Podcasts about Holy Spirit

In this, the final study in the seven churches of Revelation, invite the Holy Spirit to teach you this special message from the Lord Jesus to all the churches. Enjoy the picture of fellowship as the Lord Jesus knocks at the heart's door of the sinner. If you open the door to let Him in, “I will come in and dine with him.” Come feed on the Word of God and get to know Christ better.

Bless Your Home With God's Protection and Peace | Blessed Morning Prayer To Start Your Day With GodSUBSCRIBE to catch all the latest prayers uploaded to the Daily Effective Prayer Podcast!For more powerful daily prayers and to connect with the ministry visit:https://www.dailyeffectiveprayer.org© Copyright DailyEffectivePrayer.com  SUPPORT THE MINISTRY: (We are listener-supported)https://www.dailyeffectiveprayer.org/donate/ DO YOU NEED PRAYER? Send us a prayer request right now:https://www.dailyeffectiveprayer.org/prayer-request-online/ CONNECT WITH US:https://www.dailyeffectiveprayer.org/connectYouTube (1M+ SUBSCRIBERS)X / TwitterInstagram ThreadsInstagramFacebook Daily Effective Prayer™

To get a copy of our new book "Embracing the Truth" or to have TS Wright speak at your event or conference or if you simply want spiritual or life coaching or just a consultation visit:www.tswrightspeaks.comVisit our website to learn more about The God Centered Concept. The God Centered Concept is designed to bring real discipleship and spreading the Gospel to help spark the Great Harvest, a revival in this generation.www.godcenteredconcept.comKingdom Cross Roads Podcast is a part of The God Centered Concept.Love God, A Journey Through the Greatest CommandmentIntroduction:In today's fast-paced world, understanding the depth of God's love is essential for spiritual growth. Join us as we explore the profound teachings found in Matthew 22:35-38 and Deuteronomy 6:4-5, shedding light on what it truly means to love God with all our heart, soul, and mind.Main Content:Section 1: The Greatest CommandmentIn Matthew 22:35-38, an expert in the law tests Jesus by asking which commandment is the greatest. Jesus responds emphatically, stating that we should love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, and mind. This powerful commandment sets the foundation for our relationship with God. It emphasizes that our primary duty is to love God in every aspect of our lives.Section 2: The Call to LoveThis call to love is echoed in Deuteronomy 6:4-5, where it states, "Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength." Here, we learn that loving God is not just a suggestion but a command that requires our utmost devotion and strength.Section 3: Seeking God FirstMatthew 6:33 further emphasizes the importance of prioritizing our relationship with God: "But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you." By seeking God first, we align our lives with His purpose, allowing everything else to fall into place. This pursuit of God should be our highest priority.Section 4: Obedience and DesireIn 1 John 5:1-3, we understand that love for God is demonstrated through obedience to His commandments. True love for God is not just about following rules but having a genuine desire to obey Him. The struggle of "white knuckling" through obedience highlights that without a heartfelt desire, our actions may become mere obligations.Section 5: The Role of the Holy SpiritThe transformation that occurs when we genuinely seek to love and obey God is empowered by the Holy Spirit. Revelation 3:18-21 reminds us that when we are corrected and rebuked by God, it is out of love. This leads to repentance and a renewed zeal to do His will. When we feel that desire to follow God earnestly, we can be assured that the Holy Spirit is guiding us.Key TakeawaysIn our journey to understand God's love, we find that loving Him wholeheartedly is our greatest commandment. This love compels us to seek Him first, obey His commandments, and be open to the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives. By prioritizing our relationship with God, we not only experience His love but also become instruments of His will in the world. Let us surrender to God, allowing Him to reign over our hearts and lead us in His love.Tags: God's Love, Greatest Commandment, Spiritual Growth, Matthew 22, Deuteronomy 6, Holy Spirit, Obedience to God, Faith, Christian Living, Seeking God First

Pray the Holy Rosary today with the Luminous Mysteries (traditionally prayed on Thursdays).  Join us for a beautiful rosary featuring a calm spoken female voice and soft ambient relaxing music to deepen your meditation. This guided Luminous Mysteries Rosary focuses on key moments from Jesus' public ministry:   The Baptism in the Jordan The Wedding at Cana The Proclamation of the Kingdom The Transfiguration The Institution of the Eucharist   Experience the fruits of these mysteries, including openness to the Holy Spirit, gratitude for Mary's intercession, and deeper adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. United in prayer with the Communion of Saints, let the Blessed Virgin Mary carry your intentions to her Son.  Perfect for daily Catholic prayer, relaxation, stress relief, or extended meditation with peaceful background music. May this Rosary prayer become a cherished part of your spiritual life. For more prayer resources, visit www.rosarywristband.com   #HolyRosary #LuminousMysteries #ThursdayRosary #Rosary2026 #CatholicPrayer #GuidedRosary #FemaleVoiceRosary #RelaxingRosary #PrayTheRosary !!! SUPPORT OUR SAINTLY SOUNDS GREGORIAN CHANT CHANNEL !!!  Catholic Prayers sung in Latin using actual prayer lyrics https://youtube.com/@sonisancti?si=k-ybNdVGdo_dFTEt Link to Gregorian Chant Prayer playlist:  https://youtu.be/OVQfBVpJxVg?si=dZw92ColnO9Wv5As !!! SUPPORT OUR COMMUNION OF SAINTS CHANNEL !!!  Spoken Rosary & music featuring a MALE VOICE https://youtube.com/@rosarycompanion?si=J4-MKOKo3mnxwpIS Have you joined our Membership?  Starting at only $1.99 a month, you can directly help this channel grow:  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLXCEpdy0etQAdEHB1z-oTg/join Or consider a donation through PayPal to help us continue creating quality content:  https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?business=CHerrera720037%40gmail.com&cmd=_donations¤cy_code=USD&item_name=Donation+to+The+Communion+of+Saints&return=https%3A%2F%2Frosarywristband.com%2Fhome All music in this video is licensed thru Epidemic Sound Publishing. Blessings, Chris - The Communion of Saints Email: chris@rosarywristband.com Simply, easy and quick rosary prayers for everyday recitation and reflection.   This collection of Catholic rosary videos in english serve as a daily devotion and feature calm background music and nature soundscapes.   Choose from audio only or follow along video with all mysteries: Joyful, Sorrowful, Glorious and Luminous.  Listen before sleep or any time for renewed focus and peace. "United in Prayer" Visit rosarywristband.com for comfortable one decade rosaries. #Rosary #JoyfulMysteries #CatholicMeditation #MondayRosary #todayrosary  #todayrosaryinenglish #dailyrosaryinenglish

Today's Daily Rosary - SPOKEN MALE VOICE with AMBIENT MUSIC by THE COMMUNION OF SAINTS ROSARY This week's collection of beautiful music welcomes you into a calm state of prayer as together, we offer up our intentions alongside this daily rosary. This rosary contains the luminous mysteries, recited on Thursdays.  These mysteries focus on Jesus' public ministry, including his baptism and the institution of the Eucharist, with fruits such as openness to the Holy Spirit and adoration. Join the communion of saints in praying the rosary, as it connects you with the communal prayer of the universal Church and the saints throughout history, fostering a profound sense of spiritual solidarity.  The spoken portion of this rosary is 17 minutes, with extended music for additional meditation. May this Rosary become a faithful companion to your prayer life. Additional prayer tools at www.rosarywristband.com !!! SUPPORT OUR SAINTLY SOUNDS GREGORIAN CHANT CHANNEL !!!  Catholic Prayers sung in Latin using actual prayer lyrics https://youtube.com/@sonisancti?si=k-ybNdVGdo_dFTEt Link to Gregorian Chant Prayer playlist:  https://youtu.be/OVQfBVpJxVg?si=dZw92ColnO9Wv5As !!! SUPPORT OUR COMMUNION OF SAINTS 2 CHANNEL !!!  Spoken Rosary & music featuring a FEMALE VOICE https://youtu.be/8v2u3Sbhh4I?si=7CbWIGvgxquvNNQM **NEW**  30 MINUTE TRADITIONAL ROSARY - LUMINOUS THURSDAY - SPOKEN ONLY https://youtu.be/3FsR8I6WiTs ROSARY - SPOKEN ONLY VERSION: Thursday - SPOKEN ONLY https://youtu.be/S6fNrAPjf2M MOST VIEWED THURSDAY ROSARY: Calm Music    https://youtu.be/73Z7rRx6dnM MOST VIEWED ONE HOUR ROSARY DEVOTION: Complete Rosary    https://youtu.be/rrNMRJ5oH-Q MOST VIEWED SLEEP ROSARY: 4 Hour Sleep Rosary    https://youtu.be/4a-uaEEJOF4 Have you joined our Membership?  For only $1.99 a month, you can directly help this channel grow:  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLXCEpdy0etQAdEHB1z-oTg/join Or consider a donation through PayPal to help us continue creating quality content:  https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?business=CHerrera720037%40gmail.com&cmd=_donations¤cy_code=USD&item_name=Donation+to+The+Communion+of+Saints&return=https%3A%2F%2Frosarywristband.com%2Fhome Blessings, Chris - The Communion of Saints Email: chris@rosarywristband.com Simply, easy and quick rosary prayers for everyday recitation and reflection.   This collection of Catholic rosary videos in english serve as a daily devotion and feature calm background music and nature soundscapes.   Choose from audio only or follow along video with all mysteries: Joyful, Sorrowful, Glorious and Luminous.  Listen before sleep or any time for renewed focus and peace. "Together we pray" Visit rosarywristband.com for comfortable one decade rosaries. #Rosary #LuminousMysteries #CatholicMeditation #ThursdayRosary #todayrosary #todayrosaryinenglish

Would you like to pray prayers that heaven instantly moves to answer? On Believer's Voice of Victory, Kenneth Copeland demonstrates how covenant Faith works hand-in-hand with Spirit-led intercession. You'll discover how the Holy Spirit helps you pray God's exact will and how those prayers open divine connections, protection and breakthrough. This episode will inspire you to step into a higher place of prayer and see supernatural results.

Open Forum The discussion emphasized persistent faith and prayer amid unanswered requests, encouraging believers to trust God's timing, remain open to the Holy Spirit's guidance, and engage in continual self-reflection. Through personal stories and shared experiences, the group explored how delayed or denied prayers can foster growth, protection, and deeper trust, whether in relationships, singleness, marriage, or personal ambitions. They highlighted the importance of contentment and maturity in every season of life, prioritizing love, relationships, and obedience to God's will over material success or comfort. Ultimately, the conversation underscored that true fulfillment comes from aligning one's life with God's purposes, embracing life's struggles, and faithfully seeking His direction in all circumstances.   Partner with Us: https://churchforentrepreneurs.com/partner Connect with Us: https://churchforentrepreneurs.com Leave a Comment: https://churchforentrepreneurs.com/comments      

This is Christian Meditation for A Bigger Life – a time for you to relax your body and refocus your mind to experience the reality of God's presence. I'm Dave Cover. I want to help you with Christian meditation where you can break through all the distractions and experience God's presence through biblically guided imagination.  Romans 8:26 (NIV) “…The Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans.” Not all prayer has to have words. Sometimes we just need to quiet ourselves before God. “Be still and know that I am God” (Psa 46:10). And just be cognizant that the Spirit of God is interceding for us even without words. Who can you share this podcast with? If you found this episode helpful, consider sharing it on social media or texting it to a friend you think might benefit from it. Follow Dave Cover on X (Twitter) @davecover Follow A Bigger Life on X @ABiggerLifePod Our audio engineer is Matthew Matlack. This podcast is a ministry of The Crossing, a church in Columbia, Missouri, a college town where the flagship campus of the University of Missouri is located.

