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In this episode, the fellas interview Tyler Staton, lead pastor of Bridgetown Church and author of Praying Like Monks, Living Like Fools. Tyler shares his journey from a middle-school prayer revival in Nashville to navigating faith in New York and Portland. He offers a profound look at contemplative prayer, which he defines as sitting "naked and unashamed" before God to settle the inner "snow globe" of surface-level wants. Moving into fatherhood, Tyler details his hands-on discipleship with his three sons, including a 10% pastry "dad tax" and using jelly beans to encourage emotional honesty. The episode highlights Tyler's pursuit of being a more "interruptible" and playful father, revealing how daily Nerf wars became his most formative spiritual practice of the year. Balancing humor with depth, they also discuss the "Angel of Light" temptation to do good things for the wrong reasons. Join us: http://dadville.substack.com Thanks to our sponsors! Shopify - Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial and start selling today at http://shopify.com/dadville Boll & Branch - Get 15% off plus free shipping on your first set of sheets at http://bollandbranch.com/dadville Exclusions apply. Quince - Go to http://quince.com/dadville 365-day returns, plus free shipping on your order! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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Dr. Jeannine Brown is The David Price Professor of Biblical and Theological Foundations at Bethel Seminary, where she has taught for 26 years. She focuses her research on the New Testament, hermeneutics, and integration. She's written a bunch of books and commentaries, including Scripture as Communication, Becoming Whole and Holy, Dictionary of Jesus and the Gospels (editor), commentaries on Matthew, Philippians, and 1 Peter (forthcoming), and a couple books most pertinent to our conversation: Gospels as Stories and The Greatest Story Ever Retold (with John Anthony Dunne). Jeannine is a member of the NIV translation committee. In this podcast conversation, we talk about reading the gospels as narratives versus harmonizing the 4 Gospels, and we also talk about the portrayal of Jesus in film, including the popular The Chosen series. Time Stamps:00:00 Introduction02:57 Why Read the Gospels as Narrative?07:36 Are the Gospel Differences Contradictions?11:45 Ancient Biography and the Gospels21:45 Why John's Gospel Is Different33:44 How Each Gospel Presents Jesus39:15 How to Read the Gospels Well44:15 Bible Movies and Portraying Jesus54:20 The Chosen: Creative License and Biblical FaithfulnessSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
The Journey to Becoming | Self Improvement, Productivity, Lower Stress
What if the biggest thing standing between you and your calling isn't a lack of ability—but waiting until you feel ready? In this episode of The Journey to Becoming Podcast, we're talking about the power of pre-deciding that you'll continue to show up, use your God-given gifts, and stay faithful—even when fear, insecurity, or excuses try to hold you back. Using 2 Timothy 1:6-7, we unpack Paul's encouragement to Timothy to "fan into flame" the gift God had placed within him and explore why Timothy was able to receive that correction. Because he had a mentor. He had accountability. He had someone who loved him enough to speak to his fears and call him up, not out. In this episode, you'll learn: What it means to "fan into flame" your spiritual gifts. Why you can't trust your feelings to determine your faithfulness. The importance of discipleship and accountability in your spiritual growth. How to pre-decide to show up before excuses have a chance to win. Why God has given you a spirit of power, love, and self-discipline—not fear. If you've been shrinking back, doubting yourself, or waiting until you feel more confident, this episode is the reminder you need: Your calling doesn't pause because your feelings fluctuate. It's time to fan the flame, silence the excuses, and become the woman God created you to be. Scripture Referenced: 2 Timothy 1:7 REGISTER FOR THE JOYFUL FIT LIFE COMMUNITY OPEN HOUSE WEEK WORSHIP SONG: MORE THAN ABLE BY MAVERICK CITY MUSIC DOWNLOAD THE SPIRITUAL GIFT ASSESSMENT
Spain wins the World Cup over Argentina in extra time — one goal over eight games of tournament play — and Brian From gives it its due before moving on to what's actually on his heart this Monday. He opens with a moment from Sunday morning worship at Compass Church's Hinsdale campus that stopped him cold: singing "Holy, Holy, Holy" in the middle of a set of newer songs, and the way that declaration of God's transcendence and otherness still cuts through everything else. From there, a reflection on three weeks of preaching and the particular pressure of standing behind a pulpit: it becomes very difficult to preach sermons you're ignoring in your own life. Brian shares his message on finishing well, drawn from Paul's words in 2 Timothy 4 — I have fought the good fight, finished the race, kept the faith — and applies it to the decisions we make today that shape who we'll be at the end. A practical, balanced piece on why people leave churches, why they shouldn't, and how to do it well if the time truly comes — including a direct challenge to have the difficult conversation with your pastor before you go. And a closing piece on theoretical Christian living: the evangelical allergy to the practical, the habit of burying every application in so many caveats it changes no one's life, and the call to a faith that doesn't just stay in the armchair but moves from the pew to the pavement.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
We hope this message encourages and inspires you!Want more like this from CoastLife Church?YouTube: CoastLife Church - YouTubeFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/mycoastlifechurchInstagram: https://instagram.com/coastlifechurch...GIVE: https://www.mycoastlifechurch.com/giveLooking to get connected? We'd love to meet you! We offer several different ways to connect and be in community: Join a Together Group, Register for CoastLife+, or become a part of our Serve Team today by visiting: CoastLife Connect Card - CoastLife Church (churchcenter.com)Give: To support and be a part of or growth and global impact click here: https://www.mycoastlifechurch.com/give
Host Steve Cuss speaks with theologian Dr. Andrew Ollerton about his book God's Book: An Honest Look at the Bible's Seven Toughest Topics. They discuss the importance of honestly engaging with difficult biblical passages rather than avoiding them, and how wrestling with tough questions can deepen faith. Andrew shares his own intellectual and emotional struggles, including reconciling science with Genesis and coping with loss. They also explore the role of community, spiritual practices, and humility in staying connected to God. Episode Resources: Andrew Ollerson's God's Book: An Honest Look at the Bible's 7 Toughest Topics More about Bear Grylls Scripture Referenced: Genesis 3 (ESV) Matthew 1:1–17 (ESV) Genesis 1–2 (ESV) Joshua 6 (ESV) The Book of Job (ESV) Genesis 28:10–22 (ESV) 2 Kings 6:8–23 (ESV) Luke 24:13–35 (ESV) Numbers 22:21–35 (ESV) Numbers 13–14 (ESV) Joshua 14:6–15 (ESV) More From Dr. Andrew Ollerton: Andrew Ollerton's website Learn more about Andrew Ollerton Andrew's eight-session course: The Bible Course Andrew's The Family Bible Course Sign up for Steve's Newsletter & Podcast Reminders Capable Life Newsletter Get the Assets & Liabilities pdf and the Life Giving List Join Steve at an Upcoming Intensive Capable Life Intensives Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Through the lens of Job's story, Autumn Miles reveals why God does not always give the answers we want and how He can still speak powerfully in the silence. (J2802_FFT)
July 20th, 2026: Elijah - The Greatest Old Testament Prophet; Bl Oddino Barrotti; St Jerome Emiliani - If You Want To Be More Perfect; St Elias - Prophet & Man of Action; St Jerome Emiliani - Souls Need To Be Taken Care Of
The vision of a gateway to Heaven at Penuel is an important moment in Jacob's life, and it invites us to think about the “thin spaces” in our lives where we feel close to God. His statement, “Surely the presence of the Lord is in this place, and I did not know it,” can also invite us to be attentive to the serendipitous experiences of God that we might miss if we are not open to them. Reflection Questions:1. Can you remember a time or place when you felt especially close to God? What made that experience meaningful?2. How does Jacob's story remind you that God's grace is present even in seasons of fear, failure, or uncertainty?3. Where might God be inviting you to recognize a “thin space” in your everyday life this week?Find out more at HydeParkUMC.org/NextSteps
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Series: The Old Has Gone Title: Holy Verse Reference: Hebrew 10:1-14; 1 Peter 2:9; 1 Corinthians 1:2, 6:11 Campus: Keslinger Date: 07/19/26 Speaker: Sterling Moore If you are new (or newish) or would like to connect with a pastor, text the word "hello" to 630-686-7334, and Pastor Stetson will follow up with you! ============================= Announcements: ============================= • Here is our link to give online: https://chapelstreet.church/give • You can always find our weekly announcements listed on our website at https://chapelstreet.church/news ============================= Connect With Us: ============================= • Reach out to Pastor Stetson by texting the word "hello" to 630-686-7334. • Like/Follow on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/chapelstchurch • Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chapelstchurch • Explore our website: https://chapelstreet.church/
Series: The Old Has Gone Title: Holy Verse Reference: Hebrew 10:1-14; 1 Peter 2:9; 1 Corinthians 1:2, 6:11 Campus: Mill Creek Date: 07/19/26 Speaker: Joe Scavotto If you are new (or newish) or would like to connect with a pastor, text the word "hello" to 630-686-7334, and Pastor Stetson will follow up with you! ============================= Announcements: ============================= • Here is our link to give online: https://chapelstreet.church/give • You can always find our weekly announcements listed on our website at https://chapelstreet.church/news ============================= Connect With Us: ============================= • Reach out to Pastor Stetson by texting the word "hello" to 630-686-7334. • Like/Follow on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/chapelstchurch • Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chapelstchurch • Explore our website: https://chapelstreet.church/
Series: The Old Has Gone Title: Holy Verse Reference: Hebrew 10:1-14; 1 Peter 2:9; 1 Corinthians 1:2, 6:11 Campus: North Aurora Date: 07/19/26 Speaker: Andrew Griffiths If you are new (or newish) or would like to connect with a pastor, text the word "hello" to 630-686-7334, and Pastor Stetson will follow up with you! ============================= Announcements: ============================= • Here is our link to give online: https://chapelstreet.church/give • You can always find our weekly announcements listed on our website at https://chapelstreet.church/news ============================= Connect With Us: ============================= • Reach out to Pastor Stetson by texting the word "hello" to 630-686-7334. • Like/Follow on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/chapelstchurch • Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chapelstchurch • Explore our website: https://chapelstreet.church/
Series: The Old Has Gone Title: Holy Verse Reference: Hebrew 10:1-14; 1 Peter 2:9; 1 Corinthians 1:2, 6:11 Campus: South Street Date: 07/19/26 Speaker: Chuck Moore If you are new (or newish) or would like to connect with a pastor, text the word "hello" to 630-686-7334, and Pastor Stetson will follow up with you! ============================= Announcements: ============================= • Here is our link to give online: https://chapelstreet.church/give • You can always find our weekly announcements listed on our website at https://chapelstreet.church/news ============================= Connect With Us: ============================= • Reach out to Pastor Stetson by texting the word "hello" to 630-686-7334. • Like/Follow on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/chapelstchurch • Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chapelstchurch • Explore our website: https://chapelstreet.church/
Im Februar 2026 verschwindet der 68-jährige Neil McCasland aus seinem Zuhause in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Handy, Brille und Smartwatch lässt er zurück.Seinen Revolver hat er dabei. Er macht sich zu Fuß auf den Weg und verschwindet.Bald erregt das Verschwinden von McCasland große Aufmerksamkeit- und in den Nischen des Internets macht sich ein Verdacht breit. Was, wenn McCaslands Verschwinden kein Einzelfall ist?Die Verschwörungserzählung der Missing-Scientists ist geboren.Bald schafft die Erzählung den Sprung aus dem Internet ins Weiße Haus und zum FBI.Doch was bleibt, wenn man sich die Fälle genauer anguckt? Was sagen die Angehörigen? Was sagt die Statistik?Und was genau ist die Missing-Scientist-Verschwörungserzählung überhaupt?Inhaltswarnung: (Psychische) Gesundheit, Suizid, Autounfall,Ob der Fall gelöst oder ungelöst ist seht ihr ganz unten in der Folgenbeschreibung: N= nicht gelöst, G = Gelöst.SHOWNOTES:Danke an unsere Werbepartner:Saily:Erhaltet einen exklusiven 15% Rabatt auf Saily Datenpakete! Nutzt den Code puppies beimCheckout vor eurer Reise. Downloadet jetzt die Saily App oder geht zu https://saily.com/puppiesLassie:Lassie schützt bereits hunderttausende Pfoten - willst du auch vorsorgen? Schau vorbei auf www.lassie.de und sichere dir 15€ Rabatt mit unserem Code PUPPIES15Holy: Mit unserem Code PUPPIES spart ihr 10 Prozent bei Holy und als Neukund:innen bekommt ihr bis zum 19.7 einen Thermoshaker zu eurem Starter Set Deluxe dazu. Hier entlang!Hier findet ihr alle Links zu all unseren aktuellen Werbepartnern, Rabatten und Codes:https://linktr.ee/puppiesandcrimeSOCIAL MEDIAInstagram: @Puppiesandcrime - https://www.instagram.com/puppiesandcrime/?hl=deTiktok: @puppiesandcrime.podcast - https://www.tiktok.com/@puppiesandcrime.podcastFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/PuppiesandCrimeEmail: puppiesandcrime@gmail.com------- N/G --------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
July 19th. Amos 5:21-24, Matthew 6:1, 1 Corinthians 9:24-27. Pastor: Ernesto Alaniz Holy Habits Part 1: The Heart of the Habits Download
Scripture: Exodus 3:1-6Resources for a life of following Jesus, every day, everywhere, with everyone.
