Podcasts about Humble

Lifted Up: From Empty to Elevated December 27 - 28, 2025 - Mark Miller Empty Yourself Open to Direction Offer Everything or Anything Elevated By God Scriptures: Philippians 2:5-7, Open to Direction, Offer Everything or Anything, Elevated By God Topics: Elevation, Humble, Hope

What is God like? John Mark dives into Matthew 11v25-30, exploring what it means that Jesus is "gentle and humble of heart" and showing why grasping this truth is essential for finding true rest for our souls in a culture of burnout and exhaustion.Key Scripture Passages: Matthew 11v25-30; Ephesians 4v2; Colossians 3v12; 1 Peter 3v4; Philippians 2v5-8This podcast and its episodes are paid for by The Circle, our community of monthly givers. Special thanks for this episode goes to: Annemarie from Norwood, South Australia; Seth from Cincinnati, Ohio; Esther from Waynesville, Missouri; Tom from Brunswick, Maine; and Jay from Richmond, Texas. Thank you all so much!If you'd like to pay it forward and contribute toward future resources, you can learn more at practicingtheway.org/give.

Within the heart of every believer, there is a tooth-and-nail battle taking place between the desires of the spirit and the desires of the flesh. All too often Christians listen to the tempting, yet empty, promises of the world to satisfy the desires of the flesh. James likens this relationship with the world to being like a close friendship. But it is a friendship that leads to dissatisfaction, fights and quarrels, pride, and most significantly, enmity toward God. Rather than seeking to have the desires of the flesh tickled by friendship with the world, James encourages believers to humble themselves before God, submit to him, wash their hands and purify their hearts of sinful ways. It is when we are humble before God that we will find ourselves lifted up, having the desires of the spirit satisfied by God, as God is satisfied in us. Additional Bible References; 2 Samuel 11:26-27; 12:7-10

This is a moment to reflect on connection to God, as Elder Jeremy R. Jaggi shows that God will bless us when we reach out to Him.

Read OnlineWhen the magi had departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Rise, take the child and his mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I tell you. Herod is going to search for the child to destroy him.” Joseph rose and took the child and his mother by night and departed for Egypt. Matthew 2:13–14Today we honor and ponder the family life of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph. The love within their home exceeded that of any other household, and the love within their family poured forth upon their extended family and wider community. Scripture gives us limited details about the life of the Holy Family. What we do know is that from the very beginning, they suffered through enormous challenges.Mary's pregnancy was the first challenge they faced. She conceived the Christ Child before she and Joseph lived together. Though she knew how she conceived the Son of God, Joseph did not understand until the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream. We can imagine that relatives and members of the community expressed their disapproval, given that the angel of the Lord did not reveal the truth to everyone.Jesus was born far away from their home, in the little town of Bethlehem, in a cave, where animals dwelt. Humble shepherds were their first guests, and the magi from the East soon followed. Within a year or two after Jesus' birth, this family had to uproot from their home and flee to Egypt, find accommodations, and earn a living because Herod sought to kill the child Jesus.After Herod's death, Joseph was instructed in two subsequent dreams that he could return to Israel and was to move his family to the small and unremarkable village of Nazareth. Though Nazareth was not held in high esteem, it was within this simple setting that Jesus was raised and learned the virtues of hard work, obedience, and humility. Nazareth, though overlooked by the world, became the sacred ground where the Savior of the world was prepared for His mission. Finally, given that Saint Joseph is not mentioned during the time that Jesus exercised His public ministry, it is commonly believed that Jesus and His mother experienced the human sorrow of Joseph's earthly death.Despite the hardships the Holy Family endured, the love in their home overshadowed every challenge, making their family life a source of the utmost consolation and joy. Amidst the trials they faced, the Holy Family found joy, not in worldly comforts, but in their deep union with God and with each other. Their home was a sanctuary of love, prayer, and mutual support, where God's presence was always felt. How fascinating it will be one day, in Heaven, if God reveals to us the details about the earthly and hidden life of the Holy Family. Though the angels witnessed their lives as they unfolded in time, we can hope and imagine that God, in His goodness, will share these mysteries with the saints, revealing the true beauty of the Holy Family's earthly life together. Their conversations, interactions, charity, prayer, fun, work, and all that made up their family life will be a source of eternal admiration and gratitude.Reflect today on the Holy Family. Ask God to give you insight into their lives together. As you do, use any insights as a source of inspiration for your own life and relationships with those closest to you. Though we will all fall short of the charity that permeated the home of the Holy Family, we can work to imitate them by allowing God to increase our charity toward one another. Through daily prayer, acts of sacrifice, and a commitment to love one another, we can create a family life that reflects the holiness and unity of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph. Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, Your family life was holy beyond imagination. In your daily interactions, Your love was manifest and inspiring to each other and to Your relatives and friends. Please draw me into Your family life and teach me to love those in my family so that we will become a stronger community of love. Jesus, I trust in You.Image: Angelica Kauffmann, Public domain, via Wikimedia CommonsSource of content: catholic-daily-reflections.comCopyright © 2025 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.

Humble submission is the opposite attitude to pride, independence and arrogance. Pride can be hard to spot; it takes humility to recognise our pride!Sometimes our pride is the obstacle that keeps us from moving forward. We want to see the situation change, but God wants to see US change!Humility is something we develop with practice:-putting others first, instead of chasing our own gains-recognising where others are better than us, instead of boasting about ourselves-serving others, instead of ourselves.Humility even brings freedom from anxieties: as we humble ourselves, confessing our weakness and fears and seeking God's strength.1 Peter 5:5-7, Philippians 2:3, Mark 9:35, Psalm 25:9, Proverbs 16:18, Psalm 13:1-6

Bafana Bafana's 27 winning streak came to an abrupt halt fallowing a controversial penalty win by Egypt in their second 2025 Afcon game. A controversial Mohamed Salah penalty sent Egypt through to the last-16 of the Africa Cup of Nations despite being down to 10 men for the whole of the second half against South Africa, who were denied a penalty of their own right at the death. Elvis Presslin spoke to SABC sports journalist, Vincent Sitsula

Beth Lynn Lewis and Maggie Lambert talk about some hoofcare considerations they make to keep horses safe, sound, and comfortable through winter months.Thank you to our amazing sponsors:Cavallo Hoof Boots is offering 15% off a pair of Trek hoof boots at cavallo-inc.com with code HRNA special shout out to Grid as New, Mud Control Grids – they are a game changer for any mud issues, big or small! – mudcontrolgrids.comAlso be sure to check out Hay Boss Feeders – haybossfeeders.com – for all your slow-feeding needs. I get my Hay Boss feeders from Mountain Lane Farm in NH!

Elihu concludes his speech in Job 37 by proclaiming the majesty of the Almighty. The final speeches of the book are delivered by our Sovereign God. And so, in a sense, Elihu is God's forerunner just as John the Baptist was of our Lord Jesus Christ as Malachi 3 prophesied he would so do. In the final chapter Job is asked by the Almighty to make intercession in prayer for his 3 friends. As no such intercession is requested for Elihu it is reasonable to conclude that Yahweh had accepted what Elihu had said. Like with Moses and Elijah at Mount Sinai, so did the LORD precede His speech with an awesome display of His might - on this occasion "out of the whirlwind'. The whirlwind is a symbol of warfare in the Bible - indicating there is a divine warfare in the book of Job - between the Almighty against sin and self- righteousness. Elihu outlined the majestic power revealed in the thunder (spoken of in the Psalms as, "the voice of Yahweh") and in the lightning and the interplay between these two momentous forces. Verse 6 says that the snow falls at the Almighty's command. Mankind and all creatures are cowed by His awesome power. And what God does is according to His will and He does it purposefully. How can you even understand such power, let alone think you can challenge the LORD? Humble yourself and learn from Him. Show reverential fear and cease from your conceit. The same words must be acknowledged by us and responded to by the way in which we live.

In this episode, we read Luke 1:39-56, noting its link with Hannah's story in 1 Samuel 2, and David's joy in the Ark's homecoming in 2 Samuel 6. The blessing, humility, and perspective of the Theotokos on what constitutes true might is a perfect complement to our preparation for the Nativity.

The Humble Servants of God Part 3: Jesus Christ, the Light of the World John 1:14Interim Pastor: Doug Allen

Elihu concludes his speech in Job 37 by proclaiming the majesty of the Almighty. The final speeches of the book are delivered by our Sovereign God. And so, in a sense, Elihu is God's forerunner just as John the Baptist was of our Lord Jesus Christ as Malachi 3 prophesied he would so do. In the final chapter Job is asked by the Almighty to make intercession in prayer for his 3 friends. As no such intercession is requested for Elihu it is reasonable to conclude that Yahweh had accepted what Elihu had said. Like with Moses and Elijah at Mount Sinai, so did the LORD precede His speech with an awesome display of His might - on this occasion "out of the whirlwind'. The whirlwind is a symbol of warfare in the Bible - indicating there is a divine warfare in the book Job - between the Almighty against sin and self- righteousness. Elihu outlined the majestic power revealed in the thunder (spoken of in the Psalms as, "the voice of Yahweh of") and in the lightning and the interplay between these two momentous forces. Verse 6 says that the snow falls at the Almighty's command. Mankind and all creatures are cowed by His awesome power. And what God does is according to His will and He does it purposefully. How can you even understand such power, let alone think you can challenge the LORD? Humble yourself and learn from Him. Show reverential fear and cease from your conceit. The same words must be acknowledged by us and responded to by the way in which we live.

