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Co-hosts Kerri Brinkoeter, Cathy Endebrock, and Marlene McMichael discuss the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday. In this program, the co-hosts explore the theme of cultivating a heart of thanksgiving by recognizing God’s provision and grace in every season of life, anchored in 1 Thessalonians 5:18: “Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” In Season 1, gratitude is reframed as an inner posture rather than a reaction to circumstances, illustrated by “greasy pizza hug” moments where everyday chaos becomes divine delay. Season 2 highlights the story of the ten lepers in Luke 17, showing that gratitude is the difference-maker—nine received healing, but only the Samaritan who returned received relationship, reminding us that thanksgiving rewires the heart. Season 3 addresses silence, teaching that God’s quiet seasons are not absence but invitations to trust Him, rejoicing even before the harvest. Season 4 confronts storms of grief and despair, emphasizing that thanksgiving is not denial of pain but defiance against despair, anchoring us to God’s sovereignty. Together, these lessons remind us that gratitude is transformative—it shifts focus from circumstances to Christ, deepens relationship with Him, and strengthens resilience in both joy and trial.
Hey guys! Today's case is a heavy one, we're gonna be discussing the case of Stephen Pladl. Who is most well known for having an incestuous relationship with his daughter and the case just goes down hill from there. As always let me know your thoughts and opinions & thanks for watching xoxo If you have been affected by any of the themes in this episode, please consider visiting the following resources: The Samaritans helpline: 116 123 Refuge domestic abuse helpline: 0808 2000 247 (live chat is also available at https://www.nationaldahelpline.org.uk/Contact-us *times apply) Safeline domestic abuse helpline: 01926 402 498 Safeline national male survivor helpline: 0808 800 5005 Rape Crisis Helpline: 0808 802 9999 (help is also available at live chat at https://rapecrisis.org.uk/get-help/live-chat-helpline/ *times apply) Sexual Assault Support Line: 01708 765200 To advertise on the show, contact sales@advertisecast.com or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/thecriminalmakeup. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
In Part 2 of his conversation with Redeemed Director Nate Dewberry, Edward Graham, grandson of evangelist Billy Graham, reflects on what it means to be called to serve. After 16 years in the Army, Edward now leads through compassion and faith as Chief Operating Officer of Samaritan's Purse. He shares how God's heart has reshaped his understanding of success, purpose, and identity—reminding us that true leadership begins with humility and service.Segments/chapters25:45 A new role—but a similar mission—at Samaritan's Purse34:40 Maintaining perspective and hope despite witnessing crisis and cruelty40:27 Edward's love of hunting, the outdoors, and his hometown of Boone, N.C.43:54 You might be willing to travel the world to share the Gospel, but are you willing to cross the street?47:51 Closing thoughts: Even manly men need to have some tenderness in their heartsVisit The Redeemed's website for downloadable discussion question sets, show notes, inspirational articles, more resources, or to share your testimony.Join our Exclusive Newsletter: Signup today and be the first to get notified on upcoming podcasts and new resources!The Redeemed is an organization giving men from all backgrounds a supportive, judgment-free environment, grounded in Christian love without demanding participation in any faith tradition, where they can open up about their challenges, worries, and failures—and celebrate their triumphs over those struggles. Have a redemption story? Share your redemption story here. Interested in being a guest on our podcast? Email Nate@theredeemed.com Follow The Redeemed on Social Media: Podcast YouTube Facebook Instagram LinkedIn Twitter
Samaritan's Purse sends gift-filled Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes to children in need around the world together with the message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. By filling shoeboxes with toys and other fun items, you can be part of giving boys and girls what may be their first gift. National collection week ends Nov. 23. The Clarke County collection site will be the Clarke Baptist Associational Office located at 16183 Hwy. 43 in Grove Hill. Times of collection will be Monday, Tuesday and Thursday, 8:30 a.m.-2 p.m.; Wednesday, 8:30 a.m.- 12 noon; Friday and Saturday, 10 a.m.-12 noon; and Sunday,...Article Link
Have you ever wondered how you can make a difference in this crazy world? Or wondered how to help your kids or grandkids develop a heart of compassion? Especially during the holidays? Join me as I chat with Kristy Graham, the vibrant host of On the Ground with Samaritan’s Purse. From her home in the mountains of North Carolina, she beautifully balances motherhood, ministry, and a mission to bring hope where it’s needed most. You’ll be inspired as Kristy explains how a simple family connection led her into the life-changing work of Samaritan’s Purse. Together, we explore disaster relief, medical missions, and how the Christmas catalog can teach children empathy through meaningful gifts. This episode is a heartfelt reminder that generosity—big or small—can shape our lives, bring Jesus’ hope to the world, and strengthen faith. And remember, I'd love to connect more on Instagram, where you'll find me at @donnaajones. And don’t forget to subscribe so you don’t miss a single episode! Xo, Donna Listen in to learn more : (01:48) On the Ground With Samaritan's Purse (08:47) Christmas Catalog Gifts (14:03) Gifts of Dignity and Purpose (23:42) Impactful Livelihood Projects at Local Churches Donna’s Resources: Order a copy of my latest book - Healthy Conflict, Peaceful Life: A Biblical Guide to Communicating Thoughts, Feelings, and Opinions with Grace, Truth, and Zero Regret. It is available anywhere books are sold– here is the link on Amazon. If you need a helpful resource for someone exploring faith and Christianity or simply want to strengthen your own knowledge, you’ll want a copy of my book, Seek: A Woman’s Guide to Meeting God. It’s a must for seekers, new believers, and those who want to deepen their confidence in their faith. Connect with Kristy Podcast https://ontheground.samaritanspurse.org/home Samaritan’s Purse - samaritanspurse.org/NeededShop the Christmas Catalog HERE Connect with Donna Instagram: @donnaajones Website: www.donnajones.org Donna’s speaking schedule: https://donnajones.org/events/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.
In this episode we look at Luke 10:25-37, we move into Jesus' parable on the good Samaritan as Jesus responds to an expert in the law who asks about inheriting eternal life. From this we discuss how Jesus uses questions and parables to slow people down and allow a truth to move beyond head knowledge and into heart knowledge, increasing the likelihood of life transformation. From the parable, we hear Jesus' invitation to “do and do likewise,” to participate in the kingdom even now, open to interruptions and opportunities to care for those around us, as an active reflection of the heart of God.
Jesus and the Samaritan woman at the well in John 4 gives us a glimpse into the kind of worship--and worshiper--God accepts. - Bill Allen - Wednesday, November 19, 2025
In this episode of the PANDAS Foundation Podcast, Charlotte Howden, CEO of Pregnancy Sickness Support, shares her personal journey through hyperemesis gravidarum (HG): a severe and often misunderstood condition causing extreme sickness during pregnancy.Charlotte tells us about her own harrowing experience with HG, the struggle to be taken seriously by healthcare professionals, and how her journey led her to dedicate her career to helping others facing the same battle. Sally and Charlotte discuss the vital link between HG and perinatal mental health, the groundbreaking research that's finally shedding light on the causes of HG, and the life-saving work her charity is doing to support sufferers and their families.They also touch on the stigma and misinformation surrounding pregnancy sickness, the devastating impact of being dismissed by medical professionals, and the importance of early intervention and compassionate care.Trigger Warning: This podcast series may and will include, from time to time, themes of the entire spectrum of mental illness. Themes may include suicide, baby loss, self -harm, domestic violence and upsetting topics. If you urgently need help, if you're in mental health crisis, please call the Samaritans on 116 123. Or the emergency services via 111 or 999.Please note, you should always follow your GP or health practitioner's guidance for anything medically associated from conception onwards. The PANDAS Foundation does not advise on any medication. https://pandasfoundation.org.ukContact PANDAS WhatsApp for support on 07903 508334 every day between 8am - 10pmSamaritans 116 123US: Postpartum Support International 1-800-944-4773 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this episode, we welcome Ken Isaacs to the show. He is the Vice President, Programs & Government Relations at Samaritan's Purse, under the leadership of Billy Graham's son Franklin. Isaacs has more than 35 years of experience working in the relief and development communities, and his work has taken him to nearly 150 countries in response to global emergencies resulting from wars, complex crises, famines and natural disasters. In this interview, we discuss how he got involved with Franklin Graham, the circumstances around his first humanitarian trip to Africa, stories from on the ground during the genocide in Rwanda, when he fearer for his life after being detained in Zaire, his thoughts on the genocide of Christians all across Africa, and much more. Let's get into it… Episode notes and links HERE. Donate to support our mission of equipping men to push back darkness. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Hey FTG Fam! We're tackling Acts 2 this week and the beautiful, radical way the early church lived in community with the Holy Spirit at the center. As we go through Week 2 of The Wild Invitation Bible study, we reflect on what it truly looks like to care for one another, share life sacrificially, and be on mission together. From funny church traditions we'd ditch to the hard-but-holy call to open our hearts and homes, we get real about what a Spirit-filled community looks like in modern life. We for sure don't have all this figured out, but we'd love you to be on the journey with us! In This Episode 03:00 – Icebreaker: Church Traditions We'd Retire 08:00 – Recap of Acts 2: The Spirit Comes at Pentecost 10:00 – What the Early Church Looked Like 13:00 – Radical Generosity & Sacrifice 16:30 – Missional Living in Today's World 20:00 – Young Life: Living Missionally in Community 22:30 – Facing Outward: Community That Grows 25:00 – When Community Gets Boring or Hard 28:00 – How to Start a Spirit-Led Mission With Your People 29:00 – Closing Encouragement & Small Group Prompt ORDER OUR NEW STUDY! This seven-week, verse-by-verse study through the book of Acts invites you to embrace the unpredictable, sometimes challenging adventure of Spirit-led living that characterized the early church. Thanks to Our Sponsors Operation Christmas Child: Operation Christmas Child, a project of Samaritan's Purse, partners with churches to collect and distribute gift-filled shoeboxes to millions of children around the world, telling them the Good News of Jesus Christ, God's Greatest Gift. For more, visit samaritanspurse.org/occ. Piper and Leaf: Visit PiperandLeaf.com to pick up an Advent Tea set for you or someone you love! NIV Application Study Bible - Grab your copy today! Winshape: Learn more or submit your application today! If you'd like to partner with For The Girl as a sponsor, fill out our Advertise With Us form! Follow us!
