Podcasts about message translation

Chuck Proudfit -- founder of the ministry At Work on Purpose -- told us on a recent show, “to start thinking like a journalist...” What does that mean? And what exactly do journalists do? Well, they find where the story is, and then they join it! And like journalists, we, as Christ-followers, have the opportunity to find what God is doing and join him! Ephesians 2:10 in the Message Translation says, “God creates each of us by Christ Jesus to join him in the work he does, the good work he has gotten ready for us to do, work we had better be doing.” Are you a spiritual journalist - seeking out God's story? Take a moment today and ask the LORD what he is up to in your office, in your home, or in your neighborhood. Then pray about how you how you can join in His good works! 

Send JKO a Text MessageHost, Judith Kambia Obatusa (JKO) explores how comparison and copying impacts us negatively, and can derail our 2025 goals. If you want to overcome feelings of inadequacy, cultivate contentment, and align with your purpose, this episode is for you. Nuggets of wisdom in this episode·        How comparison and copying can stop you from reaching your goals in 2025.·        Why contentment and self-awareness are essential tools in your 2025 success toolkit.·        What the bible says about copying and comparing, and about you.·        Practical tools to recognize and embrace your uniqueness.Key Scriptures: Galatians 5:26 (Message Translation), Exodus 20:17References in this episode·        Downloadable Bible-based affirmations to remind yourself of your worth.·        Getting to Know Me self-love song adapted from Rogers and Hammerstein's “Getting to know you” song in The King and I.·        Previous episodes of Messy Can't Stop Her for more encouragement on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon music and other listening platforms.Step into 2025 with confidence and purpose! 2025 is your year! Subscribe, like, and share this episode with someone who needs encouragement today!Join the Messy Can't Stop Her Sisterhood at https://www.facebook.com/groups/3204395256540448/If you would love to share your story on the #MessyCantStopHer podcast, click here to let me know. Thank you so much for listening. Music Credit: https://indiefy.me/wanted-carter

An unhurried daily meditation using the Bible, prayer, and reflection led by Pastor Jon Ciccarelli, Discipleship Pastor of Crosswalk Church in Redlands, CA, and Director of Discipleship for Crosswalk Global.If you are enjoying the podcast please go to Apple Podcasts and/or Spotify and share your rating and a review as your input will help bring awareness of this discipleship resource to more listeners around the world.To learn more about Abide and discipleship go to www.crosswalkvillage.com/discipleshipPlease feel free to reach out to us at abide@crosswalkvillage.com any time with your comments and questions. Thanks and blessings!

This past Sunday, we celebrated the second Sunday of Advent, turning our focus to the beautiful theme of Peace. Bill Chapman shared a powerful and timely message on the Peace of God, reminding us that true peace begins with a relationship with God. The Meaning of Peace In Hebrew, the word for peace is “shalom”. It's far more than the absence of conflict; it speaks of wholeness, integrity, perfection, and faultlessness. This is the kind of peace that God offers—a peace that transforms us, fills us, and sustains us through life's challenges. Bill shared a key truth: The peace of God only comes when we have peace with God. Peace With God God's peace is available to us, but it begins with reconciliation. Bill reflected on Luke 2, where the angels proclaim: "Peace on earth to those whom God is pleased with." So what pleases God? It is when we: Recognise that Jesus was sent on a mission to save us. Acknowledge His sacrifice for our sins. When we accept this truth, we are no longer at odds with God. Instead, we experience a peace that surpasses all understanding—a peace that brings hope and purpose to our lives. Peace in the Storm God doesn't promise a life free of storms, but He does promise us peace in the storm. When we trust Him, we can live with certainty—a rest assured confidence that God is faithful and His promises are true. To be rest assured means to declare: “It's going to happen, and I'm trusting God.” Bill shared a beautiful encouragement from 2 Peter 1:2: "More grace and more peace when you grow in your knowledge of God and Jesus." God promises that as we grow in our relationship with Him, He will equip us: “I'll give you the peace to cope and the grace to grow.” Peace Is a Gift, Not a Performance In a world that often values performance and striving, it's easy to feel like we need to earn God's approval. But as Bill reminded us, God's peace is not based on our performance. Romans 4:5 teaches that God smiles on us not because of what we've done, but because we've accepted that Jesus died for us. Romans 5:1 says: “Now that we have been made right in God's sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us.” Peace is a gift that comes through faith in Jesus. It's not earned; it's received. The Prince of Peace The prophet Isaiah foretold the coming of Jesus, calling Him the Prince of Peace. In Isaiah 9:6 (Message Translation), He is described as the “Prince of Wholeness.” This is the peace Jesus offers—wholeness and restoration in every area of our lives. As 1 John 4:9-10 reminds us, when we build our lives on the truth that God sent His Son to forgive our sins, peace becomes our portion. It brings a deep stability, a steady keel to navigate the storms of life. Receiving God's Peace This Christmas As we continue through Advent, let's take time to reflect on the peace that God has given us through Jesus. Bill encouraged us to: Thank God for what He has done—sending His Son to be our peace. Honour Him by living in that peace. Share this peace with others as a testimony of His goodness. The Prince of Peace came to bring wholeness to our lives, to be the anchor that holds us firm, and the steady keel that keeps us balanced in every season. This Christmas, may His peace fill your heart, your home, and your life. "May the Lord of peace Himself give you peace at all times and in every way. The Lord be with all of you." – 2 Thessalonians 3:16 Blessings, Myrtle House Community Church

I greet you in Jesus' precious name! It is Monday morning, the 14th of October, 2024, and this is your friend, Angus Buchan, with a thought for today. We go straight to the Book of Luke 20:2: “Tell us, by what authority are You doing these things? Or who is he who gave You this authority?”Jesus confounded the most brilliant minds in Israel. The Message Translation says, “Show us your credentials.” (Your qualifications). You and I need to spend more time with the greatest Teacher who walked upon the face of this earth if we want answers to the questions of life. I particularly want to address young students who are studying. It's coming to the end of the year and they are studying for their exams. How much time are you spending waiting on the Lord and how much time are you trying to memorise your notes? I want to encourage you to spend more time waiting on the Lord. Do you know why? Because when you walk into that exam room, there will be a peace, because you would have committed everything into the Lord's hands and that peace in your heart gives you a clear mind, then you can think clearly, not being totally stressed out trying to remember the things you were studying until the early hours of the morning.I want to tell you about a very, very successful businessman. His name was Robert Le Tourneau. He was the inventor of earth-moving machinery. Now the interesting thing is that he dropped out of school at the age of 14. It reminds me of someone - yes, but he was a designer and an inventor of note. He designed all that heavy-duty earth-moving equipment. He was known by his contemporaries as God's businessman. His foundational verse, by the way, that is on his tombstone is Matthew 6:33. We know it very well: “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.” He would confound the electrical and mechanical engineers that he employed. He would walk into one of their big design offices and they would all be studying different things that they had to put into place to develop a new machine, and they were scratching their heads, they didn't know the answers, and this man with a very limited education would walk straight in, look at their plans and say, “Move that there, do that and do that.” And he would walk out and they would have it perfectly. That same man used to give 90% of his income to God's work and live off 10% and he was a multi-millionaire. You see, his teacher was Jesus Christ and he put Him foremost. This man started universities and technical colleges all over the world. Today, spend time with the Teacher.Jesus bless you and have a wonderful day.Goodbye.

Wisdom For Beginners (Part 3)Sirach 2:4-6 “Accept whatever is brought upon you, and in changes that humble you be patient. For gold is tested in the fire, and acceptable men in the furnace of humiliation. Trust in him, and he will help you; make your ways straight, and hope in him.”I thought I would continue on in Sirach and cover the whole Wisdom for Beginners Section. It's interesting because today, I was going to use the Message translation. However, It is not great about numbering the verses; it gives more of a range, and I wanted to let you know exactly what verses I was using. I went on biblegateway.com and it happened to be set for Revised Standard Version (RSV). This translation does not call this section “Wisdom for Beginners,” It calls it “Duties toward God.” I like the first title better so I am glad I started out with the Message Translation!This verse begins with “Accept whatever is brought upon you, and in changes that humble you be patient.” That first part is very broad and very difficult. It is not easy to accept whatever is brought upon you. Especially if what is brought upon you is different than what you thought would be happening. If you prayed for children and yet you have been unable to have them, this is very difficult to accept. If you prayed for a promotion at work and yet you didn't get it, that is very difficult to accept as well. I can see how it would be wise to accept whatever is brought upon us and yet I wish it gave a bit more instruction. This is one of those times when we need to look at the whole verse and not just part of it. I will explain how and why it is so important to accept whatever is brought upon you in a few minutes.First, let's look at the rest of this first sentence. It tells us to be patient in changes that humble us. This is really not easy. I looked up what “changes that humble us meant,” and this is what I found. "Things that humble you" means things that make you realize you are not as important or special as you thought. For example, you might describe an experience as humbling if you work with talented people and feel a sense of awe or admiration. Here are some other examples of things that can humble you: Seeing people be positive about life when they have little, finding someone's heroism humbling, being rejected from jobs and realizing you need to start at the bottom, realizing that your charisma doesn't always cut it in a business, realizing that you need to improve your knowledge base. Do you see why I said this can be really hard. Patience is a virtue that most of the world needs to grow in. It is not one of the easier virtues. Well, I am not sure there are any easy virtues, but most of us struggle with patience. Especially in this fast-paced world we live in. We always want to be going somewhere fast.Also, any kind of change is really hard. However, if it is a good change, it is a little easier. For instance, if you are moving to a house you really like or a job you really like. Those are both good changes and so it makes the difficulty of moving easier because you know you will be happier in the long run. However, changes that humble us aren't always good changes. They may be good for us in the long run, but they certainly don't feel good at the moment.So, how do we accept whatever comes our way and be patient with the changes that humble us? This is where the next part of the verse comes in. It says, “For gold is tested in the fire, and acceptable men in the furnace of humiliation. Trust in him, and he will help you; make your ways straight, and hope in him.” The first part doesn't tell us how to do it, but it does tell us why we should do it. “For gold is tested in the fire, and acceptable men in the furnace of humiliation.” We need to accept what comes our way because God is testing us and helping us grow into the person we are supposed to be.  When gold is tested in the fire, it is melted down to separate it from any other metals or impurities. How does that relate to us? God might be helping us to separate from other false Gods, idols, or any other things that might be getting in our way of being closer to Him. Humility is a great way to grow closer to the Lord! If we are humble, then we realize that all we have is because of God. We give Him all the glory. However, often, we put other things above God, and we crave all the things of this world instead of craving the Lord and all He has to offer us. Also, when we are not humble, we can think that all we have is because of us. We might think we are successful because of our good fortune. We might think we are the reason for all we have.This is dangerous thinking because if we think we don't need God, we will stop inviting Him into our lives and into our situations, and that is when things get really hard. The last line of this verse says, “Trust in him, and he will help you; make your ways straight, and hope in him.” That right there is the answer we have been looking for. The first part of that line helped us to see why we need to go through what we need to go through. Gold is tested in fire, and we are tested through the furnace of humiliation. This can be very painful at times, and yet it is so necessary if we are going to become the person God wants us to be. However, that doesn't tell us how we are supposed to accept the things that come our way, or be patient when things humble us.This is found in the very last sentence. “Trust in him, and he will help you; make your ways straight, and hope in him.” If we want to do what we are being asked to do in this verse, we have to Trust in the Lord. We need to trust that He will do what He says He will do. We need to trust that He loves us as much as He says He does. Trusting in the Lord isn't always easy. It can be hard to trust in what you can not see. However, I am willing to bet if you look back at your life, you will be able to see the Lord working. You will see times when life was hard, and yet you made it through and have no idea how. It was because of God. You will see times when you or your loved ones were sick, and the Lord healed them. You will see times when you thought all was lost, and yet God saved you. It is hard to believe in that which we can't see, but when we can, it will change our lives!St. Augustine said, “Faith is to believe what you do not see; the reward of this faith is to see what you believe.” How great would it be to go through life seeing amazing things happen just because we believed they would happen? The verse also said to make straight your ways and hope in Him. This can help us through hard times because if we are doing things that are wrong in the eyes of God, then we are blocking the graces we could be getting from Him. We can trust in the Lord and also place our hope in Him. Hope in the fact that He cares about us and that He will answer our prayers. We can hope in Him because He is our Father, and He will always do what is best for us. He knows us, and He knows what is truly best for us. He wants more for us than we could ever imagine. We can place our hope in that!Dear Heavenly Father, I ask you to bless all those listening to this episode. Lord, we want to trust you and place our hope in you, please help us. We want to accept whatever comes our way and be patient in those things that humble us. Please show us how. We love you so much Lord and we ask all of this in accordance with your will and in Jesus's holy name, Amen.Thank you so much for joining me on this journey to walk boldly with Jesus. If you want to come to the retreat next weekend, I need to know by the end of today. I look forward to meeting you here again on Monday. Remember, Jesus loves you, and so do I! Have a blessed weekend!Today's Word from the Lord was received in April 2024 by a member of my Catholic Charismatic Prayer Group. If you have any questions about the prayer group, these words, or how to join us for a meeting, please email CatholicCharismaticPrayerGroup@gmail.com. Today's Word from the Lord is, “Prepare for the worst, expect the best.” www.findingtruenorthcoaching.comCLICK HERE FOR RETREAT INFOCLICK HERE TO DONATECLICK HERE to sign up for Mentoring CLICK HERE to sign up for Daily "Word from the Lord" emailsCLICK HERE to sign up for my newsletter & receive a free audio training about inviting Jesus into your daily lifeCLICK HERE to buy my book Total Trust in God's Safe Embrace

