Podcasts about not worthy

01:00 Aaron Renn: When Selfishness Becomes Celebrated: How modern culture repackages marital abandonment as radical self-love, with little counter-narrative from religious voices, https://www.aaronrenn.com/p/selfish-abandonment 09:00 Dennis Prager's First Public Message 11:00 Rodney Martin needs your prayers 24:00 Aaron Renn: Tradcons Are the Enemy of the American Man, https://www.aaronrenn.com/p/tradcons-are-the-enemy-of-the-american 30:00 How to navigate a low trust America, https://www.aaronrenn.com/p/betrayal 39:00 There's Never Been a Better Time to Be a Man in America, https://www.aaronrenn.com/p/a-good-time-to-be-a-man 45:20 How J.D. Vance Avoided Becoming Pete Buttigieg, https://www.aaronrenn.com/p/vance-buttigieg 52:00 The Basis of Attraction, https://www.aaronrenn.com/p/newsletter-17-the-basis-of-attraction 57:20 The Valorization of Selfishness: Society's message today is too often that you should care more about yourself and your own pleasure, https://www.aaronrenn.com/p/selfishness 1:06:00 Christians are not persecuted in America but all is not well, https://www.aaronrenn.com/p/persecution 1:15:00 NYT: At Columbia, Tension Over Gaza Protests Hits Breaking Point Under Trump, https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/12/nyregion/columbia-university-trump-protests.html 1:22:00 The differences and implications of the buffered identity vs the porous identity, https://lukeford.net/blog/?p=159273 1:27:20 Mark Halperin on Trump's First 100 Days, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kJC46Ng110k 1:36:00 More Universities Are Choosing to Stay Neutral on the Biggest Issues, https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/11/us/institutional-neutrality-universities-free-speech.html 1:40:00 Women and the Attractiveness Curve, https://www.aaronrenn.com/p/newsletter-18-women-and-the-attractiveness 1:55:00 Implications of the Rise of Online Dating, https://www.aaronrenn.com/p/newsletter-50-the-truth-about-online 2:01:00 NYT: Ambitious Democrats Have a New Game Plan: Yak It Up About Sports, https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/09/us/politics/democrats-sports-podcasts-male-voters.html 2:07:00 All events are ephemeral, https://www.ft.com/content/c0734fa8-9b29-4f8e-848d-589dc92edbb8 2:12:45 Why do Christian men keep proclaiming: "I'm Not Worthy of This Woman", https://www.aaronrenn.com/p/im-not-worthy-of-this-woman 2:16:20 Here's What Conservative Institutional Capture Looks Like, https://www.aaronrenn.com/p/capturing-institutions 2:21:00 Beauty Is Not Just in the Eye of the Beholder, https://www.aaronrenn.com/p/beauty 2:24:00 Anti-Trump evangelicals are very organized and well-funded, https://www.aaronrenn.com/p/the-resistance-will-be-organized 2:26:00 Anti-Trump evangelicals are very organized and well-funded, https://www.aaronrenn.com/p/the-resistance-will-be-organized 2:31:00 Aaron Renn: Affinity Group Migration and the Quest for Community, https://www.aaronrenn.com/p/the-resistance-will-be-organized 2:36:00 Become Illegible: In the negative world, people should look at ways to become less visible to governments and other entities 2:40:50 Why Men Hate Going to Church (with David Murrow), https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aqeJFtMD-k4 2:48:00 The Emergence of the Post-Religious Right, https://www.aaronrenn.com/p/the-emergence-of-the-post-religious 2:54:00 Conservative Elites Prefer Living in Progressive Elite Cities, https://www.aaronrenn.com/p/conservative-elites-prefer-living 3:01:00 The Kingdom, the Power, and the Glory: American Evangelicals in an Age of Extremism, https://claremontreviewofbooks.com/protestant-deformation/ 3:16:00 Jesse Waters

The Presbyterian Church of Upper Montclair Sunday, February 9, 2025 Sermon: "Don't Push Me! I'm Not Worthy!" Scripture Reading: Luke 5:1-11 Pastor Greg Horn

Max Miller of Tasting History joins us to talk the Titanic sketch and breaking bones. Jason's latest book, We're Not Worthy, is the history of 90s...

Lisabeth Posthuma joins us to talk with some idiots from our past. Check out her latest book, Baby & Solo! Jason's latest book, We're Not Worthy,...

Kimberley joins us to talk sketches, improv and more. Jason's latest book, We're Not Worthy, is the history of 90s TV sketch comedy. You can...

God's Gift of Parenting, Not Worthy and FOMO for Family. Biden gets an “F” on the economy. Retirement Delusions. Elder Fraud! Financial Parasites. Real Estate Sharks Getting Desperate Buffett: Your taxes are going up! Unsustainable Job Growth. Where Did All the Public Companies Go? Stupid EV Trucks! Return of Government Motors?? Omnipotent Government Employees. Boeing has become a bad movie. Sisyphus, the Watchdog and Trump Media. Free Netflix??? Gen Z Debt Hole. Humiliation Porn vs. Merit and Policy. Planet of the Apes and our Foreign Policy. Forever Wars. Lessons from the Met GalaColumbia takes pathetic to new lows. Underwater Car Loans?? Beware of Conservative Ghosts!!! Dead Dogs and North Korea

God's Gift of Parenting, Not Worthy and FOMO for Family. www.watchdogonwallstreet.com

It's time for our 10th Anniversary Special with Nic Robes and Taylor Jessen! Jason's latest book, We're Not Worthy, is the history of 90s TV...

My guest, Honey Duncan, is celebrating her 7th year of sobriety today – February 20, 2024. It took just one pain pill to cause her descent into addiction. While that pain pill helped with her back pain, it also helped numb her emotional pain. She liked how that pill seemingly solved her problems. She quotes actor Russell Brand in her interview. He said, “Drugs and alcohol are not my problem. Reality is my problem. Drugs and alcohol are the solutions to my problem.” Four overdoses scared her, but they were not her rock bottom. Jail was. While there, Honey decided, “I was made for more.” Jail was the needed ‘wakeup call' to take recovery seriously. Today is a day of celebration. One in which Honey will give all the credit to God for breaking the stronghold of addiction. Notable quotes from this episode with Honey Duncan:·         “I don't know at what point I gave up on being worthy. But I was like I'm never gonna be worthy, so I might as well be bad.”·         “There's no running away from your pains. You have to confront them and overcome them.”·         “The only person my anger is hurting is myself.”Bible verses:·         Romans 8:28 “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who[a] have been called according to his purpose.”·         Ephesians 6:12 NLT “For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.”Connect with Honey Duncan:On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/honey.h.duncan On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/honeyd/

Jay is a cardigan guy now, Dan has started a Sims family tree, and they play catch up. Jason's latest book, We're Not Worthy, is...

Dan and Jay taste-test the re-release of a classic Dan and Jay branded beer from the group's recent past. Jason's latest book, We're Not Worthy,...

Sci-fi talk, discussion of Jay's love of Cruella, and what a nice guy Dave Bautista seems to be. Jason's latest book, We're Not Worthy, is...

Dan and Jay talk with Jay's buddy Ray Nowosielski of the great new podcast George Bailey Was Never Born. Jason's latest book, We're Not Worthy,...

Dan and Jay meet some characters from their great-grandads' past. Jason's latest book, We're Not Worthy, is the history of 90s TV sketch comedy. You can...

Chaz N Schatz genuflect and give a heartfelt "We're Not Worthy!!" to Billy Alexander & Tim Starace from YYNOT. We were so thrilled to have YYNOT join us that we dumped name checking (beyond the usual suspect What No Way Guy) in favor of chatting up the band and going deep with YYNOT and Rush music analysis and organized chaos. We got the scoop on the 2024 Bubba Bash, Billy's new release Alpha Rhythm, and holy shit - a fuck-ton whole lot more than we bargained for!! (The language...these guys...) Fast Facts: - Tim doesn't dream. - Billy's had nightmares about performing with Rush. - The 2023 Bubba Bash raised over $100K for the Neil Peart wing at Cedar Sinai! - Schatz bollocks up the vote...(whose Shatz is hanging now??) We share a special Mental Health Day message from the home office at Danforth & Pape, deep dive on how YYNOT came to be, the band, their life on the road, gear choices in the studio versus the stage, traveling preferences, male-oriented wipe preferences (Tim's preferences...), the evolution of the Bubba Bash, and so much more...we're really gonna blow your drawers out with a pants-load of YYNOT coverage. So grab whatever it is you sanitize with, don't look at your fingers, and join us for our best behavior episode - one that would have made Dad proud. Welcome to the sweet-spot baybee...cacao! Cacao!! We're also announcing Schatz's Effin' Pre-show Meet Up at The Dark Bullet in NYC near the Beacon Theater on November 13th - come out and hang out with Schatz and other Rush Rashers making their way to the Effin show!! Rush news, general nonsensical disorderly conduct, lack of regard for correctness or truth, and reckless endangerment of your whole-brain. This is the only podcast that is dedicated to increasing opioid release in your anterior insula, your anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), and your posterior cingulate cortex (PCC), in addition to the basal ganglia and the thalamus...and all that that implies.  Some thick North Jersey accents and they give you some royalty-free sound effects and movie clips too - what more do you need to indulge your urge to scratch?!  Join us - you know where to scratch - blah, blah...RushRash.

Dan and Jay meet Frozo Margs. Thanks to Allen Rueckert for his unknown contribution to this episode. Jason's next book, We're Not Worthy, is the history...

Dan and Jay meet the Dan and Jay's Comedy Hour B-Team. Jason's next book, We're Not Worthy, is the history of 90s TV sketch comedy....

Do you love 90's sketch comedy AND think reading is fundamental? Then check out Jason Klamm's brand new book We're Not Worthy (2023) and learn all about how 90's sketch TV changed the face of comedy. Host Sara Greenfield and her guest, author Jason Klamm, chat about all this and more on this week's episode of Talk Classic To Me. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/sara-greenfield/support

Dan and Jay speak with Dan's great-great-grandfather, Darbish Paloof, and discover a potential time paradox. Jason's next book, We're Not Worthy, is the history of 90s...

Happy Labor Day, That Aged Well listeners! Erika and Paul are out stuffing themselves with barbecue food and wine, but they cooked up something special, just to tide you over. It's an interview with author Jason Klamm, whose upcoming book We're Not Worthy is all about sketch comedy from the 80s and 90s and how it shaped all of us. Not only that but they take a look at some classic sketches from SNL, In Living Color, All That, The State, and The Tracey Ullman Show and ask..did this age well? ORDER WE'RE NOT WORTHY HERE! If you want to see the sketches we talked about, here are the links (except for The State...that's on Paramount+)! Wayne's World (start at the hour and twenty minute mark) Welcome To Hell Introducing Homey D. Clown All That Francesca's First Job You can follow That Aged Well on Twitter (@ThatAgedWellPod), Instagram (@ThatAgedWell), Threads (@ThatAgedWell), and Spoutible (@ThatAgedWell)!  SUPPORT US ON PATREON FOR BONUS CONTENT! THAT AGED WELL MERCH! Hosts: Paul Caiola & Erika Villalba Producer & Editor: Paul Caiola  

Jason talks about his new book, We're Not Worthy, the history of '90s sketch comedy, which comes out September 12. You can find pre-order info at SketchComedyBook.com, and you can see Jason do a reading at Toadvine Books in Berkley, MI … Continue reading →

Today we're chatting with Jason Klamm, author of the new upcoming book (Sept. 12th to be exact) all about sketch comedy in the 90s, We're Not Worthy! We discuss the hardships of putting the book together, various bombshells dropped during the making of it and more!

Sermon preached on Sunday Evening 8/20/2023 from Romans 2:16-29, titled "I'm Not Worthy" by Pastor Henry Funkhouser at the First Baptist Church of Easton.

Jason Klamm (@jasonklamm) is a comedy NERD… his DORKDOM is the ol' Sitcom NewsRadio and we get INTO it! I am reminded of the 90s. He has a new book coming called “We're Not Worthy” and you can order it here: https://jasonklamm.com/notworthybook/ this episode is sponsored by www.BetterHelp.com/DORK   Donate to The Dork Forest if you like the show. The paypal is my email jackie@jackiekashian.com and venmo is jackiekashian. Links to everything is at www.dorkforest.com or www.jackiekashian.com. Merch: New album and Special, TDF tshirts, standup shirts and other CDs/DVDs. Touring Info. All the things. www.jackiekashian.com. Premium eps of TDF are taped live and available here: https://thedorkforest.bandcamp.com/ Youtube has everything too. It's @jackiekashian on all the social mediaz. Audio and Video by Patrick Brady Music is by Mike Ruekberg Website design by Vilmos #applepodcasts #spotify #amazon #youtube #tiktok Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dan and Jay discuss Dan's web-breaking website, LordOfDance.com. Jason's next book, We're Not Worthy, is the history of 90s TV sketch comedy, and is released September...

Dan and Jay discuss Dan's earliest world-building and language creating. Jason's next book, We're Not Worthy, is the history of 90s TV sketch comedy, and is...

Jonny Fairplay is joined by stand up comedian Wayne Memmott from the Reality After Show team as they recap and review episode 11, I'm Not Worthy, of Survivor 44. #survivor #survivor44 #realityaftershowThis show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/5448874/advertisement

Welcome to another episode of the Outlast Podcast! Today, we'll be reviewing Survivor S44E11 titled “I'm Not Worthy.” The episode starts off with a tip for future Survivor players, which is to remain calm and composed even when Tribal Council doesn't go their way, just like Bobby De Niro. Carolyn, a smart and emotional player, was left out of the Frannie vote last week by her alliance-mates Carson and Yam Yam, and she did not take it lightly. She was upset and emotional, and it remains to be seen whether this blip will dismantle the Tika alliance. Moving on to the current episode, Danny, Heidi, Jaime, and Lauren still want to get Carson out, who is a smart player, has won immunity, and is good at puzzles. Yam Yam tells Danny that Heidi was the one who voted for him at the last Tribal, and when Danny confronts Heidi about it, she lies. Carolyn's lobster finds are also shown in the episode, which seems a bit out of place. Immunity is up for grabs, and Yam Yam wins the “fight the tide and hold your breath under a grate” challenge. It's a repeated challenge from the last season, and the contestants are getting tired of the same challenges. No one wants to go to the Final 3 with Yam Yam or Carson, and Carolyn knows she needs to keep Carson around. She approaches Danny to find out the plan and spills her secret to Carson that she has the Tika idol. Meanwhile, Jaime and Lauren claim they have “all the power” and can vote for Danny or Carson. At Tribal Council, Lauren accidentally slights Carolyn, and Danny annoys Carolyn with his quip, prompting Jeff to ask if she is irritated. The Tribal Council is entertaining, and Yam Yam adds his two cents. Overall, it was an interesting episode, and we can't wait to see what happens next. Will Carolyn's emotional outburst affect the Tika alliance, and who will be the next to go home? Tune in to the next episode to find out! -------------------- *Check Out All Our Podcasts!* Geek Freaks Podcast: https://linktr.ee/GeekFreaks Disney Moms Gone Wrong: https://linktr.ee/disneymomsgonewrong Challenge Accepted: https://linktr.ee/challengeacceptedgf Headlines: https://tinyurl.com/2p8bvu6d Level Up!: https://linktr.ee/PushingButtonsPodcast TrekFreaks: https://linktr.ee/TrekFreaks Geek Freaks Interviews: https://linktr.ee/GeekFreaksInterviews Outlast Podcast: https://linktr.ee/OutlastPodcast Round Three: https://linktr.ee/RoundThree From The Pages: https://www.patreon.com/GeekFreakspodcast -------------------- *Hang Out With Us!* Discord: https://discord.gg/6Jrvyb2 Twitter: twitter.com/geekfreakspod Facebook: facebook.com/groups/227307812330853/ Instagram: instagram.com/geekfreakspodcast E-mail: thegeekfreakspodcast@gmail.com Twitch: twitch.tv/geekfreakspodcast Site: geekfreakspodcast.com --------------------- *Support Us!* Patreon: https://patreon.com/GeekFreakspodcast Store: redbubble.com/people/GeekFreaks --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/outlast-podcast/support

Jamie, Jack, and Colleen discuss Season 44, Episode 11 of Survivor, titled, “I’m Not Worthy” and predict who is going home next week. Feedback: SurvivorJJC@gmail.com Patreon: www.patreon.com/jayandjack Subscribe (MP3) l Become a Patron l Join Our Facebook Group Listen to “Ep. 17.11 "I'm Not Worthy"” on Spreaker.

