Podcasts about Parallels

In this special debate episode of the LIFTS Podcast, hosts Matthew Januszek and Mohammed Iqbal are joined by guest co-host Jack Thomas (Fitness Business Asia) to moderate a high-level discussion on the impact of ClassPass for boutique fitness owners. Industry voices Jeff Bladt (ClassPass/Playlist) and Rachel Hirsch (Wellness Growth Ventures, The 2% Club, and studio owner) share opposing perspectives on whether ClassPass is a powerful growth partner or a dangerous dependency. Discussion highlights include: The origin and evolution of ClassPass. How ClassPass transformed consumer behavior in fitness. Free trials, pricing power, and fairness for studios. Parallels with aggregators in travel, dining, and delivery. Revenue data showing both growth and risks for studio owners. Strategies to avoid over-reliance on ClassPass. How ClassPass affects women-led boutique studios. Industry-wide calls for better collaboration between aggregators and studios.

Mark Henry covers the appearance of Brock Lesnar on Smackdown and his perspective on the history between Lesnar and Cena. Plus! He breaks down the Main Event between Randy Orton and Drew McIntyre along with the return of Cody Rhodes. To visit our partners at Chewy, click here. The Master's Class is now available on its own podcast feed! SUBSCRIBE NOW to hear over 50 episodes of Dave, Bully, Mark, and Tommy taking you behind the scenes like only they can, plus BRAND NEW episodes every week. Subscribe to SiriusXM Podcasts+ to listen to new episodes of Busted Open ad-free and get exclusive access to bonus episodes. Start a free trial now on Apple Podcasts or by visiting siriusxm.com/podcastsplus.

