Podcasts about Last Supper

John 15:1-17 - Abiding in Jesus  |  Series: Not Alone - Easter 2026  | Upper Room Discourse |  Sam Holm, Lead Pastor |  Preached 3-08-26 10:45am  Tag: Easter, Good Friday, Ash Wednesday, Lent, Fasting, Prayer, Last Supper, Jesus, Disciples, Teaching, Upper Room, Abide, Stay Connected, Change, Joy, Fruit, Plug, Electricity, Vine, Branches, Lamp

John 15:1-17 - Abiding in Jesus  |  Series: Not Alone - Easter 2026  | Upper Room Discourse |  Sam Holm, Lead Pastor |  Preached 3-08-26 10:45am  Tag: Easter, Good Friday, Ash Wednesday, Lent, Fasting, Prayer, Last Supper, Jesus, Disciples, Teaching, Upper Room, Abide, Stay Connected, Change, Joy, Fruit, Plug, Electricity, Vine, Branches, Lamp

Daniel Golder walks us through Matthew 26:1-35, tying communion back to the old covenant. 

At the Last Supper, Jesus is trying to impart his final words to his disciples and they start bickering like children about who will be the greatest. Jesus addresses this argument and gives them a demonstration that that wouldn't soon forget.

What did Jesus mean when He said we must eat His flesh and drink His blood? In John 6, His words shocked many listeners. Later, during the Last Supper, He clarified the meaning through the bread and the cup. In this episode, we explore the powerful meaning behind the Lord's Table and why communion is more than a religious ritual. It is a call to remember Christ's sacrifice, examine our hearts, and participate in the life He offers through His body and blood. Looking at John 6:53–56, Luke 22:19–20, and 1 Corinthians 11:24–28, we'll uncover what Jesus was teaching about spiritual life, remembrance, and reverence when we come to the table. Communion is not casual—it is sacred. And when we approach it rightly, it reminds us of the cost of our redemption and the grace we've received through Christ.

Stephen Masters // Missoula

In this message, we're reminded that Jesus didn't just talk about love—He modeled it. Through His sacrifice and His example, we see the kind of love we are called to show others.

Mikey Wall // Columbia Falls

Stephen Masters // Missoula

Mikey Wall // Columbia Falls

In this message, we're reminded that Jesus didn't just talk about love—He modeled it. Through His sacrifice and His example, we see the kind of love we are called to show others.

There's something powerful that happens when people gather — and most of us are too busy to notice what we're missing. In this message from illuminate church in Kissimmee, Florida, we explore why Jesus didn't just teach in synagogues and lecture halls — he gathered people around tables. Meals with sinners, outcasts, and friends weren't incidental to his ministry; they were his ministry. From Matthew 9 to Luke 19 to the Last Supper itself, Jesus used the table to signal something radical: you belong here. Drawing from Hebrews 10:19–25, this message unpacks three reasons God calls us back to gather regularly — for our own spiritual endurance, to experience his presence in ways solo faith can't replicate, and to grow into the kind of people who reflect his kingdom to the world around us. If you've been drifting from community, feeling disconnected, or just going through the motions on Sunday, this one's for you. You were made for more than watching from a distance. Come back to the table. Visit us at illuminate.church.

Why didn't the disciples understand what Jesus was doing?Even after hearing his teaching, watching his miracles, and sitting with him at the Last Supper, they were still arguing about who would be the greatest.In this message, we step into the world of the Roman Empire to understand why. The entire system of Rome was built on hierarchy—power, status, and honor flowing from the top down. It shaped how people saw the world, how they understood success, and even how they imagined God's kingdom.But Jesus was revealing something radically different.The kingdom of God isn't built on power over others. It's a kingdom where the greatest becomes the servant and where the one with all authority kneels to wash feet.On this third Sunday of Lent, the ancient prayer of the church is simple:God, help me see.

Today we begin a two-part journey through one of the most beautiful and powerful passages in Scripture: John 15. Jesus spoke these words on the night He was betrayed, just after the Last Supper, as He and the disciples walked toward Gethsemane. In that intimate, final moment, He gave them (and us) a picture that captures the heart of what it means to follow Him: This isn't just nice imagery about gardening or growth. It's the climax of God's entire redemptive story—the grand narrative that runs from Genesis to Revelation, and a reminder of the only source of lasting hope we have in this world, Abiding in Christ as He Abides in us

At the beginning of January, several of us traveled to Louisville, KY for CrossCon - a missions oriented conference for your adults. Incidentally, we are planning on going again this next year (St. Louis, MO). Young adults, I'd love for you to join me. At the conference John Piper gave a talk entitled…

Student Bible Study, March 4, 2026 Teacher: Zane Powers

Welcome to Day 2810 of Wisdom-Trek. Thank you for joining me. This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom. Day 2810 – Wisdom Nuggets – Psalm 118:1-9 – Daily Wisdom Wisdom-Trek Podcast Script - Day 2810 Welcome to Wisdom-Trek with Gramps! I am Guthrie Chamberlain, and we are on Day 2810 of our Trek. The Purpose of Wisdom-Trek is to create a legacy of wisdom, to seek out discernment and insights, and to boldly grow where few have chosen to grow before. The title for today's Wisdom-Trek is: The Eternal Refuge – Stepping into the Wide-Open Spaces In our previous trek, we stood on the mountaintop of Psalm One Hundred Seventeen. We explored the shortest chapter in the entire Bible, and yet, we saw how it held the largest possible stage. It was a cosmic megaphone, calling all the disinherited nations, and all the diverse people groups of the earth, to return to their Creator. It reminded us that God's unfailing love is a prevailing flood, capable of washing over every cultural and geographical boundary. Today, we take our next momentous step. We are crossing the threshold into Psalm One Hundred Eighteen, and we will be focusing our attention on the first movement of this incredible song, covering verses one through nine, in the New Living Translation. This is a milestone moment in our journey. Psalm One Hundred Eighteen is the grand finale, the sweeping crescendo, of the Egyptian Hallel. This is the very last of the Passover psalms. When you picture Jesus and His disciples in the Upper Room, finishing the Last Supper, the Gospel of Matthew tells us that they sang a hymn before heading out to the Mount of Olives. This was that hymn. These were the very words that filled the mind of the Messiah, as He walked deliberately toward the darkness of Gethsemane, and the agony of the cross. As we read this psalm, we hear the sound of a massive, festive procession. We hear a worship leader crying out to the congregation, and we hear a deeply personal testimony of a leader who was surrounded by enemies, yet rescued by the overwhelming power of Yahweh. So, let us join the procession, and listen to the opening chorus. The first segment is: The Chorus of Unfailing Love. Psalm One Hundred Eighteen: verses one through four. Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever. Let all Israel repeat: "His faithful love endures forever." Let Aaron's descendants, the priests, repeat: "His faithful love endures forever." Let all who fear the Lord repeat: "His faithful love endures forever." The psalm erupts with a joyful, booming command: "Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good!" But this is not just a solo performance. The worship leader is actively conducting a massive, multi-part choir, stationed within the temple courts. He calls out to three specific, distinct groups, demanding that they lift their voices and repeat the core thesis of the entire biblical narrative: "His faithful love endures forever." If this grouping sounds familiar, it should! We saw this exact same three-part division back in Psalm One Hundred Fifteen. First, the leader calls out to all Israel. These are the covenant people, the physical descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. They are the ones who experienced the Exodus, the parting of the Red Sea, and the provision of manna in the wilderness. They, of all people, have the historical evidence to shout that God's faithful love endures. Next, he turns to Aaron's descendants, the priests. These are the spiritual leaders, the men who mediated between the holy God and the flawed nation. They worked the sacrifices; they saw the blood on the altar. They understood, intimately, the cost of forgiveness. They are commanded to publicly declare that the sacrificial system is upheld not by mechanics, but by God's enduring love. Finally, the leader casts a wide net to all who fear the Lord. This encompasses the Gentile converts, the foreigners, and the strangers from those diverse nations we talked about in Psalm One Hundred Seventeen. God's love is not geographically restricted. If you fear Yahweh, if you revere the Creator of the universe, you are invited into the choir. You are given a voice in the congregation. And what is the lyric they are all singing? It is the Hebrew word Hesed. This is God's loyal, stubborn, covenant-keeping affection. It is a love that does not quit when we fail. It is a love that outlasts empires, survives the darkness of the grave, and, as the psalm says, "endures forever." When Jesus walked toward the cross, He was holding onto this exact promise. The physical pain would be temporary, but the Hesed of the Father would be eternal. The second segment is: The Cry from the Narrow Place. Psalm One Hundred Eighteen: verse five. In my distress I prayed to the Lord, and the Lord answered me and set me free. Suddenly, the perspective shifts. The sweeping, panoramic view of the massive choir fades into the background, and a single, solitary voice steps up to the microphone. The worship leader—perhaps the King, or perhaps a representation of the Messiah—shares a deeply personal testimony. "In my distress, I prayed to the Lord." The Hebrew word translated as "distress" is metsar. It literally means a narrow, tight, or constricted place. It paints a vivid, suffocating picture. Have you ever felt trapped? Have you ever felt like the walls of your life—your finances, your health, your relationships—were closing in on you, squeezing the very breath out of your lungs? That is the metsar. It is the spiritual claustrophobia of a crisis. The psalmist was pushed into a corner with no human escape route. But in that tight, suffocating space, he did the only thing left to do. He prayed. He cried out to Yahweh. And the response of God is breathtaking: "The Lord answered me and set me free." The literal Hebrew translation is incredibly poetic. It says, "The Lord answered me in a broad place," or "in a spacious place." God did not just pluck him out of the tight squeeze; God completely changed his environment. He moved him from the suffocating, narrow gorge of distress, and planted his feet in a wide, expansive, sunlit meadow of freedom. This is what Yahweh does. He takes our claustrophobic anxieties and replaces them with the wide-open spaces of His grace. He gives us room to breathe again. The third segment is: The Fearless Stance of the Redeemed. Psalm One Hundred Eighteen: verses six through seven. The Lord is for me, so I will have no fear. What can mere people do to me? Yes, the Lord is for me; he will help me. I will look in triumph at those who hate me. Because the psalmist has experienced this miraculous transfer from the narrow place to the spacious place, his entire psychological posture has changed. He stands tall, squares his shoulders, and makes a bold, defiant declaration: "The Lord is for me, so I will have no fear." This is the ultimate antidote to anxiety. If the Maker of heaven and earth, the Commander of the Divine Council, is actively standing on your side, fear becomes logically obsolete. He asks a rhetorical question: "What can mere people do to me?" When we look at this through the lens of the Ancient Israelite worldview, we understand that "mere people" are often pawns. Behind hostile human armies and corrupt human politicians, there are often dark, rebellious spiritual forces at work. The psalmist knows that he is not just fighting flesh and blood. But even so, if the Most High God—the uncreated Creator—is his helper, then the rebel gods and their human puppets are entirely powerless to change his eternal destiny. "What can mere people do to me?" They might insult me. They might steal my property. They might even, as Jesus knew, destroy my physical body. But they cannot touch my soul, and they cannot alter the enduring, forever nature of God's Hesed toward me. He repeats the truth to let it sink in deep: "Yes, the Lord is for me; he will help me." The word for "help" here means to actively assist in battle. God is not a passive observer; He is a fellow warrior in the trenches. Because of this divine alliance, the psalmist is certain of the outcome: "I will look in triumph at those who hate me." He doesn't say he will seek bitter, petty revenge. He says he will look in triumph. He will stand in the wide-open space of God's deliverance, and he will see the hostile, chaotic forces of his enemies completely neutralized. The Fourth Segment is: The Superiority of the Divine Refuge. Psalm One Hundred Eighteen: verses eight through nine. It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in people. It is better to take refuge in the...