Jamie, Jack, and Colleen discuss Season 44, Episode 11 of Survivor, titled, "I'm Not Worthy" and predict who is going home next week.Feedback: SurvivorJJC@gmail.comPatreon: www.patreon.com/jayandjackThis show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/2940615/advertisement

The Super Mader Bros. crew analyzes Episode 11 of Survivor 44, airing Wednesday, May 10, 2023. Super Mader Bros. Podcast Survivor 44, Episode 11, "I'm Not Worthy" Recap and Analysis Wednesday, May 10, 2023 Survivor Recap Podcast Series THIS WEEK'S PODCASTERS Jaemeel Robinson, Jeff Mader, Josh Foster, Dave Mader SUPER MADER BROS. PODCAST CREATED BY Dave Mader and Jeff Mader A PROUD MEMBER OF THE UNITED FEDERATION OF PODCASTS, A NETWORK FOUNDED BY Dave Mader, Davan Skelhorn, Jaemeel Robinson, Chris Murphy PRODUCER Dave Mader Check us out online at https://www.ufpodcasts.com/supermaderbros Streaming live on Twitch, Youtube and Facebook: Twitch Channel: https://www.twitch.tv/supermaderbros YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzUI4LdV1j828qVnFWo3r_g Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/supermaderbros Audio version available wherever you get your audio podcasts. Listen to us on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1VPPAkt035QFZUb85SIrnf #Survivor44 #Survivor #SuperMaderBros #UFP #UFpodcasts

A new MP3 sermon from First Asian Indian Presbyterian Church is now available on SermonAudio with the following details: Title: Paul, Not Worthy of Death! Subtitle: The Book of Acts Speaker: Pastor Jegar Chinnavan Broadcaster: First Asian Indian Presbyterian Church Event: Sunday Service Date: 9/18/2022 Bible: Acts 25:13-27 Length: 36 min.

Well, the cat's out the bag and now you all know I'm recovering from the lovely Delta variant of the Rona, which is why I missed an episode earlier this month. Today's episode is really quick, but I'm a hot ass fucking crying mess sharing a poem I recently wrote about a miscarriage I had in 2017 called "Not Worthy." Sorry for the snot nosed congestion, I had been crying a lot.  ++++ Have a comment, question, topic request or feedback? Email us at choochontheloose@gmail.com. ++++ If you haven't yet shared the episode with a friend or rated, reviewed and subscribed, do that shit ASAP. Ratings and reviews helps the podcast get found so we (who is we? IDK) can make $ and have oiled up muscular mens fan us & feed us grapes. If you really wanna help us reach that goal, our Venmo is @sonjacharde, Cash App $sonjacharde. You can also click the "support" link below. Consider it reparations and collective care. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/choochontheloose/support

Is COURAGE the way to shift trapped emotions & generational trauma?We often do you say, "life is testing me today".But does it?Consider that life is a mirror. It is a mirror of your beliefs, values & habits etc.That is why when we feel NOT ENOUGH or NOT WORTHY, we may feel "stuck" in life, which is a major obstacle to attracting happiness, joy, abundance & love.It takes COURAGE to slow down, to sit in your discomfort and question your beliefs, values & stories we are telling ourselves.It is in this discomfort that we can shift trapped emotions and heal generational trauma.After you ponder this, think of the relationship with yourself as a starting point.How low and unhappy do you have to get to start showing up as yourself?It is time to drop the MASK.Ashley Dunnwald, a certified life and weight loss coach, joined me for today's episode.We had a fantastic conversation, and I think you will enjoy it.So tune in, and don't forget to leave a review.---LIKED THE EPISODE?Please leave a review.OTHER RESOURCES:My Instagram Account https://www.instagram.com/ewelina_j_szczeblewska/My LinkedIn Accounthttps://www.linkedin.com/in/ewelina-szczeblewska/

Top 5 News Headlines and Commentary for Tuesday, August 23, 2022. 1. Dr. Fauci Announces He Will Leave Public Service in December 2. Judge Who Authorized Warrant for Trump Raid Declines DOJ's Request to Keep Affidavit Sealed 3. Trump Files Lawsuit Seeking Special Master to Examine Evidence Taken During FBI Raid 4. President of American Federation of Teachers Retweets Fake List of Banned Books 5. NYT Reporters Claim Constitution is Broken, Not Worthy of Being Reclaimed.

Today we discuss the feeling of not feeling worthy or good enough... Merch: https://teespring.com/stores/savage-beings www.savagebeings.com Follow @savagebeings and @demics on IG  

The Fifth Sunday after the Epiphany   Text: Isaiah 6:1-8   Theme: "We're Not Worthy!"   Readings: Isaiah 6:1-8, 1 Corinthians 14:12b-20, Luke 5:1-11   Rev. Daniel Redhage   Trinity Lutheran Church   The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod   Lowden, Iowa

The post I'm Not Worthy to Untie His Shoes appeared first on Providence Church.