In this introductory episode to their new series on the Parables of Jesus, Tony Arsenal and Jesse Schwamb explore the profound theological significance of Christ's parables. Far from being mere teaching tools to simplify complex ideas, parables serve a dual purpose in God's redemptive plan: revealing spiritual truth to those with "ears to hear" while concealing these same truths from those without spiritual illumination. This episode lays the groundwork for understanding how parables function as divine teaching devices that embody core Reformed doctrines like election and illumination. As the hosts prepare to journey through all the parables in the Gospels, they invite listeners to consider the blessing of being granted spiritual understanding and the privilege of receiving the "secrets of the kingdom" through Christ's distinctive teaching method. Key Takeaways Parables are more than illustrations—they are comparisons that reveal kingdom truths to those with spiritual ears to hear while concealing truth from those without spiritual illumination. Jesus intentionally taught in parables not to simplify his teaching but partly to fulfill Isaiah's prophecy about those who hear but do not understand, confirming the spiritual condition of his hearers. The ability to understand parables is itself evidence of God's sovereign grace and election, as Jesus states in Matthew 13:16: "Blessed are your eyes for they see and your ears for they hear." Parables vary in form and function—some are clearly allegorical while others make a single point, requiring each to be approached on its own terms. Proper interpretation requires context—understanding both the original audience and the question or situation that prompted Jesus to use a particular parable. Parables function like Nathan's confrontation of David—they draw hearers in through narrative before revealing uncomfortable truths about themselves. Studying parables requires spiritual humility—recognizing that our understanding comes not from intellectual capacity but from the Spirit's illumination. Understanding Parables as Revelation, Not Just Illustration The hosts emphasize that parables are fundamentally different from mere illustrations or fables. While modern readers often assume Jesus used parables to simplify complex spiritual truths, the opposite is frequently true. As Tony explains, "A parable fundamentally is a comparison between two things... The word parable comes from the Greek of casting alongside." This distinction is crucial because it changes how we approach interpretation. Rather than breaking down each element as an allegorical component, we should first understand what reality Jesus is comparing the parable to. The parables function as a form of divine revelation—showing us kingdom realities through narrative comparison, but only those with spiritual insight can truly grasp their meaning. This is why Jesus quotes Isaiah and explains that he speaks in parables partly because "seeing they do not see and hearing they do not hear nor do they understand" (Matthew 13:13). The Doctrine of Election Embedded in Parabolic Teaching Perhaps the most profound insight from this episode is how the very form of Jesus' teaching—not just its content—embodies the doctrine of election. Jesse notes that "every parable then implicitly teaches a doctrine of election," because they reveal spiritual truth to some while concealing it from others. This isn't arbitrary but reflects spiritual realities. The hosts connect this to Jesus' words in Matthew 13:16: "Blessed are your eyes for they see and your ears for they hear." This blessing comes not from intellectual capacity or moral superiority but from God's sovereign grace. Tony describes this as "the blessing in our salvation and in our election that we are enabled to hear and perceive and receive the very voice and word of God into our spirit unto our salvation." The parables thus become a "microcosm" of Reformed doctrines like election, regeneration, and illumination. When believers understand Jesus' parables, they're experiencing the practical outworking of these doctrines in real time. Memorable Quotes "The parables are not just to illustrate a point, they're to reveal a spiritual point or spiritual points to those who have ears to hear, to those who've been illuminated by the spirit." - Tony Arsenal "Jesus is giving this message essentially to all who will listen to him... And so this is like, I love the way that he uses that quote in a slightly different way, but still to express the same root cause, which is some of you here because of your depravity will not be able to hear what I'm saying. But for those to whom it has been granted to come in who are ushered into the kingdom, this kingdom language will make sense." - Jesse Schwamb "But blessed are your eyes for they see and your ears for they hear. There's a blessing in our salvation and in our election that we are enabled to hear and perceive and receive the very voice and word of God into our spirit unto our salvation." - Tony Arsenal About the Hosts Tony Arsenal and Jesse Schwamb are the regular hosts of The Reformed Brotherhood podcast, where they explore Reformed theology and its application to Christian living. With a conversational style that balances depth and accessibility, they seek to make complex theological concepts understandable without sacrificing nuance or biblical fidelity. Transcript [00:00:45] Introduction and New Series Announcement [00:00:45] Jesse Schwamb: Welcome to episode 460 of The Reformed Brotherhood. I'm Jesse. [00:00:54] Tony Arsenal: And I'm Tony. And this is the podcast with ears to hear. Hey brother. [00:00:59] Jesse Schwamb: Hey brother. New series Time, new series. Time for the next seven years that, that's probably correct. It's gonna be a long one. New beginnings are so great, aren't they? And it is. [00:01:10] Jesse Schwamb: We've been hopefully this, well, it's definitely gonna live up to all the hype that we've been presenting about this. It's gonna be good. Everybody's gonna love it. And like I said, it's a topic we haven't done before. It's certainly not in this format. [00:01:23] Tony Arsenal: Yeah. Yeah. And you know what, just, um, as a side note, if you are a listener, which you must be, if you're hearing this, uh, this is a great time to introduce someone to the podcast. [00:01:33] Tony Arsenal: True. Uh, one, because this series is gonna be lit as the kids say, and, uh, it's a new series, so you don't have to have any background. You don't have to have any previous knowledge of the show or of who these two weird guys are to jump in and we're gonna. [00:01:53] Tony Arsenal: Talk about the Bible, which is amazing and awesome. And who doesn't love to talk about the Bible. [00:01:58] Jesse Schwamb: Yeah, that's correct. That's what makes these so good. That's how I know, and I could say confidently that this is gonna be all the hype and more. All right, so before we get to affirmations and denials, all the good ProGo, that's part and parcel of our normal episode content. [00:02:12] Jesse Schwamb: Do you want to tell everybody what we're gonna be talking about? [00:02:16] Tony Arsenal: Yeah, I'm excited. [00:02:17] Introducing the Parables Series [00:02:17] Tony Arsenal: So we are gonna work our way through, and this is why I say it's gonna take seven years. We are gonna work our way through all of the parables. Parables, [00:02:25] Jesse Schwamb: the [00:02:25] Tony Arsenal: gospels and just so, um, the Gospel of John doesn't feel left out. [00:02:30] Tony Arsenal: We're gonna talk through some of the I am statements and some of that stuff when we get to John. 'cause John doesn't have a lot of parables. Uh, so we're gonna spend time in the synoptic gospels. We're gonna just walk through the parables one by one. We're taking an episode, sometimes maybe two, sometimes 10, depending on how long the parable is and how deep we get into it. [00:02:47] Tony Arsenal: We're just gonna work our way through. We're gonna take our time. We're gonna enjoy it. So again, this is a great time to start. It's kinda the ground floor on this and you thing. This could really be its own podcast all by itself, right? Uh, so invite a friend, invite some whole bunch of friends. Start a Sunday school class listening to this. [00:03:04] Tony Arsenal: No, don't do that. But people have done that before. But, uh, grab your bibles, get a decent commentary to help prep for the next episode, and, uh, let's, let's do it. I'm super excited. [00:03:14] Jesse Schwamb: When I say para, you say Abel Para, is that how it works? Para? Yeah. I don't know. You can't really divide it. Pairable. If you jam it together, yes. [00:03:24] Jesse Schwamb: You get some of that. You can say, when I say pair, you say Abel p [00:03:27] Tony Arsenal: Abel. [00:03:31] Jesse Schwamb: And you can expect a lot more of that in this series. But before we get into all this good juicy stuff about parables, and by the way, this is like an introductory episode, that doesn't mean that you can just skip it, doesn't mean it's not gonna be good. We gotta set some things up. We wanna talk about parables general generally, but before we have that good general conversation, let's get into our own tradition, which is either affirming with something or denying against something. [00:03:54] Affirmations and Denials [00:03:54] Jesse Schwamb: And so, Tony, what do you got for all of us? [00:03:58] Tony Arsenal: Mine is kind of a, an ecclesial, ecclesiastical denial. Mm-hmm. Um, this is sort of niche, but I feel like our audience may have heard about it. And there's this dust up that I, I noticed online, uh, really just this last week. Um, it's kind of a specific thing. There is a church, uh, I'm not sure where the church is. [00:04:18] Tony Arsenal: It's a PCA church, I believe it's called Mosaic. The pastor of the church, the teaching elder, one of the teaching elders just announced that he was, uh, leaving his ministry to, uh, join the Roman Catholic Church, which, yes, there's its own denial built into that. We are good old Protestant reformed folks, and I personally would, would stick with the original Westminster on the, the Pope being antichrist. [00:04:45] Tony Arsenal: But, um, that's not the denial. The denial is that in this particular church. For some unknown reason. Uh, the pastor who has now since a announced that he was leaving to, uh, to convert to Roman Catholicism, continued to preach the sermon and then administered the Lord's supper, even though he in the eyes, I think of most. [00:05:08] Tony Arsenal: Reformed folk and certainly historically in the eyes of the reformed position was basically apostate, uh, right in front of the congregation's eyes. Now, I don't know that I would necessarily put it that strongly. I think there are plenty of genuine born again Christians who find themselves in, in the Roman Catholic, uh, church. [00:05:27] Tony Arsenal: Uh, but to allow someone who is one resigning the ministry right in front of your eyes. Um, and then resigning to basically leave for another tradition that, that the PCA would not recognize, would not share ecclesiastical, uh, credentials with or accept their ordination or any of those things. Um, to then just allow him to admit, you know, to administer the Lord's Supper, I think is just a drastic miscarriage of, uh, ecclesiastical justice. [00:05:54] Tony Arsenal: I dunno if that's the right word. So I'm just denying this like. It shows that on a couple things like this, this. Church this session, who obviously knew this was coming. Um, this session does either, does not take seriously the differences between Roman Catholic theology and Protestant theology, particularly reformed theology, or they don't take seriously the, the gravity of the Lord's supper and who should and shouldn't be administering it. [00:06:22] Tony Arsenal: They can't take both of those things seriously and have a fully or biblical position on it. So there's a good opportunity for us to think through our ecclesiology, to think through our sacrament and how this applies. It just really doesn't sit well and it's not sitting well with a lot of people online, obviously. [00:06:37] Tony Arsenal: Um, and I'm sure there'll be all sorts of, like letters of concern sent to presbytery and, and all that stuff, and, and it'll all shake out in the wash eventually, but just, it just wasn't good. Just doesn't sit right. [00:06:48] Jesse Schwamb: You know, it strikes me of all the denominations. I'm not saying this pejoratively. I just think it is kind of interesting and funny to me that the Presbyterians love a letter writing campaign. [00:06:56] Jesse Schwamb: Like that's kind of the jam, the love, a good letter writing campaign. [00:07:00] Tony Arsenal: It's true, although it's, it's actually functional in Presbyterianism because That's right. That's how you voice your concern. It's not a, not a, a rage letter into the void. It actually goes somewhere and gets recorded and has to be addressed at presbytery if you have standing. [00:07:17] Tony Arsenal: So there's, there's a good reason to do that, and I'm sure that that will be done. I'm sure there are many. Probably ministers in the PCA who are aware of this, who are either actually considering filing charges or um, or writing such letters of complaints. And there's all sorts of mechanisms in the PCA to, to adjudicate and resolve and to investigate these kinds of things. [00:07:37] Jesse Schwamb: And I'd like to, if you're, if you're a true Presbyterian and, and in this instance, I'm not making light of this instance, but this instance are others, you. Feel compelled by a strong conviction to write such a letter that really you should do it with a quill, an ink. Like that's the ultimate way. I think handwritten with like a nice fountain pen. [00:07:54] Jesse Schwamb: There's not, yeah. I mean, you know what I'm saying? Like that's, that is a weighty letter right there. Like it's cut to Paul being like, I write this postscript in my own hand with these big letters. Yeah, it's like, you know, some original Presbyterian letter writing right there. [00:08:07] Tony Arsenal: And then you gotta seal it with wax with your signe ring. [00:08:10] Tony Arsenal: So, and send it by a carrier, by a messenger series of me messengers. [00:08:14] Jesse Schwamb: Think if you receive any letter in the mail, handwritten to you. Like for real, somebody painstakingly going through in script like spencerian script, you know, if you're using English characters writing up and then sealing that bad boy with wax, you're gonna be like, this is important. [00:08:30] Jesse Schwamb: Yeah, this, even if it's just like, Hey, what's up? Yeah, you're gonna be like, look at this incredible, weighty document I've received. [00:08:36] Tony Arsenal: It's true. It's very true. I love it. Well, that's all I have to say about that to channel a little Forrest Gump there. Uh, Jesse, what are you affirming or denying tonight? [00:08:44] Jesse Schwamb: I'm also going to deny against, so this denial is like classic. [00:08:49] Jesse Schwamb: It's routine, but I got a different spin on it this time, so I'm denying against. The full corruption of sin, how it appears everywhere, how even unbelievers speak of it, almost unwittingly, but very commonly with great acceptance. And the particularity of this denial comes in the form of allergies, which you and I are talking about a lot of times. [00:09:09] Jesse Schwamb: But I was just thinking about this week because I had to do some allergy testing, which is a, a super fun experience. But it just got me think again, like very plainly about what allergies are. And how an allergy occurs when your immune system, like the part of your body responsible for protecting your body that God has made when your immune system mistakes like a non-harmful substance like pollen or a food or some kind of animal dander for a threat, and then reacts by producing these antibodies like primarily the immunoglobulin E. [00:09:36] Jesse Schwamb: So here's what strikes me as so funny about this in a, in a way that we must laugh. Because of our, our parents, our first parents who made a horrible decision and we like them, would make the same decision every day and twice in the Lord's day. And that is that this seems like, of course, such a clear sign of the corruption of sin impounded in our created order because it seems a really distasteful and suboptimal for human beings to have this kind of response to pollen. [00:10:03] Jesse Schwamb: When they were intended to work and care in a garden. So obviously I think we can say, Hey, like the fact that allergies exist and that it's your body making a mistake. [00:10:13] Tony Arsenal: Yeah. [00:10:13] Jesse Schwamb: It's like the ultimate, like cellular level of the ubiquity of sin. And so as I was speaking with my doctor and going through the, the testing, it's just so funny how like we all talk about this. [00:10:25] Jesse Schwamb: It's like, yeah, it's, it's a really over-indexed reaction. It doesn't make any sense. It's not the way the world is supposed to be, but nobody's saying how is the world supposed to be? Do you know what I mean? Like, but we just take it for granted that that kind of inflammation that comes from like your dog or like these particles in the air of plants, just trying to do a plant stew and reproduce and pollinate that, that could cause like really dramatic and debilitating. [00:10:49] Jesse Schwamb: Responses is just exceptional to me, and I think it's exceptional and exceptional to all of us because at some deep level we recognize that, as Paul says, like the earth, the entire world is groaning. It's groaning for that eschatological release and redemption that can only come from Christ. And our runny noses in our hay fever all prove that to some degree. [00:11:09] Jesse Schwamb: So denying against allergies, but denying against as well that ubiquity of corruption and sin in our world. [00:11:15] Tony Arsenal: Yeah, I just have this image in my head of Adam and Eve, you know, they're expelled outta the garden and they, they're working the ground. And then Adam sneezes. Yes. And Eve is like, did your head just explode? [00:11:28] Tony Arsenal: And he's like, I don't know. That would've been a, probably a pretty terrifying experience actually. [00:11:33] Jesse Schwamb: Yeah, that's that's true. So imagine like you and I have talked about this before, because you have young children, adorable. Young children, and we've talked about like the first of everything, like when you're a child, you get sick for the first time, or you get the flu or you vomit for the first time. [00:11:45] Jesse Schwamb: Like you have no idea what's going on in your body, but imagine that. But being an adult. [00:11:49] Tony Arsenal: Yeah, where you can process what's going on, but don't have a framework for it. [00:11:52] Jesse Schwamb: Yes, exactly. So like [00:11:54] Tony Arsenal: that's like, that's like my worst nightmare I think. [00:11:55] Jesse Schwamb: Yeah. It's like, to your point, 'cause there, there are a lot of experiences you have as an adults, even health wise that are still super strange and weird. [00:12:01] Jesse Schwamb: But [00:12:02] Tony Arsenal: yeah, [00:12:02] Jesse Schwamb: you have some rubric for them, but that's kind of exactly what I was thinking. What if this toiling over your labor is partly because it's horrible now because you have itchy, watery eyes or you get hives. Yeah. And before you were like, I could just lay in the grass and be totally fine. And now I can't even walk by ragweed without getting a headache or having some kind of weird fatigue. [00:12:23] Jesse Schwamb: Like I have to believe that that was, that part of this transition was all of these things. Like, now your body's gonna overreact to stuff where I, I, God put us in a place where that wouldn't be the case at all. [00:12:35] Tony Arsenal: Yeah. Sometimes I think about like the first. Time that Adam was like sore or like hurt himself. [00:12:42] Tony Arsenal: True. Like the, just the, just the terror and fear that must have come with it. And sin is serious stuff. Like it's serious effects and sad, sad, sad stuff. But yeah, allergies are the worst. I, uh, I suffered really badly with, uh, seasonal allergies. When I was a a kid I had to do allergy shots and everything and it's makes no sense. [00:13:03] Tony Arsenal: There's no rhyme or reason to it, and your allergies change. So like you could be going your whole life, being able to eat strawberries and then all of a sudden you can't. Right? And it's, and you don't know until it happens. So [00:13:14] Jesse Schwamb: what's up with that? [00:13:15] Tony Arsenal: No good. [00:13:16] Jesse Schwamb: What's up with that? So again, imagine that little experience is a microcosmic example of what happens to Adam and Eve. [00:13:24] Jesse Schwamb: You know, like all these things change. Like you're, you're right. Suddenly your body isn't the same. It's not just because you're growing older, but because guess what? Sins everywhere. And guess what, where sin is, even in the midst of who you are as physically constructed and the environment in which you live, all, all totally change. [00:13:40] Jesse Schwamb: So that, that's enough of my rants on allergies. I know the, I know the loved ones out there hear me. It's also remarkable to me that almost everybody has an allergy of some kind. It's very, it's very rare if you don't have any allergies whatsoever. And probably those times when you think you're sick and you don't have allergies could be that you actually have them. [00:13:57] Jesse Schwamb: So it's just wild. Wild. [00:14:02] Tony Arsenal: Agreed. Agreed. [00:14:03] Theological Discussion on Parables [00:14:03] Tony Arsenal: Well, Jesse, without further ado, I'm not, I, maybe we should have further ado, but let's get into it. Let's talk about some parable stuff. [00:14:13] Jesse Schwamb: Yeah, let's do it again. When I say pair, you say able pair. [00:14:17] Tony Arsenal: Able. [00:14:20] Jesse Schwamb: When I say [00:14:21] Tony Arsenal: para you say bowl. [00:14:24] Jesse Schwamb: That's what I was trying to go with before. [00:14:26] Jesse Schwamb: It's a little bit more, yeah, but you gotta like cross over like we both gotta say like that middle syllable kind of. Otherwise it's, it sounds like I'm just saying bowl. And [00:14:34] Tony Arsenal: yeah, there's no good way to chant that. Yeah, we're work. This is why Jesse and I are not cheerleaders. [00:14:39] Jesse Schwamb: We're, we're work shopping everybody. [00:14:40] Jesse Schwamb: But I agree with you. Enough of us talking about affirmations, the denials in this case, the double double denial. Let's talk about parables. So the beauty of this whole series is there's gonna be so much great stuff to talk about, and I think this is a decent topic for us to cover because. Really, if you think about it, the parables of Jesus have captivated people for the entirety of the scriptures. [00:15:06] Jesse Schwamb: As long, as long as they were recorded and have been read and processed and studied together. And, uh, you know, there's stuff I'm sure that we will just gloss over. We don't need to get into in terms of like, is it pure allegory? Is it always allegory? Is it, there's lots of interpretation here. I think this is gonna be our way of processing together and moving through some of these and speaking them out and trying to learn principally. [00:15:28] Jesse Schwamb: Predominantly what they're teaching us. But I say all that because characters like the prodigal son, like Good Samaritan, Pharisees, and tax collector, those actually have become well known even outside the church. [00:15:40] Tony Arsenal: Yeah. And [00:15:40] Jesse Schwamb: then sometimes inside the church there's over familiarity with all of these, and that leads to its own kind of misunderstanding. [00:15:46] Jesse Schwamb: So, and I think as well. I'm hoping that myself, you and our listeners will be able to hear them in a new way, and maybe if we can try to do this without again, being parabolic, is that we can kind of recreate some of the trauma. In these stories. 'cause Jesus is, is pressing upon very certain things and there's certainly a lot of trauma that his original audiences would've taken away from what he was saying here. [00:16:13] Jesse Schwamb: Yeah. Even just starting with what is a parable and why is Jesus telling them? So I presume that's actually the best place for us to begin is what's the deal with the parables and why is this? Is this Jesus preferred way of teaching about the kingdom of God. [00:16:30] Tony Arsenal: Yeah, and I think, you know, it bears saying too that like not all the parables are alike. [00:16:35] Tony Arsenal: Like true. We can't, this is why I'm excited about this series. You know, it's always good to talk through the bible and, and or to talk through systematic theology, but what really excites me is when we do a series like this, kind of like the Scott's Confession series, like it gives us a reason. To think through a lot of different disciplines and flex like exercise and stretch and flex a lot of different kinds of intellectual muscles. [00:17:00] Tony Arsenal: So there's gonna be some exegetical work we have to do. There's gonna be some hermeneutical work we're gonna have to do, probably have to do some historical work about how the parables have been interpreted in different ways. Yes, and and I think, so, I think it's important to say like, not every parable is exactly the same. [00:17:14] Tony Arsenal: And this is where I think like when you read, sometimes you read books about the, the parables of Christ. Like you, you'll hear one guy say. Well, a parable is not an allegory. Then you'll hear another guy say like, well, parables might have allegorical elements to it. Right. Now if one guy say like, well, a parable has one main point, and you'll have another guy say like, well, no, actually, like parables can have multiple points and multiple shades of meaning. [00:17:37] Tony Arsenal: And I think the answer to why you have this variance in the commentaries is 'cause sometimes the parables are alleg. [00:17:44] Jesse Schwamb: Right. And [00:17:44] Tony Arsenal: sometimes they're not allegorical. Sometimes they have one main point. Sometimes there's multiple points. So I think it's important for us to just acknowledge like we're gonna have to come to each parable, um, on its own and on its own terms. [00:17:57] Tony Arsenal: But there are some general principles that I think we can talk about what parables are. So parables in general are. Figurative stories or figurative accounts that are used to illustrate, I think primarily used to illustrate a single main point. And there may be some subpoints, but they, they're generally intended to, uh, to illustrate something by way of a, of a narrative, a fictional narrative that, uh, helps the reader. [00:18:27] Tony Arsenal: Uh, or the hearer is just, it's also important that these were primarily heard, these are heard parables, so there are even times where the phrasing of the language is important in the parable. Um, they're helping the, the hearer to understand spiritual truth. And this is where I think it's it's key, is that this is not just. [00:18:48] Tony Arsenal: When we're talking about the parables of Christ, right? There's people tell parables, there's all sorts of different teachers that have used parables. Um, I, I do parables on the show from time to time where I'll tell like a little made up story about a, you know, a situation. I'll say like, pretend, you know, let's imagine you have this guy and he's doing this thing that's a form of a parable when I'm using. [00:19:08] Tony Arsenal: I'm not, it's not like a makeup made up story. It's not asaps fables. We're not talking about like talking foxes and hens and stuff, but it's illustrating a point. But the parables of Christ are not just to illustrate a point, they're to reveal a spiritual point or spiritual points to those who have ears to hear, to those who've been illuminated by the spirit. [00:19:29] Tony Arsenal: And I just wanna read this. Uh, this is just God's providence, um, in action. I, um, I've fallen behind on my reading in The Daily Dad, which is a Ryan Holiday book. This was the reading that came up today, even though it's not the correct reading for the day. Uh, it's, it's for September 2nd. We're recording this on September, uh, sixth. [00:19:48] Tony Arsenal: Uh, and the title is, this is How You Teach Them. And the first line says, if the Bible has any indication, Jesus rarely seemed to come out and say what he meant. He preferred instead to employ parables and stories and little anecdotes that make you think. He tells stories of the servants and the talents. [00:20:03] Tony Arsenal: He tells stories of the prodigal son and the Good Samaritan. Turns out it's pretty effective to get a point across and make it stick. What what we're gonna learn. Actually that Jesus tells these stories in parables, in part to teach those who have spiritual ears to hear, but in part to mask the truth That's right. [00:20:24] Tony Arsenal: From those who don't have spiritual ears to hear, oh, online [00:20:26] Jesse Schwamb: holiday. [00:20:27] Tony Arsenal: So it's not as simple as like Jesus, using illustration to help make something complicated, clearer, right? Yes. But also, no. So I'm super excited to kind of get into this stuff and talk through it and to, to really dig into the parables themselves. [00:20:42] Tony Arsenal: It's just gonna be a really good exercise at sort of sitting at the feet of our master in his really, his preferred mode of teaching. Um, you know, other than the sermon on the Mount. There's not a lot of like long form, straightforward, didactic teaching like that most of Christ's teaching as recorded in the gospels, comes in the form of these parables in one way or another. [00:21:03] Tony Arsenal: Right. And that's pretty exciting to me. [00:21:05] Jesse Schwamb: Right. And there's so many more parables I think, than we often understand there to be, or at least then that we see in like the headings are Bible, which of course have been put there by our own construction. So anytime you get that. Nice short, metaphorical narrative is really Jesus speaking in a kind of parable form, and I think you're right on. [00:21:25] Jesse Schwamb: For me, it's always highlighting some kind of aspect of the kingdom of God. And I'd say there is generally a hierarchy. There doesn't have to be like a single point, like you said. There could be other points around that. But if you get into this place where like everything has some kind of allegory representation, then the parable seems to die of the death of like a million paper cuts, right? [00:21:40] Jesse Schwamb: Because you're trying to figure out all the things and if you have to represent something, everything he says with some kind of. Heavy spiritual principle gets kind of weird very quickly. But in each of these, as you said, what's common in my understanding is it's presenting like a series of events involving like a small number of characters. [00:21:57] Jesse Schwamb: It is bite-sized and sometimes those are people or plants or even like inanimate objects. So like the, yeah, like you said, the breadth and scope of how Jesus uses the metaphor is brilliant teaching, and it's even more brilliant when you get to that level, like you're saying, where it's meant both to illuminate. [00:22:13] Jesse Schwamb: To obfuscate. That is like, to me, the parable is a manifestation of election because it's clear that Jesus is using this. Those who have the ears to hear are the ones whom the Holy Spirit has unstopped, has opened the eyes, has illuminated the hearts and the mind to such a degree that can receive these, and that now these words are resonant. [00:22:32] Jesse Schwamb: So like what a blessing that we can understand them, that God has essentially. Use this parabolic teaching in such a way to bring forward his concept of election in the minds and the hearts of those who are his children. And it's kind of a way, this is kind of like the secret Christian handshake. It's the speakeasy of salvation. [00:22:52] Jesse Schwamb: It's, it's coming into the fold because God has invited you in and given you. The knowledge and ability of which to really