Homily by Fr. Francis Mary Roaldi, CFR.

Deck the halls and join the chaos!!! All hell breaks loose in this special.......Nando and Jonathan have a step brothers moment, Jonathan almost got buried alive. Slices of Jake "Humble" Pie were given out and Arianna brings are favorite wrestling family on!!! Get ready for a helluva show with our favorite segment "You Just Made the List", Christmas Wishes and so much more......CHEERS!!!JERKING THE CURTAINROUND TABLE OF TOPICSNEWSZilla Fatu coming to NXT???Rumors of WWE signing an AEW superstar (Danhausen) Prayers for Jerry Lawler after a recent stroke SI's wrestling awards for 2025 raised eyebrows “You Just Made the List” Top 5 WWE Video GamesSMACKDOWN Cody in black looks really good……just saying Priest kicks off Smackdown, Zelina interrupts and the new look is fire I am drinking the Lash and Nia kool aid……let's gooooNick Aldis showing off the guns, Drew has demands for reinstatement…..Cody at Drew's house is grrrreat for business When will Chelsea get another agent???Cody putting Nick in the middle of his feud with Drew is damn good for business Dragunov continues to cook……let's throw some bigger names at him Jade building a list of enemies she might not be able to keep up with RAWHold the press……Je'Von's a free agent???Austin Theory is not asking and taking…..are we drinking the kool aid???Asuka and Rhea put on a banger of a match Is Becky's obsession with the IC title or Maxine??? When will this endIs a triple threat match the best idea for Stephanie???Usos vs AJ Lee should be a PLE I'm loving the version of Bayley……it's working, speaking of not working……what's going down with Judgement Day???How would you rate Gunther's current heel level???Nikki and I got beef Breaker cuts a solid promo Punk is still pissed and Theory looks great in his return…..is he with the Vision now? NXTXmas wishes and predictions New Years Evil January 6th Check out the Smackdown Siblings on TikTok Episodes dropping weekly!!!Follow on the gram @the.funkaholiks.pod THEE POD THAT TALKS WHAT THEY LOVE 

Download Teaching Audio The post “Humble and Impartial” (Christmas Eve Message) first appeared on Cedarcreek Community Church.

Chances are you've heard this low-end thumper in your bass woofers, or have seen him perform around Michigan (as well as the world). He's performed with various national acts, including Bettye LaVette, Sturgill Simpson, Brett Lucas, Mitch Ryder, and more. He's a 'first-call' from the bass master. himself, Michigan's Don Was for multiple studio projects. Chuck Bartels lives, eats, breathes, and is raising a happy family out of Detroit and happy to offer his services for a variety of musical styles, as he often as he can.    Chuck jumped into performing in the early '90s and has rounded the 'bases' with jazz, jam, Americana, blues, tribute showcases, R&B, soul, rock, and so much more. His ability to be as down-to-earth has garnished him quite a 'word-of-mouth' career. The MMHP was so grateful to line up this world-class bassist for a career retrospective in Bay City in early 2025.    In part 2 of 2, Chuck offers background on the recordings he has helped make that should have taken off, his nature balance on home life and touring, his dream gig, and some bands from the past that fans should seek out. This epic hang is perfect for you all, looking to absorb some of the best current and national music that this man has touched. Thank you all for tuning into part one and ENJOY!

GOD USES SMALL PEOPLE FOR BIG PURPOSES PT. 2 1. GOD USES THE HUMBLE OVER THE HIGH AND MIGHTY Luke 1:48, Mary sings, “For He has been mindful of the HUMBLE state of His servant.” (NIV) 2. GOD USES CHARACTER OVER CREDENTIALS Luke 1:26–27 “In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. (NIV) 3. GOD USES A SERVANT OVER A SUPERSTAR Luke 1:38   “I am the Lord’s SERVANT,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her. (NIV) Luke 1:48, Mary sings, “For He has been mindful of the humble state of His SERVANT.” (NIV) Philippians 1:1 Paul and Timothy, SERVANTS of Christ Jesus, To all God’s holy people in Christ Jesus at Philippi, together with the overseers and deacons: (NIV) 1 Corinthians 4:1 So look at Apollos and me as mere SERVANTS of Christ who have been put in charge of explaining God’s mysteries. (NLT) Romans 1:1 Paul, a BONDSERVANT of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated to the gospel of God (NKJV) 2 Peter 1:1 Simon Peter, a SERVANT and apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who through the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ have received a faith as precious as ours: (NIV) Matthew 23:11 “The greatest among you will be your SERVANT.” (NIV) 3A. SERVANTS OF JESUS SERVE PEOPLE 2 Corinthians 4:5 “We preach that Jesus Christ is Lord, and we ourselves are YOUR SERVANTS for Jesus’ sake.” (NLT) 2 Galatians 5:13 “You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, SERVE ONE ANOTHER humbly in love.” (NIV) 4. GOD USES HIS PRESENCE OVER YOUR PRESENCE Luke 1:28, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! THE LORD IS WITH YOU” (NIV) Luke 1:34 “How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?” (NIV) Luke 1:35 The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will COME ON YOU, and the power of the MOST HIGH WILL OVERSHADOW YOU. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. (NIV) Luke 1:37 For with God NOTHING will be impossible. (NKJV)

Philippians 5:2-11

Luke 2:1-21 “Good News for the Humble” (Christmas Eve 2025) 1. The birth of Jesus the Messiah (v.1-7) 2. Shepherds run to see the Christ (v.8-21)

Humble before God #RTTBROS #Nightlight

Humble people get honored. People who honor themselves get humbled.

Having rebuked Job's 3 friends in chapter 32, Elihu turns his focus to rebuking Job in chapter 33. Elihu says that he is not influenced by important people, but he will speak the truth as it is. Nor will he be intimidated by older men. Elihu acknowledges that his respect for the Almighty will temper his response. Elihu declares that his words are acceptable before God and like those engaging in the debate, he "too was pinched off from the clay" (verse 6 ESV). Don't be frightened by what I say. He condemns Job's self- vindication and the idea that the Almighty has chosen to be Job's adversary. You, Job he says, have no right to question the LORD's right to do as He pleases. Humble yourself, listen with respect to Yahweh, is the course I recommend that you adopt, Job. What you have suffered gives you time for reflection. Job you need a mediator to speak on your behalf, as your accusations against your Maker are improper.When you understand the redemptive work of God you will receive God's mercy and will be delivered from a permanent place in the grave. But, Job, it requires your humble pleas in prayer to your Creator. Please hearken to my words Job, for my intent is to vindicate you. And I am sure my words are wise.

Steven Page checks in for his annual Humble and Fred visit - he talks about songwriting, his new Christmas song, performing live and CFNY- Edge memories / Radio when it was tapes and CD's / Listener email / Thank you Chambers Plan / Dan Duran talks about a bad Santa Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Peter Schein is co-author of the worldwide bestseller, Humble Inquiry: The Gentle Art of Asking Instead of Telling. Together with his father Edgar Schein, one of the founders of organizational psychology, Peter has co-written six books, including Humble Leadership and Career Anchors Reimagined. Peter holds degrees from Stanford, Northwestern and USC.  In this episode we discuss the following: Humble Inquiry is a philosophy about how to get along, gather information, and build relationships. The key is to ask people questions we don't know the answer to. If we tell people what to do, or guide them with questions we already know the answer to, we are telling them that we know best. But by asking people questions we don't know the answer to, we communicate genuine curiosity while also gathering information that we don't currently possess. Remember to ask people questions that we don't know the answer to. 