Title: Hope and Holiness Text: I Peter 1:13-16 FCF: We often struggle enduring persecution. Prop: Because our Great God is at the center of our Great Salvation, we must set our hope in future grace and be holy in our present place. Scripture Intro: [Slide 1] Turn in your bible to I Peter chapter 1. It never ceases to amaze me how deep and rich the word of God truly is. Not only is the depth of its teachings unsearchable and inexhaustible, but they are readily applicable to life. There are few weeks where something doesn't come up privately in my own life, in the news, in the greater Christendom, or even in our area that connects with the passage of scripture I am studying at the time. That is why when some ask me what my favorite passage of scripture is – it is usually the one I am studying at the time. The apostle Peter began his letter with his head in the clouds. He spoke of the greatness of our God and His centrality to our Salvation. But what is the purpose of all this theological talk? Was it simply to remind his audience that this was all true? Or was there a greater purpose? Peter is now going to shift to applying all that he has been saying since the beginning. He will use the great theological truths of God's centrality to our salvation as a springboard to command his audience to hope and to holiness. I am reading from the ESV today but you can follow along in the pew bible on page 1364. I'll start reading in verse 13. Transition: This doesn't promise to be an overly long message. Only 4 verses to consider. But my oh my are there some big concepts here. Let's look together. I.) Our Great God is at the center of our Great Salvation, so we must hope in future grace given when Christ is revealed. (13) a. [Slide 2] 13 - Therefore, i. What Peter is about to say is predicated upon all that he has said up to this point. ii. It is prudent for us then, to go back and review what He has said up to now in the letter. iii. Peter's audience is under slanderous persecution because they have dared to break from their sinful past to follow Jesus. iv. Their former friends and family have begun to ridicule and become suspicious of them for their radical life-change. v. What is Peter's message of comfort to them? It is the GREAT salvation that they have received. vi. But what makes this salvation so great? Well, Peter has spent the last 11 verses highlighting the greatness of their salvation. 1. First, that their salvation's origin was in their God. They were chosen by Him according to His own predeterminate will by the Spirit's consecrating power to be pulled from the realm of darkness into the realm of light, so that they may obey the gospel and be washed clean by the blood of Christ. 2. Second, that their salvation's security is in their God. That Christ through His resurrection and ascension has secured for them a hope that will never die. That by God's enduring and unending power, He has supplied to them a faith that continues to hold fast. And that faith, given by God, exercised by His people, will become an enduring trophy to bring greater praise and honor to Christ when He is revealed, and is now accomplishing its purpose, namely, the salvation of our souls. 3. Third, that their salvation's mystery has been revealed to them by their God. Spoken of old in pieces and parts through the Holy Spirit, now God has revealed in full the redemption of His people both in the sufferings of Christ and His current glory. vii. So what makes this salvation so great? viii. It is fully and completely of God toward us! God has done it all! He created it, he sustains it, and He has revealed it to us. ix. Knowing all of this, Peter is ready to command his audience. x. As one commentator put it - “The imperatives of Christian living always begin with “therefore”” Clowney 1988 b. [Slide 3] Preparing your minds for action i. Before Peter gets to the command of this passage, he introduces that command with two participles. ii. The first would actually translate to “gird up the loins of your mind” iii. Which is an idiom to express the concept of getting ready to do something. Since they wore robes and flowing gowns, to gird up the loins would be to gather the robes so they could run without tripping. iv. The translators of the ESV do a good job untangling that idiom for us. v. However, this participle has an aspect that is undefined. What that means is that we probably cannot determine if this is a one-time activity or an ongoing activity. All we know is that it is something that is or was. vi. So, what is or was? Their minds prepared for action. vii. This is an intriguing idea. For us, the concept of the mind and action tend to be separate. What we think is not always what we do or say. To act, is not always in conjunction with our thoughts. viii. But Peter desires that the action he is about to command his audience, be done with the mind completely and fully engaged. Indeed, Peter seems to consider the mind an integral part of fulfilling his command. ix. What is clear, is that the understanding of the greatness of God in our salvation from the previous 12 verses, is at the core of our minds being adequately prepared for what he is about to command. x. But before he gets to that, here is the second participle… c. [Slide 4] And being sober-minded, i. Unlike the first participle the aspect here suggests a more ongoing action. ii. To be sober would normally mean to remain unintoxicated. Not drunk. iii. However, contextually this word can refer to vigilance or alertness or being on guard. iv. It seems best to refer to any of these since Peter is not really getting into sins or things to avoid at this point. v. So not only must our minds be prepared for action, they must also stay ready, stay vigilant, stay alert – stay in defense mode. vi. So, we have to ask, why? vii. For what purpose must our minds be prepared and alert? d. [Slide 5] Set your hope fully i. All of our hope must be placed somewhere. ii. Why do we need prepared minds for that? Well, we need to have some kind of remembrance or mental engagement in order to give up our hope so fully and so freely. iii. Why do we need vigilance for that? Well, when we see oncoming assault that may shake us to our core, we need then, at that moment especially, to have our hope resting in something secure. iv. Have you ever walked into waves? Whether at a beach or a wave pool? I have a video of Moira experiencing waves for the first time. She boldly ran right up to the water as it left the beach. And she ran in terror from the waves as they came screaming back in. But knowing that waves do this, keeping her eyes up and ready, and bracing her body for the impacts, she has learned to trust her footing and not fear the waves. v. Do you see where I am going here? vi. Knowing the origination, sustaining, and revealing of our salvation rests solely on God gives us the right mental starting point to look up in readiness as we await the assault of our world on our God-given faith. vii. But on what are our feet of faith fully anchored? viii. On what are we leaning as we brace for impact? e. [Slide 6] On the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. i. God is not only the origin of our faith, the sustainer of our faith, the revealer of our faith… my friends… He is the finisher of our faith. ii. And one day, the Son of God will descend and the dead in Christ will be raised, and we will be, from that moment on, with the Lord – Forever! iii. Jesus will not come in meekness again. He will come in power and glory. iv. The sky will burst open and He will descend as He came. v. All will see Him and confess His Kingship. All will bow to Him as Lord. vi. All will see Him and either rejoice or despair. vii. My friends, that will be the great and terrible day of the Lord. viii. And it is on the promise of that day WE PLANT OUR FEET OF FAITH FIRMLY! ix. This life is not the end. This life is not our home. This life is not our Kingdom. This life is not where we belong. x. Therefore, what happens in this life is NOT WORTHY to be compared to the future grace we will receive when Christ comes to take us home. xi. My friends. Prepare your minds, brace for impact, set your full and complete hope in the coming Kingdom of the Son. It is already here in our hearts and in His church… but it will be fully here one day… soon. xii. His promises are forever. Unshaken. Unhindered by man or beast, by angel or demon. He will complete our salvation. xiii. Hope… in… this! f. [Slide 7] Passage Truth: The reminder of this passage on which Peter commands his audience is what he has said in the previous 12 verses. Their GREAT God is at the center of their GREAT salvation. He is the author, the sustainer, and the revealer of it. g. [Slide 8] Passage Application: If God is all of these, Peter's audience must place their hope fully and completely on God's promise of future grace that will be given to them when Christ is revealed. h. [Slide 9] Broader Biblical Truth: As we back out from this passage we see the entire counsel of God's Word revealing to us the nature of this redemption. From before time until time unending, God has designed, secured, and revealed His redemption to His people. And just as sure as all that is – so is the promise that He will complete this redemption for HIs people. i. [Slide 10] Broader Biblical Application: So, what is our response? We must be prepared. We must be ready. We must remember all that God has done so that we can root our footing of faith in the promise of His coming Kingdom and our future grace. Grace is what gets us through the day, Grace is what makes us what God wants us to be, and in that great and final day when Christ descends – Grace will reign in us as we are finally made whole. No matter what life gives us, no matter what we face, that hope is enough to keep us. Transition: [Slide 11(blank)] So, the greatness of our God and His centrality to our Great Salvation moves us to set our hope in that future grace given to us at the revelation of Christ. What a marvelous hope that is too. When we live in light of the future Kingdom of God, we can face all uncertainties. Indeed, as Jesus said to those worrying about food and clothing – seek first the kingdom of God. But not just the Kingdom Jesus said… but also His righteousness. Let's see if Peter agrees with Jesus. II.) Our Great God is at the center of our Great Salvation, so we must be holy as He is holy. (14-16) a. [Slide 12] 14 – As obedient children, i. In light of the greatness of God who is at the center of our Great salvation, Peter is going to give one more command to us before we wrap things up this morning. ii. But once again, Peter is going to couch that command behind two participles. iii. This is important for us to realize because we could come into this text and assume that Peter is commanding several things. iv. In fact, some commentators argue that each of these participles are commands. However, most agree that each of these participles are subordinate to the imperative commands of Peter. v. As we saw before the preparing of our mind and being vigilant directly related to setting our hope on the coming King and His Kingdom. vi. So, we can assume that the other two participles here have direct significance to the command he will give. vii. He begins all of this with the metaphor of being obedient children. viii. This metaphor governs the rest of this section through verse 16. ix. In verse 16, not to spoil anything, Peter relays a quote from Leviticus 19. It is a command of God. x. Essentially what Peter says in shorthand is “like obedient children, obey God.” xi. But how specifically? xii. Let's continue. b. [Slide 13] Do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, i. There are some curious things about this phrase. ii. First, it is in the negative. Something that should not be done. iii. Second, “conforming” is a participle with an ongoing aspect and has a yourself layer in it also. Meaning we could probably translate this “not conforming yourselves” iv. Third, this entire phrase is the indirect object of the sentence. This is how we know that the previous metaphor of obedient children is governing this whole section and not just this phrase. v. Grammatically, the thought cannot end here. vi. In fact, this is kind of a cross between a parenthetical expression and the other half of the command he is going to give. vii. So, stay tuned for that command. viii. But what does it mean for them to not conform themselves to the passions of their former ignorance? ix. Peter will definitely give more information on this later in the letter… but suffice it to say, it is the lifestyles they lived prior to God bringing them to spiritual life and showing them truth. x. Lifestyles of slavery to sin. xi. They cannot conform themselves again to the passions they had while not knowing the truth. xii. What else? c. [Slide 14] 15 – but as He who called you is holy i. In comes the second participle but it is quite interesting here. ii. It is not a participle that is toward Peter's audience but goes back to the center of our salvation… God Himself. iii. So, we might translate it “Just as the one who called you is holy.” d. [Slide 15] You also be holy in all your conduct i. So here is the command, but it is difficult to see. ii. It is to be or to become. iii. You must become. You yourself must become… what? iv. You must become holy in all your conduct. v. So let's analyze the participles and how they contribute to the verbs. 1. Not conforming to your former ignorant passions 2. Called by God vi. Without these two truths, it is impossible to be holy. vii. Without God's calling and without turning from your former passions, you cannot be holy. viii. One is mechanical and the other antithetical. 1. Without God's call, a person is not able to be holy. It is mechanically impossible. 2. Without turning from their former ignorant passions, one cannot hope to be holy since holiness necessitates purity. Holiness and the former passions are mutually exclusive. ix. So, we see how the participles serve the command, but what is the command? x. It is a command to become holy in conduct. When we see the term holiness it can apply in many different ways. God is holy, He is unique. We are holy in that we are set apart for a sacred service to God. It is probably due to this fluidity of the expression that Peter adds “in all your conduct” here. xi. He is not telling his audience to convert or be justified. He is not telling them to be consecrated to the Lord. Not only is that something that they cannot affect on their own, but it is also not the kind of holiness He has in mind. xii. Peter desires that his audience would be pure, set apart, and different in their lifestyles. That all that they do, say, and think, would be set apart. xiii. And God is the pattern for this. Just as the one who called you is holy, you also be holy. xiv. So, we are not set apart in our conduct in some vague way or to be simply weird or peculiar. Rather, this must mean morally upright. A law-keeper. xv. What does being a law-keeper have to do with this and how does it connect with being obedient children? e. [Slide 16] 16 – since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.” i. The language of being like obedient children and the concept of being a morally upright law-keeper collide. ii. Peter quotes Leviticus 19:2. An interesting section to quote. It is not from the section of Leviticus devoted to the priests. It is not from sections devoted to ritualistic practice. It is from the moral law of God. iii. Indeed, the full quote of verse 2 is “Speak to the whole congregation of the Israelites and tell them, “You must be holy because I, the Lord your God, am holy.”” iv. Then in verse 3 and 4 he covers commandment 5, 4, and 2 in quick succession. v. It is obvious that Peter is not speaking about holiness ritualistically. He is speaking about holiness practically. Be morally upright! Be pure! vi. We know, that perfection in this life is not within our grasp. But we also love God's law and desire to keep it fully. When we fail, our payment has been made and it stokes our hearts to cry out to the Lord for mercy and grace. vii. But we should make no mistake. The destiny for ALL God's children. For all whom He has called. For All whom He has elected. For All whom He has given true faith… their destiny is to be holy in conduct. Imperfectly in this life, and perfectly in the new Kingdom. viii. That is why the grace to be given to us when Christ is revealed is so sweet. For we will finally, and fully, keep this command. f. [Slide 17] Passage Truth: Again, the Great God of our Great salvation takes center stage. He is the one who has called Peter and his audience out from darkness into light and He is the one who has provided the pattern for them to follow in holiness. g. [Slide 18] Passage Application: So they must live holy lives. Their conduct is to be completely different than the world around them. This should give them the resolve they need to continue to live differently – not the way they used to – even if that means ridicule and suspicion. h. [Slide 19] Broader Biblical Truth: And just like for Peter's audience, God is the center of our great salvation too. He has given us the standard to follow. First in His Word, written down for us thousands of years ago. His holy law given to us to observe and follow. To the extent that distancing ourselves from the truths of even the first page of the Old Testament is to cut off part of the pattern for us to follow. And to us blessed to be part of the New Covenant at these late stages, we have the pattern of holiness displayed for us in the life and death of our Lord Jesus Christ. All we have, all we are, is from God the triune. To Him be glory and honor forever and ever. Amen. i. [Slide 20] Broader Biblical Application: So then, CBC, we cannot go about merely praising the Lord for our great salvation. We cannot sit in our pews and merely marvel at the wonder of this redemption. We cannot simply secure our faith against all that may assault it. No, my friends – it is not sufficient to be a Christian in mind only. We must be a slave of Christ in our conduct also. Living holy lives that reflect the redemption that God has wrought upon us. The greatest amen to such a great salvation is not said with words, but lived. May we be holy as our God is holy. Conclusion: [Slide 21] And so, CBC, taking both commands of Peter, to set our hope in the future grace and to be holy, what might we draw from such a powerful and cumulative passage? First, we see clearly that the spiritual battle starts in our minds. Why do we continue to preach and teach the bible to one another? Why do we continue to talk about the gospel even though we are saved? Shouldn't we just have this information in our heads already? Why must we continually be reminded? For Peter's audience, and for us, the realities of our Great God and His central role in our Great Salvation are mostly invisible truths that we have received by True Faith. They are not baseless and there is so very little evidence that our faith is blind. But when the kingdom of darkness closes in, when troubles threaten to overtake us, when persecution befalls us, when life becomes a waking nightmare – we will need to have had a recent reminder of the Greatness of our God and His central role in our Great Salvation. We will need to have been prepared. Why do we preach Christ crucified still? Because friend, you may need these words someday that is not today. You may need to cling to the promises of a future grace in the revelation of Christ. That may be all you have… I am reading The Hiding Place right now. A story about Corrie Ten Boom, who lived in Holland during World War II. While she was hauled to prison for hiding Jews in her home, what do you think sustained her? What gave her strength? Was it Preachers telling her that she can have her best life now? Was it prophets declaring that today is the year of Jubilee where she will gain wealth through faith? Was it Pastors teaching messages about how she could use the power of positive thinking to chase away her problems? No. She had 1 copy of each gospel. She consumed them and noted how many evil, terrible, and wicked things befell the Son of God and His apostles. And she thought – if God was in control then, and His Son suffered this way according to God's plan, and it did not stop His Kingdom, indeed, it was even part of His Kingdom's coming… perhaps even her imprisonment was part of God's Kingdom continuing to work. My friends. Corrie Ten Boom's mind was prepared. It was vigilant. And she was prepared to set her hope on the God of her salvation. Not from a Nazi prison, but from this world and to His Kingdom. And I tell you, if we are not prepared thusly – we will crumble. That is why we preach Christ crucified. You will face horrors for the name of Christ. Prepare your minds! Be Vigilant! So that you can Set your hope on the future grace given to you when Christ is revealed. But my friends, the battle may start in our mind – but it doesn't end there. A celebrity pastor named Steven Furtick made the news this week for tweeting out this statement. [Slide 22] “Following Jesus doesn't change you into something else, it reveals who you've been all along. What would it be like to see the you that God sees…” Compare Peter's command to Steven Furtick's tweet. [Slide 23 (end)] As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but just as He who called you is holy, be holy in all your conduct – since it is written “you shall be holy for I am holy” Do you see any contradiction there? Yeah… I wish I could say that this is the only statement Steven Furtick has made in recent history that contradicts the gospel – but he is known for this drivel. The saddest part is that his tweet received over 18,000 likes and over 2,500 shares. He is followed by almost 800,000 people and pastors one of the largest “churches” in the US. My friends God did not choose us in Christ before the foundation of the world according to the predetermination of His will, through the consecration of the Holy Spirit, to obey the gospel and be cleansed in Christ's blood, so that he could reveal who we've been all along. Christ did not die on the cross, was raised the third day, ascended to heaven, nor did God send divinely powered faith so that He could show us how He sees us already. The prophets did not marvel at the mystery of the new covenant that promised to polish our hearts of stone to reveal the beauty of the cold and dead heart we've always had. The gospel is good news because it creates a people of God who live to be holy like God is holy. We absolutely are saved to be different. And if following Jesus DOESN'T change you into a new creation… then you aren't following Jesus. We are not saved BY our works… but we are saved FOR works. You must be holy in your conduct. My friends that means you. There are two ways to endure coming hardship and persecution. These two ways existed for Peter's audience and they exist for us as well. You can either set your hope in the future grace given in Christ's revelation – or you can blend in with the world. No doubt Peter's audience was tempted to return to their former ways. It would be much easier that way. Peter says – like obedient children, obey God when He says, be holy. Which means of course that there is only 1 way to endure hardship. Set your hope on the future grace given to us when Christ is revealed, and until then, be holy as God is holy. Are you ready for that Christian?