“Your regulations remain true to this day, for everything serves your plans.” (Psalm 119:91 NLT) In our next set of devotions, we’re going to look at God’s perfections. Our goal is not only to get to know Him better but also to prepare our hearts for Thanksgiving. The more we understand about who God is, the more our gratitude will grow. We’re going to start by looking at God’s sovereignty. The fact that God is sovereign means that He has the power and authority to do anything He chooses with His creation. He answers to no one. Luke’s Gospel tells the story of ten men with leprosy who needed Jesus’ touch. Leprosy was an incurable disease. Without Jesus’ intervention, the men had no hope. They asked Jesus for healing, and He extended it to them. But out of the ten, only one returned to give Him thanks. We read, “One of them, when he saw that he was healed, came back to Jesus, shouting, ‘Praise God!’ He fell to the ground at Jesus’ feet, thanking him for what he had done. This man was a Samaritan” (Luke 17:15–16 NLT). Earlier, he had prayed loudly for a healing, and then he was loud with his praise. I love the fact that the original language uses two words from which we get our English word megaphone. The man was loud in thanking Jesus for what He had done for him. As Christians, we should give thanks to God because we recognize that He is in control of all circumstances surrounding our lives. As Proverbs 16:9 reminds us, “We can make our plans, but the Lord determines our steps” (NLT). Because God is sovereign, He is able to do what He pleases with whomever He chooses whenever He wishes. Some people bristle at that truth. Control—or even the idea of control—is a difficult thing to surrender. They prefer to operate under the illusion that they control their own destiny. The Bible writers held no such illusions. In fact, they saw God’s sovereignty as something to celebrate—something to be thankful for. The prophet Jeremiah said, “I know, Lord, that our lives are not our own. We are not able to plan our own course” (Jeremiah 10:23 NLT). And we read in Proverbs 20:24, “The Lord directs our steps, so why try to understand everything along the way?” (NLT). That’s the sovereignty of God. But what about when bad things happen? Is God still in control? Yes. And the Bible tells us that despite the bad things that happen, which many times are inexplicable, God can work all things together for good for those who love Him (see Romans 8:28). As the psalmist wrote, “Everything serves plans” (Psalm 119:91 NLT). That’s cause for thanksgiving because God’s plans put us exactly where we need to be. We never have to wonder whether we’re doing the right thing when we submit to God. Because He is sovereign, we can trust Him as our ultimate authority. Reflection question: What difference does God’s sovereignty make in your life? Discuss Today's Devo in Harvest Discipleship! — The audio production of the podcast "Daily Devotions from Greg Laurie" utilizes Generative AI technology. This allows us to deliver consistent, high-quality content while preserving Harvest's mission to "know God and make Him known."All devotional content is written and owned by Pastor Greg Laurie. Listen to the Greg Laurie Podcast Become a Harvest PartnerSupport the show: https://harvest.org/supportSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The Jesus Empowered Maiden: Female Identity, Authority and Freedom in Christ
Have you ever been made to feel like you had to earn God's love? In this episode, I share a powerful story from my teenage years when I was suddenly cut off by two lifelong friends for not being “Christian enough.” That painful rejection, I later learned, revealed a deep truth: God's love doesn't work that way. ✨ Together, we'll explore: Why God is focused on your heart — not your performance or perfection. The story of the Samaritan woman at the well and what it reveals about God's intentional, unconditional love. How God pursues you personally — even when you feel least deserving. Why community and connection are vital for learning to receive His love. If you've ever felt unworthy, unloved, or not “good enough” for God — this episode will help you see how deeply and deliberately He's been pursuing you all along. ✨ Want a safe space to explore His love and grow at your own pace? Learn more about Relate Escape Place (https://www.relateescape.com/membership), where women just like you are being equipped and encouraged to walk in God's love together.
On this episode of Performance People, in partnership with JP Morgan Private Bank, Georgie speaks with Vicky Gosling OBE, CEO of GB Snowsport, whose career has been shaped by one extraordinary defining moment.In 2013, Vicky was preparing to deploy to Afghanistan, leaving behind her young family for what she thought would be a demanding posting. Instead, a phone call redirected her life: she was being reassigned to lead on what would become the first-ever Invictus Games. Working alongside Prince Harry, Vicky helped build a global movement showcasing the power of adaptive sport and the resilience of wounded servicemen and women. That experience transformed her sense of purpose and has guided every leadership role since.Vicky reflects on how her 20-year military career instilled mission-first clarity, resilience and an unshakeable commitment to the people she serves. Those principles now underpin her work at GB Snowsport, where she and her team have transformed a relatively underfunded programme into one capable of producing world champions and genuine medal contenders heading into the Winter Olympics in Milano Cortina in February. From Mia Brookes and Zoe Atkin to Charlotte Bankes and Dave Ryding, she outlines where the British hopes lie.Candid, gripping and often hilarious, including the night she had to sleep in a budget hire car, Vicky's story is ultimately about belief, courage and what's possible when a team refuses to quit.Content warning: This episode includes mention of suicide and the loss of military colleagues. If you or someone you know is struggling, you can contact the Samaritans for free, 24/7, on 116 123 or visit samaritans.org.________________________________The Performance People podcast talks to high-performers in the world of sport and beyond, to bring defining moments, hard-earned insights and expert advice to everyday performance. New episodes every Tuesday.________________________________Connect with Performance PeopleHit subscribe today for the latest.
What if the reason you keep reacting, withdrawing, or losing patience isn't about your present—but your past?In this episode, Jerrad unpacks Step 3 of the Seven Steps of Discipleship: Addressing Past Wounds—a practical and gospel-centered conversation about facing the pain we've carried instead of burying it. With honesty and compassion, he walks men through why ignoring our wounds doesn't make them disappear; it just makes them leak into our marriage, our parenting, and our leadership.Through biblical truth, personal story, and real-world guidance, Jerrad helps you see that this step isn't about fixing yourself—it's about inviting God into the places you've avoided for too long.With a mix of vulnerability and hope, this episode will help you:Recognize how unhealed wounds shape your reactions and relationshipsConnect the dots between your pain and the lies you believeLearn a simple 4-part process for addressing wounds (Scripture, Naming, Writing, Sharing)Discover how to speak gospel truth to yourselfTake the first step toward becoming a healed man who leads a healthy familyWhether you've minimized your pain, masked it with work, or felt like your story doesn't matter, this episode is a reminder that strong families begin with healed men—and healing starts when you face what's been buried.Prayer:“Father, reveal the wounds I've tried to hide. Give me courage to bring them into the light, and remind me that Your grace is big enough to heal every part of my story.”Scriptures Mentioned:Psalm 34:18James 5:16John 8:32Isaiah 61:12 Corinthians 12:9Resources & Links:
Join us to witness the miraculous healing of ten lepers by Jesus and the profound lesson on faith and gratitude taught through the actions of a grateful Samaritan.In this episode, Jesus heals ten lepers, showcasing the power of faith and gratitude. As the lepers are miraculously cleansed, only one, a Samaritan, returns to give thanks, highlighting the transformative power of gratitude and faith in Jesus.Today's Bible verse is Luke 17:19, from the King James Version.Download the Pray.com app for more Christian content including, Daily Prayers, Inspirational Testimonies, and Bedtime Bible Stories.Pray.com is the digital destination for faith. With over 5,000 daily prayers, meditations, bedtime stories, and cinematic stories inspired by the Bible, the Pray.com app has everything you need to keep your focus on the Lord. Make Prayer a priority and download the #1 App for Prayer and Sleep today in the Apple app store or Google Play store.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Gratitude Week 3 // A Lifestyle of Gratitude Hebrews 12:28NIV“Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe…” AMP“Therefore, since we receive a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us show gratitude, and offer to God pleasing service and acceptable worship with reverence and awe…” KJV“Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear…” Greek Word “Charis” - A Manner of… A Lifestyle of… or A State of… according to the divine influence on the heart and its reflection in the life… The word most often used for Thankfulness is “Eucharistio” - A word or an action of thankfulness… Luke 17:11-19 (NLT)“As Jesus continued on toward Jerusalem, he reached the border between Galilee and Samaria. As he entered a village there, ten men with leprosy stood at a distance, crying out, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!” He looked at them and said, ‘Go show yourselves to the priests.' And as they went, they were cleansed of their leprosy. One of them, when he saw that he was healed, came back to Jesus, shouting, ‘Praise God!' He fell to the ground at Jesus' feet, thanking him for what he had done. This man was a Samaritan. Jesus asked, ‘Didn't I heal ten men? Where are the other nine? Has no one returned to give glory to God except this foreigner?' And Jesus said to the man, ‘Stand up and go. Your faith has healed you.'” The Way We Respond is the Difference Between “Thanks for the Blessing” and “I Owe You My Everything”.
In this episode of Killers, Cults & Queens, Nikki and Cheryl interview Stephen Volk, creator of the groundbreaking horror special Ghostwatch. Together they unpack how the show became one of the most influential and controversial moments in British television history.Stephen discusses the evolution of Ghostwatch, how a female-led production shaped its unique tone, and why so many viewers believed the broadcast was real. The conversation also covers the enduring legacy of the show, the shift in media culture with the rise of social media and fake news, and how personal paranormal experiences influence our understanding of the supernatural.We also chat about Stephen's wider career — including his work on Afterlife — and his upcoming book The Confirmed Bachelors.A must-listen for fans of horror TV, paranormal investigations, ghost stories, and behind-the-scenes storytelling.
The Generous Life Pt. 2 | November 16, 2025Pastor Wes Morris Proverbs 11:24 (MSG) The world of the generous gets larger and larger; the world of the stingy gets smaller and smaller.√ I NEED TO PROTECT MYSELF.Proverbs 29:25 (NIV) Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is kept safe.√ HAVING MORE WILL MAKE ME SECURE.Mark 10:21–22 (NLT) Jesus looked at him and loved him. “There is still one thing you haven't done,” he said. “Go and sell all your possessions…then come, follow me.” At this the man's face fell, and he went away sad, for he had many possessions.”√ WHAT I HAVE DETERMINES WHO I AM.II Corinthians 8:1-2 (NLT) Now I want you to know, dear brothers and sisters, what God in his kindness has done through the churches in Macedonia. They are being tested by many troubles, and they are very poor. But they are also filled with abundant joy, which has overflowed in rich generosity.A LIFE THAT OVERFLOWSI. OPEN YOUR HEART TO HEALING.Luke 10:31-33 (NIV) A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him.II. PLACE YOUR SECURITY IN JESUS.Philippians 4:11-13 (NIV) I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation…I can do all this through Him who gives me strength.Proverbs 3:5-6 (NIV) Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.III. LIVE WITH ETERNAL PERSPECTIVE.I Timothy 6:17-19 (NIV) Command them not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.NEXT STEPSWhere is God asking you to show courage this week so your life can overflow - in healing, in trust, or in living with an eternal perspective?
Welcome to In the Word with Malcolm Webber! In John 4, Jesus tells the Samaritan woman: “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,' you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.” This Gift is the core of the Christian life, our purpose, our everything, our meaning. So what is it? In the Word with Malcolm Webber is a weekly podcast featuring selected teachings from Dr. Webber's over 40 years of ministry. Find more teachings, along with books, courses, tools, and other resources from Dr. Webber at our website.Related Resources from LeaderSource* Book: The Glorious Bride of Christ: An Exposition of Ephesians* A Learning Design for Communicating Effectively* Article: Toward Planting Seeds* Article: Unequal Debts* Audio Teaching: Our Brokenness Is His Opportunity* For More Teaching on Common Errors: Malcolm's MusingsNew to the series? Start here:More messages from Malcolm: This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit leadersource.substack.com
Send us a textEver felt out of place even when life looks “normal”? We open with a story of getting lost on a quiet walk and use that unsettling moment to chart a bigger map of exile—how the human heart drifts from where it was meant to live and how Jesus leads us back. Through three vivid portraits from Scripture—Eden's first banishment, a leper's social isolation, and a Samaritan woman's hidden shame—we explore the many faces of displacement and the deeper longing to belong.We begin in Genesis, where communion with God is shattered and survival replaces identity. The language is fierce—banished, driven out, guarded—yet mercy breaks through as God clothes the fallen and signals a future way home. Then we step into the world of Leviticus and Mark, where “unclean” becomes a public label and a person is pushed outside the camp. Jesus answers stigma with touch, restoring more than health: he restores a name, a place, and a people. Finally, we meet the woman at the well at high noon, carrying a complicated story and a deeper thirst. Jesus crosses ethnic, gender, and moral barriers to offer living water, shifting the question from “where to worship” to “how to worship”—in Spirit and truth.Along the way we name our own exiles: spiritual distance, social isolation, emotional numbness, and moral fatigue. The throughline is hope. The one truly at home with the Father chose displacement—leaving heaven, suffering outside the city, and bearing abandonment—so we could come back in. If you've been hiding, avoiding, or pretending, consider this your invitation to step into the light, receive healing where you hurt most, and reenter community with a story that can guide others home.If this spoke to you, follow the show, share it with a friend who needs hope, and leave a quick review so more people can find their way back to belonging.
