Podcasts about Southern

We're setting the time machine back 20 years to a snowy Saturday night in Charleston.The Flood was on stage at the West Virginia Cultural Center for a FOOTMAD (“Friends of Old-Time Music and Dance”) concert, sharing the bill with another great band, Stewed Mulligan.As reported here earlier, it had been a fun evening of jug band songs and general silliness, blues and fiddle tunes and old-time string band music, so when Michelle Hoge started a classic 1940s jazz standard, a hush fell over the audience.In seconds, people were softly humming along, then they smiled so much during Doug Chaffin's sweet mandolin solo that he had to take a second chorus. Finally, by the time Michelle got to the end of the number, people were on the feet to cheer her. What a sweet memory.About the SongA celebrated ballad that successfully bridged the gap between 1940s R&B and 1960s pop, “Since I Fell for You” evolved from a modest hit into a timeless standard.Pianist/bandleader Buddy Johnson in late 1945 wrote the song that his publisher categorized as a “jump blues.”Johnson famously had a passion for classical music but played to the tastes of his Southern audiences andc composed the song for his sister, Ella Johnson, to sing. While their original recording had some impact, it was Annie Laurie's 1947 version — recorded with Paul Gayten — that attracted serious attention, reaching No. 3 on the Billboard “Race Records” chart.The song found its definitive voice, though, in 1963 thanks to singer Lenny Welch, who was familiar with the song through a 1954 doo-wop cover by The Harptones and suggested it to Archie Bleyer, the president of Cadence Records.When Bleyer bought the original sheet music, Welch was surprised to find a distinct piano introduction that had been omitted from the versions he had heard previously. This recovered intro became a highlight of Welch's recording. Recorded on Aug. 13, 1963, Welch's version broke out in California markets before sweeping across the U.S. It peaked at No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 3 on the Easy Listening chart, selling over a million copies.Welch's smooth, middle-of-the-road vocals cemented the song's status as a pop classic. Since then, the song has attracted covers across the genres, including jazz greats like Dinah Washington, country stars like Charlie Rich and Ronnie Milsap and contemporary icons like Bonnie Raitt.Further Floodifying the SongWhile the Feb. 11, 2006, show featured in the audio at the start of this report was The Flood's first public performance of the song, “Since I Fell for You” stayed in the band's repertoire for years. However, its title didn't always come readily to mind. Click the button below for a funny exchange at a rehearsal a few years later:Meanwhile, a dozen years after the song's Flood debut at FOOTMAD, the band was back in Charleston, this time at Taylor Books, where Pamela Bowen shot this video:Framing Michelle's vocals were solos by Floodster Emeritus Paul Martin and guest artist Jim Rumbaugh. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit 1937flood.substack.com

Coalitions promise power, but what if they mostly deliver blame? We dig into the sharp difference between a United Front and a Popular Front, trace their roots from the Second International through the Comintern, and confront the hard history behind antifascist coalitions in France, Italy, and Spain. Along the way, we separate romance from results: Allied armies defeated fascism; Popular Front cabinets rarely did. That sobering fact reframes what “winning” looked like—and why so many movements grew fast, entered government, and then unraveled.From there, we bring the analysis home. The United States isn't Europe: our parties are private duopoly machines, election law is fractured across states, and governing power is fenced in by bond markets, courts, and bureaucratic veto points. That's why the CPUSA's most significant advances—interracial union drives, Southern organizing, voting rights fights—came through oppositional power, not shared ministries. We examine how the postwar purge erased that base, why ministry-without-hegemony plagued South Africa's tripartite deal, and how today's left populism keeps rediscovering the same brick wall in city halls and Congress.We also tackle China's “United Front,” New Democracy, and why that path depended on peasant majorities and civil war conditions absent in developed economies. The throughline is clear: coalitions without control invite contradictions. United Front tactics—independence, coordinated action, refusal to co-govern without command—were built to avoid that trap. Popular Fronts trade clarity for breadth; breadth without hegemony turns victories into boomerangs. If you care about socialist strategy, labor power, and actually shifting policy, this conversation offers a sharper, historically grounded map for what to build, when to join, and when to say no.If this challenged your priors or clarified some foggy distinctions, share it with a comrade, hit follow, and leave a review telling us where you stand on coalition strategy.About Brandon LightlyBrandon Lightly is a policy researcher with a background in International Affairs and History. His work focuses on investigating the intersection of ideology and contemporary global crises, providing deep-dive analysis into the historical roots of today's political challenges.Send a text Musis by Bitterlake, Used with Permission, all rights to BitterlakeSupport the showCrew:Host: C. Derick VarnIntro and Outro Music by Bitter Lake.Intro Video Design: Jason MylesArt Design: Corn and C. Derick VarnLinks and Social Media:twitter: @varnvlogblue sky: @varnvlog.bsky.socialYou can find the additional streams on YoutubeCurrent Patreon at the Sponsor Tier: Jordan Sheldon, Mark J. Matthews, Lindsay Kimbrough, RedWolf, DRV, Kenneth McKee, JY Chan, Matthew Monahan, Parzival, Adriel Mixon, Buddy Roark, Daniel Petrovic,Julian

➡️ Help history. 2 minutes for 7 questions

Episode 285 of the **Untold Radio AM Show** is live! Southern Bigfoot encounters are exploding across the Southeast—swamps, woods, and hollers are buzzing with reports.

The 2026 Georgia Food + Wine Festival is officially the epicenter of Southern culinary innovation, and no one captures its essence better than Chef Jernard Wells. As the festival's Brand Ambassador and the celebrated "Family Chef," Wells recently joined The Ash Said It show to break down the flavor, culture, and "New Soul" philosophy defining this year's massive celebration at Jim R. Miller Park. The combination of talent perfectly mirrors the festival's balance of grit, hospitality, and bold evolution. Even when discussing his legendary Georgia Peach Hot Chicken Sandwich, Wells emphasized that pushing boundaries isn't about discarding tradition; it's about using "New Soul" techniques to elevate classic Georgia ingredients, ensuring every bite tells a story of both heritage and high-concept culinary art. For families attending the Sunday/Funday events, Wells identified the Gourmet Mac & Cheese Bar as the ultimate cross-generational experience. It serves as a culinary bridge where a child's comfort food meets a connoisseur's palate through artisanal cheeses and smoked brisket toppings. This focus on family is at the heart of Wells' mission, transforming a simple meal into a core memory for the thousands of attendees flocking to Marietta. The conversation heated up when discussing the "Fired-Up" live-fire cooking event. Wells argued that Georgia barbecue is the state's most profound historical narrator. Unlike other methods, live-fire cooking requires a community to gather around the flame, representing a history of resilience and shared connection. This year, that energy moves from the screen to the stage with the debut of the Chef's Table Experience. Wells noted that while his CLEO TV audience is vast, the "culinary theater" of a live, five-course seated audience in Marietta provides an electric, visceral energy that only immediate feedback and shared atmosphere can provide. Ultimately, Chef Jernard Wells views the 2026 Georgia Food + Wine Festival as more than just a tasting event; it is a platform for culture, connection, and purpose. As visitors depart Jim R. Miller Park, Wells hopes they carry home a story of Georgia's culinary future—one where food isn't just sustenance, but a powerful tool for bridging divides and fostering a more inclusive, flavorful community.

Today on Coast To Coast Hoops Greg recaps Sunday's college basketball results, talks to Nate Hornung of Your Betting News about the teams that have real value this time of year, the teams that suffered big injuries last week, & Monday's games, & Greg picks & analyzes every Monday game!Link To Greg's Spreadsheet of handicapped lines: https://vsin.com/college-basketball/greg-petersons-daily-college-basketball-lines/Greg's TikTok With Pickmas Pick Videos: https://www.tiktok.com/@gregpetersonsports?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pcPodcast Highlights 2:48-Recap of Sunday's Results22:29-Interview with Nate Hornung39:01-Start of picks Louisiana vs Old Dominion41:51-Picks & analysis for South Alabama vs Marshall44:29-Picks & analysis for Syracuse vs Duke47:23-Picks & analysis for Drexel vs Stony Brook49:51-Picks & analysis for Abilene Christian vs Tarleton St53:12-Picks & analysis for Houston vs Iowa St55:47-Start of extra games SE Louisiana vs East Texas A&M58:08-Picks & analysis for Colgate vs Boston U1:00:10-Picks & analysis for Grambling vs Prairie View1:02:36-Picks & analysis for Norfolk St vs Maryland Eastern Shore1:05:27-Picks & analysis for Morgan St vs NC Central1:08:12-Picks & analysis for Bethune Cookman vs Jackson St1:10:24-Picks & analysis for Coppin St vs South Carolina St1:12:49-Picks & analysis for Howard vs Delaware St1:15:06-Picks & analysis for Long Island vs Wagner1:17:16-Picks & analysis for Mississippi Valley St vs Alabama St1:19:46-Picks & analysis for New Orleans vs Incarnate Word1:22:04-Picks & analysis for McNeese vs Northwestern St1:24:22-Picks & analysis for Lamar vs UT Rio Grande Valley1:27:23-Picks & analysis for Stephen F Austin vs Texas A&M CC1:30:22-Picks & analysis for Arkansas Pine Bluff vs Alabama A&M1:32:46-Picks & analysis for Florida A&M vs Alcorn St1:35:22-Picks & analysis for Southern vs Texas Southern1:38:06-Picks & analysis for Nicholls vs Houston Christian Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Glick welcomes back his old friend The Southern Outlaws Band, come hangout and catch up with what they been up to and what they have coming up.FOLLOW US EVERYWHERE bio.link/nonsensicalnetworkSupport the network CASHAPP $GlickGlick13

fWotD Episode 3209: Abraham Lincoln Welcome to featured Wiki of the Day, your daily dose of knowledge from Wikipedia's finest articles.The featured article for Monday, 16 February 2026, is Abraham Lincoln.Abraham Lincoln (February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was the 16th president of the United States, serving from 1861 until his assassination in 1865. He led the United States through the American Civil War, defeating the Confederate States and playing a major role in the abolition of slavery.Lincoln was born into poverty in Kentucky and raised on the frontier. He was self-educated and became a lawyer, Illinois state legislator, and U. S. representative. Angered by the Kansas–Nebraska Act of 1854, which opened the territories to slavery, he became a leader of the new Republican Party. He reached a national audience in the 1858 Senate campaign debates against Stephen A. Douglas. Lincoln won the 1860 presidential election, becoming the first Republican president. His victory prompted a majority of the slave states to begin to secede and form the Confederate States. A month after Lincoln assumed the presidency, Confederate forces attacked Fort Sumter, starting the Civil War.As a moderate Republican, Lincoln had to navigate conflicting political opinions from contentious factions during the war effort. Lincoln closely supervised the strategy and tactics in the war effort, including the selection of generals, and implemented a naval blockade of Southern ports. He suspended the writ of habeas corpus in April 1861, an action that Chief Justice Roger Taney found unconstitutional in Ex parte Merryman, and he averted war with Britain by defusing the Trent Affair. On January 1, 1863, he issued the Emancipation Proclamation, which declared the slaves in the states "in rebellion" to be free. On November 19, 1863, he delivered the Gettysburg Address, which became one of the most famous speeches in American history. He promoted the Thirteenth Amendment to the U. S. Constitution, which, in 1865, abolished chattel slavery. Re-elected in 1864, he sought to heal the war-torn nation through Reconstruction.On April 14, 1865, five days after the Confederate surrender at Appomattox, Lincoln was attending a play at Ford's Theatre in Washington, D. C., when he was fatally shot by stage actor John Wilkes Booth, a Confederate sympathizer. Lincoln is remembered as a martyr and a national hero for his wartime leadership and for his efforts to preserve the Union and abolish slavery. He is often ranked in both popular and scholarly polls as the greatest president in American history.This recording reflects the Wikipedia text as of 00:11 UTC on Monday, 16 February 2026.For the full current version of the article, see Abraham Lincoln on Wikipedia.This podcast uses content from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.Visit our archives at wikioftheday.com and subscribe to stay updated on new episodes.Follow us on Mastodon at @wikioftheday@masto.ai.Also check out Curmudgeon's Corner, a current events podcast.Until next time, I'm neural Justin.

Bethune Cookman vs. Jackson St College Basketball Pick Prediction by Tony T. Bethne Cookman vs. Jackson St Profiles Bethune Cookman at Jackson St 7PM ET—Bethune Cookman has a record of 13-12 on the season with 10-2 in the SWAC with road wins against Mississippi Valley St, Arkansas Pine Bluff, Alabama St and Alabama A&M. They dropped a road game against Alcorn St. Jackson St sits at 8-17 along with 7-5 in the SWAC winning at home against Alcorn St, Prairie View, Texas Southern at Florida A&M. They lost at home against Grambling and Southern.