#10MinuteswithJesus ** Put yourself in the presence of God. Try talking to Him. ** 10 minutes are 10 minutes. Even if you can get distracted, reach the end. ** Be constant. The Holy Spirit acts "on low heat" and requires perseverance. 10-Minute audio to help you pray. Daily sparks to ignite prayer: a passage from the gospel, an idea, an anecdote and a priest who speaks with you and the Lord, inviting you to share your intimacy with God. Find your moment, consider you are in His presence and click play.

Would you like to pray prayers that heaven instantly moves to answer? On Believer's Voice of Victory, Kenneth Copeland demonstrates how covenant Faith works hand-in-hand with Spirit-led intercession. You'll discover how the Holy Spirit helps you pray God's exact will and how those prayers open divine connections, protection and breakthrough. This episode will inspire you to step into a higher place of prayer and see supernatural results.

This week, Jake and Bob conclude their series on deliverance and healing by welcoming Fr. Boniface Hicks, OSB to the show. Together, they explore deliverance, not as a fixation on removing darkness, but as the ongoing work of living in the freedom of God's love. Fr. Boniface reframes spiritual warfare using the analogy of relationships and stories, and how our identities are shaped by our understanding of truth and love. They address common fears and misconceptions about spiritual warfare that have been fueled by culture and the practical role of prayer in helping us find the freedom Christ desires for us.   Key Points: Deliverance is fundamentally about freedom in God's love, not removing evil. Every person carries a story that deserves to be heard and healed. Evil spirits try to limit our story but God seeks to bring it to its fullness. Deliverance is an ongoing process, not a one-time event. True deliverance draws us deeper into the love story of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Spiritual warfare is primarily a battle over truth, belief, and identity. Love has the power to loosen spiritual oppression and restore freedom. Prayer is most powerful when it is relational rather than formulaic. Belief is not merely intellectual—it is lived, embodied trust.   Resources: Fr. Boniface's Website   Chapters: 00:00 Introduction 03:10 The Basics of Deliverance 08:58 Deliverance is the Process to Freedom 16:00 Our Fascination with the Spiritual World 24:01 The Subtle Movements Away from Good Lead to Disintegration 34:27 The Battle for Our Stories 43:46 Do Our Prayers Have Power?   Connect with Restore the Glory:  Instagram: @restoretheglorypodcast  Twitter: @RestoreGloryPod Facebook: Restore the Glory Podcast   Never miss out on an episode by hitting the subscribe button right now! Help other people find the show and grow in holiness by sharing this podcast with them individually or on your social media. Thanks!

Pastor Adriel and Aaron Simon discuss the interesting and sometimes awkward dynamics of small groups, and how they can potentially become a problem if they are elevated to the same level of importance as the church's worship on the Lord's Day. PARTNER WITH US - https://solamedia.org/partner/?sc=AS2502VWhen you become a partner today, you'll receive two remarkable books as our thanks: Rediscovering the Holy Spirit by Dr. Michael Horton and Praying with Jesus by Pastor Adriel Sanchez. We believe these books can guide you into a clearer understanding of the Spirit's work and a richer prayer life. FOLLOW US YouTube | Instagram | X/Twitter | Facebook | Newsletter WHO WE ARE Sola is home to White Horse Inn, Core Christianity, Modern Reformation, and Theo Global. Our mission is to serve today's global church by producing resources for reformation grounded in the historic Christian faith. Our vision is to see reformation in hearts, homes, and churches around the world. Learn more: https://solamedia.org/

The leading of the Holy Spirit always aligns with God’s Word.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Read OnlineJesus withdrew toward the sea with his disciples. A large number of people followed from Galilee and from Judea. Hearing what he was doing, a large number of people came to him also from Jerusalem, from Idumea, from beyond the Jordan, and from the neighborhood of Tyre and Sidon. Mark 3:7–8Jesus was amassing quite a following, with people flocking to Him from territories that include modern-day Israel, Lebanon, Syria, and Jordan. Among them were traditional Hebraic Jews, Greek-speaking Jews, Syro-Phoenician Gentiles, and Edomites. This diverse crowd reveals how Jesus' ministry transcended cultural, religious, and national boundaries, foreshadowing the universal call of the Gospel. While some were drawn to Him through authentic faith, others came out of curiosity, eager to witness His miracles.Just prior to today's Gospel, the Pharisees and Herodians began to plot Jesus' death because they saw Him as a threat. In response, Jesus “withdrew toward the sea with his disciples.” His timing was perfect; the hour of His Passion had not yet come. This withdrawal was not an act of fear but a deliberate step forward in preparing for the next phase of His mission. There was still much to accomplish—gathering followers, performing works of mercy, and preparing the Twelve for their mission to proclaim the Kingdom of God.While Jesus acted in accordance with divine wisdom, those who flocked to Him could only see the immediate. They were captivated by His teachings and miraculous works but often misunderstood the full scope of His mission. As Ecclesiastes reminds us, “There is an appointed time for everything, and a time for every affair under the heavens. A time to give birth, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to uproot the plant. A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to tear down, and a time to build…” (Ecclesiastes 3:1–3). For Jesus, this “time” in His public ministry was a time to build up His earthly flock, teaching them, inspiring faith, and forming them for their mission.As we consider the many and diverse people who flocked to Jesus at this time in His ministry, it's important to see ourselves in them. Those who came to Him could have never imagined all that would follow. While some might have foreseen the possibility of His death due to the hostility of religious and political leaders, few, if any, could have predicted that Jesus' Passion and Death were something He would freely welcome and embrace. At that time, they could never have understood that Jesus had to suffer and die for the salvation of souls. Moreover, everything that followed His death would have been foreign to them: His Resurrection, establishment of the Church, Ascension, bestowal of the Holy Spirit, and future coming as the Universal King.We all go through countless experiences, some good, some bad. When we encounter something good, we often want to hold onto it, yet those experiences often fade with time. When we encounter something bad, we long for that situation to be removed or resolved, yet it sometimes stays longer than we hoped. Jesus' life clearly teaches us that “There is an appointed time for everything, and a time for every affair under the heavens.” As we journey through life, we ought not dismiss the difficult times and try to cling to the good ones. We must enter and live each moment as it comes and goes, seeking to use everything as God intends it, preparing us for the glory that awaits us if we remain faithful until the end.Reflect today on the seasons of your life, both the joys and the trials. How is God calling you to trust in His timing and use each moment to grow in faith and love? Consider whether you view your challenges as obstacles or as opportunities to deepen your trust in God's perfect plan. Embrace the good and the difficult, growing in grace and virtue as you do, and your life will unfold in beautiful ways, giving glory to God. In doing so, you will reflect the trust and fidelity of Jesus Himself, whose perfect obedience to the Father brought about the salvation of the world.Lord of perfect timing and wisdom, Your divine plan unfolded flawlessly throughout Your earthly life. At every moment, You lived in perfect accord with the Father's will, embracing both joy and sorrow for the sake of salvation. Help me to trust in Your providence during every season of my life, the good and the difficult, confident that You bring forth an abundance of good fruit in all things. Strengthen my faith, and teach me to surrender fully to Your will. Jesus, I trust in You.Image via picrylSource of content: catholic-daily-reflections.comCopyright © 2026 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.

2nd Sunday in Ordinary time, Year A  Gospel John 1:29-34 John the Baptist saw Jesus coming toward him and said, "Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world. He is the one of whom I said, 'A man is coming after me who ranks ahead of me because he existed before me.' I did not know him, but the reason why I came baptizing with water was that he might be made known to Israel." John testified further, saying, "I saw the Spirit come down like a dove from heaven and remain upon him. I did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, 'On whomever you see the Spirit come down and remain, he is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.' Now I have seen and testified that he is the Son of God."

Light Up The Darkness With Your Faith (WALK IN VICTORY) | Blessed Morning Prayer To Start Your DaySUBSCRIBE to catch all the latest prayers uploaded to the Daily Effective Prayer Podcast!For more powerful daily prayers and to connect with the ministry visit:https://www.dailyeffectiveprayer.org© Copyright DailyEffectivePrayer.com  SUPPORT THE MINISTRY: (We are listener-supported)https://www.dailyeffectiveprayer.org/donate/ DO YOU NEED PRAYER? Send us a prayer request right now:https://www.dailyeffectiveprayer.org/prayer-request-online/ CONNECT WITH US:https://www.dailyeffectiveprayer.org/connectYouTube (1M+ SUBSCRIBERS)X / TwitterInstagram ThreadsInstagramFacebook Daily Effective Prayer™

Do you need a guide? Are you in need of guidance and direction? God has given you two sources, His Word and His Spirit.Main Points:1. Where does this guidance come from? How does God become our guide? He guides us in two ways. He guides us by His Word and by the Holy Spirit.2. Psalm 119 says God's Word is a lamp for my feet and a light for my path, meaning, it illuminates the steps we are to take. God's Word makes it clear what the next step should be.  As wonderful as this is, it is only half the answer. You'll make many decisions in life that are not identified or prescribed in the Bible.3. In the absence of clear guidance from the Word of God, we rely on the direction of the Holy Spirit. This is why Paul said in Romans 8:14 - “For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God.” Not only do we need daily guidance from Scripture, but we also need daily direction from the Holy Spirit. The Word and the Spirit together are the leadership that we need.Today's Scripture Verses:James 1:5 - "Whoever among you lacks wisdom, ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault.”Psalm  32:8 "I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go and I will counsel you and watch over you.  Proverbs 3:5-6 - “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.”Quick Links:Donate to support this podcastLeave a review on Apple PodcastsGet a copy of The 5 Minute Discipleship JournalConnect on SocialJoin The 5 Minute Discipleship Facebook Group

#10MinuteswithJesus ** Put yourself in the presence of God. Try talking to Him. ** 10 minutes are 10 minutes. Even if you can get distracted, reach the end. ** Be constant. The Holy Spirit acts "on low heat" and requires perseverance. 10-Minute audio to help you pray. Daily sparks to ignite prayer: a passage from the gospel, an idea, an anecdote and a priest who speaks with you and the Lord, inviting you to share your intimacy with God. Find your moment, consider you are in His presence and click play.