Check out our latest sermon in our 'The Apostles' Creed' series! 7/19/26
This Sunday, Brad Raby walks us through Joshua 4 and the idea of holy remembrance. Between teaching and testimony, we learn about the importance of acknowledging and remembering the Lord's goodness in our lives.
Prayer is a lifelong skill cultivated through continuous practice and a deepening knowledge of God's Word. Using the Lord's Prayer as a foundation, Rev. Obeng explains that understanding the "fatherhood of God" is essential for effective prayer. Whether or not you had an earthly father, God steps in to protect, provide, and mentor you through your spiritual birth and journey.
“These holy conversations Begin in childlike ways. We bring our supplications And words of thanks and praise. With care our Father listens To ev'ry thought expressed, Then answers our petitions In ways He knows are best.”
Episode 299-AG Attacks Gun Shows Also Available OnSearchable Podcast Transcript Gun Lawyer — Episode Transcript Page – 1 – of 13 Gun Lawyer — Episode 299 Transcript SUMMARY KEYWORDS Gun Lawyer, Second Amendment, Jimmy Stewart, Lee Marvin, Charles Bronson, Ghost Guns, Pennsylvania gun show, Civil Complaint, New Jersey gun laws, Second Amendment Section, DOJ, Gun Control, Red Flag Laws, Gun Owner Faux Pas. SPEAKERS Speaker 2, Teddy Nappen, Evan Nappen Evan Nappen 00:18 I’m Evan Nappen. Teddy Nappen 00:19 and I’m Teddy Nappen. Evan Nappen 00:21 And welcome to Gun Lawyer. So, Teddy, I think you have a very interesting news bit to tell us about, and I have some very interesting thoughts about it. Go right ahead. Teddy Nappen 00:36 Well, first I want to say, Dad, if you’re just scrolling through, I love the random trailers that just pop up. Apparently, they’re making a Jimmy Stewart biopic. Evan Nappen 00:48 Well, Jimmy Stewart was a great man. Teddy Nappen 00:50 But here’s the deal. They’re focusing on his military career, where he was a combat pilot. Evan Nappen 00:56 He was a hero. He was a bona fide hero, and he served his country tremendously. I have nothing but respect for Jimmy Stewart. Teddy Nappen 01:12 I was pulling it up. He flew 20 missions in Europe, and he reached the rank of Colonel. He was a World War Two pilot commander, combat pilot. Evan Nappen 01:22 And this was in the middle of his movie career. He left. Page – 2 – of 13 Evan Nappen 01:26 He left his movie career to fight for America. Let that sink in. I mean, do you think these selfish movie stars, self-centered, would even think of doing that? Even think of doing that today? Please. At least not the overwhelming majority. Maybe there’d be a few that are out there that actually would consider such a thing. But good grief. Talk about old Hollywood and new Hollywood. Jeez. Teddy Nappen 01:26 Yeah. Teddy Nappen 01:57 I will say. I would have. This is no dig against Jimmy Stewart because it’s one of those I would have wanted if they’re gonna do any of the actors that served. I would love for them to do Lee Marvin. His whole story. Evan Nappen 02:10 Oh, Lee Marvin was great, too. Teddy Nappen 02:13 Where he has the craziest career, too. He was a scout sniper, 21 amphibious assaults, horribly injured and shot up. Evan Nappen 02:23 Yeah, they could just do a series, like a mini series of actors who were the real deal. That played tough guys, but were actually the real deal. You know, Charles Bronson was. You had the guy, Christopher Lee. Holy crap, Christopher! Teddy Nappen 02:44 Oh yeah, Christopher Lee. He was Wiki page. Evan Nappen 02:51 I mean, Christopher Lee was advising on the movie and saying that’s not how a knife sounds when you jam it into somebody. You don’t have the sound right on that. That’s not how it goes. It’s not what the sound the person makes. It’s not the sound the knife makes. I mean, that’s some pretty detailed knowledge right there. Teddy Nappen 03:07 If you’re ever bored, just click on the random page on his bio, and it gets crazier and crazier. Like, witness the last guillotining. Evan Nappen 03:18 I know. The guy’s amazing. Yeah, and of course, there’s always Audie Murphy, of course. Teddy Nappen 03:25 Yeah, of course. Page – 3 – of 13 Evan Nappen 03:26 Audie Murphy played himself in “To Hell and Back”. Audie Murphy is amazing, and he would be like one of the last guys if you looked at him to think that he’s one of the most decorated soldiers of the war. But he was also amazing, and you know, he made lots of other movies, too. Even though he’s most famous for “To Hell and Back”, but he did a lot of westerns and other things. Teddy Nappen 03:52 I remember one of the underrated ones. I think it was like “The Duel at Silver Creek”. There’s moments where he’s actually like, he plays an anti-hero type where he’s like. Evan Nappen 04:03 Yeah, a bastard, frankly. A son of a bitch. Teddy Nappen 04:05 He plays like a. Evan Nappen 04:06 Yeah he’s good. Teddy Nappen 04:07 Yeah. Evan Nappen 04:08 Not what you think of Audie Murphy. Teddy Nappen 04:09 Right. He plays like the tough guy. It is very interesting that character but. Evan Nappen 04:14 Yeah, yeah. And then he ended up dying in a plane crash because the pilot shouldn’t have been flying apparently, and you know, it’s a shame that we lost him. But yeah, he was great, and I mean he came from really, really humble beginnings. I mean dirt poor, crazy beginnings there for him. We’ve many of the great Hollywood actors who served their country really admirably. I mean even Scotty (James Montgomery Doohan), you know, from Star Trek. He was also a defender. Teddy Nappen 04:17 What was he in? Evan Nappen 05:03 Oh, he was military. I don’t remember exactly his background, but he was in some tough situations. He was known. Teddy Nappen 05:08 Page – 4 – of 13 Well, he was miracle worker. Evan Nappen 05:10 There’s so many of those guys, and I have a hard time trying to think of any modern actor that can maybe give that credibility to. I don’t know. Can’t think of any at all. Teddy Nappen 05:24 Unfortunately, I’m drawing a heavy blank because. Oh wait, no, no, no. Adam Driver. Adam Driver. I believe he’s the guy that played Kylo Ren. He did. I believe he was in the Marines. But he was a veteran. So, but anyways, one thing I will say as we were reviewing these stories, I love how the Attorney General has their own YouTube and they were just like streaming alerts and announcements. “Attorney General Davenport Files Civil Complaint Against Pennsylvania Gun Show Owner for Endangering Public Safety” (https://www.njoag.gov/attorney-general-davenport-files-civil-complaint-against-pennsylvania-gun-show-owner-for-endangering-public-safety/) So, that was what came up with the ad for Jimmy Stewart, and then there was this. Evan Nappen 06:08 Right. Showing a pretty good contrast. So, Davenport has filed this complaint against the Pennsylvania gun show owner for “endangering public safety”. They filed because they’re abusing the civil lawsuit. You know, this is one of the anti-Second Amendment ploys of trying to litigate the Second Amendment out of existence. And so, what they’ve done here is they’ve gone after Jordan Vinroe of JSD Supply and Eagle Shows. So, if any of you have ever gone to the great Pennsylvania gun shows, you know, they’re really good. Because first of all there aren’t any gun shows of any kind, really, in New Jersey. There’s some militaria shows, but there’s no gun shows. But Pennsylvania is, if you’re in New Jersey and you want to hit a really great normal type gun show, you go to Pennsylvania. And some of the largest, best shows are put on by this promoter. Teddy Nappen 07:24 The one that comes to mind, the Bloomsburg gun show. I think that was one we had gone to. Teddy Nappen 07:29 Yeah, Eastern Gun X. Eastern Gun X. Evan Nappen 07:29 Well, they have a whole series of shows. I believe they actually do some of the largest shows in Eastern Pennsylvania. Evan Nappen 07:30 So, they do some of these 1000 table, 2000 table, these really huge shows. And what happened is they’re going after him, claiming he is intentionally and unlawfully selling to New Jersey residents kits and parts to make ghost guns. Untraceable firearms that are illegal in New Jersey. So, what is this really? This really is a pretext to go after gun shows. This isn’t really about the ghost guns. That’s just their vehicle. This is really about trying to stop gun shows. If you go after gun show promoters, this becomes the idea of civilly litigating out of, essentially out of existence. If they can do it, they’d love to Page – 5 – of 13 do it. Gun shows. So, we really have not just a violation of the Second Amendment, where what’s going on in Pennsylvania is completely lawful in Pennsylvania. Ghost guns are the pejorative term for simply a privately-made firearm. Americans have been making their own guns since before we were even officially a country. So, private firearms are not the boogeyman. But, of course, they give it the boogeyman name of “ghost guns” and then claim they’re untraceable. Evan Nappen 09:14 Well, you know what? You tell me what firearm tracing has actually done to fight crime. Virtually nothing. It’s a lie that is perpetrated to give them a vehicle to make it look like they’re doing something about crime, which isn’t it, but more so to continue the agenda of oppression of Second Amendment rights. And here it is an attack on gun shows. That’s really what’s going on here. It’s not, you know, ghost guns, most gun. It ghost guns. Come on. First of all, anyone can build a gun with or without parts that you buy at a show anywhere. You can build a gun with pipes that you buy at Home Depot. Are we going to go after Home Depot because you can make slam bang shotguns easily, as we taught in the Philippines to do? Americans did that. You can. Evan Nappen 10:20 You know, “American Guerrilla in the Philippines”, a famous book, movie, etc. What do you think they made? Slam bang shotguns. You take two pieces of pipe. One pipe fits in the other. On the end cap of the larger pipe, you have a nail with the point facing down the pipe. The other one slides in it like a trombone. You put a 12 gauge shell in there, and you slam it down. And bang, off it goes. It’s called a slam bang shotgun. Sometimes called four winds shotgun. Teddy Nappen 10:55 Didn’t you? Evan Nappen 10:58 Yeah, I mean this is, and this is even in the Frankfurt Arsenal, the famous “Black Books”. They’re very easy. Evan Nappen 11:06 So, yeah, making a gun. They make guns in jails. They can make a gun. You can make them. So, this whole thing about privately made firearms and all is just a load of crap. Now, Jersey has banned “ghost guns” in a multiple ways. They talk about “unserialized firearms”. They talk about “manufacture of firearms”. They have different laws that address each of these things. All putting it under this category. And yet, under federal law, it’s not a problem to make your own firearm. Federal law even has regulations for if dealers get a privately made firearm, how to handle it and be able to actually lawfully sell it. They need to then take certain steps. We don’t have to get into that now. But it’s not a problem under federal law. It is a New Jersey, in this case, law that they’re attempting to use as a vehicle to bring the civil action against Pennsylvania. Something jurisdictioned in Pennsylvania, by claiming, oh well, you’re unlawfully selling to New Jersey residents. Teddy Nappen 11:06 Poor man’s James Bond? Page – 6 – of 13 Evan Nappen 12:23 Well, I’ll tell you what. How about we take a look at marijuana sales in New Jersey? Do Pennsylvania residents come into New Jersey and ever buy marijuana? Look, marijuana is unlawful for recreational use in Pennsylvania, and it’s federally prohibited. It’s still a federal controlled, dangerous substance. So, New Jersey acts to aid and abet and facilitate one of the largest unlawful drug distributions in the country. Whereas privately made firearms are not a federal prohibition. Not a federal prohibition. Should Pennsylvania sue New Jersey because of somehow Pennsylvania residents buying weed in New Jersey being facilitated by New Jersey? I mean, this is what they’re attempting to do. And yet here, not only is it not a violation of federal law, but it is really an attack on Second Amendment rights. And let me tell you that. Go ahead., Teddy. Teddy Nappen 13:30 I will also point out in the article. This is where the little trick is. If anyone ever listens to these people, they always do this trick where they start with a false premise when making their argument. “Ghost guns are frequently recovered at crime sites in New Jersey. Recent reports suggest that the number of ghost guns recovered in crime scenes increased eightfold between 2019 and 2022 — from 55 in 2019 to 433 in 2022.” Pause right there. I wonder. What happened around that time period where it caused people to want to have their own privately-made firearms and want to maybe 3D print and make their own? I wonder what little factor would have considered that. Secondly, all right, now show me the data of the amount of firearms recovered generally in crimes, and give me the percentage breakdown. Oh, it’s probably in the minuscule amount of percentages of firearms seized in New Jersey for crimes. Huh? I wonder. So, this isn’t that much of an epidemic, but we can’t show that, obviously. We won’t show that data. They just list off guns seized. Evan Nappen 14:43 Teddy, we are in a new day and age because of President Trump. And one of the things that President Trump did is actually create, through the Justice Department. They actually created in the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Justice Department, the Second Amendment Section. Now let me tell you what the Second Amendment Section of the Civil Rights Division of the Federal Government Department of Justice. Let me tell you right from their website. (https://www.justice.gov/crt/second-amendment-section) The Second, Fourth, and 14th Amendments, the Police Patterned or Practice Act, and Executive Order 14206 protecting the Second Amendment rights, secure the natural firearm rights of law-abiding citizens, and ensure that such rights to keep and bear arms will not be infringed. The mission of the Second Amendment Section is to ensure that law-abiding citizens may responsibly possess, carry, and use firearms. The Second Amendment Section will work diligently to investigate law enforcement agencies that engage in a pattern or practice of infringing on law-abiding citizens’ Second Amendment rights. As well as be proactive in searching for litigation opportunities to secure such rights. Evan Nappen 16:19 The Second Amendment Section will also seek opportunities to advance a broad interpretation of the Second Amendment via statements of interest, motions to intervene, amicus briefs, and original lawsuits where applicable on behalf of Americans across the country. All attorneys within the Second Page – 7 – of 13 Amendment Section will advocate with zeal on behalf of the United States of America in furtherance of all objectives as tasked. And there, right at the website, at the Civil Rights Division, U.S. Department of Justice, the Second Amendment Section. You can go right online to that. We’ll have a link in the transcript. It says Section Information. Acting Chief Barry Arrington. “Report a civil rights violation.” So, listeners, if you see or hear or know of any civil rights violations on the Second Amendment, report them. Report them to the Federal Department of Justice. Evan Nappen 17:28 I think this is something that the DOJ should consider going on in New Jersey. Where you actually are seeing an effort to go after gun shows, which is our freedom of association, which is our ability. You know, if you can’t buy guns, then you’re not going to be able to possess and carry something you cannot obtain. Second, ghost guns are not a violation of federal law. Third, this is talking about interstate issues. This is New Jersey and Pennsylvania. What could be more squarely within federal jurisdiction than one state going after activities in another state because the state that is going after them has laws that infringe on the Second Amendment and trying to enforce it in another jurisdiction via this mechanism of being able to abuse civil laws. So, there is potentially a solution here. And not only just about what New Jersey is doing here, but what New Jersey does across the board in so many ways of oppressing our Second Amendment rights. Evan Nappen 18:58 Now, this Second Amendment Section has done a number of things already. They sued California to halt the Glock ban. They sued Virginia over their unconstitutional weapons ban, assault firearm so-called ban. They sued them. They opened an investigation, by the way, into Philadelphia Police Department’s unconstitutional permit revocation process. They’ve sued Colorado for their ban on so-called assault firearms and magazines. They sued the District of Columbia for their ban, and they’ve gone after the Virgin Islands Police Department for unconstitutional practices in effective denials of permits. That’s just a sampling of what the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Justice Department is doing in the Second Amendment Section, and it’s time for New Jersey to be investigated. Because this has gone on for far too long in New Jersey. Our Second Amendment rights being trampled by New Jersey trying to do everything in its power to oppress Second Amendment rights. So, check it out, folks, and you will see that this is what happens when we say elections have consequences. Because this goes back to President Trump putting out his Executive Order, and you also have the Attorney General putting forward that they have their Second Amendment task force and setting up the Civil Rights Division. So, we can change how business is done. Evan Nappen 20:52 Because prior to this, the Government, even the federal Government, took at best a neutral position, but normally there was no infringement that was too much as far as federal enforcement. No problem. Turned the other, you know, turned away from it. Couldn’t care less. Those are no longer the days today, and this is where a wake-up call needs to come out on our Second Amendment rights. Let me tell you. Go ahead, Teddy. Yeah. Teddy Nappen 21:32 Page – 8 – of 13 Well, I was going to say. I was able to pull up Everytown’s research. (https://everytownresearch.org/report/gun-trafficking-crime-guns-new-jersey-data/) In 2023, New Jersey’s law enforcement seized 4,619 guns. So, going off of the data that the A.G. put out, that’s 9% of those firearms were “ghost guns”. Nine percent. It’s even less from those numbers. It is the level of insanity that these individuals pull. They’re just making a boogeyman out of something. That’s why. Evan Nappen 22:06 They’re the boogeyman and a pretext to try to assert their agenda. It’s really what we’re talking about here. Absolutely. Well, let me tell you about our good friends at WeShoot. WeShoot is an indoor range in Lakewood where Teddy and I both shoot. We love WeShoot, and so will you. They have the top trainers for New Jersey. They have the full array from novice to advanced. They have some just great training programs. You can get your CCARE certification there. That’s what you need in order to get your New Jersey carry. They offer CCARE courses. They also offer the ability to get non-resident permits in other states. So, if you travel, you can take care of that through WeShoot. WeShoot is a great resource. It’s a resource that we’re very lucky to have. It’s harder and harder to find places to shoot, and without places to shoot, you can’t do too much with your guns. And WeShoot is there for you. Take advantage of it. Evan Nappen 23:25 It’s a wonderful place. They’ve got a great pro shop. Great people, super nice, wonderful folks. They will bend over backwards to help you, and I’ve seen it firsthand. They’ve helped so many people to improve their skills, to learn about firearms, to learn the right way, proper way, how to be safe, how to be secure, and make sure that everything is done correctly. So that you don’t end up being a GOFU. So, check out WeShoot at weshootusa.com. That’s their website, weshootusa.com. You’ll be glad you did. Beautiful photography. They’re really first rate, and you’ll see why. They go the extra mile. Check out WeShoot at weshootusa.com. They’re conveniently located right in Lakewood, New Jersey. Easily accessible right off the Garden State Parkway. You can do it. Go over there, and you’ll say, “Wow, why didn’t I come here sooner? That’s weshootusa.com. Evan Nappen 24:44 Let me also shamelessly promote my book, New Jersey Gun Law. It is the Bible of Jersey Gun Law. You don’t want to be a GOFU. You need the book. It’s 120 topics, all question and answer. It’ll help guide you safely through the matrix of insanity called New Jersey gun laws, so that you can remain a law-abiding gun owner. That’s my purpose in writing it. You will see why it is the book used by lawyers, judges, State Police Firearms division, and beyond. If anybody who wants to know about New Jersey gun law, they always turn to New Jersey Gun Law by Evan Nappen. And if you want to get your copy, go to evannappen.com, EvanNappen.com. Order a copy, and you’ll have it within days. So, Teddy, what else do you have for us to discuss today? I’m going to toss the ball to you. Teddy Nappen 25:44 Well, as you know, Press Checks are always free. If anyone’s been watching the news or anything or seen all the push from the Left, the thing they keep trying to go back to is they’re trying to address the mail problem. That’s their actual quote from the election groups that they do. Where they’re trying to figure out how do we. Page – 9 – of 13 Evan Nappen 26:11 Is that Post Office mail or as in what is a woman, male? Teddy Nappen 26:16 You know. The white men, particularly, of the they have completely spurred off. One of the things that they’ve run into a foul, is you see this whole push where they try to reach issues, and they’ve gotten very, very quiet on the issue of firearms all of a sudden. Amazing, right? And even though you where you have like the James Talarico who’s still trying to tote gun control, but he’s trying to paint it off like, look, I’m for the Second Amendment. You know, I own a gun. All this. Evan Nappen 26:52 Oh, it’s the I’m for the Second Amendment, but. It’s always the but. Teddy Nappen 26:56 Always, but always, Evan Nappen 26:57 But we should ban guns. I’m for the Second Amendment. Teddy Nappen 27:01 But universal background checks, which will basically create a registry. Evan Nappen 27:07 But we should eliminate gun shows off the face of the planet. But we should ban any gun that’s over 12 inches long and call it an assault firearm. But ban any gun under 12 inches and call it a Saturday night special. Other than that, I’m for the Second Amendment. Teddy Nappen 27:23 Yeah, and you’ve been seeing that. Now you’ve noticed they’ve been losing a lot of ground to their “Democrat Socialists”. They’re just Marxists. If you look at the ideology of what they support, they are Marxists. Just go one to one. They are the same. They can’t dress it up any other way. So, I decided, you know what? Let’s see what’s on their page. What they actually feel about the Second Amendment. Because when it comes to Socialists now, they’ve kind of reached the they don’t know how to feel about firearms. They want to disarm the people because they believe in gun control, but they need arms for the revolution, always. So, it’s the gun owner dilemma for Socialists. Teddy Nappen 28:06 So, I go to their web page and what do I find? (https://www.dsausa.org/blog/the_second_amendment_is_a_threat_to_us_all/) This goes back to 2018, mind you. So, now they’ve gotten very quiet. “The Second Amendment is a threat to us All.” That is the opening title, and they still have it on there. This is their reaction to the Parkland shooting. So, America touts itself as being a meritocracy, and we laugh. But on firearm policy, it is truly need blind. No matter your age, race, gender, creed, or sexual orientation, your inalienable right to life is perfectly alienable to Page – 10 – of 13 keep guns pouring into public and private lives. Okay. Which is why we think the only way to guarantee that we dramatically reduce the acts of violence involving guns is removing guns from society. Pause. Logical fallacy alert, everybody! Ding, ding, ding, ding. Logical fallacy. Reverse Nirvana. If we got rid of all the guns, that would stop the crime. They always try to push that, and we have the oomph. Okay, yeah. Repeal the Second Amendment. That’s going to happen. This is from 2018. Nope, still haven’t done it. But they point to, I don’t know if you remember this guy Carl Rove? Evan Nappen 29:37 Oh yeah, Carl Rove, the pool shooter. Shooting at the pool? Yeah, yeah. After he’s anti-gun, but he uses a gun inappropriately even. Yeah, that guy, Mr. Hypocrite. Teddy Nappen 29:49 Well, they highlight his quote. The only way to guarantee that we drastically reduce acts of violence involving guns is to basically remove them from society. Well, okay then. Then they go through this whole twisted history where they point to the 1970s. NRA stopped being enthusiast group and became a defense industry lobby. Then the new blood came with the Gun Control Act of ’68, which aimed to restrict firearm ownership in response to the fears of the group. I love how they say this. The fears of the Black Panthers. Yes, that’s why the ’68 Gun Control Act was born. That was the only reason. They wanted to disarm the Black Panthers. No other