understand these things. And so most of these little characters seemed realistic and resonant in Jesus' world, and that's why sometimes we do need a little bit of studying and understanding the proper context for all those things. [00:23:12] Jesse Schwamb: I would say as well, like at least one element in those parables is a push. It's in, it's kind of taking it and hyping it up. It's pushing the boundaries of what's plausible, and so you'll find that all of this is made again to illuminate some principle of the kingdom of God. And we should probably go to the thing that you intimated, because when you read that quote from, from Ryan Holiday, I was like, yes, my man. [00:23:34] Jesse Schwamb: Like he's on the right track. Right? There's something about what he's saying that is partially correct, but like you said, a lot of times people mistake the fact that, well, Jesus. Is using this language and these metaphors, these similes, he speaks in parables because they were the best way to get like these uneducated people to understand him. [00:23:57] Jesse Schwamb: Right? But it's actually the exact opposite. And we know this because of perhaps the most famous dialogue and expression and explanation of parables, which comes to us in Matthew 13, 10 through 17, where Jesus explains to his disciples exactly why he uses this mode of teaching. And what he says is. This is why I speak to them of parables because seeing they do not see and hearing, they do not hear they nor do they understand. [00:24:24] Jesse Schwamb: So, so that's perplexing. We should probably camp there for just a second and talk about that. Right, and, and like really unpack like, what is Jesus after here? Then if, like, before we get into like, what do all these things mean, it's almost like saying. We need to understand why they're even set before us and why these in some ways are like a kind of a small stumbling block to others, but then this great stone of appreciation and one to stand on for for others. [00:24:47] Tony Arsenal: Yeah, and I think you know, before we, before we cover that, which I think is a good next spot. A parable is not just an illustration. Like I think that's where a lot of people go a little bit sideways, is they think that this is effectively, like it's a fable. It's like a made up story primarily to like illustrate a point right. [00:25:09] Tony Arsenal: Or an allegory where you know, you're taking individual components and they represent something else. A parable fundamentally is a, is a, a comparison between two things, right? The word parable comes from the Greek of casting alongside, and so the idea is like you're, you're taking. The reality that you're trying to articulate and you're setting up this parable next to it and you're comparing them to it. [00:25:33] Tony Arsenal: And so I like to use the word simile, like that's why Christ says like the kingdom of God is like this. Yes. It's not like I'm gonna explain the kingdom of God to you by using this made up story. Right on. It's I'm gonna compare the kingdom of God to this thing or this story that I'm having, and so we should be. [00:25:49] Tony Arsenal: Rather than trying to like find the principles of the parable, we should be looking at it and going, how does this parable reflect? Or how is this a, um, how is this an explanation? Not in the, like, I, I'm struggling to even explain this here. It's not that the cer, the parable is just illustrating a principle. [00:26:10] Tony Arsenal: It's that the kingdom of God is one thing and the parable reveals that same one thing by way of comparison. Yes. So like. Uh, we'll get into the specifics, obviously, but when the, when the, um, lawyer says, who is my neighbor? Well, it's not just like, well, let's look at the Good Samaritan. And the Good Samaritan represents this, and the Levite represents this, and the priest represents this. [00:26:32] Tony Arsenal: It's a good neighbor, is this thing. It's this story. Compared to whatever you have in your mind of what a good neighbor is. And we're gonna bounce those things up against each other, and that's gonna somehow show us what the, what the reality is. And that's why I think to get back to where we were, that's why I think sometimes the parables actually obscure the truth. [00:26:53] Tony Arsenal: Because if we're not comparing the parable to the reality of something, then we're gonna get the parable wrong. So if we think that, um, the Good Samaritan. Is a parable about social justice and we're, we're looking at it to try to understand how do we treat, you know, the, the poor people in Africa who don't have food or the war torn refugees, you know, coming out of Ukraine. [00:27:19] Tony Arsenal: If we're looking at it primarily as like, I need to learn to be a good neighbor to those who are destitute. Uh, we're not comparing it against what Jesus was comparing it against, right? So, so we have to understand, we have to start in a lot of cases with the question that the parable is a response to, which oftentimes the parable is a response to a question or it's a, it's a principle that's being, um, compare it against if we get that first step wrong, uh, or if we start with our own presuppositions, which is why. [00:27:50] Tony Arsenal: Partially why I think Christ is saying like, the only those who have ears to hear. Like if you don't have a spiritual presupposition, I, I mean that, that might not be the right word, but like if you're not starting from the place of spiritual illumination, not in the weird gnostic sense, but in the, the. [00:28:07] Tony Arsenal: Genuinely Christian illumination of the Holy Spirit and inward testimony of the Holy Spirit. If you're not starting from that perspective, you almost can't get the parables right. So that's why we see like the opponents of Christ in the Bible, the Pharisees, the Sadducees, constantly. They're constantly confused and they're getting it wrong. [00:28:26] Tony Arsenal: And, and even sometimes the disciples, they have to go and ask sometimes too, what is this parable? Wow, that's right. What is, what does this mean? So it's never as simple as, as what's directly on the surface, but it's also not usually as complicated as we would make it be if we were trying to over-interpret the parable, which I think is another risk. [00:28:44] Jesse Schwamb: That's the genius, isn't it? Is that I I like what you're saying. It's that spiritual predisposition that allows us to receive the word and, and when we receive that word, it is a simple word. It's not as if like, we have to elevate ourselves in place of this high learning or education or philosophizing, and that's the beauty of it. [00:29:03] Jesse Schwamb: So it is, again, God's setting apart for himself A, a people a teaching. So. But I think this is, it is a little bit perplexing at first, like that statement from Jesus because it's a bit like somebody coming to you, like your place of work or anywhere else in your family life and asking you explicitly for instruction and, and then you saying something like, listen, I, I'm gonna show you, but you're not gonna be able to see it. [00:29:22] Jesse Schwamb: And you're gonna, I'm gonna tell you, but you're not gonna be able to hear it, and I'm gonna explain it to you, but you're not gonna be able to understand. And you're like, okay. So yeah, what's the point of you talking to me then? So it's clear, like you said that Jesus. Is teaching that the secrets, and that's really, really what these are. [00:29:37] The Secrets of the Kingdom of God [00:29:37] Jesse Schwamb: It's brilliant and beautiful that Jesus would, that the, the son of God and God himself would tell us the secrets of his kingdom. But that again, first of all by saying it's a secret, means it's, it's for somebody to guard and to hold knowledge closely and that it is protected. So he says, teaching like the secrets of the kingdom of God are unknowable through mere human reasoning and intuition. [00:29:56] Jesse Schwamb: Interestingly here though, Jesus is also saying that. He's, it's not like he's saying no one can ever understand the parables, right, or that he intends to hide their truth from all people. [00:30:07] Understanding Parables and God's Sovereign Grace [00:30:07] Jesse Schwamb: Instead, he just explains that in order to highlight God's sovereign grace, God in his mercy has enlightened some to whom it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven. [00:30:17] Jesse Schwamb: That's verse 11. So. All of us as his children who have been illuminated can understand the truth of God's kingdom. That is wild and and that is amazing. So that this knowledge goes out and just like we talk about the scripture going out and never returning void, here's a prime example of that very thing that there is a condemnation and not being able to understand. [00:30:37] Jesse Schwamb: That condemnation comes not because you're not intelligent enough, but because as you said, you do not have that predisposition. You do not have that changed heart into the ability to understand these things. [00:30:47] Doctrine of Election and Spiritual Insight [00:30:47] Jesse Schwamb: This is what leads me here to say like every parable then implicitly teaches a doctrine of election. [00:30:53] Jesse Schwamb: Yeah, because all people are outside the kingdom until they enter the Lord's teaching. How do we enter the Lord's teaching by being given ears to hear. How are we understanding that? We have been given ears to hear when these parables speak to us in the spiritual reality as well as in just like you said, like this general kind of like in the way that I presume Ryan Holiday means it. [00:31:12] Jesse Schwamb: The, this is like, he might be exemplifying the fact that these stories. Are a really great form of the ability to communicate complex information or to make you think. [00:31:21] The Power and Purpose of Parables [00:31:21] Jesse Schwamb: So when Jesus says something like The kingdom of God is like a mustard seed, wow, we, you and I will probably spend like two episodes just unpacking that, or we could spend a lot more, that's beautiful that that's how his teaching takes place. [00:31:34] Jesse Schwamb: But of course it's, it's so much. More than that, that those in whom the teaching is effective on a salvation somehow understand it, and their understanding of it becomes first because Christ is implanted within them. Salvation. [00:31:46] Tony Arsenal: Yeah. Yeah. [00:31:48] Parables as More Than Simple Teaching Tools [00:31:48] Tony Arsenal: I think people, and this is what I think like Ryan Holiday's statement reflects, is people think of the parables as a simple teaching tool to break down a complicated subject. [00:32:00] Tony Arsenal: Yes. And so, like if I was trying to explain podcasting to a, like a five-year-old, I would say something like, well, you know. You know how your teacher teaches you during class while a podcast is like if your teacher lived on the internet and you could access your teacher anytime. Like, that might be a weird explanation, but like that's taking a very complicated thing about recording and and RSS feeds and you know, all of these different elements that go into what podcasting is and breaking it down to a simple sub that is not what a parable is. [00:32:30] Tony Arsenal: Right? Right. A parable is not. Just breaking a simple subject down and illustrating it by way of like a, a clever comparison. Um, you know, it's not like someone trying to explain the doctrine of, of the Trinity by using clever analogies or something like that. Even if that were reasonable and impossible. [00:32:50] Tony Arsenal: It's, it's not like that a parable. I like what you're saying about it being kind of like a mini doctrine of election. It's also a mini doctrine of the Bible. Yes. Right. It, it's right on. [00:33:00] The Doctrine of Illumination [00:33:00] Tony Arsenal: It's, it's the doctrine of revelation. In. Preached form in the Ministry of Christ, right? As Christians, we have this text and we affirm that at the same time, uh, what can be known of it and what is necessary for salvation can be known. [00:33:19] Tony Arsenal: By ordinary means like Bart Iman, an avowed atheist who I, I think like all atheists, whether they recognize it or not, hates God. He can read the Bible and understand that what it means is that if you trust Jesus, you'll be saved. You don't need special spiritual insight to understand that that is what the Bible teaches, where the special spiritual. [00:33:42] Tony Arsenal: Insight might not be the right word, but the special spiritual appropriation is that the spirit enables you to receive that unto your salvation. Right? To put your trust in. The reality of that, and we call that doctrine, the doctrine of illumination. And so in, in the sense of parables in Christ's ministry, and this is, this is if you, you know, like what do I always say is just read a little bit more, um, the portion Jesse read it leads way into this prophecy or in this comment, Christ. [00:34:10] Tony Arsenal: Saying he teaches in parable in order to fulfill this prophecy of Isaiah. Basically that like those who are, uh, ate and are apart from God and are resistant to God, these parables there are there in order to confirm that they are. And then it says in verse 16, and this is, this is. [00:34:27] The Blessing of Spiritual Understanding [00:34:27] Tony Arsenal: It always seems like the series that we do ends up with like a theme verse, and this is probably the one verse 16 here, Matthew 1316 says, but blessed are your eyes for they see and your ears for they hear. [00:34:40] Tony Arsenal: And so like there's a blessing. In our salvation and in our election that we are enabled to hear and perceive and re receive the very voice and word of God into our spirit unto our salvation. That is the doctrine of of election. It's also the doctrine of regeneration, the doctrine of sanctification, the doctrine. [00:35:03] Tony Arsenal: I mean, there's all of these different classic reformed doctrines that the parables really are these mic this microcosm of that. Almost like applied in the Ministry of Christ. Right. Which I, I, you know, I've, I've never really thought of it in depth in that way before, but it's absolutely true and it's super exciting to be able to sort of embark on this, uh, on this series journey with, with this group. [00:35:28] Tony Arsenal: I think it's gonna be so good to just dig into these and really, really hear the gospel preached to ourselves through these parables. That's what I'm looking forward to. [00:35:38] Jesse Schwamb: And we're used to being very. Close with the idea that like the message contains the doctrine, the message contains the power. Here we're saying, I think it's both. [00:35:47] Jesse Schwamb: And the mode of that message also contains, the doctrine also contains the power. And I like where you're going with this because I think what we should be reminding ourselves. Is what a blessing it is to have this kind of information conferred to us. [00:36:01] The Role of Parables in Revealing and Concealing Truth [00:36:01] Jesse Schwamb: That again, God has taken, what is the secrets that is his to disclose and his to keep and his to hold, and he's made it available to his children. [00:36:08] Jesse Schwamb: And part of that is for, as you said, like the strengthening of our own faith. It's also for condemnation. So notice that. The hiding of the kingdom through parables is not a consequence of the teaching itself. Again, this goes back to like the mode being as equally important here as the message itself that Christ's teaching is not too difficult to comprehend as an intellectual matter. [00:36:27] Jesse Schwamb: The thing is, like even today, many unbelievers read the gospels and they technically understand what Jesus means in his teaching, especially these parables. The problem is. I would say like moral hardness. It's that lack of spiritual predilection or predisposition. They know what Jesus teaches, but they do not believe. [00:36:47] Jesse Schwamb: And so the challenge before us is as all scripture reading, that we would go before the Holy Spirit and say, holy Spirit, help me to believe. Help me to understand what to believe. And it so doing, do the work of God, which is to believe in him and to believe in His son Jesus Christ and what he's accomplished. [00:37:02] Jesse Schwamb: So the parables are not like creating. Fresh unbelief and sinners instead, like they're confirming the opposition that's already present and apart from Grace, unregenerate perversely use our Lord's teaching to increase their resistance. That's how it's set up. That's how it works. That's why to be on the inside, as it were, not again, because like we've done the right handshake or met all the right standards, but because of the blood of Christ means that the disciples, the first disciples and all the disciples who will follow after them on the other hand. [00:37:33] The Complexity and Nuances of Parables [00:37:33] Jesse Schwamb: We've been granted these eyes to see, and ears to hear Jesus. And then we've been given the secrets of the kingdom. I mean, that's literally what we've been given. And God's mercy has been extended to the disciples who like many in the crowds, once ignorantly and stubbornly rejected God and us just like them as well in both accounts. [00:37:49] Jesse Schwamb: So this is, I think we need to settle on that. You're right, throughout this series, what a blessing. It's not meant to be a great labor or an effort for the child of God. Instead, it's meant to be a way of exploring these fe. Fantastic truths of who God is and what he's done in such a way that draw us in. [00:38:07] Jesse Schwamb: So that whether we're analyzing again, like the the lost coin or the lost sheep, or. Any number of these amazing parables, you'll notice that they draw us in because they don't give us answers in the explicit sense that we're used to. Like didactically instead. Yeah. They cause us to consider, as you've already said, Tony, like what does it mean to be lost? [00:38:26] Jesse Schwamb: What does it mean that the father comes running for this prodigal son? What does it mean that the older brother has a beef with the whole situation? What does it mean when Jesus says that the kingdom of God is like a mustard seed? How much do we know about mustard seeds? And why would he say that? Again, this is a kind of interesting teaching, but that illumination in the midst of it being, I don't wanna say ambiguous, but open-ended to a degree means that the Holy Spirit must come in and give us that kind of grand knowledge. [00:38:55] Jesse Schwamb: But more than that, believe upon what Jesus is saying. I think that's the critical thing, is somebody will say, well, aren't the teaching simple and therefore easy to understand. In a sense, yes. Like factually yes, but in a much greater sense. Absolutely not. And that's why I think it's so beautiful that he quotes Isaiah there because in that original context, you the, you know, you have God delivering a message through Isaiah. [00:39:17] Jesse Schwamb: Uh. The people are very clear. Like, we just don't believe you're a prophet of God. And like what you're saying is ridiculous, right? And we just don't wanna hear you. This is very different than that. This is, Jesus is giving this message essentially to all who will listen to him, not necessarily hear, but all, all who are hear Him, I guess rather, but not necessarily all who are listening with those spiritual ears. [00:39:33] Jesse Schwamb: And so this is like, I love the way that he, he uses that quote in a slightly different way, but still to express the same root cause, which is some of you here. Because of your depravity will not be able to hear what I'm saying. But for those to whom it has been granted to come in who are ushered into the kingdom, this kingdom language will make sense. [00:39:54] Jesse Schwamb: It's like, I'm going to be speaking to you in code and half of you have the key for all the code because the Holy Spirit is your cipher and half of you don't. And you're gonna, you're gonna listen to the same thing, but you will hear very different things. [00:40:06] Tony Arsenal: Yeah. Yeah. And you know, the other thing I think is, is interesting to ponder on this, um. [00:40:12] The Importance of Context in Interpreting Parables [00:40:12] Tony Arsenal: God always accommodates his revelation to his people. And the parables are, are, are like the. Accommodated accommodation. Yeah. Like God accommodates himself to those he chooses to reveal himself to. And in some ways this is, this is, um, the human ministry of Christ is him accommodating himself to those. [00:40:38] Tony Arsenal: What I mean is in the human ministry of the Son, the parables are a way of the son accommodating himself to those he chooses to reveal himself to. So there, there are instances. Where the parable is said, and it is, uh, it's seems to be more or less understood by everybody. Nobody asks the question about like, what does this mean? [00:40:57] Tony Arsenal: Right? And then there are instances where the parable is said, and even the apostles are, or the disciples are like, what does this parable mean? And then there's some interesting ones where like. Christ's enemies understand the parable and, and can understand that the parable is told against them. About them. [00:41:13] Tony Arsenal: Yeah. So there, there's all these different nuances to why Christ used these parables, how simple they were, how complicated they were. Yes. And again, I think that underscores what I said at the top of the show here. It's like you can't treat every parable exactly the same. And that's where you run into trouble. [00:41:28] Tony Arsenal: Like if you're, if you're coming at them, like they're all just simple allegory. Again, like some of them have allegorical elements. I think it's fair to look at the, the prodigal son or the, the prodigal father, however you want to title that. And remember, the titles are not, generally, the titles are not, um, baked into the text itself. [00:41:46] Tony Arsenal: I think it's fair to come to that and look at and go, okay, well, who's the father in this? Who's the son? You know, what does it mean that the older son is this? Is, is there relevance to the fact that there's a party and that the, you know, the older, older, uh, son is not a part of it? There's, there's some legitimacy to that. [00:42:02] Tony Arsenal: And when we look at Christ's own explanation of some of his parables, he uses those kinds, right? The, the good seed is this, the, the seed that fell on the, the side of the road is this, right? The seed that got choked out by the, the, um, thorns is this, but then there are others where it doesn't make sense to pull it apart, element by element. [00:42:21] Tony Arsenal: Mm-hmm. Um, and, and the other thing is there are some things that we're gonna look at that are, um. We're gonna treat as parables that the text doesn't call a parable. And then there are some that you might even look at that sometimes the text calls a parable that we might not even think of as a normal parable, right? [00:42:38] Tony Arsenal: So there's lots of elements. This is gonna be really fun to just dig stuff in and, and sort of pick it, like pull it apart and look at its component parts and constituent parts. Um, so I really do mean it if you, if you're the kind of person who has never picked up a Bible commentary. This would be a good time to, to start because these can get difficult. [00:42:59] Tony Arsenal: They can get complicated. You want to have a trusted guide, and Jesse and I are gonna do our, our work and our research on this. Um, but you want someone who's more of a trusted guide than us. This is gonna be the one time that I might actually say Calvin's commentaries are not the most helpful. And the reason for that is not because Calvin's not clear on this stuff. [00:43:17] Tony Arsenal: Calvin Calvin's commentaries on the gospel is, is a harmony of the gospels, right? So sometimes it's tricky when you're reading it to try to find like a specific, uh, passage in Matthew because you're, you, everything's interwoven. So something like Matthew Henry, um, or something like, um, Matthew Poole. Uh, might be helpful if you're willing to spend a little bit of money. [00:43:38] Tony Arsenal: The ESV expository commentary that I've referenced before is a good option. Um, but try to find something that's approachable and usable that is reasonable for you to work through the commentary alongside of us, because you are gonna want to spend time reading these on your own, and you're gonna want to, like I said, you're gonna want to have a trust guide with you. [00:43:55] Tony Arsenal: Even just a good study bible, something like. The Reformation Study Bible or something along those lines would help you work your way through these parables, and I think it's valuable to do that. [00:44:06] Jesse Schwamb: Something you just said sparked this idea in me that the power, or one of the powers maybe of good fiction is that it grabs your attention. [00:44:15] The Impact of Parables on Listeners [00:44:15] Jesse Schwamb: It like brings you into the plot maybe even more than just what I said before about it being resonant, that it actually pulls you into the storyline and it makes you think that it's about other people until it's too late. Yeah. And Jesus has a way of doing this that really only maybe the parable can allow. [00:44:30] Jesse Schwamb: So like in other words, by the time you realize. A parable is like metaphorical, or even in a limited case, it's allegorical form you've already identified with one or more of the characters and you're caught in the trap. So what comes to my mind there is like the one Old Testament narrative, virtually identical, informed to those Jesus told is Nathan's parable of the You lamb. [00:44:52] Jesse Schwamb: So that's in like second Samuel 12, and I was just looking this up as you were, as you were speaking. So in this potentially life and death move for the prophet Nathan confronts King David. Over his adultery with, or depending on how you see it, rape of Bathsheba, and then his subsequent murder of her husband Uriah, by sending him to the front lines of battle. [00:45:10] Jesse Schwamb: So he's killed. And so in this parable that Nathan tells Uriah is like the poor man. Bathsheba is like the Yu a and the rich man obviously represents David. If you, you know what I'm talking about, go back and look at second Samuel 12. And so what's interesting is once David is hooked into that story, he cannot deny that his behavior was unjust as that of the rich man in the story who takes this UAM for himself and he, which he openly. [00:45:38] Jesse Schwamb: Then David openly condemns of course, like the amazing climax of this. And as the reader who has. Of course, like omniscient knowledge in the story, you know, the plot of things, right? You're, you're already crying out, like you're throwing something, you know, across the room saying like, how can you not see this about you? [00:45:53] Jesse Schwamb: And of course the climax comes in when Nathan points the finger at David and declares, you are the man. And that's kind of what. The parables due to us. Yes. They're not always like the same in accusatory toward us, but they do call us out. This is where, again, when we talk about like the scripture reading us, the parable is particularly good at that because sometimes we tend to identify, you know, again, with like one of the particular characters whom we probably shouldn't identify with, or like you said, the parable, the sower. [00:46:22] Jesse Schwamb: Isn't the Christian always quick to be like, I am the virtual grounds? Yeah. You still have to ask like, you know, there is not like a Paul washer way of doing this, but there is like a way of saying like, checking yourself before you wreck yourself there. And so when Jesus's parables have lost some of that shock value in today's world, we maybe need to contemporize them a little bit. [00:46:43] Jesse Schwamb: I, and I think we'll talk about that as we go through it. We're not rewriting them for any reason that that would be completely inappropriate. Think about this though. Like the Jew robbed and left for dead. And you know the story of the Grace Samaritan may need to become like the white evangelical man who is helped by like the black Muslim woman after the senior pastor and the worship leader from the local reformed church passed by like that. [00:47:05] Jesse Schwamb: That might be the frame, which we should put it to try to understand it whenever we face a hostile audience that this indirect rhetoric of compelling stories may help at least some people hear God's world more favorably, and I think that's why you get both like a soft. And a sharp edge with these stories. [00:47:20] Jesse Schwamb: But it's the ability to, to kind of come in on the sneak attack. It's to make you feel welcomed in and to identify with somebody. And then sometimes to find that you're identifying entirely with a character whom Jesus is gonna say, listen, don't be this way, or This is what the kingdom of God is, is not like this. [00:47:35] Jesse Schwamb: Or again, to give you shock value, not for the sake of telling like a good tale that somehow has a twist where it's like everybody was actually. All Dead at the end. Another movie, by the way, I have not seen, but I just know that that's like, I'll never see that movie because, can we say it that the spoiler is, is out on that, right? [00:47:54] Tony Arsenal: Are we, what are we talking about? What movie are we talking about? [00:47:56] Jesse Schwamb: Well, I don't, I don't wanna say it. I didn't [00:47:57] Tony Arsenal: even get it from your description. Oh. [00:47:59] Jesse Schwamb: Like that, that movie where like, he was dead the whole time. [00:48:02] Tony Arsenal: Oh, this, that, that, that movie came out like 30 years ago, Jesse. Oh, seriously? [00:48:06] Jesse Schwamb: Okay. All right. [00:48:06] Tony Arsenal: So Six Sense. [00:48:07] Tony Arsenal: Yeah. That movie came out a long time ago. [00:48:10] Jesse Schwamb: So it's not like the parables are the sixth sense, and it's like, let me get you like a really cool twist. Right. Or like hook at the end. I, and I think in part it is to disarm you and to draw you in in such a way that we might honestly consider what's happening there. [00:48:22] Jesse Schwamb: And that's how it reads us. [00:48:24] Tony Arsenal: Yeah. Yeah. And I, I think that's a good point. And, and. It bears saying there are all sorts of parables all throughout the Bible. It's not just Jesus that teaches these, and they do have this similar effect that they, they draw you in. Um, oftentimes you identify it preliminarily, you identify with the wrong person, and it's not until you. [00:48:45] Tony Arsenal: Or you don't identify with anyone when you should. Right. Right. And it's not until the sort of punchline or I think that account with Nathan is so spot on because it's the same kind of thing. David did not have ears to hear. [00:48:58] Jesse Schwamb: Right. Until he had That's good point. Ears [00:49:00] Tony Arsenal: to hear. [00:49:00] Jesse Schwamb: Good point. [00:49:01] Tony Arsenal: And he heard the point of the parable. [00:49:03] Tony Arsenal: He understood the point of the parable and he didn't understand that the parable was about him, right? It's like the ultimate, I don't know why you're clapping David, I'm talking about you moment. Um, I'm just have this picture of Paul washer in like a biblical era robe. Um, so I think that's a enough progam to the series. [00:49:20] Preparing for the Series on Parables [00:49:20] Tony Arsenal: We're super excited we're, we'll cover some of these principles again, because again, different parables have to be interpreted different ways, and some of these principles apply to one and don't to others, and so we'll, we'll tease that out when we get there next week. We're gonna just jump right in. [00:49:34] Tony Arsenal: We're gonna get started with, I think, um, I actually think, you know, in the, the providence of, of the Holy Spirit and the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, and then obviously the providence of God in Christ's ministry, the, the parable that kind of like frames all of the other parables,

