Podcasts about Orthodoxy

​ @Neal_Daedalus  Austin Estuary Weekend Debrief https://www.youtube.com/live/gw3VeO8TWAs?si=00orUzgSMh-8B8aK  @rigelwindsongthurston  Austin Estuary Weekend Day 2: House party at Rigel's https://youtu.be/PB3VU9mkXHE?si=BkbKcEHWHlDy1LKP https://www.rigelthurston.com/p/austin-estuary-weekend-paul-vanderklay How does the Eastern Church meet the Western Church among Normies in America? Nathan Jacobs https://youtu.be/fIMY0ZJFXSw?si=-9uXUhRxl8VeZaiZ  @ReadyToHarvest  SSPX vs The Vatican - What's Going On? https://youtu.be/E5SFgDJZfWk?si=bmGAbHfYk0Te93a0  What is the TLC? ("This little corner of the Internet" also know as "the corner" https://youtu.be/Y3vqSjywot8?si=IVS3bnriwje5syPO TLC Search tool. https://thislittlecorner.net The Flotilla List: https://thislittlecorner.net/channels https://www.livingstonescrc.com/give Ireland in June https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/finding-god-in-nature-and-culture-tickets-1988447493982 Event in Ireland London Breakwater Event link https://www.tickettailor.com/events/flowinthedarkproductions/2159501 Paul Vander Klay clips channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCX0jIcadtoxELSwehCh5QTg https://www.meetup.com/sacramento-estuary/ My Substack https://paulvanderklay.substack.com/ Bridges of meaning https://discord.gg/yXtv7fcH Estuary Hub Link https://www.estuaryhub.com/ There is a video version of this podcast on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/paulvanderklay To listen to this on ITunes https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/paul-vanderklays-podcast/id1394314333  If you need the RSS feed for your podcast player https://paulvanderklay.podbean.com/feed/  All Amazon links here are part of the Amazon Affiliate Program. Amazon pays me a small commission at no additional cost to you if you buy through one of the product links here. This is is one (free to you) way to support my videos.  https://paypal.me/paulvanderklay Blockchain backup on Lbry https://odysee.com/@paulvanderklay https://www.patreon.com/paulvanderklay Paul's Church Content at Living Stones Channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCh7bdktIALZ9Nq41oVCvW-A To support Paul's work by supporting his church give here. https://tithe.ly/give?c=2160640 https://www.livingstonescrc.com/give  

A host admits taking communion at home daily, then asks what the Eucharist really is. The reactions are priceless, but the pastoral wisdom is the point.A priest goes on a massive Protestant podcast and a slice of Orthodox internet melts down. We don't. We ask the harder question: if we won't talk to people outside the Orthodox Church, how will anyone ever hear what Orthodoxy actually teaches, believes, and lives? Father Josiah Trenham's appearance on Girls Gone Bible becomes a real-time case study in evangelism, online criticism, and what it looks like to show up publicly without compromising the faith.“The Eucharist is just a symbol” sounds harmless until John 6 lands with full force. What happens when a huge audience hears the Orthodox view of Communion for the first time?Jeremy Jeremiah, Mario Andrew, and Michael of Cloud of Witnesses talk through the backlash to Father Josiah Trenham (Patristic Nectar) appearing on Girls Gone Bible and argue that Orthodox evangelism requires real conversations outside Orthodox-only spaces. We also dig into why the Eucharist is not merely symbolic, how John 6 reframes everything, and why the Divine Liturgy is where many people first feel the presence of God and can't look back.• why some Orthodox listeners object to public conversations with Protestants• the case for assuming good intent instead of hunting for scandal• how common ground can open doors without conceding doctrine• a host's “Eucharist journey” and the confusion around at-home communion• Father Josiah's John 6 teaching on the body and blood of Christ• why the symbolic-only view is rejected and what that implies pastorally• the Divine Liturgy as an encounter that convinces seekers• Paul on preparation for Communion and the fear of receiving casually• why the Protestant Reformation is not one thing and why that matters• born again language alongside baptism as water and the SpiritFrom there we follow the thread that grabbed the hosts and their audience: the Eucharist. You'll hear why “Communion is just symbolic” isn't a harmless difference in emphasis, how John 6 frames Jesus' words about eating his flesh and drinking his blood, and why the Orthodox Church insists on the real presence of Christ in the Holy Eucharist. We also react to the surprising honesty of a host describing daily at-home communion, curiosity about transubstantiation, and a search for healing, then break down the pastoral wisdom of responding with one clarifying question: “What do you mean by that?”We widen the lens to the Divine Liturgy and why so many visitors say they feel the presence of God and can't leave, plus Paul's warnings about approaching Communion without preparation. Finally, we touch the complexity of the Protestant Reformation, the wide range of Protestant sacramental beliefs, and why “born again” language is incomplete without being born of water and the Spirit through baptism. If you care about Orthodox Christianity, Eucharist theology, and real conversations across denominations, hit play, then subscribe, share this with a friend, and leave a review so more seekers can find the show.An Orthodox priest goes on a major Protestant show and people panic. Should Christians avoid hard conversations, or is that exactly where conversion begins?Questions about Orthodoxy? Please check out our friends at Ghost of Byzantium Discord server: https://discord.gg/JDJDQw6tdhPlease prayerfully consider supporting Cloud of Witnesses Radio: https://www.patreon.com/c/CloudofWitnessesFind Cloud of Witnesses Radio on Instagram, X.com, Facebook, and TikTokPlease leave a comment with your thoughts!

In this interview, I'm joined by Dr. Sarah Riccardi-Swartz to discuss how an uptick in converts, especially among young men, is impacting Orthodoxy in America. Dr. Riccardi-Swartz brings an interesting perspective to this topic as she is both an academic anthropologist and an Orthodox Christian herself. Her research is some of the first of its kind regarding Orthodoxy in America. Pre-order my novel, The Long Road to Holy Island: https://amzn.to/4sISAC9Get access to my book club, show notes, ad-free episodes and more:  https://patreon.com/gospelsimplicity Make a one-time donation: https://paypal.me/gospelsimplicityBook a meeting: https://calendly.com/gospelsimplicity/meet-with-austinRead my writings: https://austinsuggs.substack.comGet her book, Between Heaven and Russia: https://amzn.to/3SdX6vdLearn more about Dr. Riccardi-Swartz: https://www.riccardiswartz.com/About the Guest:Dr. Sarah Riccardi-Swartz is an assistant professor of religion and anthropology at Northeastern University, where she is also an affiliate faculty member in the women's, gender, and sexuality studies program. Before joining Northeastern University she was a Postdoctoral Fellow in the Recovering Truth: Religion, Journalism, and Democracy in a Post-Truth Era project at the Center for the Study of Religion and Conflict (Arizona State University). She has a Ph.D. in Sociocultural Anthropology from New York University. After completing an honors B.A. and M.A. in Religious Studies (American religions) at Missouri State University, she attended NYU to study and research religion and politics in the United States from an anthropological perspective. Along the way, she obtained a graduate certificate in Culture and Media (ethnographic filmmaking) and an M.Phil in Anthropology from NYU. Her research focuses on conservative politics, gender/sexuality, race, media worlds, and Orthodox Christianity.Chapters00:00 Orthodoxy: An Anthropological Perspective06:11 Media & Orthodoxy's Visibility09:07 Cultural Identity and Conversion 12:10 Politics & Conversion20:55 Community in Conversion Experiences23:56 ROCOR and the Fascination with Russia26:54 The Future of Orthodoxy in America30:36 Orthodoxy in Appalachia35:47 The Emergence of Political Conversations40:39 Understanding the Unique Nature of ROCOR42:24 Cultural Heritage45:49 The Internet & Orthodoxy53:02 Fr. Seraphim RoseSupport the show

Men are tired, and it's not just work and bills, it's the mental pressure of trying to decode what “being a man” is supposed to mean now. One voice says masculinity is toxic. Another says you have to be an always-on, hyper-disciplined “uber man.” Jeremy Jeremiah and Mario Andrew of Cloud of Witnesses sit down with special guests Deacon Anthony (https://st-anthony.org/) and Jacob Sadan (LMFT) (https://jacobsadan.com/) and name the real problem: the narratives we inherit about manhood, and the damage they cause when we never slow down to test them against truth.Men are getting whiplash from culture: “too manly” vs “never soft.” We talk responsibility, emotions, and why Christ is the model of healthy masculinity.We talk about why men feel pulled between competing cultural definitions of masculinity and how that confusion spills into family life, relationships, and the church. We connect Christian manhood with responsibility, emotional honesty, and the courage to live with integrity instead of performing a persona.• competing messages about masculinity and the search for real authority• responsibility accountability and integrity as core markers of healthy manhood• fatherhood as presence guidance affection and example not only providing• masculinity as what we do and what we refuse to do• thoughts feelings and behaviors as a cycle shaping identity• church seasons as a healthy place for repentance joy and emotion• therapy work on balance when men suppress or overflow emotionally• examining the narratives we inherited about manhood and love• vulnerability as the foundation of real relationships and the fear of rejection in datingTogether with Deacon Anthony and Jacob from a clinical therapy perspective, we get concrete about healthy masculinity and Christian manhood: responsibility, accountability, and integrity that show up at home, at church, and in everyday relationships. We talk about fatherhood that goes beyond providing and protecting, because kids learn what love is by what they watch, not what they're told. We also challenge the idea that emotions make men weak, pointing to the Church's wisdom around repentance, tears, joy, and self-control, and to Christ himself as the fullest picture of strength that includes compassion and honesty.“The more you deny your emotions, the more emotional you are.” A deacon and a therapist unpack why men shut down, why it explodes later, and how the Church can help you heal.We also go into what therapy rooms are seeing right now: men swinging between emotional shutdown and emotional overflow, the body storing anger, and the fear of vulnerability that makes dating and intimacy feel risky. If you've ever felt like you're performing a role instead of living with integrity, this conversation offers a path back to center, with practical insight and spiritual grounding.Providing and protecting isn't the whole job. What do kids actually learn from a father's presence, integrity, and apology? We get practical about manhood, family, and relationships.Questions about Orthodoxy? Please check out our friends at Ghost of Byzantium Discord server: https://discord.gg/JDJDQw6tdhPlease prayerfully consider supporting Cloud of Witnesses: https://www.patreon.com/c/CloudofWitnessesFind Cloud of Witnesses on Instagram, X.com, Facebook, and TikTok.Please leave a comment with your thoughts!

A religious programme for the Christian Orthodox community and all those interested in Orthodoxy. The programme covers spiritual discussions, readings, hymns and notices.

If you enjoy this episode, we're sure you will enjoy more content like this on The Occult Rejects.  In fact, we have curated playlists on occult topics like grimoires, esoteric concepts and phenomena, occult history, analyzing true crime and cults with an occult lens, Para politics, and occultism in music. Whether you enjoy consuming your content visually or via audio, we've got you covered - and it will always be provided free of charge.  So, if you enjoy what we do and want to support our work of providing accessible, free content on various platforms, please consider making a donation to the links provided below.  Thank you and enjoy the episode!Links For The Occult Rejectshttps://linktr.ee/theoccultrejectsOccult Research Institutehttps://www.occultresearchinstitute.org/Cash Apphttps://cash.app/$theoccultrejectsVenmo@TheOccultRejectsBuy Me A Coffeebuymeacoffee.com/TheOccultRejectsPatreonhttps://www.patreon.com/TheOccultRejectsPart 2 — Core Citations / BibliographySecondary Works and Reference SourcesEncyclopaedia Britannica. “Perpetua.”Encyclopaedia Britannica. “The Passion of Saints Perpetua and Felicity.”Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Polycarp.”Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Christianity: Relations between Christianity and the Roman Government and the Hellenistic Culture.”Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Decius.”Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Diocletian.”Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Christianity: Catechesis: Instructing Candidates for Baptism.”Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Kerygma and Catechesis.”Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Exorcism.”Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Eucharist.”Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Early Christian Art.”Smarthistory. “Catacomb of Priscilla, Rome.”Vatican Museums. “Jonah Sarcophagus.”Yale News. “House Call: A New Study Rethinks Early Christian Landmark.”Yale News. “Yale Art Gallery Painting Might Be Oldest Known Image of the Virgin Mary.”Yale University Art Gallery. Materials on Dura-Europos and the Christian Building/Baptistery.Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Chi-Rho.”Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Paschal Controversies.”Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Melito of Sardis.”Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Christology: Early History.”Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Docetism.”Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Adoptionism.”Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Cerinthus.”Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Theodotus the Tanner.”Encyclopaedia Britannica. “St. Ignatius of Antioch.”Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Apologist.”Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Saint Justin Martyr.”Encyclopaedia Britannica. “First Apology.”Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Dialogue with Trypho.”Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Celsus.”Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Christianity: Apologetics: Defending the Faith.”Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Tertullian.”Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Athenagoras.”Encyclopaedia Britannica. “First Letter of Clement.”Encyclopaedia Britannica. “St. Cyprian.”Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Novatian.”Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Saint Irenaeus.”Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Christianity: Aversion of Heresy: The Establishment of Orthodoxy.”Encyclopaedia Britannica. “The Process of Canonization.”Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Late 2nd-Century Canons.”Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Muratorian Fragment.”Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Biblical Canon.”Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Codex.”Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Christianity: Authority and Dissent.”Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Christianity: Relations between Christianity and Judaism.”Joshua Ezra Burns. “The Parting of the Ways in Contemporary Perspective.” In The Christian Schism in Jewish History and Jewish Memory. Cambridge University Press.Adam H. Becker and Annette Yoshiko Reed, eds. The Ways That Never Parted: Jews and Christians in Late Antiquity and the Early Middle Ages. Fortress Press.Judith Lieu. Neither Jew nor Greek? Constructing Early Christianity. T&T Clark.Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Constantine I.”Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Arianism.”Encyclopaedia Britannica. “First Council of Nicaea.”Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Saint Athanasius.”Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Festal Letters.”Encyclopaedia Britannica. “First Council of Constantinople.”Primary Texts UsedThe Martyrdom of Polycarp. Used for the early literary shaping of martyrdom, witness, bishop-martyr memory, and the theological interpretation of death.The Passion of Saints Perpetua and Felicity. Used for imprisonment, trial, visions, martyrdom, and the rare preserved voice of a female Christian martyr.Apostolic Tradition, traditionally associated with Hippolytus. Used for baptismal preparation, catechumenal scrutiny, exorcism, fasting, vigil, renunciation, oil, and immersion.1 John 4. Used for the anti-docetic pressure around confessing Jesus Christ as having “come in the flesh.”Ignatius of Antioch. Letter to the Smyrnaeans. Used for Christ's real flesh, real suffering, Eucharistic theology, and bishop-centered unity.Ignatius of Antioch. Letter to the Philadelphians and related letters. Useful backup for episcopal unity, Eucharistic order, and anti-schismatic arguments.Melito of Sardis. On Pascha. Used for Paschal theology, Christ as Pascha, typology, and Christian interpretation of Passover.Justin Martyr. First Apology. Used for apologetics, public defense, accusations against Christians, Eucharistic misunderstanding, and Christian worship.Justin Martyr. Dialogue with Trypho. Used for Christian-Jewish polemic, scriptural inheritance, fulfillment arguments, and the hardening separation between Christianity and Judaism.Athenagoras. A Plea for the Christians / Embassy for the Christians. Used as a major example of second-century apologetics addressed to imperial authority.Athenagoras. On the Resurrection of the Dead. Used as a philosophical Christian defense of resurrection.Tertullian. Apology. Used for Latin apologetics, Christian defense against Roman accusation, and the combative posture toward pagan criticism.Tertullian. Prescription Against Heretics. Useful backup for rule of faith, public apostolic teaching, and anti-heretical boundary-making.Origen. Against Celsus. Used for Celsus' pagan critique and Origen's major intellectual defense of Christianity.Celsus. The True Word / True Doctrine. Survives mainly through Origen's quotations and refutations; used for educated pagan criticism of Christianity.First Letter of Clement. Used for early ministry order, Roman intervention in Corinth, appointed bishops and deacons, and the emerging logic of succession.Cyprian of Carthage. On the Unity of the Catholic Church. Used for episcopal unity, schism, discipline, and the theological seriousness of the bishop's office.Novatian. De Trinitate. Used as a witness to mid-third-century theological conflict and Roman Latin theology.Irenaeus. Against Heresies. Used for anti-gnostic consolidation, rule of truth, fourfold Gospel authority, apostolic succession, and public apostolic memory.Eusebius. Ecclesiastical History. Used for the Paschal controversy, Polycarp and Anicetus, Victor and Polycrates, Irenaeus' intervention, early church memory, and the broader historical framing.The Didachē. Used as part of the wider early Christian literary world that remained influential outside the final New Testament canon.Letter of Barnabas. Used for anti-Jewish polemic, allegorical reading of Hebrew Scripture, and Christian claims over Israel's inheritance.The Shepherd of Hermas. Used as an example of a beloved early Christian text that was widely read but later excluded from the New Testament canon.Apocalypse of Peter. Used as part of the wider early Christian apocalyptic library that circulated before the canon fully closed.Muratorian Fragment. Used for the late-second-century Roman list of recognized Christian writings and the emerging shape of the New Testament.Cyril of Jerusalem. Mystagogical Catecheses. Used for post-baptismal instruction and the interpretation of initiation after the rite had been received.Ambrose of Milan. On the Mysteries and On the Sacraments. Used for mystagogical teaching, baptismal interpretation, anointing, and sacramental instruction.The Nicene Creed / First Council of Nicaea, 325. Used for creed formation, anti-Arian settlement attempts, and the conciliar compression of Christological conflict.Athanasius. Festal Letter 39. Used for the earliest surviving list matching the 27-book New Testament canon recognized in the mainstream tradition.Constantinopolitan Creed / First Council of Constantinople, 381. Used for the later stabilization and expansion of Nicene theological identity.Also want to remind people about the website, if you're into reading we have tons of information by multiple contributors, and we got t-shirts up on the site if you're interested. Fun fact, the art is all based on the eyeball. A