In this episode Houston legend Mike D — the man many call the original King of Lean — unpacks the true story behind codeine culture in the American South. Before “lean” was a mainstream rap flex… before double cups and purple memes… there was a street-level hustle that changed Houston forever. Mike D breaks down how promethazine with codeine went from a quiet substitute for heroin to a full-blown cultural phenomenon — influencing DJ Screw, the Screwed Up Click, and icons like Pimp C, Bun B, and Lil Wayne. What started as something passed around on the corner turned into an underground empire moving thousands of dollars a day — long before law enforcement even understood what was happening. In this interview, we cover: * How Mike D became Houston's go-to supplier * The birth of “drank” culture inside DJ Screw's house * The economics of the codeine black market * Street wars between Houston neighborhoods * Texas prison brutality and plantation-style incarceration * The real story behind Pimp C's death * Addiction, droughts, and what happens when supply dries up * How music and drugs fed off each other to build a movement This isn't just a drug story. It's a story about culture, capitalism, addiction, loyalty, betrayal — and how one underground market reshaped Southern hip-hop forever. From Astroworld fights to state prison bids… from Mercedes at 16 to moving cases of syrup… Mike D tells it all. Go Support Mike! YouTube:  @1on1wMikeDpodcast  Join The Patreon For Bonus Content! https://www.patreon.com/theconnectshow 00:00 Introduction & Mike D's Beginnings 01:20 Early Hustle, Music & Street Life 07:16 Houston's Hood Culture & Neighborhood Conflicts 17:51 Inside State Prison and Houston's Rap Legends 19:35 This Episode Is Sponsored By CashApp 21:12 Pimp C, UGK & Houston's Musical Roots 27:47 The Origins of Lean & Houston's Drug Culture 32:12 Spreading Lean Culture, The Detail Shop, and DJ Screw 38:42 This Episode Is Sponsored By Betterhelp 39:52 The Screw House, Houston Rap Scene & Lean Epidemic 45:50 Market Growth, Addiction & Codeine Business Expands 52:44 Scarcity, Turf Wars & Million Dollar Moves 59:42 The California Connection & Smuggling Lean 01:10:32 Law Enforcement, Risks, and Hustle Tactics 01:17:12 Market Collapse, Addiction, and the Opioid Shift 01:29:30 The Bust, Downfall & Lessons from the Game 01:42:43 Legacy, Chopped & Screwed, and the Codeine Cowboy 01:46:42 Closing Thoughts & Where to Find Mike D Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

BANG! @southernvangard radio Ep463! REST IN PEACE KILLA KALM #YOUWAAAAALCOME for this #SMITHSONIANGRADE! // southernvangard.com // @southernvangard on all platforms #hiphop #rap #undergroundhiphop #boombap ---------- Recorded live February 8, 2026 @ Dirty Blanket Studios, Marietta, GA southernvangard.com @southernvangard on all platforms #SmithsonianGrade #WeAreTheGard twitter/IG: @southernvangard @jondoeatl @cappuccinomeeks ---------- Pre-Game Beats - Life Of Grime “Southern Vangard Radio Theme Song” - Bobby Homack & The Southern Vangard All-Stars Talk Break Inst. - “In Your Town” - Bugseed & Deadchannel 9000 “Mission” - P.Genz & Jamil Honesty “Hard Drive Music” - Casual "Addis Abba” - Napoleon Da Legend ft. Vinnie Paz “Master Able & Noble (M.A.N.)” - Killa Kalm (prod. Gibran) “Lord Forgive Me” - Dirty Needles ft. J. Roberts x Ansolu (prod. Reese Tanaka) Talk Break Inst. - “In 2025” - Bugseed & Deadchannel 9000 “Death Wish 3” - JUS-P ft. Havoc x G.S. Advance “Makin' It Home” - RZA ft. Grand Daddy I.U., Kool G Rap, Craig G & Mathematics “Comin' To Get Ya Pt 2” - Emskee x MiLKCRATE “The Doctrine” - Casual “Welcome to My Garden” - Stove God Cooks (prod. Swizz Beatz) Talk Break Inst. - “Buffalo Stance” - Bugseed & Deadchannel 9000 “Hanoi Hannah” - Spanish Ran ft. UFO Fev, Sauce Heist & Pinnland “Give Me A Hell Yeah!” - Statik Selektah ft. Conway The Machine & Coyote “Where You From” - Casablanca the Gawd ft. Eto “Vivaporu” - TrueCipher ft. Estee Nack “Champagne Music” - The Musalini & Don D Talk Break Inst. - “Hot Spot” - Bugseed & Deadchannel 9000 ---------- *** KILLA KALM TRIBUTE *** ---------- “Monster Style” - Ultra Binkis ft. 4-IZE, Senor Kaos, Killa Kalm, Flux, AOS (prod. Illastrate) “What's the Purpose” - Binkis Recs "Dedicated" - Binkis Recs "Out of da Box" - Binkis Recs "That's What I'm Talking About" - Binkis Recs “The Anthem” - Jax ft. Killa Kalm & Flux Da Wundabat “Bullitt” - Binkis Recs “Art Of Poise” - The Hylandaz ft. Killa Kalm

BANG! @southernvangard radio Ep462! Groundhog Day vibes are abound Vangardians, and even if that little furry animal said 6 more weeks of winter, we gonna keep it warm and toasty for you until we hit spring time. This weeks episode is also the debut of EDDIE MEEKS upcoming single with the homies AOS and DJ POCKET, make sure you cop it at DJPOCKET.COM when it drops ‘cause that's the only place you gonna get it other than here. OUI OUI #YOUWAAAAALCOME and it's forever that #SMITHSONIANGRADE! // southernvangard.com // @southernvangard on all platforms #hiphop #rap #undergroundhiphop #boombap ---------- Recorded live February 1, 2026 @ Dirty Blanket Studios, Marietta, GA southernvangard.com @southernvangard on all platforms #SmithsonianGrade #WeAreTheGard twitter/IG: @southernvangard @jondoeatl @cappuccinomeeks ---------- Pre-Game Beats - Noisy Neighbor Talk Break Inst. - “Aquarius” - Apollo Brown “Southern Vangard Radio Theme Song” - Bobby Homack & The Southern Vangard All-Stars “La Bandera” - Doza The Drum Dealer & Spit Gemz “People In The Neighborhood” - Stu Bangas & Wordsworth ft. Masta Ace “Hunting Season” - Duck City Music ft. The Hoodies (prod. Young Bangas, cuts Tone Spliff) “Divide & Conquer” - DNTE & Ché Uno "Grand Priests” - Squeegie Oblong ft. Seemore Bluntz (prod. TrueCipher) "New World” - Born Allah ft. Blu & Lakim Shabazz (prod. Apakalips) Talk Break Inst. - “Hold On” - Apollo Brown “God Level” - Wounded Buffalo Beats & Ruste Juxx “Prime Time” - YBG “Crom! (Beatminerz Remix)” - Krohmefeat. Vast Aire, Breez Evahflowin & Empuls “Rakim Scheme” - Squeegie Oblong (prod. Unknown Spook) “Brick and Mortar” - Black Thought x 9th Wonder “Slick Talkin” - Imported Goodz x Rome Streetz “A Brooklyn Tale Part 1” - Wounded Buffalo Beats & Ruste Juxx “Username” - Stu Bangas/Wordsworth “Already” - Khrysis & Pete Rock Talk Break Inst. - “Moon At Midnight” - Apollo Brown “Assassination Day '25" - Squeegie Oblong (prod. Unknown Spook) “Keepers Of The Culture” - Amadaye The Apostle ft. Ill Conscious “Spoon & Razor” - Bub Rock ft. Rome Streetz “Respectfully Disrespectful" - Rufus Sims & Machacha ft. Knowledge The Pirate & Jae Haze “Give Em Hell” - Recognize Ali & D-Styles “Under The Floor” - Imported Goodz x Rome Streetz “Lord Protect Me” - The Alchemist & Budgie ft. Roc Marciano “Still I Rise (Dr. Maya Angelou C.R.T. Remix)” - Eddie Meeks ft. AOS (prod. DJ Pocket) ** WORLD EXCLUSIVE ** Talk Break Inst. - “Opulence” - Apollo Brown

Please hit Subscribe   Click here to go to our Facebook Page. https://www.facebook.com/222paranormal  Click here to see Jennifers Book. https://a.co/d/0gJSY9Cw  Click here to see Joe's book. https://a.co/d/099rkoQL Clike here to save on Clothing. https://poshmark.com/closet/toledojoe  Click here to see the Ghost gear of the week.  https://a.co/d/06Kk18k0    In this haunting episode of the **222 Paranormal Podcast**, we step back into the shadowed corridors of America's antebellum South—where grand architecture, wealth, and history intertwine with tragedy, trauma, and lingering spiritual echoes. Antebellum homes are often admired for their sweeping columns, elegant staircases, and timeless Southern charm. But beneath the polished wood and historic beauty lies a far more complicated past. Many of these estates were built on the backs of enslaved labor, and with that reality comes a legacy that some believe never truly left. In this episode, we explore several Southern homes with reputations for intense paranormal activity—locations where both former owners and enslaved individuals are said to still be present. Witness accounts describe unexplained footsteps pacing long-empty halls, disembodied voices drifting through locked rooms, and sudden cold spots that appear without warning. Some investigators have even reported shadow figures standing at the ends of hallways, watching silently before vanishing into darkness. One of the most chilling stories discussed centers on a historic home that suffered a devastating fire. According to local legend, during the blaze—and in later years during reported paranormal experiences—witnesses claimed to see human-like figures moving within the flames themselves. Apparitions appearing inside fire is an especially unsettling phenomenon, suggesting that whatever energy remains tied to the location may be replaying moments of trauma or catastrophe. These sightings raise questions about residual hauntings, emotional imprints, and whether extreme events can leave permanent echoes in the environment. We also take time to examine the duality often found in these historic locations. While some reports focus on former owners—figures in period clothing, stern presences, or footsteps on upper floors—other accounts describe sightings believed to be tied to enslaved individuals who once lived and worked on the property. These encounters tend to be quieter but no less powerful: faint singing where no one is present, figures seen near former quarters, or sensations of being watched accompanied by overwhelming emotion. As always, the conversation moves beyond simple ghost stories and into deeper questions. Are these manifestations intelligent spirits, residual energy, or psychological responses to historically charged locations? Can trauma—especially repeated over generations—leave an imprint strong enough to replay itself decades or centuries later? Adding to the episode's atmosphere, a listener-submitted story brings a personal and unsettling firsthand experience into the discussion. Real accounts like this continue to blur the line between folklore and lived experience, reminding us that the paranormal is often most powerful when it intersects with everyday life. This episode of the **222 Paranormal Podcast** doesn't just explore haunted houses—it examines how history, memory, and human experience may shape what we encounter in allegedly haunted spaces. Whether you believe these encounters are spiritual, environmental, or psychological, the stories connected to antebellum homes remain some of the most emotionally charged and deeply compelling in paranormal research. Join us as we walk through candlelit hallways, listen for echoes from another era, and ask the question that always lingers in historic places: does the past ever truly leave—or does it simply wait to be heard? Welcome to the 222 Paranormal Podcast, your gateway to the captivating world of the supernatural. Immerse yourself in our expertly crafted episodes, where we delve deep into a wide range of paranormal phenomena, including ghostly hauntings, cryptid sightings, and unexplained mysteries that defy logic. Each episode is meticulously researched and features engaging discussions with leading experts, seasoned ghost hunters, and renowned paranormal investigators. We cover the latest advancements in ghost hunting technology, offer practical tips for both amateur and experienced investigators, and review essential equipment for your paranormal adventures. Our podcast also explores the rich history of haunted locations, sharing true stories and firsthand accounts that will send chills down your spine. Whether you're a die-hard fan of the paranormal or just curious about the unknown, our content is designed to entertain, inform, and ignite your imagination. Stay tuned as we uncover secrets from the most haunted places around the world and analyze the most intriguing supernatural events. We also provide in-depth interviews with notable figures in the field and explore theories that challenge conventional understanding of reality. By subscribing to our Paranormal Podcast, you'll stay updated with the latest episodes, allowing you to join a community of like-minded individuals who share your fascination with the unexplained. Don't miss out on our exclusive content and special features, which bring you closer to the mysteries that lie beyond our everyday experiences. Dive into the world of the unknown with our Paranormal Podcast and experience the thrill of discovering what lies just beyond the veil of reality.