CannCon and Chris Paul open the show by reflecting on the Codex 9/11 premiere and how public trauma events, from 9/11 to the assassination of Charlie Kirk, are weaponized to control narratives. They dissect the FBI's evidence against 22-year-old Tyler Robinson, raising questions about timelines, missing rifles, and suspicious footage, while stressing America's “zero trust environment” where official stories rarely add up. The hosts compare Kirk's murder to historical assassinations, explore media spin, and call out attempts to weaponize anger into violence. They also highlight Secret Service lapses, including a missed Glock at Trump's golf club, and debate the larger information war being waged through psyops. From Epstein's lingering networks to Iran's crippled nuclear program, Kamala Harris's new book, and even bizarre cartel-like violence in Dallas, this episode blends skepticism, cultural analysis, and warnings about manipulation, urging listeners to think critically, resist demoralization, and stay focused on the bigger battle.

01:00:42 – Opening & 9/11 UpdatesThe show opens by marking September 11, 2025, with reflections on 9/11 anniversaries and pivots immediately to breaking news: the assassination of Charlie Kirk and NATO's escalations in Europe. 01:02:09 – Charlie Kirk's Murder & Free SpeechDiscussion on the killing of Charlie Kirk, focusing on his young family, his role in encouraging open debate on campuses, and how his assassination reflects the dangers of a violent culture that equates speech with violence. 01:17:00 – Media's Reaction to Kirk ShootingAnalysis of MSNBC's coverage, accused of exploiting Kirk's assassination for partisan narratives, contrasted with CNN and Fox News' restrained reporting. Media bias and political exploitation of violence are central themes. 01:27:00 – Rising Political ViolenceA segment on the “Fourth Turning” cycle: five assassination attempts within a year, including Kirk, Trump, and others. The speakers warn this trend reflects America's descent into normalized political violence and deepening civil conflict. 01:50:07 – NATO Drone Crisis & War PushFocus shifts to Poland and NATO, with claims that Prime Minister Donald Tusk is using stray Russian drones as a pretext to escalate toward World War III. Parallels are drawn to Syria and false-flag provocations. 02:08:45 – New World Order & Health CrisisEuropean Commission's Ursula von der Leyen is quoted warning of a looming global health crisis, framed as another opportunity to centralize power. The hosts tie this rhetoric to broader themes of globalism, technocracy, and “New World Order” ambitions. 02:14:17 – Shooter Linked to Radical LeftReports suggest the Charlie Kirk assassin was a college-aged radical, with universities described as “Marxist seminaries” fueling violent ideology. 02:18:41 – Civil War TrapWarnings that both parties are pushing Americans toward a civil war, which would bring mass death and government crackdowns, just as after the first Civil War. 02:24:24 – Tucker Carlson's 9/11 Cover-UpCarlson's upcoming 9/11 documentary is blasted as controlled opposition. He's accused of hiding Building 7 evidence and running CIA-style propaganda. 02:29:23 – Israeli Foreknowledge of 9/11FBI reports of “Israeli art students” surveilling U.S. sites and filming the attacks are examined, with claims U.S. intelligence may have used Israel as cover. 02:35:14 – Gold vs. Fake EconomyTony Arterburn joins to show how gold is the “real stablecoin” amid fake job reports, manipulated markets, and central bank hoarding. 02:56:48 – CBDC Trojan Horse: The GENIUS ActThe new Genius Act is framed as a backdoor to eliminate cash, wipe out small banks, and impose full surveillance through stablecoins. 03:17:29 – Trump's Tariff DelusionTariffs are framed as taxes that make nations poorer, not richer. Trump is blasted for adopting economic policies resembling “third world” countries while claiming they'll bring investment. 03:23:01 – America's Declining Trade FreedomDiscussion of how the U.S. fell from 8th to 53rd place in global trade freedom rankings. Tariffs and capital controls are shown as barriers that punish Americans while eroding prosperity. 03:27:33 – Tariffs Destroying Small BusinessReal-world examples highlight how tariffs cripple industries like guitar-making and surfboards by driving up costs of foreign materials. Trump and Peter Navarro are ridiculed for boneheaded, short-sighted trade policy. 03:32:01 – Trump Hypocrisy on Free SpeechTrump is accused of hollow rhetoric after praising Charlie Kirk's “free speech,” while simultaneously cracking down on students protesting Gaza. His response to the shooting is dismissed as political theater. 03:34:27 – Mossad & 9/11 OperationsConversation shifts to Israeli involvement in 9/11, citing “Israeli art students,” Mossad-linked moving companies, and Marvin Bush's security contracts at the Trade Towers. The U.S.-Israel connection is framed as deep and corrupt. 03:52:36 – Epstein, Banks & the GOP Cover-UpThe Epstein scandal is revisited, with J.P. Morgan, Ken Starr, and Bill Gates implicated in protecting pedophiles. Trump, Mike Johnson, and the GOP are accused of aiding cover-ups to protect elites. Follow the show on Kick and watch live every weekday 9:00am EST – 12:00pm EST https://kick.com/davidknightshow Money should have intrinsic value AND transactional privacy: Go to https://davidknight.gold/ for great deals on physical gold/silverFor 10% off Gerald Celente's prescient Trends Journal, go to https://trendsjournal.com/ and enter the code KNIGHTFind out more about the show and where you can watch it at TheDavidKnightShow.com If you would like to support the show and our family please consider subscribing monthly here: SubscribeStar https://www.subscribestar.com/the-david-knight-showOr you can send a donation throughMail: David Knight POB 994 Kodak, TN 37764Zelle: @DavidKnightShow@protonmail.comCash App at: $davidknightshowBTC to: bc1qkuec29hkuye4xse9unh7nptvu3y9qmv24vanh7Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-david-knight-show--2653468/support.

01:00:42 – Opening & 9/11 UpdatesThe show opens by marking September 11, 2025, with reflections on 9/11 anniversaries and pivots immediately to breaking news: the assassination of Charlie Kirk and NATO's escalations in Europe. 01:02:09 – Charlie Kirk's Murder & Free SpeechDiscussion on the killing of Charlie Kirk, focusing on his young family, his role in encouraging open debate on campuses, and how his assassination reflects the dangers of a violent culture that equates speech with violence. 01:17:00 – Media's Reaction to Kirk ShootingAnalysis of MSNBC's coverage, accused of exploiting Kirk's assassination for partisan narratives, contrasted with CNN and Fox News' restrained reporting. Media bias and political exploitation of violence are central themes. 01:27:00 – Rising Political ViolenceA segment on the “Fourth Turning” cycle: five assassination attempts within a year, including Kirk, Trump, and others. The speakers warn this trend reflects America's descent into normalized political violence and deepening civil conflict. 01:50:07 – NATO Drone Crisis & War PushFocus shifts to Poland and NATO, with claims that Prime Minister Donald Tusk is using stray Russian drones as a pretext to escalate toward World War III. Parallels are drawn to Syria and false-flag provocations. 02:08:45 – New World Order & Health CrisisEuropean Commission's Ursula von der Leyen is quoted warning of a looming global health crisis, framed as another opportunity to centralize power. The hosts tie this rhetoric to broader themes of globalism, technocracy, and “New World Order” ambitions. 02:14:17 – Shooter Linked to Radical LeftReports suggest the Charlie Kirk assassin was a college-aged radical, with universities described as “Marxist seminaries” fueling violent ideology. 02:18:41 – Civil War TrapWarnings that both parties are pushing Americans toward a civil war, which would bring mass death and government crackdowns, just as after the first Civil War. 02:24:24 – Tucker Carlson's 9/11 Cover-UpCarlson's upcoming 9/11 documentary is blasted as controlled opposition. He's accused of hiding Building 7 evidence and running CIA-style propaganda. 02:29:23 – Israeli Foreknowledge of 9/11FBI reports of “Israeli art students” surveilling U.S. sites and filming the attacks are examined, with claims U.S. intelligence may have used Israel as cover. 02:35:14 – Gold vs. Fake EconomyTony Arterburn joins to show how gold is the “real stablecoin” amid fake job reports, manipulated markets, and central bank hoarding. 02:56:48 – CBDC Trojan Horse: The GENIUS ActThe new Genius Act is framed as a backdoor to eliminate cash, wipe out small banks, and impose full surveillance through stablecoins. 03:17:29 – Trump's Tariff DelusionTariffs are framed as taxes that make nations poorer, not richer. Trump is blasted for adopting economic policies resembling “third world” countries while claiming they'll bring investment. 03:23:01 – America's Declining Trade FreedomDiscussion of how the U.S. fell from 8th to 53rd place in global trade freedom rankings. Tariffs and capital controls are shown as barriers that punish Americans while eroding prosperity. 03:27:33 – Tariffs Destroying Small BusinessReal-world examples highlight how tariffs cripple industries like guitar-making and surfboards by driving up costs of foreign materials. Trump and Peter Navarro are ridiculed for boneheaded, short-sighted trade policy. 03:32:01 – Trump Hypocrisy on Free SpeechTrump is accused of hollow rhetoric after praising Charlie Kirk's “free speech,” while simultaneously cracking down on students protesting Gaza. His response to the shooting is dismissed as political theater. 03:34:27 – Mossad & 9/11 OperationsConversation shifts to Israeli involvement in 9/11, citing “Israeli art students,” Mossad-linked moving companies, and Marvin Bush's security contracts at the Trade Towers. The U.S.-Israel connection is framed as deep and corrupt. 03:52:36 – Epstein, Banks & the GOP Cover-UpThe Epstein scandal is revisited, with J.P. Morgan, Ken Starr, and Bill Gates implicated in protecting pedophiles. Trump, Mike Johnson, and the GOP are accused of aiding cover-ups to protect elites. Follow the show on Kick and watch live every weekday 9:00am EST – 12:00pm EST https://kick.com/davidknightshow Money should have intrinsic value AND transactional privacy: Go to https://davidknight.gold/ for great deals on physical gold/silverFor 10% off Gerald Celente's prescient Trends Journal, go to https://trendsjournal.com/ and enter the code KNIGHTFind out more about the show and where you can watch it at TheDavidKnightShow.com If you would like to support the show and our family please consider subscribing monthly here: SubscribeStar https://www.subscribestar.com/the-david-knight-showOr you can send a donation throughMail: David Knight POB 994 Kodak, TN 37764Zelle: @DavidKnightShow@protonmail.comCash App at: $davidknightshowBTC to: bc1qkuec29hkuye4xse9unh7nptvu3y9qmv24vanh7Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-real-david-knight-show--5282736/support.

Veterinary medicine and financial planning share a common framework: history-taking, diagnostics, treatment or action plans, and progress exams. Recognizing these parallels can help make money conversations less intimidating and much more familiar for veterinarians.Key Topics:How financial planning and veterinary medicine share the same step-by-step processWorking up a case in vet med mirrors working up a case in financial planningThe role of history-taking and information gathering in both fieldsHow treatment plans compare to financial action plansWhy progress exams and financial check-ins serve the same purposeHow my clinical background shapes my financial adviceInterested in vet-specific financial planning? Schedule a free intro call or email meredith@allvetfinancial.com

Get 40% off Ground News' unlimited access Vantage Plan at https://ground.news/airisk for only $5/month, explore how stories are framed worldwide and across the political spectrum.TAKE ACTION TO DEMAND AI SAFETY LAWS: https://safe.ai/actIn Episode 69 of For Humanity: An AI Risk Podcast, we explore one of the most striking acts of activism in the AI debate: hunger strikes aimed at pushing Big Tech to prioritize safety over speed.Michael and Dennis, two AI safety advocates, join John from outside DeepMind's London headquarters, where they are staging hunger strikes to demand that frontier AI development be paused. Inspired by Guido's protest in San Francisco, they are risking their health to push tech leaders like Demis Hassabis to make public commitments to slow down the AI race.This episode looks at how ordinary people are taking extraordinary steps to demand accountability, why this form of protest is gaining attention, and what history tells us about the power of public pressure. In this conversation, you'll discover: * Why hunger strikers believe urgent action on AI safety is necessary* How Big Tech companies are responding to growing public concern* The role of parents, workers, and communities in shaping AI policy* Parallels with past social movements that drove real change* Practical ways you can make your voice heard in the AI safety conversationThis isn't just about technology—it's about responsibility, leadership, and the choices we make for future generations.

