Podcasts about personal reflections

In today's episode, Tim Whitaker engages in a conversation with Billie and Paul Hoard about their new book Eucontamination. The discussion dives into the theory of disgust and the innovative concept of 'good contamination,' describing how Jesus is seen as a transformative contaminant for good. They explore how disgust influences societal behaviors, particularly within evangelical circles, and how Jesus' embrace of those considered 'impure' subverts traditional notions of purity. Billie and Paul's Book | ⁠Eucontamination⁠ Chapters 08:13 Understanding Disgust from a Psychological Perspective 14:52 Sociological and Political Implications of Disgust 18:29 Jesus as the Good Contaminant 34:23 The Paradox of Holiness and Worldly Contamination 35:21 The Role of the Church in Spreading Goodness 35:41 Personal Reflections on Faith and Community 43:32 The Challenge of Embracing New Experiences 57:56 Final Thoughts and Theological Insights____________________________________________________ TNE Podcast hosts thought-provoking conversations at the intersection of faith, politics, and justice. We're part of the New Evangelical's 501c3 nonprofit that rejects Christian Nationalism and builds a better path forward, rooted in Jesus and centered on justice.  If ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠you'd like to support our work or get involved, visit our website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠www.thenewevangelicals.com⁠⁠⁠⁠  Follow Us On Instagram @thenewevangelicals  Subscribe On YouTube @thenewevangelicals This show is produced by Josh Gilbert Media | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Joshgilbertmedia.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Romans 7 presents us with one of the most raw and vulnerable passages in all of Scripture, where we encounter the apostle Paul wrestling with a tension that every believer knows intimately: the struggle between who we are in Christ and the sin that still clings to our flesh. This passage doesn't offer us a polished, perfect Christianity—instead, it invites us into the messy reality of spiritual transformation. We discover that being saved doesn't make us perfect; it makes us forgiven. The profound truth here is that we are no longer 'in the flesh' but we are still 'of the flesh'—we've been freed from sin's dominion, yet we still battle its presence. Paul's honest confession 'I do not understand my own actions' resonates deeply because it mirrors our own experience. We find ourselves doing the very things we hate and failing to do the good we desire. This isn't a sign that our salvation is invalid; rather, it's evidence of the spiritual war raging within every Christ-follower. The beauty emerges when Paul asks not 'what will deliver me?' but 'who will deliver me?'—pointing us away from self-help solutions toward the only One who can truly save us. The answer comes thundering through: 'Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord,' followed immediately by the liberating declaration of Romans 8:1—'There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.' We're reminded that our Father stands with arms wide open, not waiting to condemn us for our failures, but inviting us to run to Him with every struggle, every sin, every moment of weakness.### Detailed Sermon Notes**Introduction:**- Pastor Will introduces himself and shares his recent mission trip to Malawi and South Africa. He emphasizes the gratitude for the church's support, which enables partnerships and gospel sharing in extremely impoverished regions.**Scripture Focus (Romans 7:13-25):**- **Struggle with Sin:** - Paul's honesty about his battle with sin highlights a universal Christian experience. - Believers are of the flesh yet in Christ, creating a tension of living according to the Spirit while wrestling with sinful nature. - Paul's question, "Why do I do what I don't want to do?" resonates with many believers.**Life as a Journey:**- **Analogy of the River:** - Life's path before Christ is like flowing downstream. Conversion is the turning point, representing the choice to paddle upstream against worldly currents.**Personal Story:**- Will shares a story of his son breaking a TV and promptly confessing, illustrating how God desires us to come to Him after we fail, instead of trying to fix things on our own.**Main Points:**- **Human Nature vs. Divine Calling:** - Despite being saved, Christians have an ongoing struggle with sin due to their fleshly nature. - Quoting John MacArthur, Will explains that believers are not "in" the flesh but "of" it, highlighting the continuous internal conflict.**Closing Message:**- Only Jesus, not human efforts, can deliver from sin's power.- Encourages transparency within the church, fostering a community where individuals can confess struggles without judgment.### Practical Applications1. **Embrace Transparency:**  - Cultivate authentic relationships within the church by admitting and discussing personal struggles.2. **Run to God:**  - Develop a habit of confessing sins to God promptly and seeking His strength to overcome, rather than relying on self-improvement techniques.3. **Rely on Grace:**  - Focus on understanding and relying on God's grace through Christ, rather than attempting to achieve righteousness through personal effort.4. **Scripture Engagement:**  - Regularly read and meditate on Scripture to reinforce the truth of God's grace and the ongoing internal battle with sin.### Discussion Questions1. **Personal Reflection:**  - Describe a time when you felt like Paul, struggling between your desires and your actions. How did you handle it?2. **The Role of Grace:**  - How can embracing God's grace daily help you in your struggle against sin?3. **Community Support:**  - In what ways can you contribute to making the church a more open and accepting environment for vulnerability and authenticity?4. **Prayerful Dependence:**  - What steps can you take to run to God and seek His help whenever you face temptation or failure? 

#furtheryourlifestyle #podcast WATCH HERE: https://youtu.be/i0wlYdyRk50Further Your Lifestyle Podcast | EP 238In this episode of the Further Your Lifestyle Podcast, host Chris delves into the theme of resistance and how it can act as a compass in our lives. Chris discusses the importance of embracing challenges and discomfort as indicators that something truly matters. He reflects on personal and professional struggles, and encourages listeners to confront the tasks they avoid, as overcoming these hurdles is essential for growth. The episode aims to motivate and challenge listeners to prepare for the upcoming year by tackling their biggest obstacles head-on.00:00 Introduction and Podcast Overview00:15 End of Year Reflections and Upcoming Episodes01:17 Today's Topic: Embracing Resistance02:24 Understanding and Overcoming Challenges06:19 Personal Reflections and Business Challenges08:17 Final Thoughts and Call to ActionPodcast Sponsors:Robert PiperHi Voltage BargainsEthan “Rooshock” The BOLO Hunter 2ndHandGuy Vic▬▬▬▬ CONNECT ▬▬▬▬PODCAST: http://podcast.furtheryourlifestyle.com/Podcast Merchhttps://www.furrii.com/collections/podcast-merch► SUBSCRIBE to the podcast on▹ Spotify | https://bit.ly/FYL_Spotify▹ Apple Podcast | https://bit.ly/FYL_Apple▹ Google Podcast | https://bit.ly/FYL_GooglePod► Let's CONNECT on social media:▹ instagram | http://www.instagram.com/furtheryourlifestyle▹ twitter | http://www.twitter.com/furtheryourlife▹ email | hello@furtheryourlifestyle.com► WEBSITE▹ www.furtheryourlifestyle.com» Newsletter: https://artisanal-teacher-7863.ck.page/d2d8345cfbMUSIC:» via https://www.epidemicsound.com/referral/6hfvrvContinue the conversation: @furtheryourlifestyleJoin the Newsletter: check it out

In this conversation, Eric Helms reflects on his recent competition experience, discussing the nostalgia of returning to a familiar stage and the significance of competing at a pro level. He emphasizes the importance of mindset during contest prep and the challenges of transitioning from a dieting phase to maintenance. The discussion also covers the psychological aspects of maintaining weight loss and the need for a lifestyle that supports health and fitness. Eric shares insights on setting realistic goals and the importance of community in the bodybuilding journey. In this conversation, Trexler and Helms delve into the complexities of dieting, weight maintenance, and the psychological challenges that accompany lifestyle changes. They discuss the importance of acceptance and compromise in post-diet life, the struggle of reintegrating comfort foods, and the need for empathetic approaches to dieting. The dialogue also touches on social eating dynamics and practical tips for navigating dietary choices in group settings, emphasizing the importance of self-awareness and honest conversations about food and lifestyle. If you're in the market for some gym gear or apparel, please support our friends over at elitefts.com and use code "MRR10" for 10% off your order Chapters: 00:00 The California Muscle Mayhem Experience 8:20 Personal Reflections 15:40 Discussion on Food Choices and Post-Competition Plans 24:38 Post-Diet Mentality and Maintenance Challenges 44:13 Finding Balance in Dietary Lifestyle Changes 58:39 Making Goal-Directed Food Choices 1:08:57 Striking a Balance With Step Counts 1:10:50 Energy Expenditure Scaling By Body Weight/Size 1:13:32 When People Criticize Your Dietary Choices

Navigating the Real Estate Market Amid Shutdowns: Insights & UpdatesIn this episode, we explore the impact of recent shutdowns on the real estate market, highlighting fears around major purchases like homes. The discussion includes an in-depth analysis of housing market trends, inventory levels, and buyer behavior, featuring specific examples from the 12 County Bay Area report. We also showcase notable property listings in Cupertino, Willow Glen, and Atherton. Additionally, insights are shared on new versus resale homes, the influence of home builder practices, and the importance of physical fitness and lifestyle choices.45% of Americans Say the Government Shutdown Makes Them Less Likely to Make a Major Purchase, Up From 21% in Early OctoberPrice Premium for Newly Built Homes Falls to an All-Time LowSan Jose Real Property Transfer Tax Increases to homes sold over $2.3 million.Cupertino Home of the Week Willow Glen Home of the Week Luxury Home of the week FREE HOME BUYER CHECKLIST HERE https://abitanogroup.com/HomebuyerchecklistHome Inspection CHECKLIST HERE https://abitanogroup.com/homeinspectionchecklist 00:00 Introduction: Why Your House Isn't Selling00:19 Impact of the Shutdown on Real Estate01:06 Market Opportunities Amidst Fear01:36 Statistics and Survey Insights02:37 Challenges with New Home Sales04:32 Cupertino House of the Week05:40 Willow Glen House of the Week06:51 Luxury Home of the Week08:02 Santa Clara Sales Report09:18 Personal Reflections and Conclusion

In this episode of Unashamed Unafraid, we are joined by Jeni Brockbank, Executive Director of H.E.R. Wings Unfold, founder of T.S. 12 Anon and the lead host of Relational Trauma SOS. Jeni shares her journey through relational trauma and recovery, providing insights into the importance of addressing deeper issues such as trauma and abandonment in addiction recovery. Jeni discusses her innovative trauma-sensitive 12-step program designed to meet people where they are in their recovery journey. She emphasizes the necessity of creating safety and stabilization, processing grief and mourning, and integrating and growing from these experiences. Jeni also talks about the unique aspects of her program, the importance of community support, and her personal experiences that led her to this work. This episode offers valuable perspectives for those struggling with addiction, betrayal trauma, or supporting loved ones through recovery.*You can connect with Jeni & her resources here:herwingsunfold.orgts12anon.orgInsta: https://www.instagram.com/herwingsunfold?igsh=MWhnd2xuMjIycHhjeQ%3D%3D&utm_source=qrFB: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61578036710116Relational Trauma SOS Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/21XenP3oY0bvBGayYaOzcx?si=7bdf5991912c44a3Make a donation and become an Outsider!Follow us on social media! Instagram, Facebook & TikTokSubscribe to our YouTubeCheck out our recommended resourcesWant to rep the message? Shop our MERCH!  For more inspiration, read our blogDo you have a story you are willing to share? Send us an email! contact@unashamedunafraid.com00:00 Introduction and Guest Introduction00:55 Personal Reflections on Addiction and Recovery02:23 Discussion on Relational Trauma and Broader Audience05:24 Jeni's Background and Journey07:22 Challenges and Insights in Traditional Recovery Programs09:54 Developing a Trauma-Sensitive 12-Step Program18:56 Incorporating Prayer and Silence in Meetings21:21 Adapting Spiritual Language for Inclusivity22:43 Balancing Feedback and Original Intent23:19 The Importance of Safe Spaces in Recovery27:20 Trauma-Informed Language in Recovery Programs29:46 Stages of Trauma Recovery36:02 The Rest Process: An Alternative to Surrender38:18 Personal Reflections and Program Impact39:33 Conclusion and Call to Action

Welcome to a very special episode on the Lifeguard Project podcast. Today, we get to sit down with Greg Bonann, the creator and producer of Baywatch. At its peak, Baywatch became the most-watched television show in the world, airing in over 140 countries and reaching more than a billion viewers each week.Today, Greg shares his journey from his early start as a kid facing challenges to his first rescues as an LA County lifeguard. Moments that shaped his purpose long before Hollywood came calling. And now 30 years later, Baywatch is returning in 2026 with Greg once again leading the charge, bringing in a new vision, while staying true to the show's roots of courage, community, and rescue.00:00 Introduction to Greg Bonann and Baywatch01:13 Greg's Early Life and Challenges04:04 High School Swimming and Lifeguarding Beginnings09:13 Mentorship and Lifeguard Training21:18 The Lifeguard Brotherhood and Early Experiences28:30 The Birth of a Storyteller31:51 The Rescue That Sparked Baywatch42:32 A Desperate Rescue43:04 The Struggle to Save a Life45:10 A Happy Ending and Reflections46:18 The Frustration of Storytelling46:52 Baywatch's Early Challenges48:18 The Lifeguard's Journey51:40 Junior Lifeguard Program59:03 The Road to Red01:06:27 The Importance of Mentorship01:10:29 Baywatch's Global Impact01:23:21 Pam's Underwater Training01:23:53 Lifeguard Training and Challenges01:25:06 Baywatch's Impact and Recognition01:27:22 Authenticity in Lifeguard Representation01:30:37 Challenges in TV Production01:33:50 Baywatch's Legacy and Future01:45:46 Personal Reflections and Future GoalsRead More About Greg Here:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gregory_J._BonannPresented by The Ben Carlson Foundation:https://www.bencarlsonfoundation.org/https://www.instagram.com/bencarlson_foundation/Subscribe to the Podcast Here:https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-lifeguard-project/id1748861682https://open.spotify.com/show/7EoZTDiET6jJ6XJ1g5X54thttps://www.instagram.com/thelifeguardproject/https://thelifeguardproject.org/Host, Drasko Bogdanovic:https://www.bogdogphoto.com/https://www.instagram.com/bogdogphoto/Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-lifeguard-project/donations

DOWNLOAD "THE POWER OF TOO MUCH," our FREE modern-day grimoire that helps you reclaim your intensity, your magic, and your voice: https://babephilosophy.com

In this heartfelt episode of "In the Growth Space," host David McGlennen reflects on his personal journey and the future of the podcast.   After hosting over 200 conversations with inspiring leaders, David shares his decision to pause the podcast to focus on other impactful areas of his life, such as leading the Emerging Leader Academy and serving as a fractional CEO.   He emphasizes the importance of creating space for growth and making tough decisions to let go of something good for something great.   David expresses gratitude to his listeners, guests, and team, and leaves the audience with a challenge to evaluate where their time and energy are most needed. This episode is a reminder that growth often happens in the pauses and that sometimes, stepping back is a courageous step forward.   Want more info about Emerging Leader Academy? Email David here - david@davidmcglennen.com  Click here for access to my free ebook Check out https://www.davidmcglennen.com/podcasts/in-the-growth-space-2 for links, transcript, and more details  

Join hosts Jesse Jackson and Sylvan Groth in this heartfelt episode of the Perfectly Good Podcast, where they delve into the emotional depths of John Hiatt's song 'Mr. Stanley.' Through personal anecdotes and profound discussions, they explore the song's themes of loss, love, and the influence of father figures. Special guest Darren Watson also shares his insights and connection to the song. Listeners are encouraged to reflect on their own relationships and the impact of meaningful figures in their lives. 00:00 Welcome to Perfectly Good Podcast 02:45 Concert Experiences and Music Catch-Up 05:36 Diving into 'Mr. Stanley' 07:33 Special Message from Darren Watson 09:03 Personal Reflections and Tributes 10:25 Behind the Scenes of 'Crossing Muddy Waters' 16:50 Reflecting on Life Lessons 20:45 Reflecting on Mr. Stanley's Love 21:45 Personal Stories of Loss 23:06 The Impact of Parental Figures 24:10 Analyzing the Song's Lyrics 26:28 The Emotional Truth in Music 34:06 Final Thoughts and Ratings 36:54 Connecting with the Community Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this engaging conversation, Patrick Rayes shares his journey as a founder, emphasizing the importance of overcoming hardships, finding the right ideas, and the critical role of a solid business plan. He discusses how to leverage education and experience to identify viable business opportunities, the significance of market research, and effective marketing strategies. The conversation wraps up with quickfire questions that reveal Patrick's insights on productivity, successful traits of founders, and his personal experiences in entrepreneurship.TakeawaysThrough hardships to the stars is a powerful motto.Success teaches us nothing; failures do.The three pillars of a business are ideation, planning, and marketing.Leverage your education and experiences to find ideas.Young founders should utilize university resources for support.Market research is crucial for understanding your audience.Targeting a niche audience can lead to success.A business plan helps convince both yourself and investors.Continuous improvement is essential for business growth.Passion and experience together create a strong foundation for success.Chapters00:00 Introduction and Personal Motto05:46 Finding the Right Idea11:39 Navigating Early Challenges19:50 The Importance of a Business Plan28:52 Refining the Business Plan33:55 The Importance of Market Research40:10 Effective Marketing Strategies45:25 Quickfire Insights and Personal Reflections