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I’m Keeping People From Jesus | Herbert Cooper Luke 15:4–7 “Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? 5 And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders 6 and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’ 7 I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent. (NIV) 4 LESSONS ABOUT GOD’S HEART TO REACH ONE MORE LOST PERSON 1. WE ARE CALLED TO GO AFTER THE ONE Matthew 28:19 Therefore GO and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, (NIV) Mark 16:15 He said to them, “GO into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. (NIV) Matthew 9:36–38 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. 37 Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. 38 Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to SEND OUT WORKERS into his harvest field.” (NIV) 2. WE MUST SEE THE NEED TO GO 3. WE MUST PRAY FOR MORE PEOPLE TO GO 4. WE MUST ANSWER OUR OWN PRAYERS TO GO Matthew 10:5-6 These twelve Jesus SENT out with the following instructions: “Do not go among the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans. 6 GO rather to the lost sheep of Israel. (NIV)
This weekend, we're strengthening thanksgiving in our lives by examining the grateful Samaritan leper, exploring how thanks-giving opens the door to deeper revelation and authentic worship.Join us next weekend at The Branch Church and invite your friends and family!Find out what's going on at The Branch here: https://thebranch.org/eventsTo support this ministry, click here — https://rb.gy/rc53uxDownload Our App – http://thebranch.org/appCheck In — https://rb.gy/htq0qySermon Notes —https://notes.subsplash.com/fill-in/view?page=SkAbUY7x-xSermon-Based Bible Study — https://thebranch.org/studyRequest Prayer — http://thebranch.org/prayerLike and SUBSCRIBE on YouTube — https://rb.gy/atpff4Like and Follow on Vimeo — https://rebrand.ly/d1ibt93Website — https://thebranch.org/Facebook — https://rb.gy/m4vhz6Instagram — https://rb.gy/p8g1blTwitter — https://rb.gy/xiwg68YouTube — https://rb.gy/icv7x2
This weekend, we're strengthening thanksgiving in our lives by examining the grateful Samaritan leper, exploring how thanks-giving opens the door to deeper revelation and authentic worship.Join us next weekend at The Branch Church and invite your friends and family!Find out what's going on at The Branch here: https://thebranch.org/eventsTo support this ministry, click here — https://rb.gy/rc53uxDownload Our App – http://thebranch.org/appCheck In — https://rb.gy/htq0qySermon Notes —https://notes.subsplash.com/fill-in/view?page=SkAbUY7x-xSermon-Based Bible Study — https://thebranch.org/studyRequest Prayer — http://thebranch.org/prayerLike and SUBSCRIBE on YouTube — https://rb.gy/atpff4Like and Follow on Vimeo — https://rebrand.ly/d1ibt93Website — https://thebranch.org/Facebook — https://rb.gy/m4vhz6Instagram — https://rb.gy/p8g1blTwitter — https://rb.gy/xiwg68YouTube — https://rb.gy/icv7x2
QUOTES FOR REFLECTION“The church…is not meant to call men and women out of the world into a safe religious enclave but to call them out in order to send them back as agents of God's kingship.”~Lesslie Newbigin (1909-1998), British theologian and missionary “The people who heard Jesus' disciples proclaiming the Good News were as impressed by what they saw as by what they heard. They saw lives that had been transformed…. A new quality, Christian love, was born. Conventional love is evoked by lovable qualities in the beloved, but the love people encountered from Christ embraced sinners and outcasts, Samaritans and enemies. It gave…because giving was its nature.”~Huston Smith (1919-2016), religious scholar and chair of the Philosophy Department at MIT “Why do we not observe how the charity of Christians to strangers…has done the most to advance their cause? For it is disgraceful…the impious Galileans support our poor in addition to their own, while everyone is able to see that our coreligionists lack aid from us!”~The Pagan Roman Emperor Julian (332-363), Letter to Arsacius, 360 AD “Why among all of the varieties of Judaism in the first century did only two survive….? One, the religion of the Rabbis – the other, the religion of Christianity. [This] rather improbable message that the Son of God has come to earth and been crucified, in human form, and risen from the dead ... appealed to a lot of perfectly ordinary people…in such a way that they were willing…to become initiated into a group which brought them only hostility, estrangement from their families and neighbors, and the possibility of persecution to the point of death.”~Wayne A. Meeks (1932-2023), Religious Studies Professor at Yale University “I believe that it was the religion's particular doctrines that permitted Christianity to be among the most sweeping and successful revitalization movements in history. And it was the way these doctrines took on actual flesh, the way they directed organizational actions and individual behavior, that led to the rise of Christianity.”~Sociologist Rodney Stark (1934-2022) in The Rise of Christianity “Assist…one another in good faith, and by deed and with a hearty will; nor let anyone remove his hand from the help of a brother, since ‘by this' saith the Lord, ‘shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.'”~Zephyrinus, bishop of Rome from A.D. 199 to 217 on John 13:35 “The person characterized by humility, gentleness, mercy and righteousness does not build a fence around good deeds. Rather, that one ensures that these good fountains overflow for the benefit of others. One who is pure in heart and a peacemaker, even when persecuted for the sake of truth, orders his way of life for the common good.”~John Chrysostom (347-407) revered early church leader in homily on Matthew 5SERMON PASSAGE selected passages (ESV)Genesis 12 1 Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father's house to the land that I will show you. 2 And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” Psalm 671 May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face to shine upon us, Selah2 that your way may be known on earth, your saving power among all nations. Isaiah 22 It shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the house of the Lord shall be established as the highest of the mountains, and shall be lifted up above the hills; and all the nations shall flow to it,3 and many peoples shall come, and say: “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob, that he may teach us his ways and that we may walk in his paths.” For out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. Matthew 5 – Jesus's Teaching to His Disciples 10 “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11 Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. 12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.13 You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people's feet. 14 You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” Matthew 1 1 The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham. Matthew 28 – Jesus's Commission to the Church 18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” John 13 – Jesus's Commandment to the Church 34 “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. 35 By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” John 17 – Jesus's Prayer for the Church 20 “I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, 21 that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. 22 The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, 23 I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me.”
John 4:1-15FIVE PRINCIPLES FOR SPIRITUAL CONVERSATIONSTRANSITION:“From Jesus' conversation with the Samaritan woman, I want to give you five practical principles that you can use THIS WEEKPRINCIPLE #1: START WHERE THEY ARE“Notice how Jesus begins. He doesn't launch into a sermon. He doesn't hand her a tract. He asks for a drink of water!John 4:7 Jesus started with something natural, something she could relate to. He met her at her point of need—she had water, He was thirsty.Start conversations where people already are. Talk about their job, their family, their struggles, their interests. Find common ground.1 Corinthians 9:22Don't be weird. Don't be pushy. Just be HUMAN. Build a bridge through genuine interest and conversation.”“Ask questions! People love talking about themselves. ‘How's your family?' ‘What do you do for work?' How were you raised spiritually ‘How are you handling all the stress in the world right now?'PRINCIPLE #2: CREATE CURIOSITY“Once Jesus has her attention, watch what He does:John 4:10He didn't force the conversation. He INTRIGUED her. He made her curious. She had to ask, ‘What are you talking about? What is this living water?'You don't have to explain the entire gospel in 30 seconds. You don't have to argue or debate. Just create curiosity.Share your story in a way that makes people want to know more.Tell story about Charlene 1 Peter 3:15Did you catch that? WHEN they ask. Create curiosity, and they'll ASK!”PRINCIPLE #3: GO FROM PHYSICAL TO SPIRITUALJesus is a master at this. He takes something physical—water—and turns it into something spiritual.John 4:13-14 He's saying, ‘You're focused on physical water, but I'm offering you something that satisfies your SOUL.'Listen for spiritual hunger underneath physical conversations.Someone says, ‘I'm so stressed at work.' → You can say, ‘I used to feel that way until I found peace in my relationship with God.'Someone says, ‘I'm so lonely.' → You can say, ‘I've learned that only God can fill that hole in our hearts.'Someone says, ‘I feel like my life has no purpose.' → You can say, ‘That's exactly how I felt before I discovered God's plan for my life.'Every physical need points to a deeper spiritual need. Jesus knew that. And He gently moved the conversation from surface level to soul level.”PRINCIPLE #4: BE HONEST ABOUT SIN—BUT WITH COMPASSION“This is where a lot of Christians mess up. We either avoid talking about sin altogether, or we come across as judgmental and harsh.Talk about your struggle with sin… Some of the peace and victory you have seen."Your mess can become your message, and your test can become your testimony."Watch how Jesus handles it:John 4:16-18Jesus is DIRECT. He doesn't sugarcoat her sin. But notice His tone—He's not condemning her. He's revealing her need for a Savior.Don't avoid talking about sin, but speak the truth in LOVE.Ephesians 4:15“Here's the secret: Jesus didn't bring up her sin to SHAME her—He brought it up to SHOW her she needed the living water only HE could provide.When you talk about sin, always point to the SOLUTION: Jesus.”PRINCIPLE #5: MAKE IT PERSONAL—REVEAL JESUS“The woman keeps trying to make the conversation theoretical. She wants to debate theology and argue about where to worship.But Jesus brings it back to HIM:John 4:25-26Boom. There it is. ‘I'm the one you're looking for. I'm the answer to your search.'At some point in the conversation, you have to make it about JESUS.Not religion. Not church. Not rules. JESUS.Acts 4:12 “Your testimony is powerful. Tell them what Jesus has done in YOUR life. Not in a preachy way, but in a personal, authentic way.‘Let me tell you how Jesus gave me purpose when I felt worthless.'‘Let me tell you how Jesus forgave me when I thought I was too far gone.'Revelation 12:11 says we overcome ‘by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of [our] testimony.'”