Southern Gothic - Strange Tales of the Appalachians with Steve StocktonBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/missing-persons-mysteries--5624803/support.

This is Episode 84 - Notorious Governors of Texas Edmund J. Davis and the first of our series of Notorious Governors of Texas. With all the politics in the news today, I've naturally been thinking about politics and politicians. One group that has always intrigued me are governors. Not presidents, or senators, or members of the house, but governors. They're the ones who really give a state its identity, well at least in a way, because they're most often the ‘face' of the state. Here in Texas, our current governor seems to love making pronouncements about how his administration is going to fight this or that evil that might be encroaching on Texan's freedoms. More often than not, it's usually just a bunch of fluff that his advisors know will make his hard-core supporters emotional and get him on the evening news. After all he's running for re-election and needs to make sure people don't forget about him. Naturally this got me to thinking about Texas governors in the past, so I started researching what I thought of the most notorious governors in the history of the state. These governors often gained notoriety due to the turbulent, defining political eras in which they served, such as the Civil War, Reconstruction, and the Progressive era scandals.  So, today I'm going to start a series on these leaders from the past. First is Edmund J. Davis: Union Army Officer and Reconstruction Governor of Texas. Davis was governor in the reconstruction period 1870 and 1874. He was a Republican, (not the type of Republican we have today, these were the anti-slavery, pro-union republicans). Since he was a Republican during Reconstruction, needless to say he was very unpopular with a large percentage of white Texans. They thought of him as a tyrant, because he believed in using the state police and he was adamant in enforcing what many considered to be radical Republican policies. Who was he, and how did he become governor? As were many Texans at the time, he wasn't originally from Texas. He was born at St. Augustine, Florida, on October 2, 1827, to William Godwin and Mary Ann (Channer) Davis. His lineage traced back to a Grandfather Godwin Davis, who had immigrated from England to Virginia and had fought and perished during the Revolutionary War. His father, who lived in South Carolina, was a land developer and attorney in St. Augustine. As a young man Davis was educated in Florida, and at age 19 moved, with the family to Galveston, Texas, in January 1848. In Galveston he started a career working in the post office while he undertook the study of law. In 1849 he relocated to Corpus Christi, where he worked in a store and continued to read and study law and in the fall of 1849, he was admitted to the bar. Between 1849 and 1853 he was an inspector and deputy collector of customs at Laredo. In 1853 he became district attorney of the Twelfth Judicial District at Brownsville. About 1856 Governor Elisha M. Pease named him judge of the same district, and Davis continued to serve as a state judge until 1861. As judge he accompanied the ranger unit of Capt. William G. Tobin, who was involved in the Cortina affair at Brownsville in 1859 On April 6, 1858, Davis married Elizabeth Anne Britton, daughter of Forbes Britton, a state senator and friend of Sam Houston. Now we have his personal story, but this is Texas and in Texas nothing is simple, particularly politics. Davis was a Whig until the mid-1850s. OK, who were the Whigs? They were a major political party that was very active from 1834 to 1854. They were originally formed in order to oppose President Andrew Jackson's policies and his desire to expand executive power. (see power hungry president's isn't exactly anything new in American history). They supported Henry Clay's "American System," and they believed in modernization, industrialization, protective tariffs, and a national bank. The fell apart by infighting over the expansion of slavery into new territories. This caused Northern "Conscience" Whigs to join the Republican Party and Southern "Cotton" Whigs to join other factions, such as the fledgling democratic party and some joined the “Know-Nothing” party.   In 1855 after the Whigs fell apart, Davis joined the Democratic party. In 1861 even though the Texas democratic party was a strong advocate for secession and were pro-slavery, Davis supported Sam Houston and opposed secession.  He ran unsuccessfully to become a delegate to the Secession Convention. Once Texas voted to leave and announced it was seceding from the union, Davis refused to take the oath of loyalty to the Confederacy, and the state vacated his judgeship on April 24. Unable to support the Confederacy in May of 1862 Davis fled Texas and travelled to New Orleans. From New Orleans along with John L. Haynes and William Alexander, he went to Washington. The men met with President Abraham Lincoln. Lincoln recommended that the three would be given help so they could provide weapons to troops that they wanted to raise.  On October 26, 1862, Davis received a colonel's commission and authorization to recruit the cavalry regiment that became the First Texas Cavalry (U.S.). The First Texas saw extensive service during the war. In January of 1863 they barely escaped capture when Galveston fell to Confederates. While in Matamoros in March of 1863 Davis was captured by Confederates. He had been there attempting to take his family out of Texas and also recruit men for his unit. Needless to say, his capture caused diplomatic trouble between the Confederacy and Mexico. Finally Confederate Gen. Hamilton P. Bee in order to appease the Mexican governor Albino López released Davis. Davis crossed back into Texas and from November to December 1863 he took part in Gen. Nathaniel P. Banks's unsuccessful Rio Grande campaign. in an effort to disrupt the border trade Davis's unit marched to Rio Grande City and seized cotton and slaves. On November 4, 1864, Davis was promoted to brigadier general and for the remainder of the war commanded Gen. Joseph J. Reynolds's cavalry in the Division of Western Mississippi. On June 2, 1865, he was among those who represented Gen. Edward R. S. Canby at Gen. Edmund Kirby Smith's surrender of Confederate forces in Texas. After the war Davis participated in state politics as a Unionist and Republican. He served in the Constitutional Convention of 1866 and ran in the 1866 general election he ran unsuccessfully for the state Senate from his old district. He represented the border district and served as president of the Constitutional Convention of 1868–69. During this time, he made enemies among the white population by consistently supporting political programs that would have restricted the political rights of secessionists, expanded rights for Blacks, and divided the state. He also favored the ab initio theory, which held that all laws passed since secession were null and void. He ran for governor in the election of 1869 against Andrew J. Hamilton, another Republican, and won in a closely disputed race. His administration was a controversial one. Its program called for law and order backed by a State Police and restored militia, public schools, internal improvements, bureaus of immigration and geology, and protection of the frontier. (Sounds vaguely familiar doesn't it) All of these were the subject of strong attacks from both Democratic and Republican opponents. They added to the controversy surrounding Reconstruction in Texas. Davis ran for reelection in December 1873 and was defeated by Richard Coke by a vote of two to one. Davis did not gracefully accept defeat, and he believed that the Republican national administration was partly responsible for his loss. He refused to vacate office after losing a what he considered a fraudulent-ridden 1873 election to Democrat Richard Coke. Here's what happened. Democrat Richard Coke defeated Republican incumbent Edmund J. Davis with 100,415 votes to 52,141, a margin of over two to one. Davis, a Republican, refused to leave, citing a Texas Supreme Court ruling (the "Semicolon Court" in Ex parte Rodriguez) that declared the election unconstitutional. Davis occupied the lower floor of the Capitol with state troops, while Democratic supporters of Coke took the second floor. He asked President Ulysses S. Grant to send in federal troops to help him stay in office. Grant refused and finally on January 19, 1874, Davis resigned, allowing Coke to take office and restoring Democratic control to Texas. This signaled the official end of Radical Reconstruction in Texas and initiated a long period of Democratic dominance. From 1875 until his death Davis, contemporarily described as a "tall, gaunt, cold-eyed, rather commanding figure," headed the Republican party in Texas as chairman of the state executive committee. In 1880 he ran again for governor but was badly defeated by Oran M. Roberts. In 1882 he ran for Congress in the Tenth District against John Hancock, again unsuccessfully. He was nominated as collector of customs at Galveston in 1880 but refused the job because of his opposition to the administration of President Rutherford B. Hayes. Supporters recommended him for a cabinet position under President Chester A. Arthur, but he received no appointment. Davis died in Austin on February 7, 1883, and is buried there in the State Cemetery. This has been the Hidden History of Texas and the first in our stories of “notorious” Texas governors, Edmund J. Davis – see you next time, thanks for listening

