Podcast appearances and mentions of king david

Patrick opens the episode by tackling listener questions about tough Church history, confronting myths about the Spanish Inquisition with clear facts and empowering those who struggle to explain the past. He takes on IVF, laying out the Church’s position on intention versus moral action and offering heartfelt advice to anyone affected by difficult choices. Complex matters like Mary’s perpetual virginity, Jesus’ genealogy, and the realities of Joseph and Mary’s marriage also come up, each addressed with directness, compassion, and honesty, giving listeners tools to better understand and share their faith. Santos - How can I clear up misconceptions of the Catholic Church? (00:42) Jillian - What are the churches views on IVF and why are they so negative? (18:01) Mario - Did Joseph have relations with Mary? Does this claim go against the virginity of Mary? (30:50) Judy - I thought in the Bible, Jesus was descended from King David. How could Jesus be descended from Joseph? (39:05) Zach - You talked about the absolute virginity of Mary. Was St. Joseph also a virgin? (45:13)

In this episode, Brody will walk through Psalm 51, in which King David refuses to hide behind excuses after Nathan exposes his sin with Bathsheba. Instead, he brings raw confession and a desperate plea for mercy to God.Brody will explore how repeated patterns of sin can trap believers today, and how David's prayer points us to real cleansing through the grace of Jesus Christ. This episode talks about repentance, restored joy, and why a clean heart, not religious performance, is the only path forward.Send a textPlease leave a review on Apple or Spotify to help improve No Sanity Required and help others grow in their faith. Click here to get our Colossians Bible study.

5 WAYS FITNESS COACHES CAN STEP INTO THE WAR OF PREPARATION.   Before you ever scale your fitness business... you fight obscurity  (being unknown or unimportant), doubt, and fear.   Before David ever faced Goliath... he fought lions and bears alone.   The war is not the market.   The war is preparation.   Make sure you have your note pads or apps out and listen to the full episode.   Keep taking action, pursuing personal excellence, and impacting lives!   In This Episode, we discuss: 5 WAYS FITNESS COACHES CAN STEP INTO THE WAR OF PREPARATION Why Delay doesn't mean denial Understanding why you want to scale and make more money   Follow Us: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chrisandericmartinez/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/Dynamicduotraining     Attention Nutrition & Fitness Coaches: "Join our Free Dynamic Fit Pros Community Skool Group Where we help you Discover, Develop, & Deploy your skills, gifts, and greatness to help others."  See HERE   Attention Nutrition & Fitness Coaches: "Enrollment is Open for our Accelerator Mentorship to build a 6-Figure Online Fitness Coaching Business"  See HERE     See the full Show Notes to this episode here: 

ILP# 438 3/15/2026https://lordsofgaming.net/LORDS AFTER DARK on Insider Game App! ANDROID: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.insidergaming.appIOS: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/insider-gaming/id67539846481) ADVANCEDGG Use Code "IRONLORD" for 10% off https://advanced.gg/pages/partner-ironlords?_pos=12) VALARI PILLOW Use Code "ILP15" valari.gg/?ref=ironlordspodcastroundtable3)  ILP MERCH: https://ironlordspodcast-shop.fourthwall.com/collections/allsofgaming.net/4) NZXT & IRON LORDS PC Use Affiliate LINK: https://nzxt.co/Lords5) HAWORTH Gaming Chairs & ILP Use Affiliate LINK: https://haworth.pxf.io/4PKj7M*********************************************************00:00 - ILP#438 Pre-Show (TECH ISSUES!)30:30 - ILP#438 Intro. (FINALLY) LOL1:24:05 - TieGuyTravis Joins The Realm!1:26:26 - Marathon Impressions2:34:16 - Road To Germany (Cog Final Selections)3:21:33 - GDC Xbox Project Helix Announcements4:47:46 - ILP#438 Outro*********************************************************Welcome to The Iron Lords Podcast!Be sure to visit www.LordsOfGaming.net for all your gaming news!ILP Spotify: open.spotify.com/show/6XRMnu8Tf1fgIdGlTIpzsKILP Google Play:play.google.com/music/m/Iz2esvyqe…ron_Lords_PodcastILP SoundCloud: @user-780168349ILP Itunes: itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/iron-…uiR-IgF6cE9EQicIILP on Twitter: twitter.cm/IronLordPodcastILP on Instagram: www.instagram.com/ironlordspodcast/ILP DESTINY CLAN:www.bungie.net/en/Clan/Detail/178626The Iron Lords and the Lords of Gaming have an official group on Facebook! Join the Lords at:www.facebook.com/groups/194793427842267www.facebook.com/groups/lordsofgamingnetwork/Lord COGNITO--- twitter.com/LordCognitoLord KING--- twitter.com/kingdavidotwLord ADDICT--- twitter.com/LordAddictILPLord SOVEREIGN--- twitter.com/LordSovILPLord GAMING FORTE---twitter.com/Gaming_ForteILP YouTube Channel for ILP, Addict Show & all ILP related content: www.youtube.com/channel/UCYiUhEbYWiuwRuWXzKZMBxQXbox Frontline with King David: www.youtube.com/@xboxfrontlineFollow us on Twitter @IronLordPodcast to get plugged in so you don't miss any of our content.

In the phrase in Kaddish "Yitbarach Ve'yishtabah Ve'yitpa'ar…" the word "Ve'yishtabah" begins a series of seven words that consist of six letters each, for a total of 42 letters. This phrase thus alludes to the special "Shem Mem-Bet" – the 42-letter Name of G-d, which has special significance. If we add the other three words of praise in Kaddish – "Yitgadal," "Ve'yitkadash," and "Yitbarach," we arrive at a total of ten expressions of praise, which parallel the ten utterances with which Hashem created the universe. These ten pronouncements later found expression in the declaration of the Ten Commandments at Mount Sinai. The people heard the first two commandments from G-d, whereas the other eight were told only to Moshe who then conveyed them to the people. Accordingly, the ten expressions of praise in Kaddish are separated into two series: the two expressions of "Yitgadal" and "Ve'yitkadash" at the beginning of Kaddish, and the eight expressions from "Yitbarach" through "Ve'yit'halal," which appear later. The Peri Hadash (Rav Hizkiya Da Silva, 1659-1698) writes that these ten expressions of praise correspond to the ten different terms that King David used in Tehillim when praising Hashem (e.g. Nisu'ah, Niggun, Shir, Mizmor).