We talk about grace a lot — but do we actually understand it? For many of us, grace feels like the doorway into faith … yet something we quietly try to “maintain” through our own effort. What if God never intended you to earn what He freely gives?In today's episode, writer and Bible teacher Kristel Acevedo joins Meredith Brock and Kaley Olson for a deeply clarifying conversation about the kind of grace Scripture describes — the grace that saves us and keeps us. Through biblical teaching, real-life stories, and practical wisdom, Kristel helps us see why striving leaves us exhausted, how sanctification actually works, and why resting in God's unshakable love is the starting place for real spiritual transformation.If you're tired of trying to be “good enough,” wrestling with shame, or wondering whether you've used up all of God's patience, this episode will breathe fresh hope into your heart. Grace isn't a one-time gift. It's the ongoing work of God in you — today, tomorrow, and every day after.You'll learn:What Scripture means when it says we are saved by grace — and why that same grace is what transforms us daily.The difference between working for God's acceptance and living from your secure identity in Christ.How sanctification really happens, and why slowing down helps us recognize the Holy Spirit's work in us.Why sharing grace with others matters, and how God can use your life to draw people to Himself.Resources From This Episode:When life feels uncertain, God's promises are not. Stir up your faith with the 40 Days Through the New Testament study, and help even more women access biblical Truth through daily studies, podcasts, and encouraging resources. Give to Proverbs 31 Ministries today, and get a copy of this brand-new study guide as our thanks. Connect with Kristel Acevedo by following her on Instagram for biblical encouragement and practical teaching. Explore more of her work at KristelAcevedo.com, and make sure to check out her newest Bible study, A Way in the Wilderness.Discover the Every Woman's Bible. This is a study Bible created by over 100 women scholars, writers, and contributors from around the world. It is packed with notes and devotionals offering cultural, historical, and literary insight. Learn more at EveryWomansBible.com.Click here to download a transcript of this episodeWant More on This Topic? Listen to “Are We Missing Jesus as We Work for Jesus?” with Gloria Umanah on The Proverbs 31 Ministries Podcast.

It is not logical to forgive someone who has offended us, but it is supernatural — it can only come from walking in the power of the Holy Spirit. Yet, forgiveness and humility was constantly on the heart of Jesus.

Sometimes life can feel daunting and overwhelming, but did you know you have a secret weapon? If you ever find yourself in need of an advocate, someone to help you with fears, or to offer comfort during a really hard season—Joyce, Ginger, and Erin have some good news you'll want to hear! Join them as they talk about the miraculous power of the Holy Spirit living inside of you...and how He wants to help you in every part of your life.

Our Vision as a church is to echo the prophet Habakuk and "see the fame and deeds of God renewed and known in our time." To this end, our mission is to see lost New Yorkers, far from God, be transformed into compelling missional disciples. We believe this happens in three shifts: we want to see people go from Gospel resistance to experiencing the tangible presence of God, from a selfish orientation to pursuing counter formation in the way of Jesus, and from worldly ambition to living on sacrificial mission with the Holy Spirit. Rather than holding an emphasis in one of these areas, we believe that it is the intersection of these three things that creates a compelling disciple of Jesus. Learn more about how to join us today at church.nyc. +++

The Holy Spirit transforms the believer from the inside out.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Moments in God's presence don't just comfort us- they give us momentum for the seasons ahead. When we intentionally steward time with Him, His presence begins to guide us, shape us, and propel us forward. What if the Holy Spirit is using your current test as a place of promotion? In His presence, we learn to discern His leading, gain clarity for what's next, and walk with confidence into what He's preparing.    

Welcome to Day 2779 of Wisdom-Trek. Thank you for joining me. This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom. Day 2779– The Prophet of the Most High – Luke 1:57-80 Putnam Church Message – 12/14/2025 Luke's Account of the Good News - “The Prophet of the Most High”   Last week, we continued our year-long study of Luke's Narrative of the Good News in a message titled: “The Day Mary Met Gabriel.” – Peace in the Unexpected. This week is the third Sunday of Advent, which is Joy, as we continue to build anticipation of the coming Messiah. Today's passage is the story of: “The Prophet of the Most High.” Joy to the World - Our Core verses for this week will be Luke 1:57-80, found on page 1589 of your Pew Bibles.  The Birth of John the Baptist 57 When it was time for Elizabeth to have her baby, she gave birth to a son. 58 Her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown her great mercy, and they shared her joy. 59 On the eighth day they came to circumcise the child, and they were going to name him after his father Zechariah, 60 but his mother spoke up and said, “No! He is to be called John.” 61 They said to her, “There is no one among your relatives who has that name.” 62 Then they made signs to his father, to find out what he would like to name the child. 63 He asked for a writing tablet, and to everyone's astonishment he wrote, “His name is John.” 64 Immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue set free, and he began to speak, praising God. 65 All the neighbors were filled with awe, and throughout the hill country of Judea people were talking about all these things. 66 Everyone who heard this wondered about it, asking, “What then is this child going to be?” For the Lord's hand was with him. Zechariah's Song 67 His father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied: 68 “Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, because he has come to his people and redeemed them. 69 He has raised up a horn> of salvation for us in the house of his servant David 70 (as he said through his holy prophets of long ago), 71 salvation from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us— 72 to show mercy to our ancestors and to remember his holy covenant, 73     the oath he swore to our father Abraham: 74 to rescue us from the hand of our enemies, and to enable us to serve him without fear 75     in holiness and righteousness before him all our days. 76 And you, my child, will be called a prophet of the Most High; for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him, 77 to give his people the knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins, 78 because of the tender mercy of our God, by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven 79 to shine on those living in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the path of...

Sometimes life can feel daunting and overwhelming, but did you know you have a secret weapon? If you ever find yourself in need of an advocate, someone to help you with fears, or to offer comfort during a really hard season—Joyce, Ginger, and Erin have some good news you'll want to hear! Join them as they talk about the miraculous power of the Holy Spirit living inside of you...and how He wants to help you in every part of your life.

Pastor Mike argues against the common misconception that sanctification is primarily the believer's effort (synergistic). Instead, he asserts the technical and proper definition is that sanctification is fundamentally the monergistic work of God's free grace, as the sanctifier, through the Holy Spirit. Mike distinguishes between positional sanctification (set apart at justification) and progressive/practical sanctification (the subsequent process of holy living, dying to sin, and living to righteousness). He emphasizes that a Christian's response to God's work is first by faith—believing they are dead to sin and alive to God in Christ (union with Christ) before yielding the fruit of obedience. Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/6dhG6YCtdLc Produced/Edited By: Marrio Escobar (Owner of D2L Productions) 

#10MinuteswithJesus ** Put yourself in the presence of God. Try talking to Him. ** 10 minutes are 10 minutes. Even if you can get distracted, reach the end. ** Be constant. The Holy Spirit acts "on low heat" and requires perseverance. 10-Minute audio to help you pray. Daily sparks to ignite prayer: a passage from the gospel, an idea, an anecdote and a priest who speaks with you and the Lord, inviting you to share your intimacy with God. Find your moment, consider you are in His presence and click play.

I'll leave the light on for you. Have you ever heard that line before? Motel 6 turned that phrase into a promise—but spiritually, it's a calling. Darkness is everywhere, but one light can change everything. That light is Christ in you. Just like lamplighters once walked city streets to protect their communities, you've been called to guard your home with vigilance and faith. The Proverbs 31 woman never let her lamp go out—and neither should we. In this episode, you'll learn practical ways to keep your spiritual flame burning, strengthen your connection to the Holy Spirit, and become the lamplighter your family needs. This is the seventh episode in the Blueprints for Building Your Spiritual Dream Home series. So far, we've delved into the preparation processes of designing and building your dream home. Today we're talking about the power of light. Listen to the first episode in the Blueprints for Building Your Spiritual Dream Home series Open Your Blueprint Listen to the second episode in the Blueprints for Building Your Spiritual Dream Home series How to Build a Godly Home: Choosing the Right Location Listen to the third episode in the Blueprints for Building Your Spiritual Dream Home series Envision Your Dream Home Listen to the fourth episode in the Blueprints for Building Your Spiritual Dream Home series How Building a Dream Home Tests your Marriage-and Your Faith Listen to the fifth episode in the Blueprints for Building Your Spiritual Dream Home series The Secret Behind a Strong Spiritual Home (Hint: It's Not Being Pinterest Perfect) Listen to the sixth episode in the Blueprints for Building Your Spiritual Dream Home series Why You Matter: The Hidden Strength in Every Home Watch on YouTube The Power of Light: Becoming a Spiritial Lamplighter with Carol Roper

Today on Exploring the Marketplace, Shawn Bolz and Bob Hasson tackle a struggle many leaders, creatives, and believers quietly carry: striving for God instead of working with God.This episode features guest Nathaniel Vossler, former CFO turned founder of Rhema Now, an app designed to help believers engage in listening prayer, group intensives, and Spirit-led coaching. In early 2025, Nathaniel stepped away from the corporate world after sensing God's clear call into a new season—building this platform alongside his wife while raising their growing family in Idaho.Together, Shawn, Bob, and Nathaniel get practical about:Moving from pressure to presenceSaying no to good things that aren't God thingsCreating Spirit-led rhythms for your calendar and decisionsHearing God clearly in real business and life transitionsLetting go of ego, overcommitment, and burnoutBuilding sustainably with God, not just for HimShawn and Bob also share personal stories of burnout, overextension, and the hard-earned wisdom that comes from learning to surrender control and trust God's pace. This episode is an honest, hope-filled invitation to trade striving for peace—and rediscover what it looks like to walk in true partnership with the Holy Spirit.If you're tired, driven, successful—but longing for peace—this conversation is for you.

Today, Francis Chan sits down with Joni Eareckson Tada for a deeply personal conversation about perseverance, joy, and enduring faith in a life marked by suffering. Joni shares how nearly 60 years in a wheelchair, seasons of pain, illness, and discouragement have become the place where Jesus meets her most intimately, strengthening her to “fight for joy” day after day. Together, they talk about what helps believers endure to the end: partnering with the Holy Spirit, building a “repository” of Scripture to combat lies, and learning to see hardship as an invitation to know Christ more deeply (Philippians 3:8–10). Joni also reflects on the beauty of community that grows organically around weakness, the joy of serving “the least of these,” and the hope of heaven that shapes how we live now. If you've been discouraged, tired, or tempted to give up, this episode will strengthen your faith and remind you that Jesus is near and worth holding onto. And we encourage you to dive deeper into a revelation of the love of God with Francis' latest book, “Beloved.” It's available now wherever books are sold.