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Today on Coast To Coast Hoops it is a simple podcast as there are over 130 games on the college basketball betting board for Saturday & Greg picks & analyzes EVERY one of them! Link To Greg's Spreadsheet of handicapped lines: https://vsin.com/college-basketball/greg-petersons-daily-college-basketball-lines/Greg's TikTok With Pickmas Pick Videos: https://www.tiktok.com/@gregpetersonsports?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pcPodcast Highlights3:13-Start of picks TCU vs Oklahoma St5:35-Picks & analysis for Clemson vs Duke7;41-Picks & analysis for California vs Boston College9:46-Picks & analysis for Georgia Tech vs Notre Dame12:02-Picks & analysis for Fordham vs Rhode Island14:20-Picks & analysis for Samford vs East Tennessee16:50-Picks & analysis for UCLA vs Michigan19:18-Picks & analysis for Northwestern vs Nebraska21:31-Picks & analysis for Kansas vs Iowa St23:38-Picks & analysis for Texas A&M vs Vanderbilt26:16-Picks & analysis for St. John's vs Providence28:43-Picks & analysis for Mercer vs The Citadel31:12-Picks & analysis for Furman vs VMI33:19-Picks & analysis for Florida St vs Virginia Tech35:16-Picks & analysis for East Carolina vs Rice37:38-Picks & analysis for Louisiana Tech vs Florida INternational40:57-Picks & analysis for Elon vs William & Mary43:36-Picks & analysis for Western Michigan vs Eastern Michigan46:05-Picks & analysis for Pittsburgh vs North Carolina48:32-Picks & analysis for Kent St vs Ball St51:00-Picks & analysis for SMU vs Syracuse53:12-Picks & analysis for North Dakota St vs North Dakota55:42-Picks & analysis for Liberty vs UTEP58:02-Picks & analysis for Villanova vs Creighton1:00:07-Picks & analysis for Marquette vs Xavier1:02:31-Picks & analysis for Penn St vs Oregon1:04:43-Picks & analysis for UL Monroe vs Texas St1:07:05-Picks & analysis for Kentucky vs Florida1:09:02-Picks & analysis for South Alabama vs Arkansas St1:11:23-Picks & analysis for Delaware vs Missouri St1:13:41-Picks & analysis for Southern Utah vs UT Arlington1:16:10-Picks & analysis for Georgia St vs Old Dominion1:18:38-Picks & analysis for Tennessee St vs Morehead St1:20:45-Picks & analysis for Georgia vs Oklahoma1:22:46-Picks & analysis for Wyoming vs Colorado St1:25:18-Picks & analysis for Appalachian St vs James Madison1:27:29-Picks & analysis for Stanford vs Wake Forest1:29:55-Picks & analysis for Tarleton St vs Abilene Christian1:32:09-Picks & analysis for Portland St vs Northern Colorado1:34:20-Picks & analysis for Hofstra vs UNC Wilmington1:36:19-Picks & analysis for Colorado vs BYU1:38:32-Picks & analysis for Louisville vs Baylor1:40:43-Picks & analysis for Miami vs NC State1:43:00-Picks & analysis for Duquesne vs St. Bonaventure1:45:31-Picks & analysis for SE Missouri St vs Lindenwood1:48:07-Picks & analysis for Little Rock vs Eastern Illinois1:50:23-Picks & analysis for UT Martin vs SIU Edwardsville1:53:04-Picks & analysis for Western Carolina vs Chattanooga1:55:31-Picks & analysis for Tennessee Tech vs Southern Indiana1:57:34-Picks & analysis for Wofford vs UNC Greensboro1:59:37-Picks & analysis for Purdue vs Iowa2:01:46-Picks & analysis for Weber St vs Eastern Washington2:03:56-Picks & analysis for Sam Houston vs Kennesaw St2:06:47-Picks & analysis for Toledo vs Bowling Green2:08:56-Picks & analysis for Grand Canyon vs San Jose St2:11:36-Picks & analysis for Loyola Marymount vs Pepperdine2:13:42-Picks & analysis for Long Beach St vs UC Davis2:15:54-Picks & analysis for New Mexico St vs Jacksonville St2:18:09-Picks & analysis for Idaho St vs Idaho2:20:34-Picks & analysis for Northern Illinois vs Central Michigan2:22:44-Picks & analysis for Air Force vs Fresno St2:24:52-Picks & analysis for LSU vs Tennessee2:27:10-Picks & analysis for Brown vs Dartmouth2:29:26-Picks & analysis for VCU vs Richmond2:31:49-Picks & analysis for Columbia vs Pinceton2:34:00-Picks & analysis for Texas Tech vs Arizona2:35:51-Picks & analysis for West Virginia vs Central Florida2:37:59-Picks & analysis for Cornell vs Pennsylvania2:40:03-Picks & analysis for Mississippi St vs Ole Miss2:42:44-Picks & analysis for Yale vs Havard2:43:50-Picks & analysis for UC Santa Barbara vs Cal Poly2:45:49-Picks & analysis for Tulsa vs Wichita St2:48:13-Picks & analysis for Memphis vs Utah St2:49:59-Picks & analysis for Virginia vs Ohio St2:51:04-Picks & analysis for Georgetown vs Connecticut2:54:05-Picks & analysis for Middle Tennessee vs Western Kentucky2:56:03-Picks & analysis for St. Thomas vs Kansas City2:57:54-Picks & analysis for Hawaii vs CS Northridge2:59:55-Picks & analysis for Sacramento St vs Northern Arizona3:02:02-Picks & analysis for South Dakota St vs Oral Roberts3:04:10-Picks & analysis for Auburn vs Arkansas3:06:18-Picks & analysis for Marshall vs Georgia Southern3:08:26-Picks & analysis for Texas vs Missouri3:10:16-Picks & analysis for South Dakota vs Alabama3:12:28-Picks & analysis for Troy vs Southern Miss3:14:06-Picks & analysis for Cal Baptist vs Utah Tech3:16:14-Picks & analysis for Minnesota vs Washington3:18:15-Picks & analysis for Kansas St vs Houston3:20:07-Picks & analysis for Montana St vs Montana3:22:19-Picks & analysis for UC Riverside vs UC San Diego3:24:17-Picks & analysis for CS Fullerton vs UC Irvine3:26:13-Picks & analysis for Nevada vs San Diego St3:28:19-Picks & analysis for Gonzaga vs Santa Clara3:30:19-Picks & analysis for St. Mary's vs Pacific3:34:07-Start of extra games UMBC vs New Hampshire3:35:54-Picks & analysis for Bucknell vs Boston U3:38:05-Picks & analysis for Long Island vs New Haven3:39:51-Picks & analysis for Chicago St vs Le Moyne3:41:40-Picks & analysis for Central Connecticut vs Fairleigh Dickinson3:43:21-Picks & analysis for Wagner vs Stonehill3:45:20-Picks & analysis for Navy vs Colgate3:47:05-Picks & analysis for Presbyterian vs UNC Asheville3:48:57-Picks & analysis for Mercyhurst vs St. Francis PA3:51:06-Picks & analysis for Army vs American3:52:56-Picks & analysis for Stetson vs Florida Gulf Coast3:54:52-Picks & analysis for Bryant vs Vermont3:56:42-Picks & analysis for West Georgia vs Central Arkansas3:58:33-Picks & analysis for High Point vs Gardner Webb4:00:16-Picks & analysis for Charleston Southern vs Radford4:02:10-Picks & analysis for USC Upstate vs Longwood4:03:58-Picks & analysis for NJIT vs Maine4:05:40-Picks & analysis for Florida A&M vs Jackson St4:07:45-Picks & analysis for North Florida vs Jacksonville4:09:50-Picks & analysis for Albany vs Binghamton4:11:43-Picks & analysis for Bethune Cookman vs Alcorn St4:13:28-Picks & analysis for Morgan St vs South Carolina St4:15:36-Picks & analysis for Lipscomb vs Queens NC4:17:33-Picks & analysis for Maryland Eastern Shore vs Howard4:19:32-Picks & analysis for Arkansas Pine Bluff vs Alabama St4:21:20-Picks & analysis for Delaware St vs Norfolk St4:23:06-Picks & analysis for New Orleans vs Houston Christian4:25:01-Picks & analysis for Lamar var Texas A&M CC4:26:46-Picks & analysis for Coppin St vs NC Central4:28:34-Picks & analysis for SE Louisiana vs Northwestern St4:30:26-Picks & analysis for Lehigh vs Lafayette4:31:04-Picks & analysis for Grambling vs Texas Southern4:34:02-Picks & analysis for Mississippi Valley St vs Alabama A&M4:35:57-Picks & analysis for Nicholls vs Incarnate Word4:37:52-Picks & analysis for Bellarmine vs Austin Peay4:39:26-Picks & analysis for Stephen F Austin vs UT Rio Grande Valley4:41:34-Picks & analysis for Southern vs Prairie View4:44:33-Picks & analysis for McNeese vs East Texas A&M Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. 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Matt Harris is the Founder of Thunderbird Chicken (the fried chicken restaurant), Stripshack, (it's baby sister), and the pickle brand, Pickle Project. Matt joins Elliot to share how his dream of a professional motorsport career led to a scholarship to race NASCAR in the US and an obsessive scientific approach to recreating the fried chicken he loved in the Southern states.

Three teenagers. A remote island in Middle Tennessee. A Wednesday morning in the summer of '97. Brothers Heath and Hayes Holland and their friend Seth were doing what they always did, exploring Hole in the Wall Island on Percy Priest Lake, when they came face to face with something that defied explanation. Standing by a massive tree was an eight-foot creature with dark fur, horns, a wolf-like snout, snarling teeth, and glowing red eyes. It wasn't a Bigfoot. It wasn't quite a Goatman. And it was staring right at them.The Holland brothers join us live in studio with a story they've carried for nearly three decades. Hayes followed the creature through the brush for fifteen minutes while Heath ran for his life, and their dad wrote the whole thing off until locals started reporting similar sightings at the nearby boat dock. What was it? A cryptid? A demon? Something that doesn't have a name yet? Growing up in a conservative Southern church didn't prepare them for what they saw, but it might just be the lens that makes the most sense of it. Welcome to the horned creature of Antioch. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this music-focused episode of Selective Ignorance, Mandii B joined by Jason “Jah” Lee, break down their personal Top 10 No-Skip Albums across hip-hop, R&B, and genre-blending projects, exploring what makes a body of work truly cohesive and replayable without naming specific titles. They open by defining the “no skip” standard — sequencing, storytelling, production consistency, and emotional replay value — and why complete albums still matter in the streaming era [00:00]. The discussion moves through standout R&B and soul-driven projects known for vocal performance and cultural reach [02:48], then into nostalgic favorites tied to personal milestones and relationship memories [06:06]. The hosts highlight landmark trap and street-rap releases that shaped regional sound and industry direction [09:00], alongside lyrically driven records praised for narrative depth and concept execution [11:55]. They also examine globally influential pop-leaning era-defining projects that shifted sonic trends and visual identity in music [14:50], emotionally resonant singer-songwriter catalogs [17:46], and multi-hyphenate performers whose musical versatility often gets overlooked [20:59]. The conversation continues with influential hip-hop innovators and concept-album architects [23:58], genre-blending artists known for sonic reinvention [27:09], and foundational Southern rap legacies that set durability standards for album craft [30:00]. They also reflect on timeless R&B bodies of work that remain culturally and vocally unmatched [33:03], as well as modern pop-R&B discographies that helped redefine crossover appeal [35:59], before closing with honorable mentions and final thoughts on how “no-skip” albums reveal personal taste, cultural impact, and the lasting power of cohesive music experiences [39:14]. No Holes Barred: A Dual Manifesto Of Sexual Exploration And Power” w/ Tempest X! Sale Link Follow the host on Social MediaMandii B Instagram/X @fullcourtpumps Follow the crew on Social Media @itsaking @jaysonrodriguez @mrhiphopobama Follow the show on Social MediaInstagram @selectiveignorancepodTiktok @selective.ignoranceX/Twitter @selectiveig_podSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Conrad Black critiques Canada's economic stagnation under Trudeau, citing fiscal indiscipline and failure to match UScorporate tax cuts, which drove investment away from Canada to its southern neighbor.1900 OTTAWA ROWING CLUB

After more than 30 years with Georgia DNR, Sgt. Shawn Elmore joins Warden's Watch for a long‑awaited conversation filled with humor, hard lessons, and unforgettable cases. From hunting alongside his dad as a child to becoming one of Georgia's leading boating‑incident investigators, Shawn shares a mix of heartfelt family stories, outrageous poaching cases, and high‑stakes investigations that helped change state law. Join us for a candid, funny, and deeply human look at life behind the badge.   Our Sponsors: Thin Green Line Podcast Don Noyes Chevrolet North American Game Warden Museum Hunt Regs WiseEye SecureIt Gun Storage XS Sights “A Cowboy in the Woods” Book Maine Operation Game Thief New Hampshire Operation Game Thief North East Conservation Law Enforcement Chiefs Association International Wildlife Crimestoppers   Here's what we discuss: ·        Finally recording after four years of trying ·        Shawn's 30+ year career with Georgia DNR ·        Growing up hunting with his dad ·        “That's what I'm gonna do for a living.” ·        His son becoming interested in law enforcement ·        Catching multiple in‑laws over the years ·        “It takes you a long time to build your credibility… and a snap of a finger to lose it.” ·        People claiming to “know” wardens to get out of trouble ·        Losing friends after catching them or their kids ·        Multi‑year landfill hunter case with warnings, tickets, then arrest ·        A later case involving another family connection ·        Hunting traditions, beagles, rabbits, and swamp rabbits ·        Southern sayings and the “Lost in Translation” team ·        The convicted felon firearm case: “Let me guess - the bullet fairy put this in your pocket.” ·        Reading body language as a critical warden skill ·        “Our mouths can get us into trouble, and they can keep us out of trouble.” ·        The 501‑charge poaching investigation ·        Conspiracy, false statements, and multi‑year suspensions ·        Charging only what can be won in court ·        Identifying violators based on decades of local knowledge ·        His role with Georgia's boating reconstruction team ·        Early fatal boating cases and long‑lasting emotional impact ·        High‑profile boating incident involving police officers ·        The Jake and Griffin Prince case and Georgia's BUI law change ·        Challenges unique to boating investigations: sinking, drifting, disappearing evidence ·        Teaching reconstruction and impaired‑operation detection nationwide ·        The Georgia Outdoor News “Hall of Shame” bait case   Credits Hosts: Wayne Saunders and John Nores Producer: Jay Ammann Warden's Watch logo & Design: Ashley Hannett Research / Content Coordinator: Stacey DesRoches   Subscribe: Apple Podcasts Spotify Amazon Google Waypoint Stitcher TuneIn Megaphone Find More Here: Website Warden's Watch / TGL Store Facebook Facebook Fan Page Instagram Threads YouTube RSS Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of the Real Estate Pros podcast, host Q Edmonds interviews Cherie Hardy, a seasoned real estate professional with over 30 years of experience. Cherie shares her journey from her first investment property to her current focus on short-term rentals and helping homeowners transition in their lives. Throughout the conversation, she emphasizes the importance of resilience, relationship building, and mentorship in achieving success in the real estate industry. Cherie also discusses the significance of community involvement and the Southern charm that helps her connect with clients.   Professional Real Estate Investors - How we can help you: Investor Fuel Mastermind:  Learn more about the Investor Fuel Mastermind, including 100% deal financing, massive discounts from vendors and sponsors you're already using, our world class community of over 150 members, and SO much more here: http://www.investorfuel.com/apply   Investor Machine Marketing Partnership:  Are you looking for consistent, high quality lead generation? Investor Machine is America's #1 lead generation service professional investors. Investor Machine provides true 'white glove' support to help you build the perfect marketing plan, then we'll execute it for you…talking and working together on an ongoing basis to help you hit YOUR goals! Learn more here: http://www.investormachine.com   Coaching with Mike Hambright:  Interested in 1 on 1 coaching with Mike Hambright? Mike coaches entrepreneurs looking to level up, build coaching or service based businesses (Mike runs multiple 7 and 8 figure a year businesses), building a coaching program and more. Learn more here: https://investorfuel.com/coachingwithmike   Attend a Vacation/Mastermind Retreat with Mike Hambright: Interested in joining a "mini-mastermind" with Mike and his private clients on an upcoming "Retreat", either at locations like Cabo San Lucas, Napa, Park City ski trip, Yellowstone, or even at Mike's East Texas "Big H Ranch"? Learn more here: http://www.investorfuel.com/retreat   Property Insurance: Join the largest and most investor friendly property insurance provider in 2 minutes. Free to join, and insure all your flips and rentals within minutes! There is NO easier insurance provider on the planet (turn insurance on or off in 1 minute without talking to anyone!), and there's no 15-30% agent mark up through this platform!  Register here: https://myinvestorinsurance.com/   New Real Estate Investors - How we can work together: Investor Fuel Club (Coaching and Deal Partner Community): Looking to kickstart your real estate investing career? Join our one of a kind Coaching Community, Investor Fuel Club, where you'll get trained by some of the best real estate investors in America, and partner with them on deals! You don't need $ for deals…we'll partner with you and hold your hand along the way! Learn More here: http://www.investorfuel.com/club   —--------------------

Ready for an episode you're sure to love? Because it's Valentine's Day? Get it?Hallmark holiday jokes aside, we do think you're going to enjoy this one because it starts with something just about all of us can get behind: chocolate. More specifically, we're talking about Indulgence Chocolatiers (one of Radio Milwaukee's neighbors in Walker's Point) and its Valentine-inspired truffle collection. The adorable and lovingly crafted box is a pretty much perfect gift for the holiday, whether you're planning to hand it to the object of your affection or just treat yourself.Ann took on the arduous task of trying all six truffles and shared a few thoughts on each in her Milwaukee Magazine article. While you're checking out the mag's website, pop over to Ann's story on the return of Phobruary in Milwaukee's Silver City neighborhood. It's a month-long nod to the Vietnamese soup and a chance to support the hardworking restaurants on our south side.You'll also hear about the grand opening of Mediterranean/Middle Eastern spot Aya and — at the very heart of this episode — a special interview with two people who just celebrated a grand opening of their own: Meghan and Kyle Knall.The talented duo behind Birch and the brand-new French brasserie Cassis share their sweet origin story that took them from Alabama to Brooklyn to Milwaukee, as well as why they decided to bring a taste of Paris to the Third Ward. With their help, we dive into the new menu — from classic steak frites to the social-media-famous ravioli dauphine — and chat about their Southern roots, the quest for the perfect sweet tea, and a potential future barbecue project.