Introduction: 5 Reasons Pastors Should Be Paid: (1 Corinthians 9:1-14) It's COMMON Sense. (1 Cor 9:7) It's a CONCERN in the Law. (1 Cor 9:8-11) 1 Timothy 5:17-18 - Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in preaching and teaching. For the Scripture says, “You shall not muzzle an ox when it treads out the grain,” and, “The laborer deserves his wages.” It's CLAIMED By Others. (1 Cor 9:12) It's a CUSTOM from the Old Testament. (1 Cor 9:13) It's COMMANDED By Jesus. (1 Cor 9:14) Luke 10:7 – for the laborer deserves his wages. Matthew 10:10 - the laborer deserves his food. Sermon Notes (PDF): BLANKHint: Highlight blanks above for answers! Audio Transcript 00:36-00:40Open up those Bibles to 1 Corinthians 9.00:44-00:52The title of today's message is, "Should Pastors Be Paid?" Yeah.00:54-00:57I'd like to invite the worship team to come back up as we close.00:58-01:00If you want to worship through giving, the offering.01:04-01:09You're like, "You better earn that pay." Fair, fair.01:09-01:12You know, I was associate pastor for 11 years.01:12-01:16And one of the things that I did was run the Wednesday night program.01:16-01:18It was pioneer clubs like Awana's.01:18-01:26But I'll never forget one girl who was lifelong member of the church from forever.01:26-01:27She the one little girl came up.01:28-01:39She goes, "Pastor Jeff, where do you work?" And I'm not gonna say her name 'cause she's an adult now and might be watching this, but I said, "Well, you know where I work.01:40-01:42"I'm one of the pastors here at the church." She just rolled her eyes.01:42-01:46She goes, "I know that, but I mean, where do you work?01:46-01:49"Like, what's your job?01:49-02:02"Like, what do you do to get paid?" I'm like, "You know, just when you start "to feel pretty good about yourself." Along comes some kid to bring you right back down to earth, right?02:03-02:03Where do you work?02:07-02:09Many people hold that opinion, right?02:10-02:12I mean, being a pastor isn't really work.02:15-02:19You know, my favorite, you only work for one hour a week.02:23-02:24And you know what?02:24-02:25I've heard that so many times.02:25-02:27I'm quick to correct people on that.02:28-02:28I'm like, "No.02:31-02:32I don't work the whole hour.02:34-02:36My part's only like 35 minutes.02:37-02:43I work 35 minutes a week." So should pastors be paid?02:44-02:47When you bring it up, people get weird.02:48-02:49People get weird.02:49-02:51Everybody's evaluating the pastor's car.02:53-02:55Everybody's evaluating the pastor's house.02:55-02:58Everybody's evaluating the pastor's clothes.02:59-03:00How much is he making?03:03-03:05You know nobody does that for other professions, right?03:08-03:18Like for example, if somebody here is a nurse and you pull up to church driving a Boxter, what are people gonna say?03:18-03:20"Good for her, good for her.03:21-03:23Wow, I am so happy for her.03:26-03:31If I drove up driving a Porsche, what are people gonna say?03:35-03:36How much is he making?03:40-03:49I've heard a lot of things over the years, statements people have made, their little evaluations on how pastors should be paid.03:49-03:51I just want to share a couple with you.03:51-03:53Just this is, these amuse me.03:54-03:57But one person told me this regarding how a pastor should be paid.03:58-04:10He said, "A pastor shouldn't make more "than the lowest paid congregant." So we should find out who in the church makes the least and that should determine the pastor's salary.04:13-04:17Because after all, the pastor shouldn't make more than anybody else in the church.04:19-04:20I had one guy tell me this.04:21-04:31He goes, "I have a real problem "with preachers getting paid by the church." And I said, "What's the issue with that?" He goes, "Think about it this way.04:33-04:35"You teach tithing, right?04:35-04:55"10%." I'm like, "I'm following you." He goes, "Okay, so if 10 people give 10%, "now automatically the pastor's making "more than everybody in the church." And I'm like, you're gonna have to back up here 'cause you lost me somewhere on that math.04:57-04:58I mean, does that math work out?05:01-05:02Should pastors be paid?05:04-05:05Awkward.05:05-05:07Right, it's an awkward subject.05:07-05:10Can we just get that under, it's an awkward subject to stand up and preach about.05:10-05:11You're like, well then why are you?05:12-05:17Because we're going through the book of 1 Corinthians and guess what the subject is of this next section that we are going in?05:18-05:24"Should pastors be paid?" Yeah, it's going to be awkward to talk about, but you don't be more awkward than that, skipping it.05:26-05:26Right?05:26-05:29Because didn't God put it in His Word for a reason?05:30-05:31And we don't skip anything here.05:32-05:33So we're going after it.05:34-05:35We're just going to go after it.05:35-05:36Should pastors be paid?05:37-05:39The Bible is clear, yes.05:41-05:50But some ministers, you know, they live lavishly, and they demand that the church pay for the their extravagant lifestyle, and that is wrong.05:52-05:59But we can't just disregard what the Bible says just because some people have abused the privilege.06:02-06:06This section here, we're in 1 Corinthians, it's about liberty.06:08-06:21You're like, "Well, what is liberty?" It's this, you know, to be saved means that you have to turn from your sin and receive Jesus Christ.06:21-06:34And when you receive Him, you believe that Jesus died for your sin, when you believe that Jesus resurrected from the dead, when you believe that, the Bible says you are adopted as a child of God.06:34-06:36And nothing can change that.06:37-06:40Nothing can separate you from the love of God in Jesus Christ.06:41-06:41Nothing.06:42-06:46When you are saved, you are saved as a gift of God's grace.06:47-06:48Nothing can change that.06:51-06:54So understand your salvation is not performance-based.06:56-06:58So that means there's nothing you can do.06:58-07:01If you're saved, there's nothing you can do that would disqualify you from being a child of God.07:01-07:02It's not performance-based.07:04-07:12So the extreme view of that is, well, if it's not performance-based, I'm free to do whatever I want.07:15-07:16And that's what we're looking at in this section.07:17-07:19Am I free to do whatever I want?07:19-07:38Their particular issue, we talked about this last week, was they were, some of the more mature Christians were eating meat that was sacrificed to idols, and they were like, "A burger's a burger." But it bothered some of the weaker Christians who came out of the pagan background and said, You don't want to touch meat that was used in pagan worship.07:39-07:46And Paul says, "Love says, 'I will give up my rights if it keeps a brother from stumbling.'" I'll give up my rights.07:49-08:02So understand here in this section that we're looking at today, Paul is saying, "Corinthians, I'm not asking you to do anything that I'm not willing to do.08:05-08:10Paul is saying here in this section we're looking at, I am laying down a freedom that I have.08:10-08:13I have the freedom to get paid by the church.08:13-08:15And Paul says, I laid that freedom down.08:17-08:23We're going to talk more about that part of it next week, but why would Paul lay that freedom down?08:23-08:25He knew it would bring offense.08:27-08:31You see, he knew that there were going to be some people that thought, "Oh, look at this guy.08:31-08:35There's this new religion and he's using it to cash in.08:35-08:36He's using it just to make money.08:37-08:40He's trying to rip you off." So Paul got a job making tents.08:40-09:03So he's like, "I'm not going to be a financial burden to anybody because I don't want anybody to think that I have an ulterior motive in preaching the gospel." So chapter 9, the section we're looking at today illustrates this whole giving up my liberty issue. I have the freedom to not use my freedom.09:05-09:18All right, let's bow. I'm going to ask you to pray for me to be faithful to communicate God's Word, and I will pray for you to have a heart open to receive it, and then we'll go right after it. Let's just take a moment and pray.09:22-09:23by your name and your word, Father.09:26-09:30We ask you in the mighty name of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior forever.09:31-09:35And all of God's people said, amen.09:36-09:42All right, so the Corinthians are like, hey, we are free in Christ to do what we want.09:42-09:44Look at chapter nine, verse one.09:45-09:46Paul says, am I not free?09:48-09:49Am I not an apostle?09:51-09:52Paul's like, "I'm free.09:53-09:55"I'm free to, you know about your freedom?09:55-10:08"I'm free too." And Paul says, "By the way, I'm not just a pew sitter." Okay, he's like, "I'm an apostle." And as always, when the issue comes up, you're going to have a group of people that were like, "Are you, Paul?10:08-10:09"Are you really an apostle?10:09-10:13"Are you really?" Oh, look at what he says.10:15-10:18"Have I not seen Jesus our Lord?10:18-10:25"Are not you my workmanship in the Lord?" Paul was always defending himself.10:25-10:27And right here he goes, "Yeah, I am an apostle.10:27-10:28"I'll give you two proofs.10:28-10:30"One is the big one.10:30-10:37"To be an apostle, you had to have seen "the resurrected Jesus Christ." And Paul's like, "I've seen him." Like, did Paul see Jesus?10:37-10:39Yeah, at least three times.10:39-10:42Oh, by the way, one of those times was actually in Corinth.10:42-10:43What's that, Acts chapter 18?10:46-10:56Paul says, "I have another proof." He goes, "You want another proof of my apostleship?" He goes, "You, you are my proof." What do you mean by that?10:56-10:57Look at verses two and three.10:58-11:07He says, "If to others I am not an apostle, "at least I am to you, "for you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord.11:08-11:30"This is my defense to those who would examine me." Paul says, "Some might not believe that I'm apostle, but you cannot deny the way that the Lord has worked through me to you." He says, "You're my seal." See, in those days, if somebody wanted to authenticate a letter, they would put a wax seal with the signet ring.11:31-11:32That was to say, "This is genuine.11:32-11:35This is real." Paul goes, "You want to know that I'm real?11:35-11:48Do you want to know that I'm authentic?" He goes, "You're my proof, because God has ministered the gospel through me to you." These are the evidences that I'm an apostle.11:48-11:53So, verse 4, do we not have the right to eat and drink?11:55-11:57That's obviously sarcasm.11:58-12:03I was like, "Yeah, I'm an apostle and God has used me, so I'm not allowed to eat?" Is that what you're saying?12:06-12:10I've been faithful to your souls, I've been faithful to the Lord, but I don't get to eat?12:11-12:20He's saying, "I don't get to… are you saying that I don't get to earn a living from the work that I do in the Lord?" Look at verse 5.12:24-12:32He says, "Do we not have the right to take along a believing wife, as do the other apostles and the brothers of the Lord and Cephas?12:34-12:39Or is it only Barnabas and I who have no right to refrain from working for a living?12:41-12:49Paul's like, "Other ministers are supported." So much so that other ministers actually take their wives along with them.12:50-12:52So you support them.12:56-12:57What about me?12:57-13:00Do I have the right to be supported by the church?13:01-13:03See what Paul's doing here.13:03-13:06in this little introduction, he's setting this all up.13:07-13:19He goes, "This freedom that I am laying down, is it actually a freedom that I have?" As we look at verses 7-14, Paul here is establishing that this is a right.13:19-13:21This is legitimate.13:21-13:25Ministers have the right to be supported by the church.13:25-13:26He's proving that in this section.13:29-13:35And in Paul's day, as in ours, there are people that are going to doubt the premise.13:36-13:38Like, really, should ministers be paid?13:38-13:38Really?13:39-13:40Not sure about that.13:40-13:41Should they, is it really work?13:42-13:4635 minutes, rather, 35 minutes a week, is that really work?13:47-13:48Should we be paying you for that?13:52-13:56Well, Paul gives five reasons why you should pay the pastor.13:57-13:57All right?13:59-14:00"Jot these down.14:00-14:08By the way, you're paying me overtime this week 'cause I spent some extra time making sure these were alliterated.14:09-14:12I don't always do that, but when I do, I charge extra.14:13-14:23And I charge by the word, that's why the sermons are so long." So five reasons a pastor should be paid.14:23-14:24Number one, I love this.14:24-14:26He just knocks this one right out.14:26-14:26It's common sense.14:27-14:28It's common sense.14:28-14:30Look at verse 7.14:32-14:36Paul says, "Who serves as a soldier at his own expense?14:38-14:40Who plants a vineyard without eating any of its fruit?14:41-14:48Or who tends a flock without getting some of the milk?" Obvious point, right?14:49-14:52A man earns his living by his work.14:53-14:55And he gives three examples.14:56-15:00A soldier, a farmer, and a shepherd.15:03-15:09Imagine as Paul calls us to here, imagine doing those jobs at your own expense.15:10-15:11Imagine that.15:11-15:13That's ludicrous, right?15:14-15:14Like what do you do?15:14-15:15I work at Target.15:17-15:17Why do you work at Target?15:18-15:25"Well, just trying to pay the bills so in my free time I can be in the army." Like what?15:26-15:27Paul's like, "Who does that?15:28-15:36That's called a hobby if you're doing it without being compensated.15:36-15:41Their families are fed from the work that they do." So it should be true for pastors.15:41-15:42It's common sense.15:43-15:47should earn from the work that they do.15:50-15:55And I have to add, church, that this is also extremely practical when you think about it.15:55-15:57The church benefits from a focused pastor.16:00-16:05You're going to get your best work from the pastor if he's not distracted.16:06-16:07I mean, think about it.16:07-16:43If the pastor has to provide for his family by working another job, how much gas is left tank to be a pastor. And you're like, "Eh, doesn't look that hard." Well, I want you to think about your job, whatever you do. You're nine to five, whether you work in a bank, work in HVAC, community, you know, some kind of like social service function, think Think of what you do.16:44-16:52When your shift ends, do you feel like you would be able to effectively pastor a church on top of that?16:55-16:59Again, I don't care if you're with the police, a computer programmer.17:00-17:05Imagine working all day doing that, and then you get home and now you've got to write a sermon.17:06-17:07Oh, and you have two counseling appointments.17:07-17:09And make sure you squeeze time in.17:09-17:17you've got to follow up with these new people at church, oh, and then you have a ministry team meeting on top of that.17:17-17:21Are you really going to do all of that on top of your nine to five?17:24-17:25It's common sense.17:26-17:33You see, if a pastor has to work another job, it's easy for him to phone it in when it comes to the church work, right?17:33-17:37Well, I've got to work at Target so that I can pay my bills.17:38-17:39the church stuff is just going to have to wait.17:39-17:42I sure hope they're not expecting a decent sermon this week.17:44-17:45It's just common sense.17:45-17:47People should get wages.17:49-17:52People should benefit from their workplace.17:52-17:53That's where he starts.17:54-17:55It's common sense.17:55-17:58Number two, five reasons pastors should be paid.17:58-18:02Five reasons Paul says this is a right for pastors to be paid.18:02-18:05Number two is it's a concern in the law.18:05-18:06It's a concern in the law.18:09-18:10Like, what do you mean?18:10-18:11Well, look at verse eight.18:12-18:17Paul says, "Do I say these things on human authority?" Like, you think I'm making this up?18:19-18:22He says, "Does not the law say the same?18:23-18:37"For it is written in the law of Moses, "you shall not muzzle an ox when it treads out the grain." That's Deuteronomy 25 verse 4.18:38-18:43Like, what do you mean an ox treading out the grain?18:43-18:47It was actually an Egyptian trick that Israel adopted.18:49-19:01They would tie a big round flat stone to an ox, and they would have the ox drag the stone over the wheat to crush it to remove the husk.19:03-19:13Okay, so you have this ox helping you prepare food, doing this hard work of dragging a stone.19:13-19:19Now how cruel would it be to put a muzzle on the ox while he's doing that?19:19-19:22Like you have to drag the stone, but you're not allowed to eat.19:23-19:27Oh, you're going to stand on top of food all day, but you're not allowed to take a bite.19:28-19:28That's inhumane.19:36-19:37That's the point.19:39-19:41Look at verse 9, second part.19:44-19:56He says, "Is it for oxen that God is concerned?" Does He not speak entirely for our sake?19:57-20:15It was written for our sake, because the plowman should plow in hope, and the thresher thresh in hope of sharing in the crop." See Paul's point, you know, the whole don't muzzle an ox while it's treading out the grain.20:15-20:27Paul's like, "You think God's concerned about the ox?" Look, I don't think God has anything against ox, oxen, oxes, oxen, oxen.20:27-20:28Thank you, Randy.20:28-20:28Oxen.20:28-20:31I don't think God's against oxen.20:31-20:32He created them.20:32-20:33I think God loves oxen.20:34-20:42Paul's like, "Do you think he wrote that in the law for the oxen who are going to be reading the law?" Like, "Hey, wait a second.20:43-20:48You're not supposed to muzzle me while I'm working." I think he didn't write that for the oxen.20:50-20:51But don't do it now.20:51-20:52You can do it later.20:53-20:56You get some time, turn back to that reference in Deuteronomy.20:56-21:01And you're going to see that section of Deuteronomy has nothing to do with animals.21:02-21:05Nothing to do with how to treat the livestock.21:05-21:06It has nothing to do with that.21:07-21:12It has everything to do with people.21:12-21:13And how you treat people.21:15-21:17You see, it's a figure of speech.21:17-21:21We use animals in figures of speech all the time, don't we?21:22-21:25Don't look a gift horse in the mouth, two birds with one stone, all of that.21:25-21:26It was a figure of speech.21:28-21:36And Paul reminds us here, look, when God wrote that through Moses, He wasn't really concerned about the oxen, He was concerned about man.21:38-21:44And the point of that expression is the worker deserves to benefit from his work, obviously, right?21:45-22:02Luke 11, he says, "If we have sown spiritual things among you, is it too much if we reap material things from you?" Sown spiritual things.22:05-22:09That's all I'm trying to do for this church.22:10-22:13There are many people in this church that I have led to Christ.22:16-22:23There's many people in this church that I've not only taught the Bible, but I've taught how to teach the Bible.22:25-22:35There are people in this church that I have counseled out of disaster, comforted you and your family at funerals.22:36-22:37I married a lot of people here.22:39-22:45I've come along leaders to try to encourage them in their particular ministries.22:46-22:57None of this is meant to be boastful or "Hey, look at me." I'm just saying objectively, this is what I'm striving to do among you.22:59-23:01So is it out of line to support me in doing those things?23:03-23:05Am I asking too much?23:07-23:10Or do you see no value in anything that I do?23:12-23:16Now look, I am so thankful.23:16-23:18This church has always supported me and my family.23:20-23:24And I am so thankful to God for you and your support.23:27-23:34It would absolutely grieve me though if you thought that I wasn't worth it.23:35-23:43Like, yeah, we'll support him, but I mean, does he really bring something to the table?23:48-23:57Some churches, well, they do justify no pay or meager pay for the pastors.23:58-23:59Some churches justify that.23:59-24:01You can't pay the pastor very much.24:01-24:01Why?24:02-24:04Gotta keep 'em humble, right Pastor Taylor?24:06-24:07Gotta keep 'em humble.24:07-24:11Pastor Taylor gets paid two Kit Kats a week, that's all he gets from the church.24:12-24:14Because we're gonna keep 'em humble.24:16-24:18We don't want 'em to get swollen head.24:19-24:21So we gotta keep 'em humble.24:21-24:30Listen, that is an unbiblical mindset, completely backwards to what the Bible says about the way you treat your pastor.24:31-24:32Right?24:34-24:371 Timothy 5, look what Paul told Timothy.24:38-24:50He says, "Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in preaching and teaching." You know what he means by double honor?24:51-24:55He doesn't mean like, thank you, thank you.24:58-24:58Great job, great job.24:58-24:59That's not what he means at all.25:00-25:02You look at the context, he's talking about pay.25:04-25:07He's saying you should double my pay.25:09-25:11You get the point there, right?25:12-25:14Not keep them humble.25:14-25:17He's like, those who preach the word of God deserve double honor.25:18-25:24He says, for the scripture says, you shall not muzzle an ox when it treads out the grain.25:25-25:29and the laborer deserves his wages.25:33-25:37And right now some Bible scholar is like, oh, okay, don't muzzle the ox.25:38-25:40Okay, Pastor Jeff, that's Old Testament.25:40-25:42We don't live under the Old Testament.25:45-25:52Well, we abide under the principles of the law, especially when they're repeated in the New Testament.25:53-25:53All right?25:54-25:55The five reasons pastors should be paid.25:56-25:58Paul says it's common sense.25:58-25:59It's a concern in the law.25:59-26:01Number three, write this down, it's claimed by others.26:02-26:04It's claimed by others.26:07-26:21Verse 12, he says, "If others share this rightful claim on you, do not we even more?" Paul's like, "Oh, by the way, it's not weird or unusual.26:23-26:25In fact, there's precedent for it.26:27-26:27Right?26:28-26:30Many of you do support others.26:31-26:39And you should, but there's many people here that you're like, I support certain missionaries or I support world vision, or I support Samaritan's Purse.26:39-26:41I support all these people.26:41-26:46And Paul here is just simply saying, hey, what about the shepherd who has devoted his life to caring for you?26:47-26:47What about that guy?26:48-26:49Should he be paid?26:49-26:50Should he be supported?26:53-27:03And my whole life revolves around caring for you, praying for you, discipling you.27:06-27:15And some people are like, "Well, you know, I listen to such and such preacher on the Facebooks or the YouTubes or whatever.27:15-27:22I listen to Jack Hibbs, so my tithe goes to Jack Hibbs." Okay.27:28-27:32But when you need counseling, do you think Jack Hibbs is going to come and counsel you?27:34-27:39You know, if you have a tragedy, do you think Jack Hibbs is going to be at your house to pray for you, pray with you?27:42-27:43Does Jack Hibbs even know who you are?27:46-27:46That's Paul's point here.27:47-27:49Paul's like, "Others share the rightful claim.27:49-28:12"You support others." Paul's like, "How can you not support the one who loves you?" He goes on in verse 12, he goes, "Nevertheless, we have not made use of this right, "but we endure anything rather than put an obstacle "in the way of the gospel of Christ." That's the whole point of broaching the subject.28:13-28:25We have the freedom to get paid, but Paul says, "I laid that freedom down." Just as I'm telling you to do about eating the meat sacrifice to the idols, it's okay.28:25-28:28It's okay to lay your freedom down sometimes.28:30-28:32We're going to get into that more next week.28:33-28:36This week though, he's giving us five reasons a preacher should be paid.28:36-28:39And here's number four, it's a custom from the Old Testament.28:40-28:46It's common sense, it's a concern in the law, it's claimed by others, and it's a custom from the Old Testament.28:47-28:48Look at verse 13.28:49-29:03He says, "Do you not know that those who are employed in the temple service get their food from the temple, and those who serve at the altar share in the sacrificial offerings.29:06-29:09Do a little study sometime, Old Testament law.29:09-29:16In the Old Testament, priests were supported for their work by their work.29:18-29:26All of the sacrifices that were given under Old Testament law realized the priest received a portion of what was offered in some way, shape, or form.29:26-29:27That's what Paul's talking about here.29:31-29:41And I was studying this this week, and I'm like, why did he sort of, he kind of said that in verse seven, right?29:42-29:43The same thing.29:43-29:46So why did he bring this up again?29:46-29:47And then it hit me.29:50-29:54Verse seven, he gave secular examples.29:56-29:57You know, the soldier, the farmer, the shepherd.29:57-29:59He gave secular examples.29:59-30:23And there are some in the church that would say, "Okay, Paul, you're using secular reasoning and you're trying to apply it to the spiritual realm." And I think what Paul's doing here is saying, "Look, yes, this principle, you should be supported for the work that you do, by your work." It's true in the secular world and it's true in the sacred world too.30:23-30:25So Paul's like, "Don't act like this is a new thing.30:26-30:31supporting the spiritual leaders, because it's a custom that goes way back to the Old Testament.30:35-30:40Number five, five reasons pastors should be paid.30:41-30:45It's common sense, it's a concern in the law, it's claimed by others, it's a custom from the Old Testament.30:46-30:57Last and probably most important, I would say, I think that's why it's last, it's commanded by Jesus.31:00-31:01It's commanded by Jesus.31:02-31:17Look at verse 14, "In the same way, the Lord commanded that those who proclaim the gospel should get their living by the gospel." Wait a minute, when did Jesus say that?31:18-31:20Well, He said that a couple of times.31:21-31:34In Luke chapter 10, Jesus was sending out the 72 and He was talking about, you can look this up later, the people that believe you should be the ones that feed you.31:34-31:41So Jesus in sending them out said, "For the laborer deserves his wages." What's the context of that?31:42-32:06And again in Matthew 10, verse 10, Jesus was sending out the twelve, and He says, "The people that believe you should be the people who support you." And that's why He said, "The laborer deserves his food." In both cases, Jesus was saying those who preach the gospel must be supported by those who believe the gospel.32:07-32:14In other words, believers, we could say church members, should financially support their leaders.32:17-32:23If you're a guest here today, I want you to understand you're under no obligation to give.32:24-32:29Don't feel guilty or like, "Well, I probably should." If you're a guest, be our guest.32:31-32:32There's zero obligation.32:35-32:37is something that we are to share as a church family.32:39-32:39All right?32:43-32:45But nevertheless, the Lord commanded it.32:46-32:48Those who proclaim the gospel should get their living by the gospel.32:50-33:01So Paul, in this whole section, is saying as a minister of the gospel, I have every right to expect you to support me, but I laid that right down.33:03-33:19I thought it might be an obstacle to the work, so because I love you, I didn't take financial support from you." Paul's like, "I'm trying to show you something, that when you love, you're willing to lay down your rights.33:21-33:56When you love, you're willing to lay down your freedoms." Paul is just simply saying, as we'll see next week, "Follow my example." Right now you're like, "Okay, pay the pastor, fine." Well my hope is not that you reluctantly get on board with giving, but I want you to see the bigger picture of why you give.33:57-34:00Yes, giving primarily is an act of worship.34:00-34:01We've had a whole sermon series about that.34:02-34:03Giving is an act of worship.34:04-34:08But also I want you to think about the tangible effects of giving.34:11-34:14When you give, my family is supported.34:16-34:22And that frees me from trying to do ministry on top of a nine to five job.34:22-34:25It lets me stay focused on caring for you.34:25-34:35Understand that when you give, look at the big picture, you're freeing me up so that I can care for everybody in this church to the best of my ability.34:39-34:39Everyone benefits.34:41-34:44When you give, other staff are paid.34:44-34:47That allows us to worship in excellent music.34:48-35:07It helps us disciple your children and young adults to minister on a personal level through the oversight of our entire small group ministry and so many more things that are able to happen that couldn't happen if you weren't financially supporting the leadership of the church.35:09-35:15Oh, oh, oh, and when you give, understand that you're supporting a whole network of ministers in Thailand.35:17-35:30Do you know in northern Thailand and beyond, we have 23 churches, we have four children's homes, we have a Bible institute, and do you know how many people stateside support them?35:33-35:34Just this church.35:35-35:49You, when you give, you are allowing the work of evangelism happen all over that area of the world through our network of churches.35:52-35:55Disciples are made all over Northern Thailand and beyond.35:57-36:08When you give, that is your way of actively partnering with me in advancing the kingdom of Jesus Christ.36:10-36:12I'd like you to bow your heads as the worship team makes their way up.36:16-36:29Father in heaven, it felt awkward to have to give a message like this, but God, it's your word.36:29-36:30We don't skip anything.36:32-36:34We just want to go after what you said.36:35-36:46Father, I thank you for the way that this church has always sought to support me and my family.36:48-36:53Financially sure, but so many other ways this church has sought to bless and protect my family.36:54-36:55God, I thank you so much for these people.36:56-36:58This is from you, God, and I thank you for that.36:59-37:11I just pray, Father, that looking at a passage like this, you would give us sort of a bigger picture of the way your economy works and why you have called us to certain things that you've called us to.37:15-37:24God, we believe that all things are yours, and we believe, God, that you have called us to be faithful stewards with everything that you give us.37:27-37:32We thank you for the privilege and all the ways that you've called us to partner with you in the work of the ministry.37:33-37:38Thank You, Father, for the spirit of generosity that You have stirred among Your people here.37:39-37:47And as King David prayed in preparation for the temple, might that spirit always be found in Your people.37:48-37:50We pray in Jesus' name, amen. Small Group DiscussionRead 1 Corinthians 9:1-14What was your big take-away from this passage / message?Explain why Paul broaches the subject of paying the pastor in the first place. What does that have to do with their question about Christian liberty?What are some practical benefits that come when a pastor doesn't have to work outside the church?How would you respond to someone who says, “Pastors should have a job like everyone else! It's not fair that the pastor has money when some people in the congregation are struggling financially.”BreakoutPray for one another.