The 1800s was an era when medicine sat at the crossroads of science, ruses and discoveries. New vaccines and medical impostors competed for public trust. People broke with tradition and created a new landscape. Mordecai Wolff Haffkine Haffkine stood out as an almost legendary figure. A Jewish bacteriologist, he developed and tested vaccines against cholera and bubonic plague, putting his life repeatedly at risk and fighting to save the lives of millions of people. Whereas Dr. Samuel Solomon showed how skilful wording and suggestion could build a reputation and a fortune. Although his contribution to public service is rather unknown, Liverpool remembers him to this day - on par with some of their other legends. We also look at what happens when medicine and surgery produce unexpected outcomes. What are the halachic ramifications? And how did the BBC cover a re-election campaign in Kentucky?   Timestamps: - 0:00:00–0:00:31 — Opening advertisement read (Dr. Solomon). - 0:00:31–0:03:47 — Hosts intro: series overview and upcoming guests. - 0:03:47–0:08:36 — Start of Mordechai Wolf Hafkin biography (education, expulsion, Pasteur Institute). - 0:08:36–0:12:33 — Hafkin self‑inoculates and early cholera vaccine work. - 0:12:33–0:15:43 — Hafkin's large vaccination campaigns in India; plague vaccine development. - 0:15:43–0:23:00 — Political opposition, 1902 tetanus deaths, inquiry and character attack. - 0:23:00–0:31:44 — Scientific exoneration, later life, return to Orthodoxy, philanthropy, death (1930). - 0:31:44–0:45:06 — Dr. Samuel Solomon biography: origins, balm of Gilead, marketing, bought MD. - 0:45:06–0:46:44 — Solomon's social status, legacy, and mixed moral assessment. - 0:46:44–0:53:33 — Halachic case: wrong‑kidney removal that saved the patient; discussion of intent vs. outcome and liability. - 0:53:33–0:58:34 — Media segment: critique of BBC coverage of Thomas Massie's election loss. - 0:58:34 — Episode close; call for listener feedback (podcast@jle.org.uk) and preview of part 2.

If you've ever wondered why your observant grandmother didn't cover her hair, you're about to discover a hidden truth that changes everything about how Jewish law actually works. What if the way your grandmother practiced Judaism no longer matches what contemporary Orthodoxy claims Judaism always required? This week on Madlik, Geoffrey Stern and Rabbi Adam Mintz sit down with Professor Michael Broyde to discuss his groundbreaking new book Splitting Hairs — a deep dive into women's hair covering that becomes a much larger conversation about how halakha actually works. Key Takeaways Jewish law has never evolved in isolation from lived Jewish experience, communal norms, and surrounding culture. The debate over women's hair covering reveals a deeper tension between objective halakha (Dat Moshe) and socially conditioned practice (Dat Yehudit). Great rabbinic authorities like the Ben Ish Chai, Rav Moshe Feinstein, and Rav Ovadia Yosef often defended inherited communal practice rather than simply imposing rigid uniformity. Timestamps [00:00] Hair and Halakha [02:25] Meet Michael Broyde [04:14] Why Hair Covering [06:18] What Counts as Covering [08:16] Defending Communal Practice [14:49] Sponsor Break [15:57] Sotah Text and Rashi [21:15] Dat Moshe and Yehudit [24:57] Ben Ish Chai and Culture [30:11] Ovadia Yosef and Wigs [35:13] Israel America Modesty [36:25] Closing and Shabbat Shalom Links & Learnings Sign up for free and get more from our weekly newsletter https://madlik.com/ Sefaria Source Sheet: https://voices.sefaria.org/sheets/731684 Transcript here: https://madlik.substack.com/

A pastor rips a page from the Bible and tells a young man to eat it. What does that reveal about authority, emotion, and bad theology?A pastor tells someone to open Proverbs for him, rips out a page, and orders a young man to eat it while the music swells. The clip is hard to watch, but it's also clarifying: when church turns into a stage and “holy things” become props, people get pressured, confused, and spiritually harmed. Michael, Jeremy Jeremiah, and Mario Andrew slow the moment down and ask what's really being taught about God, authority, and power. From there, we trace the theology underneath the stunt. Why does it accidentally resemble the language Christians use about communion and the Eucharist? What happens when communion is treated as purely symbolic, and the weight of “real presence” gets shifted onto a printed Bible instead of Christ himself? We also explain how Orthodox Christianity holds Scripture as central and life-giving while keeping it rooted in the Church's worship, tradition, and lived authority, not in a lone pastor's improvised performance. We talk candidly about spiritual manipulation, emotional hype, and the subtle guilt that follows when leaders tell you what you're supposed to be feeling. We even share a personal story that captures the same dynamic in a different setting. If you've ever wondered about church abuse warning signs, the difference between the Eucharist and symbolic communion, or what historic Christianity actually looks like week to week, this conversation will help you name what you're seeing. Subscribe for more, share this with a friend who's sorting through faith and church culture, and leave a review if this helped you. What's the clearest red flag you hear in the clip?If “holy things” become props, people get hurt. We react to a viral church clip and unpack spiritual manipulation, Scripture, and the Eucharist. We watch a shocking church video where a preacher rips out a Bible page and pressures a young man to eat it, then we unpack why the moment feels spiritually wrong instead of holy. We connect the stunt to deeper issues of authority, emotional manipulation, and what historic Christian worship actually centers on. • reacting to a pastor ordering someone to eat a page from Proverbs • why the staged music and public pressure signal manipulation • Eucharist as true communion versus treating objects as power sources • how Scripture is central in Orthodoxy without becoming a substitute for Christ • how “anything goes” practices grow when authority and tradition collapse • comparing the logic to Roman Catholic adoration and asking what worship is for • recognizing spiritual abuse patterns and the guilt they can produce • why what you see in the clip is not historic Christianity If anyone watching this right now, if you're at all, if maybe you don't know a lot about Christianity, maybe you're just curious about it, please understand what you saw in this video is not a representation of the historic practice of the church. Period. No questions about it. Um, and we would obviously encourage you come find an Orthodox church near you today.Questions about Orthodoxy? Please check out our friends at Ghost of Byzantium Discord server: https://discord.gg/JDJDQw6tdhPlease prayerfully consider supporting Cloud of Witnesses: https://www.patreon.com/c/CloudofWitnessesFind Cloud of Witnesses on Instagram, X.com, Facebook, and TikTok.Please leave a comment with your thoughts!

ABOUT THE EPISODEJoin David Schrock and Stephen Wellum as they interview Tony Costa on his COA Longform "The Challenge of Eastern Orthodoxy: Comparing Evangelical and Eastern Orthodox Theology"SponsorThis month's sponsor is Grimke Seminary. Pastors are called to care for the church of God that God called them to. So why do seminaries require men to leave their church to pursue theological studies? At Grimké Seminary, you can get Christ-centered, theological training in the Reformed, Protestant tradition, without leaving your local church. They offer a range of pastoral studies for students of all backgrounds to serve your growth in ministry, from a Bachelor's to a Doctor of Ministry.To apply, go to grimkeseminary.org and use the code “christoverall” to have your application fee waived.Timestamps00:31 – Intro04:30 – Dr. Costa's Ministry and Familiarity with Eastern Orthodoxy07:51 – What Did Dr. Costa See That Made Him Know that EO Would Be a Problem Today?09:40 – Has Dr. Wellum Had Any Engagement with EO?12:13 – The Vibe Online16:03 – What is the Protestant Way to Think through Tradition?19:25 – How EO Thinks of Scripture and Tradition26:40 – Who in the Church is the Final Authority?35:00 – Sponsor: Grimke Seminary36:10 – Is the Canon Closed for EO?41:40 – Do EO and Antisemetic Sentiment Correlate to One Another?43:27 – The Counsel of Jerusalem46:15 – What Will the Priest tell Catechumens to Read as They Join the Church?48:38 – The Doctrine of the Filioque51:37 – Why Would EO Still Deny the Filioque Today?55:25 – Understanding Justification in EO1:01:12 – Assurance & Atonement1:05:40 – Original Sin & Theosis1:08:03 – Counsel to Those Considering EO1:12:10 – Final Thoughts1:13:26 – OutroResources to Click“The Challenges of Eastern Orthodoxy: Comparing Evangelical and Eastern Orthodox Theology” – Tony Costa“Masculinity, Eastern Orthodoxy, and the Search for Stability” – Alexander Breytenbach“A Protestant Appraisal of Rock & Sand: Sola Scriptura Properly Understood” – Tyler Cox“Frank Schaeffer, Former Evangelical Leader, is a Self-Declared Atheist Who Believes in God” – Huffington Post“'The Bible Answer Man' Turns East: An Unlikely Conversion” – Erwin Lutzer“Young Men Leaving Traditional Churches for ‘Masculine' Orthodox Christianity in Droves” – Rikki Schlott“Evangelical Pastors and the Challenge of Eastern Orthdoxy” – Scott Hurst and Christian Clement-Schlimm“Reality: Questions regarding the Authenticity of the Sigillion of 1583” – Joshua Schooping“The Sunday of Orthodoxy 2024”“Service of the Small Paraklesis”“Entrance of the Mother of God into the Temple” – Orthodox Christianity“Debatable, Unnecessary, or Essential? The Virgin Birth and Mary as the Mother of God” – Michael Pereira“Confession of Dositheus”“What is Salvation?” – Fr. Patrick Henry Reardon“Divine Energies: Eastern Orthodoxy's Strangest and Most Important Doctrine” – Knox BrownTheme of the Month: Go West, Young Men: Evaluating the Drift toward Eastern OrthodoxyGive to Support the WorkBooks to ReadDancing Alone: The Quest for Orthodox Faith in the Age of False Religion – Frank SchaefferThe Orthodox Church: An Introduction to Eastern Christianity – Timothy WareThrough Western Eyes: Eastern Orthodoxy, A Reformed Perspective – Robert LethamThree Views on Eastern Orthodoxy and Evangelicalism – ed. James J. StamoolisDisillusioned: Why I Left the Eastern Orthodox Priesthood and Church – Joshua SchoopingEastern Orthodoxy: Through the Lens of Sola Scriptura – Samuel S. FaragThe Holy Standards: The Creeds, Confessions, and Catechisms of the Eastern Orthodox Church – Joshua SchoopingThe Filioque: History of a Doctrinal Controversy – A. Edward SiecienskiVindicating the Filioque: The Church Fathers at the Council of Florence – Thomas Crean, O.P.The Holy Trinity: In Scripture, History, Theology, and Worship – Robert Letham

Online detractors of Orthodox Christianity accuse Orthodox Christianity of producing nominal Christians. Is Orthodoxy created to subvert deep faith in God? What should Christian faithfulness to Christ look like? We bring the receipts to disprove this slander.

Sponsored By: YOUR LOCAL LEVYDuring Sefirah, when we focus on bein adam l'chaveiro, how should we relate to different sectors within Judaism—not just within Orthodoxy, but more broadly? If I believe that certain groups are making serious mistakes or are fundamentally wrong in their approach, what is my obligation? On the one hand, I understand that I should view all Jews as part of Hashem's people and relate to them with a sense of unity. On the other hand, is it acceptable to distance myself and “love from afar” while still disagreeing with them? Within Orthodoxy, even with differences between groups, there is generally a shared framework of avodat Hashem. My question is mainly about relating across more distinct sectors, such as Dati Leumi/Mizrachi, Charedi, and Reform. Do I have an obligation to genuinely question my own assumptions and consider that they may be serving Hashem more correctly than I am, or can I remain committed to my own mesorah while still maintaining respect and a sense of unity? thank you kvod harav!

