Podcasts about how through

In this message, Pastor Hille shows how the Lord's Work was revived- 20 years of opposition led to their hands weakened, the work ceased. Only the Lord could revive the work. And so He did. How- Through the preaching of the word of God- The Lord raised up Haggai and Zechariah and they prophesied to the people and the Lord stirred the spirits of Zerubbabel and Jeshua. May He do the same through the preaching of HIs word and work of His spirit in our hearts and lives that we might build the house of God.

THE NECESSITY OF SCRIPTURE-- For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, -that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope.-Rom 15-4---1. INTRODUCTION --a. Preaching plans for 2021.--b. Preaching plans submitted to the guidance of the Spirit. ---2. ANALYSIS--a. What- - OT Scriptures.--b. Why- - For our Learning.--c. How- - Through the Patience and Comfort of OT Scriptures.--d. So What- - Christian Hope.--e. Apply - -i. Christian Liberty. Rom 15-1-3-- Broader Christian Life. Rom 15-4--ii. Christian Unity. Rom 15-5-12-- Broader Christian Life. Rom 15-13---3. RELEVANCE--a. Scripture is the Conduit of our Christian Instruction.--b. Scripture is a Companion to us in our Christian Walk.--c. Scripture is the Cornerstone of our Christian Hope. Rom 8-20-25, Heb 9-26-28, John 14-1-3.---4. APPLICATION--a. Christians - Read your Bibles- 1 Pet 2-2--b. Seekers - Read the Bible--i. Read it to know who you are.-ii. Read it to know who Jesus is. John 5-39, Luke 24-27.

Nicole Riccardo may barely be five feet tall, but she sure has some mighty superpowers. She serves musicians and creative entrepreneurs who are ready to market themselves effectively and increase their impact + income. Bottom line, she can help you make some moolah to do what you love. How? Through a combination of branding, SEO, marketing strategy, the Instagram algorithm, and a whole lot more. We’re covering a bunch of it in our discussion, plus even more important topics, like playing the flute vs. the piccolo or the best rides at Disney World.

In this episode, we detail the best strategies for reaching new customers through Facebook - for FREE! How? Through local Facebook groups! Remember some general guidelines while in groups: Do - respond with insightful comments. Don’t - be disrespectful or complain about others. This episode of Local SEO in 10 is brought to you by local SEO experts Magnified Media in Walnut Creek, California, in each 10-minute episode our digital marketing expert Adam Duran answers your questions on how you can get more leads for your business - fast! Remember, if you’re not taking care of this part of your business RIGHT NOW, you can bet your competitors are! About Adam Duran, resident expert of Local SEO in 10 Local SEO in 10 was created by Adam Duran, director of Magnified Media. Based in Walnut Creek, California, Magnified Media is an online marketing agency focused on local SEO, digital marketing, website design, local search ranking and reputation management for small and mid-sized businesses throughout the country. Magnified Media helping business owners master their marketing by: - getting them more online reviews, - getting their website seen on Google Local and - creating engaging social media content for their social media platforms. In his spare time, Adam enjoys practicing jiu-jitsu and working as the volunteer and founding director of Delta Education Foundation. About Jamie Duran, host of Local SEO in 10 Local business owner Jamie Duran is the owner of Solar Harmonics, Northern California's top-rated solar company, who invite their customers to “Own Their Energy” by purchasing a solar panel system for their home, business, or farm. You can check out the website for the top solar energy equipment installer, Solar Harmonics, here. Jamie also is the creator and panel expert of Straight-Talk Solar Cast, the world's first podcast focused on answering the questions faced by anyone considering going solar. Thanks for joining us this week. Want to subscribe to Local SEO in 10? Connect with us on iTunes and leave us a review. iTunes not your thing? Find us on Spotify, Google Podcasts, Anchor, or at MagnifiedMedia.net --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/localseoin10/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/localseoin10/support

Are you ready to understand what it takes to be a coach? Want to know the process of competing as a physique athlete? Well, we have great news! Today's Podcast features Caroline Ofenstein, IFBB Pro Why we do what we do? We provide clarity to coaching. How? Through our 100% virtual coaching platform we help build confidence in nutrition, exercise, and lifestyle. Our individualized human performance consulting and programming is for you and your team. Who is Caroline Ofenstein? Caroline is a lifelong athlete, and as of 2020, officially an IFBB Bikini Pro. She has been a nutrition and fitness coach since 2016 and currently works as an online coach for athletes and lifestyle clients with Tailored Coaching Method. You can connect with her on Instagram at @carolineofenstein_tcm If you are interested in a free step by step process of what it takes to be an IFBB pro check the link below: https://tailoredcoachingmethod.com/becoming-an-ifbb-bikini-pro/ If you're interested in our coaching services or what we do click the link below: https://linktr.ee/wpbconsulting Podcast Breakdown: Caroline Intro- Learn more about Caroline How Caroline became a Coach for Tailored Coaching Method The Journey of HOW Caroline became an IFBB bikini pro Continuing education and The importance of understanding coaching. Caroline’s why and her coaching style/passion. Describing competition in the NPC/IFBB bodybuilding federations. The culture of coaching and improving communication skills in business, lifestyle, and competition. Gathering data as a coach and utilizing it for client strategies. How Caroline Brings Clarity to Coaching.

Pastors have a great opportunity to reach the lost and make disciples well beyond their church walls. How? Through self-publishing. Today we sit down with Charles W. Morris. Charles is a pastor, church planter, evangelist, missionary, and author of over 10 books. Charles shares with us his testimony his ministry experience how he began to write and other insights and helps. Some of his books Experiencing the Beauty of Brokenness Faithful? Preparing Ourselves to Hear God's Voice The Five Witnesses of Salvation How Do I Write a Book Closing Thoughts I am in the process of creating an online Outreach & Discipleship Workshop. If you are interested in more information email me at Mark@CoachingChristianLeaders.com Thanks for listening to Coaching Christian Leaders. Keep up with the podcast by subscribing. You can subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher, iHeartRadio, and most any podcast app. When you get a minute, check out the Coaching Christian Leaders website.  There you can sign up for a free master class on outreach, assimilation, and discipleship. Four sessions with worksheets and bonus materials. You will also receive a monthly newsletter packed with great tips on how to reach the lost and build disciples. I'll see you next month, Mark

In this episode, I share my learning and experience with how to adjust the "default settings" in our brain that tend to want it to wander and lose contact with our direct experience.  There is a network of brain regions called the Default Mode Network that come online when we are not consciously focused on one thing, when our mind is wandering.  Research shows that the default mode network exists for many reasons, but the one I am most interested in is that it is there to help us conserve calories.  The human brain requires a lot of cellular energy to run (about 25% of our total energy demand is from the brain!).  It is especially taxing to focus on our direct experience, so the mind goes into power saving/default mode to help us save energy.  This made sense for our early ancestors where food was not as plentiful, but for most of us today this is not a problem.  We therefore do not need to go into mind wandering mode as much because we can keep our energy levels up throughout the day. Think of the default mode like you think of the factory settings in a new computer.  The power saving mode in the new computer is designed to come on often, especially when the computer isn't plugged in.  You can adjust these settings, and the same is true for our brain.  How? Through practices like the one I offer in this episode.  If we practice "open awareness", being in our direct experience instead of in our narrative/mind wandering experience, we can adjust the factory settings in the brain.  And being in our direct experience, being present is perhaps the most important thing we can do to work well in a VUCA world.  Being present allows us to see past our biases, past our brain's desire to seek validation for our story/narrative.  It allows us to listen to other perspectives, to see things in context, to be aware of what is happening in our bodies, and to be aware of our emotions.   To learn more about the default mode network and the role that mindfulness can play in lessening our mind wandering, go to: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4529365/

“I know that all things work together for good to those who love God and are called according to His purposes…” Nice sentiment. Right? But what about a global pandemic. Can God turn that to good? Really? Yes! How? Through us. And in us. Right where we are. Trusting Him. And doing what we’ve been prepared to do and being who we’ve been prepared to be all along. For today. For this moment. It’s time.

