enabled tour that I'd ever been on. Yeah, I mean, it's really interesting to blend those things together. I mean, you being more of a gravel rider, me being more of a road rider. Rich Snodsmith (Guest) | 00:04:20 to 00:04:59 But the last few trips I've taken with Trek Travel have been gravel trips. You know, getting out there and trying new things, trying the Vermont trip, trying the Dolomites last year, this was just a really cool experience to put like my fandom of the road cycling and racing world along with this, like, almost instant classic. The race has only been around for 20 years and it's like, become a real fan favorite. Yeah, I was, I was looking up some of the history of the race and I didn't realize that it started out with Laroica, which is a. An event that many people have heard about where you ride vintage bikes on this course. Craig Dalton (Host) | 00:04:59 to 00:05:18 And the professional bike race emerged. So the loraca started in 1997. In 2007 is when the professional bike race emerged. So it's interesting. And obviously being in that region and riding in that region, we saw signs of Loraka all over the place, right? Rich Snodsmith (Guest) | 00:05:18 to 00:05:38 Yeah, we Even ate at the Laroica Cafe. That was incredible. Yeah, exactly. And I came home with a Loracha sweatshirt as well. And then the, the, the cool thing, and we probably failed to mention it at this point is there's the Gran Fondo the day after, after Strada Bianchi, which was awesome. Craig Dalton (Host) | 00:05:38 to 00:05:59 So we actually get to go on a 140 kilometer rides. A ride on the similar roads as the professionals. Yeah, it's not the full men's road course, but it's pretty close to the women's road course and we cover all the last, you know, climbs, you know, that the. Both the men's and the women's race covered. That was really cool. Rich Snodsmith (Guest) | 00:05:59 to 00:06:21 Especially after seeing them finish the day before and then going out and riding those roads, seeing where Poga crashed and then, you know, doing that last 20k of climbs is just bananas, beautiful and hard. It was pretty rewarding that ride. I can't wait to get into that details a little bit more of the event later. I did. I'm. Craig Dalton (Host) | 00:06:21 to 00:06:46 As I'm speaking, I misspoke because I have been to Europe once before around the Tour of Flanders and did the Tour of Flanders grandson do, which I noted. And in speaking to the Trek travel guides, you've got a series of awesome trips that month in Flanders of a similar vein. Right. You do have Perry Roubaix and. Or a Flanders trip. Rich Snodsmith (Guest) | 00:06:46 to 00:06:57 Yeah. You can choose the whole Holy Week, you could do both Flanders and Roubaix or you can break it into chunks and do one or the other. So it's. Yeah. If you're a pro race fan, that's a nice companion to Strat Bianca. Rich Snodsmith (Guest) | 00:06:57 to 00:07:10 The. The Flanders Roubaix ultimate weekend or ultimate week there. And then one of the highlights of the year, presumably for Trek travel is your Tour de France tours. For sure. We take over a couple hundred people there every year. Rich Snodsmith (Guest) | 00:07:11 to 00:07:19 We do usually do five or six trips through the Alps and the Pyrenees. It's. That's a pretty exciting one too, if you've never been to the Tour. For sure. Yeah. Craig Dalton (Host) | 00:07:19 to 00:07:45 Well, let's talk through the trip a little bit that we participated in because I think it'll give people a flavor. I've talked about my, my experience with track in Girona and my general love of gravel travel. But more extensively, I love traveling by bike and having these experiences because it's just, it's just so much fun. So we start off the trip, it's a pretty quick trip relative to some others because in a five day timeline. Right. Craig Dalton (Host) | 00:07:45 to 00:08:01 So we flew over. You'd Already been in Europe, but I flew over to Florence and met you the night before. And day one, we basically just get picked up by our guides and head on over to Siena, which is about an hour and a half away. Yep. And then the bikes. Craig Dalton (Host) | 00:08:01 to 00:08:21 Yeah, straight onto the bikes. And the beauty of. The beauty of this trip and all the truck travel trips is they've got bikes already set up for you, so you send your measurements and if you want to ride your own saddles or pedals, you can, you're welcome to bring those, but they'll basically get it dialed. And that. That first day, I think we went for maybe an hour and a half shakeout ride just to see how the bike. Rich Snodsmith (Guest) | 00:08:21 to 00:08:31 30 miles. Yeah, yeah. And how many people were in our group. We had 19 with us and then three guides. Okay, so is that pretty typical on these pro bike? Craig Dalton (Host) | 00:08:31 to 00:08:46 Sort of. They tend to sell out. They're pretty popular. And guests will go back and forth between the Strada Bianca or. I think quite a few of the guests or folks that were on our trip had done the ultimate Holy Week trip before with Flanders and Roubaix and some had done the tour as well. Craig Dalton (Host) | 00:08:46 to 00:09:03 Yeah. It was pretty fascinating talking to some of the men and women on our trip to learn just how many trips they had done with you guys. Yeah, it was neat to like show up and kind of already have the camaraderie of. A lot of the guests on that trip had been with Nick or Viba or Gio on previous trips. So they were. Rich Snodsmith (Guest) | 00:09:03 to 00:09:21 There was already sort of a built in fan base there. Yeah. And I suppose it's. I suppose it's the nature of this type of trip, but I felt like everybody in the crew was quite competent on the bike and there were some people who were faster than us, some people slower than us, but everybody was mostly faster. Yeah. Rich Snodsmith (Guest) | 00:09:21 to 00:09:25 There's an impressive riders on this trip. It was pretty, pretty great. Yeah. Yeah. And the. Craig Dalton (Host) | 00:09:26 to 00:09:45 And the guides were equally impressive both, you know, across the week. Just getting to know them personally, seeing their fitness. A, but B. And more importantly, they're just understanding of all the sectors and the roads that we'd be riding and their, their love of Strada Bianchi. Yeah, the knowledge and passion for the race was definitely evident. Rich Snodsmith (Guest) | 00:09:45 to 00:09:57 It was pretty cool. Yeah. So we got a shakeout ride on the Monday or, sorry, on the first day of the trip. Yeah. And then the second day we went a bit longer and kind of got our first real look at some of the. Craig Dalton (Host) | 00:09:57 to 00:10:19 The white roads. Yeah, we think it was a 50. It was a nice lead up to the Fondo because it was like a 30 mile day one, a 50 mile on day two, which was pretty challenging. It was, but not like back breaking. And then we went to the race to view the race viewing day, which was like a gentle 30 miles before the Fonda, which was kind of a nice way to structure the week. Craig Dalton (Host) | 00:10:19 to 00:10:42 Yeah. When I think when I first looked at that mileage, I'm like, gosh, I'm going all the way to Italy. I just want to ride my ass off. But as, as it came down to it between like travel fatigue, it being earlier in the year, and the punchiness of those climbs we were experiencing on day two, like that was enough in sort of those first couple days. And I felt totally satisfied. Rich Snodsmith (Guest) | 00:10:42 to 00:10:56 Yeah, you can put in if you're doing the big options every day. You get 200 miles in, in four days, plus the race viewing. So it's, it's, I think it's a really well designed trip. It's, it is compact. But it's surprising how tired you can be after doing those four days. Craig Dalton (Host) | 00:10:56 to 00:11:10 Yeah, yeah, a hundred percent. The elevation is pretty. Every day has a nice chunk of elevation gain. Yeah. And I think for, for us, like we don't have a ton of rolling hills around where we live, they said they tend to be more sustained. Craig Dalton (Host) | 00:11:10 to 00:11:28 So it definitely felt different to me. I was feeling a little underprepared that, that 50 mile day, thinking, Gosh, we've got to do 90 plus in the Gran Fondo. It's going to be a long day out there. I'm not gonna lie. I don't think I said it during the trip, but I was a little worried after the first two days. Rich Snodsmith (Guest) | 00:11:28 to 00:11:39 I was grateful for the race watching like cool down day before the Fondo. It all worked out. But yeah, yeah, yeah. So we should, I mean, we should talk through a little bit. We'll get into race day next. Craig Dalton (Host) | 00:11:39 to 00:12:05 But you know, basically every day after the ride, you just leave your bike and the team cleans it, takes care of it, puts it away. You've got really nothing to do but show up and eat and enjoy yourself in Siena. Yeah, take a nap, whatever you need. We, we stayed at a great hotel, the Hotel Athena, just right outside, like in Siena, but just outside the wall. So it was easy to walk like 10 minutes into town. Rich Snodsmith (Guest) | 00:12:06 to 00:12:24 Really, really great location. I mean, one of the best things about the Fondo day was waking up to a completely clean, like just power wash, power dried, chain lubed. It was like a brand new bike getting Ready to ride out to the start. It was pretty great. Clean bike is a fast bike, so I appreciate that. Craig Dalton (Host) | 00:12:24 to 00:12:40 And shammy time's training time. That's right. But yeah, those guys work their butts off to keep those bikes in great shape every morning when you show up. Yeah, no doubt about that one. Sort of topography. Craig Dalton (Host) | 00:12:40 to 00:12:50 Topography note. Siena is up on a hill. Yeah. And you know, that was like warm down. There's no warm down and there's no sort of. Craig Dalton (Host) | 00:12:50 to 00:13:08 In the, in the early mornings when we were rolling out, we're going downhill for 5, 10 minutes no matter what. So it was quite cool on the road out in the rollout in March, for sure. We lucked out. We, the guides every day were saying, it's not usually like this. Like it was. Rich Snodsmith (Guest) | 00:13:08 to 00:13:18 We had like mid-60s during the day, every day. And it was. Fortunately we saw almost zero rain, which was great. Would have been tough to ride those roads in the mud. A hundred percent. Craig Dalton (Host) | 00:13:18 to 00:13:38 And I think it just would have taken away from how much fun we had out on the course on the third day, which is. So we, we did ride maybe 15, 20K out to, I think sector number two on the women's and men's road course. Got to see the women come through, which is a lot of fun. Right, right on one of the. Those gravel roads. Craig Dalton (Host) | 00:13:38 to 00:13:49 Cheer them on. We had ridden that road the day before and then we went to a cafe. Totally overwhelmed. This local cafe with 23 people needing locusts. Yeah. Craig Dalton (Host) | 00:13:49 to 00:14:07 Yeah. I think ebay went in there and basically said, I will buy your entire rack of baked goods. And he just walked him outside and he's like, get the cappuccino machine going and keep them going until we say stop. Yeah, that was great. It was a nice break between the women's and the men's race. Rich Snodsmith (Guest) | 00:14:07 to 00:14:26 It was incredible to see, like the riders go through, but then you just see the apparatus of like all the, the sort of security cars, then all the team cars. And at a certain point, both of our videos, all you can see is dust. When you're on the gravel, when everybody's raging by in the team cars, it's like, there they go. And here come. Here comes the caravan, the follow caravan. Craig Dalton (Host) | 00:14:26 to 00:14:40 It's pretty cool when the safety motorcycles come by and sort of just casually brush people a little bit further to the side of the road. Get, get closer to the curb, will you? Yeah, yeah, yeah. It was interesting. I mean, we didn't. Craig Dalton (Host) | 00:14:40 to 00:14:53 We couldn't see much of the run up of the women's race, but there was Seemingly a fracture. Even at the point in which we started watching, I think there might have been a crash before the women's race. Pretty broken up outside of the main pack. Yeah, yeah. So it was cool. Craig Dalton (Host) | 00:14:53 to 00:15:21 Yeah, they were going slow enough that you could kind of really see your, your favorite athletes cruise by, which is a lot of fun. And to your point, it is always cool seeing all the support the professional athletes get in the team cars. Yeah, it was interesting to see the breakaway. You know, in the men's race you had like a two or three minute breakaway. To see them go by first and then their car, their follow cars and then seeing the, the whole peloton and like UAE on the front clearly just ready to rip it. Rich Snodsmith (Guest) | 00:15:21 to 00:15:43 It was pretty cool. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And we should mention that the, the night before with this trip, we had the opportunity, right, to meet the Lidl track team and we got to go on the, the, the tour bus, as I would call it, the, you know, the big bus that the riders hang out in before and after the race. No photos. Yeah, I was really excited to do some photos. Rich Snodsmith (Guest) | 00:15:43 to 00:15:53 Yeah. And they said no photos, no photos. And, and then we saw the, you know, the, the mechanics van with all the bikes. Mobile service course. That was incredible. Rich Snodsmith (Guest) | 00:15:53 to 00:16:01 Like. Yeah. How many bikes, wheels, chain, chain sets, tires. It's just like a. Incredible organization to get that all set up. Craig Dalton (Host) | 00:16:01 to 00:16:09 Yeah. And then it was cool meeting. We got to meet the women's team and some of the men's team members. Do you remember who we got to talk to? We talked to the whole women's team. Rich Snodsmith (Guest) | 00:16:09 to 00:16:28 They all kind of came out. We sort of had dinner that night with them in the hotel. So we got to talk to mostly Ena Tutenberg, the director, Retta Hansen, great domestique. And then Lizzie Danan was pretty, they were pretty engaging, pretty, pretty fun to see them all chatting up and answering questions from our group. And we got to met. Rich Snodsmith (Guest) | 00:16:28 to 00:16:39 It was a little bit different with the men. They kind of came and went. But we got to meet the previous year's second place finisher Tom Scoins. That was really interesting to talk to him about his race. I think you talked a bit to Quinn Simmons. Rich Snodsmith (Guest) | 00:16:40 to 00:16:53 So we got to meet like a little bit of the whole team there, which was really cool. Yeah, it was cool. And probably not giving away any secrets. Say they, they had a buffet that was separate from our meal. They had scales to weigh their food. Craig Dalton (Host) | 00:16:53 to 00:17:10 They were quite a bit more disciplined than our 19 person group. Yeah, that was, I was surprised to see that as well. I was with my back to them. So they're weighing their food, really, as I'm. As I'm shoveling my pescatarian options in. Craig Dalton (Host) | 00:17:12 to 00:17:39 Um, so then we going back to race day, we see the men in the same location, then we ride ourselves back to Siena that day. Um, and I think we were able to go back to that. Well, I know we were able to go back to the hotel and then make it into the piazza for the time that the women were going to be finishing, which was awesome. We couldn't have timed it better. Yeah, it was great to get back to the hotel, drop off the bikes, grab a quick shower, and then head over there. Rich Snodsmith (Guest) | 00:17:39 to 00:18:06 To watch the last, like, 20k and see him come into the finish line was super, super exciting. It's just such a beautiful, scenic place to finish a bike race. We'll get into. I mentioned that it's up at the top of a hill, so we'll talk about what it's like finishing there, but just you've got this square that's not that big, a great, beautiful clock tower. And the imagery is just stunning. Craig Dalton (Host) | 00:18:06 to 00:18:24 When they come around the final corner, there's people up in their apartments cheering them on from around the corner. And then you see a rider emerge or a sprint emerge to a slight downhill to the finish line. It's just an incredible scene. Yeah, it's pretty iconic. Like, if you think about, like, that finish line, compared to. Rich Snodsmith (Guest) | 00:18:24 to 00:18:44 You could compare it to, like, the finish in Roubaix on the velodrome or the finish on the Champs Elysees in France. It's a super, super different way to finish a bike race up that steep, the Santa Catarina steep climb into the compos. Just really unique. And we were able to get, I mean, super close to the. To the women's finish. Rich Snodsmith (Guest) | 00:18:44 to 00:18:51 Yeah, it was. That was sort of shocking how few people were there. It's sort of a bummer. We were there for the women's race. We're just going to say that now. Rich Snodsmith (Guest) | 00:18:51 to 00:19:16 So we were excited to be so close and to see the podium ceremony afterwards. But you got some great shots of Demi Vollering winning. And then we were standing right where they all finish, and they're all kind of, like, bottlenecked into this little corner and their whole team is surrounding them and people are congratulating them, and they all just look destroyed, and you're just like, wow, how can you get this close to such amazing athletes? But it was. It was really, really cool. Craig Dalton (Host) | 00:19:16 to 00:19:36 Yeah, super cool. And then so we watched the celebration as they got their trophy and sprayed the champagne. We're almost close enough to get hit with champagne. I feel like that was cool. And then the track team had secured a lunch spot right on the piazza in one of the restaurants with the massive flat screen tv. Craig Dalton (Host) | 00:19:36 to 00:20:02 So we were able to roll over there, joined lunch that was already in progress and watch the men's race on TV for a few hours. Yeah, that was like a really cool setup to see the women's finish go stuff our faces and, and keep track of the race while we did it and then be able to run right back outside to see the men finish in the same way. I mean it was pretty remarkable. I think we like getting kind of itchy with about 15, 20k to go. We're like, you ready? Rich Snodsmith (Guest) | 00:20:02 to 00:20:35 Let's get out there, stake out our spot along the finish line. It was awesome. You know, being in North American, we don't always get to watch these events live as they're unfolding. So just sort of feel the energy and watch on the TV obviously that the Tom Pickock Pagachar breakaway was happening and we were all, I think all eyes were on the television at the point where they've got this great shot of Tade ripping around this corner and just hitting the deck. And I didn't think he was going to get up. Craig Dalton (Host) | 00:20:35 to 00:20:47 I don't know about you. It looked, and the first time I saw it, it looked like he really wailed his head and he rolled far into the grass. Got catapulted into the grass. Yeah, yeah. I was absolutely shocked he was able to get up. Craig Dalton (Host) | 00:20:47 to 00:21:22 And then it was nice to see Tom Pickock do the gentlemanly thing and you know, he, yeah, kind of shook his head after the crash but you know, clearly just soft pedaled until today came back to him. It was, it's incredible when you're either in the restaurant or like on the square with the Jumbotrons and something like that happens and you hear the whole crowd gasp, you know, like that, that like collective gasp of a few thousand people right next to you is like pretty like wow, that just happened. Exactly. A shocking mid race events for sure. Yeah, totally. Craig Dalton (Host) | 00:21:22 to 00:21:50 And then once it was back on, like you said, I think with, with, you know, 15k today attacked maybe with 18k to go. And by 15 or 10k we were like, we gotta get out there and get on the streets and get right by the finish line again to see this. Yeah, it was incredible to see him come over the line first all battered and bloodied and he had, was so full of Adrenaline. He didn't say much until he got into the interviewing room. It's like right before he was going to go get his trophy that it kind of hurts now. Rich Snodsmith (Guest) | 00:21:50 to 00:22:15 It's like he had so much adrenaline to attack and finish the race, but as soon as the race is done, he's like, oh, I'm really scratched up. Yeah, he was totally tore up. And then the other interesting thing for me at the finish line was that, you know, not a lot of people actually finish the race, which is. I mean, as a professional, I get it. Like, you do your job, and then you and I will talk about how hard it is to get to the finish and. Craig Dalton (Host) | 00:22:15 to 00:22:25 And why, if. If you weren't required to get there, maybe you don't get there. So I think maybe only, like, 20, 25 riders finished. Does that feel right to you? That sounds about right. Rich Snodsmith (Guest) | 00:22:25 to 00:22:39 Once. Once you're out of contention, there's not a whole lot of reason to struggle through. It was. It was incredible to stand there and watch the finishes that come through that just covered in dust, sometimes dust and blood and just looking shattered. Uh, and, yeah, was a little scary. Rich Snodsmith (Guest) | 00:22:39 to 00:22:53 Thinking about what we were going to do the next morning didn't help the nerves. No. Real quick shout out to Tade. I thought it was so classy. When he was being interviewed after the finish, they're like, hey, you're the first world champion to. Rich Snodsmith (Guest) | 00:22:53 to 00:23:00 To win Strada Bianche. And he's like, no, Lada Kapeki won last year. She was the champion. I love. I love that. Rich Snodsmith (Guest) | 00:23:00 to 00:23:08 It was so great. It's just, like, such a classy guy and sort of respect for the sport and his fellow athletes. Pretty cool. Yeah. 100%. Craig Dalton (Host) | 00:23:09 to 00:23:26 Well giddy with our. Our race day experience, we then kind of went off to dinner and back to the hotel and needed to get our heads around what 140km on that course was going to look like for us in the gran fondo with 7,000 of our closest friends. Yeah. I'm not gonna lie. I was a little nervous about that start. Rich Snodsmith (Guest) | 00:23:26 to 00:23:33 Just not. Not about the. Well, okay. Maybe a little bit about the distance and the elevation, but just. Yeah. Rich Snodsmith (Guest) | 00:23:33 to 00:23:48 Do you want to talk about what that was like? Yeah. Like a starting bell go off and 7,000 people take off. I know you've done, like, SBT and Unbound, so it's probably not that different, but the scale was pretty large. Yeah. Craig Dalton (Host) | 00:23:48 to 00:24:02 Yeah. I think, you know, the guides did a really good job of one, previewing us some of the terrain we were going to be on. Yeah. They gave us a lot of confidence that the Trek van was going to be there. So we, we had multiple drop bag locations. Craig Dalton (Host) | 00:24:02 to 00:24:31 We knew they were going to be there for us, that we didn't have to go to the mass, you know, rest stop areas, which was a super luxury. So we're on the Trek Checkpoint SLR bikes with 45C gravel tires on them. So, you know, pretty robust bicycle for this kind of event. When you compare to what a lot of people were riding. I think the professionals were still on 28 or 30s and full slicks. Craig Dalton (Host) | 00:24:31 to 00:24:46 So interesting from an equipment perspective. And that'll come up, I think, in our conversation. But we get up at 6am we go down to breakfast. You and I are roommates. We go down to breakfast at like 6:01 and every single table is occupied. Craig Dalton (Host) | 00:24:46 to 00:25:02 We're sort of fighting for space. This is clearly everybody's fueling up. There's, you know, dozens and dozens and dozens of people in the hotel who are going to go on the same journey we are. I think our rollout time from the hotel was 7:00am does that sound right? That sounds right. Rich Snodsmith (Guest) | 00:25:02 to 00:25:12 Yeah. Yeah. So we, we had to go down a hill. This detail wasn't clear in my mind morning of. But we had to ride somewhere to start the event. Craig Dalton (Host) | 00:25:12 to 00:25:29 And of course, being in Siena, we had to ride downhill. And then right back then we, and then we rode back up to another part of town. And there were multiple different staging areas based on a color on your number plate. So we kind of fumbled around. Maybe there was five or five different colors out there. Craig Dalton (Host) | 00:25:29 to 00:25:41 I think we were in the, the green sector and there's. There had to have been 1500 people in our sector alone. Yeah, it was. I think it was based on distance you were doing and maybe the speed you were going to ride. I'm not sure. Craig Dalton (Host) | 00:25:41 to 00:26:10 Yeah, yeah, there could be something like if you're demonstrably a fast person, you're going to go in a different color than us. But, you know, we've been, we be in particular had mentioned, like, it's crazy town to begin with in this event. And I think in addition to 7,000 people being around you, we started with a massive downhill. Yeah, there were a lot of people going really fast. It was good advice. Rich Snodsmith (Guest) | 00:26:10 to 00:26:30 He was saying, you know, kind of keep your space and kind of stay to the right because people are going to want to pass on the left. And they were certainly doing that. So, yeah, I think we stayed together or within close proximity just to, you know, for the first. Like you said, the first Hour or so to navigate some of that. But once we hit that first section of dirt, I saw the. Rich Snodsmith (Guest) | 00:26:30 to 00:26:46 I saw the robot eyes go on, and you were gone. You're like, dirt. My comfort zone. I wasn't so comfortable with all these people flying around me. I remember at one point you and I were sort of casually riding maybe like three feet apart. Rich Snodsmith (Guest) | 00:26:46 to 00:27:07 Yeah. And someone just splits the middle. And I was like, okay, I guess we gotta ride closer if we're gonna discourage these people from dive bombing. And they were dive bombing left, right, and center, no matter what we did. Yeah, there was a lot of passing on the right, passing in weird places, and a lot of people just sinistra passing on the left. Rich Snodsmith (Guest) | 00:27:07 to 00:27:13 I'm on your left. I'm going hard. It was like. And. And my problem is I never internalized which one was right or left. Craig Dalton (Host) | 00:27:13 to 00:27:22 So I would just kind of keep it a straight line whenever possible. Hold still. Yeah. So, yeah, there's. I mean, I think blissfully in terms of the amount of mileage we needed to cover. Craig Dalton (Host) | 00:27:22 to 00:27:57 It was nice that there was, I don't know, call it 20k of riding on pavement to break things up a little bit before we hit the first dirt section. First dirt section was 2.1km long. Still pretty packed in terms of people being around, but definitely, like, I felt more personally in my comfort zone at that point. I knew that from an equipment perspective, with the 45C tires, I had a lot more control than a lot of the. My Italian compatriots who were riding 25s and 28s on their full arrow road bikes. Rich Snodsmith (Guest) | 00:27:57 to 00:28:16 There were a lot of flat tires in that first couple hours. Yeah, yeah, no doubt there was. There was some parallels with the unbound experience where it's just crazy and flat tires are happening all the time. That was the nice thing about the checkpoint. Like, the tires are, you know, a little bit bigger, but no, no one on the ride got a flat. Rich Snodsmith (Guest) | 00:28:16 to 00:28:30 And that's just really comfortable. Like in a ride like that where it's. It can be pretty challenging, both from a elevation perspective, but also just a terrain perspective, just getting bounced around a bit. It was, if I felt pretty. Pretty good at the end, surprisingly. Craig Dalton (Host) | 00:28:30 to 00:28:48 Yeah. I think for. I think for. For people who haven't done a ton of gravel riding, it was a confidence inspiring choice to set them up that way because you could go in as someone who's ridden on the road a ton and ride that gravel and not feel like the bike was all over the place. Yeah. Craig Dalton (Host) | 00:28:48 to 00:29:06 Totally sketchy. I mean, it's Totally stable under you. Yeah, I witnessed some sketchy, sketchy stuff out there with people and not nothing to do with their bikes handling talents. It was just equipment choice. They like literally could not stay on their line because of their tires being. Rich Snodsmith (Guest) | 00:29:06 to 00:29:29 So much smaller and rim brakes on some of those things. The descents, I mean there's. We talk about the climbs but like even some of the descents were, you know, somewhat challenging to navigate, especially with a group. It really kind of opened up once you made the turn to the, the longer part of the event. The, the full fondo and then it kind of really opened up for us like where there was riders but not nearly. Craig Dalton (Host) | 00:29:30 to 00:29:51 Yeah, yeah, a hundred percent. And I think it's a good, it's a good point. On the descending it definitely was. You could definitely see the people who had either just confidence warranted or unwarranted or the right bike for the situation. Yeah, because I was, you know, there were definitely stutter bumps from all the riders out there. Craig Dalton (Host) | 00:29:51 to 00:30:11 So you definitely got into situations where you were, you were getting a lot of feedback from the trail. Yeah, it's amazing to have ridden some of those roads in the first couple of days. I think they actually go through and they grade it before the race. Like they try to kind of smooth it out a little bit. But after, you know, two races go through with all the cars and all the riders, the conditions have changed in one day pretty significantly. Rich Snodsmith (Guest) | 00:30:11 to 00:30:23 It was pretty interesting. Yeah. Yeah. In total there's 10 different gravel sectors in this event over the 140km. I think there's 50km of gravel riding. Craig Dalton (Host) | 00:30:23 to 00:30:43 So it was a nice mix of. Felt like more in a good way. Yeah, for me, for me I was just like, I was way more comfortable on the. Not way more comfortable, but I was having way more fun. Yeah, I think you alluded to like after the, after the two, first two gravel sections I would just hit one and be like, okay, it's on. Craig Dalton (Host) | 00:30:43 to 00:31:07 And I was having, I was just having a blast. And yeah, some of these climbs, I mean they were 15, 18% grade, both up and down and a lot of. Them are in the last 20k. Yeah, that's for sure. I remember one, one sector I was just kind of talking to myself and having fun because most everybody speaks Italian and I didn't. Craig Dalton (Host) | 00:31:07 to 00:31:35 So I remember at one point a writer just closed the door on the left hand side to another rider and I, I sort of jokingly said, but fairly loud, I guess that door is closed. And it turned out the guy was from the UK and He was just dying laughing because I think he was having the same experience with me. Like, nothing I said really landed with anybody. So it's hard to kind of. You just sort of make noise to make yourself aware and obviously ride as safely as possible. Rich Snodsmith (Guest) | 00:31:35 to 00:31:55 Yeah, it was, it was a super, like, challenging experience, but it was like. I don't know if you felt the same as super rewarding, especially like getting through that last 20k and hitting, you know, the Toll Fe climb, getting up the Santa Catarina, like, those are. Those are steep climbs. I don't talk about that experience that you had coming up. A couple of those. Craig Dalton (Host) | 00:31:55 to 00:32:19 Yeah, for sure. I mean, those were later in the day. And we're talking 10 kilometer long sectors at this point, which was cool because the earlier ones were shorter, you know, as I mentioned, like 4k, 5k. So to get on the longer ones and then some of the. You were just looking at these beautiful gravel roads going through the Tuscan hillsides. Craig Dalton (Host) | 00:32:19 to 00:32:34 Yeah, it was super cool. And we, we sort of hadn't mentioned in the previous days we'd seen castles and old brick towns and, like, we definitely had this. It was, it was a beautiful ride. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Even when you're suffering, at least you got something to look at. Rich Snodsmith (Guest) | 00:32:35 to 00:32:45 That's pretty. Exactly. And I didn't know enough about the route. Like, I didn't agonize over it. Like, you know, I might have done unbound to try to figure out, like, how am I going to survive this thing? Craig Dalton (Host) | 00:32:45 to 00:33:06 It was kind of more by the seat of our pants. And that, that one long climb up. I think it's the Tofe pass where we met Gio in the van. Like, that was more than I had expected because it was like, just felt like a long gravel grind. And it was interesting just experiencing that and seeing the fans on the side of the road encouraging you. Craig Dalton (Host) | 00:33:06 to 00:33:21 And then you, you kind of crest out on the ridge line back onto the pavement. Yeah. And the van's there and you're just. Like, oh, great, thank goodness, just where you're supposed to be. And you could look back watching everybody coming up the hill. Craig Dalton (Host) | 00:33:21 to 00:33:33 And it was so funny. So you, you hadn't arrived yet. We had gotten separated for a bit, and an Irish rider comes up with two friends. And he. And he's like, hey, do you guys have any tape? Craig Dalton (Host) | 00:33:33 to 00:33:44 Oh, yeah, yeah. Maybe you were there. Gio's like, well, what do you need tape for? And he's like, my, my look pedal. The entire back end of the pedal has fallen off. Craig Dalton (Host) | 00:33:44 to 00:33:54 So basically he's got Zero purchase. Yeah. And he's like, my friends are tired of pushing me up these hills. Do you have any tape? And Gio's like, don't be ridiculous. Craig Dalton (Host) | 00:33:54 to 00:34:06 Like, tape's not gonna do anything. How about breaking away? Yeah. How about we give you a set of pedals, a set of cleats, you just return them. Back in Siena, we're all going to the same place. Rich Snodsmith (Guest) | 00:34:06 to 00:34:12 Yeah. Yeah. Such a nice gesture. The guy sat there, put his cleats on, then ended up finishing the race. That was cool. Rich Snodsmith (Guest) | 00:34:12 to 00:34:34 Or the ride. Yeah. That's super cool. Gio also mentioned that Quinn Simmons, the professional rider from Lidl Trek, he had flatted out of the race the day before. And it turns out he showed up at the Trek van because he was riding the Gran Fondo with his mom and dad, and he had yet another flat, and Geo gave him a tube to kick him down the road. Rich Snodsmith (Guest) | 00:34:35 to 00:34:51 Mobile bike shop. Yeah. Gotta love it. And that. Once we got on that ridgeline, it was awesome because we did have a substantial amount of road riding ahead of us for a while, which I'm sure I could speak for both of us was a bit of a relief to just be able to cruise. Craig Dalton (Host) | 00:34:51 to 00:35:00 It was a lot of downhilling at that point. We got into some good groups, and we were just. Just kind of motoring and putting some kilometers under our belt. And you can start to see the city. So you. Rich Snodsmith (Guest) | 00:35:00 to 00:35:12 You got your sight line for your finish. Yeah, it's pretty cool. And then I think we were in good spirits. We rolled up with a couple of our. Our trip mates along the way, which was fun to kind of ride with those guys. Craig Dalton (Host) | 00:35:12 to 00:35:17 Roll up. Patrick and Perry. Exactly. Good guys. Very strong. Craig Dalton (Host) | 00:35:17 to 00:35:23 Yeah. Roll up to that van. And we're like. They're like, great. You know, great you guys are here. Craig Dalton (Host) | 00:35:23 to 00:35:34 Let's get you situated. What do you need? Let's get you some more food, et cetera. And then it kind of dawned on, I think, both of us that we knew how much elevation we were needing to have done. I think It's. Craig Dalton (Host) | 00:35:34 to 00:35:45 Was it 7,000ft over the course of the day? Yeah. And we hadn't yet hit 5.5,000ft of. Climbing, and there wasn't much longer to go. Yeah, I'm like, there's a. Craig Dalton (Host) | 00:35:45 to 00:36:07 There's a big disconnect here. I got a big problem because it seems like we don't have a lot of mileage, and we've got a lot of vertical feet to cover. So that was a little bit of a heady moment, but it was nice to like, have sort of had a reset, get some food, get a little more warm clothes on if we needed it, and then head off on those last sectors. It's like, yeah. That's why I knew I could make it. Rich Snodsmith (Guest) | 00:36:07 to 00:36:15 I knew it was going to be hard, but I was like, okay, I'm just going to kind of strap in. Let's go. Yeah. Yeah, we had that. I think both of us misunderstood. Craig Dalton (Host) | 00:36:16 to 00:36:41 We had asked about this steep climb we had ridden two days before and how far up it was, and I think they were thinking about the dirt sector, and we were talking about this vicious road, and it was right after the rest stop. Yeah, it's right after the rest stop. Like, oh, there it is. It's right here. And this was like the type of climb, even fresh, you sort of think about doing the paper boy weave back and forth on the course. Rich Snodsmith (Guest) | 00:36:41 to 00:36:50 When you. You can see it from a half mile away, you're like, oh, no. Is that where we're going? Yeah. And then a couple more tough gravel climbs after that point. Rich Snodsmith (Guest) | 00:36:50 to 00:36:55 Yeah. Then we got into. Really. Yeah, it was. It was. Rich Snodsmith (Guest) | 00:36:55 to 00:37:05 Yeah. And it's funny, I mean, that very much felt like, to me, like the. The end of a big gravel event. Where, you know, you're like almost single tracky. Like, when you get up to the ridge, there was kind of. Craig Dalton (Host) | 00:37:05 to 00:37:24 Yeah. Switch back, little single track, kind of super cool. I got some good pictures of you and Perry coming up there, and. And then we kind of. We get into some small towns and starts feeling like we're getting close to Siena because we'd ridden back into Siena a few times, cruising, riding with Patrick and a few other guys. Craig Dalton (Host) | 00:37:24 to 00:37:42 And then we hit the climb into Siena, and. Holy God. I mean, this thing is, I don't know, maybe 16, 17% at the end. You kind of climb up the pavement just to soften your legs up a little bit. You go through one of the gates of Siena, one of the. Craig Dalton (Host) | 00:37:42 to 00:38:13 From the wall of Siena, and then you. These big cobbles, and you're riding up this chute that you just see probably a quarter mile up ahead of you, and there's fans on the side of the road, there's riders struggling to get up. And it's just this epic scene that you have seen now from watching the pro bike race. You'd seen the riders go up it. And I just remember feeling like just very part of the cycling community and cycling world in Siena at that moment. Rich Snodsmith (Guest) | 00:38:13 to 00:38:26 Yeah, it was fun. There are a lot of friends and family for tons of those riders out there. So they Were still cheering people on late in the day. So it kind of felt like you were like wrapping up your own personal strada bianchi race. A lot of people shouting at you to keep, keep pushing. Rich Snodsmith (Guest) | 00:38:26 to 00:38:41 It was really fun to kind of come into the city like that. I had a little bit of a break in my story because I kind of crusted that climb. And then we came to an intersection and there was riders going both ways. And I took a left and I'm. And then I. Craig Dalton (Host) | 00:38:41 to 00:38:48 I'm riding and like, this doesn't feel right. And I. I asked some riders, I'm like, is this the way to the finish? And they're. They were. Craig Dalton (Host) | 00:38:48 to 00:38:57 It was English as a second language. They're like, no, this is the pasta party. I didn't hear, Jesus. Oh, Jesus. I went the wrong way. Craig Dalton (Host) | 00:38:57 to 00:39:17 So I turned around and then rolled around the corner. And then you roll into the piazza. You got this, you know, the big clock tower. You go across the same finish line as the pros that we watched before. Just super cool conclusion to an amazing day out there. Rich Snodsmith (Guest) | 00:39:18 to 00:39:25 And you get your metal, your finisher metal. Got my meter. Yeah, exactly. The 10 years of the Gran Fondo. Yeah, that was pretty. Rich Snodsmith (Guest) | 00:39:25 to 00:39:33 That was a pretty nicely designed metal. I didn't realize it was the 10th anniversary. That was pretty cool. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And then I think everybody. Craig Dalton (Host) | 00:39:33 to 00:39:47 Everybody on the team finished. Yeah, on our crew, we had some doing the. The medium length one, some doing the long one, which we did. I think everybody, at minimum has some great stories to tell their friends when they went home. Yeah, it was. Rich Snodsmith (Guest) | 00:39:47 to 00:40:08 It was a big day, but it was definitely worth it. I think everybody. I think no one really said anything the night before, but I think a few people were a little bit nervous about it, but everybody was, like, super just stoked to arrive in the compo after the ride and just be like, that was amazing. Especially after watching the race the day before. Yeah, a hundred percent. Craig Dalton (Host) | 00:40:08 to 00:40:19 Yeah. In hindsight, like, it was. It was a week that was packed with. Packed with things to do. There was a nice progression of the mileage. Craig Dalton (Host) | 00:40:19 to 00:40:34 We didn't overcook my grits prior to the event, so I gave myself the best chance of having a good day out there. Yeah, it was hard and intimidating, which I loved. Right. But totally doable and. And certainly well supported along the way. Craig Dalton (Host) | 00:40:34 to 00:40:49 Whether it was from the. The Gran Fondo organizers or Trek's additional support level. Like, it just felt like a great accomplishment and felt it couldn't be more satisfied with my trip to Italy. Yeah, I'm Glad to hear it. It was great to have you there. Rich Snodsmith (Guest) | 00:40:49 to 00:41:06 It was 30 years in the making, so, yeah, it wouldn't have been nearly as fun without you there, so. Exactly. Well, it was fun reminiscing a bit, as I'm sure we'll continue to do over the years. It's such a monumental trip we had. And thanks for coming on. Craig Dalton (Host) | 00:41:06 to 00:41:42 Thanks for everything you guys do at Trek Travel, for sure. I think you're the third Trek travel person we've had over here. I've appreciated, as I've advocated to the audience, like, Trek's put a lot of energy into gravel tourism and gravel travel, and it's a great way to go see some of these communities you've read about. And particularly in the. For me, the European trips, just to experience the culture and have the guides with local knowledge has always been this, like, additional bit of je ne sais quoi about what that European experience is like. Rich Snodsmith (Guest) | 00:41:42 to 00:41:52 Yeah, there's a lot of great gravel over there. Yeah. Check us out, travel.com a good pitch. Lots of good trips in the States and in Europe, so. Yeah, exactly. Craig Dalton (Host) | 00:41:52 to 00:42:03 And if you're interested in Strada Bianca, it is a trip that sells out. It's obviously in March every year. I think you can already sort of reserve a spot on Trek Travels website. It's getting close. Yeah. Rich Snodsmith (Guest) | 00:42:03 to 00:42:12 You can sort of put yourself on a wait list. Yeah. And there's still. I don't know if there's still room in the Holy Week trips to Flanders and Roubaix. Okay. Rich Snodsmith (Guest) | 00:42:12 to 00:42:19 That one goes fast. Like, we're pretty close to sold out for that one. You got to get in early. And same with the Tour. It's pretty well booked. Rich Snodsmith (Guest) | 00:42:19 to 00:42:42 Even the Tour de Familes, the Women's Tour de France, is nearly sold out for this year, which is really exciting. Amazing. And I can't wait for you to have some gravel race trips in the future as well. I think it would be a fun way of doing some of these events. People who aren't necessarily racing but want to go to somewhere like SBT or to Unbound or. Craig Dalton (Host) | 00:42:42 to 00:42:53 I know you already have a trip to Bentonville, but it is kind of an interesting idea. I think you guys should play around with, connect the two. Yeah. Yeah. What would it be like to bring a group of people who just want to experience that. Craig Dalton (Host) | 00:42:53 to 00:43:04 That area in a deeper way and have a little bit of extra support in some of these milestone gravel events? Yeah, for sure. I think Unbound would be an interesting one, for sure. Yeah. Cool. Craig Dalton (Host) | 00:43:04 to 00:43:15 All right, well, I will let you go. Hopefully I even see you this weekend and we can do some riding and reminisce some more. Yeah. See you up in up in Marin. Sounds good. Rich Snodsmith (Guest) | 00:43:15 to 00:43:31 Take care, Craig. Good to see you. That's going to do it for this week's edition of the Gravel Ride Podcast. Big thanks to Rich for coming on the show. And a big thanks to Trek Travel for all the great gravel cycling experiences they offer around the world. Craig Dalton (Host) | 00:43:31 to 00:44:13 Top notch organization that's dedicating a lot of time and energy into the gravel world. So if you're a fan of professional bike racing and want to have an experience like I did at Stradabianca, go check them out@trektravel.com obviously they've got the other spring classics and the Tour de France, both men and women, as options for you, but also a bunch of fantastic gravel trips to Bentonville, to Switzerland, to Vermont, to Girona, all over the world. So again, go hit them up@trektravel.com and let them know that the Gravel Ride podcast sent you. Until next time, here's to finding some dirt under your wheels. Craig Dalton (Host) | 00:44:27 to 00:44:27 SA.  

