Podcasts about in psalm

Do you believe that some sin is too big for God to forgive? Do you wonder if someone who has sinned can be restored and renewed? Can God use them again? Can God use you again?Be comforted. There is “life after sin,” as Jill Briscoe shows us by exploring the life of David.In Psalm 51, David writes about turning around and running into the arms of the loving, merciful, compassionate God who was waiting for him, waiting to take him back. Do you need to turn and run in to the arms of God? He's waiting for you, too. To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/1141/29

Truth has become confusing at best or a matter of interpretation at worst. Deception is the order of the day in our world today. In Psalm 12, David finds himself surrounded by deception.

In Psalm 23, David writes from experience, declaring, “The Lord is my shepherd.” He describes a God who provides, protects, and is always present. Fathers, if your children rewrote Psalm 23 based on their experience with you, what would they say? Though we'll never lead perfectly, walking closely with the Good Shepherd helps us reflect Him more clearly. Every father can ask these three questions each day: Do I provide? Do I protect? Am I present? God didn't equip your wife to lead your home—He entrusted that role to you. And as you follow the Good Shepherd, He will help you provide, protect, and be present the way your children need. Listen to this Father's Day sermon based on Psalm 23. Check out our video version of this episode: https://youtu.be/DmUV_AwOyvwSubscribe to our YouTube channel here: https://youtu.be/8wmeCwBf_zkLearn more about us at chestnutmountain.orgFollow us on Facebook & Instagram @chestnutmtn_Don't forget to subscribe to this podcast, leave a review, and let us know what you think.

Truth has become confusing at best or a matter of interpretation at worst. Deception is the order of the day in our world today. In Psalm 12, David finds himself surrounded by deception.

Have you ever received an inheritance? How did it become yours? How long did it last you? In Psalm 119:111, the psalmist tells us that God's word is an inheritance, but one unlike any other.Music Credit: Johann Sebastian Bach, Trio from Brandenburg Concerto, No. 1, Movement 4

What sort of blessings and advantages does the blessed man have in comparison to the wicked? In Psalm 1, which we explore in this episode, we get a description of the blessed man, what he is devoted to, and the results that proceed forth from his life.    Order a copy of my book: Signs of the End: Barnes & Noble:  https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/signs-of-the-end-steve-gill/1139981224 Amazon: https://amzn.to/3iDuwiA   LTS Website: https://www.lovingthescriptures.com/   Music: http://www.purple-planet.com

“Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.” (Ephesians 4:31–32 NLT) Frederic the Great, the king of Prussia, once visited a prison and talked with each of the inmates. He heard countless tales of innocence, exploitation, and misunderstood motives. If the prisoners were to be believed, no one in the prison was guilty. Each convict had been framed or set up. Finally, the king stopped at the cell of a convict who stared at him silently. Frederic said, “Well, I suppose you are an innocent victim, too.” “No, sir,” the prisoner replied, “I’m not. I am guilty, and I deserve my punishment.” Turning to the warden, Frederic said, “Quick, get this man out of here before he corrupts these other innocent people.” Frederic the Great couldn’t believe he had found an honest man—someone who would own up to what he had done wrong. Do you need to own up to something you’ve done? Or are you playing the blame game, as the prisoners did? It’s a tempting strategy—and a popular one. When politicians, public officials, or celebrities get caught doing something wrong, they all seem to have ready-made stories about their innocence and about the involvement of others. They’re only too happy to point fingers. Paul’s words in Ephesians 4:31–32 give us insight into God’s attitude toward finger-pointing—that is, get rid of it. Charles Swindoll summarized blame this way: “Blame never affirms, it assaults. Blame never restores, it wounds. Blame never solves, it complicates. Blame never unites, it separates. Blame never smiles, it frowns. Blame never forgives, it rejects. Blame never forgets, it remembers. Blame never builds, it destroys.” We could add to that list, “Blame never convinces God; it makes you look bad in His eyes.” In Psalm 139:7–8, David wrote, “I can never escape from your Spirit! I can never get away from your presence! If I go up to heaven, you are there; if I go down to the grave, you are there” (NLT). His point is that nothing can be hidden from God. God sees everything. He doesn’t look in another direction when you point fingers because He already knows what you’ve done. Spiritually speaking, blame is a stall tactic. You blame others because you don’t want to own up to your guilt. Maybe it’s pride that causes you to look for scapegoats; maybe it’s denial. Whatever the cause, the longer you insist on blaming others and denying your guilt, the longer your guilt disrupts your relationship with your heavenly Father. The apostle John wrote, “If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth. But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness. If we claim we have not sinned, we are calling God a liar and showing that his word has no place in our hearts” (1 John 1:8–10 NLT). God already knows what you’ve done. And He stands ready to forgive and forget it. Sooner or later, you have to say, “I have sinned. I have done wrong. The problem is me.” The moment you stop blaming and accept full responsibility for your actions is the moment you start to heal. Reflection question: How do you avoid the temptation to blame others when you do wrong? Discuss Today's Devo in Harvest Discipleship! — Listen to the Greg Laurie Podcast Become a Harvest PartnerSupport the show: https://harvest.org/supportSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In Psalm 131, David illustrates the strengthening of our faith as a child being weaned from its mother. Jesus desires to wean us off of our anxieties, burdens, and weariness to be dependent on his unconditional love alone.

In Psalm 8, David praises God's creation and talks of what honor and responsibility humans have despite being small in a vast universe. Pastor Brad through Psalm 8 in the first week of the Psalms series, David's greatest hits. This sermon is from 6/8/25.

Why is it that wicked people seem to prosper and oftentimes those who follow God experience suffering? In Psalm 73 the psalmist wrestles with this question and even finds himself envying the wicked who are at ease. But he doesn't finish in the same place that he began. Join us as we see the psalmist's journey from envy to understanding, from jealousy to praise.

Have you ever felt stuck in the middle of a mess, unsure how to praise, pray, or even keep going?You're not alone.In Psalm 9, David shows us how to worship in the middle of heartbreak, how to pray with holy urgency, and how to hold on when everything feels unfinished. This message will help you see that God does His most powerful work not just at the beginning or end, but right in the middle.Whether you're grieving, wrestling with doubt, or just waiting on a breakthrough, this sermon will lead you to praise in your pain and pray with purpose.Don't wait until everything is fixed to worship. The cross proves it: God works wonders in the middle.

Stillness can feel counterintuitive in a world that glorifies hustle, urgency, and doing more. But in this episode, we explore what it really means to be still before God—and why it’s not about inactivity but about intentional trust. When the world shakes, when life feels loud, Psalm 46:10 invites us to pause and remember who's really in control. Learn how stillness can become your superpower in chaos.

In Psalm 63, we hear the prayer of David as his soul thirsts and his heart aches for the nearness of his God. Even in the danger of the wilderness, his desire for the Lord surpasses every other longing. We will frame our time in Scripture around three prayers to pray when we find our souls in desert places but also fitting for every season of the Christian life.

In Psalm 2, we see this picture painted of the world in disarray and in rebellion against God. However, God has a plan and that plan is to establish His King, Jesus, to rule and reign forever.