Jesus’s Power for Mission Luke 4:14-21 Exegetical Main Point: Today is the day of salvation. Jesus, full of the Spirit, came not to condemn but to set captives free to serve him in the power of the Spirit. Main Point of the Sermon:Jesus fulfilled his mission in the power of the Spirit and empowers us to do the same. Intro Me: I grew up hearing stories from my parents about times of revival when God’s Spirit was so active in a room that people would grip the back of pews in conviction of their sin, they would sometimes run to the altar before the preacher could finish his message. Bars would be emptied, and churches filled with sinners seeking mercy from God in Christ. I heard the stories and with some hesitation wanted to see God move like that. I wanted to be used as a preacher of God’s Word like that, and yet I wondered if it were ever possible for me. When I looked at my life, my capacity, my track record with sin or faithfulness with the Word and prayer, let alone sharing the Good News with others, there seemed to be some disconnect with me and these powerful Christians who were seeing so much fruit. The reality is the Spirit of God is still alive and active among us and around the world today. The Christian message is believed by over 2 billion people and literally millions more are coming to faith daily around the world – sometimes spreading most quickly in the most unlikely places like Iran, China, and North Korea. People are daily gripped with conviction over their sins as the living Christ continues to show up to people and call them by name through faithful witnesses. I believe this, and by God’s grace, in my short life I’ve gotten to see and be a part of God’s work to save the lost and heal the sick both here and abroad. But sometimes, still, I doubt God will use me, that he wants to work through me. Our Tension: Maybe you’re like me. You hear the stories, and you believe that God is at work, but you wonder… “could God ever use me… Could I ever be the kind of Christian that walks in the kind of boldness and power that the early disciples walked in?” Do any of you resonate with that? Some of you may even say outright, “That’s not me and will never be. I’m just not one of those radical Christians.” Maybe like me you understand the mission of God, you like the idea of making disciples, but don’t quite understand the how behind what God promises to accomplish through his Church. I want to answer the question today how did Jesus accomplish his mission and how do we now accomplish the mission he has given us? My prayer today is that every one of us would believe that we, every believer in this room, have access to God’s Spirit like Jesus, his apostles, and all the heroes of the faith for powerful, bold, and effective ministry. Let’s pray to that end. Here’s where we are going: 1) Jesus’s Mission 16-19 2) Jesus’s Power 14, 18 3) The Church’s Mission 4) The Church’s Power Text: Scope:Before we dive in you need to know that my goal today will not be to track the narrative Luke is telling in this section which goes until verse 30, but to focus on the first section of this text where we see Jesus’s relationship with the Spirit of God for mission. Ross will pick up on this text next week and more closely follow the narrative of Jesus being rejected in his hometown. That being said, let’s look at the first point. Jesus’s Mission Verses 14 and 15 record that after Jesus was baptized and tempted in the wilderness for 40 days by Satan he returned to Galilee, the region where he grew up and he was teaching in the local synagogues. Synagogues were Jewish places of worship and prayer, where groups that averaged around 20-30 locals would gather, primarily on Saturday – the Jewish Sabbath. They gathered to hear the Scriptures read and taught, and to sing Psalms and hymns to the Lord. After giving us a little snapshot of Jesus’s activity in his first days of ministry Luke records one instance of Jesus’s synagogue teaching ministry in verses 16 and following: 16 And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up. And as was his custom, he went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and he stood up to read. 17 And the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. Jesus returns to Nazareth his hometown, and we are told, Jesus stood up to read, and that day the scroll of the prophet Isaiah happened to be given to Jesus – this seems like no coincidence – and Jesus found the place where it is written… Let’s read verses 18-19 again: 18 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaimgood news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaimliberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to setat liberty those who are oppressed, 19 to proclaimthe year of the Lord’s favor” (Luke 4:18-19). Jesus is reading from Isaiah 58:6 and 61:1-2. Luke says that after he read these passages, Jesus rolled up the scroll and sat down, and everyone’s eyes were fixed on him, waiting to see what he would say. Verse 21: 21 And he began to say to them, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” Jesus “began” to say to them… this implies that Jesus taught other things along with this promise of fulfillment but Luke seems to sum up the point of the teaching in this phrase of Jesus. When you read this, you should be asking “how”, how are these Isaiah passages fulfilled in Jesus life? The people that day didn’t literally see Jesus setting captives free or giving sight to the blind before their eyes, so what was he saying? Jesus was making the claim that in him the kingdom of God had come. He was making the claim that he was the Servant of the Lord prophesied about in Isaiah 42-66 who would bring about the renewal of God’s kingdom on earth, like it once was in Eden. From the fall of man, God promised that he would make a way for man to dwell again with God like they did in Eden, but even better – without any form of evil! So, from the first promise of salvation in Genesis 3:15 until this moment, people were waiting for the promised Seed who would crush the deceiving serpent, overcome death, and bring people back to Eden. This is what Israel was waiting for. This was their hope, and Jesus says that it was fulfilled that day. IN HIM. What a moment for this little Nazarene synagogue. The king of Israel didn’t announce his appearance and mission in the streets of Jerusalem, at the temple court, or in the palace of Herod, but at a small town rural church, as it were, with a simple sermon. Not only does Jesus announce who he is, he announces what he came to do. These words from Isaiah capture his mission. What was the mission? When you read these words from Jesus, what would you think his mission was going to be? Is it good works or helping suffering people? If that’s your thought, that would be a good guess. The mission of Jesus was to set captives free through the proclamation of the Good News of the coming of the Kingdom. The Kingdom had come because the King had come! I want you to notice the verbs (or more precisely, the infinitives, for you grammar nerds) in this passage. Jesus came “to proclaim” listed three times in these two verses and “to set” once. This is important for several reasons. Jesus’s mission is not first a charity mission, in which he comes to make the poor rich and healthy. It is first a reconciliation mission. Let me explain. The problem with mankind is not first our poverty or our death, but rather our sin, which leads to poverty and death. Sin separates from God who is the source of life. Thus the answer to our problems is reconciliation with God. But in order to be reconciled to God sin must be dealt with. We need to understand. The “poor” in Luke is a major theme, and while it does include economic status, the primary emphasis is on the heart posture of the poor. It is the poor “in spirit” (Mt. 5), those who recognize their need for God that will receive God’s powerful rescue. Isaiah, and now Jesus, expounds on this spiritual poverty with several other pictures: captivity, blindness, and oppression. These are the results of sin. Do you know that you are captive to the sin nature, blind to your need for God, and oppressed by Satan, the father of lies? This is why Jesus came preaching. His primary mission was not healing, not multiplying bread, or raising the dead. He came preaching a message of Good News to the spiritually poor, blind, and captive, a message so powerful that it would raise the spiritually dead! One commentator notes that the word “freedom” (aphesin) always refers to the forgiveness of sins elsewhere in Luke-Acts.[1]Jesus is focusing on the sin problem. So then, what is the Good news of Jesus? “I will give you spiritual sight. I will set you free from your slavery to sin! I will deliver you from you Satan’s oppression and bring you to God through forgiveness of sins. I was sent to rescue you if…if you will believe in me, the King.” How is one set free? By believing on the one sent from God, Jesus (Jn 3:16). Jesus came preachingthis message and this same message is what will set you free today. Our main problem in this world is not poverty, hunger, or even justice issues, but rather, our sin, which has separated us from God. Let me show you a little bit more evidence from our text that Jesus’s primary mission is to overthrow sin. Notice where Jesus stops reading in Isaiah 61. What’s missing that Jesus’s didn’t quote in verse 2? “2 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor, and the day of vengeance of our God; Jesus stops reading before the comment about God’s vengeance on sinners (see Is 61:2b). Why? Jesus has been sent not first to condemn the world but that the world might be saved through him (John 3:17). Jesus’s first coming is not about wrath for sin, of destruction of Israel’s enemies, but about mercy for sinners who deserve wrath, even the Jews. If he came for final judgment and the removal of all sin and suffering in this world, every man would perish in sin. But Jesus didn’t come for vengeance. He came for salvation for all who would believe in him. He came “TO SET” at liberty those who are oppressed by sin and Satan. How? By himself taking on the vengeance of God at the cross on behalf of those who would believe. Those who believe in him will not have to perish for sin like Jesus, but rather live eternally in God’s presence. But you also need to know that those who do not believe are already condemned. Implied here is the reality of God’s coming vengeance. Jesus didn’t stay in the grave. He rose again, and is coming again. Jesus will in the end have victory over Satan, his angels, and all who are in accord with him. He will take vengeance in the future, but this is the age of grace, the day of salvation. There is still opportunity to enter into God’s rest as long as you are alive and Christ hasn’t come, but that window is closing quickly. When Jesus returns or if you pass into eternity today without knowing him, there will no longer be an opportunity to repent, and how terrible it will be to fall into the hands of the living God (Heb 10:31). If you don’t know Christ today, come to him. Please come to him. Escape the punishment that is coming on you. All he requires is a movement of trust towards him. You may feel utterly chained and imprisoned by sins and addictions, but all he calls you to do is lift up your weary head, look to him, and say I’m yours, Lord. If you want healing, if you want rest, find your peace in God through Jesus. Today is the day of salvation. Soul only? So, I’ve said that Jesus mission was first to deal with sin. But this leaves us with an important question. If Jesus’s first mission is to deal with sin, does this mean that God doesn’t care about the suffering in the world? Should we ignore physical needs? No, you need to know that the Good News of Jesus is not only dealing with the sin of the heart, but also with the effects of sin. As humans we are made up of body and soul, we are not just spiritual or just physical, but we are physical and spiritual. If we focus only on the needs of the body our soul will perish without God. But if we focus only on the needs of the soul we neglect the beauty of God’s good design in the material world. God’s salvation plan to restore all things that sin destroyed on earth includes body and soul, physical and spiritual. But you have to know that without dealing with the root of all the evil we experience, the effects could never be dealt with. But if sin is overcome, the effects will be undone. God’s kingdom advances first in human hearts, but it will ultimately bear fruit unto everlasting life in new resurrection bodies in a new heavens and new earth where this is no more suffering, pain, or death. Jesus models this for us in his ministry. Though his primary work was to preach the message of forgiveness of sins, he healed, he cast out demons, and raised the dead in order to show us what the kingdom he was going to bring was like. But the question remains… how? How did Jesus fulfill his mission. This leads us to our second point. Jesus’s power Luke emphasizes more than most authors of the New Testament, that Jesus’s power for completing his mission was the Holy Spirit. If we back up in our text to verse 14, we read these words, “And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee…” Who is the Holy Spirit? Briefly, he is one of the three divine persons of the Godhead, who is biblically described as the empowering figure behind every prophet and teacher of the Word as well as the inspiration for the Word. The Spirit puts God’s will and word into action and completes it in creation, salvation, and recreation. The Spirit is one with God the Father and God the Son in such a way that he can do nothing but what the Father and Son are doing. What is Jesus’s relationship with the Spirit? Let’s review what Luke has shown us up to this point. It all began before Jesus was born, when the angel prophesied to Mary in Luke 1:35 that Jesus would be born of the Holy Spirit. In 2:40, we are told that Jesus as a boy was “filled with wisdom. And the favor of God was upon him.” This was pointing to the Spirit’s presence in Jesus’s life. In 3:16, Jesus is prophesied to be one who would “baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire”, before he himself would be baptized and have the Spirit descend on him in bodily form. Then, after the baptism we are told in 4:1 that“Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness 2 for forty days, being tempted by the devil.” Now in verse 14, today’s text, we are told that Jesus returns in the power of the Spirit to teach, and that the Spirit of the Lord was upon him for the fulfillment of his mission as shown in Isaiah 61. Luke, who is also the author of Acts – which is a memoir of the living Christ by the Spirit working to build his church through the Apostles – is trying to show the church where power for mission comes from. How did Jesus overcome Satan in the wilderness? It was not only knowledge of the Word that helped him overcome, but the presence of the Spirit. How did Jesus know what to say and do? Luke shows us that Jesus “returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee.” His miracles, his teachings, his daily direction, even the effect of his work on the cross – offered by the Spirit (Heb 9:14). – was ruled and empowered by the Holy Spirit. This is why you see Jesus saying things like – “the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does” (John 5:19). Jesus lived every moment in dependence on the presence and power of the Holy Spirit. Maybe this is confusing to you. Well, you’re in good company. The church has wrestled to understand these mysteries now for two millennia. You might ask: Daniel, if Jesus is God, he is the essence of power. What other power could he need? In other words, how do we reconcile what we see Jesus doing as the divine son of God with his limitations and dependence on the Holy Spirit in all of life? The Scriptures teach that in the mystery of the incarnation, Jesus remained divine though he took on human flesh. He did not lose any of his divinity or even his divine attributes, but in this position and in his role as the Son of God he willingly limited himself in a human body, and submitted himself to the Father as the perfect son of God that Adam, Israel, and we were supposed to be, only utilizing his divine attributes according to the Father’s will. Gerald Hawthorne, a longtime Greek professor at Wheaton college wrote extensively on this subject in his book The Presence and the Power: the significance of the Holy Spirit in the life and ministry of Jesus. He writes, “[Jesus] faced life precisely like any other human being faces life—not as some colossus striding unfeelingly over the earth, but as a person limited physically and mentally, exposed to all kinds of diseases, subject to all sorts of temptations…” (p. 230). Why? Luke sprinkle these statements about the Spirit leading, resting upon, and empowering Jesus because Jesus was living as humanity’s representative and example! He was going before his people whom he would set free so that we also could live in the power of the Spirit on earth. Jesus’s life fulfilled the Law of God perfectly, as well as his mission presented in Isaiah 61, and the power for that fulfillment was the Holy Spirit. So here’s the million dollar question: What does this have to do with us today? To say it frankly, Everything!Here is the third point. the church’s mission: Jesus’s mission will be fulfilled ultimately through the Church. Before Jesus went to the cross he said to his disciples, 21“Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.” 22 And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. (John 20:21-22). Before Jesus ascended he told his disciples that he was going to give them the Holy Spirit so that they would be his witnesses to the ends of the earth (Ac 1:8). And on the day of Pentecost, God’s Spirit was poured out on 120 believers who were gathered together praying. Guess what? It led to… 1) a proclamation of the Good News of the Kingdom in Jesus 2) and it lead to 3000 people being set freefrom sin and baptized into the church that day. That day the church was birthed and until now the message of the Kingdom coming in Christ’s life, death, and resurrection continues to be proclaimed and spread in the power of the Spirit by the Church of Jesus Christ. The Church’s mission is the same as Christ’s! In the power of the Spirit, through us, the living Christ wants to set captives free. How? Through a proclamation of the Good News of the Kingdom come in Christ. Church, you need to know that God didn’t set us free as an end in itself. Israel fell into the trap of believing that their deliverance was an end in itself, that they could go be whoever they wanted to be and however they would to be it. But no, he set them free so that they would be God’s priests on earth, reconciling the world to God. Now, similarly, he has set the church free and given us the Holy Spirit so that we could be priests of God in the Holy Spirit, reconciling the world to God as his ambassadors. When people encounter God’s people, it should feel like they are encountering God himself. They should be met with the powerful fruit of the Spirit of God, characteristic of God’s children, so that your words and your life as an ambassador of God would be calling them to be reconciled to God. This is Jesus alive in you by the Holy Spirit. So for my final point, let me ask you, what (or who) is the Church’s power? The Church’s power I hope you know the answer to this question. THE HOLY SPIRIT. The same power that raised Jesus from the dead lives in you, church. When you believed in Christ, you were empowered by the same Spirit that empowered Jesus (Eph 1:20). You have become the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor 6:19). God dwells in me and in you! God’s presence was opened through the curtain of Christ’s own broken body on the cross so that we could dwell with God again in this intimate way, that we would become the temple of the Holy Spirit in Christ, and so that we could fulfill his mission on earth. Being united to Jesus, every Christian could claim Isaiah 61 as your own because of Jesus. In him, you have been anointed with the Spirit for setting captives free. But here is my question for you today. Is this practically, functionally true of you? Are you 1) aware of the Spirit’s empowering presence for mission in your life 2) are you living in the Spirit’s power for mission? Are you aware? I must first say if you are in Christ you already have the Holy Spirit. You have everything you need for holiness and powerful witnessing in Jesus name. However, I think many of us are ignorant to the Spirit’s role in our life for mission? We talk more often about the Spirit’s role in helping us walk in holiness, but not often about the Spirit’s empowering presence for evangelism, bold witness, and good works for the spread of the Kingdom beyond the walls of the church. It’s like we are living off the grid without the power of electricity even though it is available to every Christian. I forget this every day. The enemy wants us to live in fear, and he often fires darts of temptation that attack my identity as a spirit-filled son of God, equipped to do his will and work in the world. If you know this is true, are you living in His power for mission? This is the day of salvation and we have a small window to set captives free who are condemned to hell for rejecting the Kingdom of Christ. Maybe you want to step up in boldness in your spheres of influence in your life, but you simply haven’t known how. I believe the answer starts first with asking God for this gift by his Spirit. As we diligently seek to be equipped with God’s Word to effectively proclaim the Good News like Jesus modeled for us, we must never neglect the Spirit. We could know the Bible front and back, but if we do not rely on the Spirit for powerful witness than we are missing what was central to Christ’s power. If you know and believe that you have the Holy Spirit, let me ask you, have you ever asked God for a fresh filling of the Spirit for mission? As you read Acts, I hope you are following along with us in our daily Bible reading plan, you will see that the disciples, who had the Spirit of God just like we do are described many times over as receiving fresh fillings of the Spirit of God for particular mission. Here’s one example in Acts 4:31, which came after the first baptism of the Spirit. 31 “After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.” The pastors at All Peoples Church believe that the Baptism in the Holy Spirit is received by every believer at conversion. But we also believe Scripture teaches that those who are actively submitting to God as his servants on mission will receive many additional fillings of the Spirit for effective mission (We covered this more robustly in our Midweek podcast a few weeks back). Wayne Grudem offers a helpful analogy with regards to asking for fresh fillings of the Spirit. Every Christian has the Spirit like a balloon which has air in it. But at times that balloon is fuller than other times. How? Through God’s grace, through greater surrender to him and hunger for him. But at times it is less full. We quench the Spirit by our failure to surrender areas of our lives to God. So, our prayer for you is that you would be aware of this great reality, and that you would seek God today for a greater measure of the Spirit’s power in your life through surrender to Christ. I’ve tried to show you today that Jesus fulfilled his mission in the power of the Spirit and empowers us to do the same. Response: Here’s what we are going to do for the rest of our time. We are going to spend the next several moments to seek God’s Spirit for empowering for mission. Here’s what you need to realize as we go to prayer. The devil and his servants love to remind God’s children of their unworthiness before God and of their inadequacies for ministry. The truth is you are unworthy of more of the Spirit because of your many sins. BUT… praise God, he is not measuring your worthiness before him, but Christ’s! In him you are worthy as one of God’s children. He has already given you his Spirit in Christ, and he is eager to give more of the Spirit to those who ask him (Lk. 11:13). But for some of us getting more of the Holy Spirit means greater surrender to Jesus. What I mean is that some of us have areas of our lives that are not yet in accord with Jesus life and commands. If you want God to have more space in your life, then you have to let him clean house for you through surrender of those things to him. Is there any sin that you are coddling? Don’t you know that you are quenching the Spirit and opening the door to the enemy?! So for some of us tonight getting more of the Spirit will look like a greater spotlight on areas of our life that need repentance. But the goal of removing sin is getting more of God. So don’t let sin have a place in your life anymore and let’s ask God to have all of us for the sake of the dying world and for our great joy. [1]Stein, R. H. (1992). Luke(Vol. 24, p. 156). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.