Orthodoxy, the Gospel, and Wartime UkraineAs war forces millions of Ukrainians to confront questions about death and eternity, one spiritual question stands at the center of this conversation:Can someone truly know they are forgiven by God?From Odesa, Ukraine, Caleb introduces the topic of Eastern Orthodoxy and its deep influence on Ukrainian faith, culture, and religious life before sitting down with Pastor Andrii Murzin in Kyiv, for a conversation on theology, war, and the gospel. The interview explores some of the major differences between Orthodox and evangelical Christianity, particularly regarding assurance of salvation, justification by faith, ritualism, and the authority of Scripture. Andrii and Caleb also examines how religion shapes culture, why many Ukrainians are searching for hope beyond religious tradition, and how the gospel continues speaking into fear and uncertainty during wartime.The Uncertainty”Pastor Andriin has spent years studying Orthodoxy and engaging with Orthodox believers throughout Ukraine. While he emphasized the importance of treating Orthodox Christians with kindness and respect, he also explained that there are significant theological differences Protestants cannot ignore.One of the clearest differences, he argued, is assurance of salvation.They will never dare say that I know that I am forgiven... They always have this uncertainty.According to Andrii, this uncertainty comes from a different understanding of salvation itself. Orthodox theology often emphasizes salvation as an ongoing process rather than beginning with justification by faith in Christ. By contrast, Protestant theology historically distinguishes between justification, sanctification, and glorification. Christians are justified through faith, sanctified throughout life as they grow spiritually, and ultimately glorified in eternity. Murzin argued that without justification as a foundation, believers can become trapped in fear and uncertainty over whether they have done enough to receive God's mercy.You cannot grow in sanctification unless you first receive the joy of knowing that God has forgiven you.At the same time, Andrii warned that Protestants can also drift into shallow understandings of salvation by reducing Christianity to merely praying a prayer or treating salvation like a “ticket to heaven.”War Makes Eternity Feel CloserThese questions carry enormous weight in a country at war. For millions of Ukrainians, death is no longer distant or theoretical. Air raid sirens, military funerals, missile strikes, and constant uncertainty have forced many people to think seriously about eternity. Caleb reflected on attending Orthodox funerals where priests repeatedly pray, “Lord have mercy,” while grieving families stand unsure of what awaits their loved ones beyond death. In contrast, evangelical Christians often speak confidently about Christ's promises of forgiveness and eternal life. For Andrii, this contrast reveals one of the central differences between Orthodox and Protestant theology.Rituals, Candles, and External ReligionThe Orthodox Church also contains a heavy presence of ritualism. Murzin explained that many people approach religion primarily through external actions and sacred traditions: lighting candles, repeating prayers, making signs, or participating in liturgies. When Ukrainians from Orthodox backgrounds speak with him, their questions often sound like this:What candles do I light? How many candles? When do I light them?According to Andrii, the danger is that the focus can become centered on performing the correct rituals rather than understanding biblical truth or having genuine faith in Christ. Referencing passages such as John 4 and 1 Corinthians 10, he explained that biblical worship is not confined to church rituals or sacred buildings. Worship flows from truth, faith, love for God, and obedience in everyday life. Riitualism is a passive form of religion where outward performance replaces inward transformation.So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. - 1 Corinthians 10:31Cultural Christianity in UkraineTheology has shaped entire societies. Andrii argued that religion profoundly influences a nation's mentality, values, and culture over generations. In Ukraine, many people identify strongly with Orthodoxy culturally while remaining disconnected from personal faith or biblical understanding. It doesn't actually really matter that much what you believe.Caleb noted that many Ukrainians attend church on holidays, participate in religious traditions, and identify as Orthodox while living lives largely untouched by Scripture or discipleship. For him, this revealed a major spiritual challenge facing Ukraine today: the difference between inherited religion and genuine faith.The Church in a Time of WarAs the conversation turned toward the war itself, Andrii asked believers around the world to continue praying for Ukraine. He spoke about soldiers on the front lines, prisoners of war, grieving families, and civilians who have lost homes, health, and loved ones. But he also emphasized the responsibility of the church during this historic moment.Please pray that the Ukrainian church would be sacrificial, caring, and actively involved in serving the Ukrainian people.Across Ukraine, churches continue feeding refugees, helping wounded soldiers, counseling grieving families, and sharing the gospel while air raid sirens and missile attacks remain part of daily life. For Caleb, the role of the church may become even more important after the war eventually ends.[When] victory comes and the church hasn't walked along with Ukrainians the whole way... it's going to be an empty victory.”The Gospel Still StandsThe conversation concluded with a reminder that earthly peace will always remain temporary. Political victories, military success, and rebuilt cities cannot ultimately remove humanity's deepest problem: sin and separation from God.True peace, Murzin explained, is found only in Christ. As war continues across Ukraine, questions about eternity, forgiveness, suffering, and hope are becoming impossible for many people to ignore. And in a nation surrounded by uncertainty, that message still offers something many people desperately long for - assurance.‍

While Orthodox apologists are gaining traction online today, a similar wave of disillusionment with evangelicalism was already unfolding in American culture back in 1996. In this classic episode of White Horse Inn, Fr. Peter Gillquist, an evangelical convert to Eastern Orthodoxy, joins Michael Horton to explore the appeal of Orthodoxy among evangelicals.   GET YOUR FREE SOLA NEWSPAPER A quarterly print publication featuring articles on theology, the historic creeds and confessions, and reflections for the Christian life, delivered straight to your mailbox. For free.   FOLLOW US YouTube | Instagram | X/Twitter | Facebook | Newsletter   WHO WE ARE Sola Media serves today's global church by producing resources for reformation grounded in the historic Christian faith. For over thirty-five years, Sola has walked alongside Christians in their faith, pointing away from novelty and ourselves, and toward Christ and his gospel as proclaimed in the Scriptures, articulated in the ancient Christian Creeds, and summarized in the confessions of the Protestant Reformation. Learn more: https://solamedia.org/ 

Hi GGB :) On this episode of Girls Gone Bible, we're honored to sit down with Father Josiah for a beautiful conversation surrounding Orthodoxy, Protestantism, the early Church Fathers, the gospel, and the person of Jesus Christ. Together, we explore the history of the Church, the depth of Christian tradition, and the centrality of Jesus in all things.   This conversation is rich, thoughtful, and deeply rooted in a shared love for Christ and His Church. we love you soooooo much. Jesus loves you more. -Ang & Ari ORDER OUR BOOK! You can order our new book "Out of the Wilderness— 31 Devotions to Walk with God Through Your Hardest Seasons" at girlsgonebible.com/book JOIN US ON GGB+

00:00 Introduction02:10 Post-modernism in literature03:40 What to expect from season eight08:48 Be The Body of Christ, be The Church12:48 Bad Ecclesiology causes parish problems & soul problems16:17 Spirituality is deeply practical, the purpose is to be changed20:04 Obedience is central to humility & repentance22:20 Loving compassion is helping people cease to sin28:28 It makes no sense to be in The Church & make our sin our Identity31:04 We live in a culture which doesn't believe in forgiveness (or repentance)33:43 What we believe is real, physically, mentally & spiritually37:58 The Church is where we encounter reality most fully42:00 We need to accept our diagnosis & the effective therapy to heal it44:11 A welcoming, loving church is one who expects daily repentance49:23 Closing~~~Who, What & Where Is The Church & Why Is It Necessary?Orthodox EcclesiologyS8E1~~~In this episode of the Christian Saints Podcast, we explore one of the biggest questions in Christian life: What actually is the Church? Is it an organization, a community, a building—or something deeper?We discuss why the Church is practical without being banal and spiritual without being abstract. Through a conversation on repentance, identity, spiritual healing, and modern culture, we examine how the Church understands itself as the Body of Christ—not merely as a place people attend, but as a life people enter.If Christianity is more than ideas—if it's meant to heal, transform, and bring us into reality—then understanding the Church changes everything.~~~Subscribe for more conversations on Orthodoxy, theology, and practical Christian living.~~~#OrthodoxChristianity #OrthodoxChurch #Repentance #Ecclesiology #ChristianPodcast #Theology~~~Scripture citations for this episode:Luke 15:11-32 - The prodigal sonJohn 9:1-38 - The healing of the man born blindThe Christian Saints Podcast is a joint production of Generative sounds & Paradosis Pavilion. Our hosts are Father Symeon Kees of Iowa City & James John Marks of Chicago.Paradosis Pavilion - https://youtube.com/@paradosispavilion9555https://www.instagram.com/christiansaintspodcasthttps://x.com/podcast_saintshttps://www.facebook.com/christiansaintspodcasthttps://www.threads.net/@christiansaintspodcasthttps://bsky.app/profile/xtiansaintspodcast.bsky.socialIconographic images used by kind permission of Nicholas Papas, who controls distribution rights of these imagesPrints of all of Nick's work can be found at Saint Demetrius Press - http://www.saintdemetriuspress.comAll music in these episodes is a production of Generative Soundshttps://generativesoundsjjm.bandcamp.comDistribution rights of this episode & all music contained in it are controlled by Generative SoundsCopyright 2021 - 2026

A friend forwarded a New York Times essay — Katya Ungerman's "We Are Sliding Back Into the Middle Ages" — cataloguing the strange new texture of American life: Tucker Carlson's reported demon attack, a FEMA official's teleportation claim, the Easter surge of conversions to Catholicism and Orthodoxy, sworn UAP testimony about nonhuman "biologics," a humanoid robot on the White House red carpet. Ungerman's diagnosis is sociological — information overload, AI-fabricated evidence, institutional decay. In this episode I offer a different reading. Working from the scholastic axiom that whatever is received is received in the mode of the receiver, I walk through how four levels of consciousness — pre-modern, modern, postmodern, and post-postmodern — each meet the same "high strangeness" and name it incompatibly. I argue that the universe is genuinely enchanted and that much of what is being called re-enchantment is distortion, and that holding both at once is the work in front of us. Along the way: orange-ray blockage as the recurring diagnostic; the steel-manning of the anti-liberal critique and where it goes catastrophically wrong; the May 17 Rededicate 250 ceremony on the National Mall; Ra's "quiet horror" and the window-balancing principle; why our institutions of formation were so often born inside the Great BASH; the factory farm as karmic substrate; and the hermeneutic I am calling the conspiring wholeness. The throughline, as always, is that love is the great protection — not armor, but a frequency the philosophy of separation cannot grasp. This is my limited, partial, open-handed offering. Take what is useful. Leave what is not. The full essay is at cosmicchrist.net.

“I walked in and started to cry.” What happens when an Orthodox Divine Liturgy feels more real than anything you've known?One visit to an Orthodox Divine Liturgy can expose a hunger you did not know you had. Hannah describes walking into the church, catching the smell of incense, hearing the choir, seeing the priest with the censer, and suddenly fighting tears. It is not just emotion for its own sake. Something feels ancient, steady, and real enough to set off a relentless chain of questions about the Eastern Orthodox Church, worship, and what it means to actually be formed by faith.Always reforming sounds noble until you ask: reform into what? We talk Reformation fatigue, denominational confusion, and why Orthodoxy feels like “home” for many.Jeremy Jeremiah and Mario Andrew talk with Hannah and Brian about what it feels like to walk into an Orthodox church for the first time and realize something deeper is happening than a new “style” of worship. We follow their move from Protestant assumptions to Orthodox practices that feel like home, and we ask what happens when the Church is meant to hold on to us.• Hannah's first Divine Liturgy experience, from incense to tears to nonstop questions• Curiosity turning into daily research, conversations, and a fast moving sense of conviction• Brian's slower pace, his prayer for truth, and the desire to avoid false teaching• First Holy Week and Pascha, including the beauty and the reality of the marathon• Intentional prayer, written prayers, veiling, icons, saints, and learning to die to self• Denominations, ongoing reform, and why Protestant apologetics can feel like mental gymnasticsWe talk through what happens after that first encounter: the research spiral, the awkward first-timer moments, and the different speeds two people can move at while still walking the same direction. Hannah dives in headfirst, hunting for the “why” behind icons, long services, and Holy Tradition. Brian shares a more cautious posture shaped by prayer, asking God to “lead me in all truth,” and naming the fear many seekers feel about being misled by bad information or falling into false doctrine.Holy Week and Pascha become a turning point, not because everything gets easier, but because the Church's rhythm starts to make sense. We explore the intentionality behind Orthodox practices like written prayers, a prayer rule, fasting, confession, reverence for icons, and learning to “die to self” so prayer becomes real instead of rushed. Along the way, we wrestle with Reformation after Reformation, denominational confusion, and why defending every disagreement can feel like mental gymnastics.If you're exploring converting from Protestant to Orthodox, or you're simply trying to understand why Orthodoxy emphasizes embodied worship, mystery, and continuity, this conversation gives you language for the pull you may already feel. Subscribe, share this with a friend, and leave a review to help more people find Cloud of Witnesses.Questions about Orthodoxy? Please check out our friends at Ghost of Byzantium Discord server: https://discord.gg/JDJDQw6tdhPlease prayerfully consider supporting Cloud of Witnesses: https://www.patreon.com/c/CloudofWitnessesFind Cloud of Witnesses on Instagram, X.com, Facebook, and TikTok.Audio: https://cloudofwitnessesradio.buzzsprout.comPlease leave a comment with your thoughts!

 Fridays are for the Lord: Ed Mabry Returns to Nephilim Death Squad!  Spiritual Warfare, Biblical Truth, UFO Disclosure & the Great Deception ExposedDavid Lee Corbo (The Raven) and Top Lobsta welcome back Ed Mabry for an unfiltered deep dive into spiritual warfare, the pagan roots of Catholicism & Orthodoxy, why praying to saints and Mary is unbiblical, and the real story of Cain & Abel that changes everything. Ed breaks down his groundbreaking 12-month Spiritual Warfare Course, how to enter God's divine counsel, Sola Scriptura vs. sacred tradition, the Queen of Heaven deception, and why knowing God personally is your greatest defense against the end-times delusion.Plus: Fallen angels, Nephilim, manufactured prophecy, the coming UFO/alien disclosure as demonic cover story, original sin, generational curses, and how the church is the called-out ones — NOT a building or denomination.If you want victory in spiritual battles, a real relationship with God, and to see through the deception — this episode is for you.Join Ed Mabry's 12-Month Spiritual Warfare Course (Defense → Offense → Special Situations → Generative)Use code WARRIOR-FIFTY for 50% off the first 3 months → faithbyreason.net Ed's Patreon Bible Study (Supernatural lens through the entire Bible — live Q&A)patreon.com/faithbyreasonSupport Nephilim Death SquadEarly access, private communities & more → patreon.com/NephilimDeathSquadMerch & Brohemian Grove Tickets (Aug 8) → toplobsta.comLike, comment “AMEN” if this hit you, subscribe, and turn on notifications — Death Squad never misses a Friday for the Lord!  What's your biggest takeaway on Cain & Abel, praying to Mary, or the coming disclosure? Drop it below 0:00 - Intro & Welcome to Nephilim Death Squad2:30 - Patreon, Merch & Brohemian Grove Tickets5:45 - Ed Mabry Returns: FaithByReason.net & Spiritual Warfare Course12:20 - Spiritual Warfare Course Breakdown (Defense → Offense → Generative)18:50 - Why This Training Matters Now (World Chaos & End Times)24:10 - The Church Debate: Orthodoxy, Catholicism & Sola Scriptura31:40 - Praying to Saints & Mary – Biblical Problems Exposed38:15 - Pagan Roots of Mary as "Queen of Heaven" (Ishtar Connection)44:50 - Fatima Apparition & UFO/Deception Link51:20 - One Mediator: Why Jesus Alone?57:10 - Disclosure Bombshell: Pastors Briefed on Aliens & Demons1:04:40 - The Collins Elite, Media Circus & Why It Feels Off1:11:30 - Ed Mabry's Take: 6th Seal Fallen Angels & Alien Cover Story1:19:20 - Genesis Series Update: The REAL Story of Cain & Abel1:27:50 - Why Cain Killed Abel (Messiah Complex Theory)1:35:10 - Sin Crouching at the Door & Blood Crying from the Ground1:42:20 - Closing Plugs: Join the Course + Bible Study1:47:50 - Final Thoughts & See You at Brohemian GroveBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/nephilim-death-squad--6389018/support.☠️ Nephilim Death Squad — New episodes 5x/week.Join our Patreon for early access, bonus shows & the private Telegram hive.Subscribe on YouTube & Rumble, follow @NephilimDSquad on X/Instagram, grab merch at toplobsta.com. Questions/bookings: chroniclesnds@gmail.com — Stay dangerous.