BIO: Jon is the Founder and CEO of FranBridge Consulting, a 2-time Inc. 5000 company, and he is a top 1% franchise consultant.STORY: Jon co-founded a marketing and call-center business that appeared successful on the surface, growing to millions in revenue and dozens of employees. However, excessive customization and an inability to charge prices that matched rising costs meant the business never became sustainably profitable.LEARNING: Profitability is oxygen. Knowing when to admit you're wrong matters just as much as knowing how to start. “Humble yourself and admit when you're wrong, course correct, and pivot.”Jon Ostenson Guest profileJon Ostenson is the Founder and CEO of FranBridge Consulting, a 2-time Inc. 5000 company, and he is a top 1% franchise consultant. Jon is also the author of the bestselling book, Non-Food Franchising. Jon draws on his experience as a former Inc. 500 Franchise President and Multi-Brand Franchisee in helping his clients select their franchise investments.Worst investment everLeaving the corporate world felt like freedom. After years of structure, predictability, and steady paychecks, you finally get to build something of your own. That was precisely where Jon found himself: grateful for his corporate experience, energized by the idea of business ownership, and eager to prove he could create something meaningful on his own terms.A promising partnership and a compelling business visionShortly after leaving corporate life, Jon partnered with a colleague to launch a marketing and sales company. He owned 60 percent of the business and ran day-to-day operations, while his partner held the remaining 40 percent.The vision was compelling. The company would help franchise businesses grow by handling their marketing, answering inbound calls through an in-house call center, and booking appointments directly for clients. The promise was simple: make the phones ring and convert those calls into revenue.Early momentum and the illusion of successAt first, it worked. The business grew quickly, attracting a strong leadership team and building a culture Jon was proud of. With around 35 employees and annual revenues of $3 million to $4 million, the company appeared successful from the outside. The team was energized, clients were signing on, and the pace was exciting.When growth didn't translate into profitBut beneath the surface, there was a quiet, persistent problem.The business wasn't profitable.Despite all the effort, the long hours, and the constant tweaking, the company hovered around breakeven. Some months it lost money. Others it barely scraped by. Payroll was always looming, and profitability felt just out of reach. Jon tried adjusting pricing, shifting emphasis between marketing and call center services, and introducing new technology to increase value.But every fix only delayed the inevitable question he didn't want to answer: What if the model itself was broken?The hidden cost of customization and complexityThe core issue turned out to be customization. The business was designed to scale by serving franchise systems with repeatable processes. Instead, each franchisee insisted their market was different, their staff was unique, and their customers required special handling. Wanting to please early clients and drive revenue, Jon said yes. Again and again.Over time,...

This episode was inspired by a pattern I see all the time. Women come into my community thinking they're behind… thinking they need a massive deal or a perfect strategy to get started. So I invited the coaches from The Society of Entrepreneurial Women to share their real stories - not the highlight reels, but the first deals. The messy ones. The small ones. The ones that gave them confidence before they ever gave them cash flow. If you've been waiting for permission to start where you are - consider this it.Chapters:00:00 - Intro01:05 - Why social media lies about ‘the right' first real estate deal01:43 - Jen's first deal: $106K single-family home02:26 - The truth behind big numbers & syndications03:46 - Chrissy's first deal: marrying her landlord04:09 - Losing everything & starting over05:01 - Buying an RV park for $446K → $3M+05:23 - Jessica's first deal: $62K condo, unseen06:22 - From $62K condo to $4.6M assisted living07:42 - Candace's first deal: $42K real estate-backed loan08:18 - Scaling comfort levels over time08:32 - Carolina's first deal: just getting her Monopoly piece09:52 - Building equity, quitting W2s, creating freedom10:38 - Heather's first deal: one STR → $16M portfolio11:24 - Jerry's first deal: house hacking in college12:06 - Humble beginnings & the real takeaway Join Our Women's Mastermind: https://woman.heatherblankenship.com/ Heather's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heatherblankenshipx3 Heather's Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/heather.blankenship.182/ Heather's TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@heatherblankenshipx3 Heather's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heather-blankenship-271908140/ Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/unapologetically-me/id1713972310 Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4EtqDw41QW193bH3TKnCiI Listen, rate and subscribe!

From Luke 2:8-20

Advent 2025 Message 1In this message we'll cover familiar ground regarding the birth of Jesus. We will highlight the unique and compelling command given the angels when He came into our world, this helps us understand the wonderful Person and Work of Jesus Christ. His advent brings such comfort and joy!

GOD USES SMALL PEOPLE FOR BIG PURPOSES Luke 1:26-27 “In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, 27 to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary.” (NIV) John 1:46 “Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?” Nathanael asked. “Come and see,” said Philip. (NIV) 1 Corinthians 1:27–28 Instead, God chose things the world considers foolish in order to shame those who think they are wise. And he chose things that are powerless to shame those who are powerful. 28 God chose things despised by the world, things counted as nothing at all, and used them to bring to nothing what the world considers important. (NLT) John 15:16 You did not choose me, but I CHOSE YOU and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. (NIV) 1. GOD USES THE HUMBLE OVER THE HIGH AND MIGHTY Luke 1:48, Mary sings, “For He has been mindful of the HUMBLE state of His servant.” (NIV) GOD USES HUMBLE PEOPLE! GOD IS ATTRACTED TO HUMILITY! James 4:6 But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.” (NIV) Proverbs 3:34 He mocks proud mockers but shows favor to the humble and oppressed. (NIV) Matthew 23:12 For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted. (NIV) HUMBLE TEST 1. Do you admit you don’t know everything? 2. Do you choose listening over talking? 3. Do you celebrate others more than yourself? 4. Do you serve in ways no one sees? 5. Do you apologize quickly and sincerely? 6. Do you ask for feedback and listen without getting defensive? 7. Do you choose gratitude over entitlement? 8. Are you willing to take the lower seat or role? 9. Do you make others feel seen, valued, and important? 10. Do you remember who God is and who you are not? 2. GOD USES CHARACTER OVER CREDENTIALS Luke 1:26–27 In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, 27 to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. (NIV)

I love pie. There are so many delicious flavors from classic apple and strawberry rhubarb, to mincemeat and chocolate silk. None of these compare to one flavor, though. This kind of pie is homemade every time, though sometimes it’s served up by others to you. It can be made unintentionally, or with intense purpose. It’s no one’s favorite flavor, but it is the one we should all learn to love. I know for myself that while I hate the taste, I also often love the benefits of choking it down. What flavor is it? Humble pie. Humility throw us off so much because of our desire for self gratification and self promotion. To willingly give that up often comes with a slightly bitter taste left in the back of your mouth. The choice to be humble truly is one that brings so much greater reward than anything we could gain by our prideful action. In the Christmas story we get to see this choice play out for Shepherds, Kings from the east, and Herod the ruler in Jerusalem. Their decisions of how they would try to approach the new born King would be significant examples for us of what it looks like to approach Jesus. In your life you have the opportunity to come before the King, and you need to decide the posture you will do that with. Join us this Sunday as we look through what it means to humble ourselves before the King! -Pastor Ben Key Verse - Matthew 2:2 (NIV) - "and asked, 'Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.'” For this week's Scripture and notes: http://bible.com/events/49533716

There is no greater miracle than the miracle of the new birth–where in a split second a person is delivered from the grip of Satan and made a completely new child of God. This is all possible because of God's gift, the greatest gift, the gift of His only Son. This Son was announced by a humble forerunner who gladly stepped aside and rejoiced as Jesus' following increased.

Preached by: Pastor Alex DumasNew Grace Apostolic Temple2898 Packard Rd.Ann Arbor, MI 48108www.newgrace.orgGiving infoCash App: $NewGraceTemplePay Pal: PayPal@newgrace.orgOur Bookstore: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://bookstore.newgrace.org/Givelify: Search - New Grace Apostolic Temple

Go, tell it on the mountain,over the hills and everywhere.Go, tell it on the mountainthat Jesus Christ is born.Isaiah 52:7How do we go?Jesus Christ is bornHow do we go? 1. Who is Jesus?Genesis 1:1-5John 1:1-5How do we go? 1. Who is Jesus?2. Why did Jesus come? Jesus Christ is bornHow do we go? 1. Who is Jesus?2. Why did Jesus come? 3. How did Jesus come?Jesus Christ is BornWhile shepherds kept their watchingover silent flocks by night,behold throughout the heavens,there shone a holy light.The shepherds feared and trembledwhen lo! above the earthrang out the angel chorusthat hailed our Savior's birth.Luke 2:8-14Luke 2:16-18How do we go? With Urgency and Faith Matthew 11:28 Isaiah 53:3-5Humility invites humility.Who do you know that is weary and burdened?

All sins are ultimately rebellion against God Who redeems us by requiring our utter brokenness over them. Your Sinning Should Completely Humble You.

