Podcasts about presbyterian

Allie Wrage's sermon for Sunday, June 14, 2026, at Myers Park Presbyterian Church in Charlotte, NC. Subtitles/closed captions for this video are available by clicking the “CC” button on the video player. Full sermon manuscripts can be found at myersparkpres.org/manuscripts.

#54 in our series, "The Book of Romans: A Theology of Hope"

From the "It Matters" sermon series. Preached by Mike Tiberi.

Martin Wagner June 14, 2026 Faith Presbyterian Church Birmingham, AL 

3rd Sunday after Pentecost/Pride Sunday; Sermon based on Matthew 9:35-10:8. Preached at The First Presbyterian Church of Brooklyn (https://linktr.ee/firstchurchbrooklyn). Podcast subscription is available at https://cutt.ly/fpcb-sermons or Apple Podcasts (https://apple.co/4ccZPt6), Spotify, Amazon, ....This item belongs to: audio/first-church-brooklyn-sermons.This item has files of the following types: Archive BitTorrent, Columbia Peaks, Item Tile, Metadata, PNG, Spectrogram, VBR MP3

Sunday Worship June 14th, 2026   “What You CAN Do” Acts 16:1-5 Rev. Tyler Dirks   Sermon Audio   Sermon Outline: Where & Who Do Emphasize Reflection Questions: Where (and who) do you regularly & joyfully choose to be (with)? What do you specifically and substantially enjoy about that particular environment (and community)? How does […] The post What You CAN Do appeared first on East Charlotte Pres.

Are Mormons Christian? It's a question that's sparked debates for generations, and now the Pentagon has unexpectedly weighed in. This week Frank and Dan discuss the Department of Defense's new list of recognized faith categories, which places The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints outside its Christian classifications while simultaneously removing atheists, humanists, pagans, and several other minority belief groups from the list altogether. Elsewhere, we discuss a Christian employee suing over a Pride flag at work, a Presbyterian debate over polyamory, a Colorado gubernatorial candidate's unbelievable personal claims, the rise of megachurch-run colleges, and a UFO religion's latest attempt to prepare humanity for alien contact. Plus a Pride Month conversation about whether churches belong at Pride events. Support the show! www.thankgodimatheist.com/donate

We welcome Darryl G. Hart back to Christ the Center to discuss Protestants and Patriots: Presbyterians in the Age of Revolution, published by the University of Notre Dame Press. Hart traces the transatlantic story of Presbyterianism from the Reformation through the age of revolutions, asking why Presbyterian polity so often became a political irritant in Britain, Ireland, North America, and beyond. The conversation ranges from Calvin's Geneva and the French Reformed connection to the Scottish Covenanters, the English civil wars, John Witherspoon, the American founding, the 1788 revision of the Westminster Confession, and contemporary debates over Christian nationalism. Along the way, Hart helps us see how questions of church government, civil authority, establishment, liberty, and public memory are bound up with the church's confession that Christ alone is head of his church. Watch on YouTube Chapters 0:00 Introduction and the road to episode 1,000 2:00 Protestants and Patriots and the Presbyterian question 3:10 The project's origins and teaching the big picture 5:12 Calvin's ecclesiastical ordinances and Presbyterian polity 7:26 Was the American Revolution a Presbyterian revolution? 10:12 Lumpers, splitters, and Presbyterian identity 11:09 Reformed and Presbyterian: why the names matter 15:01 Presbyterians, nationalism, and the godly society 16:12 Covenanters, national covenanting, and regicide 19:31 Geneva, exiles, and the French connection 22:26 The true Presbyterian revolutionary moment: the 1630s and 1640s 24:21 Why Scotland became a Presbyterian laboratory 28:29 Why England and Scotland became Reformed rather than Lutheran 30:52 What did Presbyterians want? Church independence and state support 34:43 The Glorious Revolution, moderation, and establishment compromises 39:15 Regium donum, Canada, Ireland, and voluntary giving 42:34 John Witherspoon and Presbyterian moderation in the American founding 48:16 Revising Westminster Confession chapter 23 55:30 American Heretics, Two Sons of Oil, and anti-liberal Presbyterianism 60:30 Further conversations and Protestants and Patriots 65:05 Independence Hall, historic preservation, and public memory 70:07 Conclusion Resources mentioned Protestants and Patriots: Presbyterians in the Age of Revolution by D. G. Hart University of Notre Dame Press interview with D. G. Hart American Heretics by Jerome Copulsky Two Sons of Oil by Samuel B. Wylie Independence National Historical Park Participants: Camden Bucey, Darryl G. Hart

