Podcasts about judas

In this episode, cold-case detective and Christian apologist J. Warner Wallace reopens "the Judas file" and asks a blunt question: Was Judas ever truly saved, or was he an unsaved insider from the start? Drawing on a detective's methodology, J. Warner walks verse by verse through every major Judas passage, examines Judass remorse in Matthew 27, and weighs historic voices—from the Church Fathers to the Reformers—before offering a cautious but clear verdict. Along the way, he shows how Judas became a trusted ministry insider, a treasurer, and a preacher, yet still serves as a chilling warning that you can be close to Jesus, busy in ministry, and never actually belong to Him. This episode is designed to help believers, leaders, and skeptics think more carefully about salvation, apostasy, secret sin, and the danger of mere proximity to the truth. If this conversation is helpful, please subscribe, rate, and review the podcast—then share it with a friend. Your reviews on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, and all your favorite podcast platforms help more people discover and engage with this content.

The Passover dominates the context of the latter half of Matthew 26. Within the setting of the Last Supper, we find the quintessential occurrence of an often misunderstood phenomenon in the betrayal of Judas Iscariot. God uses the sin of man to accomplish His good design, yet God is not the author of the sin. Even though God willed and used Judas' sin, Judas was responsible and condemned for it. Before trying to understand the Passover and the new understanding of it that Jesus gave in instituting the Lord's Table, we take some time to explore the relationship between man's responsibility and God's sovereignty. A sermon preached by Pastor Caleb at Legacy Reformed Baptist Church in East Grand Forks, MN.

This sermon on John 12:1–11 explores Mary's extravagant act of anointing Jesus with costly perfume as a powerful model of true worship. Contrasting Mary's wholehearted devotion with Judas' hypocrisy, the message teaches that genuine worship flows from a heart transformed by gratitude for Christ's saving grace rather than from outward religious actions alone. The sermon emphasizes that understanding the depth of God's forgiveness naturally produces thankfulness, generous sacrifice, and a willingness to worship without concern for cultural expectations or personal reputation. Using examples throughout Scripture, it explains that authentic worship is marked by gratitude, heartfelt devotion, and a life fully surrendered to Christ, extending far beyond singing in church to every aspect of daily living. Believers are challenged to reject empty religiosity, embrace an intimate relationship with Jesus, and live as a “sweet aroma” of Christ wherever they go, recognizing that every action can glorify God. Ultimately, the message concludes that worship is not merely an event or a song but a lifestyle, calling Christians to offer their entire lives as living sacrifices in response to the overwhelming mercy, love, and grace they have received through Jesus Christ. 