This is not a drill. You've been invited to the biggest wedding in TGIF history and it's time to get ready. What will you wear? Who will you bring? Why are so many people dressing problematically Southern? The search for Cory’s best man gets heated and Topanga apparently has terrible taste. Watch along as characters abandon 7 seasons of personal development just for a few big laughs and a "documentary style" episode. Plus, Will discovers a new favorite curse word and Danielle discovers the magic of a children’s rave, all on a new recap episode of Pod Meets World! Follow @podmeetsworldshow on Instagram and TikTok!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

About John Munsell: John Munsell is the CEO of Bizzuka, Inc. and author of INGRAIN AI – Strategy through Execution: The blueprint to scale an AI-first culture. With more than 10,000 hours working hands-on with AI, he created the AI Strategy Canvas® and Scalable Prompt Engineering™, frameworks that have helped everyone from law professors to non-technical construction CFOs use AI to compress weeks of work into hours and save their companies millions.Known for making complex AI instantly understandable, John combines real-world case studies, clear frameworks, and a healthy dose of Southern charm. A former Adjunct Instructor of AI at Louisiana State University, he's consistently rated as the speaker who “finally makes AI make sense” and gives audiences tools they can put to work immediately.In this episode, Jennie and John Munsell discuss:Why most businesses overestimate their current level of AI masteryHow AI can remove administrative work and free salespeople to focus on peopleUsing AI to analyze conversations, uncover hidden needs, and improve follow-upHow personalized, AI-assisted proposals dramatically increase conversion ratesKey Takeaways:AI isn't just a faster copywriter; it's a capacity creator that gives salespeople back time to build real relationships.The most powerful AI workflows start with understanding pain, frustration, and desire—before ever pitching a solution.Personalized proposals perform better because they reflect how buyers think, decide, and communicate, not just what they need.When sales conversations are guided by preparation and insight, prospects feel seen, heard, and understood.The future of sales belongs to those who use AI to solve problems, not push products."AI creates capacity, and if you know how to use AI, then you have this excess capacity that is then used to be in front of people, because you're delegating the paperwork to AI." —  John MunsellConnect with John Munsell:Website: https://www.bizzuka.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jwmunsell  CONNECT WITH JENNIE:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/badassdirectsalesmasteryInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/badassdirectsalesmastery/Website: https://badassdirectsalesmastery.com/Show: https://badassdirectsalesmastery.com/blog/YouTube: COMING SOON!LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/levelupcoachllc/Email: jennie@badassdirectsalesmastery.com  Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it. 

Dallas shares another one of her Southern sayings that Kincaid and Lauren had never heard before! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hour 3 of JJ & Alex with Jeremiah Jensen and Alex Kirry. Jaren Jackson Jr. Introductory Press Conference Chandler Holt, digital writer for KSL Sports and co-host of the Jazz Notes Podcas BYU Parker Kingston arrested in Washington County

A strong wind rushes, howls, hisses, and sings past a window on a cloudy day.Download the White Noise App for continuous playback.

In this heartwarming and insightful episode of the Mad Rush Podcast, host Trisha Addicks reflects on the journey of finding purpose through various seasons of life. Special guest Jane Foster, a content creator and influencer, joins Trisha to discuss the transformative power of hospitality, the legacy of the Zebra Tent at Ole Miss, and the importance of lasting connections. Together, they share stories of Southern traditions, the significance of SEC football, and how they've embraced their midlife adventures with joy and confidence. Tune in for an engaging conversation filled with laughter, lessons, and inspiration for anyone navigating the twists and turns of life's transitions. This episode is perfect for PNMs, parents, alumnae, educators, and culturally curious listeners looking to be entertained and enlightened. Don't miss out on the opportunity to pre-order Trisha's new book, 'The Rush Bible,' available from Simon & Schuster.

As part of GHS's ongoing US250 commemoration, Stan's guest this week is historian and British native Richard Bell, talking about his new book, The American Revolution and the Fate of the World (Penguin/Riverhead, 2025), which offers a global perspective on the American independence movement. Bell puts the Revolution at the center of an international web, ...Continue Reading »

Thank you so much for listening to the Bob Harden Show, celebrating over 14 years broadcasting on the internet. On Wednesday's show, we visit with Cato Institute Chairman Emeritus Bob Levy about Immigration in the United States. We visit with the founder and CEO of State Shield about the threats posed to citizens in Florida by the CCP. We also visit with Professor Andrew Joppa about continuing threats from our Southern border. Please join us tomorrow when we visit with Keith Flaugh from the Florida Citizen's Alliance, Michael Cannon from the Cato Institute, Tim Cartwright, and former Mayor of Naples Bill Barnett. Access this and past shows at your convenience on my web site, social media platforms or podcast platforms.

Furman vs. Mercer College Basketball Pick Prediction by Tony T. Furman vs. Mercer Profiles Furman at Mercer 7PM ET— Furman has a record of 16-9 on the year along with 7-5 in the Southern with road losses against Citadel and East Tennessee St. They won on the road against Chattanooga, Samford, and UNC Greensboro. Mercer is 15-10 this year and 7-4 in the Southern winning at home against Citadel, Wofford, Western Carolina, UNC Greensboro a well as VMI.

Carey Roberts discusses the importance of the Southern tradition in the 21st century at our 2016 Scholars Conference

Host Nate Wilcox and his cohorts Alexei Auld and Eugene S. Robinson discuss the first episode of Hip Hop Evolution's second season, "The Southern Way", which looks at the first Southern rappers to make a national impact: Florida's 2 Live Crew and Texas' Geto Boys and Underground Kings. GO TO THE LET IT ROLL SUBSTACK TO HEAR THE FULL EPISODE⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ -- The final 15 minutes of this episode are exclusively for paying subscribers to the Let It Roll Substack. Also subscribe to the LET IT ROLL EXTRA feed on Apple, Spotify or your preferred podcast service to access the full episodes via your preferred podcast outlet. We've got all 350+ episodes listed, organized by mini-series, genre, era, co-host, guest and more. Please consider becoming a paid subscriber to support the show. Thanks! Email ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠letitrollpodcast@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow us on Twitter.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Let It Roll is proud to be part of ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Pantheon Podcast⁠s⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

 Preparedness isn't a pile of equipment - it's proof under pressure. Today we're talking gear failure testing: how to find the parts that snap, clog, drain, or freeze before they cost you. We'll also share a simple After Action Review format to capture what happened, what went wrong, and what to change next. Small tests now prevent big surprises later.Download The Episode HereIf you find value in what we do, if you've learned something new, gotten an idea for something you need to do, been entertained, or just like out Southern charm, would you be willing to give back a little?You can do that one of several ways.     Go to our support page               OR     By starting your Amazon shopping from our website? --->  CLICK HERE        (We earn from qualifying Amazon purchases)Contact us:Practical PreppingWebsiteOur Sponsors:Practical Prepping BooksProof Minimalist Wallets (Discount code PREPPER)ProLine Digital Group   Website  Email1791gunleather.com (Discount code: PREP15) SurfsharkPodcast music written and recorded by Krista LawleyWebsite design and hosting by ProLine Digital Group.Podcasts Copyright 2026, P3 Media Group, LLC, and Practical Prepping Podcast

John 7:45-52Series: John (2025-2026) Preacher: Nathan RaynorCongregational MeetingDate: 8th February 2026Passage: John 7:45-52

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Trap Talk Reptile Network Presents Ep.732Trap Talk's GTP Species Series Chapter 2: Aru, Southern Mainland (Meraukes) And Cape York AustraliaJOIN TRAP TALK FAM HERE: https://bit.ly/311x4gxFOLLOW & SUPPORT THE GUEST:  / molecularreptile    / arboreal_obsession  SUPPORT USARK: https://usark.org/MORPH MARKET STORE: https://www.morphmarket.com/stores/ex...SUBSCRIBE TO THE TRAP TALK NETWORK: https://bit.ly/39kZBkZSUBSCRIBE TO TRAP TALK CLIPS:   / @traptalkclips  SUBSCRIBE TO THE TRAP VLOGS:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKxL...SUPPORT USARK: https://usark.org/memberships/Follow On IG: The Trap Exotics https://bit.ly/3hthAZuTrap Talk Reptile Podcast

Want to quit your job and build a real land investing business? ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Strap in for raw Mississippi politics as Clay Edwards chats with State Rep. Fred Shanks from Brandon in this no-holds-barred "Under the Dome" segment from Episode #1150. Fred breaks down the week's big moves in the House: Mobile sports betting passing (potentially raking in $80-100 million for the state—third time's the charm?), PBM reform to support independent pharmacies, and teacher pay raises to boost education. They dive into the ballot initiative bill finally out of committee, requiring around 170,000 signatures, and Fred's push for a castration bill as a deterrent against pedophiles (it died this year, but it's coming back).   Clay and Fred call out the Epstein files as a massive distraction—why obsess over dead billionaires when immigration enforcement is the real fight tearing up the country? They slam hypocritical politicians dodging ICE support and urge listeners: If you care about these bills, call your senators now and push hard. Plus, insights on California's meddling in Southern states and why mobile betting won't hurt casinos—it's untapped revenue from folks who'd never hit the slots anyway.   If you're tired of distractions and ready for real action on teacher pay, betting, and accountability, this interview demands solutions and exposes the games in Jackson. Listen now and get in the fight!

The Cru dives deep into one deceptively small word with outsized consequences: had.Before writing from the prompt fanfaron—a swaggering bully or cowardly boaster—we get into a lively craft discussion about the pluperfect tense (the “past of the past”). Why does it so often feels forced? How, as a writer, do you know it's actually doing meaningful work on the page? Murph makes the case against overusing had, PC breaks down how context can replace grammar, and Father Spud champions the musicality of the pluperfect in Southern oral storytelling.Stories this week begin around the 16:30 mark.Like this weeks episode and wish you could read as well as listen? Subscribe to our Substack for a summary of our opening discussion, a story from the episode, and a writing prompt! Be sure to follow us on Instagram (if that's your sort of thing). Please do send us an email with your story if you write along, which we hope you will do. Episodes of Radio FreeWrite are protected by a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International (CC BY-ND 4.0) license. All Stories remain the property of their respective authors.

