Podcasts about second samuel

Second Samuel 19 Take Aways:1. While David eventually made his return as the rightful king of Israel, so Jesus Christ will make His return as the Messianic Lion of Judah, the King of Kings, and Lord of Lords—“Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, even they who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him.” Revelation 1:72. Mephibosheth experienced reconciliation with David as he genuinely sought a restored relationship with his king above all else; may our relationship with King Jesus be the ultimate goal and priority in our lives—“Seek the LORD and His strength; Seek His face evermore!” 1 Chronicles 16:113. As King David sought to reward the faithful Barzillai for his generous service to the king and his people, so King Jesus will reward those who have faithfully served Him with a genuine and sincere heart—“And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ.” Colossians 3:23-24

Second Samuel 18 Take Aways:1. God prevented David from being destroyed by empowering Hushai to defeat the strategies of the enemy, and we can trust that the Lord will continually intercede to prevent His people from being trampled by the enemy, Satan—“You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.” 1 John 4:42. The Lord provided protection for those young priests who sought to faithfully serve their king in this dangerous war; similarly, the Lord will provide us the protection we need in the spiritual battle we fight as servants of King Jesus—“Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.” Ephesians 6:10-113. As the Lord preserved David in the wilderness through unexpected means, so God is faithful to provide for every need we may encounter in this life—“And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:19

