Podcast appearances and mentions of jesus why

What if gratitude could actually make you more beautiful from the inside out? In this conversation with Meredith Curtis, we're exploring the transformative power of cultivating gratitude in your homeschool family—and how thanksgiving changes not just your heart, but your entire countenance and home atmosphere.From Thanksgiving traditions that knit families together to miracle stories of God's provision, Meredith shares decades of wisdom on raising grateful children who focus on Jesus instead of consumerism.In this episode:✅How cultivating gratitude transforms you into a more beautiful person (yes, really!)✅Simple Thanksgiving traditions that build faith and family unity✅The crab legs miracle story that reminds us nothing is impossible with God✅Practical activities for the holiday season that shift focus from presents to Jesus✅Why serving others creates grateful hearts in your childrenReady to make gratitude a daily practice? Grab the free 30 Days of Gratitude Challenge mentioned in this episode and join hundreds of families started November 1st!Recommended Resources:30 Days of Gratitude ChallengeGrand Prize GiveawayGod's Girls Beauty Secrets Bible StudyCelebrate ThanksgivingJesus, Fill My Heart & Home Bible StudyChristmas Unit StudiesMeredith "GrandMerey" Curtis, mom of 5 homeschool grads and grandmother of 8, writes, speaks, leads worship, and loves celebrating God's goodness at every opportunity possible, believing that gratitude is the secret to joy. She enjoys creating homeschool curriculum and Bible studies for Christian families, as well as writing Maggie King Mysteries, wholesome cozies. Find her at PowerlineProd.com, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and Twitter.Show Notes:The Beauty Secret That Changes EverythingMeredith Curtis is here with me today, and we're talking about gratitude. Meredith, y'all know I run the 30 Days of Gratitude Challenge, and I get guest bloggers to come in and post on our blog. I think Meredith has done it every single year I've ever done this. I know that's your heart. I know that's my heart. Gratitude just can do so many things for us.Meredith is a homeschooling mom who graduated her 5 children. Now she's grandmother to 8, so far, and all of them homeschool. She's a pastor's wife, a worship leader, a writer, a speaker, and she loves ministering to homeschool families. She's created a lot of curriculum, and she just started a mystery series called Maggie King Mysteries.Gratitude as a Beauty SecretMeredith, you have actually talked about gratitude as being a beauty secret. Can you sort of explain what you mean by that, and how you've seen gratitude actually transform someone from the inside?Meredith: I've always believed this, and I remember my grandmother used to say to me, beauty is as beauty does. When I was a young woman, teenager, young adult, young wife, I wanted to be beautiful on the inside. From my grandmother, I grasped that principle that beauty on the inside flows to the outside.One of the passages that really stood out to me was 1 Peter 3:1-7, and how God commends Sarah as a beautiful woman because of her gentle and quiet spirit. That got me on the road to thinking about beauty. I actually have a Bible study called God's Girls Beauty Secrets.When you're kind, when you're grateful, it changes your heart. Gratitude changes your focus from self to the Lord. Kindness changes your focus from self to others. When you're grateful and you walk into a home, or you walk into work, or you walk into your homeschool co-op or church, and you're having a conversation with people, it changes the expression on your face.You have more of a smile, you don't have those frowny frown lines. You have a beauty that emanates from you, and I think people want to be around you when you're like that. They want to be around people that are grateful, because it's gonna be raising them up rather than pulling them down.I'm a pastor's wife, and I see all the terrible things that happen to people. Mike and I have gone through so many trials. I think that sometimes the Lord just has to remind me, be grateful, be grateful, be grateful. When I am grateful, I notice the way people respond to me is very different than when I'm complaining and bitter.Beauty isn't just about a symmetrical face. Beauty goes so much beyond that, because it's your poise, it's your confidence. A truly beautiful woman walks into a room, and she's like, God is good, I'm so happy to see all of you, and her focus is completely on other people. That is beautiful.The Physical Impact of Bitterness vs. GratitudeYou know, as you're saying that, I do believe that however you're thinking on the inside is going to come out in your facial expressions, in your gestures, the way that you hold yourself. I also think, unfortunately, the opposite is true. Someone who is bitter—I have friends that are still holding bitterness towards people, and they're the ones that are in the hospital all the time. They've got illness, like, physical illnesses.Bitterness in your heart can actually mess up your insides. But the opposite of bitterness—you're forgiving, and you're grateful, and you're thankful, and you're kind—and that person, I think, God just blesses. When you have that attitude, people are like, oh, I want to be around them. Who wants to be around someone that's just complaining all the time?Passing Down Gratitude to GrandchildrenLet's talk about your grandchildren. Are there some things that you have been doing, or are doing, to pass down these values of gratitude and of your faith as well? Do you have any traditions that you're really cultivating a spirit of gratitude?Meredith: With Thanksgiving coming up this month, the first one I think of is we have a Thanksgiving tradition where before we say the blessing, we all pass around—sometimes I pass around kernels of corn, there's like this Thanksgiving poem about kernels of corn—or sometimes we just share things that we're thankful for.That is really powerful, because there's always tears. There's always something that's bittersweet, where someone's gone through something hard, and yet they're thankful for the things God did through it, or the people that helped them through it. There's just so much knitting together of family as people are thanking one another.Another thing I do with my grandchildren specifically: whenever they come over, I always ask them, what was the best thing that happened today? And then I always say to them, isn't God good? And then they say, yes, he is so good. That's not necessarily a tradition, but it's a habit that I've purposely cultivated with them to focus on the positive and be grateful.That's so interesting. When I'm with my grandkids, especially if I'm taking care of them and their parents are gone somewhere, and we're getting ready for bed, especially when they're younger, like 5 and under, I'm like, okay, we're gonna pray before we go to bed. I want you to think of one thing that you can say thank you to God for.That way, I'm like, we're gonna think. The only thing you have to say is, thank you, God. It does sort of make them think, well, what did happen? What can I be thankful for? That's such a simple way to say thank you, and it's thank you to God for whatever had happened.The Birthday Tradition That Honors PeopleMeredith: On birthdays, we always go around and talk about why we're thankful for the birthday person. Everybody shares, like, I'm so thankful for you because I love the way you do this, I love the way you do that, I appreciate it. My kids have carried it on, so at Cooper, my grandson just turned 9, and we were at the birthday party.They always start all their family birthday parties with just the mom or dad saying what they're thankful for, with all the kids there. They do it with all the kids' friends there. I think not only is it a blessing to the other children, but it's a blessing to the parents that are there.We do that a lot in our church, too, with people on a birthday. I noticed Paul does that in his letters. He'll say, I so appreciate you because of this and this and this. I was talking to someone the other day, and I was like, Paul wrote to the Corinthians, who were the squirreliest church in all of the New Testament, and he starts out thanking the Lord for them. There is no one we can't find something to be thankful for.You know, that's really important, too, because I have heard people say they're in a really difficult marriage, and they're just like, there's nothing good about my husband, there's nothing good. And I'm like, does he go to work every day for your family? Okay, there's one thing. Do you have a house that you live in? There's always, even in the most difficult situations, you can find something to be thankful for.When Gratitude Shifts the AtmosphereIs there anything else? Maybe you're walking through a difficult situation at your home. Has there ever been a time where gratitude sort of shifted the atmosphere during that difficult situation?Meredith: My husband right now is battling cancer, and it's been really hard on my kids. The Lord has been really good, but one of the things that I notice is talking with one of my children, and we'll both be talking about dad, and then we'll both kind of sniff, you know, like, suck back the tears, and then we'll just talk about what we're grateful for, like, what the Lord has done.There's just so much that God always has done. I think because of that psalm that says, enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise—I always start with thanking God. Sometimes when I wake up in the morning, I just lay there and start thanking God. I've trained my children to try to find something to be thankful for, so even in the most difficult situations.The Miracle of Crab Legs and Strawberry CakeI remember years ago, this is over a decade ago, we didn't have money. We had enough money to pay some bills, but not all. The whole family, we got in the family room, and we got on our knees, and we were praying. We were desperate for God to come through, but yet our prayers were so filled with thankfulness.We were thanking Him for all the times in the past that He had provided. I remember when we got up as family from our knees, we were fully, fully confident God was gonna come through. I remember Jenny Rose saying, well, I just wonder how God is gonna take care of this. I know He will.There's no testimony without a trial. Sometimes in the middle of a trial, when you can even just thank the Lord—I thank you that there's going to be a testimony in this.One story I can tell you that has to do with thankfulness: my niece came to visit one summer. This is when Mike was in seminary. We had no money. I would make hair bows and sell them, and that was our grocery money. My niece was there, it was her birthday.I said, what would you like for your birthday? And then I thought, wow, why am I asking her this? She said, I would like a strawberry cake with vanilla frosting, and I would like crab legs.I took her hand, and I prayed with her this really simple prayer. She wasn't a believer at the time. I said, Lord, thank you that you're the God who provides, and you hear this little girl what she wants, and I pray that somehow you would do a miracle and provide for that. I was not necessarily full of faith. About 5 minutes later, I was kind of like, what have I done?We had this food pantry, and they would have, like, you could pay a dollar, and you could get a bag full of groceries. That day, never before and never again, they had a strawberry cake mix and a vanilla frosting. We brought it home, I made the cake.It was getting close to dinner, so I thought, okay, I'm just gonna have to tell her, sometimes God says no. We get a knock at the door, and our pastor comes in with a grocery bag, about 4 feet high, filled with crab legs. Can you take these off our hands?I just remember saying, nothing is impossible with God. That filled our hearts with so much thanksgiving, and believe it or not, almost every time we face a difficult situation, we remember that story. God has probably been thanked for that story by my kids that weren't even alive then.When we pray boldly and see God answer, it builds a thankful heart in us even more. When we see God move, it helps us when we face difficult circumstances, because then there's a groundwork that, yes, God is good.Building Faith Through GratitudeJust the fact that y'all—I think it's growing thankfulness with our kids, but also their faith. When they see things like that, they do want to be thankful and continue to look back at that, but that is just another little step of building their faith that, look, God came through for us.It's really important, personally, keeping a gratitude journal. If I had to do it over again, I would keep a family gratitude journal. That way, you can record the things your kids are saying, and when bad things happen, you pull that thing out and read some of them.God wants us to record what He's done, and to be able to remember. Sometimes it's just verbally saying it, but sometimes we forget what He's done. The other idea is that we really believe in miracles. Sometimes we don't ask, because we don't think he's going to come through, and yet you just shared stories. He came through!Practical Activities for the Holiday SeasonWe're going to be sort of in that Thanksgiving-Christmas season. Do you have any practical activities that parents could do, families could do, to really build a habit of gratitude in the hustle and bustle? How can we be intentional during these holiday seasons to build that habit of gratitude in our kids?Meredith: First of all, the 30-day gratitude Challenge. That is a great one. I love that it's geared for children and for teens.The thing that I talked about earlier of going around before Thanksgiving dinner and sharing things that you're thankful for. As we were talking, I just thought, you know what I'm gonna do for our church is put a post at the top of our Facebook group, and just put the word gratitude, and I'm just gonna ask people, would all this month, when things happen, will you just post under that things that the Lord did to come through, or answers to prayer?What I used to do when the kids were little at Thanksgiving is I would put up a poster. Sometimes I did an answered prayer poster, I would write answered prayer, and then I would make columns, and then as God answered prayers, we could list the prayers. Or other times it was just what I'm thankful for.There's a craft that I've done, a thankful tree, where you make leaves and write something you're thankful for and glue that on.Serving Others Creates Grateful HeartsI also think just serving others gives us a grateful heart. There's one thing that it's almost the time will almost be up to turn them in, but it's the Shoebox Franklin Graham's ministry. When the grandkids were really little, like 2 and 3, the oldest ones are 9 and 10, I would take them to the Dollar Tree, and they could fill the box, and then I would just purchase everything, and we would wrap it up, and they would write a note.That just instills thankfulness. It could be serving at a soup kitchen. One year, I remember we adopted a poor family, and I remember it was a really dilapidated part of town, and we climbed up these rickety steps to the apartment on the second floor and delivered presents. I remember my kids, on the way home, they were thinking, wow, we're so blessed. When you see other people struggling, you realize how blessed you are.Christmas Carols and Focusing on JesusAnother thing that we do is we sing Christmas carols and have devotions all through December. On Christmas Day, we have these super long devotions. It's basically Luke 2, with a Christmas carol after every verse. We always sing, like, 3 or 4 verses, so it takes us, like, an hour. Then we sing happy birthday to Jesus.What that has to do with thankfulness is it sets the tone that Christmas isn't about presents. Christmas is a birthday, it's about a king, it's a king's birthday. We're gonna make the main focus of this day, Jesus. When you focus on Jesus, even the fact that he came in the Roman Empire, which was so evil—we think times are evil now, but the Roman Empire was so evil.He was born to a poor family, and he lived a perfect life, and how many times did they try to kill him? Finally, he let them take his life, and he died for sins, and he rose again. The more that we can gaze on that as families, in ways that are fun and relaxing and filled with love, the more children can gaze on Christ, the more they will be thankful.I think Christmas carols—there's something so powerful about the words to Christmas carols, especially if you go beyond verse 1. Even the song, God Rest You, Merry Gentlemen, there's, like, 8 or 9 verses, and every one of them is powerful. I think that there's something about the theology in them and the old hymns, too, but especially at Christmas time, the carols. Focusing on Jesus creates a thankful heart, too. Above all.Oh gosh, it's been 10 or 15 years ago, we were singing O Come All Ye Faithful, and we were singing the third verse. There's a line in there, God of God and Light of Light. We were studying the Roman Empire after Jesus' time period, but the church was growing in our history. Athanasius was standing up to say, no, Jesus was actually God. He was on the run because they wanted to kill this man.That phrase in that O Come All You Faithful verse, God of God and Light of Lights, was exactly what they were saying back in history at that time. We need to expose our kids to the verses. Pick one Christmas carol each year, and just sing it all the time. Go into the verses, use it for copywork, talk about what that means at the dinner table.Serving others—we did the same thing. Steve was head of the Benevolence Fund, and he would pick one of the families that really needed help. We'd go buy a turkey dinner for them with all the fixings for four or five people. The first time I did it, I was at the store, and I was like, they've got kids. We should get some Christmas gifts for them.We did that for 10 or 15 years, and would take it to a family that didn't have much. It really puts your kids in—it gives perspective to what is going on around us. Too often, we see the people that seem to have more than us, and we don't always see the people that have less than us.Resources From MeredithIf people want to reach out to you, Meredith, what would be the best way to find out more about you?Meredith: I do have two resources that I think people would enjoy. One is called Celebrate Thanksgiving, and it has hymns and prayers and poems. It has the entire story of the pilgrims in it from going to Holland, and then coming back, and then going to the New World.It has a lot of different Thanksgiving things, like the Macy's Parade. Then it talks about how to plan Thanksgiving festivities, like a pie breakfast or a praise and prayer brunch, or the big traditional family dinner, or a family football game. It's got a lot of different social things that you can plan. Some are really simple, some are more challenging, and then planner sheets to do it.The other book is called Jesus Fill My Heart and Home, and it's a Bible study. It talks about, first of all, letting Jesus live and abide in our hearts. Then it talks about how to bring the presence of God into your home in a really practical way. It touches on cleaning and all kinds of aspects of homemaking, but it does have a great chapter on holidays.It goes through the different holidays and how to celebrate holidays with a Christ-centered focus. Those are available at PowerlineProd.com. I have a store, lots of resources, lots of curriculum, lots of high school classes, and Christmas unit studies.I also have a blog on the site, PowerlineProd.com, and if you go there, there's links to our Facebook group, Powerline Productions. You can find me on Instagram, Twitter, and everything else from there. I'd love to hear from you.Final EncouragementAs we close out, is there anything that you would like to leave our audience with?Meredith: Yes, I would like to say this. Life is hard. I'm sure some of you listening are going through challenges, maybe challenges with homeschooling your kids, maybe grown children who've wandered from the faith, maybe health challenges.Jesus promised—the least favorite promise in all of the New Testament is, in this world, you will have trouble. But it doesn't stop there. It goes on and it says, take heart, because I have overcome the world.I just want to remind you that Jesus has overcome the world, that He is for you, not against you, and that if you put your hope in Him and your trust in Him, He will pour out grace and provision for everything you go through in this life. He will open your eyes to see so much beauty, and so many blessings, and so many people who end up coming in and just wrapping their arms around you and loving you that you don't expect.Draw near to Him, He will draw near to you, and eventually, one day, if you know Him and are born again, you will be with Him in heaven forever. It starts with just opening your eyes and being grateful, but there is so much more.Ready to transform your home with thanksgiving? Sign up for the free 30 Days of Gratitude Challenge at HowToHomeschoolMyChild.com/gratitudechallenge. Join hundreds of families cultivating gratitude together starting November 1st!