Send us a textGood morning! Thank you for taking a few minutes to listen. If you are interested in the Daily Bible Devotional, you can find it at the links below:Amazon - (paperback, hardcover, and Kindle)Spiritbuilding.com - (premium quality paperback)Youtube Video Introducing the ContentFeel free to reach out with any questions: emersonk78@me.comLuke 22 Jesus is the calm amid the storm as the end of His earthly life approaches. The Jews seek to kill Him. Judas has set up His betrayal. The disciples, while faithful, understand little and often devolve into arguments over who is the greatest. Peter makes a commitment he cannot keep. But in all this, Jesus remains faithful. He gathers the Apostles and establishes the memorial supper that would have great meaning after His death and resurrection. He goes to the garden and communes with His Father. He is comforted by an angel and made ready to complete His mission. He quietly submits to arrest. While Peter's world is shattered by weakness in denying Jesus, the Savior tells the world He is God's Son, knowing it will lead to His death.    Satan is at work near the end of Jesus' life. He enters Judas to lead him to betray Jesus. He incites the jealousy of the Jewish leaders. He even demands permission to sift Peter like wheat and succeeds in tempting him to deny Jesus. Satan is a menace, then and now. He still features these same tactics: greed, fear, and pride. But Jesus is our anchor in the storm of Satan's efforts. He gathers and protects His disciples. He appeals to God on our behalf. Jesus communes with us in His memorial supper. And Jesus helps us face trials with composure and wisdom. We should always be anchored in Him and grateful for His help in times of need.  Holy God, we praise You during the trials and temptations of life. Satan tries to sow doubt and fear into our hearts. Father, give us clarity to see Your Son. He was focused, faithful, and always connected to You. His identity as Your Son sustained Him. Dear Lord, help us to be more like Him. Lead us to make more time for prayer and to keep our eyes on future hopes and blessings in Jesus. His behavior, even in the face of evil, was controlled by peace. Father, fill us with peace in knowing our triumphant King is always with us.   -       Why was Jesus so calm even as Satan was doing his work? How can you establish that kind of peace even if there is trouble around you? -       Jesus' disciples struggled under trial because overconfidence led to complacency. How do you keep from complacency in your faith? -       “Are you the Son of God?” “Yes, I am.” Jesus confidently confessed His name. How does your faith in His identity help you daily?