The guys dig into the real split between self-performing and running a GC outfit and what actually moves a build when design runs headfirst into the schedule. From Bugatti-level brand lessons to field fixes (bracing, factory edges, install expectations), this one's about picking a lane and building like you mean it. Show Notes: Anderson Windows and Big Doors Promotion (0:00) Builder Trend and Client Management (2:13) Harnish Workwear and Personal Experiences (3:47) Self-Performing vs. General Contractor (5:42) Building the Bugatti of Homes (8:50) Balancing Hands-On Work and Management (17:58) Efficiency and Learning from Mistakes (19:56) Project Management and Communication (39:46) Balancing Quality and Efficiency (47:50) Personal Reflections and Future Goals (52:01) Video Version: https://youtu.be/HNd4rd6yFVQ   Partners:  Andersen Windows Buildertrend Harnish Workwear  Use code H1025 and get 10% off their H-label gear   The Modern Craftsman: linktr.ee/moderncraftsmanpodcast Find Our Hosts:  Nick Schiffer  Tyler Grace  Podcast Produced By: Motif Media  

In this episode of The Crux True Survival Stories, host Kaycee McIntosh chats with Tony Peniche, one of the founders of the Pacific Northwest Survival Games. They discuss the intense challenges of wilderness survival, the adrenaline-filled competition, and exciting updates about expanding the games nationally. Tony shares insights from his recent trip to New Mexico and plans to team up with Scouting America for a broader rollout. Kaycee also reflects on her own experiences in the competition, including the need for bushcraft skills, the camaraderie built through shared challenges, and tips for future contestants. 00:00 Introduction and Welcome 00:10 Overview of the Pacific Northwest Survival Games 01:18 Tony Peniche's Exciting News 04:28 Challenges and Experiences in the Survival Games 05:55 Personal Reflections and Lessons Learned 10:23 Future Plans and Opportunities 23:13 Final Thoughts and Farewell https://www.pnwsurvivalgames.com/ Instagram: @pnwsurvivalgames Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Trusting God's Plan Trust in God's plan, even if it seems different or unconventional. The world already perceives Christians as different. 2 Timothy 4:1-8 Focus on 2 Timothy 4:1-8. "Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season, reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long-suffering and doctrine." A time will come when people will not endure sound doctrine, but will seek teachers who cater to their desires. Turn away from the truth and embrace fables. Be watchful, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, and fulfill your ministry. Elder Dustin is ready to be offered, the time of departure is at hand. Elder Dustin has fought a good fight, finished the course, and kept the faith. A crown of righteousness awaits, not only for Elder Dustin but for all who love His appearing. Personal Reflections and Struggles Elder Dustin keeps a notebook by the bed to record thoughts from the Lord. Once lost a message by not writing it down immediately. Elder Dustin wants strength to fight harder and do more for God. It's easy to quit, walk away, and follow the world's path. Pastors and preachers are charged to preach the word, but lay members also have a responsibility to preach the word and be instant in and out of season. Elder Dustin needs help and feels surrounded by the enemy. The enemy tempts Elder Dustin to quit and return to a life before Christ. Contemplated returning to the world because it seems easier. If truly saved, something inside won't let you quit for life. The more the flesh is crucified, the easier it is to do what Christ wants. The more disobedient, the easier it becomes to do what one wants. Elder Dustin recalled announcing the call to preach and being on fire for God. The enemy questioned the call, suggesting to be a teacher instead. Elder Dustin listened to the enemy and sat down for over a year. Attended church but wasn't doing what God asked. Attending services is meaningless without obedience. Brother Danny Greger told Elder Dustin that coming to the altar every Sunday wouldn't help until Elder Dustin accepted God's calling. Elder Dustin knew all along that God was asking to stand and preach. Elder Dustin initially didn't struggle with the call to preach but later listened to the enemy. The enemy suggested stopping after getting what was wanted. God doesn't make mistakes when calling someone to preach. It was easy to walk away and listen to the enemy, questioning the call due to a questionable past. Elder Dustin was miserable while sitting down, despite attending church. The enemy tempted Elder Dustin to quit, suggesting calling Brian and Tommy to cancel commitments. Elder Dustin understands the enemy's tactics and started praying for strength. Elder Dustin doesn't want out of the battle but wants strength to stand and do more for Christ. Elder Dustin wants to be concerned about people hearing about Jesus Christ, not personal struggles. Many have "tucked tail" and gone home, needing others not to give up. Brother Greg's testimony of walking away from the Lord and feeling conviction upon seeing godly people was mentioned. People need to see the preacher and feel conviction from the Holy Ghost. Elder Dustin isn't advocating beating people over the head to drag them to church. Things will start happening, and God will get attention. If truly saved, people will return. The enemy will try to make even those who are faithful quit. An older saint said the "hot steamy breath of the enemy" will be on the doorknob when entering heaven. The enemy won't give up, even if you sing, attend church, or preach. The enemy will keep coming harder. Without strength, reading the Word, prayer, and fellowship, one will walk away. James 4:17: "Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.

Join Pastor John from Calvary Church as he explores the profound declaration of Jesus in John 8:12, "I am the light of the world." In this sermon, delivered at the Erie campus, Pastor John delves into the significance of light and darkness as spiritual metaphors throughout the Bible. Discover how Jesus offers unparalleled life, reveals truth, and brings salvation to those who follow Him. Whether you're seeking meaning, purpose, or a deeper understanding of your faith, this message invites you to step out of darkness and into the marvelous light of Christ. [00:00] - Introduction and Campus Updates Pastor John introduces himself and shares exciting updates from Calvary's campuses, highlighting the growth and community at the Thornton campus. [05:12] - Context of John 8:12 Understanding the setting of Jesus' declaration during the Feast of Tabernacles and its historical and spiritual significance. [10:45] - Light Gives Life Exploring the biblical theme of light as a source of life, from Genesis to the teachings of Jesus. [15:30] - Light Reveals Truth How God's light reveals truth and guides us, illustrated through the story of Moses and the burning bush. [20:55] - Light Brings Salvation The role of light in leading the Israelites to salvation and how Jesus fulfills this promise. [25:40] - Jesus' Claim of Divinity Analyzing Jesus' bold statement, "I am the light of the world," and its implications for His divinity and uniqueness. [30:15] - The Contrast of Light and Darkness Understanding the spiritual realities of living in light versus darkness, and the call to believe in Jesus. [35:50] - Personal Reflection and Invitation Pastor John shares a personal story and invites listeners to embrace the light of Jesus in their own lives. [40:30] - Closing Prayer A prayer for those seeking life, truth, and salvation in Jesus, encouraging listeners to step into His light.

An explosive conversation packed with truth bombs, deep insights, and revelations that lift the veil on the world's most hidden agendas. Michael Jaco and world-renowned investigator Ole Dammegard come together for a high-impact discussion exposing the dark machinery behind global deception — from orchestrated false flag operations to the manipulation of public perception through fear and propaganda. Ole shares shocking evidence from decades of research into government cover-ups, media corruption, and the recycled tactics used by intelligence agencies to maintain control. Together, he and Michael connect the dots between political assassinations, staged terror events, and the rise of psychological warfare being waged on the masses. The conversation expands to current geopolitical tensions, mass migration strategies, and the spiritual war underlying humanity's struggle for truth and freedom. They also discuss how awareness, intuition, and divine courage can help dismantle these dark systems and usher in a new age of collective awakening. This episode is not for the faint of heart — it's for the truth-seekers, the awakened, and the warriors of light ready to face the reality of what's unfolding on our planet.

This week on Men of Steel, Case and Jmike are joined once again by Logan Crowley to dive into the back half of Alan Moore's Supreme saga — Supreme: The Return! We explore how Moore redefined heroism through metafiction, nostalgia, and some of the boldest Superman-adjacent storytelling of the '90s. Support us on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/CertainPOVMedia Men of Steel Full Episode Originally aired: November 8, 2025 Edited by Sophia Ricciardi Scored by Geoff Moonen Certain Point Of View is a podcast network brining you all sorts of nerdy goodness! From Star Wars role playing, to Disney day dreaming, to video game love, we've got the show for you! Learn more on our website: https://www.certainpov.com Join us on Discord: https://discord.gg/wcHHer4 PODCAST SHOWS: ▶ Men Of Steel - https://www.certainpov.com/men-of-steel​ FOLLOW US: ▶ Twitter: @certainpovmedia @menofsteelpod ▶ Instagram: @certainpovmedia Outline Introduction and Context Setting on Supreme Comic Series (00:00 - 10:00) Discussed the Alan Moore run on Supreme comics, focusing on the second volume, Supreme: The Return and its relation to the initial story, Supreme: The Story of the Year. Introduced guest Logan Crowley and recapped the original Story of the Year to bring listeners up to speed. Detailed Issue-by-Issue Breakdown and Analysis (10:18 - 01:56:09) Explored themes, characters, and narrative arcs of Supreme: The Return in granular detail. Noted meta-narrative techniques, cultural references, inconsistencies, tonal shifts, and artistic variations issue by issue. Art and Production Quality Discussions (15:36 - 01:24:50) Critiqued the inconsistent artwork across different issues and artists including Rick Veitch, Chris Sprouse, Jim Starlin, Ian Churchill, and Matt Smith. Noted the impact of publisher issues and artist changes on overall series cohesion and visual storytelling. Cultural and Social Commentary in the Comic (38:45 - 57:22) Discussed controversial storylines such as the Confederacy winning the Civil War due to Wild Bill Hickok's actions and its culturally sensitive implications. Analyzed dated humor and some problematic depictions reflecting 1990s sensibilities. Narrative and Thematic Observations (47:00 - 01:50:56) Discussed thematic motifs like closed time loops, meta-fictional elements, homage to classic Silver Age Superman narratives, and the contrast with other Alan Moore works like Tom Strong. Explored the balance between classic superhero optimism vs. cynicism leaking through the narrative. Discussion on Supporting Characters and Legacy (25:00 - 01:40:16) Elaborated on the roles of various supporting characters enhancing the Supreme mythos like Judy Jordan, Diana Dane, and Radar the canine hero. Highlighted the influence on later comics and the impact on the Superman archetype and analog characters. Guest Insights and Personal Reflections (00:00 - 02:30:00) Logan Crowley shared fresh perspectives, especially on the nostalgic value and unique features of Supreme. J. Mike and Case Aiken reflected on the series' strengths and weaknesses as longtime fans and comic enthusiasts. Promotions and Related Projects (02:28:00 - 02:36:00) Promoted related podcasts like Single Bound and Trade School and thanked Patreon supporters. Encouraged listeners to engage with the content and share their thoughts.  

BUY YOUR TICKETS TO THE "MAN ON WATER" TOUR NOW!https://www.thegeorgejankoshow.com/Join a tribe now with Men's Alliance :https://www.mensalliancetribe.com/Text Me To Perform In Your City! (602) 932-8118 Follow George! Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/georgejanko Twitter: https://twitter.com/GeorgeJanko TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@georgejanko Follow Shawna! Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shawnadellaricca/ Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@ShawnaDellaRiccaOfficial Follow Grant! (Video / Edit)  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/blaccwellBusiness Inquiries Email: george@divisionmedia.coTimestamps:01:02 Opening Prayer01:46 Starting the Show with Tim Tebow03:05 Tim Tebow's Early Life03:15 Miracle Baby Story03:52 Missionary Family Life04:40 Influence of Parents05:59 Parents' Strong Faith06:42 Tim's Father's Calling08:41 Faith Journey and Challenges16:18 The Role of the Holy Spirit18:31 Daily Faith and Struggles30:20 Tim Tebow's Book31:53 Exploring the Image of God32:34 Special Needs and God's Image34:39 Understanding Royal Worth35:16 Changing How We See People36:25 Society's Image Problem39:17 The Cross and Royal Worth40:39 Personal Reflections on Value44:23 A Story of Transformation in Haiti50:21 Jesus' Miracles and the Vulnerable56:48 Resting in Jesus58:01 The Call to Run with Purpose01:05:14 The Importance of Seeing People01:05:47 Loving God and Neighbors01:06:38 A Message to Seekers01:06:56 God's Love and Sacrifice01:08:04 Infinite Value and Worth01:09:47 Adopted into God's Family

Dr Aaron P. Jackson⁠ is Senior Lecturer in War Studies at Swedish Defence University in Stockholm, Sweden, where he specialises in researching and teaching operational art, military design thinking, and the ontology of military planning processes. Before commencing this role in February 2025, he was an Australian Public Servant for fifteen years. His public service appointments include Commander State Control Centre – Health in the South Australian Department of Health and Wellbeing, in which role he commanded the out-of-hospital elements of the Department's COVID-19 pandemic response operations. He has also held a variety of roles in the Australian Department of Defence, including as a doctrine writer, where he was the lead author of the second edition of the Joint Military Appreciation Process doctrine, which is the Australian Defence Force equivalent to the United States' Joint Publication 5.0 – Joint Planning. In addition to his civilian roles, Aaron is a part time Infantry Officer in the Australian Army Reserve. Holding the rank of Lieutenant Colonel, he is a former Commanding Officer of 10th/27th Battalion, The Royal South Australia Regiment, and he has previously deployed on Operations in Iraq, the Greater Middle East Region, Timor Leste, and domestically within Australia. The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are exclusively his own. They do not represent the views of any institution with which he is, or was previously, affiliated. In this month's episode, I speak with Dr Aaron P. Jackson about his book ⁠Military Design Thinking⁠. Military design thinking is an approach to military strategy and problem-solving that emphasises creativity rather than conventional methods, which often rely on linear, analytical approaches that may not adequately address the “wicked problems” encountered in complex and dynamic contemporary conflicts.Chapters00:00 Introduction to Military Design Thinking02:09 Defining Military Design Thinking04:59 The Role of AI in Military Design10:12 Doctrinal Ontology in Military Context20:51 The Equality of Starting Points in Warfare28:24 The Impact of the Iraq War on Military Doctrine40:55 Rethinking Military Problem Solving44:34 Complex Adaptive Systems vs. Traditional Paradigms48:58 The Influence of Postmodernism in Military Design55:56 Wicked Problems and Military Contexts01:01:06 Challenges in Embedding Design Thinking01:04:09 Successful Applications of Design Thinking01:11:46 The Future of Military Design ThinkingAcademic publications cited during this podcast: 4.12: Nelson & Stolterman (2014), The Design Way.6.50: Bovet Emanuel, et al (2025), Comprehensive Shield 2025.9.31: The Archipelago of Design website.10.52: Jackson (2013), Doctrine, Strategy and Military Culture.21.56: Howard (1974), Military Science in an Age of Peace.27.48: Simpkin (2021),  ⁠Explaining Labour's Ballistic Missile Defence Policy 1997-2010.30.08: Naveh (1997), In Pursuit of Military Excellence.33.42: Ryan (2016), A Personal Reflection on Introducing Design to the U.S. Army.37.56: Mann (1992), Chaos Theory and Strategic Thought.56.08: Rittel & Webber (1973), Dilemmas in a General Theory of Planning.57.07: Nelson & Stolterman (2014), The Design Way.59.11: Builder (1989), The Masks of War.1.01.22: English (2004), Understanding Military Culture.1.01.42: Weick (1996), Drop your Tools.1.06.05: Weizman (2006), Walking Through Walls.1.06.57: Stanczak et al (2021), Design at the Cutting Edge of Battle.1.07.37: Martin (2015), 