The ten plagues in Exodus are a prototype of what God is going to do at the end of time.  Each plague has a specific meaning and there are several parallels to events in the book of Revelation.  Contrary to popular belief, God did not send these plagues to be cruel, He sent them to show the Egyptians that He is Lord over all the earth, and also to introduce Himself to the Hebrews who did not yet know Him. VF-2507 Watch, Listen and Learn 24x7 at PastorMelissaScott.com Pastor Melissa Scott teaches from Faith Center in Glendale. Call 1-800-338-3030 24x7 to leave a message for Pastor Scott. You may make reservations to attend a live service, leave a prayer request or make a commitment. Pastor Scott appreciates messages and reads them often during live broadcasts. Follow @Pastor_Scott on Twitter and visit her official Facebook page @Pastor.M.Scott. Download Pastor Scott's "Understand the Bible" app for iPhone, iPad and iPod at the Apple App Store and for Android devices in the Google Store. Pastor Scott can also be seen 24x7 on Roku and Amazon Fire on the "Understand the Bible?" channel. ©2025 Pastor Melissa Scott, Ph.D., All Rights Reserved

In this episode of Hoopsology, we sit down with Jordan Treske, author of Building the Milwaukee Bucks: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Oscar Robertson, and the Rapid Rise of an NBA Franchise (1968–1975). Jordan takes us inside: The Bucks' journey from expansion team to NBA champions in just three years. The impact of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Oscar Robertson on Milwaukee and the league. How the Bucks' history connects to the city of Milwaukee's culture and identity. Parallels between Kareem's departure and the modern-day future of Giannis Antetokounmpo. Why Kareem's legacy is often overlooked compared to other NBA legends. Podcast Person? Subscribe here: https://open.spotify.com/show/2sIa6O4u4TnIBSygXu9qDm?si=acff6d3796a14c9a Or search “Hoopsology” anywhere else you listen to podcasts! Join the conversation!  Twitter: https://twitter.com/hoopsologypod  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Hoopsologypod/  IG:  https://www.instagram.com/hoopsologypod/  Email: Hoopsologypod@gmail.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Horse That Would Not LeaveThe Solar Horse That Wouldn't Let Me GoSome ideas arrive like strangers. Others show up like old friends you had forgotten, standing at the edge of memory, waiting. The Solar Horse came to me like that. I was reading along, tracing through the histories and mythologies of the Levant, when I found a reference to horses dedicated to the sun in ancient Judah. That was it. No explanation. No story. Just a brief note that they were there and then, later, they were gone. The more I searched, the thinner the record became, until there was almost nothing at all. And yet I couldn't let it go. Recognition hit me first, and obsession followed. It felt like remembering one of my childhood companions, one of those “imaginary” friends who was never entirely imaginary.The truth is: we don't know much. We have a few scattered pieces. The book of Kings tells us that Josiah tore down the stables near the temple where horses and chariots were kept for the sun. Archaeologists have uncovered small figurines of horses with sun disks pressed between their ears. A cult stand from Tanakh shows layers of sacred imagery, possibly Asherah at the base, guardians in the middle, and at the very top, a horse carrying the sun on its back. That's all. We can guess. We can imagine. But we can't reconstruct what was actually done, what prayers were said, or how those who made those offerings understood them. The fragments end exactly where the mystery begins.Still, that was enough. I wasn't frustrated by the gaps. I was fascinated. Awe and wonder rose up, along with a strange sense of homecoming. This was not just curiosity. It felt like invitation. The Solar Horse began showing up in my dreams. It walked with me in meditation. It carried vitality like sunlight into places that had felt dim and tired. Companion. Messenger. That is how I came to know it.Horses at the GatePart of what makes this image so striking is its place in the story of the temple. Picture yourself approaching Jerusalem's great sanctuary in the days before Josiah's reforms. Before you ever reached the outer courtyard, you would pass the stables. Horses and chariots stood there, dedicated to the sun. For many people, depending on their gender and social standing, that courtyard might have been as far as they could go. The stables themselves marked a threshold: animals and vehicles made holy, waiting at the edge of divine space.Josiah's purge is how we know this devotion existed at all. His campaign to centralize power into one temple, one priesthood, one story required tearing down the rest. The stables were destroyed. The horses were led away. The practice was erased from official memory. The king who claimed divine sanction for his rule rewrote the faith to fit his vision of empire. And the irony is that his rashness also led to Judah's downfall. His defeat on the battlefield opened the door to the exile. I admit I have little patience for Josiah. The texts celebrate him, but the story behind the story is harder to ignore. Propaganda always is. It is easier to blame exile on sin than to admit a king picked the wrong fight. But tucked inside that propaganda is a memory of the horses. Fragments and OfferingsThose votive figurines tell us something important: people loved this image. They shaped clay horses with sun-disks between their ears and left them at shrines. They carried them as offerings. They prayed through them. We may never know exactly what they asked for, but the practice was common enough that archaeologists find these figures again and again. That persistence says something. Symbols that matter endure.We see echoes elsewhere too. Across the region, sun gods were imagined as riders or charioteers. Shamash drove his team across the heavens. In other traditions, the sun itself mounted a horse. Mythology is not a single stream but a braided river, carrying many currents. The Solar Horse was one of them, important enough to leave marks in both text and artifact, even if its full story was never written down.That is where my research stalled. I could compare, speculate, draw parallels, but no complete account survives. And still, the image pressed in. Sometimes all scholarship can do is show the edges of the mystery. Beyond that, something else takes over.Dreams and VisitationsThe Solar Horse did not remain in my study notes. It came with me into sleep. It showed up in dreams. It walked through my inner grove in meditation. I began to feel its presence not as a historical curiosity but as a living archetype. Not a relic of the past, but a companion and a messenger in the present. It bore vitality. It carried messages. It insisted on relationship.This is where honesty matters. I cannot claim to be reconstructing an ancient devotion. I am not. What I have is an image, a handful of fragments, and a series of encounters that belong to the realm of unverified personal gnosis. Dreams. Meditations. Symbols that keep knocking until you answer. What I can do is name the difference. This is not history. This is mysticism. And still, it is real.Parallels and ResonancesOther traditions helped me make sense of the experience. In Tibetan and Mongolian practice, the Wind Horse carries the wish-fulfilling jewel, galloping across the sky. If you've ever seen a set of prayer flags, you've likely seen it printed there. In druid teaching, Nwyfre is the name given to the bright current of life-force that runs through everything. Scripture itself says of God:“He makes the clouds his chariot. He walks on the wings of the wind.”(Psalm 104:3, WEB)These resonances do not mean the Solar Horse is secretly the Wind Horse, or that the psalmist was sneaking in a horse reference. They mean that certain images rise again and again when people try to describe vitality, balance, and the presence of the Holy. They emerge not from theft but from convergence. The cosmos calls, and we answer in the languages we know.For me, the Solar Horse braided those threads together. My lunar practices taught me to listen. My earth-rooted practices taught me to stay. Through this image I learned something I had always lacked: how to move with solar energy, how to let vitality flow outward without burning myself or others. That is what the Horse began to teach me.Balance and the EquinoxThe more I sat with this image, the more I felt its call to balance. In many myths the sun's horse carried messages between realms, bearing souls from the land of the living to the land of the dead, and back again. That threshold role matters. As the Autumnal Equinox approaches, equal day and equal night, I cannot help but see the Horse holding the sun steady in its stride, refusing to collapse light into darkness or darkness into light. Balance is not compromise. It is courage: the willingness to walk with both radiance and shadow without making either an enemy.That is what the Solar Horse began to embody for me. A living archetype that refuses the binaries empire prefers: all light or all dark, all power or all surrender, all purity or all exile. Instead it moves between, carrying vitality where it is needed, guiding us to walk steady where extremes would tear us apart.Invocation and ReflectionThis is not about reviving a forgotten Judahite cult. It is about listening when a symbol knocks, when dreams return, when an image refuses to let you go. For me, that image has become prayer:Great Horse of the Sun, bearer of bright life, carry to us the strength we need for the work ahead. Lend courage to our words and compassion to our deeds. Bear our prayers across the wind to those who need them most. Return with the truths we avoid and the hope we have forgotten. Teach us to ride in balance, equal day and equal night, so the world may be healed by our passing.Recognition is not superstition. Sometimes it is grace returning in a form our lives can finally bear. I do not know who first pressed a sun-disk between a horse's ears and called it holy. I only know that when the image came, I felt at home, as if something old had found me again. When such a visitor arrives, do not rush to explain it away. Turn toward it. Test it. Walk with it for a season. Let it teach you courage. Let it show you balance. That is enough to begin.Thanks for reading! This post is public so feel free to share it.Thank you for Tips / Donations: * https://ko-fi.com/cedorsett * https://patreon.com/cedorsett * https://cash.app/$CreationsPaths* Substack: https://www.creationspaths.com/New to The Seraphic Grove learn more For Educational Resource: https://wisdomscry.com Social Connections: * BlueSky https://bsky.app/profile/creationspaths.com * Threads https://www.threads.net/@creationspaths * Instagram https://www.instagram.com/creationspaths/#Christopagan #CreationSpirituality #ChristianWitch #Paganism #Esoteric #Magic #Druidry #Mysticism #Spirituality #Occult #WitchCraft #Wicca #IrishPaganism #CelticPaganism #Magick #Polytheism #Enchantment Chapters:00:00 Introduction to Alban Eilir00:15 Personal Connection to the Holiday01:12 Welsh Pronunciation Challenges02:20 Understanding the Spring Equinox05:23 The Significance of Angus and Songbirds09:25 Dreams, Transformation, and Ceridwen16:38 Eclipses and Liminal Spaces21:01 Hope and Resilience in Nature23:10 Celebrating the Equinox25:09 Closing Thoughts and Blessings Get full access to Creation's Paths at www.creationspaths.com/subscribe

On this episode of the Chuck ToddCast, the conversation turns to the political battles shaping 2025. From the issues Democrats should lean into—and the ones they should avoid—to Trump's trolling of Chicago and his administration's push for a showdown over crime and “terrorism,” the stakes are high. Chuck dives into how the White House is setting the stage for possible military action against cartels and even Venezuela, with flimsy constitutional justifications that have sparked pushback from voices like Rand Paul. Meanwhile, Democrats face their own identity struggles, from the risks of being tied to “socialism” with Latino voters to Bernie Sanders' refusal to formally join the party. Plus, a look ahead to the Michigan Democratic Senate primary, where three strong contenders could reshape the party's futureThen, physician-turned-politician Abdul El-Sayed joins Chuck to discuss why he left medicine for the rough-and-tumble of politics. From the challenges of running for office with a foreign name to centering his campaign on improving life for children, El-Sayed argues that healthcare isn't just about access—it's about fairness. He pulls back the curtain on a system where insurers and hospital CEOs collude to inflate prices, pharmaceutical companies raise costs simply because they can, and Americans are tricked into thinking “choice” in healthcare actually benefits them.The conversation doesn't stop at healthcare—it spans the crisis of trust in public health, the lessons El-Sayed learned from his 2018 gubernatorial run, and the corrosive role of money in politics. He weighs in on Gretchen Whitmer's record, Trump's overreach beyond Article II, and what sets him apart in Michigan's Senate race. And in a moment of global reflection, El-Sayed takes on the politics of genocide—from Israel and Gaza to China's treatment of the Uighurs—arguing that calling atrocities by their name is a test of values, even when nuance is hard to find in today's polarized climate.Finally, Chuck gives a history lesson on Gerald Ford's pardon of Richard Nixon and its impact on modern politics, recaps the weekend in college football, and answers listeners' questions in the “Ask Chuck” segment.Timeline:(Timestamps may vary based on advertisements)00:00 Introduction04:00 The issues Democrats should run on, and issues they should avoid05:15 Trump's trolling of Chicago got the reaction he wanted06:30 The administration wants a showdown over Chicago08:30 The administration's aggressive application of the term “terrorism”10:15 The Democratic base wants fight, government shutdown likely12:15 Trump administration setting the stage for war with Venezuela13:30 Administration needs to justify designating cartels terrorists16:45 Trump's justification to congress for military action against cartels 19:00 Trump's justification was lacking, and didn't mention Venezuela 20:15 Trump ignoring the constitution in rationalizing action against cartels 21:45 Vance says fighting cartels is best use of military 23:15 JD gets into back and forth with Rand Paul on X 24:45 Venezuela story should be consuming Washington 26:15 Rand Paul has been willing to be combative with administration 29:00 The progressive left won't succeed if they're associated with socialism 30:45 "Socialism" isn't rebrandable with Latino voters 31:45 Bernie Sanders still hasn't joined the Democratic party 33:15 Michigan Democratic senate primary has 3 great candidates33:45 Abdul El-Sayed joins the Chuck ToddCast 35:30 What made you choose politics when your background is medicine? 37:15 The challenge of running for office with a foreign name 38:15 Centering politics around improving the world for children 39:15 Disparities in access to health care based on money and connections 40:45 Health insurance is getting worse despite rising cost 42:00 Insurers and hospital CEOs collude to raise prices 44:00 What should be the cost expectation for pharmaceuticals? 45:30 Pharma companies raise prices because they can 46:30 RFK Jr. shouldn't be anywhere near healthcare 47:30 The impact of the internet on public health 49:30 The crisis Kennedy is creating at HHS and CDC 50:15 How can we restore trust in public health authorities? 52:30 MAHA's appeal is the idea you can control your health future 53:45 Parallels between public health and education 55:30 Health relies on both the individual and public health 56:30 Healthcare industry has tricked the public using concept of "choice" 58:15 Would you keep a semi-privatized system under medicare for all? 1:00:45 Health networks curtail choice and raise prices 1:02:15 What did you learn from your 2018 run for governor? 1:04:45 The disease of our political system is money buying politicians and policy 1:06:00 Trump spoke to economic pain and was able to reach voters 1:07:30 Assessment of Gretchen Whitmer's governorship 1:09:30 Whitmer tried to work with Trump at times, will you? 1:11:30 Trump is exercising far more power than Article 2 permits 1:13:15 Differences between you and your opponents for MI senate? 1:14:00 Taking corporate money is a major philosophical difference 1:16:30 Reforming public health will require healthcare pros in D.C. 1:18:15 The trend of public health officials running for office 1:20:30 How much will Israel/Gaza factor into the election? 1:21:45 Calling something a genocide when you see it is a values test 1:23:00 Was Israel justified in going after Hamas? How much was justifiable? 1:24:00 The extremes on both sides of the war strengthen each other 1:25:00 We aim, arm and abet Israeli leaders who don't want two states 1:26:00 Tax dollars should benefit taxpayers, not foreign militaries 1:27:00 It's difficult to find nuance in our current politics 1:29:15 Money in politics make it difficult to have an honest conversation 1:30:00 Having a nuanced conversation around the world genocide 1:32:15 The holocaust can't set the bar for use of the term "genocide" 1:33:45 Is China committing genocide of the Uighurs? 1:35:00 Using the word genocide can just "switch off" voters1:42:45 Chuck's thoughts on interview with Abdul El-Sayed 1:44:15 This week in history - Chuck's history lesson 1:45:15 Gerald Ford pardoned Nixon on September 8th, 1974 1:47:00 The case for pardoning Nixon 1:49:15 The case against pardoning Nixon 1:52:00 Ford's decision implied the country couldn't handle a trial 1:53:15 A majority of the country thought the pardon was wrong 1:55:00 Nixon never got his due process 1:56:15 Pardon was a stain on presidential decision making 1:56:45 College football update 2:00:45 Ask Chuck 2:01:15 Why Putin won't grant Trump a ceasefire 2:04:15 Why do Epstein victims face dehumanization when Trump doesn't? 2:08:00 Thoughts on the political salience of this season of South Park?