There are some people who really like to travel. There are others who really like the idea of traveling, and my wife and I belong to that latter camp. Because though we're certainly interested in other areas of the world — curious about the geography, architecture, and culture of other cities — we're far less interested in paying the cost and taking the time to go to any of them. And so, what we do instead is watch online travel videos.As you could guess, online travel videos often only ever highlight the most beautiful and the most impressive parts of the cities that they feature. And this is not by accident. They are, after all, often sponsored by travel agencies who want to convince you, the viewer, that you really ought to go there. In a way, Psalm 87 is not unlike our modern travel videos. This psalm gives us a look into one specific city. It features some of the rare beauties of that city. And, its purpose is, without a doubt, to convince us that we really ought to go there.And what we're going to do this morning is move through Psalm 87, and do so with the help of three main concepts: City, Citizens, and Celebration. Let's pray, and ask the Lord for his help.Father, you are the maker of heaven and earth. And you are the maker of this great city that we are about to read about. Open our eyes to the wonders that are there. Awaken us to the surpassing splendor of the city called by your name. Call us toward it, and do so through your Spirit to the honor of your Son. Amen.So, once again, Psalm 87 is a psalm about a city. And we're looking at it along the lines: City, Citizens, and Celebration. We begin with the city.CityVerse 1,“On the holy mount stands the city he founded;”Notice how, when read slowly, the sentence seems to pull us upward phrase by phrase. First, we've got a mountain: “On the holy mount.” And, of course, a mountain, by its very nature, requires that we raise our eyes upward to acknowledge it. The path through the mountain is a climb. The entrance in, requires ascension. You must rise in order to reach it. Mountains are not hidden objects, let alone insignificant ones. Mountains epitomize the land in which they reside, and demand their recognition to the north, south, east, and the west of them. You can miss a body of water. You can be blind to a valley or lowland. It is hard to ignore a mountain. And, as we can see, the mountain in Psalm 87 is no ordinary mountain. It is holy.“On the holy mount.”Holy means set apart from what is sinful, unclean and common. Set apart so as to make it fit to be in the presence of God. Holy things are blessed things because they get to be near God.And so Psalm 87 is about a mountain upon which God can rightfully dwell! A mountain upon which God “places his feet,” so-to-speak. A mountain upon which God built a city.Still, verse one, “On the holy mount | stands the city | he founded;” Can you imagine? A city whose designer and builder is God. Follow me on this: The Planning Director for the City of Saint Paul is named Nicolle Newton. And the Planning Director for the City of Minneapolis is named Meg McMahan. The Planning Director for the city is named: I AM, Yahweh, “I am Who I am.” The God who places his footstool upon the earth and sets his throne in heaven. Wouldn't you want to live in the city made by the very one who: “Forgives all your iniquity, heals all your diseases, and redeems your life from the pit,” and “crowns you with steadfast love, and satisfies you with good, and works righteousness and justice for all who are oppressed. Who is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love.”If the God of the universe had a city, well then wouldn't you want to go there?And in verse two, we're told even more about this city. Namely that,“The LORD loves this city. The Lord loves the gates of Zion, more than all the dwelling places of Jacob.”Note that it's not saying, “God loves no other city but this one.” But it is saying that of all the places, and of all the cities God loves, there is none so loved by God as this one.And, we should ask, in the Bible, what does God typically do when he loves something? When he really loves something? Perhaps some of you might remember from Numbers and Aaron's blessing in Numbers 6:24-27. What does God typically do when he really loves something? He puts his name on it. God puts his name on what he most loves. Said another way, God puts his name where his heart is already.Hence, verse 3,“Glorious things of you are spoken, O city of God.”God loves this city. He, by putting his name upon it, has committed himself to its flourishing. The city that has God's name upon it is the city that should rest assured, “God is for us, therefore, what could be against us?” So, Psalm 87, is a psalm about a city. That's our first main concept — the city itself. Second, the citizens of the city. CitizensNow what actually sets us up for this next section is that little phrase we see there in verse three: “Glorious things of you are spoken.” It's clearly addressing the city, yes? “Glorious things of you are spoken, O city of God.” And, so, it begs the question: What are the glorious things being spoken of this city? And, honestly, this is where things get interesting. Remember back in our intro, we compared Psalm 87 to a modern travel video. We said, Psalm 87 is not unlike a travel video in the sense that it highlights the beauties of a city in order to convince people that they really ought to go to that city. Where Psalm 87 differs from a modern travel video however: The beauties it features are not towering buildings and impressive architecture. Not picturesque parkways and pleasant boardwalks. There's no mention of beaches, or blue skies, or even sunshine. Those are the beauties features in modern travel videos — the stuff. The featured beauties of the city in Psalm 87 are people — the city's citizens.Look with me at verse 4, as the psalmist himself takes a back seat, and God himself speaks. Verse 4: “Among those who know me” God is clarifying to whom he is about to speak. To those who know me. Which, in biblical language, means those who have a relationship with God. Those who love and are loved by me.It's to that group of people who know God that God now mentions, or proclaims:“Rahab and Babylon; behold, Philistia and Tyre, with Cush.”And you might think: “What about them? We've been talking about the city of God. The holy mountain. The city he made. The city he loves. Suddenly, God steps into view and says, “To my followers over here, let me tell you about Rahab and Babylon; Philistia, Tyre, and Cush.” What about them?I mean, if you have much familiarity with the Old Testament, then you likely don't need me to tell you that most of these nations were historical enemies to God's people. They had fought wars against God's people. They had lured God's people into idolatry, and many other forms of sin.I mean, you see Babylon in that list, right? Babylon was the nation that broke down the walls of God's city, Jerusalem. Babylon killed the Israelites king, the Israelites killed its high-priest, and exiled most of its people. Babylon even burned God's Holy Temple to the ground (2 kings 25).And Philistia. Philistia was constantly at war with God's people throughout the period of the judges and the kings. At one point, the Philistines even stole the Ark of the Covenant and set it up next to one of its false gods — as if to say that the God over Israel was on par with their god Dagon. And don't let that first one trip you up — you see Rahab? The Rahab here is not the Rahab who hid the Israelite slaves and defended God's people. That'd make for a positive character in this list. Instead, Rahab here actually refers to Egypt. And one way to know that is to simply turn over to Psalm 89, only two psalms after this one, where it says in verse 10: “You crushed Rahab like a carcass; You scattered Your enemies with Your mighty arm.” Rahab is an enemy. And Isaiah 30:7 makes it even clearer: “Egypt's help is futile and empty; therefore, I have called her Rahab Who Sits Still."And so, we've got Babylon (who destroyed God's Temple), Philistia (who stole God's Ark of the Covenant), and Egypt (who enslaved God's people and, plague after plague, resisted God's will to let his people go).So again, we ask, what about these nations? Why bring them up here in light of God's Holy Mountain and God's beloved city?Is it to clarify that these are the nations who are not welcome in God's city? That these are the peoples who dare not set foot upon God's mountain?Given the background, this is exactly what we'd expect God to say next. But he doesn't! He doesn't! In fact, as the ESV translates it, God doesn't even say anything at this point. Instead, it's the people, those who know him, who speak up. And here's what they say, verse 4,“This one was born there,” they say.”Born there. And again, more emphatically, verse 5,“And of Zion it shall be said, “This one and that one were born in her;”Babylon, born in the city of God. Philistia, born on God's holy mountain. Egypt, born within the gates of Zion. Do you see what its saying?These surrounding nations, most who've historically been enemies to God, and enemies to God's people, are not: Merely going to be visitors in God's city, though that alone would've been shocking enough. They're not going to be temporary residents of God's city. “Here's your pass, expires six months from now.” But they're going to be citizens. They're going to receive a declaration of citizenship so complete, so real, so permanent that it could rightly be said of them, “They were born in this city! Born within these walls.”There is no one — no human being, no political group — who could ever orchestrate such a grand transformation as this. But God could. And God does. Verse five, when read in full, says:“And of Zion it shall be said, ‘This one and that one were born in her;' for [or, because of the fact that] the Most High himself will establish her.”God's going to do it. He's going to make it happen. The God who founded this city is going to fill it with former enemies.And, in verse 6, we get to watch him do it. “The LORD records as he registers the peoples, ‘This one was born there.'” The language is that of a king taking a census. Much like what Caesar Augustus did in the gospels. He, too, declared a census — an official counting of the people. Which meant that all the people, Joseph and Mary included, had to go and be registered, each to his own town.Droves and droves of people flooded the major city-centers in that time. People lined the streets, filled the cities — it's no wonder Mary and Joseph could find no room in the inn. Well here in Psalm 87, God is taking his census. Which means his people are coming to his city, and in that long line of people, we find Babylonians, Philistines, Egyptians, and, I might add, Europeans, and North Americans, and people from every tribe, nation and tongue. They're standing in the line. They're heading toward the gates. And when they finally arrive at the entrance, God is there. Pen and paper in hand. Looks up at them, total foreigners, former enemies, and declares — Born here. Inscribes: Born in my city. It's an amazing story. And, if you are a Christian, it is your story. It is. If you are a lover of Jesus. A follower of Jesus, then God has written over your life — not enemy, not foreigner, not illegitimate, not insufficient, but born here.“Born here.”Hebrews 12:22-23 says, of Christians:“You have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable angels in festal gathering, and to the assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled [And where are they enrolled? Where's the true city?] in heaven.”“The assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven.”Do you see it? Psalm 87 foretells of the King of Heaven's great census, and, if you are a lover of Jesus, you're in it. And Ephesians 2 reasserts this marvelous reality:“At one time you were separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel, But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ… So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, (Eph. 2:12-13, 19).Do you see it? The story of Psalm 87 is your story. God has always had a city. You've not always been its citizen. But, now you are, thanks be to God — the one who fills his city with former enemies. And he calls that a good thing. Diverse peoples, varying cultural norms, a multiplicity of languages, wide-variety of skin tones and facial features. God loves it all. Do we?So, we've had City, and now Citizens. Last C – Celebration. CelebrationVerse 7,“Singers and dancers alike say, ‘All my springs are in you.'”What's the rightful response to God's great city? How should its newly welcomed citizens enter in? With Joy. With excitement. With leaping, dancing, music and song.These citizens of Psalm 87 are not walking into the city of God, and they're certainly not dragging their heels through its gates. And the reason they're not, is because they know the city's worth. They know they're bound for the city God loves! They think, “I'm a card-carrying citizen of God's holy mount.” And so, they're going to sing because of it. They're going to dance because of it. And they're not going to be the only ones. Everybody whose coming into this city is coming in with joy in their hearts and a song on their lips. Friends, if ever there was a thing worth celebrating, this is it.And now, hear the words that are echoing throughout the city: “All my springs are in you.”Springs. Think rivers. Fountains. Sources of clean, fresh, flowing water. In the Old Testament world, a spring meant life. You needed one to drink. To cook. To bathe. To farm. To keep your flocks and herds alive. No sinks in any of these houses. And so if you find a spring, man, you've found life. And the citizens of this city are saying, “Every spring of water. Every source of life, joy, and satisfaction. Every single one that has ever been found ultimately flows from here. Which means, what?You'd be a fool to search for springs elsewhere.Think about it friends. In Psalm 87, the peoples of Babylon, Philistia and so on — They're not saying “we found some springs back there, but there's ones here just a bit better. Just a bit more plentiful.” That's not what they are saying. And why? Because they had searched for water in Babylon. Had worked for water in Egypt. Had paid for it and dug for it in Philistia. Had even thought for a time that they'd found it. But it all proved empty.I mean, it's just simple logic: If they are saying, “All my springs are in you,” then how many other springs did they find outside God's city? Right? And so, given all that, how much sense does it make for a citizen of God's mountain to go trekking into Babylon in search of other springs? I mean, seriously, we've got to take people at their word when they say: “Look, I've been there, I've done the money thing, I've done the party thing, I've done the hook-up thing, I've done the self-worship and self-exaltation thing and, in the end, none of it made me to sing. None of it made me to dance. None of it made me to say, ‘life can be found here.'” I found no other springs, save the ones I found in God's holy city.”Brothers and sisters, aim all your life toward this city. You will find no other springs elsewhere. God owns all the springs.And so, Christian, what springs are you seeking to drink from, in this season, that do not ultimately find their source in God's city? What sources of joy and satisfaction are you seeking that do not ultimately flow from God's hand? The time has come to walk away from those things. The time has come to leave Babylon. Turn yourself, turn all that still remains to be turned. Turn it toward God's holy city, and sing, by faith: “All my springs are in you.”Lastly, non-Christian: the gates of God's city are currently open. Every day people, from diverse nations, and diverse situations, are saying — “I'm in. I want the springs. I want the city. God, I want to be a citizen.” You can become a citizen today. Like, right now. It can be said of you, in this moment, “Born here.” You can just pray, simply,God, I'm done with my sin.I'm done trying to find life in everything but you.I need your Son Jesus.I need the sacrifice he made for my sins.Receive Jesus. Receive entrance into the city. Now, what leads us to the table this morning is, just that, Jesus' sacrifice. He died for us. His body was bruised, his blood was shed for us. And this table commemorates his sacrificial death, and when we eat from this table, we do so in anticipation of Jesus coming again.Because this table represents Jesus' shed blood and broken body, I gladly invite those who are trusting in Jesus' death on their behalf, to take and eat this meal with us. If you've not put your trust in Jesus, we ask that you'd let the elements pass for now, but encourage you in this moment, turn to Jesus, see his glory, come to him by faith that you may have life.