Music isn't just background noise for young people—it's the soundtrack that shapes culture, identity, and even faith.That's why in this brand new podcast episode, Youth Culture & Music, we're diving into the world of Gen Z & Gen Alpha through the lens of music.

Are you growing spiritually or just getting older? In this episode of the Open Door Church podcast, Pastor Stephen Mizell tackles a crucial question every believer must answer: What's the difference between natural growth and intentional maturity? Drawing from Ephesians 4, Pastor Stephen reveals why salvation is just the starting line, not the finish line. He challenges us to move from being spiritual consumers to becoming spiritual contributors—from spectators in the stands to participants on the field. In this episode, you'll discover: Why growth is automatic but maturity requires intentional obedience How to walk worthy of your calling in Christ The difference between knowing Bible facts and looking like Jesus Why unity is evidence of maturity (and pride is the seed of division) How to move from consumer to contributor in God's kingdom What it means to be unshaken when culture shifts around you Pastor Stephen also shares a powerful, personal vision for the next season of ministry, including four specific commitments that will challenge and inspire you—whether you're a grandparent, a young person, a new believer, or someone sensing God's call to ministry. This isn't just another sermon about spiritual growth. It's a call to intentional maturity that will change how you walk out your faith every single day. Scripture: Ephesians 4:1-16 visitopendoor.com

Saying yes often looks like saying no. “Drop your nets. Leave your boats. Come and follow me.” - Jesus  Why does following Jesus mean leaving certain things behind? Like any other decision, following Jesus involves a cutting off. It is, as Jesus says, a narrow path (Matt 7:13-14). To truly say yes to Jesus, we also have to give other people and things a no. This is uncomfortable and requires trust in Jesus that there is much kindness, much wisdom, and much power in the narrow way.Come this Sunday to learn more about the strange gift of no.- Series Description - In our new series, So, You Want to Be A Christian?, we'll cover the beginning steps of following Jesus. At times, these are the steps we're begging self-proclaimed Christians in the public arena to follow. Other times, these are our steps as we grow in discipleship for the first time or as we're humbled by God to focus on the basics once again. Either way, we need to know how to grow in faith and how to respond to Jesus' words, “Follow me.”  Whether this journey of following Jesus is brand new for us or whether we've been following Jesus for decades, each day is another chance to respond to his call for an upside-down kind of life reflective of His otherworldly Kingdom.

In this powerful sermon from John chapter 6, Pastor Fortunato exposes one of the most dangerous traps in Christianity: seeking Jesus for what He can give you instead of who He is. After the miraculous feeding of the 5000, the crowd crossed the Sea of Galilee desperately searching for Jesus—but were they really seeking Him, or just another free meal? This convicting message from Pilgrim Baptist Church challenges every believer to examine their heart. Are you going through the motions of religion, or do you have a genuine relationship with Christ? Do you want the Master, or just the meals He provides? Pastor Fortunato unpacks the biblical truth that fame fades, worldly accomplishments don't matter in eternity, and we are not "self-righting boats"—we desperately need the Captain of our salvation to transform us. Drawing from the incredible survival story of Ernest Shackleton's Antarctic expedition, this sermon illustrates what true sacrifice and endurance look like. While Shackleton led 28 men through 497 days of impossible conditions in -20 degree weather, many Christians struggle to sacrifice one hour a week or have one uncomfortable conversation about Jesus. This powerful parallel will challenge you to stop chasing temporary things and start pursuing eternal life. In this biblical teaching, you'll discover: ✝️ Why seeking Jesus for material blessings misses the gospel message entirely ✝️ The difference between dead religion and life-giving relationship with Christ ✝️ How to examine your heart's true motives in following Jesus ✝️ Why persistence in seeking doesn't always mean you're finding the real Jesus ✝️ The call to labor for eternal things instead of what perishes

What if the very voice that created the heavens and the earth wanted to speak to you, personally, clearly, and today?In this episode of the Vibrant Living Podcast, I sit down with Lorraine Larzabal: worshiper, entrepreneur, global evangelist, twice cancer-conqueror, and passionate teacher of the Inductive Bible Study Method. For over 30 years, Lorraine has led thousands into their very first encounters of hearing God's voice for themselves.Her story is one of resilience, prophetic clarity, and undeniable healing. From facing cancer twice to traveling the world with the message of Jesus, Lorraine carries a radiant fire that draws people into God's Kingdom with love and power.Together, we explore:✨ How to hear God's voice in everyday life✨ The role of prophetic words and physical healing in restoration✨ Recovering from trauma through the presence of Jesus✨ Why intimacy with God is the doorway to divine confidenceThis is not just another conversation, it's an invitation to experience God in a fresh, life-changing way.

Jaymen Chase spent 25 years trapped in drug addiction—cocaine, crack, meth, pills, fentanyl. Multiple overdoses nearly killed him. But one day, after hitting what he thought was cocaine, Jaymen collapsed in an alley from a lethal dose of fentanyl.Instead of death, Jaymen found himself face to face with Jesus, who asked him a single question that changed everything: “Are you done yet?”That encounter ended decades of addiction instantly. Jaymen walked away completely sober, free, and transformed. He went from chasing highs to pursuing God's call—eventually becoming an evangelist and sharing his story of deliverance, restoration, and hope.In this conversation, Jaymen reveals:⇨ The trauma and abuse that fueled his addiction⇨ His terrifying overdose and encounter with Jesus⇨ Why he believes prayer saved his life⇨ How he was instantly set free from 25 years of drugs⇨ The radical transformation that followed-----------------------------Find Jaymen here:⇨ Website : https://lionheadministry.com/⇨ Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/jaymenchase/-------------------------------✟ Become a supporter of A Stronger Faith here ⇨ https://www.astrongerfaith.org/give-------------------------------✟ Recommend a guest for us here ⇨ https://www.astrongerfaith.org/contact-------------------------------✟ LISTEN/WATCH/SUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCAST ⇨ YouTube: https://bit.ly/asfmyoutube ---------------------------------✟ CONNECT WITH US! ⇨ Website: https://www.astrongerfaith.org/⇨ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/astrongerfaith/ ⇨ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@astrongerfaith ⇨ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/astrongerfaith------------------------------------✟ If you need prayer or deliverance, or if you would like to join us as a prayer partner, please visit our prayer resources page at https://www.astrongerfaith.org/prayer.✟ If you are looking for a good faith-building book, visit our recommended books page at https://www.astrongerfaith.org/books.

What drains the soul and what restores it?In this episode of Two Pastors and a Mic, Cory and Channock unpack Chapters 8 & 9 of Enough Already - What Brings A Soul Back To Life? and I Can't Do This Alone. Together, they dive into the impact of social media, division, and image management on the soul, and why honesty, grace, and connection are the real nutrients we all need.You'll hear:

What if fasting isn't about conquering your body but opening your hands in submission and surrender? This week's sermon explores fasting not as a ritual for results but as a response to  focus on Jesus. From Moses and Elijah to Jesus in the wilderness, fasting has always been about remembering God, releasing control, and hungering for the Bread of Life.

Have you ever wondered if you were really saved — or if you were just going through the motions of religion? In this raw and honest episode of the #MoreThanJustPretty Podcast, I share my personal testimony of realizing that for years I thought I was living as a Christian… but I wasn't truly walking in a real relationship with God. In this video we'll talk about:    •    The difference between religion vs. relationship with Jesus    •    Why so many people think they're saved but aren't truly born again    •    What it actually looks like to live in obedience to God (not culture)    •    Why Western Christianity often misses the heart of the Gospel    •    How to know if you're really walking with God or just following traditionThis year, God opened my eyes to what it really means to follow Christ—and it's nothing like the watered-down Christianity the world presents. If you've ever felt unsure about your salvation, or wondered if you're truly living for Jesus, this conversation will challenge and encourage you. Don't just settle for religion. God is calling you into a REAL relationship with Him. If this blessed you, make sure to LIKE, COMMENT, and SUBSCRIBE for more faith-based conversations about purpose, relationships, and walking boldly with God.#Christianity #Testimony #BornAgain #RelationshipWithGod #Obedience #Faith #JesusSaves #WesternChristianity #MoreThanJustPrettyPodcastSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/morethanjustpretty8749/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Kountry Wayne shares:How he made $13 million off his skits

Have You Lost Jesus In Your Life? Duncan Crook | July 13, 2025 ---------- EPISODE SUMMARY Have you ever lost track of a child for even a moment? That panic is nothing compared to losing fellowship with Jesus in your life. In this powerful message, Duncan Crook uses the story of 12-year-old Jesus being left behind in Jerusalem to reveal how even the most devoted believers can lose intimate fellowship with Christ. Through Luke 2:41-52, discover the difference between losing your relationship with Jesus (impossible) and losing fellowship with Him (all too common). Learn the warning signs, understand how it happens gradually, and most importantly, find the path back to restored intimacy with your Savior. Core Message: You can't lose your relationship with Jesus, but you can lose fellowship with Him - and there's a way back. ---------- KEY TOPICS COVERED The Reality of Lost Fellowship - The difference between losing relationship vs. losing fellowship with Jesus - Why even the closest believers can lose their sense of Jesus' presence - The story of the coworker who "found Jesus" then seemed to lose Him again The Biblical Foundation: Jesus Lost in Jerusalem - Jewish travel customs that explain how Mary and Joseph lost Jesus - The significance of Jesus' Bar Mitzvah and coming of age at 12 - Why both parents assumed Jesus was with the other group The Security of Salvation vs. Fellowship - Once saved, always saved - but not a license to sin - Marriage analogy: relationship vs. fellowship maintenance - Why true believers don't want to persist in sin Who Can Lose Fellowship with Jesus - The shocking truth: those closest to Him are most vulnerable - Former pastors, deacons, and church leaders who've fallen away - How you can attend church regularly and still lose fellowship The Gradual Nature of Spiritual Drift - Why losing Jesus doesn't happen overnight - The danger of small steps away from Christ - The Inuit wolf-hunting illustration about gradual spiritual destruction The Samson Syndrome - How Samson lost God's presence without realizing it - The tragedy of assuming God is still with you while living in sin - Recognition that spiritual strength comes from God, not ourselves The Path Back to Fellowship - Step 1: Acknowledge that you have left Him - Step 2: Diligently begin to seek Him with persistence - Step 3: Return to the place you left Him David's Example of Restoration - How "a man after God's own heart" lost fellowship through compromise - The progression from spiritual laziness to adultery and murder - Psalm 51 as a model for genuine repentance and restoration ---------- MEMORABLE QUOTES "Have you ever been somewhere with a small child and turn your back for a second- and the child has gone?" "How easy it is to sometimes seem to lose Jesus in our lives." "I have a good Greek word for that: Hogwash." "If you are born again, you don't want to sin! You are a new creature in Christ." "Has there ever been a time in your life when you were consistently closer to Jesus than you are right now? If the answer is yes, then you have lost Jesus." "Sometimes we stay so busy in church doing religious things that we miss Jesus." "Jesus didn't leave Mary and Joseph; they left Him." "You can't afford one day out of fellowship with Jesus." "He awoke from his sleep and thought, 'I'll go out as before and shake myself free.' But he did not know that the Lord had left him." "You will never reclaim fellowship with Jesus until you are honest enough to acknowledge that you have lost it." "You will need to take as many steps back to fellowship as you took walking away." ---------- BIBLICAL FOUNDATION - Primary Text: Luke 2:41-52 (Jesus in the Temple at age 12) - Supporting Texts: Judges 16:20 (Samson), Psalm 51:10-11 (David's repentance) - Key Theme: The difference between relationship and fellowship with Christ - Context: Jewish Passover customs and coming-of-age traditions ---------- PRACTICAL APPLICATION If You're Questioning Your Fellowship: - Ask yourself: "Has there ever been a time when I was consistently closer to Jesus than I am right now?" - Examine your heart honestly, not just your church attendance - Don't assume religious activity equals intimate fellowship If You've Recognized Lost Fellowship: - Acknowledge it honestly without making excuses or blaming others - Begin seeking Jesus diligently and persistently - it may take time - Return to the specific place or situation where you left Him If You're in Church Leadership: - Remember that being close to Jesus doesn't make you immune to losing fellowship - Don't let busyness in ministry substitute for personal intimacy with Christ - Be watchful for the gradual drift that can happen to anyone If You're Struggling with Sin: - Recognize that small steps away from Jesus become giant leaps - Don't deceive yourself that Jesus is okay with compromise - Remember that sin has an exponential, infectious nature If You're Helping Others: - Look for those who may have lost fellowship while maintaining appearances - Encourage persistence in seeking restoration - it's not always immediate - Point people back to where they left Jesus, not just to religious activity ---------- THE ULTIMATE INVITATION God the Father is waiting for you to return to Him. When you do, He won't condemn, criticize, or punish you. He's going to welcome you with open arms, embrace you with His grace, enfold you with His love, and shower you with His mercy. You can be saved and going to heaven, but your fellowship and intimacy with Jesus can be spoiled. Will you admit it and start seeking the Lord persistently and diligently? Are you willing to return to where you left Him? ---------- Remember: Fellowship with Jesus requires the same diligence as any relationship - it must be maintained through consistent communion, honest acknowledgment of problems, and persistent effort to restore what's been lost.