Podcast Episode SynopsisEpisode Title: Distress' Impact on Your BodyHost IntroductionIn this episode, Dr. Ali Novitsky, expert in obesity medicine and founder of The FIT Collective, continues her series on stress—this time focusing on how stress impacts the body. Dr. Ali keeps this episode concise and reflective, encouraging listeners to pause and connect with how stress shows up physically.Key Points Discussed1. Physical Impacts of StressJoint Pains and Muscle Recovery: Dr. Ali explains that elevated cortisol during stress can delay recovery and increase joint or muscle pain.Heightened Irritability and Tension: Stress raises irritability and muscle tightness. Dr. Ali suggests a quick body scan—especially noticing how high the shoulders are—as a simple stress check.Perimenopause and Stress: Stress can amplify perimenopausal symptoms such as night sweats and hot flashes. Dr. Ali references research showing that gentle, low-impact exercise (like walking or stretching) can lessen these effects.Immunity and Hormones: Chronic stress impacts immune function through cortisol and insulin dysregulation. High insulin promotes water retention and inflammation, increasing risk for long-term conditions such as heart disease and cancer.2. Personal Reflection and Daily PracticeDr. Ali invites listeners to notice the specific ways stress manifests in their own bodies. She shares that for her, stress often looks like:Speaking rapidlyPoor sleepEmotional eatingDigestive issuesHeadaches or muscle sorenessShe encourages creating a daily “body check-in” practice—noticing tension, breath, and posture throughout the day. Awareness is the first step to release.3. Self-Compassion Over CriticismDr. Ali emphasizes that judgment and self-criticism amplify stress, while self-compassion lowers it. She reminds listeners that it's normal to feel stressed and that progress, not perfection, is the goal. Replacing inner criticism with phrases like “I'm doing my best right now” supports both emotional and physical resilience.4. Actionable StepsDr. Ali closes with three takeaways listeners can begin today:Acknowledge Stress: Recognize how stress physically shows up in your body—fatigue, muscle tension, or irritability.Daily Check-In: Build a brief daily practice to notice posture, breath, or areas of tightness.Self-Compassion Plan: Practice kindness toward yourself—affirm that stress is a human experience and that rest and recovery are productive.ConclusionDr. Ali concludes by reminding listeners that acknowledging stress is the first step in managing it. The body keeps the score, but with awareness, movement, rest, and self-compassion, we can heal and thrive. She encourages listeners to be gentle with themselves and to prioritize recovery just as much as performance.Timestamps00:00:06 – Introduction & Overview00:01:10 – Physical Impact of Stress00:01:20 – Joint Pain & Delayed Recovery00:02:13 – Perimenopause & Stress00:02:24 – Exercise & Menopause Symptoms00:03:17 – Immunity & Hormones00:03:38 – Cortisol and Insulin00:04:21 – Inflammation & Water Retention00:05:03 – GLP-1 and Heart Health00:05:14 – Body Carries Stress00:05:24 – Personal Stress Symptoms00:06:09 – Daily Body Check-In00:06:31 – Exercise as Emotional Regulator00:06:53 – Personal Experience with Stress00:07:45 – Managing Stress Strategies00:08:07 – Daily Awareness Practice00:09:20 – Rest, Nutrition, Activity00:09:41 – Self-Compassion Practice00:11:06 – Movement & Stress Relief00:12:11 – Transform Program & Stress QuizWork with Dr. Ali

This week's episode features Ben Carrey of Pigeons Playing Ping Pong, and I couldn't be more thrilled to share this with one with you!!  Pigeons is one of my favorite bands — I absolutely love their brand of rollicking, funky rock. Their jams are simply exquisite, and Ben drives this forward motion with his unique style on bass guitar.  Pigeons' eighth album, Feed The Fire is out now, and they're headed out on their Fall tour — catch them while you can!Ben is super thoughtful and a gentle and kind soul, and he talks to me about growing up a shy kid in Baltimore — and we discuss how Ben's unique (some may say unorthodox) style of playing has shaped the Pigeons signature sound. Ben is quite literary and very well read and we go down that rabbit hole a bit… with his love of Physics mixed in just for fun.Ben also talks to me about mental health and some of the challenges he faces. He's super open with a striking and honest self-awareness that is utterly refreshing.  This is an epic conversation with this talented artist, and I can't wait to share this one with you.=======================================Chapters:00:00 Episode Intro with Host Josh Rosenberg04:38  Introducing Ben Carrey07:17 Celebrating the New Album and Touring Experiences10:21 Collaboration with The Infamous Stringdusters13:15 Exploring Musical Influences and Techniques 16:08 Fretless Bass and Its Unique Qualities 19:10 Cultural Connections and Personal Reflections 22:11 Musical Relationships and Band Dynamics 25:03 The Science of Music and Connection 28:10 Growing Up and Family Ties 33:35 Nostalgia and Family Connections 35:39 The Power of Solitude and Self-Discovery 36:42 Literary Influences and Early Interests 39:38 The Fascination with Physics and Quantum Mechanics 43:49 The Intersection of Science and Spirituality 45:29 The Magic of Music and Sound 48:11 Musical Beginnings and the Journey to Bass 54:04 Overcoming Fear and Embracing Performance 55:46 Mental Health Challenges and the Music Industry 59:40 Finding Balance and Support in Music 01:04:03 Connecting with the Audience and Personal Growth 01:06:18 The Power of Connection and Community 01:08:36 Psychedelics and Mental Health 01:13:52 The Journey of Self-Discovery 01:17:31 The Significance of 'Hit the Ground Running' 01:20:27 Collaborative Evolution in Music 01:24:45 The Impact of Live Performances 01:27:51 Dome Fest and New Beginnings 01:31:32 Looking Ahead: Future Plans and Festivals=======================================For more information on Roadcase:https://linktr.ee/roadcasepod and https://www.roadcasepod.comOr contact Roadcase by email:  info@roadcasepod.comRoadcase theme music:  "Eugene (Instrumental)" by Waltzer

In this episode of Coaching Health Care Leaders, Dr. Lisa interviews Dr. Sandy Balwan, Chief Medical Officer at Northwell Direct. Dr. Balwan shares her inspiring journey from immigrant to healthcare leader, emphasizing the balance between clinical practice and leadership. They discuss strategies for supporting providers, empowering patients—especially women — as family health leaders, and simplifying communication. Dr. Balwan offers practical leadership advice on authenticity, passion, and setting boundaries, emphasizing the importance of leading by example and prioritizing patient and provider needs in healthcare transformation. Introduction to the Podcast and Guest (00:00:02) Dr. Lisa introduces the podcast, its mission, and Dr. Sandy Balwan's background and roles. Dr. Balwan's Leadership Journey (00:03:01) Dr. Balwan shares her immigrant background, education, and career progression in medicine and leadership. Day in the Life of a Healthcare Leader (00:05:41) Dr. Balwain describes balancing clinical practice, supporting providers, and serving employers and patients. Balancing Clinical Practice and Leadership (00:08:50) Discussion on the importance and feasibility of maintaining both clinical and leadership roles. Leading by Example in Healthcare (00:09:20) Dr. Balwan explains why clinical experience is essential for credibility and effective leadership. Supporting and Influencing Teams (00:12:49) Strategies for supporting providers, influencing teams, and fostering collaboration in healthcare settings. Communicating Value-Based Care to Providers (00:13:12) How to explain value-based care concepts and motivate providers to adopt new practices. Challenges in Healthcare: Access and Communication (00:16:51) Discussion of major challenges in healthcare, including patient access and effective communication. Patient-Centered Communication Strategies (00:19:26) Importance of tailoring communication to patients' needs and using relatable explanations. Women's Role in Family Health (00:22:56) Highlighting the critical role women play in family health and strategies to support them. Tips for Thriving as a Healthcare Leader (00:25:33) Dr. Balwan shares three tips for leaders to thrive and maintain self-care amid adversity. Personal Reflections and Looking Forward (00:27:38) Dr. Balwan discusses personal growth, setting boundaries, and aspirations for the future. Closing Remarks (00:29:02) Dr. Lisa and Dr. Balwan conclude the episode with gratitude and well wishes. If you are looking to accelerate your leadership career and learn how to influence and impact teams, join us for our Coaching Intensive Weekend, taking place December 12-14, where you will learn the foundational skills to communicate more effectively with your team and coach them to success. Learn more here

“I'd rather lose business than work with people who don't share my values.”In this episode, we talked about why an entrepreneurial journey is not just about business, but about staying true to yourself, choosing independence over comfort, and building companies that feel like real human communities, in particular:

1. Hostage Remains and Psychological Warfare The podcast opens with a news story from the Jerusalem Post about Hamas returning partial remains to Israel. These remains were not from known hostages, which the speaker describes as a form of psychological torture against Israeli families. The Red Cross acted as an intermediary in the handover, but Hamas did not specify whose remains were being returned. 2. Personal Reflections and Pilgrimage Ben then shares that this trip to Israel is a spiritual journey, visiting sites related to Jesus and expressing feelings of safety and peace in Jerusalem. Encourages others to visit Israel, stating it feels safe despite the conflict. 3. Rise of Antisemitism in the U.S. A major theme is the alleged rise of antisemitism among American conservatives. Specific figures mentioned include Candace Owens, Tucker Carlson, and Nick Fuentes, accused of downplaying Israel’s importance as a U.S. ally. The speaker references Senator Ted Cruz, who warned of a “growing cancer” of antisemitism on the political right and urged Christian leaders to confront it. 4. Media Criticism Ben criticizes mainstream media for allegedly portraying Israel as the aggressor and failing to tell the stories of Israeli victims and hostages. 5. Support for Donald Trump Ben praises Donald Trump’s leadership, particularly his role in the Abraham Accords and efforts to secure the release of hostages. Expresses gratitude from Israelis for Trump’s support and contrasts it with previous U.S. administrations. Please Hit Subscribe to this podcast Right Now. Also Please Subscribe to the The Ben Ferguson Show Podcast and Verdict with Ted Cruz Wherever You get You're Podcasts. And don't forget to follow the show on Social Media so you never miss a moment! Thanks for Listening X: https://x.com/benfergusonshowYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@VerdictwithTedCruzSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of Read the Damn Book, host Michelle Glogovac sits down with Dr. Akilah Cadet, author of White Supremacy Is All Around, and a leading voice in diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). Together, they explore how systemic racism shapes our workplaces and communities, what it truly means to practice allyship versus being an accomplice, and how individuals and organizations can take real action toward equity.Dr. Cadet opens up about her lived experiences as a Black disabled woman, the realities of running a DEI consulting business amid cultural pushback, and her groundbreaking role as a co-owner of professional soccer teams in the Bay Area. Through honesty, humor, and insight, this conversation challenges listeners to embrace accountability, learning, and unlearning in the ongoing fight for justice and inclusion.What We're Talking About...Dr. Akilah Cadet reminds us that real progress begins when we learn to be comfortable with discomfort.Diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts are facing growing resistance in today's social and business climate.White supremacy is sustained by fear and the desire to hold on to power.True change requires more than allyship — it calls for becoming an active accomplice in the fight for equity.Parents play a vital role in helping future generations understand race, privilege, and empathy.Growth happens through both learning and unlearning, with humility as the foundation.Accountability is essential for individuals and institutions that perpetuate harm.Dr. Cadet's co-ownership of Bay Area soccer teams shows why representation matters in every industry.Dismantling systemic racism is a collective effort that depends on everyone's participation.Dr. Cadet's story highlights both the challenges and the strength of marginalized communities.Chapters00:00 Introduction and Background of Dr. Akilah Cadet07:48 The Impact of 2020 on DEI Work13:49 The Role of Fear in White Supremacy19:45 Understanding Allyship vs. Accompliceship25:30 Raising Awareness and Responsibility in Parenting30:38 Understanding Privilege and Humanity34:22 Learning and Unlearning in Society36:40 Calling In vs. Calling Out39:38 Navigating Racism in Professional Spaces41:26 Becoming a Co-Owner in Sports54:24 Personal Reflections and Future Aspirations54:52 Embracing Discomfort for Change55:20 Accountability and Awareness in SocietyLinks MentionedSocials : @changecadetDr. Akilah Cadet's Website: https://www.changecadet.com/White Supremacy Is All Around: https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/akilah-cadet-dhsc-mph/white-supremacy-is-all-around/9780306831034/Dr. Akilah Cadet's Substack: https://changecadetactionnetwork.substack.com/Author BioDr. Akilah Cadet is the Founder and CEO of Change Cadet, an organizational development and creative consulting firm that offers services that support embedding belonging into overall company culture, identity, strategy and storytelling. As a

What if the life you're living is just a metaphor for the life you're meant to live? Pressfield kept his typewriter buried under spare parts in his truck. He knew it was there. Thought about it constantly. But he was too terrified to dig it out and write. So he drove. For years. Shadow callings aren't about laziness—they're about proximity without risk. We fall into fixed mindset thinking this is all we can do. We become English teachers instead of novelists, consultants instead of founders, gallery workers instead of artists. We stay close enough to feel legitimate, far enough to avoid the real work. This episode breaks down why your brain creates these elaborate escape mechanisms, what separates amateurs from professionals, and the exact moment everything changes. You'll learn: How to recognize if you're living a shadow career right now The 20 habits that separate professionals from amateurs Why turning pro is a decision you remake every single day SPONSORS

Send us a textIn this week's episode of Thrive Solo, my guest is Rebekah Buege. Rebekah lives in Minnesota, USA, and while she works a corporate 9 - 5 job, she's also a body neutrality coach, a writer, and she posts all about her single life on TikTok and Instagram. In this conversation, Rebekah and I talk about pursuing life over relationships, the state of modern dating, overcoming societal pressures, and the liberating experience of changing her appearance with a short haircut. Rebekah emphasises the importance of living life fully without waiting for a partner, investing in friendships, and understanding one's own identity. She also discusses the benefits and challenges of single life, and how single life is often conflated with loneliness. The episode concludes with Rebecca's thoughts on how to thrive as a single person by living authentically and proactively.02:36 Rebekah's Life and Career04:23 Living in London07:30 Dating and Relationship Insights14:49 The State of Modern Dating18:29 The Impact of Technology on Relationships24:21 Personal Reflections on Single Life30:21 Embracing the Present Moment32:42 Challenging Societal Norms33:23 Practical Tips for Enjoying Singleness36:29 The Power of Personal Choices44:55 The Joys and Challenges of Single Life51:05 Debunking the Single and Lonely Myth56:02 Final Thoughts and FarewellSupport the showOrder my book, SHINY HAPPY SINGLES (UK) / THRIVE SOLO (US & Canada) at: https://www.lucymeggeson.com/book Download my FREE PDF 'The Top 10 Answers To The Most Irritating Questions That Single People Get Asked On The Regular...& How To (Devilishly) Respond'? Go to: https://www.lucymeggeson.com/questions Join the waitlist for my membership, Thrive Solo: https://www.lucymeggeson.com/thrivesolo Check out my YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@thrivesolowithlucymeggeson Interested in my 1-1 Coaching? Work with me HERE: https://www.lucymeggeson.com/workwithme Join my private Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1870817913309222/?ref=share Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thrivesolowithlucymeggeson/ Email me: lucy@lucymeggeson.com And thank you so much for listening!