In this week's episode, I take a look at the movies and streaming shows I watched in Winter and Spring 2025. This week's coupon code will get you 25% off the ebook versions of my anthologies at my Payhip store: JUNE25 The coupon code is valid through June 17, 2025. So if you need a new ebook this summer, we've got you covered! TRANSCRIPT 00:00:00 Introduction and Writing Updates   Hello, everyone. Welcome to Episode 252 of The Pulp Writer Show. My name is Jonathan Moeller. Today is May 23rd, 2025, and today we are looking at the movies and streaming shows I watched in Winter and Spring 2025. We missed doing an episode last week for the simple reason that the day before I wanted to record, we had a bad thunderstorm that knocked down large portions of my fence, so my recording time was instead spent on emergency fence repair. However, the situation is under control, so hopefully we'll be back to weekly episodes for the immediate future. And now before we get to our main topics, let's have Coupon of the Week and then a progress update on my current writing projects.   So first up, Coupon of the Week. This week's coupon code will get you 25% off the ebook version of all my short story anthologies at my Payhip store and that is JUNE25. As always, the coupon code and links will be available in the show notes. This coupon code is valid through June the 17th, 2025, so if you need a new ebook for this summer, we have got you covered.   And now an update on my current writing projects. Ghost in the Corruption is finished. It is publishing right now. In fact, I paused the publishing process to record this and so by the time this episode goes live, hopefully Ghost in the Corruption should be available at all ebook stores. My next main project now that Ghost in the Corruption is done will be Shield of Power and as of this recording I am 15,000 words into it. My secondary projects will be Stealth and Spells Online: Final Quest and I'm 97,000 words into that, so hopefully that will come out very shortly after Shield of Power and I'll also be starting Ghost in the Siege, the final book in the Ghost Armor series as another secondary project and I'm currently zero words into that. So that is where I'm at with my current writing projects.   In audiobook news, Ghost in the Assembly (as excellently narrated by Hollis McCarthy) is now out and should be available at all the usual audiobook stores so you can listen to that if you are traveling for the summer. Recording of Shield of Battle (as excellently narrated by Brad Wills) is underway soon. I believe he's starting it this week, so hopefully we will have another audiobook in the Shield War series for you before too much longer. So that's where I'm at with my current writing projects.   00:02:17 Main Topic: Winter/Spring 2025 Movie Roundup   And now let's move on, without any further ado, to our main topic. Summer is almost upon us, which means it's time for my Winter/Spring 2025 Movie Roundup. As usual, the movies and streaming shows are listed in order for my least favorite to my most favorite. The grades are based upon my own thoughts and opinions and are therefore wholly subjective. With all of that said, let's get to the movies and our first entry is MacGruber, which came out in 2010 and in all honesty, this might be objectively the worst movie I have ever seen. The Saturday Night Live MacGruber sketches are a parody of the old MacGyver action show from the ‘80s. And so the movie is essentially the sketch stretched out to make a parody of an ‘80s action movie. It is aggressively dumb and crude. Its only redeeming feature is that the movie knows it's quite stupid and so leans into the stupidity hard. I'll say this in its favor, MacGruber has no pretensions that is a good movie and does not take itself seriously and then runs away hard with that fact. For that he gets a plus, but nothing else. Overall grade: F+   Next up is Down Periscope, which came out in 1996. Now the fundamental question of any movie is the one Russell Crowe shouted at the audience in Gladiator: “Are you not entertained?” Sadly, I was not entertained with Down Periscope. This wanted to be a parody of Cold War era submarine thrillers like The Hunt for Red October, I say wanted because it didn't really succeed. Kelsey Grammer plays Lieutenant Commander Thomas Dodge, an unorthodox US Navy officer who wants command of his own nuclear sub, but he's alienated a few admirals, which is not traditionally a path to career advancement in the military. Dodge gets his chance in a Navy wargame where he has to command a diesel sub against nuclear subs. Sometimes parodies are so good that they become an example of the thing they are parodying (Hot Fuzz and Star Trek: Lower Decks are excellent examples of this phenomenon). The trouble is that the movie takes itself too seriously and just isn't all that funny. A few funny bits, true, but not enough of them. In the end, this was dumb funny but didn't resonate with me the way other dumb funny movies like Dodgeball and Tropic Thunder did. Overall grade: D   Next up is Deadpool and Wolverine, which came out in 2024. Unlike Down Periscope, I was entertained with this movie, though both movies reside on the dumb funny spectrum. Deadpool and Wolverine is basically one long meta in-joke/love letter for the last 30 years of superhero movies. If you've seen enough of those movies, you'll find those movies funny, if occasionally rather tasteless. If you haven't seen enough of those movies, Deadpool and Wolverine will just be incomprehensible. The plot is that Wade Wilson AKA Deadpool gets pulled into some Marvel style multiverse nonsense. To save his universe from destruction, he needs to recruit a Wolverine since in his universe, Wolverine died heroically.   In the process, Deadpool stumbles across the worst Wolverine in the multiverse. Together they have to overcome their mutual dislike and attempt to save Deadpool's universe from destruction at the hands of a rogue branch of the Time Variance Authority. This means the movie can bring in a lot of cameos from past Marvel films. Hugh Jackman's performance really carries the movie on its back. Like I said, this movie is essentially one very long Marvel in-joke. I thought it was funny. I definitely think it can't stand on its own without having seen a sufficient number of the other Marvel movies. Overall grade: C   Our next movie is the Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare, which came out in 2024. This is very loosely (with an emphasis on “very”) based on Operation Postmaster during World War II, when British Special Forces seized some Italian ships that had been supplying parts for German U-boats. It was entertaining to watch but it couldn't quite make up its mind tonally if it was a war thriller or a heist movie about Western desperados recruited into a crew. It kind of tried to do both at the same time, which killed the momentum. Like, the first parts of the movie where the protagonists take out a Nazi patrol boat and then free a prisoner from a base were good thriller stuff, but then the plot fused with the heist stuff and really slowed down through the middle forty percent or so. It was also oddly stylized with a lot of spaghetti western-style music that seemed out of place and some stuff just didn't make sense, like at the end after pulling off the mission, the protagonists were all arrested. That just seems bizarre since if anything, Winston Churchill and a lot of the British wartime leadership were enthusiastic about special operations and probably had too much confidence in the effectiveness of covert operations. So I did enjoy watching this, but I can see why it didn't make a lot of money at the box office. Overall Grade: C   Next up is The Gorge, which came out in 2025. This was a peculiar mix of science fiction, romance, and horror. For the romance part, perhaps shooting zombies together is a good idea for a first date. Before I dig into the movie, a brief rant. In one scene, a character is using a chainsaw with no protective gear whatsoever and she's not fighting zombies or anything in a situation where she has to pick up a chainsaw without preparing first. She's trimming branches to pass time. If you're using a chainsaw, at a minimum you want protective eyewear and headphones. Ideally you'd want chainsaw pants as well to reduce the chance of serious injury if you slip and swing the saw into your leg. Since I became a homeowner, I've used a chainsaw a number of times and believe me, you definitely want good eye and ear protection. This has been your public safety announcement for this movie review.   Anyway, loner former sniper Levi is approached by a high ranking intelligence officer giving him a mysterious job. He needs to guard a tower overlooking a mysterious mist-filled gorge for one year. On the other side of the gorge is another tower, guarded by an elite Lithuanian sniper named Drasa. Like Levi, Drasa has a fair bit of emotional damage and they're officially forbidden to communicate. However, they're both lonely and they soon start communicating over the gorge using telescopes and whiteboard messages. Eventually Levi gets emotionally close enough to Drasa to rig a zipline to cross the gorge and speak with her in person.   Unfortunately, it turns out the gorge is full of twisted creatures that storm out and attack and the job of the two snipers is to keep them contained. If Levi and Drasa want to save their lives, they'll need to unravel the dark secret within the gorge. This movie was interesting and I enjoyed watching it, but it falls apart if you think about it too much (or at all). Like the chainsaw thing I ranted about above. The entire movie runs on that sort of logic. That said, I appreciate how the filmmakers were trying something new instead of something like Deadpool and Wolverine. Additionally, this was an Apple+ movie and it's interesting how Apple's approach to streaming is to just make a whole bunch of random stuff that's totally distinct, from Ted Lasso to Mythic Quest to Severance to The Gorge. It's like, “we have more money than most countries, so we're going to make Ted Lasso because we feel like it.” Then again, Apple+ is apparently losing a billion dollars every year, so maybe they'll eventually change their minds about that approach. Overall Grade: B-   Next up is Click, which came out in 2006. Cross It's a Wonderful Life with A Christmas Carol and the comedic style of Adam Sandler and you end up with Click. Basically Sandler plays Michael Newman, a workaholic architect with a demanding boss and increasingly strained relationship with his wife and children due to his workload. In a fit of exasperation with his situation, he goes to Bed Bath and Beyond, where he encounters an eccentric employee named Morty (played entertainingly by Christopher Walken). Morty gives him a remote control that lets him fast forward through time, which Michael then uses to skip the boring and tedious parts of his life, but he overuses the remote and goes too far into the future and sees the disastrous results of his current life choices. Definitely a story used in A Christmas Carol and It's a Wonderful Life but effectively told and I was entertained (rather on the crude side, though). Overall Grade: B- Next up is Mr. Deeds, which came out in 2002. This was actually one of Adam Sandler's better movies, in my opinion. It was a remake of the ‘30s movie Mr. Deeds Goes To Town. In this new version, Sandler plays Longfellow Deeds, a popular pizzeria owner in a small New Hampshire town. Unbeknownst to Deeds, his uncle is the owner of a major media mega corporation and when he dies, Deeds is his legal heir. When the company's CEO and chief lawyer arrive at the pizzeria to inform him of this fact, Deeds goes to New York and soon finds himself involved in the CEO's sinister machinations. Yet he happens to rescue an attractive woman from a mugger, but there is more to her than meets the eye. The movie was funny and not as crude, well, not quite as crude as some of Sandler's other stuff. It had good story structure and several great lines, my favorite of which was “he was weak and cowardly and wore far too much cologne.”   Sandler's movies, in a strange way, are often very medieval. Like various medieval fables had a savvy peasant outwitting pompous lords, greedy merchants, and corrupt clergymen. The best Adam Sandler protagonist tends to be a good natured everyman who defeats the modern equivalent of medieval authority figures- evil CEOs, arrogant star athletes, sinister bureaucrats and so forth. Overall Grade: B     Next up is House of David, which came out in 2025 and this is basically the story of King David from the Bible told in the format of an epic fantasy TV series. Like if someone wanted to do an epic fantasy series about Conan the Barbarian, it could follow the same stylistic format as this show. And of course Conan and David followed a similar path from adventurer to king. Anyway, if one were to pick a part of the Bible from which to make a movie or TV series, the story of David would be an excellent choice because David's life was so dramatic that it would hardly require any embellishments in the adaptation. The story is in the Books of First and Second Samuel. King Saul is ruling over the Israelites around 1000 BC or so, but has grown arrogant. Consequently, God instructs the prophet Samuel to inform Saul that the kingdom will be taken away from him and given to another. God then dispatches Samuel to anoint David as the new king of Israel. David is a humble shepherd but then enters Saul's service and undertakes feats of daring, starting with defeating the giant Goliath and leading Saul's troops to victory and battle against Israel's numerous enemies. (The Iron Age Middle East was even less peaceful than it is now.) Eventually, Saul's paranoia and madness gets the best of him and he turns on David, who flees into exile. After Saul and his sons are killed in battle with the Philistines. David returns and becomes the acknowledged king after a short civil war with Saul's surviving sons and followers.   If Saul's fatal flaw was his arrogance of pride, David's seems to have been women. While the story of David and Bathsheba is well known, David nonetheless had eight wives (most of them at the same time) and an unknown but undoubtedly large number of concubines. Naturally David's children from his various wives and concubines did not get along and David was almost deposed due to the conflicts between his children. Unlike Saul and later David's son Solomon, David was willing to repent when a prophet of God informed him of wrongdoing and to be fair to David, monogamy was generally not practiced among Early Iron Age Middle Eastern monarchies and dynastic struggles between brothers from different mothers to seize their father's kingdoms were quite common, but enough historical digression.   Back to the show, which covered David's life up to the death of Goliath. I thought it was quite well done. Good performances, good cinematography, excellent battles, good set design and costuming, and a strong soundtrack. All the actors were good, but I really think the standout performances were Stephen Lang as Samuel, Ali Sulaman is King Saul, Ayelet Zurer as Saul's wife Queen Ahinoam, and Davood Ghadami as David's jerkish (but exasperated and well-intentioned) eldest brother Eliab. Martyn Ford just looks extremely formidable as Goliath. You definitely believe no one in their right mind want to fight this guy.   Making fiction of any kind based on sacred religious texts is often tricky because no matter what you do, someone's going to get mad at you. The show has an extensive disclaimer at the beginning of each episode saying that it is fiction inspired by the Bible. That said, House of David doesn't really alter or deviate from the Biblical account, though it expands upon some things for the sake of storytelling. Queen Ahinoam is only mentioned once in the Bible as the wife of Saul, but she has an expanded role in the show and is shown as the one who essentially introduces Saul to the Witch of Endor. Goliath also gets backstory as one of the “Anakim,” a race of giants that lived in Canaan in ancient times, which is something that is only mentioned in passing in the Old Testament. Overall, I enjoyed the show and I hope it gets a second season.   What's interesting, from a larger perspective, is to see how the wheel of history keeps turning. In the 1950s and the 1960s, Biblical epics were a major film genre. The 10 Commandments and Ben Hur with Charlton Heston are probably the ones best remembered today. Eventually, the genre just sort of ran out of gas, much the way superhero movies were in vogue for about 20 years and began running out of steam around 2023 or so. Like, I enjoyed Thunderbolts (which we're going to talk about in a little bit), but it's not going to make a billion dollars the way Marvel stuff often did in the 2010s. The wheel just keeps turning and perhaps has come back around to the popularity of Biblical epics once more. Overall Grade: A   Next up is Chef, which came out in 2014. I actually saw this back in 2021, but I watched it again recently to refresh my memory and here are my thoughts. I quite liked it. It's about a chef named Carl Casper, who's increasingly unhappy with his work after he gets fired over a Twitter war with a writer who criticized his cooking. Carl is out of options and so he starts a food truck and has to both rediscover his love of cooking and reconnect with his ex-wife and 10-year-old son. In Storytelling: How to Write a Novel (my book about writing), I talked about different kinds of conflict. Carl's conflict is an excellent example of an entirely internal conflict. The critic is an external enemy, but he's basically the inciting incident.   Carl's real enemy is his own internal conflict about art versus commerce and a strained relationship with his son. I recommend the movie. It was rated R for bad language, but there's no nudity or explicit sexual content and honestly, if you've ever worked in a restaurant kitchen or a warehouse, you've heard much worse in terms of language. The movie also has an extremely valuable lesson: stay off social media when you're angry. Overall Grade: A     Next up is Thunderbolts, which came out in 2025 and I thought this was pretty good, both very dark and yet with quite a lot of humor to balance the darkness. Former assassin Yelena Belova has been working as a mercenary for the sinister director of the CIA, Valentina de Fontaine (now there's a villain name if there ever was one). Yelena has grown disillusioned with her life and career and is suffering from increasing depression since she never really dealt with the death of her sister. Valentina promises her one last job, only for Yelena to realize that Valentina decided to dispose of all her freelance contractors at once, which includes US Agent and Ghost (previously seen in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier and Antman and the Wasp). In the process of escaping Valentina's trap, Yelena stumbles across a mysterious man who identifies himself as Bob, who has no memory of how he got there, but shows increasingly unusual abilities. Yelena wants to deal with Valentina's betrayal, but it turns out one of Valentina's science projects has gotten out of control and is threatening the world. The movie was well constructed enough that it didn't rely too heavily on previous Marvel continuity. It was there, but you probably wouldn't be lost without it. It almost feels like Marvel looked at the stuff they did the last couple of years and said, okay, a lot of this didn't work, but makes great raw material for new things. It helped that the central conflict was in the end, very human and about the characters, not stopping a generic villain from getting a generic doomsday device. Overall Grade: A   Next up is The Hound of the Baskervilles, which came out in 1988. This is a movie length episode of The Return of Sherlock Holmes television series, which had Jeremy Brett as Sherlock Holmes and Edward Hardwicke as Dr. Watson. The plot deals with Sir Henry Baskerville, the American heir to an English manor set in the Windswept moors of Dartmoor. Apparently there's an ancestral curse laid over the Baskerville estate that manifests in the form of a spectral hound. Local rumors hold that the previous holder of the manor, Sir Charles Baskerville, was killed by the ghostly hound and many of the local people fear it. The local physician, Dr. Mortimer, is so worried about the hound that he comes to Sherlock Holmes for help. Holmes, of course, is skeptical of any supernatural explanation and soon becomes worried that an extremely subtle and sinister murderer is stalking Sir Henry.   Jeremy Brett's version of Holmes is, in my opinion, the best portrayal of the character and Edward Hardwicke's version of Watson is a calm, reliable man of action who sensibly takes a very large revolver with him when going into danger. Definitely worth watching, Overall grade: A   Next up is Sonic the Hedgehog 3, which came out in 2024. The 2020s have been a downer of a decade in many ways, but on the plus side, between Super Mario Brothers and Sonic the Hedgehog, people have finally figured out how to make good video game movies, so we've got that going for us. Sonic 3 was an excellent kids movie, as were the first two in the trilogy. In this one Sonic is living with Knuckles and Tails under the care of their human friends Tom and Maddy, but then a dark secret emerges. The government has been keeping a Superpowered hedgehog named Shadow in stasis and Shadow has broken out. It's up to Sonic, Knuckles, and Tails to save the day.   Meanwhile, Dr. Robotnik is in a funk after his defeat at Sonic's hands in the last movie, but then his long lost grandfather, Gerald Robotnik returns seeking the younger Dr. Robotnik's help in his own sinister plans. Keanu Reeves was great as Shadow (think John Wick if he was a superpowered space hedgehog in a kid's movie). Jim Carrey famously said he would retire from acting unless a golden script came along and apparently that golden script was playing Dr. Ivo Robotnik and his evil grandfather Gerald. To be fair, both the Robotniks were hilarious.   It is amusing that Sonic only exists because in the 1990s, Sega wanted a flagship video game character that won't get them sued by either Nintendo or Disney. It is also amusing that the overall message of the Sonic movies seems to be not to trust the government. Overall Grade: A   Next up is Paddington in Peru, which came out in 2024. This is also an excellent kids' movie. In this installment, Paddington has settled into London with the Brown family and officially become a UK citizen. However, he receives a letter from Peru that his Aunt Lucy has mysteriously disappeared into the jungle. Distraught, Paddington and the Browns set off for Peru at once. Adventures ensue involving mysterious lost treasure, a crazy boat captain, and an order of singing nuns who might not quite be what they appear. Anyway, it's a good kids' movie. I think Paddington 2 was only slightly better because Hugh Grant as the chief villain, crazy actor Phoenix Buchanan, was one of those lightning in the bottle things like Heath Ledger as the Joker in the Dark Knight. Overall Grade: A   Now for the two best things I saw in Winter/Spring 2025. The first of them is Andor Season Two, which came out in 2025. Star Wars kind of has an age range the way Marvel stuff does now. What do I mean by that? In the Marvel comics and some of the TV series like Jessica Jones, they get into some really dark and heavy stuff, very mature themes. The MCU movies can have some darkness to them, but not as much because they're aiming at sort of escapist adventures for the general audience. Then there are kid shows like Spidey and Friends that a relative of mine just loved when he was three. You wouldn't at all feel comfortable showing a 3-year-old Dr. Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, but Spidey and Friends is just fine.   Star Wars now kind of has that age range to its stuff and there's nothing wrong with that. Sometimes you want to see a dark meditation upon human nature. Sometimes you need something kid friendly to occupy the kids you're babysitting and sometimes you just want to relax and watch Mando and Baby Yoda mow down some space pirates or something. All that said, Andor Season Two is some of the darkest and the best stuff that Star Wars has ever done. It successfully shifts genres from Escapist Pulp Space Fantasy to a gritty Political/Espionage Thriller. We in the audience know that the emperor is a Sith Lord who can use Evil Space Magic and wants to make himself immortal, but that fact is totally irrelevant to the characters. Even though some of the characters are high ranking in their respective organizations, this is essentially a “ground's eye” view of the Rebellion and life under the Empire.   In some ways, this is like Star Wars' version of Wolf Hall (which we're going to talk about shortly), in that we know how it ends already, but the dramatic tension comes from the harrowing emotional journey the characters undertake on the way to their inevitable destinations. Cassian Andor is now working for the nascent Rebellion under the direction of ruthless spymaster Luthen Rael. Mon Mothma is in the Imperial Senate, covertly funneling money to the Rebellion and realizing just how much the Rebellion will require of her before the end. Syril Karn, the ineffective corporate cop from Season One, has fallen in love with the ruthless secret police supervisor Dedra Meero, but he's unaware that Director Krennic has ordered Meero to manufacture a false flag incident on the planet Gorman so the planet can be strip-mined for resources to build the Death Star and Dedra has decided to use Syril to help accomplish it. All the actors do amazing jobs with their roles. Seriously, this series as actors really should get at least one Emmy. Speaking of Director Krennic, Ben Mendelson returns as Orson Krennic, who is one of my favorite least favorite characters, if you get my drift. Krennic is the oily, treacherous middle manager we've all had to deal with or work for at some point in our lives, and Mendelson plays him excellently. He's a great villain, the sort who is ruthless to his underlings and thinks he can manipulate his superiors right up until Darth Vader starts telekinetically choking him. By contrast, the villain Major Partagaz (played by Anton Lesser) is the middle manager we wish we all had - stern but entirely fair, reasonable, and prizes efficiency and good work while despising office drama. Unfortunately, he works for the Empire's secret police, so all those good qualities are in the service of evil and therefore come to naught. Finally, Episode Eight is one of the most astonishing episodes of TV I've ever seen. It successfully captures the horror of an episode of mass violence and simultaneously has several character arcs reach their tumultuous climax and manages to be shockingly graphic without showing in a lot of actual blood. Andor was originally supposed to be five seasons, but then Peak Streaming collapsed, and so the remaining four seasons were compressed down to one. I think that was actually to the show's benefit because it generates some amazing tension and there's not a wasted moment. Overall Grade: A+   Now for the second of my two favorite things I saw, and that would be Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light, which came out in 2024, but I actually saw it in 2025. This is a dramatization of Hilary Mantel's Wolf Hall novels about the rise and fall of Thomas Cromwell, who is King Henry VIII's chief lieutenant during the key years of the English Reformation. The first series came out in 2015, but the nine year gap between this and between the second series and the first series actually works quite well since Thomas Cromwell looks like he ages nine years in a single year (which may be what actually happened given how stressful working for someone like Henry VIII must have been). Anyway, in The Mirror and the Light, Cromwell has successfully arranged the downfall and execution of Anne Boleyn, Henry's previous queen. Though Cromwell is haunted by his actions, Henry still needs a queen to give him a male heir, so he marries Jane Seymour. Cromwell must navigate the deadly politics of the Tudor Court while trying to push his Protestant views of religion, serve his capricious master Henry, fend off rivals for the King's favor, and keep his own head attached to his shoulders in the process. Since Cromwell's mental state is deteriorating due to guilt over Anne's death and the downfall of his former master Cardinal Wolsey and Henry's a fickle and dangerous master at the best of times, this is an enterprise that is doomed to fail. Of course, if you're at all familiar with the history of Henry's reign and the English reformation, you know that Cromwell's story does not have a happy ending. Rather, Wolf Hall is a tragedy about a talented man who didn't walk away from his power until it was too late and he was trapped. Anyway, in my opinion, Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light was just excellent. All the performances were superb. Mark Rylance is great as Cromwell and has some excellent “WTF/I'm SO screwed” expressions as Cromwell's situation grows worse and worse. Bernard Hill played the Duke of Norfolk in the first series, but sadly died before Series Two, so Timothy Spall steps in and he does an excellent job of channeling Hill's portrayal of the Duke as an ambitious, crude-humored thug.   Damien Lewis is amazing as Henry VIII and his performance captures Henry's mixture of charisma, extreme vindictiveness, and astonishing self-absorption. The real Henry was known for being extremely charming even to the end of his life, but the charm was mixed with a volcanic temper that worsened as Henry aged and may have been exacerbated by a severe head injury. Lewis's performance can shift from that charm to the deadly fury in a heartbeat. The show rather cleverly portrays Henry's growing obesity and deteriorating health by having Lewis wear a lot of big puffy coats and limp with an impressively regal walking stick.   Overall, I would say this and Andor were the best thing I saw in Winter/Spring 2025. I wouldn't say that Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light is an accurate historical reputation. In real life, Cromwell was rather more thuggish and grasping (though far more competent than his rivals and his master) and of necessity the plot simplifies historical events, but it's just a superb historical drama. Overall Grade: A+ As a final note, I should say that of all the 2024 and 2025 movies mentioned here, the only one that actually saw in the theater was Thunderbolts, and I hadn't actually planned to see it in theaters, but a family member unexpectedly bought tickets for it, so I went along. Which I suppose is the movie industry's biggest problem right now. The home viewing experience is often vastly superior to going to the theater. The theater has the big screen and snacks, but at home you can have a pretty nice setup and you can pause whatever you want, go to the bathroom, and you can get snacks for much more cheaply. That's just much more comfortable than the movie theater.   Additionally, going to the theater has the same serious problem as booking a flight in that you're an enclosed space with complete strangers for several hours, which means you're potentially in a trust fall with idiots. All it takes is one person behaving badly or trying to bring their fake service dog to ruin or even cancel a flight, and the theater experience has much of the same problem, especially since the standards for acceptable public behavior have dropped so much from a combination of widespread smartphone adoption and COVID. The difference between the movie industry and the airline industry is that if you absolutely have to get from New York to Los Angeles in a single day, you have no choice but to book a flight and hope for the best. But if you want to see a movie and are willing to exercise some patience, you just have to wait a few months for it to turn up on streaming. I'm not sure how the movie industry can battle that, but sadly, it is much easier to identify problems than to solve them.   So that is it for this week. Thank you for listening to The Pulp Writer Show. I hope you found the show useful. A reminder that you can listen to all the back episodes at https://thepulpwritershow.com. If you enjoyed the podcast, please leave a review on your podcasting platform of choice. Stay safe, stay healthy, and see you all next week.

Second Samuel 17 Take Aways:1. God prevented David from being destroyed by empowering Hushai to defeat the strategies of the enemy, and we can trust that the Lord will continually intercede to prevent His people from being trampled by the enemy, Satan—“You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.” 1 John 4:42. The Lord provided protection for those young priests who sought to faithfully serve their king in this dangerous war; similarly, the Lord will provide us the protection we need in the spiritual battle we fight as servants of King Jesus—“Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.” Ephesians 6:10-113. As the Lord preserved David in the wilderness through unexpected means, so God is faithful to provide for every need we may encounter in this life—“And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:19

Second Samuel 16 Take Aways:1. While the craftiness of Ziba allowed him to temporarily steal away the inheritance of Mephibosheth, his slanderous conduct will later be addressed with consequences reminding us that deceptive behavior will eventually be exposed and judged accordingly—“For God will bring every work into judgment, including every secret thing, whether good or evil.” Ecclesiastes 12:142. Though Shimei wrongly cursed David, the king did not revile in return but instead trusted the Lord God to defend and avenge him; may we strive to demonstrate such patient meekness in similar situations—1 Peter 2:23 considers the conduct of Jesus saying “when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously”3. Absalom accepted wicked counsel and willingly established his kingdom upon immorality which will never generate a blessed legacy reminding us of the importance of seeking godly wisdom and abiding in righteousness—“Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful; But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and in His law he meditates day and night.” Psalm 1:1-2

Throughout First and Second Samuel we hear about David. But in 2 Samuel 22 we hear the voice of David speaking in first person David speaking directly to his loving God. No longer the voice of a Warrior but David speaking as a poet announcing his love to his loving Father. In this Psalm we also are invited to offer our praise and devotion to our Most High God who remains faithful and kind throughout each and every generation.

(Genesis 1:2) The most misunderstood and misrepresented Person of the Godhead is the Holy Spirit. How well do you know the Spirit of God? We are introduced to Him on the first page of the Bible and it is time we all got to know Him better. (0945250219) ----more---- An Introduction to the Holy Spirit Have you met the Holy Spirit? Some people refer to the Holy Spirit like He's an object or a thing or a force, but in fact, He is a real person. Co equal, co existent, co eternal with God the Father and God the Son. And the first time we meet Him is not on the day of Pentecost.  The First Mention of the Holy Spirit The first time we meet Him is in Genesis chapter 1. It's amazing to me, really, how many of these great doctrinal truths begin on the opening pages of Scripture. Someone called Genesis 1:11 a seedbed of doctrine, and they said that every major truth in the Bible can be found in seed form in the opening chapters of Genesis. I think that's beautiful. Genesis 1 verse 1 says, "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. And the earth was without form, and void, and darkness was upon the face of the deep, and the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters." Now, did you catch that? The Spirit of God, right there He is, in the creation. Remember, God is a Spirit. And the Spirit of God is at work in the creative work. He's hovering, He's brooding over His creation from the very beginning. He's involved in creation.  The Holy Spirit as the Breath of God The psalmist said in Psalm 33:6, "By the word of the Lord were the heavens made, and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth." The Holy Spirit literally is the breath of God. Job said in Job 33:4, "The Spirit of God hath made me, and the breath of the Almighty hath given me life." So the Holy Spirit is the creator. The Holy Spirit is the one who gave you life. When God breathed into Adam the breath of life, and man became a living soul, the Holy Spirit was at work. That same Holy Spirit that breathed into man and the creation is the same Holy Spirit we find in Scripture that gave us the Word. The Bible says that all Scripture is given by inspiration of God. Literally, God breathed it out. It is the work of His Holy Spirit. Second Peter 1:21, "Holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost." Second Samuel 23:2, "The Spirit of the Lord spake by me and His Word was in my tongue. Amen." This book we're studying, this Bible, you have the Holy Spirit to thank for that. Here's what's wonderful, if you're a Christian, the Author lives in your heart. The Holy Spirit, who gave the Word, lives inside of you. Ask Him to help you understand it. He'll help you. Talk to the Author today. I do love the Holy Spirit. Oh, I do love the Holy Spirit. I love the Holy Spirit because everything I know about God, the Holy Spirit taught me. I say that with authority and conviction because it's impossible to understand spiritual truth apart from the work of the Holy Spirit. So everything I know about Jesus, everything I know about God, everything I know about the Bible, I know because of the Holy Spirit. He's our teacher.  The Holy Spirit in the Old Testament We see Him in the Old Testament. In Genesis 6 verse 3, He is the restrainer of wickedness. The Lord said, "My spirit shall not always strive with man. He was holding back wickedness." We see Him enabling believers, even in the Old Testament, for special service. For example, in Genesis 41, the Spirit of God was seen on Joseph. Numbers 27:18 the Lord said to Moses, "Take thee, Joshua, the son of Nun, a man in whom is the Spirit." Daniel 4, verse 8, they recognize that Daniel had the Spirit of God. We know that the prophets were moved by the Holy Spirit. Samuel was moved by the Spirit of God. The Lord poured the horn of oil anointing David in 1 Samuel 16 verse 13, and the Bible says< "The Spirit of the Lord came upon David from that day forward." The Spirit of the Lord came on Samson. Over and over again, the Holy Spirit was working in the Old Testament in the lives of men.  The Holy Spirit in the Life of Christ Then we see Him in the life of Christ. In His conception, Luke 1:35, the Holy Ghost came upon Mary. The power of the highest overshadowed her. Where do you think the Lord Jesus came from? He had no earthly father. So He was conceived of the Holy Ghost. That's a powerful thought. Matthew 1:20 says, "That which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost." The Holy Spirit came at the baptism of Christ. You remember that beautiful dove, that picture of purity and peace coming down from heaven, lighting upon the Lord Jesus? And it's beautiful. There's no record that the dove ever left Him. It's symbolic of the fact that the Holy Spirit came upon Christ. But he never left Him. In the Old Testament, the Holy Spirit came and went. He didn't indwell every believer consistently all the time. He came and went. But when Christ came, He came and stayed. And when you come to know the Lord Jesus and Christ comes to live in you, Oh dear brother, dear sister, the Holy Spirit doesn't come and go. He comes and abides with you forever. The Bible says of Christ that He was filled with the Spirit, and He was led of the Spirit. All through His earthly ministry. He was empowered by the Holy Spirit to do miracles, and He ministered in that power. Even in His death. His death at the cross was in the power of the Holy Spirit. Hebrews 9 verse 14 says, "How much more shall the blood of Christ Who through the eternal Spirit, offered himself without spot to God. Purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God." The Holy Spirit was at work in the life of Christ. He was at work in His resurrection. Two, Romans one, verse four. He is declared to be the son of God with power according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead. But now here's where it gets good and here's where it gets very personal. The same Holy Spirit that worked in the Old Testament and that worked in the life of Christ is at work in your life today. Listen to Romans 8 verse 11. But if the spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his spirit that dwelleth in you. I tell you, I just want to stop right now and say praise God. Thank the Lord for this. The same Holy Spirit that moved in creation is moving in my life. The same Holy Spirit that empowered men in the Old Testament wants to empower me today. And the same Holy Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead, that same resurrection power and person lives inside of me at this moment. The Holy Spirit of God is at work in every stage of history, all through the Word of God, in the lives of all of those who will be yielded and open to Him. The Holy Spirit in the New Testament Church In the New Testament we see that He came to indwell every believer on the day of Pentecost. In the Acts chapter 1, verse number 5, Christ said that He would come and guess what? He came. Peter said in Acts chapter number 11 that the Holy Ghost came upon the Gentiles just as much as He did the Jews. That's glorious. That's powerful. Acts chapter 2 is the great record of that event when the Holy Spirit came to indwell every believer on the day of Pentecost. The Holy Spirit works in and through His church. You can study that all through the New Testament. But here's the point.  Personal Application of the Holy Spirit's Work Is the Holy Spirit working in you today? And maybe the better question is, are you allowing the Holy Spirit of God to work in and through your life? See, if you're not careful, you can study doctrinal things and it seems so so mystical and so distant when it's supposed to be personal and a living reality in you. They said of a great preacher of a bygone generation that his doctrine was all application, and his application was all truth and was all doctrine. I really like that. You don't separate what you believe from how you behave. So if you believe the Holy Spirit is God and you believe the Holy Spirit has come to live inside of you because you've trusted Christ as your Savior, and you believe the Holy Spirit is all powerful and all present and all wise, then I wonder, how's that going to affect your life today? Are you going to yield yourself to the control of the Holy Spirit? Ephesians 5 18 says, And be not drunk with wine wherein is excess, but be filled with the Spirit. Will you say to the Holy Spirit right now, I want you to control me today. I yield myself to you today. Holy Spirit of God, have your way with me. I hope and pray today that you'll let what the Bible says about the Holy Spirit affect what you do with your life today. Or may I should say, what He does with your life today. Let the Holy Spirit have His way with you. Repeating what other people have said about the Bible is not enough. We must know the biblical reason behind what we believe. Outro and Resources We hope you will visit us at etj.bible to access our library of Bible teaching resources, including book-by-book studies of Scripture. You'll also find studies to watch, listen to, or read. We are so grateful for those who pray for us, who share the biblical content, and for those who invest to help us advance this ministry worldwide. Again, thank you for listening, and we hope you'll join us next time on Enjoying the Journey.  

This episode is the seventh session of a Tabernacle Discipleship Group entitled "Old Testament Survey." To access the handouts for this particular study, visit our website, https://www.tabernaclebaptistchurch.com/old-testament-survey.

When Daniel and his friends were taken captive to Babylon, they found themselves in a world completely unlike their own. Even their names were changed to align with the pagan culture around them. Facing pressure to conform and worship false gods, it would have been easy for them to give in and lose their true identity. In today's devotional, Dr. Michael Youssef explores how Daniel resisted an oppressive society, encouraging Christ followers today to stand firm in their identity in Christ.If you would like more insight into today's devotional topic, watch or listen to Dr. Michael Youssef's sermon series Discover the Power of One: LISTEN NOW | WATCH NOWAVAILABLE NOW FOR YOUR GIFT OF ANY AMOUNTDo you know where to turn in the midst of brokenness? Have you exchanged self-reliance for absolute trust in the living God? In A Heart for God: Lessons from the Life of David, Dr. Michael Youssef takes you on a journey through the highs and lows of David's life. As you explore his greatest victories and deepest failures in First and Second Samuel, you'll see God's faithfulness to use willing vessels for His glory. As you experience David's most desperate cries in the Psalms, you'll witness the power of a life completely surrendered to God. And as you see the grander picture of David's life, you'll also discover how it all points to Christ Jesus, the perfect King who uses broken people to do great things for His Kingdom. Request your copy today for your gift of any amount!*Offer valid in US, UK, and Canada through October 19, 2024

In today's devotional, Dr. Michael Youssef challenges you to consider what you feed your soul.If you would like more insight into today's devotional topic, watch or listen to Dr. Michael Youssef's sermon series Discover the Power of One: LISTEN NOW | WATCH NOWAVAILABLE NOW FOR YOUR GIFT OF ANY AMOUNTDo you know where to turn in the midst of brokenness? Have you exchanged self-reliance for absolute trust in the living God? In A Heart for God: Lessons from the Life of David, Dr. Michael Youssef takes you on a journey through the highs and lows of David's life. As you explore his greatest victories and deepest failures in First and Second Samuel, you'll see God's faithfulness to use willing vessels for His glory. As you experience David's most desperate cries in the Psalms, you'll witness the power of a life completely surrendered to God. And as you see the grander picture of David's life, you'll also discover how it all points to Christ Jesus, the perfect King who uses broken people to do great things for His Kingdom. Request your copy today for your gift of any amount!*Offer valid in US, UK, and Canada through October 19, 2024

When Daniel was being trained in the Babylonian palace, he was fed lies about spirituality and the meaning of life. Just as we face lies every day from our society, Daniel was being indoctrinated into the pagan culture in which he was held captive. In today's devotional, Dr. Michael Youssef exhorts believers to know what they believe and why.If you would like more insight into today's devotional topic, watch or listen to Dr. Michael Youssef's sermon series Discover the Power of One: LISTEN NOW | WATCH NOWAVAILABLE NOW FOR YOUR GIFT OF ANY AMOUNTDo you know where to turn in the midst of brokenness? Have you exchanged self-reliance for absolute trust in the living God? In A Heart for God: Lessons from the Life of David, Dr. Michael Youssef takes you on a journey through the highs and lows of David's life. As you explore his greatest victories and deepest failures in First and Second Samuel, you'll see God's faithfulness to use willing vessels for His glory. As you experience David's most desperate cries in the Psalms, you'll witness the power of a life completely surrendered to God. And as you see the grander picture of David's life, you'll also discover how it all points to Christ Jesus, the perfect King who uses broken people to do great things for His Kingdom. Request your copy today for your gift of any amount!*Offer valid in US, UK, and Canada through October 19, 2024

In today's devotional, Dr. Michael Youssef explores how to practically overcome fear with faith.If you would like more insight into today's devotional topic, watch or listen to Dr. Michael Youssef's sermon series Discover the Power of One: LISTEN NOW | WATCH NOWAVAILABLE NOW FOR YOUR GIFT OF ANY AMOUNTDo you know where to turn in the midst of brokenness? Have you exchanged self-reliance for absolute trust in the living God? In A Heart for God: Lessons from the Life of David, Dr. Michael Youssef takes you on a journey through the highs and lows of David's life. As you explore his greatest victories and deepest failures in First and Second Samuel, you'll see God's faithfulness to use willing vessels for His glory. As you experience David's most desperate cries in the Psalms, you'll witness the power of a life completely surrendered to God. And as you see the grander picture of David's life, you'll also discover how it all points to Christ Jesus, the perfect King who uses broken people to do great things for His Kingdom. Request your copy today for your gift of any amount!*Offer valid in US, UK, and Canada through October 19, 2024

We will not always face clear-cut decisions between right and wrong. Sometimes we may have to choose between two positive or two negative choices. In today's devotional, Dr. Michael Youssef reveals our best defense against sin and temptation, tests and trials.If you would like more insight into today's devotional topic, watch or listen to Dr. Michael Youssef's sermon series Discover the Power of One, Part 3: LISTEN NOW | WATCH NOWAVAILABLE NOW FOR YOUR GIFT OF ANY AMOUNTDo you know where to turn in the midst of brokenness? Have you exchanged self-reliance for absolute trust in the living God? In A Heart for God: Lessons from the Life of David, Dr. Michael Youssef takes you on a journey through the highs and lows of David's life. As you explore his greatest victories and deepest failures in First and Second Samuel, you'll see God's faithfulness to use willing vessels for His glory. As you experience David's most desperate cries in the Psalms, you'll witness the power of a life completely surrendered to God. And as you see the grander picture of David's life, you'll also discover how it all points to Christ Jesus, the perfect King who uses broken people to do great things for His Kingdom. Request your copy today for your gift of any amount!*Offer valid in US, UK, and Canada through October 19, 2024

Sometimes, battles come from bullies or situations. But other times, struggles come from within as we face temptations. In today's devotional, Dr. Michael Youssef digs into one of the greatest temptations that Daniel and his friends faced.If you would like more insight into today's devotional topic, watch or listen to Dr. Michael Youssef's sermon series Discover the Power of One, Part 3: LISTEN NOW | WATCH NOWAVAILABLE NOW FOR YOUR GIFT OF ANY AMOUNTDo you know where to turn in the midst of brokenness? Have you exchanged self-reliance for absolute trust in the living God? In A Heart for God: Lessons from the Life of David, Dr. Michael Youssef takes you on a journey through the highs and lows of David's life. As you explore his greatest victories and deepest failures in First and Second Samuel, you'll see God's faithfulness to use willing vessels for His glory. As you experience David's most desperate cries in the Psalms, you'll witness the power of a life completely surrendered to God. And as you see the grander picture of David's life, you'll also discover how it all points to Christ Jesus, the perfect King who uses broken people to do great things for His Kingdom. Request your copy today for your gift of any amount!*Offer valid in US, UK, and Canada through October 19, 2024

We can learn a lot from Daniel's response to King Nebuchadnezzar as we consider how to deal with bullies in our lives. In today's devotional, Dr. Michael Youssef examines Daniel's boldness and courage in going before Nebuchadnezzar.If you would like more insight into today's devotional topic, watch or listen to Dr. Michael Youssef's sermon series Discover the Power of One, Part 2: LISTEN NOW | WATCH NOWAVAILABLE NOW FOR YOUR GIFT OF ANY AMOUNTDo you know where to turn in the midst of brokenness? Have you exchanged self-reliance for absolute trust in the living God? In A Heart for God: Lessons from the Life of David, Dr. Michael Youssef takes you on a journey through the highs and lows of David's life. As you explore his greatest victories and deepest failures in First and Second Samuel, you'll see God's faithfulness to use willing vessels for His glory. As you experience David's most desperate cries in the Psalms, you'll witness the power of a life completely surrendered to God. And as you see the grander picture of David's life, you'll also discover how it all points to Christ Jesus, the perfect King who uses broken people to do great things for His Kingdom. Request your copy today for your gift of any amount!*Offer valid in US, UK, and Canada through October 19, 2024

As you pass your tests in life, be careful not to fall into the temptation of giving yourself credit for your success. In today's devotional, Dr. Michael Youssef looks at Daniel's first reaction when God granted him insight into Nebuchadnezzar's dream.If you would like more insight into today's devotional topic, watch or listen to Dr. Michael Youssef's sermon series Discover the Power of One, Part 2: LISTEN NOW | WATCH NOWAVAILABLE NOW FOR YOUR GIFT OF ANY AMOUNTDo you know where to turn in the midst of brokenness? Have you exchanged self-reliance for absolute trust in the living God? In A Heart for God: Lessons from the Life of David, Dr. Michael Youssef takes you on a journey through the highs and lows of David's life. As you explore his greatest victories and deepest failures in First and Second Samuel, you'll see God's faithfulness to use willing vessels for His glory. As you experience David's most desperate cries in the Psalms, you'll witness the power of a life completely surrendered to God. And as you see the grander picture of David's life, you'll also discover how it all points to Christ Jesus, the perfect King who uses broken people to do great things for His Kingdom. Request your copy today for your gift of any amount!*Offer valid in US, UK, and Canada through October 19, 2024

Almost everyone can remember at least one bully from school—especially if they shoved you on the playground, teased people relentlessly, or threatened and manipulated others. But bullies aren't found only in the schoolyard. Bullies exist in our families, in our workplaces, and in our communities. In today's devotional, Dr. Michael Youssef evaluates the wise response of Daniel to the bully Nebuchadnezzar.If you would like more insight into today's devotional topic, watch or listen to Dr. Michael Youssef's sermon series Discover the Power of One, Part 2: LISTEN NOW | WATCH NOWAVAILABLE NOW FOR YOUR GIFT OF ANY AMOUNTDo you know where to turn in the midst of brokenness? Have you exchanged self-reliance for absolute trust in the living God? In A Heart for God: Lessons from the Life of David, Dr. Michael Youssef takes you on a journey through the highs and lows of David's life. As you explore his greatest victories and deepest failures in First and Second Samuel, you'll see God's faithfulness to use willing vessels for His glory. As you experience David's most desperate cries in the Psalms, you'll witness the power of a life completely surrendered to God. And as you see the grander picture of David's life, you'll also discover how it all points to Christ Jesus, the perfect King who uses broken people to do great things for His Kingdom. Request your copy today for your gift of any amount!*Offer valid in US, UK, and Canada through October 19, 2024

Have you faced an exceedingly challenging circumstance that tested every bit of your strength, intelligence, and character? Maybe you are facing a troubling time right now, and your whole life is at a turning point. In today's devotional, Dr. Michael Youssef looks at the example of Daniel's trust in God.If you would like more insight into today's devotional topic, watch or listen to Dr. Michael Youssef's sermon series Discover the Power of One: LISTEN NOW | WATCH NOWAVAILABLE NOW FOR YOUR GIFT OF ANY AMOUNTDo you know where to turn in the midst of brokenness? Have you exchanged self-reliance for absolute trust in the living God? In A Heart for God: Lessons from the Life of David, Dr. Michael Youssef takes you on a journey through the highs and lows of David's life. As you explore his greatest victories and deepest failures in First and Second Samuel, you'll see God's faithfulness to use willing vessels for His glory. As you experience David's most desperate cries in the Psalms, you'll witness the power of a life completely surrendered to God. And as you see the grander picture of David's life, you'll also discover how it all points to Christ Jesus, the perfect King who uses broken people to do great things for His Kingdom. Request your copy today for your gift of any amount!*Offer valid in US, UK, and Canada through October 19, 2024

The cycle of unfaithfulness, exile, repentance, and deliverance goes back to our first parents, Adam and Eve. They chose to go the wrong way and set in motion this cycle of rebellion and suffering that has echoed throughout history. In today's devotional, Dr. Michael Youssef examines the cycle of sin that began in the Garden of Eden.If you would like more insight into today's devotional topic, watch or listen to Dr. Michael Youssef's sermon series How Shall We Live Now?: WATCH NOW | LISTEN NOWAVAILABLE NOW FOR YOUR GIFT OF ANY AMOUNTDo you know where to turn in the midst of brokenness? Have you exchanged self-reliance for absolute trust in the living God? In A Heart for God: Lessons from the Life of David, Dr. Michael Youssef takes you on a journey through the highs and lows of David's life. As you explore his greatest victories and deepest failures in First and Second Samuel, you'll see God's faithfulness to use willing vessels for His glory. As you experience David's most desperate cries in the Psalms, you'll witness the power of a life completely surrendered to God. And as you see the grander picture of David's life, you'll also discover how it all points to Christ Jesus, the perfect King who uses broken people to do great things for His Kingdom. Request your copy today for your gift of any amount!*Offer valid in US, UK, and Canada through October 19, 2024

Why do so many believers lose sight of their eternal hope? Why do so many Christians take their eyes off the prize of their heavenly dwelling place, the City of God? In today's devotional, Dr. Michael Youssef warns against the earthly concerns that distract us from eternity.If you would like more insight into today's devotional topic, watch or listen to Dr. Michael Youssef's sermon How Shall We Live Now?, Part 5: WATCH NOW | LISTEN NOWAVAILABLE NOW FOR YOUR GIFT OF ANY AMOUNTDo you know where to turn in the midst of brokenness? Have you exchanged self-reliance for absolute trust in the living God? In A Heart for God: Lessons from the Life of David, Dr. Michael Youssef takes you on a journey through the highs and lows of David's life. As you explore his greatest victories and deepest failures in First and Second Samuel, you'll see God's faithfulness to use willing vessels for His glory. As you experience David's most desperate cries in the Psalms, you'll witness the power of a life completely surrendered to God. And as you see the grander picture of David's life, you'll also discover how it all points to Christ Jesus, the perfect King who uses broken people to do great things for His Kingdom. Request your copy today for your gift of any amount!*Offer valid in US, UK, and Canada through October 19, 2024

In today's devotional, Dr. Michael Youssef exhorts us to keep our eyes on heaven.If you would like more insight into today's devotional topic, watch or listen to Dr. Michael Youssef's sermon How Shall We Live Now?, Part 5: WATCH NOW | LISTEN NOWAVAILABLE NOW FOR YOUR GIFT OF ANY AMOUNTDo you know where to turn in the midst of brokenness? Have you exchanged self-reliance for absolute trust in the living God? In A Heart for God: Lessons from the Life of David, Dr. Michael Youssef takes you on a journey through the highs and lows of David's life. As you explore his greatest victories and deepest failures in First and Second Samuel, you'll see God's faithfulness to use willing vessels for His glory. As you experience David's most desperate cries in the Psalms, you'll witness the power of a life completely surrendered to God. And as you see the grander picture of David's life, you'll also discover how it all points to Christ Jesus, the perfect King who uses broken people to do great things for His Kingdom. Request your copy today for your gift of any amount!*Offer valid in US, UK, and Canada through October 19, 2024

In today's devotional, Dr. Michael Youssef explores the earthly city of Jerusalem to understand the City of God that will one day come down from heaven.If you would like more insight into today's devotional topic, watch or listen to Dr. Michael Youssef's sermon How Shall We Live Now?, Part 4: WATCH NOW | LISTEN NOWAVAILABLE NOW FOR YOUR GIFT OF ANY AMOUNTDo you know where to turn in the midst of brokenness? Have you exchanged self-reliance for absolute trust in the living God? In A Heart for God: Lessons from the Life of David, Dr. Michael Youssef takes you on a journey through the highs and lows of David's life. As you explore his greatest victories and deepest failures in First and Second Samuel, you'll see God's faithfulness to use willing vessels for His glory. As you experience David's most desperate cries in the Psalms, you'll witness the power of a life completely surrendered to God. And as you see the grander picture of David's life, you'll also discover how it all points to Christ Jesus, the perfect King who uses broken people to do great things for His Kingdom. Request your copy today for your gift of any amount!*Offer valid in US, UK, and Canada through October 19, 2024

In today's devotional, Dr. Michael Youssef calls us to consider how we should live to represent the Good News of Christ. If you would like more insight into today's devotional topic, watch or listen to Dr. Michael Youssef's sermon series How Shall We Live Now?: WATCH NOW | LISTEN NOWAVAILABLE NOW FOR YOUR GIFT OF ANY AMOUNTDo you know where to turn in the midst of brokenness? Have you exchanged self-reliance for absolute trust in the living God? In A Heart for God: Lessons from the Life of David, Dr. Michael Youssef takes you on a journey through the highs and lows of David's life. As you explore his greatest victories and deepest failures in First and Second Samuel, you'll see God's faithfulness to use willing vessels for His glory. As you experience David's most desperate cries in the Psalms, you'll witness the power of a life completely surrendered to God. And as you see the grander picture of David's life, you'll also discover how it all points to Christ Jesus, the perfect King who uses broken people to do great things for His Kingdom. Request your copy today for your gift of any amount!*Offer valid in US, UK, and Canada through October 19, 2024

If we in the church would humble ourselves and repent of our sins, God will lead us out of our spiritual and cultural exile. In today's devotional, Dr. Michael Youssef exhorts Christians to search our hearts and repent of sin. If you would like more insight into today's devotional topic, watch or listen to Dr. Michael Youssef's sermon series How Shall We Live Now?: WATCH NOW | LISTEN NOWAVAILABLE NOW FOR YOUR GIFT OF ANY AMOUNTDo you know where to turn in the midst of brokenness? Have you exchanged self-reliance for absolute trust in the living God? In A Heart for God: Lessons from the Life of David, Dr. Michael Youssef takes you on a journey through the highs and lows of David's life. As you explore his greatest victories and deepest failures in First and Second Samuel, you'll see God's faithfulness to use willing vessels for His glory. As you experience David's most desperate cries in the Psalms, you'll witness the power of a life completely surrendered to God. And as you see the grander picture of David's life, you'll also discover how it all points to Christ Jesus, the perfect King who uses broken people to do great things for His Kingdom. Request your copy today for any gift of any amount!*Offer valid in US, UK, and Canada through October 19, 2024

There are always consequences when God's people cease to honor Him and obey His Word. In today's devotional, Dr. Michael Youssef looks at the consequences of friendship with the world. If you would like more insight into today's devotional topic, watch or listen to Dr. Michael Youssef's sermon series How Shall We Live Now?: WATCH NOW | LISTEN NOWAVAILABLE NOW FOR YOUR GIFT OF ANY AMOUNTDo you know where to turn in the midst of brokenness? Have you exchanged self-reliance for absolute trust in the living God? In A Heart for God: Lessons from the Life of David, Dr. Michael Youssef takes you on a journey through the highs and lows of David's life. As you explore his greatest victories and deepest failures in First and Second Samuel, you'll see God's faithfulness to use willing vessels for His glory. As you experience David's most desperate cries in the Psalms, you'll witness the power of a life completely surrendered to God. And as you see the grander picture of David's life, you'll also discover how it all points to Christ Jesus, the perfect King who uses broken people to do great things for His Kingdom. Request your copy today for your gift of any amount!ffer valid in US, UK, and Canada through October 19, 2024

The story of God's confusing the languages at the tower of Babel is familiar. What is less familiar is the rebellion that motivated the tower's construction. In today's devotional, Dr. Michael Youssef warns against the Babylonian revival happening in our day. If you would like more insight into today's devotional topic, watch or listen to Dr. Michael Youssef's sermon How Shall We Live Now?, Part 3: WATCH NOW | LISTEN NOWAVAILABLE NOW FOR YOUR GIFT OF ANY AMOUNTDo you know where to turn in the midst of brokenness? Have you exchanged self-reliance for absolute trust in the living God? In A Heart for God: Lessons from the Life of David, Dr. Michael Youssef takes you on a journey through the highs and lows of David's life. As you explore his greatest victories and deepest failures in First and Second Samuel, you'll see God's faithfulness to use willing vessels for His glory. As you experience David's most desperate cries in the Psalms, you'll witness the power of a life completely surrendered to God. And as you see the grander picture of David's life, you'll also discover how it all points to Christ Jesus, the perfect King who uses broken people to do great things for His Kingdom. Request your copy today for your gift of any amount!*Offer valid in US, UK, and Canada through October 19, 2024

In the Bible, Babylon symbolizes every people or culture that opposes God. It was also a real place that earned a real reputation. In today's devotional, Dr. Michael Youssef looks at the motive behind the tower of Babel. If you would like more insight into today's devotional topic, watch or listen to Dr. Michael Youssef's sermon How Shall We Live Now?, Part 3: WATCH NOW | LISTEN NOWAVAILABLE NOW FOR YOUR GIFT OF ANY AMOUNTDo you know where to turn in the midst of brokenness? Have you exchanged self-reliance for absolute trust in the living God? In A Heart for God: Lessons from the Life of David, Dr. Michael Youssef takes you on a journey through the highs and lows of David's life. As you explore his greatest victories and deepest failures in First and Second Samuel, you'll see God's faithfulness to use willing vessels for His glory. As you experience David's most desperate cries in the Psalms, you'll witness the power of a life completely surrendered to God. And as you see the grander picture of David's life, you'll also discover how it all points to Christ Jesus, the perfect King who uses broken people to do great things for His Kingdom. Request your copy today for your gift of any amount!*Offer valid in US, UK, and Canada through October 19, 2024

As believers, we live in the City of Man—but we are pilgrims in this world. We know our true home is the City of God. In today's devotional, Dr. Michael Youssef looks at what it means to live as pilgrims and ambassadors in this world.If you would like more insight into today's devotional topic, watch or listen to Dr. Michael Youssef's sermon How Shall We Live Now?, Part 4: WATCH NOW | LISTEN NOWAVAILABLE NOW FOR YOUR GIFT OF ANY AMOUNTDo you know where to turn in the midst of brokenness? Have you exchanged self-reliance for absolute trust in the living God? In A Heart for God: Lessons from the Life of David, Dr. Michael Youssef takes you on a journey through the highs and lows of David's life. As you explore his greatest victories and deepest failures in First and Second Samuel, you'll see God's faithfulness to use willing vessels for His glory. As you experience David's most desperate cries in the Psalms, you'll witness the power of a life completely surrendered to God. And as you see the grander picture of David's life, you'll also discover how it all points to Christ Jesus, the perfect King who uses broken people to do great things for His Kingdom. Request your copy today for your gift of any amount!*Offer valid in US, UK, and Canada through October 19, 2024

Are you praying for a spiritual revival in your home, family, community, nation, or world? In today's devotional, Dr. Michael Youssef encourages us that a return to the pure Gospel has happened before and can happen again. If you would like more insight into today's devotional topic, watch or listen to Dr. Michael Youssef's sermon series How Shall We Live Now?: WATCH NOW | LISTEN NOWAVAILABLE NOW FOR YOUR GIFT OF ANY AMOUNTDo you know where to turn in the midst of brokenness? Have you exchanged self-reliance for absolute trust in the living God? In A Heart for God: Lessons from the Life of David, Dr. Michael Youssef takes you on a journey through the highs and lows of David's life. As you explore his greatest victories and deepest failures in First and Second Samuel, you'll see God's faithfulness to use willing vessels for His glory. As you experience David's most desperate cries in the Psalms, you'll witness the power of a life completely surrendered to God. And as you see the grander picture of David's life, you'll also discover how it all points to Christ Jesus, the perfect King who uses broken people to do great things for His Kingdom. Request your copy today for your gift of any amount!*Offer valid in US, UK, and Canada through October 19, 2024

In today's devotional, Dr. Michael Youssef reveals the only way to love others authentically.If you would like more insight into today's devotional topic, watch or listen to Dr. Michael Youssef's sermon series How Shall We Live Now?: WATCH NOW | LISTEN NOWAVAILABLE NOW FOR YOUR GIFT OF ANY AMOUNTDo you know where to turn in the midst of brokenness? Have you exchanged self-reliance for absolute trust in the living God? In A Heart for God: Lessons from the Life of David, Dr. Michael Youssef takes you on a journey through the highs and lows of David's life. As you explore his greatest victories and deepest failures in First and Second Samuel, you'll see God's faithfulness to use willing vessels for His glory. As you experience David's most desperate cries in the Psalms, you'll witness the power of a life completely surrendered to God. And as you see the grander picture of David's life, you'll also discover how it all points to Christ Jesus, the perfect King who uses broken people to do great things for His Kingdom. Request your copy today for your gift of any amount!*Offer valid in US, UK, and Canada through October 19, 2024

In today's devotional, Dr. Michael Youssef explores what it means to have a “sincere and pure devotion to Christ” (2 Corinthians 11:3).If you would like more insight into today's devotional topic, listen to Dr. Michael Youssef's sermon The Secrets of Positive Living, Part 13: LISTEN NOWAVAILABLE NOW FOR YOUR GIFT OF ANY AMOUNTDo you know where to turn in the midst of brokenness? Have you exchanged self-reliance for absolute trust in the living God? In A Heart for God: Lessons from the Life of David, Dr. Michael Youssef takes you on a journey through the highs and lows of David's life. As you explore his greatest victories and deepest failures in First and Second Samuel, you'll see God's faithfulness to use willing vessels for His glory. As you experience David's most desperate cries in the Psalms, you'll witness the power of a life completely surrendered to God. And as you see the grander picture of David's life, you'll also discover how it all points to Christ Jesus, the perfect King who uses broken people to do great things for His Kingdom. Request your copy today for your gift of any amount! *Offer valid in US, UK, and Canada through October 19, 2024

David felt the same emotions you may be feeling today—loneliness, despair, and fear. However, even though he struggled occasionally to trust God (see 1 Samuel 27:1), David longed to please the Lord deep down. He had a heart after God's heart. And the God who sees into the depths of your heart and mind is the one who will honor you for that desire—a desire clearly displayed in David's sacred song in 2 Samuel 22. bIn today's devotional, Dr. Michael Youssef examines David's sacred song that carried him through the ups and downs of life. If you would like more insight into today's devotional topic, watch or listen to Dr. Michael Youssef's sermon series A Heart for God: WATCH NOW | LISTEN NOWAVAILABLE NOW FOR YOUR GIFT OF ANY AMOUNTDo you know where to turn in the midst of brokenness? Have you exchanged self-reliance for absolute trust in the living God? In A Heart for God: Lessons from the Life of David, Dr. Michael Youssef takes you on a journey through the highs and lows of David's life. As you explore his greatest victories and deepest failures in First and Second Samuel, you'll see God's faithfulness to use willing vessels for His glory. As you experience David's most desperate cries in the Psalms, you'll witness the power of a life completely surrendered to God. And as you see the grander picture of David's life, you'll also discover how it all points to Christ Jesus, the perfect King who uses broken people to do great things for His Kingdom. Request your copy today for your gift of any amount!*Offer valid in US, UK, and Canada through October 19, 2024.

David was a man with uncommon faith in the Lord. So, when he committed adultery and then murdered the woman's husband, it was entirely out of character. Thankfully, God sent the prophet Nathan to confront David's sin—to invite him to take the first step toward restoration. In today's devotional, Dr. Michael Youssef examines Nathan's parable as an allegory of David's failure and response. If you would like more insight into today's devotional topic, watch or listen to Dr. Michael Youssef's sermon series A Heart for God: WATCH NOW | LISTEN NOWAVAILABLE NOW FOR YOUR GIFT OF ANY AMOUNTDo you know where to turn in the midst of brokenness? Have you exchanged self-reliance for absolute trust in the living God? In A Heart for God: Lessons from the Life of David, Dr. Michael Youssef takes you on a journey through the highs and lows of David's life. As you explore his greatest victories and deepest failures in First and Second Samuel, you'll see God's faithfulness to use willing vessels for His glory. As you experience David's most desperate cries in the Psalms, you'll witness the power of a life completely surrendered to God. And as you see the grander picture of David's life, you'll also discover how it all points to Christ Jesus, the perfect King who uses broken people to do great things for His Kingdom. Request your copy today for your gift of any amount!*Offer valid in US, UK, and Canada through October 19, 2024.

In today's devotional, Dr. Michael Youssef explores David's kindness toward Mephibosheth as a foreshadowing of God's grace to us in Christ. If you would like more insight into today's devotional topic, watch or listen to Dr. Michael Youssef's sermon series A Heart for God: WATCH NOW | LISTEN NOWAVAILABLE NOW FOR YOUR GIFT OF ANY AMOUNTDo you know where to turn in the midst of brokenness? Have you exchanged self-reliance for absolute trust in the living God? In A Heart for God: Lessons from the Life of David, Dr. Michael Youssef takes you on a journey through the highs and lows of David's life. As you explore his greatest victories and deepest failures in First and Second Samuel, you'll see God's faithfulness to use willing vessels for His glory. As you experience David's most desperate cries in the Psalms, you'll witness the power of a life completely surrendered to God. And as you see the grander picture of David's life, you'll also discover how it all points to Christ Jesus, the perfect King who uses broken people to do great things for His Kingdom. Request your copy today for your gift of any amount! *Offer valid in US, UK, and Canada through October 19, 2024.

In today's devotional, Dr. Michael Youssef examines David's seven-fold prayer after he heard “no” from God. If you would like more insight into today's devotional topic, watch or listen to Dr. Michael Youssef's sermon series A Heart for God: WATCH NOW | LISTEN NOWAVAILABLE NOW FOR YOUR GIFT OF ANY AMOUNTDo you know where to turn in the midst of brokenness? Have you exchanged self-reliance for absolute trust in the living God? In A Heart for God: Lessons from the Life of David, Dr. Michael Youssef takes you on a journey through the highs and lows of David's life. As you explore his greatest victories and deepest failures in First and Second Samuel, you'll see God's faithfulness to use willing vessels for His glory. As you experience David's most desperate cries in the Psalms, you'll witness the power of a life completely surrendered to God. And as you see the grander picture of David's life, you'll also discover how it all points to Christ Jesus, the perfect King who uses broken people to do great things for His Kingdom. Request your copy today for your gift of any amount!*Offer valid in US, UK, and Canada through October 19, 2024.

In this age of self-care, self-discipline seems to be a dirty word. But good intentions and warm, fuzzy feelings toward God won't make us fruitful Christians. To be a fruitful Christian, we must submit to the Lord Jesus Christ in everything we do—from how we spend our money to how we spend our time. In today's devotional, Dr. Michael Youssef explores self-discipline and Christlikeness. If you would like more insight into today's devotional topic, watch or listen to Dr. Michael Youssef's sermon From Valley to Victory, Part 16: LISTEN NOW| WATCH NOWAVAILABLE NOW FOR YOUR GIFT OF ANY AMOUNTDo you know where to turn in the midst of brokenness? Have you exchanged self-reliance for absolute trust in the living God? In A Heart for God: Lessons from the Life of David, Dr. Michael Youssef takes you on a journey through the highs and lows of David's life. As you explore his greatest victories and deepest failures in First and Second Samuel, you'll see God's faithfulness to use willing vessels for His glory. As you experience David's most desperate cries in the Psalms, you'll witness the power of a life completely surrendered to God. And as you see the grander picture of David's life, you'll also discover how it all points to Christ Jesus, the perfect King who uses broken people to do great things for His Kingdom. Request your copy today for your gift of any amount!*Offer valid in US, UK, and Canada through October 19, 2024.

Worship is our only response to God's great mercy. It is our only response to His unbelievable, indescribable, unfathomable grace. It is the only way to appropriately express our gratitude and thanksgiving. And it is the secret to lasting contentment, joy, victory, and satisfaction. In today's devotional, Dr. Michael Youssef looks at true worship. If you would like more insight into today's devotional topic, watch or listen to Dr. Michael Youssef's sermon From Valley to Victory, Part 15: LISTEN NOW| WATCH NOWAVAILABLE NOW FOR YOUR GIFT OF ANY AMOUNTDo you know where to turn in the midst of brokenness? Have you exchanged self-reliance for absolute trust in the living God? In A Heart for God: Lessons from the Life of David, Dr. Michael Youssef takes you on a journey through the highs and lows of David's life. As you explore his greatest victories and deepest failures in First and Second Samuel, you'll see God's faithfulness to use willing vessels for His glory. As you experience David's most desperate cries in the Psalms, you'll witness the power of a life completely surrendered to God. And as you see the grander picture of David's life, you'll also discover how it all points to Christ Jesus, the perfect King who uses broken people to do great things for His Kingdom. Request your copy today for your gift of any amount!*Offer valid in US, UK, and Canada through October 19, 2024.

In today's devotional, Dr. Michael Youssef considers God's infinite nature, which requires us to humble ourselves. If you would like more insight into today's devotional topic, watch or listen to Dr. Michael Youssef's sermon From Valley to Victory, Part 14: LISTEN NOW| WATCH NOWAVAILABLE NOW FOR YOUR GIFT OF ANY AMOUNTDo you know where to turn in the midst of brokenness? Have you exchanged self-reliance for absolute trust in the living God? In A Heart for God: Lessons from the Life of David, Dr. Michael Youssef takes you on a journey through the highs and lows of David's life. As you explore his greatest victories and deepest failures in First and Second Samuel, you'll see God's faithfulness to use willing vessels for His glory. As you experience David's most desperate cries in the Psalms, you'll witness the power of a life completely surrendered to God. And as you see the grander picture of David's life, you'll also discover how it all points to Christ Jesus, the perfect King who uses broken people to do great things for His Kingdom. Request your copy today for your gift of any amount!*Offer valid in US, UK, and Canada through October 19, 2024.

Salvation is not dependent on either our ethnicity or church attendance. Our relationship with God is a matter of the heart. In today's devotional, Dr. Michael Youssef reminds us that the ground is level at the foot of the cross. If you would like more insight into today's devotional topic, watch or listen to Dr. Michael Youssef's sermon From Valley to Victory, Part 14: LISTEN NOW| WATCH NOWAVAILABLE NOW FOR YOUR GIFT OF ANY AMOUNTDo you know where to turn in the midst of brokenness? Have you exchanged self-reliance for absolute trust in the living God? In A Heart for God: Lessons from the Life of David, Dr. Michael Youssef takes you on a journey through the highs and lows of David's life. As you explore his greatest victories and deepest failures in First and Second Samuel, you'll see God's faithfulness to use willing vessels for His glory. As you experience David's most desperate cries in the Psalms, you'll witness the power of a life completely surrendered to God. And as you see the grander picture of David's life, you'll also discover how it all points to Christ Jesus, the perfect King who uses broken people to do great things for His Kingdom. Request your copy today for your gift of any amount!*Offer valid in US, UK, and Canada through October 19, 2024.

In today's devotional, Dr. Michael Youssef reveals four reasons why people reject God's offer of grace in Romans. If you would like more insight into today's devotional topic, watch or listen to Dr. Michael Youssef's sermon From Valley to Victory, Part 13: LISTEN NOW| WATCH NOWAVAILABLE NOW FOR YOUR GIFT OF ANY AMOUNTDo you know where to turn in the midst of brokenness? Have you exchanged self-reliance for absolute trust in the living God? In A Heart for God: Lessons from the Life of David, Dr. Michael Youssef takes you on a journey through the highs and lows of David's life. As you explore his greatest victories and deepest failures in First and Second Samuel, you'll see God's faithfulness to use willing vessels for His glory. As you experience David's most desperate cries in the Psalms, you'll witness the power of a life completely surrendered to God. And as you see the grander picture of David's life, you'll also discover how it all points to Christ Jesus, the perfect King who uses broken people to do great things for His Kingdom. Request your copy today for your gift of any amount!*Offer valid in US, UK, and Canada through October 19, 2024.

In Romans 8-9, Paul unpacks the concept of election—how God, in His sovereignty, has predestined believers to be saved since before the foundation of the world. Then, in Romans 10, Paul begins to explain how all of humanity is responsible for responding in faith to God's offer of grace. In today's devotional, Dr. Michael Youssef dives into Paul's teaching on election. If you would like more insight into today's devotional topic, watch or listen to Dr. Michael Youssef's sermon From Valley to Victory, Part 13: LISTEN NOW| WATCH NOWAVAILABLE NOW FOR YOUR GIFT OF ANY AMOUNTDo you know where to turn in the midst of brokenness? Have you exchanged self-reliance for absolute trust in the living God? In A Heart for God: Lessons from the Life of David, Dr. Michael Youssef takes you on a journey through the highs and lows of David's life. As you explore his greatest victories and deepest failures in First and Second Samuel, you'll see God's faithfulness to use willing vessels for His glory. As you experience David's most desperate cries in the Psalms, you'll witness the power of a life completely surrendered to God. And as you see the grander picture of David's life, you'll also discover how it all points to Christ Jesus, the perfect King who uses broken people to do great things for His Kingdom. Request your copy today for your gift of any amount!*Offer valid in US, UK, and Canada through October 19, 2024.

In today's devotional, Dr. Michael Youssef looks at why we are to bear witness to Christ. If you would like more insight into today's devotional topic, watch or listen to Dr. Michael Youssef's sermon From Valley to Victory, Part 12: LISTEN NOW| WATCH NOWAVAILABLE NOW FOR YOUR GIFT OF ANY AMOUNTDo you know where to turn in the midst of brokenness? Have you exchanged self-reliance for absolute trust in the living God? In A Heart for God: Lessons from the Life of David, Dr. Michael Youssef takes you on a journey through the highs and lows of David's life. As you explore his greatest victories and deepest failures in First and Second Samuel, you'll see God's faithfulness to use willing vessels for His glory. As you experience David's most desperate cries in the Psalms, you'll witness the power of a life completely surrendered to God. And as you see the grander picture of David's life, you'll also discover how it all points to Christ Jesus, the perfect King who uses broken people to do great things for His Kingdom. Request your copy today for your gift of any amount! *Offer valid in US, UK, and Canada through October 19, 2024.

In today's devotional, Dr. Michael Youssef dives into the mercy and sovereignty of God. If you would like more insight into today's devotional topic, watch or listen to Dr. Michael Youssef's sermon From Valley to Victory, Part 12: LISTEN NOW| WATCH NOWAVAILABLE NOW FOR YOUR GIFT OF ANY AMOUNTDo you know where to turn in the midst of brokenness? Have you exchanged self-reliance for absolute trust in the living God? In A Heart for God: Lessons from the Life of David, Dr. Michael Youssef takes you on a journey through the highs and lows of David's life. As you explore his greatest victories and deepest failures in First and Second Samuel, you'll see God's faithfulness to use willing vessels for His glory. As you experience David's most desperate cries in the Psalms, you'll witness the power of a life completely surrendered to God. And as you see the grander picture of David's life, you'll also discover how it all points to Christ Jesus, the perfect King who uses broken people to do great things for His Kingdom. Request your copy today for your gift of any amount! *Offer valid in US, UK, and Canada through October 19, 2024.

Today's devotional offers four Truths to encourage us as we seek to live for Christ. If you would like more insight into today's devotional topic, watch or listen to Dr. Michael Youssef's sermon From Valley to Victory, Part 9: WATCH NOW | LISTEN NOWAVAILABLE NOW FOR YOUR GIFT OF ANY AMOUNTDo you know where to turn in the midst of brokenness? Have you exchanged self-reliance for absolute trust in the living God? In A Heart for God: Lessons from the Life of David, Dr. Michael Youssef takes you on a journey through the highs and lows of David's life. As you explore his greatest victories and deepest failures in First and Second Samuel, you'll see God's faithfulness to use willing vessels for His glory. As you experience David's most desperate cries in the Psalms, you'll witness the power of a life completely surrendered to God. And as you see the grander picture of David's life, you'll also discover how it all points to Christ Jesus, the perfect King who uses broken people to do great things for His Kingdom. Request your copy today for your gift of any amount!*Offer valid in US, UK, and Canada through October 19, 2024.

Today's devotional gives insight into the freedom found only through salvation in Jesus Christ. If you would like more insight into today's devotional topic, watch or listen to Dr. Michael Youssef's sermon From Valley to Victory, Part 9: WATCH NOW | LISTEN NOWAVAILABLE NOW FOR YOUR GIFT OF ANY AMOUNTDo you know where to turn in the midst of brokenness? Have you exchanged self-reliance for absolute trust in the living God? In A Heart for God: Lessons from the Life of David, Dr. Michael Youssef takes you on a journey through the highs and lows of David's life. As you explore his greatest victories and deepest failures in First and Second Samuel, you'll see God's faithfulness to use willing vessels for His glory. As you experience David's most desperate cries in the Psalms, you'll witness the power of a life completely surrendered to God. And as you see the grander picture of David's life, you'll also discover how it all points to Christ Jesus, the perfect King who uses broken people to do great things for His Kingdom. Request your copy today for your gift of any amount!*Offer valid in US, UK, and Canada through October 19, 2024.

Every person on the face of the earth has either sin or Jesus as their master. There are only two choices; there is no third—today's devotional challenges us to consider whether we obey sin or Jesus. If you would like more insight into today's devotional topic, watch or listen to Dr. Michael Youssef's sermon From Valley to Victory, Part 8: WATCH NOW | LISTEN NOWAVAILABLE NOW FOR YOUR GIFT OF ANY AMOUNTDo you know where to turn in the midst of brokenness? Have you exchanged self-reliance for absolute trust in the living God? In A Heart for God: Lessons from the Life of David, Dr. Michael Youssef takes you on a journey through the highs and lows of David's life. As you explore his greatest victories and deepest failures in First and Second Samuel, you'll see God's faithfulness to use willing vessels for His glory. As you experience David's most desperate cries in the Psalms, you'll witness the power of a life completely surrendered to God. And as you see the grander picture of David's life, you'll also discover how it all points to Christ Jesus, the perfect King who uses broken people to do great things for His Kingdom. Request your copy today for your gift of any amount!*Offer valid in US, UK, and Canada through October 19, 2024.

In today's devotional, Dr. Michael Youssef reminds us that we are empowered to say ‘no' to sin in Christ.If you would like more insight into today's devotional topic, watch or listen to Dr. Michael Youssef's sermon From Valley to Victory, Part 8: WATCH NOW | LISTEN NOWAVAILABLE NOW FOR YOUR GIFT OF ANY AMOUNTDo you know where to turn in the midst of brokenness? Have you exchanged self-reliance for absolute trust in the living God? In A Heart for God: Lessons from the Life of David, Dr. Michael Youssef takes you on a journey through the highs and lows of David's life. As you explore his greatest victories and deepest failures in First and Second Samuel, you'll see God's faithfulness to use willing vessels for His glory. As you experience David's most desperate cries in the Psalms, you'll witness the power of a life completely surrendered to God. And as you see the grander picture of David's life, you'll also discover how it all points to Christ Jesus, the perfect King who uses broken people to do great things for His Kingdom. Request your copy today for your gift of any amount!*Offer valid in US, UK, and Canada through October 19, 2024.

The army wouldn’t give Tony Vaccaro a chance as a photographer, but that didn’t stop him. Between terrifying moments of dodging artillery shells and shrapnel that seemed to rain from the trees, he took pictures anyway. Then, as his friends slept, he used their helmets to mix the chemicals to develop his film. The nighttime forest became the darkroom in which Vaccaro created a timeless record of World War II’s battle of Hürtgen Forest. King David lived through his share of battles and dark times. Second Samuel 22 says, “The Lord delivered [David] from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul” (v. 1). David used those experiences to produce a record of God’s faithfulness. He said, “Waves of death swirled about me; the torrents of destruction overwhelmed me” (v. 5). David soon pivoted from desperation to hope. “In my distress I called to the Lord,” he recalled (v. 6). “From his temple he heard my voice” (v. 7). David made certain to praise God for His unfailing help. “The Lord turns my darkness into light,” he said. “With your help I can advance against a troop; with my God I can scale a wall” (vv. 29–30). David turned his difficulties into an opportunity to tell the world about his faithful God. We can do the same. After all, we rely on the One who turns darkness into light.

Dr. Aaron Higashi is one of our favorites, and we're not alone! The folks over at The Bible for Normal People are fans, as well, and have enlisted Aaron to write a "for normal people" book about First and Second Samuel. These two books include some of the Bible's most famous and most infamous characters and moments. If you've ever read about the exploits of biblical David, and wondered if he is, in fact, a good guy... well, Dr. Higashi is right there with you. We'll ask him about his take on David and many other biblical figures and stories, and the conclusions may surprise you. Or not. This is Data Over Dogma, after all. Look for Aaron on the various social media places under the handle @abhbible. Preorder 1 & 2 Samuel for Normal People: A Guide to Prophets, Kings, and Some Pretty Terrible Men here: https://www.amazon.com/Samuel-Normal-People-Prophets-Terrible-ebook/dp/B0D7KBPRVN For early access to an ad-free version of every episode of Data Over Dogma, exclusive content, and the opportunity to support our work, please consider becoming a monthly patron at: https://www.patreon.com/DataOverDogma      Follow us on the various social media places: https://www.facebook.com/DataOverDogmaPod https://www.twitter.com/data_over_dogma Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices