Podcasts about Sinai

In this episode of Take Heart, Cory Wing explores the biblical doctrine of the priesthood of all believers. From Israel at Sinai to the New Covenant in Christ, Scripture reveals that every Christian has direct access to God through Jesus, our perfect High Priest. What does it mean to be part of a royal priesthood? How should that shape your worship, service, and daily life? Cory explains how believers are called to offer spiritual sacrifices, proclaim God’s excellencies, and live faithfully in every sphere of life.

Leviticus 8-10   Leviticus 8-10 recounts the opening ceremonies for the Tabernacle, and it's important to remember where we're at in the story of the Pentateuch (Torah).  The Israelites have come out of Egypt and they're camped at the foot of Mt. Sinai. God has instructed them to build a sacred tent for him, so he can dwell among them. They have now done that. They just got the tabernacle set up! Then God has moved in… his glory came down from the mountain and moved into the tabernacle. And his glory and holiness are so great that no one can enter the tabernacle, not even Moses. That's where Exodus ended  Leviticus picks up in chapters 1-7 with God inviting Moses to come near and God meets with Moses giving him instructions on 5 different sacrifices/offerings: whole burnt offering  grain offering  fellowship offering  purification/sin offering  guilt/restitution offering  Why all these offerings? Becasue these offerings are God's gracious gift to the people so that they can draw near to God at his sacred tent and so that they can maintain their covenant relationship with him.  So the tabernacle is set up. They now know what they need to do to draw near to God. So now, it's time to kick things off... it's time to launch the worship of Yahweh at the Tabernacle.  Leviticus 8-10 details the inauguration of Tabernacle worship.    BIBLE READING GUIDE - FREE EBOOK - Get the free eBook, Bible in Life, to help you learn how to read and apply the Bible well: https://www.listenerscommentary.com     GIVE -  The Listener's Commentary is a listener supported Bible teaching ministry made possible by the generosity of people like you. Thank you! Give here:  https://www.listenerscommentary.com/give     STUDY HUB - Want more than the audio? Join the study hub to access articles, maps, charts, pictures, and links to other resources to help you study the Bible for yourself. https://www.listenerscommentary.com/members-sign-up   MORE TEACHING - For more resources and Bible teaching from John visit https://www.johnwhittaker.net

Share a commentA simple “No” can light up something in us that we didn't even know was there. Tell people not to feed the bears, and suddenly the bears look hungry. Put up a “stay off the grass” sign, and the lawn starts calling your name. We use that everyday tension to unpack Romans 7 and a hard truth: God's law doesn't create evil, but it does expose how deeply our hearts resist limits, and how quickly forbidden things can feel irresistible.We talk through Paul's own story of being confident, moral, and deeply religious, only to be brought to zero when the commandment truly lands and he meets the Lawgiver. That moment doesn't just reveal “mistakes,” it reveals a condition. From there we face the deception of sin head-on: the promises of satisfaction that never last, the illusion of safety, the myth of secrecy, the rewriting of shame, and the false security that says grace means nothing really matters. If you've ever thought, “It'll be different for me,” this will hit close to home.We also make the case that the law is holy, righteous, and good because it reveals God's character, but it cannot heal what it diagnoses. The law works like an X-ray, not a cure, pushing us away from self-righteousness and toward redemption at Calvary rather than confidence at Sinai. Subscribe for more, share this with a friend, and leave a review with the biggest “forbidden fruit” temptation you've seen play out in real life.Explore all of our Biblically Faithful Resources at https://www.wisdomonline.org Learn more: https://www.wisdomonline.org/Support the show

Share a commentA simple “No” can light up something in us that we didn't even know was there. Tell people not to feed the bears, and suddenly the bears look hungry. Put up a “stay off the grass” sign, and the lawn starts calling your name. We use that everyday tension to unpack Romans 7 and a hard truth: God's law doesn't create evil, but it does expose how deeply our hearts resist limits, and how quickly forbidden things can feel irresistible.We talk through Paul's own story of being confident, moral, and deeply religious, only to be brought to zero when the commandment truly lands and he meets the Lawgiver. That moment doesn't just reveal “mistakes,” it reveals a condition. From there we face the deception of sin head-on: the promises of satisfaction that never last, the illusion of safety, the myth of secrecy, the rewriting of shame, and the false security that says grace means nothing really matters. If you've ever thought, “It'll be different for me,” this will hit close to home.We also make the case that the law is holy, righteous, and good because it reveals God's character, but it cannot heal what it diagnoses. The law works like an X-ray, not a cure, pushing us away from self-righteousness and toward redemption at Calvary rather than confidence at Sinai. Subscribe for more, share this with a friend, and leave a review with the biggest “forbidden fruit” temptation you've seen play out in real life.Explore all of our Biblically Faithful Resources at https://www.wisdomonline.org Learn more: https://www.wisdomonline.org/Support the show

Loving the convert isn't just a nice idea.It's a double mitzvah straight from the Torah.Every Jew has a mitzvah to love their fellow Jew. But when it comes to the ger, the convert, the Torah doubles it. Twice. Two separate mitzvot to love this soul who chose to come home.And then Hashem says something that stops you in your tracks.The sages ask, who is greater, the one who loves the king, or the one whom the king loves? The tzaddikim love Hashem. But Hashem loves the convert. Directly. Explicitly. In the Torah itself.There's a deer that wanders away from the wilderness and joins the flock. The king says, take care of this one. Feed them. Give them water. Don't cause them pain. Because they didn't have to do this. They left everything behind and came on their own.That's the ger.They weren't at Sinai. They didn't grow up with this. And yet here they are. Choosing God. Choosing the Jewish people. Choosing to be part of something eternal.Is there anyone more beloved than this?#Judaism #Torah #JewishConvert #JewishConversion #Giur

Reading 1Exodus 19:2-6aIn those days, the Israelites came to the desert of Sinai and pitched camp.While Israel was encamped here in front of the mountain,Moses went up the mountain to God.Then the LORD called to him and said,“Thus shall you say to the house of Jacob;tell the Israelites:You have seen for yourselves how I treated the Egyptiansand how I bore you up on eagle wingsand brought you here to myself. Therefore, if you hearken to my voice and keep my covenant,you shall be my special possession,dearer to me than all other people,though all the earth is mine.You shall be to me a kingdom of priests, a holy nation.”Reading 2Romans 5:6-11Brothers and sisters:Christ, while we were still helpless, yet died at the appointed time for the ungodly.Indeed, only with difficulty does one die for a just person,though perhaps for a good personone might even find courage to die.But God proves his love for usin that while we were still sinners Christ died for us.How much more then, since we are now justified by his blood,will we be saved through him from the wrath.Indeed, if, while we were enemies,we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son,how much more, once reconciled,will we be saved by his life.Not only that,but we also boast of God through our Lord Jesus Christ,through whom we have now received reconciliation.GospelMatthew 9:36—10:8At the sight of the crowds, Jesus' heart was moved with pity for them because they were troubled and abandoned,like sheep without a shepherd.Then he said to his disciples,“The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few;so ask the master of the harvestto send out laborers for his harvest.”Then he summoned his twelve disciplesand gave them authority over unclean spiritsto drive them out and to cure every disease and every illness.The names of the twelve apostles are these:first, Simon called Peter, and his brother Andrew;James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John;Philip and Bartholomew, Thomas and Matthew the tax collector;James, the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddeus;Simon from Cana, and Judas Iscariot who betrayed him.Jesus sent out these twelve after instructing them thus,“Do not go into pagan territory or enter a Samaritan town.Go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.As you go, make this proclamation: ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.'Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, drive out demons.Without cost you have received; without cost you are to give.”

Today On The Eric Metaxas Show, Eric talks with Steve Deace about his new children's book Why Independence Day? America Is Great Because God Is Good. They discuss America's Christian heritage, the biblical roots of the founding, the Sinai covenant, Deuteronomy, Providence, secular revisionism, the cultural hijacking of American history, anti-Semitism on the right, Christian Zionism, the UK, Islam, and why America's future depends on recovering the truth about God and liberty.⭐ ORDER NOW:Revolution: The Birth of the Greatest Nation in the History of the World

The Gemara (Berachot 12) tells that some Sages considered instituting the daily recitation of the Aseret Ha'diberot (Ten Commandments), but this was not done because of the heretics. Rashi explains that there those who spread the heretical belief that only the Ten Commandments are binding, while the rest of the Torah does not need to be observed. Reciting the Aseret Ha'diberot each day would be misunderstood as reinforcing this belief, implying that only these are the obligatory laws. Therefore, the Sages decided against incorporating the Ten Commandments into the daily prayer service. Surprisingly, the Tur writes that one may recite the Aseret Ha'diberot each day if he so wishes. The Bet Yosef explains that although the Gemara concluded that this should not be done, the Gemara refers only to the congregational prayer service. If the Ten Commandments are read each day publicly as part of the congregational Tefila, this might embolden the heretics, but if someone wishes to recite this text each day privately, he may. In fact, the Bet Yosef adds, it is commendable to recite the Ten Commandments each day, to strengthen one's faith in the Revelation at Sinai. The Shulhan Aruch rules accordingly, and the Rama clarifies that this applies only to a private recitation by an individual. By contrast, the Maharshal (Rav Shlomo Luria, Poland, 1510-1573) wrote that it is permissible even to include the Ten Commandments as part of the congregational prayer, and that this was his community's practice. He explained that the Gemara discouraged reading the Aseret Ha'diberot together with Shema, but this section may be recited by the congregation at other points during the prayer service. The Maharshal said that his congregation recited it each day before Baruch She'amar. Rav Haim Vital (1543-1620) writes that he had the custom of reciting the Aseret Ha'diberot each morning before Shaharit, until his mentor, the Arizal, instructed him to discontinue this practice. The Hida (Rav Haim Yosef David Azulai, 1724-1806) comments that the Arizal apparently felt that even private individuals should not recite the Aseret Ha'diberot each day. Elsewhere, the Hida speculates that the Arizal may have discouraged reciting this section before Shaharit, but did not oppose its recitation after the prayer service. Regardless, our practice is not to recite the Ten Commandments at all, even privately, perhaps because of the Arizal's instruction to his disciple. (However, some Siddurim list the Ten Commandments on the margins alongside the first paragraph of Shema, as these commands are alluded to in this paragraph.) Incidentally, the Rambam, in a famous responsum, strongly opposes the practice followed in some congregations to stand when the Ten Commandments are read from the Torah (on Shabbat Parashat Yitro, Shabbat Parashat Va'et'hanan, and Shabuot). Just as the Gemara forbade the incorporation of the Aseret Ha'diberot into the prayer service, fearing that this would embolden the heretics, the Rambam felt that giving special respect to this section by standing similarly could have this effect. Indeed, our custom is to remain seated for the reading of the Aseret Ha'diberot. If the Rabbi is called for the Aliya that includes the Ten Commandments, and thus the congregation stands out of respect for the Rabbi, they should sit after the Rabbi recites the blessings, before the reading begins. A number of Poskim similarly opposed the practice to display images of the Ten Commandments on the wall in the synagogue, giving them special prominence, as this, too, could embolden the heretics who claimed that only these commands are binding. This objection appears in several works, including Zecher Yehosef (Rav Yosef Zecharia Stern, 1831-1903), and Teshurat Shai ( Rav Shlomo Yehuda Tabak, 1832–1907). This is the ruling of Rav Betzalel Stern (1911-1989), in Be'sel Ha'hochma. Others justified the practice, suggesting that an image of the Ten Commandments serves as a reminder of the fact that the entire Torah was presented at Sinai. However, Rav Yisrael Bitan challenged this explanation, noting that this image could easily be misunderstood as indicating that only these ten laws were delivered at Mount Sinai. Regardless, Rav Moshe Sternbuch (contemporary), in Teshubot Ve'hanhagot, writes that common custom allows featuring such images in the synagogues. He explains that since the commandments are not written out fully, and only one or two words of each commandments appears, there is no concern of a misunderstanding. It should be noted that many synagogues feature the Ten Commandments on tablets which are rounded on top, which is incorrect. The tablets were rectangular, and not rounded.

Evening Bible teaching by Alex Vaca on the 14th June 2026. Exodus 34:29-35; Deuteronomy 34 TEACHING NOTES: Main Theme The greatness of Moses was not his leadership, miracles, or achievements, but his relationship with God. Exodus 34: Moses comes down from Sinai with a shining face. Deuteronomy 34: Moses climbs Mount Nebo and dies in the presence of God. Between these two mountains stands a life devoted to walking with God. Key Verse "No prophet has arisen in Israel like Moses, whom the LORD knew face to face." (Deuteronomy 34:10) Moses stood on two mountains. At Sinai his face shone. At Nebo his body rested. Between those mountains was a lifetime of walking with God. His shining face revealed the secret of his life. His hidden grave revealed the humility of his legacy. The greatest thing that can be said of any believer is not that they were successful, gifted, or influential. But that they walked with God.

We all have weaknesses. Nations, as well, have witnesses. When the Almighty sought to give the Torah to the Jewish people at Sinai, He first offered it to all the nations. When they asked what was included in it, God revealed to them how the Torah disallowed that particular weakness that that particular Nation had. […]

We all have weaknesses. Nations, as well, have witnesses. When the Almighty sought to give the Torah to the Jewish people at Sinai, He first offered it to all the nations. When they asked what was included in it, God revealed to them how the Torah disallowed that particular weakness that that particular Nation had. What is the Jewish weakness? What is our kryptonite? When we study the story of Korach we find the answer. Korach launched a rebellion against Moshe and Aaron by specifically trying to exploit the innate Jewish weakness.– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –DONATE: Please consider supporting the podcasts by making a donation to help fund our Jewish outreach and educational efforts at https://www.torchweb.org/support.php. Thank you!– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –NEW TORCH Mailing Address POBox:TORCHPO BOX 310246HOUSTON, TX 77231-0246– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –Email me with questions, comments, and feedback: rabbiwolbe@gmail.com– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –SUBSCRIBE to my Newsletterrabbiwolbe.com/newsletter– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –SUBSCRIBE to Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe's PodcastsThe Parsha PodcastThe Jewish History PodcastThe Mitzvah Podcast This Jewish LifeThe Ethics PodcastTORAH 101 ★ Support this podcast ★

Having received his Ph.D. in mathematical logic at Brandeis University, Rabbi Dr. Dovid Gottlieb went on to become Professor of Philosophy at Johns Hopkins University. Today he is a senior faculty member at Ohr Somayach in Jerusalem. An accomplished author and lecturer, Rabbi Gottlieb has electrified audiences with his stimulating and energetic presentations on ethical and philosophical issues. In Jewish Philosophy with Rabbi Dr. Gottlieb, we are invited to explore the most fascinating and elemental concepts of Jewish Philosophy. https://podcasts.ohr.edu/ podcasts@ohr.edu

Having received his Ph.D. in mathematical logic at Brandeis University, Rabbi Dr. Dovid Gottlieb went on to become Professor of Philosophy at Johns Hopkins University. Today he is a senior faculty member at Ohr Somayach in Jerusalem. An accomplished author and lecturer, Rabbi Gottlieb has electrified audiences with his stimulating and energetic presentations on ethical and philosophical issues. In Jewish Philosophy with Rabbi Dr. Gottlieb, we are invited to explore the most fascinating and elemental concepts of Jewish Philosophy. https://podcasts.ohr.edu/ podcasts@ohr.edu

On Mt. Sinai before God, Moses heard, "You will be my treasured possession." (Ex 19:5) It's a marvelous revelation of the heart of God who made us to live wholly alive in God's presence ...

This teaching series is based on the tradition of “Shabbat Shuva,” or the “Shabbat of Return,” which falls between Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur (the Day of Trumpets and the Day of Atonement). The text for this tradition is Hoshea (Hosea) chapter 14, which begins, “O Yisra'el, return to Yahweh your Elohim…” After having gone through the Spring Feasts – Passover, Unleavened Bread, and Shavuot, which are types and shadows of the Hebrews' exodus from Egypt and journey to Mt. Sinai, have you maintained a faithful, straight walk in Torah? Or have you gotten “off the path” a little or a lot? Do you sense a call to return to the path, to Yahweh? • What is meant by “crookedness”? What does crookedness cause you to do? • Regarding the call to return – return to what? From there, Rabbi Berkson takes us into Leviticus 26 to examine the reasons for returning to the Covenant. In Leviticus chapter 26, the blessings and curses associated with Yahweh's Covenant with His people are listed. • How will you be able to walk in Covenant with the Creator? From Leviticus, we go to Deuteronomy 4:25, where we see that Yahweh has an issue with His people and their idol worship. How can we relate to them today regarding ‘idol worship'? Rabbi Berkson then takes us to Deuteronomy chapter 30 to show us one of Moses' final exhortations to the people as they are about to cross over into the Promised Land. Interestingly, Yahweh, through Moses, told the people that in their future they would stray from the path they were supposed to walk and be taken from the Land by their enemies, but as they were living in a foreign land, their hearts would turn back to Yahweh, and they would return once again to possess and live in their Promised Land. • In this chapter, we see the phrase, “circumcise your heart” – what does that mean? Isn’t that just a “New Testament” concept? What is it doing left of Matthew? And then we are taken to Romans chapter 10, where Rabbi Berkson points out that the apostle Paul is clearly writing about Torah observance and, indeed, substitutes the word ‘Messiah' for the word ‘Torah' as he quotes Moses in Deuteronomy chapter 30. • What does Romans 10:4 really mean? • What is “the righteousness of belief”? • What is “the good news of the good”? • Was there “Good News” before the New Testament? Verse-by-verse and step-by-step, Rabbi Steve Berkson takes us on a journey of discovery and learning how to covenant with our Creator and Father, which, from time to time, requires us to turn around and return to His Word so that we can have a sure entrance into His Kingdom. Learn more about MTOI: https://mtoi.org | The MTOI App https://mtoi.org/download-the-mtoi-app Follow MTOI: https://www.facebook.com/mtoiworldwide https://www.instagram.com/mtoi_worldwide Contact MTOI: admin@mtoi.org (423) 250-3020 Join us LIVE (all times Eastern): • Torah Study, Fridays 7:30 pm • Shabbat Service, Saturdays 1:15 pm Streaming available on YouTube, Rumble, MTOI App, and mtoi.org

Are You Living Under the Right Covenant? Discussion Questions for Hebrews 8: Hebrews 8 says Jesus mediates a "better covenant" based on "better promises." What are some of those promises of the new covenant? How would your enjoyment of God increase if you relaxed more in His promises? God says the New Covenant is "not like" the covenant made at Sinai. What are some ways Christians accidentally make the New Covenant sound exactly like the Old Covenant? What phrases have you heard that make grace sound conditional, fragile, or performance-based? God says, "I will put My laws into their minds, and I will write them on their hearts." What does this reveal about your new desires in Christ? Why is it so encouraging to know that God is not merely commanding from the outside but working from the inside? Many believers say, "I know what I should do, but I don't want to do it." How does Hebrews 8 challenge the idea that Christians are still fundamentally rebellious at heart? How can we be honest about temptation and struggle without denying our new heart and new identity? God says, "I will be their God, and they shall be My people." Why does belonging need to come before behavior? How does knowing you already belong change the way you respond to failure, growth, correction, or temptation? React to this statement: Every believer has direct relationship with God, not secondhand spirituality. How does this truth free us from comparing ourselves with "super Christians" or depending on religious elites to feel close to God? God says, "I will remember their sins no more." What is the difference between God forgetting information and God choosing never to deal with you according to your sins again? What sins, failures, or regrets do you still assume God is holding over you? Where do you most need to "come home" to New Covenant life today: once-for-all forgiveness, new desires, direct access to God, a secure identity, or freedom from Law-based living?

Sunday, June 14, 2026

Israel had seen the plagues. Walked through the Red Sea. Eaten manna from heaven. Heard the voice of God at Sinai.And yet, while Moses was on the mountain, they built a golden calf.Exodus 32 reveals a sobering truth: the greatest obstacle to following God was never Pharaoh, Egypt, or the wilderness—it was the human heart.In this message from our series Follow: The Story of the Exodus, Pastor Tommy Orlando explores how idols are formed, why waiting on God is often difficult, and how God's mercy proves greater than our greatest failures.In this message:• Idols grow when we refuse to trust God's timing.• Idols reduce God to something we can control.• God's mercy is greater than our failure.Through the intercession of Moses, we see a powerful picture of Jesus Christ—the true Mediator who does what Moses could only foreshadow. Moses pleaded for the people, but Jesus gave Himself for them.Exodus 32 reminds us that even redeemed people can wander, but God's grace is greater than our wandering. His mercy is not permission to continue in sin, but an invitation to repentance and renewed trust.

Jesus reveals Himself with the metaphor of Bread. He is not the giver of bread He Is the Bread of Life! The Bread of Life Todd Jaussen Download Sermons Archive RSS Exodus 16:1-21 And they journeyed from Elim, and all the congregation of the children of Israel came to the Wilderness of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after they departed from the land of Egypt. 2 Then the whole congregation of the children of Israel complained against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness. 3 And the children of Israel said to them, “Oh, that we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the pots of meat and when we ate bread to the full! For you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger.”4 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you. And the people shall go out and gather a certain quota every day, that I may test them, whether they will walk in My law or not. 5 And it shall be on the sixth day that they shall prepare what they bring in, and it shall be twice as much as they gather daily.”6 Then Moses and Aaron said to all the children of Israel, “At evening you shall know that the Lord has brought you out of the land of Egypt. 7 And in the morning you shall see the glory of the Lord; for He hears your complaints against the Lord. But what are we, that you complain against us?” 8 Also Moses said, “This shall be seen when the Lord gives you meat to eat in the evening, and in the morning bread to the full; for the Lord hears your complaints which you make against Him. And what are we? Your complaints are not against us but against the Lord.”9 Then Moses spoke to Aaron, “Say to all the congregation of the children of Israel, ‘Come near before the Lord, for He has heard your complaints.' ” 10 Now it came to pass, as Aaron spoke to the whole congregation of the children of Israel, that they looked toward the wilderness, and behold, the glory of the Lord appeared in the cloud.11 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 12 “I have heard the complaints of the children of Israel. Speak to them, saying, ‘At twilight you shall eat meat, and in the morning you shall be filled with bread. And you shall know that I am the Lord your God.' ”13 So it was that quail came up at evening and covered the camp, and in the morning the dew lay all around the camp. 14 And when the layer of dew lifted, there, on the surface of the wilderness, was a small round substance, as fine as frost on the ground. 15 So when the children of Israel saw it, they said to one another, “What is it?” For they did not know what it was.And Moses said to them, “This is the bread which the Lord has given you to eat. 16 This is the thing which the Lord has commanded: ‘Let every man gather it according to each one's need, one omer for each person, according to the number of persons; let every man take for those who are in his tent.' ”17 Then the children of Israel did so and gathered, some more, some less. 18 So when they measured it by omers, he who gathered much had nothing left over, and he who gathered little had no lack. Every man had gathered according to each one's need. 19 And Moses said, “Let no one leave any of it till morning.” 20 Notwithstanding they did not heed Moses. But some of them left part of it until morning, and it bred worms and stank. And Moses was angry with them. 21 So they gathered it every morning, every man according to his need. And when the sun became hot, it melted.Romans 1:20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse,John 1:3-4 All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.John 10:10 The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.John 3:16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.John 4:13-14 Jesus answered and said to her, “Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.”John 6:27 Work not for food perishing, but food remaining to eternal life, which the Son of man will give you: for Him God the Father sealed. (Smith's Literal Translation)2 Corinthians 4:6 For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. Sermon Discussion Questions:How did the Preparation part of the sermon help you understand the text: Life, Everlasting Life, Bread, Metaphor?What does the metaphor of Bread teach us about experiencing Jesus? Do we "See" and "Believe" as Jesus commands us to? What is a Metaphor?At its heart, a metaphor is a figure of speech that directly compares two unlike things without using “like” or “as.” Instead of saying something is like something else, a metaphor states that something is something else. This isn't meant to be literally true, of course, but rather to create a richer, more evocative understanding. Simple Metaphor ExamplesLet's start with some straightforward examples. These will help solidify the basic concept.“The world is a stage.”“Time is money.”“He is a lion in battle.”“Her voice is music to my ears.”“Life is a journey.”Notice how each of these statements equates one thing to another, not in a literal sense, but in a way that highlights shared qualities or characteristics. The world isn't actually a stage, but the metaphor suggests that life is filled with performance, roles, and drama.

The Sacraments & Our Faith | 1 Corinthians 10:1-7, 14-21 | Sinai to Sunday Scott Armstrong | Lead Pastor

Third Sunday after Pentecost Old Testament: Genesis 18:1-15, (21:1-7) 1The Lord appeared to Abraham by the oaks of Mamre, as he sat at the entrance of his tent in the heat of the day. 2He looked up and saw three men standing near him. When he saw them, he ran from the tent entrance to meet them, and bowed down to the ground. 3He said, "My lord, if I find favor with you, do not pass by your servant. 4Let a little water be brought, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree. 5Let me bring a little bread, that you may refresh yourselves, and after that you may pass on—since you have come to your servant." So they said, "Do as you have said." 6And Abraham hastened into the tent to Sarah, and said, "Make ready quickly three measures of choice flour, knead it, and make cakes." 7Abraham ran to the herd, and took a calf, tender and good, and gave it to the servant, who hastened to prepare it.8Then he took curds and milk and the calf that he had prepared, and set it before them; and he stood by them under the tree while they ate. 9They said to him, "Where is your wife Sarah?" And he said, "There, in the tent." 10Then one said, "I will surely return to you in due season, and your wife Sarah shall have a son." And Sarah was listening at the tent entrance behind him. 11Now Abraham and Sarah were old, advanced in age; it had ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women. 12So Sarah laughed to herself, saying, "After I have grown old, and my husband is old, shall I have pleasure?" 13The Lord said to Abraham, "Why did Sarah laugh, and say, 'Shall I indeed bear a child, now that I am old?'14Is anything too wonderful for the Lord? At the set time I will return to you, in due season, and Sarah shall have a son." 15But Sarah denied, saying, "I did not laugh"; for she was afraid. He said, "Oh yes, you did laugh." [1 The Lord dealt with Sarah as he had said, and the Lord did for Sarah as he had promised. 2Sarah conceived and bore Abraham a son in his old age, at the time of which God had spoken to him. 3Abraham gave the name Isaac to his son whom Sarah bore him. 4And Abraham circumcised his son Isaac when he was eight days old, as God had commanded him. 5Abraham was a hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him. 6Now Sarah said, "God has brought laughter for me; everyone who hears will laugh with me." 7And she said, "Who would ever have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? Yet I have borne him a son in his old age."] Psalm: Psalm 116:1,10-17 1 I love the Lord, because he has heard the voice of my supplication, *        because he has inclined his ear to me whenever I called upon him. 10 How shall I repay the Lord *        for all the good things he has done for me? 11 I will lift up the cup of salvation *        and call upon the Name of the Lord. 12 I will fulfill my vows to the Lord *        in the presence of all his people. 13 Precious in the sight of the Lord *        is the death of his servants. 14 O Lord, I am your servant; *        I am your servant and the child of your handmaid;        you have freed me from my bonds. 15 I will offer you the sacrifice of thanksgiving *        and call upon the Name of the Lord. 16 I will fulfill my vows to the Lord *        in the presence of all his people, 17 In the courts of the Lord's house, *        in the midst of you, O Jerusalem.        Hallelujah! Old Testament: Exodus 19:2-8a 2They had journeyed from Rephidim, entered the wilderness of Sinai, and camped in the wilderness; Israel camped there in front of the mountain.3Then Moses went up to God; the Lord called to him from the mountain, saying, "Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob, and tell the Israelites:4You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles' wings and brought you to myself. 5Now therefore, if you obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession out of all the peoples. Indeed, the whole earth is mine, 6but you shall be for me a priestly kingdom and a holy nation. These are the words that you shall speak to the Israelites." 7So Moses came, summoned the elders of the people, and set before them all these words that the Lord had commanded him. 8The people all answered as one: "Everything that the Lord has spoken we will do." Psalm: Psalm 100 1 Be joyful in the Lord, all you lands; *        serve the Lord with gladness        and come before his presence with a song. 2 Know this: The Lord himself is God; *        he himself has made us, and we are his;        we are his people and the sheep of his pasture. 3 Enter his gates with thanksgiving;   go into his courts with praise; *        give thanks to him and call upon his Name. 4 For the Lord is good;   his mercy is everlasting; *        and his faithfulness endures from age to age. Epistle: Romans 5:1-8 1Therefore, since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2through whom we have obtained access to this grace in which we stand; and we boast in our hope of sharing the glory of God. 3And not only that, but we also boast in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 4and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, 5and hope does not disappoint us, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us. 6For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. 7Indeed, rarely will anyone die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person someone might actually dare to die. 8But God proves his love for us in that while we still were sinners Christ died for us. Gospel: Matthew 9:35-10:8,(9-23) 35Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and curing every disease and every sickness. 36When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. 37Then he said to his disciples, "The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; 38therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest." 1Then Jesus summoned his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to cure every disease and every sickness. 2These are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon, also known as Peter, and his brother Andrew; James son of Zebedee, and his brother John; 3Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus;4Simon the Cananaean, and Judas Iscariot, the one who betrayed him. 5These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: "Go nowhere among the Gentiles, and enter no town of the Samaritans, 6but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. 7As you go, proclaim the good news, 'The kingdom of heaven has come near.' 8Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons. You received without payment; give without payment. [9Take no gold, or silver, or copper in your belts, 10no bag for your journey, or two tunics, or sandals, or a staff; for laborers deserve their food. 11Whatever town or village you enter, find out who in it is worthy, and stay there until you leave. 12As you enter the house, greet it. 13If the house is worthy, let your peace come upon it; but if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you. 14If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, shake off the dust from your feet as you leave that house or town. 15Truly I tell you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town. 16"See, I am sending you out like sheep into the midst of wolves; so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves. 17Beware of them, for they will hand you over to councils and flog you in their synagogues; 18and you will be dragged before governors and kings because of me, as a testimony to them and the Gentiles. 19When they hand you over, do not worry about how you are to speak or what you are to say; for what you are to say will be given to you at that time; 20for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you. 21Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death; 22and you will be hated by all because of my name. But the one who endures to the end will be saved.23When they persecute you in one town, flee to the next; for truly I tell you, you will not have gone through all the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes.]

What's actually prohibited in "you shall not make for yourself an idol"? Dave Rich works through the Second Commandment verse by verse, and the answer is more precise than most people assume.Lesson 31 in this verse-by-verse study examines Exodus 20:4-6, comparing it carefully against its restatement in Deuteronomy 5. Rich breaks down the Hebrew terms behind "idol" and "likeness," then makes a case from the tabernacle's own furnishings (the lampstand, the cherubim) that images of created things were never the problem. The real prohibition, he argues, is worship and service directed at an image, whether of a false god or of Yahweh himself.From there, Rich traces the pattern through Aaron's golden calf, Jeroboam's calves at Bethel and Dan, and the worship of an ephod during the judges, before tackling the harder question of why Israel specifically couldn't picture God the Father. His answer rests on a simple historical fact: at Sinai, they saw no form. He also takes on what "visiting the iniquity of the fathers" really means, clearing up a phrase many readers misunderstand.This lecture sets up next week's harder question: what about images of Jesus? ★ Support this podcast ★

What if God's commands aren't a ladder to earn His love, but a lamp for those He has already saved? In this Third Sunday after Pentecost sermon (Proper 6 A) from Exodus 19:2–8, we explore the breathtaking truth that redemption comes before the Law. Israel stood at Sinai as God's already-redeemed people—carried on eagles' wings—before a single commandment was given. Yet even the redeemed fail. The golden calf proves it. So where does that leave us?Enter Jesus Christ: the perfect covenant-keeper who fulfills every “if” of Sinai, dies for the ungodly, and gives His righteousness away freely. Through Baptism, you become a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a treasured possession—not by your obedience, but by His. The Law's third use now guides, not condemns. It shapes a life of compassion, prayer, and witness, just as Jesus sent His disciples to give freely because they received freely.Come to the Lord's Table. Not because you are worthy, but because He is. The new covenant in His blood is finished—yours by grace through faith.

Support us on Patreon for Member access to our special podcast series where we go in depth on books of the Bible. Ongoing season: Hebrews. You will also gain access to the entire archive of Season 1: The Gospel of John and Season 2: The Book of Exodus Apply for Saint Paul's House of Formation Email us Music by Richard Proulx and the Cathedral Singers from Sublime Chant. Copyright GIA Publications Word & Table Episode Index

What are the primary categories of treifot? Ulla states that eight categories that were transmitted as halakha to Moshe from Sinai: perforated (nekuva), severed (pesuka), removed (netula), deficient (chasura), torn (kru'a), clawed (drusa), fallen (nefula), and broken (shevura). Chiya bar Rav said there are eight cases in the category of perforated, and this excludes the gall bladder, which is considered a treifa only by Rabbi Yosi b'Rabbi Yehuda. However, Rabbi Yitzchak bar Yosef said in the name of Rabbi Yochanan that the ruling is like Rabbi Yosi b'Rabbi Yehuda. He brings a proof for Rabbi Yosi's position from a verse in Iyov 16:13, in which Iyov explains that his gall bladder was poured on the ground, and yet, he still lived. The rabbis' retort to that is that Iyov's situation was miraculous and we cannot derive halakha from a miracle. Another ruling of Rabbi Yochanan was brought by Rabbi Yitzchak bar Yosef regarding the liver – if the liver is reduced to less than an olive bulk, the animal is a treifa. If, according to Rabba bar bar Hanna, Rabbi Yochanan holds like an unattributed Mishna, there is a contradiction as our Mishna rules it is a treifa only if the liver is completely removed. This is resolved by explaining there is a debate between the two amoraim what Rabbi Yochanan held. Two other rulings are brought by Rabbi Yitzchak bar Yosef in the name of Rabbi Yochanan regarding treifot. A gall bladder that was perforated but the liver covered up the hole, or a bird's gizzard that was perforated, but the inner lining was not, both are kosher. Raba notes that the gullet consists of two distinct linings - an outer red membrane and an inner white membrane. If only one layer is punctured while the other remains intact, the animal remains kosher. What happens if both layers of an organ are punctured, but the holes do not align? Rav Ashi rules that in a stationary organ like the gizzard, non-aligned punctures are kosher because the layers do not shift. However, in a dynamic organ like the gullet, which constantly expands, contracts, and moves during feeding, the holes are liable to realign; therefore, non-aligned punctures render the animal a treifa. In one version, Mar Zutra quotes Rav Papa saying the opposite; in another, he agrees. Raba notes that the gullet cannot be evaluated for predatory clawing (safek drusa) from the outside, as the outside is red and blood would not be noticeable. It must be inverted and inspected from the inside. If a thorn is found lodged inside the gullet with a perforation on the inside, but no noticeable perforation on the outside, Ulla rules that we do not fear it caused a perforation which healed, as free-roaming livestock regularly consume thorny vegetation without injury. Is the turbatz haveshet, the uppermost part of the gullet, legally treated as part of the gullet? Rav and Shmuel disagree on its status. Rav maintains it is a valid location for slaughter; thus, any extraneous puncture of even a minimal size renders it a treifa. Shmuel argues it is not a valid location for slaughter, meaning it is only rendered a treifa if the majority of it is severed. This dispute culminated in a practical case involving an ox belonging to the sons of Rav Ukva, where the slaughter began in the turbatz haveshet and finished in the gullet. Rava applied the stringencies of both Rav and Shmuel, declaring the animal a treifa. Rabbi Abba reversed Rava's decision, demonstrating that the ox was completely kosher under either authority individually. If one followed Rav, the slaughter location was valid; if one followed Shmuel, the minor cut in the turbatz haveshet did not render it a treifa before the slaughter was completed. Because Rava's logically contradictory ruling caused an impermissible destruction of kosher property, Rabbi Abba ordered Rava to financially compensate the owner of the ox.

Send us Fan MailA popular claim these days is that God prohibited pork, shellfish, and other animals because they're unhealthy, unclean scavengers, or dangerous for human consumption. But is that actually what the Bible says?In this video, Dr. Solberg examines a viral claim that the dietary laws of Leviticus 11 were given for health reasons and test that idea against Scripture itself. He looks at the biblical meaning of "clean" and "unclean," explores the Hebrew concepts of ritual purity, and examines the reason God explicitly gives for Israel's food laws.Were the dietary restrictions primarily about nutrition? Were they intended for all humanity? Why were Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Noah allowed to eat foods that would later be restricted under the Mosaic Covenant? And what does the Torah itself say about the purpose of these commandments?Rather than relying on modern Hebrew Roots and other Torah-observant movement theories, let's go directly to the biblical text and let Scripture speak for itself.  Topics covered:• Leviticus 11 and the prohibition of pork• The Hebrew words ṭāhôr (clean) and ṭāmēʾ (unclean)• Ritual purity versus health regulations• Why Israel's dietary laws were given• Leviticus 20:25–26 and being "set apart"• Genesis 9 and the pre-Sinai diet• Common misconceptions about biblical food laws• Hebrew Roots claims examined in light of ScriptureThe Biblical Roots MinistriesOur websiteOur YouTube ChannelProf. Solberg's BlogSupport our Ministry (Thank you!)

Ulla says that there 8 groups of treyfot that were told to Moses at Sinai - that is, the categories. Plus a focus on a punctured gallbladder, among other potential issues, where the animal may actually not die (but isn't that a miraculous event, and therefore not a proof for anything?). Also, a focus on some kind of injury for an animal that might or might not make the animal a treyfa -- with the example of a thorn in the animal's esophagus. And 4 cases that argue against Ulla's positions.

Episode 139 In part 30 of our Sinai and Synapses interview series, we are talking with Dr. Olapeju Simoyan. She is an addiction medicine physician and an adjunct professor in the Department of Psychiatry at Drexel University College of Medicine. She also holds adjunct faculty positions at Penn State University College of Medicine and Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine. She is also an author and photographer, seeking to make both science and faith relatable to people of all ages.   Sinai and Synapses - https://sinaiandsynapses.org/   Support this podcast on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/DowntheWormholepodcast   More information at https://www.downthewormhole.com/   produced by Zack Jackson music by Zack Jackson and Barton Willis 

What are the primary categories of treifot? Ulla states that eight categories that were transmitted as halakha to Moshe from Sinai: perforated (nekuva), severed (pesuka), removed (netula), deficient (chasura), torn (kru'a), clawed (drusa), fallen (nefula), and broken (shevura). Chiya bar Rav said there are eight cases in the category of perforated, and this excludes the gall bladder, which is considered a treifa only by Rabbi Yosi b'Rabbi Yehuda. However, Rabbi Yitzchak bar Yosef said in the name of Rabbi Yochanan that the ruling is like Rabbi Yosi b'Rabbi Yehuda. He brings a proof for Rabbi Yosi's position from a verse in Iyov 16:13, in which Iyov explains that his gall bladder was poured on the ground, and yet, he still lived. The rabbis' retort to that is that Iyov's situation was miraculous and we cannot derive halakha from a miracle. Another ruling of Rabbi Yochanan was brought by Rabbi Yitzchak bar Yosef regarding the liver – if the liver is reduced to less than an olive bulk, the animal is a treifa. If, according to Rabba bar bar Hanna, Rabbi Yochanan holds like an unattributed Mishna, there is a contradiction as our Mishna rules it is a treifa only if the liver is completely removed. This is resolved by explaining there is a debate between the two amoraim what Rabbi Yochanan held. Two other rulings are brought by Rabbi Yitzchak bar Yosef in the name of Rabbi Yochanan regarding treifot. A gall bladder that was perforated but the liver covered up the hole, or a bird's gizzard that was perforated, but the inner lining was not, both are kosher. Raba notes that the gullet consists of two distinct linings - an outer red membrane and an inner white membrane. If only one layer is punctured while the other remains intact, the animal remains kosher. What happens if both layers of an organ are punctured, but the holes do not align? Rav Ashi rules that in a stationary organ like the gizzard, non-aligned punctures are kosher because the layers do not shift. However, in a dynamic organ like the gullet, which constantly expands, contracts, and moves during feeding, the holes are liable to realign; therefore, non-aligned punctures render the animal a treifa. In one version, Mar Zutra quotes Rav Papa saying the opposite; in another, he agrees. Raba notes that the gullet cannot be evaluated for predatory clawing (safek drusa) from the outside, as the outside is red and blood would not be noticeable. It must be inverted and inspected from the inside. If a thorn is found lodged inside the gullet with a perforation on the inside, but no noticeable perforation on the outside, Ulla rules that we do not fear it caused a perforation which healed, as free-roaming livestock regularly consume thorny vegetation without injury. Is the turbatz haveshet, the uppermost part of the gullet, legally treated as part of the gullet? Rav and Shmuel disagree on its status. Rav maintains it is a valid location for slaughter; thus, any extraneous puncture of even a minimal size renders it a treifa. Shmuel argues it is not a valid location for slaughter, meaning it is only rendered a treifa if the majority of it is severed. This dispute culminated in a practical case involving an ox belonging to the sons of Rav Ukva, where the slaughter began in the turbatz haveshet and finished in the gullet. Rava applied the stringencies of both Rav and Shmuel, declaring the animal a treifa. Rabbi Abba reversed Rava's decision, demonstrating that the ox was completely kosher under either authority individually. If one followed Rav, the slaughter location was valid; if one followed Shmuel, the minor cut in the turbatz haveshet did not render it a treifa before the slaughter was completed. Because Rava's logically contradictory ruling caused an impermissible destruction of kosher property, Rabbi Abba ordered Rava to financially compensate the owner of the ox.

Poet, Director and Artist Thee Rose talk about his short film "Artifice" about where the inspiration came from post pandemic and how he uses his poetry to narrate the film. "Artifice" is based on identity and labels that the artist has dealt with... Attending Newfest helped Thee realize he had a voice and a story to tell How poetry and spoken word are the forefront for them Discussion on where we are now and where are we from and how they can be conflicting... The film is meant to sit with the audience to confront their own issues with identity and more... "Artifice" will screen at Frameline's Trans New Weird Shorts on June 22 Frameline.org  Follow Thee Rose on IG @starveligmoon Hot Topic: Harvey Guillén on 'letting you in' versus 'coming out'...plus George Michael older tweet that has gone viral now Hot Topic: Why some gay bars in the Castro in SF have TSA-face like scanners.... Hot Topic: Mt. Sinai accused of sharing trans records... Advice: My boyfriend and I opened up our relationship and now he's sleeping with a woman... Thirst Trap: which adult performer took the hottest shot this week? Follow Steve V's new Substack features weekly articles: https://substack.com/@tagspodcast Follow Stevie on IG: @iam_stevev Follow Kodi on IG: @mistahmaurice Follow Teddy on IG: @teddyalexis Rate and Review us! Wanna drop a weekly or one time tip to TAGSPODCAST - Show your love for the show and support TAGS! Visit our website: tagspodcast.com Needs some advice for a sex or relationship conundrum? Ask TAGS! DM US ON IG or https://www.talkaboutgaysex.com/contact Follow Of a Certain Age on IG: @ofacertainagepod   Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this episode of Elixir Wizards, Charles Suggs and Emma Whamond are joined by Ellyse Cedeno, founder of Heuristic Salvo and a software engineer and product leader with more than 25 years of experience across early internet platforms, gaming, health tech, and distributed systems. Ellyse shares the winding path that took her from early search engines and Netscape to game development, medical research at Mount Sinai, and eventually to Elixir. Along the way, she talks about staying curious over a long technical career, rediscovering joy through side projects, and why being willing to feel like a beginner again can be one of the most useful skills a developer can build. The conversation explores what it means to grow as an engineer in a world where AI tooling is becoming part of the everyday workflow. Ellyse makes the case that technical skill still matters, but the human parts of software development (like judgment, curiosity, communication, trust, and influence) are becoming increasingly important. We also talk about soft influence and how developers can create change inside organizations without relying on hard authority. Key Topics Discussed in this Episode: Ellyse's career path through early internet platforms, gaming, health tech, and distributed systems Moving from Netscape and search engines to medical research and software consulting Discovering Elixir through an interest in concurrent and distributed systems Why beginner's mindset still matters after decades in tech How neurodivergence, curiosity, and deep focus shape Ellyse's approach to programming Rediscovering joy in programming through side projects and experimentation Building an MMORPG game server in Elixir Exploring hardware, Nerves, and live theremin demos The role of passion projects in professional growth Protecting time for learning in productivity-focused environments Work-life balance differences between the U.S. and Europe How AI tools are changing expectations for modern developers Why AI does not replace judgment, taste, or technical understanding Understanding business needs instead of only focusing on technical preferences Introducing Elixir into a TypeScript-heavy organization Using Elixir microservices to solve specific technical problems What “soft influence” looks like in engineering teams Building trust through one-on-one conversations Knowing when influence is working and when it is not Negotiating technical decisions without turning them into power struggles The relationship between technical competence and interpersonal skill Managing imposter syndrome during pair programming and collaborative work Documentation as a visibility and ownership tool Community involvement, conference speaking, and finding your people Staying curious without burning out Why the human side of software development still matters Links Mentioned: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Netscape Icahn School of Medicine at Mt. Sinai https://icahn.mssm.edu/ Evernote https://evernote.com/ Joplin https://joplinapp.org/ Book: Elixir in Action by Saša Jurić https://www.manning.com/books/elixir-in-action-third-edition Book: The Little LISPer https://www.scribd.com/doc/263131641/The-Little-Lisper Ellyse's Goatmire Talk https://goatmire.com/speaker/ellyse-cedeno Nerves https://nerves-project.org/ xHain Hack & Makespace in Berlin https://x-hain.de/en/ https://cursor.com/ Haskell Programming Language https://www.haskell.org/ Java Programming Language https://www.java.com/en/ Clojure Programming Language https://clojure.org/ Scheme Programming Language https://www.scheme.org/ TypeScript Programming Language https://www.typescriptlang.org/ Nostrum Library https://hexdocs.pm/nostrum/intro.html Gleam Programming Language https://gleam.run/ Book: Getting Past No by William Ury https://www.williamury.com/getting-past-no/ “The Gambler” by Kenny Rogers https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7hx4gdlfamo Ted Talk: Do schools kill creativity? | Sir Ken Robinson https://youtu.be/iG9CE55wbtY Ellyse's Codeberg https://codeberg.org/ellyxir Ellyse's Game Server Repo https://codeberg.org/ellyxir/gameserver Goatmire Elixir & NervesConf 2026 https://www.goatmire.com/

They [the people of Israel] set out from Rephidim and came into the wilderness of Sinai, and they encamped in the wilderness. There Israel encamped before the mountain, while Moses went up to God. The Lord called to him out of the mountain, saying, “Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob, and tell the people of Israel: ‘You yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles' wings and brought you to Myself. Now therefore, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, you shall be My treasured possession among all peoples, for all the earth is Mine; and you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.' These are the words that you shall speak to the people of Israel.” So Moses came and called the elders of the people and set before them all these words that the Lord had commanded Him. All the people answered together and said, “All that the Lord has spoken we will do.” And Moses reported the words of the people to the Lord. (Exodus 19:2-8)

Send us Fan MailSend us Fan MailThis week has us sending along another re-post from the archives, while we are on sabbatical. The readings for this week are almost exactly the same as the RCL Lectionary we were using three years ago, but any timely remarks will be tied to circa 2023. Thanks for joining us, friends, and we look forward to returning to fresh episodes very soon! In this episode, we consider the readings for Proper 6, Year A in the Lectionary cycle:Genesis 18:1-15, 21:1-7 & Psalm 116:1, 10-17; Exodus 19:2-8a & Psalm 100; Romans 5:1-8; Matthew 9:35-10:23.We discuss the story of the the messengers coming to Abram and Sarah who laughed, the Lord's message to Israel at Mt. Sinai, Psalms of Thanksgiving, Paul's words on hope and the love of Jesus, and Jesus' sending out the twelve in His name.Notes:--Dwell App--Metrical Collect for Proper 6--We recommended Dcn. Jeremiah Webster's recent book Follow the Devil/Follow the Light a few episodes ago, and Goodreads is running a giveaway for it through June 15. See more of Dcn. Jeremiah's books here or read selected poems here.--The Bible Project--Bible Project's video on Romans--Bible Project's video on Hesed or Loyal Love1:23 Collect2:39 Genesis 18:1-15, 21:1-7 & Psalm 116:1, 10-1719:41  Exodus 19:2-8a & Psalm 10031:31  Romans 5:1-843:36 Matthew 9:35-10:23Our outro music is an original song by our friend Dcn. Jeremiah Webster, a poet and professor whose giftedness is rivaled by his humbleness. You can find his published works, including After So Many Fires, with a quick Google. Our outro music is an original song by our friend Dcn. Jeremiah Webster, a poet and professor whose giftedness is rivaled by his humbleness. You can find his published works, including After So Many Fires, with a quick Google.

In this episode of The UpWords Podcast, host Jean Geran sits down with biblical scholar Seth Whitaker to explore a question at the heart of Christianity's origins: how do Jews and Christians read Scripture differently—and what holds their interpretive traditions together?Drawing on his doctoral research at the University of St Andrews on the use of the Psalms in the book of Hebrews, Seth argues that the earliest followers of Jesus were Jews wrestling with their own religious heritage in light of the Messiah. Rather than a clean break, he traces a story of deep continuity — one in which the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob is the same God who raised Jesus from the dead.Jean and Seth examine why the Old Testament can feel “more vengeful” than the New, and why that contrast is more caricature than reality. Seth offers a striking image: Scripture is not a flat plain where every verse carries equal weight, but a landscape of mountains and valleys, with high peaks of revelation — like God revealing himself as “abounding in steadfast love” at Sinai — that give us a vantage point on the harder passages.The conversation also draws on a previous UpWords episode with AJ Levine to consider what Christians might learn from Jewish interpretive practices: the “70 faces” of Scripture, a comfort with multiple readings, and the practice of reading sacred texts in community as a guard against going off the rails. Seth closes by tracing how rabbinic Judaism and early Christianity gradually defined themselves over and against one another — shaped by events like the expulsion of Jews from Rome, the destruction of the Temple in 70 CE, and the Bar Kokhba revolt — and why he encourages readers to approach the Hebrew Bible less like a prophecy-fulfillment checklist and more like an ongoing dialogue.Whether you've wondered how Christianity emerged from Judaism, struggled with the difficult passages of the Old Testament, or simply want a richer way to read sacred texts, this conversation offers thoughtful insight and plenty to ponder.YOU WILL LEARNWhy every New Testament author was a Jew making sense of an inherited tradition — and why that changes how we read Christian originsEschatology as a central interpretive lens: how “the last things” reshaped the way early believers read their ScripturesThe same God, not two: pushing back on the ancient Marcionite split between the God of the Old and New TestamentsSinai as a “mountain peak” — God's mercy to the thousandth generation versus judgment to the third and fourthScripture as mountains and valleys, not a flat plain of equal-weight proof textsLove and judgment appear in both Testaments — including in the Psalms and in the teaching of JesusThe “70 faces” of Scripture and what Christians can learn from Jewish interpretation in communityHow the early church's patience, love, and care across class lines set it apart in Rome Three historical turning points that drove Judaism and Christianity apart: the expulsion of Jews from Rome (49 CE), the destruction of the Temple (70 CE), and the Bar Kokhba revolt (135 CE)The Septuagint, Isaiah 7:14, and how competing authoritative texts shaped competing interpretationsReading the Hebrew Bible as a dance and dialogue rather than a prophecy-fulfillment checklistABOUT THE GUESTSeth Whitaker is a New Testament scholar who completed his PhD at the University of St Andrews, where he worked with David Moffitt on the Epistle to the Hebrews. His research focuses on Christian origins and how the New Testament authors interpreted the Hebrew Bible and the Septuagint. His book, Eschatology and the Use of Psalms in Hebrews: Songs for the Last Days, is published by Bloomsbury T&T Clark in the Library of Second Temple Studies.RESOURCES MENTIONEDEschatology and the Use of Psalms in Hebrews: Songs for the Last Days — Seth Whitaker (Bloomsbury T&T Clark)The Patient Ferment of the Early Church — Alan KreiderPrevious episode of The UpWords Podcast with AJ Levine on Jewish and Christian readings of ScriptureSend us Fan MailCONNECT WITH USSubscribe to The UpWords Podcast wherever you listen to podcasts and visit slbf.org/studio to learn more about our work at the intersection of faith, the academy, and the marketplace.This episode was created by the SLBF STUDIO at Upper House.Produced by Daniel Johnson and Dave ConourEdited by Dave Conour

The letter of James, after words of greeting in the first verse, then gives some blunt but valuable advice, “Count it all joy, my brothers (and sisters), when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.  And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete …”Count it all joy!!  James, we conclude, means ‘spiritual joy' in the heart.  Can we not experience this, especially when we look back on a difficult series of events in our lives; should not at least some of the Israelites have felt this as they came to Mt. Sinai – and the disciples as they realized their Lord was alive again?  How the hearts of some burned within them.  What kind of joy is experienced in these situations?Then we note what James next states!  “and let steadfastness have its full effect that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing” [v.4]   Perfection!?  That is, perfect faith – that sees their life from the Lord's perspective – and in that way – lacks nothing that matters – especially in an eternal sense.  Even the events in the world are seen from this perspective – we know more and more surely that the Lord is in control. especially when we sense the divinely ordained end is near.  James then says, “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.”[v.5]  But there is a vital qualification to this asking!  We must “ask in faith with no doubting” [v.6]  A person who doubts, in his approach to God, “must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord.” [v.7]   Our lives, our minds must have a constant ingredient of genuine faith in them.  James stresses that those who do not have this – increasingly have minds that are “driven and tossed” like the sea waves, he (or she) says James “is a double minded man, unstable in all his ways.”[v.8]Our world tempts us, tests us, toward double-mindedness.  Let us fix in our minds the outstanding message of James that when we “meet trials of various kinds” we “count it all joy” because we see our lives from God's perspective.  We take comfort from the lessons of the past, the trials of faith that should have strengthened us.  In a few days we will read Peter's first epistle, let us note his words, that we must live “as good stewards of God's varied grace … as one who serves by the strength that God supplies.”[4 v.10,11]

Episode 4139 │ June 7, 2026 The average person is talking to God through a closed door for 3.6 minutes a day. Brad Cummings explains what happens when you finally open it. Scott Kesterson and Brad Cummings return for Part 2 of their deep dive into Pentecost, pressing further into what the indwelling of the Holy Spirit actually means for daily life — and why most believers are living far below what God has made available. Brad draws on Romans 8, Hebrews, Luke 12, Daniel 7, Deuteronomy 29, and Acts 8 to build a connected case: that God's consuming fire is not punishment but refining transformation, that faith is a response to the living voice of Christ rather than a self-generated choice, and that the baptism of the Holy Spirit exists primarily to conform believers into the image of Christ — not to produce spiritual spectacle. The conversation moves through the story of Philip and the Ethiopian eunuch as a model of Holy Spirit-led availability, the Sinai covenant as the prototype of Pentecost, and the sobering statistic that the average American spends 3.6 minutes a day with God against seven hours in front of a screen — 50 to 60 percent of it anxiety-driven content about money and food. The episode closes with Brad's argument that discipline and disciple share the same root for a reason: transformation requires the fire, and the only question is whether you choose it now or later. What is the baptism of the Holy Spirit actually for — and why does speaking in tongues miss the point? How does faith come by hearing, and what does hardening your heart really mean in practice? Why does God use ordinary, unnamed nobodies to advance His kingdom rather than the best and brightest? What is the baptism of fire — and is the lake of fire punishment or the final refining of all creation? How does spending only 3.6 minutes a day with God explain the current state of the church and the nation? BardsFM is a daily independent podcast covering faith, liberty, history, and information warfare. Hosted by Scott Kesterson — combat veteran, documentary filmmaker, and rancher. Over 4,100 episodes and 50 million lifetime downloads. New episodes every weekday. bards.fm #BardsFM_DiggingIntoTheWord #HolySpirit #BaptismOfFire Bards Nation Health Store: www.bardsnationhealth.com MYPillow promo code: BARDS >> Go to https://www.mypillow.com/bards and use the promo code BARDS or... Call 1-800-975-2939.  EMPShield protect your vehicles and home. Promo code BARDS: Click here Treadlite Broadforks...best garden tool EVER. Promo code BARDS26: TreadliteBroadforks.com EnviroKlenz Air Purification, promo code BARDS to save 10%: www.enviroklenz.com Morning Intro Music Provided by Brian Kahanek: www.briankahanek.com Founders Bible 20% discount code: BARDS >>> TheFoundersBible.com Windblown Media 20% Discount with promo code BARDS: windblownmedia.com White Oak Pastures Grassfed Meats, Get $20 off any order $150 or more. Promo Code BARDS: www.whiteoakpastures.com/BARDS Mission Darkness Faraday Bags and RF Shielding. Promo code BARDS: Click here If you wish to support this podcast directly you can donate here... DONATE: Click here Mailing Address: Xpedition Cafe, LLC Attn. Scott Kesterson 591 E Central Ave, #740 Sutherlin, OR  97479

What if God's greatest desire is to be closer to you than you're comfortable with?In this message, Pastor Robert Favela unpacks the powerful connection between Sinai, Pentecost, and the Holy Spirit, showing how God's desire has always been to draw us one step closer. Discover the next step God may be inviting you to take.

Sunday, June 07, 2026

Hoo, boy… it's great to be back in the saddle at my computer and in front of the microphone! I greatly enjoyed a short break to visit my family in New York, and I appreciate you all sticking with it while the audio has taken a break. I hope the printed materials continued to be helpful. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *This guide covers the readings appointed in the Revised Common Lectionary for the Third Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 6), Year A, falling on June 14, 2026. The great festivals of Easter and Pentecost are behind us, and the church now settles into what has been variously called Ordinary Time, the Season after Pentecost, or simply the long stretch of green Sundays that runs all the way to Advent. The lectionary now walks through stories and letters in a more sustained way — not building toward a particular feast but simply listening, week by week, to the long witness of Scripture.This Sunday offers two parallel Old Testament tracks. Track One (semi-continuous) follows the great stories of Israel in order, picking up this week with Abraham and Sarah and the visitors at Mamre. Track Two (complementary) chooses an Old Testament text that lines up thematically with the Gospel — this week, the giving of the covenant at Sinai, where God names Israel a kingdom of priests. Either track will preach. Most congregations pick a track at the beginning of the season and stay with it; this guide treats both fully and lets the preacher choose.The Epistle and Gospel are the same for both tracks: Romans 5 on hope formed in suffering, and Matthew's account of Jesus sending out the Twelve. One quiet continuity is worth noticing as you prepare. Matthew the tax collector, called from his table just last week, appears in today's Gospel in the list of the twelve apostles being sent out. The lectionary is showing us how quickly being found becomes being sent.Matthew the tax collector, called from his table just last week, appears in today's Gospel in the list of the twelve apostles being sent out. The lectionary is showing us how quickly being found becomes being sent.The ReadingsGenesis 18:1–15, (21:1–7)First Reading (Track One) — Sarah LaughsSummaryThree travelers arrive at Abraham's tent in the heat of the day, and Abraham — without yet knowing who they are — hurries to offer extravagant hospitality. Over the meal, one of them announces that Sarah will have a son within the year. Sarah is listening from inside the tent and laughs to herself, silently, as she thinks, at the idea that two old people could still have a child. The visitor knows. He calls out the laugh and asks the question on which the whole story turns: is anything too wonderful for the Lord? Sarah, frightened, denies laughing. He simply says: Oh yes, you did. The optional ending of the reading carries the story forward — the promise comes true, Sarah gives birth, and they name the child Isaac, which means “he laughs.” The laughter that began in skepticism comes back as joy.Key Ideas for Preaching1. Abraham welcomes strangers and ends up hosting God. He does not know who they are when he runs to greet them — he simply treats them like honored guests. What does it look like for your congregation to extend that kind of hospitality to people whose importance they have not yet discovered?2. Sarah's laughter is honest. After twenty-five years of waiting on a promise that never came, she is not pretending anymore. What does it look like to give your people permission to bring their honest doubt to God without dressing it up as faith?3. The question at the heart of the story — is anything too wonderful for the Lord? — is not about whether God can do tricks. It is about whether we still credit God with the capacity to surprise us. Where has your congregation quietly written something off as impossible — about themselves, about each other, about the world — that this text suggests they should hold more loosely?4. If you include the verses from chapter 21, Isaac's name carries the whole arc: “he laughs.” The laughter that began in disbelief comes back as the laughter of joy. What would it mean for your people to trust that God can turn the laughter of skepticism into the laughter of celebration — and that both kinds of laughter can be holy?Significant Cautions• Sarah's laughter is sometimes preached as a failure of faith, with Sarah cast as a cautionary example. The text is gentler than that. She is honest, and God is honest back. Be careful not to turn the scene into a morality lesson about doubt.• The three visitors have been used in some traditions as a kind of preview of the Trinity. The text itself does not make that claim, and forcing it on the passage tends to distract from what is actually happening. Better to let the strangeness of the scene be what it is.• The promise of a child in old age can land hard on people who have prayed for a child and not received one. Be careful not to suggest that those who do not get the miracle are short on faith.Psalm 116:1–2, 12–19The Psalm (Track One) — What Shall I Return to the Lord?SummaryThis is a psalm of thanksgiving from someone who has been heard. The opening lines tell us why the psalmist loves God: because God listened. The middle section asks the question every grateful person eventually asks — what can I possibly give back? The answer turns out not to be a material payment at all. It is to lift the cup of salvation, to call on God's name, to keep the vows made in the day of trouble — and to do all of this publicly, in the presence of all God's people.Key Ideas for Preaching1. The psalmist's love for God begins with being heard. That is a much smaller and more reachable claim than it sounds. What might it do for your congregation to hear that the path to loving God can begin with something as simple as the conviction that God is paying attention?2. The question “what shall I return to the Lord?” is asked by someone overflowing with gratitude, not by someone calculating a debt. Where in your congregation has gratitude turned into obligation rather than response, and how might this psalm soften that?3. The thanksgiving is offered in the presence of all God's people — public, witnessed, communal, not a private feeling kept to oneself. What would it look like to give your people room to name out loud where God has met them?Significant Cautions• “Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his faithful ones” can sound to a grieving person as if their loved one's death is being called a treasure. The line means that God watches over the lives and deaths of God's people with care — not that death itself is a good thing. Handle it tenderly.• “I love the Lord, because he has heard my voice” can be heard painfully by someone whose prayers have not been answered the way they wanted. Make room in the sermon for them as well.Exodus 19:2–8aFirst Reading (Track Two) — A Kingdom of PriestsSummaryThe Israelites have just come out of Egypt and are camped at the foot of Mount Sinai. Moses climbs the mountain, and God speaks to him with a word for the people. God begins by reminding them of what they have already seen — how God carried them out of slavery on eagles' wings — and then names what they are about to become: if they keep the covenant, they will be God's treasured possession out of all the peoples of the earth, a kingdom of priests, a holy nation. Moses brings the message back, and the people answer in a single voice: everything the Lord has said, we will do.Key Ideas for Preaching1. God's word to Israel begins with what God has already done. The covenant is offered to people God has already rescued, not to people who have earned it. Where does your congregation still imagine that their relationship with God starts with their performance rather than with God's prior love?2. A kingdom of priests is a people whose whole life points others toward God. This is not a job for clergy or for a few specially gifted members — it is the identity of the whole community. What does it look like for your people to take seriously that their ordinary lives are meant to be priestly?3. The people's “we will do” comes very quickly. They will, of course, fail to keep it almost immediately. What does it mean to preach this scene knowing both that the commitment is sincere and that it will not hold — and that God enters the covenant anyway?Significant Cautions• “Treasured possession” has been used to claim that one group has been chosen over and against others — including, in tragic stretches of Christian history, to argue that the church has replaced Israel as the chosen people. That is a misreading. Be careful with the language of being chosen so that it does not slide into superiority.• The image of being carried on eagles' wings is beautiful but can be turned into the promise that God always rescues the faithful from hardship. The Exodus story itself does not promise that. Hold the image tenderly for people whose deliverance is still long in coming.Psalm 100The Psalm (Track Two) — The Sheep of His PastureSummaryThe whole psalm is one sustained call to worship — seven imperatives stacked into five short verses. The reason runs through every line: God made us, we belong to God, God is good, God's steadfast love endures forever. It is among the shortest and best-loved psalms in the Bible, often used to open worship.Key Ideas for Preaching1. The psalm is almost all imperatives — commands to worship. Worship here is not a feeling the worshiper has to manufacture; it is something the people are invited to do, and the doing tends to come first. Where might your congregation be waiting to feel ready to worship rather than simply showing up to do it?2. The reason for worship in the psalm is not the worshiper's circumstances but God's character — that God made us, that we belong to God, that God's love endures. What would change if your congregation grounded its praise in who God is rather than in how the week has gone?3. This psalm pairs naturally with the Exodus reading. The people God is forming into a kingdom of priests are the same people the psalm calls to enter God's gates with thanksgiving. The identity and the practice belong together. What might it look like for your congregation to feel both at once?Significant Cautions• The command to “make a joyful noise” has sometimes been turned into the requirement that worship always be exuberant and loud. Joy in worship comes in many keys — including quiet ones. Be careful not to make joyful noise the same as loud noise.• A psalm of pure praise can leave out people who are grieving or hurting, who cannot easily summon gladness. The psalm is one voice in a larger book that also makes ample room for lament. Not every Sunday is Psalm 100 weather, and saying so honestly can be a kindness.Romans 5:1–8The Epistle — Hope That Does Not DisappointSummaryPaul opens this chapter with one of his great summary statements: now that we have been put right with God by trust, we have peace with God through Jesus Christ. From there he describes the strange logic of Christian hope. We can even hold our heads up in suffering, he says, because suffering forms endurance, endurance forms character, and character forms hope — a hope that does not let us down, because God's love has been poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit. Then he gives the ground for it all: Christ did not wait for us to deserve him. He died for us while we were still weak, still sinners, with no claim on him at all.Key Ideas for Preaching1. The chain Paul builds — suffering, endurance, character, hope — describes what suffering can do, not what it always does. Paul is not telling sufferers that their pain is a tool God is using on them; he is telling people who are already enduring something hard that the road they are walking has been walked before, and it leads somewhere. Where does your congregation need to hear that distinction made plainly?2. The hope Paul describes is not optimism. Optimism depends on circumstances; this hope is poured in from outside — the love of God by the Spirit. How might it help your people to be told that they do not have to manufacture their own hope?3. Christ died for us, Paul says, while we were still sinners — before any of us had cleaned ourselves up to qualify. Where does your congregation still secretly believe that God will love them more once they have improved, and what would change if they let that go?Significant Cautions• “Suffering produces endurance” has been used to silence people whose suffering is real and unjust — to tell them they should be grateful for what their pain is doing to them. That is a cruel misuse. Paul is not blessing suffering; he is comforting people in it. Say so plainly.• “Justified by faith” can be flattened into the idea that what saves us is the strength of our own believing — as if faith were a new thing to achieve. The weight here is on the trustworthiness of God, not the size of our trust. Keep the emphasis where Paul puts it.• Paul's contrast between sinners and the righteous has sometimes been used to draw lines around who counts as truly bad and who counts as basically good. The whole point of the passage is that none of us was on the right side of that line, and Christ came anyway.Matthew 9:35–10:8, (9–23)The Gospel — The Compassion and the SendingSummaryJesus has been moving through the towns of Galilee, teaching and healing, and when he looks at the crowds something gives way in him. They are exhausted, he says — harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. From that compassion comes the saying about a plentiful harvest and too few laborers, and then the response: Jesus summons twelve of his disciples, names them one by one, gives them authority, and sends them out. The instructions are striking. Stay with Israel for now. Take nothing — no money, no extra clothing, no traveling kit. Whatever you have received, give freely. In the verses that follow, the warning grows sober: you will be sent like sheep among wolves, you will be hated, you will need to endure. The mission is real, and so is the cost, and Jesus hides neither. Talk about some straight talk!Key Ideas for Preaching1. The mission begins in Jesus' compassion. Before there is a strategy or a sending, there is a look at the crowds and the sense that they are sheep without a shepherd. What does it look like for your congregation's own sense of mission to begin in compassion rather than in obligation or ambition?2. Among the twelve named and sent is Matthew the tax collector — the very man called from his table in last week's Gospel. The lectionary is showing us how quickly being found becomes being sent. Where in your congregation are people waiting to feel qualified before they are willing to be sent, and what would change if they took Matthew's story seriously about themselves?3. The travel instructions are notable for everything they leave out. No money, no bag, no extra clothes. The mission is meant to be carried out in a posture of vulnerability and dependence on those who receive them. What does it look like for your congregation to do mission in a way that does not arrive with all the answers and all the resources — but with empty hands?4. “You received without payment; give without payment.” The freedom of what has been given is meant to set the temperature of how it is given. Where in your congregation has ministry quietly become a transaction, and how might Jesus' instruction reset it?5. The harder verses about persecution are not meant to glamorize suffering. They are meant to be honest with disciples about what the road can cost. How might your sermon prepare your people for the real costs of faithful witness without making them dramatic about minor inconveniences?Significant Cautions• “The harvest is plentiful” has been used to fuel a kind of urgent recruitment that pressures and manipulates. The compassion of Jesus comes first; the harvest language is meant to motivate prayer (“ask the Lord of the harvest”), not panic.• The instruction to “go nowhere among the Gentiles” is specific to this moment in Jesus' ministry. By the end of Matthew's Gospel, the disciples will be sent to all nations. Be careful not to use this verse to argue for any kind of restriction or favoritism today.• “Shake the dust from your feet” has been used to justify cutting off relationships with people who do not respond the way we want. Read in context, it is permission to keep moving without resentment, not a license for contempt.• The persecution verses — brother betraying brother, being hated because of his name — have been pressed into service to dramatize any modern opposition to a religious agenda as fulfillment of prophecy. Be cautious. Jesus is preparing disciples for a specific kind of cost; he is not handing his followers a script for grievance.• “The one who endures to the end will be saved” can land cruelly on people who are exhausted. The verse is encouragement for the road, not a warning that those who burn out are lost.• The naming of twelve men has been used to argue that leadership belongs to a particular kind of person. The wider New Testament — including Mary Magdalene as the first witness of the resurrection, Lydia, Phoebe, Priscilla, and many others — tells a much fuller story about who is sent.Thematic ConnectionsDepending on which track you follow, the day takes one of two shapes — and both lead naturally toward the same Gospel.On the first track, the day is about God's faithfulness to people whose circumstances make the promise look ridiculous. Abraham and Sarah are old, and Sarah laughs. Psalm 116 gives the voice of someone delivered and overflowing with gratitude. Romans 5 grounds hope not in our endurance but in the love of God poured into us. And the Gospel sends an unlikely set of workers — Matthew the tax collector among them — out into a harvest that needs them. The thread is the stubborn, surprising reliability of God when the human side of the equation looks impossible.On the second track, the day is about identity and mission. Exodus names Israel as a kingdom of priests; Psalm 100 calls the whole earth to worship the God who has made and gathered them; Romans grounds the believer in the love of God; and the Gospel sends the disciples out as the very priestly people God has been forming all along. The thread is the long, patient work of God shaping a people who exist for the sake of the world.The Gospel is the natural preaching center either way. Jesus' compassion and the sending of the Twelve gather both threads — God's faithfulness across generations and the formation of a people who are sent. * If you are on Track One, Romans pairs with Genesis to insist that the church's hope is grounded in God's character, not in our circumstances. * If you are on Track Two, Exodus and Psalm 100 prepare the congregation to hear today's sending as the latest chapter in God's long pattern of making a priestly people. * The psalms work best as sung or spoken responses; either one offers a line worth carrying into the sermon — “what shall I return to the Lord?” or “we are God's people, and the sheep of God's pasture.”If you haven't already, be sure to check out “The Thursday Sermon” (which actually comes out on Wednesday each week) as an example of how these preaching insights can be used. There are also additional “Liturgical Resources” for each week that you are WELCOMED and ENCOURAGED to use in your worship services. Acknowledgment to “Lectionary.pro” will be greatly appreciated. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit lectionarypro.substack.com/subscribe

We explore the construction of the Tabernacle at the foot of Mt. Sinai, a place for God to dwell among the Israelites. We discuss the detailed preparations, the symbolism of the Holy of Holies and its reflection of the Garden of Eden, and the importance of the Ark of the Covenant. We also highlight the paradox of God's presence amidst his people, yet his holiness setting him apart. Support the showRead along with us in the Bible Brief App! Try the Bible Brief book for an offline experience!Get your free Bible Timeline with the 10 Steps: Timeline LinkSupport the show: Tap here to become a monthly supporter!Review the show: Tap here!Want to go deeper?...Download the Bible Brief App!iPhone: App Store LinkAndroid: Play Store LinkWant a physical book? Check out "Bible Brief" by our founder!Amazon: Amazon LinkWebsite: biblebrief.orgInstagram: @realbiblebriefX: @biblebriefFacebook: @realbiblebriefEmail the Show: biblebrief@biblelit.orgWant to learn the Bible languages (Greek & Hebrew)? Check out our partner Biblingo (and use our link/code for a discount!): https://biblin...

Welcome to Day 2876 of Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me. This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom – Progressive Christianity and the Northern Kingdom: A Repeated Rebellion. Wisdom-Trek Podcast Script - Day 2876 Welcome to Wisdom-Trek with Gramps!   I am Guthrie Chamberlain, and we are on Day 2876 of our Trek.   The Purpose of Wisdom-Trek is to create a legacy of wisdom, to seek out discernment and insights, and to boldly grow where few have chosen to grow before. Our current series of Theology Thursday lessons is written by theologian and teacher John Daniels. I have found that his lessons are short, easy to understand, doctrinally sound, and applicable to all who desire to learn more of God's Word. John's lessons can be found on his website   theologyinfive.com.   Today's lesson is titled:  Progressive Christianity and the Northern Kingdom: A Repeated Rebellion. After the division of Israel, Jeroboam feared losing his kingdom if the people continued worshiping in Jerusalem. Rather than abolish religion, he reshaped it. He placed golden calves at Dan and Bethel and declared, “Here are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt” (First Kings 12, verse twenty-eight). He kept the name of Yahweh but changed the worship to fit political and cultural needs. Progressive Christianity walks the same path. It keeps the language of faith while redefining the terms. Jesus becomes a moral teacher rather than the risen Lord. Sin becomes injustice rather than rebellion. Salvation becomes social healing rather than spiritual redemption. Just like the Northern Kingdom, modern progressives offer a god who is familiar in name but foreign in nature. The First Segment is: “Open-Minded” Idolatry The people of Israel did not see themselves as rejecting Yahweh. They simply wanted to be open to other spiritual options. Baal was worshiped for rain, Asherah for fertility, and Molech for prosperity. The land was filled with high places, groves, and alternate shrines. In their minds, it was not apostasy. It was balance. It was maturity. Progressive Christianity mirrors this impulse. Its leaders are often proud to affirm all religions as valid paths to the divine. Jesus is presented as one example among many. Interfaith services blend Scripture with mantras, chakras, and meditation. This “open-mindedness” is not new. It is the same spiritual adultery that the prophets condemned as whoredom. God does not share His throne. The second Segment is: Pagan Intrusion in Sacred Clothing The Israelites introduced forbidden elements into their worship. They practiced divination, consulted mediums, and used cultic rituals they learned from their Canaanite neighbors. They may have justified these things as “spiritual tools,” but the prophets saw clearly what was happening. Paganism was creeping into the house of God. Today, angel cards, energy healing, astrology, aura readings, and manifesting are all being imported into churches, especially those influenced by progressive and New Apostolic Reformation theology. These practices are often wrapped in Christian language. They speak of light, Spirit, and destiny. But they are no different from the forbidden rituals of ancient days. Their power does not come from the Holy Spirit. It comes from the same deceiving spirits that always wait behind the idols. The Third Segment is: The Rise of Prophetic Theater In the Northern Kingdom, the prophets became professional performers. They declared victory and blessing without requiring repentance. They contradicted the true prophets, promising peace while ignoring rebellion. Jeremiah lamented, “They say continually to those who despise the word of the Lord, ‘It shall be well with you'” (Jeremiah 23, verse seventeen). Today's “prophecy schools,” such as Bethel's School of Supernatural Ministry, follow a disturbingly similar pattern. They claim to train individuals to “activate” prophetic gifts, to decree and declare realities into being, and to access heaven's secrets at will. But true prophecy in Scripture was never a skill to be mastered or a sensation to be invoked. It was a calling given by God to speak His Word with fear and trembling. At Bethel and similar movements, prophecy becomes performance. It centers on personal revelation, emotional experience, and “manifesting” outcomes rather than repentance, obedience, and holiness. Like the prophets of the Northern Kingdom, these teachers proclaim peace where there is no peace and glory without the cross. The emphasis on “prophetic activation” closely mirrors the divination condemned by Moses, where the divine is manipulated for human ends rather than received with reverent submission. The Fourth Segment is: Cultural Syncretism Rebranded as Revival Ancient Israel thought it could have both Yahweh and Baal. It thought it could use Canaanite worship styles to honor the God of Abraham. But Yahweh had already spoken at Sinai. His worship was not negotiable. Israel's attempt to blend cultures resulted in divine rejection. Progressive Christianity makes the same mistake. It borrows the language of self-help, the values of humanism, and the practices of mysticism. It attempts to wrap them in Christian terms, calling it “revival” or “awakening.” But Yahweh does not share His glory. He is not worshiped on the high places. He is not accessed through emotion, technique, or personal preference. He demands covenant faithfulness. The fifth segment is: The Prophets Were Never Popular In the Northern Kingdom, the true prophets were persecuted. Elijah was hunted. Amos was silenced. Hosea was scorned. They did not tell people what they wanted to hear. They told them what God said. The people preferred the false prophets who promised peace, affirmation, and national greatness. Today, biblical voices that warn against false spirituality are called judgmental. They are told they are stifling the Spirit. They are accused of division and fear-mongering. But their words match the prophets of old. God does not change, and neither does the nature of rebellion. The sixth segment is: The Consequence of Compromise The Northern Kingdom fell. Assyria crushed it, and its people were scattered. The fall was not just political. It was spiritual. The gods they welcomed could not save them. The prophets they trusted led them into ruin. God gave them over to what they had chosen. Progressive Christianity is on the same path. It trades revelation for reinvention. It welcomes what God forbids. It builds golden calves and calls them Jesus. Its trajectory is not renewal but collapse. A house built on sand will fall. In Conclusion The Northern Kingdom did not fall because it rejected religion. It fell because it redefined it. It kept the name of God while reshaping everything else. It embraced the gods of the age and called it progress. Progressive Christianity is repeating this rebellion. It is time to choose whom we will serve. For further study, consider these Discussion Questions Why do you think Jeroboam chose to redefine Israel's worship rather than abolish it outright? How does this reflect the way progressive Christianity reshapes faith today? What are the dangers of being “open-minded” about spiritual truth? At what point does openness become compromise, and how can we recognize the difference? How do modern practices like angel cards, manifesting, and prophetic activation parallel ancient forbidden rituals? Can these practices ever be redeemed or are they inherently incompatible with biblical faith? Why were the true prophets in Israel often unpopular and rejected? How does this help us evaluate popular spiritual leaders today? If the Northern Kingdom's downfall was theological more than political, what does that suggest about the long-term consequences of doctrinal compromise in the Church today? Join us next Theology Thursday to learn The Bible as a Polemic: Confronting the Powers that Rebelled Kingdom:. If you found this podcast insightful, please subscribe and leave us a review, then encourage your friends and family to join us and come along tomorrow for another day of  ‘Wisdom-Trek,  Creating a Legacy.'                          Thank you so much for allowing me to be your guide, mentor, and, most importantly,   I am your friend as I serve you through this Wisdom-Trek podcast and journal. As we take this Trek of life together, let us always:           

In the second year [of the Exodus], on the 20th of the second month, the cloud rose from the Tabernacle of Testimony. The Israelites thus began their travels, [moving on] from the Sinai Desert [until] the cloud came to rest in the Paran Desert. This was the first journey at G-d's word through Moses (this week's Torah portion – 10:11-14)Thus began the 13th of the 42 journeys through the wilderness. After the Jewish people camped at Sinai on the first of Sivan 2448, they remained there for close to a year (exactly 10 days less than 12 months), until the 20th of Iyar 2449, when the cloud rose, signifying the time to move on.After the Torah elaborates on the events that transpired from the time the Jews arrived at Sinai on the first of Sivan 2448 (in the chapter Yisro in the book of Exodus), through the building and erection of the Temple on the first of Nissan 2449 (the latter chapters of Exodus), through the entire book of Leviticus and the first two and a half chapters of Numbers, the Torah resumes the story and begins to relate the series of journeys traveled by the Jewish people in the wilderness. The rising of the cloud in this week's portion is essentially continuing the story where it was left off at the end of Exodus, when the cloud first descended on the Tabernacle.As we now begin to read the story of the long and tedious journey, we bring you the first installment of a new series from Rabbi Jacobson, that outlines the psycho-spiritual 42 journeys that each of us go through in our own lives.

We delve into the Sinai Covenant and the laws and teachings it encompasses. We discuss the fear of God and how it should motivate a pure and righteous life. The complexity of the Israelites' relationship with God is examined, along with an exploration of the regulations given by God, including slavery, restitution, and Sabbaths. We reflect on the importance of the Sabbath as the primary sign of the Sinai Covenant and conclude with the formal establishment of the Sinai Covenant with blood. Support the showRead along with us in the Bible Brief App! Try the Bible Brief book for an offline experience!Get your free Bible Timeline with the 10 Steps: Timeline LinkSupport the show: Tap here to become a monthly supporter!Review the show: Tap here!Want to go deeper?...Download the Bible Brief App!iPhone: App Store LinkAndroid: Play Store LinkWant a physical book? Check out "Bible Brief" by our founder!Amazon: Amazon LinkWebsite: biblebrief.orgInstagram: @realbiblebriefX: @biblebriefFacebook: @realbiblebriefEmail the Show: biblebrief@biblelit.orgWant to learn the Bible languages (Greek & Hebrew)? Check out our partner Biblingo (and use our link/code for a discount!): https://biblin...

In this episode of the Explaining History Podcast, we examine the opening moves of the Ottoman Empire's war against Britain – a desperate, audacious campaign to seize the Suez Canal that has been largely forgotten but which revealed the fragility of the British Empire and the resilience of the Ottoman army.At the outbreak of the First World War, the Ottoman Empire saw itself surrounded by enemies: the British in Egypt, the Russians to the north, a hostile Habsburg Empire to the west, and a recently hostile Italy in the Mediterranean. The Young Turk government initially hoped to stay out of the war. But when they looked at Britain, France, and Russia, they saw voraciously hungry powers intent on dismembering their empire. Germany offered a security guarantee – unreliable, but the best available.The German High Command placed a high priority on cutting the Suez Canal. Between August and December 1914, 376 transport ships carried nearly 164,000 Allied troops through the canal. It was the vital artery connecting the Indian Ocean to the Mediterranean – the lifeline of Britain's Asian empire. If the Ottomans could pinch it off, they could deal Britain a mortal blow and perhaps inspire a pan‑Islamic jihad against British rule.The man chosen to lead the attack was Cemal Pasha. In November 1914, he stood in Istanbul's central train station and publicly proclaimed his intention to conquer Egypt. The British dismissed his pledge as empty rhetoric. They did not believe he could raise an army large enough or cross the waterless, hostile Sinai desert.But Cemal assembled a heterogeneous, multi‑ethnic force – regular soldiers from the Arab provinces, volunteers from Bedouin, Druze, Circassian, Kurdish, Albanian, and even Jewish communities. He wrote to the Sharif of Mecca, Hussein ibn Ali, asking for troops under one of his sons. Hussein's son Ali went no further than Medina – a warning sign Cemal chose to ignore.Against all odds, Cemal's force marched across the Sinai in 12 days, losing neither a man nor a beast. They carried light rations of dates, biscuit, and olives, water carefully rationed, marching through the freezing nights and resting by day. British aerial surveillance initially failed to detect them – early aircraft lacked the range to reach central Sinai.By late January 1915, the British realised the impossible was happening. They withdrew all troops to the western shore of the canal, chained guard dogs on the east bank, and waited. The odds were stacked against the Ottomans – 25,000 attackers against 50,000 dug‑in defenders, backed by warships, armoured trains, and the canal itself. But Cemal had achieved surprise. What happened next would shape the course of the war in the Middle East.Drawing on Eugene Rogan's *The Fall of the Ottomans*, this episode explores the political context of the Ottoman decision to enter the war, the challenges of mobilising a multi‑ethnic army, the incredible logistics of the Sinai crossing, and the early use of aerial reconnaissance in desert warfare.**Topics covered:**- The Ottoman Empire's strategic dilemma in 1914- The alliance with Germany and the promise of jihad- The importance of the Suez Canal to the British war effort- Cemal Pasha and his public proclamation- The composition of the Ottoman expeditionary force- Sharif Hussein's reluctant cooperation- The 12‑day march across the Sinai- British aerial reconnaissance and its limitations- The defence of the canal: warships, armoured trains, and guard dogs- The moment of surprise before the attack---*If you enjoy the podcast, please consider supporting us – we are migrating from Patreon to Substack. Details in the show notes.*Explaining History helps you understand the 20th Century through critical conversations and expert interviews. We connect the past to the present. If you enjoy the show, please subscribe and share.▸ Support the Show & Get Exclusive ContentBecome a Patron: patreon.com/explaininghistory▸ Join the Community & Continue the ConversationFacebook Group: facebook.com/groups/ExplainingHistoryPodcastSubstack: theexplaininghistorypodcast.substack.com▸ Read Articles & Go DeeperWebsite: explaininghistory.org Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today On The Eric Metaxas Show, Eric talks with James Lindsay about America's identity crisis, the launch of Revolution, and why false ideologies rush in when a nation forgets who it is. They discuss Nazism, Marxism, eugenics, Darwinism, the French Revolution, Charlie Kirk's question about what it means to be an American, rising antisemitism on the left and right, the Sinai covenant, and why recovering America's founding story may be essential to keeping the republic. Subscribe for clips from The Eric Metaxas Show to hear politics and culture from a Christian perspective.⭐ PRE-ORDER TODAY:Revolution: The Birth of the Greatest Nation in the History of the World

After nearly a year at Sinai, the nation is on the move: in perfect formation, each tribe perfectly positioned and oriented, the nation finally departed the site of the Sinai Revelation. Following the cloud, the nation traveled. In this very special Parsha podcast, we go deep and deeper in trying to plumb the depths of […]

After nearly a year at Sinai, the nation is on the move: in perfect formation, each tribe perfectly positioned and oriented, the nation finally departed the site of the Sinai Revelation. Following the cloud, the nation traveled. In this very special Parsha podcast, we go deep and deeper in trying to plumb the depths of the Torah to the best of our abilities. The first segment revolves around the nature of the nation's frequent travels throughout the wilderness, in contrast with the year that they spent in one location at Sinai. The second segment focuses on two mysterious figures, Eldad and Meidad, who were catapulted prophecy. The final segment shares a fascinating and perhaps a bit terrifying insight into the nature of the arrival of Messiah and what to do about it.– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –DONATE: Please consider supporting the podcasts by making a donation to help fund our Jewish outreach and educational efforts at https://www.torchweb.org/support.php. Thank you!– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –NEW TORCH Mailing Address POBox:TORCHPO BOX 310246HOUSTON, TX 77231-0246– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –Email me with questions, comments, and feedback: rabbiwolbe@gmail.com– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –SUBSCRIBE to my Newsletterrabbiwolbe.com/newsletter– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –SUBSCRIBE to Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe's PodcastsThe Parsha PodcastThe Jewish History PodcastThe Mitzvah Podcast This Jewish LifeThe Ethics PodcastTORAH 101 ★ Support this podcast ★