The readings for this homily: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/030426.cfmFather Tyler Mentzer, MIC, invites us to contemplate what it truly means to “reign with Christ.” He opens with a striking analogy: a modern “geodome” that creates a flawless, wind‑less environment for trees. In that artificial sanctuary, the trees flourish at first, but their roots remain shallow. Without needing to withstand the wind, the trees become top‑heavy. Their fragile roots cannot anchor them, and they eventually topple.Father Tyler draws a parallel between those fragile trees and a life that lacks adversity. When we seek a perfect, trouble‑free existence, we attempt to eliminate the “wind” that deepens and strengthens our spiritual roots. The Gospel warns us that greatness in the Kingdom is measured, not by position, but by humble service. Jesus tells the disciples that the first shall be the greatest only when he becomes everyone else's servant.Father Tyler reminds us that the very trials Jesus endured — 40 days in the desert; the temptations of Satan; the agony of the Cross — were the winds that proved His unshakable love for the Father. Likewise, the request of James and John to sit at Christ's right and left reveals a self‑inflated desire for power. Jesus redirects them, teaching that true headship is found in laying down one's life for others, echoing the servant leadership modeled at the Last Supper when He washed His disciples' feet.In our own lives, the “wind” can be professional setbacks, relational conflicts, or the quiet suffering of daily duties. When we meet these challenges with faith, we are compelled to deepen our roots in the Father's love, allowing the Holy Spirit to strengthen us from within. The Sacraments — especially Confession, Baptism, and the Eucharist — provide the nourishment that sustains us through the storm, reminding us that we are already participants in Christ's reign when we serve selflessly.Father Tyler urges us to ask: Do I seek the comfort of a wind‑less dome, or do I welcome the gusts that shape my character? By choosing to serve, to love, and to sacrifice, we already reign with Christ, even if the world does not notice. At the final judgment, the Church teaches that we will be judged by the depth of our love of God and neigbor—; that is, by how far we have sunk our roots into the Father's boundless mercy. ★ Support this podcast ★

The Last Supper: Love and Betrayal | Cowboy Bible Study We are just 12 hours away from the crucifixion. The scene is the Passover Feast, but the atmosphere is about to change forever. In this installment of Save the Cowboy, Kevin Weatherby takes us into the room where the mightiest cowboy to ever ride prepares to become the ultimate Passover Lamb. The "Hoof Washing": A God Who Kneels Jesus didn't just teach humility; He lived it. When He took off His outer cloak to wash the disciples' feet, He was mirroring His entire mission. He left the throne of heaven, put on the "clothes" of a human servant, and knelt in the dirt so we could be clean. Cleaning Your Boots: Being saved means you're bathed in love, but walking through this world gets your gear dirty. We discuss why confession and repentance are about cleaning your boots, not losing your salvation. A Mirror of Heaven: Discover the deep symbolism behind Jesus taking off His cloak and putting it back on—the perfect picture of the Incarnation and His return to the throne. The Snake in the Grass: Lord or Teacher? We look at the seating chart of the triclinium and the tragedy of Judas. There is a massive difference between being a fan of Jesus and making Him your Lord. While the other disciples asked, "Am I the one, Lord?" Judas could only call Him "Teacher." The Exit into Night: The moment Judas stepped away from the Light of the World and into the darkness of his own free will. The Judas in Us: Most of our problems come from getting mad when God isn't who we want Him to be, rather than submitting to who He is. The Toughest Commandment Jesus leaves us with a "refreshed" command: Love one another as He loved us. This isn't a suggestion; it's the proof of your Cowboy Ministry. How you treat the people you most dislike is the true test of whether you are a follower of Christ or just a faker. Join the Long X Ranch Cowboys Our new central hub is live! This is the home of our Beef Ministry and our growing community of Long X Ranch Cowboys. Join us as we work to feed hungry families and grow in our faith. Visit the Hub: https://www.lxranch.org Connect With Save The Cowboy: YouTube: Subscribe for live sermons and join the conversation: https://www.youtube.com/@KevinWeatherby Conference Calls: We are moving to a new video format. Please check the LXRanch website calendar for conference call instructions and links to join. 15th Anniversary: Join us April 5th for our celebration and potluck! Scripture Reference: John 13; Psalm 41:9; Zechariah 11:12-13

Welcome to our Reveal podcast,Welcome! Today we're diving into one of the most powerful “I Am” statements of Jesus found in Gospel of John, chapter 6 — where Jesus declares, “I am the Bread of Life.”This moment comes right after the miracle of the feeding of the five thousand. The crowd had just experienced physical bread multiplied in their hands. But Jesus shifts their focus from temporary food to eternal nourishment. He tells them that while their ancestors ate manna in the wilderness during the time of Moses, they still eventually died. The bread He offers, however, gives eternal life.When Jesus calls Himself the Bread of Life, He's speaking to a basic human need. Bread was a staple — essential for survival. In the same way, He's saying that He is essential for spiritual life. Just as bread sustains the body, Christ sustains the soul.This teaching also foreshadows the Last Supper, where Jesus breaks bread and connects it to His body — pointing toward His sacrifice. Believing in Him isn't just intellectual agreement; it's described as “eating” receiving, trusting, and fully depending on Him.To support this ministry and help us continue our God-given mission, click here:Subscribe to our channel for the latest sermons:https://www.youtube.com/@revealvineyardLearn more about Vineyard Church Reveal Campus:https://www.revealvineyard.com/Follow us on social media!Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/vineyardrevealcampus Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/RevealVineyard

Welcome to Day 2808 of Wisdom-Trek. Thank you for joining me. This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom. Day 2808 – Wisdom Nuggets – Psalm 117:1-2 – Daily Wisdom Wisdom-Trek Podcast Script - Day 2808 Welcome to Wisdom-Trek with Gramps! I am Guthrie Chamberlain, and we are on Day two thousand eight hundred eight of our Trek. The Purpose of Wisdom-Trek is to create a legacy of wisdom, to seek out discernment and insights, and to boldly grow where few have chosen to grow before. The Title for Today's Wisdom-Trek is: The Shortest Song with the Largest Stage – Calling the Nations Home Today, we are undertaking a fascinating and entirely unique stage of our journey. We are stepping into the absolute center of the Bible to explore Psalm One Hundred Seventeen, covering its entirety—which is just verses one through two, in the New Living Translation. This is a milestone for a couple of reasons. First, Psalm One Hundred Seventeen holds the distinct title of being the shortest chapter in the entire Bible. It consists of only two verses and, in the original Hebrew, a mere seventeen words. Second, it is widely considered the middle chapter of the Protestant Bible. But do not let its brevity fool you. What this psalm lacks in word count, it makes up for in cosmic, earth-shaking theology. In our previous trek through Psalm One Hundred Sixteen, we listened to an intensely personal, intimate testimony. We heard the voice of a single, desperate individual who had been wrapped in the terrifying cords of death. We saw Yahweh, the Most High God, stoop down from heaven to listen to one man's whispered cry for help. It was a beautiful picture of individual salvation, ending with the psalmist paying his vows in the temple courts of Jerusalem. Today, the camera pans out. We move from the microscopic to the macroscopic. The single voice of the rescued individual in Psalm One Hundred Sixteen suddenly turns into a megaphone, broadcasting a summons to the entire planet. Psalm One Hundred Seventeen is still part of the "Egyptian Hallel," the songs sung during the Passover festival. But here, the focus breaks completely out of the borders of Israel. It is a trumpet blast directed at the pagan world. It is a declaration of cosmic warfare, and a radical invitation of grace. So, let us unpack these two massive, monumental verses together. The First Segment is: The Cosmic Summons: Reclaiming the Disinherited. Psalm One Hundred Seventeen: verse one. Praise the Lord, all you nations. Praise him, all you people of the earth. The psalm explodes right out of the gate with a command: "Praise the Lord, all you nations." To modern ears, this sounds like a standard, generic call to worship. But to the Ancient Israelite, singing this in the courts of the temple, this was a jaw-dropping, radical statement. It requires us to look through the lens of the Ancient Israelite Divine Council worldview, as taught by scholars like Dr. Michael S. Heiser. We must go all the way back to Genesis Chapter Eleven and the Tower of Babel. At Babel, humanity rebelled against Yahweh, refusing to spread out and fill the earth. In response, God judged the nations. But He didn't just confuse their languages; He disinherited them. According to Deuteronomy Chapter Thirty-two, verses eight through nine, God divided the nations and placed them under the authority of lesser spiritual beings—the "sons of God," or the divine council. Yahweh then stepped back and started over with one man, Abraham, to create His own special portion: Israel. From that moment on, the "nations" (the goyim) were viewed as foreign territory. They were under the jurisdiction of rebel gods, hostile principalities, and dark spiritual forces. They worshipped idols of wood and stone, which we saw mocked so thoroughly back in Psalm One Hundred Fifteen. So, when the psalmist stands up and shouts, "Praise Yahweh, all you nations!" he is doing something incredibly audacious. He is crossing enemy lines. He is essentially serving an eviction notice to the rebel gods. He is looking at the people of Egypt, Babylon, Philistia, and Assyria, and he is saying, "Your gods have failed you. They are dead. The time of your exile from the Creator is coming to an end. Yahweh is calling you back!" The parallel phrase, "Praise him, all you people of the earth," uses the Hebrew word ummim, which refers to tribes, clans, and people groups. The psalmist leaves no one out. The invitation is universal. God is not content to simply be the local deity of a small strip of land in the Middle East. He is the Maker of Heaven and Earth, and He demands, and invites, the adoration of every human being on the planet. This is why the Apostle Paul quotes this exact verse in Romans Chapter Fifteen, verse eleven. Paul uses Psalm One Hundred Seventeen to prove to the early church that the inclusion of the Gentiles—the non-Jewish people—was not a New Testament "Plan B." It was God's plan all along. The ultimate goal of choosing Israel was to create a beacon of light that would eventually draw all the disinherited nations back into the family of God. The Second Segment is: The Gravity of Grace: Why the Nations Should Sing. Psalm One Hundred Seventeen: verse two. For his unfailing love for us is powerful; the Lord's faithfulness endures forever. Praise the Lord! If verse one is the Command, verse two provides the Reason. Why should the pagan nations, who have spent centuries worshipping other gods, suddenly turn and praise Yahweh? The psalmist gives two reasons, rooted in two of the most important words in the Hebrew Bible: Unfailing Love (Hesed) and Faithfulness (Emet). Let us look closely at the first phrase: "For his unfailing love for us is powerful." Hesed is God's loyal, covenant-keeping, relentless love. But notice the direction of this love. The psalmist says His love for "us" is powerful. "Us" refers to Israel. This raises a fascinating question. Why should the nations praise God for the love He showed to Israel? If you are a Babylonian, why do you care that God loves the Jewish people? The answer lies in the promise given to Abraham in Genesis Chapter Twelve: "I will bless you... and all the families on earth will be blessed through you." Israel was never meant to be a reservoir of God's grace; they were meant to be a river. God's Hesed toward Israel—rescuing them from Egypt, giving them the law, protecting them from enemies, and bearing patiently with their constant rebellion—was the vehicle through which salvation would reach the rest of the world. When the nations look at how Yahweh treated Israel, they see a God who keeps His promises. They see a God who does not annihilate His people when they mess up. And they realize, "If this God is that intensely loyal and loving to Israel, maybe there is hope for us, too. Maybe we can be grafted into that same covenant." Furthermore, the word translated as "powerful" (gabar) is an incredibly muscular word. It means to prevail, to be mighty, or to overwhelm. It is the same word used in the story of Noah's Ark, when the floodwaters "prevailed" over the tops of the highest mountains. The psalmist is saying that God's unfailing love is a flood. It cannot be contained by the borders of Israel. It prevails over human sin. It prevails over the rebellious spiritual principalities of the Divine Council. It overtops the highest mountains of human resistance, and spills out to cover the entire globe. The Third Segment is: The Eternal Echo: Truth That Outlasts Time. The second half of the reason is just as anchoring: "...the Lord's faithfulness endures forever." The word for faithfulness is Emet, which means truth, reliability, and stability. In a world governed by chaotic pagan gods who were unpredictable, petty, and easily angered, the concept of a God whose truth "endures forever" was revolutionary. The gods of the nations rose and fell with their empires. Where is Marduk today? Where is Baal? They are buried in the dust of history, remembered only in museums and archaeological digs. But the faithfulness of Yahweh remains. His truth does not have an expiration date. Because His love is overwhelmingly powerful, and His truth is eternally stable, the nations have a solid rock upon which to stand. They are invited to leave the shifting sands of the world's chaos, and step into the eternal security of the Creator's household. The psalm concludes with the great bookend of the Hallel: "Praise the Lord!" Or, Hallelujah! When Jesus sang this psalm with His disciples on the night of the Last Supper, He knew exactly what He was about to do. He was about to walk to the cross to demonstrate the ultimate, prevailing power of God's Hesed. He was...

Thank you for listening. Take a look at the sermon notes of this message on the church website: https://www.gatewayfranklin.com/sermonsTo find out more about Gateway Franklin Church, visit us at gatewayfranklin.com or join us online each week at gatewayfranklin.online.

John 14:15-31 - Empowered Like Jesus  |  Series: Not Alone - Easter 2026  | Upper Room Discourse |  Ben Purvis, Groups Minister |  Preached 3-01-26 10:45am  Tag: Easter, Good Friday, Ash Wednesday, Lent, Fasting, Prayer, Last Supper, Jesus, Disciples, Teaching, Upper Room, Holy Spirit, Orphan, Represented, Home, Love, Rise, Secure, Strength, Hearts

John 14:15-31 - Empowered Like Jesus  |  Series: Not Alone - Easter 2026  | Upper Room Discourse |  Ben Purvis, Groups Minister |  Preached 3-01-26 10:45am  Tag: Easter, Good Friday, Ash Wednesday, Lent, Fasting, Prayer, Last Supper, Jesus, Disciples, Teaching, Upper Room, Holy Spirit, Orphan, Represented, Home, Love, Rise, Secure, Strength, Hearts

John's Gospel moves us to the Last Supper.  Jesus washes the disciples' feet.  That includes Judas who will betray him.  He doesn't attack Judas preemptively.  He washes his feet instead in an act of love.  Because it's not about changing his enemy's heart or mind.  Jesus does it to remain who he is.  The sermon is based on John 13:1-17

Have you ever wondered what truly happens during Holy Communion and why it matters so deeply? In this episode, we are joined by John Bombaro to explore the profound theological significance of the Eucharist, its roots in the ancient Catholic tradition, and how a renewed understanding can transform our worship and faith life.00:00 - Introduction to the significance of the Eucharist in Lutheran faith01:23 - The personal journey of John Bombaro from Catholic roots to confessional Lutheranism03:05 - Why the Lord's Supper is often the center of doctrinal differences09:00 - Christology as the foundation of sacramentology vs. Christ-centeredness11:53 - The importance of continuity with Catholic and Orthodox sacramental traditions14:31 - The theological basis for the real presence and sacramental union23:00 - The importance of liturgical integrity and the threat of liturgical drift27:56 - The role of uniformity, tradition, and church authority in Lutheran worship34:31 - Restoring reverence, decorum, and beauty in the Lutheran mass42:48 - The significance of the priesthood, dignity, and proper liturgical practices50:46 - The spiritual warfare and enchantment of the Holy Communion66:34 - Moving beyond “kindergarten Christianity” toward deep sacramental understanding74:49 - The necessity of catechesis and lifelong education in Confessional Lutheran doctrine81:17 - Biblical and early church evidence for liturgy and sacrament practice90:33 - Luther's liturgical reforms as a return to tradition, not innovation96:32 - Christian freedom and the discipline of reverent worship97:37 - The call to recover lost reverence and the legacy of confessional practiceHear John on Issues, Etc - https://issuesetc.org/guest/john-bombaro/John's Book Recommendations: Kent A. Heimbigner, In the Stead of Christ: The Relationship of the Celebration of the Lord's Supper to the Office of Holy Ministry (Repristination Press, 1997).Alexander Schmemann, The Eucharist: Sacrament of the Kingdom (St. Vladimir's Seminary Press, 1987).David Fagerberg, Consecrating the World: On Mundane Liturgical Theology (Angelico Press, 2016).David Fagerberg, The Liturgical Cosmos: The World Through the Lens of the Liturgy (Emmaus Academic, 2023).R. Alan Streett, Subversive Meals: An Analysis of the Lord's Supper under Roman Domination during the First Century (Pickwick Publications, 2013).Scott Hahn, The Fourth Cup: Unveiling the Mystery of the Last Supper and the Cross (Image, 2018).James F. White, Sacraments as God's Self Giving (Abingdon Press, 1983)Gird Up Links:Website - https://www.girdupministries.com/Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/girdup_podcast/YouTube - https://youtube.com/@girdupministries4911?si=bJQOUakikV4aUbc9

This sermon explores Jesus's act of washing the disciples' feet at the Last Supper as a profound demonstration of servant leadership and divine love. The message challenges believers to understand that God's service to humanity is not based on our worthiness, position, or behavior, but solely on His love for us. Just as Jesus served His disciples—including Judas who would betray Him—Christians are called to serve others with humility, setting aside pride and titles to pick up the towel of service. The sermon emphasizes that serving is about purpose, not position, and that we are blessed not for our own sake but to bless others. The ultimate example of this service is the Gospel itself—Jesus living the life we couldn't live, dying the death we deserved, and rising again. The message urgently calls believers to walk in their God-given purpose and serve the world while there is still time.