In Psalm 119:110, the psalmist helps us to be on the lookout for the sinful allurements all around us every day. The devil wants us to see them as exciting opportunities to inject some fun into our lives, but the psalmist helps us to see them as the traps they really are.Music Credit: Johann Sebastian Bach, Trio from Brandenburg Concerto, No. 1, Movement 4

A Sermon for Whitsunday Acts 2:1-11 by William Klock In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.  And so the great story began.  Six day.  God speaks.  And creation takes shape.  On the first day…on the second day…on the third day…and so on…like a liturgy.  In fact, there's a theory that Genesis 1 was written to be used at the dedication of the second temple.  Because it describes God creating the heavens and the earth as his own temple.  In Genesis 2 we even see that this temple has a holy of holies: a garden called Eden.  There he carefully crafts a man from the dust of the earth, breathes his own life into him, and places him in the garden, in that holy of holies, to act as his priest, to care for his temple, and to live in his presence. And then we humans sinned and it all went wrong.  But Genesis stands as a reminder of what the Lord intended and how it's supposed to be.  The pagans tried to get it back.  They built temples for their gods and in them, to represent the gods' rule, they placed idols carved of wood or stone.  And attempt to recover Eden, to re-enter that fellowship with God, but on our terms, not his.  But Genesis reminds us that God has built his own temple by the power of his creative word and that he created us to be his image, to tend and to keep his temple, and to steward his rule on earth. And Genesis…and the whole story that follows…reminds us that the Lord will not leave us forever cast out.  Into the midst of the darkness God spoke again and called forth Abraham and with Abraham and his family, God launched a new heaven-and-earth project.  Over and over he showed his faithfulness to Abraham, to Isaac, to Jacob, and to the whole people of Israel.  When they were slaves in Egypt he heard their cry and he rescued them.  He defeated Pharaoh and the Egyptians and led his beloved people through the Red Sea and into the wilderness.  At Mount Sinai the Lord gave the gift of the torah, the law, to Moses and the people.  And with the torah he gave them instructions, think of them as blueprints, for the tabernacle.  The Lord promised: I will be your God and you will be my people.  Once again, the Lord would take up his dwelling in their midst.  The tabernacle was a portable temple full of the symbols of the garden of Eden.  Wherever the people stopped to camp, they set up the tabernacle, and the glory cloud, the shekinah representing the Lord's presence, would descend to fill the holy of holies.  And the torah set the people apart from the nations and taught them how to be holy so that they might be the people who lived with the Lord in their midst.  Israel, camped around the tabernacle and the Lord's glory cloud, were a sort of new creation in miniature—heaven and earth, God and human beings back together, even if imperfectly.  It gave the people hope.  A hope that one day the Lord would truly and fully set this broken world to rights—to make things the way they're supposed to be.  And it wasn't just hope for Israel.  The Lord intended the watching nations to see his people and take note. That's the climax of the Exodus.  Not the Passover or the Red Sea.  Those are important—vitally important—parts of the story.  But it's Exodus 40, the last chapter of the book, where the Lord's glory clouds descends to dwell in the tabernacle—that's the climax.  The Lord once again dwelling with his people. We see it happen again when the Israelites are settled in the land of Canaan.  King Solomon builds a permanent temple for the Lord and, once again, at its dedication the glory cloud descends to fill the holy of holies. It was all there as part of the story to point the people in hope to God's restoration of heaven and earth—to the day when the Lord's promises would be fulfilled.  Because the Lord didn't just come to Israel and manifest himself in a cloud of glory; he spoke.  Israel's prophetic tradition was full of promises looking forward to that day. King David knew the Lord's promises and sang out in prophetic hope of that future day in Psalm 72: May he have dominion from sea to sea…May all kings fall down before him, all nations serve him…Blessed by the Lord, the God of Israel, who alone does wondrous things.  Blessed be his glorious name forever; may the whole earth be filled with his glory!  Isaiah sang of the coming Messiah who would set creation to rights: There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit.  And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him.  And when God has done his work through the Messiah, Isaiah sings, the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.  Habakkuk similarly would sing out in hope: For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.   When the Lord's cloud of glory descended to fill the temple, it pointed forward to that day when he would—when he will—fill all of creation with his glorious presence. Think about this hope that Israel had and how great it was and I think it helps give a sense of just how tragic it then was when Israel failed to keep her end of the covenant and the Lord allowed the Babylonian army to capture Jerusalem and to destroy the temple—his temple.  Israel sinned, Israel showed disregard for the law the Lord had given to keep her holy.  And worst of all—over and over and over—Israel prostituted herself to the gods of the pagans.  It was a deep, deep tragedy.  As the Psalmist laments in Psalm 137: By the rivers of Babylon we sat down and wept.  Not just for what was lost, but like Adam and Eve, cast out and weeping over their own disobedience.  But even then, in those dark, dark days of exile the Lord still spoke.  Through Isaiah and Ezekiel, through Zechariah and Malachi the Lord promised that he would come back to dwell with his people. And yet, as the Gospels begin, hundreds of years had passed and the Lord had yet to return.  Israel had returned from her exile.  The temple had been rebuilt.  The people and the priests went through all the motions.  The smoke went up from the great altar.  But the cloud of glory had never come down and returned to the temple.  And pagan kings still ruled with Israel under their heels. Again, this is where the Gospels begin.  St. John describes the darkness, the hopelessness, the absence and then he says that the word became flesh and lived among us…The light shone in the darkness.  Brothers and Sisters, the Gospels are about the return of God to his people in fulfilment of his promises.  The word—the embodiment of God's creative power—the word took on our flesh and was born of Mary.  In Jesus God not only returned to his people, he brought heaven and earth, God and humanity back together in his person.  Jesus is the manifestation of the hope of creation set to rights, of the breach between us and God healed.  Matthew puts it in terms of Isaiah's prophecy: Jesus is the promised Immanuel: God with us. And as the church has led us through the story of Jesus these last months, we've followed him to the cross where he took on himself the role of the Passover lamb.  He died for the sins of his people.  And just when sin and death thought they'd done their worst and defeated God once and for all, God raised Jesus from death.  It was like the Passover and the Red Sea all over again, only this time it wasn't an Egyptian king and his army that were defeated, it was evil itself. And then, last week, we stood with the disciples and watched as Jesus ascended to take his throne in heaven.  And if you know the story of Israel, if you know the Old Testament like Luke's readers did, you can't help but draw the connection.  If Jesus' death was a new Passover, then his ascension isn't just his going to heaven to take his throne as king.  It's definitely very much that and that's significant, but it also parallels Moses going up Mount Sinai to meet with the Lord.  And when Moses came down, he had the gift of the torah, the law, with him. And so now, in today's Gospel, from Acts 2 Luke writes: When the day of Pentecost had finally arrived, they were all together in the same place.   I'm sure Jesus' disciples were expecting something.  I don't think they knew exactly what.  As we heard in last week's Gospel, Jesus said that he had to leave, to take his throne—and the disciples would be sorry to see him go—but that it had to be that way, because Jesus would send the Holy Spirit to empower them.  At the last supper he'd said that with his blood he was making a new covenant.  They knew that a new covenant would need a new law—a new torah—because the law was what taught the people how to live out their end of the covenant, how to live as the people in whose midst the Lord dwelled. But what that would like was anyone's guess.  But when Jesus told them to go and wait in Jerusalem and that he would send the Spirit in a few days, I fully expect they made the connection with Pentecost, because Pentecost—which is just Greek for “fiftieth” because it's fifty days after Passover—because Pentecost was the great feast when Israel remembered and celebrate the giving of the law at Mount Sinai.  