It’s no secret that real estate investing can completely transform someone’s life. J Martin has a story to share that is a huge testament to this. From being previously homeless at one point, a convicted felon at another, and barely graduating high school, J’s used real estate investing to completely transform his life. How? Through a very unique strategy of arbitraging Airbnb rentals! By mastering the art of this trade, as well as outsourcing the bulk of his business, J has created a life of extensive travel and freedom while his business continues to grow and thrive while he lives life. Listen along to learn how this is possible – for someone with J’s background – and you! Asset: J focuses on Airbnb rentals in key metropolitan areas. Listen along to learn what criteria he uses to select his markets and rentals. Process: If you have wondered how to create a strong out-sourced team to run your business, J shares multiple tips in establishing and managing a process to ensure business is running well. Strategy: If you haven’t heard of arbitrage, this is a great introduction in how to identify price gaps and capitalize on them. J rents and purchases Airbnb units, yes, to rent as Airbnb units, in a unique structure of mainly long-term rentals. This episode is not only very interesting, but inspiring. Here’s a great episode to begin YOUR 2020. Happy New Year! Don’t forget your new FREE monthly resource: A Guide to Increasing Property Income https://www.ellieperlman.com/resources J’s Bio: Hi, I'm J, the creator of the SF Bay Summit! I'm a Felon, Homeless, and barely graduated high school. But through networking, I was able to grow my real estate business, quit my job, and travel the world full time. I own a business that arbitrages Airbnb rentals, and am a big believer in outsourcing work to free up time. J is the Founder and Moderator of the San Francisco Bay Real Estate Networking Summit. I used to have negative net worth. But after networking with other investors and learning more, I utilized an FHA loan, wholesale purchase, foreclosures, and probate to acquire small properties in Oakland and Richmond, CA. I then went on to add about 20 furnished rentals to my portfolio through Silicon Valley and the East Bay, utilizing other investor's properties. How to Contact J: Website: www.SFBSummit.com Social Media: @real estate nomad

Hey everyone I’m Pastor Gary Hoban and welcome to episode 21 of Refinery Life radio /TV. Our goal here is to release a 2-3 minute video / Podcast each day, designed to challenge you and get you to spend more time with God. Today we are going to talk about, Tapping into God’s strength. The beauty of obedience is that what God expects you to do, He also enables you to do. The strength comes from Him. You just need a willing heart. The Apostle Paul wrote, “Be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might” God made this strength available to you, and it's pretty remarkable. Paul spoke of “exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power” The power of God triumphs over al else. And you have access to it. How? Through full dependance upon Him, “praying always with all prayer and supplication in the spirit” Acknowledge God today for who He is, let Him know how amazing it is when you say yes to Him and mean it, that He will give you the strength to follow through. Thank Him today for the “exceeding greatness” of His power in you. Until tomorrow Stay in the blessings I really want to encourage you to be diligent with your Bible study time, because God has so much more for us than we can get from just going to church once or twice a week and hearing someone else talk about the Word. When you spend time with God, your life will change in amazing ways, because God is a Redeemer. There’s nothing that’s too hard for Him, and He can make you whole, spirit, soul and body! You’re important to God, and you’re important to us at www.faithministries.com.au. When it comes to prayer, we believe that God wants to meet your needs and reveal His promises to you. So whatever you’re concerned about and need prayer for we want to be here for you! Or even if you just want to say Hi, you can contact us 2019 IS A YEAR FOR REFORMATION © www.faithministries.com.au 2019 All rights reserved. Except as permitted under the Australian Copyright Act 1968, no part of this Article may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, communicated or transmitted in any form or by any means without the prior written permission. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/refineryliferadio/message

The last oracle -chapters 9-11- was about the nations - and Israel. This oracle -chapters 12-14- is about Israel - and the nations-----But it starts with who God is. Thus declares the LORD, who stretched out the heavens and founded the earth... The Lord, who is the Creator of all things. But not only is he the creator of heaven and earth - he is also the one who formed the spirit of man within him. This should get us thinking back to Genesis 1-2, where God breathed the breath of life into Adam.-- --Zechariah just said that this oracle is -concerning Israel-. But now he says that the LORD is the one who formed the 'spirit of man'. In other words, the point of this oracle will focus on Israel's distinctive role within humanity as a whole.----And Israel's distinctive role is to suffer. Jerusalem will be a cup of staggering to all the surrounding peoples. How- Through -the siege of Jerusalem-. Jerusalem will be under attack yet again.----The phrase -On that day- structures the passage as a whole. There were too many of them to include in the outline, but there are 10 of them in our passage- Three in point one, two in point two, and five in point three-----Outline- The Oracle Concerning Israel -ch 12-14-----1. The Creator of the Heavens and the Earth - the One Who Formed the Spirit of Man - Is about to Make Jerusalem a Cup of Staggering to All Peoples -12-1-6-----2. The LORD Will Save Judah and Jerusalem and David -12-7-9-----3. The LORD Will Pour Out His Spirit on the House of David and Jerusalem -12-10-13-6-----4. The Key to the Whole Story- Strike the Shepherd and the Sheep Will Be Mine -v7-9-

Pop/Liberal Culture and ideology loves the idea of BRIDGES... Why? Because bridges means NO BOUNDARIES which then places control into the hand of those who desire to shape society for their own power and financial gain. How? Through undermining your personal sense of identity, purpose, structure, and convictions about who you are and where you are going. What should you do about it? Listen to this episode, and begin to build wall, and defend your gates at all costs.  Until next time... Thank you for listening, and as always you can find me at: https://www.Lucasskrobot.com  and   https://www.instagram.com/lucasskrobot  

Is there any hope for the sexually immoral? Christians who battle against the fiery darts of sexual temptation such as pornography, SSA (Same Sex Attraction) homosexuality, lust, adultery, fornication etc can quench these fiery darts of the spiritual enemy. How? Through faith!