In Episode 496 of the Reformed Brotherhood, Tony Arsenal and Jesse Schwamb open with a rich discussion on the theology of congregational singing — including the Trinity Psalter Hymnal, the Getty's Sing!, and why psalm-singing belongs at the heart of Christian worship. The main event, however, is the first installment of their study of the Parable of the Talents (Matthew 25:14–30). Tony and Jesse argue that this parable is widely misread as a lesson in personal productivity or spiritual gift deployment, when in fact its center of gravity is entirely eschatological and theological: the wicked servant's failure is not financial incompetence — it is a catastrophic misunderstanding of who the master is, and therefore, who he himself is as a servant of that master. Key Takeaways The parable is eschatological, not motivational. Situated in Matthew 25 as the second of three eschatological parables in the Olivet Discourse, the Parable of the Talents answers the disciples' question about the sign of Christ's coming — not a general lesson about using your abilities for God. "Talents" refers to an enormous monetary sum, not personal giftedness. A single talent represented roughly 20 years of a laborer's wages. Even the least-endowed servant received an immense, unearned gift — which makes the wicked servant's inaction all the more indefensible. The wicked servant's problem is theological, not financial. He doesn't bury the talent out of ignorance or fear alone — he actively mischaracterizes the master as exploitative and unjust. His failure is a failure of theology: he does not know who his master is. The commendation "Well done, good and faithful servant" is the basic reward of every believer, not a tiered prize for the most productive. The five-talent and two-talent servants receive identical commendations, suggesting the measure is proportional faithfulness, not absolute output. Faithful stewardship is active, not passive. Both faithful servants are marked by immediacy and energetic engagement. The parable does not explain how they doubled their talents because the mechanics are not the point — their disposition of active, risk-taking faithfulness is. The parable resists works-righteousness readings. Whether one is Augustine or an anonymous deathbed convert, every justified believer enters into the same joy of the master. The parable is not a theology of graduated heavenly rewards but a distinction between those who understand their master and those who do not. The talents represent the stewardship of the Gospel and the Kingdom itself. The master entrusting his servants with his property is a picture of Christ entrusting the church with the message of salvation — ownership remains with the master, the servants are stewards, not proprietors. Key Concepts The Wicked Servant's Problem Is Who He Thinks the Master Is The most common misreading of this parable locates the wicked servant's failure in laziness or timidity — he was simply too afraid to act. But Tony Arsenal argues compellingly that the servant's own words expose something far more serious. He says, "I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow." This is not a confession of fear; it is an accusation. The servant has constructed a theology of his master as an exploitative, unjust overseer who doesn't deserve a return. What he catastrophically misses is that the very possession of 20 years' worth of wages — an unearned, unimaginable gift — is the master sowing into him. His refusal to act is, at its root, a refusal to acknowledge the master's generosity and authority. This is the parable's most penetrating theological edge. "Well Done" Is for Every Believer, Not Just the Most Productive One of the episode's most pastorally significant observations is Tony's argument that the commendation "Well done, good and faithful servant — enter into the joy of your master" is not reserved for spiritual high-achievers. Because the five-talent and two-talent servants receive word-for-word identical commendations despite wildly different absolute returns, the logical entailment is that the one-talent servant, had he been faithful, would have received the same words. This means the commendation is not calibrated to productivity — it is the basic inheritance of every believer who enters glory. The soul-winner and the deathbed convert, Augustine and the unknown faithful, all hear the same welcome. The parable is therefore not teaching a graduated hierarchy of heavenly reward, but a binary distinction: those who know their master and act accordingly, and those who do not. The Parable Cannot Be Detached from Its Eschatological Context Jesse Schwamb is careful to anchor the parable in its literary and theological context: this is the second of three eschatological parables in Matthew 25, all part of the Olivet Discourse, all delivered in direct response to the disciples' question about the sign of Christ's return and the end of the age. Detaching the Parable of the Talents from that frame — and reading it instead as a general productivity principle or a theology of spiritual gifts — drains it of what Jesse calls its "gravity." The master going away and returning after a long time is a direct image of the ascended Christ and his parousia. The servants' task during the interval is not self-improvement or career stewardship — it is watchful, active discipleship in the time between the first and second comings. Everything in the parable, including the staggering sums of money, is calibrated to that eschatological frame. Memorable Quotes The real difference is that the former servants understood that their master had trusted them with a task and expected something of them, and the unfaithful, wicked, lazy servant had a total misunderstanding of who the master was — and therefore what his role as the master's servant was. That's the point of this parable. — Tony Arsenal Well done, good and faithful servant — that's not a special commendation that only the most amazing Christian servants get. That's the basic commendation that every Christian who enters into glory will receive. Whether you have been the most productive soul-winner in the world... you're going to receive the same commendation as the person who dies, and on their deathbed the last thing that they think is, 'I trust Jesus.' — Tony Arsenal God's measure of faithfulness is proportional, not absolute. The two-talent servant is not judged by the five-talent standard. He is judged by what he received. — Jesse Schwamb Full Transcript [00:00:08] Tony Arsenal: that's not a special commendation that only the most amazing Christian servants get, right? That's the basic commendation that every Christian who enters into glory will receive. Whether you have been the most productive soul-winner in the world, whether you are the most, you know, the most sanctified Christian who's ever lived, whether you are, the most amazing person and millions of people have come to faith because of your ministry, you're going to receive the same commendation as the person who dies, and on their deathbed the last thing that they think is, I trust Jesus." Right. And they've produced no converts, no ministry, and maybe no one even knows that they were justified, because in their final moments before the lights went out, they trusted in Jesus, right? They hear the same well done, good and faithful servant when they enter into glory. Welcome to episode 496 of the Reformed Brotherhood. I'm Jesse.  And I'm Tony, and this is the podcast with ears to hear. Hey, brother.  [00:01:19] Jesse Schwamb: Hey, brother.  [00:01:21] Parable Teaser [00:01:21] Jesse Schwamb: You know, the parables just keep coming for us, like we've said. And on this episode, to, just to tee it up, to whet everybody's appetites, we've got three servants, one absent master, an uncomfortable amount of money. What could go wrong? Yeah. As it turns out, quite a bit, especially if you're the kind of person who responds to divine generosity by finding the nearest shovel. So we're gonna get to all of that in this, what I call, this now sandwich of eschatological parables or teachings of Jesus in Matthew 25. So hopefully you're curious, hopefully you're stoked. But you can go put your thumb right in the scriptures there, because you're gonna meet us there very, very, very, very shortly. But first we got business. It's always the business we must do, the part of the podcast where we affirm with something or deny against something. And as always, I'm really curious what you have, and now I understand you have a list, or you're keeping a list. So- I do ... never again will there be something like that falls to the cutting room floor, brothers and sisters. Tony is always gonna have for us whatever was- ... what came to his brilliant mind as an affirmation or denial at any point, day or night.  [00:02:29] Tony Arsenal: Yeah. Yeah. Do you, Jesse, do you ever have... I know the answer to this question is going to be yes- Yeah. That's good ... but I'm gonna ask it- All right ... mostly for rhetorical effect here. This is good podcasting.  [00:02:38] Psalm 67B Praise [00:02:38] Tony Arsenal: Do you have, do you have those situations where, like, the, the so- a song hits you, and it's just, like, the right combination of words, but also the right combination of, like, musicality?  [00:02:49] Jesse Schwamb: For sure.  [00:02:50] Tony Arsenal: Where it just, like, it just, it just feels- For sure like, right and good in every part of your being. So- All the time, yep ... I, I'm affirming, um, th- this is like the most Presbyterian thing ever. I'm affirming the, the arrangement in the Trinity, uh, psalter hymnal for Psalm 67B. Now, I'm not gonna try to sing it for you, but I wanna read the words, because obviously it's, it's a paraphrase of a psalm. So, like, that's the first thing. Like, people, like, calm down. Like, it's okay to sing paraphrases. It's okay to sing. No one is actually singing the Hebrew psalms. Right. Amen. So, like, just calm down a little bit. Amen. Uh, there is a place for us to dedicate specific focus to psalms and songs that are from the psalms, but that can be something like Better Is One Day. Like, that's a song from a psalm. Anyway, that's a whole different, that's a whole different thing. Yes, I'm affirming psalm singing. Uh, yes, I'm denying overly rigid understandings of what that is. But here's the words for Psalm 67, Setting B. That's important It's, "O God, show mercy to us and bless us with your grace and cause to shine upon us the brightness of your face, so that the whole world over may truly know your way and so that your salvation all nations see displayed. O God, let peoples praise you. Let all the peoples praise. Let nations come rejoicing and songs of gladness rise, raise." Then, um, stanza two, "For you will judge the peoples with perfect equity. To nations of the whole Earth a governor you'll be. O God, let the peoples praise you. Let all the peoples praise. The Earth has brought its bounty throughout its harvest days.  [00:04:24] Why Sing Psalms [00:04:24] Tony Arsenal: Since God our God will bless us, yes, God will blessing send, that all the Earth may fear Him to its remotest end." Now, there are lots of really great, uh, theologically sound, edifying hymns and worship choruses, but there's just something about the Psalms, right? It's inspired- Um- ... it's perfect. Again, like I said, nobody is singing the actual Hebrew Psalms, or even, I shouldn't say nobody, most people are not singing, like, the Psalms from the ESV, right? These are almost all paraphrases. They're, they're translations. But there's just something about the Psalms that I have grown so much to appreciate since joining a Presbyterian church. That's not to say other traditions don't sing Psalms in their own right, and again, like, we would sing Better Is One Day and other songs that were based on Psalms. Um, even, like, real direct translations or real direct versions of Psalms, like Better Is One Day or Create In Me A Clean Heart, there's all sorts of them. But there's just something about singing the Psalms, and this particular musical setting, it's triumphant, but not in the, like, fanfare kind of triumphant. Do you know what I mean, Jesse? Like- Mm-hmm ... it's, it's a triumphant melody, and it has, like, really interesting rises and falls and... So I, I'm gonna probably try to put this at the end of the episode. So listen. Hopefully I'll get the whole thing. Let me just, let me just do this. Hold on a second. It's just gorgeous. It's just beautiful. So I, I, I don't know what it was this morning. Uh, it's, I wasn't, like, promo- particularly emotional. It didn't, like, make me cry. Yeah. But all of that's fine. Like, I've been brought to tears in worship before, and that's, that's all good and well. There was just something about it that resonated, and I was like, "This is just good." Like, this is just good music. It's good singing. Something about hearing, uh, the whole congregation singing together. Like, it was just beautiful. It was just a beautiful moment. So if you are not in a psalm-singing church, first of all, why aren't you in a psalm-singing church? Uh, no worship leader on Earth, no, no person who is worth... Uh, when I say worship leader, I mean the person who's responsible for leading musical worship. No one who's leading worshipful music, worshipful? Worship music, if you approach them and say, "I would like to sing more songs that are based on the Psalms," if they say, "We don't wanna sing Psalms here," then you just go somewhere else. Like, someone who tells you, like, "We don't wanna s- we don't wanna sing God's Word," that doesn't make any sense to me.  [00:06:56] Jesse Schwamb: Right.  [00:06:56] Tony Arsenal: Um, now again, like, there's a way to do it. Sometimes musically they're challenging, especially if you're singing out of something like the hymnal. But again, there are plenty of really good modern style songs and hymn style songs that are either based on the Psalms or are paraphrases, very similar to what you get in the, in the Trinity Psalter Hymnal. Or most, most people who are leading in musical worship are competent enough to just sort of take the sheet music and figure out how to do it on guitar or figure out how to play it on piano. Um, they're not that difficult. So you will be edified if you do this. Your church will be edified. There's probably a lot of people out there responsible for musical worship that actually would really like to do this, and they're kind of probably, like, just waiting for that nudge, so you may even be benefiting them. But yeah, this, this psalm is beautiful. It's just a gorgeous arrangement, and it's, it's perfect, inspired words. Really was a, just a, a balm to my soul this morning.  [00:07:51] Jesse Schwamb: I love it. And o- of course, a lot of that is still happening, which is such a glorious gift to the church. The couple of times that I've had the privilege of writing music for my own church has been right from the scriptures, and for me recently that was, like, Ephesians 1 and Psalm 16. And that's mainly because, like, as a lyricist, I'm not that creative, and I'd rather go direct to the source. And all those end up being a paraphrase, like you said, anyway. Es- especially if you wanna get turn of phrase or if you wanna have a little bit of rhyming, which is always a beautiful thing. I love the Psalter, and my, my hot take on that is I sometimes find that I like, I don't wanna call them, like, the alternate, but, like, the other secondary arrangements-  Yeah and  lyrics better. I don't know why. I don't think that's purposeful, of course. It's probably just my taste. But I always find them to be, like, super fire. I, I don't know why. The, the B and C versions always kinda grab me, especially if... And here's another thing that I appreciate about the Psalter, as you know, is sometimes those B or C versions will be written in an alternate key or a minor key. Yeah. And that's even more awesome, because there's not a lot of, let's say, like, cla- I don't wanna say classic. Classic slash contemporary, uh, Christian music or wors- quote-unquote worship music that's written in minor keys. But it's good to lament, as we've talked about before. So- Yeah ... you're gonna get that full breath and scope in the Psalter there. [00:09:06] Tony Arsenal: Yeah.  [00:09:07] Beyond Music Styles [00:09:07] Tony Arsenal: A- and, you know, maybe let me put in one more little plug here. Um- I am not one of those people that is gonna say that there's like a particular style of music that's more godly than another. I've heard people try to make arguments that there's like certain kinds of rhythms or certain kinds of like beats that are- Right either, either more godly or somehow demonic or less godly. Um, I think there might be an argument to be made that some styles of worship are not suited well for congregational singing, so they may not be appropriate for like a, a congregational worship service. Like, you're probably not gonna go in and do a lot of hip hop and have the congregation be able to like stick with you. Right. That doesn't mean that you can't worship God through that or that it somehow is less like intrinsically beautiful. But, um, there are a lot of Let me just put it this way. In modern contemporary Western Christianity, uh, there's a lot of songs that are basically just the same thing musically. You know, you'll find, um, if you go to, like, YouTube, and, and maybe, like, be careful, 'cause sometimes some of these are, they're funny but they're a little bit crass. But if you look up, like, a video about how, like, every song is Pachel Bell's Canon. Right. Right? Every song follows the same basic arrangement of chords, and this gets even more pronounced when you're talking about modern worship music or contemporary mu- worship music, because it's designed to be able to be very simple and very easily played. Um, a lot of times worship directors are not super classically trained. Um, you think of, like, the youth pastor with the guitar around the campfire. Like, those kinds of songs have to be easy, 'cause they're not, like, classically trained guitar players. They probably picked up a chord book and figured out how to play a couple easy songs like Jesus, Lover of My Soul and things like that. That's how I learned how to play guitar. That's the extent of my skills, so I'm not, I'm not banging on that person. Um, but there are a lot, there's a lot more to music. Um, there's a lot more to singing, and there's a lot more to choral music than, you know, GCDC kind of like worship courses. Uh, and singing something like the Psalter, or even just singing out of a good hymnal- Right will actually expand your musical horizons. And there's something to be said about the creativity of our God being reflected in the creativity of His people that I do think we miss out on when we are locked into really simplistic worship styles. Um, again, like, I interpret Psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to mean, like, sing in the vernacular of the people. Um, and I, you know, that's a different episode. We can talk about that sometime. But th- that, that requires the songs to be singable, and I think sometimes, uh, sometimes some of the song- some of the Psalters, some of the songs in the Psalter hymnals, and sometimes hymnals in general, are very difficult to sing. And so I think a congregation, the people leading in music need to be thoughtful of that. But I think you would do well to, like, open your horizons a little bit to something a little bit more challenging and a little bit off the beaten path. Like, this melody, I don't know the chords behind it. It may not be anything crazy, but that, like, musicality and that, that sort of, like, melody is not a typical... And this might be why it resonated with me. It's not a typical kind of melody you're gonna find in contemporary music. Um, it's, it's very different. It's older. It's more classically styled. The, it's, it's meant to sort of bring you up to these crescendos in ways that modern music is not necessarily. So enough about that. I don't know a lot about music theory, so I might be totally wrong and, and- ... people might be rolling their eyes. But I, I do think that there's something to it. Like, a lot of the older hymns- utilize chord progressions and melodies and harmonies and things like that that we're just not used to. You're not gonna get that listening to, you know, even something like, like the more musical kind, uh, more technically proficient music like something like Bethel or Hillsong, which is at times musically very good. Uh, I don't know that I would recommend listening to it, but the music is actually, like, technically very good in some instances. Uh, even there you're not gonna find a lot of this stuff. So instead of going there for, like, really nice sounding musical worship, just go to something like the Trinity Psalter app. You know, for $10 on a- on your iPhone you can sing with it. Um, yeah, enough about that. I, I, I could talk about how great the Psalms are and how great psalm singing is for an entire episode. We should do that episode- We should ... when we're done with the parables, 'cause I know we've done a lot of episodes on, like, uh, on, on, like, the regulative principle and- Right I, I think we're still both in the same spot that, like- Right ... exclusive psalmody is probably not where we would land. Right. But I think I'm coming to the conviction that the psalms should have a much greater portion of our worship diet, uh- Hmm ... than they do in most churches. Um, and I really only came to that conviction when I was in a church where psalm singing was the norm. Uh, I know that we try to have at least one s- one canonical psalm for every single worship service. Usually there's multiple, but, um, even in a, a, a setting where we normally wouldn't be so focused on that, we still try to have at least one, and it's been a, a really huge edifying thing to my soul.  [00:14:06] Jesse Schwamb: Yeah. I absolutely love that. You'll find no complaint from me on that. I think that that's a good reminder for all of us.  [00:14:13] Tony Arsenal: Yeah.  [00:14:14] Book Sing Recommendation [00:14:14] Tony Arsenal: Jesse, what do you have?  [00:14:15] Jesse Schwamb: Well, it's, we're not gonna stop this conversation, just so you know. Because we don't sync up on these things ever, but it just so happens that I'm affirming with a book that it's a really simple primer on congregational singing-  There you go that has  long been on my list and overdue to read, and I am coming in hot with a recommendation for this, and that is the book entitled Sing! How Worship Transforms Your Life, Family, and Church by Keith and Kristyn Getty. And really, it covers so many of the things that you already talked about. I, I think at the foremost, it's a reminder that God cares whether in what we sing, but he does not mind how well we sing. Yes. But it is, like, the, this... What's true is that our voices might not be of a professional standard, but they are of a confessional standard. Yeah. And so it is incumbent upon every Christian to sing. And if you need just, like, a little bit of inspiration, so to speak, or a reminder of why that's important, I highly commend this book to you. In fact, in the back they have what's called, like, these bonus tracks. It's like four or five separate chapters that they've written just to particular people in the church, pastors, laypeople, musicians, even the people that help produce the sound. I found that bit to be so lovely and pastoral. It, it's gentle, the tone is encouraging, but it is also strong, and I appreciate that. So a lot of it is some of the themes that we've just talked about, but my conviction grows all the time of just how important congregational singing is, and how everything you just said, the music, the liturgy that we bring forward- has to be of a deliberate kind to strengthen that exercise, to make it easy, so to speak. And that does come into practical things like if you look at the psalter, and I, I don't... I have it on my phone, but I don't know where my phone is, so I was gonna look at the one you were referencing. My guess is it's, it's in probably a key with a couple of sharps in it, because those are the ones that are easiest to sing. So even little things like that matter. What you hear on the radio often is, or radio? People still listen to the radio? What you hear, like, in, like, contemporary music, like, often is not necessarily for congregational singing just in its key, and, and that's okay. And so even in my own church, we transpose things to make it reasonable and approachable. But what I think was, like, the critical question put forward in this book that I absolutely loved as a great reminder was: how did the congregation sing? It's very interesting that they kind of bring forward this thesis that that's how you should be judging your music. How did the congregation sing? And I think if we started asking that, it might slightly tweak or maybe change altogether, to your point, the methods and the practices that we use when we undergo worship by way or through music. So this is really great. It's easily readable, and it's for everybody, and it, there's a chapter on family worship as well, how to bring singing into your home and music into your home all the time as an act of worship so that when you get to the Lord's Day, your kids are like, "Yeah, this is our jam." Uh, especially maybe even recognizing some of the pieces of music and be excited about that. So there was a lot that made me think about here. It's fantastic. And to your point, Tony, I would say the Gettys, especially in, like, "Christ Alone," some of the other things, this is probably the closest to what you're talking about, where they've taken and imported kind of the classical hymn structures-  [00:17:26] Tony Arsenal: Yeah [00:17:27] Jesse Schwamb: but modernized a little bit just the language while without sacrificing any of the theological richness or the musicality that draws your ear to those beautiful rising and falling melodies, the swelling of the vocal there, without, like, distracting from anything that's going on there. It's not emotionalism- Yeah but it certainly is filled with the emotion of what it means to be a Christian and to sing in response as an act of praise to God.  [00:17:50] Tony Arsenal: Yeah.  [00:17:52] Family Worship Singing [00:17:52] Tony Arsenal: Yeah, I mean, I can't underscore enough the importance of congregational singing. We, we've, we've actually talked about, about it in context of, like, how important it is for the men of the congregation to sing, which is something I, I really appreciate about my congregation, is, is the m- the men just go all out. Like, people are, like- Love it ... nobody is, nobody is ashamed of the fact that they squawk on a note that they're not used to or anything like that. And where this really pays out, um, at least in our congregation, but I'd, I'd be willing to bet if you go to any congregation where the, where the men particularly are passionate and active in musical worship, right? Um, I think where this plays out is you see the children very quickly picking up those songs and learning them and singing them. And the, the favorite part of my day, this is gon- any parent of toddlers is gonna be like, "What are you talking about?" Bedtime is one of my favorite times of day, not just because it means that, like, in a little while I'm gonna get a little peace and quiet. Like, that's part of it, too, but there are two songs that we sing almost every single night, and Augie leads them, which is really great. He always wants to start, and he always wants to sing, and it's the Doxology and the Gloria Patri. And these are songs that he has just picked up from being in the congregation, and, you know, I, I don't remember consciously teaching him any of these songs. And now, now Adeline, who is, uh, my two-year-old daughter, almost two, she's starting to pick those songs up, and she's starting to sing them, and she recognizes them, and she responds very differently to those songs than she does to other songs. Um, it's funny because I don't, I don't know where she got this. Neither my wife nor I are particularly, uh, charismatic, emotive people. Like, we don't raise our hands when we're singing, but she, she does. She, she, when we start singing- My girl ... the Gloria Patri or the Doxology, her hand is in the air, and she's looking at the sky, and she's waving her hands around. Yeah. And, um, she recognizes that those songs have a different place than a Miss Rachel song. She doesn't put her hands in the air and wave and look up at the ceiling when Miss Rachel comes on or when Baby Shark comes on. She knows those songs. She can sing those songs. Um, but she doesn't- Respond to those in the same way. And that is a direct result of the fact that congregational singing is an important thing in the life of our church and in the life of our family. And I think a book like Sing, I haven't read it, but I've heard very good things about it, and the, the Gettys are rock solid, like- Right ... theologically. Yes. Musically. They're, they're well within our Reformed tradition, at least broadly speaking. Um, and, and they have a, they have one of the strongest sort of theologies of praise music that you're gonna find. Mm-hmm. It's not quite like a liturgiology or something like that, but it's, it's, it's a theology of praise worship, praise and worship music. Right. Um, and that's not something that's super common, right? There's a lot of theology of liturgy. There's a lot of practical theology on liturgy. Um, the Gettys have developed a really unique kind of place in things in that they've really developed this idea that congregational singing has a specific theological import, and they've developed it in a way that's approachable. So yeah, I haven't read it and I sh- I probably should, but it, it sounds like a really great book. And, um, I c- just can't underscore it enough. And- Maybe this is my little plug. Like, uh, family worship is really tough, and it's not something I've mastered. Like, we don't, we, we don't have a regular rhythm. But what we do have is we have a consistent, uh, we consistently pray at night before bed, and we consistently sing one or both of those songs. And that by itself, like, the kids are learning and they are, they're absorbing that by osmosis. Um, they're picking up the phrasing, right? Augie can tell you who the three persons of the Trinity are, and that's partially 'cause we do catechism questions, but it's also partially, and I would actually argue probably more, because of the Trinitarian structure of those two songs. Right. He's picked up the language of the Father, the Spirit, and the Son from the Gloria Patri and from the doxology in ways that probably I wouldn't have been able to teach him otherwise. So yeah. Anyway, I, I just co-opted your affirmation. But, um, but yeah. I'm here for it. Congregational worship, family worship, singing, uh, to our Lord is commanded, and it's commanded for our good- Right and for his, his benefit and his blessing. Um, and so any book that is, is solid and will help you do that, I, I'm wholeheartedly behind.  [00:22:17] Jesse Schwamb: Yeah. This is... All that is fire. This is fire.  [00:22:19] Reclaim Congregational Song [00:22:19] Jesse Schwamb: God designed our psyche for singing, and we're probably, uh, I would say contractually obligated since Reformed is in the name of the title of the podcast- to remind ourselves and everybody else that one of the things the Reformation did was reclaim the singing of God's word by his own people. Yes. Taking it out of that performatory space back into literally the voice boxes of the people who are sitting in worship together. So sometimes we might have to do that again. You know, there is a little bit, I think, of... There, there is in some places, not everywhere, this kind of tilting of that time of worship through music to be vouchsafed or relegated to those who are, uh, let's say, like, the most, like, talented in doing that, and somehow we participate merely by observing or by- Yeah just, uh, you know, being an audience spectator of that, and that's totally backwards. So I get it. The thing is- We're all singers. We may not all be very good singers, but we're all created to be singers nonetheless. This is what the Bible tells us. So we need to lean into that. We need to invest in that. Yeah. And so I, I like, of course, what you're doing with, uh, your kids because you're not only teaching them to sing, and this makes me so happy, but you're teaching them to love singing to the Lord. Yeah. And so that is, I think, what a lot of our congregations miss, is sometimes we do it, and I'm among them often, but grudgingly. And so to get to a place where we come excited that our reasonable response, our reasonable preparation on the Lord's day is to sing together, to hear that gospel message in melody in the ear of our... You know, the voice of our neighbor in our own ear is a wild thing. It's just, like, un- unheard of. And it's like, uh, we gotta stop, right? It's one of those things also that, like- ... we've, we've talked about how it's just kind of otherworldly. Not, not only in the sense that it gives us this really kind of foundational sense of God's, you know, kind of transcendence, of what it means to participate in the worship of someone who is transcendent because it is all these voices together, but also this is something that rarely happens in any other way, especially in the Western culture anymore. This coming together to express and to participate in something where we're all reading literally from the same sheet music is just an entirely different experience, increasingly relegated to this kind of experience. So we, we must protect it, not only because God says that we ought to, but also because, again, it is, it is our reasonable response. Yeah. And it is something, like you've just said, that brings Him glory and is certainly for our good. So, uh, this is the Singcast, so everybody- ... everybody get to it. You can make your own music. God has commanded us to sing. So the sooner we just understand, like, hey, it's, it's... You know. Uh, but... And the last thing I'll say is this is one of those things that's, like, practice too. A- and I get it. Like, you may say, like, "Listen, I can only hit two notes, and that's all I'm gonna hit no matter what the music is." Well, then belt the two notes, and also know that, like, the more you practice that kind of thing, honestly, the better that you'll get and the more comfortable that you'll become. The voice is an instrument like any other instrument that takes, like, a little bit of practice and a little bit of work. But even that can cause, I think, great benefits and build a little bit of confidence. But just the example of singing and doing it from a heart that is keen to worship God and that is filled with passion to respond to Him with gratitude and, you know, adoration is really the key thing. And so I, I'd rather have a entire group full of worshipers that are singing off-key but, like, with just resounding passion than to have this performance of just a handful of voices because they feel like they're the most capable to do it. Yeah. I think we'd, we'd rather have everybody else, and to hear the congregation mixed as one of those instruments. So sing. Yeah.  [00:26:05] Everyone Can Sing [00:26:05] Tony Arsenal: Yeah, and y- you and I have made the point in the past, too, like- I, I don't think, uh, maybe I'm wrong. Uh, we are a top 50 healthcare podcast, so maybe some doctor- I'm sure you're correct ... is gonna... Right. Like, I don't think being tone deaf is actually a physical condition. Like- Mm. I, I mean, I, I mean, obviously, like, some people have hearing problems, and that means they have trouble singing. I hear what you're saying. But, like, the people who are like, "Well, I j- I just can't sing. I'm just not capable of that," uh, like, I think the, the physical conditions that would make you incapable of singing are not usually what people are talking about. Like- Right. Yeah ... you know, some people have, like, vocal fold disorders or they have hearing problems, and I guess maybe, like, if perfect pitch is a thing, which it, it is. Like, perfect pitch is a... I don't know what causes it, but some people are born with perfect pitch. I suppose in theory that means some people must be born with, like, the opposite of perfect pitch. But I think most people who say, like, "Well, I just, I'm just tone deaf. I can't carry a tone," that, that's probably not true. Like, it just means you need practice. Um, and some people's voices, like physically, their bodies are more, more designed by God to produce a pleasant sound than other people. But I, I think actually just about anybody with a little bit of practice, and mostly I think this is probably just the confidence to actually sing and a little bit of practice to learn how your body works, like how your voice works, um, could probably get to a point where singing is not only very relatively comfortable and easy, but it's something that is pleasant and is not overly challenging. This is actually something that I think we've lost in the church. We should... This, I mean, this is about to come the episode, but, um- ... something we've lost in the church when we have sort of changed from a true genuine congregational singing model, which was the norm- And I've heard people make arguments about the importance of hymnals, and I, I agree with those arguments, although I know some people have moved them into almost like a realm of, like, divine mandate- Right that you have to use hymnals because it trains people to teach. But we have lost something with both the sort of commercialization of worship music and the pro- like making it a professional thing, and we've lost congregational singing. The, the people in the church throughout history have learned to sing. Many of them have learned to read, learned the scriptures, learned theology, not in the seminary and not in the monastery, but in the pew as they sing God's word and as they sing- Right ... the great theological hymns of, of the church. There's so much you can learn through that process that I just think we've lost. And I think going back to something like a hymnal or the Trinity Psalter Hymnal or whatever, whatever standard music your church is gonna use, and I mean standard music. Like, whether this is a collection of worship choruses that has been curated for the church or it's a published hymnal or something like that, going back to something like that teaches the church how to sing. And I don't remember who wrote it, but the trellis and the vine, like the worship that we sing, I know Mike Horton makes this point. The worship that we sing is the tre- is the trellis that the vine of our wor- of our- Yes ... faith grows on, right? That's true. Like, what the, what the church lex credendi, lex orandi. Like, the church, what the church prays, the church believes. What the church sings, the church believes. So all of that to say, like, the, the importance of congregational singing can't be under-emphasized, and it's... I, I mean, I don't know that I would I don't know that most theologists say technically s- like, congregational singing is an element of worship, but praising the Lord through song certainly is. Yes. It's, it's evidence. Um, and, and so I think that's definitely something that the church has lost in general. Um, and I know there are churches... I- it's funny, when Ashley and I were between churches, uh, very briefly after, um, our previous church closed down, um, we went to a local sort of, like, high, high, uh, production, seeker-sensitive church, very Steven Furtick-esque, and we only lasted, like, 10 minutes in this, in this service. We went in and the production value was great, and the music sounded great, but we couldn't hear ourselves, we couldn't sing- Right ... and it was very performative, and we just left. We were only there for a few minutes, and we left. And I think that's something we've lost as we've sort of migrated worship to almost, like, a professional class. So yeah, bring it back to the pews. Bring it back to your- Bring it back ... bring it back to your house, bring it back to your kid's bedroom when you're tucking them in. Everywhere. Bring it back to the car on the way to work, in the bus. Right. Like, just let's everywhere we go, let's sing and worship the Lord. [00:30:30] Jesse Schwamb: Yeah, that's right.  [00:30:31] Train Your Voice [00:30:31] Jesse Schwamb: Uh, so as a final thing, let me compound your hot take and say that I agree with you, that I... And I think professionals would as well, and I'm gonna stand on a resource that I'm gonna recommend to everybody here in a second, that in fact the Getty say, "If you can speak, you can sing." And there are a f- a few conditions that would prevent you from doing that, of course. And even there, they wanna explore opportunities for you, for instance, signing, for instance, to ensure that you can participate in worship. Uh, the hot take is I do think that because the instrument that God has given us in the vocal cords is exactly that, that it can be trained, and that actually most people can sing. And if you're serious about that, if you think, "You know what? I'd like to be able to do that. How can I explore that?" Here's a book for you. It's called Set Your Voice Free by Roger Love. The full title is How to Get the Singing or Speaking Voice You Want. Roger Love is, like, this amazing behind-the-scenes vocal coach. He has coached, like, a ton of really talented recording artists, and this is his very contention in the book, is that everybody can sing. It's really about how much or little work you wanna put into it. And in fact, this book comes with, like, these exercises that you can listen to and then record yourself. And then he, from a distance basically, can give you some pointers based on allowing you to kinda evaluate what you hear in your own recording back. So if you really are the kind of person that's like, "Listen, I, I dare you. I cannot sing," I would challenge you, I would double dog dare you to get this book, Set Your Voice Free, and if you're really serious about wanting to try and see if it can make a difference, I, I think it can. And I've, I myself have enjoyed this book, gone back to it many times, use it in my own work and practice because I found it to be helpful. So there you go. Sing, sing, and sing again.  [00:32:06] Tony Arsenal: Yeah.  [00:32:07] Singing Apps and Practice [00:32:07] Tony Arsenal: And if you're not a reader, first of all, why are you listening to the podcast? But second of all, if for some reason you're not a reader I'm, I'm joking. I'm sure there are people that are listening to the podcast who are not readers. That was, like, a super smug thing to say. How dare you. I'm sorry about that. How dare you. Um, if for some reason you don't wanna read that book or you're not a reader, um, y- you can do something as simple as looking up Yousician on your Yousician, Y-O-U- Yeah ... S-I, like the word musician, but U instead of, like, Y-O-U instead of, uh, musician. Um, there are plenty of apps out there. I just, I mention Yousician just because I've used that on, like, a free trial basis with some guitar teaching, and it's a reputable source. They also have a vocal module. So, like, if you wanna learn to sing, there are plenty of resources out there who can help you train your voice. A- and it- Again, I'm not a doctor, I'm not a vocal coach, I'm not a professional singer. I'm not even that great of a singer, and I, I probably could be a better singer if I wanted to devote the time to it. Um, it doesn't take much to, to be able- Right ... to become a competent singer. Um, I think most of us, you pick up one s- just like I learned guitar, you pick one or two songs that you really like and you wanna learn, and you learn to sing those songs, and then those skills will develop over time. So enough about that, Jesse. We've got, speaking of talents- ... we've got some talents to talk about. There it is. Boom, bazinga. Baza-bazom. I'm  [00:33:27] Jesse Schwamb: back. There it is. Yeah, so- I was excited  [00:33:31] Tony Arsenal: about that one ...  [00:33:32] Jesse Schwamb: that, that was really good. And, and we should just h- honor everyone. That's it.  [00:33:37] Tony Arsenal: That's it. Tip your waiters and waitresses, folks. It  [00:33:39] Jesse Schwamb: was so good. We're here all week.  [00:33:41] Parable Context Setup [00:33:41] Jesse Schwamb: So we're in Matthew 25, uh, verses 14 through 28, and this is at least gonna be a two-parter for us. This goes by the name you might be familiar of, which is The Parable of the Talents. But before we get to it, just a quick reminder that we've been speaking about this parable, not like in a special way, but hopefully in the more contextual sense. So this is the second of three eschatological parables in Matthew 25. So the first was The 10 Virgins, which we went through. We're in The Talents, and then we're coming up to everybody's favorite, The Sheep and the Goats. All three are part of this Olivet Discourse, which is, of course, Jesus' final teaching block before his Passion. And I think it h- behooves us so that we do not get distracted from, like, the center of gravity of this thing, that this is delivered in response to the disciples' question about the sign of his coming and the age to come. Because I've heard so many, like, little talks, maybe homilies is more the right word, on this particular parable that lack gravity. So little gravity that basically NASA could train their astronauts in it. So we wanna stay away from that and I think get into, like, the, the proper context. So Tony, do you have it in front of you by any chance? And would  [00:34:50] Tony Arsenal: you- I do. I do, yeah. Yeah. Read it for us? I'll read it here.  [00:34:52] Reading the Parable [00:34:52] Tony Arsenal: So this is, uh, starting in, uh, Matthew 25 verse 14, and I'm gonna read down through, uh, the end of verse 30 here. So it, it reads here, "For it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted them, entrusted to them his property. To one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. He who had received the five talents went at once and traded with them, and he made five talents more. So also he who had the two talents made two talents more. But he who had received the one talent went and dug in the ground and hid his master's money. Now after a long time, the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them. And he who had received the five talents came forward bringing five talents more, saying, 'Master, you delivered to me five talents. Here I have made five talents more.' His master said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little. I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.' And he also who had the two talents came forward, saying, "Master, you delivered to me two talents. Here I have made two talents more." His master said to him, "Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little. I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master." He also who had received one talent came forward, saying, "Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you scattered no seed. So I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here, you have what is yours." But his master answered him, "You wicked and slothful servant. You knew that I reap where I have not sown and gather where I scattered no seed? Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and at my coming, I should have received what was my own with interest. So take the talent from him who gave it, who give it to him who has 10 talents. For to everyone who has will more be given, and he will have an abundance. For, uh, but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. And cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness in that place where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth."  [00:36:56] Watchfulness and Stewardship [00:36:56] Jesse Schwamb: So it starts with that amazing connective, which we really spoke about in the last episode, in verse four- 14, starting with four. So it's tying, like we said, this parable directly to verse 13, which we know is in the, the parable of the ten virgins. But it's this idea of watchfulness. "Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour." So th- I think this is the point we really drove last time, that we really felt highly convicted about, that this parable is not like a detached economic lesson, but it's really like an expedition, exposition, not expedition- ... of what watchful discipleship actually looks like during the interval of the master's absence. Like, that's the whole setup here. So it's starting with this idea of like the master goes away, but here we have these slaves or these servants who are entrusted. And to me, again, that's like such a linchpin in this whole thing, 'cause it's, it's carrying the sense that of course, like, he's handing over stewardship. It's a deposit held on another's behal- I love this parable because it has some banking language in it. It's, it's a deposit held on another's behalf, and that's like the key covenant concept of the entire thing. Ownership remains with the master. The servants are stewards. They're not proprietors. And that language, I think, really anticipates, like, the entire New Testament theology of stewardship, which is developed by Paul. So like when Paul writes in 1 Corinthians, "This is how one should regard us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. Moreover, it is required of stewards that they be found faithful." So like all of that, that's like just one verse for me. Like, that's an incredible setup.  [00:38:27] Tony Arsenal: Yeah.  [00:38:28] Common Misreadings [00:38:28] Tony Arsenal: Yeah, and you know, I think it bears saying, too, um, I wanna be careful how I say this because I don't wanna impugn, uh, poor motives or anything like that on, on the, the people that I'm about to speak to. And I say this a little bit tongue in cheek, but also I say this as someone who used to be deeply involved in youth ministry. There's kind of like a, a youth ministry, um- international version of the Bible, I guess, if you wanna put it that way, where, like, there are certain, certain passages and parables that s- for some reason seem really prone to misapplication- Sure in, in some context. And I would say, like, youth ministry is the one I have in mind. Like, um, one of them is, like, in Matthew 18 where it's like, "Where two or three are gathered in my name, there I am in the midst of them." Like, that's a, that's a statement about God's, God's presence in the judgment of the church and excommunicating an un- like, a, an unrepentant, uh, person who identifies with Christ. And, and ironically here, maybe not ironically, but, like, casting them into the outer darkness of excommunication, which is representative of casting them out into the actual inner darkness of damnation. Right. Like, th- there's a, there's a misapplication of that, that like, well, you know, like, if only a couple people came to youth group tonight, like, it's still worth meeting because where two or three are gathered, there I am in the midst of them. Um, this, this parable has a very similar kind of misapplication that is maybe a, a little bit less of a misapplication. Like, I think there is something to say in this parable about the fact that God entrusts us with abilities, talents, treasure, t- our time. Like, He's entrusted us with resources, and He does expect us to use those resources, uh, in a way that is honoring to Him and beneficial for the, for the gospel and for the kingdom. Um, that's true in a broad sense, but I don't think actually that this is what that... But, like, that's not what this passage- Mm ... is teaching. Right. I think I, I kinda joked last time, but, like, I've heard more than one sermon that draws the parallel between the word talent here and our talents in terms of, like, our spiritual gifts or our ability to play guitar or, like, to bounce a basketball and, like, thr- like, throw a free throw. Like, that's not the kinda talent we're talking about here. So I wanna, I wanna sorta, like, point that out just to sort of exclude that from the conversation. Yes, God gifts His people, and He expects His people to use those gifts for His glory and for their own benefit. Um, but that's not what this parable is talking about. This is a parable about the fact that God has entrusted the kingdom of heaven on Earth to His people.  [00:41:08] Jesse Schwamb: That's right.  [00:41:08] Tony Arsenal: And He expects His people to make use of that in a way that expands the kingdom and also in a way that does not... And this is, this is, I actually think, the main point of the parable. In a way that properly understands the nature of the king. The, the punchline or the main point of the parable here, it, just to sort of, like, I don't know, give away the ending or, like, unbury the lead, I don't know, whatever that is. The point of this parable- It's not that, like, it's a really good thing to double what God has resourced you with. The point of the parable, the reason that, just like the, um, just like it wasn't the virgins falling asleep in the last parable that was the problem because everybody fell asleep, in this instance, uh, the amount of money or the amount of return on investment that the servants produce is not the point of the parable. That's not the real difference between them. The real difference is that the former servants understood that their master had trusted them with a task and expected something of them, and the, the unfaithful, wicked, lazy servant had a total misunderstanding of who the master was- Right ... and therefore what his role as the master's servant was. That's the point of this parable, and I think, this is the last thing I'll say before I, I, I take a breath here. There's a lot of people that would look at this parable and might read some sort of works righteousness or, um, and this is more understandable and I think has a place within the Reformed tradition, although I don't necessarily hold this view. But would look at this as sort of like a theology which would, would argue that we receive some sort of enhanced rewards in heaven based on our faithfulness. There's plenty of good, faithful Reformed Bible teachers that would hold that position. I actually think whether or not that's true, this is still also not what this passage is getting at. [00:43:00] Jesse Schwamb: I, I totally agree with you there.  [00:43:02] Talents as Huge Wealth [00:43:02] Jesse Schwamb: I, I think one of the reasons that we know that is because we can look at some of these details and let the details speak to us about the magnitude in their representation, why they're given. So of course, whenever the scripture gives us detail, especially in a context like a parable, it can be helpful of cour- of course not to overanalyze them, but to respect their place in the context of the story, and that's why verse 15 I think is so important. So to one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability, then he went away. Now, this, this varies slightly, but there's a lot of, I think, very common historicity here that points us to understanding, like, the talents as a unit of monetary weight, and there is some discrepancy about its exact weight. But what we can say for sure is this: that we're talking about, as I teased at the beginning, a huge sum of money. So in other words, like, this is a gift from God himself. It's a divine gift. Yeah. It's something that's not earned. It's something that's given and something that's entrusted. So in the first-century Roman world, a talent was roughly equivalent to, like, 6,000 denarii, depending on who you talk to, which would mean that a single talent represented approximately, like, 20 years on average of a laborer's wages. So the sums then here we're talking about are staggering even at the lowest one. So the five-talent servant is receiving essentially approximately equivalent of a century's wages, and the one-talent servant is receiving 20 years' worth. There's no such thing as a small gift in Christ's economy, I think is the point here, and even the least endowment is immense beyond our reckoning. Yeah. So the distribution also is deliberately unequal. It's five, one, two, and the text doesn't offer any apology for this inequality. The master distributes to each according to his ability, which as I say that, I realize that could probably be its own episode, that we could talk about what that even means. Yeah. But he is matching and entrusting to capacity, and that's not arbitrary. Of course, that's wise and personal, and even the Greek here for this idea of capacity or power suggests the master knows his servants intimately and calibrates the stewardship accordingly. But nonetheless, it proves the point you're making here, which is not just about, like, well, do you have some kind of innate ability that's above average that God has endowed you with here? That's not even what we're talking about. Again, the whole point of this is to answer the question eschatologically about what the end means and when the time is coming and what good discipleship looks like. And so in that way, we understand then these talents to be these divinely appointed and massively generous gifts of God, essentially, like you said, the stewarding of the gospel in the story of salvation itself unto his people, and then to make something of that, so to speak, by the power of the Holy Spirit that earns a return for the kingdom, that is all empowered by God, that is under the volition of the person, uh, the Christian who says, "As a disciple, it is my responsibility to steward these gifts." That is really what we're after. So we do kind of get in this place where when you take this and say, "Well, what are you doing with," let's say- your home, if you have a nice home, are you being hospitable enough? If you have, let's say, a good singing voice by talent, are you using that to make sure that you're on the, quote-unquote, "praise and worship team," is not, like, entirely wrong, but it's not right either- Yeah to use this passage- Yeah ... for that purpose. There's a bigger theme here. There is, there's a much stronger and widescale framework that God is drawing us to and examine, and it's about the stewardship of the church itself.  [00:46:30] Tony Arsenal: Yes. Yeah, yeah, yeah.  [00:46:31] The Foolish Servant Exposed [00:46:31] Tony Arsenal: That's really key, and this is what struck me as, as you were speaking about that, is like we see in so many of the kinda like, uh, like the chump in the parable. Like, there's- Yeah ... a lot of these parables have like a chump- Right ... where like you're looking at and you're like, nothing about what you've decided to do makes any sense. We're talking about people who've been given, in the first case, 100 years worth of, worth of wages. Right. Right? Any one of these people, and again, we're talking about a timeframe where, like, you could just take that money and run and, like, nobody's gonna find you. There's no digital trail on any of this, right? If I stole, if I stole 100 years worth of labor from my manager or from my, my employer, they would find me, right? That's not the situation we're talking about. So even the chump who decided, "I'm not gonna do anything with this," he could've just take- taken off with the money and had 20 years worth of labor. Right. Just 20 years worth of wages. Right. This is a, this is a sum of money that makes all f- all three of these servants unimaginably wealthy instantly, right? The point of this is, in part, that the final servant has no idea the amazing blessing and responsibility that he's been given. And again, I come back to this. It's not because he is dumb or because he is, um, somehow less competent in a strict sense, right? It, it's so funny to me, like, we also gloss over the fact that, like, the guy who has five talents, he's got 100 years worth of money, 100 years worth of wages. Right. And he just goes and gets 100 more. Like- Right he just goes and trades and- Right ... comes up with 100 years worth of wages that he brings back. Like, that's, in itself is, like, phenomenally, amazingly outrageous. We ran into this too with the, um, the parable of the unmerciful servant, right? We've, we've got one guy who's got this unimaginable debt, like, like, thousands of years worth of, uh, worth of wages that he could never make up, and he thinks he's gonna somehow come up with it if you just give him enough time. It's kind of like the opposite here. This guy's got this unimaginable amount of instant wealth, and he just buries it in the ground. First of all, how much... We're also talking about an era where money was a physical, entirely physical.  [00:48:53] Jesse Schwamb: Right.  [00:48:53] Tony Arsenal: There were no, there were no digital banks. Like- No zeros and ones most of our money exists as ones and zeros in a computer program right now. Right. Like, in reality, like- Right ... my money doesn't exist. We don't have, like, a physical gold standard anymore in America. Jesse could probably s- I'm probably making dumb things up right now. No, that's that's- Like, it used- Right on to be that, like, every dollar that the United States government printed had, like, a piece of gold sitting at Fort Knox- Yes ... uh, like backing it up, but we just don't have that anymore. Most of the money that exists in our system is entirely imaginary. It's an entirely, like, made-up digital currency way before, like, Bitcoin was a thing. That's not the case in this timeframe. This dude who buried 20 years worth of money in the ground, that's a significant amount of labor in and of itself- Right ... to even be able to do that. So we're not talking about, like... And I think this is the thing we miss when we, when we read the word talents, and one, when we obscure it and we, like, we misappropriate the word talent to mean, like, abilities, 'cause it, that's a convenient, like, illustration tool. We're talking about a huge sum of probably gold or silver that this dude just buries in the ground, and then, like, digs it up when the master comes back.  [00:50:01] Jesse Schwamb: Right.  [00:50:01] Tony Arsenal: And I think, like- When we don't realize how much money this is, we miss the force of the master's like, "You stupid, dumb, wicked, slothful servant." Like, if you had even taken this money to the bank and done the least imaginable- Yes ... effort. Exactly. Like, if you had done anything at all, like how mu- how difficult, granted more difficult back in this age than it is now, but like if you had even done something as simple requiring as little labor as possible and just brought this to the bank and let them collect interest on it, we'd still be talking about a huge return. [00:50:35] Jesse Schwamb: That's right.  [00:50:36] Tony Arsenal: And he doesn't even do that, and that's, that's the point. There's the people who do, and they gloss over this. The parable totally glosses over the amazing effort and work that it must have taken to take 100 years worth of la- of wages and turn it into 200 years worth of wages. Right. Or to take 40 years worth of wages and turn it into 80 years worth of wages. That's an amazing, probably almost miraculous return on, on investment. Whatever they did is amazing, and the parable's like, "Yeah, they did that." They just took it to the traders and they brought back five more talents. Like, it's nothing. And then this idiot, and I say idiot in like the most like, like exegetically sound, idios, like, like foolish idiot person. [00:51:20] Jesse Schwamb: Right.  [00:51:20] Tony Arsenal: This idiot just buries it in the ground and doesn't even bother to bring it to the bank where he's gonna get some return on it. This is the picture of the fool who does not make use of the means of salvation. This is the picture of the fool who refuses to receive Christ as savior, who refuses to make use of the benefit and blessing of salvation that is available to all who will trust in Christ and turn to him. This is the same picture as the idiot virgins who didn't buy enough oil and just fell asleep when they knew that the bridegroom was coming, right? Right. It's not that they fell asleep, it's that they didn't do the most obvious, simple,