I think that by this time, the disciples were finally putting things together.  They were waiting those ten days with baited breath.  Jesus was alive.  Jesus was king.  Everything was happening just as he promised.  So they knew the Spirit would come.  But how?  And what would happen when he did?  And how would the Spirit be a new torah for this new covenant.  And so they obeyed Jesus.  They waited all together in Jerusalem—probably in that same “upper room” where they'd eaten the Passover.  And Luke goes on: Suddenly there came from heaven a noise like the sound of a mighty, rushing wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting.   So many parts of the story come together here.  It helps to understand that wind and breath are the same word in both Hebrew and Greek.  And so this divine wind sweeps in to the room to breathe the breath of God into the disciples, reminding them of the way God gave life to Adam in the beginning—taking that lifeless lump of moulded clay and animating it, making it as we say, a soul—a living being.  But this time it's God breathing life into his new Israel.  There's a reason that the one thing the disciples made sure they did during those days of waiting was to appoint Matthias as a successor to Judas.  If they were to be the new Israel, they had to be twelve.  And now the Spirit comes and breathes the life of God into this new people. But, too, the imagery of the wind filling the house.  It doesn't just recall God breathing life into Adam.  It also recalls God's presence filling the tabernacle in Exodus 40 and the temple in 1 Kings 8.  The way God gives his Spirit is a reminder that Jesus people aren't just a people full of the Spirit.  Brothers and Sisters, being full of the Spirit makes us God's temple.  Jesus and us—together we're the beginning of God's new creation, the beginning of his restoration of heaven and earth.  Jesus has ascended to heaven bearing our human flesh.  And in the Spirit, God has come to earth to dwell with us.  In us, in Jesus' people, the restoration of Eden has begun.  That's why at the head of Jesus' prayer are is that powerful petition: Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. I think this is why all through the rest of Acts, stuff keeps happening at temples, whether it's the next couple of chapters as we follow the events of Pentecost and Peter preaching and thousands being baptised or later as Paul confronts the pagans in their temples in Athens and Ephesus.  All because in Jesus and his people God's real temple is being built—brick by brick, stone by stone, with each baptism…all laid on the foundation of the death and resurrection of Jesus. So the disciples already knew when Jesus rose from death that new creation had begun.  Jesus was the first part of it.  And they were so excited to go out and tell everyone that Jesus had to calm them down and tell them to wait.  Enthusiasm is never enough.  They needed to be made part of that new creation too.  And that's what the Spirit does here.  One day, when the church's work is done and Jesus returns to finally cast death itself into the lake of fire, God will raise us as he raised Jesus and we will know fully the life he intends for us.  But the time for that hasn't yet come.  The gift of the Spirit is the downpayment on that life—or to use an Old Testament term for it: the Spirit is the firstfruits of God's new creation. And that's the other part of the feast of Pentecost that comes into this.  Pentecost wasn't just the celebration of God's giving of the law to Israel.  It was also the festival where the people brought their firstfruits to God.  They brought the first of their crops—like a sheaf of wheat—not just to give thanks for the harvest, but in expectant hope of his provision—trusting him for a plentiful harvest.  From now on, for Jesus' people, Pentecost is just that: a reminder that the harvest has begun and that the Spirit is sure to make it a plentiful one. But it wasn't just the wind.  Luke goes on in verse 3: Then tongues, seemingly of fire, appeared to them, moving apart and coming to rest on each one of them.  They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them the words to say.   The wind from heaven fills them and the Spirit manifests himself as flame and then they start to speak in other languages.  Again, the big story tells us why the Spirit came this way.  Genesis explains the origin of different languages and people groups with the story of Babel.  It's the low point in human history.  Adam and Eve sin in Chapter 3, Cain murders his brother in Chapter 4, and humanity goes downhill from there until, in Chapter11, we've lost all knowledge of God.  In their hubris, the men of Babel built a tower to reach heaven and in response, the Lord confused their languages and scattered them.  It's a bit like Psalm 2 and Daniel 7 that I mentioned last week.  The nations rage, but God laughs.  But all the while he has a plan to set us to rights.  In Psalm 2 it's the son of David who will reign as king.  In Daniel 7 it's the son of man who will be enthroned by the Ancient of Days.  And here at Pentecost, the son of David who is also the son of man takes his throne and sends the Spirit who creates a people ready to undo Babel. Luke goes on in verse 5: There were devout Jews from every nation under heaven staying in Jerusalem at that time.  [Remember, because it was Pentecost.]  When they heard this noise they came together in a crowd.  They were deeply puzzled, because every single one of them could hear them speaking in his or her own native language.  They were astonished and amazed.  “These men who are doing the speaking are all Galileans, aren't they?” they said.  “So how is it that each of us can hear them in our own mother tongues?   Luke goes on to list people from countries across the whole Roman empire and some from even beyond that.  And the men hearing this go on with the most important detail, “We can hear them telling us about the mighty things God has done—in our own languages.”   What does it mean?  Brothers and Sisters, this gift of tongues to the disciples was a sign.  It was a sign that Jesus truly had ascended to his throne and he now rules over a global dominion.  And it means that through his people, through his church, Jesus has inaugurated God's new creation and has begun the work of setting everything to rights—starting with the confusion of Babel. And that's where today's Epistle ends, which is a bit disappointing.  I wish we had a Pentecost season where we could at least work through the next couple of chapters.  “What does all this mean?” they ask, and in response Peter begins to preach and he explains to the gathered men how this was all in fulfilment of God's promises.  These first eleven verses will have to be enough for today. Brothers and Sisters, Pentecost reminds us who we are.  Again, think of Israel, rescued from Egypt and then formed as a people in the wilderness—a people defined by the law and by God dwelling in their midst.  Pentecost is a reminder to us that in Jesus, God has delivered us from our bondage to sin and death and that he has made us a people defined by his new law: the life of the Spirit.  And we don't just have God in our midst; we are indwelt by God himself in the Spirit.  Pentecost is a reminder that in making us this Spirit-filled people, God has made us his temple.  We are the place where the world meets God.  But our calling isn't simply to sit here like the temple on Mount Zion and wait for people to come.  Our calling is to be a temple on the move and a temple dispersed—a temple that goes out and meets the world with God and with the gospel—with the good news that Jesus, crucified and risen, is the world's true Lord.  You and I have been entrusted with the story.  Go out and proclaim the mighty deeds of God and the Spirit will use that proclamation to change hearts and to grow the kingdom.  And, finally, Pentecost is a reminder that as God's temple, we are also the firstfruits of God's new creation.  We as a people are called to live out the life of God—not just to steward his word and to proclaim his gospel, but to truly be light in the darkness: living out and working for mercy and love and justice, showing the world the value of goodness, truth, and beauty, teaching reconciliation, bringing healing.  In other words, Brothers and Sisters, pulling God's future into the present.  Not just praying “on earth as in heaven”, but living out that prayer so that all the world will see and doing so in trusting hope that God's promise is true.  One day, when the church has done her job declaring the mighty deeds of God, the earth will be filled with the knowledge of his glory as the waters cover the sea.  That is what it means to be a “Pentecostal” people. Let's pray: O GOD, who on this day taught the hearts of your faithful people by sending to them the light of your Holy Spirit: Grant us by the same Spirit to have a right judgment in all things, and evermore to rejoice in his holy comfort; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.  Amen.