Wisdom requires us to embrace the abundant life that God provides. How? Through relationship with God, following Jesus down the path of righteousness, and sharing the abundant life with others. It all comes down to one thing, really: get busy livin' or get busy dyin'.

The body is a flexible vessel which carries you in lots of different and challenging environments. If you are in the cold snow the body will priortise keeping you warm. If you are in the hot desert the body will figure how to cool you down. If you are stressed the body will try and find the best way to manage your stress internally. How? Through lots of intricate pathways which work together to give your body the best information to work on. But what happens if you are constantly under stress? The boss giving you a hard time, kids not sleeping at night, eating poorly, not moving the body enough, social media pressures, family pressures the list goes on! If you are constantly under attack then how do you expect the body to serve you to the best of it's ability?

Jesus climbs into the chaos going on in your life and transports you into a place of peace. How? Through prayer. It sounds simple but it's true. The Holy Spirit was sent to earth to help bring comfort to us no matter what life brings our way.Video played during service can be viewed here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YtrxVWf91Jo

Time is money. You've heard that before. But it's not necessarily true because time is far more valuable than money. You only have a finite amount of time in this world. And the clock is ticking. And rather than directly exchanging your limited amount of time for money, learn how to leverage time to build true wealth. How? Through passive income. No, it's not a pipe dream. It's real and it's how the rich get considerably richer over time. Tune in to learn more.

Cheryl and I chat about understanding and living the life God intends for us.  We talk about her ministry Promised Land Living, the 7-step shift, contending vs. cooperating with God, and 100% responsibility.   5:33: Cheryl begins sharing her faith journey with us and how that intersects with Promised Land Living Loving God by Chuck Colson  10:32 "I went on a quest to not only understand this way of life that God intended for me in the promised land, but to actually live it and that's what gave birth to Promised Land Living." 10:50 Cheryl describes a the 7-step shift, which is foundational to Promised Land Living. "The 7-step shift is a tool we introduce at the very beginning of the journey. It is a method of repentance.  You know, the modern day church, we don't do a lot of active contrition type work....Repentance is a glorious thing. It actually reflects what God wants for us more than anything is to repent and turn back to Him. And so this is what we are doing through 7-step shift.  We are practicing, we are training in righteousness, by making a 180 degree turn away from a behavior, away from a thought, anything that is out of alignment with God, with what God says to be true and life-giving. And by the time you get to the 7th step, as you practice it, you are back on track with God. You're back in alignment with God." 7-step shift mechanics are born out of: Romans 12:1-2: Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. John 8:31-32:To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples.32 Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” "We see God is saying to transform our mind. How? Through taking the thoughts captive to the obedience of Christ and immediately. And if we continue in His Word, which begins the transformation in our mind, we are truly free. The 7-step shift is simply a tool that combines both." Click for more SHOW NOTES. www.graceenoughpodcast.com IG: @graceenoughpodcast_amber

Sermon Notes • Preacher: Jeremiah Fyffe • Matthew 9:5–6 For which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise and walk’? But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he then said to the paralytic—“Rise, pick up your bed and go home.” Psalm 85:10 Steadfast love and faithfulness meet; 
righteousness and peace kiss each other. A. W. Pink “Who can forgive sins but God only?” (Mark 2:7). But you say, Christ was God. Truly; but man also—the God-man. He was the Son of God that had become the Son of Man with the express purpose of offering himself as a sacrifice for sin. And when the Lord Jesus cried “Father, forgive them” he was on the cross, and there he might not exercise his divine prerogatives. …
Hence it was that hanging there as our representative, he was no longer in the place of authority where he might exercise his own divine prerogatives, therefore takes he the position of a suppliant before the Father. A. W. Pink: What is the ground on which a Holy God will forgive sins? And here it is important to remark that there is a vital difference between divine forgiveness and much of human forgiveness. As a general rule human forgiveness is a matter of leniency, often of laxity. We mean forgiveness is shown at the expense of justice and righteousness. In a human court of law, the judge has to choose between two alternatives: when the one in the dock has been proven guilty, the judge must either enforce the penalty of the law, or he must disregard the requirements of the law—the one is justice, the other is mercy. The only possible way by which the judge can both enforce the requirements of the law and yet show mercy to its offender, is by a third party offering to suffer in his own person the penalty which the convicted one deserves. Thus it was in the divine counsels. God would not exercise mercy at the expense of justice. God, as the judge of all the earth, would not set aside the demands of his holy law. Yet, God would show mercy. How? Through one making full satisfaction to his outraged law. Through his own Son taking the place of all those who believe on him and bearing their sins in his own body on the tree. God could be just and yet merciful, merciful and yet just. Thus it is that “grace reigns through righteousness.”

Encountering Jesus - John 14:15-18: As we've followed Jesus' footsteps through the gospel of John, we've come across all kinds of different people in all kinds of different life situations. But they all had one thing in common: when they encountered Jesus, their lives were profoundly impacted. Do you ever feel envious of those people? Do you ever wish that you'd had the chance to see, hear and touch Jesus as a living, breathing, skin-and-bone human being? It's only natural to. But if you think you'd be able to know Jesus better back then than you're able to now, you're mistaken. On the night prior to his arrest, Jesus told the disciples that in the coming days they would be able to know him far more intimately, even though they would no longer be with him physically. How? Through the presence and power of the coming Holy Spirit. Join us this weekend to discover why Jesus said it was “better” that he was going away, and how we can encounter him more profoundly than we ever thought possible through the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit. See you soon.

Encountering Jesus - John 14:15-18: As we've followed Jesus' footsteps through the gospel of John, we've come across all kinds of different people in all kinds of different life situations. But they all had one thing in common: when they encountered Jesus, their lives were profoundly impacted. Do you ever feel envious of those people? Do you ever wish that you'd had the chance to see, hear and touch Jesus as a living, breathing, skin-and-bone human being? It's only natural to. But if you think you'd be able to know Jesus better back then than you're able to now, you're mistaken. On the night prior to his arrest, Jesus told the disciples that in the coming days they would be able to know him far more intimately, even though they would no longer be with him physically. How? Through the presence and power of the coming Holy Spirit. Join us this weekend to discover why Jesus said it was “better” that he was going away, and how we can encounter him more profoundly than we ever thought possible through the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit. See you soon.

It’s the dream of every beauty brand owner to be in Sephora. But I’m not interested in getting Sabbatical Beauty into Sephora. Let me tell you why: as a small business, it’s terribly risky. You could “make it” and it could work out great — but it could also work out terribly. The cost Getting your brand into Sephora requires a tremendous amount of sunk costs. You need to pay to play. A modest footprint in Sephora is going to cost you $100,000 a year more or less, with that money going to store fixtures, design fees, products for associates, product testers, money for gifts to suck up to the associates so they’ll want to sell your product. And that’s just on the low end of the spectrum. So your $100,000 per year isn’t even going to be all that effective. I would rather spend that money to pay myself or my people more, to go on a company retreat, or so many other things. I can spend it on my community, or on advertising. In short, I can use that money to create a better experience for everyone involved with Sabbatical Beauty. The relationship The second reason why I think this is a risky thing to do is because you aren’t building a direct relationship with your customer. Your customer is building their relationship with Sephora. Also consider that when you sell to Sephora, they’re going to want you to sell at the wholesale level, eating up 50% —or even up to 70%! — of your profits. And if they don’t sell all your products, they’re going to want you to buy them back or else put your brand on a fire sale. You have very little control over this relationship as well. A revolution We have a real chance to change the beauty industry if we don’t want it to be dominated by big box techniques in the future. How? Through a spirit of cooperation, sharing, and openness. We’re going to do that with the Homebrew Beauty Revolution. If you haven’t heard about the Homebrew Beauty Revolution, I’m going to start teaching you how to make Sabbatical Beauty products: where to buy the products, the science behind the formulations, everything. I want to empower you. Join the Homebrew Beauty Revolution.

God wants to restore us and to use us to restore the whole world. How? Through a deep and intimate relationship of love. Isaiah 49:8-21 (Mark Wells)

Building Client Loyalty = Repeat Business I have to preface today’s topic of building client loyalty by saying everything I’m going to talk about here won’t help you if you are not a good designer. You don’t have to be an amazing designer, simply being a good one will do. As long as you know what you are doing, then you will benefit from today’s topic. Face it; if you are not a good designer, there’s not much you can do to get repeat business from clients. Other than practice and get better that is. But I’m guessing by the fact that you are here right now, that you are serious about your design business and therefore must know what you are doing when it comes to design. So let’s move on. The idea here is to build relationships with your clients. Building relationships is the main ingredient in building client loyalty. I’m not talking about designer/client relationships, but relationships on a more personal level. No, I’m not suggesting you start dating your clients to keep them coming back. Although that might work. I don’t personally have any experience on that front, but hey, if it worked for you drop me a line and let me know. What I’m suggesting, is to get to know your client on a more personal level beyond the design projects you work on together. I’ve been following this principle since I got into the industry 30 years ago. Even more so since I started my own design business in 2005, and I must say, my track record is pretty darn good. The majority of my clients become repeat clients, and the majority of those repeat clients, keep coming back over and over again with more design jobs for me. I have a special mailbox in my mail app where I keep “praise” messages that clients have sent me over the years. Let me share a few lines from some of them. “There's nobody else I'd rather work with.”  “I can't imagine working with anyone else.” “I feel like you're a part of our company.” “You get me, I don’t know how, but you get me.” So how did I end up building client loyalty like this? Is it because I’m a world-class designer? Because I'm not. I consider myself very good at what I do, but I'm nowhere near world-class status. The reason I receive this sort of praise from clients is because of the relationships I’ve built with them over the years. Think about it. Relationships are built on two principles. Trust and how much you like someone. If you don’t trust someone, chances are you won’t have a relationship with them. Same if you don’t like someone, chances are you won’t have a relationship with them. Now the trust part is easy. Create good design work and deliver that work on time and chances are your clients will trust you. The other half of the equation is getting them to like you. Think about this: Clients would prefer to work with a good designer they like, than work with an amazing designer they don’t like. My strategy for building client loyalty Here’s my strategy for building relationships with my clients and getting them to like me. Are you ready for it? I listen, AND I take notes. That's all there is to it. No, seriously, that’s the magic of it. Listening and taking notes. The goal is to get clients to like you. The more you know about your clients, AND the more your clients realise that you know about them, the better the likelihood of those clients liking you. Let me elaborate, whenever a client comes to me, for whatever project. Not only do I want to know about their organisation and how the particular design project fits in, but I want to know about the client themself, their personal life, their family, etc.. And I build up this knowledge over time through conversations. How? Through idle conversations and chit chat and by asking the right questions when the opportunity arises. Don't be too forward by directly asking personal questions. Instead, ask indirect questions that will allow you to gain knowledge about your clients. Let me give you an example. Let's say a client I'm working with calls me on the phone. Me: Hello? Client: Hi, it's Mike, I need to talk to you about the project." Now's the perfect time for me to gain some personal information about Mike, my client. Instead of getting right into it, I might try stalling for some chit chat. One method I like to use is telling the client I need to save what I'm currently working on before talking to them. In doing so, I might respond with something like this. Me: "Hi Mike, just give me a couple of seconds to save this file I'm working on." During the pause, I'll add"Do you have any plans for the weekend?" While Mike is waiting for me to save my file so we can begin our conversation about his project he'll probably answer my question. Mike: "My wife and I are going to our daughter's piano recital this weekend." Knowledge bomb! I now know that Mike is married and has a daughter who plays the piano. This opens me up to asking followup questions such as asking how old his daughter is, how long has she been playing the piano, does she get her musical talent from him or his wife?. This is information I can use in the future to help build my relationship with Mike. The next time I talk to him, I can ask how his daughter's piano recital went. That's the sort of question that makes the client think "wow, this person cares enough to inquire about my personal life. I like that about them." Building a client information database The first part of my strategy for building client loyalty is to gather as much personal information about them as I can (without getting creepy and stalking them). The second part of my strategy is to organise that information so I can easily access it in the future. To do this, I use my Contacts App since it syncs between my computer and mobile devices, so I always have it at hand. Most Contacts Apps allow you to enter information such as the name of their spouse, children, birthdays and more. Any information that doesn't have a dedicated field goes into the Notes filed. I also have a dedicated calendar on my Calendar App specifically for client information — things like birthdays, anniversaries and all other occasions I might want to remember. I do the same with their business information by keeping track of trade shows, launch dates, special events their business is holding. I try to gather as much information about my clients as I can. What do you do with this information? I use the information I've gathered through various conversations to build relationships with my clients. If I know their birthday is soon, I might bring it up in conversation "Isn't your birthday coming up?". If they told me they were going to Paris for vacation, I might ask them about their trip afterwards. If I know their son plays baseball I might inquire about the upcoming baseball season. Anything that helps connect on a personal level builds the relationship and forms a bond with the client. This bond will increase the likelihood of the client liking you, and as I stated earlier, loyalty is based on trust and how much someone likes you. Get to know your clients. I go into much more detail on the podcast so please listen to this episode for more examples if you want to know more about building client loyalty. Make sure you take the time to get to know your clients. Learn about their business and the work they do, but also learn about them, their personal lives, their family, etc. The more you know about your clients, the closer of a connection you can have with them. And when that connection becomes solid, the client won't imagine working with anyone else but you. Building client loyalty makes clients for life. Do you learn everything you can about your clients? Let me know by leaving a comment for this episode. Questions of the Week Submit your question to be featured in a future episode of the podcast by visiting the feedback page. This week’s question comes from Scott I love the idea that a design should not be quoted based on time but how do you come up with a price ? And what can you answer when a client asks you for justification for a price? To find out what I told Scott you’ll have to listen to the podcast. Resource of the week abc.useallfive.com abc.useallfive.com is an online tool that shows you how ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) compliant your colours are in relation to each other. By adding your colours on the right, you can generate a chart to see how they can be used together for accessibility, and find similar colours that work better. Listen to the podcast on the go. Listen on Apple Podcasts Listen on Spotify Listen on Android Listen on Stitcher Listen on iHeartRadio Contact me I would love to hear from you. You can send me questions and feedback using my feedback form. Follow me on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram I want to help you. Running a graphic design or web design business all by yourself isn't easy. If there are any struggles you face running your design business, please reach out to me. I'll do my best to help you by addressing your issues in a future blog post or podcast episode here at Resourceful Designer. You can reach me at feedback@resourcefuldesigner.com

Download the MP3 of this message We all live lives filled with distraction and disruption. And even though we talk about desiring a purposeful life, our biggest distraction is usually us! The hard truth is that we often design lives that keep us off focus and off purpose. How? Through the small daily decisions which together add up to lives that run off purpose. This week, we learn how we get off purpose and how to get back on.  

In this episode I preach to myself the virtues of getting my head in the right space. How? Through body movements that hack my mental state. Tony Robbins is famous for the line “Motion is Emotion!” It’s true.

[Ep 174] In last week’s interview, Patrice Gopo described the stories that bubbled up inside her—personal stories about topics she cared deeply about as she grappled with her identity and where she fit in society. Patrice grew up in Anchorage, Alaska, as a black American daughter of Jamaican immigrants. She wanted to explore that, to make sense of it all. How? Through writing. She turned to the essay to figure out her life, to delve into her experiences—to discover self and live a more meaningful life We, too, can delve into our experiences, diving beneath the surface to discover ourselves and live more meaningful lives. Elizabeth Lesser writes in Broken Open: If we don’t listen to the voice of the soul, it sings a stranger tune. If we don’t go looking for what lies beneath the surface of our lives, the soul comes looking for us. I haven’t read Lesser’s book, but that line urging us to look for what lies beneath the surface of our lives? We can use writing to do just that: to look for what lies beneath and listen to the voice of the soul. Capture Ideas It starts with an image, perhaps, or an interaction that bubbles up—a scene or memory. Pay attention to each one. Capture in detail this scene or image. You can do this on the spot or during a writing session later. Add sensory details. Try to recreate it objectively. That helps to examine and explore the meaning in it. If you don’t have time to write at that instant, jot down in a notebook a key word or phrase that can serve as a reminder or prompt. When you settle in to write it out in more detail, you’ll have many to choose from. Anne Lamott captures these snatches on 3x5 cards she carries in her pocket. Patrice uses a simple composition notebook tucked in her bag. I use Evernote or Google Keep. Ask Why? When you write—when you start to dive in and look beneath the surface—be curious about yourself, about that scene or image or snatch of dialogue. Why am I remembering that moment my dad grazed his leg with the chainsaw? Why does the sensation of flying back and forth in the swing keep coming back to me? Why does that glass doorknob make me tear up? Patrice says that when we're trying to understand what's happening in our lives or in the world—when we delve deeply into an incident to see its significance and why it matters—that’s meaning-making on the page. The incident could be big or small. As an example, Patrice said she noted in her journal that a couple of weeks ago her husband brought her a chocolate bar. It occurred to her he's been bringing her chocolate bars throughout their entire marriage. Why? Why are these chocolate bar moments over the years coming to mind? Why does he bring them? It seems small, but it’s rising to the surface. She’s listening to the voice of her soul. She pulled out her composition book and started writing some of the other scenes and memories, all because she was struck by that recurring image of a chocolate bar. She doesn’t know the answer yet; the meaning is unclear. For now, she’s exploring it. We can do that, too. We can write scenes and reflect. Let’s let curiosity and a sense of discovery lead us. Stay open as you listen to the voice of the soul; look for what lies beneath the surface of your life. You Don’t Need an Outline or Plan Thanks to our early academic training in the essay form, it’s tempting to set out with a thesis and outline our way into understanding, theme, and meaning. Resist...at least, at first. Anne Lamott, in a podcast interview for "Books of Your Life with Elizabeth," says not to worry about outlines. There’s that old saying that you can’t get lost if you don’t have a destination. People are always saying, “Don’t you have an outline?” And I say, “No, I don’t know what I’m doing. How would I be able to do an outline? I’ll find out what I’m doing by doing the writing.” Start writing without knowing what you’re doing or where you’re going.

Imagine if you could grow your business 10x faster. Better yet, imagine if your business could be “infinitely scalable.” How? Through artificial intelligence (AI). According to Scott Evans, founder and CEO of Markamind, AI is not only a catalyst for exponential growth, but it also makes data more useful and convenient. In this episode, Scott provides examples explaining how AI technology can help small businesses front-load their project pipelines, become more competitive, and exert more influence over buying decisions. As a decision science professional, he recognizes and acknowledges the fear that many associate with technologies that seem difficult to understand. This is why Scott also shares practical ways you can start educating yourself so that your business will not fall victim to the digital divide. Tune in, sign up for a free introductory course on AI, and start scaling your business!

Social anxiety. #ugh! It's that constant voice of judgment and inadequacy that leaves you terrified of being "found out," and stops you from sharing the real you. Guess what? You're not alone.DR. ELLEN HENDRIKSEN (http://ellenhendriksen.com/)is a clinical psychologist who helps millions calm their social anxiety and be their authentic selves. How? Through her award-winning podcast, Savvy Psychologist (https://goo.gl/uKh7U7), in the clinic at Boston University's Center for Anxiety and Related Disorders (CARD). And, now through her groundbreaking book, HOW TO BE YOURSELF (https://amzn.to/2OqLUJ7).Hendriksen earned her Ph.D. at UCLA and completed her training at Harvard Medical School. Her scientifically-based, zero-judgment approach has been featured in New York Magazine, The Observer, The Verge, Vice, Vox, Psychology Today, Scientific American, Susan Cain's Quiet Revolution, and many other media outlets. SavvyToday, we dive into her personal journey with social anxiety, how an aspiring architect found her way into psychology and specialized in social anxiety and how to identify and work through this incredibly common, yet often disabling experience.Check out our offerings & partners: QUIP: QUIP starts at just $25 and, if you go to GetQuip.com/GoodLife right now, you’ll get your first refill pack FREE with a QUIP electric toothbrush.Helix Sleep: Right now Helix is offering up to $125 dollars off ALL mattress orders at HelixSleep.com/GOODLIFE.Ring: Get up to $150 off a Ring of Security Kit when you go to ring.com/GOODLIFE.

Do you want to earn money, have freedom, and help people while you’re at it? Our guest on this episode can attest you can make all three happen at the same time. How? Through wholesaling! Phillip Villegas has been working in the insurance industry since 1999. The doting husband and dad from Austin, Texas discovered wholesaling by chance and decided to give it a try. While his first attempt wasn’t really a complete success, things took a turn for the better after he enrolled in the TTP (Talk To People) program. In this episode, you’ll learn how the TTP program helped him find his first deal, what the process was like for him, and how he successfully closed the deal, among many others. If you’re considering doing wholesaling on the side for the time being and would like to know how you can benefit from the TTP program, this episode is perfect for you! RESOURCES: Phillip on Facebook Mojo Dialer Brent Daniels YouTube Channel Wholesaling Inc TTP Wholesaling Inc Wholesaling Summit 2018

“If you want your business big, make your focus small.” — Brian Buffini It’s so easy to overlook “diamonds” right at our feet, whether it be an opportunity or unique gifting. Truth is, there are diamonds everywhere, we just need to know how to uncover them. How? Through continuous personal growth. In this episode, recorded live at Brian Buffini’s Success Tour™, Brian offers tips and advice from the legends of personal development to motivate and inspire you to let your inner diamond shine. He outlines the five biggest detours to becoming a diamond and offers several tips to help you increase your value. Additionally, he offers in-depth advice to help you define and achieve 10-day, 10-month and 5-year goals. Throughout the episode, Brian mentions several personal development legends and their seminal work to add to your personal library. By the end of the episode, you’ll have the tools you need to bring out your best. Like what you hear? See Brian Buffini live at Brian Buffini’s Success Tour. Click here to learn more and find an event near you. Are you a Buffini Show Insider? What are you waiting for? Join today!   Inspirational quotes from today’s interview: “God doesn’t make any junk. Man is made in the image of God.” — Brian Buffini “Motivation alone is not enough. If you have an idiot and you motivate him, you have a motivated idiot.” — Jim Rohn “If you have a clear goal and a plan to achieve it, your focus is fixed on a set course of action. Instead of becoming sidetracked by distractions and diversions, your time is focused on a straight line from start to finish.” — Brian Tracy “Human beings don’t do well in isolation.” — Brian Buffini “Some people drive you nuts, but some people raise you up.” — Brian Buffini “There’s a difference between solitude and isolation. One is connected and one isn’t. Solitude replenishes, isolation diminishes.” — Henry Cloud “To be in hell is to drift. To be in heaven is to steer.” — George Bernard Shaw “We’re surrounded by information, but we’re starving for wisdom. Wisdom is the number one way that diamonds are made.” — Brian Buffini “I don’t focus on what I’m up against, I focus on my goals and I try to ignore the rest.” — Venus Williams “Ask for help not because you are weak but because you want to remain strong.” — Les Brown “If you’re feeling stuck, a 10-day goal is a gift.” — Brian Buffini “Most people will overestimate what they can accomplish in a year, but underestimate what they can do in five years.” — Brian Buffini “There’s no downside to you becoming better.” — Brian Buffini “The more you serve, the more you’ll have to grow.” — Brian Buffini “Not all growth is pleasant, but all growth is beneficial.” — Brian Buffini “Want your business big, make your focus small.” — Brian Buffini     Mentioned in the episode: Acres of Diamonds by Russell Conwell The Richest Man in Babylon by George Clason How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill Wake up and Live by Dorothea Brande The Strangest Secret by Earl Nightingale The Greatest Salesman in the World by Og Mandino Flow: The Psychology of the Optimal Experience by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi “The Brian Buffini Show” – “Episode 061: The Strangest Secret – by Earl Nightingale”   Connect with Brian Buffini http://www.brianbuffini.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/brianbuffini Twitter: https://twitter.com/brianbuffini Buffini Show Insiders: http://www.thebrianbuffinishow.com/insiders Love what you heard? Share it with your friends! http://bit.ly/BrianBuffiniShow Click here to buy our Podcast theme music, “The Cliffs of Moher” by Brogue Wave. http://www.broguewave.com http://www.facebook.com/broguewave

Discover the importance of the harmonic convergence and why now is time to upgrade our ways to thinking, being and behaving… How? Through activating the pineal gland! I offer a powerful meditation to incorporate into your daily practice. Much love. More information can be found here: http://www.bodyandsoulapothecary.com/harmonicconvergence.html 

Titus 3:1-7 - God's purpose is to make you like His Son Jesus Christ. How? Through the sanctifying work of the Spirit. In this message, Pastor John shares three truths for new creations.

Audio from Easter Sunday – April 1, 2018. Bulletin here or below.Green Pastures with Jesus is the podcast from Shepherd of the Lakes Lutheran Church of Fairmont, MN. Here you’ll find a variety of segments to lead you to the green pastures of the Word of God, where our Good Shepherd feeds our faith.  Find us online: www.shepherdofthelakes.net or http://facebook.com/shepherdofthelakes Worship is Sunday mornings at 9:30 AM.Bible class & Sunday School follow at 10:40 AM.323 E. 1st St – Fairmont, MNpastorhagen@icloud.com or (507) 236-9572iTunes & iPhone: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/green-pastures-jesus-shepherd/id1183522558?mt=2 Stitcher link: http://www.stitcher.com/s?fid=127180&refid=stprOr simply search for “Green Pastures with Jesus” in your podcast app.Intro & Outro courtesy of Koine - The Church Band. Check them out at www.koinemusic.com, or find them on iTunes & Amazon: Search for Koine.Bible text from Biblegateway.com - EHV.Welcome to Shepherd of the Lakes! We’re here to shepherd Christ’s flock and seek the lost sheep by sharing the good news of Jesus Christ with all. Come, let us worship!For your convenience, in the back corner of the sanctuary there is a room for any parents with children in need of a quiet place. The restrooms are located on the lower level. Please ask if you have any further questions or concerns. Lord Jesus, you conquered sin, death, and Satan through your victorious resurrection. Grant that I always treasure my baptism, in which I have been buried and raised with you. Lead me to find comfort in your resurrection for me; AMEN.Resurrection & Forgiveness:In the forgiveness of sins, the terrors of sin and of eternal death must be overcome in the heart. Paul testifies about this in 1 Corinthians 15:56–57, “The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” In other words, sin terrifies consciences. This happens through the Law, which shows God’s wrath against sin. But we gain the victory through Christ. How? Through faith, when we comfort ourselves by confidence in the mercy promised for Christ’s sake. Therefore, we prove that God’s wrath cannot be appeased if we set our own works against it. For Christ has been set forth as an Atoning Sacrifice so, that for His sake, the Father may be reconciled to us. But Christ is not received as a Mediator except through faith. Therefore, by faith alone we receive forgiveness of sins when we comfort our hearts with confidence in the mercy promised for Christ’s sake.Apology to the Augsburg Confession, Article 4 (Concordia p. 92)Because He Knew: He Rose from the DeadJesus rose from the dead - alleluia!How does the resurrection affect our lives today & forever?OPENING HYMN: 149 – Christ the Lord is Risen Today The children are invited forward during verses 5 & 6 to hang their “Alleluia!” banners on the hooks. CHILDREN’S MESSAGE: Why “Alleluia”?EASTER DIALOGUE: Please stand.M: In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.C: Amen!Lord, we confess to you our sinful condition and our sinful behavior. Have mercy on us, Father in heaven. Bless us and keep us.Lord, we realize that we have earned your temporal and eternal punishment.Have mercy on us, Lord Jesus. Make your face shine on us and be gracious to us. Lord, we are not able to make up for our sins, nor can we set ourselves free from the guilt of our sin. You alone must work all good within us. Have mercy on us, Holy Spirit. Turn your face toward us and give us peace. Jesus was delivered over to death for the sake of our sins. In raising him from the dead, God declared you righteous Be of good cheer, your sins are forgiven. Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! CW 143 v. 1He’s risen, he’s risen, Christ Jesus, the Lord;He opened death’s prison, the incarnate Word.Break forth, hosts of heaven, in jubilant song;And earth, sea, and mountain the praises prolong!This is the day which the Lord has made;Let us rejoice and be glad in it! Alleluia!If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!Brothers and sisters, since we have been raised with Christ, let us set our hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. (Col. 3:1)For God, who created light to shine out of darkness, made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. (2 Cor. 4:6)Thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.Christ is risen!He is risen indeed! Alleluia!CW 143 v. 2 & 3The foe was triumphant when on Calvary;The Lord of creation was nailed to the tree.In Satan’s domain did the hosts shout and jeer;For Jesus was slain, whom the evil ones fear!But short was their triumph; the Savior arose,And death, hell, and Satan he vanquished, his foes.The conquering Lord lifts his banner on high;He lives, yes, he lives, and will nevermore die!I know that my Redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand upon the earth. And after my skin has been destroyed – yet in my flesh, I will see God; I myself will see him, with my own eyes; I, and not another. How my heart yearns within me! (John 19:25-27)In righteousness I will see your face; when I awake, I will be satisfied with seeing your likeness. (Psalm 17:15) Death has been swallowed up in victory.Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting? (1 Corinthians 15:54-55)CW 143 v. 4Oh, where is your sting, death? We fear you no more;Christ rose, and now open is fair Eden’s door!For all our transgressions his blood does atone;Redeemed and forgiven, we now are his own!Fellow Christians, set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. (Col 3:2-3)When Christ appears, then we also will appear with him in glory. (Col 3:4) Fellow Christians, may the peace of Christ rule in our hearts, in our homes, and in our lives. (Col 3:15)Let us pray: Almighty God, by the glorious resurrection of your Son Jesus Christ you conquered death and opened the gate to eternal life. Grant that we, who have been raised with him through baptism, may walk in the newness of life and ever rejoice in the hope of sharing his glory; through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom, with you and the Holy Spirit be eternal power, dominion, and praise now and forever;To him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, be praise and honor, and glory and power, forever and ever! Amen!CW 143 v. 5Then sing your hosannas and raise your glad voice;Proclaim the blest tidings that all may rejoice.Laud, honor, and praise to the Lamb that was slain;Who now sits in glory, and ever shall reign!The WordFIRST READING: Isaiah 25:6-9The shroud of death destroyed forever:6On this mountain the LORD of Armies will prepare for all peoples a banquet of rich food, a banquet of aged wines, with the best cuts of meat, and the finest wines. 7On this mountain he will destroy the shroud that covers all peoples, the burial cloth stretched over all nations. 8He has swallowed up death forever! The LORD God will wipe away the tears from every face. He will take away the shame of his people throughout the earth. For the LORD has spoken. 9On that day it will be said, “Look, here is our God! We waited for him, and he saved us! This is the LORD! We waited for him. Let us be glad and rejoice in his salvation!”This is the Word of the Lord. Alleluia! Christ is risen!CHORAL ANTHEM: Christ the Lord is Risen Today! Alleluia!(Hymn #150 – The congregation is invited to join vv. 2 & 4)SECOND READING: 1 Corinthians 15:19-26Jesus Christ, the firstfruits from death:19If our hope in Christ applies only to this life, we are the most pitiful people of all. 20But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 21For since death came by a man, the resurrection of the dead also is going to come by a man. 22For as in Adam they all die, so also in Christ they all will be made alive. 23But each in his own order: Christ as the firstfruits and then Christ’s people, at his coming. 24Then comes the end, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father, after he has done away with every other ruler and every other authority and power. 25For he must reign “until he has put all his enemies under his feet.” 26Death is the last enemy to be done away with. THEME VERSE: Psalm 118:24Alleluia. Alleluia. Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia. This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. Alleluia!GOSPEL READING: Mark 16:1-8The Resurrection:When the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices so they could go and anoint Jesus. 2Very early on the first day of the week, at sunrise, they went to the tomb. 3They were saying to each other, “Who will roll the stone away from the entrance to the tomb for us?” 4When they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had been rolled away. 5As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side, and they were alarmed. 6He said to them, “Do not be alarmed. You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid him. 7But go, tell his disciples and Peter, ‘He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.’” 8They went out and hurried away from the tomb, trembling and perplexed. They said nothing to anyone, because they were afraid. This is the Gospel of our Lord Jesus. Praise be to you, O Christ!HYMN OF THE DAY: 152 - I Know that My Redeemer LivesVerse 1-2 - Everyone Verse 3 - MenVerse 4 - EveryoneVerse 5 - WomenVerse 6 - MenVv. 7-8 - EveryoneSERMON based on 1 Corinthians 15: A Broken Tombstone for a Broken WorldSUNG CONFESSION OF FAITH: Sung to the tune “Ode to Joy”1. I believe in God the Father, Maker of the heav’ns and earth!And in Jesus Christ, our Savior, God’s own Son, of human birth!Virgin-born, the Lord’s incarnate, Whom the Spirit did conceive,Suffered under Pontius Pilate – Our salvation to achieve!2. Crucified, was dead and buried, Down to hell in victory;From the dead he rose the third day; Up to heav’n triumphantly.There at God’s right hand he’s ruling, By his will the world is led.He will come to judge the nations, Both the living and the dead!3. I believe in God the Spirit, In his church, his chosen band.They are joined in close communion, Holy in his sight they stand!I believe in sin forgiven; That the dead will rise again;I believe in life eternal. Amen! And again, Amen!OFFERINGPRAYER OF THE CHURCHPlease rise for prayer.O God of peace, who raised from the dead our Lord Jesus Christ, the great Shepherd of the sheep, we thank and praise you for the mercy you have shown us through his glorious resurrection. Grant that on this day believers throughout the world may see the fullness of your grace and peace. Give us a living hope to believe that the grave has no power over us and that we have been made partakers of eternal life.Almighty God, as your Son on this day rose from the dead for us, victorious over sin and the grave, grant that sin may no longer live in our hearts. By the power of his resurrection set our minds on things above, not on earthly things.Encourage our Christian lives of thankfulness, that we may live in our baptismal grace every day of our lives. Rule over the nations of the earth, O Lord, that they may join the hosts of heaven in songs of Christ's victorious triumph. Comfort us through your Sacrament, that our eyes may be fixed more on the life to come than on this world; that our hearts may rest in your promise of preservation, rather than worry. Above all, give us persistence in reading, studying, applying, and sharing your Word of truth.Your Word alone can build your church, and your Word alone proclaims forgiveness, life, and salvation through Jesus Christ. In every adversity and trial preserve us, O Lord. Heal the sick, giving them the hope of a glorious body in the resurrection of the dead. With your Easter victory, remove the fear of death from the hearts of the dying, and the sadness of death from hearts that feel the loss of family and friends. Defend the weak and vulnerable, especially the unborn, the aged, those coping with chronic illness, those who bear extra pain for their faithful confession of your truth, and all who are hungry, homeless, or unemployed.Lead us to daily sorrow and repentance, and nourish our faith through your chosen Means of Grace.We give thanks for all those who have died and now live with Christ in the triumph of Easter, especially our own faithful departed loved ones.Unite us with them in the hope of the resurrection of the dead.Hear us, Lord, as we bring you our private petitions.Silent prayerOur Father, who art in heaven, hall0wed be thy name; thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory, forever and ever. Amen. The SacramentFor our Holy Communion practice, please see the purple sheet in the pew racks.COMMUNION LITURGY: p. 21DISTRIBUTION HYMN: 265 – This is the Feast of VictorySONG OF SIMEON: CW p. 24CLOSING HYMN: 250 – From All that Dwell Below the SkiesTHIS WEEKToday 1 Kings 6 7:30-9 Easter Breakfast 9:30 - Easter Festival Worship 11:10 - Bible Study: 1 Corinthians 15Monday 1 Kings 7 7 PM - Pre-call Council meetingTuesday 1 Kings 8 No CAP class.Wednesday 1 Kings 9 No catechism class.Thursday 1 Kings 10 6 PM - Lutheran Women Project Hour 7 PM - Devotion & LW Business MeetingFriday 1 Kings 11 3:45-7:30 PM - Family Fun Fair. (Speak with Doris if you can help!)Saturday 1 Kings 12 8 AM - Men’s Bible Breakfast @The Ranch 9:30 AM - Bible Basics Sunday 1 Kings 13 9:30 - Easter 2 Worship 10:45 - Bible Class & Sunday School Pres. Degner will be on hand to lead our Bible study. A voters’ meeting will convene at the conclusion of Bible study.Q: Why does Easter Sunday move around? Some years it’s near the end of March, other years it’s later in April.A: Jesus was crucified during the Jewish Passover. For this reason, the Christian church has always observed Easter at the same time as the Jewish Passover. Passover moves around slightly, as the Jews follow a lunar calendar. Passover always falls on the 14th day of the first Hebrew calendar month, the month of Nisan. The month begins with the first sighting of a lunar crescent, just after a new moon. 14 days after the first sliver of a waxing moon, the moon is a full moon; this is Passover. Passover begins at sundown & continues through sundown the next day. The Passover lamb was slaughtered at dusk on the day of Passover and consumed before sunrise; the leftovers were burned. (See Exodus 12:10.) In Holy Week, Passover began at sundown on Thursday & extended through sundown on Friday. The meal needed to be consumed & leftovers burned before sunrise on Friday. For an interesting sidenote, see John 18:28 and 19:14. The chief priests & Pharisees had delayed in eating the Passover and wanted to convict & crucify Jesus quickly; thus, they waited outside of Pilate’s palace so that they would remain ceremonially clean for eating the Passover meal. Waiting outside delayed the final verdict, with the result that they did not partake in the Passover before sunrise. According to Jewish law, they ought to have been excommunicated from the nation – see Numbers 9:13.The Council of Nicea (AD 325) standardized the celebration of Christ’s resurrection as the first Sunday after the full moon in Vernal Equinox. (The vernal equinox is the astronomical first day of spring, halfway between the winter & summer solstices.) This full moon is also known as the “Paschal full moon” – Paschal, meaning Passover. Thus, by our calendar, Easter is the Sunday following the first full moon after March 20 (March 20, the standardized date for the vernal equinox.) The earliest possible date for Easter is March 22 (last observed in 1818, next observed in 2285.) The latest possible date for Easter is April 25 (last observed in 1943, next observed in 2038.) In recent years, Easter has fallen on March 23, 2008 and April 24, 2011. If Easter is late, the church year includes more Sundays in the season of Epiphany (January-February.) If Easter is early, the church year includes more Sundays in the season of Pentecost (June-October.) Q: When was Jesus crucified?A: Passover is helpful in pinpointing the year & date of Christ’s crucifixion. Historically, Pontius Pilate was governor of Palestine from AD 26-36. Thus, Jesus must have been crucified sometime between 26 & 36. Scripture tells us that Christ ate the Passover with his disciples Thursday evening, and Saturday would be a “great” or “important” Sabbath – as it would be the Sabbath of Passover.Joseph of Arimathea & Nicodemus hasten to bury Jesus before the “Great Sabbath” of the Passover / Unleavened Bread celebration. They need to bury Christ so that they would be able to “keep” the Sabbath by not working. The Sabbath (Saturday) began at sundown. (We count days somewhat differently, with two different & commonly-observed conventions: A new day technically begins at midnight, but we recognize that sunrise also marks a new day.) Since the Sabbath began at sundown, the women observers went home Friday evening but refrained from preparing spices until after sundown on Saturday “in obedience to the Sabbath commandment” (Luke 23:56). The governorship of Pontius Pilate tells us the possible years, AD 26-36.The time of Passover tells us the dates on the Jewish lunar calendar: the 14th day of the lunar month of Nisan. This day, roughly halfway through the lunar cycle, would be a full moon. (Coincidentally, a solar eclipse is impossible during a full moon. The sun actually stopped shining on Good Friday afternoon.)The reference to Sabbath tells us Christ was crucified on Friday of theeight-day Passover/Unleavened Bread celebration. Between the years of AD 26-36, only the years 30 and 33 have a Friday full moon - April 7, AD 30 and April 3, AD 33. These are the two historical options for when the Son of God gave his life for our salvation.  

Worship audio from February 25, 2018. Bulletin PDF or below:Welcome to Shepherd of the Lakes! We’re here to shepherd Christ’s flock and seek the lost sheep by sharing the good news of Jesus Christ with all. Come, let us worship!For your convenience, in the back corner of the sanctuary there is a room for any parents with children in need of a quiet place. The restrooms are located on the lower level. Please ask if you have any questions or concerns.Lord Jesus, you alone sought us out, forgave us, bought us, made us your own. You promised a cross for all who follow you. Lead me to see your cross, that I may find joy in the cross you have given me; AMEN.Consolation & Comfort through Faith:In other words, sin terrifies consciences. This happens through the Law, which shows God’s wrath against sin. But we gain the victory through Christ. How? Through faith, when we comfort ourselves by confidence in the mercy promised for Christ’s sake. ... God’s wrath cannot be appeased if we set our own works against it. For Christ has been set forth as an Atoning Sacrifice so, that for His sake, the Father may be reconciled to us. But Christ is not received as a Mediator except by faith. Therefore, by faith alone we receive forgiveness of sins when we comfort our hearts with confidence in the mercy promised for Christ’s sake. Likewise, Paul says in Romans 5:2, “Through Him we have also obtained access” and adds, “by faith.” Therefore, we are reconciled to the Father and receive forgiveness of sins when we are comforted with confidence in the mercy promised for Christ’s sake.Apology to the Augsburg Confession, Article 5 (Concordia p. 130)Because He Knew:Jesus knew the cross that awaited him; he knew the resurrection afterward. He had told this to his disciples numerous times – and now, as the day draws nearer, Jesus prepared his disciples for a cross.What is our cross, and how may we carry it?SUNDAY SCHOOL: ”Friend, I’m Sorry”LITURGY: CW p. 38 Please rise.PRAYER OF THE DAY:M: Almighty God, you see that we have no power to defend ourselves. Guard and keep us both outwardly and inwardly from all adversities that may happen to the body and from all evil thoughts that may assault and hurt the soul; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. C: Amen.The WordFIRST READING: Genesis 28:10-17The merciful presence of God is certain, because of grace alone: 10Jacob set out from Beersheba and traveled toward Haran. 11He came to a certain place and decided to spend the night there, because the sun had set. He took one of the stones from that place, put it under his head, and lay down to sleep in that place. 12He had a dream in which he saw a stairway set up on the earth with its top reaching to heaven. There were angels of God ascending and descending on it. 13There at the top stood the LORD, who said, “I am the LORD, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac. The land on which you are lying, I give to you and to your descendants. 14Your descendants will be like the dust of the earth, and you will spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south. In you and in your seed all the families of the earth will be blessed. 15Now, I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back again into this land. Indeed, I will not leave you, until I have done what I have promised to you.” 16Jacob woke up from his sleep, and he said, “Certainly the LORD is in this place, and I was not aware of it.” 17He was afraid and he said, “How awe-inspiring is this place! This is nothing other than the house of God, and this is the gate to heaven.” PSALM OF THE DAY: 73, CW p. 94SECOND READING: Romans 5:1-11The miracle of Lent – Christ the innocent, suffering for sinners and in their place makes them innocent in God’s sight:Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. 2Through him we also have obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand. And we rejoice confidently on the basis of our hope for the glory of God. 3Not only this, but we also rejoice confidently in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces patient endurance, 4and patient endurance produces tested character, and tested character produces hope. 5And hope will not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, who was given to us. 6For at the appointed time, while we were still helpless, Christ died for the ungodly. 7It is rare indeed that someone will die for a righteous person. Perhaps someone might actually go so far as to die for a person who has been good to him. 8But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9Therefore, since we have now been justified by his blood, it is even more certain that we will be saved from God’s wrath through him. 10For if, while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, it is even more certain that, since we have been reconciled, we will be saved by his life. 11And not only is this so, but we also go on rejoicing confidently in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received this reconciliation. THEME VERSE: Philippians 2:8Jesus humbled himself and became obedient to death, even death on a cross. Thanks be to God.GOSPEL READING: Mark 8:31-38The Cross:31Jesus began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things; be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the experts in the law; be killed; and after three days rise again. 32He was speaking plainly to them. Then Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. 33But after turning around and looking at his disciples, Jesus rebuked Peter and said, “Get behind me, Satan! You do not have your mind set on the things of God, but the things of men.” 34He called the crowd and his disciples together and said to them, “If anyone wants to follow me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. 35For whoever wants to save his life will lose it. But whoever loses his life for my sake, and for the sake of the gospel, will save it. 36After all, what good is it for a man to gain the whole world and yet forfeit his soul? 37Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul? 38In fact, whoever is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will also be ashamed of him when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.” This is the Gospel of our Lord Jesus.Praise be to you, O Christ!HYMN OF THE DAY: 434 – Lord, You I Love with All My HeartSERMON based on Mark 8: Preparation for the CrossCONFESSION OF FAITH: Apostles’ Creed, CW p. 41OFFERINGPRAYER OF THE CHURCH: CW p. 42Please rise.CLOSING PRAYER: CW p. 43CLOSING HYMN: 355 – Take the World, But Give Me JesusNOTESBowling today at 3 PM – see the sign-up sheet at the back lectern.Midweek Lenten services continue - 6 PM meal, 7 PM worship.Looking Ahead to Next Sunday:Theme Lent 3 – Because He Knew: He Put His House in OrderColor PurpleLiturgy Common Service, CW p. 15Hymns 401, 456, 532, 530; CWS Psalm 69Readings from John 2, Exodus 20, Romans 8Verse of the Day John 3:14-15THIS WEEKToday 1 Samuel 26 9:30 AM - Second Sunday of Lent 10:45 AM – Sunday School. Bible Class: The FloodMonday 1 Samuel 27Tuesday 1 Samuel 28 7 PM - CAPWednesday 1 Samuel 29 5-6 PM – Small Catechism Class 6 PM - Lenten Supper 7 PM - Ash Wednesday WorshipThursday 1 Samuel 30Friday 1 Samuel 31Saturday 2 Samuel 1Sunday 2 Samuel 2 9:30 AM - Lent 3 Worship with Holy Communion 10:45 AM – Bible class & Sunday SchoolGreen Pastures with Jesus is the podcast from Shepherd of the Lakes Lutheran Church of Fairmont, MN. Here you’ll find a variety of segments to lead you to the green pastures of the Word of God, where our Good Shepherd feeds our faith.  Find us online: www.shepherdofthelakes.net or http://facebook.com/shepherdofthelakes Worship is Sunday mornings at 9:30 AM.Bible class & Sunday School follow at 10:40 AM.323 E. 1st St – Fairmont, MNpastorhagen@icloud.com or (507) 236-9572 iTunes & iPhone: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/green-pastures-jesus-shepherd/id1183522558?mt=2 Stitcher link: http://www.stitcher.com/s?fid=127180&refid=stprOr simply search for “Green Pastures with Jesus” in your podcast app. Intro & Outro courtesy of Koine - The Church Band. Check them out at www.koinemusic.com, or find them on iTunes & Amazon: Search for Koine. Bible text from Biblegateway.com - EHV.    

PBF36: How To Make Money With Your Podcast Selling Other's ProductsBy Bill Griggs and Kingsley GrantPodcast By Friday Episode 36:One question we see a lot is How to make money with your podcast? One of the fastest methods to make money with you podcast is to sell other people's products. There are a variety of ways to sell other people's products. The most popular include Affiliate plans, Joint Ventures, Arbitrage, as a licensed reseller and through prearranged agreements. In this episode of the Podcast By Friday show Bill Griggs and Kingsley Grant talk about ways to make money with your podcast by selling products you did not create.Why?Already madeNot reinventing the wheelQuick and easyProven marketGet used to selling especially if you’ve not done it beforeGet in the game quickerWhen?As soon as we find one that fits our spaceReferralIn coordination with a launchIn coordination with eventsSeasonal (eg: it’s easier to sell a tax product during tax season)How?Through an arranged agreementBecome a licensed resellerJoint ventureAffiliates (Amazon, Ebay, audible)Arbitrage (buying cheap and selling high)Requests from others … (Screen to make sure it’s a right fit)Where?Commission JunctionE-sellerateClick BankAmazon AssociatesBluehostFavorite websites to see if they have an affiliationAudibleRakutenYour assignment:Research a product...that would be a benefit to your audience that you would like to promote. If it’s an affiliate product set up an account.Podcast by Friday is a show that helps people create their Minimal Viable Podcast (TM) by taking bold action to defeat procrastination and get their voices heard.Bill Griggs contact info:Twitter: @BillGriggsWebsites: http://podcastbyfriday.comhttp://cncroutertips.comKingsley Grant's Contact info:Twitter:@kingsleygrantWebsite: http://podcastbyfriday.comhttp://smoothcareerchange.comhttp://kingsleygrant.comSHOW NOTES Mentioned:http://podcastbyfriday.com/19http://podcastbyfriday.com/20http://podcastbyfriday.com/21http://podcastbyfriday.com/22http://podcastbyfriday.com/23http://podcastbyfriday.com/24http://podcastbyfriday.com/25http://podcastbyfriday.com/26http://podcastbyfriday.com/27http://podcastbyfriday.com/28http://podcastbyfriday.com/29http://podcastbyfriday.com/36http://podcastbyfriday.com/35Websites MentionedWP Profit Builder http://podcastbyfriday.com/builderiTunes www.apple.com/itunes/Spreaker http://spreaker.comPodcast By Friday http://podcastbyfriday.comCNC Router Tips http://cncroutertips.comSmart Passive Income http://smartpassiveincome.comFacebook Group http://facebook.com/groups/podcastbyfridayCommission Junction http://www.cj.com/E-sellerate https://affiliates.esellerate.net/affiliates/home.aspxClick Bank https://www.clickbank.com/Amazon Associates https://affiliate-program.amazon.com/homeBluehost http://www.podcastbyfriday.com/bluehostAudible http://www.podcastbyfriday.com/audibleRakuten Marketing https://rakutenmarketing.com/affiliateYoutube http://youtube.comVodburner http://podcastbyfriday.com/vodburner

A misdiagnosis of bipolar disorder and countless addictions pushed Cyndi's health to the limit in 2008. Overweight, overwhelmed, pre-diabetic, suicidally depressed, fearful, hopeless and discovering that she had 6 months to live before reaching liver failure, Cyndi decided it was time to take matters into her own hands. How? Through mindfulness, movement, and meditation. Nearly 7 years later, Cyndi has completely transformed her life through the tools she now teaches others. Having lost 80 pounds and now living without medication, she is no longer pre-diabetic or facing liver failure, and has successfully transitioned from victim to victor mode. At her private West Hartford, CT Yoga Studio, you’ll find one-on-one therapeutic, gentle, restorative and prenatal yoga sessions as well as reiki, meditation, physical therapy, myofascial release, and much much more. Cyndi is so passionate about teaching others how to create more space, healing, and love in their lives and relationships through the use mindfulness, yoga (and other movement) and meditation.   In This Episode, You Will Learn: The important questions that no one ever asked her (5:08) How spending 12 years on long term prescriptions impacted her mental and physical health(9:10) How she was able to restore her quality of life (12:50) Why committing to small daily practices changed her life (17:25) Why she hated meditation (19:30) Simple meditation tips for beginners  (21:40) Why we need to befriend our anxiety instead of pushing it away (25:21) Why the pursuit of happiness system is broken (30:30) How improving emotional resilience has impacted her life and helped her bounce back quicker (33:20) Why loving ourselves more allows us to love others more too (37:18) Why adversity is an opportunity to rise up and take our power back (44:51)

Advancements in the poultry industry have allowed us to produce bigger chickens, but this solution for increased consumer demand poses another challenge: providing the nutritional requirement of rapidly-growing birds. Dr. Peter Ferket, professor of nutrition and biotechnology in the department of poultry science at North Carolina State University, says we can readily meet those nutritional needs, improve the welfare of animals, increase performance and improve meat quality. We can even set the stage for adaptability and immunity before the birds hatch. How? Through the use of genetic and nutritional technologies.

Believers Voice of Victory Audio Broadcast for Friday 11/24/2017 God wants us to love one another with intensity! How? Through immediate forgiveness. Listen to Kenneth Copeland on Believer’s Voice of Victory explain how forgiving is easy because it’s a matter of decision, rather than feelings. Be quick to repent and forgive and you will stay in love!

Believers Voice of Victory Audio Broadcast for Friday 11/24/2017 God wants us to love one another with intensity! How? Through immediate forgiveness. Watch Kenneth Copeland on Believer’s Voice of Victory explain how forgiving is easy because it’s a matter of decision, rather than feelings. Be quick to repent and forgive and you will stay in love!

Matthew 7:24-27, Romans 12:2 We live in the age of self-help, therapy, and technology obsession. Deep down, we all know we’re broken and need to change. The question is, How? Through teaching we get a vision of the good life. Through practice, we align our loves and longings with those of Jesus.

Are you and your church ready to “go” and share Christ together for Canada 150? In this sesquicentennial series of our outreach radio program, we’ll help you leverage our ten plus years of weekly local missions experience in Canada toward normalizing sharing Christ in all your personal and community relationships. First, you’ll be equipped by example to start spiritual conversations and actually sow the seed of the Gospel in the context of Canada 150. How? Through hearing real recorded Gospel conversations on the street between average Canadians and our radio reps that you can replicate yourself. Then, from the studio, our ministry president will personally equip you to inspire, instruct, and involve your entire church in making the most of this once in a lifetime opportunity to invite all of our lost loved ones to appreciate and celebrate our Christ-centered heritage together. Finally, we’ll challenge you to complete a Canada Day Outreach in your own […]

Sally Jane Linville has a mission. She wants to bring a little bit of farm life into everyone's home. How? Through chickens, of course! And not just any chickens, but her fabulous fiber chicken footstools. These locally-sourced chickens balance the line between sculptural and functional art and are created by a community of artists throughout Kansas and Missouri, though the chickens themselves have found homes as far as China. Listen to Sally Jane's story and, who knows, maybe you will be adopting a City Girl Farm chicken for your own home!

As COO of Chili’s Bar & Grill, Kelli Valade is focused on store operations and the path to sustainable profitability. And while many in her position may perceive social media to be a threat to productivity, Kelli has turned employee engagement into a competitive advantage. How? Through giving. Every September, Chili’s, its employees, and its guests raise money to … Read more about this episode...

The Ultimate goal of the universe is the church. God is perfecting a bride for His Son Jesus. How? Through prevailing prayer and faith, and obedience to the Holy Spirit.