Passage: 1 Now Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, each took his censer and put fire in it and laid incense on it and offered unauthorized fire before the LORD, which he had not commanded them. 2 And fire came out from before the LORD and consumed them, and they died before the LORD. 3 Then Moses said to Aaron, “This is what the LORD has said: ‘Among those who are near me I will be sanctified, and before all the people I will be glorified.'” And Aaron held his peace. (Leviticus 10:1-3) Song: Only a Holy God by Dustin Smith, Jonny Robinson, Michael Farren, and Rich Thompson Lyrics: Who else commands all the hosts of heaven Who else could make every king bow down Who else can whisper and darkness trembles Only a Holy God What other beauty demands such praises What other splendour outshines the sun What other majesty rules with justice Only a Holy God Come and behold Him The One and the Only Cry out sing holy Forever a Holy God Come and worship the Holy God What other glory consumes like fire What other power can raise the dead What other name remains undefeated Only a Holy God Who else could rescue me from my failing Who else would offer His only Son Who else invites me to call Him Father Only a Holy God Only my Holy God Prayer: This is another day, O Lord. I know not what it will bring forth, but make me ready, Lord, for whatever it may be. If I am to stand up, help me to stand bravely. If I am to sit still, help me to sit quietly. If I am to lie low, help me to do it patiently. And if I am to do nothing, let me do it gallantly. Make these words more than words, and give me the Spirit of Jesus. Amen. -The Book of Common Prayer

Peter said to Jesus, “Rabbi, it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.” — Mark 9:5 Mountaintop experiences can come in many forms. Sometimes they occur on a literal mountain, like when our family rode the cog railroad to the top of Pikes Peak in Colorado. Other times they can be an experience or part of an event that leaves us feeling like we are on a mountaintop. Some of the students I work with have mountaintop experiences at a summer camp or on a mission trip, where everything goes well and they learn and grow in faith. We sometimes wish events like that could last forever, but mountaintop experiences rarely last. Peter thought the experience of Jesus' transfiguration on a mountain would last a long time. He even suggested building shelters for Jesus, Moses, and Elijah. But the top of this mountain wasn't where they needed to stay. The amazing, spectacular transfiguration of Jesus was soon past. Whatever your mountaintop experience is, it's probably not where you need to stay either. We are called to be in the world, living life, talking to the people around us, bringing about healing and peace, and walking the path that God has in store for us. Mountaintop experiences are great. And we can use them to fill us up for the everyday challenges God has in store for us. Holy God, thank you for filling us up with moments of your presence. Allow those times to carry us along on the path you have laid out for us. In Jesus, Amen.

Introduction: John 19:28-30 - After this, Jesus, knowing that all was now finished, said (to fulfill the Scripture), “I thirst.” A jar full of sour wine stood there, so they put a sponge full of the sour wine on a hyssop branch and held it to his mouth. When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, “It is finished,” and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit. 3 Things to Remind Yourself When You Feel Guilty: (Romans 3:21-28) You Are. (Romans 3:21-23) But God is Totally Satisfied by the Cross. (Romans 3:24-26) Proverbs 17:15 – He who justifies the wicked and he who condemns the righteous are both alike an abomination to the Lord. Exodus 23:7 – Keep far from a false charge, and do not kill the innocent and righteous, for I will not acquit the wicked. Acts 17:30 – The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent. And Justification is a Gift to Be Received By Faith. (Romans 3:27-28) Sermon Notes (PDF): BLANKHint: Highlight blanks above for answers! Audio Transcript Our next four messages, including Good Friday, which I just found out is on a Friday,will be talking about one of the most profound statements Jesus Christ ever made.And it was on the cross when he cried out, "It is finished."So we're going to be examining the question, "What is finished?"Think about finishing things, right?From a very early age, hopefully we've all been taught the importance of finishing things, right?Didn't you hear that growing up?And maybe some of you now parents are saying, "That's your kids."Hey, finish your supper. Finish your chores, right?Finish your homework.And we're taught that there are consequences when we don't finish.Well, the glorious reality that we're going to be looking at over these next four messages is this.The Son of God came to this earth to do something, and he finished it.So the question is, what is finished?Now let's go to the scene, John 19, verses 28 through 30.It says, "After this, Jesus, knowing that all was now finished, said,"to fulfill the Scriptures, "I thirst.A jar full of sour wine stood there, so they put a sponge full of the sour wine on a hissy branchand held it to his mouth when Jesus had received the sour wine.He said, 'It is finished.'And he bowed his head and gave up his spirit."What was finished?Well, today we're going to look at one thing of many that was finished.Today we're going to talk about the work of justification.Meaning our guilt is gone.I'd like you to buy your heads with me, please, and I just want to take a moment.If you would please pray for me to accurately communicate the Word of God as I should.And I will pray for you to have a heart open to receive what it is the Lord wants to teach us today from His Word.Alright? Let's pray.Father in heaven, as we turn to Your Word, it's a thought that makes us tremble to think that right nowwe are about to talk about the most important thing anyone will ever hear for their entire lives.And Father, we recognize that as no overstatement whatsoever.We can't begin to fathom how important this message is.This message has just been so distorted and twisted and changed,and we just want to get back to what Your Word actually says.See what You said, God, and we want to not align our lives with our concept of You, God,but we want to align our lives with what You actually said.So I'm asking, Father, You would open our hearts up this morningand that You would bring much glory to Yourself through the straightforward understanding of Your Word.We pray in Jesus' name, and all of God's people said,"Amen! What is finished, the work of justification, the guilt is gone."Do I have to sell anybody on guilt?We've all struggled with guilt, and some of us might be struggling with guilt right now.What is guilt? Well, guilt is just that bad feeling that we get when what I did was wrong.There's another word that's often connected to guilt, and it's the word shame.And shame's a little different.See, shame is the feeling of guilt that I have when people know what I did wrong.You know what I mean? Like, you could have a secret sin that nobody knows about,and you might feel guilt over that, but you don't feel shame because nobody knows.But if that secret sin gets made known, if people know about it, now all of a sudden,people must think of me differently. That's what shame is.How I think people think of me now because of my guilt.The point is this, my friends, we have both of those before God.We have guilt. I disobeyed. We have shame. God is surely disappointed in me.I want you to look at verse 24. We're going to back up here and get to context.I just want you to look at this first phrase in verse 24.This is Romans chapter 3, right?He says, "We are justified by His grace as a gift."That's what we're talking about today. Justification. What is that?It's the most important thing you will ever hear.Justification is God pronouncing a guilty sinner as not only being not guilty,but being perfectly righteous instead. It's a legal term.It's the opposite of condemnation.But listen, it's more than pardoned.So when you pardon someone, you're just taking away the penalty of what they did.Penalty for, excuse me, what they did wrong.Justification is so much more than that.It's not just canceling the penalty, but actually making righteous.Think of it this way. In God's justification, it's not just you won't be punished.God says you can't be punished because there are no grounds whatsoever for punishment anymore.Do you see the difference?But even as Christians, we still wrestle with guilt, don't we?I mean, look, if you've done something wrong to somebody else,you need to take steps to make that right.And Pastor Taylor did an amazing job last Wednesday at our latest workshop.So we're not talking about that today.But today we're talking about guilt before God.Am I really forgiven?Have you ever wrestled with that?Am I really a child of God?Or is God disappointed in me?Well, from God's Word today, I want you to jot some things down.Here's three things to remind yourself when you feel guilty.And if you don't feel guilty now, you will.I mean, like, eventually, I didn't mean like...In 30 seconds, you're all going to be bowing your heads.We all struggle with it from time to time, don't we?Is it just me?Okay, alright.Three things.Look, we're not trying to pile on here, okay?Here are three things to remind yourself when you feel guilty.Number one, you are.Like, wait, wait, wait, wait.I came here to feel good, Pastor Jeff.Look, listen, it has to start here.Because if you don't really think that you're guilty before God,Jesus won't really mean anything to you.Look at verse 21.He says, "But now the righteousness of God has been manifestedapart from the law."Although the law and the prophets bear witness to it.So up there, the Old Testament law was to teach us that we are sinners.That was the purpose of the Old Testament law.It was to teach us that we have broken the law of God.And even if you just reduce the Old Testament law to the Ten Commandments,just looking at those shows us adequately that we are really law sinners.I mean, let me ask you, have you always made the worship of Godand your walk with God the absolute most important thing in your life?Has it always been number one?No.Well, if not, then you've broken the first couple of commandments.You should only have one God.You shouldn't have worshiped anything else other than God.You're guilty.Have you always honored your parents perfectly?Like, no, there are times I haven't.Well, you've broken the fifth commandment,which says honor your father and mother.Have you ever hated someone?According to Jesus, you've broken the sixth commandment,which says you shouldn't murder because it starts in here.Have you ever lusted?Jesus said that's the same thing as committing adulteryand you've broken the seventh commandment.Have you ever stolen anything?That's breaking the eighth commandment.How we doing?How we doing?You're like, I'm doing pretty good.Okay, have you ever told a lie?You're like, I think maybe I just did.Well, if you've ever known the truthand intentionally said something else,then you've broken the ninth commandment.Have you ever wanted something that God gave somebody else?Like, what's the big deal?I'll tell you the big deal.That's breaking the tenth commandment.That's called coveting.So you see, that's the purpose of the law was to show us,oh, I'm not a righteous person on my own.We need to be made right with God,but the law shows us that we're sinners.We're sinners.It can't make us not guilty.The Old Testament law can't do that.Look at verse 22.He goes on.He says, "The righteousness of Godthrough faith in Jesus Christfor all who believe."Stop there for a second,because we have to make a key distinction here.Because if you miss this,you're going to be really lost here in a second.He's talking about the righteousness of God.He says it twice.That's the theme of this passage.What is the righteousness of God?Hang on.There's a distinction.In verses 25 and 26,he talks about God's righteousness.Listen, God's righteousness is differentthan the righteousness of God.Those are two different things.And it's going to be crystal clear in the contextso long as you stay tuned in to what God is saying here.Like, what's the difference?Here's the difference.Listen, God's righteousness is the righteousness that God owns.The righteousness of God is the righteousness God givesto believers.So he's saying -one other run at that one -God's righteousness is the righteousness that God owns.That's just another way of saying God's holiness.God is holy, He's perfect.That's what God's righteousness is.But when the Bible talks about here,the righteousness of God,it's talking about the righteousness that God gives to believers.And again, that's going to be very clear in the context.But I don't want us to get tripped up on the terms.So, Paul is claiming here that God makes us righteous through faith,implying that we need to be made righteous,implying that we're guilty.You see that?Look at verse 22, he goes on.He says, "For there is no distinction,for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God."Look, when we talk about being guilty before God,he says there's no distinction.It doesn't matter if you grew up in a Christian home.Or if you grew up in a home that didn't even have a Bible in it.It doesn't matter.It doesn't matterif you're the most rebellious sinner in the world.Or if you're just a pretty good person.He says we all have fallen short of the glory of God.Like, what glory of God? What is that?That's God's image.That's God's intention for man.We all failed to live up to being the peoplethat God has created us to be.We've all fallen short.Listen, it doesn't matter how short we've fallen.Because we've all fallen short.Imagine, we're standing on the shore of New Jersey,facing the Atlantic Ocean.And there's me.And there's my man, Max.And there's the Steelers quarterback.Who's the quarterback for the Steelers now?Oh, I'm sorry.I pushed a hot button.Let's just say Ben Rothlessberger.So let's say we're all standing on the shore of New Jersey.All right, me, Max, and Ben Rothlessberger.And we're each given a football.And we're told that we need to throw that football and hit England.I can do that. I mean, how far is England?And I -- everything that I got, I throw it.And it goes 10 feet into the ocean.And Max was like, "Pastor Jeff, step aside."Whoo!Tight spiral, 100 feet.Whoo!Into the ocean.Ben Rothlessberger steps up.And he's like, "I'm going to show you I still got it."And whoo! He throws it 200 feet into the ocean.Which one of us hit England?Right?We all fell short, didn't we?You're like, "Well, Jeff, you fell way shorter than Ben."Okay.But we all fell short. Do you see the point?It doesn't matter how short you've fallen.We all fell short of God's glory.And that's a big deal.Listen, church, we can't minimize that by saying,"I'm not really that guilty."We can't compare to say, "Well, I'm not as guilty as other people."And we can't trivialize it to say, "Yeah, okay, I'm guilty."So what?We need to confess it.I -- and by that I mean me --I am guilty of breaking God's law by my disobedience.So if you're struggling with guilt,this is just your friendly reminder that you are guilty.But number two,but God is totally satisfied by the cross.You are guilty, but God is totally satisfied by the cross.Look at verse 24 through the first part of 25.He says, "Okay, for all of us who fall short of the glory of God,a lot of us probably have that verse memorized, right?"But He says, "And are justified by His grace as a giftthrough the redemption it is in Christ Jesus,whom God put forward as a propitiationby His blood to be received by faith."Look, the cross of Jesus Christ is God's meansof making sinners righteous.Now, there's a word here in these verses we just read.You need to underline in your Bible right now.And we're going to have people at the door handing you an Easter devotionaland checking your Bibles to make sure that you underline this.But it's one of the most beautiful words in the entire Bible.And it's the word "propitiation."I think John uses it in 1 John as well.It's a beautiful word.Like, well, what is "propitiation"?Propitiation literally means to placate anger.I know some theologians try to dance around that.Like, almost to soften the blow.But no, that's what it means.It means God is furious over sin.Propitiation means He's not angry anymore.It means that Jesus' death satisfied God.Because of what Jesus Christ did on the cross, God saw that.And He said, "The full penalty has been paid.My wrath has been fully poured out.Punishment has been fully doled out."God says, "I am satisfied."You know, when we talk about salvation,sometimes we say, in our evangelism mindset,we say, "How do we get men to accept God?"And that's really not the question we need to ask.The question is, how do we get God to accept men?Because, listen, God was the one who was offended.Not me.God was offended.So any talk about salvation and being righteousand any talk of that has to satisfy God.And you see, that's where every other religion in the world,besides Christianity as presented in God's Word,straightforwardly, every other religion teachesthat there are things that we have to do to satisfy God.There are religious works or some kind of actionthat we have to take to make God satisfied.The Bible says we can't do it.Nothing we do can satisfy God.Look at verse 25 again.It says, "Whom God," talking about Jesus,"put forward as a propitiation by His bloodto be received by faith."Look at that.The Bible says, "God put Jesus forward."Do you see what's happening here?We sinned against God.We deserve God's wrath.And God took His Son and put Him forward.That means He demonstrated some things.He put Jesus on display.God showed us something on the cross.What did God show us on the cross?Well, later in Romans 5, verse 8,it says that God demonstrated His love on the cross.So love for sure.Here, specifically, He's saying that on the cross,God showed that His Son fully paid the penaltythat the law demanded.So now, God says, "Because of my Son..."Look, I'm showing you this.I'm showing you.This is what my Son did.Now, I'm satisfied.Propitiation.Propitiation.This is where theology is important, my friends.Christian, listen.I want you to listen real close, Christian.God is not mad at you.He's not.Because of Jesus,God has no wrath left for you.And to think that He doesis to minimize what Jesus accomplished on the cross.But some Christians think thatGod poured out His wrath on Jesus.They believe that.But they think that God's still mad at them.Like, God is just like,"Yeah, I know that you received my Son,but I'm so upset with you for what you did."He's not.That's what that word "propitiation" means.There's no wrath leftfor the one in Christ Jesus.God is satisfied.Look at the end of verse 25.This gets a little technical, so look.It says,"This was to show God's righteousness."Because in His divine forbearance,He had passed over former sins.It was to show His righteousnessat the present time,so that He might be justand the justifierof the one who has faith in Jesus.We define this term in the outset,but two times here,He says that the crosswas to show God's righteousness.Do you know what He's saying?The cross provedthat God is righteous.Wait, wait, wait, wait.Time out, time out.Time out.Hang on.Why would anyoneaccuse God of not being holy?What do you mean?What possible grounds would someone haveto point to God and say,"God, you messed up here.God, what you didor what you didn't do here,that's not holy, God.That's not righteous."What grounds would somebody have for that?Listen very closely,because this is what Paul's talking about.We're going to do a little theology herefor a couple of minutes,and I know what's the point.You're going to see here in a couple of minutesthat this will change your lifeif you really understand this.So here we go.What's Paul talking about here?When he talks about his divine forbearance,passing over former sins.What's he mean?Listen, in the Old Testament times,which was before the cross, right,God justified wicked people.And that is controversial.You're like, "Why?Why is it controversialthat God would justify the wickedin Old Testament times?"Oh, I'm so glad you asked.I'll tell you why.One reason is,He forbid us to do that.Look at Proverbs 17-15."He who justifies the wickedand he who condemns the righteousare both alike in abomination to the Lord."Do you see that?Do you know what abomination is?In my Bible, I put a little exclamation pointin the margin every time I see that word.That's like something that is so wicked,it like makes God sick.God's like, "I hate that."And here God says,"I can't stomach when the wicked are justified."You're like, "Whoa, whoa, whoa, wait a second.You're saying that we can't do that,but you did that, God,before the cross."Hmm.Is that righteous?Well, actually,it gets even worseif we're barking up this tree,because earlier in your Old Testaments,God actually saidthat He would never justify the wicked.Exodus 23-7,it's pretty self-explanatory.And God says, "I will notacquit the wicked."Do you see the problem?Somebody would say,God in the Old Testament times didwhat He forbid us to do,what He swore He would never do,what He would never do.And we're talking about God being holy,God being perfect, God so righteous.How can we say that?And Paul doesn't -I love this becausehe doesn't shy away from that.He runs right at itwhen he says this was toshow God's righteousnessbecause -look at this again -in His divine forbearance,He passed over former sins.Again, it was to show His righteousness.In other words,He's saying in the Old Testament timesGod tolerated sin.Like, whoa, whoa, whoa.How can we say God's righteous?I mean, in the Old Testament,there was no perpetuation.There was no cross of Jesus Christ yet.So when somebody sinned in the Old Testament,if God is the holy judgethat you say that He is,why didn't He immediately just judge sinners?They didn't havethe blood of Jesus Christ to proclaim.I mean, you look at the guys in the Old Testament -Abraham, Moses, David -I mean, pick one -all sinners.And yet, when you readGod's interaction with them,over and over,we see God giving them the promise of eternal life.Was that really a righteous thing to dofor people that couldn't put their faithin Jesus Christsince He hadn't come yet?How could God give them that promise?Somebody would say,"Oh, that was the Old Testament sacrifices."Couldn't do it.They covered sin,but they didn't take away sin.And somebody else might say,"Well, it was their good works."It was their good works.That's how God was able to...No.Nowhere does the Bible sayyou can earn your salvation.So what's He saying?He's saying in verses 25 and 26 here,"And God's forbearance,"another word for patience.He passed over former sins.And that word "pass over"doesn't mean forgive.It literally means He overlooked their sin.God's patiencecaused God to not punish their sin immediately.This is exactly what Paul was talking about.Very curious verse in Acts 17, verse 30,on Mars Hill,exact same thing he's talking about.The times of ignorance,God overlooked.And now He commands all peopleeverywhere to repent.So how was God able to do that?See, this is what Paul's talking about here.It was still, even in Old Testament times,it was still because of Jesus Christ.You're like, "Well, how can they believe in Jesusif they don't know about the cross?"Look, God is outside of time.And if you study your Bibles like Revelation 13.8,Jesus Christ was always the Lamb of God.That wasn't some radical ideathat God dreamed up one dayabout 2,000 years ago.Like, "Oh, I got an idea."Now, that was always the plan.So here it is.Listen close.Even before the cross happened,God overlooked sin based on what was already determinedthat His Son was going to do.So what He's saying is this,the cross of Jesus Christ reaches backto the Old Testament saints.They were pronounced righteousbecause of what Jesus was going to do,just as we are pronounced righteouslooking back based on what Jesus did in our past.And kids that haven't even been born yetthat eventually will receive Jesus Christ,their sins are already forgiven in Christ.You're like, "Okay, so what's the point?"What's the point?Well, there's two points actually.Number one, it answers one of the most commonly asked questionsthat I get as a pastor.People ask me all the time,"How are the people saved in the Old Testament?"Because if Jesus is the only means of salvation,and I believe that,then how were they saved in the Old Testament?The answer is still Jesus.Their faith was based on what God was going to do.That's why God was overlooking their sin, so to speak.But listen, here's why this theology is so important for you.What were we talking about today?Guilt, right?See, this answers the guilt question.As a Christian, when I sin,and I will,is God mad at me?No.Do I have to ask for forgiveness?Do I have to plead the blood of Jesus over my sinevery time that I sin as a Christian?The answer is no.Or how about this one?What if I sin and then I die?Can I go to heaven since I sinnedand I didn't ask for forgiveness for that particular sin?I have known,pastors, I have known pastors that have taught that,that you better die on a good day.Because let's say you're living this perfect walk with Jesus' life.And let's say you have a blow-up with your wife on the way out the door.And you sinfully speak to her.And you get in the car and go to work,and you die in a car accident, you're going to hell.Because that sin wasn't confessed and repented ofand covered under the blood of Christ.I know pastors that teach that.That is completely wrong.That's why this theology is so important.Listen, when Jesus Christ was on the cross,do you realize all of your sins were yet future?Do you realize that?All of your sins were paid for,even the sins that you haven't committed yet.So if you are in Christ,and if you sin and you will,you don't need to ask for forgiveness.Because you already have it.So listen, somebody is going to misconstrue this.So just grab the shoulder of the person next to you and shake them.And tell them to pay attention.Thank you.Because somebody is going to misconstrue this.Listen, when you sin, church,you need to confess your sin.Then you need to thank Godthat He has forgiven you in Jesus Christ.And you need to turn from your sin.Because you don't want to do anything in your lifethat would dishonor the name of your Lord.But it's not as if God just keeps forgiving you over and over.He forgave you once when you received Jesus Christ.And that lasts for all of eternity.Do you see the security in that?So listen, whether it was Moses' sinor a sin that you are going to commit tomorrow,all sins have been taken away.God is satisfied because of the one-time sacrifice of Jesusthat covers all sins of all believers.There is incredible freedom in that.Three things to remind yourself when you feel guilty.Number one, you are.Number two, but God is totally satisfied by the cross.Number three, justification is a gift to be received by faith.Look at verses 27 and 28.He says, "Then what becomes of our boasting?It is excluded by what kind of law?By a law of works? No.By the law of faith.For we hold that one is justified by faithapart from works of the law."In this passage, faith has come up,have you been counting?Six times.And yes, I'm counting when he used the word "believe"because that's what he meant.Verse 22, including the word "believe," he says it twice.Verse 25, 26, 27, 28.Faith, faith, faith.And then he's like, "So what does that do for our boasting?"Pretty dumb, right?To have the audacity to think that you have anythingto contribute to your salvation at all?What could you possibly boast about?What do your works have to do with the death of Jesus?You realize when Jesus was on the cross,when Jesus was actually on the cross,most of you weren't even born yet.I was going to say all,but I don't know how old all y'all are.So I think it's safe to say when Jesus died,most of you weren't born yet.So what did you contribute to that exactly?See, the cross of Jesus Christ eliminateseven the very possibility of salvation by human works.Faith. Faith is the only way.Faith isn't one way to be saved.It's the only way.And don't think that faith is some sort of merit.Like, okay, God did His part in salvation,and now I'm going to do my part in salvation.It's not even really like that,because earlier he was talking about grace in verse 24,and grace by its very definition is non-contributory.Do you know what that means?If you put forth anything to contribute towards it,it's no longer grace at all.So what is faith?I like how one writer put it.He says faith is simply the eye that sees.He said faith is simply the mouththat drinks from the living water.And he said faith is the hand that receives the gift.I like that, because by the way, in verse 24,he calls it a gift.It is a gift.Imagine that it's my birthday today.It's not.My birthday is September 23rd.I don't see a lot of you writing that down.I can wait. September 23rd.But we're - for today,we're pretending that it's my birthday.And imagine this afternoon,you showed up at my houseand you had a gift for me.Something you went out and you boughtand you wrapped it,and you were so excited to give me this gift.And you come to my houseand you ring the doorbell and I open it upand you say, "Happy birthday."There's four ways that I can respond to that.Right? First way is,I can slam the door in your face and say,"I don't want your stupid gifts."I wouldn't do that.But that's an option, right?I mean, I could do that.Second option is you ring the doorbell,open it up, "Happy birthday."And I look at the gift and I say,"That's awesome. Where's my wallet?"Like, "How much do I owe you for that?"Let me see how much cash I have.I can probably pay you for that right now.Or can I write you a check?How would you feelif I offered to buy the gift that you got me?Pretty lousy, huh?That's another option.Or a third option is you ring the doorbell,I open it up, "Happy birthday."And I take the gift and I'm like,"Wow, you know what?This looks great."Thank you. This looks fantastic.And I set it down by the door.And then you come to my house.Six months later, and that gift is still sitting there.Except now it has an inch of dust on it.And you would think to yourself,"You know, Jeff actually seemed excitedwhen I handed it to him,but he didn't really receive it, did he?"He didn't really do anything with it.He just kind of set it aside.Or the fourth option,you ring the doorbell, "Happy birthday."I got you a gift.The fourth option is I take the giftand I say, "Thank you."Thank you so much for this.And I receive it, and I use it.And you realize those are the same four waysthat you can respond to God's gift in Jesus Christ.You have those same four options.That God says, "I am satisfied."I have paid the price of your sinwith the blood of my son.Here is a gift.And for some people, they take the first option.They slam the door and say, "No.God, I'm not interested in your stupid gift."Some people take that option.Some people take option two,and they think they can buy it."Oh God, that's so wonderful what you did for me in Jesus.Now, let me earn that.And I'm going to start doing this at the churchand I'm going to work at the soup kitchenand they think that they have to earn the gift.And I would suggest to you that Godis probably just as insultedat that notion as I would be,or as you would be rather,if I tried to pay you for the gift that you got me."It's insulting to try to buy a gift.The third option,and I think this is the most taken option in churches, honestly.That's what most people do with the gift of Jesus Christ.They're like, "Yeah, that you're sitting hereand worshiping the Word,and you're just like all into it.You're like, "Yeah, yeah, I need this.Yeah, that's fantastic."And you set them aside.And you never really receive them.You just sort of discarded them.Not flagrant rejection, but,shall we say, practical rejection.The option that the Lord wants you to takeis that you receive the gift.To understand why you need it,and you thank God that He gave it.That Jesus bore God's wrath on the cross.God is satisfied with what Jesus did.The guilt is gone by the gift of God.Did you receive that?So worship team makes their way back up.I'd just like you to bow your heads.And I'm sure sitting here today,there are some Christians that have wrestled with guiltthat have needed to take a fresh lookat what exactly Jesus accomplished on the cross.He didn't accomplish opportunityfor us to earn favor with God.Jesus accomplished our salvation in full.Jesus accomplished the full removal of our guilt and shameby bearing God's wrath on our behalf.But there might be somebody herethat's really hearing this for the first time.Whether it's somebody sitting here,listening to this podcast,or watching the stream.Today's the day that you need to stop setting the gift aside.And receive what it is that God has for you.Father in heaven.Father, this to me is the most mind-blowing conceptin the entirety of your Word.God, I've never really wrestled with creationor the trinity or eternity, things like that.But God, the fact that you can pronounce a sinner righteousis mind-blowing.God, we thank you for the work that you accomplished on our behalfthrough the death of your Son.Father, if there's anyone herewho needs to take that step,who needs to receive Christ,who needs to make their public profession of faith and baptismhere in a few weeks.Father, I pray that you would give them the faithto not put it off,to not talk themselves out of it,but to see the value,the incomparable value of Jesus Christ.What He's done, and in so doing, Father,they would run to you.So just now, Father,we've heard from you,and now we're going to express back to youlove and thanksgivingfor what you've done on our behalf.So Father, might this worshipbe a pleasing aroma,may it be a sweet sound in your earas we revel in your love and grace.We pray in Jesus' name, amen. Small Group DiscussionRead Romans 3:21-28What was your big take-away from this passage / message?Why do you think many Christians still struggle with guilt and shame?Explain the term “propitiation” (Rom 3:25). Why is this such an important aspect of the Gospel? What does it mean for a Christian in practical terms?What does it mean that God “passed over former sins” (Rom 3:25)? How could a Holy God just overlook sin (see also Acts 17:30)?BreakoutPray for one another to be salty and bright.