In Psalm 38, David is tormented physically, emotionally, psychologically, relationally, and spiritually because of his sin. But instead of concealing it, minimizing it, rationalizing it, or blaming someone else, David owns it. He confesses his sin and cries out to God to discipline him in mercy and to rescue him.

In Psalm 32, we see the blessing of forgiveness and of free justification in Christ Jesus.

She looked into my eyes and said, “Don’t waste your pain.” My mind immediately returned to the time years prior when I’d led the memorial service for her young adult son whose life was taken in a car accident. She knew what she was talking about. She knew pain. But she also knew how God could use it to honor Him and help others—something this friend had done so very well. And as I heard her words, they comforted and encouraged me as I faced a serious cancer diagnosis. She was reminding me that God heard my cries and lament, and that He was with me in my pain and might use it to help others in a new way. Moses also learned that God was with His people in their pain. “I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt,” God said. “I have heard them crying out . . . and I am concerned about their suffering” (Exodus 3:7). The Israelites, like us at times, must have felt alone in their pain. But God assured them He had a plan to “rescue them” and that “the cry” of their hearts was heard (vv. 8-9). He would ultimately use their pain to grow their faith, defeat their enemy, and bring Him honor. In Psalm 90, the only psalm attributed to Moses, he declared that even though our “best years are filled with pain” (v. 10 nlt), God’s “unfailing love” is with us “to the end of our lives” (v. 14 nlt). He lovingly won’t waste our pain—and neither should we.

In Psalm 119:104, the psalmist declares, "Through Your precepts I get understanding; therefore I hate every false way." We explore what it means to hate false ways in light of God's Word, with a particular focus on the often-ignored topic of birth control. How does Scripture shape our understanding of life, family, and God's design for procreation? Join us as we discuss the cultural and theological implications of rejecting the false ways of the world and embracing God's truth in every aspect of life. ----more---- Host: Fr. Jason Braaten Special Guest: Fr. Evan Scamman ----more---- Become a Patron! You can subscribe to the Journal here: https://www.gottesdienst.org/subscribe/ You can read the Gottesblog here: https://www.gottesdienst.org/gottesblog/ You can support Gottesdienst here: https://www.gottesdienst.org/make-a-donation/ As always, we, at The Gottesdienst Crowd, would be honored if you would Subscribe, Rate, and Review. Thanks for listening and thanks for your support. 

Is it OK to bring our frustrations to God? In Psalm 10, King David does exactly that. He asks where God is when the wicked are victimizing the afflicted people in the land. This week, Pastor Connor continues our Summer in the Psalms with a look at how we should live when we are surrounded by evil and injustice. We need to adjust our expectations, pray for justice, and seek justice now, but most importantly, we need to trust in God's future justice.This week, our hosts dive deeper into the Psalms, specifically Psalm 10, Pastor Connor shares with us what he had to cut from Sunday's sermon due to time, and our hosts talk about how does one seek justice without taking on the role of judge. Oh and tune into the beginning to hear our hosts talk about what extreme stunt they would attempt if they had the opportunity.If you would like to watch the video podcast, find us on YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMhDfGn0zfzi6XjcKkSVcFAFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/discovertbcInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/topekabiblechurchWebsite: https://www.discovertbc.com/

Last week I was talking about the conflicting messages we were exposed to. So the question is, how did Thomas and I, stay on the course, that we started on. Simply because we were taught what Jesus said, “If you abide in my word you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free. As we learned to read, to love and to obey His word, we experienced that His grace, would lead us through all the troubles that came our way. The first song that Thomas wrote when he was 22, was to verses 9 through 11 in Psalm 119. “Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse hisway? By taking heed thereto, according to thy word. With my whole heart have I sought thee, O let me not wander from thy commandments. Thy word have I hid in mine heart.” Singing these words, helped make the meaning, come alive in hisheart. That famous Psalm 119, begins like Psalm One, saying; ”Blessed is the man who walks in the law of the Lord, and it continues with instructions, on how to stay the course. Words like, I will rejoice, I will meditate, make me to understand the way of thy precepts, so then I will speak, of thy wondrous works. Not only we will speak but we will sing. In Psalm 89,1, it is written, “I will sing of the mercies of the Lord forever, with my mouth will I make known, your faithfulness to all generations.” This foundation of reading the Bible and singing it, was the most important thing we learned as new Christians. Plus, not to forget, that the Psalms, were writtento be sung!

 It's Monday, June 2nd, A.D. 2025. This is The Worldview in 5 Minutes heard on 140 radio stations and at www.TheWorldview.com. I'm Adam McManus. (Adam@TheWorldview.com) By Adam McManus Pakistan passes law that prohibits to curb child marriage On May 30th, despite fierce opposition from Islamist groups in Pakistan, President Asif Ali Zardari signed into law a landmark bill to curb child marriage, setting the minimum age for marriage for both genders at 18 years, reports Morning Star News. Opposition included the Council of Islamic Ideology, which declared that classifying marriage under the age of 18 as rape did not conform with Islamic law. The bill says that any man over 18 who marries an underage girl could face up to three years of rigorous imprisonment. Specifically, the bill states, “Living with a child under 18 in a marital relationship will be considered statutory rape.” Sherry Rehman, who introduced the bill in the Senate on May 19 after its passage in the National Assembly on May 16, described the legislation as a crucial step toward protecting the rights of women and children. Typically, kidnapped girls in Pakistan, some as young as 10, are abducted, forced to convert to Islam, and raped under cover of Islamic “marriages” and are then pressured to record false statements in favor of the kidnappers, 15 percent more Scottish mothers aborted their Down Syndrome babies Public Health Scotland revealed there were 18,710 abortions in Scotland in 2024, the highest number on record, reports Right to Life UK. This represents an increase of 468 abortions. Plus, there was a 15 percent increase in the number of babies with Down's syndrome who were aborted. Worse yet, since 2021, the number of babies with Down's syndrome who were aborted has increased by 81 percent. In 2024, 41 percent of abortions in Scotland were repeat abortions. In Psalm 139:13 and 16, David tells God, “For You created my inmost being; You knit me together in my mother's womb. … Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in Your book before one of them came to be.” Elon Musk's return to the private sector Elon Musk announced on social media that he is leaving his role in the Trump administration, reports The Guardian. Spearheading the Department of Government Efficiency, Musk helped to cut $175 billion in waste, fraud, and abuse. Plus, D.O.G.E. helped to cut nearly 12 percent, or 260,000, of the 2.3 million-strong federal civilian workforce, largely through threats of firings, buyouts, and early retirement offers. After receiving a gold key from President Trump on Friday in the Oval Office, Musk said this. MUSK: “This is not the end of D.O.G.E., but really the beginning. My time as a special government employee necessarily had to end. It was a limited time thing. It's 134 days, I believe, which ends in a few days. But the D.O.G.E. team will only grow stronger. I'm confident that we will see a trillion dollars of savings. So, I look forward to continuing to be a friend and advisor to the president, continuing to support the D.O.G.E. team.” Musk's political activities have drawn protests and some investors have called for him to leave his work as Trump's adviser and manage Tesla more closely. Kennedy Center VP fired over speaking truth about homosexuality A prominent pro-Trump Christian says he was fired from his role as vice president of the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. just because he refused to renounce his belief that marriage is between one man and one woman. Floyd Brown, the founder of Western Journal, had been recruited about a month ago to serve as the performing arts center's vice president. He has spoken bluntly of his biblical understanding about God's design for our sexuality. BROWN: “Homosexuality is a punishment that comes upon a nation that has rejected God. They're debasing themselves and their humanity.” Leviticus 18:22 states: "You shall not lie with a male as with a woman; such a thing is an abomination."  Floyd accused Kennedy Center President Ric Grenell, a homosexual who is in a so-called “marriage” to a man, of being intimidated by a CNN hit piece that highlighted what the news network called Brown's “anti-gay” rhetoric. Kentucky state legislator abandons sinking Democratic Party Kentucky state Sen. Robin Webb has become so disenchanted with the Democratic Party that she became a Republican, reports The Western Journal. She said, “While it's cliché, it's true: I didn't leave the party — the party left me.” She added, “As the Democratic Party continues its lurch to the left and its hyperfocus on policies that hurt workforce and economic development in my region, I no longer feel it represents my values. It has become untenable and counterproductive to the best interests of my constituents for me to remain a Democrat.” YMCA's pro-transgender policy endangers girls Do you know what YMCA stands for? Young Men's Christian Association. These days, there's nothing Christian about the YMCA's woke, gender-confused policy at overnight camps. Last Wednesday, the American Parents Coalition urged parents to “beware” that the YMCA allows boys, pretending to be girls, in girls' spaces like overnight cabins, locker rooms, and showers, reports The Daily Wire. Plus, the YMCA may not inform parents of their perverted policy which rightly raises privacy and safety concerns. The Worldview needs to raise $123,500 by Monday, June 30th And finally, during the month of June, The Worldview newscast team is looking for financial partners to help fund the next fiscal year for a total of $123,500 That would cover the cost for the six of us to research the stories, write them, voice them, track down the audio clips, and upload the newscast on multiple platforms for another 365 days. What does The Worldview newscast mean to you? Email me your thoughts in 2-4 sentences including your name, city and state, and country if outside America. Send that to Adam@TheWorldview.com. We need to raise $30,875 by this Friday, June 6th. That means we are looking for 25 Worldview listeners to pledge $50 per month for 12 months and 51 listeners to pledge $25/month for 12 months. Go to TheWorldview.com, click on Give, select the dollar amount, and make sure to click on the “recurring” button if that's your wish. Thank you for doing your part to ensure the bright future of this unique Christian newscast. Close And that's The Worldview on this Monday, June 2nd, in the year of our Lord 2025. Subscribe for free by Spotify, Amazon Music or by iTunes or email to our unique Christian newscast at www.TheWorldview.com. Or get the Generations app through Google Play or The App Store. I'm Adam McManus (Adam@TheWorldview.com). Seize the day for Jesus Christ.

