Podcasts about in christian

SWM 150 - Control, sex and marriage. Check out the blog post here for more details and links.Last month, I watched a great video by Gary Thomas and his wife Lisa on how a controlling spirit can harm a marriage. It got me thinking: In Christian circles, we often struggle to define the difference between healthy leadership and damaging control—both in marriage and in our relationship with God.Why is it that surrendering to God is seen as good, but demanding control from a spouse is harmful? The key, I believe, is consent and love. When surrender is freely given and motivated by love, it can bring freedom and joy. But when control is forced, it leads to resentment and broken trust.In this post, I'm sharing some personal stories and lessons we've learned about navigating these tricky dynamics in marriage.Links in this podcast episode:Gary Thomas - Substack - A controlling spirit can devestate a marriageSWM 108 - What does the Bible say about hell?Sexual Frequency - Why I don't worry anymoreBecoming More Sexually Engaged Course - For Christian WivesSexy Photos Course - For Christian WivesBecoming More Sexually Engaged Course - For Christian WivesFollow us on Facebook, Instagram and TwitterIf you'd like to discuss the questions as they come in, consider joining our private forum.Thank you to all our faithful supporters!If you like that there are no ads in our podcast and want to keep it that way, check out our support page for more info.  Even $5/month makes a difference.Lastly, if you like our podcast, please rate it as it helps others know this is a good resource to help with their marriage. You managed to find us, help someone else do the same and receive the same benefits to their relationship.

In Christian groups, it's easy to tell our kids to "find your identity in Christ." But practically, what does that mean? Danny and John help give some clarity to that phrase. Also, Kari Kampakis and Jim Daly share about ways teen girls are tempted to find their identity in besides Christ. Find us online at focusonthefamily.com/parentingpodcast. Or call 1-800-A-FAMILY. Receive the book Love Her Well for your donation of any amount! Take the 7 Traits of Effective Parenting Assessment Listen Now Subscribe to Brio Magazine Resources for Raising Your Teen Support This Show! If you've listened to any of our podcasts, please give us your feedback.

In Christian groups, it's easy to tell our kids to "find your identity in Christ." But practically, what does that mean? Danny and John help give some clarity to that phrase. Also, Kari Kampakis and Jim Daly share about ways teen girls are tempted to find their identity in besides Christ. Find us online at focusonthefamily.com/parentingpodcast. Or call 1-800-A-FAMILY. Receive the book Love Her Well for your donation of any amount! Take the 7 Traits of Effective Parenting Assessment Listen Now Subscribe to Brio Magazine Resources for Raising Your Teen Support This Show! If you've listened to any of our podcasts, please give us your feedback. To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/1197/29

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for April 20, 2025 is: resurrection • rez-uh-REK-shun • noun In Christian theology, Resurrection (typically capitalized in this use) refers to the event in which Jesus Christ returned to life after his death. In general contexts, resurrection refers to the act of causing something that had ended or been forgotten or lost to exist again, to be used again, etc. // Church members look forward to celebrating the Resurrection every Easter. // The community applauded the resurrection of the commuter rail system. See the entry > Examples: “Some of their efforts to follow Scripture were wonderfully zany. To wrest the death and resurrection of Jesus away from both pagan fertility rituals and Hallmark, they outlawed Easter egg hunts. ... She smashed chocolate Easter bunnies with a meat tenderizer and ripped the heads off marshmallow Peeps, while the boys gleefully gobbled the ruined remnants of consumer culture.” — Eliza Griswold, Circle of Hope: A Reckoning with Love, Power, and Justice in an American Church, 2024 Did you know? The word resurrection first arose in English in the 14th century, coming from the Anglo-French word resurreccioun, which in turn comes from the Late Latin verb resurgere, meaning “to rise from the dead.” Originally, the word was used in Christian contexts to refer to the rising of Christ from the dead or to the festival celebrating this rising (now known as Easter). Perhaps showing the influence of the Late Latin verb resurgere's Latin forerunner, which could mean “to rise again” (as from a recumbent position) as well as “to spring up again after being cut” (used of plants), resurrection soon began to be used more generally in the senses of “resurgence” or “revival.” It even forms part of the name of the resurrection fern, an iconic fern of the southern United States often seen growing on the limbs of live oak trees. The fern is so named due to the fact that in dry weather it curls up, turns brown, and appears dead, only to be “brought back to life” when exposed to moisture.

The Resurrection of our Lord!Luke 24:1-12“Why are you looking for the living among the dead?”How often, in the struggles of our lives, do we find ourselves 'seeking the dead'–looking for hope, peace, or purpose in things that cannot give life?Galatians 2:20 In Christian life, one should always seek the living God.

April 19, 2025Today's Reading: Matthew 27:57-66Daily Lectionary: Exodus 13:17-14:9; Hebrews 7:1-22“Therefore order the tomb to be made secure until the third day, lest his disciples go and steal him away and tell the people, ‘He has risen from the dead,' and the last fraud will be worse than the first.” (Matthew 27:64)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.The church leaders go to great lengths to make sure that there will be no confusion about the death of Jesus. Jesus died and is buried. Saturday is a day of silence. Nothing is written about what transpires from Friday evening until Sunday morning other than the placing of the guards at the tomb of Jesus. Silence covers the world. The Son of God is silent. The Son of Man, The Son of God, rests on the seventh day. He rests on the Sabbath. He will rise from the dead on the eighth day, finalizing His work of conquering death.On this day, Christians all around the world are reflecting on the time of Christ in the tomb. Vigils are held, and Scriptures are read in the sanctuaries. In Christian homes, there is silence as the death of the Son of Man is remembered. In the midst of our silence, there is a lot of noise. Noise from sin, satan, and the world. The noise of a fallen creation is the complete corruption of God's Holy creation. The chaos we experience in life. The reality of broken homes. The struggle with broken relationships. The confrontation of death at any age. The Old Adam in us reminds us that we are tired from all the chaos. Satan still lays out his temptations before us as we are drawn into secular activities surrounding Easter. We feel as if the world is against us, and we are flailing in the deep end of the pool of life. The desire for silence consumes us, but it does not come.On this day, many of our sanctuaries are preparing for the Easter Services. As post-pentecost churches, we know the rest of the story. We know that the silence is not permanent. The tomb will be opened, and Christ will rise from the dead. Death is conquered. No longer is there silence in the world as the gates of the grave are burst open. All of Christ's words come to fruition. He will suffer, He will die, and on the third day, He will rise from the dead. His rest in the tomb on the Sabbath is the final rest He takes. Today, as we enter into His Sanctuaries, He works while we rest and receive the Gifts He gives to us in His Means Of Grace. We receive the promise that we, too, will rise from the grave on the Last Day.In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.O God, creator of heaven and earth, grant that as the crucified body of Your dear Son was laid in the tomb and rested on this holy Sabbath, so we may await with Him the coming of the third day, and rise with Him to newness of life, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. (Collect for Holy Saturday)-Rev. Timothy Davis, pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church in Athens, GA.Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, KY.Visit the timeless rhythms of the Christian life with award-winning author Harold L. Senkbeil. As he addresses the concerns and pressures of the world today, you'll discover that even while the world is dying, Christ's death brings about life. True life. One that He offers to you. Order Now!

Today is Good Friday. In Christian faith, today and Easter Sunday are two of the most important days of observation. We often, on Rector's Cupboard, refer to what is happening in the world, the news, politics, culture. In Christian faith, Good Friday is always more than news of the week. It is at the heart of the faith. With that in mind, we offer a Good Friday reflection. The reflection is intended as an invitation to spiritual contemplation. What does it mean that Jesus was alone on Good Friday? What does “Christ Alone” entail? Wherever you are at, in terms of faith and belief, may you know God's presence and blessing and hope this Easter weekend.

Today is recognized as World Quantum Day, an international event focused on raising awareness and understanding of quantum physics and technology. As we draw closer to Easter, the Christian resurrection story of Jesus can be seen as a major quantum entanglement. Christ is both dead and alive, crucified and resurrected. In Christian theology, Christ exists in states of contradictory duality. Moreover, the expression of the Godhead or the Holy Trinity bursts into real time - the genuine God in human flesh as one is forced to wonder about the aspect of the Divine Architect that exists outside of time and all linear restrictions. Tonight on Ground Zero (7-10 pm, pacific time on groundzeroplus.com), Clyde Lewis talks about QUANTUM EASTER - SCHRODINGER'S CHRIST. #GroundZeroPlus #ClydeLewis #Quantum #MandelaEffect #SchrodingersCat #easter

In Christian marriage, we don't seek for our partner to meet our needs, but to share Christ's bounty.

In Christian circles the phrase "the word of God" is synonyms for the Bible and while that is certainly true and valid, when the Apostle Paul uses this same phrasing to describe the Bible as an incredible weapon and part of our Spiritual Armor, his meaning holds a much deeper truth. In exploring his use of "word" in the Greek language, we begin to understand exactly how we are to wield this "Sword of the Spirit" as both an offensive and defensive weapon and how that fits into our role and responsibility in the battle - to Stand. Join us as we unpack how powerful the "rhema" sword can be when facing temptation, attacks and struggles in helping us to overcome in our daily battles. From Ephesians 6:10-17.Thank you for listening to our podcast and we would love for you to subscribe to our page and share with others. Join us for our weekly worship online at www.firstbaptistblowingrock.com or our Youtube page. Contact us at office@firstbaptistblowingrock.com or by phone @ 828-295-7715

KALEIDOSCOPE OF THE CROSS Our Enduring Model of Discipleship Matthew 16:24 “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.” Matthew 16:22-24 NIV “Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. “Never, Lord!” he said. “This shall never happen to you!” Jesus turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns. Then Jesus said to his disciples, Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.” • A theology of glory (victory) “ the theologian of glory does not know God hidden in suffering. Therefore he prefers works to suffering, glory to the cross, strength to weakness, wisdom to folly, and, in general, good to evil." - Martin Luther • A theology of the cross The clearest image of God—the fullness of who God is and the pinnacle of His self-revelation—is the crucified Christ. “In Christian discipleship the cross is not only something Jesus did for us, but also the pattern we are to follow. As Christians we don't just stand on the sidelines and watch Jesus carry his cross. No, we fall in behind and carry our own cross. The cross is the call to self-denial for the sake of imitating Christ.” - Brian Zahnd 1 Corinthians 2:1-5 ESV “And I, when I came to you, brothers, I did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom. For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling, and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.”

After losing her son Christian to alcohol poisoning in 2015, Mary Ciammetti founded "Don't Stall, Just Call," a vital alcohol poisoning education program. Mary launched the program to ensure no other family experiences such a preventable tragedy. She teaches critical signs of alcohol poisoning and emphasizes the importance of immediate action. In Christian's memory, the foundation offers scholarships at Temple University and hosts community events. To support Don't Stall, Just Call, mark your calendars for their annual 5K on April 26th at Temple University's Ambler Campus. Mary is doing incredible work to prevent alcohol poisoning tragedies. Knowing the signs of alcohol poisoning could literally save a life. Her Story is hosted by Kathy Romano and airs Sunday mornings at 7am on 93.3 WMMR-FM in Philadelphia. Follow Her Story on Instagram for a first look at each week’s guest.

In Christian circles, King David is often treated as a model of courage and faithfulness. And in many ways, he was that! But he was also a broken sinner. In this message, we're looking at the darkest moment in David's life and learning from his mistakes.

In Christian circles, King David is often treated as a model of courage and faithfulness. And in many ways, he was that! But he was also a broken sinner. In this message, we're looking at the darkest moment in David's life and learning from his mistakes. To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/1518/29

Here is the question of the day: is it OK to read romances (like Harlequin & its ilk) if the sex isn't explicit? Are Christian romances a good substitute for secular romance genre reading?That question was posed to me from a long-time reader of this blog.I explore the complexities of Christian romance novels and the challenges of balancing faith with engaging narratives, avoiding sin and idols, and invite deeper contemplation. Links mentioned How far is too far? What does edgy mean and do we even need edgy? Why does it have to be called Christian fiction anyway- Tolkien's wasn't... In Christian fiction, how do we balance keeping the message strong and not watering it down while still wanting to reach readers beyond Christian bookstores or churches? Steve Laube wrote about edgy Christian fiction

In Christian art, the Gospel of Luke…is represented by the “bull”…because Luke begins his narrative in the temple, the place of sacrifice.Tuesday • 12/24/2024 •Advent 4 Year 1This morning's Scriptures are: Psalm 66; Isaiah 11:1o–16; Revelation 20:11–21:8; Luke 1:5–25  This morning's Canticles are: following the OT reading, Canticle 13 (“A Song of Praise,” BCP, p. 90); following the Epistle reading, Canticle 18 (“A Song to the Lamb,” Revelation 4:11; 5:9–10, 13, BCP, p. 93)

In Christian circles, analogies are often used to describe the Trinity. But are they accurate? Today, Michael Reeves examines how Scripture challenges and deepens our understanding of our triune God. Read the transcript: https://ligonier.org/podcasts/ask-ligonier/should-we-use-analogies-to-describe-the-trinity/ Submit a biblical or theological question of your own by calling 1-800-607-9386 or by emailing an audio recording of your question to askligoniervm@ligonier.org. You can also receive real-time answers through our online chat service at https://ask.ligonier.org/. A donor-supported outreach of Ligonier Ministries. Donate: https://donate.ligonier.org/ Explore all of our podcasts: https://www.ligonier.org/podcasts

October 5, 2024 Today's Reading: Introit for Pentecost 20 - Psalm 127:3-5; antiphon: Psalm 127:1aDaily Lectionary: Deuteronomy 5:1-21; Matthew 8:18-34“Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD, the fruit of the womb a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one's youth. Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them! He shall not be put to shame” (Psalm 127:3-5)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Every year, someone releases a list of words and phrases that should be banished. One phrase that has not yet appeared on that list, but probably should, is, “Children should be seen and not heard.” That little gem of a saying makes children seem like some kind of burden that society must endure. It is difficult enough to be young; the last thing needed is for the young not to be valued. Even parenthood suffers in our time. Pregnancy is treated like an illness or disability, motherhood is looked down upon, and fathers are depicted as inept in popular culture. At times, it seems that family life in general is under attack. This is nothing new. Children were not universally valued in the ancient world. They were not even considered people unless their father accepted them. In fact, infant exposure was common, and unwanted children were left outside to die. In contrast, the ancient Israelites highly valued their children. Having children meant that God's covenant still stood. Children mean that God was going to fulfill His promises. Children meant that the future of God's people was assured. Motherhood was something to aspire to, and fatherhood was to be respected. So great was the desire for children that to not have children was considered a punishment. Neither the Israelites nor the early Christians practiced infant exposure. God's people have always had a different approach to children and family life than whatever culture they found themselves living in. This means that you are already a blessing just by existing. You are not a burden, a bother, or something that is in the way. You are a heritage from the Lord; you are a reward. You are an arrow in your parents' quiver. You are the fulfillment of a promise. Your future as one of God's people is assured. The promises that are for your parents are also for you. The death of Jesus on the cross was for your parents, and it was for you. Now, you are an arrow, but in the future, you may have your own quiver full of arrows, and the promises of God that are for you will be for your children. Now, you are a blessing, and in the future, you will be blessed. In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.In Christian homes, Lord, let them be Your blessing to their family; Let Christian schools Your work extend In living truth as You intend. (LSB 866:2)-Rev. Grant Knepper, pastor of Grace Lutheran Church Modesto, California.Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, KY.In Embracing Your Lutheran Identity, Author Gene Edward Veith Jr. will guide readers through that heritage, starting with the Early Church and moving through the Reformation to Lutheranism today. Readers will learn about key people in the history of Lutheranism, from two teenagers who were the first martyrs of the Reformation, through the Saxon immigrants who left everything behind so they could practice Lutheranism freely, to the Lutherans who have stood strong for the faith in our own day.

The title “Lord” can mean a variety of things to people. Where monarchies are remembered, “lord” can evoke nobility. We also hear it used as a verb with a negative undertone, to lord something over someone. In Christian circles we talk about Jesus as Lord, but what does that mean? Listen in to find out! You might have heard that Jesus desires to be your Savior, but did you know He also desires to be your leader? The Bible calls this the Lordship of Jesus. Could it be that we finally experience the freedom we crave when we begin turning everything over to Jesus? Come sit with us to find out!! Join us for service every Sunday at 9:15am or 11:00am (EST).  Here are ways to connect with us! Text TODAY to 937-358-6565 to let us know you decided to let Jesus take control of your life. Text BAPTISM to 937-358-6565 to find out more about getting baptized as an expression of your new faith. Text SERVE to 937-358-6565 to find a serve community to join that matches your skills and passions. Text PRAYER to 937-358-6565 to let us know how we can be praying for you! And if you would like to support The Valley Church financially, you can GIVE online via our website: www.thevalley.church/give. Music: Bensound.com/free-music-for-videosLicense code: 1EBH3J7EM5DURCTO

In Christian mythology the unholy trinity is Satan, the Antichrist and the False Prophet. In Folk Horror the Unholy Trinity is The Witchfinder's General, The Blood on Satan's Claw and The Whisper Man. Join us for a discussion on the foundations of Folk Horror and three films that represent the genre. This is hopefully the start to more discussion on folk horror, which is a massive conversation. Follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Check out our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ All music and sound by Mannequin Uprising.

ChatGPT Poem: You'll Stop Burning with the Suns of a Million UniversesReese and Joe, friends from days gone by, In Christian ska bands, they reached for the sky. But beyond the music, their bond took a turn, Through tales of mishaps, where bowels would churn.In crowded tour buses, late-night delights, Payday bars munched under dim stage lights. Corn kernels savored, crunchy and sweet, Unbeknownst to them, a digestive defeat.One fateful night, after the show, Reese felt a rumble, a brewing woe. He dashed to the restroom, beads on his brow, Explosive diarrhea about to allow.Joe, not far behind, his stomach in knots, The aftermath of corn and sugary plots. Side by side in the stalls, their laughter suppressed, A friendship deepened in moments distressed."Oh man," Reese groaned, with a rueful grin, "Next time, let's rethink our pre-show sin." Joe chuckled, despite the plight they were in, “Maybe just water and some aspirin.”Corn kernels floated in the watery abyss, A surreal scene, a friendship amiss. Yet in their discomfort, they found a strange peace, In shared vulnerability, their bond did increase."You'll stop burning with the suns of a million universes," Reese quipped, amid groans and curses. Joe replied, with a breathless laugh, "In this bathroom stall, we've found our true path."For in life's wild moments, unplanned and unclean, True friendship's light can always be seen. Through laughter and tears, and digestive regrets, Their bond only strengthened, no place for frets.So here's to Joe and Reese, in tales so bizarre, From Christian ska stages to bathroom memoirs. You'll stop burning, but the laughter remains, In the stories, the chaos, the love and the pains.Patreon: www.patreon.com/pickleandbootshop Merch: www.bonfire.com/store/the-pickle-and-boot-shop--shop/ Email: thepickleandbootshop@gmail.com Instagram: joeandreesepabs Diabolical Discussion by Daniel Rock: facebook.com/groups/diabolicaldiscussion Good Eats: beefaro

Summary In this conversation, Jerrad Lopes and Sam Jolman discuss various topics related to men's emotions, anger, and the use of pornography as a coping mechanism. They explore the importance of self-awareness, curiosity, and finding healthy outlets for stress and emotions. They also highlight the need for men to give themselves space to reflect on their behavior and seek healing with the help of others. Shame registers as trauma and can feel like a threat to the body, leading to fight or flight responses. Men often cope with shame by shutting down, disconnecting, and hiding. Overcoming shame requires vulnerability and community support. In Christian culture, there is often a subtle message that sex is bad before marriage and then becomes awesome but not talked about after marriage. Healthy sexuality as a disciple of Jesus involves appreciating beauty, experiencing awe, and worshiping God. Practical steps for shaping the story of young boys include guarding devices and having ongoing, age-appropriate conversations about sex and relationships. Therapy should lead to repentance and a deeper reliance on Jesus as the healer, rather than becoming self-focused and narcissistic. Chapters 00:00 Introduction and Background 01:21 The Challenges of Raising Boys 06:48 The Role of Pornography as a Coping Mechanism 13:34 Exploring Deeper Pain Points and Acceptance 27:48 The Power of Confession and Seeking Support 28:30 Understanding the Impact of Shame and Coping Mechanisms 34:56 Navigating Christian Culture's Messages About Sexuality 37:01 Appreciating Beauty, Experiencing Awe, and Worshiping God 44:26 Practical Steps for Shaping a Healthy View of Sexuality in Young Boys 50:06 The Role of Therapy in Repentance and Reliance on Jesus Key Takeaways: Boys and girls have different ways of expressing and dealing with emotions, and it's important for parents to understand and guide them accordingly. Many men struggle with anger, especially after getting married and having children. It's important to find healthy outlets for anger and not just bury or suppress it. Alcohol and pornography are often used as coping mechanisms to de-stress, but they can have harmful side effects and should not be relied upon for emotional regulation. Understanding the deeper reasons behind certain behaviors, such as pornography use, can help in finding lasting healing and freedom. Self-awareness and curiosity are key in exploring one's own story and addressing underlying pain or trauma. Finding a trusted community or accountability partner can greatly aid in the journey towards healing and overcoming addictive behaviors. Shame can feel like a threat to the body and lead to fight or flight responses. Men often cope with shame by shutting down, disconnecting, and hiding. Overcoming shame requires vulnerability and community support. Healthy sexuality as a disciple of Jesus involves appreciating beauty, experiencing awe, and worshiping God. Practical steps for shaping the story of young boys include guarding devices and having ongoing, age-appropriate conversations about sex and relationships. Therapy should lead to repentance and a deeper reliance on Jesus as the healer, rather than becoming self-focused and narcissistic.

In Christian language, we often sing words like, "all to Jesus, I surrender" or "Christ is enough for me" or "You are everything to me." It's important to say things like that, but what does it mean for each of those phrases to actually be fully realized. The great evangelist Apostle Paul said that "Christ is everything and in everything." This week, we are tackling that idea while we celebrate Father's Day together. Support the Show.

After the last two inversions, things may seem a bit bleak. But the fall of one-third of the angels should not bring despair, despite the fact that God gives them leash to harass us - but just enough. (We should take note that they have been defeated already, yet the end must play out.) The existence of spirits and angelic beings (even fallen ones) does nothing to change the fact that the radically transcendent God created wholly out of love. And how do we know this? Because God praises all of his creation as “good.” When God said “Fiat lux” he was pleased. Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light. And God saw that the light was good; and God separated the light from the darkness.Notice that he did not say, “Let there be dark,” for nothing is the darkness. But the light is good, and light is also true and beautiful. Seven times in the first chapter of Genesis we read “And God saw that it was good.” In the last mention, a strong adverb is added:God saw everything that he had made, and indeed, it was very good.Note that God says “it was good” even after creating humans, in our pre-fallen state. Note that this declaration of humans being “good” is prior to the moment when he breathes a rational soul into humankind, but even after the Fall we are good, but compromised. We are bent but not broken. Even when our ejection from the Garden happens, the ground is cursed, not us. This is an important point to notice. Goodness in creation brings with it the language of hope, second chances, forgiveness, because all of us spiritually crippled and broken things are worth saving. In Japan, an art form called Kintsugi takes broken pottery and mends it with a golden filler or powder so that the item becomes serviceable again while maintaining its scars. After the restoration, the pottery looks more beautiful and even becomes more valuable than the original pot. The original pot was good, but the healed pot is better. Shattered, it seemed destined for the garbage heap. However, with this art form, what was perceived as garbage or as a lost-cause is mended and brought back to life, in a resurrection of sorts. What was originally good is glorified in the restoration. That is the plan of salvation. Don't let the Fall get you down, because the plan is greater than we understand. And that brings us to the inversion regarding goodness: all that God made is good. This is why sin is ridiculous. It destroys the good. Yet the good remains and will be restored if we understand this inversion. Cast out your cynicism and your glass-half-full thinking. Reject the notion that this world is intrinsically evil, for it was not made that way. By our sin, the pottery was shattered. Through the Paschal mystery we are repaired with golden seams. But in the meantime…Because we have the reality of sin, we look for answers outside of the most obvious place. And this causes us to forget: that all matter and spirit created by God was good from the start. It is only by turning away that we crack up and need restoration. Yet there is much hope in that restoration, too, for in the healing, our wounds will remain but be more glorious. Many errors about the goodness of creation has led both the Israelites and Christians and non-believers away from the right path. This often falls under an umbrella of “matter is bad” or “spirits are bad.” The error is simple. All of God's creation exudes goodness. It is sin that is bad, because it deforms and disorders that goodness. The one thing that God creates that he deems “not good” is when the man is alone, and therefore he creates woman. “Then the Lord God said, ‘It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper as his partner.'” Thus, the only thing that God created that was not good - human loneliness - was promptly addressed with the most wonderful creation of all: woman, and with her, he created another amazing gift called marriage. The Fall marred that relationship as well, for as we turned from God, we turned away from each other. Since the Fall, we have been looking for something to blame for the state we are in, and the list of errors in what to blame grows long. If we don't blame God, we blame something created. I would personally like to blame mosquitoes, but in the grand order of things, without mosquitoes many birds and bats would starve, and I like birds and bats. Even though mosquitoes ruin many summer evenings, they were created as good, because God said so. Many stand-ins for mosquitoes have been tried. With Pandora's Box the Greeks blamed the gods and woman for introducing evil. With the Manichaeans, matter was evil. In Christian history, there are thirty-one flavors of Gnostic heresies, with popular movements like Marcionism, Catharism, and Paulicianism. Most recently, the Woke movement of recent years has come up with a remarkably parallel set of doctrines to the Cathars, to the point that they seem somehow separated at birth despite being hundreds of years apart. All of these gnostic groups die an ugly death, because they are errors and forget that God is good, and creation is good. With all untruth, it eventually turns on itself, killing off the host. The “light versus dark” idea is not new. This mistake is ancient. The light/dark battle royale is called dualism, and here is the mistake: dualism declares that there are two equal forces in the universe in contention for power, and only those on the “right side of history” are the “good.” If you find Catholicism odd, look into the gnostic and dualist movements. You will find many strange ideas and no coherency, but a general theme of “matter is bad,” and that is not what God says. He says the opposite. He says matter is good, repeating it seven different times. In much of the “light vs. dark” errors, there is a misconception of God and the “war in heaven” idea included God himself. But there is no competitor with God, who is the highest good and source of all that is good. Any war in heaven that happened among the angels occurred as part of God's plan of salvation. Again, God is transcendent of all created things, even the angels. Thus, evil cannot touch God, because evil only happens in creation, which includes the created heavens. To use a metaphor, if an architect built a beautiful cathedral, and later a visitor entered the cathedral and spray painted the walls, that is not the architect's work. The graffiti vandal represents disorder from the goodness of the creation, but the spray paint came from the creature who used creation unwisely. Back to dualism: this idea often grows out of an imbalance in the world due to people causing disorder. We naturally fall into this state, and its called paganism. Paganism and modern political religion falls into this zero-sum game trap. The idea of competition comes from dualism, which is fundamentally a distrust in God and his plan for salvation. Here is something we don't like to admit: most Americans today are not Christians; they are gnostics and dualists without knowing it. We lionize competition and achievement, where failure is darkness. In other words, the Fall pushes us into continual competition, so that we do not cooperate with God's grace or each other for the common good. After all, God created all things and saw that it was good. No, it was very good. We forget this every day. It's good, yet something is off in creation, so we need to fix it. What could it be? What could be off? What is it that is un-good? That thing is called “me” but that's hard to look at. Blaming something else is the path of least resistance, but wide is the way that leads to destruction and many are those who follow it. This leads to a variety of conclusions about what is bad, or what went wrong, and so often the conclusion leads to something called “gnosis,” or secret knowledge. This secret knowledge tends to elevate the self over other people or groups. This secret knowledge pins the tail on a donkey to blame for all suffering. Gnosis behaves like a cancer cell, because gnosis takes many forms, and whatever group catches this disease always dies off in the end and becomes an obituary in history books. This is inevitable because the truth always bubbles up and continues on, like a cork in a stormy sea - no matter the weather or the waves, the truth cannot be sunk. For some of these errors, the secret knowledge looks at matter as the source of evil, sometimes all matter. Leaps of logic are made, such as: Life is pain, ergo “bodies are bad.” An extension of that is “sex is bad” which was the cry of the Puritans and Cathars. (FYI: Puritanism is an error, as is all of Calvinism). Often specific matter or bodies are the target, like women or men, or black people or white people. Sound absurd? That's because it is absurd. Sometimes there are specific groups, like Republicans or Democrats, capitalists or communists, that mark off the light versus dark and the group is responsible for all evil (depends on which side you are on). This blame and zero-sum game leads to a world lacking forgiveness. Conversely, the idea that all creation is good, but we are compromised, this leads to a world of forgiveness and redemptive suffering, which we'll discuss in a later inversion.When any cult of dualism arises - and it always does - there is an enemy that must be destroyed, for that is the root of darkness. Killing all the Jews and Catholic priests has been tried multiple times and didn't solve the problem of evil. Caesar killed a million Gauls and that didn't cure Rome. Currently, in the 21st century, one set of gnostic dualists say that the the enemies are whiteness, the patriarchy, pro-life groups, traditional Christians, and (the perennial pick) practicing Jews. Another set blames foreigners, economics, academic elites, and the progressive lobby. Unsurprisingly, the enemy of the dualists never takes the name of “my personal sin” or “the Fall” because the source of all evil is elsewhere. For dualists and gnostics, the evil comes externally, not from the human heart that resides in each of us. We were created good, but like a broken pot, we are scattered into pieces. Yet there is a way to be mended, and it is by the savior that heals, the great Konsugi artist named Jesus. We all seem to know there was an Eden, a perfect state, a heavenly existence, and we want to return to it. We can feel that creation's goodness is real without having ever been to the eternal paradise. Our confusion swirls around how to get back to the Garden. When we turn from God's goodness, we tend to believe that it is us who will restore the Garden, and somehow by our efforts we will get past the cherubim and the spinning fiery sword that blocks the way. To do so, we need to remove the un-good ideas or people or material that blocks the path. This attempt to boost our own way to heaven is flammable and the devil loves watching it happen, since the father of lies caused the Fall in the first place. Socialism and capitalism claimed to have the way to paradise, and both have created versions of hell on earth. The darkness in the human heart can be hard to admit, so we project it onto other created things, or the Creator himself if we have a poor understanding of God. St. Augustine and others did much battle to knock-down the Manichean dualist claim that all matter was bad. Many others throughout the centuries have had to defend God's holy name against a variety of similar heresies. The gnostics and dualists always come back, always with bad ideas, slightly different than before, which again makes them much like a mutating cancer cell that winds through time. However, this inversion is not about who is to blame. It is about goodness, truth, and light. First and foremost, we must understand that all matter and spirit was created good because it came from God's love. Another way to say it is that creation is ordered. Creation has a wisdom of its own, far beyond ours. The Catechism states:Because God creates through wisdom, his creation is ordered …Our human understanding, which shares in the light of the divine intellect, can understand what God tells us by means of his creation, though not without great effort and only in a spirit of humility and respect before the Creator and his work. Because creation comes forth from God's goodness, it shares in that goodness - "And God saw that it was good. . . very good”- for God willed creation as a gift addressed to man, an inheritance destined for and entrusted to him. On many occasions the Church has had to defend the goodness of creation, including that of the physical world. (CCC 299)This should not come as a shock for anyone that has witnessed a sunset, or watched seeds grow, or watched puppies play, or observed a baby being born, or caught sight of a red fox in the winter snow, or watched a monarch caterpillar emerge from its cocoon as a monarch butterfly. This should not come as a shock to anyone who has pondered the mathematical miracle of a shell on a beach, or felt the might of ocean waves against their legs on shifting sands, or visited a glacier, or hiked a mountain. This should come as no surprise to anyone who has caught a fish, or harvested apples, or has felt the sting after being too late in slapping a mosquito before the bite. There is order in creation. All modern science rests upon that assumption. Perhaps we've taken this for granted for too long. We need to recognize this wonder of intelligibility. Saint John Paul II said, “It is the one and the same God who establishes and guarantees the intelligibility and reasonableness of the natural order of things upon which scientists confidently depend.” (Fides et Ratio, 34)God created the integers and the angels, as well as the basic Legos we call carbon and hydrogen and helium - and all of this was good. Why was it good? Because it is reasonable. It is order out of nothing, out of emptiness, out of chaos. The watery void or the Big Empty is uninteresting, whereas the music of the spheres in the heavens makes sense. The soil cycle and weather cycle and Krebs cycle and tricycle: all of these make sense. As Einstein said, “The eternal mystery of the universe is its comprehensibility. The fact that it is comprehensible is a miracle.”In other words, nature is ordered by a wisdom far greater than our own, yet we can study it. Better still, because we are part of that good creation. God is the only thing not part of creation, because he is the sheer act of Being Itself. Thus, we should never worship creation or anything in it, because creatures are not the Creator. That means we should not worship the earth or the stars or celebrities or mascots or nations or corporations or ideas. On this ordered “goodness” the first universities were founded, as all truth leads to God, who created all things. The foundation of order in the universe coming from the Unmoved Mover provides the bedrock for all inquiry, and we are free to arrive at our own conclusions. In the Catholic manner of thinking, inquiry into the truth is right and just, and is based on the observed order of God's good work. The Catholic intellectual tradition and the contemporary university share two underlying convictions: that to be human is to desire to discover truth, and that the quest for truth is sparked by the expectation that the universe is intelligible. In the Catholic view, these convictions arise from belief in the union of the divine and human in Jesus Christ and the unity of all things in God. From this theological perspective, the Catholic intellectual tradition is based on two fundamental principles: first, that the search for truth in all aspects of life extends to the ultimate search for truth that animates faith; and, second, that faith is a catalyst for inquiry, as faith seeks to understand itself and its relationship to every dimension of life. Thus, the most probing questions in every discipline are never deemed to be in opposition to faith but are welcomed into the conversation on the conviction that ongoing discovery of the intelligibility of the universe will reveal more of the truth about God. The Catholic intellectual tradition can thrive only with the participation of all who seek the truth, including those whose inquiry leads them to question whether the search reveals purpose, meaning, or God, or to conclude that it does not. (from The Catholic Intellectual Tradition: A Conversation at Boston College)The ultimate truth is God, so all honest inquiry leads back to God. Hence, if we are to truly, honestly “follow the science,” it will lead us to God. But much of modern science leads away from God and every thirty years those erroneous papers are scuttled, because “the science” was actually disguised ideology, often with motives not unlike the gnostics and dualists. St. Paul tells us that “Satan disguises himself as an angel of light” which explains the confusion. Drawn to artificial light, we stray from the true God. This happens in our own moral behavior, in our pursuit of happiness, and even across entire nations. The intelligibility of creation, which is good, comes from God, who is love. He created out of love, not because he had to, or needed to. God does not compete with anything in creation, as he is the Creator. Just as Shakespeare cannot compete with Macbeth, God has no competitor that can even approach or fathom his glory. The closest beings to him, as handed down by tradition, are the Seraphim, the angels of the highest order (or choir), and yet there is zero chance of them overtaking God. In our much lower place, we can conclude that we know better than God, and that we can make his creation operate properly, when it is exactly our sin that disorders creation. This is the opposite of humility. Pope Francis wrote Laudato Si, or Care for our Common Home, which delved into details about the goodness of creation, rejecting all dualism and gnosticism, and putting it into terms of how the creation in Genesis and the Gospels clearly dovetail, particularly in the life of Jesus. Closing out this inversion, here are six paragraphs from Laudato Si. 84. Our insistence that each human being is an image of God should not make us overlook the fact that each creature has its own purpose. None is superfluous. The entire material universe speaks of God's love, his boundless affection for us. Soil, water, mountains: everything is, as it were, a caress of God. The history of our friendship with God is always linked to particular places which take on an intensely personal meaning; we all remember places, and revisiting those memories does us much good. Anyone who has grown up in the hills or used to sit by the spring to drink, or played outdoors in the neighbourhood square; going back to these places is a chance to recover something of their true selves.85. God has written a precious book, “whose letters are the multitude of created things present in the universe”.[54] The Canadian bishops rightly pointed out that no creature is excluded from this manifestation of God: “From panoramic vistas to the tiniest living form, nature is a constant source of wonder and awe. It is also a continuing revelation of the divine”.[55] The bishops of Japan, for their part, made a thought-provoking observation: “To sense each creature singing the hymn of its existence is to live joyfully in God's love and hope”.[56] This contemplation of creation allows us to discover in each thing a teaching which God wishes to hand on to us, since “for the believer, to contemplate creation is to hear a message, to listen to a paradoxical and silent voice”.[57] We can say that “alongside revelation properly so-called, contained in sacred Scripture, there is a divine manifestation in the blaze of the sun and the fall of night”.[58] Paying attention to this manifestation, we learn to see ourselves in relation to all other creatures: “I express myself in expressing the world; in my effort to decipher the sacredness of the world, I explore my own”.[59]86. The universe as a whole, in all its manifold relationships, shows forth the inexhaustible riches of God. Saint Thomas Aquinas wisely noted that multiplicity and variety “come from the intention of the first agent” who willed that “what was wanting to one in the representation of the divine goodness might be supplied by another”,[60] inasmuch as God's goodness “could not be represented fittingly by any one creature”.[61] Hence we need to grasp the variety of things in their multiple relationships.[62] We understand better the importance and meaning of each creature if we contemplate it within the entirety of God's plan. As the Catechism teaches: “God wills the interdependence of creatures. The sun and the moon, the cedar and the little flower, the eagle and the sparrow: the spectacle of their countless diversities and inequalities tells us that no creature is self-sufficient. Creatures exist only in dependence on each other, to complete each other, in the service of each other”.[63]…98. Jesus lived in full harmony with creation, and others were amazed: “What sort of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him?” (Mt 8:27). His appearance was not that of an ascetic set apart from the world, nor of an enemy to the pleasant things of life. Of himself he said: “The Son of Man came eating and drinking and they say, ‘Look, a glutton and a drunkard!'” (Mt 11:19). He was far removed from philosophies which despised the body, matter and the things of the world. Such unhealthy dualisms, nonetheless, left a mark on certain Christian thinkers in the course of history and disfigured the Gospel. Jesus worked with his hands, in daily contact with the matter created by God, to which he gave form by his craftsmanship. It is striking that most of his life was dedicated to this task in a simple life which awakened no admiration at all: “Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary?” (Mk 6:3). In this way he sanctified human labour and endowed it with a special significance for our development. As Saint John Paul II taught, “by enduring the toil of work in union with Christ crucified for us, man in a way collaborates with the Son of God for the redemption of humanity”.[79]99. In the Christian understanding of the world, the destiny of all creation is bound up with the mystery of Christ, present from the beginning: “All things have been created though him and for him” (Col 1:16).[80] The prologue of the Gospel of John (1:1-18) reveals Christ's creative work as the Divine Word (Logos). But then, unexpectedly, the prologue goes on to say that this same Word “became flesh” (Jn 1:14). One Person of the Trinity entered into the created cosmos, throwing in his lot with it, even to the cross. From the beginning of the world, but particularly through the incarnation, the mystery of Christ is at work in a hidden manner in the natural world as a whole, without thereby impinging on its autonomy.100. The New Testament does not only tell us of the earthly Jesus and his tangible and loving relationship with the world. It also shows him risen and glorious, present throughout creation by his universal Lordship: “For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross” (Col 1:19-20). This leads us to direct our gaze to the end of time, when the Son will deliver all things to the Father, so that “God may be everything to every one” (1 Cor 15:28). Thus, the creatures of this world no longer appear to us under merely natural guise because the risen One is mysteriously holding them to himself and directing them towards fullness as their end. The very flowers of the field and the birds which his human eyes contemplated and admired are now imbued with his radiant presence.And that includes the mosquitoes. Hard as it is for me to say, God bless the mosquito. Further reading:Why death and violence in God's good creation?Why God createsUCCSB's Care for CreationPope Francis: Laudato Si (Care for Our Common Home) This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit whydidpetersink.substack.com

Today we are going to finish our study on Joshua 5. Joshua is facing his first major battle after crossing the Jordan River and he is standing outside the giant city walls of Jericho and is no doubt thinking how in the world will they conquer this city that stands between them and the Promise Land. It was there, in the darkness of the night and while he was alone, that he had an encounter with the God of the universe.   In Matthew 6:6, Jesus taught us to pray by entering into the closet and shutting the door, and pray, spending time with our Father who is in secret, and our Father who sees in secret will reward us openly! Do you have a secret place where you get alone with your Lord? You shut the door of your mind to all the distractions of the world around you? You turn off the cell phone, the computer, the iPad, and open up your Bible and concentrate on His Word and commune with Him in prayer?   God had promised to be with Joshua (Josh. 1:5, 9), and the people had prayed that the Lord would be with him (vv. 16-17). The enemy knew that God was with Israel (2:8), and Joshua had encouraged his people with this promise (3:9ff). Joshua was now experiencing the reality of that promise!   When Joshua discovered the visitor was the Lord, he fell at His feet in worship and waited for His orders. In Christian ministry great public victories are won in private as leaders submit to the Lord and receive their directions from Him. It's doubtful that anybody in the camp of Israel knew about their leader's meeting with the Lord, but that meeting made the difference between success and failure on the battlefield. The Chinese Bible teacher Watchman Nee wrote, "Not until we take the place of a servant can He take His place as Lord."   Joshua was reminded that he was second in command. Every father and mother, pastor, and Christian leader is second in command to the Lord Jesus Christ; and when we forget this fact, we start to move toward defeat and failure. The Lord's first order to Joshua revealed to him that he was standing on holy ground. This reminds us of God's words to Moses at the burning bush (Ex. 3:5). Joshua was standing in "heathen territory"; yet because God was with him, he was standing on holy ground. If we are obeying the will of God, no matter where He leads us, we are on holy ground; and we had better behave accordingly. There's no such thing as "secular" and "sacred," "common" and "consecrated," when you are in the Lord's service. "Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God" (1 Cor. 10:31).   The sequence here is significant: first humble worship, then holy walk, then heavenly warfare. This parallels the "spiritual postures" found in the Epistle to the Ephesians. Joshua first bowed the knee (Eph. 3:14); then he submitted to a holy walk (4:1,17; 5:2, 8,15); and then he went out to battle the enemy in the power of the Lord (6:10-18). Like Joshua, we have already been given our inheritance (described in Eph. 1-2) and we must overcome the enemy in order to claim it for ourselves and enjoy it.   This also reminds me of Philippians 4, where Paul is writing from prison, and he is encouraging and instructing the believers at Philippi to quit worrying and being fearful of all the terrible circumstances around them but to rejoice in the Lord by spending time in prayer, in supplications, and thanksgiving. When they gave their burdens to the Lord, they would experience the “peace of God” that would guard their minds. Then he told them to start thinking the right things (Philippians 4:8), and then when they did the right things in their daily walk, they would find that the very “God of peace” was with them! (Phil. 4:9).   We don't have to stay in the miserable wilderness of self! Get alone with our heavenly Father each morning and yield yourself and your burdens to Him and you will experience His peace and presence throughout the day! Take time to be holy!   God bless!

This attitude of humility, admission, and apology should be learned young, at home. In Christian homes, some phrases should be in regular use: I didn't know that. I made a mistake. I shouldn't have said/done that. You're right.Can you forgive me?I messed up. In a society that values victimhood, Christian homes must be countercultural.” Let's learn Rule #6 — We take responsibility from House Rules by Jacob Hudgins. What a blessing it is to work on building homes using our Heavenly Father's blueprint! Let us learn from David when he humbly confronted God after his sin with Bathsheba, “Have mercy on me, O God, according to Your steadfast love; according to Your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity and cleanse me of my sin! For I know my transgressions and my sin is ever before me. Against You, You only, have I sinned and done what is evil in Your sight…Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. (Psalm 51:1-10) Powerfully put! We need to be responsible for our work. We must be like the 5 wise virgins in the parable and work to have a full lamp, no one can do this for us. We need to be responsible for our actions, no excuses or blaming others, God gives us CHOICE. The disobedience of others doesn't justify me to act in an ungodly way. We need to be responsible for our messes. It's only when we admit our sins that we can grow and heal and be pleasing to our Heavenly Father. We need to be responsible for what we say. “Taking responsibility starts at home and radiates outward. Without it, we show up to work and resent being asked to do our jobs. We attend local churches and expect others to serve us. We frustrate others…” Are you ready to join Kate and Sheila for the challenge of taking responsibility? We hope this book has blessed you as much as it has us. Thanks so much for listening! May this recap bonus bite bless you and your family! --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/recapbookchat/message

Today is day 148 and we are studying The Sacrament of Marriage. 148. What grace does God give in marriage? In Christian marriage, God unites husband and wife and blesses their common life, that they may grow together in love, wisdom, and godliness, patterned on the sacrificial love of Christ. A Christian marriage embodies this grace in the world, especially through hospitality and care for those who are lonely or in need. (Genesis 2:18–25; Psalm 128; Proverbs 18:22; Matthew 1:18–25; 1 Corinthians 13:1–13; “Holy Matrimony,” Book of Common Prayer 2019) We will conclude today with Prayer 69 For a Marriage or Anniversary on page 667 of the Book of Common Prayer (2019). If you would like to buy or download To Be a Christian, head to anglicanchurch.net/catechism. Produced by Holy Trinity Anglican Church in Madison, MS. Original music from Matthew Clark. Daily collects and Psalms are taken from Book of Common Prayer (2019), created by the Anglican Church in North America and published by the Anglican Liturgical Press. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations are from The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Catechism readings are taken from To Be a Christian - An Anglican Catechism Approved Edition, copyright © 2020 by The Anglican Church in North America by Crossway a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

In Christian circles, we tend to throw the word “blessing” around a lot. And it's true that every good gift is from God! But even non-believers enjoy the “common grace” of everyday blessings. There's a big difference between good things happening to us, and God actively moving in a miraculous way.

Greetings dear listeners! Please join Kate and Sheila for Rule #5–No Gossip Allowed in Jacob Hudgins' book, House Rules. We have an enlightening interview with Jacob coming out on Tuesday. We hope you'll join us! What does God's Word say about gossip? The Bible uses words like slander, speak evil of, whisperer, reviling, back-biting, busybodies, talebearer, and meddling. Whew! Quite a list! “...blending together the various biblical expressions, gossip is saying bad things about other people to ruin their reputations or condemn them, especially when they are not present.” In Christian homes, there is no gossip allowed, we want to build up not tear down. Jacob gives different reasons why we gossip, such as: laziness, jealousy, revenge, or for fun. Gossip is not a victimless vice, it hurts not only the one being thrown under the bus and also the thrower. Is it a lack of gratitude on our part that unleashes the gossiping gargoyle, destroyer of trust and wrecker of relationships (with people and with God)??? Help! Improvement Wanted! “For lack of wood the fire goes out…” Prov 26:20 Let's start with us-Be aware. What are my intentions? “The fact that I know something doesn't mean I have to say it.” Ask bold clarifying questions-”Is that what they said or just what you heard? Push back with compassion and understanding-”break the self-centeredness cycle” Complimenting the victim can change the tone. Use caution at home not to take the bridle off our tongues, or as Kate said, “Never put stretchy pants on the tongue” Bahaha! We must strive to build and create (like our Heavenly Father) instead of destroy and distort. We thank you for striving to be intentional with us as we journey toward knowing God better! Happy Growing and Reading!!! --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/recapbookchat/message

Saved By Grace: What does it actually mean to be “saved” in a Christian sense? The Biblical picture of life in this broken world is bleak — that apart from Christ, we are spiritually dead. Is there any hope? Yes! The gospel says that because of God's love and mercy, salvation is offered as a gracious gift to be received by faith. The gospel changes everything. Recorded on May 12, 2024, on Ephesians 2:1-10 by Pastor David Parks. Our series, Ephesians: The Gospel in Life, serves as an epilogue to Finding Life in Jesus' Name from John's gospel. The Apostle Paul's letter to the Ephesians reveals much about how the life found by faith in Jesus actually works. This series will touch on themes of grace, identity, purpose, family, the church, spiritual warfare, and more. If you're considering the life of Jesus or if you're ready to follow him today, this series is for you. Sermon Transcript Well, for the next few months, we'll be working through a sermon series called The Gospel in Life from Paul's letter to the Ephesians in the Bible. If you missed either of the first few sermons, you can always go back and watch or listen to the podcast to catch up if you'd like. But today, we're going to try and stare into the sun for the next 30 minutes or so. Today, from one of the most important passages in the whole Bible, we're going to consider the heart of Christian salvation. What does it actually mean to be “saved” in a Christian sense? Just what is it that God saves us from? How has he saved us? And what has he saved us for? Well, in case you're thinking, “I don't really need this message. I'm already a Christian.” just remember, Paul is writing to Christians, to his brothers and sisters in Christ, in Ephesus. They'd already heard and believed the gospel. But today, in Ephesians 2, we'll see that everybody needs the gospel, even Christians. We never graduate from our need for the gospel. If you have a Bible/app, please take it and open it to Ephesians 2:1. Ephesians 2:1–2 (NIV), “1 As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, 2 in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient.” “As for you” probably refers to the gentile Christians in the church at Ephesus, but he's not leaving himself or Paul's fellow Jews from the need for the gospel, as we'll see shortly. But here, Paul starts with the bad news. “As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins.” What does this mean? Well, a transgression simply means crossing a line that shouldn't be crossed. You commit a transgression when you drive your car through a guardrail on the highway — that never ends well. A moral transgression would be crossing a line that God has drawn, breaking a command of God, such as lying, cheating, stealing, coveting what isn't yours, dishonoring your parents, and so on. These are all transgressions, but sin is very similar. The word for sin was originally an archery term meaning falling short of the mark. In Christian thought, sin means falling short of God's standard for what is right in thought, word, or deed. Jesus taught that the whole Law could be summed up in two commands: first, to love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength. And the second, to love your neighbor as yourself. So sin means falling short in some way in our love for God or our love for others. Now, everyone knows that transgressions and sins are bad. God made human beings with a conscience. You don't have to be a Bible scholar to know right from wrong. But here's the real problem: Paul says that if you cross a line you shouldn't cross or if you fall short of what's right, it's not just that you're guilty, and it's not just that you ought to be ashamed — it's that you're dead. You might be physically alive, but you're spiritually dead. You're a cut flower. You might even look quite youthful/beautiful on the...

QUOTES FOR REFLECTION “…the more I examine the universe and the details of its architecture, the more evidence I find that the universe in some sense must have known we were coming.”~Freeman John Dyson (1923-2020), theoretical physicist and mathematician “If the experience of science teaches anything, it's that the world is very strange and surprising. The many revolutions in science have certainly shown that.” “[The] destinies of human beings and of the whole universe lie together in the world of God's new creation…. In Christian thinking, the seed event from which this new creation has already begun to grow is the resurrection of Christ. His tomb was empty because the matter of his corpse had been transmuted into the ‘matter' of the new creation, to become his risen and glorified body in which he appeared to the first witnesses.”~John Polkinghorne (1930-2021), theoretical physicist and theologian “For the sake of suffering humanity [Christ] came down from heaven to earth, clothed himself in that humanity in the Virgin's womb, and was born a man. Having then a body capable of suffering, he took the pain of fallen man upon himself; he triumphed over the diseases of soul and body that were its cause, and by his Spirit, which was incapable of dying, he dealt man's destroyer, death, a fatal blow.”~Melito of Sardis in his “Apology to Marcus Aurelius” (c. 169-170) “Faith is not just a question of abstract knowledge…. I can't believe that Jesus was the Son of God and was raised from the dead without it affecting my life. It isn't just a question of ticking the boxes: it is a question of how you orient your whole existence.”~John Polkinghorne (1930-2021), theoretical physicist and theologian “All shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of thing shall be well.”~Julian of Norwich (c.1343-after 1416), medieval mystic “Christians, at their best, are the fools who dare believe in God's power to call dead things to life.”~Esau MacCaulley, professor, author, opinion writer for the New York TimesSERMON PASSAGEGalatians 1:1-5 & 6:14-15 (ESV)Galatians 11 Paul, an apostle—not from men nor through man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him from the dead— 2 and all the brothers who are with me,To the churches of Galatia:3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, 4 who gave himself for our sins to deliver us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, 5 to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen. Galatians 614 But far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. 15 For neither circumcision counts for anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation. Revelation 211 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. 2 And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. 4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”5 And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”Isaiah 244 The earth mourns and withers;  the world languishes and withers;  the highest people of the earth languish.5 The earth lies defiled  under its inhabitants;  for they have transgressed the laws,  violated the statutes,  broken the everlasting covenant.6 Therefore a curse devours the earth,  and its inhabitants suffer for their guilt…

In Christian culture, it's common to use “Christianese” words without exactly knowing what they mean.  So today we're gonna break down one of those: sanctification. What does it mean to be sanctified? Is it our doing, or God's? Is there anything we can do to grow in sanctification?   Want to stay on our virtual couch a little longer? Listen to these other episodes on intentionality in marriage, Christmas with kids, and raising "good" kids. Download: Guide to Your Weekly Marriage Meeting to start being intentional with your weekly communication today Subscribe to our monthly newsletter, full of our favorite books/things we're loving, sales/deals, and more! Follow along on Instagram for even more education, news, and fun! JOIN THE THEOLOGIAN HAUS - THEOLOGY & BIBLE STUDY MEMBERSHIP Every follower of Jesus is called to be a theologian, and just because you don't have time to go to seminary right now, doesn't mean you can't go deeper starting today... JOIN THE THEOLOGIAN HAUS, our theology course & Bible study membership for just $9 today! Use code PODCAST to get 10% off for the life of your membership!

Do you ever wonder, "Is my job really that important?” In Christian circles, it can be easy to see value in full-time vocational ministry, but what about in “secular” jobs? Lisa welcomes Jordan Raynor, podcast host and author of The Sacredness of Secular Work, to discuss these questions and much more. Listen in to this fast-paced and energetic conversation as Jordan shares four reasons why your work matters (regardless of your vocation choice!), and how you can approach your job with fresh purpose, knowing each day brings an opportunity to make a difference for eternity.   Links Preorder I Want God Leave a Review for the JOE Show   Connect with Lisa Website Lisa Whittle - Instagram Lisa Whittle - Facebook Jesus Over Everything - Instagram   Connect with Jordan Jordan Raynor - Website Jordan Raynor - Instagram Jordan Raynor - Facebook The Sacredness of Secular Work The Word Before Work

Judea. Jesus's sense of self requires that he turn toward Jerusalem – toward the concentration of religious and political power that will steal his life and threaten his followers. In what sense is this destiny his “home”? In Christian iconography, he has lived on the cross for 2,000 years... To tell us your thoughts on this sermon, click through to the web posting and leave us a comment. Or, find us on social media: Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Or, email us the old-fashioned way: info@galileochurch.org. To contribute financially to the ongoing ministry of Galileo Church, find us on Venmo, Patreon, or Zelle (generosity@galileohurch.org), or just send a check to P.O. Box 668, Kennedale, TX 76060

In Christian meditation, we are re-aligning ourselves vertically. We're remapping our horizontal realities with a vertical view/perspective. Enabling us to embody that vertical perspective replaces anxiety and tension with a calm confidence. If your podcast app is set to skip the silent sections, disable that in your podcast app for this podcast. Listen to the apostle Paul's prayer in… Ephesians 3:16 (ESV) “…That according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being.” Imagine “the riches of God‘s glory.“ Imagine the “power” of God‘s glory being in you by his Spirit in you. Imagine that power strengthening you by his Spirit in your inner being. Your inner being is the real you. There's a real you inside you that wants to live in God's glory, love, goodness, righteousness, joy. “Power” in the New Testament is almost always associated with overcoming evil. Imagine God‘s power overcoming evil in you — all the ways that evil has been deceiving you and lying to you. Your inner being is being strengthened. Imagine God's Spirit in your inner being right now —  with his infinite glory and power and love and Shalom. God‘s Spirit is infinite and abundant. The more God's Spirit strengthens your inner being with “the riches” of his presence, the more God's riches are still available to bring life and renewal to your whole being.  Who can you share this podcast with? If you found this episode helpful, consider sharing it on social media or texting it to a friend you think might benefit from it. Follow Dave Cover on Twitter @davecover Follow A Bigger Life on Twitter @ABiggerLifePod Our audio engineer is Matthew Matlack. This podcast is a ministry of The Crossing, a church in Columbia, Missouri, a college town where the flagship campus of the University of Missouri is located. 

In Christian meditation, we are re-aligning ourselves vertically. We're remapping our horizontal realities with a vertical view/perspective. Enabling us to embody that vertical perspective replaces anxiety and tension with a calm confidence. If your podcast app is set to skip the silent sections, disable that in your podcast app for this podcast. How you see your body — how you see yourself — is in one sense the main stage in which the battle for your soul takes place. The one who wants to destroy your soul is always working to try to get you to re-narrate how you see your body/self. And the Bible is always God speaking to you the truth about who you are that, if you really understood and grasped it, it would bring a sense of power and elevated glory to every moment of your life. Your conscious awareness in everything you do. 1 Corinthians 6:14-15, 17 NIV “By his power God raised the Lord from the dead, and he will raise us also. Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ himself? …Whoever is united with the Lord is one with him in spirit.” This is marriage language in the Bible — not the broken and painful Genesis 3 marriages we experience and contribute to — but the Genesis 1 and 2 ideal that God meant to foreshadow our union with Christ as our creator and source of glory and joy and creativity and love. “The two shall become one flesh.” So imagine this… Your body is ONE with the one who the apostle John writes in John 1 is the source of every created thing in the universe — “the one through whom all things were made and without him nothing was made that has been made.” The one the apostle Paul says in Colossians — “in him all things hold together.” Who can you share this podcast with? If you found this episode helpful, consider sharing it on social media or texting it to a friend you think might benefit from it. Follow Dave Cover on Twitter @davecover Follow A Bigger Life on Twitter @ABiggerLifePod Our audio engineer is Matthew Matlack. This podcast is a ministry of The Crossing, a church in Columbia, Missouri, a college town where the flagship campus of the University of Missouri is located. 

In Christian meditation, we are re-aligning ourselves vertically. We're remapping our horizontal realities with a vertical view/perspective. Enabling us to embody that vertical perspective replaces anxiety and tension with a calm confidence. If your podcast app is set to skip the silent sections, disable that in your podcast app for this podcast. Our brain is amazing. One of the amazing things about it that neurologists are only learning these past few years is how it is constantly changing its hardwiring to adapt to our behavior. What we see, what we say, the thoughts we allow ourselves to envision, repeated behaviors we do — is all creating new hardwiring in our brain. It's interesting that the new testament even says this in Romans 12:2 when Paul talks about how the renewing of our mind is what transforms our lives. And when we understand the imagery we see in the Bible like in the Psalms, it seems clear that one way we renew our minds is to imagine biblical realities as realities in our life. Christian meditation is a way for us to use our biblically guided imagination to see biblical realities with the eyes of our heart as Paul says in Ephesians 1:17. Acts 17:28 “In him we live and move and have our being.”  Imagine this right now in this moment — In him you live and move and have your being! Right now your life completely depends upon God giving you life. Every moment. Every cell in your body. You are utterly dependent upon God for your very being. He is not just giving you breath, he IS your breath of life. Who can you share this podcast with? If you found this episode helpful, consider sharing it on social media or texting it to a friend you think might benefit from it. Follow Dave Cover on Twitter @davecover Follow A Bigger Life on Twitter @ABiggerLifePod Our audio engineer is Matthew Matlack. This podcast is a ministry of The Crossing, a church in Columbia, Missouri, a college town where the flagship campus of the University of Missouri is located. 

In Christian meditation, we are re-aligning ourselves vertically. We're remapping our horizontal realities with a vertical view/perspective. Enabling us to embody that vertical perspective replaces anxiety and tension with a calm confidence. If your podcast app is set to skip the silent sections, disable that in your podcast app for this podcast. Psalm 38:3-8, 10, 17-18, 22 NIV 3 Because of your wrath (Rom 1:18ff - sin is its own punishment) there is no health in my body; there is no soundness in my bones because of my sin. 4 My guilt has overwhelmed me like a burden too heavy to bear. 5 My wounds fester and are loathsome because of my sinful folly. 6 I am bowed down and brought very low; all day long I go about mourning. 7 My back is filled with searing pain; there is no health in my body. 8 I am feeble and utterly crushed; I groan in anguish of heart.  10 My heart pounds, my strength fails me; even the light has gone from my eyes. 17 …And my pain is ever with me. 18 I confess my iniquity; I am troubled by my sin. 22 Come quickly to help me, my Lord and my Savior. You are your body. One way to think of “sin” is trying to live against who God is and live against the grain of his universe. When we live against the grain of God's universe, we may get good at suppressing our conscience but “our body keeps the score.” Anxiety. Feeling burdened, weighed down. Sometimes chronic pain. Elevated heart rate.  Confession… v. 18,20 — “Jesus, you are my Lord and my Savior.” 1 Corinthians 6:11 NIV …You were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. Who can you share this podcast with? If you found this episode helpful, consider sharing it on social media or texting it to a friend you think might benefit from it. Follow Dave Cover on Twitter @davecover Follow A Bigger Life on Twitter @ABiggerLifePod Our audio engineer is Matthew Matlack. This podcast is a ministry of The Crossing, a church in Columbia, Missouri, a college town where the flagship campus of the University of Missouri is located. 

In Christian meditation, we are re-aligning ourselves vertically. We're remapping our horizontal realities with a vertical view/perspective. Enabling us to embody that vertical perspective replaces anxiety and tension with a calm confidence. If your podcast app is set to skip the silent sections, disable that in your podcast app for this podcast. Our brain is amazing. One of the amazing things about it that neurologists are only learning these past few years is how it is constantly changing its hardwiring to adapt to our behavior. What we see, what we say, the thoughts we allow ourselves to envision, repeated behaviors we do — is all creating new hardwiring in our brain. It's interesting that the new testament even says this in Romans 12:2 when Paul talks about how the renewing of our mind is what transforms our lives. And when we understand the imagery we see in the Bible like in the Psalms, it seems clear that one way we renew our minds is to imagine biblical realities as realities in our life. Christian meditation is a way for us to use our biblically guided imagination to see biblical realities with the eyes of our heart as Paul says in Ephesians 1:17. Ephesians 2:10 ESV For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. Who can you share this podcast with? If you found this episode helpful, consider sharing it on social media or texting it to a friend you think might benefit from it. Follow Dave Cover on Twitter @davecover Follow A Bigger Life on Twitter @ABiggerLifePod Our audio engineer is Matthew Matlack. This podcast is a ministry of The Crossing, a church in Columbia, Missouri, a college town where the flagship campus of the University of Missouri is located. 

In Christian meditation, we are re-aligning ourselves vertically. We're remapping our horizontal realities with a vertical view/perspective. Enabling us to embody that vertical perspective replaces anxiety and tension with a calm confidence. If your podcast app is set to skip the silent sections, disable that in your podcast app for this podcast. Our brain is amazing. One of the amazing things about it that neurologists are only learning these past few years is how it is constantly changing its hardwiring to adapt to our behavior. What we see, what we say, the thoughts we allow ourselves to envision, repeated behaviors we do — is all creating new hardwiring in our brain. It's interesting that the new testament even says this in Romans 12:2 when Paul talks about how the renewing of our mind is what transforms our lives. And when we understand the imagery we see in the Bible like in the Psalms, it seems clear that one way we renew our minds is to imagine biblical realities as realities in our life. Christian meditation is a way for us to use our biblically guided imagination to see biblical realities with the eyes of our heart as Paul says in Ephesians 1:17. Acts 6:3 NIV …Full of the Spirit and wisdom. Wisdom: Understanding the complex realities of living inside God's universe. Understands the foolishness of the way people and culture try to create and live in an unreal universe. Understands how to apply the reality of who God is and what he promises in Jesus, to the challenges and opportunities in this Gen 3 world.  James 3:17 (ESV) But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. Acts 6:5 NIV …Full of faith and of the Holy Spirit. Faith: Not just believing the right things but remembering to believe what is true of God, and all he is for us in Jesus, in how we see and respond to each circumstance in our life. Having a calm confidence instead of an anxious presence. Acts 6:8 NIV …Full of God's grace and power. Grace: A humility and joy by knowing the riches of God's grace toward me and therefore a kind graciousness toward others. Power: God's power in overcoming evil in my own life and in helping others overcome evil in their lives. Who can you share this podcast with? If you found this episode helpful, consider sharing it on social media or texting it to a friend you think might benefit from it. Follow Dave Cover on Twitter @davecover Follow A Bigger Life on Twitter @ABiggerLifePod Our audio engineer is Matthew Matlack. This podcast is a ministry of The Crossing, a church in Columbia, Missouri, a college town where the flagship campus of the University of Missouri is located. 

In Christian meditation, we are re-aligning ourselves vertically. We're remapping our horizontal realities with a vertical view/perspective. Enabling us to embody that vertical perspective replaces anxiety and tension with a calm confidence. If your podcast app is set to skip the silent sections, disable that in your podcast app for this podcast. 1 Corinthians 6:11 NIV you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 ESV Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? …So glorify God in your body. Who can you share this podcast with? If you found this episode helpful, consider sharing it on social media or texting it to a friend you think might benefit from it. Follow Dave Cover on Twitter @davecover Follow A Bigger Life on Twitter @ABiggerLifePod Our audio engineer is Matthew Matlack. This podcast is a ministry of The Crossing, a church in Columbia, Missouri, a college town where the flagship campus of the University of Missouri is located. 

In Christian meditation, we are re-aligning ourselves vertically. We're remapping our horizontal realities with a vertical view/perspective. Enabling us to embody that vertical perspective replaces anxiety and tension with a calm confidence. If your podcast app is set to skip the silent sections, disable that in your podcast app for this podcast. Isaiah 45:18 NIV For this is what the LORD says— he who created the heavens, he is God; he who fashioned and made the earth, he founded it; he did not create it to be empty, but formed it to be inhabited— he says: “I am the LORD, and there is no other.” Isaiah 45:22 NIV “Turn to me and be saved, all you ends of the earth; for I am God, and there is no other.” Isaiah 46:3-4 NIV “Listen to me, you descendants of Jacob, all the remnant of the people of Israel, you whom I have upheld since your birth, and have carried since you were born. Even to your old age and gray hairs I am he, I am he who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you.” Psalm 46:10 NIV “Be still, and know that I am God.” Psalm 146:10 NIV The LORD reigns forever. “The LORD” (all caps L O R D) in the Old Testament of our English Bibles indicates that in Hebrew God's name, Yahweh, is used. Yahweh is the ancient Hebrew verb form for “HE IS.” God's name in the Hebrew scriptures is used more than any other term for God. More than “God” is used.  When we survey the various truths associated with God's name, HE IS, in the Hebrew scriptures (what we call the Old Testament), four important aspects of God are emphasized.  HE IS the Creator and Sustainer of ALL that exists, including this entire universe.  HE IS the Giver and Sustainer of ALL life everywhere always. HE IS Eternally God. HE IS ALWAYS 100% present with you and focused on you in every present moment (without being any less present or focused anywhere else in the universe, because HE IS infinite). These four realities of what God's name means are easy to memorize, and so to remember them when you “Praise the LORD” will help you replace anxieties and self-protective guarding with a calm confidence and peace. Who can you share this podcast with? If you found this episode helpful, consider sharing it on social media or texting it to a friend you think might benefit from it. Follow Dave Cover on Twitter @davecover Follow A Bigger Life on Twitter @ABiggerLifePod Our audio engineer is Matthew Matlack. This podcast is a ministry of The Crossing, a church in Columbia, Missouri, a college town where the flagship campus of the University of Missouri is located. 

In Christian meditation, we are re-aligning ourselves vertically. We're remapping our horizontal realities with a vertical view/perspective. Enabling us to embody that vertical perspective replaces anxiety and tension with a calm confidence. If your podcast app is set to skip the silent sections, disable that in your podcast app for this podcast. 2 Corinthians 3:18 NIV And we all, who…contemplate the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit. “The LORD” (all caps L O R D) in the Old Testament of our English Bibles indicates that in Hebrew God's name, Yahweh, is used. Yahweh is the ancient Hebrew verb form for “HE IS.” God's name in the Hebrew scriptures is used more than any other term for God. More than “God” is used.  When we survey the various truths associated with God's name, HE IS, in the Hebrew scriptures (what we call the Old Testament), four important aspects of God are emphasized.  HE IS the Creator and Sustainer of ALL that exists, including this entire universe.  HE IS the Giver and Sustainer of ALL life everywhere always. HE IS Eternally God. HE IS ALWAYS 100% present with you and focused on you in every present moment (without being any less present or focused anywhere else in the universe, because HE IS infinite). These four realities of what God's name means are easy to memorize, and so to remember them when you “Praise the LORD” will help you replace anxieties and self-protective guarding with a calm confidence and peace. Who can you share this podcast with? If you found this episode helpful, consider sharing it on social media or texting it to a friend you think might benefit from it. Follow Dave Cover on Twitter @davecover Follow A Bigger Life on Twitter @ABiggerLifePod Our audio engineer is Matthew Matlack. This podcast is a ministry of The Crossing, a church in Columbia, Missouri, a college town where the flagship campus of the University of Missouri is located. 

In Christian meditation, we are re-aligning ourselves vertically. We're remapping our horizontal realities with a vertical view/perspective. Enabling us to embody that vertical perspective replaces anxiety and tension with a calm confidence. If your podcast app is set to skip the silent sections, disable that in your podcast app for this podcast. Isaiah 43:25 (NIV)  “I, even I, am he who blots out your transgressions, for my own sake, and remembers your sins no more.” Isaiah 44:22-23 (ESV)  “I have blotted out your transgressions like a cloud and your sins like mist; return to me, for I have redeemed you. Sing, O heavens, for the LORD has done it; shout, O depths of the earth; break forth into singing, O mountains, O forest, and every tree in it! For the LORD has redeemed Jacob, and will be glorified in Israel.” “The LORD” in our English Bibles is indicating that in Hebrew God's name, Yahweh, is used. Yahweh is the ancient Hebrew verb form for “HE IS.” God's name in the Hebrew scriptures is used more than any other term for God. More than “God” is used.  When we survey the various truths associated with God's name, HE IS, in the Hebrew scriptures (what we call the Old Testament), four important aspects of God are emphasized.  HE IS the Creator and Sustainer of ALL that exists, including this entire universe.  HE IS the Giver and Sustainer of ALL life everywhere always. HE IS Eternally God. HE IS ALWAYS 100% present with you and focused on you in every present moment (without being any less present or focused anywhere else in the universe, because HE IS infinite). These four realities of what God's name means are easy to memorize, and so to remember them when you “Praise the LORD” will help you replace anxieties and self-protective guarding with a calm confidence and peace. Who can you share this podcast with? If you found this episode helpful, consider sharing it on social media or texting it to a friend you think might benefit from it. Follow Dave Cover on Twitter @davecover Follow A Bigger Life on Twitter @ABiggerLifePod Our audio engineer is Matthew Matlack. This podcast is a ministry of The Crossing, a church in Columbia, Missouri, a college town where the flagship campus of the University of Missouri is located. 

In Christian meditation, we are re-aligning ourselves vertically. We're remapping our horizontal realities with a vertical view/perspective. Enabling us to embody that vertical perspective replaces anxiety and tension with a calm confidence. If your podcast app is set to skip the silent sections, disable that in your podcast app for this podcast. Matthew 11:28-30 (NIV)  “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Who can you share this podcast with? If you found this episode helpful, consider sharing it on social media or texting it to a friend you think might benefit from it. Follow Dave Cover on Twitter @davecover Follow A Bigger Life on Twitter @ABiggerLifePod Our audio engineer is Matthew Matlack. This podcast is a ministry of The Crossing, a church in Columbia, Missouri, a college town where the flagship campus of the University of Missouri is located. 

In Christian meditation, we are re-aligning ourselves vertically. We're remapping our horizontal realities with a vertical view/perspective. Enabling us to embody that vertical perspective replaces anxiety and tension with a calm confidence. If your podcast app is set to skip the silent sections, disable that in your podcast app for this podcast. Isaiah 44:24 (NIV) “This is what the LORD says— your Redeemer, who formed you in the womb: I am the LORD, the Maker of all things, who stretches out the heavens, who spreads out the earth by myself.” Isaiah 44:22 (NIV) “I have swept away your offenses like a cloud, your sins like the morning mist. Return to me, for I have redeemed you.” “The LORD” in our English Bibles is indicating that in Hebrew God's name, Yahweh, is used. Yahweh is the ancient Hebrew verb form for “HE IS.” God's name in the Hebrew scriptures is used more than any other term for God. More than “God” is used.  When we survey the various truths associated with God's name, HE IS, in the Hebrew scriptures (what we call the Old Testament), four important aspects of God are emphasized.  HE IS the Creator and Sustainer of ALL that exists, including this entire universe.  HE IS the Giver and Sustainer of ALL life everywhere always. HE IS Eternally God. HE IS ALWAYS 100% present with you and focused on you in every present moment (without being any less present or focused anywhere else in the universe, because HE IS infinite). These four realities of what God's name means are easy to memorize, and so to remember them when you “Praise the LORD” will help you replace anxieties and self-protective guarding with a calm confidence and peace. Who can you share this podcast with? If you found this episode helpful, consider sharing it on social media or texting it to a friend you think might benefit from it. Follow Dave Cover on Twitter @davecover Follow A Bigger Life on Twitter @ABiggerLifePod Our audio engineer is Matthew Matlack. This podcast is a ministry of The Crossing, a church in Columbia, Missouri, a college town where the flagship campus of the University of Missouri is located. 

In Christian meditation, we are re-aligning ourselves vertically. We're remapping our horizontal realities with a vertical view/perspective. Enabling us to embody that vertical perspective replaces anxiety and tension with a calm confidence. If your podcast app is set to skip the silent sections, disable that in your podcast app for this podcast. Psalm 46:10 (NIV)  He says, “Be still, and know that I am God.” Psalm 100:3 (NIV)  “Know that the LORD is God. It is he who made us, and we are his.” “The LORD” in our English Bibles is indicating that in Hebrew God's name, Yahweh, is used. Yahweh is the ancient Hebrew verb form for “HE IS.” God's name in the Hebrew scriptures is used more than any other term for God. More than “God” is used.  When we survey the various truths associated with God's name, HE IS, in the Hebrew scriptures (what we call the Old Testament), four important aspects of God are emphasized.  HE IS the Creator and Sustainer of ALL that exists, including this entire universe.  HE IS the Giver and Sustainer of ALL life everywhere always. HE IS Eternally God. HE IS ALWAYS 100% present with you and focused on you in every present moment (without being any less present or focused anywhere else in the universe, because HE IS infinite). These four realities of what God's name means are easy to memorize, and so to remember them when you “Praise the LORD” will help you replace anxieties and self-protective guarding with a calm confidence and peace. Who can you share this podcast with? If you found this episode helpful, consider sharing it on social media or texting it to a friend you think might benefit from it. Follow Dave Cover on Twitter @davecover Follow A Bigger Life on Twitter @ABiggerLifePod Our audio engineer is Matthew Matlack. This podcast is a ministry of The Crossing, a church in Columbia, Missouri, a college town where the flagship campus of the University of Missouri is located. 

In Christian meditation, we are re-aligning ourselves vertically. We're remapping our horizontal realities with a vertical view/perspective. Enabling us to embody that vertical perspective replaces anxiety and tension with a calm confidence. If your podcast app is set to skip the silent sections, disable that in your podcast app for this podcast. Photo of the Milky Way from space.  https://images.app.goo.gl/A4bLkXymR6MfmxGH6 Jeremiah 29:11 NIV “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” 1 Corinthians 2:9 NIV “What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived” — the things God has prepared for those who love him. “The LORD” in our English Bibles is indicating that in Hebrew God's name, Yahweh, is used. Yahweh is the ancient Hebrew verb form for “HE IS.” God's name in the Hebrew scriptures is used more than any other term for God. More than “God” is used.  When we survey the various truths associated with God's name, HE IS, in the Hebrew scriptures (what we call the Old Testament), four important aspects of God are emphasized.  HE IS the Creator and Sustainer of ALL that exists, including this entire universe.  HE IS the Giver and Sustainer of ALL life everywhere always. HE IS Eternally God. HE IS ALWAYS 100% present with you and focused on you in every present moment (without being any less present or focused anywhere else in the universe, because HE IS infinite). These four realities of what God's name means are easy to memorize, and so to remember them when you “Praise the LORD” will help you replace anxieties and self-protective guarding with a calm confidence and peace. Who can you share this podcast with? If you found this episode helpful, consider sharing it on social media or texting it to a friend you think might benefit from it. Follow Dave Cover on Twitter @davecover Follow A Bigger Life on Twitter @ABiggerLifePod

In Christian meditation, we are re-aligning ourselves vertically. We're remapping our horizontal realities with a vertical view/perspective. Enabling us to embody that vertical perspective replaces anxiety and tension with a calm confidence. If your podcast app is set to skip the silent sections, disable that in your podcast app for this podcast. Mark 9:24 NIV Immediately the boy's father exclaimed, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!” Who can you share this podcast with? If you found this episode helpful, consider sharing it on social media or texting it to a friend you think might benefit from it. Follow Dave Cover on Twitter @davecover Follow A Bigger Life on Twitter @ABiggerLifePod Our audio engineer is Matthew Matlack. This podcast is a ministry of The Crossing, a church in Columbia, Missouri, a college town where the flagship campus of the University of Missouri is located. 

In Christian meditation, we are re-aligning ourselves vertically. We're remapping our horizontal realities with a vertical view/perspective. Enabling us to embody that vertical perspective replaces anxiety and tension with a calm confidence. If your podcast app is set to skip the silent sections, disable that in your podcast app for this podcast. Isaiah 44:6 NIV “This is what the LORD says— Israel's King and Redeemer, the LORD Almighty: I am the first and I am the last; apart from me there is no God.” Revelation 1:17-18 NIV “Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. I am the Living One; I was dead, and now look, I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.” “The LORD” in our English Bibles is indicating that in Hebrew God's name, Yahweh, is used. Yahweh is the ancient Hebrew verb form for “HE IS.” God's name in the Hebrew scriptures is used more than any other term for God. More than “God” is used.  When we survey the various truths associated with God's name, HE IS, in the Hebrew scriptures (what we call the Old Testament), four important aspects of God are emphasized.  HE IS the Creator and Sustainer of ALL that exists, including this entire universe.  HE IS the Giver and Sustainer of ALL life everywhere always. HE IS Eternally God. HE IS ALWAYS 100% present with you and focused on you in every present moment (without being any less present or focused anywhere else in the universe, because HE IS infinite). These four realities of what God's name means are easy to memorize, and so to remember them when you “Praise the LORD” will help you replace anxieties and self-protective guarding with a calm confidence and peace. Who can you share this podcast with? If you found this episode helpful, consider sharing it on social media or texting it to a friend you think might benefit from it. Follow Dave Cover on Twitter @davecover Follow A Bigger Life on Twitter @ABiggerLifePod Our audio engineer is Matthew Matlack. This podcast is a ministry of The Crossing, a church in Columbia, Missouri, a college town where the flagship campus of the University of Missouri is located.