Podcasts about sacrifices

In this thought-provoking episode of The Reformed Brotherhood, Tony and Jesse explore the complex relationship between Christian vocation and professional ambition. Moving beyond the obvious prohibition of inherently sinful professions, they examine whether certain legitimate careers might still be inappropriate for Christians if they compromise our responsibilities to family and church. The hosts challenge the common assumption that Christians should seek maximum worldly influence, suggesting instead that faithfulness in our threefold calling—to work, family, and church—should guide our vocational choices. Drawing on Reformed theology's rich understanding of vocation, they offer practical wisdom for believers navigating career decisions and workplace responsibilities while maintaining spiritual priorities in a culture that often glorifies professional success at any cost. Key Takeaways Vocation is threefold: A proper understanding of Christian vocation includes responsibilities to our work, our families, and our church—not just our careers. Lord's Day conflicts: Professions that regularly prevent church attendance and Lord's Day observance may be inappropriate for Christians, regardless of their potential for influence or impact. Family obligations: Scripture teaches that Christians who neglect family responsibilities are "worse than unbelievers" (1 Tim. 5:8), suggesting that careers demanding excessive time away from family may be problematic. Christian influence vs. gospel proclamation: We must distinguish between transforming culture through worldly influence versus the actual proclamation of the gospel, which can happen at any level of employment. Sacrifice is expected: Following Christ often requires sacrificing career advancement, prestige, or financial gain to fulfill our primary callings. Priority check: When considering job opportunities, Christians should evaluate church options in a new location with the same care they give to schools, housing, and other community factors. God calls us to faithfulness: Our primary calling is to faithfulness in our responsibilities, not necessarily to positions of maximum influence or cultural power. Balancing the Threefold Calling The hosts challenge the idea that Christians should prioritize career advancement and influence above all else. They argue that vocation in the Reformed tradition encompasses more than just our paid work—it includes our responsibilities to family and church as well. This means that even if a career opportunity seems beneficial for "kingdom influence," we must evaluate whether it allows us to fulfill our other God-given duties. Tony points out that while some professions clearly contradict Christian ethics, others may subtly undermine our ability to be faithful in all areas of life. A high-powered executive role might provide platforms for influence but could require such time commitments that family relationships suffer or regular Lord's Day worship becomes impossible. As Jesse observes, "vocation is fundamentally God's doing," not simply about finding personal fulfillment or maximizing impact. This framework helps believers evaluate career choices more holistically. The Question of Christian Influence A central question emerges throughout the episode: Should Christians pursue positions of maximum influence to advance kingdom values? While this idea sounds appealing, the hosts suggest it often masks a "theology of glory" rather than embracing the "theology of the cross." Jesse notes that "God doesn't call us to necessarily have outside impact. What he's calling us to is faithfulness." They distinguish between the transformative power of the gospel—which can be proclaimed regardless of position—and other ways of transforming culture through worldly influence. Tony explains that "whether you're the janitor of the hospital or whether you're the CEO of the hospital, the gospel is the same and your role in proclaiming the gospel is the same." This perspective challenges Christians to reconsider whether pursuing leadership positions always aligns with God's calling, especially when such roles might compromise other spiritual obligations. The hosts argue that faithfulness in ordinary circumstances, not exceptional influence, should be our primary aim. Quotes "Would it be great if the CEO of a major Fortune 500 company could be a Christian? Yeah. That would be kind of cool. But if the trade-off is that person has to sacrifice their genuine Christian convictions, that's not worth it." - Tony Arsenal "I do think we have to sit back and ask, is that the calling? So that we're pursuing what is our vocation, not just our potential... I think there is a real temptation to somehow say like, what we need to do is to infiltrate in all the places. And I think what we mean by that is that things here will be better." - Jesse Schwamb "I think the Bible is clearer about a person who is taken away from their home more than is reasonable and more than is healthy for their family, or a Christian who never is able to worship on the Lord's day... than it is on something like identity politics and some of the tangential ways that might cause a person to need to compromise a little bit at a high level." - Tony Arsenal Practical Applications The hosts suggest several practical considerations for Christians evaluating career opportunities: Will this job regularly prevent Lord's Day worship? Does it require sacrificing time with family beyond what's reasonable? Could you negotiate Sabbath observance with potential employers? When relocating, evaluate church options with the same care given to schools and housing Consider whether a lower-paying job that allows faithfulness in all areas might be better than a higher-paying one that doesn't Full Transcript [00:00:00] Introduction and Episode Overview [00:00:08] Jesse Schwamb: Welcome to episode 458 of The Reformed Brotherhood. I'm Jesse. [00:00:16] Tony Arsenal: And I'm Tony. And this is the podcast where even your work is unto the glory of God. Hey brother. Hey [00:00:24] Jesse Schwamb: brother. You know that's right. It [00:00:26] Tony Arsenal: is. That's why I said it. [00:00:28] Jesse Schwamb: Yeah, it was. That's a great way to open. We, I think from time to time come back to the topic of work and we've got a great, I think, conversation in the queue for this particular episode. [00:00:39] Jesse Schwamb: Now it's gonna sound maybe on the face. Right off the top here. Familiar. So of course, like we've talked before, how scripture makes it clear that Christians are to be salt and light in the world. And we've talked, I think, at length about, well, how exactly do we carry out that? And though we know that we're not saved by our good works. [00:00:57] Jesse Schwamb: Again, the Bible teaches very clearly that God expects good works from Christians, that that is in fact what he saves us to do. Again, we're not saved by those good works, but the question I think still remains, and we're gonna come to it in this conversation about what exactly does he want us to do and where does he want us to do it. [00:01:13] Jesse Schwamb: So in other words, we know that according to scripture, God providentially, governs and cares for his entire creation. So how does that play out in human society given the reality of sin? So we're gonna get to topics like. Well, should Christians be in every line of work? Is that the ideal? Are there jobs or positions or responsibilities that seemingly may not be obvious that Christians really shouldn't be a part of? [00:01:37] Jesse Schwamb: Because it takes them too far afield, maybe from the responsibilities that God gives us holistically to think of our calling is and our families and our churches in our work. So it's a bit more nuanced play of a conversation we had before, but hopefully something that's gonna have all kinds of practicality wrapped around it. [00:01:55] Jesse Schwamb: Yeah. So that's what's coming. [00:01:56] Tony Arsenal: Yeah. Yeah. I'm stoked. I think this is gonna be a good conversation and I think I, I think this is one of those topics where like there's a lot of different angles to come at it from, right? We talk about vocation and work, and we've had those conversations before, and I think other shows and other venues have had that conversation before. [00:02:15] Tony Arsenal: I don't think that I've encountered a conversation really to this like angle of it. So I'm looking forward to this. [00:02:23] Jesse Schwamb: Me too. It's gonna be great. And of course, before we get to all that goodness, all that greatness, which I'm sure is about to transpire shortly and will be of course the definitive conversation, the one to end all to, I guess both to your point, bring it into the world. [00:02:36] Jesse Schwamb: Then to shut it down because we'll have accomplished both ends in just a single hour. [00:02:41] Affirmations and Denials [00:02:41] Jesse Schwamb: Before we get to that, let's do some affirming or denying. This is the part of our conversation where you and I always pick one thing either that we're affirming with and kind of the tradition of the reformed faith, where we take something that's undervalued or something that excites us, we think has great merit or worth, and we put out into the world and say, we're standing behind this thing, or conversely, we deny against it in that same kind of tradition by saying, this thing is overvalued, not worth it. [00:03:05] Jesse Schwamb: Not our jam. So in our tradition, I ask you are you affirming with something or are you not against something? [00:03:11] Tony Arsenal: I'm affirming with something specific that will lead to something general. So, okay. [00:03:16] Exploring AI in Learning [00:03:16] Tony Arsenal: I mentioned a couple weeks ago that I've been playing around with Google Gemini, which is Google's AI platform. [00:03:22] Tony Arsenal: And uh, I've been using it in a sort of interesting way. So Google has, uh, Gemini has these things called gems, which are basically like predefined personalities or predefined. I dunno, like instructions. So they have one gem that is a learning guide where basically you can give it a topic and it will, it will deliver mini lectures, give you quizzes, you can prompt it. [00:03:46] Tony Arsenal: So like I can paste in, um, you know, I can take in Lagos, I can paste a copy of the Bible, like a chapter of the Bible into the learning guide. It'll summarize it, it'll ask me questions. It'll basically gimme many lectures on it. Um, that's the specific thing. This is such a cool technology. And in my mind, this is really where AI is strong, is that you can take large sections of text and it will summarize it and synthesize it into a very usable format. [00:04:14] Tony Arsenal: Um, so what I've been doing, like I said, is I'll read, I'll read a, a chunk of text from whatever it is I'm reading, and then I'll copy and paste that entire chunk of text if it's an electronic text into the learning. Learning guide module and ask it to act as like a seminary lecturer and quiz me on the content. [00:04:33] Tony Arsenal: Um, which really helps to solidify the content I'm reading rather than just passing my eyes over it. I'm actually, um, processing it and retaining it more. I think you could probably do something similar with just about any AI platform if you had the right kind of prompt, which is where the general one comes in. [00:04:50] Tony Arsenal: And I would encourage you, listener to think a little bit about how you might utilize this, because I think we all read lots and lots of things. Our, our, um, particular audience tends to be a little bookish, and so I'm sure we're all reading things as we go, but I'm not sure we're always processing things in the most effective way. [00:05:07] Tony Arsenal: So think a little bit about like how you might use something like chat, GPT, which is available for free, or Claude, which is available for free to do this kind of like. Almost like simulated classroom lecture. Um, and I know there are some questions about ai. Like I, I heard an argument that ai, when you're generating content is, is a sort of form of sophisticated, uh, plagiarism, which I'm not sure I buy it, but I understand the argument. [00:05:33] Tony Arsenal: This is something very different where you're really just using the, using the AI to synthesize and summarize text and sort of spit it back to you in a new format. Um, you're not trying to generate anything new. You're not trying to create anything. That you're gonna publish or anything like that. It's really just a, a form of synthesis. [00:05:49] Tony Arsenal: So I've really found this to be super beneficial. Um, I'm having a really great time at it. I'm, I'm using it for language studies, so I'm reading through mount's basics, biblical Greek. And I'll copy and paste the whole chapter in, ask it to act as a lecturer, and it will walk me through the chapter. It'll stop to do quizzes. [00:06:08] Tony Arsenal: It'll drill me on vocab as I'm going. And then when, when I up, the instruction I get is, don't move forward until you are convinced that I've mastered the content. And so when I get something wrong, it goes back and makes me redo it. So it continues to iterate until it's, until the AI has. Synthesize that I have mastered the content, and then it asks me to provide the next chapter. [00:06:30] Tony Arsenal: So it's a cool technology. It's a, it's a sort of novel use for the technology. Um, again, Google has built in modules that do this, but I think you could probably use chat, GPT or Claude or Orrock or whatever AI model you're using to accomplish the same goal. [00:06:45] Jesse Schwamb: There's no doubt that AI is great for like building study notes, helping you create space, repetition, all those like little hacks that we have long talked about. [00:06:53] Jesse Schwamb: And this provides it to you in a really bespoke course customized way, but it gets you involved. I'm with you if you wanna do this the old fashioned way. I'll go back to something I I've affirmed with before and that's this very famous book originally authored in the 1940s called How to Read a Book by Mor Mortimer, j Adler, and that is an exercise. [00:07:13] Jesse Schwamb: Helping you do some of that stuff in real time as well. Yeah, so I think there'd be a lovely compliment to say you're reading actively and then you get to test immediately that active reading by way of using ai. So even before, like, maybe even just jumping to like, well, let me read it, but I'm, I'm gonna trust that AI's gonna really kind of supplement me or fill in the gaps and just gimme what I need to know. [00:07:33] Jesse Schwamb: Trying to do that in real time. Pausing in your reading. Again, kind of studying as you go along, thinking out loud through what you've just read and then saying, alright, now test me is a great way to, 'cause who wants to like read stuff unless you can remember this stuff and then unless you can apply it, right? [00:07:48] Jesse Schwamb: Yeah. So it's such a joy to be able to read things and then to remember. And if you haven't had that experience yet, I like your affirmation. I think this is a great way to test it out. [00:07:56] Tony Arsenal: Yeah, just to maybe flesh this out. So I, I asked it to, and I'm, I'm doing this sort of as an experiment just to see how it works, but also just 'cause it's, it's useful. [00:08:06] Tony Arsenal: I asked it to act as a seminary lecturer and I copied and paste the entire first chapter of the Westminster Confession. And rather than split it up by section and actually combined paragraphs that were. Um, related to each other. So it combined the list of Bible, uh, books, and then the chapter on apocrypha and gave me some like lectures. [00:08:25] Tony Arsenal: But here's what it said about, um, about chapter 10. It says, paragraph 10, declares the supreme judge can be no other than the Holy Spirit speaking scripture. This is the ultimate outworking of sola Scripture, means that every other authority is lesser authority that must submit to the judgment of the word of God. [00:08:42] Tony Arsenal: This includes decrees of church counsels. Opinions of ancient writers, doctrines of men, private spirits. It goes on for a little while longer. Then it says, I will give you a brief final quiz covering the whole of chapter one, and it asks questions like A historian makes the following claim. The Bible only has authority. [00:08:59] Tony Arsenal: It does because influential councils in the early church, like the Council of Carthage officially voted on which books would be included in the cannon. The church therefore gave the Bible its authority drawing from your knowledge of paragraphs three, uh, three, four, and five. Provide a two-part critique of the historian statement. [00:09:16] Tony Arsenal: Which then I had to type it out. It critiqued, um, it analyzed my answer. Um, I happened to get that question right. I did at one point think maybe this is actually just like finding a way to say everything that I say is right. So I purposely put a wrong answer in and it did identify that the answer was wrong, and then it made me go back and revisit that content. [00:09:35] Tony Arsenal: So it's very, it's a very cool use case. I'm glad that Google kind of built this in. They have all sorts of other gems. If you have, if you have a way to get access to Google Gemini, um. It's not the best AI for everything, but it's got, it's pretty versatile. It's got a lot of utility, so check it out. [00:09:53] Jesse Schwamb: Yeah, that sounds great. [00:09:53] Jesse Schwamb: Again, there's all kinds of fun things I think we could be using AI for to help us be better learners or to really enjoy our interaction with data and information more. Yeah. It is a really great way to conversationally help you to learn something, and that's what makes it so much better. It stands way far apart from, again, just leading, just reading or just creating flashcards or even just, just creating study notes, but that back and forth to test you on something, even if it's just like casual knowledge that you can really want to internalize. [00:10:21] Jesse Schwamb: Yeah. I found that to be super valuable. Again, like, man, if you're a learner, if you're a reader, if you're a human being, what an amazing time to live in the world where data is so prevalent, but it's increasingly being brought into a place where we can put our arms around it in a way in which we're trying to really understand it. [00:10:38] Jesse Schwamb: You know, I think about how we used to search for something, I mean. Used to like this that like, that wasn't like last year. You know what I mean? Like we just go on to our, your favorite search engine. Type in a topic or maybe type in even a specific question. And at best you'd have to sort through this litany, this plethora, this morass of all these links about articles that may pertain to what you asked. [00:10:58] Jesse Schwamb: Or maybe they pertain to it generally, but not really specifically. Yeah. The specificity with which you can have a conversational interaction that engenders knowledge is wild. I mean, I really think that is like the huge play of ai. Just lean into it and enjoy it. [00:11:12] Tony Arsenal: Yeah. Yeah. Jesse, what are you affirming or denying tonight? [00:11:16] Nasal Spray Affirmation [00:11:16] Jesse Schwamb: I'm going a totally different direction. It's an affirmation, but I'm taking it from my ears, nose, nose, and throat doctor who affirmed this to me, so I might be totally late on this. There are very few things that I can say like somebody's recommended to me or affirm. It's been like absolute game changer, like just drop dead from the first moment I used it or employed the thing that it just changed everything. [00:11:38] Jesse Schwamb: This is one of those things. Which maybe I've just already oversold, but the affirmation is with something called it's, it's spelled X-L-E-A-R, I think it's still pronounced clear, but it's called literally phonetically XL nasal spray, and it's a. This doesn't sound very exciting, but bear with me everybody. [00:11:57] Jesse Schwamb: It's a natural, non-addictive saline nasal spray featuring Zi Atol as its primary active ingredient. So if you're not familiar with Zi Atol, which I wasn't until I went to my ENT by the way I've seen for many years and only just recommended this to me. So I had some words 'cause I was working, where's this been all my life. [00:12:14] Jesse Schwamb: But Zito is a naturally occurring alcohol sugar. It's found in like many fruits and vegetables, and it can be commercially produced from like birch wine or corn fiber. It looks and tastes similar to like table sugar, but it contains fewer calories, so it can be used and is often used as like a sweetener in sugar-free foods like chewing gum, mint candies, jam, stuff like that. [00:12:35] Jesse Schwamb: Here's one of the strange side effects. That they notice though about Zi atol, and that is it totally, uh, cleanses, moisturizes and soos nasal passages. And it gives you all kinds of relief from like common congestion stuff like colds, allergies, low humidity, humidity, science, pressure, stuff like that. What it does is it actually breaks down or lubricates your inner nasal passages, including like flushing out the mucus. like it works actually with your body. So what's amazing is it's, it's really great for, it's kinda like a soap for the nose. It clears up bacteria, pollens, dander, molds, like all kinds of irritants. [00:13:14] Jesse Schwamb: It also studies have shown blocks, adhesion of other pathogens like bacterial, fungal, viral to the mucosal tissues, helping the body to wash them away. So [00:13:23] Jesse Schwamb: this thing is absolutely. Wild. And I can say for certain that if you're the kind of person like me, where let's say like you're, you're hitting the Flonase hard at different seasons because you got those seasonal allergies because of the fall and because sin is real. I'm with you. That dries out your nose. [00:13:42] Jesse Schwamb: This thing is like a, a sauna or a spa for your nose, and then it literally like clears everything out. It's almost magical. I, I'm serious. It's so fantastic. So if you've been looking for something to really help with that and it, again, it's safe. There's no drug in it. It's not addictive, so you can use it all the time. [00:13:58] Jesse Schwamb: It's just saline and zi etol. It is phenomenal. So go get yourself, do yourself a favor. Do, do your, do your nose and your sinuses a solid and, and get the solids outta them by using. X clear. I feel like a bat just flew by your face or like a giant bird. [00:14:17] Tony Arsenal: Yeah. So, uh, first of all, that sounds like a really great thing to check out. [00:14:22] Tony Arsenal: Is this clear stuff? Um, I have had struggles with like sinus infections over the last couple years, so I'm gonna check this out when it gets to allergy season in the fall year. [00:14:32] Hummingbird Moth Encounter [00:14:32] Tony Arsenal: But yes, uh, one of the rare, uh, moths that I've learned lives near my house is called a, uh, what's it called? Uh. It commonly, it's called like a hummingbird moth. [00:14:44] Tony Arsenal: Have you heard of these things? Yeah. Oh yeah. Um, I've never seen them before, but the reason they're called hummingbird moths is 'cause they look like hummingbirds, but they're actually moths and I right now. Hopefully this will change eventually, but. It will have to, 'cause it gets cold here. Um, I'm recording outside and a hummingbird moth literally just flew between my computer and my face. [00:15:05] Tony Arsenal: Um, I wasn't talking at the time so you wouldn't be able to see it on the screen, which is too bad. Uh, but yeah, Jesse saw me freak out a little bit, which is uh, which is fine. [00:15:16] Jesse Schwamb: It happened the [00:15:16] Tony Arsenal: first time I saw one. I was like, is that a huge bee? No, it's just a hummingbird broth. [00:15:21] Jesse Schwamb: Somebody, everybody should look them up though, because they're kind of wild looking. [00:15:25] Jesse Schwamb: Like if you've seen it in real life, they have that hummingbird pose where the body, body is kind of laid back and the wings are going crazy. Like they literally do hover like that. Yeah. And they're, they're almost that big. The one that tried to attack you there was pretty large. [00:15:38] Tony Arsenal: Yeah. They don't, um, they, they. [00:15:41] Tony Arsenal: Move a little different than hummingbirds, which is why the first time that I saw one, I thought it was a bee. Um, because when they, when they land on a flower, they crawl inside the flower the same way that a, like a bee or a bumblebee will, um, they don't hover outside the flower like a hummingbird, but they do. [00:15:57] Tony Arsenal: They, their body is, I mean, their body is probably an, an inch and a half long like a hummingbird. Um, and it's thick like a hummingbird. They don't look like moths at all. So I'm not sure they must be part of the Moth family, I guess. Um, I'm trying to remember. It's. They have like a specific name, I wanna say Scarab, but that's not right. [00:16:14] Tony Arsenal: But it's something like that is the, the technical name of it. They're like a scarab moth or something like that. But [00:16:20] Jesse Schwamb: yeah, I've just come up. It's a wild name. [00:16:22] Tony Arsenal: This is your top 50 Entomology, uh, podcast apparently. As well as the top 50 health cath. We're gonna, we're gonna uh, com combine the two tonight, so yeah, I'm gonna check that out in the, the spring or in the fall here, Jesse. [00:16:34] Tony Arsenal: My, my allergies always go a little bit crazy when we get to September. Yeah. With all the, like leaves falling down and crumbling up and stuff, it just gets in the air, so I'll just, I'll spray some artificial sugar. It's not artificial. I'll spray some pseudo sugar in my nose and see what happens. [00:16:48] Jesse Schwamb: Yeah. It does have the added benefit that because it is a naturally occurring. [00:16:53] Jesse Schwamb: Sugar, like it's a type of sugar alcohol that if it drips down the back of your throat, all you get is a little like, mm, sweet. [00:17:03] Tony Arsenal: I wanna know who the first guy who was like, let me put some of this fake sugar in my nose and see what happens was it's, [00:17:09] Jesse Schwamb: I'm telling you, it, it's better than any actual, like, prescribed nasal spray I've ever taken. [00:17:15] Jesse Schwamb: You can get it like just at your g it. Yeah. Or you can get it on Amazon. I, I will, I forgot about it for a while. I, maybe I use it daily now it's become my go-to. But I mean, I don't wanna make this weird or gross, but it's the kind of thing like if you wake up in the morning and you're stuffy and you, it feels like somebody parked like a bus way up in your sinus cavity. [00:17:32] Jesse Schwamb: Yeah. And you're like, I can't even blow my nose. There's nothing there where, where's all this stuff? There's nothing there. If you use this, when I use this within two, two, I'd say like seven minutes, I can just. Drop a huge load of mucus right outta my face and you feel like a million bucks. I don't know how to describe it. [00:17:49] Jesse Schwamb: Yeah, it's like better than like a sinus rinse or a netty pot. I know this sounds wild, like I'm way too excited about this stuff, but that clear spray is wild. And what I especially love is that it's all natural, that I'm not doing any harm to my nose or my face by using it. And that it, I just feel better afterwards because it's like moisturized everything. [00:18:08] Jesse Schwamb: So, and there's, there's, the debate is I think ongoing. There's a lot apparently, because I went down the rabbit trail and looked at all these scholarly studies and peer-reviewed journal papers, all this stuff. There's a lot, I guess, uh, still somewhat in debate about like its ability to really help prevent certain things like COVID, any kind of like nasal airborne kind of like, yeah, because it helps to flush and it prevents literally bacteria from sticking, uh, inside your nasal passages. [00:18:34] Jesse Schwamb: So that could be a benefit. I can't say anything about that. I'm not a doctor. What, [00:18:40] Tony Arsenal: what I would love is, uh, if you are a listener who has seasonal allergies or whatever, uh, if you would join our telegram chat at t.me/reform brotherhood. Well done. We have what's normally a tastings channel, which is like people get like new foods they wanna check out, or a beer they like or whatever, and they'll, uh, they'll do a little tasting and a review. [00:19:04] Tony Arsenal: I would love if some people would join the channel and do some, some clear, clear. We'll go clear, uh, a tasting of this nasal spray. Yeah, please don't show us. 'cause that's disgusting. Right. But, uh, let us know. Let us know what you think of it. I think that'd be great. So that's t me slash Reform Brotherhood. [00:19:21] Jesse Schwamb: There you go. Come hang out with us. It's a lot of fun. I see we've had some people join that group this week, so I see you out there, brother Sean. Crushing it, getting in the mix. Welcome everybody. Come again. Spend a little time in there. And there's, I love that the channel for like the conversation about our episodes is. [00:19:37] Jesse Schwamb: Hot. It's going strong. I love that. And we gave the call last week. You should listen to last week's episode when we were really speaking about, uh, God's faithfulness and a challenge of how we seek after piety, under the care and the direction, the kind direction and the convicting influence of the Holy Spirit. [00:19:55] Jesse Schwamb: So many good things were said there. I really loved reading all those. And it probably goes without saying, but I'm gonna mention it anyway. You and I read everything that pops in there. Yeah. For the most part. I mean, sometimes I look at it and there's 150 messages, right? And um, it got wild. But I go back through and always, always read those. [00:20:10] Jesse Schwamb: But I especially love like the conversation when we invite people to say, like, now it's, we'd love to hear from you. And so I think that's gonna be a large part of what we talk about. On this episode as well. [00:20:20] Tony Arsenal: Yeah. Yeah. So, Jesse, why don't you lead us in here. This was the topic you brought up. I think it's a great one. [00:20:25] Tony Arsenal: I'd love to to dive into it here. [00:20:27] Christian Vocation and Work [00:20:27] Jesse Schwamb: I think one of the things that Christians always have to come to terms with at some point, every generation has to, but every person as well is, so where is my role as Christ child in something we might generally call like Christian activism? By which I mean like, of course, like Christians. [00:20:44] Jesse Schwamb: Attempt to improve or influence society through time, especially in our work. And as I was thinking about this recently, I think one of the hard things we have to measure out is well. Are there different places where we would, there's certainly jobs where we say Christians shouldn't hold that position because it contravenes God's law directly. [00:21:05] Jesse Schwamb: But what about these kind of, as we've talked about before, this threefold responsibility that we have in our callings, which you can go back to our previous catalog, which is all in the reform brotherhood.com, by the way. Listen to where we talked about this idea of like the vocation that happens in our work, in our households, in our church, and is it possible that in the work sphere that there are jobs that like Christians just shouldn't hold because it takes them too far away from their responsibilities in the other two spheres, which there are equally parts of their vocation, or if we want to put like a really fine point in it, and I don't really mean to derail the conversation with this question, but this would be exemplifying kind of what we're after here, which was like, should Christians be involved and. [00:21:47] Jesse Schwamb: In politics, are there other jobs like that where we'd say, listen, we, we tr we trust God in his sovereign superintendent will that he's always doing his good work. And you and I have talked at length about what it means to be living in the, under the normal principle of God using ordinary, normal means to do great and extraordinary things. [00:22:06] Jesse Schwamb: So how does all of that fit with our work? Are there lines to be drawn or. Does it not really matter? [00:22:15] Tony Arsenal: Yeah, I mean, I think for the sake of our conversation, we can just sort of take some professions off the table. Right? Of course, there are some professions of course, and calling them professions is probably even, probably even a misnomer. [00:22:27] Tony Arsenal: But there are some ways to earn money that are just intrinsically sinful that are outside of the scope of the conversation, right? You can't, uh, there's no argument for a Christian to become like. An assassin or like a drug dealer or a prostitute, like, there's no, there's no valid argument or discussion to be had around those. [00:22:45] Tony Arsenal: So we can just exclude those entirely. But I think for, for the sake of this conversation, we're talking about professions that do not involve, intrinsically involve sin, um, and, and may or may not have, um. Prudential reasons why they are not the best idea. Right. So I, I'm thinking like, the one that came to mind when you asked this was like, and it's funny because I, um, I mentioned the topic to my wife and, you know, she kind of joked, I was like, well, yeah, like Christians can't be. [00:23:15] Tony Arsenal: Can't like be porn stars, like that's not something you can do as a Christian. But then, then I, she said, well, what, what other professions would it be? I said, well, like, like a professional football player, right? And like the question is like, can a Christian be a professional football player? I think instinctively, right? [00:23:29] Tony Arsenal: We all say yes. But, but is that actually true? Right. And, and I would, I would make the argument that no, like a Christian can't be a professional football player or really, really any kind of professional sports, um, figure because it, it necessarily takes you away from the gathered fellowship of Christians on the Lord's day on far too often a basis. [00:23:47] Tony Arsenal: Right? I don't think you can make a good prudential argument to say like, well. It's fine for a Christian to be absent from the lord's uh, Lord's Day worship in his congregation of membership, you know, 60% of the time. Like, I just don't think you can make that argument. So I think in a lot of these cases, the immediate instinctive answer is yes. [00:24:07] Tony Arsenal: Uh. Christians can be part of any profession, and there's a certain, there's a certain way that that's true, but when we actually start to look at the way some professions actually play out, we have to analyze that a lot deeper. And this is actually not all that different than our conversation last week. [00:24:23] Tony Arsenal: Right. Involving like a. Pop culture and like media consumption is we have to look at what is actually, what the actual cost is. Uh, opportunity cost, I guess if we want to use like economic terms, what the actual opportunity cost is here of a particular profession in respect of. Our obligations and our commitments as a Christian and our obligation to the law of God, our obligation to our Christian brothers and sisters, all of that. [00:24:49] Tony Arsenal: So I think this is gonna be a great conversation. I'm excited to get into it. Um, but I do think it's one that we should think through a little bit more than just sort of like our gut reaction. Like we, of course, Christians can be involved in any profession. [00:25:00] Jesse Schwamb: Let me add to that. 'cause that's perfect. That's exactly, you're not on the same page as usual. [00:25:04] Jesse Schwamb: That's exactly where my mind was going. And what makes like this such a rich opportunity to really explore what the scripture has to say about this particular topic? I think you're right on that we need to weigh out, which we often just kind of glance over. What are the other responsibilities by taking on a particular line of work or job. [00:25:20] Jesse Schwamb: Does that necessarily mean that we must sacrifice and preclude these other areas? We should have direct or more intimate involvement because that is also part of vocation. Part of that, like we've talked about at length before, is responsibility in the Lord's day. So we might set that up as one particular test. [00:25:36] Jesse Schwamb: To that end, another one might be exactly what you were saying. So here's like the opposite of like the professional footballer or American football or whatever. Pick your, pick your sports. What about like high level? High responsibility, let's say leadership positions like in all kinds of areas of industry that would require the man or the woman to, let's say, like be on call continually, or maybe to sacrifice long hours at that job as part and parcel of what's required to do it effectively. [00:26:04] Jesse Schwamb: And that might mean that necessarily like not being very connected with family or having to be away from their family a lot of the time. I think what we often come to is this idea that, wouldn't it be great if Christians were just everywhere and were infiltrating all the things all the time at all the levels. [00:26:21] Jesse Schwamb: I think the question here that's under the surface is, is that what God assigns in a life of vocation? And maybe it's, it's of course more nuance than that and it could be for the person. Again, I wanna be clear that, like we said before, vocation is a very specific and narrow term in that we're talking about an actual calling being called out for a particular purpose. [00:26:42] Jesse Schwamb: And if we're using that in the right way, then it's possible that with the exception of some things like the Lord's Day, the other thing I just talked about, season of life. And your particular commitments or entanglements, they might be different from person to person. Therefore, allow for a direct call that God gives to a particular purpose at a particular time. [00:27:01] Jesse Schwamb: I think what I'm really kind of weighing out here is if we understand how the reformers viewed all of this. We have to come to this conclusion that God assigns us a life and then God calls us to that life. And that really is what vocation is all about. And notice in that there's nothing that's said about choosing a vocation or finding your true vocation or being fulfilled even in your vocation. [00:27:24] Jesse Schwamb: We may experience a struggle with all of that, but vocation is fundamentally God's doing. So what is. God doing in our society. And as you said, are there roles that he's, in a way not calling, let's say like the, the quintessential or the normative, I don't wanna say average 'cause that implies the weird thing, but Right. [00:27:44] Jesse Schwamb: Kind of Christian too. And I think. We've gotta, we've gotta wrestle with that because you're right. Like we too often just run to, we need Christians in all the places now let's get them everywhere. Doing all the things. Yeah. And that might be good from our perspective, because Christians should be the best workers as we said that we should. [00:28:01] Jesse Schwamb: The most kind. There is the salt in lights everywhere. However, it takes a Christian to do all those things. And can a Christian in certain roles have great fidelity to the threefold? [00:28:13] Exploring the Theology of Work and the Lord's Day [00:28:13] Jesse Schwamb: Calling and vocation of life while upholding certain jobs and responsibilities. [00:28:19] Tony Arsenal: Yeah. Yeah. You know, I think, um, I think that may be like a little bit of progam is, is warranted here too. [00:28:26] Tony Arsenal: Like there, you know, there's the, the, the conversation at the top of like, some, some professions are just out of bounds. Yeah. Um, but there's also, you know, a pretty robust theology. And I think a lot of this is gonna center around. Uh, maybe just for simplicity's sake and for the fact that we have 30 minutes left of a conversation that probably could be multiple hours, um, there's a pretty robust apparatus in reform theology that is designed to help Christians understand whether or not, um. [00:28:57] Tony Arsenal: A particular activity is acceptable on the Lord's day. And we've, we've had conversations in the past about like, if, if all of your theology of the Lord's Day is about what you can and can't do, then you're missing the point entirely. [00:29:11] Jesse Schwamb: That's right. [00:29:11] Tony Arsenal: But there is an element of what you can and can't do in terms of understanding the Lord's day. [00:29:16] Tony Arsenal: Right. We're, we're not supposed to engage in worldly recreation or employment on the Lord's day. So we have to talk about what that means. And so I think. [00:29:24] Works of Necessity and Charity on the Lord's Day [00:29:24] Tony Arsenal: I think to start with, like there's categories, like works of necessity, works of charity, um, that, or, or like works of ministry, which would, would sort of be a third category that's not necessarily, um, not necessarily enumerated in many of the sources, but it's assumed that like pastors who are working on the Lord's day are not, they're not violating the Sabbath by doing the work on the Sabbath. [00:29:47] Tony Arsenal: Um, I think we have to have those categories. 