Introduction: The Warning Signs of Fake Repentance (Numbers 14:39-45) Regret Without CHANGE . (Num 14:39-40) 2 Corinthians 7:10 - For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death. Resistance to CONSEQUENCES . (Num 14:41) Reliance on SELF . (Num 14:42-45) John 5:6 - When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had already been there a long time, he said to him, “Do you want to be healed?” Sermon Notes (PDF): BLANKHint: Highlight blanks above for answers! For Our Example: Ancient Warnings for the Church Today - Do Not Be Fake Repenters Taylor Brown Download Audio Transcript 00:48Please turn your Bibles to Numbers chapter 14 verses 39 through 45. Numbers chapter 14 verses 39 through 45. It can be hard to spot something that is fake if you don't sit up and pay attention to the warning signs. Raise your hand if you've ever been tricked into believing that an AI generated image or video was actually real. It's okay, you're among friends. We've all been bamboozled.01:17and no, I have too. We've all been tricked. So many people are fooled by AI on social media. So many friends and family members have sent me a new trailer for a new movie that is completely fake. I have to awkwardly break them. The bad news. A reel will pop up on social media or Facebook and it looks legit, but if you sit up and pay attention to the warning signs, you'll see that something, is off.01:48There are lighting inconsistencies.01:51A person's hand has seven or six fingers instead of five.01:55A car crashing doesn't obey the law of physics.02:00Or maybe someone's mouth moving doesn't line up with what they're saying.02:05I don't want to lecture you about the dangers of AI because you are very well aware.02:10Slander, misinformation, cyber attack, even framing people for crimes that they didn't actually commit. With each passing year, AI is getting more and more advanced, and it's getting more and more difficult to tell the difference between what is genuine and what is fake, what is real and what is not, what is true and what is phony. AI is a really serious issue in 2026, isn't it?02:41But do you know what's an infinitely more serious issue that has spanned the entirety of human existence? Sin and a person's response to it. The Bible commands you. The Bible commands me. The Bible commands everyone to repent. Repentance is a total change of mind and direction. You are called to turn away from your sin and to turn towards Jesus Christ.03:10You are commanded to repent, not just on the day of your conversion, but every single day after that as well. But here's the problem. How can you tell if a person's repentance is genuine or not? How can you tell if your repentance is the real deal or not? Similar to AI, you need to sit up and pay attention to the warning signs.03:39You'd be on the lookout for the warning signs of phoniness. We have taken a brief pause on our series in the book of 1 Corinthians to focus on the books of Exodus and Numbers. We're in the third week of our latest series for our example, Ancient Warnings for the Church Today. We have been studying some serious cases of sin and disobedience. The Israelites have provided negative examples for us to avoid, and the Lord has provided warnings for us to heed. Warnings such as, do not be idolaters. Do not be doubters.04:17This morning, the Lord has another warning for you and me.04:22That warning is, do not be fake repenters.04:27Do not be fake repenters.04:31And the stakes of this warning are extremely high.04:34The ramifications are a matter of life or death.04:38Heaven or Hell. So I beg you to not lean back and daydream during this sermon. Instead, sit up and pay attention. Be on the lookout for the warning signs of fake repentance in your life. Because the Lord may convict you today that you've never truly repented. Or the Lord may convict you that you haven't truly repented.05:08in a very long time.05:11So let's go to the Lord and ask for His help.05:14Please pray for me that I will faithfully proclaim God's Word.05:18And I will pray for you that you will faithfully receive God's Word.05:24Father, we come before You today to acknowledge our many sins.05:30We come before You to acknowledge the reality that we so often do not deal with our sins in the ways that You want us to.05:37We so often don't deal with our sin. Or we deal with our sin in the way that we want to. Lord, today, may we truly deal with our sin in the way you called us to in your word. And that way is genuine repentance. By the end of this service, Lord, may we all be able to say before you with integrity that we are genuine repenters. May your Holy Spirit move in a great and mighty way. May he seek and save the lost. May he He give faith where there is none. We ask all this in Jesus' name. Amen. The warning signs of fake repentance. The warning signs of fake repentance. Number one in your outline, regret without change. Regret without change. Last week we studied the story of Israel's doubt and their refusal to enter into the promised land.06:37to scope it out, to see where the enemies were and where their cities were as well.06:42And they're commanded to be of good courage, but many of them choose to be cowards.06:48Ten of them came back with a very bad report.06:53And this bad report led the Israelites to doubt the Lord, to grumble against Him, and to refuse to enter the Promised Land.07:04There are immediate consequences for this disobedience. Immediately, the ten unfaithful spies are killed by a plague. And the Lord shares the long-term consequences of their disobedience. The older generations will not enter the promised land. The only two people who will are Joshua and Caleb. Because they were the two faithful spies who gave a good report and were faithful to the Lord.07:34Everybody else, 20 or older, will never enter the Promised Land. The younger generations will see the Promised Land, but they have to wait for 40 years. They have to wander in circles for 40 years. Now it's time for Moses to break that bad news to the Israelites. God has shared that with him. Now he has to share it with them. How do you think that's going to go? Is it going to go well?08:04Are they going to respond positively or negatively? Are they going to respond with genuine repentance or fake repentance? Let's see their response in verse 39. When Moses told these words to all the people of Israel, the people mourned greatly. This seems positive, right? This seems like a good development. The people seem crushed. They aren't grumbling.08:35anymore. They aren't shaking their fists at the heavens. They aren't kicking the sheep in anger. They are crying. That's good, right? But are these tears genuine? Is this genuine repentance? That is the question. And we find the answer to that question in verse 40. And they rose early in the morning and went up to the heights of the hill country saying, here we are. We will go up to the place the Lord has promised for we have sinned.09:07The Israelites still are not getting it. They still are not listening. They are not doing what God tells them to do. At first, God says, go into the promised land. And they say, you know what? We're not going. Now he says, do not go into the promised land. And what do they say? Oh yeah? Well, we're going. It's the same disobedience dressed up in different clothing.09:33They still are not repentant. They still are not changed. They may have some regrets. But they are not truly sorry for their sin. And we see this kind of fake repentance all throughout the Bible. Esau regretted that he sold his birthright to his brother Jacob for a stupid bowl of stew. He even put on the waterworks show.10:031217, Esau never truly repented of his ungodly behavior. He never truly changed. King Saul disobeyed the Lord and his throne was stripped from him. Sure, on the outside, Saul looked upset. He looked sad, but on the inside, he was still stubbornly disobeying the Lord. He was not changed. He was not truly repentant. What about Judas?10:33Judas betrayed our Lord for 30 pieces of silver. He immediately regretted the worst betrayal in human history, but he didn't turn to the Lord for forgiveness as Peter did when he denied Jesus three times. The Bible is very clear that Judas was not saved. He was not repentant. He was not changed. The mourning of Esau, Saul, and Judas, meant nothing. And it led to nothing good. The Israelites' repentance in this passage, their regret, means nothing. And it leads to nothing good. Listen to what Paul has to say about this in 2 Corinthians 7.10. For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret. Whereas worldly grief produces death.11:33So many people live with regret every single day, don't they? So many people feel bad about their bad decisions. They try to numb their pain. They try to ignore it. They try to push it down. Are any of those plans a good idea? Are any of those plans biblical repentance? Not at all.12:05While true sorrow, true brokenness over your sin produces a repentance that leads to internal transformation and eternal life. If you are truly, genuinely repentant and saved, then you will not regret that you repented. You will not regret that you put your old life of sin in the rearview mirror. If you are truly repentant and saved, then you will not remain the same You will not remain unchanged. The genuineness of your repentance is proven by how you think, how you speak, how you act, and how you react. For those of you who don't know me very well, I have two children, Sam and Emmy. Sam is almost seven years old and Emmy is four and a half. I have to say that half because that means a lot to her. She would get mad if I didn't say it. She's four and a half. For the most part, our kids, get along. But there are some moments when they brawl. They're mean to each other. Hands are used for shoving. On occasion, Emmy's fingernails are used for scratching. And when I separate them, I'll say, what happened? Sam was rude to me. Emmy scratched me. And I'll say to Sam, Sam, was that okay? He goes, no, I'm sorry. I'll say to Sam, It's great that you say that you're sorry. But how can you show us that you're sorry? He'll say, but not being rude to Emmy. Right. Exactly right. You show me that you're sorry for being rude to Emmy by not being rude to her in the future. But I'll take Emmy aside. Emmy, was that right to do that to Sam? No. I'm sorry. Emmy, how can you show me that you're sorry for scratching your brother? And she'll say, by not scratching Sammy. That's exactly right.14:03You show that you're sorry for scratching your brother by not scratching him in the future. It's that simple. These examples may seem ridiculous to you, but this principle applies to your life as well. Yes, you should say that you're sorry, but that's not the end goal. That's just the beginning. That's just the first step. You must show that you're sorry.14:33How can you show that you're sorry for being harsh with your wife? Stop being harsh with her. Stop saying rude and unkind things to her. Stop belittling her to her face. Start building her up with your words. Start showing her that you love her. Don't just say that you're sorry. Show her that you're sorry. How can you show that you're sorry for belittling your husband?15:03Stop belittling him. Stop making fun of him behind his back. Stop making fun of him to his face. Stop putting him down in private or in public. Instead, start building him up in private and in public. When he's faithful at home, when he's faithful at work, encourage him. Don't just say that you're sorry. Show him that you're sorry. How can you show your kids that you're sorry for losing your temper yet again and blowing up at them. Stop losing your temper and blowing up at them. Stop acting like a child. Act like an adult. Start walking away and gathering your composure before you deal with their behavioral problems. Don't just say that you're sorry to your kids. Show them that you're sorry. How do you show a friend that you are sorry for lying to him?16:04Stop lying. Stop stretching the truth. Stop exaggerating. Stop saying what they want to hear. Start telling the truth no matter what. Don't just say that you're sorry. Show him or her that you're sorry. How can you show that you're sorry for an impure and out of control thought life? Stop allowing your mind to wander in every direction. Start cleaning up your thought life.16:35Stop consuming mass quantities of garbage on TV and social media. Start consuming mass quantities of God's Word. Biblical podcasts, good Christian books. Don't just say that you're sorry. Show that you're sorry. This is so simple in theory, isn't it? Is this easy in execution? No. Repentance.17:03is hard. Changing is hard. It's inconvenient. It's humbling. It's an up and down roller coaster. It's a two steps forward, one step back process. And sometimes even a two steps forward, two steps back journey. You will fail. You will fall along the way. But brothers and sisters, genuine repentance is worth it because it leads to life both now and forever.17:32Changing leads to blessing in the present and in eternity. Do not be a fake repenter by just saying that you're sorry. Prove that you are a genuine repenter by showing that you are truly sorry for your sin. The warning signs of fake repentance. Number two, resistance to consequences. Resistance to consequences.18:06Moses is not pleased with the Israelites' attempt to take the promised land that was taken away from them. Check out what he says to them in verse 41. He asks a question. But Moses said, why are you now transgressing the command of the Lord when that will not succeed? Moses is frustrated. He asks this question in frustration. Why in the world would you Would you try to take the promised land if you know that you're not allowed to and that you will not succeed? Moses just told them the consequences for their actions. They cannot enter the promised land for 40 years and most of them will die. But do they accept these consequences? No, instead they push against the consequences. They resist with everything in them.19:02They are resisting the consequences of their actions. Since childhood, you have learned about the relationship between cause and effect. Action and consequence. Finish this sentence with me. For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. All right, action. I throw this ball up in the air. What is the consequence?19:32I come back down due to gravity, right? Action. I go out onto the stone patio and join your kids in their favorite activity, throwing rocks. Action. I lob this rock into the parking lot. It heads directly for your passenger side window. What's the consequence? It shatters the window and makes a huge mess that I am personally responsible for. Action. Consequence.20:03But here's the question.20:05Am I going to accept the consequence for my action?20:09Or will I resist it?20:12Will I be a fake repenter or a genuine repenter?20:16Here's what fake repentance looks like.20:20I mean, yeah, I probably shouldn't have thrown that rock, but your window should have been able to take that hit.20:26Obviously, your window is flimsy and faulty.20:29You should have parked far away like I do.20:31You know the kids play with rocks. Anyway, it was an accident. I didn't mean to. I'm not going to pay for that. Fake repentance. Resisting the consequences. Whereas genuine repentance looks like accepting that consequence. It was stupid and wrong for me to throw that rock. I am so sorry. I will cover the damages. We can go through my insurance or I can just give you cash or a check right now.21:01Genuine repenters do not resist the consequences of their actions. Genuine repenters accept the consequences of their actions. Let me give you some examples of what this actually looks like. You betray a fellow church member by gossiping about her behind her back. And she finds out what you said and she confronts you about it. Fake repentance looks like this.21:30What I said wasn't that bad. It wasn't that big of a deal. I was just concerned about you. I was sharing that concern with somebody else. Don't be upset with me. The woman, in turn, is upset with you. And you act very inconvenienced that she's upset with you. You cut this woman out of your life. You exit your small group. You tell everyone this woman is bitter, angry, and toxic. Fake repentance.22:00What does genuine repentance look like? I should not have said that about you. I am so sorry. There is no excuse. You have every right to be upset with me. Genuine repentance. You let that member of your family down yet again. You keep telling this guy that you'll be there for him, and you keep letting him down. And in turn, he no longer thinks you are dependable.22:31by saying, well, sorry, my whole life doesn't revolve around your schedule. Come on, man. You know I have so much going on in my life. Or you can be a genuine repenter and say, I let you down again. No excuse. I shouldn't have done it. I know my word doesn't mean very much to you, but I hope that it will again someday. I understand if I won't be the first person that you call when you need something.22:58You get together with your friends and you drink way more than you should. At family get-togethers, you say dumb things and you do dumb things because of your drinking. You can be a fake repenter and resist the consequence by pointing the finger at others. Oh, come on, just relax. Life's so stressful, I just need to cut loose sometimes. You all need to just calm down. It's not a big deal.23:28people don't invite you to family activities anymore.23:32Because they don't like to see you when you're drinking.23:36Whereas genuine repentance looks like this.23:38I do have a problem.23:40I have wrecked so many relationships.23:42I have ruined so many moments.23:44I have destroyed trust.23:45I'll do whatever it takes to rebuild that trust with you.23:52Genuine repenters do not put a timeline on the healing of other people.23:58Genuine repenters give those they have wronged the space they need for the relationship to be restored. Genuine repenters do not demand forgiveness. They ask for forgiveness. I may not have addressed your particular situation with all these examples, but I hope and pray the Holy Spirit has laid His hand of conviction upon you because I guarantee you, there is a situation in your life when you are not repenting. I had to deal with situations in my life this week when I was not truly repenting. I pray that God has revealed how you may be harming yourself. How you may be hurting others. How you may be hindering a close relationship with the Lord by refusing to submit to the consequences you brought upon yourself. By trying to escape.24:58the effects that you have caused.25:02Do not be a fake repenter by resisting the consequences of your sin.25:08Prove that you are a genuine repenter by accepting the consequence of your sin.25:17The warning signs of fake repentance.25:19Third and final warning sign.25:21Reliance on self.25:23Reliance on self.25:29In verses 42 through 43, Moses gives the reason why the Israelites will fail if they try to take the promised land. He says, do not go up, for the Lord is not among you, lest you be struck down before your enemies. For there the Amalekites and the Canaanites are facing you, and you shall fall by the sword. Because you have turned back from following the Lord, the Lord, will not be with you.25:59Why will the Israelites fail?26:02Why will they not succeed?26:03They try to take the promised land?26:05Because God will not be with them.26:08Because God will not fight for them.26:12They will lose because God will not give them victory.26:17Israel's effort minus God's help equals defeat.26:22They cannot fight this battle on their own.26:25And the same is true for you and me. Your effort minus God's help equals defeat. You are not strong enough to fight your battles on your own. Do you believe that? Do you live like you believe that? The Israelites don't seem to believe it. They certainly don't live like they believe it. This message should stop the Israelites' dead in their tracks, but it doesn't. Once again, they ignore his command and do whatever they want to do. In verse 44. But they presumed to go up to the heights of the hill country, although not the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord nor Moses departed out of the camp. The Israelites do not seem to care that they are going into battle without two essential ingredients. The Ark of the Covenant and Moses himself. The very presence of God, rests upon the ark, on the mercy seat, in between the two golden cherubim. Moses is God's chosen leader. God is the boss, and Moses is the manager. God expresses his commands and his plans for Israel through Moses. So let's cover Israel's battle plan one more time. The people of God are going to wage war without God's blessing, without God's presence and without God's chosen leader. This is a purely human effort and endeavor. The Israelites are relying on their own strength instead of God's strength. Let's see how that plays out for them in verse 45. Then the Amalekites and the Canaanites who lived in that hill country came down and defeated them and pursued them even to Hormah.28:26It shouldn't shock us that Israel lost because Moses told them that they would. They pushed their chips all in on themselves and the gamble did not pay off. They pay a massive price. So for the third week in a row, our story ends on a down note. And you may be thinking, oh man, this series is just so heavy. I need like a nice and fluffy conclusion. Come on, I really need, If you feel that way, think about how I feel. I've been studying this for three weeks. I understand that desire. I understand that feeling. But I encourage you to instead answer this question. What should I learn from this sad ending? What should I learn from this sad ending? When you rely on yourself, you will disappoint yourself.29:25When you rely on yourself, you will disappoint yourself. Self-reliance leads to self-destruction. Fake repenters try to pull themselves up by their own bootstraps, while genuine repenters ask God to pull them out of the pit that they have dug for themselves. Fake repenters fight their battles in their own strength, while genuine repenters fight battles in the Lord's strength.30:01We know what it looks like for the Israelites to rely on themselves. We see it right here. What does it look like for you to rely on yourself? How are you trusting in yourself rather than the Lord right now? Maybe you never pray.30:24You rarely ask other people to pray for you. Prayer says a lot about you because prayer is the major metric of faith. Bible reading, Bible meditation, and memorization are negotiable tasks instead of non-negotiable things that are blocked off in your schedule. Church attendance, participation, and fellowship are add-ons and not essentials to your life. Maybe you will not commit to this church or any other church.30:53You've been a free agent for a long time and responsible to no one. Maybe it's not hard to convince you to skip on Sunday morning. You're too tired. You need to rest. You had a busy weekend. You have plans later today. You're just not feeling it today. You show up to church occasionally, and when you do show up, you make no effort to build up other relationships with other believers. You make no effort to make genuine connections.31:26Maybe you always come up with reasons why you can't join a small group. Or you've been a part of a small group in the past, but you've just been shut off. And you didn't really share anything. As a result, you have no accountability in your life. You are not known by anyone in this church, and you do not know anyone else in this church. An unknown Christian, is a dangerous Christian. An unknown Christian is an accident waiting to happen. You need God's strength. And one of the greatest ways to receive God's strength is to ask his people for help. When I came on staff four years ago, Pastor Jeff taught me to ask people in counseling the same question that Jesus asked the paralyzed man in John 5, 6.32:22And the question is this. Do you want to be healed? Do you want to be made well? Does that seem like a strange question to you? It seemed like a strange question to me for a little while. But time and experience have proven to Pastor Jeff and myself that it's really not a strange question because most people do not want to be healed. Most people do not want to be made well.32:51Most people really do not want help. They are fine with staying right where they are, even though right where they are is a terrible place to be. Fake repenters do not share their struggles with others. Instead, they keep their sin a secret. Is that what you're doing today? How's that working out for you? I'm guessing not very well.33:21People know what they are going through because they want to save face. They want to look spiritual. They don't want other people to know what's going on. They want to solve their problems on their own. Genuine repenters do not keep their sin a secret. Genuine repenters share their struggles with others because they want to find God's solution. Do you want to be healed? Do you want to be made Well, are you willing to admit that you need help? Do not be a fake repenter by relying on your own strength because you have none. Prove that you are a genuine repenter by going to the Lord for His strength because He has it in abundance and He wants to share it with you right now. In Numbers 14, verses 39-45, the Israelites refused to change.34:22They refuse to obey. They refuse to accept the consequences of their sin. And they end up experiencing even more consequences. They refuse to rely on God. They refuse to genuinely repent. That's them. What about you? As you've evaluated your heart over the course of this message, has your repentance proven to be fake?34:51or genuine, real or phony. Maybe you've come to grips with the fact that you've never repented even once in your life. If that's you, it's not too late. You can repent today. You can repent right now. Stop trying to hide your sin because God already knows your sin and He is willing to forgive it. Stop trying to save face and look good to other people around you while you are withering away and dying on the inside.35:26What is the point of saving face if your soul is not saved?35:30It's pointless.35:34Turn from your sin and turn to Jesus Christ for forgiveness, for new life.35:38I promise you, if you turn to Christ in faith, He will never turn you away.35:45Tell the Lord that you're sorry for your sin.35:48and show that you're sorry by humbly reaching out and accepting the free gift of salvation that he offers in his son. Maybe you are a genuine believer who genuinely repented in the past. But your repentance has been anything but genuine lately. You've been going through the motions you've been putting on the show, you've been playing the part, you've been pretending. You've been giving into temptation and holding.36:18on to sin.36:20What should you do?36:24As one pastor said many years ago, you need to repent of your repentance.36:31You need to repent genuinely of your fake repentance.36:36Tell the Lord that you're sorry and show Him that you're sorry by taking the steps of change today.36:45Please bow your heads and close your eyes.36:49Whether you need to repent for the very first time or for the millionth time, spend the next several minutes in prayer. Push aside every other concern in your life because nothing else matters more than dealing with your sin. If you need someone to pray with you, we have someone in the prayer corner. We also have someone back in guest reception. We have one of our elders, Brian Behe. For you men and for you ladies, Marina Kraus will be.37:17back there as well.37:20They're there to judge you and make you feel bad.37:23They're there to help you and point you to the grace of Jesus Christ.37:28I beg you, don't worry about saving face.37:32Don't worry about what other people might think.37:34Because you know what? Their eyes are closed.37:36And they're going to be focused on their own issues.37:40So do business with the Lord by praying in your seat.37:43Or going to pray with one of the people in the back.37:48Father, all of us in this room need to repent. All of us in this room need to change from the heart level. We have sinful thoughts, sinful motivations. We also say sinful words and do sinful things. But Lord, we thank You for Your mercy and Your grace, which is more than enough to cover all of our sins and cover all the sins of anyone who trusts in your Son and what he accomplished through his perfect life and his death upon the cross. Lord, I pray that there are men and women in this room who have not bowed the knee to your Son and repented. Lord, give them restlessness until they find rest in you today. And for the rest of us, Lord, may we take the path to change.38:46in our lives. May we be honest about who we have wronged and how we have wronged them. Father, may we not just feel bad right now. But may that godly grief produce genuine repentance that truly lasts. We ask all this in Jesus' name. Amen. Small Group DiscussionRead Numbers 14:39-45What was your big take-away from this passage / message?What are the warning signs of fake repentance? Are any of these warning signs present in your life?How is the Lord calling you to change right now?Why are we so slow to ask other believers for help? BreakoutPray for one another.

In this afternoon exposition of Luke 19:11-28, Pastor Rockhill preaches the parable of the ten minas, spoken by Jesus as He drew near to Jerusalem and the crowds mistakenly expected the kingdom of God to appear immediately. The central burden is a charge to faithful stewardship: rather than being consumed with speculation about the timing of Christ's return, believers are called to be busy in the work their Master has entrusted to them until He comes. Pastor Rockhill unfolds the parable's purpose, its players, and its instruction. The nobleman who departs to receive a kingdom pictures Christ, who through His obedience, death, resurrection, and ascension has secured all authority and now reigns, though the fullness of His kingdom is not yet come. The servants represent the visible church, each entrusted with gifts—abilities, spiritual graces, and the gospel itself—to invest for God's glory. The hostile citizens picture those who reject Christ's rule. With pastoral care, Pastor Rockhill distinguishes reward from merit, insisting that salvation rests wholly in the grace of God through Jesus Christ, while faith must nevertheless bear fruit. He warns that the unfaithful third servant portrays the false professor, a Christian in name only like Judas, whose resentment of the Master exposes an unregenerate heart, and that Christ's return will bring both gracious reward for the faithful and just judgment upon those who despise His gifts and reject His reign. The sermon closes with an earnest exhortation: labor diligently in the Spirit's power, undistracted by the cares of this world, so that at the King's certain return He may be pleased and glorified.