The Voice of God God: My Pronouns Are I / Us Essential Church June 29, 2025 SUMMARY The message focuses on the role and significance of the Holy Spirit within the Christian faith. It begins with a depiction of a Baptist church member seeking the Holy Ghost to fill his congregation, emphasizing the desire for spiritual movement and presence. The pastor delves into the nature of the Holy Spirit, clarifying that it is not an abstract force but a person within the Trinity, which is one in essence but three in person. The discussion highlights the Holy Spirit's role in pointing believers towards Jesus Christ, emphasizing that the Spirit's work is to make individuals more Christ-like. The message also explores the concept of the Holy Spirit working with, in, and through believers, using the analogy of a theatrical play where God is the director, Jesus takes center stage, and the Holy Spirit is like the tech crew, orchestrating the unseen elements that enhance the experience. Furthermore, the pastor addresses common misconceptions about the hierarchy within the Trinity, likening it to a baseball team where each member knows their role without a single person calling all the shots. The message concludes with a prayer, asking for sensitivity to the Holy Spirit's guidance and a deeper relationship with God. DISCUSSION QUESTIONS 1. **Role of the Holy Spirit**: How does the message describe the role of the Holy Spirit in the life of a believer? What are the three prepositions used to explain this role? 2. **Focus on Jesus**: Why does the pastor emphasize that the Holy Spirit always points towards Jesus Christ? How can this understanding affect a believer's relationship with the Holy Spirit? 3. **Trinity Analogy**: The message uses a baseball team analogy to describe the Trinity. How does this analogy help clarify the roles within the Trinity? Do you find this analogy effective? 4. **Misconceptions about the Holy Spirit**: What are some common misconceptions about the Holy Spirit mentioned in the video? How does the speaker address these misconceptions? 5. **Personal Experience**: The pastor shares personal experiences of overcoming challenges with the help of the Holy Spirit. How do these stories illustrate the practical work of the Holy Spirit in everyday life? 6. **Empowerment and Gifts**: The message discusses the debate over supernatural fillings versus the enhancement of God-given talents. What are your thoughts on this debate? How do you see the Holy Spirit working in your own life? 7. **Prayer and Sensitivity**: The message concludes with a prayer for sensitivity to the Holy Spirit's guidance. How can believers cultivate this sensitivity in their daily lives?

Have you ever felt overlooked or like you didn't belong? In this powerful episode of Chosen By Jesus, Kelley and Taylor Tyan remind you of this life-changing truth: You are chosen—not because of what you've done, but because of who God is. Together, they unpack Ephesians 1, revealing what it means to be loved, accepted, and set apart by God before the foundation of the world. Whether you're struggling with comparison, carrying rejection, or craving deeper purpose, this message is for you. You don't have to be perfect to be used by God. You just have to be willing. In This Episode: What Ephesians 1 reveals about being chosen by Jesus Why your identity in Christ silences the lies of not being enough How to stop striving for approval and live from spiritual peace Testimonies of healing through Jesus A prayer to release shame and embrace your true worth Key Verse: “He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world…” – Ephesians 1:4 If you're tired of performing, comparing, or feeling unseen—this episode is your invitation to step into God's love and truth. You are chosen. You are loved. You are enough. Follow Kelley & Taylor Instagram: @chosenbyjesuscbj Subscribe to the podcast and never miss a new episode. Share this with a friend who needs to know: they are chosen too. you are chosen, identity in Christ, loved by God, Ephesians 1 devotional, chosen by Jesus, Christian podcast, top-rated Christian podcast, Christian encouragement, Christian women podcast, healing through Jesus, purpose in Christ, not perfect but chosen 

Officers Sent to Arrest Jesus“the Pharisees and the chief priests sent officers to take him”They sent officers to arrest Jesus Why, what did he do? He was righteous, holy, just, merciful, kind, went about doing good, healing all manner of diseases, and daily teaching in the temple. They didn't know where Jesus came from, and they didn't know where he was going because they were blind, and their hearts were hard. Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.

“You might think it's over… but this is where God begins.” In this powerful message from Exodus 2:11–25, Pastor Nick teaches how rock bottom isn't the end of your story—it's the start of God's greater plan. We look at the life of Moses, a man who had everything, blew it all, and found himself hiding in the desert with nothing left to show… and yet, God wasn't done.

Is it possible to change how you think… for good? In this powerful new message from Pastor Ken Senchal, we dive into what it means to develop the mind of Christ and why that process changes everything. From breaking old thought patterns to aligning our lives with God's truth, this teaching is packed with insight and hope. You'll learn: What sanctification means for your thoughts and emotions The difference between the mind of Christ and the mind of darkness How to catch, challenge, and change your thoughts to honor Jesus Why loving like Christ starts with thinking like Christ

No fluff. Just truth.If you're raising boys right now, this episode is your wake-up call. Culture is confusing masculinity, and too many dads are either checking out or crushing their sons under perfectionism. But there's a better way—a faith-fueled, gritty, grace-filled path to raising godly men.

In a world full of distractions, pressures, and spiritual noise, it's easy to find ourselves drifting, not out of rebellion, but in neglect. One day we wake up and realize we're not as close to God as we used to be.In Hebrews 2:1–4, we unpack the subtle but serious danger of spiritual drift. Through it you'll learn:✅ Why drifting from God often happens slowly and silently✅ How to recognize warning signs in your walk with Christ✅ What it means to “pay closer attention” to the gospel✅ How to re-anchor your soul in the truth of Jesus✅ Why your testimony still matters todayWhether you've drifted a little or feel far from where you once were, this message is for you. The Savior still calls. The anchor still holds. It's time to come back.

Garth Heckman TDAgiantSlayer@Gmail.com The David Alliance      What are the marks of a man in history?      Across the globe, various cultures have developed unique and often intense rituals to mark a young male's transition into manhood. These rites of passage serve to test physical and mental fortitude, impart cultural knowledge, and solidify the individual's place within the community. Here are a few examples: Amazonian Tribes (e.g., Sateré-Mawé): A particularly grueling ritual involves the "bullet ant glove." Young men must wear gloves filled with hundreds of highly venomous bullet ants, enduring excruciating pain to demonstrate their strength and resilience. Ethiopian Tribes (e.g., Hamar): The "bull-jumping" ceremony requires young men to leap across the backs of several cattle, proving their agility and courage. Pacific Islands (e.g., Vanuatu): "Land diving" involves young men jumping from tall wooden towers with vines tied to their ankles, a dangerous feat that tests their bravery. Australian Aboriginal Cultures: "Walkabout" is a traditional journey where young men venture into the wilderness for extended periods, learning survival skills and cultural knowledge. Various African Cultures: Circumcision rituals are common, symbolizing the transition from boyhood to manhood. There are also many cultures that have rituals that include periods of isolation, where the young men are taught the traditional laws, and history of their people. Jewish Culture: The Bar Mitzvah, at age 13, marks a young man's religious coming-of-age, signifying his responsibility to observe Jewish law. These rituals often involve: Physical endurance: Tests of strength, pain tolerance, and survival skills. Spiritual or ceremonial elements: Rituals that connect the individual to their cultural heritage and beliefs. Community recognition: Public ceremonies that acknowledge the young man's new status within the group. Instruction and knowledge transfer: Older men imparting essential skills and cultural wisdom to the initiates. It's important to approach these cultural practices with respect and understanding, recognizing their significance within their respective communities.   What are my three marks of a man in todays world? Here are the three I think are relevant for your society.   Save your virginity until marriage   Serve others as a lifestyle    Evangelize the lost - tell others about Jesus   Why these three? They do three things…    Evangelism: It challenges you to learn. You must learn scripture, learn how to read people. Learn how to share the gospel with differing people, belief systems and environments. Learn how to answer questions that have a biblical backing, loving in nature and make God look good. And how to hear the voice of the Holy Spirit.    Servanthood. It challenges you to live outside your world and the worlds view (its all about me - its all about what my eyes want, my soul wants, my appetites want, what my pride wants… servanthood crushes that) One should monthly - and honestly more than once a month… but you should be serving in a capacity where you help others less fortunate than you. There are dozens of areas… food pantry, boys club, Prison ministry, Tutor kids, babysit for single parents,  visit a nursing home, Go hand out sandwiches to the homeless, help your church in some serving role, houses for humanity, work at a pet shelter… And part of serving is giving your money and not just your time.      They challenge you to learn discipline and reliance on the Holy Spirit to tame your most powerful, lustful and fleshly desires. If you can't tame your sex drive you will never fully be able to serve God with all your heart. It is the proving ground of truly wanting to be a man of God - more than evangelism and servanthood. If a girl/woman wants to marry a Christian man and he cannot handle is sex drive than he is simply confessing through his actions that his fleshly desires are more important than God and his word.

Today, Michael welcomes renowned speaker, teacher, and multiple #1 New York Times bestselling author, Marianne Williamson. A long-time leader of spiritually progressive circles, Marianne is the author of 16 books, including the bestsellers A Woman's Worth, The Law of Divine Compensation, Tears to Triumph, and The Gift of Change. With her books and online classes, Marianne has taught millions of people the universal spiritual principles at the heart of miracle-minded thinking. She is also a former U.S. Presidential candidate. Her latest book, The Mystic Jesus: The Mind of Love, is available online and at bookstores everywhere. *Plus, find out about Michael's upcoming one-day, live in-person and online event, “New Year's Meditation Reset: The Promise, The Practice & The Possibilities,” on January 4, 2025, in Los Angeles. See the link and details below!* Highlights from Michael and Marianne's conversation include: -Who is the mystic Jesus compared to the traditional, historical Jesus -Why Jesus isn't the “only son of God,” and why no one religion should “monopolize” Jesus -Why certain metaphysical and ‘higher consciousness' communities have tended to keep Jesus out of the conversation, and the importance of embracing his teachings -Unlearning Christian dogma to get to Christ; understanding heaven, hell, the crucifixion, and the resurrection in mystical terms; how to be more loving and finding unity beyond the separateness that appears to be driving society apart; and so much more! Next, Michael leads a guided meditation on waking up to our God-nature and Christ-consciousness. *Are you ready to recalibrate to your highest frequency, align with your highest vision, and step into your full potential in 2025? Join Michael Beckwith for an extraordinary LIVE one-day Intensive—New Year's Meditation Reset: The Promise, The Practice & The Possibilities–happening in-person and online via livestream on Saturday, January 4, 2025, 10 AM - 3:30 PM PT. Click here to register and for more details: https://agapemasterclass.com/2025-new-years-intensive/. Get your copy of “The Mystic Jesus,” find out about Marianne's upcoming events, and follow her here: https://marianne.com/ and on social media.  Subscribe or follow and set an alert to receive notifications each Wednesday when new episodes are available! Connect with Michael at his new website – https://michaelbeckwith.com/ – and receive his guided meditation, “Raise Your Vibration and Be Untouchable” when you sign up to receive occasional updates from Michael!  You can also connect with him at https://agapelive.com/. Facebook: @Michael.B.Beckwith https://www.facebook.com/Michael.B.Beckwith IG: @michaelbbeckwith https://www.instagram.com/michaelbbeckwith/ X:  @drmichaelbb https://twitter.com/drmichaelbb YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqMWuqEKXLY4m60gNDsw61w And as always, deep gratitude to the sponsors of the Take Back Your Mind with Michael B. Beckwith podcast: -Agape International Spiritual Center: https://agapelive.com/ and -NutriRise, the makers of Michael's AdaptoZen products: -Superfood Greens: https://nutririse.com/products/greens-superfood?_pos=1&_sid=2057ecc52&_ss=r -Superfood Reds: https://nutririse.com/products/adaptozen-superfood-reds   -ELEVATE Mushroom Complex: https://nutririse.com/products/elevate-mushroom-complex  -ELEVATE+: Organic Fermented Mushrooms: https://nutririse.com/products/elevate-fermented-mushrooms-powder 

·       If you don't know how faith works, you won't know how to fix it when it breaks.  ·       Faith means you trust what God does for you, not what you do for yourself.  ·       Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see – Hebrews 11:1 ·       Pic of Text Screenshot ·       1 Corinthians 1:27-29 - 27 But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; 28 God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, 29 so that no human being[a] might boast in the presence of God. ·       “The Corinthians were sermon connoisseurs, critiquing their preachers as entertainers rather than critiquing themselves as Christians” - Ray Ortlund ·       1 Corinthians 2:1-2 - 1 And I, when I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom. 2 For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. ·       Glorify God ·       VIDEO of Students and Leaders ·       Why do you love and follow Jesus ·       Less Presentation. More Presence. Less Noise. More Space. Less Head. More Heart. ·       1 Corinthians 2:3-5 - 3 And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling, 4 and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, 5 so that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God. ·       1 Corinthians 3:10 - “10 According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation, and someone else is building upon it. Let each one take care how he builds upon it.” ·      1 Corinthians 2:4-5 - 4 and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, 5 so that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God. ·      5 Core Beliefs based on Acts 2 ·       Jesus is sent from God ·       Jesus' divinity is shown by miracles/great works ·       Jesus was crucified by men according to God's plan ·       Jesus was raised from the dead ·       Our response: Repent and Believe ·       δύναμις dýnamis - power or ability ·       Jesus ·       If your faith is broken, look up to Jesus ·       Why do I love and follow Jesus?  Sermon Discussion Questions Starter: When is a most recent time where you let secondary issues distract you from your faith in Jesus?  How did it effect those around you? 1.    Read 1 Corinthians 2:1-5 2.    What are some “secondary issues” that pull your focus from Jesus today? a.    Styles of worship, the person preaching, the bible translation you use, etc. b.    How have these secondary issues robbed the church from reaching future generations? 3.    What does it mean for you to rest in God's power? 4.    Why do you love and follow Jesus? 5.    How have me overcomplicated what it means to focus on Jesus? 6.    What is one thing you are going to do to help you better focus on Jesus?