On the night of the Last Supper, every disciple asked, “Lord, is it I?”But one man said, “Is it I, Rabbi?”In this message, we walk through the quiet progression of Judas — from frustration… to distance… to betrayal. How does someone walk with Jesus for years and still miss Him? How does reverence turn into routine? How does a heart drift without anyone noticing?This isn't a message about condemning Judas.It's about examining ourselves.We'll look at: • The subtle signs of a drifting heart • The difference between remorse and true repentance • Why asking “Is it I?” may actually be a sign of hope • What separates failure from betrayal

This Sunday, as we continue in Mark 14:27–42, we explore Jesus and His disciples in the Garden of Gethsemane. After the Last Supper, where Jesus established the New Covenant meal and predicted His betrayal, they travel to the Mount of Olives. There, Jesus openly states that all His disciples will fall away when He, the Good Shepherd, is struck—fulfilling Zechariah's prophecy—but He quickly promises that after His resurrection, He will go ahead of them to Galilee. Their weakness and failure cannot prevent the coming Kingdom. Still, Peter and the other disciples deny Jesus' words. First Peter, then all the disciples, insist they will never abandon Him, though Jesus knows their weakness better than they do. In the garden, Jesus is deeply distressed, facing the cup of divine wrath for sin that no one else could bear. Meanwhile, the disciples repeatedly fall asleep, unable to watch and pray for even an hour. Jesus returns to them three times, gently revealing their weakness and urging them to watch and pray to avoid temptation. Jesus teaches a vital gospel truth often forgotten: our complete dependence on Christ for salvation is also essential for living the Christian life. We are not strong enough to obey, resist temptation, or grow in holiness on our own. Jesus alone obeyed perfectly through dependent submission to the Father, drinking the cup we deserved, so we can daily rely on Him with cries of “Not my will, but Yours be done.” The growing Christian life is not the one with the greatest resolve or determination; it is the one that is most dependent. His command to watch and pray acknowledges that, although our spirit may be willing, our flesh is weak. I. Jesus Knows Our Weakness Better Than We (27-31) II. Jesus Suffered In Dependent Obedience in Our Place (32-36) III. Jesus Commands Dependence In Our Weakness (37-41)

If you knew you were in the last days of your life, what would you do?In Gospel of Luke 22, we step into the final hours before the cross. Betrayal is at the table. Denial is warming up. The weight of what's coming is heavy. And what does Jesus do?He sets the table.This isn't random. This isn't routine. The Last Supper is not just a meal—it's a defining moment. A feast of remembrance. A picture of grace. A covenant sealed in love.In this powerful message, we explore what Communion teaches us:Jesus longs to commune with you. Knowing the pain ahead—and the failures in the room—He still desires fellowship. Your weakness isn't a disqualifier; it's the doorway.Jesus calls our focus forward. The Passover once looked back to deliverance from Egypt. Now the table points forward—to the cross and the coming Kingdom. The enemy wants you stuck in what was, but God calls you into what's next.God calls us to covenant, not contract. You are not saved by performance. You are secured by promise. Covenant says, “I'm here because I love you—and I'm not going anywhere.”We forget, so God reminds us. Communion recenters us on what it cost. This is sacred remembrance. This is redemption.Grace is offered in the middle of failure. The first Communion happened with betrayal at the table—and Jesus still passed the bread.This sermon invites you to reflect on your own transformational moments:Are you drawing near to Jesus, or waiting until you “get it together”?Are you living stuck in your past, or walking forward in covenant promise?When you come to the table, is it routine—or redemption?Join us as we gather around the table that still changes everything.Support the show

While many of our Founding Fathers believed that God created the world and then left it to run on its own, the Psalms depict a radically different picture: a God who is intimately involved in sustaining creation and directing history. Psalm 104 portrays God not only as Creator but as active Sustainer, bringing order from chaos, watering the earth, feeding creatures, and wisely governing all life. Psalms 105 and 106 function together as a historical reflection on God's covenant faithfulness—especially His promises to Abraham—and Israel's repeated unfaithfulness. God remains faithful even when His people are not.The covenant with Abraham demonstrates that God initiates relationship and bears the risk, a theme Christians believe culminates in Jesus' declaration of a “new covenant” at the Last Supper. Salvation is presented as a gift of grace, not earned by works, yet genuine friendship with God is evidenced through obedience. Psalm 106 underscores the serious cost of sin, showing how forgetfulness of God disrupts covenant relationship. This episode challenges us to live from a place of gratitude and repentance for God's grace. We need to ask -- how is my sin hindering the friendship He's initiated with me?Scriptures:Psalm 104Psalm 105Psalm 106Matthew 26:26-28John 15:14Matthew 7:21

Want to know What meal ended the House of Habsburg and was said by Voltaire to have changed the destiny of Europe? The risks associated with foraging, and what milk thistle might be an antidote for? Listen to find out!Send a text

John 14:1-14 - Facing Turbulence  |  Series: Not Alone - Easter 2026  | Upper Room Discourse |  Sam Holm, Lead Pastor |  Preached 2-22-26 10:45am  Tag: Easter, Good Friday, Ash Wednesday, Lent, Fasting, Prayer, Last Supper, Jesus, Disciples, Teaching, Upper Room, Plane, Fly, Trouble, Airplane, Help, Pilot, Trust, Grace, Ask, Pray

John 14:1-14 - Facing Turbulence  |  Series: Not Alone - Easter 2026  | Upper Room Discourse |  Sam Holm, Lead Pastor |  Preached 2-22-26 10:45am  Tag: Easter, Good Friday, Ash Wednesday, Lent, Fasting, Prayer, Last Supper, Jesus, Disciples, Teaching, Upper Room, Plane, Fly, Trouble, Airplane, Help, Pilot, Trust, Grace, Ask, Pray

Sunday Morning, February 22, 2026Given by Tom Groelsema | Executive Pastor, Christ Covenant ChurchThe Last Supper/The Lord's SupperMark 14:12-25Watch on YouTubeDownload our mobile app

At the Last Supper, knowing betrayal awaits, Jesus kneels to cleanse His disciples and calls them to do to others as He has done to them.

