Podcasts about if john

John 13:23 One of his disciples, the one Jesus loved, was at the table to the right of Jesus in a place of honor (leaning on Jesus' chest). John 19:26 So when Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing there, he said to his mother, “Woman, look, here is your son!” ----more---- John 20:2 So she went running to Simon Peter and the other disciple whom Jesus loved and told them, “They have taken the Lord from the tomb, and we don't know where they have put him!” John 21:7 Then the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” So Simon Peter, when he heard that it was the Lord, tucked in his outer garment (for he had nothing on underneath it), and plunged into the sea. John 21:20 Peter turned around and saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following them. (This was the disciple who had leaned back against Jesus' chest at the meal and asked, “Lord, who is the one who is going to betray you?”) Who named John, “The Disciple Whom Jesus Loved”?  Since the only places where John is called, The Disciple Whom Jesus Loved, are in John's Gospel, he obviously up with the idea to refer to himself as The Disciple Whom Jesus Loved.   And there is no indication in scripture that John was Jesus' star pupil.  In short, John saw Jesus' love for them as the central motivation for everything Jesus did.  So John chose to define himself by Jesus' love for him.    Years later John speaks about Love more than any other writer in the Bible.  And in 1John 4:10 he reveals to the secret to understanding and walking in Love…  In this is love: not that we have loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins.   Perhaps other disciples might have believed Jesus' primary motivation toward them was His mission.  And that he basically valued them as Followers, or Ministers of His Gospel.  In which case they would have described themselves as The Disciple Who Followed Jesus, or …Served Jesus.  But because John identified with Jesus' love for him, that brought him into great favor.  And we too should identify ourselves by Jesus' love for us. Think about it… Is your relationship with Jesus defined by how you are towards Him or how He is towards you? Some people see themselves as having come to Jesus more than Jesus having come to them.  Some people see their relationship with Jesus as a more of a necessity on their part than a desire on His part.  They have a stronger sense of their need for Him than of His love for them Some people see their walk with Jesus being driven by their pursuit of Him more than His pursuit of them. Some people think GOD's motivation toward them is determined more by their correct actions toward Him than His perfect love for them.  When people see Jesus this way their tendency is to think, I'm not very spiritual so GOD's not very interested in me. If John had referred to himself as The Disciple Whom Jesus Forgave, or Took Pity On, or Tolerated, he would have been focusing more on himself rather than the LORD.  But when John saw that Jesus loved him, he overlooked all his own shortcomings and accepted GOD's promotion as the Disciple GOD loved!  That understanding transformed John's life…  1John 4:16-19  And we have come to know and to believe the love that God has in us. God is love, and the one who resides in love resides in God, and God resides in him.  Through this love is perfected with (in) us, so that we may have confidence in the day of judgment, because just as Jesus is, so also are we in this world.  [In this world we have the SAME relationship of LOVE with the Father that sustained Jesus here]  There is no fear in love, but perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears punishment has not been perfected in love.  We love because he loved us first.    That understanding of GOD's love for him transformed the Son of Thunder into a man of exceptional calm and confidence.   Don't let your identity in this world keep you from the transformation GOD's love has for you… Mark 10:21-22 And Jesus, looking at him, LOVED him, and said to him, “You lack one thing: go, sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.”  Disheartened by the saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions. John's focus on Jesus' love for Him brought him into positions of great favor: Inside information at the Last Supper unharassed access to Jesus' trial Entrusted with Jesus' mother Given the Book of Revelation The only un-martyred disciple Many people identify primarily with God's mercy, or forgiveness, or His calling.  Though true, these are not our strongest connections to God.  1Cor. 13:13 And now these three remain (abide): faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love. Faith that believes Jesus is GOD is great. And having Hope in Heaven is great. But knowing and believing GOD LOVES YOU is the greatest.

Episode 766 | Adriel Sanchez and Bill Maier answer caller questions. Show Notes CoreChristianity.com Questions in this Episode 1. If John 7-8 are not in the original manuscripts, should we consider them canonical? 2. I am a young mom with three young children. My question is, what happens if the Lord comes back when my kids are still too young to fully comprehend the gospel? What happens if the Lord comes back while I'm still pregnant? Will I have my baby in heaven? 3. Should Christians be more familiar with the Book of Enoch? 4. I am a nurse and am resisting my state's mandatory vaccine requirement. I think it may be the Mark of the Beast. What do you think? 5. I was in a Bible study when someone asked about the actual meaning of repentance. Vine's expository dictionary says that it means “to perceive afterwards”, “to have a change of mind.” When I studied “repent” and “repentance” in Englishman's concordance, it seems like all the verses refer specifically to the act of salvation, as opposed to a Christian ‘repenting' of sin after they're saved. Can you please help me out in understanding the correct idea and meaning of repent and repentance? 6. What is the correct interpretation of the verses John 14:26 and John 16:13? Do they apply to Christians in general or do they only apply to the apostles (and the direct associates of the apostles) in relation to the the inspiration of the New Testament?

If John the Apostle had issues, if he had failings, if he had sins, how did he ever manage to get his life on track?  John, of course, found the path for his life in the sound of his Savior's Heartbeat.  If you think you're ready to embrace the Love that raises the dead to life, then settle in with Eleanor, Brenda, and Randy as they return to the topic of dating Jesus and pursuing our Beloved.

Episode 714 | Adriel Sanchez and Bill Maier answer caller questions. Show Notes CoreChristianity.com   1. What does it mean to live in a “fallen” world? 2. How can we understand the relationship between predestination and free will? 3. Should Christians tithe from all forms of income? 4. In Galatians 5:24, Paul says that, “those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.” How do we crucify the flesh with its passions and desires? 5. Is Jesus the same as the Father? 6. If John is the best of the prophets, why is it that the least in the kingdom of heaven are greater than him? Today’s Offer 9 THINGS EVERYONE SHOULD KNOW ABOUT WORSHIP Request our latest special offers here or call 1-833-THE-CORE (833-843-2673) to request them by phone. Want to partner with us in our work here at Core Christianity? Consider becoming a member of the Inner Core. Resources WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN JUSTIFICATION AND SANCTIFICATION?

If John had not become a Beatle, he might have become a judge. John and Tammy pay homage to Les McKeown of the Bay City Rollers and John does his rendition of SATURDAY!  Plus thoughts on the (maybe) Good King William.  And a brand new song from John! Find us at: www.TalksWithJohn.com  

Take It Deeper Questions: Read John 6:1-24 What do you feel and how do you tend to respond when you are misunderstood? How do fascinations or infatuations tend to evolve over time? If John was focused on the miraculous provision of manna (Exodus 16) and the provision of water (Exodus 17) as he told these stories, how is your understanding of Jesus deepened and/or focused? How are you challenged, focused, confused or frustrated by this text? Bible Reading Plan: Exodus 12 Exodus 13 Exodus 14 Exodus 15 Exodus 16 Exodus 17

Take It Deeper Questions: Read John 3:16-21 What was scripture to you when you were young? Why is John 3:16 such a popular Bible verse? What is the simplest explanation of John’s words? What are the complexities (elements that call for faith) that still are present in that simplest explanation? If John’s words were meant to be contemplated, meditated on, processed… What do you need to think more about? How are you challenged, focused, confused and/or encouraged by John’s words? Bible Reading Plan Genesis 42 Genesis 43 Genesis 44 Genesis 45 John 11 John 12

Iroquois member John Abrams has turned his passion for classic cars into a niche that has driven his independent insurance agency. Two-time winner of Hagerty’s Top Gear Agent award, Abrams loves what he does every day and the clients who share his passion. If John’s customers learn to trust him with their toys, he knows they will trust him with their other insurance as well.

Good morning church, it is a joy and a privilege to be with you today. If you are new here this morning and don’t know me, my name is Ryan Patterson and I am the pastor of worship and young adults. My exhortation usually comes in the form of singing or at least behind a guitar so I am praying that God would grant me the grace to put on display His glory from behind the pulpit this morning. It is such a joy to lead you in the singing portion of our worship week to week and my aim whether it’s behind a guitar, behind a pulpit, or behind a coffee table at my favorite coffee shop Push N Pour (shameless plug), is to have the Word of Christ dwell richly in our hearts in such a way that it propels us to worship Jesus in every way, shape, and form (yes in our singing, but ultimately in our living). To be honest with you, when Jason asked if I’d preach John 4:1-29, the first thing I thought was, “Oh sure, the give the worship pastor the passage about worshipping Jesus in Spirit and Truth.” If I had a dollar for every book on worship that has been written surrounding John 4:23-24 and worshipping Jesus in Spirit and Truth and how that explains our form of worship, I’d have a few hundred more dollars to my name. And while this passage can certainly help inform our approach to “worship” in the church, I’m certain that John didn’t have hymns, contemporary worship songs, organs, or rock bands on his mind when he wrote down those words of Jesus and I’m certain Jesus didn’t have those things on His mind when He spoke them to the woman at the well that we’ll meet this morning.That said, I’d like to start at the end of our passage today with one of the most compelling invitations we read in the New Testament. This comes from verse 29 of John 4 where we’ll be this morning. The compelling invitation that comes to us from the women at the well in this chapter is this: “Come and see a man who told me all that I ever did! Can this be the Christ?” While that invitation was ultimately extended to the villagers in Sychar, it’s the invitation God is extending to us this morning through His holy word.Imagine with me for a minute that you are sitting at your favorite restaurant, outside on the patio, catching up with an old friend. A less than reputable woman that you may be familiar with comes running over towards you guys and says, “Come see a man who’s told me everything I’ve ever done.” You’d be thinking to yourself either she’s crazy, given the context of this woman that you’d already be familiar with who was known for frivolous relationships with perhaps less than reputable men, OR something so compelling has caught her attention that she couldn’t help but come running back into town risking her already damaged dignity telling people about this seemingly supernatural encounter that she’s had with this guy. And then she says, “Can this be the Christ?” The answer I’d submit to you this morning is that our character in this story had truly encountered the most compelling person she’d ever met. The interesting thing about being compelled is that for something to be compelling it typically pulls us away from what initially had our attention. The object that is compelling us is compelling us away from things that had our attention towards itself which is objectively more intriguing and/or valuable and therefore worth our time and attention. That’s what makes something that’s compelling so compelling. The danger about being compelled towards something or someone is that our compulsions and needs often dictate what is compelling to us.Church, we are born with an unquenchable thirst. Unfulfillment is a plague that has consumed humanity since her inception. Certainly you experienced some of that this morning. Perhaps a bad night’s rest left you feeling tired and you thought to yourself, “If only I got a better night’s rest I would feel refreshed and wouldn’t have acted out in anger towards my family and therefore would’ve come to church in a better attitude and ready to worship the Lord.” Or maybe it’s more along the lines of, “If only I had a job where my boss wasn’t so difficult and the work wasn’t so life-taking, I’d be much more fulfilled and would greet each day with the kind of energy and excitement to serve the Lord that I long for.” You fill in the blank: if I had more money, better friendships, a different reputation, and the list goes on and on and on.We are a people of need and we are constantly looking for ways, or things to meet those needs so that we can quench what we come to see as an “unquenchable thirst.” This morning we are going to look at an incredible story from John 4 that reveals the heart’s greatest need. We’ll be introduced to a woman who woke up like any other day with what she perceived to be a normal need, like water, only to have her greatest need exposed to her by the most compelling person she had or would ever meet and that is Jesus! Let’s start by reading the first 15 verses of John 4 together.In these first 15 verses we’re going to look at two reasons why Jesus is compelling. The first we’re going to look at is that Jesus is compelling because: His calling is regardless of status, race, gender, pedigree, or background. Let’s look at the comparison John gives us in the two interactions we have between Jesus and people we encounter in John 3 and 4. Last week we looked at Nicodemus, a self-made man. On the council of the Sanhedrin, what would be known as the Jewish Supreme Court, and a Pharisee at that. Even his name, which is Greek by the way, translates as “victor over the people.” Needless to say, he was who you wanted to be if you were looking to establish prominence within Jewish culture. A man, studied and positioned amongst the Sanhedrin, with a place of prominence and power within his people. It’s against that backdrop that we see Jesus’s next personal intimate human encounter.Enter the woman at the well. A woman, a Samaritan at that, or rather known as a “half breed” amongst the Jews, fetching water at the sixth hour. If John uses the Jewish reckoning of time with sunrise starting at 6:00 am ,it would have been roughly noon, or if he used Roman time it would have been 6 hours from 12:00 pm meaning it would’ve been roughly 6:00 pm. Either way, this is an extremely hot and inconvenient part of the day, which indicates that she didn’t want to fetch water with the other women in the cool of the day, or more likely they didn’t want her, which means she was a despised member of society in an already despised society. We’ll learn in verses 16-18 that she has a live in lover with many previous frivolous relationships with men.Could you come up with a more drastic scope of humanity upon which Jesus enters the scene? Nicodemus the Jew of Jews and the despised Samaritan woman of Sychar.Church, undoubtedly this morning there are Nicodemuses in here. Perhaps your moral obligations and obedient tendencies have left you feeling like you “have it together.” We live in a culture that honors hard work. And there is nothing wrong with hard work. If you work hard at school you get a diploma and good GPA. This is rewarded by getting you into a good college. You work hard in college and get a degree and this is rewarded by landing you a good job. You work hard at your job and this is rewarded with a promotion and inevitably a pay raise and on and on the cycle of merited favor goes. And there is nothing wrong with that cycle… in this economy. But the economy of grace completely blows that notion out of the water! It says there isn’t enough good works that can earn you a place of favor with God! As Augustus Toplady, the hymn writer, said in his hymn Rock of Ages, “Not the labor of my hands can fulfill thy laws demands. Could my zeal no respite know, could my tears forever flow. All for sin could NOT atone. THOU must save and THOU ALONE!” If you find yourself resonating with Nicodemus in here this morning, then know this, Jesus has an answer for your condition!Church, undoubtedly there are women at the well in here this morning. You take one long look at your life and think to yourself, “I’ve made a wreck of this, beyond repair. I have sinned beyond measure, and there is NO hope for a despised Samaritan woman at the well like myself.” If you find that to be your position this morning, than know this, Jesus has an answer for your condition. What is this answer you say!? Well let’s look back at the text and continue on with our story.Jesus and His disciples leave Judea to depart for Galilee and have to pass through Samaria, which most Jews did despite their distaste for Samaritans because the alternative would’ve been an inconvenient detour through Transjordan which was largely Gentile, and He arrives about half a mile north of the town Sychar, the intended destination, at a well, Jacob’s well to be precise. And look at what the text says in verse 6, “Jesus wearied from the journey sits down at the well at about the sixth hour.” Before we move on, let’s camp here for a minute. Church, let’s not miss an incredible part of John’s descriptive narrative here. Jesus was weary and undoubtedly thirsty hence the next thing to come out of His mouth. The creator of the universe, the one who took two hydrogen atoms and linked them together through a chemical bond to an oxygen atom to form a water molecule, was thirsty. Oh the depths our Savior stooped to take on the form of humanity to save humanity from the curse! If we miss that we miss this whole narrative and really the purpose of the gospel of John and ultimately the whole point of Scripture.We read on in verses 7-9 and see here the transcendent love of Christ. There are so many ceremonial laws being broken here and I wish we had the time to go back in time and look at the tense history between these two people groups. The nation of Israel splits politically after Solomon’s rule into a northern and southern kingdom and the northern kingdom (aka Samaria) is thrown into captivity by the Assyrians leading to the pollution of that “pure” line, hence the half-breed association. If we had time, we would go over how all of that puts God’s sovereign redemptive plan on display, but we don’t, so suffice it to say there is a lot of bad blood between Jews and Samaritans. And yet Jesus says four simple words that would change this woman’s life forever, “Give me a drink.”The woman, who would have been well associated with all the cultural and historical nuances surrounding the cloudy history between these two people groups, is completely surprised at Jesus’s request, and for good reason. The Jews worshiped in Jerusalem. Samaritans worshiped at the temple on mount Gerizim until it was destroyed in 108 BC. By relating in any way to a Samaritan as a Jew, you would have run the risk of incurring ritual defilement. Not only that, most Jews held to the notion that all Samaritan women were in a perpetual state of ceremonial uncleanness. So no wonder Jesus’s request left her dumbfounded, like “What are you doing!” But notice Jesus’s response. He doesn’t indulge the political, religious, racial, or socioeconomic disparity between the two that she immediately responds with. He goes right to the point that brought him to that divine appointment.This is where we come to our next reason why Jesus is compelling: His calling actually quenches our thirst. It’s effective. Here in verse 10 Jesus begins to shift the conversation in a way that would leave her speechless. He says to her, “Woman, if one you knew who was sitting here with you, if you only knew. The request would be reversed. You would ask of me and I would give to you living water.”O church, how often are we in this same position of willful ignorance? We go to the wells of our desires in hopes that they would fill us, when in reality the Maker of the universe sits at the well with us saying if only you knew who was offering you life. But that is the devastating reality of our sin. It blinds us to the truth of who God is. We sit with the Creator of the universe and deny His goodness and His call. C.S. Lewis said it really well when he said, "It would seem that our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased.”This is our condition, we are blind to our needs and don’t know what is being offered to us even if we wanted to. But church, what good news it is that this Savior so happens to be the best optometrist in the universe and is in the business of making blind eyes see!And even now the woman continues to be blinded at the reality Jesus is bringing to her in verse 10. He’s not talking about water at all. No, He’s talking about Life. But we see in her response to His offer a feeling of being incensed that moves to wonder. And it would seem strange, would it not? She’s looking at him thinking, “Why would I ask you for water, you don’t even have a bucket to draw water with.” Not only that, but the idea of living water which in her mind she might be thinking the bubbling spring water that lies below the standing water in the well. Jacob’s well is estimated to be over 100 feet deep and Jesus has no way of reaching and collecting the water at the bottom. We see the negatively implied assumption when she says, “Are you better than our Father Jacob?” The Samaritans traced their lineage back to Jacob by way of Joseph who was given Jacob’s plot of land known as Shechem on his death bed back in Genesis 48. This piece of history was dear to them and she is saying if this was good enough for our mighty father Jacob and his sons who are you to say that it’s not good enough for me, or that you offer something better?But Jesus engages her bewilderment even deeper with His answer, look again at verses 13 and 14. He answers her rhetorical question not simply with a yes but with a resounding YES and here is why: what I offer actually quenches thirst! Jesus appeals to her craving for ultimate rest and satisfaction by offering her something that ultimately brings rest and satisfies! And look at the uniqueness even in how Jesus responds with this hope. New Testament commentator William Hendriksen puts it this way and I think is such a helpful visual.Physical Water from Jacob’s well: cannot prevent one from becoming thirsty again and again and again. The Living Water that Jesus provides: makes one lose thirst for all time (in other words it gives lasting satisfaction).Physical Water from Jacob’s well: remains outside of the soul and is incapable of filling it’s needs. The Living Water that Jesus provides: enters into the soul and remains within as a source of spiritual refreshment and satisfaction.Physical Water from Jacob’s well: is limited in quantity, lessens and disappears whenever we drink it. The Living Water that Jesus provides: is a self perpetuating spring. Here on earth it sustains a person spiritually, but it also gives us a view unto eternal life.Church, do you see how much better Jesus is than any other well we run to to quench our thirst? Jesus isn’t just better than Jacob, or his well, He’s better than EVERYTHING!By this point the woman is intrigued. And to be honest Church, I’m not certain how much she understood the spiritual implications of what Jesus was saying and offering. She undoubtedly knew that this stranger named Jesus would most certainly be better than Jacob if He could make good on His promise by offering water that indefinitely satisfied her physical thirst. I mean look at verse 15: she’s convinced she wants this water, especially if it means that she doesn’t have to high tail it to this well every day at noon or 6:00 pm to fetch water.But Church, this is where Jesus blows the lid off the thing and shows us our final two ways we’ll look at this morning as to why he is compelling in these next 9 verses. Let’s read verses 16-29 together. Jesus is compelling because: He exposes who we are.Jesus takes a deep dive here and exposes something about her that he couldn’t have known otherwise (other than that we know from the text He indeed knew). The woman was obviously still not understanding the heart of the matter Jesus was getting at, so He moves to something she would understand by illuminating her eyes to her own personal, spiritual, and moral failure as a human.Church, when Jesus exposes us at our core it’s because He is the only one who knows our inward being. David talks about this when he is repenting of his sin with Bathsheba and Uriah in Psalm 51:6 when he says, “Behold you delight in truth in the inward being, and you teach me wisdom in the secret heart.” And while there seems to be a total abrupt change in subject from water to her interpersonal relationships, I would submit to you that Jesus is making a deep connection here between her request and His answer. Just one verse prior she says, “Sir give me this water,” not even realizing what she’s asking for. How often do we do this when assessing our own needs as humans? We think we are asking the right question and getting at our deepest need but in reality, we need Jesus to expose who we are even to ourselves.One commentator put is so well when he said, “There is a close connection between the woman’s request and Christ’s command to call her husband. Does the woman desire living water? Then there must be a thirst for this water. This thirst will not be truly awakened unless there be a sense of guilt, a consciousness of sin. The mention of her husband is the best means of reminding this woman of her immoral life and therefore her actual need. The Lord is now addressing Himself to her conscience.” This is the incredible thing about God’s effectual and sovereign call of the sinner. He awakens the soul to its need for Him! Jesus has just pressed into her true need and she is speechless but to say, “I have no husband.” Jesus begins to expose the moral dilemma she lives in daily. Whether or not her previous husbands had died, or there had been moral failings on one or both sides, or a combination of both, the reality stands that she now stands with her live-in lover, completely undone before the Messiah guilty as charged. In one sentence, Jesus lays bare her past and present condition. But Church, this is what the gospel of Christ does, it shines a light on the irreversible condition of man’s heart and backs it into a corner until the only way out is Jesus!In verse 19, she even tries to skirt the issue by declaring Him a prophet or literally translated a “reader of secrets” and then goes back to her narrative about historical and cultural practices of worship (the Jews worshipping in Jerusalem and the perhaps referencing the Samaritan’s worshipping on mount Gerizim). Was her motive to redirect the conversation, we don’t know. It’s probable because she did that once already by giving a less than genuine answer regarding her husband. Regardless, Jesus again moves in even further. He’s prepared the soil of the heart by exposing her condition and now He begins His grand reveal. This is where we come to our fourth and final point of why Jesus is compelling. He’s compelling not only because He exposes who we are but because: He reveals who He is.Jesus answers her rebuttal regarding ceremonial places of worship to say the hour is coming and is here when the important question isn’t where you worship, but who you worship and therefore how you worship. He’s saying look, all that your fathers were looking forward to and preparing for is here now and you don’t even see it. Jesus is building the case that He Himself is the hallowed ground upon which men will worship. William Cowper made this sentiment clear in one of his hymns when he said: “Where’er thy people meet, there they behold thy mercy seat. Where’er they seek thee thou art found and every place is hallowed ground.” This is because Jesus comes establishing worship in the heart! Worshipping Jesus in Spirit and Truth is whole body worship.F. Bruce said it well when he said: “God is Spirit. It is not merely that He is a spirit among other spirits. Rather God Himself is pure spirit and the worship in which He takes delight is accordingly spiritual worship- the sacrifice of a humble contrite grateful and adorning Spirit. This affirmation of our Lords was not entirely new; it but crowns the witness of the psalmists and prophets of earlier ages who saw that material things could at best be the vehicle of true worship but could never belong to it’s essence. The essence of worship then, is sincere heart devotion of a changed heart, indispensable as men and women present to God worship which he accepts which is worship in Spirit and Truth.”Church, the hard reality Jesus is leading the woman at the well to is the same hard reality He is leading us to and that is that apart from the Spirit of God, we can’t muster up worship that is acceptable to God. Again quoting from Augustus Toplady’s hymn Rock of Ages, he says, “Nothing in my hand I bring, simply to the cross I cling. Naked come to thee for dress. Helpless look to thee for grace. Foul I to the fountain fly, wash me Savior or I die.”We stand before the Lord of Lords with our hearts fully exposed before Him. He knows everything we’ve ever done. And it’s in that moment He reveals Himself, the answer to this woman’s condition. The answer to Nicodemus’s condition. The answer to our condition.The woman looks at Jesus now making the connection that Jesus is referring to the Messiah and says, “I know he is coming, the one who has been foretold who will make all things right.” And Jesus finally says to her, “I who speak to you am He.” He, whom the Jews expected as the promised prince of the house of David, the Lion of Judah, the sacrificial lamb, the better Adam, the one worthy to open the scroll at the end of the book, the Lord and Savior all creation had been holding its breath for was here, it was Him, Jesus, the thirsty Jewish man, sitting near the edge of the well talking to a Samaritan woman in desperate need of a Savior. Church, He is Jesus. He was the Messiah she needed and the Messiah we need.And the woman, stunned, leaves her water jar, the thing she had brought with her to satisfy her need for water, and leaves with the message of this compelling King who would satisfy not only thirst but life itself. She runs back into Sychar announcing the compelling encounter saying, “Come see a man who told me all that I ever did. Can this be the Christ?” A man compelling because:He saves regardless of where we come fromHe actually quenches our thirst and satisfies the soulHe exposes who we are because he knows who we are at our deepest levelHe reveals who he isChurch, as we close, I’d like you to just listen to this quote by Tim Keller from his book Encounters With Jesus:“Everybody has got to live for something, but Jesus is arguing that, if he is not that thing, it will fail you. First, it will enslave you. Whatever that thing is, you will tell yourself that you have to have it or there is no tomorrow. That means that if anything threatens it, you will become inordinately scared; if anyone blocks it, you will become inordinately angry; and if you fail to achieve it, you will never be able to forgive yourself. But second, if you do achieve it, it will fail to deliver the fulfillment you expected. Let me give you an eloquent contemporary expression of what Jesus is saying. Nobody put this better than the American writer David Foster Wallace. He got to the top of his profession. He was an award-winning, bestselling postmodern novelist known around the world for his boundary-pushing storytelling. He once wrote a sentence that was more than a thousand words long. A few years before the end of his life, he gave a now-famous commencement speech at Kenyon College. He said to the graduating class, ‘Everybody worships. The only choice we get is what to worship. And the compelling reason for maybe choosing some sort of god . . . to worship . . . is that pretty much anything else you worship will eat you alive. If you worship money and things, if they are where you tap real meaning in life, then you will never have enough, never feel you have enough. It’s the truth. Worship your own body and beauty and sexual allure, and you will always feel ugly. And when time and age start showing, you will die a million deaths before [your loved ones] finally plant you. . . . Worship power, and you will end up feeling weak and afraid, and you will need ever more power over others to numb you to your own fear. Worship your intellect, being seen as smart, you will end up feeling stupid, a fraud, always on the verge of being found out. Look, the insidious thing about these forms of worship is not that they are evil or sinful; it is that they’re unconscious. They are our default settings.’ Wallace was by no means a religious person, but he understood that everyone worships, everyone trusts in something for their salvation, everyone bases their lives on something that requires faith. A couple of years after giving that speech, Wallace killed himself. And this nonreligious man’s parting words to us are pretty terrifying: ‘Something will eat you alive.’ Because even though you might never call it worship, you can be absolutely sure you are worshiping and you are seeking. And Jesus says, ‘Unless you’re worshipping me, unless I’m the center of your life, unless you’re trying to get your spiritual thirst quenched through me and not through these other things, unless you see that the solution must come inside rather than just pass by outside, then whatever you worship will abandon you in the end.’”The woman asks, “Can this be the Christ?” Answer: YES HE IS! My question to you this morning, is He your Christ? If not, leave your water jar at the well and run to Him! Run to Jesus! Fall on your knees and say, “Jesus expose me and reveal yourself to me. Forgive me of trying to quench my thirst with anything but You and give me water that leads to everlasting life and satisfaction in You, my living water.” Let’s pray.