We are all guilty of sin in our lives, and God is a Holy God who takes it seriously when He says that the consequences of sin is death. This is why He sent His only Son to die on our behalf so that His blood can cover all of our sin. We must look around to the people God places in our lives and share this Good News with them so that they may also be saved. To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/640/29

March 30, 2025 In this week's sermon, Pastor KRE unpacks Isaiah 6 to show us the Holy God, the humble man and the heavenly calling.

This Lukan fable has a pretty clear message: Wealth creates an impassable crevasse between humans. Wealth is only one of the many things that can create impassable crevasses between people; so too can race and religion and immigration status, to name a few more. But I have to believe the fable is ultimately meant to inspire us to bridge crevasses before it's too late. This sermon will take you to the midnight bedroom of Ebenezer Scrooge, to the summit of Mt. Rainier (aka “mama Tahoma”), to a jail cell in Durham NC, and to an Executive Board decision of some uncharacteristically speedy Mennonites. Buckle up and come along for the ride; we need one another more than ever. And please remember: I do not answer questions. I do not answer questions. I do not answer questions. We keep each other safe, beloveds.Sermon begins at minute marker 5:22Luke 16.19-31ResourcesBibleWorm podcast: Episode 633 - The Rich Man and Lazarus, Amy Robertson and Robert Williamson, Jr'Crevice' and 'Crevasse': A Gap in Meaning, Merriam-Webster.Anabaptist Community BibleNew release: “MC USA and more than two dozen Christian and Jewish denominations and associations sue to protect religious freedoms,” February 11, 2025.Isaac Samuel Villegas, Migrant God: A Christian Vision for Immigrant Justice (Eerdmans, 2025), 6-8.Front Light podcast, by Mennonite Action, “From ‘quiet in the land' to suing the US Government, reflections on Mennonite advocacy with Iris de León-Hartshorn,” Season 1, Episode 4 (2025). Mennonite Action: “God's Love Knows No Borders” actions, 2025.Know Your Rights with ICE, by WAISN (Washington Immigrant Solidarity Network)Rebecca Solnit, A piece for all hard times. Excerpt: “They want you to feel powerless and to surrender and to let them trample everything and you are not going to let them. You are not giving up, and neither am I. The fact that we cannot save everything does not mean we cannot save anything and everything we can save is worth saving.  You may need to grieve or scream or take time off, but you have a role no matter what, and right now good friends and good principles are worth gathering in. Remember what you love. Remember what loves you. Remember in this tide of hate what love is. The pain you feel is because of what you love.”Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol, 1843.Image: Ladder bridging crevasse on Mt. Rainier; G310ScottS, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0, via Wikimedia CommonsHymn 149 - Forgive, Forgive Us, Holy God. Text: Shirley Erena Murray (Aotearoa/New Zealand)  Music: Barbara Hamm (USA), © 1996 & © 2016 Hope Publishing Company. Permission to podcast the music in this service obtained from ONE LICENSE, license #A-726929. All rights reserved.