Anti-ICE mob storms a Sunday church service in St. Paul, MN. What happened, and why was Don Lemon there? Meanwhile, a "Church-Hopping" debate blows up Catholic Twitter. And finally, one Democrat gives a surprising and blunt answer when pressed on “trans rights.” All this and more on the LOOPcast!00:00 Welcome to the LOOPcast03:19 Anti-ICE Mob StormsChurch Service35:42 Good News52:02 The Case Against Church-Hopping1:09:26 Twilight Zone1:27:47 Closing PrayerEMAIL US: loopcast@catholicvote.org SUPPORT LOOPCAST: www.loopcast.orgSubscribe to the LOOP today!https://catholicvote.org/getloop   Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-loopcast/id1643967065 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/08jykZi86H7jKNFLbSesjk?si=ztBTHenFR-6VuegOlklE_w&nd=1&dlsi=bddf79da68c34744 FOLLOW LOOPCast: https://x.com/the_LOOPcast  https://www.instagram.com/the_loopcast/ https://www.tiktok.com/@the_loopcast https://www.facebook.com/LOOPcastPodcast Tom: https://x.com/TPogasic Erika: https://x.com/ErikaAhern2  Josh: https://x.com/joshuamercer Breathe into me, Holy Spirit, that my thoughts may all be holy. Move in me, Holy Spirit, that my work, too, may be holy. Attract my heart, Holy Spirit, that I may love only what is holy. Strengthen me, Holy Spirit, that I may defend all that is holy. Protect me, Holy Spirit, that I may always be holy.All opinions expressed on LOOPcast by the participants are their own and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of CatholicVote.

Reading Acts 2:1-4 where the Holy Spirit comes on the day of Pentecost with the sound of a violent wind, and the apostles are filled with the Spirit and go out speaking in tongues. Visit wwutt.com for all our videos!

Breathe Deep, Trust God—Protect Your Peace | Blessed Morning Prayer To Start Your Day With GodSUBSCRIBE to catch all the latest prayers uploaded to the Daily Effective Prayer Podcast!For more powerful daily prayers and to connect with the ministry visit:https://www.dailyeffectiveprayer.org© Copyright DailyEffectivePrayer.com  SUPPORT THE MINISTRY: (We are listener-supported)https://www.dailyeffectiveprayer.org/donate/ DO YOU NEED PRAYER? Send us a prayer request right now:https://www.dailyeffectiveprayer.org/prayer-request-online/ CONNECT WITH US:https://www.dailyeffectiveprayer.org/connectYouTube (1M+ SUBSCRIBERS)X / TwitterInstagram ThreadsInstagramFacebook Daily Effective Prayer™

#10MinuteswithJesus ** Put yourself in the presence of God. Try talking to Him. ** 10 minutes are 10 minutes. Even if you can get distracted, reach the end. ** Be constant. The Holy Spirit acts "on low heat" and requires perseverance. 10-Minute audio to help you pray. Daily sparks to ignite prayer: a passage from the gospel, an idea, an anecdote and a priest who speaks with you and the Lord, inviting you to share your intimacy with God. Find your moment, consider you are in His presence and click play.