'cause I think that helps us inform too, like. If you are the CEO of a major retailer, does that mean you have to work on Sunday, right? Well, probably it does. Like, it probably means that on a regular basis you're gonna be checking emails on your phone, you're gonna be taking phone calls. [00:30:05] Tony Arsenal: You've got, you might have partners in markets overseas where it, it's Sunday morning for you, but it's Monday afternoon or you know, Monday morning for them or something like that. Um. I think that the industry you're in largely is going to drive whether that's an acceptable or, or an appropriate role for you. [00:30:24] Tony Arsenal: So I could see a situation where you could make the argument that being the CEO of a of a major medical center, right. Where the work that's being done at the medical center falls easily within that sort of definition of, uh, works of necessity. A nurse who is working in the emergency room or a police officer or a firefighter or somebody who is fixing the power, like in our society, right? [00:30:47] Tony Arsenal: Electricity is, is not an option for most people. It's not a, it's not a luxury for most people. So those, those professions. It's acceptable to work on the Lord's Day when it's a work of necessity, and so the higher level leadership positions that make those possible and constrain them also, I think. Would fall under that same work of necessity. [00:31:06] Tony Arsenal: If the CEO of my hospital, I don't know if she's a Christian or not. I, I'm, I'm not speculating on that, but if, if the CEO of my hospital was a Christian or is a Christian and she has to take an important phone call on Sunday morning and miss the Lord's day because if she doesn't take care of that, the hospital's not gonna function correctly and people may not have emergency services. [00:31:26] Tony Arsenal: I don't think that's a violation of the south principle. If the same scenario is happening and it's the CEO of Best Buy and they need to take a phone call, otherwise people won't be able to buy widgets on Sunday afternoon, that's a different calculation. So I think like right off the bat, we have to start having those conversations about what's the nature of the work, what's the, what's the tell loss of the work or the end aim of the work. [00:31:46] Tony Arsenal: That's really important as well. [00:31:48] Balancing Professional Responsibilities and Christian Obligations [00:31:48] Jesse Schwamb: So it sounds like though what we're saying, both of us in a way, is that if you run that test, so to speak, like you go through that algorithm and you come out with this idea that you know, it's, you're saying your industry is more like Best Buy and less like your local hospital, then there might be significant and maybe insurmountable roadblocks to taking that position Should be as a c. [00:32:08] Jesse Schwamb: Yeah, I mean, that's kinda what we're saying. [00:32:10] Tony Arsenal: Oh yeah, for sure. And you know, like this is a real world application I think for a lot of people. I remember when I was in college, um, I had the opportunity to take a promotion. I worked at Best Buy. I, I'm not using Best Buy as an example for any specific reason, but I worked at Best Buy. [00:32:23] Tony Arsenal: I worked in the Geek Squad area and I had the opportunity to take a promotion. Um, and the sort of the strings that came with the promotion is that I was expected to be available to work on Sundays. I didn't have a super robust doctrine of the Lord's Day at the time. Like I wasn't super theologically versed on Sabbath theology and stuff. [00:32:39] Tony Arsenal: Um, but it just didn't sit right with me. And so initially I didn't take the, I didn't take the, um, promotion because I didn't feel comfortable saying at the time, it was mostly about like, I'm not gonna miss the church service. I didn't feel comfortable saying I need to be available. And that might mean I Ms. [00:32:57] Tony Arsenal: Church to, to be able to take this shift. Um, eventually the management adapted and said, well, we'll just figure out something else. We really want you to take the position, but that's the kind of question we have to ask. And then that same question, as you move up in an organization, it expands and you're more likely to need to be drawn away from Lord State worship or just general. [00:33:19] Tony Arsenal: Obligations on the Lord's Day. [00:33:20] Personal Experiences and Real-World Applications [00:33:20] Tony Arsenal: And I don't wanna make this entirely about the Lord's Day 'cause there are other obligations that Christians have and it probably will be interesting to get to those. But I think, um, the, the other thing maybe that I wanna push back on a little bit too is I. I, I've never been a CEO. [00:33:34] Tony Arsenal: I probably never will be a CEO. You're far closer to a CEO than I ever will be. But I think a lot of times we assume those positions have no flexibility. Right. But in reality, some of those people are absolutely able to say, I'm gonna take, I'm gonna take Sunday, and just not. Yes, I'm not gonna do work on Sunday. [00:33:52] Tony Arsenal: I'm gonna delegate that. You know? And then this is a whole other question. I'm gonna delegate that to someone else. Well, there's a whole different question that comes with that, but saying like, I'm just not going to do work on Sunday is actually within the options for a lot of positions. So that's the other question is when we take a position, do we have the option to set aside the Lord's Day? [00:34:11] Tony Arsenal: Even if we might acknowledge that occasionally, that's not gonna work out. There are oftentimes in all of our lives that we're drawn away from being able to fulfill our ordinary obligation of the Lord's Day, and I don't think that that's intrinsically sinful. If on a rare occasion you're not able to attend the Lord's Day worship or something like that. [00:34:29] Tony Arsenal: So I think those are questions we have to ask. Then what? What kind of other Christian obligations do we have? And this is hypothetical, but you're welcome to answer if you've got one in mind. Like what other kinds of Christian obligations do we have that any particular vocation or particular job might make difficult or impossible to fulfill? [00:34:47] Tony Arsenal: I think those are questions we have to ask. [00:34:49] Jesse Schwamb: I'm with you. And that's actually more where my mind goes because again, we've talked before and for some Christians it's easier to identify the stuff that certainly explicitly contravenes the Lord's Day. And I think it's more difficult to say like we, again, I think we talked before about that threefold responsibility and the vocation that is to like work that is like our industry, so to speak, and then to our household, then to our church. [00:35:10] Jesse Schwamb: So the church often does. Again, in a very finely pointed way, connect very tightly with the Lord. Say what about that household stuff? Yeah. So what about these jobs that would just make you too busy? And I think like what's interesting to your point is I agree. Like I think part of this conversation is just a thoughtful assessment of what the job entails, and then even as like maybe you're taking a job or considering a job. [00:35:33] Jesse Schwamb: Having a conversation with your potential employer about what opportunity is there for flexibility given like certain convictions that you have? All of that could fall into place neatly and I think would still be within the bounds of yes, but I think part of this is if it's truly a calling that we, we have to be praying through it and assessing whether God is calling us through that. [00:35:50] Jesse Schwamb: Part of that is passing it through the sin of what the scriptures require in each of those threefold vocational responsibilities. So sometimes I hear there is like a pushback or counter, this argument says, but wouldn't it be better? [00:36:01] The Role of Christians in Leadership Positions [00:36:01] Jesse Schwamb: Wouldn't it be fantastic if you get a Christian as an opportunity to be a CEO? [00:36:05] Jesse Schwamb: Isn't it better for them to be a CEO and to be in that role, even if they're crazy busy, even if they're sacrificing so much for their family, for their household or for the church because they simply, they're gonna be a Christian and think of the role model and the emphasis and the impact they can have. [00:36:19] Jesse Schwamb: And to that, I would say we gotta be really careful with that loved ones because God, I don't think God's calling us to necessarily have outside impact. What he's calling us to is, is faithfulness. Invocation, invocation pulls us back into those three responsibilities, and we know the way in which God prefers to work His jam is these ordinary means, these natural ways of in the normative work of our lives and faithfulness showing that his power is demonstrated in this weakness. [00:36:44] Jesse Schwamb: Somehow we're back to the theology of. Glory and theology of cross. But you know, it's interesting to me that there are no calls like in the entire scriptures, of course, to withdraw into like a private ghetto or to take back the realms of cultural and political activity. And so I think we have to be really careful about even how we kind of pull that into then how. [00:37:03] Jesse Schwamb: Our jobs that like, shouldn't it be my goal as a Christian to get as most influence as possible? And I think I wanna push back on that and say like, you know, the, the church, the Christian exists within the world as a community of word and sacrament. But it doesn't always have to seek influence in larger society. [00:37:19] Jesse Schwamb: It can. It can. And when God provides the opportunity by way of clear calling, I think internal and external that is appropriate. However, often that calling is gonna come at a much more normative level, I think. And, and I do not believe that we are somehow compromising or sub-optimizing the work that God does in the world merely because we might have a Christian that says, I don't know if it's right for me to be in this leadership role, and therefore a unbeliever is going to vault above that person's speaker or take that role on that somehow. [00:37:51] Jesse Schwamb: Again, God's superintendent will, or his strong arm is, is somehow pulled aback from what he wants to do that we need like more Christian plumbing in the world. I do kind of bristle that idea a little bit. Specifically because I wonder if sometimes we go outside of that calling. [00:38:08] Tony Arsenal: Yeah, I, I'm picking up what you're putting down and I think, I think there's, um, it, it does all come back to theology, the cross theology of glory. [00:38:17] Tony Arsenal: And I'm glad that, that, that conversation happened before this. 'cause I think there's good framework there. I, I think, um, we, we as Christians can often confuse. The transformative power of the gospel with other ways of transforming culture. Yeah, that's good. Right. So, um, it is totally, um, I wanna be careful how I phrase this. [00:38:42] Tony Arsenal: I'm not post mill, I'm probably never gonna be post mill, but I'm okay with a kind of post mill theology that says that the gospel of Jesus Christ, as people become Christians, the culture will. Change along with that. And the gospel has a transformative power in that it changes individuals and individuals make up, make up the broader society. [00:39:05] Tony Arsenal: And so the society itself changes. Where I struggle with some flavors of postal theology, and this is where I think the theology of glory comes in, is there are some kinds of postal theology I'm thinking, I'm thinking, um, like Doug Wilson, they just, uh, opened A-C-R-A-C church in Washington, DC specifically with the goal of gaining influence with politicians. [00:39:26] Tony Arsenal: Right. I might be misconstruing that a little bit 'cause I haven't read all of it, but that's, that's the impression that I'm getting from some of their promotional material. I, I think we can, we can look at it and say the gospel can change culture as the gospel. And so where that. [00:39:43] Sacrifices and Priorities in Christian Vocation [00:39:43] Tony Arsenal: Levels of playing field is that whether you are, and this is where I think a genuine Protestant reform theology of vocation comes in, whether you're the janitor of the hospital or whether you're the CEO of the hospital, the gospel is the same and your role in proclaiming the gospel is the same. [00:39:58] Tony Arsenal: And you might have more people's ear as the CEO than you do as the janitor. Although I would maybe question that knowing how many people janitors interact with at the hospital, um, you may have more people's ears in a higher level position, but the message that you're proclaiming, the influence that you're wielding or you're using, I don't know what you wanna say. [00:40:18] Tony Arsenal: It's not different because it's still just the gospel. [00:40:21] Jesse Schwamb: That's good. [00:40:21] Tony Arsenal: Um. Where I think we can get confused is when we look at it and say, but we have these other opportunities to transfer, transform the culture by, um, for example, I, I'm the supervisor in my patient relations department. I'm making changes to the, to the policy and the way that we as a sort of service recovery resolution group, the way that we interact with patients, I'm making changes to that. [00:40:46] Tony Arsenal: I think those changes are consistent with the law of God as revealed in the light of nature, and I'm. I'm informed of those things and my whole outlook and ethos is shaped by the scriptures, but. I don't see the transformation of the way we interact with patients as somehow propagating the gospel, right? [00:41:05] Tony Arsenal: So we can, we can make transformation and make society better, right? If you're a politician, you can, you can legislate things that make society more outwardly in conformity with the law of God or more pleasant and more prosperous, and more flourishing, and those are all fine and well, but that's not. [00:41:21] Tony Arsenal: Building the kingdom of God in, in a strict sense. Right? And so I think what we're getting at is our, would it be great if, if, you know, the CEO of a major Fortune 500 company could be a Christian? Yeah. That would be kind of cool. Sure of That'd be nice, of course. And yeah, they could probably do a lot of good things and they could probably shape the way that that business runs and they could probably, um, have more opportunities to share the gospel. [00:41:42] Tony Arsenal: They could probably shape their business into a vehicle that, that moves forward. Missions, all those things are great, but. If the trade off is that that person has to sacrifice their genuine Christian convictions, right? That's not worth it. And I think we, we look at this and we might be able to identify certain. [00:42:00] Tony Arsenal: Obvious ways that we would say, no, it's not worth it. Right? If a CEO, uh, the CEO of a major retailer has to give way to all of the, um, transgender LGBT sexual, you know, identity politics has to give way to that in order to survive as CEO, I think we would all look at that and go, yeah, it's probably a hard sacrifice, but that's a sacrifice we would expect a genuine Christian to make at that level. [00:42:25] Tony Arsenal: Where we might not look at it is saying, well, I don't know. The Bible says that if you don't properly care for your family, then you're worse than an unbeliever. That's right. And so that CEO that is at the office for 70 hours a week and is never home, um, and their kids don't, you know, their kids don't have an opportunity to know their father or their mother because their. [00:42:44] Tony Arsenal: Constantly jet setting around the world. I don't know that we would as readily identify that as a sacrifice. I would actually argue that, that the Bible is probably clearer about that being a problem than it is about identity politics or other sort of, of social issues that, that, uh, a business person might have to. [00:43:04] Tony Arsenal: Hold their nose a little bit and, and, you know, sign off on a commercial or something that they don't necessarily want to, I'm not advocating that they should do that, but I think the Bible is clearer about a person who is taken away from their home more than is reasonable and more than is healthy for their family. [00:43:20] Tony Arsenal: Or a Christian who never is able to worship on the Lord's day, um, or, or something like that. I think the Bible is clearer about that than it is on. Something like identity politics and some of the tangential ways that, that might, might cause a person to need to compromise a little bit at a high level. [00:43:35] Tony Arsenal: So I, I think this is a, it's an interesting question that we probably don't think about it from the right angle most of the time. [00:43:41] Jesse Schwamb: Yeah, it's just too easy to consider this in light of if we can get more responsibility, that should always be a good thing. And I think that proclivity is, is fine and maybe even noble, but sometimes I think we do get it twisted where we get this sense that we are trying to make the world into something moral like the church. [00:43:57] Jesse Schwamb: And if we could do that in our jobs and get the most influence in that greatest sphere of impact. We should always take on those additional responsibilities. And I do think we have to sit back and ask and say, is that the calling? So that we're pursuing what is our vocation, not just our potential. [00:44:13] Jesse Schwamb: There's a lot of brilliant, God has made all kinds of brilliant people. Many of them are his children, and as a result of that, we might say like we should always again be trying to move up. And this is not to say that we shouldn't take great initiative, that we shouldn't want to try to do more and be more productive. [00:44:27] Jesse Schwamb: You and I have always been outspoken about that kind of thing, but I think there is a real temptation. To somehow say like, what we need to do is like to infiltrate in all the places. And I think what we mean by that is that things will, like, whether we wanna admit it or not, that things here will be better. [00:44:41] Jesse Schwamb: And I, I don't know all the time that what we're saying is what you just said, which was that what we're really concerned with is that the gospel get proclaimed more forthrightly. More loudly, more specifically, more cogently in all places. But that if we just had good examples of moral behavior and good character, yes, those things are profitable in and of their own ways, but there's also a lot of common grace we see God bring about good leaders who are not a Christian at high level to do that kind of thing. [00:45:05] Jesse Schwamb: And sometimes I do wonder, just depending on the job, quite honestly, whether it's really possible for Christian to be successful in that job. [00:45:14] Tony Arsenal: Yeah. [00:45:14] Jesse Schwamb: As like the world or the industry or the company has defined it. I'm not sure that's the case, so I don't wanna put like too high a line on this. I think we're trying to just drop a bomb in some ways and say, I'm not gonna make it overly prescriptive and say like, as a Christian, you can't be a CEO. [00:45:29] Jesse Schwamb: Move on. That's not true at all. Of course, again, here are hopefully what we said about the particulars of that wrestling through it and again. Really sensing where there's an actual call on your life that God has given for that role in a particular time. But I do think we ought to question where there's always and everywhere appropriate for any Christian to take on, quite frankly, any job. [00:45:51] Jesse Schwamb: Yeah. And so I'm with you. Sometimes it's super easy when I first start out in banking, when I was looking for my second banking job. I had a great interview. It was a very nice company. The bank actually doesn't exist anymore, but, uh, one of the things, one of their big, like, kind of gimmicks was they were open seven days a week. [00:46:09] Jesse Schwamb: And so I said to them, well. I attend church on Sundays. That's my day of rest and my high conviction on that. And I said, is there any flexibility with that? And they said, Nope. You would still have to be on the schedule. And though they very graciously offered me the job, I was thankfully in a place where I, I turned that down. [00:46:26] Jesse Schwamb: Yeah. Actually I didn't have a job at the time, but I turned it down trusting. That God would provide. And this wasn't my great act of faith on my part. It was more of just, I think what you were saying, Tony, growing in our conviction that those things really do matter. Yes. And that it's sometimes just too easy to kind of push them aside and say, I, I know it's gonna be really stressful. [00:46:43] Jesse Schwamb: I know it might take much more of my time than I want to give. I know I might be at home a lot less. I know I might have less like attentional fortitude and space to think about my spouse or my children, but it's gonna be worth it because. I'll be able to like have this big influence. I do think sometimes madness lies that way. [00:47:02] Jesse Schwamb: Yeah. Certainly a great deal of foolishness. This is just hopefully a call for all of us as God's children to, to think through that. I don't wanna discourage anybody from taking on bigger and bolder things for the kingdom of God. I think we all have to think about what it is that we're. Promulgating or proclaiming when we talk about the Kingdom of God coming and whether or not we're just trying to make the world a better place, so to speak. [00:47:26] Jesse Schwamb: Yeah. By bringing our like quote unquote Christian influence into a setting where really that influence is now particularly strong and what it's actually compromising is the vocation that we're meant to undertake. [00:47:37] Concluding Thoughts and Future Discussions [00:47:37] Tony Arsenal: Yeah. Are you ready to, for me to drop two bombs? Just, just straight up. You got, [00:47:41] Jesse Schwamb: you got two of them. [00:47:42] Jesse Schwamb: Let's do it. I, I've [00:47:43] Tony Arsenal: got 13 minutes or less left on this episode. There go. So I actually got into a pretty big, uh, like a pretty big dust up with someone way back in the day when I was in the reform hub over actually this topic. And I'm surprised I didn't think of it earlier in the evening. Um, we are using like CEOs as like kind of the proxy for this, but there's all sorts of jobs where, um, your, your job may be admirable and it may be. [00:48:06] Tony Arsenal: Right. Even something that's sort of quote unquote necessary for society. But I got into a big dust up with someone who was an overroad trucker, right? And they were constantly, um, posting in the pub at, at back in the day. They were constantly posting how discouraged they were and, and how difficult their faith was and how much of a challenge it was to just remain faithful as a Christian. [00:48:27] Tony Arsenal: And I. Originally, I kind of naively and, and I think innocently said like, well, you know, like, have you talked to your pastor about this? And the person said like, well, I don't have a regular church because I'm always on the road. And I said like, well, there's your problem. Like there's the first step is like, figure out your local church thing. [00:48:43] Tony Arsenal: He said, well, I can't do that