Pastor Steven Henry Wednesday Evening

By Ps.Richard Rubi

Holy God, raise us up to new life in holiness.

We are meant to be separated from sin. Set apart and blameless through Him. He is the one who makes us pure and holy. There is no other way.

Three Lives, One Story: The Wisdom of a Godly Woman and the Kind Providence of a Holy God (1 Samuel 25) - Dr. Bill Cook

Psalm 137 is A song of lament, oath, & oracle.  This is a Psalm acknowledging situations where it is excruciating to sing. The psalmist is in exile but his heart is in Zion.  This is a song Nehemiah could sing as he wept in the courts of Artaxerxes' Persian controlled Babylon.  Nehemiah was a respected official who had the ear and the favor of an emperor, yet his affections called Jerusalem home (Neh 1:3-9). Nehemiah's contentment was tied to the fortunes of Zion: the status of covenant relations between God & God's people.  In his anguish our author lifts his appeal to The Great Judge of the nations.  The refrain spares no weight as the Psalmist finds consolation in the comprehensive judgements of a Holy God.

Have you ever found yourself going through the motions in your worship? In Malachi 1:6–2:9, God confronts the priests for offering defiled sacrifices and leading His people into complacency. They weren't outright rejecting God, but they were cutting corners, treating worship as a burden rather than a privilege. Their compromise wasn't just personal—it was leading an entire nation astray.In this sermon, we explore what it means to worship God without compromise. True worship is not about empty rituals; it is about honoring God with sincerity, reverence, and truth.

Listen as Mark James preaches a sermon called The Holy God & Unclean People from Numbers 5.

In this sermon, Pastor Keith examines David's failed attempt to bring the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem, during which Uzzah, having disregarded God's holiness, is struck down for touching the untouchable. Pastor Keith argues that our Holy God must be approached according to His way and points out that God faithfully provided the way through the Law first, then in time graciously through His Son, Christ Jesus, the Way.

February 24, 2025 | Daniel Harris focuses on recognizing and honoring God's holiness. We need to ask ourselves whether we view God as holy and if our worship reflects that reverence. Daniel also highlights scripture from Psalm 103, Romans 5, and 2 Corinthians 5. These passages highlight God's love for us and His call for us to live according to His will.For more information about The Vue, visit www.bellevue.org/college. If you've liked what you've heard in this message, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts and follow us on Spotify.

Joshua 7:1-26 | Ben Potloff | As Israel approaches their next adversary, Ai (not to be confused with artificial intelligence), all indications are that this should be a cake walk. Picture a sense of pridefulness and a bit of arrogance here. The recommendation is to only send a small squad, maybe the JV team (don't bother the whole group with such a small town.) Then, something goes horribly wrong. What happened, why did it all go south? What can we learn from this defeat? What can we learn from Joshua's response? What can we learn from the consequences of sin? Let's explore Joshua 7 together and course correct where we see areas in our own life that might need transformation.MAIN IDEARebellion kindles God's wrath.OUTLINEI. Secret sin is known by the Lord (vv. 1-21)II. Sin must be punished to appease the Lord's anger (vv. 22-26)DISCUSSION QUESTIONS1. Read Joshua 7:2-5 Discuss some of the mistakes you can see that Joshua made.2. Read Joshua 7:6-9 Discuss Joshua's response to this defeat. Is this your 1st response when things go south?3. Achan coveted the items, stole them from God's treasury, then lied about it. He desired the things he saw more than God. How do we reverse that and desire God above all else?4. Thirty-six fellow Israelites paid with their life for Achan's sin. Discuss how our sin can have ramifications that affect many others.5. Read Joshua 7:22-26. Discuss the final punishment that Achan, his wife, and his children were sentenced to. Discuss why God's wrath, concerning sin, may be the most unacceptable of doctrines, in our time. Discuss why sin cannot be tolerated by a Holy God. Does this change your view on your own sin?6. Finish by discussing the payment God made for our sin and how costly that was. Does that make you more thankful for not getting what we deserve?

Consider fasting in the life of a believer. So you look to the reading of God's word. What does it mean to be a follower of Jesus? We continue looking at discipleship in the gospel of Mark, and today we consider fasting in the life of a believer. So you look to the reading of God's word, if you please join me in prayer. Blesser to you, Holy God, is in Jesus Christ, your son, that your light shines in

Be sure to visit cultureproof.net Please consider supporting the Culture Proof Podcast. We aim to bring engaging content that will challenge and equip Christians to live according to the Straight Edge of Scripture. All gifts are tax deductible. Our Address is: S.E. Ministries PO Box 1269 Saltillo MS, 38866   Episode sponsors: BJUPress Homeschool We Heart Nutrition – Use the code CULTUREPROOF for 20% off Accountable2You – Try free for 10 days Forever-Written  Culture Proof Listeners  THANKS!   Culture Proof Podcast Theme song "Believers" courtesy of Path of Revelation    

God is just too good! I am resting in the joy of the Lord. It's a choice to be happy and as long as I'm breathing I'll actively choose to look to a Holy God and smile. Because I rest in His will. I have taped into an assurance and certainty in God. I pray that you do as well.

 Exodus 3:1-9Senior Pastor, Clint PressleySunday February 16, 2025

(Proverbs 9:10) While there are many things we do not know about God, there is much that we can know about God. He wrote it down for us! The deeper we go into Scripture the deeper we can go into our knowledge of God. (0941250214) ----more----   The Mystery of God There are many things that I do not know about God. There are many things that are beyond my understanding. And why is that? Because I am a finite being and He is an infinite God. And yet, isn't it glorious? Isn't it wonderful? That God, through His Word, has revealed Himself in such a way that there are many things we do know about God. So many people get stuck on the things they don't know and can't understand but they miss in that what they should know and what we can understand.  The Fear of the Lord Is Beginning of Wisdom Proverbs chapter 9, verse number 10 says this, "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the holy. Is understanding." Did you hear that expression? The knowledge of the holy, not of holy things, but of the holy one.  Understanding God's Holiness In fact, holiness is the one attribute that is most often attached to God in Scripture. That does not mean that He is more holy than He is any of His other attributes. He's the perfection of all of them. You can't chop God up. You can't divide Him. He's not one. He is all. He's not more of one. He is perfectly all. But the reason Holiness is attributed to God more than any other thing in Scripture is that His holiness is the perfection of all of His attributes. Everything about God is holy. His knowledge, His power, His love, His mercy, His judgment, everything is a revelation of our holy God. Knowing God Through Scripture And I want to say to you that We should begin, when we are studying what the Bible says, by saying, Lord, we want to know our Holy God. We want to know Him personally. It's one of the great marvels of our God. He is both infinite and knowable at the same time. There's no limit to Him. There's no end to Him, and yet, there is a place to begin. We can know Him by finding out what Scripture says about Him. This is God's revelation of Himself. I heard for years preachers say that when we get to heaven, we're going to know everything. I don't believe that's what scripture teaches. The Bible says we will know even as we are known. But I believe when we get to Heaven, when we get into Eternity, we're going to spend the rest of Eternity entering in our knowledge and understanding more and more to the depths of our great God. I don't think you'll ever exhaust who God is. That's what's going to make Eternity such an ongoing adventure. More and more of His love and beauty and perfection. And friend, that journey is not to begin when we die or Jesus comes. It is to begin right here. And right now, it is to begin by us discovering what the Bible says about God. So what does the Bible say? We can't be exhaustive about this, certainly not in this brief time we have to study together. But may I just give you a few thoughts to, to meditate on today? Some things that you can study further for yourself and look for in Scripture.  Attributes of God: Self-Existence and Immutability In Scripture, we learn that He is self-existent and self-sufficient. It means He is the Great I Am. The only limits on God are the ones He places on Himself. The limits of His own holy will. He holds back, for example, His justice with His mercy. God may limit Himself in certain areas at particular times, but there is no limit to Him. He is I Am. He's the only one who can say I Am and put nothing after it. He is the self existent and self sufficient one. Imagine Him saying to Moses, Tell them I Am sent you. I Am what? Yes. All of the above. More than you could ever imagine. Not only that, He's immutable. That means he never changes. James chapter 1 and verse number 17, Malachi chapter 3, verse number 6, all through scripture we get this truth. He says in Malachi 3 verse 6, "I am the Lord, I change not." God's Eternal Nature and Omnipresence And then, He is eternal. Eternity has no beginning and no end. It's like an open ended front and an open ended back. And God is beyond the limits in both directions. God's not in time. Time is in God. God holds time in the palm of His hand. He's the eternal God. Did you know that the word eternity is only found one time in all of Scripture? I would challenge you to find it. I could give you the reference, but I'm going to challenge you. I'll give you a homework assignment. See if you can find the one verse in the Bible where the word eternity is found, and in that verse, The Bible references the God who inhabits eternity. Think of a God so big, He fills up eternity. God is not bound by anything. Not by time or not by space. No, because He is the great I Am.  God's Omnipotence, Omniscience, and Omnipresence Then we know He's all powerful. Some people refer to that as His omnipotence. He is all powerful. He is omniscient. That means He knows everything. He's omnipresent. That means He's everywhere at once. If I say to you, where's God, some people say he's in heaven, other people say he's in my heart. The truth of the matter is, you can't limit Him to either place. He may be in both places, but He's everywhere at once. Psalm 139, the psalmist cries out, "Where then shall I go from thy spirit? Where then shall I flee from thy presence? If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there. If I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there.If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there, thy right hand shall hold me." God's everywhere.  God's Faithfulness and Mercy And then we know that God is faithful. He is true. He never lies. He never fails to keep His word. He is a God of truth. Jesus said, I am the way, the truth, and the life. We know He's a God of mercy and of goodness. That means He holds back what we don't deserve. And He, or what we do deserve rather, and He gives what we don't deserve. Think of that. He holds back the judgment and He gives good things. What was the Psalmist saying in Psalm 23, "Surely, goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever." I tell you, you can't beat the Christian life. Mercy and goodness come to live with you now, and you go to live with the God of mercy and goodness for all eternity. I hope you know the Lord as your personal Savior.  God's Justice and Love And then, we know He's a God of justice. And a God of righteousness. That's what the cross was all about. That's what Calvary revealed. God doesn't laugh at sin. He doesn't simply turn a blind. Turn a blind eye to our unrighteousness. Isaiah 53, verse 11. He saw the travail of Christ's soul and was satisfied his justice, his righteousness was satisfied at that moment. Then, praise God, we know He's a God of love. First John 4:16 says, "God is love." It's not just something He does, it's who He is. And then we come full circle back to where we started, He's a holy God. He's the thrice holy God. Do you remember? Isaiah chapter 6, what are they saying? Holy, Lord God Almighty. When you come to the revelation of Christ, what are they saying? "Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was and is to come." The Father is holy, the Son is holy, the Spirit is holy. He was holy in the past, He is holy in the present, He always will be holy for all eternity He is the Holy God.  Loving and Sharing the Knowledge of God I would challenge you to study the names of God all through scripture because his names reveal His character. Study His attributes, learn more about the God of the Bible, and I'll tell you what I think you'll find. Number one, you're going to love him more. To know him is to love him. And the more you come to see what the Bible says about God, the more you're going to say to the Father, I love you, I'm so glad to be your child. The more you're going to say to the Son, thank you for saving me and bringing me into this family. And the more you're going to say to the Holy Spirit, I'm so glad you're with me right now. Learn what the Bible says for your own soul, but then don't keep it to yourself. Pass it along to somebody else. Peter says, "Sanctify the Lord God in your hearts and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear." I hope today you'll both learn and share what the Bible says about our great God. Repeating what other people have said about the Bible is not enough. Outro We must know the biblical reason behind what we believe. We hope you will visit us at etj.bible to access our library of Bible teaching resources, including book by book studies of Scripture. You'll also find studies to watch, listen to, or read. We are so grateful for those who pray for us, who share the biblical content, and for those who invest to help us advance this ministry worldwide. Again, thank you for listening, and we hope you'll join us next time on Enjoying the Journey.

God does not want our good works or sacrifices. He only requires that we accept his Son. Subscribe to daily devotions e-mails: https://wcm.link/ddsub

In this message Pastor Garry Clark gives a follow-up to his "EPIC" sermon on The Ten Commandments! The subject is vital to our lives as Christians as we honor and respect our Holy God, as well as respect His amazing creation... PEOPLE!!!