In Psalm 25, David lifts his soul to the Lord—boldly, vulnerably, and with unwavering confidence. Why? Because through the Step into the supernatural with this powerful prophetic message from Pastor Rod Parsley — “25 Blessings of Psalm 25 in 2025.” This is more than a message. It's a divine blueprint. A holy revelation. A declaration that 2025 is your year for Divine Access! Psalm 25 reveals 25 distinct blessings — from access to God, to victory over enemies, freedom from shame, divine guidance, covenant protection, and legacy promises for your family. Pastor Parsley unpacks each of these blessings with prophetic clarity and powerful revelation. Get ready to lift up your soul, align your heart, and receive what heaven has already declared over your life.

What do you do when your world feels like it’s caving in? Jennifer Slattery brings us face-to-face with a powerful moment in David’s life where everything was falling apart—and yet, he found strength not in strategy, but in God. In today’s devotional, we explore what it means to “strengthen ourselves in the Lord,” and how to follow David’s example in our own moments of fear, anxiety, and deep distress.

Don't forget to grab your free scripture journal at ⁠⁠⁠PrayingChristianWomen.com/journal ⁠⁠⁠today! Are you tired of being spiritually weary? You've come to the right place! Join us for a time of prayer, reflection and meditation. Leave the baggage of your day behind you and come away refreshed, renewed, and reconnected to God . In Psalm 19, discover the wonder of an all-powerful Creator who somehow still chooses to pursue a relationship with you. If you're in a spiritual rut, this 12-minute meditation is just what you need to jump-start your prayer life. Discover More: Explore additional episodes of Praying Christian Women, Mindful Christian Prayers, and other Christian podcasts at Lifeaudio.com. Connect with Us: Stay updated and engage with our community: On Facebook @PrayingChristianWomen On Instagram @PrayingChristianWomen At Christian Books Today: Praying Christian Women Blog On YouTube: @PrayingChristianWomen Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

How is it possible to praise God with a whole heart, even in the midst of difficult circumstances? That's the question Pastor Connor tackles in this year's first installment of Summer in the Psalms. King David knew what it was like to be surrounded by enemies and to long for God's justice. In Psalm 9, we see that the key is to focus on God's character — His just, eternal, and caring nature — and to trust that He will make everything right in the end.This week, our hosts dive deeper into the Psalms, specifically Psalm 9, Pastor Connor shares his thoughts on, what real honest worship is when we are hurting, and how God answers prayers by using bad situations for good results. Oh and tune into the beginning to hear our hosts talk about what their custom license plates would say if they had one.If you would like to watch the video podcast, find us on YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMhDfGn0zfzi6XjcKkSVcFAFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/discovertbcInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/topekabiblechurchWebsite: https://www.discovertbc.com/

In this sermon series on The Psalms of Ascent, Brendon teaches that this is about a journey or ascent toward Christ. Brendon asks “How can we worship when life goes differently than we expected?” In Psalm 121, we are reminded that God is our keeper. Brendon reads through the Scripture passage and preaches God guards […]

In Psalm 25, David lifts his soul to the Lord—boldly, vulnerably, and with unwavering confidence. Why? Because through the blood of Jesus, we now have what David longed for: divine access. This message from Pastor Rod Parsley reveals 25 supernatural blessings hidden in Psalm 25—each one a key to walking in intimacy, guidance, forgiveness, and deliverance. From "Make me to know Your ways…” to "Redeem Israel out of all their troubles,” the psalmist shows us how to pray, how to trust, and how to live in the shadow of divine favor.

Daily Morning Prayer and the Litany (5/23/25) from Trinity Anglican Church (Connersville, IN): Psalm 110-113; Ezra 4; Matthew 21To read along, visit: https://ie.dailyoffice1662.com/To own a Bible, visit: https://www.thomasnelsonbibles.com/product/kjv-center-column-reference-bible-with-apocrypha/To own a prayer book, visit: https://anglicanway.org/product/the-1662-book-of-common-prayer-international-edition-hardcover-march-2-2021/To own a hymnal, visit: https://anglicanhousepublishers.org/shop/the-book-of-common-praise-of-the-reformed-episcopal-church/

Daily Morning Prayer and the Litany (5/23/25) from Trinity Anglican Church (Connersville, IN): Psalm 110-113; Ezra 4; Matthew 21To read along, visit: https://ie.dailyoffice1662.com/To own a Bible, visit: https://www.thomasnelsonbibles.com/product/kjv-center-column-reference-bible-with-apocrypha/To own a prayer book, visit: https://anglicanway.org/product/the-1662-book-of-common-prayer-international-edition-hardcover-march-2-2021/To own a hymnal, visit: https://anglicanhousepublishers.org/shop/the-book-of-common-praise-of-the-reformed-episcopal-church/

Daily Evening Prayer (5/21/25) from Trinity Anglican Church (Connersville, IN): Psalm 106; 2 Kings 25; 1 Corinthians 4To read along, visit: https://ie.dailyoffice1662.com/To own a Bible, visit: https://www.thomasnelsonbibles.com/product/kjv-center-column-reference-bible-with-apocrypha/To own a prayer book, visit: https://anglicanway.org/product/the-1662-book-of-common-prayer-international-edition-hardcover-march-2-2021/To own a hymnal, visit: https://anglicanhousepublishers.org/shop/the-book-of-common-praise-of-the-reformed-episcopal-church/

Daily Morning Prayer and the Litany (5/21/25) from Trinity Anglican Church (Connersville, IN): Psalm 105; 2 Kings 24; Matthew 19 To read along, visit: https://ie.dailyoffice1662.com/To own a Bible, visit: https://www.thomasnelsonbibles.com/product/kjv-center-column-reference-bible-with-apocrypha/To own a prayer book, visit: https://anglicanway.org/product/the-1662-book-of-common-prayer-international-edition-hardcover-march-2-2021/To own a hymnal, visit: https://anglicanhousepublishers.org/shop/the-book-of-common-praise-of-the-reformed-episcopal-church/

Daily Morning Prayer and the Litany (5/21/25) from Trinity Anglican Church (Connersville, IN): Psalm 105; 2 Kings 24; Matthew 19 To read along, visit: https://ie.dailyoffice1662.com/To own a Bible, visit: https://www.thomasnelsonbibles.com/product/kjv-center-column-reference-bible-with-apocrypha/To own a prayer book, visit: https://anglicanway.org/product/the-1662-book-of-common-prayer-international-edition-hardcover-march-2-2021/To own a hymnal, visit: https://anglicanhousepublishers.org/shop/the-book-of-common-praise-of-the-reformed-episcopal-church/

Daily Evening Prayer (5/21/25) from Trinity Anglican Church (Connersville, IN): Psalm 106; 2 Kings 25; 1 Corinthians 4To read along, visit: https://ie.dailyoffice1662.com/To own a Bible, visit: https://www.thomasnelsonbibles.com/product/kjv-center-column-reference-bible-with-apocrypha/To own a prayer book, visit: https://anglicanway.org/product/the-1662-book-of-common-prayer-international-edition-hardcover-march-2-2021/To own a hymnal, visit: https://anglicanhousepublishers.org/shop/the-book-of-common-praise-of-the-reformed-episcopal-church/

In Psalm 13, David cries out, “How long, O Lord?”—a question that echoes in the hearts of many who find themselves weighed down by sorrow, pain, and unanswered prayers. This sermon explores how Psalm 13 gives voice to real anguish while also pointing us to a hope that endures. If you're facing a long trial, feeling forgotten by God, or struggling to hold on, this reflection on lament, prayer, and trust will help you find comfort not in easy answers, but in the steadfast love of the Lord. Psalm 13 (ESV)1 How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever?    How long will you hide your face from me?2 How long must I take counsel in my soul    and have sorrow in my heart all the day?How long shall my enemy be exalted over me?3 Consider and answer me, O Lord my God;    light up my eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death,4 lest my enemy say, “I have prevailed over him,”    lest my foes rejoice because I am shaken.5 But I have trusted in your steadfast love;    my heart shall rejoice in your salvation.6 I will sing to the Lord,    because he has dealt bountifully with me. Get a free trial of Logos at ReasonableTheology.org/Logos Support the showGET THE NEWSLETTEREach edition of the Reasonable Theology newsletter contains my latest article or podcast episode PLUS: A Theological Word or Phrase Explained Quickly and Clearly A Painting Depicting a Scene from Scripture or Church History Audio of a Hymn or other Musical Selection to Enjoy A Recommended Book or Resource to Expand Your Library SUBSCRIBE HERE

In Psalm 71, we have a man in his middle years looking back, looking around, and looking forward. He is musing over some of his life lessons of faith and wisdom, seeking to finish strong. This is a good exercise for all of us… whatever age we are! To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/1141/29

The Psalms refresh and inspire us as they keep our hearts focused upon God and all of His mighty works in creation and compassionate dealings with humanity.  In Psalm 103, David  seems to exhort himself to praise God and "to forget none of His benefits" which he sings about.  We should join David to "Bless the Lord, O my soul."

In this new sermon series on The Psalms of Ascent, Pastor Nathan teaches that this is the beginning of a journey. There are a number of Psalms included in The Psalms of Ascent. In Psalm 120, there is anger and angst felt. Pastor reads through the Scripture passage and preaches on when it is time […]

Do you ever feel like life is just too much? Maybe you're walking through a trial that won't let up... Still waiting on a breakthrough... Still praying for answers that haven't come. If you've ever felt like all hope is lost—you're not alone. In Psalm 42, David pours out his heart in a season of deep despair. But even in the darkest moments, he reminds us where true hope is found. Let's look at his words together and rediscover the unshakable hope we have in God.   ABOUT: Lina AbuJamra is a Pediatric ER doctor, now practicing telemedicine, and founder of Living With Power Ministries. Her vision is to bring hope to the world by connecting biblical answers to everyday life. A popular Bible teacher, podcaster, and conference speaker, she is the author of several books including Don't Tell Anyone You're Reading This, Still Standing, and her Bible Study series Mapping the Footsteps of God. In her “spare” time, she provides medical care and humanitarian help in disaster areas and to refugees in Lebanon. Learn more about her at LivingWithPower.org. Follow on Insta: linaabujamra Follow on Facebook: Lina Abujamra

Daily Evening Prayer (5/15/25) from Trinity Anglican Church (Connersville, IN): Psalm 78; 2 Kings 13; Romans 14 and a brief reading from the Books of HomiliesTo read along, visit: https://ie.dailyoffice1662.com/To own a Bible, visit: https://www.thomasnelsonbibles.com/product/kjv-center-column-reference-bible-with-apocrypha/To own a prayer book, visit: https://anglicanway.org/product/the-1662-book-of-common-prayer-international-edition-hardcover-march-2-2021/To own a hymnal, visit: https://anglicanhousepublishers.org/shop/the-book-of-common-praise-of-the-reformed-episcopal-church/

"Light" in the Bible often equates to salvation. In Psalm 27, David wrote, "The Lord is my light and my salvation." So when Jesus proclaimed, "I AM the Light of the World," He was saying that, through Him, we can find salvation. And when Jesus is your "Light and your salvation," then He resides, He guides, and He decides. The response of the Pharisees to what Jesus was saying was a low blow.

“Satan builds the strongholds in the secrets of our lives and reinforces them with silence…,” (Dr. Richard Dobbins) Most of us know the mouth-watering aroma of fresh baked pretzels in the mall or in an airport. Their familiar scent wrap you in a hug of comfort.  They are pretty irresistible! Anne Beiler, founder of Auntie Ann's Pretzels journey towards success began years before she rolled the first pretzel when they experienced any parent's worst nightmare – the death of a child. Then came a dark secret. Their loss propelled Anne into years of darkness, depression, despair, and betrayal by someone she trusted. She shares the dark secret and the resulting trauma that haunted her for years. But out of all her pain - came purpose and the desire to persevere toward personal and professional success.  But more, she encourages those with deep secrets of their own  - to break their silence and reach a whole new level of freedom! In Psalm 32 King David said, “When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long.” Jenny has talked about this on Crossroads for many years - secrets keep us in darkness and bondage. You can find more about Anne's Podcast, books and speaking at annebeiler.com. What started as a single farmer's market stand grew into Auntie Anne's, the world's largest hand-rolled soft pretzel franchise!

Click here for the DRB Daily Sign Up form! TODAY'S SCRIPTURE: 2 Sam 18; Ps 56; Matt 27 Click HERE to give! Get Free App Here! One Year Bible Podcast: Join Hunter and Heather Barnes on 'The Daily Radio Bible' for a daily 20-minute spiritual journey. Engage with scripture readings, heartfelt devotionals, and collective prayers that draw you into the heart of God's love. Embark on this year-long voyage through the Bible, and let each day's passage uplift and inspire you. TODAY'S EPISODE: Welcome to the Daily Radio Bible! In today's episode, host Hunter invites us on day 130 of our journey through the scriptures. Together, we'll reflect on key moments in 2 Samuel 18, where King David faces the heartbreaking aftermath of battle and the loss of his son Absalom. Next, we turn to Psalm 56, discovering David's honest prayers in times of fear and opposition. Our readings conclude in Matthew 27, leading us through the powerful and sobering account of Jesus' trial, crucifixion, and burial. Alongside these readings, Hunter offers thoughtful commentary on Jesus' cry from the cross, “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?”—reminding us of God's constant presence, even in our most difficult moments. As always, we close with prayers for wisdom, peace, and the deep assurance that God's love never leaves us. Settle in for a time of scripture, reflection, and heartfelt prayer. Let's continue this daily journey together—let the Bible do what only it can: direct our hearts to the living Word. TODAY'S DEVOTION: “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?” These are the words Jesus cries from the cross, known as the great cry of dereliction. For many, this verse has carried a heavy weight, as if it marks a moment where God the Father has turned away from his Son—where abandonment is real and final. Some have even suggested this is the moment when God is punishing or killing his Son. But things are not always as they seem. In truth, Jesus is quoting the opening line of Psalm 22, a psalm of David that does indeed begin with an anguished cry of abandonment, but does not end there. The psalms often show David—and with him, all of God's people—beginning with their pain and dismay, pouring out their hearts in honest lament. But by the end, David is testifying to the faithfulness of God, declaring that God does not turn his back on his beloved. In Psalm 22, near the end, David proclaims, “For he did not despise or abhor the affliction of the afflicted. He did not turn his face from me, but heard when I cried out to him.” The psalm makes it clear: God is present in our moments of deepest agony and loss. He does not abandon; he hears; he is near. When Jesus takes up these words on the cross, he is entering into our experience of betrayal, grief, and separation. He tastes the depth of human pain. But the testimony of scripture and of the early church is certain—God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself. There is no division in the heart of God—not at the cross, not ever. God does not abandon his Son, and he will not abandon or forsake you. This profound truth is our hope: in our moments of suffering, when we feel most alone, God is closer than our next breath. His love is relentless, his presence unbroken, his commitment to us sure. Jesus' experience and trust teaches us that God is the one who never fails, who always hears, and who always comes near to comfort and to save. We are invited to know, to trust, and to encounter this never-abandoning love for ourselves. That is the prayer I have for my own soul—that I would know this love deeply and walk in the joy and assurance that comes from it. That is the prayer I have for my family—my wife, my daughters, my son. And that is the prayer I have for you. May it be so. TODAY'S PRAYERS: Almighty and ever loving God, you have brought us to the light of a new morning. Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of your holy spirit, that we may walk this day in peace. Guard our steps from temptation. Shield us from the weight of fear and shame, and lead us deeper into the joy of your presence through Jesus Christ our lord. Amen. Oh Christ, light of the nations, shine in every place where shadows dwell. Call the scattered home, heal the wounds of division, and gather all people into the communion of your grace. May the knowledge of the lord cover the earth as the waters cover the sea. Amen. And now, lord, make my hands ready for mercy. Make my eyes quick to see the hurting, my ears open to the cry of the lonely, and my feet swift to bring good news. Let me seek to bless, not to be noticed, to serve, not to be praised, to forgive, not to hold back. For in your way is life, in your mercy is healing, and in your love is the peace this world cannot give. Amen. And now as our lord has taught us, we are bold to pray. Our father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen. And now as our Lord has taught us we are bold to pray... Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven, give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our tresspasses as we forgive those who trespass against us, and lead us not unto temptation, but deliver us from evil, for thine is the Kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen. Loving God, we give you thanks for restoring us in your image. And nourishing us with spiritual food, now send us forth as forgiven people, healed and renewed, that we may proclaim your love to the world, and continue in the risen life of Christ.  Amen.  OUR WEBSITE: www.dailyradiobible.com We are reading through the New Living Translation.   Leave us a voicemail HERE: https://www.speakpipe.com/dailyradiobible Subscribe to us at YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Dailyradiobible/featured OTHER PODCASTS: Listen with Apple Podcast DAILY BIBLE FOR KIDS DAILY PSALMS DAILY PROVERBS DAILY LECTIONARY DAILY CHRONOLOGICAL  