Ashe in America and Ghost dig into Season 4, Episode 7 of The Chosen, "The Last Sign," and it might be the most emotionally loaded hour of the season. Jesus finally performs the miracle the whole season has been building toward, and the hosts explore why the writers chose to center this episode on pain rather than triumph. Expect commentary on the raising of Lazarus, the significance of the Bible's shortest verse, and a mysterious hooded figure whose identity unfolds in a scene told almost entirely without dialogue. They also break down what this miracle means for Jesus's enemies, why the Pharisees may understand exactly who he is, and how Judas continues drifting toward a very different kind of kingdom than the one he signed up for. As always, expect sharp scripture references, honest disagreement between the hosts, a little sponsor banter, and genuine reverence for a story they clearly love watching unfold. This one goes deep, so buckle up.

Matthew #58: The Beauty of the Cross (Matthew 27:1-31) Janelle Greene & Rob Woodrum (7/12/26) This Sunday we'll be reading Matthew 27:1-31. It describes the preliminary stages of the cross experience of Christ. We've stated before that the cross is the central revelation of God's character. So, we'll be focusing on the cross in our teaching, discovering what it reveals and provides for us. It's a very painful section to read and discuss, but it is also beautiful when understood as a picture of God's heart towards humanity. That's one of those strange, delicate tensions that the Gospel is full of.In v1-10, Judas went to the temple and the temple leaders because his heart was burdened by what he'd done. What response did he meet there? What does that tell us about what had happened to the temple system of that time? How does that contrast with Jesus' ministry and what warnings do we discern when it comes to our own framework for the practice of our faith?Through the rest of the section we'll cover we read about the trial before Pilate. Pilate had political aspirations and clearly wanted to protect those, but he also had difficulty with the apparent innocence of Jesus. The crowd and their leaders wanted blood and Pilate wanted to avoid a riot which could further tarnish his reputation as a competent leader for Rome. He offers a trade – he'll let one prisoner go as a gesture of good-will for the Passover – the crowd chooses guilty Barabbas and innocent Jesus takes his place. Matthew is pretty heavy handed with the telling of this – it's obvious what he wants us to see. What do you see? What is this a picture of the cross revealing about God's heart and the Gospel?When the soldiers mock Jesus, they dress him up like a clown king…a parody of what a ruler should look like. They fashion a crown out of thorny brambles to put on his head. The Creation story comes to mind, and the curse pronounced because of sin:Gen 3:17…”cursed is the fertile land because of you; in pain you will eat from it every day of your life.Considering that curse, what does Jesus being crowned with thorns mean to you? What can it be picturing about what the cross of Christ is providing for us?As I said – it's a heavy and painful section of Scripture to read – but beautiful beyond comprehension as well. Hope to see you Sunday.Click here for a pdf of the teaching slideshow.

Dimes and Judas discuss Lindsay Graham's sudden gay death, the falling fertility of the Left, and a man paying spousal support for a vacation home hack. After diving into the Bishnoi Networking – the latest Indian gang plaguing Canada – they review the book “The Conflict of Interpretations: Essays in Hermeneutics” by Paul Ricoeur. They continue their exploration of hermeneutics looking at the purpose of interpretation, the ambition to understand history, and the nature of truth itself. Lastly, on this edition of The Copepranos Society, Dimes speaks with Randy Hillier, former Ontario MPP and founder of the No More Lockdowns movement, primarily on his advocacy during the Covid years and his ongoing legal persecution at the hands of the Canadian state. Timestamps: 00:24 – The Delicopter 04:49 – It's Hilarious Guantanamo Bay is Still Around 07:489 – Wife Leaving You for a Black Guy vs. A Whiter Guy 13:52 – Joke-Rassic Park 15:31 – Lindsay Graham is Dead and Gay in Ukraine 24:29 – Birthrate Decline Driven by Left Wing Infertility 32:18 – Every Dead Right Wing Child Could Get a Statue 34:21 – Judas Doesn't Get Jackass 38:19 – Canadian Wildfires Once Again Punishing America 40:28 – Rich Man Legally Ordered to Provide Spousal Support to Non-Spouse 46:30 – SenatHER Regan 48:59 – We Made AI Bots of Blood $atellite and Its Esteemed Hosts 59:48 – Jay Dyer Fumbling Nominalism for Boomers 1:03:07 –I Ain't Afraid of no The Bishnoi Network 1:14:52 – Remembering the Treatment of Muslims Immediately Following 9/11 1:27:05 – “The Conflict of Interpretations” Review Begins 1:34:03 – What is Hermeneutics? 1:45:34 – The Blinding Foundation of Understanding 1:48:38 - What is Dasein? 1:58:15 – The Purpose of Interpretation 2:00:17 – Randy Hillier Interview Begins

Matthew #57: When Our Faith Is Failing (Matthew 26:31-75) Rob Woodrum (7/5/26) This Sunday we'll be reading Matthew 27:1-31. It describes the preliminary stages of the cross experience of Christ. We've stated before that the cross is the central revelation of God's character. So, we'll be focusing on the cross in our teaching, discovering what it reveals and provides for us. It's a very painful section to read and discuss, but it is also beautiful when understood as a picture of God's heart towards humanity. That's one of those strange, delicate tensions that the Gospel is full of.In v1-10, Judas went to the temple and the temple leaders because his heart was burdened by what he'd done. What response did he meet there? What does that tell us about what had happened to the temple system of that time? How does that contrast with Jesus' ministry and what warnings do we discern when it comes to our own framework for the practice of our faith?Through the rest of the section we'll cover we read about the trial before Pilate. Pilate had political aspirations and clearly wanted to protect those, but he also had difficulty with the apparent innocence of Jesus. The crowd and their leaders wanted blood and Pilate wanted to avoid a riot which could further tarnish his reputation as a competent leader for Rome. He offers a trade – he'll let one prisoner go as a gesture of good-will for the Passover – the crowd chooses guilty Barabbas and innocent Jesus takes his place. Matthew is pretty heavy handed with the telling of this – it's obvious what he wants us to see. What do you see? What is this a picture of the cross revealing about God's heart and the Gospel?When the soldiers mock Jesus, they dress him up like a clown king…a parody of what a ruler should look like. They fashion a crown out of thorny brambles to put on his head. The Creation story comes to mind, and the curse pronounced because of sin:Gen 3:17…”cursed is the fertile land because of you; in pain you will eat from it every day of your life.Considering that curse, what does Jesus being crowned with thorns mean to you? What can it be picturing about what the cross of Christ is providing for us?As I said – it's a heavy and painful section of Scripture to read – but beautiful beyond comprehension as well. Hope to see you Sunday.Click here for a pdf of the teaching slideshow.

Hosts Pastor Rico Basso and Pastor Lloyd Pulley Question Timestamps: Corso, Facebook (2:42) - Could Judas have used his free will to decide not to betray Jesus? Grannette, TN (5:58) - How does God deal with families that are separated? Valentino, YouTube (11:36) - What can I do to feel Jesus close to me again? Sam, TX (14:29) - Do I need to be baptized again as I am in the process of revitalizing my faith? Jackie, NJ (18:28) - Where did the practice of ripping open pregnant women come from mentioned in Kings? Maria, caller (23:22) - How do you trust God when things don't seem to be going right? Can you explain the bread and wine that Jesus talks about, is it His actual blood and flesh? Nigel, NY (33:55) - Should I be concerned that my girlfriend is not a believer? John, NJ (39:19) - Do we know what happens to the souls of people who die today without knowing who Christ was? Kathy, NY (45:15) - How would the apostles have understood Jesus saying "take up your cross and follow me" since He hadn't gone to the cross yet? Cory, NY (47:58) - What should I do in my marriage to an unbeliever? Cheryl, FL (53:30) - Do people that were evil when they died go straight to hell, or do they sleep until judgment? Ask Your Questions: Call: 888-712-7434 Email: Answers@bbtlive.org

1 Timothy 6:3-10 (ESV)Andrew, Isack, and Edwin discuss the love of money.Read the written devo that goes along with this episode by clicking here.    Let us know what you are learning or any questions you have. Email us at TextTalk@ChristiansMeetHere.org.    Join the Facebook community and join the conversation by clicking here. We'd love to meet you. Be a guest among the Christians who meet on Livingston Avenue. Click here to find out more. Michael Eldridge sang all four parts of our theme song. Find more from him by clicking here.   Thanks for talking about the text with us today.________________________________________________If the hyperlinks do not work, copy the following addresses and paste them into the URL bar of your web browser: Daily Written Devo: https://readthebiblemakedisciples.wordpress.com/?p=26197The Christians Who Meet on Livingston Avenue: http://www.christiansmeethere.org/Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/TalkAboutTheTextFacebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/texttalkMichael Eldridge: https://acapeldridge.com/ 

This message examines Acts 10 and related passages to answer the question “Is God fair?” We explain that God is impartial and offers salvation to all on His terms, balancing justice and mercy through Christ's atonement. The episode also addresses difficult Old Testament commands, the purpose of judgment, and contrasts Judas and the repentant thief to show how faith — not works — determines one's standing before God.

Featured playlist: The Church (That Meets in My Home) — https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL5Yobt1jZDd9Zzn8Ufa-BNciyYv04Cl6mMy books:Exalted: Putting Jesus in His Place — https://www.amazon.com/Exalted-Putting-Jesus-His-Place/dp/0985118709/ref=tmm_pap_title_0God's Design for Marriage (Married Edition) — https://www.amazon.com/Gods-Design-Marriage-Married-Amazing/dp/0998786306/ref=sr_1_4?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1493422125&sr=1-4&keywords=god%27s+design+for+marriageGod's Design for Marriage (Pre-married Edition) — https://www.amazon.com/Gods-Design-Marriage-What-Before/dp/0985118725/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_topSupport us - become a CTC Partner: https://crosstocrown.org/partners/crosstocrown.org@DougGoodin

Can A Person Change, Reinvent Themselves; Can A Leopard Change Its Spots? Through Christ...YES! Acts 9:26-30 New International Version Par ▾ Saul's Conversion 1Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord's disciples. He went to the high priest 2and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any there who belonged to the Way, whether men or women, he might take them as prisoners to Jerusalem. 3As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. 4He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” 5“Who are you, Lord?” Saul asked. “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,” he replied. 6“Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.” 7The men traveling with Saul stood there speechless; they heard the sound but did not see anyone. 8Saul got up from the ground, but when he opened his eyes he could see nothing. So they led him by the hand into Damascus. 9For three days he was blind, and did not eat or drink anything. 10In Damascus there was a disciple named Ananias. The Lord called to him in a vision, “Ananias!” “Yes, Lord,” he answered. 11The Lord told him, “Go to the house of Judas on Straight Street and ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul, for he is praying. 12In a vision he has seen a man named Ananias come and place his hands on him to restore his sight.” 13“Lord,” Ananias answered, “I have heard many reports about this man and all the harm he has done to your holy people in Jerusalem. 14And he has come here with authority from the chief priests to arrest all who call on your name.” 15But the Lord said to Ananias, “Go! This man is my chosen instrument to proclaim my name to the Gentiles and their kings and to the people of Israel. 16I will show him how much he must suffer for my name.” 17Then Ananias went to the house and entered it. Placing his hands on Saul, he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord—Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here—has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” 18Immediately, something like scales fell from Saul's eyes, and he could see again. He got up and was baptized, 19and after taking some food, he regained his strength. Saul in Damascus and Jerusalem Saul spent several days with the disciples in Damascus. 20At once he began to preach in the synagogues that Jesus is the Son of God. 21All those who heard him were astonished and asked, “Isn't he the man who raised havoc in Jerusalem among those who call on this name? And hasn't he come here to take them as prisoners to the chief priests?” 22Yet Saul grew more and more powerful and baffled the Jews living in Damascus by proving that Jesus is the Messiah. 23After many days had gone by, there was a conspiracy among the Jews to kill him, 24but Saul learned of their plan. Day and night they kept close watch on the city gates in order to kill him. 25But his followers took him by night and lowered him in a basket through an opening in the wall. 26When he came to Jerusalem, he tried to join the disciples, but they were all afraid of him, not believing that he really was a disciple. 27But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles. He told them how Saul on his journey had seen the Lord and that the Lord had spoken to him, and how in Damascus he had preached fearlessly in the name of Jesus. 28So Saul stayed with them and moved about freely in Jerusalem, speaking boldly in the name of the Lord. 29He talked and debated with the Hellenistic Jews, a but they tried to kill him. 30When the believers learned of this, they took him down to Caesarea and sent him off to Tarsus.

Introduction: Beware the Pious OnesIntroduction: Beware the Pious OnesMy dad used to warn me, "Be careful of the pious ones." That puzzled me for years. Piety should be about loving God, pursuing God. So why would anyone warn you to be careful of pious people? Then, I noticed that the most pious in Christ's day received His sharpest words. Christ warns the pious that they are shutting people out of the kingdom. In fact, in all their evangelistic zeal, they are only creating disciples of hell. That should make us pause and contemplate true piety.Acts 5 gives some insight into this problem. We discover that there are self-proclaimed pious people actively working against the work of Christ. So the real question is: how do we know what piety we're actually pursuing? The Community's Power (Acts 5:12–16)Word spreads about Ananias and Sapphira, and the healing of the disciples. The crowds do not discern the truth, but hold the apostles on some superstitious pedestal. They bring their sick to the disciples, hoping that at least a shadow will fall on the sick and bring healing. However, they don't want to get too close because people die in this community. The problem is that people look to the apostles for healing rather than to Christ. We have seen this with the crippled man. He clung to the apostles, and not his savior. The apostles made it very clear that the Lord brings healing. So, the Apostles continue to preach the gospel. Tragically, the crowd misses the point of the signs. The signs are not self-promoting signs that the false prophets use to promote their own significance. Christ warned his disciples about these false prophets before going to the cross (Mt. 24:24; Mk 13:22; Luke 21:8). No, these are signs that gave the prophets credibility and authenticity to confirm their message. It was not to compete with the message. Unfortunately, they would rather watch for a miracle than find their wholeness in Christ. It takes time to be progressively transformed by His word. This helps us see true piety versus false piety. True piety looks to our God. False piety looks to the tangible in this world. God's Power Play (Acts 5:17–26)The high priest and the Sadducees move against the apostles out of jealousy. The Sadducees deny the supernatural. They claim that there is no resurrection, no miracle, nothing supernatural. They believe that Scripture is an ethical handbook rather than the living and abiding Word of God that confers life. They are jealous that the Apostles are gaining traction. They cannot tolerate a movement built on a risen Christ. A movement with credible healings and miracles. The apostles' ministry is a radical existential threat to their power. So, they react by assuming that if you silence the messengers, then you silence the movement. So, they try to silence the apostles by locking them up in jail. An angel quietly opens the prison at night. There is no disturbance outside the prison, so the guards assume everything is fine. The Lord sends the apostles right back to the temple with a simple charge: go speak all the words of this Life. The next morning, the council sends for the prisoners and finds an empty locked cell. The word returns to the senate that the "prisoners" are already preaching at the temple. God dismantles the power play without raising his voice. The glorified and resurrected Jesus of Nazareth will be proclaimed. Who Really Holds the Power (Acts 5:27–42)The Apostles are escorted from the temple to the senate. The apostles are accused of trying to put "this man's blood" on them. Please keep in mind that this senate is the same group of people who once told Pilate, "his blood be on us." Peter's answer is direct: "We must obey God rather than men," and he pointedly calls God "the God of our fathers.” The Apostles are in the line of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob because they embrace Christ. This means that the pious ones, who deny Christ, cannot claim the same historic identity. Where Pentecost's crowd was cut to the heart and repented, this council responds with rage.Gamaliel, a Pharisee, then offers a test: movements built on mere men collapse when their leader dies. This happened with Theudas. He rose up, and Rome executed him, silencing his mission. Judas the Galilean led a tax revolt, and Rome executed him, killing his movement. Two clear movements that were not from God rose up and died almost immediately. The movements had no power beyond the leaders. So, if the apostles are from God, there is no way that the Sanhedrin/council can stop it. However, if it is merely a man-made movement, then it will die. So, let history unfold. Praise be to God! We worship the same resurrected and ascended Christ that the Apostles proclaimed. The movement continues by the Lord's continued providence and care.Conclusion: True Piety Points Away From ItselfSo, how do we know if we're pursuing the right piety? Luke 18 answers it: the Pharisee's sin wasn't effort, it was trusting in his own righteousness. There's nothing wrong with looking back and thanking God for how he's sanctified us. However, when it becomes look how good I am, Christ has quietly left the stage. The Pharisees make their own disciples (Matthew 23:19). They are not making disciples of Christ, but disciples of their theology. When Christ gives the great commission, the disciples are commanded to teach and disciple in all that I have commanded you. True piety asks, “How do I glorify Christ?” It is the assurance that I only draw near to God because I am in Christ. He has lived, died, been raised, and ascended to glory. He rules me/us by His Spirit from heaven. True piety seeks to glorify Christ rather than self. That's the whole difference between the pious ones my dad warned me about and the true pious. May we distinguish true piety and desire to please our Lord, who has redeemed us. Then, I noticed whom Christ reserved his sharpest words for in the Gospels: the most pious people of his day. Christ warns the pious that they are shutting people out of the kingdom. In fact, in all their evangelistic zeal, they are only creating disciples of hell.Acts 5 gives some insight into this problem. We discover that there are self-proclaimed pious people actively working against the work of Christ. So the real question is: how do we know what piety we're actually pursuing?The Community's Power (Acts 5:12–16)The Apostles continue to minister the Lord's gospel. The problem is that people look to the apostles rather than to Christ. We have seen this with the crippled man. His attention was called to Christ as the crippled man clung to the apostles. It is the Lord's word that brings the healing.This is where we see the true piety versus the false piety. The true piety looks to our God. False piety looks to the tangible in this world.Word spreads about Ananias and Sapphira, and the healing of the disciples. The crowds do not discern the truth, but hold the apostles on some sort of a superstitious pedestal. They bring their sick to the disciples, hoping that at least a shadow would come into contact and bring healing. However, they don't want to get close because people die in this community.Tragically, they miss the point of the signs. The signs are not self-promoting signs like the false prophets who use the signs to promote their own significance. Christ warned his disciples about these false prophets before going to the cross (Mt. 24:24; Mk 13:22; Luke 21:8). No, these are signs that gave Moses credibility and authenticity before Pharaoh. Unfortunately, we see that the crowds are still the crowds who lurk rather than join. They would rather watch for a miracle rather than find their wholeness in Christ, being progressively transformed by His word.God's Power Play (Acts 5:17–26)The high priest and the Sadducees move against the apostles out of jealousy. The Sadducees deny the supernatural. They claim that there is no resurrection, no miracle, nothing supernatural. Scripture is an ethical handbook rather than the living and abiding Word of God that confers life.They are jealous that the Apostles are gaining traction. They really are not going to allow a movement built on a risen Christ. A movement with credible healings and miracles. This is not a competition for them, but a radical existential threat. Their existence is about to be completely undermined. So, they react by assuming if you silence the messengers, then you destroy the movement. They lock up the apostles in jail.An angel quietly opens the prison at night. There is no disturbance outside the prison, so the guards assume everything is fine. The Lord sends the apostles right back to the temple with a simple charge: go speak all the words of this Life. The next morning, the council sends for the prisoners and finds an empty locked cell. The word returns to the senate that the "prisoners" are already preaching at the temple. God dismantles the power play without raising his voice. His life message will go forth. The glorified and resurrected Jesus of Nazareth will be proclaimed.Who Really Holds the Power (Acts 5:27–42)The Apostles are escorted from the temple to the senate. The apostles are accused of trying to put "this man's blood" on them. Please keep in mind that this same group of people once told Pilate, "his blood be on us." Peter's answer is direct: "We must obey God rather than men," and he pointedly calls God "the God of our fathers.” The Apostles are in the line of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob because they embrace Christ. This means that the pious ones, who deny Christ, cannot claim the same historic identity. Where Pentecost's crowd was cut to the heart and repented, this council responds with rage instead.Gamaliel, a Pharisee, then offers a test: movements built on mere men collapse when their leader dies. This happened with Theudas. He rose up, and Rome executed him, silencing his mission. Judas the Galilean led a tax revolt, and Rome executed him. His movement died. Two clear movements that were not from God. We know that because the movement died. It had no power beyond the leaders.So, if the apostles are from God, there is no way that they can stop it. If the movement is only in their power, then it will cease. So, let history unfold. Praise be to God! We worship the same resurrected and ascended Christ that the Apostles proclaimed. The movement continues by the Lord's continued providence and care.Conclusion: True Piety Points Away From ItselfSo, how do we know if we're pursuing the right piety? Luke 18 answers it: the Pharisee's sin wasn't effort, it was trusting in his own righteousness. There's nothing wrong with looking back and thanking God for how he's sanctified us. However, when it becomes look how good I am, Christ has quietly left the stage.The Pharisees make their own disciples (Matthew 23:19). They are not making disciples of Christ, but disciples of their theology. When Christ gives the great commission, the disciples are commanded to teach and disciple in all that I have commanded you.True piety asks, “How do I glorify Christ?” It is the assurance that I only draw near to God because I am in Christ. He has lived, died, been raised, and ascended to glory. He rules me/us by His Spirit from heaven. True piety seeks to glorify Christ rather than self. That's the whole difference between the pious ones my dad warned me about and the true pious. May we distinguish true piety and desire to please our Lord, who has redeemed us. Amen.

Margaret presents from Cork on the feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, using the occasion to discuss the wildflowers of the mountain — anemones, wild tulips, cyclamens and irises flooding the plains in spring, the Judas tree, and the Arbutus that is native to Kerry growing there too. She returns to the summer garden: […] L'articolo Sow and Grow – Mountain Wildflowers – Margaret Griffin proviene da Radio Maria.

In this episode of Truthspresso I chat about Jesus and socialism.A coworker a while ago made the claim to me that Jesus was a socialist. I have certainly heard this claim before, but I figured I would address it.In part 12 we look at the account of Mary, sister of Martha, anointing Jesus with expensive perfume for His burial. Jesus' disciples murmured about the "waste," and Judas Iscariot suggested that it should have been sold and given to the poor. Jesus, knowing Judas was a thief, answered in a way that a politician might think was calloused and insensitive.Looking at recent arguments from politicians that sound like Judas' question, I observe what I term "Judas Iscariot socialists." The Judas question repeats itself in modern political posturing and virtue signaling.Scriptures Referenced:John 12:1-8John 6:64, 70-71Hebrews 5:14Matthew 26:6-13Mark 14:3-9Sources Referenced:Bernie Sanders (@BernieSanders), "While working families at home struggle," X (formerly Twitter), July 1, 2026 11:00 a.m.House Democrats (@HouseDemocrats), "Donald Trump is spending MILLIONS on a UFC fight," X (formerly Twitter), June 12, 2026 2:21 p.m."Stolen SNAP Benefits Cost Beneficiaries Millions," Government Accountability Office, December 2, 2025.We value your feedback!Have questions for Truthspresso? Contact us!

Tom Logue - July 12th 2026 Chapters (00:00:00) - Welcome Home!(00:01:30) - God is Near, Real(00:04:07) - The King and His Kingdom(00:06:25) - Wonders of the World Prayer(00:07:37) - The Pharisees Try to Trap Jesus With Questions(00:12:09) - Life Will Throw Questions At You(00:15:48) - Pastoral Questions(00:17:44) - Where Do You Find the Answers to Life? In the Word of(00:21:10) - The Message of Messiah and Christ(00:24:25) - The Anointing on My Life(00:29:35) - God's Anointing on Your Life(00:35:02) - David Calls the Messiah Lord in Psalm 110(00:40:12) - Son of God(00:44:33) - "James and John Are 'Son of Thunder'(00:44:55) - The Real Story of Judas(00:51:07) - What Do You Think About The Messiah? Whose Son Is He(00:57:34) - Jesus Calling to Rededicate Your Life to Jesus(01:02:46) - Happy Valentine's Day!!

In Luke 22, everyone heard the same story, saw the same Savior, and witnessed the same events—yet many still failed to recognize who Jesus truly was. The religious leaders saw a threat; Judas saw an opportunity; Peter saw his own strength; and the disciples argued over greatness. In this message, we'll discover how easy it is to be close to Jesus and still miss the story He is writing. Don't settle for knowing about Jesus when you can know Him personally. Don't miss the story—and don't miss His glory.

Join Pastor JD Small for Week 1 of our brand new series, "Serving Matters | Tap In"   What does it really mean to follow Jesus? It's more than believing, it's living like Him. In John 13, Jesus, the King of Kings, humbly washes His disciples' feet, even Judas', knowing he would betray Him. His example reminds us that serving isn't about who deserves it, it's about reflecting who Jesus is. When our identity is rooted in Christ, we love and serve others with humility, grace, and no conditions.

Judas had a price Matthew 26:14-16 Matthew 6:24 Matthew 13:22 Ecclesiastes 5:10 Philippians 4:13 Hebrews 13:5 Luke 14:33 Matthew 4:8-10 Esau…

What happens when God doesn't do what we want Him to do? This profound question sits at the heart of an exploration into the nature of authentic faith. Through the lens of Job's devastating losses and Judas Iscariot's ultimate betrayal, we're confronted with two radically different responses to disappointment with God. Job, who lost everything in a single day—his wealth, his children, his health—fell to the ground and worshiped. Judas, when Jesus didn't establish the earthly kingdom he expected, walked away entirely. The contrast reveals something crucial: suffering doesn't create our faith, it reveals what kind of faith we already have. Are we following Jesus transactionally, expecting Him to serve us and give us the life we want? Or are we following Him transformationally, recognizing that we serve Him, not the other way around? The ancient conversation between God and Satan over Job poses a haunting question that echoes through millennia: would anyone still love God if He stopped giving them the blessings they want? Job's answer—'though He slay me, I will trust Him'—demonstrates that genuine gospel faith clings to God not for what He gives, but for who He is. This message challenges us to examine our own motives and recognize that everything we have is grace, not something God owes us. When we can't trace His hand, we must trust His heart.

Sunday Morning ServiceJuly 12th, 2026

The world can be a scary place – so many things that strike fear in our hearts. And yet over and over again, God says "Do Not be Afraid." What does that mean? How does that work?   Spiders and Snakes I don't know about you but as I look around, it seems to me that the world can be a scary place. Take spiders and snakes – I mean, depending on where you live in this world, they are either dangerous or they're not. Here in Australia we are seriously over represented in the world's "top ten" list of most venomous creatures, so when I was growing up as a child I had good reason to be afraid of them. And still today, the idea of a spider crawling into my bed … ! It's one of the scariest thoughts I can come up with. Let me tell you a funny story. One of the most venomous snakes on the planet is the death adder – great name isn't it? When I was in the Army training to be an officer at the Royal Military College Duntroon, we were one day out doing some grenade practice and that meant you had to sit in bunkers and the person who was throwing the grenade would go out and throw their grenade. Now we had New Zealanders as well as Australians at the Royal Military College and in New Zealand there are no venomous animals at all, so when the Kiwis come across the ditch to Australia, they are petrified of our snakes and our spiders. Well one Kiwi, we'll call him Rock – I've got to tell you this death adder story. He went out of the bunker to go and throw his grenade and we had a dead death adder. So we positioned it in the bunker so he had to sit down right next to it when he came in. Well he came in and he sat down and he looked at it and I've got to tell you, his legs were going before his backside was up off the log and he was running out. We can laugh about it now but the world can be a scary place, especially with friends like me. In my defence I was a young man at the time. So this week we are starting a new series on the programme, it's called "Do Not be Afraid". There is a reason for that – there are lots of people in this world who spend much of their lives living in fear. Sometimes it's because they are living in a war zone – I mean there are plenty of people listening to this programme today who know that only too well. People in the Democratic Republic of Congo for instance, where there is war raging in parts right now – some of those people are sitting in their homes listening to this programme today wondering whether they will see tomorrow or next week or next year. Other times there are different life threatening things that happen. We can have a health scare. The morning I sat down to prepare this message was the morning of the funeral of a friend of mine. Now, he was just a couple of years older than me and he died suddenly of a heart attack. It's easy to be afraid – and it rocks our confidence. And yet other people, they just live lives with a real sense of dread. There is always something there for us to be afraid of or to dread. There is always something lurking out there. For me honestly, if I allowed it, I could be afraid of quite a few things. I mean, I have some things in my life right now that could cause me to experience fear – and that's the thing. It doesn't matter who we are or where we live or … whatever, we all go through times of fear. And that fear can rob us of life itself but time and time and time again, you read in God's Word, these words from God to His people. He says, "Do not be afraid." And He speaks them right at the time when the people He is talking to have every reason to be afraid. They have got people and circumstances coming against them and conspiring against them and they're experiencing fear and yet God wades in and says, "Do not be afraid." Now if God doesn't want me to be afraid when I have every reason to be afraid, you know something? I want to have a piece of His brand of confidence. Don't you think? I mean, think about it! What's the point of God saying, "Do not be afraid", when we have no reason to fear? It's right in the middle of our fear that we need His confidence. I definitely want that – how about you? Well, how can we have that confidence? That's a good question – that's what today's programme is about – that's what this whole four week series is about … "Do not be afraid." So I invite you to come on a journey with me. We are going to start that journey with an account of a time when God's chosen people, Israel, had every reason to be afraid. They were in exile – they had been living in the Promised Land for about five hundred years and yet they had struggled with God. They had worshipped idols and other gods and eventually the Lord their God lost His patience. So in around 586BC, the Babylonians, who were the dominant world power of the day, invaded Jerusalem. They destroyed the place – they destroyed the temple, the place where God's presence dwelt and they took this remnant of God's people back to Babylon as slaves. Talk about a crisis of confidence! Think about it – God made all these promises to Abraham and to Isaac and Jacob and then when Israel was enslaved in Egypt, He sent Moses and did amazing miracles and the whole Red Sea thing and the exodus and the manna from heaven … everything that got them to the Promised Land. And when they got there, with Joshua as their leader, they fought battle after battle against nation after nation that was bigger and stronger than Israel itself and yet God was with His chosen people and they took the land that God had promised them. And now … now Babylon wins! God's own temple is destroyed! Where is God? What happened? Are the Babylonian gods stronger than our God? They have a loss of confidence – it's a big thing. I mean we hear people talking about shareholder confidence and consumer confidence and that feeling when you go to sleep at night, you know, you get that falling sensation and you wake up in a panic, grabbing onto the bed. Confidence is the trust that the earth beneath our feet won't move. It's the trust that the stock market won't fall; it's the trust that the plane we are flying in won't fall off the sky; it's the trust that our governments will do the right thing – it's about trusting, whatever. And then, it's like the rug gets pulled out from under your feet and you lose confidence and panic and fear set in. Why? Because we no longer feel safe – we are no longer able to trust in the things that we have always trusted in. That's where Israel was – there was a complete loss of confidence in their God. Now He was punishing them but they couldn't quite see that. It was like they were flying in a plane at thirty two thousand feet above the ground and all of a sudden, all the engines are silent – panic, fear! And fair enough too! So what does God say to them right in the middle of their fear and panic ... what does God have to say? We are going to take a look at that next.   I am Your God So here is Israel in this scary, fearful place. They have in slavery, exiled in Babylon for the best part of three generations – that's a long time – so only a handful of Israel's elders who can even remember Jerusalem in its heyday. So what does God have to say to these people of His who are cowering in fear under the yoke of slavery? If you have got a Bible, grab it and open it up at Isaiah chapter 41, beginning at verse 8 – he says this: But you Israel, My servant Jacob whom I have chosen, the offspring of Abraham, My friend; you whom I took from the ends of the earth and called from its farthest corner, saying to you, "You are My servant, I have chosen you and not cast you off. Do not fear for I am with you. Do not be afraid for I am your God. I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with My victorious right hand. See, the first thing that God does is He reminds them of His promises to Abraham. When Abraham stood in that Promised Land, centuries before, this is what God promised him – just flick back to Genesis chapter 15, verse 18: On that day the Lord made a covenant with Abraham, saying, "To your descendants I give this land; from the river of Egypt to the great river, the Euphrates, the land of the Kenites and the Kenizzites and the Kadmonites and the Hittites and the Perizzites and the Rephaim and the Amorites and the Canaanites and the Girgashites and the Jebusites. See, God's promise is that God had chosen them; God had chosen Abraham, their ancestor, God had promised this land and God said, "I will do this." Notice it is all about God! Do not fear, I am with you; I am your God; I will strengthen you. I will help you; I will uphold you with My victorious right hand. The whole thing that God relies on here in talking to His people in their fear and in their despair, is not who they are or how strong they are or how clever they are, or how well they have done because they haven't, they are there being punished. No, He is saying to them, "Look who I am, My promise, I am your God, I am with you," but how does that help them? Isn't He the God who failed them seventy years earlier? Okay, so He sends them some prophet, Isaiah, to tell them this – BIG DEAL! And that may well be what you are going through right now. You look at your circumstances – they are so fearful! Okay, so God sends you some joker on the radio with a smooth voice who says "Do not be afraid", but how can you put your confidence in that? It was exactly the same problem that the Israelites had. Their circumstances, the Babylonians, looked so much bigger than their God. I mean, you think about it in your head and you know God is bigger than the things that we are confronting but in your heart, it's so hard to believe in your heart – the fear is destroying any confidence that you might have in God. God knew that – that's why He also said this to them: have a listen to this … this is powerful stuff! So let's pick it up in Isaiah chapter 40 – this is the chapter before the one we have been looking at, verse 18. Have a listen to what God says about Himself: To whom then were you likening God or what likeness compare with Him, an idol? A workman casts it and a goldsmith overlays it with gold and casts for it silver chains. As a gift one chooses mulberry wood – wood that will not rot – then seeks out a skilled artisan to set up an image that will not topple. Haven't you known? Haven't you heard? Hasn't it been told to you from the beginning? Haven't you understood from the foundations of the earth? It is He who sits above the circle of the earth and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers; who stretches the heavens out like a curtain and spreads them like a tent to live in; who brings princes to nothing and makes rulers of the earth as nothing. Scarcely are they planted, scarcely are they sown, scarcely has their stem taken root in the earth, when He blows upon them and they wither and the tempest carries them off like stubble. "To whom then will you compare Me, or who is My equal?" says the Holy One. Lift up your eyes on high and see: Who created these? He who brings out their host and numbers them, calling them by name, because He is great in strength and mighty in power, not one of them is missing. Why do you say, O Jacob, and speak, O Israel, "My way is hidden from the Lord and my right is disregarded by my God?" Haven't you known? Haven't you heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint and grow weary; His understanding is unsearchable." Do you see how powerful this is? God is saying, "Look, I am God. I created the whole shooting match. See those trillions of stars up there – lift up your eyes, have a look, who do you reckon put them there? I know the Babylonians worship them but I created them. They are out there every night because I tell them to march out there. This is Me who is talking to you – not some crummy idol like the stuff that Babylonians worship – I am bigger than your circumstances. It makes absolute sense to put your confidence in Me.' See, God is speaking this stuff into the hearts of His people when they are afraid; when they have no hope and no future, God comes along and says, "Do not be afraid. Not because of who you are; not because of your circumstances, no, do not be afraid because of who I am. I will come to help you; I will fight your battles for you; I will be your God; I will keep My promises to you."   A Part for God to Play The hardest thing I think in overcoming fear in life is actually getting to the point where we have a high level of confidence in God; in who God is, what He has done – His might and His power and His sovereignty. That all sounds great in theory but what about the practice; what about when the rubber hits the road, then what? See, I used to think it was up to me and I guess in part it is, but not completely. That's just as well because you and I, we're human. We can't conjure up confidence; we can't take this theory about who God is and let the theory somehow wipe away the fear because fear is real. Now, I need something more than that; I need something more than promises on paper and fortunately, that's exactly what God had planned too. He didn't want to leave it all up to us – He wants us to actually experience His peace – not our strength – but a "peace" and a "strength" that come from Him and Him alone. Let's pick up the rest of this story in Isaiah chapter 40, beginning at verse 28. This is what it says: Haven't you known? Haven't you heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; His understanding is unsearchable. Great, there was the theory again! But now, watch for what comes next! Verse 29: He gives power to the faint and strengthens the powerless. Even youths will faint and be weary, and the young will fall exhausted but those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint. Do you see the point? The power and the strength, where do they come from – do you or I conjure them up? No, they come from God. He gives those things to us, why? Even youths will faint and be weary and the young and the strong will fall exhausted, but….." And here's the 'but' – the glorious, wondrous, powerful 'but,' "but those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not grow faint." You know what it means to wait? It does not mean to wait with a bad attitude; it does not mean to wait with grumbling in our hearts and on our lips; it doesn't mean to stand there paralysed by fear either. No, it means to wait expectantly; to wait on God with the expectation that He is who He says He is and that He will do what He says He is going to do. To wait, right in the middle of our fear – boy that's hard – with our emotions on a rollercoaster; with our enemies around us; with our hearts cast down but with an expectation, never the less, that somewhere deep inside, that God is going to act. Who knows – will God give us victory over our enemies today? I don't know! I mean there were more Christians martyred in the twentieth century than in the whole two thousand years before that, combined. We all die sometimes – is He going to heal this cancer or let it take its course? I don't know! But this one thing I do know, that: those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength, they will mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint. God is saying, indeed He is commanding us through His Word today, "Do not be afraid" instead, wait on Him. You know, when we are waiting in fear and when we are waiting in pain and when we are waiting and it is uncomfortable and unpleasant, we want to grumble and whinge and complain and blame everyone else and have bad stuff coming out of our mouths and have grumbling in our hearts … isn't that what we want to do? We don't like being uncomfortable; we don't like being afraid, we just want it all to finish – "God what are You doing? Come on, move along, let's get over this." But those who wait….who wait expectantly for the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint. See, come what may, if I am diagnosed tomorrow with terminal cancer, I still am going to put my confidence in God who has given me a life eternal with Him. Because Jesus said to His disciples when they were afraid…..listen to this, John chapter 14, verse 27: Peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you. I don't give it to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled; do not let them be afraid. And yet, so far as we know, each of these disciples, other than Judas, went on to do mighty things for God and then … then they died for their faith. So often, we are focused on the here and now but God's plan for my life and for your life is a life eternal. God's perspective is an eternal perspective and that … that my friend is why you and I can put our confidence in Him. When we are afraid ... when we are in this place that is so scary, we can go to His Word and say, "You know what it says – it says here that 'those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength'." You know, you never feel big; you never feel strong when you are waiting for God. When we are afraid we feel so small – you know, I think God means it to be that way. When we humble ourselves and we just come before God and say, "God, I can't do this. I don't know. I'm afraid; I don't know what to do next. I'm just going to wait on You. I'm just going to wait for You – I don't know what You are going to do – I don't know if You are going to show up, I don't know if You are going to talk, I don't know. I am going to put my faith in You and I am going to wait on You and I know my emotions are going to go up and down. I know it is going to be hard but I'm just going to wait for my God." That's an eternal perspective – that's a God perspective. Jesus had to put His faith in God. Jesus lay all His glory aside and He was there in the Garden of Gethsemane, just before He was crucified – struggling – He was afraid and He was hurting and He just put His trust in God. Do not be afraid. God gives us His peace; that's what this passage from Isaiah says: "Those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength," the strength comes from God. The "mounting up with eagles" doesn't come because we flap a lot; it comes because we waited on God. The 'running and not being weary' comes from God. "Do not be afraid" – take God's peace from Him – go and wait ... just go and wait before Him and let Him pour His love and His peace into your life. It doesn't matter how big or bad or ugly the enemy is. It doesn't matter how fearful we are. It doesn't matter how dire the consequences of this particular situation might be. Why? Because God is the God who created the whole shooting match – every star in the sky, every part of creation -–God created it. God has an eternal perspective and when we wait on Him, He gives us His peace. That's the promise my friend! "Do not be afraid." Let your confidence rest in God Himself and then, let Him do the rest. Wait on the Lord and you shall renew your strength. Wait on the Lord and you shall mount up with wings like an eagle. That's the promise – it's a God thing!

“Does the Bible teach the invocation of saints?” This question opens a discussion on the role of saints in Catholic belief, alongside inquiries about the end of animal sacrifice in Scripture, the presence of archangels, and the interpretation of 2 Corinthians 5:8 regarding Purgatory. The conversation also touches on the differences in Gospel accounts of Judas’s betrayal. Join the Catholic Answers Live Club Newsletter Invite our apologists to speak at your parish! Visit Catholicanswersspeakers.com Questions Covered: 06:05 – Does the Bible teach the invocation of saints? 13:30 – Where in the Bible is the end of animal sacrifice? And why was it ended? 20:15 – Where are the archangels in the Bible? 23:58 – Matthew, Mark, and Luke all have Judas kissing Jesus. John does not. Which one is true? 32:55 – 2 Cor.5:8 says to be absent with the body is to be present with Christ. Do protestants think that they all go to heaven? What about Purgatory? 41:35 – Is the Deuterocanon read in the same way the rest of the Old Testament is? 48:32 – Regarding Isaiah 37:36 records the siege of Jesusalem by the Assyrians. Was the Angel that was sent to save Jerusalem actually a pharaoh from Egypt? Is it possible that the bible recorded the pharaoh and his army as an angel from God?

Welcome back to Gnostic Insights and to the Gnostic Reformation on Substack. Dr. Cyd Ropp and Bishop Nathan Wilson Today's episode is the last installment of my interview with Bishop Nathan Wilson of The Gnostic Union. Brother Nathan continues with his illustration of how correct translation of the original Koine Greek of the New Testament changes the way we may interpret Biblical scripture more precisely. The translations he shares come from his freely available Gnostic Christian Truth Bible that you can find online in PDF form, with side by side comparisons of the original Koine with English. I'm including the link here in the transcript of the episode, so if you are listening to this in podcast form, you may wish to go to Gnostic Insights dot com to read the transcript. His Bible and other Gnostic scriptures could use another round of editorial polishing, in my opinion, to insert an indexed table of contents, so it may be a bit difficult to make your way through it. And in next week’s episode, I’ll take a long look at what we’ve been hearing for the last four weeks. If you have anything you would like me to discuss or any questions coming off of Bishop Wilson’s discussion, bring them up and we can talk about them on next week's episode. I know I’m going to want to talk about the role of Sophia and the Divine Feminine and the concept of gender on the ethereal plane. I would also like to talk to you about how the study of history and philology differs from theology and philosophy and how they are not necessarily gnosis. And here at Gnostic Insights, of course, and on the Gnostic Reformation, I avoid talking about gnosis and only share gnosis itself. So I’d like to explain that to you about that as well. So please drop me some comments here at the end of this episode and I can address them in next week’s episode. Bishop Nathan Wilson: So Mark 8:17. All right. So this would be Jesus here. “And having gnosis, he said to them, why reason because you have no bread or do you not understand that the heart of you has been hardened?” So this is among disciples arguing that they have no bread. Jesus having spiritual gnosis, understanding what’s going on, says, “What are you arguing about?” Which is kind of interesting that he mentioned, but I’ll mention something that’s a real kick in the can. So this is in Mark 15:42. And this is a text that no theology want to give you because it would make them feel uncomfortable. And it’s regarding Pontius Pilate having gnosis regarding Jesus crucifixion. So this is a note they definitely do not want. I was kind of thinking about what does this mean? And I figured out what it’s regarding to. Mark 15:45. Okay, so this is Pontius Pilate. I’ll read 15:44 first. “But Pilate wondered if he had already died, having called to him the centurion and questioned him if he had already died. And with gnosis from the centurion, he granted the body to Joseph.” AI generated image of Pilate questioning the Centurian. The three crucified men were inserted by the AI to symbolically represent the crucifixition of Jesus and the two thieves. Golgotha is actually not that close to the palace window. So that meaning inside knowledge from the centurion has been given to him about Jesus. So that could imply that he was still alive and that Pontius might have been involved in this plot. That’s what that text would imply; it doesn’t necessarily have to mean that. It can just mean that within a knowledge he’s been told by the centurion Jesus is dead, so it can apply that too. So however you want to read that text is up to you. But I found that quite fascinating and I had to really look at that. I’m like, well, I'm sorry, we can’t have that in there. That’s why that’s been censored. But that’s fascinating. So we even have Jesus having a gnosis and leaving an area and that’s in Matthew 12:15. I’ll jump into that too. So there’s a couple of scenes that Jesus has gnosis. There’s even times he has gnosis in regarding what other people were thinking. So having to understand them mentally. So that’s cool. So gnosis appears quite often. It’s just it doesn’t appear in the English text. But in the Old Testament it’s even more. Cyd:That's interesting. Bishop Nathan Wilson:Yes, it is. Very. Okay. So “withdrew from the area” Matthew 12:15 I want. Right. “And Jesus having gnosis, withdrew from there and many great multitudes followed him and he healed them.” Or it can translate to took care of them or cured them all. So that word here we have can be for a therapeia or a therapeo. And this word meaning to heal someone or to spend time with them, to heal them with God’s word or with medicine, to heal them with medical substance, so narcotics. It can be just simply curing them or just spending time with someone so say talking to someone, healing them and their emotions. So healing their emotions. So that’s beautiful. Not just simply Jesus hocus pocus and and leaving. It’s he’s spending time with people. And this word has been used in ancient Greek medical texts for implying medical substances or therapy. So the word therapeia is where our word therapy comes from. So this can be Jesus the therapist. So that’s beautiful. Absolutely fantastic. I like that. So it gives more power to the text. Shows that one person can make a difference. So any one of us can do this and heal multitudes through spiritual touch, through spiritual messaging, through the simple act of love. So that’s powerful. That’s useful. Cyd:And this is something that only people can do. Well, no, actually dogs are very good therapists as well. But I wouldn’t think that an AI therapist or an AI Jesus has any gnosis truly. Bishop Nathan Wilson:I’m not really one big for AI because I think AI is basically just all secondhand information. It’s just built from all our information that we’ve already got. So we have here something else. This is something pretty interesting too. Matthew 16:8. And it’s Jesus having gnosis: “Why do you argue amongst yourselves? You of little faith because you have no bread” [or meaning food.] But say, regarding to the word for artos being bread. So when you have the Jesus prayer, Give us this daily bread, this could translate to give us our daily necessaries of life. That’s much more. So daily maintenance, so being maintained spiritually, being maintained by God, for God giving us the means to live spiritually as well as physically. So it’s much more powerful than just simple, just bread and food. So Jesus speaking a lot of times symbolically. So the symbolic teachings are meant to be useful to all of us. So something that we can practically take on, not simply does something that’s outside of ourselves. So that’s within ourselves that we can actually use. So gnosis. And I’ll go into Matthew 22:18. And that’s with Jesus about having gnosis on the wickedness of the Pharisees. So this doesn’t mean that all Pharisees are bad though. Jesus had Pharisees that followed him. This just means a select few of them. So basically the rich corrupted ones of them. So he was also against the Sadducees too. Mostly Sadducees probably because they were the richer lots. But he was not really a friend to those who were corrupt and using the money that they were given to further subject the people to more condemnation, which Jesus was very much pro-life, was equality where the Pharisees and Sadducees in large numbers were not. Which is a shame. Okay, so 22, I think it was I’m looking for. Matthew 22:18. Okay. Cyd:You know that Old Testament God of the Sadducees and Pharisees doesn’t have love. So they are not getting any gnosis from that Jehovah level. Bishop Nathan Wilson:No. And it goes back to where it’s first worshipped. The first to worship this God, Yahweh, were very violent. They were the Shasu. They were known to force marry the Egyptian and Ethiopian young girls they raided. So when we look at the depictions of the Shasu, they are mixed in colour—they're black, they’re white, they’re copper skinned. They didn’t care what colour you were, they just took. They were looking for sex slaves, basically wives. So what’s interesting is the same river that they used, the Euphrates River, not all of them were river-based pirates. Some were just tent dwelling nomads. But some of them did have the funds or means to use ships. So we certainly had sea people. So some of those sea people were Canaanite raiders. So they’ll use the Euphrates River to go out raiding, to go out to the main street or elsewhere to raid outside of their own lands. Muslim pirates would use the same river to do the same thing. So that’s interesting.[Editor’s note: The speaker appears to be connecting several groups—nomadic Shasu, Sea Peoples, and later Muslim-era raiders. While the Euphrates served as an important transportation corridor, the specific claim that the Shasu or Sea Peoples used it as river-pirates is not clear from the sources consulted by the CoPilot AI and may reflect an interpretation rather than an established historical consensus. Of course, the AIs are relaying to us approved, conventional data, so their data bases would not contain the types of stories Bishop Wilson speaks of.]All in the name of this Jehovah, in the name of Yahweh, in the name of the demiurge, this evil gets done. And it’s always the poor that suffer, the poor and women. And who are the ones that Jesus is speaking to? The poor and to women. So it’s shocking. So most Christians don’t look at this either. A lot of Muslims don’t either, because they will be following Jesus [Isa]. So who they call Isa, they clearly don’t. So the message contradicts. So Muhammad called himself a man of war. Moses as well. But it depends on what version of Moses you’re looking at as well. So during the time of Jesus, as I mentioned, there were different versions of Judaism. There were different Torahs and different Jewish Bibles. So some believed in a peaceful Moses and even a peaceful Abraham. Others believed in Abraham the Pirat. So Abraham the Pirate. And some didn’t take this view. So others believed in Abraham ready to sacrifice his son. And others believed that he was hearing a fallen angel, mistook it for God, and God had to intervene. And we see this sort of in the Essene story somewhat. So that’s more of a Gnostic take. Some Essenes view, because they’re Dead Sea Scrolls, which is a Qumran Essene sect, they believe that it was Belial that was behind the scenes doing this. And God was basically aware that Belial was doing it and would interfere. So he would do this in order for Belial to expose himself and then be shamed. So a very different story. So the story of Job we read is the Pharisee story, which is Satan being in the angelic courts. So being asked by God, so not acting outside of God. So he was only there to test human beings. So Satan’s not the bad guy in that story. It’s Yahweh. But when we look at other stories, it’s different. Even the Ethiopian version is different. They have two stories. One with Belial and the other one with a figure called Mastema, who is the opponent against God trying to cause the sacrifice of Abraham’s son. So, trippy. So this is regarding to the Pharisees as well. “So Jesus, having gnosis of the wickedness of them, said, Why do you test me, you hypocrites?” So this is in reference to the coin, when he showed them the icon. So what’s interesting about that scene is Judas, who was a Zealot, basically, I think it was Judas of Galilee, who rebelled against Rome, he also said the same thing. “Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s and give to God what is God’s.”[Matthew 22:21] So when Jesus is speaking in the scene, he doesn’t touch the coin. The icon on there in question is the emperor who is stating, you know, son of Caesar, son of God. Jesus is saying, no, basically give this back to Caesar and give to Israel, God, what is God’s, which is the land. So Israel. But I don’t think it’s more from the land—I think that’s a zealot opinion. I think when he’s talking about this, when he says Israel, I’m thinking he’s looking at the word context and he’s meaning El preserved so those who belong to El. So when he says those who belong to Israel, he’s not saying just anything, he’s talking about the lost sheep of El Elyon. So those were in other lands, lead them back here. So ones who have gone astray, which is interesting. So ones who are worshipping pagan gods or worshipping Yahweh. So he’s saying, bring them back to El, bring them back to God, repentance. This is why the Pharisees and Sadducees disliked him. He had a different God. Some that liked him as well, but they had trouble understanding it. Cyd:Right. Well, and that is still the case. Hey, we’re going to have to wrap this up in just a few minutes. So is there any scripture you would like to make sure that you share before we wrap it up? Bishop Nathan Wilson:Okay. Well, if you like, I can share either the temple scene, which is a Matthew 21:12, or I can share the little, the short scene of the Pharisees being condemned by Jesus for basically dressing up like prostitutes. You might have a, you might have a lot of that. Cyd:Yeah. Okay. That, that looks to be the one you want to share the most. Papyrus Oxyconocus 840 Bishop Nathan Wilson:So I’ll share that one. It’s very short. So this is the text in general. Just this little bit. Okay. The Greek side is on here. [Nathan displays his fragment facsimile.] So I have the Greek side by side. So this is side one and side two. So side two is even shorter. “So before committing injustice, he carefully plans it all.” So this is Jesus speaking about the evil. “Be on guard, lest you suffer the same things as they.” So this is the Pharisees and Sadducees he’s talking about. “For the evil doers among people do not receive punishment only in this life, but also suffer judgment and great torment. And having received them, he brought them into the purification area. And as he was walking in the temple, a certain Pharisee, a high priest named Soreb [conventional translation is Levi; editorial note],” Which is kind of interesting. That word Zoar/Tzoar [uncertain], is Tsa'ar, [uncertain] which is a city condemned by God [but ultimately spared by God; editorial note]. So this is kind of like a pun on the Pharisee leader being punished by God. So like, possibly, maybe a Pharisee Messiah figure. So meaning they’re rejecting Jesus because they already have their Messiah they believe. So that’s something to be taken into a note. So this Soreb [Levi ?] approaches, met them and said, “Zoar, who gave you permission to walk in the purification area and to look upon these holy vessels, not having washed, nor your disciples having their feet baptized, but having being unclean, you have trampled upon this holy place, which is pure, which no one may enter unless you have bathed and changed into the garments of those baptized. Nor does anyone dare to touch these holy vessels.” So they’re in the temple right now in the inner sanctuary, touching the holy relics and not wearing the same baptism clothing as them. They’re not liking this. So this is what Jesus says. “The Savior answered and said to him, Woe to you blind ones who do not see. You wash in these poured out waters in which dogs and pigs have been thrown into day and night. And after washing your outer skin, you wipe it. And just like the prostitutes and flute players anoint themselves and wash and wipe and adorn themselves to cause the desires of men. But from within, they are full of scorpions and all evil. But I and my disciples who you say are not baptized have been baptized in the waters of eternal Zoe. That has come from God. But woe to those…” And the ending is missing. That’s why side two has not been given. [referring to side two of the fragment which is partially destroyed and not in the public domain] Cyd:Right. Now that’s a fragment. Where was that fragment found? Bishop Nathan Wilson:I forgot. The fragment is called Papyrus Oxyconocus 840. But you can just type in P. Oxy 840. I would say that was probably if I’d gone by memory, that might have been discovered maybe in Alexandria, if not maybe in Thrace, but I believe it was Alexandria, Egypt that might have been discovered. There was one, I believe, that was discovered in the Middle East, maybe Jerusalem. But I believe that one there was discovered in Alexandria. I might be wrong about that. I have to relook where that was discovered. But it is important. So a text that has not been given to public domain yet, which is quite a shame. Cyd:Yeah. Well, it’s been delightful talking to you. And you certainly have an encyclopedic knowledge of these ancient texts. It’s very beautiful. It’s very nice being around you. You have the good vibe. Bishop Nathan Wilson:It’s been a pleasure speaking to you as well, Dr. Cyd Ropp. It’s been an absolute pleasure. So I’m stoked. So sorry if I get excited and all that sort of stuff as well. I love meeting new people, especially fellow spiritual people. Always lovely to see, especially Gnostics. Cyd:Yeah. Well, I recommend The Gnostic Union. Go check out the Facebook site. That’s where all the action is, right? It’s the Facebook site. Bishop Nathan Wilson:And on the YouTube, yeah. We can all get together. Cyd:On the YouTube. Bishop Nathan Wilson:I’ve got a few old videos as well. So you can see the difference in my theology, how it’s changed. My whole belief system changed when I start translating, so I found out I was wrong about a couple of other things. So I still keep some old videos because some people might want to hang on to some of those beliefs as well. I have no problems with that. I’m very open-minded and whichever people want to believe, they can believe, as long as we’re loving to each other and kind. It’s all that matters. Being good humans. Cyd:Right. Well, since we’re going to be putting this on your site as well as mine, let me tell people that I have a Substack called The Gnostic Reformation. And my homepage is GnosticInsights.com. Well, it’s just been a blessing. Thank you very much. Bishop Nathan Wilson:You’re welcome. And feel free to share your stuff on The Gnostic Union Facebook page too. If you ever want to share stuff, feel free to. We accept other people’s work too. So feel free to share it. Cyd:How often? I mean, I post weekly. You don’t want me cross-posting weekly. Bishop Nathan Wilson:Oh, that’s fine. We don’t mind. You can post there weekly. We won’t mind. Anything that’s Gnostic, we’ll gladly accept. So we want to encourage all Gnostic schools of thought and everyone that wants to seek it, we want to encourage that. Cyd:Oh that’s excellent. Okay. Well, thank you so much for being with me today, Bishop Nathan Wilson. God bless us all. Bishop Nathan Wilson:God bless as well. Thank you for having me. Cyd:Okay. Bye-bye. Thank you. Well, that’s the conclusion of that long interview with Bishop Nathan Wilson of The Gnostic Union. These episodes have been running long, a half hour and more, so I think we’ll keep this one short, and give you a break. Until then, drop some comments and questions that I can address in next week's episode.This interview was recorded via Zoom, and so I have the video of the interview as well as these audios, and I’ve left it as one long video to post to YouTube. So I’m putting it up on YouTube now that we’re done with the audio podcast versions, and you can go to YouTube if you’d like to watch Brother Nathan talking about these things. He does have a few visual aids. His papyrus facsimiles and whatnot are pretty cool to look at. So I encourage you to go to my YouTube channel, Cyd Ropp, and it’s under the Gnostic Insights playlist, and leave a thumbs up. I’m going to try to grow the Gnostic Insights presence there on YouTube. It’s going to take a lot of effort and a lot of support on your part. So please give me a hand here, and let’s kick it off with this Bishop Wilson. The other YouTube video that’s already there is that animated version of my children’s book, Children of the Fullness: A Gnostic Myth. So if you haven’t watched that yet, you could catch it as well. Until then, God bless us all, and Onward and Upward. Until then, drop some comments and questions I can address in next week's episode. God bless us all and onward and upward. Children of the Fullness: A Gnostic Myth is the first gnostic book written for young children. Click here to go to amazon.com

Life Changing: Saul The Persecutor Becomes Paul The Believer Acts 9:10-14 10In Damascus there was a disciple named Ananias. The Lord called to him in a vision, “Ananias!” “Yes, Lord,” he answered. 11The Lord told him, “Go to the house of Judas on Straight Street and ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul, for he is praying. 12In a vision he has seen a man named Ananias come and place his hands on him to restore his sight.” 13“Lord,” Ananias answered, “I have heard many reports about this man and all the harm he has done to your holy people in Jerusalem. 14And he has come here with authority from the chief priests to arrest all who call on your name.”

Ashe in America and Ghost are back to unpack Season 4, Episode 6 of The Chosen, "Dedication," and this one is doing a lot at once. Expect a surprisingly deep detour into Alexander the Great and how his conquests reshaped the world Jesus and the disciples actually lived in, plus a spirited debate about which Bible verses tend to get conveniently trimmed by preachers who like half a promise more than the whole gospel. Hanukkah brings warmth, tradition, and family scenes worth savoring, but the hosts also dig into Judas's growing impatience, the quiet courage of an unlikely disciple in a moment of crisis, and a devastating letter that closes out the episode on a gut punch. Ashe and Ghost trade sharp character analysis with plenty of tangents, humor, and a shared appreciation for the show's attention to detail. It is equal parts Bible study, TV recap, and buddy banter, and it sets the stage for what they promise is a very big episode next week.

⁨Nuestro Insólito Universo ¦¦ Rostro de Judas, En los cinco minutos de duración que tiene este programa se narran historias asombrosas referentes a cualquier tema.La primera transmisión de este programa se realizó por la RadioNacional de Venezuela el 4 de agosto de 1969 y su éxito fue tal que, posteriormente, fue transmitido también por Radio Capital y, actualmente, se mantiene en la Radio Nacional (AM) y en los circuitos Éxitos y Onda, de Unión Radio (FM), lo cual le otorga una tribuna de red AM y FM que cubren todo el país, uno de los programas radiales más premiados y de mayor duración en la historia de la radio de Venezuela.

Matt and Michael explore language itself — how the same sentence can carry seven different meanings depending on which word you emphasize. From Christopher Walken's acting advice to watching a toddler learn to speak, they examine how we communicate far more than dictionary definitions. This spirals into the central claim of John's Gospel: Jesus Christ is the Word. What does it mean that the creative power of the universe is linguistic? And why do we so often use language to hide rather than reveal? They move through imposter syndrome, scripted relationships, and the death of authentic communication in a transactional culture. The conversation lands on forgiveness and repentance as the antidote to false representation, and asks whether our deepest divide isn't political but spiritual. Cheers y'all

In this powerful homily, Fr. Chris Alar, MIC, explains how Jesus gave His twelve Apostles authority over demons and diseases; both spiritual and physical. He sent them out invested with His own divine power to forgive sins and heal. That same authority continues today through Apostolic Succession in bishops and priests.Though leaders are imperfect and some stray from apostolic teaching, Fr. Alar reminds us even Judas was among the Twelve. We must pray for our shepherds, stand firm on the faith Jesus gave 2,000 years ago, and defend the Church with truth and respect. ★ Support this podcast ★

In a moment that shocks His disciples, Jesus takes on the role of a servant and washestheir feet. In sharp contrast to Jesus' example of leadership, both Judas and Peter areclose to Jesus, but neither are acting like him. Jesus doesn't just talk about love, Heshows it through humble service, and then calls his followers to do the same. In theend, love expressed through service is the mark of a follower of Jesus.

Love isn't just a feeling—it's a decision rooted in the example of Jesus Christ. In this powerful Bible message, discover the difference between human love and God's agape love. Through John 13:15, Jesus calls His followers to do as He has done, serving others with humility and grace. In Romans 13:8, we're reminded that the only lasting debt we owe is to love one another. This message explores: What agape love really means Why Jesus washed Judas' feet Loving people who hurt you Forgiveness, sacrifice, and servant leadership Strengthening marriages and relationships through biblical love Following Christ's example in everyday life Key Bible Verses: John 13:15 Romans 13:8 John 3:16 1 John 3:18 John 13:34-35 Matthew 5:44 Luke 6:27-36 Ephesians 5:25 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 Proverbs 31:10 If this message encouraged you, be sure to Like, Subscribe, and Share so more people can discover the life-changing love of Jesus. #LoveLikeJesus #AgapeLove #BibleSermon #ChristianLiving #John13 #Romans13 #Faith #JesusChrist #BiblicalTruth #Forgiveness

Judas walked with Jesus, saw the miracles, held His trust — and still missed His heart.

What you keep your eyes on will eventually shape your faith. In this message from our From the Vine series, Cynthia teaches on faithfulness through the lens of “gaze versus glance.” So often, we give long attention to fear, temptation, pressure, grief, anxiety, comparison, and the enemy's lies, while only glancing at the truth of God's Word. But Jesus calls us to remain connected to Him, because apart from Him we can do nothing. Looking at John 15, Galatians 5, Genesis 3, 2 Samuel 11, Judas' betrayal, 2 Timothy 1:7, and Hebrews 12, this message reminds us that faith grows when our gaze stays fixed on God. Fear will try to paralyze us, sin will try to distract us, and life will try to overwhelm us, but Jesus is still the author and perfecter of our faith. If you have been walking through fear, distraction, temptation, or heaviness, this message will encourage you to lift your eyes again and keep your gaze on Christ. Scriptures: John 15:5, Galatians 5:22-23, Genesis 3:1-7, 2 Samuel 11, 2 Timothy 1:7, Hebrews 12:1-3   New here or made a decision to follow Jesus today? We would love to connect with you. Fill out our digital connection card: https://churchontherock.net/connect-card  

This sermon explores the final night of Jesus' life, focusing on the Last Supper and the moments surrounding Judas' betrayal and Peter's denial. Jen emphasizes that Jesus, being fully God and fully man, experienced the deep pain of betrayal while knowing exactly what would happen. Despite this knowledge, Jesus chose all twelve disciples, including Judas, from the beginning of time. The sermon challenges believers to move beyond intellectual knowledge of the biblical narrative and truly enter into the emotional and spiritual reality of that night. Central to the message is Jesus' new commandment to love one another with sacrificial, unconditional love—given even in the midst of His own heartbreak. Jen emphasizes that this kind of love among believers is how the world will recognize Jesus' disciples. The sermon calls listeners to examine their own hearts for areas of betrayal, denial, pride, and fear, while remembering that Jesus continues to look at each person with the same deep love He had for His disciples.Read John 13:18-30; 1 John 4:19Jesus sat at that table knowing exactly who would betray Him, yet He served Judas anyway. He washed his feet. He broke bread with him. He looked at him with love. This is the scandalous nature of God's love—it doesn't wait for us to get it right. We love because He first loved us, even when we were still sinners, still betrayers, still deniers. The call to love one another isn't a suggestion for when people deserve it; it's a command for when it's hardest. Who in your life feels impossible to love right now? That person sitting across from you at work, that family member who hurt you, that fellow believer you disagree with—Jesus calls you to agape love. Not because they've earned it, but because He first loved you when you hadn't earned it either.Discussion Questions:-Jesus spent the entire night in prayer before choosing the twelve disciples, including Judas whom He knew would betray Him. What does this reveal about God's sovereignty and His willingness to work through human free will, even when it leads to painful outcomes?-The sermon describes how we can become so familiar with Bible stories that we read them like novels rather than experiencing them. How might we cultivate a practice of truly entering into Scripture rather than just reading it as information?-Jesus spoke about betrayal while sitting at the table with His betrayer, yet still looked at Judas with love. How does this challenge our understanding of loving those who hurt us or disagree with us deeply?-Peter was so convinced he would never deny Jesus that he could not hear Jesus's loving warning. How does pride in our own faithfulness or spiritual strength make us vulnerable to falling away in moments of testing?

At the Last Supper, Jesus revealed to his disciples that one of them would betray him. When they asked who it was, Jesus gave them a sign: he dipped a piece of bread and handed it to Judas, identifying Judas Iscariot, the Son of Simon, as the one who would betray Him. Verses: John 13: 21-28, 1 Corinthians 2: 8 Pastor: Daniel Hendrickson

After revealing how the rulers in Israel were plotting howthey could murder Jesus, Matthew gave us two examples that showed vary different responses to Jesus, so close to His crucifixion. The unnamed woman in the houseof Simon the Leper, and Judas Iscariot. The unnamed woman's actions proved that she knew, loved, and valued Jesus above any earthly possession. Her act of kindness is remembered throughout the centuries. Judas' actions proved he saw Jesus only as a means to what was truly important to him. He is remembered as the definition of treachery and betrayal. A sermon preached by Pastor Caleb at Legacy Reformed Baptist Church in East Grand Forks, MN.

You are not your despair. Out of prayer, into darkness. Marriage & family dynamics. Billy Schmidt case from South Philly. WNBA stories. Jesus hoodie.

Ghost and Ashe in America walk through Season 4 Episode 5, a dense hour with three parallel crises of faith. Judas visits his old mentor Hadad in Bethany, and inside of three minutes Hadad has coached him through why he should be taking a stipend, investing at interest, and positioning himself for Secretary of the Treasury when Jesus takes the throne. The hosts unpack why the character is written not as a scheming villain but as a precocious, earnest guy whose novelty wore off, whose ego never got the death the other disciples got, and who runs back to his old life instead of to Jesus the moment doubt shows up. Meanwhile in Jerusalem, Yusuf arrives at the Sanhedrin and watches Lahad casually pitch murdering Jesus to draw attention to a Beersheba border-expansion project. Sound familiar. And Martha misses the whole thing standing in the kitchen resenting Mary for sitting at Jesus's feet. Jesus tells his mother his followers are spiritually destitute because when people do not want to hear the truth, they turn off their ears. That is the working definition of a normie, delivered by Jesus himself.

Join us as we dig deeper into last Sunday's sermon from Pastor Marcus Lane "The Gospel Arrested" and hear from Amy Duncan and Nate Zuellig on "I Know A Name". Digging Deeper Questions: Notice how the fruit of the Sadducees' jealousy causes them to act unjustly in arresting the apostles. Have you ever similarly seen the painful fruit of jealousy in your own life? What is the antidote to jealousy?   How does the example of the apostles give us a template for how we can resist the temptation to give in to people-pleasing?   When you compare the fruit of jealousy and people-pleasing to the fruit of faithfulness, how does the path of faithfulness begin to look more like freedom and joy? Where have you seen the fruit of faithfulness in your own life and relationships?   Scripture Reading: Acts 5:17-42 17 But the high priest rose up, and all who were with him (that is, the party of the Sadducees), and filled with jealousy 18 they arrested the apostles and put them in the public prison. 19 But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the prison doors and brought them out, and said, 20 "Go and stand in the temple and speak to the people all the words of this Life." 21 And when they heard this, they entered the temple at daybreak and began to teach.   Now when the high priest came, and those who were with him, they called together the council, all the senate of the people of Israel, and sent to the prison to have them brought. 22 But when the officers came, they did not find them in the prison, so they returned and reported, 23 "We found the prison securely locked and the guards standing at the doors, but when we opened them we found no one inside." 24 Now when the captain of the temple and the chief priests heard these words, they were greatly perplexed about them, wondering what this would come to. 25 And someone came and told them, "Look! The men whom you put in prison are standing in the temple and teaching the people." 26 Then the captain with the officers went and brought them, but not by force, for they were afraid of being stoned by the people.   27 And when they had brought them, they set them before the council. And the high priest questioned them, 28 saying, "We strictly charged you not to teach in this name, yet here you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching, and you intend to bring this man's blood upon us." 29 But Peter and the apostles answered, "We must obey God rather than men. 30 The God of our fathers raised Jesus, whom you killed by hanging him on a tree. 31 God exalted him at his right hand as Leader and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. 32 And we are witnesses to these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him."   33 When they heard this, they were enraged and wanted to kill them. 34 But a Pharisee in the council named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law held in honor by all the people, stood up and gave orders to put the men outside for a little while. 35 And he said to them, "Men of Israel, take care what you are about to do with these men. 36 For before these days Theudas rose up, claiming to be somebody, and a number of men, about four hundred, joined him. He was killed, and all who followed him were dispersed and came to nothing.37 After him Judas the Galilean rose up in the days of the census and drew away some of the people after him. He too perished, and all who followed him were scattered. 38 So in the present case I tell you, keep away from these men and let them alone, for if this plan or this undertaking is of man, it will fail; 39 but if it is of God, you will not be able to overthrow them. You might even be found opposing God!" So they took his advice, 40 and when they had called in the apostles, they beat them and charged them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go. 41 Then they left the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name. 42 And every day, in the temple and from house to house, they did not cease teaching and preaching that the Christ is Jesus. Intro/Outro Song: "Only One" Nate Zuellig ULC Artist In Residence    "I Know A Name" Elevation Worship CCLI Song # 7247990   CCLI License # 11254293

22:47 And while he yet spake, behold a multitude, and he that was called Judas, one of the twelve, went before them, and drew near unto Jesus to kiss him. 22:48 But Jesus said unto him, Judas, betrayest thou the Son of man with a kiss? 22:49 When they which were about him saw what would follow, they said unto him, Lord, shall we smite with the sword? 22:50 And one of them smote the servant of the high priest, and cut off his right ear. 22:51 And Jesus answered and said, Suffer ye thus far. And he touched his ear, and healed him. 22:52 Then Jesus said unto the chief priests, and captains of the temple, and the elders, which were come to him, Be ye come out, as against a thief, with swords and staves? 22:53 When I was daily with you in the temple, ye stretched forth no hands against me: but this is your hour, and the power of darkness. 22:54 Then took they him, and led him, and brought him into the high priest's house. And Peter followed afar off. 22:55 And when they had kindled a fire in the midst of the hall, and were set down together, Peter sat down among them. 22:56 But a certain maid beheld him as he sat by the fire, and earnestly looked upon him, and said, This man was also with him. 22:57 And he denied him, saying, Woman, I know him not. 22:58 And after a little while another saw him, and said, Thou art also of them. And Peter said, Man, I am not. 22:59 And about the space of one hour after another confidently affirmed, saying, Of a truth this fellow also was with him: for he is a Galilaean. 22:60 And Peter said, Man, I know not what thou sayest. And immediately, while he yet spake, the cock crew. 22:61 And the Lord turned, and looked upon Peter. And Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how he had said unto him, Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice. 22:62 And Peter went out, and wept bitterly. 22:63 And the men that held Jesus mocked him, and smote him. 22:64 And when they had blindfolded him, they struck him on the face, and asked him, saying, Prophesy, who is it that smote thee? 22:65 And many other things blasphemously spake they against him. 22:66 And as soon as it was day, the elders of the people and the chief priests and the scribes came together, and led him into their council, saying, 22:67 Art thou the Christ? tell us. And he said unto them, If I tell you, ye will not believe: 22:68 And if I also ask you, ye will not answer me, nor let me go. 22:69 Hereafter shall the Son of man sit on the right hand of the power of God. 22:70 Then said they all, Art thou then the Son of God? And he said unto them, Ye say that I am. 22:71 And they said, What need we any further witness? for we ourselves have heard of his own mouth.

This powerful message takes us into Acts chapter 1, where we find the early believers in a unique season of waiting between Christ's ascension and the coming of the Holy Spirit. What do we do when God asks us to wait? The apostles give us a profound pattern: we wait actively and with confidence. Rather than isolating ourselves or abandoning spiritual disciplines during uncertain times, we're called to press deeper into fellowship, Scripture, and prayer. The replacement of Judas with Matthias reveals something extraordinary about God's unchanging plan. With twelve tribes of Israel and now twelve apostles, God demonstrates that His redemptive purpose cannot be thwarted. The church isn't a backup plan but the fulfillment of what God promised from the beginning—one flock under one Shepherd, bringing together both Jew and Gentile into a unified people of God. This passage reminds us that nothing in our lives takes God by surprise. Whether we're between jobs, facing difficult decisions, or watching others walk away from faith, we can rest in the sovereignty of God while remaining fully responsible for our choices. The early church didn't cast lots randomly but sought to discern what God had already chosen, and with the Holy Spirit and Scripture now available to us, we have even greater resources for navigating our holding patterns with confidence and hope.

  The Dignity Line How to Recognize When Your Relationship Has Crossed It with Dawn Madsen Show Notes Have you ever found yourself unable to explain to a counselor, a friend, or even yourself exactly why your relationship feels so wrong — only to be met with "every marriage has problems" or "have you tried harder to communicate"? You are not alone, and you are not imagining it.   In this powerful conversation, Leslie sits down with Dawn Madsen — known to over a million women each month as The Minimal Mom — who spent years inside a relationship she could feel but could not fully name, until she developed a tool called the Dignity Line. Together, Leslie and Dawn walk through what it looks like when a relationship crosses from difficult into destructive, why even the most capable and faith-filled women stay far longer than they ever expected, and how rebuilding something as simple as your physical space can become the first thread in reclaiming your confidence, your voice, and your sense of self. Key Takeaways What the Dignity Line Is — and Why It Changes Everything   Dawn describes the Dignity Line as a clear threshold that separates normal relational breakdowns — where both partners can own their part, repair the rupture, and move forward — from patterns of treatment that communicate "your needs are negotiable and your pain is not my responsibility." Above the line, disagreements happen but do not involve name-calling, gaslighting, blame-shifting, or chronic entitlement. Below the line, those patterns repeat without genuine accountability or change. What makes this tool so meaningful for women in destructive relationships is that it moves the conversation away from diagnosis or labels entirely. You do not need to prove he is a narcissist. You simply need to look honestly at how you are being treated and whether your dignity is consistently honored or consistently dismissed.   Why You Stayed — and Why That Is Not a Failure One of the most compassionate and clarifying moments in this conversation is when Dawn and Leslie name together why leaving takes so long — and why that timeline deserves understanding rather than shame. When a relationship is not always bad, the good seasons create genuine confusion. The highs feel like proof that the real person is still in there, and that if you can just be the right kind of wife, you can call that person forward. What Leslie adds is equally important: those good seasons are often a strategy, not a transformation. The love-bombing, the apologies, the warmth — these can function to keep you cooperative, not because real change has taken root. Tracking patterns over time, as Dawn recommends, is not being unforgiving. It is being honest.   Why Traditional Tools Like Boundaries and Marriage Counseling Often Fail Here Dawn shares a story that will resonate deeply — setting a boundary, feeling proud of herself for finally doing it, and then finding herself comforting him on the way to the hardware store twenty minutes later. Her point is not that boundaries are useless; it is that boundaries only function as intended when both partners are operating above the dignity line. In a destructive dynamic, a boundary is often met with punishment, victim-posturing, or a quiet escalation that gets taken out on the children. This is not a failure of your boundary-setting. It is data. As Leslie reminds listeners: when you try something new and it gets worse rather than better, that is not evidence you did it wrong. It is evidence about the relationship — and evidence you can use.   Rebuilding Confidence in Practical, Everyday Ways Dawn brings a gift to this conversation that is entirely her own: the insight that simplifying and decluttering your physical environment is one of the most accessible ways to begin reclaiming your inner world. When you have been gaslit for years, your confidence in your own judgment erodes. But you can begin rebuilding it in small, low-stakes decisions — keep this, donate that, this vase brings me no joy and I do not have to justify that to anyone. Each small decision is a practice in trusting yourself. Each moment you choose to live with someone's disappointment over the clutter you removed is a rehearsal for the much harder moments ahead. Your outer world and your inner world are in conversation with each other, and bringing one into order can quietly, faithfully begin to restore the other.   The Role of Faith, Forgiveness, and Enabling Leslie gently names something many Christian women have never heard said plainly in a church context: the virtues of long-suffering, forgiveness, and turning the other cheek can be weaponized against you — and can, if left unexamined, become a means of enabling ongoing harm to yourself and your children. As Leslie points out, even Jesus did not change Judas. He invited him, he saw him clearly, and he let him go. Praying faithfully for a spouse who refuses to change is not a failure of your faith. God does not override the will of a person who has decided not to change. What you can control is whether you keep absorbing the cost of that choice — and whether your children grow up believing that this is simply what love looks like. If you are resonating with what Dawn and Leslie discussed today — if you have been quietly living below your own dignity line and you are ready to stop seeking everyone else's approval long enough to hear your own voice again — we want to walk with you in that.   The Moving Beyond People Pleasing course is a six-week coaching experience designed to help you build a steadier, stronger sense of who you are in Christ — so that the next decision you face, you face it from a grounded place rather than a depleted one. You will receive focused teaching, practical tools, and live coaching support, with flexibility built in for your schedule. https://leslievernick.com/mbpp   Find more about the Dignity Line and The Minimal Mom here: Dignity Line Resources: https://www.theminimalmom.com/the-line The Minimal Mom on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheMinimalMom   Closing Encouragement   If you have spent years trying to find the right words to explain what is happening inside your home and inside your heart, and you have mostly been met with silence, skepticism, or the quiet suggestion that you simply need to try harder — hear this today: there is a name for what you have been living. There is a line, and it has been crossed. That is not you being unforgiving or selfish or giving up. That is you finally seeing clearly.   You are not too far gone to rebuild. Your confidence is not gone — it is waiting to be reclaimed, one small decision at a time. God has not abandoned you in this confusion. He is the one who opens eyes in his timing, who walks with women through the wilderness, and who has a long and faithful history of bringing his daughters through to the other side. You do not have to have it all figured out today. You only have to take one next step — and you do not have to take it alone.

Jesus wasn't surprised by Judas. He wasn't shocked by Peter. And He isn't shocked by you. In this message from our BETRAYED series, we discover the incredible truth that Jesus knew exactly what was coming—and chose to love anyway. His love isn't passive, conditional, or earned. It's pursuing, forgiving, and relentless.

Why didn't Samson leave? After three blatant betrayals, why did the strongest man alive stay with a woman who was actively trying to destroy him? Even today, people underestimate the power of emotional manipulation, weaponized “love”, and spiritual war. The strongest man stood no chance in the flesh. Why? Because the enemy can manipulate our desire to be loved and accepted—to bind us. In this video, we break down the anatomy of a toxic relationship to understand exactly how emotional manipulation and weaponized love defeated the man who couldn't be beaten by armies. In this, we cover: • The Trap of Delilah: How emotional manipulation bound the strongest man alive . • Spiritual Warfare: How Satan wants to use your weakness to destroy your strength. • Weaponized Love: The red flags Samson ignored and why we often stay in toxic situations for too long • The Judas Parallel: The striking similarities between the tactics of Delilah and Judas. • God's Sovereignty: How God turns betrayal, persecution, and evil into ultimate redemption Support Rise on Fire Ministries by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/rise-on-fire This podcast is powered by Pinecast.Read transcript

1) Can you explain your theory of Paul taking the place of Judas?2) What is your support for teaching that Adam chose to go with Eve instead of staying in the Garden of Eden?3) Why did you pass over 2 Samuel 24 about David's sin of numbering the people?4) What is the congregation of the dead in Proverbs 21:16?5) What did Jesus mean that John the Baptist was the greatest among the prophets in Luke 7:28?6) Why did Miriam and Aaron object to Moses being married to an Ethiopian or Cushite woman?7) Did God predestine Pharaoh to be hardhearted as it seems to indicate in Exodus 10:20?8) What does the "J" in J. Vernon McGee stand for?

Fr. Mike guides us through Jesus' warning of persecution to the people of Israel as we near the end of Mark's Gospel. He also touches on how Jesus' behavior in the Garden of Gethsemane should serve as an example to us, and explains why Judas' betrayal was so heartbreaking. Today's readings are Mark 13-14 and Psalm 68.For the complete reading plan, visit ascensionpress.com/bibleinayear. Please note: The Bible contains adult themes that may not be suitable for children - parental discretion is advised.