Wisdom For BeginnersSirach 2:1-3 “So, my child, you want to serve God? Then get your life in order, respect others, and prepare your soul for the trial that will surely come. Tell your heart what to think; don't go to sleep on the job. Bend, your ear; listen to your mind. When times get rough, keep your cool. Take a tip from God. Join hands with Him. Don't slip-slide. Don't go it alone. Do the wise thing; make wise choices."The title of this episode is the title of the section where this verse is found in the Message Translation of the Catholic Bible. It immediately resonated with my heart. I definitely feel like I am a beginner when it comes to wisdom. I thought this verse laid things out so easily and helped us to see what sort of things we can do if we want to serve God. I felt as though they are good reminders as to what we should be doing everyday anyway.Let's look at them individually. First, it says that if we want to serve God, we need to get our lives in order, respect others, and prepare our souls for the trials that will surely come. When it says, “get our lives in order,” to me, that means we need to know what we are doing. We need to be living intentionally and not just going about our day haphazardly with no plan and no idea of how the day will unfold. If we say yes to the Lord He will use us and when He does it will take time to do what He is calling us to do. If we are not living intentionally it might be hard to find the time to do all He is calling us to do.I also think it means that we should get our lives in order before we can go out and make a difference in other people's lives. If we are struggling to take care of our house, our family, and our friends, then it might not be the right time to go out and try and take care of other people. Sir Thomas Browne said, “Charity begins at home.” Mother Theresa says, “Love begins at home.” It's not ok to be unkind to your family and then go to church on Sunday and treat everyone else as sweet as pie. If we want to serve God first, we must get our own lives in order. Then the Lord will send us out to help others.Next, it said, respect others. It makes me sad that we would still need to be saying this. There is such a culture of disrespect right now, and it makes me so sad. When I listen to not only my own kids but the kids at the various schools where I sub, or I read comments on social media from other adults, I am in shock at the lack of respect. If we want to serve the Lord, we need to respect all of His children, not just the ones who look like we do, believe as we do, and love as we do. God made all people, and we must respect all people, whether we agree with them or not. We are called to love our neighbors, and that begins with respect.This next one was something I was a bit worried about when I was going through the Life in the Spirit seminar for the first time. The people who had been in the Charismatic Renewal told us to be careful what we asked for because if we asked for the Holy Spirit to use us, He would, and we might use it in some ways we didn't expect. They said sometimes it is a wild ride when the Holy Spirit is leading. The verse above says, “Prepare your soul for the trial that will surely come.” This would also frighten me. I didn't want to endanger myself or my family by working for the Lord. Although the enemy will indeed attack you when you are working for the Lord, you also have the Lord protecting you.You have the Lord building you up and giving you the strength to make it through whatever the enemy is throwing at you. Sometimes, He will allow the enemy to come at you, but He will never let you face it alone. He is always right there with you, helping you withstand it. Give you what you need. It says in 1 John 4:4, “Little children, you are from God, and have conquered them; for the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.” Yes, the enemy may come after you or your family but the Lord won't let Him destroy them.I feel the enemy has come after my family because He knew I wouldn't believe His lies. He knew I had the armor of God on, and when we know who we are in the Lord's eyes, the enemy can't hurt us. However, I do feel he has attacked my family with drug addiction, depression, anxiety, anger, and so much more. However, I know that the enemy will not win. My children will be saved, my family and my marriage will be saved. My marriage was already saved. We were so close to splitting, and the Lord came in and gave us renewed minds and hearts for one another. God can do this for you too!We don't have to be afraid of what the enemy might do to us or our family if we are serving the Lord, but we do have to prepare for it. We do need to be on the lookout for it so that when we see something happening to us or those around us, we can call upon the Lord to come and protect us and give us the strength to get through all that is happening.Next, it says, “Tell your heart what to think.” I love this because our emotions are a product of the story we tell ourselves. We need to be careful of our thoughts, and this is where the enemy can gain access to our hearts. He can tell us lies, and if we believe them, they can start to turn our hearts cold. He tells us things like, “God doesn't love you, your family doesn't really like you, you shouldn't forgive that person, they don't deserve it, and so on.” We need to tell our hearts what to think. We need to remind it of how loved we are by God and those around us.Next, it says, “Don't go to sleep on the job.” This is a good one: when the Lord is calling us to do something, we need to do it. I was just thinking about several things I felt the Lord said I could do to increase prayer for my boys that I haven't done yet. I feel like this line might be for me personally today, although I am sure I am not the only one who is sleeping on the job. We may think we have all the time in the world to do what God is calling us to do, and yet none of us know if we will even have tomorrow. Tomorrow is not promised to any of us. Do what the Lord is asking you to do when He asks you to do it. This is a great reminder that I really needed to hear today!I think I will finish this verse tomorrow as this is getting long, and I don't want to rush through the rest and miss anything the Lord wants me to say. I think we all long for wisdom and so if we can get some tips and tricks from scripture to help us learn about wisdom then that is great. I wouldn't want to rush it.Dear Heavenly Father, I ask you to bless everyone listening today. Lord, you are amazing, and we are so grateful for all you do! Lord, thank you for sharing with us about wisdom. Thank you for teaching us what we need to do if we want to serve you. Help us to listen, Lord. Help us to learn to serve you better, Lord! We love you, and we ask all of this in accordance with your will and in Jesus's holy name. Amen!Thank you so much for joining me on this journey to walk boldly with Jesus! Three more days to sign up for the retreat! I look forward to meeting you here again tomorrow. Remember Jesus loves you, just as you are, and so do I! Have a blessed day!Today's Word from the Lord was received in April 2024 by a member of my Catholic Charismatic Prayer Group. If you have any questions about the prayer group, these words, or how to join us for a meeting, please email CatholicCharismaticPrayerGroup@gmail.com. Today's Word from the Lord is, “Look at the cross where once there hung a man beaten and bruised and condemned. It is now empty. It can no longer hold me. Remember that, my friends, when your cross seems too heavy for you, when your cross seems unbearable, it cannot hold you any more than it held me. Victory is ours.” www.findingtruenorthcoaching.comCLICK HERE FOR RETREAT INFOCLICK HERE TO DONATECLICK HERE to sign up for Mentoring CLICK HERE to sign up for Daily "Word from the Lord" emailsCLICK HERE to sign up for my newsletter & receive a free audio training about inviting Jesus into your daily lifeCLICK HERE to buy my book Total Trust in God's Safe Embrace

I greet you in Jesus' precious name! It is Monday morning, the 2nd of September, 2024, and this is your friend, Angus Buchan, with a thought for today. We start in the Old Testament, the Book of Proverbs 3:15:”She is more precious than rubies, And all the things you may desire cannot compare with her.”Then we go to Mathew 13:45-46:”Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls, who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it.” That pearl of great price! Oh, my dear friend, it is our salvation. It's when we find the Lord Jesus Christ, isn't it? That is exactly what it is like. So often, we forget what God has so freely given to you and me: eternal life, freedom, and a new opportunity to serve Him. We don't even know sometimes what we are holding in our hands, do we? The Passion Translation says: “When he discovered one very precious and exquisite pearl, he immediately gave up all that he had in exchange for it.” The Message Translation says: “Finding one that is flawless, he immediately sells everything and buys it.” On the 26th of January 1905, in South Africa, the largest rough diamond ever found on earth was found in the Cullinan Mine. It weighed 621.2 grams. It is worth 19,000,000 British pounds. It was named after the mine owner, Thomas Cullinan. Incredible! But I want to tell you, I found my diamond on 18th February 1979, at about 10 o'clock in the morning - an absolute pearl of great price. Yes, I met Jesus Christ as my Lord and Saviour, and you know, since that day, everything else in this world has paled into insignificance in comparison. What about you? Would you like to find that diamond of great price? Maybe you did and you lost it. I want to pray a prayer with you today, that you would again commit your life to Jesus. Please pray this prayer after me:Dear Lord Jesus,I have been searching all my life for peace, joy and purposeful living. Today, by faith, I accept you as my Lord and Saviour. I thank you for dying for a sinner like me and today, You will become the most important person in my life.In Jesus' name, Amen.God bless you and have a wonderful day,Goodbye.

Do you know that God has an agenda in this season?There is a present day GOSHEN that God has prepared for His people just like He did for the descendants of Israel in Egypt.And so Israel settled down in Egypt in the region of Goshen. They acquired property and flourished. They became a large company of people. GENESIS 47:27 MESSAGE TRANSLATION

Romans 10:1-17Big Idea: A gospel of depth leads to declaration.1. The Good NewsIsaiah 52:7Romans 1:2-7 (The Message Translation)The sacred writings contain preliminary reports by the prophets on God's Son. His descent from David roots him in history; his unique identity as Son of God was shown by the Spirit when Jesus was raised from the dead, setting him apart as the Messiah, our Master. Through him we received both the generous gift of his life and the urgent task of passing it on to others who receive it by entering into obedient trust in Jesus. You are who you are through this gift and call of Jesus Christ!Romans 10:14-15 2 Corinthians 5:20 2. The CallRomans 10: 10-13 Acts 4:12Matthew 25:44-463. The ResponseActs 2:42 Matthew 28:19-20 19 RESPONSE• Know the good news • Understand the consequence • Respond! DISCOVERY BIBLE STUDY► This week's passage: Mark 16:15, John 3:16, James 1:22► Connection questions:1. What are you thankful for?2. What is a challenge you are facing?3. How did you do with last week's “I will” statement?► Have at least one member of the group restate the passage in their own words► Individual answers to five questions:1. What stands out to you?2. What does this passage tell us about people?3. What does this passage tell us about God?4. Based on the passage, what is one thing I could do differently starting now and what would happen if I did? (each person commits to their action for one week using an “I will…” statement)5. Who are you going to tell about what you discovered? (each person commits to having that conversation before the next meeting)

Romans 10:1-17Big Idea: A gospel of depth leads to declaration.1. The Good NewsIsaiah 52:7Romans 1:2-7 (The Message Translation)The sacred writings contain preliminary reports by the prophets on God's Son. His descent from David roots him in history; his unique identity as Son of God was shown by the Spirit when Jesus was raised from the dead, setting him apart as the Messiah, our Master. Through him we received both the generous gift of his life and the urgent task of passing it on to others who receive it by entering into obedient trust in Jesus. You are who you are through this gift and call of Jesus Christ!Romans 10:14-15 2 Corinthians 5:20 2. The CallRomans 10: 10-13 Acts 4:12Matthew 25:44-463. The ResponseActs 2:42 Matthew 28:19-20 19 RESPONSE• Know the good news • Understand the consequence • Respond! DISCOVERY BIBLE STUDY► This week's passage: Mark 16:15, John 3:16, James 1:22► Connection questions:1. What are you thankful for?2. What is a challenge you are facing?3. How did you do with last week's “I will” statement?► Have at least one member of the group restate the passage in their own words► Individual answers to five questions:1. What stands out to you?2. What does this passage tell us about people?3. What does this passage tell us about God?4. Based on the passage, what is one thing I could do differently starting now and what would happen if I did? (each person commits to their action for one week using an “I will…” statement)5. Who are you going to tell about what you discovered? (each person commits to having that conversation before the next meeting)

/> ### MESSAGE NOTESWalking The Way | Solitude | Week 6 | June 16, 2024Teacher: Adam Barnett/>  Psalm 103:1-5, New International Version: /> 1 Praise theLord, my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name./> 2 Praise the Lord, my soul, and forget not all his benefits—/> 3 who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases,/> 4 who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion,/> 5 who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's./> Psalm 103:1-5, Amplified Bible: /> 1 Bless and affectionately praise theLord, O my soul, And all that is [deep] within me,blessHis holy name./> 2 Bless and affectionately praise theLord, O my soul,And do not forget any of His benefits;/> 3 Who forgives all your sins,Who heals all your diseases;/> 4 Who redeems your life from the pit,Who crowns you [lavishly] with lovingkindness and tender mercy;/> 5 Who satisfies your years with good things,So that your youth is renewed like the [soaring] eagle./> Psalm 103:1-5, Message Translation: /> 1 O my soul, blessGod.From head to toe, I'll bless his holy name!/> 2 O my soul, blessGod,don't forget a single blessing!/> 3 He forgives your sins—every one.He heals your diseases—every one./> 4He redeems you from hell—saves your life!He crowns you with love and mercy—a paradise crown./> 5 He wraps you in goodness—beauty eternal.He renews your youth—you're always young in his presence. /> 1.    Comparison. “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above…” - James 1:17/> Comparing leads to coveting. Coveting is lethal to contentment./> Focus (daily) on appreciation, not accumulation./> 2.    Complaint. “Do everything without grumbling or arguing.”  - Philippians 2:14/> “How are we landing robots on Mars, but our Wi-Fi is so slow?” - Adam Barnett>/ 3.    Calamity.“Give thanks in all circumstances…” 1 Thessalonians 5:18 >/ God did not do this to me. God allowed this for me. He is with me./> "For years, I subscribed to the notion of an 'attitude of gratitude.' I've since learned that an attitude is an orientation or a way of thinking and that 'having an attitude' doesn't always translate to a behavior.It seems that gratitude without practice may be a little like faith without works. It's not alive. So, we don't so much want to know if you have a grateful heart, but do you have grateful habits?” - Brené Brown /> 1.    Focus on where you see the gracious and active presence of God in the story of your life./> 2.    Talk about where you see the gracious and active presence of God in the story of your life.