Meet my friends, Clay Travis and Buck Sexton! If you love Verdict, the Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show might also be in your audio wheelhouse. Politics, news analysis, and some pop culture and comedy thrown in too. Here’s a sample episode recapping four takeaways. Give the guys a listen and then follow and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. Proof of Life in an AI Age Clay Travis and Buck Sexton begin by highlighting President Donald Trump’s remarks at the National Prayer Breakfast, where he addressed faith in public life, new Department of Education guidance reaffirming the right to prayer in public schools, and ongoing federal responses to unrest and crime in major U.S. cities, including Minneapolis. They preview Trump’s wide‑ranging interview with NBC News’ Tom Llamas, which becomes a central theme throughout the hour. A major portion of Hour 1 of the Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show is devoted to the alarming and emotional kidnapping case involving the mother of NBC News anchor Savannah Guthrie. The hosts play audio from Guthrie’s public plea and analyze the unusual nature of a modern‑day ransom kidnapping in the United States. Clay and Buck discuss why the crime appears targeted rather than random, speculate on possible inside knowledge of the victim’s home and routines, and explore why this type of crime is now rare in America compared to other parts of the world. They also examine how advances in surveillance, DNA evidence, and digital tracking make successful ransom kidnappings increasingly difficult. Throughout the segment, they note that President Trump and FBI Director Kash Patel have committed significant federal resources to the case, underscoring its national visibility and seriousness. Kamala Woofs? A lively and humorous debate about the future of the Democratic Party, centered on Vice President Kamala Harris and the 2028 presidential race. Clay Travis sharply mocks what he characterizes as Kamala Harris’s inauthentic political style, using her recent “Kamala HQ” announcement as an example, and compares it to a famously absurd storyline from The Office. This sparks a prolonged back‑and‑forth between Clay and Buck over whether Harris will run for president again—and whether she could realistically become the Democratic nominee. Clay argues that Harris is likely to run and could benefit from changes to the Democratic primary calendar that elevate Southern states with large Black Democratic electorates, while Buck strongly disagrees, insisting that her past electoral failures and poor performance in swing states make her nomination politically disastrous. The conversation broadens into a larger analysis of Democratic strategy, race, primary politics, and voter turnout. Clay suggests Democrats may once again make a risky strategic decision based on identity politics and narrow electoral margins, while Buck counters that party elites will ultimately coalesce around a different candidate, particularly California Governor Gavin Newsom. Throughout the hour, the hosts reference betting odds, past primary performances, and voter behavior to argue their competing cases, turning their disagreement into an ongoing bet that becomes a recurring and entertaining thread. Clay's Needle and Poop Walk Clay delivers an extended firsthand account of his morning walk through downtown San Francisco ahead of Super Bowl weekend. Broadcasting from the iHeartRadio studios in the city, he describes being advised not to walk for safety reasons and then encountering widespread homelessness, drug use, abandoned needles, and human feces along a short route in the city’s core. Clay uses the experience to argue that urban decay, public drug use, and lack of sanitation are policy failures, contending that visible filth and disorder directly correlate with higher crime rates and declining quality of life in major American cities like San Francisco and Washington, D.C. A central segment of Hour 3 of the Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show features a detailed live update from Daily Wire reporter Lynden Blake, who monitored the full Arizona press conference on the Nancy Guthrie kidnapping. Blake confirms that a single ransom note was sent to multiple outlets, demanding millions of dollars in Bitcoin, with an initial deadline the same day and a secondary deadline the following Monday accompanied by explicit threats. She explains why authorities believe the notes are credible, citing accurate descriptions of the crime scene, and discusses lingering questions about security cameras, possible inside knowledge of the home, and inconsistencies regarding forced entry. The hosts also explore the family’s request for proof of life and the challenges posed by AI‑generated imagery, underscoring how modern technology complicates hostage negotiations. Sen. Dave McCormick A substantive interview with Senator Dave McCormick, who addresses major national and state policy concerns. McCormick discusses the growing national debt, massive federal deficits, and what he views as Washington’s unwillingness to enact even modest spending reforms. He criticizes resistance to work requirements for able‑bodied Medicaid recipients and warns that without structural changes, entitlement programs will collapse under their own weight. McCormick also speaks at length about bipartisan cooperation in Pennsylvania, highlighting his working relationship with Democratic Senator John Fetterman, their shared stance on issues like fentanyl, energy production, Israel, and government shutdowns, and his willingness to publicly defend Fetterman when he was attacked by his own party. Election integrity and voting laws are another focal point, as McCormick strongly advocates for the SAVE Act and nationwide voter ID requirements. He argues that requiring proof of citizenship is a basic safeguard supported by overwhelming majorities of both Republicans and Democrats and says lawmakers must publicly justify opposition to voter ID to restore trust in U.S. elections. The conversation then shifts to the economy, where McCormick credits President Donald Trump’s tax cuts, deregulation, and energy policies with fueling major investment in Pennsylvania, including tens of billions of dollars committed to energy infrastructure and data centers. He frames U.S. energy dominance and AI development as critical components of global competition, particularly with China. Make sure you never miss a second of the show by subscribing to the Clay Travis & Buck Sexton show podcast wherever you get your podcasts! ihr.fm/3InlkL8 For the latest updates from Clay and Buck: https://www.clayandbuck.com/ Connect with Clay Travis and Buck Sexton on Social Media: X - https://x.com/clayandbuck FB - https://www.facebook.com/ClayandBuck/ IG - https://www.instagram.com/clayandbuck/ YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/c/clayandbuck Rumble - https://rumble.com/c/ClayandBuck TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@clayandbuck YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@VerdictwithTedCruzSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's time to talk about two archetypes that can't keep it in their pants and tend to use women - The Ladies Man and his evil alter-ego, The Seducer. Jolenta investigates how these messy f-boys show up in reality TV, paying special attention to Shep Rose from Southern Charm. Hot Mess-terpiece Insta SOURCES  Dictionary of Classical Mythology, by Pierre Grimal Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes, by Edith Hamilton 45 Master Characters, by Victoria Lynn Schmidt Bravo Shows - Peacock 90 Day Fiance: Before the 90 Days - HBO Max Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

When it comes to serious health issues like obesity, heart disease, and cancer, Black Americans have higher rates and worse outcomes than most other groups in the U.S. It's a problem that's gained growing attention over the past few decades, as public health experts have worked to untangle the causes of these disparities, and to find ways of mitigating their effects. Now those efforts face serious headwinds, with federal funding cuts and pressure against DEI measures threatening to roll back progress. But in the face of these challenges, providers are doubling down on offering care that builds trust and delivers better outcomes. On this special production of The Pulse, we find out what that work looks like on the ground. From becoming an ally to patients to mentoring the next generation of Black physicians, we'll hear how providers are expanding access to quality care. We'll also explore how the birth of Medicare led to the desegregation of hospitals. Dr. Fatima Cody Stanford is changing the way we talk about obesity, and how we treat it. She explains why she got into obesity medicine in the first place, why she never gives her patients a goal weight, and how being invited to a patient's 90th birthday party was a great reminder of why her work matters. Pulse producer Nichole Currie gets into the kitchen with her aunt Gladys McLean to learn how to enjoy traditional Southern recipes while eating a healthy and nutritious diet. Physician, surgeon, and now-congressional candidate Ala Stanford gained national recognition during the pandemic, when she stepped up to provide COVID testing, and later vaccines, to underserved communities. She talks about how her own upbringing shaped her as a physician and leader —- and why increasing access and trust are key for better care.

Welcome back to another episode of the unSeminary podcast. Today we're talking with Jeremy Baker, Lead Pastor of Elevate Life Church in Connecticut. In just over three years, Elevate Life has grown from 70 people to more than 2,000 weekly attendees, becoming one of the fastest-growing churches in the country—especially remarkable in a region widely known as spiritually resistant and unchurched. Jeremy shares the honest, behind-the-scenes story of how God has moved, and what his team has learned about loving people well, building invite culture, and helping people take meaningful steps in their spiritual journey. Is explosive growth possible in spiritually dry regions? How do churches keep the focus on people instead of preferences as momentum builds? Jeremy offers a refreshing reminder that growth is less about formulas and more about faithfulness. Humble beginnings and a clear calling. // Jeremy and his wife left a comfortable ministry role at a large church in Dallas after sensing God's call to the Northeast—one of the least churched regions in North America. With no church-planting playbook and their personal savings on the line, they launched Elevate Life with high expectations and a large marketing push. When only 70 people showed up on launch day, disappointment could have ended the story. Instead, it became the starting point. Jeremy describes the journey as a “God deal” from the beginning—marked by prayer, obedience, and a willingness to go after people rather than polish programs. Loving people from the street to the seat. // One of Elevate Life's defining values is making people feel seen, heard, and celebrated. Jeremy believes every person walks in carrying an invisible sign that says, “See me.” That belief shapes their entire guest experience. From banner-waving parking lot teams to outdoor tents for first-time guests (even in winter), the church treats arrival as sacred ground. Volunteers walk guests through the building, help with kids check-in, offer tours, and even escort people to their seats. The intentional warmth sends a clear message: you matter here. Taking people where they are. // With nearly 4,000 first-time guests in a single year, Elevate Life assumes nothing about biblical knowledge or spiritual maturity. Rather than pushing people toward instant maturity, the church focuses on meeting people where they are. Grow Track, life groups, and clear next steps help people move forward at a sustainable pace. Jeremy warns that churches often forget how far they've traveled spiritually—and unintentionally expect newcomers to keep up. Invite culture that never lets up. // Elevate Life's growth hasn't come from direct mail or massive ad budgets. Jeremy says he'll never do mailbox ads again. Instead, growth flows from a relentless invite culture. Every service, hallway conversation, life group, and ministry environment reinforces the same message: Who are you bringing? Invite cards, QR codes, social media ads, and consistent language keep invitation top of mind. Jeremy believes repetition—not creativity—is the secret. Reaching people over protecting preferences. // As the church has doubled in size, Jeremy is vigilant about guarding its mission. Growth brings new pressures—parking shortages, crowded services, limited space—but he resists shifting focus inward. If churches aren’t careful, they’ll trade purpose for preferences,. Elevate Life's mission—making heaven more crowded—keeps the team outwardly focused. Jeremy regularly reminds leaders that people are not problems to solve; they are people to pastor. A challenge for church leaders. // Jeremy closes with a simple encouragement to pastors: love people deeply, steward what God has given you, and don't lose sight of why you started. Churches don't grow because they chase growth—they grow when leaders refuse to give up on people. In regions others have written off spiritually, God is still moving—and often through ordinary leaders who simply refuse to stop caring. To learn more about Elevate Life Church, visit elevatelifect.com or follow them on Instagram @elevatelifect. Thank You for Tuning In! There are a lot of podcasts you could be tuning into today, but you chose unSeminary, and I'm grateful for that. If you enjoyed today's show, please share it by using the social media buttons you see at the left hand side of this page. Also, kindly consider taking the 60-seconds it takes to leave an honest review and rating for the podcast on iTunes, they're extremely helpful when it comes to the ranking of the show and you can bet that I read every single one of them personally! Lastly, don't forget to subscribe to the podcast on iTunes, to get automatic updates every time a new episode goes live! Thank You to This Episode’s Sponsor: Portable Church Your church is doing really well right now, and your leadership team is looking for solutions to keep momentum going! It could be time to start a new location. Maybe you have hesitated in the past few years, but you know it's time to step out in faith again and launch that next location. Portable Church has assembled a bundle of resources to help you leverage your growing momentum into a new location by sending a part of your congregation back to their neighborhood on Mission. This bundle of resources will give you a step-by-step plan to launch that new or next location, and a 5 minute readiness tool that will help you know your church is ready to do it! Click here to watch the free webinar “Launch a New Location in 150 Days or Less” and grab the bundle of resources for your church! Episode Transcript Rich Birch — Hey friends, welcome to the unSeminary podcast. Pumped that you have decided to tune in today. We’ve got a very good conversation. I’m really looking forward to leaning in and learning from this leader and the story that God’s been writing at his church in the last two and a half years.Rich Birch — Elevate Church in Connecticut has grown from 70 people to over 2,000 on a weekly basis. It’s been named one of the fastest growing churches in the country. I love their mission and purpose is really simple: making heaven more crowded. Today we’ve got Jeremy Baker with us. He is the lead pastor. Jeremy, welcome to the show. So glad you’re here.Jeremy Baker — Thank you so much for having me. So excited. And what a great privilege and honor to be on on live with you today. So thank you.Rich Birch — Yeah, I’m excited that to unpack this story a little bit. It is not normal for a church to grow from 70 to 2000 in any part of the country, but even more so in Connecticut. I can say as a guy who served in New Jersey, I’m Canadian, you know – don’t hold that against against me. Jeremy Baker — Let’s go.Rich Birch — So I understand the spiritual context that you’re in a little bit. But why don’t you unpack the story? Kind of tell us a little bit what’s gone on over these last couple of years. For folks that don’t know, tell us about the kind of spiritual, you know, climate in Connecticut. Talk us through those issues.Jeremy Baker — Yeah, I first of all, it’s a God deal all the way. And I know a lot of people are asking me, hey, give me some handles, what’s some formulas, what’s some how-tos.Rich Birch — Right.Jeremy Baker — I’m just blown away by what God’s done. And I think it’s really just the heartbeat of God is going after his people and serving the community really well. So we’re in an area, I’m 30 minutes away from Yale University.Rich Birch — Okay.Jeremy Baker — I’m not too far away from New Haven, Connecticut. I’m in in a town about 100,000 people. Rich Birch — Wow.Jeremy Baker — Matter of fact, the building is actually in between two cities. Rich Birch — Okay. Jeremy Baker — The building is divided right down in half. One half being, yeah, it’s crazy. One half being Meriden, one half being a town called Wallingford. And so in those two cities is about 100,000 people. Rich Birch — Okay. Jeremy Baker — So three and a half years ago, I’m working at a big church in Dallas, Texas, mega-world, mega-church, on staff, XP, and the Lord just pressed on our heart, me and my wife that we’re comfortable. We’re we’re living the good life, we’re living the Dallas life, the big Texas life, and there’s more, you know. And nothing wrong with that, nothing wrong with the Dallas life, the big life, the Texas life, nothing wrong with big churches – God loves this, the capital “C” church, you know. And so long story short, prayed for about a year, and we said, we’re going to the Northeast. Rich Birch — Wow. Jeremy Baker — This is where my wife is originally from, the Connecticut region, this area, actually called a little town called North Haven. And we’re going to go back up here because there’s a group of people that need the Lord. And, you know, the Northeast, New Jersey, you know, New York, Maine, Vermont, Pennsylvania, these kind of, this region up here in this New England region is ah is an unchurched region. Rich Birch — Yes.Jeremy Baker — There’s great people that are God-fearing people, great good Bible-believing churches, but there’s it’s not known as a Southern, you know, Christianity. Rich Birch — Yep.Jeremy Baker — Like everybody goes to church in the South, but up here, it’s a little different region. So we came up here. We didn’t know how to plant a church, honestly.Rich Birch — Love it.Jeremy Baker — I’m just giving you all the honest, the the real, real.Rich Birch — Yes.Jeremy Baker — I wish I could tell you that I wrote the book on it and I know how to do everything perfectly. Rich Birch — Love itJeremy Baker — But i could I could tell you every horror story what not to do, you know? So we we pulled out our life savings and we started a church and we had 70 people on our launch date. Rich Birch — Wow. And we put about $100,000 into our launch date thinking we would have… Rich Birch — Wow. Jeremy Baker — …you know, 800 people, a thousand people are going to show up. We put mailers in everybody’s mailbox. So long story short, we had 70 people. Rich Birch — Wow, wow.Jeremy Baker — And then out of that, we have just been going after our city. Out of that, we have just been reaching people, inviting people to God’s house, serving our community, clean days, outreaches, food ministry, backpack giveaways, Christmas, Thanksgiving. I mean, just every major holiday, we have just attacked our community. And this last week, we had over 2,400 people in attendance.Rich Birch — Wow. Wow. Praise God. Jeremy Baker — And and so in three and a half years, it’s just been wild. And there’s so much in that story I could tell you.Rich Birch — Right.Jeremy Baker — But that’s kind of been from where we were, planning humble beginnings. God, what do you want to do? And it’s not about the size of a church, as you know, because I know there’s great churches out there that are ministering very well to the size that is in their community, and they’re doing a really good job shepherding people, caring for people.Jeremy Baker — But it’s just, you know, I always believe, God, let me not mess this up. Lord, if I can steward this well, you’ll keep bringing them to me. And so we have a brand new team, new staff. I like to call us the the misfits of Toy Island, if I could use the if i could if i could use the Christmas kind of you know… Rich Birch — Yes. Jeremy Baker — …thought process, you know. We don’t know what we’re doing, but we’re loving people well. We’re serving. We’re discipling to the best of our ability. We’re preaching the full gospel now. I don’t want people to think that we’re not preaching the gospel.Rich Birch — Yeah.Jeremy Baker — We’re preaching from Genesis to Revelations, and we’re preaching the whole Bible, the whole council. And but that’s kind of that’s a little bit of kind of like how the beginning happened, but it’s been wild.Rich Birch — Yeah, that’s cool.Jeremy Baker — It’s been wild, man.Rich Birch — Yeah. And I know, you know, we know that, well, all of our churches, you know, they they have the impact they do because God chooses to use what we’re doing at the end of the day. It’s got nothing to with us. It’s got everything to do with him. Jeremy Baker — Right. Rich Birch — But he is choosing to use something that you’re you’re doing. He’s clearly blessing something. He’s working through something. When you step back and think about the last couple of years, two or three years, What would be some of the things that you’ve seen him use that are like, hmm, this seems to be a part of the equation of what he’s pulling together.Rich Birch — And that’s not from a like, hey, we want to replicate all this, but it’s like, hey, here’s here’s your story. This is what God seems to be using in your context to reach your people. What would be some of those things that bubble up to your mind?Jeremy Baker — Yeah, great question. I would think the first thing for us is people want to be seen. People in the world that we live in today want to know that someone cares about them, that someone loves them.Jeremy Baker — We like to say it around here. We have little cultural sayings. We see you. We hear you. We celebrate you. We see you, we hear you, we celebrate you. I love what Mary Kay said, the the makeup organization. She had a quote, and if I can quote her right, she said, everybody has an invisible sign around their neck that says, see me. Jeremy Baker — And and I think it’s important. I think it’s real important that we see people the way God sees them. You know, for God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever would believe in him. So the whole thing is about seeing people the way God sees them, not seeing them through their lens of brokenness or through the lens of maybe a divorce or the pain or the regret or the shame. No, we got to see them through the grace and the mercy of God, through through what Jesus wants to do in their life. So we’re just loving people really well from the street, if I could say it like this, because I know it’s been said in church conferences, but from the street to the seat, we’re just loving people really well, you know, how to how to make people feel like they’re the big deal. Rich Birch — Right, right.Jeremy Baker — You know, that God does love them. So that would be probably one thing that I would say would kind of be our bread and butter of just loving people well… Rich Birch — Yes. Jeremy Baker — …helping people find hope, especially in a season like this, you know, holiday season. It’s like, a you know, a lot of people are hopeless and we need to give hope to people. And so that would be a big thing. Jeremy Baker — I say think the second thing I would say is taking people on the spiritual journey where they’re at. You know, I’ve been a ministry for 30 years. My dad’s a pastor. So I’ve been in church for a long time. And I think sometimes, you know, we can as as as church kids, or if I could say it that way, or church people, we are called the shepherd. We’re called to minister. We’re called the guide. But sometimes we want people to be on the road that we’re on. And and they don’t realize… Rich Birch — That’s so true. Jeremy Baker — …we have we have we have been on this journey for a long time. There’s been a lot of going to the mat, dealing with us, God doing a work in us. Like David said in Psalms 51, Lord, create me a clean heart. Help me help me grow, Lord, as a leader, as a mature, you know. Put away childish things. I, you know, I want to grow. So so we’re taking people on their journey. Okay, you’re new to faith, so we need to start you on this road or this path, if I could say, you know. Oh, you’ve been walking with God for three years. Okay, we’ve got to make sure that you know some of the foundations, some of the basics. Rich Birch — Right.Jeremy Baker — You know I think that’s been some of our greatness of helping people stick, find community, be a part. So those are, I think those are two things. Understanding people need to be seen. And the second one is taking them on a journey of where they’re at, you know?Rich Birch — Yeah, that’s good. I love that. The let’s let’s unpack that a little bit. I’d love to start with the loving people well thing – a little bit more detail. Jeremy Baker — Yeah.Rich Birch — When you say that, so what does that mean from the street to the seat? How are you how do you feel like, oh, this is something that Elevate Life’s doing well to love people as they’re coming, as they’re arriving, as they’re a part of what’s going on at the church?Jeremy Baker — Yeah, so great. So for me, it’s going to be guest experience. Rich Birch — Yep.Jeremy Baker — What does it look like when people pull on your parking lot? You know, do we have parking lot – we don’t call them attendants. We call them parking lot banner wavers. Rich Birch — Yeah. Yeah. Love it.Jeremy Baker — They’re waving a banner, a blessing over your car. Now, it’s going to be a little charismatic a little bit. There’s going to be a little bit of a, you know, my background is, you know, is I’m I’m very very energetic, very enthusiastic…Rich Birch — Sure.Jeremy Baker — …passionate as a leader. So I want people to know it’s a big deal that you’re on property today. Rich Birch — Right.Jeremy Baker — It’s a really big deal that you brought your family, that you showed up. You didn’t have to show up. You didn’t have to be here. You could have stayed home. You could have did what you wanted to do, but you gave God some time today. And so what we do is we we we we really pray that as the tires hit the parking lot, that miracles take place in people’s lives.Jeremy Baker — Whatever that miracle might be, miracle of salvation. A miracle of of of a mindset change, a miracle of restoration. So banner wavers in the parking lot, loving on people. Jeremy Baker — We have a team called the Impact Team that’s in the parking lot. They’re what we call our first time guest experience connection moments. So when they when there’s tents outside, of course, even in the winter, we got tents outside with heaters outside. You know, we just got four inches of snow the other day, but they’re still outside.Jeremy Baker — So the commitment from our servant leaders is there. The commitment from our staff is there, just to make people seen and feel loved. So as they’re walking into the property, if they’re a first time guest, our team has been trained how to identify a first time people, even with