reason of why they tried to push the ’68 Gun Control Act. Dad, do you remember that? What would you say from your view of what was the driver to the ’68 Gun Control Act? Evan Nappen 30:47 Oh my God! You know these people are just amazing, and as you see, they’re conflicted over their own platform. It's crazy, Teddy. Teddy Nappen 31:02 Yeah, and well, they go even crazier. They go through this twisted history of rights. They go through Heller, basically determining you know the rights infringed, and they use Scalia’s answer. In Scalia’s admission, if we repeal the Second Amendment, private citizens could still own guns. The right to do so is granted to them by God or the English, whatever you’d like. Both Brett Stevens and Carl Rover certainly wouldn’t mind. So therefore, we’ve rewritten the Second Amendment. They wrote an amendment. They actually wrote. They wrote their example, the 28th Amendment, Dad. Here we go. The 28th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution that they pushed for. The second article, the amendment of the Constitution of the United States, is hereby repealed. Okay, that gets to that. Two – manufacturing, transportation, importation into or out of any state, territory, or possession of United States delivery therein of a pump action, semi-automatic or automatic firearms is hereby prohibited. Three – article shall be inoperative unless it shall be ratified as the amendment to the Constitution by convention of several states, as provided by the Constitution within 10 years, the date of submission here off to the state by Congress. Well, they want a con con apparently. But just going back to that, banning pump action, semi-automatic and automatic firearms, removing that from the Second Amendment, Dad. Evan Nappen 32:33 Page – 11 – of 13 Okay. Teddy Nappen 32:34 You can have your gun, but they must be manually loaded. Evan Nappen 32:36 Couple things. Number one, the Second Amendment is not our rights. It’s a guarantee of our rights. The rights to exist, whether or not we have a Second Amendment. But the Second Amendment is a guarantee against the Government of infringing on those rights. So, what they’re saying is, we want to revoke the guarantee of your rights and replace it with a lame-ass guarantee that we’re rewriting that won’t do anything except give us the opportunity to walk all over your rights. So, that’s really what they’re saying. But the really interesting thing here is this proposal to repeal the Second Amendment is all the anti-Second Amendment gun rights suppressor folks are going to have left. Evan Nappen 33:23 We are on the path with the Second Amendment having been empowered by Heller, McDonald, and Bruen. And now we have Viramontes and Grant that, in my opinion, are going to absolutely crush assault firearm semi-automatic bans across the country. They are losing ground left and right. There are over 3,000 filed legal actions challenging gun laws. They are on the run. They’re losing, and they know it. The only thing they have left is actually what they’re asking for here, and that is to repeal the Second Amendment. We will never let them repeal the guarantee of our rights, and that’s what we must insist upon. These are our rights, and they’re guaranteed. We want that guarantee enforced. And now that they see the guarantee is finally being enforced, they cannot stand it. They are losing, and they’re going to continue to lose. Teddy Nappen 34:31 I will say, I love the ending to the article where the individual. We are aware non-white and marginalized groups whose rights are routinely violated by the police may view this both as restricting and their ability to protect themselves or causing unwarranted searches and harassments for the criminal justice. We in no way support any measure that would increase the scope and scale of police violence. This provision outlined in amendment would have universal application. So, in other words, don’t worry. This affects everybody. There’s going to be no racial discrimination about enforcing these laws, Dad. Huh? Right. Cut to what was it? John Petrolino’s article where he pulled the data? Evan Nappen 35:19 Yeah. Exactly what we’re dealing with in New Jersey. Where blacks are already more than two to one discriminated against in just permit issuance. So, yeah, we know where this is. It’s just absurd. Teddy Nappen 35:31 Well, they literally go with the “trust me, bro”. It’ll be we’re not racist. We’re just gonna ruin it. We’re gonna screw it over for everybody. Evan Nappen 35:38 Page – 12 – of 13 But keep in mind, this is laughable right now, but it’s actually not. This is going to be the push that we’re going to see. It’s going to be a major push to repeal the Second Amendment. Because it’s all they have left, and that’s what we’re going to see. That and abusing the tort system in any way they can – civil actions. You know, to somehow create these abilities for trying to litigate guns out of existence. That and repealing the Second Amendment. That’s what they’re left with on their game plan. We just need to remain vigilant. Teddy Nappen 36:16 So, bear in mind. I will say, bear in mind, they still push for red flag in the other articles they’ve had. They still push for all the required measures where you have to get everything registered, and they’re still for limiting, removing ARs and anything they deem unsafe or scary. Evan Nappen 36:39 I hear you, and this is so typical. But we’re winning. That’s what’s important. We’re winning. Except when there’s GOFUs. GOFUs, as you know, are Gun Owner Fuck Ups. That’s where gun owners make big mistakes that cost them, technically, it could cost them their career, their family, their fortunes, their freedom. It’s bad news. So, you want to not be a GOFU. And what we like to do here is talk about GOFUs so that you don’t become one. You get to learn for free what others have paid dearly for. Teddy, what do you think the GOFU is this week? You know. What are we talking about? Teddy Nappen 37:26 Well, for me, the GOFUs are always about “stop talking to the police”. Evan Nappen 37:34 Oh my G-d. Stop talking to the police! Like, you know, we talk about basics. It is so basic. Shut up. You know you have a right to remain silent. Now, whether or not you have the ability to, I guess, becomes another question. But you have the right, and you need to stand on your right. You need to ask for your attorney and remain silent. You need to stand on your rights. And over and over again, we see clients that blow that and end up making their situation incredibly worse, incredibly worse. Because not only does anything you say can and will be used against you. Anything you say will be twisted against you. The safest, best route every time is standing on your rights. It’s that simple. And let me tell you, folks, if you’re ever read Miranda rights, oh my God, shut the f up! If you are read Miranda rights, sirens should be going off. Fireworks should be shooting. Flags should be waved. Shut up! Anyone who talks after Miranda, I just can’t even understand. They’re warning you. They’re telling you. Oh, you just wave your right. Oh, you’ll just talk to them. What are those silly rights they’re telling me about Evan Nappen 39:04 I’ll tell you one of the problems is – television. Television has conditioned many Americans to giving up their rights. Oh, I’ll just talk to them. I’ll just explain it. I’ll just yak away. And you know what? You end up burying yourself. Over and over and over again. I see it. I cannot believe it. If you are ever across one of those metal tables, being interrogated by police, and you’re talking, you are the world’s biggest GOFU. That should never happen. If you’ve been read Miranda, that talking across that table that should not be happening. If you let that happen, you’re a fool. You are absolutely a fool. I can’t make it any clearer. Page – 13 – of 13 Evan Nappen 39:55 It reminds me of Jan Davis. I don’t know if you know about her. (https://www.cbsnews.com/news/parachutist-plunges-to-death/) She was part of a movement to allow the ability to try to legalize base jumping at national parks. At Yosemite, she jumped off of El Capitan. Now, she was a pretty experienced jumper, and she did this as a protest. She was wearing criminal stripes outfit. You know the classic black and white stripes of the classic prison outfit, right? And it was to make a statement, of course. But it’s really a statement here because she jumped off El Capitan, El Capitan, and it was in 1999 as a protest against the ban. She was trying to make a statement that this is safe and should be allowed. She jumped, and ended up going splat. That’s right. Her parachute didn’t open. She couldn’t get it opened, unfortunately. My understanding is she had used some other equipment instead of her own. She didn’t know where the pull was on this particular one, and unfortunately, she ended up just going splat. Evan Nappen 40:19 To me, Jan Davis jumping off El Capitan there is what happens when you are read Miranda and talk. You ended up in a big splat like Jan Davis. That’s what you do. And keep in mind, she was wearing that prisoner outfit when it happened. So, folks, stand on your rights. Don’t be a good a GOFU. Don’t end up splattering yourself on the gun rights oppression and insane matrix of New Jersey gun laws. Should you ever be put in that situation – shut up! Evan Nappen 42:09 This is Evan Nappen and Teddy Nappen reminding you that gun laws don’t protect honest citizens from criminals. They protect criminals from honest citizens. Speaker 2 42:23 Gun Lawyer is a CounterThink Media production. The music used in this broadcast was managed by Cosmo Music, New York, New York. Reach us by emailing Evan@gun.lawyer. The information and opinions in this broadcast do not constitute legal advice. Consult a licensed attorney in your state. Downloadable PDF TranscriptGun Lawyer S5 E299_Transcript About The HostEvan Nappen, Esq.Known as “America's Gun Lawyer,” Evan Nappen is above all a tireless defender of justice. Author of eight bestselling books and countless articles on firearms, knives, and weapons history and the law, a certified Firearms Instructor, and avid weapons collector and historian with a vast collection that spans almost five decades — it's no wonder he's become the trusted, go-to expert for local, industry and national media outlets. Regularly called on by radio, television and online news media for his commentary and expertise on breaking news Evan has appeared countless shows including Fox News – Judge Jeanine, CNN – Lou Dobbs, Court TV, Real Talk on WOR, It's Your Call with Lyn Doyle, Tom Gresham's Gun Talk, and Cam & Company/NRA News. As a creative arts consultant, he also lends his weapons law and historical expertise to an elite, discerning cadre of movie and television producers and directors, and novelists. He also provides expert testimony and consultations for defense attorneys across America. Email Evan Your Comments and Questions talkback@gun.lawyer Join Evan's InnerCircleHere's your chance to join an elite group of the Savviest gun and knife owners in America. Membership is totally FREE and Strictly CONFIDENTIAL. Just enter your email to start receiving insider news, tips, and other valuable membership benefits. Email (required) *First Name *Select list(s) to subscribe toInnerCircle Membership Yes, I would like to receive emails from Gun Lawyer Podcast. (You can unsubscribe anytime)Constant Contact Use. Please leave this field blank.var ajaxurl = "https://gun.lawyer/wp-admin/admin-ajax.php";
Sermon from 07-19-2026
What if the sacred isn't somewhere else? What if it has been quietly waiting for us in ordinary moments all along? In this episode, Alexander shares an influential voice in his own spiritual life: writer, conservationist, and naturalist Terry Tempest Williams. Inspired by her newest book, The Glorians: Visitations from the Holy Ordinary, this conversation becomes an invitation to slow down, reconnect with the natural world, and rediscover beauty during an era marked by uncertainty, distraction, climate anxiety, political division, and collective grief. Alexander reflects on the friendships, road trips, national parks, and wilderness experiences that gradually transformed someone who once felt disconnected from nature into someone who now finds the sacred in deserts, forests, oceans, libraries, mountain cabins, and everyday encounters. Together, you'll explore what it means to dream a more beautiful future, pay attention to "the holy ordinary," and cultivate a spirituality rooted not in certainty, but in relationship—with the earth, with one another, and with your own life. If you've been feeling overwhelmed by the noise of modern life, this episode is an invitation to return to beauty, wonder, and the quiet practice of noticing.
Having been exiled from our first home, we are destined to wander in this world until we find our true home with Jesus Christ.
Leviticus 24 | JD Summers When God descended into the Holy of Holies in the Tabernacle, his holiness was not limited to the inner sanctum. Instead, his holiness pervaded the Tabernacle, the areas around it, and even extended to the edge of the camp of Israel. This meant that all of Israel had to live in light of God's holy presence and deal with the consequences of his righteous judgment. But even though their sin and ours deserves judgment, God graciously gives consequences according to the measure of our sin. And in sending Jesus Christ, God took the full weight of judgment for our sin on our behalf. Let us praise our holy Savior!
Luke 16:10.
Telling the Story: Part 2 Acts 7:1-16 by William Klock When I was an American school kid in the 70s and 80s I learned that the defining events in the history of the United States were was the founding of Jamestown in 1607; the landing of the Pilgrims at Plymouth in 1620; and, of course, the Revolutionary War that began in 1775 and the signing of the Declaration of Independence—well—almost exactly 250 years ago. There were plenty of other events that shaped the story, but those were the events that set the United States on its trajectory: a heritage from Britain with a good dose of religious freedom and Protestant work ethic coming together in a grand expression of the rights of man shaped by the Enlightenment. Were there flaws? Yep. Slavery was a big one. But the way I learned the story, the British mainland colonies of North America were on the fringe of the slave trade. We received a tiny fraction of it. The real slavery problem was in the Caribbean and Latin America. Plus, we dealt with it. The whole Civil War thing—a tragedy. But it was a story to be proud of. But in 2019, the New York Times began a new publishing project. They called it The 1619 Project. It was subtitled, “A New Origin Story”. Why 1619? That was the year the first African slaves were brought to Virginia. Before the Pilgrims. Before the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. It was a deliberate attempt to reframe the story of the United States. Instead of a story rooted in a proud English heritage and religious liberty and Enlightenment ideals of freedom and liberty, the 1619 Project told the story of the United States as one rooted in racism and slavery and oppression. Instead of a story that makes you stand proud, it's a story meant to instil shame and guilt. The 1619 Project didn't come out of nowhere. It made public a story that many people had already been telling, especially to younger generations. And, as you would expect, this resulted in a great cultural clash. Both sides shouting at the other, basically saying, “How dare you tell our story wrong!” It wasn't so much a matter of the events themselves. Both versions of the story involved the same events, the same people, and all of that. But it highlights how much how you frame a story, how much you stress certain events and people and ideas over others, that you can end up with stories that are essentially the same, while dramatically different. One instils national pride; the other instils national shame. That doesn't mean there's no right or wrong. Framing the American story as if slavery and racism are its fundamental core is dishonest. But at the same time, telling a story that glosses over those evils for the sake of instilling pride, well, that's a problem too. And as much as this Postmodern metanarrative dilemma was nowhere on the radar of First Century Jews, I think it's a good way to understand what was going with Jews in those days and it's a good illustration of what Stephen is doing in his speech before the Sanhedrin in Ats 7. [It's page 1087 in the Pew Bibles.] There were different “parties” competing for influence and control in First Century Judaea and as much as they all told the same story of Israel, reaching back to Abraham and Moses and David, to the law and the Prophets, all rooted in the same exodus and exile and the same promises, how they told the story produced very different results, different feelings about Israel's present situation, different ideas about the future and how to get there—just as how I learned American history makes you smile when you see the Stars and Stripes, but others, having learned The 1619 Project story, feel shame. For Pharisees, unfaithfulness to the law resulted in exile—one that was still effectively ongoing—and only national faithfulness to the law would get them out of it. For the Sadducees, that was all in the past. God had restored them from their exile, and the temple and its priests were the proof. All was well. For the Zealots, the story said that armed revolution was the only way out of their oppression. For the Essenes, the group responsible for the Dead Sea Scrolls, the story said that the everyone and everything had been defiled by unfaithfulness, even the temple itself. God would wage holy war on the unfaithful, so they—the only truly righteous ones—retreated to the desert to wait and to keep pure. And there was the historian Josephus. A generation later, he told the story—after the disaster had happened—to say that the Jewish revolutionaries had brought God's wrath on themselves and that God had raised up the Romans to act as his instrument of judgement. Same story, but the different ways they told it, the different parts they emphasised, the way they interpreted certain events like the Babylonian Exile, landed them in very different places. Like I said last week, the story got them to the airport, but they were all waiting at different gates—and none of them the right gate for the God's real homecoming. That said, all of them held the same markers of Jewish identity dear: the torah, the temple, the promised land, their circumcision. They disagreed on a lot, but attack any of those things and they'd all join in stoning you after charging you with blasphemy. So what Stephen is doing before the Sanhedrin, backing up all the way to Abraham and telling the story yet again, was in good keeping with what was going on in First Century Judaea. So—in case you missed last week or have forgotten—in the first sixteen verses, Stephen began telling the story of Jesus and the Spirit by going back to Abraham. This was the moment when the God of glory—Stephen wants to stress that he's here to glorify the God of Israel, not blaspheme him or his holy things—Abraham was the moment when God stepped into the darkness and misery of his broken, fallen, corrupted creation and called to Abraham. In Abraham, God was launching his project to restore rebellious humanity to himself and to set to rights the creation that we broke. Now, there was more to it than this—it's online if you missed or forgot it—but Stephen's main point is that the gospel is not a departure from the story of Israel. It's not something new that has no roots in what happened before. He's saying to the Jewish elders: When the God of glory, the God of Israel called Abraham out of Ur and settled him in the promised land and established his covenant with him to make him a nation, that was the beginning of the story that brings us to Jesus, to the cross and the empty tomb, to the ascension and to Pentecost. The story of Abraham is the story of the gospel and vice versa. Remember, they accused him of blaspheming torah and temple and Stephen's saying, “No way! Torah and temple are good. They're glorious. They're how God prepared us and brought us to Jesus.” Like I said last week, when you leave your car and board the ferry, you are in no way saying your car was bad. It got you to the ferry. But you can't drive on water. Now it's time do something new—to do the very thing your car brought you to do. And then from Abraham to Joseph. Stephen tells Isreal's story in such a way to highlight that when the God of Israel acts to bless and to save his people, it's often in unexpected ways. Abraham was promised the land of Canaan, but never had any more of it than a little burial plot. And Jacob and his sons were forced to flee the land of Canaan in order to survive a famine. And Jacob's sons were wicked men who sold their brother, Joseph into slavery after nearly choosing to murder him. And Joseph went from slavery to prison. How was God going to work anything good from any of that? But he did. The sovereign God was at work all along. Slavery and prison led Joseph to the premiership of Egypt just in time deliver his family when they arrived. None of them had ever expected any of that. But God delivered them. And Stephen's telling of the Joseph story also highlights that gracious forgiveness has always been at the heart of the story of God and his people. There was Joseph, hated, abused, sold into slavery by his brothers, but instead of taking revenge, he welcomes them and throw a party. This is what Jesus had been doing as the lost sheep of Israel, the tax collectors and sinners, came to him in repentance and faith. And this is the sort of rejoicing that would take place in heaven were the Sanhedrin to see how the story leads to Jesus and repent. God was waiting for them with open arms and a promise of blessing, and they should know that, because that's how God's great story has always worked. It's the key in which this great symphony is written. So now, Moses. As important as Abraham and Joseph were, Moses stands like a colossus over the story of Israel. Moses was the deliverer who led Israel out of Egypt and parted the sea. It was Moses who went up Mt. Sinai and saw God for himself. It was Moses who came down and delivered the torah to Israel. It was under Moses that God made a nation out of Abraham's family. And this is where they've accused Stephen of blasphemy. They've accused him of speaking against the torah and temple and Moses. So look at Acts 7, beginning at verse 17. Stephen highlights three things about Moses. The first thing he stresses is how Moses was raised up by God to be the right man at the right place at the right time—even though no one would have guessed at the beginning that Moses was God's man for the hour. Stephen says: “God had sworn an oath to Abraham. [Remember the promise to make him a great nation and to give his descendants the land of Canaan?] When the time drew near for this promise to be fulfilled, the people had increased and multiplied in Egypt, until another king arose over Egypt, one who had not known Joseph. He got the better of our people, and ill-treated our fathers, forcing them to abandon their newborn children so that they would die. It was at that time that Moses was born, and he was pleasing to God. He was nursed for three months in his father's house. But, when they abandoned him, Pharaoh's daughter claimed him and brought him up as her own son. So Moses was educated in the full teaching of Egyptian wisdom, and he was powerful in what he said and did.” Already, in the life of Joseph, Stephen has stressed that God works human evil for good. Nothing escapes his sovereign hand. And just so with Moses. First, this new Pharoah decides to make slaves of the Hebrews. Not good. And then, when their numbers increase so prolifically that Pharaoh fears being able to control them, he hatches a plan to murder all the baby boys. And so Moses ends up in a basket in the river, where Pharaoh's daughter finds him and decides to raise him as her own. God turns Pharaoh's hate, prejudice, and injustice against him, sovereignly placing one of those Hebrew boys right in Pharaoh's own home, raised at Pharaoh's expense, and tutored by Pharaoh's own tutors in the famed wisdom of the Egyptians. God ensure the story is full of irony. Pharaoh unwittingly nurtures and educates the very man who will be his downfall. And Moses, himself, receives the training needed one day to oversee, to govern the people of Israel. Again, at the time, none of this made any sense. No one could see any significance to the story as it was unfolding. But God has a plan and one of the things the Jewish people learned from Moses' story—and so many others—is to trust God. In the famous words of William Cowper, God moves in a mysterious way. It's another motif in the divine symphony—one that comes back over and over and that God's people out to recognise when they hear the music. Second, Stephen stresses the rejection of Moses by his own people. Look at verse 23: “When he had grown to forty years old, it came into his heart to see how his brothers, the sons of Israel, were doing. He saw someone being wronged, and came to the man's defence; he took revenge on behalf of the man who was being oppressed, by striking down the Egyptian. He thought his kinsfolk would grasp the fact that God was sending him to their rescue, but they didn't. “The next day he showed up as two Hebrews were fighting, and he tried to bring them back together again. ‘Now then, you two,' he said, ‘you are brothers! Why are you wronging each other?' But the man who was wronging the other wasn't having it. ‘Who made you a ruler or judge over us?' he retorted, pushing him away. ‘Do you want to kill me in the same way you killed the Egyptian yesterday?' At that word, Moses ran away, and lived as a guest in the land of Midian, where he had two sons.” Yet another motif in the symphony, another recurring theme in the story. Jesus wasn't the first of God's deliverers to be rejected by his own people. The