Introduction (Bruce Almighty movie clip) It is possible that you are here today and are wondering how and why it is that a good God would allow some of the hard things you were forced to experience so far. Maybe you have said or identify with Bruces description of his own experience with God: God is a mean kid sitting on an anthill with a magnifying glass, and I'm the ant. He could fix my life in five minutes if He wanted to, buthe'd rather burn off my feelers and watch me squirm. If God is good, and if he is infinitely and perfectly sovereign how and why does He allow so much suffering in the world? How is it that He allows so much evil when he is the measure of all that is holy and good? There seems to be a great divide between the God we read about in our Bibles and the world we live in. What are we supposed to do with the confusion, disappointment, anger, evil, and suffering God has allowed into our lives? Is it okay to be angry with God when we suffer? I plan to answer the above questions, but we must start with the nature and character of God as He revealed Himself to Moses after 40 years in the desert as a fugitive of Egypt after he murdered one of Pharoahs guards. Moses Encounter with a Holy God Here is what you need to know about what led up to Moses experience with the burning bush. God made a promise to Abraham, Isaac, and then to Jacob that their children would become His people; the promise was threefold and included the promise of land, the increase of their people, and that their people would eventually be a blessing to the nations. However, God also promised that they would spend years in a land where they would be afflicted (see Gen. 15:13; Exod. 12:40-41). When Moses was born, the Hebrew people had spent centuries living in Egypt. The Hebrew people were first welcomed as honored guests under Joseph (one of the sons of Jacob) who was second to Pharaoh, but as the years past, so did the memory of Joseph. The Hebrews eventually became the slaves of another Pharaoh; he was so threatened by the birth rate of the Hebrews, that he implemented infanticide as the law of the land and wrote into law that every Hebrew son born was to be thrown into the Nile. Moses mother refused to murder her baby, so she kept his birth a secret until she could not do so any longer; she put baby Moses in a basket covered with tar and pitch, put him in it, and floated it down the Nile where Pharaohs daughter eventually found the basket with baby Moses whom she raised as her own. Moses grew up in Pharaohs house, but he was also aware of his roots as a Hebrew man. We know that Moses had a temper, and on two occasions, it cost him much. On one such occasion, after seeing an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, Moses killed the Egyptian and buried his body in the sand (see Exod. 2:11-12). When Moses learned that others knew that he killed the Egyptian, he fled and hid in the land of Midian. Moses spent the next 40 years of his life in Median, got married, and worked for his father-in-law Jethro. What We Learn About God Through Moses Encounter Before we can answer where or not it is okay to be angry with God, we need to consider the God who found Moses in Midian; against the backdrop of Josephs 13 years of suffering, the generations of slavery the Hebrews suffered in Egypt, and Moses 40 years in Midian. God is Holy: He is not like us. Moses approached the burning bush not only because it was weird, but because God called to him, from the midst of the bush and said, Moses! Moses! Moses response was simple: Here I am. Notice that as Moses got closer to the burning bush, God said to him, Do not come near here; remove your sandals from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground. What made the ground holy? The presence of God made it holy. As R.C. Sproul wrote in his timeless and classic book, The Holiness of God: God alone is holy in Himself. Only God can sanctify something else. Only God can give the touch that changes it from the commonplace to something special, different, and apart.[1] Now, just so that you are aware, it is not only Moses, a mere mortal human, who must remove his sandals in the presence of holiness. The seraphim whose sole purpose is worship above the throne of God are not exempt from the kind of respect and reverence that was expected of Moses in the presence of the Holy One. Isaiah was invited into the throne room of Almighty God, and this is what he saw: In the year of King Uzziahs death I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, lofty and exalted, with the train of His robe filling the temple. Seraphim were standing above Him, each having six wings: with two each covered his face, and with two each covered his feet, and with two each flew. And one called out to another and said, Holy, Holy, Holy, is the Lord of armies. The whole earth is full of His glory. And the foundations of the thresholds trembled at the voice of him who called out, while the temple was filling with smoke. (Isa. 6:14) The great Seraphim must cover their face and their feet in the presence of a Holy God even though they have not been stained by sin, but because they, like us, are creatures and God is the Creator. Isaiahs response before the Holy One was appropriate: Woe to me, for I am ruined! Moses response was not only to remove his sandals, but to hide his face, for he was afraid to look at God (v. 6). Why? Because God is holy, and we are not. God is not like us. God is Omniscient: He sees the big picture. When we come to verse 6, God let Moses who it was that was speaking to him: I am the God of your fatherthe God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. And just as God was intimately acquainted with the lives of Moses forefathers, He was aware of the suffering of Moses kinsmen in Egypt: I have certainly seen the oppression of My people who are in Egypt, and have heard their outcry because of their taskmasters, for I am aware of their sufferings (v. 7). When the Hebrews entered into Egypt, they were the size of a small clan, but after hundreds of years in Egypt, they had become the size of a small nation. When Moses fled to Midian, he was a 40-year-old used to royalty; the Moses who stood before the burning bush was any eighty-year-old shepherd. What the Hebrews did not understand, and what Moses could not have fathomed was that God was using the ugly, the hard, and the pain for something far greater than they could have imagined. God was aware of their suffering all along, and now in that moment was the right time to, rescue them from the power of the Egyptians, and to bring them up from the land to a good and spacious land, to a land flowing with milk and honey... (v. 8) just as He promised Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob centuries before. So, God said to Moses: And now come, and I will send you to Pharaoh, so that you may bring My people, the sons of Israel, out of Egypt (v. 10). To which, Moses appropriately responded: Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the sons of Israel out of Egypt? All that the Hebrews could see was their slavery and suffering; all that Moses could see was his failures and incompetence. What God saw was that He alone can use the foolish to shame the wise and the weak to shame the strong (see 1 Cor. 1:26-31). What God saw was that His timing was infinitely better because He saw the big picture. God is Faithful: He keeps His promises. Remember that the Hebrew slaves in Egypt were surrounded by an Egyptian culture that worshiped Egyptian gods who were not gods, but demons (see Deut. 32:17). Moses questioned what name he was to give to the Hebrew slaves if they were to ask Who it was that sent Moses to deliver them (v. 13). Here is Gods answer: And God said to Moses, I AM WHO I AM; and He said, This is what you shall say to the sons of Israel: I AM has sent me to you (v. 14). Then God continued: This is what you shall say to the sons of Israel: Yahweh, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you. This is My name forever, and this is the name for all generations to use to call upon Me (v. 15). In other words, God told Moses: You tell them that Yahweh sent you! At the heart of Gods answer are four facts about His nature for why the Israelites should believe the He could and would deliver them: Yahweh is self-existent and not dependent. God was unlike the Egyptian gods who were created by their own culture. Yahweh is the Elohim over elohims. The great I AM was bigger than the plight of the Israelites as He is greater than any trouble in our own lives. Yahweh is creator and sustainer. Who wrote the Law of Thermodynamics? Who governs the laws of gravity?Who grants the Sun permission to get up in the morning? Who gave the song for the birds to sing? Who owns the cattle on a thousand hills? Who brings men into power, raises nations into prominence and then brings them to naught? Is it not the great I AM who keeps His covenant promises. Yahweh is unchanging. Yahweh is the great I AM whose personality does not change. He does not suffer from a multi-personality disorder. He does not change with the ideas of his devotees. He is unmovable because He does not change. Because Yahweh is unchanging, He is constant unlike the gods of the Egyptians or whatever idol we may have set up in our own heart. Yahweh is eternal. Because He is the great I AM, Yahweh will never have a beginning nor will he ever have an end. Even though the fool has said there is no God, Yahweh is absolute reality with nothing before or after Him. The great I AM does not sleep, slumber, slack off, or slip into a daydream stupor. What God told Moses is this: Moses, you tell My people that the Covenant Keeper who promised their forefathers that He would make them into a great nation, would give them land as a nation, and would make them a blessing to the nations... you tell them the Faithful and Living One sent you! God keeps His promises because He alone is faithful even when we are not. Conclusion So, the question you may still be asking is whether it is or is not okay to be angry with God? Is it okay to be angry with He who is Holy and infinitely unlike us creatures? Is it okay to be angry with the One who sees and knows all things perfectly? Is it okay to be angry with the One who keeps His covenant promises because He is faithful while we are faithless time and time again? Is it okay to be angry with Yahweh who is Almighty God? As you know, God did use Moses to lead the Hebrews out of the bondage of slavery from Egypt, and He did it miraculously and profoundly. Yet, even after God delivered them, Moses found himself shepherding and leading a people who demonstrated over and over again just how faithless they really were. After their grievous sin of idolatry with the golden calf, Moses pleaded with God for mercy for His people who sinned, and God granted it. In Exodus 33:17-34:9 we are given a glimpse into Moses heart as a shepherd absolutely in love with Yahweh, and in that exchange asked to see God. God told Moses that he could not see His face and live, but this is what God did say He would do: I Myself will make all My goodness pass before you, and will proclaim the name of the Lord before you; and I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show compassion to whom I will show compassion (Exod. 33:19). When God did pass, He hid Moses in the cleft of a rock, and allowed His goodness to pass by him and when it did, Moses heard God proclaim of His goodness: The Lord, the Lord God, compassionate and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in faithfulness and truth; who keeps faithfulness for thousands, who forgives wrongdoing, violation of His Law, and sin; yet He will by no means leave the guilty unpunished, inflicting the punishment of fathers on the children and on the grandchildren to the third and fourth generations (Exod. 34:67). So, what does Gods goodness include? It includes His mercy, patience, faithfulness, truth, and grace. But it also includes His justice and wrath in response to sin. So, again I ask you: Is it okay to be angry with the God who is Holy and infinitely unlike us creatures? Is it okay to be angry with the God who sees and knows all things perfectly? Is it okay to be angry with a holy God who is faithful while we are faithless time and time again? Is it okay to be angry with Yahweh who is Almighty God? Let me reframe the question for you: If God is infinitely good and we are the ones who need to improve upon being good, do we have any right to be angry with God? Now, think about the effects anger has on a relationship. When you are angry with someone because you believe you have been wronged by that person, it interferes with communication. Anger towards a friend or a member of your family often drives a wedge between you and that person. Anger typically results in the one offended distancing himself/herself from the person who wronged them. If there is no need for God to improve, especially in being good, then to suggest that it is okay to be angry with Him is to suggest that it is okay to accuse Him of wrongdoing. Psalm 145 is a great Psalm to visit while suffering or confused why God would allow you to suffer; verses 8-9 say the following: The Lord is gracious and compassionate; slow to anger and great in mercy. The Lord is good to all, and His mercies are over all His works. Again in Psalm 145:17-18, The Lord is righteous in all His ways, and kind in all His works. The Lord is near to all who call on Him, to all who call on Him in truth. I have head Christians and Pastors console the suffering and confused: It is okay to be angry with God. To which I ask, How is it okay to be angry with He who is infinitely holy, how is it okay to be angry with Him who sees all while my vision is limited, how is it okay to be angry with the Almighty whose faithfulness has been proven time and time again while my faithfulness has been found wanting more than I count? Listen dear friend, not only are we not given permission in all of Scripture to be angry with God, but we also have no right to be angry with Him. Here is what is permitted and even expected by God: We can be confused, frustrated, and even hurt emotionally. If God is infinitely good, which He is, then we can run to Him with our confusion, we can run to Him with our frustration, and we can run to Him with our wounded and bleeding hearts knowing that even though we cant see His goodness in and through our pain, we can trust that He is still good and will turn it around in His way and in His time for His glory and our good! After Moses experienced the goodness of God when His glory passed by while he was in the cleft of the rock, Moses responded on behalf of the sins of Israel: If in any way I have found favor in Your sight, Lord, please may the Lord go along in our midst, even though the people are so obstinate, and pardon our wrongdoing and our sin, and take us as Your own possession (Exod. 34:9). Dear brothers and sisters, if your faith and trust is in Jesus as proof of Gods infinite goodness, then my plea to you is not to run from Him in anger but to him with all your pain, confusion, and frustration. Run to the God of Romans 8:28-32, And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters; and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified. What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things? [1] Sproul, R.C., The Holiness of God (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers; 1998), 39.

Introduction (Bruce Almighty movie clip) It is possible that you are here today and are wondering how and why it is that a good God would allow some of the hard things you were forced to experience so far. Maybe you have said or identify with Bruces description of his own experience with God: God is a mean kid sitting on an anthill with a magnifying glass, and I'm the ant. He could fix my life in five minutes if He wanted to, buthe'd rather burn off my feelers and watch me squirm. If God is good, and if he is infinitely and perfectly sovereign how and why does He allow so much suffering in the world? How is it that He allows so much evil when he is the measure of all that is holy and good? There seems to be a great divide between the God we read about in our Bibles and the world we live in. What are we supposed to do with the confusion, disappointment, anger, evil, and suffering God has allowed into our lives? Is it okay to be angry with God when we suffer? I plan to answer the above questions, but we must start with the nature and character of God as He revealed Himself to Moses after 40 years in the desert as a fugitive of Egypt after he murdered one of Pharoahs guards. Moses Encounter with a Holy God Here is what you need to know about what led up to Moses experience with the burning bush. God made a promise to Abraham, Isaac, and then to Jacob that their children would become His people; the promise was threefold and included the promise of land, the increase of their people, and that their people would eventually be a blessing to the nations. However, God also promised that they would spend years in a land where they would be afflicted (see Gen. 15:13; Exod. 12:40-41). When Moses was born, the Hebrew people had spent centuries living in Egypt. The Hebrew people were first welcomed as honored guests under Joseph (one of the sons of Jacob) who was second to Pharaoh, but as the years past, so did the memory of Joseph. The Hebrews eventually became the slaves of another Pharaoh; he was so threatened by the birth rate of the Hebrews, that he implemented infanticide as the law of the land and wrote into law that every Hebrew son born was to be thrown into the Nile. Moses mother refused to murder her baby, so she kept his birth a secret until she could not do so any longer; she put baby Moses in a basket covered with tar and pitch, put him in it, and floated it down the Nile where Pharaohs daughter eventually found the basket with baby Moses whom she raised as her own. Moses grew up in Pharaohs house, but he was also aware of his roots as a Hebrew man. We know that Moses had a temper, and on two occasions, it cost him much. On one such occasion, after seeing an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, Moses killed the Egyptian and buried his body in the sand (see Exod. 2:11-12). When Moses learned that others knew that he killed the Egyptian, he fled and hid in the land of Midian. Moses spent the next 40 years of his life in Median, got married, and worked for his father-in-law Jethro. What We Learn About God Through Moses Encounter Before we can answer where or not it is okay to be angry with God, we need to consider the God who found Moses in Midian; against the backdrop of Josephs 13 years of suffering, the generations of slavery the Hebrews suffered in Egypt, and Moses 40 years in Midian. God is Holy: He is not like us. Moses approached the burning bush not only because it was weird, but because God called to him, from the midst of the bush and said, Moses! Moses! Moses response was simple: Here I am. Notice that as Moses got closer to the burning bush, God said to him, Do not come near here; remove your sandals from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground. What made the ground holy? The presence of God made it holy. As R.C. Sproul wrote in his timeless and classic book, The Holiness of God: God alone is holy in Himself. Only God can sanctify something else. Only God can give the touch that changes it from the commonplace to something special, different, and apart.[1] Now, just so that you are aware, it is not only Moses, a mere mortal human, who must remove his sandals in the presence of holiness. The seraphim whose sole purpose is worship above the throne of God are not exempt from the kind of respect and reverence that was expected of Moses in the presence of the Holy One. Isaiah was invited into the throne room of Almighty God, and this is what he saw: In the year of King Uzziahs death I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, lofty and exalted, with the train of His robe filling the temple. Seraphim were standing above Him, each having six wings: with two each covered his face, and with two each covered his feet, and with two each flew. And one called out to another and said, Holy, Holy, Holy, is the Lord of armies. The whole earth is full of His glory. And the foundations of the thresholds trembled at the voice of him who called out, while the temple was filling with smoke. (Isa. 6:14) The great Seraphim must cover their face and their feet in the presence of a Holy God even though they have not been stained by sin, but because they, like us, are creatures and God is the Creator. Isaiahs response before the Holy One was appropriate: Woe to me, for I am ruined! Moses response was not only to remove his sandals, but to hide his face, for he was afraid to look at God (v. 6). Why? Because God is holy, and we are not. God is not like us. God is Omniscient: He sees the big picture. When we come to verse 6, God let Moses who it was that was speaking to him: I am the God of your fatherthe God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. And just as God was intimately acquainted with the lives of Moses forefathers, He was aware of the suffering of Moses kinsmen in Egypt: I have certainly seen the oppression of My people who are in Egypt, and have heard their outcry because of their taskmasters, for I am aware of their sufferings (v. 7). When the Hebrews entered into Egypt, they were the size of a small clan, but after hundreds of years in Egypt, they had become the size of a small nation. When Moses fled to Midian, he was a 40-year-old used to royalty; the Moses who stood before the burning bush was any eighty-year-old shepherd. What the Hebrews did not understand, and what Moses could not have fathomed was that God was using the ugly, the hard, and the pain for something far greater than they could have imagined. God was aware of their suffering all along, and now in that moment was the right time to, rescue them from the power of the Egyptians, and to bring them up from the land to a good and spacious land, to a land flowing with milk and honey... (v. 8) just as He promised Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob centuries before. So, God said to Moses: And now come, and I will send you to Pharaoh, so that you may bring My people, the sons of Israel, out of Egypt (v. 10). To which, Moses appropriately responded: Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the sons of Israel out of Egypt? All that the Hebrews could see was their slavery and suffering; all that Moses could see was his failures and incompetence. What God saw was that He alone can use the foolish to shame the wise and the weak to shame the strong (see 1 Cor. 1:26-31). What God saw was that His timing was infinitely better because He saw the big picture. God is Faithful: He keeps His promises. Remember that the Hebrew slaves in Egypt were surrounded by an Egyptian culture that worshiped Egyptian gods who were not gods, but demons (see Deut. 32:17). Moses questioned what name he was to give to the Hebrew slaves if they were to ask Who it was that sent Moses to deliver them (v. 13). Here is Gods answer: And God said to Moses, I AM WHO I AM; and He said, This is what you shall say to the sons of Israel: I AM has sent me to you (v. 14). Then God continued: This is what you shall say to the sons of Israel: Yahweh, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you. This is My name forever, and this is the name for all generations to use to call upon Me (v. 15). In other words, God told Moses: You tell them that Yahweh sent you! At the heart of Gods answer are four facts about His nature for why the Israelites should believe the He could and would deliver them: Yahweh is self-existent and not dependent. God was unlike the Egyptian gods who were created by their own culture. Yahweh is the Elohim over elohims. The great I AM was bigger than the plight of the Israelites as He is greater than any trouble in our own lives. Yahweh is creator and sustainer. Who wrote the Law of Thermodynamics? Who governs the laws of gravity?Who grants the Sun permission to get up in the morning? Who gave the song for the birds to sing? Who owns the cattle on a thousand hills? Who brings men into power, raises nations into prominence and then brings them to naught? Is it not the great I AM who keeps His covenant promises. Yahweh is unchanging. Yahweh is the great I AM whose personality does not change. He does not suffer from a multi-personality disorder. He does not change with the ideas of his devotees. He is unmovable because He does not change. Because Yahweh is unchanging, He is constant unlike the gods of the Egyptians or whatever idol we may have set up in our own heart. Yahweh is eternal. Because He is the great I AM, Yahweh will never have a beginning nor will he ever have an end. Even though the fool has said there is no God, Yahweh is absolute reality with nothing before or after Him. The great I AM does not sleep, slumber, slack off, or slip into a daydream stupor. What God told Moses is this: Moses, you tell My people that the Covenant Keeper who promised their forefathers that He would make them into a great nation, would give them land as a nation, and would make them a blessing to the nations... you tell them the Faithful and Living One sent you! God keeps His promises because He alone is faithful even when we are not. Conclusion So, the question you may still be asking is whether it is or is not okay to be angry with God? Is it okay to be angry with He who is Holy and infinitely unlike us creatures? Is it okay to be angry with the One who sees and knows all things perfectly? Is it okay to be angry with the One who keeps His covenant promises because He is faithful while we are faithless time and time again? Is it okay to be angry with Yahweh who is Almighty God? As you know, God did use Moses to lead the Hebrews out of the bondage of slavery from Egypt, and He did it miraculously and profoundly. Yet, even after God delivered them, Moses found himself shepherding and leading a people who demonstrated over and over again just how faithless they really were. After their grievous sin of idolatry with the golden calf, Moses pleaded with God for mercy for His people who sinned, and God granted it. In Exodus 33:17-34:9 we are given a glimpse into Moses heart as a shepherd absolutely in love with Yahweh, and in that exchange asked to see God. God told Moses that he could not see His face and live, but this is what God did say He would do: I Myself will make all My goodness pass before you, and will proclaim the name of the Lord before you; and I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show compassion to whom I will show compassion (Exod. 33:19). When God did pass, He hid Moses in the cleft of a rock, and allowed His goodness to pass by him and when it did, Moses heard God proclaim of His goodness: The Lord, the Lord God, compassionate and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in faithfulness and truth; who keeps faithfulness for thousands, who forgives wrongdoing, violation of His Law, and sin; yet He will by no means leave the guilty unpunished, inflicting the punishment of fathers on the children and on the grandchildren to the third and fourth generations (Exod. 34:67). So, what does Gods goodness include? It includes His mercy, patience, faithfulness, truth, and grace. But it also includes His justice and wrath in response to sin. So, again I ask you: Is it okay to be angry with the God who is Holy and infinitely unlike us creatures? Is it okay to be angry with the God who sees and knows all things perfectly? Is it okay to be angry with a holy God who is faithful while we are faithless time and time again? Is it okay to be angry with Yahweh who is Almighty God? Let me reframe the question for you: If God is infinitely good and we are the ones who need to improve upon being good, do we have any right to be angry with God? Now, think about the effects anger has on a relationship. When you are angry with someone because you believe you have been wronged by that person, it interferes with communication. Anger towards a friend or a member of your family often drives a wedge between you and that person. Anger typically results in the one offended distancing himself/herself from the person who wronged them. If there is no need for God to improve, especially in being good, then to suggest that it is okay to be angry with Him is to suggest that it is okay to accuse Him of wrongdoing. Psalm 145 is a great Psalm to visit while suffering or confused why God would allow you to suffer; verses 8-9 say the following: The Lord is gracious and compassionate; slow to anger and great in mercy. The Lord is good to all, and His mercies are over all His works. Again in Psalm 145:17-18, The Lord is righteous in all His ways, and kind in all His works. The Lord is near to all who call on Him, to all who call on Him in truth. I have head Christians and Pastors console the suffering and confused: It is okay to be angry with God. To which I ask, How is it okay to be angry with He who is infinitely holy, how is it okay to be angry with Him who sees all while my vision is limited, how is it okay to be angry with the Almighty whose faithfulness has been proven time and time again while my faithfulness has been found wanting more than I count? Listen dear friend, not only are we not given permission in all of Scripture to be angry with God, but we also have no right to be angry with Him. Here is what is permitted and even expected by God: We can be confused, frustrated, and even hurt emotionally. If God is infinitely good, which He is, then we can run to Him with our confusion, we can run to Him with our frustration, and we can run to Him with our wounded and bleeding hearts knowing that even though we cant see His goodness in and through our pain, we can trust that He is still good and will turn it around in His way and in His time for His glory and our good! After Moses experienced the goodness of God when His glory passed by while he was in the cleft of the rock, Moses responded on behalf of the sins of Israel: If in any way I have found favor in Your sight, Lord, please may the Lord go along in our midst, even though the people are so obstinate, and pardon our wrongdoing and our sin, and take us as Your own possession (Exod. 34:9). Dear brothers and sisters, if your faith and trust is in Jesus as proof of Gods infinite goodness, then my plea to you is not to run from Him in anger but to him with all your pain, confusion, and frustration. Run to the God of Romans 8:28-32, And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters; and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified. What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things? [1] Sproul, R.C., The Holiness of God (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers; 1998), 39.

In this episode, Matt Vines, Gene Cate and Pastor Cindy open up the service with prophetic words. They each take time to allow the Holy Spirit to move through the gifts. Then Pastor Cindy gave a message about the importance of maintaining an atmosphere of worship. When we worship God, we are showing how thankful we are for everything He's done, everything He's doing and everything He's going to do. We need to have a true fear of the Lord. Our worship represents the fear that we have for our Father.  Scripture reference: Psalms 92:13-15, Psalms 34:1-11, Job 28:28, Psalms 111:10, James 3:17-18, Acts 9:31, Acts 17:11-13, Acts 19.   Order your copy of Cindy's new book, NEW MOVES OF GOD Check out Cindy's TV show, CINDY STEWART LIVE. You can register for the 6-week, self paced e-course at COMPELLED TO CHANGE.  Please email Cindy with any questions or comments to cindy@cindy-stewart.com. She'd love to hear from you.  Pastor Cindy's Website  Pastor Cindy's Facebook  Pastor Cindy's Instagram Gathering Website  Gathering Facebook   Check out the other shows from KB PODCAST PRODUCTIONS: THE KINGDOM BRINGER PODCAST with Darin Eubanks Next Level Podcast with Michael McIntyre Super-Natural Living with Beth Packard KINGDOM MASTER MIND PODCAST with Ann McDonald   Podcast music from HOOKSOUNDS.COM    

On the next Treasured Truth, as we continue to look at how we are victorious through Christ, Pastor Ford will remind us that we all have sinned and have fallen short of the glory of God. That fact made us unqualified to come before a Holy God. But then Jesus gave us His name. And when He gave us His name, we became qualified. And now, because He has claimed us and we longer have our own names, we can do everything in His name. Learn more about how we are more than conquerors through Christ on the next Treasured Truth. Treasured Truth is a listener supported program on Moody Radio. To join our team of supporters, click here. To learn more about Pastor James Ford, Jr., click here. To learn more about Treasured Truth, click here.Donate to Moody Radio: http://moodyradio.org/donateto/treasuredtruthSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mary Ann Bridgwater is the Founder and President of Pray the Word Ministries, a ministry committed to expanding and enhancing prayer activity in Houston, our nation, and throughout the world. A frequent speaker and prayer consultant, her passion is leading others to experience a prayer life where they walk in the awareness of the presence of a Holy God. If you'd like to learn more about her ministry, visit https://www.praytheword.org/ If you'd like to register for her upcoming weekly class offered by our church beginning February 19th, visit https://subspla.sh/n48jsmf

"When, during adoration, I repeated the prayer, “Holy God” several times, a vivid presence of God suddenly swept over me," St. Faustina writes. Listen in as Fr. Joseph Roesch, MIC, reads from this modern spiritual classic. To order a copy of the Diary of Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska, visit ShopMercy.org. Support our Ministries here. 

Return with us to our ABC's of the Catholic Faith Series! We are almost 1/2 through, and this week we will be discussing L is for LOVE. But... love is an easier thing to see than to talk about. So, join us for some incredible Saint Stories that will SHOW US what love is! + MONDAY: God is LOVE + TUESDAY: The Story of St. Catherine Laboure and the Miraculous Medal, read from THE SAINTS AND THE CALL TO FRIENDSHIP WITH CHRIST + WEDNESDAY: The Story of Mary the Mother of God, read from HISTORY OF THE CHURCH TOLD THROUGH THE LIVES OF THE SAINTS + THURSDAY: The Story of St. Basil the Great and his family, read from CATHOLIC SAINTS FOR FAMILIES + FRIDAY: The Story of Little Nellie of Holy God, read from STORIES OF HOLY COMMUNIONS.   Download the full set of ABC's of the Catholic Faith Coloring Pages here: https://catholicsprouts.myflodesk.com/podcastabccoloring   Enjoy 20% of our entire collection of saint books! Just enter SAINTBOOK at check out. Explore all four books you read passages from this week on the podcast right here: https://shop.catholicsprouts.com/collections/saint-books     Find fun, meaningful, faith-filled projects for your own family in the Catholic Family Resource Library. https://catholicsprouts.com/catholic-family-resource-library-signup/  Catholic Sprouts is a production of Spoke Street Media. For more great Catholic podcasts, check out spokestreet.com 

Return with us to our ABC's of the Catholic Faith Series! We are almost 1/2 through, and this week we will be discussing L is for LOVE. But... love is an easier thing to see than to talk about. So, join us for some incredible Saint Stories that will SHOW US what love is! + MONDAY: God is LOVE + TUESDAY: The Story of St. Catherine Laboure and the Miraculous Medal, read from THE SAINTS AND THE CALL TO FRIENDSHIP WITH CHRIST + WEDNESDAY: The Story of Mary the Mother of God, read from HISTORY OF THE CHURCH TOLD THROUGH THE LIVES OF THE SAINTS + THURSDAY: The Story of St. Basil the Great and his family, read from CATHOLIC SAINTS FOR FAMILIES + FRIDAY: The Story of Little Nellie of Holy God, read from STORIES OF HOLY COMMUNIONS.   Download the full set of ABC's of the Catholic Faith Coloring Pages here: https://catholicsprouts.myflodesk.com/podcastabccoloring   Enjoy 20% of our entire collection of saint books! Just enter SAINTBOOK at check out. Explore all four books you read passages from this week on the podcast right here: https://shop.catholicsprouts.com/collections/saint-books     Find fun, meaningful, faith-filled projects for your own family in the Catholic Family Resource Library. https://catholicsprouts.com/catholic-family-resource-library-signup/  Catholic Sprouts is a production of Spoke Street Media. For more great Catholic podcasts, check out spokestreet.com 

Return with us to our ABC's of the Catholic Faith Series! We are almost 1/2 through, and this week we will be discussing L is for LOVE. But... love is an easier thing to see than to talk about. So, join us for some incredible Saint Stories that will SHOW US what love is! + MONDAY: God is LOVE + TUESDAY: The Story of St. Catherine Laboure and the Miraculous Medal, read from THE SAINTS AND THE CALL TO FRIENDSHIP WITH CHRIST + WEDNESDAY: The Story of Mary the Mother of God, read from HISTORY OF THE CHURCH TOLD THROUGH THE LIVES OF THE SAINTS + THURSDAY: The Story of St. Basil the Great and his family, read from CATHOLIC SAINTS FOR FAMILIES + FRIDAY: The Story of Little Nellie of Holy God, read from STORIES OF HOLY COMMUNIONS.   Download the full set of ABC's of the Catholic Faith Coloring Pages here: https://catholicsprouts.myflodesk.com/podcastabccoloring   Enjoy 20% of our entire collection of saint books! Just enter SAINTBOOK at check out. Explore all four books you read passages from this week on the podcast right here: https://shop.catholicsprouts.com/collections/saint-books     Find fun, meaningful, faith-filled projects for your own family in the Catholic Family Resource Library. https://catholicsprouts.com/catholic-family-resource-library-signup/  Catholic Sprouts is a production of Spoke Street Media. For more great Catholic podcasts, check out spokestreet.com 

Return with us to our ABC's of the Catholic Faith Series! We are almost 1/2 through, and this week we will be discussing L is for LOVE. But... love is an easier thing to see than to talk about. So, join us for some incredible Saint Stories that will SHOW US what love is! + MONDAY: God is LOVE + TUESDAY: The Story of St. Catherine Laboure and the Miraculous Medal, read from THE SAINTS AND THE CALL TO FRIENDSHIP WITH CHRIST + WEDNESDAY: The Story of Mary the Mother of God, read from HISTORY OF THE CHURCH TOLD THROUGH THE LIVES OF THE SAINTS + THURSDAY: The Story of St. Basil the Great and his family, read from CATHOLIC SAINTS FOR FAMILIES + FRIDAY: The Story of Little Nellie of Holy God, read from STORIES OF HOLY COMMUNIONS.   Download the full set of ABC's of the Catholic Faith Coloring Pages here: https://catholicsprouts.myflodesk.com/podcastabccoloring   Enjoy 20% of our entire collection of saint books! Just enter SAINTBOOK at check out. Explore all four books you read passages from this week on the podcast right here: https://shop.catholicsprouts.com/collections/saint-books     Find fun, meaningful, faith-filled projects for your own family in the Catholic Family Resource Library. https://catholicsprouts.com/catholic-family-resource-library-signup/  Catholic Sprouts is a production of Spoke Street Media. For more great Catholic podcasts, check out spokestreet.com