#382 In this episode, Guy discussed multidimensional consciousness, energy healing, and personal transformation with guest Igor Galibov. Igor recounted his unexpected spiritual awakening and subsequent journey into energy healing, including his experiences with astral projection and interacting with various beings. The conversation covered the importance of balancing physical reality with spiritual exploration, the role of meditation, and the integration of higher consciousness into daily life. Guy and Igor emphasized the transformative power of shifting energy and belief systems to achieve a harmonious existence. About Igor: In 2004, a life-changing trip to Brazil opened my perception to realities beyond the five senses. What began as a journey to support my ill mother turned into a incredible awakening that unveiled the multidimensional nature of existence.  This activation awakened my ability to see and feel energy, communicate with consciousness, and understand the interconnectedness of all life.  For nearly a decade, I dedicated myself entirely to spiritual study and deep meditation, receiving direct teachings from Higher Consciousness and the Divine. Those years of inward exploration became the foundation of everything I share today.  By 2008, I began integrating those insights into the physical world, building a successful transportation company and learning that true mastery is the union of energy and embodiment, spirit and matter. Key Points Discussed:  (00:00) - The Hidden Mechanics of the Light Body—And Why Humanity Is About to Evolve! (00:49) - Podcast Introduction and Guest Overview (03:00) - Igor Galibov's Journey and Insights (05:23) - Understanding Energy Bodies and Consciousness (09:21) - Igor's Awakening Experience (19:43) - Navigating the Astral Plane (28:48) - Understanding the Connection Between Body and Emotions (31:17) - Clearing Energy for a Harmonious Life (32:06) - The Biological Imperative and Out-of-Body Experiences (34:42) - Astral Projection and Multidimensional Awareness (37:00) - The Nature of Astral Travel (40:29) - Integrating Higher Dimensions in Daily Life (50:32) - The Importance of Meditation and Energetic Discipline (53:13) - Balancing the Masculine and Feminine Energies (54:21) - Personal Reflections and Finding Balance (56:15) - Conclusion and Further Resources How to Contact Igor Galibov:igorgalibov.com   About me:My Instagram: www.instagram.com/guyhlawrence/?hl=en Guy's websites:www.guylawrence.com.au www.liveinflow.co

Send us a Positive Review!Join Valerie and her guest Jana Spangler in the next two Monday episodes as they delve into the complexities of polygamy within the Mormon church, focusing on the year 2025 when several significant events around this topic unfolded. They discuss how early Mormon history, particularly Joseph Smith's revelation on polygamy, has impacted the faith journey of many members. Additionally, they explore the recent polygamy-related additions to the 'Come Follow Me' manual and what this means for teaching younger generations about this challenging subject.  The conversation extends to practical advice for LDS church-attending parents and teachers navigating the the polygamy topic with children both at home and at church, with a focus on fostering critical thinking both in children and in the adults who are shepharding them in their spiritual growth and development. This episode promises a thoughtful examination of faith, history, and the ongoing struggle to reconcile and/or let go of difficult Mormon doctrines.Timestamps:00:00 Introduction and Guest Welcome00:17 Discussing Polygamy in 202505:34 Historical Overview of Polygamy15:18 Polygamy's Impact on Modern Faith32:19 Personal Reflections on Polygamy43:42 Controversy and Church Teachings50:58 Questioning Narratives and Personal Feelings51:21 Teaching Complex Ideas to Children53:01 Gender Dynamics in Religious Teachings58:20 Revised Teachings on Polygamy01:11:37 Parental Guidance and Critical Awareness01:23:17 Balancing Structure and Flexibility in Faith01:35:38 Concluding Thoughts and Future TopicsSupport the showSupport the show Listen, Share, Rate & Review EPISODES Friday Episodes Annual Access $89 Friday Episodes Monthly Access $10 Valerie's Support & Processing Groups Gift a Scholarship Download Free Resources Visit our Website

(Episode #303) Somewhere deep within you lives a memory of why you came here, and when you're ready, life begins to help you remember.  In today's episode, you will meet someone standing at a very profound threshold in her life holding three possible paths: a steady job that provides security, a creative dream that calls her boldly forward, and a soul level purpose that's been secretly waiting in the wings her whole life. We explore what it means to remember a destiny that you were born for and how pain, especially the kind we carry around, things we love most, can actually be the doorway to our greatest calling. We talk about intuitive gifts that defy language, ancestral power passed down across lifetimes, and a vision of service to the natural world that is both sacred and global. If you've ever wondered whether your love for something, animals, the earth, your dream life was big enough to matter. This episode will remind you that it absolutely is.    October and November client sessions are now open. Use code HigherSelf at checkout to save 10% when you book at https://www.zoeygreco.com   Episode Highlights:  (00:00) Exploring Career Paths and Life Purpose (12:51) Revealing the Client's Aura and Ancestral Energy (22:30) Communicating with Animals and Earthly Connection (32:27) Past Lives and Animal Communication (36:44) Personal Reflections and Manifestations   Take my FREE quiz! What's your intuitive style? Discover your unique intuitive gifts with my free quiz: https://quiz.tryinteract.com/#/5da464aa73116000142b2c4d Ready to schedule your own channeled reading? Book Here: https://zoeygreco.as.me/schedule/029b2db1 —   Did you love this episode? The Higher Self Hotline Team lovingly asks for your support! We'd be eternally grateful if you'd rate, review, and subscribe! We want to make sure you never miss a dose of divine guidance. If this conversation resonated with you, we hope you share it with someone you think would connect with the message.  Stay connected with us and your higher self! Follow Zoey on socials.

 Don't get to the end of this year wishing you had taken action to change your business and your life.Click here to schedule a free discovery call for your business: https://geni.us/IFORABEDon't miss an upcoming event with The Institute: https://geni.us/InstituteEvents2025Shop-Ware gives you the tools to provide your shop with everything needed to become optimally profitable.Click here to schedule a free demo: https://info.shop-ware.com/profitabilityMake sure you mention: CTISUMMER to get FREE data migration!If you're ready to make a real change in your shop's success, join Shop Marketing Pros' Plan With the Pros workshop this October to connect with them and other shop owners. You'll leave with your entire year for 2026 planned out. Click here to register: https://geni.us/PlanWithTheProsShop owners, are you ready to simplify your business operations? Meet 360 Payments, your one-stop solution for effortless payment processing.Imagine this—no more juggling receipts, staplers, or endless paperwork. With 360 Payments, you get everything integrated into one sleek, digital platform.Simplify payments. Streamline operations. Check out 360payments.com today!In this episode, Lucas and David are joined by Adam Rath to reflect on the journey and evolution of their industry mastermind group. Adam shares how the group has grown from its early days, emphasizing the importance of building a community where shop owners can collaborate and hold each other accountable. The hosts discuss the impact of implementing the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS) in their businesses, highlighting its role in shaping leadership and clarifying organizational vision.00:00 Leadership Restructuring and Future Plans05:58 Growth and Accountability Through Masterminds13:41 Addressing Customer Education Gaps20:16 "Self-Implementing EOS Journey"24:36 Assessing Employee Alignment & Capability27:01 End-Year Hiring Pitfalls32:55 Survival Over Vision39:59 Protective Leadership Commitment43:56 Personal Reflection on Growth Ambitions50:32 "Reviving Vision in Medical Device Sales"57:02 Reflect and Appreciate Progress01:02:56 Intentional Clarity Breaks01:04:48 Streamlined Meeting Schedule Changes01:08:32 "Successful Business and Industry Giveback"

In this conversation, I talk with Heather Hester exploring the themes of parenting, identity, and the significance of traditions, particularly around Halloween and the upcoming holidays. Heather Hester is the host of the podcast More Human. More Kind., and the author of Parenting with Pride. As a speaker, coach, and LGBTQ+ advocate, she helps parents, allies, and organizations move from fear to fierce, informed love with clarity, compassion, and courage. She believes in the magic of connection and that kindness and belonging aren't just a feeling, they're a practice. We discuss the importance of allowing children to express themselves through costumes, the need for curiosity in parenting, and the value of setting boundaries in relationships. We also touch on the evolution of family traditions and the necessity of reevaluating what works for families as they grow and change. Ultimately, we encourage people to embrace change, explore new experiences, and prioritize authenticity in their lives. Takeaways Halloween is a time for kids to explore their identities through costumes. Parents should encourage curiosity about their children's choices. Traditions can evolve and should be reevaluated over time. Setting boundaries in relationships is essential for personal growth. It's okay to feel grief and sadness when traditions change. Family gatherings should prioritize open communication and respect for boundaries. Life is too short to be controlled by others' expectations. Embracing change can lead to new and fulfilling experiences. Parents should allow their children to express themselves freely. The importance of authenticity in family dynamics. Chapters 00:00 Introduction and Welcome Back 01:22 Halloween Traditions and Family Dynamics 04:35 Exploring Identity Through Costumes 10:14 The Importance of Curiosity in Parenting 15:43 Navigating Social Expectations and Personal Growth 22:22 Evolving Family Traditions and Personal Reflections 24:15 Reevaluating Traditions and Relationships 35:18 Empowerment and Setting Boundaries 39:48 Redefining Holiday Gatherings and Traditions

Ellen Bradley is a skier, scientist, filmmaker, and proud member of the Tlingit Tribe who is redefining what it means to be an Indigenous leader in today's world. Through her work, Ellen blends tradition, technology, and storytelling to decolonize outdoor spaces and reconnect Indigenous communities to their ancestral lands. In this episode, Kara and Ellen dive into the meaning of being Indigenous in 2025, the significance of the LandBack movement, and how young Indigenous people are using social media to share their stories and spark change. You'll hear about Ellen's inspiring journey, including her film Let My People Go Skiing, and how she's building bridges between cultures through advocacy and art. This episode explores identity, justice, and the power of reclaiming space, both on the slopes and in society. Chapters: 00:00 Introduction to The Powerful Ladies Podcast 00:50 Meet Ellen Bradley: A Multifaceted Indigenous Leader 01:35 Ellen's Journey and Contributions 03:32 Cultural Heritage and Community Work 12:58 Navigating Activism and Partnerships 22:34 Challenges and Reflections on Capitalism 28:07 Challenges of Specialization in Western Science 28:58 Indigenous Knowledge and Systemic Thinking 29:50 The Importance of Holistic Approaches 32:11 One Person at a Time: Mentorship and Internships 34:16 Scaling Up: Mountain Access Program 35:36 Entrepreneurial Mindset for Social Good 37:49 Personal Reflections on Career Choices 40:30 Land Back: Reconnecting Indigenous People to Their Lands 46:08 Breaking Down Barriers in Outdoor Spaces 51:04 The Need for Nuanced Conversations 54:35 Upcoming Projects and How to Support 57:12 Conclusion and Final Thoughts 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

Too many small business owners feel guilty about making money. But what if profit isn't the problem ... but the solution? In this powerful episode, Brandon exposes the cultural lie that's keeping too many purpose-driven entrepreneurs broke, burned out, and secretly ashamed of their success. You'll discover: Why profit is actually the fuel for your purpose (not the enemy of it) How your profitability directly impacts the people you serve The real cost of downplaying your wins or charging less than you're worth How to reframe financial success as a sacred responsibility, not a personal indulgence Key Quote: "Profit isn't the enemy. Profit is sacred. It's the oxygen your purpose breathes. Without it, your mission suffocates." This episode is a rally cry for every small business owner who's ever felt conflicted about making money while making a difference.

Yo Aunteas are joined once again by Brian Sims — activist, former Pennsylvania State Representative, and CEO of Agenda PAC. Brian breaks down how Agenda PAC is using AI to identify and defeat the most dangerous bigots in America, why local elections matter more than ever, and how queer communities can reignite political hope amid burnout and misinformation. The group gets real about why the Democratic party refuses to "play dirty", and Brian delivers a sharp call to action for allies—especially white gay men—who have been conspicuously silent while our rights are under attack. Of course, the Aunteas also serve the cultural tea, breaking down the drama behind Brandy walking off stage during the long-awaited Brandy & Monica tour. Finally, Brian returns for "Curiositea Part Two" , sharing his hobbies, his Drag Race Mount Rushmore , and the sweet story behind the last song he played . (Dawon is out this week, but sends his love from London! ) So, get them cups readyyyy!!   Tea Stamps: 00:00 Pop Culture Moments 01:26 Agena PAC's Brian Sims 09:52 Communitea Bulletin Board: Sam Smith 11:23 The Importance and Urgency of Voting 14:43 Identifying and Challenging Bigotry 21:46 The Role of Allies in Advocacy 25:00 Finding Hope Amidst Fatigue 29:10 Engaging White Gays in Activism 34:51 Holding Elected Officials Accountable 39:35 Changing the Narrative: Engaging Elected Officials 41:01 Better Teamwork 42:25 The Need for Aggressive Political Strategy 43:22 Fighting Back: The Role of Incumbents and Challengers 44:47 The Importance of Differentiation in Political Messaging 47:59 The Role of Social Media in Political Discourse 50:54 Social Media's Role 53:29 Interpersonal Communication: The Antidote to Misinformation 54:31 Masculinity and Identity: Backed Potato & Gollum 01:00:18 The Call to Action: Voting and Community Engagement 01:02:50 Brandy...where you going girl? 01:08:13 Curiositea: Brian Sims Part 2 01:28:30 Agenda PAC 01:30:18 Benediction 01:31:33 Personal Reflections and Future Plans  

If this episode is appearing twice, it's because the Spotify feed was acting up. Apologies and hey... you get to hear Brian Sims, twice! - Yo Aunteas!   Yo Aunteas are joined once again by Brian Sims — activist, former Pennsylvania State Representative, and CEO of Agenda PAC. Brian breaks down how Agenda PAC is using AI to identify and defeat the most dangerous bigots in America, why local elections matter more than ever, and how queer communities can reignite political hope amid burnout and misinformation. The group gets real about why the Democratic party refuses to "play dirty", and Brian delivers a sharp call to action for allies—especially white gay men—who have been conspicuously silent while our rights are under attack. Of course, the Aunteas also serve the cultural tea, breaking down the drama behind Brandy walking off stage during the long-awaited Brandy & Monica tour. Finally, Brian returns for "Curiositea Part Two" , sharing his hobbies, his Drag Race Mount Rushmore , and the sweet story behind the last song he played . (Dawon is out this week, but sends his love from London! ) So, get them cups readyyyy!!   Tea Stamps: 00:00 Pop Culture Moments 01:26 Agena PAC's Brian Sims 09:52 Communitea Bulletin Board: Sam Smith 11:23 The Importance and Urgency of Voting 14:43 Identifying and Challenging Bigotry 21:46 The Role of Allies in Advocacy 25:00 Finding Hope Amidst Fatigue 29:10 Engaging White Gays in Activism 34:51 Holding Elected Officials Accountable 39:35 Changing the Narrative: Engaging Elected Officials 41:01 Better Teamwork 42:25 The Need for Aggressive Political Strategy 43:22 Fighting Back: The Role of Incumbents and Challengers 44:47 The Importance of Differentiation in Political Messaging 47:59 The Role of Social Media in Political Discourse 50:54 Social Media's Role 53:29 Interpersonal Communication: The Antidote to Misinformation 54:31 Masculinity and Identity: Backed Potato & Gollum 01:00:18 The Call to Action: Voting and Community Engagement 01:02:50 Brandy...where you going girl? 01:08:13 Curiositea: Brian Sims Part 2 01:28:30 Agenda PAC 01:30:18 Benediction 01:31:33 Personal Reflections and Future Plans  

Max and Evan are joined by Journalist and BOFCA member, Andrew Crump. First, they discuss Jane Schoenbrun's new adaptation of Black Hole and Stranger Things. Then, Keanu Reeves movies, minus John Wick and The Matrix. Stay tuned after the credits for What You've Been Watching, as the guys discuss HIM, John Woo movies, and Little Amelie.  Chapters 00:00 Introduction and Guest Introduction 03:58 Discussion on Jane Schoenbrun's Upcoming Projects 09:39 Stranger Things and Its Cultural Impact 17:30 Keanu Reeves: A Look at His Filmography 27:14 Exploring Keanu's Lesser-Known Films 35:11 Keanu's Acting Style and Public Persona 40:58 The Impact of Celebrity Reputation 43:23 Consumerism and Celebrity Influence 45:52 Contrasting Celebrity Personas 48:36 Exploring Keanu Reeves' Filmography 52:40 Diving into Keanu's Lesser-Known Roles 57:51 The Complexity of Keanu's Characters 01:03:41 Personal Reflections on Keanu Reeves 01:08:33 Recent Movie Recommendations 01:13:45 John Woo's Cinematic Legacy 01:19:11 Exploring New Releases and Animation Website: https://itsthepictures.libsyn.com/ itsthepictures.substack.com Download the episode today, and find us on Bluesky, Instagram, and Letterboxd.  Like the show? Review us on iTunes! We are also available on Stitcher, Spotify, and Letterboxd.  Opening: "The Fire" by Dan_Mantau (c) 2022 - http://ccmixter.org/files/Dan_Mantau/64603 Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution Noncommercial (3.0) Closing: Pixie Pixels (featuring Kara Square) by spinningmerkaba (c) copyright 2016 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution Noncommercial (3.0) license. http://dig.ccmixter.org/files/jlbrock44/53778  Additional comments? Email us: itsthepictures@gmail.com    

Empowering Women: A Journey from Food Stamps to Fortunes with Yvonne on The Samantha Parker ShowIn this episode of The Samantha Parker Show, Samantha welcomes Yvonne, a serial entrepreneur and family nurse practitioner, to discuss her remarkable journey from her early beginnings at Intermountain Healthcare to now owning multiple businesses, including a med spa, a training institute, and a national conference. Yvonne shares insights on the importance of mindset, overcoming limiting beliefs, and embracing one's true calling. Delving into her personal story, she talks about her spiritual experiences, her ambition to impact millions of women's lives, and the importance of self-love and service. Yvonne also provides a glimpse into her upcoming 'Her Success Summit,' a transformative event aimed at empowering women to achieve their dreams.00:00 Welcome to the Samantha Parker Show00:31 Meet Yvonne: The Serial Entrepreneur01:53 Yvonne's Journey in Medicine and Business05:42 Empowering Women: Yvonne's Mission08:59 Personal Reflections and Spiritual Insights17:48 Morning Routines and Self-Care22:34 Cheerleading and Early Morning Motivation22:49 Struggles and Overcoming Challenges23:02 Inviting Friends to Fitness Classes23:48 Daily Routine and Personal Assistant25:23 Managing Energy and Tasks29:22 Spiritual Experiences and Self-Reflection33:40 Manifestation and Life's Purpose39:21 Her Success Summit and Future Plans42:13 Conclusion and Contact InformationYvonnes Event HER Success Summit: https://thebestofyvonne.com/her-registrationYvonne Dellos Linktree to her Book and Instagram: https://tr.ee/4M5cOrZKgKStep into Your Sober Era! Are you ready to embrace a life of clarity and empowerment? ✨ Check out Sam's Sober Club on Substack for journals, tips, community and more [Subscribe Now ➔] Sam's Sober CLUB | Samantha Parker | Substack Want to Work with The Samantha Parker for Content Management CLICK HERE Follow me on TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@samanthaparkershow YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@thesamanthaparker Instagram https://www.instagram.com/thesamanthaparker/

In this episode of 'The Jiu-Jitsu Mindset,' the host reunites with Professor Chris Burns for a deeply philosophical and candid conversation. They explore the varied journey of Professor Chris, from his struggles with an early disjointed life to finding solace and passion in Jiu-Jitsu. Chris discusses overcoming skepticism, personal and professional failures, and the transformative power of therapy. He shares insights on the importance of invisible Jiu-Jitsu, his journey through self-imposed trials, and learning valuable life lessons from influential figures like Hickson Gracie. This episode sheds light on how Chris balances family life, the role of social media in amplifying his voice, and hints at exciting future endeavors.   00:00 Introduction and Electromagnetic Therapy 01:01 Philosophical Framework: The Hero's Journey 02:03 Joseph Campbell and the Power of Myth 02:31 Personal Reflections on Religion and Unity 04:30 The Call to Adventure and Personal Growth 06:44 The Role of Community and Connection 10:10 The Hero's Journey in Practice 16:01 Challenges and Trials in the Hero's Journey 30:05 Mentorship and Learning from Hickson 41:17 Dealing with Rejection and Setting Boundaries 42:01 The Importance of Therapy and Self-Worth 42:53 Facing Financial Struggles and Sacrifices 44:21 Trials and Tribulations in a New Town 45:50 The Hero's Journey and Personal Growth 51:47 The Role of Mentors and Father Figures 53:30 The Struggle for Authenticity in Martial Arts 01:06:16 Making Tough Decisions and Setting Boundaries 01:17:03 Reflecting on Partner and Family Choices 01:18:13 Navigating Life Changes and Relocation 01:19:29 Adjusting to Life in Australia 01:20:40 Embracing Fatherhood and Identity 01:23:29 The Philosophy of Jiu-Jitsu 01:29:00 Teaching and Preserving Jiu-Jitsu 01:33:01 Challenges and Acceptance in Jiu-Jitsu 01:36:38 The Essence of Invisible Jiu-Jitsu 01:41:14 Balancing Strength and Technique 01:51:52 Personal Growth and Jiu-Jitsu's Core Principles 01:54:21 The Purpose of Exercise 01:54:41 Holistic Approach to Life 01:55:19 The Legacy of Gracie Jiu-Jitsu 01:56:54 Personal Journey and Challenges 01:57:49 The Role of Social Media 01:58:14 Hero's Journey and Self-Reflection 02:03:25 Teaching and Sharing Knowledge 02:19:08 Interdependence and Collaboration 02:23:24 Future Plans and Goals 02:24:54 Concluding Thoughts

EPISODE DESCRIPTION: Doro Pesch, the legendary Metal Queen and trailblazer for women in heavy metal, joins Metal Mayhem ROC for an electrifying conversation about her incredible career. From her early days with Warlock to her latest powerhouse release, Warriors of the Sea, Doro reflects on her lifelong dedication to metal, life on the road, her creative process, and her iconic collaborations with Gene Simmons, Lemmy Kilmister, and others. She also reveals the inspiration behind the new album's nautical concept and gives fans an exclusive look at her innovative new vinyl edition — proof that after four decades, Doro's passion for metal still burns brighter than ever! Chapters 00:00 – Introduction to Doro Pesch 02:27 – New Jersey Connections and Album Insights 03:52 – The Metal Spirit and Fan Dedication 05:35 – German Metal Scene and Personal Background 10:05 – Women in Metal and Industry Impact 13:56 – Recent Collaborations and Performances 16:29 – New Album and Unique Vinyl Release 25:36 – Touring Plans and Future Projects 27:49 – Personal Reflections and Closing Remarks LINKS:

On this episode of Gov Tech Today, host Jennifer Saha sits down with Amy Tong, Senior Counselor to the Governor of California, to discuss groundbreaking efforts in government efficiency and transformation. Tong shares insights about her role and the state's 'E3' initiative, which stands for Efficient, Effective, and Engaged government. With a focus on challenges ranging from budget constraints to the integration of cutting-edge technology, this conversation unveils how California aims to create a lasting legacy of innovation and efficiency in public service. Key themes include the role of middle management in driving change, the necessity of grounding technological solutions in everyday operational needs, and the importance of industry partnerships. 00:00 Introduction and Guest Welcome00:24 Amy Tong's Role and Responsibilities01:01 Government Efficiency and Challenges07:01 Middle Management and Innovation09:56 Tech Solutions and Proof of Concept15:10 Philanthropy and State Budget16:40 California's Budget Challenges and Opportunities17:36 Creativity in Times of Financial Strain18:53 The Role of Industry Partners21:32 Personal Reflections and Future Plans25:20 Favorite and Least Favorite Jobs in Government29:36 Efficiency and Modernization in Government30:55 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

Panic less, enjoy more - treat time well and it will treat you well. Humans have a difficult relationship with time. Sometimes just a birthday can lead to spiralling mental health. Yet time is the medium of existence that gives us all the experiences that make life so great. Of course, time also ages us and ultimately robs us of everything we ever have and ever loved. With the right mindset we can enjoy it and use it wisely. We cover: How to think differently about time itself Learn how to be less frustrated by things we can't control Questions to diagnose your relationship with time Experience deeper awareness Life is short but we can be the pilot of our experiences or dragged along in a rush feeling crushed by the weight of everything. This episode should help reduce the storm and increase the calm. Influence the Show Meet me - ⁠Free call⁠ Feedback - ⁠Request and Ideas Form⁠ Growth Mindset pod Sam Webster explores the psychology of happiness, satisfaction, purpose, and growth through the lens of self-improvement. Watch - ⁠YouTube (Growth Mindset)⁠ Mail - GrowthMindsetPodcast(at)gmail.com Insta - ⁠SamJam.zen⁠ Newsletter - ⁠Explosive Thinking⁠ Chapters 00:00 Introduction: The Philosophy of Play 00:19 Embracing Aging and Happiness 00:48 A Personal Reflection on Turning 30 02:39 The Fear of Aging: Breaking It Down 03:52 Confronting the Fear of Death 05:20 Accepting Physical Changes 07:08 Managing Expectations in Life 07:50 The Power of Storytelling 08:19 Living as an Artist of Your Life 09:43 Conclusion: Seize the Day Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What happens when curiosity meets courage? In this inspiring conversation, Amy Sylvis reconnects with her former USC professor, Dr. Paul Frommer,  linguist, educator, and creator of the Na'vi language for Avatar. From astrophysics to the Peace Corps to Hollywood, Dr. Frommer's story is one of bold pivots, lifelong learning, and a deep sense of purpose. He shares lessons from his global journey, teaching in Malaysia, studying Persian in Iran, inventing a language for the world's most successful film, and reminds us that abundance isn't about possessions, but about truth, beauty, love, and authenticity.This episode invites you to rediscover who you are, follow opportunity even when it scares you, and live abundantly through contribution and curiosity.Connect with Dr. Paul Frommer!pfrommer@marshall.usc.eduConnect with Amy Sylvis:https://www.linkedin.com/in/amysylvis/Contact Us:https://www.sylviscapital.comhttps://www.sylviscapital.com/webinar00:00 Introduction 01:29 Meet Dr. Paul Frommer01:52 Reconnecting After Years04:39 Dr. Frommer's Journey Begins07:31 Creating the Navi Language for Avatar10:25 Teaching in Malaysia18:08 Linguistic Talents and Early Influences19:39 A Year in Iran22:15 Reflecting on Opportunities and Support22:48 Influence on Dissertation and Academic Contributions24:11 Creating the Navi Language for Avatar26:43 Challenges and Joys of Language Creation28:55 Community and Evolution of the Na'vi Language36:14 Personal Reflections on Abundance and Life

In this episode of The Winston Marshall Show, I sit down with Tal Hartuv, Israeli author, educator, and survivor of a brutal terror attack, for one of the most powerful and personal conversations I've ever had.Tal recounts surviving a jihadist knife attack in Jerusalem that took the life of her Christian friend, and reflects on what it means to face pure evil and live to tell the story. She explains why she refuses to forgive her attacker, who has since been freed under the latest Gaza hostage deal, and what that decision says about justice, mercy, and the moral decay of the modern West.We discuss the October 7 massacre, the hypocrisy of Western elites who condemn Israel while excusing terrorism, and the cultural sickness that treats murderers as victims and victims as villains. This is a warning to the West about what happens when it loses the courage to name evil.-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Get early access to interview and watch ad free here: https://www.winstonmarshall.co.uk/p/surviving-a-jihadist-attack-the-ideology?r=18lfab&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------FOLLOW ME ON SOCIAL MEDIA:Substack: https://www.winstonmarshall.co.uk/X: https://twitter.com/mrwinmarshallInsta: https://www.instagram.com/winstonmarshallLinktree: https://linktr.ee/winstonmarshall----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Chapters 0:00 Introduction 4:53 Details of the Attack19:27 Aftermath and Legal Consequences23:47 Media and Public Perception26:47 Personal Reflections and Emotional Impact28:02 The Role of Forgiveness and Moral Obligation40:37 The Role of Tommy Robinson and Public Perception1:12:21 The Broader Context of the Conflict1:12:37 The Importance of Community and Support Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Flower Farmer Forum Conference: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rHVg-R6xh_0Flowers Bloom Anyway Waitlist: https://www.lizfiedlermergen.com/authorDr. Liz Fiedler Mergen of Sunny Mary Meadow in Central Minnesota presents a solo episode focused on her 'Fertilizer Framework,' a concept that emphasizes growth through interconnected and symbiotic business elements. Liz discusses the non-linear progression and deep integration of services in her agritourism business, which includes a flower farm, retail shop, workshops, and speaking engagements. She shares insights from her journey, reflecting on how personal experiences, particularly the loss of her first husband, have shaped her business ethos. The episode also highlights her upcoming book, 'Flowers Bloom Anyway,' and details about the 2026 Flower Farmer Forum Conference aimed at fostering community and growth among flower farmers. Listeners are encouraged to focus on sustainable business practices and to join the waitlist for her book and the conference.00:00 Introduction to Rotted Agritourism00:19 A Different Episode: Solo Talk01:04 The Fertilizer Framework05:26 Personal Reflections and Growth09:14 Upcoming Events and Opportunities11:55 Conclusion and Final ThoughtsPodcast Website: https://www.sunnymarymeadowcoaching.com/rootedagritourismPodcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rootedagritourism/Business Coaching: https://www.sunnymarymeadowcoaching.com/Farm Website: www.sunnymarymeadow.comFarmerstoFlorists: https://www.farmerstoflorists.com/Farm Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sunnymarymeadow/Podcast Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/888196709178852

The Book and Its Premise (Order Eric's new Book HERE!) Under Siege is presented as Eric Trump’s account of what is “the greatest governmental corruption this nation has ever seen.” Trump and is family were victims of political persecution, media bias, and systemic weaponization of institutions. Claims of Government “Weaponization” Eric Trump accuses the DOJ, FBI, and state-level prosecutors (Letitia James, Alvin Bragg, Jack Smith, etc.) of targeting his family for political reasons. He recounts the FBI raid on Mar-a-Lago as an overreach and describes it as “staged” and politically motivated. Mentions being “the most subpoenaed man in history,” claiming to have received over 100 subpoenas. Debanking and Corporate Retaliation Eric Trump says that hundreds of bank accounts belonging to Trump businesses and affiliates were closed due to political pressure. Specific banks named: Capital One, JP Morgan, Bank of America, First Republic. He frames this as an example of private-sector “weaponization” against conservatives. Financial and Legal Struggles The family spent around $400 million defending themselves from investigations and lawsuits. Describes how banks, courts, and insurance companies were allegedly pressured to avoid doing business with the Trump Organization. Personal Reflections and Family Dynamics Speaks warmly of his father as a calm, strong leader under pressure and a strict but loving parent. Emphasizes a childhood of discipline, work ethic, and learning through labor rather than wealth. Contrasts the Trump family’s “moral integrity” with Hunter Biden’s alleged misconduct. Political and Cultural Commentary Denounces DEI initiatives, “wokeness,” and progressive policies as threats to American values. Frames the Trump family’s experience as symbolic of a broader national struggle between conservatives and “corrupt elites.” Presents cryptocurrency as a form of financial freedom against institutional control. Please Hit Subscribe to this podcast Right Now. Also Please Subscribe to the 47 Morning Update with Ben Ferguson and The Ben Ferguson Show Podcast Wherever You get You're Podcasts. And don't forget to follow the show on Social Media so you never miss a moment! Thanks for Listening YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@VerdictwithTedCruz/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/verdictwithtedcruz X: https://x.com/tedcruz X: https://x.com/benfergusonshowYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@VerdictwithTedCruzSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In episode 465 of The Reformed Brotherhood, hosts Tony Arsenal and Jesse Schwamb explore Jesus's parable of the wheat and tares (weeds) from Matthew 13. This thought-provoking discussion examines Christ's startling teaching that good and evil will always coexist within the visible church until the end of time. The brothers carefully unpack the theological implications of Jesus's command not to separate wheat from weeds prematurely, challenging our natural tendency to judge others while offering wisdom about God's sovereign plan for final judgment. This episode wrestles with difficult questions about church purity, assurance of salvation, and how believers should approach the reality of false professors within Christ's church—providing biblical guidance for faithfully enduring in a mixed communion. Key Takeaways The Coexistence of True and False Believers: Jesus teaches that the visible church will always contain a mixture of genuine believers and false professors until the final judgment. The Danger of Premature Judgment: Christ explicitly warns against attempting to completely purify the church before the harvest (end of age) because doing so would damage the wheat (true believers). Proper Biblical Interpretation: Unlike some parables, Jesus provides a detailed allegorical explanation of this parable—the sower is Christ, the field is the world, the good seed represents believers, and the weeds are the sons of the evil one. The Challenge of Discernment: One of the most difficult theological pills to swallow is that it's often impossible to perfectly distinguish between true and false believers. Final Judgment as God's Prerogative: The separation of wheat from weeds is reserved for the angels at the end of the age, not for current church leaders or members. The Reality of False Assurance: Some professing Christians may have false assurance of salvation while genuinely believing they are saved. The Importance of Theological Integrity: Public theologians and pastors have a moral responsibility to be transparent about their theological convictions and changes in their beliefs. Deeper Explanations The Difficult Reality of a Mixed Church Jesus's teaching in the parable of the wheat and weeds directly challenges our natural desire for a perfectly pure church. By instructing the servants not to pull up the weeds lest they damage the wheat, Christ is establishing an important ecclesiological principle that will hold true until His return. This means that no matter how rigorously we apply church discipline or how carefully we examine profession of faith, we will never achieve a perfectly pure communion this side of eternity. The visible church—which can be understood as those who profess faith and are baptized—will always include both true and false believers. This reality should cultivate humility in how we approach church membership and discipline. Jesus isn't suggesting that all attempts at church purity are wrong (as other Scripture passages clearly call for church discipline), but rather that perfect purification is impossible and attempts at achieving it will inevitably damage true believers. This teaching directly refutes movements throughout church history (like Donatism) that have sought absolute purity in the visible church. The Problem of Discernment and Assurance One of the most challenging aspects of this parable is Christ's implicit teaching that true and false professors can appear nearly identical, especially in their early development. Like tares growing alongside wheat, false believers can profess orthodox doctrine, participate in church life, and exhibit what appears to be spiritual fruit. This creates profound implications for how we understand assurance of salvation. As Tony notes, while "assurance is the proper and rightful possession and inheritance of every Christian," there's also the sobering reality of false assurance. Some may sincerely believe they are saved when they are not, raising difficult questions about self-examination and spiritual discernment. This doesn't mean believers should live in perpetual doubt, but rather that we should approach assurance with both confidence in God's promises and healthy self-examination. True assurance must be grounded in the finished work of Christ rather than merely in our experiences or behaviors, while false assurance often lacks this proper foundation. The brothers wisely note that final judgment belongs to God alone, who perfectly knows who belongs to Him. Memorable Quotes "The visible church is set before us as a mixed body. Maybe everybody else's churches, but certainly not my church, like the one that I actually go to on the Lord's day. So it seems like there might be this shocking statement possibly that he has for us, whether you're Episcopalian or Presbyterian or independent or Baptist or Christian life assembly, whatever it is, that no matter what we do to purify the church, our churches, we're never gonna succeed in obtaining a perfectly pure communion." - Jesse Schwamb "I think that's what I find shocking. It is like a massive statement of reality that is at equal points totally sensible. And other times we would think, 'well, surely not in the church Lord, like of all the places, like aren't we talking about a kind of purity of your people?' ...and what I think he's striking at, which I do find a little bit wild, is that Jesus is essentially saying, at least to my ear, anything we try to do, even the purest preaching of the gospel, is not gonna prevent this in every age of the church." - Jesse Schwamb "I'm affirming that assurance is the proper and rightful possession and inheritance of every Christian." - Tony Arsenal Full Transcript Jesse Schwamb: Welcome to episode 465 of The Reformed Brotherhood. I am Jesse. Tony Arsenal: And I'm Tony. And this is the podcast with ears to hear. Hey brother. Jesse Schwamb: Hey brother. Guess what? It looks like you and I are taking another trip back to the farm on this episode. Tony Arsenal: Yes. For a couple episodes. Jesse Schwamb: For a couple episodes. Yeah. [00:01:01] Exploring Jesus' Parables in Matthew 13 Jesse Schwamb: Because what, Jesus will not stop leading us there. We're looking at his teachings, specifically the parables, and we're gonna be looking in Matthew chapter 13, where it seems like, is it possible that Jesus, once again has something very shocking for us to hear? That is for all the ages. 'cause it seems like he might actually be saying, Tony, that good and evil will always be found together in the professing church until the end of the world. Like in other words, that the visible church is set before a mixed body. I mean. Maybe everybody else chose churches, but certainly not my church, like the one that I actually go to on the Lord's day. So it seems like there might be this shocking statement possibly that he has for us, whether you're Episcopalian or Presbyterian or independent or Baptist or Christian life assembly, whatever it is, that no matter what we do to purify the church, our churches, we're never gonna succeed in obtaining a perfectly pure communion. Could that possibly be what Jesus is saying to us? I don't know what we're gonna find out. Tony Arsenal: We are. We are gonna find out. Jesse Schwamb: It's gonna be definitive. And if now that makes sense. If you don't even know why we're looking at Jesus' teachings, you could do us a favor even before you go any further. And that is just head on over in your favor, interwebs browser to or reform brotherhood.com, and you can find out all of the other episodes, all 464 that are living out there. There's all kinds of good stuff, at least we think so, or at least entertaining stuff for you to listen to. And when you're done with all of that in a year or two, then we'll pick it up right back here where we're about to go with some affirmations or some denials. [00:02:39] Affirmations and Denials Jesse Schwamb: So Tony, before we figure out what Jesus has for us in Matthew 13, in the parable of the weeds, or the tears, or the tears in the weed, what gets all of that? Are you affirming with, are you denying against, Tony Arsenal: I am denying. First of all, I'm denying whatever this thing is that's going on with my throat. Sorry for the rest of the episode, everyone. Um, I'm denying something that I, I think it is. How do I want to phrase this? Um, maybe I'll call it theological integrity, and maybe that's too strong of a word, but maybe not. So the listener who's been with us for a little while will remember that a while back. Um, you know, we've, we've talked about Matthew Barrett and he was a Baptist, uh, who's heavily involved in sort of the theology, proper controversies. He wrote Simply Trinity, which is just a fantastic book. He was a teacher or a professor at Midwestern, um, Baptist Theological Seminary. And he recently, um, uh, converted is not the right word. I hate calling it a conversion when you go from one faithful Bible tradition to another. But he recently, um, changed his perspective and joined the Anglican Church. And at the time I kind of, you know, I kind of talked about it as like, it's a little bit disappointing, like the reasons he cited. [00:03:57] Theological Integrity and Public Disclosure Tony Arsenal: Where I'm bringing this into a matter of sort of theological integrity. And it's not, it's not just Matthew Barrett. Um, there's other elements of things going on that I'll, I'll point to too is it's often the case when someone who is in some form of professional theological work or professional vocational ministry, that as they start to change perspectives, um, there comes to be like an inflection point where they should notify whoever it is that they are accountable to in that job or vocation, uh, uh, and then do the right thing and step down. Right? And so with Matthew Barrett, um. He continued to teach systematic theology at a Baptist Theological Seminary, which has a faith statement which he was obligated to affirm and hold in good faith. He continued to teach there for quite some time, if, you know, when he, when he published the timeline and he's the one that put all the timelines out there. So it's not like people had to go digging for this. Um, he continued to teach under contract and under that, that faith statement, um, for quite some time after his positions changed. I remember in college, um, sim very similar situation, one of my professors, um, and I went to a Baptist college. It was a General Baptist college. Um, one of my professors became Roman Catholic and for quite some time he continued to teach without telling anyone that he had converted to Roman Catholicism. Um. And I think that there's a, there's a, a level of integrity that public theologians need to have. Um, and it, it really makes it difficult when something like this happens to be able to say that this is not a moral failing or some sort of failure. Um, you know, James White has jumped on the bandwagon very quickly to say, of course we told you that this was the way it was gonna lead. That if you affirm the great tradition, you know, he was very quick to say like, this is the road to Rome. And I think in his mind, um, Canterbury is just sort of one, one stop on that trip. Um, it becomes very hard after the fact to not have this color and tarnish all of your work before. 'cause it starts to be questions like, well, when, when did you start to hold these views? Were you writing, were you, were you publicizing Baptist theology when you no longer believed it to be the truth? Were you teaching theology students that this is what the Bible teaches when you no longer thought that to be true? Um. Were you secretly attending Anglican services and even teaching and, and helping deliver the service when you were, you know, still outwardly affirming a Baptist faith statement. And the reason I, I'll point out one other thing, 'cause I don't want this to be entirely about Matthew Barrett, but there's a big, uh, hub glue going on in the PCA right now. Um, a guy named Michael Foster, who some of our audience will probably be familiar with, um, he and I have had our desktops in the past, but I think he and I have come to a little bit of a, of a uneasy truce on certain things. He, uh, went to work compiling a, a list and there's some problems with the data, like it's, it's not clean data, so take it for what it's worth. But he compiled a list of. Every publicly available church website in the PCA. So something like 1800 websites or something like that. Huge numbers. And he went and looked at all of the staff and leadership directories, and he cataloged all the churches that had some sort of office or some sort of position that appeared to have a, a woman leading in a way that the Bible restricts. And that more importantly, and starting to say it this way, but more importantly, that the PCA itself restricts. So we're not talking about him going to random church websites and making assessments of their polity. We're talking about a, a denomination that has stated standards for who can bear office and it's not women. Um. So he compiled this and people in the PCA are coming out of the woodwork to basically defend the practice of having shepherdess and deacons. There was one that he cataloged where, um, the website actually said, uh, that was the pastor's wife and the title was Pastor of Women. Um, and then as soon as it became public that this was the case, they very quickly went in and changed the title to Shepherd of Women or Shepherdess of Women or something like that. So it's, it's really the same phenomena, not commenting, you know, I think we've been clear where we stand on the ordination of female officers and things like that, but not that all that withstanding, um, when you are going to be a part of a body that has a stated perspective on something and then just decide not to follow it, the right thing to do the, the upstanding morally. Uh, in full of integrity move would be to simply go to another denomination where your views align more closely. PCA churches, it's not super easy, but it's not impossible to leave the PCA as an entire congregation and then go somewhere like the EPC, which is the Evangelical Presbyterian Church, which still on the spectrum of things is still relatively conservative, but is in general is in favor of, uh, female officers, elders, and diegans. So I, I think, you know, and you see this with podcasters, there was the big, there was a big fu and Les became a Presbyterian, and then when Tanner became a Presbyterian on the pub, I think it is, um, incumbent on people who do any form of public theology and that that would include me and Jesse when our views change. There comes a point where we need to disclose that, be honest about it, um, and not try to pretend that we continue to hold a view that we don't be just because it's convenient or because it might be super inconvenient to make a change. I don't even want to pretend to imagine the pressures, uh, that someone like Matthew Barrett would face. I mean, you're talking about losing your entire livelihood. I, I understand that from an intellectual perspective, how difficult that must be, but in some ways, like that kind of comes with the territory. Same thing with a pastor. You have a Baptist pastor or a Presbyterian pastor. It can go both ways, I think. I'm more familiar with Baptist becoming Presbyterians. I don't, I don't see as many going the other direction. But you have a, a Baptist pastor who comes to pay to Baptist convictions and then continues to minister in their church for, I've, I've seen cases where they continue to minister for years, um, because they don't, they don't have the ability to now just go get a job in a Presbyterian context because there's all sorts of, um, training and certification and ordination process that needs to happen. Um, so they just continue ministering where they are, even though they no longer believe the church's state of, you know, state of faith statement. So that's a lot to say. Like, let your yes be yes and your no be no, and when we really all boil it down. So I think that's enough of that. It, it just sort of got in my craw this week and I couldn't really stop thinking about it. 'cause it's been very frustrating. And now there are stories coming out of. Doctoral students that, um, that Barrett was teaching who have now also become Anglican. Um, so, you know, there starts to be questions of like, was he actively pros? I mean, this is like Jacob Arminius did this stuff and, and like the reform tradition would look down on it, where he was in secret in like sort of small group private settings. He was teaching convictions very different than the uni. I'm talking about Arminius now. Not necessarily Barrett. He was teaching convictions very different than the, the stated theology of the university he taught for, and then in public he was sort of towing the line. You have to ask the question and it is just a question. There's been no confirmation that I'm aware of, but you have to ask the question if that was what was going on with Barrett, was he teaching Baptist theology publicly and then meeting with, with PhD students privately and, and sort of convincing them of Anglican theology. I don't know. I'm not speculating on that, but I think it, the situation definitely right, brings that question to mind. It forces us to ask it. Um, and had he. Been transparent about his theological shifts sooner than that may not be a, a question we have to ask. Um, the situation may not be all that different, but we wouldn't have to ask the question. Jesse Schwamb: Yeah, that's totally fair. I mean, disclosure is important in lots of places in life and we shouldn't think that theological dis disclosure, especially like you're saying among our teachers, among our pastors, it is a critical thing. It's helpful for people to know when perspectives have changed, especially when they're looking to their leaders who are exhibiting trust and care over their discipleship or their education to express that difference. If there's been a mark, change it. It's worth it. Disclose, I'm guessing you don't have to over disclose, but that we're talking about a critical, we're talking about like subversive anglicanism, allegedly. Yeah. Then. It would be more than helpful to know that that is now shaping not just perspective, but of course like major doctrine, major understanding. Yeah. And then of course by necessary conviction and extension, everything that's being promulgated or proclamation in the public sphere from that person is likely now been permeated by that. And we'd expect so. Right. If convictions change, and especially like you're talking about, we're just talking about moving from, especially among like Bible believing traditions, just raise the hand and say loved ones, uh, this is my firm conviction now. Tony Arsenal: Yeah. Yeah. I think if someone walks up to you and says, do you think that we should baptize babies? And you're like, yeah, I think so. Then you probably shouldn't be teaching at a Baptist seminary anymore. Like, seems like a reasonable standard. And that seems to be what happened, at least for some period of time. Um, you know, and, and it, that's not to say like, I think, I think there are instances where the church, a given church or um, or a university or seminary or, or whatever the situation might be, can be gracious and recognize like, yeah, people's perspectives change and maybe we can find a way for you to continue to finish out the semester or, you know, we can bridge you for a little while until you can find a new, a new job. Um, you know, we'll, we'll only have you teach certain courses or we'll have a guest lecturer come in when you have to cover this subject that is at variance and like, we'll make sure we're all clear about it, but it doesn't seem like any of that happened. And that's, um, that's no bueno. So anyway, Jesse. What are you affirming and or denying Tonight? [00:13:43] Music Recommendations Jesse Schwamb: I'm just