We All Stand On The Same Ground Before GodEphesians 3:4-6 “As you read over what I have written to you, you'll be able to see for yourselves into the mystery of Christ. None of our ancestors understood this. Only in our time has it been made clear by God's Spirit through his holy apostles and prophets of this new order. The mystery is that people who have never heard of God and those who have heard of him all their lives (what I've been calling outsiders and insiders) stand on the same ground before God. They get the same offer, same help, same promises in Christ Jesus. The Message is accessible and welcoming to everyone across the board.”I really liked this verse when I read it in the Passion Translation, and then I read it in this Message Translation, and I felt like it expressed it in a way we could all understand. Let me read you the passion translations. “So that whenever you read it, you will be able to understand my revelation and insight into my secret mystery of the Messiah. There has never been a generation that has been given a detailed understanding of this glorious and divine mystery until now. He kept it a secret until this generation. God is revealing it only now to his sacred apostles and prophets by the Holy Spirit. Here's the secret: The gospel of grace has made you, non-Jewish believers, into coheirs of his promise through your union with him. And you have now become members of his body—one with the anointed!When I first read it I was wondering what the secret was. I was wondering if I knew the secret. They when I read that the secret is that we are all coheirs to the promises through union with Jesus it got me thinking. I don't think we do all know that. This is why I like the message translation. It says, “The mystery is that people who have never heard of God and those who have heard of him all their lives (what I've been calling outsiders and insiders) stand on the same ground before God. They get the same offer, same help, same promises in Christ Jesus. The Message is accessible and welcoming to everyone across the board.”What great news that is, especially for those of us who have loved ones that don't know Jesus. Doesn't it give you a bit more hope to know that even those who have never heard of God and those of us who have all stand on the same ground? Before the apostles it was believed that the Jewish people were God's people and the rest were not. Then Jesus came to reveal that God's wants all His children saved, not just one group of them. What I love about God is that He truly loves us all equally. He loves the sinner just as much as He loves the Saint. He loves those who don't know Him just as much as He loves those who visit Him in church each and every day.This is hard for us to wrap our heads around. We like to think that we are special because we go to church, we pray daily, and we do all the things we think God is calling us to do. We believe that this makes God love us more. One of the most freeing things I have learned is that there isn't anything I can do to make God love me any more or any less than He already does. God doesn't love me more because I go to church or because I spend time with Him each day. He doesn't love me less because I eat too many cookies and sometimes choose to watch TV instead of spending time with Him. God loves our children who don't go to church just as much as He loves us. This can be very freeing if we let it. This means we don't have to strive to earn God's love. We can rest in the fact that no matter what we do, God will still love us just as much as He did before we were born.Another thing we tend to think is that God favors some people more than others. For instance, if we need prayers for something important, we all have that one or two people we will ask because we feel their prayers go straight to heaven. We feel their prayers are more powerful. Yet, we all have the same Holy Spirit living inside of us, and so we all have the same power living inside of us. The people we go to for prayer do not have more power to pray than you do. What they have is the confidence to go to God and ask for what they need. They have faith that God answers their prayers, and they have this because of the fact that they keep going to God and asking Him. We tend to think their prayers are answered because of how holy they are. I have heard testimonies of people who are brand new to the faith and yet obediently prayed over someone when asked and they were healed.One instance was when a woman had breast cancer. She was at an Easter Vigil mass where the RCIA candidates were being confirmed. She felt like the Lord told her to get prayed over by one of the people who were just confirmed. She waited until after mass and then went up to a young woman, newly baptized into the faith, and asked her to pray for her healing of the breast cancer. She was cured right then and there. Another one was at an Encounter Ministries conference. This woman had stage four cancer in her throat, and the doctors said there was nothing they could do. She went to this conference and waited in line for the priest to pray over her. When she got up to the priest, he said he felt like she needed to have the children pray over her. She was discouraged as she felt like he would be better, more powerful. However, she was obedient and found a few 8-10-year-olds that had just learned that day how to pray over people. They started praying, and she started to feel all warm inside. She told them this, and they got all excited as they knew this meant the Holy Spirit was working. They started to pray more. The woman left the conference, and at her 3-month doctor's, they did a scan to see if the cancer had spread. They couldn't find the cancer anywhere. She was completely cured! Praise God.She was not cured because those children had special powers. She was cured because she was brave enough to ask for someone to pray over her and because those children were brave enough to say yes. If you need prayer, be brave enough to ask people to pray for you. If you know someone who is sick and needs healing be brave enough to pray over them. Taking that step out in faith is not saying you feel you have any special gift. It is saying that you trust the Holy Spirit is powerful enough to work through anyone, even you. The Holy Spirit is the one with the power. We are just the vessel. We can't be a vessel if we don't say yes. If we don't try, if we don't let Him use us.You don't have to know anything to pray for people for healing. You just have to understand that you are powerful not because you are special but because the power of the one who raised Jesus from the dead lives inside of you. Be brave. Pray over those who you know who are sick. God will reward your faithfulness, your boldness, and your trust. If you look through the Bible, God tends to use the broken people, those who have sinned, those who are not perfect. Is that you? Have you sinned, do you get it wrong more than you get it right? Yep, me too. Guess what? That means we are exactly the kind of person God will use.I know several of you listening have family members who have cancer or other life-threatening illnesses. Step out and faith and pray over them. Ask the Lord what He wants you to say, and then just say it. If you don't know what to say, just say, “In the name of Jesus, I command all pain to leave. In the name of Jesus, I command all sickness to be healed. In the name of Jesus, I command all cancer to be gone. In the name of Jesus, I command all organs to be restored. It doesn't matter what you say. It just matters that you say it. I think it is best to say it out loud so the person can hear it so that the body can hear it, but if you need to start praying quietly, then do that. Just start. Can you imagine what this world would look like if we all started standing in our identity as children of God who have the power of the Holy Spirit living inside of us? Can you imagine how great it would be if we all just walked around with confidence that Jesus will heal the sick through us? We can, and He will. We just need to step out in faith. He might not heal every person you pray over, but that is all the more reason to pray over more people. Your odds go up with each person. Honestly, though, just start with that one person you can't live without—that one person who needs healing today. Believe more in the power of God to work through you than you do in your inadequacy. It is not you who has to heal them. But it is you who can say the words.This podcast is all about walking boldly with Jesus. If you have been listening to this podcast for any amount of time, then I believe you are braver now than you were when you started listening. I believe that the Holy Spirit has been working within you this whole time. Let's take a risk and ask our loved ones if we can pray for them. I know not everyone listening to this episode feels called to the healing ministry. That doesn't mean we can't pray for our loved ones. That doesn't mean we can't step out and ask the Lord to heal those who need healing. You don't have to feel like you can do it. You just have to trust that the Lord can work through you. If you do pray with someone, ask if they feel anything. If they don't, it is not on you, as you are just the messenger. God is the one who is responsible for making our prayers fruitful. Sometimes, oftentimes, that is when the person is healed, when they test it out to see if they feel any different.A great example of this is in Matthew 12:9-13 “He left that place and entered their synagogue; a man was there with a withered hand, and they asked him, “Is it lawful to cure on the sabbath?” so that they might accuse him. He said to them, “Suppose one of you has only one sheep and it falls into a pit on the sabbath; will you not lay hold of it and lift it out? How much more valuable is a human being than a sheep? So it is lawful to do good on the sabbath.”  Then he said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out, and it was restored, as sound as the other.” The man's hand was not healed until he trusted in faith and tried to stretch it out like the other one.  If your loved one is in pain, ask them if the pain has decreased in severity. If there is a rash, check to see if it is gone. You won't be able to test all things, but if there is something you can test, that will help.I know this is a lot of information all thrown into this one episode. I had no idea I was going to go here today, but so many of you are on my heart because you are praying for loved ones who need healing. I guess the Holy Spirit wanted me to encourage you to pray not only for them but over them. Pray for healing over them. Also, I feel God wants you to know that He is in this with you. Whatever it is you are going through right now, He is in it with you, and you will be ok.Dear Heavenly Father, I ask you to bless all those listening to this episode today. Lord, please be with all those who are either struggling with cancer or who are praying for a loved one with cancer. We ask that you give us the courage to ask those loved ones if we can pray over them. We ask that you give us the words to say. We ask that you help us in our current situations. Lord, show us what to do, how to pray. Lord, we ask you to fill us with your hope, your love, and your peace. We ask that you take away all worry and anxiety and replace it with your peace and your assurance that with you, we can do all things. We ask all of this in the mighty name of Jesus. Amen!Thank you so much for joining me on this journey to walk boldly with Jesus. If you need prayers for a loved one, if you want me to pray over your loved one, reach out on social media, my website walkboldlywithjesus.com or my email catherine@findingtruenorthcoaching.com I would be happy to do that. There is a link for my website at the bottom of the show notes. My prayers are with each of you listening. I look forward to seeing you again tomorrow. Remember, Jesus loves you just as you are, and so do I! Have a blessed day!Today's Word from the Lord was received in January 2024 by a member of my Catholic Charismatic Prayer Group. If you have any questions about the prayer group, these words, or how to join us for a meeting, please email CatholicCharismaticPrayerGroup@gmail.com. Today's Word from the Lord is, “I am the all-powerful, the almighty. With me, you can do it. Just move. Move with my grace, move with my power, and miracles will happen." www.findingtruenorthcoaching.comCLICK HERE TO DONATECLICK HERE to sign up for Mentoring CLICK HERE to sign up for Daily "Word from the Lord" emailsCLICK HERE to sign up for free audio training about inviting Jesus into your daily lifeCLICK HERE to buy my book Total Trust in God's Safe Embrace

This is a guided meditation and reflection on all of Psalm 32. Psalm 32 starts with the reminder of the joy we should know because of the fresh start and a clean slate we've been given through Jesus. Have we forgotten how amazing and miraculous his work is in our lives? This Psalm also reminds us that hiding sin in secret places will eat us up from the inside out. The amazing news is – when we bring anything hiden into the light, God renews and receives us. Did you catch that? Every single time you turn back to God, he receives you. Every. Single. Time. He does not tire of our returns, he celebrates them. In this meditation, we will listen to Psalm 32 from the Message Translation and I will give you prompts to reflect on with the Lord. Each reflection space in 1 minute long. Feel free to pause or rewind if you need more time. May the Lord guide you to what he has for you through his Word today. Here are the reflection prompts: Consider, what would your life be like without Jesus? Thank God that through Jesus he has given you a clean slate. Recall a time when you were hiding from God and others and how it felt. When you returned to God and stopped hiding from others, how did that feel? Thank him for his mercy. Bring it forward to today… is there any place in your life that you feel you are hiding from God or others? If so, what's holding you back from bringing it to the light? Ask God if there is any place in your life where you're being ornery like a horse or a mule and resisting him. If he reveals anything, Ask him for his help. If nothing comes to mind, ask him to help you stay tender and responsive to his leading. Praise God for the truth that you are loved every time you turn around. If there's a place that God has shown you where you need to turn around, ask God for his help. And remember you will be received with love.   Here's some links I discussed in the podcast: The guided retreat to help you move into this new year with intention is here.   You can find Jodie at http://www.jodieniznik.com/ Instagram @creatingspaceforgod Facebook @JodieGNiznik Learn more about Lectio Divina and download your free Lectio Divina Journal here. And if you're ready to make Scripture Meditation a part of your new year, I encourage you to join my Monday email newsletter here. I'll send out link to the newest meditation every Monday morning. Download free sample chapters from my Bible studies here. The passages we meditated on is as follows: Psalm 32, The Message Count yourself lucky, how happy you must be—                         you get a fresh start,                         your slate's wiped clean. 2        Count yourself lucky—                         God holds nothing against you                         and you're holding nothing back from him. 3        When I kept it all inside,                         my bones turned to powder,                         my words became daylong groans. 4        The pressure never let up;                         all the juices of my life dried up. 5        Then I let it all out;                         I said, “I'll make a clean breast of my failures to God.”                   Suddenly the pressure was gone—                         my guilt dissolved,                         my sin disappeared. 6        These things add up. Every one of us needs to pray;                         when all hell breaks loose and the dam bursts                         we'll be on high ground, untouched. 7        God's my island hideaway,                         keeps danger far from the shore,                         throws garlands of hosannas around my neck. 8        Let me give you some good advice;                         I'm looking you in the eye                         and giving it to you straight: 9        “Don't be ornery like a horse or mule                         that needs bit and bridle                         to stay on track.” 10       God-defiers are always in trouble;                         God-affirmers find themselves loved                         every time they turn around. 11       Celebrate God.                         Sing together—everyone!                         All you honest hearts, raise the roof! Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

enter the mystery.... Psalm 40 The Message Translation

ZChurch Message for September 30, 2023 (full service: https://youtu.be/WWBbvBnVi8E)In Ephesians 3:20 (Message Translation), we are reminded that "God can do anything, you know - far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams!"Prepare to be uplifted and encouraged as Pastor Loretta delves into this powerful verse, exploring the boundless possibilities of God's grace and His ability to exceed our wildest expectations.Don't miss this opportunity to deepen your faith Discover the limitless potential of God's love and provision!What is ZChurch?? We are a live, interactive, international, spirit-led online church at the speed of life! Join Pastors Larry and Loretta Huggins and the amazing ZTeam every Saturday live at 10am PST on Zoom (or other social media platforms). Go to our website below to click on the Zoom link! Website: https://zchurch.life E-mail us at info@zchurch.life for prayer requests or for more information! Follow us on social media!! --Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/zchurch.thecommonwealthofchrist --Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zchurchlife/ --Twitter: https://twitter.com/zchurch_life

The world tells us to rest from our work, but God tells us to work from our rest! Sabbath rest is found in God, in Worshipping Jesus, in Christian community where we learn to encourage, delight, laugh and be the hands, feet, eyes, ears and words of Jesus to each other and with each other. Repent of STRIVING and confess and to God your tendency to either resist, fear or redefine rest.Weekly PrayerFather,In Jesus' name, I reject the lies of the Devil. I confess that I placed my hope, trust and freedom in the wrong things. So, Holy Spirit Come! Come and move in me. Move in my heart to love Jesus even more. Reveal in me striving, uncover what has been hidden. Help me come out of hiding. Calm the worry and the busyness of my mind and my heart.Show me your glory and power. Help me to rest in the power and presence of King Jesus!In your powerful name Jesus, Amen!Key ScriptureMatthew 11:28-30 (The Message Translation)28-30 “Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest.Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly.Isaiah 40:28-31Do you not know? Have you not heard?The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth.He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom.He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength.They will soar on wings like eagles they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.