Ever tossed and turned at 4 a.m., stuck between two decisions or weighed down by life’s seemingly unchanging routine? You’re not alone—and more importantly, you’re not stuck without purpose. In today’s devotional, Sarah Frazer beautifully reframes those “stuck” seasons we all experience. Drawing wisdom from Psalm 25, she reminds us that even when we feel like we’re not moving forward, God is at work. He’s teaching, loving, leading, befriending, and ultimately saving us in ways we often can’t see at the time. What if this pause in your life isn’t punishment—but preparation? ✨ Key Takeaways ⏸️ “Stuck” doesn’t mean God has stopped working in you

142:1 I cry aloud with my voice to the LORD-  “The synonymous parallelism repeats the phrase ‘with my voice' to emphasize that he cries aloud” Miller, 435. “In Psalm 142:1 is za'aq,  conveys the idea of crying out in acute distress and seeking deliverance. The verbal root occurs only five times in the Psalter, twice in Psalm 142” NICOT, 978. “Although the Hebrew root translated ‘cry' in vv. 1, 5 does not occur often in the psalms (see Pss. 22:5; 107:13, 19), it is an important theological word. For instance, it recalls the exodus (see Exod. 2:23); it is a crucial part of the pattern in the book of Judges (see Judg. 3:9, 15; 6:6-7); indeed, it became understood as a typical element in God's dealing with God's people (see Neh. 9:28)” McCann, 1247. “To make supplication is to appeal to kindness (so the Hebrew word suggests)” Kidner, 473. 142:2 I pour out my complaint before Him- The six Hebrew words that make up this verse are a chiasm. pour out is used in 42:4; 62:8. The word before Him twice in vs. 2. The word complaint is used in Pss. 55:2; 64:1; 102:1 (heading); 104:34.I declare my trouble before Him- Trouble is used in parallelism with complaint. This word appears in 77:2; 86:7.142:3 When my spirit was overwhelmed within me- Faint or overwhelmed is used in Ps. 61:2; 77:3; 143:4; Jonah 2:7. The word is used twice in Gen. 30:42 for the feeble among the flocks becoming Laban's. “He is at his wit's end and does not know how to pray adequately” Miller, 435. “He describes his emotional state as his spirit growing faint, probably referring to deep disappointment or depression” Longman, 461. You knew my path- The you is emphatic. Knew in Ps. 1:6; 139:1-4. He finds comfort that God understands. “His only help in this time of distress is God, who watches over his life” Longman, 461. They have hidden a trap for me- Trap lead for him in 140:5; 141:9-10.142:4 Look to the right and see- “To the right suggests the place where a helper would stand (cf. 16:8; 109:31; 110:5; 121:5)” Miller, 435.  “The right was the place where the witness for the defense stood (109:31)” Allen, 276. No one cares for my soul- “David was completely helpless before his enemies and no one seemed to care for his life” BK, 894. II Tim. 4:17 “He stands alone” Laymen's, 697. “On the horizontal plane he stands alone” Allen, 279. “God hears persons whom nobody else bothers to hear, and that God cares for those whom nobody else appears to care for (v. 4d)” McCann, 1248.142:5 I cried to You, O LORD- 140:6 I said, ‘You are my refuge- Ps. 14:6; 46:1; 61:3; 62:7, 8; 71:7; 73:28; 91:2, 9; 94:22; 104:18; 142:5; Isa. 4:6; 25:4.My portion in the land of the living'- “Claiming Yahweh as my portion in the land of the living is particularly associated with the Levites (Num. 18:20; Deut. 10:9)” Broyles, 495. “The land of the living is opposite of Sheol, the place of the dead (cff. Pss. 27:13; 52:5; 116:9)” Miller, 435. 142:6 For I am brought very low- brought low in Judges 6:6; Ps. 79:8; 116:6. For they are too strong for me- Ps. 79:8 God is big enough to defeat every foe. 142:7 Bring my soul out of prison- Isa. 42:7; Ps. 102:20; 107:10. God can deliver us from every bondage. “He pleads his weakness and implicitly confesses God's sovereign power” Laymen's 697. So that I may give thanks to Your name- 18:49; 20:1; 140:13 “The psalm-singer

In this week's podcast I am talking about what it means to walk and declare the FAVOR of God over your life!! In Psalm 5:12, God word tells us that FAVOR surrounds us like a shield. I often think of FAVOR as a cape that we wear. We put on our cape of FAVOR everywhere we go!! FAVOR is a kingdom benefit as a citizen of the kingdom of God. Do you need a boost in your belief that FAVOR surrounds you? Then this is the podcast episode for you. In this episode I share what it took to shift my mindset to FAVOR. In this episode I share a true story of how I experienced FAVOR once I had a shift in my mindset to believe for FAVOR!!And finally, in this episode I talk about how FAVOR lines you up to have divine connections with people. This is an episode that will increase your faith to believe that FAVOR is for you!!Get your FREE eBook download here:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Elevate Your Faith in 5 Minutes - Elevate | Christina Jolly⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠My 30 Day Faith to Believe devotional:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Faith to Believe – 30 Day Devotional eBook - Elevate | Christina Jolly⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Join my text community for faith activation texts. Text the word Faith to 361-266-1290.

Welcome to Day 128 of our journey through the Bible! Today, we reflect on the Psalms, where we find a powerful expression of trust in God's guidance, His majestic power, and His unfailing love.In Psalm 25, we seek God's guidance in times of uncertainty.Psalm 29 reminds us of the glory and might of God's voice over creation.Psalm 33 calls us to trust in God's sovereignty over all things.In Psalm 36, we're reminded of the vastness of God's steadfast love and righteousness.Psalm 39 challenges us to reflect on the brevity of life and our need for God's wisdom.Join us as we meditate on God's promises and reflect on His presence throughout our day. Let these Psalms inspire deeper trust and awareness of His continual guidance and grace.

Get our free PDF How to Prevent Suppressed Anger From Sabotaging Your Physical and Spiritual Health today! Are you tired of being spiritually weary? You've come to the right place! Join us for a time of prayer, reflection and meditation. Leave the baggage of your day behind you and come away refreshed, renewed, and reconnected to God . In Psalm 17, David appeals to God for deliverance from his enemies. He trusts in the shelter of God's powerful, protective wings, and delights that despite the wicked receiving their portion of treasures on earth, he looks to the immeasurable treasure in heaven as his portion. Let that hope be the source of our joy and boldness in living out God's purposes for our lives today! Discover More: Explore additional episodes of Praying Christian Women, Mindful Christian Prayers, and other Christian podcasts at Lifeaudio.com. Connect with Us: Stay updated and engage with our community: On Facebook @PrayingChristianWomen On Instagram @PrayingChristianWomen At Christian Books Today: Praying Christian Women Blog On YouTube: @PrayingChristianWomen Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.