gonna go with something brief. I suppose this is an affirmation of me. I'm saying that like somewhat tongue in cheek, but maybe it's, wait, I'll rephrase. It's because this will be more humble. I'm affirming getting it right, even more than I thought. So I'm just gonna come back to the well and dip it into something that I mentioned on the last episode. So the keen listener, the up-to-date listener might remember. And if you're not up to date, uh, just let this be fresh for you. It'll, and I, it's gonna be correct because now I have posts, you know, I'm on the other side of it. I've clear hindsight. I am affirming with the album Keep It Quiet by Gray Haven, which I affirmed last week, but it came out on the same day that the episode released. And since you and I don't really like record in real time and release it like exactly as it's happening, I only did that with some, a little bit of reservation because I only heard they only released three songs in the album. And I thought I was overwhelmed that they were, they were so good that I was ready to jump in and loved ones. Oh, it, it turns out. I was so correct and it was, it's even better than I thought. So go check it out. It's Grey, GRE, YH, and they are, this is the warning, just because I have to give it out there and then I'll balance it with something else for something for everybody here today. So, gr Haven is music that's post hardcore and metal core. You're getting two cores for the price of one, if that is your jam. It has strong maleic sensibilities. It's very emotional, it's very experimental. But this new album, which is called, um, again, keep It Quiet, is like just a work of arts. It real like the guitar work is intricate haunting, lovely, and it's bold, like very intentional in its structure and very el loose in its construction. It's got hook driven melodies and it's got both heart and soft. It really is truly a work of art. So if you're trying to, to put it in your minds, like what other bands are like this? I would compare them to bands like, every Time I Die, Norma Jean, let Live Hail the Sun. If you just heard those as combinations of words that don't mean anything to you, that's also okay. No worries. But if you're looking for something different, if you're looking for something that's maybe gonna challenge your ear a little bit, but is like orchestral and has all of these metal core post hardcore, melodic, textured movements, there's no wasted notes in this album. It's really tremendous. If that's not your thing. I get, that's not everybody's thing. Here's something else I think would be equally challenging to the ear in a different way. And that is, I'm going back to one other album to balance things out here, and that's an album that was released in 2019 by Mark Barlow, who I think is like just. So underrated. For some reason, like people have slept on Mike Barlow. I have no idea why he put together an album with Isla Vista Worship called Soul Hymns, and it's like a distinct soul and r and b album of praise with like these really lovely like falsetto, harmonies. It's got these minimalistic instrumentation, warm keys, groove oriented percussion, like again, like these false soul driven melodies. It's contemplative. It's got a groove to it. This is also equally a beautiful album for a totally different reason. So I think I've given two very book-ended, very different affirmations, but I think there's something for everybody. So my challenge to your loved ones is you gotta pick one or the other. Actually, you could do both, but either go to Gray Havens, keep it quiet, or go to Mike Bellow's Soul hymns. I do not think you will be disappointed. There's something for everybody on this one. Tony Arsenal: Yeah, I, it was funny because as you were saying the names of those bands, I literally was thinking like Jesse could be speaking Swahili and I wouldn't know the difference. And then you, you, you know me well, yeah. Uh, I haven't listened to Gray Haven. Uh, I probably will give it a couple minutes 'cause that's how it usually goes with songs that meet that description. Uh, I can always tell that the music that Jesse recommends is good from a technical perspective, but I never really, I never really vibe with it. So that's okay. But I mean, lots of people who listen to our show do so check that out. If, if you ever. Want a good recommendation for music. Jesse is the pers so much so that he can recommend amazing music before it's even available and be a hundred percent correct, apparently. That's right. So Jesse Schwamb: affirm with me everybody, because turns out I was right. Uh, it was easy to be correct when of course I had all of that fair sightedness by being able to listen to those. Yeah, those couple of songs, it, this is a kind of album. Both of these, both of these albums. When I heard them, I reacted audibly out loud. There are parts of both of 'em where I actually said, oh wow. Or yeah, like there's just good stuff in there. And the older you get, if you're a music fan, even if you're not, if you don't listen to a lot of music, you know when that hook gets you. You know when that turn of melody or phrase really like hits you just, right. Everybody has that. Where the beat drops in a way. You're just like, yes, gimme, you make a face like you get into it. I definitely had that experience with both of these albums and because. I've listened to a lot of music because I love listening to music. It's increasingly rare where I get surprised where, you know, like sometimes stuff is just like popular music is popular for a reason and it's good because it's popular and it follows generally some kind of like well established roots. But with these albums, it's always so nice when somebody does something that is totally unexpected. And in these, I heard things that I did not expect at all. And it's so good to be surprised in a way that's like, why have I never heard that before? That is amazing. And both of these bands did it for me, so I know I'm like really hyping them up, but they're worth it. They're, they're totally worth it. Good music is always worth it. Tony Arsenal: Yeah. Yeah. I, uh, I think that is a good recommendation. I will check those out because, you know, you're a good brother. I usually do, and I trust your judgment even though it, you'll like the second one. Yes. Hopefully. Yeah. Yeah. Jesse Schwamb: You'll like the second one. Second one is like, just filled with praise and worship. And like, if, if you're trying to think, like say, here's how I'd couch the proper atmosphere for Mark Barlow's soul hymns you're having, you know, it's, it's a cold and chilly. A tal evening, the wind is blowing outside. You can hear the crisp leaves moving around on the pavement and the sun has gone down. The kids are in bed, the dinner dishes are piled up in the sink. But you think to yourselves, not tonight. I don't think so, and you just want that toneage to put on. You want that music as you dim the lights and you sit there to just hang out with each other and take a breath. You don't just want some kind of nice r and b moving music. You don't want just relaxing vibes. You want worshipful spirit filled vibes that propel your conversation and your intimacy, not just into the marital realm, but into worship and harmony with the triune God. If you're looking for that album, because that situation is before you, then sol hymns is the music you're looking for. Tony Arsenal: See, I'm gonna get the, I'm gonna get the recommendations backwards and I'm gonna sit down with my wife with a nice like evening cup of decaf tea and I'm gonna turn the music on. Yes, it's gonna be like, yes. That was me screaming into the microphone. That was not good for my voice. Well, the good news is it's gonna, it's gonna wake the kids up. That's, I'm gonna sleep on the couch. That's, it's gonna be bad. That's, Jesse Schwamb: honestly, that's also a good evening. It's just a different kind of evening. It's true. So it's just keep it separated again, uh, by way of your denial slash affirmation. Tony disclosure, I'm just giving you proper disclosure. Everybody know your music KYM, so that way when you have the setting that you want, you can match it with the music that you need. So it's true. Speaking of things that are always worth it. [00:21:30] Parable of the Weeds Jesse Schwamb: I think the Bible's gotta be one of those things. Tony Arsenal: It's true. Jesse Schwamb: And this is like the loosest of all segues because it's like the Sunday school segue into any topic that involves the scriptures. We're gonna be in Matthew 13, and how about we do this? So this is one of these parables and in my lovely ESV translation of the scriptures, the, we're just gonna go with the heading, which says the parable of the weeds. You may have something different and I wanna speak to that just briefly, but how do we do this, Tony? I'll hit us up with the parable and then it just so happens that this is one of the parables in the scripture that comes with an interpretation from our savior. It's true. How about you hit us up with the interpretation, which is in the same chapter if you're tracking with us, it's just a couple verses way. Does that sound good? Tony Arsenal: Let's do it. Jesse Schwamb: Okay. Here is the parable of the weeds. Jesus puts another parable before them saying The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sewed good seed in his field. But while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sewed weeds among the weeds and went away. So when the plants came up and bork rain, then the weeds also appeared, and the servants of the master of the house came and said to him, master, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have weeds? He said to them, an enemy has done this. So the servant said to him, then, do you want us to go and gather them? Then he said, no. Lest in gathering the weeds, you root up the wheat along with them, but let them grow together until the harvest and at harvest time, I will tell the reapers, gather the weeds first, and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn. Tony Arsenal: Alright, so then jumping down. To verse 36. We're still in Matthew 13, he says, then he left the crowds and went into the house and his disciples came to him saying, explain to us the parable of the weeds of the field. He answered, the one who sows the good seed is the son of man. The field is the world, and the good seed is the sons of the kingdom. The weeds are the sons of the evil one, and the enemy who sowed them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are the angel. Just as the weeds are gathered and burned with fire, so will it be at the end of the age, the son of man will send his angels and they will gather out of his kingdom, all that, all causes of sin in all lawbreakers and throw them into the fiery furnace. It is that in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their father. He who has ears let him hear. Jesse Schwamb: So let me start with just like a little bit of language here, which I've always loved in this passage because where else in like the contemporary context, do you get the word tear? Yeah. Aside if you're like using a scale, and that's a totally different definition. I like this. I like the word tear. It force, it forces to understand that what's common to our ear, why that's being used, it often is translated weed. Here's just like my, my little like linguistic addition to the front end of our discussion and is the reason I like it is because here does have a specific definition. If like you were to look this up in almost any dictionary, what you're gonna find is it's like a particular type of weed. It's actually like an injurious weed that is indistinguishable in its infant form from the outgrowing of green. So I like that because of course that is exactly why. Then there's all this explanation of why then to not touch anything in the beginning because one, it causes damage to it looks like everybody else. I just thought I'd put that out there as we begin our discussion. Tony Arsenal: Yeah, yeah. You know, I, um, I am a homeowner and I don't own the land that I'm on, but I'm responsible for the land that I'm on. And we have this really gnarly weed problem. There's this, uh, sort of floor growing, uh, carpeting weed called, uh, I think it's called like a carpeting knob, head weed or something like that. Some really descriptive thing. And I went out there the other day and there's really nothing you can do about this other than to rip it up. But I went out there the other day to start to pull some of it up and it totally wrecks the yard. Like it totally pulls up the grass, it destroys the sod. And when you're done, this is why it's kind of nice that I don't have, I'm not responsible for the land as I'm not gonna have to pay to resod the land. But when you're done pulling up this weed, you have to resod the whole place. You have to regrow all the grass because it, first, it takes over for the grass, and then when you rip it up, it rips the roots of the grass up as well. And so this parable, um, on one level is immediately obvious, like what the problem is, right? The situation is such. That the good, uh, the good sower, right? He's a good sower. He knows what he's doing. He understands that simply ripping up the weeds. Even if you could distinguish them right, there's this element that like at an early stage, they would be very difficult, if not impossible to distinguish from, uh, from wheat. Even if you could distinguish them, you still wouldn't be able to pull up the weeds and not do damage to the grain. And so we, we have this sort of like, um, conflict if you wanna follow like literary standards, right? We have this conflict and as we come to sort of the climax of this, of this plot is when all of a sudden we see that, that the problem needs a resolution and there is a resolution, but it's not necessarily what we would think it would be. Jesse Schwamb: Yeah, I think that's what I find shocking. It is like a massive statement of reality that is that like equal points or equal times totally sensible. And other times we would think, well why surely not in the church Lord, like of all the places, like aren't we talking about a kind of purity of your people, the very people that you're assembling together, the chief of which is Christ and the apostles being the building stones and Christ of course being the cornerstone. And I, I think that's what I find and I wonder the people hearing this, if they thought like, well, surely Lord, that not be the case like you are bringing in and ushering in this new kingdom. Isn't this new kingdom gonna be one of absolute purity? And, and what I think he's striking at, which I do find a little bit wild, is that Jesus essentially saying, at least to my ear, anything we try to do, even like the purest preaching of the gospel, is not gonna prevent this in every age of the church. The same state of the things that's existed in that is in the time of the early fathers. In the first century, and the church as it stands right now in the land and the time of the reformers, and of course with the best ministers at this hour right now and on your next Lord's day, and everyone after that, there is always and ever will be a visible church or a religious assembly in which the members are not all wheat. Yeah. And then I like what you're saying. It's this idea that. There's a great harm that's gonna come about if you try to lift them up because you cannot tell. So, and this is what's hard, I think this does influence like how we interact with people online. Certainly how we interact with people in our own congregations, but we are going to have no clear convicted proofs. We might only have like probable symptoms if we're really trying to judge and weigh out to discern the weeds from the weeds, which at most can only give us some kind of conjectural knowledge of another state. And that is gonna sometimes preemptively judge cause us to judge others in a way that basically there's a warning against here. It, it's, it's not the right time. And ba I think mainly from the outside where I find like this parable coming together, if there's like maybe a weird Venn diagram of the way Christians read this and the way unbelievers hear this, the overlap between them is for me, often this idea of like hypocrisy and you know. When people tell me that the church is full of hypocrites, either like Christian or non-Christian, but typically that's a, a, you know, statement that comes from the non-Christian tongue. When people say that the church is full of hypocrites, I do with a little bit of snark, say it's definitely not full of hypocrites. There are always room for more in the church and, and there's like a distinction of course between the fact that there is hypocrisy in the Christian or whether the Christian is in fact or that person is a hypocrite. So like when I look through the scriptures, we see like Pharaoh confessing, we see Herod practicing, we see Judas preaching Christ Alexander venturing his life for Paul. Yeah, we see David condemning in another, what he himself practiced and like hezeki glorifying and riches Peter. Doing all kinds of peter stuff that he does, and even all the disciples forsaken Christ, an hour of trouble and danger. So all that to say, it goes back to this like lack of clear, convicted proofs that I think Jesus is bringing forward here, but only probable symptoms. And I'm still processing, of course, like the practicality of what you're saying, Tony, that in some ways it seems like abundantly clear and sensible that you should, you're, you're gonna have a problem distinguishing. But our human nature wants to go toward distinguishing and then toward uprooting sometimes. And the warning here is do not uproot at the improper time. And in fact, it's not even yours to uproot because God will send in the laborers to do that at the time of, of harvest. And so there will be weeds found among the wheat. It's just like full stop statement. And at the same time it's warning, do not go after them now. Tony Arsenal: Yeah, I, I'm sure this, um, I, I'm sure this will spill over into a second conversation, but we, I think we have to talk a little bit about the interpretation here before we, before we even like talk more about the parable itself, because if you're not careful, um, and, and. I need to do a little bit more study on this, but it, it's interesting because Matthew almost seems to want you to sort of blend these parables together a little bit. Jesse Schwamb: Yes. Tony Arsenal: Right. These, these, there's three, um, there's three, maybe four if you count the parable of the treasure in the field. But there's three agricultural parables that have to do with sowing seed of one, of, one way or another. And in each one the seed is something different. And I, it almost seems to me. And then on top of that, the parables are like interwoven within each other. So like right smack in the middle of this, we have the parable. Uh, is given. Then the next parable of the mustard seed, which we're gonna talk about in a future episode, is given, and then the explanation of this parable of the tears is given. Um, and so we have to talk a little bit about it and sort of establish what the seed is, because we just spent three weeks talking about the seed in the par of the sower. Um, or the parable of the, of the soils. And in that parable, the seed was the word of God in this parable. And this is where I think sometimes, um, and again, this is like the doctrine of election in parable form, right? Yes. I think sometimes we read this and we, we misstep because the seed is not, uh, is not the word of God in this. The seed is the believers. Jesse Schwamb: Yes. Tony Arsenal: Right. So the good seed is sewn into, uh, into the field, which, you know, I think maybe there'll be some, we, we can save this for, for next week. But a little sneak peek is, it's not always clear exactly what the field is. Right. And I think we often, we often talk about the field as though it's the church that doesn't necessarily align a hundred percent with how Christ explains the parable. So we'll have to, we'll have to talk through that a little bit. I affirm that it is the church in, in a, a broad sense. Um, but, but the, the way that Christ explains it slightly different, but the, the seed is sewn into the world. The sons of the kingdom of heaven are sowed into the, into the world. And then the seed of the enemy, the bad seed, is the sons of the devil that's also sewn into the world. And so these two seeds grow up next to each other. If we think about the seed here as though it's the word of God, rather than the, the actual believers and unbelievers that elect in the ate, we're gonna make some missteps on how we understand this because we're not talking about, um, the, the seed being, you know, doctrine being sewn into the world. And some of it grows up good and some of it grows up bad or good doctrine and bad doctrine. We're talking about the believers themselves. Sorry, Jesse is mocking my rapid attempt to mute before I cough, which I, I did. That was pretty good. Jesse Schwamb: Yeah, that was, that was pretty good. Listen, this is real. Podcasting is how it goes. Yeah, I'm with you. Thank you for pulling out that distinction. 