We welcome Darryl G. Hart back to Christ the Center to discuss Protestants and Patriots: Presbyterians in the Age of Revolution, published by the University of Notre Dame Press. Hart […]

Have you ever felt a longing you could not explain?In this episode of The Sacred Travel Podcast, Julia speaks with presbyterian pastor, author, traveler, and lifelong pilgrim Douglas Brouwer about the deeper longing that calls us beyond the familiar.Together they explore pilgrimage, vulnerability, peacemaking, sacred encounters, indigenous wisdom, and the unnoticed moments that quietly transform our lives.What begins as a conversation about travel unfolds into a reflection on curiosity, humanity, faith, and the art of truly seeing one another.

Watch this episode on YouTube here. Paid Subscribers can view the video directly in Substack.In this episode of Psalms for the Spirit, we are joined by Karen Campbell for a rich conversation about lament, healing, and the enduring relevance of the Psalms ~ particularly in the context of post-conflict Northern Ireland. Karen is a musician, a Presbyterian pastor, and a peacebuilder currently serving with the Irish Council of Churches. Having lived and ministered in Northern Ireland, Kenya, and the United States, she brings a rich understanding of how faith, music, and storytelling can help communities move through pain toward reconciliation and hope.The conversation centers around Considering Lament, a powerful project developed in response to the legacy of the Troubles in Northern Ireland. Over several years, Karen and her collaborators gathered with communities across the country to explore the Psalms of lament alongside personal stories of grief, silence, violence, and healing. Together, they created new psalm settings, liturgies, and musical resources that give people permission to bring their pain honestly before God.Throughout the episode, we reflect on the difficult beauty of the lament Psalms, the role of worship in healing trauma, and the ways music can create safe spaces for truth-telling and reconciliation. Karen also shares deeply moving stories from the project, including reflections on silence, justice, forgiveness, and what she describes as “the sound of reconciliation.”“The opposite of lament is not praise ~ it's dishonesty,” says Karen Campbell.This episode is an invitation to rediscover the honesty of the Psalms and to remember that God welcomes not only praise, but also grief, anger, confusion, and longing for healing.Rev. Karen Campbell is the General Secretary of the Irish Council of Churches, from County Armagh, ordained within the Presbyterian Church in Ireland and ministered in County Antrim and Grand Rapids. Karen is also a musician, songwriter, and peacebuilder.Learn more about Rev. Karen Campbell here:https://substack.com/@illuminatebykcampbellThe Presbyterian Church in Ireland: https://presbyterianireland.org/worship/considering-lamentWatch the video of the Considering Lament event:Featured Celtic Psalms Songs:Psalm 30: You Have Turned My SorrowPsalm 82: OmaghPsalms for the Spirit is a listener-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit psalmsforthespirit.substack.com/subscribe

The Presbyterian Church in America's (PCA) interim committee report on Christian Nationalism is already generating significant discussion across the Reformed world.In this episode of The Magistrate, George Sayour examines the report's ten conclusions, the PCA's 1788 Westminster Standards, church-state relations, establishmentarianism, civil magistrates, and the committee's guidance for pastors, elders, and churches.George also evaluates where the report is helpful, where it may be challenged, and what it could mean for future debates within the PCA regarding Christian Nationalism, Christian citizenship, and the relationship between church and state.Watch all of our videos and subscribe to our channel for the latest content >HereHere

Ever look around and think that our world has gotten more cowardly? Pastor Matthew Everhard thinks so. He and Pastor Steve are discussing his book, Bold as a Lion: Christian Courage in an Age of Cowards. You can learn more about his book here: https://www.amazon.com/Bold-Lion-Christian-Courage-Cowards/dp/B0G2XXVDB8 Thank you for your faithful listening to this project! We appreciate your support, such as hitting the like button on Youtube, writing a comment below or clicking subscribe and if you're looking to go the extra mile, please consider writing a review of the podcast on Apple Podcasts or your Podcast service of choice. (Link below so you can navigate quickly, and drop some stars and perhaps a review, thank you!) https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/grounded-with-steve-hartland/id1645001839 in Christ, -Grounded Team