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What Is Your Rock? The Danger of Trusting Wealth Instead of God What is your rock? In a world where investments, real estate, and retirement accounts are rising faster than ever, it's easy for our hearts to slowly shift from trusting God to trusting our wealth. In this episode of the Rob Skinner Podcast, Rob explores the powerful warning from Psalm 62:10: "Though your riches increase, do not set your heart on them." Financial growth isn't the problem. The real danger is when our hearts begin to rest in money instead of God. King David understood this tension well. Though he was incredibly wealthy, his peace and security didn't come from his kingdom, armies, or possessions. His confidence came from God alone. David declared: "Truly he is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will never be shaken." (Psalm 62) In today's world of market surges, investment growth, and financial success, this message is more relevant than ever. As wealth increases, faith can sometimes decrease. In this episode, Rob challenges us to examine a critical question: Where is your heart really anchored? Is your confidence in the market—or in the Master? In This Episode You'll Learn • Why wealth can quietly pull our hearts away from God • The difference between using money and trusting money • Why the Bible warns about the deceitfulness of wealth • How King David modeled generosity even in great success • Why retirement should never become spiritual retirement • How to use your blessings to build something that lasts eternally A Powerful Question to Ask Yourself What or who is your rock right now? Are you trusting in markets or in your Maker? God never intended wealth to be the foundation of your life. It's meant to be a tool for eternal impact. Scripture Featured Psalm 62:10 Psalm 62:1–2 Resources Mentioned

Try the BibleACTS app!: https://bibleacts.goodbarber.app Or try Online Bible College here: https://5lxiiva.pushpress.com/open/interested In this episode, we examine 2 Samuel 11, one of the most sobering passages in the life of King David. A man described elsewhere as “a man after God's own heart” falls into a devastating chain of sin that begins with a moment of compromise and leads to adultery, deception, and ultimately murder. In this verse-by-verse Bible study, we explore: Why David stayed behind in Jerusalem while his army went to war How small moments of spiritual negligence can open the door to major sin The progression from temptation to adultery with Bathsheba David's attempts to cover his sin by manipulating Uriah The tragic decision that led to Uriah's death What this passage teaches about the deceitfulness of sin Why even the most faithful believers must guard their hearts 2 Samuel 11 reminds us that no one is above temptation, and that sin often grows through a series of small compromises rather than one sudden decision. But it also prepares us for the powerful story of repentance and restoration that follows in David's life. If you want to understand how spiritual leaders fall, how sin progresses, and how believers can guard themselves against similar traps, this passage offers critical wisdom. Watch, listen, and grow in your faith — and subscribe for more verse-by-verse Bible commentary and podcast episodes. #2Samuel11 #BibleStudy #KingDavid #Bathsheba #BibleCommentary #ChristianPodcast #OldTestament #SpiritualLessons

A message from The Doctrines of Grace. To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/581/29?v=20251111

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God often calls us to roles that feel overwhelming or beyond our capacity. Jennifer Slattery reflects on how recognizing our flaws doesn’t disqualify us—instead, God can use our weaknesses to grow our faith and strength. By serving Him wholeheartedly, seeking Him consistently, and relying on His guidance, we can step confidently into the assignments He’s placed before us. Even when tasks seem impossible, God equips us to follow His commands and complete the work He has called us to. Highlights Feeling ill-equipped doesn’t mean you’re disqualified; imperfection can lead to growth when anchored in God. Like Solomon, success in divine assignments requires a close relationship with God and attentive obedience. Serve God with a unified heart, setting aside mixed motives and self-protection. Seek God through prayer, Bible reading, worship, journaling, and surrender to His guidance. Courage and strength come from trusting that God has placed you in the role and will make your efforts fruitful. This episode is sponsored by Trinity Debt Management. If you are struggling with debt call Trinity today. Trinity's counselors have the knowledge and resources to make a difference. Our intention is to help people become debt-free, and most importantly, remain debt-free for keeps!" If your debt has you down, we should talk. Call us at 1-800-793-8548 | https://trinitycredit.org TrinityCredit – Call us at 1-800-793-8548. Whether we're helping people pay off their unsecured debt or offering assistance to those behind in their mortgage payments. https://trinitycredit.org Full Transcript Below: Hearts Prepared for Divine AssignmentsBy: Jennifer Slattery Bible Reading:“So now I charge you in the sight of all Israel and of the assembly of the Lord, and in the hearing of our God: Be careful to follow all the commands of the Lord your God, that you may possess this good land and pass it on as an inheritance to your descendants forever.“And you, my son Solomon, acknowledge the God of your father, and serve him with wholehearted devotion and with a willing mind, for the Lord searches every heart and understands every desire and every thought. If you seek him, he will be found by you; but if you forsake him, he will reject you forever. Consider now, for the Lord has chosen you to build a house as the sanctuary. Be strong and do the work.” - 1 Chronicles 28:8-10 Years ago, when I began to sense that God was opening doors for publication and establishing my calling, I became overwhelmingly aware of my sin, flaws, and weaknesses. I feared I wasn’t spiritually or emotionally mature enough to hold any type of platform for Him. Initially, I wanted to withdraw and choose a less visible role (also known as suppress and deny my gifting). As I prayed through this, however, the Lord helped me see that yes, I assessed my faults and potential vulnerabilities correctly, but my imperfection needn’t disqualify me. My recognition could, in fact, lead to growth and strength, so long as I remained focused on and connected to Him. If I wanted to live more like Jesus in this new and much more public role, I needed to consistently apply King David’s advice to his son Solomon. David, ancient Israel’s second king, knew his life neared its end and wanted to ensure his son had everything he needed to lead the nation well and complete David’s long-held dream of building the first permanent temple for God. This assignment must’ve felt overwhelming. To succeed, Solomon needed much more than building, math, leadership, and problem-solving skills. He needed to maintain a close relationship with God in which he remained alert to the Lord’s voice and set his heart on dependent obedience. Intersection Life & Faith: We’ve probably all landed in situations for which we felt severely ill-equipped. Perhaps you’re parenting a rebellious and drug-addicted teenager, managing a highly toxic team, facing a diagnosis with confusing treatment options, or trying to heal from deep childhood wounds. When the path ahead feels steep and shrouded in fog, we can stall in fear, march ahead in human foolishness, or apply today’s passage. Again, this reads: “Be careful to follow all the commands of the Lord your God … 9 “... serve him with wholehearted devotion and with a willing mind, for the Lord searches every heart and understands every desire and every thought. If you seek him, he will be found by you … the Lord has chosen you... Be strong and do the work” (1 Chron. 28:8b-10, NIV). Let’s break this down. Be careful to follow God’s commands. This implies living with intention and predetermining to obey; however, He leads. Of course, I must know the Lord’s will, as recorded in Scripture and whispered in my heart, to remain intimately aligned with my Savior. Serve Him with my whole heart. Sadly, I often carry mixed motives. I want to honor Christ and to self-protect. I long to love my family well, but my pride often gets in the way. I choose contentment while simultaneously fighting against a desire for increased wealth, beauty, or better health. But with God’s help, I can worship Him with a unified heart. Seek God through prayer, Bible reading, worship, journaling, and inviting Him to remove any lies that distort my perspective of Him. He will be found by me. I’m comforted knowing that God never withholds love or relationship. He always makes Himself available to us. The moment I take a step toward Him, He is already moving toward me (James 4:8). The Lord has chosen you. When my insecurities tell me someone else would perform my responsibilities better, the Spirit reminds me that God placed me in this role. He alone holds the figurative pen for my life and the power to make my efforts fruitful. Be strong and do the work. While I want to begin each day quietly connecting with Christ, eventually I must leave my figurative prayer closet to follow however He leads. May these steps, and your Father who preserved them in writing, increase your courage and resolve the next time you feel overwhelmed or insufficient for whatever stands before you. Further Reading:Colossians 3:23-242 Timothy 2:1-7Hebrews 10:36-39 Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

The article, "King David Was Not a Pastor," was first published on the Voice of Reason Blog on March 9, 2026.

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ILP# 437 3/8/2026https://lordsofgaming.net/LORDS AFTER DARK on Insider Game App! ANDROID: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.insidergaming.appIOS: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/insider-gaming/id67539846481) ADVANCEDGG Use Code "IRONLORD" for 10% off https://advanced.gg/pages/partner-ironlords?_pos=12) VALARI PILLOW Use Code "ILP15" valari.gg/?ref=ironlordspodcastroundtable3)  ILP MERCH: https://ironlordspodcast-shop.fourthwall.com/collections/allsofgaming.net/4) NZXT & IRON LORDS PC Use Affiliate LINK: https://nzxt.co/Lords5) HAWORTH Gaming Chairs & ILP Use Affiliate LINK: https://haworth.pxf.io/4PKj7M*********************************************************[00:00] Intro, Banter, and Life Updates (Dieting, TV shows, and Movies)[06:46] What the Lords Have Been Playing (Enchanted Arms, Minishoot)[11:00] Deep Dive into Resident Evil 9[43:00] Super Chats & General Industry Talk (Capcom's hot streak, GTA 6 expectations)[01:05:22] Major Topic 1: Project Helix (Xbox's Next-Gen Hybrid Console & Asha Sharma's Announcement)[01:13:00] Live from GDC: Cog drops in to give on-the-ground updates[01:38:48] Hilarious Detour: Picking a costume for Cog (Road to Cologne)[01:41:46] Continuing the Project Helix discussion (PC integration, exclusives, and the console war)[02:40:16] Major Topic 2: PlayStation Leaving PC? (Discussing Jason Schreier's report about Sony pulling major single-player titles like Ghost of Yōtei from PC)[03:11:00] Major Topic 3: Steam Machine Delayed (Valve pushing back the timeline and ceasing production on older Steam Decks)[03:19:30] Major Topic 4: Slay The Spire 2 (Early Access impressions and comparing its massive player counts to Marathon)[03:30:10] Outro & Wrap-up*********************************************************Welcome to The Iron Lords Podcast!Be sure to visit www.LordsOfGaming.net for all your gaming news!ILP Spotify: open.spotify.com/show/6XRMnu8Tf1fgIdGlTIpzsKILP Google Play:play.google.com/music/m/Iz2esvyqe…ron_Lords_PodcastILP SoundCloud: @user-780168349ILP Itunes: itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/iron-…uiR-IgF6cE9EQicIILP on Twitter: twitter.cm/IronLordPodcastILP on Instagram: www.instagram.com/ironlordspodcast/ILP DESTINY CLAN:www.bungie.net/en/Clan/Detail/178626The Iron Lords and the Lords of Gaming have an official group on Facebook! Join the Lords at:www.facebook.com/groups/194793427842267www.facebook.com/groups/lordsofgamingnetwork/Lord COGNITO--- twitter.com/LordCognitoLord KING--- twitter.com/kingdavidotwLord ADDICT--- twitter.com/LordAddictILPLord SOVEREIGN--- twitter.com/LordSovILPLord GAMING FORTE---twitter.com/Gaming_ForteILP YouTube Channel for ILP, Addict Show & all ILP related content: www.youtube.com/channel/UCYiUhEbYWiuwRuWXzKZMBxQXbox Frontline with King David: www.youtube.com/@xboxfrontlineFollow us on Twitter @IronLordPodcast to get plugged in so you don't miss any of our content.

What can we learn from the story of David and Bathsheba?In this message, we walk through 2 Samuel 11–12 and examine one of the most sobering stories in the Bible: the fall of King David. What begins with idleness quickly spirals into lust, deception, adultery, and ultimately murder. David's story is a powerful reminder of how hidden sin can slowly destroy a life.But this story isn't just about David. It's about all of us.We explore how temptation works, why sin often begins long before the moment we notice it, and how repentance is the path that leads to restoration.In this message we discuss: • The story of David and Bathsheba explained • How idleness opens the door to temptation • Why sin often leads us down a slippery slope • The importance of truth tellers and accountability in our lives • Why repentance leads to restorationDavid's story reminds us that even someone described as “a man after God's own heart” can fall. But through repentance, God offers restoration, healing, and a new path forward.⸻Scriptures in this message2 Samuel 11–12Psalm 51James 1:13–151 Samuel 13:13–14⸻0:00 The Problem We Don't Want to Admit4:56 A Simple Problem… and a Hard Truth7:24 David's First Wrong Step9:13 The Slippery Slope of Sin13:30 When Sin Leads to Destruction20:03 Nathan Confronts David26:27 Repentance Leads to Restoration30:01 Psalm 51 – David's Prayer of RepentanceSupport the show

Today, Tom interviewed Dr. Ian Vaillancourt from Heritage Theological Seminary. Find out more about the school here.  Access Dr. Vaillancourt's books here: Treasuring the Psalms: How to Read the Songs that Shape the Soul of the Church, The Dawning of Redemption: The Story of the Pentateuch and the Hope of the Gospel, Unfolding Redemption: The Heart of the Gospel in the Story of Old Testament History. Sign up for the GearTalk Bible Reading Plan. Access Jason DeRouchie's resources on the Law, the Prophets, and the Writings. Access Hands to the Plow's resources on the Law, the Prophets, the Writings, and the Gospels. Support the work of Hands to the Plow.

Original Date: 03/08/2026Rev. Ashley DusenberyReference Text:2 SAMUEL 9:1-131 And David said, “Is there still anyone left of the house of Saul, that I may show him kindness for Jonathan's sake?” 2 Now there was a servant of the house of Saul whose name was Ziba, and they called him to David. And the king said to him, “Are you Ziba?” And he said, “I am your servant.” 3 And the king said, “Is there not still someone of the house of Saul, that I may show the kindness of God to him?” Ziba said to the king, “There is still a son of Jonathan; he is crippled in his feet.” 4 The king said to him, “Where is he?” And Ziba said to the king, “He is in the house of Machir the son of Ammiel, at Lo-debar.” 5 Then King David sent and brought him from the house of Machir the son of Ammiel, at Lo-debar. 6 And Mephibosheth the son of Jonathan, son of Saul, came to David and fell on his face and paid homage. And David said, “Mephibosheth!” And he answered, “Behold, I am your servant.” 7 And David said to him, “Do not fear, for I will show you kindness for the sake of your father Jonathan, and I will restore to you all the land of Saul your father, and you shall eat at my table always.” 8 And he paid homage and said, “What is your servant, that you should show regard for a dead dog such as I?”9 Then the king called Ziba, Saul's servant, and said to him, “All that belonged to Saul and to all his house I have given to your master's grandson. 10 And you and your sons and your servants shall till the land for him and shall bring in the produce, that your master's grandson may have bread to eat. But Mephibosheth your master's grandson shall always eat at my table.” Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants. 11 Then Ziba said to the king, “According to all that my lord the king commands his servant, so will your servant do.” So Mephibosheth ate at David's table, like one of the king's sons. 12 And Mephibosheth had a young son, whose name was Mica. And all who lived in Ziba's house became Mephibosheth's servants. 13 So Mephibosheth lived in Jerusalem, for he ate always at theking's table. Now he was lame in both his feet. 

I greet you in Jesus' precious name! It is Monday morning, the 9th of March, 2026, and this is your friend, Angus Buchan, with a thought for today. We start in 2 Samuel 22:36: “Your gentleness has made me great”. That is what King David said about God. Then we go to Matthew 19:14: “Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of heaven.”What had happened was that the disciples were trying to chase the little children away from Jesus because He was very tired. Gentleness - gentleness means mild, kind, tender, sympathetic, understanding, compassionate, soft. Oh, my dear friend, you can gauge the heart of a man or a woman by the way they treat little children. As I get older, I am becoming observant of that very fact. I will go to a crowded place, I will sit quietly and watch the way the people treat the little children. The man who can stop in his busyness and get down on his knees so he has the same eye contact as a little child, and say, “How are you?” - and speak to them, oh, that is a man who is really walking with God. William Arnott said, “The gentleness of Christ is the comeliest ornament that a Christian can wear.” - The most beautiful ornament. When I see a man or a woman get down on their knees sometimes in the dust, just to engage a small child, I see the gentleness of Christ, and it is like a very special ornament. It warms them to my soul. On the other hand, unfortunately, if a man or a woman is too busy, too busy organising things, too busy running around, they just about run over the top of the children; there is a problem there. Check your heart. What would Jesus do? I tell you what He would do. He would stop the show! He would stop the meeting because one little child just wanted to greet Him, and probably give them a wonderful hug and love them. Let's do that today. Have a blessed and gentle day today.Jesus bless you and goodbye.

In this powerful message from 2 Samuel 13–18, we step into the tragic story of Absalom, a son marked by injustice, silence, and a fractured relationship with his father, King David. Through the rise and fall of Absalom, this sermon exposes a timeless truth: hurt people hurt people. But this message is more than a cautionary tale—it's a call to healing. You'll be challenged to consider: What happens when we carry wounds instead of bringing them to Jesus? Why is “half-forgiveness” often more destructive than no reconciliation at all? If you've ever wrestled with family pain, unresolved anger, or questions about forgiveness and justice, this conversation will both challenge and encourage you. Listen in and discover how the gospel speaks directly to our deepest wounds—and offers a better way forward.

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John 15:18-25,18 “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. 19 If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. 20 Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.' If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours. 21 But all these things they will do to you on account of my name, because they do not know him who sent me. 22 If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have been guilty of sin,[a] but now they have no excuse for their sin. 23 Whoever hates me hates my Father also. 24 If I had not done among them the works that no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin, but now they have seen and hated both me and my Father. 25 But the word that is written in their Law must be fulfilled: ‘They hated me without a cause.'We continue in our journey on this Thursday night, the longest Thursday night in history, and Jesus is preparing his men, and us, for the storm. As the cross approaches, the God-man speaks with new clarity and striking self-focus. Fourteen times in this passages Jesus says I, me, and my. These are not passing, incidental references; it's an emphasis.And the effect of this emphasis is to help us. This is love. We've seen how chapter 15 is like a battlefield speech. Jesus is getting his men ready for hell to break loose. And when the world's hatred shakes Jesus's disciples, the greatest danger isn't death. The greatest danger is falling away from Jesus.So, he gets us ready: stay with me, stay in the Vine, and bear fruit. Love each other, with an expansive love that longs to draw others in. And as you expand outward in love to be Jesus's instrument to bring others to him, and make room for others, be ready to encounter the world's hatred.The world's hate contrasts with Jesus's repeated summons to love (13:34–35; 15:12, 17). His disciples move toward the world in love and find themselves met with hatred. And notably absent is any sense of responding in kind. The implication is, keep loving even as your efforts to love are met with hatred.Why would the world hate Christians?Which raises the question, for Jesus's disciples and for us: Why would the world hate Christians?You might feel this very personally: Why would I be hated? I'm a Minnesotan. I'm nice. I don't want to upset people. I want them to be happy, and I've found in Jesus the great Treasure. I want others to know Jesus. Jesus is love, and teaches love. Why would someone hate me for that?It's an important question. And Jesus wants us to know why, and he wants us to know how to handle it. That's our focus this morning: Why would the world hate Christians, and what are we to do about it?We'll begin with the why, which is both simple, and has some layers to it. And we'll end with Jesus's two directives about how to handle it.The World Hates JesusAt one level, Jesus's answer is simple: the world hates you because the world hates me. Jesus is the focus. The followers of Jesus are hated because they are followers of Jesus. And the world hates Jesus. Listen again how Jesus is the focus of verses 18–21, with it all culminating at “on account of my name”:If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you…. 20 Remember the word that I said to you [in 13:16]: ‘A servant is not greater than his master [that is, Lord].' If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours. 21 But all these things [hate you, persecute you, disregard your word] they will do to you on account of my name…“On account of my name” means because of me and what they think about me. They are mistaken, in some sense, as we'll see. But they know some true things about him, and what they know they don't like. Actually, they hate. It may often come out as dislike or indifference, but deep in the soul, it is hatred. (Their speech may be smooth as butter, yet war is in their heart, Psalm 55:21).So, Jesus says, the world hates you because it hates me. That's his simple answer and focus.Why Does the World Hate Jesus?But there's another layer. You can also ask, Why does the world hate Jesus? Verses 22 and 24:If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have been guilty of sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin…. 24 If I had not done among them the works that no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin, but now they have seen and hated both me and my Father.The world hates Jesus because he, in a new way, exposes the sinfulness of their sin.Now, we need to say more about “world.” What does “world” mean here? This is not the world of Genesis 1–2, the world created by God and untainted by sin. This is the world of Genesis 3 and since, the world under the power of sin (“the created moral order in active rebellion against God,” Carson). This “world in rebellion” is the world in view in John 3:16: “God loved the world” — the world of sinners, set in opposition to God, loving sin, not loving him —God loved this hellbent, rebellious world in this way: “he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” That's love. And God's love in giving his Son is all the more stunning because the world he loved was the world dead set against him.That's the world in our passage: the world in love with sin, the world that hates God. No wonder such a world would hate Jesus. Jesus is God incarnate. He comes as the light, shining in the darkness. And in the light of his words and his works, the true nature of sin is exposed. The sin was there before he came, when the Light himself comes, then sin is exposed like never before, and seen to be what it is: an assault on God himself. There were lights for the exposing of sin before Jesus came: the light of nature, the light of Moses and the prophets. But the coming of Christ, the true light, so surpasses the previous lights, that his coming ushers in a whole new day. Yes, there was some light before, but the light of Christ is so strong, so pure, so bright, it's as if the previous lights hardly shone. Like twinkling stars at night compared the sun when day comes. And when Jesus comes, the sinfulness of sin becomes apparent: sin is rebellion against God. Hatred of God. Preferring of other things to God is cosmic treason. Longing for and loving created things over the Creator himself is treason.And remember, it's Thursday night. There will be no more outrageous display of the sinfulness of sin than when sinners conspire to put God himself to death the next day. The cross is the ultimate exposé of human sin: sin is an attack on God.So, why does the world hate Jesus? Because he exposes the true nature of sin, and takes away excuses for sin. That's one layer.No Longer “of the World”But Jesus gives us another layer in verse 19, for why the world hates Christians:If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.Jesus has talked before about choosing his disciples (John 6:70; 13:18), and as recently as verse 15:“You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide…”It's not that the disciples first chose Jesus; he chose them. They were once of the world. They were born in rebellion against God. They loved darkness rather than light. Yet, Jesus took the decisive step to pluck them out from the world, and make them his own.But the sinful world, in rebellion against God, loves its own who love sin, not God, and affirm sin and celebrate sin. But when Jesus plucks his disciples out from the world, the world doesn't like that. The world hates that. And I know many in this room have experienced that hatred very personally.Jesus chose you. He opened your eyes. You came to faith in him and began to follow him — and your old friends or your family didn't like it. Maybe they kept up a veneer of Minnesota nice, and you didn't sense any deep hatred, but Jesus is telling us here what was, what is, going on: the world in its sin, with guilt-ridden conscience, desperately craves the affirmation of its sin, and fears the exposure of the sinfulness of its sin — and it hates when its fellows in darkness see the Light.This hatred can be stirred when we're plucked out, or when we refuse go back in, as 1 Peter 4:3–4 says,the time that is past [now that the Light has come] suffices for doing what the Gentiles want to do, living in sensuality, passions, drunkenness, orgies, drinking parties, and lawless idolatry. 4 With respect to this they are surprised when you do not join them in the same flood of debauchery, and they malign you [speak evil of you, say things that make you look bad].Yet, what's the posture of our hearts to be like in moments like this, when the veneer comes off, and hatred begins to seep out? We don't hate them in return. But we remember we were there, but for the grace of God. We were “of the world,” but Jesus drew us out. So, we have the spirit of Titus 3, which calls us…to be ready for every good work, 2 to speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and to show perfect courtesy toward all people. 3 For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another. 4 But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, 5 he saved us… (Titus 3:1–5)The World Does Not Know the FatherWhich brings us to one last layer, the bottom layer, for why the world hates Jesus. Now, we pick up the final pieces:The end of verse 21: “because they do not know him who sent me.”Verse 23: “Whoever hates me hates my Father also.”End of verse 24: “now they have seen and hated both me and my Father.”The world's love for sin, and hatred of Jesus, shows that they do not know the Father.This is true of all who do not know Jesus: they do not know God. There are no “good people” who are honestly mistaken about God and not culpable in their sin. They may hide their hatred of the Father well (with speech smooth as butter), but if they are not in Jesus, they do not know God; and they will be “gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned” (John 15:6).This is an exclusivist bottom layer. You know that term “exclusivist”? It means, as Jesus says here, he is the exclusive way to God. There aren't other ways around him or apart from him. Jesus is the Word, the revelation, of the one God who made this world, and over and against whom the world stands in its sin. Buddhists, Muslims, Hindus, Jews who reject Jesus as Messiah do not find other paths to God. Jesus is the one way, the one God provided, and all who reject Jesus reject the only God. So, in Jesus's words in verse 23 is a condemnation of all world religions, including secularism, except for the one Jesus brings.Which lands on the world as profoundly offensive. And lands on Jesus's people, who know themselves sinners and undeserving, as the best news in the world: you mean there's a way! In my sin, in my guilt, in my weakness, there's a way!So, we have the focus of the world's hate and the layers. The world of darkness hates Christians because it hates Jesus, the light. And it hates Jesus because he exposes the sinfulness of sin. And it hates his people because Jesus chose them out of the world. And at bottom, the world hates Jesus, and his people, because the world does not know the Father.So, what do we do about it? Jesus clearly means for verses 18–25 to have an emotional effect on us. There are six ifs in this section, which makes it read almost like poetry, with a rhetorical effect. Jesus wants us to be ready for the world's hate, and stay with him and love one another — and keep endeavoring to expand the circle of our love.In these verses are two imperatives, two commands, that lead us to what Jesus wants us to do about the world's hate. So, he's told us the why, with its focus and layers. Now what to do: he wants us to know in verse 18, and to remember in verse 20. So, know what? Remember what?1. Know this: the world hated Jesus first.What's that do? It helps us get ready. The world hated Jesus, so much so it put him to death; and we're his, we're with him. We should expect the world's hate, know it's coming, and not be surprised by it.The effect of the if in verse 18 is far more like a when: When the world hates you, and it does. The end of verse 19 says, “the world hates you.” Verse 20: they will persecute you. So, 1 John 3:13 says, “Do not be surprised, brothers, that the world hates you.” That's what Jesus is doing here: keeping us from getting caught off guard. Like 1 Peter 4:12:Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you…And to help us in John 15, verse 25, Jesus draws in a line from Psalm 69: “they hated me without cause.” Psalm 69 is King David, “a righteous sufferer who is zealous for God but is persecuted by God's enemies for no good reason” (ESVSB). This is true of Jesus. And it will be true of us who are his.And critical to the pattern of Psalm 69 being true about Jesus, and being true about us, is that we don't give the haters any good reason.Twin dangers face us once we learn that the world, at bottom, hates Jesus, and hates us: we could try to avoid their hate or provoke it. As thoughtful members of a society, it's easy to figure out the fault lines between Jesus and the world — and we can easily avoid them or easily provoke them. Knowing that the world's hate is coming doesn't mean we seek to dodge it, nor that we try to prompt it. It's there, and it's coming; don't let the world's hatred steal the agenda one way or another.There's a vast difference between expecting it and trying to excite it. I expect the government to want more of my money, but I don't try to excite it. And there's a world of difference between the holy, Christlike expectation of the world's hate, and unholy, un-Christian attempts to excite the world's hate. Cities Church, we wanna be the right kinda hated. We are hated, and will be hated, and we want it to be for the reasons they hate Jesus, not because we're fools on Jesus's terms just as much as the world's.Contagious zeal for Jesus that accumulates detractors on account of him is one thing. Learning how to enrage people and garnish it with Jesus's name is another. And worse yet is falling away from Jesus because of his haters.So, know this: the world hated him first. We expect the world to hate us too. And we're pleasantly surprised and don't try to sabotage it, when the hatred ebbs at times.2. Remember this: Jesus is great.I love verse 20: Jesus says, “Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.'” Which is not mainly about the lowliness of the servant, but about the greatness of Jesus.Don't miss this: Jesus is great. Remember this, he says: your Lord is great. Which may sound simple but is powerful.In 1856, Charles Spurgeon was preaching to more than 10,000 people in a packed-out hall when agitators interrupted the service by yelling fire. A stampede ensued, and seven were trampled to death; thirty were seriously injured. In the horror of it all, Spurgeon suffered a severe emotional breakdown, and the event left a mark on him the rest of his life. He faced critics, (haters) and went into depression over it. Years later he testified,I was pressed beyond measure and out of bounds with an enormous weight of misery. The tumult, the panic, the deaths, were day and night before me, and made life a burden.How did God rescue him? He says, From that [nightmare] I was awakened in a moment by the gracious application to my soul of the text, “Him hath God the Father exalted” (“God has highly exalted him,” Philippians 2:9). The fact that Jesus is still great, let his servants suffer as they may, piloted me back to calm reason and peace. (Lectures to My Students, 162 [1954])There it is: “Jesus is still great.” Seven are dead, thirty seriously injured. But Jesus is still great. When the storm comes, look for the greatness of Jesus.When for his sake, you sense their hate,Remember that your Lord is great.And part of that greatness is that you get to be with him. What holds John 15 together is that you're with him, on his side. Hated with him means loved by him! And united to him! You're with Jesus! Enjoy him.Cross of Hate and LoveIt's heavy to spend a whole sermon dwelling on the world's hate for Jesus, and for us. But then we come to this Table. The cross is a demonstration of the world's hate. Sinners conspired together to put God to death. And the cross is the ultimate demonstration of love. “God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).

Welcome to Wellspring Church!Who are you, really? In this message, David Norris invites us to reflect on the question of identity and how easily we bring false assumptions about ourselves into our relationship with God. In a world full of competing voices, the gospel reminds us of a simple, freeing truth: our identity is not something we earn or construct—it is something God gives.Looking at Luke 4 and the story of David and Mephibosheth, we see a picture of unexpected kindness and restored belonging. Just as King David sought out someone from Jonathan's family to show covenant kindness, God seeks us out and welcomes us into his family—not because of what we've done, but because of his faithful love.

Send a textHeart Posture Mini Series, Ep 3Why do two people experience the same situation but respond completely differently?In Episode 3 of The Heart Posture Series, Chelsey walks through powerful biblical examples showing how God consistently responds to the posture of the heart rather than circumstances or outward behavior.From Judas and Peter, to the two criminals on the cross, to King Saul and King David, Scripture reveals a consistent truth: the difference between destruction and restoration often comes down to heart posture.This episode will challenge you to examine how your heart responds when life, marriage, and conflict press in.Because the situation you face isn't what determines your direction.Your heart posture does.In this episode you'll learn:Why God responds differently to people in the same situationThe difference between shame and repentanceHow pride and humility shape outcomes in ScriptureWhy pressure reveals your heart postureHow this principle directly affects your marriage and spiritual growth Support the showChelsey Holm | the Wife Coach "I help Christian wives surrender fully, live Spirit-led, and be set apart according to God's design in marriage, motherhood, and life."Ready for a next step? If this episode stirred something deeper and you're ready to move from insight into surrender, I created a short guided experience called From Awareness to Surrender. This mini course includes three short teachings, a guided exercise, and a prayer recorded over you to help you stop cycling and start responding differently—rooted in surrender, not striving.

King David's Reign: Second Samuel With Dr. Clint Archer. Tonight's Sermon Is "David's Thank-You Note: A Model Prayer Of Gratitude" From 2 Samuel 7:18-29. Sermon Outline - 3 Lessons We Learn About How To Thank God: 1. Humility (Know What You Deserve) 2. Specificity (List What You Have) 3. Expectancy (Trust What God Says)

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This powerful message confronts us with an uncomfortable truth: death is not merely a moment at the end of life, but an enemy that entered our world through sin and has corrupted everything it touches. Through the tragic story of King David and his son Absalom in 2 Samuel, we witness how death spreads like poison through families and relationships, finding cracks and widening them. We see Absalom hanging from a tree, pierced with three javelins, suspended between heaven and earth. But here's the profound revelation: this isn't just a historical tragedy. The Bible is pointing us to another Son of David who would hang on a tree, pierced for our transgressions. The difference? Absalom hung for his own sin, but Jesus hung for ours. Christ didn't defeat death from a distance with a commanding word. He entered death itself, and from the inside, He destroyed it. When the sinless Son of God stepped into death, death died. This is our hope: death may still wound us, take from us, and bring tears, but it cannot have the final word. For those who are in Christ, death is a defeated enemy. The invitation stands before us to exchange our dead lives for the indestructible life Jesus offers.Connect with First Baptist Starkville: https://bit.ly/3M4mHnkSubscribe to see our latest sermons: https://bit.ly/3DxRyjHSupport this ministry and our work in Starkville, MS: https://bit.ly/44muvW0

Sometimes – we're just living life the best way we know how, honouring God and Whammo, something so unfair hits us – right out of the blue.  You've been there too, right?   His Way, Not Ours There are times in life when bad things happen to good people. And perhaps you are someone who believes in Jesus and you have been living your life just the best way that you know how; just day after day walking with Him and all of a sudden "Whamo"; something happens. The sky turns dark and all of a sudden you are in one of those dark, black times that we can go through in life. A time of loss or pain or sickness or whatever it is and you kind of look around and think, "What is going on here, God? I mean I know I'm not perfect but every day I just get up and just do my best and I walk with You and now this!" My hunch is that there are a few people who kind of relate to that today. And so I want to deal with that because when bad things happen to good people, it's such a shock – it seems so unfair, especially when we take a look around and we see there is a whole bunch of "good" things happening to some really 'bad' people out there. "What is going on, God?" Well, over these last few weeks on the programme we have been just working our way through Psalm 34 in a series that I've called, "Dark Night, Bright Light". Psalm 34 is a Psalm written by King David and King David was a man who went through more dark times in his life than you or I would ever hope for. And yes, he makes some mistakes but right from the beginning God had him picked as a man after His own heart. And yet David lived through so many dark and difficult times; scary times; on the run for his life from King Saul who wanted to kill him, for years; battles with enemies and it looked like he would lose and yet, God would show up. When you take a look at his life and you weigh David's life on our human scale of justice, well, you come to the conclusion David was definitely one of the good guys. He tried with all his might to honour God and even though some days, he blew it, he was probably the greatest King that Israel ever had. And I'm sure that as David would take a look at his life, he'd probably come to the same conclusion. And yet this man went through so many difficult things – dark and lonely times – times when his people criticised him and times when he was in fear of his life. So God, what's going on? Why is that? How come bad things happen to good people? I'm not sure I can answer all of those things. I mean, God is God and He decides those things but as we continue to walk through Psalm 34, let me share with you David's own wisdom on this, because Psalm 34 is a Psalm where he looks back on all those bad times and he reflects with the benefit of 20/20 hindsight. Let's pick it up in Psalm 34, verse 15, he writes: The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and His ears are attentive to their cry but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil to cut off their memory from the earth. The righteous cry out and the Lord hears them; He delivers them from all their troubles. The Lord is close to the broken hearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. Many are the afflictions of the righteous but the Lord delivers him from them all. Well, David doesn't even bother with the "why" question here, does he? When we hit those dark times the first question we want to know is 'Why me, God? Why is this happening? Right? And the second question is: "How long is this going to go on, God – how long?" Well, David doesn't carry on with any of that. He seems in this Psalm to accept the sovereignty of God and after all that he has been through in his life, he draws this obvious conclusion – Psalm 34, verse 19: Many are the afflictions of the righteous but the Lord delivers us from them all. In other words, stuff happens – it just does. Jesus put it this way: Your Father in heaven causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good and He sends the rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. Good stuff and bad stuff happens to good people and bad people – there you go, that's just it. And it seems to be a rule that the more a man or a woman turns their lives to following hard after God, walking in the footsteps of Jesus, the more afflictions they suffer. It's such an incredible contradiction because on the one hand, God wants to bless us – He does – all the way through His Word the Bible, He tells us that. But on the other, when we set our hearts like flint to follow Him, it seems like the rest of the world wants to stop us. Many are the afflictions of the righteous. "Many" – gee, there's one of the promises of God! I don't hear many people shouting, "Halleluiah, Amen" to that promise. But the Lord delivers us from them all. His eyes are on His people; His ear is attentive to their cry. We cry out, He hears us and He delivers us from our troubles. You know what I have learned? He doesn't always deliver us in the way that we expect Him to. Sometimes we want Him to do one thing and He does exactly the opposite. Sometimes we cry out to Him and things seem to get worse. Sometimes we want Him to do "A" and He turns around and does "B". And sometimes it seems like His solution; His answer means that we lose and someone else wins. But in the wondrous fabric of His mighty plan for our lives, He is so much more interested in our characters – who we are – and our relationship with Him than He is in our perceptions of what we think we need and our comfort. He is so much more concerned about His glory shining out into this world than He is about some of the things that at the time, well, we think they are important but in the bigger scheme of things, they really aren't. The Apostle Paul puts it this way in Romans chapter 5: Suffering produces endurance and endurance produces character and character produces hope and this hope doesn't disappoint us because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit. And the longer we walk with God the more afflictions we have to suffer, the more we discover the truth of King David's words: Many are the afflictions of the righteous but the Lord delivers us from them all.   It's not Fair You know when I think when the darkness is the worst? I think when something happens to us that's not fair – someone treads on us or hurts us or stabs us in the back and it's not fair. And when that happens, instead of running to God, we are so tempted to behave badly – to stoop as low as the person that has hurt us. If they stabbed us in the back, well, we have to do the same only ten times worse. Many are the afflictions of the righteous and we will avenge them all, right? No, that's not what God tells us in Psalm 34: Many are the afflictions of the righteous, He says in verse 19, but the Lord delivers us from them all. But boy, oh boy, it is so tempting to carve the other guy's heart out isn't it? I want to take you to one of the most challenging verses in the Bible, for me – I mean, really challenging. It's talking about when things happen that are not fair and it's about a slave and his or her master. It was written a thousand or so years after King David penned Psalm 34, by the Apostle Peter. Come with me almost to the end of the New Testament – to the letter, First Peter – it's a letter to Christians who were being persecuted. They were going through incredibly dark times; it was incredibly unfair, and Peter writes this piece of wisdom. First Peter chapter 2, verse 18 and listen, if you have a Bible, open it up, come with me here to this verse – First Peter chapter 2, verse 18. This is what he writes: Slaves, submit yourselves to your masters with all respect. Not only to those who are good and considerate but also to those who are harsh, for it is commendable if a man bears up under the pain of unjust suffering because he is conscious of God but how is it to your credit if you receive a beating for doing wrong and you endure it? But if you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God. This is what you are called to because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example that you should follow in His steps. He committed no sin and no deceit was found in His mouth. When they hurled insults at Him, He didn't retaliate. When He suffered, He made no threats, instead, He entrusted Himself to the One who judges justly. He, Himself bore our sins in His body on that tree so that we might die to sin and live for righteousness: by His wounds you have been healed. For you, like sheep, have gone astray, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and the overseer of your souls. Do you find that challenging? I certainly do. See there's something in our makeup that when injustice happens to us; when we are on the receiving end, we want to rail against it and in the hurt and the pain and the anger – we want revenge, we want justice ... Peter is writing to slaves – I mean, slavery is something in the twenty first century, we just find disgusting and abhorrent and yet here in God's Word, Peter is writing to slaves - one human being, being owned by another human being, to labour without payment – human degradation at its worst. How can one person do that to another? And yet Peter says: "Submit to your masters who are harsh." Slave, submit to your masters with all respect. Not only to those who are good and considerate but also to those who are harsh, for it is commendable if a man bears up under the pain of unjust suffering because he is conscious of God. See, travelling through pain, we want to end that pain in our own strength – it is a natural human instinct. It is so unnatural to honour God in that place. It is so unnatural to wait for Him to deliver us. It is so unnatural for us to do what is commendable in God's eyes but if you suffer for doing good and you endure it this is commendable before God. To this you are called because Christ suffered for you; leaving you an example that you should follow in His footsteps. It is unnatural to suffer for doing good but it is commendable before God and in that, Christ is our example. He committed no sin and no deceit was found in His mouth and yet when they hurled insults at Him, He didn't retaliate. When He suffered, He made no threats instead He entrusted Himself to the One who judges justly. See – insults and He didn't retaliate! Imagine what the Son of God could have done to those people? When they hurled insults at Him, He bore them like nails in His flesh; when He suffered, He didn't make any threats; He didn't utter any words of revenge. And you might say, "Berni, how can you be preaching this stuff at me? How can you believe this stuff? This is so hurtful." Well, the answer and the solution come in the very next verse. Listen: Instead, He entrusted Himself to the One who judges justly. There it is again – a millennium after Psalm 34 was written, Peter is saying exactly the same thing that David said in Psalm 34, verse 19: Many are the afflictions of the righteous but the Lord delivers us from them all. So many of the things that happen to us in life aren't fair but in that darkness God's light shines; a certain hope. Look at how Peter finishes off this letter: God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. Humble yourselves therefore, under God's might hand that He may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you.   God's Deliverance I just want to finish up today by encouraging you that God is in the deliverance business. God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble, Peter writes in First Peter chapter 5, beginning at verse 5: Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand that He may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxieties on Him because He cares for you. You know, for me as I have travelled through these incredibly dark times, every now and then, when I have been treated unfairly – what I have learned is that it is not about getting my outcome or my way – it's about humbling myself before God and that is so hard sometimes. It's about being like Christ and saying, "God, not my will but Your will be done." And God somehow always, always comes through and so do I, but as a changed man. A few more of the rough edges knocked off; a little of God's polishing here and there – definitely a work in progress but it changes you, little by little. When we are passed over; when we are being ignored; when someone who is half as good as us is promoted twice as quickly; when people whisper behind our backs, those are painful times. Yet they are precious times when we have a choice to make – to get our own back or to humble ourselves under His mighty hand; to retaliate and threaten or to wait patiently in pain for God to deliver us like He did with Jesus; to be like everyone else in this world or to be Christ like - to be about the devil's business or about God's business. We started off today looking at this wonderful part of Psalm 34, beginning at verse 15: The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and His ears are attentive to their cry. The face of the Lord is against those who do evil, to cut off their memory from the earth. The righteous cry out and the Lord hears them; He delivers them from all their troubles. The Lord is close to the broken hearted and He saves those who are crushed in spirit. Many are the afflictions of the righteous but the Lord delivers us from them all. You see, God's eyes are on the righteous; He does hear our cries. And God is a righteous God – we are going to look at that next week. God is against those who do evil and ultimately, there will be a price for those people to pay. One day they will stand before God and be judged. When we cry out God hears us and He delivers us from our troubles. When we are broken hearted; when it's so dark and it's so lonely and it's so scary, He is in that place. And even sometimes when we can't see it, He's out there protecting us; keeping us safe; doing things that we can't imagine. Take a look back a page or two at Psalm 31, beginning at verse 20. See, this is one of those times that David is talking about that is so unfair. This is what he writes: In the shelter of Your presence You hide them from the intrigues of men. In Your dwelling you keep them safe from accusing tongues. Praise be to the Lord our God, for He showed His wonderful love to me when I was in a besieged city. In my alarm I said "I am cut off from Your sight," yet You heard my cry for mercy when I called to You for help. Love the Lord all His saints. The Lord preserves the faithful but the proud He will pay back in full. Be strong and take heart all you that hope in the Lord. Isn't that wonderful? Isn't it sometimes when we are the subject of the intrigues of men and accusing tongues, it's God who keeps us safe in Him? And when we come through that and we see what's happened and we are changed, we can look back and say, "Praise be to God for He showed His wonderful love to me when I felt like I was in a besieged city." Have you ever felt that? In relationships it's like everyone turns against you and you feel like you are under siege. Praise be to the Lord for He showed His wonderful love to me when I was in a besieged city. In alarm I said "I am cut off from Your sight" yet you heard my cry for mercy when I called to you for help. So often in those dark places it just kind of feels like there is no one there. It feels like "I'm cut off" – we are afraid and we cry out "I'm cut off" but God is always in that place. Can I just say to you from now on, when you are suffering afflictions; when you are the subject of human plots or accusing tongues; when you are in that incredibly dark place; when you feel cut off like a city under siege; when it's black, I believe that the Holy Spirit is going to shine a light into that dark place. I remember back in my life when it hurt so much and it was so dark, I just quietly sat there in pain and somehow the Holy Spirit turned my heart to humble myself. See, I was so used to lashing out – I was so used to stooping as low as the other people who were inflicting the pain and yet the Holy Spirit did something. And I believe that as we receive His Word today, the Holy Spirit is going to speak His Word, this Word into your heart, one day, just when you need it. Just when you feel like a city under siege; just when you are in that dark place, this beautiful Word that we have looked at in Psalm 34 and Psalm 31 and First Peter chapters 3 and 5, this is the very Word of God. Many are the afflictions of the righteous but the Lord delivers us from them all. I don't know about you but some days are really rotten. You know, we go along; we do; we live our lives just the best way we can and something comes out of the blue and it's so unfair and you know, it's so unexpected and it hurts and it's scary. And dark nights – well, they are so dark aren't they? They are so lonely and often so painful but in that dark night there is a bright light and it's a light that shines when we put our trust in Jesus Christ – the same Jesus who suffered a scandalous death on the cross; a death that was unfair; a death that He didn't deserve. When they hurled insults at Him; when they beat Him and when ... He just took it. He just humbled Himself because He knew there was a purpose; He knew that He would have to die for you and me. When we put our faith in that Jesus to deliver us in His time and His way, He will. See, we can have faith in Jesus from a distance; you know, we can believe in Him with our heads from a long way off but that sort of belief is pretty useless when you get to one of those dark nights. Because Jesus never meant for us to have Him at arm's length; He never meant for us to believe in Him just with our heads; He never meant for us to say, "Well, yea, I have an insurance policy", He meant to be part of our lives. And when we believe Him with our lives – do you know what that means? It means in those dark times when people are doing bad things to us, not lashing out in pain. It means saying, "You know, I'm not going to do the thing that comes naturally, which is wrong, I'm going to humble myself; I am going to believe in Jesus' deliverance with my life and just sit here and be like Christ – not like the rest of the world." When we believe like that with our lives; when we put our lives on the line and honour Him in those times of affliction, that's when He shows up. For God opposes the proud but He gives grace to the humble. Many are the afflictions of the righteous but the Lord delivers us from them all. May He bless you as you receive His Word, today?

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On today's pages, Menachot 54 and 55, the Talmud lays out the rules for separating tithes and quietly slips in one of its most beautiful ideas: that true generosity is described not as giving more, but as having beautiful eyes. Our guest, Rabbi Dovid Bashevkin, traces that phrase from the laws of tithes all the way to King David, the man introduced to us with those very same words, and asks what it would mean for all of us to see each other that way. What does it actually take to look at someone and really see them? Listen and find out.

The Signature Faith and Health Collection is a transformational five-book, Scripture-anchored devotional and discipleship experience that guides you through the Triune Temple JourneyTM—a sacred, practical, and holistic pathway to lifelong health and wholeness.Patterned after the divine architectural design God revealed to King David for the Holy Temple in Jerusalem—and reflecting God's triune nature—this journey is rooted in the biblical truth that you are created in God's image as a Triune Human TempleTM (Body–Soul–Spirit). Stephanie L. Franklin-Suber Stephanie L. Franklin-Suber is the President and Founder of Rebuild Your Temple, God's Way® LLC. She is a certified Christian Health Coach and a Contributing Author of The Breakthrough Method. She has a profound passion to equip and empower you to achieve holistic health and wellness.With nearly 20 years of personal experience reclaiming her health after being diagnosed with cancer in February 2006—and miraculously surviving a cardiac arrest in February 2025—Stephanie brings a unique understanding of the challenges you may face in the pursuit of wholeness and well-being.Through her individual and group coaching programs, The Signature Faith and Health Collection, and other books, products, and events, she provides personalized guidance, support, and resources to help you Restore Your Body. Renew Your Soul. Realign Your Spirit.™Her approach integrates faith-based principles with practical strategies to promote lasting transformation. Formerly a successful partner in a major national law firm, Stephanie's transition from law to faith and health ministry reflects her calling to inspire you to trust God's healing power and to walk alongside you as you embark on a journey of self-discovery and abundant life. She invites you to Rebuild Your Temple, God's Way®.”WebsiteAmazonFaceBookLinkedInInstagram

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Listen to the powerful words of King David from Psalms 84. He says, “How lovely is your dwelling place. O Lord almighty. My soul yearns, even faints for the courts of the Lord. My heart and my flesh cry out for the living God.” In ancient Israel, God's dwelling place was the temple. His people would go to the temple to meet with Him there. But now, because of the work of Jesus, God's dwelling place is within us. I recently shared about God at a women's prison. I met the most beautiful women there; women who had met Jesus right there in that place. They had fallen in love with Him in prison. Wherever you are, God Himself will make His dwelling with you. Always remember, there is hope with God. Scripture Reference: Psalm 84: 1-2 radio.hopewithgod.com

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This episode reflects on King David as a contrasting “icon of repentance.” Though chosen and blessed by God, David's desire led to sin with Bathsheba, the death of Uriah the Hittite, and a desperate attempt to cover up his guilt. Like David, we often hide our sins out of fear of human judgment, yet nothing remains hidden from God. In mercy, God sent Nathan to expose David's sin and call him to repentance, showing that confession—though painful—leads to forgiveness and life. The message points finally to Jesus Christ, the true Son of David, whose sacrifice covers our sins completely, freeing us from fear and inviting us to confess our sins and trust in His mercy.

Pastor Matt continues our "Altered" series with today's message, The Power of Quiet Contentment. We will learn how King David experienced contentment like a weaned baby, and how we can, too.  —ACC Website: http://www.arundelcc.org/Give Online: https://arundelcc.churchcenter.com/giving---CCLI License #1588415

Did the people named in the Bible actually exist? In this episode, archaeologist Dr. Titus Kennedy joins me to walk through how archaeology confirms the existence of ten individuals mentioned in Scripture. Dr. Kennedy lays out his criteria for evaluating archaeology discoveries and applies his careful criteria to figures in both the OT and NT. We cover evidence connected to central figures like King David, Ahab, Isaiah, and Belshazzar, as well as obscure figures like Berenice. Let us know what you think! READ: Archaeology and the People of the Bible: Exploring the Evidence for the Historical Existence of Bible Characters Paperback by Titus Kennedy (https://amzn.to/4r4oMhW) *Get a MASTERS IN APOLOGETICS or SCIENCE AND RELIGION at BIOLA (https://bit.ly/3LdNqKf) *USE Discount Code [smdcertdisc] for 25% off the BIOLA APOLOGETICS CERTIFICATE program (https://bit.ly/3AzfPFM) *See our fully online UNDERGRAD DEGREE in Bible, Theology, and Apologetics: (https://bit.ly/448STKK) FOLLOW ME ON SOCIAL MEDIA: Twitter: https://x.com/Sean_McDowell TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@sean_mcdowell?lang=en Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/seanmcdowell/ Website: https://seanmcdowell.org Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

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ILP# 436 3/1/2026https://lordsofgaming.net/LORDS AFTER DARK on Insider Game App! ANDROID: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.insidergaming.appIOS: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/insider-gaming/id67539846481) ADVANCEDGG Use Code "IRONLORD" for 10% off https://advanced.gg/pages/partner-ironlords?_pos=12) VALARI PILLOW Use Code "ILP15" valari.gg/?ref=ironlordspodcastroundtable3)  ILP MERCH: https://ironlordspodcast-shop.fourthwall.com/collections/allsofgaming.net/4) NZXT & IRON LORDS PC Use Affiliate LINK: https://nzxt.co/Lords5) HAWORTH Gaming Chairs & ILP Use Affiliate LINK: https://haworth.pxf.io/4PKj7M*********************************************************00:00 - ILP#436 Pre-show28:14 - ILP 436 Intro42:29 - Arkheron Demo Impressions49:09 - Echo Generation 2 Demo Impressions1:11:00 - RAZER KITSUNE 2XKO Fight Stick & Wolverine V3 PRO1:19:19 - Ultros Impressions1:29:34 - Towerborne Impressions1:31:49 - Advancedgg.com Use CODE IRONLORD1:33:01 - Road to Germany Challenges & PATREON1:51:39 - Resident Evil Requiem Impressions2:33:41 - Insight Gaming (Todd) Guest for RE9!3:28:22 - Marathon Server Slam Impressions4:11:39 -Asha Sharma Interview Controversy/Sarah Bond Blame?5:18:40 - PlayStation Ditching PC Ports? ft Gaming Forte6:08:28 - ILP#436 Outro*********************************************************Welcome to The Iron Lords Podcast!Be sure to visit www.LordsOfGaming.net for all your gaming news!ILP Spotify: open.spotify.com/show/6XRMnu8Tf1fgIdGlTIpzsKILP Google Play:play.google.com/music/m/Iz2esvyqe…ron_Lords_PodcastILP SoundCloud: @user-780168349ILP Itunes: itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/iron-…uiR-IgF6cE9EQicIILP on Twitter: twitter.cm/IronLordPodcastILP on Instagram: www.instagram.com/ironlordspodcast/ILP DESTINY CLAN:www.bungie.net/en/Clan/Detail/178626The Iron Lords and the Lords of Gaming have an official group on Facebook! Join the Lords at:www.facebook.com/groups/194793427842267www.facebook.com/groups/lordsofgamingnetwork/Lord COGNITO--- twitter.com/LordCognitoLord KING--- twitter.com/kingdavidotwLord ADDICT--- twitter.com/LordAddictILPLord SOVEREIGN--- twitter.com/LordSovILPLord GAMING FORTE---twitter.com/Gaming_ForteILP YouTube Channel for ILP, Addict Show & all ILP related content: www.youtube.com/channel/UCYiUhEbYWiuwRuWXzKZMBxQXbox Frontline with King David: www.youtube.com/@xboxfrontlineFollow us on Twitter @IronLordPodcast to get plugged in so you don't miss any of our content.

Don't forget to grab your free scripture journal at ⁠⁠⁠PrayingChristianWomen.com/journal ⁠⁠⁠today!Coffee Break episodes are back! These are episodes where we take listener questions and have a conversation about them, share our own experiences, and give prayer tips and advice from a Biblical perspective. This week's question is one that hits close to home for many of us: Is it wrong to sing worship songs written by people or churches involved in scandals? Join Alana and Jaime as they dive into the complexities of "separating the fruit from the vine." They discuss how to handle personal convictions versus corporate worship, the dangers of a "cancel culture" within the church, and why looking at the life of King David might change your perspective on the music you love. Whether you're struggling with headlines about modern ministries or wondering if you should purge your personal playlist, this episode offers a grace-filled look at navigating worship in an imperfect world. Discover More: Explore additional episodes of Praying Christian Women, Mindful Christian Prayers, and other Christian podcasts at Lifeaudio.com Check out our new podcast, Christian True-Crime Junkies!, on Apple, Spotify, or anywhere you listen to podcasts! Connect with Us: Stay updated and engage with our community: On Substack @PrayingChristianWomen On Facebook @PrayingChristianWomen On Instagram @PrayingChristianWomen On YouTube: @PrayingChristianWomen Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

When you realize that everything you have belongs to God, it changes the way you live, give, and trust Him. In Pastor Phil Hopper's message, “Exchange Self for Sacrifice” from 1 Chronicles 29, we look at how King David led God's people to give willingly and joyfully because they understood the temple was for the Lord, not for man. Just like Israel was called to build a house for God's presence, the New Testament reminds us that we are now the temple of the Holy Spirit, called to be a light to our neighbors and the nations. You'll discover why God is the owner of all your abilities, opportunities, and resources, and how seeing yourself as a steward—not an owner—frees you to live generously. Because when you let Jesus change your heart, you always get to “keep the change.”  Connect with us on Social Media↴ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/abundantlifels/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/abundantlifels   Connect with Pastor Phil↴ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PhilHopperKC Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/philhopper_kc Books & Resources: https://abundant-life.com/resources/books/   Listen to The Well Podcast⤵ Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5wadnywAMEK7c0E1qatMoY?si=SjH6Ko7VR3OoHrRy1yYLlQ&nd=1&dlsi=395ae55d95ac4b11 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-well/id1233267223 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLR50sV854C2hogfBmv7YogvCjiNYLz9a2   Find Your Next Step:https://alife.livingproof.co/ Watch More Sermons:https://abundant-life.com/sermons/   Do you want to see your life changed by Jesus? Visit our website: https://abundant-life.com/ Listen to The Well Podcast ⤵Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5wadnywAMEK7c0E1qatMoY?si=SjH6Ko7VR3OoHrRy1yYLlQ&nd=1&dlsi=395ae55d95ac4b11Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-well/id1233267223YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLR50sV854C2hogfBmv7YogvCjiNYLz9a2Find Your Next Step: http://alife.livingproof.co/ Watch more sermons: https://abundant-life.com/sermons/Do you want to see your life changed by Jesus? Visit our website: https://abundant-life.com/ Connect with us on Social Media ↴Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/abundantlifels/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/abundantlifels Connect with Pastor Phil ↴Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PhilHopperKCInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/philhopper_kc/Web: https://abundant-life.com/resources/books/Learn more about the A-Life Discipleship Journey: https://alife.livingproof.co/ More information on our sermons: https://abundant-life.com/sermons/Do you want to see your life changed by Jesus? Visit our website: https://abundant-life.com/

What have I done? How can I come back from that? What happens now? These questions flow through the minds of God's people as the rebellion against King David failed. They are concerned with who the King is, but also how he will feel about them ... especially if they opposed him in any way. This Sunday, we'll see how David responds to those who were near him and those who were far off. Even more, we'll see how he points us to Christ's peace.2 Samuel 19

The Bible tells us that King David was a man after God's own heart, yet David was far from perfect. If David can be this type of man, is it possible that we can become people after "God's own heart"? In this episode, we find that we CAN indeed obtain this and show you the characteristics needed to do so. Part 2 of the podcast tackles a listener question about the importance of varying talents among the brotherhood of Christ.Other show highlights: Someone get Daniel some coffee...