On this solo episode of Pac Talk, Pieter Vodden dives deep into the reality of sacrifice in fitness. What does it take to be great at one discipline—and what do you give up along the way? From bodybuilding to Hyrox, half marathons, endurance hikes, and strength training, Piet shares how he balances competing priorities while still preserving muscle, family time, and long-term health.At 47, Piet has learned that the real key isn't chasing perfection in one lane but building general physical preparedness (GPP)—a foundation of muscle, conditioning, and mobility that serves you for life. He covers:The trade-offs between specialization vs. hybrid trainingHow sacrifice plays into bodybuilding, endurance sports, and CrossFitWhy muscle, VO₂ max, and mobility are essential for longevity after 40How sleep, nutrition, recovery, and hydration impact performanceThe mindset shift of training to be “good at many things” rather than “great at one”Whether you're chasing a marathon PR, training for Hyrox, or just trying to stay strong and healthy as you age, this episode will help you define what's worth sacrificing—and what isn't.Welcome to the Pac, please make sure you subscribe wherever you are listening to this show and if you loved this show please leave us a 5 star review in the iTunes store. It is the currency of podcasts and it really goes along in helping us grow our show.If you are in Southern California come train with us Echo ParkRedondo BeachIdyllwildPalm SpringsFollow Pharos, Piet and Emylee on Instagram for more fitness related content.#PacTalk #PieterVodden #FitnessPodcast #Sacrifice #HybridTraining #Bodybuilding #EnduranceTraining #Hyrox #MarathonTraining #LongevityFitness #StrengthAndConditioning #MuscleAfter40 #RecoveryMatters #GeneralPhysicalPreparedness Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Website: https://bit.ly/3iTrTHQ Apply for a Free Porn Addiction Evaluation Call: https://bit.ly/3gCemT1 Free Ebook:  https://bit.ly/3OQrOoF Free 7-Day Challenge:  https://bit.ly/ER7DayChallenge

