Podcasts about Sermon on the Mount

"I wrestle not against flesh and blood." (David Dark's Ephesians 6:12 mantra) / According to David Dark (Belmont University), each of us occupy a variety of robots—roles, titles, occupations, institutions, conglomerates, ways of being, social norms, etc.—and these robots exert a cultural force, sometimes benign, but then again, sometimes violently destructive and degrading of human life. And in order to appreciate and honor our shared humanity, those of us in violent, impersonal robot systems need to be softly, humanely, respectfully, lovingly exorcised from those violent systems. David Dark joins Evan Rosa to talk about his idea of "Robot Soft Exorcism"—a metaphor-slash-parable-slash-theory-slash-way-of-life—that he uses to explain and expound non-violent resistance and prophetic witness. Along the way, they discuss the righteous skepticism he was raised on, the blurry secular-sacred divide, how he met Henri Nouwen, the technological ethics of Jacques Ellul, the real meaning of turning the other cheek, and the constant need to divest ourselves of the power of our positions, our titles, our platforms ... our robots.About David DarkDavid Dark is an American writer and cultural critic; and is Assistant Professor of Religion and the Arts at Belmont University in Nashville, TN. He's author of several books including, Life's Too Short To Pretend You're Not Religious, The Sacredness of Questioning Everything, Everyday Apocalypse: The Sacred Revealed in Radiohead, The Simpsons, and Other Pop Culture Icons, and The Gospel According To America: A Meditation on a God-blessed, Christ-haunted Idea. Follow him on Twitter @DavidDark or his Substack, Dark MatterShow NotesDavid Dark's Robot Soft Exorcism Twitter Thread: https://twitter.com/DavidDark/status/1012804184868048896Righteous skepticism in David Dark's family historyGodzilla and GodSecular–sacred divide"I don't have to settle for the given dichotomies or dualisms."Daoism, intellectual humility and the meaning of righteous skepticism in southern (fundamentalist) Christian contextThe blurry binaries of Christianity and Pop CultureNashville: "The post-modern Vatican of the prayer trade"Christian music industry in the'80s"One might want to separate Christian marketing from the January 6th attack, but you really can't because association is currency.""On human barnyard"; "there are no unrelated phenomena"On meeting Henri Nouwen and learning the word social justice"There is no non-social justice. Justice is relational."Robot Soft ExorcismEphesians 6:12: "For our struggle is not against enemies of blood and flesh, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places."Walter Wink's Powers seriesPower dynamics of 2018's border crisis, separating families at the border, and Sarah Huckabee Sanders at the Red Hen RestaurantTurning the other cheek; demanding to be punched as an equalDramatizing the conflict as part of the task of prophetic action"Robot soft exorcism is inviting someone to be a human being rather than just being their position."Breaking it down: The Robot PartJacques Ellul and the Technological SocietyUse vs Reception"I think that Twitter can be a wonderful tool. It is the tool upon which I inscribed my Robots Soft Exorcism. But Twitter is also can be a broken fire hydrant of sadness and rage.""I think Ellul said: We speak of a computer as a companion, but a computer is actually a vampire.""What we do with our screens is what we do with our lives. We are never escaping relationship.""[Insert Soul Here]"Philip K. Dick's "disinformation"Beck: "Don't believe everything you breathe."Breaking it down: The Exorcism PartMob Spirit on January 6"Sitting with anger until it becomes sadness." (Sarah Mason)Exorcism as social therapyThoreau: "We all crave reality."Buddhists surrendering a spirit of conflict or difference before partingKarl Barth: If you don't have any solid difference with the person with whom you exchange the peace of Christ, the peace of Christ isn't there because the peace has to overcome some kind of difference."Opinion, Posture, Position: None ever have to be confused with one's identity.U2's "Staring at the Sun": "Armor-plated suits and ties""Sometimes when we skip straight to Christ, we skip over Jesus of Nazareth. I'm not saying we all do that whenever we say Christ, but w if I say Christ enough that I'm not thinking about the sermon on the Mount, that I'm not thinking of the red letter words, Christ can become a kind of personal ghost friend who excuses me from my bad behavior."Divesting ourselves of the power we carry through the worldClaudia Rankin: whiteness as an investment in not-knowingThe centrality of listeningEllul: "Propaganda is monologue and monologue ends when dialogue begins."Breaking it down: The Soft PartCivil Rights Movement is actually the Non-Violent Movement of America"One human exchange at a time."Mantra: "I wrestle not against flesh and blood." (Ephesians 6:12)Rage Against the MachineAdvent/Christmas as the prototypical Robot Soft ExorcismBruce Coburn: "Redemption rips through the surface of time in the cry of a tiny babe.""We're really going against the news cycle if we insist on the meaning of human history being in this manger scene. To be alive to it, to be citizens of a better future than what is being settled for by our robot overlords."Production NotesThis podcast featured author and cultural critic David DarkEdited and Produced by Evan RosaHosted by Evan RosaProduction Assistance by Martin Chan, Nathan Jowers, Natalie Lam, and Logan LedmanA Production of the Yale Center for Faith & Culture at Yale Divinity School https://faith.yale.edu/aboutSupport For the Life of the World podcast by giving to the Yale Center for Faith & Culture: https://faith.yale.edu/give

All my life I have been looking for a man who has discovered the universal law that lies at the back of the Sermon on the Mount and who consciously uses that law with full awareness of its meaning and full obedience to its principles. Tens of thousands preach it or write about it yet have little understanding of its meaning. I doubt if there are many men in the whole world who actually know that cosmic basis sufficiently to live it knowingly. If I could find such a man, I thought to myself, he would be so cosmically aware of the Light of God that he would know the spiritual cause of all effect. Such a one would be a supergenius, for the hidden secrets of the universe would be his. He would see the universe as a whole and know his relationship to it and to God. All knowledge of cause would be his and the power to use it. Alternate Universe Reality Activation  get full access to new meditations, new lectures, recordings from the reality con and the 90 day AURA meditation schedulehttps://realityrevolutionlive.com/aura45338118 BUY MY BOOK! https://www.amazon.com/Reality-Revolution-Mind-Blowing-Movement-Hack/dp/154450618X/ Listen my book on audible https://www.audible.com/pd/The-Reality-Revolution-Audiobook/B087LV1R5V This information is mindblowing. Music by Mettaverseinner worldstravel lightlight catchersfield of onenessthe great shiftsolsticelight quotient639hz heart chakradeep relaxationgolden lotusnocturnewhen all else fades ➤ Listen to them on Soundcloud: http://bit.ly/2KjGlLI➤ Follow them on Instagram: http://bit.ly/2JW8BU2➤ Join them on Facebook: http://bit.ly/2G1j7G6➤ Support their Work at Patreon: http://bit.ly/2TXQhu3➤ Subscribe to their channel here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyvjffON2NoUvX5q_TgvVkw The Home Study Course playlist https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLKv1KCSKwOo9SxrM97CZ40xTvWXh1zGPj All my Walter Russell videos - https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLKv1KCSKwOo-9Oguc4o0PlZVfpKD-H2Kz All My Lao Russell Videos - https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLKv1KCSKwOo9kB-BKSGP3KLc8p5dlfUwY The law of One Playlist - https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLKv1KCSKwOo9YW0EjSjbVh94EFlOU_Czw How To Meditate - https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLKv1KCSKwOo_W8G0bCs1qSdQni9oOvX2N Join the prosperity revolution, all of my financial abundance videos https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLKv1KCSKwOo8M7wX4D348BfA2Auj_h0MP All My Robert B Stone Videos In One Playlist - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLKv1KCSKwOo_4YbfCN1F3HvE6Tk61Z5wk All my Audiobooks - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLKv1KCSKwOo-ArT_9WQ-SrKaEP7VgIPb5 All My Neville Goddard Videos In One Playlist - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLKv1KCSKwOo8kBZsJpp3xvkRwhbXuhg0M All my videos about Dr. Joseph Murphy - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLKv1KCSKwOo_OtBhXg2s85UuZBT-OihF_ Like us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/The-Reality-Revolution-Podcast-Hosted-By-Brian-Scott-102555575116999 Join our facebook group The Reality Revolution https://www.facebook.com/groups/523814491927119 Subscribe to my Youtube channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOgXHr5S3oF0qetPfqxJfSw  For all episodes of the Reality Revolution – https://www.therealityrevolution.com Contact us at media@advancedsuccessinstitute.com #walterrussell #laorussell #light #meditation #greatawakening Intro : 00:00Chapter 1 We Go Seeking 02:26Chapter 2 We Meet The Man 06'19Chapter 3 We Meet the Artis 18:09Chapter 4 We Meet The Man In Action 38:22Chapter 5 Five Laws Of Success 59:21Chapter 6 The Vision From The Studio 1:27:46Chapter 7 The Deferred Preface 1:33:47

For additional notes and resources check out Douglas' website.27 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.' 28 But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29 If your right eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. 30 And if your right hand causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell (Matt 5:27-30).Introductory matters:Lust is not only sexual—though it is in this passage. (See, for example, 1 John 2:15-17.)Lust is the evil root from which the bitter fruit of adultery grows.There is an element of hyperbole (deliberate overstatement for effect) in parts of the Sermon on the Mount—yet still we are to take Jesus' teaching seriously. As Athenagoras told the pagans, “We are so far from practicing promiscuous intercourse that it is unlawful among us even to indulge a lustful look.” A Plea for Christians 32. Such an attitude was as rare back then as it is today.The early church contended for the faith in a sexually saturated society – pornography, prostitution, theatre, art, the baths, orgies, dinner parties, sex with slaves, homosexuality, pederast, bestiality, mistresses, x-rated poetry…SolutionsDo not look at unclothed / immodestly dressed persons.Early Christian writings contain numerous warnings against going to the public baths when members of the opposite sex were present. “What of those virgins who patronize indecent baths? .... They who disgracefully look at naked men and are seen naked by men—do they not afford enticement to sin?” ANF 5.435Just like those of today, the theaters and spectacles of the ancient world were typically indecent. The Apostolic Constitutions instructs, “Avoid indecent shows, that is, the theaters and the ceremonies of the pagans.” ANF 7.424Tertullian writes, “Are we not commanded to put away from us all immodesty? On this ground, we are excluded from the theater, which is immodesty's own peculiar home. ... Is it right to look on what it is disgraceful to do? How is it that the things that defile a man in going out of his mouth, are not regarded as doing so when they go in his eyes and ears?” ANF 3.86-87Novatian laments, “I am ashamed to talk about the things that are said on the stage. In fact, I am even ashamed to denounce the things that are done—the tricks of arguments, the cheating of adulterers, the immodesty of women, and the indecent jokes. ANF 5.577They even avoided gazing at the modestly clothed!Avoid obscene talk.Talking about the opposite sex in a sensual or obscene manner invariably leads to lust (Eph. 5:3-4).The Apostolic Constitutions teaches, “A Christian who is faithful should neither repeat a pagan hymn nor sing an obscene song.” ANF 7.442Dress and behave modestly. Clement writes, “On the one hand, we must keep from exhibiting and exposing parts of the body that we should not exhibit. And on the other hand, we must keep from looking at what is forbidden.” ANF 2.251.Modesty is more than merely refraining from exposing or exhibiting parts of the body (1 Tim 2:9). Moreover, true beauty is inward (1 Pet 3:3-4). Tertullian asks, “See how many women there are who earnestly desire to look pleasing even to strangers? On that very account she takes care to have herself painted out—yet, denying that she has ever been an object of carnal appetite?  …Why, therefore, excite toward yourself evil passion? Why invite the very thing to which you profess yourself a stranger? …Are we to paint ourselves out so that our neighbors may perish? What happened to the words, ‘You will love your neighbor as yourself'?” On the Apparel of Women 2.1-2A woman can also attract the attention of men by the way that she walks and conducts herself. Clement writes, “Some women practice the mincing motions of dancers and conduct themselves in society as if on a stage. That is, they go around with voluptuous movements, gliding steps, and pretentious voices. They cast languishing glances around.” ANF 2.287 (See also Isa 3:16.)Price tags may be “obscene” (offensive to decency); modesty is more than simply sexual chastity.In sum:Refuse to look at immodestly dressed persons. This has big implications for parties, fashion, television viewing, movies, going to the beach…Have nothing to with obscene talk. Let's not kid ourselves: words do affect us.Live modestly: standard of living, behavior, dress…Let's not be overconfident. Remember, lust undid the strongest man, the purest man, and the wisest man (Samson, David, Solomon).Consider the seriousness urged by Origen (3rd century AD): “When we hand over our body not to the Lord but to fornication, what do we hand over? We hand our whole body into Gehenna! Yet, when I say these things, they are held in contempt. Why? Because faith is lacking. However, what if today you were told that a worldly judge was going to burn you alive tomorrow? Suppose after hearing this that you had only one day of freedom. What would you do? …Would you not hand over all your money to those by whose intercession you might escape this punishment? Would you not give all that you had for the redemption of your life? What if someone were to try to delay or impede you? Would you not say, ‘Let all be lost for my deliverance. Do not let anything remain—if only I may live'?” Homilies on Leviticus 9.7.3.Next—and clearly related:  Divorce

For more than 20 years, Dallas Jenkins worked to make it in the film industry. But it wasn't until his feature-length film bombed at the box office that he stopped caring what Hollywood thought—and began working on a project that would touch millions.Dallas is the director and producer of “The Chosen,” the acclaimed series on the life of Jesus and most successful media crowdfund project to date. “The Chosen” has been watched by tens of millions of people across the world and endorsed by leaders like Kirk Cousins, Pastor Sam Rodriguez, Anne Graham Lotz, and Joni Eareckson Tada.In this episode, Dallas and Ken discuss how so often God allows us to walk a path of failure before showing us His grace and His plan. Listen in for a conversation on keeping the first things first and the vision for “The Chosen” into the future.“I think there's a reason why one of the first things Jesus says in the Sermon on the Mount is ‘Blessed are those who mourn.' I really do. I think that we all have to get to the point of mourning our inadequacy and who we are. Then that can lead us to the beautiful grace and love of Jesus.” - Ken Harrison “The moment I get at all distracted and start caring about what comments I'm going to see on YouTube—I think the show is dead. And so I just really want to maintain that posture of  genuine surrender and focus solely on pleasing Him.” - Dallas JenkinsNever miss another episode! Subscribe to “On the Edge with Ken Harrison” today.

"In our world, there are far more practical atheists who think they are religious than there are theoretically doctrinaire atheists." -Addison Hodges Hart   Our lives are full of deadlines, commitments, and responsibilities. Pulled in so many directions - there never seems to be enough time. It's a never ending cycle of busyness. If we don't watch out, that cycle will consume our lives and steal our purpose. Continuing our conversation journeying through the Sermon on the Mount, we see Jesus addressing these concerns and anxieties of life. Human nature being a constant over the centuries, a hurried and unfocused life plagued those in the first century as much as it does us today. With so many things vying to consume our time and attention, how can we focus on what matters? For Jesus, ushering in the Kingdom of Heaven mattered more than anything. It wasn't a physical kingdom or institution; it was a simple movement fueled by love and compassion. It sounds simple. It should be simple. Yet, we make excuses and pretend it's complex because we don't want to change. There is a lighter way to live - one with more focus and direction. No, I'm not talking about asking for Jesus as your personal savior. I'm not telling you to go to church. All of that mess is still part of the busyness. The Kingdom of God was never about the church. It was about loving others and healing the world. There's nothing overtly spiritual about helping people in need, but it does change you. Interested in trying life differently? If change happens one step at a time - let's go for a walk. ;)     We'll talk about all that and more snark! Plus, this week's Christian Crazy features: Kenneth Copeland, Greg Locke, Hank Kunneman, Anna Kahit, and Sharon Gilberton. Show notes Episode Timestamp: In the News: 04:40 Christian Crazy: 12:20 Main Conversation: 23:00 Books referenced: Taking Jesus at His Word: What Jesus Really Said in the Sermon on the Mount ~ Addison Hodges Hart Big thanks to these outlets that make the Christian Crazy possible: Right Wing Watch Christian Nightmares Friendly Atheist Come along for the ride as we skewer through life, culture, and spirituality in the face of a changing world. www.SnarkyFaith.com

This lecture concentrates on the picture of Christ offered by the first chapter of the encyclical and the way in which it uses these insights about Christ for explaining the demands of morality.  In particular, it reflects on the Pope's use of the Sermon on the Mount to show that Christ did not come to abolish any of the Commandments or to give them a minimalist interpretation, but rather to deepen our understanding of their full meaning. catholicthinkers.org https://youtu.be/bJzAtP3J4nw

The Sermon on the Mount is Jesus' description of the Kingdom of God. This Kingdom is completely different from the world, so we as believers are called to embrace the different!

Danielle Strickland is well known to many listeners of Tent and friend to many friends of the show. We talk about building tiny homes, dealing with the principality of the nuclear family, bursting celebrity bubbles, and how the politics of power affects men and women differently. Lots of Good stuff here for people learning to live well in a world that has lost its tiny mind!Danielle is an author, speaker, trainer, and global social justice advocate. Her aggressive compassion has served people firsthand in countries all over the world-from establishing justice departments for the Salvation Army to launching global anti-trafficking initiatives to creating new movements to mobilise people towards transformational living. Affectionately called the "ambassador of fun," she is host of DJStrickland Podcast, cofounder of Infinitum, Amplify Peace, and Brave Global, and founder of the Women Speakers Collective. Danielle is married to Stephen and lives in Toronto, Canada, with their three sons. More about Danielle can be found HERE.Sign up for the Infinitum Christmas Challenge HERE!Has anything we make been interesting, useful or fruitful for you? You can support us by becoming a Fellow Traveller on our Patreon page HERE.

Message #6: You Are The Salt Of The World - Salt Was Valuable - Salt Was Ceremonial Numbers 18:19 1. The Dynamic Of Distinctive Salt • It sanitizes Matthew 5:13; 2 Kings 2:20-21 • It seasons Matthew 5:13; 1 Corinthians 7:14 • It stings Matthew 5:13; 2 Corinthians 2:15-16; Isaiah 5:20 • It stimulates Romans 11:11 • It sustains 2 Timothy 3:13; 2 Thessalonians 2:7   2. The Damage Of Degraded Salt Matthew 5:13 • It is unsavory Matthew 5:13; Job 6:6; Colossians 4:6 • It is unprofitable Matthew 5:13 • It is unrecoverable Matthew 5:13

Ecclesiastes 9:1-10                                    In Ecclesiastes we found a guy named Solomon who was faced with the monotony of life who tried to find meaning in all of those things and more, and as we've seen, in the end he concludes that everything is meaningless. 1) DEATH CAN MAKE LIFE MEANINGLESS This passage (vs. 1-6) is the crescendo for Solomon's point about the meaninglessness of life. Solomon reflects and sees the reality of death in this cursed world. He sees how the righteous and the wise and their actions are in God's hands and how man does not know if that indicates God's acceptance or rejection. We also see in (9:2) that godliness is not a guarantee of prosperity or comfort, we cannot look at our circumstances to determine if God is for or against us. Jesus spoke to this in Matthew 5:45 in the Sermon on the Mount. ”So you will be like your Father in heaven, since He causes the sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteousness.” (Matthew 5:45) The problem is that most people, instead of reckoning with death, waste the little time they have on the earth with distractions. Many do not think about death but instead live as if they have an endless supply of days ahead of them. Solomon calls this foolishness. Not contemplating death causes you to be an unwise person. 2) DEATH CAN MAKE LIFE MEANINGFUL! In (9:7) Solomon tells us that in the face of death's harsh reality, we should enjoy life. “And whatever you do in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” (Colossians 3:17) 3) JESUS DELIVERS ABUNDANT AND ETERNAL LIFE Ecclesiastes depicts in detail the curse of sin and death. Death's tyranny makes life meaningless because IF this life is all there is, then death will cancel everything out. However, Jesus died so that we could have abundant life, not just with Him in heaven but also here on earth. "I (Jesus) have come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly." (John 10:10)  

Crossings Community Church crossings.church Senior Pastor Marty Grubbs November 28, 2021

A new MP3 sermon from Knox Church Perth is now available on SermonAudio with the following details: Title: Do not be anxious Subtitle: Sermon on the Mount Speaker: Paul Gibson Broadcaster: Knox Church Perth Event: Sunday - AM Date: 11/28/2021 Bible: Matthew 6:25-34 Length: 32 min.

A Series About the Sermon on the Mount

Elder Jeff David continues his Adult Sunday School series in the Sermon on the Mount.

Part 5 of Pastor Matt Cottrill's series "The Sermon on the Mount" from November 28th 2021

Matthew 5:13-16. Jesus invites his followers to partner with him in extending his kingdom in the world. As salt, we preserve the world from evil and make the world a more flavorful place. As light, we provide illumination for people to see Jesus.

Pastor Danny continues his series about the Beatitudes of Jesus from the Sermon on the Mount, recorded in Matthew 5-7.

Most of the Tent theology and bible teaching will touch on matters of war, violence and peace in some way. Most of the guest on the programme are also committed to non-violence as a way of life and thought. The following episodes are particularly relevant to these issues.WarRomans 13ViolenceObjections to Non ViolenceGo Buy Two SwordsShane Claiborne Justin Bronson Barringer

When Jesus gave us an invitation to His kingdom, He also gave us a new way to live. In this message, Pastor Alex looks at the counter cultural way we are supposed to navigate our anger.

"The first and basic act of theological work is prayer." - Karl Barth We've all met religious assholes. Some days it's hard to avoid them. You know who I'm talking about, don't you? The ones that act pious and flaunt their faith publicly as if they're scoring points with almighty. Or maybe they're the ones that constantly post pictures of inspiring landscapes with out-of-context scriptures, so you know they're more holy. They come in many shapes and forms, but those who play in piety cosplay are the worst. You've felt their disapproving looks or heard their backhanded compliments. Heck, you may end up sitting next to one on Thanksgiving. I can't stand those people. Jesus couldn't stand those people either. No, I'm not joking. Christ was downright snarky to them. This week, we continue our discussion about the ethics of the Kingdom of God found in the Sermon on the Mount. Taking up the teachings in Matthew 6, we see Jesus move on from issues of the heart towards issues of spiritual practice in public life. Namely, he's discussing giving to the poor, public prayer, and fasting. In a very pointed fashion, Christ calls out the religious tryhards and posers. The Kingdom of God has no room for their drama and bullshit. That's not how it rolls. The religious are often too consumed with far-off spirituality, fantasies of a hereafter that may not even be. For the Kingdom of God to be manifested in the future, something has to happen now. With an ever present immediacy, the Kingdom of God, as Christ puts it, is always concerned with the here and now. Issues of justice, equality, humility, and compassion are the hallmarks of this new way of being. Jesus was radical to the religious establishment of the time. His worlds still cut sharply today too. Let us be part of making a better tomorrow by starting to walk out grace and compassion today.     We'll talk about all that and more snark! Plus, this week's Christian Crazy features: Greg Locke, Mario Murillo, Rick Wiles, Bishop Larry Gaiters and Mark Taylor. Show notes Episode Timestamp: In the News: 06:55 Christian Crazy: 16:20 Main Conversation: 26:50 Book referenced: Taking Jesus at His Word: What Jesus Really Said in the Sermon on the Mount ~ Addison Hodges Hart Big thanks to these outlets that make the Christian Crazy possible: Right Wing Watch Christian Nightmares Friendly Atheist Come along for the ride as we skewer through life, culture, and spirituality in the face of a changing world. www.SnarkyFaith.com

For additional notes and resources check out Douglas' website.You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do men light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand. And it gives light to all who are in the house.Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven (Matthew 5:14-16).God said, “Let there be light” (Gen 1:3). God is our light (Psalm 27:1). Jesus is the light of the world (John 8:12). God's word is a light for our feet (Psalm 119:105). And we are called to be enlightened, and to reflect his light—not the lightheadedness of Eastern bliss, but the truth of God and his Word.Lifestyle, not just evangelismBeing the light of the world isn't so much about evangelism as about lifestyle.In the later 2nd century, the Christian apologist Athenagoras declared to the Romans [in particular, the emperor, Marcus Aurelius]: “Among us you will find uneducated persons, craftsmen, and old women, who, if they are unable in words to prove the benefit of our teaching, yet by their deeds demonstrate the benefit arising from their conviction of its truth. They do not rehearse speeches, but instead exhibit good works. When struck, they do not strike back. When robbed, they do not go to law. They give to those who ask of them and love their neighbors as themselves.” A Plea for the Christians 11 (ANF 2.134).Light involves things we do, but also things we don'tHow we react—or do not react—when wronged.What we don't participate in—worldly activities.We are oriented towards the Kingdom of God—and away from not the kingdoms of men.The Sermon on the Mount focuses almost entirely on how we live, not on theology.Throughout His ministry, Jesus taught that our salvation is dependent on how we live / obedience to His commandments.Others will seeWorks are positive – beware the Protestant over-reaction against “works-righteousness.”The Bible nowhere says that our righteous deeds—acts of obedience to the will of God—are filthy rags! Check out Q&A 1291.Good works are essential to salvationContrary to what many church people imagine, Paul too taught the necessity of obedience for salvation: (Rom 2:6-10). In fact, Paul uses the expression, “good works,” even more often than does Jesus.Peter wrote, “Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation” (1 Peter 2:12).[The teaching of the Sermon on the Mount is especially reflected in the letter of James.]Our challengeTo provide sight for the spiritually blind in our world.And to do so without hypocrisy (Rom 2:17-24).

Beatitude #7 – Happy Are Those People That Have Peace With God And Help Others Find That Peace - The Explanation Matthew 5:9; Hebrews 12:14; 1 Corinthians 14:33 - The Examination •It's Not A Truce 1 Thessalonians 5:3-4 •It's Not Passivism Luke 12:51-52 - The Exhortation Matthew 5:9; Acts 10:36 Beatitude #8 – Happy Are Those That Suffer for Doing Right for the Cause of Christ - Matthew 5:10-12  - The Explanation Matthew 5:10; Galatians 4:29; Luke 9:26 - The Examination Luke 12:4 The Three Ways the World Comes Against Real Christians 1) They are persecuted – Luke 12:4 2) They are reviled – Matthew 27:44 3) They are spoken against falsely – Matthew 5:11 - The Exhortation • The Fruit Of It Is Forever! Matthew 5:10; Mark 10:30 • The Fun Of It Is Fulfilling! Matthew 5:12 Reward #1: A Great Reward In Heaven – Matthew 5:12, 6:20 Reward #2: A Verification That You're In The Right Crowd – Matthew 5:12

We live in a culture today that is obsessed with sex and sensuality. From tv ads, magazines at grocery store checkouts, perfume ads, images of women in their undergarments in store windows, to the songs on the radio that glamorize infidelity—how is it possible to live a life of purity in such a society? Our text in today's episode is Matthew 5:27-30: 27 "You have heard that it was said, 'You shall not commit adultery.' 28 But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29 If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell. 30 And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body go into hell. Adultery always first begins in the mind. In Matthew 5:28, Jesus has laid out to the Pharisees here and us that sexual purity doesn't just involve the physical act of indulging in sex outside marriage, but he gets to the heart of the matter.  Sexual sin begins in our hearts, and we need to radically do some major surgery to live a life of purity in the world we find ourselves in today. HELPFUL LINKS: Head over to ThankfulHomemaker.com for full show notes. All episodes in the Sermon on the Mount Series at the blog Studies in the Sermon on the Mount by Martyn Lloyd Jones Homemaking Matters Community SOCIAL: Join Thankful Homemaker for access to the Free Library of Resources Follow ThankfulHomemaker on Facebook, Pinterest, YouTube & Instagram Join the Thankful Homemaker Facebook Group Subscribe to the Podcast on Your Favorite App  Thankful Homemaker Merchandise

Matthew 5

Matthew 5. This message teaches the difference between Israel and the Church. It's important to have a dispensational distinctive difference between the two. Without understanding our position in Christ as heavenly people vs. the Jews who are God's earthly people, confusion can enter in.

A Series About the Sermon on the Mount

In this week's episode we discover what Jesus says will bring you crazy Happiness.  Together we will journey through Jesus' famous sermon- “The Sermon on The Mount.” We will discover together the secret to sustaining happiness and joy!Discover:How to overcomeHow to live relying on God's promisesThe secret to happily suffering for ChristHow to face anger, insult and harassment from those who do not believe.Remember to hit that subscribe button and SHARE the podcast!Make sure you don't miss it!Main scripture:  Matthew's 5:10-12; Acts 5:41;Daniel 3:4-6;7-12;16-18;25;28,29; Psalms 34:7; James 1:12; Philippians 1:29To learn more or connect, visit our website at fusionchurchny.com/, download the FusionChurch App, or follow us on Facebook.You can submit a prayer request or connect by sending us a message.Join a Small Group.Also, don't forget to SUBSCRIBE and Leave A Review.Topics: Finding true joy and happiness | developing healthy perspective | Beatitudes | Support the show (http://www.fusionchurchny.com/give )

Elder Jeff David continues his Adult Sunday School series in the Sermon on the Mount.

Pastor Shane Holden continues in the Sermon on the Mount, giving an overview of the seven spiritual disciplines Jesus teaches on, and how we ought to put them into practice.

Matthew 5:1-12. Jesus's kingdom was an upside-down kingdom that sees people differently than the world's kingdoms, and it was a kingdom comprised of the powerless, not the powerful.

Pastor Danny begins a new series about the Beatitudes of Jesus from the Sermon on the Mount, recorded in Matthew 5-7.

To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/1258/29 What's your take on the Matthew 24 event with two people in a field and one taken away? Should we boycott certain songs or bands? Why does the Sermon on the Mount present conditional forgiveness from God? Which apostle first realized the Jewish temple practices were no longer needed? My kids are vaping. What should I do? Does the Bible talk about widows? What is the true and biblical gift of tongues?

Walt Whitman - Leaves Of Grass - The Poetry Of Young America!   Hi, I'm Christy Shriver and we're here to discuss books that have changed the world and have changed us.    I'm Garry Shriver and this is the How to Love Lit Podcast.  This episode and next, we tackle one of the most intimidating poets in the American Canon- Walt Whitman.  He is the generally accepted and almost uncontested greatest contribution America has made to the great canon of World Literature- the ones comprised of those that really intimidate- William Shakespeare,  James Joyce, Gustave Flaubert, Vladimir Nabokov, Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Pablo Neruda, Ovid, Goethe, Neitche-, Dante- people like that- there are not too many Americans that make that list.    And he does intimidate me- truly.  And honestly he baffles me.  The things he says seem easy to understand except I don't actually understand them.  They are beautiful and interesting but also uncomfortable.  People love his writing and always have, but he's also very offensive- and he offends all equally- the prude and the religious, but also the secular and intellectual- he offends the socialist as well as the capitalist.  Name an identity- he references it and somewhat dismantles it.  Primarily because he absolutely rejects group identities as we think of them today- even in terms of nations but in every sense.  To use his words, “I am large; I contains multitudes” that's a paraphrase from my favorite selection of his work which we'll read today.      For me he's such a curious person in part because of the time he emerged in what was called then the American experiment- and I honestly think his perspective has a lot to do from this unique time period, of course this is not different than how I feel about all of the writers we discuss.  But being born in 1819, the United States of America is only 36 years older than he is.  His parents were present during the Revolutionary War and have a real respect for what people were trying to do here, and how unusual and fragile democratic government actually was or really is.  We, at least we here in the United States, live with the feeling that this country just always has been- that democracy just happens.  That elections are just things that have always happened.  Most students today in this country don't even think about it. Democracy is the normal order in how things occur; equality and liberty are just virtues that everyone agrees are important- by one definition or another.  But None of this was reality and common understanding in 1819 in almost any part of the planet Earth.  And most of the world looked at the United States with contempt- a bunch of non-educated hillbillies living in some weird schemata that wouldn't stand the test of time.  There was no culture in this country, by international standards.  We had no great art, no history to speak of, we weren't writing great philosophies or composing great music.  We had not produced a Voltaire, or a Jean-Jacques Rousseau.  We had no Catherine the Great or Cosimo De Medici sponsoring great artistic ventures.        And so enters Walt Whitman- to which he would say, and did say- whoopdeedoo Europe- you are correct- we have none of that, and I celebrate that we don't.      I want to begin with this famous poem by Whitman.  Of course, it's from Leaves of Grass which we'll introduce in a second, but if you are reading the Death bed edition which is the one I have- again I'll explain all that later, it's in the beginning, that very first part called “Inscriptions”.  Let me read Whitman's famous words on America.     I hear America singing, the varied carols I hear,  Those of mechanics, each one singing his as it should be blithe and strong,  The carpenter singing his as he measures his plank or beam,  The mason singing his as he makes ready for work, or leaves off work,  The boatman singing what belongs to him in his boat, the deckhand singing on the steamboat deck,  The shoemaker singing as he sits on his bench, the hatter singing as he stands,  The wood-cutter's song, the ploughboy's on his way in the morning, or at noon intermission or at sundown,  The delicious singing of the mother, or of the young wife at work, or of the girl sewing or washing,  Each singing what belongs to him or her and to none else,  The day what belongs to the day—at night the party of young fellows, robust, friendly,  Singing with open mouths their strong melodious songs.      Garry, I want to hear your first thoughts when you read this poem.  Let me start by saying, notice how celebratory it is.  America is singing carols- not dirges- and the song of the American is the song of hard work- not the Vienna Philharmonic- which by the way was founded in 1842.  America was not building art, as commonly understood- we were building lives- free lives- lives where people lived with the choices they made, but they got to make their own choices.  This is very different than anywhere else- places more cultured, more sophisticated, more idealized.  We don't have serfs working for great lords or ladies.  We have no jet-setters so to speak- or people of privilege or high cultural standing- In America we work hard,  but we work for ourselves-and everyone does it- and that is something we're proud of.  There is no shame in labor.  There's a song to that.      Yes, it's very much about homestead.  It's about individualism and taking responsibility to create it- About creating your own little corner of the world.  This is exactly the idea that Alexis DeToqueville referenced in his important work Democracy in America.  As a Frenchman, he was totally surprised and impressed with this very thing that Whitman is talking about.  This poem is a complete refutation of the English feudal system and that's what Northerners loved about it.  In the South, and what was so offensive to Whitman when he spent time in New Orleans was that they were trying to recreate that hierarchal system where some people outrank others to the point of claiming they weren't even human- and that, to Whitman, was the complete opposite of what the entire American Experiment was about.      His parents were clearly on team America- he had one brother named George Washington Whitman, another named Thomas Jefferson Whitman and a third named Andrew Jackson Whitman.       Ha- I guess that IS a statement.  This unique time of history in which he lived allowed Whitman to see such great contrasts in America- he saw democracy and success found in personal effort.  He saw vast amounts of unpolluted natural beauty, but he also saw evil at its most deranged, and pain and loneliness at its most intense.  We have to remember that his parents lived through the glorious revolutionary war, but he lived during the treacherous Civil War- and his perspective and life experience is very different. He admired the expanse of the West. He loved the natural beauty of this continent, but he also was horrified and despised to its core – the. National plague that has defined and still defines so much of the American story- this legacy of slavery- his views on such, btw- got him fired by more than one employer, btw.  At this time, newspapers were owned and operated by political parties, and he was always slipping in views that the political operatives didn't like- so he got fired.       HA!  Well, I guess some things never change.    One thing that baffles and almost offends most academics is Whitman's absolute nothing of an academic background.  His parents were basically illiterate, his family was excessively large and chaotic; today we would say dysfunctional.  He had one sibling that actually had to be committed to an insane asylum.   His formal education was inadequate because his father sent him out to work.  It's so ironic that the greatest American poet had no formal tutelage to except what he scrounged up for himself in his own self-taught way by reading in libraries and attending operas.  He didn't have that option.  His father was also pretty much a financial failure.  He was a carpenter by trade, but had also had a little property.  His father speculated in real estate after moving to Brooklyn, NY, but wasn't all that great at business and ended up losing most of it.      And of course, that's the problem with the land of opportunity- you are kind of out there on your own to make it or break it.  And people were very aware of this.  There was no guarantee, at all, that America would even survive as a country.  It was still an experiment.  No one else was living like this.  Europeans had monarchies; the South American countries were colonies.  Our neighbors to the East were living in empires.  Only this little backward nation in a corner of North America was trying to do this weird thing.    And Whitman loved it.  He really did.  He loved the land.  He loved the cities.  He loved the people.  He spent the first 36 years of his life walking around and observing life, mostly in New York City and Long Island (which was NOT a suburb of New York at that time).    He loved the libraries and spent tons of time there reading.  He loved music, especially opera, which we'll notice has a strong influence on how he writes.  He loved learning, listening and observing, and this is what he wrote about.  I heard one lecturer say that he was the first non-blind poet- which I thought was weird and what made it stand out.  But what the professor meant was that most poets were writing about their inner life, things from their imagination- think Edgar Allan Poe and “The Raven”, but Whitman, in many cases, was transcribing things that he was seeing and hearing in urban life- and this was very different.  He would catalogue it- to use a word that is often used to describe this thing that we just saw him do in the poem we just read, make these long lists of details in these long sentences.         I also want to point out that it was this desire to self-educate that led him, like many of his day, to be influenced and challenged by the great Ralph Waldo Emerson. We'll do an entire episode or more than one of him, but Emerson's non-conventional ideas about nature and the soul and our inter-connectedness, although ideas that were commonly accepted in the far East, were new on this continent.      True- well, In 1855, something happened.  Whitman self-publishes the book Leaves of Grass.  This first version was only 95 pages long- that's compared to the death bed one which has 415 in my copy.   There was no author's name on the cover.  Instead, on the first page there was this image of a man in laborer's clothes.  Whitman only reveals that he's the author through one of the first unnamed poems calling himself, “Walt Whitman, an American, one of the roughs, a kosmos.”    If you look up the word Kosmos in the dictionary it will tell you that that word means- a complex orderly self-inclusive system- which is interesting to think about someone describing themselves as- but it's a Greek word.  It's also a Biblical word- which is how I believe Whitman would know it.  It is used in the New Testament to mean the universe or the creation as a whole- that's how Whitman defines himself in this poem “Song of Myself”  and the context of how he wants us to understand his work and who we are as individuals.  We too are kosmos.      Well, it didn't start out very cosmic- that's for sure.  It's a miracle Leaves of Grass came to be read by anyone.  He self-published it, literally type-setting it himself.  He printed 795 copies and sold almost none of them.     Don't you wish you had one of those originals?    I know right, well, people do.  In case you're in the market, there are 200 that are still around, and in 2014, one sold at Christie's for $305,000.  It's so ironic- Whitman struggled financially until the day he died and celebrated working people in everything he wrote.  What do you think he would think of that, Christy?    I have zero doubt, he would love it.  Totally.  Beyond being the book's publisher, he also was the book's publicist.  He sent copies to the leading poets of the day trying to drum up some good reviews.  Whittier was said to thrown his copy into the fire he was so offended and outraged- the homoerotic imagery was more than he could handle, but Ralph Waldo Emerson saw it for what it was and wrote Whitman back an amazing letter of encouragement.  Let me quote Emerson, “I am not blind to the worth of the wonderful gift of Leaves of Grass. I find it the most extraordinary piece of wit and wisdom that America has yet contributed.”  And of course, to this day, many world class literary scholars still think this about Whitman.       What I find humorous about Whitman is that he wrote glowing reviews of his book himself secretly and published them as if they were written by other people.       Yeah, he was working the influencer thing way back before that was a thing- He also, printed Emerson's actual glowing review when he reprinted the book in 1856, except he didn't get Emerson's permission to do so.  He put Emerson's words, “I greet you at the beginning of a great career” on the spine of the book and he published the entire letter with a long reply andress to Dear Master.”  It was NOT received well by Emerson.      I can see that as being slightly presumptuous.      Of course it was, but I would be tempted as well.  He really admired Emerson, in fact this is what he said about Emerson's influence on his writing.  “I was simmering, simmering, simmering; Emerson brought me to a boil.”    I want us to read the very first part of Song of Myself which was the first poem    I Celebrate myself, and sing myself,  And what I assume you shall assume,  For every atom belonging to me as good belongs to you.  I loafe and invite my soul,  I lean and loafe at my ease observing a spear of summer grass.  My tongue, every atom of my blood, form'd from this soil, this air,  Born here of parents born here from parents the same, and their parents the same,  I, now thirty-seven years old in perfect health begin,  Hoping to cease not till death.  Creeds and schools in abeyance,  Retiring back a while sufficed at what they are, but never forgotten,  I harbor for good or bad, I permit to speak at every hazard,  Nature without check with original energy.  This is what I mean when I say, it seems like it's very simple to understand except I've read this poem hundreds of times and am still slightly confused as to what he means.  The term for this is ambiguous- he makes you, as a reader, put your own interpretation, put yourself into the lines to force the meaning out of it.      True, and if you take it at face value just superficially, it may seem that this is a narcissist celebrating egotism, but it clearly doesn't.  It also could be misunderstood to mean he celebrates idleness and laziness, but that doesn't seem to be right either.    Exactly- I love these first lines.  First of all, they are so iconic.  One thing Whitman is known for besides the cataloguing which I mentioned when we read I Hear America Singing, is this thing that today we call Free Verse. Whitman is often given credit for inventing the concept, although that is debatable.  But what is obvious is that there is no rhyme or meter of any kind at all and there isn't supposed to be.  He doesn't want anything to rhyme.  Instead, he wants to write in these really long sentences.  Every stanza is a single sentence, and he is going to do that through the entire poem.  Whitman felt you couldn't get your idea out in these little short phrases of iambic tetrameter like his Whittier, the guy who threw his book in the fire, was doing.  Whitman wanted, above all else, to create a sense of intimacy between himself and the person reading- and so he wanted to make sure you could follow his idea- from idea to idea.  He got this idea from two places- first he copied the idea from the one book he had been familiar with since his childhood- the King James Version of the Bible.  He copied the style like you see in the Psalms or even the Sermon on the Mount.  He also got the idea from the opera- if you think about opera- you also have these long phrases- that end with things like figaro figaro fiiiigaro-     Is that your impression of the opera?    Well, as you know, I enjoy the opera.  I haven't always, to be honest.  A few years ago, my good friend, I've mentioned her on the podcast before, Millington AP Literature/ Lang teacher Amy Nolette, coerced me to attend with her- and I did.  She is an accomplished musician so she really taught me how to admire what was going on- and we went every year for several years until Covid hit.  But, having said that, I'm fairly sure, that's my best attempt at singing opera.      But back to Whitman, so one of the first things that Whitman is famous for today is this concept of Free Verse- it was innovative then, but now, it doesn't seem that big of a deal.  That was a big deal, but a bigger deal to Whitman were the ideas he was putting out there.    I celebrate myself- not because I'm so important- not because I have all this amazing heritage or skill or anything- I celebrate myself because I have an essence that is 100% unique to me.  Let's read it again.     I Celebrate myself, and sing myself,  And what I assume you shall assume,  For every atom belonging to me as good belongs to you.  It's not accidental that he throws in there that scientific language.  And this is where he will offend the capitalist or competitive side of us.  He makes this bold assertion- in this poetic way- to say- what, do you think you're that much better than me- you are made of the exact same material I am- we're both made of atoms- science teaches us that- and for every atom belonging to me as good belongs to you.      In some sense it's the I'm okay- you're okay attitude, but taking it up a notch- I celebrate myself- you celebrate yourself.      For sure, and something we all give lip-service to today but no one actually really believes.  I have a creative writing assignment that I ask my students to do every year.  We take another Whitman poem called “There was a Child Went Forth” that talks about identity and the physical objects and places that influence who you are- it's a wonderful poem, anyway, I ask my students to write a poem using Whitman's style and technique about THEIR lives.  I tell them we're going to read them in small groups, and if they like what they wrote and feel comfortable,  we are going to print them and put them outside my door in the hallway for everything to read.  At first they are very very resistant to the idea.  They all hate it- first because it's writing, secondly because it's poetry- but mostly because they don't think they want their lives sprawled on the hallway of the school.  I had a sweet darling child, actually a quiet student, raise her hand in protest and literallty say, I don't want to do this.  I can't do this.  All I do is go to school and work- there is nothing interesting at all about my life.      Ha!  She seems to have missed the point.  She didn't want to celebrate herself and she's exactly the kind of person Whitman loved celebrating.    Exactly- and lots of my kids are like that- they work at Sonic, Chick-Fila- the mall- mowing lawns- but in her case, it turns out she is way more interesting and her poem is on the wall right now.  I may take a picture and post it on our website, so you can see them all.  I'm very proud of my kiddos- not just because they produced good poems but because lots of them are hardworking.       I will say, that next phrase leads us to think that Whitman is a lazy person.  He extols the virtue of loafing.  But of course, what I know about his biography which we'll get more into next week when we talk about his experiences in the Civil War and all of that, but Whitman was the very opposite of lazy.  He was an extremely physical hard worker.      True- Let's read the lines you're talking about..    I loafe and invite my soul,  I lean and loafe at my ease observing a spear of summer grass.  When he says I loaf and invite my soul- he's getting into the philosopher side of him that is so complex and we really don't even have time to go there today, but it's that old idea of contemplating- today what we call mindfulness.  And I have to admit, I'm not good at this.        He really believes in mindfulness although he didn't know we renamed his concept for him.  Loafe- meaning chill out- turn off the phone, turn off the tv, turn off the computer and invite your soul into yourself.  Chill out!!!  Stop and observe a spear of grass.  Just look at it- let your mind go there- let it focus on something small- it's the kind of thing the yoga instructors keep telling us to do, that we rarely heed but we all know we should.      Exactly- attention and silence- he things they are indispensable to a sane existence- and two things I'm not all that good at.  And then we get to these last two sentences in this opening little poem-    My tongue, every atom of my blood, form'd from this soil, this air,  Born here of parents born here from parents the same, and their parents the same,  I, now thirty-seven years old in perfect health begin,  Hoping to cease not till death.  Creeds and schools in abeyance,  Retiring back a while sufficed at what they are, but never forgotten,  I harbor for good or bad, I permit to speak at every hazard,  Nature without check with original energy.  There's a lot to say- but he's going to say- I'm proud to be from this place- my parents are from this place.  I'm 37- that is not young.  He is not a child prodigy- he's writing his first book late in life, relatively- he knows that- but he says I'm in good health and I begin- and I'm not going to stop until death- I'm going to live well all the way til the end- I'm not going to give up on myself.  Ever.      I can see why he's inspiring.  And I to get back to this idea of origins.  You know being an American today is something lots of people are proud of (although it is very American to trash our own country) but that's part of our national ethos- but even these same people proudly display their passport.  America is a powerful country and a rich country.  At that time it was a new country- and new countries don't have the safety of heritage and sometimes the people who come from them have trouble taking pride in their heritage.    I totally know what you're talking about.  There was a listener who connected with us through our Instagram page and showed us some beautiful pictures he had taken.  They were truly amazing- not only were the mountains breathtakingly gorgeous in their own right, but his eye for framing was genius.  I messaged him back and told him what I thought of his art.  We went back and forth and I finally asked him.  Where are you from? And he would never tell me.  He said he was from Central Asia and so fort which I eventually gathered he is from one of the new countries formally part of the USSR.   I'm not saying he was ashamed of where he was from, I didn't get that sense, but he seemed intimated that we were from America- a place that seems so far away and idealized from his point of view.  Whitman would tell this young man- you're from that wonderful air,  from wonderful heritage, from atoms just like ours- not just accept it celebrate it.    Because, as I read onward, he seems to imply, this is the attitude that breeds great things that breeds beautiful things but if it doesn't- that's okay as well- keep going all the way til death- compete not with others but with yourself- as he goes to self- publish the same book 8 more times until he does .    Ha!  I guess that's true.      I want to read the last sentence again of that opening because he sets up a lot of the rest of his writings with something of a warning-    Creeds and schools in abeyance,  Retiring back a while sufficed at what they are, but never forgotten,  I harbor for good or bad, I permit to speak at every hazard,  Nature without check with original energy.  Again- that language seems simple but at the same time I have to really work at what he's going to say.  But I have an interpretation- he's going to say this- put away your school learning and your religious training when you read this.  Sit back because I'm going to say some really hard things- that's what he means with that word “hazard”- but they are not mean- they are natural- it's about the energy of being alive.  It's the beauty of being you, of being a physical body, of being an inter-connected spirit with connections to other people and part of this physical space.      And of course, it's that celebration of the physical body that kept getting him censored. Even Ralph Waldo Emerson later when he was reproducing his book begged him to self-censor what was thinly veiled homo-erotic passages, but he just wouldn't.  He didn't see them as erotic- he didn't even see sex like that.  For him sexuality and the physical body had a self-evidence important place in our lives and had to be brought out in the open- be it a hazard or not.  And again, it kind of was a hazard, he lost a really good job in Washington at one point because his boss found a copy of leaves of Grass in his desk and found it obscene.      Poor guy- well, that takes us to the title- Leaves of Grass- and what that even means.  I mentioned that Whitman was famous for his style or innovative literary technique, he has been increasingly praised for his innovative ideas about the body, the self, consciousness- he was one of the first America poets to even write about consciousness- the other one btw is Emily Dickinson.  But probably the thing I like the best about Whitman, and this is me, personally, is his ability to really capture a wonderful metaphor.  He could just say things in an understandable and pretty way- and this is what poetry really is all about- for my money.    This phrase that is the title – Leaves of Grass- it means something.  First let's read the first part of Song of Myself that talks about grass- I'd ask you to read all of it but I think we might get lost. Song of Myself number 6.      A child said What is the grass? fetching it to me with full hands;  How could I answer the child? I do not know what it is any more than he.  I guess it must be the flag of my disposition, out of hopeful green stuff woven.    Or I guess it is the handkerchief of the Lord,  A scented gift and remembrancer designedly dropt,  Bearing the owner's name someway in the corners, that we may see and remark, and say Whose?    Or I guess the grass is itself a child, the produced babe of the vegetation.    Or I guess it is a uniform hieroglyphic,  And it means, Sprouting alike in broad zones and narrow zones,  Growing among black folks as among white,  Kanuck, Tuckahoe, Congressman, Cuff, I give them the same, I receive them the same.  And now it seems to me the beautiful uncut hair of graves.  When Whitman loafs around and stares at grass- he sees a picture of America- or a picture of any democracy any group of people that understand that they are one poeple- of which America was the example he knew, but he's not exclusionary by any means.  He says, look, every single blade of grass is totally different and yet in some sense the same.  He calls it a uniform hieroglyphic- what an interesting turn of phrase.  It's and I use his words here “black folks as among white, kanuck, Tuckahoe, Congreeman, Cuff, I give to me the same, I receive them the same.”    For Whitman, the picture of America was a field of grass.  If we look at it, we see hopeful green woven stuff. The handkerchief of the Lord- but if we look at it closely we're all so different- and both things are truly beautiful.  It's a paradox.   He goes on to say, it's from the land, it's made up of the dust that is made up of the people of the land- I know it gets philosophical- and you can take it as far deep as you want to plunge with him.   But you don't have to get all that deep or esoteric if you don't want to.  You can just lay on the grass, and smell it and enjoy it- loaf on it- to use his words.    You know what I like about that entire image and about Whitman's entire philosophy.  He absolutely spoke of diversity, but he did not celebrate diversity- not like we think of doing that today.  He celebrates unity- and that's why this metaphor is the title.  Whitman had a very refined understanding of how easy we can rip each other apart- there is not more divisive time in American history than the 1850s and of course the 1860s- which are the war years.   He lived through the most divided time in American history and he could see it coming even in 1855.  But during his life time, he would see 2.5% of America's population die killing each other that was 750,000 people- if we would compare it to the population of America today- that would be over 7 million people.  Next week we will see how much he admired Lincoln and what he stood for, but as he understood the American experiment,  he believed in admiring differences and loving them, but identifying as a single group- first and foremost.  The dominant image here is of a single landscape- beautiful and united across time and space respecting the past not judging or condemning it- allowing ourselves to spring from it renewed and refreshed.   And I think that's where the universal appeal comes from.  If Whitman was just about American patriotism, maybe we'd like him in this country, but it would feel propagandistic.  His ideals are universal and apply to any group of people- anywhere.  And he's not afraid to admit-some of thing may be self-contradictory.  The first time I ever read Whitman was in college.  I went to school studying political science, but in my junior year I decided I didn't want to do that anymore and I was going to get an English major, well this meant I had to take almost exclusively classes that demanded intense reading- and all at the same time.  I read so much that they all ran together and my grades were not as good as they could have been had I had a healthier pace.  And in all that reading, not a whole lot stood out- but this little poem by Whitman actually did- I underlined it, and I kept the trade book I purchased at the time.  I actually still have it after all these years and so many moves.  In this little section, Whitman is talking in that intimate way that he talks to his reader- it's personal- it's in the second person- and at that time of my life- it was a very chaotic time to be honest- I had no idea what I was doing in my life, my mother had recently died, I had very little idea what I should do in the future- I had changed directions at the last moment- and these famous words just stood out.  Will you read them?  51  The past and present wilt—I have fill'd them, emptied them.  And proceed to fill my next fold of the future.  Listener up there! what have you to confide to me?  Look in my face while I snuff the sidle of evening,  (Talk honestly, no one else hears you, and I stay only a minute longer.)  Do I contradict myself?  Very well then I contradict myself,  (I am large, I contain multitudes.)  I concentrate toward them that are nigh, I wait on the door-slab.  Who has done his day's work? who will soonest be through with his supper?  Who wishes to walk with me?  Will you speak before I am gone? will you prove already too late?  Christy- what did that mean to you.      I really have no idea.  I think the line that I liked is the line everyone likes, “Do I contradict myself?  Very well then I contradict. Myself.”   It just made me feel better.  I knew I was full of inconsistencies. And Whitman just seemed to be saying- of course you are- everyone is- to understand that is just being honest.  Let it go.  Just concentrate on what is near- what you're doing today, supper- that sort of thing.  If you're successful- that's great- if you're a failure- what difference does it make- we're all the same atoms, we're all just leaves of grass.   He just made me feel okay.    Which I guess that would probably have made him happy- the bard of democracy- known as the good gray poet- speaking across time and space about what it means to be a human- to be a leaf of grass.  Thanks for listeninging- next episode- we will delve a little more into his adult life, read some of his most famous poems – those tributes to Abraham Lincoln- and finish our discussion of this amazing American.  AS always, please share about us with a friend or colleague- push out an episode on your social media feed, text an episode to a friend.  Connect with us on our social media at howtolovelitpodcast on facebook, Instagram, twitter, or Linkedin.  If you are a teacher, visit our website for teaching materials that provide ideas scaffolding for using our podcasts as instructional pieces in your classroom.      Peace out.      

Blessed are the Poor Today's reading is Matthew 5 - 7.   Jesus just gave us his most well known sermon - the Sermon on the Mount.   I'm reluctant to offer commentary, and more inclined to let it speak for itself. However,  let me just leave you with the first words he offers us in this sermon: God blesses those who are poor and realize their need for him. (Mt 5:3 NLT) Everything else he says begins here.  Everything else he elaborates on stems from this statement. Life begins when we realize how poor we are and how desperately in need we are, of him. That's when the Gospel can break through - we can begin to see Him and not just ourselves and our circumstances.   Blessed are the poor - those who realize their deep need for God. That's why we come to the Word of God each day - to recognize the riches we have in him and our absolute poverty apart from him. It's there that we recognize the beautiful invitation to live in Him.  He's made a way for us, friends. - a way for the with-God life.  There's a way for all the poor, powerless, lost and lonely, to come and live in Him.  Let the good news of the kingdom of God wash over you daily, so that you can have life.  

Continuing our series on Biblical Worldview, James Jordan discusses Christian Worship. _____ The Sermon on the Mount, with Peter Leithart youtu.be/kDjaVJNvRBE Sign up for In Medias Res mailchi.mp/0b01d726f2fe/inmediasres Give to our work! Become a partner! theopolisinstitute.com/give/ ________ Theopolis on Youtube www.youtube.com/c/Theopolisinstitute Psalm 125 Chant www.youtube.com/watch?v=VPpInCgyNfo Psalm 98 Chant www.youtube.com/watch?v=oJuwPKEhU2c Psalm 12 Chant www.youtube.com/watch?v=_sidywTXXkU Psalm 120 Chant www.youtube.com/watch?v=SULIFaui76M Psalm 47 Chant www.youtube.com/watch?v=93HgY9dFX4c Psalm 1 Chant www.youtube.com/watch?v=e3igF7e-Lgs Psalm 2 Chant www.youtube.com/watch?v=pW-iT21hK7U Psalm 23 Chant www.youtube.com/watch?v=ux9zwc4zwGw Psalm 88 Chant www.youtube.com/watch?v=jbUANfrXOsw Psalm 46 Chant www.youtube.com/watch?v=93KjrXHmfz0 _ Sign up for In Medias Res mailchi.mp/0b01d726f2fe/inmediasres New audio project, the Theopolis Blogcast! Subscribe: theopolis-blogcast.simplecast.com/ Subscribe on Youtube for weekly theology videos: www.youtube.com/channel/UCu9ejEQ9Iq8-HWkQ6S53sfQ Theopolis Blog: theopolisinstitute.com/theopolis-blog/ Website: theopolisinstitute.com Twitter: @_theopolis

How the Sermon on the Mount has shaped Cornerstone.

In this episode, Pastor Nick and Ryan discuss the second half of Matthew Chapter 5. In it, Jesus continues the sermon on the mount and basically raises the bar for his followers.

November 14, 2021 | Randy Knie

On this episode of Elevate retake 3 of us sit in the studio,  and discuss the importance of fasting as it's the subject of the latest message from our Righteousness by Heart. We have been looking at the sermon on the Mount by Jesus. Hope you enjoy the episode and would love for you to share it with a family member or friend. -- Instagram: @elevateretake Instagram: @thisiselevatetx Twitter: @pmr_gibson YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVIZ_3DEb-6zSlvemeWCmMQ Webpage: thisiselevate.org --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/elevateretake/message

Dan Ellsworth and I talk about whether demons are real, how their characteristics apply to you, and why you need to understand them. Dan also gives some great insight into the temptations given to Jesus by Satan and the Sermon on the Mount as a reaction to those temptations. In many ways, this is a continuation of our previous discussion on the War in Heaven.   Website - https://www.cwicmedia.com  

A new series begins on types of the nativity in the Old Testament. _____ The Sermon on the Mount, with Peter Leithart youtu.be/kDjaVJNvRBE Sign up for In Medias Res mailchi.mp/0b01d726f2fe/inmediasres Give to our work! Become a partner! theopolisinstitute.com/give/ ________ Theopolis on Youtube www.youtube.com/c/Theopolisinstitute Psalm 125 Chant www.youtube.com/watch?v=VPpInCgyNfo Psalm 98 Chant www.youtube.com/watch?v=oJuwPKEhU2c Psalm 12 Chant www.youtube.com/watch?v=_sidywTXXkU Psalm 120 Chant www.youtube.com/watch?v=SULIFaui76M Psalm 47 Chant www.youtube.com/watch?v=93HgY9dFX4c Psalm 1 Chant www.youtube.com/watch?v=e3igF7e-Lgs Psalm 2 Chant www.youtube.com/watch?v=pW-iT21hK7U Psalm 23 Chant www.youtube.com/watch?v=ux9zwc4zwGw Psalm 88 Chant www.youtube.com/watch?v=jbUANfrXOsw Psalm 46 Chant www.youtube.com/watch?v=93KjrXHmfz0 _ Sign up for In Medias Res mailchi.mp/0b01d726f2fe/inmediasres New audio project, the Theopolis Blogcast! Subscribe: theopolis-blogcast.simplecast.com/ Subscribe on Youtube for weekly theology videos: www.youtube.com/channel/UCu9ejEQ9Iq8-HWkQ6S53sfQ Theopolis Blog: theopolisinstitute.com/theopolis-blog/ Website: theopolisinstitute.com Twitter: @_theopolis

"If a house is burning, and a bucket of water is thrown on the blaze and doesn't extinguish the fire, this doesn't mean that water won't put out fire. It means we need more water. And so with nonviolence." - Dorothy Cotton   As we continue to work through the Sermon on the Mount, today we tackle oaths, revenge, and enemy love in Matthew 5:33-48. Christ continues his teaching here reframing known scriptures and laws and thrusting them into new ethical directions. Being around Christianity for a while can blunt the impact of some scriptures due to over-familiarity and denominational bias. Digging into Jesus's aim here, I'm reminded how audacious and shocking Christ's take on the Law would have been to listeners.  Through all of this, Jesus is setting up an ethic on a different way to exist and live. The Kingdom of God was counter to the power structures of the time and downright revolutionary. His calls are for love and justice through peaceful means.  Through the model of his life, Christ embraced his own words as he walked them out towards his death. Love and nonviolence are at the centerpiece of Christ's mission and aim. To see anything otherwise is to see a Christless Christianity.  His call for his disciples rings true for us today as we seek justice, love others, and work to heal brokenness. It's a rebellious and defiant act of servitude in the face of power. Maybe it's time to get our hands dirty.  We'll talk about all that and more snark! Plus, this week's Christian Crazy features: Greg Locke, Shane Vaughn, Joshua Feuerstein, and Jim Bakker Show notes Episode Timestamp: In the News: 03:40 Christian Crazy: 12:00 Main Conversation: 26:00 Book referenced: Taking Jesus at His Word: What Jesus Really Said in the Sermon on the Mount ~ Addison Hodges Hart Big thanks to these outlets that make the Christian Crazy possible: Right Wing Watch Christian Nightmares Friendly Atheist Come along for the ride as we skewer through life, culture, and spirituality in the face of a changing world. www.SnarkyFaith.com

There are ants everywhere! No need to worry, they're staying pretty busy with these fruit snacks we left out overnight. Join Joshua and Norah as they learn all about what it's like to do the right thing, even when only God knows you're doing it. —The episode's memory verse comes from 1 Thessalonians 4:111 Make it your goal to live a quiet life, minding your own business and working with your hands, just as we instructed you before.—Learn more about the amazing universe around you and the Indescribable God who created it with resources like The Wonder of Creation,  Indescribable: 100 Devotions for Kids About God and Science, and How Great Is Our God: 100 Indescribable Devotions About God and Science from Pastor Louie Giglio: https://passion.link/pkr—Little brothers or sisters at home! Snuggle up with them and show them this amazing God with Indescribable for Little Ones! https://passion.link/pkr—Want to know about Pastor Louie Giglio? Visit LouieGiglio.com!—Want something to watch? Check out Passion Kids Online: https://passion.link/passionkidsonline 

In this week's gatherings, we engaged in some practices to help us reflect on what we've discussed around Matthew 5 and God wanting to live God's life through us. Read along with the transcript If you're a part of the growing digital SBCC community, we'd love to hear from you! Drop us a note letting us know how you found us and what keeps you listening at: info@southbendcitychurch.com. You can also support the ongoing work of SBCC by giving at: southbendcitychurch.com/give. Just select the "podcast" option from the drop-down menu to let us know how you're participating in the life of SBCC. South Bend City Church is a 501(c)3 tax-exempt organization. All donations are tax-deductible.

Message #4 - Happiness is Having an Attitude of Mercy Towards Others and Living in the Pursuit of Purity Beatitude #5 - Happiness is Having an Attitude of Mercy Towards Others Matthew 5:7 √ The Explanation Matthew 5:7 • Merciful is being actively compassionate and having a practical concern for people and their needs – Hebrews 2:17 √ The Examination What It Is Not ● A Sentimental Sympathy – 1 Samuel 15:9 ● False Mercy – Psalm 9:17 ● A Passive Pity – Psalm 18:25 Biblical Mercy Includes Three Elements: ○ Recognition - I see the need ○ Motivation - I am moved by the need ○ Action - I endeavor to meet the need – Titus 3:5 √ The Exhortation ● A Godly Cultivation Luke 23:34, 6:36 ● A Glorious Motivation Matthew 5:7; 2 Samuel 22:26; Proverbs 11:17 Beatitude #6 - Happiness is Found in the Pursuit of Purity Matthew 5:8 The Explanation ● It is: A Heart (Mind) That is Focused on God Proverbs 23:7; Philippians 3:13 √ The Examination What It Is Not: • It's Not About Being More Pure Than Others 2 Corinthians 10:12; Luke 18:11 There are three approaches to religion: √ Head religion - Trusting in a creed √ Hand religion - Trusting in a deed √ Heart Religion - Trusting in a Seed of Implanted Purity by God • It's Not About Being Perfect There are 5 kinds of Biblical Purity: 1. Primitive Purity - Exists only in God 2. Created Purity - The Innocence of Adam and Eve 3. Ultimate Purity - Eternally Pure in Heaven 4. Positional Purity - The Imputed Righteousness of Christ 5. Practical Purity - Actually Living out a Pure Life 2 Corinthians 7:1 √ The Exhortation Matthew 5:8; Exodus 33:18 How Can My Heart Be Made More Pure: 1. Faith - Acts 15:9 2. Facts - John 15:3

In this week's episode we discover what Jesus says will bring you crazy Happiness.  Together we will journey through Jesus' famous sermon- “The Sermon on The Mount.” We will discover together the secret to sustaining happiness and joy!Discover:How and why to forgiveDealing with hurts and woundsFaith in actionExperiencing forgivenessRemember to hit that subscribe button and SHARE the podcast!Make sure you don't miss it!Main scripture:  Matthew 5:1-12; Matthew 5:22-26 ; Genesis 45; Colossians 3:8-10; Matthew 18:15-30; Hebrews 12:14-15; James 3:17-18; Acts 2:42-27To learn more or connect, visit our website at fusionchurchny.com/, download the FusionChurch App, or follow us on Facebook.You can submit a prayer request or connect by sending us a message.Join a Small Group.Also, don't forget to SUBSCRIBE and Leave A Review.Topics: Finding true joy and happiness | developing healthy perspective | Beatitudes | Support the show (http://www.fusionchurchny.com/give )

Continuing our series on Biblical Worldview, James Jordan discusses the relationship between liturgy and education. _____ The Sermon on the Mount, with Peter Leithart youtu.be/kDjaVJNvRBE Sign up for In Medias Res mailchi.mp/0b01d726f2fe/inmediasres Give to our work! Become a partner! theopolisinstitute.com/give/ ________ Theopolis on Youtube www.youtube.com/c/Theopolisinstitute Psalm 125 Chant www.youtube.com/watch?v=VPpInCgyNfo Psalm 98 Chant www.youtube.com/watch?v=oJuwPKEhU2c Psalm 12 Chant www.youtube.com/watch?v=_sidywTXXkU Psalm 120 Chant www.youtube.com/watch?v=SULIFaui76M Psalm 47 Chant www.youtube.com/watch?v=93HgY9dFX4c Psalm 1 Chant www.youtube.com/watch?v=e3igF7e-Lgs Psalm 2 Chant www.youtube.com/watch?v=pW-iT21hK7U Psalm 23 Chant www.youtube.com/watch?v=ux9zwc4zwGw Psalm 88 Chant www.youtube.com/watch?v=jbUANfrXOsw Psalm 46 Chant www.youtube.com/watch?v=93KjrXHmfz0 _ Sign up for In Medias Res mailchi.mp/0b01d726f2fe/inmediasres New audio project, the Theopolis Blogcast! Subscribe: theopolis-blogcast.simplecast.com/ Subscribe on Youtube for weekly theology videos: www.youtube.com/channel/UCu9ejEQ9Iq8-HWkQ6S53sfQ Theopolis Blog: theopolisinstitute.com/theopolis-blog/ Website: theopolisinstitute.com Twitter: @_theopolis