A Christian ought to reflect the love of Jesus in all of their actions. Join us as we look to the parable of the good Samaritan to show us how this is manifested in the life of the believer. Luke 10:25-37
November 16, 2025 - Sunday AM Bible Class In this episode a church class dives into John 4:21–24 to unpack what it means to "worship the Father in spirit and in truth." The host leads a practical, Scripture-based conversation that revisits Jesus' exchange with the Samaritan woman and challenges listeners to evaluate the sincerity, direction, and authority of their worship. Key biblical passages referenced include John 4, Matthew 15, Acts 17, Colossians 2:23, Psalm 122:1, Proverbs 14:12, and Isaiah 42:8. The episode features contributions and anecdotes from congregation members—Barrett (on the "I AM" statements), Clint Harbison (on singing to God, not the crowd), Phil and others—making the discussion interactive and grounded in real worship experiences. Questions from attendees shape the conversation about practical church life and personal devotion. Major themes include distinguishing true worship from three kinds of false worship (vain/empty worship, ignorant worship, and will-worship/self-made religion), the scriptural requirement that worship be directed toward God alone, and why God does not have to accept worship offered outside His revealed will. The message emphasizes that worship is not a matter of personal preference but of obedience to God's Word. The host and guests also address concrete, everyday issues: the importance of preparing your heart before coming to assembly, maintaining the right attitude and spirit during singing, prayer, and the Lord's Supper, avoiding distractions that hinder others, and resisting the urge to use worship to impress people or elevate leaders. Practical tips include being mentally prepared, focusing on the meaning of the Lord's Supper, and balancing encouragement with humility. The episode stresses a cultural shift from consumer-minded attendance to a giver's posture—asking "What can I do for God?" rather than "What will I get?" Listeners are encouraged to point praise to God when affirming others, so encouragement builds faith rather than ego. In closing, the class reminds listeners that worship is the most important activity of the week and a rehearsal for eternity: learn to worship rightly now so you can join in heaven's unending praise. Expect candid reflection, scripture teaching, practical application, and timely encouragement to prepare your heart and actions for authentic worship. Duration 40:53
Group Guide Use this guide to help your group discussion as you meet this week. TranscriptGood morning. My name is Spencer and I'm one of the pastors here. We are continuing through our Remember series. We're in the last couple of weeks of this series. We're walking through our membership commitments and what binds us together and belief and practice as a church. We're in the 13th commitment. Today we've got this and then next week our 14th commitment. And then we'll launch into our gift series for December. But I want to read the 13th commitment before we begin. It says, I will practice and grow in generosity by financially supporting Jesus mission in church in our city and the world. Therefore, I will consistently and sacrificially give to Mill City Church of Cayce and to Mill City Church of Cayce family as they may have need. So this is what our church commits to. But this really embodies the people of God for centuries. This is our story. If you haven't thought about this before, much of actually Western culture is impacted and shaped by the generosity of Christians. Like the majority of hospitals over time were started by churches and denominations. That's why so many in many cities have a Baptist hospital, a Methodist hospital, Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Dartmouth, all at one point were they begun as seminaries. They were training grounds for pastors and educating laypeople in theology. The Salvation army was started by Christians in an effort to wage war on poverty in the London's east end over 100 years ago. The YMCA and the 19th century began as an effort to help Christian men. So it's the Young Men's Christian Association, Christian men who've been negatively impacted by the Industrial Revolution. Samaritan's Purse was started to wage to help kids that were affected in Korea by starvation. Habitat for Humanity was started by Christian missionaries who were building homes and then brought that back to America and has impacted many people for the last few decades. The majority of orphan care, orphanages, adoption agencies were started by Christians that have been run by Christians into the day. The examples go on and on. If you just think locally for a moment, the organization that's had the most impact on homelessness in the city of Columbia, without a doubt has been Oliver Gospel Mission. They've been doing it for over 137 years, since 1988, started by a Methodist minister. Our own hospital, Baptist Hospital, was started by the denomination that we belong to, the South Carolina Baptist convention, years over 100 years ago. So this is a part of the people of God. This is our story. And there are many examples of how this shows up. And our 13th commitment is in line with what God's people have done for Thousands of years. So today I want to show you where this comes from in the Scriptures and why we're called to live with sacrificial generosity. We're going to do a fairly quick blitz through the Bible, from Genesis to Revelation to see this theme. This is going to be a biblical theology of generosity, this theme that gets pulled from Genesis all the way through Revelation, the end of the Bible. So we're going to see where this comes from, where we're commanded to live like this. And then I want to take a step back and examine ultimately why and how we're supposed to, as the church, live this out. So let me pray for us, and then we'll walk through this together. Heavenly Father, I pray that you might help us see the gift that it is to live a life that is generous, that is not about self, but about ultimately you and your purposes here and beyond. And I pray that you would speak to us in a way that would disarm us and instruct us, and we wouldn't just be hearers of the Word, but would leave here as doers. And that's going to come through your work. So we ask this in Jesus name. Amen.Okay, so starting in the book of Genesis. One of the earliest examples we get of generosity in the Bible is in Genesis 14, when Abraham is. He wages. He's in a battle. And after they win that battle, there's a king and a high priest named Melchizedek that comes to him. In Genesis 14, it says,> And Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. (He was priest of God Most High.) And he blessed him and said, “Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth; and blessed be God Most High, who has delivered your enemies into your hand!” And Abram gave him a tenth of everything. (Genesis 14:18–20, ESV)And Abraham gave him a tenth of everything. So this is one of the earliest examples we see of giving up your material blessings. Abraham gives up a tenth of what he has in response to this priest. This type of generosity gets enshrined into the Old Testament law When you read past Genesis, into Exodus, Leviticus, Deuteronomy, Numbers. When you read these books, you see throughout the law, this type of commanded generosity of the people of God. When you get to numbers 18, it's one of the places that commands the people of God to give of their finances to support the work of the priesthood. You see, the Levitical priesthood, that tribe did not have an inheritance from the Lord. That was land Their inheritance was to serve the Lord. And the people of God and the promised land were commanded to give to sustain the work of the Levitical priesthood. So you see this in the Book of Numbers and other places. In Leviticus 19, you see that the giving that God calls us is not just to help those who are priests, like Melchizedek, like the Levitical priesthood, but it is also to help one another. As you read Leviticus 19, this command to be holy as I am holy, there's a bunch of different parts in it. But one of the things that shows up in verses 9 and 10 says,> “When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap your field right up to its edge, neither shall you gather the gleanings after your harvest. And you shall not strip your vineyard bare, neither shall you gather the fallen grapes of your vineyard. You shall leave them for the poor and for the sojourner: I am the LORD your God.” (Leviticus 19:9–10, ESV)It's just built into the law that as you harvest, don't take all of it. Don't be about the enrichment of self, but realize that there are the poor, the widows, the sojourners among you that do not have food and make sure that they can come and take part in the harvest as well. You see this in other places, like Deuteronomy 15. Deuteronomy 15 says,> “If among you, one of your brothers should become poor, in any of your towns within your land that the LORD your God is giving you, you shall not harden your heart or shut your hand against your poor brother, but you shall open your hand to him and lend him sufficient for his need, whatever it may be.” (Deuteronomy 15:7–8, ESV)Do not harden your hearts against your brothers who are in need. Throughout the law, you just see how God is commanding his people to think about one another in a way that is beautiful. And when you read the law, I'm picking places that I can't go to, all of it. But you read it. You read about the redemption laws, you read about the year of jubilee, you read about all these things that God commands of his people so that they might take care of one another, take care of the priesthood, who ministers on behalf of you, and then also take care of one another together. That's all over the Old Testament law.As you keep flipping through the Old Testament, you see examples of how this is lived out. But one of the places that you'll get to is in the wisdom literature. You won't just see that generosity is commanded, but generosity is also wise. It is wise to be someone who lives generously. In Proverbs 3, 9 and 10, it says,> “Honor the LORD with your wealth and with the firstfruits of all your produce; then your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will be bursting with wine.” (Proverbs 3:9–10, ESV)I so appreciate that it's proverbial, which means it's not a promise or a guarantee. But what he just said there is that if you honor the Lord with your wealth and with the first fruits of all your produce, that first fruits language shows up in the Old Testament law as well. That is the idea that you take the first of your harvest, not the leftovers. And that theme carries throughout the Bible as well. Don't give the Lord your leftovers, give him the first fruits, the first and best of what you have. If you do this, then your barns will be filled with plenty and your vats will be bursting with wine, which means, again, proverbial. Generally, if you will be willing to be generous, the Lord will provide for you over and over again. So we don't treat it like a formula, but we see that it's wise that those who live generously, the Lord provides for them again and again and again. We see this in 11:24.> “One gives freely, yet grows all the richer; another withholds what he should give, and only suffers want.” (Proverbs 11:24, ESV)Again, proverbial. But the idea here is that if you are giving freely, the Lord is taking care of you. But if you are greedy, if you withhold, if you are self interested, you will only suffer want. And there are plenty of other proverbs that hit different aspects of what it means to the wisdom that is bound up and not living for the enrichment of self, but living generously.Now, the Old Testament law, you see this from start to finish in the Old Testament law. This theme of God's people who were called to live generously. Then we get to the New Testament and then Jesus comes and begins teaching. And one of the most consistent teachings that Jesus has is on money and generosity over and over again. And Jesus doesn't just get to the commands, he gets to the hearts behind the commands. Because when you get to Matthew chapter six in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus says,> “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Matthew 6:19–21, ESV)So Jesus gets the heart of the matter, which is, do not, do not live for the riches of this present world. Everything that your heart so quickly desires, all the shiny objects and things in this life, all of it will end up in a landfill. It will decay. But if you will put your heart where God's heart is and the kingdom of God in eternity, you will store up riches that will never spoil or fade. Put your heart there. He gets to the heart of it. And this teaching that we get in Matthew 6 that is so helpful, helps us see, this is what we're called to be, is to put our heart in the things that God cares about that last into eternity. And listen, if you just do the Gospel of Matthew, I'm gonna do just some quick hits of just how he teaches this over and over again. But if you go back to Matthew 5:3, he says,> “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5:3, ESV)You get to Matthew 5:42. He says,> “Give to the one who begs from you, and do not refuse the one who would borrow from you.” (Matthew 5:42, ESV)You get to chapter six, verses one through four. He says,> “Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven. Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing,” (Matthew 6:1–4, ESV)which is the teaching that we should give not to be seen. That we should not strut to the offering box and say, look at what I have done. That we should not let everyone know on GoFundMe that I'm the one that has given. We shouldn't make it known to everyone that I am giving, but we should do it in secret, because ultimately our giving is to the Lord and not to be seen by others. And he continues, I mean, 6:19, 24, we just read do not lay up treasures in heaven. 