story highlights that this is sometimes how God works. Now, there's no one-to-one equivalence between Moses and Jesus. Moses was rejected because he wasn't ready yet. He had a desire to see his people freed, but he hadn't yet been called by God to that mission, nor had he received instruction on how to do it God's way. This way of telling the story, this way of looking back to the Old Testament is something we see all through the New Testament. I think of the way Matthew regularly explains how something in the Jesus story “fulfils” this or that thing from the Old Testament. And often we're left wondering how the connection works. Thanks largely to the Church Fathers, we've been taught to see these connections as literal prophecies or as “types”, as spiritual shadows that prefigure Jesus and various events in his life. That's kind of close, but it's not quite what Stephen (or Matthew) do. When Matthew, for example says that in the birth of Jesus Isaiah's words about the virgin conceiving and bearing a child are fulfilled, we wonder how that works. Isaiah was talking about a young woman in his own day bearing a child…and she wasn't a virgin. What Matthew was doing was pointing back to an event in Israel's past, in Israel's story, where the birth of a child to a young woman—maybe a princess, maybe the Prophet's wife…it's not clear—but where the birth of this child signalled that God was about to act to deliver his people. Matthew latched onto that. This is how God works, but this time—in the birth of Jesus—it's not just a young woman, it's an actual virgin, and this time God's not just delivering his people from a foreign king; this time it's deliverance from sin and death. Matthew recognised the motif in the music. It was there in Isaiah's day, a lone violin telling a story that most people missed, but in the birth of Jesus that motif returned, and this time the whole symphony was playing it. Stephen's drawing on the story of Moses the same way. Moses was rejected by his own people. A repeating theme in the story that the Sanhedrin—people who know this story, know this symphony so well already—a theme they ought now to see plain as day in what happened to Jesus. It should be obvious. They were the ones playing the instruments this time, after all. And then, third, Stephen stresses how through Moses, the God of glory, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God Israel had known for two thousand years, had revealed himself in a new way that no one had expected. Look at verse 30: “After another forty years, an angel appeared to him in the desert at Mount Sinai, in the flame of a burning bush. When Moses saw it, he was amazed at the vision. But, as he came closer to see, there came the voice of the Lord: ‘I am the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob.' Moses was very frightened, and didn't dare to look. But the Lord said to him, ‘Take your sandals off your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy ground. I have looked long and hard at the trouble my people are having in Egypt. I have heard their groaning, and I have come down to rescue them. So, come on now: I'm going to send you to Egypt.'” Stephen wants to be clear—and we see this all through early Christian preaching—the God revealed in Jesus the Messiah is not new. He is the same God who has been directing this story, this symphony from the beginning. This is the God of their fathers, the God who has been rescuing his people according to his promises for two thousand years. The God they know. The God whose character and ways they ought to have recognised in Jesus. Yes, Stephen's saying, Jesus was not what we expected. In Jesus—and now in the Spirit—God is doing something amazing, something astounding, something new. And that's why you rejected him. But knowing the story, knowing the music, we should have expected God would do precisely this: something new, something wild, something we didn't expect. Because the story is already full of episodes where God does just that. No one, least of all Moses, exiled to the wilderness, tending his father-in-law's sheep—expected the burning bush. And yet in that moment, heaven and earth came back together, God spoke, a man was called, and the world was never the same again. And Stephen's point is this: You can't predict the unexpected thing that God will do; but you can be sure—because the story is full of such moments—that God does act unexpectedly to do the things he's promised and that we expect, the very things in which we hope. Holy ground, for example, was something Stephen and his fellow Jews understood. The temple was holy ground. It was where heaven and earth met. But it wasn't the end-all-be-all of holy grounds. It began at Mt. Sinai—not in Isreal, but in the wilderness—where God met Moses in the burning bush, where the plan to rescue Isreal from her bondage began. When the Israelites built the tabernacle and the cloud of God's glory descended to fill it, God upstaged what he'd done at the burning bush. And then again, with the temple. As if it were the strings playing the motif at the burning bush, and in Exodus 40 as God's glory fills the holy of holies, the woodwinds join them. And the music was good and it was beautiful, but the Sanhedrin should now be hearing that same motif as, in Jesus and the Spirit the whole symphony comes together to play. Stephen isn't disparaging Moses. He's not blaspheming the law or the temple. He's saying, “Can't you hear it? Their beautiful theme is now being woven into something far grander and played by the whole symphony. The motifs have been there all along, the story has always been told this way. Don't plug your ears to this new thing. Listen. And hear how it's taken up all the old themes into something that is nothing short of glorifying to the conductor, to the God of glory. That's as far as we have time to go this morning. Like I said, Acts 7 is long and there's a lot to unpack. But I think the great take-away for us from this part—in addition to learning to hear the great story of God and his people—I think the most important thing here is to know that God really does do new and unexpected things. As we get to know the story, we ought to expect for God to do the unexpected, for God to do new things that upstage what he's done in the past. And yet, the story also emphatically tells us that as much as God does new things and upstages the things he's done before, those new things are always in keeping with what he's done before. The past always points to the future and the future never undermines the past. As the writer of Hebrews tells us, “God is the same, yesterday, today, and forever.” We live in an age where too many people are ready to do something new themselves—something that breaks from what or how God has already revealed himself, something that breaks from or that disparages or that blasphemes God's past actions or his past instructions—they take this new human thing and declared that God is doing a new thing. Andy Stanley saying we need to unhitch from the Old Testament so that God can do something new. No! Churches embracing sexual immorality and post-modern notions of identity and sexuality and family and marriage and then saying, “See, God is doing a new thing!” A thousand times, no! Brothers and Sisters, the theme of the story, the key of the symphony doesn't change. God does new things, but those new things follow from what God's already done. On the other hand—and I think it's mostly in response to all the proclamation of “new things” that aren't godly at all—on the other hand, we can become too fearful, too conservative and we can end up where the Pharisees and Sadducees and the Essenes were: locked down, afraid of the new, and turning away from burning bushes, and unwilling to go where God is actually leading. This why we need to steep ourselves in the story. This why we need to immerse ourselves in the great symphony and to let the music wash over and through us. Brothers and Sisters, we need to know the themes and the motifs, to learn the key in which God is playing, to be intimately familiar with how they interact, weaving around and through each other, so that as the story continues to unfold, as the symphony bursts into new movements, we can hear God bringing those old familiar themes to new heights, while also being able to recognise when a different story is being told, or a different symphony is being played. I've said over and over, Brothers and Sisters: God's word is life. Know, meditate on it, let it mould you, and then let it pour forth from you to give life to others. Let's pray: Lord of all power and might, the author and giver of all good things: Graft in our hearts the love of your Name; increase in us true religion; nourish us with all goodness; and bring forth in us the fruit of good works; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
This message will briefly discuss social anxiety using the framework of today's popular psychological theories, then explore the same themes through the light of scripture. Get a FREE copy of our eBook "What Really Happens After Death?" Full details are at this link: http://eepurl.com/ddB0yb
He was from the town of Dorostolon in Thrace and during the reign of Julian the Apostate became a servant of the governor in that region. Before the time of his martyrdom he was a secret Christian. An imperial legate arrived in the town with orders to seize all Christians, but failed to find any; to show his pleasure he ordered a great feast for the whole town, complete with sacrifices to the pagan gods. On the night before the appointed feast, Emilian went around the town and smashed all the idols with a hammer. The following day there was an uproar, and an innocent villager was seized and charged with the crime. Emilian, seeing this, said to himself 'If I conceal my action, what sort of use has it been? Shall I not stand before God as the slayer of an innocent man?' So he presented himself to the legate and confessed what he had done. When the furious official asked Emilian on whose orders he had acted, Emilian replied 'God and my soul commanded me to destroy those dead pillars that you call gods.' As punishment, Emilian was subjected to many tortures and finally burned alive.
Pruning To Prosper - Clutter, Money, Meals and Mindset for the Catholic Mom
On today's episode I mentioned a wonderful Catholic website for a quiet mass book. You can find it here: Quiet Mass Book IF YOU ARE A NEW LISTENER, WELCOME! BEGIN HERE: This year we are doing my group coaching course together via this podcast! It's free and it only gets better as the year progresses. In January we began with God at the center of our day and our home. We worked to build the habit of a morning prayer routine. I highly recommend the rosary. It's only about 20 minutes and you'll meditate on the whole life of Jesus. February is the month of decluttering. Saturday episodes have been added to focus on decluttering in the kitchen. Each month will have a different focus area and the Saturday episodes will help you focus on one small section of that room. In March we decluttered your wardrobe. In April we are moving into budgeting for food. Our Saturday episodes will still be about decluttering. Our declutter focus area for April is your bedroom. In May we dreamed big! June brings us to one of the most useful topics in my group coaching course…meal planning. Ah, the feel of knowing exactly what's for dinner is the most stress-free feeling in the world! Our declutter focus area for June is Hallways/Landings. July is a much anticipated month of money/budgeting. Our Saturday episodes (otherwise known as the declutter episodes) will focus on decluttering TOYS! Give this first episode of 2026 a listen to hear where to begin: 316. Your 2026 Life Overhaul Plan: Faith, Clutter, Debt, Diet and More! If you've never prayed a rosary or you want to see how you can incorporate it into active decluttering, here is the first episode of my rosary declutter series from last summer. 288. Summer Declutter Series Week Just getting started on your decluttering journey? Give this episode a listen before you begin: 322. Guidelines to Decluttering ***Are you so overwhelmed with clutter that you find yourself unable to make any decisions? Do you plan on decluttering only to find yourself standing in a room confused about where to start? Are you hoping motivation will strike and you'll get it all done in one weekend? If this sounds like you, let's work together. Book a one hour virtual coaching session via Zoom. Together we craft a decluttering plan and I walk you through the process. You'll complete much of the decluttering on your own time at your own pace. I just give you the roadmap and the accountability. Cost $77 per hour. Virtual Coaching Schedule Not sure what you need? No problem! Book a complimentary 15 minute clarity call. We'll meet via Zoom and see if working with me would benefit you. Email me at: tightshipmama@gmail.com to schedule a time. Looking for community of like-minded women? Join the private Facebook community here: Facebook Group Prefer to receive a weekly email with the monthly freebie like a group rosary, group declutter, or budget Q&As? Join my mailing list here: Monthly Newsletter For any other inquiries or guest appearances, please email me at: tightshipmama@gmail.com
Tired of compromising? It's time to build some serious holy grit. Welcome to Week 3 of Book Club!
ਧਨਾਸਰੀ ਮਹਲਾ ੫ ਘਰੁ ੧੨ ੴ ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਪ੍ਰਸਾਦਿ ॥ ਬੰਦਨਾ ਹਰਿ ਬੰਦਨਾ ਗੁਣ ਗਾਵਹੁ ਗੋਪਾਲ ਰਾਇ ॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥ ਵਡੈ ਭਾਗਿ ਭੇਟੇ ਗੁਰਦੇਵਾ ॥ ਕੋਟਿਪਰਾਧ ਮਿਟੇ ਹਰਿ ਸੇਵਾ ॥੧॥ ਚਰਨ ਕਮਲ ਜਾ ਕਾ ਮਨੁ ਰਾਪੈ ॥ ਸੋਗ ਅਗਨਿ ਤਿਸੁ ਜਨ ਨ ਬਿਆਪੈ ॥੨॥ ਸਾਗਰੁ ਤਰਿਆ ਸਾਧੂ ਸੰਗੇ ॥ ਨਿਰਭਉ ਨਾਮੁਜਪਹੁ ਹਰਿ ਰੰਗੇ ॥੩॥ ਪਰ ਧਨ ਦੋਖ ਕਿਛੁ ਪਾਪ ਨ ਫੇੜੇ ॥ ਜਮ ਜੰਦਾਰੁAND ਨ ਆਵੈ ਨੇੜੇ ॥੪॥ ਤ੍ਰਿਸਨਾ ਅਗਨਿ ਪ੍ਰਭਿ ਆਪਿ ਬੁਝਾਈ ॥ ਨਾਨਕਉਧਰੇ ਪ੍ਰਭ ਸਰਣਾਈ ॥੫॥੧॥੫੫॥ਅਰਥ: ਹੇ ਭਾਈ! ਪਰਮਾਤਮਾ ਨੂੰ ਸਦਾ ਨਮਸਕਾਰ ਕਰਿਆ ਕਰੋ, ਪ੍ਰਭੂ ਪਾਤਿਸ਼ਾਹ ਦੇ ਗੁਣ ਗਾਂਦੇ ਰਹੋ। ਰਹਾਉ।ਹੇ ਭਾਈ! ਜਿਸ ਮਨੁੱਖ ਨੂੰ ਵੱਡੀ ਕਿਸਮਤ ਨਾਲ ਗੁਰੂ ਮਿਲ ਪੈਂਦਾ ਹੈ, (ਗੁਰੂ ਦੀ ਰਾਹੀਂ) ਪਰਮਾਤਮਾ ਦੀ ਸੇਵਾ-ਭਗਤੀ ਕਰਨ ਨਾਲ ਉਸ ਦੇ ਕ੍ਰੋੜਾਂ ਪਾਪ ਮਿਟ ਜਾਂਦੇਹਨ।੧।ਹੇ ਭਾਈ! ਜਿਸ ਮਨੁੱਖ ਦਾ ਮਨ ਪਰਮਾਤਮਾ ਦੇ ਸੋਹਣੇ ਚਰਨਾਂ (ਦੇ ਪ੍ਰੇਮ-ਰੰਗ) ਵਿਚ ਰੰਗਿਆ ਜਾਂਦਾ ਹੈ, ਉਸ ਮਨੁੱਖ ਉਤੇ ਚਿੰਤਾ ਦੀ ਅੱਗ ਜ਼ੋਰ ਨਹੀਂ ਪਾ ਸਕਦੀ।੨।ਹੇ ਭਾਈ! ਪ੍ਰੇਮ ਨਾਲ ਨਿਰਭਉ ਪ੍ਰਭੂ ਦਾ ਨਾਮ ਜਪਿਆ ਕਰੋ। ਗੁਰੂ ਦੀ ਸੰਗਤਿ ਵਿਚ (ਨਾਮ ਜਪਣ ਦੀ ਬਰਕਤਿ ਨਾਲ) ਸੰਸਾਰ-ਸਮੁੰਦਰ ਤੋਂ ਪਾਰ ਲੰਘ ਜਾਈਦਾਹੈ।੩।ਹੇ ਭਾਈ! ਸਿਮਰਨ ਦਾ ਸਦਕਾ) ਪਰਾਏ ਧਨ (ਆਦਿਕ) ਦੇ ਕੋਈ ਐਬ ਪਾਪ ਮੰਦੇ ਕਰਮ ਨਹੀਂ ਹੁੰਦੇ, ਭਿਆਨਕ ਜਮ ਭੀ ਨੇੜੇ ਨਹੀਂ ਢੁਕਦਾ (ਮੌਤ ਦਾ ਡਰ ਨਹੀਂਵਿਆਪਦਾ, ਆਤਮਕ ਮੌਤ ਨੇੜੇ ਨਹੀਂ ਆਉਂਦੀ) ।੪।ਹੇ ਭਾਈ! ਜੇਹੜੇ ਮਨੁੱਖ ਪ੍ਰਭੂ ਦੇ ਗੁਣ ਗਾਂਦੇ ਹਨ) ਉਹਨਾਂ ਦੀ ਤ੍ਰਿਸ਼ਨਾ ਦੀ ਅੱਗ ਪ੍ਰਭੂ ਨੇ ਆਪ ਬੁਝਾ ਦਿੱਤੀ ਹੈ। ਹੇ ਨਾਨਕ! ਪ੍ਰਭੂ ਦੀ ਸਰਨ ਪੈ ਕੇ (ਅਨੇਕਾਂ ਜੀਵਤ੍ਰਿਸ਼ਨਾ ਦੀ ਅੱਗ ਵਿਚੋਂ) ਬਚ ਨਿਕਲਦੇ ਹਨ।੫।੧।੫੫।DHANAASAREE, FIFTH MEHL, TWELFTH HOUSE:ONE UNIVERSAL CREATOR GOD. BY THE GRACE OF THE TRUE GURU:I bow in reverence to the Lord, I bow in reverence. I sing the Glorious Praises of the Lord, my King. || Pause || By great good fortune, one meets the Divine Guru. Millions of sins are erased by serving the Lord. || 1 || One whose mind is imbued with the Lord's lotus feet is not afflicted by the fire of sorrow. || 2 || He crosses over the world-ocean in the Saadh Sangat, the Company of the Holy. He chants the Name of the Fearless Lord, and is imbued with the Lord's Love. || 3 || One who does not steal the wealth of others, who does not commit evil deeds or sinful acts — the Messenger of Death does not even approach him. || 4 || God Himself quenches the fires of desire. O Nanak, in God's Sanctuary, one is saved. || 5 || 1 || 55 ||2. Key Themes (English Summary) Devotion and Praise (Rahau): The central theme emphasizes continuously bowing to the Divine and singing the praises of the Almighty. The Role of the Guru: Meeting the True Guru is a matter of great destiny. Serving the Divine through the Guru's guidance erases countless sins. Freedom from Anxiety: A mind attached to the love of God remains untouched by the burning fires of worldly sorrow and anxiety. The Holy Congregation (Saadh Sangat): Meditating on the Fearless Lord within the company of the saints helps one safely cross the treacherous ocean of worldly existence. Righteous Living: True meditation leads to ethical living—refraining from stealing or committing sins, which ultimately eliminates the fear of spiritual or physical death. Quenching Desires: The burning fire of worldly desires (Trishna) is completely extinguished when one seeks and surrenders to the sanctuary of the Lord.
...as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, "Be holy, for I am holy." 1 Pet 1:15
Why are Christians elected to salvation? In this sermon on Ephesians 1:4 titled “Holy and…Before Him in Love,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones explores this doctrine that believers are chosen by God to be holy. Echoing the apostle John, Paul says the purpose of God in Christ for His people is to undo, remove, and rectify completely the effects of sin and the fall. By making His people holy and without blame before Him, Christ destroys the work of the devil. The ability to be in the presence of God and communion with Him is the goal for Christians. In Christ, the believer has a new love and affection for God. Salvation is nothing less than a new relationship with God whereby the Christian can stand before Him in His presence. If this is the end for which God has chosen His people, they must be concerned with preaching holiness to others. Holiness is not an addition to be added after someone is saved. Because they have been chosen, God will make them holy.
Why are Christians elected to salvation? In this sermon on Ephesians 1:4 titled “Holy and…Before Him in Love,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones explores this doctrine that believers are chosen by God to be holy. Echoing the apostle John, Paul says the purpose of God in Christ for His people is to undo, remove, and rectify completely the effects of sin and the fall. By making His people holy and without blame before Him, Christ destroys the work of the devil. The ability to be in the presence of God and communion with Him is the goal for Christians. In Christ, the believer has a new love and affection for God. Salvation is nothing less than a new relationship with God whereby the Christian can stand before Him in His presence. If this is the end for which God has chosen His people, they must be concerned with preaching holiness to others. Holiness is not an addition to be added after someone is saved. Because they have been chosen, God will make them holy. To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/603/29?v=20251111
God is not like us. It's a very human tendency to try to make Him like us, or to frame our thoughts about Him in human terms - but it's wrong. When the seraphs cry "Holy, holy, holy," they declare that God is separate, apart, other. This week Jim will help us understand some of the "most different differences" between the Creator and His creatures. He'll talk about God's eternal existence, His infinite knowledge and power, and his immutable character. Listen to Right Start Radio every Monday through Friday on WCVX 1160AM (Cincinnati, OH) at 9:30am, WHKC 91.5FM (Columbus, OH) at 5:00pm, WRFD 880AM (Columbus, OH) at 9:00am. Right Start can also be heard on One Christian Radio 107.7FM & 87.6FM in New Plymouth, New Zealand. You can purchase a copy of this message, unsegmented for broadcasting and in its entirety, for $7 on a single CD by calling +1 (800) 984-2313, and of course you can always listen online or download the message for free. RS07172026_0.mp3Scripture References: Psalms; Hebrews
1 Peter 2:9-10For you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God's very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light. “Once you had no identity as a people; now you are God's people. Once you received no mercy; now you have received God's mercy.”Chosen. Royal. Holy. God's very own. These are all words He chose to describe us as His redeemed and restored community through the sacrifice of Jesus. This position offers us new identity, access to light in any darkness, mercy and grace that we now share with those in need.Can you accept and receive God's identity and position that He offers you as His child? How will this new Identity change the way you approach this day?Let's adapt and personalize this verse. Listen to how the God of the universe talks about you:For “you” are chosen. “You” are a royal priest, part of a holy nation, God's very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light. “Once you had no identity; now you are God's. Once you received no mercy; now you have received God's mercy.” (1 Peter 2:9-10 NLT) Right now, in this moment, accept, receive the truth that you are chosen by God. You are a royal priest; God's very own with a new identity; His child that He now trusts to share His love with all those in your circles. To receive and share His mercy. To embrace and give His grace. To take in His light and be His light.Pray with me now: “Father of Light, what an awesome privilege to be Your vessel through which Your love, grace, mercy, and light can flow in, out, and through to others. Help me to receive all You have for me, not because of my own merits, but Jesus. Help me to accept what You say about me as what I believe. As above, so below.”
Jesus Followers Are “Commissioned" to “Make Disciples” and Not to Become Members of an Exclusive Holy Club MESSAGE SUMMARY: We need to welcome new excited Followers of Jesus as members of our Non-Exclusive global fellowship as Followers of Jesus. Those of us who have been brought up in the church or have been in the church for a while can get caught up in our perceived personal righteousness. We get used to the presence of God and His peace in our lives. However, we then encounter a new Followers of Jesus. These new Christians, before their conversion, were living in the ways of the world without God's peace. Now, these new believers are so excited with their new life; however, their outward manifestation of their conversion may not “fit” with our personal Christian behavioral norms. Sadly, too many modern Christians judge and condemn these new, excited believers for their enthusiasm rather than loving, encouraging, and embracing these new Followers of Jesus. We can learn from Jesus' rebuke of the Pharisees, who exhibited similar non-supportive behavior of Christians in Matthew 5:20: “For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.”. TODAY'S PRAYER: Father, when I read even part of the story of Job, I too am overwhelmed by your “wildness.” Your ways and timing are beyond me. Job moved from hearing about you to having “seen you.” Lead me, Lord, on a pathway so that I too can pray as Job prayed: “My ears had heard of you, but now my eyes have seen you” (Job 42:5). In Jesus' name, amen. Scazzero, Peter. Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Day by Day (p. 89). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. TODAY'S AFFIRMATION: Today, because I am filled with the Holy Spirit, I will not be controlled by my Inconsistencies. Rather, I will walk in the Spirit's fruit of Faithfulness. “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” (Galatians 5:22f). SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV): Luke 7:45-47; Matthew 5:20; Luke 11:38-39; Psalms 49b:11-20. A WORD FROM THE LORD WEBSITE: www.AWFTL.org. THIS SUNDAY'S AUDIO SERMON: You can listen to Archbishop Beach's Current Sunday Sermon: “Our Realities Speak to Our Real Priorities ” at our Website: https://awordfromthelord.org/listen/ DONATE TO AWFTL: https://mygiving.secure.force.com/GXDonateNow?id=a0Ui000000DglsqEAB
In this episode I discuss supernatural, biblical encounters.