281. Excel in Social Skills and Etiquette and Teach Your Children To Do The Same with Monica Irvine   Proverbs 20:11 NIV “Even small children are known by their actions, so is their conduct really pure and upright?”   Ephesians 4:32a AMP “Be kind and helpful to one another,”   *Transcription Below*   Monica Irvine, President and creator of The Etiquette Factory, LLC, is a master motivator and dedicated instructor who loves to help children and adults see the benefits and rewards of having proper etiquette, mastering professionalism and excelling in social skills. As a Certified Etiquette Instructor and working in the hospitality industry for 24 years, Mrs. Irvine specializes in etiquette and professional instruction to help ensure the success of each individual both personally and professionally.   Mrs. Irvine is the published author of three books on Etiquette and one book on Scheduling including: Etiquette for Beginners, Etiquette Intermediate, Etiquette Masters and A Schedule Makes for a Happy Family, in addition to authoring several monthly columns in national publications such as Everything Knoxville, The Homeschool Handbook and the Homeschool Magazine.   Mrs. Irvine is a national speaker, speaking to thousands of parents, educators and children every year.   Residing in Knoxville, TN with her husband, Mrs. Irvine spends her free time playing tennis, running and enjoying her family of three boys and a granddaughter.   You may contact Mrs. Irvine at monica@TheEtiquetteFactory.com  or via her website at www.TheEtiquetteFactory.com. Rise Up Parenting FUNdamentals 4 Kids Life Skills Essentials   Thank You to Our Sponsor: Sam Leman Eureka   Questions and Topics We Cover: What are some red flags we can identify in our lives if we are too busy and what wisdom do you recommend instead of our overstuffed schedules? As parents, why must we proactively teach these qualities to our children, rather than just instruct them in a moment of correction? Will you share stories of ways the Holy Spirit has nudged you to use etiquette and it resulted in something miraculous?    Other Savvy Sauce Episode Mentioned: Unexpected Grief and What Helped Me Through It Can Help You Too with Singer and Blogger, Brittany Price Brooker   Connect with The Savvy Sauce on Facebook or Instagram or Our Website   Gospel Scripture: (all NIV)   Romans 3:23 “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,”   Romans 3:24 “and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.”   Romans 3:25 (a) “God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood.”    Hebrews 9:22 (b) “without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.”    Romans 5:8 “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”    Romans 5:11 “Not only is this so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.”    John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”   Romans 10:9 “That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”    Luke 15:10 says “In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”   Romans 8:1 “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus”   Ephesians 1:13–14 “And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession- to the praise of his glory.”   Ephesians 1:15–23 “For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.”   Ephesians 2:8–10 “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God‘s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.“   Ephesians 2:13 “But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ.“   Philippians 1:6 “being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”   *Transcription*   Music: (0:00 – 0:10)   Laura Dugger: (0:11 - 2:19) Welcome to The Savvy Sauce, where we have practical chats for intentional living. I'm your host, Laura Dugger, and I'm so glad you're here.   The principles of honesty and integrity that Sam Leman founded his business on continue today, over 55 years later, at Sam Leman Chevrolet Eureka. Owned and operated by the Burchie family, Sam Leman in Eureka appreciates the support they've received from their customers all over central Illinois and beyond. Visit them today at LemanGM.com.   My guest for today is the charming Monica Irvine. She is president and creator of The Etiquette Factory. She's a master motivator and dedicated instructor who just loves helping children and adults to see the benefits and rewards of having proper etiquette. She also loves to help people master professionalism and excel in social skills.   So, she's going to give us insight into all of these ideas and share stories today for ways that we can actually seek the Lord and love others well and value people through the proper use of etiquette.   Here's our chat. Welcome to The Savvy Sauce, Monica.   Monica Irvine: (2:19 - 2:20) Thank you. Thanks for having me, Laura.   Laura Dugger: (2:20 - 5:41) Well, I'm so excited to get a chat with you today, but let's just begin here. I'm so fascinated because you were born and raised in the South. Is that right?   Monica Irvine: Well, yes, Tennessee. Absolutely consider myself Southern.   Laura Dugger: I love it. And I grew up in the Midwest and got to live in the South for a few years. And I was very struck by the difference in manners. And I'm just curious if manners and etiquette were intentionally taught to you, both in your family and then just kind of in your Southern culture around you.   Monica Irvine: (2:20 - 5:32) Well, yes. So, when I think about being raised in the South, I think and maybe my mom and my grandmas were a little different. But what I would describe my upbringing is very particular, meaning everything was made special.   And my parents and my grandparents took a lot of pride in making things beautiful and lovely. And so, of course, my mom cooked every night. But like at my home growing up and we did not have a lot of money, just know that my parents struggled.   But my mother would never put a ketchup bottle on the table or a mayonnaise jar. Everything had to be put in little bowls with little spoons. And it's funny because my friends that I have today, I get given little spoons for birthdays and occasions because my friends all know how much I love little dainty things.   But, you know, and some people, you know, might think that's a little ridiculous. But I'll tell you something. I don't know that we need to eat that way every night, seven nights a week.   But it made dinner time feel special. And even the way my mother and my grandmothers kept their house, everything had its place. It was not messy.   We had clean homes. And I think it also just helped me be proud of my home. I mean, once again, we did not have a lot of money, but my friends thought my home was so nice.   Well, the reason it was so nice is because my mother kept such care of it. And so, I was raised with a lot of cousins and live close to both of my grandparents. And so even the outside of their homes, both sets of grandparents, everything was beautiful.   And so there was a lot of pride in who we are, how we presented ourselves. But you're going to laugh at this. So, my mom, my dad tells me this story that right after my mom and dad got married, my dad came home from work one day and my mom was ironing.   You know, she'd spend a whole day ironing every week or half a day. And my mom was ironing my dad's underwear. And my mom's name is Janice.   And he was like, “Janice, honey, what are you doing?” And “I know just ironing, Bob.” And he's like, “Babe, you don't need to iron my underwear.”   But, you know, the thing is, that to my mother and my grandmothers being a good wife and being a good mother meant making sure everyone in the family looked nice, that their clothes were clean, that the home was clean, that there was good food on the table. And that was part of their identity, of this is what it means to be a good wife and mother. And I love that about my upbringing.   Laura Dugger: (5:33 - 5:41) And do you have any reasons why you think that's changed a little bit over the years?   Monica Irvine: (5:42 - 8:34) Yeah, I think we've gotten lazy. Well, no, I just I think there you know, there's balance, right? There's when I look back, I can't really remember my mom playing with me.   But now, listen, I don't feel like I missed out, but I do recognize it. But I guess even as a little girl, sure, I would have loved my mom to play with me. But that's just not in my mind what moms did.   Moms cleaned house and made everything and cooked your meal. And so, I do. I'm grateful that as a society, we have adjusted somewhat.   Sometimes I believe too much but have adjusted in going. What's the most important things? And because I'm a big believer in playing with our children and our grandchildren and creating memories.   But now my family, my parents and we worked a lot together. Like if we were if the yard needed raking, it wasn't kids go rake the yard. Mom, dad, kids were in the yard raking.   If a car needed to be washed, it wasn't go wash the car. We were all out there washing the car. So, I think that's why I don't feel like I missed out because my family did so many things together.   Whereas today we're so separated. No parents give their children and babies phones and iPads so they'll just be quiet so they can get their important work done. Like grocery shopping or cooking.   And I just think that instead of teaching our children how to self-soothe and self-entertain and how to creatively play even by yourself, sometimes we just always believe there has to be a babysitter to distract our children from wanting mom and dad. It's just I you know, this could be a whole other talk, Laura, but I just you know, I see it. It breaks my heart sometimes on the lack of how often families work together, play together and do things together.   But now, you know, dad's watching his game in this room. Mom is in another room, maybe on her computer doing social media. The kids are in their rooms on their games.   And I see a lack of family unity. So once again, even though maybe my mom and dad didn't play with us and I'm glad we've shifted with that thought process. Still, we were a united family.   Laura Dugger: (8:35 - 8:56) I love that. And the Lord has clearly given you a passion for that instilling that in others. And He invited you into a journey that eventually led to The Etiquette Factory, which is the work that you get to do today.   So, can you share the impetus for that and what that journey looked like for you?   Monica Irvine: (8:56 - 13:54) I will. I love my company. I feel like it's just yet another beautiful adventure the Lord has allowed me to be on in my life.   And so, I feel like I'm just outside looking in at this beautiful little business that has allowed me to minister to children and adults in need. So, years ago, I was homeschooling our kids. I was homeschooling our youngest son at the time, and we were studying the life of President George Washington.   And I just kind of stumbled upon this list. It was called George Washington's Rules of Civility and Decent Behavior. It is a beautiful list of 110 chivalry skills.   And apparently, President Washington was encouraged to focus on some chivalry as was part of a formal education in those days. He found a French book that had these list of chivalry kind of considerations, and he copied them. He hand copied them, of course.   And we have that list of 110 chivalry skills in President Washington's handwriting. But as I started reading over this list, the Lord penetrated my heart. I just I was like, these are so beautiful.   I mean, some of them were kind of funny. Some of them were. It's not polite to remove lice from your companion in public, which I think is good to know.   But most of the beautiful chivalry skills were very applicable to today. And I was like I want my son to memorize these skills. So, we started memorizing one Washington skill a week.   And because they were written in that old English, you know, sometimes we were like, what does this mean? And it just I just decided for my son's sake, who was nine at the time, I wanted to just kind of make my own version. But what was so a light bulb moment for me is as we started making manners part of our daily discussion in school, I noticed a change in my child's behavior and my son would be like, “Mom, let's do another one. What's the next one? Let's do one more.”   And I found that so fascinating because, as you know, most of us parents, when we teach manners, we're teaching it in the moment, usually correcting bad behavior. It's not that that's our goal. It's just that that's when we think about it.   Our child says, or does something that's not the most polite, and all of a sudden we're going, “Oh, honey, no, honey, you can't say that. That's not polite.” And then we make the correction and then we teach the skill.   And what I learned and realized is that so often that's when I was teaching my children manners in the moment of correcting. And what I've learned about that is when we're being corrected, whether you're three years old or 30 years old, we harden our heart typically because it's self-preservation. You know, we stiffen up when someone's like, “Monica, you really shouldn't have.” I'm like, whoa.   And it's just because of our own pride. We don't like being called out and neither do our children, even when we're doing it gently and politely. It's still a correction.   And so, what I found is when our heart is hardened, as the scripture says, it's not the best time to absorb information. It's the opposite of being humble. To be humble means to be teachable.   To be hardened means to not be teachable. So, when we have a hardened heart, it's hard for us to absorb things of the spirit, which all truth comes from God. So, anything that is lovely of good rapport is of God.   So, when we're teaching our children to be kind and to have kind considerations for others, those are God's truths and God's truths cannot seep into the soul of our heart unless our heart is soft. And so that is what happened is I was like, today we're going to learn how to use our napkin properly. Or today we're going to learn how to apologize.   But how do you make it sound sincere and how do you be sincere when you don't really feel it? And so, as we started just working on one skill at a time, the conversations were typically beautiful. Parts were changed and behavior ended up changing.   And so really, that's what then later became The Etiquette Factory.   Laura Dugger: (13:55 - 14:20) I love that because I think it gives our children confidence because then they're equipped and prepared and understand what's expected of them in different situations or what can bless others in the way they act. But then I'm curious, you gave a few examples of those. Can you think of any of George Washington's chivalry lines that would still apply today?   Monica Irvine: (14:21 - 19:07) Yes, well, so I'm not quoting, I'm summarizing. So, for instance, one is it is not polite to hum or sing in the presence of others that would cause distraction. And so basically it's not polite to draw attention to ourselves but also draw attention or interrupt other people's day life when we haven't been invited to do so.   So let me give you this definition we use for etiquette. So, at The Etiquette Factory, etiquette is helping those around us to feel valued and to feel comfortable. Well, if I'm sitting there humming along, but the person beside me really doesn't want to hear my humming, then I might be causing that person to feel uncomfortable.   Same thing, you know, whenever I start off teaching a class, because usually when everyone thinks of manners, they think of table manners. Of course, there's so much more. But I use this example.   I say, well, if I were to come to your home and sit down and I started eating like a pig in the presence of your family, I mean, I'm chewing with my mouth open. I'm making a smacking my lips. I'm taking too big of bites and food is falling in my lap or I'm making a mess on the table.   Or I eat so fast that I am finished eating, getting up to leave. And you're just on your third bite of food. Well, any of those behaviors, I would be sending a message.   And that message is, look, I'm here for one person and that person is myself. I came to fill up my belly because I'm hungry. And beyond that, I really don't care.   I don't care if I'm making you uncomfortable. I don't care if I'm grossing you out. I don't care if you actually wanted to talk to me because I just came here to eat and I'm out of here.   You see, we don't realize it, but a lack of chivalry is called selfishness. A lack of chivalry is inward focused. When we focus outwardly on what message am I sending to those around me?   Am I sending a message of love and care and value? That is etiquette. I get emailed all the time and message like, “OK, Monica, I've got this shower I'm putting on.   And my daughter is not going to invite her work friends to the wedding. But is it OK if we invite all of them to a wedding shower?” And they'll go, so what's the etiquette rule?   Well, there is no etiquette rule about that, except etiquette is about helping those around us to feel valued. And so that's how I answer every question. I'm like, well, let me ask you if you were invited to a wedding shower, where you're asking her friends to shower your daughter with gifts and love to celebrate her wedding.   But yet those friends were not valued enough to invite to the wedding. How do you think it would make them feel? And so that's what the answer is with etiquette.   Now, there's exceptions. In fact, that case, that's a real email I got. And she ended up having the shower because her daughter went and told her co-worker who offered to give her a wedding shower.   “You know what? I thought that is so thoughtful. I'm so grateful that you were willing to do that. But we're having a very small, intimate wedding, you know, for financial reasons and intimacy reasons. And so, I just don't feel comfortable inviting people to bring gifts for me and knowing that we're just we're not going to be able to invite everyone to the wedding.”   And that co-worker said, “We don't care. We knew you were having a small wedding. We want to celebrate you.”   And so, you know, you can there be exceptions, but a lady and a gentleman always try to be very aware of those unspoken messages. And that guides our conversation, our answers, our actions. And that's what we teach children and adults to do at The Etiquette Factory.   Laura Dugger: (19:07 - 21:17) And now a brief message from our sponsor.   Sam Leman Chevrolet Eureka has been owned and operated by the Burchie family for over 25 years. A lot has changed in the car business since Sam and Stephen's grandfather, Sam Leman, opened his first Chevrolet dealership over 55 years ago.   If you visit their dealership today, though, you'll find that not everything has changed. They still operate their dealership like their grandfather did with honesty and integrity. Sam and Stephen understand that you have many different choices in where you buy or service your vehicle.   This is why they do everything they can to make the car buying process as easy and hassle free as possible. They are thankful for the many lasting friendships that began with a simple, welcome to Sam Leman's. Their customers keep coming back because they experience something different.   I've known Sam and Stephen and their wives my entire life, and I can vouch for their character and integrity, which makes it easy to highly recommend you check them out today. Your car buying process doesn't have to be something you dread, so come see for yourself at Sam Leman Chevrolet in Eureka. Sam and Stephen would love to see you, and they appreciate your business.   Learn more at their website, LemanEureka.com, or visit them on Facebook  by searching for Sam Leman Eureka. You can also call them at 309-467-2351. Thanks for your sponsorship.   I loved, this was a few months back, but we came to a homeschool convention, and I loved your talk on purposeful parenting. One thing that you said, just I think backing it up and looking at our family in general, you said, “If we're too busy to do the most important things, we're too busy. Stop allowing the adversary to tempt us to remain too busy.”   So, Monica, what wisdom can you share for maybe red flags that can help us identify when we're too busy to focus on the most important things, and what do you recommend instead of overstuffing our schedules and our lives?   Monica Irvine: (21:18 - 26:23) You know, that's a great question. Those are good questions that every family should ask themselves. You know, I think that if we are to strive to focus on the most important things, step number one is, has mom and dad identified the most important things?   Because if you don't know what your goal is, then you're not going to as easily recognize when something is interfering with your goal. So, for instance, maybe mom and dad sits down and says, “Well, our number one goal is to make sure that our children know Jesus Christ. And so, what do we need to do to make sure that we're doing our best to help our children know who He is?”   Well, and so a family might decide, well, we want to have daily scripture study and daily family and individual prayer. We want to make it a priority to be at church so that we can worship on the Sabbath, but also so that we can meet together with other like-minded Christians and minister to one another as we're taught by the Savior. That's important for us to do.   And perhaps we want to learn to do as the Savior does. And that's why we're going to learn of His attributes and try to follow in His footsteps and be a family of service. So, let's just say those are our four of the most important things.   If that's our goal, then hopefully mom and dad could recognize when we're starting to stumble off the path that leads to our goal. For instance, I can't tell you how many parents have come up to me after they hear me speak on this topic and say, “Monica, I wish I had heard you say this 10 years ago. But we got sucked up into the what the world has to offer, and we started allowing our children to play competitive sports on Sunday. And so, we stopped going to church years ago because there was always a championship game on Sunday morning and always another tournament. And we wanted our children to have, you know, college opportunities.”   And there's nothing wrong with college opportunities unless that college opportunity interferes with our most important goal. And so that's why first mom and dad have to decide what is the most important, because then it's easier to recognize when we are being tempted by the adversary to focus on what the world is trying to offer us.   And the world offers us shiny things that tempt our human nature to want to be popular and loved by all and wealthy. And so, we just have to always go back to our goals. You know, I've got families that say, “I wish we had eaten dinner together more often. But we allowed our children to be so scheduled that there was not one night or there was only one night a week that we actually sat down at the table together.”   You know, parents. You will regret that. And you can't take back these precious, very short years that you have your children under your roof in your home.   And you will be someone like me one day where all of my kids are graduating and grandchildren and all you live for is your children to come visit and your children to come have dinner. And so, when you allow the world to creep in and be more important than spending time with your family, time with the Lord, time on good and lovely things, you will regret it. And I just think that probably every year come January, mom and dad should sit down and go, let's look at last year.   What were we missing from our family schedule? What do we need to reevaluate whether that is the most important thing? And so that's something I think all of us have to do on a regular basis.   Laura Dugger: (26:24 - 27:20) I think you're hitting on something profound there, that reflection with the Lord or with our spouse. I think we have no excuse because if there is no spouse in the picture, we always have the Lord. But to be intentional, to take that time, maybe on a Sabbath and go through a few questions and reflect back.   I think that could save us from a lot of regret. So, I really appreciate that response. And going back to etiquette, then you've taught us that it is a learned behavior.   This isn't something that our children will just naturally pick up. It's best to do in times where their hearts are soft, so proactive if possible. But I'd love to know in your own life, when were times that the Holy Spirit nudged you to use etiquette and it resulted in something miraculous?   Monica Irvine: (27:21 - 32:56) Oh, goodness. Okay, well, to me, I think miraculous is seeing the Lord's divine hand in our life. I see the miracle of the Lord every day in my life.   But probably most often is when I kneel down at the end of a day, I repent daily because I need to daily. And it's always a little nervous because I pray and I ask the Lord, as sometimes I know what I need to repent of. I know that I recognized I stumbled that day on something, but sometimes I just I pray and I say, “Lord, you know, just help.”   If something needs to be brought to my mind that I need to repent of and that I need to do better, would you bring it to my mind at this time? And it wasn't that long ago that the Lord brought to my mind something that I had gotten in the habit of doing that I didn't feel like it was wrong, but it was wrong. And so, etiquette, one of the etiquette skills I teach everyone is that it's not polite for us to gossip.   