6:24 we read earlier is,> “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.” (Matthew 6:24, ESV)6:25–34 he says, do not be anxious about material needs. Seek first the kingdom of God. In Matthew 13:22, when he's teaching the parable of the sore sower, talking about the seeds of faith that are sown, one of the seeds that gets choked out is by the thorns, which is the riches and the cares of this present world. And that's a warning that if we care so much about material blessings in this life, we care so much about money and riches here, it will snuff out our faith. In Matthew chapter 19, we get an example of what that looks like. When a rich young man comes to Jesus and says, I want to follow you. And he gives his resume of all he's followed the law. And then Jesus goes straight to the heart and he says, okay, so sell everything you have. Come, follow me. And he says, no, it went away sad because he had great wealth. And then Jesus goes on to say in teaching that he says, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than a rich man to enter the kingdom of God. And listen, that's the eye of a sewing needle. Have you ever heard some prosperity? False prophets say, that's a tiny little door in Jerusalem. That's a lie. The whole point there is that, no, you cannot be saved as a rich man in your own, your own self. It comes through faith in Jesus Christ and him shaping us and our approach to how we think about money. That's just the Gospel of Matthew, but if you keep reading the Gospel of Mark, the Gospel of Luke, the Gospel of John, Jesus continuously, repetitively, aggressively, at times teaches on riches because there's a lot at stake now.Jesus goes to the cross, he dies for our sins. He rises from the grave, conquering the power of death and its grip on us. And then when he ascends to the right hand of God the Father and the Holy Spirit descends upon the church. In Acts 2. We've been in this passage multiple times throughout this Remember series. We see the early church embody Christ's teachings on generosity. In Acts 2:44, it says,> “And all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need.” (Acts 2:44–45, ESV)They believe it. They are all in on what Christ taught. And they just say, give it away. I'll sell this and I'll give it to you. Make sure that the saints are taken care of, make sure that the gospel can go forward. They believe this wholeheartedly and they begin to live this out. And when you read the rest of the book of Acts, you see this. And when you read the rest of the New Testament letters, Romans all the way through, you're going to see this over and over again. I can't hit all of it, but I just want to show you a few different parts of the New Testament letters that teach this theme of generosity. In Second Corinthians, chapter eight, Paul put he's talking to the church at Corinth, which is a very wealthy church and a wealthy city. And when he's talking to them, he uses the Macedonian church, which is in a different area that is not as wealthy, as an example to spur them on to generosity. And in chapter eight, verses three and four, it says,> “For they gave according to their means, as I can testify, and beyond their means, of their own accord, begging us earnestly for the favor of taking part in the relief of the saints.” (2 Corinthians 8:3–4, ESV)That little phrase is one of My favorite phrases on generosity in the Bible, that this church was begging, they were eager. We cannot miss out on this. Can we give? The saints in Jerusalem were struggling, they needed help. And they said, I want all in on this. Can we be a part of this? And he's trying to help the Corinthian church. Do you not see how we're called to live? And if you read different parts of the New Testament in the letters, you're going to see this call to give to the efforts of gospel ministry and give to one another, to take care of one another. I mean, when you read the book of Philippians, y', all, we spent time a couple years ago in the book of Philippians, wonderful, beautiful theological insights, wonderful, beautiful passages. But when you get to the end, you see that it wraps up like a support letter because he's thankful for their partnership with him in the gospel. In 4:15, he says,> “And you Philippians yourselves know that in the beginning of the gospel, when I left Macedonia, no church entered into partnership with me in giving and receiving, except you only.” (Philippians 4:15, ESV)And he's just thankful, thankful for the church at Philippi and how they've invested in his ministry efforts. Paul at times had to be a tent maker, but he did need money to live on. He needed money to travel. And in First Corinthians 9, at one point when he's talking to the church at Corinth, he makes the point that it is my right as a minister of the gospel to be paid. And it makes that clear in the New Testament. Ministers of the gospel, those who do gospel work, should be paid to make their living by the gospel. But he tells the church of Corinth, I'm not demanding that of you because I know that's a stumbling block for you. I want you to believe the gospel. I don't want you to think I'm money hungry. And that is something that even shows up today. It's hard for pastors at times to talk about money because you don't want to fall into the category of money hungry pastors. But God talks so much about it and it's so important. So we will. Throughout the New Testament, you see this commanded generosity, these examples of generosity for the advancement of the gospel, moving forward through caring for one another, and all of that. As you read through the N terminates in the Book of Revelation. And if you were with us the last year as we walked through the Book of Revelation, those final three chapters is a vivid picture of where all this is going, that God's people get to experience the eternal generosity of God unendingly, that we get to have a feast with our God, that He provides for us, that we get to have eternal dwelling with our God, that He provides life and light and riches beyond imagination. Our God freely, lovingly, joyfully, gives to his people forever and ever and ever. Amen. And that is how the Bible ends. And you see from start to finish this thread that is pulled of generosity, of how God's people have been shaped by this and really how we've lived this out for thousands years.But all these examples that are wonderful and beautiful, all these commands that are powerful and all these teachings that shape us, it is also important to realize it's pretty dang hard to live this out. It just is because we're just so self interested. We're just self interested people. I know I am. I mean, I see it like I y', all, I see when my. Give you an example. When my kids, when there's a dessert in our household, they, they, they become feral. It's it's mine. Like you ever seen a, you ever seen a raccoon that's eating trash pizza? You come up on a raccoon eating trash pizza and you try to meet my children with a dessert, it's theirs. Do you know where they got that from? My wife? No, I'm just kidding. They got that from me. One of the most infamous stories in my family is when I was in college, I was home for Thanksgiving, my mom made this chocolate pie and she made it for me to take it to college back for exams. And I had it and my stepdad and my sister saw it and they said, ooh, I want a bite. And I grabbed it and I licked the whole thing. Which in my family was claiming it. I know in your family that might not have stopped anyone, but in my family that stopped everyone because this was mine. And that self interested instinct is all over how we think about riches. It's all over how we think about money. This is what we do, y'. All. That's why when the pandemic hit, what was the first thing to leave the shelves? Toilet paper. That's just everyone's like, gotta get it. I gotta get in my house. It's what we do. This is a human infection that we pass down from generation to generation, from forefathers to their children and grandchildren. This desire for the enrichment and care of self. We have a Bible reading plan that anyone in our church is welcome to go through, but a few of us have gone through over the last few years and I'm in this Bible reading plan the other few weeks ago, and we come up to 1 Timothy, chapter 6. And I'm reading it, and I just. Was just slayed. I read it, and I just want to read. Gets right at the heart of this. It says,> “But godliness with contentment is great gain, for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content. But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.” (1 Timothy 6:6–10, ESV)Do you hear that? That's a warning. That riches can become your ruin. The desire for them can become a ruin for you. Verse 10. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and have pierced themselves with many pangs. And it's like, I just. I read that. I went, oh, my God, woe is me. If you, if you don't read that and tremble if you don't receive that and go, I. Where. Where have I fallen in love with riches and, and money in a way that is. That is literally risking me walking away from the Lord, then we're. We're not reading it correctly. It's a. It's a real danger. And if you, if you realize the danger of our. Of our. Of our besetting sin in our hearts. It's not enough just to look at the whole Bible and look at all the examples, because those examples, enough, even those commands are not enough for us to take our eyes off of the riches of this present world. We have to get to the heart of why. Why are we commanded to live this out? Why should we do this? And the example that we have of why is found in, in Jesus Christ. When you read 2 Corinthians, chapter 8, it says,> “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich.” (2 Corinthians 8:9, ESV)That teaches that Jesus Christ, the second member of the Trinity, left the glory and the comfort and the heaven to become man and dwell among us in poverty. That he left the riches and the comforts of heaven to live a lowly human life in need constantly. And then he goes to the cross where he has nothing. The garments that he has are divided amongst the people below and he's crucified for our self interest and greed and desire for the riches of this present world. And he resurrects to conquer the power of sin so that we might not be slaves to riches, we might be slaves to our desires for this present world, but we might be resurrected in faith to have new eyes and a new heart. That we might see that he is better and that following him and putting all of our hopes in eternity is better than anything this present world could have to offer. And that by the power of the Holy Spirit he might break us of a desire for things that will spoil and fade and fix our eyes on eternity. We read 1 John 4:19 the why is we love because he first loved us.> “We love because he first loved us.” (1 John 4:19, ESV)The only hope we have to grow in being generous people is to look at the example we have in Jesus Christ and put our faith firmly in him as our only hope. That is one and that is the why which shapes our commitment. I will practice and grow in generosity by financially supporting Jesus mission and church in our city and the world. Therefore I will consistently and sacrificially give to Mill City Church of Cayce and to Mill City Church of Cayce family as they may have need. God, who loves us, who came to rescue us, who saves us from our own selfish desires, sets us apart to follow him and calls us to trust him, to yield to him open handedly that he will provide for us and to lift our gaze to the heavens, to store our riches there, where one day we will taste and see of things that we could not passively dream, possibly dream or imagine about. That is what guides us and the hope that we have in this commitment as a church.So if that is why I want to end with how. How do we practically take steps to grow in this? It begins with giving. And one of the things that we say is in the language we have in our commitment is to is to sacrificially give. We use the language of sacrificial giving in our Give series in a few weeks. That's a language that's going to show up. That's a language we've used for years. We do not use the language of tithe. And if you grew up in the church, that's a very common phrase. It shows up all over the Old Testament law. Tithe, that just means a tenth. It goes back to the example of Melchizedek and Abraham. But you read the Old Testament, it says to give a tenth. The New Testament actually doesn't command the tithe. It embodies the heart of generosity from the Old Testament. But the language we see consistently in the New Testament is one of sacrificial giving. Therefore we command from the scriptures. You need to sacrificially give. And I think that's more helpful language than the time I do. I think that calls us to consider what we should give before the Lord in a way that is, that is meaningful. And I think for some whom God has blessed in this church, making money that you never thought you could make, if you say that giving is the tithe, you have limited yourself and you are not actually growing in sacrificial giving. For some of you, the tithe is the floor, it's not the ceiling. And you should be looking for ways to continue to grow in giving. And for others, like that's. If we just use the language of tithe, that's a hard place to get to. If you're not giving anything at all, that's a tough thing to accomplish. We want us to take steps of faithfulness and growing and sacrificial generosity. We do not dictate how much you should give. We do not dictate exactly where you should give. You see, the language that we got here is I will consistently and sacrificially give to Mill City Church of Cayce and Mill City Church of Cayce families. And above it, it says I will financially supporting Jesus mission in the church and the city and the world. So we're not saying that you've got to give all of your money to formally the local church though I would caution, I have heard and seen this over the years that some folks will say, ah, I just, I, no, I'm not, I don't know if I can, I don't know what the church is doing. I want