The Sign of Wine: Glory, Blessing, Blood John 2:1-12 Our sermon text this morning is John 2:1-12. In the lead up to these verses, Jesus has been introduced as the Son of God, the promised Messiah, the light of the world, the creator of all things, and various other titles and descriptions. John the Baptist and several of Jesus newly gathered disciples testified to those things. The apostle John now turns his attention to not just tell us who Jesus is, but to show us. In our passage this morning, we'll hear about the first miracle of Jesus. It happened at a wedding in Cana which is in the region of Galilee. Reading of John 2:1-12 Every single culture throughout human history has had weddings … you know, ceremonies and banquets. And there are some interesting customs. I've never been, but I understand that if you go to a Jewish wedding, you'll see the groom and sometimes the bride smash a piece of glass under their feet. At Greek weddings, the attendees will dance in big circles around the happy couple - apparently it's a sign of blessing. I've never witness that but I've seen the movie. A few years ago when I was in India with Pastor Chuck, we drove by a big wedding reception. There was an elephant and there were lots of colors. It was beautiful and very celebratory. And it's no wonder why weddings are so significant. God established marriage from the very beginning. Right there in Genesis 2, God instituted the union between man and woman. A man shall leave his father and mother and shall be united to his wife and they shall become one flesh. When I am meeting with engaged couples, one thing I emphasize is that Genesis 2 happened before Genesis 3. I know that sounds obvious and it is, but it is very significant.  Genesis 3 is the fall – it's when sin entered the world. Genesis 2 is when God established marriage. In other words, marriage between a man and a woman is part of God's created order before the fall. Marriage is not part of God's redemptive plan - No, it precedes it and transcends the fall. In other words, marriage is not just for Christians, rather, it is an institution that applies to all humanity. To be sure, not everyone is called to be married – the apostle Paul makes that clear. But marriage and family are at the very center of God's established order for humanity. So, it's no wonder that weddings have always been a big deal everywhere – because they are! I bring all that up because the fact that Jesus' very first miracle happened at a wedding is very significant. Jesus didn't turned water into wine at some arbitrary banquet. No, he did so at a wedding feast. He did so at a celebration of the most important union here on earth… and more importantly, a union modelled after his relationship with us - the marriage between Christ and his church. My hope is that as we work through what happened at this wedding in Cana, that you will see not only the glory of Jesus on display, but you will also see how it reveals the greater wedding banquet that is to come. Ok. Before we get into the specifics, I want to point out one other significant thing. Look at verse 11. It says, “This, the first of his signs, Jesus did at Cana in Galilee.” Notice that John does not use the word “miracle.” No, instead he uses the word “sign.” Sign is the word that John uses throughout the book. In fact, chapters 2 through chapter 12 are sometimes called the “book of signs.”  The content of these chapters revolve around 7 signs that Jesus performed. The word sign comes from the Greek word “sēmeia.” The word indicates that these events are more than just miracles. They point to something significant. Think about all the English words derived from the Greek word for sign. Significant, signify, signal, assign… all of those capture the idea that there's a deeper meaning here. And that is what these signs are. They direct our attention not to the miracles themselves, but rather to what the miracles reveal. I think the clearest example of this I think is in chapter 6. Jesus multiplied the fish and the loaves and then he said to the crowd, “I am the bread of heaven.” Through that miracle, Jesus gave us a sign that he is the one who spiritually feed us and gives us life. So here at the wedding in Cana, it's not only that Jesus displayed his glory and power by turning water into wine. But Jesus also revealed greater things. The question is, then, to what is this sign signifying? … you know, beyond just Jesus' glory? Well, as we work through the narrative, there are two additional things that the sign of wine is signifying. It foreshadows the cleansing blood of Christ, and it demonstrates the abundant spiritual blessings that we have and will received in him. We'll consider those in three points: #1 the sign of Jesus' glory. #2, the foreshadowing of Jesus' blood. and #3 the foretaste of eternal blessing. 1. The Sign of Wine - Glory So, first, glory. I think you would agree, this miracle displays God's glory in and through Jesus. Verse 11 tells us that. It says, "…it manifested his glory." The very act of the miracle itself manifested (or displayed) Jesus' glory. And by the way, just to be sure, this really was wine. As some of our Baptist friends think, Jesus did not turn water into grape juice, but, in fact, wine, good wine. Ok, let's spend a little bit of time just walking through the narrative. Notice first that it mentions this happened on the third day. The way we count days today, it's actually two days later. Back then, the current day was considered day one as you count days. Tomorrow would be day two. And the day after is the third day. As you know, we usually count tomorrow as day 1. So, basically two days later, Jesus and his new disciples were at a wedding. They'd been invited. And we find that in some way, Jesus' mother, Mary, was helping. Perhaps this was a relative. Furthermore, Jewish weddings at the time were multiple day affairs - some of them would go on for 7 days. I know that's hard for us to even imagine. It involved multiple meals and celebratory things. Furthermore, the wine used throughout was more than just for enjoyment, it indicated a mutual blessing upon the families being united together as they celebrated the marriage. Also, the groom's family would have hosted it, and they would have spent a lot of time and money. So, it was a big deal. But we find out pretty quickly, that there's a crisis. They've run out of wine! They couldn't just send someone to Kroger or Publix. It was a major problem… and running out of wine would have come with a social stigma. The groom's family would have been very embarrassed. Why did they run out? We're not told.  it could have been poor planning. Maybe they had more people than they expected. Maybe people drank more than they thought they would. We just don't know. When Mary said to Jesus that there was no more wine, we get the sense that she knew Jesus could resolve the problem. But Jesus responds to her, "woman, what has this to do with me? My hour has not yet come." Now, to our ears, it sounds a little roughly worded. It sounds like Jesus was scolding his mother. But actually, the word 'woman' was used in a different way at that time. I think the NIV translation does a better job here. It says "dear woman." You see, the word "women" was sometimes used as a term of affection. Jesus was lovingly saying to his mother that it was not his problem. His "hour," as he said, had not yet come. We'll come back to the word "hour" in a few minutes. The bottom line is that Jesus indicated that this was not his matter to resolve. Notice, though, that he did not say he wouldn't help. Mary understood that and she knew that Jesus in some way could fix the problem. And so, what does she do? She tells servants, "Do whatever he says." Truly, it was a display of deep faith on her part. She believed in what he could do. Now, the venue had a set of stone purification jars - there were six of them. We'll come back to their ceremonial purpose in a minute. Jesus asked the servants to fill them. So, the servants followed through with Jesus request as Mary had told them to. They filled them "to the brim," it says. That would have taken some time. And then immediately when they finished, Jesus had them draw some of it out and they were to bring it to the master of the feast. At this point, the miracle had already been done - the servants knew it, which is pointed out for us. The servants also knew, as did Mary and the disciples, that the wine had run out… but now there was plenty. But the master of ceremonies didn't know any of that. And when he tasted the wine, it was not diluted nor was it lower quality wine that was sometimes served after the good wine. No, hardly at all. The master went straight to the groom and said, "you have kept the good wine until now." It was an encouraging word. Not only had disaster been averted, but quite the opposite happened. The celebration ramped up! The festivities continued with good wine served to the guests. What a tremendous blessing for the whole wedding party! Part of the miracle was that Jesus never touched the stone jars. He wasn't the one who filled them with water. He was also not the one to bring the new wine to the master of the ceremonies. In fact, we're not told that the master, nor the groom, nor the guests ever knew about the miracle. But the servants knew, and Mary knew, and Jesus' disciples knew - they had observed from a distance. And look at the brief note at the end of 11… right after it says that Jesus manifested his glory… it says, "And his disciples believed in him." You may remember, at the end of chapter 1, we're told that Nathaniel believed. But now we're given a full testimony that they all believed. You see, even though this sign was concealed to a select few, yet it testified to Jesus' identity as chapter 1 revealed - it displayed the glory of God in Christ. So that's one display - one sign. Glory through the miracle itself. 2. The Sign of Wine - Blood #2. The sign of blood. If time travel actually existed… and if you transported yourself back to a first century Jewish community, one thing you would see over and over were the various ceremonial washings. You see, in order to participate in various events and meals and ceremonies, you had to be clean. You had to be purified.  it was both a cleanliness thing and spiritual purification thing. The Jews were constantly purifying themselves. That involved taking fresh water from a purification container and washing. And there were very specific regulations for the process. Some of the purification regulations came from the law… specifically Exodus and Leviticus and Deuteronomy. We learn from Mark chapter 7, that there were other additional cleansing traditions that had been added And one important thing is that the water needed to come from living water - you know, fresh sources like springs or wells or mountain streams. This water for purification also needed to be stored in stone jars (or basins) - not clay or wood or leather. While those vessels were allowed to temporarily hold consumable liquid, they were not appropriate for the cleansing rite. Stone, on the other hands, was. It was impermeable - the water would remain clean over time. In fact, you were not supposed to transport the water to the stone basins in something made of clay or wood - no, the process had to be pure. And when the time came for the purification, like the washing of your hands or feet (or your whole body if something happened to make you unclean), you would draw the water out with a stone cup and you would wash off to the side. In other words, you wouldn't stick your hands or feet in the stone jars - that would only make the water unclean. In verse 8, that phrase "draw out" is the same word used for ceremonial cleansing. The servants drew out the wine for the master of the feast. So, when Jesus told the servants to fill the stone water jars, they would have known exactly where to get the water and how to fill them. Furthermore, Jesus' disciples and his mother and the original readers would have been very familiar with all of it. What I am saying is that all of them would have understood the symbolism of the purification jars. A greater cleansing had come - the new wine has arrived. Even though the master of ceremonies, nor the guests, nor the bride and groom didn't know what happened, yet Mary and the servants and disciples did. They witnessed Jesus foreshadowing that he would cleanse them from their sin. Now, I doubt that Mary or Jesus' disciples would have associated the wine with Jesus' blood. I'm talking about at that moment. But let's go back to what Jesus' said to Mary. He said, "my hour has not yet come." We will come across that phrase multiple times throughout the Gospel of John. Jesus was indicating that an "hour" would come when his purpose in coming would be fulfilled. Jesus was referring to the "hour" of his crucifixion. In Jesus' prayer in chapter 17, right before he was arrested, Jesus prayed, "Father, the hour has come..." As he's performing this miracle, Jesus had just referenced his coming crucifixion. One commentator pointed out that immediately after Jesus died, a Roman soldier pierced Jesus' side… do you remember what came forth? blood and water. The apostle John makes a point to note that. That's in John 19 verse 34. You see, the cleansing water of purification is fulfilled in the cleansing blood of Christ. Again, at the time, Mary and the disciples didn't fully understand, but when they reflected back on this miracle, they would realize its significance. It displayed the cleansing that they would receive by faith in Christ through what he accomplished on the cross. In 1 John chapter 1 (the first of the apostle John's letters)… In 1 John 1:7, the apostle said that if we walk in the light of Christ… that is, if we believe in him and demonstrate that belief, he said, "the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin." You see, the ceremonial purification was anticipating the cleansing ministry of Jesus… a cleansing that we all need, and which we received by faith. The wine signified Jesus blood. It's just like at the Last Supper when Jesus said that the cup was the new covenant in his blood, for the forgiveness of sin. 3. The Sign of Wine: Foretaste of Eternal Blessing So, #1 glory, #2 blood, and now, #3 abundant and eternal blessing. Let's look again at verse 6. We've talked about the significance of the purification jars. But did you notice how large they each were? There were six of them and they each contained about 20-30 gallons. Each one of them was about as big as a normal size bathtub, today. That's big! And multiply that by 6 and you get about 150 gallons! That's a lot of wine. Is it possible that the wedding was that large and they needed that much wine? Yeah, it's possible. But the point of letting us know the volume of water turned to wine is not to tell us the size of the wedding. We're not given any details about the wedding. We don't know who the bride and groom were. No, the point of notating the size was to indicate the sheer volume of the wine. It signified the abundant blessing that Jesus's ministry has and will bring. His ministry to us is and will be far more abundant than what we can ask for or imagine. And let me say, even at those times in our lives when we feel like the wine has run out. You know, when we are worn down, or our faith feels weak or our hope is seemingly gone. Even during those times, we can know that there is an abundance of grace still to be poured out… far more than we can see or imagine. By the way, this concept of blessing through wine is rooted in a couple of Old Testament passages. God's people are told that when the Messiah comes, when the time is fulfilled, there will be an abundance of wine. It's really a metaphorical illustration of God's blessing. For example, the prophet Amos in chapter 11 prophesied of how days would come when the mountains would drip with sweet wine and the hills would flow with wine. Well, the fulfillment of those prophecies was coming true in Christ. This sign at Cana, this miracle, in part was revealing that the blessing of the Messiah had come… AND will come. As I mentioned earlier, the fact that this miracle happened at a wedding banquet is not happenstance. Rather, God was giving a foretaste of what would come. Yes, Jesus' ministry was ushering in a time of blessing to every tongue and nation, now… but the ultimate blessing that this sign is signifying is the greater wedding feast that has yet to come. In other words, the abundance on display here, in this miracle, is directing us to the eternal marriage supper of the Lamb. At the very beginning of God's Word was a marriage, you know, Genesis 2. Well, the Scriptures end with another marriage celebration. The Bible is book-ended by weddings. That second one will be the wedding between the Lamb of God and his church. You see, God has betrothed his people to himself. He has kept the covenant vows for us. This marriage will not be broken or marred by sin. No, Jesus was crucified for our spiritual adultery. He has made us, his bride, ready. Jesus, the bridegroom, has clothed his bride, the church, with fine linen bright and pure, as Revelation 19 says. And on that day, we will celebrate. The wine will never run out. We will rejoice and worship. Our purification in the blood of the Lamb will be forever. We will be pure and holy for he is pure and holy. God has saved for us, on that day, the choicest of wines - eternal blessing. So, as we think about and consider Jesus' miracle at Cana, yes, let's celebrate the glory that turning water into wine displays. Let's honor Jesus as the creator God who can do such a thing. But let's not miss the eternal redemptive picture we are given here. There is one who alone can purify. Jesus has offered his blood, his life, to cleanse us from all unrighteousness and sin. And, may we by faith look forward to that day when we will rejoice and worship the Lamb forever. For on that day, we will feast and drink and celebrate, not at someone else's wedding, but our wedding celebration as the bride of Christ. Amen

Pastor Taylor Shippy - Luke 22:7-20What if the Lord's Table isn't simply a memorial… It's a portal?In this message, we journey from the Passover in Egypt to the Last Supper in the Upper Room and discover that the Table was never meant to be mere nostalgia. It's a meal that preaches the gospel—a meal that brings deliverance, grace, and freedom from the past into the present.

“02.22.26 – 2:22:26, 11.32 AM”. The post The last supper appeared first on Table Life Church of the Nazarene.

A Sermon for the First Sunday in Lent Ephesians 2:1-10 by The Rev'd Dr. Matthew Colvin             Week after week, I see Pastor Bill preaching the Bible to you on Sundays, and I want to commend him to you. I'm not sure you are aware how rare it is to have a pastor who does his own translation work in the Hebrew and Greek, and who attempts, with diligence and great effort, to read the text of the Bible anew, divide it up properly, and serve it to you. What matters to Pastor Bill in his preaching to you is what the Bible actually says — the actual point of the gospels' stories, or the actual meaning of the prophecies of the prophets, or the actual meaning of Paul's arguments in his letters — not what famous theologians have used the Bible to say, or what scholastic medieval philosophy says it can and cannot mean, or the way modern self-help gurus can use Bible verses out of context to tell a very different story. If you attend to the words delivered from this pulpit, you are being trained to understand the Bible on its own terms, rather than watching as a slick speaker uses the Bible to express his own ideas. The story needs to be your story; you are to think of yourself as a child of Abraham, as a sharer in Israel's Messiah, as someone in covenant with Israel's God. Since it is the first Sunday in Lent, we are confronted with the very first episode of Jesus' public ministry after his baptism by John the Baptist. This story has much to teach us about Jesus' work as the Messiah, the nature of his sufferings, and ultimately, the way we ought to think about God Himself. I want to start by thinking about what it means when the Messiah goes into the desert. In Acts 21, when Paul is arrested in Jerusalem, the Roman centurion is surprised that he knows Greek: “Are you not the Egyptian, then, who recently stirred up a revolt and led the four thousand men of the Assassins out into the wilderness?" -Acts 21:38 (I joke to my Greek students that knowing Greek is handy if you are ever suspected of being a terrorist.) In Acts 5, Gamaliel mentioned Judas of Galilee and Theudas, false messiahs who also started their rebellions against Rome by going out into the wilderness. Why do so many messiahs begin this way? Because they are attempting recapitulate of Israel's story. And the true Messiah also relives the story of Israel, embodying it in the events that happen to him: he has already gone down to Egypt to escape a tyrannical attempt to kill all the baby boys in Bethlehem, much as Pharaoh tried to kill all the male Hebrew babies; he has already been baptized in the Jordan, as Paul says Israel was “baptized in the cloud and in the sea” of the Exodus; and now he goes into the Wilderness to be tempted for 40 days, as Israel was tempted for 40 years. Covenant history rhymes, as the saying goes. So that is why Jesus is in the desert. There remains explain why he is being tested, and how he resists that temptation, and what these things tell us about the Messiah and about God. We must recognize that Jesus resisted Satan's temptation as true man, as a matter of his messianic office. Jesus' self-understanding as the Messiah was in terms of the latter chapters of Isaiah, i.e. the suffering servant. This understanding of his calling is why he girded himself with a towel and washed his disciples' feet at the Last Supper; it is why he set his face like flint to go to Jerusalem; it is why he undertakes to drink the cup of suffering, and sheds sweat like drops of blood falling to the ground during his agonized prayer in Gethsemane. Being this kind of Messiah involved contradicting the expectations that other men had about what the Messiah would be like. When Jesus is on trial, the Roman procurator Pontius Pilate, for instance, asks him — in a question whose statement-like word order indicates incredulity — “You are the king of the Jews?” (that is the word order, sarcastic or incredulous), and then puts over his head a sign reading “Jesus of Nazareth, king of the Jews,” in three languages, so that everyone could get the joke. Pilate mocks Jewish pretensions to even have a king. That is why he refused to change the sign to say only “He claimed to be the king of the Jews.”  It is also why he also brings out Barabbas and asks the Jews, “Whom do you want me to give to you? Barabbas, or the king of the Jews?” Pilate is operating with the standard pagan understanding of kingship: "You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. It shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be your slave, even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." (Matthew 20:25-28) Pontius Pilate and the Romans were expecting someone taller, perhaps. Of course, Jesus could have met those expectations, as he told the soldiers who arrested him in Gethsemane: “Do you think that I cannot appeal to my Father, and he will at once send me more than twelve legions of angels?” (Matthew 26:53) It isn't that he couldn't just blow the Romans away with fire from heaven. But that is not his agenda. That is not what the Messiah has come to do. He has come “not to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Jesus also has to correct the expectation of the Jews about what the Messiah is to be like — even the expectation of his own disciples! It is this self-understanding that makes Jesus tell his disciples in Mt 16:22-23 that “he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, "Far be it from you, Lord! This shall never happen to you.” But he turned and said to Peter, "Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me. For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man." Peter's suggestion that Jesus could be the Mesiah without suffering and dying is so inimical to Jesus' self-understanding and his mission that he calls Peter “Satan.” And rightly so, because what Peter is suggesting is pretty much of the same spirit as what Satan himself suggests in our gospel lesson this morning. So that is the background: Jesus as the true Israelite, the Messiah, is in the desert, not to lead a rebellion or a gang of terrorists, but to be tested as Israel was tested. Against all this background, we are ready to hear the words, both of Satan tempting, and of Jesus answering, and hear them with richer and fuller meaning — meaning not from Greek philosophy or self-help gurus or even systematic theologians, but rather, from the story of Israel. With his first temptation, Satan seeks to exploit Jesus' hunger: “The tempter came and said to him, "If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread." But he answered, "It is written,  "'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.'" (Matthew 4:3-4) Any of you who have ever been hangry know exactly why Satan is doing this. Jesus, no less than we, lived his earthly incarnate life in a body, and that body was subject to weakness. Jesus is not like Superman, so that bullets or nails would bounce off his skin. He was capable of suffering, and he did suffer. Satan is suggesting that Jesus should exploit his Messianic status — for that is what is meant by “If you are the Son of God” — and use it to avoid this suffering. Take your authority over all creation and use it to transform stones into bread. This is not a ridiculous suggestion. It is similar to Jesus' first miracle in John's gospel, where he turned water into wine for the wedding at Cana. But the aim of the action here would be quite different. Satan's meaning is basically the same as Peter's suggestion: “Suffer from hunger? Why put up with that? This shall never happen to you!” Jesus' answer is a quotation from Deuteronomy 8:3. (In fact, all three of Jesus' answers to Satan are from Deuteronomy. (Dt. 8:3, 6:16, and 6:13). That is, they are taken from Moses' instructions to Israel about how to live with the Lord. Jesus is the one who follows Deuteronomy's description of the faithful Israelite perfectly.) As so often, however, Jesus' quotations of the Old Testament are metaleptic —a fancy Greek word that means “takes along with it.” The idea here is that if I say, “We stand on guard for thee,” it would be a mistake for someone to try to understand that utterance merely by using a dictionary to look up “stand” and “guard” and so forth. The meaning of that phrase is rather to be found in the larger context of the Canadian national anthem as a whole, because that is how everyone who hears it will immediately start thinking in their minds: all the other verses will come flooding into your minds; you will perhaps recall occasions when you sang it: in school, or at sporting events; or watching a Olympic medal ceremony. Just so, when Jesus quotes the Old Testament, every Israelite hearer will not just think of the words he quotes; he will think also of the surrounding context, the story in which those words first occurred. So when we look at Deuteronomy 8:3, we should also think about the immediately preceding verse: "The whole commandment that I command you today you shall be careful to do, that you may live and multiply, and go in and possess the land that the LORD swore to give to your fathers. And you shall remember the whole way that the LORD your God has led you these forty years in the wilderness, that he might humble you, testing you to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep his commandments or not.” (Deuteronomy 8:1-2) And then it goes on to say, in the very next verse, “And he humbled you and let you hunger and fed you with manna, which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that he might make you know that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD.” (Deuteronomy 8:3) This is what Jesus has in mind: he has been in the wilderness for forty days, being humbled, being tested. He answers Satan from the very passage of Deuteronomy that has to do with his situation: it is about testing in the wilderness. He has been thinking about this verse for a while now. The tempter's second try is with a more showy possibility: Then the devil took him to the holy city and set him on the pinnacle of the temple and said to him, "If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written,  "'He will command his angels concerning you,'  and  "'On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.'" -Matthew 4:6 This would be an impressive display! Who could fail to follow a Messiah who had made such a proof of divine power? Jesus had answered the first temptation by quoting Scripture. But the devil can quote Scripture for his purposes, so Satan appeals to lines from Psalm 91:11-12. And again, he knows what he is doing: at a time when Jesus feels alone, when he is in the desert, Satan tempts him with lines from that most comforting song: “He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.” It is full of promises of God's protection and deliverance: in battle, from wild animals, from dangerous diseases. And yet it is singularly inappropriate for Jesus' messianic vocation: He has come to suffer and die. To avail himself of divine protection against these sufferings would be to deny his messiahship. So Jesus replies with words from Deuteronomy again. "Again it is written, 'You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.'" -Matthew 4:7 This is from Deuteronomy 6, that chapter which contains the Shema, the single verse of the Torah that could be called the creed of Israel: “Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.” It is the core chapter of the Torah about Israel's relationship with God. He has rescued her from Egypt and taken her to Himself to be His bride; at Mount Sinai, he has married her. But Israel was not faithful. She tested the Lord like a wife acting up to trying to make her husband angry. When there was no water to drink, Exodus 17 says, “Therefore the people quarreled with Moses and said, "Give us water to drink." And Moses said to them, "Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you test the LORD?" (Exodus 17:2) The verb used here, and also by Jesus in Matthew 4:7, is πειράζω. Note well: Who was doing the testing in the wilderness for 40 years? Exodus and Deuteronomy say it clearly: Israel was testing YHWH. And thus, we may perceive some clever irony in Jesus' answer to Satan here. For Satan is called “the tempter,” and in Greek, that is nothing other than a participle form of this same verb πειράζω, literally, “the testing one.” So on the one hand, Jesus' quotation of Deuteronomy 6:16 could mean, “You are asking me to test God by throwing myself down from the Temple. I am not going to do it, because Moses warned Israel not to test God.” But it could also mean, “You are testing God, Satan.” Satan doesn't take the hint. He keeps on testing Jesus. There will be more attempts later, but the last temptation that Satan tries on Jesus in the wilderness is narrated like this: Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. And he said to him, "All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me." -Matthew 4:8-9 Why does Satan take him to a very high mountain? In the Bible, mountaintop scenes are real estate transactions. If I sell you this pen, it's simple enough: you put money in my hand, and I put the pen in yours, and you carry it away with you. But houses and land don't fit in your pocket. So we have other procedures. In our day, we get banks and notaries involved and sign a lot of documents. But in the ancient world, you took possession by inspecting the property after the transfer.  This is done in the case of Abram in Genesis 13:17: “Arise, walk in the land through its length and its width, for I give it to you.” The same thing happens when Moses is about to die; in one sense, Moses doesn't get the promised land, because he dies before he can enter into it; but in another sense, God actually gives him the land, because he takes him up on a mountain and shows it to him, and this is the formal transfer of the land: “Go up this mountain of the Abarim, Mount Nebo, which is in the land of Moab, across from Jericho; view the land of Canaan, which I give to the children of Israel as a possession..” (Deuteronomy 32:49) Satan is attempting to use the same convention in Matthew 4:8. He is trying to get Jesus to make a deal, offering the kingdoms of the world in exchange for worship. But Jesus has no need to make such a bargain, for God had already promised to give the Messiah everything Satan is offering, and Jesus, whose self-understanding as the Messiah is shaped by Isaiah's description of the suffering servant, knows it very well from Isaiah 49: The Lord says: "It is too light a thing that you should be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to bring back the preserved of Israel; I will make you as a light for the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth." (Isaiah 49:6) He knows it also from Psalm 2: I will tell of the decree: The LORD said to me, "You are my Son; today I have begotten you. Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage, and the ends of the earth your possession. Ask of God. Not of Satan. The nations belong to the Lord, not to Satan. Jesus has no intention of making a bargain to purchase what Satan wrongly claims to own. In Matthew 12, after the Pharisees accuse Jesus of casting out demons by the power of Satan, Jesus replies that, How can someone enter a strong man's house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man? Then indeed he may plunder his house. (Matthew 12:29) And he does plunder it. We see the result in Revelation 20: “And he seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years, and threw him into the pit, and shut it and sealed it over him, so that he might not deceive the nations any longer...” -Revelation 20:3 And as for the real estate deal Satan was trying to make, well, we see the end of that at the very end of Matthew's gospel. For the Great Commission too takes place on a mountain, and this setting seems significant, especially in light of Jesus' declaration that “all authority in heaven and earth” has been given to Him. This is a pointed contrast with Satan's lying statement, "To you I will give all this authority and their glory, for it has been delivered to me, and I give it to whom I will.” (Luke 4:6 NKJV) Quite the contrary, Jesus, having refused Satan's bargain, and having bound him and plundered his goods, now bestows the kingdom on His disciples and takes possession of the nations by sending his disciples to teach and baptize them. I want to end by correcting three misapprehensions that some people might have about this story, which may prevent them from grasping what it teaches us about God. One mistake some have is that Jesus didn't really suffer in the wilderness; that His divine nature was smirking and unbothered by Satan's temptations aimed at his human nature; that all these things just rolled off of Jesus like water off a duck's back. We know this was not the case. Recall Gethsemane again, where Jesus begged the Father to “take this cup from me,” and his sweat fell to the ground like drops of blood — drops of blood, not water off a duck's back. A second mistake would be to think that, yes, Jesus suffered, but that's only because He is human. But that is not what the Bible says. It says that Jesus revealed the Father by his sufferings; that if you want to know what the Father is like, you should look at Jesus, for He who has seen Him has seen the Father. Greek philosophers say that God is an unmoved mover, and that God cannot suffer because he is perfect; but the Bible tells us that Jesus was “made perfect by sufferings.” (Heb. 5:9) Greek philosophers tell us that God cannot be afflicted; the Bible says that “in all their afflictions, He was afflicted.” (Isaiah 63:9) Greeks and Romans thought that suffering was miserable and degrading, and that if you are suffering, you must not have any glory or power; the Bible says that Jesus “humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore — not in spite of his sufferings, but because of them! — God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name.” (Philippians 2:8) There is no clearer picture of Israel's God than the cross of Jesus Christ. That is where we finally see God fully revealed. Finally, a third mistake would be to think that, yes, Jesus' sufferings were powerful and important, but ours are not. The truth is exactly the opposite. As George MacDonald put it, “The Son of God suffered, not that we might not suffer, but that our sufferings might be like His.” And they are. “For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory...” (2 Corinthians 4:17) We are in the Messiah. His story, Israel's story, is our story. In Him, we are faithful Israelites, true to Deuteronomy 6. In Him, we are the suffering servant of Isaiah's prophecies. In Him, the kingdoms of the world belong to us. In Him, we too are victorious over Satan. Let us pray. Lord Jesus Christ, for our sake you fasted forty days and forty nights: give us grace so to discipline ourselves that our flesh being subdued to the Spirit, we may always obey your will in righteousness and true holiness, to the honour and glory of your name; for you live and reign with the Father and Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.  Amen.

Welcome to Day 2802 of Wisdom-Trek. Thank you for joining me. This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom. Day 2802 – Wisdom Nuggets – Psalm 115:1-8 – Daily Wisdom Wisdom-Trek Podcast Script - Day 2802 Welcome to Wisdom-Trek with Gramps! I am Guthrie Chamberlain, and we are on Day 2802 of our Trek. The Purpose of Wisdom-Trek is to create a legacy of wisdom, to seek out discernment and insights, and to boldly grow where few have chosen to grow before. The Title for Today's Wisdom-Trek is: Our God is Supreme Today, we are continuing our journey through the "Egyptian Hallel," the magnificent collection of praise songs sung by the Jewish people during the Passover festival. We are stepping into the first half of Psalm One Hundred Fifteen, covering verses one through eight, in the New Living Translation. To set the stage, let us remember where we stood in our previous trek. In Psalm One Hundred Fourteen, we witnessed the sheer, terrifying power of the Theophany. We saw the earth tremble, the Red Sea flee, and the Jordan River turn back at the very presence of the God of Jacob. It was a psalm of action, movement, and cosmic disruption. Yahweh stepped into history, and the chaotic forces of nature panicked. But as we turn the page to Psalm One Hundred Fifteen, the tone shifts from the dramatic trembling of the earth to a profound, theological reflection. According to Jewish tradition, while Psalms One Hundred Thirteen and One Hundred Fourteen were sung before the Passover meal, Psalm One Hundred Fifteen was the first hymn sung after the meal was finished. Imagine the scene. Jesus and His disciples have just finished the Last Supper. The bread has been broken; the cup of the new covenant has been poured. And before they walk out into the dark night toward the Garden of Gethsemane, they lift their voices to sing these exact words. They sing about the glory of God, the foolishness of the world's idols, and the absolute sovereignty of the King of Heaven. This psalm is a brilliant polemic—a theological argument—against the gods of the surrounding nations. It contrasts the living, unrestrained God of Israel with the dead, handcrafted statues of the pagan world. It challenges us to ask: Where does the glory belong, and what are we truly placing our trust in? Let us dive into the text. Psalm One Hundred Fifteen: verse one. Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to your name goes all the glory for your unfailing love and faithfulness. The psalm opens with one of the most profound statements of humility in the entire Bible. The psalmist repeats the phrase for emphasis: "Not to us, O Lord, not to us." This is the ultimate deflection of human pride. When Israel looked back at the Exodus—when they remembered the sea parting and the enemies drowning—it was incredibly tempting to pat themselves on the back. It is human nature to assume that if God blesses us, saves us, or uses us, it must be because we are somehow special, worthy, or superior. But the psalmist violently rejects that idea. He says, "Lord, do not give us the credit. We did not part the sea. We did not defeat the Egyptian empire. The glory belongs entirely, exclusively, and completely to Your Name." And why does the glory go to His Name? Because of two foundational attributes: His "unfailing love" and His

On Sunday we got to hear from Bria on the Last Supper passage in Luke 22v1-23.   The Last Supper is not just a famous scene, but an intentional fulfillment of the Jewish Passover. Jesus transforms the Seder's promises of sanctification, deliverance, redemption, and praise into a new covenant centered on Himself.   As the true Passover Lamb, He invites His disciples—and us—not just to remember the Exodus, but to remember Him: His body broken, His blood poured out, and the fullness found only in union with Him.

Simon Says Week 6: Becoming Like a Child Date: February 15, 2026 Key Passage: John 13 In this week's sermon, we delve into the profound and transformative message of becoming like a child to enter the kingdom of heaven. Pastor Chris takes us on a journey through various "unless" statements made by Jesus, highlighting the necessity of childlike faith and dependence on God. The Significance of Questions Life is filled with questions, both trivial and profound. Among the most significant is the question posed by the Philippian jailer: "What must I do to be saved?" This question, echoed throughout the sermon, points to the heart of Christian faith: belief in Jesus Christ as the pathway to salvation. Jesus' "Unless" Statements Pastor Chris explores several critical statements by Jesus that outline the conditions for entering God's kingdom: John 3:3: "Very truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again." This emphasizes the necessity of spiritual rebirth, a transformation that only God can initiate. Matthew 5:20: "Unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven." This highlights the impossibility of achieving salvation through human effort alone, as true righteousness comes from God. Matthew 18:3: "Unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven." Here, Jesus calls for a childlike transformation, a personal decision to trust and depend on God. The Upper Room Lesson In John 13, Jesus provides a powerful object lesson during the Last Supper. As He washes the disciples' feet, He demonstrates humility and service, actions that symbolize the cleansing power of His impending sacrifice. Peter's initial resistance to Jesus washing his feet is met with another "unless" statement: "Unless I wash you, you have no part with me." This interaction underscores the necessity of allowing Jesus to cleanse us, representing the broader spiritual truth that we must allow God to do what we cannot do for ourselves. Embracing Childlike Faith The sermon concludes by urging believers to embrace a childlike posture towards God. This involves: Humility: Acknowledging our limitations and need for God's intervention. Trust: Placing unwavering faith in God's promises and His ability to save. Dependence: Recognizing that our salvation and spiritual growth are reliant on God's grace. Conclusion The call to become like a child is not merely about entering the kingdom of heaven but also about thriving within it. Believers are encouraged to remain dependent on God, continually seeking His guidance and provision. In closing, Pastor Chris invites those who have yet to place their faith in Jesus to do so with childlike trust, embracing the simplicity and profundity of the Gospel message: Jesus did for us what we cannot do for ourselves. For further reflection, consider reading John 13 and meditating on the humility and love demonstrated by Jesus. Let us strive to live with the childlike faith that opens the door to God's eternal kingdom.

FULL SHOW NOTESFor summaries of Tim and Jon's responses and referenced Scriptures, check out the full show notes for this episode.CHAPTERSIntro (0:00-3:17)Are Jesus' Brothers His Half-Brothers or Cousins? (3:17-19:21)What Were Love-Meals? (19:21-31:11)How Should Jude Influence How We Think About the Deuterocanon? (31:11-43:50)What Did the Early Church Believe About Spiritual Beings Procreating? (43:50-50:41)Why Are Demons Never Mentioned in the Gospel of John? (50:41-55:32)Conclusion (55:32-1:00:08)REFERENCED RESOURCES"Firstborn: The Last Will Be First" (podcast series)Jesus and the Jewish Roots of Mary: Unveiling the Mother of the Messiah by Brant PitreThe Affections of Christ Jesus: Love at the Heart of Paul's Theology by Nijay K. GuptaWord Biblical Commentary Vol. 50, 2 Peter, Jude by Richard J. BauckhamJesus and the Jewish Roots of the Eucharist: Unlocking the Secrets of the Last Supper by Brant PitreLast Supper and Lord's Supper by I. Howard Marshall"How the Bible Was Formed" (podcast series)The Deuterocanon/Apocrypha (video series)"Why the Deuterocanon/Apocrypha Is in Some Bibles and Not Others" (article)The Unseen Realm: Recovering the Supernatural Worldview of the Bible by Michael S. HeiserAngels: What the Bible Really Says About God's Heavenly Host by Michael S. HeiserDemons: What the Bible Really Says About the Powers of Darkness by Michael S. HeiserCheck out Tim's extensive collection of recommended books here.SHOW MUSICBibleProject theme song by TENTS SHOW CREDITSProduction of today's episode is by Lindsey Ponder, producer, and Cooper Peltz, managing producer. Tyler Bailey is our supervising engineer, who also edited today's episode and provided the sound design and mix. JB Witty writes the show notes. Our host and creative director is Jon Collins, and our lead scholar is Tim Mackie. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Connect with Mel Connect with Coach MikkiWhat if “unlucky” is just a story we inherited, and we're free to rewrite it? We kick things off with Friday the 13th and follow the thread through Norse myths, the Last Supper, and the Knights Templar to see how fear gathers power over time. Then we flip the script with Galentine's Day, turning a date with a bad reputation into a bright spot for friendship, humor, and everyday love that doesn't wait for a calendar prompt.From there, we lose it in laughter talking about  the rituals we learned as kids, honking through tunnels, lifting our feet over railroad tracks, counting cows until a cemetery reset, still echo in how we chase luck and ward off jitters. We share the nostalgia of vintage toys and board games (yes, Operation's terrifying buzz and Monopoly debt at age 10), plus the handmade Barbie outfits that prove fashion really does come back around—hello again, shoulder pads. These memories aren't just cute; they're a map of how culture changes and how we choose what to keep.We also open up about what we're building now. Mel's crafting seasonal word search books, sketching cozy mysteries, and launching a stock photo portfolio. Mickey's fresh off a keynote on why comfort zones kill success and is racing to finish a new book before a small East Coast signing tour. Creativity becomes our counterspell to superstition: show up, make something, share it. That's how we make our own luck.If you've ever wondered why 13 feels spooky, whether numerology helps or hinders, or how a sitcom joke turned into a global celebration of women's friendship, you'll feel right at home here. Come for the folklore and stay for the heart, the laughs, and the reminder that joy lands best when it's shared. If this conversation made you smile, subscribe, share it with a friend, and leave a quick review, what superstition are you still carrying? We look forward to seeing you succeed! - www.KeepOnSharing.com - Code - KOSSupport the showJoin my guests on my YouTube Channel

If you walk under a ladder after breaking a mirror, does that make your day doubly unlucky? Since we’re a science program, we’ll say no. But that double-trouble philosophy underpins the superstitions about Friday the 13th. Both Friday and the number 13 have been considered bad luck. Put them together, and you have what may be the most feared of any day-and-date combo. The individual superstitions both have religious and mythological origins. In Christianity, for example, the Last Supper was shared by 13 men. And Jesus was crucified on a Friday. Just when the two were put together isn’t clear. The idea of Friday the 13th being unlucky shows up in some publications in France in 1834. The first record of it in the United States dates to 1882. How many people fear the date isn’t clear, either. But scientists have come up with a couple of names for it. The shorter one, believe it or not, is friggatriskaidekaphobia. Frigg was the Norse goddess for whom Friday is named, and triskaidekaphobia is fear of the number 13. Other than some unlucky teens in the “Friday the 13th” movies, there’s no evidence that the day is any more dangerous than any other. A study in 2011 compared hospital records for 13 Fridays the 13th to other date combinations. There was no bump in the number of emergency-room visits – nothing unlucky about Friday the 13th. Script by Damond Benningfield

This episode is part 47 in a study of the gospel of Luke. This episode covers Judas decideing to betray Jesus and Jesus and the apostles eating the last supper passover meal. Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

0:30 - Bondi's Testimony before House Judiciary Committee 15:51 - Swalwell calls on Lyons to resign 37:35 - Canadian authorities on trans mass shooter: gunperson 01:20:52 - Senior fellow at the Texas Public Policy Foundation, Ammon Blair, explains yesterday's sudden closure—and quick reopening—of airspace over El Paso and southern New Mexico. Follow Ammon on X @AmmonSBlair 01:43:34 - Rev. Robert A. Sirico, co-founder of the Acton Institute, on Jimmy Lai’s sentencing and the quiet strength he continues to demonstrate. For more on Rev Sirico and the Acton Institute acton.org 02:00:02 - Adam B Coleman, founder of Wrong Speak Publishing and author of The Children We Left Behind, describes the greed, human trafficking and the trucking industry - a hot spot for illegal labor — with lethal results. For more on Wrong Speak Publishing wrongspeak.net 02:17:36 - Host of “The Hollywood in Toto Podcast”, Christian Toto: Conservative War on Bad Bunny Won’t End Well. For podcast updates & more hollywoodintoto.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.