Topics covered ------------------------- 0:50 - About EIP 1:05 - Meet the author 2:14 - What is Web3:// Acess Protocol 3:00 - Why do we need Web3 Access Protocol 5:55 - How to use Web3 Access Protocol 7:06 - How to Access EVM with web3:// 9:25 - Applications 11:50. - Blockers 16:29 - Improvement & Extensions Follow at Twitter --------------------------- Qi Zhou @qc_qizhou | Pooja Ranjan @poojaranjan19 Resources ------------------ Slides - https://docs.google.com/presentation/... Proposal - https://eips.ethereum.org/EIPS/eip-4804 Discussion - https://ethereum-magicians.org/t/eip-... Web3URL Firefox Extension - https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/fire... Vitalik's Blog Experiment - web3://vitalikblog.eth/ EthFS Uploader - https://socket.dev/npm/package/ethfs-... PEEPanEIP -    • PEEPanEIP   ERC Playlist -    • PEEPanEIP #106:  ...   Questions for Guests - https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FA... Check out upcoming EIPs in Peep an EIP series at https://github.com/ethereum-cat-herde... Contact Ethereum Cat Herders --------------------------------------------------- Discord: https://discord.io/ethereumcatherders Twitter: https://twitter.com/EthCatHerders Medium: https://medium.com/ethereum-cat-herders Website: https://www.ethereumcatherders.com/

You've likely heard of the fruits of the spirit. The 9 things that naturally come in our lives as a result of Jesus dwelling within us: Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Today, I present the fruits of the spirit in a different way through the Message Translation of the Bible. […]

In this episode we look ahead to what the Lord has for us in this season . . . MOVING TOWARD MATURITY: "So come on, let's leave the preschool fingerpainting exercises on Christ and get on with the grand work of art. Grow up in Christ. The basic foundational truths are in place: turning your back on “salvation by self-help” and turning in trust toward God; baptismal instructions; laying on of hands; resurrection of the dead; eternal judgment. God helping us, we'll stay true to all that. But there's so much more. Let's get on with it!" Hebrews 6:1 (Message Translation)

Romans 12:1-2 The Message Translation says- 'So here's what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don't become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You'll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you. Christ transforms us as we trust him with our futures. Heres what you have to do- Move confidently into the future, putting your hope in Jesus to save and protect you at every turn.

1-2 On your feet now—applaud God!
 Bring a gift of laughter,
 sing yourselves into his presence. 3 Know this: God is God, and God, God.
 He made us; we didn't make him.
 We're his people, his well-tended sheep. 4 Enter with the password: “Thank you!”
 Make yourselves at home, talking praise.
 Thank him. Worship him. 5 For God is sheer beauty,
 all-generous in love,
 loyal always and ever. Psalm 100 The Message Translation

Our world is FULL of unspoken expectations for:ourselveshusbandskidsfamilyfriendsstrangerseven GOD!And these expectations play a huge role in the way we interact with the world around us.These unspoken words often dictate our future!Did you know that you don't have to "accept" said expectations? Can you imagine not going to your parent's house for Thanksgiving dinner? **GASP**What if your child decides not to go to college?!Have you ever fallen into the trap?!Join us as we untangle this gnarly web of presumptions and find the root of it all.The blog post referenced can be found here!If you wake me each morning with the sound of your loving voice,    I'll go to sleep each night trusting in you.Point out the road I must travel;    I'm all ears, all eyes before you.Save me from my enemies, God—    you're my only hope!Psalm 143:7-10 (Message Translation)

“The natural habitat is to be enveloped in the love of God.” The thread through all Winn Collier's work is delight in the God who exists as the blazing center of everything that is good, beautiful, and true; and you feel that in this conversation. In this podcast, Winn and Jason talk about God's hope and heart for all creation to know we belong to one another. The guys dive into wholeness, cruciform love, and what it means to be fully human. Then Winn talks about his friendship with Eugene Peterson, writer of The Message Translation. Winn shares about the biography he recently released on Eugene's incredible life, A Burning In My Bones, and on their shared heart for pastors and the church! To learn more or to support this podcast go to www.afamilystory.org Please rate, review, share, and subscribe!

God Said, "This is your year of Acceleration!' “Yes indeed, it won't be long now.” God's Decree.“Things are going to happen so fast your head will swim, one thing fast on the heels of the other. You won't be able to keep up. Everything will be happening at once—and everywhere you look, blessings! Blessings like wine pouring off the mountains and hills. I'll make everything right again for my people Israel:“They'll rebuild their ruined cities. They'll plant vineyards and drink good wine. They'll work their gardens and eat fresh vegetables. And I'll plant them, plant them on their own land. They'll never again be uprooted from the land I've given them.”God, your God, says so. Amos 9:13-15 (The Message Translation)

God Said, "This is your year of Acceleration!' “Yes indeed, it won't be long now.” God's Decree.“Things are going to happen so fast your head will swim, one thing fast on the heels of the other. You won't be able to keep up. Everything will be happening at once—and everywhere you look, blessings! Blessings like wine pouring off the mountains and hills. I'll make everything right again for my people Israel:“They'll rebuild their ruined cities. They'll plant vineyards and drink good wine. They'll work their gardens and eat fresh vegetables. And I'll plant them, plant them on their own land. They'll never again be uprooted from the land I've given them.”God, your God, says so. Amos 9:13-15 (The Message Translation)

Wow! This podcast was very humbling to me. The scriptures that our guest this week, Jamie Bateman said are encouraging her in this season are from Ephesians 3:14-19 NIV. She read how this passage talks about kneeling "in prayer to the Father and praying out of His glorious riches that he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being" (NIV). WOW! To think about HIS POWER being in you through His Spirit! This is great news! I think you will learn more about this part of the passage from The Message Translation which says: "...I ask him to strengthen you by his Spirit—not a brute strength but a glorious inner strength—that Christ will live in you as you open the door and invite him in..." (from Ephesians 3:14-19 MSG). Will you invite Him in? Jamie read this verse over our guests and she read the entire passage changing you's to I's to make it more personal. Here is how she read it from the NIV translation:  14 For this reason I kneel before the Father, 15 from whom every family[a] in heaven and on earth derives its name. 16 I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you (she said "me") with power through his Spirit in your (she said "my") inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your ("my") hearts through faith. And I pray that you (I), being rooted and established in love, 18 may have power, together with all the Lord's holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 19 and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Jamie is the Executive Director of Institutional Advancement at South Florida State College. She has a farm and she talks about her farm in the podcast ... Pretty funny! Love Jamie and her heart for God and people. I pray you all are drawn closer to Christ from this conversation. Connect with South Florida State College online: https://www.southflorida.edu/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sfscpanthers Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sfscpanthers/ Thank you Jamie for coming on the podcast and sharing what God has on your heart! Go Panthers!

This is a Bible Reading, Prayers and Exhortation from the poetry books of the Holy Bible. An episode aired on the gracelifeCOMI podcast station to lighten you up.  This Bible Reading is from the book of Proverbs Chapter 7 using The Message Translation. Be lifted!  Jesus is Lord. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/gracelife-comi/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/gracelife-comi/support

E4: Applying Jesus to Hard Conversations - Community, Competency & Crisis Bias Today's episode finds Amy visiting with a good friend and fellow author, Rev. Omar Al-Rikabi, discussing 3 new biases in the only way they can - through lots and lots of conversation!. The definitions of these biases will be explored and can be found in more detail in Brian McLaren's book Why Don't They Get It? and can be found on his website: https://brianmclaren.net/. About Omar Omar's speciality is telling stories, which he does in his two published works: The Advent Mission and Between You and Me. You can find both of those resources at www.seedbed.com. When not telling stories, Omar likes to watch movies with his wife Jennifer, read books with his three daughters, and work in the kitchen cooking and grilling for family and friends. You follow him on Twitter and Instagram at @omarrikabi or visit his blog omarrikabi.com. His latest project, a new podcast, will be launching in 2022 so stay tuned for that! He also has a major obsession with space, Star Wars and all the wonders of the Heaven. Find him @omarrikabi everywhere! Scripture mentioned is John 9:1-25 from the Message Translation. Applying Jesus is hosted and produced by Amy Vogel, Director of Spiritual Growth for Upper Room Heights and our Technical Director is Xach Blunt. We record at the Chapelwood UMC Digital Studio in Houston, TX. We hope something you heard today deepened your faith, opened your eyes and led you to not only knowing God in a more expansive way, but shifts how you connect, especially with those who are easy to overlook. To find out more about Amy and our church community, go to www.urheights.com or find us on Facebook, Instagram & Youtube. Remember we love you – and there is nothing you can do about it!

E3: Applying Jesus to Hard Conversations - Complexity, Confidence & Consciousness Bias Today's episode sees Amy and Tajuana back together again, covering 3 new biases. The definitions of these biases will be explored and can be found in more detail in Brian McLaren's book Why Don't They Get It? and can be found on his website: https://brianmclaren.net/. About Tajuana TaJuana Antwine is so very many things! But at the heart of it all, she is a servant of Christ. She has served and lead within in ministry contexts as well as having an expertise as a change management consultant. She owns MindShift LLC, a company dedicated to helping clients to plan and manage their individual and organizational transformations. With her knowledge and passion for diversity, the last 15 years has seen her offerings to include digital transformation. Most recently, she has created a story-based course, offered in both corporate and ministry settings, designed to help a participant understand how to listen with empathy - and then take action towards becoming allied with underrepresented communities. Find her: @mindshiftllc on Instagram and https://www.mindshiftmanagement.com/. Her MyStory Course can be found at https://mindshiftllc.thinkific.com/. Scripture mentioned is John 9:1-25 from the Message Translation. Applying Jesus is hosted and produced by Amy Vogel, Director of Spiritual Growth for Upper Room Heights and our Technical Director is Xach Blunt. We record at the Chapelwood UMC Digital Studio in Houston, TX. We hope something you heard today deepened your faith, opened your eyes and led you to not only knowing God in a more expansive way, but shifts how you connect, especially with those who are easy to overlook. To find out more about Amy and our church community, go to www.urheights.com or find us on Facebook, Instagram & Youtube. Remember we love you – and there is nothing you can do about it!

This week we are studying the Sermon on The Mount from Matthew 5-7.  Yesterday I read it from the Modern English Version. Today I am going to read the same chapters from The Message Translation.  I really love what it says!

Thank you for listening to the podcast, we have had 500 downloads in just over a month from starting. We are now building an audience, and my prayer is that it would continue to grow and that it would meet the needs of those who listen. This week we will be reading from the Message Translation. This chapter has a lot of back and forth with the Religious leaders and Jesus is winning.

Luke 12 is a chapter of warnings. Jesus was talking to educated people, and they were experts in the law and God’s covenant with man. Despite all they supposedly knew, they missed the true identity and nature of Jesus. He tells them that they understand the weather signs but that they have missed the signs and evidence of His ministry. The King James says time, but in the Message Translation, Jesus asks how they can miss the change in the season. There is a difference between time and season. Time is a segment of the chronological sequence of life, and it has a beginning, and it will have an end. We can measure and quantify time in minutes, days, and years. The word in Greek that Jesus uses refers to a season. A season is a segment of the time continuum set apart by God for something unique. God has planned for us the things that occur in the seasons, not in the days, weeks, and months. Seasons are a time for accomplishment and opportunities. These learned men could predict the weather, but they could not see the fulfillment of prophecy in the Messiah standing right before them. How could these men who were experts in the law and prophecy be blind to what God was doing right before them? The answer is in Jesus’ opening statement to them. He called them hypocrites. In that one word, He revealed why they missed what they had been waiting on for so long. The word hypocrite that Jesus used means the accepter of faces. It literally means that they were looking at the surface of the things around them. What a shallow way to live. They needed to get their eyes off of what they could see in the natural world and look for the supernatural. It is a dangerous and discouraging thing to live by sight. The bible says we do not live by sight; we live by faith. Understanding the season is critical. Each season has a purpose. Some seasons are for preparation, some are for planting, and others are for reaping. If we try to reap in the wrong season, we waste our efforts and frustrate ourselves. Some seasons of life bring trouble and pain. In every season of adversity, there is a lesson or reason that God has ordained. We must learn to discern these lessons and reasons and allow God to have His way. The only way to do that is to get our eyes off the surface and look for the more profound, spiritual thing.

Luke 12 is a chapter of warnings. Jesus was talking to educated people, and they were experts in the law and God’s covenant with man. Despite all they supposedly knew, they missed the true identity and nature of Jesus. He tells them that they understand the weather signs but that they have missed the signs and evidence of His ministry. The King James says time, but in the Message Translation, Jesus asks how they can miss the change in the season. There is a difference between time and season. Time is a segment of the chronological sequence of life, and it has a beginning, and it will have an end. We can measure and quantify time in minutes, days, and years. The word in Greek that Jesus uses refers to a season. A season is a segment of the time continuum set apart by God for something unique. God has planned for us the things that occur in the seasons, not in the days, weeks, and months. Seasons are a time for accomplishment and opportunities. These learned men could predict the weather, but they could not see the fulfillment of prophecy in the Messiah standing right before them. How could these men who were experts in the law and prophecy be blind to what God was doing right before them? The answer is in Jesus’ opening statement to them. He called them hypocrites. In that one word, He revealed why they missed what they had been waiting on for so long. The word hypocrite that Jesus used means the accepter of faces. It literally means that they were looking at the surface of the things around them. What a shallow way to live. They needed to get their eyes off of what they could see in the natural world and look for the supernatural. It is a dangerous and discouraging thing to live by sight. The bible says we do not live by sight; we live by faith. Understanding the season is critical. Each season has a purpose. Some seasons are for preparation, some are for planting, and others are for reaping. If we try to reap in the wrong season, we waste our efforts and frustrate ourselves. Some seasons of life bring trouble and pain. In every season of adversity, there is a lesson or reason that God has ordained. We must learn to discern these lessons and reasons and allow God to have His way. The only way to do that is to get our eyes off the surface and look for the more profound, spiritual thing.

Chuck Proudfit -- founder of the ministry At Work on Purpose -- told us on a recent show, “to start thinking like a journalist...” What does that mean? And what exactly do journalists do? Well, they find where the story is, and then they join it! And like journalists, we, as Christ-followers, have the opportunity to find what God is doing and join him! Ephesians 2:10 in the Message Translation says, “God creates each of us by Christ Jesus to join him in the work he does, the good work he has gotten ready for us to do, work we had better be doing.” Are you a spiritual journalist - seeking out God's story? Take a moment today and ask the LORD what he is up to in your office, in your home, or in your neighborhood. Then pray about how you how you can join in His good works! Inspired from - https://www.iwork4him.com/podcast/2018/4/work-on-purpose

Good morning, Church! My name is Trent Houck, and I am one of the pastors here. This is our second message in our advent series entitled “Unto Us a Life is Given.” “Life” in this sense has three meanings: the incarnate life of Christ (the Gift of Life), eternal life (The Type of Life), and the “cross hung life” (The Price of Life). We're examining Jesus' life from those three perspectives to prepare our hearts for Advent. Last week, Jason brought us face to face with Cain, the cold-blooded serial killer that surprisingly crouches behind each page of 1 John. He illustrated the self-deceptive waywardness of sin that requires blood payment. We found that the type of life that is given is the blood-life of Christ. We find in 1 John that Cain had a cause for murder. His actions were premeditated and deliberate, not accidental. In fact, Scripture records for us both God's gracious intervention and Cain's bitter rejection of God in Genesis 4. John concludes then, “We should not be like Cain, who was of the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own deeds were evil and his brother's righteous” (1 John 3:12-13). John writes that Cain was not characterized by one single act of murder, but by “…evil deeds.” Plural. In fact, Cain found his origin in Satan himself, who is a liar, a deceiver, and a killer from the beginning. God was not being persnickety in rejecting Cain. He was not a fan of lamb and a hater of grains. Rather, John points out that Cain could not receive the correcting, free, and unearned love of God for sinners. Cain rejected grace. He rejected God. He could not stand the sound of someone else being declared “Righteous!” “Beloved!” “Child of God!” by faith. He couldn't imagine that the second born received the lion's share of the inheritance of the love of God. So he was consumed. So, 1 John is written to the sin-sick Church of Ephesus and surrounding churches to warn of the deception of sin. He warns of the sin of Cain because his self-destructive, Godless tendencies were in each of the Ephesian Church Members, and even some elders. He writes, “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves…” (1 John 1:8), and “I write these things to you about those who are trying to deceive you” (1 John 2:26), and “Little children, let no one deceive you” (1 John 3:7). The whole letter of 1 John is about distinguishing light from darkness in people, in teachers, in churches, in ourselves.  He follows this by direct application: “…Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him” (1 John 3:15). The sin of murder requires another bloodline, which eventually leads to Christ. We find that the sin of Cain was in the offering. Hebrews 11:4 says, God accepted Abel's offering, and not Cain's because Abel trusted God, while Cain did not. None of us is exempt from having murderous intentions in our religious activity. Abel, on the other hand, becomes a paragon of the type of life that Christ gives: blood-life. His own eternal life. While Abel's blood cried out for Cain's unceasing condemnation, Jesus' blood cries out for our acceptance before God. And it never stops. The author of Hebrews writes, we have come “…to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel” (Hebrews 12:24). Unto us a life is given. Last week, eternal life. This week, the price of eternal life. Jesus is the Price of the Life that Is Given We will focus on this theme in two parts: first, we will find that the sinless, perfectly obedient life of Christ merits for us an Advocate. The word that Christ's blood preaches is one of advocacy. Jesus Christ stands right now before the Father as your legal representative, if you are in Christ. Second, Jesus' present advocacy is based on his atoning work on the cross. There is not a single moment that the Father or the Son forgets that Jesus was crucified for sinners. That he paid the price. Our assurance is secured. His wounds heal. His embrace is unending. Before we go too much further, I want to say just a couple of things about John, the writer. First, 1 John was likely written during the early 90s AD. John, by this point, was both a seasoned theologian and a faithful pastor. He had crossed the thresholds common to all of his trade. He was no longer impressed by numbers, churches planted, letters written or sermons preached. He had seen pastors burn out, marriages end, friends leave, and friends killed for the faith. In his old age, he was preaching and teaching, and re-teaching things that he had explained from the very beginning. Like a good father turned great grandfather, he refused to indulge in absent passivity or cynicism. All throughout the letter, he beams with vibrant love.[1] He calls them “Beloved” 6 times, and “children” around 10 times. This positive ratio is instructive for me as a young pastor who is learning to love the flock! You should know from me that you are loved 10 times over before you hear anything constructively critical coming from me. John, as a writer, is quick to listen and slow to speak. But, when he speaks, he speaks both authoritatively, lovingly, and pastorally. We should expect to open our hearts this morning to a trusted friend. Second, John writes more as a lover, than a learner. The quickest route between any two points is a straight line. Not for John. 1 John is written with an almost sporadic attention deficit. While most of the New Testament letters have linear progressions, arguments, and analysis, John's work is like an abstract painting with color slapped here and there. It's like a spiral staircase. One commentator notes almost comically, “John rarely sustains a clear line of argument for more than a few lines or verses. He wanders from subject to subject, unencumbered by any discernible outline.”[2] John repeats himself. John is not afraid to embody the old saying, “Repetition is the mother of all learning.” This is instructive for us. This is what lovers do. Lovers repeatedly walk the same trails, and even so their knowledge deepens. They frequent the same books, movies, or spend time with the same people because there is still more to be known than what was previously experienced. John is writing as a lover of God, not only as one who collects facts about God. 1 John is an attempt then to get us to lean back into the person of Jesus Christ and experience for ourselves the warmth of his heartbeat. Even if you have heard these truths 10,000 times, you will wish after we're done to hear them again. So, we turn to the main question that we hope to answer through this text: what is the price of Jesus' life? How do we measure Christ's achievements? What is the cost of his perfect obedience and his death on the cross? We are going to argue this morning that Jesus' sinless life and atoning death earns for us two things: his advocacy, and his security. The currency of Jesus' life and work is accepted and received in the economy of heaven. So, we can rest! We will try answer these questions in the following way: Jesus' Sinless Life Merits for Us An Advocate (1 John 2:1) Jesus' Advocacy is for Jesus' Advocacy is with the Father. Jesus' Propitiatory Death Earns Our Security (1 John 2:2). Jesus' Advocacy and Propitiation Motivates Our Obedience of Faith (1 John 2:1-2). Let me define advocacy and propitiation by our common experience. I want to provide a few illustrations that will show that we both advocate and propitiate for people we love all the time. First, we advocate for people we love. We advocate for our friends. We come alongside them, explain their behavior and interpret their actions. “They were going 90 miles an hour because they love adrenaline.” “That's just the way he is. He's from California.” “Push & Pour is his favorite coffee shop. That's why he's always there.” We advocate for our children. We seek to provide a rationale for why they hang upside down from the rafters. We advocate for our husbands or wives amongst our families or maybe especially before our in-laws. “He's an introvert. That's why he's on a two hour walk and might not come back.” We advocate for ourselves in all sorts of ways. “I'm not yelling; I'm just passionate!” “I did that because I'm an enneagram 2 wing 3. When I'm angry, I just start getting things done!” “I'm late because well, I'm human.” Whenever we explain, come alongside, or interpret actions or behavior, we are advocating for ourselves or others. Some of you do this professionally.  Teenagers are especially good at this. Second, we propitiate for things we love. We provide atoning sacrifices to turn away wrath all the time. We just might not realize it. Think of the last time you did something kind, or self-sacrificial for your husband or wife because you were avoiding their anger or displeasure. You were propitiating. Let's get comfortable with that word. You didn't enjoy organizing the garage, but you sacrificed your time, energy, and sanity to turn away the wrath that would ensue by failing to do so. Or, maybe you did something kind to make up for a failure. You failed to text your friend back in a time of need, and so to make up for it, you buy them coffee and go out of your way to deliver it to their bedside. “Ryan advocates for Push & Pour, but he propitiates my wrath for talking about it so much by a latte with hearts (which I receive by grace through faith).” Maybe you failed to complete an assignment, and so you propitiate your bosses anger by staying up all night to complete it before the deadline.  You make it right by providing wrath-assuaging payment of severe exhaustion. We advocate and propitiate in relationships all the time. Both of these words have a particularly rich biblical meaning, but they are also baked into the fabric of reality and relationships. This also takes place in our relationship with God. Because of sin, we need an advocate and a propitiating sacrifice. Jesus is the price of both. Jesus is the Price of the Life that Is Given   First, Jesus' sinless life merits for us an advocate. Many times, when we consider Jesus' work for us, we only think about Jesus' atoning death. We think about Christ on the cross, and we fail to acknowledge that his sinless life was the way that he earned for us a perfect righteousness. Jesus did not merely fly to the cross, like an empty box arriving or our porch, with no contents. No, he lived for thirty-three years under the shadow of the cross, and in perfect completion of the law. He did this in the recorded and unrecorded years. Both in seen ways, and in unseen ways. Perfect righteousness is a box packed to the brim. Jesus' death on the cross came only after a life of perfect justice, mercy, humility and righteousness. Galatians 4:4 says, “…when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.” So then, we read in our text this morning: “My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous” (1 John 2:1) How does Jesus advocate for sinners? Answer: by being “Jesus Christ, the righteous.” Jesus Christ is just. He is right before God. He stands in perfect congruence to all of God's requirements. This is precious truth for us. If we did not have an Advocate, we would not be able to explain away our rebellion against God. What is it like to have a perfect Advocate? Here's an example of what it's not. Some years ago, I was on a Missions Trip to Mexico, and our team was trying to cross the border. We looked suspicious with a big truck full of goods to be delivered to a church, and so we were pulled aside. Only a few of us spoke a bit of Spanish, and so none of us could advocate well for our innocence. Eventually, after some failed communication, we were driven into the country (celebrate!), only to be led back out of the country immediately (pity party). The point is, we spent hours advocating for ourselves and our innocence. Our advocacy was far from perfect. Later, at another border crossing, we were eventually allowed into the country. But that's another story. Jesus' advocacy, on the other hand, is perfect. He speaks to the Father with perfect fluency on our behalf. This implies a couple of things. First, Jesus' advocacy implies that Jesus is on your side. Typically, in John, this word parakletos is used of the Holy Spirit as the “Helper”, “Comforter” or “Counselor.” So, you might ask, why isn't it translated this way here? Shouldn't it say, “Jesus is my Helper?” It's translated as “advocate” here because of what John says about sin immediately prior. If you sin, Jesus is your advocate. Jesus is your parakletos in the context of moral failure. We messed up. We're trying to cross the border looking suspicious. We're placed before the Judge. And, Jesus, the just, is in the court room. That would be bad news except that he is our attorney! He is alongside you, not only to help you act righteously, but to advocate for you when you fail miserably. I remember trying to brace a water heater in a tight corner in the early 2010s. So tight was the corner that I could not get a wrench on the bolt. After a long week, long year, and long life, I lost control of my speech, my emotions, and my temper. After about 45 minutes of miserable trying, I sat down to stew in my grief. Alone. What is God's posture toward me there? Advocate. For most of us, when people fail, it is precisely the moment that we abandon them. We question them. We are confused. We unfriend them on Facebook, or we unfollow them. When people fail, especially when leaders fail, we are very quick to disassociate ourselves. We don't want to appear guilty. We even dissociate from our own experiences for this reason. Jesus, the just, is not afraid of this. We have to ask, why would the all-righteous, just Jesus be called alongside at the precise moment when we sin? Why would he come to our side, put his arm around us, and associate with us then? John alluded to this already when he said “My little children…”. Jesus swoops in as the Advocate because we are Christ's brothers and sisters. We are children of God. God is our Father. We are family. Jesus would not forsake his own. He cannot forsake himself. Practically, this should change the way we respond to our own sin. When we sin, we ought not to beat ourselves up. We should not scold ourselves. When we fail, Jesus makes a special effort by the power of his Holy Spirit to both to persuade you that you are a child of God and to acknowledge before almighty God that you are his. He calms you down and then he defends you. Even if that means defending you from yourself. I remember in my teenage years struggling with besetting sin, and for years, I sat and wallowed in my defeat. I could not believe that I had fallen again, again, and again. I felt confined, constrained, and enslaved. Then, I remember a pastor saying: “Getting back up means you are still in the game.” If we get beat down, we get back up because Christ got back up for us. We don't sit there in our shame analyzing what went wrong. We confess our sin quickly and remember our Advocate. What rich conversation we would have if we confessed our sins quickly! Many of us may be hiding, covering, and fearing our sin because we are terrified if it were known, we would be abandoned. But what if we had an army of friends, fellow advocates, who represented in-person the advocacy of Jesus that is going on in heaven? That my friends, is a true Church! Let me ask you as your pastor to confess your sin early! Confess it when it looks like just a cute, cuddly kitten. Like its no big deal. Too small to worry about. It will become a lion and swallow you alive soon. Don't wait to confess it then. You'll be dead. What if you expected that when you confessed your sins, you'd hear Martin Luther's voice say, “When the devil throws our sins up to us and declares that we deserve death and hell, we ought to speak thus: “I admit that I deserve death and hell. What of it? Does this mean that I shall be sentenced to eternal damnation? By no means. For I know One who suffered and made satisfaction in my behalf. His name is Jesus Christ. Where he is, there I shall be also.”[3] Jesus does not run away from you in your sin. He comes alongside you. You have an advocate before the Father, Jesus Christ, the righteous.[4] This should bring up some cognitive dissonance. Why would the perfect advocate take on a case where the defendant is so obviously guilty? We must remember that when John says, “Jesus Christ, the righteous,” he is thinking about Jesus' perfect moral character before the Father. Jesus is Messiah, Christ, Salvation. Jesus the Just. John writes at the conclusion of his Gospel that, in addition to all the recorded goodness of Jesus work, “…there were many other things that Jesus did. Were everyone one of them to be written, I suppose that the world itself could not contain the books that would be written” (John 21:25). In other words, Jesus' active obedience to God was so exhaustive, so complete, so righteous that all the books in all the world could not sum it all up.[5] He actively said and did everything that God commanded, and he refrained from saying and doing everything that God condemns. Both his active and passive obedience was just. Right. Do you believe that this Christ stands for you? He does. This is what it means for Jesus to be just. And, he's on your side. He is the one who stands up for you when you fail. When you face those periods of lapsed judgment, he pleads your case. When you suffer, he pleads. When you feel lost, he pleads. This must cost him greatly! Jesus' advocacy means that your case will be heard, and that it will come out successful. Hebrews 7:25 says, “Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them.” Notice the Gospel-logic[6] in this passage: “My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous” (1 John 2:1) Second, Jesus' advocacy is face to face with God. When this text says, “We have an advocate with the Father,” the implication is that Jesus stands before God the Father, facing him. Jesus is in intimate, unending relationship with God as Father. Jesus is an unending source of happiness for the Father. Lest we think that this relationship reflects some coldness in our relationship with our human fathers, consider Matthew 3:17. As Jesus comes up from the waters of baptism, the Father says from heaven, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.” You can nearly hear the laughing pleasure that God takes in his own Son. To our ears, it sounds like thunder. How could God the Father ever be displeased with the glorious perfections of his only Son? How could he stop wanting to be with someone of such perfect beauty, sacrifice, intelligence and character? How could God the Father stop smiling in view of his only Son? He could not! I have felt this kind of pleasure when my son runs or laughs. There are specific moments when I realize: I can't believe God has been so gracious to me as to give me a son. My son. I love my son. No matter how dark or despairing the teenage years are, he will still be my son. So then, Christian, we can rest assured that if we sin, we have this kind of an Advocate before God. We have an Advocate who is both completely and morally upright before God the Judge, and his most personal, intimate friend as the Son. This ensures that we lose neither our moral standing, nor the affection of God when we sin. We can stop punishing ourselves then. If we fail, God does not stop being pleased with Jesus, and so then, he will not forsake us. Some of us might be walking the anxious road in our Christian life, thinking that at any moment, God is going to throw you out of the family. You might feel like you are moments away from getting fired. But, that is not our God! We are part of his family. Don't be afraid! On the other hand, maybe you're not trying very hard to trust or please God. John assures us, no one who truly loves Christ wants to stay in that state. He says, “My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin.” John Stott writes, “Too great a lenience would seem almost to encourage sin in the Christian by stressing God's provision for the sinner. An exaggerated severity, on the other hand, would deny the possibility of the Christian sinning or refuse him forgiveness and restoration if he falls. Both extreme positions are contradicted by John”[7] John is perfectly balanced in his approach. As C.S. Lewis wrote, “No man knows how bad he is till he has tried very hard to be good.”[8] Jesus' advocacy gives us freedom to try. Because it is trying from safety, not from insecurity. Jesus' present advocacy for you is the price of life that is given. So Jesus is on your legal team before the Father as your perfect representative by his sinless life. But, what gives him the ability to advocate for sinners? That leads us to our next point:   Second, Jesus' advocacy for sinners is grounded in his atoning death. This is where we resolve our cognitive dissonance. You should wonder, why is Jesus on my side? Why is someone so perfect, just, and holy, the object of God's delight on my side? If he knew my heart, he should surely be against me. Jesus can advocate for sinners, not only because of his sinless life, but because of his atoning death. John writes, 2 He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world. This word “propitiation” is used very few times in the New Testament, and only once in this way later in John. It is very much linked to love. John writes, “In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins” (1 John 4:10). Some translations say, “atoning sacrifice,” or “…he is the expiation for our sins…” (RSV), or even he is the “forgiveness for our sins” (Wycliffe). So, what does this word propitiation mean? We could spend hours here, but we will spend just a few minutes with this weighty word. Wayne Grudem writes that propitiation, is “…a sacrifice that bears God's wrath to the end, and in so doing, changes God's wrath toward us into favor.”[9] To bear God's wrath would mean to endure “…His settled, controlled, holy antagonism to all evil”[10] When Jesus served as a propitiatory sacrifice, “Jesus became the object of the intense hatred of sin and vengeance against sin which God had patiently stored up since the beginning of the world.”[11] He took our punishment. He endured the consequences that we deserved for our sin. This is propitiation. What was the price of this propitiation? Jesus was the price. In order to illustrate this, I want us to gaze first at Gethsemane and then to the Cross itself. In Mark 14:32-40, Jesus anticipates the price he is about to pay as a propitiation. It is a source of the deepest of spiritual, emotional and even physical turmoil: 32 And they went to a place called Gethsemane. And he said to his disciples, “Sit here while I pray.” 33 And he took with him Peter and James and John [our author], and began to be greatly distressed and troubled. 34 And he said to them, “My soul is very sorrowful, even to death. Remain here and watch.” 35 And going a little farther, he fell on the ground and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass from him. 36 And he said, “Abba, Father, all things are possible for you. Remove this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.” 37 And he came and found them sleeping, and he said to Peter, “Simon, are you asleep? Could you not watch one hour? 38 Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” 39 And again he went away and prayed, saying the same words. 40 And again he came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were very heavy, and they did not know what to answer him. (Mark 14:32-42) When John used this word “propitiation”, he no doubt remembered the soul-crushing trouble of Jesus as they were in the garden. He remembered Jesus peering over the edge of the cliff to see the valley of God's wrath below. John saw his sweat form into great drops of blood in his agony (Luke 22:44), and he heard the three-fold repetition of this prayer “Abba, Father, all things are possible for you. Remove this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will” (Mark 14:36). As Jesus stood face to face with the anticipation of God's wrath poured out, John stood face to face with Jesus. That's why they slept. It was too much to bear. The spiritual and emotional exhaustion set in just by looking at it. I remember anticipating the birth of my son. Waiting for the agony of birth, the anticipation of my wife's suffering of indeterminate length, and the unknown of what would happen in delivery. Just going alongside her was deeply formative.  And exhausting. Of course, suffering itself is much more difficult, but there is a helpless suffering that comes along with watching others suffer. Gethsemane was the anticipation of this tsunami of God's wrath. The cross was the tsunami itself. While his disciples scattered at Jesus' arrest, some of them regathered around the cross. John writes in John 19, 23 When the soldiers had crucified Jesus, they took his garments and divided them into four parts, one part for each soldier; also his tunic. But the tunic was seamless, woven in one piece from top to bottom, 24 so they said to one another, “Let us not tear it, but cast lots for it to see whose it shall be.” This was to fulfill the Scripture which says, “They divided my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots.” So the soldiers did these things, 25 but standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother and his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. 26 When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son!” 27 Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother!” And from that hour the disciple took her to his own home. 28 After this, Jesus, knowing that all was now finished, said (to fulfill the Scripture), “I thirst.” 29 A jar full of sour wine stood there, so they put a sponge full of the sour wine on a hyssop branch and held it to his mouth. 30 When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, “It is finished,” and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit. This what propitiation[12] means: “… the dark weight of sin and the deep wrath of God poured over Jesus in wave after wave.”[13]  Jesus drank the cup of God's wrath against sin until there was none left. And, John was right there to drink in its meaning. We could spend many hours recounting propitiation's meaning from the Old Testament sacrificial system, but to John, all of that was a mere shadow and pointer. After the cross, Jesus was the propitiation. It had no other meaning. It was finished. 2 He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world. This is the logic of love. Jesus is your advocate, your “priest-friend”[14] because he is the propitiationfor sins. If you have trusted Christ, this is sweet balm for your soul. If you sin, Christ is your advocate. He is your propitiation. If you are with us today and you are not a believer, this might be the moment that God calls you to himself. Open your heart to God this morning. Believe and be saved from the deception of sin. Romans 3:21-26 says, 21 But now the righteousness [remember Jesus' advocacy] of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— 22 the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God's righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. 26 It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. Jesus is to be believed in as our Advocate and received as our propitiation by faith. In this sense, he is the propitiation for the sins of the whole world as John says. Jesus is the way into the presence of God. He is the only way. We'll end with a few applications for our hearts. Finally, the only way to follow Christ is in the joyful delight of his Advocacy and Propitiation. If you are a Christian, your obedience follows the ever-sweetening reality of Jesus' advocacy and his propitiation. First, we should acknowledge that outward obedience, which doesn't matter much in the end anyway, will look different for everyone. Application of this message will look like deepening trust in God. We must repent today of our partiality, or our quickness to measure ourselves or others by outward appearances. C.S. Lewis illustrates this in saying, “When a man who has been perverted from his youth and taught that cruelty is the right thing, does some tiny kindness, or refrains from some cruelty he might have committed, and thereby, perhaps, risks being sneered at by his companions, he may, in God's eyes, be doing more than you and I would do if we gave up life itself for a friend.”[15]Faith Community Bible Church ought to become a hospital of advocacy for sinners. We should get behind people who are barely making it one more step, who are tempted to turn back, and who often fall and fail. This should not create suspicion, distrust, but strengthen our resolve to trust Christ who paid the full debt. We should not avoid sinners, but befriend them and pray for them. Second, we should bask today in the love of God. Dane Ortlund writes, “If an Eskimo wins a vacation to a sunny place, he doesn't arrive at his hotel room, step out onto the balcony, and wonder how to apply that to his life. He just enjoys it. He just basks.”[16] Sometimes our obedience to Christ is stunted by the question, “What should I do about this?” Sometimes obedience means basking. I want to give you an example of what our foyer, our hallways, our bedrooms might sound like if we started basking in these truths; that Christ is our Advocate and our propitiation. Charles Spurgeon writes, “I want you not to listen to me so much as to listen to your own hearts, and to God's word, a minute, if you are believers. What is that we have been talking about? It is God's love to us. Get the thought into your head a minute: ‘God loves me—not merely bears with me, feeds me, but loves me.' Oh, it is a very sweet thing to feel that we have the love of a dear wife, or a kind husband; and there is much sweetness in the love of a fond child, or a tender mother; but to think that God loves me, this is infinitely better! Who is it that loves you? God, the Maker of heaven and earth, the Almighty. All in all, does he love me? Even he! If all men, and all angels and all living creatures that are before the throne loved me, it were nothing to this—the Infinite loves me! And who is it that loves me? Me. The text says, ‘us.' ‘We love him because he first loved us.' But this is the personal point—he loves me, an insignificant nobody, full of sin—who deserved to be in hell; who loves him so little in return—God loves me. Beloved believer, does no this melt you? Does not this fire your soul? I know it does if it is really believed. It must. And how did he love me? He loved me so that he gave up his only begotten Son for me, to be nailed to a tree, and made to bleed and die. And what will come of it? Why, because he loved me and forgave me? I am on the way to heaven, and within a few months, perhaps days, I shall see his face and sing his praises. He loved me before I was born; before a star began to shine he loved me, and he has never ceased to do so all these years. When I have sinned he has loved me; when I have forgotten him he has loved me; and when in the days of my sin I cursed him, yet still he loved me; and he will love me when my knees tremble, and my hair is gray with age…he will bear and carry his servant; and he will love me when the world is on a blaze, and love me forever, and forever. Oh, chew the cud of this blessed thought; roll it under your tongue as a dainty morsel; sit down this afternoon, if you have leisure, and think of nothing but this—his great love with which he loves you; and if you do not feel your heart bubbling up with a good matter; if you do not feel your soul yearning towards God, and heaving big strong emotions of love to God, then I am much mistaken. This is so powerful a truth, and you are so constituted as Christians as to be wrought upon by this truth, that if it is believed and felt, the consequence must be that you will love him because he first loved you. God bless you, brothers and sisters, for Christ's sake.”[17] We are secure in Christ's love because of propitiation. And, we have Christ as our advocate. This is the price of life. Unto us a life is given. Let's pray. [1] Edit: He calls the church: “My little children” (1 John 2:1), “Beloved” (1 John 2:7), “Children,” (1 John 2:18), “…little children…” (1 John 2:28; 3:7; 4:4), “Beloved…” (1 John 3:21), “Beloved…” (1 John 4:1); “Beloved…” (1 John 4:7; 4:11), “Little children, keep yourselves from idols” (1 John 5:21). [2] ESV Study Bible Commentary on 1 John by Robert Yarbrough, 2426. [3] Martin Luther, cited in Ray Ortlund, The Gospel, 63. [4] Edit: He achieves this advocacy because he is not looking mainly at your moral failure, but to his perfect righteousness. We said “legal team” because of how sin is being viewed in John. John writes, “Everyone who makes a practice of sinning also practices lawlessness; sin is lawlessness” (1 John 3:4). So, what John has in view when he says, “If anyone does sin…” is your legal account. When your legal account seems unbalanced by an act of sin, Jesus Christ shows up as your Advocate to remind you of something else on the scales. That's why John follows this sentence with “Jesus Christ, the righteous.” [5] Edit: Every interaction could be examined from a new angle. Every day showed forth the unstoppable force of Christ's perfection. [6] In a moralistic culture, we would scold ourselves to say, “Stop sinning and maybe Jesus will help you. Be more like Jesus so that you can earn his favor. If you sin, there's no hope for you anymore.” John says that Jesus does not stare at you with surprised disappointment when you sin. He comes alongside you. [7] John Stott, Tyndale New Testament Commentaries: The Epistles of John), 79. [8] C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity, 142. [9] Wayne Grudem, Systematic Theology, 1252. [10] Stott, 83. [11] Grudem, 575. [12] Edit: Although propitiation has deep theological and cultural weight coming to us from the Old Testament, those things were but a shadow of the things to come in this moment. [13] Grudem, 577. [14] Eugene Peterson, The Message Translation. [15] C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity, 91. [16] Dane Ortlund, Gentle and Lowly, 215. [17] Charles Spurgeon, Volume 9-10 in Spurgeon's Sermons, “Love's Logic,” 322.

Sermon by Rev. Barb Lemmel and Rev. Mitch Hay Epistle Philippians 1:3-11 Every time you cross my mind, I break out in exclamations of thanks to God. Each exclamation is a trigger to prayer. I find myself praying for you with a glad heart. I am so pleased that you have continued on in this with us, believing and proclaiming God's Message, from the day you heard it right up to the present. There has never been the slightest doubt in my mind that the God who started this great work in you would keep at it and bring it to a flourishing finish on the very day Christ Jesus appears. It's not at all fanciful for me to think this way about you. My prayers and hopes have deep roots in reality. You have, after all, stuck with me all the way from the time I was thrown in jail, put on trial, and came out of it in one piece. All along you have experienced with me the most generous help from God. He knows how much I love and miss you these days. Sometimes I think I feel as strongly about you as Christ does! So this is my prayer: that your love will flourish and that you will not only love much but well. Learn to love appropriately. You need to use your head and test your feelings so that your love is sincere and intelligent, not sentimental gush. Live a lover's life, circumspect and exemplary, a life Jesus will be proud of: bountiful in fruits from the soul, making Jesus Christ attractive to all, getting everyone involved in the glory and praise of God.” The Message Translation

Hi there. How have all y'all been?! I talk about my workout streak that started in Jan and is still going on in June. I have officially become an exercise-guy! Topics include Law of Attraction, The Message Translation of that famous religious book, Charles Capps, Joel & Dodie Osteen, Positive Psychology happiness scales, and other things I am into these days. I want you to rate how you feel before and after listening to this episode. Ideally, your vibration (emotion) will have lifted after listening to a positive piece of content. My goal is to lift your vibration thru my content. RATE HERE: https://loadeepak.wufoo.com/forms/rate-your-vibration/

Mark 11:12-25 Message Translation - Don’t put your faith or religion in something that bears no fruit. - Assume the posture of prayer. It’s not all about asking. - Pray in faith and forgiveness. Prayer changes things.  

You who sit down in the High God’s presence, spend the night in Shaddai’s shadow, Say this: “ GOD, you’re my refuge. I trust in you and I’m safe!” That’s right—he rescues you from hidden traps, shields you from deadly hazards. His huge outstretched arms protect you— under them you’re perfectly safe; his arms fend off all harm. Fear nothing—not wild wolves in the night, not flying arrows in the day, Not disease that prowls through the darkness, not disaster that erupts at high noon. Even though others succumb all around, drop like flies right and left, no harm will even graze you. You’ll stand untouched, watch it all from a distance, watch the wicked turn into corpses. Yes, because GOD ’s your refuge, the High God your very own home, Evil can’t get close to you, harm can’t get through the door. He ordered his angels to guard you wherever you go. If you stumble, they’ll catch you; their job is to keep you from falling. You’ll walk unharmed among lions and snakes, and kick young lions and serpents from the path. — Psalm 91 Message Translation

(Acts 17:28) Do you feel the way I feel at times? ‘Feeling of God being far away from me, especially when I desire for Him to speak to me in a particular way. He reminds me of His Word He lives in me. He drops His ideas in my mind. Whenever He chooses, He drops His Word in my spirit. Because of Him, I can be who I am ( this talks of my IDENTITY in Him) . I am His child! That's it! . Just want to encourage someone today that God is not playing hide-and-seek with you. He is not remote. He is near you. (I love the way Message Translation states it) He is in you as long as you are His child He knows your thoughts. He knows your yearnings. He knows your aspirations. His will concerning your life will come to pass Be conscious of God's presence in You. Embrace His presence. Bask in His presence ‘cos in God's presence there is abundance and overflowing joy and fulfilment. Remember- “For in him we live, and move, and have our being; ...For we are also his offspring.” Acts 17:28 --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/abimbola-arawande/message

From 1 Corinthians 10:13 (Message Translation), there are 3 vital points you should know. Find out these points in this episode. Feedback, questions, and comments are received at perfectionpodcast@gmail.com --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/dr_jide/support

CreepGeeks Podcast Episode 197  Cosmic Fast Radio Burst Message Translation Exclusive! Happy? It’s in the Genes, and SkinWalker Ranch. Today's podcast is brought to you by audible - get a FREE audiobook download and 30-day free trial at http://www.audibletrial.com/cheapgeek  -Over 180,000 titles to choose from for your iPhone, Android, Kindle, or mp3 player.   Thank you to our Patreon Supporters: Dav, Adam, James, Bobby, John, and John! Want to Support the podcast? Join us on Patreon! https://patreon.com/creepgeeks  What is the CreepGeeks Paranormal and Weird News Podcast? CreepGeeks Podcast is an off-beat news podcast that takes a light-hearted approach to the paranormal, supernatural, cryptid, strange, the silly, and trending tech topics circulating the web. Broadcasting weekly paranormal news and fun stories from our underground bunker in the mountains of Western North Carolina. Hey Everyone! You can call the show and leave us a message!  1-575-208-4025 Use Amazon Prime Free Trial! Did you know YOU can support the CreepGeeks Podcast with little to no effort! Won’t cost you anything!  When you shop on Amazon.com use our affiliate link and we get a small percentage!  It doesn't change your price at all. It helps us to keep the coffee flowing and gas in the Albino Rhino!  CreepGeeks Podcast is an Amazon Affiliate CheapGeek and CreepGeeks Amazon Page's Amazon Page  We’ve got Bigfoot Coffee! Support the Show: https://creepgeekspodcast.square.site/s/shop  Website- http://www.creepgeeks.com  Hey everyone! Help us out!  Rate us on iTunes!  ‎CreepGeeks Paranormal and Weird News Podcast on Apple Podcasts   WE translated the Fast Radio Burst Signals! Exclusively- Here’s what they are! NEWS:    Flash of luck: Astronomers find cosmic radio burst source  Source of Milky Way's Fast Radio Bursts Pinpointed by NASA  The Weird Culture War Over Bigfoot as a COVID-19 Icon This Week's Weird News 10/23/20 | iHeartRadio | Coast to Coast AM with George Noory  Nearly half of happiness is genetic, so most of us are doomed  Skinwalker Ranch: possibly the spookiest place on Earth  Spooky Season Binge-Watch: The Mothman of Point Pleasant: https://amzn.to/2TrpDvI  The Mothman Prophecies: https://amzn.to/3dUBs7j  Native Bigfoot: https://amzn.to/3kxxK5V    Audible is audio entertainment that entertains, educates, and inspires. For you, the listeners of [CreepGeeksPodcast],  Audible is offering a free audiobook download with a free 30-day trial to give you the opportunity to check out their service. To download your free audiobook today go to www.audibletrial.com/cheapgeek      Again, that's  http://www.audibletrial.com/cheapgeek   for your free audiobook.   Beyond the Fray- Paramalgamation Shannon LeGro and G. Michael Hopf-   https://amzn.to/3iUB1vu    Hunt for the SkinWalker- George Knapp and Colm Kelleher-  https://amzn.to/2QDkejV  The Dover Demon, Hunter Shea. https://amzn.to/2R7NGi1    Monsters Among Us: An Exploration of Otherworldly Bigfoots, Wolfmen, Portals, Phantoms, and Odd Phenomena https://amzn.to/2Yn7L8K  Enjoy this with your free trial:  “Through the Brown Mountain Lights” by Christy Tillery French  https://amzn.to/2MfRZZh   https://www.patreon.com/creepgeeks   Looking for something unique and spooky? Check out Omi’s new Etsy, CraftedIntent: https://www.etsy.com/shop/craftedintent  This Patron supported episode is brought to you by Dav, Adam, James, Bobby, John and John!  We really appreciate their Patronage! What to watch:   Currently Free for Amazon Prime   Seth Breedlove Small Town Monsters https://amzn.to/2yemd8x     On the trail of UFO’s https://amzn.to/2Uj5Hwu   Native Bigfoot: https://amzn.to/3a5TCzp    Recommended Reading:  Lyle Blackburn: Sinister Swamp: https://amzn.to/3g0Va0A  Stanton Friedman- Crash at Corona:The U.S. Military Retrieval and Cover-Up of a UFO https://amzn.to/38GkCqd  Shannon Legro -Beyond the Fray: Bigfoot: https://amzn.to/395obok  Ramdas - The One Eyed Turtle by Robert Goerman:  https://amzn.to/2DY5civ John A. Keel: The Man, The Myths, and the Ongoing Mysteries: https://amzn.to/2LHbd7X   Brown Mountain Lights: History, Human Nature, and Science Explain an Appalachian Mystery  https://amzn.to/2TJ2oyR  Get Something From Amazon Prime! https://www.amazon.com/shop/cheapgeek     Cool Stuff on Amazon -Squatch Metalworks Microsquatch Keychain:  https://amzn.to/2Mzc7Ek  Amazon Influencer!  https://www.amazon.com/shop/cheapgeek?ref=ac_inf_hm_vp   Instagram?  www.instagram.com/creep_geekspodcast   www.instagram.com/theordinaryhiker  Need to Contact Us? Email Info: contact@creepgeeks.com  Attn Greg or Omi  Want to comment about the show? omi@creepgeeks.com   greg@creepgeeks.com   Business Inquiries: contact@creepgeeks.com   https://teespring.com/stores/creepgeeks-podcast-store   Join Us Next Time!  Tags: Paranormal, supernatural, skinwalker ranch, FRB,bigfoot, sasquatch, social distancing, paranormal podcast, creepgeeks, creepgeeks paranormal 

On this episode of SCP, I am joined by my dad, Mikel Arnold to talk about kindness! My pops is a great handyman, hard worker, and loves to serve people. Both of my parents enjoy serving others, but my dad's willing & readiness is notable. One day when we were talking I noticed that his acts of kindness are not random at all. Rather, they were all intentional. Then I started to think that as followers of Jesus we should be intentional in our giving by seeking out ways to give daily, like my dad. Now, there will be moments of randomness, but for the Believer, we should be intentional in our acts of kindness towards others. I mean it is a part of the fruit of the spirit, so kindness should be what describes those who love Jesus. If it's not, ask the Lord to help you with being more intentional in acts of kindness. I believe that starts with preparedness in your mind and heart, as well as flexibility in your day for God to use you. This episodes sticky note quote is, "I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me. Philippians 4:13" SHIFT | CHANGE ANCRONYM: S - Soul Stirring. There needs to be a stirring of your soul to serve God before you start serving people. H - Habits. Being intentional in your acts of kindness has to start with your habits. If it's not one of your habits to give, you might not be as consistent. I - Internal trials. Turn your internal trials into opportunities to serve others. F - Faith. Build up your faith and trust in God. T - Time. Take time out of your life to help others. Start your intentional giving NOW even while in quarantine! Get creative as Hebrews 10:24-25 says in the Message Translation. Write a card, make a card, send food, make a care package, and have fun being intentional in your giving. Thank you for listening! Connect with my pops on Instagram: @ArnoldMikel Shift happens! Be the change and inspire others to be Shift Changers with you! Contact me shiftchangerpodcast@gmail.com Stay connected www.instagram.com/Revive.Her or visit the shop: www.ShopPalomaBlanca.com Have a story that inspired change by you or someone else? I would love to share it! Love the podcast? Be gangster and rate & review this podcast!