A lady and a gentleman always draw attention to the lovely and wonderful things that other people do. Now, if there's a safety issue, that's different, but I'm just talking about we don't share negative things about other people. And so, it's something I teach every year, all year long.   But I feel like I've done so much better than I did twenty-five years ago when the Lord really chastised me one time for gossiping. But in the last couple of months, I had gotten in the habit of sharing with my husband. So sometimes, you know, when you share with your spouse that you kind of feel like that's a safe place that the same rules don't apply because you and your spouse kind of talk about everything.   And so, I was in the habit of sharing with my spouse something that I was worried about that another person in our family did. But I was constantly going, “Oh, I don't like that. They do this and I don't like that. They do this and I'm worried about it.” And I actually was worried about it. But I just was constantly kind of highlighting these things that I didn't like that someone in our family did.   Well, one night I was praying and asked the Lord to bring to my mind and the Lord brought that to my mind. And it was kind of like he said, “Monica, don't you remember that? If you're worried about someone. Instead of sharing those negative things, even with Charles, my husband, what would be more effective is if you prayed and asked me to bless that person, to help that person, you know, in the ways that they need help and ask me to help, you know, of ways that you could be a better example to that person. But you don't need to constantly draw attention because it's starting to make you be negative towards this person.”   And I just like right when the Lord said that to me, I was embarrassed. I was like, “Monica, that. Yeah. Like, how do you not know that? That you should know better than that.”   Well, so immediately I repented and I apologized to the Lord and I and I started doing what he asked me to do. And within just a couple of days, like I started just noticing all of the wonderful, lovely things that this person is and does. And so, just to me, that is miraculous and it happens all the time.   And if I'm humble enough to repent and to listen to the Lord, because the Lord wants to help us and he wants us to strive to be like him. But we've got to ask where we need to be corrected. And so, I teach etiquette, I teach we don't gossip.   And then lo and behold, I had kind of gotten myself in another trap again. You know, and I just I think it's a miracle what happens when we listen to the Lord. He immediately turns our mind to good, lovely, beautiful things and allows us to be a vessel of light instead of vessel of darkness.   And we can be that vessel of darkness just right inside our own marriage, even though we think that's kind of a safe place to maybe be a little looser with our tongue. So, there's one example.   Laura Dugger: (32:57 - 33:26) I love that. And I remember you also explaining whenever you get a thought in your head that you don't want to do, it's likely 100 percent from God. So, can you share a couple specific stories of times that that was the Holy Spirit telling you something that you didn't maybe want to do, but you obeyed?   I'm remembering something about a grocery store and another time separately about a phone call. Yeah.   Monica Irvine: (33:26 - 40:29) OK, well, I'll tell about the phone call just because it's less sad. So, yeah, one time there was this lady and she was just kind of investigating our church and starting to come to our church and kind of fill it out. So, I had just met her and I found out that her what led her to come looking for God is her husband was an addict and she was just at her wits end and their marriage and family was falling apart.   And so, she came looking for the for help for the Lord. And so, I learned a little bit about her story. I ended up taking her to one of those celebrate recovery places at another church because I knew they had a wonderful program.   And so, I had interacted with her a couple of times. I probably had only known her about a month when one night I was running late to take my kids to youth on Wednesday night and I was cooking some spaghetti and I was just, you know, cooking that spaghetti at the stove. And all of a sudden I had a thought come into my mind, “Call her.”   And, you know, I was like, oh, yeah, I do need to call her. I need to call and check on her. I will, you know, after church tonight.   And so, I, you know, kept cooking that spaghetti. And the second time the Spirit, because that's who it was talking to me, because that's who tells us to do good things. Not us, but God.   The Spirit said, “Monica, call her.” But I was running late and I was trying to get my kids fed and I was like, I will call her as soon as I get the kids fed, you know, drop them off at church and then I'll call her, you know, and so I really meant to call her. But I.   Finally, a third time, and it seems to always take me three times before I realize, OK, he means now. And so, a third time it was like “Monica call.” And so, it was so strong.   And I, I know it's the Lord, but I, I just turned the stove off. I went into my bedroom, got my phone out, dialed her number. And as it was ringing, she picked up the phone and all I heard was just some quiet sobbing.   And she couldn't speak. And I, you know, I said her name. I said, “Hey, so and so it's Monica. I just. I see that you're upset. I just wanted to call and check on you. In fact, the Lord insisted that I call and check on you.”   And then her, you know, her crying just continued. It wasn't until, you know, she had calmed down and she just said, you know, “Monica, I had been praying and just asking the Lord to just show me that, you know, show me that you care that this is happening to me.” Something like that.   And, you know, I, I, in that moment, my stomach kind of did that little knot because I knew how close I had come to just not calling. And sure, I could have called her an hour later. It would have been at least an hour later and maybe, you know, it would have mattered.   But the Lord knew that it mattered right in that moment. She needed an answer. She needed to know that the Lord was listening.   And I've learned that in my life, that whenever we get a thought that comes into our mind and that thought is to do something good, like calling someone, you all is a good thing. Visiting someone, writing a letter to someone. Those are good things.   And all good comes from the Lord. And sometimes I wonder, does the Lord trust me? Does he know I'll respond when the stakes are high?   You know, sometimes I think as we continue to learn how to hear the spirit, we have to practice. Oh, that was the spirit. And probably if you're like me, I've learned a lot about the spirit by not listening.   And then later going, “Oh, yeah, Lord, I did miss that. You tried. You tried to warn me, or you tried to get me to do that. And I dismissed it.”   But so, you all I just think it takes practice and I'm still practicing. But I do believe that especially when it's something that we don't really want to do or we think we don't have time. And I just realize I felt the Lord going, “Monica, do you not think I know you're cooking spaghetti? Do you not think I know you're running late? But right now, there's something more important I need you to do than to get your kids to church on time.”   And so, I think at some point we have to decide, do we trust Him or don't we? And if we trust Him, we have to trust Him completely. And that means when we receive a prompting that we will act quickly because the Lord knows what we're doing.   And He knows that we don't have the best relationship with that person. Yet you're feeling like you should call. He already knows that.   And it doesn't mean that everything's always going to turn out the way we think it will. Sometimes I think the Lord just wants us to know ourselves that we'll do what He asked us to do, regardless of how it will turn out. And sometimes I feel like the Lord has told me to do something and I did it and it didn't go well.   And I'm like, “Lord, like, why? Why?” And I know all of us, you all sit there and go, wait, was that my thought or was it God's thought?   And you know what I have learned is that just stop worrying about it. Just act in faith. And the Lord always backs up His people.   The Lord doesn't, as you and I are praying and striving to understand the Lord's will. And let's say we get an idea and so we act on it because we feel like it was a prompting and then it does not go well. I believe the Lord loves so much that you were trying to listen and be obedient and the blessings will come.   Sometimes we just don't know the timing or how, but we've just got to trust.   Laura Dugger: (40:29 - 43:59) I love that. And we never know what's happening on the other side of our obedience. And I'll link back to Brittany Price Brooker's episode because she was one who had lost her husband and was crying out to the Lord.   I think she was bathing her young children, and they didn't have food in the house and maybe they were sick. And the only thing that sounded good to their child was apples, but it was late at night. She couldn't go get them herself.   And she was just praying like, “Lord, do You see me? Do You know my needs? I need You to meet my needs.”   And right then the doorbell rings and somebody showed up and she said, “The Lord told me to buy you these apples and bring them to you.” And I think that highlights something else. You articulated it well when you say whenever you get that thought in your head that you something that you don't want to do, it's likely 100% from God.   I would say a lot of times too, it's also awkward or inconvenient. We don't know why. And then I think back to the Bible, Abraham was put in a very awkward situation with his son and Noah, that was very awkward to be building the boat when there wasn't rain.   But look at the blessing that comes on the other side of obedience. So, appreciate those stories are really helpful.   By now, I hope you've checked out our updated website, thesavvysauce.com, so that you can have access to all the additional freebies we are offering, including all of our previous articles and all of our previous episodes, which now include transcriptions. You will be equipped to have your own practical chats for intentional living when you read all the recommended questions in the articles or gain insight from expert guests and past episodes as you read through the transcriptions. Because many people have shared with us that they want to take notes on previous episodes, or maybe their spouse prefers to read our conversations rather than listen to them or watch them now that we're offering video rather than just audio. So, we heard all of that and we now have provided transcripts for all our episodes.   Just visit thesavvysauce.com. All of this is conveniently located under the tab show notes on our website. Happy reading.   So, at that same conference, when I heard you speak, you shared something that really stuck with me. This one was about our daughters. So, I want to talk about daughters first and then we'll move to sons.   But you mentioned there was this one study where over 3,000 men were surveyed. And they were asked, what's the number one quality that you desire in your wife? Either current wife or someday in the future when you're married.   And do you remember the response? Yeah, it was kindness. Kindness.   That she is kind. And so, I wondered, was there another side for the boys then too? What do you think women would say for their future or their current spouse?   What attribute do you think they would identify?   Monica Irvine: (44:00 - 47:35) It didn't have that for the other side, but a word that we don't use as much anymore. And I try to use it a lot is, I think most women, even if it wouldn't come to their mind immediately, once they heard it, they'd be like, oh, wait, no, yeah, that. And that is honorable.   They would want their husbands to be honorable. And to be honorable means that we do honorable things. And honorable things always 100 percent of the time require some level of sacrifice.   That's what makes them honorable when we sacrifice and give up our time, ourself in order to better someone else to help our country, our family, others. And so, I think today what we all want is for our spouses, husbands and wives to be kind and to live honorable lives. Those lives, it doesn't mean a perfect life, but to be honorable means we strive to have integrity.   We strive to be godly. We strive to do what we say we're going to do. We strive to live up to our divine nature as God called mothers and fathers and husbands.   And so, I would think to me that is the most important, because if you live an honorable life, then you honor God. You honor your marriage covenant. You honor your children by treating them and speaking to them with honor.   You honor your job. You make sure that you have integrity at work and that you're dependable. And the same goes for us women.   You know, but I think I think we all struggle with selfishness. I mean, that is ultimately what we struggle with every day is what do I want? What do I need?   What's important to me versus trying to live a selfless life for our spouse, for our family? Anyway, it would be interesting to do that survey, but I think what's so kind of funny about the kindness is that whenever I read that survey results that I had read years ago, when I say that to a crowd of women. And men, but when I say that to the crowd, you can always see I just see this rippling of women making this kind of gesture.   Or because they know that they could be more kind, because usually we can be kind to everyone in the world. But in the walls of our home, we struggle more with just kindness.   Laura Dugger: (47:37 - 48:00) And so if we go further upstream than before we're married, if that's what God has for us, what are practical ways that we can teach and instill kindness in our children and honorable character? Or any other practical tips for conduct?   Monica Irvine: (48:00 - 53:03) Yeah, well, I love when I do a workshop at a convention on a family of service, because honestly, when we have our children in our home, it's practice ground. We have once again a few years to help them learn to love the Lord and to love others. You know, the two great commandments, love me and love others.   Well, to me, the best way to teach our children to love God and love others is to get our children out and serving others. Because, as you know, typically, like, for instance, when someone calls us and says, “Oh, hey, Monica, hey, would you mind, you know, the Smith family, they just had their new baby. Do you think you could cook dinner for them one night next week?”   If you're like me, I'm going to say yes. And then I'm going to hang up. And then I'm going to have that anxiety because already my week is so full and I was already stressed out about how I was going to get all the things done I needed to get done.   And now I've just added another thing. And I'm not saying there are not times that we don't need to say no, because we absolutely have to say no sometimes. But my point is, I cook the dinner and I go drop it off.   And as I'm pulling, as we are pulling away from that home, how do we feel? Do we feel better or do we feel worse? Do we feel happy or do we feel sad?   Honestly, almost 100 percent of the time, y'all, we're going to feel happier. We're going to feel grateful. We're going to be grateful that we had the opportunity to cook that dinner for that sweet family.   We're going to be reminded of how sweet the Lord is to give us opportunities to be His hands and His feet and His mouth here on the earth. And so, we want our children to learn to love. To love others, but it takes practice.   It's not until you serve again and again and again that you start to realize that the secret to being happy, the secret to having peace in your life and love abounding in your home is when we lose ourselves in the service of others. It's the secret to fixing siblings arguing with each other. It's the secret to helping husbands and wives draw closer together and have more love for one another.   It's the secret to less contention overall, to more peace, to more joy and happiness is to lose ourselves in the service of others. And so, to me, if you want to raise if we want to raise honorable, kind, generous, compassionate, empathetic human beings, they've got to lose themselves. To find themselves and define God.   And so, yeah, I think that's the secret. And of course, Jesus Christ tried to teach us that over and over and over again. He tried to teach His disciples over and over again that if you love me.   Then love my sheep, feed my sheep, teach my sheep. And what's interesting is that you all. The more we do that, the more we serve and love others.   Do you know what I believe? I believe it's kind of like the Grinch. Remember when the Grinch's heart grew?   That's real. That's really what happens. The God expands our ability to love others.   And in doing that, it actually expands our deep love of God. I think it's so fascinating that that's the fruit of service is a deeper and abiding love of Jesus Christ. It seems like it would be the opposite, right?   Well, I've got to love Jesus more in order to have a greater desire to serve. But it's the opposite. He wants you to go serve when you don't really feel like it.   And he wants you to go serve when it's not convenient. And your kids are crying and no one wants to go rake her yard. And then the fruit of acting in faith and trusting God is the love.   Laura Dugger: (53:05 - 53:34) That's what I would do. That's so good. Such a good medicine or anecdote to selfishness and issues we're having in the home with our children and for ourselves.   Well, Monica, you have shared so much goodness with us throughout this conversation. Can you explain how you can help partner with us as parents to help us teach our children etiquette at neutral times? Like you said, when their hearts are softer?   Monica Irvine: (53:35 - 56:52) Yes. Yeah. So, we've got some awesome resources, parents.   And number one is we do have a parenting course called Rise Up Parenting. And it's just this beautiful 52-week course that you get lifetime access to in case it takes you three years to get through your 52 weeks. But it is a course for mom and dad, or mom, or dad by themselves.   But it's just a beautiful way to help parents focus on one parenting skill a week. I've learned that when we have purposeful parenting, when we focus on one improvement at a time because we can get so overwhelmed, like we want we want to teach our kids to be selfless and that be ambitious and to serve and share. And I mean, it's just, it's endless.   But the Lord is a house of order. The gospel of Jesus Christ is a house of order. And so as long as we're going in the right direction, y'all, we are successful.   And so, this parenting course teaches a biblical principle and then a parenting principle that are related and allows you to just make little increment steps of improvement. Because when mom and dad improve, it blesses your children. So that's the first resource.   And then the other two most popular resources is we just have two programs. We have a program called FUNdamentals4Kids that targets children preschool through about third grade. And it's so fun.   It's just these wonderful, fun board games, flashcards, songs, stories, crafts, where we try to encourage you to twice a week set aside 15 minutes of your school day for an official manners activity and watch what happens. So, we've organized it for you. And for the little kids, we found out that if they can play with it, sing about it, make some food with it, that it helps them to go, “Mom, let's do a manners lesson.”   And then they don't even know that they're being taught these beautiful, wonderful skills. So that is so wonderful. And then for kids about fourth grade through 12th grade, we have a course called Life Skills for You.   And it's just so fun and it's so effective. Basically, it's 142 little three-minute lessons. We once again just try to get you to commit to twice a week sitting down with your family, watching a three-minute lesson where I'm teaching the etiquette skill.   Plus, we show teenagers doing the skill the wrong way and the right way. So, it's kind of funny, but it just creates some really great conversation with the family. And so those are our top three selling product lines.   And you can find all of that on our website, theetiquettefactory.com.   Laura Dugger: (56:53 - 57:15) Thank you for sharing. We will certainly link to all of that in the show notes for today's episode. And Monica, you may be familiar that we are called The Savvy Sauce because savvy is synonymous with practical knowledge.   And so, this is my final question for you today. What is your savvy sauce? Yeah.   Oh, that's a hard one.   Monica Irvine: (57:15 - 59:06) I thought about this and I'm like, it's so hard. You all. Honestly, my savvy sauce is Jesus Christ.   It just is. I know sometimes we want the answer to be something else, but in all practical terms, it's Jesus. Meaning I start my morning out every day with Jesus.   I end every night with Jesus. I pray throughout the day and ask Him to help me make a decision. And I thank Him for all the beautiful things that happened to me throughout the day.   And I just He is this person, this real person that is at my side every day, all day, I hope. And that's how I do anything. That's why I am the mother that I am.   Not that I'm the best mother, but because of Him, I can mother and because of Him, I can be a good wife. And because of Him, I can be a good friend and I can minister to others through The Etiquette Factory. It's just it is Him.   And, you know, sometimes people will ask me, “Monica, I I want to have the knowledge you have or I want to be able to whatever parent the way it sounds like you parent.” And I'm like, you guys know, it's just it's called Jesus Christ. And Jesus will tell us all things that we should do.   And so my sauce is having a relationship with Jesus Christ. It truly is well said.   Laura Dugger: (59:06 - 59:24) And, Monica, you are such a gifted communicator and your heart of compassion is evident in your outward behavior. It's been such a joy to get to spend an hour with you today. So, I just want to say thank you for being my guest.   Monica Irvine: (59:24 - 59:43) Oh, thank you, Laura. And it's been such a joy. You're so kind.   And I appreciate the beautiful ministry that you're doing here on The Savvy Sauce. What a blessing for families to be able to just hear these resources that you've created. So, thank you.   Laura Dugger: (59:44 - 1:03:26) Thank you for being a part of it.   One more thing before you go, have you heard the term gospel before? It simply means good news. And I want to share the best news with you, but it starts with the bad news.   Every single one of us were born sinners, but Christ desires to rescue us from our sin, which is something we cannot do for ourselves. This means there's absolutely no chance we can make it to heaven on our own. So, for you and for me, it means we deserve death, and we can never pay back the sacrifice we owe to be saved.   We need a savior, but God loved us so much. He made a way for his only son to willingly die in our place as the perfect substitute. This gives us hope of life forever in right relationship with him.   That is good news. Jesus lived the perfect life. We could never live and died in our place for our sin.   This was God's plan to make a way to reconcile with us so that God can look at us and see Jesus. We can be covered and justified through the work Jesus finished. If we choose to receive what he has done for us, Romans 10:9 says, “that if you confess with your mouth, Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”   So, you pray with me now. Heavenly father, thank you for sending Jesus to take our place. I pray someone today right now is touched and chooses to turn their life over to you.   Will you clearly guide them and help them take their next step in faith to declare you as Lord of their life? We trust you to work and change lives now for eternity. In Jesus name we pray.   Amen. If you prayed that prayer, you are declaring him for me. So, me for him, you get the opportunity to live your life for him.   And at this podcast, we're called The Savvy Sauce for a reason. We want to give you practical tools to implement the knowledge you have learned. So, you're ready to get started.   First, tell someone, say it out loud, get a Bible. The first day I made this decision, my parents took me to Barnes and Noble and let me choose my own Bible. I selected the Quest NIV Bible and I love it.   You can start by reading the book of John. Also get connected locally, which just means tell someone who's a part of a church in your community that you made a decision to follow Christ. I'm assuming they will be thrilled to talk with you about further steps such as going to church and getting connected to other believers to encourage you.   We want to celebrate with you too. So, feel free to leave a comment for us here. If you did make a decision to follow Christ, we also have show notes included where you can read scripture that describes this process.   And finally, be encouraged. Luke 15:10 says, “in the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” The heavens are praising with you for your decision today.   And if you've already received this good news, I pray you have someone to share it with. You are loved and I look forward to meeting you here next time.