to be able to dictate where my money can go. So I'm going to give to people in my church, I'm going to give people to my community. I'm going to give to orphan care, I'm going to give to missions. But I really, I don't know if I can give formally to the local church. I just, I don't know how. And I just want to caution you, if you have any bit of that zone in your heart, I want you to consider what functionally that means. It means that you do not trust the leadership of this church and work with our boss team, our boss Business Oversight and Sustainability Squad, that's our team that oversees finances in our church. So the elders and our boss team, I don't trust them to be able to give to the local church. And I just want to caution you on that, because I'll be honest, if I was a part of a church and I didn't trust the leadership of that church to handle the finances, I wouldn't be there. I just. I was like, if I can't trust you with money, then I can't trust you, period. And if that's the position of your heart, I want you to evaluate that and I want you to reckon with that argument, because I think you should trust the leadership of this church. You should formally give. You should give in the give boxes, you should give online. You should give to the local church and the ministry efforts entrusting us to figure out what is the best use of how these gifts have been given to use and distribute in a way that accomplishes the purposes of the local church. You should also give to your church family. You should be saving up regularly to give to your church family. You should be looking eager, like that Second Corinthians language. If I'm eager to jump in and give at a moment's notice to someone who is in need, y'. All. One of the benefits I have as a pastor is that I regularly get to see people who are embodying Matthew 6, not being public, letting the left hand know what the right hand is giving. So they come to one of the pastors and say, hey, I just. I want to be able to bless this person. Can you make sure they get this? Can you make sure that this person gets this? I see this all the time. I've lost count of how many cars have been given away in this church, how many washing machines, how many medical bills have been paid off. I've watched people just live it out in beautiful and wonderful ways. We should do that. You should be looking for ways to just bless people in our church who are in need and to see the beauty and the wonder and the glory of just joining in in God's mission and caring for his people, just as they did in Acts Chapter two.And beyond that, we should be eager to give beyond our church, beyond the local mission. That's one of the reasons why we give regularly to 1040 HOPE. 1040 HOPE is the mission organization that Ben Johnson, one of the members of our church, leads. It's on the meets on the third. They have office space on the third floor of our building. And we give to them, and we encourage you to give to them because we want to see the gospel Reach every nation, tribe and tongue and the areas of the world where there are not Christians or anyone that even knows the gospel. We want to be about all of it. So we. That's what. That's what it means to. That's how we should do this. We should give, firstly, meaning of your first fruits. Do not give your leftovers. We should give consistently, which means that some of you should set up regular giving and we should give sacrificially, meaning we should be considerate of giving in a way that we feel it, that it actually is a sacrifice. This is something we should grow in and take steps of faithfulness in. So if you're in a place where you're like, I just, I can't. I just. I literally can't give right now. I want to say very clearly that's a problem. But that's a problem we'd love to help you with. We have a financial care team that will sit down with you, that'll sit with you in your budget, that will help you figure out how you can take steps of faithfulness here. We want to help you to be able to do this. And when I'm coaching people up on this, that's why I think language of tithe can be discouraging at times. Because if you're like, I'm going from 0 to 10, I don't know how I'm going to get there. Just take steps of faithfulness. Start by giving 40 to 50 bucks a month. Do that and commit to it. And you might have to cut things out. But of how much you spend on Starbucks and Amazon prime and Netflix, and if you total all of that up, and that's more than what you give to the mission of God, that's a value statement. That is a problem and it needs to change. So we need to do some soul work in this. And I say, take steps of faithful. So I'm coaching people on this. I'm like, start here. Maybe next year you can carve out 1% of your budget and maybe the following year you can take a step of faith and double it at 2%. And maybe in three years you could double it again and get to 4%. Maybe in four to five years, if you're really figuring this out, you could jump up to eight. Figure this out before the Lord and ask the Lord what he wants you to give. But we can take steps of faithfulness and growing in this. It's worth it for our own souls to not fall in love with the riches of this present world. Some people will Say, like, I don't know if I can get. I don't know when I'm gonna have enough to give. I don't know if I'm gonna get there. And I will say to you very clearly, we have to be trusted with the small things that we're given so we can step into the greater things. The idea that if I make more down the road, I'll be able to give. It's not how we logically work. It's not how the scriptures teach this. We need to be faithful with little so we can later be faithful with much. We need to take steps of faithfulness to grow in this. I was talking with Raz Bradley. Raz, one of our pastors, was in Florida for a conference a few weeks back, and he got to meet a guy and hear his story, and I got to watch this video of this guy's story. But this. This man was. Him and his wife, years ago, were going to be missionaries. They're excited to go on the mission field. And as they're gearing up, ready to go on the mission field, his father sits down with him and his brother and says, hey, I'm retiring. He had a small mom and pop crane company. Because I'm retiring, and it's either y' all are taking this over or it's gonna end. But, like, I mean, we're. And he had a decision to make, and he prayed, do I go on the mission field or do I take over this business and use it for the glory of God and funding missions? And much to his wife's dismay, they didn't go on the mission field. Him and his brother took over this crane company, and they started out from the very beginning. They said, this is what we're going to do. We are not going to build this company for the enrichment of ourselves. We are going to take the profits. So about half invest it back into the company itself, and the other half we're going to give away. We're going to invest in gospel efforts. Now, a normal company, you do the first half, you've got to invest money back into the company, otherwise it won't make it. But the other half is yours. You get to keep the profits. And that's what it means to be a small business owner. And they said, no, we're going to take salaries and we're going to grow this company, and we're going to see the Lord grow this company over the years. We're going to see what he's going to do with this. And they did this for Years and tens of thousands turned into hundreds of thousands of profits, which turned into millions of dollars in profit to this year. They've given away over $70 million this year to mission efforts across the world. And it's like all along the way, it took salaries, they took decent salaries for a long time. He had $100,000 salary. You see the video of his house. It's a normal house. His car, it's an old beater car. And they had their most need. They had, you know, kids are going to college. He had a good salary of $150,000. And then when his kids were done with college, he went back down to $100,000. But they are handling tens of millions of dollars a year. And they're saying, I don't want it. I want to put that in the kingdom of God. And to think if this continues that for years to come, that they might invest a billion dollars into mission efforts across the world. Can you imagine the riches that they are storing up in heaven? What a life to live. What a legacy to leave behind. And y', all, the heart that is bound up in those men and their story is the same heart that is bound up. If you remember the story of Jesus and the widow's mite, the widow who comes to the temple and has only a few pennies to give, and she gives all of it. And Jesus points to her and says, look at it, look at her heart. This is what it means to be generous. And she gives all of it away. That's the same heart that was embodied there. It's the same heart that is bound up in the Christian who is looking at their budget and they're saying, you know what? I want to grow in generosity. I want to give to the church, to orphan care, to missions, which means I might drive the same car for the next 10 years and my co workers might have nicer trucks and nicer cars. But I'm going to take it on the chin here. I'm going to drive this thing until the wheels come off because it matters that I have the margins to give to what God wants us. This is the heart, the same heart that is in that. And that man is the same heart that sent a young Christian who's figuring out money for the first time. And they realize that the normative pattern that we've just accepted, that I just upgrade a phone every two years doesn't have to happen. So I'm holding this phone for three, four and five years so that I can have the ability to give and give generously to others. This is the same heart that's in the Christian right now that's looking at their budget and looking at inflation and going, I don't know how we're going to make ends meet, but I'm not cutting my money to this missionary. I'll cut my Starbucks habit before that happens because it matters to invest in the kingdom of God. That is the heart that shapes this commitment. Let me read it one more time. I will practice and grow in generosity by financially supporting Jesus mission and church in our city and the world. Therefore, I will consistently and sacrificially give to Mill City Church of Cayce and to Mill City Church of Cayce family as they may have need. Let's be a people that forsake the love of money and the love of riches in this present world, that look to Christ as our hope to change us and then take steps of faithfulness to be the generous people that God has called us to be.Let's pray. Heavenly Father, I pray that you might help us submit something that is so dear to our flesh, something that we don't like to talk about, something we don't like anyone else talking to us about. But let's take seriously the teachings about money and riches in this life and let's be a people that embody the heart of generosity that flows throughout the scriptures that you perfectly exampled and that you hold out for us all the way to the new heavens and the new earth. In Jesus name, amen. The band's going to come up. We're going to sing one final song together. I hope as we consider these teachings this week, as they may be difficult for us to receive and even more difficult to live out, that we would seriously consider them, that we would not hear them and discard them, but we would actually let the Holy Spirit, as we sing right now, do some work in our heart that as we leave this place, we would sit quietly before the Lord and ask God, how do you want me to grow? What steps do you want me to take? And if you need pastors or financial care or anyone to help you figure that out, we'd love to sit down and help you do that.
In episode 312 of The Just Checking In Podcast we checked in with Neil Peters. Neil is the Founder of Nuthatch Consultants, a suicide prevention and consultancy which works with public health, charities and business to reduce suicide and improve mental wellbeing. As part of Nuthatch, Neil also runs Nuthatch Retreats. Nuthatch Retreats uses nature to support people's wellbeing, creating opportunities for people to get outside and take part in activities such as mindfulness and forest bathing. Prior to starting Nuthatch, Neil worked at the Samaritans charity for 10 years, before leaving them in 2020 when he had the desire to use nature and the outdoors to improve people's mental health and wellbeing. In this episode we chart the journey of Nuthatch and the work they provide for their service users, what his retreats offer in-depth and his most recent work with fathers. For Neil's mental health, his mental health difficulties started after he had got married and become a father when he began experiencing low level anxiety and depression. He stopped using some of the release valves which had previously been working for him, like playing sport, being outside and seeing his friends. In 2017 he accessed the Samaritan's in-house counselling service, and in 2022/2023 he accessed a ‘walking therapist' as well. We explore why that walking therapist was helpful for him vs sit-down traditional therapy, how that could work as a method for more men as it utilises the walk and talk and where he is now with his mental health. As always, #itsokaytovent You can find out more about Nuthatch Retreats here: https://linktr.ee/nuthatchretreats You can follow them on social media below: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nuthatchretreats/ Support Us: Patreon: www.patreon.com/venthelpuk PayPal: paypal.me/freddiec1994?country.x=GB&locale.x=en_GB Merchandise: www.redbubble.com/people/VentUK/shop Music: @patawawa - Strange: www.youtube.com/watch?v=d70wfeJSEvk