Physician-turned-politician Abdul El-Sayed joins Chuck Todd to discuss why he left medicine for the rough-and-tumble of politics. From the challenges of running for office with a foreign name to centering his campaign on improving life for children, El-Sayed argues that healthcare isn't just about access—it's about fairness. He pulls back the curtain on a system where insurers and hospital CEOs collude to inflate prices, pharmaceutical companies raise costs simply because they can, and Americans are tricked into thinking “choice” in healthcare actually benefits them.The conversation doesn't stop at healthcare—it spans the crisis of trust in public health, the lessons El-Sayed learned from his 2018 gubernatorial run, and the corrosive role of money in politics. He weighs in on Gretchen Whitmer's record, Trump's overreach beyond Article II, and what sets him apart in Michigan's Senate race. And in a moment of global reflection, El-Sayed takes on the politics of genocide—from Israel and Gaza to China's treatment of the Uighurs—arguing that calling atrocities by their name is a test of values, even when nuance is hard to find in today's polarized climate.Timeline:00:00 Abdul El-Sayed joins the Chuck ToddCast01:45 What made you choose politics when your background is medicine?03:30 The challenge of running for office with a foreign name04:30 Centering politics around improving the world for children05:30 Disparities in access to health care based on money and connections07:00 Health insurance is getting worse despite rising cost08:15 Insurers and hospital CEOs collude to raise prices10:15 What should be the cost expectation for pharmaceuticals?11:45 Pharma companies raise prices because they can12:45 RFK Jr. shouldn't be anywhere near healthcare13:45 The impact of the internet on  public health15:45 The crisis Kennedy is creating at HHS and CDC16:30 How can we restore trust in public health authorities?18:45 MAHA's appeal is the idea you can control your health future20:00 Parallels between public health and education21:45 Health relies on both the individual and public health22:45 Healthcare industry has tricked the public using concept of “choice”24:30 Would you keep a semi-privatized system under medicare for all?27:00 Health networks curtail choice and raise prices28:30 What did you learn from your 2018 run for governor?31:00 The disease of our political system is money buying politicians and policy32:15 Trump spoke to economic pain and was able to reach voters33:45 Assessment of Gretchen Whitmer's governorship35:45 Whitmer tried to work with Trump at times, will you?37:45 Trump is exercising far more power than Article 2 permits39:30 Differences between you and your opponents for MI senate?40:15 Taking corporate money is a major philosophical difference42:45 Reforming public health will require healthcare pros in D.C.44:30 The trend of public health officials running for office46:45 How much will Israel/Gaza factor into the election?48:00 Calling something a genocide when you see it is a values test49:15 Was Israel justified in going after Hamas? How much was justifiable?50:15 The extremes on both sides of the war strengthen each other51:15 We aim, arm and abet Israeli leaders who don't want two states52:15 Tax dollars should benefit taxpayers, not foreign militaries53:15 It's difficult to find nuance in our current politics55:30 Money in politics make it difficult to have an honest conversation56:15 Having a nuanced conversation around the world genocide58:30 The holocaust can't set the bar for use of the term “genocide”1:00:00 Is China committing genocide of the Uighurs?1:01:15 Using the word genocide can just “switch off” voters1:03:30 People assume having an Arab name means tribal loyalty to Arabs

Rev. Oswin Hollenbeck gave this talk during a Continuing Practice Retreat at Shasta Abbey in July 2025.YouTube: https://youtu.be/XA0UeQ2VIY8Twitter/X: @shastaabbey

In this episode of "God and Our Dogs," host Meg Grier welcomes Jessica Zintgraf Garcia, a compassionate staff nurse at Hill Country Pregnancy Care Center. Jessica shares heartfelt stories about her Siberian Husky, Chomper, and how his journey from energetic puppy to beloved family member mirrors lessons of trust, adaptability, and unconditional love. The conversation explores parallels between caring for pets and understanding God’s love for us, as well as Jessica’s work supporting families in her community. 00:00 – Introduction to "God and Our Dogs" and host Meg Greer00:41 – Show themes: transformation, trust, and God’s love01:04 – Guest introduction: Jessica Zintgraf Garcia01:31 – Jessica’s dog Chomper: how he got his name02:30 – Puppy training challenges and solutions03:11 – Crate training and adapting to family routines04:43 – Chomper’s role as the family grows (kids, moving, and transitions)06:14 – Chomper stays with Jessica’s brother during a family challenge07:00 – Lessons in adaptability and anxiety in pets07:50 – Chomper’s relationship with the kids and family dynamics08:45 – Parallels between Chomper’s growth and spiritual lessons10:00 – Unconditional love: what we learn from our pets11:10 – Responsibility and the joy of caring for a pet12:15 – Reflections on God’s plans and our growth12:55 – Jessica shares about Hill Country Pregnancy Care Center13:15 – Services offered: education, support, and upcoming events13:55 – How to learn more and get involved14:30 – Closing thoughts: caring for dogs and God’s care for us15:00 – Show outro and where to listen next Host: Meg Grier - Stories@GodAndOurDogs.com Website: www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100072683640098 God and Our Dogs airs every Saturday at 11:15am on Boerne Radio 103.9FM - www.boerneradio.com. Air Date: 9/6/25See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, we dive into Scientology and the Aftermath Season 1, Episode 5, and explore the striking similarities between two powerful and controversial leaders: Warren Jeffs of the FLDS Church and David Miscavige of Scientology.Sam, who grew up in the FLDS under Warren Jeffs' leadership, shares his firsthand perspective on the control, manipulation, and fear tactics that mirror what Leah Remini and Mike Rinder expose about Scientology. Together, Sam and Melissa break down the patterns of abuse, secrecy, and loyalty demands that connect these two worlds.Whether it's through isolation, unquestioned authority, or the silencing of dissent, both Jeffs and Miscavige reveal how high-demand groups can trap their followers in systems of control.

01:00:44 – RFK Jr. Torches Senate RFK Jr. clashes with senators, calling Maggie Hassan a liar and exposing CDC corruption. He slams pharma influence and cites data showing suppressed autism risks. 01:07:55 – Autism Cover-Up Exposed RFK Jr. details a 2002 CDC study showing black boys had a 260% higher autism risk with early MMR shots—data destroyed by officials to protect pharma. 01:11:10 – Cassidy Traps RFK Jr. Sen. Bill Cassidy forces RFK Jr. to endorse Trump's Operation Warp Speed, calling it Nobel-worthy. RFK caves, exposing his compromise with Trump's ego. 01:16:10 – Senators Bought by Pharma Discussion lists senators pocketing millions from vaccine makers: Warren, Sanders, Romney, Cassidy, and others. Both parties are shown as fully captured by pharma. 01:23:16 – Spike Protein = Bioweapon Listener analysis ties vaccine harms to spike protein's destruction of ACE2, fueling myocarditis, clotting, and turbo cancers. Critics call the jabs a Pentagon-DARPA bioweapon. 01:27:33 – Trump, Gates, and Zuckerberg Dinner Trump dines with Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg at the White House. Commentary frames it as proof Trump embraces technocrats pushing AI, depopulation, and new mRNA delivery systems. 01:51:24 – Tim Kaine: Rights From Government Sen. Tim Kaine claims rights come from government, not God—sparking outrage. Ted Cruz rebukes him with Jefferson's words, while critics tie Kaine's stance to Marxist liberation theology. 01:59:42 – Liberation Theology = KGB Ops Discussion traces Kaine's worldview to “liberation theology,” described as a KGB psyop to destabilize the West. Parallels are drawn to Pope Francis and modern Marxist infiltration in religion. 02:03:47 – DOJ Pushes Gun Ban for Transgender People DOJ considers labeling transgender individuals as mentally ill to strip gun rights. Critics warn it's a Trojan horse for red flag gun laws and Trump-style “due process later” policies. 02:07:47 – Trans Militancy & Socialist Rifle Association Zero Hedge report links trans shooters with the far-left Socialist Rifle Association, whose rainbow-AR-15 imagery echoes recent killings. Hosts warn conservatives are being baited into cheering gun control. 02:17:13 – Trump's Asylum Agenda Trump and Melania push reopening mental institutions and mandatory mental health screenings. Critics warn this echoes totalitarian regimes weaponizing psychiatry to silence dissent. 02:19:54 – John Rich vs. TVA Land Grab Country singer John Rich helps Tennessee locals fight the TVA's eminent domain scheme for a methane gas plant. After massive pushback, TVA cancels plans—framed as a rare grassroots victory against corporate-government overreach. 03:05:52 – Gold Soars on Weak Jobs Gerald Celente joins to discuss gold hitting $3,600 amid dismal job numbers. Weak labor markets signal looming rate cuts, sinking the dollar and driving investors to safe havens. 03:09:12 – Trump's Crypto Empire Exposed Discussion shifts to how Trump's family quietly moved massive wealth into Bitcoin and crypto mining. His stake is now larger than his global resorts, raising conflict-of-interest concerns. 03:12:54 – Dragflation & Debt Heart Attack Celente predicts “dragflation”—declining growth plus surging inflation—as debt tops $220 trillion. Ray Dalio's warning of a “debt-induced heart attack” within three years is echoed as inevitable. 03:14:42 – Gold Goes Digital The World Gold Council prepares to tokenize bullion for global trading. Analysts warn it could wipe out unstable cryptocurrencies and challenge U.S. dollar dominance. 03:26:02 – H-1B Scam & Cheap Labor Conversation turns to H-1B visas, tracing back to Bill Clinton and expanded under Trump and Biden. Both parties are accused of flooding the U.S. with cheap foreign labor to suppress wages. 03:36:02 – Venezuela Strike = Oil Grab Trump's shoot-first policy in Venezuela is blasted as a false “drug war” pretext to seize oil. Comparisons are drawn to Duterte's Philippines and past regime-change coups. Follow the show on Kick and watch live every weekday 9:00am EST – 12:00pm EST https://kick.com/davidknightshow Money should have intrinsic value AND transactional privacy: Go to https://davidknight.gold/ for great deals on physical gold/silverFor 10% off Gerald Celente's prescient Trends Journal, go to https://trendsjournal.com/ and enter the code KNIGHTFind out more about the show and where you can watch it at TheDavidKnightShow.com If you would like to support the show and our family please consider subscribing monthly here: SubscribeStar https://www.subscribestar.com/the-david-knight-showOr you can send a donation throughMail: David Knight POB 994 Kodak, TN 37764Zelle: @DavidKnightShow@protonmail.comCash App at: $davidknightshowBTC to: bc1qkuec29hkuye4xse9unh7nptvu3y9qmv24vanh7Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-david-knight-show--2653468/support.

01:00:44 – RFK Jr. Torches Senate RFK Jr. clashes with senators, calling Maggie Hassan a liar and exposing CDC corruption. He slams pharma influence and cites data showing suppressed autism risks. 01:07:55 – Autism Cover-Up Exposed RFK Jr. details a 2002 CDC study showing black boys had a 260% higher autism risk with early MMR shots—data destroyed by officials to protect pharma. 01:11:10 – Cassidy Traps RFK Jr. Sen. Bill Cassidy forces RFK Jr. to endorse Trump's Operation Warp Speed, calling it Nobel-worthy. RFK caves, exposing his compromise with Trump's ego. 01:16:10 – Senators Bought by Pharma Discussion lists senators pocketing millions from vaccine makers: Warren, Sanders, Romney, Cassidy, and others. Both parties are shown as fully captured by pharma. 01:23:16 – Spike Protein = Bioweapon Listener analysis ties vaccine harms to spike protein's destruction of ACE2, fueling myocarditis, clotting, and turbo cancers. Critics call the jabs a Pentagon-DARPA bioweapon. 01:27:33 – Trump, Gates, and Zuckerberg Dinner Trump dines with Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg at the White House. Commentary frames it as proof Trump embraces technocrats pushing AI, depopulation, and new mRNA delivery systems. 01:51:24 – Tim Kaine: Rights From Government Sen. Tim Kaine claims rights come from government, not God—sparking outrage. Ted Cruz rebukes him with Jefferson's words, while critics tie Kaine's stance to Marxist liberation theology. 01:59:42 – Liberation Theology = KGB Ops Discussion traces Kaine's worldview to “liberation theology,” described as a KGB psyop to destabilize the West. Parallels are drawn to Pope Francis and modern Marxist infiltration in religion. 02:03:47 – DOJ Pushes Gun Ban for Transgender People DOJ considers labeling transgender individuals as mentally ill to strip gun rights. Critics warn it's a Trojan horse for red flag gun laws and Trump-style “due process later” policies. 02:07:47 – Trans Militancy & Socialist Rifle Association Zero Hedge report links trans shooters with the far-left Socialist Rifle Association, whose rainbow-AR-15 imagery echoes recent killings. Hosts warn conservatives are being baited into cheering gun control. 02:17:13 – Trump's Asylum Agenda Trump and Melania push reopening mental institutions and mandatory mental health screenings. Critics warn this echoes totalitarian regimes weaponizing psychiatry to silence dissent. 02:19:54 – John Rich vs. TVA Land Grab Country singer John Rich helps Tennessee locals fight the TVA's eminent domain scheme for a methane gas plant. After massive pushback, TVA cancels plans—framed as a rare grassroots victory against corporate-government overreach. 03:05:52 – Gold Soars on Weak Jobs Gerald Celente joins to discuss gold hitting $3,600 amid dismal job numbers. Weak labor markets signal looming rate cuts, sinking the dollar and driving investors to safe havens. 03:09:12 – Trump's Crypto Empire Exposed Discussion shifts to how Trump's family quietly moved massive wealth into Bitcoin and crypto mining. His stake is now larger than his global resorts, raising conflict-of-interest concerns. 03:12:54 – Dragflation & Debt Heart Attack Celente predicts “dragflation”—declining growth plus surging inflation—as debt tops $220 trillion. Ray Dalio's warning of a “debt-induced heart attack” within three years is echoed as inevitable. 03:14:42 – Gold Goes Digital The World Gold Council prepares to tokenize bullion for global trading. Analysts warn it could wipe out unstable cryptocurrencies and challenge U.S. dollar dominance. 03:26:02 – H-1B Scam & Cheap Labor Conversation turns to H-1B visas, tracing back to Bill Clinton and expanded under Trump and Biden. Both parties are accused of flooding the U.S. with cheap foreign labor to suppress wages. 03:36:02 – Venezuela Strike = Oil Grab Trump's shoot-first policy in Venezuela is blasted as a false “drug war” pretext to seize oil. Comparisons are drawn to Duterte's Philippines and past regime-change coups. Follow the show on Kick and watch live every weekday 9:00am EST – 12:00pm EST https://kick.com/davidknightshow Money should have intrinsic value AND transactional privacy: Go to https://davidknight.gold/ for great deals on physical gold/silverFor 10% off Gerald Celente's prescient Trends Journal, go to https://trendsjournal.com/ and enter the code KNIGHTFind out more about the show and where you can watch it at TheDavidKnightShow.com If you would like to support the show and our family please consider subscribing monthly here: SubscribeStar https://www.subscribestar.com/the-david-knight-showOr you can send a donation throughMail: David Knight POB 994 Kodak, TN 37764Zelle: @DavidKnightShow@protonmail.comCash App at: $davidknightshowBTC to: bc1qkuec29hkuye4xse9unh7nptvu3y9qmv24vanh7Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-real-david-knight-show--5282736/support.

It's been a rollercoaster in the business world so far this year. In this solo episode, host, entrepreneur and business strategist Kara Duffy, recaps what she's be coaching small business clients on as they've navigated tariffs, longer sales pipelines, new ai and the changes in customer service expectations. She explains the must haves to win in business in 2025 and how you can start planning ahead now to double your business in 2026. Chapters: 00:52 - Parallels and differences between 2020 and 2025 for your business 3:48 - Radical drop in people making quick purchase decisions 5:29 - If you're not getting the sales you need… 8:37 - no amount of digital marketing will replace direct sales 8:50 - why this matters for artists looking to make money 10:35 - where is there too much noise in your business? 16:08 - customer service and what it really needs to be successful 20:46 - Business Love Languages 22:55 - AI and your business 25:25 - Creating the simplified version of your business 26:32 - Strategies for doubling your business  The Powerful Ladies podcast, hosted by business coach and strategist Kara Duffy features candid conversations with entrepreneurs, creatives, athletes, chefs, writers, scientists, and more. Every Wednesday, new episodes explore what it means to lead with purpose, create with intention, and define success on your own terms. Whether you're growing a business, changing careers, or asking bigger questions, these stories remind you: you're not alone, and you're more powerful than you think. Explore more at thepowerfulladies.com and karaduffy.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Gideon talks to Albanian academic Lea Ypi about her book Indignity. In the book, she describes how living first under the Ottoman empire, then as part of fascist Italy and later in a post-war communist state affected the lives of her grandparents. They discuss possible parallels between the first half of the 20th century and the times we are living in today and ask what lessons can be drawn from this history to avoid making the same mistakes. Clip: AQSHFFree links to read more on this topic:Kant and the case for peaceAlbania's ‘old sheriff' on course to win fourth term as prime ministerWhy the EU's migration dilemma is pushing the bloc further rightSubscribe to The Rachman Review wherever you get your podcasts - please listen, rate and subscribe.Presented by Gideon Rachman. Produced by Fiona Symon. Sound design is by Breen Turner and the executive producer is Flo Phillips.Follow Gideon on Bluesky or X @gideonrachman.bsky.social, @gideonrachmanRead a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Bible Study | Gospel Parallels 147 | September 3, 2025 | Victory Church#VictoryChurch #OdessaTX

In this episode of the Dad Edge Podcast, Ethan and I dive into a topic most men don't talk about nearly enough—male friendships. From high school bonds that fade after graduation to the loneliness many men feel in their 30s and 40s, we unpack why brotherhood is so hard to maintain and why it matters more than ever.   We share personal stories, both from Ethan's perspective at 19 and my experience at 50, about what it looks like to build lasting friendships at different stages of life. From the silent killers of connection—busyness, unspoken expectations, and lack of intentionality—to the keys that keep brotherhood alive, this episode is a raw and honest roadmap for men who don't want to go through life alone.     TIMELINE SUMMARY [0:00] - Welcome to the Dad Edge movement and today's theme: friendships and brotherhood [1:02] - Why male friendships dwindle after high school [2:45] - How friendships shift in your 20s, 30s, 40s, and 50s [4:58] - Why achievement never replaces connection [6:13] - Ethan's perspective at 19: losing friends as everyone goes their separate ways [8:46] - Larry's college stories: parties, hangovers, and life lessons learned the hard way [12:23] - The shift from convenience-based friendships to intentional ones [15:01] - Why men struggle to make new friendships as they age [17:30] - The role of shared struggle, vulnerability, and consistency in building brotherhood [21:10] - Why “let's hang out sometime” rarely works—and what to do instead [25:18] - Larry's example of rekindling friendships with intentional planning [28:35] - How marriage and fatherhood shift men's priorities and isolate them [31:05] - The silent killers of friendship: busyness, lack of vulnerability, inconsistency [34:16] - Why brotherhood is essential for emotional, spiritual, and relational health [37:02] - Advice for young men: stay proactive, visit friends, make memories now [41:33] - How to prevent friendships from fading with intentionality and consistency [48:11] - Parallels between the silent killers of friendship and the silent killers of marriage [54:09] - Final reflections: why men need brotherhood and how to fight for it     5 KEY TAKEAWAYS   1. Friendships Require Intentionality Unlike the easy friendships of high school and college, adult brotherhood must be built with deliberate effort—planning, showing up, and refusing to drift. 2. Achievement Doesn't Replace Connection No amount of success, money, or accolades can substitute for the bond of brotherhood. Men need friendships to thrive, not just careers and families. 3. Vulnerability Creates Real Brotherhood Surface-level conversations keep men distant. True friendship grows when we open up honestly about struggles, challenges, and real life behind the scenes. 4. Consistency Keeps Bonds Alive Friendships die in silence. Weekly check-ins, shared rituals, or even planned coffee dates create the reps that make brotherhood last. 5. The Same Rules Apply to Marriage The silent killers of friendship—busyness, lack of vulnerability, loss of intentionality—also destroy marriages. Strong relationships, whether with friends or a spouse, require consistent effort and openness.       LINKS & RESOURCES   DB OVERDRIVE:  https://1stphorm.com/products/thyro-drive/?a_aid=dadedge First Phorm DB Overdrive (supplement featured): https://www.thedadedge.com/1361 25 Questions to Spark Connection With Your Partner: https://www.thedadedge.com/25questions Dad Edge Podcast Website: https://www.thedadedge.com/podcast Join The Alliance: https://www.thedadedge.com/alliance Dad Edge Tools & Resources: https://www.thedadedge.com/tools       If this episode gave you fresh insight into friendship, brotherhood, or marriage, please rate, review, follow, and share the podcast. Let's build a generation of men who refuse to live life alone.