“I have never seen such a strong curiosity around Jesus than I do with this upcoming generation. It's time we build the CHURCH, not a crowd.” father, husband, author, Global Next Gen director Shane Pruitt Today we have the HONOR of having my new friend Shane Pruitt on the pod! She's a rockstar father, husband, preacher, and author.  In this episode we talk all things: Why there is so much hope for this upcoming generation The #1 question this upcoming gen is asking about Jesus Why the VALLEYS of life are where the fruit is God doesn't promise us an easy life but an eternal life  I pray this blesses you friend!

Cerebus Creator Dave Sim and A Moment of Cerebus Interim Editor "Manly" Matt Dow have been doing this for a few years now. If this is your first time, welcome. But we're reasonably certain that you're a returning customer, and know the score. Dave and Matt talk about: The Continuity of TMNT #8 and Spawn #10 Steve Peters and his Sparky: Cosmic Delinquent Kickstarter Who used the Lectratone, and when? Dave's favorite Cerebus covers What are the beliefs one has to hold to be a Marxist? A correction regarding last month's discussion of Chester Brown's Mary Wept Over the Feet of Jesus Why the earliest Cerebus Trade collections are "spineless" Does Dave do commissions? A discussion of Monotheism A discussion of Jim Valentino Dave's thoughts on Manga The amazing price a slabbed Cerebus #1 went for The two different covers of Swords of Cerebus #1 The 1982 Tour book It's the total package. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/matt-dow/support

What if virgin birth isn't simply a story, but a real and documented ancient phenomenon? This is the topic I explore in the latest episode with my guest today, Dr. Marguerite Rigoglioso. Marguerite is the founder of Seven Sisters Mystery School, a world-renowned teacher of sacred knowledge, and the foremost authority on the history of virgin birth. A trusted mentor to people on healing and spiritual paths, she draws on her decades-long research and experiences with Mother Mary and Mary Magdalene to help uncover their hidden, timeless teachings and apply them to our present-day needs. The award-winning author of several books including "The Secret Life of Mother Mary: Divine Feminine Power for Personal Healing and Planetary Awakening," and "The Mystery Tradition of Miraculous Conception: Mary and the Lineage of Virgin Births." In this episode we discuss: Marguerite's introduction to the Sacred Feminine, first through her interest in Mary Magdalene during her upbringing in the Catholic Church, and later through classes and Goddess pilgrimages which eventually led her to academia Marguerite's research into the history of virgin and divine births in Ancient Greece, and how this eventually led her to studying the story and history of Mary's birth of Jesus Why the practice of virgin birth existed and how it was practiced by divine priestesses The work of the late Sri Kaleshwar and his teachings on the holy womb chakraWhy Marguerite feels this information is coming to the forefront of consciousness at this moment in timeNotes related to this episode: You can learn more about Marguerite and her work at www.sevensistersmysteryschool, and follow her on social media: facebook.com/sevensistersmysteryschool and instagram.com/margueriterigogliosoRegister now for Marguerite's Free Masterclass: What's a ‘Mary' Priestess? What's a ‘Magdalene' Priestess? And is This a Path for YOU? https://www.sevensistersmysteryschool.com/mary-magdalene-priestess-training/#masterclassAnd find out more about her Mary & Magdalene Priestess Training: https://www.sevensistersmysteryschool.com/mary-magdalene-priestess-training/Marguerite mentioned several people's work including the channelers Sanaya Roman and Barbara Brennan, Greta Bro and the late Carol P. Christ, Anna Maria Corredini and Drunvalo Melchizedek and the book "The Ancient Secret of the Flower of Life"She also spoke of the books of Claire Heartsong, including "Anna, Grandmother of Jesus" and "Anna, Voice of the Magdalenes"We also discussed the teachings of the late Sri Kaleshwar and the Divine Mother Center in Laytonville, CaliforniaAnd here are a few more details about this show and my work:If you'd like to know whose ancestral tribal lands you currently reside on, you can look up your address here: https://native-land.ca/You can also visit the Coalition of Natives and Allies for more helpful educational resources about Indigenous rights and history.Please – if you love this podcast and/or have read my book, please consider leaving me a review, and thank you for supporting my work!You can also access video episodes on the Home to Her YouTube channelFor more Sacred Feminine goodness and to stay up to date on all episodes, please follow me on Instagram: @hometoher.To dive into conversation about the Sacred Feminine, join the Facebook group: / hometoherTo go deeper in your Sacred Feminine explorations, check out the course offerings via Home to Her Academy: www.hometoheracademy.comAnd to read about the Sacred Feminine, check out my award-winning book Home to Her: Walking the Transformative Path of the Sacred Feminine (Womancraft Publishing), available on Audible and wherever you buy your books!. If you've read it, your reviews on Goodreads and Amazon are greatly...