News, Bangers & Trash and maybe a bit on job security? Joel, Alex and Pete (I suppose) get together for all of this and probably a tangent or two!If you or anyone needs help, please don't hesitate to reach out and ask for it; even the strong can have moments of weakness. Call the Samaritans on 116 123 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In part one of his conversation with Redeemed Director Nate Dewberry, Edward Graham opens up about growing up in the Billy Graham family, his path to West Point, and his 16 years of service as an Army Ranger. He shares how the discipline and sacrifice of military life prepared him to follow God's call into ministry with Samaritan's Purse. This episode explores faith, leadership, and what it means to serve God both in and out of uniform.Segments/chapters0:00 Intro0:52 Edward describes his prolific family6:59 What Edward is trying to pass along to his own kids10:02 Memories of West Point15:19 Challenges along Edward's faith journey18:37 Transitioning out of the Army into civilian lifeVisit The Redeemed's website for downloadable discussion question sets, show notes, inspirational articles, more resources, or to share your testimony.Join our Exclusive Newsletter: Signup today and be the first to get notified on upcoming podcasts and new resources!The Redeemed is an organization giving men from all backgrounds a supportive, judgment-free environment, grounded in Christian love without demanding participation in any faith tradition, where they can open up about their challenges, worries, and failures—and celebrate their triumphs over those struggles. Have a redemption story? Share your redemption story here. Interested in being a guest on our podcast? Email Nate@theredeemed.com Follow The Redeemed on Social Media: Podcast YouTube Facebook Instagram LinkedIn Twitter
Allie unpacks Candace Owens' viral claims on Charlie Kirk's murder, urging biblical discernment over innuendo-driven “investigation.” Allie models truth-seeking with scripture — sifting facts, weighing words, guarding against slander. Reject gossip, embrace evidence. Join us to honor Charlie's legacy, protect reputations, and pursue justice God's way with fearless clarity and grace. Help empower society's most vulnerable members, at-risk mothers and their children, and provide them the tools they need to succeed by visiting Hope139: https://www.hope139house.org Buy Allie's book "Toxic Empathy: How Progressives Exploit Christian Compassion": https://www.toxicempathy.com/ --- Timecodes: (00:00) Intro (02:50) Supporting Maternity Homes & Pregnancy Centers (09:05) Overview of Conspiracy (15:30) Candace's Response (22:30) What is Truth-Seeking? (26:00) How to Determine Truth(45:03) People Implicated by Candace --- Today's Sponsors: Good Ranchers — Go to https://GoodRanchers.com and subscribe to any of their boxes (but preferably the Allie Beth Stuckey Box) to get free Waygu burgers, hot dogs, bacon, or chicken wings in every box for life. Plus, you'll get $40 off when you use code ALLIE at checkout. Pre-Born — Will you help rescue babies' lives? Donate by calling #250 & say keyword 'BABY' or go to Preborn.com/ALLIE. Fellowship Home Loans — Go to https://fellowshiphomeloans.com/allie to get up to $500 credit towards closing costs when you finance with Fellowship Home Loans. Send a taste of home this holiday season with Keksi — soft, thick, handcrafted cookies made with the best ingredients. Keksi ships nationwide! Order yours at keksi.com with code ALLIE15 for 15% off. Samaritan's Purse — Will you join Operation Christmas Child this season by packing shoebox gifts or building shoebox gifts online? Go to SamaritansPurse.org/OCC to learn how to pack a shoebox! EveryLife — The only premium baby brand that is unapologetically pro-life. EveryLife offers high-performing, supremely soft diapers and wipes that protect and celebrate every precious life. Head to EveryLife.com and use promo code ALLIE10 to get 10% of your first order today! --- Episodes you might like: Ep 1265 | Is America Doomed? A Reality Check After the 2025 Elections | Ron Simmons https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/relatable-with-allie-beth-stuckey/id1359249098?i=1000736156445 Ep 1237 | 'Let Them'? The Good, the Bad & the Buddhist https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ep-1237-let-them-the-good-the-bad-the-buddhist/id1359249098?i=1000724818944 Ep 1250 | Did Israel Kill Charlie Kirk? Investigation vs. Innuendo https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/relatable-with-allie-beth-stuckey/id1359249098?i=1000730462658 Charlie Kirk: My Friend https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/relatable-with-allie-beth-stuckey/id1359249098?i=1000726366944 --- Buy Allie's book "You're Not Enough (& That's Okay): Escaping the Toxic Culture of Self-Love": https://alliebethstuckey.com/book Relatable merchandise – use promo code 'ALLIE10' for a discount: https://shop.blazemedia.com/collections/allie-stuckey Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
How often do we take our own blessings for granted? And how much more often do we neglect to steward what we've been given to make a life-changing and Gospel impact for those in need? I am partnering with Smartian's Purse this holiday season and had the pleasure of interviewing Kristy Graham to discuss how their ministry is changing the world one donation at a time. From beekeeping to raising chicks, all to feeding starving babies and digging wells, I want to encourage my listeners to give alongside me this holiday season and to reflect the heart of Christ this Christmas! CHECK OUT THE GIVING CATALOG HERE: samaritanspurse.org/Beloved Kristy's Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/on-the-ground-with-samaritans-purse/id1482448472 ORDER MY BOOK HERE: https://a.co/d/0vE5Cji PRINT OUT MY FREE "SHAME CYCLE WORKSHEET" HERE: https://kirbykelly.myflodesk.com/shamecycleworksheet CHECK OUT MY FREE RESOURCES: https://kirbykelly.myflodesk.com/kirbykelly For 10% off of Faithful Counseling, and to start your healing journey today, go to: https://www.faithfulcounseling.com/kirbykelly To sponsor a child in need alongside me with Compassion International, go to: https://www.compassion.com/kirbyisaboss Support the ministry!: https://kirby-kelly.com/checkout/donate?donatePageId=5d23856d41ec3a0001234376 Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.
Today's Topics: 1, 2, 3, 4) Father Charles Murr joins Terry Gospel - Luke 17:11-19 - As Jesus continued his journey to Jerusalem, He traveled through Samaria and Galilee. As He was entering a village, ten lepers met Him. They stood at a distance from Him and raised their voice, saying, "Jesus, Master! Have pity on us!" And when He saw them, He said, "Go show yourselves to the priests." As they were going they were cleansed. And one of them, realizing he had been healed, returned, glorifying God in a loud voice; and he fell at the Feet of Jesus and thanked Him. He was a Samaritan. Jesus said in reply, "Ten were cleansed, were they not? Where are the other nine? Has none but this foreigner returned to give thanks to God?" Then He said to him, "Stand up and go; your faith has saved you." Memorial of Saint Josaphat, Bishop and Martyr Saint Josaphat, pray for us! Bishop Sheen quote of the day
Pastoral Reflections Finding God In Ourselves by Msgr. Don Fischer
Gospel Luke 17:11-19 As Jesus continued his journey to Jerusalem, he traveled through Samaria and Galilee. As he was entering a village, ten lepers met him. They stood at a distance from him and raised their voice, saying, "Jesus, Master! Have pity on us!" And when he saw them, he said, "Go show yourselves to the priests." As they were going they were cleansed. And one of them, realizing he had been healed, returned, glorifying God in a loud voice; and he fell at the feet of Jesus and thanked him. He was a Samaritan. Jesus said in reply, "Ten were cleansed, were they not? Where are the other nine? Has none but this foreigner returned to give thanks to God?" Then he said to him, "Stand up and go; your faith has saved you.” Reflection Whenever this is read, people wonder why did the other nine not thank Jesus? It's because they were like so many of us, that when God enters into our life and does something wonderful for us, we sometimes don't focus so much on who was the source of our healing, our transformation and just go on thinking that we're doing much better. We're growing, we're changing, we're healing. Nothing is more important than recognizing the ways in which God continues to heal us and draw us into his kingdom by slowly, one miracle after another miracle after another miracle. A transforming love is what God offers us. And when that transformation happens, we often think it's our own doing. We need to focus on the source and give him praise and thanks for who he is. A God who saves. Closing Prayer Father, increase our awareness of your flow of grace that comes to us over and over again. Help us to live in a disposition of gratitude, knowing that as we make progress, as we grow in our fullness or consciousness, as we grow and change, let us give the credit to the one who is the source of all healing, of all transformation. God within us, the Holy Spirit's power filling us. We ask this in Jesus' name, Amen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Today, the Church celebrates the Memorial of St. Josaphat, a bishop and martyr who gave his life for the unity of the Church — a unity founded in Christ Himself, who “is our peace, He who made both one and broke down the dividing wall of enmity through His flesh” (Eph 2:14).In today's Gospel, we encounter the ten lepers who call out to Jesus from a distance. Only one returns to give thanks — a Samaritan, a foreigner. Yet it is this “outsider” who draws near, falls at Christ's feet, and glorifies God. His gratitude becomes worship. The Greek word used here is eucharisteo — to give thanks — the same root of our word Eucharist. In that moment, the healed man “Eucharisted” Jesus, showing us that true thanksgiving is communion with God Himself.Fr. Tyler reflects on how this healing foreshadows what Christ accomplishes in the Eucharist: God drawing near to the outcast, uniting what was divided, and restoring communion through His Body and Blood. Just as the Samaritan crossed the barrier between distance and intimacy, Christ crosses the infinite divide between heaven and earth, destroying the walls that sin has built.St. Josaphat lived this mystery to the end. In a time of bitter division between East and West, he longed for the unity of all Christians under the successor of Peter. For this, he was martyred — his blood becoming the seed of reconciliation. His life echoes the very prayer of Christ in John 17: “That they may all be one, as You, Father, are in Me and I in You.”Let us pray today that, like St. Josaphat, we may become instruments of unity — people who heal, reconcile, and draw others toward the Eucharist, where all division is destroyed and all hearts are made one in Christ.Watch today's Daily Homily with Fr. Tyler on DivineMercyPlus.org or the free DM+ app.#frtyler #stjosaphat #unity #eucharist #onenessinchrist #catholicunity #bodyofchrist #massreflection #dailyhomily #divinemercy #thedivinemercy #marian #marians #marianfathers #marianhelpers #catholic #catholicism #romancatholic #romancatholicism #catholictiktok ★ Support this podcast ★
As Jesus continued his journey to Jerusalem,he traveled through Samaria and Galilee.As he was entering a village, ten lepers met him.They stood at a distance from him and raised their voice, saying,"Jesus, Master! Have pity on us!"And when he saw them, he said,"Go show yourselves to the priests."As they were going they were cleansed.And one of them, realizing he had been healed,returned, glorifying God in a loud voice;and he fell at the feet of Jesus and thanked him.He was a Samaritan.Jesus said in reply,"Ten were cleansed, were they not?Where are the other nine?Has none but this foreigner returned to give thanks to God?"Then he said to him, "Stand up and go;your faith has saved you."
This week at LYA, we look at John 4:10–26 and discover how Jesus invites us to drink from the living water that truly satisfies. Through His conversation with the Samaritan woman, Jesus reveals that true worship begins when we allow our desires to lead us to Him, confront the things that have left us empty, and learn to worship God on His terms. Because worship isn't about preference, performance, or place—it's about a Person. When we worship in Spirit and in truth, we find the living water that never runs dry. Join us every Tuesday in the LSM Building @ 7 p.m. & follow us on Instagram for all important updates @lyahampton.
We're kicking off a brand new 7-week series in the Book of Acts, inspired by our Bible study The Wild Invitation! In this episode, we reflect on how waiting doesn't have to be passive or frustrating—it can be a beautiful season of prayer, unity, and expectation when we're led by the Spirit. Together, we share honest stories, biblical truths, and encouragement for anyone who finds themselves in a holding pattern. We're learning, growing, and studying right alongside you. In This Episode 01:56 – Why Acts Resonates Deeply 04:08 – The Power of Bible Study in Community 08:16 – Bible Girl Crush: Deborah vs Ruth 11:20 – Reading Acts 1 Together 15:35 – What It Means to Wait With the Spirit 18:45 – Raising Expectations in the Waiting 20:19 – Prayer That Sustains Us 23:12 – Navigating Disappointment With Faith 27:08 – Unity and the Power of Community 31:14 – Listening for God's Voice in the Silence 34:05 – Final Encouragement & This Week's Challenge ORDER OUR NEW STUDY! This seven-week, verse-by-verse study through the book of Acts invites you to embrace the unpredictable, sometimes challenging adventure of Spirit-led living that characterized the early church. Thanks to Our Sponsors Operation Christmas Child: Operation Christmas Child, a project of Samaritan's Purse, partners with churches to collect and distribute gift-filled shoeboxes to millions of children around the world, telling them the Good News of Jesus Christ, God's Greatest Gift. For more, visit samaritanspurse.org/occ. Piper and Leaf: Visit PiperandLeaf.com to pick up an Advent Tea set for you or someone you love! NIV Application Study Bible - Grab your copy today! Winshape: Learn more or submit your application today! If you'd like to partner with For The Girl as a sponsor, fill out our Advertise With Us form! Follow us!