In this episode of the Church Planter Podcast, Peyton Jones and Pete Mitchell tackle two major, yet wildly different conversations shaping the future of ministry: artificial intelligence and the growing interest in Greek Orthodoxy.They begin by talking about how quickly AI is changing the workplace, why leaders need to pay attention, and how churches and businesses may need to adapt as jobs, tools, and opportunities shift. From there, the conversation moves into the rise of young men exploring Greek Orthodox tradition, liturgy, and authority.Peyton and Pete unpack the tension between Scripture and tradition, the appeal of ancient practices, and why church planters need to be ready to answer thoughtful questions with clarity and conviction. This episode challenges leaders to think carefully about cultural change, theological formation, and how to help people follow Jesus without being swept along by trends.If you're a church planter, leader, or disciple-maker navigating a rapidly changing world, this conversation will help you stay grounded and lead with discernment.Resources and Links Mentioned in this Episode: NewBreed TrainingThanks for listening to the Church Planter Podcast. We're here to help you go where no one else is going and do what no one else is doing to reach people no one else is reaching.Make sure to review and subscribe to the show on your favorite podcast service to help us connect with more church planters.

We can't believe it but here we are with our ONE HUNDREDTH EPISODE of And Also With You! If this podcast has helped you grow in your faith, would you consider supporting us with a donation?  DONATE HERE VIA PAYPAL, VENMO, OR APPLE PAY: https://www.paypal.com/ncp/payment/AQ74PDBMBXYVA +++ Like what you hear? We are an entirely crowd-sourced, you-funded project.  SUPPORT US ON PATREON: https://www.patreon.com/AndAlsoWithYouPodcast There's all kinds of perks including un-aired live episodes, Zoom retreats, and mailbag episodes for our Patreons! +++ Our Website: https://andalsowithyoupod.com Our Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/andalsowithyoupodcast/ ++++ MERCH: https://www.bonfire.com/store/and-also-with-you-the-podcast/ ++++ More about Father Lizzie: BOOK: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/762683/god-didnt-make-us-to-hate-us-by-rev-lizzie-mcmanus-dail/ RevLizzie.com https://www.instagram.com/rev.lizzie/ https://www.tiktok.com/@rev.lizzie Jubilee Episcopal Church in Austin, TX - JubileeATX.org  ++++ More about Mother Laura: https://www.instagram.com/laura.peaches/ https://www.tiktok.com/@mother_peaches ++++ Theme music: "On Our Own Again" by Blue Dot Sessions (www.sessions.blue). New episodes drop Mondays at 7am EST/6am CST! 

A major thank you to this community for sponsoring today's stream. In this stream I dive into the life and history surrounding Dracula, Vlad III Tepes, also known as Vlad the Impaler. After presenting his life and the legends surrounding him I ask, was he a Hero, monster, or Orthodox Saint? Make sure to leave a comment and let me know what you think. God Bless

She chased “healing” through mushrooms, moon rituals, and mediumship then saw Jesus while channeling a client. That one moment changed everything. Money showed up fast, love felt uncertain, and the noise in Kara Mosher's (https://www.instagram.com/herecomestroublexo) mind kept getting louder. We talk with Kara, author of Here Comes Trouble, about growing up in a family that went from motorhome living to million-dollar restaurant success, and how that same rise coincided with divorce, abandonment, and a deep inner instability she tried to outwork. From obsessive thoughts and depression to chasing approval through achievement, her story puts language to the hidden pain so many people carry behind “successful” lives.“Satanism rebranded” is how she describes the occult hiding in plain sight through trendy spirituality. From third-eye talk to Divine Liturgy, her path is intense. Jeremy Jeremiah of Cloud of Witnesses sits down with author and podcaster Kara Mosher to trace her path from sudden family wealth and deep emotional instability into drugs, occult spirituality, and years of psychiatric labels that never quite fit. We follow the turning points that lead her to renounce mediumship after encountering Jesus and to keep searching until she finds a home in Orthodox Christianity.• Hot 'n Now family origin story and how money changes a household• divorce, abandonment, and the start of obsessive compulsive thoughts• overachieving as distraction and a bid for attention• panic attacks, emergency care, and a New Age rehab introduction• marijuana and psychedelics escalating into spiritual experiences• occult practices, mediumship, and “Satanism rebranded”• psych ward intake, bipolar misdiagnosis, and years of heavy medication• antidepressant withdrawal, brain zaps, and a suicide attempt• COVID-era conspiracy rabbit holes and moon ceremony communities• a vision of Jesus, quitting divination, and learning the faith under pressure• losing a Christian community, then rebuilding through church history• encountering Divine Liturgy, catechumenate, and a hunger for communion• “Dosage” and “Wasted Youth” as music that reframes her pastFrom there, Kara walks us through marijuana, psychedelics, and the moment panic cracked everything open. Rehab didn't bring the grounding she needed, and she explains how New Age spirituality, yoga, meditation, and ritual practices became stepping stones into deeper occult involvement. She shares what it was like to experience spirits, to be pulled into mediumship and “enlightenment” culture, and then to be labeled bipolar in a psych ward within seconds. We also dig into years of medication changes, side effects, withdrawal, and how a late realization about misdiagnosis forced her to rethink both mental health treatment and spiritual reality.Then the story turns on a single, disruptive encounter: Kara sees Jesus while channeling for a client, quits divination, and starts trying to follow Christ with almost no support system. We talk about viral testimony, online backlash, conspiracy-heavy Christian spaces, and why church history eventually leads her to Orthodox Christianity and the shock of experiencing Divine Liturgy for the first time. We close with her music, including “Dosage” and “Wasted Youth,” and what it means to tell the truth even when it costs you friends.Your copy of Here Comes Trouble: https://www.amazon.com/Here-Comes-Trouble-Kara-Mosher/dp/B0F74PNH6S/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2E83J501THSPV&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.m_X-dOmOU-hA_ZoD6ow27v8xKMK6sgGvTjsaOWk6nlUJk-l_9z64XRQ-YELB844c.moplmsLa2-zYqV5cB_S6ycaz_qON5XtWLaguXnXCG8Q&dib_tag=se&keywords=here+comes+trouble+kara+mosher&qid=1779119461&sprefix=here+comes+trouble+kara+mosh%2Caps%2C208&sr=8-1Questions about Orthodoxy? Please check out our friends at Ghost of Byzantium Discord server: https://discord.gg/JDJDQw6tdhPlease prayerfully consider supporting Cloud of Witnesses: https://www.patreon.com/c/CloudofWitnessesFind Cloud of Witnesses on Instagram, X.com, Facebook, and TikTok.Audio: https://cloudofwitnessesradio.buzzsprout.comPlease leave a comment with your thoughts!

284 Intro Historical Theology: Why Church History MattersAfter the apostles died, the church did not disappear. It continued to preserve, defend, and pass down the truth once delivered to the saints. In this episode of Kitchen Table Theology, Pastor Jeff Cranston and Tiffany continue their historical theology series by introducing Clement of Rome, one of the earliest Apostolic Fathers. They explain why Clement matters, what his letter to the Corinthian church reveals about early Christian belief, and how his writings point believers back to Scripture, humility, unity, and justification by faith in Christ alone.00:55 What Is Historical Theology?Historical theology studies how Christian doctrine developed and was defended throughout church history.02:30 The Patristic PeriodAfter the death of the Apostle John, the church entered the patristic period, the era of the early church fathers.04:00 Who Were the Apostolic Fathers?The Apostolic Fathers include Clement of Rome, Ignatius of Antioch, Polycarp of Smyrna, Papias of Hierapolis, and several key early Christian writings, including The Didache, The Epistle of Barnabas, The Shepherd of Hermas, and The Epistle to Diognetus. 06:15 What Does Orthodoxy Mean?Orthodoxy means right belief, helping Christians distinguish true biblical doctrine from error.07:30 Preserving Apostolic TeachingAfter the apostles died, the church did not disappear. Early Christian leaders helped preserve and defend the teachings handed down to them.11:00 Who Was Clement of Rome?Clement of Rome was an early bishop who lived near the end of the first century and wrote an important letter to the church at Corinth.18:15 Justification by Faith in the Early ChurchClement clearly taught that salvation is not earned by human effort, but received by faith in Christ.20:30 What Clement Teaches Us TodayClement reminds believers to be shaped by Scripture, pursue unity, and trust in Christ alone for salvation.“ Studying historical theology should make us steadier. Clement reminds us that faithful Christians anchor themselves in scripture. We pursue humility.” – Pastor Jeff Cranston

The Indigenous Paleolithic of the Western Hemisphere is a reclaimed history of the deep past of Indigenous people in North and South America during the Paleolithic. Paulette F. C. Steeves mines evidence from archaeology sites and Paleolithic environments, landscapes, and mammalian and human migrations to make the case that people have been in the Western Hemisphere not only just prior to Clovis sites (10,200 years ago) but for more than 60,000 years, and likely more than 100,000 years.Steeves discusses the political history of American anthropology to focus on why pre-Clovis sites have been dismissed by the field for nearly a century. She explores supporting evidence from genetics and linguistic anthropology regarding First Peoples and time frames of early migrations. Additionally, she highlights the work and struggles faced by a small yet vibrant group of American and European archaeologists who have excavated and reported on numerous pre-Clovis archaeology sites.In this first book on Paleolithic archaeology of the Americas written from an Indigenous perspective, The Indigenous Paleolithic of the Western Hemisphere includes Indigenous oral traditions, archaeological evidence, and a critical and decolonizing discussion of the development of archaeology in the Americas.Paulette Steeves (Cree-Métis) is a professor of sociology and Canada Research Chair Tier II Indigenous History, Healing, and Reconciliation at Algoma University. She is also an adjunct faculty at Mount Allison University. She is the author of The Indigenous Paleolithic of the Western Hemisphere (Nebraska, 2021).https://paulettesteeves22.wixsite.com/drpaulettesteeveshttps://www.tipdba.ca/Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/earth-ancients--2790919/support.

In this week's live stream and podcast, Geeky Stoics is exploring the concept of toxic empathy, its implications, and how it influences society, politics, and relationships. Riley and Stephen delve into the nature of empathy, moral virtue, and the importance of balancing compassion with discernment.Chapters:* 01:08 What Is Toxic Empathy?* 04:33 Empathy in Literature and Media: Star Wars and Narnia* 08:04 Moral and Cultural Relativism in Empathy* 15:13 Empathy in Justice and Punishment* 20:23 Evil and Moral Clarity* 27:27 The Limits and Risks of Empathy* 30:15 Advice for Self-Discovery* 37:17 Balancing Career, Family, and Personal Purpose* 43:30 Watchtower Intel* 48:02 Community and Future Retreats* 54:18 The Power of Storytelling and Shared ValuesResources: * Gad Saad's book ‘Suicidal Empathy'* Paul Bloom's book ‘Against Empathy' * C.S. Lewis's ‘The Four Loves'* Orthodoxy by GK Chesterton* Watchtower Intel on Substack This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.geekystoics.com/subscribe

UFOs are Rebel Angels. In this episode, we read Father Seraphim Rose's "classic" text, Orthodoxy and the Religion of the Future, about the true nature of UFOs and the nefarious origins of modern narratives about extraterrestrials, spaceships, what's "out there" in the universe, and so on. What do Christians have to say to a culture that is awash with UFO sightings and prolifically promises to "reveal the truth about UFOS"? SHOW NOTES:  Fr. Seraphim Rose - Orthodoxy and the Religion of the Future https://dn710303.ca.archive.org/0/items/orthodoxy-and-the-religion-of-the-future-1997-seraphim-rose/Orthodoxy%20and%20the%20Religion%20of%20the%20Future%20%281997%29%20-%20Seraphim%20Rose.pdf Robert Kirk https://www.1517.org/podcast-overview/2026-05-14   More from 1517: Support 1517 Podcast Network: https://www.1517.org/donate-podcasts 1517 Podcasts: http://www.1517.org/podcasts 1517 on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@1517org 1517 Podcast Network on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/channel/1517-podcast-network/id6442751370 1517 Events Schedule: https://www.1517.org/events 1517 Academy - Free Theological Education: https://academy.1517.org/   What's New from 1517: 1517 Youtube: How God Still Speaks Today https://youtu.be/oqTGOUe7YG0?si=ZAdFLVhZYmSNgzsp  Being Family by Dr. Scott Keith https://shop.1517.org/products/9781964419961-being-family  A Reasoned Defense of the Faith by Adam Francisco https://shop.1517.org/collections/coming-soon/products/9781964419879-a-reasoned-defense-of-the-faith Stretched: A Study for Lent and the Entire Christian Life by Dr. Christopher Richmann https://shop.1517.org/products/9781964419381-stretched  The Essential Nestingen: Essays on Preaching, Catechism, and the Reformation https://shop.1517.org/products/9781964419121-the-essential-nestingen  Philip Melanchthon's Commentary on Ecclesiastes, Translated by Dr. Derek Cooper https://shop.1517.org/products/9781964419299-philip-melanchthons-commentary-on-ecclesiastes    More from the hosts: Donovan Riley https://www.1517.org/contributors/donavon-riley  Christopher Gillespie https://www.1517.org/contributors/christopher-gillespie   CONTACT and FOLLOW: Email mailto:BannedBooks@1517.org  Facebook https://www.facebook.com/BannedBooksPod/  Twitter https://twitter.com/bannedbooks1517   SUBSCRIBE: YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@BannedBooks Rumble https://rumble.com/c/c-1223313  Odysee https://odysee.com/@bannedbooks:5 Apple Podcasts https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/banned-books/id1370993639  Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/2ahA20sZMpBxg9vgiRVQba  Overcast https://overcast.fm/itunes1370993639/banned-books    MORE LINKS: Tin Foil Haloes https://t.me/bannedpastors St John's Lutheran Church (Webster, MN) - FB Live Bible Study Group https://www.facebook.com/groups/356667039608511  Donavon's Substack https://donavonlriley.substack.com Gillespie's Sermons and Catechesis https://outerrimterritories.com/recent-sermons Gillespie Coffee https://gillespie.coffee   Gillespie Media https://gillespie.media  