How many people are you? I'm 300 people so if you're just one person, you could do better. This week we listen to people LARPing mental illness and it's fantastic. Keep up the great work! Will Noonan joins us as we discuss how real mental illness works which segues perfectly into Opie explaining his regrets in life. After a phoner from Gov Cuomo we check in with Ryan who used to be StutJo's mod. If John's attorney is reading this... lol. 20% off your purchase with the code "watp20" https://manscaped.com/ Support us and get bonus episodes: http://bit.ly/watp-patreon https://watp.supercast.tech/ http://willnoonan.com/ 

2-13-2021 Passed Ball Show. John spends the first part of this show talking about the severity of racist and sexist statements and the seriousness of sexual harassment and domestic violence. Should racism, sexism, and sexual harassment, when proven, be the equivalent to a felony conviction? If not, why are sports public figures banned from employment? They should have the right to work. If John was hiring, he would want to know the person was remorseful and had learned from the terrible thing they said/ did. Once again, the court of public opinion is stronger than the court of law and John believes that should change. Chris Doyle and Jared Porter should be able to get a job again assuming they are contrite about what they did. John then talks about the upcoming Daytona 500 and whether Denny Hamlin can become the first driver to win the race three years in a row. John talks about the possibility of Bubba Wallace becoming the first black driver to win the race. John also brings up a couple long shots and why if you buy lottery tickets, you should consider placing a bet on these drivers. Finally, John talks about how LaMelo Ball was cost the number one overall selection in this past year’s NBA draft by his father. At this point, Ball has been the best player from that draft class and it is not even close. John talks about why Yasiel Puig would be a good fit for the New York Mets and Jedd Gyorko would be for the New York Yankees. And why Roberto Osuna should also have a right to work.

Episode 632 | Adriel Sanchez and Bill Maier answer caller questions. Show Notes CoreChristianity.com 1. If John was administering baptism for the forgiveness of sins, and Jesus was sinless, why did Jesus get baptized? 2. Should Christians be cremated or buried when they die? 3. I run a 12 step program and I use 1 Corinthians 10:12-13 where Paul talks about temptation to help those in the program. Am I applying this passage correctly? 4. I grew up being sexually abused by a family member. I want to forgive him, but I do not want to be in the same room as him. When Jesus says that we should forgive seventy times seven, does that mean I should force myself to include him in my life? I am struggling with knowing what to do. 5. What is the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit? Today’s Offer Seeing Jesus Request our latest special offers here or call 1-833-THE-CORE (833-843-2673) to request them by phone. Want to partner with us in our work here at Core Christianity? Consider becoming a member of the Inner Core. Resources Rid of My Disgrace: Hope and Healing for Victims of Sexual Assault Book by Justin S. Holcomb and Lindsey A. Holcomb      

Sermon for the Third Sunday in Advent 1 Corinthians 4:1-5 & St. Matthew 11:2-10 by William Klock I am not a baker and I was never particularly good at chemistry.  I know that somehow when you add water to wheat, the gluten does something and that when you feed sugar to yeast under the right circumstances it makes bubbles and the gluten traps the bubbles so you end up with fluffy bread instead of bricks, but I don’t really understand the specifics: why one kind of flour works differently than another, why some recipes use water and others use milk.  Why do some use eggs and others don’t?  I’m not a baker.  But I don’t need to be, because we have a bread machine in our house.  The recipe book that came with the bread machine could be titled “Bread for Dummies”.  It’s foolproof.  But like they say, never underestimate dummies and fools.  The first time I used the bread machine I was in a rush.  I was under the impression that you just dump in the ingredients and the machine does the work.  Well, it does.  But you have to do exactly what it says.  The recipes are very specific.  They even tell you what order to put in the ingredients.  And so I was miffed when the recipe was very specific in saying to add room temperature milk and a room temperature egg.  I didn’t think I’d have to plan thirty minutes ahead with a bread machine.  What difference could it make?  So I poured in cold milk and plopped in a cold egg.  And the bread barely rose, because the dough was cold and the yeast didn’t activate until the very end of the kneading and rising cycle.  Instead of bread, the machine made a brick. It’s funny, too, how obstinate we can sometimes be when we make mistakes like this.  I asked Veronica what went wrong.  “I did just what the book said,” I said.  I was very insistent.  But as she pressed me for details, I admitted that the milk and egg were cold.  “That’s it,” she told me.  But I doubled-down.  I mean, shouldn’t the flour—the biggest ingredient—have brought the temperature up?  I was in denial.  My pride was hurt.  It makes you feel pretty dumb when you can’t even make bread with a bread machine.  But it also highlights why following the instructions is important. This is where our lessons today point us.  If the over-arching theme of advent is to be prepared, we’re reminded today, we’re exhorted today to be faithful in doing what the Lord has called us to do.  God’s people have always had a very specific calling, whether we’re talking about his people in the Old Testament or his people in the New.  Jesus has established his church to carry on what has always been Israel’s mission, ever since Abraham, but now to carry it out in light of Jesus the Messiah.  Now, there’s a lot of room for creativity in how we fulfil our mission, but Jesus also gave us very, very clear instructions and if we throw out the core of our mission in the name of creativity or flexibility or pragmatism, we’re going to fail. Last week I read Rod Dreher’s new book, Live not by Lies, and it had me thinking about this.  The last few years, Dreher has been writing about what the Church, particularly in North America, needs to be doing as we enter a new dark age.  I think that to anyone with eyes to see, he’s right that the North American Church is woefully unprepared to live as a minority community, let alone to live in an environment that is becoming increasingly hostile to us.  For the last couple of generations we’ve been failing to instil lasting faith in our children and have lost them to the culture.  In the last decade, our people, our leaders, and our churches have been falling like dominos to Postmodern apostasy.  And there’s a reason for this.  We’ve left the recipe aside and we’re trying to bake bread with too many shortcuts and with the wrong ingredients.  We’ve sidelined what Jesus told us to do and have put other things at the centre of what we are.  We’ve changed and watered down the message.  We’ve muddled the truth to the point that many Christians can no longer distinguish between God’s truth and the world’s lies.  And, all too often, we’ve stopped trusting in the Holy Spirit to do the work of converting hearts and minds and have been trying to do it ourselves. Our lessons today focus our attention on the faithfulness of God’s ministers.  The Epistle focuses on St. Paul and the Gospel on John the Baptist.  The choice of lessons is linked to the Ember Days that fall later this week.  The Embers Days come around four times a year and, at least historically, were the traditional times for ordinations.  With that in mind, our advent lessons today call the clergy to faithfulness to our mission and remind the Church of the importance of faithful ministers.  But even though today’s focus is on what we might call “professionals”, there’s a broader principle that applies to all of us, to all Christians, as ministers of the Gospel. Let’s begin with our Epistle, 1 Corinthians 11:1-5.  And we’ll want a little background to understand it.  The Church at Corinth had a lot of problems and a big part of it was that many were having trouble setting aside their old, pagan ways.  They had compromised much.  There were some serious sins in the church that needed to be dealt with, but weren’t.  People were justifying them by appealing to Christian liberty.  There were also divisions within the congregation.  Paul had founded this church, but the people didn’t want to listen to him anymore.  They’d become enamoured of other preachers.  There’s nothing to indicate these other preachers were preaching anything apart from the gospel.  The problem in Corinth wasn’t their fault.  The problem was that Paul was about the last flashy person you could imagine and when other preachers came along who were more attractive and who were better speakers than Paul—that was something the Greeks valued very highly—they kicked Paul to the curb.  Not only would they not listen to him, he wasn’t even welcome anymore.  They judged him a loser.  That’s what’s behind our Epistle today.  Let’s read: This is how one should regard us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God.  Moreover, it is required of stewards that they be found faithful.  But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you or by any human court.  In fact, I do not even judge myself.  For I am not aware of anything against myself, but I am not thereby acquitted. It is the Lord who judges me.  Therefore do not pronounce judgment before the time, before the Lord comes, who will bring to light the things now hidden in darkness and will disclose the purposes of the heart.  Then each one will receive his commendation from God.   I’ve always wondered how hard it was for Paul to write this, especially the bit about “This is how you need to regard me: I’m a servant of Christ and a steward of God’s mysteries.”  Good clergymen tend to err on the side of humility, even to a fault.  The only guys I’ve ever known to say things like this have been egotists who never should have been in ministry in the first place.  Paul had one advantage that only the apostles had and that was that they had known Jesus in the flesh and had been commissioned by him personally.  I can’t say that and neither can anyone else alive today.  That said, there is a place for God’s stewards to assert their calling in the face of unjust judgement.  Most of us, when faced with unjust criticism nod humbly, say nothing, and take it to God, but Paul reminds us that there is a time to speak up against these kinds of judgements.  I think that goes for every Christian, too.  We’re all minister of the gospel.  Increasingly the world hurls unjust criticisms at us.  I was reading an article on The Record’s Facebook page last week.  It was about some churches on the Mainland defying the shutdown order.  The comments were painful.  It was interesting that none of the dozens of nasty comments was really aimed at the defiance of the orders these churches were making.  The nasty comments were all more generally about how Christians are haters or bigots or racists or knuckle-dragging mouth-breathers and that the clergy are just in it for the money.  I’m sure plenty of Christians saw these comments, but there were no responses.  Yes, to respond is probably pointless.  People who have bought into Postmodern thinking don’t care about reasoning or facts; it’s all about their feelings and you can’t argue with feelings.  And yet, here we are, ministers of the gospel and stewards of the mysteries of God and increasingly we’re just letting the false judgements and accusations of pagans back us out of the public square.  We go silently and sit facing the corner like disciplined children—and I think a lot of the time we actually feel guilty when we hear these accusations, even though we know better. Brothers and Sisters, Paul stresses that ministers are to be found faithful.  That goes for apostles and for pastors and for all of us.  Yes, we need to weigh criticism.  We need to ask if there’s anything to it.  Sometimes there may be.  Maybe we’re not being faithful to Jesus’ instructions and we need to hear it.  But Jesus’ instructions aren’t hard to understand or discern.  As a minister, I’m called to preach the word, especially the gospel about Jesus, and to administer the sacraments.  It’s not quite that simple, but that is the core.  And for all of us, we’re called to proclaim the gospel about Jesus to the world around us and to live in a way that accords with being the people of God.  We proclaim Jesus and we live the life of the Spirit. We do need to reflect on our lives in light of that and ask if we’re being faithful.  This is one of the reasons we need to steep ourselves in God’s word.  If we don’t know what God expects, how will be faithful?  Think again of the bread recipe.  Are we following it?  Often time we’re not.  It’s not that we’re not well-intentioned.  We want to see things happen, but sometime we get impatient.  We take shortcuts.  Or we think we can make better bread by changing the recipe.  People out there don’t like to hear about sin, so we’ll tone that part of our preaching down.  People out there don’t like commitment, so we’ll make church commitment-free.  People out there don’t like liturgy and sermons, so we’ll have a rock concert and preach pop-psychology instead.  People don’t feel like getting up on Sunday mornings and driving to church, so we’ll broadcast it to their TVs and computers instead.  People want activities and they want to hear about themselves and how good they can be, so we’ll build our churches around programmes and self-help preaching.  These things can bring short-term gains, but in the long-term they’ve been a disaster.  We wonder why people won’t commit, why they’re still worldly, why we’re losing our children, and why we’re seen as increasingly irrelevant.  It’s like we’ve tried to bake bread by replacing the flour with glitter.  The end product might look exciting, but in the end it’s not only unable to nourish, it’s slowly poisoning us.  In contrast, the real work of the gospel is rarely flashy.  Sometimes it brings persecution and even martyrdom.  It means relying on God, not ourselves.  And it means being in it for the long-haul.  Consider Israel.  God called Abraham and it was two thousand years before Israel’s story culminated with Jesus.  And the in-between was as full of hardship, slavery, judgement, and exile as it was prosperity and growth.  And that was God working with a single, small people.  Brothers and Sisters, our mission is the world. So be faithful to the gospel, build churches around word and sacrament, pray and fellowship together, raise covenant children who know Jesus.  And as we do that, remember that the judgement that matters is not the judgement of other people or the world, but of God.  That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t have an ear to the ground.  That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t listen to the world’s judgements.  Sometimes we need to know how the world sees us—even if it’s false—so that we can better know what we’re up against.  So that we can better respond with the gospel.  And, sometimes, the world’s rebukes may have some truth to them.  Jesus promised that his people would be persecuted for his sake, but we need to make sure that we’re actually being persecuted for his sake and for our faithfulness to his word.  I know plenty of Christians who claim they’re being persecuted, but when you get down to it, it’s just that people don’t like them because they’re jerks, not because they’re preaching Jesus.  People will still hate us for preaching Jesus, but Friends, we do need to be sure that as we preach Jesus and as we stand firmly on the Scriptures that the world rejects, we are squeaky clean.  There’s a balance.  We need to live the gospel as much as we preach the gospel.  We’re to announce God’s judgement on sin, yes, but we’re also to announce God’s mercy to repentant sinners. This was John the Baptist’s struggle.  Let’s turn over to today’s Gospel.  John has gone from announcing the coming kingdom and baptising people in the Jordan to being locked up in prison.  He got there by way of criticizing Herod.  It wasn’t just some off-the-wall criticism.  Tied up with his announcement of the kingdom was John’s denouncement of Herod for marrying his former sister-in-law.  Herod couldn’t help but draw a connection between John’s fiery preaching and himself.  If John was saying that the King was soon to come, it meant John was saying that Herod wasn’t really the king.  So poor John is now in Herod’s dungeon and he’s frustrated and confused.  He’d been faithful in his divine calling to herald the coming Messiah—his cousin, Jesus—and he’s landed in prison.  No big surprise there.  He wasn’t the first prophet to offend a king and end up in prison.  But Jesus—the Messiah—was on the outside, preaching, teaching, healing, forgiving, having dinner with tax collectors and sinners, and leaving John to rot.  Something was wrong with Jesus’ priorities, or so John was beginning to think.  We’ll pick up from there: Now when John heard in prison about the deeds of the Christ, he sent word by his disciples and said to him, “Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?”  (St. Matthew 11:2-10) I don’t think John was really doubting whether Jesus was the Messiah.  I think this was his way of saying, “Um…Jesus.  Shouldn’t the Messiah be getting his faithful herald out prison?”  Of course, that also meant all the other things to go along with it.  A simple jailbreak wouldn’t do.  The jailbreak would have to be part of a wholesale overthrow of Herod and the Romans—which, of course, is what most people expected the Messiah to do.  Here’s what Jesus says to John’s men in return:  “Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind receive their sight and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have good news preached to them.  And blessed is the one who is not offended by me.”  (Matthew 11:5-6) You see, John expected the Messiah to be like Elijah, confronting the prophets of Baal and calling down fire from heaven.  John wanted to see fire and brimstone.  There’s a place for that.  In a sense John wasn’t wrong.  Jesus is the Judge and, you can be sure, he will judge the world and everyone in it.  I suspect that being a fire-and-brimstone sort of prophet—and that is what John was called to be so there’s nothing wrong with that—I suspect that being that kind of guy means that you get fixated on judgement.  When your tool is a hammer, everything looks like a nail.  Anyway, Jesus’ sort of responds by saying something like, “You expected Elijah…and you’ve got Elijah…but before I come in judgement, there are a lot of people…people like the widow of Zeraphath…people who need to know God’s mercy.”  As Jesus says in John’s Gospel: I came not to condemn, but to redeem.  Sinners already stand condemned.  Judgement is coming.  Announcing that judgement was John’s mission.  But before the judgement comes, what the Israel needed most was to know God’s mercy, to know his salvation.  This is why Jesus’ road to the throne had to be by way of the cross. So Jesus corrects John.  He sets him straight about the Messiah.  But he then turns to the crowd and praises John: As they went away, Jesus began to speak to the crowds concerning John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind?  What then did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft clothing?  Behold, those who wear soft clothing are in kings’ houses.  What then did you go out to see?  A prophet?  Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet.  This is he of whom it is written, “‘Behold, I send my messenger before your face,          who will prepare your way before you.’ (Matthew 11:7-10) Even though Jesus’ mission was one of humility and of mercy, Jesus praises the faithfulness of John to his ministry as the fiery herald of judgement.  Again, John was expecting the Messiah to come like Elijah, bringing confrontation and fire from heaven, but what Jesus says—albeit a little obliquely for reasons that get beyond our lesson today—what Jesus says here is that John is the prophet like Elijah.  John is the fire-and-brimstone preacher.  John is the herald announcing judgement and calling the people to repentance.  Jesus quotes from Malachi 3 and confirms two things: John is truly the one sent to herald the Messiah and, two, that means that Jesus truly is the Messiah—the one whom Malachi said would come both to refine Israel and to make her offerings pleasing to the Lord and to judge the unrepentant. Now, in the short-term this was bad news for John.  It was bad news for Jesus, too.  Both the Messiah and his herald would be put to death.  But death was not the end.  As it turns out, it was by the death of Jesus that deliverance was bought and in his resurrection, he was vindicated and the unjust verdict on him overturned.  In his resurrection and his ascension, Jesus was confirmed as the Messiah, as Lord.  In that we see the faithfulness of God to his promises and knowing God’s faithfulness, we have hope.  As St. Paul wrote to the Romans: If we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall surely be united with him in a resurrection like his” (Romans 6:5).  This is one of those parts of the gospel that we often prefer to ignore or to leave out of our preaching, because it offends.  We’ve sort of got the opposite problem John had.  John was fixated on judgement and on fire from heaven.  Like so many Jews, he wanted to see God vanquish Israel’s enemies and he nearly forgot about God’s mercy.  Our problem is the opposite.  We’ve become so afraid of preaching about sin and about judgement, that we can’t even preach mercy and grace anymore—because mercy isn’t mercy and grace isn’t grace if we’re not guilty of anything.  And if we gut our preaching of mercy and grace, we can talk all day about the love of God, but there will be no depth to it.  We will make the cross of Jesus pointless.  Why?  Because we can only begin to plumb the great depths of God’s love when we see that he gave his Son to die for our sake—for the sake of sinners who would otherwise stand condemned to destruction. That brings us back to the recipe for bread.  Brothers and Sisters, bread is often kind of boring.  But made properly, it nourishes.  It keeps us alive.  There’s a reason why Jesus used it as a metaphor for himself: I am the bread of life.  There’s a reason why it’s a symbol over and over in story of God’s people for his faithful care and sustenance.  And it points to the way God works and the way his gospel and his word work in the world.  It’s rarely flashy.  And you have to patient, because it takes time to rise.  But like the Messiah, who humble himself to take on lowly human flesh, who humbled himself to be born of a lowly virgin, and who humbly went to death on a cross, the simple bread of the gospel, the good news that Jesus died, that he rose, and that he is Lord, brings life to the world.  To preach it faithfully means to preach it whole and to preach it pure.  Friends, be faithful stewards.  Stick to the recipe.  Preach the Lord Jesus, crucified and risen to give forgiveness and life to sinners.  Build churches centred on the faithful preaching of God’s word and the administration of the sacraments, where, knowing God’s faithfulness, God’s people sing and pray together, where they raise covenant, gospel children, where we live as people who know the hope of God’s life in the age to come. Let’s pray: O Lord Jesus Christ, who at your first coming sent your messenger to prepare your way before you: grant that the ministers and stewards of your mysteries may likewise so prepare and make ready your way by turning the hearts of the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, that at your second coming to judge the world we may be found an acceptable people in your sight; who lives and reigns with the Father in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.  Amen.

