Podcasts about Savior

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Read OnlineThe Holy One of GodIn the synagogue there was a man with the spirit of an unclean demon, and he cried out in a loud voice, “What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!” Jesus rebuked him and said, “Be quiet! Come out of him!” Then the demon threw the man down in front of them and came out of him without doing him any harm. Luke 4:33–35Yesterday, we began reading from the Gospel of Luke in our weekday liturgies, and we will continue to do so until the season of Advent. Luke's Gospel was written especially for Gentile converts—those unfamiliar with Jewish customs—presenting Jesus not only as the fulfillment of Israel's hopes but also as the Savior of all humanity. Unlike Matthew, who highlights Christ's fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy, Luke reveals a broader vision: a universal Savior who brings healing, mercy, and salvation to the poor, the outcast, and the sinner.In today's passage, that universal mission is subtly foreshadowed through Jesus' divine authority. Though the setting is a Jewish synagogue in Capernaum, His actions speak to a power not confined to time, place, or people. With a simple word, Jesus rebukes the demon, silences its protest, and frees the afflicted man. The astonishment of the crowd—“What is there about his word?”—captures the essence of the moment: Here is One whose authority reaches even into the unseen spiritual world and commands it.Though He ministers among His own people, Jesus is not merely a teacher of the Law or a local prophet. His authority is absolute, His identity divine. The demon's cry—“I know who you are, the Holy One of God!”—offers a strange testimony: Even the spiritual forces of darkness recognize and submit to Him. This is not just a healing; it is a confrontation between the kingdom of God and the powers of evil. And it is only the beginning.Luke includes this scene early in his Gospel to show that Jesus' mission is one of liberation—liberation from sin, bondage, and every form of darkness. The fact that this miracle occurs in a synagogue reminds us that no place, however sacred, is immune to the presence of evil. But more importantly, it reminds us that no evil is immune to the authority of Christ.It is also helpful to recall the broader context. This event comes shortly after Jesus' baptism, His forty days in the desert, and His rejection in Nazareth. That rejection led Him to Capernaum, a humble fishing village that would become the center of His Galilean ministry. It is here that He will call Peter, Andrew, James, John, and Matthew—men who will carry His Gospel to the ends of the earth. Thus, what begins in a small synagogue soon echoes to the nations.Reflect today on the universal scope of Luke's Gospel, which we will hear over the coming months. Though Jesus begins within Israel, His mission reaches every soul. By beginning His ministry with a confrontation against evil, Jesus reveals that He has come not only to teach but to conquer—to break the chains of darkness and bring divine healing to the world. His Word still speaks with authority. May we listen, believe, and be set free from the evil one and all his demonic powers, so that we may help proclaim Christ's Kingdom to the ends of the earth in our own unique ways.My Lord and Holy One of God, from the very beginning of Your public ministry, You established Your divine authority over evil, revealing that You came to destroy the kingdom of darkness and to build Your Eternal Kingdom of truth and grace. Please cast out all evil and sin from my heart, so that Your reign may take full possession of my soul. Use me as You will to further Your Kingdom on earth, bringing Your light and truth to the ends of the earth, one soul at a time. Jesus, I trust in You.Image: Jesus Casts Out the Evil Spirit, by Julius Schnorr von CarolsfeldSource: Free RSS feed from catholic-daily-reflections.com — Copyright © 2026 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. This content is provided solely for personal, non-commercial use. Redistribution, republication, or commercial use — including use within apps with advertising — is strictly prohibited without written permission.

God Sits With You in the Dark by Autumn Dickson Psalm 102 is a chapter that reminds me a bit of one of the chapters we already discussed in psalms. The psalmist feels weary and broken, but despite the hardship the psalmist still praises the Lord. When we discussed the similar psalm last time, we spoke about the faith-building activity of praising the Lord after pouring our hearts out to Him. I want to approach it from a different angle this time. We know that the psalmist has a testimony of the Lord from verses like this. Psalms 102:24-27 24 I said, O my God, take me not away in the midst of my days: thy years are throughout all generations. 25 Of old hast thou laid the foundation of the earth: and the heavens are the work of thy hands. 26 They shall perish, but thou shalt endure: yea, all of them shall wax old like a garment; as a vesture shalt thou change them, and they shall be changed: 27 But thou art the same, and thy years shall have no end. Despite all that the psalmist is feeling, he recognizes that the Lord's power endures beyond it all. He is strong and unending, omniscient, omnipotent. The psalmist also has a testimony that the Lord listens to those who are weak. Psalms 102:17 He will regard the prayer of the destitute, and not despise their prayer. This psalmist has some very important testimonies. He knows the power of God, and He knows that God is on his side. What more could you ask for in this mortal life? Surely the Lord allows difficulty in mortality for a reason, but when everything boils down, you have already won everything because of the merits of the Savior. We have every reason to rejoice. We have every reason to see the happy ending on the horizon. We have every reason to be at peace because the Lord is our God, and He has promised to make everything right. And yet, despite this testimony of God's omnipotence and willingness to uphold His children, this psalmist also spends half the psalm crying out to God over his pain. It's easy to think of the psalmist as complaining in the beginning. It would be easy to assume he simply doesn't have enough faith and grows into that faith by the end of the psalm. He had to grow through a process in which his faith was building enough to comfort him. And in some ways, this viewpoint is accurate. I'm sure he did grow when he praised the Lord in pain. I've watched it occur many times in my own life. There have been many times where the Lord has helped me walk through faith-building activities. I've started at a low point only to end in a place where I sincerely feel like rejoicing because He has given me glimpses of how my story ends. And yet, as I read this psalm this morning, the Lord gave me a different viewpoint. Yes, I'm sure the psalmist grew in faith as he wrote about his testimony. However, the psalmist didn't start from a point of faithlessness. It takes faith to praise the Lord in a time of need, but it also takes faith to be vulnerable and turn to the Lord in a time of need. I have a testimony of the Lord. I know Him. I know His character, and I often feel reason to rejoice. When things are hard, I don't often have to force myself into gratitude. I know that He will carry me. He has proved it time and again. And yet despite the many testimonies that He has given me of Him and despite the many times that He has proved Himself, mortal life still feels heavy sometimes. So, so heavy. Faith can be a remedy to some of that heaviness, but it is not accurate to say that heaviness comes because of a lack of faith. It takes faith to find comfort when surrounded by the heaviness of mortal life. But it also takes faith to keep holding on when the Lord is silent. It takes faith to remember Him enough to wait it out when you don't feel like rejoicing. It takes faith to turn to Him in despair even when it doesn't feel as though He is responding much. Heaviness and difficulty in mortal life aren't signs that your faith is weak; heaviness and difficulty are simply facts of mortal life. And sometimes sitting in that heaviness is what you need. Sometimes you don't need to find the bright light yet. Sometimes you just need Someone to sit with you in the heaviness for a while before it's time to find the lightness again. I remember being in a dark place on my mission. Everything felt heavy and hopeless. I didn't want to love anyone anymore because I was so tired of all the pain that came with loving people. Maybe I didn't actually feel that way long-term, but at that moment, I was too tired to keep loving all of these people. It had weight, especially when people didn't choose the things that could bring hope or even when people were simply going through their own heaviness. I was just tired. As my companion took a shower, I went out to our living area and prayed in that darkness. He came. He didn't directly comfort me. He didn't whisper a happy ending or try to lift my sights. I actually distinctly remember feeling like He was just sitting with me in that heaviness and darkness. It was precisely what I needed. Faith can take on many forms. It can look like rejoicing, and I am so grateful to have found that powerful aspect of faith. But I also know that sitting in darkness is not an indication of a lack of faith. I testify that mortal life is supposed to be heavy and dark sometimes. It was part of His divine plan. It was supposed to happen. We were supposed to be taken to our limits so that we could expand our limits. I testify that faith often comforts and uplifts and rejoices in the midst of difficulty, but I also that sometimes faith manifests in a slightly more subtle feeling. It's the feeling that you want to keep holding on even when the rejoicing is absent. It's a feeling that you can be open and vulnerable with Him, and He will not scorn you for it. I testify that He will hear the prayer of the destitute and not despise them for it. Autumn Dickson was born and raised in a small town in Texas. She served a mission in the Indianapolis Indiana mission. She studied elementary education but has found a particular passion in teaching the gospel. Her desire for her content is to inspire people to feel confident, peaceful, and joyful about their relationship with Jesus Christ and to allow that relationship to touch every aspect of their lives. Autumn was the recipient of FAIR's 2024 John Taylor Defender of the Faith Award. The post Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Psalms 102–103; 110; 116–119; 127–128; 135–139; 146–150 – Part 1 – Autumn Dickson appeared first on FAIR.

On this edition of Equipped, Chris Brooks welcomes cold-case homicide detective J. Warner Wallace. Investigating death has, surprisingly, taught our guest much about life, the nature of people, and the Truth of the Bible. He explores the connection between modern behavioral research and the Biblical record. Don't miss this intriguing look at death, life, purpose, and the Savior on Equipped with Chris Brooks. Featured resource:The Truth in True Crime by J. Warner Wallace August thank you gift:A Compelling Faith in a Compromising Culture by Mike Tatlock Equipped with Chris Brooks is made possible through your support. To donate now, click here.

Sermon Series: Lost & Found Preacher: Josh White 8.30.26

The Antichrist. Armageddon. The Beast. 666. For centuries, the book of Revelation has fascinated, frightened, and confused Christians, but what if we've been so focused on decoding its mysteries that we've missed its main message? The Revelation is a 3-month journey through the Bible's final book, exploring its controversial prophecies, warnings to the Church, and breathtaking vision of the future. Along the way, we'll separate Scripture from speculation and discover that Revelation wasn't written just to make us afraid of what's coming. It was written to reveal Jesus Christ - the King who reigns over all other powers, the Lamb who conquers evil, and the Savior who promises that pain, death, and darkness won't have the last word. The future belongs to Jesus, and that should change how we live right now.

https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/daily-devotions/20260831dev.mp3 Listen to Devotion I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. Romans 8:18 No Comparison A diagnosis. An unexpected funeral. The loss of a job. A difficult marriage. Chronic pain. Loneliness. Anxiety. The daily struggle against temptation. The list can go far beyond the 400-word limit for this devotion. The Bible never denies suffering. Nor does it pretend or promise that Christians have an easier life. In fact, sometimes Christians have a more difficult life because they are Christians. That’s what the Bible call the cross—suffering for the sake of our faith. But when you place our crosses alongside the crown that Christ has prepared, there is no comparison. Imagine placing a pebble beside a mountain or a single candle beside the noon-day sun. The pebble is real. The candle gives real light. But beside something infinitely greater, they fade from view. So, too, the glory Christ won for us by his death and resurrection is so overwhelming that today’s suffering cannot be compared to tomorrow’s joy. That doesn’t mean our pain doesn’t matter. It mattered enough that Jesus entered it himself. He carried the greatest cross ever borne—the weight of the world’s sin, the Father’s judgment, and death itself. At Calvary, our Savior wore a crown of thorns so that one day we would wear the crown of life. Because Christ carried the cross first, your crosses are never signs that God has abandoned you. They are reminders that you are following the Savior who walked this road before you. More than that, they assure you that suffering is never the final chapter of your story. The day is coming when tears will be wiped away, and sin will trouble you no more. Your body will be raised in glory, and you will stand forever in the presence of the One who redeemed you. Until then, fix your eyes not on the weight of today’s cross but on the certainty of tomorrow’s crown. Prayer: Lord Jesus, when the crosses of this life seem too heavy to bear, lift my eyes to the glory you have prepared for me. Remind me that you carried the greatest cross so that I might receive the crown of life. Strengthen my faith to endure with hope until the day I see you face to face. In your holy name I pray. Amen. Daily Devotions is brought to you by WELS. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

In “How the Church Moves,” Caleb Cole teaches from 1 Timothy 5 about becoming a healthy church that moves with purity, responsibility, and honor. From caring for people in need and providing for our families to honoring accountable leaders, working hard, staying connected to Christ, and caring for our whole selves, this message challenges us to leave autopilot faith behind and live intentionally through wholehearted surrender to Jesus. (00:00) - Continuing Through 1 Timothy (01:05) - Reading 1 Timothy 5 (03:53) - How the Church Should Move (05:19) - The Danger of Autopilot Faith (07:24) - Move Pure, Responsible, and With Honor (08:04) - Move With a Mindset of Purity (12:44) - Guard Your Own Purity (15:26) - Caring for Widows and Those in Need (21:28) - Hope in God and Purposeful Living (25:01) - Work Hard and Be a Provider (29:24) - Serving With the Time You Have (30:12) - Honor Your Leaders (32:36) - Honor Must Include Accountability (35:27) - Take Care of Yourself Physically (37:56) - Your Soul Needs a Savior

What does the Gospel of John reveal about who Jesus really is? In this message from The Gospels, we journey through the Book of John and discover Jesus as the Light in the darkness, the Bread of Life, the Living Water, the Good Shepherd, and the Way, the Truth, and the Life. John gives us a beautiful picture of a Savior who doesn't simply offer us information about God—He invites us into a relationship with Him. At the center of John's Gospel is the incredible truth that God so loved the world that He gave His Son so that we could have life. Wherever you are today, Jesus is still the Light when you feel lost, the Living Water when your soul is thirsty, and the Good Shepherd who knows you and cares for you. The Gospels See Jesus. Know Jesus. Follow Jesus.

After Hurricane Helene’s floodwaters nearly destroyed his small North Carolina town in 2024, a pastor noticed an inspiring pattern. As he struggled to answer the persistent question, “What do you need?” donations kept showing up exactly when he needed them. Phone chargers? Out of the blue, a man drove up with a generator, creating a charging station at the church. Drinking water? Suddenly, pallets of water bottles arrived. Coincidence? The Bible points us to God, not mere happenstance. “My God will meet all your needs according to the riches of His glory in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19). The promise might seem empty to a town nearly demolished by a thirty-foot wall of raging water. But Paul, who was in prison when he offered this encouragement, was no stranger to hardship. Paul was writing to the church in Philippi to thank them for badly needed financial gifts. Except for them, he’d been neglected (v. 15). But God used them to meet his needs. So, His words shined a bright light on God who provided the “riches of His glory” found in Christ Jesus our Savior, in whom we have “every spiritual blessing” (Ephesians 1:3). Joy, peace, truth, salvation are among the needs He richly provides. In kindness as well, He’ll provide a drink of water too, if that’s what we need. What a loving, generous God.

Join us for a workshop on Isaiah for as low as $39. For more information email TheScripturesAreReal@gmail.comJoin us for fantastic content on our Patreon website: https://www.patreon.com/c/EnlightenEdgeEDU . This week on Patreon Kerry and Ryan Davis explore one of the most powerful Psalms and what it teaches about God and Hesed (God's covenantal love, mercy, and loyalty).Join us for an incredible cruise with amazing spiritual momentum where you hear from Elaine Dalton, myself, Jasen Wade, Kirby Heyborne, Jenny Oaks Baker, Nathan Pacheco, and more. During July you can get $250 off for the second person, and $50 of for each person with the discount code KERRY. Go to https://www.goanddotravel.com/momentum-27-west-2 and join right away!In this episode Kerry and Jenny Oaks Baker explore how music brings power into our lives and thus how we can draw more power out of the Psalms. Jenny shares some stories from her family and life and how it combines with music to bless her life. Then Kerry and Dr. Paul Hoskisson explore names of God, Christ, and others in the scriptures, especially the Psalms, to help us gain more meaning from them. They specifically look at how Jesus used Psalm 110 to teach about who He is, for both the pharisees and us. Then Kerry and Nathan Pacheco talk about Psalm 127 and how we need the Lord to build anything in our lives. Nathan shares how this helped him in his work and career. They talk about how important that is in our families and children being a heritage from the Lord. They explore what it means that children are a heritage from the Lord, a phrase used in Psalm 127 that is also used in the Proclamation on the Family. Then Kerry and Rabbi Jarrod Grover discuss the Hillel Psalms, which were probably psalms that the Savior sang with His apostles just before going to Gethsemane. The Rabbi brings out a small insight from the Hebrew text for several of those psalms, helping us understand them better and the Savior better.We are grateful for our executive producers, P. Franzen, J. Parke, D. Watson, B. Van Blerkom, the Dawsons, M. Cannon, M. Rosema, B. Fisher, J. Beardall, D. Anderson, M. Zitar, J. Edwards, A. Dixon, T. Cottrell, and H. Umphlett, and for all our generous and loyal donors. We are also very grateful for all our Patreon members. We are so thankful for Beehive Broadcast for producing the podcast and for Rich Nicholls, who composed and plays the music for the podcast.Hide

" You really become a new person. You become who you are, who you really are... It took me a little bit of time. It didn't happen overnight for me. But when I decided to change, when I really wanted to change...The other time that I tried to change, I didn't pull the Savior in much. It was, "I'm gonna stop. I'm gonna change friends." This time was different. I really put the effort in to bring Him into my life."Tickets to the Come Back to Christ Event: www.comebackpodcast.org00:00 Rock Bottom00:48 Podcast Event Announcement07:34 Early Substance Experimentation11:26 Hard Drugs Arrests and Wake Up Call20:50 Homeless After Graduation22:12 Rock Bottom Dream Warning23:30 Return Home Spiritual Reset25:09 Mission Struggles Coming Clean30:26 Made Whole Through ChristMike's Auto Shackhttps://mikesautoshack.com/Serve Clothing code COMEBACK for 15% offhttps://serveclothing.com/If you have a story to share please submit here: https://comebackpodcast.org/submissions/For inquiries contact info.comebackpodcast@gmail.comCome Back Team:Director, Founder, & Host: Ashly StoneEditor: Cara ReedOutreach Manager: Jenna CarlsonAssistant Editor: Britt SmallzeArt Director: Jeremy GarciaProduction Director: Trent Wardwell

This week, Alan continues in Isaiah 35 and Isaiah 62 with a reminder for every anxious, weary, or waiting heart: "Behold, your Savior comes." God has not forgotten or forsaken His people; He comes as our restorer, deliverer, redeemer, and great rewarder, turning places of abandonment into amazement, grief into gladness, and wilderness into wonder. The wilderness may whisper that we are unseen and that the best days are behind us, but God declares that the dry land will rejoice and the desert will bloom. As we turn our eyes upon Jesus and behold His faithfulness, anxiety loses its hold and joy begins to overtake us. This message invites us to stop interpreting the wilderness as evidence of God's absence, to trust the hidden work He is establishing in us, and to believe that He is bringing redemption to our dry places, planting us in faithfulness, and releasing a fresh oil of gladness and joy.