In this week's episode, I sit down with my son-in-law, Sean Hiller, to hear the powerful story of how he went from being an atheist for nearly a decade to eventually becoming a Christian and later converting to Catholicism. Sean also runs a YouTube channel where he shares content and discussions centered around Catholic beliefs applied to real-world topics. Sean opens up about the questions and experiences that challenged his worldview, including the role my daughter Ellie and my husband Zane played in his faith journey. We also dive into deep conversations surrounding the Eucharist, predestination vs. free will, Catholicism vs. Orthodoxy, and whether God is truly indifferent to what we believe.    WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT IN THIS EPISODE: Sean's testimony of going from Southern Baptist to atheist Why Sean drifted away from Christianity as a teenager The question that challenged Sean's atheist worldview: "What is love?" How Ellie influenced Sean's perspective on faith and Christianity The Bible study Sean never wanted to attend How a debate about predestination vs. free will impacted him How Zane unexpectedly played a major role in Sean's Catholic journey The questions about Catholicism Sean couldn't answer Why the Eucharist completely changed Sean's perspective Why Sean chose Catholicism over Orthodoxy Sean's thoughts on visiting Rome and whether Catholics should go Whether Sean's entire family is Catholic today Sean weighs in on the question: "Is God indifferent to what you believe?"   LINKS & RESOURCES Sean's YouTube Channel (@LectiowithSeanHiller) To Whom Shall I Go? by Ellie Hiller Catechism in a Year with Father Mike Schmitz Reasons to Believe by Scott Hahn The Confessions of St. Augustine The Case for Jesus by Brant Pitre   WHERE TO LISTEN The SavvyCast is available on all podcasting platforms and YouTube. One of the best ways to support the show is by leaving a rating and review—I so appreciate you sharing your thoughts, my friends!   ENJOYED THIS EPISODE? CHECK THESE OUT! She Tried to Convert Catholics, Then Became One: Ellie Hiller's Faith Journey Listen on Apple Podcasts or Spotify Watch on YouTube My Husband Converted to Catholicism: How We Navigate Faith Differences in Marriage Listen on Apple Podcasts or Spotify Watch on YouTube

In this episode of Living Incense, Fr. Matthias Shehad explores the journey of Dian, a convert to the Orthodox faith. Dian shares her initial encounters with the church hierarchy, including meeting a bishop, and her early questions about Orthodox practices like kissing the cross and the role of tradition. She explains how her background in Bible study shaped her pursuit of answers within Scripture and how she came to understand the significance of church tradition and the writings of the Church Fathers, especially St. John Chrysostom. Fr. Matthias discusses common challenges faced by catechumens, the importance of commitment and discipline during the catechism process, and how the church supports new converts beyond baptism. They also address the differences in how converts from Protestant backgrounds and those less rooted in Scripture approach Orthodoxy. This conversation highlights the importance of the continuity of Apostolic teaching and the role of both Scripture and tradition in the Orthodox Church. #OrthodoxChristianity #CatechismJourney #ChurchTradition #OrthodoxFaith #ConvertStory #BibleAndTradition #StPaulHouston #Coptic #FrMatthias Subscribe to us on YouTube https://youtube.com/stpaulhouston Like us on Facebook https://facebook.com/saintpaulhouston Follow us on SoundCloud https://soundcloud.com/stpaulhouston Follow us on Instagram https://instagram.com/stpaulhouston Visit our website for schedules and to join the mailing list https://stpaulhouston.org

“If the church compiled the Bible, what was the authority before the Bible?” A candid journey from Protestant certainty to Eastern Orthodoxy, sparked by a friend's conversion and a history problem you can't ignore.A friend you trust changes everything. Brian tells us how years of Protestant assumptions started cracking when his friend James, a man he respects as clearly regenerated and serious about Christ, said he felt led toward Roman Catholicism and later Eastern Orthodoxy. Brian's mind could not make it add up, and that tension launched a long stretch of debate, study, and a surprisingly practical test during Lent: what happens if you try living like an Orthodox Christian for 30 days?Jeremy Jeremiah and Mario Andrew, of Cloud of Witnesses, talk with Brian and Hannah about how a trusted friend's move toward Catholicism and then Eastern Orthodoxy forced a hard rethink of authority, history, and the first thousand years of the Church. We trace what finally opened the door, from catechism confusion and trauma triggers to a change in prayer life at home and a first visit to an Orthodox parish on Forgiveness Sunday.• growing up on YouTube apologetics and adopting harsh views of Catholics and Orthodox Christians• watching a friend show clear fruit while moving toward Rome and then Eastern Orthodoxy• debating sola scriptura alongside the formation of the biblical canon and early Church councils• asking where Protestant identity fits in the first thousand years of Christianity• trying “30 days living like an Orthodox Christian” during Lent through prayer, study, and liturgy• reacting to catechism language and fears about exorcism due to past Pentecostal experiences• choosing unity in marriage and taking the discipline to explore the faith together• stepping into an Orthodox church for the first time near Forgiveness SundayWe dig into the core questions that keep coming up for seekers: Where do you place yourself in the first thousand years of Christianity? What does sola scriptura mean once you face the history of the biblical canon, the early Church councils, and the claim that the Church is the “pillar and ground of the truth”? Brian shares why “historical reliability” began to matter more than hot takes, and how Orthodox prayer, worship, and tradition started to feel less like an argument and more like a lived inheritance.Hannah brings the marriage and mindset side of the journey. She's honest about being put off by long Orthodox services and about how unfamiliar words like catechism, plus vague talk about “emptying yourself,” can trigger fears shaped by past church experiences. But she also shares what softened her posture: seeing a new consistency and depth in Brian's prayer life, and choosing not to build a divided household. Their first visit to an Orthodox parish lands near Forgiveness Sunday, a moment that reframes repentance and community in a powerful way.If you're exploring Eastern Orthodoxy, church history, Orthodox conversion, or the authority of Scripture and tradition, come listen and think with us. Subscribe, share this with a friend, and leave a review with the biggest question you're still wrestling with.Questions about Orthodoxy? Please check out our friends at Ghost of Byzantium Discord server: https://discord.gg/JDJDQw6tdhPlease prayerfully consider supporting Cloud of Witnesses: https://www.patreon.com/c/CloudofWitnessesFind Cloud of Witnesses on Instagram, X.com, Facebook, and TikTok.Please leave a comment with your thoughts!

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With the advent of Napoleon and emancipation, Jews were given an offer they found hard to refuse and the Reform movement made significant inroads.   Across many countries a war was waged for the soul of the Jew and many voluntarily even converted to Christianity. Shuls, marriage, Shabbos and Bris Mila were all subjected to question.   How did the Chasam Sofer Rav Samson Refoel Hirsch and others deal with the critical issues that faced them? Why was Orthodoxy driven to the defensive? And what lesson can we take from it nowadays?   Timestamps: - 0:00 — Introduction & dedication   - 0:36 — Podcast intro; Mendelssohn recap   - 1:36 — Reform emergence; 17th–18th c. precursors (Sabbatai Zevi, Spinoza)   - 4:07 — Napoleon's emancipation & identity shift   - 6:24 — Conversions & assimilation (Heinrich Heine example)   - 10:25 — Reform tactics: Bible over Talmud; “prophetic Judaism”   - 18:59 — Jacobson/Westphalia reforms (state control of rabbis, synagogue changes)   - 24:53 — Berlin vs. Hamburg differences; home services vs. public temples   - 29:41 — Abraham Geiger's ideology; opposition to circumcision noted   - 34:49 — Philippson/Magdeburg — services, Sunday shift   - 36:49 — Rabbinical conferences (1844–46) & intermarriage stance   - 41:27 — Orthodox responses: Safer Berneis, Rav Ettlinger, haram strategy   - 48:47 — Samson Raphael Hirsch's Neo‑Orthodoxy response   - 57:13 — Modern implications: erosion of minhagim; academia vs. masorah   - 59:05 — Closing takeaway: small changes can lead to large identity shifts