God is not like us. It's a very human tendency to try to make Him like us, or to frame our thoughts about Him in human terms - but it's wrong. When the seraphs cry "Holy, holy, holy," they declare that God is separate, apart, other. This week Jim will help us understand some of the "most different differences" between the Creator and His creatures. He'll talk about God's eternal existence, His infinite knowledge and power, and his immutable character. Listen to Right Start Radio every Monday through Friday on WCVX 1160AM (Cincinnati, OH) at 9:30am, WHKC 91.5FM (Columbus, OH) at 5:00pm, WRFD 880AM (Columbus, OH) at 9:00am. Right Start can also be heard on One Christian Radio 107.7FM & 87.6FM in New Plymouth, New Zealand. You can purchase a copy of this message, unsegmented for broadcasting and in its entirety, for $7 on a single CD by calling +1 (800) 984-2313, and of course you can always listen online or download the message for free. RS07162026_0.mp3Scripture References: Romans 11; Psalm 147 & 40; Ephesians 3
Send us Fan MailFor years, podcasters have treated clips as marketing.Record the episode. Pull out a few highlights. Share them on social media. Hope people click through to listen to the full conversation.But what if that's no longer how audiences consume content?In this episode of Imperfect Marketing, Kendra shares a story that completely changed her perspective on podcasting and content creation. After hearing a fellow podcast host describe being recognized for his clips rather than his actual podcast episodes, Kendra realized something important: for many people, the clip is the show.Today's audiences are discovering creators through TikTok, Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts, and LinkedIn video. Many will never listen to a full episode, yet they still become part of your audience through short-form content.That realization raises an important question:If clips are often someone's first and only experience with your content, why are so many creators treating them as an afterthought?In this episode, Kendra explores:Why podcast clips have evolved from promotional assets into primary contentThe mindset shift every podcaster and content creator needs to makeWhy "finding clips in editing" isn't a reliable content strategyHow to identify your strongest clip moments before you hit recordCreating hooks that capture attention and stop the scrollUsing intentional clip cues during recordingBuilding self-contained ideas that work both inside and outside the full episodeHow short-form content is becoming the new discovery engine for podcastsWhether you're creating podcasts, videos, webinars, or social media content, this episode will help you rethink how your audience discovers and consumes what you create.Connect with KendraWhat makes you stop scrolling and watch a podcast clip?Kendra would love to hear your thoughts. Connect with her on LinkedIn or send her a message and share what grabs your attention when you're consuming content online.If you found this episode helpful, share it with another podcaster, marketer, or business owner who is looking to get more value from their content.Remember: the clips aren't just marketing anymore. They're the content. Looking to leverage AI? Want better results? Want to think about what you want to leverage?Check and see how I am using it for FREE on YouTube. From "Holy cow, it can do that?" to "Wait, how does this work again?" – I've got all your AI curiosities covered. It's the perfect after-podcast snack for your tech-hungry brain. Watch here
Episode 2827 - Vinnie Tortorich and Chris Shaffer discuss lowering the bar when identifying obesity, smoking weed, and the effects of less sleep. https://vinnietortorich.com/2026/07/lowering-the-bar-episode-2827 PLEASE SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS Pure Vitamin Club Pure Coffee Club NSNG® Foods VILLA CAPPELLI EAT HAPPY KITCHEN YOU CAN WATCH THIS EPISODE ON YOUTUBE - @FitnessConfidential Podcast Vinnie's workout videos are available to purchase! Choose from a 2-day, 4-day, or 6-day workout–or buy all three at a discount! TO PURCHASE VINNIE'S WORKOUT VIDEOS, CLICK THIS LINK: https://vinnietortorich.com/workout Lowering the Bar Vinnie has had a wonderful week. (3:45) He spent time with his best friend since childhood, and they ended up chatting about Jim's health. Jim is ready to make some changes. The obesity rate has been coming down from its all-time high. (19:00) These metrics were taken between 2024 and 2025. However, childhood obesity is 20%, but in the 1970s, it was 3 or 4%. But what is considered obese has been redefined. (24:00) Lowering the bar doesn't make things better. Also, the numbers were gathered by Gallup (people self-reporting), not from doctors. The introduction of GLP-1s is credited for these numbers, but that may not be accurate. (30:00) However, they still don't seem to be a long-term solution because people abuse GLP-1s. Sleep has more impact on weight gain than you may think. (40:30) Less sleep can cause more cravings, among other things. Holy crap, we spent money on this study? (48:00) Result: Smoking weed is bad for your health. Daily smoking of weed holds the same risk of lung cancer as daily smoking of cigarettes. It's not the substance; it's the inhaling of smoke. (53:00) Check out the Aletha Hip HookTM that Vinnie uses to reduce pain and increase mobility: You can purchase your own through Vinnie's website here: https://vinnietortorich.com/hook Anna's products are now linked to PureVitamin Club's website. Look under the "Food and Snacks" section to purchase them there, too. https://purevitaminclub.com/collections/food-and-snacks Vinnie hopes to add other products as well, all of which will be health-related. The NSNG® VIP GROUP IS NOW CLOSED AGAIN AS OF SUNDAY, MARCH 15TH Anna's next cookbook, Eat Happy Cocktail Hour, is filled with cocktails, mocktails, and appetizers and is available for pre-order right now. If you pre-order, you'll get bonus goodies! You can preorder from a wide variety of booksellers at https://eathappycocktailhour.com/ Please save your receipt from wherever you preorder; you'll need it for your bonuses! Physical Release Date is October 2026 You can book a consultation with Vinnie to get guidance on your goals. https://vinnietortorich.com/phone-consultation-2/ More News Serena has added some of her clothing suggestions and beauty product suggestions to Vinnie's Amazon Recommended Products link. Self Care, Beauty, and Grooming Products that Actually Work! https://www.amazon.com/shop/vinnietortorich/list/3GPVU29UHHPMY?ref_=aipsflist Don't forget to check out Serena Scott Thomas on Days of Our Lives on Peacock. "Dirty Keto" is available on Amazon! You can purchase or rent it here.https://amzn.to/4d9agj1 Please make sure to watch, rate, and review it! Eat Happy Italian, Anna's second cookbook, is available! You can go to https://eathappyitalian.com You can order it from Vinnie's Book Club. https://amzn.to/3ucIXm Anna's recipes are in her cookbooks, on her website, and on Substack —they will spice up your day! https://annavocino.substack.com/ PURCHASE DIRTY KETO (2024) The documentary launched in August 2024! Order it TODAY! This is Vinnie's fourth documentary in just over five years. Visit my new Documentaries HQ to find my films everywhere: https://vinnietortorich.com/documentaries Then, please share my fact-based, health-focused documentary series with your friends and family. Additionally, the more views it receives, the better it ranks, so please watch it again with a new friend! REVIEWS: Please submit your REVIEW after you watch my films. Your positive REVIEW does matter! PURCHASE BEYOND IMPOSSIBLE (2022) Visit my new Documentaries HQ to find my films everywhere: https://vinnietortorich.com/documentaries FAT: A DOCUMENTARY 2 (2021) Visit my new Documentaries HQ to find my films everywhere: https://vinnietortorich.com/documentaries FAT: A DOCUMENTARY (2019) Visit my new Documentaries HQ to find my films everywhere: https://vinnietortorich.com/documentaries
Basically, God was saying: "Get rid of your baggage. You've been carrying it for way too long." Host Heather Schott and co-host Jasmine Weiler sit down with Pastor Will Ford — prayer warrior, author, and lead pastor of Mercy Culture East Fort Worth — to tell the story of a 250-year-old cast iron kettle. Will's enslaved ancestors in Louisiana would flip it upside down on the cabin floor and pray under it for freedom, muffling their voices so they wouldn't be caught crying out to God. Generations later, those prayers were answered — and the story only gets more miraculous from there. As America marks its 250th anniversary and a season of Jubilee, this is a call back to the one weapon the Church keeps leaving on the table: prayer. Will's family story is now being made into a feature film, The Dream King. RESOURCES: • The Dream King (book) → https://www.amazon.com/Dream-King-Martin-Fulfilled-America/dp/1947165658 • The Dream King film + Dream Stream Company → https://dreamstreamco.com • The Justice Reform (end human trafficking) → https://thejusticereform.com • Justice Run → https://justicerun.com • Mercy Culture Spiritual Leadership School → text WSLS to 51990 Subscribe, share it with someone who needs hope, and let's awaken the Bride of Christ together.
ACTS 3:13-26 - CHRIST WOULD SUFFER - BRIAN SUMNER - 2026ACTS 3:13 "The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of our fathers, glorified His Servant Jesus, whom you delivered up and denied in the presence of Pilate, when he was determined to let Him go. 14 But you denied the Holy One and the Just, and asked for a murderer to be granted to you, 15 and killed the Prince of life, whom God raised from the dead, of which we are witnesses. 16 And His name, through faith in His name, has made this man strong, whom you see and know. Yes, the faith which comes through Him has given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all.17 “Yet now, brethren, I know that you did it in ignorance, as did also your rulers. 18 But those things which God foretold by the mouth of all His prophets, that the Christ would suffer, He has thus fulfilled. 19 Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, 20 and that He may send Jesus Christ, who was preached to you before, 21 whom heaven must receive until the times of restoration of all things, which God has spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began. 22 For Moses truly said to the fathers, ‘The Lord your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from your brethren. Him you shall hear in all things, whatever He says to you. 23 And it shall be that every soul who will not hear that Prophet shall be utterly destroyed from among the people.' 24 Yes, and all the prophets, from Samuel and those who follow, as many as have spoken, have also foretold these days. 25 You are sons of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with our fathers, saying to Abraham, ‘And in your seed all the families of the earth shall be blessed.' 26 To you first, God, having raised up His Servant Jesus, sent Him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from your iniquities.”To support this channel and partner with Brian in Ministryhttps://www.briansumner.net/support/For more on Brianhttp://www.briansumner.nethttps://www.instagram.com/BRIANSUMNER/https://www.facebook.com/BRIANSUMNEROFFICIALTo listen to Brians Podcast, click below.https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast...Purchase Brians Marriage book at https://www.amazon.com/Never-Fails-Da...Brian is a full time "Urban Missionary" both locally and internationally with a focus on MISSIONS - MARRIAGES - MINISTRY. Since coming to faith in 2004 doors continued opening locally and internationally to do more and more ministry with a focus on Evangelism, Outreach Missions, Marriage, Counsel, Schools, Festivals, Conferences and the like. Everything about this ministry is made possible because of people personally partnering through the non profit. God Bless and thank you. †Support the showSUPPORT THE SHOW
Fr. Mike zeroes in on Isaiah 5-6 today. He emphasizes the literary masterpiece of the parable of the vineyard in Isaiah 5 and how it represents the story of Israel. He also shows us how Isaiah 6 is full of rich symbolism that points to the sacred realities of the Mass. We are reminded that God is truly holy and deserving of our praise. Today's readings are Isaiah 5-6, Tobit 5-6, and Proverbs 10:1-4. For the complete reading plan, visit ascensionpress.com/bibleinayear. Please note: The Bible contains adult themes that may not be suitable for children - parental discretion is advised.