Send us a textPART 2 .... In 1983, Diane Downs drove her three children to an Oregon hospital — one dead, two critically injured — claiming a stranger had attacked them. But investigators quickly uncovered a much darker truth. In this PART TWO episode, we look at the shocking real-life crime committed by Downs and how it was brought to the screen in the 1989 TV movie Small Sacrifices, starring Farrah Fawcett. We explore the case, Diane's past, and how the film captured one of the most cold-blooded crimes in modern history.Sources:Small Sacrifices - Ann Rule https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0R59i2p7i30https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SsMXTsU4eqhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ObFpAYinB8Ehttps://vocal.media/criminal/like-the-wolfhttps://abcnews.go.com/2020/diane-downs-mother-shoots-children/story?id=10615736https://abcnews.go.com/2020/video/diane-downs-escapes-maximum-security-prison-part-61880673https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1984/06/12/the-mother-38/13b24fdf-7294-4623-ad2d-0665435ceed4/https://abcnews.go.com/US/woman-finding-peace-learning-mother-child-killer-diane/story?id=61692453https://entertainmentnow.com/news/diane-downs-children-kids-now-today/https://abcnews.go.com/2020/video/diane-downs-biological-daughter-finds-truth-birth-mom-61880672https://www.registerguard.com/story/news/courts/2024/11/25/elizabeth-diane-downs-declares-mistrial-in-child-murder-case/76139803007/https://delanirbartlette.medium.com/diane-downs-hungry-like-the-wolf-22905cecdd97https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yW0wgwoKp74*This podcast is independently produced using publicly available information and personal research. I approach each story with care and respect, though I recognize that I may not always have access to every voice or perspective involved. If you're connected to the story and would like to share your experience, I truly welcome the opportunity to include your insights in a future update. Email Residue: residuepodcast@gmail.comFind RESIDUE online:Instagram: @residuepodcastTik Tok: @residuepodcast Facebook: Residue:A True Crime Podcast Credits: RESIDUE is Hosted/Produced/Researched/Edited by Chrissy Champagne THEME SONG: "Dance Of Death" by Purple Planet Music collection written and performed by Chris Martyn and Geoff Harvey. Additional music provided by Epidemic Sound. Residue logo designed by Tricia Cappelli

Herbert Mullin did a lot in his young life, travelled, worked, drank and drugged. And he got a lil ole video in his head, from the voices he heard of course, telling him ole Cali is on it's way to the biggest earthquake yet. How to prevent it? Why how else, murder people. Send your scary stories to: mikeohhello@gmail.com   Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thatchapterpodcast   Business enquires : thatchapter@night.com Researched by Benj Button Merch : ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://that-chapter-shop.fourthwall.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

West Bengal & Assam elections almost happen simultaneously, so what will happen in Assam will depend on Mamata Banerjee & what transpires in Bengal, Rajya Sabha MP Dev tells ThePrint.  

The challenging question of whether the sacrifices made in pursuit of entrepreneurial success are ultimately worth the payoff. Will retells his personal story of almost buying an expensive house in Bel Air only to realize, thanks to his wife's intervention, that it wasn't what he truly wanted. The duo explores themes of sacrifice, payoff, and how aligning personal goals with true desires can lead to genuine happiness and fulfillment. Whether it's the freedom to travel or the joy of creating something with your hands, this episode urges founders to carefully contemplate their end goals and ensure their sacrifices lead to meaningful rewards.Resources:Startup Therapy Podcasthttps://www.startups.com/community/startup-therapyWebsitehttps://www.startups.com/beginLinkedInhttps://www.linkedin.com/company/startups-co/Join our Network of Top FoundersWil Schroterhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/wilschroter/Ryan Rutanhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/ryan-rutan/What to listen for:00:25 The Beverly Hills House Dilemma03:05 Reflecting on Sacrifices and Payoffs06:52 The Decision to Move Back to Ohio13:42 The Value of Freedom and Purpose17:46 The Danger of Undefined Goals22:15 The Illusion of Goals23:19 Realizing Unwanted Desires24:13 Shifting Ambitions26:21 The Fear of Losing Ambition27:54 Evaluating Sacrifices33:48 Finding True Fulfillment36:31 Building a Dream42:38 Advice for Founders

Romans 12:3-8 | August 24, 2025 | Taylor Birkhimer

Sacrifices in the Shadows Of Mount Deception | Creepypasta

Send us a textIn 1983, Diane Downs drove her three children to an Oregon hospital — one dead, two critically injured — claiming a stranger had attacked them. But investigators quickly uncovered a much darker truth. In this PART ONE episode, we look at the shocking real-life crime committed by Downs and how it was brought to the screen in the 1989 TV movie Small Sacrifices, starring Farrah Fawcett. We explore the case, Diane's past, and how the film captured one of the most cold-blooded crimes in modern history.Sources:Small Sacrifices - Ann Rule https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0R59i2p7i30https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SsMXTsU4eqhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ObFpAYinB8Ehttps://vocal.media/criminal/like-the-wolfhttps://abcnews.go.com/2020/diane-downs-mother-shoots-children/story?id=10615736https://abcnews.go.com/2020/video/diane-downs-escapes-maximum-security-prison-part-61880673https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1984/06/12/the-mother-38/13b24fdf-7294-4623-ad2d-0665435ceed4/https://abcnews.go.com/US/woman-finding-peace-learning-mother-child-killer-diane/story?id=61692453https://entertainmentnow.com/news/diane-downs-children-kids-now-today/https://abcnews.go.com/2020/video/diane-downs-biological-daughter-finds-truth-birth-mom-61880672https://www.registerguard.com/story/news/courts/2024/11/25/elizabeth-diane-downs-declares-mistrial-in-child-murder-case/76139803007/https://delanirbartlette.medium.com/diane-downs-hungry-like-the-wolf-22905cecdd97*This podcast is independently produced using publicly available information and personal research. I approach each story with care and respect, though I recognize that I may not always have access to every voice or perspective involved. If you're connected to the story and would like to share your experience, I truly welcome the opportunity to include your insights in a future update. Email Residue: residuepodcast@gmail.comFind RESIDUE online:Instagram: @residuepodcastTik Tok: @residuepodcast Facebook: Residue:A True Crime Podcast Credits: RESIDUE is Hosted/Produced/Researched/Edited by Chrissy Champagne THEME SONG: "Dance Of Death" by Purple Planet Music collection written and performed by Chris Martyn and Geoff Harvey. Additional music provided by Epidemic Sound. Residue logo designed by Tricia Cappelli

Bible Reading: Ephesians 4:1-7; Hebrews 13:15-16As Dr. Jensen talked about his work as a missionary, Nolan wondered what it would be like to move to a different country to serve God. Dr. Jensen described it as God giving him such a deep love for the people in that country that he had to move there, but Nolan doubted he'd ever be able to make such a big sacrifice, even if God wanted him to.Nolan listened intently as Dr. Jensen told a story about fixing a truck with the help of his sixteen-year-old son, Joel. "We didn't have the right tools, and Joel came up with one crazy idea after another. Just when we were about to give up, the engine roared to life! We praised God right then and there."On the way home from church, Nolan brought up the truck story. "It's too bad they don't have better tools to work with, isn't it?" He grinned at his dad. "You should have been there, Dad. You have tools to fix just about anything!"Over the next few days, Nolan often thought about Dr. Jensen's lack of tools. The more he thought about it, the more he wanted to do something to help. I have some money saved up I could use, he thought. But then I won't have money for a new bike. Nolan tried to forget it, but he couldn't, so he decided to talk to his dad about it. "Dad, do you think God wants me to buy tools for the missionaries with my bike money? Could I get what they need with the amount I have?" "That's a great idea, Nolan. I can get tools at discount prices." Dad beamed. "I think the Holy Spirit is helping you love others like Jesus by putting their needs before your own desires."Nolan nodded. "Getting a new bike can wait." As he spoke, Nolan realized he was ready to make a sacrifice to help the missionaries. It's not as big as moving to a foreign country, he thought. But I think I'm beginning to understand how God can make you care about someone enough that you're willing to make sacrifices for them. It's like what Jesus did on the cross for me! He smiled at his dad. "Let's go pick out some tools!" –Esther M. BaileyHow About You?Do you know anyone who's made a big sacrifice to serve God? Have you ever made a sacrifice to help someone? Jesus loves us so much that He sacrificed His life for us. When we trust in Him, we have the Holy Spirit within us to help us make sacrifices for others out of love. Whether big or small, the sacrifices you make for others show them the love of Jesus.Today's Key Verse:This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. (NIV) (1 John 3:16)Today's Key Thought:Make sacrifices for others

This class explores all those areas left hidden: Epstein Island, it's temple and meaning, the Baal Cult within Judaism, Robert Maxwell and Mossad, the Honey Trap, blackmailing VIP's, Intelligence, child trafficing, drinking blood, the Rothchild's and Warbergs, The Dolton school, Gaza Gas, UN2030, WEF, Musk, the World Bank and Zionism.  Enlightenment Television  

Trinny Woodall went from recovering from addiction in her mid-20s to becoming one of the most beloved authorities in style and fashion. She landed a lucky break with a weekly style column in London, then parlayed her expertise into the TV show What Not to Wear. Life threw her some curveballs, from mourning loved ones to going through 16 rounds of IVF. Today, Trinny gets real about the sacrifices she had to make around those private battles because of her self-employment status.  In this episode of 9 to 5ish, Trinny also shares:  Why she made herself try a stint in finance Sacrifices she had to make for being self-employed Why she only took three weeks of paid family leave after having her daughter  What she learned from having her business fail during the dot com bubble Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to the Armory! In this episode, Matt & Eyliana talk about what sacrifices parents make for their children and why it should be considered a joy. Be sure to follow us on:Instagram @armorypodcastYoutube @ArmoryPodcastAlso, please leave us a 5-star review anywhere you listen to podcasts!

Join Rabbi today as he wraps up the discussion of the priesthood as he teaches the various aspects of the priesthood garb and how each piece has significant meaning to our lives as we walk with God. **** FIND JESUS - https://djj.show/YTAFindJesus  **** BECOME A MONTHLY PARTNER - https://djj.show/YTAPartner   **** DONATE - https://djj.show/YTADonate   Visit our website at DiscoveringTheJewishJesus.com

Cecilia rages against glyphosate, Meg discovers the limbic leap, and you all write in about veiling, dating, “luck”, pertussis, and transparent financial situations. A very on brand, all encompassing, podcast that will leave you engaged and wondering what the next topic of convo is going to be!   Ring our HOTLINE at 312-775-2615 and tell us your What In The Dang Heck moment, Heck Yes, Heck No, or ask for some advice! If you've been blessed by our podcast, we ask you to prayerfully consider supporting us on Patreon https://www.patreon.com/whatinthedangheck   @thelittlecatholic_ Use Code: Heck20 for 20% off https://www.thelittlecatholic.com/   @saltandlightbysami Use Code HECK10 for 10% off https://saltandlightbysami.com/   @catholicvote sign up for your daily news feed & Catholic media source for FREE, all in one email http://gettheloop.com

"But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.” 1 Samuel 16:7 Social media has clearly shown the power of the outward appearance and the influence it can have in our lives. In today's episode, Rabbi Schneider gives the reminder that we must be conscious of the inner priestly anointing God has given us through Messiah. **** FIND JESUS - https://djj.show/YTAFindJesus  **** BECOME A MONTHLY PARTNER - https://djj.show/YTAPartner   **** DONATE - https://djj.show/YTADonate   Visit our website at DiscoveringTheJewishJesus.com

"Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loin coverings." Genesis 3:7. Adam and Eve were created in the image of God, however when they commited the first act of sin something else changed in their identity. Join Rabbi Schneider as he continues to discuss the physical garments of the high priest and how we, in Jesus, have new spiritual garments. **** BECOME A MONTHLY PARTNER - https://djj.show/YTAPartner   **** DONATE - https://djj.show/YTADonate   Visit our website at DiscoveringTheJewishJesus.com

"Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin." Hebrews 4:14-15, Join Rabbi as he further wraps the discussion of the priesthood and the sacrifices of the Old Testament around Yeshua HaMashiach as well as how He alone fulfills the role of the ultimate priesthood by being the final sacrifice establishing a new covenant. **** BECOME A MONTHLY PARTNER - https://djj.show/YTAPartner  **** DONATE - https://djj.show/YTADonate   Visit our website at DiscoveringTheJewishJesus.com

1 My son, keep my words. Lay up my commandments within you. 2 Keep my commandments and live! Guard my teaching as the apple of your eye. 3 Bind them on your fingers. Write them on the tablet of your heart. 4 Tell wisdom, "You are my sister." Call understanding your relative, 5 that they may keep you from the strange woman, from the foreigner who flatters with her words. 6 For at the window of my house, I looked out through my lattice. 7 I saw among the simple ones. I discerned among the youths a young man void of understanding, 8 passing through the street near her corner, he went the way to her house, 9 in the twilight, in the evening of the day, in the middle of the night and in the darkness. 10 Behold, there a woman met him with the attire of a prostitute, and with crafty intent. 11 She is loud and defiant. Her feet don't stay in her house. 12 Now she is in the streets, now in the squares, and lurking at every corner. 13 So she caught him, and kissed him. With an impudent face she said to him: 14 "Sacrifices of peace offerings are with me. Today I have paid my vows. 15 Therefore I came out to meet you, to diligently seek your face, and I have found you. 16 I have spread my couch with carpets of tapestry, with striped cloths of the yarn of Egypt. 17 I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon. 18 Come, let's take our fill of loving until the morning. Let's solace ourselves with loving. 19 For my husband isn't at home. He has gone on a long journey. 20 He has taken a bag of money with him. He will come home at the full moon." 21 With persuasive words, she led him astray. With the flattering of her lips, she seduced him. 22 He followed her immediately, as an ox goes to the slaughter, as a fool stepping into a noose. 23 Until an arrow strikes through his liver, as a bird hurries to the snare, and doesn't know that it will cost his life. 24 Now therefore, sons, listen to me. Pay attention to the words of my mouth. 25 Don't let your heart turn to her ways. Don't go astray in her paths, 26 for she has thrown down many wounded. Yes, all her slain are a mighty army. 27 Her house is the way to Sheol,* going down to the rooms of death. Listen Donate Subscribe: Proverbs Daily Podcast Psalms Daily Podcast

“Therefore I say to you, any sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven people, but blasphemy against the Spirit shall not be forgiven." Matthew 12:31 The sin of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit has caused many believers to be frightened and uncertain about its meaning. Join Rabbi Schneider as he clarifies the meaning of this sin and how it relates to the sin and trespassing offerings of the Old Testament. **** BECOME A MONTHLY PARTNER - https://djj.show/YTAPartner   **** DONATE - https://djj.show/YTADonate   Visit our website at DiscoveringTheJewishJesus.com

Looking back, my life used to feel like a constant uphill battle—dealing with ADHD, relying on heavy meds just to function, and barely scraping by in school. I was skinny, anxious, disconnected from who I really was. But everything changed the summer I stumbled into a neuroscience program at the University of Miami. Learning about neuroplasticity and realizing I could literally rewire my brain was a turning point. That summer, I quit Adderall cold turkey, hit the gym for the first time, and started building real momentum through lifestyle change. It was raw, it was hard—but it was mine.Fast forward, and that same spark led me to discover a passion for physiology, nutrition, and performance that has shaped everything since. I found mentors, built companies, coached high performers, and leaned into my purpose of helping others optimize their lives from the inside out. I started my podcast, not just to teach, but to learn—and to face one of my biggest fears: public speaking. And man, the growth that came from that? It's been life-changing. I built my life around my values—freedom, authenticity, service—and I've helped hundreds of others do the same.Now, sitting here in my dream home in Miami Beach, I can honestly say: I made it. And I say that with deep gratitude, not arrogance. Not because I have it all figured out, but because I stayed true—said no when I needed to, worked my ass off, and built a life around what really matters. I want this episode to be proof that with discipline, faith, and alignment, it's possible to rewrite your story. And if I can inspire even one person to believe in their own transformation, then this whole journey has been worth it.

Monday Morning Twitter/X Space 4 August 2025In this episode, I examine the complex interplay between personal happiness and political freedom, drawing on philosophical concepts like Aristotle's eudaimonia. We discuss the sacrifices often required to advocate for political liberties, using historical examples such as Romania to highlight the importance of collective action in reform. The conversation also explores the impact of male authority figures on societal narratives and the differing communication styles of men and women. Ultimately, I urge listeners to align personal integrity with active citizenship, promoting a society that values both individual happiness and collective freedom.FOLLOW ME ON X! https://x.com/StefanMolyneuxGET MY NEW BOOK 'PEACEFUL PARENTING', THE INTERACTIVE PEACEFUL PARENTING AI, AND THE FULL AUDIOBOOK!https://peacefulparenting.com/Join the PREMIUM philosophy community on the web for free!Subscribers get 12 HOURS on the "Truth About the French Revolution," multiple interactive multi-lingual philosophy AIs trained on thousands of hours of my material - as well as AIs for Real-Time Relationships, Bitcoin, Peaceful Parenting, and Call-In Shows!You also receive private livestreams, HUNDREDS of exclusive premium shows, early release podcasts, the 22 Part History of Philosophers series and much more!See you soon!https://freedomain.locals.com/support/promo/UPB2025

“No longer do I call you slaves, for the slave does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you." - John 15:15 Join Rabbi Schneider as he discusses the implications of the peace offering and how it relates to friendship with the Lord. **** BECOME A MONTHLY PARTNER - https://djj.show/YTAPartner   **** DONATE - https://djj.show/YTADonate   Visit our website at DiscoveringTheJewishJesus.com

"O give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; For His lovingkindness is everlasting. " 1 Chronicles 16:34 In today's episode, Rabbi continues discussing the grain offering, as it was presented along with the burnt offering, a gift to God expressing gratitude. **** BECOME A MONTHLY PARTNER - https://djj.show/YTAPartner   **** DONATE - https://djj.show/YTADonate   Visit our website at DiscoveringTheJewishJesus.com

Thank you for listening to week 3 of our sermon series, "Unshackled" from Pastor Don Smith.Join us in-person next week at our 9am or 11am service.Have a great week!

“Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.” (1 Peter 2:5) In the Old Testament theocracy o... More...

1. In his introduction to our study of Abram/Abraham and the importance of his story in the Jewish faith, Tim drew our attention to the Hebrew phrase “lech lecha,” which God said to Abram. The phrase essentially means “get going.” Tim taught that the teaching all of the great rabbis, regarding this passage, is summed up in words from Avivah Zornberg: “to leave one's place…is to seek to become another.” Abram was to leave behind all that he may have thought signified who he was in the world, the identity he's created for himself. Tim suggested that this is the core of what it means to “get going,” and that the subsequent journey helps a person to find the self that they didn't know they were missing. What signifiers do you lean on to define what you think is your self? What things seem important to you when it comes to who you are? Status? Credentials? Wealth? Political or religious ideology? Roles? Accolades? Sacrifices? Accomplishments?What signifiers, accolades, and etc do you think you might need to be willing to release in order to undertake a similar journey with God? What resistance do you encounter as you consider these questions? What might draw you forward in pursuing the same type of “getting going” into which Abram was directed? What might hold you back? 2. Tim taught that such a journey can result in the being of oneself, and that living in that way results in the truest blessing: being a blessing to others. Do you feel like you've taken or begun this type of transformative journey in your life? If not, take a moment to consider (without judgment) why not. How do you feel about the prospect of beginning such a journey someday? What do you think stands between you and the moment in which you would “get going?”If so, to what extent? Did you know you were starting such a journey at its outset? Was it undertaken on purpose? What has it been like? How do you feel about it? What have you learned or are you learning? In what ways do you see change in your self and your life? Share about how your journey has led to blessings for others if you believe it has. 3. Tim's final slide said, “on the far side of the journey: laying down one's life becomes identical with simply living one's life…they're one and the same.”Given the context of the sermon, what do you think this means? How would you explain it to someone else?What do you think it looks like? Does this feel true to you? How does it tally with your own experiences in life?What questions does it prompt in you?

Responsibility of Believers The message is directed towards church members, highlighting their responsibilities. Romans is full of inexhaustible treasure and truth. Beseeching Believers A call to action based on Romans 12:1-2: Present bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God. This is considered a reasonable service. Do not be conformed to the world. Be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Prove what is good, acceptable, and the perfect will of God. Memories and Inspiration A reflection on attending a communion service at Millers Cove and remembering men of God from the past who preached the Word. These men's teachings made a significant difference. Grace and Responsibility Grace is essential for salvation, and nothing can be added to it. Salvation is by grace through faith, a gift from God, not of works. There is a call to heed what the apostle is trying to convey to believers. The Widow's Offering The story of the widow who gave all she had (two mites) is used as an example. Jesus noticed her sacrifice, while others did not. She gave from her poverty, while others gave from their abundance. This illustrates the concept of giving one's all to God daily as a living sacrifice. Living Sacrifice God needs those who are alive, committed, and sold out to Him. The apostle beseeches believers to understand the importance of this concept for their lives and to bring honor to God. These actions enable believers to experience God's work in their lives. Gifts from God Everyone receives a gift from God when they are saved. This gift can be shared with others, even if it's just a testimony. A good testimony from a heart sold out to God can lead others to salvation and hope. God has given everyone work to do. Urgency and Transformation Beseeching involves urging with conviction. Consciously making an effort to offer oneself daily will transform the heart. God can use anything if it is yielded to Him. Example: Balaam's donkey. Holiness and Consecration In the Old Testament, a lamb had to be pure and spotless for sacrifice. Believers should offer themselves to God as a living sacrifice, willing and ready for His use. Offer something holy, clean, and ready for use, not marred by pride or selfishness. Consecrate oneself to God, repent of sin, and offer something He can use. Spiritual Death and Surrender Physical blood is not required as a sacrifice now, but a spiritual death is necessary. Lay down oneself and allow God to be in control. When one relinquishes control, they can present something living, holy, and acceptable to God. Urgency in Preaching Preaching should be urgent and have conviction. The message is not worldly philosophy but transformative truths from the Word of God. Giving oneself to God daily will transform one's living. Mercies of God It is through God's mercies that believers can even be a sacrifice. God can take what individuals have if they repent and become pleasing to Him. Confessing sins leads to forgiveness and cleansing. Even if one feels they have little to offer, God can use them when they are right with Him. "Little is much when God is in it." Overcoming Hesitation Urging listeners to stop hesitating, procrastinating, and holding back from God. God has given something to do, say, or share. The time for holding back is over; start giving oneself to God. Get holy, get right with God, and be acceptable. Allow the Holy Spirit to search and help release what is hindering. Presenting Your Body Presenting one's body to God as a living sacrifice. God already owns believers, having bought them at Calvary. Believers have a free will and a mind, making them unique. Give it up and let God have it. Living Sacrifice vs. Dead Sacrifice A dead sacrifice has no choice,

Bible Prophecy Under the Microscope-Episode 51 Gary answers a commenter who claims that 2 Thessalonians 2 refers to the need for a rebuilt (third) temple in our future. Regular listeners will immediately recognize the lack of first century context in the claim (when a rebuilt temple was actually standing) and basically requires all of the elements of the first century to be reinstituted and remade.

The grain offering consisted of fine flour, frankincense, and oil. While costly for the ancient Israelite's, they presented their best before the Lord. Join Rabbi today as he continues discussing the burnt offering and outlines the grain offering as it relates to Messiah Jesus. **** BECOME A MONTHLY PARTNER - https://djj.show/YTAPartner   **** DONATE - https://djj.show/YTADonate   Visit our website at DiscoveringTheJewishJesus.com

The priests in the Old Testament often gave a burnt sacrifice which included the whole body of the animal as an offering to God. Join Rabbi as he discusses the meaning of the burnt offering and how it applies to our lives walking with Messiah. **** BECOME A MONTHLY PARTNER - https://djj.show/YTAPartner   **** DONATE - https://djj.show/YTADonate   Visit our website at DiscoveringTheJewishJesus.com

Worship marked by sacrifice can be seen throughout history, but what light can the Bible shed on the subject? Join Rabbi as he explains sacrificial worship in Scripture and what it means for our lives, today. **** BECOME A MONTHLY PARTNER - https://djj.show/YTAPartner   **** DONATE - https://djj.show/YTADonate   Visit our website at DiscoveringTheJewishJesus.com

"But King David said to Ornan, 'No, but I will surely buy it for the full price; for I will not take what is yours for the LORD, or offer a burnt offering which costs me nothing.'" -1 Chronicles 21:24 In today's episode, Rabbi stresses the importance and weight that comes with living a sacrificed life to God.  **** BECOME A MONTHLY PARTNER - https://djj.show/YTAPartner   **** DONATE - https://djj.show/YTADonate   Visit our website at DiscoveringTheJewishJesus.com

Psalm 89:30-37, 1 Chronicles 6:1-81, Romans 11:33-12:21. We do not need to make any sacrifices for our sins Yet the New Testament tells us that there are four sacrifices you can make that *please God*

Psalm 89:33-35, 1 Chronicles 6:49, Romans 12:1-21. We do not need to make any sacrifices for our sins Yet the New Testament tells us that there are four sacrifices you can make that *please God*

Psalm 89:33-35, 1 Chronicles 6:49, Romans 11:33-36, 12:1-21. We do not need to make any sacrifices for our sins Yet the New Testament tells us that there are four sacrifices you can make that *please God*

Join Rabbi in this exciting series as he discusses how the worship, the sacrifices, and the priesthood of the Old Testament can be applied to the revelation of Jesus Christ, today. **** BECOME A MONTHLY PARTNER - https://djj.show/YTAPartner   **** DONATE - https://djj.show/YTADonate  

Sacrifices on the road to net zero, regional SA grapples with drought, Chris Minns sets the bench for leadership. Plus, hay run heroes deliver in time of need.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Emily Scarlett is an anchor on WZZM 13 On Your Side's morning news telecast. She tells the story of her path in journalism from Great Falls, Montana to the Quad Cities of Iowa & Illinois to Columbia, South Carolina and most recently Grand Rapids, Michigan. Emily and Brian talk about the importance of storytelling, working with a dynamic team, and how faith shapes our worldview. Links & Episode Notes Emily Scarlett (Instagram | LinkedIn) WZZM 13 On Your Side Capitol Records signs Holland church worship team | wzzm13.com Let Your Life Speak by Parker Palmer The Air I Breathe by Louie Giglio Made to Advance is a production of Engedi Church and is hosted by Brian Aulick. Send us your feedback at mta@engedichurch.com.

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In this episode, Mike explains how smalls shifts can go a long way in helping you reaching your goals in a sustainable way. We often think about progress as being all or nothing. But most of the time, real success comes from making tiny sacrifices that don't seem like much. This episode will break it down for you.------------------------------------------------Click here to apply for coaching!For some amazing resources and to be a part of a badass community, join our FB group HEREThe personality assessment is now available online! Click here to take the assessment and find out what your personality tells us about the way you should be training and eating.Take the assessment here!To learn more about Neurotyping, visit www.neurotypetraining.comFollow Mike on IG at @coach_mike_millner

On this Episode of No Brains No Headache Podcast the guys are in studio to discuss:Haunted housesForrest Gump's momHome sweet homeMotley CrueMrs. GumpOver using condiments Minneapolis tripClassic Childhood PranksJoey Chestnut and his eating recordsBackyard Baseball is back!Forrest Gump's mom's commitment to his educationAdult Chuck E CheeseHe's on vacationThank you for listening!Follow No Brains No Headache on social media and make sure to follow, rate, and review wherever you get your podcasts. Apple Podcasts. Subscribe + rate + review.Spotify. Follow along.iHeartRadio. Or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.New episode every Tuesday!Twitter. https://twitter.com/nbnhpodcastInstagram. https://www.instagram.com/nobrains_noheadache/Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/nbnhpodcastYouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQbXoHzYhhDigOaNXVYdK3gTik Tok. @NBNHPodcast

The Minimalists talk about the right amount of deprivation, sacrificing for others, obsession with books, education that aligns with minimalist principles, and more. Discussed in this episode: How much should I deprive myself for the sake of loving others? (2:05) When does it make sense to stop sacrificing for another person? (16:38) Right Here, Right Now: Peek inside Joshua's minimalist home. (35:38) Listener tip: Coming to terms with body-image insecurities that you can't control. (42:26) Listen to the full Maximal episode on Patreon: patreon.com/theminimalists Detailed show notes: minimalists.com/podcast Recorded at Earthing Studios.