Giving a teased-hair nod with this title to the 80's classic, The Karate Kid and that oh-so-famous line: wax on, wax off. Mr Miyagi was training Daniel-san's muscles for future battles. Have you ever considered that our surrender to wear a mask is also training our spiritual muscles for future battles? Our natural instinct is to choose ourselves and what we think/like/accept. God is asking us to choose him and trust that his authority is all-together true and good. Join Kate and Rebecca as they deep dive into mask-wearing and share some history that we still surrender to every single time we drive our minivans. Mentions: On March 11, 2020 the Novel Coronavirus Disease, COVID-19, was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization. On March 13, 2020 a national emergency was declared in the United States concerning the COVID-19 Outbreak. To cut the mustard is “to reach or surpass the desired standard or performance” or more generally “to succeed, to have the ability to do something.” Pretty sure Kate's reference to cut the mustard was a misunderstandment. And yes, cut the cheese does refer to the toots.The Miss America Protest of 1969 protested equal rights for women and stood against beauty competitions for women. During the protest they burned bras, hairspray, makeup and mops.Jeep Grand Wagoneer is actually coming back for 2021 with a new body style! Check out the original version here.Volvo design engineer, Nils Bohlin, patented the first 3-point safety belt in 1958. Title 49 of the United States Code, Chapter 301, Motor Vehicle Safety Standard—took effect in 1968 and required manufacturers to fit seat belts into vehicles.New Hampshire is the only U.S. state that does not require adult drivers to wear safety belts while operating a motor vehicle. Action Steps: We serve a good God.We surrender to a higher authority, God.Every time you put your mask on say, "God, you're in control and I trust you."Surrendering the little things can lead to surrendering the bigger things. Gospel Truth: Sinful-self lives for yourself. Surrendered-self lives for something greater, Jesus Christ.James 4:1-10 (Message Translation)2 Corinthians 5:14-15 What is your ONE THING?

Editing this in the late evening, reflecting on the week. I experienced my first earthquake! very interesting vibe, not sure if I’ll do it again, the service was shaky. got em! This week Pastor Dave is talking about how every church has their own identity.     Verses Referenced John 1:12-13  John 1:12-13 (Message Translation) […]

My friend, Lauren Lianne and I have a very raw conversation about the hardship of singleness, how to trust God with something you so desperately want, and what to do when the doubts creep in that maybe God isn't good or doesn't have your best in mind. In this episode, we discuss:  How do we navigate the gap between our hopes and reality? How do we be honest about our feelings but also trust God when we're disappointed? When the gap gets too big between you and God, where do you go from there? How vital it is to invite other people into your loneliness, hurt, and most importantly the need to confess your secret sin to another person. How is the wait in our favor? How does pain serve a purpose? What does it look like to have faith in singleness or in any season of waiting? Scripture mentioned:  Rom 8:22-25 Psalm 34:18 Hebrews 6:19 Hebrews 12:2 Jeremiah 29:11 Resources mentioned:  Lauren's book: The Wait Will Not Be Wasted More about Lauren Follow Lauren on instagram Lysa TerKeurst: It's Not Supposed To Be This Way Hanna's Insta Highlight about The Message Translation (you have to click through maybe 18 stories to get to the part about The Message. ;) 

The devotion for today, Monday, July 20, was written by Kris Baker and is narrated by Thomas Riggs. Today's Words of Inspiration come from Revelation 14:12 (The Message Translation). Meanwhile, the saints stand passionately patient, keeping God's commands, staying faithful to Jesus.

I'm not a Message Translation girl but it held an interesting thought about John The Baptist. One word changed my perspective on this passage and how it pushes me to be a rumble in the desert. The Message says he was a "thunder" in the wilderness. He came on the scene to tell people Jesus was coming and he is portrayed as a "thunder". I'm no John The Baptist but shouldn't we all be a "thunder" telling people Jesus is coming? When the storm comes you often here the rumble before the storm. Are we rumbling?

This week was full of laughter due to Zoom issues this morning. Nevertheless, we had the pleasure of hearing from Dr. Cassandra Jones. She serves on our Executive Team and preached a powerful sermon from Matthew 5:43-48 (Message Translation). It's time for us to GROW UP!

Prayer--some people believe in the power of it, while others don't. Are you one of the many people who incorporate prayer in your everyday life? If so, I'm sure there were times when it seemed as if the answer to your prayer was a resounding 'no'. Because the answer didn't happen when you wanted it to. In episode 2, Lady V and I discussed the different reasons for that happening.  Lean not on your own understanding  Now, the question for some people then becomes "Why pray if I don't get the answer I want?" Unfortunately, that's when the feeling of giving up on prayer and God takes hold. Especially, to those individuals in desperate situations.  Well, let's see what the Word of God says about it. Thus, Proverbs 3:5-6 The Passion Translation says, “5 Trust in the Lord completely, and do not rely on your own opinions. With all your heart rely on him to guide you, and he will lead you in every decision you make. 6 Become intimate with him in whatever you do, and he will lead you wherever you go.”  This is to say, we don’t always know what’s best for us but God sees the big picture. Also, Philippians 4:6-7 The Passion Translation says,   "6 Don’t be pulled in different directions or worried about a thing. Be saturated in prayer throughout each day, offering your faith-filled requests before God with overflowing gratitude. Tell him every detail of your life, 7 then God’s wonderful peace that transcends human understanding, will make the answers known to you through Jesus Christ..."  Trusting God's timing for answered prayer  It is imperative to understand that yes God answers some prayers quickly. But on the flip side, some answers take longer to arrive. The scripture explains it well in Ecclesiastes 3:1 The Message Translation, "There’s an opportune time to do things, a right time for everything on the earth... In other words, God answers prayers in His perfect timing because He knows what's best for you. Therefore, when we trust God's timing [myself included] the answer to our prayers is on the way.  Closing  If you’ve prayed and are still waiting for God to answer a specific prayer, this podcast episode is definitely for you. Join me and Lady V as we discuss The Answer is on the Way.  Previous episodes you may enjoy  Faith Through the Storm – S2E1  The Divine Delays in Life – S2E2  Set Free from Abuse – S2E3  Christianity Misunderstood--Understanding Grace - S1E9  Wisdom — A God-listening Heart – S1E5  What is Love and the Role God Plays in It? – S1E1  Ask your questions or share your feedback  Comment on the episode Email feedback Follow and like us on Social Media Take our quick Audience Survey  Check out these links  spreadinghopeeverywheretalks.com  Weekly Devotionals by Lady V  Get Merch with Positive Messaging  Credits  Music by Joakim Karud 

Christology - The branch of Christian theology relating to the person, nature, and role of Christ. This sermon is based on Luke 2:22-40, the story of Jesus being presented at the Temple. Citations for this sermon - https://christianhistoryinstitute.org/study/module/athanasius; The Message Translation.

Major Adrian Allman on Harvest Sunday uses Psalm 145 from The Message Translation.

The Bite 2 Timothy 1:5 I remember your genuine faith, for you share the faith that first filled your grandmother Lois and your mother. In this bite, Paul is speaking to Timothy. He states that he remembers Timothy's faith. It was a genuine sincere faith. When people see you, do they see your faith in Jesus well enough to remember you by your faith? The Amplified version states: I remember your sincere and unqualified faith [the surrendering of your entire self to God in Christ with confident trust in His power, wisdom and goodness, a faith] which first lived in [the heart of] your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice, and I am confident that it is in you as well. The Message Translation states: That precious memory triggers another: your honest faith—and what a rich faith it is, handed down from your grandmother Lois to your mother Eunice, and now to you! This is generational faith. Just the other day, I witness my daughter speak with the pastor about her upcoming baptism. She answered his questions with such confidence even at just eight years old. I began to cry tears of joy because I could see that generational faith playing out in front of me. It was because I have seen that faith fill my grandmother Evelyn. I watched her Sunday after Sunday praising the Lord, I witnessed her reading and highlighting in her Bible. I also knelt beside her in prayer. It was because of this woman displaying her faith, that I become who I am today. The Digest Today I ask this:  Are you displaying a faith that can be witnessed and shared by the next generation? A faith like Paul stated that can be handed down? I don't know about you, but I would love to see people tell my grandchildren about my faith and legacy. I would love one day to her from my four children that because of me,  witnessing my faith in Jesus, they remembered and others remembered as well. The last time, I visited my grandmother this summer. I prayed over her aloud. Even though she can't respond verbally. She looked at me with such a joy I can' forget. I think we both knew. She had left a generational mark on me. I wish she was able to witness my children giving their life to Christ. But I will always make sure they know it was because of her faith, Mommy knows how to share the faith with them and others. Ladies, will you hand down a sincere faith like Lois and Eunice gave Timothy to your family? The Chew Share your faith with the next generation.

That’s Today’s Bold Truth - Psalm 4:7 in the Message Translation - don’t see lack and loss - You have more than enough - more joy in one ordinary day!

Power We see the power he has over the elements Romans 1:20 Christian Standard Bible (CSB) 20 For his invisible attributes, that is, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen since the creation of the world, being understood through what he has made. As a result, people are without excuse. God directs the snow Job 37: 6-7 “He directs the snow to fall on the earth and tells the rain to pour down. Then everyone stops working so they can watch his power. Psalm 147:16 New Living Translation (NLT) 16 He sends the snow like white wool; he scatters frost upon the ground like ashes. He stores it in His storehouses Job 38:22 New Living Translation (NLT) 22 “Have you visited the storehouses of the snow or seen the storehouses of hail? Purity Shows us the purity of white and a picture of what He does to our red sin Psalm 51:7 New Living Translation (NLT) 7 Purify me from my sins,[a] and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. Isaiah 1:18 New Living Translation (NLT) 18 “Come now, let’s settle this,” says the Lord. “Though your sins are like scarlet, I will make them as white as snow. Though they are red like crimson, I will make them as white as wool. Provision Snow is a provision, a watering source for food and causes growth for the farmer. Isaiah 55:10 New Living Translation (NLT) 10 “The rain and snow come down from the heavens and stay on the ground to water the earth. They cause the grain to grow, producing seed for the farmer and bread for the hungry. Person Jesus appearance is likened to snow his clothes his hair Revelation 1:14 New Living Translation (NLT) 14 His head and his hair were white like wool, as white as snow. And his eyes were like flames of fire. Matthew 28:3 New Living Translation (NLT) 3 His face shone like lightning, and his clothing was as white as snow. Pause Psalm 46:10 New Living Translation (NLT) 10 “Be still, and know that I am God! I will be honored by every nation. I will be honored throughout the world.” The Message Translation states He has snow and hail stockpiled for times of trouble. Have you ever traveled to where snow is made, seen the vault where hail is stockpiled, The arsenals of hail and snow that I keep in readiness for times of trouble and battle and war? We also build our “stockpiles” for times of trouble. Bring on the bread and milk? What if God is using the snow to show us something needs purifying in us? What if he wants us to see his Power and show our need for Him in time of trouble? His warnings are apparent. Snow is symbolic for cleansing Isaiah 1:18  He cleans us white as snow. He wants to settle with you Sister and clean you as pure and beautiful as the snow you see today in the Carolina’s. He is saying Come. I will make (insert your name) as white as snow. The Chew We need purification We need his power We need his provision We need to pause and Consider Him

The party never stops with God! Today’s Bold Truth is Psalm 5:12 in the Message Translation. My book #YourRXforJoy available on Amazon.

The fear of human opinion disables- but trusting in God protects us from that! Today’s Bold Truth is Proverbs 29:25 in the Message Translation from my book #YourRxForFear

Did you know you are called to carry light to dark places? One minister said: "You were created to stalk the darkness." Think on that awhile... God has placed His light in you so that YOU will be a carrier of light to those who haven't yet found the light. In this episode of Identity Advantage, Daphne and Angie ask the question: what does this look like? There are many ways to express God's light and many of those don't requires words (or preaching) to be fruitful! You could say that God's light can be expressed as love without words. Philippians 2:15 in the Message Translation says it best: "Provide people with a glimpse of good living and of the living God. Carry the light-giving Message into the night..." http://directory.libsyn.com/episode/index/id/5629464

The Message Translation of Romans 4:3: Abraham entered into what God was doing for him and that was the turning point!

"Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly." Matthew 11:28-30 Message Translation