What if the thing you're missing isn't something to receive—but a place to serve?This message highlights the people who make ministry happen, why serving matters, and how stepping in can shape more than just a Sunday.You may have more to offer than you realize.Listen to find out what happens when you stop watching and start participating.▶SUBSCRIBE: https://www.youtube.com/c/SouthernHillsLV▶Do you know Jesus as your Savior? https://www.southernhillslv.com/the-gospel▶ DONATE: https://pushpay.com/g/southernhills?src=hpp&r=monthly▶ Visit Southern Hills: https://www.southernhillslv.com/▶ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southernhillslv▶ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernhillslv/Pastor Caleb Sargent serves as Executive Pastor at Southern Hills Church in Las Vegas, where he helps lead strategy, develop leaders, and build processes to serve people — not the other way around. Known for his practical, encouraging teaching style, Caleb is passionate about helping people grow in discipleship, discover their calling, and live lives centered on Christ.#bibleteaching #southernhillschurch #churchsouthwestlasvegas #Bible #Christian #mind #humble #serving #obedience

When tomorrow feels heavy before it even arrives, worry can steal the peace God has given you today. The endless what-ifs—What if something goes wrong? What if I can't handle it? What if things don't work out?—can leave you exhausted from carrying problems that haven't happened yet. Jesus offers a different way in Matthew 6:34: “Do not worry about tomorrow.” He isn't telling us to ignore life's difficulties or pretend everything will be easy. He's reminding us that tomorrow belongs to Him. Letting go of tomorrow requires releasing our need for control and learning to trust God's care one day at a time. Jesus points to the birds and flowers as reminders that our heavenly Father knows what we need and faithfully provides. We don't have to figure everything out today. Through prayer, thanksgiving, and trust, we can bring our fears to God and find the strength and peace we need for the day in front of us. Highlights Why Jesus tells us not to carry tomorrow's worries today How worry and the desire for control can steal our peace What the birds and flowers teach us about trusting God's provision Why prayer and praise offer a better path than anxiety and overthinking How God meets us personally in the middle of our burdens Learning to trust God with the future, even when tomorrow may bring hardship A reminder that God's grace is sufficient for each day Want more encouragement throughout your week? Subscribe to The Good Word, LifeAudio’s free weekly newsletter. Sign up at LifeAudio.com/thegoodword Do you want to listen ad-free? When you join Crosswalk Plus, you gain access to exclusive, in-depth Bible study guides, devotionals, sound biblical advice, and daily encouragement from trusted pastors and authors—resources designed to strengthen your faith and equip you to live it out boldly. PLUS ad free podcasts! Sign Up Today! Full Transcript Below: When You’re Tired of Carrying Tomorrow By Sarah Frazer Bible Reading: “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” - Matthew 6:34 Walking down a crowded street, gazing across a stadium filled with cheering fans, or even standing among a group of believers raising their hands in praise we often don’t think of the burdens everyone carries. Jesus, in his ministry here on earth didn’t see the masses, He saw the person. When the crowds would gather at the feet of Jesus, begging for help, Jesus looked and touched each one. The healing didn’t happen in masses, but individually. He did not stand on a stage and declare the Words of God. He reached out and looked deep inside our souls to show us the truth of God’s love for each us. He helps carry our burdens personally. In Matthew chapter 6 Jesus talks about blessedness, prayer, and money. As he spoke to the crowds, did he see the worry, the stress, and the fatigue of each person? In the middle of His sermon He says to them: “don’t worry.” This phrase means to not be anxious or take on the cares of something. Although the idea carries with it a command, Jesus is not saying “try harder.” Instead, He invited them (and us) to let go. The birds and the flowers, which Jesus gives as examples here are not trying harder not to worry - they just don’t. They don’t work harder at gathering food. They work less. The flowers and birds were created by a loving God who meets all of their needs. Worry is about letting go. Because of God’s loving care for us, we have the peace we need to let go of tomorrow's cares. We do not have to carry it any longer. Jesus will later say in Matthew 11:28-30 to lay down our burdens and find rest, true rest, in Him. Anxiety comes from a heart that spends its time overthinking. In a world and age that is consumed with knowledge, we have bought into the lie that more knowledge means more control. And more control means safety. The birds and the flowers don’t control nature and you and I know we sometimes cannot control the circumstances of our lives. In Matthew 6 Jesus is specifically talking about possessions, money, and treasure. Our treasure is what our heart holds dear. Control can sometimes become our treasure. If we try to control our life, keep it in check, we will only be anxious about tomorrow. We are heavy and weary from carrying tomorrow’s questions. In the end, it is fear and not trust that keeps us from finding peace today. Paul uses the same word for anxious in Philippians 4:6. He says, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” Paul offers us a different path. Instead of worry or control, he invites us to prayer and praise. Carrying tomorrow’s worry not only clouds our view but keeps us from connecting with God. Jesus never promised that tomorrow would be trouble-free. In fact, He acknowledged that each day carries enough burdens of its own. But He also reminds us that we were never meant to carry tomorrow before it arrives. Worry pulls us out of the present moment and places us into an imaginary future where fear often goes unchecked. Prayer, however, brings us back to the presence of God. Look at the birds today. Remember that they depend on the care of their Creator without worry. The flowers bloom without a thought of concern. We, too, can trust our Creator, who loves us deeply. In fact, Jesus says in Luke that we are worth more than any other created being. God invites us to trust Him, and in our prayers, asking God to work, we find peace. God already knows what tomorrow holds, and He holds tomorrow. It isn’t ours to carry anymore. Intersecting Faith & Life: Do you live in fear of the future? All of the what-ifs are out of our control, but they are safe in the loving, sovereign hands of our Savior. Jesus died on the cross, securing our eternal home. We can trust Him with our tomorrows. Our tomorrows might be filled with sorrow, and today you might be facing a daily trial that you wish you could wake up tomorrow and it would be over. Tomorrow might come with hardship and pain. Take Paul’s advice and go to God in prayer. Trust that God’s grace will be sufficient for each day. More than that, we know our God says we do not carry our sorrows alone. What burden are you carrying today that God never asked you to hold alone? Take that worry to Him in prayer. Further Reading: Psalm 55:22 Lamentations 3:22-23 Philippians 4:6-7 1 Peter 5:7 Exodus 16:18-21 Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Dino Dave: This week Fred Williams and Doug McBurney welcome back "Dino" Dave Woetzel of Dino Dave fame on YouTube, at Genesis Park, in churches, globally (and beyond)! * Deep Time & DNA: The discovery of dinosaur DNA will, (once again) destroy the  old age storyline of mythology of evolutionary biology. * Truth Source: We know men and dinosaurs dwelt together because they were created on the same day, (according to the truth source on history, biology, and more! * Diet and the Flood: Hear about why we might find strange food in the coprolites of the creatures killed in Noah's flood.   * In The Beginning: Order your 9th edition of Walt Brown's amazing, enlightening, biblically sound book explaining why Earth (and the solar system) look the way they do!   * August is Telethon Month! Go to our store, buy some biblically oriented science material and sponsor a show to help RSR stay on the radio in Denver advocating the Biblical truths of creation and salvation on Youtube!   * Not So: Pick up a copy or two of RSR's 2nd in our series of Real Science Radio Teaching Books: "The List of Not So Old Things.," with all the "not so old things" Bob Enyart compiled over the years!   * Sun Puzzles: Check out another one of Ellen McHenry's intriguing and enlightening books: Sun Puzzles - on all the curious facts about the Sun that point to an electric, (and not a nuclear) sun.   * Jesus Light & Design: Get the first in our series of Real Science Radio Teaching Books, all about how light and design point to Jesus Christ as the Creator and Savior of the world.

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In episode 503 of The Reformed Brotherhood, Tony Arsenal and Jesse Schwamb conclude their deep dive into Luke 10:25–37 — the Parable of the Good Samaritan. Far from a simple morality tale about helping strangers, this episode unpacks the parable's confrontational legal context, its reversal of expectation, and its profound Christological undertones. Tony and Jesse examine why the lawyer's question about self-justification was always destined to be unanswerable on his own terms, how the priest and Levite serve as a damning mirror for religious professionals, and why the Samaritan's lavish, costly mercy points beyond mere ethics to the gospel itself. The episode also explores the Mary and Martha account that immediately follows, arguing it cannot be read in isolation. Closing with Matthew Henry, the hosts land the discussion squarely on gratitude for Christ, the supreme Good Neighbor. Key Takeaways The parable is fundamentally about self-justification, not mercy ministry. The lawyer's question — "Who is my neighbor?" — is a legal maneuver, and Jesus' answer exposes the impossibility of fulfilling the law through self-effort rather than merely defining the scope of neighborly obligation. Jesus reverses the expected identification of "the neighbor." The listener naturally assumes the beaten man is the neighbor to be loved, but the punchline identifies the Samaritan — the one who showed mercy — as the neighbor, redirecting the question from who must I love to what does love actually look like. The Samaritan's mercy is deliberately, impossibly lavish. His actions — binding wounds, providing transport, paying an open-ended debt for a stranger and likely an enemy — exceed anything a reasonable person would do, pointing to a mercy that transcends mere human virtue. The priest and Levite indict religious professionalism. Their failure is not incidental; it demonstrates that meticulous law observance and ceremonial religiosity can actually obstruct the very love the law commands, hollowing out its spirit while preserving its form. The parable functions under all three uses of the law. For the unregenerate, it terrifies and condemns. For the regenerate, it is a third-use call to Spirit-empowered, grateful obedience. As civil law, it commends a society of compassion over indifference. Christ is the typological Good Neighbor. The Samaritan's actions — pouring oil and wine, bearing the cost, promising to return and settle all debts — carry genuine Christological resonance without requiring a full allegorical reading of every detail. The immediately following Mary and Martha account is thematically inseparable. Luke's editorial placement of that narrative directly after the parable creates a deliberate counterpoint: the one thing necessary is not anxious service but sitting at the feet of Jesus. Key Concepts The Lawyer's Question Was Never Going to Work The lawyer who approaches Jesus in Luke 10 is not a neutral inquirer — he is, as Luke tells us, seeking to justify himself. Tony and Jesse explore what this means with precision: the desire to be justified is not inherently wrong, but the mechanism the lawyer employs — the law — is catastrophically insufficient for the task. When Jesus responds with the parable, he does not sidestep the legal framework; he weaponizes it. The Samaritan's mercy is so extravagant, so far beyond ordinary moral expectation, that it functions not as an achievable standard but as a devastating exposure of how far short every human attempt at law-keeping falls. The command "go and do likewise" is not an encouraging send-off — it is, for the self-justifying lawyer, a door slamming shut. The Samaritan's Mercy Is Intentionally Beyond Reach One of the most important contributions this episode makes is resisting the domestication of the Samaritan's actions into a feel-good story about helping those in need. Tony reframes the scenario in contemporary terms: finding a gravely injured stranger from a hostile ethnic group, providing emergency first aid, transporting them to care, and writing a blank check for all future medical expenses — with no personal obligation to do so. No reasonable person would do this, and that is exactly the point. The mercy described is not aspirationally difficult; it is humanly inconceivable at scale. This is what Christ-like love looks like, and it is precisely what the law demands. The gap between the demand and human capacity is the gospel's entry point. The Mary and Martha Account Cannot Be Separated from the Parable Tony raises a hermeneutical observation that deserves more attention than it typically receives: Luke chose to place the Mary and Martha account immediately after the Good Samaritan parable, and that editorial decision is not accidental. Martha — busy with hospitality and service — looks, on the surface, like the practical application of everything the Samaritan modeled. Yet she is gently rebuked, and Mary, who sits at Jesus' feet, is commended for choosing "the one thing necessary." This creates a stunning theological counterweight: the parable exposes the impossibility of self-justifying law-keeping, and the very next story shows that even well-intentioned merciful activity, when it crowds out receiving from Christ, misses the point. The one thing necessary is always Christ himself. Memorable Quotes If you think you're the good Samaritan, if you think you're the one that's gonna come and rescue people — you're much more likely to see this as a sort of law beat-down. Where those of us who are regenerated and in Christ, this is third-use law. This is us seeing what it means to be holy, and going and doing likewise, trying in our power, recognizing that we can't, and trusting the Lord to accept our feeble attempts. - Tony Arsenal This text is not really to be preached or applied as some kind of bare moral exhortation. It's not 'try harder to be like the Samaritan.' That's totally disconnected from the gospel. It should be preached in a manner that exposes the impossibility of self-justification... and then of course it does point us to Christ as the one whose perfect, costly, self-giving mercy alone satisfies the law's demand on our behalf. - Jesse Schwamb If this parable and our conversation about it does nothing except stirring you to gratitude for the fact that our supreme good neighbor threw us on his donkey and carried us to the public house, and bound up our wounds, and paid for our debt — if it does nothing but drive you to gratitude and thankfulness and wonder, then we've succeeded in our task and we've left you with the Gospel. - Tony Arsenal Full Transcript Jesse Schwamb: Welcome to episode 503 of the Reformed Brotherhood. I'm Jesse.  Tony Arsenal: And I'm Tony, and this is the podcast with ears to hear. Hey, brother.  Jesse Schwamb: Hey, brother. Well, at this point, there's one thing that we know for certain, and that is if you're gonna come at the law giver, the one who's composed and written the law, with a legal question to try to entrap the one who has given you the law, you better not miss. And it turns out, in Luke 10 where we've been hanging out, the lawyer who poses Jesus with the question of, "Who is my neighbor?" is a big swing and a miss. Yeah. And we're finally gonna get to all the characters that are part of this amazing parable in this conversation. But of course, there's something we gotta do first. Affirmations And Denials Jesse Schwamb: It, it's everybody's, what I'm led to believe everybody's favorite segment of this entire show. I mean, the crowds out there say, "Why even have a full podcast? Just do affirmations and denials for the entire time." And we, we hear you, because we're borrowing from that beautiful confessional format of the dead reformers to settle all the much not confessional [00:02:00] disputes. So in the great tradition of the Westminster Divines, who of course cannot just simply say, "We like grace," without also clarifying 17 things that grace is not- ... we're now again going to bring you our own binding, authoritative, and entirely unneeded but very official statement of affirmations and denials. It's affirming the things we love and denying things we don't. So Tony, as is our own custom, are you affirming with something or are you denying against something on this episode?  Tony Arsenal: Um, I'm denying something. Uh, it's a sort of a weird situation that has cropped up, uh, online. And I, I try not to use this segment too often to sort of wade into, um, I don't know, the, like, latest social controversy in the Reformed world. But every once in a while I come across something that I feel like you just need to sort of talk about. And, um, many of our listeners are probably already [00:03:00] aware of the situation that I'm gonna talk about, and it's very well-publicized and, and very public. Um, but I'm denying the sort of weirdness that has happened with the G3 Conference. Um, I'm not sure how familiar with G3 you are, Jesse, but for the, the listener who may not be, G3 is a conference, um, primarily run by Baptists, and is, in my understanding, is primarily attended by sort of Reformed-ish Baptists. And I don't, I don't say Reformed-ish to be pejorative necessarily. Um, but it, it's sort of like predominantly, um Non-confessional but not anti-confessional Calvinistic Baptists, sort of think more like covenant framework MacArthur-style Baptists maybe is, is a way to look at it. Um, and a few years ago, one of their main figures, I don't remember exactly what position he held, but it was a relatively high position in, in [00:04:00] the conference. Uh, his name was Josh Boyce. He, uh, w- was caught/confessed to maintaining, like, multiple anonymous or pseudonymous, uh, Twitter accounts and publishing several s- like pseudonym-based Substacks, um, that he used to basically attack the character of not only anyone online that seemed to cross him, but, like, people that he shared an office with. Like, anyone and everyone was targeted by him. And at the time it was a big hullabaloo. He, uh, he resigned. As far as I can tell, he's faded into obscurity and has not sought to come back, although that's always, you know, yet to be seen. But at the time there was very firm statements by the r- remaining sort of board members, leadership of G3, at how inappropriate this was, and how acting anonymously requi- you know, sort of evacuates accountability and, [00:05:00]and all these different things. And it's come out recently, um, just over the last week, that four of the members of the G3 board, um, who are all elders at the same church, had assembled a sort of anonymous dossier of accusations against, um, a- another pastor, uh, that he had been sort of serially plagiarizing sermons. Um, and when nothing really happened when they sent their anonymous dossier, they started distributing this to other, other, like, platforms and other church and m- parachurch ministries, kind of encouraging people to do their own investigation. Um, one such, uh, outlet was ... It's a, it's a, I don't know, sort of a news discernment blogger kind of a thing, um, has done some pretty decent reporting work I think in, in the recent past, although it has sort of a s- storied beginning, um, called Protestia They did just [00:06:00] that. They did an investigation, and in the course of their investigation, they identified who these anonymous, uh, the anonymous reporters were, and it was the same, the very same people who a few years ago, uh, pontificated, uh, at, at length about the importance of accountability and how anonymity has, uh, taken that away. Uh, people that accepted Josh Boyce's resi- resignation for acting anonymously have now done the same thing. They have since, uh, resigned from their church eldership, um, which is gonna be awkward because they haven't resigned from the board of G3, which, uh, the offices of G3 are in the same building as the church that they've now resigned at. Uh, and I guess where, where my denial comes in and the reason that I feel like it, it might be worthwhile for us just to Even reflect on it a little bit is there is an element in the Reformed world that seeks a platform and seeks an audience and seeks notoriety, and I, I was musing [00:07:00] today a little bit on my own Twitter that th- there was a time in my life where that was very much what I wanted. I wanted to be a, a very public, well-known theological voice, and, um, a- and I just have sort of like drifted away from that. And the, the reason I think it's worth mentioning on our show is that we do have an audience. We have a, a modest audience. It's not huge. It's not nothing. Um, but th- there is a real temptation to seek fame and notoriety that is absolutely destructive and really antithetical to, uh, to Christian principles of what it means to serve those around you, to serve with humility, to r- you know, redound any glory that might come to you for your actions to, to the fact that it is Christ who empowers all things and brings all good blessings. So I don't know that I have much more commentary on it. It's just a weird... It's a very weird situation, but it, it seems like it very much has come from a [00:08:00] place of feeling as though minor slights by people you associate with warrant sort of a, a nuclear option like this because, uh... and I don't wanna read too much into motives, but, but it seems like because your reputation and your notoriety is so great that any offense to it needs to be responded to in kind, and that's just not, that's just not the Christian way. So again, I don't know that I have any more commentary or thoughts on it. It just was a weird situation that I'm, I'm like, "Why do we gotta do this to each other, folks?" Like, why are we, why are we biting at each other all the time? Why are we doing these things except from a place of sinful pride? So I'm denying that. I'm denying sinful pride. I'm denying my own tendencies to seek glory in a spotlight. Um, I'm very thankful that God did not, uh, see fit to grant me that desire 'cause it probably would've been even more destructive for me than it has been for these guys. So I'm very happy to live in obscurity, [00:09:00] to serve the local church, to share our voices in this very modest, tiny platform that we have, and perhaps the Lord will see fit to change that one direction or the other, and I'll, I'll be happy to serve at His, uh, at His will. But I'm glad for now that, uh, the, the temptation of international fame has not been something that I even have the opportunity to lay hold of. Um, I'm very thankful for that, that, uh, grace from the Lord.  Jesse Schwamb: I had that light, sarcastic, some might say somewhat humorous opening and affirmations and denials, and you, you just brought the heaviness, which is okay. Sometimes that's, sometimes that's what happens.  Lament Devotional Spotlight Jesse Schwamb: And- Yeah ... I- fortunately, I have an affirmation, but it's, uh, of, like, a weird, heavy kind now that I think about it. So, um, I'm trying to, I'm trying to get everybody on the cusp of good books that I think are coming out. And so here's another one where it's not even gonna be released until September 30th, and so you have plenty of time to go out and find this thing. So P&R Publishing, many may be [00:10:00] familiar, does this whole series, topical series, which are called 31-Day Devotionals for Life, and there's a new one being released by Christine Chappell. It's called Lament: Crying Out in Faith. So I'm affirming with this piece because I've had the joy of been working through some of this stuff, and I think this is some of the best treatment I've ever read, been able to practice, been coached into for lamenting. We've talked before at length about how Christians, especially in the West, often because we just have great lives, we aren't familiar with lament. We don't practice it well. We hardly sing any songs of lament. We're unfamiliar with it. It's like a foreign land to us. And then sometimes when we're, we get convicted we should lament, we kind of interpret that as, "Well, yeah, I, I know I can blow up at God. I can get angry with him and, and that's okay." David does it too, and it's okay to express all your feelings with God. What I like about this work is it cultivates more of a prayer language. It gives voice to pain and grief so that there can be a real healing. It's not just a complaining. It's not just [00:11:00] throwing your voice out into the ether to, you know, wildly pontificate or self-aggrandize about how hurt or upset you are. It enables us to cry out to God in such a way that it promotes emotional authenticity, but at the same time maintains reverence. I think that is, uh, at least what I need. The beauty of this book is somebody you know or yourself need to lament something. Actually, I think we all have something to lament, even as it's getting older or things changing in our lives. So I highly, highly, highly affirm with this book. It's Lament: Crying Out in Faith. P&R does a lot of great publishing in this way. It's just the year of the devotionals, Tony. I don't know why. Yeah. I mean, I even hate to use devotional. It's the year of good resources for daily praise and worship- Yeah ... and lament should be part of our praise and worship. Yeah. So, but doing it in the right way is something I'm learning. I had mixed understanding of it. So this will clarify, encourage, edify in all the ways that I think we need.  Tony Arsenal: That sounds great. I, I do agree with you. I think, um- [00:12:00] Although I think it may be a little bit less so in, in the sort of confessional Reformed tradition just because the Psalms in general play such a prominent role in Reformed worship. Um, I do agree with you that broadly, like, we, we in the Western evangelical w- world don't, we don't know how to do laments. Um, I'm not one of those people that would say im- imprecatory prayers are inappropriate. I know there are some even within the Reformed world that would say im- imprecatory prayers are not appropriate for God's people in, in the new covenant. Um, I don't know that I agree with that, but, but that's another example of, like, that's in the prayer and hymnbook of our people- Right ... and we don't really know how to do it. Yes. So, and, and imprecation and lament are very closely related to each other. They're, they're very similar, um, ways of thinking and they're, they're both kind of modes of prayer that, uh, we don't, we don't really engage in. And so when we do have- when the occasion arises, we're, like, out of practice. So that's a great, uh, a great [00:13:00]affirmation and yeah, a little, a little weirdly heavy. Maybe this is gonna be a, a weirdly heavy episode. Who knows?  Jesse Schwamb: Yeah, it very well could be.  Good Samaritan Deep Dive Jesse Schwamb: I mean, listen, it was no doubt heavy for the lawyer who stood up- True who was  Tony Arsenal: like- Nicely done ...  Jesse Schwamb: I'd like to justify myself, so Jesus, let me ask you, we took our question, "Who is my neighbor?" I do all these things. I'm down with the law. Yeah. I know all this stuff. And I think we had some really great conversation last time. I'm biased, but I think we had some really fantastic unpacking of the first part of this, and if you haven't heard that yet, you should go back and listen to episode 502. But in this episode, we're really getting into all of these wonderful and somewhat colorful characters. So I'm gonna pick us back up in Luke chapter 10, starting in verse 25. So I'm going back a little bit just to set that proper context for this amazing parable that Jesus tells us. So he says, "And behold, a scholar of the law stood up and was putting him," that is Jesus, "to the test, saying, 'Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?' And he said to him, 'What is written in the law? How do you [00:14:00] read it?' And he answered and said, 'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.' And he said to him, 'You have answered correctly. Do this and you will live.' But wishing to justify himself, he said to Jesus, 'And who is my neighbor?' And Jesus replied and said, 'A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho and fell among robbers, and they stripped him and beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. And a priest happened to be going down on that road, and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. Likewise, a Levite also, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, who was on a journey, came upon him, and when he saw him, he felt compassion.'" And he came to him and bandaged up his wounds, pouring oil and wine on them, and he put them on his own animal and brought him to an inn and took care of him. And on the [00:15:00] next day, he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper and said, "Take care of him, and whatever more you spend, when I return, I will repay you." Which of these three do you think proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell into the robbers' hands? And he said, "The one who showed mercy toward him." Then Jesus said to him, "Go and do the same."  Tony Arsenal: Yeah. Yeah, this is one of those parables we, we mentioned, uh, I guess we've invented a new classification of parables called the Big Daddy parables. That's right. Um, uh, this is one of those parables that is so ubiquitous and well-known, uh, that word there, choice there was a little hat tip to my Lutheran friends. Um, so ubiquitous and well-known that I think we actually can, can rush into a common understanding and not, not be right at all about it. And I think the, the way this, uh, uh, the way I've seen this commonly done in, in circles I've run in in the past is this [00:16:00] becomes a parable about mercy ministry. Um, and, and the primary point is about how we serve our neighbors. And I think there certainly is, um, there certainly is an element of that that we can glean from this, that Christ is making a commentary on the fact that, um, the, the, the right way to not only serve your neighbor but to even identify your neighbor, uh, and it's funny because I think this is, this is where I think people go wrong. The, the Samar- or the, um, the, the lawyer is asking, "Who is my neighbor?" Right. And I think we commonly read this, and we read it to say, well, the Samaritan, uh, or the, the guy who got beat up is the neighbor. Right. And so we have to serve our neighbor like the Samaritan did. But the, the, the punchline, whatever, of the story is that the Samaritan is the g- is the neighbor, right? We, we call this the Parable of the Good Samaritan, but we might wanna call it the [00:17:00] Parable of the Good Neighbor. And so it says more about what it means to be a good neighbor than it does to, um, to say about who, who our neighbor necessarily is, right? The, the s- uh, the lawyer was asking, "Who's my neighbor?" And the answer was the one who shows mercy. And there's kind of a weird, there's kind of a weird paradox there, and this is something Jesus commonly does, where, like, He doesn't really answer the question. Um, the, the lawyer is like, "Well, who is it that I have to love," right? "The, I have to love my neighbor as myself, and who is it that I have to love?" And Jesus' answer basically is like, "Well, the good neighbor is the one who showed mercy." Well, that doesn't answer- Right ... His question. So I think we have to be careful when we, uh, we work through this not to just sort of default and jump to what might be called, like, the lowest common denominator interpretation, right? These are things that, yes, um, there is something to say about, uh, mercy ministry and how important it is to serve the, [00:18:00] serve those around us who are in need, right? That's, that's the command that comes out of this or the outcome that comes out of this is Christ is commanding this, um, this lawyer to go and be merciful to others. Um- But if we, if we move too quickly to that, we miss a lot of what this has to say about the nature of justification- Right ... the nature of Christ as, as the capital T good neighbor, right? The, the good neighbor who, who takes care of our sin and pays the debt for us to be restored, right? I don't, like I said last week, I don't think that that is too on the nose. Um, I think we miss the fact that the question, uh, the question is coming from a place, and we talked about this a little bit last week, but and maybe we'll get into it a little more. The question is coming from a place, um, whether you view this negatively, like I think most do, and there's warrant for that, or whether you view it a, a little bit more neutrally or maybe even positively, which is where I land, the desire to justify or to be [00:19:00] justified is not a bad desire. And the, the text doesn't seem to offer a lot of commentary on the fact that the, the, um, lawyer is desiring to justify himself, other than the implied commentary o- of what the parable says about salvation in that someone else needs to save you, so you can't do it yourself in the first place. So I'm excited to get through this. Um, I, I think we're probably gonna be here, we're gonna camp out here for at least another week after this, 'cause there's just so much to this parable. Who knows? Maybe we'll fly through it and it'll be a quick conversation, but I, I don't... That's not really our jam. Um- That's not really what we do But yeah, it, it's, it's a big daddy parable. There's a lot here to unpack.  Jesse Schwamb: Yeah. You're right about that. Interestingly, as always, Jesus flips the law, but here the law flipping, like, ends up smacking you in the face because it does start with this inquiry about just identify for me who my neighbors are. If you give me these discrete instructions like the law has given me to do all these things, which by the way, I mean, even that when we have this lawyer saying, [00:20:00] "I've done all these things. I've identified just for instance that the law includes loving the Lord God with everything, every part of who I am." He says like, "Yeah, I've done all these things." This is, I've already accomplished that. So now let me get, become self-justified in confirming I've done all these things. If you just tell me who the neighbors are, I'll be able to say to you, "Yep, I've already done that." Instead, what happens is Christ says, "Here's what neighborly love looks like. And what it's gonna look like is so dramatic and so shocking that you ought to take pity and have concern and show compassion for those not just who are unlike you, but are, like, abhorrent, those who you would even never identify with in the parable of the story I'm about to tell you." So I think there's all of that, like you said, to move away from just kind of categorizing this as a nice homily about how we ought to behave. However, there might be, like, some kind of moralistic theme in this that directs us toward actions of love and generosity, which by the way, could just be common grace. Those exist outside of strict belief and adherence to the gospel, and certainly can be far afield from actually loving Christ. [00:21:00] The other thing that I think sometimes happens with this, and I'm gonna be unpopular on this one, I'm afraid, but is that I think there is often a lot of allegorical excess. And certainly there are people more intelligent than I who really embrace that. So I'm looking at you, Patristic Fathers. Like, you know, if you wanna read some interesting stuff, everybody can go look up Origen or Augustine on this. Yeah. And they allegorize this parable in New England what we would call wicked fine detail. I mean, down, down to everything. So the oil and the- Yeah ... wine, the soil, each of the persons here representing something that in itself, like, everything. And I think that that is okay. What I struggle with on that is, and this is where I'm unpopular, I think, is that- There are a lot of other exegetes, I don't think I'm alone, that would look at this and say, "Yes, there is something about this that draws us into, like, just general typological resonance. I'm not gonna reject that." There are these, like, broader canonical themes of, like, helpless [00:22:00] humanity, like you said, and undeserved mercy. Those all legitimately, I think, echo the gospel truths. But I'm kind of resisting, or I'm prone to resist, treating every narrative detail in this as some kind of, like, independent cipher. Yeah. And so I think I want to come a little bit in criticizing, like, the allegorical method here, that instead what happens when we do that is we're, we're... I think we're obscuring a little bit Christ's actual didactic purpose, which is fundamentally ethical and legal, 'cause that's the question he's answering. He's trying to answer this question, "Who's my neighbor?" And he's gonna do it- Right ... with this definition-shattering example. And so I think, like, the most responsible hermeneutic here affirms that, like we said before, a parable should have a single main point, and it's determined in this context by that punchline, like you said. Um, at the same time, I think we can legitimately, like, permit some restrained theological reflection on, like, that broader resonance with the gospel. I'm not denying that. But without multiplying, like, allegorical [00:23:00] correspondences like the text itself doesn't even make. Even, even coming down to, like, who we see as Christ in the story, while that can be useful and helpful, it's not the same identification that we've seen in other parables. Yeah. So that's what makes this, like you're right, Tony, like, really unique and very interesting because we can draw lots and lots of parallels, and perhaps we should. But at the same time, it's always good to remember what is it that Jesus is on about here? What is it that the hearers were really being prone to understand and mull over and meditate on? And that's, like, this first principle of neighborly love, like you already called out.  Tony Arsenal: Yeah. Yeah, and I, I agree with you, too, is I, I think, um- We can sort of fall into a trap or a pit of assuming that all of the parables are meant to explain the same thing. Sure. And I think, like, within Matthew maybe that's a little bit more, uh, accurate because m- I think all, if not [00:24:00] most of, of the Matthean parables, you know, the Kingdom of God is like, the Kingdom of God is like. So th- like, that repeated f- refrain of, like, the Kingdom of God is... In, in Matthew, Christ is using parables to teach about the mysterious hidden reality of the kingdom in a way that people can understand. Um, this is different, right? This is not a Kingdom of God is like. There is no, um, clear this is like that, uh, introduction to this parable. Right. I, I've actually even read some commentaries that would question the assignment of the title parable to this, because they want to restrict what a parable is to those sort of kingdom, like, explicit simile- Good point ... things. Yeah. So- Right ... but I, I do think, um, w- we, we have to be careful not to run down that road, because this parable is not really... Again, like, it's not explaining what the Kingdom of God is like. This is trying to, um, not trying to, Christ is [00:25:00]articulating a reality that is baked into the law, um, and he's flipping the question on its head, and this is what I think is so, um, so wrong about the allegorical approach, right? Is that the allegorical approach seeks to find symbolism in every discrete character or element of the, of the parable, or of the, the allegory if you wanna, we wanna distinguish it. This really is, is trying to just get at that one point. And what- Mm-hmm ... I think is so, what must have been really just infuriating for this lawyer, um, regardless of what happened after this, right? We don't, we don't get commentary like we do with the rich, young ruler, and the stories are in many ways are very much the same. Like, it's the same basic setup. But we don't get commentary that, like, he went away sad, like we do with the rich, young ruler. We don't know what happened with this guy. We don't know what his reaction... But I, I'm sitting there putting myself in his place, and I'm, I'm thinking through this, and this is one of those things that it's actually hard even to mentally get yourself there. The, [00:26:00] the, each character that is introduced here, um, is a candidate for the neighbor. Right. But the most obvious candidate based on, um, the way we commonly interpret this, is that the dude who gets beat up and left stripped naked is, is the neighbor that we're supposed to love Right? So the lawyer, as he's hearing this parable, as it's being told, and the, the people who are there listening, right, the, the other people that are around, there's this character introduced, "Who is my neighbor? Well, a man was going down to Jerusalem. He fell among roggers, Roger, robbers, who stripped him and beat him and departed, leaving him half dead." Like, the obvious answer is that Christ is introducing this poor, destitute, beat-up, naked dude, uh, as the neighbor that needs to be loved. And so he goes through the whole parable, and you're like, oh, well, like, the, you know, the, the priest and the Levite, they didn't love this guy. Uh, the Samaritan, you know, I think an audience of Jews probably would've been thinking like, "Well, the Samaritan can't be..." You know, the Samaritan [00:27:00] is just a dude. Like, none of these people are loving the, the, the beat-up dude like a neighbor should. Right. And then all of a sudden, Christ flips the script, and the neighbor is not the dude who's laying there naked, half dead, who's been rescued and, and, you know, restored and is being healed. It's actually the Samaritan. And so there's this... We have to... Part of the reason, I think, I mean, I, I, I guess I don't know for sure, but part of the reason I think s- that parables have this, like, reversal of expectation baked into many of them is that it is there to challenge our assumptions, and th- that sort of whiplash effect when you get to the end of it, you're like, "Whoa, that was like he was talking about totally, something totally different than what it seemed like he was talking about." I think that's actually a teaching tool here as well. Right. That the, the whole time you're thinking like, "Oh, this dude is the neighbor, and I've gotta figure out how to love him best," and that's what plays into these mercy ministry interpretations, is thinking that the, the point of the parable is to show us how to take [00:28:00] care of the, the people who need help, when really the point of the parable is the good neighbor. And, uh, we might butt heads a little bit on this, 'cause I think I take probably more of a Christological, uh, topological, typological interpretation than you do. I, I think that the point of the parable is that you can't justify yourself, and the only one who can justify you is the one who's kept the law perfectly. And what does it mean to keep the law perfectly? Well, love the Lord your God, but also love your neighbor as yourself. Well, who's the only person in the story who's loved the neighbor as himself? The one who s- rescues and heals and pays for this poor man who's been, you know, waylaid by robbers. He's the good neighbor who fulfills the law. He's the one who's justified himself. Now, yes, "Go do likewise," there's some echoes there of, of the go and sin no more language that we see in other places, too. So I, I think this parable is more, is more about- A, and this is where it shares some affinity with the rich young ruler, [00:29:00] right? The rich young ruler is told to go and to, to sell everything he has and donate it to the poor and to come and follow Christ. And he says, you know, he, he can't do that. He walks away sad. In this instance, it's the same kind of situation. It's an, a question about how do I fulfill the law? What do I need to do to be saved, to inherit eternal life, to obtain eternal life, whatever the phrasing is. And the answer is, "Obey the law perfectly." And the guy goes, "Well, hey, I did that." And he said, "Well, let me show you how much you didn't do that." And the reality is the only one who did that is Christ, the good teacher, right? I mean, there, there's so many parallels between these two accounts. It, it's almost the same, it's almost the same story. This one just in sort of parable answer form versus a more direct form, which we see with the rich young ruler. Jesse Schwamb: Yeah, what I find really fascinating about these is that whereas, like you said, the, some of the other parables, they come under the volitional teaching of Christ. That is, He is presenting forward the topic at hand. So usually it's in the context of conversation, but He essentially makes [00:30:00] the segue. He presents and opens up this new kind of vista to explore. In this case, or in both those cases you talked about, the confrontation really comes from the outside. Of course, God, through Christ, predestined all of these things to pass, so I'm not saying that Christ was caught off guard, of course, by this line of questioning. And presumably He understands that when the lawyer asks this question, He knows that it's from a position of self-justification. So I don't disagree that that might be there, some of that at play, and that really the ultimate end of this would bring, to bring one's self to the realization that you can't do this. At the same time, though, I think almost, especially in this one, I think, uh, it's not that Jesus withholds that, but I read that do, go and do likewise is this is what you said you wanted. You asked me for an answer, and I gave you the answer. You asked for the law- Yeah ... I will give you the law. So I actually don't know how this ended. It doesn't strike me that it ended well, and I think, I don't know if there was some kind of massive realization there, but it's almost as if there is some [00:31:00] obscuring of this. This is like typical parable, parable language where I think if you're there and you're listening, and you're trying to just track with the question and track how that compounds and corresponds with the law, that you would leave more destitute, more confused, and perhaps more angry than before, and certainly not in a position of understanding, "Well, th- this one before me is the Christ." But that's exactly what parables do. So again, I, I think to me- Right ... I see this more as certainly, again, there are these wonderful themes These kind of overtures of the gospel within, but they are dark and very obscured because the man asks a question about the law, and Jesus comes with a message about the law. And like you said, that law is- Yeah ... like, there's almost no grace in his tone as I read it because, not that he is not graceful or full of grace and gracious, but this guy asks for justification under the law. And so it ends with saying, it ends with this really phenomenal phrase, of course, of the lawyer realizing he's got himself [00:32:00] caught in having to respond truthfully in answering the question of who is the neighbor, but of course doesn't identify the neighbor except to say, "Oh, the one who has compassion," as if like he himself couldn't bring himself- Right to say these words. And then for Jesus to say, "Yeah, go do it," is, is kind of like the ultimate nail in the coffin.  Tony Arsenal: Yeah, and to tell a first century Jew to go and do, to be- Yes ... like a Samaritan is- Yes ... you know, e- even, even though that's not, like, highlighted in the text, you're right. Like, the, the lawyer probably couldn't bring himself to say the Samaritan was, right? And I, I think, um, you know, whether you take, uh, and maybe I'm novel on this. I guess I haven't really read, read a lot of people that take a, a more optimistic approach of this. But whether you take a more optimistic outcome approach or a more pessimistic or neutral, whatever, the, the actual outcome is the same, right? The, the lawyer is asking about self-justification under the law, like you said. Right. And Christ gives him [00:33:00] that. He tells him exactly what that means and what that looks like. And I think the, the impossibility of being the good neighbor as is described in the parable is exactly the sort of beat down of the law that, that, you know, we've talked about in the past is it's not as though, um, the, the, the actions of the Samaritan are not, uh, outwardly impossible, right? We- Right ... it's not unreasonable to think that someone could rescue someone from the side of the road and bring them to ... And like, the scenario itself is not that crazy. But the, the overall complex of the scenario, right? The fact that this man, um, was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, right? The, the ... All of this points to sort of like an impossible circumstance, an impossible situation. And, and the idea that even [00:34:00] within that impossible situation you're still expected to take care of the person who is your enemy, right? The Samaritan seeing a Jewish man beaten by the side of the road- That's right ... and although the parable doesn't specifically call out that he's Jewish, if he's going from Jerusalem to Jericho, there's an implication that he may actually also have been a priest. Um, we, we don't need to get into all the details on that, but there's, there's some good, uh, some good research out there that would point to the fact that the road from Jerusalem to Jericho is, uh, was actually a very common pathway traveled by either priests or Levites. And further evidence is that a priest and a Levite are also on this same road. And so the idea that the Samaritan would, um, would- Sacrifice of himself to take care of someone who very likely considers him to be an enemy, and sacrifices in a pretty significant way. Um, I, I'll, I'll pause and now as you're [00:35:00]talking I'll do all the, the background scrambling to make it look like I know exactly how much- a denari is supposed to, to be, and I know we've talked about it before, it's just not there.  Lavish Impossible Mercy Tony Arsenal: But, but it's not a- Yeah ... it's not a trivial amount of money. That's right. We're not talking about checking this guy into, like, a Motel 6 and, and dropping a couple hundred dollars. We're, we're talking about a substantial amount of money and, and we're talking about a commitment to pay whatever is required. Okay. An unknown amount of money for this man who has been left for dead. We're not talking about a minor injury. The, the robbers beat him up, they took his clothes, and they expected him to die in the desert. He needed to be carried on a donkey. He needed to have immediate first aid attention. We're talking about a, a relatively long-term recovery. So the scenario would be more like, we think of it like, "Oh yeah, I dropped him off at the local hotel for him to sleep it off." The scenario would be more like, "I found a guy on the side of the road. I didn't know who he was. He's, he's of a group of people that would consider me to be their enemy, and he's been shot 100 times, and I'm gonna patch up his [00:36:00] wounds. I'm gonna take him to the hospital. I'm gonna not only pay and say, 'Here, I, I've already used some supplies. Let me pay for that,' but I'm gonna pay for all of his medical bills until he's healed." Like, that's the scenario we're talking about. So it's not, it's not just, like, a good deed that has been done that is maybe, like, a really, really good deed, like it's a really nice thing to do. It's a, it's an outlandishly almost impossible to conceive of doing good deed. N- I don't know anyone, um, who would... And, and I know a lot of really great people. This is not a slam. I don't know anyone who would find a stranger on the road and who is, who's gravely injured and commit to pay for all of their medical care until they're healed. I just don't know anybody who would do that. Right. Um, some might say there's actually some wisdom in that, and, uh, we've talked about how sometimes the parables present a situation where maybe, like, this isn't actually the best practical knowledge. It's there to prove a point. Right. But I don't know anybody who, I don't know anybody who would do that, who, who would even think about doing that. Um, so the, the scenario here is one [00:37:00] of impossible lavish goodness being extended to those who you have no reason to be good to, and probably have reason to not be good to. That's what we're talking about. And so the, when the, the lawyer is told to go and do likewise, he's being told to do something that is impossible to fulfill, or even to conceive of fulfilling. And so there is this element of, like, "You think you can obey the law? Well, let me tell you how much you can't  Jesse Schwamb: obey  Tony Arsenal: the law."  Jesse Schwamb: Right. By the way, this episode is brought to you by State Farm. Like a good Samaritan, State Farm is there. Every time we've been saying good neighbor, I've been just been trying to avoid thinking about- Yeah Jake from State Farm. That's what I've been doing most of this time.  Tony Arsenal: Jake from State Farm?  Jesse Schwamb: Um, I totally agree, of course.  Priest Levite And The Law Jesse Schwamb: Like, what strikes me here is that it's, like you said, there is all this emphasis on what it means to show neighborly love, but the setup is also in those who basically should be showing it but aren't, and that's where we get, can get into this lovely... It's, [00:38:00] it's okay to kinda think through some of these characters. You know, for this priest and the Levite here, and what we know about them is that they, at first it sounds like there, there's almost this sense in the language like the priest falls ab- upon this, this, you know, bloodied man by chance, and that kinda heightens the drama, I think. The priest's confrontation is a little bit unplanned, but it's immediate and unavoidable, and he chooses to cross on the other side of the road, which is of course a deliberate act of avoidance. It's not mere obliviousness. And then the Levi almost goes further, or he came to the place, he saw him closer inspection, you know, greater culpability, and yet he still passes by. I really do wish I could hear this, like, in real time, like be among, because I have to- Yeah ... wonder that there'd be this kind of sense of building in the story. And the people might be kind of getting the sense that the characters that they know and love or should love as the heroes are not gonna be performing that way. And so I think even they're curious. They might be hoping against hope that it's gonna turn out well, but knowing the question and maybe something about Jesus, [00:39:00] they might anticipate that he's gonna go in a different direction. And so again, I think we have to stick with the text here. Like, Jesus doesn't explicitly state the motives of these gentlemen, but it's truthful. What's true- Right ... is that, like, these boys should have known better. You know, a lot of people have speculated that it was for ritual purity concerns or the, another ambush or social distance or just callousness. And I think that ambiguity might be deliberate because, again, what cuts against the lawyer here is whatever the specific excuse, the point is that these, like this kind of professional religiosity and even, like, meticulous law observance are of course not identical with, and probably can even distract or obstruct the love of neighbor that the law itself commands, which is wild, right? Because we talked about how, again, this just shows the law doesn't empower you to do the thing, and in fact, here- Right ... you could essentially abuse the law so that you suck the spirit right out of it and therefore do not do the very thing that it was intended to accomplish. So even this by itself, you just stop the parable here, it's kind of condemning because it's really this [00:40:00] potent warning against some kind of merely external ceremonial, professionalized religiosity that fails to produce, I guess, what Matthew calls, like, the weightier matters of law, like justice and mercy and faithfulness. And, you know, we should understand this because I think those that are from tradition have a certain affinity for the third use of the law as a guide for the grateful Christian living, and that's, you know, kind of what we're talking about here. But it insists that true law keeping is never merely ritual or notional, but it must issue in love, like costly love. Love outside of being inconvenienced is not genuine. I, I guess we'll get there. But, you know, I don't wanna harp on the characters as some are prone to do, but that is, I think, why the characters are here. It's both to set up and show, like, you're about to see that you really do not wanna identify by your own persuasion, by your own presuppositions with the one who's gonna be the hero, that is the, the one that shows neighborly love. At the same time, I'm gonna show you by way of condemnation that those who should exercise the greater love, [00:41:00] that do know better, that should know better, that should emblem- be emblematic of the spirit of the law, have done the exact same thing. Which I can only, uh, hope but believe is what this lawyer heard as well was that he was hearing that he was being stuck into this place before he was even given the question, well, who was the neighbor here? Tony Arsenal: Yeah. Yeah, and I, I think, um- There is a real sense in some of the parables that are sort of spoken against people. Um, this one doesn't specifically use that language, but it, it is a targeted, kind of a targeted response. There is a sense that throughout the course of the parable being told, they start to recognize midway through that they're like- Right you are the man. Like, this is one- Right, right ... of those Nathan and David kind of parables where, like, at some point the realization must have dawned on this guy that, like, "I've gotta be somebody in this parable." And I think that's where, where the, the challenging part is, is it's not clear, um, [00:42:00] it's not really clear even at the end of the parable who Christ is intending this guy to be, right? Right. Is he the lawyer or is he the, uh, is he the, the dead man on the side of the road, right? Is he... Or the dying man. Is, is he the l- the priest and Levite who pass by? Is he supposed to be the Samaritan, which would just be wildly offensive. Um, he's not necessarily, like, supposed to be anyone except for the fact that now at th- the punchline of the, the encounter here, Christ says, "Go and be like the Samaritan." And it's kind of like y- you know, if you were really following God's law, you would be the Samaritan in this one- Yeah, that's right ... but you're not. That's right. You're not and you can't be. Um, and so go, go ahead and do likewise.  Christ As True Neighbor Tony Arsenal: Um, I, I do think, too, there is some elements here where, um, I- Again, I, I think I take a little bit more of a typological, Christological-centered approach on this, but I, I don't think they're incompatible. But I do think there's an element here where Christ is also [00:43:00] unveiling, uh, sort of what he would do, like what, what his own plan of salvation is as the good, as the capital G, capital N good neighbor. Um, he is the one who does pour oil and wine on our wounds, right? A- and I don't wanna ... I don't think we need to fly off the allegorical deep end of reading oil and wine to be a reference to the Holy Spirit and t- Right but sometimes those things are evocative, indirect things that should, we should call our mind to those things. Like, I think, um, you know, when Melchizedek comes to bless Abraham and he, he presents him with bread and wine, right? I, I think, like, it's okay for us to go, "Wow, the Holy Spirit really made a point there that's subtle." And I think those little things within this parable drive me to look at this a little bit more along the lines of not only is there this sort of, like, law beat down, you [00:44:00] know, John Bunyan or not, um, Bunyan style, like the, "Moses just beat the crap out of me," kind of a- Right ... kind of a thing from Pilgrim's Progress. There's that, and I think it's really there. But it's also, uh, it's also sort of like this, uh, you know, "Blessed is the one who has ears to hear" side of it of, like, for those who are regenerated and can see the parable, can see the figures in the parable, it is now this beautiful picture of what it is that Christ does for those who cannot do it for themselves, right? And it's almost like the parable becomes a litmus test. If you look at the parable, and as you're reading through it, you sit there and you go, "Yeah, man, I'm like that guy who got beat up and left for dead. That, that really describes me," um, you're gonna get to the end of this and you're gonna be sort of, like, sitting in awe of, like, "Man, I have such a great savior who threw me on his donkey and, and promised to take care of all of my, all of my wounds, and promised to pay whatever it, whatever it cost." Um, y- you know, and all of these elements of, [00:45:00] like, oil and wine and, and all of these things be- kind of become alive to you in a way that someone who sees themselves as the, the good Samaritan, who thinks they're the one who's gonna come and rescue people, or I think increasingly in our day, and it's, it's weird to even say this, I think there are people who would look at this and resonate with the priest and lawyer and actually say, like, "Yeah, they shoulda, they shoulda crossed to the other side of the room." Mm-hmm. I've heard defenses of that in trying to argue that- The priest and the Levite, if they had, if this person was dead, they had touched the dead body, then, you know, they would've been ceremonially unclean. Uh, all of that is, I think, worth speculating about. But the reality is, um, who you see yourself in the parable actually says a lot, I think, about how you see Christ in light of either our ability to fulfill the law or our inability to fulfill the law, and therefore have our need for Christ. If you think you're the good Samaritan, if you think you're the one that's gonna come and [00:46:00] rescue people, that you're gonna be, you're gonna be the good neighbor, you're much more likely to see, uh, to, to be needing this as a sort of a law beat-down. Where those of us who, maybe this is the way you wanna parse it out, right? There's those of us who are, uh, regenerated and in Christ, and this is third-use law, right? This is, this is us- Right ... seeing what it means to be holy, and going and doing likewise, trying in our power, in our, our best to go and do likewise, empowered by the Holy Spirit, recognizing that we can't, and trusting the Lord to accept our feeble attempts- Right and be pleased by them. Right. Um, or maybe if you're not regenerated, this is f- this is first use, right? Right. And, and, and this is actually there to terrify you and to show you your condemnation and to serve as your condemnation. And, and there's even, and I didn't really intend to go all the way with this, but there's, there is also an element in here, and this is where, like, the mercy ministry interpretation comes in, where this is civil, this is civil law, where this is the, the, the, um, you know, the civil use of the law [00:47:00] to restrain evil, to show society what it is to be good, to, to restrain sin. Right. Yes, we want to be, uh, we, I would rather live in a society where people stop and help someone who's stranded or injured on the side of the road than, than a society where people pass by. Um, so I, I think all of those elements are in play here, and we do have to be careful not to take the full-on, like, never go full allegory approach to this, 'cause y- you can really... That's just a good general wisdom for all of, all of the Bible, but especially the parables and other figurative stuff. You can really just go totally far afield of what actually the point of the parable is- Right ... if you're not grounding it in the purpose that Christ is teaching it for, and, and the stated outcome of the parable, right? No one in the Bible makes c- I don't know that anyone in the Bible makes specific commentary on this within scripture, but the, the idea that, like, there's all these hidden meanings, well, if those are the hidden meanings, then why doesn't Christ talk about it? Why doesn't he come back- Right ... and [00:48:00] interpret those symbols later on like he does, like the Parable of the Sower or the Parable of the Seeds or Soils. Um, that one is much more directly allegorical in that the different seeds, the different soils represent specific people with specific s- scenarios. Christ comes and, and does that allegorical interpretation later on in the passage. There's nothing like that here. So I think we have to be really careful not to slip down that road. Jesse Schwamb: I think that it could be all those things. I, I totally agree with you on that. I think it could be all the use cases of the law. I think what makes this so wonderfully complex and a little bit tricky is that when I read this, I actually don't necessarily find myself gravitating toward putting myself in one place or the other. It almost depends on where I am or what's going on in my life. So for example, I think any time that any one of us, and we've all done this as Christians, have quenched the spirit, especially with respect to helping, serving, or loving others as my, our neighbor, then we're firmly in this parable in the place [00:49:00] of the priest and the Levite. Sometimes I think we are the one on the side of the road. We look to the church, to our brothers and sisters to help us, and what do they help us with? Like you were saying, Tony, they help us with that blood and oil. They help us with this, the power of the Holy Spirit, which is given to each one to help and to serve, to identify, to comfort with the comfort we ourselves have been received. And then I do think, and this might be unpopular, that, that sometimes by the grace of God, He empowers us to be the Samaritan, but only through His empowerment. Not, of course, because we're trying to just self-justify or because we're overtly generous in our own merit, but in fact, this is the way we ought to live, and that we ought to commend that kind of behavior to, again, acknowledge it as God-given and to promulgate it, especially among the body of believers. So I do think all three forms of the law are present there, but I do think I tend to, for whatever reason, right or wrong, I tend to tilt a little bit toward that third use here, just to see this as it's not wrong to, of course, to, I think, uh, lay over all of this, all these delightful variables and [00:50:00] details. Again, this idea of blood and oil, n- normative things, normal things, standard things that are being used to address- Yeah ... wounds. They're, they're... Of course, that would've been the practical way which you would've provided some kind of medicinal care to somebody in both that extreme circumstance, but also generally, because nobody's, like, keeping gauze or popping Advil to help this, this poor guy. And so it is- Right ... like this beautiful complexion of, I think, everything that we just talked about, that there is the law present, and depending on where you are, both in terms of your ingrafting into eternity, into the Kingdom of God, and then where you are in life, you- we should read ourselves probably, or l- let me say it this way, not so it's like eisegesis, but, like, that we should see ourselves often at different pli- times maybe playing or being tempted to play the parts of these different characters. And in that we find, I think, ultimately, of course, as you're saying, that Christ is over all, and that He is the one that, of course, perfectly emphasizes all of what it means to be the Savior, the [00:51:00] true loving neighbor who cares and binds and heals completely full stop. And yet there is something instructive here, I think, as well about going and bringing that compassion. I was just thinking, like, as we were talking, that there's such a difference, isn't there, like, in our world between these days, like, pity and compassion? Like, pity often is like, "Yeah, I feel sorry for you," but it strikes me as kind of like the James, is it James 1 or James 2, where it's kind of like, "Oh, you're... I, I'm so sorry that, like, you're, you're hungry and cold. You know what? Go, be warm, and be well-fed." You know, that's like pity. Like, "Yeah, I just- Yeah ... I feel a little bad. I identified with your emotions." Sending  Tony Arsenal: good vibes.  Jesse Schwamb: Yeah. I've got- Yeah. Yeah. That's right, right? Sending good thoughts and good vibes your way. I wanna say, like, keep those to yourself 'cause they're probably not all that- Yeah ... good. Um- I  Tony Arsenal: don't want your vibes.  Jesse Schwamb: I don't want your vibes. Get your vibes out of here. What I need is that power of God himself, uh, to bring compassion, and compassion is always wrapped in action. It identifies- Right ... and then goes. It, it's, it [00:52:00] is not self-promoting, it's self-sacrificing. And so that rule of law, which is like the good rule of law, the good teaching, the kind that brings life because it's the Decalogue wrapped in skin perfectly performed by the power of the Holy Spirit through the one who is perfect again in his passive obedience and active obedience. Yes, yes, we need, we need all of that. It's modeled here, I think, to a certain extent, but I think the go and do likewise is actually for all of us, but it's not the kind like we would say, "Well, like, good luck." It's more the- Yeah ... you know the one from whose side the blood flowed. You know the one who is pressed in the garden as if olives under the press leaking oil. You know who that one was, and that one is His spirit resides in you. So now go and do these acts- Yeah ... of mercy. Again, not s- for some kind of meritorious reward, but because you were made for good works, which were set apart for you to do, and part of those good works are [00:53:00] just always being a good neighbor. Tony Arsenal: Yeah. Yeah, and, and maybe to, to close out, I, I, I think maybe we actually did it. I don't know that we're gonna have to do another episode on this. I guess we'll see after we do- Who would've guessed? ... our postmortem here.  Mary Martha And Final Charge Tony Arsenal: But I, I think part, part of, um, part of what we need to at least acknowledge is that what, what follows this parable, right? This, this goes from a parable of a lawyer seeking to justify himself to now the account of Mary and Martha, and the fact that, uh, that, um, M- Martha, you know, is busy with much work, and Mary is sitting and listening to, to Jesus and is said to have chosen the better part. And I think, like- Mm ... this is something that I think because of the way, like, Bibles are formatted, the way that certain things are sort of, like, extracted out as discrete teaching units, this parable is pulled out and separated from this next part. And I, I think we can [00:54:00] really run into problems when we do that because- You know, even if we, even if we were to sort of treat the scripture as, like, a purely human book, right? Luke chose to put this account of Mary and Martha after this, right? And, and- Right ... probably not just because, like, it happened chronologically. There's no real, um, there's no real necessity that this account of Mary and Martha in this particular story had to happen immediately afterwards. Like, there's no organic link in, in the chronology of the story to drive that, right? And the two aren't related in terms of, like, historical cause and effect or, uh, proximity. There's none of those things. So the only answer as to why this was selected to follow the parable of the Good Samaritan is that there's some thematic connection that drove Luke as an author to put this, put this right following that. And so I think even that should drive us to thinking about, all [00:55:00] right, we've got this statement of go and do likewise, show mercy. Now there's almost this foil that the, the, the person in, in the account in the, the narrative here, and a, a true narrative, right? We're not in parable land anymore, but the person in the narrative that seems to be showing mercy, seems to be taking care of people the most, is actually the one who's chastised a little bit for, for being- Right overly zealous about m- mercy ministry, hospitality ministry- Right ... is what you might call it. She's the one who's like, "Tell my sister to help me with this." And she said, like, "You know, you're always gonna have time to do this, but, like, I'

https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/daily-devotions/20260828dev.mp3 Listen to Devotion “I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 16:19 An Open Door Have you ever been locked out? Perhaps you forgot your keys or found yourself standing outside a door you could not open. Jesus used the image of keys to describe one of the greatest gifts he gives: the “keys of the kingdom of heaven.” Keys open doors. The “keys of the kingdom” open the door to God’s forgiveness through the message of Jesus Christ. That may sound surprising. Many people assume Christianity is mostly about rules. The Bible certainly teaches right and wrong, but its central message is not, “Here are the rules.” Its central message is, “Here is your Savior.” Jesus came to unlock the prison of guilt, shame, and death. He offers forgiveness freely because he has already paid for our sins on the cross. No one is beyond his mercy. No mistake is too great. No past is too broken. Wherever the good news of Jesus is proclaimed, the door to God's grace is opened. What an incredible privilege it is to use these keys. The greatest gift we can offer another person is not advice, entertainment, or even friendship, important as those are. The greatest gift is Jesus Christ himself. The good news about Jesus Christ is “the power of God for salvation” because God himself works through his Word. The world offers countless temporary solutions. Jesus offers everlasting forgiveness. The world promises self-improvement. Jesus gives a new creation. The world speaks about success. Jesus speaks peace to guilty consciences. Someone you know needs that peace today. Perhaps God is inviting you to be the one who opens the conversation, extends the invitation, or shares the promise of forgiveness in Christ. The keys are meant to be used. Open the door with joy. “For, ‘Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved'” (Romans 10:13). Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank you for opening the door to God's forgiveness. Help me trust in the gift you freely offer and lead me to know the joy of belonging to you. Amen. Daily Devotions is brought to you by WELS. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

I AM: Seven Signs of the Savior "I Am the Door" (John 10:1-10) In John 10, Jesus makes a claim that both comforts and confronts: "I am the door of the sheep." Pastor Peter Finch teaches through the sheepfold imagery of the ancient Near East to show what Jesus meant, and why the religious leaders who first heard it were so unsettled. Jesus is the one door, and everyone who enters by Him is saved, kept secure, and satisfied, while false shepherds only come to take from the sheep. You walk away with a clear picture of who Jesus is as the door, and three honest questions to sit with: have you come through the door, are you trusting Him to lead you, and do you find your satisfaction in Him? August 26, 2026 Pastor Peter Finch • Administrative Pastor Presented by McGregor Podcast 2026 Visit Our Website at McGregorPodcast.com New to McGregor? Plan a visit at mcgregor.net/plan-a-visit

What does the gospel say about entitlement in a culture that believes it deserves everything? John Harris joins Ray, E.Z., Mark, and Oscar for a conversation about entitlement, gratitude, and the humility that flows from understanding God's grace. The discussion begins by examining how a growing sense of entitlement has shaped modern culture, reminding listenersthat this struggle is not unique to society but is rooted in every human heart. While it is easy to recognize entitlement in others, the guys challenge believers first to examine themselves, remembering that Christians are called to respond to a changing culture with the same love, service, and faithfulness that marked the early church.The guys explain that every person bears God's image and should be treated with dignity and respect, even when they are difficult or demanding. Looking to the life of Christ, they show that people often seek temporary solutions, even though their greatest need is the gospel. As believers grow in their understanding of God's grace, they realize that everything they have is a gift rather than something they have earned. Humility flourishes when Christians remember that God owes them nothing yet has freely given them everything they need in Christ.From there, the discussion turns to practical ways believers can combat entitlement in everyday life. The guys encourage listeners to cultivate gratitude, renew their minds with Scripture, and view every circumstance through the lens of God's sovereignty. Rather than focusing on what ishappening to them, Christians are called to consider what God is accomplishing through them. They remind listeners that trials are opportunities for spiritual growth and that thankfulness is one of the most powerful weapons against pride. As believers learn to treasure Christ aboveearthly comforts, they become increasingly content with whatever the Lord has ordained.Finally, the conversation points to Jesus as the ultimate example of humility and servanthood. Though He alone was truly entitled to glory and honor, Christ willingly humbled Himself, served others, and even washed Judas's feet before going to the cross. The guys challenge listeners to follow their Savior by embracing repentance, practicing daily faithfulness, and serving otherswithout seeking recognition. Ultimately, this episode reminds believers that the evidence of a heart transformed by the gospel is not demanding to be served but joyfully becoming a servant for the glory of God.Send us Fan MailThanks for listening! If you've been helped by this podcast, we'd be grateful if you'd consider subscribing, sharing, and leaving us a comment and 5-star rating! Visit the Living Waters website to learn more and to access helpful resources!You can find helpful counseling resources at biblicalcounseling.com.Check out The Evidence Study Bible and the Basic Training Course.You can connect with us at podcast@livingwaters.com. We're thankful for your input!Learn more about the hosts of this podcast.Ray ComfortEmeal (“E.Z.”) ZwayneMark SpenceOscar Navarro

→ Watch on YouTube → Detailed Show Notes (00:00) A brief summary of the psalms.(02:51) Psalm 49 can be read as a resurrection text. “God will redeem my soul from the power of the grave.”(09:20) Psalm 50 teaches that God will come and establish order and peace.(11:53) Psalm 51 is a prayer asking for forgiveness and a new heart. Hesed is a word used to describe God's lovingkindness, or his everlasting love. Repentance is rebuilding our relationship with the Savior.(28:59) Psalm 61 can be read as a plea of the king before he goes out to battle and can be seen in the setting of the temple drama. Compared to God, we are nothing. The teaching of works is found here, but is often lost.(33:32) To be built upon the Rock is emphasized in the Psalms and also in the Book of Mormon.(41:43) Psalm 63 is a veil type-scene, as the king approaches the presence of God. “In the shadow of thy wings will I rejoice…thy right hand upholdeth me.” This psalm is connected to Malachi 4.(52:10) Psalm 64 is a prayer for help. Psalm 65 is an expression of thanks for the abundant harvest feast and the blessing of water in the land.(59:02) Psalm 66 is an example of how the sacred temple drama was participatory.(1:03:31) Psalm 68 depicts God as one who loves the widows and the fatherless. It also portrays the battle between light and darkness.(1:06:12) Psalm 69 teaches that God will bless and help us, but we are also here to be tested. “Deliver me out of the mire and let me not sink.” Psalm 70 is a prayer to God for deliverance.(1:09:35) Psalm 72 portrays the coronation of the king. Isaiah 61 contains all five essential parts of the ancient coronation ceremony.(1:14:31) Psalm 74 shows God's conflict with the dragon and the sea. Creation and order come out of chaos.(1:15:32) Psalm 77 and 78 retell the story of Moses, a mighty king who carried Israel out of Egypt. This establishes his legitimacy and is tied to the temple drama and God's sovereignty on earth. We must teach our children.(1:21:03) Psalm 82 portrays the Council of the Gods, or the council before the world was. Jesus quotes this passage, “Ye are gods and children of the Most High.”(1:27:13) Psalm 85 teaches that truth will spring out of the earth and righteousness shall look down from heaven.(1:30:56) Psalm 86 highlights King David as he begs for forgiveness. David works to repent by reconnecting with God. → For more of Bryce Dunford’s podcast classes, click here. → Enroll in Institute → YouTube → Apple Podcasts → Spotify → Amazon Music → Facebook The post Ep 386 | Psalms 49-86, Come Follow Me 2026 (August 24-30) appeared first on Talking Scripture.

Volume 102 of Brad & Mira For the Culture...Dolly Parton, our Lord & Savior, has shuffled off her mortal coil...Mira laments not being able to cancel the podcast for mental health reasons...Mira ridicules Brad for not marketing his podcast until year 15...Brad's Instagram following explodes...Angry Adam is furious again...does James Blunt have micro-penis?...Harry & Meghan heading back to the UK...Clavicular's security detail brawls with college kids in Ft. Lauderdale...Sydney Sweeney is the next Tom Cruise...the Iranian government puts a bounty on Barron...& more... *** ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Otherppl with Brad Listi⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ is a weekly podcast featuring in-depth interviews with today's leading writers. Available where podcasts are available: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple Podcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, etc. Get ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠How to Write a Novel,⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ the debut audio course from DeepDive. 50+ hours of never-before-heard insight, inspiration, and instruction from dozens of today's most celebrated contemporary authors. Subscribe to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Brad's email newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Support the show on Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Merch⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Bluesky⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Email the show: letters [at] otherppl [dot] com The podcast is a ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠proud affiliate partner of Bookshop⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, working to support local, independent bookstores. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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Welcome to Day 2936 of Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me. This is Guthrie Chamberlain and today is Day 2936 – Theology Thursday – Christ Consciousness and the Return of the Ancient Lie Wisdom-Trek Podcast Script - Day 2936 Welcome to Wisdom-Trek with Gramps!   I am Guthrie Chamberlain, and we are on Day 2936 of our Trek.   The Purpose of Wisdom-Trek is to create a legacy of wisdom, to seek out discernment and insights, and to boldly grow where few have chosen to grow before. Our current series of Theology Thursday lessons is written by theologian and teacher John Daniels. I have found that his lessons are short, easy to understand, doctrinally sound, and applicable to all who desire to learn more of God's Word. John's lessons are available on his website, theologyinfive.com.  Christ Consciousness and the Return of the Ancient Lie. The idea of “Christ consciousness” is often presented as a spiritual breakthrough where a person awakens to inner divinity. Jesus becomes a model of human potential rather than the incarnate Son of God. The appeal is obvious. It promises transcendence without repentance and enlightenment without submission. Yet behind the modern packaging stands a very old pattern. “Christ consciousness” is not a rediscovery of the teachings of Jesus. It is the rebirth of the ancient lie that humanity can ascend to divine status apart from Yahweh. From Eden to the pagan world, from the rebel watchers to the Gnostics, the same message has returned again and again. Its modern form is simply more polished and more deceptive. The first segment is: The Ancient Pagan Vision of Human Divinity. The idea that divine potential lies within the human soul is older than recorded history. Civilizations across the ancient world built their religions around the belief that humans could rise into the realm of the gods. In Egypt, initiation rituals promised access to hidden spiritual knowledge and the ability to traverse the worlds of the divine. The individual was told that the right rites and secrets could transform a mortal into a being of power. Early Greek philosophical schools detached the idea from ritual and reimagined it as an ascent of the mind. Through disciplined introspection, the soul could free itself from material limits and participate in the divine. In Mesopotamia, kings claimed divine sonship and presented themselves as intermediaries between heaven and earth. Their authority rested on the belief that humans could cross the boundary into divine identity. These systems differed, but they rested on a shared conviction. Divinity is within reach if one knows how to unlock it. “Christ consciousness” is simply the modern restatement of this worldview. It presents divinity as latent within each person, waiting to be awakened. In the ancient world, this was a spiritual pursuit. Today it is wrapped in therapeutic language. The underlying theology has not changed. The second segment is: The Deeper Pattern Beneath the Pagan Systems. Behind the rituals and philosophies of the ancient world lies a darker thread. Scripture describes a world after Eden where spiritual beings known as the watchers crossed boundaries Yahweh had set. They offered humanity knowledge not meant for them. The result was not enlightenment. It was corruption. Ancient traditions remembered these figures as culture bringers, sages, or divine intermediaries. Scripture describes them as rebels who distorted God's order and magnified human pride. The apkallu of Mesopotamian legend mirror this pattern. Their stories present them as semi-divine beings who brought advanced knowledge to humanity before the flood. Yet in the biblical worldview, this kind of ascent was always a counterfeit that led people away from the Creator. It encouraged humanity to seek elevation on terms that were forbidden. Modern spirituality celebrates the same impulse. “Christ consciousness” bypasses the Creator and promises transcendence through self-awareness. It is not accidental that this mirrors the oldest form of rebellion in the biblical story. It is the same attempt to seize divinity without God's blessing. The third segment is: Gnosticism and the Misuse of Jesus. Gnosticism took the ancient pagan vision of self-divinization and grafted it onto Christian language. It preserved the idea that salvation comes through unlocking hidden spiritual knowledge and added a new twist. Jesus became the revealer of this knowledge. He was not Yahweh in the flesh. He was not the crucified and risen Lord. He was a spiritual messenger who showed people the path to awakening their inner light. This allowed the Gnostics to attach their worldview to the authority of Jesus while stripping Him of everything that defines Him. The incarnation became unnecessary. The cross was reimagined. The resurrection was denied. Christ became a symbol for human potential rather than the Savior who restores humanity to God. “Christ consciousness” uses the exact same strategy. It employs the vocabulary of Jesus to promote a belief system that contradicts His identity and mission. This is not honoring Christ. It is exploiting His name to legitimize a worldview He explicitly rejected. The fourth segment is: The Biblical Vision of Humanity's True Calling. The tragedy of this deception is that it offers a counterfeit path to the very thing God already promises His people. Scripture declares that humanity was created to bear God's image and rule His creation under His authority. That vocation was not lost forever. It is restored in Christ. Jesus promises that those who belong to Him will reign with Him on the New Earth. Our resurrection bodies will be marked by glory and immortality. The destiny of redeemed humanity is not to awaken inner divinity but to receive resurrection life directly from the risen Christ. This is not a metaphor. It is the fulfillment of the plan Yahweh declared to Abraham. His family would shine like the stars and serve as His representatives forever. Every attempt to bypass the Creator and manufacture spiritual ascent is a pale imitation of this promise. Human beings cannot awaken what they do not possess. Only Christ can raise them into the glory intended from the beginning. The fifth segment is: The True Meaning of the Holy Ones. Modern spirituality treats “saint” as a moral compliment. Scripture treats it as a status. The New Testament uses the Greek word that translates the Old Testament term for the “holy ones,” the loyal members of Yahweh's divine council. Believers are given this title because they have been brought into that household by the work of Christ. This is not divinization through self-discovery. It is adoption through redemption. It is a restored identity, not a spiritual technique. Believers do not become gods. They become members of God's family, sharing in His mission and representing His rule. This is something no pagan system can produce. The sixth segment is: Judging Angels and the Restoration of Authority. Paul goes even further when he says that believers will judge angels. This statement reveals how far God intends to restore humanity. Those who are redeemed in Christ will participate in the judgment of the rebellious spiritual beings who misled the nations. This is the opposite of the path offered by pagan spirituality. Where the ancient world sought to submit to spiritual intermediaries for enlightenment, the redeemed will one day stand in judgment over them. No version of “Christ consciousness” can rival this. It promises temporary feelings of transcendence. Christ promises participation in the final victory that restores creation. In Conclusion. “Christ consciousness” is not an elevated understanding of Jesus. It is the revival of an ancient deception that has taken many forms across history. It repeats the pagan claim that divinity lies within. It mirrors the corruption introduced by the watchers. It copies the Gnostic strategy of using Jesus to promote a message He never taught. The Gospel is not a call to look inward for divine potential. It is a call to the One who is divine. Through Him, humanity receives life, resurrection, restored vocation, membership among the holy ones, and authority in the world to come. The New Age offers a shadow. Christ offers the reality. To further your understanding, consider these Discussion Questions. How does the modern idea of “Christ consciousness” repeat the core deception found in Eden, and what does this reveal about the unchanging nature of spiritual rebellion? In...

It's Thursday, August 27th, A.D. 2026. This is The Worldview in 5 Minutes heard on 140 radio stations and at www.TheWorldview.com.  I'm Adam McManus. (Adam@TheWorldview.com) By Jonathan Clark and Adam McManus Haitian gang members killed 50 people in church Gang members attacked a church in Haiti on Sunday, killing nearly 50 people. Displaced people were sheltering in the building of Church of the Ark of the New Covenant. The evangelical church is located near Haiti's capital, Port-au-Prince. Up to 90 percent of the area is controlled by gangs. The gang members killed 47 people and injured another 22 people.  Please pray for Christians in Haiti who face much of the widespread gang violence in the country.  In John 10:10, Jesus said, “The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” Germany first country to display Muslim prayer times on official signs Evangelical Focus reports a German town became the first in the country to display Muslim prayer times on its official signs. The municipality of Penzberg previously listed Sunday service times for the Catholic and Lutheran parishes in town. Signage now includes prayer times for the local mosque established in 1990. Muslims with a migrant background make up about eight percent of Germany's population, up from five percent in 2016. New U.S. economic sanctions against Iran The Trump administration announced aggressive economic sanctions against Iran on Monday.  Operation Economic Outcast aims to cut Iran's financial connections with the rest of the world. The sanctions will also affect any country doing business with the regime.  Listen to comments from Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. BESSENT: “We want to make clear here today that no one is above the reach of U.S. sanctions. That if they facilitate transactions and are part of the ecosystem that turns Iranian oil into money, into repression, they will be targeted.” Facebook/Instagram pay $18 billion over addictive algorithms for kids Meta Platforms agreed to pay up to $18 billion over the next decade in a settlement announced yesterday. Nearly every U.S. state accused the social media company of designing its platforms to be addictive to children. The tech giant is being held accountable for the role its platforms played in undermining children's mental health. These platforms include Facebook and Instagram.  California will get the largest sum of $1.5 billion, but several other states will still collect hundreds of millions of dollars each over the decade. The money will be used to pay for legal fees, mental health care for children, after-school programs, and education about the risks of social media use. According to the Associated Press, Meta will eliminate push notifications during weekday school hours and bring in “robust” age-assurance measures and “age-appropriate” content controls to prevent bullying and harmful material about eating disorders and self-harm. The case also argued that Meta violated federal laws by routinely collecting data on children under 13 without their parents' consent. As part of the settlement, Meta agreed to limit teenagers' use of Instagram and Facebook to a couple of hours a day. 1,235 assisted suicide deaths in California last year The state of California reported 1,235 assisted suicide deaths last year. The death toll is up nearly 150 percent over the past five years.  The California End of Life Option Act allows adults, expected to live six months or less, to obtain life-ending drugs. The state has authorized the deaths of at least 6,758 people since the law went into effect in 2016. 3 California homeschoolers sue over prohibition from participation Three homeschool families petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court last week after California excluded them from a state program. Some of California's tuition-free charter schools allow homeschool academy programs. However, families cannot use state funds from these charter schools for religious curriculum.  In one case, the state rejected a grammar exercise simply because it used the sentence: “God sends the rain to help plants grow.”  Acts 14:17 says God “did not leave Himself without witness, in that He did good, gave us rain from Heaven and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness.” Protestant churches are multigenerational Most Protestant churches report being multigenerational.  A survey from Lifeway Research found 91 percent of churchgoers agree their church has a good number of active members from all generations. Seventy-eight percent of pastors also agree.  Being multigenerational was more frequently reported by pastors of larger churches, younger pastors, and evangelical pastors.  Dolly Parton, who died at 80, championed a false gospel And finally, PARTON:  “Workin' 9 to 5, what a way to make a livin' Barely gettin' by, it's all takin' and no givin'” Dolly Parton, the country singer, actress, and businesswoman, died peacefully at her home in Nashville, Tennessee on Tuesday. She was 80 years old. Known as the Queen of Country, the singer-songwriter is among one of the best-selling music artists of all time.  She wrote and sang this song in 1974 which Whitney Houston would later famously cover.  PARTON: “And I will always love you I will always love you.” Parton grew up in a Pentecostal church and described herself as a person of faith.  PARTON: “My grandpa was a preacher. So, my grandpa pastored this little church called the House of Prayer. He was a very positive, uplifting person. And I learned to love Jesus, and learned that Jesus loved me when I was a little bitty kid. “And all those things that Mama used to say, you know, that through God all things are possible. I kept all those things kind of tucked away into my subconscious mind and in my heart. And those are the things that have helped me through the years. I never do anything that I don't pray about it, and I always ask God to lead me and to show me and direct me into what I'm doing.” She was married to her husband Carl Thomas Dean for nearly 60 years until his death in 2025. As a philanthropist, Parton supported children's literacy and medical research. Sadly, she was also known as an advocate for unbiblical causes like homosexual behavior and faux homosexual marriage.  Appearing with Larry King, she defended homosexuality. KING: “Didn't you recently, though, throw support to the [Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender] community?” PARTON: “Oh, I've always encouraged, not encouraged. They've made me the poster child I think only because I'm so outspoken as far as just being accepting of people in general.  “I do not believe that we should criticize and judge other people. I think we should be accepting and loving. We are all God's children. We are who we are, and we should allow, be allowed to be who we are.” Kate Newman, a Christian YouTuber, objected to Parton's bad theology, referencing John 1:12. NEWMAN: “We are not all children of God, contrary to popular belief. We receive the Spirit of adoption from God when we receive Jesus as our Lord and Savior, and we are led by His Holy Spirit. But until then, we're actually all children of the devil.” Larry King asked Dolly Parton this follow-up question. KING: “Did any of the faith-based communities that deeply believe the other way take umbrage with you?” PARTON: “Oh, absolutely. KING: “They did?” PARTON: “Oh, yes. I get it all the time. I keep saying, ‘Well, if you're the fine Christian that you think you are, why are you judging people? That's God's job. We're not God. We're not judges.' You know, we're supposed to love one another. We're supposed to not judge.  “If you're gay, you're gay. If you're straight, you're straight. And you should be allowed to be, you know, how how you are and who you are.” In 2024, Ericka Andersen wrote a column for The Federalist entitled “There's nothing loving about Dolly Parton's false gospel.” She argued that, “Parton's version of love, which includes condoning immoral sexual behavior  is unaligned with God's vision for humanity. Like so many secularized spiritual leaders, Parton equates love with agreement, but the two are not reciprocal. Love doesn't mean we must accept sinfulness as good to avoid hurting someone's feelings. “To be sure, the culture is on a constant witch hunt for those who would call homosexuality sinful. I understand wanting to avoid the avalanche of criticism, but calling sin out by name isn't judgment. It's adhering to Scripture. “She's right that all should be treated with love and kindness, but when we refuse to label sin a sin, we're doing more harm than good.  The gospel of Dolly Parton is popular with the masses, but don't bank your eternity on it.” Leviticus 18:22 says, “Do not have sexual relations with a man as one does with a woman; that is detestable.” Close And that's The Worldview on this Thursday, August 27th, in the year of our Lord 2026. Subscribe for free by Spotify, Amazon Music, or by iTunes or email to our unique Christian newscast at www.TheWorldview.com.  Plus, you can get the Generations app through Google Play or The App Store. I'm Adam McManus (Adam@TheWorldview.com). Seize the day for Jesus Christ.