Luke 3:1-18 (NIV) Read by: Jon Hietbrink If you've been listening along with us this week, you may have noticed the theme of a messenger, preparing the way for the Day of the Lord. Both Malachi and Isaiah foretell it. Someone who would call for repentance, call the people to remember who God is; someone tasked with getting them ready to meet him—getting their lives to match up to what they profess to believe. Luke begins this passage with details about the various rulers of the day, and we might be tempted to gloss over them. But they're in there for a reason, because it is against a backdrop of kings, governors, and religious authorities that the long-awaited messenger appears in the flesh, calling for repentance, readying the people, and preparing them for another, greater king… preparing them for the King of kings. Listen now to Luke 3:1-8. ----------REFLECT---------- 1. What did you hear in the passage? Was there a word or phrase that stood out to you? 2. John the Baptizer answers the people's questions with some pretty practical responses. Be generous and fair. Have integrity, Act Justly. If John were standing with you, looking at your life, and you asked him what you should do, what do you think he might say? 3. Take some time today to sit with the words of this passage. If there is something specific God has spoken to you, take some time to process that alone or with a friend. Pray on campus! Everycampus.com ----------GO DEEPER---------- Living The Christian Year by Bobby Gross >> Bible Project: Advent Series >> Bible Project: Luke >> IVP Advent Selections >> ----------CONNECT---------- Find an InterVarsity Chapter >> Start an InterVarsity Chapter >> Learn More >> --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/dailyread/message

You might not know his name now, but you will know soon. Our guest for today is a rising star in the real estate business, John Okocha. John is Vice President of Acquisitions with the Elevate Commercial Investment Group and an integral part of growing more than 1,700 multifamily real estate units in 2019. He was 17 years old when he took his first real estate course. Almost a decade later, he’s now an executive of a real estate firm at 25. If John can do it, so can you. Let’s all welcome, John, and learn how to break into multifamily and join a $150-million dollar team. [00:01 - 06:46] Opening SegmentI introduce our guest, John OkochaJohn shares his path to real estateFirst course in real estate at 17 years oldHow much did he spend on his first course?[06:47 - 15:10] Calling 1,000 People a DayJohn shares his transition from single family to multifamilyHe talks about how he is showcasing his value to his teamHe tells us a story on his first deal [15:11 - 22:40] Normalizing ExpensesJohn shares some tips to underwrite a deal you don’t want to miss!What does he mean by “normalizing” expenses? How about “T-12,” “NOI,” and “rent roll?”He tells us what is an 8% cash-on-cash return[22:41 - 34:11] Borrowing Track RecordsJohn tells us how he’s achieved many things at his ageLeveraging other people’s track recordHe shares his team’s approach before and during COVID-19He gives a few golden nuggets about underwriting a dealJohn shares an interesting story you’d want to hear![34:12 - 42:23] Closing Segment What’s next for John? He tells us the fastest way to get whatever we wantConnect with John. See links below Final words from John and meTweetable Quotes:“Treat people well. Treat people with integrity. Mean what you say…because it’s the right thing to do.” - John Okocha“Teamwork makes the dream work.” - John Okocha“Surround yourself with the people that have what you want. That is the quickest way to get what you want.” - John Okocha ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Connect with Reid on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram. Visit their company online and on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.Guest Email: john@elevatecig.com Connect with me:https://www.5tcre.com/FacebookLinkedInInstagramWatch 5T CRE on YouTubeLeave us a review and receive your free ebookEmail us --> abel@5tcre.comSupport the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/5Talents)

In this 147th episode of Fintech Impact, Jason Pereira, award-winning financial planner, university lecturer, writer, and host interviews John Wu, CEO of Ava Labs, a blockchain company focused on financial institutions!Episode Highlights:0:33 – John Wu introduces Ava Labs.1:07 – John dives into his storied career in emerging technologies.5:38 – How did John dive into the world of blockchain?7:20 – The owner of Ava Labs reached out to join forces with John.8:00 – How does Ava Labs solve many of the problems that others do not?9:57 – Jason and John dive into the problems with crypto exchanges that exist today.13:50 – John breaks down the reason that blockchain integration will take a long time.16:28 – Jason and John talk about the evolution of banking and plastic payments.21:47 – How does the blockchain scale without forgetting about the libertarians that have helped build it?24:50 – Jason and John look 10 years into the future of blockchain.27:19 – If John could change one thing about his industry, what would it be?29:02 – What are the biggest problems that Ava Labs has right now?30:55 – What inspires John to get jazzed up every day?3 Key PointsJohn began a software company that automated many of the backend tasks and gave access to crypto in an attempt to help individuals and small businesses.In today’s world of crypto exchanges, everything has been made for crypto users by crypto users, making it difficult for new users to enter the market. Ava Labs hopes to fix that problem.Eventually, end users will think of blockchain on the same level as using AWS. Even though they won’t understand how it works, it will just be a part of life. Tweetable Quotes:“Once you start investing for yourself, you realize this stuff is really hard for individuals and small businesses to get involved with.” – John Wu“The attention really comes when people think about it as the value that’s being transferred away from traditional finance to somewhere in the ether.” – John Wu“It’s the adoption cycle of any technology, right?... I’m starting to see the promise of blockchain finally come to fruition.” – Jason Pereira“The concept of a consensus protocol has been around for a long time.” – John Wu“There are so many applications for blockchain in so many niche spaces that you can have many different companies and protocols winning.” – John Wu Resources Mentioned:Facebook – Jason Pereira’s FacebookLinkedIn – Jason Pereira’s LinkedInFintechImpact.co – Website for Fintech ImpactJasonPereira.ca – Sign up for Jason Pereira’s newsletterWoodgate.com – Website for Woodgate FinancialLinkedIn – John Wu’s LinkedInAvalabs.org – Ava Lab’s Website See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

By Tom Shanklin "that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation." (Romans 10:9-10, NKJV) Often in our meetings and our ministry online, we lead people in a prayer to receive Christ based on this scripture from Paul’s epistle to the Romans. According to this verse, we receive salvation by what we believe in our heart and confess with our mouth. When we believe the Gospel message that Jesus died for our sins and rose from the dead, and we confess with our mouth “the Lord Jesus” (or as other translations say, “Jesus as Lord”) we are saved.  But then we have many scriptures from the lips of Jesus and others, who indicate that we are to be baptized in water. It begs the question, if I am saved by believing in my heart and confessing with our mouth, “why should I be baptized?”  Study Guide: Why Should I Be Baptized? ”And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.“He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned." (Mark 16:15-16, NKJV) There are several baptisms mentioned in the Scriptures: baptism into Christ (salvation), baptism in the Holy Spirit, and baptism of fire (persecution). But we are talking today about water baptism. The word “baptize” is translated from the Greek word “baptizo,” which means to dip, dunk, or immerse.” In fact, Worrell translation of the Bible translates “baptize” as Immerse and translates the phrase “John the Baptist” as “John the Immerser.” It is a totally accurate translation. To baptize IS to immerse. However, even if we didn’t have the Greek translation, we could see from the Bible that baptism is an immersion.  "After these things Jesus and His disciples came into the land of Judea, and there He remained with them and baptized. Now John also was baptizing in Aenon near Salim, because there was much water there. And they came and were baptized." (John 3:22-23, NKJV) Notice, John baptized in Aenon near Salim, because there was “much water there.” If John was baptizing by pouring or sprinkling, he would not need “much water.”  Also, notice Philip baptizing the Ethiopian eunuch: "And he commanded the chariot to stand still: and they went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him. And when they were come up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip, that the eunuch saw him no more: and he went on his way rejoicing." (Acts 8:38-39, AV) They went down in the water and came up out of the water—immersion.  There are various ways to baptize by immersion. You can baptize in a baptismal in a church, a swimming pool, a stock tank, a creek, a lake, or a pond. Just get creative, and get ‘er done.  So, you ask, “Why should I be baptized? Well, let’s see what the Word of God says. 1. Because Jesus commanded it "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen." (Matthew 28:19-20, NKJV) "But why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do the things which I say?" (Luke 6:46, NKJV) Life with God begins with making Jesus Lord. But if you are not willing to do the first thing that he said for you to do, you are not really allowing Him to be Lord. He did not say, “Be baptized if it’s okay with your relatives.  When I was praying about sharing this message, I went to the Lord in prayer and asked Him, “What is the main thing on your heart concerning this message. Here is the thought that came to me: “If Jesus was willing to go to the cross and suffer a horrible death for our sins, and take upon Him the sins of the world,

John and Chad are continuing their mini-series, taking the Crunching Tackles podcast around the world, to uncover the unique aspects of sporting culture in various parts of the world. Today, they arrive in India, discussing curling, polo, and the impact of British imperialism on sporting culture around the world. On this week's podcast, we discuss: - If John really understands Japanese cartoons as much as he thinks he does - The greatest international rivalry in the history of sports - What is Kabiddi? - Why Senator Ben Sasse should be the next MLB commissioner - And how far would you go to harass an opposing team? As always, make sure to subscribe and follow us on Twitter at @crunch_tackles and on Instagram at @crunching_tackles!

For additional notes and resources check out Douglas’ website.IdentityA common name in the Arab kingdoms of Nabatea and Palmyra. Possibly an Arab slave of Caiaphas?As assistant to the most powerful (Jewish) man in Israel, Malchus occupied a position of respect.Walked at the front of the guards, given his close connection to the high priest.Speculation: M. may have been Caiaphas' "ear" in Jerusalem. (C. would have had many enemies.)May have been the one with whom Judas had made the betrayal arrangements.His relative identified Peter as his attacker (John 18:26).About the attack Attacker and victim are unnamed except for in John's account.Peter have been put in danger if he'd been named as Malchus' assailant. Once Peter had been executed (64-68 AD), naming him would have been a non-issue.If John is the latest of the four gospels (as commonly presumed), then Malchus may have come to faith in Christ later in life.Peter may have been attacking a surrogate.Consider 2 Samuel 10:4 and Matthew 21:35.Malchus would have been more accessible (less heavily guarded) than Caiaphas.What is the significance of the right ear (detail in Luke's and John's accounts)?Insult? Maiming disqualified one for priesthood.Aiming for the head and missed? (Did M. move?)A left-handed attacker? Or was P. attacking from behind?Was M. zealous to see Jesus arrested?He may have mirrored the values of his master, or have been selected for his zealous qualities.See the references in Josephus and the Tosefta below.Jesus' actions demonstrate love for his enemies.ReferencesMark 14:42Matthew 26:51Luke 22:50John 18:10, 26Tosefta Menahath xiii.21 and Josephus Antiquities xx.88, 92: The high priest's servant was noted for his violence.ConclusionThe last person Jesus saved was the thief on the cross; the last person he healed was Malchus.Did M. become a Christian?If he was never converted (and there is no record in church history), then that shows that even a miracle won't cause someone to come to faith and be saved.If he did become a disciple, this would explain the mentioning of his name, then this would have been quite an addition to the gospel story, and esp. to the Passion Narrative.Lessons to learn:Pay attention to the details of the Bible. Even seemingly minor characters may have something to teach us."Put your sword away." Violence achieves nothing.Love your enemy.Accept God's will, drink the cup. Don't rely on human thinking or the arm of flesh to save yourself from the cross.

"You keep your edge. You keep your cool. But you go at it like a steely-eyed, barrel-chested killer." - John Berry Why do veterans make the best trial attorneys? How did John Berry grow his father's niche law firm to even greater heights? Why is ego the downfall of true personal growth in leadership? How do you create the ultimate brand affinity in a niche legal space? How John Berry Went From Second Lieutenant to Trial Attorney and CEOAs a second lieutenant, John Berry had high-profile postings all over the world, from Iraq to Bosnia. The grueling experience of training and active duty taught him dedication, fortitude, and the wisdom to choose your battles. In the military, you can't always control your outcome — but you can control your appearance, fitness level, and attitude. John explains how he applied that warrior ethos and love for the mission to both the courtroom and to the business of law, building upon his father's practice to become one of the fastest-growing law firms on the Inc. 5000. Pressure Makes Diamonds: Why Your Best Investment is YourselfJohn's father was a celebrity lawyer who, despite spending a lot of time away, always developed John's interests by giving him great mentors and coaches. John grew up knowing that the best investment you can make is in your personal growth — and that nothing is unattainable if you put in the hours. This ingrained work ethic has characterized John's legal career. He's continued to seek out the best and brightest people as mentors, advisors, or team members at his firm. John shares how he strives to better himself every day, and why he's always reaching for the next goal. Veteran Clients Need Veteran Lawyers: Building the Ultimate Niche PracticeBerry Law Firm was specializing in veteran law cases before it was recognized as a niche. United by a passion for helping veterans, John's team has developed a culture within the organization that draws in their ideal client through the ultimate brand affinity. John's team is his platoon. They share his love for the mission, and he looks for other military training characteristics when hiring as well. If John hands you a task, he expects it to get done without having to look at it again — the so-called “fire and forget.” John shares why veterans make impeccable attorneys, and how doubling-down on the firm's niche is expanding his business. Key takeaways: Getting someone to “cover your six” is about securing all your bases and not being perceived as weak. John explains why dealing with the “who, what, when, where, why” and hiring the right person to deliver the “how” empowered him to progress his firm to new heights. Your ego will fail you. If pride gets in the way of feedback, then you're doomed to repeat your mistakes, explains John. He believes feedback is a gift — and that you'll never be a leader until you're willing to truly listen to your team. Elite firms have a bigger vision and concrete steps to get there. Moving from being a good firm to a great one takes incremental progression always aligned with your big picture, plus the courage to make and stick to critical decisions. Links And Resources The Game Changing Attorney Podcast Michael Mogill Facebook Michael Mogill Twitter Michael Mogill Instagram Michael Mogill LinkedIn Crisp Video Website Crisp Video Facebook Crisp Video Group Twitter Crisp Video Instagram Crisp Video LinkedIn JS Berry Law Website John Berry LinkedIn John Berry Twitter

Let me clarify the title of this episode, that it’s from a place of peace and abundance. It’s not from an exasperated place of “Well, what more can I do?!” But it’s brought to us from a place of care and love, and to use that word again, abundance. Wouldn’t you like to be at a place of wholeness and gratitude where you can readily and eagerly ask, “What more can I do?” John O’Leary is not just back for my Habits show, this is in many ways a Part Two from our initial conversation in episode 815 where we discussed the childlike qualities John shares in his new book, IN AWE: Rediscover Your Childlike Wonder to Unleash Inspiration, Meaning + Joy.” This is my Habits episode with John and he shares his gratitude and joy in asking just that, “What more can I do!” You will be inspired, not burdened. I also take us into an issue I meant to in our previous episode. Something deep many of you will want to hear. At age nine John was horrifically burned and had third degree burns on more than 87% of his body. After examining him a doctor bluntly told his parents, “If John were a horse, I’d shoot him.” John was sitting right there. Can you imagine being given this prognosis and devaluation of your life? But what you’ll want to hear is...what happened next. It’s in this episode. You can get John’s new book, IN AWE: Rediscover Your Childlike Wonder to Unleash Inspiration, Meaning + Joy” wherever you buy books, and connect with all John has for you at Johnolearyinspires.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

That's it my friends, The Gospel According to John. These things were written that we might believe. If John had written of all the miracles that Jesus had done, all the libraries in the world would not be able to contain them. Be doers of the Word, and not just hearers. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/biblereadaloud/support

Cheaters in sports. If John and Peter can stop their on-air fighting, they might have a good time recounting some of the more outrageous cons, ripoffs and down-right cheaters in the world of sports.

Title: God on the Witness Stand Text: I John 5:5-13 FCF: We often struggle doubting that Jesus was the Messiah of God Prop: Because God’s testimony about Jesus in His person and work authenticates him as the Christ, we must believe in His person and work. Scripture Intro: [Slide 1] Turn in your bible to I John chapter 5. Well here we are in earnest. The last wave of teaching in the last chapter of the book of I John. Realistically we have probably 3 or 4 sermons left including a wrap-up sermon at the end. I hope, compared to our Matthew study, this seemed rather quick for you. I know it did for me. We began I John in early November and are on pace to finish it by the end of May. If you recall, I estimated 6-9 months for the Epistles of John series. Since it will be 6 months next week, I can now confidently say that we will not finish it all in 6 months. But perhaps we can still finish it in my 9-month estimate. So after reviewing his entire book in the last 4 verses of chapter 5, now John sets out to define for us, very clearly I might add, that our faith is in Christ alone and why it must be this way. The Jesus John presents is one that the secessionists had been attacking, dismantling, and abandoning. For those who say doctrine doesn’t matter – just love people, or doctrine doesn’t matter just love God, or doctrine does matter just… fill in the blank. John, I think, would disagree very sharply. Because to John, Doctrine and practice are woven. In every single wave of teaching it has been the same. He expresses doctrine first, and then connects that to practice. This wave is no different. You cannot love people without sound doctrine nor can you have a doctrine that is sound that does not also produce love for others. Faith, love, and obedience. All are woven and if one is missing – it all crumbles. And so John sets out in this wave to define very clearly on what our faith rests and why. He does this by bringing us into a court room and putting Jesus of Nazareth on trial. To the stand, he calls what appears to be 34 witnesses who agree about this one called Jesus. They report on His life, ministry and His effect afterward. Lastly, he calls one final witness to the stand. God Himself. All report the same thing about this one named Jesus who is called the Christ. Let’s see what they testify. I am in I John chapter 5 starting in verse 5. I’ll be reading from the Christian Standard Bible today but you can follow along in whatever version you prefer. Transition: Let’s dive right in this morning, shall we? I.) The life and ministry of Jesus testify to the fact that He is the Son of God, the Messiah, so we must believe in the person and work of Jesus Christ. (5-8) a. [Slide 2] 5 – Who is the one who conquers the world but the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God? i. Between verses 4 and 5 John has said the same thing a few times in a few different ways. ii. The one fathered by God conquers the world. iii. How? Our Faith- the thing on which we place all our hopes. iv. Then verse 5 – who is the one who conquers? Well he has already answered that hasn’t he? The one fathered by God yes? The one who has our faith, yes? Yes… but all that is encapsulated by this… v. The one believing.. vi. This is a participial phrase, meaning that this is describing the person – that they are a believing one or characterized by their belief. But what are they clinging to? What are they holding fast to for dear life? vii. The truth of Jesus being the Son of God. viii. We have to understand this in the context of I John. The secessionists were denying an orthodox and apostle approved Christology. We must understand that Christology is not the only teaching required to make you orthodox – nor must we make belief in the fact of His Sonship the sum total of necessary confession. Again, this is a polemic against a false teaching. ix. That being said – it is quite a strong statement against the secessionists. Jesus is the Son of Yahweh. x. But John is not done ironing out the true Christological confession. He is about to prove by trial that Jesus is worthy of exclusive faith. b. [Slide 3] 6 – Jesus Christ – he is the one who came by water and blood, not by water only, but by water and by blood. i. At first glance – I’d wager that this verse is fairly perplexing to you. ii. Indeed, if you were to drop into this verse having simply read the entirety of I John, you would still have a difficult time of it, understanding what John is saying. iii. [Slide 4A] There are several theories across the many years of the church going back as far as the 2nd century. Let me highlight the major theories. 1. [Slide 4B] Sacraments – Christ came by baptism and by the Lord’s Supper – a. Luther and Calvin – Christ comes to us in the Sacraments. He brings Himself to us. b. There are several problems with this view i. The one who came - is an aorist participle. Not only do participles convey less aspect than verbs – but an aorist participle we could probably conclude contains no aspect. What does that mean? John seems to be saying that this happened. Not continuously, habitually, or once, or even once with continuing effects. Simply that it happened. No aspect at all. It is like taking a picture of an event in the past. You have no way of knowing if what happened in the picture continued or if what happened still has effect on the present, or even if it was repeated. All you know is that it happened. If John is talking about the sacraments – we would expect some kind of continual aspect to be applied to this. ii. Secondly, although “the water” is used in the New Testament to refer to baptism, never is “the blood” used to refer to the Lord’s Table. The Body and Blood, the Bread and Wine – sure. iii. Furthermore, why would John state the symbol of the sign in the water and the sign of the symbol in the blood? If it were to be consistent wouldn’t it be – Jesus came by water and by wine? Or Jesus came by baptism and by blood? iv. Lastly, there has not been one single reference to the sacraments in the entire book of I John up to this point. Certainly, the underpinned sign has been spoken of – but the symbols of those sacraments have not been mentioned at all. c. Therefore, it is safe that we disagree with these wise Reformers and look for another answer. 2. [Slide 4C] The Spear of Christ’s confirmed death a. Going farther back than the reformers, this view was presented by Augustine of Hippo b. When Jesus was dead on the cross the Roman soldiers pierced his side and blood and water ran out. c. Contextually, this would seem to make more sense than the sacramental view because it is to prove the divine-human nature of Christ’s existence. Something the secessionists were opposing. d. By blood and water running out it proved that he was human and dead. e. However, there are some problems with this view. i. John seems to have water as a given. That he came not only by water but by blood also. So if he is referencing something the secessionists believed, how could they believe something about the water coming out of him on the cross, but not the blood coming out of him? ii. Secondly, knowing some of the proto-gnostic beliefs, they would not argue that the man who hung on the cross named Jesus did actually die. What they would argue is that he was not still God’s Son, who was dead. f. It seems that there is something more that John has in mind here. 3. [Slide 4D] The Ministries of Christ a. Some modern commentators hold to this view. b. That Christ’s baptizing ministry was held in common between the secessionists and John but His dying ministry, his atoning ministry was not held in common. c. This I believe is closer to what John is actually saying, but with one major problem. It largely loses what the secessionists actually believed about Jesus. d. I believe that there is a better interpretation that combines both the ministry of Christ the Son of God, and also the verification of Jesus as the Son of Man. 4. [Slide 4E] The comings of Jesus which confirmed that He was the God-Man, the Messiah of God. a. This view was held by Tertullian, who lived between late 100s and early 200s AD. Of all the views, his is the earliest. b. At the baptism of Jesus, God Himself confirmed that Jesus (who was a man) was also His Son in whom He was most pleased. c. At the death of Jesus, God Himself confirmed that Jesus (who had shed his blood and died) was His Son whose payment He had accepted. This is confirmed by the signs that surrounded the death of Christ (darkness on the land, earthquakes, The resurrection of the dead, first being Jesus Himself) iv. [Slide 5A] Here is why I think the last view is correct. 1. [Slide 5B] First John says Jesus Christ. Not his last name – but rather his title. His role. Jesus the Messiah. The Savior. The one sent by God. Indicating purpose and identity. The proto-gnostic groups insisted that Jesus and the Christ were two separate people who joined for a time. One Spirit the other human. 2. [Slide 5C] As we noted in our intro to I John, some proto-gnostic persuasions – trying to rid themselves of the mortal body aspect of Jesus being in flesh, had concluded that at His Baptism Jesus the human received the Messiah as it descended upon Him from God. And this human Jesus wore him like a cloak. However, John saying that Jesus Christ came by or through baptism – it indicates that Jesus was the Christ before his baptism occurred. 3. [Slide 5D] Another belief of the proto-gnostics is that the spirit of God was removed from Jesus the human before His death. His mission was accomplished and Jesus the human was killed. 4. By John saying Jesus the Messiah (purpose and identity) came by or through water AND blood, it means most assuredly that he came by missional objective through not only His baptism, but also through His death as well. But John is using this to authenticate that Jesus was always the Christ, the Son of God. 5. Not through water only but He was the Christ through both. 6. The truth of who He is was made manifest by His baptism AND by His death. v. [Slide 6] And the Spirit is the one who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth. 1. Notice the present tense here of the Spirit. Christ came through these things, but the Spirit now continues to testify. 2. After Christ’s resurrection and ascension, The Spirit of God descended and indwelled all those who were His children. 3. That same spirit is alive and at work to testify in each of us of the truth about Christ. 4. Why – because the Spirit of God, and is therefore, truth. c. [Slide 7A] 7 – For there are three that testify: i. In Roman and Jewish law, testimony would only be received if it was validated by 2 or 3 witnesses. ii. John’s language here essentially lays out that Jesus’ claim to be the Messiah of God was authenticated not by His baptism alone, but by His death and the sending of the Spirit of God also. iii. These three testify to the truth that Jesus is the Messiah the Son of God. iv. It ought to be mentioned here, although I will not take much time with it, there is an entire portion of this verse and some of the next that is omitted in every single modern version of the bible, yet present in the KJV. v. [Slide 7B] The phrase omitted is “in heaven: The Father, The Word and the Holy Spirit, and these three are One; and there are three witnesses on the earth” vi. Many have openly accused the modern translations of corrupting the text – and omitting such a valued gem of trinitarian formula. vii. However – the modern translations are right to omit this from the text. Why? Because it is very obviously and quite simply not the original words of John. Not only does this phrase not occur in any Greek manuscript predating 1215AD, but in most Greek manuscripts it appears as a footnote in the margins. No doubt a note of commentary rather than original text. viii. Furthermore, during the trinitarian disputes in the early church – would this text not have been an often-quoted verse to substantiate the trinity? Yet not one church father ever quotes this verse. And we know that at least Origen believed I John to be authentic. ix. So since it is not original to John – let’s ignore it and move into verse 8. d. [Slide 8] 8 – The Spirit and the water and the blood - and these three are in agreement i. This simple statement is the final nail in the theological coffin of the secessionists. ii. The Spirit of God, the Death of Christ, and the Baptism of Christ all say the same thing. iii. Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, who came in flesh, obeyed God, died for the atonement of sin and rose again as the first born of many sons, ascended to the Father where He is seated at the right hand of God currently making intercession on behalf of His children. iv. This is the authentic Jesus who is the Christ! That is why true faith must cling to Him and Him alone! v. But why? Why do these three agree? vi. They all have the same source. God Himself testifies through Christ’s baptism, Atonement, and by sending His Spirit. vii. And that is where John will go next, but first let’s survey what we’ve learned here. e. [Slide 9] Passage Truth: John to his readers does identify what it is to truly be a believer in Jesus being the Son of God. He gives a Christological position that authenticates Jesus as the true faith, the true Christ, the one needed for us to overcome the world. Who is this Jesus really? His life tells us who He is. He is The messiah of God, conceived by the holy spirit, baptized and approved by God, lived a life of perfect obedience, died for the sins of His people, raised from the dead as the firstborn of many, ascended to the Father’s throne to make intercession on behalf of His people, and fulfilling His word by sending the Spirit for His children. This is Jesus the Christ. He alone is our faith. f. Passage Application: But John doesn’t tell his readers this in correction – but rather in comfort. They do believe this. They have received all of this as they have been illuminated by God’s Spirit to believe. g. [Slide 10] Broader Biblical Truth: If we zoom out from I John – what do we find? The same exact truth. It is this Christology of this authenticated Christ that we must be confessing if we are fathered of God. No other Christ or savior will do but this one. h. Broader Biblical Application: In application – is this what you believe? Truly? Does your heart cling to this Jesus? If so what will that mean? That you conquer the world and that God’s law is not burdensome. So that you can follow it out of love for God and out of love for Him you can love other Christians. Connected to genuine faith in the genuine Christ is genuine obedience. That is where John is leading us. Transition: [Slide 11(blank)] So these three witnesses from Christ’s life, ministry, and effect of His life have testified to the truth, that Jesus is the Messiah of God, His Son. Come in flesh. Died in flesh. Raised in flesh. Ascended in flesh. The God-Man. But what about God? Will He testify to this truth also? Will He correct the testimony of the water, blood and Spirit or will He add to what they have said? Let’s see. II.) God’s testimony is that Jesus is the Christ and His Son and the only source for eternal life, so we must believe in the person and work of Jesus Christ (9-13) a. [Slide 12] 9 – If we accept human testimony, God’s testimony is greater, because it is God’s testimony that he has given about His Son. i. Going back to the rule of law – again under human testimony when two or three testify and are in agreement to a certain truth – it is recognized to the point that someone could be acquitted or condemned of a crime. ii. If this is so of human testimony – given the evil of men’s hearts – how much more so is God’s testimony? iii. Especially when God is testifying about His Son! About Himself! b. [Slide 13] 10 – The one who believes in the Son of God has this testimony within himself. i. Again, participial in nature – the believing one the one who clings to the Son of God has what? ii. This testimony. Which testimony? iii. The testimony of God about Christ. iv. Where does he have this testimony? v. In himself. How is that? vi. We should hold off on answering this until we understand what God’s testimony about Christ is. Because John has not quite said it yet. So let’s save what this testimony in us is until then. c. [Slide 14] The one who does not believe God has made him a liar, because he has not believed in the testimony God has given about His Son. i. But – bad news for the secessionists. God’s testimony about His own son, if not believed, is the same as calling God a liar. ii. This is not simple rejection in ignorance. iii. This is willful and purposeful suppression of the truth and doubting of God’s very words. iv. Like the serpent in the garden they have asked – has God said? And concluded no… he has not. v. But what is it, specifically, that God has revealed to us about His Son through His Spirit in us? d. [Slide 15] 11 – And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. i. This is the testimony God has given about His Son. This is the testimony that we have in ourselves. We have been made alive in Him! ii. We have been raised to life and life everlasting! iii. And the life we have has been wed, married, united, and fastened to the eternal nature and life of Christ Himself. We in Him, are His reward and in this are rewarded as well. iv. We are the bride and he the groom. v. We are adopted heirs. vi. We are brothers, friends, and slaves of Christ. vii. All we have, all we ever hope to be, not just in this wretched blip of a world -but in the eternal Kingdom to come – all we are is found only in Christ. e. [Slide 16] 12 – The one who has the Son has life. The one who does not have the Son of God does not have life. i. This is still the testimony of God about His son in us! If we have life – God is giving His testimony t o us, authenticating His Son as the Christ. ii. Almost no explanation is needed here. iii. Life is bound to Christ. iv. And after this great Christological exhortation – John writes some of the most wonderful words of the letter. f. [Slide 17] 13 – I have written these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life. i. Again we have a purpose for John’s writing. ii. He has written these things – all these things – everything he has said – to whom? iii. The believing ones – The trusting ones – the depending ones… on what? iv. The name of the Son of God. What does this mean? 1. A name is a reputation. A name is a summary of who you are or what you are. 2. A name represents authority and power. 3. So to be a depending on the name of the Son of God is quite literally staking everything you are – your entire existence – on the reputation, person, and work of Jesus Christ. v. So John identifies his readers. Those who are believing ones in the person and work of Jesus, the Messiah, the Son of God. vi. And the very reason he has written all that he has, in this book, and even in the last 12 verses is why? vii. So they can know. So they can rest assured that they have, right now, eternal life. Not sometime in the future… but right now they have it. viii. He just finished saying that God’s testimony about His Son in them is that there is only life in Him. Therefore when they believe in Him and have life… They know that it is eternal life and that Jesus is the Christ, God’s Son! g. [Slide 18] Passage Truth: So John reveals who is the one testifying to the truth about Christ. That is God Himself. His testimony should be held in far higher esteem than any man’s testimony could. His testimony about His Son is that He alone is the source for life everlasting. Only in Christ is this found. Only those depending on the person and work of Christ alone have such an assurance of eternal life. h. Passage Application: Again, to his readers this is designed to be a great comfort. They do believe this, and therefore they should be assured. i. [Slide 19] Broader Biblical Truth: Zooming out from I John, we saw God in Matthew testify to the truth of His Son. In Acts the Spirit doing the same – fulfilling the promises made by the Son and indwelling the people united to the son by true faith. j. Broader Biblical Application: So for us, of course this means that we must be believers on the name of Jesus Christ. In His person and in His work. That is not possible for you to believe unless you have been fathered of God. And so, for those Fathered of God – continue to believe in greater and greater degrees on the name of Jesus Christ. He is the only path to eternal life. And in what John has written you can know that you have eternal life. That you have this faith, this Jesus. But friends if you have ultimately found that you have failed John’s tests – Faith, Love, and obedience. Then you do not have this hope. Only the assured fear of coming judgment. Transition: [Slide 20(end)] So how then shall we live? Conclusion: Friends, you would be silly to ignore the teaching of men on this topic. You would be misinformed to cast all of church historical doctrine into the garbage as it testifies to the Sonship, Humanity, Deity, Atonement, person and work of Jesus Christ. You would be ignorant to not listen to the teaching of men on the glory of Jesus of Nazareth. But to ignore the testimony of God Himself about His son… you would be something far worse. You would be a fool. I don’t mean fool in the sense of a courtroom jester making jokes at the King’s expense. No. I mean the biblical fool. What does being a fool in the bible mean? A senseless one. An accursed one. Wicked, blind, rebellious, and evil. If you ignore the testimony of God of His own Son – then quite plainly there is no hope for you. You are doomed. Yet even now, under the sound of my voice, under the words of John, breathed out by God Himself, you may be, for the first time, realizing that Jesus of Nazareth was more than a great teacher. More than a great leader. More than compassionate, more than good or kind or a great example for us all. He was God Himself in flesh. His message was to repent of sin and follow Him. His death was to atone for the sins of His people. And His effect was to bring new life to people who were spiritually dead and change them to be what God wants them to be. Perhaps, even now, you have begun to awaken form your slumber of death? Perhaps even now you feel life course through you. Heed my voice. If you can hear this message, if you can see this Christ – Cry out to God! Repent of your wickedness. Turn form it. And turn to Him. Give Him your allegiance. Declare Him to be your Lord. Receive this Jesus, the Messiah of God, your atonement for sin. Don’t harden your heart. And if you are one of those who is a believer. You have been given faith, faith that produces love and obedience. What does this message do for you? It is a message of confirmation. The one in whom you are believing is all that you have believed and more. Continue to believe! Continue to trust! And comfort yourself in knowing that as you continue to trust it is evidence that you have eternal life. What comfort it is to know that this is true. Indeed, it is the very reason John wrote this book.

John's first encounter with a sound engineer left him, let’s just say, unimpressed with the level of professionalism he saw. “I could do just as well and do it with class.” And that he does.  Do you make beats or compose tunes? If John likes them, he’ll showcase them on this show. Listen in to hear how to have your music showcased on the LaurieTalks podcast. 

Our incredible original introduction has now been lost to the world. John hasn't taken a drink since December. Had he know that a pandemic was coming, he may have chosen something...like... no vegetables?If John wants to give birth, why stand in his way?If you missed our first conversation with Ralf and Aly, you check it out here. Ralf and Aly's Golden/Shit Ideas of Finding InvestorsKnow the laws before asking people for moneySeek a relationship first and make strong connections.Know your industry wellRalf and Aly spent seven years building relationships and raising enough capital. Tenacity in action.Initially, Ralf and Aly were fuelled by spite to prove their detractors wrong. Over time, the love for their community took over. It's human nature to see the underdog becomes victorious. If Ralf and Aly hadn't asked for help and shared their business failures, they would have never had the ability to come back. Remaining true to self and sticking to their values is the secret to Riot's and every business success.Riot Brewing won the Black Tie Award for Business of the Year in 2018.Riot's first investor was a community member who "walked by," and was interested in supporting a local community business. We've actually had a podcast on work/life balance. You can check it out here. Riot's problem was one of scale. They grew too quickly- selling before they had the structure to support the sales,. Just because, "everybody wants your beer," doesn't mean you should be selling it to everybody. Going from 5 employees to 17 in such a short time, didn't help either.Ralf and Aly, "just wanted to make good beer." They needed someone to make a good business. Here's the Wallstreet Journal Article.Learning how to say no is more important then saying yes.Asking for help is extremely difficult for entrepreneurs but essential if you want to scale your business properly. Ultimately, Riot Brewing went Insolvent after another winter weather closure in 2019. CRA seized all their accounts and business was frozen. Increased sales is NOT a solution to a lack of cash flow. Turning the tap on more will only speed up your demise if the problem is lack of water. Fear and Panic kicked in quickly after they went insolvent. Many people tried to take advantage of Riot's vulnerable state by offering them pennies on the dollar for their business.Here's the difference between Insolvency and Bankruptcy. Essentially, Bankruptcy can be a viable solution to Insolvency. The irony of Riot's business struggles was too much success. A text book example of, "too much of a good thing."The metaphor of the community filling Riot's empty planters is stunning. They truly loved Riot back into existence. Here's the CTV story.  Ralf and Aly finally had the courage to share their Insolvency and that allowed them to find a way through. Ralf and Ally, like anyone who has gone through severe financial or emotional distress, could greatly benefit from therapy. Therapy is a sign of strength. Positive affirmations and personal mantras helped them move forward.   

On today’s episode of Franchise Secrets I welcome an old friend and mentor, John Hewitt, multi award winner and one of the true legends in the history of franchising. John made his mark with Jackson Hewitt before finally cashing in and starting on his next venture, Liberty Tax, which he grew to over 4,000 locations in the first 12 years.    Over the years he’s mentored countless individuals in how to run franchises, myself included, and I can personally speak to the profound impact he’s had on my life and the lives of many of my close friends. John paved the way for many of us that have come after him, and without his insights I wouldn’t have been nearly as successful in my own ventures.    John’s insistence on making the lives of his franchisees as easy and straightforward as possible is the backbone of his success. John’s love for his work emanates from him. He’s notoriously accessible with an endless amount of time and energy for the people he works with, and has a natural candor that his franchisees love. Join us today to hear his insights and learn from one of the true masters of his craft!    Timestamps  5:36 - If you don’t do things differently, you’re going to fail  10:37 - You have to make things as simple as possible for your franchisees  23:39 - Seeing bad news as an opportunity to learn  35:49 - The importance of enjoying the journey  43:26 - If your franchisees are happy, you will be successful    “Genius is making complicated things simple”    One of the points that John stresses in this episode is the importance as a franchisor of developing a system that average people can operate. Not everyone is a superstar, not everyone is a self starter and knows what it takes to succeed. If your system isn’t able to be executed by a B or C level student, you’re not going to find success because hardly anyone will be able to follow your system and flourish.    I remember how simple John’s strategies were to execute. There was literally a plan for every single day of my life. It completely took the guesswork out of building my business and allowed me to instead focus all my energy on executing a plan that I knew would lead me to success, as it had many others. That’s what made John so successful, and it’s what I try to replicate in my own business.    The Need to Innovate    Not every innovation is guaranteed to lead you to success. In fact, most will fall flat. But not innovating at all will lead to failure every time.    If John had made Jackson Hewitt exactly in the model of H&R Block, what would have been the reason for any customer to come to him? Why would someone buy a service from a small, unproven entity rather than the big, nationwide, trusted empire? You need to draw people in by doing something differently, by going the extra mile for your customers, by giving them an experience that the bigger competitors aren’t matching. You’re not guaranteed success, but if you can do that, you give yourself a fighting chance. If you simply blend in, you may as well close up shop before you even start.    Enjoying the Journey    One of John’s hallmarks, which I talk about in this episode, is how available he always is to his franchisees. Everyone feels like they get personalized attention, and he really cares what his people have to say. By focusing on making his people happy from top to bottom, John has created multiple empires and a fortune in the process.    John has done all of this because he truly loves his work. He has no intentions of retiring… why would he? He already does what he loves every day, makes an impact on people’s lives and is changing the world in the process. He’s not looking to cash in on a big payday, he’s looking to keep doing what he loves and enjoying every day of it. That’s what life is all about, and as soon as you figure that out, you will already have found success.    Connect With John John's LinkedIn Loyalty Brands Website Connect With Erik Facebook LinkedIn Medium Franchise Secrets Website

(0:00) Show Open Bad news for Frank as Supplies of Coke Zero and Diet Coke could run out due to coronavirus. Equally bad news for Kristine, as we find out You Can Catch Coronavirus From Someone's Flatulence! (9:55) Entertainment News   Oprah Admits She's Had a One-Night Stand Snoop Dogg's Mom Convinced Him to Apologize to Gayle King Apple Won't Let Bad Guys Use iPhones in Movies OZZY OSBOURNE says you're crazy if you don't believe in aliens. Hank Azaria Stopped Voicing Apu Because "It Just Didn't Feel Right"   (23:00) Agree or Disagree w/ Laughin John In this game we start off with two contestants and Laughin John. Frank asks John the question first and he must answer. Then, taking turns between them, Frank asks the contestants if they agree or disagree. If John is right and they agree, player gets the point. If John is wrong and they disagree, player must answer correctly to receive the point. (37:35) Dumbass of the Day   A Woman Fires a Gun Into Taco Bell Over Not Getting What She Ordered . . . and Could Get Life in Prison A Hospital Worker Is Caught Sucking on an Elderly Patient's Toes A guy in Michigan who was caught with heroin in his pants said he'd borrowed them from his cousin. (44:05) Love Jesus? How about stop being a dick then The Pope told Catholics to give up TROLLING for Lent. (48:50)  BILL OAKLEY Creator of The Annual 'Steamie Awards', Honoring the Best Fast Food of the Past Year Bill Oakley is a longtime writer for ‘The Simpsons' and the mastermind behind the show's much-memed “steamed hams”. He is also the man behind the annual fast-food awards ‘The Steamie Awards', handing out ten awards to what he deems were the best fast-food experiences of the past year.   What was the best plant-based fast food item of the year?   The best fast food burrito of the year?   How about the best condiment of the year, and the biggest disappointment of the year?  And what was the single best fast food item of the year?  Bill reveals the winners to these categories and others, plus he shares his predictions for the best fast foods of 2020. Visit Bill Oakley's Instagram page & find him on Twitter @ThatBillOakley.      Support the show: https://podcave.app/subscribe/the-world-famous-frank-show-4eehjczc See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The True Measure of Greatness Luke 3:15-23 Exegetical Main Point: While many wondered if John the Baptist was the Christ, he taught that the Christ far surpassed him in greatness. In his baptism, God himself declares Jesus Christ’s identity. He is the divine Son of God. Main Point of the Sermon: Since there is none greater than Jesus, our greatness must be measured by him. Me: I remember growing up seeing performers, athletes who were the best of the best and dreaming of becoming like them. I would see the singer hit that high note and the crowd go wild, or the guitarist mesmerizing crowds with his licks, or the home run kings step to the plate… I wanted to be like them and in many ways what I spent my time doing, for a lot of my childhood, was trying to be great like these people. I was and still am so often mesmerized by greatness. Now, I’m not trying to become a baseball or Rockstar anymore, but my vision of greatness has changed with my season of life. Now, it’s the best preachers, song-writers, writers, and church leaders who catch my attention. It’s the beautiful and the winsome that catch my eye. We: What makes someone great in your mind? There have been many great men and women throughout human history beyond our 21stcentury ideals: prophets, teachers, reformers, and the like who have lead masses, helping shape human history sometimes for the better and sometimes for the worse. But of them all do you know who Jesus said was the greatest? His cousin John, known as John the Baptist. I’ve always wondered why Jesus said that. What made him so great? Was it how hardcore he was? The fact that he ate honey and locusts? That he wore sackcloth and lived in the wilderness? He never married. He never wrote a book, probably never traveled outside of Israel. John was a prophet like many of the Old Testament prophets who came preaching repentance, but John’s ministry lasted only six months before he would be imprisoned and beheaded by king Herod. Could it be that John was the greatest because his entire life pointed to the greatest of all, Jesus the Messiah? We saw in last’s weeks text that John the Baptist, had masses following him. He was considered a great prophet by many. But in the moment of his spotlight, he turned the attention away from himself to the one coming after him. This is what made John the Baptist great. Is this your measure for greatness? Tonight I want to show you from our text: 1) Jesus is the greatest of all 2) The true measure of greatness 3) Jesus was baptized so that even sinners could be great Main Point: Since there is none greater than Jesus, our greatness must be measured by him. Text: Jesus is the greatest of all 15 As the people were in expectation, and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Christ… If you’re new with us, we are taking a journey together through the Gospel of Luke. Luke was the Apostle Paul’s personal physician and travel companion who wrote his Gospel most likely to a new believer named Theophilus. He tells us that the purpose of his writing is that those who read might be certain of the things that have been told them concerning Jesus. Here in chapter 3, Luke records that John the Baptist, came out of the wilderness after the Word of God came to him and he preached a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. Verse 7 tells us that crowds were coming to him from all over and being baptized by John. People from every walk of life, the rich and poor, soldiers, religious leaders, and common people came to him, and the word was spreading quickly so that people were in expectation and wondering if John might be the long awaited Messiah. He was the headliner of the show, the celebrity pastor – he was famous, and he had every opportunity to live in the glory of that moment. But listen to how John responds to the crowds. Verse 16: 16 John answered them all, saying, “I baptize you with water, but he who is mightier than I is coming, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. John doesn’t take the glory for a second but rather points to the one coming after him who is “mightier” than him. John doesn’t stop there though, he wants us to understand how much greater the one coming is. He says, “I’m not even worthy to unstrap his sandals.” In his time only non-Jewish slaves would perform this task of unstrapping sandals. The roads were filthy with mud, animal urine and droppings, garbage and the like, so this was a servants task of the lowest rank. And yet John says that he is not even worthy to take on this task. John goes on: “I baptize you with water…but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.” In other words, John was saying, “I work on the outside – external baptism, but the one coming, works on the inside – he can make your heart clean. He can cause you to be born again. He has the power to give the Holy Spirit.” But not only will this Messiah wield the Holy Spirit and fire, he also has authority to judge. Look at verse 17: “17 His winnowing fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.” John paints the picture of judgment with that of a thresher at harvest gathering the wheat and putting it in his barn but removing the chaff – which was the excess shells and waste of the crop – to be burnedwith unquenchable fire. This one coming after John actually has authority to judge whether one would receive salvation or eternaljudgment under God’s wrath. These descriptions should leave you asking like it would have his listeners, “Who then is this man?” This was not just any man. John’s description of the roles of the Messiah, in fact, describe the very roles of God as seen in the Old Testament. Psalm 50: The heavens declare his righteousness, for God himself is judge! Likewise, Joel 2 says that Yahweh would pour out his Spirit on all flesh. God is the one who has the power to give the Spirit, and God is the only one with authority to judge. But this one coming, John the Baptist taught, will have the same power and authority as God. Luke is putting the pieces together for his readers. John the Baptist understood that he was making a highway for God who was about to show up. He knew that he was one prophesied about in Isaiah 40, “The voice of one crying in the wilderness: “Prepar[ing] the way of THE LORD (All caps in your Bibles). He was preparing the way for the one true God, Yahweh… John believed that this one coming after him was the Lord. He was far superior than John. He was indeed the greatest of all. Luke’s account kind of leaves the reader hanging, just like the crowds would have been, wondering what this coming would look like – wondering who this person would be. The text would suggest that not even John the Baptist knew exactly who this person was. John only speaks in pronouns about this great One. But then beginning in verse 21, Luke tells the story of the revelation of the Messiah. Imagine the expectation you would have if you heard this message for weeks and months from John the Baptist leading up to this day. Let’s read it together: 21 Now when all the people were baptized, and when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heavens were opened, 22 and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form, like a dove; and a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.” Luke’s account of Jesus’s baptism should make every reader stop and marvel like I can imagine those who witnessed this event did. Masses of people were being baptized by John. It was a day like any other. Nothing spectacular had come about. But then this man Jesus shows up in the wilderness at the Jordan and wants to be baptized by John. Matthew’s Gospel says that John was hesitant to do so because he was aware of his own sinfulness before God. But after Jesus was baptized everything changed. John the Baptist, though he knew his cousin, and doubtless had heard the prophesies about him, and seemed to have some understanding of Jesus’s identity, came to know with certainty that Jesus was the divine Son of God, the promised Messiah. Anyone who knew the Scriptures and the prophesies about the Messiah would have recognized the significance of these events. Listen to Isaiah 42:1:Behold my Servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights; I have put my Spirit upon him; he will bring forth justice to the nations. Or Isaiah chapter 11, “There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse [that is, from the line of David] and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit. And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him… The Spirit rested on Jesus in a unique way just like the prophecies had said. Like a dove gracefully descending to perch on some object, or like the tongues of fire that descended on the disciples at Pentecost, the Spirit descended on Jesus in bodily form. What was happening here? The Father was preparing his Son with his Spirit for this task ahead. This is not “divine begetting” or adoptionism or even his becoming the Messiah, but rather equipping for ministry. He was already king; he was already God’s Son, but this was God’s affirmation of that reality for the sake of those listening, as well as the anointing for the work ahead. Jesus was equipped by the Spirit for ministry to show us the way that he would equip the Church for ministry by the Spirit. Accompanying this amazing Spirit baptism was the affirmation of the Father from heaven, “This is my beloved Son with whom I am pleased…” In this moment, God the Father was identifying Jesus as his uniquely loved Son. This was God’s “only Son” from the Father (Jn. 1:14), the Word made flesh. But not only was he the divine Son of God, he was a son pleasing to the Father for his holy life. Out of his identity came his action. Here, the Father is offering his seal of affirmation for the way Jesus had fulfilled the Law perfectly. He is the second Adam, or the faithful Israel, who unlike the first Adam or Israel, lived his life spotlessly. This spotless life is what made his sacrificial death on the cross a pleasing sacrifice to the Father on behalf of his people. Notice also that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit were all present in this moment. Father affirming his Son, Jesus submitting to his Father as the Savior of the world, and the Holy Spirit sent from the Father to empower Christ for the mission. What a beautiful picture of all the members of the trinity present right at the beginning of Jesus’s ministry, like a poised team ready to take on their holy mission. That’s what made Jesus so great. This was the Son of God in the flesh, who had lived his life perfectly before the Father. He was the hope of the world come from God. That’s why John the Baptist talked the way he did. “I must become less. He must become more.” When the masses stopped coming to John but started going to Jesus, John told his disciples: “It is the bridegroom who marries the bride, and the bridegroom’s friend is simply glad to stand with him and hear his vows. Therefore, I am filled with joy at his success” (John 3:29). John was content to lose his ministry and even his life to be able to watch the greater one exalted, to see the Bridegroom King get to come and take his bride. He was content with his calling to get people ready for the king. Now, you may have noticed that Luke goes out of chronological order here in the description of John the Baptist’s life. We know from the other Gospels that John was the one who baptized Jesus, but Luke doesn’t mention this in Jesus’s baptism story, but rather records John’s ministry as coming to a close in his imprisonment. He preached this message of Good News until he was imprisoned and eventually beheaded by Herod, who was angry at John for his rebuke of his adultery, recorded in verse 19 and 20. I don’t think Luke’s order is an accident. Luke is trying to show us that Jesus picks up where John left off. And just like that, in John the Baptist’s short 33ish year life and only six month long ministry, it was over. He made much of Jesus, got to baptize him, and confirm to everyone that Jesus was in fact the Christ. But his mission was complete, and Jesus would later say that amongst those born of women, no one was greater. This is similar affirmation to what the Father said about Jesus. This was like John’s “well done, good and faithful servant.” God was pleased with John’s life. This is what made him great in the sight of God. Let me ask you today, is this the measure of your greatness, of your success? If John was called greatest among men when he had focused his entire life on bringing Jesus glory, how should we measure our greatness? The True Measure of Greatness Your greatness should be measured by 1) what God says about you 2) how your life brings glory to God in Jesus. Let me explain why this should be the measure of your greatness. When God created mankind, he created us in his image. Our lives were meant to be little pictures of God spread all of the world, like mirrors reflecting his image, making his glory shine. But the reality is, rather than living in that incredible purpose, we have all been like king Herod and have taken what is not ours. Rather than making much of God and seeking to reflect him with all of our lives, we have all set ourselves up as kings and queens. We’ve created a god in our own image and demanded that he submit to our desires and be our genie. Rather than hearing the Word, we have turned our back in rebellion and hardened our hearts. We’ve taken God off of his throne and put ourselves in his place. My desire as a kid, and still so often, to be the best, most praised, is a hunger to be seen by others, not by God. You and me and all the world are glory thieves. Like Satan we have marveled at our own beauty, and set ourselves above God in our hearts in pride. If God is the sun, we were meant to be the moon, but we have all made ourselves the sun in our hearts, and in so doing we have subtly demanded the worship of others. The greatest temptations I see in the church today – and I know this largely because of my own sin – is the desire to be seen as better or holier than we are. We want our families to look so put together. God forbid someone see us fight or have a hard day. We might confess our sins, but only in such a way that it doesn’t sound as ugly to those who hear it. We keep some of its ugliness hidden. As singles we try to present ourselves to others as always put together, always cheerful, adventurous, beautiful – this is especially exacerbated by the social media world. But in trying to paint this picture of ourselves, prettier, holier, more exciting, we are redefining what makes us worthy of another’s attention, we are being dishonest with ourselves and with others, and we are doing nothing but making ourselves more anxious, more self-conscious, and more crippled by one another so that we are not able to serve God or others. Every one of us are glory thieves. Every one of us deserve God’s unquenchable fire for our failure to reflect the creator like we were made to. But I have Good News for us today. Jesus was baptized so that even sinners could be great This is why Jesus came. Jesus didn’t need to get baptized! This was a baptism of repentance. Those who did it were fleeing from the wrath of God. Jesus didn’t have the wrath of God hanging over him. The Father was pleased with him for his holy life. But when he got down into the filthy water of the Jordan and was dunked backwards in the water, Jesus was showing us that he would not flee from God’s wrath but that he would run into it for us, that he would be crucified for our sin. This is exactly what Jesus did on the cross. Jesus took the baptism of death for you. He took the judgement that you deserve for your glory stealing so that by faith in him you would have God’s pleasure as his faithful and beloved child. This is the Gospel. When you believe in Christ and get baptized in his name, you are making a profession of faith that you are identifying with Jesus’s perfect life and with his death for your sin. But it doesn’t end there. When you come out of the water, you are identifying with the resurrected Christ who is ascended to heaven and seated now at the right hand of God. Because we have put on Christ in this way, like new clothing, when the Father looks at you he can say, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.” This is the true measure of greatness – to be accepted by the Father in Christ. Jesus said in Luke chapter 7 that though John was the greatest born among women, the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than John. What this means is that if you are in Christ, your righteousness exceeds that of John’s because of Jesus. Our oneness with Christ means that just as Jesus is greater than John, so is the person who is least in the kingdom who believes in Jesus. Your place in the kingdom is contingent not on your works, not on your Bible reading faithfulness, not on your beauty or competence, not on your net worth, not on those you’ve lead to Christ, but by your union with Jesus. But the question for you today is this: is God pleased with you in Christ? Are you following him? Will Jesus come to you in peace like a dove or as a judge with a winnowing fork? How you respond to Jesus determines whether his baptism of the Holy Spirit is one of salvation or of judgment for you. Jesus is no longer in the grave. He is seated as the judge of all humanity at the right hand of the Father, ready to take up his winnowing fork. If you are not already, I urge you today to turn to him and receive his mercy. What is the true measure of greatness? One, it is to measure our success, our greatness, by what God thinks of us, and two, by how well our lives bring glory to God through Jesus. What made Jesus’s life pleasing to the Father? A life lived in loving submission and reverence to God. What made John’s life pleasing to God? A life lived in loving submission and reverence to God. What will make your life pleasing to God in Christ? A life lived in loving submission and reverence to God by turning the attention away from self to Christ. This identity as God’s beloved child will never end in apathetic, unfruitful living. A true child of God, united to Christ by the Spirit will look like Jesus, bearing fruit to the glory of Christ. So let me ask you, does your life show your co-workers, friends, and family that you believe that there is no one greater than Jesus? We are commanded in Colossians, “Whatever you do, in word or deed,do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him” (Col. 3:17). Our aim at this church is to follow Jesus in everyday life and to help others to the same, especially those far from God. This happens in the way you eat, work, play, spend money, date, marry, and on and on. If I asked your neighbor or co-worker or boss what about your life showed that Jesus was the most important thing to you, what would they say? Better yet, if we followed you around for a day, would your life show that Jesus is the most important thing to you? Are you intentional in the way you seek to know him, obey him, and serve like him. Conclusion: So, I ask again, what will be the measure of your greatness in life? Will it be your own good works, accomplishments, net worth, the praise of men, marital status, friendships, number of children? Or will it be the praise of God that can only come as a child of God united to the perfect Son of God? Will it be to hear the words of God on the last day, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” Oh that this would be true of us all! Church, there is no one greater than Jesus. Let us live for him intentionally before the world. If you are in Christ, God is pleased with you in the same way that he pleased with his own Son Jesus who lived a perfect life to the glory of God. So, let’s stop pretending that we are better than we are and glorify Christ in our weakness. If you are in Christ, he has given the same Spirit to you who descended on him and empowered him for ministry so that you might point to Christ like John the Baptist. This is the true measure of your greatness. So church, let us focus our energy not on making much of ourselves, but of Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. Forevermore, we will turn our eyes upon the greatest of all. So let’s take our eyes off of ourselves right now and worship him.

Summary:In this 99th episode of Fintech Impact, Jason Pereira, award-winning financial planner, university lecturer, writer, and host welcomes John Waldron, founder of Learnedly, to talk about how financial services firms handle ongoing education. Episode Highlights: ● 00:30: – John explains Learnedly as Lynda.com/LinkedIn Learning but for Canadian financial services professionals. ● 01:37: – John founded Learnedly because he found that it’s empowering to learn new ways to help your clients, and he wanted to make that learning accessible. ● 02:55: – There was a demand in the industry for video-based content that was accessible on mobile. ● 05:00: – A lot of Learnedly is inspired by and based in part on Lynda.com, which has now even sent Learnedly business. ● 06:51: – With things changing in the industry and with technology so quickly, a platform that can be updated and referenced in real-time became more and more necessary. ● 08:42: – With short-form courses like this, you can make a commitment to lifelong learning with only 30 minutes a week. ● 09:25: – People are most motivated to learn and retain the information the best when they are in a position of needing to know something, and then put that knowledge to use shortly thereafter. ● 11:00: – We take for granted how incredible a resource YouTube is, providing all this education for free, but you have to wade through a lot of low-quality content and Learnedly is a curated, high-quality platform. ● 11:30: – Learnedly costs only $20 per month, in alignment with John’s belief that education is a right, not a privilege, and should be priced accordingly. ● 12:15: – John shares how he was introduced to the financial services world by taking a Securities course in order to learn how to be responsible with his own money. ● 17:00: – Some of Learnedly’s courses are approved for Continuing Education credits, and users can expect a true mobile experience with video that can stream on desktop, tablet, or phone, and can be downloaded for offline viewing. ● 19:03: – Everything on Learnedly is researched and written beforehand, and video content takes ten times the effort of merely writing when you have to prepare, film, and edit the videos. ● 20:55: – Learnedly has received positive feedback thus far and they plan to grow exponentially over the next six months. ● 23:09: – In addition to supporting your current work needs, Learnedly can be used to grow your skills and help you advance in your career. ● 28:10: – An advantage to Learnedly is that because their content is so modular, in 1-2 minute videos, if something changes in the industry, they only have to edit and replace small clips rather than entire courses. ● 29:13: – If John could change one thing in the industry, it would be the level of complacency. ● 31:50: – AI and automation are real things that will impact the industry in the future. ● 33:35: – The advisors who believe that automation will eliminate their jobs are usually the advisors who don’t often deal with people face-to-face and those who treat their jobs in a highly transactional way that could easily be replaced by a computer. ● 36:53: – The biggest challenge has been that Learnedly is a subscription service, so getting the content ready for launch and continuing to build the library was a big lift. ● 39:18: – John is most excited about filling the need for education among the financial services industry. 3 Key Points 1. Learnedly supports an attitude of lifelong learning. 2. Learnedly disrupts the traditional model of very expensive, outdated certification courses. 3. The future is not a choice between human labor and automation, but will inevitably be a hybrid. Tweetable Quotes: ● “People learn more and they retain more when they need to know something. When they’re in that moment where they need to know, that’s when they are motivated to learn and when their retention is the greatest.” –John Waldron ● “One of the other big challenges is that regulations do change, taxes change, new tax incentives, credits, and other things change, but the industry textbooks don’t change nearly as often.” –John Waldron Resources Mentioned: ● Facebook – Jason Pereira’s Facebook ● LinkedIn – Jason Pereira’s LinkedIn ● FintechImpact.co – Website for Fintech Impact ● https://www.learnedly.com/ ● https://www.miraclemorning.com/ See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

John Lamerton is a “routine freak” - or so his wife says and after chatting with him I tend to agree (in the nicest possible way!). John loves a routine and his new book “Routine Machine” explores how you can too. In fact John promises that you can get results!One routine I’ve maintained for 2,240 days is waking up sober. Did I do it through John’s book? Nope - it wasn’t written then (I read another great book with 164 pages). But it’s the one routine I’ve maintained every single day and one I often don’t give myself credit for. You see it’s become so ingrained in me that I simply don’t drink. Being sober is normal for me today. Now am I being oblivious to the fact that I may drink one day? Absolutely not. I know I’m only ever an arm’s length away from a glass of Pinot. But today I have a choice. It was a hard-won one. It was very costly and I don’t mean financially! Today I am sober.  I don’t have to drink when I feel happy, mad, sad or bad. I simply have to ensure that when I feel irritable, restless or discontent (or my emotions run high) I do something about it. I talk to someone and tell them what’s going on with me. God (or my dog) works for me if I can’t talk to another human.  I usually have to write it down and look at it (some would call that journalling, I don’t, I call it looking at the facts!). A friend reminded me that if I can do that, I can do anything. And so can you. Anything is possible.And that’s one of the things I discuss with John. What do you do if you want to create a new routine, but you’ve tried before and failed. Perhaps you’ve tried to write a book and haven’t got more than 100 words down (or is that just me). Or you want to lose weight/buy a house/get fit/eat healthily/insert anything else here you want to do. No matter what routine you want to bring into your life it is possible to change. If I can stop drinking, surely I can lose that 3 stone that’s been with me far too long!If John “a normal bloke from Plymouth” can completely change his life and become a “routine machine”, so you can we.Listen to our chat about routines and let me know what you think.#TriggerWarning If you’re a stationery addict like me beware...whilst listening to this episode you may feel the need to go shopping, buy some cool stickers (gold stars optional) and release your inner child by making a sticker chart to celebrate your success. Be sure to give us a review on Apple Podcasts I really do read them. In fact @Teddifantastic kindly gave me one and I posted on our Patreon site a thank you. It’s here @Teddifantastic if you’re reading this: https://www.patreon.com/todayiamsober Here’s the details of John’s book:“Routine Machine: How successful people improve their morning routine, daily habits and guarantee themselves results” by John Lamerton is available in all good book stores.  If you buy the book from Amazon using the link below the Today I Am Sober podcast will receive a small commission directly from Amazon as a thank you for your purchase. Who knows, perhaps we’ll be able to buy a new microphone or sound-proofing so that the audio quality gets better!Buy the book now: https://amzn.to/2qVfVGU Connect with John: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/routinemachines/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-lamerton-b42b9013b Website: www.routinemachine.co.uk PS I’ve been busy working on our website todayiamsober.co.uk (well 2 hours at the weekend!) I hope you like it!

This is John Martinez third guest appearance on the show! John has a sales training academy where he helps real estate investors get out of their shells and close more deals through the use of psychology, influence, and confidence. On this week's episode, John shares how he only works about 3-5 hours a week on his core business and why he felt he had to cut back from all the things that weren't making him happy. The truth is he was burnt out and he was saying no to a lot of the things he loved. Now, he has a three person team (including himself) and runs a six figure a month business. Find out more about John and his journey on today's episode!  Key Takeaways: John has built up an amazing business where he doesn't have to kill himself hustling and grinding! John works 3-5 hours a week on his core business. How does he do it?  You have to have your niche. Focus is key.  Leverage what you know and see how you can expand it without taking more on your plate.   The life of an entrepreneur is marketing, sales, and automation. What can wholesalers do to get out of the grind and start living a life with more time freedom? How did John begin to structure his life in such a way where he now works on his business instead of in his business? When you feel stressed or angry, take a step back and figure out what is the root cause of that emotion.  John has a three person team and they are generating 6 figures a month in revenue. Learn how to make more and work less… What kind of technology does John use?  John breaks down his overhead, everything from what he spends on ads to the tools he uses (and more). Where do John's leads come from?  How can wholesalers apply content marketing to attract motivated sellers? If John were to start a real estate investing business from scratch, what would John do to get it up and running as quickly as possible?  What's one piece of advice John would like to share to those looking to create a lifestyle business? Mentioned in This Episode: Interested in joining the Hybrid Coaching & Mastermind Group Alex & Steve launched? Apply to Join ASCEND Episode 78: John Martinez on How To Get More Contracts and Close More Deals (Part 1) Episode 80: John Martinez On Crushing It At The Homeowners House (Part 2) Do you want to convert more of your Leads into Contracts? Here is some of John's valuable training which my entire team has gone through!    Tweetables: “A wholesaler's golden goose is your ability to market, your ability to establish relationships, and close deals.” “As I was saying yes to all that work, I was saying no to the stuff that really made me happy, the stuff that made my life worth living.” “The right eyeballs on the right content as much as possible. If you focus on that, any business will blow up because what you will end up with is a massive pool of people saying I want to work with you.” Ask Alex A Question: Have a question you want featured on an upcoming Flip Empire Show? Head over to the Ask Alex page, and record your question. We've made it super easy for you, so let us know what challenges you are having, and Alex will answer it personally! Subscribe To The Flip Empire Show, and Leave a Rating & Review!

Welcome to the Jester to Royalty Project! I am your host, Ashleigh Alsadie and I am so excited about this particular episode because it is the very first!I'm that crazy and rare breed that loves to do the grunt sales work that, let's face it, most of you hate, avoid or don't have time for. I have run a professional lead generation company ‘The PromoDonna’ for 8 years now, and have been a professional cold caller for 15 years. Having therefore completed approx. 50,000 hours plus of cold calling and sales activity, I am a unique sales trainer that puts ‘practice into preach’ each every day.As a qualified Master NLP Coach, I can also teach you sales rapport building techniques that will have you connecting with your prospects instantaneously.Many of you in my network have been screaming out for some great sales education. And through this podcast I will deliver exactly that! I (and my special guests) will educate you on how to sell more effectively and how to take your business to the next level achieving growth that maybe you've only dreamed of.Now this particular episode, we are talking all about how to bring your sales leads back to life.How can you revive an old leads and get past the gatekeeper? One of our internal strategies is to have it seem like you have a relationship already.If ‘John Smith’ your past contact is still there, you can say, "Hi, it's Ashleigh, I'm calling from XYZ. Can I please speak with John?" If they then say, "Well, what's the call regarding?" You can say, "Well John Smith and I actually used to have a conversation, it was quite some time ago, but I really wanted to call and touch base and check in with him". If John is no longer there and you've researched, cleaned up your dirty data by finding a new name, you can then say, "Well look, I used to speak with John Smith and I've recently been informed that Sally Donovan is now the best person". You leverage from that past relationship, whilst also seeming like you may have a new relationship with the new contact by doing that initial research and cleaning up your dirty data.What is covered in this podcast:· The importance of following up your old ‘box of business cards’ from networking events/trade shows; data in your CRMs or spreadsheets of old leads and past clients· How to clean up your dirty data and why it gets you sales· Using LinkedIn as a sales tool· Tips for getting past the gate keeper· Striking while the iron is hot so that you convert more sales· The Now or Never Close· Researching your target market for information you can leverage from· How to create a connection and obtain relevant information from your lead· How to wow your prospects with unexpected sales strategies· Making sure your leads don’t go cold again!

John the Baptist came in fulfillment of Isaiah 40 and was Elijah who was to come. If John was who he claimed to be, then Jesus is who he claimed to be and who John professed him to be. The life and ministry of John the Baptist provides evidence for the person and work of Christ.

I had the pleasure of chatting with guest, singer, songwriter and spiritual teacher, John Stringer! We discussed our spiritual journey and how it led us to align with the direct guidance we each now receive, as channels for The Divine. If John and I can channel, then, anybody can… join us and learn how!

If John always gets lost, does that make him a loser?John's anxiety flows from a hyper brain. Rock Climbing and Mountain Runs make all the difference.John is a late bloomer. Turns out, that's not necessarily a bad thing.Dee thinks we seem Legit. If you agree, please share your positive reviews with iTunes.Dee gave dozens of interviews, at times all in one day.James Hetfield not only called Dee but texted her a selfie shortly after."There's lots of Cougars at Metallica concerts." - Denise GallantAndrews Cougar Research:Cougars can leap 30ftThey can take down animals 4x their size e.g. MooseThey are dangerous beastsDee would have lost to the cougar in a fightPanic can set in quickly but will prevent us from having a clear presence of mind and we will make mistakes. Feel the panic, embrace the panic but don't give in to it. Resistance is futile.The fact that Dee has made a habit out of talking shit to dangerous animals who are stalking her still boggles our mind. That said, increasing our knowledge of animals and their habitat would go a long way in decreasing our anxiety."You can't avoid fear but you can learn to control your reaction to it." Denise Gallant"It's not about being fearless. It's about fearing less." -Andrew Langford/Someone SmarterThe Far Side is the greatest and may be making a comeback.Dee's Prescription for Society: "Take a 5K. Call me in the morning. The difference between a good dog/John and a bad dog/John is usually 5K.Dee's Harley gives her 1300 CC's of therapy. What is your therapy?If you currently feel trapped in yourself, take charge, stop blaming and change what you need to change.     . 

Episode 8 - Movies, Earthquakes & Makeup to Die For     John and Tammy discuss the new movie Yesterday...what did John think of how he was portrayed in the film? If John had not been a musician, what would he have done?  Believe it or not, John thinks he would have made a pretty good judge. The Southland has been shaking, Tammy and John talk about dealing with earthquakes.  John says girls look great without make-up.  Tammy tells him why women feel compelled to wear it, then turns the tables on him.  

Earning More with Side hustles Today we’re following up on the conversation we started a few weeks ago about earning more vs spending less and which is better for getting ahead. We talked about spending less being better if you’re in a financial crisis or in need of some very fast acting money fixes, because spending less is IMMEDIATE! But there is only so much cutting you can do.   We also talked about earning more being better for the long-term, big picture, MULTIPLIER of your finances, and there are really only four ways you could increase your earnings – ask for a raise or promotion, get a side-gig or side-hustle, start a business or adjust your paycheck withholdings. Today’s episode focuses on side-hustles.   When I was 19, I opened an insurance agency for Allstate and, for a short time, I was the youngest Allstate agent in the country. My agency paid my bills, barely. And my wife worked to help pay them too! On the side, I also owned a magic shop at a kiosk in one of our local malls. It was called Hocus Pocus. I wore a name tag that said master illusionist, which I was not. I paid someone to run the shop during the day and then, on nights and weekends, I was there selling magic tricks for extra money.   I wasn’t working on the side to pay my bills; it was to get ahead. My wife and I were living in a crappy little apartment and we wanted to buy a house. My side hustle was going to provide the money for the down payment.   A few years later, when my agency was more established, my wife and I, and now our new daughter, were living in a house instead of that crappy apartment. My agency was paying my bills, but I was going out at night and selling vacuums. That’s right, I was a vacuum salesman! The vacuum sales were for extra money. We were paying our bills with our jobs, but we weren’t getting ahead. We weren’t creating any wealth. Selling vacuums allowed us to earn some extra to pay off some debts and accelerate our wealth.   Years later, after I had been in the financial industry for about 12 years, I started a side business selling little rubber thumb bands that said things like, TXTNG KLLS and DNT TXT N DRIVE. They were called texting thumb bands, and we sold millions of them! My dad got involved and helped run it because I was working full-time in my financial planning practice. We were selling these little bands online and through the mail along with other anti-texting schwag for parents and schools to use with young drivers who are prone to text and drive.   I wasn’t selling the bands to pay my bills, my financial planning practice did that just fine. My wife and I, and now our two kids, were living in a bigger home and were very comfortable. My side hustle wasn’t for the house, it was to help me buy rental properties. It helped pay for two, AND do some awesome extra stuff, like taking a week-long rafting trip through the Grand Canyon with my son and dad. It also paid for my wife and I to take our kids to Maui for a few weeks.   A side hustle is not what you do to pay your bills, it’s something extra that you use to accelerate your wealth. It helps you put together all the pieces of your money puzzle faster! It might be a part-time job, or a speaking gig, or selling things online, but it’s for the EXTRA earnings. The “above and beyond” money that you DON’T need to use to pay your bills.     If you need to work overtime or get a second job to pay your bills, then you’re living beyond your means and that needs to be adjusted. But that’s a different conversation. This conversation is about the 6 reasons to think about getting a side hustle, depending on your age and financial situation. Let’s break them down!   First, you may find yourself in some kind of debt situation that you don’t want to be in. Maybe you’re not sure how you got into all this debt, but you know it doesn’t feel good and you know you want out. Earning an extra $500 on the side each month and using it to pay down debts like credit cards, student loans or car payments will accelerate your wealth, because most debt is an enemy of wealth.   Second, maybe you have some big financial goal you are trying to accomplish, like moving out of a crappy apartment and into a nice home for your family. Maybe you want to take your entire family on a 2-week tour of Italy or do something on your bucket list. Your job pays you enough to pay your bills and save some, but something on the side could help you accomplish your BIG goals YEARS faster.   Third, you want to accelerate your retirement date or build some passive income streams. You want to create more wealth! Maybe you want to own rental properties or retire 5 years earlier. It just makes sense that getting more money working for you will accelerate your timeframe to reach your goals.   Fourth, maybe you’re getting close to retirement and you hate your job! You’ve been doing it forever,   and you want to spend more time with the grandkids or traveling or…whatever else it is you dream of. A side hustle can help you have a semi-retirement. I’ve got these clients; we’ll call them John and Jane. Jane is a few years older than John and she’s already retired. John and Jane did a good job of saving, paying down debt and doing all the other things that needs to be done before you retire but, based on what they want to do IN retirement, we had calculated that John would have to work for 3 more years. Unless…   John has a pretty cool set of skills that he’s acquired over his working years., so we looked at the numbers and the money puzzle that John and Jane were trying to put together and, instead of working full-time for 3 more years, If John would get a little side-hustle and earn just $1000 a month, he could retire within 6 months from the job he didn’t care for and travel with Jane, which is what he really wanted to do.   Even better, he could do his side-gig for the next 5 years, online, from anywhere they happen to be. It was a personal choice that doesn’t work for everyone, but John would much rather spend 10 hours a week for 5 years doing something little on the side, than 40 hours a week for 3 years doing something he didn’t like doing. It’s a choice they made for the lifestyle, and they couldn’t be happier about it.   The fifth reason to get a little side hustle is sometimes considered to be a hidden reason, and that’s the tax benefits! What?!? Tax benefits from making some extra money?!? That’s right! If you’re a W2 employee for someone right now, you’re limited on your tax deductions. If you’re married, you’re probably using your standard deduction to lower your taxes owed, but that’s about it.   We’ll talk about deductions in a different podcast, but that’s what the IRS allows you to use to lower what they consider to be your “income”, for tax purposes. If you have a little side hustle, it may work out to provide you some big tax breaks. If you have an office in your house and you use it for your side hustle, you may be able to get a deduction on your taxes for a part of your mortgage or rent payment. If     you start using your car for your side hustle, you might be able to write off some of the payment or get a deduction for miles driven. Do you use your cell phone for your side-gig? That’s a possible deduction.   If your hobby was collecting dinosaur bones, and you now start selling some of those bones online, the costs you have in collecting the bones may now be a deduction for you. Suddenly, you’re not paying for that hotel room in the middle of Africa for your bone collecting hobby, now you’re possibly deducting that hotel stay as a cost of collecting those bones, so you have them to sell online! I don’t know if you go to Africa to collect bones, by the way, just a guess. The point is, when you have some kind of side-hustle, it gives you the opportunity to deduct things on your taxes that you cannot deduct if you are just a W2 employee.   Finally, the sixth reason. I was meeting with a retired client just this past week who has been retired for a few years now. He has enough money to live the life he wants in retirement, but he told me he’s getting ready to go back to work for about 12 hours a week. I asked him if we needed to look at increasing what he was taking out of his investment accounts and he said he was good on money. It wasn’t that he needed more money, it was that he needed something to do. Some kind of purpose, and a good opportunity to meet new people and have some new relationships in his life.   The extra money he does earn will be nice, but that $500 a month could have come right out of his investments. He’s not even sure what he’s going to do with the extra money he earns. My guess is we’ll end up adding it to his investment accounts and letting it grow for the future. The side hustle is for his sanity and to keep him busy.   So, there you have it, six reasons to earn more through side hustles, and different ways you can use that extra money to further your future wealth and get your money puzzle put together faster. Now that we’ve done the learning, it’s time to put it into practice and do some extra earning! What kind of side hustle do you have? If you don’t have one, what can you do on the side to earn an extra $500 or $1000 a month?   We’ll be looking at some different ways that some of our clients do it over the next few weeks while we go through the three ways to increase your take home pay, but now it’s your turn! Learning what to do will make you wise, but only doing what you learn will make you wealthy. I’d love to hear about what kind of side hustle you come up with and the earnings you generate!   News Topic   “Three sought in $450k colonoscopy instruments theft at hospital”   https://news.yahoo.com/3-sought-450k-colonoscopy-instruments-theft-hospital-180359105.html

We have been doing Finishing Well for a year! Thanks for joining us on this journey!   This week, Hans and Robby discuss IRA’s. The original idea behind money is that it is supposed to serve as a servant, for your family and for the kingdom; is your money doing this?   We can show love through our money. Just like in Matthew 25:18, God will reward those who bring back more and chastise those who dig a hole in the ground and hide their money.   IRAs were not created to accumulate money and leave it all to your children. They were created to replace the pension, which allows the postponement of  taxes. There are rules and laws limiting how long you can postpone though, which comes in the form of RMDs, or required minimum distributions. There is only one way to get money out of an IRA (which is not a Roth) and not pay taxes: a QCD.   QCDs, or Qualified Charitable Distributions, are a direct transfer of IRA money to a charity, such as a Church, which satisfy RMD requirements and are tax-free. There is a max of $100,000 per year per person, but this strategy can be used with much less money.   Hans then tells a story about a client he met 5 years ago when he was turning 65. The client, John, came to Hans for a Medicare supplement, but Hans immediately began helping him plan for his required minimum distributions, which start at 70 ½. At this time, Hans set him up with an annuity funded by IRA money. He put in $170,000, and now it is worth about $213,000. While this might not seem like a great return, during these 5 years, John was guaranteed that he would never lose money.  He also has guaranteed payments for life. Now, his wife and him are taking annuity payments and donating $5,000/year. This money satisfies his RMD but he does not have to take taxes out.   This annuity also has the added benefit of long term care coverage. If John or his wife needed this care, their yearly payment would double for up to 5 years to cover the cost of this care.   This can be a complicated process, do not try this at home. If everything is not in line in regards to the IRS, there could be consequences, including extra taxes. Don’t forget to get your copy of “The Complete Cardinal Guide to Planning for and Living in Retirement” on Amazon or on CardinalGuide.com for free!   You can contact Hans and Cardinal by emailing hans@cardinalguide.com or calling 919-535-8261. Learn more at CardinalGuide.com.  

Noted Beatles historian & recording artist Dr. Rocky Seale sits down with GDR to discuss the Fab 4's Solo Years.  Do we play your favorite?  You'll get hard hitting journalism like...If John, Paul, George & Ringo were one of Snow White's dwarves, which one would they be? How is the band Cheap Trick forever intertwined with John Lennon? Which bootleg McCartney song did a masseuse and her fiance' dance to at their wedding and how did they get it? Did George Harrison really rip off Mel Brooks' "Blazing Saddles" for a lyric? And why did Ringo cry to Barbara Walters? All that and much, much more in this fast paced 2 hour romp. 

Some things we discuss in this interview: John's Why What does John still wish he could build? What is John's long-term vision or dream? What is John's biggest challenge today? If John had to drop everything and start again, what would he do? Advice for anyone who wants to be an entrepreneur but doesn't know where to start Links: https://www.eofire.com (EOFire.com) https://courses.yourbigidea.io/ (Your Big Idea) https://amzn.to/2zjO5I9 (The Freedom Journal) http://www.entrepreneurhotseat.com (Entrepreneur Hot Seat Hot Seat) https://www.linkedin.com/in/andystorch/ (Connect with Andy on LinkedIn!) For questions, comments and guest suggestions, contact the host, Andy Storch, at andy@andystorch.com

Some things we discuss in this interview: John's Why What does John still wish he could build? What is John's long-term vision or dream? What is John's biggest challenge today? If John had to drop everything and start again, what would he do? Advice for anyone who wants to be an entrepreneur but doesn't know where to start Links: EOFire.com Your Big Idea The Freedom Journal Entrepreneur Hot Seat Hot Seat Connect with Andy on LinkedIn! For questions, comments and guest suggestions, contact the host, Andy Storch, at andy@andystorch.com

“I’ve nearly been shot dead by the police – twice. I’ve been to court and handed a life sentence at 24 years old. I’ve been around some of the most dangerous men in the country, actual psychopaths… When I race, I feel tremendously honored that I can compete.”John McAvoyI can say without equivocation John McAvoy's story of metamorphosis is one of the most compelling, improbable, inspirational, and cinematic tales I have ever heard.Born into a notorious London crime family — think The Sopranos meets The Krays — John is a former high profile armed robber who bought his first gun at 16 and quickly became one of Britain's most successful career criminals and most-wanted men. But it took two spells in prison and a close friend's death amidst a heist gone awry to birth a desire to change — redemption he ultimately discovered through the transformative power of sport.Pulling one of the most improbable 180-degree life transformations of all time, John's greatest heist isn't a bank — it's his life.While serving a double life sentence on the Belmarsh high security wing — space he shared with extremist cleric Abu Hamza and the 7/7 bombers — John decided to take a spin on the prison gym's indoor rowing machine. That experience revealed a unmistakable fact — John's freakish natural aptitude for endurance matched only by an inhuman ability to suffer.The epiphany was miraculous. And it would change his life forever.In short shrift, John broke a cluster of British and World indoor rowing records while in prison. Upon parole, he began forging a new life as a professional endurance athlete. Today, John is the world's only Nike sponsored Ironman athlete, a stalwart mouthpiece for prison reform and a staunch advocate for the inherent power we all possess to course correct the trajectory of one's life, no matter how dire the circumstances.If John's story doesn't inspire you to be better, then you might want to check yourself for a heartbeat. In all honesty, I cant remember being so excited about sharing a podcast conversation. I sincerely hope the exchange inspires you to rethink your potential and the physical, mental and emotional limits you impose upon your inherent ability to live the life you desire.Peace + Plants,Listen, Watch & SubscribeApple Podcasts | YouTube | Soundcloud | Stitcher | GooglePodcastsThanks to this week’s sponsorsFully: From the popular Jarvis adjustable standing desks to their every-which-way active office chairs, to their many movement supporting accessories — anti-fatigue mats, treadmill desks and more — Fully is all about helping you bring more movement, energy and joy to your work and life. Get your body moving in your workspace, go to: www.fully.com/RICHROLLHarrys.com: A superior shave at an affordable price. Visit See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

After finding John Holmes's palm print at the house on Wonderland Avenue, police need to determine if the porn actor was a witness to the murders – or a participant. But what Detectives Tom Lange and Bob Souza really want to know is if Holmes will give up Eddie Nash. They’re confident Nash ordered the murders in retaliation for a home invasion robbery at his place two days earlier. If John doesn’t cooperate with police he could face the death penalty. But if he does, he could face something even worse…Eddie Nash.You can support this show by supporting our sponsors.Daily Harvest - Go to daily-harvest.com and enter promo code LACRIME to get three items FREE in your first boxBombas - Save 20% on your first Bombas purchase by visiting bombas.com/HOLLYWOOD and entering code HOLLYWOOD at checkout

John’s Gospel was the last to be written; Matthews was likely the first written within a few years of the resurrection of Christ (around 40AD). If John’s Gospel were the heart of the New Testament pouring out a passionate heart stirring message; Matthew’s Gospel might be considered it’s mind coaxing the doubting, struggling, seeking mind to consider the evidence and see Jesus as Messiah. Matthew draws extensively on the Old Testament to present his case for the Messiah – using nearly 150 direct or indirect quotes from the OT. Matthew is speaking to primarily a Jewish audience in 1st century Palestine but his words echo down through the ages to resonate with a questioning audience in the 21st century. We are inching closer and closer to that critical question in this Gospel that Jesus poses to His disciples “Who do you say that I am?” Matthew offers compelling evidence that He is not only Messiah but King! Let’s dig into chapter 14. He concluded the previous section with this statement “And He did not do many miracles there because of their unbelief”. What follows is the beginning of a long section filled with his insights on the ministry of the rejected king. Matthew presents in chapter 14 three stories about faith and fear – as the heart responds to the message of Christ. We will look at the first one today.

John Richardson is a very bold entrepreneur. John is working to disrupt or rethink decision-making. He is building technology, Ethelo, that helps large groups improve the way they make decisions. At the heart of his work, he is asking two key questions: •How do we improve large group decision making? •How do we improve governance? In this episode, John argues that although many of us rightly assume technology will help us address many of the most challenge issues of our time, there is another powerful approach that will also play a role in addressing these complex problems. He argues that many of our problems are decision-making problems. He and is team have built Ethelo to help the world improve the way we make group decisions. In our conversation, John makes the wonderfully insightful point that many people focus on outcomes rather than the intention which they bring to bear on their work. He makes the case that by focusing on the quality of the effort you bring to bear on the problem you are building your resilience around managing the unanticipated things that will emerge. For him, paying attention to what might happen can really limit your potential. If John and his team are able to disrupt the way make decision, it could really redefine the kinds of outcomes we see in the world. Links in the podcast:http://ethelo.com/

John Richardson is a very bold entrepreneur. John is working to disrupt or rethink decision-making. He is building technology, Ethelo, that helps large groups improve the way they make decisions. At the heart of his work, he is asking two key questions: •How do we improve large group decision making? •How do we improve governance? In this episode, John argues that although many of us rightly assume technology will help us address many of the most challenge issues of our time, there is another powerful approach that will also play a role in addressing these complex problems. He argues that many of our problems are decision-making problems. He and is team have built Ethelo to help the world improve the way we make group decisions. In our conversation, John makes the wonderfully insightful point that many people focus on outcomes rather than the intention which they bring to bear on their work. He makes the case that by focusing on the quality of the effort you bring to bear on the problem you are building your resilience around managing the unanticipated things that will emerge. For him, paying attention to what might happen can really limit your potential. If John and his team are able to disrupt the way make decision, it could really redefine the kinds of outcomes we see in the world. Links in the podcast:http://ethelo.com/

Have you ever wondered where the ordinance of baptism came from? John seems to introduce, but no one questions it or even asks him why he is putting people under the water, so why were they so okay with it? We look at it's foundation in the Old Testament and also one other big question. John calls himself a witness of, but what did he see that he is a witness for? If John was a witness and testified that Jesus was the Christ, why did God have to reveal this truth to peter and the rest of the disciples? Hope your interest is tweaked! Here is the audio...

Have you ever wondered where the ordinance of baptism came from? John seems to introduce, but no one questions it or even asks him why he is putting people under the water, so why were they so okay with it? We look at it's foundation in the Old Testament and also one other big question. John calls himself a witness of, but what did he see that he is a witness for? If John was a witness and testified that Jesus was the Christ, why did God have to reveal this truth to peter and the rest of the disciples? Hope your interest is tweaked! Here is the audio...

Emily Schneider (5:15) is a small town girl with big dreams. John asks Emily about her funny family, her theater career, her time studying at Second City in Chicago, and about her brief appearance on Jimmy Fallon's show. She's a total blast to listen to, and gets John to do some improv. Also, a new segment you will be sure to love. John's neighbor, Rack joins the podcast in a new segment titled 'The RackAlmanac' (34:40) to get you ready for spring and gardening season! If John is like Tim Taylor on Home Improvement with his own show... Rack is his real life Wilson. He talks tomatoes and a strain of Garlic that John's own family didn't trust him to grow.

Episode 215: ControlTalk NOW — Smart Buildings VideoCast|PodCast for week ending Feb 19, 2017 features interviews with EasyIO’s VP Worldwide Sales, Mike Marston, and Automated Buildings owner and editor, Ken Sinclair. Don’t miss Therese Sullivan’s coverage of the ControlTrends Awards, Optergy’s Proton video, BACnet International’s Awards, and the new records set at the 2017 AHR Expo. Therese Sullivan, Mike Marston, Ken Sinclair, 2017 AHR Expo Records, Therese Sullivan’s “How 2016 CTA-Goers Made It Their Night.” By Therese Sullivan, editor of BuildingContext.me. To watch Ken Smyers and Eric Stromquist manage every detail of the ControlTrends Awards is a lesson in how to be the ultimate hosts. They made it happen on January 29, 2017, at the Hard Rock Cafe in Las Vegas, NV. But, as if by magic – and there was a lot of that — the party moved out of their hands and seemed to be owned by everyone else in the room at large. The way the community is embracing this event is a sure sign that the CTAs will live on for many years to come. The CTAs have become an important night to many, and serve a variety of community-building functions. ControlTrends covers the Optergy smart building control system A Sneak Peak at Proton Optergy. ust got this video from our friend Steve Guzelimian. Steve is bringing the Proton Optergy smart buildings solution to North America. Proton won the global ControlTtrends Awards for Light Commercial Solution of the Year, and is a viable competitor in the “Race to the Small Space“. After seeing this cool video, look for Optergy to be a competitor in the Most Impactful Video Award at the 2017 ControlTrends Awards. You can hear what Steve had to say about Optery’s North American Strategy on the November 20th Episode of ControlTalk Now The Smart Buildings Video and Podcast. ControlTalk NOW’s first interview is a ControlTrends Awards wrap-up with EasyIO’s Mike Marston, on his way to Australia, after finishing a 2-day training session in Pittsburgh, PA. EasyIO is people, products, and applied technology on the move. Congratulations to EasyIO for winning four ControlTrends Awards. The EasyIO FW-14 wireless controller is only getting better! Register now for the EasyIO World Conference, Manchester United UK – 22 May 2017. ControlTalk NOW’s second interview is with Ken Sinclair, who reviews the Connection Community Collaboratory session at the 2017 AHR Expo, the ControlTrends Awards, and previews the theme of his 2017 March edition of Automated Buildings “Engaging Satisfaction & Wellness.” Ever insightful, here’s a piece from Ken’s editorial: “I am in awe of the power bestowed upon us and our potential as an industry to have a significant impact on the wellness and overall satisfaction of the occupants of our automated, connected, smart, living, buildings. Increasing satisfaction and wellness by engagement means creating a dialog path that flows both ways and is a giant first step for our industry’s entry into the productivity puzzle and its lucrative paybacks.” BACnet International Awards at the 2017 ControlTrends Awards The 2017 BACnet International Awards Presentation. As we begin our video highlights from the 2016 ControlTrends Awards, we want to give special thanks to our Presenting Sponsor BACnet International. The BACnet protocol is at the heart of so many of the building automation and smart building control systems, that we thought it only appropriate to begin with a tribute to the dedicated, hard working men and women that make BACnet so great. using People and Smart Buildings Technology Ken Sinclair’s Connection Community Collaboratory at AHR Expo 2017. “Power to the People, Power to the People, Ride on…”These lyrics are in a song written by the great John Lennon. If John had known our friend Ken Sinclair or attended his Connection Community Collaboratory, the lyrics would have been more like this: “Power of the People, Power of the People, Ride on” Everyday we see technology advancements in the Smart Building’s controls market, better controllers, better software and better analytics. Is there a correlation between how good a technology can be and the people that use it? This is just one of the questions that, the ever insightful, Ken Sinclair, poses to a group of Industry Experts at this year’s Connection Community Collaboratory, entitled “The Power of People, an Industry Discussion.” 2017 AHR Expo in Las Vegas Breaks Three All-Time Records For Overall Show Attendance, Size. WESTPORT, Conn., February 17, 2017 – The International Exposition Company announced today that the 2017 International Air-Conditioning, Heating, Refrigerating Exposition (AHR Expo), held January 30 through February 1 in Las Vegas, has officially broken three of the Show’s all-time records. With 68,615 attending the 2017 Show, AHR Expo superseded its former all-time attendance record of 61,674 (set at the 2015 Show in Chicago) by 11.2 percent. This number was also 28.7 percent greater than the overall attendance (totaling 53,324) at the last AHR Expo held in Las Vegas in 2011. The post Episode 215: ControlTalk NOW — Smart Buildings VideoCast|PodCast for Week Ending Feb 19, 2017 appeared first on ControlTrends.

What worries you most? Honestly going through the pantheon of all that occupies our thoughts and disrupts our sleep not only shows us our fears, but what we expect will relieve them in terms of the outcomes over which we obsess. Now imagine that you were suddenly free of all that worry, anxiety, and stress. What would that actually feel like? Jesus says it feels like Kingdom. Maybe we've not had the experience since we were still in the garden of our childhood, not knowing we were naked, with nothing separating us from the moment of waking through the cool of the evening with Presence. Arguably, all of human life is a working through a return to the Garden of our childhood. How do we do this? What keeps us from seeing the journey clearly? An often overlooked passage in the New Testament has given the church fits trying to interpret why John the Baptist, Jesus' cousin, sends his own disciples from his prison cell to ask Jesus if he is the “expected one,” or if they should look for someone else. It's amazing that someone with John's credentials should ask such a question, and the church has scrambled to find mitigating reasons, but the simplest answer is that even John was blinded by his expectations of what Jesus as messiah would do and be and was not finding what he expected in his cousin. If John, the “greatest prophet born of woman” could be blinded by expectation, then we can too, and the way to Kingdom, back to Garden becomes a concerted effort to be present enough to see what is right before our eyes.

John’s Gospel was the last to be written; Matthews was likely the first written within a few years of the resurrection of Christ (around 40AD). If John’s Gospel were the heart of the New Testament pouring out a passionate heart stirring message; Matthew’s Gospel might be considered it’s mind coaxing the doubting, struggling, seeking mind to consider the evidence and see Jesus as Messiah. Matthew draws extensively on the Old Testament to present his case for the Messiah – using nearly 150 direct or indirect quotes from the OT. Matthew is speaking to primarily a Jewish audience in 1st century Palestine but his words echo down through the ages to resonate with a questioning audience in the 21st century. I invite you to open your minds as well as your hearts as we dig deeply into this Gospel to discover more about Jesus the Messiah. As we begin our journey it’s important to know that Matthew does not construct his gospel to be a chronological narrative of the life and times of the Messiah. In fact Matthew divides his account of the good news of Jesus into 5 clearly divided lines of thought about Jesus: His Preparation, His Preaching, His Proof, His Practice, and His Purpose. His message is to understand that Jesus is the answer to the psalmist’ question “who is this king of Glory?”