Donna Adelson & Betty Broderick Parallels in Narcissistic Courtroom Theater In the Trial of Donna Adelson, many courtroom observers can't help but notice echoes of infamous cases from the past. One of the most striking comparisons? Betty Broderick, the once “perfect wife and mother” who shocked America in 1989 when she murdered her ex-husband and his new wife. Just like Donna Adelson, Betty positioned herself as the victim — rewriting the narrative to justify her actions and refusing to show remorse. This segment from Hidden Killers Live with Tony Bruski, Stacy Cole, and Todd Michaels takes viewers back to Betty Broderick's testimony, dissecting her chilling cadence and matter-of-fact storytelling. The panel explores how Betty framed her double murder not as a crime but as an act of “self-preservation.” They note how narcissistic defendants often try to control perception — a trait now being scrutinized in Donna Adelson's own demeanor in court. The conversation also highlights the performative aspect of these trials: the calculated facial expressions, the selective memory lapses, and the unsettling calm in recounting horrific acts. Betty's testimony, at times almost rehearsed, feels eerily familiar when placed alongside Donna's tightly controlled courtroom posture. Why does this matter? Because jurors don't just weigh evidence — they watch behavior. The Adelson family matriarch's strategy to present herself as the protector of her children is undermined by a long trail of wiretaps, coded conversations, and now, the shadow of cases like Betty Broderick's. History shows that narcissists often overestimate their ability to manipulate a jury. This true crime analysis doesn't just revisit Betty Broderick — it uses her story as a psychological mirror to understand Donna Adelson, offering a deeper look into how narcissism and courtroom theatrics collide in high-stakes trials.

Donna Adelson & Betty Broderick Parallels in Narcissistic Courtroom Theater In the Trial of Donna Adelson, many courtroom observers can't help but notice echoes of infamous cases from the past. One of the most striking comparisons? Betty Broderick, the once “perfect wife and mother” who shocked America in 1989 when she murdered her ex-husband and his new wife. Just like Donna Adelson, Betty positioned herself as the victim — rewriting the narrative to justify her actions and refusing to show remorse. This segment from Hidden Killers Live with Tony Bruski, Stacy Cole, and Todd Michaels takes viewers back to Betty Broderick's testimony, dissecting her chilling cadence and matter-of-fact storytelling. The panel explores how Betty framed her double murder not as a crime but as an act of “self-preservation.” They note how narcissistic defendants often try to control perception — a trait now being scrutinized in Donna Adelson's own demeanor in court. The conversation also highlights the performative aspect of these trials: the calculated facial expressions, the selective memory lapses, and the unsettling calm in recounting horrific acts. Betty's testimony, at times almost rehearsed, feels eerily familiar when placed alongside Donna's tightly controlled courtroom posture. Why does this matter? Because jurors don't just weigh evidence — they watch behavior. The Adelson family matriarch's strategy to present herself as the protector of her children is undermined by a long trail of wiretaps, coded conversations, and now, the shadow of cases like Betty Broderick's. History shows that narcissists often overestimate their ability to manipulate a jury. This true crime analysis doesn't just revisit Betty Broderick — it uses her story as a psychological mirror to understand Donna Adelson, offering a deeper look into how narcissism and courtroom theatrics collide in high-stakes trials.

Jason and Jeff go completely unscripted, diving into interest rates, market uncertainty, AI hype, and personal investing strategies in a candid, wide-ranging conversation.02:40 – Reflections on the past year04:45 – Interest rates, tariffs, and recurring macro themes07:20 – The Fed, rate cuts, and market reactions13:00 – How macro noise impacts personal investing decisions15:20 – Homebuilders, housing affordability, and investment opportunities18:00 – Adapting investment process: FOMO, bubbles, and Howard Marks' advice22:00 – Market exuberance: Is it 1996 or 1999?26:30 – Pivot: Is AI overhyped? Parallels to the Internet bubble29:00 – AI's real impact, business integration, and valuation risks33:00 – Energy, infrastructure, and the limits of AI scalability35:00 – Personal portfolio management, risk, and long-term goals40:00 – Index funds, risk allocation, and retirement planning42:00 – Housekeeping, how to support the show, and closing thoughtsCompanies mentioned: AAPL, ASML, BRK.B, CRM, GOOG, META, NVDA, TSM*****************************************Join our PatreonSubscribe to our portfolio on Savvy Trader *****************************************Email: investingunscripted@gmail.comTwitter: @InvestingPodCheck out our YouTube channel for more content: ******************************************To get 15% off any paid plan at fiscal.ai, visit https://fiscal.ai/unscripted******************************************Listen to the Chit Chat Stocks Podcast for discussions on stocks, financial markets, super investors, and more. Follow the show on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or YouTube******************************************2025 Portfolio Contest2024 Portfolio Contest2023 Portfolio Contest

Dive into Psalm 136—the “Great Hallel”—a powerful psalm of thanksgiving that celebrates God’s faithful love through creation, the Exodus, and every generation. In this sermon, we explore its timeless refrain, “His faithful love endures forever,” and draw fresh connections between biblical worship and storytelling styles—even referencing Tim McGraw’s Don’t Take the Girl to highlight the power of repeated refrains. Discover God’s steadfast covenant love (hesed) as Creator, Redeemer, and Sustainer, and be encouraged to reflect on your own story of His faithfulness. ✨ Highlights: - Walk-through of Psalm 136’s themes & history - Insights on God’s enduring love and covenant - Parallels with classic country music storytelling - A call to write your own “song” of God’s faithfulness

Dive into Psalm 136—the “Great Hallel”—a powerful psalm of thanksgiving that celebrates God’s faithful love through creation, the Exodus, and every generation. In this sermon, we explore its timeless refrain, “His faithful love endures forever,” and draw fresh connections between biblical worship and storytelling styles—even referencing Tim McGraw’s Don’t Take the Girl to highlight the power of repeated refrains. Discover God’s steadfast covenant love (hesed) as Creator, Redeemer, and Sustainer, and be encouraged to reflect on your own story of His faithfulness. ✨ Highlights: - Walk-through of Psalm 136’s themes & history - Insights on God’s enduring love and covenant - Parallels with classic country music storytelling - A call to write your own “song” of God’s faithfulness

SummaryIn Lords of Bourbon 3, Braedon and guests share an evening of bourbon tasting, storytelling, and deep conversation. The group explores the cultural and historical significance of bourbon, draws parallels to leadership and entrepreneurship, and reflects on family, legacy, and personal growth. The conversation is a lively mix of humor, heartfelt insights, and thought-provoking discussions.Chapters00:00 Introduction and Welcome Back05:15 Bourbon Tasting and First Impressions12:30 The Parallels of Bourbon and Business21:40 Storytelling and Camaraderie34:05 Reflections on Leadership and Legacy45:55 Family, Faith, and Personal Growth58:20 Humor, History, and Bourbon Culture01:10:15 Closing Thoughts and Final ToastsBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/brews-business--5630487/support.

In this week's episode, we discuss the latest economic and market news, including updates on unemployment claims, GDP growth, and inflation data. Our experts provide their insights and analysis on the implications of these and other economic developments, particularly the potential impact on the Federal Reserve's monetary policy decisions. We also touch on the potential political challenges facing the Fed and questions about its independence and how that could affect the equity and bond markets. 01:59 – The three reports this week on initial unemployment claims, GDP, and consumer spending, are painting a mixed picture of the economy.04:49 – Nvidia's earnings report feels representative of the broader market; equities continued to climb this week, despite a sell off Friday morning and the potential for seasonal plateaus.06:15 – Turmoil at the Fed having minimal impact on equities, but the bond market appears much more susceptible as the yield curve steepens.08:29 – We ruminate on the implications for Fed independence, the rate environment, and overall economic and social implications of a change in the composition of the Fed Board of Governors.10:28 – Parallels may be seen between the current economic climate and the bubble of the late 1990s to mid 2000s.13:28 – Rate cuts are still likely at September's Federal Open Market Committee meeting.14:31 – Some advice on how to approach your portfolio in the midst of an uncertain economic and political climate.Speakers:Brian Pietrangelo, Managing Director of Investment StrategyGeorge Mateyo, Chief Investment OfficerRajeev Sharma, Managing Director of Fixed IncomeStephen Hoedt, Head of Equities Additional ResourcesAttend: AI: Everything You Are Afraid to Ask but Need to Know.Key Questions | Key Private BankSubscribe to our Key Wealth Insights newsletterWeekly Investment BriefFollow us on LinkedIn

Bible Study | Gospel Parallels 146 | August 27, 2025 | Victory Church#VictoryChurch #OdessaTX

What if the story of human history is really the story of drugs? In this episode, Matt sits down with author Sam Kelly to explore his bold and witty new book, Human History On Drugs: An Utterly Scandalous but Entirely Truthful Look at History Under the Influence. From alcohol and coffee to opium and cannabis, Sam takes us on a fascinating (and often hilarious) journey through the intoxicants that have influenced empires, revolutions, and everyday life. Expect scandalous stories, surprising truths, and a new perspective on how much of our world has been shaped under the influence. What You'll Learn in This Episode: Why drugs are central to the story of human civilization The most surprising—and absurd—drug stories from history How governments and religions have shaped society's relationship with intoxicants Parallels between historical drug panics and today's “war on drugs” Why humor might be the best way to talk about taboo topics

Episode 2.34In this episode, Michael and Clay explore the story of Samson—not just as a tragic figure, but as a surprising shadow of Christ. Drawing from Blurry Creatures Ep. 320 with guest Abe Helper, we dig into the prophetic parallels, spiritual symbolism, and giant-slaying battles of Judges 13–16.Samson's life begins with a divine announcement and ends with outstretched arms and a crushing victory through death. Along the way, we see themes of betrayal for silver, water from the rock, strength in weakness, and God's sovereign use of even flawed vessels to defeat His enemies. Is Samson just a cautionary tale? Or a type of Christ forged in conflict?From the Nazarite vow to the temple of Dagon, this episode uncovers the echoes of the gospel in one of the Bible's most violent—and overlooked—heroes.Find our videocast here: https://youtu.be/pIpdqYNjTYsMerch here: https://take-2-podcast.printify.me/Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!):⁠https://uppbeat.io/t/reakt-music/deep-stone⁠License code: 2QZOZ2YHZ5UTE7C8Find more Take 2 Theology content at http://www.take2theology.com

What happens when a buttoned-up Silicon Valley exec ditches the hamster wheel and starts writing books that dismantle everything we've been spoon-fed about consciousness, cosmology, government, and science itself? Enter: Mark Gober.In this fiery, brain-tingling convo, Mark and Dani rip into the upside-down narratives we've been sold, the scandal of suppressed science, why “consensus reality” is basically a gaslighting op, and what it actually takes to survive a dark night of the soul without losing your mind.Watch on Odysee, listen on Progressive Radio Network and podcast platforms everywhere.Part 2:danikatz.locals.comwww.patreon.com/danikatzAll things Dani, including books, courses, coaching + consulting:www.danikatz.comPlus, schwag:danikatz.threadless.comBrain Supreme: https://brainsupreme.co/WORDUPUse code WORDUP for 15% off your order!Find Mark Gober:www.markgober.comShow notes:· Mark's unlikely path from Silicon Valley finance to consciousness + cosmology truth-bombs· Writing “Upside Down” books at warp speed — how he cranks them out in two weeks (wtf)· Publisher support for taboo-smashing ideas (consciousness, UFOs, voluntaryism, germ theory, flat earth, etc.)· The art of dismantling consensus narratives — and why “I don't know” is a power stance· Germ theory takedown + lingering questions about shared symptoms and disease models· Ether cosmology, spinning globe skepticism + why official science is built on shaky foundations· Karmic consequences of spreading bad intel (aka why Mark refuses to fake certainty)· His “dark night of the soul” + how podcasts, float tanks, and psychic weirdness cracked him open· The 2016 pivot: from atheist nihilism to spiritual seeker (synchronicities, psychics, CIA docs on remote viewing, etc.)· Parallels between IP theft in Silicon Valley and suppression of paradigm-shifting science· Pushback from friends, family + social circles when he started publishing contrarian truths· His most nerve-wracking book: An End to Upside Down Liberty (politics, COVID, WEF, voluntarism)· Government as a predatory entity vs. “protector of the people” — reframing political reality· Diving into the darkness: SRA, spiritual warfare, and the existence of ancient, organized evil· Spiritual awakening patterns, karma, natural law + the soul-level stakes of truth-seeking· Astrology + human design as frameworks for self-understanding (Capricorn power, 1/3 Generator vibes)· His meditation binges, near-bliss-out states, and caution around psychedelics + entity contact

WeatherBrains Episode 1023B is a deep dive into 2005's Hurricane Katrina.  It's hard to believe, but the tragedy is approaching its 20th anniversary. Tonight's Guest WeatherBrain for this somber episode is the Curator of the Ground Zero Museum in Waveland, Mississippi.  She's a retired RN and was a former Nurse Administrator in New Orleans, LA.  Bernie Cullen, thanks for joining us. Guest Panelist and show veteran Mark Sudduth "The Hurricane Tracker" joins the panel's discussion by looking back at such a significant historical event, the technological challenges of twenty years ago, and looking ahead to the future.  He's a well known storm chaser and weather documentarian.  Thanks for your valuable insight on tonight's episode, Mark! Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: email@weatherbrains.com. Robert Ricks and his pre-landfall Katrina doomsday forecast (04:00) Tropical Storm Katrina forms on August 23rd, 2005 (08:30) 2005 tech available to hurricane chasers vs today (08:45) Katrina's Fort Lauderdale, Florida landfall (11:00) Early Katrina prep in New Orleans (17:00) 1992's Hurricane Andrew and it's forgotten second landfall in Louisiana (29:30) Lack of accurate storm surge forecasting 20 years ago (40:00) Parallels with 1969's Hurricane Camille and its change of forecasted landfall point (53:00) Katrina vs Camille wind fields (58:30) Ground Zero Museum - contents, purpose and history (01:20:00) More TikTok nonsense (01:47:30) The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (01:48:50) This Week in Tornado History With Jen (01:50:35) E-Mail Segment (No segment this week - stay tuned!) and more! Web Sites from Episode 1023B: Waveland's Ground Zero Museum Alabama Weather Network Picks of the Week: James Aydelott - Ray Caldwell, pitching for Cleveland Indians, struck by lightning on pitchers mound - 1919 Jen Narramore - Alabama Weather Network Daily Briefing! Rick Smith - Out Troy Kimmel - Foghorn Kim Klockow-McClain - "Children of Katrina (The Katrina Bookshelf)" by Alice Fothergill and Lori Peek John Gordon - Michelle Cowbourne on X Bill Murray - Katrina: South Mississippi's Story (Full Documentary on YouTube) James Spann - Robert Ricks - On The Ground During Katrina (YouTube) The WeatherBrains crew includes your host, James Spann, plus other notable geeks like Troy Kimmel, Bill Murray, Rick Smith, James Aydelott, Jen Narramore, John Gordon, and Dr. Kim Klockow-McClain. They bring together a wealth of weather knowledge and experience for another fascinating podcast about weather.

Send us a textIn this thought-provoking episode of the Autonomic Homeostasis Activation Podcast, Ruth Lorensson and Thomas Pals welcome back Scott Turner, renowned physiologist and expert on homeostasis, cognition, and superorganisms, for a deep dive into the science and mystery behind Autonomic Homeostasis Activation (AHA).Together, they explore the fascinating intersection of interoception, homeostasis, and the autonomic nervous system, unpacking how AHA may help reframe conditions like PTSD, anxiety, depression, Crohn's disease, and autoimmune disorders. Scott shares insights from his research on termite colonies, superorganisms, and the many little lives within the body, showing how persistent homeostatic states—whether healthy or unhealthy—can be shifted through new conversations at the cellular and cognitive level.Listeners will discover:What AHA (Autonomic Homeostasis Activation) really is and how it works.Why combining homeostasis activation with interoceptive awareness produces powerful outcomes.How disease and wellness can be understood as conversations within the body.Parallels between biological cognition, consciousness, and collective intelligence.Why anecdotal evidence and case studies are vital in exploring emerging therapies.This conversation bridges science, wellness, and biomimicry, offering a hopeful lens on healing, resilience, and the neurobiological roots of human thriving.Support the showThanks for listening!You can follow us onFacebook Instagram Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts Check out the Autonomic Healing Website & InnerWorkings WebsiteEmail Tom thomasjpals@innerworkings.orgEmail Ruth ruth@bridgeandrhino.comSupport usWe appreciate you!

Geoff Kabaservice joins the program to talk about the historical parallels between today's politics and some of history's more notorious authoritarian leaders. They discuss the redistricting “Civil War” going on, and what Ronald Reagan would say about today's Republican Party. Mark then shares a story about the death of Dr. James Dobson and how his legacy was one of pain and discrimination. Rational Revolution with Mark Becker is a part of the Civic Media radio network and airs Saturdays at 2 across the network. Subscribe to the podcast to be sure not to miss out on a single episode! To learn more about the show and all of the programming across the Civic Media network, head over to https://civicmedia.us/shows to see the entire broadcast line up. Follow the show on Facebook and X to keep up with Rational Revolution with Mark Becker. Guest: Geoff Kabaservice

(2:00) Getting a little nervy with the Alabama game so close(9:00) Could the opener look similar to a previous clash vs the SEC in week one(16:00) Jayson Jenkins is shockingly but squarely in the mix(20:00) Jenkins versatility a strength or do they need more specialized weapons?(22:00) Safeties coming into focus with a likely top three(31:00) What could flip the Norvell narrative in 2025?(33:00) "Cupcakes"(36:00) 3-3-5 FSU All-Star lineup(39:00) What would be a "good" seasonMusic: Kid Cudi - Mr. Miraclevitaminenergy.com | Shake it and take it!Get $10 Off at BRUNT with code WAKEUP at https://www.bruntworkwear.com/WAKEUP  #Bruntpod

Today's guest is Mark J. Higgins, a Senior VP for IFA Institutional, where he focuses on providing advisory services to institutions. He's also the author of Investing in U.S. Financial History: Understanding the Past to Forecast the Future, which is one of my favorite books on financial history. In today's episode, Mark explores the parallels between historical financial crises and today's economic landscape. He touches on the disturbing trends in private markets, the ethics of asset management, the evolution of U.S. debt, the future of the U.S. dollar, and more. (0:00) Starts (1:23) Mark Higgins' financial history insights (2:19) History of insider trading (4:14) Historical perspective on debt and reserve currencies (19:49) Gold, Bitcoin, and the evolution of financial markets (26:16) Passive vs. active management and private markets (37:19) Private market concerns (45:10) Historical figures and retirement plan changes (47:11) Inflation concerns (50:02) Mark's most memorable investment ----- Follow Meb on X, LinkedIn and YouTube For detailed show notes, click here To learn more about our funds and follow us, subscribe to our mailing list or visit us at cambriainvestments.com ----- Follow The Idea Farm: X | LinkedIn | Instagram | TikTok ----- Interested in sponsoring the show? Email us at Feedback@TheMebFaberShow.com ----- Past guests include Ed Thorp, Richard Thaler, Jeremy Grantham, Joel Greenblatt, Campbell Harvey, Ivy Zelman, Kathryn Kaminski, Jason Calacanis, Whitney Baker, Aswath Damodaran, Howard Marks, Tom Barton, and many more.  ----- Meb's invested in some awesome startups that have passed along discounts to our listeners. Check them out here!  ----- Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant (https://thepodcastconsultant.com). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

(2:00) Getting a little nervy with the Alabama game so close(9:00) Could the opener look similar to a previous clash vs the SEC in week one(16:00) Jayson Jenkins is shockingly but squarely in the mix(20:00) Jenkins versatility a strength or do they need more specialized weapons?(22:00) Safeties coming into focus with a likely top three(31:00) What could flip the Norvell narrative in 2025?(33:00) "Cupcakes"(36:00) 3-3-5 FSU All-Star lineup(39:00) What would be a "good" seasonMusic: Kid Cudi - Mr. Miraclevitaminenergy.com | Shake it and take it!Get $10 Off at BRUNT with code WAKEUP at https://www.bruntworkwear.com/WAKEUP  #Bruntpod

Barry Strauss, Corliss Page Dean Fellow at the Hoover Institution and author of Jews vs. Rome: Two Centuries of Rebellion Against the World's Mightiest Empire, joins the show to discuss the long, fractious, often violent relationship between Ancient Rome and her Jewish subjects.  ▪️ Times     •      01:11 Introduction     •      01:37 Rome and Parthia     •      07:50 Judea         •      12:07 Roman control      •      17:58 Jewish warfighting            •      20:20 Herod          •      26:03 The Great Revolt     •      31:06 Enter Parthia     •      33:23 The Temple        •      35:01 70 years      •      40:24 Driven out      •      42:02 Parallels with today     •      44:33 Donald Kagan Follow along on Instagram, X @schoolofwarpod, and YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find a transcript of today's episode on our School of War Substack

Jared Shavelson was raised in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, just outside of Philadelphia. His drumming journey stated early in life and got his first drumset at age seven. While playing in all of the local orchestras, marching bands, jazz bands, and theaters in southern New Jersey, he was taking weekly private lessons. During this time he was also starting to play out with his own bands, getting him heavily involved with the Philadelphia punk/hardcore scene. Leaving that area in 1999, he went to New York to attend college at SUNY Purchase studying jazz performance with greats like Ritchie Morales and Kim Plainfield. Jared completed 2 years at the Music Conservatory and left after his second year to start touring internationally with the Boston hardcore band The Hope Conspiracy. Soon after, he also began playing with the pop punk band None More Black, along with the political punk band Paint It Black. After living in New York City, Brooklyn, and Philadelphia, he now resides in Los Angeles where he started playing with more eclectic acts like Digital Daggers, Pure Love, The Rentals, The Aquabats, Meg Myers, Seal, Dark Waves, Cyn, Ways Away, Boysetsfire, Joyce Manor, The Bronx, Mariachi El Bronx, Chuck Ragan, Chase Atlantic, Ceremony, and many more. In this episode, Jared talks about: Where social media falls short Biking and drumming The impact of Jared's teachers early in life Parallels between jazz and punk/hardcore Punk, hardcore and the DIY scene The unique challenges of a band like Mariachi El Bronx Drumming for Seal ⁠Here's our Patreon⁠ ⁠Here's our Youtube⁠ ⁠Here's our Homepage

In Session 309, I welcome Dr. Lyndsy Cofield, Director of Client Success at Apollo Behavior, to share her unique journey in the field of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) and her groundbreaking work training law enforcement officers on autism awareness. Dr. Cofield's path into ABA began with an undergraduate degree in speech pathology, later becoming an RBT and eventually a BCBA. Today, she oversees intake and marketing at a growing clinic network in Georgia while also dedicating her research to improving police interactions with individuals on the autism spectrum. This episode explores the intersection of ABA careers, autism, and law enforcement training, highlighting the challenges and opportunities that come with bridging these worlds. What You'll Learn in This Episode Entering the ABA Field Dr. Cofield's journey from speech pathology to becoming a BCBA. Her leadership role at Apollo and overseeing client success in a multi-clinic system. Understanding Law Enforcement Culture Why credibility matters when teaching law enforcement officers about autism. Parallels between gaining parents' trust in ABA and gaining officers' trust in training. Police Academy Experiences Dr. Cofield's firsthand experiences at a Citizens Police Academy: ride-alongs, call centers, and unit training. Surprising insights into the hidden volume of crime and emergencies in her community. Autism and Law Enforcement Training Common challenges officers face when interacting with individuals on the spectrum. Misinterpretations—such as stimming being mistaken for drug use—and how they can escalate situations. Practical strategies: slowing down, assessing intent, and waiting for backup when needed. Applying Behavior Analysis to Autism Training How ABA principles help officers understand and support autistic individuals. Tips for officers: allowing response time, keeping safe distances, and recognizing autism traits. The Blue Envelope Project and other community initiatives improving interactions. De-Escalation Training in Action A success story from Salem, NH, where effective autism training helped officers de-escalate high-risk encounters. Why calm, compassionate approaches make a lasting impact in policing. Body Camera Footage as a Training Tool Dr. Cofield's dissertation analysis of 10 body cam videos involving autistic individuals. Key officer behaviors that worked: patience, spacing, and communication. Why both lecture-based training and Behavioral Skills Training (BST) are equally effective. Ongoing Autism and Law Enforcement Research Insights from Dr. Cofield's dissertation (available on PubQuest). The need for additional studies and real-world ride-along experiences. Encouragement for ABA professionals to get involved in police training efforts. Why This Conversation Matters The intersection of autism, ABA, and law enforcement is a critical area where misunderstandings can have serious consequences. Dr. Cofield's research and practical training insights provide a roadmap for safer, more empathetic, and more effective police interactions with autistic individuals. Whether you're an ABA professional, law enforcement officer, or advocate for the autism community, this episode offers practical takeaways and inspiration to make a difference. Resources & Links Mentioned Lyndsy's Dissertation The Blue Envelope Project Careers at Apollo Behavior Lyndsy's appearance on The Beyond the Science Podcast This episode is brought to you by the following sponsors: Frontera. Consider taking a demo of Frontera's Assessment Builder and see how the ethical application of AI technologies can help you serve clients and save you time! Your first assessment report is free. And if you use code BOP25 you'll get an additional five assessments for just $100. So head to fronterahealth.com to check it out! HRIC Recruting. Cut out the middleman and speak directly with Barbara Voss, who's been placing BCBAs in great jobs all across the US for 15 years. CEUs from Behavioral Observations. Learn from your favorite podcast guests while you're commuting, walking the dog, or whatever else you do while listening to podcasts. New events are being added all the time, so check them out here. The Behavioral Toolbox. Check out our courses for school-based and other behavioral professionals, including our newest one, Motivational Interviewing: Getting Educator Buy-In. The inaugural ABA CON CEU cruise, which launches on Royal Caribbean's Wonder of the Seas from February 16–20, 2026. Learn more about this cruise here

JD and Rachel cover everything this week — from walking out of a fitness class in shame, to neighbors plotting coyote revenge, to nightmare fuel inside the sauna (think corn shavings, wet shoes, and way too much confidence). Plus: pickleball + PMS science, cold plunge flexes, awkward locker room encounters, and a debate about the greatest classic comedies. It's messy, it's TMI, it's Patreon-only. Subscribe to our Patreon to hear the FULL episode! http://bit.ly/44Mo8xU Send us an email! ThumbWarPod@gmail.com The Breakfast Battle: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=crV5q2j9DBI&t=34s Raquel Welch on the Muppets: https://youtu.be/7fGQRnEvhfA?si=xByohfcxVZ54zc1M Clouseau: The Pavlova of the Parallels: https://youtu.be/qxFHPIFGFmk?si=1SL3RxRjty7fEB0_

Welcome back! We're discussing the psychology, neuroscience, and applications of method acting and flow state to develop behavioral and character range, aka “become the person you want.” This week's communal Schauer will be very STEAM heavy, but don't worry, next week we're bringing it all together to cultivate a performance that feels personal and true to you (and who you could be).  Make sure to “like” and subscribe on Youtube, rate my 5-stars wherever you get your podcasts, and check out my Substack where I have additional musings. Substack  https://substack.com/@sarahschauer?utm_source=user-menu Resources: The Psychological Effects of Method Acting https://www.discovermagazine.com/the-psychological-effects-of-method-acting-45035 The Neuroscience of Romeo and Juliet: an fMRI study of acting https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsos.181908 A Review on the Role of the Neuroscience of Flow States in the Modern World  https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7551835/#B15-behavsci-10-00137 Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience - Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi  Your Conscious Mind - New Scientist  The Tao of Physics: An Exploration of the Parallels between Modern Physics and Eastern Mysticism - Fritjof Capra  The Meaning of Proofs: Mathematics as Storytelling - Cabriele Lolli Dark and Magical Places: The Neuroscience of Navigation - Christopher Kemp This Is What It Sounds Like - Susan Rogers and Obi Ogas Reductionism in Art & Brain Science: Bridging the Two Cultures - Eric R. Kandel  A Little Book of Language - David Crystal Submit - A Memoir by Sonnett Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Challenging claims that school choice is a free market solution, fosters competition, frees kids from failing schools, and eliminates leftist indoctrination, while exposing expanded government control and global agendas. During our podcast break, enjoy this replay of Courtenay's appearance on The Reason We Learn from March 12, 2025. Key topics: ➤Debunking common myths about school choice, including it being a free market solution, fostering competition, freeing kids from failing schools, and eliminating woke/leftist indoctrination. ➤How school choice expands government control via public-private partnerships, standardization, oversight, and ties to agendas like transhumanism, global citizenship, and biodigital convergence. ➤Parallels to Obamacare, the illusion of "choice," and the push toward tokenized, gamified education systems. ➤Advocating for true education liberty over government-funded programs. Follow and Connect with The Reason We Learn:

Ryan Smith is today's guest on the "Leaders Growing Leaders" series of the SUCCESS IS A CHOICE PODCAST NETWORK. He is currently the President of the University of Rio Grande and Rio Grande CC. Prior to this role, he served as the Speaker of the House in the Ohio Legislature. 

Last week, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said, “Are we in a phase where investors as a whole are overexcited about AI? My opinion is yes”. Altman compared the widespread interest over Artificial Intelligence today, to the “tech bubble” of the late 1990s. But, the Magnificent 7 companies' valuations today are less than half what the top five technology companies were, at the peak of the dot-com bubble.With over 90% of S&P 500 index companies having already reported their Q2 results, earnings growth is settling in at 12.0%, and the consensus forecast of 4.8% for Q3 is starting to look too low. Higher-than-expected July producer prices and nominal retail sales may both be signalling that the full impact of tariffs is yet to come. We expect producers to pass on the increased cost to consumers in the months ahead.

(00:00-13:22) I've been goated and my goat has been got. Audio of Rob Manfred on ESPN on the future of MLB television contracts. Says things will be resolved in the next few weeks. Doug doesn't like all these changes. You're barking up the wrong tree here, Sailor. Doug's not sure if he has Brazzers. Charlie Hough. Jackson Mamdami. Why are people so bitter? The knockout punch may have just come. The Dunk of Death. Big Steve with the text of the day.(13:31-28:18) This has 'Nards all over it. Sharon really wants us to talk about the Colin Cowherd tweet. Water aerobics. Is Arbor Day the best to ever do it? Parallels between Cardinal baseball and Nebraska football. Pizza = Good. Sock talk. Don't sleep on compression socks. Apple juice. Irreverent Tweets.(28:28-35:37) E-Mail of the DaySee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Episode originally aired: January 21 2025With the Netflix documentary Martha creating conversations about Martha Stewart being Autistic online, this episode is more relevant than ever. We're on hiatus, but bringing this powerful conversation back into the feed for anyone who is seeing themselves in Martha.Matt and Angela welcome special guest Melanie Deziel to explore the legendary Martha Stewart through an autistic cultural lens. From rigid routines to obsessive attention to detail, we examine the traits that set her apart—and the complex conversation around speculating on public figures' neurodivergence.

In this episode of Beyond Markets, Mark Matthews, Head of Research Asia at Julius Baer, speaks with General David H. Petraeus, Partner at KKR and former US Army General, about leadership lessons from his distinguished military career and how they translate to the corporate world. Their conversation explores recent conflicts, including the India–Pakistan skirmish, the US withdrawal from Afghanistan, and the Russia–Ukraine war, highlighting the critical role of deterrence. They also examine the future of US energy policy amid shifting dynamics in the Middle East and global oil markets, consider China's growing influence in the Western Hemisphere and its implications, and explore regions with strong potential for development.(00:52) - Lessons from the General Petraeus' military career (03:24) - Parallels with the corporate world (05:52) - Takeaways from the India-Pakistan and Russia-Ukraine conflicts (11:38) - Energy independence, and the future of US policy in the Middle East (19:47) - The effectiveness of US sanctions (25:30) - China's growing influence in the Western hemisphere (29:01) - Growing interest in the Arctic (30:45) - Singapore and Dubai's success story (34:00) - Countries with great potential and opportunities