Hello friends,Today, a podcast episode!It would not have been possible to have our Everything Emma month here at the Austen Connection without consulting Professor George Justice. Dr. Justice is the editor of the 2011 Norton Critical Edition of Emma, a professor of 18th Century British literature, and a frequent contributor to the Chronicle of Higher Education. And he's also the husband of Austen scholar, author, and friend Devoney Looser, who tells the story of their romantic meet-cute in a previous Austen Connection episode. Consult him we did, and the conversation was really fun, because: Emma is fun, just as it is also complex, surprising, baffling, and romantic. All of this complexity comes out in the conversation with George Justice. We explore what's going on with Austen men, what's going on with Austen women, and how romance and power get wrapped up in the stories of Austen. I first met Dr. Justice on the campus of the University of Missouri, where he served as dean of the graduate school. Now, he is a professor of English at Arizona State University. But in the process of that journey, from Missouri to Arizona, and from administration back to the classroom, he rediscovered the power of teaching Jane Austen.  This journey also has involved a recovery from a serious illness, and Dr. Justice says one of the things that got him through tough times has been reading Jane Austen, and talking about Jane Austen with his students. We spoke on a recent sunny Saturday, by Zoom. Here's an edited excerpt from our conversation:*Please note: There is a light mention of sexual assault in this conversation, about 20 minutes in, and again at 40 about minutes.Plain JaneI'm so glad that you're sharing your beautiful Saturday morning. Let me just ask a little bit about your work, George. So you're obviously on English literature with a focus on women's writing and publishing. And you're writing a book on Jane Austen, as a writer for Reaktion Books, the “Critical Lives” series. You also write about higher education, very compellingly, in the Chronicle of Higher Education. What, in all of this, are you most focused on and most passionate about, like, right this minute?George JusticeI can't say there is one thing because you're right, you just outlined the two major threads of my career as they've evolved. They both involve students, higher education, and places where I think I can contribute. But on the literature side, it feels like a miracle to me to be able to write about Jane Austen, to do research on Jane Austen, and especially, to teach Jane Austen to undergraduate students, which I can't imagine a more enjoyable thing that I can pretend is productive for myself to do. But my most recently published book is How to Be a Dean from the Johns Hopkins University Press. So figuring out ways, outside of administration, to take my passion for higher education to make structural change, structural change that is also focused on the individual. And I think that's something that maybe I'll be able to bring back to a discussion of the novels, genre, and to teaching. I love thinking about what the novel is. But what I also love is what it means to individual human beings to change their lives and do great things in the world.Plain Jane George, you said something else, about your illness, which you handled, it seemed, so gracefully. But I know that it's been huge. And in some ways, you were hit by this turn-the-world-upside-down thing. And then the world itself was turned upside down, not too long later. So in some ways, we're all kind of stunned. But you look the picture of health, and it's so great to see it. What were you reading during this time? Can Jane Austen get you through something like that?George JusticeTo me, it was therapeutic. It was therapeutic not only to reread her books, and to dig back in, more generally, to 18th century literature, but I was a little shaky, you know, I had been very sick. I had not from my own choice been thrust out of a job that I had spent 70 hours working on actively, and the rest of my life kind of thinking about, when I got into the classroom, and started teaching Jane Austen again. And it was absolutely life-changing. And I realized, that is what the life of an educator should be. And it was really … a life-changing class for me, not only because it marked kind of re-entry into a different kind of career: But the students were so shockingly great to me. To me, having these students in that class, loving Jane Austen and understanding things about Jane Austen, was transformational in my understanding about what the rest of my life and the rest of my career are going to be. I can bring together a complete passion for bringing Jane Austen not just to white, upper-middle class students at a private liberal arts college, but at Arizona State University, 120,000 students. It's now a Hispanic serving institution. It serves many, many first generation and low-income students, and they love Jane Austen. Not only with as much passion, but with at least as much insight as any students I've ever had anywhere else in my life. That class changed my life, when I had these students engaging with such depth and brilliance with the texts.Plain Jane That's amazing. I hear you George, I think that's true. It is life changing. And this project arose also from the difficult times, the winter of the pandemic, and just looking for something to lift you up and a community to engage in. What you're describing, going into that classroom, sharing Austen, but then also having some brilliance shared back at you and just literally connecting around the stories. But you know, the Norton Anthology that you edited and curated came out almost 20 years ago. And you may have not looked at it recently. I have. But you were talking about the power of Jane Austen, then, so it's Everything Emma in the Austen connection right now.George JusticeGood for me.Plain Jane Yes. Well, is Emma your favorite novel of all time?George JusticeOh, that is a a very difficult question. And I know because you talked to Devoney and you had Devoney on your podcast a couple of weeks ago. In that now infamous conversation, I declared to Devoney that Mansfield Park was my favorite novel. And I do love Mansfield Park … because it was the first one that grabbed me. I mean, I was assigned it in a class my first year of grad school. I didn't read it until then, and I started reading it and it was just one of those amazing things, but my life was changed: How could I not have seen this or understood this in my past 22 years of life? I stayed up all night reading it, and it was like an onslaught. If you ask me, yes, that was my favorite. Plain Jane Well, I'm just curious. It seems to me like you were a more mature 22 year old. I mean, I read Mansfield Park when I was just out of college. Weirdly, I've never been assigned much Jane Austen at all. I just discovered it after all of the degrees - it was only two degrees - in English. … It wasn't until later that I realized there's a heck of a lot going on with Austen. What were you noticing? Why were you reading it up late at night? I mean … I had kind of a weird education, up until college. But you had a good education. So maybe you did have the training to spot the subtexts.George JusticeI don't know if it was about the subtext. I think it was about Fanny Price. Plain JaneYou like the underdog! Devoney said this … George Justice  The underdog and the person with depth, with a strong, correct, and unassailable moral code, oppressed by the world. I mean, that was a thing that just for whatever reason, maybe, from my high school years, which were kind of miserable, the person who was neglected. I mean, it just spoke to me, this whole world moving around in a cynical and nasty way. And yet, there's a moral center to that world, which was Fanny Price. So it wasn't even, it was not a literary reading, where I was looking at themes and context. It was Fanny Price. Who is, as you know, of such huge controversy in the Jane Austen world, because there are so many self-proclaimed Janeites who hate Fanny Price. To me, Fanny Price is the true center of Jane Austen. Which is why I found the film both interesting and disturbing, because Patricia Rozema melds Jane Austen and Fanny Price together, which I think actually weakens Fanny Price. But I do believe that the role of Fanny Price in the world, and especially in her world, is a truth about the social world. And it grabbed me. To me, Fanny Price is the true center of Jane Austen. … I do believe that the role of Fanny Price in the world, and especially in her world, is a truth about the social world. And it grabbed me. And the unbelievable moment when she turns down Henry Crawford. I always bring it up in class and I ask my students, “Should she have accepted Henry Crawford?” And the ones who read it correctly but glibly, always say, “Of course not.” The ones who are very cynical say, “Of course she should.” The real answer is, “I don't know.” Because that actually is the answer that the narrator provides to some extent. I just thought it captured a truth about the choices we have to make in the world, and the possibility of choosing good, not as an obvious choice, and not as a glibly self-justifying choice. But as a choice that resonates as truth within one's own moral complexity.Plain JaneI agree with everything you're saying about Fanny Price. … She is ascendant. And you talk about Henry Crawford: She's superior. Like, you can't read that without thinking, “This child, this female child of the species, is superior to everyone. What are you gonna do with that, people? What are you going to do with that? Not even the parsonage and Edmund and not even the grand estate of Mansfield Park is worthy of this child. So, take that!” And I don't know if people really see it that way. You say it's still a little controversial. But you saw this when you were 22?George Justice Well, I think it was a weakness in my psychology.Plain Jane No, because Austen was showing you. Austen was showing you. But we just, I feel like there's still so much to unpack with Austen with every new generation. George JusticeAnd she shows it to you both without humiliating her and without glorifying her. So, as you were talking so eloquently, what came into my mind [is] another woman author of the 19th century, George Eliot and Middlemarch and Dorothea Brooke, and Dorothea Brooke is both humiliated and glorified. You are right, Fanny Price tears everything down. The humiliations are our humiliations from society, not from the writer. I mean, Dorothea Brooke is somewhat humiliated by George Eliot. Jane Austen never humiliates Fanny Price, even if Mrs. Norris is there brutalizing her, but she's definitely not glorifying her either. Fanny Price comes back, and in some ways you could say she assimilates herself to the patriarchy, she marries her cousin, the bossy Edmund  - I don't even think he even fully 100% appreciates her but maybe that's just me. I think I would have been better for Fanny Price than he is.Plain JaneYou would have, George! And no, Austen does not want us to love Edmund, you know? That's clear. She does not love Edmund. We're giving our opinions here! So let us know, people, if you disagree. But yeah, but I love what you're saying, George, that Austen is not humiliating. And in fact, it's not really Fanny tearing things down. Right? Fanny is not doing that; Austen is doing that. And the world is humiliating. The world is full of humiliations, insults, injuries. And here's how you stand. Here's how you stand in this. You point out something in your writing that I want to get to too, which is that there's imagination. This is, in some ways, a fantasy of what can happen. This is re-envisioning a world where a young woman, a young person who identifies as female, a young person who identifies as however you identify, whatever your race, color, sexuality, gender, you - just as a human - you can stand, and this is how you might survive and maybe even be ascendant. Even though it's not necessarily going to happen in real life.So, Mansfield Park. The next novel Austen wrote, I believe, right after Emma. How does she go from Fanny Price to this heroine that has so little to vex her?George Justice When you look at Mansfield Park, which is certainly an experiment in light of Pride and Prejudice, and Sense and Sensibility, and a novelist who is a genius and who is shaping the form and breaking the form at the same time that she's inhabiting it. In a way it's the right next experiment. You take somebody who's very much unlike Fanny Price. She's wealthy. She's beautiful. She's admired. She never makes social mistakes. Really. She is the queen of the world, as opposed to Cinderella. So Fanny Price is Cinderella. Emma is one of the wicked sisters. Yet, and the brilliant ... “I'm going to create a heroine nobody but myself will much like”: That's something an artist would do. It's a kind of intellectual game. But unlike the way postmodern novels sometimes [create] experiments without a heart. It's an experiment in which life overwhelms whatever kind of intellectual experiment may have given rise, to trying to write about an entirely different character, because there is just as much life in Emma, as there is in Mansfield Park. And there is in its own way, just as much integrity in the character of Emma, as there is in the character Fanny Price.Plain Jane It's interesting because she's taking us on this roller coaster ride. So she's like, “Here, I showed you the poor, mousy Cinderella, who becomes ascendent. How does that happen? Now I'm going to show you somebody who - as you say, George - the queen, she's at the top. But she also is going to change and evolve. And in both cases, she's focusing on what matters to her, which is character, and kindness, and how to exist in the world - not to just be on top because that's not the goal, people - we're still getting that memo. But it's to be a contributor, a good citizen, a kind person. How do you feel about that, that aspect of this, that she's got someone on the bottom there, she's got a female character that's already at the top. But yet, what are the themes that remained the same? George JusticeWell, I think you actually just put it in a way that crystallizes something for me. And it's what I become much more self-conscious about …  in life: which is that kindness is at the core. And so that's not something that I wrote about in the introduction that you very kindly mentioned, to the Norton Critical Edition. But it is something that is absolutely true. And I point out to students, you know, [Emma] does what she's supposed to do. She visits the poor, she's charitable to the poor. And that's the kind of structural kindness, and she doesn't do it cynically. So there is a goodness to her character that gets expressed. And kindness. Of course, as we know, she's not always kind to some of the people that are closest to her, including Miss Bates, including Jane Fairfax. … One of the prevalent readings of Emma continues to be that Emma is … humiliated into kindness. The scene on Box Hill, where she is so cruel to Miss Bates, and so out of touch with her surroundings, because one thing about Emma is that she is unbelievably … perceptive about the world around her, at the same time that she doesn't put all the clues together. So she's this detective who's taking in all the evidence, and then she can't quite put it together to understand what's going on. Like Mr. Elton trying to rape her in the carriage - when anybody who had been reading it, anybody in Emma's position should have been able to see exactly what was happening. But that's very different from Box Hill, where she's not even perceptive. … But at the same time, that is a crucial moment in which she certainly sees the world more clearly and is able to correlate her kindness as you put it, this is correlated with her role in the social hierarchy, and her own personal satisfaction and romance. And it doesn't stamp out her imagination. Her imagination is still there. … No, she's a brilliantly imaginative person who doesn't have a job where she can do anything with it. … I love Mr. Knightley. But Emma, Emma wins the novel. And she wins novel not because she makes some sort of cynical or moral change from who she was, to who she will be as Mrs. George Knightley. It's because she has reshaped her world - uncomfortably because we're still in patriarchal, early 19th century England. But she shaped a world in which she can continue to love, be kind, have a lot of nice things, be admired by other people, which she certainly loves to do. And do good in the world. Plain JaneSo speaking of Knightley: You love Knightley. You say something in your intro [to the Norton Critical Edition]: Emma is being forced to recalibrate the cultural and the social hierarchy. She thinks she knows this social hierarchy. She has that classic definition of privilege, where it's not something she has to think about. She's just at the top of it. But she in fact is wrong about it, and then it turns out - you point this out - she's recalibrating, but that recalibration is coming every single time from challenges from Knightley. How does a romance and marriage and all of this fit into this recalibration and what is it like, also George, reading this as as a person identifying as a man reading that?George Justice Hmm, let me backtrack a little bit into how you've set this up in a very interesting, complicated way. It is Austen who has given Knightley those characteristics and that genuine insight into the world. Mr. Knightley really does understand and he's older - I mean, it grosses my students out how significantly older Mr. Knightley is. And he's kind to her and he's loved her since  - that also grosses out the students ...Plain Jane … for some reason Austen likes that older, very older, powerful guy to be the one just kind of showing us the way. I mean, she gives that power, and who knows why she does that. George JusticeBut it's not just giving him the power. It's also, I do believe, he is speaking for her. He is speaking correctly. The brilliant, writer, critic named Sarah Raff wrote a wonderful essay that talks about Emma and Mr. Knightley and Emma's relationship in the context of the letters of advice that Jane Austen is writing to her niece, who's trying to decide whom to marry. And there is a bullying, authoritative voice and approach to her niece, that mirrors a little bit of this relationship. It's a it's a great essay about it.Emma wins the novel. … because she has reshaped her world - uncomfortably because we're still in patriarchal, early 19th century England. But she shaped a world in which she can continue to love, be kind, have a lot of nice things, be admired by other people, which she certainly loves to do. And do good in the world. Plain JaneIf you're a woman, Regency writer, you're a genius, and you see the world and you're reflecting the world, there'll be some things that … occur when you have genius and imagination and art intersecting, right? Some things are going to occur to us 206 years later that you didn't envision, but … she's giving Knightley her viewpoints because people will listen to Knightley. People will listen to Knightley and not necessarily listen to someone else.George Justice And maybe in a romantic relationship - this is utter speculation! - she'd be more the Knightley character. And so you know, we do have these interesting intersections of gender, power and attraction. Plain JaneI love that we don't know how Jane Austen identified 100%. We have no idea. She may have identified with Knightley, she might have been in love with Emma, she might have ... Who knows? I think that's wonderful. And that's a whole other aspect we could dive into which is the LGBTQI critical approaches and queer theory approaches to Austen. Really the question we were discussing, sorry, is how it all ends up in the hands of Knightley, but also how to channel all of this into romance?George Justice Oh, yeah. I mean, because it is romantic. And I know there are some against-the-grain readers who don't find the love between Emma and Mr. Knightley plausible. I am not one of them. I find the scene - and it's a scene in which despite the fact that Mr. Knightley has just dressed her down and made her weep - the narrative is constructed so that Emma is allowed in private to have her moment of internal revelation that no one but she must marry Mr. Knightley. And then she also finally, instead of being clueless, she figures out that he likes her. So in that, it is a, to me, it's a wonderful thing. When he he starts, you know, “Can I talk to you?” And Emma's a little nervous. Because she doesn't 100% know. But as the conversation gets going, she knows exactly what's coming. And so the power is turned. Emma actually knows before he knows that Mr. Knightley is going to propose to her and that she will say yes. Before Mr. Knightley understands that. And so he's, like, mortified: I shouldn't go on. And she's like: No, no, go ahead and go on. And it's an interesting power dynamic. And I'm certainly not the person who's seen this first or seen it best. Claudia Johnson's [written] about Mr. Knightley as a character who is very masculine. And yet he's a kind of new man, because he is truly emotionally sensitive to Emma. [I]t is romantic. And I know there are some against-the-grain readers who don't find the love between Emma and Mr. Knightley plausible. I am not one of them.What is interesting in the romance is that power is so completely built into the sexual energy between Mr. Knightley and Emma. He was a teenager, looking at a little girl. And as they grew up, he would kind of mock her and tease her. And she'd flirt with him, totally unafraid of this older guy, really. So I mean, she was herself, who really has the power there? And …  in the context of Box Hill, where he really has, you know, put his hand down, if you reread the novel from the beginning, Mr. Knightley doesn't have really any power over her. He has her total respect, but she has the power of doing what she wants. And that really is what comes through at the end - that this powerful romance, which I think it is not a kind of dominance-submission thing. It is really a romance of two morally and intellectually equal people. They are very masculine and very feminine - it's interesting if you get into the GLBTQ thing, because there is a long history of people seeing Emma not as being a woman. But we shouldn't forget that it's very clear … and Jan Fergus points this out really beautifully in an essay that I put at the back of my Norton Critical Edition: We linger over the feminine, beautiful form of Emma. But her mind is powerfully intellectual. … Even as it's kind. She is a kind, intellectually brilliant person who answers to nobody. So where you might see it as, “She makes all these lists of books that she hasn't read!” … That shows her power. She has the intellectual power to know what she should do. And she has the intellectual power and the judgment to say, “I'm not going to do it.” And is happy to live within the structures, the class structures, the social structures, the architectural structures of her society. But she kind of scoffs at any structures that would restrain her moral and intellectual worth. Plain Jane  Well, it's almost like she doesn't even notice those structures. She's like, clueless in some interesting ways.George Justice Yes, but I, but I don't think it's clueless overall.  … She's clear-sighted and not insecure. She's totally non-insecure. It's kind of amazing.Plain JaneWell, it's interesting describing her power. It's true. Like you say, Austen's not humiliating these characters with Emma, she's doing the opposite. She's showing someone who is not only superior, but she's artificially superior. Emma's so powerful, she can be as wrong as the Eltons and the, you know, all of the wrong patriarchal figures. Emma's wrong and artificially propped up just like they are. But she has this transformation that comes from this this man. .. There was a little post I did called The Smartest Person in the Room. ...I feel like maybe Austen wanted someone, man/woman/person to be as smart as she was. That's a hard way to go through the world when marriage is your option. Who is going to be smart enough for Jane Austen? She didn't find it. She created stories with people who find it. But at the same time, obviously, she showed us so much more than that romance.George Justice  That's sad! And it's very true. Let's go through from the beginning: I'm just going to ask you. Do you think Mr. Darcy is worthy of Elizabeth Bennet?Plain Jane  Yes, I believe that. It seems to me like Darcy and Elizabeth Bennett make each other worthy of each other. It seems to me like the both characters You want to just focus on Darcy and Elizabeth for a minute? George Justice  Yeah, I mean, I'm going to go through the whole list.Plain Jane Externally, he's worthy, right? He's a ticket. Internally, not so much. But because he transforms, they make each other better. I feel like they make each other better. And I feel like Austin is showing us that marriage - if you're going to get married, make sure it's somebody who will make you better and not make you worse. And she's full of examples of people who make each other worse.George JusticeThe Crofts. Admiral and Mrs. Croft make each other better.Plain JaneAnd are they the only ones?!George JusticeThey probably are. I want to go [through the list] because I think this is something I haven't thought of. We already said that Edmund really isn't worthy of Fanny. But Darcy is worthy of Elizabeth. Would you say that Edward is worthy of Elinor.Plain Jane Almost! He has potential. That little engagement on the side is extremely disappointing. But he needs to speak up. He needs to grow a spine. But he has potential Maybe with Elinor's extremely strong spine, those two will be all right. What do you think?George JusticeI don't think he's worthy of her. But he's whom she chose. And he's not terrible. That's like Edmund. It's, that's who Fanny wanted and he's not terrible. I'd say the same thing about Henry Tilney. Catherine Morland's not as fully developed a character. But he's, he's not a bad guy. We linger over the feminine, beautiful form of Emma. But her mind is powerfully intellectual. … Even as it's kind. She is a kind, intellectually brilliant person who answers to nobody.But if you take Mr. Darcy, and you take Captain Wentworth, and you take, Mr. Knightley, those are characters who embody - as I said, Claudia Johnson talks about it - these new men who are masculine and powerful, and yet have a sensitive intelligence to them, as well. And respect and value deeply the women that they're with. … This conversation has made me want to think about that. And why the last two, thinking about Persuasion, and Emma, the last two of those powerful men are truly worthy, I think. And you know, of course, I think the moment at the end of that letter, in Persuasion, is one of the most intense things. But I know a colleague who thinks it's camp, that it's purposely overdone. I don't believe that at all. I think it's one of the most beautiful things ever written in the English language.Plain Jane  It's so beautiful. I love your categorizing all these leading men, who's worthy, who's not. It's really interesting. You, okay, I had to pick up the Norton Edition, Claudia Johnson. Here's what she says: She says Knightley is “a fantastically wishful creation of benign authority, in whom the benefits and attractions of power are preserved, and the abuses and encroachments expelled.” So what do you think is going on with that as you categorize the leading men? That's Claudia Johnson's Knightley, wrapped up in power.George Justice And because authority and power are inherently not wrong things in these books. When I'm teaching classes, I bring it back to the authority and the power of the narrator, who is the actual authority and power in all of these novels. And I think that's partly why the turn from an epistolary novel, where, you know, it's harder to weld that to increasingly intense narrative strategies that express their authority, often by merging the voice through free indirect discourse, with the voice of the main character. So it is such a trick to have the most fully controlling and authoritative and benign narrators who efface themselves and express their authority and power, almost through their own self effacement.Plain Jane Let me George, read your own writing back to you, because this is so amazing. And it just kind of sums up everything that we said, and I have this kind of as our last question. You write almost 20 years ago in your introduction to the Norton Critical Edition. Here's what you wrote: “Reading Emma requires interaction. We impose meaning on the text just as the text pushes its various meanings on to us. Trying to understand Emma, with its interplay of psychological realism and moral vision, is like trying to understand ourselves and the world. We must be both introspective and exceedingly observant of what lies around us. Complete success eludes us. We must reread, reflect and change our minds, and perhaps become better people for having done so.” I almost cried when I read that!George Justice That's very kind (laughing). I can't believe I wrote that. It does sound pretty good. Plain JaneMy question for you with that is, Do you still think that? Twenty years later, almost 20 years later?George Justice Yeah. And that's an interesting thing I do. And it's an interesting thing, and it's humbling about teaching, and it's a wonderful thing about teaching. Like any teacher, when I teach a novel a lot of times, like I do with Emma, I have go-to points, I have shticks. I have different scenes I like to focus on. … So I'm, you know, leading, I like to talk about the carriage theme, for example, and I do have a strong reading, and Mr. Elton is basically raping Emma, and I want students to see the actual violence that is in that scene. It isn't just the sloppy, silly guy who is physically menacing in that space and in the way that he approached. But then students will say, “Well, I read it in this way.” And any good teacher has to be able to say, “Wow, I hadn't thought about that.” Just as your focusing on just your use of the word kindness, and putting that deeply into our conversation about Emma. I had not articulated it to myself in that way before. That's new to me. And I can tell you, I'm going to be thinking about that for months to come. So I do believe that every time I read this book, it's a new book to me. She's constructed the books so carefully that it's impossible to understand even what's happening, 20 times through the book, for me. And then when you add the increased complexity of how human beings interact with each other, and how the fixed and unfixed parts of their personality come into this complicated matrix of interaction. Yeah, it's a new book every time. And it's a new book that is morally compelling. Because it tells us to look at everything anew.Thanks for joining this conversation, friends.As always, let us know your thoughts on: Austen's men - who's Worthy and who's Not Worthy? Who makes your list? What are your thoughts on Emma, Knightley, and the power dynamics in Austen's romances? You can comment here!You can also find us on Twitter, at @AustenConnect and on Insta at @austenconnection.Meanwhile, stay in touch, and hope you enjoy a beautiful autumn with soups, teas, and lots of great novels.Yours truly,Plain JaneIf you liked this post, feel free to share it!Links:“Critical Lives” series - Reaktion Books: http://www.reaktionbooks.co.uk/results.asp?SF1=series_exact&ST1=CRITICALLIVES&DS=Critical%20Lives&SORT=sort_titleThe Norton Critical Edition of Emma:  https://wwnorton.com/books/9780393927641More on scholar and critic Claudia Johnson: https://english.princeton.edu/people/claudia-l-johnsonDever Justice LLC: https://deverjustice.com/about/How to Be a Dean - from Johns Hopkins University Press: https://jhupbooks.press.jhu.edu/title/how-be-dean Get full access to The Austen Connection at austenconnection.substack.com/subscribe

Do you want freedom from anxiety?In Matthew 6:25-34 Jesus commands His kingdom citizens to "not be anxious." He also provides 6 reasons why we should not worry:1. Stop Worrying, Because It's Disobedience2. Stop Worrying, Because You Are Valuable to God3. Stop Worrying, Because It Doesn't Work4. Stop Worrying, Because God Cares5. Stop Worrying, Because It's Not Worthy of Your Calling6. Stop Worrying, Because His Grace Is Sufficient For Today

Spen & Nick breakdown the Finals headed into Game 6 with Milwaukee up 3-2 against Phoenix, react to Kristian Winfield's article about how Pat Connaughton is currently playing how Joe Harris should have played in his series against the Bucks and play a little "Worthy or Not Worthy" regarding potential free agent guards who would take the veterans minimum.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This interview was a loooong time in the scheduling, and we're so so glad we finally got to sit down with the wonderful Gemma and Kelly from Songbird Sessions, and talk about what it's like to go into business with your best friend. We loved hearing all about how they started, what's made it work, and how singing prepared them for their next chapter together, plus how their story both reflected and diverged from ours (not only the obvious divergence being...we can't sing!) And speaking of, MOST EXCITINGLY we've also got some of their gorgeous singing in the episode too! (We are NOT WORTHY...) To listen to their gorgeous voices some more, you can find their website here. On instagram, you'll find Songbird here; Kelly can be found here, Gemma can be found here. 

The AMPire Diaries: Legacies Episode 1: “We're Not Worthy” (PATREON PREVIEW) ***SPOILER WARNING*** This is a spoiler-filled discussion of Legacies Season 3, Episode 1, “We're Not Worthy.” We discuss spoilers from the entire runs of The Vampire Diaries, The Originals, and Legacies. Long story short: This is NOT a Jill-safe episode. Nor are these Jill-safe notes. Leave if you must! “Only AMPies can pull the sword from the stone.” AMPies, Legacies has returned for its third season, and your AMPie Queens, LaToya Ferguson (@lafergs) and Morgan Lutich (@LorganMutich), are here to discuss it week-to-week. Joining them in this journey is none other than The AMPire Diaries' own resident boy, Michael Chasin (@MichaelChasin). No Jills allowed. [Okay, Jills slightly allowed. Jill Defiel (@jiilbobaggins) will have a corner every week. She just won't be allowed to listen to anything else in the episode.] The AMPire Diaries: Legacies will be a Patreon-exclusive podcast for our $5 (Vampire) and $10 (Original) tiers, but because we love our AMPies so much, we're also releasing this premiere episode on the main feed. As a treat. Become a patron! https://www.patreon.com/ampdiariespod Email us! theampirediariespod@gmail.com Tweet at us! @AMPDiariesPod Instagram... at us! @AMPireDiariesPod Go to our website! http://theampirediariespod.com/ The Official CW Promo for “We're Not Worthy”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fH-iSFIGSRc The Salvatore School Event of the Week for “We're Not Worthy”: Field Day. The AMPire Diaries is now available to stream on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, and Amazon Podcasts, as well as wherever you get your podcasts. Don't forget to rate (5 STARS, please) and review the podcast. And most importantly, don't forget to get AMPED.

LilMookieB welcomes the host of the “I’m Not Worthy” podcast, Willy Duvet (Neil Campbell). Together they speak of Willy’s lack of self-esteem, his favorite movies, and they try desperately to find what it is that Willy loves about himself. Plus, Mookie answers the call of a listener trying to find their value after a difficult breakup. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/lilmookieb/support

With all the fear out there I wanted to put out a positive, motivational message this Sunday. If you know me well, or if you have listened to Food Heals for a long time, you know that just as passionate as I am about health and wellness, I am equally passionate about building a business and a life that you love. In the most challenging year of most of our lives, I have seen friends move away because they can’t afford to live in their homes anymore; I have seen small businesses go out of business; there are “for lease” signs everywhere around my neighborhood. And, while things seem extremely dire right now, I want to be the messenger of hope. The biggest struggle that I see my clients and friends facing is that they have a strong desire to build something, but the thing that is holding them back is not necessarily WHAT they want to do, or even HOW they want to do it, but the feeling that they are NOT WORTHY of doing it; or they are scared to do it; or they are just in pure fear of failure. So in this BONUS EPISODE of Food Heals, I break down 9 fears that hold us back from our greatness, I bust the myths that we hold onto so that we can truly step into our power, and unapologetically build something beautiful, help others, heal the world, and get paid for it.   Feel like a fraud? Worried you will be “exposed” at any moment? Have trouble accepting praise? You may be suffering from Imposter Syndrome.   According to Psychology Today, people who struggle with imposter syndrome have an underlying belief that they are undeserving of their achievements. They feel that they aren’t as competent or intelligent as others might think—and that soon enough, people will discover the truth.   If you experience this - You are not alone. Turns out 70% of us experience impostor syndrome at some point in our lives.    You may have found yourself asking yourself the same questions over and over.   Who am I to start a vegan blog, youtube channel, or podcast? Who am I to write a book, become a coach, or create an online course? Who am I to charge for my work? Who will listen? Who will watch? Who will care? What will people think of me?   The truth is you have a mission and a message to share with the world. And with big Pharma and Big Ag making billions of dollars keeping people sick, why shouldn't vegan entrepreneurs like us be making money keeping people healthy?   Marianne Williamson says, “Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, 'Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?' Actually, who are you not to be?”   Who are you not to write that vegan book? Why shouldn't you become that next big vegan Instagram Influencer? Why can’t you start the next vegan podcast?   In this BONUS episode, Allison Melody, will break down the 9 myths that hold us back from being our greatest selves, so we can unapologetically share the plant-powered message with the world and overcome that imposter monster for good!   Join the 2021 Rise Mastermind: www.FoodHealsNation.com/Rise

My true release from the "in the moment" attachment to suffering was when I finally said to myself... " I don't care what did IT anymore ....  I want to know what IT did" ...   I realized that loop after loop after loop ..  I tried to resolve and reason my way to healing ... trying to find the answer inside of my story ... It was this PERSONS fault... or This HAPPENED to me...  and " Made Me Feel" THIS way...  So,... Since I don't want to feel this way anymore ... I must need to ONLY change the person I'm with...  or leave this place ...  or change "jobs"...  That will fix it !!!  lol ....  Then all of the sudden... after who knows how long ( It will vary inside of every loop )...    The same thing would happen... A different way ... But the FEELING seemed to absolutely FEEL the same ...   It is because that feeling references your Shadow Self... Every energetic stamp of every time you have ever gave your power away.. chose to neglect yourself.. or overextend your energy or kindness for a certain result in the world...  This energy is what needs to be healed... It is not the situation that you think is giving it to you that needs to be changed... That will continue to create the same type of situations that will either mirror it directly and exactly .. and it will just initially suck..lol... OR ... it will show you all of what you want first ... all of what you asked for first .... so that you enter into it HAPPY!!!  and then in time the energy of LACK... of NOT ENOUGH... of NOT WORTHY.. will emerge in your thoughts.. then in your behaviors .. then in actual events or situations manifested in the world ... These situations will not be happening TO YOU... They will be a reflection of your energy that is pent up inside of you... and we use our energy to create and perceive our world subjectively ....  THIS ...is why in order to heal we must let go.. This is what letting go means... It means you desire to know yourself and your energy towards healing ... more than you care to blame the situation or person for the cause of your suffering ..   SO MUCH LOVE TODAY !!!! The Like Attracts Like Evolution Membership experience is being created as we speak !!  The membership itself and the community attached will be COMPLETELY FREE !!   and there will be an another membership inside for select members that want more personal guidance and a steady stream of direction and clarity as we navigate this conscious expansion !!  I'm so excited !!   Thank You for being a part of this with me !!    *If you believe that you are going through a Conscious or Spiritual Awakening consider subscribing to the Podcast :) I upload episodes and perspective finding interviews just about every day!  *Hello!!  I help people re connect with their higher conscious self by allowing a deeper understanding and perspective on the mind and the story it tells… Thank you so much for being a part of the show !! If you would like to support the Like Attracts Like podcast join our PATREON Community by clicking here !! https://www.patreon.com/user?u=22969209

Do you find yourself constantly chasing the next dollar in your business? Are you stuck on how to attract more money and actually breakthrough to the next level? Do you want to create a lifestyle of abundance and financial wealth? With the 8 Money Blocks that Keep Entrepreneurs Broke workbook, you'll discover what money blocks you are dealing with, get tips on how to overcome them, and create a new money script. Here's a peek at the money blocks you'll hear in this podcast… Money Is a Limited Resource I'm Not Worthy of Money Money Is the Root of All Evil I'm Not in It for the Money Money Fixes Everything I'm Not Good with Money Money Determines My Level of Success I Can't Have Money & Do What I Love Learn what can help you transform your financial life by overcoming your money blocks! --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/lenora-johnson/message

We're Not Worthy! We're Not Worthy! It's a rock and roll double header: Part one will be counting down the Top 5 Alice Cooper songs! Abbott is joined by his friend, and equally big Alice fan Cat, to rank the best of the best of the King of Shock Rock. We're talking guillotines, straight jackets, boa constrictors, tons of fake blood and more! Enjoy! Make sure you head over to Facebook.com/T5Podcast and let us know which Alice song is your favorite, which list you more agree with, and which songs you'd have on your Top 5. If you'd like to be a guest on a future episode of the podcast, or if you have an idea for a topic you'd like us to cover, send us a message and we'll see what we can do!

Palm Springs makes us laugh early & often, and that’s reason enough to click play. But we each have baggage when it comes to romcoms. So when it’s time to slam this plot for being as lazy as one of its characters, we don’t hold back. PALM SPRINGS OSP(?) REVIEW NONSPOILER REVIEW: Production Profile - 1:48 Plot Premise/Expectations - 5:41 Production Values - 7:25 Performances - 8:46 Script Thoughts - 11:02 Watch or Not? - 17:20 SPOILER WARNING - 18:10 SPOILER-FILLED REVIEW: DQ Worst 1: He’s Not Worthy - 19:34 DQ Worst 2: Forgot About Roy - 25:15 DQ Worst 3: Ends and Means - 29:07 (Including…Darkness Falls) Bests - 34:15 FINAL THOUGHTS AND GRADES - 39:47 Your Homework/LEAVE US 5 *’S - 41:25 What’s Next From MMO/Words of Wisdom - 42:22 Another streaming premiere, and you get another mixed review from MMO. We’d rather that NOT be the case, since of all the July 10th new releases, we wanted to enjoy Palm Springs first. But we’ve gotta call them like we see them, and it’s not the first time an MMO review has gone against critical consensus. Some of the biggest movies in our history (cough! Parasite) have surprised our listeners with surprising takes from us Mikes. So the stakes for this one are higher than you’d think. That means your feedback is as important as ever. Where did we go wrong on this one? Or do you think we’re in the right headspace? Do send us your thoughts. But as always, our movie review episodes have two sections. Non-spoilers come first, followed by a deconstruction of the plot after a spoiler warning. Should this have been more sci-fi or romance? Which worked better? Then who’s the funniest cast member? Who’s our favorite character? Does love really exist, and is time, in fact, a flat circle? This film may not have answered all those questions, but our review sure does. Stay tuned for more movie reviews in our near future as First Cow is next up in our plans with The Old Guard and Greyhound as other possibilities. Otherwise, MMO Weekly will come back soon, and we’re always looking for more opportunities to do Oscar Race Checkpoint or Top 5 shows. Though the world may repeat the same boring days over and over, you won’t get an infinite time loop of shows from us. As we stated in our last episode, we have many ideas on upcoming new series, and we want to hear your thoughts. We’re @MMandOscar on Twitter, and we are on Instagram, Facebook, Reddit, and Gmail. You can subscribe / rate / review / like / share / & listen to us on Apple Podcasts, Soundcloud, Stitcher, Google Play, Tune In, Spotify, and just about wherever you might listen. We’re Mike, Mike, & Oscar, and we’re making awards season year round, without the stuffiness. Thanks for listening.

We give you the goss on who's hot and who's not in the current race to be the Democratic nominee for the 2020 US Presidential Election. It's a Game of Thrones-esque adventure as the largest and most diverse candidate pool in US election history is whittled down to a still large contender race. What will it take to come out victorious? What is the appeal of each of the main candidates, and why have some, like Kamala Harris, dropped out? There's quite a few to get through and a lot of names, so we've given each of the main ones a moniker to help you remember which one's which: 'Mayor' Pete Buttigieg - because he is one (of South Bend Indiana) Joe Biden Mr Dependable with Baggage - seen it, done it, got the T-shirt from the Obama years (and tried to be President a few times previously). Elizabeth 'I've Gotta Plan' Warren - got a plan for everything - from selfie line-ups at her Conventions (think Ellen on steroids) to healthcare 'everyone gets a prize' reform Bernie Sanders The Guy the Young People Love' aka 'The Democratic Socialist - he's a 40-year veteran of politics who's wants to dismantle capitalist America  Amy Klobachar - Smart Chick Who Gets Stuff Done But Nobody Sort of Cares - once voted the most likely to be the first female US President, but starting to fade Tulsi Gabbard ' The Military Woman'- shaking off some of her controversies (once voting down same-sex marriage, going to meet Syrian 'bad guy' Bashar al-Assad which was almost universally frowned upon). She's polling low but got more than her share of the limelight thanks to Hilary Clinton referring to her as a Russian plant. Isn't everyone these days?  Andrew Yang - The Tech Guy. Hasn't got a hope in hell but raises some quirky and throught-provoking ideas. May be confusing the Democratic primaries with a TED Talk pitch, but we kinda dig him. Corey Booker The Righteous Man/'He's dead to me'. Diana thought he was alright, but then Donald told a story about how he pretty much dissed his chances of running for Congress, so he's Not Worthy. Links to some of the stuff we talk about: 'Mayor Pete's' book, The Shortest Way Home - Diana hasn't finished it yet, but it's a good read so far. The controversy (which is swirling through the current Trump Impeachment circus) around Joe Biden's cocaine-sniffing son Hunter getting $50k/month to be on the board of a Ukrainian company, Burisma. Andrew Yang's book, The War on Normal People, in which he talks about disruptive technology (AI, automation etc) being the biggest threat to our society. The Jimmy Dore Show - the episode featuring Tulsi Gabbard. Jimmy Dore has a YouTube and podcast show from American comedian Jimmy Dore. It's funny and thought-provoking. The 'phone calls' (from famous people but impersonated by incredibly good comedians) are often absolutely hilarious and worth the price of admission alone. 

Hey Everybody!!! Thank you! Thank You! Thank You! I appreciate you always for showing up every single week and making this podcast the best ever!! Yesterday was my Birthday and Thank you to ALL of you who reached out to tell me Happy Birthday! I so Appreciate You! This week I am talking about your Self-Worth! How your thoughts, words and beliefs are tying the word FREE to you're Not Worthy!  Yes this is going to sting but you will be Okay! lol I need you to hear this because its going to help you to take the steps to make you a better you! I use lots of Everyday analogies that are really going to hit home today!  Thank you again for being the best Tribe Ever! If you would like to order my book "Dear Victim, It's Time for Us to Break Up Now" Click HERE It's not to late to join my online course! If you have a friend you can get my BOGO Offer by clicking Here See you guys Next Week!!! --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/tammy-loftis/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/tammy-loftis/support

Sometimes the TRUTH hurts On this interesting episode of TRN, you will hear David and Christian review a variety of Reversals, (banned..oops, sorry I mean) deemed as "Not Worthy of AirPlay" by Coast to Coast Radio. Would you like REVERSE SPEECH RADIO, to investigate a particular topic for an episode that is of specific interest to you? If so, then please feel free to visit or PATREON account, to find out more information, www.patreon.com/REVERSESPEECH REVERSE SPEECH RADIO in association with Reverse Speech.ca and brought to you by Crime & Trauma Scene Cleaners / Crime Scene Cleaners.ca  If you or anyone you know would like to be a guest on REVERSE SPEECH RADIO, and have reversals conducted for FREE, by David John Oates, then please contact me directly at reversespeechradio@gmail.com  Reverse Speech is currently being used by the CIA for "Truth Extraction and Deception Monitoring," we know this because we trained them. 

Say the word Money and everybody takes notice. Why? Because it is the most controversial term or word in life. It creates bliss for some and despair for others. Money divides the haves and the have-nots or the have-not-enough. Yet it is mostly understood especially if you fall in the group of the have nots. Because the haves know that Money is Energy and the have-nots think that money is a thing. So how do you know that you a living in Scarce City? You have money problems. You don't have enough money to pay your bills You stress over not having money. You cannot expand your business because you never have the money to do it. You don't get clients. Basically you are in survival mode. Scarcity is Caused by a Scarcity Mindset. Nothing out there is doing this to you - you are doing it to yourself. However, have compassion for yourself because it is an old paradigm that you inherited from childhood and is still operating. The biggest catalyst of the Scarcity Mindset is your Self Image - your Relationship with YourSelf - your Self Image of Not Worthy, Not Good Enough, Inadequate. This, combined with the fact that we've been conditioned to feel separate from Source or God or the Universe, makes us feel that we are all alone. We feel that there is something wrong with us and it makes us feel ashamed, guilty, angry, frustrated, depressed, fearful, anxious, stressed out, etc. We become Victims. This is because we think we are alone, we think that the solution is out there...if only we work harder... And yet, the solution is right where you are. It's inside you - it's seeking the answer that's inside that brings you to the solution. Because what's inside you is infinite and inexhaustible. What does it take to escape Scarce City? Take Responsibility Forgiveness. Change your Identity, your Self Image. Embody this New Way-of-Being. Believe in Yourself and the Universe. Get your Own Your Greatness guided Meditation plus the 3 Radical Consciousness Shifts on my website to support you further to embody your Abundant Prosperous True Self. http://dinamarais.com

10/07/2018 Tim Champ I'm Not Worthy Philippians 1:27-30

We have two Game 163’s in the MLB that we preview for what we’d prefer to happen in the NL West for when the Cubs/Brewers settle in for the NLDS - The NBA is back and it’s the most wonderful time.. of the year.. for our basketball correspondent, Brady, and we know FOR CERTAIN a few key NBA things - Jimmy Butler update because Mike thinks Miami is always a free agent destination and he’s wrong - Bill’s College Football Corner (17:00-28:00) - Super serious NFL talk with Jerm: Bears are a wagon, Packers recap, Close games, Overtimes, Good/Not Good with Brady, Gruden contract update from Bill, Monday Night Football: Worthy or Not Worthy, and The List Segments Include: This Fucking Guy - Never Forget - Back from the Dead - Season Szn - Stat of Ze Day - --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/onwispodsins-podcast/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/onwispodsins-podcast/support

Parable of the Wedding Banquet. Are you coming, will you be found worthy? Also included in the program is Streams in the Desert read by Lyubov Korotkih and music by Nabat, Beltsi.Read More →

Thanks for tuning into  the Wake Up To Jesus Broadcast Coming to you from: The Jesus Ministry, Inc. 509 Evergreen Avenue Brooklyn, NY 11221 USA WWW.TJSM.ORG 24/7 phone: 1-213-992-4339 with Apostle Lonnie Stocks Isaiah 55:1 (MSG) "Hey there! All who are thirsty,come to the water!Are you penniless?Come anyway—buy and eat!Come, buy your drinks, buy wine and milk.Buy without money—everything's free!   Ephesians 2:5-8 (KJV) 5  Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) 6  And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: 7  That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. 8  For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

SITE: http://www.courtneyanderson.com/swca-episode-134-joyful-art-of-business-series-who-told-you-that-you-werenrsquot-good-enough-why-do-you-believe-them.html SHOW NOTES: This episode is part of our JOYFUL ART OF BUSINESS™ series wherein we explore how to combine the positive benefits of our professional endeavors (“business”) with the overall positive emotional return on our efforts (“joy”). Our episode topic is, "Who told you that you weren’t good enough? Why do you believe them?” Who is your source for the information (that you are not “good enough”)? Are they a credible source? Definition of Credible: : able to be believed : reasonable to trust or believe : good enough to be effective Credible. (n.d.). Retrieved June 15, 2014, from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/credible What is their motive for telling you this?  Are they trying to take advantage of you?  Are they trying to sell you something?  Are they using you for their own motive? Why do you believe this information (that you are not “good enough”)?  How many other items of information are they accurate about?  How “successful” are their lives?  Are they happy?  Are they loved (by those close to them and not just from people at a distance who only know their public image)? Why don’t you decide your own value (as you know yourself best)?  Let’s discuss!

This week, God is going to speak to and minister to that part of all of us that is broken; the part that has made some mistakes - so that we might realize our most important relationship is the one Jesus wants with us.

Hebrews 11:36-38

The Blood of the Martyrs is Seed for the Church So toward the end of his ministry on earth, Jesus was thinking as he thought every day, but as he was nearing the end of his life, he thought more and more about his death on the cross, what he was about to do. And in John's gospel in John 12:24 he said, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains by itself a single seed, but if it dies, it brings forth much fruit." And in giving us this, he was speaking not only of his own death and all of the eternal fruit that would come from it, but also giving to his church, a lasting pattern of the advance of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It is by following the same principle, that the church has advanced for 2,000 years as individual brothers and sisters, did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death but were willing to deny themselves, and take up their crosses and follow Jesus and to bear much fruit, and in each of those fruits that are born are more seeds. And so the process just continues on and on of self-denial and death for life, just patterned after Jesus. And as I come to this text today Hebrews 11:35B-38 as we try to understand this movement from success to suffering, my prayer for all of us has been to come face-to-face with this issue of persecution to try to understand it, to celebrate what was suffered for us, so that we would have the Gospel to believe, to understand; the scripture to read in our own language, to cherish the history, the chain of events, the chain of brothers and sisters that brought all these good things to us and thank God for their sacrifices and rejoice in them, but also that we would lay down our lives for the gospel too, that we would be willing to die when the time comes. Maybe physically though, the percentages are small but certainly spiritually that we would be willing to die to ourselves for the benefit of others. That's what my desire is here. About three centuries after Jesus said that, about three centuries after Jesus was put to death by Pontius Pilate on a Roman cross, against all odds, if we could even use that language, the Roman Emperor declared himself to be a Christian. Constantine declared himself to be a Christian, and in the 300 plus years that intervened, there was a trail of blood of brothers and sisters that literally died for the faith, that suffered for the Gospel of Christ. Christian apologist Tertullian said, "The blood of martyrs is seed for the church. It's defending the Christian church." And that trail of blood continued through the centuries, as Satan persecuted the true church as he persecuted people who are standing up for Jesus and made them pay for their testimony with their blood. I went through the time of the reformation, and the staff, we've been studying various biographies in the series, "Men of whom the world was not worthy," taken right from the text we're looking at today. Studying biographies of great servants of God and we studied William Tyndale, who was a Bible translator during the same time as Martin Luther lived. He lived during the era of Henry VIII. He was English and his one passion in life, his one desire... "he was a singer of one note," someone said. Every time you talk to him, all you got was that one note, "Oh God, give my people the Bible in their own language." Yearning to have the Bible in English so we could just simply read it. But there were violent forces against him including the King himself, King Henry VIII. So he fled for his life, he was in Holland. In May 1531, a messenger was sent from the King saying that he was in a gracious and merciful frame of mind but that was Henry VIII, who knew it would continue the rest of that day, but he was willing to be merciful. And so, this messenger came. He was, Tyndale was hiding in Holland. The King was saying, "I'm willing to be merciful to you." Tyndale responded back in effect these words saying, "I will promise you, if you O king would consent to have the Bible published in English and spread throughout the realm without any explanatory notes, nothing. Just the text of the Bible in English. I will promise first, never to write another word." Henry didn't like his writings. "I promise I will never write another word. I promise that I will surrender myself immediately and within days I will throw myself at the feet of the King and I will gladly suffer any tortures and even death if you would just make that commitment. Get the Bible into the hands of the people in their own language." The king refused. I'm not so interested in the king's refusal. I'm interested in Tyndale's willingness to die for this. His willingness to die so that we could read these words. And he did die for that. He died by strangulation right before he was burned at the stake. Right before he died, he said famously, "Lord, open the King of England's eyes." his dying prayer. 1563, John Foxe, wrote his famous acts and monuments of the Christian church commonly known as Foxe's Book of Martyrs goes back to the beginning of history and talks about the martyrs, those who are willing to shed their blood for Christ, tracing out that river of blood that's brought the gospel right up there. By the time he was writing, it was Queen Elizabeth's reign, the reign of Bloody Mary, was over, but Protestants had paid for their witness with their blood. And it travels right up to this present day, many of us following the suffering of pastor Youcef Nadarkhani in Iran. I received, I think, a faulty message that he had been hanged for his faith. This is a man who never embraced the Muslim faith. I spoke about him a number of weeks ago, from this pulpit, never was a Muslim, is a Christian. The logic of the Iranian court, is that he has because he is Iranian, and had Muslim parents, he has renounced the faith and is under the death penalty, not so he said "I'd never embraced Islam" but in their logic, it's impossible. Muslim parents must have Muslim children. And so he's on trial, he's under the death sentence. And he's referred to at least his commitment is referred to in the text, others were tortured and refused to be released. My understanding of his case at least early on, was he would be released if all he would say is that Muhammad was a prophet of God, if he would just make that confession, they would have released him to his family. "That I cannot do" he said. No, he's a Christian, cannot make that confession. And so the text says, others were tortured and refused to be released so that they might gain a better resurrection, goes on right to this present day, cover story of World magazine showed one of our brothers from the country of Nigeria, having been blooded by some Muslim fanatic, bandaged up in a very rough way, right there in the cover of World magazine. Talking about the sufferings of our brothers and sisters in Nigeria, reading about an orphanage in Bangladesh. Nathan is in Bangladesh, we prayed for him, in January of this year, they surrounded this orphanage and were chanting and demonstrating against it because they assumed that this Christian orphanage were stealing Muslim babies and trafficking in babies and doing wicked things. These were children that no one was caring for before this ministry started, and one of the workers there was bashed in the head and nobody died, but there was this kind of hatred going on in Bangladesh. And so as we come to this text, today we come to somewhat of a, I don't know, a continental divide in the flow of the chapter, we've been following success stories for the most part. I mean, Moses was willing to suffer, with God's people. But for the most part, it's just been one success after another and definitely right immediately before this verse, if you look at verses 32 through 35 as the author is trying to describe very plainly the life of faith, he's telling us what faith is, what faith does, how the life of faith works out in every day life, how it has in the Bible times and he's listing out these figures from the scripture. "Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, and the prophets, [we talked about them last week] who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, gained what was promised to shut the mouths of lions. Quenched the fury of the flames, escaped the edge of the sword, whose weakness was turned into strength. And who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies. Women received back their dead, raised to life again…" just a series of successes, right up until halfway through verse 35. I. The “Continental Divide” of Hebrews 11 Then suddenly it turns like a continental divide, you know what that is? We're on a mountain ridge and all the water on one side flows to the Pacific and all the water on the other side flows to the Atlantic, that kind of thing, that's a divide. And so we just come right in the middle of verse 35, and you go from success to suffering and we're still in the faith chapter, so it's by faith they suffered. That's what the author is telling us, is because of their faith. And this is a vital message for us. Now to set the context in general, here in Hebrews, the author is writing this letter to first century Jewish people who had made an outward profession of faith in Christ. But who are under pressure from their neighbors, and family and religious authorities and governmental authorities to forsake Jesus and go back to Old Covenant Judaism, to turn their backs on Jesus. And so this whole epistle has been an epistle of warning and of exhortation, and encouragement to people facing persecution that they would not turn their backs on Jesus. And so, in chapter 10, if you just go back a little bit to chapter 10 and verse 32, and following, just to set up the chapter. It's all about persecution. Remember those earlier days when after you'd received the light, when you stood your ground in a great contest in the face of suffering sometimes you were publicly exposed to insults and persecution, at other times, you stood side by side with those who were so treated. "You sympathize with those in prison and joyfully accepted the confiscation of your property. Because you knew that you yourselves had a better possession and a lasting one. So do not throw away your confidence, it will be richly rewarded, you need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised for in just a very little while he who is coming will come. And will not delay, but my righteous one will live by faith and if he shrinks back, I will not be pleased with him, but we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed but of those who believe and are saved." Now, Hebrews 11:1, "Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen." Right on into that, do you see it? It's in the seedbed of persecution and suffering, the author is giving us this whole chapter. And now we come to this point in the middle of the verse 35. It's not always going to be success, dear friends. Heroic Achievements of Faith vs. Heroic Suffering for the Faith Sometimes it's going to be suffering. And so we have the movement here, the movement of sanctification, of helping us to grow up out of babyhood, helping us to grow up out of being little children in the faith, so that we can face, what really is happening, why Jesus was a man of sorrows and acquainted with suffering, why Jesus faced constant opposition from sinful men, wicked men, why he faced constant opposition from the true power behind that throne and that's Satan. That we would grow up into that and be no longer babies, but be grown up and move from needing all the time, success and seeing how it all works and cause and effect and all that, that everything's going really great, to being willing to suffer for Jesus. Now in verse 35, we do have the mention of these women who received back their dead raised to life again, story of... Clearly, I think Elijah and Elisha, great stories, very similar to one another. In both cases, a woman who had a son... In one of the cases, in Elisha's case, she didn't ask for a son, she wasn't looking for that, and God blessed her with a son and then some time later, he had a severe headache and died in her lap, tremendous suffering and a great deal of pain and the same thing with Elijah, in her case, both of them upbraided the prophet. The widow of Zarephath saying "Did you come to remind me of my sin and kill my son?" Now, my son has died and you remember how he prayed and stretched himself out on the boy three times and cried out to the Lord, and God gave him life. This is the first recorded resurrection, in the Bible. I know that Isaac was figuratively resurrected and Abraham was ready for it, but it didn't need to happen, you know that. So, here's the story of God's power over death. God can raise the dead, the same thing with Elisha, same kind of thing. And so Hebrews 11 gives us a faith that conquers death. I don't need to fear death, our God raised Jesus from the dead, what's there to be afraid of? Death is a portal, a doorway into eternity and that eternity is infinitely better than this. There's nothing to be afraid of. Jesus has destroyed him, who held the power of death, and freed us from fear of death, he said in Hebrews Chapter two. And so God calls his people into Christ's sufferings, to fellowship with Jesus in his suffering, to become like him in his death, in the language of Philippians. To share with his sufferings. Or to fill up what is still lacking, in regard to the afflictions of Christ, a mysterious expression in Colossians. It doesn't mean anything lacking for atonement, but just Jesus has more suffering to go through because he's connected to his people and we have to suffer, too. So God calls faith-filled people. There's nothing wrong with them, there's no hidden sins, there's none of that, they're just serving God and he calls them to suffer greatly because of their faith. We have to grow up and face that and embrace it. And why does he do it? Well, we can think of many reasons, biblical reasons why God would do it. To put the character and courage of the faith-filled hero or heroine on display. No one lights a lamp and puts it under a bowl, they put it up on a stand and sometimes the stand is persecution and even martyrdom. And even more than that, to put the truth of the gospel on display, to give the Gospel a chance to shine with such a great setting that the gospel can shine in the mouth of the ones' suffering and the strength in the faith of weaker Christians, as weaker Christians watch the faith-filled brother and sister suffer, then others get stronger. Paul talks about that in Philippians 1, "Because of my chains, most of the brothers in the Lord have been encouraged, to speak the word of God more courageously and fearlessly. And because of this I rejoice." And to give evidence of the sufferings that Christ endured. To remind us of the sufferings that Christ endured, more on that at the end of the sermon. Also to help the church understand the ultimate sufferings of hell that we must realize that there is no pain on earth that remotely compares to the pains of hell and all of this suffering is good suffering because it's delivering people from Hell as the Gospel advances. So those are various reasons why. And you may struggle with this. Some people theologically struggle with this. I'm thinking of the prosperity gospel people. People who think that the more faith you have, the better your life on earth will be. Your best life now, dear friends, I'm promising you, your best life now and your most favorite parking place in every crowded parking lot. What will happen is, as you pull in, that car will pull out and make way for you, if you have enough faith. Really? How do you explain that to our brothers and sisters in the Muslim countries and in China and other places? It's all about getting the best parking place? Maybe you need a little more exercise. The best parking place for you is a mile away from the door. Maybe that's what you need. That is your best place now. Because you're going in there to go to the food court, that's why you're going. And you need to walk it off, a little before you get there and afterwards. It's ridiculous. Do you see it? It's un-Christian. It's a false gospel, the prosperity gospel and I know that God makes lavish promises in Deuteronomy 28: 1-6. You'll be blessed when you sit and blessed when you rise, you'd be blessed when you go out and when you come in and the fruit of your womb will be blessed. You crops will be blessed. Everything would be blessed, all the time blessed, Deuteronomy 28:6, if you only, if you'll only fully obey the Lord and carefully follow all his commands. Well, what about when that doesn't happen, what do you do if you're arrested for your faith, you're getting beaten, how does the prosperity gospel help you then? It doesn't, it kills you, it hurts you, makes you think you didn't have enough faith. It's a lie from Satan. It's not true. But the question does remain "Why isn't God blessing all of his people in this world with those kind of Deuteronomy 28 blessings?? II. The Pinnacle of Faith: Suffering Because of Christ I think there are two reasons why God would do it, negatively he withholds blessings to discipline us from our sins, so sometimes it's because we have sinned, and so we are disciplined and so some blessings are withheld but the press of this sermon is another aspect, that God withholds blessing sometimes to put faith and the gospel on display, and to show other worldly people who are not living for this world but they're living for Heaven and they could just see it and they're living for it, and there's nothing you can give them here that remotely compares. They're kind of already there by faith. He wants to put that on display and so this is the pinnacle of faith, suffering because of Christ, it's the greatest trial that Satan can bring on you. We are wired for self-preservation. It's not a bad thing. We look both ways before we cross the street, when we're hungry, we eat, when we're in pain, we try to alleviate the pain that's normal, it's normal, normal, normal. It's normal life. The Satan uses that to push us to forsake Christ and that's what we're dealing with here, that's the nature of the press of persecution, that's what he's about. He's trying to get people to denigrate Christ and to look on him as not sufficient and not glorious, and not attractive, he's not enough. I got to have my freedom, I've got to have enough to eat, a comfortable home, and some pleasures and if I don't have that, I'm going to turn my back on Jesus. And God is saying in effect over those martyrs, those suffering ones, "Have you considered my servant so and so, they're living for heaven, they're living for me, they're not living for the things that you would have me take from them." So, it's a terrible trial. Two good things pitted against each other, the health and comfort of your body and your faith in Jesus, two precious things and you're being forced to choose, and that's a tough trial. And again, with these afflictions I'm not talking about general sufferings that are common to all, I'm not. I'm not talking about the afflictions of medical sufferings, that's not what this sermon's about, there are other passages, I can talk about. That's not what we're talking about here. Disease and pain and accidents, things like that. And I'm not talking about financial troubles, like layoffs and unemployment and bankruptcy and things like that. That's not the press here, not talking about natural disasters either earthquakes, tornadoes, hurricanes, and all of the damage and destruction that comes from that, that's suffering but that's not what I'm talking about today. I'm not talking about every day providential accidents and suffering that come upon us. Neither am I talking about Islamic martyrdom. People who'll strap bombs in their bodies because of their commitment to Allah and blow themselves up and other people on a bus to bits. I'm not talking about that either. I'm talking about suffering that comes specifically because of our faith in Jesus, at the hands of human persecutors. That's what we're talking about here. That's what's in view. Faith’s Greatest Triumph And this is faith's greatest triumph, it's not just Satan's greatest trial, it's the pinnacle of faith, as I've said, this is the greatest triumph of faith. This is how these people know that they're Christians. Remember in the parable, they're seeding the soils, the farmer goes out to sow his seed and as he scatters it falls on different types of soil. The path comes, the bird comes and eat up and then you have that rocky soil, you remember that? Shallow soil, springs up quickly, but when the sun comes up, remember the sun, withers them and they die because they have no root, then Jesus interprets this, the one that fell on the rocky soil, is the one who hears the word and not once receives it with joy. But since he has no root he last only a short time when trouble or persecution, that's the sun beating down on it, comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. Alright, well, what happens then to turn it around is when you don't quickly fall away despite the fact the world is beating on you, there's a joy and a hope that comes in the middle of that. I'm real, I'm genuine, I'm really a Christian, it's all true, and the Spirit of glory and of grace rests on those people and God pours resources into them and their faith, just get stronger and you get that beautiful cycle in Romans 5:3-4, "not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance, perseverance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not disappoint." So real hope, they're going to heaven. It's genuine. I'm a real Christian. I didn't give up when I got beaten on, when I got rejected, or insulted. I'm still here. I love Jesus and it's all real. I'm not a stony ground here. Praise God. And so faith is vindicated. And so, as I said, these faith-filled people in the midst of suffering, they're almost already gone. Like Stephen's the best example of this, you know, he finishes his "How To Win Friends and Influence People" speech. "You stiff-necked people with uncircumcised hearts and ears, you're just like your forefathers, you always resist the Holy Spirit. Was there ever a prophet your forefathers did not persecute? They even killed those who predicted the coming of the Righteous one. And now you have betrayed and murdered him. You, who received the law that was put into effect by angels but have not obeyed it." Well, they didn't like that. I wasn't their favorite sermon and they were extremely angry, but Stephen knew he was on his way out, and at that moment he had a theophany, a revelation of God and of Jesus Christ, heaven was open and the people were already coming at him. But he said, "Look. I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of the God." And they couldn't hear that and they blocked their ears and they drag him out of the city and they stone him to death, and he's already gone. But he's still alive, because he's talking and he's saying things. "Father, into your hands I commit my spirit." So Christ-like. And then again, Christ-like, "Lord, don't hold this sin against them." But let me get specific. "Would you please forgive Saul of Tarsus for consenting to my death, would you forgive him?" "Yes, I'll forgive him, I'll take all of his sins away. Not just that one, all of them." It's an awesome thing. The blood of martyrs seed for the church. And so by this, the perspective of Hebrews 11 is most clearly put on display. Heaven... Earth is not my home Heaven is my home, I'm moving through here. This is a corridor, I'm not going to sit down cross-legged and just eat my dinner in a corridor in a hotel. It's weird, it's a passageway to the place I'm getting, it's all it is, it's a corridor, it's weird to sit cross-legged in a corridor and it's weird for us to settle down here. And so these people knew that, they were just by faith, they just were moving on, they just weren't there yet. The world was beating on them and causing them to bleed and they thought like this. This is how they reckoned, how they weighed things, how they considered things. "I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us." Romans 8:18. 2 Corinthians 4:17. "For this light and momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal glory beyond all comparison." Just as I weigh the suffering and the beatings and the blood and all that, as I weigh that with heaven, it's just not even close. They don't even compare. And so, it's light and momentary. Spoken by the 2 Corinthians 12 guy who got beaten, or 11, beaten and shipwrecked and beaten with rods and flogged and all that. They have come to that conclusion. And my yearning is that we would too. I would like to live for Heaven more than I do. I would like to be bolder in my faith. I would like you to be bolder in your faith. That's why I'm preaching today, that's my purpose. III. Specific Sufferings Listed And so, he lists these sufferings here. There are two categories, those who are killed for their faith, by various means, and then those who fleeing from death suffered deprivations in deserts and caves and all that. So you've got people who were killed and tortured and all that, and then those who fled from all of that so that they wouldn't have to go through it, but lost other things like security and homes and things like that. And so, tortured. What does torture mean? I think there is no more miserable, earthly circumstance than to be held by a wicked human who is thinking today how to hurt you, I think it's worse than cancer, AIDS, it's worse than... It's a horrible situation; to have some demonic twisted individual, think of ways to inflict pain on you that won't kill you, and you're dragged out of some cell and tortured, some more. These people are tortured and it says that they refused to be released. They refused release, are they crazy? They insane, well the price tag was too high. They had to renounce Jesus. They had to turn their backs on Christ and they wouldn't do it. And so, pastor Youcef will not do that. He's not going to confess that Muhammad is the prophet of Allah, he's not going to say that, he's not going to confess Muhammad. So he refuses to be released. I don't know, if it's even an option for him at this point. I think about John Bunyan, he's a good example of this refusal. He wrote Pilgrim's Progress, he was a non-conformist preacher, which meant in his day, he was an illegal preacher, he did not have the certificate of preaching from the Anglican church, therefore he was not allowed to preach. And so he preached at illegal conventicles, they were called, gatherings, congregations. He was basically a congregational or even Baptist pastor probably one of the most gifted preachers of all church history, just an astonishing gift with language, and a passion for Christ, and just an awesome thing. He was arrested and put in the Bedford jail and he was told... Because this is right toward the end of England's active persecution for religion. After this, they stopped entirely, they never did it again, but toward the end. So it's already tapering off. They said, "You can go free, all you have to do is promise never to preach again." So the whole time, I think it was 13 years, he was in the Bedford jail on and off, whole time, he had the key right there in his pocket to get out. Every day, every hour, morning, noon, night, just pledge "I will not preach again." What did he say instead, he said, "if you release me, today, I will preach tomorrow." You're not getting out with that confession. And he said "the separation from my wife and my blind daughter and my other children has been to me as the plucking of the flesh from my bones," but he refused to be released, it was a choice he made. I was reading about another pastor, a communist... During the communist era in Romania, pastor Vasile. He had been in prison several times, every time he was there, he had a vibrant fruitful ministry to other believers. Strengthening them, sustaining them and evangelistic as well. At this point in the story, he was free, he and his wife prayed, every day, something like this, "Lord if You know some prisoner being held right now, who needs my help, please send me back to jail." And so God answered that prayer and he got arrested and sent back to jail and he would go continue his ministry there. Another story from, again, from Romania. A man who consistently took the beatings of other prisoners. What would happen is they would just have weekly beatings, just to tell everyone "we beat people here in this prison" and keep everyone in line. And so, some infraction would happened on a Thursday, beating day was Monday, this guy would stand up and take that person's beating because the guards didn't know who it was, they didn't care, it was just to keep everyone in line anyway, so again and again, this Christian man took non-Christian people's beatings and then would lead them to Christ. And obviously his health was getting broken, he was bleeding, he was suffering, he was dying. And another believer said, "Very soon, you'll be free from all this, and you'll go to heaven." he said "actually, if I could, I would rather stay here because in Heaven, though I have everything I could ever want, I could not, cannot suffer for anyone else and I'd rather stay here." They were mocked. They were flogged. Just imagine these things, they were chained, and in prison, they lost their freedom, they were stoned to death. Sawed in two. Apparently that was Isaiah, the prophet put inside some hollow log. That's a slow way to die. It's horrible if you think about it, so maybe you shouldn't think about it or maybe you should, it's listed here, "put to death with the sword" Apostle Paul, apparently, decapitated." That's how they did it, because he was a Roman citizen, they wouldn't crucify him as they did Peter according to the tradition, so they just beheaded him with a sword. They wandered about, that phrase has been on my mind wandering around, toward the end it says they were in deserts, mountains, caves and holes in the ground. So, that's homelessness, they're fleeing from their homes, they're not able to go home, they're running for their lives, they don't know where they're going to sleep that night. Like Jesus said, "Son of man has no place to lay his head" and so that's what they're like. Their life was like that, they were homeless. And they were in poverty, because it mentions that they were in sheep skins and goat skins, so, that's pointing toward poverty, they lost material benefits persecuted, destitute, persecuted, mistreated. And all of it because of their faith. By faith, these things happen, you say, "Well where is the power of God? Why won't God intervene? Can't God do something? Can't God stop it?" yes, he can stop it any time, by various means, he can just change their minds, he has that power. He can keep people from thinking certain things. Genesis Chapter 20 verse 6, you remember the story about Abraham and Abimelech? You remember that? Abimelech thought, "Here's a good-looking woman" and all that, took Sarah, hadn't done anything to her yet. Planning to. And God came to Abimelech in a dream. Remember that? "You're a dead man" "What did I do? What did I do? I'm innocent. I didn't know." he said "Sister, I didn't what... What did I do." Listen to this. Genesis 20:6. "yes I know you did this with a clear conscience. And so, listen, I have kept you from sinning against me." Ponder that one dear friends. "I stopped you from sinning against me." Can God do that with a persecutor? Oh yes. This is coming from God, this is God doing it. Do you not see that? This is God not stopping the persecutor, when he can easily do so. He could cause the persecutor to drop dead mid-persecution. Look what happened to King Herod, when he wouldn't give the glory to God, you remember? He was immediately struck down by an angel and eaten by worms and died. God could do that. The problem with that, you need to know is that some of those persecutors are elect, they just hadn't come to faith yet. Like Saul of Tarsus, right? But God could do that, he could strike them dead and not all... God knows the difference who, say, "Well just take out the non-elect ones", [chuckle] but God could do that. Reading stories in Bangladesh, again, there was an assassin hired by the Muslims, to take out a fruitful evangelist, he hunted the guy down, found him, raised the gun but couldn't pull the trigger, physically couldn't do it, and the guy was frustrated and having trouble, finally he runs away. The evangelist later that day, gets a phone call from the assassin saying, "I have a problem." I'm putting this in every day language, but "I have a problem." But he identified himself. "Okay, what's your problem?" "I can't move my arm, I can't move it at all. And I want you to pray for me." he didn't just pray for him, he led him to Christ, God stopped the man from pulling the trigger. God doesn't always do that, you see. That's what I'm saying. He doesn't always do that, sometimes he allows the assassin to pull the trigger. In Laos, there was a pastor who was arrested and they were beating on him, trying to get him to divulge other Christians names and all that, just torturing him, and suddenly tragedy struck the police. The officer who was conducting it, he had two sons, one of them had both their legs broken, in a serious accident and the other one fell seriously ill with a severe fever, on the same day. Also on that day, another officer that was directly doing the persecuting died in the middle of it, by a heart attack, they released the pastor later that day. They connected the dots. And you look at that and you say, "Well God, why don't you do that?" And we pray, don't we? "God do that, kind of thing, set them free." Sometimes God hears the prayers and says "No, it's my will to cause them to suffer for a while, and then bring them home." IV. Reason Given: Seeking the Better Resurrection (vs. 35) The reason given here in this text is these people were seeking a better resurrection. What does that mean, that they were seeking a better resurrection? One of two possibilities, they were seeking the resurrection of the righteous, as a believer in Jesus or they were seeking greater rewards on Judgment Day. Hey, you pick and choose. Either one is okay with me. Both of them valid, both of them fine. I'm going with the first because in the context here, he's saying, "We are not of those who shrink back to the destruction of our souls. We are those who finish the race to the salvation of our souls and we want the better resurrection." Better than what? Well, better than the resurrection of the wicked. What happens at the resurrection of the wicked? They go to hell. We want the better resurrection, going to Heaven. That's fine, or you could say better resurrection means better rewards. Blessed are you as Ashok read when people insult you, persecute you, mistreat you, rejoice and be glad because great is your award in heaven for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. V. Assessment: The World was Not Worthy of them (vs. 38) The final assessment of these, the world was not worthy of them. World didn't deserve them. This wicked world. This persecuting world, this Christ-hating world didn't deserve these people. And if you read in the Book of Revelation, when God is pouring out wrath on the Earth, one of the things he consistently remembers as he speaks and the angels talk about is, is how they treated his people, and so when the angel is pouring out his bowl and all the water is turned to blood, the angel says, "You are right to do this, oh Lord because you have so judged, because they killed your people and they shed their blood and you have given them blood to drink as they deserve." The world wasn't worthy of them, didn't deserve them, instead they got Stephen falling to his knees and praying, "God don't count this sin against them. Lord, open the King of England's eyes." That's what the world got. World didn't deserve them. VI. Applications Application. First Christ, aren't you glad that Christ refused to be released so that you could gain a better resurrection. In the garden he faced it, he embraced it, he said, "I'll drink it right to the bottom, I will not run away, I will drink their wrath." he's the real hero of Hebrews 11, all of 'em would say so. These people are just imitating Jesus. Jesus, the Son of God, came into the world to save sinners like you and me, and by his blood, by the blood of Jesus shed on the cross we are saved, all you have to do is believe in him. You don't have to do anything. And let me tell you something, you don't have to be a hero in time of persecution either, you're not saved by how heroically you handle persecution. It's not, you have to go accumulate a certain amount of persecution, then they let you into heaven. We are justified by faith in Jesus, it's because Jesus suffered on the cross. It's so important that you understand that. Because now I want to face this one question that's plagued me, it's been working on me. "Alright, God I see, I know the history, I love history, been reading it, been reading Extreme Devotion. Jesus Freaks and the devotions that come from it, all of those testimonies. I read Voice of the Martyrs, I read these things and I'm convicted by it. I'm encouraged but also convicted. I look at my life and say, "Lord I don't really suffer like that, I don't." Some of us can feel guilty. It's like the survivor's guilt, to some degree or something, I don't know, but then there's some genuine conviction that could be mixed in there, "God, am I really living openly for you like I should. Maybe I would have more persecution in my life if I were just bolder in evangelism and bold in standing up for unpopular issues of justice in this age." So I faced it and I just want to ask, okay, these verbs don't seem to apply to us. Flogged, sawed in two, even imprisoned. I'm talking about us, here, the ones who are here, you guys, me. So you've got these verbs and we face it. What do I do with that? Alright, I came up with some answers. Bear with me, I just want to give them to you quickly. First, understand every generation of Christians has been tempted to shrink back and not face the persecution. It's true of everyone, they're not super men and super women that we're talking about here. They faced it too. God helped them. He will help you. These Hebrew Christians faced the same things I do in shrinking back. They faced it. And the author is again and again... Hebrews 12:4, "In your struggle against sin, you've not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood.” Don't get discouraged, keep running. Jesus suffered outside the city gate to make the people holy through his own blood. Let us go out to him and bear the disgrace he bore. He's exhorting them to live and don't be afraid. So every generation has faced it. Second, some American Christians are persecuted for their faith very openly. Think about athletes or movie stars or other people who are Evangelical Christians and who speak up, boldly for their faith, and then just find out what the world thinks about them in the internet. Just read the comments, friends. Tim Tebow, Adrian Gonzalez. He got pounded for saying that it was God's will that the Red Sox not make the playoffs. He got pounded for it. But what I don't understand about Adrian Gonzalez as he wrote Psalm 27:1, "The Lord is my light and my salvation" on his bat. Everything he does he does for Jesus and he said it openly. So there are some Christians being persecuted. World Magazine every year does a Daniel of the Year, Daniel in the lions' den, that kind of thing. And these are men and women who stand firm in very tough situations. This year's Daniel of the Year is Alan Chambers who does Exodus International Ministry to homosexuals, very unpopular, persecuted. 2009, Stephen C. Meyer, Director of Discovery Institute, Center for Science and Culture, asserting that DNA evidence in itself proves there's a creator. Not very popular in the academic world. Wanda Cone, pregnancy care center in 2007. She was the Daniel of the Year then, and again, pro-life, standing firm for the rights of the pre-born to life. So that doesn't mean that I've been persecuted though. They have been persecuted. So persecution does happen here in America, it does happen. Thirdly, I think we should give thanks for religious freedom. We shouldn't feel guilty that we live in a country where other people suffered so greatly, whether soldiers or political scientists or Baptists or others that said, separation of church and state, make no law respecting religion, we're not going to have government forcing us to worship in a way, we don't want, as you have in a Muslim country. Definitely there. Okay? We're not going to have that here. Praise God for it, thank God, for it. We don't have to feel guilty, we should thank God for it and cherish it because it might not be around forever. Because some people think Freedom for Religion means freedom from religion and as we Evangelicals keep preaching the Gospel, we're going to start getting persecuted. And they might even start making laws and so it may end up morphing on us. Fourth, recognize smaller ways that normal Christians are persecuted. Jesus mentioned insults. Even in this list, there's mocking. Insults are not nothing. Family struggles because of Christ. Jesus said in Matthew 10 that he has come to turn a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law, a man's enemies will be the members of his own household. All of you who have come to faith in Christ, and you don't have nothing but non-Christian parents and brothers and sisters, I'm sure you've been persecuted at some level. You've been shunned or excluded or spoken against by your own siblings and by your own parents, perhaps, or children. But let's be realistic about that. Our cost has been far less than these people's cost. Greater love has no one than this, that a man lays down his life for his friends, we haven't had to lay down our life for Jesus. Fifth, be willing to evangelize more boldly, be willing to stand for unpopular causes more boldly. You will be persecuted. And you know it. And so face up to as Ashok was talking about, face up to ways that you have shrunk back from being a witness for Jesus and repent, and be willing to step up with brothers and sisters who have paid the price to share the gospel. You'll pay a less price here in the US at least, at this present time, and stand up for unpopular things, like the marriage protection amendment that's coming in this state, May 8th. I'll tell you what, if you get really, really active in that you will be persecuted, you will be persecuted. I'm wondering where all that's heading with the whole weird definitions of marriage. Will we be able to marry ourselves? I mean that's weird. Can we marry a pet? I mean, do we have any lasting definition of marriage? Yes, we do. It's in the Bible, one man one woman for life. "For this reason, a man will leave his father and mother, and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh." There's a definition. If you get away from the Bible, you have no definition, and it just gets weird. So I think if you stand up for the marriage protection amendment, you will get persecuted. You should at least be involved at some level in that issue and find out more. Ask Andy when there's others that are getting involved in that. I'm seeing signs all around the street, another family against the Amendment, another family against the Amendment, it's interesting. It's not just interesting, it's a call to action for us. Now, of course, desiring to be persecuted is not a good motive for evangelism, you know that, alright. I'm here to get my daily quotient of persecution. You're the top choice on my list. Okay. So I'm going to share with you until you finally do something mean to me. That's terrible. It's just a by-product of love because you love them and you love Jesus, they're going to hurt you. Sixth, be aware of Christians around the world who are being persecuted, pray for them and do what you can to aid them. Read Persecution Project, read Voice of the Martyrs, pray for them, act as if you were in prison with them. We'll talk about that when we get to that text, just send money, just be aware and educate yourself, pray for them. Paul said, "join with me in my struggle by praying to God for me." And then finally, prepare yourselves for the future. What's it going to look like in the US in 50 years? Is there going to be a religious freedom in this country? So get yourself, your children and your grandchildren ready for the coming antichrist. When the price of salvation will be martyrdom, beheading, shedding of blood, horrible, it's coming, read about it in Revelation 20:4, Revelation 12:11, "They overcame him by the blood of the lamb, by the word of their testimony, they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death." Learn, prepare, grow and may it be said of you, the world was not worthy of them. Close with me in prayer.