This guided Scripture meditation in Isaiah 55 uses Lectio Divina. God is doing work that we can’t even begin to imagine. In Isaiah God declares, “my thoughts are not your thoughts, and your ways are not my ways.” I have to confess… from my limited perspective it can be hard to understand what God is doing. This passage reminds me that God is doing things beyond our knowing. (see Job 36:26) As I refocus on the truth that God is God and I am not. And that God is good – always good. Then I start to rest in him and his work. Listen in to this guided meditation and allow the Holy Spirit to remind you that God is working. And that he uses his good Word to accomplish his good purposes. Here’s some helpful links I discussed in the podcast: The guided retreat to help you move into this new year with intention is here. You can find Jodie at http://www.jodieniznik.com/ Instagram @jodienzinik Facebook @JodieGNiznik Learn more about Lectio Divina and download your free Lectio Divina Journal here. And if you’re ready to make Scripture Meditation a part of your new year, I encourage you to join my Monday email newsletter here. I’ll send out link to the newest meditation every Monday morning. Download free sample chapters from my Bible studies here. The passages we meditated on is as follows: Isaiah 55:8-11, CSB For my thoughts are not your thoughts, and your ways are not my ways.” This is the Lord’s declaration. 9 “For as heaven is higher than earth, so my ways are higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. 10 For just as rain and snow fall from heaven and do not return there without saturating the earth and making it germinate and sprout, and providing seed to sow and food to eat, 11 so my word that comes from my mouth will not return to me empty, but it will accomplish what I please and will prosper in what I send it to do.” Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Daily news media, whether on television or social media, is often troubling and unsettling, particularly because the media seems to focus excessively on the tragic and even dehumanizing stories of conflict, violence, or war. Why not take a moment to consider some good news?  Life is a gift. Every human person is a masterpiece of God's creative love, endowed—as our Declaration of Independence states, with "certain inalienable rights" that include "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness".   May we commit ourselves to public witness to these truths, respecting the gift of our own life and the lives of others. In the eyes of God, all possess an infinite dignity as Temples of the Holy Spirit.  And may we come together to ensure the sanctity of life is defended, protected, and celebrated—always. 