Keith breaks down why real wealth is built through concentration, not diversification and explains how focusing on one main vehicle—like a specific real estate strategy, business, or career niche—creates the expertise and asymmetric returns diversification can't.  He also clarifies that diversification isn't useless; it's most powerful later in life as a wealth preservation tool, not a wealth builder. Contrasting building wealth with simply earning a living, showing why specialization is the key to higher income.  Finally, he highlights the one area where diversification truly shines: your relationships and network, which provide resilience, perspective, and long-term support. Episode Page: GetRichEducation.com/605 For access to properties or free help with a GRE Investment Coach, start here: GREmarketplace.com GRE Free Investment Coaching: GREinvestmentcoach.com Get mortgage loans for investment property: RidgeLendingGroup.com or call 855-74-RIDGE  or e-mail: info@RidgeLendingGroup.com Invest with Freedom Family Investments.  For predictable 10-12% quarterly returns, visit FreedomFamilyInvestments.com/GRE or text  FAMILY to 66866  Unlock truly passive real estate income—visit flockhomes.com/GRE today to see if your properties qualify for a 721 exchange with Flock Homes. Will you please leave a review for the show? I'd be grateful. Search "how to leave an Apple Podcasts review"  For advertising inquiries, visit: GetRichEducation.com/ad Best Financial Education: GetRichEducation.com Get our wealth-building newsletter free— GREletter.com  Our YouTube Channel: www.youtube.com/c/GetRichEducation Follow us on Instagram: @getricheducation Complete episode transcript:   Keith Weinhold  0:01   Welcome to GRE. I'm your host. Keith Weinhold, is wealth built through diversification or concentration? There is one clear answer. Then, in five year age increments, how should you think about wealth building and real estate at age 2025, 3035, and so on, all lay out each one today on get rich education.   Keith Weinhold  0:26   Flock homes helps multi family owners exit the operator grind, whether it's your six Plex or a 50 unit apartment through a 721 exchange, this defers your capital gains tax. It's a strategy long used by institutions. Now you can swap tenants and toilets for passive income and zero management request your initial valuation, see if your property qualifies at flock homes.com/gre, that's F, l, O, C, K, homes.com/gre,   Speaker 1  0:59   you're listening to the show that has created more financial freedom than nearly any show in the world. This is get rich education.   Keith Weinhold  1:15   Welcome to GRE from Buffalo New York to Buffalo Wyoming and across 108 nations worldwide. I'm Keith Weinhold. You're listening to get rich education. I am back here with easy to understand language to help you learn why and how real estate has made more ordinary people wealthy than anything else, and in your personal path to wealth building, how do you think that wealth is achieved is it through diversification or concentration? Because there is a clear cut answer. There is no squishy wishy washy, a little of this and a little of that, or no major exceptions. No gray area here. And it's interesting because I have a CFA friend, that means chartered financial analyst who's really smart and really well trained, and yet he seems confused by this. We disagree on this one straight away. Do you think that you're going to build wealth if you diversify or if you concentrate? And if you're still undecided here, I'll give you a hint. I'm going to ask this integral question one last time and stress a word in this sentence for you. This could really help you out. Is wealth built through diversification or concentration? With that emphasis on built accumulated? The answer is that overwhelmingly, wealth is built through concentration, not diversification. Most people who actually create any really meaningful wealth, they didn't go sprinkle a little money everywhere. Instead, they really focused hard on one thing, whether that thing was a business or a career niche or a narrow set of high conviction investments or a specific real estate strategy, for example, single family rentals or self storage facilities or assisted living homes. And why? Well, because concentration amplifies your upside. It lets you develop expertise which gives you an edge over everybody else, and it's what turns average returns into asymmetric ones. Think about how Warren Buffett made massive gains early with concentrated bets. Or how Jeff Bezos went all in on just a few ventures, or Sarah Blakely on just a few ventures. Those that say don't put all your eggs in one basket, well, all right. I mean, you can look at the world that way, that is a diversification path. Though you're going to end up working full time until you're age 68 and you'll probably be safe and you might just have a sound retirement, but you have done so much trading away of your time in your best years for dollars. I mean, that's it. That's not a wealthy path. Your employer wants you to invest any of your extra income in a diversified way so that you're not going to build enough wealth to leave that employer early. And yes, we're back to the old Andrew Carnegie. Put all your eggs in one basket and then really watch that basket. Carnegie's concentration was in the steel industry, wealth. That's what we're talking about here, like something outstanding, extraordinary, not just a good enough retirement nest egg. Maybe real wealth is built through concentration. This is why we concentrate on one thing here on this show. Largely real estate investing, because you don't build wealth from diversification. All right now, yes, there could be a little diversification even inside residential real estate investing, say, maybe you want to get into three markets. Call it Atlanta, Indy and Kansas City. But overall, that is still concentration in residential real estate investing. And if you want to be outstanding, you have got to embrace the heterodox, meaning a departure from the Orthodox. Orthodoxy is spreading all your money around in, say, the s and p5 100 index, we're almost guaranteed then to get a pedestrian like outcome. And now look, once you've built something and you've got something to protect, which is however you've decided to build your wealth through concentration, oh, now that's when the game changes. You'll probably best protect your wealth, not build it protect what you've built through diversification that being done when you're older. And what diversification does for you is that it reduces your downside risk, it smooths volatility, and it prevents a single mistake from wiping you out. So at this stage, you're no longer trying to win big. You're just trying not to lose big. The mistake most people make is that they diversify too early, and that usually ends up leading to mediocre returns, no real expertise, and these sort of portfolios that are busy but not wealthy, it's sort of like planting 20 seeds and then not watering any of them enough.   Keith Weinhold  6:47   All right. So here's a smarter progression across your investing life. In your early stage, which is your wealth building phase, you want to concentrate your time, your energy, your capital, you want to build skill and conviction, and then you want to take calculated asymmetric bets after, say, 10 or even 20 years of that, you enter the mid stage. That's where you'll start spreading across related areas, for example, multiple property types, but still in markets that you understand. And then finally, after 10 or 20 years of this mid stage, it is later stage, which is wealth preservation only. Then is where you diversify broadly across asset classes and all sorts of geographies. And then you protect yourself against tail risks. So the bottom line is that concentration creates wealth, diversification preserves it. If you try to flip that order, you are going to stay stuck. And if you're young and you're still diversified, and you might think you're okay, and you even project that you're going to have something built up, like, say, $8 million in retirement. If you just keep this up, what you've just done is that you're making my point for me, because 8 million, that is not going to be an outstanding amount at all by the time you reach conventional retirement age, you had better flip to concentrating in something, whether it's residential real estate or data center construction or pressure washing. All right, so that was wealth building. Now, how about instead of wealth? Say that you're trying to make a living, all right, this is a different subject. Now, if you're trying to earn a living, should you diversify, or should you concentrate? How do you make a good living? Which is working at your day job? That's what we're talking about here. Now, once again, the answer is, through concentration, not diversification. We became a society of specialists by the Industrial Revolution 200 years ago, if not sooner, making a good living that comes from being valuable at something specific, not average at a whole bunch of things. One strong income engine beats five weak ones. Depth pays more than breadth. People are willing to pay you for expertise, not for dabbling around. This is whether it's a niche in real estate or a specific profession or a focused business model, you need one thing that reliably throws off good income and a little story here. I don't want this to be disparaging to Uber drivers, because I appreciate what they do and where they drive me. But I recently had an Uber driver. It happened to be in Hollywood, and this uber driver is also a stand up comedian there in West Hollywood. Well, those are two very diverse activities, driving and being a comedian, and that tells me something he's not a very successful. Stand up comedian. If you try to diversify too much, your attention gets split, your skill development slows, and your income plateaus at just okay. Now I'm fortunate enough to have had some good success at what I do, real estate investing, and then talking about real estate investing with you here, that is my specialty, my concentration. I don't mow my own lawn. A specialist does that. I don't shovel my own snow. A specialist with all the right equipment and all the expertise does that. I don't do my own accounting. Now in what feels like a previous life to me, when I used to work a day job for the Department of Transportation, and there were problems with paving a specific type of asphalt on the roads in cold weather, a specific specialist would fly out to help us troubleshoot that. He was a high paid consultant, because he is in a niche that's very tiny. So when it comes to the matter of making a living, where diversification fits is once your primary income stream is stable and predictable, well then maybe you could add a second complementary stream, and not something that's random, build redundancy so that you're not fragile. But just think of that as a backup engine. You don't want to think in terms of 10 side hustles. For an example, a real estate investor adds another market or a strategy, a w2 professional well, they had maybe one serious side income, and that's just a matey. Surely not six apps and gigs if you're out there chasing everything, then you are going to earn less. And now that I've discussed how you want to concentrate, not diversify if you want to build wealth, and you also want to concentrate not diversify if you want to make a good living, well then you might wonder, gosh, does diversification have any place in my life? Is there any life facet at all where diversification gives you an advantage? Yes, there definitely is. Do you have any idea where diversification helps you as you look at all areas of your life, because there is one clear cut place, and that is relationships. Yeah, whether it's romantic relationships, like dating a potential spouse or in the broader sense, I mean, when you met your eventual husband or wife, it's not very likely that you impress them by going deep on some nuance that has to do with asphalt paving, or how you or how you increase your cash on cash return with management efficiencies on your single family rental portfolio in Little Rock Arkansas,   Keith Weinhold  12:57   In relationships, you become attractive to people because you can say, show a soft side, or be a good listener or know how to dance a little all while you can make a good living a diversified relationship portfolio. Now for you, that might mean having close friends for fun and honesty and a professional network for opportunities and perspective, and you might have a mentor or two in your life for guidance, and then you've got family relationships for roots and support. So every one of them plays a different role, and that way, no single relationship has to carry everything and what this protects you from is having just one friendship. You don't want that, otherwise, your whole social life can collapse. It protects you from a career setback, because you'll still have emotional support. Having diverse relationships prevents you from falling into echo chambers. Instead, you're going to get better, broader thinking. So having diversification in relationships that is basically risk management for your life and in this life, facet smart diversification makes you resilient. It makes you grounded. It makes you harder to knock off course. So let's review here in relationships, diversify to build wealth, concentrate and to make a good living, concentrate. And with that said, you know, if you want to get mega, mega wealthy, like stupid rich, let's just call that a billionaire with the letter B, if you want to reach that level, then I don't think that investing in rental property is the fastest or the best way to get there, although it can give you a good start. And then what's the point of this show? The point is that real estate investing is the most proven way to build wealth when you concentrate on it. If you want enough net worth and income so that you never have to work again all while you're still young enough to enjoy it, direct investment in real estate. Hey, that's great. If you want to get up to the $10 million net worth level, or even to say, $50 million that is totally doable. And the good news is that it's almost inevitable if you apply yourself and yes, concentrate, because that's all most people want, options and freedom. Those words are often a proxy for wealth. But if you're trying to get on the Forbes list of the world's wealthiest 100 people or whatever, which is where you need to concentrate on a novel business idea. All right, you can go for that, and then your risk of failure goes up substantially. You might even reach the billionaire level. As a real estate investor, more likely the DECA or the Centa millionaire level. But there are other ways of doing that outside of real estate. Real estate investing is great if you want to get sort of regular wealthy. Maybe even say that can be as little as 15 million or 25 million plus when you're young enough to enjoy it. And you know even half or 1/3 of those levels are enough as a freedom number for most people. With all that said, when you concentrate to build wealth, you do have to pick a proven vehicle. You can't say you're going to concentrate on sports gambling or prediction markets like call sheep or polymarket. They are not proven wealth building vehicles. Most people lose money on Poly market if you've wagered your mortgage that Mr. Beast is going to be the next President of the United States, perhaps reconsider that approach. In fact, according to an analysis that Bloomberg just performed, nearly every poly market trader either loses money or they make little or no profit. More than 100,000 accounts lost $1,000 since the start of last year, and that is twice the number of accounts that made at least $1,000 in aggregate, traders lost $131 million on this prediction market over that time, the tiny number of accounts that make lots of money appear to be mostly bots. That's what Bloomberg found. And there was a separate study that found that since 2022 69% of traders lost money, while three quarters of total profits were won only by the top 1% of users. So gambling, wagering, this speculation, it is not a proven vehicle, and it's not the same as investing. The cleanest way to think about the difference is that investing means putting money into something that produces value over time. Instead, gambling means putting money at risk on an outcome that you cannot influence, usually with a negative edge. And gosh, one reason that this is on my mind is, you know how I recently shared with you that I stayed at the Bellagio in Vegas. I didn't gamble at all. And in fact, I don't even know if I'm going to stay there again. That's just not congruent with who I am. But I marveled with my mouth agape when I watched a few games at the roulette wheel. Yeah, you're allowed to watch if you're not gambling. A typical scene is that perhaps five players were wagering their chips at the roulette wheel. Now the way it works is that the casino, they often have two and sometimes three of their own staff, like uniformed employees, that are there facilitating and monitoring the roulette wheel. I mean, look right there, if the casino is paying two or three staff members to facilitate the roulette wheel, well, the player should know that the odds are tilted against them. I mean, those casino dealers make, you know, they usually just make 50 to 70k a year with tips, all right, well, so the house needs to have enough of an advantage to pay their employees that are at that table and still profit. And they sure do profit. If you don't understand the game, when you play roulette, you can basically either wager that the ball is going to land on either red or black, but two of the 38 spaces on the wheel are green. They benefit the house directly. So with every bet that a player makes, they've got 18 winning spots and 20 losing spots. This is why roulette, like most gambling schemes, is for losers. And this roulette metaphor, I mean, this is a easily intuitive example for How the house has the advantage, whether it's the DraftKings app on your phone or it's a physical in person Casino. And look, I had another Uber driver recently. Yeah, lots of Uber drivers in my life lately, as I've been traveling in Pennsylvania, New York, California and Nevada, all right, interestingly, this uber driver is a dealer at the Horseshoe Casino, which is near the center of the Las Vegas Strip. While he drove me around, he opened up and told me that he doesn't understand why anyone is a serious gambler in his life history, he divulged to me that he has never known one long term winner. That's a gambler. It's amazing that he would admit that himself as an employee there. So suffice to say, wealth is built through concentration, not diversification, and certainly not through gambling.    Keith Weinhold  20:56   How should you think of building wealth for yourself at different age profiles, 20,25,30,35, and so on. I'll discuss each age profile that's next. I'm Keith Weinhold. You're listening to get rich education.    Keith Weinhold  21:13   What if you got your mortgage loans the same place I get mine. You sure can at Ridge lending group NMLS, 42056,they provided GRE listeners with more loans than anyone. Because Ridge specializes in investment property, they'll help you build a long term plan for growing your real estate empire with leverage. Start your pre qual and even chat directly with President chailey Ridge while it's on your mind, start at Ridge lendinggroup.com that's Ridge lendinggroup.com   Keith Weinhold  21:44   Let me ask you something, if you've worked hard to build wealth, is your money positioned to actually support your goals? A lot of accredited investors leave capital sitting in cash because it feels safe, but inflation and missed income opportunities can quietly erode its value. Freedom family investments offers freedom notes for investors seeking structured income backed by real estate. It's a straightforward approach built on real assets, not speculation. In full disclosure, I'm an investor myself. What I like is that their team walks you through how it all works, so you can decide if it aligns with your portfolio and income goals, every investment carries risk and nothing is guaranteed, but with a track record of consistent on time investor payouts, they built real credibility. Go to freedomfamilyinvestments.com to book a clarity call or text. Family 266, 866, that's family 268,66   Ted Sutton  22:48   Hey, it's corporate, directs Ted Sutton. Listen to get rich education with Keith Weinhold, and don't quit your Daydream.   Keith Weinhold  23:02   welcome back to get rich Education. I'm your host, Keith Weinhold, and you're listening to Episode 605 let's talk about some age profiles, because your life isn't random, it's staged. And if you understand the stages, I'll take it from age 20 up to age 40 or perhaps 50, because I don't have experience yet with being older than them. And then you can stop guessing and start engineering your future. Let's discuss mindset and then some tactics on how to build wealth in five year increments, largely through real estate, starting with age 20, at this stage, you're not behind you are early, though. I do know some people that have owned rental property at age 18 and 19. For the most part, your job isn't to invest yet. Your job is to build awareness and identity. Listen to shows like this one that you're listening to right now, even though you might be in college or trade school or have some employment, yes, as an employee, start thinking like an owner at this time you're installing your financial Operating System. Most people are 20 are consuming entertainment. You you're consuming direction. You're thinking, how can I set up a life where I'm not living below my means, which will always limit you? You're thinking, how can I grow my means at age 25 let's say you're out of school, you have a job and you're only making 65k per year if you're living with your parents, that means you can accumulate more liquidity. I don't like to say that you're becoming a saver, because that does not wire your mind for wealth, but that's effectively what you're doing. You're trying to amass some Liquidity, some capital formation is taking place. If you only have, say, $30,000 of cash amassed, well, then you're not ready for real estate, unless perhaps you're doing an owner occupied FHA loan in a duplex or a fourplex with a three and a half percent down payment. If you've got credit card debt. That's at 21% APR. You do want to retire that first age 25 is when you're likely to have student loan debt. The average student loan debt balance at age 25 is about 35k and the interest rate is 7% as long as your income is stable. You know, I didn't focus on paying down my student loans at age 25 I mean, why would I? Why should you I invested first? Because you might feel like having student loans slows you down, and it does, but not accumulating assets is what will keep you stuck so you're 25 when do you buy your first income producing asset? Say you've just got 20 to 30k accumulated liquid. That is still a little early to buy your first rental property, because that first property that would take all of what you had accumulated, that down payment would take it all like for an out of state turnkey property, and you've always got to stay a little liquid, but sooner than later, you have got to increase your income and own some real assets. If you accumulate instead 60k cash and the cheapest decent investment property would probably take something like a 30k down payment in closing costs right now, all right. Well, that tilts toward pulling the trigger and doing it because you've got some buffer. Now, you're still learning along the way, but you're learning really begins when you own your first property. Now, if you happen to live in an investor advantage place, oftentimes in the Midwest or south, perhaps the inland northeast, well then maybe you buy locally. But if you live in a pricey Metro at age 25 then you are probably rent vesting instead. What rent vesting means is that you're paying rent in, say, New York City, and you own property that you rent to others in, say, Chattanooga, Tennessee, that's called rent vesting. And you might pick up more than one property in your late 20s by age 30. Okay, look, this is when your cumulative better decision making really starts to show your trajectory has diverged from the herd, and it's really becoming noticeable to your peers, because your past decisions start compounding here by age 30. This is where you can benefit from modeling if you see someone like you that's doing what you want to do now, you can see yourself doing it. That's called modeling, and this is where your confidence grows. We'll say that now you're married at age 30, and you have a young child. You and your spouse make 175k together. You still have student loans, but you definitely own some real estate by now, we'll even say that you own your own home, your primary residence. By 30 you have a pretty good understanding of financing, property management and markets. By age 35 now you're investing in multiple real estate markets, and this is fueled because you've now done cash out refinances of your earlier properties into some more properties, and that means that you don't even have to use all of your own money in order to buy other properties and make down payments on them. So by age 35 your mindset has shifted from how do I buy a property over to how do I build a machine that buys properties, and this is where scale happens for you, you want to be sure to stay in your lane of competence and avoid chasing shiny objects again. Concentration over diversification by 35 it's become so apparent that you're glad that you did what you did. Other people are still doing things like working a lot of overtime and missing dinners. Maybe you do a little of that, but you don't have to do that. You're happy that you were strategic and you took the actions necessary so that your life doesn't feel like spinning on a hamster wheel like it does for everybody else, and it might still feel that way for you, too, but you are able to see a way out of that. And some people retire with real estate investing by age 35 but in this case, let's just say that you're not. Most aren't, but by now, you are getting so far ahead Of your old peers that you are definitely saying something to yourself, like, wow, indeed, capital compounds and labor doesn't this is the time in your life for this type of epiphany. Let's see where you are by age 40, and by the way, let's acknowledge that the average age of the first time homebuyer is now fully 40 in America. But by listening to this show and following the path that we help you with and engaging with our coaching and reading our newsletter, you are well ahead of this now I have a traditional financial advisor friend who says that he recently shared with me that he thinks a couple is in good shape if they have a net worth of $2 million by age 40. I don't know about that, though, if it's $2 million and a soldier in a 401 K that's locked away and it's not producing any income, that's a poor trajectory for the 40 year old couple. Sheesh, it's still a minimum of 20 more years from there until you can access 401K money, penalty, free. And, yes, there are some workarounds, but that's generally the picture. Well, instead, if you're a 40 year old couple with $2 million dollars in real assets. Oh, now you're in a substantially better position than if it were in some illiquid, conventional retirement plan. If it's in real assets. Oh, now you've got all these options. It could be producing income. You've got tax advantages that are greater than a 401, K, you might be able to access some of the equity, tax free, with a refi and plus say that your $2 million in equity is leveraging $5 million in real assets. Well, then, with 5% appreciation that alone is growing your net worth by $250,000 every single year, in addition to everything else that it's doing for you, yeah, talk about diverging from the herd. $2 million of equity in real assets crushes. Having that amount in a 401 K for you as part of a 40 year old couple, by age 45 you could very well be job optional. You could have teenage kids now, so you've got some expenses, you've been cash out, refinancing in a refi for life plan. Now your properties regularly are able to buy more properties for you, so that you aren't spending your own money on them. Instead, you're spending your own money on travel and living a better life than those others that are soullessly grinding at age 45 and yes, by the way, let's acknowledge that there would be ways for you to borrow out of a 401, k as well, but they're less forgiving than borrowing against your real assets after this period of time for you, you're getting into your late 40s, it is less about accumulation and it's more about optimization and freedom. I mean, you're soon asking, What do I want my life to look like? And you're not asking, How do I make more money? And at age 50 plus, since I really don't have much life experience here, you've probably done a number of 1031, exchanges, or you're even doing 721, exchanges, if you're substantially older than this saying that you want to retire from landlording. Now, one big lesson learned here is that early on, that focus, that concentration, is what allowed you to diverge from the herd that played small with diversification. One thing to be aware of when you're asking yourself that question, how much is enough? You're asking, how much is enough? Well, today, a five to $6 million dollar net worth that can usually generate enough income so that you don't have to work anymore. But people have a propensity to move the goalposts. It's most natural to think that you need to have twice as much as what you have now. Almost everybody inevitably thinks his way. If you've got 100k to your name, you think you've got it made. If you have 200k and if you've got 5 billion, you think you will need 10 billion. Be aware of that propensity to move the goalpost the amount that you think you need is almost always double what you have right now. And of course, in the words of the late George Foreman, the question isn't at what age I want to retire, it's at what income. Even conventional retirement planners will tell you that they just need to know two things in order. A plan for you, how much monthly income are you going to need, and how long you're going to live. And I think they've got that part right now. As you listen to those age profiles, you might have felt yourself ahead of that pace, on that pace, or behind that pace. There's a good chance that you were behind that pace, because by age 20, most people just don't adopt the abundance mentality that early. Most people drift through these decades, but if you understand the sequence, it's really this, learn, then earn, then buy, then scale and then optimize and be sure that you're living the entire time. The really good news for you is that you don't need luck. You need alignment with the stage that you're in. And if you get that right, you don't just build wealth, you build a life where money works harder than you do. Most people that try to do that get their money to work harder for them, well, that approach does not work until it's too late, but it works out for us because we ethically crowdsource other people's money to work harder than we do. To review what you've learned today. Wealth is built through concentration, not diversification. And from a young age, set up your life not to live below your means, but to grow your means. I'll talk to you again next week. Until then, I'm your host. Keith Weinhold, don't quit your Daydream.   Unknown Speaker  36:42   Nothing on this show should be considered specific, personal or professional advice. Please consult an appropriate tax, legal, real estate, financial or business professional for individualized advice. Opinions of guests are their own. Information is not guaranteed. All investment strategies have the potential for profit or loss. The host is operating on behalf of get rich Education LLC, exclusively,   Keith Weinhold  37:10   The preceding program was brought to you by your home for wealth building, get rich education.com  

