Podcasts about so luke

Luke 13:18-15:32 We are in the Christ Stream reading from the Tree of Life Version. 7streamsmethod.com | @serenatravis | Donate Commentary by Dr. Drake Travis God, thank you for sending Jesus and saving us as we respond to your relentless love.  Your ways are not only perfect, they are fascinating. Amen. 13 - Luke is bolstering up a few lessons here as Jesus is finalizing His time in Perea; a region east of the Jordan that started ca. 25 miles south of Galilee and ran south to about 15 or so miles worth of shoreline on the Dead Sea.  Jesus is teaching about the Kingdom of God and the fact that it is going to grow. Plan on it. Jesus did not come to earth to teach maintenance. The Kingdom of God is an enterprising growing Kingdom. A Bible study of 6 should be the headwaters of 8-10 church plants throughout life. If 6 spends 55 years remaining 6, they are not "Kingdom-minded." God is not impressed with "terrarium faith" {just seal it in and hang on to what you have}.  One preacher called this, "getting what you can, canning what you get, and sitting on the can".          The interaction about whether a few will be saved or not is a perceived question that came out of the person's misperception. And with Jesus' answer about the "narrow door", some surmise that only a few will be saved at a time...like a crowd being shuffled through a single turnstyle that acts as a funneling bottleneck. Others then envision St. Peter on the other side of the pearly gates bellowing to slow down because he is getting overwhelmed since he can only check-in so many people into heaven and can only do so at a snail pace...it might crash his computer data processor.  All of this limping logic is understandable but none of it is true.  The phrase "narrow door" is the translation that surfaces often but it actually is referring to an abrasive entrance  [This becomes obvious when reading the Greek Translation ~ though it is a  trifle skewed and muddled abit in our English versions.] It requires committed focus to enter - one must be 'all in' or he will be 'all out'. Pay attention to Jesus. walk the balance beam not the Highway to Hell. Jesus is leading a team to another world that will reside in another solar system. He is not hosting a cocktail party where even a fake I.D. will get you in and we hang out and sauce around, play with yo-yo's, dwell in hammocks and angels serve from an open bar stocked with "holy spirits".  My husband and I talk about this regularly - that an alarming number of people are simply 'chillin' in Church. They're just there because they are ... well, just there.  We can say we know about God, but have we really let Him in to be Lord?                The Pharisees acted like they cared about Jesus' welfare claiming He should leave Herod's district warning "Herod wants to kill you..." REALLY? Herod wanted to see a miracle when he finally met Jesus during the trial. He didn't want Him dead.  He kind of didn't care.  The truth is the Pharisees wanted Jesus dead...so they feign concern cc. Herod. Peculiar deflection and aside. The Pharisees were phoney as a wooden nickle!  Jesus' reply to these Pharisees of Jerusalem gets the precise response from Jesus.  Herod gets called a [sly] "fox", and these Pharisees get called murderers of the prophets. 14 - Jesus is at a Sabbath feast with Pharisees and He is being watched like a dying animal is watched by vultures. These Pharisees do not have favorable intentions. Jesus heals a man who was suffering from edema - a likely symptom is legs swollen up like balloons.  And the Pharisees are offended that He healed on the Sabbath. But think about it, what are the Pharisees demanding but that all the feast preparation be done for them, so that they can kick back and play the gobbling chow hound for hours --> on the Sabbath. My husband and I have dined in Jerusalem, Galilee, Joppa, Bethlehem.  The feasts of Israel are immense. No quick microwave, open a few cans, whip up a dish, oh no!  These feasts are labor intensive. and The chefs sure tootin' better be "breaking the Sabbath" for these Pharisees - but no one else can!  Jesus then launches into a speech about humility and refusing to self-exalt, but to care and reach out v.s. constant jousting and positioning.  The most important thing is to be invited to come dine with God, and once that invitation comes, drop EVERYTHING and get to the table.  And be inviting others to come dine with God also.    This coming to God, joining His Kingdom, following His Son must be "priority-One". It is more important than earthly family. It must be assessed fully, entered into, planned out, and once we are joined into His Kingdom endeavor, we must have an affect (like salt).  If we don't, it is because we have not made His Kingdom to be "Priority One" in our lives. 15 - Luke is showing his wondrous agenda of proving to the world that Jesus seeks out the lost to find and redeem them again.  Remember Luke was the pastor of the Church at Philippi from 51 - 58 A.D. Philippi was where Luke practiced medicine. He was noting that the Greek world -that he lived in- needed to definitively know his Jesus. So Luke compresses these three stories together to forever drive home the truth that God is God, and God seeks them out.  He does not wait for you to decode, sift enough sand, read carcass livers, or tea leaves or thousands of other laborious things that ALL the other religions of the world demand that you do so that YOU find a god to follow and worship.  No. All these are fruitless pursuits akin to trying to embrace a cloud of fog.  It can't be done. He finds US because He seeks US out.  And the relationship commences when we cease running from Him, cease fighting Him, cease trying to "do it our way".  No other religion on earth now or in history is championed by a god who seeks to find us.  That should end all religious debates.

Download Luke 3:21-4:44 We are in the Christ Stream reading with the New King James Version this week. 7streamsmethod.com | @7StreamsMethod | @serenatravis | #7Stream | Donate Commentary by Dr. Drake Travis Thank you God for giving us Jesus. He is certainly fascinating to listen to, follow, be near, and be changed by -because He has touched our hearts.  Thank you.  Amen. 3 - Luke tells of Jesus being baptized, filled by the Holy Spirit, blessed of God, and then Luke lays out more credentials of Jesus: His lineage.  The distinction of this lineage as compared to the one in Matthew 1 is that Matthew starts with Abraham. To a Jewish mind, it all starts with Abraham so Jesus' direct link to Abraham is displayed. Matthew lists the son of dozens of times ... Jewish families are verified by having children, so Matthew lays it out, "and his son was, and his son was, and his son was... Luke here goes the other direction. Since he is writing to Greeks, who are more concerned with, "well who's his dad? and who was HIS dad? and so forth. So Luke starts with Jesus ... "and his father was, and Joseph's father was ..., and his father was.  And Luke took the genealogy line clear back to Adam. The point is that Jesus is Adam's direct son and therefore related to all of us.  4 - Jesus' temptation by the devil is told by Mt, Mk, and Luke. Mark's is very brief; two verses, whereas Matthew and Luke tell the greater picture. Luke tells the longest version. Mt, and Luke say that the Holy Spirit led Jesus into the desert, where Mark says the Spirit drove him into the wilderness. This is in the Bible to demonstrate to us that the devil is going to offer us many things, it will always be appealing, and it will even appear to meet a need for us. It could be a need for physical satisfaction, a need for power, or a need for a wonderful sign. The Devil wants Jesus to make bread from stone. Would you have found that tempting? a steaming loaf after not eating for nearly six weeks?  Jesus is not against eating at the end of a fast. Jesus is going to eat again. He just won't do it at the Devil's prompting. Dumb dares don't work on Jesus. The Devil offers Jesus all the kingdoms of the world if he will worship him/Satan. Well Jesus is going to triumph through surrendering to God and going to the Cross. Satan is offering Him to skip the Cross and get it now.  Would you have found that tempting? To acquire and rule with no suffering involved?  The last was a flagrant temptation to make a show for the devil by throwing himself off a cliff. Research and such study reveals that it was about 150' ledge. Well high enough to be fatal! ...but the angels will catch you, right? yes? no? Jesus again answers with quoting the Bible and doesn't 'play jacks' with the devil... like we are to do.  quote the Bible and walk away from The Bum. -Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit. Luke is particular to quote this theme repeatedly in his gospel about Jesus having power. He wants the Greek world to be convinced that this Spirit that Jesus operates in -it actually embodies Him - it is real and it makes Him far beyond whatever they think of Zeus or Olympus, or Poseidon, or Nike, et al.  All those gods are nothing - so follow Jesus.  . -His time and teaching in Galilee is fruitful and well received except in Nazareth.  Prophetic people need to take note of this. Comforting and shepherding people are loved by their 'old-timers' .  Prophets; not so much.  Jesus read them some poignant scripture and had powerful and precise things to say.  They basically wanted Him dead - gone from there at the very least. So he left. -He went to Capernaum from Nazareth. This is about 40 miles by a number of routes, and he immediately engages in miraculous ministry as He casts out an evil spirit. Maybe we digress here but we always read from both a Major and a Minor Prophet the day before we read about Jesus from the gospels.  There certainly needed to be evil spirits expelled back in Jeremiah's and Amos' day, don't y'think?!  Then again would they have wanted Jesus to cast out these evil spirits?  Just thinking here, back to ...where were we?-  Yes, Jesus is in Capernaum and at Peter's house.  You can visit that very structure today, btw. Jesus heals Peter's mother-in-law, [meaning Peter had a wife].  Some branches of the faith are not at ease with this, but it's true: Peter was married.   Jesus then, as the sun is setting, he heals many many who were brought to him. He heals a myriad of issues both physical and spiritual.  Notice He lets the Sabbath come to a close and then does his numerous healings.  It was a glorious season for Jesus. He taught and touched lives and they didn't want Him to leave.  A bit different than Nazareth where he is run out 'on a rail' so to speak after a sharing a verse and making a comment.

Elizabeth Heiskell rejoins Deep South Dining to talk about her latest cookbook, Come On Over!: Southern Delicious for Every Day & Every Occasion. Always ready to chat it up with her good friends Malcolm and Carol, this conversation is a celebration of all the things Elizabeth has done to stay at the top of the culinary ladder from her home in Oxford. Retelling how she and Carol first started together and what it took to put together book number four, Elizabeth also gifted us her delicious tomato pie recipe from the book before running to a book signing in Alabama. Later in the show Malcolm and Carol share what has been happening in their kitchens and the news that barbecue entrepreneur, Eddie Wright is the recipient of a Kingsford’s Preserve the Pit grant.Show Links:Virtual Discussion with Lemuria Books - Hosted by Malcolm White and Carol PuckettPreserve The Pit - Eddie WrightExcerpted from COME ON OVER! © 2021 by Elizabeth Heiskell. Reproduced by permission of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved.Tomato PieSERVES 6I can’t talk tomato pie without telling you the mother of all tomato stories. When my husband, Luke, and I started our vegetable farm, we had a very clear plan: He would grow the vegetables and I would sell them. So Luke planted 10,000 tomato plants, and a few months later I got in our used prison van and headed to Memphis to sell those tomatoes. When I wasn’t out trying to sell the tomatoes, I was cooking up everything I could think of with tomatoes. When I wasn’t dreaming up tomato recipes, I was canning tomatoes. When I wasn’t canning tomatoes, I was drinking vodka . . . straight! (If you have never been faced with 4,000 pounds of tomatoes and no place to take them, then you don’t know real terror.) I was on my porch with a glass of vodka in my hand when Luke walked by and said, “Some people like to add ice and Bloody Mary mix to their vodka, Elizabeth.” And that, good people, is how my company Debutante Farmer Bloody Mary Mix was born.In addition to Bloody Mary mix, during tomato season I make this pie almost daily. It comes together in a snap and is perfectly portable, and your guests and friends will always leave asking for the recipe.4 heirloom tomatoes, sliced (or any good ripe tomatoes will work; about 4 pounds)Salt and pepper10 basil leaves, cut in chiffonade (see Chef Tip, page 79)1 cup mayonnaise1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese1 cup shredded parmesan cheese4 ounces goat cheese, crumbled (1/2 cup)1 (9-inch) pie crust, fully baked1.Preheat the oven to 350°F.2.Place the tomatoes in a colander in the sink and generously salt them. Let them drain for 15 minutes. Remove from the colander and pat dry with paper towels.3.In a medium bowl, mix the mayonnaise, mozzarella, and parmesan.4.Layer half the tomatoes and all the basil and goat cheese in the pie crust. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and then finish layering with the rest of the tomatoes. Top with the mayonnaise mixture and spread it evenly, completely covering the tomatoes.5.Bake until lightly browned, about 20 minutes. Serve immediately. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Jill Friday - Best Investors Know their Limits (LA 1493) Transcript: Steven J Butala: Steve and Jill here. Jill K DeWit: Happy Friday. Steven J Butala: Welcome to the Land Academy Show, entertaining land investment talk. I'm Steven Jack Butala. Jill K DeWit: And I'm Jill Dewitt broadcasting from sweet Scottsdale Arizona. Steven J Butala: Today, it's Jill Friday. And she talks about the best investors. Know their limits. Jill K DeWit: Yes. Steven J Butala: And my head's a little smaller because Jill- Jill K DeWit: Informed you of your limits? Steven J Butala: I mean physically smaller in front of this camera because she backed me up. So we're a little bit more equal. She said, "You know, they've been meaning to tell you your heads a little bit big because you're sitting too far forward", which prompted as you can imagine quite the conversation. Jill K DeWit: That's great. I thought you were going to say I put... Like, let's talk about your limits, babe. Steven J Butala: Oh we're going to talk about that in a minute. Jill K DeWit: Okay good. Steven J Butala: And your limits. Jill K DeWit: Oh great. Thanks. Steven J Butala: Before we get into it, let's take a question posted by one of our members on the landinvestors.com online community. It's free. And if you're already a member, join us on discord. Jill K DeWit: Okay. This is cute. So Luke, our infamous Luke Smith wrote, "Have you guys ever been pooed on by a barn owl? I went to get pictures of some land today that is covered in junk and try and figure how much it costs and clean it up and sell it. Looking into this slide sling blade" Steven J Butala: "Sling blade looking tool shed built on telephone poles, the owl came right at me when I was in the doorway, dumped white goo all over my hat" Jill K DeWit: The hat. Steven J Butala: "Front side of my shirt, backside, as well as my shorts leg and shoe. It got my dog, some of my dog also in the same second. Amazing load of crap right there. By the way..." This is a perfect Luke Smith format. Jill K DeWit: Yeah. Steven J Butala: "Got a commercial retail vacant lot under contract today, 54,000. By-side 135,000 south side, on land tank. Another land tank deal closes today. Buy for 55 south through title at 122." Steven J Butala: Even owl poop doesn't stop Luke from making money. Jill K DeWit: Not the good hat, not his favorite hat. Steven J Butala: A lot of people had some stuff to say, this is on discord. Jill K DeWit: Yeah. Steven J Butala: A lot of people had owl stories. So it turns out, I didn't know this until all this came out on discord that owls are strategic about who they poop on- Jill K DeWit: Oh, for real? Steven J Butala: And territorial and why. Yeah. Especially when there's dogs, they don't want the dogs around. Jill K DeWit: So, it wasn't a coincidence that he flew by and happened to release at that moment. Steven J Butala: Nope. Not at all. It was a full blown- Jill K DeWit: Attack. Steven J Butala: Dive bomb, fighter jet dive bomb. Jill K DeWit: All right. Noted. Yet another reason to not go out and look at your property. I'm poo free today. Steven J Butala: Yeah, me too. And he would've made numbers anyway. True. He likes the drama. Jill K DeWit: He does. Steven J Butala: And he likes to report the drama to us. Jill K DeWit: Yes. That's funny. Steven J Butala: Today's topic is Jill Friday. Best investors know their limits. This is the meat of the show. Jill K DeWit: Nice. Okay. So this came from, I was thinking about some of our discussions in career path. So career path is, This is our first time ever running it this year. It's a small elite group of 15 people that we do now once a quarter and take you from wherever you are right now to wherever you want to be personally. How's that? Jill K DeWit: So, one of the things we talked about, because there's some really awesome people in there. And I was just sitting back and thinking about how well everyone in this group kind o...

With special guest: Luke Benedictus… in conversation with Bill Kable Professor Richard Fletcher says it’s the most exciting time in history to be a dad. But there is an old problem of where does that modern dad get his riding instructions. Our guest today is Luke Benedictus who like so many others was faced with this problem. So Luke got together with two mates, Jeremy Macvean and Andrew McUtchen, to set up The Fatherhood, a new destination for modern dads.   Podcast (mp3)

THE SECOND DAY OF CHRISTMAS - CHRISTMAS IILESSON: LUKE 2:15-20They made known the saying which had been told them concerning this child. Luke 2:17The faith of the shepherds produced action. St. Paul says, “The kingdom of God does not consist in talk but in power.” 1 Corinthians 4:20. So also here. The shepherds do not only say, “Let us go and see!” but they actually went; indeed, they do more than they say. For the text says, “They went with haste.” This is more than just going as they had proposed to do. Faith and love always do more than they actually propose to do, and whatever they do is always something living, busy, active, and abundant.A Christian must be a man of few words, rich in deeds. He proves himself such if he is a true Christian. If he does not prove his faith in deeds, he is not yet a true Christian.The shepherds also confess and openly proclaim the word which was told them concerning this child. This is one of the most important duties in Christian life. One must risk body and life, property and honor. For the evil spirit does not launch such a heavy attack against correct belief and a good life in secret, but he will not abide it if we venture forth to spread the faith, confess, preach, and praise it for the sake of others. So Luke says here that the shepherds not only came to see something, but they also made known what they had heard on the field, not only before Mary and Joseph, but before all men.SL.XI.149,18-19AE 75,248PRAYER: Grant us the joyful faith of the shepherds, O Lord, that we may go forth as witnesses, confessing you and your salvation to all our fellowmen. Amen.

Hello, and welcome to Lechem Panim.  Not Just Another Business Meeting— You will remember that last week we explored the nature of how the Jews viewed history; and how deeply they loved and sought to ingrain the Word of God into their hearts and minds. And I wanted to lay that foundation for you because when we come to this point in Acts 1, we see that the eyes of the disciples have been opened to understand in a whole new way the scriptures that they had hidden in their hearts; they now understood them in the light of Jesus Christ and were beginning to see how the entirety of God's plan fit together and what their own place was in it. And when we understand that, the first board meeting of the Church here in chapter 1 (which we might be tempted at first glance to think of as kind of a boring way to kick off the book of Acts) is really a time of wondrous excitement and purpose. Peter (whose name means “rock”), but who had recently denied Jesus, was now standing in the midst of the company of the disciples and is telling them what the Old Testament means and what their immediate plan of action needs to be. And notice nobody is saying to him, “Who are you to tell us anything, you're not a rock; you're a chicken!” Nobody is saying anything like that. Because they know Peter is not just speaking from his own wisdom anymore, which we know rarely worked for him. Rather they acknowledge now that he has been led by God into an understanding of the Word of God; and he is speaking out of that understanding. And that was somebody they were willing to follow. It says in… Acts 1:15-17 (ESV)— 15 In those days Peter stood up among the brothers (the company of persons was in all about 120) and said, 16 “Brothers, the Scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit spoke beforehand by the mouth of David concerning Judas, who became a guide to those who arrested Jesus. 17 For he was numbered among us and was allotted his share in this ministry.”  God's Plan Unhindered— Now the betrayal of Jesus by Judas is a sad story. But what it shows us (and this is key) is that even a betrayal at the most intimate and personal level (the level of a disciple of the Son of God) could do nothing to thwart the plans of God. God's plan of salvation didn't miss a beat. And even though it says Satan entered into Judas (twice in scripture it says that), God was able to use even that betrayal to bring about the fulfillment of His plan; the provision of His Son to die on the cross in order to make atonement (to pay for) our sins. Now it says of Judas' subsequent suicide (after he realized what he had done)… Acts 1:18 (ESV)— 18 (Now this man acquired a field with the reward of his wickedness, and falling headlong he burst open in the middle and all his bowels gushed out.  Hung vs. Falling— Now the description here of Judas' death is very graphic; and it is meant to be so. But why is it so different from Matthew's account? In Matthew's account we have a different description of Judas' death than what is given to us here. In Matthew it simply says that Judas went out and hung himself (Mt. 27:5). Is it a contradiction (as some people say it is)? Well, not really. Judas apparently had hung himself on a tree next to a cliff (which is very plausible when you consider the topography of the land). And either the rope broke during his initial attempt to hang himself or the body fell after decomposing for a while and then burst open upon hitting the ground.  Why The Variance?— So Luke and Matthew merely emphasize different things. But why? And why does Luke's emphasis have to be so graphic; so gory? Well remember that Matthew's account was written to a Jewish audience. And the Jewish mind would have connected Judas being hung with Deuteronomy 21:23, which says “he who is hanged is accursed of God”. And so the emphasis is placed on Judas' being hung because that is what is going to resonate most deeply with a Jewish audience. However, remember that Luke is a gentile writing to a gentile audience who wouldn't know the text (at least to the same degree). And you'll remember that the gentiles (especially the Greeks and those influenced by Greek culture, which was pretty much any gentile in the Roman empire) placed an enormous weight of value on the human body. You don't have to see too much of Greek artwork from that period to understand they pretty much worshiped the body. The body was the picture of perfection in the mind of the Greek. And so for a Greek person to hear of the physical mutilation and destruction of the body of Judas sent home the same emotion a Jew would've felt in hearing about the "hanging" of Judas “on a tree”. So there is no contradiction. Matthew and Luke merely emphasize different details based on who their audience is in order to generate the same gut-wrenching reaction so to speak. Now Peter continues in… Acts 1:19-20 (ESV)— 19 And it became known to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that the field was called in their own language Akeldama, that is, Field of Blood.) 20 “For it is written in the Book of Psalms, “‘May his camp become desolate, and let there be no one to dwell in it'; and “‘Let another take his office.' 12 Witnesses— And so once again Peter, who is looking back at these Old Testament prophecies (which are Ps 69:25 and Ps 109:8), now understands what they are supposed to do in preparation for the building of God's Church. Peter recognized that they needed another eyewitness to the life, ministry, death, and resurrection of Jesus. And that's first of all because people take eyewitness testimony more seriously than other claims. But it was also important because Jesus had chosen twelve disciples as representative of the 12 tribes of Israel. In the mind of the Jew that was a very sacred number. And so it was vital that this renewal movement within Israel be marked by this very important number. So Peter takes the initiative (no doubt with the Holy Spirit's leading) and says they need to choose another apostle who will help them too represent the 12 tribes of Israel to the world. So he says in… Acts 1:21-26 (ESV)— 21 So one of the men who have accompanied us during all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, 22 beginning from the baptism of John until the day when he was taken up from us—one of these men must become with us a witness to his resurrection.” 23 And they put forward two, Joseph called Barsabbas, who was also called Justus, and Matthias. 24 And they prayed and said, “You, Lord, who know the hearts of all, show which one of these two you have chosen 25 to take the place in this ministry and apostleship from which Judas turned aside to go to his own place.” 26 And they cast lots for them, and the lot fell on Matthias, and he was numbered with the eleven apostles. 2 Characterizing Words— Now I love how Barsabbas doesn't mention any problem in the voting system or demand a recount. He doesn't say, “Fine, you think Matthias is better than me, I'll find some other place to go down the street.” No, he (along with all of them) accept it as God's choice. They are unified in this. And that really serves to drive home the point that if you were to characterize the driving force of this early Christian community in two words, those two words would be “unity” and “prayer”. It says in verse 14 that All these with one accord were devoting themselves to prayer, together with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers. “with one accord”— Now that phrase [“with one accord,” {is} a phrase that is found six times in Acts (1:14; 2:1, 46; 4:24; 5:12; 15:25; and note also 2:44). There was among these believers a wonderful unity that bound them together in Christ (Ps. 133; Gal. 3:28), the kind of unity that Christians need today {(especially now in a time of such disunity in the world)}.] Notice how none of them are asking, “Who is the greatest?” or, “Who committed the greatest sin?”] No, they are simply [praying together, standing together in the Lord, and worshipping together as they wait to be prepared for the work ahead of them. Achdut— One Jewish man I read recently said that [the one precondition G-d said for every miracle that occurred to the Jewish people, and there was only one thing that was a precondition, is unity, achdut. {He said} From when we stood at Mount Sinai as "one people with one heart," …to the time when Queen Esther told Mordecai to "gather all the Jews together" to fast for her success.… It is in every miracle, in the rescue of Ethiopian Jews, of Russian Jews, of Syrian Jews - achdut is the one thing G-d demands of us and all of us have to work to see that this is the case.] And you know, he's right. This is why Jesus in His High Priestly prayer in John 17 prays over and over again for His disciples to be one, as He and the Father are one. Well, His prayer is finally being answered. They ARE becoming one; and God is using prayer to do it. The Disciples Criticized— Now some criticize the disciples for this and say that they should've waited until the Holy Spirit was given rather than choosing an apostle themselves. They say that it would've been better for the Holy Spirit of God to choose an apostle than for them to trust such an important choice to blind chance. But it is important to note that the disciples did not believe that their choice (although made by casting lots) was blind choice. It's as it says in Proverbs… Proverbs 16:33 (ESV)— 33 The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the Lord. Not Chance— So they understand that it's not blind chance. They're not just rolling the dice as you and I roll dice in Candyland or any other board game that my kids like to play with me. No, after a season of intense prayer (and that is key) and knowing that God is moving in and through them and would guide their decision, they cast lots. God Will Lead Us— And similarly when we abide in prayer (both corporately but individually) we can trust that God will lead us to make the right decisions and will move in the way we need Him to. That is why we must always persist in prayer. Prayer we see in the book of Acts was the life-blood of the Early Church. In almost every chapter in Acts you find a reference to prayer, and over and over again we see throughout the book clearly demonstrated the truth that things happen when God's people pray. This is certainly a good lesson for the church today. {It has been said that} Prayer is both the thermometer and the thermostat of the local church, for the “spiritual temperature” either goes up or down, depending on how God's people pray. John Bunyan, author of Pilgrim's Progress, said, “Prayer is a shield to the soul, a sacrifice to God, and a scourge to Satan.” In the book of Acts, you see prayer accomplishing all of these things.] ​The Word, Unity, & Prayer— And so I want to encourage you today (and me as well) let us be a people who are characterized by prayer. And may we (in prayer) be united with one another in such a unity so as to cause us to be a force to be reckoned with as we seek to further the Kingdom of God. Amen.

Hello, and welcome to Lechem Panim. As we have started a new series on the book of Acts, we have been taking a look at the testimony of Luke (author of the both the Gospel of Luke and the book of Acts). Luke had become the companion of Paul and one the early Church's greatest historians. Now although Luke writes as a historian, Luke's occupation before this had been quite different. He had been a physician. Medical Machinery— I remember not long ago I went to visit a gentleman in the hospital; to both minister and pray with him and just be with him through a very difficult time. And as I stepped into that hospital room I found myself almost instantly surrounded by all kinds of medical equipment. Now I didn't know what much of that equipment does. But I remember a nurse came in with a rather large piece of machinery. And as she proceeded to hook my friend up to it and to press other pieces of machinery onto his chest, I saw on the computer screen live video images of my friend's heart. And as she moved the equipment around, she began to take precise computer measurements, calculating every sound; every pulse. Laid out in visual form were the wavelengths; the very heartbeat of my friend. Now that kind of thing is awe-inspiring to me. But it also leads me to wonder what it must have been like to receive medical care in the first-century world of Jesus. In talking about this, my wife remarked to me how she could not even imagine giving birth during that time. And in fact, if she had, she would probably never have made it because of how our son was positioned in her womb. She very likely would have died in childbirth. Conditions and injuries that we would consider relatively minor were so much more dangerous then. Some of you tuning in today may be in the medical field. Have you ever imagined what it would have been like to treat somebody in ancient times or during this time period in and around the life of Christ? Luke's Focus on Christ's Birth— Well, Luke didn't have to imagine, because that was his primary occupation; he was a physician. And interestingly, he is the gospel writer who gives us the most details concerning the events in and surrounding the birth of Jesus. Maybe as a physician he was just so captivated and couldn't get over the fact that in the womb of Mary; that womb that medically sustained Jesus, was the very Creator of the Universe who was at that moment already sustaining her; that her very blood which was bringing Him life would one day be poured out on the cross, bringing life to her. Luke's Focus on The Healings of Jesus— Also we find that Luke places special emphasis on the healing ministry of Jesus; and when we understand he was a physician, we can kind of see through his eyes and recognize why he was so fascinated by it. Jesus needed no equipment; Jesus never prescribed any medication; He never had to make a single surgical cut. He merely spoke and the worst conditions imaginable; even those that were beyond the hope of cure; conditions that Luke had encountered over and over again, were cured. I wonder how many times Luke had to tell someone, “I'm sorry, you will never see again,” “I'm sorry, you will never walk again,” “I'm sorry, but this infliction is incurable.” Luke presents Jesus in a way that only a physician could; because Jesus had succeeded in many of the same kinds of situations where Luke himself had failed. Only one time in all four of the Gospel accounts is Jesus called or thought of as a medical Physician; and it is here in the Gospel of Luke; Luke 4:23. Luke simply could not get over the power of God made manifest in Jesus Christ in the absolute worst of medical situations; how every illness and every defect left at the mere touch (or even just the mere spoken word) of Jesus. And Luke, like Matthew, also recognizes this as a fulfillment of prophecy. Isaiah 35:5-6a (NIV)— 5 Then will the eyes of the blind be opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped. 6 Then will the lame leap like a deer, and the mute tongue shout for joy. At one point John the Baptist sends messengers to ask Jesus if He truly is the promised Messiah. And Luke says in… Luke 7:20-22 (NIV)— 20 When the men came to Jesus, they said, “John the Baptist sent us to you to ask, ‘Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?'” 21 At that very time Jesus cured many who had diseases, sicknesses and evil spirits, and gave sight to many who were blind. 22 So he replied to the messengers, “Go back and report to John what you have seen and heard: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor. So Luke points out how Jesus knowingly fulfilled these prophecies from Isaiah; the last of which is that the good news is proclaimed to the poor. Luke the Gentile— And this is another one of Luke's major themes (particularly in his Gospel); [Jesus' compassion for Gentiles, Samaritans, women, children, tax collectors, sinners, and others often regarded as outcasts in Israel. Every time he mentions a tax collector (3:12; 5:27; 7:29; 15:1; 18:10-13; 19:2), it is in a positive sense.] In a time in which women were on the bottom rung of society, [Luke emphasized the central role of women in the life and ministry of our Lord (e.g., 7:12-15, 37-50; 8:2-3, 43-48; 10:38-42; 13:11-13; 21:2-4; 23:27-29, 49, 55-56).] And the reason Luke has a special place in his heart for outcasts was because he himself was an outcast. In Colossians 4:11-14, Luke is clearly distinguished from those of Paul's fellow workers who are of the circumcision. He isn't circumcised because he's a gentile. And in fact, that makes him the only non-Jewish writer of the New Testament. And because he was not a Jew, according to Jewish thought he was not an inheritor of the promise. And yet in his Gospel Luke shows how Jesus opened up the way for anybody, no matter who they were or what they had been through, to become a part of the family of God; that the mercy of God has been extended to all people; whether Jew or Gentile. And in Luke's first book, the Gospel of Luke, he reveals this as the mission of Jesus; and here in Luke's sequel to the book (the sequel being, of course, the book of Acts) we see revealed how that mission unfolded in the early life of the Church. Both books are united by that same central theme, and together they make up the largest part of the New Testament. Now where did Luke get this idea? Well, remember he was a companion of Paul, who wrote the epistles long before he wrote his gospel and no doubt mentored him. And Paul had said in… Galatians 3:28 (NIV)— 28 There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. The Compassion of Jesus— Luke found hope and exceeding joy that he, though an outcast, could become a part of the family of God. This is why Luke was so fascinated by the compassion Jesus extended to all who were considered lost. In his Gospel he therefore records more of the parables of Jesus than any other gospel; many in which God's mission (carried out by Jesus Christ) is shown to be one of pursuing; God being likened to characters who are searching for something that has been lost. He is like a shepherd seeking a lost sheep (Luke 15:1-7); He is like a woman searching for a lost wedding coin (Luke 15:8-10); He is like a father yearning for the return of a lost son (Luke 15:11-32). A.W. Tozer once wrote a book that has since become one of the great Christian classics, entitled The Pursuit of God. Yet this is somewhat of a misnomer because here we find that what Luke was captivated with was God's pursuit of us; Jesus is seen to be the one who pursues us into the darkness; into the night; so that He might bring us back to God. This was absolutely central to Luke's theology. Luke 19:10 (ESV)— 10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” A Misplaced Phone and Document— I remember one week when my wife and I misplaced two things. She misplaced her cell phone and I misplaced a very important document. And so on two separate occasions in that same week we found ourselves searching all over the house, overturning all kinds of things in order to find that cell phone and that document. And in each case there was joy when that item was discovered.  A Misplaced Engagement Ring— I can still remember back when she and I first got engaged, her tearfully telling me some days afterwards that she had misplaced her engagement ring. She had woken up, looked at her hand, and discovered that it was gone. And she had been going frantically through every part of her dorm looking for it. And soon afterwards, after being allowed in to help her search, we found it in her bed; having slipped off while she was asleep. And I still remember the joy in her face and the tears in her eyes when she joyously put the ring back on her finger. ​God's Pursuit of us— And I just think, what an amazing thing that God pursues each and every one of us with just as much (in fact infinitely more) fervency. God does not leave one stone unturned in His pursuit of us. We are all valuable to Him; Jew or Gentile, man or woman, adult or child, righteous or sinner; rich or poor. God is pursuing you. And He will find you if you let Him. And He will make you His own. And in every healing Luke records, he shows how Jesus points people to the part of them that needs to be healed the most; their hearts. In Jesus, God has provided that ultimate healing. All we have to do is receive Him, surrender to Him, and allow Him (as our Great Physician) to heal and transform our hearts. And so I want to encourage you today, if you need to receive that healing today, invite Him into your life and say, “Lord, I need you to heal my sin; I need you to heal my brokenness; I am crippled, blind, deaf and mute without the abiding presence of your Holy Spirit in my life. Come fill me, heal me, change, and transform me.” Receive healing from Jesus. Amen.

Last week we talked about the effects of detraining and this week we've gone the other extreme. Overtraining syndrome which is a real possibility at the moment with more athltetes working form hoe on flexibile hours and wanting to get out to train more. So Luke and Nick sat down to discuss the symptoms of overtraining and how to avoid it. VIDEO LUKE REFERENCES: Off-Season Recovery/Detraining: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l1djqlHzV08&list=PLggpij53MWphicIPR0pHODeqCdKjV2Wid&index=4&t=594s   Got a question about endurance performance you want answered? Let us know, JOIN the METS Mastermind community (link below) to gain access to the FREE Facebook Group and MORE!   https://go.metsperformance.com.au/free-mets-mastermind   OR   Check out our social pages and send us a message there:   Instagram: @metsperformance

This weeks golf episode is a crazy wild story! OU Golfer Luke Kwon originally born in South Korea came to the states 15 years ago with his parents. They started a business here and were granted their green cards. Luke came here on his parents green card because he was under 18. Luke lives here the whole time. Falls in love with golf and is awarded a golf scholarship at St Edwards university in Austin. After one year in Austin he transfers to OU. A rough couple of years but finally he breaks through and is consistently making the team and wins a tournament his senior year. This is where it gets interesting, because Luke is over 18 he's not on his parents visa and he wasn't granted a green card once he turned 18. So he's on a student visa, like I was when I first came to play college golf at SNU. So Luke is faced with being sent back to South Korea after college because he doesn't have a green card. To get an athlete visa he needed a tour card for the PGA or Korn Ferry Tour. Which out of college is extremely hard to do! Luke goes on a rollercoaster ride from 2015 to 2019. He created a Youtube channel to fun his professional dreams, moved to New Zealand and then because of his youtube channel he is able to sign more sponsors. He plays in China with the hope of qualifying to come back to America as a Korn Ferry Tour player.Spoiler alert, he does! Luke successfully plays his way back to the states, back to his parents and back to his home. Follow Luke on Instagram as he plays his rookie season in the states. @luke.kwon@thisisoklahomagolf

We've recently had a bunch of anglers and boaters ask us the best way to get their friends and family on a bunch of fish (without having to go offshore). So Luke and I decided to go LIVE and show you just how easy it is to catch a ton of mangrove snapper (and a few other species) right under bridges using nothing but some shrimp (rigged weedless). Enjoy.

My friend and neighbor Luke Davenport shares his journey with long-term and debilitating OCD. Luke, who is age 19, has been battling this mental illness—a plague in his life—since age 3. Luke bravely explains this illness, how it can be solved, the life session learns and how he is helping others. He shares the positive roll of his parents and therapists. While Luke would love to follow many of his friends and serve a teaching mission, he realizes this is not a possible at this time. So Luke, one of the first in our area, has decided to serve a service mission (call opened on Jan 28th) as he understands this is equal and needed service in the sight of Heavenly Father and our Savior. Luke wants to help others who are not able to service teaching missions, to serve a service mission and to help normalize this type of service as needed and equal to help people come unto Christ. Thanks for being on the podcast, Luke. You are one of my heroes. And a hero to many others.

Me and We Our church is committed to expository preaching, which essentially means that we are going to seek to find the main point of every passage and carefully preach through books of the Bible no matter what it is. So, when I discovered that my passage was one of the most famous passages that even non-Christians have some familiarity with, I was discouraged. What could I say that hasn't been already said? To be honest, when I read this passage every year on Christmas day, I often find my heart unmoved and overly familiar. My heart is desensitized by the story. Maybe you’re like me? Maybe you know that Jesus's birth is important and you celebrate it because Christmas is coming up and that’s what “good” christians do. However, it is more like a cute story than anything that feels very meaningful or relevant. However, as I prepped this passage for you this last week, I was again struck by the unfathomable depths of God’s word. It really is like a diamond that has many facets to it but require us to look carefully. The story is absolutely incredible. I've never seen it like this before. I’ve even been brought to tears thinking about it. Jesus is the king that we would never have dreamed of or asked for but we desperately need. And so, I believe that God wants us to Let us marvel at the absurd humility of Jesus. Let me remind you what the word, absurd means, Absurd - wildly unreasonable, illogical, or inappropriate. Text: What does God Say? Outline • Zoom out: The proud king • Zoom in:The humble king • What do we do with this? › Before Luke zooms into this birth of Jesus, he zooms out to give us a macro picture of what’s going on in the world. Zoom Out: The Proud King Luke 2:1–3 ESV 1 In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. 2 This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria. 3 And all went to be registered, each to his own town. Classic Lukan Style Before we get into any of the details that I just read, we must note something very obvious and simple, and that is there are lots of details. This is a classic Luke move. Remember, In the opening lines of this letter, the author, Luke clarifies his intentions in writing this account. He says that he is writing an orderly account about Jesus. Therefore, unique to the Gospel of Luke is lots of historical and verifiable details. He wrote it in such a manner that the recipients of the letter could talk to living eyewitnesses to verify his account. He also referenced generally known historical events. People would be able say, "oh, so it happened then. I remember where I was when that happened." So in chapter 2, Luke is drawing all of our attention to a global event that affected everyone in the known world. This is so important for us to slow down and appreciate. I say this because we can sometimes imagine the birth of Christ as something that happened In a fairytale or just outside of time. However, Luke will have none of this. His account clearly reads like history instead of mythology. The birth of Jesus happened on this earth at a specific time in history. So everything we are going to read actually happened. Caesar Augustus Now the big name that we need to highlight is Cesar Augustus. The original audience would know very well who Cesar Augustus was. He was the most famous person in the world. However, if you are unfamiliar, let me give you a brief overview. I am taking time to do this, because Luke is actually going to be contrasting Jesus with Caesar Augustus. Augustus was actually adopted by Julius Caesar. After a civil war with Marc Anthony and Cleopatra, Augustus took over the government. His leadership moved them to an empire and produced unprecedented wealth and peace in the known world. He eventually declared that his dead adoptive father was divine. Which ultimately made him a “son of God.” This paved the way for him to be deified upon his death. Therefore, he was not only a political figure but a religious one. People attributed his rule in bringing peace, victory, liberty, security, and prosperity. Many worshiped him in the imperial cult. It has even been found inscribed under a statue that he was called the “savior of the world.” So unless you thoroughly checked out the last few minutes, your mind should have been connecting dots left and right as we contrast Caesar and Jesus. God’s Sovereignty Not only is Luke going to be contrasting Caesar Augustus with Jesus, but he is also demonstrating a common pattern we see throughout the whole Bible. That is, the most powerful rulers of the world, are still under the sovereign direction of God. We will go into this in the mid-week, it’s a whole other sermon. But briefly, God is using Caesar’s pride and greed to fulfill a messianic prophecy in Micah 5. Micah 5:2 ESV 2 But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose coming forth is from of old, from ancient days. There are many things for us to know but please note 3 things: 1. Out of Bethlehem will come a ruler. 2. Bethlehem is small even within Israel, let alone compared Rome. 3. This ruler it’s coming from long ago, from ancient days. In other words, this ruler will come from Bethlehem but this ruler is no ordinary man. This man existed from long ago from eternity. So, Caesar Augustus is setting things up for Jesus to be born in Bethlehem and fulfill this prophecy, even though his family currently is currently living in Nazareth. › Now that Luke has given us the global context he is going to zoom in to a Jewish family in a tiny town called Bethlehem. Which we will see will ultimately affect the whole world. We start with the ruler of the world and zoom in to the true ruler of the world. Zoom In: The Humble King Luke 2:4–5 ESV 4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, 5 to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. We have zoomed in to a very small geographical location in the world. However, careful Bible readers will remember that some of these details given are significant. We already talked about Bethlehem which is a prophetic fulfillment of Micah chapter 5. We know from 2 Samuel 7, that the Messiah-King will come from the line of David. So Luke is flagging that Jesus is coming from David’s line through his adoptive father. (According to Matthew, Mary and Joseph are married. However, the word betrothal is used because they have not yet consummated their marriage.) At this point, we know that Jesus will be a king, savior, and the son of God, according to Luke chapter 1 and the prophecies that are being hinted by Luke. › Before we move onto the birth of Jesus, we must establish the expectations the world would have for this Savior-King and specifically, the Jewish people. Expectations for a Savior? In the world If you were to sit down with a piece of paper and write out what the savior of the world would be like and how this king would be introduced to the world, what would you write? Pause You would probably come up with a list very much like Cesar Augustus. This ruler would probably be a powerful military leader, with charisma, with fanfare, with style and beauty. He would probably come from the oldest most royal line and be loaded with unlimited resources. Jewish Ruler From a Jewish perspective, their list was not very different. The Jews saw many passages in the old testament that suggested their Messiah would come with physical force and free them from all of their oppressors like Rome. Indeed, there are several passages that indicate this. However, they misunderstood that the Messiah had to first address the heart before he could free the body. There is much more to be said here, but we will cover that in future messages. The bottom line, the Jews were expecting a conquering political king. Birth Narrative Luke 2:6–7 ESV 6 And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. 7 And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn. That is the rest of our passage. I really wish Luke gave us more details. However, you may be shocked to know that he gives more information than Matthew, Mark, and John. But the details provided tell us so much. The theme we will continue to trace the humiliation of Jesus. Yet, I want to highlight this word, humiliation. You probably don’t think about Jesus’s birth as humiliating. However, perhaps you have begun to connect the dots from the background information I have already given. Jesus’s birth is nothing short of humiliating. This demonstrates his humility. Which is what I want us to marvel at. Remember the main point of the sermon I said, Let us marvel at the absurd humility of Jesus. › Let’s look at 3 factors that highlight the absurd humility of Jesus. 1. In the Incarnation Perhaps you are unfamiliar with this term, incarnation. Incarnation is basically taking on flesh. God is taking on flesh. There is a lot of mystery in depth to this term, which we will go in deeper in other sermons and also in the midweek podcast. But to put it simply, God became fully man while maintaining his full divinity. Again, I know that raises lots of questions and it sounds like I just said 1+1 equals one. However, you will have to tune into the midweek podcast for more. What God is like But what I want to remind us all what God is like. He is not like men but just a little better. He’s not like men but a lot better. He is in a completely different category. He is the creator and we are the creation. The same God, that created the entire universe, who created all the billions of stars and galaxies. Who made the beauty of waterfalls, animals, mountains and springs. That God, condescended and became a man. He would now have to depend on food. He would get tired. He would be susceptible to sicknesses and injury. The infinite put on finitude. So, being the creator and becoming one of the creation is baffling and humbling at the same time. But if he is going to be a man, you would expect him to choose favorable terms. If he is going to humble himself and take on the limitations and brokenness of humanity, he should enjoy the best the world has to offer. Imagine being in heaven with the father. I’ll go and die for those miserable people but I want to live a life of luxury before I die. Like a Muslim suicide bomber who is pampered before his death, that would make sense for Jesus, right? But as we have seen and will go further, it’s the opposite. “Absurd - wildly unreasonable, illogical, or inappropriate.” Let us marvel at the absurd humility of Jesus. › So the first factor demonstrating the absurd humility of Jesus is the fact that he would even become a man. The second is that he came as a baby. 2. As a Baby First of all, he doesn't come fully mature. Not with the body of a demigod like a Hercules figure. He comes as a baby. We have a handful of babies in our church. And I have a six-month-old in my home. And just like all the babies before her, Hope is absolutely helpless. She has to depend on us for her every need. She can not feed herself. She cannot even clean herself after she soils her diapers. Her brain capabilities are limited and she often has no idea where she is at any given point. This is not because Hope is not smart. It is because she is a baby. And Jesus became a baby. Perhaps you have heard how unique humans are. Compared to animals throughout the planet, we are one of the most helpless from the beginning. When many animals can walk within a few days, we cannot walk for many many months. Babies are also extremely vulnerable. Being a baby when you are God, is an absolute humiliation. The closest example I can imagine is the humiliation many parents experience when they get older in years and eventually have to be changed by their very children. They have to wear a diaper and our dependent for every physical need. And yet, this illustration still falls short. The son of God, who always existed and co-created the universe, became a baby. How humiliating. “Absurd - wildly unreasonable, illogical, or inappropriate.” Let us marvel at the absurd humility of Jesus. › So the second factor demonstrating the absurd humility of Jesus is the fact that he became a baby › Let’s look at his birthplace 3. The Birthplace Where would you expect the king to be born? Caesars palace Let’s read it again, Luke 2:7 ESV 7 And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn. It is very important for us to get an accurate picture of where Jesus was born. When it comes to where he wasn’t born, a common translation is that “there was no room at the inn.” However, don’t think Hampton Inn. The word here, is more like a guestroom in a private home or like an informal public shelter where travelers could stay for the night. › Put the picture up. The two most likely places where Mary gave birth was either the first story of a typical home or a cave. The reason why I mention a cave, is that sometimes stables were in caves and we know that Jesus was placed in a manger which is a feeding trough. There is also a tradition as early as the second century that shares that Jesus was born in a cave. The other option is the first story of a guestroom. Most of us have heard the word manger, but a few of us have really thought about what it is. Manger is often portrayed as a clean nice wooden box with straw in it. However, it is more likely that the manger was a ditch dug in the floor for animals to eat out of. It's a feeding trough. So it was incredibly smelly and non-hygienic. But whether in a cave or the first floor, is this the environment fit for a king to be born? Let alone any of our kids? For those of you who have had a baby or have been close to those who have, you can probably remember the insanity of birth plans. Parents want everything to be perfect. You have to have the right kind of playlist playing in the background. You need lavender essential oils diffusing as you push and you want only the most special people in your life in the room while taking perfectly orchestrated camera shots. Would any of you ever imagine having part of your birth plan a barn? Animals? Manure? For our second child Eden, our birth plan completely went out the window. We were unable to get to the hospital in time and the contractions ramped up quickly. So skipping some very exciting details, I delivered Eden in our living room. But imagine if this took place in the house that we live in now. And imagine, Felix, Charlotte's dog, who happens to be a very well behaved dog, walked in during the delivery. You better believe I would scream and kick him out of the room. Why? Because there's no way I will allow any animal near my newborn. The situation must be as clean and controlled as possible. Do you see the absurdity of the scene? What would have Mary and Joseph thought? This is the messiah. We got to have a better place. Joseph probably wept as much as Mary did. Seeing her pain, the stinking barnyard, their poverty, people’s indifference, the humiliation, and the sense of utter helplessness, feeling shame at not being able to provide for young Mary on the night of her travail—all that would make a man either curse or cry. If we imagine that Jesus was born in a freshly swept, county fair stable, we miss the whole point. It was wretched—scandalous! There was sweat and pain and blood and cries as Mary reached up to the heavens for help. The earth was cold and hard. The smell of birth mixed with the stench of manure and acrid straw made a contemptible bouquet. Trembling carpenter’s hands, clumsy with fear, grasped God’s Son slippery with blood—the baby’s limbs waving helplessly as if falling through space—his face grimacing as he gasped in the cold and his cry pierced the night- Kent Hughes The contrast to Cesar Augustus is absurd. Imagine the son of a king born. The amount of fanfare. How many people would hear about it, but Jesus's birth was relatively unknown but to just a few. The accommodations were better suited for a peasant than a king. In his census, Augustus is laying hold of and seizing everything and everyone he could. In his incarnation, Jesus is coming to give everything to us. -Ross Tenneson The world’s best is not good enough for Jesus and yet he got the worst this world has to offer. “Absurd - wildly unreasonable, illogical, or inappropriate.” Let us marvel at the absurd humility of Jesus. How should we now think and live? 4 questions to consider: 1. Why is it good news that he was born in a manger instead of Caesar’s palace? He is able to meet us in our muck and junk. He’s not a savior-king for the rich alone In fact, if you’re rich you have a harder time. He’s the people’s king. Imagine the shepherds coming to him in and thinking, “This king will know our situation. He will relate with us. He’ll remember his humble origins. He’s not like Herod or Caesar. Ruling from afar but has come right into our state.” 2. Do we want this Jesus? For Non-believers Outside of a few faithful Israelites we will see in the next chapter, God’s people did not want his son. They weren’t looking for him. And when he gets older, he goes looking for them and they reject him still. They want a conquering king that will make all their dreams come true. But he comes in humility as the slain lamb to take away the sins of the world. As one Bible commentator has said, “When Christ first came among us we pushed him into an outhouse; and we have done our best to keep him there ever since.” -Phillip Ryken Why would Jesus subject himself to such a humble state? It was fitting, in a sense, then that He was born in a stinking, smelly stable because what smelled far worse to the nostrils of God than the odor of animals is the odor of sinners. He sent the Savior all the way down into the lives of the lowly and the whole picture of that scene is a metaphor for the stench of sin which Jesus bore in His own body. -John MacArthur Our rebellion was a stench to the nose of the holy God. And yet, despite our rebellion, God had mercy. Jesus suffered and died on the cross for those who put their hope in him. Jesus is already showing his substitution with his sufferings at birth. He started his life suffering and ended it in suffering. The same body that is wrapped in swaddling cloths will one day be wrapped in burial cloths. You don’t have to experience the judgment you deserve because Jesus did. If you trust in him, you can have forgiveness for every sin and have Jesus forever. Why wouldn’t you want a God like this? So humble and loving. One day though, Jesus will not come quietly and powerless like a baby. He will come with the greatest might ever witnessed and will bring judgment to all who reject his good rule. You can humble yourself now before him or you can wait and be humbled in terror. If you want him, please come talk with a member. We would love to answer questions, pray with you, and tell you more about following Jesus. For Christians For we who are trusting in Christ, we want him. But sometimes we don’t, right? If you want Jesus, you have to want his ways. Do you want his ways, including his humility? One evidence that I don’t and you don’t is how often you say or think this statement, “I don’t deserve this.” 3. Are you more impressed by the ways of Caesar or Jesus? What are we impressed by? The world celebrates fame, power, and prestige. Jesus is marked by humility and serving one another. If you're honest with yourself today, you may find a lot of pride in what you wear, who you're with, where you work, or maybe where you travel to. Recently I was on a ministry trip to STL and I had a 8 hour wait at the airport. So I purchased a pass to a sky lounge to get a lot of work done. And I remember seeing in my heart a sense of pride. I felt fancy and important. On the other hand, I’ve needed to earn more money lately so I have been doing some door dash. And there are time where I feel embarrassed. I feel like I’m beyond this kind of work. Sometimes when I’m waiting and sitting around with all the other college students who are doing Doordash, I feel compelled to explain myself. You see, I still find pride in what people think of me and if I have status. Check your heart today. Are you more impressed with what the world is impressed by? Would you have distain the lowly birth of Jesus? Or do you treasure the ways of our humble king? 4. Are you surprised when you suffer? It’s understandable and yet, quite ridiculous that I am so often surprised when I go through great trial and sufferings. Am I above my master? If Jesus begin his life suffering and ended in suffering, why should my life be one of ease and comfort? Especially if the rest of my life in eternity is going to be bliss? 1 Peter 2:21 NLT 21 For God called you to do good, even if it means suffering, just as Christ suffered for you. He is your example, and you must follow in his steps. But remember, Jesus knows what its like to suffer. And he will be with us and he will end all suffering one day. What should you do in light of all this? Repent with me of your pride. Repent for taking on attitudes that are foreign to our master. He already knows it, come to him in humility and he will meet you where you’re at. That is what he does. Let us adore the humble king! And let us be like our humble king! Corporate Dreaming Dear family, imagine if we embraced the absurd humility of Jesus. Imagine how loving we would be. Imagine how gracious we would be when we sin against each other. Imagine how we would put away our masks and comparisons and just be authentic. That's why one of our values is that we are in an authentic family. We can be a community that is not constantly trying to one up one another but just be all about Jesus. We're not trying to get the attention because we want the attention on Jesus. Oh that we would be like Jesus and that he would shape our whole community. Jesus Conclusion: Glory in Christ as the Conclusion Let’s adore the absurd humility of Jesus. Benediction and Commission? Philippians 2:3–4 ESV 3 Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. 4 Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.

Key takeaways:The four gospels all tell a unique perspective of the same story. They all claim Jesus is the Jewish Messiah who fulfills the Hebrew Scriptures.Mark is widely considered to be the oldest Gospel.The genealogies at the start of Matthew have hidden design patterns in them that unify the Old and New Testaments.The story of Zacharias and Elizabeth at the start of Luke is meant to layer onto the story of Abraham and Sarah in the Old Testament. This is a key design pattern of Luke. Luke likes to create the characters in his book based off Old Testament figures.Quote: “(The gospels) are constantly and from the first moment tying the Jesus story back into Hebrew scriptures. There isn’t a story or teaching about Jesus that isn’t packed with Old Testament allusion.” In part 1 (0-5:00), Tim and Jon briefly recap the last episode. Tim says he’s going to unpack four ways that readers can better understand and uncover themes in the gospels.In part 2 (5:00-14:00), Tim dives into advanced ways to read these accounts. One way to take your reading of the gospels to the next level is to get a Bible that shows when a Gospel is citing or quoting an Old Testament passage. For example, Tim focuses on the book of Mark. Most scholars view Mark as the oldest of the gospels.Mark 1 shares links to both Isaiah 40:3 and Malachi 4:5-6 in the first verses.Mark 1:1-3The beginning of the good news about Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God, as it is written in Isaiah the prophet:“I will send my messenger ahead of you,who will prepare your way”—“a voice of one calling in the wilderness,‘Prepare the way for the Lord,make straight paths for him.’”Tim says that this should alert the reader to the fact that Mark is heavily influenced by the Old Testament. Mark is reading the Old Testament, and his Gospel is structured around and informed by the Hebrew Scriptures.In part 3 (14:00-22:30), Tim then looks at the start of Matthew. The book begins with a genealogy. This genealogy is broken into three movements of fourteen generations: fourteen from Abraham to David, fourteen from David to the exile, and fourteen from the exile to Jesus.In order to stick to this pattern, Tim notes, generations would have been left out. So why would Matthew use this pattern?There are several thoughts. One is that the number fourteen is the numerical value of the name “David.” So Matthew is disguising his claim that Jesus is a new and better David in this genealogy.Tim also mentions that four women are mentioned in this genealogy. Each of them are non-Jewish women. Again, why does Matthew do this? He wants you to know that Gentile women in the Old Testament played a crucial role in carrying on—and in some cases rescuing—the messianic seed.In part 4 (22:30-32:30), Tim dives into the opening of the Gospel of Luke. The story of Elizabeth and Zacharias is meant to map onto the story of Abraham and Sarah. Both couples are old and have no children or heirs. Luke then moves onto the introduction of Mary. Mary’s response to the angel’s proclamation is different than Zacharias’ response. So Luke uses a lot of character design to overlap Old Testament and New Testament characters in order to show a new act of God.In part 5 (32:30-47:30), Tim dives into the opening in the Gospel of John. There are themes of Genesis 1 (“In the beginning”) and Lady Wisdom from Proverbs 8 in the opening lines of John. Many modern Western readers find John's writing style to be the most approachable and easy to understand. John's links and callbacks to earlier Hebrew Scriptures are more obvious to the untrained eye than in the other gospels.In part 6 (47:30-end), Tim and Jon dive into Mathew 11.Matthew 11:2-6When John, who was in prison, heard about the deeds of the Messiah, he sent his disciples to ask him, “Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?”Jesus replied, “Go back and report to John what you hear and see: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor. Blessed is anyone who does not stumble on account of me.”Tim says that this passage is heavily influenced by Isaiah 35 because Jesus quotes from this passage to answer John's question about whether he is the Messiah or not.Isaiah 35:1-7The desert and the parched land will be glad;the wilderness will rejoice and blossom.Like the crocus, it will burst into bloom;it will rejoice greatly and shout for joy.The glory of Lebanon will be given to it,the splendor of Carmel and Sharon;they will see the glory of the Lord,the splendor of our God.Strengthen the feeble hands,steady the knees that give way;say to those with fearful hearts,“Be strong, do not fear;your God will come,he will come with vengeance;with divine retributionhe will come to save you.”Then will the eyes of the blind be openedand the ears of the deaf unstopped.Then will the lame leap like a deer,and the mute tongue shout for joy.Water will gush forth in the wildernessand streams in the desert.The burning sand will become a pool,the thirsty ground bubbling springs.In the haunts where jackals once lay,grass and reeds and papyrus will grow.Show Music:Defender Instrumental by TentsMind Your Time by Me.SoSubtle Break by Ghostrifter OfficialSerenity by JayJenAcquired in Heaven by Beautiful EulogyFor When It’s Warmer by SleepyfishEuk's First Race by David GummelShow Resources:What Are the Gospels?: A Comparison with Graeco-Roman Biography by Richard BurridgeReading the Gospels Wisely: A Narrative and Theological Introduction by Jonathan PenningtonA brief overview of Jewish history pre-Christ and during Roman rule.For more on the different scholarly views on the meaning and background of Lady Wisdom in Israelite history, see Michael Fox's Anchor Bible Commentary: Proverbs 1-9 on pages 331-345 and 352-359.Show Produced by:Dan GummelPowered and distributed by Simplecast.

It's NEWS CENTRAL at The Goal Circle on a frosty Tuesday evening! So Luke and Nick hit the stands to discuss some new signings and injury management and THEN skyrocket straight into ROUND FIVE!

Highlights in Hebrews (with Roger Kirby)Part 25 - Hebrews 10:11–18 Jesus sat downWe are holy! Day after day every priest stands and performs his religious duties; again and again he offers the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But when this priest, Jesus, had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, and since that time he waits for his enemies to be made his footstool. For by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy. The Holy Spirit also testifies to us about this. First he says: “This is the covenant I will make with them after that time, says the Lord. I will put my laws in their hearts, and I will write them on their minds.” Then he adds: “Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more.” And where these have been forgiven, sacrifice for sin is no longer necessary. Our writer likes to make sure we have heard and understood what he has said. So he repeats himself. Here he repeatstwo things in particular he has already said: that Jesus sat down and that the covenant had been renewed in its new form. These days a great many people sit down to work and only stand up when it is finished. It was the other way round for them. Nearly everybody stood up most of the time when they were working. It was only at the end of the day, when the work was done, that they were able to sit down. Jesus sat down at the right hand of God - the place of privilege - because his work was done and would never need to be done again 10:12. Unlike the previous sacrifices carried out in the temple every day his sacrifice was complete, perfect, finished. The sacrifices of animals had been but small tokens of the repentance of the person sacrificing and the forgiveness received from God in response to that repentance. The sacrifice of Jesus, the very Son of God himself, had been so far more effective than those it would never need to be repeated. In fact, how could it possibly be repeated? Any further sacrifice could only be the tiniest reflection of what Jesus had accomplished, not really worth the bother! The sign of the new covenant, the new way in which God was choosing to deal with people, was not to be a sacrifice but a memorial of that one great sacrifice. The sacrifice could not be repeated; only our memory of it could be, and should be, repeated. So Luke says: “he took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood. (Luke 22:19-20). Sadly it is not always the case that this is how our memory of him is presented. If we call people ‘priests’ we need something for them to do so we invent altars and a sacrifice for them to do on it. There is no beginning hint that that is the right thing to do here in the New Testament and, in particular, in this book of Hebrews. If you belong to one of the churches where this is the way things are thought about it may not be possible for you to withdraw. If so then you have to attend that sort of service but you need to say to yourself very clearly every time that what you are doing is remembering that great moment of sacrifice when Christ cried ‘it is finished’, a moment never to be repeated, only remembered. And that is true for all of us. What is the effect? We are made holy, made acceptable to appear before the Lord God now and at the end of days. Click or Tap here to listen to or save this as an audio mp3 file ~ You can now purchase our Partakers books including Roger's latest - The Puzzle of Living - A fresh look at the story of Job! Please do click or tap here to visit our Amazon site! Click or tap on the appropriate link below to subscribe, share or download our iPhone App!

An athlete of ours wanted us to explore a discussion he had with a friend recently who said that foam rolling reduces performance. So Luke, here it is. A discussion around nuance, the importance of context, the big picture and considering everything within a given topic. Some resources for this one: Tim Minchin's commencement speach: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yoEezZD71sc Our episode on foam rolling: https://coreadvantage.com.au/blog/2018/podcast-foam-rolling Our episode on static stretching: https://coreadvantage.com.au/blog/2018/podcast-static-stretching?rq=stretching And if you liked this discussion you will also enjoy our deep dive into media and clickbait titles: https://coreadvantage.com.au/blog/2018/podcast-ice-baths-good-or-bad?rq=ice%20baths

It's the weekend! So Luke and Oli sit down to talk about the latest wrestling news - including the rumours of The Revival and more asking for their releases from WWE so they can jump to AEW. Exciting times, right?! There's also your crap gimmicks and mailbag questions!Watch the video version of the WrestleRamble hereSupport WrestleTalk on Patreon hereJoin the RambleRun hereFollow Luke Owen @ThisIsLukeOwenFollow Oli Davis @OliDavis00:17 - Intro13:13 - Will The Revival & More LEAVE WWE?!28:10 - Crap gimmicks38:01 - Mailbag51:56 - Outro**Timings may be off by a couple of minutes (maybe even several) depending on advert placement See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

2019 looks to be a big year of wrestlers jumping ship to various other promotions - particuarly with WWE looking to sign up as many wrestlers as they possibly can. So Luke and Oli address the wider wrestling landscape - who is going where?Watch the video version of the WrestleRamble hereFollow Luke Owen @ThisIsLukeOwenFollow Oli Davis @OliDavis00:17 - Intro11:11 - Which Wrestlers Will Jump Ship Between WWE, New Japan & More In 2019?33:55 - Crap Gimmick Wrestling40:38 - Mailbag55:04 - Outro**Timings may be off by a couple of minutes (maybe even several) depending on advert placement See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Impact Wrestling's biggest show of the year Bound For Glory is tomorrow! So Luke and Oli sit down to give their thoughts on card and predictions. Although, this was recorded on Thursday so some of our information is a bit out of date. There's also your Crap Gimmicks and Mailbag.Get a FREE CASE OF BEER (UK only) hereCome see Luke, Laurie and Oli present BEYOND THE MAT at the Prince Charles Cinema on November 13th. Buy your tickets hereWatch the video version of the WrestleRamble hereFollow Luke Owen @ThisIsLukeOwenFollow Oli Davis @OliDavis00:17 - Intro04:42 - Bound For Glory 2018 predictions28:56 - Crap Gimmick Wrestling37:42 - Mailbag01:02:27 - Outro**Timings may be off by a couple of minutes (maybe even several) depending on advert placement See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

It's the freakin' weekend! So Luke and Oli break down the big news of the possible in-ring of Shawn Michaels, and who he could face down the line. There's also Crap Gimmicks and your mailbag questions! Enjoy!Get a FREE CASE OF BEER (UK only) hereCome see Luke, Laurie and Oli present BEYOND THE MAT at the Prince Charles Cinema on November 13th. Buy your tickets hereWatch the video version of the WrestleRamble hereFollow Luke Owen @ThisIsLukeOwenFollow Oli Davis @OliDavis00:17 - Intro10:52 - Shawn Michaels Dream Matches!36:18 - Crap gimmicks48:44 - Mailbag58:20 - Outro**Timings may be off by a couple of minutes depending on advert placements See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Mike: Welcome back, server nation, to Process Server Daily, the number-one podcast for legal support professionals. I am your host, Mighty Mike, the podcast server. I'm excited about today's episode, and I look forward to knocking your socks off. Let's get right to it. Mike: Welcome back to the show, server nation. We are joined by the owner of Alaska Investigation Agency, located in Palmer, Alaska. He started out his career in the Army Reserves and transitioned into private investigation in 2001. Since then, he has owned and operated numerous investigative agencies across the country. Luke Smith, welcome to the show. Luke: Thank you, Michael. Glad to be here. Mike: Thanks. So Luke, tell us a little bit about how you got started in the industry. Luke: About 15 years ago, 16, 17 years ago, a friend of mine was a police officer in Mississippi. He invited me to go do some surveillance with him on some private cases that he was doing, and I fell in love with it. The investigations morphed into process serving, and so now I do both. Mike: That's excellent. Do you remember your first job, your first investigation job? Luke: My first investigation job, I remember it very well. It was a cheating spouse, and I lost the husband in, like, the first block of trying to follow him. Mike: But you've learned a lot since then, right? Luke: I have learned so much since then. I haven't been burned in quite a while. Knock on wood. And I like to think that I'm pretty good at what I do now. Mike: That's awesome. So we don't like to focus on the negative stuff. As humans, we get a lot out of the negative and rising out of the negative and going into the positive, like finding your path in life. And so my first question always starts out with, tell us about your worst experience working in the field. Luke: My absolute worst experience, I was working a child custody case one time, and I was part of the team that located a mother, and I helped the troopers physically take the child away from the mom. Although it was what was best for the child, it absolutely broke my heart, and I realized then that child custody was not for me. Mike: How do you deal with that, Luke? Luke: You go home, and you hug your kids a little bit tighter and a little bit longer, and you move forward. I know it was what was best for the child, but it still was just heartbreaking, and I even tear up now sometimes when I think back to that child screaming and yelling and wanting his mommy. Mike: Yeah, as a parent we always relate it to our own relationships, and you want to be able to help them. But like you said, it was probably what was best. If the mom spends a few weeks without her kid, a few months without her kid, she might turn things around. You know? Luke: Absolutely. Mike: Luke, what do you want server nation to take from your story? Luke: What I want server nation to take from that particular story is just do right by your kids. Yeah, just be good parents. Mike: That's awesome. Yeah, being good parents is a great thing, and so you can ... Being in this job, one of the beautiful things about this job is you get to see the worst of the worst and you know where things could go. I don't know. In some respects, it makes you happier. You know? Luke: It does. Mike: Let's go to the positive now, Luke. Tell me about your greatest experience working in the field. Luke: I tell you what. I did a job a couple of weeks ago, and I followed a gentleman to a restaurant, and I sat down at the bar two people away from him, and I videoed him eating lunch. And then I followed him to his hotel. Six hours later, I followed him to another restaurant, where I sat right next to him at the bar, and we had dinner together. Mike: Wow. Luke: And then I followed him back to the hotel, and I rode up the elevator with him to find out which room he was in in the hotel. In that particular job, I think I pushed it to the limits just to see how far I could go, and it was such a satisfying feeling because he never had a clue I was even there watching him. Mike: So I'm going to sound like a total new, but did you feel like a CIA agent or something? Luke: Every day. Mike: Oh, that's awesome. Luke: No, I feel that way every day. Mike: What I take most from your story is enjoy what you're doing and go after it. What do you want server nation to take from your greatest experience? Luke: Take a few risks, ask that person that you're following to hold the elevator for you, and if you're trying to find someone and serve someone, ask questions. People love to talk, and they will give you just about all the information you need if you sound like you are supposed to have that information. Mike: Interesting. So I've heard it said before that you ask a question, not a direct question, but a related question that some stranger might actually ask. Luke: Absolutely. Mike: That's a pretty cool ... Do you guys still call that sub rosa? Luke: Yes. Mike: Okay, cool. Look at me knowing all the terms. Okay. So Luke, tell me what you're working on right now that you're most excited about. Luke: I guess probably one thing that I love that I have coming up is I'm adding a canine unit to my business. Mike: That's definitely something worth being excited about. Are you getting German shepherds or ... Luke: I'm getting Belgian Malinois. And actually, I have the opportunity to hire a handler that already has two Mals that are already trained. Mike: Wow. Luke: So I'm super excited about that. Mike: So Luke, tell me, why would you need a canine unit? And I think I know the answer, but could you just tell the audience, as a private investigator, what would you use a canine unit for? Luke: There's so many different uses for a canine. Here recently, Alaska has become one of the states that marijuana is now legal. However, you have a lot of corporations up here that it's still against company policy. So we can run the dogs through the companies to ensure that the employees are not breaking policy. There's no law enforcement side to it, but we are not law enforcement officers, so that's okay. The other area is we found that there are a lot of real estate agents that will have us run the dog through a house to make sure that there's no drugs in the house or there was no meth lab in the house or anything like that, just to limit their liability. Mike: Oh, I never thought about that perspective. Just the civil service. Luke: Sure, yeah, absolutely. So we're really excited to get that up and running. We've already nailed down a few contracts, and so we're really excited about that being a part of our business. Mike: Well, that's definitely worth being excited about. I am excited to hear about how you go and serve people on a snowmobile. How does that happen? Luke: Yeah. So Alaska offers unique challenges to the lower 48. Where are you from, Michael? Mike: I'm from New Mexico, but I'm based in Chico right now, in Chico, California. Luke: We're the largest ... obviously, the largest state in the United States. Here's a good comparison. Denver, Colorado, has one and a half million people. Alaska, there's 700,000 people. So we're the largest state in America, but we have the fewest people per acre or per square mile even of any other state. And so of course, if you call me and say, "Hey, what counties do you serve?" we don't have counties. We have boroughs. And we're statewide, but let's say, for instance, I serve the Matanuska-Susitna Borough. The Matanuska-Susitna Borough is the size of West Virginia, so we have maybe 300,000 people that live in the borough. And so if you could imagine West Virginia and 300,000 people, they're pretty spread out. Mike: Wow. Luke: So there are tons, I mean, hundreds of villages across Alaska that are only accessible in the summertime via plane or boat or a four-wheeler. In the wintertime, you either take a plane or a dog sled or a snow machine. I mean, that's just part of what we do, and we have planes and snow machines and four-wheelers all at our disposal for serving papers and working cases. Mike: That's why you feel like a CIA agent when you're out there because you're in planes and ... You ever jump out of a plane to go serve someone? Luke: No. Mike: Come on! Luke: No. I did jump off of a four-wheeler once. Mike: Wow! And then I heard something about a moose chasing you. Luke: We have wildlife scattered across Alaska. And inside the city of Anchorage, there's a very large population of moose. I've been chased by moose. I've turned corners and been staring a moose face to face, and you just slowly back away. You don't need that 1,800-pound animal trying to trample you. We have bears that you have to deal with sometimes. Luke: So obviously, everywhere we go, we're armed to the teeth, ready for really the wildlife, not the people. But yeah, I've been chased by moose. I've never been chased by wolves, but I've felt them kind of breathing down my neck, if you will. That one was interesting, a little bit scary. The moose aren't really scary. You just know what to expect from them, and you respect them. This was their land first, so we're just visitors on their land anyway, and they believe that. Mike: It's the truth. Luke: Yes. I have video of moose walking down the street in Anchorage in the middle of traffic, and they just do not care. Mike: That is awesome. Server nation, Luke has been dropping some major value bombs on us today, telling us all about Alaska and the crazy private investigation stuff that he's got going on, from the canines to the planes and the quads, you name it. But prepare yourself, because we're headed into the rapid-fire round right after a word from our sponsors. Recording: Server nation, I know you're with the times, and you want to do whatever you can to have all of the resources for your client. That is why I created 123efile.com. As a process server, attorney, or even an [inaudible 00:10:59], you can visit the website and file your documents in any of the Tyler courts in California. With its easy-to-use, one-page operation, you can have your e-filing done in a matter of minutes and get back to what really matters. If your time is important to you, visit 123efile.com. Mike: Okay. Welcome back to the show. Luke, are you ready for the rapid-fire round? Luke: I am, Michael. Mike: What is your favorite skip-trace tactic? I imagine it's got to be a little bit different in Alaska. Luke: My favorite skip-trace tactic is going and asking the wildlife if they've seen my skip. Mike: You said asking the wildlife? I had to think about that for a minute. I was like, did you just say ask the wildlife? Luke: All right. You know, my favorite skip-trace tactic, I think, pretending to be a guide because there's so many fishing and hunting guides in Alaska that you can call just about anyone up and say, "Hey, I'm a guide, and I'm looking for this person. They booked a thing with me, and I'm just trying to confirm," and they will tell you where they're at, where their mom and dad are at, how to get in touch with them, what they drive, when they come home. They'll give you everything because, up here, hunting and fishing is a big business, and it's a big deal. Mike: So who do you call for that? Luke: The skip that I'm looking for. Mike: Oh, you call the person. Oh, wow! Luke: Or their family members. Mike: Oh, wow! So they're like, "Yeah. Oh, you're a guide. Yeah, let me get him over here." What's the incentive for them to help you, though? They're like ... because it's their friend or family, and they want to connect them to the guide? Luke: So many people up here need to hunt and fish just to feed their family. It's the sustenance thing. So maybe this isn't the best wording, but I prey on that a little bit, if you will. Mike: No, yeah. Yeah, that's awesome. I mean, we manipulate things all the time. People say, "Hey, what are you doing stalking that girl?" I go, "Oh, that's my job. That's what I do." What is your favorite tool for defense? I know you said you're armed to the teeth. What does that entail? Luke: You know, my favorite tool for defense depends really on where I'm going and what I'm doing. I always carry a firearm everywhere I go. I am a certified firearms instructor. But if I'm going out to some of the remote locations, I'll carry a shotgun along with my sidearm. I do carry concealed when I'm in most areas because I don't want to approach people looking like law enforcement. Mike: Yeah. Luke: And in Alaska, everybody carries a gun. It's legal to carry a gun here concealed or otherwise, and so everybody has one. So even people walking around showing their sidearms, it's not really that big of a deal. My personal preference is to keep it concealed, though. But if I'm going, like I say, out to remote locations, I'll carry a shotgun mainly for bear protection. Mike: Well, that's awesome. That's some cool defense. What kind of pistol do you carry? Luke: I carry a Glock 19-9 millimeter. Mike: Luke, what book would you recommend? Luke: What book would I recommend? Mike: From guns to books. Luke: I know a couple of different people that have written books, and one is a skip-trace queen. Her name is Valerie. She wrote a book, "Skip Trace Secrets." That's a very, very good book. And then also another friend of mine, Kimberly, wrote a book about process serving and mayhem, and she's got tons of funny stories in those. I can't remember the exact name of that book, though. Mike: That's okay. I'll look them up, and I'll link them in the show notes. Anybody who's interested can go to processserverdaily.com/Luke, and they'll see all the show notes word for word and the links and everything. Luke: Perfect. Mike: Luke, what is the greatest advice you've ever received? Luke: I think the greatest advice that I ever received was be professional, be respectful, and be ready to take care of business regardless of what that is. Mike: To close this awesome episode, can you tell me what parting piece of advice would you give the servers out there that are ... Maybe they're struggling. Maybe they're new. Maybe their business is circling the drain, and they don't know what they're doing wrong. What advice would you give them? Luke: My advice to all the servers out there across the board is be professional, do not be judgmental. We don't know what people's stories are. Do what you say you're going to do in a timely fashion, and hang in there and just keep pounding the pavement. Mike: That's awesome. So if you had to start your business over again, Luke, how would you ... What would be the first thing you would do? Luke: I would go get a job somewhere. Mike: So you would work for another company? Luke: If I had to start my business all over again, I think I would probably have made a lot of contacts prior to opening my business because, in this business, that's what is very, very important, is your contacts. Mike: That's perfect. They say your net worth is your network. Build your network, and you'll grow your business. Luke: Absolutely. Mike: Luke, what is the best way that we can connect with you? And then we can say good-bye. Luke: You can connect with me through Facebook or my website, alaskaaia.com. Mike: So Luke, I want to personally thank you for coming on this show, man. This has been really cool. I'm excited to share it with the world. Luke: Thanks for having me, Michael. Mike: Well, I'm going to have to come visit one day. Luke: You do that, buddy. Mike: All right, partner. Well, until next time, server nation, you've been served up some awesomeness by Alaska Luke and Mighty Mike, the podcast server. Server nation, I want to personally thank you for listening to today's episode and ask you a question. Do you or your staff need additional training? Can you handle more clients, but you're not sure where to get them? I've developed a solution. Psduniversity.com offers a step-by-step online training by the top legal support professionals in the industry. Visit psduniversity.com.

  This week, Kyle is sick with the Burbank Flu (or whatever it is that's been decimating the MagiSwords crew the past 2 weeks). So Luke called his good friend Tony Goldmark of the Channel Awesome theme park review web series "Some Jerk With A Camera" ( https://www.youtube.com/tonygoldmark ), and they sat down at Canter's Deli on Fairfax to talk 'bout them pictures what move 'n such. We contemplate which recurring characters from "Saturday Night Live" would have been the best picks for an animated series, for kids or for adults. Also, we ate pickles. And if you're interested in hiring Luke Ski as a Storyboard Artist or Revisionist for your cartoon show after February 2nd, please visit his new resume website, http://www.luke.ski , and contact him! (Opinions expressed by Kyle and Luke are their own and have no relevance to the opinions of any large animation studios we happen to work for.) Please leave us feedback and otherwise interact with us at http://www.facebook.com/kyleandluke!

This week, Kyle's work & travel schedule made it necessary for Luke to record an episode without him. So Luke is joined by the co-host of one of his other podcasts, Carrie Dahlby, who like Kyle & Luke also creates comedy songs for Dr. Demento and the FuMP dot com. Back in 2011 on their podcast "Luke & Carrie's Bad Rapport" (Episode 34: http://oglink.com/1d2n), Carrie wanted to have a discussion about 'cartoon crushes', since there were some cartoon dudes from her youth that she particularly fancied. Luke reciprocated and listed off some cartoon lady favorites of his. On this episode they revisit the discussion, and bring their mutual lists up to date. Language warning: A couple of s-words slip by. No, not 'swords', the word that means poop. Ah, nevermind. (Opinions expressed by Kyle and Luke are their own and have no relevance to the opinions of any large animation studios we happen to work for.)  Please leave us feedback and otherwise interact with us at http://www.facebook.com/kyleandluke!  

So Luke invited someone over to the podcast and then ditched us, but its fine because Dustin is here to tell us the difference between Gohan and Trunks and tell us about Goldar's Cave of Fantasy! Zedd's plans get a little creepy this week as he tries to make Rita his Queen, Zack shares an unsettlingly relevant Sex Cave story, we review Curtis & Ritchie's dark purposes... and give our thoughts on the Nintendo Switch for some reason!

This week it's a two man team as Chris has a wife and child whose heads are exploding with vomit. So Luke and I bring an aimless podcast where Luke talks about his family getting into a fight at Wal Mart on Thanksgiving, and Dustin gives some Black Friday stories. Games of the Week Dustin - Secret of Mana Luke - Dillon's Rolling Western As always we cover the new releases this week like Secret Ponchos, The Crew, Captain Toad, and Luke describes GetClose: A game for RIVALS. News topics this week include Xbox hands down winning the Black Friday battle, the two-cannon Samus Amiibo selling for over two-grand, the ridiculous Samsung $120,000 television, and a very fiery discussion about how poorly Ubisoft has handled Assassin's Creed Unity. All that and more in this episode of the Error Machine Podcast. Follow us on Twitter: @TheDustinThomas @BygJuce @FakeChrisCramer

People are passionate about baseball, music, their families, and even hockey.  The most passionate learn their craft, and work hard and seek out others who share their interest.  I'm passionate about Jesus.  My family and friends are fine, music is the greatest thing ever, and I even like my church (sometimes), but none of those things compare to Jesus.  He was perfect!  He was so strong and wise and compassionate ... it's just amazing how great he was.  I hope you'll find others like me/us and feed that passion in your life and form a "church" - of disciples (people of passion).  But while pursuing my passion for Jesus, I also fell in love with the bible, and sometimes my passion for the bible makes me forget Jesus.  Others I know also struggle with things that distract them from Jesus (like church, family, etc.) ... let's stay focused and help each other.  Now as I teach you about the bible, my passion (hopefully) will show through ... but also I hope you'll do a better job of keeping it in perspective than I sometimes do.  Now here's how to study the gospels: 1) find a good translation to work from, and two others to compare with.  I recommend NASB, NIV and NRSV, but there are others.  Pick yours. 2) Study one gospel at a time DON'T try to 'harmonize' them. 3) Remember Layers.  Each gospel has two layers: the layer of Jesus & his audience, and the writer and his.  Now to Luke, written by a Gentile (a non-jewish person) FOR first century Gentiles.  In their time, these Gentiles were 'outsiders,' and the Jews who believed in Jesus were the main group, or the majority.  So Luke highlights everyone in Jesus' story who was on the fringes or were 'outsiders,' because to his audience it seemed close to one of "us."  Reacing our audience today also has Jesus' layer (focused on insiders - Jews) and Luke's layer (focused on the outsiders).  When we speak to "church" people or "Christians," we're working on Jesus' layer.  When we speak to outsiders (those who have little or no faith in Jesus) ... we need to introduce them to things in a simpler way, like Luke.  Also we introduced the idea of the Disciple's lifecycle: Curiosity/interest Full commitment Rebirth Infant Teenager Young Parents Full-grown shepherds And now we'll see these stages and how Jesus produced this development in the gospel of Luke, beginning with "Preparation."

So Luke got some very exciting news this week. Like life long dream news, I wonder what if could be?