514-40 Years of Broken Trust to Safety & Celebration: A Christmas Miracle (Laura's Story) There is a kind of marriage pain that does not look dramatic.It's not an outward struggle.Just a quiet ache.A marriage that functions but does not feel alive. Laura lived in that space for decades. From the outside, her life looked good. Forty years of marriage. Seven children. A faithful husband. A stable home. A shared faith. Everything a good Christian marriage is supposed to be. And yet, beneath the surface, something was missing. Emotional Safety.Real connection.Being fully seen. For a long time, she told herself she had nothing to complain about. Her husband was faithful. He wasn't an alcoholic. He never abused her. He provided well for his family. But inside, Laura carried a question she barely allowed herself to ask: "Is this really all there is?" The Hidden Cycle That Brought Broken Trust Even with her husband's steadiness and Laura's determination to be grateful, there was a painful habit that entered their marriage early on that would consistently rear its ugly head. Her husband was addicted to porn. This was their cycle for many years:-Her husband would confess porn use.-There would be repentance and renewed effort.-Then, pressure would follow. Laura would put the blame on herself, thinking, "If I did better, this would not happen." She read tons and tons of books, trying to better herself.She kept respect for her husband.She pursued intimacy, knowing it was important to him. And still, the cycle kept returning. So, she did what many wives do–she minimized her pain.She told herself others had it worse. After all, he worked hard. He stayed. He was a good man. Why complain? But the heart does not heal simply because we silence it. And this belief that Laura had that it was on her was not only a lie… but it was heavy and destructive. Decades of "Just Okay" Laura kept carrying the weight of keeping the peace and enduring that vicious cycle of porn use. So, she poured herself lovingly into family life. She homeschooled their children.She kept their home while he went to work, the way they were taught to do. And yet, beneath the surface, she felt emotionally disconnected. Alongside that, she felt there was no safe place to process her pain.No one equipped to walk with her.Even when reaching out to a Christian counselor, it wasn't quite enough. So, she pushed her own pain down...for decades. But pain does not disappear because it is ignored.It simply goes underground.And it shows up as numbness, distance, or quiet resignation. Eventually, Laura realized something had to change. She could not continue living like this. She told her husband he needed help for his porn addiction and that if he did not, they may need to consider divorce. Her husband obliged, and they tried counseling together, which helped some. But it wasn't until he entered the work privately through the Coaching program that something different happened. When Safety Was Introduced Into Her Marriage Though Laura didn't know he was taking a marriage course (He shared he was taking an online class), she started to notice a difference in the way he showed up to their marriage. He did not try to fix her or pressure her.He did not demand that she change. He began bringing home flowers, letting her know she was beautiful just the way she was, planning dates.He became emotionally present.Humble.Gentle.Safe. He changed. For the first time in their marriage, Laura began to feel celebrated for who she already was instead of feeling like he wished she were different. She no longer felt like she had to earn love. She felt cherished, emotionally safe, and truly loved–just the way she was. And it changed everything. From Feeling Skeptical to Feeling Hopeful After having heard a DYM podcast episode several years before these changes, Laura had closed herself off to the thought of DYM. But then, upon hearing an episode that we created for wives, she began to see the full picture more clearly and open herself up to the program. She decided to try it herself, even though she was still a bit skeptical. She realized that what made the difference was not only the content, but the context.She was no longer alone.She had community.She had a specific place to ask her specific questions about her marriage. For the first time, Laura had a safe place to speak honestly and to process pain without being blamed. She learned she could have a voice in her marriage. She could ask for help.She learned intimacy did not have to be driven by pressure.She learned she could say no to certain requests without any fear. Most importantly, she learned she mattered. 40 Years of Marriage–And Hoping For Many More "In short, it's better than it has ever been." Our hearts filled up when she shared this with us. Her husband is more in tune to what she needs and will go out of his way to bring in "delights"–if it's planning something special, bringing her flowers, or going along with Laura's spontaneous plans (even though he is the planner in the relationship!) Also in the past few years, her husband has kicked his porn addiction for good and has remained in community through Delight Your Marriage, which has helped keep him accountable and growing.  As for Laura, you can hear the joy and peace in her voice as she shares, "I never expected that it would be this good." Praise God. There is no person too far gone and no situation too desperate for the Lord. He is a God that heals and redeems–hearts, habits, marriages, and so much more–because He cares for us. And it is true for you too. As we enter the last few weeks of the year, including celebrating the birth of our Savior, we invite you to remember what God has done and how much He loves you. Enough to send His son for you, as a defenseless child, to live a perfect life and one day die to pay the debt we could never have paid.  And then to send His Holy Spirit–to counsel us and guide us.  And even now, He is available to us to redeem and save the lost, heal our hearts, and be near to his children. He loves us.He loves you. We hope you will keep this truth near to you these next few weeks and remember once again that He sent His son to redeem everything. With love, The Delight Your Marriage Team PS - Want to bring the Delight Your Marriage Coaching to your church? Our next round of In-Person Training will be launching early 2026. Check out our website to learn more about the mission & vision of IPT and how you can bring it to your small groups & churches. PPS - Wondering just exactly how healthy your own marriage is? Are you also surviving instead of thriving? Take our free Marital Health Assessment and see what your marital score is–and how we can help. PPPS - Here is a quote from (another) recent Delighted Wife graduate: "I took the Delighted Wife program. Coming into the program, I was so hopeless that my marriage could ever get better. My heart was full of deep hate for my husband - I had years of built-up unforgiveness and pain for all of the ways I felt he had hurt and abandoned me...I was deeply depressed and suicidal from the pain of the marriage. I constantly saw death as the only way to be free of this hole that I had dug for myself...Emotionally, I am a completely different person. My heart is full of love and joy over my marriage and gratitude to the Lord for the way He has grown me. The Lord literally pulled me out of the darkness and also has shown me how much I was negatively contributing to the marriage...This is the first time in the almost 3 years of marriage that I haven't wanted to leave. I see so much beauty in my marriage and my husband."

New York Mets pitcher Nolan McLean joins Matt Forte to talk about his 2025 baseball year, making his MLB debut, choosing baseball over football, growing in his faith and 2026 expectations. Chapters:- (01:31) Nolan the football player - (05:25) Choosing baseball over football at Oklahoma State- (07:58) His MLB debut- (14:13) Expectations for 2026- (16:18) His testimony of faith- (22:41) Posting Daily Devotional on Instagram- (25:19) Who is Jesus?- (33:02) John 3:16 Syracuse Mets jersey- (34:52) - Nolan playing Matt Forte on Madden as a kid- (37:07) - His sports heroesHave a question? Got a guest suggestion? Want to advertise with us? Email us - jason@sportsspectrum.comWATCH all of our podcast episodes on our YouTube page:https://www.youtube.com/SportsSpectrumMagazineSign up for our Sports Spectrum Magazine and receive 15% off a 1-year subscription by using the code PODCAST15https://www.theincrease.com/products/sports-spectrum-magazine Do you know Christ personally? Click below to learn how you can commit your life to Him.https://sportsspectrum.com/gospel/

In episode 475 of The Reformed Brotherhood, host Jesse Schwamb explores the profound theological question: "Is God humble?" Through a careful examination of Philippians 2 and the narrative of Pharaoh in Exodus, Jesse unpacks how Christ's incarnation represents the ultimate act of divine humility. This episode reveals how Jesus—fully God and fully man—humbled himself through obedience to the point of death on a cross. As we approach the Christmas season, this timely reflection helps us understand that Christ's humility isn't just a theological concept but the very foundation of our salvation and the magnetic force that draws sinners to him. Jesse connects this humility to Jesus' parables about seeking the lost, showing that God's love manifests through the paradox of the exalted one becoming lowly. Key Takeaways Humility is fundamentally a creaturely virtue that acknowledges God as Lord and responds in obedience. Christ's incarnation wasn't a subtraction of divinity but an addition of humanity, allowing him to humble himself. Divine humility is displayed in Jesus becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross (Philippians 2:8). Pride, the opposite of humility, is actively opposed by God throughout Scripture. Christ's humility is what draws sinners to him, as seen in the parables of the lost coin, sheep, and son. True humility embraces our limitations as creatures and recognizes God's rightful authority. Jesus learned obedience through suffering, becoming the perfect high priest who can sympathize with our weaknesses. The Paradox of Divine Humility Christ's humility represents one of the most astonishing paradoxes in Scripture. As Jesse explains, humility is properly understood as a creaturely virtue—it acknowledges God as Lord and obeys as a servant. For the eternal Son to humble himself, he first had to take on human nature. The incarnation wasn't God ceasing to be God but rather God adding humanity to himself. The divine Son emptied himself "not of divinity as if that were even possible, but of the privilege of not being human, not being a creature, not suffering the bounds and limitations of finitude and the pains and afflictions of the fallen world." This emptying makes possible Christ's perfect obedience. Since humility means acknowledging God as Lord and obeying as a servant, the Son took "the form of a servant being born in the likeness of men." This allowed Jesus to demonstrate a servant heart with equal passion for God's holiness and his people's purity. Unlike our inconsistent obedience, Jesus' obedience was "an all the way kind of obedience" that persisted through suffering to death on a cross. The Magnetic Draw of Christ's Humility One of the most profound insights from the episode is how Christ's humility functions as a magnetic force drawing sinners to him. Jesse notes that in the parables, tax collectors and sinners were drawn not to the Pharisees' teaching but to Jesus himself. They came "almost magnetically" to be in his presence and hear his words. Why would this be? The answer lies in recognizing that "we all have a master" and "we are all bound to something." The critical question becomes: "How good and kind is your master?" Christ's humility reveals him to be the perfect master—one who does not lord his authority over us but uses it to serve us, even to the point of death. This servant-hearted humility draws people because it demonstrates love in action. When Jesus humbles himself to seek the lost, he reveals that the gospel isn't about making "naughty people good, but to make dead people alive and alive in him so that their life is hidden within him." Memorable Quotes "To humble oneself is to acknowledge God as Lord and then to obey as servant. In order to do so, then the Son had to take this form of a servant being born in the likeness of men." "Christ's obedience was an all the way kind of obedience, a true obedience. It wasn't part and parcel, it wasn't peace wise, it didn't be for a part of time, as long as it was comfortable and then try something else." "To humble oneself is not to be less than human. It rather is pride that is our cancer. It's pride that corrodes our true dignity. To humble ourselves is to come even ever closer, step by step to the bliss, I think, and the full flourishing for which we're made." Full Transcript [00:00:08] Jesse Schwamb: So how did Jesus humble himself and this we could spend loved ones in eternity and likely will. Talking about how did he do this By becoming obedient. It wasn't even mean to. Here is the one who is the God man. Truly God. Truly man. To humble oneself is to acknowledge God as Lord and then to obey as servant in order to do so. Then the son had to take this form of a servant being born in a likeness of men. Again, this is so rich because I think without understanding the servant heart of Christ, where there is a power and a passion in Christ for the holiness of God that is at the same time equaled with the passion for the purity and the holiness of his people. Welcome to episode 475 of The Reformed Brotherhood. I'm Jesse, and this is the podcast where all of mankind is on the naughty list. Hey, brothers and sisters, I am solo hosting once again on this episode, but I don't want you to worry. Tony will be back. Tony is alive and well. He is out in the wild doing his thing. Actually, this is probably the time of year where Tony and I bring forward that annual or perennial denial. You know, the one, it's sy against the frailty, weakness, contingency of humankind. And most often manifested in this time of year in sickness. So I don't know where you live in the world, but in my part of the world, everybody's getting it and everything is going around. The sickness is everywhere. And even if you're bobbing and weaving, if you're laying low, if you're trying to keep your head down, it just seems somehow. To snipe you. And so it sniped Tony last week and this week. Now it is his family and so he's doing what we shall do for another. He's caring for those in his own regard that are sick and unwell. And so that means it's just me on this particular episode, but not to fear. We've got lots of great things to talk about. [00:02:12] The Question: Is God Humble? [00:02:12] Jesse Schwamb: In fact, the whole purpose of this episode is going to be talking about this question is God humble and. This, if you think it's just a one-off episode. It's actually born out of this continued series that we're doing where we're going through the parables. And again, we've been talking a lot about lostness and finding things and Christ coming and seeking, saving those things that were very lost. And so as I continue to process this with Tony, one of the things that keeps coming to my mind is this question is God. Humble and what does that even have to do with any of these wild parables that we've been talking about? You know the ones too, especially if you've been listening along and hopefully you have go back, check those bad boys out. We've been talking about the lost coin, the lost Sheep, and we have yet to get to because we're just teasing this for you. We, we keep telling you it's coming, but that's just to build like this amazing anticipation for the parable of the lost son or the prodigal son. It's coming, and part of that, again, for me is wrapped up in this question, is God humble? So let's talk about that a little bit. [00:03:13] Humility in Scripture [00:03:13] Jesse Schwamb: It's interesting to me that throughout the scriptures, we find across both all the New Testament, that God gives us this imperative to seek humility or to put on humility, or to have a humble mind, as Peter says. And it's something that is so ubiquitous that we kind of just flies by us. Of course. Like we would get the sense that it would be ridiculous to be like. I am so good at being humble that that in itself is oxymoronic. And yet we also know that we don't want to advertise, that we're trying to seek after humility. 'cause it seems like that's the very thing that we're trying to avoid in proclaiming or promulgating our pride and that kind of thing. But it's not just that, of course, God is seeking his children to be humble, but I think one of the most condemning things the scripture says to us about how God behaves. Toward people is that he opposes the proud. So the opposite of being humble, and we'll get to that in a second. We had to define what that means, but let's just take for a second that the opposite of that might be being prideful. It is fascinating that it's not just God is indifferent toward pride, that he does everything in his volition to push against it. And of course, because nothing can thwart the outstretched in mighty arm of God, that means that he wins inevitably against all that is pride prideful. And so he opposes it. And this is what. We should realize is that really the eschatological judgment, the fact that there is both heaven and hell reward and eternal punishment. This is a reflection of God opposing the proud that in the final state, the one who says, I want nothing to do with God because I can take care of it myself, is the one that God must oppose pose because he always. Opposes that which is prideful, and so it makes sense. Then if he opposes the proud, if that is in a way, an enemy that he will ultimately defeat, it cannot stand up against him that shouldn't. That in that path is both destruction that is internally derived and chosen, but also destruction that comes externally because it will be defeated. Then the best thing that God's people could be is to be humble. And so the question I think then persists, can God be humble? Is God. Humble. One of the things that is clear in scripture, again, this is the testimony of the entire arc of the salvific story of God and his recu of his people. Um, the coming and drawing close giving of himself so that he might draw people onto himself. Is that the testimony of humility is both positive and negative in the scriptures. So we could look at examples of those who humbled themselves. That's what the scripture says, like Josiah, Hezekiah, Rebo, Ahab, Vanessa, and then there, of course, you could probably think of as just as many negative examples who did not. What comes to my mind, of course, is Pharaoh. Or am Amen or Zetia. So what becomes clear though is when you look at those examples that the humbling first belongs to the hand of God. That even here, once again, God's doing all the verbs. That's exactly what he does. And so this idea of even like humbling yourself. Has like a precursor, there's an antecedent. And is God doing some kind of great work to allow for this humbling to even take place? He initiates the humbling of his creatures. And once he has, then the question confronts us, uh, which is, are we going to receive it? How will we bear up underneath it? Will we submit ourselves to it because God has allowed us, or has humbled ourselves first so that we don't respond in kind. So in response to his humbling hand. Will we kick against him? Or as the, you know, king James version says, will we kick against the gods or are we going to come and humble ourselves before God? So this idea, I think of humbling ourselves isn't just like you wake up one day and you say, no, it'd be really fantastic. Is my life would be better if I was just humble. I, I hear that God opposed to the proud, I don't wanna get. Lost in that. I don't wanna get wrapped in that. I would rather, instead I just become more humble. Even the ability to humble oneself first comes from this humbling hand of God, which is of course the greatest gift. And so of course Peter writes, humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God. I mean, that's where I'm drawing this from and. That is the first descent of humility. The first coming down is a word that God would do that for us, will put us in a place that we might be humbled. And then the creature has somewhat in his turn kind of imperfect language, but somehow in his response that God is humbling me. Will I embrace it? Will I humble myself? So given that background, I think you know exactly where I'm about to go in the scripture, and that is. The pretty, I would say, epic passage of humility, which is Philippians two. It's one of the most striking assertions in all of scriptures. That Christ himself, Jesus the Savior, the one who is truly God and truly man, he humbled himself and God himself truly divine, truly human, and the person of his son, he humbles himself. And I think that is worth the slow meditation and a little bit of marveling again, as we consider that in light of. All that happens in these parables about lostness and ness is coming from in some way this first humility. And I think that's just so critical because it's not just context, it's the air in which we breathe and operate and understand who we are and who we are in Christ. And so I think before like we even assume. I wanna assume like too much about like this idea of humility and then getting it ultimately to this question is God humble, which you may think I just answered by reading Philippians two eight, but in fact I think it's even more complex and more beautiful and more deeply layered than all of that. I think it's worth for a second, just thinking about this idea of like, what is humility? [00:08:35] Pharaoh's Pride vs. Humility [00:08:35] Jesse Schwamb: And as far as I can tell, really the first mention of humility outright, like outright mention explicit notation in the scriptures comes in that showdown between Egypt's Pharaoh and Yahweh mediated through Moses and. And I picked this because it's really instructive for getting a sense of how the Bible, how the scripture, the Holy Spirit is apprehending this word and driving it into the context so that we might learn from it, so that later on we're told that we ought to exhibit humility, put on humility that we understand it in the way that God has taught it to us. And so you'll remember. Probably that Moses dared to appear before Pharaoh. He is an Exodus five, and he speaks on Yahweh's behalf, and it's that famous sentence, that famous imperative, let my people go to, which Pharaoh replies in my paraphrase, listen, I don't know who Yahweh is. I have no idea what you're talking about. I don't listen to his voice. I don't acknowledge him, and therefore you can't go. It's just not gonna happen. What is incredible about this. What I think is like really illustrative for our lives is that Pharaoh swollen in pride here, and again, God's gonna pose him swollen with all of this. Pride has, it's not that he hasn't thought through what he's saying here, it's just that he's made an incredible miscalculation. He actually did a little mathematics here as the creature, and he decides that. As a creature in relation to the creator God that he does not need to obey. In other words, he does not acknowledge or recognize or know this God, and because he doesn't know any of those things about Yahweh, then he's well within his reason to come to the conclusion that he does not need to obey and therefore he refuses. The reason why I think that's so critical and a little bit wild is that is exactly what the natural man is prone to do to make this miscalculation built on even some kind of reasonable logic, so to speak. That says, well, because I don't understand it, because I don't see it, because I can't acknowledge it because I've never heard it. Therefore, it cannot exist. It doesn't exist. It's not worthy of being obeyed. It's a bit like saying, just because I've never seen fire, that's not hot. And so it's crazy here that in the midst of all of that, we could say Pharaoh has made this enormous miscalculation. And so what he's going to do is he's going to essentially oppose God. He refuses to obey, and then of course, Exodus 10 as we move. This story describes this call to humility, and it is a call to humility, which when I was thinking back through this, I was like, this is wild. Because we tend to think this story as like submission and beating down and humility might not be the principle word. That comes to our mind when we think about how Har Pharaoh has to ultimately respond. But after seven plagues on the cusp of the eighth plague, God speaks to Pharaoh, and again, he's listen. He says to him, how long will you refuse to humble yourself before me? So fascinating because we have this. Humbling, mighty hand of God, the outstretched work of God, his hand and arm going out into the world of his creation and putting Pharaoh in a particular place and position. And the piercing question in this context of this extended powerful encounter gives us this glimpse into the heart of humility, which I think is this humility recognizes and obeys the one who is truly. God. So there's not just an intellectual scent, but an experiential knowledge that comes from the revelation of who God is that is under his purview granted to his people, and that then causes us to acknowledge and obey the one who's truly Lord. It's exact opposite of affairs response, which again says, I don't know that voice. I've never heard it. Who is Yahweh? And instead it's replaced with a humility that acknowledges that God is Lord of all, that Jesus Christ is one only son, and that his Holy Spirit is with and indwells his people and that he is truly Lord. So humility entails this kind of right view, I think of self. Because Pharaoh Miscalculates, but the humble person makes the right calculus, the one who is created by God and accountable to God, which requires the right view of God as creator and this authority in relation to all his creatures. And so humility then is of course, like not a preoccupation with self or one's, even one's own lowness only in so much as it's in relation to what we just mentioned. That's a right view of self. It's an agreement with God. Of course confession coming alongside agreeing with God, but it's a mindful and conscious understanding of who God is and his highness, his holiness, that he's high and lifted up, and then the self in respect to his position. You know, that's one of the things that I think always strikes me about humility is that it's this idea and this acknowledgement that God is high and lifted up. And so while we don't come too hard on ourselves merely because we want to create a pity party, it's a recognition that. Aside from the mediator work of Christ to to stand in the presence of God would to be literally torn asunder by the molecule because his holiness cannot be, or rather, I would say our sinfulness cannot be in this presence of the one who is perfect in majesty and in righteousness, in intellect, and in in comprehension and creativity. We cannot exist in that space apart from this mediated work of Christ the beautiful. Be editorial, like benevolent distance, so to speak, that Christ creates so that we might come into the presence of God, as Hebrew says, running as it were, coming in, not haphazardly, but purposefully into the throne room of God because. And his holiness. He's a way to, he's made a way for him to be just and justifier. That is incredible. Loved ones. It's beautiful. And that is all. Again, I think just underneath this parable, it's starting with this sense of humility has brought all of this into play, and it's a critical part of God's design and plan. There's a condescension, but I think even here, underneath that condescension is something about humility. That is worth discussing. And there is, the question again, is God humble. So put it another way. Humility, I think embraces the reality that you and I. We're not God. You know, pride led to humanity's fall when Adam and Eve desired to be like God, which is contrary to his command and humility would have obeyed his command, which is what we'll see when we come to Christ and especially Christ's work. So. [00:15:06] Christ's Humility and Obedience [00:15:06] Jesse Schwamb: It strikes me then, and this is why I threw out this question, is like, is God humble? It's kind of a setup, I'll be honest, because all of I said so far, if you are keeping score at home, you probably should be drawing out then that I'm essentially saying that humility is a creaturely virtue. Actually, it's not just me. A lot of people have said that, a lot of the old ones. I postulate that, that when we think about humility explicitly and in a narrow context, that's a creaturely virtue. It's a posture of. All of who we are, our soul, our body, our life, our activities, our families, our possessions. It's acknowledgement in those things and embracing that the goodness of God and that he is the one who controls and commands all things, all of our destiny, which means. This question is God humble? It is kind of like linguistically and theologically tricky, like not for the sake of creating a tricky question for like a part of the game, but the the answer is in a sense, no, but not because God, I think is the opposite of what we'd consider humble. He's not arrogant, he's not prideful. Rather, humility is a creaturely virtue and he's God. So we need to be again, in this appropriate separation of our state and who God is, recognizing that those are two very different things. All of this though, I think, contributes to moving us in a direction of understanding, well, what does this mean then? For Jesus Christ, the God man, the one who humbled himself. You've probably been screaming the entire time. Will you get to that? What about that? And I think that is the critical question that is behind everything that we're reading about. In these parables. In other words, why is Jesus this way? What has brought him into this particular place to say these particular things to these people? We talked last time about how one of the things that's remarkable is that all of these sinners, like the down out, the broken, the marginalized, the pariahs, they were all drawn to Jesus teaching, not even drawn. I mean, there's distinction not drawn to the Fara teaching, to the rules of the law, but drawn to Jesus, almost magnetically coming to him. Compelled as it were, to be in his presence, to hear the things he was saying. Captivate, I mean, can you imagine yourself there? Not necessarily there in that environment, but captivated again by the teachings of Jesus, how good they are, how true they are, how incredible they are. And so I think it's possible for us to marvel then at that remarkable word then from the impossible, Paul, when he says that Christ humbled himself in Philippians two, eight. And no, I think that that confirms our definition above of humanity, uh, of. Humility rather as being something in humanity, of being a, a creaturely virtue in that the eternal son first became a man. That's what Paul says in verse seven, and then humbled himself in verse eight. And I'm gonna submit to you that this is really the one of the most epic parts of the gospel that. This is the only way we can get this kind of humility, this humbling of God is if first he comes to undertake the creaturely virtue so that then he himself or become rather, lemme say it this way, I'm getting too excited, loved ones. It's rather that we first must have God become a creature, so to speak, not emptying himself as we'll. Talk about. Of, of his godness, but instead taking on this flesh so that he might humble himself be to be like his children who must be humbled and in fact will ultimately be humbled in the ES eschaton no matter what they believe. And so the verb Paul uses to capture the action of the incarnation is, is not humbled here first, but it's this idea of emptied. So again, Philippians two is verse six and seven. Paul writes, being in the form of God, Jesus did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself by taking the form of a servant and being born in the likeness of man. And so this movement. [00:18:59] The Incarnation and Humility [00:18:59] Jesse Schwamb: From heaven to earth, which if you're listening to this in more or less real or New York time, as we're coming into the season of the calendar where we celebrate the incarnation, again, I've been thinking so much about this beautiful gift of the incarnation, and I've been thinking about that in light of Jesus coming to seek and to save the lost and this real heart to hearts kind of way where he's speaking the truth to the people who need to hear it most, and they're drawn magnetically to him, into his teaching. And so that movement. From Heaven to earth is an emptying. It's the divine son emptying himself, not of divinity as if that were even possible, but of the privilege of not being human, not being a creature, not suffering the bounds and limitations of finitude and the pains and afflictions of the fallen world. I think a lot, honestly, especially this time of year, I think a lot about strange things like Jesus has fingernails and blood vessels and eyeballs and hair and toes. And shins and knee bones, you know, all of these things. Because to me it's this incomprehensible reality that God loves me so much that he would send his only son to be a creature, but in a way that was limited to the same creatureliness that I have. And then would forever, in a way, in his glorified state, identify still with that creature. And only in that process could he come and humble himself. I mean, that's incredible. I mean. Could not have grasped like the divine privilege of not being subjected to the rules and realities of creation. But instead, he empties himself by taking our humanity. He was emptying not by subtraction of identity, but by addition of humanity. This is the taking, the taking on, and this allows him then to become obedient and in that obedience, that passive and act of obedience. What we find is that Christ is able to say these very things that are exemplified in the parables, that this is the height of God, and he says, it is in your midst. The kingdom of God is here and I am the kingdom, and it's all because he has come in such a way. To empty himself again, where that was not a subtraction of divinity, but addition of humanity. It is an amazing and glorious truth. It's the thing upon which like turns all of salvation and all of the world that God would do this and do it so completely that again, it's finalized, it's complete, it's already done. So first, Jesus became a man. And then as a man came the ly virtue, he humbled himself. And Paul confirms what we learned about humility. In the negative example, I think in Pharaoh of Pharaoh in Nexus 10 and being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. [00:21:49] Christ's Obedience to Death [00:21:49] Jesse Schwamb: So how did Jesus humble himself and this we could spend loved ones in eternity and likely will. Talking about how did he do this By becoming obedient. It wasn't even mean to. Here is the one who is the God man. Truly God. Truly man. To humble oneself is to acknowledge God as Lord and then to obey as servant in order to do so. Then the son had to take this form of a servant being born in a likeness of men. Again, this is so rich because I think without understanding the servant heart of Christ, where there is a power and a passion in Christ for the holiness of God that is at the same time equaled with the passion for the purity and the holiness of his people. And those two things come together and coalesce in the gospel because we know that righteousness and holiness is completely vouched, safe to God. It's under his purview and his control, and it comes to his people when he draws close. That's how it was in the Old Testament, and that's how it was in the New Testament. And so as Christ in human form is coming and drawing near to his people, he's preaching this good news message that those who eat his flesh and drink his blood will have salvation and eternal life in him So intimately wrapped up that again, he hasn't just come. In the Christmas season to make naughty people good, but to make dead people alive and alive in him so that their life is hidden within him, and therefore, because he's the indestructible life, your life and mine cannot be destroyed either. I. So it is this amazing mark of the fullness of humanity and identification with us that he didn't just come on special terms. You know, I often think it's not like God on a deck chair laid out looking down as a creation separate as he were, as it were, just observing and kind of more or less interjecting here and there. It wasn't Jesus coming at. Arms length, distance. It wasn't God snatching him up when the frustrations of our limits or the pains of our world fell him. He had the full human experience. He was all in fully human and body mind. Hearts will and surroundings. Fully human in our finitude and all of this frustrations that we share that are just part of our lives, fully human in. Vulnerability to the worst of the civil world can work. Clearly that's manifested in his ign Ammonious death. Nor was he at the bottom spared the very essence of being human. He was accountable to God. Even there, that humility is incredible, that he himself learned, undertook, became obedient so that he would be accountable to God a father. Hebrews five celebrates this. Exactly. I love this set of words. Although Jesus was a son, he learned obedience through what he suffered and being made perfect. He became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him. And if he is our first brother, then the calling that we have is to do exactly the same, to come before him, to obey him and to see him as the one who is high and lift it up. But that self humbling, that humiliation doesn't just stop with obedience. And that's why the apostle keeps going. It says to the point of death, how far did it take him? How far did he go? How far was he willing to go? Volitionally all the way. To the point of death. And Christ obedience was an all the way kind of obedience, a true obedience. It wasn't part and parcel, it wasn't peace wise, it didn't be for a part of time, as long as it was comfortable and then try something else. You know, of course, even in the garden when he's praying and the disciples are with the in your shot and he asked that the cup might pass, we might reasonably ask what other option was there. And so here even Christ says. Even to the point of death, forsaking all other things, real obedience endures in obedience, which is a really difficult thing. And so I'm grateful because my obedience is peace wise, it is part and parcel, it is weak, it is feeble. And instead we have Christ who is transferred all of his righteousness into our account. And all of that righteousness is because of real obedience that he undertook, endured in obedience. And so Christ did not begin obedience and then surrender disobedience once the greatest threats loomed even in the garden. There he again. He is coming before the father and he is continuing to obey. He's humbled. So I think God does indeed command our humility and one of the ways that he can command that it, well, there's many ways. First and foremost, by fiat, he's God and his character demands it. The second way is that, again, coming back to these parables. Finally, and lastly, we see that Christ is exhibiting great humility in the message that he's bringing forward and all of this, that he comes forward to save and all of the seeking that he undertakes, he conspires with God in humility to bring his children. Into the fold. There was no other way without this incredible humility of Christ, this humility that shows us that it's not denigrating of humanity, but it's God's image shining in its fullness. That this is the very thing he comes to restore and to humble oneself is not to be less than human. It rather it is. Pride that is our cancer. It's pride that corrodes our true dignity to humble ourselves is to come even ever closer, step by step to the bliss, I think, and the full flourishing for which we're made. And Christ exemplifies that very thing. And I submit to you loved ones. It's that very humility. This is what I buried the lead on last week. It's that very humility that draws the sinner. Because we all have a master. We are all slaves to something, which I know is really unpopular to say, but hear me out. We are all stuck on something. We are all bound into something. It's just like we say with worship, it's not whether we not, we choose to worship. It's what we worship and we are what we worship. All those things are true. All those cliches stand and if they're true, then the opposite is true and that is that we're all bound to something. The question is how good and kind is your master. The thing in which you are bound to the thing which you choose to serve and submit to how life giving is that thing. And the humility of Christ clarifies that not all of our hum lings are owning to our own sin that Christ had. None, none. Yet he humbled himself. Sometimes repentance is the first step in self humbling. Other times it's not. Our self humbling may often come in response to our exposure to sin, but even in Christ sinless as he was. He heeded the father's call to humble himself. And so I think for us, as we think about what it means then to go and study these parables, we first even need to humble our understanding, our cognizance, our reasoning, our logic, that the scripture as given by God as his very word to us, stand so far above us. That while we study it and we interrogate it, that we dare not stand in opposition to it because it is the high and lofty command of God for us because he's good and his love endures forever. So I hope that as we continue to build into this next step of looking at this final lost parable, that we can all continue to just appreciate and boast in the God man who in his humility, makes the gospel possible, and that in his humility shows. A greater sense of what it means to have the abundant life. And we have to take Jesus at his word, loved ones when he says like He's come, not just to give life, but to give it in abundance that that is a real quantity, and that the humility of Christ in his life and death and resurrection testifies to one of God's clearest and most memorable promises in all of scripture. That again, he humbles the proud and he exalts the humble. So it was with Christ. He humbled himself and God has highly exalted him. I remember reading John Owen writing about. Justification and Christ's time of suffering in the Garden of Gethsemane and his preparation for the cross and inevitably his, his forsaking, his forsakenness on that cross and how Jesus himself entrusted his justification to God the Father, which I think is a. A, a conception that will make your mind do a somersault. I mean, think about it long enough that even Jesus himself in learning obedience and taking upon himself the full measure of what it was to sit under the law and then to obey it perfectly, was still going to his death, knowing that he was gonna be the greatest sinner who ever lived yet was gonna be the one without sin, having committed any, that he himself was entrusting all of that he had accomplished and who he was. To God the father, to justify him and his resurrection on the third day loved ones is proof positive that he is the savior. That we all long for that in our sickness right now, as in our world, as all these things groan, as they all say, in some way, maratha, Lord, come quickly, that we are acknowledging that Jesus Christ is the one. Who in his complete humility satisfied the law of God to such degree that he was justified before God the father, and raised TriNet on the third day as proof positive that he is in fact the Savior, the chosen one, the Messiah, the first brother, the firstborn among the dead, the serpent crusher. The one who will come and redeem all of his people. So I hope there's something in there for you that's an encouragement that lifts up as if they were even possible to do more than they already are. That lifts up these parables that we've been talking about, that it's not just, of course, that Jesus on this mission because. He's full of love. His love predated all of this. Now, this is why we keep coming back to, uh, all Christians at all times, in all heirs. John three 16, for God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son. Now whosoever should believe in him. Now, all the believing ones should have eternal life, and that eternal life is purchased by the blood of Christ and through his humility, but also it is a, a stark reminder that love always leads to giving. And here we have God the father, giving his son Unreservedly for us, becoming Creature Lee, so that he might undertake the humility of the creature. And in so doing fully, not just, I would say identify with who we are, but become like us in every a. Way yet without sin, which is why can we rejoice that even now in the sound of my voice or yours, wherever you are, there is Jesus Christ in Heavenly Rumble. Before the God the Father interceding perfectly as this incredible representative, as the scriptures are, he says, as this best of all, the high priests, the perfect one. Who is ushering us in to bend the ear, as it were of God because of what he's accomplished on our behalf. Man, that is good news. And if it's not good news and you don't think it is, you better check your pulse. Check it right now. [00:33:20] Conclusion and Next Episode Teaser [00:33:20] Jesse Schwamb: So you need to come back. And listen to the next episode because we are, I mean, I think assuming everybody's healthy, Lord willing, we're gonna talk about the Prodigal Son and really wrap up this culmination of the lost parables. But of course, you know that I'm contractually obligated to say to you all. That you don't have to just wait to interact until the next podcast. You can come hang out with us, and I gotta say it again for all the people in the back. The way that you do that is this little app called Telegram. You might be using Telegram already to message with your friends and your family. If so, you might not have known that. There's also a little group within Telegram for the Reform Brotherhood. Everybody who listens, everybody wants to hang out and talk about theology or life share prayer requests. It's all happening right there, and I promise you, you will not be disappointed if you come check it out. So you're probably saying enough already. Tell me how to do that. Alright, here's what you do. Get a piece of paper, stop the car, put down the backhoe for a second, and listen up. You go to your favorite browser and you type in t me slash reform brotherhood. T. Me Reform Brotherhood. Come hang out with us. Come talk about the episode, and until then, everybody stay. Well keep your head down. Don't list sick sickness night people. But remember, even if it does, you have this great high priest who endured obedience, in obedience to bring you abundant life, to identify with you, to resonate with you, to give you the love of God, and to finally conquer sin, death, and the devil. I say loved ones, so until next time, you know what to do. Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood.

The nativity is more than a quiet scene on a mantel—it’s the moment Hope took on flesh. Drawing from Luke 2:7, this devotional reflects on the tender, intimate way God chose to enter the world: humble, small, and wrapped in cloth. Like Mary, the shepherds, and the wise men who followed a star into the unknown, we’re invited to pursue Hope with trust, curiosity, and courage. Hope doesn’t shout; it waits to be sought. And when we find it—when we find Him—fear loses its grip and light floods the dark corners of our lives. Highlights A personal window into the author’s first night of motherhood and the nearness of God Parallels between Mary’s quiet moment with Jesus and our own encounters with divine presence The power of hope to silence fear—echoed in Scripture and even unexpected cultural references Why hope often appears humble and easy to overlook The shepherds’ and wise men’s radical pursuit of a Savior they barely understood A reminder that true hope isn’t about earthly rewards but eternal transformation The invitation to seek, embrace, and live out the hope found in Christ Gift Inspiration: Crosswalk's Holiday Gift Guide Looking for a meaningful way to celebrate the season? Check out our Holiday Gift Guide—from beautifully illustrated Bibles and devotionals to novels, greeting cards, and picture books, there’s something for everyone on your list. Wrap up stories for loved ones, tuck a book into your own nightstand, and join us in celebrating the wonder of giving this Christmas! Full Transcript Below: Hope Wrapped in Swaddling Clothes By Peyton Garland Bible Reading: “...and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.” Luke 2:27 (NIV) Outside experiencing Christ’s salvation, I haven’t felt God’s presence so loudly, so beautifully, as the night after I had my first son. My little guy didn’t have to stay in the hospital nursery, so he spent his first night with me. Exhausted from the previous night’s midnight contractions coupled with a five-in-the-morning birth, I welcomed the quiet, dark hush that finally fell over the hospital floors. I recall the sole soft yellow light the nurses left on in my room through that night, and it shone directly over my baby. Despite the new mysteries and fears naturally coupled with motherhood, like Hagar, I felt seen, known, and embraced (Genesis 16). The presence of the Almighty was undeniable. I imagine that Mary felt much the same as the Star of Bethlehem pierced through a world filled with darkness and cast its beautiful warmth over her, and Hope wrapped in swaddling clothes. She had little choice but to accept the kindness and favor God had placed on her through such a tiny, splendid creature. Hope for Mary’s people was now tangible. If you have ever read the best-selling sci-fi series, The Hunger Games, or watched its film adaptations, you recall one of the trilogy’s most famous quotes: “Hope is the only thing stronger than fear.” Though quoted by the villainous President Snow, I agree with his assessment. Hope has this unearthly ability to squelch our greatest fears, yet hope rarely screams to be seen. Hope is often humble, just like Katniss Everdeen, a poor young girl from an outcast district, who was willing to sacrifice her life to become hope for a nation of oppressed people. Hope wants you to seek it out to affirm the worth you’ve placed upon it. It’s not that hope is dictatorial. Rather, hope recognizes that without your willingness to seek it and embrace it, it will never truly live inside you. You won’t experience its fullness without placing personal faith in its power. Is that not what the nativity scene reminds us? Humble beginnings? Faith that seems scientifically impossible and socially fatal? The shepherds were greeted by a host of angels and told to meet a newborn baby who would save their souls. The wise men (likely sorcerers) felt the holy calling of a God they weren’t intimate with, yet they spent months, likely years, pursuing a star (most scholars believe the wise men didn’t reach Christ until he was two years old). This great pursuit didn’t lead the shepherds or wise men to a king in royal garb. They didn’t discover troves of treasure. There wasn’t any earthly reward they gained from this blind trust. Instead, they met a young boy born to lowly Jews, but they were radically bettered forever. In fact, Scripture confirms that the wise men pledged their souls to Christ, worshipping him, and protecting Him from King Herod: “[Herod] sent [the wise men] to Bethlehem and said, ‘Go and search carefully for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.’ After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother, Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.” We are granted the same opportunity to pursue Hope, even if we aren’t promised worldly possessions or fame. Hope doesn’t need a bonus package or special add-ons to fill our hearts with love and light that brings us joy, no matter our lot in life. Hope only needs a baby wrapped in swaddling clothes, a baby committed to experiencing sacrificial death, then shedding grave clothes for mankind to know eternal peace. What a beautiful reason to celebrate the true meaning and hope of this Christmas season! Intersecting Faith & Life: As Christmas approaches, take a few moments as a family to discuss the importance of the nativity scene and consider age-appropriate crafts and devotionals centered on its significance. Further Reading:Matthew 2Who Is Really Coming to Town Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

THE SPIRIT OF CHRIST vs THE SPIRIT OF THIS WORLD / THE RIGHT AND THE WRONG SPIRITS Part 15: A Humble versus an Arrogant Spirit Part 13- final session on Humility versus ArroganceSend us a textSupport the showThank you for listening to our podcast!If you have any questions, subjects you would like to hear discussed, or feedback of any kind, you can contact us at:greengac@yahoo.com or through the links below, where you can find additional information about our work as well as other materials: Green Gospel Assembly Church – The Church that is Different (church website)

THE SPIRIT OF CHRIST vs THE SPIRIT OF THIS WORLD / THE RIGHT AND THE WRONG SPIRITS Part 13: A Humble versus an Arrogant Spirit Part 11- This session addresses the issue of self-righteousness in individuals and churches Send us a textSupport the showThank you for listening to our podcast!If you have any questions, subjects you would like to hear discussed, or feedback of any kind, you can contact us at:greengac@yahoo.com or through the links below, where you can find additional information about our work as well as other materials: Green Gospel Assembly Church – The Church that is Different (church website)

THE SPIRIT OF CHRIST vs THE SPIRIT OF THIS WORLD / THE RIGHT AND THE WRONG SPIRITS Part 14: A Humble versus an Arrogant Spirit Part 12- A continuation of thoughts on self-righteousness as well as on the restoration of the church and true foundation and ancient landmarksSend us a textSupport the showThank you for listening to our podcast!If you have any questions, subjects you would like to hear discussed, or feedback of any kind, you can contact us at:greengac@yahoo.com or through the links below, where you can find additional information about our work as well as other materials: Green Gospel Assembly Church – The Church that is Different (church website)

Today's debrief Zero Limits Podcast host Matty Morris chat with Big Chocky and Scott Jones aka SCOJOThese debriefs we touch base with a previous guest and check in on their lives and talk about anything and everything. More specifically chat about the most recent radical islam terrorist attack Bondi Beach, Sydney Australia.Send us a text however note we cannot reply through these means. Please message the instagram or email if you are wanting a response. Support the showWebsite - www.zerolimitspodcast.comInstagram - https://www.instagram.com/zero.limits.podcast/?hl=enHost - Matty Morris www.instagram.com/matty.m.morrisSponsors Instagram - @gatorzaustralia www.gatorzaustralia.com15% Discount Code - ZERO15(former/current military & first responders 20% discount to order please email orders@gatorzaustralia.com.au Instagram - @3zeroscoffee 3 Zeros Coffee - www.3zeroscoffee.com.au 10% Discount Code - 3ZLimits Instagram - @getsome_au GetSome Jocko Fuel - www.getsome.com.au 10% Discount Code - ZEROLIMITS

THE SPIRIT OF CHRIST vs THE SPIRIT OF THIS WORLD / THE RIGHT AND THE WRONG SPIRITS Part 13: A Humble versus an Arrogant Spirit Part 11- This session addresses the issue of self-righteousness in individuals and churches, and will be continued in one final session (to follow) on the issue of arrogance versus humility, with some closing thoughtsSend us a textSupport the showThank you for listening to our podcast!If you have any questions, subjects you would like to hear discussed, or feedback of any kind, you can contact us at:greengac@yahoo.com or through the links below, where you can find additional information about our work as well as other materials: Green Gospel Assembly Church – The Church that is Different (church website)

Reach Out: Please include your email and I will get back to you. Thanks!Excel Still More Journal - AmazonNew GENESIS Daily Bible Devotional!Daily Bible Devotional Series - AmazonSponsors:  Spiritbuilding Publishers Website:  www.spiritbuilding.comTyler Cain, Senior Loan Officer, Statewide MortgageWebsites: https://statewidemortgage.com/https://tylercain.floify.com/Phone: 813-380-8487Pick One Per Day: - Be Harmonious- Be Sympathetic- Be Brotherly- Be Kindhearted- Be Humble in Spirit- Be Unprovokable (do not return insult for insult but give a blessing instead)We didn't read it in the podcast today, but I Peter 3:10-12 follows that list with this: "The one who desires life, to love and see good days, must keep his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit. He must turn away from evil and do good; he must seek peace and pursue it. For the eyes of the Lord are toward the righteous, and His ears attend to their prayer, but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil." 

Humble people are happy people. Joyce shares practical tips to help you experience more joy in your life and relationships.

Humble people have more fun. Joyce shares what it means to be humble in spirit, and how it helps us love others well.