Welcome to the Season four kick-off! Today, we have our first interview with one of the authors from our anthology on Christianity and American politics, the incredible Dr. Randy Woodley. The episode includes:-        How dualism defines White worldviews, and how it negatively affects White Christians-        How love and vulnerability are central to a life with Jesus-        Why our voting decisions matter to marginalized people-        And after the interview in our new segment, hear Jonathan and Sy talk about the attack on teaching Black history in schools, and the greater responsibility White people need to take for their feelings about historical factsResources Mentioned in the Episode-            Dr. Woodley's essay in our anthology: “The Fullness Thereof.”-            Dr. Woodley's book he wrote with his wife, now available for pre-order: Journey to Eloheh: How Indigenous Values Led Us to Harmony and Well-Being-            Dr. Woodley's recent children's books, the Harmony Tree Trilogy-            Our highlight from Which Tab Is Still Open?: The podcast conversation with Nikole Hannah-Jones and Jelani Cobb-            The book A Race Is a Nice Thing to Have: A Guide to Being a White Person or Understanding the White Persons in Your LifeCredits-        Follow KTF Press on Facebook, Instagram, and Threads. Subscribe to get our newsletter and bonus episodes at KTFPress.com.-        Follow host Jonathan Walton on Facebook Instagram, and Threads.-        Follow host Sy Hoekstra on Mastodon.-        Our theme song is “Citizens” by Jon Guerra – listen to the whole song on Spotify.-        Our podcast art is by Robyn Burgess – follow her and see her other work on Instagram.-        Production by Sy Hoekstra.-        Transcript by Joyce Ambale and Sy HoekstraTranscript[An acoustic guitar softly plays six notes, the first three ascending and the last three descending – F#, B#, E, D#, B – with a keyboard pad playing the note B in the background. Both fade out as Jonathan Walton says “This is a KTF Press podcast.”]Randy Woodley: So the Europeans were so set in this dualistic mindset that they began to kill each other over what they consider to be correct doctrine. So we had the religious wars all throughout Europe, and then they brought them to the United States. And here we fought by denomination, so we're just like, “Well I'm going to start another denomination. And I'm going to start another one from that, because I disagree with you about who gets baptized in what ways and at what time,” and all of those kinds of things. So doctrine then, what we think about, and theology, becomes completely disembodied to the point now where the church is just looked at mostly with disdain.[The song “Citizens” by Jon Guerra fades in. Lyrics: “I need to know there is justice/ That it will roll in abundance/ And that you're building a city/ Where we arrive as immigrants/ And you call us citizens/ And you welcome us as children home.” The song fades out.]Jonathan Walton: Welcome to Shake the Dust, seeking Jesus, confronting injustice. My name is Jonathan Walton.Sy Hoekstra: And I am Sy Hoekstra, we are so excited to be starting our interviews with our writers from our Anthology in 2020 that we published when we [resigned voice] had the same election that we're having this year [Jonathan laughs]. So it's still relevant at least, and we're really excited to bring you Dr. Randy Woodley today. Jonathan, why don't you tell everyone a bit about Dr. Woodley?Jonathan Walton: Yeah. So Dr. Woodley is a distinguished professor emeritus of faith and culture at George Fox Seminary in Portland, Oregon. His PhD is in intercultural studies. He's an activist, a farmer, a scholar, and active in ongoing conversations and concerns about racism, diversity, eco-justice, reconciliation ecumen… that's a good word.Sy Hoekstra: Ecumenism [laughter].Jonathan Walton: Ecumenism, interfaith dialogue, mission, social justice and indigenous peoples. He's a Cherokee Indian descendant recognized by the Keetoowah Band. He is also a former pastor and a founding board member of the North American Institute for Indigenous Theological Studies, or NAIITS, as we call it. Dr. Woodley and his wife Edith are co-founders and co-sustainers of Eloheh Indigenous Center for Earth Justice situated on farmland in Oregon. Their Center focuses on developing, implementing and teaching sustainable and regenerative earth practices. Together, they have written a book called Journey to Eloheh: How Indigenous Values Led Us to Harmony and Well-Being, which will come out in October. It's available for preorder now, you should definitely check it out. Dr. Woodley also released children's books called Harmony Tree.In our conversation, we talk about what he thinks is the key reason Western Christians have such a hard time following Jesus well, the centrality of love in everything we do as followers of Jesus, the importance of this year's elections to marginalize people, and Dr. Woodley's new books, and just a lot more.Sy Hoekstra: His essay in our book was originally published in Sojourners. It was one of the very few not original essays we had in the book, but it's called “The Fullness Thereof,” and that will be available in the show notes. I'll link to that along with a link to all the books that Jonathan just said and everything else. We're also going to be doing a new segment that we introduced in our bonus episodes, if you were listening to those, called Which Tab Is Still Open?, where we do a little bit of a deeper dive into one of the recommendations from our newsletter. So this week, it will be on The Attack on Black History in schools, a conversation with Jelani Cobb and Nikole Hannah-Jones. It was a really great thing to listen to. That'll be in the show notes to hear our thoughts on it after the interview.Jonathan Walton: Absolutely. And friends, we need your help. We're going into a new phase of KTF, and as you know, this is a listener supported show. So everything we do at KTF to help people leave the idols of America and seek Jesus and confront injustice is only possible because you are supporting us. And in this next phase, we need a lot more supporters. So we've been doing this show, and all of our work in KTF as kind of a side project for a few years, but we want to make it more sustainable. So if you've ever thought about subscribing and you can afford it, please go to and sign up now. And if you can't afford it, all you got to do is email us and we'll give you a free discounted subscription. No questions asked, because we want everyone to have access to our content, bonus episode, and the subscriber community features.So if you can afford it, please do go to www.ktfpress.com, subscribe and make sure these conversations can continue, and more conversations like it can be multiplied. Thanks in advance. Oh, also, because of your support, our newsletter is free right now. So if you can't be a paid subscriber, go and sign up for the free mailing list at www.ktfpress.com and get our media recommendations every week in your inbox, along with things that are helping us stay grounded and hopeful as we engage with such difficult topics at the intersection of church and politics, plus all the news and everything going on with us at KTF. So, thank you so, so much for the subscribers we already have. Thanks in advance for those five-star reviews, they really do help us out, and we hope to see you on www.ktfpress.com as subscribers. Thanks.Sy Hoekstra: Let's get into the interview, I have to issue an apology. I made a rookie podcasting mistake and my audio sucks. Fortunately, I'm not talking that much in this interview [laughter]. Randy Woodley is talking most of the time, and his recording comes to you from his home recording studio. So that's nice. I'll sound bad, but most of the time he's talking and he sounds great [Jonathan laughs]. So let's get right into it. Here's the interview.[the intro piano music from “Citizens” by Jon Guerra plays briefly and then fades out.]What Dualism Is, and How It's Infected the White ChurchJonathan Walton: So, Dr. Woodley, welcome to Shake The Dust. Thank you so much for being here. Thank you so much for contributing to our Anthology in the way that you contributed [laughs].Randy Woodley: I'm glad to be here. Thank you.Jonathan Walton: Yeah. Your essay, I mean, was really, really great. We're going to dive deep into it. But you wrote in the essay, the primary difference in the lens through which Western and indigenous Christians see the world is dualism. And so if you were able to just define what is dualism, and why is it a crucial thing for Western Christians to understand about our faith, that'd be great to kick us off.Randy Woodley: Yeah, except for I think I want to draw the line differently than the question you just asked.Jonathan Walton: Okay.Randy Woodley: When we say indigenous Christians, by and large, Christians who are Native Americans have been assimilated into a Western worldview. It's a battle, and there's lots of gradient, there's a gradient scale, so there's lots of degrees of that. But by and large, because of the assimilation efforts of missionaries and churches and Christianity in general, our Native American Christians would probably veer more towards a Western worldview. But so I want to draw that line at traditional indigenous understandings as opposed to indigenous Christian understandings. Okay. So, yeah, Platonic Dualism is just a sort of… I guess to make it more personal, I started asking the question a long time ago, like what's wrong with White people [Sy laughs]? So that's a really valid question, a lot of people ask it, right? But then I kind of got a little more sophisticated, and I started saying, well, then what is whiteness? What does that mean? And then tracing down whiteness, and a number of deep studies and research, and trying to understand where does whiteness really come from, I really ended up about 3000 years ago with the Platonic Dualism, and Western civilization and the Western worldview. And so Plato of course was the great dualist, and he privileged the ethereal over the material world, and then he taught his student, Aristotle. So just to be clear for anybody who, I don't want to throw people off with language. So the thing itself is not the thing, is what Plato said, it's the idea of what the thing is. And so what he's doing is splitting reality. So we've got a holistic reality of everything physical, everything ethereal, et cetera. So Plato basically split that and said, we privilege and we are mostly about what we think about things, not what actually exists an our physical eyes see, or any senses understand. So that split reality… and then he taught Aristotle, and I'm going to make this the five-minute crash course, or two minutes maybe would be better for this [laughs]. Aristotle actually, once you create hierarchies in reality, then everything becomes hierarchical. So men become over women, White people become over Black people. Humans become over the rest of creation. So now we live in this hierarchical world that continues to be added to by these philosophers.Aristotle is the instructor, the tutor to a young man named Alexander, whose last name was The Great. And Alexander basically spreads this Platonic Dualism, this Greek thinking around the whole world, at that time that he could figure out was the world. It goes as far as North Africa and just all over the known world at that time. Eventually, Rome becomes the inheritor of this, and then we get the Greco-Roman worldview. The Romans try to improve upon it, but basically, they continue to be dualist. It gets passed on, the next great kingdom is Britain, Great Britain. And then of course America is the inheritor of that. So Great Britain produces these movements.In fact, between the 14th and 17th century, they have the Renaissance, which is a revival of all this Greek thinking, Roman, Greco-Roman worldview, architecture, art, poetry, et cetera. And so these become what we call now the classics, classic civilization. When we look at what's the highest form of civilization, we look back to, the Western worldview looks back to Greek and Greece and Rome and all of these, and still that's what's taught today to all the scholars. So, during this 14th to 17th century, there's a couple pretty big movements that happen in terms of the West. One, you have the enlightenment. The enlightenment doubles down on this dualism. You get people like René Descartes, who says, “I am a mind, but I just have a body.” You get Francis Bacon, who basically put human beings over nature. You get all of this sort of doubling down, and then you also have the birth of another, what I would call the second of the evil twins, and that is the Reformation. [exaggerated sarcastic gasp] I'll give the audience time to respond [laughter]. The Reformation also doubles down on this dualism, and it becomes a thing of what we think about theology, instead of what we do about theology. So I think I've said before, Jesus didn't give a damn about doctrine. So it became not what we actually do, but what we think. And so the Europeans were so set in this dualistic mindset that they began to kill each other over what they consider to be correct doctrine. So we had the religious wars all throughout Europe, and then they brought them to the United States. And here we fought by denomination, so just like, “Well, I'm going to start another denomination. And I'm going to start another one from that, because I disagree with you about who gets baptized in what ways, and at what time,” and all of those kinds of things.So doctrine then, what we think about, and theology becomes what we're thinking about. And it becomes completely disembodied, to the point now where the church is just looked at mostly with disdain, because it doesn't backup the premises that it projects. So it talks about Jesus and love and all of these things. And yet it's not a reflection of that, it's all about having the correct beliefs, and we think that's what following Jesus is. So when I'm talking about Platonic Dualism, I'm talking about something deeply embedded in our worldview. Not just a thought, not just a philosophy, but a whole worldview. It's what we see as reality. And so my goal is to convert everyone from a Western worldview, which is not sustainable, and it will not project us into the future in a good way, to a more indigenous worldview.Dr. Woodley's Influences, and How He's Influenced OthersSy Hoekstra: So let's talk about that effort then, because you have spent effectively decades trying to do just that.Randy Woodley: Exactly.Sy Hoekstra: Working with both indigenous and non-indigenous people. So tell us what some of the good fruit that you see as you disciple people out of this dualistic thinking?Randy Woodley: I feel like that question is supposed to be answered by the people I effected at my memorial service, but…Sy Hoekstra: [laughter] Well, you can answer for yourself.Jonathan Walton: Yeah, I mean…Randy Woodley: Yeah, I mean, it's a bit braggadocious if I start naming names and all those kinds of things [Sy laughs]. I would just say that I've had influence in people's lives along with other influences. And now, I mean, first of all when I look back, I look and the most important thing to me is my children know I love them with all my heart and I did the best I could with them. And then secondly, the people who I taught became my friends. And the people I've mentored became my friends and I'm still in relationship with so many of them. That's extremely important to me. That's as important as anything else. And then now I look and I see there's people and they've got podcasts and they've got organizations and they've got denominations and they're... I guess overall, the best thing that I have done to help other people over the years is to help them to ask good questions in this decolonization effort and this indigenous effort. So yeah, I've done a little bit over the years.Sy Hoekstra: [laughs] How about for yourself? Because I don't think, I think one of the reasons you started asking these questions was to figure things out for yourself. What fruit have you seen in your own “walk,” as evangelicals might put it?Randy Woodley: Well, I think as you get older, you get clarity. And you also realize that people who have influenced you, and I think about a lot of people in my life. Some I've met, some I've never met. Some you've probably never heard of. People like Winkie Pratney, and John Mohawk and John Trudell, and public intellectuals like that. And then there's the sort of my some of my professors that helped me along the way like Ron Sider and Tony Campolo, and Samuel Escobar and Manfred Brauch. And just a whole lot of people I can look back, Jean [inaudible], who took the time to build a relationship and helped me sort of even in my ignorance, get out of that. And I think one of the first times this happened was when I was doing my MDiv, and someone said to me, one of my professors said to me, “You need to see this through your indigenous eyes.” And I was challenged. It was like, “Oh! Well then, what eyes am I seeing this through?” And then I began to think about that. The thing about decolonizing, is that once you start pulling on that thread the whole thing comes unraveled. So yeah.Jonathan Walton: Yeah, I think like, just to speak a little bit to your impact, I think something you said to someone that was said to me, was like we're all indigenous to somewhere. And the importance of looking upstream to see how we're influenced to be able to walk into the identity that God has called us to. Including the people who led me to faith being like Ashley Byrd, Native Hawaiian, being able to call me out of a dualist way of thinking and into something more holistic, and now having multi-ethnic children myself being able to speak to them in an indigenous way that connects them to a land and a people has been really transformative for me.Randy Woodley: Yeah, that's what I'm talking about. See? Right there.Love and Vulnerability are Central to Christian LifeJonathan Walton: [laughs] Yeah. And with that, you make a point of saying that you're somebody who works hard to speak difficult truths in a way that is loving and acceptable to everybody. I would say that's like Jesus, right? To be able to speak hard truths and yet people are curious and want to know more even though they're challenged. And so why, I could guess, and I'm sure people would fill in the blanks. But like if you had to say why that's important to you, what would you say?Randy Woodley: Well, I mean, love's the bottom line of everything. If I'm not loving the people I'm with, then I'm a hypocrite. I'm not living up to what I'm speaking about. So the bottom line to all of this shalom, understanding dualism, changing worldviews, is love. And so love means relationship. It means being vulnerable. I always say God is the most vulnerable being who exists. And if I'm going to be the human that the creator made me to be, then I have to be vulnerable. I have to risk and I have to trust and I have to have courage and love, and part of that is building relationships with people. So I think, yeah, if… in the old days, we sort of had a group of Native guys that hung around together, me and Richard Twiss, Terry LeBlanc, Ray Aldred, Adrian Jacobs. We all sort of had a role. Like, we called Richard our talking head. So he was the best communicator and funniest and he was out there doing speaking for all of us. And my role that was put on me was the angry Indian. So I was the one out there shouting it down and speaking truth to power and all that. And over the years, I realized that that's okay. I still do that. And I don't know that I made a conscious decision or if I just got older, but then people start coming up to me and saying things like, “Oh, you say some really hard things, but you say it with love.” And I'm like, “Oh, okay. Well, I'll take that.” So I just became this guy probably because of age, I don't know [laughs] and experience and seeing that people are worth taking the extra time to try and communicate in a way that doesn't necessarily ostracize them and make them feel rejected.Jonathan Walton: Yeah, that definitely makes sense. I think there's all these iterations of the last 50 years of people trying to say, “Hey, love across difference. Hey, love across difference.” And there's these iterations that come up. So I hope a lot of people get older faster to be able, you know [laughter].Randy Woodley: I think we're all getting older faster in this world we're in right now.Jonathan Walton: It's true. Go ahead Sy.The Importance of Voters' Choices to marginalized PeopleSy Hoekstra: Yeah. So we had another interview that we did, kind of about Middle East politics, as we're thinking about the election coming up. And one of the points we hit on that we've talked about before on this show is that to a lot of people in the Middle East or North Africa, whoever gets elected in the US, it doesn't necessarily make the biggest difference in the world. There's going to be drones firing missiles, there's going to be governments being manipulated by the US. America is going to do what America is going to do in the Middle East regardless. And I assume to a certain degree, tell me if I'm wrong, that that might be how a lot of indigenous people think about America. America is going to do what America is going to do regardless of who's in power, broadly speaking at least. What do you think about when you look at the choices in front of us this November? How do you feel about it? Like what is your perspective when you're actually thinking about voting?Randy Woodley: Yeah, that's a really good question. And I understand I think, how people in other countries might feel, because Americans foreign policy is pretty well based on America first and American exceptionalism, and gaining and maintaining power in the world. And I think that makes little difference. But in domestic affairs, I think it makes a whole lot of difference. Native Americans, much like Black Americans are predominantly Democrats and there's a reason for that. And that is because we're much more likely to not have our funding to Indian Health Service cut off in other things that we need, housing grants and those kinds of things. And there's just such a difference right now, especially in the domestic politics. So I mean, the Republicans have basically decided to abandon all morals and follow a narcissistic, masochistic, womanizing… I mean, how many—criminal, et cetera, and they've lost their minds.And not that they have ever had the best interest of the people at the bottom of the social ladder in mind. Because I mean, it was back in the turnaround when things changed a long time ago that there was any way of comparing the two. But ever since Reagan, which I watched, big business wins. And so right now, we live in a corporatocracy. And yes, there are Democrats and the Republicans involved in that corporatocracy, but you will find many more Democrats on the national scale who are for the poor and the disenfranchised. And that's exactly what Shalom is about. It's this Shalom-Sabbath-Jubilee construct that I call, that creates the safety nets. How do you know how sick a society is? How poor its safety nets are. So the better the safety nets, the more Shalom-oriented, Sabbath-Jubilee construct what I call it, which is exactly what Jesus came to teach.And look up four, that's his mission. Luke chapter four. And so, when we think about people who want to call themselves Christians, and they aren't concerned about safety nets, they are not following the life and words of Jesus. So you just have to look and say, yes, they'll always, as long as there's a two-party system, it's going to be the lesser of two evils. That's one of the things that's killing us, of course lobbyists are killing us and everything else. But this two-party system is really killing us. And as long as we have that, we're always going to have to choose the lesser of two evils. It's a very cynical view, I think, for people inside the United States to say, well, there's no difference. In fact, it's a ridiculous view. Because all you have to look at is policy and what's actually happened to understand that there's a large difference, especially if you're poor.And it's also a very privileged position of whiteness, of power, of privilege to be able to say, “Oh, it doesn't matter who you vote for.” No, it matters to the most disenfranchised and the most marginalized people in our country. But I don't have a strong opinion about that. [laughter]Jonathan Walton: I think there's going to be a lot of conversation about that very point. And I'm prayerful, I'm hopeful, like we tried to do with our Anthology like other groups are trying to do, is to make that point and make it as hard as possible that when we vote it matters, particularly for the most disenfranchised people. And so thank you for naming the “survival vote,” as black women in this country call it.Dr. Woodley's new books, and Where to Find His Work OnlineJonathan Walton: And so all of that, like we know you're doing work, we know things are still happening, especially with Eloheh and things like that. But I was doing a little Googling and I saw like you have a new book coming out [laughs]. So I would love to hear about the journey that… Oh, am I saying that right, Eloheh?Randy Woodley: It's Eloheh [pronounced like “ay-luh-hay”], yeah.Jonathan Walton: Eloheh. So I would love to hear more about your new book journey to Eloheh, as well as where you want people to just keep up with your stuff, follow you, because I mean, yes, the people downstream of you are pretty amazing, but the spigot is still running [laughter]. So can you point us to where we can find your stuff, be able to hang out and learn? That would be a wonderful thing for me, and for others listening.Randy Woodley: Well, first of all, I have good news for the children. I have three children's books that just today I posted on my Facebook and Insta, that are first time available. So this is The Harmony Tree Trilogy. So in these books are about not only relationships between host people and settler peoples, but each one is about sort of different aspects of dealing with climate change, clear cutting, wildfires, animal preservation, are the three that I deal with in this trilogy. And then each one has other separate things. Like the second one is more about empowering women. The third one is about children who we would call, autistic is a word that's used. But in the native way we look at people who are different differently than the West does: as they're specially gifted. And this is about a young man who pre-contact and his struggle to find his place in native society. And so yeah, there's a lot to learn in these books. But yeah, so my wife and I…Sy Hoekstra: What's the target age range for these books?Randy Woodley: So that'd be five to 11.Jonathan Walton: Okay, I will buy them, thank you [laughter]Sy Hoekstra: Yeah.Randy Woodley: But adults seem to really love them too. So I mean, people have used them in church and sermons and all kinds of things. Then the book that Edith and I wrote is called Journey to Eloheh, how indigenous values bring harmony and well-being. And it's basically our story. The first two chapters really deal, the first chapter deals more in depth of this dualism construct. And the second one really deals with my views on climate change, which are unlike anybody else's I know. And then we get into our stories, but I wanted to set a stage of why it's so important. And then Edith's story, and then my story and then our story together. And then how we have tried to teach these 10 values as we live in the world and teach and mentor and other things and raise our children.So, yeah, the journey to Eloheh, that's all people have to remember. It's going to be out in October, eighth I think.Jonathan Walton: Okay.Randy Woodley: And we're really excited about it. I think it's the best thing I've written up to this date. And I know it's the best thing my wife's written because this is her first book [laughter].Jonathan Walton: Awesome.Sy Hoekstra: That's great.Randy Woodley: Yeah, so we're proud of that. And then yeah, people can go to www.eloheh.org. That's E-L-O-H-E-H.org and sign up for our newsletter. You can follow me on Instagram, both @randywoodley7 and @eloheh/eagleswings. And the same with Facebook. We all have Facebook pages and those kinds of things. So yeah, and then Twitter. I guess I do something on Twitter every now and then [laughter]. And I have some other books, just so you know.Sy Hoekstra: Just a couple.Jonathan Walton: I mean a few. A few pretty great ones. [laughs] Well on behalf of me and Sy, and the folks that we influence. Like I've got students that I've pointed toward you over the years through the different programs that we run,Randy Woodley: Thank you.Jonathan Walton: and one of them is… two of them actually want to start farms and so you'll be hearing from them.Randy Woodley: Oh, wow. That's good.Jonathan Walton: And so I'm just…Randy Woodley: We need more small farms.Jonathan Walton: Yes. Yes, absolutely. Places where stewardship is happening and it is taught. And so, super, super grateful for you. And thanks again for being on Shake the Dust. We are deeply grateful.Sy Hoekstra: Yeah.Randy Woodley: Yeah, thank you guys. Nice to be with you.[the intro piano music from “Citizens” by Jon Guerra plays briefly and then fades out.]Sy's and Jonathan's Thoughts After the InterviewJonathan Walton: So, wow. That was amazing. Coming out of that time, I feel like I'm caring a lot. So Sy, why don't you go first [laughs], what's coming up for you?Sy Hoekstra: We sound a little starstruck when we were talking to him. It's kind of funny actually.Jonathan Walton: Absolutely.Sy Hoekstra: I don't know. Yeah, I don't know if people know, in our world, he's sort of a big deal [laughter]. And we have, neither of us have met him before so that was a lot of fun.Jonathan Walton: No, that's true.Sy Hoekstra: I think it was incredible how much like in the first five minutes, him summing up so much about Western theology and culture that I have taken like, I don't know, 15 years to learn [laughs]. And he just does it so casually and so naturally. There's just like a depth of wisdom and experience and thinking about this stuff there that I really, really appreciate. And it kind of reminded me of this thing that happened when Gabrielle and I were in law school. Gabrielle is my wife, you've heard her speak before if you listen to the show. She was going through law school, as she's talked about on the show from a Haitian-American, or Haitian-Canadian immigrant family, grew up relatively poor, undocumented.And just the reasons that she's gotten into the law are so different. And she comes from such a different background than anybody who's teaching her, or any of the judges whose cases she's reading. And she's finding people from her background just being like, “What are we doing here? Like how is this relevant to us, how does this make a difference?” And we went to this event one time that had Bryan Stevenson, the Capitol defense attorney who we've talked about before, civil rights attorney. And Sherrilyn Ifill, who at the time was the head of the NAACP's Legal Defense Fund. And they were just, it was the complete opposite experience, like they were talking about all of her concerns. They were really like, I don't know, she was just resonating with everything that they were saying, and she came out of it, and she goes, “It's just so good to feel like we have leaders.” Like it's such a relief to feel like you actually have wiser people who have been doing this and thinking about this for a long time and actually have the same concerns that you do. And that is how I feel coming out of our conversation with Randy Woodley. Like in the church landscape that we face with all the crises and the scandals and the lack of faithfulness and the ridiculous politics and everything, it is just so good to sit down and talk to someone like him, where I feel like somebody went ahead of me. And he's talking about the people who went ahead of him, and it just it's relieving. It is relieving to feel like you're almost sort of part of a tradition [laughter], when you have been alienated from the tradition that you grew up in, which is not the same experience that you've had, but that's how I feel.Jonathan Walton: Yeah. I mean, I think for me, coming out of the interview, one of the things I realized is similar. I don't have very many conversations with people who are older than me, that are more knowledgeable than me, and have been doing this work longer than me all at the same time. I know people who are more knowledgeable, but they're not actively involved in the work. I know people that are actively involved in the work, but they've been in the silos for so long, they haven't stepped out of their box in ten years. But so to be at that intersection of somebody who is more knowledgeable about just the knowledge, like the historical aspects, theological aspect, and then that goes along with the practical applications, like how you do it in your life and in the lives of other people. He's like the spiritual grandfather to people that I follow.Sy Hoekstra: Yeah.Jonathan Walton: [laughter] So it's like, so I think you said it, like we were a little starstruck. I do think I was very conscious of being respectful, which I think is not new for me, but it is a space that I don't often inhabit. And I think that's something that has been frustrating for me, just honestly like the last few years, is that the pastoral aspect of the work that we do, is severely lacking.Sy Hoekstra: When you say the pastoral aspect of the work that we do, you mean like, in the kind of activist-y Christian space, there just aren't a ton of pastors [laughs]?Jonathan Walton: Yes. And, so for example, like I was in a cohort, and I was trying to be a participant. And so being a participant in the cohort, I expected a certain level of pastoring to happen for me. And that in hindsight was a disappointment. But I only realized that after sitting down with somebody like Randy, where it's like, I'm not translating anything. He knows all the words. He knows more words than me [Sy laughs]. I'm not contextualizing anything. So I think that was a reassuring conversation. I think I felt the same way similarly with Ron Sider, like when I met him. He's somebody who just knows, you know what and I mean? I feel that way talking with Lisa Sharon Harper. I feel that way talking with Brenda Salter McNeil. I feel that way talking with people who are just a little further down the road.Sy Hoekstra: Yeah. Lisa's not that much older than us [laughter].Jonathan Walton: Well, is she?Sy Hoekstra: You compared her to Ron Sider. I'm like, “That's a different age group, Jonathan” [laughs].Jonathan Walton: Well, I don't mean age. I do mean wisdom and experience.Sy Hoekstra: Right. Yeah, totally.Jonathan Walton: Yes, Ron Sider was very old [laughs]. And actually, Ron Sider is actually much older than Randy Woodley [laughs].Sy Hoekstra: That's also true. That's a good point.Jonathan Walton: Yeah, right. Ron Sider is, when the Anthology came out, he was legit 45 years older than us, I think.Sy Hoekstra: And he very kindly, endorsed, and then passed away not that long afterwards.Jonathan Walton: He did, he did.Sy Hoekstra: He was such an interesting giant in a lot of ways to people all over the political spectrum [laughs]…Jonathan Walton: Yes, right.Sy Hoekstra: …who just saw something really compelling in his work.Which Tab Is Still Open? Legislators Restricting Teaching about Race in SchoolsSy Hoekstra: So Jonathan, all right, from our recent newsletter recommendations. Here's the new segment, guys. Jonathan, which tab is still open?Jonathan Walton: Yes. So the tab that's still open is this article and podcast episode from The New Yorker, featuring a conversation with Columbia School of Journalism Dean, Jelani Cobb, and Nikole Hannah-Jones from Howard University and the 1619 project. They talked about the attack on Black history in schools. And so there's just two thoughts that I want to give. And one of them is that there are very few conversations where you can get a broad overview of what an organized, sustained resistance to accurate historical education looks like, and they do that. Like they go all the way back and they come all the way forward, and you're like “expletive, this is not okay.” [Sy laughs] Right? So, I really appreciated that. Like, yes, you could go and read Angela Crenshaw's like Opus work. Yes, you could go…Sy Hoekstra: You mean, Kimberlé Crenshaw [laughs]?Jonathan: Oh, I mixed, Angela Davis and Kimber… Well, if they were one person, that would be a powerful person [Sy laughs]. But I do mean Kimberlé Crenshaw, no offense to Angela Davis. I do mean Kimberlé Crenshaw. You could go get that book. You could go listen to Ta-Nehisi Coates testimony in front of Congress on reparations. Like these long things, but like this conversation pulls a lot of threads together in a really, really helpful, compelling way. And so that's one thing that stood out to me. The second thing is I think I have to acknowledge how fearful and how grateful it made me. I am afraid of what's going to happen in 20 years, when children do not know their history in these states. And I'm grateful that my daughter will know hers because she goes to my wife's school in New York.And so, I did not know that I would feel that sense of fear and anxiety around like, man, there's going to be generations of people. And this is how it continues. There's going to be another generation of people who are indoctrinated into the erasure of black people. And the erasure of native people in the erasure of just narratives that are contrary to race-based, class-based, gender-based environmental hierarchies. And that is something that I'm sad about. And with KTF and other things, just committed to making sure that doesn't happen as best as we possibly can, while also being exceptionally grateful that my children are not counted in that number of people that won't know. So I hold those two things together as I listened to just the wonderful wisdom and knowledge that they shared from. What about you Sy? What stood out for you?White People Should Take Responsibility for Their Feelings Instead of Banning Uncomfortable TruthsSy Hoekstra: Narrowly, I think one really interesting point that Jelani Cobb made was how some of these book bans and curriculum reshaping and everything that's happening are based on the opposite reasoning of the Supreme Court in Brown versus Board of Education [laughs]. So what he meant by that was, basically, we have to ban these books and we have to change this curriculum, because White kids are going to feel bad about being White kids. And what Brown versus Board of Education did was say we're going to end this idea of separate but equal in the segregated schools because there were they actually, Thurgood Marshall and the people who litigated the case brought in all this science or all the psychological research, about how Black children in segregated schools knew at a very young age that they were of lower status, and had already associated a bunch of negative ideas with the idea of blackness.And so this idea that there can be separate but equal doesn't hold any water, right? So he was just saying we're doing what he called the opposite, like the opposite of the thinking from Brown versus Board of Education at this point. But what I was thinking is like the odd similarity is that both these feelings of inferiority come from whiteness, it's just that like, one was imposed by the dominant group on to the minoritized group. Basically, one was imposed by White people on to Black people, and the other is White people kind of imposing something on themselves [laughs]. Like you are told that your country is good and great and the land of the free and the home of the brave. And so when you learn about history that might present a different narrative to you, then you become extremely uncomfortable.And you start to not just become extremely uncomfortable, but also feel bad about yourself as an individual. And White people, there are so many White people who believe that being told that the race to which you belong has done evil things, that means that you as an individual are a bad person, which is actually just a personal emotional reaction that not all white people are going to have. It's not like, it isn't a sure thing. And I know that because I'm a White person who does not have that reaction [laughter]. I know that with 100 percent certainty. So it's just interesting to me, because it really raised this point that Scott Hall talks about a lot. That people need to be responsible for our own feelings. We don't need to legislate a new reality of history for everybody else in order to keep ourselves comfortable.We need to say, “Why did I had that emotional reaction, and how can I reorient my sense of identity to being white?” And that is what I came out of this conversation with, is just White people need to take responsibility for our identity, our psychological identity with our own race. And it comes, it's sort of ironic, I think, that conservative people who do a lot of complaining about identity politics, or identitarianism, or whatever they call it, that's what's happening here. This is a complete inability to separate yourself psychologically from your White identity. That's what makes you feel so uncomfortable in these conversations. And so take responsibility for who you are White people [laughs].Just who you are as an individual, who you are as your feelings, take responsibility for yourself.There's a great book that my dad introduced me to a while back called A Race Is a Nice Thing to Have: A Guide to Being White or Understanding the White Persons in Your Life [laughter]. And it's written by this black, female psychologist named Janet Helms. It's H-E-L-M-S. But it's pronounced “Helmiss.” And she just has dedicated her career to understanding how White people shape their identities. And she has so, like such a wealth of knowledge about different stages of white identity formation, and has all these honestly kind of funny little quizzes in the book that she updates every few, there's like a bunch of editions of this book, that it's like asking you, “What do you think is best for America?” The campaign and ideas of this politician or this one or this one. And she asks you a bunch of questions and from there tells you where you are in your White identity formation [laughs].Jonathan Walton: Wow. That's amazing.Sy Hoekstra: It's really, “how would you feel if somebody said this about White people?” whatever. Tons of different questions, it's kind of like taking a personality test, but it's about you and your race [laughs]. That's just a resource that I would offer to people as a way to do what this conversation reminded me my people all very much need to do.Jonathan Walton: Amen.Sy Hoekstra: I just talked for a long time, Jonathan, we need to end. But do you have any thoughts [laughs]?Jonathan Walton: No. I was just going to say this podcast is a great 101 and a great 301.Sy Hoekstra: Yeah.Jonathan Walton: Like it spans the spectrum. So please do if you haven't, go listen to the podcast. Yeah, just check it out. It's very, very good.Outro and OuttakeSy Hoekstra: We will have that in the show notes along with all the other links of everything that we had today. Okay, that's our first full episode of season four. We're so glad that you could join us. This was a great one full of a lot of great stuff. Our theme song as always is “Citizens” by Jon Guerra. Our podcast art is by Robyn Burgess. The show is produced by all of you, our lovely subscribers, and our transcripts are by Joyce Ambale. Thank you all so much for listening, we will see you in two weeks with the great Brandi Miller.[The song “Citizens” by Jon Guerra fades in. Lyrics: “I need to know there is justice/ That it will roll in abundance/ And that you're building a city/ Where we arrive as immigrants/ and you call us citizens/ and you welcome us as children home.” The song fades out.]Randy Woodley: You know, I think I've said before Jesus didn't give a damn about doctrine. Excuse me. Jesus didn't give a darn about doctrine. I don't know if that'll go through or not.[laughter]. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.ktfpress.com/subscribe