https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/daily-devotions/20260827dev.mp3 Listen to Devotion “The gates of Hades will not overcome it.” Matthew 16:18 Hope that Defeats Fear Jesus promised, “The gates of Hades will not overcome it.” Jesus never promised his church an easy path. Christians experience persecution, temptation, suffering, and spiritual warfare. Satan constantly seeks to discourage believers and undermine the gospel. Yet Jesus assures us that hell itself cannot overcome his church. Notice that the gates belong to hell. Gates are defensive. Jesus Christ is advancing his kingdom as his gospel reaches hearts throughout the world. Satan cannot imprison those whom Jesus has redeemed and set free. That promise extends personally to every believer. There are days when guilt weighs heavily on us. We remember sins we wish we could erase. The devil whispers that God could never forgive someone like us. But Jesus has already answered those accusations. Through his death and resurrection, he has defeated sin, death, and Satan. The enemy may accuse, but he cannot condemn those who belong to Jesus Christ. This confidence enables Christians to live courageously. We need not fear the future because our Savior reigns. We need not fear death because Jesus has conquered the grave. We need not fear Satan because Jesus has already won the victory. Perhaps you’ve spent much of your life trying to avoid thinking about death or eternity. Jesus invites you to face those questions honestly—not with fear, but with hope. He came precisely because death is our greatest enemy. By dying and rising again, he has opened the way to eternal life for all who trust in him. The Christian message is not that good people earn heaven. It is that Jesus has opened heaven through his death and resurrection. That is a hope worth exploring. As the Bible says, “Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame.” (Romans 10:11) Whenever fear threatens your heart, return to Christ’s promise. The battle belongs to him, and he has already secured the outcome. Prayer: Jesus, my Savior, when fear and temptation surround me, remind me that you have defeated every enemy. Keep me confident in your promises and steadfast until eternal victory is fully revealed. Amen. Daily Devotions is brought to you by WELS. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

We review the major biblical covenants that shape the grand narrative of Scripture. We explore the Noahic Covenant, where God promises never to flood the earth again; the Abrahamic Covenant, with its promises of land, seed, and blessing; the Sinai Covenant, establishing Israel's legal and moral system; and the Davidic Covenant, promising an everlasting kingdom. These covenants are crucial in understanding God's plan for salvation and His faithfulness throughout history. We discuss how these promises intertwine and point towards the coming of a Savior. Support the showRead along with us in the Bible Brief App! Try the Bible Brief book for an offline experience!Get your free Bible Timeline with the 10 Steps: Timeline LinkSupport the show: Tap here to become a monthly supporter!Review the show: Tap here!Want to go deeper?...Download the Bible Brief App!iPhone: App Store LinkAndroid: Play Store LinkWant a physical book? Check out "Bible Brief" by our founder!Amazon: Amazon LinkWebsite: biblebrief.orgInstagram: @realbiblebriefX: @biblebriefFacebook: @realbiblebriefEmail the Show: biblebrief@biblelit.orgWant to learn the Bible languages (Greek & Hebrew)? Check out our partner Biblingo (and use our link/code for a discount!): https://biblin...

Abraham understood that God had a greater plan for his life, so he learned to shift his focus from the world he could see to the world that was still to come. In today's episode of the MY Devotional Podcast, Dr. Michael Youssef turns to Hebrews 11 and the faith of Abraham and the other Old Testament saints. They lived as foreigners and strangers on earth, trusting promises they could only see from a distance because they were “longing for a better country—a heavenly one.” For believers in Jesus Christ, that same eternal perspective changes everything. Through salvation, we have been adopted into God's family, and our ultimate citizenship is no longer rooted in this passing world. The suffering and disappointments of this life cannot compare with the glory God has prepared for His children. Abraham's journey also reminds us that great faith does not mean a failure-free life. He experienced setbacks, detours, and discouragements, but he refused to make those places his permanent home. He kept trusting, growing, and pressing forward because his eyes remained fixed on God's promises and faithfulness. God has prepared an enduring city for everyone who belongs to Christ. Until the day we enter it fully, we can experience a taste of heaven on earth as we worship Jesus, walk by faith, and live each day with eternity in view. Prayer: Lord, thank You for Your gift of salvation. Teach me all I need to know about You and allow me to serve You today. I pray in the name of Jesus. Amen. “But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, . . .” (Philippians 3:20). Learn more in Dr. Michael A. Youssef's sermon They Were Just like Us, The Witness of Faith: LISTEN NOW The voice you hear on the MY Devotional podcast is digitally generated with Dr. Youssef's permission. If today's devotional stirred a question, burden, or need for prayer, you don't have to walk through it alone.

Take a look at Joni's painting up close here! --------Thank you for listening! Your support of Joni and Friends helps make this show possible. Joni and Friends envisions a world where every person with a disability finds hope, dignity, and their place in the body of Christ. Become part of the global movement today at www.joniandfriends.org. Find more encouragement on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and YouTube.

https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/daily-devotions/20260826dev.mp3 Listen to Devotion (Jesus said) “I will build my church.” Matthew 16:18 A Church Built by Jesus Many people have mixed feelings about the Christian Church. Some have wonderful memories. Others have painful ones. Some think churches are full of hypocrites. Others wonder whether organized religion is even necessary. Jesus knew his followers would not be perfect. Peter himself would later deny knowing Jesus three times. Yet Jesus still said, “I will build my church.” Notice that he did not say, “People will build my church.” The Church belongs to Jesus. Christians are not gathered because they are better than everyone else. They are gathered because they know they need forgiveness. A hospital is filled with sick people, not because sickness is good, but because healing is needed. The Church is much the same. It is a place where people hear God’s promises, receive his forgiveness, and grow in faith together. Sometimes Christians and Christian churches become discouraged. We may wonder whether our efforts matter. Jesus reminds us that the Church’s foundation is not human wisdom, popularity, or impressive programs. The Church stands on the confession that “Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” (Matthew 16:16) Wherever Jesus Christ is faithfully preached, there his church is found. Buildings may crumble. Congregations may struggle. Cultures change. Yet Jesus Christ continues to build his church through his gospel. The foundation of your own faith is equally secure. Your confidence is not in your consistency or strength, but in Jesus Christ’s unchanging promise. He remains faithful even when his people struggle. So, if you have stayed away because Christians have disappointed you, remember this: Christianity is not built upon perfect people. It is built upon a perfect Savior. Jesus gave his life for imperfect people. He welcomes doubters, failures, and sinners. When you visit a faithful Christian congregation, you should not expect to find flawless people. Instead, you should expect to hear about a flawless Savior who loves broken people enough to die for them. That is the Church Jesus Christ continues building today. Prayer: Lord Jesus, help me look beyond the imperfections of people and see you. Lead me to a church where your Word is faithfully taught and where I may grow in knowing you. Amen. Daily Devotions is brought to you by WELS. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

Sharing your faith doesn’t have to mean having the perfect answer to every question about Christianity or knowing exactly what to say. Christian witness is about showing and sharing the love of Jesus with the people around you. But how can you talk about your faith without coming across as judgmental, pushy, or disconnected from where someone is? The Bible calls us to speak the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15), and that starts with the way we live, listen, and treat others. When we approach evangelism with kindness, humility, and genuine love, we create opportunities for meaningful conversations about God and the gospel. We may not see an immediate response, and we may not have every answer, but we can faithfully plant seeds of faith and trust God with the results. A Christ-centered witness isn't about winning an argument—it's about pointing people toward Jesus in a way that reflects His love. Highlights How to share your faith without being judgmental or pushy Why our actions and character can be a powerful Christian witness The importance of speaking biblical truth with love How to share your personal testimony with others Why listening and meeting people where they are matters when witnessing How even a simple conversation can plant a seed of faith Why we can trust God with the results of our witness Want more encouragement throughout your week? Subscribe to The Good Word, LifeAudio’s free weekly newsletter. Sign up at LifeAudio.com/thegoodword Do you want to listen ad-free? When you join Crosswalk Plus, you gain access to exclusive, in-depth Bible study guides, devotionals, sound biblical advice, and daily encouragement from trusted pastors and authors—resources designed to strengthen your faith and equip you to live it out boldly. PLUS ad free podcasts! Sign Up Today! Full Transcript Below: A Kinder Way to Witness By Alexis A. Goring Bible Reading:“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” - John 13:34-35 (NIV) One evening, as I was leaving the building where I worked in Washington, D.C., I saw a man standing in the middle of walking traffic, holding a megaphone and shouting at everyone as they passed by. He was telling them to stop sinning and was using a lot of words that only Christians who know the Bible understand. I also noticed that he had an angry demeanor. I walked away thinking, “That’s not how you get people to want to know Jesus Christ.” I’m not an expert nor an evangelist, but I believe there is a kinder way to witness. The Bible says we are to speak the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15). God doesn’t tell us to hit people over the head with The Holy Bible, shout angry words of condemnation through a megaphone or microphone, nor tell people bluntly that they are going to hell or make them feel lesser than for not yet knowing Jesus. I would like to suggest a kinder way to witness. Here’s what I believe: First, we preach with our lives. John MacArthur, an American pastor, stated, “You are the only Bible some unbelievers will ever read.” According to Google, “This quote highlights the concept that for non-Christians, a believer’s daily actions, character, and life testimony serve as their very first (and sometimes only) exposure to the teachings of Jesus. The quote challenges believers to live a consistent, transparent life that accurately reflects God's Word. It emphasizes that a Christian's behavior should draw others toward Christ rather than drive them away.” Second, Christians should acknowledge that we are all sinners who need a Savior. But then speak the truth in love. Start by telling people about a King (God) who loves them so much that He left the glory and perfection of Heaven to come to Earth in human form to save our souls. Encourage them to read John 3:16-17 for details. Let the people know that this Eternal King offers them life after death in a place (Heaven) so wonderful that no human words in any language can describe. Let the people know that the way to have eternal life after death is through accepting the free gift of salvation offered through a relationship with God’s Son (Jesus Christ). Third, be prepared to share your testimony about why you believe in God and have accepted Jesus as your Savior. When I worked as a journalist, I had a conversation with a co-worker. He wanted to talk about my faith in God. After I told him why I believe in God and follow Jesus Christ, the conversation turned to the Bible. He told me that the Bible doesn’t make sense when you read it from a journalist's perspective. I didn’t know what to say then, but years and more life experience later, I realize I should have responded that you have to read the Bible through a lens of faith with help from The Holy Spirit to understand it because spiritual things are spiritually discerned (1 Corinthians 2:14). When I told him that God has sheep in other pastures (John 10:16), he became offended. He told me that he hates it when Christians say that because he is not dumb like a sheep. I realized then that I didn’t know how to reach him with God’s truth. I knew not to be aggressive in witnessing about Christ to him, and I did my best to speak the truth in love, but I didn’t have the life experiences and deeper wisdom that I have now. I wasn’t equipped to effectively win his soul to Jesus. But I believe I did plant a seed of faith in him during that conversation, and I know that God can send more Christ-followers to him and everyone else who doesn’t know Jesus yet, and those Christians can water the seeds I and others planted to the point where, if he is willing, he can have faith in Jesus that blooms. Finally, I’d like to say that people have to be willing to follow Jesus. God will never force anybody to believe in Him and follow Christ. He gave us all free will. But He does encourage us to choose life (Deuteronomy 30:19). What I learned from my conversations with people over the years is that when witnessing, it is more effective if you meet unbelievers on their level and speak in terms they can understand. Just like an effective teacher learns the learning styles of each of their students, then tailors each lesson to speak to them in a way they will understand, we as Christians need to follow a similar suit when witnessing. In closing, I’d like for you to listen and reflect on three songs (listed below). Song of Reflection #1: “The Introduction” by Laos in Harmony. Listen to it HERE. Song of Reflection #2: “Know Us By Our Love” by Moriah. Listen to it HERE. Song of Reflection #3: “Forever” by Kari Jobe Carnes. Listen to it HERE. Intersecting Faith & Life: Do you know Jesus Christ as your Savior? How can you, who know Jesus, tell the world about our Savior in a kind way? Further Reading: John 14:1-6 Romans 6:23 1 Peter 3:15-16 Matthew 5:16 2 Corinthians 5:20 Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

In this bonus episode of the NCS Podcast Hot Topics series, host Rich Choi, MD, continues his conversation with Andrew Webb, PharmD, with a preview of "Subarachnoid Hemorrhage: Clazosentan vs. Fasudil for Vasospasm Prevention (SAVIOR) Study: Study Protocol for a Prospective, Multicenter, Randomized Trial," published in Neurocritical Care. They review the history of nimodipine as the standard treatment for improving outcomes after aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage and compare its mechanism with those of fasudil and clazosentan. Dr. Webb explains why fasudil is commonly used for vasospasm prevention in Japan and discusses previous research showing that clazosentan can reduce vasospasm without consistently improving functional outcomes when added to nimodipine. The conversation also explores how the SAVIOR trial will directly compare clazosentan and fasudil in a nimodipine-free population. They consider whether the trial could establish a preferred approach in Japan, what its results might mean for practice elsewhere and whether clazosentan may eventually have a role for selected patients who cannot tolerate nimodipine. The views expressed on the NCS Podcast are solely those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the opinions or official positions of the Neurocritical Care Society.

What do you do when your sins feel too heavy to carry, when your closest friends turn against you, or when you look at the world and wonder why the wicked seem to prosper while the faithful suffer? In Psalms 49–101, the psalmists give voice to our rawest cries, leading us from the depths of personal brokenness straight into the healing sanctuary of God. Summary: In this moving exploration of Psalms 49–101, we walk through the second major collection of the Hebrew Psalter. Moving between searing prayers of confession and breathtaking anthems of praise, these chapters provide an emotional and spiritual compass for every trial of mortality. The Agony of Confession: We dissect Psalm 51, David's brokenhearted plea after Nathan confronted him regarding Bathsheba. We examine what it means to offer a "broken and a contrite heart," asking God not just for a pardon, but to "create in me a clean heart". The Sting of Betrayal: In Psalm 55, we explore David's lament over being betrayed not by an open enemy, but by an equal and trusted companion—a passage that powerfully foreshadows Judas's betrayal of Jesus Christ. Envy and the Sanctuary Perspective: We study Asaph's crisis of faith in Psalm 73, where his feet almost slipped while envying the ease of the worldly—until he entered the sanctuary of God and understood their end. Tears in a Bottle & God's Memory: We dive into Psalm 56, discovering the tender truth that God numbers our wanderings, stores our tears in His bottle, and never leaves us to face mortality alone. Divine Potential and Council: We analyze Psalm 82, exploring the divine council and the Savior's quotation of verse 6 ("Ye are gods") to understand the balance between human humility and divine heritage. Entering His Gates with Praise: We conclude with the exuberant joy of Psalm 100, examining the seven invitations to worship and the remarkable story of how the Spirit prompted B. H. Roberts to read this exact psalm in a moment of public trial. Call-to-Action: When your heart feels overwhelmed, David pleads: "Lead me to the rock that is higher than I" (Psalm 61:2). What verse or phrase from Psalms 49–101 has served as your anchor during seasons of spiritual disorientation? Share your favorite psalm and personal insights in the comments below. To keep your gospel foundation anchored and "Unshaken," please like, subscribe, and share this video! Chapter Timestamps: 0:00 Introduction 5:09 Worldly Wealth (49) 12:41 Covenant Renewal (50) 26:12 A Plea for Forgiveness (51) 48:58 Wickedness, Doubt, & Disloyalty (52-55) 1:05:41 Pleas for Help, Mercy, & Vengeance (56-58) 1:14:16 Innocent Suffering, and a Call to Arms (59-60) 1:22:33 Rocks, Wings, Walls, Water, & Weapons (61-64) 1:37:20 Thanksgiving, Finding Family, & the House of the Lord (65-68) 2:01:25 Messianic Psalms & Deep Waters (69-72) 2:18:38 Envying the Wicked, Apostasy, & the Bitter Cup (73-76) 2:29:43 Dealing with Depression (77) 2:40:28 Learning from the Past (78) 2:52:25 Planting & Renewing (79-81) 3:00:07 Gods in Embryo (82) 3:07:24 Redemptive Turbulence & the Temple (83-84) 3:15:40 Mercy & Truth's Kiss (85-87) 3:26:00 Work for the Dead & Wayward Children (88-89) 3:40:20 Long Life, Safety, & Sanctuaries in Time & Space (90-94) 3:57:05 Enthronement Hymns & Psalms of Celebration (95-99) 4:10:51 The Thanksgiving Psalm (100) 4:16:16 Conclusion

We would love to pray for you! Please send us your requests here. --------Thank you for listening! Your support of Joni and Friends helps make this show possible. Joni and Friends envisions a world where every person with a disability finds hope, dignity, and their place in the body of Christ. Become part of the global movement today at www.joniandfriends.org. Find more encouragement on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and YouTube.

Many mature Christians experience seasons when Jesus feels distant—not through dramatic sin or faith crisis, but a slow, subtle drift into spiritual dryness. Today, Stephanie explores how to recognize, understand, and rekindle true delight in God when faith feels flat.As she has with every episode in our “Awaken Delight” series, Stephanie has invented a fictional character – who might feel eerily familiar! In today's episode, we're introduced to “Claire”—a faithful, seasoned believer admired by others, with a life marked by steady commitment to Christ, church, and family. Yet, despite external faithfulness, she privately mourns the loss of intimacy and vividness in her spiritual life. Claire's story demonstrates how even longstanding believers can slide into a functional, uninspired relationship with Jesus—doing all the “right things,” but missing the joy and depth once present.Our FREE gift to you today! An exclusive, in-depth 30-day FREE recovery plan to rekindle your delight in God when you are going through seasons of flavorless faith: go to https://www.gospelspice.com/awakendelightthepodcast and find the form for Episode 458. Give us your email, and you will receive the full plan in your inbox immediately!Key Symptoms of a “flavorless faith”:Bible reading and prayer become duty-bound, not joy-filled.Worship songs and sermons feel routine, not stirring.Service continues, but the heart feels unengaged and tired.Delight is more than an emotion—it's the warm, relational savoring of God Himself, not just His gifts or outcomes.Distinctions:Happiness: Circumstantial, fleetingContentment: Sufficient, sometimes passiveDelight: Active, relational enjoyment—the “flavor” and “fragrance” of life with GodDelight in God is like savoring real vanilla versus imitation—the fake might have the form, but lacks the richness and depth. When we lose delight, all becomes bland.Distance from Jesus is often gradual. Common causes include:Over-familiarity: The truths of gospel become like a painting you stop noticing.Busyness & Burnout: Life's cares crowd out time to “linger” with Jesus.Duty Replacing Delight: We obey and serve, but lose relational warmth.When delight cools, our spiritual life becomes transactional, our joy fades, and other things gain center stage in our hearts.Psalm 34:8 invites us to “taste and see that the Lord is good”—not just agree intellectually, but experience Him proportionally.Delight in God requires attention; it calls for slowing down, “beholding,” and returning to the gospel as if it's fresh.It's not manufactured by willpower, but reawakened by honesty and pursuit.Prayerfully confess where delight has dimmed and ask Jesus for renewed appetite.Ultimately, delight is about communion—living in God's presence, savoring Him as the ultimate gift.Our delight fuels resilience, combats burnout, and makes our faith not merely correct, but alive and fragrant to those around us.Practical Steps to Awaken DelightSlow Down & Linger: Don't skim Scripture or prayer; bring your full heart, even your boredom and disappointment.See God as Beautiful: Move beyond doctrine; gaze at Jesus' beauty, not just His utility.Cultivate Stillness: Create time to notice God's presence and gifts; fight cultural hurriedness.Receive, Don't Achieve: Delight is a relationship to receive by the Spirit, often through the ordinary or through suffering.Honest Prayer: Admit to God when delight feels absent; let Him rekindle it.If you, like Claire, feel distant from Jesus, don't despair. He hasn't moved; beauty can be rediscovered. Ask God to awaken your delight, to move you beyond belief into joy in His presence. Let your soul savor Him again.“Restore to me the joy of your salvation.” – Psalm 51:12MORE ABOUT THE BOOK “AWAKEN DELIGHT” BY STEPHANIE ROUSSELLE"Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart."―Psalm 37:4What if you've lost your delight in God? Or you've never really experienced it in the first place? What if a season of suffering has snuffed out your joy, leaving you spiritually discouraged and emotionally numb?Delighting in God changes everything: how you experience your faith, relationships, and circumstances―and even how you see yourself.You can experience Psalm 37:4 as your daily reality. In Awaken Delight, Stephanie Rousselle connects scriptural and theological truth to your everyday life so you can experience what delighting in God really means. It's not about checking boxes on a spiritual to-do list or mustering a constant state of positive feelings. Rather, delight is about satisfying your soul's deepest longing through a vibrant relationship with the living God.What you will (re)discover as you journey with God through Awaken Delight:Delight in God is identity-shaping, not emotion-driven. Delight in God is not fleeting emotion but resilient identity.Delight in God is altogether trust, satisfaction in God, relational intimacy with Him.Delight in God is often expressed and grown through resilient joy under suffering.Delight in God is the missing engine behind resilience. It's the antidote to burnout. It's even the foundation for sustainable ministry.God's delight in you is secure, not performance-dependent. God's delight in you frees you from striving! That's the beginning of delight.Jesus is the center of every endeavor to delight in God.You can build a delight-centered spiritual life.Awaken Delight invites you to follow Scriptural truths and spiritual practices that cultivate daily joy in God.In Awaken Delight, Stephanie Rousselleshows how delighting in God is crucial for spiritual growth,provides spiritual habits that help you live in delight, andincludes discussion questions and Bible engagement great for book clubs or small groups.By looking to Christ as your model of divine delight, you can discover that no matter what you're experiencing―whether weariness, sorrow, hope, or happiness―you truly can "taste and see that the Lord is good." If you are longing for a revived faith filled with hope, delight, worth, and grace, Awaken Delight invites you to cultivate a worshipful, life-giving delight in God that's rooted in God's delight in you.Purchase here: https://a.co/d/0625K1AZ More details at https://www.gospelspice.com/awakendelightDISCOVER THE BOOK BEHIND THE PODCAST | "Awaken Delight" by Stephanie Rousselle"Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart." Psalm 37:4 isn't a poetic suggestion — it's a promise. But many believers quietly assume it doesn't really work, or it's not really possible here on earth.In Awaken Delight, Stephanie Rousselle invites you to rediscover what Scripture actually means by delight — not emotional hype, not religious performance, but a steady satisfaction rooted in who God is.Delight in God isn't a mood to manufacture; it's a relationship to receive.Through biblical theology and practical rhythms, you'll learn how communion with God reshapes suffering, quiets restless striving, and anchors your identity in something unshakable.Delighting in God isn't sentimental optimism. It's deeply rooted in Christ, Jesus.It's the quiet revolution that reshapes how we endure pain, love others, and understand our own heart.Awaken Delight is a theologically grounded spiritual formation book for thoughtful believers who feel spiritually fatigued and are ready to embrace the reality of Psalm 37:4.More at https://www.gospelspice.com/awakendelight Purchase the book, "Awaken Delight" by Stephanie Rousselle: https://a.co/d/0bqhUb5JKind words from Jennifer Rothschild, Bible teacher, Author, Speaker, Podcast Host, Founder, Fresh Grounded Faith: “Stephanie helps us awaken to and experience true delight. It is a rich mix of God's delight in you and your delight in him. This is the life you were made for, the life your soul deeply longs for. So, the table is set. Pull up a chair and let your heart sit alongside Stephanie. As your delight in God wakes up and becomes fully realized, you'll find a satisfaction in Christ that makes you want more and more.”Kind words from Amanda Jenkins, Lead creator of THE CHOSEN's literary content: "I have yet to meet another person quite as eager to intimately know Jesus as Stephanie is. Her enthusiasm for the beauty found inside a thriving relationship with her Savior is downright contagious. Indeed, Stephanie's joy and faith and commitment to growth—along with her love for really good food!—will implant themselves in the hearts of readers. Lucky readers."Kind words from Os Guinness, Theologian, Social critic, Author, The Call:  "Stephanie addresses one of the greatest needs of Christians today. Knowing God is not knowing about God, but knowing Him genuinely and with desire and delight. She does so practically and helpfully, and in a style that sparkles with a verve and joy that is distinctively French."Kind words from Pippa Gumbel, Pioneer, The Alpha Course; Author, The Bible in one year with husband Nicky: "Stephanie's love of God is inspiring and infectious. Her book is an invitation to share in that delight and to come to know God in new and wonderful ways."More at https://www.gospelspice.com/awakendelight Purchase the book, "Awaken Delight" by Stephanie Rousselle: https://a.co/d/0bqhUb5JSupport us on Gospel Spice, PayPal and Venmo!

Send us Fan MailEnneagram Five: From Head Knowledge to Heart Connection | Sherri Hughes-GraggSeries: Wholehearted Enneagram: A Year Through the Types | Type Five | Episode 4 of 4Episode DescriptionWhat does it look like when a Five stops hoarding what she knows... and starts giving it away?Amy closes Type Five month with Sherri Hughes-Gragg, a Christian author and Bible teacher, who joins for one of the most theologically rich conversations of the year. Sherri has spent her career doing what Fives do best: going deeper than anyone else into the culture, history, and geography of Scripture, and then bringing back everything she found as a gift for others.Together, Amy and Sherri explore what it looks like when the Five's extraordinary interior life stops being a place of retreat and becomes a place of offering, and what it means to linger in the Savior's presence when your instinct is always to study, prepare, and observe.In this episode:Why the Five's love of depth and research is not just an intellectual gift, it's a spiritual oneWhat it actually costs a Five to take what she's studied in private and offer it publiclyWhat the Five most needs to hear about presenceThe difference between studying God and being known by Him, and why that distinction matters most for the FiveA word for every Five who has been preparing to step forward… and is still waiting until she knows enoughYou have more to give than you know. And you don't have to retreat to be safe.Sherri Gragg — BioSherri Gragg is a Christian author, speaker, freelance writer, and developmental editor whose “Bible Stories for Grown Ups” take readers into the culture, history, and geography of Scripture to find a God who is kinder and more merciful than they ever knew. She is the author of Arms Open Wide: A Call to Linger in the Savior's Presence and multiple devotionals and Bible studies. She is based in Franklin, Tennessee.Connect with Sherri: https://www.sherrigragg.net | Instagram: @sherri_graggThe Enneagram can name your patterns. It can't set you free from them. That's the difference between insight and transformation, and it's the whole focus of this summit.Learn more, check out the speakers & get your free seat!https://www.simplywholehearted.com/wholehearted-2026Support the showRESOURCES FOR YOU:Join the Waitlist for 1:1 Coaching with Amy Wickshttps://www.simplywholehearted.com/callamywicksNot sure about your Enneagram Type? Start here: https://www.simplywholehearted.com/enneagramquizEnnea-what? The Beginners Guide to the Enneagram(free course + printables)https://bit.ly/Enneagram101GuideConnect with Amy:IGWebsite

https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/daily-devotions/20260825dev.mp3 Listen to Devotion Jesus replied . . . “This was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven.” Matthew 16:17 Faith Is a Gift Many people think becoming a Christian is simply a matter of deciding to believe. Jesus tells a different story. After Peter confessed that Jesus was the Christ, Jesus said this understanding did not come from Peter’s own intelligence or effort. God had revealed it to him. That is encouraging news. Jesus does not tell you to manufacture faith by trying harder. Instead, Christianity teaches that God comes to us. He speaks to us through his Word. He reveals his Son. He creates faith in his Son, Jesus Christ, where there was none before. “Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ” (Romans 10:17). Think about every important relationship in your life. You only know another person because they chose to reveal themselves to you. The same is true of God. We cannot climb our way up to him. He must come down to us. And in Jesus, he has done just that. That is why Christians gather around the Bible. We believe it is God's own message, revealing his love through Jesus Christ. The wonderful news is that God is not hiding from you. He wants you to know him. He wants you to know that your sins are forgiven because of Jesus. He wants you to know that death is not the end. He wants you to know that you are invited into his family—not because you have earned it, but because he loves you. As you face today’s challenges, remember that your hope rests not in the strength of your faith, but in the object of your faith—Jesus Christ himself. He is the Rock of your salvation, the One who never changes, and the Savior who keeps all his promises (see Psalm 18:1-2). So, keep reading the Bible, asking your questions honestly, and being filled with the Word of God at a faithful Christian church. God has a history of meeting people through his Word. Prayer: Heavenly Father, reveal your Son to me. Help me understand the message of the Bible and lead me to trust in Jesus as my Savior. Amen. Daily Devotions is brought to you by WELS. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

Growing up, Beth Moore was taught that 1 Timothy 2 and 1 Corinthians 14 were the whole of what scripture had to say about women: submissive and silent. The founder of Living Proof Ministries and one of the most widely read Bible teachers in America, Moore objects to a hermeneutic limited to those passages. In this episode, Mark Labberton revisits his 2018 conversation with Beth Moore, recorded in the months following her viral open letter, "A Letter to My Brothers." Almost 10 years later, debates over women in leadership and whether women are free to use their full gifts in the full service of the church still roil American Christianity. This episode is an invitation to hear Moore's unique journey—discovering what it means to receive women as teachers and instructors of scripture for the building up of the church—and about the faithfulness of God to one woman's story, as she tries simply to be heard. They discuss the cost of speaking up in 2018 and the backlash that came hardest from women, her decision to repent of her own complicity, the way gender gets used abusively in every part of the church, and what it looks like to keep going with Jesus when the way ahead is cloudy. Episode Highlights "I very much am a big believer in the harbor of the church, that when it functions well … it's such a safe place for me. It was safer than my home, Mark." "Where I have been part of this and complicit in this, I will repent. So here is what I'm fighting for. I am fighting for us, and I don't just mean women. I mean women and men, brothers and sisters." "There is absolutely no world in which I would not have spoken up. … It would've been like expecting a dog not to bark at a burglar." "Where our Christianity … departs Christ-likeness, don't call it Christianity. … So if it is not like Him, it is not of Him." "I may not get it right, but I can no longer lay down to what I know is wrong." About Beth Moore Beth Moore is an evangelist, author, and Bible teacher who founded Living Proof Ministries in Houston in 1994 to teach women the scriptures. Her books and studies, including Breaking Free and So Long, Insecurity, have been translated into more than twenty languages. Her 2018 open letter "A Letter to My Brothers" named the misogyny she had absorbed in conservative evangelical life. She left the Southern Baptist Convention in 2021 and now worships as an Anglican. Her memoir, All My Knotted-Up Life, won the 2024 ECPA Book of the Year. She teaches now on the podcast Living Proof with Beth Moore. Helpful Links and Resources Living Proof Ministries, the organization Beth Moore founded in 1994: https://www.lproof.org "A Letter to My Brothers," May 2018 open letter: https://www.lproof.org/blog/a-letter-to-my-brothers All My Knotted-Up Life, Beth Moore's 2023 memoir: https://www.tyndale.com/p/all-my-knotted-up-life/9781496472670 Show Notes Moore's three-generation household; instability at home; the church as a harbor Receiving her calling at eighteen, off a pre-law political science track The surprise of discovering that theologically orthodox, scripture-loving people read women's ministry differently than her Passion drawn from pain; early trauma and a pattern she couldn't break Hypocrisy, pretense, and dreaming of fulfilled desires Strongholds and sexual sin: what her early context named but never taught people how to fight First Baptist Church Houston as a place safe enough to be corrected and still loved Pastor John Bisagno (1934–2018) asking her to speak on a Sunday night, and her own objection that she was a woman Palpable disesteem for a woman in ministry without academic credentials Playing by rules that others were not keeping Scripture as reason versus scripture as excuse Repenting of her own complicity Luke 8, the women at the resurrection, Paul's fellow workers at the end of Romans Backlash to Moore came hardest from women, including readers who abandoned her studies Asking questions on behalf of women without a microphone Affirming women formally while gender bias persists structurally The Samaritan woman at the well, and a Savior who gives dignity Obedience over clarity when the way ahead is cloudy #BethMoore #WomenInMinistry #Conversing #MarkLabberton #WomenInLeadership #Evangelicalism #BibleTeaching #ChurchToo #Complementarianism Production Credits Conversing is produced and distributed in partnership with Comment Magazine and Fuller Seminary.

Have you ever been downright stuck in a difficult situation? Maybe you've held a job with a colleague or supervisor you didn't see eye to eye with, and other career opportunities were scarce. Maybe you've been halfway through the semester and realized you're headed for a poor grade, but it's too late to drop the class. Maybe you've struggled in a relationship with a spouse or close family member, and you are wading through heartbreak with every interaction. When the Apostle Paul wrote to the people at Philippi, he was in a tough spot. He wrote this letter from prison in Rome—an uncomfortable place to be sure. He was in prison not for what we would consider a crime, but for his faith in Jesus Christ. But Paul had a secret.  Philippians 4:11 says, “I have learned, in whatever circumstances I am, to be content.”From the moment Paul received the Lord as his Savior, he began to love and experience Christ in a meaningful way. Chapter after chapter, the book of Philippians reveals that experiencing Christ was Paul's secret to contentment. Paul preached contentment through faith in Jesus from behind bars and reached out to his brothers and sisters in Christ to encourage them to choose contentment in the Lord. Paul's example inspired his friends at Philippi and continues to inspire believers today. Let's pray. Lord Jesus, we won't achieve perfection this side of heaven, but we know your plan for us is for peace in our hearts, and contentment in our lives. Let us live by the Apostle Paul's example, choosing contentment in all circumstances in your name.  In Jesus' name, amen. Change your shirt, and you can change the world! Save 15% Off your entire purchase of faith-based apparel + gifts at Kerusso.com with code KDD15.

John Zmirak, Eric Metaxas. Movie About Christian Resistance to the French Revolution, J.J. Carrell- Immigration Stats,  Destructive Darwinism, The Growing Case for Intelligent Design.   John Zmirak The Eric Metaxas Show John ZmirakThe Eric Metaxas  Aug 19 2026  Today On The Eric Metaxas Show, John Zmirak joins Eric to challenge the standard Darwinian account of human origins and discuss the growing case for intelligent design. They examine whether Christians can truly reconcile evolution with Genesis, why Zmirak believes Darwinism undermines the biblical understanding of humanity, Francis Collins and theistic evolution, and the cultural consequences of teaching that human life arose through unguided processes.  John Zmirak Joins0:26 Intelligent Design Vs. Darwinism3:29 Creation Or Evolution?5:11 Were Humans Really Descended From Apes?6:29 Can Christians Reconcile Genesis And Evolution?9:16 Why Darwinism “Multiplies Faith By Zero”11:40 Eric's Encounter With Francis Collins17:14 Deism, Providence, And The American Founders23:05    ----------------------------------------------------------- jjcarrellpolitics• Follow https://www.instagram.com/reels/Dblbbn-SMTw/   --------------------------------------------------------------------- Streaming movie recommended by John Zmirak- https://victoryordeathmovie.com/   When everything you value is on the line, when all you love and believe in is at stake, there's no other choice but to fight for it. Victory or Death Fight for Faith. Fight for Family. Fight for Freedom. --------------------------------------------------------------- Article by John Zmirak- New Book by Chaberek, Greene Probes Evolution as a “Catholic Dilemma” John Zmirak August 5, 2026 Evolution, Faith & Science I recently returned from a two-week wildlife safari through Zimbabwe and South Africa. I visited Victoria Falls, which dwarfs Niagara, the extraordinary Table Mountain, and several wildlife reserves including Kruger National Park. The jeep rides through the brush yielded close encounters with female lions shepherding their cubs, male lions sleeping off meals, a leopard in a tree crunching the skull of an impala, herds of piously maternal elephants — only one of which came close to charging us — and a dozen other species of predator or prey. The high point, I'll confess, was one wildlife encounter in particular: when a troop of baboons charged the outdoor diners at The Black Marlin in Cape Town, driving them to flee, so the apes could stuff their faces with pilfered pasta. Sadly, I was sitting inside, so all I could do was cheer the hairy creatures on from through the window. Privacy Note: On play, Google may track viewers. YouTube's Privacy Policy. The Book of Nature I hope that I'm sufficiently grateful for this encounter with the baroque, sublime abundance of biology that our planet is privileged to host — alone, so far as we know, among the billions of planets. Gratitude should be aimed at a giver, and it was reading the works of Discovery Institute authors that made this easier for me. I could wonder at the tiny penguins that somehow survive in the Mediterranean climate near the Cape of Good Hope, or the birds that live symbiotically with wildebeests by feeding on bloodsucking insects, without the deflating idea lurking in the back of my mind, “This all the result of blind chance and iron necessity, with no crafting intelligence behind it.” Instead, I saw works of art, and found myself thanking the Artist. I was reading the Book of Nature, and seeing in it glimmers of divine action, intention, and generosity — as “natural philosophers” did from Kepler and Newton to Pasteur and Mendel. Back when I unreflectively adhered to the theistic (really deistic) evolution that's preached in most Christian pulpits, I accepted the notion that God was somehow behind every aspect of the cosmos. If pressed, I would have said that God had “guided” or “instigated” the emergence of extraordinary creatures like the zebras that stared at our jeep, the elegant kudus that capered past us through the veldt, the wild dogs that seemed at once so alien and so familiar that it was tempting to hop out and try petting them. (“Do not attempt this,” I was informed by our solemn African guide.) But all of life was at best a convoluted Rube Goldberg contraption, which Someone had set in motion then stepped away to observe. God even had humans in mind — deciding, for some reason, to slowly evolve His earthly image through a long chain of predecessor species, until at some point He chose to implant both rationality and immortal souls in creatures who'd mutated in and then emerged from the womb of an animal. I used to speculate about how that allegedly worked, and how I could reconcile it in some fashion with the Genesis account of God making man directly from the dust of the earth, and woman from his side. I remember thinking, lamely, “Maybe they were identical twins … and He switched Eve's sex before the ape gave birth to them?” Then I stopped bothering, encouraged by modern priests who treat not just Genesis but most of the Old Testament as mostly wholesome mythology, akin to that found in Bulfinch or Edith Hamilton. Christianizing Darwinists Obeying the dictum of 19th-century “Higher Criticism,” Christianizing Darwinists aim to explain away every claim of miraculous action — from the direct creation of man to the parting of the Red Sea, from Jesus' virgin birth to even his Resurrection. I was taught in high school that the last, most crucial Christian miracle, amounted merely to the “ongoing presence” of Jesus in his apostles' hearts and minds. Big whoop. In that sense, Adolf Hitler is still sadly with us. (If you want an account of how and why biblical critics crafted such blinders, read Scott Hahn and Benjamin Wiker's magisterial Politicizing the Bible, which I edited for publication.) Priests, theologians, bishops and even (recently) popes have responded to the popular triumph of Darwinism by dismissing most of the events recounted in Genesis as purely allegorical and moral. Keen to avoid being tarred as “fundamentalists,” and encouraged by some cautious leeway granted to evolutionary thinking by popes such as Pius XII and John Paul II, most Catholics have eagerly accepted that Darwin's theories fully explain the emergence of every living species, even man. Otherwise-orthodox believers have made this intellectual concession, convinced that “the science” is irrefutable, so the theology must make room for it. But what if, in fact, the science is very shaky, and the implications for a Christian worldview profoundly toxic? Those are the questions asked and convincingly answered in a new book, Creation or Evolution? A Catholic Dilemma. It's written in an extremely engaging format — a series of questions posed by science journalist Steve Greene and answered by theologian Rev. Michael Chabarek, O.P. It was Chaberek's previous book, Aquinas and Evolution, that convinced me to take intelligent design seriously, and embark on the journey through the works of Stephen Meyer, Michael Behe, Douglas Axe, and many others — to my profound intellectual and spiritual enrichment. This new book is every bit the equal of Chaberek's earlier work. He lays out the serious evidential weaknesses in the Darwinist claim to have explained the appearance of human beings by incremental mutations from previous apelike species. (For much more detail than this book offers, see Science and Human Origins, from Discovery Institute Press, which Chaberek cites.) He explains how circular logic and wishful thinking pervade the claims of paleontologists to have discovered non-human ancestors for our species, with periodic claims to have found a “missing link” based on tiny bone fragments of indeterminate origin. False First Principles But Chaberek's main focus is not on empirical flaws or gaps in the Darwinist account. Instead, he focuses on the false first principles that motivate, even compel Darwinists to invent their “just so” stories in the first place. Here's a sample of the straightforward, plain-speaking way that the authors convey key philosophical issues: If man did not come from the ape, then how did he come into existence? First, let us consider whether sciences such as paleontology and genetics are actually capable of providing an answer to this question. If man came into existence naturally, then, yes, because science explains the workings of nature. But if man came into existence supernaturally, that is, by the action of divine power exceeding the power of nature, then science cannot explain the beginning of man. Therefore, whether science can provide an answer to this question does not depend on scientific research, but on the previously adopted religious or philosophical assumptions. Chabarek argues convincingly that secularist and materialist assumptions precede and determine the scientific work of Darwinists, essentially forcing them to deny evidence of design, and to make impossible claims for the creative power of mutations — despite the overwhelming odds against blind chance happening upon even a single useful new protein in the entire history of life on earth (as Douglas Axe showed in exhaustive experimental detail in his book, Undeniable). When such bias-inducing reductionist assumptions migrate from the research papers of laboratory scientists into the works of Christian leaders, the consequences are even more baleful, Chabarek warns. If such a central question as the origin of the only rational species, the “image of God,” is to be surgically excised from the domain of religious authority and turned over to materialist scientists, what is to stop that same debunking impulse from undermining every mystery of faith? Should we leave Sarah's miraculous conception of Isaac to the gynecologists, the parting of the Red Sea to the oceanographers, and the resurrection of Jesus to the biologists? That's the inexorable logic of Christians who cling to Darwinist explanations of the “descent of man” from ancestral apes. Far better, Chabarek advises, for Christians who accept a long series of miracles and mysteries as entailed in the redemption of humanity to also make room for the Bible's literal account of the miracle of his creation — from the dust of the earth, by the hand of God. John Zmirak John Zmirak is a senior editor at The Stream and author or co-author of ten books, including The Politically Incorrect Guide to Immigration and The Politically Incorrect Guide to Catholicism. His newest book is No Second Amendment, No First. To read articles from John Zmirak visit- https://chroniclesmagazine.org/author/johnzmirak/   Endorsed Charities -------------------------------------------------------- Pre-Born! Saving babies and Souls. https://preborn.org/ OUR MISSION To glorify Jesus Christ by leading and equipping pregnancy clinics to save more babies and souls. WHAT WE DO Pre-Born! partners with life-affirming pregnancy clinics all across the nation. We are designed to strategically impact the abortion industry through the following initiatives:… -------------------------------------------------------- Help CSI Stamp Out Slavery In Sudan Join us in our effort to free over 350 slaves. Listeners to the Eric Metaxas Show will remember our annual effort to free Christians who have been enslaved for simply acknowledging Jesus Christ as their Savior. As we celebrate the birth of Christ this Christmas, join us in giving new life to brothers and sisters in Sudan who have enslaved as a result of their faith. https://csi-usa.org/metaxas   https://csi-usa.org/slavery/   Typical Aid for the Enslaved A ration of sorghum, a local nutrient-rich staple food A dairy goat A “Sack of Hope,” a survival kit containing essential items such as tarp for shelter, a cooking pan, a water canister, a mosquito net, a blanket, a handheld sickle, and fishing hooks. Release celebrations include prayer and gathering for a meal, and medical care for those in need. The CSI team provides comfort, encouragement, and a shoulder to lean on while they tell their stories and begin their new lives. Thank you for your compassion  Giving the Gift of Freedom and Hope to the Enslaved South Sudanese -------------------------------------------------------- Food For the Poor https://foodforthepoor.org/ Help us serve the poorest of the poor Food For The Poor began in 1982 in Jamaica. Today, our interdenominational Christian ministry serves the poor in primarily 17 countries throughout the Caribbean and Latin America. Thanks to our faithful donors, we are able to provide food, housing, healthcare, education, fresh water, emergency relief, micro-enterprise solutions and much more. We are proud to have fed millions of people and provided more than 15.7 billion dollars in aid. Our faith inspires us to be an organization built on compassion, and motivated by love. Our mission is to bring relief to the poorest of the poor in the countries where we serve. We strive to reflect God's unconditional love. It's a sacrificial love that embraces all people regardless of race or religion. We believe that we can show His love by serving the “least of these” on this earth as Christ challenged us to do in Matthew 25. We pray that by God's grace, and with your support, we can continue to bring relief to the suffering and hope to the hopeless.   Report on Food For the Poor by Charity Navigator https://www.charitynavigator.org/ein/592174510   -------------------------------------------------------- Disclaimer from ACU. We try to bring to our students and alumni the World's best Conservative thinkers. All views expressed belong solely to the author and not necessarily to ACU. In all issues and relations, we hope to follow the admonitions of Jesus Christ. While striving to expose, warn and contend with evil, we extend the love of God to all of his children. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------

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The Antichrist. Armageddon. The Beast. 666. For centuries, the book of Revelation has fascinated, frightened, and confused Christians, but what if we've been so focused on decoding its mysteries that we've missed its main message? The Revelation is a 3-month journey through the Bible's final book, exploring its controversial prophecies, warnings to the Church, and breathtaking vision of the future. Along the way, we'll separate Scripture from speculation and discover that Revelation wasn't written just to make us afraid of what's coming. It was written to reveal Jesus Christ - the King who reigns over all other powers, the Lamb who conquers evil, and the Savior who promises that pain, death, and darkness won't have the last word. The future belongs to Jesus, and that should change how we live right now.

I was learning to ride a bicycle, and my dad was my teacher. Across the street from our apartment was a schoolyard as big as a city block. Like most city schoolyards, it was all concrete, no grass. In the middle of that big expanse was the only obstacle for a bike-riding rookie - a big old metal flagpole. But how could anyone run into that when he had the whole schoolyard to learn in, right? It can be done. Yeah, there I was, wobbling along, trying to learn to keep my balance on two wheels with my dad just behind me. Suddenly I heard him saying, "Turn, boy." My hands were frozen to the handlebars. I was sure turning either way meant crashing on that hard concrete. Again, "Turn, son!" I was closing in on the flagpole. Now it was a desperate cry from the lips of a disbelieving father, "Turn or you're going to hit the pole!" Bonngggg! I hit the pole. I still have the chipped tooth to prove it. I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Missing the Turn that Saves Your Life." I made a painful mistake. I didn't make the turn that could have saved me. You know, there are lots of people like that. There's a turn that God is telling them to make; a turn that could save them from a life without meaning and an eternity without hope. But they just won't turn. You may know a lot about a lot of things, but there's nothing more important in all the world than to understand the turn that will keep you from God's punishment and take you to God's heaven. It's described in many places in the Bible, including Acts 3:19, our word for today from the Word of God. It says, "Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord." Here's why this is so life-or-death important. The sin that verse talks about will keep us from ever experiencing God's peace and God's love in this life and from ever entering His heaven when we die. A perfect God cannot have a relationship with an unforgiven sinner. But what we just read from God's Word talks about every sin you've ever committed being erased from God's book forever! Which means the only thing standing between you and God - between you and heaven - could be gone if you make the turn. Obviously, the turn is a turn to God. And the way to Him is through His Son, who died to make that way. In God's own words, Jesus "bore our sins in His own body on the tree, so that we might die to sins" (1 Peter 2:24). The gift of eternal life is in the nail-scarred hands of Jesus, the One who purchased that life by giving up His own life for you. But here's the part that some people miss. When you turn to Jesus, you're turning your back on something else. You're turning your back on the junk that killed Him. You're making a decision that you're going to abandon the sins of the past that were the very sins He died to get rid of. That's what the "repent" part of turning to God is all about - turning your back on your sins to turn to Jesus as your Savior. You won't be instantly perfect, but you're deciding to let Jesus change you. It's His power that will change you, but your decision that you will change. Look, you can't face east and west at the same time. You've got to turn away from one to face the other. So it is with Jesus and the sin He died for. But then, why would you want to continue to defy God and poison your life with the sin that ultimately always kills? We're talking a new you here, from the inside out! A new you that begins the moment you say, "Jesus, I'm Yours!" God's come to you today to offer you complete forgiveness and life forever. Don't miss this opportunity. In fact, that new you is what our website's all about. It's called ANewStory.com. Will you go check that out today? Without Christ in your heart, you're heading for a collision with God and an eternity you don't want. But hey, listen, today there's still time to turn.

Tap here to send us a message!The heart that feels weak, wounded, or unworthy can easily develop a distorted view of God, believing that He is waiting to condemn rather than reaching out with mercy. Yet Scripture reveals a Savior who came for the sick, the lost, and those who recognize their need for Him, showing that His compassion reaches into the places of greatest weakness. God is not looking for an opportunity to cast the weak aside, but is calling them back to Himself with grace, restoration, and love.08/23/26 - Sunday Afternoon Scriptures: Matthew 12:15-21Matthew 21:31Matthew 9:12-13Psalm 119:176

Friends of the Rosary,Today, August 24, is the Feast of St. Bartholomew, Apostle. St. Bartholomew, also known as Nathaniel, was a doctor in Jewish law and a dear friend of St. Philip the Apostle.He was one of the first disciples called by the Lord. On that initial meeting, Jesus delivered a glorious compliment: "Behold, an Israelite indeed in whom there is no guile!" Because of it, his mind was open to the truth. He went willingly with Philip to see Christ and recognized the Savior immediately as the Son of God.After having received the gifts of the Holy Spirit on the first Pentecost, Bartholomew evangelized Asia Minor, northwestern India, and Greater Armenia. In the latter country, while preaching to idolaters, he was arrested and condemned to death.Historically, today is the commemoration of Our Lady of Health of the Sick, celebrated on the Saturday before the last Sunday of August. This is one of the titles in the Litany to Our Lady of Loretto, and there is also a shrine dedicated to Our Lady of Health of the Sick (La Salud) in Patzcuaro, Michoacan, Mexico.In today's Gospel (John 1:45–51), Jesus is revealing how he sees us before we fully see Him. Faith often begins with curiosity, honesty, and a willingness to come closer. Bartholomew reminds us that God can turn a skeptical heart into an apostle's heart.Ave Maria!Come, Holy Spirit, come!To Jesus through Mary!Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.Please give us the grace to respond with joy!+ Mikel Amigot w/ María Blanca | RosaryNetwork.com, New YorkEnhance your faith with the new Holy Rosary University app:Apple iOS | New! Android Google Play• August 24, 2026, Today's Rosary on YouTube | Daily broadcast at 7:30 pm ET

We want to hear from you! Send us some Fan mail! This week on Go & Do, Candis Shupe continues exploring the Psalms and the incredible power of music to connect us with memories, testimony, and God. From songs tied to missionary experiences and family memories to the music that carried her through cancer treatments, Candis looks at what the Psalms teach us about crying out to God and trusting that He really does hear us.In this episode, you'll learn:

" The answer to every question or concern that anybody ever has is that it will all be okay because of the atonement of Jesus Christ. That is what it's for. That is why they say the first principle of the gospel is faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. It is real life. It's not just something that we tell Primary kids because it's cute, and we turned it into a cute little story and song. It is real. Start there. I came to really love my Savior, and He came to really help me."Purchase Come Back to Christ Event 2026 Tickets Here: www.comebackpodcast.orgMemor Jewelry code COMEBACK for 10% offhttps://memorjewelry.com/Serve Clothing code COMEBACK for 15% offhttps://serveclothing.com/If you have a story to share please submit here: https://comebackpodcast.org/submissions/For inquiries contact info.comebackpodcast@gmail.comCome Back Team:Director, Founder, & Host: Ashly StoneEditor: Cara ReedOutreach Manager: Jenna CarlsonAssistant Editor: Britt SmallzeArt Director: Jeremy GarciaProduction Director: Trent Wardwell

→ Watch on YouTube → Detailed Show Notes (00:00) The historical background and purpose of the Psalms.(02:14) Many scholars assert that several of the Psalms were used in Israel's temple worship, especially during the first temple period. They can be divided into hymns of praise, pleas for help or laments, and thanksgiving songs.(08:44) Some LDS scholars see the setting of the Psalms directly connected to the temple.(15:13) In Psalm 1 the Tree of Life is seen, similar to Nephi's dream in 1 Nephi 8-11.(17:14) Psalm 2 is an enthronement Psalm. The king is set on a holy hill in Zion and is adopted as a Son of God.(20:36) By making a covenant with God, the king is given the promise of invulnerability. This is both literal and symbolic.(23:35) Psalm 8 depicts God's glorious creations. We are central in his creations.(26:21) “For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels”. The original Hebrew text states that man is “a little lower than the Elohim.”(29:28) Psalm 19 emphasizes the laws of the Lord, portraying the law as “sweeter than honeycomb.”(31:37) Psalm 20 is a plea for help. We receive increased divine attention when we go to the temple.(33:02) Psalm 21 portrays the king receiving the requested blessing, as he comes before the Lord and receives a crown in his presence.(36:29) Psalm 22 describes the Messiah's battle with evil. We are given a glimpse into the Savior's struggle in Gethsemane and Golgotha as he cries out during the day and the night. Justin, in his dialogue with Trypho, connects the sufferer's cry in Psalm 22 with Jesus' prayer in Gethsemane.(42:28) Jesus, though mocked while on the cross, did not revile against those who ridiculed him.(45:31) The Bulls of Bashan compass the Messiah. His bones are out of joint, he is poured out like water, and his hands and feet are pierced.(51:36) The Savior's post-mortal ministry in the spirit world.(56:50) Psalm 23 shows the plan of salvation in the pattern of a three-act play. The rod or staff is an extension of God.(1:01:22) Changing the tenses of the verbs in Psalm 23 can provide additional application.(1:05:03) Psalm 24, “Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord?” As we demonstrate our trust in Jesus and are cleansed, we are promised we will one day come into the Father's presence.(1:07:45) Psalm 24 as a depiction of the ascent of the king coming into the hill of the Lord, with the priests and the Ark of the Covenant.(1:08:58) Psalm 25 is an acrostic psalm. Psalm 29 portrays God's victory over chaos as his “voice is upon the waters.”(1:12:00) Psalm 40 describes how the king's feet are established on the rock, a symbol of sacred kingship. The king prays for the tender mercies and the lovingkindness of the Lord.(1:15:48) The song of redeeming love.(1:20:14) Psalm 46, “Be still and know that I am God.” → For more of Bryce Dunford’s podcast classes, click here. → Enroll in Institute → YouTube → Apple Podcasts → Spotify → Amazon Music → Facebook The post Ep 385 | Psalms 1-46, Come Follow Me 2026 (August 17-23) appeared first on Talking Scripture.

Dr. John White continues the study of the Psalms, showing how scripture invites us to bring God our real, unfiltered emotions and revealing what it means that we have a Savior that weeps alongside us.YOUTUBE: https://youtu.be/icCVU2CI4kAALL EPISODES/SHOW NOTESfollowHIM website: https://www.followHIM.coFREE PDF DOWNLOADS OF followHIM QUOTE BOOKSNew Testament: https://tinyurl.com/PodcastNTBookOld Testament: https://tinyurl.com/PodcastOTBookBook of Mormon: https://tinyurl.com/PodcastBMBook WEEKLY NEWSLETTERhttps://tinyurl.com/followHIMnewsletter SOCIAL MEDIAInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/followHIMpodcastFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/followhimpodcastTIMECODE:0:00  Part 2 - Dr. John White1:30 Baylor Choir3:08 Belonging before believing5:57 The Fixed Morning Psalm7:43 The body and soul9:27 The temple and the sanctuary11:12 Augustine and rightly-ordered love13:56 The body being shaped in worship16:38 Body and spirit are connected18:33 Deification and the divine nature20:33 Ritual and body25:25 Dr. John White's conversion at the Sacred Grove26:23 Elder Kim B Clark's counsel27:50 John's university backstory28:38 Telling his friends30:09 Opposition from his best friend32:02 Psalm 85: Mercy and truth kiss34:03 Zion and social justice35:29 “How Great the Wisdom and the Love”37:24 Zion as a place and a cause39:55 Psalm 86: Unite my heart41:57 Doubt and unbelief43:31 Consecration is the only surrender44:45 The full circle of deliverance and mercy47:20 A God who weeps51:48 End of Part 2 – Dr. John WhiteThanks to the followHIM team:Steve & Shannon Sorensen: Cofounder, Executive Producer, SponsorDavid & Verla Sorensen: SponsorsDr. Hank Smith: Co-hostJohn Bytheway: Co-hostDavid Perry: ProducerKyle Nelson: Marketing, SponsorLisa Spice: Client Relations, Editor, Show NotesWill Stoughton: Video EditorKrystal Roberts: Translation Team, English & French Transcripts, WebsiteAriel Cuadra: Spanish TranscriptsAmelia Kabwika: Portuguese TranscriptsHeather Barlow: Communications DirectorSydney Smith: Social Media, Graphic Design "Let Zion in Her Beauty Rise" by Marshall McDonaldhttps://www.marshallmcdonaldmusic.com