Full Text of Readings Tuesday of the Sixth Week of Easter Lectionary: 292 The Saint of the day is Saint Leopold Mandic Saint Leopold Mandic's story Western Christians who are working for greater dialogue with Orthodox Christians may be reaping the fruits of Father Leopold's prayers. A native of Croatia, Leopold Mandic joined the Capuchin Franciscans and was ordained several years later in spite of several health problems. He could not speak loudly enough to preach publicly. For many years he also suffered from severe arthritis, poor eyesight, and a stomach ailment. For several years Leopold Mandic taught patrology, the study of the Church Fathers, to the clerics of his province, but he is best known for his work in the confessional, where he sometimes spent 13-15 hours a day. Several bishops sought out his spiritual advice. Leopold's dream was to go to the Orthodox Christians and work for the reunion of Roman Catholicism and Orthodoxy. His health never permitted it. Leopold often renewed his vow to go to the Eastern Christians; the cause of unity was constantly in his prayers. At a time when Pope Pius XII said that the greatest sin of our time is “to have lost all sense of sin,” Leopold Mandic had a profound sense of sin and an even firmer sense of God's grace awaiting human cooperation. Leopold Mandic, who lived most of his life in Padua, died on July 30, 1942, and was canonized in 1982. In the Roman liturgy his feast is celebrated on July 30. Reflection Saint Francis of Assisi advised his followers to “pursue what they must desire above all things, to have the Spirit of the Lord and His holy manner of working” (Rule of 1223, Chapter 10)—words that Leopold lived out. When the Capuchin minister general wrote his friars on the occasion of Leopold's beatification, he said that this friar's life showed “the priority of that which is essential.”Saint of the Day, Copyright Franciscan Media

ABOUT THE EPISODEYoung Protestants are reportedly departing for Eastern Orthodoxy in droves. What are the major differences between Eastern Orthodoxy and Evangelical Protestant Christianity?SponsorThis month's sponsor is Grimke Seminary. Pastors are called to care for the church of God that God called them to. So why do seminaries require men to leave their church to pursue theological studies? At Grimké Seminary, you can get Christ-centered, theological training in the Reformed, Protestant tradition, without leaving your local church. They offer a range of pastoral studies for students of all backgrounds to serve your growth in ministry, from a Bachelor's to a Doctor of Ministry.To apply, go to grimkeseminary.org and use the code “christoverall” to have your application fee waived.Resources to Click“The Challenges of Eastern Orthodoxy: Comparing Evangelical and Eastern Orthodox Theology” – Tony Costa“Frank Schaeffer, Former Evangelical Leader, is a Self-Declared Atheist Who Believes in God” – Huffington Post“'The Bible Answer Man' Turns East: An Unlikely Conversion” – Erwin Lutzer“Young Men Leaving Traditional Churches for ‘Masculine' Orthodox Christianity in Droves” – Rikki Schlott“Evangelical Pastors and the Challenge of Eastern Orthdoxy” – Scott Hurst and Christian Clement-Schlimm“Reality: Questions regarding the Authenticity of the Sigillion of 1583” – Joshua Schooping“The Sunday of Orthodoxy 2024”“Service of the Small Paraklesis”“Entrance of the Mother of God into the Temple” – Orthodox Christianity“Debatable, Unnecessary, or Essential? The Virgin Birth and Mary as the Mother of God” – Michael Pereira“Confession of Dositheus”“What is Salvation?” – Fr. Patrick Henry Reardon“Divine Energies: Eastern Orthodoxy's Strangest and Most Important Doctrine” – Knox BrownTheme of the Month: Go West, Young Men: Evaluating the Drift toward Eastern OrthodoxyGive to Support the WorkBooks to ReadDancing Alone: The Quest for Orthodox Faith in the Age of False Religion – Frank SchaefferThe Orthodox Church: An Introduction to Eastern Christianity – Timothy WareThrough Western Eyes: Eastern Orthodoxy, A Reformed Perspective – Robert LethamThree Views on Eastern Orthodoxy and Evangelicalism – ed. James J. StamoolisDisillusioned: Why I Left the Eastern Orthodox Priesthood and Church – Joshua SchoopingEastern Orthodoxy: Through the Lens of Sola Scriptura – Samuel S. FaragThe Holy Standards: The Creeds, Confessions, and Catechisms of the Eastern Orthodox Church – Joshua SchoopingThe Filioque: History of a Doctrinal Controversy – A. Edward SiecienskiVindicating the Filioque: The Church Fathers at the Council of Florence – Thomas Crean, O.P.The Holy Trinity: In Scripture, History, Theology, and Worship – Robert LethamEarly Christian Creed and Hymns, What the Earliest Christians Believed in Word an Song: An Exegetical-Theological Study – Tony CostaThe Biblical Canon: Its Origin, Transmission, and Authority – Lee Martin MacDonaldThe Canon Debate – Lee Martin MacDonald and James A. SandersThe Biblical Canon Lists from Early Christianity: Texts and Analysis – Edmon Gallagher and John D. MeadeThe Old Testament in Eastern Orthodox Tradition – Eugen J. PentiucThe Acts of the Second Council of Nicaea (787) – Richard PriceIcons and Power: the Mother of God in Byzantium – Bissera V. PentchevaThe Orthodox Study Bible – eds. Joseph Allen and Michel NajimProtestant Patriarch: The Life of Cyril Lukaris (1572-1638) Patriarch of Constantinople – G.A. Hadjiantoniou

In this episode of Living Incense, Fr. Matthias Shehad welcomes Diane, a recent convert to the Coptic Orthodox Church, to share her journey from a Protestant background rooted in the Druze culture to embracing Orthodoxy. Diane discusses her initial perceptions of the Coptic Church, her experience attending Bible studies and liturgy, and key theological differences she encountered, such as faith and works, eternal security, confession, baptism, and the intercession of saints. Diane reflects on the role of scripture in the Orthodox faith and how her questions were addressed through community and clergy support. She also describes her evolving understanding of the priesthood, sacraments, and the importance of both faith and works in salvation. The conversation highlights the challenges and revelations in transitioning into the Coptic Orthodox tradition. #CopticOrthodox #FaithJourney #OrthodoxChristianity #ChristianConversion #Sacraments #IntercessionOfSaints #StPaulHouston #Coptic #FrMatthias Subscribe to us on YouTube https://youtube.com/stpaulhouston Like us on Facebook https://facebook.com/saintpaulhouston Follow us on SoundCloud https://soundcloud.com/stpaulhouston Follow us on Instagram https://instagram.com/stpaulhouston Visit our website for schedules and to join the mailing list https://stpaulhouston.org

Two Protestants can sound airtight when they critique Eastern Orthodoxy together, until you ask a simple question: do they even agree on what a church is? Jeremy Jeremiah of Cloud of Witnesses pulls apart a popular interview between Dr. Gavin Ortlund and Joshua Schooping, author of Disillusioned, a former Orthodox priest who is now a Lutheran pastor, and we respond point by point from an Orthodox perspective with church history, theology, and plain logic.We spend real time on the practical consequences of Protestant ecclesiology, not just the slogans. If a Lutheran pastor shaped by the Augsburg Confession would refuse communion to a Reformed Baptist who follows the 1689 London Baptist Confession, what does that say about claims of easy unity in the “invisible church”? We talk Eucharist theology, baptism debates, and how sacramental disagreement turns into competing definitions of a “true church.”Then we tackle the biggest claims head-on: Has the Eastern Orthodox Church truly remained unchanged? What counts as doctrine versus liturgical development? How should Christians read Nicaea II and the language around icons and veneration? And when Marian prayers are quoted as proof that Mary replaces Jesus, we slow down and read them in context as devotional, poetic language about intercession, while keeping Christ's saving work central.We respond to a now Protestant discussion critiquing and frankly attacking Eastern Orthodoxy and explain why its framing collapses when you examine Protestant disagreements on the sacraments, the church, and salvation. We also defend Orthodox claims about continuity by separating minor liturgical development from core doctrinal stability across church history.• framing the interview as a strictly Protestant critique of Orthodoxy• contrasting Lutheran and Reformed Baptist ecclesiology on communion, baptism, and sacraments• challenging the idea that Protestantism offers a unified “invisible church” solution• addressing “one true church” anxiety and how mercy and salvation are discussed• separating liturgical variation from doctrinal continuity over 2,000 years• defending icons with early church evidence and the witness of ancient apostolic churches• responding to Nicaea II claims about forced icon veneration• interpreting Marian prayers as poetic intercession language rather than replacement of Christ• pushing back on claims that the gospel is absent from Orthodox worshipIf you care about Eastern Orthodoxy, Protestant apologetics, apostolic succession, icons, Mariology, and what it means to belong to the historic visible church, this conversation is for you. Subscribe, share this with a friend who's debating Orthodoxy, and leave a review telling us where you agree or disagree.Two Protestants critique Orthodoxy, but can they even agree on baptism or communion? We break down the hidden contradiction and what it means for “the true church” claims. Questions about Orthodoxy? Please check out our friends at Ghost of Byzantium Discord server: https://discord.gg/JDJDQw6tdhPlease prayerfully consider supporting Cloud of Witnesses: https://www.patreon.com/c/CloudofWitnessesFind Cloud of Witnesses on Instagram, X.com, Facebook, and TikTok.Audio: https://cloudofwitnessesradio.buzzsprout.comPlease leave a comment with your thoughts!

Father Evan answers your questions on the appropriateness of video game use, coping with a sudden and extreme fear of death, alternative versions of hymns, the reality of angels, changing Orthodox jurisdictions when moving to a new town, interpreting difficult Psalmic language, and navigating conversion when one's spouse is militantly against Orthodoxy in this week's episode of Orthodoxy Live.

On the Sunday of the Paralytic, this homily explores Christ's piercing question: "Do you want to be made well?" It examines our tendency to respond not with repentance, but with explanation—justifying our condition rather than opening ourselves to healing. Grounded in the Church's therapeutic vision of salvation, it calls us to move beyond self-justification and into obedience, where Christ's command becomes the source of our transformation.  Enjoy the show!  --- Homily for the Sunday of the Paralytic John 5:1–15; Acts 9 Christ is risen! What effect do you have on others? Is it like St. Peter's? Do you walk in the midst of broken people, bringing them healing? Do others, recognizing the peace within you, go out of their way just to be near you? Have you attained even a small measure of the purity and goodness—the peaceful spirit—that, as St. Seraphim of Sarov teaches, becomes the salvation of thousands? These are important indicators—ways to examine how we are doing in this walk of salvation. Some of them are internal and relatively easy to observe: How do I react to praise? How do I respond to criticism? How quick am I to anger, to despondency, to lust? But here is another indicator—an external one: How do people react to us? Do they find peace when we enter the room, or when we leave it? We need to be honest about this. When it comes to the things that truly matter—in our lives, in our families, in this parish, and in the great story of our salvation—we are always moving in one of two directions: either we are cooperating with grace, with healing, or we are cooperating with corruption. St. Peter, glory to God, became a man who cooperated fully with healing. But that was not always the case. There was a time when he was driven by pride, fear, and the expectations of others. By the time we meet him in Acts, however, he is no longer just occasionally doing what is right. He has been transformed. He has become the kind of person through whom Christ works. In today's Gospel, we see the beginning of such a transformation. The paralytic had been suffering for thirty-eight years—thirty-eight years of waiting, hoping, and being unable to heal himself. We can hardly imagine the weight of that suffering. And what does Christ ask him? "Do you want to be made well?" It is a strange question. In some ways, it is obvious—he is lying by the pool, waiting for healing. And yet we must name the desire. Not everyone who is sick truly wants to be healed. Notice how the paralytic responds. He does not answer the question directly. Instead, he explains his situation. He explains why he has not been healed. "I have no man… When the water is stirred, someone else steps down before me…" We recognize this, don't we? This is how we often respond to God—not with repentance, not with surrender, but with explanation. We explain why we are the way we are. We explain why change is so difficult. We explain why our situation is unique. Much of what we say is not wrong. But it is not healing. It does not open us to grace. St. John Chrysostom, reflecting on this passage, notes that Christ does not wait for a perfect answer, nor does He require a full confession before acting. But neither does He accept the man's explanations as sufficient. Instead, He goes directly to what is needed—not explanation, but transformation. Christ commands the man to do what he cannot do, and in the command itself, He gives the power to obey. This is where we must be careful. When the soul is disordered, it does not remain neutral. It becomes a source of distortion—not only for ourselves, but for others. The problem is not simply "out there." The problem begins within. And the great difficulty of living in this world is that it teaches us to normalize this condition. It calls distortion authenticity. It calls self-justification wisdom. But the Church is not here to affirm our condition. The Church is here to heal it. The Church is a hospital. But what good is a hospital if those within it refuse to be healed? What kind of peace can we offer if we are at war within ourselves—and with one another? It is very easy to remain in this disordered state. Our instincts are not neutral; they are wounded. And our minds—brilliant as they are—often serve those instincts rather than correcting them. We use our intelligence to justify our condition instead of correcting it. The mind becomes a kind of spokesman, explaining why we are the way we are and why it is acceptable. We justify our anger. We excuse our selfishness. We baptize our pride. Scripture gives us clear examples. Ananias and Sapphira likely thought themselves generous. Simon Magus likely convinced himself that he wanted spiritual power for good reasons. But their self-justifications did not save them. The truth exposed them. The same danger exists for us. We are always moving—toward healing or toward corruption. And over time, we will become more of one than the other. I know you. I love you. You want to be part of the solution. That is why you are here. But wanting to be healed is not the same as being healed. Wanting to be good is not enough. The paralytic had desire—but he still could not heal himself. You were created good, and you are called to become more fully what you were created to be. But you are not there yet. Neither am I. So how are we healed? There is only One who heals. Christ does not argue with the man. He does not analyze his situation. He does not accept or refute his explanations. He commands: "Rise, take up your bed, and walk." And in that command, there is power. This is the heart of the matter: Healing does not come from explanation. Healing comes from obedience. So how do we learn from the living Christ? The answer is not new. We give our lives—our bodies, our minds, our souls—to Him and to His Church. We pray. We enter into the Liturgy. We love our neighbors sacrificially. We learn from the Fathers. We seek wise counsel. We quiet ourselves so that we can hear. Not because Orthodoxy is simply a system, but because this is where Christ is—healing, teaching, restoring. The paralytic could not heal himself. Neither can we. But Christ can. And He does. If we stop explaining, stop justifying, and begin obeying, then—and only then—will we become not part of the problem, but part of the healing. Christ is risen!

'Saint Tamara was the only child of King George III. Upon his death in 1184, she became Queen at the age of twenty-four. Despite her youth, she ruled the country with such wisdom and godliness — leading it to unprecedented military triumphs over the neighboring Moslem countries in defence of her kingdom, fostering arts and letters, and zealously strengthening Orthodoxy — that her reign is known as the Golden Age of Georgia. After her coronation, she convoked a local council to correct disorders in church life. When the bishops had assembled from all parts of her kingdom, she, like Saint Constantine at the First Ecumenical Council, honoured them as if she were a commoner, and they Angels of God; exhorting them to establish righteousness and redress abuses, she said in her humility, "Do away with every wickedness, beginning with me, for the prerogative of the throne is in no wise that of making war against God." Saint Tamara called herself "the father of orphans and the judge of widows," and her contemporaries called her "King" instead of "Queen." She herself led her army against the Moslems and fearlessly defeated them; because of the reverence that even the enemies of Georgia had for her, entire mountain tribes renounced Islam and were baptized. She built countless churches and monasteries throughout her kingdom, and was a benefactress also to the Holy Land, Mount Athos, and holy places in Greece and Cyprus. She has always been much beloved by her people, who have memorialized her meekness, wisdom, piety, obedience, and peace-loving nature in innumerable legends, ballads, and songs; the poem written in her honor by Shota Rustaveli, "The Knight of the Panther Skin," is the masterpiece of Georgian literature. The great Queen Tamara departed the earthly kingdom for the heavenly in the year 1212.' (Great Horologion)

Was Peter really the undisputed leader of the early church—or does the New Testament point somewhere else?In this episode of The Bible Sojourner, we walk through Will Varner's provocative article, “Was James the First Pope?” and explore the biblical and historical evidence that James, the brother of Jesus, may have functioned as the central leader of the early church in a way many Christians have overlooked.We look at the centrality of Jerusalem, James's growing prominence in Acts, Galatians, and 1 Corinthians, his decisive role at the Jerusalem Council, and the way both Josephus and early church writers seem to confirm his importance. Along the way, we also consider what this means for common assumptions about Peter, Paul, Roman Catholic claims, and even Protestant blind spots.Whether you agree or disagree, this is a fascinating discussion that challenges tradition and pushes us back to the text of Scripture.If you enjoy thoughtful conversations on the Bible, theology, and culture, be sure to subscribe and join the discussion in the comments.Chapter Headings00:00 Intro: Was James More Important Than Peter?00:00:47 Why This Argument Was So Eye-Opening00:02:06 The Main Thesis of Varner's Article00:04:35 James and the Centrality of Jerusalem00:06:23 The Gospel Expands From Jerusalem to the Nations00:09:55 Why Jerusalem Was Seen as the Center of the World00:12:25 James's Rise to Leadership in the Early Church00:15:18 Paul's Early Contact With Peter and James00:17:02 James, Peter, and John as the “Pillars”00:20:11 Peter Defers to James00:21:31 The Jerusalem Council and James's Final Judgment00:28:18 Paul Continues to Follow James's Lead00:33:35 Josephus and the Historical Importance of James00:36:29 James in Early Church Tradition00:42:09 The Letter of James and the Order of the Canon00:45:26 Why James's Leadership Matters00:50:09 Implications for Catholicism, Orthodoxy, and Protestantism00:54:06 Final Conclusions: Was James the First Pope?00:56:06 OutroArticle Written by Will Varner: https://cf.sbts.edu/equip/uploads/2024/05/SBJT-27.3-Was-James-the-First-Pope-Varner.pdfIf you have found the podcast helpful, consider ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠leaving a review on Itunes⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠rating it on Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. You can also find ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Bible Sojourner on Youtube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Consider passing any episodes you have found helpful to a friend.Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠petergoeman.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for more information on the podcast or blog.Visit⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ shepherds.edu⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for more on Shepherds Theological Seminary where Dr. Goeman teaches.

In this stream I am joined by Fr. Dcn Dr. Ananias to discuss the Orthodox theological position on Nature. This is also the conference topic for MontaNIKA 2026 which is from June 4th-7th. Make sure to check it out and let me know what you think. God bless MontaNIKA 2026 Tickets: https://www.patristicfaith.com/events/montanika-2026/#

You're not hallucinating. This is a repost. This episode accidentally got deleted. New episodes of Inquiry are coming soon. Apocalyptic visions are one of the most persistent patterns in anomalous experience—and one of the least examined. Across abduction accounts, contact experiences, downloads, and altered states, experiencers consistently report visions of a coming cataclysm. The pattern holds across cultures, across centuries, and across radically different frameworks for understanding contact with non-human intelligence. And the prophecy never comes true. That doesn't make it meaningless. It might make it more significant. In this Field Notes episode, Kelly Chase lays out four theories for what these visions actually are—and what they're doing. Is this species-level PTSD, the trauma of civilizational collapses encoded in our collective psyche and mistaken for prediction? Are these translation artifacts—non-human intelligence reaching for the most legible human metaphor for an ontological rupture that has no literal equivalent? Is the phenomenon itself functioning as a control mechanism, using apocalyptic certainty to fragment, isolate, and neutralize experiencer communities at precisely the moments they begin to cohere? Or is something considerably more terrestrial at work? The apocalypse may not be coming. But understanding why so many people have been shown it—and who benefits from that vision—may be one of the most important questions in the field. Find the full transcript on my Substack.

What does the raucous laughter of Nicki Minaj and Billy Graham have to do with 14th century saint? Find out in PART TWO of our MOST requested episodes ever -- diving deep into the question "Who is Saint Julian of Norwich???" Author of Revelations of Divine Love, coiner of the phrase "All Shall Be Well," and delighter in God's delight, St. Julian is such a powerful visionary and leader we needed two episodes to do her justice. We're joined again by the The Rev. Dr. Amy Laura Hall, one of Lizzie's professors from her time at Duke Divinity School. In part two, we explore "Christ as our true mother," the nature of the devil, and we see how Julian has echoes for us to consider in today's religious landscape. We also get a little teaser for Dr. Hall's new book, out in May 2026, called ERECTING THE PULPIT: MUSCULAR CHRISTIANITY FROM TEDDY ROOSEVELT TO DONALD TRUMP. Amy Laura Hall is Associate Professor of Christian Ethics and Gender, Sexuality, and Feminist Studies at Duke University, where she has taught since 1999. She is the author of four books, including Conceiving Parenthood: American Protestantism and the Spirit of Reproduction (2007) and Laughing at the Devil: Seeing the World with Julian of Norwich (2018). A noted authority on Christianity and culture in the U.S., Hall has also contributed provocative essays on Protestantism and politics to Religion Dispatches and Religion News Service. Resources mentioned in this episode: Laughing at the Devil: Seeing the World with Julian of Norwich by Amy Laura Hall https://www.dukeupress.edu/laughing-at-the-devil Revelations of Divine Love by Julian of Norwich trans. by Elizabeth Spearing https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/261039/revelations-of-divine-love-by-julian-of-norwich-translated-by-elizabeth-spearing-introduction-and-notes-by-a-c-spearing/ Julian of Norwich and the Mystical Body Politic of Christ By Frederick Christian Bauerschmidt --https://undpress.nd.edu/9780268022082/julian-of-norwich/ The Writings of Julian of Norwich A Vision Showed to a Devout Woman and A Revelation of Love Edited by Nicholas Watson and Jacqueline Jenkins -- https://www.psupress.org/books/titles/0-271-02547-6.html?srsltid=AfmBOoopOJOEaY69eupR8Rx1uxzSJyVJpaSpLJKpJoHSPKAQ9ry8HPJY Rev. Dr. Amy Laura Hall's works: FORTHCOMING: Erecting the Pulpit: Muscular Christianity from Teddy Roosevelt to Donald Trump https://www.bloomsbury.com/us/erecting-the-pulpit-9798216383475/ Laughing at the Devil: Seeing the World with Julian of Norwich by Amy Laura Hall https://www.dukeupress.edu/laughing-at-the-devil https://arcmag.org/home-movies-for-holy-week/ +++ Like what you hear? We are an entirely crowd-sourced, you-funded project.  SUPPORT US ON PATREON: https://www.patreon.com/AndAlsoWithYouPodcast There's all kinds of perks including un-aired live episodes, Zoom retreats, and mailbag episodes for our Patreons! +++ Our Website: https://andalsowithyoupod.com Our Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/andalsowithyoupodcast/ ++++ MERCH: https://www.bonfire.com/store/and-also-with-you-the-podcast/ ++++ More about Father Lizzie: BOOK: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/762683/god-didnt-make-us-to-hate-us-by-rev-lizzie-mcmanus-dail/ RevLizzie.com https://www.instagram.com/rev.lizzie/ https://www.tiktok.com/@rev.lizzie Jubilee Episcopal Church in Austin, TX - JubileeATX.org  ++++ More about Mother Laura: https://www.instagram.com/laura.peaches/ https://www.tiktok.com/@mother_peaches ++++ Theme music: "On Our Own Again" by Blue Dot Sessions (www.sessions.blue). New episodes drop Mondays at 7am EST/6am CST! 

QUOTES FOR REFLECTION“We are halfhearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea.”~C.S. Lewis, British scholar, writer, and Christian apologist, in The Weight of Glory “The only person who dares wake up a king at 3:00 am for a glass of water is [the king's] child. We have that kind of access.”~Timothy Keller (1950-2023), Presbyterian pastor, author, and Christian apologist “Without endurance, hope turns superficial and evaporates when it meets first resistances. In hope we start something new, but only endurance helps us persevere. Only tenacious endurance makes hope sustainable. We learn endurance only with the help of hope.”~Jürgen Moltmann (1926-2024), German theologian “We must ask, what are we necessarily affirming about Jesus when we say that he, unexpectedly, lives? What is the basic difference between a living person and a dead one? And surely we must say: the decisive difference between a living person and a dead one is that the former can surprise us as the latter cannot. Socrates, although he remains dead, is still powerful. But if I am surprised by him, this is because of previously inadequate knowledge. Whereas if Jesus lives, he is an agent in my life, and one whom I must expect to act freely, whom I could know perfectly and yet not always anticipate.… That Jesus lives means that his love, perfected at the cross, is now active to surprise us. That Jesus lives means that there is a subject who has us as his objects, and who wills our good in a freedom beyond our predicting.”~Robert Jenson (1930-2017), American theologian, in Systematic Theology “As we have taken the circle as a symbol of reason and madness, we may very well take the cross as a symbol at once of mystery and health. Buddhism is centripetal, but Christianity is centrifugal: it breaks out. For the circle is perfect and infinite in its nature; but it is fixed for ever in its size; it can never be larger or smaller. But the cross, though it has at its head a collision and a contradiction, can extend its four arms for ever without altering its shape. Because it has a paradox in its center it can grow without changing. The circle returns upon itself and is bound. The cross opens its arms to the four winds; it is a signpost for free travelers.”~G.K. Chesterton (1874-1936), British Christian apologist, in Orthodoxy SERMON PASSAGERomans 5:1-11 (NIV)1 Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. 3 Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4 perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5 And hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.6 You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. 7 Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. 8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.9 Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God's wrath through him! 10 For if, while we were God's enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! 11 Not only is this so, but we also boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.

The anti-meat movement has influenced government policy well beyond anything close to the truth about meat. From the discredited food pyramid to government funding of “lab-grown meat,” government aids the activists who are making our lives worse.Original article: https://mises.org/mises-wire/next-food-pyramid-lab-grown-meat-and-new-moral-orthodoxy

“What verses prove Peter was the Pope?” This question opens a discussion on the biblical foundations of papal authority, including key verses that support this claim. Other topics addressed include the significance of Jesus changing Peter’s name, the perpetual nature of the Petrine office, and how to approach conversations about Catholicism. Join the Catholic Answers Live Club Newsletter Invite our apologists to speak at your parish! Visit Catholicanswersspeakers.com Questions Covered: 02:26 – What Bible Verses Best Support that Peter was the Pope? 24:45 – Why did Jesus Change Peter’s name? 29:15 – How do we know the Petrine office is perpetual? 36:27 – Are the apostles also bishops and how does the petrine ministry affect this? 42:46 – I've been Christian for a year. How do I tell my protestant girlfriend that I live with that I'm interested in Catholicism and Orthodoxy? 49:45 – Do we see anywhere in the bible where Peter exercises his authority?

My good friend Paisios Wainwright joins me to discuss his struggles and path to Orthodoxy. Wainwright Ceramics

In this addendum to my "Classical Protestant View on Tradition" series, I tackle three of the biggest reasons many Protestants feel drawn to Roman Catholicism or Eastern Orthodoxy. I share how I wrestled through these issues, and ultimately why they weren't enough to pull me away from a classical Protestant approach. Watch part 1 of this series: https://youtu.be/yZvzn565Aoc