In today's episode, Jesus passes through Samaria, a town that most Jews considered to be so loathsome that even setting foot inside the city limits would have been frowned upon. Jesus not only does this, but he breaks custom by asking a Samaritan woman for a drink of water, telling her about the living water that leads to eternal life. Along with his disciples, he stays for two days before continuing onward to Galilee. Later, in Jerusalem, Jesus heals a mand on the Sabbath and refers to God as his Father, and this is where he begins to earn the ire of the Pharisees.John 4 - 1:09 . John 5 - 10:16 . Psalm 145 - 17:56 . :::Christian Standard Bible translation.All music written and produced by John Burgess Ross.Co-produced by Bobby Brown, Katelyn Pridgen, Eric Williamson & the Christian Standard Biblefacebook.com/commuterbibleinstagram.com/commuter_bibletwitter.com/CommuterPodpatreon.com/commuterbibleadmin@commuterbible.org
Welcome back to This Week in Work, your Tuesday news round-up where workplace culture meets behavioural science. This week: political shockwaves for DEI, an unexpected quiet-quitting success story, retail workers pushed to the brink by Christmas music, a myth-busting Truth or Lie, and three big Workplace Surgery questions.
If you have been affected by any of the themes in this episode, please consider visiting the following resources: The Samaritans helpline: 116 123 Refuge domestic abuse helpline: 0808 2000 247 (live chat is also available at https://www.nationaldahelpline.org.uk/Contact-us *times apply) Safeline domestic abuse helpline: 01926 402 498 Safeline national male survivor helpline: 0808 800 5005 Rape Crisis Helpline: 0808 802 9999 (help is also available at live chat at https://rapecrisis.org.uk/get-help/live-chat-helpline/ *times apply) Sexual Assault Support Line: 01708 765200 To advertise on the show, contact sales@advertisecast.com or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/thecriminalmakeup. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
In this powerful episode of Miracles in the News, Holly and Emily unpack the incredible true story behind a viral body cam video that captured what can only be described as divine intervention. When Texas mom, Jonquetta, suffered a sudden seizure while driving with her two children, their car veered off the road and plunged into a deep pond. As the vehicle began to sink, 12-year-old Dwight and his sister Bri-Asia fought to save their unconscious mother—but when their efforts failed, Dwight sprinted to the highway, desperate for help. By what can only be called divine timing, Officer Cobb happened to be patrolling nearby. His body cam footage records the frantic moments as he dove into the murky water, struggling to open the submerged car door. Just then, a good Samaritan named Epifanio—on his way home from church—stopped, jumped in, and helped shatter the car window. Together, the men pulled Jonquetta from the water and began CPR, while Epifanio prayed aloud, calling on the name of Jesus. Their combined courage, quick action, and faith turned what seemed destined for tragedy into a life-saving miracle. Holly and Emily share how every second mattered, the safety lessons this story teaches, and why everyone involved believes God's hand was guiding them that day. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------If you're a fan of true crime but crave a dose of inspiration instead of tales of darkness, The Miracle Files is your perfect alternative. With the same storytelling intensity as true crime podcasts, The Miracle Files delves into the details of each miraculous story, exploring the people and circumstances that turned these moments into something unforgettable. Whether you believe in divine intervention or human perseverance, this podcast will leave you feeling uplifted and amazed.Website: www.themiraclefiles.comPodcast/RSS: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-miracle-files/id1714203488Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_miracle_files_podcastFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.phpid=100093613416005&mibextid=LQQJ4dTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@the.miracle.files?_t=8rB5ooQd482&_r=1Sources:https://www.youtube.com/shorts/ymIwND8pHm8 https://abcnews.go.com/GMA/News/heart-pounding-bodycam-video-shows-rescue-mom-submerged/story?id=112827095 https://www.youtube.com/shorts/86A4TZK-0h0https://www.kidsandcars.org/https://www.youtube.com/watch?si=HgKEpArOBlisLLca&v=QBQt4FbiNzg&feature=youtu.be
Jason Miller - Jesus chooses to enter Samaria and meet with a Samaritan woman in an act of cultural subversion. While there, his strange conversation with the woman illuminates the surprising ways God might be speaking to us as we seek the beautiful life to which God calls us. What's Happening View our Quarterly Financial Report (Q1) Check out our conversation with Becky Ykema, our new full-time staff member with a focus on worship and formation. Join our Discord! Support the ongoing work of SBCC by giving to the general fund. South Bend City Church is a 501(c)3 tax-exempt organization. All donations are tax-deductible. Make sure to select the correct fund when giving.
Today on Karl and Crew, we had Alex Nsengimana join us to share with us about Operation Christmas Child, a ministry through Samaritan’s Purse that provides children with simple shoebox gifts and the love of Christ. He also shared how the ministry impacted his life as a child while he was in an orphanage after escaping a gunman and losing his family. Alex currently serves with Operation Christmas Child, paying forward the hope and love he received through a shoebox gift. We also turned to the phone lines and texts to ask our listeners the question, “What have you discovered about the character of God that you didn’t get at first, but now you understand?” Then we had Drew Dyck join us to discuss how to navigate a midlife crisis in the context of faith. Drew is an acquisitions editor with Moody Publishers and a contributing editor for Christianity Today for Pastors. He has also authored several books, including “Your Future Self Will Thank You: Secrets to Self-Control from the Bible and Brain Science.” You can listen to the highlights of today's program on the Karl and Crew Showcast. If you're looking to listen to a particular segment from the show, look at the following time stamps: Alex Nsengimana Interview [03:34] Called Segment [ 33:33] Drew Dyck Interview [51:38 ] Karl and Crew airs live weekday mornings from 5-9 a.m. Central Time. Click this link for ways to listen in your area! https://www.moodyradio.org/ways-to-listen/Donate to Moody Radio: http://moodyradio.org/donateto/morningshowSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
This week on Killers, Cults & Queens, Cheryl and Nikki revisit one of the BBC's most infamous moments — Ghostwatch. Broadcast on Halloween night in 1992, the show appeared to be a live investigation into a haunted house… but what viewers didn't know was that it was entirely scripted. The result? Panic, confusion, and a scandal that would see the show banned for over a decade.Join us as we unpick how Ghostwatch blurred the lines between fact and fiction, why it terrified an entire nation, and how it paved the way for the modern horror genre. From Michael Parkinson's chilling final moments to the real-life consequences for viewers, this is the story of the hoax that went too far.Expect spooky nostalgia as we explore the show that made Britain believe in the supernatural — if only for one terrifying night.
One way to please God and show his heart for all people is to invite. To ask a simple question: “Would you like to come for coffee?” can negate a lifetime of rejections. To think, "they aren't like me" can make us hesitate to invite. The biblical definition of hospitality means to invite the stranger and some may be a little strange! At least different from how we live, that's for sure. Jesus told us what love is when he told the story of the good Samaritan. I love that story and I'm always a little convicted! How about you? Is it a risk to invite someone you don't know? God will give you the courage if he is leading the way. Some thoughts from today's podcast What kind of courage does it take to invite a stranger? It takes a Paul-courage, a Peter-courage, a Samson-courage, a Joshua-courage. You might think hospitality means having your friends over. It does. But it's so much bigger and grander. Another way to explain what God means by hospitality is to give without a thought of receiving anything in return. Someone said, “Share the Gospel. Use words if necessary.” I would add, “Share your life. Make soup and maybe brownies.” To invite a stranger into your home and out of their life—for just a few hours—creates a sacred space and isn't far from holy living. We miss you, Doug! From Never Alone: Stories of Invitation and Connection
In this heartfelt episode of the mi365 Podcast, Pete Cohen brings together a circle of lifelong friends — Billy Schwer, Andy Selling, and Michelle Humphrey — for an open and deeply human conversation about friendship, connection, and the importance of being in each other's corner. Alongside them is Toby, Michelle's 18-year-old son, standing at the beginning of his adult journey, surrounded by people who genuinely want to see him thrive. Together, they explore how friendships evolve over time, the balance between independence and connection, and the healing power of truly being seen, heard, and supported. In This Episode
Today, we uncover the hidden hypocrisy of SNAP benefits and the government's bloated role in "helping" the poor, urging Christians to reclaim biblical charity over socialist handouts. We expose Zohran Mamdani's radical rise to being the heavy favorite in the New York City Mayoral race, revealing why his socialist agenda threatens every American's freedom. Plus, Allie debunks vicious X smears surrounding her Turning Point USA speech, standing firm in truth. Join us to reject welfare traps, defend liberty, and live boldly for God's justice. Buy Allie's book "Toxic Empathy: How Progressives Exploit Christian Compassion": https://www.toxicempathy.com/ --- Timecodes: (00:00) Introduction (04:30) Addressing the "Controversy" (19:15) Government Shutdown & SNAP (23:55) Problems with SNAP (36:00) Biblical Perspective of SNAP (42:55) Who is Zohran Mamdani? --- Today's Sponsors: Good Ranchers — Go to https://GoodRanchers.com and subscribe to any of their boxes (but preferably the Allie Beth Stuckey Box) to get free Waygu burgers, hot dogs, bacon, or chicken wings in every box for life. Plus, you'll get $40 off when you use code ALLIE at checkout. We Heart Nutrition — Get 20% off women's vitamins with We Heart Nutrition, and get your first bottle of their new supplement, Wholesome Balance; use code ALLIE at https://www.WeHeartNutrition.com. Pre-Born — Will you help rescue babies' lives? Donate by calling #250 & say keyword 'BABY' or go to Preborn.com/ALLIE. Patriot Mobile — go to PatriotMobile.com/ALLIE or call 972-PATRIOT and use promo code 'ALLIE' for a free month of service! Carly Jean Los Angeles — Go to https://www.carlyjeanlosangeles.com and use code ALLIEB to get 20% off your first CJLA order, site wide (one-time use only) and start filling your closet with timeless staple pieces. Samaritan's Purse — Operation Christmas Child is the world's largest Christmas project of its kind & its mission is to demonstrate God's love in a tangible way to children in need around the world & to share the Good News of Jesus Christ. Will you join Operation Christmas Child this season by packing shoebox gifts or building shoebox gifts online? Go to SamaritansPurse.org/OCC to learn how to pack a shoebox! --- Episodes you might like: Ep 1259 | Deporting Danger: Why Leftists Hate ICE | Ron Simmons https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/relatable-with-allie-beth-stuckey/id1359249098?i=1000733757063 Ep 1228 | She Helped AOC Win. Now She's Exposing Zohran Mamdani & Climate Activism | Lucy Biggers https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ep-1228-she-helped-aoc-win-now-shes-exposing-zohran/id1359249098?i=1000721225319 Ep 1013 | Ms. Rachel Uses Jesus to Push Pride https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ep-1013-ms-rachel-uses-jesus-to-push-pride/id1359249098?i=1000657841626 Ep 419 | How to Be an Anti-Communist | Guest: Jesse Kelly https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ep-419-how-to-be-an-anti-communist-guest-jesse-kelly/id1359249098?i=1000521443966 --- Buy Allie's book "You're Not Enough (& That's Okay): Escaping the Toxic Culture of Self-Love": https://alliebethstuckey.com/book Relatable merchandise – use promo code 'ALLIE10' for a discount: https://shop.blazemedia.com/collections/allie-stuckey Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices