Podcasts about Siloam

John 9:1, 6-9, 13-17, 34-38As Jesus passed by he saw a man blind from birth.He spat on the ground and made clay with the saliva,and smeared the clay on his eyes,and said to him, “Go wash in the Pool of Siloam” — which means Sent —.So he went and washed, and came back able to see.His neighbors and those who had seen him earlier as a beggar said, “Isn't this the one who used to sit and beg?”Some said, “It is, “but others said, “No, he just looks like him.”He said, “I am.”They brought the one who was once blind to the Pharisees.Now Jesus had made clay and opened his eyes on a sabbath.So then the Pharisees also asked him how he was able to see.He said to them,“He put clay on my eyes, and I washed, and now I can see.”So some of the Pharisees said,“This man is not from God,because he does not keep the sabbath.”But others said,“How can a sinful man do such signs?”And there was a division among them.So they said to the blind man again, “What do you have to say about him,since he opened your eyes?”He said, “He is a prophet.”They answered and said to him,“You were born totally in sin,and are you trying to teach us?”Then they threw him out.When Jesus heard that they had thrown him out,he found him and said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?”He answered and said, “Who is he, sir, that I may believe in him?”Jesus said to him,“You have seen him, andthe one speaking with you is he.”He said,“I do believe, Lord,” and he worshiped him.

John 9:1, 6-9, 13-17, 34-38As Jesus passed by he saw a man blind from birth.He spat on the ground and made clay with the saliva,and smeared the clay on his eyes,and said to him, “Go wash in the Pool of Siloam” — which means Sent —.So he went and washed, and came back able to see.His neighbors and those who had seen him earlier as a beggar said, “Isn't this the one who used to sit and beg?”Some said, “It is, “but others said, “No, he just looks like him.”He said, “I am.”They brought the one who was once blind to the Pharisees.Now Jesus had made clay and opened his eyes on a sabbath.So then the Pharisees also asked him how he was able to see.He said to them,“He put clay on my eyes, and I washed, and now I can see.”So some of the Pharisees said,“This man is not from God,because he does not keep the sabbath.”But others said,“How can a sinful man do such signs?”And there was a division among them.So they said to the blind man again, “What do you have to say about him,since he opened your eyes?”He said, “He is a prophet.”They answered and said to him,“You were born totally in sin,and are you trying to teach us?”Then they threw him out.When Jesus heard that they had thrown him out,he found him and said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?”He answered and said, “Who is he, sir, that I may believe in him?”Jesus said to him,“You have seen him, andthe one speaking with you is he.”He said,“I do believe, Lord,” and he worshiped him.

John 9:1, 6-9, 13-17, 34-38As Jesus passed by he saw a man blind from birth.He spat on the ground and made clay with the saliva,and smeared the clay on his eyes,and said to him, “Go wash in the Pool of Siloam” — which means Sent —.So he went and washed, and came back able to see.His neighbors and those who had seen him earlier as a beggar said, “Isn't this the one who used to sit and beg?”Some said, “It is, “but others said, “No, he just looks like him.”He said, “I am.”They brought the one who was once blind to the Pharisees.Now Jesus had made clay and opened his eyes on a sabbath.So then the Pharisees also asked him how he was able to see.He said to them,“He put clay on my eyes, and I washed, and now I can see.”So some of the Pharisees said,“This man is not from God,because he does not keep the sabbath.”But others said,“How can a sinful man do such signs?”And there was a division among them.So they said to the blind man again, “What do you have to say about him,since he opened your eyes?”He said, “He is a prophet.”They answered and said to him,“You were born totally in sin,and are you trying to teach us?”Then they threw him out.When Jesus heard that they had thrown him out,he found him and said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?”He answered and said, “Who is he, sir, that I may believe in him?”Jesus said to him,“You have seen him, andthe one speaking with you is he.”He said,“I do believe, Lord,” and he worshiped him.

John 9:1, 6-9, 13-17, 34-38As Jesus passed by he saw a man blind from birth.He spat on the ground and made clay with the saliva,and smeared the clay on his eyes,and said to him, “Go wash in the Pool of Siloam” — which means Sent —.So he went and washed, and came back able to see.His neighbors and those who had seen him earlier as a beggar said, “Isn't this the one who used to sit and beg?”Some said, “It is, “but others said, “No, he just looks like him.”He said, “I am.”They brought the one who was once blind to the Pharisees.Now Jesus had made clay and opened his eyes on a sabbath.So then the Pharisees also asked him how he was able to see.He said to them,“He put clay on my eyes, and I washed, and now I can see.”So some of the Pharisees said,“This man is not from God,because he does not keep the sabbath.”But others said,“How can a sinful man do such signs?”And there was a division among them.So they said to the blind man again, “What do you have to say about him,since he opened your eyes?”He said, “He is a prophet.”They answered and said to him,“You were born totally in sin,and are you trying to teach us?”Then they threw him out.When Jesus heard that they had thrown him out,he found him and said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?”He answered and said, “Who is he, sir, that I may believe in him?”Jesus said to him,“You have seen him, andthe one speaking with you is he.”He said,“I do believe, Lord,” and he worshiped him.

https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/daily-devotions/20260318dev.mp3 Listen to Devotion They brought to the Pharisees the man who had been blind. Now the day on which Jesus had made the mud and opened the man’s eyes was a Sabbath. Therefore the Pharisees also asked him how he had received his sight. “He put mud on my eyes,” the man replied, “and I washed, and now I see.” Some of the Pharisees said, “This man is not from God, for he does not keep the Sabbath.” But others asked, “How can a sinner perform such signs?” So they were divided. John 9:13-16 A Rulebreaker The Third Commandment could not be clearer: “Remember the Sabbath Day by keeping it holy.” But to avoid all confusion, God went on to explain, “Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work” (Exodus 20:9-10). So, Jesus is a rulebreaker, right? He worked on the Sabbath! He made mud, put it on a blind man’s eyes, and told him to wash in the Pool of Siloam, all of which led to this man seeing for the first time in his life. Some of the Pharisees could not help but conclude, “This man is not from God, for he does not keep the Sabbath.” This wasn’t the first time Jesus had generated a heated debate by healing someone on the Sabbath. From the earliest days of his earthly ministry, Jesus was causing his opponents to have serious bouts of consternation as they tried to square Jesus’ claims of being the Son of God and the promised Messiah with his apparent refusal to obey God’s holy law. But was it a refusal? Hardly. It was a fulfillment! Jesus once explained, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath” (Mark 2:27). His point was simple: of course, God wants us to honor him by resting from our labor at some point every week to hear and ponder his saving Word. But he also calls us to put his Word into practice by regularly demonstrating love for our neighbors in need. The Christian life is not an either/or proposition. It’s an everyday both/and way of life! Our Savior never overturns God’s Word. Instead, he fulfills it. Perfectly. Prayer: Jesus, empower me to be like you more and more every day. Amen. Daily Devotions is brought to you by WELS. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/daily-devotions/20260318dev.mp3 Listen to Devotion They brought to the Pharisees the man who had been blind. Now the day on which Jesus had made the mud and opened the man’s eyes was a Sabbath. Therefore the Pharisees also asked him how he had received his sight. “He put mud on my eyes,” the man replied, “and I washed, and now I see.” Some of the Pharisees said, “This man is not from God, for he does not keep the Sabbath.” But others asked, “How can a sinner perform such signs?” So they were divided. John 9:13-16 A Rulebreaker The Third Commandment could not be clearer: “Remember the Sabbath Day by keeping it holy.” But to avoid all confusion, God went on to explain, “Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work” (Exodus 20:9-10). So, Jesus is a rulebreaker, right? He worked on the Sabbath! He made mud, put it on a blind man’s eyes, and told him to wash in the Pool of Siloam, all of which led to this man seeing for the first time in his life. Some of the Pharisees could not help but conclude, “This man is not from God, for he does not keep the Sabbath.” This wasn’t the first time Jesus had generated a heated debate by healing someone on the Sabbath. From the earliest days of his earthly ministry, Jesus was causing his opponents to have serious bouts of consternation as they tried to square Jesus’ claims of being the Son of God and the promised Messiah with his apparent refusal to obey God’s holy law. But was it a refusal? Hardly. It was a fulfillment! Jesus once explained, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath” (Mark 2:27). His point was simple: of course, God wants us to honor him by resting from our labor at some point every week to hear and ponder his saving Word. But he also calls us to put his Word into practice by regularly demonstrating love for our neighbors in need. The Christian life is not an either/or proposition. It’s an everyday both/and way of life! Our Savior never overturns God’s Word. Instead, he fulfills it. Perfectly. Prayer: Jesus, empower me to be like you more and more every day. Amen. Daily Devotions is brought to you by WELS. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/daily-devotions/20260317dev.mp3 Listen to Devotion After saying this, he spit on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man’s eyes. “Go,” he told him, “wash in the Pool of Siloam” (this word means “Sent”). So the man went and washed, and came home seeing. John 9:6-7 Even Jesus Uses Tools My wife will tell you. I’m not handy. Putting a tool in my hands can be a dangerous prospect, because I'm more likely to make the problem worse, not better. Tools are just not my thing. With some household projects, it might be wiser to give me a magic wand to wave than a hammer to swing, since the best chance for success would have to involve some miracle. Jesus doesn’t need tools to fix things. The Bible makes that abundantly clear. He’s God, so he can do what he wants and can fix every problem without lifting a finger or batting an eye. But here’s the thing: often, Jesus uses tools to accomplish his saving will. We see that truth plainly illustrated in John, chapter nine. When Jesus encountered a man born blind, he could have given him sight without saying a word or moving a muscle. But he didn’t. Instead, “he spit on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man’s eyes.” Then he said, “Go, wash in the Pool of Siloam.” What happened? John tells us that “the man went and washed, and came home seeing.” In other words, Jesus used tools—spit, mud, words, and washing—to accomplish the glorious task of giving sight to the blind. And he does the same for us! No, Jesus may never need to give or restore our physical sight to us. But he longs to bless us with the spiritual sight of saving faith and to sharpen it daily. But he doesn’t do either of those things without using tools. Instead, he uses the water of Holy Baptism and the wheat and wine of Holy Communion, combined with his powerful Word, to create and sustain faith in his people. He could have decided to do it differently, but he doesn't. He uses tools. Which means what? That he would have us use those same tools. Through them alone, Jesus gives saving sight to the blind! Prayer: Jesus, inspire me to use your Word and sacraments faithfully and to share your saving Word with others. Amen. Daily Devotions is brought to you by WELS. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/daily-devotions/20260317dev.mp3 Listen to Devotion After saying this, he spit on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man’s eyes. “Go,” he told him, “wash in the Pool of Siloam” (this word means “Sent”). So the man went and washed, and came home seeing. John 9:6-7 Even Jesus Uses Tools My wife will tell you. I’m not handy. Putting a tool in my hands can be a dangerous prospect, because I'm more likely to make the problem worse, not better. Tools are just not my thing. With some household projects, it might be wiser to give me a magic wand to wave than a hammer to swing, since the best chance for success would have to involve some miracle. Jesus doesn’t need tools to fix things. The Bible makes that abundantly clear. He’s God, so he can do what he wants and can fix every problem without lifting a finger or batting an eye. But here’s the thing: often, Jesus uses tools to accomplish his saving will. We see that truth plainly illustrated in John, chapter nine. When Jesus encountered a man born blind, he could have given him sight without saying a word or moving a muscle. But he didn’t. Instead, “he spit on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man’s eyes.” Then he said, “Go, wash in the Pool of Siloam.” What happened? John tells us that “the man went and washed, and came home seeing.” In other words, Jesus used tools—spit, mud, words, and washing—to accomplish the glorious task of giving sight to the blind. And he does the same for us! No, Jesus may never need to give or restore our physical sight to us. But he longs to bless us with the spiritual sight of saving faith and to sharpen it daily. But he doesn’t do either of those things without using tools. Instead, he uses the water of Holy Baptism and the wheat and wine of Holy Communion, combined with his powerful Word, to create and sustain faith in his people. He could have decided to do it differently, but he doesn't. He uses tools. Which means what? That he would have us use those same tools. Through them alone, Jesus gives saving sight to the blind! Prayer: Jesus, inspire me to use your Word and sacraments faithfully and to share your saving Word with others. Amen. Daily Devotions is brought to you by WELS. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

This is an inspirational sermon message by Rev. Mark Poyner commenting on the story of Jesus healing the blind man at the pool of Siloam

March 15, 2026. Fr. Tyler's homily for the Fourth Sunday of Lent.    Gospel John 9:1-41 As Jesus passed by he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents,  that he was born blind?” Jesus answered, “Neither he nor his parents sinned;  it is so that the works of God might be made visible through him. We have to do the works of the one who sent me while it is day. Night is coming when no one can work. While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” When he had said this, he spat on the ground and made clay with the saliva, and smeared the clay on his eyes, and said to him,  “Go wash in the Pool of Siloam” —which means Sent—. So he went and washed, and came back able to see. His neighbors and those who had seen him earlier as a beggar said,  “Isn't this the one who used to sit and beg?” Some said, “It is, “ but others said, “No, he just looks like him.” He said, “I am.” So they said to him, “How were your eyes opened?” He replied, “The man called Jesus made clay and anointed my eyes and told me, ‘Go to Siloam and wash.' So I went there and washed and was able to see.” And they said to him, “Where is he?” He said, “I don't know.” They brought the one who was once blind to the Pharisees. Now Jesus had made clay and opened his eyes on a sabbath. So then the Pharisees also asked him how he was able to see. He said to them, “He put clay on my eyes, and I washed, and now I can see.” So some of the Pharisees said, “This man is not from God, because he does not keep the sabbath.” But others said, “How can a sinful man do such signs?” And there was a division among them. So they said to the blind man again,  “What do you have to say about him, since he opened your eyes?” He said, “He is a prophet.” Now the Jews did not believe  that he had been blind and gained his sight  until they summoned the parents of the one who had gained his sight. They asked them, “Is this your son, who you say was born blind? How does he now see?” His parents answered and said,  “We know that this is our son and that he was born blind. We do not know how he sees now, nor do we know who opened his eyes. Ask him, he is of age; he can speak for himself.” His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jews, for the Jews had already agreed  that if anyone acknowledged him as the Christ, he would be expelled from the synagogue. For this reason his parents said, “He is of age; question him.” So a second time they called the man who had been blind  and said to him, “Give God the praise! We know that this man is a sinner.” He replied, “If he is a sinner, I do not know. One thing I do know is that I was blind and now I see.” So they said to him, “What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?” He answered them, “I told you already and you did not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you want to become his disciples, too?” They ridiculed him and said,  “You are that man's disciple; we are disciples of Moses! We know that God spoke to Moses,  but we do not know where this one is from.” The man answered and said to them, “This is what is so amazing,  that you do not know where he is from, yet he opened my eyes. We know that God does not listen to sinners,  but if one is devout and does his will, he listens to him. It is unheard of that anyone ever opened the eyes of a person born blind. If this man were not from God, he would not be able to do anything.” They answered and said to him, “You were born totally in sin, and are you trying to teach us?” Then they threw him out. When Jesus heard that they had thrown him out, he found him and said, Do you believe in the Son of Man?” He answered and said,  “Who is he, sir, that I may believe in him?” Jesus said to him, “You have seen him, the one speaking with you is he.” He said, “I do believe, Lord,” and he worshiped him. Then Jesus said, “I came into this world for judgment,  so that those who do not see might see,  and those who do see might become blind.” Some of the Pharisees who were with him heard this  and said to him, “Surely we are not also blind, are we?” Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would have no sin;  but now you are saying, ‘We see,' so your sin remains.

There is a peculiar mercy in the way Our Lord heals. We, in our modern cleverness, are often inclined to imagine that healing ought to be immediate, painless, and, above all, understandable. Yet in the Gospel we encounter something altogether different: a healing that begins in mystery, passes through obedience, and ends in sight. It's the restoration of not merely the eyes, but even more magnificently the soul.Consider the man born blind whom Christ meets on the roadside. The disciples, like many of us, are preoccupied with explanations: Who sinned? Who is to blame? But Our Lord will not be trapped in that small courtroom of human reasoning. Instead, He stoops to the ground, makes clay, anoints the blind man's eyes, and sends him to wash in the Pool of Siloam.Now this is a strange prescription if one pauses to think about it. Mud upon the eyes does not look like medicine; it looks rather like further blindness. And yet the man obeys. He goes to the pool, washes, and returns seeing.Here we begin to glimpse a truth that is as unsettling as it is hopeful: the true source of healing is not the pool, nor the clay, nor even the man's obedience in itself. The source is Christ. The pool is merely the place where trust meets grace.Many of us wander through life rather like that blind man though we seldom admit it. Our sight may be sharp enough to read the morning paper, but we stumble in darker matters: forgiveness, meaning, love, hope. We seek remedies in every direction—self-improvement, distraction, ambition—yet find that none quite reaches the deeper wound.For the soul's blindness is not cured by clearer information. It is cured by encounter.Christ does not merely instruct the blind man; He touches him. And that touch begins a process. First comes the clay, then the journey, then the washing, then the sight. In much the same way, the healing of the human soul rarely arrives as a sudden bolt of lightning. More often it comes disguised as small acts of trust: a prayer whispered in uncertainty, a forgiveness offered when it is undeserved, a step taken toward God when we can hardly see the road ahead.Indeed, the curious thing is that Christ often places clay upon our eyes before He gives us sight. He allows circumstances that confuse us, humble us, even darken our view of ourselves. Yet these moments are not evidence of His absence but of His craftsmanship. The Great Physician is preparing the eyes of the heart.And when at last we wash, when we surrender our cleverness and come honestly before Him, we begin to see. Not perfectly, not all at once, but truly. We see that we are known and loved.We see that grace was at work long before we recognized it. And, most astonishing of all, we begin to see Christ Himself.The pool of Siloam was never the final destination. It was only the place where the blind man discovered that the One who sent him there was, in fact, the Light of the World. And so it remains. Every true healing of the soul begins and ends in Him. For Christ does not merely restore sight; He gives us a new way of seeing altogether. --- Help Spread the Good News --- Father Brian's homilies are shared freely thanks to generous listeners like you. If his words have blessed you, consider supporting this volunteer effort. Every gift helps us continue recording and sharing the hope of Jesus—one homily at a time. Give Here: https://frbriansoliven.org/give

CLICK HERE FOR VIDEOLent, Week 4Theme: LIGHTSaint: St. John Gabriel Perboyre, C.M.GOSPEL: JOHN 9: 1-38As he passed by Jesus saw a man blind from birth. he spat on the ground and made clay with the saliva, and smeared the clay on his eyes, 7 and said to him, “Go wash[c] in the Pool of Siloam” (which means Sent). So he went and washed, and came back able to see.So then the Pharisees also asked him how he was able to see. He said to them, “He put clay on my eyes, and I washed, and now I can see.” 16 So some of the Pharisees said, “This man is not from God, because he does not keep the sabbath.” [But] others said, “How can a sinful man do such signs?” And there was a division among them. 17 So they said to the blind man again, “What do you have to say about him, since he opened your eyes?” He said, “He is a prophet.” They answered and said to him, “You were born totally in sin, and are you trying to teach us?” Then they threw him out.35 When Jesus heard that they had thrown him out, he found him and said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” 36 He answered and said, “Who is he, sir, that I may believe in him?” 37 Jesus said to him, “You have seen him and the one speaking with you is he.” 38 He said, “I do believe, Lord,” and he worshiped him.

John 9:1-41   As Jesus walked along, he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” Jesus answered, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned; he was born blind so that God's works might be revealed in him. We must work the works of him who sent me while it is day; night is coming when no one can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” When he had said this, he spat on the ground and made mud with the saliva and spread the mud on the man's eyes, saying to him, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam” (which means Sent). Then he went and washed and came back able to see. The neighbors and those who had seen him before as a beggar began to ask, “Is this not the man who used to sit and beg?” Some were saying, “It is he.” Others were saying, “No, but it is someone like him.” He kept saying, “I am the man.” But they kept asking him, “Then how were your eyes opened?” He answered, “The man called Jesus made mud, spread it on my eyes, and said to me, ‘Go to Siloam and wash.' Then I went and washed and received my sight.” They said to him, “Where is he?” He said, “I do not know.” They brought to the Pharisees the man who had formerly been blind. Now it was a sabbath day when Jesus made the mud and opened his eyes. Then the Pharisees also began to ask him how he had received his sight. He said to them, “He put mud on my eyes. Then I washed, and now I see.” Some of the Pharisees said, “This man is not from God, for he does not observe the sabbath.” But others said, “How can a man who is a sinner perform such signs?” And they were divided. So they said again to the blind man, “What do you say about him? It was your eyes he opened.” He said, “He is a prophet.” The Jews did not believe that he had been blind and had received his sight until they called the parents of the man who had received his sight and asked them, “Is this your son, who you say was born blind? How then does he now see?” His parents answered, “We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind; but we do not know how it is that now he sees, nor do we know who opened his eyes. Ask him; he is of age. He will speak for himself.” His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jews; for the Jews had already agreed that anyone who confessed Jesus to be the Messiah would be put out of the synagogue. Therefore his parents said, “He is of age; ask him.” So for the second time they called the man who had been blind, and they said to him, “Give glory to God! We know that this man is a sinner.” He answered, “I do not know whether he is a sinner. One thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see.” They said to him, “What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?” He answered them, “I have told you already, and you would not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you also want to become his disciples?” Then they reviled him, saying, “You are his disciple, but we are disciples of Moses. We know that God has spoken to Moses, but as for this man, we do not know where he comes from.” The man answered, “Here is an astonishing thing! You do not know where he comes from, and yet he opened my eyes. We know that God does not listen to sinners, but he does listen to one who worships him and obeys his will. Never since the world began has it been heard that anyone opened the eyes of a person born blind. If this man were not from God, he could do nothing.” They answered him, “You were born entirely in sins, and are you trying to teach us?” And they drove him out. Jesus heard that they had driven him out, and when he found him, he said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” He answered, “And who is he, sir? Tell me, so that I may believe in him.” Jesus said to him, “You have seen him, and the one speaking with you is he.” He said, “Lord, I believe.” And he worshiped him. Jesus said, “I came into this world for judgment so that those who do not see may see, and those who do see may become blind.” Some of the Pharisees near him heard this and said to him, “Surely we are not blind, are we?” Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would not have sin. But now that you say, ‘We see,' your sin remains.”

John 9:1-41As he walked along, he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” Jesus answered, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned; he was born blind so that God's works might be revealed in him. We must work the works of him who sent me while it is day; night is coming when no one can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” When he had said this, he spat on the ground and made mud with the saliva and spread the mud on the man's eyes, saying to him, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam” (which means Sent). Then he went and washed and came back able to see. The neighbors and those who had seen him before as a beggar began to ask, “Is this not the man who used to sit and beg?” Some were saying, “It is he.” Others were saying, “No, but it is someone like him.” He kept saying, “I am the man.” But they kept asking him, “Then how were your eyes opened?” He answered, “The man called Jesus made mud, spread it on my eyes, and said to me, ‘Go to Siloam and wash.' Then I went and washed and received my sight.” They said to him, “Where is he?” He said, “I do not know.”They brought to the Pharisees the man who had formerly been blind. Now it was a sabbath day when Jesus made the mud and opened his eyes. Then the Pharisees also began to ask him how he had received his sight. He said to them, “He put mud on my eyes. Then I washed, and now I see.” Some of the Pharisees said, “This man is not from God, for he does not observe the sabbath.” But others said, “How can a man who is a sinner perform such signs?” And they were divided. So they said again to the blind man, “What do you say about him? It was your eyes he opened.” He said, “He is a prophet.”The Jews did not believe that he had been blind and had received his sight until they called the parents of the man who had received his sight and asked them, “Is this your son, who you say was born blind? How then does he now see?” His parents answered, “We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind; but we do not know how it is that now he sees, nor do we know who opened his eyes. Ask him; he is of age. He will speak for himself.” His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jews; for the Jews had already agreed that anyone who confessed Jesus to be the Messiah would be put out of the synagogue. Therefore his parents said, “He is of age; ask him.”So for the second time they called the man who had been blind, and they said to him, “Give glory to God! We know that this man is a sinner.” He answered, “I do not know whether he is a sinner. One thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see.” They said to him, “What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?” He answered them, “I have told you already, and you would not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you also want to become his disciples?” Then they reviled him, saying, “You are his disciple, but we are disciples of Moses. We know that God has spoken to Moses, but as for this man, we do not know where he comes from.” The man answered, “Here is an astonishing thing! You do not know where he comes from, and yet he opened my eyes. We know that God does not listen to sinners, but he does listen to one who worships him and obeys his will. Never since the world began has it been heard that anyone opened the eyes of a person born blind. If this man were not from God, he could do nothing.” They answered him, “You were born entirely in sins, and are you trying to teach us?” And they drove him out.Jesus heard that they had driven him out, and when he found him, he said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” He answered, “And who is he, sir? Tell me, so that I may believe in him.” Jesus said to him, “You have seen him, and the one speaking with you is he.” He said, “Lord, I believe.” And he worshiped him. Jesus said, “I came into this world for judgment so that those who do not see may see, and those who do see may become blind.” Some of the Pharisees near him heard this and said to him, “Surely we are not blind, are we?” Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would not have sin. But now that you say, ‘We see,' your sin remains.” I'm not proud of it, but I binge-watched two-and-a-half seasons of the Netflix reality show “Love is Blind” over the course of two or three days, following my emergency gall bladder surgery in September. Again, I'm not proud. I confess. I repent. And I blame the pain meds.The premise of this waste of time is that men and women go on literal blind dates, where they spend a period of time dating one another behind walls and closed doors, in private rooms. They sit in pods and have all manner of discussion about all manner of things and decide without ever seeing each other, that they are in love, or not. During all of this, the men live in one shared space and the women in another. So, there's competition and gossip and lies and drama. Eventually, there are marriage proposals and then face-to-face meetings those who get engaged. Then the lucky, newly-engaged couples travel together for a group romantic getaway where there is lots of sunshine, beaches, swimsuits, hot tubs, and the like. And more competition, in-fighting, gossip, lies, and drama, of course.All of this is build-up to each couple's potential wedding day, the outcome of which is never known by anyone, for certain, until they reach the altar, dressed in tuxedos, wedding gowns and before very real pastors, priests, rabbis, and justices of the peace – according to their faith tradition, or lack thereof. Neither the viewer, nor the potential brides or the prospective grooms or their families, know for sure … until the very last moment … if the betrothed are going to say “I do.” Of course, the drama really comes when one of the two says “No” or “I Can't” or “I Don't” to their partner's hopeful expression of love and commitment.It's terrible – once the meds wore off, the pain was gone, and I was on the mend, I didn't even bother to finish that third season. It's one of the many signs of the decline of western civilization, I'm sure. It's one of many reasons, I suspect, that, if there is intelligent life on other planets, they've decidedly NOT bothered to make contact. All of this is mostly confession and repentance, but I'll come back to it – however briefly – in a minute.But first, this miracle story, which is a doozy … and a well-known one at that … the spit, the dirt, the mud pie – and this guy who'd been blind his whole life – who gets his eyesight back. And there are so many others … miracle stories, I mean, in Scripture: the little girl who gets up from a death-bed nap; Simon Peter's mother-in-law, whose fever breaks; the demons who leave from that guy in the synagogue; the woman who had been hemorrhaging for years, the leper who's made clean, and so on.And you can't help but wonder about all those people – in Jesus' day and in our own – whose healing never comes: the demon that never leaves; the fever that never breaks; the blindness that never goes away, the cancer, the diabetes, the dying that seem to win the day.And because of all that – because so many of us go without the miracles we long for – I can't help but believe Jesus' willingness and ability to heal doesn't have as much to do with ridding people or the world of sickness as much as we'd like to believe or pretend. Just like the Pharisees, we get caught up in the “who, what, how, when, and where” of what Jesus did for this blind guy and we ignore or don't care so much about what Jesus tells us – right at the beginning of it all – about the WHY of what he had done that day.This guy had been born blind, remember. And to his parents, to his neighbors, to the Pharisees, certainly, and even to the blind guy himself, that meant he was sinful in some way. As we know, medical science back in the day wasn't what it is for us now – so many generations later. When someone was sick or even just different somehow – whether it was leprosy, leukemia or whatever it is that makes a lame person unable to walk – their difference was understood to be proof that they were being judged by God and punished, then, for some kind of sin.You can hear it in the disciples' question to Jesus, before the healing occurs: “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents that he was born blind?” (Apparently, on top of all the rest, your physical diseases and differences could also be the result of another person's sins, as well as your own.) But Jesus doesn't break out the medical books, give the man an eye exam, make a diagnosis, or chart a treatment plan. He says, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned; he was born blind so that God's works might be revealed in him.” (Not only does this imply that there's nothing wrong with being blind, but it lets us know God was up to something more than just a magic trick.)So, Jesus gets to the business of doing “God's works,” by way of a little mud and some spit. And if “miracle” means supernatural, irrational, unexpected, unexplainable – or something like that – here is where the real miracle of this morning's Gospel occurs. The miracle of what God accomplishes through Jesus, not just for the blind man on the roadside that day so many years ago, but for every one of us – and our neighbors out there in the world, too – isn't so much that God cures blindness; it's that the eyes of those who can already see are opened to a God who loves without measure and promises eternal life, on this side of Heaven.What the disciples, the Pharisees, the blind man and his family, friends and neighbors were meant to witness that day wasn't just a physical healing. The real joy for this man who once was blind but now could see, wasn't that he could throw away his walking stick or go get a driver's license. The real miracle and true joy for the blind man who received his sight was that God transformed what had been called Sin, into forgiveness; God turned judgment into freedom; God made what was supposedly broken, whole; God made one who was unworthy, worthy – and loved and liberated and allowed to experience the fullness of the Kingdom, just like the rest of his friends, family, neighbors.And that's supposed to be our miracle, too. The miracle of Jesus Christ is that God's grace is big enough for all people – and especially for the sick, sinful, broken, needy, or just plain DIFFERENT by the standards of the world. That's miraculously good news for the gay or trans kids too many pretend are sinful or broken for being born a certain way. This is good news for Jewish people in our day and age, being targeted and terrorized – still and yet again – by a world that can't appreciate their status as God's children. This is the Gospel for anyone who faces bigotry, discrimination, exclusion, or injustice because they don't measure up, fit the mold, or walk, talk, live, move, or breathe like the masses – or to the liking of the powers that be.What the world calls unworthy, God claims and cherishes. What the world can't overlook, God forgives. What the world considers unlovable, God loves. What the world nails to a cross, God raises from the dead.The most amazing miracle is that God's love is most decidedly NOT blind. God sees all of us from the inside out – the broken and the beautiful; the sinful and the sacred; the holy and the horrible – and God loves us, still … and always … and commands us to do the same for one another, in the name of Jesus. And it's no small miracle when we get it right.Amen

Buckle up! This week's scripture feels more like a play in 7 acts than a Sunday snippet! Peter Walsh, Elizabeth Garnsey, and John Kennedy dissect the story of Jesus healing a man born blind. Together, they muse about what this reveals about family systems and the effect of community, how this ties into baptism, and what it looks like to experience gradual enlightenment on our faith journey.Questions for Further Discussion:Themes and ApplicationWhat does the man's journey from calling Jesus “the man Jesus” to “Lord” teach us about spiritual growth and discipleship?In what ways do the reactions of the neighbors, parents, and Pharisees show how communities respond differently to transformation and truth?How does this passage illustrate the difference between recognizing our need for grace and assuming we already see clearly?Personal ReflectionHave you ever felt pressure to stay silent or avoid conflict in a situation where truth or justice was at stake?Where might pride or certainty keep us from recognizing our own spiritual blindness?What would it mean for you to let Christ reshape how you see other people, especially those society overlooks or excludes?Broader Spiritual ConsiderationsThe early church often described baptism as “illumination.” How does the imagery of washing in the pool of Siloam connect to baptism and spiritual awakening?This passage explores the idea of progressive enlightenment. How does faith continue to grow even after a moment of transformation?What does this story reveal about the relationship between individual faith journeys and the systems we inhabit(family, religion, culture)?Learn more about St. Mark's at https://www.stmarksnewcanaan.org

In this episode we watch Jesus do what Luther says Christ always does: use the law to uncover real sin, then speak a promise that creates faith, revealing himself as the great “I am” who gives living water as pure grace. As the Samaritan woman leaves her jar behind and confesses him Savior of the world, we see that true worship isn't about the right mountain but about the Spirit delivering Christ through his Word—salvation from the Jews, and for the nations.GOSPEL John 9:1-411 As he walked along, he saw a man blind from birth. 2 His disciples asked him, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?" 3 Jesus answered, "Neither this man nor his parents sinned; he was born blind so that God's works might be revealed in him. 4 We must work the works of him who sent me while it is day; night is coming when no one can work. 5 As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world." 6 When he had said this, he spat on the ground and made mud with the saliva and spread the mud on the man's eyes, 7 saying to him, "Go, wash in the pool of Siloam" (which means Sent). Then he went and washed and came back able to see. 8 The neighbors and those who had seen him before as a beggar began to ask, "Is this not the man who used to sit and beg?" 9 Some were saying, "It is he." Others were saying, "No, but it is someone like him." He kept saying, "I am the man." 10 But they kept asking him, "Then how were your eyes opened?" 11 He answered, "The man called Jesus made mud, spread it on my eyes, and said to me, 'Go to Siloam and wash.' Then I went and washed and received my sight." 12 They said to him, "Where is he?" He said, "I do not know."13 They brought to the Pharisees the man who had formerly been blind. 14 Now it was a sabbath day when Jesus made the mud and opened his eyes. 15 Then the Pharisees also began to ask him how he had received his sight. He said to them, "He put mud on my eyes. Then I washed, and now I see." 16 Some of the Pharisees said, "This man is not from God, for he does not observe the sabbath." But others said, "How can a man who is a sinner perform such signs?" And they were divided. 17 So they said again to the blind man, "What do you say about him? It was your eyes he opened." He said, "He is a prophet."18 The Jews did not believe that he had been blind and had received his sight until they called the parents of the man who had received his sight 19 and asked them, "Is this your son, who you say was born blind? How then does he now see?" 20 His parents answered, "We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind; 21 but we do not know how it is that now he sees, nor do we know who opened his eyes. Ask him; he is of age. He will speak for himself." 22 His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jews; for the Jews had already agreed that anyone who confessed Jesus to be the Messiah would be put out of the synagogue. 23 Therefore his parents said, "He is of age; ask him."24 So for the second time they called the man who had been blind, and they said to him, "Give glory to God! We know that this man is a sinner." 25 He answered, "I do not know whether he is a sinner. One thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see." 26 They said to him, "What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?" 27 He answered them, "I have told you already, and you would not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you also want to become his disciples?" 28 Then they reviled him, saying, "You are his disciple, but we are disciples of Moses. Support the showInterested in sponsoring an episode of Scripture First?Email Sarah at sarah@lhos.org or visit our donation page: lutherhouseofstudy.org/donate

Hi, gang; it's nice to be back among the land of the living and (mostly) to have my voice back! Thanks for the notes of encouragement last week.I'm going to continue with the updated format we rolled out last week, giving some summaries of the texts for this Sunday, along with some preaching notes and such. As always, I truly welcome your feedback as to what is helpful and what is not — particularly. So, away we go! “The Great One” aka Jackie Gleason demonstrating his Away We Go poseRCL Texts1 Samuel 16:1–13God sends Samuel to Bethlehem to anoint a new king from Jesse's sons. Samuel assumes the oldest, strongest-looking son must be the one, but God interrupts that instinct: “The Lord does not see as mortals see… the Lord looks on the heart.” One by one, the obvious candidates pass by. Finally David, the youngest, is brought in from tending sheep, and God says, “Rise and anoint him.” The Spirit rushes upon David from that day forward. The passage confronts human fixation on appearance, status, and first impressions, and it highlights God's freedom to choose the overlooked.Preaching note:God's election disrupts our ranking systems. The text is not anti-giftedness; it is anti-reduction of people to image, polish, or social weight.Pastoral caution:Don't weaponize “God looks at the heart” to dismiss responsible leadership discernment or to romanticize inexperience.Application move:Invite the congregation to reconsider one person they have underestimated — in church, family, or community — and pray for eyes trained by God rather than by appearance.Psalm 23This psalm speaks in intimate trust: the Lord is shepherd, host, guide, and protector. It moves from green pastures to dark valleys without pretending the valley is unreal. God's presence is not only for peaceful seasons but also for threatening ones: “You are with me.” The tone shifts from third person (“he”) to second person (“you”) in the valley, suggesting nearness in trouble. The psalm ends not with escape from life but with confident belonging — dwelling in God's house, held by goodness and mercy.Preaching note:Psalm 23 is not sentimental denial. It names threat and still confesses trust because God is near, not because life is easy.Pastoral caution:Avoid using this psalm to force quick comfort on grieving people (“you should feel peaceful by now”).Application move:Offer a breath prayer for anxious moments this week:Inhale: “You are with me.”Exhale: “I will not fear.”Ephesians 5:8–14Paul reminds believers of identity and calling: “Once you were darkness, but now in the Lord you are light.” Not merely “in darkness,” but darkness — a condition now transformed by Christ. Because of that change, the church is to “live as children of light,” producing goodness, justice, and truth. The passage rejects unfruitful works of darkness and calls for discernment about what pleases the Lord. The closing line (“Sleeper, awake… and Christ will shine on you”) sounds like a baptismal wake-up call: step out of hiddenness and into Christ's illuminating life.Preaching note:Paul roots ethics in identity. We don't behave into belonging; we live differently because we already belong to Christ.Pastoral caution:Don't preach “light vs darkness” in ways that fuel self-righteousness or stigmatize those in depression, doubt, or struggle.Application move:Ask people to choose one concrete “light practice” for Lent: truth-telling, restitution, reconnection, or daily examen before bed.John 9:1–41Jesus sees a man blind from birth, and the disciples ask whose sin caused it. Jesus refuses that blame framework and says God's works will be revealed. He heals the man with mud and water, sending him to wash in Siloam. As the man gains sight, conflict escalates: neighbors debate, religious leaders investigate, parents fear social consequences, and the healed man grows bolder in testimony. Ironically, those who claim spiritual sight become harder and more blind, while the one once blind comes to faith and worship. The story is about more than physical healing; it is about revelation, courage, and the cost of confessing Jesus.Preaching note:Jesus rejects simplistic blame and restores dignity. The healed man's journey moves from partial understanding to public witness to worship.Pastoral caution:Do not imply disability is a spiritual object lesson or punishment. The text centers Jesus' works, not human fault.Application move:Challenge the church to interrupt blame-language this week (“Who caused this?”) and replace it with mercy-language (“How can God's care show up here?”).An optional sermon outline (with illustration ideas)“From Blind Assumptions to Living in the Light”Core Claim: God sees truly, stays near, and calls us to walk in Christ's light.1) God Sees What We MissText: 1 Samuel 16:1–13• Samuel looks at appearance; God looks at the heart.• David is overlooked, yet chosen and anointed.• Lent confronts our habit of judging by surface: polish, confidence, résumé, class, age.Preaching move:Name the church's temptation to mistake visibility for calling.Illustration #1 (Hiring Panel / Audition):A hiring committee nearly rejects a candidate because they're quiet and unimpressive in first-round small talk. But their portfolio reveals deep wisdom and consistency. The “obvious” pick had charisma; the right pick had substance.Point: We often confuse presentation with depth.───2) God Is With Us in the Valley, Not Just Beyond ItText: Psalm 23• The psalm includes both green pastures and dark valleys.• The turning point is not changed scenery but changed presence: “You are with me.”• Lent teaches trust in God's companionship when outcomes are unresolved.Preaching move:Pastor people away from shallow optimism toward durable trust.Illustration #2 (Night Drive in Fog):Driving in dense fog, you can't see far ahead. You move safely not because you can see the whole road, but because headlights give enough light for the next stretch.Point: God often gives “next-step” light, not full-map certainty.───3) Christ Moves Us from Blame to WitnessTexts: Ephesians 5:8–14; John 9:1–41• Disciples ask, “Who sinned?” Jesus refuses blame logic.• Healing leads to conflict, interrogation, and eventually worship.• Paul: “You were darkness, now you are light… live as children of light.”• Christian maturity means truthfulness, courage, and mercy—not scapegoating.Preaching move: Call the church to be a community where people are restored, not reduced.Illustration #3 (Recovery Story / Public Testimony):A person in recovery says, “People used to ask what was wrong with me. A mentor asked what happened to me and what healing might look like.” That shift changed everything.Point: Blame imprisons; grace opens a future.───Conclusion / InvitationThis week, invite the congregation to:1. Re-examine one judgment they've made by appearance.2. Pray Psalm 23 daily in one anxious moment (“You are with me”).3. Replace blame with witness in one hard conversation (“How might Christ bring light here?”).Narrative Lectionary TextJohn 18:28–40 (Jesus and Pilate)Jesus is brought from the religious hearing to the Roman governor's headquarters. The leaders avoid ritual defilement so they can eat Passover, while simultaneously pressing for Jesus' execution — a sharp irony about outward purity and inward injustice. Pilate questions Jesus: “Are you the King of the Jews?” Jesus reframes kingship: his kingdom is “not from this world,” meaning it does not arise from coercion, violence, or imperial logic. He says he came to testify to the truth, and those who belong to the truth listen to his voice. Pilate responds with the famous, evasive question: “What is truth?” Though Pilate repeatedly signals Jesus' innocence, he yields to crowd pressure and offers the Passover release choice. The crowd chooses Barabbas, and Jesus is rejected. The scene exposes political fear, compromised leadership, and the quiet authority of Christ's truth.Preaching note:The passage is not mainly about a private religious dispute; it is about the collision between God's truth and public systems of power. Jesus is not passive — he is clear, composed, and sovereign even while being judged.Pastoral caution:Avoid preaching this text in a way that collapses into anti-Jewish blame. The Gospel scene includes multiple compromised actors (religious and political), and the deeper diagnosis is human fear and sin across the board.Application move:Invite the congregation to examine one place this week where they are tempted to choose convenience over truth — then take one concrete step of truthful speech or faithful action.Psalm 145:10–13 (Optional NL Psalm)These verses are a doxology of God's kingship. All creation blesses God; the faithful speak of God's glory so that all people may know God's mighty acts. The kingdom of God is described as everlasting and enduring through every generation. In context with John 18, the psalm functions as a theological contrast: earthly rulers protect fragile power, but God's reign is steady, trustworthy, and not subject to panic or spin.Preaching note:The psalm gives the church its public vocabulary: we announce God's reign not as propaganda, but as testimony to God's enduring character.Pastoral caution:Don't turn “God's kingdom” into partisan language or culture-war slogans. The text points to God's universal, generational, mercy-shaped reign.Application move:Give a simple Lenten practice: each day name one headline-driven fear, then pray, “Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom; steady my heart in your rule.”Optional Sermon Outline “What Is Truth? Christ's Kingdom in a Fearful World”Core Claim: When fear distorts judgment, Jesus remains the truthful King, and the church is called to bear witness to God's enduring kingdom.1) Religious Appearance Can Hide Moral CompromiseText: John 18:28–32• Leaders avoid ritual defilement before Passover, yet pursue an unjust outcome.• John exposes the disconnect between external purity and internal posture.• Lent calls us to integrity, not image-management.Preaching move:Name how easy it is to keep religious habits while avoiding hard obedience.Suggested illustration #1 (Polished Exterior):A house can have a freshly painted front porch while the foundation quietly cracks.Point: Cosmetic faith is not structural faith.───2) Jesus Redefines Kingship Through Truth, Not ForceText: John 18:33–38a• Pilate asks political questions; Jesus gives theological answers.• “My kingdom is not from this world” = not sourced by domination, manipulation, or violence.• Jesus' mission: “to testify to the truth.”• “Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice.”Preaching move:Show that Christian allegiance is formed by Christ's voice before it is shaped by public anxiety.Suggested illustration #2 (Tuning Fork):A tuning fork sets the reference pitch; every instrument must tune to it or the whole ensemble drifts.Point: Christ is the reference tone for truth; without him, we normalize dissonance.───3) Fear Chooses Barabbas, but God's Kingdom EnduresText: John 18:38b–40 + Psalm 145:10–13• Pilate knows Jesus is innocent but caves to pressure.• The crowd chooses Barabbas — immediate control over inconvenient truth.• Psalm 145 counters this instability: God's kingdom is everlasting, generation to generation.• The church's task: speak of that kingdom clearly and calmly.Preaching move: Call the congregation from reactive fear to steady witness.Suggested illustration #3 (News Cycle vs. Bedrock):Headlines change by the hour; bedrock does not.Point: Public narratives shift fast, but God's reign is not up for reelection.───Conclusion / InvitationThis week, invite people to three responses:1. Confession: Where am I curating appearances instead of walking in truth?2. Discernment: Which voice is shaping my fear most — Christ's or the crowd's?3. Witness: One concrete act of truth-telling, mercy, or courage in Christ's name. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit lectionarypro.substack.com

Jeff dives into Chapter 9 of John today. John 9 recounts Jesus healing a man born blind by applying mud and instructing him to wash in the pool of Siloam, demonstrating God's power and the faith of the blind man.

Faith For Our Covenant Rights (1) (audio) David Eells 2/25/26 I want to talk to you today about some possible misconceptions some of God's people may have regarding receiving God's blessings and why some people don't receive them when they are prayed for.   Satan Reads Minds & Inserts Thoughts I was asked this question: Can you substantiate in Scripture where it is written that Satan can put thoughts into our minds? My answer was: In order for Satan to put thoughts into our minds, he would also have to be able to read our minds. I will try to explain this in a moment, but first, you might want to entertain another question: Can anyone substantiate with Scripture that Satan cannot put thoughts into our minds or read our minds? Since we can't do this, then we shouldn't believe it because it is not Scriptural. It says in (1Ch.28:9) ... The Lord searcheth all hearts, and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts... In the spirit realm, thoughts are audible to the mind of God and demons. God and demons can, in turn, impart the gift to read minds. I have read the thoughts of men by the power of the Holy Spirit. A man once asked me if I knew what he was thinking. At that moment the Holy Spirit gave it to me, and for several minutes the man was awed at the power of God. Also, when I first went to a full gospel Church I witnessed Christians attempting to exorcise a demon-possessed man who thought he was a woman. He also demonstrated the ability to read minds when the unbelieving Christians asked for a demonstration. He did say that it was easier to read the mind of one person there and pointed to the only person there who was not filled with the Spirit, even though he did not personally know anyone there. Familiar spirits or spirits of divination in magicians, wizards, mediums, etc., have demonstrated the power to read minds in front of audiences of people. We wrestle with principalities and powers in the mind. The Bible says in Eph.6:11 Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12 For our wrestling is not against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the world-rulers of this darkness, against the spiritual [hosts] of wickedness in the heavenly [places].... 17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. We see here that with the renewed mind of the Word, our thoughts are guarded as with a helmet because we won't accept foreign thoughts. We learn to discern the illegal thoughts of the enemy. Then we are able to take back our thoughts (by repenting and agreeing with the Word) and we cast the enemy's thoughts down. 2Co.10:3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh 4 (for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but mighty before God to the casting down of strongholds), (The principalities and powers hold the strongholds in the thoughts of the mind.) 5 casting down imaginations (thoughts and images), and every high thing that is exalted against the knowledge of God, and bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ. We win the battle by rejecting the enemy's thoughts and replacing them with God's thoughts. We are at peace with God when we are full of His thoughts, and our minds are guarded from the demonic attacks that, if heeded, cause outward actions of sin. We are told in Php.4:6-7 In nothing be anxious; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. 7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall guard your hearts and your thoughts in Christ Jesus. Satan is able to insert thoughts within our thoughts. Act.5:3 But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thy heart to lie to the Holy Spirit, and to keep back [part] of the price of the land? and also 1Ch.21:1 And Satan stood up against Israel, and moved David to number Israel. Now, here we can use a little Holy Spirit reasoning. How could Satan insert his thoughts in the midst of our thoughts unless he knows the context of our thoughts? If you went into your computer to edit a paragraph, how could you do this if you couldn't read the original? How could you insert the right text unless you could read the context of the original thoughts? If you just inserted words anywhere without knowing the context, you would make a nonsensical statement, and anyone would know that someone inserted something that was out of place. So it is with us. If Satan or demons inserted something that didn't fit the context of our thoughts, then everyone would know that they are at work. They do their best work undercover, and they know it; they're crafty and work to deceive us. How would Satan be able to tempt us if he were so dysfunctional? We would know it was him immediately. How then would it be a temptation? Now, here is the really important thing. Our battle does not depend on whether the enemy can read our minds or not. It depends on what he can do about what we know. When we read the Book of Job, we can clearly see that God put restrictions on Satan's ambitions for Job. Satan has to obey God's rules of engagement even when he knows what we think. Satan admits he did not have the power to get at Job because of God's hedge around him, and the same is true of us. Job.1:9 Then Satan answered the Lord, and said, Doth Job fear God for naught? 10 Hast not thou made a hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath, on every side? thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land. It is not important for our thoughts to be hidden from the enemy when he can do nothing about them. And he can do nothing about our thoughts unless by them we give him permission, for we have authority over him. Luk.10:19 Behold, I have given you authority to tread upon serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall in any wise hurt you. 20 Nevertheless in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rejoice that your names are written in heaven. It doesn't matter what the demons know that we know, for as sons of God we are their lords just as it was with Jesus. Joh.20:21 Jesus therefore said to them again, Peace [be] unto you: as the Father hath sent me, even so send I you. Mat.18:18 Verily I say unto you, what things soever ye shall bind (forbid) on earth shall be bound (forbidden) in heaven; and what things soever ye shall loose (permit) on earth shall be loosed (permitted) in heaven. Our faith permits the sovereignty of God to be manifest through the Body of Christ and forbids Satan, no matter what he knows of our thoughts. Jesus' condition for receiving His benefits is plain: “As thou hast believed, [so] be it done unto thee” and “According to your faith be it done unto you” and “Thy faith hath made thee whole”. As we believe, God's benefits will be given. Unbelieving thoughts and actions forbid God's benefits to us because He has made a condition, and He cannot lie. Unbelief permits Satan to continue administering the curse. Mar.6:5 And he could there do no mighty work, save that he laid his hands upon a few sick folk, and healed them. 6 And he marvelled because of their unbelief. So we see that even Jesus was forbidden to do mighty works for those who would not believe. Whether we know it or not, we are constantly forbidding or permitting Satan, demons, and God's angels by our thoughts, words, and actions. Since all authority in heaven and earth was given to Jesus and He, in turn delegated it to His disciples, where does Satan get his authority? He gets it from our unbelief, words, and disobedience. If the devil can convince you to listen and accept his thoughts of doubt, worry, fear, anger, etc., you won't be able to stand against him with faith. When we add to or take away from God's Word in thought and deed, this permits the curse by Satan and forbids God's blessings for us or through us. This is by God's design to motivate us to come into agreement with Him. It clearly says in Rev.22:18 I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, if any man shall add unto them, God shall add unto him the plagues which are written in this book (19) and if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the tree of life, and out of the holy city, which are written in this book. So, in coming into agreement with God, we forbid Satan to administer the curse to us. In order to win this battle, we have to cast down the thoughts of Satan that he sends our way, which would otherwise give him permission to destroy us. So again, 2Co.10:3-5 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh 4 (for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but mighty before God to the casting down of strongholds), 5 casting down imaginations, and every high thing that is exalted against the knowledge of God, and bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ. Here's another misconception. Many think that the reason God gives the gift of tongues is so that Satan cannot understand what we say to God, and his purposes will be thwarted. This is false. Satan and his fallen angels are much smarter than Christians give them credit for. They certainly know the “tongues of men and of angels,” or they couldn't communicate with one another and put their thoughts in our heads. 1Co.13:1 If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am become sounding brass, or a clanging cymbal. When prophecy is uttered in one's own known language, the mind, doctrine, and desires are permitted to be involved in what is said, and the Word is polluted as it says in 1Cor.13:9 “for we know in part, and we prophesy in part”. In other words, the Prophecy can be part God and part man. However, the reason we speak with tongues is so that WE will not know what we are saying and will have no carnal reason to change it or add to it. In this way, it will be a pure Word given of the Spirit. The Bible says in Rom.8:26 And in like manner the Spirit also helpeth our infirmity (We have problems sometimes and we don't see the things we need to see. We don't know ourselves as well as we may think we do.): for we know not how to pray as we ought; (It is so true! God gives us the gift of speaking in tongues because we don't know what we should pray, but the Spirit does know what to pray. The apostle Paul really appreciated this gift, and he said, 1Co.14:18 I thank God, I speak with tongues more than you all.); Continuing in Rom.8:26 but the Spirit himself maketh intercession for [us] with groanings which cannot be uttered (that is by man); 27 and he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to [the will of] God. So once again, we gain wisdom concerning the work of the Holy Spirit in us in how to defeat the enemy.   Faith in Balance Another misconception some people may have is how they use faith for things that they don't understand are wrong; things that are not good for us or others. Mar.16:17 And these signs shall accompany them that believe... 18 they shall take up serpents, and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall in no wise hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover. Should we always eat what we want, drink what we want, and breathe what we want because we are not under the curse, according to Galatians 3:13? Possibly the key words here are “what we want,” not “what we need”. God said He would supply our every need. Some think that because we are not under the curse, we shouldn't tell people that certain things are poisonous to their bodies. Where is the balance here? No one should tempt God by taking poison on purpose when there is a choice. That is like the snake handlers who often die tempting God to prove who they are. Permit me to paraphrase the devil when he tempted Jesus: “Throw yourself off this temple, Jesus, because God said the angels would catch you”. His answer was, “You shall not tempt the Lord your God”. Like the angels' promise, God also said you are not under the curse. Does that mean you should put poison in your mouth on purpose when you have a choice not to? That would be tempting God in the exact same way. Notice the devil tempted Jesus to use His promise of protection and His deliverance from the curse to jump off the temple. He tempts you to use your promise of protection and eat known poisons for no purpose, or eat after your own lusts. There is no difference, unless that is all you have to eat, like the man who said to Elisha, “There is death in the pot,” because, in their foraging for food, poisonous gourds had been thrown in the pot. Since that is what they had to eat, he blessed it, and they ate it. When I lived in Pensacola, I drank the water there, I've driven my motorcycle through the chemtrails, and I ate whatever food was put before me because I needed to and was blessed. I knew an otherwise strong Christian who believed with all his heart that he could eat anything he wanted because he was not under the curse. I agreed with the principle, but not the way he was using it to justify his lustful eating habits. He was using the doctrine to eat in an unhealthy manner, and he was overweight and under-exercised. To make a long story short, he died with his arteries clogged and dying because of a lack of circulation. And he confessed constantly that it was all good and he wasn't under the curse. The Lord said we ask and don't receive because we want to consume it upon our lusts. The demons jumped on the seven sons of Sceva, who thought they had protection, but their own lives were not right with God, and so they were under the curse. The promise that ‘if you drink any deadly thing it will not harm you' is for those who have to drink the water they have and eat the food available to them, like when Moses blessed the bitter waters in the barren wilderness. When we are given poison secretly to kill us, as ‘the powers that be' are doing now, we are protected. When we know about it and have a choice between poison and pure, we should choose that which is pure. Of course, if you have something to prove, like the devil was tempting Jesus by saying, “If you are the Son of God,” prove who you are. Jesus had no such lust, and He proved it. There was another way down from that temple roof. Some religious people today would say to someone like him, “You don't have any faith”. But Who is the teacher here? The man who said there was death in the pot was not wrong. Now they had a choice to make: believe God if you need to eat or opt out if you don't believe. Many Christians don't truly believe that God will protect them from poison. Should we just let them die because they do not believe in God's promise? Is it all right to say to them, there is death in the pot? They would die and never have a chance to grow up and learn that they are not under the curse. The Lord said in Hosea 4:6 that His people would die for lack of understanding. Let us have mercy on them and tell them with grace and wisdom that fluoride, chemtrails, chemotherapy, and many drugs they take, etc., are poison. “Cursed is the man that trusteth in man.” But should they be forced to take them or deceived into taking them, they should believe they are not under the curse. Now we know serpents are also demons, but Paul did not take up that serpent on purpose. It bit him, but when it happened, he shook it off by faith and was none the worse in Acts 28:3. I knew a couple who believed they were not under the curse, but they were under a law of their own making, instead of grace through faith; they were under pride, Jezebel and worshiped a false Jesus. God didn't care what their doctrine was; He refused to answer and protect them. In short, walk in holiness and under the protection of God, but don't try to prove who you are in pride, don't put yourself under a law, and don't be competitive with others, for God will humble you. We are not looking to make or find the line in this balance for others; we just share Biblical principles to help them find balance. Let everyone find their own line in their conscience and according to the measure of their faith. We don't want to be caught making laws for others here. Those who truly trust in the Lord are covenant people.   Covenant People Have Rights through Faith Some time ago, I received an email from a brother who was following a man who taught his followers that we should heal everyone like Jesus did. I responded to him with the following: First of all, I am glad for all the people who get healed. By the grace of God, what this brother teaches is right. I have taught for over 55 years with multitudes saved, healed, delivered from demons, and provided for by many kinds of miracles, even physical creations, resurrections, etc.; many were by phone or online, etc. I have searched the scriptures diligently for over 50 years, and there are many that this brother does not consider and put into his puzzle. In his video, he says, “There are no verses that say a person's unbelief will stop them from getting healed.” He has not believed his Bible, throwing out all verses that do not agree with his theory, just like the people he criticizes. According to Jesus, both the minister should have faith AND the one being ministered to. Here are just a few scriptures that come to me quickly: Rom.1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. Mar.9:22 And oft-times it hath cast him both into the fire and into the waters, to destroy him: but if thou canst do anything, have compassion on us, and help us. 23 And Jesus said unto him, If thou canst! All things are possible to him that believeth. 24 Straightway the father of the child cried out, and said, I believe; help thou mine unbelief. 25 And when Jesus saw that a multitude came running together, he rebuked the unclean spirit, saying unto him, Thou dumb and deaf spirit, I command thee, come out of him, and enter no more into him. 26 And having cried out, and torn him much, he came out: and the boy became as one dead; insomuch that the more part said, He is dead. But Jesus showed them not so. Mar.6:4 And Jesus said unto them, A prophet is not without honor, save in his own country, and among his own kin, and in his own house. 5 And he could there do no mighty work, save that he laid his hands upon a few sick folk, and healed them. 6 And he marvelled because of their unbelief. And he went round about the villages teaching. Luk.8:47 And when the woman saw that she was not hid, she came trembling, and falling down before him declared in the presence of all the people for what cause she touched him, and how she was healed immediately. 48 And he said unto her, Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace. 49 While he yet spake, there cometh one from the ruler of the synagogue's house, saying, Thy daughter is dead; trouble not the Teacher. 50 But Jesus hearing it, answered him, Fear not: only believe, and she shall be made whole. 51 And when he came to the house, he suffered not any man to enter in with him (none who disbelieve), save Peter, and John, and James, and the father of the maiden and her mother. Mat.8:13 And Jesus said unto the centurion, Go thy way; as thou hast believed, so be it done unto thee. And the servant was healed in that hour. Mat.9:29 Then touched he their eyes, saying, According to YOUR faith be it done unto you. Real faith puts us in covenant rights. Mat.21:22 And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive. We cannot add to or take from God's Word under penalty of a curse (Revelation 22:18,19). So I told this brother who had been captured by a deceiving spirit, “You would do better to study where ALL the scripture is respected.” When Jesus went from town to town, He healed the people who came to Him. They came because they heard and believed He healed, or they would not have come. For this reason, Jesus rarely went to anyone to heal them. When He went to the pool of Siloam, He went to just one man and healed him because Father gave Him a word of knowledge. He healed no one else there. If Jesus wanted to heal everyone, why didn't He do it for all the rest lying around the pool, who were waiting for the waters to be troubled by the angel? Jesus can heal without faith in someone, but He doesn't have to because of the command for them to believe. This is the exception and not the rule. He requires faith, especially for those who know better. Babies get milk when they cry. Adults are expected to get it for themselves. So if you want to guarantee they have a right to healing, deliverance, and provision, preach the Gospel and see if they believe. This preacher did not do this and he mostly prayed to take pain away. He would ask specifically, “Does anyone have pain?” This may remove a symptom, which by nature, points people to the real disease that he is not dealing with.     Also, Jesus taught that if you don't forgive, you will not be forgiven. Addressing this man, I said, Your friend proved that in the video. When people forgave, they got their healing. He came to the wrong conclusion because he was not accepting all of the scriptures. I have seen the same thing for many years when people repent of willful disobedience, which always brings judgment; they get healed. Heb 10:26 For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more a sacrifice for sins, 27  but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and a fierceness of fire which shall devour the adversaries. Jesus taught that when a person is forgiven, they can be delivered from the tormentors, which are demons that bring spirits of infirmity.   He demonstrated this in Mat.9:6 But that ye may know that the Son of man hath authority on earth to forgive sins (then saith he to the sick of the palsy), Arise, and take up thy bed, and go up unto thy house. And Luk.5:24 But that ye may know that the Son of man hath authority on earth to forgive sins (he said unto him that was palsied), I say unto thee, Arise, and take up thy couch, and go unto thy house. The clear proof that they were forgiven was that they got healed, as Jesus said. Jesus showed that you can give healing or deliverance to even a child of God, but he will not keep it if he doesn't become a disciple and fill his heart with the Word. Mat.12:43-45 But the unclean spirit, when he is gone out of the man, passeth through waterless places, seeking rest, and findeth it not. 44 Then he saith, I will return into my house whence I came out; and when he is come, he findeth it empty, swept, and garnished. 45 Then goeth he, and taketh with himself seven other spirits more evil than himself, and they enter in and dwell there: and the last state of that man becometh worse than the first. Even so shall it be also unto this evil generation. Jesus said those who received these benefits from Him also lost them, and it's still true today. Your friend said that every time he prays, he will get healing, which is not true. As he was speaking, the Lord had me test him. He looked square into the camera, saying a person did not need faith; all they needed was his faith. He told the people to put their hands on their infirmity, and he would pray, so I did too. I put my hand on a small thing on myself that had not yet manifested. I was not believing when he prayed because he said it wasn't necessary. When he prayed, nothing happened to me, just like most of the people who watched that video. By the grace of God only, I have been praying for the sick, casting out demons and performing miracles of all kinds for about 55 years, and far less than 1% send me a testimony of their benefit, and most that are sent to us are not on our site. Here you can see that I have taught others to heal and see miracles of all kinds, and they, in turn, are teaching others. But we have to speak as Jesus did and the main condition is faith. I have also taught the real Gospel and the disciples have seen many saved. All the people your friend sends out to witness and heal have the same experience as you. Some are healed, and some are not, and they don't know why. They feel condemned because they haven't got enough faith. You say you believe this man is a Man-child. The Man-child will speak all of the Word and have all kinds of miracles like Jesus, not just the removal of pain, which he specializes in. Also, the Man-child will go to the covenant people and send disciples to the covenant people, just like Jesus the Man-child. History must repeat, or the Bible is wrong. When you speak the gospel FIRST to a person, and they believe it, they are a covenant believer, and they are entitled to healing, deliverance, and miracles. Jesus said, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel” (Matthew 15:24). They were the only ones who had the Covenant. The reason Jesus was healing all, which your group is not doing, is because He went to the people who had covenant rights of healing. Exo.15:26 and he said, If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of Jehovah thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his eyes, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of the diseases upon thee, which I have put upon the Egyptians: for I am Jehovah that healeth thee. Today, we offer healing, and if anyone believes the simple Gospel, they will receive. The Syrophoenician woman wanted healing for her daughter, but Jesus said, “It's not right to cast the children's bread to the dogs” (or unbelievers). She said, “But even the dogs get the crumbs that fall from the master's table”. Jesus said, “For this saying (of faith) go thy way; thy daughter is healed”. Jesus was bringing a New Covenant for all those who believe. They have a right to healing and deliverance. Also, notice the daughter had rights through the parents' faith. The centurion's servant had rights through his faith, as with Jairus' daughter. If they believe that they can heal everyone, why do they not go to the hospitals where the really sick people are and empty them? Taking pain away is one of the easiest things. Keep on preaching the Gospel, brother, but include all of the scriptures for more success. Read the free book on our site called The Real Good News. You will find many more scriptures there AND the real Gospel. Now, another area people may have a misunderstanding about is…   Repenting for Others and the Sins of the Parents I received this question from a sister and put my comments in red. She writes: I'm forwarding this to you as it is in line with your ministry. Personally, I have mixed emotions about it. On one hand, God said in the Old Testament that He no longer holds the sins of the Father against the children. My Reply: This is because for those who believe, Jesus broke the genetic curse of Adamic sin, which is passed on through the blood of parents. We had a woman in our assembly who adopted three babies from birth but didn't know the biological parents. As each child entered puberty, they started manifesting fornication, lying and stealing, and the mother was confused because she had raised them all to be Christians. She wanted to find out who the biological parents were and was able to because an HRS worker turned her back while she looked at their files. She went to see the mother and found out that she was just like the children with the same sins. Even though the parents did not raise these children, their sins were passed on through their blood. As we prayed for these children, God saved them and the genetic curse was broken. Now they do not suffer for the sins of their parents. Many Christians still suffer for the sins of their parents and need to believe the Gospel to be delivered. She continues: Eze.18:1 The word of Jehovah came unto me again, saying, 2 What mean ye, that ye use this proverb concerning the land of Israel, saying, The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children's teeth are set on edge? 3 As I live, saith the Lord Jehovah, ye shall not have [occasion] any more to use this proverb in Israel. My Reply: Those in true spiritual Israel are delivered from the sins of the parents by the blood of the Lamb. Jesus became a curse for us (Gal.3:13,14). She continues: Eze.18:20 The soul that sinneth, it shall die: the son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son; the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him. My Reply: “For each man shall bear his own burden” (Gal.6:5). She continues: That being so, then this admonition to repent of the sins of the Fathers before us, or we will be punished, seems contrary, although every generation has those who are prejudiced and mistreat others, for which they as individuals should repent. Is every generation of America going to have to repent for what their forefathers did? When does it end? My Reply: We can repent for the sins of our parents, which are genetically in us, but we cannot repent of their sins for them, as some say. Everyone has to repent for themselves. :o) A sister we know of thought this would work for the City of New Orleans, but God quickly told her that it would not. She continues: “We stopped over in New Orleans on July 2nd. We repented and interceded for that city. Afterwards as we turned to leave, the Lord spoke clearly to two of us. What He said to me was startling. He said, “I will destroy this city in a day!” Obviously, repenting for someone else doesn't work; two months later, the city was gone. (Hurricane Katrina)” My Reply: Some believe verses like this prove that to be a false doctrine. Neh.9:2 And the seed of Israel separated themselves from all foreigners, and stood and confessed their sins, and the iniquities of their fathers. This is for Christians who are separated from their nations. Our sins, which ARE the iniquities of our fathers in us, can be confessed and forsaken. She continues: Secondly, as one scripture verse points out, Psalm 130:3 If thou, Jehovah, shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand? The idea that Nashville, Las Vegas, or New Orleans are more sinful than other places is possible, but if God wants to, He could pick any big city and would be able to find enough reasons to punish the people therein. However, from the Old Testament, I get the impression that, in spite of men's sinfulness, God is looking for reasons to spare people, such as for the sake of any righteous persons therein. When messages calling for repentance come through, I take them seriously because I don't want to take a chance of destruction coming. My Reply: “The wicked is a ransom for the righteous” Pro.21:18. When God judges the wicked, the righteous get the fear of God and repent like when God judged Egypt, and Israel came out from among them. God is gathering sinners into cities to give a demonstration for the righteous, who, like Lot, will come out from among them. The judging of the wicked is a ransom, which is the price God is willing to pay for the righteous to be free from bondage. Ten judgments fell on Egypt, and Israel tempted God 10 times in the wilderness.

Top headlines for Monday, February 16, 2026In this episode, we explore Puerto Rico's new law redefining murder to include the killing of unborn babies, examine Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s striking claim that the fight against ultra-processed foods is “spiritual,” and take a journey along an ancient road from the Pool of Siloam to the Jerusalem Temple Mount, now open for the first time in centuries.00:11 Puerto Rico gives legal protection to unborn babies01:06 RFK Jr. says war against ultra-processed foods is 'spiritual'01:56 Pakistan: Landmark ordinance sets minimum age of marriage to 1802:48 Hundreds of Evangelicals share Gospel at Milano Cortina 202604:39 Newsom signs $90M 'emergency' funding bill for Planned Parenthood04:37 Less than a third of churchgoers read the Bible daily: Lifeway05:22 2,000-year-old Pilgrim's Path to Temple Mount opens in JerusalemSubscribe to this PodcastApple PodcastsSpotifyOvercastFollow Us on Social Media@ChristianPost on XChristian Post on Facebook@ChristianPostIntl on InstagramSubscribe on YouTubeGet the Edifi AppDownload for iPhoneDownload for AndroidSubscribe to Our NewsletterSubscribe to the Freedom Post, delivered every Monday and ThursdayClick here to get the top headlines delivered to your inbox every morning!Links to the NewsPuerto Rico gives legal protection to unborn babies | PoliticsRFK Jr. says war against ultra-processed foods is 'spiritual' | PoliticsPakistan: Landmark ordinance sets minimum age of marriage to 18 | WorldHundreds of Evangelicals share Gospel at Milano Cortina 2026 | WorldNewsom signs $90M 'emergency' funding bill for Planned Parenthood | PoliticsLess than a third of churchgoers read the Bible daily: Lifeway | Church & Ministries2,000-year-old Pilgrim's Path to Temple Mount opens in Jerusalem | World

What do we see when we encounter suffering, brokenness, or Jesus himself? One of our beloved mission partners in Edinburgh, Scotland, Caleb Shocklie, takes us on an exploration of John 9 invites us into the transformative moment when Jesus heals a man born blind—but it's about so much more than physical sight. We're challenged to examine four distinct perspectives: the blind man who must choose faith over familiarity, the disciples who seek someone to blame, the Pharisees who miss God's work because it doesn't match their expectations, and Jesus who sees opportunities for restoration everywhere. The blind man's journey from darkness to light mirrors our own spiritual awakening—he had to trust Jesus' strange instructions, go to the pool of Siloam, and wash away more than just mud. When we encounter Christ, everything changes: our priorities shift, our worldview transforms, and suddenly the comfortable life we knew feels like blindness compared to the abundant life He offers. The man lost everything when religious leaders cast him out, yet he gained infinitely more in knowing Jesus. This passage confronts us with an uncomfortable truth: we often live spiritually blind, settling for temporary satisfaction from money, power, or relationships, failing to see that only Christ offers lasting hope. The question echoes through our lives today—will we wipe away the mud and stay in comfortable darkness, or will we trust Jesus enough to step into the light, even when it costs us everything we thought we needed?

In this message delivered by Luke LeDesma, Pastor Treaster, and Pastor Wade, we are awakened to the truth that God has always provided a path—like the ancient Gihon spring—that draws us toward His throne, transforms our weakness into strength, and fills us with living water that now flows from within us. Through the stories of David conquering Jerusalem, Solomon’s coronation, Hezekiah’s chiseling of the tunnel, and Jesus healing the blind man at Siloam, we see a pattern: what begins as an external invitation becomes an internal reality as the Spirit and the Word carve out space in us for God’s life to flow freely. Though the enemy may mock us as “blind and lame,” we discover that our moments of mud, pressure, and chiseling are actually the very means by which God builds spiritual muscle and momentum in us. As we awaken to our identity as those who carry the living water, we rise—not just forgiven, but walking as kings, sources of life for our families, our community, and the world.

The ancient pilgrimage road, the road on which Jews, after purifying themselves at the Siloam spring pools, would ascend up to the Temple Mount 2,000 years ago, has now been opened to the general public after 13 years of excavations. Tour guide and archaeologist Danny “The Digger” Herman tells reporter Arieh O’Sullivan about the history of the road and what to expect to see in Jerusalem’s newest attraction. (photo: Yonatan Sindel/flash90)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

John 9 : 1 - 38 1 Now as Jesus passed by, He saw a man who was blind from birth. 2 And His disciples asked Him, saying, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?" 3 Jesus answered, "Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but that the works of God should be revealed in him. 4 I must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work. 5 As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world." 6 When He had said these things, He spat on the ground and made clay with the saliva; and He anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay. 7 And He said to him, "Go, wash in the pool of Siloam" (which is translated, Sent). So he went and washed, and came back seeing. 8 Therefore the neighbors and those who previously had seen that he was blind said, "Is not this he who sat and begged?" 9 Some said, "This is he." Others said, "He is like him." He said, "I am he." Glory be to God forever.

SCRIPTURE- John 9:11He replied, "The man called Jesus made clay and anointed my eyes and told me, ‘Go to Siloam and wash.' So I went there and washed and was able to see."REFLECTION- PeggyMUSIC- "Holy, Holy" by Tim Janus- "Open the Eyes of My Heart, Lord" by Michael W. SmithNOTES-PRAYER OF LETTING GOTo You do I belong, O God, into Your hands I surrender my life. Pour out Your Spirit upon me that I may love You perfectly, and serve You faithfully until my soul rests in You.

Tom Speaking at North Woods Community Church, Solon Springs, Wisconsin. What if God isn't distant—but closer than you've ever realized? In this powerful and Spirit-filled message, you're invited to pause, breathe, and remember a life-changing truth: God is here. Through Scripture, personal testimony, and prophetic insight, this episode explores the biblical promise that “there is a river whose streams make glad the city of God”—and that river is still flowing today. Drawing from Psalm 46 and Ezekiel 47, this teaching reveals the Holy Spirit as God's living river—bringing joy where there is heaviness, healing where there is brokenness, and hope where life feels dry or uncertain. Whether you feel ankle-deep in faith or ready for waters to swim in, this message calls you to go deeper, to cooperate with what God is doing, and to allow His presence to transform not only your life, but the world around you. You'll hear how revival always begins with relationship—being a friend of God—and how the river that flows from His presence is meant to move beyond the “temple” and reach families, communities, and nations. This is a message about destiny, renewal, and the unstoppable flow of God's Spirit. If you're longing for fresh joy, spiritual clarity, or a renewed sense of purpose, this episode is an invitation: get in the river—and let it rise This message was preached at North Woods Community Church, near the headwaters of the St. Croix River, an area which has received powerful prophecies of a great move of God before the return of the Lord. Enjoy the River! Notes: THERE IS A RIVER! There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy dwelling place of the Most High. God is in the midst of her; she will not be moved; God will help her in the early dawn. (Psalms 46:4-5, MEV). MT: God's river will flow through you in a greater way, and you will be part of His great plan to bring forth His presence and power … and to bring salvation to the earth. Two separate, almost identical prophecies given by two missionaries who did not know one another in 1948 predicted that just before Jesus returns there would be a great move of God beginning at the headwaters of the St. Croix and affecting the area 100 miles east and west of the entire St. Croix River, bringing salvation, healing, and restoration before the Lord returns. These prophecies stated that there would be miracles in finances, healing, and deliverance, as well as a return to biblical living. Your destiny… not just potential This charge I commit unto thee, son Timothy, according to the prophecies which went before on thee, that thou by them mightest war a good warfare; (1Timothy 1:18, KJV). Drink of the river. Swim in the river. Enjoy the river. Reach the world with the river. Ezekial 47:1-12 Increase  Jn 7:37-39 Come to me and drink A water libation ceremony, known in Judaism as Nissuch Ha-Mayim, was a joyous ritual during the ancient Jewish Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot) where priests would draw water from the Pool of Siloam and pour it onto the altar in the Temple, symbolizing prayers for rain and spiritual salvation. This popular, music-filled event featured processions, trumpets, and joyous crowds. Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation. (Isaiah 12:3, KJV). I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh. Acts 2:16-21 Rev 22:1-5 Pure river of the water of life; we are drinking of only the foretaste of heaven's river.

In this episode, Ronn and Mike look at John 9, reading through the extended story of the man born blind who is healed by Jesus. They discuss the significance of some of the interesting details of the story, including why Jesus patched the man's eyes with spittle, and why he had the man go a half-mile away to wash in the Pool of Siloam. Ronn recommended that the use of "sinner" in the story hearkens back to the OT understanding that this was a category akin to someone outside the covenant of Israel, as opposed to someone who simply was guilty of sin. Closing discussion noted how the man was led to confess to Jesus that he believed in the "Son of Man," a title reminiscent of Daniel 7's role of the messiah.

Tuesday – John 9:1-11As Jesus went along, he saw a man blind from birth. 2 His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”3 “Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him. 4 As long as it is day, we must do the works of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work. 5 While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”6 After saying this, he spit on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man's eyes. 7 “Go,” he told him, “wash in the Pool of Siloam” (this word means “Sent”). So the man went and washed, and came home seeing.8 His neighbors and those who had formerly seen him begging asked, “Isn't this the same man who used to sit and beg?” 9 Some claimed that he was.  Others said, “No, he only looks like him.” But he himself insisted, “I am the man.”10 “How then were your eyes opened?” they asked.11 He replied, “The man they call Jesus made some mud and put it on my eyes. He told me to go to Siloam and wash. So I went and washed, and then I could see.”5 While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”6 After saying this, he spit on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man's eyes. 7 “Go,” he told him, “wash in the Pool of Siloam” (this word means “Sent”). So the man went and washed, and came home seeing.8 His neighbors and those who had formerly seen him begging asked, “Isn't this the same man who used to sit and beg?” 9 Some claimed that he was.  Others said, “No, he only looks like him.” But he himself insisted, “I am the man.”

Gospel Daily with Josh Weidmann How Do I Dispell Darkness in my Life? Part 2Series: Seeing the Light Scripture: John 9:8-17 Episode: 496 Scripture Summary: In John 9:8–17, the man who was healed from blindness becomes the center of attention in his community. His neighbors and others who had seen him begging are amazed and confused—some doubt he is the same man, but he insists, "I am the man." When asked how he received his sight, he explains that Jesus made mud, put it on his eyes, and told him to wash in the Pool of Siloam, after which he could see. The people bring him to the Pharisees, who question him about the healing—especially because it occurred on the Sabbath, which sparks controversy. Some Pharisees accuse Jesus of breaking the Sabbath, while others wonder how a sinner could perform such miraculous signs. When they ask the healed man what he thinks of Jesus, he boldly replies, "He is a prophet." Key themes include: testimony of transformation, conflict over Sabbath traditions, growing recognition of Jesus' authority, and the courage to speak truth about Jesus.

Gospel Daily with Josh Weidmann How Do I Dispell Darkness in my Life? Part 1Series: Seeing the Light Scripture: John 9:8-17 Episode: 495 Scripture Summary: In John 9:8–17, the man who was healed from blindness becomes the center of attention in his community. His neighbors and others who had seen him begging are amazed and confused—some doubt he is the same man, but he insists, "I am the man." When asked how he received his sight, he explains that Jesus made mud, put it on his eyes, and told him to wash in the Pool of Siloam, after which he could see. The people bring him to the Pharisees, who question him about the healing—especially because it occurred on the Sabbath, which sparks controversy. Some Pharisees accuse Jesus of breaking the Sabbath, while others wonder how a sinner could perform such miraculous signs. When they ask the healed man what he thinks of Jesus, he boldly replies, "He is a prophet." Key themes include: testimony of transformation, conflict over Sabbath traditions, growing recognition of Jesus' authority, and the courage to speak truth about Jesus.

Gospel Daily with Josh Weidmann Christ Uses Our Healing or Waiting to Call Us to Greater Faith in Him, Part 2Series: Seeing the Light Scripture: John 9:1-7 Episode: 494 Scripture Summary: In John 9:1–7, Jesus encounters a man born blind, and His disciples ask whether the man's blindness was caused by his own sin or his parents' sin. Jesus replies that it was not due to sin, but so that the works of God might be displayed in him. He then declares, "I am the light of the world," and proceeds to heal the man in a unique way—by spitting on the ground, making mud, and applying it to the man's eyes. Jesus tells him to wash in the Pool of Siloam, and the man obeys—receiving his sight for the first time. Key themes include: God's purpose in suffering, Jesus as the light of the world, healing through faith and obedience, and the display of God's power in unexpected ways.

Gospel Daily with Josh Weidmann Christ Uses Our Healing or Waiting to Call Us to Greater Faith in Him, Part 1Series: Seeing the Light Scripture: John 9:1-7 Episode: 493 Scripture Summary: In John 9:1–7, Jesus encounters a man born blind, and His disciples ask whether the man's blindness was caused by his own sin or his parents' sin. Jesus replies that it was not due to sin, but so that the works of God might be displayed in him. He then declares, "I am the light of the world," and proceeds to heal the man in a unique way—by spitting on the ground, making mud, and applying it to the man's eyes. Jesus tells him to wash in the Pool of Siloam, and the man obeys—receiving his sight for the first time. Key themes include: God's purpose in suffering, Jesus as the light of the world, healing through faith and obedience, and the display of God's power in unexpected ways.

2 Chronicles 32 tells of Sennacherib's attack upon Israel and Judah. The year is BC 709. God has made provision for the defence of Jerusalem during a siege by its geography and the water course from outside the city to be secreted and channelled beneath the city emerging from the Gihon (the "Virgins' Fountain") to the Pool of Siloam. Hezekiah completes this magnificent engineering feat (one can walk its length today beneath Jerusalem). King Hezekiah has armed the people well, but more importantly he has fortified the faith of the nation. Sennacherib comes and blasphemes Yahweh, the living God. The general of the Assyrians seeks to undermine the courage of the defenders by speaking directly in Hebrew to the soldiers and people on the wall. Hezekiah makes it a matter of prayer to the Almighty. So, the invaders are doomed for it is not Judah who they will fight but their Almighty Sovereign. They fall in the siege not to shoot a single arrow. Overnight 185,000 Assyrians are slain. An added complication is that at this time king Hezekiah is fatally stricken with leprosy. God heals the faithful king and adds 15 years to Hezekiah's life (his prayer in Isaiah 38 should be read to appreciate his desperation and his gratitude). Many nations bring gifts on Hezekiah's recovery including ambassadors from Babylon. Sadly, king Hezekiah becomes lifted up in pride and shows the ambassadors what was to become Babylon's lure to destroy Jerusalem in about 100 years (see 2 Kings 20verses12-19 and meditate on the lessons Paul draws from this in 1 Timothy 6verses17-19.Daniel 12 explains to us of the time of the end when Michael (one like God) - the Lord Jesus Christ - stands up. It will be a 'time of trouble such as has never been'. But God's people will be delivered and the wise will shine as the stars (cp Matthew 13verses43). The understanding of the signs of the times would be concealed until the end time. From verses 5-12 Daniel is given a sequence of time periods which culminate in our era. Daniel himself is assured personally that at that time he would receive eternal life (cp Philippians 3verses7-11).We are told of the selection of Barnabas and Paul by God to undertake preaching as representatives of the ecclesia in Antioch in Syria. This chapter speaks of Saul's name being changed to Paul - meaning "little"; since he now saw himself in that way (see 1 Corinthians 15verses9). We see that Barnabas and Saul were chosen from a very select group of believers. Barnabas and Paul first sail to Cyprus - quite possibly where Barnabas has connections (he sold his land and business). It was here that the Apostles were aided by God in the face of a powerful enemy. From verses 13-52 we read of the Apostles' journeys to Perga and to Antioch in Pisidia. Antioch was in the mountainous region of Turkey. Paul appears to have been sick at this time. Ramsay speculates that it was perhaps malaria. Paul's address in the synagogue at Antioch is masterful and contains many echoes from Stephen's defence in Acts 7. In addition to bringing salient points from Israel's history to the fore - especially those which focus on the coming Messiah - Paul shows how the Scriptures (in particular Psalm 2; Psalm 16 and Isaiah 55) reveal that Christ would die and be raised to eternal life. Through the Lord Jesus Christ forgiveness of sins would be granted to those believing and accepting God's offer. The next Sabbath the entire city comes to hear Paul's message. The Jews stir up opposition and are denounced by Paul, who declares that from now on Paul and Barnabas would preach to the Gentiles. The Apostles left Antioch shaking the dust from their feet as the Lord Jesus had commanded his disciples to do in Matthew 10verses14).Thanks for joining us - we pray you found these comments helpful in your appreciation of God's words, join again tomorrow

Gospel Luke 13:1-9 Some people told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with the blood of their sacrifices. He said to them in reply,  “Do you think that because these Galileans suffered in this way  they were greater sinners than all other Galileans? By no means! But I tell you, if you do not repent, you will all perish as they did! Or those eighteen people who were killed  when the tower at Siloam fell on them— do you think they were more guilty  than everyone else who lived in Jerusalem? By no means! But I tell you, if you do not repent, you will all perish as they did!” And he told them this parable:  “There once was a person who had a fig tree planted in his orchard,  and when he came in search of fruit on it but found none, he said to the gardener, ‘For three years now I have come in search of fruit on this fig tree      but have found none. So cut it down. Why should it exhaust the soil?' He said to him in reply, ‘Sir, leave it for this year also,  and I shall cultivate the ground around it and fertilize it;  it may bear fruit in the future. If not you can cut it down.'” Reflection Jesus makes clear that there is a work that we have to do. He's not saying that we can judge the world and how God is working in the world, and why some things happen, and some people have different kind of the lives that we do. But he wants us to get back to something so basic. You are on this planet to grow and to evolve and to change. To be transformed by his grace. And he says, if you don't do that, you will be destroyed by pride, greed, power over people. He doesn't want that to happen, but in telling people unless they change, they will be destroyed. He adds this wonderful disposition that he will never give up on us and he will continue to dig around us. Soil, fertilize us, water us, and pray and continue to work for our transformation. He is a loving God. When he warns us that we might be destroyed, he is there to do everything he can to make sure that doesn't happen. Closing Prayer Father, as we examine ourselves as we looked at our life and our choices, it's so important for us to see where we're off, where we're not functioning as God wants us to. Make us aware of our sinfulness. At the same time, bless us with his patience. His love, his continual forgiveness, and his nurturing Holy Spirit. And we ask this in Jesus' name, Amen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Some people told Jesus about the Galileanswhose blood Pilate had mingled with the blood of their sacrifices.He said to them in reply, “Do you think that because these Galileans suffered in this way they were greater sinners than all other Galileans?By no means!But I tell you, if you do not repent,you will all perish as they did!Or those eighteen people who were killed when the tower at Siloam fell on them—do you think they were more guilty than everyone else who lived in Jerusalem?By no means!But I tell you, if you do not repent,you will all perish as they did!”And he told them this parable: “There once was a person who had a fig tree planted in his orchard, and when he came in search of fruit on it but found none,he said to the gardener,‘For three years now I have come in search of fruit on this fig tree     but have found none.So cut it down.Why should it exhaust the soil?'He said to him in reply,‘Sir, leave it for this year also, and I shall cultivate the ground around it and fertilize it; it may bear fruit in the future.If not you can cut it down.'”

Daily Dose of Hope October 16, 2025   Scripture – John 7:25-53   Prayer:   Holy God, Help us sit and reflect on your presence. Jesus, we need you.  We go through our days distracted, sometimes even forgetting to pray or acknowledge you.  Help us to be aware of your presence, knowing that you walk with us every step of the way, guiding us and leading us in all our words, actions, and decisions.  We belong to you, Lord. Amen.   Welcome back to the Daily Dose of Hope, the devotional and podcast that complements the New Hope Church daily Bible reading plan.  We are currently doing a deep dive into the Gospels and Acts.  Today, we are finishing up John 7.   Today's reading is challenging.  We are still in Jerusalem at the Festival of the Tabernacles.  If you remember from yesterday's reading, Jesus has come to the festival later, trying to be discreet, but after a few days, he does begin to preach and teach.  The comments are flying.   I want to draw our attention to several verses that might be easy to skip over.  Verses 37-39 read, On the last and greatest day of the festival, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. 38 Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.”[c] 39 By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified.   Let's talk context.  According to the Mishnah, part of the oral tradition of Jewish law, water ceremonies are an important part of the festival celebrations on the last day.  A priest would draw water from the pool of Siloam, with a special golden pitcher and then take it back to the temple to pour into a silver bowl next the altar.  As the water was poured out, the priest would pray to God to send rain.  In some traditions, the water-drawing at the Festival of Tabernacles was interpreted as the drawing of the Holy Spirit.  So please know this was a really powerful moment.   It is hugely significant that Jesus, on this same day, says that whoever is thirsty should come to him and drink.  He continues that anyone who believes in him will have rivers of living water flowing within them.  Basically, and make sure you get this, Jesus is saying that those who drink of the water he gives will become sources of this living water.  It is similar to what he told the Samaritan woman in chapter 4 when Jesus tells her that those who drink of the water he gives will never be thirsty because he offers water that leads to eternal life.   In chapter 6, if you recall, Jesus called himself the bread of life.  Now, he offers living water that leads to quenches the deepest spiritual thirst.    What's kind of fascinating to me here is John's comment about the Spirit. He makes this connection between water and the Spirit.  John makes other connections between water and the Spirit (remember his discussion with Nicodemus in which he spoke of being born of water and the Spirit.). John says in this passage that up until this time the Spirit had not come because Jesus hadn't been glorified.  But John makes this strong suggestion that the living water Jesus is referring to is the Holy Spirit which is to come.  Believers will soon have the Holy Spirit in their physical body and that will fulfill all spiritual thirst.    Think about that.  If you have said yes to Jesus, then that means that the Spirit of the Living God is in you.  The same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead is in you.  That means the Spirit that fulfills all spiritual thirst is in you.  How does that sit with you?  Do you see how huge that is?   One small but important note.  Just because the Spirit had not yet come did not mean the Spirit did not yet exist.  We know that the Holy Spirit was with God in the beginning.  As the third person of the Trinity, the Spirit was present at creation, we see his presence throughout the Old Testament, and we see him descend like a dove on Jesus during his baptism.  But he would not be offered to the church until after Jesus was glorified and ascended into heaven.  Of course, it was on Pentecost, Acts 2, in which the Spirit comes, making an incredible scene, and indwells the believers.    As the chapter progresses, we see the Jews are debating amongst themselves.  We can sense the conflict rising between those who reject Jesus and those who believe he is Messiah.  The true conflict boils down to who is the most accurate in their scriptural interpretation.  We see this back and forth debate.  John, as author of this Gospel, is basically joining the debate, defending Jesus and making it clear that he is Messiah.    But the Jewish leaders are frustrated.  They want him arrested.  They want him out of their way.  They feel incredibly threatened by Jesus' claims and they want to shut him down.   More tomorrow.   Blessings, Pastor Vicki    

James talks with Debbie D’Souza (co-writer/co-director) about the new film The Dragon’s Prophecy—why the project accelerated after Oct 7th, how Revelation 12’s “dragon” frames Israel’s story, what recent archaeology (City of David’s Pilgrimage Road, Pool of Siloam, Tel Dan, etc.) says about the Bible’s historicity, and why the filmmakers went on location near Gaza and at the Nova site. To get tickets to The Dragon's Prophecy, visit: www.thedragonsprophecyfilm.com. You can also find information about the upcoming opportunities to stream the movie at home on the site. Subscribe to our YouTube channel

Click here for the DRB Daily Sign Up form! TODAY'S SCRIPTURE: Zechariah 7-9; Luke 13 Click HERE to give! Get Free App Here! One Year Bible Podcast: Join Hunter and Heather Barnes on 'The Daily Radio Bible' for a daily 20-minute spiritual journey. Engage with scripture readings, heartfelt devotionals, and collective prayers that draw you into the heart of God's love. Embark on this year-long voyage through the Bible, and let each day's passage uplift and inspire you. TODAY'S EPISODE: Welcome to the Daily Radio Bible, where we journey together through the pages of scripture and let the Word point us to the Living Word—Jesus himself. In today's episode for September 30th, our host Hunter invites us to warm our hearts by the fires of God's love as we read from Zechariah 7–9 and Luke 13. We'll witness powerful prophecies of restoration and hope in Zechariah, and hear Jesus challenge our assumptions about tragedy and repentance in Luke. As Hunter reflects, the headlines of both the ancient and modern world often declare that "the world is falling down," but Jesus brings good news—a kingdom that is rising up in the midst of brokenness. With gentle encouragement, Hunter leads us to consider our own need for God's renewing grace, to trust in the hope he offers, and to join in prayer for our world, our families, and our own hearts. So whether this is your first day or your twelfth year with us, settle in as we center our lives on the One who holds all things together. TODAY'S DEVOTION: The world is falling down. Those are the headlines—then and now. Tragedy, disaster, violence—they fill the news and our lives with sorrow and confusion. When Jesus looked at the headlines of his own day, he spoke of Galileans killed by Pilate, and of people crushed when a tower fell in Siloam. He posed the question many of us have probably wondered: Were their suffering and deaths the sign that they were the worst sinners? Was this God's judgment against them, or a measure of their worth in God's eyes? But Jesus turns our thinking upside down. He tells us no, their suffering was not because they were the worst, or because God didn't care, or that they were unimportant to Him. The world is broken, Jesus says. Towers fall, tragedy strikes, death comes—sometimes seemingly at random, sometimes to the pious and sometimes to the publican. This is the world we inhabit: a world fallen, groaning, filled with loss. But Jesus is not content just to comment on the news. He proclaims something entirely new: The kingdom of God is rising up. Where the world falls, God's kingdom grows. The kingdom is like a gardener, patient with a barren fig tree, tending it, waiting for fruit. It's like a woman bent over for eighteen years, suddenly raised up and set free. It's like a tiny mustard seed that grows into a tree, so large that the birds can make their nests there. It's yeast, small and hidden at first, yet permeating the whole loaf. Jesus brings good news into this falling world. He goes to Jerusalem; He is lifted up on a cross for this very reason—that the world, broken and lost, could be made new. He offers hope: not just for the world, but for each of us, for our own broken souls. He calls us to repent, to turn to Him, to let Him meet our needs and restore what is shattered in us. This is our invitation—to center our lives on the good news of Jesus, to trust Him and join Him in His mission. We can participate with Him: shining light in the darkness, extending mercy and justice, and bearing witness to the kingdom rising up in a world that so desperately needs it. That's a prayer I have for my own soul. That's a prayer I have for my family, for my wife, my daughters, and my son. And that's a prayer I have for you. May it be so. TODAY'S PRAYERS: Lord God Almighty and everlasting father you have brought us in safety to this new day preserve us with your Mighty power that we might not fall into sin or be overcome by adversity. And in all we do, direct us to the fulfilling of your purpose  through Jesus Christ Our Lord amen.   Oh God you have made of one blood all the peoples of the earth and sent your blessed son to preach peace to those who are far and those who are near. Grant that people everywhere may seek after you, and find you. Bring the nations into your fold, pour out your Spirit on all flesh, and hasten the coming of your kingdom through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.   And now Lord,  make me an instrument of your peace.  Where there is hatred let me sow love. Where there is injury, pardon.  Where there is doubt, faith. Where there is despair, hope.  Where there is darkness, light.  And where there is sadness,  Joy.  Oh Lord grant that I might not seek to be consoled as to console. To be understood as to understand, to be loved as to love.  For it is in the giving that we receive, in the pardoning that we are pardoned, it is in the dying that we are born unto eternal life.  Amen And now as our Lord has taught us we are bold to pray... Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven, give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our tresspasses as we forgive those who trespass against us, and lead us not unto temptation, but deliver us from evil, for thine is the Kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen. Loving God, we give you thanks for restoring us in your image. And nourishing us with spiritual food, now send us forth as forgiven people, healed and renewed, that we may proclaim your love to the world, and continue in the risen life of Christ.  Amen.  OUR WEBSITE: www.dailyradiobible.com We are reading through the New Living Translation.   Leave us a voicemail HERE: https://www.speakpipe.com/dailyradiobible Subscribe to us at YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Dailyradiobible/featured OTHER PODCASTS: Listen with Apple Podcast DAILY BIBLE FOR KIDS DAILY PSALMS DAILY PROVERBS DAILY LECTIONARY DAILY CHRONOLOGICAL  

Click here for the DRB Daily Sign Up form! TODAY'S SCRIPTURE: Zechariah 7-9; Luke 13 Click HERE to give! Get Free App Here! One Year Bible Podcast: Join Hunter and Heather Barnes on 'The Daily Radio Bible' for a daily 20-minute spiritual journey. Engage with scripture readings, heartfelt devotionals, and collective prayers that draw you into the heart of God's love. Embark on this year-long voyage through the Bible, and let each day's passage uplift and inspire you. TODAY'S EPISODE: Welcome to the Daily Radio Bible, where we journey together through the pages of scripture and let the Word point us to the Living Word—Jesus himself. In today's episode for September 30th, our host Hunter invites us to warm our hearts by the fires of God's love as we read from Zechariah 7–9 and Luke 13. We'll witness powerful prophecies of restoration and hope in Zechariah, and hear Jesus challenge our assumptions about tragedy and repentance in Luke. As Hunter reflects, the headlines of both the ancient and modern world often declare that "the world is falling down," but Jesus brings good news—a kingdom that is rising up in the midst of brokenness. With gentle encouragement, Hunter leads us to consider our own need for God's renewing grace, to trust in the hope he offers, and to join in prayer for our world, our families, and our own hearts. So whether this is your first day or your twelfth year with us, settle in as we center our lives on the One who holds all things together. TODAY'S DEVOTION: The world is falling down. Those are the headlines—then and now. Tragedy, disaster, violence—they fill the news and our lives with sorrow and confusion. When Jesus looked at the headlines of his own day, he spoke of Galileans killed by Pilate, and of people crushed when a tower fell in Siloam. He posed the question many of us have probably wondered: Were their suffering and deaths the sign that they were the worst sinners? Was this God's judgment against them, or a measure of their worth in God's eyes? But Jesus turns our thinking upside down. He tells us no, their suffering was not because they were the worst, or because God didn't care, or that they were unimportant to Him. The world is broken, Jesus says. Towers fall, tragedy strikes, death comes—sometimes seemingly at random, sometimes to the pious and sometimes to the publican. This is the world we inhabit: a world fallen, groaning, filled with loss. But Jesus is not content just to comment on the news. He proclaims something entirely new: The kingdom of God is rising up. Where the world falls, God's kingdom grows. The kingdom is like a gardener, patient with a barren fig tree, tending it, waiting for fruit. It's like a woman bent over for eighteen years, suddenly raised up and set free. It's like a tiny mustard seed that grows into a tree, so large that the birds can make their nests there. It's yeast, small and hidden at first, yet permeating the whole loaf. Jesus brings good news into this falling world. He goes to Jerusalem; He is lifted up on a cross for this very reason—that the world, broken and lost, could be made new. He offers hope: not just for the world, but for each of us, for our own broken souls. He calls us to repent, to turn to Him, to let Him meet our needs and restore what is shattered in us. This is our invitation—to center our lives on the good news of Jesus, to trust Him and join Him in His mission. We can participate with Him: shining light in the darkness, extending mercy and justice, and bearing witness to the kingdom rising up in a world that so desperately needs it. That's a prayer I have for my own soul. That's a prayer I have for my family, for my wife, my daughters, and my son. And that's a prayer I have for you. May it be so. TODAY'S PRAYERS: Lord God Almighty and everlasting father you have brought us in safety to this new day preserve us with your Mighty power that we might not fall into sin or be overcome by adversity. And in all we do, direct us to the fulfilling of your purpose  through Jesus Christ Our Lord amen.   Oh God you have made of one blood all the peoples of the earth and sent your blessed son to preach peace to those who are far and those who are near. Grant that people everywhere may seek after you, and find you. Bring the nations into your fold, pour out your Spirit on all flesh, and hasten the coming of your kingdom through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.   And now Lord,  make me an instrument of your peace.  Where there is hatred let me sow love. Where there is injury, pardon.  Where there is doubt, faith. Where there is despair, hope.  Where there is darkness, light.  And where there is sadness,  Joy.  Oh Lord grant that I might not seek to be consoled as to console. To be understood as to understand, to be loved as to love.  For it is in the giving that we receive, in the pardoning that we are pardoned, it is in the dying that we are born unto eternal life.  Amen And now as our Lord has taught us we are bold to pray... Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven, give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our tresspasses as we forgive those who trespass against us, and lead us not unto temptation, but deliver us from evil, for thine is the Kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen. Loving God, we give you thanks for restoring us in your image. And nourishing us with spiritual food, now send us forth as forgiven people, healed and renewed, that we may proclaim your love to the world, and continue in the risen life of Christ.  Amen.  OUR WEBSITE: www.dailyradiobible.com We are reading through the New Living Translation.   Leave us a voicemail HERE: https://www.speakpipe.com/dailyradiobible Subscribe to us at YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Dailyradiobible/featured OTHER PODCASTS: Listen with Apple Podcast DAILY BIBLE FOR KIDS DAILY PSALMS DAILY PROVERBS DAILY LECTIONARY DAILY CHRONOLOGICAL  

The Gospel of John Week 13 Scripture: John 9:1-41. Pastor loves today's scripture and he shares it with great enthusiasm that will draw you right into the middle of this story! This story is a powerful story of Jesus healing a blind man. We will see tragedy, sorrow, wonder and even humor in this fascinating story. We will also see many amazing pictures of recent discoveries that will bring this story to life. Today's study opens with the story of a man blind from birth. Jesus in His love and compassion, heals this man. Jesus places mud on the man's eyes and sends him to the Pool of Siloam to wash the mud off his eyes, when he rinses them off, he is no longer blind.  Pastor shares many pictures showing the area in which this story takes place, an area that has been recently excavated. These pictures show where Jesus was walking, where He would have met up with the beggar, along with pics of the Pool of Siloam, Gilhon Spring, and Hezekiah's Tunnel.  
Pastor share how in the last 100 years things that have been hidden for century upon century are suddenly being uncovered.  Pastor shares how in these last days, God is pulling out all the stops for a world that is often skeptical and rebellious and saying, “See, this is what I did! And this is REAL!”  God is bringing a host of reminders, that this is not a story, this really happened, and that these events really did indeed take place. In this story we see once again that Jesus is doing really great God-things on the Sabbath.  Why? Because what he is doing is confronting the religious hypocrisy of His day, the kind of religion that wants to turn everything into a matter of rules and regulations which makes it all about me. And Jesus instead is calling us into relationship with Him. When human beings set up regulations that God has not set up, Jesus confronts them. His desire is to wake them up to the fact that religion is often the greatest opponent of God. When the religious leaders hear of the healing of the blind man, they interview him, his parents and then interview the healed man again. Jesus ends up being accused of breaking their man-made laws of having kneaded together the clay and put it on this man's face.  As our story ends, we see this man who was blind, but now sees, standing bravely before the religious leaders and he's not backing down from their onslaught of questions and accusations. The man tells the religious leaders, “Nobody has ever heard of opening the eyes of one born blind. If this man was not from God, he could do nothing. Open your eyes! Can't you see this?!” And then in anger they threw the healed man out of the temple - but then we read that Jesus found the healed man and asked him, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” The man replies, “Who is He? Tell me so I may believe in Him!” Jesus says, “You have now seen Him. In fact, He is the One now speaking with you.” Jesus reveals Himself to the man and the man replies, “Lord, I believe!” And he worshiped Jesus. Jesus wants  us to believe He is who He says He is, too!  He wants to hear each of us say to Him, “Lord, I believe!”   Jesus wants us to encounter Him. Just as this man who was blind, now sees, Jesus invites us to see Him, too. Our website – https://www.awakeusnow.com Watch the video from our website! https://www.awakeusnow.com/2-year-study-of-the-gospels-upper Watch the video from our YouTube Channel!! https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLTaaqrC3dMOzMkhPyiNWwlJRpV6Bwpu01     ⁃    The Gospel of John study is part five of five of our Two Year Study of the Gospels.      ⁃    The Gospel of John may be one of the most powerful books ever written. Many people have come to faith after reading only this book of the Bible.  Scholarly and archeological discoveries in recent decades give us new insight on details in the Gospel of John. We can now understand it as the most Jewish rather than the most “Gentile/Greek” of the Gospels, and when we do that we see many things that we missed before. Our 2 year study of the gospels is great for large group, small group or home group study and can be started at any time!

JOHN 9:1-16 - HEALING THE BLIND MAN - BRIAN SUMNER - 2025"Now as Jesus passed by, He saw a man who was blind from birth. 2 And His disciples asked Him, saying, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”3 Jesus answered, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but that the works of God should be revealed in him. 4 I must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work. 5 As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”6 When He had said these things, He spat on the ground and made clay with the saliva; and He anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay. 7 And He said to him, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam” (which is translated, Sent). So he went and washed, and came back seeing.8 Therefore the neighbors and those who previously had seen that he was blind said, “Is not this he who sat and begged?”9 Some said, “This is he.” Others said, “He is like him.”He said, “I am he.”10 Therefore they said to him, “How were your eyes opened?”11 He answered and said, “A Man called Jesus made clay and anointed my eyes and said to me, ‘Go to the pool of Siloam and wash.' So I went and washed, and I received sight.”12 Then they said to him, “Where is He?”He said, “I do not know.”The Pharisees Excommunicate the Healed Man13 They brought him who formerly was blind to the Pharisees. 14 Now it was a Sabbath when Jesus made the clay and opened his eyes. 15 Then the Pharisees also asked him again how he had received his sight. He said to them, “He put clay on my eyes, and I washed, and I see.”16 Therefore some of the Pharisees said, “This Man is not from God, because He does not keep the Sabbath.”Others said, “How can a man who is a sinner do such signs?” And there was a division among them.”To support this channel and partner with Brian in Ministryhttps://www.briansumner.net/support/For more on Brianhttp://www.briansumner.nethttps://www.instagram.com/BRIANSUMNER/https://www.facebook.com/BRIANSUMNEROFFICIALTo listen to Brians Podcast, click below.https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast...Purchase Brians Marriage book at https://www.amazon.com/Never-Fails-Da...Brian is a full time "Urban Missionary" both locally and internationally with a focus on MISSIONS - MARRIAGES - MINISTRY. Since coming to faith in 2004 doors continued opening locally and internationally to do more and more ministry with a focus on Evangelism, Outreach Missions, Marriage, Counsel, Schools, Festivals, Conferences and the like.  Everything about this ministry is made possible because of people personally partnering through the non profit. God Bless and thank you. †Support the showSUPPORT THE SHOW

On today's Bible Answer Man broadcast (09/22/25), Hank brings up the Pool of Siloam, which was mentioned in John 9 and was discovered back in 2004, bringing further proof that the Bible is a reliable authority that we can bank our eternal destiny on.Hank also answers the following questions:What do you know about the World Mission Society Church of God? James - Omaha, NE (4:11)Can you explain Reformed Theology? Frankie - Orlando, FL (6:57)Do all Pentecostals believe in modalism, or are there different beliefs regarding the Trinity within the Pentecostal denomination? Cindy - Memphis, TN (15:13)Am I right to say that believers who take their own lives will not go to heaven? Josh - Oklahoma City, OK (16:02)I've heard you say, “Before we will see revival in the culture, there must be reformation in the pews.” Can you clarify this statement? Mike - Bentonville, AR (19:07)

On Sunday, Pastor Jamey Bryant concluded the "Free" series by teaching from John 9, exploring Jesus as the Light of the World in the context of recent tragic events including violence in our communities. The sermon began with a powerful prayer time acknowledging that "our struggle is not against flesh and blood" but against spiritual darkness. Jamey walked through the blind man's healing at the Pool of Siloam during the Feast of Booths, showing how Jesus demonstrated He is both the Light of the World and the "Sent One" the ceremonies pointed to. Through multiple interrogations by neighbors and Pharisees, the blind man's understanding grew from knowing "the man named Jesus" to declaring "Lord, I believe" and worshiping Him. Jamey concluded with the challenge that we are now the light of the world, qualified to share our stories of grace with others who desperately need hope.

On Sunday, Pastor Jamey Bryant concluded the "Free" series by teaching from John 9, exploring Jesus as the Light of the World in the context of recent tragic events including violence in our communities. The sermon began with a powerful prayer time acknowledging that "our struggle is not against flesh and blood" but against spiritual darkness. Jamey walked through the blind man's healing at the Pool of Siloam during the Feast of Booths, showing how Jesus demonstrated He is both the Light of the World and the "Sent One" the ceremonies pointed to. Through multiple interrogations by neighbors and Pharisees, the blind man's understanding grew from knowing "the man named Jesus" to declaring "Lord, I believe" and worshiping Him. Jamey concluded with the challenge that we are now the light of the world, qualified to share our stories of grace with others who desperately need hope.

In Luke 13:1–9, Jesus calls us to examine our hearts through repentance and to bear fruit that reflects a life turned toward God. Building on last week's focus on living ready for Christ's return, this teaching shows that readiness is impossible without repentance — without it, there is no fruit and no life. Jesus uses two tragedies — Pilate's slaughter of Galileans and the collapse of the Tower of Siloam — to shift our focus from speculating about others to examining ourselves. Repentance (metanoia) is more than regret; it's a complete change of mind and direction, a daily turning from sin and self toward God. It's not a punishment but a gift that leads to joy, renewal, and a deeper relationship with Him. Through the parable of the barren fig tree, we see God's expectation for His people to bear fruit and His patience in giving us opportunities to respond. This message explores what that fruit looks like in practice — from forgiveness and generosity to growth in the Spirit and turning from idols — and challenges us to live lives of ongoing repentance as we await Christ's return. ✅ Key Points: • Why repentance is central to Christian life and readiness • Jesus' response to tragedy: self-examination over speculation • What true repentance means and how it transforms direction • The daily practice of repentance and its connection to abundant life • God's expectation of fruit and the urgency to bear it • Practical examples of fruitfulness: forgiveness, generosity, growth, and turning from idols

The Gospel of John Week 11 Scripture: John 7:22-59. Pastor opens by sharing details of the Feast of Tabernacles and the scriptures of the Living Water that were read during this 8 day festival. Festival readings included: Ezekiel 47:1-12, Zechariah 14:8 and Jeremiah 17:13b.  As our story opens, it is the Feast of Tabernacles and these scriptures would have been read. Pastor goes on to share that there has been much learned over the last 100 years and especially in the last 15 or so that helps to bring this text and the story alive. As we look at what we know about the time of Jesus and what we are discovering, they are changing our understanding of the Bible, bringing a new sense of significance and even urgency as what we are discovering is a testimony that says, “This is real!” Some recent archeological work has found what is believed to be the City of David - but not at all where it was thought to be, and the discovery of the Hezekiah Tunnel, and more recently the Pool of Siloam show us a different location than originally thought for the Pool and also that it was a very large pool, not a small one. Also that it was filled with fresh water by the Han Spring flowing through the Hezekiah Tunnel into the Pool. The Pool of Siloam was the only fresh - or living water in the city of Jerusalem. Pastor shares the events of Tabernacles and the pouring out of water into the Temple by the priests carrying it from the Pool of Siloam for the first 7 days of the festival.  On the 7th Day they carried and poured water 7 times in the Temple.  So as our story continues, it's either Day 7 (7 times the priests poured water in the Temple) or it's Day 8 (the day of rejoicing, and celebration) when we read verse 37-38, “On the last and greatest day of the festival, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.” He is essentially telling them that what you've been doing for the last week with the pouring of water, point to Me and it's what the prophets said would happen when Messiah comes, that living water would pour out of the Temple. And then it goes on in verse 39, “By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified.and that the Living Water is the Holy Spirit.”  Jesus is saying that He is the fulfillment of what the prophets have declared and that everyone who believes on Him will receive the Holy Spirit.  Jesus is calling us to a new day - the fulfillment of what the prophets have said - Messiah-  is here!  And He, the Messiah, gives the Holy Spirit. Jesus is claiming to be God. At this some called Him prophet, others called Him Messiah and others were in disbelief and angry. The crowd became divided with many wanting to seize Jesus.  The temple guard go and report back to the chief priests. The chief priests were Sadducees and they united with the Pharisees, a group that they did not get along with but they did unite together over their desire to do away with Jesus.  The very ones who should have embraced Jesus as the Messiah, instead say, “Let's kill Him.” Pastor concludes by saying in 6 months from this event  of Tabernacles, the Passover will be celebrated and we will see Jesus dead, and raised during another important festival and how this festival too, finds its fulfillment in Jesus.      Our website – https://www.awakeusnow.com Watch the video from our website! https://www.awakeusnow.com/2-year-study-of-the-gospels-upper Watch the video from our YouTube Channel!! https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLTaaqrC3dMOzMkhPyiNWwlJRpV6Bwpu01     ⁃    The Gospel of John study is part five of five of our Two Year Study of the Gospels.      ⁃    The Gospel of John may be one of the most powerful books ever written. Many people have come to faith after reading only this book of the Bible.  Scholarly and archeological discoveries in recent decades give us new insight on details in the Gospel of John. We can now understand it as the most Jewish rather than the most “Gentile/Greek” of the Gospels, and when we do that we see many things that we missed before. Our 2 year study of the gospels is great for large group, small group or home group study and can be started at any time!

Click here for the DRB Daily Sign Up form! TODAY'S SCRIPTURE: 2 Kids 23; 2 Chronicles 35; John 7 Click HERE to give! Get Free App Here! One Year Bible Podcast: Join Hunter and Heather Barnes on 'The Daily Radio Bible' for a daily 20-minute spiritual journey. Engage with scripture readings, heartfelt devotionals, and collective prayers that draw you into the heart of God's love. Embark on this year-long voyage through the Bible, and let each day's passage uplift and inspire you. TODAY'S EPISODE: Welcome to the Daily Radio Bible, where every day is a fresh journey through the pages of Scripture. It's August 5th and we're on Day 218 of our adventure together. I'm your host, Hunter—your brother, Bible reading coach, and fellow traveler as we gather from places near and far to warm our hearts by the fires of God's love. In today's episode, we dive into 2 Kings 23, 2 Chronicles 35, and John 7. We'll witness King Josiah's groundbreaking reforms to restore true worship in Israel, the powerful celebration of Passover that hadn't been seen since the time of the judges, and the challenges Josiah faced against powerful nations. Then, we'll turn to the gospel of John and find Jesus at the Festival of Shelters, teaching boldly about living water—the Spirit that he promises to pour out on all who believe. Along the way, Hunter draws out the deeper meaning behind the festival's water-pouring ceremony, connecting it to Jesus' declaration that he is the true source of life and hope. We'll wrap up with heartfelt prayers for God's guidance, mercy, and joy as we step into a new day. So grab your Bible, settle in, and join us as we encounter God's living Word together—and remember, you are loved. No doubt about it. TODAY'S DEVOTION: He is the Source of Living Water. Picture the scene at the festival of shelters—each day, the priest carries water from the pool of Siloam, pours it out upon the altar, and it runs down the temple steps. For seven days, this ritual is repeated, and on the final day, the expectation and hope of the people reach their pinnacle. This act was more than tradition; it was a symbol, a living picture of the Messiah pouring out the Spirit upon God's people, a promise rooted in the Scriptures—“I will pour out water to quench your thirst and irrigate your parched fields… I will pour out my Spirit on your descendants and my blessing on your children” (Isaiah 44:3). And in this very moment, Jesus stands and shouts to the crowds: “Anyone who is thirsty may come to me. Anyone who believes in me may come and drink.” It's as if Jesus steps into the very heart of the ceremony and says, All of this points to me. I am the One you've been waiting for. I am the Source of the Living Water the world so desperately needs. The promise, the hope, and the life the ritual anticipated is found in Him—and received by coming to Him, trusting Him, believing. That's the invitation Christ makes to you and to me: to come to the Source, to drink freely, to allow His Spirit—like streams of living water—to flow within us and out of us into a thirsty, longing world. No longer do we look for life in ceremonies or traditions—good as they may be—because the true fulfillment is Christ Himself, the One in whom all God's promises find their “yes.” We don't come to Jesus for fame, for recognition, or for any fleeting thing. His brothers sought notoriety, but Jesus came, not to be applauded, but to do what the Father asked—to seek, to save, and to invite us into the overflowing life He shares with the Father and the Spirit. His heart is to give, to pour out, so that we too would be channels of living water, blessing, hope, and renewal to the world. So, today, let's come to Him who is the Source. Let's drink deeply of the life He freely gives. Let's allow the living water to flow through us—transforming us, refreshing us, and reaching out to others. That's the prayer I have for my own soul. That's the prayer I have for my family, for my wife, my daughters, my son. And that's the prayer I have for you. May it be so. TODAY'S PRAYERS: Almighty and ever loving God, you have brought us to the light of a new morning. Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit that we may walk this day in peace. Guard our steps from temptation. Shield us from the weight of fear and shame, and lead us deeper into the joy of your presence through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. O Christ, light of the nations, shine in every place where shadows dwell. Call the scattered home, heal the wounds of division and gather all people into the communion of your grace. May the knowledge of the Lord cover the earth as the waters cover the sea. Amen. And now, Lord, make my hands ready for mercy. Make my eyes quick to see the hurting, my ears open to the cry of the lonely, and my feet swift to bring good news. Let me seek to bless, not to be noticed, to serve, not to be praised, to forgive, not to hold back. For in your way is life, in your mercy is healing, and in your love is the peace this world cannot give. Amen. And now, as our Lord has taught us. We are bold to pray: Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory, forever and ever. Amen.   OUR WEBSITE: www.dailyradiobible.com We are reading through the New Living Translation.   Leave us a voicemail HERE: https://www.speakpipe.com/dailyradiobible Subscribe to us at YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Dailyradiobible/featured OTHER PODCASTS: Listen with Apple Podcast DAILY BIBLE FOR KIDS DAILY PSALMS DAILY PROVERBS DAILY LECTIONARY DAILY CHRONOLOGICAL