Podcasts about one true king

Children's fiction studio founder Jasmine Richards (Storymix), publisher Natalie Doherty (Puffin and HarperCollins Children's Books), and bestselling author Soman Chainani (The School for Good and Evil) on shaping an idea commercial enough to sell, what makes a children's book impossible to put down, and trusting the unconscious to write it.   You'll learn Why the most commercial idea is the one that centres its reader from the very first thought. How a single pithy log line can carry a book all the way from the slush pile to the playground. The counterintuitive trick of starting your story at chapter three. How to read what children are reading now so your pacing keeps up with theirs. What a publisher is really looking for when a manuscript lands on the desk — and why voice comes before plot. How the categories from early readers to YA actually break down on the bookshop shelf. The difference between weaving in a message and writing a book that feels worthy. The case for never self-censoring in a first draft, and saving the negotiation for later. How tiring out your conscious mind can unlock a freer, more instinctive way to draft. Why the goal of writing should be the writing itself, not the bestseller list.   Episode Links #050: Jasmine Richards — How to Pitch Commercial Children's Fiction & The Business of Children's Publishing #081: Natalie Doherty — The Magic of Writing for Children, Market Trends & Behind the Scenes of Publishing Children's Books #035: Soman Chainani — Writing Dark Tales for Children & Balancing Creative Work with Discipline   About the Guests Jasmine Richards is the author of over a dozen children's books, ranging from picture books to teen fiction. Her most recent novel, Keeper of Myths, was published by HarperCollins. She has over 15 years of experience as an editor, including roles at Hamish Hamilton, Puffin, and Dutton Books in New York. Jasmine is the founder of Storymix, a children's fiction studio, where she uses her unique experiences to develop new voices and inclusive stories. Natalie Doherty is a Publisher at Puffin, although during this interview she was at HarperCollins Children's Books. She's worked with award-winning and bestselling authors, including Tom Fletcher, Robin Stevens, R. J. Palacio, Tamzin Merchant, and Nazneen Ahmed Pathak. Before moving into editorial in 2010, she worked in Contracts and Rights at Hachette and holds a BA in Modern European Languages and an MA in Translation. Her recent middle-grade acquisitions include Simon Stephenson's The Snowman Code and Philippa Leathley's Inkbound. Soman Chainani's debut series, The School for Good and Evil, has sold more than 3 million copies, been translated into 30 languages across 6 continents, and became a major motion picture from Netflix starring Charlize Theron, Laurence Fishburne, Kerry Washington, and Michelle Yeoh, with Chainani as an executive producer. Each of the six books in the series — The School for Good and Evil, A World Without Princes, The Last Ever After, Quests for Glory, A Crystal of Time, and One True King — debuted on the New York Times Bestseller list. A graduate of Harvard University, Soman created his own fairy-tale major before going on to an MFA in film at Columbia University. He has made films that have played all over the world, and his writing awards include honors from Big Bear Lake, the CAPE Foundation, and the Sun Valley Writers' Fellowship. In Beasts & Beauty: Dangerous Tales, Soman reimagines old stories into fresh fairy tales for a new era. For show notes, transcripts and to attend our live podcasts visit: podcast.londonwriterssalon.com.For free writing sessions, join free Writers' Hours: writershour.com.*FOLLOW LONDON WRITERS' SALONTwitter: twitter.com/​​WritersSalonInstagram: instagram.com/londonwriterssalonFacebook: facebook.com/LondonWritersSalonIf you're enjoying this show, please rate and review this show!

July 12, 2026 Sermon Proverbs and Jesus Series Message by Jacob Parnell Re-watch this week's service here............ Child of the One True King Jacob Parnell

July 4, 2026 Daily Devotional: “The One True King”Zechariah 14:9 "The Lord will be king over the whole earth. On that day there will be one Lord, and his name the only name." It's easy to look at the world right now and feel like everything is pulling in a million different directions. We see chaos, conflict, and competing voices, and it often feels like there is no unifying thread. Zechariah 14:9 offers a perspective that cuts through that noise: The prophecy here isn't just about a change in government; it's about a change in allegiance. Today, we divide our loyalty between countless things: our careers, our possessions, our status, our political affiliations, and our own desires. ​In the "day" Zechariah describes, that division ceases. The struggle of trying to serve multiple masters—or simply trying to serve ourselves—is resolved by the presence of the one true King. When the Bible speaks of His "name" being one, it implies that there will no longer be anyconfusion about who holds the authority. It is an end to the competing claims that currently distract and divide us. ​What this means for today? It is tempting to read this as a future event disconnected from your Tuesday morning or your current personal struggle. However, the promise of this verse should change how you navigate today. ​Youcan lower your guard. If you are constantly trying to control every outcome in your life, remember that the end of the story is already written. The world isn't spinning toward disaster; it is spinning toward His reign. When you feel anxious or overwhelmed, pause and ask: Who is sitting on the throne of my heart right now? Is it worry? Is it a goal I'm desperate to reach? If it isn't the Lord, you are essentially trying to make something else "king" inyour life—and that is a heavy burden to carry. Knowing that the ultimate conclusion of history is the unification of all things under Him allows you to find peace even when your immediate circumstances feel chaotic. You don't have to fix the world; you just have to stay aligned with the One who will eventually settle all things. When you feel like you're losing control, the concept of "God's sovereignty" can easily feel too big, abstract, or even cold. When things feel out of control, our prayers often turn into a long list of instructions for God on how He should fix it. Ultimately, this verse is a vision of ultimate unity, sovereignty, and global peace. It points to a futuretime when the fragmentation, religious division, and political chaos of the world are completely resolved under the direct leadership of God. The world's division is temporary; God's ultimate unity is permanent. True peacecomes when we stop segmenting our lives and allow Him to be King over every part of our day.

This powerful exploration of Judges chapters 8 and 9 takes us deep into the tragic story of Gideon and his son Abimelech, revealing how easily we can drift from God's leadership to our own agendas. We witness Gideon's transformation from a God-appointed deliverer into someone pursuing personal vengeance and glory, ultimately creating an idolatrous ephod that led Israel astray. The message confronts us with an uncomfortable question: what little kings have we crowned in our lives? Whether it's the pursuit of financial security, social approval, career success, or political leaders, we're challenged to examine where we've placed our ultimate trust. The contrast between worldly leaders and Jesus is stark and sobering. While Gideon used his power to threaten and harm his own people, and Abimelech murdered seventy brothers to seize power, Jesus laid down His life for us. The fable of the trees seeking a king is particularly profound—the fruitful olive tree, fig tree, and vine all refused to abandon their God-given purposes to rule, but the worthless bramble eagerly accepted, offering only thorns and destruction. This mirrors our own temptation to crown things that can only hurt us while rejecting the One who truly provides life. The call here is clear: dethrone the false kings, remove the crowns from our fears and insecurities, and recognize that there is only one true King—Jesus, who wore a crown of thorns so we could wear a crown of glory.ChaptersChapter 1: Introduction: The Tragedy of Rejecting God as King0:00 - 5:11We explore the book of Judges and examine how Israel repeatedly ran from God's leadership, seeking worldly leaders instead, while God continued to send help despite their unfaithfulness.Chapter 2: Gideon's Heart Shifts from God to Self5:11 - 14:49After defeating the Midianites, Gideon's heart shifts from following God's direction to pursuing his own agenda, responding with manipulation and vengeance rather than giving God glory.Chapter 3: The Making of an Idol and the Rise of Abimelech14:49 - 27:18Gideon creates an idolatrous ephod that leads Israel astray, lives like a king while denying the title, and his illegitimate son Abimelech murders his brothers to seize power.Chapter 4: Jotham's Fable and the Bramble King27:18 - 39:32Jotham tells a prophetic fable about trees seeking a king, where fruitful trees refuse but the worthless bramble accepts, warning that Abimelech and Shechem will destroy each other.Chapter 5: The Only True King: Jesus Christ39:32 - 46:09In stark contrast to failed worldly leaders like Abimelech, Jesus is the one true king who conquered sin through sacrificial love, dying on the cross so we could find true rest and righteousness.

A Study of Luke 19: 28-42

Jeremiah 23:1-8March 25, 2026Pastor Nick Shaffer

The One True King (John 12:9-19)

Weekly sermon from Trinity Church Denver

Welcome to Day 2763 of Wisdom-Trek. Thank you for joining me. This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom. Day 2763 – Wisdom Nuggets – Psalm 104:1-9 – Daily Wisdom Wisdom-Trek Podcast Script - Day 2763 Welcome to Wisdom-Trek with Gramps! I am Guthrie Chamberlain, and we are on Day two thousand seven hundred sixty-three of our Trek. The Purpose of Wisdom-Trek is to create a legacy of wisdom, to seek out discernment and insights, and to boldly grow where few have chosen to grow before. Wisdom-Trek: The Architect of Light – Robed in Splendor, Riding the Wind. Today, we embark on a grand new expedition. We are stepping into the vast, open cathedral of creation as we begin our journey through Psalm One Hundred Four. We will be exploring the opening movement, verses one through nine, in the New Living Translation. In our previous treks through Psalm One Hundred Three, we heard King David command his soul to "Bless the Lord." That psalm was a masterpiece of historical and redemptive praise. It focused on forgiveness, healing, and God's fatherly compassion toward our frailty. It ended in the heavenly throne room, with the angels and the armies of heaven joining the song. Psalm One Hundred Four begins with the exact same phrase: "Let all that I am praise the Lord." But the focus shifts entirely. If Psalm One Hundred Three was about the God of Grace, Psalm One Hundred Four is about the God of Nature. This is a poetic retelling of Genesis Chapter One. It describes Yahweh not just as the Redeemer of Israel, but as the Cosmic Architect who builds the universe like a house, wraps Himself in light like a garment, and rides the wind like a chariot. It challenges the pagan worldviews of the ancient Near East head-on, declaring that the storms, the sea, and the sun are not rival gods—they are merely the tools and servants of the One True King. So, let us open our eyes to the wonders of the world and behold the glory of the Builder. The First Segment is: The Royal Vestments: Light and Space. Psalm One Hundred Four: verses one through two. Let all that I am praise the Lord. O Lord my God, how great you are! You are robed with honor and majesty.  You are dressed in a robe of light. You stretch out the starry curtain of the heavens; The psalmist begins with a personal burst of adoration: "Let all that I am praise the Lord. O Lord my God, how great you are!" This isn't just a statement of size; it is a statement of status. "Greatness" (gadol) here implies royal magnificence. The psalmist immediately describes God using the imagery of a King getting dressed for a state occasion. But this King does not put on silk or velvet. "You are robed with honor and majesty. You are dressed in a robe of light." In the Ancient Israelite worldview, light was the very first element of creation ("Let there be light"). Here, the psalmist poetically imagines that before God created the world, He wrapped Himself in that primal light. Light is His uniform. It signifies purity, glory, and visibility. While the pagan gods were often associated with

December 24, 2025Today's Reading: Matthew 1:18-25Daily Lectionary: Isaiah 44:21-45:13, 20-25; Daniel 10:1-12:13; Isaiah 48:1-22; Revelation 12:1-17“She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.Isaiah 44:21-45:13 makes the point that God is in control of conducting affairs and uses people according to His good and gracious will. His Word won't return void but always accomplishes His purpose. So, despite how chaotic and unpredictable the world seems at times, the world still exists under the God Who knows when the sparrow falls and the number of hairs on the head; the God turning the hearts of Kings and working through them as instruments for His divine command. Cyrus was one more King in a line of those ruling powerful empires whose lifespans were always framed by God's divine boundaries. He was a subduer of nations whose hand God held to loosen the belts of kings and open gates to territories powerless before God. The point is clear: God works through people to fulfill His holy will.Against this backdrop we can read a passage like Matthew 1:18-25 and see again the LORD working through people, only this time it's not a powerful earthly King but the virgin Mary. God doesn't rely on the strength of the flesh and needs no temporal Kings to bring forth the One True King ruling on His throne, even in the womb. It's a reversal from what we see in the Old Testament—the God Who uses Kings now uses the lowly virgin in the delicate womb to carry the Christ Who will establish His own Kingdom by blood.Matthew 1:21 is the divine Word of God foretelling salvation in the Christ Who will save His people from their sins. The birth of Jesus fulfills another prophecy in Isaiah 7:14 that says “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel.” Joseph is righteous not only in how he treats Mary when suspecting her of adultery, but in that he believes the Word from the angel of the Lord. He does according to God's command and calls the child “Jesus.”The world still turns under God's watch, which is a comforting truth alongside the Gospel teaching us that in this world of kings coming and going, nations rising and falling, chaos, pain, suffering, and death, God is good to keep His Word once again in sending His Son to fulfill His promise of saving sinners. The child in Mary's womb would do it, showing again God faithfulness in keeping His Word to redeem the world which happens only by Jesus' cross and blood.In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.Here a maid was found with child, Yet remained a virgin mild. In her womb this truth was shown: God was there upon His throne (LSB 332:3)Author: Rev. Ryan Ogrodowicz, senior pastor at Grace Lutheran Church in Brenham, TX.Audio Reflections Speaker: Rev. Richard Heinz, pastor at Trinity Lutheran Church in Lowell, IN.Work through the first ten chapters of Matthew and learn more about who Jesus is. As you move through this study, you'll ponder the theological, practical, and historical considerations of the text. With ample room for personal notes, this study will have you feeling confident in your understanding of Matthew's Gospel. Matthew 1:1-11:1 of the new Concordia Commentary Bible Study Series is available now.

We fail when we claim what belongs only to the One True King. 

We fail when we desire a lesser king rather than the One True King.

No longer a foreshadowing, worship the One True King of Peace, Jesus.

A Study of Colossians 1: 13-14

From a master of Biblical Fiction, Connilyn Cossette is back with a new book set in the time of Saul and David. Listen in to learn more about The King's Men series. note: links may be affiliate links that provide me with a small commission at no extra expense to you.  I loved chatting with Connilyn about this series. One thing that struck me was that the time period--I'd never thought about how things that happened in the Bible happened during historical "ages" like the Iron Age.  Whoa. This series really gives new perspective on the time and culture surrounding the time of Saul and David. That's the richest part of good Biblical fiction--giving you insight into how they probably lived.  Splendor of the Land by Connilyn Cossette Gavriel, a soldier in the elite company of Yonatan--son of King Saul--dreams of forging his destiny through crafting weapons with his own hands. Despite earning his place among Israel's finest, he is haunted by a dark past that no distraction can dispel. When his reckless behavior crosses a line, Yonatan gives him one last mission to prove his worth: help persuade a distant Kenite tribe to sever their ties with the Amalekites. Zahava, a gifted goldsmith hidden behind her father's legacy, lives in the shadows due to her physical affliction. Her unmatched and unrecognized talent is a closely guarded secret within her family. Disheartened by a future that seems unattainable, she resigns herself to a life of obscurity. However, when Gavriel arrives in her village, they're tangled together in ways neither could have imagined. As they navigate unforeseen dangers and enemy threats, Gavriel must confront his past and either bend his knee to the One True King or lose the woman he loves forever. Set against the backdrop of ancient Israel, this exhilarating Old Testament-era tale is threaded with themes of redemption, courage, and sacrifice. This Iron Age story will appeal to readers of biblical fiction, Francine Rivers, Tessa Afshar, and Angela Hunt.  Splendor of the Land is still 30% off with FREE US shipping from BakerBookHouse.com. Don't forget to get your novella on her WEBSITE (and sign up for her newsletter!) You can also find Connilyn Cossette on BookBub and GoodReads, and don't forget Connilyn's Bibliophiles on Facebook. Like to listen on the go? You can find Because Fiction Podcast at: Apple Castbox Google Play Libsyn RSS Spotify Amazon and more!

Christian Historical Fiction Talk is listener supported. When you buy things through this site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Become a patron and enjoy special perks and bonus content.Show your appreciation for the show and buy me a coffee. You'll find details by following this link.Connilyn Cossette joins us on the podcast again to talk about her latest release, Splendor of the Land. The book, set at the very beginning of the times of the kings in Israel, is a wonderful read, and we had such a lovely conversation about it. On of my favorite quotes, that is now taped to my computer monitor, is "For those who feel unseen, the One who lit the stars aflame is calling you by name." Wow. So we chat about those who feel unseen and the God who sees us, among many other things. There's even something special in store for patrons.Splendor of the Land by Connilyn Cossette"A triumphant story in which flawed characters face real choices and must rely on a real God to save them."--MESU ANDREWS, bestselling and award-winning author Gavriel, a soldier in the elite company of Yonatan--son of King Saul--dreams of forging his destiny through crafting weapons with his own hands. Despite earning his place among Israel's finest, he is haunted by a dark past that no distraction can dispel. When his reckless behavior crosses a line, Yonatan gives him one last mission to prove his worth: help persuade a distant Kenite tribe to sever their ties with the Amalekites.Zahava, a gifted goldsmith hidden behind her father's legacy, lives in the shadows due to her physical affliction. Her unmatched and unrecognized talent is a closely guarded secret within her family. Disheartened by a future that seems unattainable, she resigns herself to a life of obscurity. However, when Gavriel arrives in her village, they're tangled together in ways neither could have imagined. As they navigate unforeseen dangers and enemy threats, Gavriel must confront his past and either bend his knee to the One True King or lose the woman he loves forever. Get your copy of Splendor of the Land. More about Connilyn:When I finally put aside my fears and put that first manuscript out there in the world, to my astonishment, I semi-finaled in the ACFW Genesis contest, won the Frasier Award from My Book Therapy, signed with literary agent Tamela Hancock Murray of the Steve Laube Agency and within only a few months I'd signed on with my dream house, Bethany House Publishers. Since my first book was published in 2016 my books have appeared on numerous bestseller lists, have won both Christy and Carol Awards and have sold thousands of copies all over the world in several languages.  Above all that God has done with my writing career and regardless of where He may lead me in the future, my passion is to write stories that draw readers into an immersive fictional experience within the rich ancient world of the Bible, to personalize the history found there, and to spark a curiosity that will lead to digging deeper into the truth of the Word.Thank you for stopping by, I'd love to connect with you on Facebook, Pinterest, or Twitter and you are welcome to drop me an email at connilyn@connilyncossette.com. Don't forget to sign up for my newsletter that will bring you exciting updates and opportunities for giveaways and sales!Visit Connilyn Cossette's website.

This summer we have invited several guest speakers to deliver a passage of scripture that has had a profound impact on their lives.Join us as we hear how God has and is still working in the hearts of people in the local Church!

https://www.maynardvillefellowship.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Carr-ST-7-16-25.mp3 What does it mean to live under the rule of the One True King? In this lecture, Pastor Carr explores the second way God reveals His Lordship—through the Kingdom. Discover how Scripture defines the nature and timing of that Kingdom, and what faithful citizenship looks like in light of it.

This week, we continue our series, Quest for a King, in the book of 1 Samuel. In chapter 8, God's people are unhappy with Samuel and his sons, and they make a request for a king. God uses Samuel to warn them of the consequences that will come with an earthly king, but ultimately grants their request. Pastor AJ highlights two takeaways from the text: 1) The subtle rejection of God 2) The “kings” of this world enslave

Three Competing Kingdoms, One True King// Luke: Jesus For Everyone // Luke 6:13-16, Luke 7:2-9, Matthew 5:38-41, Luke 5:12-13 // Doug Glynn// 05.25.25

Today's witnesses are from Matthew West's website, called popwe.org. If you don't know who Matthew West is, he is a singer, songwriter, and storyteller. This website is for the non-profit that he has with his father, a pastor. Matthew and his father encourage people to share their stories. They have various categories of stories. Today, I chose two testimonies from the Marriage/Family Category. Satan is attacking our families, and I think it can help us to see that God is looking out for us. Satan wants to destroy families, but God wants to preserve them. Often, we can hear our own story in someone else's story. When we listen to others tell their story, it helps us see that we are not alone. When we hear how God worked in their situation, it gives us hope that He will work in ours, too! I pray that when you hear these testimonies, you get the faith and hope to believe that miracles can happen in your situation, also. I pray you know that God wants to be there with you, and if you invite Him into your family issues, He can help.Zachary: 2016 started out as one of the most exciting years for me and my wife, Amanda. We were living in Calcutta, India; working at Calcutta School of Music and starting our own company to support local artists and musicians in the city. Amanda was expecting our first baby, Chloe West Ray, and she was due to arrive at the beginning of December. Amanda was in her third trimester when she became very sick one night. We admitted her into the hospital in Calcutta, India on a Monday night. Tuesday morning Amanda was feeling better and Chloe seemed to be doing ok too. Wednesday morning, before we were about to leave the hospital, we went in for one more ultra sound. I can still hear the doctor say, “We can't find a heart beat” as if it was today. We found ourselves sitting in that hospital room broken and confused, with no idea of what the next steps would be.There were very few words of comfort that helped. Although people were praying and offering their words of comfort, it felt like a season of being abandoned by God. The dreams of holding our little girl were stolen and shattered. Grief is a funny thing. The initial sting and pain becomes dull over time, but the memories and dull ache continues. I don't think our hearts are created for this world to overcome “grief” from tragedies or loss of loved ones; it becomes a part of our story, our life. We become a different person. The beautiful thing is that God stays the same and meets us where we are. I can honestly say God tangibly became my refuge in one of the darkest times in my life. He brought a healing into my soul like no earthly person could. We may never be the way we were before, but He shapes us into a new and often stronger person. I don't think we get over grief until we leave this world.We found out the following year that we were expecting another baby. Due to the loss of Chloe, it was difficult to not allow our fear and worry to overwhelm our joy. We simultaneously jumped for joy, and breathed a sigh of relief when our son was born. Karina: When I think of my story, I think of pain, grief, overwhelming sadness, hurt, and betrayal. Then I think of hope, redemption, love, grace, miracles, and my salvation in Jesus.Five years ago, my entire world turned upside down. I experienced betrayal in my marriage after 12 years. I was in so much pain. My life seemed to have been one episode after the next of unfortunate events.I was so broken and so alone. I was in severe depression and taking depression and anxiety meds and using alcohol with it. I was doing anything I could to dull the pain I was in.I'm so thankful that God loved me so much that He pursued me in ways I'd never experienced before. I was blessed to become a part of a church. At a time when I was deeply hurting, I was shown the love of Christ over and over again. My pastor would say during his messages (and he still does) that I MATTERED to GOD. Honestly, I didn't even know that I did. God never left my side and He revealed Himself and His love to me. I had never known love like this before and he poured it out on me in waves and waves. He walked with me through the trials and the storms and he saved me and restored me. Then God led me to become a part of a women's group that has encouraged me, prayed with me and laughed with me. These women have become my sisters. We've shared a bond stronger than any blood relationship I've ever had. Words can't describe the love in my heart that I have for each of them. God has healed me in ways I couldn't see possible five years ago or even three years ago. He resurrected my dead marriage which is a miracle in a way because there was no way I could see this being restored or if reconciliation was even an option. That's the God I serve. He is full of compassion, LOVE, mercy, and GRACE… He pursues us even when we turn our backs on Him. He loved me even when I didn't love myself; He showed me I was His, that I was never forsaken; that I was chosen, a daughter of the One True King. He healed my heart, renewed my mind and made me brand new! The only way I can end this is by saying “Thank You, JESUS” ❤️Thank you all so much for sharing your stories. I pray you continue to rely on the Lord and that He continues to bless your families. I know it can be hard to share your story with the world, and yet when you do, it helps others see God working in their life as well.  Thank you again! www.findingtruenorthcoaching.comCLICK HERE TO DONATECLICK HERE to sign up for Mentoring CLICK HERE to sign up for Daily "Word from the Lord" emailsCLICK HERE to sign up for my newsletter & receive a free audio training about inviting Jesus into your daily lifeCLICK HERE to buy my book Total Trust in God's Safe Embrace

As we celebrate Palm Sunday, the beginning of Holy Week, Pastor Ian Thornton dives into the cultural context and significance of Jesus' Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem. Jesus' actions declared that He was indeed the coming Messiah, their true King, and that He was bringing a kingdom of peace. Yet the kingdom of peace that he was brought was not what the people of Israel were expecting or had hoped for. Will you serve the true Jesus, or a Jesus that aligns with your expectations?Big House Church is cultivating a community of passionate worshippers who partner with Jesus to create a kingdom culture on earth as it is in heaven. We regularly meet on Sundays @ 9 & 11 AM at the Zeider Theater in Town Center Virginia Beach.Learn more at www.bighousechurch.com.

As we celebrate Palm Sunday, the beginning of Holy Week, Pastor Ian Thornton dives into the cultural context and significance of Jesus' Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem. Jesus' actions declared that He was indeed the coming Messiah, their true King, and that He was bringing a kingdom of peace. Yet the kingdom of peace that he was brought was not what the people of Israel were expecting or had hoped for. Will you serve the true Jesus, or a Jesus that aligns with your expectations?Big House Church is cultivating a community of passionate worshippers who partner with Jesus to create a kingdom culture on earth as it is in heaven. We regularly meet on Sundays @ 9 & 11 AM at the Zeider Theater in Town Center Virginia Beach.Learn more at www.bighousechurch.com.

I Am A Child of God (Identity Series)1 John 3:1 “See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him.”This verse is so powerful.  What great love the Father has lavished on us, isn't that powerful?  Can't you just picture the Father lavishing us with Love?  Or maybe you can't.  Maybe you struggle to believe that you are a child of God.  Maybe you struggle to believe that the Lord loves you, and the thought that He lavishes love on you is something that you just can't wrap your head around.  If this is you, you are not alone.  Love in this world is so complicated, and a lot of things can get in the way of us loving and feeling loved.  There is a song by Matthew West called “Hello, My Name Is.”  This song has the beginning line of the verse above in the lyrics, along with some reasons why we can't feel this love.  I want to go over some of those lyrics with you.  Also, there is a link to the song in the show notes if you want to listen to it.The song starts out by saying:Hello, my name is RegretI'm pretty sure we have metEvery single day of your lifeI'm the whisper insideThat won't let you forgetThis is true for so many of us.  We struggle to feel God's love because we have so many regrets.  Regrets over things we have done or things we have said; regrets over things we didn't do and didn't say.  When we have regrets, the enemy takes those, and he whispers them to us over and over again so that we feel like we aren't worthy of God's love.  The enemy doesn't let us forget about them.Next, the song goes on to say:Hello, my name is defeatI know you recognize meJust when you think you can winI'll drag you right back down againTill you've lost all beliefDoes this sound familiar?  Things are going well and then we start to get a voice in our head telling us that things will go wrong.  Sure, it seems like all is going well, but things always get messed up in the end.  Things have gone wrong so many times in the past that you start to think you don't deserve to win.  You don't deserve the happiness or the love that God has planned for you.  When this happens, we can start to self-sabotage.  We don't even know we are doing it.  The enemy just keeps telling us that we have failed in the past, so we will fail again.  He drags us back down over and over again until we have lost all belief in ourselves and sometimes in God.Then the song goes on to say:Oh, these are the voices; oh these are the liesAnd I have believed them, for the very last timeHello, my name is child of the One True KingI've been saved, I've been changed, I have been set freeAmazing Grace is the song I singHello, my name is child of the One True KingThis is a verse that we may want to write down and read often.  I know I say this about a lot of verses from scripture, and you may have a lot of Post-it notes or index cards.  I really think this one could help us all when we are feeling defeated or when the enemy is telling us lies.  As much as we want to believe that God loves us and that we are His children, sometimes, the things of this world get in our way.  Sometimes, we let the enemy's lies get to us and convince us that we are not worthy, that we are not loved, that we are unlovable, and so many other things that are not true.  For me, when I heard this song, I loved it.  I have listened to it a million times or so.  Well, that may be a slight exaggeration, but I have listened to it a lot. And guess what?  Now I hear this chorus run through my head when I need it to.  When I start to feel down on myself, I literally tell myself, “Catherine, you are a child of the one true king!”  When I hear this, I can't help but smile.  When I start to doubt myself, when I start to have regret, or when I feel any of the enemy's tactics, I tell him, sorry, but I am a child of the one true king.  You've got nothing on my God; He is my one true king.  I have even started saying this to my friends when they are struggling.  When they are feeling down and also when they are feeling attacked, I remind them who they are and who they are.  They are a child of God, the one true King, and He won't let the enemy hurt them.  He won't let the enemy win.The song goes on to say:I am no longer definedBy all the wreckage behindThe One who makes all things newHas proven it's trueJust take a look at my lifeWe all have things in our past that we are not proud of.  We have all said and done things that weren't great.  Whether we did them on purpose or not, none of us are perfect.  We live in a broken world, and this means that we hurt people sometimes.  Regardless of what you have done in your past, you do not have to be defined by it.  I think it is good to reflect on any areas that you are not proud of.  If there are things you regret in your past, then take stalk of them and hand them over to the Lord.  Ask Him to help you forgive yourself.  Ask Him to help you move past them.  We can not change the past, no matter how much we want to.  If we want to find peace with our past mistakes, we need to turn them over and ask God for help.  As these lyrics say, He is the one that makes all things new.  I also like how the lyrics say that he Has proven it true: just take a look at my life.  I think if we all took a look at our lives over the years, we would see plenty of examples of how God showed us His love, how He protected us from things, how He saved us from things.The song ends with:What love the Father Has lavished upon usThat we should be called His childrenHello, my name is child of the One True KingI've been saved, I've been changed, I have been set freeAmazing Grace is the song I singHello, my name is a child of the One True King, yeahThese are the words from the scripture verse above.  Can you imagine how much the Lord loves us to call us His children?  Think about how much love you have for your children.  Now, multiply that by a bazillion, and that is how much our heavenly Father loves us.  My hope is that when you start to doubt this, you remember this song, you remember this scripture verse, and you remember that you are a child of the one true king.  You remember that you've been saved, you've been changed, you have been set free.  You are not who you were, and you don't have to let your past mistakes define you.  God has saved you, changed you, and set you free from everything.  All you have to do is live in this freedom.  Don't let the enemy drag you back to your old self.  Anytime he starts to whisper lies in your ear, just tell him, “I am a child of the one true king, I am not listening to you.”  Dear Heavenly Father, I ask you to bless all those listening to this episode today.  Lord, we are so grateful for all the love that you lavish on us.  We are sorry if we find it hard to accept it sometimes.  Please help us with this.  We want to accept all that you have to offer us freely.  We want to live in the freedom you have given us.  We don't want to live with any chains that the enemy tries to weigh us down with.  Please help us release anything that we need to release to live in your freedom.  You are so amazing and you give us so much, help us to accept it.  Help us to know that we are your children and that you love us.  Help us not to believe the lies of the enemy.  We are grateful for all you do for us, Lord.  We ask all of this in accordance with your will and in Jesus' holy name, Amen.Thank you so much for joining me on this journey to walk boldly with Jesus. I look forward to spending time with you again tomorrow.  Have a blessed day.Today's Word from the Lord was received in July 2024 by a member of my Catholic Charismatic Prayer Group. If you have any questions about the prayer group, these words, or how to join us for a meeting, please email CatholicCharismaticPrayerGroup@gmail.com. Today's Word from the Lord is, “The day is washed in Light, my children, washed and bathed through your hand, an extension of my hand. My hand is kind and full of compassion and love. You are all the extension of me. You are not separate from me. Never do you move alone. I am your guide.” www.findingtruenorthcoaching.comCLICK HERE TO DONATECLICK HERE to sign up for Mentoring CLICK HERE to sign up for Daily "Word from the Lord" emailsCLICK HERE to sign up for my newsletter & receive a free audio training about inviting Jesus into your daily lifeCLICK HERE to buy my book Total Trust in God's Safe Embrace

The story of 1 & 2 Samuel shows us how every earthly king ultimately points us to God as the only King that any of us will ever need. Thankfully, God has sent His Son, Jesus, to meet us in our sin with His salvation and satisfaction and to save us through a relationship by faith with Him! Jesus is our One True King and we invite you to celebrate this good news with us this series ahead!

The story of 1 & 2 Samuel shows us how every earthly king ultimately points us to God as the only King that any of us will ever need. Thankfully, God has sent His Son, Jesus, to meet us in our sin with His salvation and satisfaction and to save us through a relationship by faith with Him! Jesus is our One True King and we invite you to celebrate this good news with us this series ahead!

Lindenwood University baseball player Evan Funkhouser shares his faith journey.

The story of 1 & 2 Samuel shows us how every earthly king ultimately points us to God as the only King that any of us will ever need. Thankfully, God has sent His Son, Jesus, to meet us in our sin with His salvation and satisfaction and to save us through a relationship by faith with Him! Jesus is our One True King and we invite you to celebrate this good news with us this series ahead!

The story of 1 & 2 Samuel shows us how every earthly king ultimately points us to God as the only King that any of us will ever need. Thankfully, God has sent His Son, Jesus, to meet us in our sin with His salvation and satisfaction and to save us through a relationship by faith with Him! Jesus is our One True King and we invite you to celebrate this good news with us this series ahead!

11/3/2024 - Psalm 2 - Hail to the One True King by Richard Schwartz

The story of 1 & 2 Samuel shows us how every earthly king ultimately points us to God as the only King that any of us will ever need. Thankfully, God has sent His Son, Jesus, to meet us in our sin with His salvation and satisfaction and to save us through a relationship by faith with Him! Jesus is our One True King and we invite you to celebrate this good news with us this series ahead!

None are available at this time.

The story of 1 & 2 Samuel shows us how every earthly king ultimately points us to God as the only King that any of us will ever need. Thankfully, God has sent His Son, Jesus, to meet us in our sin with His salvation and satisfaction and to save us through a relationship by faith with Him! Jesus is our One True King and we invite you to celebrate this good news with us this series ahead!

The story of 1 & 2 Samuel shows us how every earthly king ultimately points us to God as the only King that any of us will ever need. Thankfully, God has sent His Son, Jesus, to meet us in our sin with His salvation and satisfaction and to save us through a relationship by faith with Him! Jesus is our One True King and we invite you to celebrate this good news with us this series ahead!

The story of 1 & 2 Samuel shows us how every earthly king ultimately points us to God as the only King that any of us will ever need. Thankfully, God has sent His Son, Jesus, to meet us in our sin with His salvation and satisfaction and to save us through a relationship by faith with Him! Jesus is our One True King and we invite you to celebrate this good news with us this series ahead!

The story of 1 & 2 Samuel shows us how every earthly king ultimately points us to God as the only King that any of us will ever need. Thankfully, God has sent His Son, Jesus, to meet us in our sin with His salvation and satisfaction and to save us through a relationship by faith with Him! Jesus is our One True King and we invite you to celebrate this good news with us this series ahead!

The story of 1 & 2 Samuel shows us how every earthly king ultimately points us to God as the only King that any of us will ever need. However, as we read 1 Samuel 8, it's clear that the disease of our sin blinds us from accepting Him as our King and we end up placing all of our hope in everything but Him. Thankfully, God has sent His Son, Jesus, to meet us in our sin with His salvation and satisfaction and to save us through a relationship by faith with Him! Jesus is our One True King and we invite you to celebrate this good news with us this series ahead!

Discussion Points: *Host, Sherrie discusses a Bible Study titled "Do You Love Me? Exploring Our Relationships with God and Others" by Debbie Swindall, facilitated by Amy Heilman of Breathe Deep Ministries, which has deeply impacted her relationship with God. *Sherrie emphasizes the importance of making intentional time to engage with God, especially during emotional or challenging moments, to discover His love and purpose for us. *She shares her journey of finding peace and intimacy with God, highlighting the challenges of slowing down and truly resting in Him, rather than merely checking off religious tasks. *The episode encourages listeners to seek God's presence in every micro moment, using specific action steps to process emotions and receive God's grace and guidance, ultimately experiencing a more peaceful and fulfilling life. Podcast Episode/Transcript: This is going to be a short episode but it was important enough for me to make it an episode because I had to share this study with you. It's titled, Do You Love Me? Exploring our relationships with God and others by Debbie Swindoll. Published by Grafted Life Ministries. From what I can discern it's been around since 2014; I have the 3rd edition published in 2018. Have you ever had the opportunity to participate in this particular bible study? If so, I'd love to hear your thoughts, your takeaway. This is the first time I've ever described a bible study as sweet. The most tender hearted bible study I've ever been a part of. When I say tender hearted, it's because of the way it reveals the Father's love for us, His heart to know us and for us to discover Him. The point that was highlighted for me, was the simplicity of what God requires of us in order to know Him more. Then I was perplexed because I treat it with such difficulty. Because of the way I've grown in my intimacy with Christ (after doing this bible study) I wanted to make you aware of it as well. Should you want to participate I can definitely get you in contact with my friend who is the founder of Breathe Deep Ministries, Amy Hellman. I don't receive any type of compensation for connecting you with her. Her contact info will be in the show notes. She's not the publisher nor the author but she facilitates this study. You may be familiar with Amy's name because she has been on my podcast a couple of times. A few years back she was a guest and we talked about her book Soul Stripper. It's a free download online. It is her personal story of how God works with us to strip us of (by way of healing) the various ways we're attached to this world. As well as the ways we attempt to satisfy our flesh or people please etc. and she moves us into finding our identity in Christ, a strong identity in Him alone. Also, she did one other episode where she took the mic to interview me about my first year of podcasting, asking me questions about all that I had learned through the messages that my guests had shared. That would have been in Sept. of 2021, which reminds me, I'm putting together some pretty exciting things for my 4 year anniversary in September of this year! I'll keep you posted. And then lastly, real quick with Amy you may have heard me speak of finding, what I considered and it has proven true, my last layer of healing from abandonment issues. Part of my journey with finding healing for various things associated with my childhood. Amy walked me through Theophostic Prayer and using that healing model the Lord gave me a vision. I've talked about the vision before so I won't repeat it again, so we can get to the purpose of this episode but engaging the Holy Spirit through Theophostic prayer and the vision of the Lord's presence (in a very scary time as a child), broke off the last bit of pain associated with abandonment. All that to say this, the reason I even know anything about this study is because I'm currently seeing Amy for Spiritual Direction counseling and she offered me this study and I gladly joined in and boy am I happy I did. The Lord has been calling me into these pockets of quiet time with Him. As He's doing that it's never been more obvious to me that my challenge is to slow down. Rest. Rest in Him. Rest with Him. I actually thought I was slowing down because my typical pace and the fact that I was making time to engage the Holy Spirit showed a marked difference in my life even from a couple of years ago. I'm thinking I'm doing the thing and knocking it out of the park but something just stayed under the surface that simply did not sit right. A feeling of doing the thing but still missing out. Not getting the full expression, the full experience. However, I simply couldn't put my finger on what was possibly missing. I'm reading the word, I'm making a joyful noise unto the Lord singing praise and worship music, praying for my family/friends, I go to church etc. I'm checking off the good Christian girl checklist. Well, I did the Christian checklist for many years but at this time in my life I would not have called it that because my heart is head over heels in love with Jesus. I love my time with the Lord. I'm no longer trying to perform to earn His affection or make sure I'm maintaining His approval. He has seen me at my absolute worst. And not just once. But countless times. He has yet to turn away. As an example of my affection for the Lord, in this particular season of my life, I am very content, very happy and I have a deep rooted peace in my soul. I need nothing and I want nothing. He has my full attention and I wait on Him to direct my life. So it was in those quiet times with the Lord, that the missing something seemed to be more prominent when I rushed the wrap up of my time with Him. I would enjoy my bible reading and prayer time but in the mornings I'd get to a certain point and then I'd be up and into something else so quickly I was left wondering if I even told the Lord, "I love you?!" When I'd have my quiet time with the Lord in the evenings, it often ended with me going to sleep and not remembering if I even finished my prayers. I would fall asleep in the middle of praying or simply talking to God about something or reading His word. It's not that I felt condemned because if you have children, is that not the sweetest thing you can experience; your children so content with you that they will let their guard down, and surrender to the day, falling asleep with you nearby. However, I just couldn't shake the feeling that I'm missing out on something. That Jesus intended more for me. But what was missing? It's intriguing to me that the simplicity with which we have access to the heart of God as He sits on His sovereign throne and yet in real time our actions say it's incredibly difficult. Maybe on a subconscious level, we believe it to be a, too good to be true, scenario and so our heart discredits it so that it carries no weight in our life? Or maybe it's that God's goodness and kindness are always available and so we take it for granted. It'll always be there so it's no rush, I'll get to it when I can. I know I've treated God that way. The Creator of all things wants to know me and I have “better things” more pressing things to do. As I say that out loud it's incredibly humbling. It's mind boggling that I pass up these moments with such ease. Even if I experience a flash of guilt, it's simply that, a flash. Because the truth is, as a daughter of the One True King of kings and Lord of lords, the One who has no rival and no equal that you can picture yourself running up to the throne room doors and not only do the armed guards step aside they open the massive doors without a question. You run toward your Father. No one stops you as you climb up the steps, probably stepping all over His royal train that fills the throne room. Into His lap you sit and you begin to tell Him about your day and He is absolutely delighted that you have chosen to come and sit with Him. If you're a parent, you can imagine or maybe you know the feeling when your children chose to spend time with you OR when your children choose lesser things (like video games or being on their phone). We've all heard it said that one of our biggest mistakes is that we think we have time….but time is a resource that quickly evaporates. Many times I have questioned, you've heard me ask on my podcasts, why-oh-why do we choose lesser things than the perfection that God offers us. After engaging this study I have the answer! Many of you already have the answer but God is so kind to us in the way He brings revelation to us as the individuals He created us to be. Sometimes, things just click and you have a DUH moment. Like, I knew that part and that part but now it's all come together for a much clearer understanding. Maybe that's when you move from the duh moment to the ah ha moment. Why do we choose lesser things compared to what God has for us? Because in this life we will deal with the flesh and yet our soul knows there's something more. We are made mind, body and soul/spirit. We're trapped in an earthly body, with a soul that longs for heaven and our mind is the battlefield. We straddle this world with our flesh and the spiritual world with our spirit. There is an intentional action, an intentional choice, in the battleground of the mind that takes us from being controlled by the flesh to walking in the fullness of who God created us to be but let's look at the details of what we're working against first. In this place between discovering what we were created for and heaven, we fight against the desires of the flesh because the flesh that we're wrapped-in is broken and sinful; it wants what it wants using the quickest, least resistant path to immediate gratification and yet our soul intuitively knows there is something more. In our DNA, God placed His image and therefore a natural desire for Garden of Eden moments. Our soul longs for beauty, truth, life, relationship, love, joy, etc. etc so the soul searches and its first access point is to use the flesh to find it. Our emotions, our 5 senses, the world around us…it's natural to us, God gave us those things….but this is why the Lord says we must be born again, that we need to die to our flesh, that we need to pick up our cross and follow the Lord. As uninviting as that sounds always remember you are never alone in the process. You have the very presence of God and our biggest trials bring the most beautiful rewards. In the midst of choosing lesser things over taking those incremental steps toward discovering and fulfilling what you were created for, which is rooted in discovering God's heart for you, you can be encouraged that God is never offended, never mad, nor does He want to teach you a lesson. We can learn plenty of hard knock lessons from following our flesh…God doesn't need to do anything to us, there's plenty of teachable moments in one days time based on how we personally engage life….one micro decision at a time, throughout any given day. In the moments when our feelings and/or our emotions are driving us, it's time to take breath, maybe a couple of breaths, and grab a few minutes with Holy Spirit. This juncture (of environment and our emotion) is the place where we can interrupt old patterns, challenge lie based thinking and negative reactions. Because the truth is, if we do not create a space in which we give God our emotions and allow Him to filter them with His truth we will, without fail, end up creating survival skills and self-coping vices (based on our own limited understanding/experiences) that we think are helping or at the very least, protecting us. When we don't take responsibility by way of making time to heal from our past traumas, emotional and mental scars, all the affects of living in a broken world and with our self-imposed survival skills and self-coping vices we will stay in our own dry, dusty desert for 40+ years just like the Israelites. God is with us but our eyes are never seeing and our ears never hear. Sadly, trauma never leaves on its own. The grip of that which seeks to steal, kill, and destroy has to be evicted. You have to break agreement with it, cast it out when necessary. You've heard me say this before, we're not responsible for what has been done to us but we are responsible to find the healing we need and to not give up until we are walking in God's peace, healing and redemption. When you accepted Jesus Christ as your personal Savior and invited Him to live in your heart, you gained access (through Jesus) to now discover who you were created to be. Something that had been hidden from you as a prior enemy of Christ. Now with direct access to the throne of God, you have the opportunity to discover how He knit you together in our own mother's womb. What is it about you that is most like God? What gifts and talents mirror His creative heart? What are your core charateristics that align with Him? As you go on this adventure with Christ and He reveals your gifts, talents, skills and He begins to open doors and create certain connections and relationships, He will reveal this things and teach you how to steward them with Heaven's value system vs our own value system. He will reveal it little by little so that you can digest and apply what He is showing you. Hence the lifelong adventure of relationship and His revelation after revelation. The simplicity with which we can know the depths of God's love for us and who He created us to be, what we were created for, the different seasons He's calling us into, what our gifts and talents are… comes down to this, time. To make time, is the intentional action, the intentional choice in the midst of the emotional and mental battleground of the mind that takes us from being controlled by the flesh to walking in the fullness of who God created us to be. Not time checking off the good Christian girl to do list with the just get it done heart posture. The result of that type of investment is fake at best and you can expect your return to be empty as well; ask me how I know. Take the time to be still and discover the type of Father who loves you. Intimacy grows over time and engagement. In every circumstance of your life and in every micro moment that you have an emotion or a question about who you are, maybe you're being challenged in an area where you're weak, or your moments when you feel disconnected, overwhelmed and you're loosing hope. Pause, be still, breathe, turn your heart and mind toward Jesus. Engage God/Jesus/Holy Spirit (you can start with any one of the 3), invite Him in, ask Him what is this I'm feeling. Why am I feeling this? If He reveals it (because sometimes He simply gives you encouragement in the moment to endure and/or He offers His reassurance that He's with you and He'll see you through) ... so when the time comes that He reveals it, ask Him to help you. And maybe this might be the most challenging part of the process is to accept His grace as you are stepping into who He's called you to be. Most of the time it's not a flawless transition. Here's what I think is the perfect example of this journey we're on. Adam and Eve started off living in intimacy with God. They had daily, face to face conversations with God. He was present 24/7, and they rejected Him. We're born in the condition of having rejected Him and we're on the journey to return to the benefits of the Garden of Eden. Daily, direct access spirit to spirit or heart to heart with God. He's present 24/7 and He waits for our invitation for Him to join us in our darkest, most painful places of life. Nothing about this life, our existence, our challenges, how we use our gift of choice etc. has God concerned, confused or disengaged. Nor is He overwhelmed or disgusted. No. God knows marriage is hard. God knows that the various types of handicaps or physical illness will cause us to question who He is. He knows the evil that people do to one another. Heat breaking yes, but He's the God who walks among His people He's never taken off guard and you know why? Because He's already put those things to death in the spiritual and He wants you and I to know and experience it too. He wants those Garden of Eden moments with us. He's saying, babe, will you bring that to me? Will you trust me with that pain, that emotion, your reaction? I've already healed that on the cross but I want you to allow me to walk you through your personal pain because I want you to experience, first-hand, the healing I've provided. I want you to see how much I love you as you let me dismantle the lie based thinking or the painful memories you have. I give double for the what the enemy has robbed you of. I take the very thing that satan wanted to destroy you with and I flip it producing good things in your life. I bring redemption, I bring restoration. Allow me to remind your heart of Matthew 11:28-30, "Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart and you will find rest for your soul. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." Making time is a challenge. Accepting God's grace as a way of life is humbling and therefore it struggles against our pride/our flesh, but there may be an even bigger challenge for the flesh and that is to have the courage to see God for who He really is. Not who we want Him to be and not who we think He should be. It threatens our flesh because we may have to redefine some foundational things we have been building our life on. I actually think it might even be more scary to change direction when we realize that some of our foundational blocks have been lies. All the more reason to give God space (by being still) and allow Him to reveal Himself to us in every context of life, most especially in the context of pain and suffering. If we can do that and actually embrace who He is even though it may be in direct opposition to what we thought would be, or what we want it to be … that's the place of transformation, where we step into more and more of who we were created to be. Where we find the kind of purpose that even if it's the hardest thing we've ever done, we've never felt more alive, fulfilled and rewarded. (side note: God moves in unique ways with us as the individual He created us to be but what we experience or the revelations we receive with Him will never contradict God's character and nature. If you feel that God is revealing Himself and it is in opposition to His word, question the source. If not inline with God, it is not of Him). Do you have the courage today to give God those micro moments of engagement with the emotions or feelings that need some healing, maturing; things that need a closer inspection even though it will challenge the way you perceive yourself? I would encourage you to start today and try to catch yourself in those type moments. Interrupt where those emotions will take you. Pause, breathe and engage God with these 3 actions steps/conversation that were in the study (I've added some of my words for the way I shared this message but they are in the same in nature). God, what is happening with regard to what I'm experiencing or feeling? God, help me to perceive what you reveal and give me courageous ears to hear. God, show me what your grace looks like in this moment. And I'd even add this question for God ... Who do you want to be for me in this situation? The more time we spend with God to process the impact or purge the residue of this life, the more peaceful, and the more beautiful life becomes. We don't have to wait for heaven to enjoy the heart of the Father, the joy of the Son, Jesus nor the wisdom/revelations of Holy Spirit. We can know a slice of heaven, a small taste of the Garden of Eden in the here and now. All it takes are micro moments of pausing, of investing our time in the heart of God. When we do, we watch our meager offer, our 5 loaves and 2 fish if you will, multiplied beyond our imagination. Live Loved and Thrive! @alifeofthrive.com Resources: Breathe Deep Ministries/Amy Hellman - https://www.breathedeepministries.org/ Grafted Life Ministries: Graftedlife.org   Related Podcast Episodes: In the Presence of God (w/Kevin White): https://alifeofthrive.com/2022/03/02/presence/ Here's How Psalm 23 Showed Me God's Faithfulness (w/Sherrie Pilkington): https://alifeofthrive.com/2022/08/17/heres-how-psalm-23-showed-me-gods-faithfulness/ Can I (or Anyone) Ruin God's Plan for My Life? (W/Sherrie Pilkington): https://alifeofthrive.com/2024/04/24/can-i-or-anyone-ruin-gods-plan-for-my-life/ Related Bog Posts: Investing in Relationship: https://alifeofthrive.com/2020/11/03/investing-in-relationship/ Relationship is Simple But it Takes Courage: https://alifeofthrive.com/2019/03/11/relationship-is-simple-but-it-will-take-courage/

* Last week, we considered Scriptures regarding "The Kingdom of God." Jesus declared that His purpose was to share the good news of the Kingdom and then called upon His disciples to share that message as well. He also declared that this Kingdom was not just one that was, or would be, physical. Rather, the ultimate Kingdom of God is spiritual, and begins in the heart. Allegiance to God begins in the heart by expressing childlike faith and trust in the testimony which God has declared in His Word. Being part of God's Kingdom therefore means that an individual is declaring - by faith - fidelity, allegiance and obedience to YHWH as the One True King of the Universe. * When one chooses to believe - by faith - in YHWH and His redemptive plan they become citizens of His Kingdom and are "born-again." Just as they were born physically, they are now born spiritually. * Today, Jesus will share an important detail of those who are truly part of the Kingdom of God ... having ears they will hear the message of God and they will heed what they hear! To "hear" and to "keep" - Shema and Shamar - is a very basic Jewish teaching. (cf. Deuteronomy 6:4-12)

ASMONGOLD JOINS THE SHOW! "Mighty" Demetrious Johnson welcomes Twitch & YouTuber streamer Asmongold on the latest episode of "MightyCast"! Timecodes 0:00 Intro 1:24 Welcome Asmongold! 2:10 When Asmongold Decided to Start Streaming 3:53 Should You Stream on Multiple Sites (YouTube, Twitch, Kick, etc?) 5:23 DJ's Twitch Channel 6:27 Why it is Harder to Get Subscribers on Twitch 8:09 GFuel: Use Code MIGHTY To Save 20% 10:02 Asmongold's Current Game He is Playing 11:20 How Asmongold Picks Games for His Streams 13:36 DJ LOVED Watching Asmongold Play World of Warcraft 16:46 Why Asmongold Doesn't Like World of Warcraft 18:44 Blizzard Used to be the BEST Company 22:06 THIS Killed Gaming for DJ 23:23 What Makes Gaming Companies Struggle 24:59 Why Hasn't Asmongold Created a Video Game? 28:51 The One True King, How Did it Begin? 32:02 The HARDEST Part of Streaming 32:45 Asmongold COULD Quit Streaming Today 33:30 Mike Tyson vs Jake Paul Breakdown 35:28 Does Asmongold Watch MMA? 36:21 Asmongold's Opinion of Conor McGregor 37:22 UFC has BLOWN Up 39:02 Asmongold's Gym Routine 39:58 Is Asmongold Going Bald? 42:39 What Game is Asmongold Looking Forward to? 43:26 Dragon's Dogma is SICK 44:45 Elden Ring is Missing THIS 46:31 How Most Games Sabotage Themselves 47:26 Why Hasn't Anyone Offered Asmongold to Help a Video Game? 50:50 Why Video Games End Up Suffering 53:56 What is Asmongold's Favorite Transmog? 54:47 Which Transmog was the HARDEST to Get? 57:21 Asmongold's FAVORITE WoW Raid 58:16 Asmongold's FAVORITE WoW Expansion 1:00:47 THIS Killed WoW for DJ 1:02:16 Where to Find Asmongold 1:02:48 The Future of Streaming 1:06:49 DJ's Kid Love IShowSpeed 1:08:21 THESE Streamers Will Not Last 1:11:02 Asmongold's Eyebrows 1:11:48 Mighty Recap! Produced/Edited by Michael Wonsover (@mwonsover on IG/Twitter) Edited by Nick Pappas ⚡️ PrizePicks: Sign up with code "MIGHTY" for a 100% deposit match up to $100! https://prizepicks.onelink.me/ivHR/MIGHTY ⚡️ GFuel: https://gfuel.com/ Promo Code: MIGHTY to save 20% at checkout

What happens to us when we die? Do we just become food for worms? What if God is inviting us into something more?

It is Palm Sunday where we remember Jesus entering Jerusalem as the start of Holy Week. The crowds expected Jesus to start a revolution, but it did not happen the way many thought it would. Think back. Has Jesus ever answered a prayer in a different way than you asked? It is a hard question. God's plan, however, is often different than our own and Holy Week is a story along those lines. The Extra Mile: Do a little online digging into the Feast or Festival of Sheaves or Shelters. Jesus would have traveled to Jerusalem many times and presumably this festival would be one of those occasions. Jesus would have been a part of this, and our Palm Sunday celebrates Jesus entering Jerusalem on this festival day. Jesus was part of a tradition, and our Palm Sunday is an example of Jesus being a part of his heritage. Scripture: Luke 19:28-36 Pastor: Rev. Andy Nixon

We discuss the history and return of Alex Jones, the One True King of schizophrenic uncles Part Two is pretty silly. Listen to it at www.Patreon.com/WesternKabuki

Friends, Christ is the King of all things. His rule is characterized not by totalitarianism or despotism, but rather by loving kindness and sacrifice. He constantly reaches out his hands to defend the weak and sick, going to the limits of godforsakenness to bring back those who have wandered. We can cooperate with our King by being his ministers of mercy to the world.