GoS Ep005 Special Guest John Massolio Welcome back to Girls on the Sideline! In today’s episode, I had the opportunity to interview Professional Sports Statistician John Massolio. John started his sports career at an early age, as a baseball player. Today, John shares his story with our wonderful listeners, explaining how he got his start as a pro sports statistician, what he does to help sports announcers, his views on baseball pitchers limiting their pitching count to preserve their arm, and much more.  Highlights of Today’s Episode:  What is a Professional Sports Statistician?  How much time goes into the preparation and creation of player and team statistics provided to an announcer?  How many people are involved in preparing and creating the stats throughout each game? Does it differ from game to game?  How are the statistics tracked?  How much math and probability play into the work of a professional sports statistician?  What sports does John work with the most?  Does the speed of the game affect the role of the statistician?  Are professional sports statisticians responsible for “before the game” stat collections for the announcers, or are those numbers already researched and available?  What is John’s favorite sport to work in?  Has he ever given the wrong statistics to an announcer?  What single piece of advice has he received throughout his career that has stuck with him and helped him succeed in the industry?  What started his passion for sports?  How important is it that matching a left-handed pitcher with a left-handed batter is for a baseball game?  What are John’s thoughts on limiting a pitcher’s pitch count to preserve his arm?  When does John think his parents began to realize his potential in sports?  What is his favorite team in any sport?  What was the first sporting event he has ever attended?  What is the best sporting event he has ever seen?  If John had a ‘walk-up’ song when stepping onto the baseball diamond, what would his song be?    Love the show? Join our fans on the net and leave us your honest feedback!  Tweet Us  Follow Us on Facebook  Check us Out on iTunes  Tune In on Stitcher  Hang Out with Us on SoundCloud  Visit Our Website

Speaker or Performer: Pr. Mark D. Lovett Scripture Passage(s): Matthew 11:2-10 Date of Delivery: December 13, 2015 In the name of the FATHER and of the +SON and of the HOLY SPIRIT.Who wouldn’t want a Jesus to come in like a knight in shining armor and save the day? Who doesn’t want a Jesus to conquer money problems and financial problems and work problems? Who doesn’t want a Jesus to fix family and relationship problems? A Jesus to vindicate us before others, even when we lie just to be right; or who will pacify our enemy and give us some peace? Who wouldn’t want a Jesus to stay the hand of the Jihadist or the greed of the IRS or silence sthe rhetoric of those who would enslave us?We all want such a savior, such a Jesus. We all want such a God. We all want such a church; one that fills our need for emotional highs and good-ol’-fashion American spirituality; one that gives and gives and gives but demands nothing. One that gives good feelings but never demands blood-letting loyalty. One that talks about a wonderful God but never imposes the life-saving cross. We want a God and church that is there when we need it but silent when we don’t want it.But thanks be to God in our Lord Jesus Christ that that’s not the God or the church we get.History has shown, even biblical history, that those who want such a God, such a savior, such a church, are on the losing side of orthodoxy; the losing side of right worship. They sound pious and look good, but in the end they fall away.Remember the crowd that the Lord fed with a few loaves of bread and a few small fish? They ate their fill. They were satisfied. So they wanted to make the Lord king! But when He told them about the necessity of eating His flesh and drinking His blood, when the Lord made the way narrow and difficult it says that many of them fell away.How many prayers ascend for comfort and for ease of pain or ease of stress or ease of heartache. Yet how few prayers ascend for perseverance and for faith.That is what St. John the Baptist teaches us today; what he wanted for his followers and for himself. He wanted to be given the strength of faith to persevere. Your comfort, O Christian, is not in this life. Your comfort is in the promises of God fulfilled in Jesus Christ our Lord. He promises life and salvation. He promises eternal life. And in that eternal life there will be none of these miseries or woes. There will be no tear shed in heartache or in backache. There will be no killings, no bills to pay, no lies. There will be no sin in us to harm others or in others to harm us. That’s the promised land for which we strive, for which we yearn. We long to be in the Promised Land, the heavenly Jerusalem.But if our eyes and wills are focused so much on this world – on what lies around us – then this is our inheritance and we will be scandalized by Jesus. If John had focused on what lay around him, the prison cell and the executioner’s sword instead of on the deeds of the Christ, then John would have been scandalized and would have fallen away. If we focus on what lies around us, on our troubles and pains, and if they have the last word over us, then the deeds of the Christ seem shallow and we are scandalized by them. But if we press on toward the goal of the upward calling, to persevere to the life to come, to be content with that life and that promise, to be comfortable with our heavenly Father’s provisions for this life, be they many or few, then we are truly blessed. Then, in a way that only makes sense in the light of the kingdom of heaven, then we can actually find comfort and peace even now as John found in prison when he heard the deeds of the Christ. For who has more reason to be scandalized by Jesus than John had? The forerunner, the greatest of all prophets, the greatest born among women. Yet he sat in a madman’s prison for the sake of the gospel.Our comfort and peace, our contentment and rest comes from the promises of God in Christ, from the heavenly places and from eternal life. So it outshines and outlasts any fleeting misery or woe we have now, just as the comfort the Lord gave to John in prison outlasted the prison walls and looked forward to the resurrection.For what can be taken from us that God cannot restore? What can be lost to us that God cannot find? Nothing. For all things were made through Him and for Him and by Him who is the Son of God, our Lord and Savior, our Brother and Redeemer; our Champion.That is why the Christian prays daily, evening and morning. Not the on-the-go prayers of the frantic, the fearful, or the skittish, but the confident prayers of the blessed. Not prayer dictated by the god called “time” who never has enough to give, but the prayers that bring time into submission of the faith. To sit and pray, to pray the psalms and reciting the faith in the Creed, to worship our Father in the Lord’s Prayer, even when we sit in prison and in the shadow of death. This is a life run by the gospel. To pray for those who persecute you; to love the poor and those who hate you and misuse you and abuse you. To love the unlovable and to forgive the unforgivable. To make peace with the violent and to speak kindly to the unkind. To point to the Lord Jesus and say to others, “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world,” these are the marks of a life run by the gospel, a life run by the promised inheritance of eternal life.To have a balanced budget is not. To have full pews or well built buildings is not. The beauty of the Church, her adornments, are the sacraments; the preaching and teaching, the prayers, psalms, and the hymns of the Church; these are the well-built building.We hear a lot these days about radicalized Muslims. But what of the radicalized Christian? The radicalized Muslim is the one that plots and plans and carries out the will of Allah, which is to destroy everything and everyone because Allah’s real name is Satan. So let us learn from the heathen even as our Lord says that the sons of this age are more shrewd in dealing with themselves than the sons of light. Let us learn what it means to be radicalized. To plot and plan and carry out the will of our Father. But our plotting is to simply teaching our household the Small Catechism and read the Bible with them, teaching them daily prayer. Our planning is to be ready in season and out of season to give a defense of the hope that is in us; to love all people and to do them good. Our planning is to give our money as an offering so that the preaching and teaching of the gospel will continue. If you give money to help the budget then thank you, for by your vote you’ve promised to do so. But let’s make sure the budget is in service of preaching and teaching, the true beauty and needs of the church.The will of our Father, Jesus says, is to believe on Him whom He has sent. The radicalized Christian prays and attends the Lord’s gathering. As a result, the Christian then gives to the poor and loves his neighbor. Those are fruits. They are not the vine. Christ is the vine.The Lord Jesus doesn’t have flash and flare by the world’s standards and many are scandalized by His deeds. But He is the One to come and we shall not wait for another. He comes with the medicine of immortality. He comes to set the prisoners of sin and hell free; to loose the bonds of slavery to sin and death that you may be free indeed: free to worship Him without fear, holy and righteous in His sight all the days of your life.Here He comes. By His word. His word that fills your ears and swells your heart to call upon Him who is your Lord and God.+ In Nomine Iesu +

David Trobisch replies. More info on the Lemba and the Falasha. If John the Baptist is held in such high esteem by Christians today, why assume ancient Christians would have found his baptism of Jesus an embarrassment? I noticed that your translation of John 1:1 reads 'was a God'. Would you please offer an apologia of your alleged 'frightful mistranslation'? Is there anything outside the Bible to indicate the existence of some sort of Paul, or should we be as agnostic about his existence as about everything else reported in the New Testament? Is the story of Cain and Abel a justification for aggression by the sheep-herding writers against their farming neighbors?

If John could only do 4 exercises for the rest of his life, he shares on this episode what they would be and why. Click "Subscribe" and never miss an episode. Each and every week the two will produce a quick-and-to-the-point show tackling "real world" weight loss and fitness issues. ----------------------------  Get a quick start to your perfect physique using John's weight loss blue print "My Body Do Over Quick Start" at FreeBodyDoOver.com

    John Lee Dumas is the founder and the host of Entrepreneur on Fire. It is a top ranked business podcast, named “Best in iTunes” in 2013, that generates 450,000 unique downloads a month. On his show, he interviews inspiring and successful entrepreneurs 7 days a week. Inspiration: At the time John started his show, there had never been a podcast that interviewed an inspiring successful entrepreneur every day of the week. He knew there was a void that needed to be filled, and thus Entrepreneur on Fire was conceived. Challenge:  While seeking advice from others before the launch of the show, John was told countless times that a daily podcast would simply not work. Hearing that discouraging message from his mentors, he felt paralyzed with fear. He had to muster up the courage, put “blinders” on, and push through the resistance to get the podcast released... after delaying the launch date three times. Passion: John is super passionate about serving his amazing community. He loves listening to their needs and giving them exactly what they want.   Out of this love of serving his audience, another passion of John's arose - “Webinar on Fire;” it is a step-by-step program on how to create, present, and convert webinars.  Advice: Don't let fear stop you from doing great things. EVERYBODY feels fear, but only successful people push through to the end. Get a Mentor. It is much easier to accomplish your goals with the guidance of someone who's been there before. The two most powerful words that will shuttle you to success: Just Start. Doing little things every single day to get closer to your goal will have massive results down the line. Always be in the position to take advantage of the next opportunity. Entrepreneurs Resource: WorkFlowy is a simple, but powerful to-do list tool. Schedule Once is a great tool for scheduling appointments with other people. Google tools for most of your business needs: Google Docs, Google Drive, Gmail. Blogs, Books & Podcasts: The Slight Edge: Turning Simple Disciplines into Massive Success and Happiness by Jeff Olson  The Compound Effect by Darren Hardy  Ask Pat Podcast Conversioncast The Big Leap: Conquer Your Hidden Fear and Take Life to the Next Level by Gay Hendricks Looking Back:  If John could go back in time, he would tell his younger self to stop stalling and launch his business sooner. By delaying his podcast launch five weeks, he pushed his progress back five weeks; John sees this now as a $100,00 dollar mistake. If he could wave a magic wand and change one thing, he would have taken his own advice and just started without over-thinking it. Interview Links: John on Google+ John's LinkedIn page Click Here to Subscribe in iTunes Follow us via Stitcher Listen in via RSS If you like the show do me a BIG favor and leave a rating and review on iTunes and Share this episode with others by clicking the Social Links on the left. Thanks for listening!   Ready to unleash YOUR Purpose? Sign up for our free weekly Unleash! Workshop @ TheBreakthroughAcademy ________________________ [saf] The post Ep #12: Taking the Leap with John Lee Dumas appeared first on .

It was 40-odd years before John Hanneman figured out what the night terrors of his youth represented. In this episode, John describes the first trauma he experienced in life—something we all share. And he explains how he overcame it to become the person he is today.Check out some pictures of John Hanneman over on the HBM's FacebookIf John’s voice sounds familiar, you aren’t imagining it. John appeared on the show waaay back on Episode 3: John Dips Below where he talked about his experiences diving below the waters of Puget Sound to take breathing lessons from a giant octopus.Music from: Phantom Fauna ||| The Black SpotHey! Review HBM on iTunes! And like us on Facebook!

If John the Baptist needed to ask this fundamental question, so do we. Jesus' answer is to show us the kingdom of God and invite us in.

Aprender ingles gratis con La Mansion del Ingles. Un podcast para mejorar la gramatica, el vocabulario y la pronunciacion del inglés. Una leccion del ingles con ejemplos y ejercicios. Learn English free with podcasts from La Mansion del Ingles. Improve your grammar, vocabulary and pronunciation. This English lesson contains examples and exercises. Podcast Transcription Hello, and thank you for downloading this Mansión Inglés podcast, recorded for December 2010. Merry Christmas to you and your families from all of us here at La Mansión del Inglés. Yes, Christmas is coming and the turkeys are getting fat. Actually, so am I with all the lovely Spanish food that I’ve been eating and all the Christmas dinners and lunches I’ve been going to. - Estoy poniendo mucho peso – I’m putting on weight. Maybe I’ll start the diet next year, in 2011. – to start a diet or go on a diet – hacer regimen. I’m on a diet – Estoy de regimen. Let’s begin with some Christmas vocabulary – vamos a empezar con un poco de vocabulario de navidad Regalos de Navidad are Christmas presents. Repeat: Christmas presents. Another word for present is gift. G-I-F-T gift. I bought my mum a Play Station as a Christmas gift this year. I hope she likes it. If she doesn’t, I’ll have to play with it. ¿Cómo se dice – how do you say – Arbol de Navidad in English? Christmas tree. And ¿muñeco de nieve? – a snowman – repeat: snowman. Reno is reindeer. How many reindeer does Santa have? Santa has 9 reindeer, I think. When Santa brings presents, or gifts, he goes down the chimney – chimenea – repeat: He goes down the chimney. And he puts presents in calcetines de navidad or in English “Christmas stockings”. Repeat: Christmas stockings. I never had a Christmas stocking when I was a child. But my parents used to leave one present at the bottom of my bed for me to open when I woke up on Christmas morning. Later, when I was older, I discovered this was to keep me quiet and occupied while my parents slept late in bed! We studied irregular verbs this year (hemos estudiado este año los verbos irregulares) and in the newsletter (el cuaderno) this month there was a small test. Listen and repeat the sentences: Escucha y repite las siguientes frases: Who drank all the beer? – beer – all the – all the beer – Who drank? - Who drank all the beer? Have you done your homework? Have you done…..¿Has hecho…? Have you done - your homework – tus deberes – Have you done your homework? Did you do your homework? – Did you do….? ¿Hiciste….? - Did you do your homework?  What presents did you get for Christmas? For – for – for Christmas – What presents – did you get – did you get - What presents did you get for Christmas? My grandmother usually gives me money for Christmas. – gives me money –gives me money for Christmas. - My grandmother usually gives me money for Christmas. Where were… -  Where were you on Christmas day? ¿Es un poco difícil decir no? Where were – where – Where were – Where were you? – My God, where were you? – Where were you? - Where were you on Christmas day? - Where were you last night? Where were you yesterday? – Where were you all day? – Where were you on Christmas Day? I don’t usually drive at Christmas. (Remember - ¡OJO! Con los adverbios de frecuencia como usually, always, sometimes, never etc. se van justo antes del verbo principal y van mucho con el tiempo presente simple The present simple tense for habits por los habitos – Repeat: I always drink alcohol at Christmas - I always drink alcohol at Christmas - so I never drive. -  so I never drive. - I often take the bus - I often take the bus - and I sometimes go by train. - and I sometimes go by train. - I don’t usually drive at Christmas. - I don’t usually drive at Christmas. What has Father Christmas brought you this year? - What has Father Christmas brought you this year? Repeat: – bring – brought – brought – brought you – brought you this year – Father Christmas brought you this year - What has Father Christmas brought you this year? - Who do you eat Christmas dinner with? Repeat: Who do you…? – Who do you eat…? – Who do you eat dinner with? - Who do you eat Christmas dinner with? I’m sorry, I forgot your present. – Forget – forgot….and……. forgotten! Have you forgotten - ¿Has olvidado? – Did you forget? – ¿olvidaste? – repeat: I forgot your present. - I’m sorry – I’m so sorry, I forget your present. John Lennon died on 8th December 1980. 30 years later and, unfortunately, war is not over and the world is not at peace. If John were alive today, I’m sure he would be working and singing and trying for peace. His music lives on. I put the link (el enlace) to Maroon 5 and not to John because the sound quality is a bit better and I think it’s a little easier for you to understand the lyrics (las letras). Don’t try to cook the Christmas fruitcake in the cuaderno, at least not with the whisky - por lo menos no con el whisky. It was a joke. – fue un chiste - Do you remember the vocabulary? What was ‘level’ – a level teaspoon = a ras – a level teaspoon, or a level tablespoon or a level cup (in American English). What was ‘to beat’ B – E – A- T = batir – beat the eggs Fluffy was suave y esponjoso – For example, a fluffy pillow or a fluffy teddy bear – fluffy. Stuck is atascado – I got stuck in the lift yesterday. The mixture is stuck to the sides of the bowl. To sift was tamizar – sift the flour (la harina) or sift the sugar. To strain S-T-R-A-I-N was filtrar / escurrir – to strain the liquid. Bueno, aquí viene el anuncio, y sin vergüenza porque si no sabes que comprar para las personas importantes en tu vida este navidad, ¿porque no compras un cd de la mansion del ingles? o 2? o 3cds? , o el pack de regalo por solo 99 euros y ahorras 112 euros. Recebes todos nuestros cds en el pack completo y pagamos nosotros los gastos de envio, y también recibes un cd de regalo. Además, solo por navidad, y solo para le gente que apuntan al cuaderno mensual, ofrecemos un descuento de 5 euros. ¿Qué?, ¿No es bastante regalo para las personas importantes en tu vida? Pues compre un pack de ahorro para la gente que no son importantes, pero cómpralo. Puedes encontrar los detalles de todos nuestros cds y comprar los en nuestra página mansioningles.com. Haz click, cliquear, al lado derecha de la página en la imagen de los cds. OK, listen and repeat the following Christmas words and expressions. Escucha y repite: una tarjeta de Navidad - a Christmas card - a Christmas card adornos de Navidad - Christmas decorations - Christmas decorations un villancico - Christmas carol - Christmas carol el acebo - holly - holly la comida de Navidad - Christmas dinner - Christmas dinner un calendario de Adviento - Advent calendar – an advent calendar un pesebre - a crib – C-R-I-B,  crib or a manger – M-A-N-G-E-R, manger la misa del gallo - Midnight Mass - Midnight Mass, los Reyes Magos - the Three Kings or the Three Wise Men - wise W-I-S-E means sabio the noun is wisdom – W-I-S-D-O-M, wisdom. “I admire him for his great wisdom”. un belén in English is a nativity scene - a nativity scene (Belén in English, the town, is Bethlehem) un pastor – a shepherd - a shepherd. A person who looks after sheep. ¡OJO! – Sheep is the same in singular as plural. 1 sheep, 2 sheep, 3 sheep, A lot of sheep. A shepherd looks after sheep. And finally un burro - a donkey, D-O-N-K-E-Y – donkey.  OK, now repeat the dias festivos – the holidays What’s Nochebuena? Do you remember? - Christmas Eve - Christmas Eve  Día de navidad - Christmas Day - Christmas Day diciembre 26, December 26th is called – Boxing Day - Boxing Day. Why Boxing Day? I think because years ago rich people gave their servants presents the day after Christmas. They gave them a box. In the box was probably a small gift or some money. So Boxing Day, the day that rich people gave their servants a box for Christmas. ¿Nochevieja? What’s Nochevieja?  - New Year's Eve - New Year's Eve El día de año nuevo - New Year's Day And finally, la Noche de Reyes - Twelfth Night That’s it for this month and for this year! Have a very Merry Christmas, a wonderful holiday with your family and friends, and a Happy New Year. We’ll be back again in January with another Mansion Ingles podcast from Mansioningles.com  

We have been studying the Gospel of John since April, and we come today to our conclusion. If John and the Holy Spirit have been successful you are now firmly entrenched in the faith that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. The result of that faith is that you have life and life eternal. That is why John wrote this Gospel, that you might believe and have this life.