Send us a textWhat if courage sometimes looks like running? We explore Paul's charge to “flee” and “fight” in 1 Timothy 6:11–12 and show how those two commands form a clear strategy for authentic manhood. We talk about why fleeing temptation is not cowardice but wisdom, and how fighting the good fight of faith demands conviction, consistency, and a reliance on the Holy Spirit.Reclaiming the Wild is back — April 24–26 at Abundant Blessings Farm (Stem, NC). This isn't just a retreat… it's a reset: brotherhood, faith, outdoors, bonfires, and real conversations. Theme: we have been commanded to unite. Bring your son (or any male kid 5+) and make memories that last. Register now — let's reclaim the wild. It's time to stop sitting on the sidelines.Step into the fight and become the man God called you to be. Join a brotherhood built on truth, strength, and action. Visit thelionwithin.us right now and start leading with boldness and purpose. Iron sharpens iron — let's go.

A Prayer to Remember by Nicolet Bell Our role are mothers—not as rescuers, but as guides who consistently point our children back to the One who has already provided the ultimate rescue. In today's episode, we reflect on Hosea 13:6 and explore how creating intentional rhythms in our homes helps store God’s Word in our children’s hearts so the Holy Spirit can bring it to mind when they need it most. Reference: Hosea 13:6 Prayer:Father, help me to help my children to remember you. Help me to find little ways to teach them to think about you again and again. I don’t want it to be said about my family that we forgot you. I thank you that one of the Holy Spirit’s roles is “rememberer”. We need your help and you give us the help that we need. We thank you for that! LINKS: 5 Habits of a Praying Mom Follow Everyday Prayers @MillionPrayingMoms Get today's devotion and prayer in written form to keep for future use! Support the ministry with your $5 monthly gift through Patreon. Discover more Christian podcasts at LifeAudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at LifeAudio.com/contact-us Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

In this episode of the Westminster Podcast, Nate Shannon and Blake Franze welcome Dr. Augustus Nicodemus Lopez, Westminster alumnus, pastor, theologian, and former chancellor of Mackenzie University in São Paulo. Broadcasting from Istanbul during the Nicaea Conference, they reflect on Dr. Lopez's lecture on Colossians and deep Christology before turning to his formative years at Westminster in the early 1990s. He recounts studying under Moses Silva, wrestling with liberal European scholarship during his doctoral work, and how faithful mentorship preserved his confidence in Scripture during a season of profound doubt. Dr. Lopez also discusses his dissertation on Paul's use of the Old Testament, the distinction between revelation and illumination, and how Westminster's rigorous training equipped him for preaching, scholarship, and academic leadership across the globe. The conversation then shifts to contemporary challenges facing the church, particularly the doctrine of the Holy Spirit and the theological tensions raised by the global Pentecostal movement. Dr. Lopez argues that questions of Spirit, revelation, and spiritual gifts represent the most pressing frontier for confessional orthodoxy today. He also shares his conviction about using social media as a mission field—reaching closed communities, discipling young believers, and providing pastoral presence throughout the week—while warning against the dangers of unaccountable online ministry. The episode concludes with his hope that Westminster will continue equipping leaders from the global South, extending confessional, pious, and academically excellent theological education to the worldwide church. If you enjoy this episode, you can access tons of content just like this at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠wm.wts.edu⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. If you would like to join us in our mission to train specialists in the bible to proclaim the whole counsel of God for Christ and his global church, visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠wts.edu/donate⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Thanks for listening!

In this episode of The Evangelism Podcast, host Daniel King interviews Pastor Brian Anderson, a ministry leader from Northern India. They discuss the challenges faced by the church in India, including anti-conversion laws that restrict evangelism. Pastor Anderson shares about his ministry, the Light of the World Ministries, and the vision of the Empowered 21 movement to reach every person in India with the gospel by 2033. The conversation highlights the importance  the power of the Holy Spirit in fulfilling this ambitious goal.

Fr. John Brancich, FSSP, is the pastor of St. Stanislaus Catholic Church in Nashua, New Hampshire. He was ordained into the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Peter in 2004. In Today's Show: Why does Revelation 5:13 point to animals being able to praise God? What can a priest do for communion if he is not in a state of grace? Is it a sin not to follow the guidance given to you in the confessional? How do we balance being sorrowful and blessed? How open do we need to be about our sins during confession? Prayer suggestions for Septuagesima. Does annulment require a civil divorce first? What does it mean when people say Mary is the spouse of the Holy Spirit? What should we do if the precious blood is spilled onto our clothes? Is silver the same as white as a liturgical color? Why can't women be priests? And more. Visit the show page at thestationofthecross.com/askapriest to listen live, check out the weekly lineup, listen to podcasts of past episodes, watch live video, find show resources, sign up for our mailing list of upcoming shows, and submit your question for Father!

January 18, 2026. Fr. Tyler's homily for the 2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time. Gospel John 1:29-34 John the Baptist saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world. He is the one of whom I said, ‘A man is coming after me who ranks ahead of me because he existed before me.' I did not know him, but the reason why I came baptizing with water was that he might be made known to Israel.” John testified further, saying, “I saw the Spirit come down like a dove from heaven and remain upon him. I did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, ‘On whomever you see the Spirit come down and remain, he is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.' Now I have seen and testified that he is the Son of God.”

What if the fear you've been carrying is actually pointing you toward your next breakthrough?In this episode of the Visibly Fit Podcast, I sit down with my friend Justin Maina, also known as the Fear Hunter. This conversation was completely unplanned, Spirit-led, and honestly one of my favorites.Justin shares how he went from being deeply insecure and fearful to stepping onto the American Ninja Warrior course—without ever watching the show before he was selected. We talk about what it means to face obstacles you can't rehearse for, how fear and perfectionism often work together to keep us stuck, and why faith requires movement even when clarity feels incomplete.We also connect the dots between physical health, mindset, and spiritual endurance. When we care for our bodies—the temple that houses the Holy Spirit—we're able to show up stronger, serve others better, and live out our calling with greater confidence. Justin offers powerful analogies from Ninja Warrior, practical wisdom for breaking limiting beliefs, and encouragement for anyone who feels stuck in “analysis paralysis.”This episode is filled with insight, laughter, faith, and real-life application. And yes… stay until the end. There is a backflip.

Friends of the Rosary,Today, as on every third Monday of January each year, is the federal holiday of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, officially, the Birthday of Martin Luther King Jr.King was an American civil rights activist, a Baptist minister, and a Black church leader who led the movement against racial discrimination in federal and state law and civil society. from 1955 until his assassination in 1968.His activism led to several groundbreaking legislative reforms in the United States.Through his nonviolent fight for racial and economic justice, he embodied principles like human dignity, solidarity, and love for the marginalized, leading many Catholic leaders to praise him, as these ideas deeply resonated with Catholic Social Teaching (CST)Cardinal Wilton Gregory noted that King,  while not Catholic, lived Catholic social justice morality in an extraordinary fashion," following the Gospel's call to love one another.The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) expressed gratitude for his solidarity and nonviolence.Ave Maria!Come, Holy Spirit, come!To Jesus through Mary!Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.Please give us the grace to respond with joy!+ Mikel Amigot w/ María Blanca | RosaryNetwork.com, New YorkEnhance your faith with the new Holy Rosary University app:Apple iOS | New! Android Google Play• ⁠January 19, 2026, Today's Rosary on YouTube | Daily broadcast at 7:30 pm ET

In this episode you'll hear about John the Baptist witnessing that Jesus is the Son of God. How is the Holy Spirit calling you to witness to Jesus in your life?Readingshttps://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/011826.cfmSong Left It in the RiverBy Jamie MacDonaldhttps://youtu.be/fQpo3hIWqWk?si=Goq52VEUFL2DmN2S

What does it actually mean to surrender to God? And more importantly, HOW do we do it? How often do we say we're giving something to God, but then we're still up at night thinking about it, trying to control it, losing our peace over it? So in this episode, I'm walking you through exactly how to surrender—whether it's your marriage, your kids, your finances, your business, or anything else the Holy Spirit is asking you to let go of. I share my own story of when God asked me to surrender my marriage (spoiler: it was terrifying), and the powerful questions the Holy Spirit gave me that made surrender to God actually practical instead of just a nice spiritual concept. I'll walk you through a beautiful exercise of packaging up what you need to surrender and offering it to Jesus as a gift. Trust me, there's so much freedom waiting for you on the other side of surrender. Grab your pen and paper for this one. Let's do this together! Next Steps: Get the Ignite Revival: Powerful Prayers & Declarations Guide at: https://alyssarahn.com/prayers Email alyssa@alyssarahn.com for coaching  

To get a copy of our new book "Embracing the Truth" or to have TS Wright speak at your event or conference or if you simply want spiritual or life coaching or just a consultation visit:www.tswrightspeaks.comVisit our website to learn more about The God Centered Concept. The God Centered Concept is designed to bring real discipleship and spreading the Gospel to help spark the Great Harvest, a revival in this generation.www.godcenteredconcept.comKingdom Cross Roads Podcast is a part of The God Centered Concept.SummaryIn this episode, TS Wright delivers the first sermon of 2026, focusing on the book of Revelation, specifically chapters 2 and 3, which address the seven churches. The message centers on the church in Ephesus, highlighting its strengths and weaknesses. While the church is commended for its perseverance and rejection of false teachings, it is admonished for abandoning its first love—Jesus. Wright emphasizes the importance of maintaining a personal relationship with Christ amidst the challenges of ministry and societal pressures. He warns that neglecting this relationship could lead to losing one's spiritual light and connection to God.TS Wright elaborates on the significance of the seven churches as representative of different church ages and the timeless messages they convey. He encourages listeners to reflect on their own faith journeys, ensuring that their actions are rooted in love for Jesus rather than mere works. The episode concludes with a prayer for listeners to reconnect with their first love and to be empowered by the Holy Spirit in their daily lives.Takeaways"You have abandoned your first love.""Jesus is the only one that can do this.""Don't let the work of doing things for Jesus... make you forget Him.""He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.""You need to repent and perform the deeds you did at first.""Jesus is acknowledging that he understands all of this and he sees it.""The seven lampstands represent the seven churches.""We can eat from the tree of life because we've been saved.""This church is for the most part doing everything that they're supposed to do but they're not connecting to Jesus the way they're supposed to.""He wants to enjoy that with you too."

In this message from Matthew 3, we encounter John the Baptist crying out in the wilderness with a simple but confrontational call: repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. As Jesus steps into the Jordan to be baptized, we see the upside-down nature of God's kingdom on full display—where humility comes before power, obedience before recognition, and identity before performance. From repentance and fruit-bearing faith to sanctification, salvation, and the refining fire of the Holy Spirit, this passage invites us to re-examine how we're doing life and whose way we're truly following. John prepared the way for Jesus' first coming—and now we are called to prepare people for His return. Where might God be asking you to change direction so heaven can break into earth through your life?