'cause it is critical. We, we have some overlap of course, with Jesus being really ascribed as the farmer, the son of man, right. He's sowing this good seed, but not the word. It's believers or the sons of the kingdom. And it is into his field, which is the world. Part of that world of course, is necessarily the church, right? But while everybody's sleeping, this enemy, the devil, he comes, he sows weeds or unbelievers, the sons of the evil one among this weed, they grow, go up together. And of course, like if I were servants in this household, I'd ask the same thing, which was like, should we get the gloves out? Yeah. Just pull those bad boys out. Like and, and so again, that's why I find it very so somewhat shocking that. It's not just, you could see like Jesus saying something like, don't worry about it now because listen, at the end of all time when the harvest comes, uh, I'm gonna take care of it. Like it's just not worth it to go out now. Right. That's not entirely The reason he gives, the reason is lest they uproot the wheat by mistake. So this is showing that the servants who are coming before Jesus in the parable, in this teaching here to really volitionally and with great fidelity and good obedience to him to want to please him to do his will. He there, he's basically saying, you are not qualified to undertake this kind of horticulture because you're just not either skilled enough or discerning enough to be able to do it right. Tony Arsenal: Yeah. Yeah. And you know, I think, um. Maybe just a word of meth methodology too. Um, this parable also flies in the face of all of the, like, parables are not allegories, kind of kind of people. Um, and this is, we talked about this in our introductory episode. You have to take each parable for what it's worth, this parable very much is explained like a traditional allegory, right? Right. [00:35:39] Understanding the Parable's Symbols Tony Arsenal: It's got, it's got several different elements and Christ goes through and the first thing he does is tell you what each element represents, right? The sower is the son of man, the field is the word. The good seed is the sons of the kingdom of the weed. It's like, he's like clicking down all of the symbols and then he explains how all of it works together and like a good, all like a good allegory. Once you understand what each element and each symbol is, the rest of it actually is very self-explanatory, right? When you understand who's what in the parable. The outcome and the sort of the punchline writes itself as it were. And I think this is one of those parables that we would do. [00:36:18] Challenging Our Sensibilities Tony Arsenal: I think we would do well to sort of let marinate a little bit because it does challenge a lot of our sensibilities of what, um, what is real in the world, what is real in terms of our interaction with the world, right? What's real in terms of the role of unbelievers in the life of a Christian, um, whether we can identify who is or isn't an unbeliever. Um, I think we, you know, I, I'm not one of those people that's like, we should assume everyone's a Christian. And I'm certainly not one of those people who's like, we should assume nobody is a Christian. But I think there are a lot of times where we have figures either in public or people in our lives. Like personal acquaintances that have some sort of outward appearance. And, and that's like the key here that that distinction between weeds is a, is not a great translation as you said. Right. Because right. That distinction between wheat and weeds, to go to my analogy, like it's very clear what is grass and what is this like carpeting, knob weed. Like there's no, there's no doubt in my mind, which is the weed and which is the grass. Um, that's not what we're talking about here. And so it does, it does say here, I mean, it implies here that it's not going to be easy to distinguish the difference between exactly. The, a son of the kingdom and a son of the evil one. And I think that's a, that's a. A theological pill that is very difficult to swallow. Yes. [00:37:43] Personal Reflections on Identifying Christians Tony Arsenal: Because a lot of us, um, and this goes back to like what I, what we were saying in the last, the last parable, A lot of us were reared in our Christian faith on sort of this idea that like, you can check your fruit or you can check other people's fruits and you can determine, you can easily identify who's a Christian and who's not. I remember when I was in high school, you know, I got, I was converted when, when I was 15 and, um, I got to high school and it felt very easy to me to be able to identify the people who were play acting Christianity and the people who were real Christians. That felt like the most natural thing in the world to me. Um, it, it's an interesting story, but one of the people that I was absolutely sure was not a Christian. That he was just doing kinda civic Christianity. He was in confirmation 'cause his parents wanted him to. Um, and I had good reason to believe that at the time he was very worldly. He, he, um, did not seem to be serious about his faith at all. There was good reason to make the assessment that I did. And then I ran into him on Facebook like 15 years later and he's a pastor at the Lutheran Church and he's, you know, he loves the Lord Jesus Christ. And he would not explain it as though he had a later conversion story. It's not as though he would say like, well yeah, in high school I pretended to be a Christian. And then, you know, I got through college and uh, I really became like I got converted. He would, would grow this, or he would explain this as slow, steady growth from an immature state that knew the facts of the gospel and in a certain sense trusted that Jesus was his savior and didn't fully understand the ramifications of that. I mean, who did at 15 years old? Mm-hmm. Um. And, and that it was a slow, steady growth to the place that he's in now. [00:39:21] The Difficulty of Distinguishing Believers Tony Arsenal: So I, I think we should take seriously, and maybe this is the takeaway for this week at least, and we can, we can talk about it more, is we should take seriously the fact that the Sons of the Kingdom and the Sons of the evil one in this parable are not only inseparable without doing damage, but in many ways they are not easily distinguishable. Jesse Schwamb: Right. On. Tony Arsenal: Um, and that, that's a baked into the parable. And I think we do spend a fair amount of time and I, I'll. I'll throw myself on on this. You know, this, we, I'm not just saying we, um, we as a genuine statement, like I have participated in this. I'm sure that I still do participate in this sometimes intentionally. Other times, uh, subconsciously we spend a fair amount of time probably in our Christian lives trying to figure out who is a Christian who's not. And it's not as though that is entirely illegitimate, right? The, the, as much as we kind of poke at the, the, um, workers in this who sort of are kind of chumps, right? They're sort of like the idiots in this. They, they don't seem to know how this happened. They propose a course of action that then the master's like, no, no, that's not, that's not gonna work. They can tell the difference, right? They can see that some are weeds and some are are weeds, and they're asking, well, what do we do about it? But at the same time he is saying like, you're not really competent to tell the difference, Jesse Schwamb: right? On Tony Arsenal: a good, uh, a good. Competent farmer could probably go out and take all the weeds out. Just like a really good, I dunno, landscape technician, I'm not sure what you would call it. I'm sure someone could come into my yard and if I paid them enough money they could probably fix this knobby grass, weed, whatever it is. Um, infestation. They could probably fix it without damaging the lawn. Like there are probably people that could do it. I am not that competent person and the workers in this are not that competent person. And I would say by and large in our Christian life, we are not that competent person to be able to identify who is and who isn't, um, a Christian who is or isn't a son of the kingdom versus a son of the devil. Jesse Schwamb: And there's sometimes like we just get history reprised, or it's like, again, the same thing microwaved over and served to you three or four times as leftovers. So it's also gonna remember like any as extension that like any attempt to like purify the church perfectly, and this has happened like donatism in the fourth century I think, or even like now, certain sectarian movements are completely misguided. Yeah. And Jesus already puts that out ahead of us here. It's almost like, do not worry what God is doing because God again is, is doing all the verbs. So here's a question I think we should discuss as we, we move toward like the top of the hour. And I think this is interesting. I don't know if you'll think it's interesting. I, I kind of have an answer, but I, I'll post it here first. [00:42:01] Visible vs. Invisible Church Jesse Schwamb: So the setup like you've just given us is two things. One, we got the visible church, we talk about the visible church. I think a lot across our conversations. Yeah. And we might summarize it, saying it's like the community of all who profess faith, maybe even the community of all who are baptized. Right. Possibly. Yeah. And it's going to include then necessarily as Jesus describes it here, true and false believers. So that's one group. Then we've got this invisible church, which as you said is the elect. Those who are known perfectly to God. So the good seed is those elect true believers. The weeds, then the weeds to me, or the tears, even better, they sound a lot like that. Second and third soils that we talked about previously to some, to some degree. I'm not, I'm not gonna lump them all in because we talked about receiving the word and it taking root, all that stuff, but to some degree, and also probably like a soil one. But here's, here's the way I would define them up and against or in contradistinction to the elector believers. They're the reprobate. They're false professors or they're children of the evil one. Now here's the question, Doni, Alex, I, I think this is very interesting. I'm trying to build this up for like more dramatic effect. 'cause now I'm worried it's not that good. The question is, I'm going to presume that this good seed, the elect, true to believers, the confidence of perseverance of the saints, the justification in sanctification of God's children is in fact though we at some points have our own doubts, it is made fully aware and known to the good seed. That is, we should have, as you and I have talked about before, the confidence that God has in fact saved his elect. So the question that on the other side is for the ta, do the tears always know that they are the tears? Tony Arsenal: Yeah, I mean, you know, I think, um, I've said this before and I, I mean it, and I think it takes probably more. More discussion than we have time for tonight. And and that's fine because we can do as many episodes on this as we want to. 'cause this is our show and you can't stop us actually. Jesse Schwamb: Correct. [00:43:56] Assurance of Faith and False Assurance Tony Arsenal: Um, I've said before that assurance is the proper and rightful possession and inheritance of every Christian. Jesse Schwamb: Amen. Tony Arsenal: Right. So I, I am not one to say that the technical terminology is that assurance is not of the essence of faith. Um, I think we have to be really careful when we say that it's not, but we have to be equally careful when we say that it is. Because if we say that assurance is of the essence of faith, then what that means is someone who doesn't have assurance, doesn't have faith. Um, the reason I say that we can say that is because there's a sense that that's true, right? If you don't believe you're saved, then you don't believe you're saved and you don't trust that you're saved. But that doesn't mean that you always have full awareness of that confidence. And, you know, I think, um, I think. I think you're, you're right that, um, it may not always be, let me put it this way. I, I think that we have to consider the entire life of a Christian when we're, when we're making that analysis. And in a certain sense, like, I'm not even sure we should be making that analysis. That's kind of the point of the, the, um, the parable here, or at least one of the points. But, um, when that analysis is made, we'll, we'll channel a little bit of RC sprawl. It's not as funny when he's actually, uh, gone. I don't really mean channel RC sprawl. We will, uh, speak in the tradition of RC sprawl, um, in the final analysis, whatever that means. Whenever that is. You have to consider the whole life of a Christian, the whole life of a believer. And so there may be times in the life of a believer where they don't possess that full assurance of faith or that that full assurance is weak or that it seems to be absent. But when we look at the entire life of a believer, um, is it a life that overall is marked by a confident trust, that they are in fact children of God? Um, that a confident, uh, a confident embracing of what the spirit testifies to their spirit, to, to borrow language from Romans, I think in, in the life of a true elect Christian, um, that with the perseverance of the saints, uh, with the persistence of the saints and the preservation of the saints, um, I think that yes, those who are finally saved, those who are saved unto salvation, if you wanna phrase it that way. They finish the race, they claim the prize. Um, that assurance will be their possession in their life as a Christian. Jesse Schwamb: Right on. Tony Arsenal: All of that to say, I think there are, are, there's a good case to be made for the fact that there is also people who have false assurance, right? And this is where it takes a lot more, you know, finagling and jockeying and theological explanation of how can we know we have true assurance versus false assurance. You know, it's kinda like that question, like, does an insane person know they're insane? Well, does a false, does someone with false assurance know that their assurance is false? I don't think, I don't think so. Otherwise, it wouldn't be false assurance. Um, if they knew it wasn't real assurance, then they wouldn't have any kind of assurance. So I, I think I agree with you at least where, where I think you're going is that we do have to, we do have to make some judgements. We have to look at our own life, right? Um, there is an element of fruitfulness in this parable, right? We'll talk about that. I, I think we'll get into that next week. But it's not as though this is entirely disconnected from the parable of the soils. Both of them have a very similar kind of. End point. [00:47:20] Final Judgment and Eschatology Tony Arsenal: At the end of all things, at the end of the harvest, when the end of the age comes, and the reapers, the angels are sent, what they're gathering up are fruitful Christians, right in the parable, he sends out the, it's funny be, I love my dispensational brothers and sisters, but in this parable, like the rapture is the rapture of the unbelievers, right? The angels go out and reap the unbelievers first. The, the weeds are bundled up and thrown into the fire, and then the, the fruitful wheat is gathered into the barns. Um, there is this delineation between the fruitless weeds and the fruitful wheat or the, the grain that has borne, you know, borne fruit. That is part of what the, the outward. Elements of this parable are, so we should talk about that more, of what is this trying to get at in terms of not just the difference between weeds and wheat and how that maps up to those who are in Christ versus those who are not in Christ, but also like what is this telling us about the, the end of the age eschatology. All of that's baked in here and we haven't even scratched the surface of that Jesse Schwamb: yet. Yeah, we, we, I, and we just can't, even on this episode, probably, you're right, we're gonna have to go to two so that, I guess it's like a teaser for the next one. I'm told they're with you. It's interesting. I've been thinking about that, that question a lot. And I do like what you're saying. You know, at the end here, it's almost as if Christ is saying at the time of harvest, things become more plain, more evident In the beginning. The chutes are gonna look really, really similar, and you're gonna go in and you're gonna think you're guessing properly or using your best judgment, and you're gonna get it wrong in the end when he sends out those who are harvesting. I liken this passage here in the explanation as you read to us starting in verse 36, how there's this comparison of heat and light. And so there is the heat and light of the fiery furnace into which, as you said, all of those who are the children of the enemy will be gathered up and burned. And then there's that contrast with in verse 43, then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their father. So there is like a reward that comes from the bearing of the fruit and that made evidence by a different type of heat and light. So I do struggle with this question because. It's easy to answer in some ways if we're defining the weeds in pirate or the tears in pirates as false professors typically. Let's say false professors of a nefarious kind, then it seems pretty plain that somebody, right, that the enemy has implanted certain people to stir up trouble with the intention to stir up trouble that is in fact their jam. Or they know that even if they're putting on heirs, that they're in fact play acting that the hypocrisy is purposeful and that it is part of like the missional efforts that they're doing to disrupt what God is doing in the world. So I might think of somebody like when we go, when we're looking in, um, Exodus, and we find that at least to some degree, all of Pharaoh's magicians can replicate everything that Moses is doing. Moses doing that by the power of God. But the magicians are so good and whatever means they're using, but they know, I presume they know they're not, they're not using Yahweh, they're not drawing their power or their influence from Yahweh. Tony Arsenal: Right? Jesse Schwamb: But it's so convincing to the people that Pharaoh is like, eh. Obviously I've seen that before because we just, we just did that here. Come back with your next trick until God flexes his mighty muscles in a really profound way, which cannot be replicated. And at some point there's a harvest that happens there. There's a separation between the two, those who are truly professing, the power that comes from God, the one true God, and those that are just replicating the cheap copy, the one that's just pure trickery and smoke and mirrors. So. That's an easy category. I'm with you. And I'm not saying that this is an invitation to bring the kind of judgment here that we've just spoken against. I'm not condoning this. What I do find interesting though is if the enemy is crafty, is it possible that they're always going to be forms of terror in the world that do feel that they have very strong conviction and belief about biblical things? Maybe there's, there's strong hobby horses or there are misguided directions here that pull us apart, that become distractions. Or maybe it's just even attitudes, uh, things that can be divisive, disruptive, derogatory that again, pull us away. For making the plain things, the main things and the main things, the plain things, which in some ways draws us back to like the whole purpose of you and I talking every week, which is we wanna get back to what the scripture teaches. We wanna follow the our Lord Jesus Christ very, very closely. I'm gonna clinging to the hymn of his rob as we walk through life so that we do not fall to those kind of false convictions. So I'm not, please hear me, loved ones. I'm not trying to call into question your faith as Tony just said. I am saying that there, this is kind of scary, just like we talked about. There are elements of the parables of the, of the soil that were equally scary. And so it's just in some ways to say, we gotta keep our heads not theological, swivel. We, we gotta be about the Lord's business, and we gotta be about understanding through prayer and study and communion with him, what it is that he wants to teach us in the purest way, knowing that the church itself and the world, of course, is never going to be entirely pure. At the same time, it is our responsibility to, as you already said, test for ourselves to understand what is that true gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. Because some tears are going to be maybe easy to identify and with without, you know, throwing too much shade or. I was gonna say spilling the TI don't think that works here, but I'm not young anymore, so I'm trying to use or or put on blast. Yeah. I'm looking at you Mormons or Jehovah's witnesses. Like it's, it's easier there to be like, yeah, right, this is wrong. It is a false profession, but we've just gotta be careful even in our own hobby, horses not deviates into ground. I think that doesn't preclude us from being children of the light and children of the kingdom, but can still be disruptive or uh, you know, just distracting. But either way, yeah. I think what's scary to me about this is exactly what you said, Tony, is, is could it be that there are people that are very sincere about the Christian faith, but are sincerely wrong? Tony Arsenal: Yeah. Jesse Schwamb: And what does that mean for God's elected purpose? What does that mean for our understanding of how to interact in our churches in the world? Does that make sense? Tony Arsenal: It does. And I'm not sure whether you were trying to set up the, what might be the first genuine reformed brotherhood cliffhanger, but you did. Because we're on minute 54 of a 60 minute podcast, and, uh, there's no way we're gonna get into that and not go for another 60 minutes. So, Jesse, I, I'm, I'm glad that we are taking our time. Um, I know that sometimes it's easy when you put out a schedule or you put out a sort of projected content calendar to feel like you have to stick to it. But I wanna give these parables, the time they deserve and the effort and the, uh, the, uh, study and the discussion that they deserve. And I think the questions you're posing here at the end of this episode are really, really important. And they are questions that this parable forces us to ask. Right, right. It's not as though we're just using this as a launching pad. Um. If the workers can't tell the difference between the, the seed and the, or the, the weeds and the weeds, it's reasonable to think that the weeds themselves may not be able to tell the difference. Right? The sons of the evil one, um, are probably not in this parable, are probably not the people like in the back, like doing fake devil horns, right? And like, you know, like there's, there's probably more going on that we need to unpack and, and we'll do that next week. Jesse Schwamb: I love it. So we've got some good stuff coming then, because we've gotta, this is like, do you ever remember when you were in, uh, you know, doing your undergraduate postgraduate work, you'd get like a topic or an assignment or a paper and you'd be super stoked about it and you start reaching it, be like, okay, researching it. And you'd be like, all right, I've got some good topics here. And then you get into it, you're like, oh, but I'm gonna have to talk about this. And Oh, like before I could talk, I'm gonna have to explain this. Sometimes when we get into these, as you and I have been talking, that's what it feels li