First Fruits Escape Judgments (1) (audio) David Eells - 6/10/26 Friends, time is running out to be in the first-fruits and to escape the judgments that are soon coming upon the unrighteous and apostates. Please listen closely to these prophetic warnings from some who have been in the wilderness for many years.   Jesus is Coming Unexpectedly Tubby Miniard (David's notes in red) I had a dream about a preacher I met many years ago in Baton Rouge. (He met me there) He asked me, “Do you want to see Jesus?” I said, “Yes”. I became very excited. I looked to the left, then to the right. On the right, I saw a door. It was open. I watched the door, expecting Jesus to walk through it. The man tapped my shoulder. I looked at him. He asked, “Do you want to see Jesus?” I said, “Yes”, and returned to staring at the door, expecting Jesus to walk through it. He tapped my shoulder again, and I looked at him. Again, he asked, “Do you want to see Jesus?” I got angry. This was the third time he had asked me this. I said, “Yes, I need to see Jesus. I need to talk to Him”. He said, “Okay. Look at me”. We were facing each other. He put his hand at the top of his forehead. Then he pulled off his face. There was Jesus! This was not what I expected. I thought Jesus would walk through the door I was looking at. (This is not to brag on me for sure but because of my name I represent here the David man-child ministries who will be the first fruits. Jesus, came as a man in the flesh calling himself the Son of Man, Who was the manifested Son of God in the Spirit, said, “If you have seen Me, you have seen the Father.” Can His disciples come into His image and pass on His likeness? This is why His disciples were called Christians. He said, “He that receiveth you receiveth Me”. Paul called this “Christ in you, the hope of glory”.) His eyes were two large diamonds. Light came from His eyes. They sparkled brightly. (Those who can pass on this image have very valuable, clear sight. They have eyes for the Light only.) His face and hair were red. They were flaming fire. I was amazed. I was speechless. I just stared at Him, His face flaming like a fire. As I stared at His face, my eyes began to turn into diamonds and my face began to flame. It was awesome. 2Co.3:18 But we all, with unveiled face beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are transformed into the same image from glory to glory, even as from the Lord the Spirit.) When He saw this, He smiled and said, “Now you get it”. He turned and walked toward the open door and I watched as He walked through it. A woman stepped up and stood in the threshold of the door. She called to me and said, “You need to hurry”. I noticed that the door was slowly closing by itself. (The door to be in the first-fruits Man-child is closing.) I kind of knew that when it closed, it could not be opened from my side. I began to run toward the door as fast as I could. (The door is Jesus. Run, saints, to the “prize of the high calling of God in Christ”.) I woke up before I could reach it. But the door was still open. Heb.12:14 Follow after peace with all men, and the sanctification without which no man shall see the Lord. (There is more to this text concerning those who will not make it through the door; continuing in verse 15 looking carefully lest [there be] any man that falleth short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble [you], and thereby the many be defiled [some who knew of this opportunity are now defiling many]; 16 lest [there be] any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one mess of meat [which represents walking after flesh] sold his own birthright [to be a first born son of Abraham]. 17 For ye know that even when he afterward desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected [Greek: adokimos; “reprobated”]; for he found no place for a change of mind [in his father,] (who then refused to give him the first fruit blessing) though he sought it diligently with tears. Oh, friends, heed the warnings. They can't change their mind, meaning they cannot repent.) I don't complain about the mean people anymore. I just try to stay out of their way. They can have it all. I want Jesus. Psa.27:8 When thou saidst, Seek ye my face; my heart said unto thee, Thy face, Jehovah, will I seek. Scripture study for the dream This is the heir of promise: Rom.8:17 and if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified with him. Gal.4:1-7 But I say that so long as the heir is a child, he differeth nothing from a bondservant though he is lord of all; 2 but is under guardians and stewards until the day appointed of the father. 3 So we also, when we were children, were held in bondage under the rudiments of the world: 4 but when the fulness of the time came, God sent forth his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, 5 that he might redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. 6 And because ye are sons, God sent forth the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, Abba, Father. 7 So that thou art no longer a bondservant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir through God. Heb.1:2 hath at the end of these days spoken unto us in his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, through whom also he made the worlds; The fully-grown man: Eph.4:13 till we all attain unto the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a fullgrown man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: The perfect: 1Co.13:10-11 but when that which is perfect is come, that which is in part shall be done away. 11 When I was a child, I spake as a child, I felt as a child, I thought as a child: now that I am become a man, I have put away childish things. Luk.6:40 The disciple is not above his teacher: but every one when he is perfected shall be as his teacher. The Man-child; the rapture Hos.9:11 As for Ephraim (Jacob called Ephraim “a multitude of nations” -- Genesis 48:19), their glory (which is Christ; Luk.2:32 A light for revelation to the Gentiles, And the glory of thy people Israel. Col.1:27 …the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:) They will overcome the lure of the world like a bird.…(Psa.68:13 It is as the wings of a dove covered with silver, And her pinions with yellow gold. Mat.24:28 Wheresoever the carcase is (I.e.,dead to self), there will the eagles be gathered together. Psa.84:3-4 Yea, the sparrow hath found her a house, And the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young, Even thine altars, O Jehovah of hosts, My King, and my God. Psa 84:4 Blessed are they that dwell in thy house: Proverbs 23:5 …certainly make themselves wings, Like an eagle that flieth toward heaven.) From the birth, from the womb, from conception (Rev.12:5 And she was delivered of a son, a man child, who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and unto his throne. Isa.66:7 Before she travailed, she brought forth; before her pain came, she was delivered of a man-child. Mic.5:3 Therefore will he give them up, until the time that she who travaileth hath brought forth: then the residue of his brethren shall return unto the children of Israel.) Hos.9:12 Though they bring up their children, yet will I bereave them, that there shall not be a man left… (False teachers cannot bring forth first fruits. All fully-grown men and women become one in Christ [Galatians 3:28,29] and shall escape) – Jer.31:9 They shall come with weeping; and with supplications will I lead them: I will cause them to walk by rivers of waters, in a straight way wherein they shall not stumble; for I am a father to Israel, and Ephraim is my first-born. God spoke to Moses face to face – Exo.33:11 And Jehovah spake unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend….; Deu.34:10 And there hath not arisen a prophet since in Israel like unto Moses, whom Jehovah knew face to face. God will speak to the Man-child face to face -- 1Co.13:12 For now we see in a mirror, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know fully even as also I was fully known. The door – Mat.25:10 And while they went away to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage feast: and the door was shut. Luk.13:25 When once the master of the house is risen up, and hath shut to the door, and ye begin to stand without, and to knock at the door, saying, Lord, open to us; and he shall answer and say to you, I know you not whence ye are;   Salesman Preachers, Usurpers Tubby Miniard (David's notes in red) I dreamed that I was a forward observer at the front line. There were eight of us. We were in pairs, dug in, waiting for the enemy to attack. It was dark, and a dense fog fell over our line of defense. Suddenly, one forward observer yelled, “They're here!” We jumped from our places to meet them. There were so many that they poured in like a flood. (Who is the true Church fighting these days? The tares that are sown among the wheat. Satan's emissaries to defeat the Church from within.) We fought back-to-back for protection. It was very effective. We slaughtered them. None of us was hurt. We fought all night. As the dawn was breaking and the mist began to rise, our army arrived, and they very easily overwhelmed the enemy. The enemy left was already wounded and weak, so it was easy for them to take them out. Next, I was at my grandpa's house, where my mother lived. I asked her, “Do you need anything?” She said, “Yes, I need wood for the fire”. I said, “Okay”. I got wood and filled every room in the house. I told her, “This is enough wood, so your fire will never go out, and I have a good fire going in the fireplace”. She said, “You're a good son”. (Those who have fought Satan's army ahead of the front line of tribulation will be there to defend the woman Church from false usurpers during the tribulation. The good son will provide plenty of fuel to see to it that Mom's [the true Church's] fire will never go out. It says in Lev.6:12 And the fire upon the altar shall be kept burning thereon, it shall not go out; and the priest shall burn wood on it every morning: and he shall lay the burnt-offering in order upon it, and shall burn thereon the fat of the peace-offerings. 13 Fire shall be kept burning upon the altar continually; it shall not go out.) There was someone knocking at the door. She went outside, and I followed her. It was a salesman wearing a spotted suit. (These proud fakes that Satan is raising up will be known by the elect because of their slick attempts to sell themselves with their spotted garments of a rebellious, egotistical life. Jude 23 and some save, snatching them out of the fire; and on some have mercy with fear; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh. Rev.19:8 And it was given unto her that she should array herself in fine linen, bright [and] pure: for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints. 2Co.11:15 It is no great thing therefore if his [Satan's] ministers also fashion themselves as ministers of righteousness, whose end shall be according to their works.) He was fat and the suit was too small (overcome by flesh). He looked funny. (Children who do not look like the Father because they are of another seed than the Word.) I stepped between them. I felt protective of her. I didn't trust him. He began to tell her of the great war and mighty victory our nation had won. (Our one spiritual nation of true Christianity?) He was bragging and boasting. (A sign of a usurper.) He wanted her to think he was a patriot. (They are untried with no accomplishments or authority.) He spoke as if he were there. I said, “You're lying. I was there. I'm a Forward Observer in front of the front line. They call us the eyes of the artillery. (Calling in strikes from the angels) There were eight of us. (The gematria of Jesus name - 888) We fought all night. When our people arrived, there wasn't much to do”. My Captain (Jesus) told me, “Don't come see me unless you win a star”. I won a star for valor in battle. I took it and gave it to my Captain (Jesus). He gave it back to me as a reward, a medal of honor. I held up a star. I had it on a necklace. A brilliant light shone from it. It was amazing to see. “And here is my sword”. I pulled out a sword covered with blood. Jer.48:10 Cursed be he that doeth the work of Jehovah negligently; and cursed be he that keepeth back his sword from blood. When he saw the sword, he turned very pale and turned and ran away. (The usurpers are powerless before the Word of God.) I laughed. I told Mother, “You're safe now. He won't be back. Now that they know I'm here, they won't bother you anymore”. She said, “You're a good son”. I told her, “I have things I must do. If you need me, just call, and I will be here swiftly”. I got into a car and drove away, feeling very proud of my star and sword, and satisfied that Mother was okay. (The Man-child sons will defend the woman in the wilderness.)   Flood of Deception Cuts Off Escape Tubby Miniard (David's notes in red) I was running through a barren, very dry land. All the trees looked dead—no leaves, no grass, no flowers. Nothing was green. I noticed there were a lot of very dry thorn bushes. Isa.24:6 Therefore hath the curse devoured the earth, and they that dwell therein are found guilty: therefore the inhabitants of the earth are burned, and few men left. I was calling to people, warning them of a flood that was soon approaching. (The Lord spoke to me about the flood. He said, “This flood is the son of perdition.”) (Perdition means destruction where they go. Representing Judases and their hidden evil lives, lack of fruit, and hatred of good, and fake Christianity.) They laughed at me and ran from me down paths hedged in by thorn bushes. Some of them were drinking wine. The women had silver cups to drink from. The men had wine bottles from which they drank. The bottles looked nasty and old. They were laughing as they ran. (They are spiritually drunken, speaking as fools, perverting reality, overcome with delusion.) I thought, How could anyone be happy in this barren, dry place? Suddenly, two men called to me. They were standing by the bridge. They said, “Time's up. (meaning for the righteous to be in the wilderness) Cross the bridge now”. I said, “Okay”. I ran across the bridge. As I was crossing, I saw a wall of water coming down the river. (He said, “The bridge is the cross of Christ, the altar of burnt offering.” [Those who believe in the cross of sacrificed flesh and bear theirs will escape. Heb.2:3 how shall we escape, if we neglect so great a salvation? which having at the first been spoken through the Lord, was confirmed unto us by them that heard. Rom.2:3 And reckonest thou this, O man, who judgest them that practise such things, and doest the same, that thou shalt escape the judgment of God? 2Pe.2:20 For if, after they have escaped the defilements of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein and overcome, the last state is become worse with them than the first.] The wicked will remove the cross, causing the continual sacrifice [of their old life] to cease.) (Then the fleshly beast will rule in the temple of God as an abomination that maketh one desolate of God.) As soon as my feet touched the bank, I turned around to watch. The flood hit the bridge hard, knocking it out and washing it away. I looked across the river and thought, Now they can never cross over. I felt bad for them, but this side was great. Everything was alive— trees, flowers, grass, birds singing; it was nice, blue skies. (what,no chemtrails?) There was a door there with nothing around it. I opened it and went in. There were lots of people there. Everyone was happy, laughing, singing, and bragging on Jesus. They rushed to greet me, saying, “We have been expecting you. We're so glad you're here”. I was happy I was home. I had this same dream a second time about six months later. (When a dream is doubled, it is certain to happen -- Genesis 41:32; Daniel 2:45.) In the second dream, when I crossed the bridge and looked back I noticed the women did not wear shoes. I thought, That doesn't look safe -- no shoes in this place. (Representing dirty walks; not sanctified from the earthly.)  I didn't grieve as before. I was angry and thought, “You had a bridge, but you refused to cross over. I warned you all, but you laughed and ran away. All of you deserve this. It's your fault you're stranded over there.” (Under the dominion of Satan's Beast and the curse. Please hear the Word and obey.)   Tribulations: Tests of Obedience Judy Gregerson - 04/02/2010 (David's notes in red) I was walking around with someone, and a great windstorm whipped up. (Walking with the Lord as the tribulation arises. Winds of false doctrine and tribulation are coming to test the saints to prove whether or not they are obeying the Word. We see here that after knowledge comes testing to see who has built on the Rock of obedience.) Mat.7:24 Every one therefore that heareth these words of mine, and doeth them, shall be likened unto a wise man, who built his house upon the rock: 25 and the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon the rock. 26 And every one that heareth these words of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, who built his house upon the sand: 27 and the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and smote upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall thereof. ... Eph.4:14 that we may be no longer children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, in craftiness, after the wiles of error. I was around these huge, old trees, and branches started breaking off in the wind. This old growth was not strong; in fact, it looked rotten in these old trees. (The old churches, denominations, and ministries that refuse the new growth of the reformation message are being revealed as rotten and corrupt by the winds and storms of tribulation now whipping up in the world. Judgments in finances, politics, life, weather, earthquakes, wind, earth, and changes in the heavens, etc. Those one with the vine have regeneration. Joh.15:5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same beareth much fruit: for apart from me ye can do nothing. 6 If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and they gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. If these old churches were of God, they would bring forth His fruit as the nature, character and authority of Jesus. But even though they appear great in the eyes of man, inside they are rotten and dead.) And I kept walking and, finally, two or three small pieces of branches came flying at me. (People from the churches who come against us, especially their leaders, just as they persecuted Jesus and His disciples.) One piece about two feet long hit me, but I felt no pain and I wasn't hurt. But huge branches were falling all around on other things. (God's judgment on big apostate church leaders and ministries as they FALL in tribulations.) I was amazed by the old growth. I was looking up in these trees, and I knew that this old growth (Apostate Christians walking in old tradition and error) was all going to be blown off these trees and hurt a lot of things on the ground, but it couldn't hurt me, even when it came FLYING at me with great power. (The Christians living close to the world will suffer as they and their apostate leadership are broken off and exposed. The falling away of branches of Christianity will come against and persecute the elect. Act.8:1… And there arose on that day a great persecution against the church.)   World Covenant and End-Time Ministries Amos Scaggs - 3/4/2007 (David's notes in red) I saw a bust figure of two breasts covered up with an angora goat hide, and over that was another material used to secure everything in place. (I thought the breasts were bound up for a time when they would be used for feeding. An angora hide is set apart from all others, being considerably more expensive.) The angora hide without its flesh represents the old man who is dead and now a new person of great value. This angora hide now covers the two witnesses who share the milk of the Kingdom and are an extension of the Man-child ministry. The true milk of the Word is permitted to be restrained until God's anointing breaks the yoke to release it to the multitudes. According to scriptural type, this will be when the tribulation has come. But David and Moses, as types of the Man-child, fed and defended those few sheep in the wilderness before coming to their greater kingdom ministry to the multitudes of God's people. There was a poster graph scale with 10 men's faces on it. There were nine men in place on the chart and colored in with black. The tenth man's silhouette was in white at first glance. There was a disagreement or a struggle between two people over when to put the 10th man on the chart. Then the tenth man was put on the chart, and half of his face was colored in with black to satisfy the others. I thought the men represented a period of time before completion. Whatever that period of time is, it is very short. This could be the time when Jesus will start to feed his people, who also walk in darkness, through the Man-child. 10 men's faces represent the 10 kings of the world continental divisions of the beast kingdom. One-half face could be the time until the beast covenant is completed at the beginning of the tribulation, and the man-child/witnesses begin to feed the milk to the young church on a worldwide basis. (The half black face could represent that one kingdom is divided over its support of the beast. Satan is the deceiver of the whole world outside of Christ.)   It's Confirmed: It Is the End Times Brandon Corsi - 02/04/2011 (David's notes in red) I wanted to give a testimony of a couple of dreams the Lord gave me within the past year and a half concerning my belief that the end times are coming soon. The first dream came about a year and a half ago. I never waver in my belief in the Lord (not that I never waver in obedience), but I was really struggling with unbelief about some end-times prophecy I was hearing from people and seeing online, some even from UBM (I was just a casual listener then). Might I also add that I was not raised to be a Christian nor in church, and if anything, the beliefs I was taught were more agnostic than anything. My father, being a science-minded person who graduated with a degree in science, didn't push any beliefs on me, but being a young boy, I think I unknowingly adopted his beliefs and carried them with me longer than I knew or wanted to. That is, until the Lord changed my life. Anyway, I think I was still getting rid of the last of those remnants of the old Brandon. I began my real walk with the Lord a few years ago, so my faith in Jesus was as strong then as it is now. But I had trouble with the skepticism inside of me. Well, I took it to the Lord for the first time, asking Him before bed to please give me a dream to show me the truth that tribulation is coming very soon. Well, I got one. It was a year ago, and I didn't write it down, but in the dream, I remember I found a card with a number on it. So when I awoke, I decided to see what page in the Bible it was and, sure enough, it was page 753 in my Bible, which includes Revelation 11:1-2, which speaks about the tribulation (I'll explain the significance of that in a moment). He gave me what I wanted, so I was at peace for the time being. Four or five months later, I got some more unbelief on me, as I was hearing more and more specific and amazing prophecies about the rapidly approaching tribulation; by the way, all these things I had heard were from very credible sources, including UBM. Once again, I became troubled by the fact that I was skeptical about them. Honestly, all I wanted was to just believe. I wished I hadn't ever had doubts, but I did. So I went to the Lord again, although a little more reluctantly this time, for He already showed me once, and I didn't want to fall out of His favor. I asked Him, once again, to please give me one more confirmation that I can believe these things. And I had another very powerful dream, in which I was sitting in my bedroom as a child and got the urge to go look at a Bible that was on my sleeping mother's nightstand. I crept in there quietly to get it and saw she was sleeping, so I went over and got the Bible. In the dream, I didn't even know why I wanted to look at it -- I just did. I opened the front cover, and it read, “Revelation 11:1-2”. So in the dream I opened to this scripture, and it is in the exact scripture text which gives the time period for the tribulation: 42 months or 1260 days. Right before I woke up, I heard a voice speak to me, an unrecognizable male voice. It said, “Do not ask me this again”. I woke up very shaken but happy and filled with praise for the Lord for giving me this second confirmation. Might I also add that those are the only two times I have ever asked the Lord to show me proof that the end times are approaching, and He answered both times. I was already very satisfied with my answer, but I decided to go ahead and read Revelation 11:1-2. A double surprise! Not only did it mention specifically the time period of the tribulation, but it was on the same page -- 753 -- as the other dream had me go to! Praise God! Rev.11:1 And there was given me a reed like unto a rod: and one said, Rise, and measure the temple of God, and the altar, and them that worship therein. 2 And the court which is without the temple leave without, and measure it not; for it hath been given unto the nations: and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and two months. (Notice that there is an exhortation here for Brandon and you: The people who are in the temple and altar, meaning abiding in Christ and have their flesh on the altar of the fiery trial, will escape being trampled under the feet of the beast because they are not in the outer court and are close to the presence of God in the Holy of Holies. This is why the Lord gave this text to Brandon.) In closing, I hope and pray that any unbelief that may come upon me, God strikes it down. (This is part of leaving the flesh on the altar to burn up; we are to cast down fleshly imaginations that exalt themselves against the knowledge of God.) I am still working on improving my walk with God. I have made some bad choices in the past, but He is working very quickly in me lately, and I praise Him for that because now I know that time is short. I hope and pray that I might have a chance to become a disciple of Jesus Christ before time is up. God Bless.   Wilderness Just Ahead Deborah Horton's vision - 09/7/2005 As I lay back down for a little more sleep after getting my husband off to work, I closed my eyes, and before my head hit the pillow, here is what I saw. (I'm pretty sure I wasn't asleep because it was over when my head touched the pillow and I immediately sat back up.) I saw a large motor home that was towing a car with its two front wheels up on a trailer behind it. (Years later they ended up living in just such a vehicle and still do.) as it pulled in for gas at the Fast Stop convenience store, which in real life is at the entrance to our subdivision, on Highway 176 at the entrance ramp to I-26. My eyes were drawn to the license plate on the motor home, and I saw it very clearly. It was similar to the North Dakota plate, which has a landscape and bison silhouette on it, but the one on the motor home had the silhouette of a cow, in red, facing toward the right. As I sat back up, I exclaimed, “The red heifer!” The motor home was not a luxurious land yacht with all the bells and whistles; it's one that is frequently seen on the highway, so I went to my local dealer to find out what the model name is. The motor home was a Fleetwood. The car being towed was small, not a full-size model, but I don't know what make it was. I also wasn't shown any license plate on the car. With a great deal of help from several Godly friends, here is what has been deciphered: Deborah: From Deuteronomy, the red heifer in its entirety was sacrificed outside the camp, then the ashes were mixed with water and used to ritually purify the altar, other implements used to minister to the Lord, and the people who were to minister to the Lord or who had become ritually unclean. Without the red heifer, the Temple and worship were unacceptable. David: The motor home is a mobile tabernacle prepared to go into the wilderness. The fuel for the motor home is a derivative of oil, which represents the anointing of the Holy Spirit. The anointing of the Man-child comes at the beginning of the wilderness as it was with Jesus and Moses. Like Moses and Jesus carried Israel through the wilderness to the Promised Land, this motor home is carrying this car through the tribulation. The motor home is powered and steered by the Lord Himself. Like many immature Christians, the car in tow has no driver yet and it cannot steer for itself. The motor home, as the Man-child has to steer it. Like many weak Christians, the car's power is not being used. As it was in Jesus' time, so it will be in ours. The license with the red heifer symbolizes the legal, scriptural right, by virtue of a crucified life, to lead others through the wilderness on the highway of holiness. Like the red heifer, the corporate Man-child will have presented his body as a living sacrifice. His old life will be burned up on the altar of fiery trials. The ashes of this purified life will be mixed with water, which is the Word of God, making a fully mature son of God. The heifer is facing to the right, symbolizing East, or the direction of the coming of the sun or Son in his life. This life will then be the wisdom and direction used to purify the altar for the rest of the remnant to be sacrificed in the wilderness. There, they will learn to submit to their driver and be steered with power from God. Our way of life is coming to a fast stop at the edge of the coming wilderness. Deborah: The model of the motor home, Fleetwood, also confirms this. We find the words “flee”, “fleet”, and “wood” indicating wilderness. However, an RV is not an off-road vehicle. Pro.16:17 The highway of the upright is to depart from evil: he that keepeth his way preserveth his soul. Isa.11:16 And there shall be a highway for the remnant of his people, which shall be left, from Assyria; like as it was to Israel in the day that he came up out of the land of Egypt. Isa.35:1 The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad; and the desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose ... 8 And an highway shall be there, and a way, and it shall be called, The way of holiness; the unclean shall not pass over it; but it shall be for those: the wayfaring men, though fools, shall not err therein. Deborah: I was asking the Lord why the motor home, representing the first fruits, was so large, and the car, representing the remnant, was so small in comparison. I got that the faith of the relatively few first-fruits was that much bigger than all the faith of the greater number of the remnant. David: It's true. I once ministered to a Presbyterian lady who got filled with the Spirit and then left her church. She had a dream of going to three houses and when she knocked, harlots answered each door. After that, at the next house, I answered the door. I asked her how many religions she had been in before coming to us. She said three. It was at this time that she received deliverance from the religions of men. Then she had a vision of me being a giant. I told her it was because I had outgrown the doctrine she was now receiving from me, a long time ago. In the same way, the first-fruits will be big. Jesus delivered, healed, and brought truth to more people than all the Pharisees put together. He was and still is big. R.S.: The crude oil that comes out of the ground needs tons of refining into gasoline or diesel before it's usable by the earthy, natural man. Man's soul is also in dire need of the refined life of the Spirit in order to become a vessel fit for His use. Isa.1:25 And I will turn my hand upon thee, and will thoroughly purge away thy dross, and take away all thy tin. Zec.13:9 And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried; and they shall call on me, and I will hear them; I will say, It is my people; and they shall say, The Lord is my God. Dan.12:10 Many shall be purified, and made white, and tried; but the wicked shall do wickedly, and none of the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall understand. Mal.3:17 And they shall be mine, saith the Lord of Hosts, in the day that I make up my jewels, and I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son, that serveth him. Deborah: Also, the two highways which intersect: Highway 176 = (5) grace; and Interstate 26 = (8) new beginnings. I was encouraged by them that the remnant would be given the grace they need when the time comes to quickly flee to the new beginnings of the wilderness.

Give Me Liberty#RTTBROS #Nightlight #USA250 #Nation250 #America250The wicked flee when no man pursueth: but the righteous are bold as a lion.— Proverbs 28:1THE STORYMost people know the last line. Very few know what came before it.Patrick Henry's speech to the Virginia Convention on March 23rd, 1775, is remembered for its thunderous conclusion: "Give me liberty, or give me death!" But the speech itself, delivered entirely from conviction, was a sermon as much as a political address. And that should surprise no one, because Patrick Henry was, in the most literal sense, a lay preacher.Henry had been shaped by the Great Awakening. As a young man he had sat under the preaching of Samuel Davies, the great Presbyterian revivalist of Virginia, and something had taken root that never left him.The speech opened with a warning against self-deception. He invoked the God who could see what men could not, "the lamp by which my feet are guided." And then, finally, the question no comfortable man wants to answer: Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? The room was silent. Then it erupted.THE REFLECTIONThere is a reason that speech still reverberates two hundred and fifty years later. It is not merely eloquence. It was spoken by a man who actually believed what he said.Henry's later years bear this out. His personal will explicitly left his children the Bible as their most valuable inheritance, more valuable than his lands or his money. He described his Christian faith not as a cultural inheritance but as a personal conviction.The boldness of the righteous, as Proverbs says, is not the boldness of the reckless. It is the boldness of the convinced, the man or woman who has settled something in the secret place and carries that settled conviction into the public moment.We need men and women like that again. Not performers of patriotism, but people of genuine conviction, people for whom "give me liberty" is not a slogan but a prayer.THE PATRIOT'S PRAYERPray It Forward: Ask God today to give you one conviction, about your faith, your family, or your nation, and the holy boldness to speak it plainly

Patrick tackles Catholic life and its intersections with contemporary culture, addressing questions about priestly vocations, interdenominational encounters, and prayers for the departed. He weaves in scriptural discussions on the Eucharist, advises Catholics on Protestant Bible study invitations, and unpacks the federal government’s move to reclassify Mormonism outside the Christian list for military personnel—a choice that sparks both theological friction and political response. Every segment pulses with direct advice, practical faith, and moments where swift insights meet unexpected candor. Jorge - A deacon said homosexuals are accepted for priesthood candidacy just to stay away from their temptations. (02:34) Sherry - How can I tell my Presbyterian neighbor that the True Body and Blood of Christ is only in the Catholic Church? (07:26) Conrad - My girlfriend and I go to a Catholic Church on weekdays, and then a 'bible' church on Sunday morning. I see it as a Bible study. (12:15) Connie - I'm a convert, and the only Catholic in my family. Can you talk about customs Catholics do for a recently deceased relative? (20:22) Ben - Referring back to Calvary church: my brother has been asked to be one of the leaders at a similar church, but I don't think that'd be good for him. (27:12) Dept. of War removes Mormonism, and about 180 other belief systems as recognized religions (34:04)

Joe Clifford's sermon for Sunday, June 7, 2026, at Myers Park Presbyterian Church in Charlotte, NC. Subtitles/closed captions for this video are available by clicking the “CC” button on the video player. Full sermon manuscripts can be found at myersparkpres.org/manuscripts.

The Bread of Life Part #1: Seeking, Seeing, Believing Please turn in your Bibles to John 6. We'll be focusing on verses 22-36 this morning. That is found on page 1059 I'm calling this a part 1 sermon about Jesus as the Bread of Life. But really, last week could be considered part 1. The first section of chapter 6 was about Jesus feeding the 5000. In our verses this morning, Jesus explains that the bread which he multiplied was a sign that he fulfilled as the bread of life. And then next week, he will elaborate on what that means and its implications. So, chapter 6 is one big narrative that focuses on Christ as the bread from heaven. If you remember from last week, the disciples are now in Capernaum on the western shore of the sea of Galilee. They had left on a boat on the eastern short without Jesus. Well, on their journey, a storm arose, but Jesus came to them, walking on the water. He calmed the storm and they arrived in Capernaum. So that is where they were, but the crowd was still on the other side of the sea. Let's now come to God's Word. Prayer Reading of John 6:22-36 I know it's not Thanksgiving, but Black Friday came to mind this week. That is the day after Thanksgiving. It's the day that almost every store has crazy sales and tries to lure shoppers in to buy their stuff. It's the biggest shopping day of the year. People literally camp out the night before so that they can be the first in line and buy big TVs, fancy speakers, laptops and phones, games, and appliances. Of course, the sales are only "while supplies last." So, you'd better be there early. You may have heard about the fist fights that break out or you may have seen the videos of people running through the store when the doors open to get to that TV before the other guy does. It's a picture of how we will go to great lengths to satisfy our so-called needs. We want to be comfortable and well fed and have all the latest things out there. But we are not thinking about our eternal and spiritual needs. The crowd following Jesus was similar. They wanted him to feed them. They saw the signs he did including the miracle of multiplying the bread. And they wanted more. They were even in a kind of frenzy to find him. But they didn't want him for the right reasons. They wanted to satisfy their earthly needs not their spiritual ones. As we work our way through these verses, that is what we will see this morning. We'll see that contrast between searching for bread which will perish and searching for the bread who gives eternal life. There's an outline on page 4 of the bulletin. We'll consider these verses in three points: 1. Seek the eternal provider 2. See the one signified And 3. Believe in him and his eternal provision And let me say that each point is contrasted by the Jewish crowd's selfish motivation, their lack of understand, and their unbelief. That is clear in these verses. 1. Seek the eternal provider Ok, again, number 1, seek the eternal provider. The crowd did not see their spiritual need and how Jesus could fulfill it. No instead, as I mentioned, they were fixated on the temporary provision thinking it could save them. They should have been seeking Jesus for who he is but instead were seeking him because of what they thought he could do for them. That's what we see in the first couple of verses. The problem was that their motivations were suspect. Really, they didn't want Jesus. They just wanted temporary things that they thought Jesus could give them. As we get into the narrative, remember that it was the day after Jesus fed them. And the crowd quickly realized that Jesus was no longer there. But where was he? The evening before, they had witnessed Jesus' disciples enter a boat and leave for the other side of the sea to Capernaum. But Jesus didn't get on the boat. But, where was he? They wanted to find him. At this point in Jesus' ministry, there was a buzz, so to speak. At the end of chapter 4, Jesus had been up in Galilee and if you remember, had healed the official's son. Word had gotten out about that and other signs. Just the day before, they witnessed Jesus miraculously multiply the fish and loaves. They crowd was (in a way) desperate to find him. They wanted to find this man who healed people and performed signs and miraculously fed them. They even believed he was the prophet that Moses promised. We learned that last week. Well, at this point, several boats had arrived from across the sea. Maybe they had sheltered there from the storm the night before or maybe some boat owners heard there was a crowd and therefore an opportunity to make some money by ferrying them somewhere. We don't know why the boats were there. But whatever the case, the crowd quickly got on the boats and directed them to travel to Capernaum. Remember, that's where Jesus' disciples had gone. Maybe he was somehow there? Well, when they got to Capernaum, lo-and-behold, he was there. They had no idea how Jesus had gotten there. They hadn't seen him leave and they hadn't witnessed him walking on the water, but somehow he had arrived. That's why they asked him in verse 25, "Rabbi, when did you come here?" Maybe they were wondering whether he arrived at night. Or whether he had taken a different boat. They wanted to know because they had been very eager to find him. And here's where the narrative pivots. Jesus changed the subject. Remember, he did something similar with Nicodemus in chapter 3 and with the woman at the well in chapter 4. Jesus pivoted the conversation to penetrate to the heart of their problem. Nicodemus needed to be born again and the woman at the well needed living water. Jesus said to the crowd, "Truly, truly, I say to you, you are seeking me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves." You see, they cared more about the food. They cared more about their earthly situation than their spiritual need. They wanted to find the man who performed the miracle so that he could do more miracles for them. In other words, their search for Jesus was not about Jesus, it was about what he could do for them. Their motivations were about satisfying their appetite. Let me connect this to last week. Look a few verses earlier at verse 15. The crowd had just pronounced that Jesus was the Prophet that Moses promised. Now, look at what they wanted to do. Verse 15. It says that Jesus perceived that the crowd wanted to take him by force, and make him king. That is when Jesus withdrew from them. They wanted to make him king because they wanted a king who would provide for their earthly needs. It's the same near sighted motivation. The irony in all of this is that Jesus was and is the true King, the eternal King, and he was the one who could truly feed them - you know, spiritually feed them for eternity. But as the crowd came to him, they only cared about their earthly and physical needs. That is why in verse 27, Jesus then said to them, "do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life." Jesus was saying, even though the fish and the loaves fed you and it was a miracle, that bread and fish will not endure to eternal life. To be sure, our earthly needs are important. God has made us as physical beings. We are body and soul. We have daily needs for food and water. It is not wrong to seek our daily bread. We pray for our daily bread in the Lord's prayer. However, when our pursuit for daily provision becomes our main pursuit in life then we have lost sight of our greater need. The crowd did not see their need for the spiritual provision that Christ could give them. They simply wanted to have more of their earthly, physical, near-term needs met… food and an earthly king to provide for them. This sin manifests itself in different ways in our hearts and in our culture. For one, we live in a time and place of great prosperity. And it is so easy to get caught up in the rat race of our culture and the pursuit of comfort and things. Our covetous hearts do not help us! Certainly, many around us are blind to this. They cannot see that the near-term path that they are on is a path that leads to destruction and judgment. But even for believers in Christ, we can be so caught up working for our daily needs or our pursuit of comfort in this life, which can become idols, that we lose sight of our greater spiritual need. We lose sight of Christ. That's one pitfall in our culture and in our hearts. Related to that, Jesus just becomes to us a means to an end. That's what was happening here. We've talked about this in the past. There are so-called preachers out there that say that God wants to bless you with material wealth. Your barns will be full, they say, if you just have more faith. I don't sense that anyone here believes that, but are you seeking Jesus for who he is? As the one who saves and gives eternal provision and life, OR are there subtle ways that he has become for you just an avenue to meet your perceived needs in this life? Just to be sure, I am not disregarding the benefits and blessing that come with knowing Christ like peace with God and community. But Jesus should never be a means to an end. He is the end. He is the telos of all things. We should be seeking him as the one who gives life and not for bread which perishes. So, seek him, the ultimate provider. 2. See the one signified #2. See the one signified. The crowd was so enamored with signs that they missed the significance of them. Look at verse 30. The crowd said to Jesus, “Then what sign do you do, that we may see and believe you?" In other words, show us something. Give us a sign. It's quite ironic because Jesus had just given them a sign the day before, but they didn't see that it pointed to him. And then the crowd mentioned the example of manna from heaven. That was to them the great sign that Moses performed as God's chosen instrument. Moses was the one, in their eyes, who opened heaven to give them this bread from heaven. The crowd wanted a sign like the manna. As Coleman pointed out last week, this whole chapter includes allusions to Moses and the Exodus. A first century Jewish reader would have seen the parallels. We see those in reference to the Passover, the miracle of the food, the crossing of the sea, the reference to the Prophet which Moses promised. And a little bit later, the Jews grumbled just like the Israelites grumbled in the wilderness. It's all there. Really at the heart of the parallel is the manna. The manna was the miraculous food that God provided the Israelites from heaven. We read about it earlier in the service. Now, you may be asking, if the crowd just experienced Jesus miraculously giving them food, why would they mention the manna as an example of a sign? Well, think about this. Jesus fed 5,000 people one meal. That's amazing, but it pales in comparison to the provision of manna. There were at least 2 million Israelites in the wilderness, and they received the manna 6 days a week for 40 years. It was tremendous. And so the miracle of the manna was unparalleled from their perspective. And furthermore, it was Moses who had opened heaven on God's behalf for them. Look at Jesus' response in verse 32. Jesus said, "truly, truly, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but my Father gives you the true bread from heaven." Jesus was telling them that they missed the point. For centuries they thought that the sign of the manna was the greatest provision of all. It was THE sign. What they didn't realize or acknowledge is that the manna was really pointing to something greater, "true bread from heaven." They missed that. The manna in the wilderness spoiled and only endured for a day. The true manna, on the other hand,  would sustain them forever. What they needed was not more physical manna. No, what they needed was the spiritual manna from heaven. Jesus continued, "for the bread from God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world." Look how the crowd responded in verse 34. "Sir, give us this bread always." Did you notice that their response exactly paralleled what the Samaritan woman said at the well? After Jesus said to her that the water he gives will spring up to eternal life, she said, "Sir, give me this water, so that I may not be thirsty." In both cases they were still thinking about physical water and physical bread. The crowd here wanted to eat this bread. They thought it was something they would physically consume. "Give us this bread, always." You know, every day, just like the manna from heaven. And here's the climax, verse 35. Jesus said, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst." He is the bread. The sign of manna was merely revealing that they needed true bread from heaven. They needed Christ. Colossians chapter 2 speaks to this. It speaks of various Jewish ceremonies and institutions like food, drink, festivals, new moon, and the Sabbath. And then the apostle Paul says this in Colossians 2:17, "These are a shadow of the things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ." Jesus is the manna who came down from heaven. He is the one who gives life. He fulfills the sign of manna. The manna was a shadow, but Christ is the substance. In fact, Jesus' very statement that he is the bread of life affirms this. It's the first of 7 "I AM" statements in the book of John. Besides the bread of life, Jesus also said, for example,  "I am the light of the world." "I am the good shepherd." "I am the resurrection and the life." We'll consider all of them as we work our way through John. And each of these "I am" statements is yet another connection back to Moses. A few months ago when we started this series in John, I mentioned the I AM statements. They connect back to the burning bush when God spoke to Moses in the wilderness. Remember that Moses asked God who he was. And God answered and said, "I am who I am." That's the Hebrew name, Yahweh, which means. I am. Yes, Jesus was saying that he was spiritual bread, but he was saying a lot more than that. He was equating himself with God. To the crowd, he was saying that he was greater than Moses. They had been appealing to Moses and to the manna. But Jesus revealed to them that he is greater because he IS God. He is the I AM of God. He is the bread of life, the true manna from heaven. Those who feed on him will never hunger nor thirst. Never. Let me put it this way, Jesus is the spiritual manna that we daily need, who will sustain us all the way to the promised land. See not only the sign, but see the one signified. 3. Believe in him and his eternal provision Ok, here's where we are so far: 1. Seek the eternal provider. Seek Jesus for who he is not what you believe he can do for you. 2. See the one signified. Do not get caught up in the signs themselves that you miss out on what the signs signify. Jesus' miracle of the fish and loaves and the sign of manna in the wilderness reveal who he is. Jesus is the bread of life. And now #3. Believe in him and his eternal provision. Jesus was telling the crowd to look to him as the bread of life, and not to the food that perishes. And he calls them to believe. How do we to receive this bread from heaven? We're to believe in him. Earlier in these verses, the crowd had asked what they needed to do? Did you catch that? They had this mentality that they needed to be working to receive the food that endures to eternal life. In verse 29, Jesus answered them, "This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent." Let me make something very clear. Faith or belief in God is not a work. We do not work in any way to earn favor from God. That is why verse 29 says, 'This is the work of God, that you believe in him'” Do you see the emphasis that it is God's work? Our belief is in response to God's work. In fact, this is very clear throughout all of chapter 6. It is God who draws people to himself. The Father is the one who is at work. We believe by faith in God's work… what he has done and is doing in Christ and through his Spirit. We'll see this very clearly next week. The crowd's problem was that they did not believe in him. And look at the stinging statement that Jesus made to them in verse 36. "But I said to you that you have seen me and yet do not believe." I grew up in the church. It was not a reformed or Presbyterian church, but it was faithful. One of my elementary Sunday school teachers said something that was kind of shocking to me at the time. She said, "there are people in the church who are not Christians." She wasn't talking about visitors who were exploring Christianity and were coming to search for truth. She was referring to people who had been in the church for a while and who thought they were believers in Christ, but hadn't truly believed in him. My little 9-year-old mind had a hard time understanding that at the time, but it stuck with me. When Jesus said to them that they had seen him but do not believe, he was telling them that even though they thought they were God's people, they had yet to believe. Many of them were Jews by birth. After all, they had just demonstrated a knowledge of the Scriptures and Israel's history, yet they were not secure in God. They did not have the eternal life that God promises for those who believe in him. They did not believe in the true manna, the bread of life. Jesus could not have been clearer to them. Let me read verse 35 one more time because it's so important. Jesus said, "I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst." To receive the food that endures to eternal life, is to believe in the one who is the bread of life. I know many of you and your testimonies of faith in Christ. But some of you I don't know as well or we haven't yet me, and so I want to ask, have you feasted on the bread of life? Do you believe in the one who will satisfy your spiritual thirst and hunger forever? Let me say, he is the only one who can satisfy your soul forever. All other life pursuits when they are your primary life pursuits are working for bread which perishes. But the work of God is that you believe in the one sent from heaven. He is the true manna of God. Conclusion In summary, the crowds were seeking Jesus but for the wrong reasons. They were seeking Jesus as a means to an end. They were seeking the manna that their forefathers experienced and tasted. They wanted that manna instead of realizing that physical manna was meant to direct their attention to the true end - to Jesus himself. Standing before them and standing before us in heaven is the Bread of Life, the true manna from heaven. He is the I AM of God. And he calls us to believe in him. May we repent of working for bread which perishes. May we not trust in the things of this world which cannot save. May we not look to the signs and shadows but to the substance which is Christ. May we, believe in him, the Bread of Life, who will feed us for eternity.

From the "It Matters" sermon series. Preached by Stephen Baker.

Martin Wagner June 7, 2026 Faith Presbyterian Church Birmingham, AL 

Audio Recording Prayer Rev. Tim Chang Download Sermon OutlineSpeaker: Rev. Tim ChangSermon Series: FWPSMLuke 11:1-13 (ESV)1 Now Jesus was praying in a certain place, and when he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples.” 2 And he said to them, “When you pray, say:“Father, hallowed be your name.Your kingdom come.3 Give us each day our daily bread,4 and forgive us our sins, for we ourselves forgive everyone who is indebted to us.And lead us not into temptation.”5 And he said to them, “Which of you who has a friend will go to him at midnight and say to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves, 6 for a friend of mine has arrived on a journey, and I have nothing to set before him'; 7 and he will answer from within, ‘Do not bother me; the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed. I cannot get up and give you anything'? 8 I tell you, though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, yet because of his impudence he will rise and give him whatever he needs. 9 And I tell you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. 11 What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will instead of a fish give him a serpent; 12 or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? 13 If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”Sermon Outline1. A Vision for Prayer (v. 1-4)[1] Now Jesus was praying in a certain place, and when he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples.” [2] And he said to them, “When you pray, say: “Father, hallowed be your name. [2b] Your kingdom come. [3] Give us each day our daily bread, [4] and forgive us our sins, for we ourselves forgive everyone who is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation.”2. How to Pray (v. 5-10)[5] And he said to them, “Which of you who has a friend will go to him at midnight and say to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves, [6] for a friend of mine has arrived on a journey, and I have nothing to set before him'[7] and [the neighbor] will answer from within, ‘Do not bother me; the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed. I cannot get up and give you anything'?[8] I tell you, though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, yet because of his impudence he will rise and give him whatever he needs. [9] And I tell you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. [10] For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. 3. Who We Pray To (v. 11-13)[11] What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will instead of a fish give him a serpent; [12] or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? [13] If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”Prayer of ConfessionOur perfect Heavenly Father, you created us for rich intimacy and relationship with you. You have given us the gift of prayer to know you more deeply, but we have misused it to get things from you instead of wanting simply you. Forgive us. We thank you that you did not leave us separated from you, but you sent your Son, Jesus so that we might be adopted as your children. Through all that he has done, you invite us to draw near to you with confidence and boldness. Help us to cherish the gift of prayer so that we can know you more deeply. Amen.Questions for ReflectionWhat connected with you from the sermon or the passage?What do you enjoy about prayer? What do you find challenging? What do you think the disciples noticed in Jesus' prayer life that made them ask him for teaching and guidance on prayer?How might your prayer life look different if you approach God with shameless persistence?What makes it difficult to approach God with unashamed boldness? What helps you feel free to approach God with anything?How does Jesus' experience in the Garden of Gethsemane and at the cross help us trust God when our prayers seem unanswered?If prayer is not primarily about getting things from God, but instead it's about getting God, how might this shape your practice of prayer?What do you sense God calling you to do from this passage?

2nd Sunday after Pentecost; Sermon based on Genesis 12:1-9 and Matthew 9:9-13, 18-26. Preached at The First Presbyterian Church of Brooklyn (https://linktr.ee/firstchurchbrooklyn). Podcast subscription is available at https://cutt.ly/fpcb-sermons or Apple Podcasts (https://apple.co/4ccZPt6), Spotify....This item belongs to: audio/first-church-brooklyn-sermons.This item has files of the following types: Archive BitTorrent, Columbia Peaks, Item Tile, Metadata, PNG, Spectrogram, VBR MP3

Sunday Worship June 7th, 2026   “Startled in the Wilderness” 1 Samuel 23:14-29 Rev. Sid Druen   Sermon Audio   Sermon Outline: The post Startled in the Wilderness appeared first on East Charlotte Pres.

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June 7, 2026 Pastor Nathan Lee 2 Kings 9:1-37

You're listening to the Two Rivers PCA church podcast. We are a family of faith gathering around God's redeeming love, growing in the grace of Jesus Christ, and going to serve our neighbors.For more information, visit us at tworiverspca.org.

Loving Mercy Hosea 6:6, Matthew 9:9-13, 18-26 6/7/2026 Rev. Alan Brehm PhD Hickman Presbyterian Church

A Blessing For Life!; Cor: 13:14, Eph 1: 3-8; Rev. Bruce McDowallSunday 7th June 2026www.parkchurch.co.uk

Scripture: Ecclesiastes 1:12-2:26Speaker: Brandon EggarSeries: Ecclesiastes

In this follow-up to their discussion of the Parable of the Ten Virgins, Jesse and Tony make a critical discovery about Matthew 25:13 that fundamentally changes how we should read Christ's eschatological parables. The command to "watch therefore" isn't primarily about staying awake—it's about preparedness for Christ's return. This episode explores the grammatical and theological connections between the Parable of the Ten Virgins and the Parable of the Talents, revealing how Matthew 25:13 functions as a hinge verse that binds these parables into a unified teaching on eschatological readiness. The hosts demonstrate how modern chapter divisions and translation choices can sometimes obscure the organic flow of Christ's teaching, and why understanding these connections matters for Christian living today. Key Takeaways Matthew 25:13 is a hinge verse, not an endpoint. The Greek grammatical structure (using post-positive connectors "therefore" and "for") links verses 1-13 forward to the Parable of the Talents, not just backward to the Ten Virgins. Sleep wasn't the problem in the parable. Both the wise and foolish virgins fell asleep. The issue was preparedness—having oil ready before the bridegroom's arrival, not staying physically awake. "Watch" means preparedness, not wakefulness. The better translation of the Greek word emphasizes alert readiness and preparation rather than literal sleeplessness. The Parable of the Talents explains what preparedness looks like. Christ intentionally connected these parables to show that watchfulness manifests in faithful stewardship and fruitful living. Christ himself made these connections. This isn't just Matthew's editorial arrangement—Jesus deliberately taught these parables together as a unified discourse on eschatological readiness. Sanctifying grace is non-transferable. The wise virgins couldn't share their oil because saving grace and the Spirit's indwelling cannot be borrowed or transferred between people. Eschatological ignorance is divinely ordained. Not knowing the day or hour prevents us from delaying obedience until the last moment, which was precisely the foolish virgins' error. Key Concepts The Grammatical Evidence for Connection The discovery that transformed this discussion centers on how Greek post-positive particles function. Both "therefore" (οὖν) in verse 13 and "for" (γάρ) in verse 14 cannot grammatically stand as the first word in a Greek sentence—they must connect to what precedes them. This means verse 13 isn't simply concluding the parable of the virgins; it's simultaneously introducing the parable of the talents. English translations that insert paragraph breaks between these verses may inadvertently suggest a harder separation than exists in the original text. When Christ says "watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour, for it will be like a man going on a journey," He's creating a seamless logical progression: the reason for watchfulness is eschatological uncertainty, and the nature of that watchfulness is illustrated by what follows in the talents parable. Preparedness vs. Wakefulness in Translation Some English translations render Matthew 25:13 as "stay awake" or "keep alert," emphasizing the sleep imagery from the preceding parable. However, this creates a logical problem: if falling asleep was the sin, then both groups of virgins sinned, since the text explicitly states "they all became drowsy and slept" (v. 5). The better understanding recognizes that the Greek word (γρηγορέω) encompasses a broader semantic range including vigilance, preparedness, and readiness—not just physical wakefulness. The wise virgins weren't praised for staying awake; they were praised for having secured oil before the bridegroom's arrival. This preparedness enabled them to respond appropriately when the moment came, regardless of whether they had been sleeping. Translating with an emphasis on sleep therefore misses Christ's point and artificially seals verse 13 off from the explanation that follows. The Perseverance of the Saints in Action This parable sequence reveals an often-overlooked dimension of the doctrine of perseverance: believers must actually do the persevering. While the Holy Spirit enables, empowers, and ordains our perseverance, He doesn't persevere instead of us—He causes us to persevere. The wise virgins' preparedness wasn't passive; they actively obtained oil before it was needed. They prepared for both the bridegroom's arrival and the potential delay. This illustrates that Christian preparedness isn't anxious vigilance or frantic last-minute effort, but the steady, Spirit-enabled work of sanctification, growing in grace, abiding in Christ, and maintaining readiness over the long haul. The Parable of the Talents then unpacks what this looks like practically: faithful stewardship, productive kingdom work, and diligent use of what God has entrusted to us during the time of waiting. Memorable Quotes The difference between foolishness and wisdom in the first parable is not whether or not the virgins fell asleep. It's whether or not they were prepared for the eventual coming of the bridegroom. - Tony Arsenal When God's people take to see and request his eminent and transcendent power in the lives of somebody else through intercessory prayer, a special bond is created that is very real. - Jesse Schwamb Christ himself has strung these different parables together... Christ was the one who decided that the parable of the talents was a proper explainer for the parable of the wise and foolish virgins. - Tony Arsenal Full Transcript [00:00:08] Jesse Schwamb: Welcome to episode 495 of the Reformed to Brotherhood. I'm Jesse.  [00:00:14] Tony Arsenal: And I'm Tony. And this is the podcast with ears to hear. Hey brother.  [00:00:18] Jesse Schwamb: Hey brother. So sometimes the episodes just seem to write themselves, and I say that of course, tongue in cheek from my full providential register. But in the last episode, we went over with great detail, the parable of the 10 virgins, or the 10 bridesmaids found in Matthew 25. And I think we did all the things that we were supposed to do, like contractually. We made really good oil puns. We talked about Petras song, midnight Oil. We talked about 10 bridesmaids, five Ys, five foolish. They're all waiting for the bridegroom who is late because he operates on divine timing. The foolish five run out of oil and begged the five whys to share theirs. The five whys decline, because sanctifying grace is non-transferrable. This is not a potluck. We went through all of that stuff and then what happened is we turned off the microphones and somehow you and I started a, a new conversation about this thing still. And we thought there's more to say and we didn't even expect it. And incidentally, it all hinges on a single word. Yeah. So we're gonna come back to that on this episode because we couldn't help ourselves. And I say that because we couldn't help ourselves. We literally kept talking about this long after the episode had ended. So we wanted to bring it back and it's something new. I think that you and I were really pondering that's gonna be really, really, really good. Yeah. But the other thing that's really good is either affirming with something or denying against something that's the part of the conversation where we either affirm with something that we think is underrated, really exceptional, that we wanna recommend or we deny against something that's just not that great. So Tony, what have you got for us today?  [00:02:04] Tony Arsenal: I'm gonna phrase this in a very particular way, of course, and then I'll explain why I'm phrasing it that way. I'm starting. Great. Um, I am affirming adult baptism upon a profession of faith, and I say it in that particular way. Sure, of course. Um, because I often hear, and I've heard, I mean, I've heard Presbyterian pastors say this, um, I've heard, heard it said that Presbyterians do cradle baptism too. And, uh, and sort of like, sometimes it's kind of in like a, I'm trying to like build a bridge with a, a cradle Baptist. Sure. Um, I actually object to that because the, the basis on which an adult is baptized in a Westminster covenant theology framework is different than the basis, uh, on which a believer is baptized under a traditional Baptist credo, Baptist position. Right. So I'm affirming adult. Profession of faith, baptism or adult baptism upon a profession of faith. Um, and the reason I'm saying that is because my wife and I had this opportunity this morning to go to another church to visit, uh, a friend of ours. It's actually a friend of our son's, which is crazy to say. He's four years old. A friend of our son's from school, his mother, um, who is a Christian, um, but had never been baptized, was being baptized at her church today. And so we got an opportunity to go to their church. It's a church we've been to before. It was not like a brand new church or any, like, super far away. It's a church we've been to before. Um, so we got to go to church and then we went over to the local sort of like swimming hole. Uh, like there's this little, uh, like recreational area called stores pond, I'm sure. Just I know you're familiar with it. Oh,  [00:03:38] Jesse Schwamb: yeah.  [00:03:39] Tony Arsenal: Um, and they did sort of like a testimony ceremony and, uh, all of the baptizes, I don't know if that's the right word, but all of those being baptized. Uh, I would normally call them catechumens, but I don't think that actually that applies here. But all of those being baptized, uh, got up and gave their testimony. There was eight people being baptized, which was fun to see. Um, of course all adults. This is a Baptist, um, a Baptist church that we were visiting. And then we walked over to the, over to the lake and they dunked him in there. And, uh, it was really great to see. And the reason that I'm affirming adult baptism upon a profession of faith, um, uh, is because it's really quite beautiful, right? I think we've, we just recently talked about this, um, and I'm sure we'll talk about it again at some point in the future, but we just recently talked about a baby baptism at my church that, uh, is beautiful in its own right for its own reasons, and it's got its own theological, uh, underpinnings and theological elegance to it. But there's also something just very beautiful about an adult who either has come to faith, um, and I don't, I don't know, um, this woman very well, like I, she's another mom at, um, at Agie school. And so our kids go to school together and so we interact with her periodically at like drop off and other times and they've been over to the house. I don't know her, well, I heard enough of her testimony today to know that she was kind of a nominal Christian. Uh, and they actually started going to church because in order to bring their son to the school that, um, they wanted to go to, which is, uh, the school that my son goes to, the school that your father teaches at, um. You have to have at least one parent needs to be a Christian, needs to be a regular attender, a regular member of a church. And so they, they joined a church, um, to be able to fulfill that requirement. And either, and, and again, I wasn't, I was watching the kids, um, including her son while she was doing this. So I was only kind of hearing with one ear. So either she was a nominal Christian and was kind of like renewing her faith or she was coming to faith for the first time. I'm not sure. But in either case, she had not been baptized previously that I know of. I didn't, I mean, I guess maybe she was baptized as a baby or something, I don't know. But, um, she was being baptized today upon a sort of a new profession of faith or renewal of faith, and it's just very sweet to see. The emotional investment that occurs when someone is recognizing that God's promise is being sealed on them. Right. And I don't know that, I don't know that a lot of traditional Baptist, and this is a pretty like plain Jane Evangelical church. I'm not sure that a lot of evangelicals would really recognize or use that language. But I also think there's an intuitiveness to it that like this is a sign that God gives us. It's gotta be a sign of something. Right. Um, it's not, this was a church that brought sort of broadly Calvinistic part, the baptism of house was actually adopted or adapted from, uh, a modification of question, one of the Heidelberg catechism. So I warned my Presbyterian heart, um. So they're in a context where like covenantal language is not foreign to them, even if it's not the primary structure that they're using. But it was just very sweet and kind and a, a really encouraging, uh, opportunity for the body of Christ to gather. Uh, it was a little bit chilly. It was raining actually, and people, anybody, like everybody was out there and, and in the rain, most people didn't have umbrellas. And you know, people's hair is wet and their clothes are getting wet and nobody cares. Nobody is bothered by it because there is some baptism going on. There's some, uh, some new birth in a roundabout sense and some yes, uh, some, some signification of that new birth in a very direct sense. So that's what I'm affirming today. Adult baptism upon a profession of faith, uh, with an asterisk in a covenantal mode. That's, that's my very specific, very technical affirmation today.  [00:07:19] Jesse Schwamb: There's also something about that's just special. Again, it's not prescriptive, but there's something special about those open water baptisms too. Oh  [00:07:27] Tony Arsenal: yeah.  [00:07:28] Jesse Schwamb: I mean,  [00:07:29] Tony Arsenal: yeah, it was like super picturesque. It was like, I felt like I was on the Jordan with Town of Baptist, like the, like, it was like a, that classic like Baptist minister standing in the water, like it was very right. Very, uh, it looked staged, but I don't think it was, I think it just was actually this, that genuine scenario. [00:07:44] Jesse Schwamb: Right. So, yeah. Yeah. And that's like a beautiful thing. Like we're saying, oh, we're not trying to get into the particulars. It's just to appreciate, I think all of those details. I myself was baptized by my father in a pond and it was glorious. That was, that was special. And there was something about the occasion and the environment as well that was special to me in that. But you're right, like in that Baptist mode, I, I think when it's like properly administered, when it's really appreciated and the theology is rich and richly exemplified in what's happening there to, it's hard not to be moved, I think in the Christian heart, not to be warned by seeing somebody go down into the water to come up into this representation of new life in Christ. I think regardless of your convictions on this, it's hard not to be moved by the power of the spirits.  [00:08:25] Tony Arsenal: Yeah.  [00:08:26] Jesse Schwamb: And the sign and seal being delivered to God's people. In a profound way. So whether you're a Pado or Cradle Baptist, I think it really is difficult not to be moved. And especially in an environment like that, you love to see it, right? I mean, this idea of of, um, being able to come to the Lord because he's called you and whatever season of life that is, and then to follow an obedience into baptism is a glorious thing that we should all celebrate. So I love this idea of people on a chilly day in New Hampshire standing in the rain saying, give us the baptism. Like let, let us see the Holy Spirits working through the lives of the people in our midst. Let, we wanna be a part of that. We wanna celebrate that we're here for that.  [00:09:07] Tony Arsenal: Yeah. Yeah. It was just a, it was just a very, very sweet, like, I, like I said with, when we were talking about the, the baby baptism at my church, it's, there's just a, there's a sweetness to it. It's, yes. It's almost like, um, I've never been present for the birth of someone's child other than my own. Um, I've been at the hospital, uh, so meeting the family and the, the baby like very shortly after birth, but I've never been actually there. But there's something reminiscent to that, whether it's a baby being baptized or an adult being baptized where it's, it's just this sort of sweet moment of introduction to yes, this person with, um. To varying degrees depending on the theology, underlying baptism. But this person with a very real new identity that they have been given, yes, it's, it's, the old has gone, the new has come new creation in Christ. Um, whether, you know, I, I don't affirm baptism or regeneration, right? That's not a reformed position. But whether you have a, a position of some form of baptismal regeneration or baptismal efficacy, which is where kind of the, the reform tradition tends to fall, or even just, uh, I say just, I don't mean just in a peor sense, but like, even if, if what's going on is, is entirely a symbol that you know, is being applied to a person, there is a new sense of identity. There's a, there's a, a mark, a, a physical mark that it isn't persistent like circumcision, but it's a physical mark being applied, a visible mark being applied to, to the person claiming them as God's child. Um, and, and there's something very sweet and genuine. And, and to see, like, just to see, like I said, the, just the emotionality. And not a crass like emotionalism, but a genuine, heartfelt, emotional moment that someone is going through like a real, genuine emotion, um, is also not something we actually see that much in the world anymore, which is, it was nice to see. Anyway, I could, I could blather on about baptism and, and adult baptism and baby baptism and how great it is. Uh, God knew what he was doing and he, he gave us this beautiful symbol. So next time you have an opportunity to experience a adult baptism upon a profession of faith in a covenantal mode, uh, than you make sure you take advantage of that.  [00:11:14] Jesse Schwamb: Yeah. You know what it's like for me and certainly I, baptism is way more profound, uh, than this example I'm about to give. But there's something within me that feels similarly or appreciates in a similar way when you're participating or just viewing a wedding. Yeah. Isn't there? There's that new identity. There's the vows and the covenants being made and promises being given and that that's just like a really meaningful, profound thing. And then like, you know, a thousand times, a million times, that is to participate or to witness again, baptism. And in my own church, which is Cradle Baptist, the one I attend, baptism, I'll say it this way in like this most trite way again, is like a super big deal. And one of the things I really appreciate is when that person, after they've given their testimony and they've gone down into the water and they come back up, our congregation goes like wild. Like just wild in celebration. Yeah. And at first I was like, wow, this. This seems like too much. Guys, can we take, can we take it down now? Just the Lord's day after all. And then I was with you in the sense of like, really, it's like we, you and I have talked so much about like the, the way in which you're trying to sometimes manufacture or theologians try to bring in some sense of emotionalism to kind of convey some kind of like, really, so I can demonstrate that I have a heartfelt and genuine commitment and love for God and Christ and you know, we can leave that as it is right now. Here is a place where I think that celebration is like just wholly and totally appropriate.  [00:12:36] Tony Arsenal: Yeah.  [00:12:36] Jesse Schwamb: And so I love that there's genuine enthusiasm and excitement over those things. And you're genuinely gonna get that more in the kind of traditional Baptist mode of this thing. I'm just saying celebrate where you celebrate, you know, get in where you fit in. Yeah. And so I think that your admonishment to us and affirmation there is really good. Um, totally about that. And all the better if you can do it in a, on a rainy day in a pond in New Hampshire. That sounds like a glorious spot.  [00:13:02] Tony Arsenal: Yeah. Yeah, it's, it was interesting. It was good. It was a good time. Jesse, what do you got for us tonight? [00:13:07] Jesse Schwamb: I'm also gonna go affirmation, and I think we can file this one for me, under seeing the power of God in his, that power demonstrated in his transcendence and in his eminence. All our timing is gonna be off on this, but there's a certain compulsion I have to report back to everybody. And that reporting is really on my wife who did undergo some surgery this week. And I'm about to say a bunch of things medically so you can, I mean, there's nothing in here like grotesque, but I say that because somebody might be like, wow, you're seeing a lot of personal things. I have her permission to share all this. But of course some of you may remember, she spoke on the podcast, I dunno, like a half dozen episodes ago. Go back and listen to that. She talks about her medical journey, but she just had this big surgery. And here's the reason why I want to report back. I sense that when God's people take to see and request his eminent and transcendent power in the lives of somebody else through intercessory prayer, that like a special bond is created that is very real. So I think when somebody comes to their brothers and sisters and says. Would you pray for us? Would you pray for me? That's not just an act. I think of vulnerability. It's one of of truly seeking after what God desires for his people to help and to intercede for one another. And there's something special about that. And then equally special, and I think binding is when people say, yes, I will pray. And they make themselves committed to doing that. When that relationship is established, what I think is like mutual accountability, mutual yielding to one another, mutual submission. The lovely thing about that is I think there ought to be a reporting back. I really feel highly convicted about that because so many people, including those in the from Brotherhood hanging out in the Telegram, TT Me Reform Brotherhood, they have prayed for us. My church has prayed, my parents have prayed. You have prayed. So many people have prayed. And so my wife did go undergo an 11 hour surgery just two days ago. And uh, I can say that that surgery, the doctors, the three surgeons who are working as part of this interdisciplinary team, this multifactorial, multidisciplinary team, were able to accomplish everything that they wanted to do, which was a wild accomplishment. And it was more intense than they thought it was going to be. But I can say to you very, very clearly, very cogently that, uh, God was in the midst of all of these things in a mighty and powerful way. Now, I know people are prone to say that kind of thing. I'm saying it because it was all exceptionally real. Not only as I sat there waiting for the next updates in the waiting room, did I really sense a peace of God that I haven't felt before, even in all of my wife's previous surgeries, when this was the most uncertain, this was the biggest, the highest risk that was all real. But at the very end, and I'll, I'll spare a lot of the details, uh, but at the very, very end when the surgeon reported back to me all the things that they did, which included having to take out a portion of her bowel and stitch it back together again, because she had some endometriosis that had embedded itself in there and that was unknown to them. You can't see that stuff in an MRI and yet God ordained that the right surgeon, the right preparation would be in the room and ready to go if something like that occurred and it did. That she had a full hysterectomy, which we were praying that it would be lack laparoscopic because they were concerned they would not be able to do it that way. And God answered that prayer that she needed to have her ureter, the thing that connects your kidney to your bladder, that also was filled with endometriosis. It had to be resectioned and repaired. And it was that the end of all of this, what the main doctor kept saying to me was, we wanted to put your wife in a position where her anatomy would determine the outcome and that you would have all of the skilled persons in the room to provide the best care, the best expertise possible. And what he said to me at the end is, it's strange things just kept breaking her way. And I said, well, I can tell you why that is. That's because God was answering the prayers of so many people who are praying for her. And so I'm so thankful for everybody who's prayed. She's in a critical time of healing right now. Our prayers now are turning to just that God would solidify the work that he has already accomplished, that there'd be no complications, that all the things that they did, and they did a lot of things. The surgeon in fact said to me at the end, it's gonna feel like she got hit by a truck. And that's actually not a bad description of what we did to her. And so the next days are the ones where we're really pleading for God to do this kind of miraculous healing that he started by providing all the things that he's, he's already done. I, as a husband, cannot be more thankful, more grateful, without words for everybody who has prayed. Uh, for my parents, for you guys, Tony, for all of our friends who reached out for so many people, I've realized I have a part-time job now just answering text messages, uh, on behalf of my wife for those who desperately are loving her through prayer. And again, I think I'd affirmed before. I'll say this very quickly, about the elders praying over her. About what a sweet time that was. Not only did that happen, but uh, unbeknownst to me until a little bit later on in that day did I learn that a bunch of women in the church had taken it upon themselves to schedule an 11 hour block where there was gonna be somebody praying every hour for my wife. And, um. Man, if, if, if this is not what the family of God does for one another, I don't know what they do.  [00:18:35] Tony Arsenal: Yeah.  [00:18:35] Jesse Schwamb: So I'm so grateful. Thank you for everybody who has prayed. I also don't want to testify. That's the power of God and his eminence. And his transcendence is just unreal loved ones. It's unreal, it's otherworldly and he comes in power when his people pray. He does good work and it's very James one. There's a lot that even as I'm worried now about the outcome of this surgery and how it will play out, that I can still somehow truly count it all joy, because it is God who does these things in our lives to test and to prove out our faith and our love towards him, because he's in fact good. And I'm just testifying to that goodness in the midst of this difficulty. So wherever you are at. For whatever it's worth. And I think it's worth a lot. God is faithful. He will do the work that he began, and he will meet us when we need him, where we are at in his loving kindness because of his great mercy. So be encouraged by that. And again, my sincere gratitude.  [00:19:36] Tony Arsenal: Yeah. Yeah. I don't, I don't have much that I can add to that. I mean, I, I, I think, um, prayer is an undervalued commodity in the church.  [00:19:48] Jesse Schwamb: Yes.  [00:19:49] Tony Arsenal: And. As good and right as it is for us, uh, to pray when there's some big, um, big need like this. Um, and, and there's no, there's no, uh, dishonor or shame in asking for prayer in the big situations. I think sometimes too, like we forget that prayer is just as vital and just as important and just as powerful and just as meaningful and just as everything in the small things. Amen. Um, and, and I also think, you know, sometimes we, maybe this is just me, but like sometimes we go into, we go into a, a scenario like what you and your wife are going in and we sort of like prepare ourselves for. The hard providence to come. Like, I don't know if, if that's where you've been at, but I know when I'm facing things like this, um, I'm, I'm kind of like asking people to pray, expecting God to bring the hard providence.  [00:20:43] Jesse Schwamb: Yes.  [00:20:44] Tony Arsenal: Um, and maybe that's just a coping mechanism to sort of like get out in front of it in case he does. Um, but like that God, God doesn't, uh, how do I wanna say this? I don't think that God takes any particular joy in bringing the par, the hard providences. Mm-hmm. And I actually think he does take a particular joy in answering the prayers of his people unto good effect. Um, I think there's a particular joy that God brings when he, God has in his own divine accommodated, anthropo, pathic way, um, when he can make sure that everything just breaks the right way for his children. Right. In a really difficult, complex, long surgery. Um, and all of the butterfly effect elements of, of how all of those different things are gonna, you know, spread out. Right. I don't know if this surgeon's gonna come to faith because you attributed his success in this surgery to, you know, to, to God. I don't know. Maybe, maybe not. Um, but, but either way, there are a thousand, a million imperceptible little ways that God's providence flows out of these kinds of situations that we will never know. Um, and he, he takes great joy in answering the prayers of his people and. Yes, it's true that when God, when we ask God for bread, he does not give us a stone even when he gives us the hard providences, right? The hard providences are not a stone, but he likes to give us really good bread.  [00:22:10] Jesse Schwamb: Amen.  [00:22:10] Tony Arsenal: And I think at times, um, we, we sort of almost doubt that he is able and willing and joyful to do so. So that's more, I think, more a reminder for me than it is for anyone else. 'cause I, I have a tendency to prep myself for the hard providences, um, before they come and, and pray to that effect that God would comfort me in the midst of whatever trials is coming. Um, maybe I need to show a little bit more faith in a good God who gives good gifts, um, to pray and thank him in advance for the good providence is the, the easier the soft providence is that he has in store for his people as well.  [00:22:46] Jesse Schwamb: Well, I think we all need that reminder from time to time and I, again, I like where you've taken that. It is a good reminder to pray for the people that you love around you all the time, or just ask. What's something that you would like some prayer for, especially maybe something that you can't pray for yourselves through this time? I can't tell you how many times somebody has asked to pray with me or for me, and they pray in ways that just astound me. I dunno if that makes sense. Yeah. Like just, I get off the phone and I think, well, that was spirit filled because I didn't know that I needed to hear those words. I didn't know exactly like what needed to be stitched together in terms of the requests that would really minister to my heart and provide me encouragement. But course the Lord knows, and even in prayer as you're saying, he's giving that good gift to each other.  [00:23:35] Tony Arsenal: Yeah.  [00:23:35] Jesse Schwamb: When we pray with one another, when we pray for one another, it's just a remarkable thing that I fail to understand and I definitely fail to appreciate. So in this season of being able to see it very clearly as if like the clouds. Parted and I could see some of this power of prayer and what God does in prayer, what God does to us in the prayer of others. I can't help but testify again. I feel it is my duty to do so, actually. So be encouraged, loved ones that this is a powerful weapon that God gives us. I think you and I have said before, Tony, maybe we can also partly this into like another reform. A brotherhood bumper sticker. I said another, like, we have bumper stickers. We don't, we definitely should. At some point  [00:24:17] Tony Arsenal: we do have at least one cross stitch pillow floating around out there  [00:24:20] Jesse Schwamb: somewhere. That's true. Yes. We need to get our hands on that. And maybe here's something else we could add to it, which is of course, when, when we work, we work, but when we pray, God works. And so I've just been reminded of that over and over and over again. The situation, like you said in the big times and the small times, what a blessing, what God is like this, who cares. Who again, is what I've been thinking about is how high and lifted and transcendent God is, so that like he's not moved in, uh, in a dis, like a passionate way by this nonsense of our world. He's steady and steadfast. You know, Isaiah 26, like our God is an everlasting rock, and yet he's eminent in sending his son to identify with the kind of pain even my wife is in right now. In her time of trial and struggle. He is there and yet separated and so powerful that he orchestrates all the details himself. I mean, what God is like this.  [00:25:11] Tony Arsenal: Yeah.  [00:25:11] Jesse Schwamb: So this is the one to whom we get to bend his ear, as it were, and we'll avail ourselves of that opportunity. Always. You're gonna have to stop it, Tony. Otherwise, I'm, this whole episode is just gonna be me talking about, which would not be bad, I suppose, but me talking about how good our God is, I suppose we can talk about that actually in the context of Matthew 25. [00:25:30] Tony Arsenal: Yeah. You better watch yourself before you wreck yourself. Is that how it goes? But I did that, that took a month off of podcasting. I forgot how to do transitions. Not that we were ever great at transitions. It's just slamming into gear  [00:25:43] Jesse Schwamb: now. That loved one's a segue that you, you don't even know about yet. You didn't even get it. So let me help you try to get it. 'cause I, I wanna do this quickly, but of course it's always the best part of our conversations where we can get to the scripture. Let me read just the first, uh, 13 verses Matthew 25, and I'm gonna read them from the version that I read on the last episode because part of the fun of this conversation that Tony I had had subsequently was, do you remember what you said to me, Tony, about, about the, this, I don't wanna say the word yet, but this word. [00:26:10] Tony Arsenal: Yeah. I, what I remember is, um, feeling confused because I, I said, I thought this was like a Mandela effect kind of thing. Yes. We might have to, I'll explain briefly what that is in that I could have swore this word was in the, in the Bible. Like I was, it was so ingrained in my head that this was there. And then I'm trying to find it in my, my version that I'm bringing in. It's not there. And the obvious answer is it actually was there in the version that Jesse was reading and is there in many translations. Um, so we'll, we'll read the translation, uh, Jesse read, and then we'll talk about why not only why this is, uh, important in the light of our last conversation, but actually how it's important in light of what will likely now be the beginning of our conversation on the next parable, and in the next week or maybe two of, of the discussion of the parable of the talents here, or one of the parable and talents. [00:26:57] Jesse Schwamb: So this is Matthew 25, beginning in verse one. Then the kingdom of heaven may be compared to 10 virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the body groom. Now five of them were foolish and five are prudent. For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them, but the prudent took oil in flasks along with their lamps. Now, while the bridegroom was delaying, they all got drowsy and began to sleep. But at midnight there was a shout. Behold the bridegroom come out to meet him. Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said to the prudent, give us some of your oil for our lamps are going out. But the prudent answered saying, no, there will not be enough for us. And you go to and instead to the dealers and buy some for yourselves. And while they were going away to make the purchase, the bridegroom came and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding feast and the door was shut. And later the other virgins also came saying, Lord, Lord, open for us. But he answered and said, truly, I say to you, I do not know you. Therefore, stay awake for you. Do not know the day nor the hour.  [00:28:02] Tony Arsenal: Yeah. Yeah. So the part of this, uh, passage that I was having, like a brain cramp on and couldn't figure out is actually verse 13 and, um. The reason this is important and ties in, and this is part of why Jesse and I after we sort of had like a second, the beginning of a second episode, following the last episode, um, wanted to come back, is that this, this verse in verse 13 actually makes, um, in effect it makes the second parable that we're gonna talk about the parable of the talent here. It actually makes that parable like an extension of the first one or maybe an explanation of the first one, or further clarification. I'm not sure. It, it links the two together in a way that's really significant. So we need to make sure we really understand. Verse 13, and I'm gonna read verse 13 in my translation to demonstrate kind of where I think the, the question starts and says, watch therefore for, you know, neither the day nor the hour. And what Jesse and I kind of like marveled at is, um, the word for watch, uh, it's actually the same word we get the name Gregory, for, uh, from, um, the, the idea of being wakeful or alert or not falling asleep. That's that's there in the word. Um, and, and I don't think it's a bad translation. I don't. I always, um, wanna be really hesitant to sort of like make an argument that you wanna like build an entire theological point on a translation or a mistranslation. I think those are really shaky arguments, and even more than that, I don't ever wanna make an argument that makes it so people feel like they can't trust their English bibles. So the, the difference between the version that Jesse read with, you know, statements of being awake or stay awake or be alert versus watch, or more generalized alertness language, which is I think probably a better, not, not that the other one's bad, but this is probably a better translation. And it's a translation decision that's trying to connect that verb back to something that was said about the virgins. Right, right. The, the virgins, um, and this is, this is where our conversation went, is actually the, the sort of like real time epiphany that Jesse and I had, maybe I just had Jesse new, the, the sort of like real time epiphany that both, both groups of virgins fell asleep. Right. And so being asleep is not the necessary, it's not the thing that makes the virgins foolish.  [00:30:35] Jesse Schwamb: Exactly.  [00:30:36] Tony Arsenal: The, the translation, I think, I mean, I'm not, I'm not, I'm not, not like a mind reader and I haven't read anything from the translation committees that explain that this is why they did it. But I'm, I'm, I think it's reasonable to think they translated in light of that wakefulness element of being alert because of the fact that the virgins fell asleep and they were sort of caught off guard when the bridegroom came. But the reason I think that's an over translation is exactly the dynamic we pointed out last week, falling asleep was not the problem,  [00:31:04] Jesse Schwamb: right?  [00:31:05] Tony Arsenal: What was, what was the problem was not being prepared. And so this concept of watch, therefore is more, I think is more about preparedness because of the fact that the parable is about preparedness, not about wakefulness. So when we wanna think about translations, yes, verse 13 comes after verses one through 12, but there's this little word therefore that connects this one with the next one, right? And so it's watch therefore for, you know, neither the day nor the hour. If that was the end of, end of the book of Matthew, right, right there, then that therefore would be like, because of what I just said, watch for, you neither know the day nor the hour, you know, neither the day nor the hour. But then in verse 14, it starts with four. It will be like a man going on a journey who called his servant and entrusted them through his property. That word for, that's another connecting logic word. So it's watch therefore, so like, because of what I just said, be alert, watch, be wakeful, be mindful, be prepared for, you know, neither the day or the hour. Four, because it will be like a man going on a journey, right? The reason you have to watch is partially, or the reason you have to watch is that you will neither know the day nor the hour. And the reason you will neither know the day nor the hour is because it will be like a man who's going on a journey called his servants and entrusted them to his property, right? So these two parables are connected and we have to sort of like understand what that watch word means and how it relates to the previous parable to understand now what it is that the next parable is trying to say and how the two relate to each other.  [00:32:45] Jesse Schwamb: I think that's right. It's like you said before, we talked about last time, it's not that sleep was the problem. That's not where the condemn nation comes in. It's merely that sleep revealed the lack of preparedness. Right. Like I suppose if you wanted to change it up, you could be like, and then they all played Uno for a while and the lambs were going strong and then suddenly the bride coon came out and it was like, okay, well it was the fact that all the lamps were still burning. Yeah. But as they were still burning and that time was passing and the bridegroom delayed, providentially, then it was only those imbued with that grace who already I prepared for that moment in time. Not that they were all playing Uno itself. So, which, which I know this is like my own translation, which is horrible, but. It is important if somebody thinks like we're overworking this.  [00:33:26] Tony Arsenal: Right?  [00:33:26] Jesse Schwamb: It's important, I think, because it, it's gonna set up the next stuff, which we're gonna get to, uh, I presume in the next episode. But this verse is, is like a, is like kind of like the keystone. It's, it constitutes like the entire moral conclusion of both this parable, but the other two that are just like it, that come before it in different ways. And of course it's like structurally parallel to a bunch of like mark and stuff that we may or may not get to. And then it echoes like the broader, all that discourse as well. So I was just looking up quickly, mark 13, in other words like where do we hear this same type of language? Where does it almost rhyme in our minds? And so if you go over just to mark 1333, and this is the parable of the fig tree. So we won't get into that there, but you'll see kind of like the same conclusion, the same, I kind of high and lifted point at the end. And this is where Jesus says, see to it, keep on the alert. For you do not know when the appointed time will come. So instead, really what we're getting at is there's all this language about watchfulness, like the, the present imperative in Greek. Keep on watching, be continuously a work, uh, alert, but it's not like watchfulness in this like anxious, vigilant, kind of nervous energy uncertainty, but it's the prepared readiness of one who has oil in the vessel and knows that the bridegroom is coming regardless of whether you fall asleep. [00:34:46] Tony Arsenal: Yeah. Yeah. And again, you know, the, the way that, um, the way that English translations are broken up into paragraphs and into, with headings and editorial content and chapter divisions and verse divisions, um, those things are all helpful and they're all really useful and I'm glad they're there. Uh, they're not inspired though, right? They're not the word of God. The, the, for the little, the little super script 14 before the word four and the little super script 13 before the word watch. Is not, it's not inspired and neither is the little, at least in the version I'm looking at on logs Bible start, neither is the little paragraph break that separates these two. So we, we can equally read and again, like I haven't done a full Greek exo treatment of this and maybe I should to, to know whether there is actually some real specific grammatical reasons why we would break these. There probably is, but we could equally read it saying, but he answered truly I say to you, I do not know you watch therefore for, you know, neither the hour or the day nor the hour. For it will be like a man going on a journey who called his sermon or we could read it, watch therefore for, you know, neither the day nor the hour for it will be like a man going on a journey. Right, right. We can, we can, the way that we read it, we can, we can clump verse 13 with what comes before it and sort of imply a full break or we can clump it with what comes after it and imply a full break before it. In reality, we shouldn't do either of those. Right. This is in, this is linked together in the, the Bible specifically to take these two parables. And pull them together. Right. Thematically, they're the same. They match, they, they have kind of this rhyming nature that like, there's, there's this theme of like, these people who have a specific task and they accomplish it to greater or lesser degree. And the ones who do it, right, the ones who do it well are rewarded in some sense because of their preparedness and their diligence. And again, I, I don't, um, I know that we can't overemphasize this because this is God's word, right? Right. The, the difference between foolishness and wisdom in the first parable is not whether or not the virgins fell asleep. It's, it's whether or not they were prepared for the eventual coming of the bridegroom, meaning that they had everything they need, not only to, um, and this is a, a real time realization I'm having here, not only to be ready when the bridegroom came, but to be prepared for the long haul until he came. Right. I think that's actually probably another big part of this pearl that we didn't even really talk about is that there's a, there's a, um. There's an implied statement here about the, the, um, perseverance of the saints in the fact that the saints have to persevere. Right? That's a corollary of the doctrine, of the perseverance of the saints, is that we actually have to do the persevering, right? Empowered by the spirit. Enabled by the spirit. Ordained by the spirit, of course, but that doesn't mean the spirit is the one who's persevering, right? Right. The spirit is not persevering for us. The spirit is causing us to persevere, but it's still us that he's causing to persevere. That's a major part of that. This next parable and, and we'll read, we'll read the parable here and then we'll get into some of the beginning part. I think this next parable here is really about like what does that perseverance look like? What does that diligence until the master comes, looks like. It's kind of like taking this, this period of time where the bride groom is delaying and the virgins all are becoming drowsy and sleeping. Well, what does that actually look like? What does it look like for the virgins who have gotten the oil ahead of time versus the virgins who waited and then had to go buy it? Well, the parable of the talents in this next passage shows us what it means to be prepared. And part of what it means to be prepared is to be diligently working to advance the kingdom of God diligently working to pursue and excel in righteousness, insofar as it depends on us, and insofar as we're empowered by the Holy Spirit. So these two, these two parables are linked together and um. Maybe we're falling into this trap a little bit, although I think because of the way we're kind of doing these, these passages in sort of organic fashion, rather than really insisting on sort of hermetically sealing off each parable, we have a tendency, I think to say like, this parable is this right? This parable is that. And we don't really ever talk about them unless you're in like a parables of Christ Seminary class or like you're reading a book on the parables of Christ. Um, if you're just sort of looking at popular teaching on parables or you're. Like a sermon series through the parables. I don't think you're gonna run into a lot that's gonna show these connections and relationships between the parables in the way that I think we're, I'm stumbling upon is maybe not right. But that's what it feels like. We're sort of like discovering in real time together that these parables are so organically linked to each other that we really can't seal them off from each other or we do some violence to the text.  [00:39:36] Jesse Schwamb: Right on. Yeah. And speaking of that whole life, whole preparedness, whole watchfulness, John Owen writes, in the mortification of sin, the whole of Christian living may be described as a preparation for eternity, mortifying sin, growing in grace, abiding in Christ, waiting for his appearing, which really strikes me as maybe a summary of like an umbrella of all of these parables of ones that we've just seen most recently and the ones that we're about to go into because. The ground for the watchfulness here is that like legitimate eschatological ignorance. This is like a deliberate, divinely ordained uncertainty. So of course, like knowing the precise moment would just tempt the flesh to delay until the last possible moment, which is precisely the error of the foolish virgins who assume that there was enough time to obtain the oil after that midnight cry. So all of this is happening right now. Like I, I do think this verse is just so critical now. It's like really a weird linchpin. It is like the capstone in a strange way of like the three parable sequence in the olive discourse, which we already talked about, the 10 virgins, the talents, and the sheep and the goats. Because it strikes me as you were speaking, Tony, what was coming to my mind is like each is almost escalating from, as it were, like a watchfulness to like a fruitfulness, to like a final judgment. And each of those are kind of building on each other. In other words, like there is a logical consistency and chronology to those things that Christ is leading us through. And the verse therefore doesn't stand alone. It's like this hinge between the eschatological warning of the virgin narrative and the productive stewardship demanded in the parable of the talents. And I think unless you see that here, it's like saying, listen, the watchful person does this. You know, why should you be watchful because of this example I've just given to you. So within that Oliver discourse, there's the exhortation to watchfulness, which occurs with that striking force. Stay awake, be ready, watch. And of course, I think we're just joining in all the reform exe and the pros who had this instinct of reading those with a unity. Yeah. The whole discourse is like the L, the Lord's own like pastoral Herman Hermeneutic, I guess on like Daniel nine or whatever. So like it is important, and I think it is maybe a bridge that, at least in my mind, I often didn't build or didn't seem necessarily because you're like, well this, this ends one. And the warning is to be watchful. And now here's something else. That's something interesting you should consider. Yeah. But really this is all one and the same, all, all. Maybe one like well like parable to rule all parables, like it's a single parable told in many sequential pieces.  [00:42:06] Tony Arsenal: Yeah. Which is something we saw before, right? Yes. And maybe, maybe not to belabor the point and, and again taking, take this in the context of me saying I never want to try to make an argument that you must be able to read Greek in order to profit from the scriptures. [00:42:20] Jesse Schwamb: Sure.  [00:42:20] Tony Arsenal: All of that said, it's very helpful to understand a little bit about how Greek works, even if you don't actually learn Greek. So for example, and here's, I promise you that this is not just me being nerdy about Greek. I'm looking at the ESV and verse 13 says, watch therefore for, you know, neither the day nor the hour. Right? So the, the command comes, uh, before the logical connector that sort of like, is explaining why, right? Because of, because of something. Right? When it's the thing that comes before, maybe it's the thing that comes after, usually it's probably before, but because of this thing, watch therefore for, you know, neither they or the hour, right? And then in verse 14 it says four. It will be like a man going on a journey. This is where I think understanding how Greek works a little bit is important. Both the word therefore and the word for. In Greek, which it's, it's therefore it's un OUN or omega upsilon new un and gar for four. Both of those are what's called post positive, and what that means is that it cannot be the first word in a sentence. So, um, verse 13 is translated very word order, literal watch. Therefore that ma matches the Greek very closely. Verse 14 is not right, right. Verse 14, if you translated it very literally would be like, uh, let's see. Would be. Just as for a man, and I get like, you can hear there, right there, why we don't translate it that way is 'cause it's really awkward, but it's just as for a man, uh, a man went on a journey or a man, um, going on a journey who called his servants. Right. The, the point of what I'm trying to say here though is that that subtle variation in the verb, the command coming first versus this post positive, logical connector coming first, that that sort of like gears your brain towards a certain conclusion. Right? Right. Watch, therefore we, we have a tendency to think like watch connects to the previous one. Right? This verb must connect us to the previous one, where the next one we see four being the beginning of a word, beginning of a sentence. We feel like that's the beginning of a new thought, right? This logical connector at the be very beginning of a sentence is like starting a new thought. The problem with that is, one, it doesn't actually match the Greek word order in both cases. Neither of these is the first word of the sentence, but let's just think of it in as a post positive and say that it should have been the first word of the sentence, but the Greek grammar won't allow it to be.  [00:45:00] Jesse Schwamb: Right.  [00:45:01] Tony Arsenal: That connector in both cases is linking us to the previous sentence, and that means both of these sentences are linking us to the previous sentence, meaning both segments of thought are linked to other together. Verse 14 is linked to verse 13, and verse 13 is linked to verse 12. There's no good grammatical reason that I can see with the 30 seconds of looking at it and the five semesters of Greek, right? Keep that in mind. I'm not an expert, but there's no good reason I see immediately from the Greek text, right? There are certain phrases and indicators in Greek that tell you like, this is a new segment of thought. I don't see those here. What I see is a very strong, strong, logical sequence of connection between 13 and 14, right? Therefore, watch for, you know, neither the day nor the hour. Well. Going back to our discussion about translating that in terms of sort of general watchfulness or preparedness or translating it in light of sleep. These are the things that are important for us to think about when we're reading English translations. 'cause this keys us off to what the, what the translators thought in terms of what belongs with what translators. Even though there's a paragraph break here in the ESV, the translation that says be awake or be, you know, uh, do not sleep like this language that's specifically connected to this, like not falling asleep aspect of watchfulness, they're signaling to you that this sentence belongs with the parable above it. Right. Almost exclusively. Right. Because there's nothing in the next parable that has anything to do with being awake or sleeping.  [00:46:35] Jesse Schwamb: Right?  [00:46:36] Tony Arsenal: Right. So, so by translating it as sleep language or do not sleep language, they're sealing it off from the parable that follows and they're kind of like making it this firm break in the text. That's not there in the Greek. That language is not there in the Greek. And it's, um, again, I think the sleep language, that's certainly a part of this word and it's, it's fine for us to interpret this word in light of the parable that came before it, as long as we're not letting that interpretation of it in light of the word that came before it seal it off from the next parable. And I, I worry that if we, if we think about it in terms of the sleepiness aspect of it, which again, there's already some contextual reasons why that doesn't make a lot of sense. Why would, why would Christ command to the people that are listening to him be about not falling asleep when falling asleep was not the problem in the, in the bearable He's told. Right, right. But the problem was, was be prepared. And it actually may be, this is also maybe an overt translation. A better translation might be, be prepared, therefore, right. Be alert, be wakeful, be be mindful, be uh, be on top of things. Right. Be ready for anything. Might be a good way to look at this. Be ready for anything for you. Neither know the day nor the hour. Four. It will be like a man going on a journey and called his servants and entrusted them to his property. So he tells the parable of the virgins, which is, is all about being prepared for the sudden, unexpected coming of the Lord after a delay, after he tarries. And then he says, for it will be like a man going on a journey. Well, what will be like a man going on a journey? The coming of the Lord, the coming of the bridegroom, the coming of the one, the promised one from the previous parable, the bride groom. For that will be like a man going on a journey for the day on the hour, which you do not know. That will be like a man going on a journey, I think. Um, and this will be the last thing I say before I, I let you jump in and, and we're getting close to ending anyways here. I think that, um, these parables are so often, uh, this parable about the talents and the parallels. I mean, there's several different par uh, parables that have to do with this theory. This sort of like scenario of like a master is giving some, some funds to his servants, or a man going on a journey. He's giving some funds to his servants and he expects them to make a return. Right? That's a, there's multiple parables that tell that same basic principle. This one here. Is an eschatological one, but I think it gets clumped in with the others in sort of this idea. And it doesn't hurt that the word talents has a meaning in English, right? It gets clumped in with these sort of like way of teaching this that's like Christ has given you some special abilities and some gifts, you better use it for his glory. Or you're all done. That's not really at all what this is talking about, at least this version of it. You might be able to make an argument for some of the others that that is about kingdom fruitfulness and, and to much is given, much is expected, right? That's the output of those parables. This one is really, it's explicitly about being prepared for this sudden arrival of the bridegroom, uh, after he delays, after he tarries. So that's all I'll say for now on that. I just, this is. This is why we had to do another episode, right? Like, because we couldn't do all of this Last week we started and we were like, we gotta push pause, save something for next week. This is one of those like realtime discoveries, realtime uh, epiphanies that I'm just like, I cannot believe I didn't see this in the text before, but I'm so glad that we're doing this deep dive. This sort of like long running slow burns through these parables because these are the kinds of things we're able to see when we really slow down and take our time.  [00:50:17] Jesse Schwamb: Yeah, it's that good old like crockpot theology. I'm with you. There is like in the next par we'll see a kind of manifest fruitfulness that comes from a preparedness and if, if we divorce that we're gonna get to the end of the next parable. And I think what we'd find is that, wow, the master seems super harsh here. Why is he so ticked off that the people with whom he entrusted all of these resources didn't do anything with them? It just seems like he's overzealous in saying, well, you just wasted a lot of things until you see like that full emphasis that comes all the way through these other parables in terms of the reason why. Then I think it starts to make more sense. So I did have to look it up like you're right, that the NIV has therefore keep watch. The King James version also is using watch, therefore. So if that's the emphasis, in other words, if the thrust is you ought to be watchful and prepared in all of your life for all the things preparing for Christ, doing the things in the work of Christ. Now it makes sense that to go away again and to have this time of not knowing when the perusia happens and being unprepared and unfruitful because you were not watchful, because you did not do the things you ought to have done and be making yourself again aware and vigilant in that awareness, then there's a problem. And that's like gonna be, I think, the full thrust of what's gonna happen that we're gonna see next when we look into this parable. I think it's important to remember that this parable is not as it sometimes is presented like an allegorize timeless moral maxim that's divorced from its eschatological referring. Yeah, the 10 virgins are figures of those awaiting Christ perusia. The oil is not some kind like vague symbol of like good works in a ian sense, but I think it's best understood as the reality of saving grace and the spirits in dwelling, which cannot be borrowed or transferred. If all of that is true. Then how does that manifest in daily living? What does that look like? And then what does that lead to on the day of judgment? All of that is to come for us, but it actually starts in this verse here in verse 13, just with the simple, very direct, but e expressly articulated phrase, be watchful or be prepared. Maybe like a better incidentally, like contemporary treatment would be like, don't sleep on this. Like, I like the word sleep in that context. Yeah. Which of course, when somebody says that to you, they're not actually meaning like, don't fall asleep now. But make sure that you're paying attention to this thing. Get after this thing, go and grab this thing, get a hold of this very thing. Make it your priority. And I think really that is what is Christ is after here as he moves us from one example into another. That's almost, again, to me like the manifestation or the outworking 'cause because one might ask, and maybe this is like a good question, he was anticipating, you hear that story and we're just used to like things moving, or like you said, like discreet chunks of text, which we appropriate for ourselves. We take out, it's almost as they have little boxes on the shelf and we remove that box. We look at it, we study it, we turn over, we put it back, and it's a little compartment place. And instead you can imagine, uh, as I could, I think if you were hearing this in the context of conversation, of teaching in this way, that you might say like, so what? Like be prepared for what, how do we get prepared? What does preparedness look like? And so that's what's coming for us next.  [00:53:34] Tony Arsenal: Yeah. And you know, the other thing I think that's, um, important for this parable, um, there are some places in the scripture in the, uh, in the gospels where Christ's teaching and nothing specific comes to mind. So this is. Hypothetical, but I know there are actual places. I just can't think of anything right off the top of my head. There are some places where sort of like discrete chunks of Christ's teaching are juxtaposed next to other discreet chunks. Sure. That's an editorial decision by the gospel author. Right. Matthew makes a decision to put this story next to this story, and we might see in Luke actually, it's slightly different. A good, a good example would be like in the temptation narratives, um, the order of the Temptations is different I think between Matthew and Luke. Right. And there's, there's an editorial decision that's made there and there's a theological reason. I don't know off the top of my head what it is. I'm sure I studied it in, you know, like gospels class in seminary. Um, that's not what's happening here, right? These are not two discreet chunks of text. That Matthew has decided to put together, right? Right. Christ is the one that says, watch therefore for you. Neither know the day nor the hour for it will be like a man going on a journey. Christ is the one who has decided, and this is one chunk of teaching. There's, um, like the Sermo

Send us Fan MailThis week Greg sat down with Noah Wing & Ryan Baechle in studio. They are the Founder and Chairman of the Iona Study Center. They discussed their history, vision, and founding ideas for the center, as well as some upcoming lectures, and what it means to be theologically and intellectually studied, especially as a young man. Enjoy! Subscribe and attend upcoming events at the Iona Study Center HERESubscribe to the Noah's Substack HEREDonate to the Iona Study Center HERE  Dominion Wealth Strategists are the only Kingdom minded company that you need to use. Set up a free consultation here today! You need to protect your sword! Beautiful, classic, and one of a kind! Design your bible rebind from Deus Vult today! 10% for all Dead Men listeners with the code "DEADMANWALKING" Covenant Real Estate: "Confidence from Contract to Close" Facebook: Dead Men Walking PodcastYoutube: Dead Men Walking PodcastInstagram: @DeadMenWalkingPodcastTwitter X: @RealDMWPodcastExclusive Content: PubTV App

1. Seth begins a review of Luke 13, examining a call to repentance.2. No question in the inbox.3. Seth discusses governance in the PCA.

Tim Mueret joins TJ to discuss Honor Flight, Honor Flight is a national organization that transports American Veterans to Washington DC to honor and celebrate them for their service and sacrifices. Then Tim puts his other hat on and becomes the "Medicare Answer Man", to discuss new changes in plans for Medicaid/Medicare, and Presbyterian. All this and more on News Radio KKOB See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Conor Macauley, Northern Correspondent

Kelli Ingram is living the ultimate modern rebellion: a southern-born Presbyterian recently-turned-Catholic, a homeschooling farmer, and a mother of nine. Kelli's journey is nothing short of wild. She went from birth control to agonizing infertility and foster care heartbreak to adoption and conception—even delivering her last baby in an inflatable pool…inside an RV park on the Florida coast…on purpose. If you've ever wondered how a self-proclaimed "Type-C" mom completely ditches rigid bedtime schedules and thrives in beautiful, countercultural chaos, you need to hear this.Kelli's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kelliingram/NEW: Check out our Merch store! https://shop.lilaroseshow.com/Join our new Patreon community! https://patreon.com/lilaroseshow - We'll have BTS footage, ad-free episodes, and early access to our upcoming guests.A big thanks to our partner, EWTN, the world's leading religious network! Discover news, entertainment and more at https://www.ewtn.com/ Check out our Sponsors:-Hallow: https://www.hallow.com/lila Enter into prayer more deeply this season with the Hallow App, get 3 months free by using this link to sign up! -Patriot Mobile: Get 1 month of free service at https://patriotmobile.com/lila or call 972-PATRIOT w/ code LILA-Presidio Healthcare: Healthcare and doctors who share your values. Visit: https://www.presidiocare.com/lila -We Heart Nutrition: https://www.weheartnutrition.com/ Get high quality vitamin supplements for 20% off using the code LILA.

This recording is the result of our work digitizing over 600 cassette tapes of Elisabeth's talks. Each tape is decades old and the quality of the recordings varies quite a bit from tape to tape. As we preserve Elisabeth's legacy, we will share as much of her work as possible, even when technical issues affect the quality of the audio. Each talk is unique in content and tone. All are a blessing and encouragement. ---- Music by John Hanson

In this week's episode, Brendan Suhr is joined by Dustin Kerns, head coach of the Appalachian State Mountaineers.Kerns reflects on his coaching journey from graduate assistant to Division I head coach, sharing lessons learned from mentors such as Larry Shyatt and Mike Young. He discusses the importance of mastering the “invisible” parts of coaching, building relationships across an institution, and why aspiring coaches must focus on excelling where they are rather than constantly chasing the next opportunity. Kerns also provides an overview of how he rebuilt programs at both Presbyterian and Appalachian State by changing the psychology of winning before focusing on tactics. He shares strategies for establishing accountability, creating alignment throughout your program, and building a culture centered on discipline, selflessness, and team-first habits. The conversation dives into Appalachian State's defensive identity, rebounding philosophy, player development, and the challenges of maintaining consistency in the transfer portal era. All that and more on Episode 332 of the Coaching U Podcast presented by Noah Basketball.Noah Basketball is trusted by 28 NBA teams, over 200 NCAA programs, and over 1,000 high school programs to capture and analyze key shooting metrics to help your players perfect their shot and reach their max potential.Learn more at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠noahbasketball.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

It's Monday, June 1st, A.D. 2026. This is The Worldview in 5 Minutes heard on 140 radio stations and at www.TheWorldview.com.  I'm Adam McManus. (Adam@TheWorldview.com) By Adam McManus Egypt grants legal status to 191 church buildings The Egyptian government released an order the week of May 18th granting legal status to 191 church buildings that previously lacked official recognition, reports International Christian Concern. In total, 3,804 churches and related buildings have been approved since the creation of a committee to review churches in 2016, according to Christian Solidarity Worldwide.  Thousands of churches and associated buildings have been built in recent decades. Still, the northeast African country of Egypt maintains a system for approving Christian places of worship that is separate from — and more difficult than — that for Sunni Muslim places of worship. According to Open Doors, Egypt is the 42nd most oppressive country worldwide for Christians. Pope Leo meets with pro-abort, pro-sex perversion Chicago mayor On May 28th, Pope Leo XIV met in a private audience with radical Chicago Democratic mayor Brandon Johnson, during which they reportedly discussed ICE raids in the city, slavery reparations, and the Iran war, but not key moral issues such as abortion and the homosexual transgender agenda, both of which Mayor Johnson supports, reports LifeSiteNews.com. The mayor has a radically pro-abortion and pro-sexual perversion record, previously pledging to offer free Abortion Kill Pills and to prosecute pro-life sidewalk counselors. And, in 2024, the mayor commemorated “National Abortion Provider Appreciation Day.” At the time, Chicago Mayor Johnson said, “We commend the bravery and resilience of abortion providers and look forward to continuing to support their efforts to ensure that reproductive rights are upheld and respected. Together, we can resist attempts to roll back the progress we have made, ensuring Chicago remains a sanctuary for choice.” Notice, he failed to mention that the choice the mother makes is the choice to murder her innocent pre-born baby boy or baby girl. In God's conversation with the prophet Jeremiah, He said, "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart.” (Jeremiah 1:5) Supreme Court Justice Amy Barrett targeted in attempted swatting U.S. Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett was the target of an apparent “swatting” attempt after an unknown caller falsely reported gunfire at her Virginia residence, reports The Christian Post. On May 27th, Fairfax County police said that a caller contacted the department's nonemergency line claiming to have heard shots fired at Barrett's home. Officers quickly coordinated with Supreme Court Police assigned to the residence and determined the report was false. Texas Governor Abbott blasted Democrat James Talarico Appearing on Fox News Channel, Texas Republican Governor Greg Abbott blasted James Talarico, the Democrat Senatorial candidate, who will face off in the general election against Republican Ken Paxton for U.S. Senate this fall. Listen. ABBOTT: “Talarico himself said he has a record that he's going to run on. Let me tell you quickly about that record, about votes that he cast, not crazy things that he said. But he cast votes that support [Diversity, Equity and Inclusion] in our public schools, support defunding our law enforcement, supports boys in girls' sports, supports transition surgery for minors, supports a state income tax in the state of Texas, supports open border policies. “So, the votes he's cast set a record for how challenging he would be for any average Texan. You know, oftentimes you hear President Trump talk about a 90/10 issue, where 90% of the people are lined up on one side, 10% on the other side. Talarico's votes are on the 10% side.” How a small-town Arkansas man got God on America's money And finally, Matthew Rothert Sr., a Presbyterian furniture manufacturer and avid coin collector born in 1904, was at church in Chicago on June 21, 1953, when he believed the Holy Spirit impressed upon him the idea that the phrase "In God We Trust" should be featured on American banknotes as it did on coins, according to his daughter, Alice Rothert Nelson, reports The Christian Post. She said, "The collection plate was going around, and he felt God tell him that the coins had 'In God We Trust,' but it was the bills that went all around the world. And he believed he should get 'In God We Trust' on the bills of the paper money, and so that started the campaign." By way of background, "In God We Trust" was first engraved on U.S. coins during the Civil War, after Mark Richards Watkinson, a Baptist minister from Pennsylvania, petitioned then-Treasury Secretary Salmon Chase at the end of 1861 to promote "the recognition of the Almighty God in some form in our coins" amid the fading illusion of a short, relatively bloodless conflict. Pastor Watkinson told Chase, "You are probably a Christian. What if our Republic were now shattered beyond recognition? Would not the antiquaries, [those who study history], in succeeding centuries, rightly reason, from our part, we were a heathen nation?" He saw the increasingly brutal, intractable war as a divine chastening that could destroy the country. Expressing hope that honoring God in such a public way "would relieve us from the [disgrace] of heathenism." Watkinson noted, "This would place us openly under the divine protection we have personally claimed. From my heart, I have felt our national shame in disowning God." Salmon Chase and James Pollock, a Presbyterian minister then serving as director of the U.S. Mint, agreed with Watkinson, ultimately leading Congress to pass a law in April 1864 allowing "In God We Trust" on the one- and two-cent pieces. Pollock said, “We claim to be a Christian nation—why should we not vindicate our character by honoring the God of Nations. Our national coinage should do this. Its legends and devices should declare our trust in God—in Him who is "King of Kings and Lord of Lords." AUDIO FROM DIVINE HYMNS: “King of kings and Lord of lords. Glory Hallelujah. King of kings and Lord of lords. Glory Hallelujah.” Revelation 19:16 says, “On [Christ's] robe and on His thigh, He has this name written: 'King of kings and Lord of lords.'” The U.S. Congress passed another law in March 1865 to place the words on all gold and silver coins, which was the last act President Abraham Lincoln signed before his assassination. Nearly a century later, the motto gained renewed attention when the United States found itself embattled again during the global tensions of the Cold War. Seeing its simple declaration of faith as a necessary contrast to the atheist communism that animated the Soviet Union, Matthew Rothert followed Watkinson's example. He gave speeches, rallied support, and fired off many letters to officials, including President Dwight Eisenhower and Treasury Secretary George Humphrey, urging them to add the phrase to paper money. In a 1987 interview, Matthew Rothert, at the age of 83, said, "The Lord seemed to tell me to do this. He put the idea so strongly in my mind that I worked on it until I accomplished my goal. I realized the circulation of American coins was limited to the boundaries of the country, while U.S. paper money circulated worldwide. It looked like Americans were saying they trusted in God only a few cents' worth!" In an unusually swift and bipartisan action, the bill was on President Eisenhower's desk by July 11, 1955. Changing the master dies and printing plates at the Bureau of Engraving and Printing to include "In God We Trust" would typically have been too cost-prohibitive, but, providentially, they were already set to be replaced that year to accommodate a new printing process. And now you know the rest of the story! Close And that's The Worldview on this Monday, June 1st, in the year of our Lord 2026. Subscribe for free by Spotify, Amazon Music, or by iTunes or email to our unique Christian newscast at www.TheWorldview.com.  Plus, you can get the Generations app through Google Play or The App Store. I'm Adam McManus (Adam@TheWorldview.com). Seize the day for Jesus Christ.

Joe Clifford's sermon for Sunday, May 31, 2026, at Myers Park Presbyterian Church in Charlotte, NC. Subtitles/closed captions for this video are available by clicking the “CC” button on the video player. Full sermon manuscripts can be found at myersparkpres.org/manuscripts.

Douglas Stuart is one of the most successful writers in Britain today. He is celebrated globally for his honest portrayals of human relationships and working-class life. In 2020 he won the Booker Prize for his debut novel Shuggie Bain, a searingly honest novel set in 1980s Glasgow about a boy named Shuggie trying to save his mother, Agnes, from alcoholism and poverty.  His second novel Young Mungo, a story of the dangerous first love of two young men, was released in 2022 and became a number one Sunday Times Bestseller.  In May 2026, Stuart joined us live in London for an evening on identity, resilience, and the themes of his new novel John of John.  In John of John, Stuart returns to the themes of class, family, masculinity, and sexuality. It is the story of John-Calum Macleod, who returns to his childhood home on the island of Harris. Out of money and with little to show for his art school education, he sinks back into his old life, caught between the two poles of his childhood: his father John, a sheep farmer, weaver, and pillar of their local Presbyterian church, and his Glaswegian grandmother Ella, who has kept a faltering peace with her son-in-law for decades. --- If you'd like to become a Member and get access to all our full ad free conversations, plus all of our Members-only content, just visit intelligencesquared.com/membership to find out more. For £4.99 per month you'll also receive: - Full-length and ad-free Intelligence Squared episodes, wherever you get your podcasts - Bonus Intelligence Squared podcasts, curated feeds and members exclusive series - 15% discount on livestreams and in-person tickets for all Intelligence Squared events ... Or Subscribe on Apple for £4.99: - Full-length and ad-free Intelligence Squared podcasts - Bonus Intelligence Squared podcasts, curated feeds and members exclusive series … Already a subscriber? Thank you for supporting our mission to foster honest debate and compelling conversations! Visit intelligencesquared.com to explore all your benefits including ad-free podcasts, exclusive bonus content and early access. … Subscribe to our newsletter here to hear about our latest events, discounts and much more. https://www.intelligencesquared.com/newsletter-signup/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Douglas Stuart is one of the most successful writers in Britain today. He is celebrated globally for his honest portrayals of human relationships and working-class life. In 2020 he won the Booker Prize for his debut novel Shuggie Bain, a searingly honest novel set in 1980s Glasgow about a boy named Shuggie trying to save his mother, Agnes, from alcoholism and poverty. His second novel Young Mungo, a story of the dangerous first love of two young men, was released in 2022 and became a number one Sunday Times Bestseller. In May 2026, Stuart joined us live in London for an evening on identity, resilience, and the themes of his new novel John of John. In John of John, Stuart returns to the themes of class, family, masculinity, and sexuality. It is the story of John-Calum Macleod, who returns to his childhood home on the island of Harris. Out of money and with little to show for his art school education, he sinks back into his old life, caught between the two poles of his childhood: his father John, a sheep farmer, weaver, and pillar of their local Presbyterian church, and his Glaswegian grandmother Ella, who has kept a faltering peace with her son-in-law for decades. --- This is the first instalment of a two-part episode. If you'd like to become a Member and get access to all our full ad free conversations, plus all of our Members-only content, just visit intelligencesquared.com/membership to find out more. For £4.99 per month you'll also receive: - Full-length and ad-free Intelligence Squared episodes, wherever you get your podcasts - Bonus Intelligence Squared podcasts, curated feeds and members exclusive series - 15% discount on livestreams and in-person tickets for all Intelligence Squared events  ...  Or Subscribe on Apple for £4.99: - Full-length and ad-free Intelligence Squared podcasts - Bonus Intelligence Squared podcasts, curated feeds and members exclusive series … Already a subscriber? Thank you for supporting our mission to foster honest debate and compelling conversations! Visit intelligencesquared.com to explore all your benefits including ad-free podcasts, exclusive bonus content and early access. … Subscribe to our newsletter here to hear about our latest events, discounts and much more. https://www.intelligencesquared.com/newsletter-signup/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

From the "It Matters" sermon series. Preached by Jody Killingsworth.

Jason Sterling May 31, 2026 Faith Presbyterian Church Birmingham, AL 

Audio Recording Word Rev. Scott Strickman Download There is a short gap that represents about 20 seconds of missing content at about minute 14:15 and again at 42:45. We're sorry for the omission. Sermon OutlineSpeaker: Rev. Scott StrickmanSermon Series: FWPSM2 Timothy 4:1-8 (ESV)4 I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: 2 preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. 3 For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, 4 and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. 5 But as for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.6 For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come. 7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 8 Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing.Sermon OutlineTime in the Bible – particularly in the weekly assembly of God's people – is a chief means of spiritual nourishment for maturing in Christ.1. Hear the Wordv2 “preach the word”2. Endure Sound Teachingv3 the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching3. Keep the Faithv7 “I have kept the faith”v6 “I am already being poured out as a drink offering”v8 “the crown of righteousness… not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing”Prayer of ConfessionDear heavenly Father: we humbly admit our sin and acknowledge our need for forgiveness. You have spoken to us through the Scriptures, but we have not listened. We have not endured sound teaching; with itching ears we have gathered to ourselves teachers that suit our own passions. We have wandered off into myths, and we have not kept the faith. We have done what we ought not to have done. Yet the same word we have neglected points to Jesus Christ, the righteous judge, who pardons sins. In his name we ask for forgiveness, with thankful acknowledgement of your mercy. Amen.Questions for ReflectionWhat is your experience reading the Bible? What do you value, appreciate, benefit from? What is challenging? What competes for your attention? How is the public reading and preaching of Scripture a unique way to listen to God?What are some guidelines for listening to a sermon? What can you be doing to receive the most from it? What are some things to not do?Why is the Bible the most reliable way to learn about Jesus Christ?How can you tell if Christ is being faithfully preached (in a sermon)?What are some habits that would help you better engage weekly preaching and reflect on what you heard or put something into practice over the course of the week?How do you “keep the faith”? What does that mean, and what implications does it have for how we understand Christianity?Why is it important to “love” the “appearing” of Christ? What does that mean? How can you cultivate better appreciation for the appearing of Christ?

Trinity Sunday; Sermon based on Proverbs 8 and John 16:12-15. Preached at The First Presbyterian Church of Brooklyn (https://linktr.ee/firstchurchbrooklyn). Podcast subscription is available at https://cutt.ly/fpcb-sermons or Apple Podcasts (https://apple.co/4ccZPt6), Spotify, Amazon, Audible, Podca....This item belongs to: audio/first-church-brooklyn-sermons.This item has files of the following types: Archive BitTorrent, Columbia Peaks, Item Tile, Metadata, PNG, Spectrogram, VBR MP3

We welcome Matthew Vogan to discuss The Nature of the Church by John Brown of Wamphray, a concise seventeenth-century work on Presbyterian ecclesiology republished by Grange Press. Brown, a Scottish Covenanter exiled to the Netherlands, wrote with deep conviction about Christ's headship over the church, the visible and invisible church, church government, discipline, unity, and the distinction between church and state. This conversation explores why Brown's work remains timely for pastors, elders, seminarians, and church members today. Rather than treating church government as a secondary or merely practical matter, Brown presents the church as a visible spiritual society established by Christ, governed by his Word, and ordered for the edification of his people. Watch on YouTube Chapters 0:00 Introduction 1:15 The Nature of the Church by John Brown of Wamphray 4:30 John Brown's life, ministry, exile, and Covenanter context 8:40 Matthew Vogan's introduction to John Brown 9:36 Brown's 32 theses and the Westminster Confession 10:54 A majestic view of Christ's church 12:33 The scope of Brown's ecclesiology 15:12 The church as a visible spiritual society 21:43 Church and state under Christ's authority 27:08 Scripture and Presbyterian church government 30:53 Brown's polemics against Erastianism, prelacy, and independency 35:00 Ministerial authority and edification 39:17 The church's spiritual government 42:14 The spirituality of the church 44:59 Key insights from Brown's work 46:06 Communion within the visible catholic church 52:21 Further reading: Durham, Gillespie, Rutherford, and Bannerman 53:55 Final thoughts on The Nature of the Church 55:00 Scottish football and closing conversation 56:57 Reformed Forum resources and conclusion Participants Camden Bucey Matthew Vogan Resources mentioned Grange Press The Nature of the Church by John Brown of Wamphray Trinitarian Bible Society Christ the Center 682: David Dickson's Sermons on Lamentations

We welcome Matthew Vogan to discuss The Nature of the Church by John Brown of Wamphray, a concise seventeenth-century work on Presbyterian ecclesiology republished by Grange Press. Brown, a Scottish […]