How do you move forward in life? Sunday, April 14, 2024 John 21:1-8 Sayings of Jesus: “Why do you see the splinter that's in your brother's or sister's eye, but don't notice the log in your own eye?” - Matthew 7:3 “Whoever hasn't sinned should throw the first stone.” John 8:7 “If you forgive the sins of any, they will be forgiven.” John 20:23 “Love each other. Just as I have loved you, so you also must love each other.” - John 13:34 “Why would people gain the whole world but lose their lives? What will people give in exchange for their lives.” - Matthew 16:25-27 “Much will be demanded from everyone who has been given much, and from the one who has been entrusted with much, even more will be asked.” - Luke 12:48

Picture this: you get a one-shot chance to quiz the big guy upstairs. What burning question would you throw His way? Dive into your deepest curiosities and thirst for divine wisdom with this mind-bending episode.Episode Highlights Stretching our Tent pegs: hearing from God Perceptions will match reality over time: Intentional Now steps into a "Bigger" place! Jesus's first question to us?  Dad's story: Heartfelt response to what his son asked God.  Ask the Public: Google's response will and won't surprise you. Life-changing-answers, Bonnie's Testimony with Jesus "Why were you looking for Me?" nudges us to ponder our spiritual journey and the quest to find Jesus, in our everyday lives. Let the soul-searching begin!INTERVIEWING JESUS SHOW NOTES  INTERVIEWING JESUS FB COMMUNITY   Connect with Kristen onInstagram #interviewingjesuspodcast  Twitter  Linkedin YouTubeWebsite KristenWambach.comActivations Exclusive Patreon Community Thank you for spending this time with me, I am honored. See you next week Kristen Music Credits  by Stockaudios from Pixabay  

Picture this: you get a one-shot chance to quiz the big guy upstairs. What burning question would you throw His way? Dive into your deepest curiosities and thirst for divine wisdom with this mind-bending episode.Episode Highlights Stretching our Tent pegs: hearing from God Perceptions will match reality over time: Intentional Now steps into a "Bigger" place! Jesus's first question to us?  Dad's story: Heartfelt response to what his son asked God.  Ask the Public: Google's response will and won't surprise you. Life-changing-answers, Bonnie's Testimony with Jesus "Why were you looking for Me?" nudges us to ponder our spiritual journey and the quest to find Jesus, in our everyday lives. Let the soul-searching begin!INTERVIEWING JESUS SHOW NOTES  INTERVIEWING JESUS FB COMMUNITY   Connect with Kristen onInstagram #interviewingjesuspodcast  Twitter  Linkedin YouTubeWebsite KristenWambach.comActivations Exclusive Patreon Community Thank you for spending this time with me, I am honored. See you next week Kristen Music Credits  by Stockaudios from Pixabay  

This week's guest is a mentor and kind of spiritual mother to Milo Yiannopoulos (whose very candid interview with me was Episode 101) and wrote the bracing Foreword to his latest book (see link below). Dr Rachel Fulton Brown is a tenured professor of history at the University of Chicago, and a renowned medieval scholar with a speciality in the area of devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary. She is also a fervent convert to the Catholic Faith. In this episode we dive deep into the biblical and historical roots of the role of the Blessed Mother in salvation history, and suggest ways to answer objections to the truth about Mary. In this episode you will learn: Why we say Mary is the Mother of God and not just the Mother of Jesus Why all Marian doctrine is Christological in nature How the medieval era got things right regarding the role of Mary in the life of the Church When devotion to Mary went into eclipse and how to revive it Why Our Lady is a powerful intercessor for all mankind, not just Catholics The reason why all the titles of Mary in all the litanies can never exhaust her beauty nor the full truth about her person and mission. Resources mentioned in this episode Mary and the Art of Prayer: The Hours of the Virgin in Medieval Christian Life and Thought by Rachel Fulton Brown From Judgment to Passion: Devotion to Christ and the Virgin Mary, 800–1200 by Rachel Fulton Brown The World's First Love by Ven. Fulton J. Sheen Diabolical: How Pope Francis Has Betrayed Clerical Abuse Victims Like Me—and Why He Has To Go by Milo Yiannopoulos DONATE

This Sunday we considered the significance of Matthew's genealogy of Jesus: Why are 4 mothers included in a genealogy that otherwise only mentions fathers? What do the included women have in common, and what does their inclusion reveal about God?

Let's talk about church  ⛪ We have experienced many versions of the Christian church, and have openly shared them over the years. In our culture right now, there is a lot of sentiment around church; from church hurt, to frustrations, to people leaving church and not attending anymore.  Over the last few years, we have found ourselves wrestling with the gap of what church should be like and what church is actually like. It has been a journey but we are landing on solid ground.

Jesus - Why would saints in heaven be interested in interceding on our behalf? Why aren't good men in the Old Testament considered saints? Matt - I had a 'Soul Tie' broken with a divorced woman. What should I do now that it is broken? Elizabeth - A prayer group I'm in said the Emergency test happening today is a spiritual trick and we should turn off our phones. Is that true?

This week's guest is a mentor and kind of spiritual mother to Milo Yiannopoulos (whose very candid interview with me was Episode 101) and wrote the bracing Foreword to his latest book (see link below). Dr Rachel Fulton Brown is a tenured professor of history at the University of Chicago, and a renowned medieval scholar with a speciality in the area of devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary. She is also a fervent convert to the Catholic Faith. In this episode we dive deep into the biblical and historical roots of the role of the Blessed Mother in salvation history, and suggest ways to answer objections to the truth about Mary. In this episode you will learn: Why we say Mary is the Mother of God and not just the Mother of Jesus Why all Marian doctrine is Christological in nature How the medieval era got things right regarding the role of Mary in the life of the Church When devotion to Mary went into eclipse and how to revive it Why Our Lady is a powerful intercessor for all mankind, not just Catholics The reason why all the titles of Mary in all the litanies can never exhaust her beauty nor the full truth about her person and mission. Resources mentioned in this episode Mary and the Art of Prayer: The Hours of the Virgin in Medieval Christian Life and Thought by Rachel Fulton Brown From Judgment to Passion: Devotion to Christ and the Virgin Mary, 800–1200 by Rachel Fulton Brown The World's First Love by Ven. Fulton J. Sheen Diabolical: How Pope Francis Has Betrayed Clerical Abuse Victims Like Me—and Why He Has To Go by Milo Yiannopoulos DONATE

Sean McDowell is a Christian apologist, author and communicator. He has authored and co-authored several popular books, and co-hosts the podcast “Think Biblically”, which dives into topics within faith and culture.  - While Sean was visiting New Zealand as the keynote speaker for events run by Thinking Matters, he jumped on the show to share his journey. We talked about: Growing up in a christian household, and the influence that his father, Josh McDowell, had on his faith journey Truth. Is there such a thing as universal truth, vs everyone's own truth? Evidences for the bible and the death/resurrection of Jesus Why there is so much hypocrisy in christianity, and how to navigate those people who let you down If God was real, why he doesn't just write his name in the sky or something to that effect to prove it to us Growing up playing basketball, and how the game of basketball has changed We even touched the Lebron vs Jordan debate This was a fun podcast to record. Whether or not you have any beliefs, this is a conversation aimed at trying to find some answers to the questions that we all think about from time to time.

  ————   TDAgiantslayer@gmail.com    WellBuiltBody.com    Wake the faith up   In the movie the Sixth Sense, a line from that move became famous in and of itself. It was in fact… you know it -say it with me “I see dead people”.  what if I told you I see dead people… no really, I am being 100% serious. Every day I see dead people.   A Parent tells you what you love hear A Teacher tells you what you have to hear A politician tells you what you want to hear. A Leader tells you what you need to hear A Christ follower Tells everyone what God wants them to hear in and through the power of Christ   When you talk to someone what is your motivation?  Look we all remember being younger and taking to that cute guy or girl… there was a hidden motivation. Talking nicely to the teacher hoping to influence our grade… talking sweetly to our Father hoping to get a nod that we can go to that party, use the car or go on that trip.  How about when you don't know someone… and you choose to talk to them… what is your motivation? I saw a TV show that played a practical joke on people coming out of a supermarket… a Mom would be carrying her baby in a baby seat and walking out to her car with a grocery cart, talking on the phone distracted. She would pretend to be frazzled and load up her groceries and get in her car leaving her child in the carrier on roof of her car… then she would start the car and start to pull out of the parking lot… people would run, yell, scream and literally jump in front of this car… They had to get this woman's attention… they had to tell her something… what was the motivation? To save a life. They didn't know her, they didn't know the baby. They didn't care if it was a nice car or a piece of crap. They didn't care if she was white, black, tan, blue or green. They didn't care if she was trans, bi, try or tree… not sure what tree is- They didn't care if she was the same religion or a cult or a an atheist…  They just wanted to save a life.  Look there are multiple motivations to share Christ… We get a reward We are obedient We see others in heaven We give them eternal life  But ultimately the person running to the car is thinking only one thing… Save a LIFE!  1 Cor. 1:18 For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.   Perishing.. GK those that are being destroyed. i.e. death is certain… you are dying, you will die.   hey are are all wondering what it takes to have the courage to tell people about Christ… There are people we see and wonder why they aren't embarrassed to share Christ, why they would share to someone who is so obviously anti Jesus… Why? why share? What is the motivation… yeah I think we know. They see a person ready to die.  Listen to Pauls heart here in Romans 9:1-4  9 With Christ as my witness, I speak with utter truthfulness. My conscience and the Holy Spirit confirm it. 2 My heart is filled with bitter sorrow and unending grief 3 for my people, my Jewish brothers and sisters. I would be willing to be forever cursed—cut off from Christ!—if that would save them.  What a powerful voice Paul puts to the gospel. I gotta ask myself… am I willing to die so that others may know Jesus… that is my prayer. But it goes beyond just a martyr's death… it means dying daily to my fears, wants, desires, excuses… it means being willing to see dead people - and knowing its my job to bring them back to life. thats my prayer for you today… and thats my prayer for me today. Keep slaying giants. 

Embrace correction from Jesus. Tradition, ego, laziness, fear all contribute to dependence of a middleman or a sacrament to avoid the simple correction of our God. The message of the Kingdom of God is "repent!" In our vernacular, repent should be read as "change". Change is required for us to be restored to right relationship with God so we can enter the Kingdom of God. Let he who has ears to hear, hear; everyone will not understand.***Chapter 39: Jesus Defends His Disciples for Eating with Unwashed Hands Matthew 15:1-20; Mark 7:1-23Certain Pharisees and scribes from Jerusalem came to Jesus, finding fault that his disciples ate bread with unwashed hands. For, according to tradition long handed down, the Pharisees and Jews could not eat without first washing their hands. There were many other old laws concerning the washing of cups, pots, brass vessels, and tables. The Pharisees and scribes asked Jesus: “Why do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? They wash not their hands when they eat bread.” Jesus replied: “Well hath Isaiah prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, “This people honoreth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.' For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups; and many other such like things ye do. Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition. For Moses said, ‘Honor thy father and thy mother,' and ‘Whoso curseth father or mother, let him die the death.' But ye say, ‘If a man shall say to his father or mother, “It is Corban,” that is to say, a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me; he shall be free.' And ye suffer him no more to do aught for his father or mother; making the word of God of none effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered; and many such like things do ye.” Then Jesus called all the people to him and said: “Hearken unto me every one of you, and understand. There is nothing from without a man, that entering into him can defile him. But the things which come out of him, those are they that defile the man. If any man have ears to hear, let him hear.” When Jesus retired from the people into the house, his disciples came to him and said: “Knowest thou that the Pharisees were offended, after they heard this saying?” Jesus replied: “Every plant which my heavenly Father hath not planted shall be rooted up. Let them alone. They be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch.” Then Peter, the disciple, said: “Declare unto us this parable.” Jesus answered: “Are ye so without understanding also? Do ye not perceive, that whatsoever thing from without entereth into man, it cannot defile him; because it entereth not into...

Be Christian. Not having everything you want, but wanting everything you have. Our natural inclination is to dispense with God's rules and do life our way. We make our fences to protect the commandments and we make our fences to avoid doing what is commanded. Servants obey. When we meet those who “…walk not with us…” love them anyway. Christians have the power to suffer wrongfully, to forgive and to live humbly. Our goal is regeneration.***Chapter 39: Jesus Defends His Disciples for Eating with Unwashed Hands Matthew 15:1-20; Mark 7:1-23Certain Pharisees and scribes from Jerusalem came to Jesus, finding fault that his disciples ate bread with unwashed hands. For, according to tradition long handed down, the Pharisees and Jews could not eat without first washing their hands. There were many other old laws concerning the washing of cups, pots, brass vessels, and tables. The Pharisees and scribes asked Jesus: “Why do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? They wash not their hands when they eat bread.” Jesus replied: “Well hath Isaiah prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, “This people honoreth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.' For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups; and many other such like things ye do. Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition. For Moses said, ‘Honor thy father and thy mother,' and ‘Whoso curseth father or mother, let him die the death.' But ye say, ‘If a man shall say to his father or mother, “It is Corban,” that is to say, a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me; he shall be free.' And ye suffer him no more to do aught for his father or mother; making the word of God of none effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered; and many such like things do ye.” Then Jesus called all the people to him and said: “Hearken unto me every one of you, and understand. There is nothing from without a man, that entering into him can defile him. But the things which come out of him, those are they that defile the man. If any man have ears to hear, let him hear.” When Jesus retired from the people into the house, his disciples came to him and said: “Knowest thou that the Pharisees were offended, after they heard this saying?” Jesus replied: “Every plant which my heavenly Father hath not planted shall be rooted up. Let them alone. They be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch.” Then Peter, the disciple, said: “Declare unto us this parable.” Jesus answered: “Are ye so without understanding also? Do ye not perceive, that whatsoever thing from without entereth into man, it cannot defile him; because it...

Seventy years of captivity was the Jews' punishment for ignoring the Sabbath commandment for 490 years. As a result, they overcorrected by building fences (traditions) to protect the Sabbath. In reality, they made keeping the Sabbath onerous and complex. Once a day of rest, it became an encyclopedia of dos and don'ts wielded with precision and penalties; all the while, the intent of the commandment was lost. God knows we need a day off, a day of fellowship with Him, in order to meet the demands of life with justice, mercy and humility. Compare the tenants of your faith to the requirements of Jesus. Jesus says His burden is light. Is yours?***Chapter 39: Jesus Defends His Disciples for Eating with Unwashed Hands Matthew 15:1-20; Mark 7:1-23Certain Pharisees and scribes from Jerusalem came to Jesus, finding fault that his disciples ate bread with unwashed hands. For, according to tradition long handed down, the Pharisees and Jews could not eat without first washing their hands. There were many other old laws concerning the washing of cups, pots, brass vessels, and tables. The Pharisees and scribes asked Jesus: “Why do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? They wash not their hands when they eat bread.” Jesus replied: “Well hath Isaiah prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, “This people honoreth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.' For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups; and many other such like things ye do. Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition. For Moses said, ‘Honor thy father and thy mother,' and ‘Whoso curseth father or mother, let him die the death.' But ye say, ‘If a man shall say to his father or mother, “It is Corban,” that is to say, a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me; he shall be free.' And ye suffer him no more to do aught for his father or mother; making the word of God of none effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered; and many such like things do ye.” Then Jesus called all the people to him and said: “Hearken unto me every one of you, and understand. There is nothing from without a man, that entering into him can defile him. But the things which come out of him, those are they that defile the man. If any man have ears to hear, let him hear.” When Jesus retired from the people into the house, his disciples came to him and said: “Knowest thou that the Pharisees were offended, after they heard this saying?” Jesus replied: “Every plant which my heavenly Father hath not planted shall be rooted up. Let them alone. They be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch.” Then Peter, the disciple, said: “Declare unto us this parable.” Jesus...

Have you ever felt that you were dealing with some kind of darkness? Maybe you tried ongoing conventional counseling or medical intervention, but something still didn't make sense and you knew deep down there was something more to it. Today we are continuing our conversation on what to do when there is a hell-hold on your life. My friend and often prayer partner, Tee Jay Henderson is back with us for part two. Tee Jay has walked an almost unbelievable journey with Jesus to find freedom from the effects of human trafficking, satanic ritual abuse, and evil mental/emotional programming. Listen in to learn: How to walk through a journey of healing with Jesus Why we could be dealing with deep pain and negative thoughts even as a Christian The impact of childhood trauma and generational infirmities Favorite Quotes: “Satan attaches to childhood traumas with lies and assignments on them. It's a very real thing and more people are dealing with this than they realize.” - Tiffany Jo Baker  “Jesus cares about the truth of our stories. He wants our stories to be known, not only to us so we can be free, but to be a testimony to the world of how He sees, how He knows, how He wants to heal and restore.” - Tee Jay Henderson   “It's so easy to stay in our little bubble of what we think churches are, and just maintaining a comfortable chaos. Satan wants us to stay there.” - Tiffany Jo Baker Key Verse: “The thief comes only to steal, kill, and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.” – John 10:10   Check out Becoming Untethered and all the things Tee Jay Henderson has going on here. ( www.teejayhenderson.com ) * Is it time to walk out and take the next right step in what you've been hearing about in this podcast? Don't miss the opportunity to get the free "Faith-in-Action Activity" created specifically for each episode topic! To get the podcast printable delivered straight to your inbox that will help you dive deeper and move forward, subscribe today at www.tiffanyjobaker.com/subscribe *   *If you're looking for perfectly polished people or podcast, this isn't for you. We're real people, with real good information, and a really great God. Don't miss the next My Full Life + Faith Leaps Podcast episode as we continue to help you experience more of God's power and find rest in your purpose and progress. You can watch My Full Life + Faith Leaps Podcast on YouTube and www.tiffanyjobaker.com/myfulllife-and-faithleaps or listen in on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast player. Subscribe to never miss an episode, leave a quick review and share with a friend! Ratings and reviews are like high-fives and “go-girl's” on podcast players. ( www.tiffanyjobaker.com/subscribe ) Helping you refresh and refocus so you can do all the things you are called and created to do, my 31 Day Devotional “Soul-Care for Go-Getters” is available on Amazon, Barnes and Noble and my website shop here. (www.tiffanyjobaker.com/go-getters-devo) As a 3x Surrogate, Speaker, and Strategizer, I uplift the soul and success of women like you who are walking out your WHY at home, online, and in the world at @TiffanyJoBaker on Instagram and Facebook and www.tiffanyjobaker.com. I would love to connect with you there! --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/tiffany-jo-baker/message Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/tiffany-jo-baker/support

Practical ways of following Jesus: Why would someone want to follow Jesus? Benefits and drawbacks What does the way of Jesus look like? What practices/rhythms did Jesus live by: prayer(corporate and solitary) sabbath, fellowship Personal experiences of following Jesus: sabbath, prayer walks, fellowship Thanks so much for listening! Send us questions and comments on Instagram @preachers_hour Rate and review us on Apple Podcasts Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/preachershour Culture and society from the young preachers' perspective Music: “Drip” by Arenas Pages to check out: @cre8ivemisfit @stayfreshproductions @justincopelandmusic @ongodpod22

To take a page from the legend that is Oprah, if there is one thing I know, it's that being well is not just about the food we eat. Which is why I called this The Allsorts Podcast…because I wanted to talk about all sorts of things! I truly believe that our sense of purpose, connection to community and a belief in something larger than ourselves impacts how we perceive the world around us, and ourselves. Which is why I've been thinking about doing this episode for a while now. We're going to talk about faith, religion and spirituality, a topic that I know can be incredibly divisive and triggering for many people. And I could not think of a better person to have this conversation with than my friend Dean Morris, the “rebel” pastor and co-host of A Little More Good Podcast. I feel like I should lay my cards on the table right now: I am not a religious person, despite having been baptised Catholic. In fact, I am wary of the idea of organized religion, because so many harms are inflicted in its name. So I don't think I could have imagined this episode without knowing Dean. This conversation is honest, open and probably contains a lot of hot takes that will surprise you. Dean (who was not raised Christian!) has an incredibly kind, modern and inclusive approach to faith that might change how you view - if not church itself - then the core messages of Christianity. If you're at all curious, or if you consider yourself a seeker, I hope you're going to love this conversation! About Dean Morris: Dean Morris is a person who wears many hats… Dad, Teacher, Runner, Podcaster, Pastor, Community organizer, and plant based human. On this episode we chat about: Dean's journey to Christianity, growing up without religion How Dean's love of Rage Against The Machine led him to learning about Jesus Why faith should be about love and freedom How embracing the teachings of spiritual leaders like Jesus and the Buddha would radically change the world for the better How Spiritual community is as central to wellness as nutrition or movement How to move towards spirit/source/God if you have not felt safe in religious spaces The role of prayer and meditation in spiritual connection The challenges of interpreting the Bible when it was not written to us in modern times How plant-based eating aligns with Dean's interpretation of the Bible How breath connects us to spirit Why an afterlife-focused faith has contributed to the destruction of nature Support the Pod! We couldn't make this podcast happen without the support of our amazing listeners. I love hearing your feedback on these episodes to be sure to join the conversation on our instagram @theallsortspod @deaner as well as in our Nutrition with Desiree community. If you love this episode, please share it with your friends and family, or take a minute to rate, review or subscribe on your favourite podcast app. We appreciate EVERY. SINGLE. LISTEN! Thanks so much for listening to this episode of The Allsorts Podcast, which is produced by myself and edited by Brian McCalman. We are grateful to live and work and learn on the unceded and ancestral territory of the squamish, musqueum, and tsleil-waututh peoples. Full show notes, including links + recommendations at https://desireerd.com/podcast/

This week's guest is a mentor and kind of spiritual mother to Milo Yiannopoulos (whose very candid interview with me was Episode 101) and wrote the bracing Foreword to his latest book (see link below). Dr Rachel Fulton Brown is a tenured professor of history at the University of Chicago, and a renowned medieval scholar with a speciality in the area of devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary. She is also a fervent convert to the Catholic Faith. In this episode we dive deep into the biblical and historical roots of the role of the Blessed Mother in salvation history, and suggest ways to answer objections to the truth about Mary. In this episode you will learn: Why we say Mary is the Mother of God and not just the Mother of Jesus Why all Marian doctrine is Christological in nature How the medieval era got things right regarding the role of Mary in the life of the Church When devotion to Mary went into eclipse and how to revive it Why Our Lady is a powerful intercessor for all mankind, not just Catholics The reason why all the titles of Mary in all the litanies can never exhaust her beauty nor the full truth about her person and mission. Resources mentioned in this episode Mary and the Art of Prayer: The Hours of the Virgin in Medieval Christian Life and Thought by Rachel Fulton Brown From Judgment to Passion: Devotion to Christ and the Virgin Mary, 800–1200 by Rachel Fulton Brown The World's First Love by Ven. Fulton J. Sheen Diabolical: How Pope Francis Has Betrayed Clerical Abuse Victims Like Me—and Why He Has To Go by Milo Yiannopoulos DONATE

The story of the magi -wise men- seeking the one 'born king of the Jews' is a remarkable witness to the surprising action of God. Their discerning faith, their diligent search, their heartfelt joy and their costly adoring worship all bear witness to the God of surprises. Familiarity with the story can render it boringly predictable- 'Of course wise men from the east came to worship the baby Jesus- Why wouldn't they-' In this way this amazing event is reduced to 'a Christmas decoration' rather than a moving, unexpected authentication of the arrival of the King of all kings - the One who was rightly perceived as a threat by the political and religious powers but not in the way they imagined-

Welcome back to Artbeat Radio! Listen in as CECA's Star Club shares 3 karaoke songs that are guaranteed to bring the house down! Thanks for listening and tune in next time! For more information about our organization, please visit our website www.ableartswork.org   Audio Transcription: (Please listen on Podomatic or Spotify to view the full transcript) *Intro music by Artbeat Radio staff*  Music, stories, and more! You're listening to Artbeat Radio, a program of Able ARTS Work.  ALL: Welcome to CECA's Star Club. Jenny: With ArtBeat Radio. Jenny: Nothing says Fall like karaoke.  PJ: What? Jesus: Why you! Jenny: Even so, there's never a bad time for karaoke. CECA presents three of the best songs to sing for karaoke. Remember to have fun, and give it some soul!  Lyrics for “Your Love” by The Outfield below.  Josie's on a vacation far away Come around and talk it over So many things that I want to say You know I like my girls a little bit older I just want to use your love tonight I don't want to lose your love tonight I ain't got many friends left to talk to Nowhere to run when I'm in trouble You know I'd do anything for you Stay the night but keep it undercover I just want to use your love tonight (whoa) I don't want to lose your love tonight Try to stop my hands from shaking But something in my mind's not making sense It's been a while since we were all alone I can't hide the way I'm feeling As you're leaving, please would you close the door? And don't forget what I told you Just 'cause you're right that don't mean I'm wrong Another shoulder to cry upon I just want to use your love tonight (yeah) I don't want to lose your love tonight (yeah) I just want to use your love tonight I don't want to lose your love tonight   Lyrics for “Sweet Child O' Mine” by Guns N' Roses below She's got a smile that it seems to me Reminds me of childhood memories Where everything was as fresh as the bright blue sky Now and then when I see her face She takes me away to that special place And if I stare too long, I'd probably break down and cry Whoa, oh, oh Sweet child o' mine Whoa, oh, oh, oh Sweet love of mine   Lyrics for “Livin' on a Prayer” by Bon Jovi below Tommy used to work on the docks, union's been on strike He's down on his luck, it's tough, so tough Gina works the diner all day working for her man She brings home her pay, for love, for love She says, we've got to hold on to what we've got It doesn't make a difference if we make it or not We've got each other and that's a lot for love We'll give it a shot Woah, we're half way there Woah, livin' on a prayer Take my hand, we'll make it I swear Woah, livin' on a prayer Tommy's got his six-string in hock Now he's holding in what he used to make it talk So tough, it's tough Gina dreams of running away When she cries in the night, Tommy whispers Baby, it's okay, someday We've got to hold on to what we've got It doesn't make a difference if we make it or not We've got each other and that's a lot for love We'll give it a shot Woah, we're half way there Woah, livin' on a prayer Take my hand, we'll make it I swear Woah, livin' on a prayer Livin' on a prayer  Jenny: I hope you enjoyed the show. Thanks for listening to ArtBeatRadio!  *Outro music by Artbeat Radio staff*  We hope you enjoyed this episode of Artbeat Radio. For more information, please go to our website. Ableartswork.org. Thanks for listening and tune in next time! 

So often as women we are expected to compartmentalize our lives. Culture tells us that we can be a coach or a mother, we can focus on ministry or our families… but Aleah Dillard's story is proof that we can live a life of "and." Aleah is a wife, mother, full-time FCA staff and volunteer assistant soccer coach in Abilene, Texas. She serves female coaches and athletes on the three college campuses in Abilene: Abilene Christian University, Hardin Simmons University and McMurry University. Her passion for Jesus is so evident in our conversation today as she shares about her testimony, her ministry, and how the joy of motherhood has only enriched it all.   In this episode you will hear: How Aleah came to know and follow Jesus Why she and her husband are passionate about sports ministry Finding balance with motherhood and coaching   For all things mentioned in this episode visit click HERE.    This podcast was produced by Pivot Media Co. 

At the beginning of Luke 15, Jesus is speaking to religious leaders who look at him fraternizing with “sinners.” They basically ask Jesus: “Why are you hanging out with all these lost people?" In response, Jesus gives three parables about lostness, ending with the parable of the lost son. Jesus is trying to get across a new idea of what it means to be spiritually lost. In the parable of the lost son, then, Jesus gives us a new understanding and a new category for spiritual lostness. In this sermon, we'll see what that category is, how you can judge whether you're in the category yourself (what the signs are of that condition), what do you do with it if that's you, and lastly, what are some of the implications for the church. This sermon was preached by Dr. Timothy Keller at Redeemer Presbyterian Church on November 9, 2008. Series: The Fellowship of Grace. Scripture: Luke 15:17-32. Today's podcast is brought to you by Gospel in Life, the site for all sermons, books, study guides and resources from Timothy Keller and Redeemer Presbyterian Church. If you've enjoyed listening to this podcast and would like to support the ongoing efforts of this ministry, you can do so by visiting https://gospelinlife.com/give and making a one-time or recurring donation.

Great ThingsThe Miracles of JesusEven demons must bow down before the authority of Jesus.Eventually Jesus came to the other side of the sea, to the region of the Gadarenes. There, two men who lived near the tombs and were possessed by demons came out to the seaside and met Jesus. They were flailing about, so violent that they obstructed the path of anyone who came their way.Demons (screaming at Jesus): Why are You here? Have You come to torture us even before the judgment day, O Son of God?A ways off, though still visible, was a large herd of pigs, eating.Demons: If You cast us out of the bodies of these two men, do send us into that herd of pigs!Jesus: Very well then, go!And the demons flew out of the bodies of the two flailing men, they set upon the pigs, and every last pig rushed over a steep bank into the sea and drowned. The pig herders (totally undone, as you can imagine) took off; they headed straight for town, where they told everyone what they'd just seen—even about the demon-possessed men. And so the whole town came out to see Jesus for themselves. And when they saw Him, they begged Him to leave their area. - Matthew 8:28-34 VOICEWe also read this story from Mark 5:1-15 AMP, and Luke 8:26-39 NASBRemember the great things God has done through His son Jesus. Proclaim to others the good deeds He has accomplished in your own life. Blessing you to receive from Him and release it everywhere you go! Amen.Thank You!Becoming a PatronIf you are one of the many who have been blessed by Cultivate Connection, please consider becoming a monthly patron. Creating space for people to connect with God in this busy world is so vital.As a patron, you empower us to continue producing and developing tools for people to connect with God, discover identity, and awaken purpose for their lives. Learn more on our website at CultivateConnection.comWe Need You!Cultivate Connection is listened to in 129 countries and averages 2,000 listeners a week. Help us reach even more people by sharing this episode on Facebook, Instagram, via email, or whatever other way you prefer.Visit our Facebook page and share your thoughts or ask a question. We read every comment and love responding!Leave a review on iTunes or your favourite podcast app. Your ratings and reviews mean a lot and help this podcast get discovered by others.And lastly, subscribe to Cultivate Collection Weekly, our email providing you with resources and inspiration to help you grow your relationship with God.