the amount of people that are coming. And they’ll walk up to them and just say, so glad you’re here.Jeremy Baker — Is this your first time? No, I’ve been here for about a month. OK, do you need anything? How can I serve you? How can we help you? Do you know how to check your kids in? Or, hey, can i can I walk you to your seat? I mean, we literally have a team over 100 plus people that are helping people walk into a building… Rich Birch — Wow.Jeremy Baker — …get a free get a get a cup of coffee, find them to their seat, make them feel loved. If they’re new, hey, let me take you on an experience tour is what we call it, an experience tour. You’re walking into a brand new building. You’ve never been into the building before. You know, lot of churches, it’s all love, but might not have the right signage of communication of where restrooms are, kids check-in nurseries, nursing mother’s room, you know, special needs, whatever. So we have these people that go and walk these people through this building. And, you know, we don’t have a large building. We’re we’re adding on to our building, but we’re about 28,000 square feet.Rich Birch — Okay.Jeremy Baker — And so even in that size, you know, you can get lost in a building that size… Rich Birch — Right, right. Jeremy Baker — …you you know, especially where there’s hallways and doorways you don’t know. And so we’re having people walk through. And then people walk up all the way to their seat.Rich Birch — Wow.Jeremy Baker — And then when they’re in their seat, we got people that are on the host team, which we’d call modern day ushers. We call them host team members. They just walking up to them. Hey, good to see you. How you doing? Good morning before service starts.Rich Birch — I love that. Yes.Jeremy Baker — So we’re creating this we’re creating this interaction culture. Now, if you’re introverted, I’ll be honest with you, it’s going to be hard. It’s going to be hard, man.Rich Birch — Yes.Jeremy Baker — It’s going to be hard. If you’re more introverted in your personality and your style, you’re going to feel overloaded at a level, you know what I’m saying?Rich Birch — Yes.Jeremy Baker — So so that that’s some of the feedback we get.Jeremy Baker — Like, hey, I love the church… Rich Birch — It’s a little much. Jeremy Baker — …but I got 18 people talking to me, man, before I even find a seat. And it’s like, I get it, I get it, I get it. But, you know, we just want you to feel seen and feel loved. So that’s part of what we do.Rich Birch — Yeah, that’s very cool. I love that.Jeremy Baker — Yeah.Rich Birch — Super practical. That’s cool. And then I like this idea of talking to people where they’re at. I think that can be a concern we run into or a it’s like we’re not even aware that in our our churches we’re we’re we’re using language or or we’re assuming everyone’s at a certain place. What does that look like for you at Elevate Life? How are you helping? Because that’s a lot of people in a short period of time to both get to know and then also try to communicate in a way that actually connects with where they’re at. Talk us through what do you mean by that when you say we’re trying to talk to people where they’re at in their spiritual journey?Jeremy Baker — Yeah, so if it so if you’re new, let me just give you context. This year alone, in 2025, we’ve had 3,919 first-time guests walk through our doors. Rich Birch — That’s great.Jeremy Baker — This year alone. Rich Birch — Yep. Jeremy Baker — So for us, we know as a new plant, as a new church, we’re going to have to really walk people through this spiritual journey. Some of these people maybe have some form of God, maybe they have been walking with God. Maybe they’ve been out of church since, you know, let’s just talk about pre, know, after or during COVID. Maybe they haven’t been back to God’s house because that’s really real in the Northeast. Rich Birch — Yeah.Jeremy Baker — I mean, some people are just now coming back to church in the Northeast that have not been in church for the last four years. You know, it’s like, oh yeah, I’ve been out of church for about three and a half years and I’m just now getting back into the rhythm of getting back in my faith.Jeremy Baker — So there’s so much I can talk about that. Like how how do we make our services flow? Like I always introduce introduce myself, hey, my name is Jeremy, and I have the privilege to pastor this church, and I just want to say welcome. If if this is your, you know, 52nd welcome this year or if this is your first welcome, I just want to say welcome. Rich Birch — Yes.Jeremy Baker — Because i want I want them to know that we’re real, that we’re authentic, and we want to help them on their spiritual journey. Rich Birch — It’s good.Jeremy Baker — So we offer stuff like, you know, first-time, you know, decision, if you made a first time decision, let’s go, let’s go into, you know, who is Jesus? You know, what does Jesus, you know, want to do in your life? So there’s, there’s, there’s classes, there’s paths that we offer there. Jeremy Baker — Grow track, you know, we have grow track that we offer every month. Hey, hey, won’t we want to teach you a little bit more about faith, who Elevate Life is, what, what our mission is, what our vision is, what, what the values of our church is. And so we walk them through that.Jeremy Baker — And then, and then what we have is we have life groups. And these life groups are from all different walks. Deep dive of Revelation, deep studies of the Old Testament. Or, hey, we’re just going to go through the book of John. We’re just going to start in John 1 and learn what Jesus, you know, who Jesus is. And we’re to start there. Or if you’re more intellectual, we’re going to go a little bit deeper. You know, so we we we we we have these these life groups, we call them, because we’re Elevate Life. So we call them life groups. We want we want these groups to bring life to people.Jeremy Baker — And and so ah so we just we we have people, we encourage them to sign up, to get involved. That’s our conversations always in the hallways. Hey, are you are you serving on a team? Are you in a life group? Here’s here’s why. The goal for me is not just gathering large crowds. The goal for me as as a shepherd, I would just say as ah as as the lead pastor now in this season of my life, is is to help people develop spiritually… Rich Birch — Yeah, so good. Yeah, definitely. Jeremy Baker — …to help people find their personal walk with God, not just come and hear a good word. You know, motivating, it’s inspiring, it’s it’s helpful. Yes, it’s practical. I’ve got handles I can live my life by throughout the week. But my my heart is, don’t just take a Sunday and give it to God, but give God every day of your life. Rich Birch — So good.Jeremy Baker — You know, sometimes we just turn the surrender switch on on Sunday, not realizing the surrender switch needs to be on every day of the week.Rich Birch — Amen. So true.Jeremy Baker — So I’ve got to turn that surrender switch on every day. And just like you a natural thought when you turn the light switch on when you’re in the room, you turn it off when you leave the room. Well, a lot of people look at church that way. I’m going to turn my surrender switch on today. It’s Sunday. I’m going to go to God’s house. And then on when they leave Sunday, they leave away the property. They pull away. The surrender switch turns off. And I think that’s where the consumer mindset, especially in the Western part of the country… Rich Birch — Sure. Jeremy Baker — …you know, we have gotten, you know, we’re, we’re inundated with consumerism. Rich Birch — Yes.Jeremy Baker — And so, and so how, do how do we help people really become disciples of of Christ? So the second part of our mission statement is making disciples that follow Jesus. So the goal is making heaven more crowded, but making disciples that follow Jesus.Rich Birch — So good. That’s great. Let’s talk about a bit like up the funnel a little bit, like at the top end, where, how are people learning about Elevate Life? You talked about when you launched, you did a bunch of marketing stuff. Has that continued to happen? Is this just like, you’re really good at Facebook ads? Help me understand. What does that look like? How, why is the church growing?Jeremy Baker — Yeah, great question. I personally, I will never do an ad in a mailbox again. That was $25,000 that I think one person showed up, and then we had a bunch of them ripped up and mailed back to us and told us to never mail them and again. It’s the funniest story.Rich Birch — Wow. Yes.Jeremy Baker — Yeah, so it’s it’s all good. It’s it’s it’s this is not the South. I’m a Texas guy, and I’m living in the New England region, and it’s it’s night and day, you know.Rich Birch — Yes. Yes.Jeremy Baker — So what we have done really well at, I believe, causes some of the growth to happen is two things, is every week we’re encouraging people to invite somebody. That is a part of our culture. Invite culture. Who you bringing? Who do you know that’s far from God that needs the Lord right now? Who do you know that’s far from Him that you know that that you could bring?Jeremy Baker — So then the second thing is we’re doing really good social media ads. We’re spending about $1,500 a month on social media ads. And our team has done a phenomenal job. And all my team is 19, 20, 21, and 22-year-old young men and women that are running all of my social media.Rich Birch — Yeah, that’s great.Jeremy Baker — I’m 50. I want to act like I’m current. But I’m not. You know, there’s things I don’t, I’m not adverse in. There’s things that are constantly changing with technology.Rich Birch — Sure. Yeah, sure.Jeremy Baker — And and and I just got to trust this younger generation.Rich Birch — Yep.Jeremy Baker — And they have done a phenomenal job.Rich Birch — Yeah.Jeremy Baker — That’s been one of our huge success for us to put us on the map in this region, to put us, make us aware.Rich Birch — Let’s pull it, but pull apart both of those. When you say you’re encouraging people every week, so you’re like ringing the bell that I want to hear churches to hear more of. You’re inviting people every week to invite their friends. Give us a sense. What does that look like? How are you doing that every single week? What’s that look like?Jeremy Baker — Yeah, so part of that is in our services. It’s in language. Rich Birch — Yep. Jeremy Baker — You know, we always say, you know thank you for being here this morning. We pray that you have brought somebody with you. And then at the end of our service, we’re saying, hey, don’t forget to invite somebody back next week. So we’re always saying that in our language. So it’s become part of our our culture. It’s become part of of who we are as a church. We are a bringer church. We are an inviting church. We are a reach the lost church. We are the great commission. Because the goal for us is not just giving information, but we’re hoping that the people will receive the information that causes some type of revelation in their own spirit that leads them to the Great Commission. Rich Birch — That’s good.Jeremy Baker — Because we want them to be a part of what Jesus said. He you know he said in in Matthew 10, he goes, the harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. You know. Pray to the Lord of the harvest that he would send more laborers. So we are we are Ephesians 4, equipping the church to do the work of the ministry. We are we have to encourage people to build the local community of the church, the local house of God. And so that’s part of our language in our hallways. We have really practical things. We have invite card stands everywhere. Invite card stands everywhere. So simple. We have QR codes. You can scan. You can download all kinds of invite information. Rich Birch — Yeah.Jeremy Baker — You can invite our service times. So really practical steps like that have really helped us. And then in our life groups, it’s in it’s being said. In our midweek services, it’s being said. We do eight services a week. So that’s what we’re doing right now, eight services a week. And and and so in every service, it’s just been indoctrinated. Rich Birch — Yes.Jeremy Baker — It’s been just repetition, you know, over and over and over. Rich Birch — Yep. Jeremy Baker — And then And I think that’s a big part of why God’s allowed us to… Honestly, I don’t know church any other way. Rich Birch — Right. Sure.Jeremy Baker — I personally don’t know church any other way. I’m not the sharpest knife in the drawer.Rich Birch — I don’t know about that.Jeremy Baker — I’m just I know I’m just appreciate the love. I mean I I’m a guy who barely graduated from seminary. I barely graduated, you know. I was like everybody looked at me, all the professors, like, oh, man. I hope you make it. You know, it’s like, it’s like one of those guys, it’s like, I just, I just love people well. And I want people to know Jesus. I mean, Jesus changed my life. I mean, he changed my life. He, he did something in me that no one ever has ever done or no one could ever do. And my life is I’m indebted to him.Jeremy Baker — I’m I’m living my whole life for him. That’s why 30 years of working through whatever I’ve got to work through in ministry and working through stuff as a as a young man, now as an older man. I’ve just stayed the course, stayed faithful. Not perfect, but stayed faithful, step moving forward every season of my life. And so I just love people well, and I think people hear the heart of that through our pastoral team, through our elders. Rich Birch — Sure. Jeremy Baker — They hear the heart of loving people well, that we want people to find Christ. So that’s the language I think helped us in this last season, you know, really in this last season, really grow. A year ago, a year ago, this time, we only ran, not not only, it’s great, but we were around about 900 people a year ago.Rich Birch — Yeah, that’s crazy.Jeremy Baker — And then it’s last year, we’ve exploded.Rich Birch — Yep.Jeremy Baker — We’ve doubled our church.Rich Birch — Yeah.Jeremy Baker — I mean, we’ve doubled. I mean, we we we have no more parking. I mean, we we we have 345 parking spots. And then two out of the five weekend experiences, because we do other services throughout the week, two out of the five weekend experiences, we have to turn people away, which just breaks my heart as a pastor because it’s like…Rich Birch — Right. Yeah. Yes.Jeremy Baker — …we can’t build fast enough. We’re looking for bigger venues. Again, I could go on that, but we want to make more room. We want people to find hope. It was never about being big. I told a pastor locally, I said, and he was he was coming here to, you know, just to encourage us to keep going, which was very kind of him. But I said, pastor, it was never about being big. It’s always been about reaching the lost.Rich Birch — Yeah, it’s great.Jeremy Baker — It’s always been about reaching the lost.Rich Birch — Yeah.Jeremy Baker — So I don’t know if that makes any sense.Rich Birch — It does. It does. There’s a lot there that you, that I, you know, I, I, I didn’t want to interrupt because there’s so much packed in there that I think was so helpful for people. And, you know, that singular focus on, Hey, we’re trying to reach people. I want to come back to that in um in a minute. I want you to kind of speak to, leaders on that. Rich Birch — But I want to underline one of the, it’s a simple thing that um we miss in too many churches. And I’ve done a bunch of study on invite culture and you’re doing classically, you’re doing the best behavior classically. You’ve got to keep invite in front of people. We can’t, you can’t let up the gas pedal on that one. You’ve got to keep that in front of people, make it super practical, give them tools, all that like invite card stuff, all of that super important.Rich Birch — Years ago, I was talking to a lead pastor of a church that was growing very rapidly. And this wasn’t on a podcast. We were talking sidebar and I was like, Hey, asked a very similar question. What’s God using? And he’s like, Oh, it’s a little embarrassing. I don’t want to say it. And I’m like, no, no, tell me, what do you think he’s using? And he said, well, every weekend for this last year, We put invite cards on every single chair in every auditorium for the entire year. And we told people, take those and invite people. And he’s like, I really think that that is like just the intensity…Jeremy Baker — That’s it.Rich Birch — …of we’re keeping it in front of people. We can’t let up. So I want to I want to encourage you and that and listeners. Jeremy Baker — Thank you. Rich Birch — Hey, friends, that is that is a key part of this. Talk to us about the the focus on reaching the lost or reaching people who are far from God or unchurched people. Talk talk us through that. Rich Birch — Because what what’s happening at your church, I know we’ve kind of we’ve referenced this a few times, is super unique in in, you know, New England. What would be some of the challenges that you’re facing to keeping that singular focus of reaching unchurched people, people far from God? What’s been the challenge there and how are you having to adjust and kind of keep your culture focused on that as you continue to grow?Jeremy Baker — Such a great question. I mean, such a great question. I would, man, you’re such a great question asker, if I could say it that way.Rich Birch — Oh, that’s nice. Thank you.Jeremy Baker — Yeah I mean, a great question.Rich Birch — Sure.Jeremy Baker — I would think for me, for me, I got into ministry so that people’s lives could be changed by the good news. There’s no other way there’s no other reason why I’m in ministry. I’m here because I want people’s lives to be changed the way my life has been changed. So the the thing I’m always projecting from the the the the platform that I get to walk in, the the place that I get to stand, is it’s got to be about people. That’s why Christ came. He came and he and he died on a cross so that people would find eternal life, so that people would find hope.Jeremy Baker — And so we’re always pushing that agenda from the front. And, you know, whatever said from the platform stage, whatever you want to, however you want to articulate it, is is is is being pushed for a reason, I believe. So we’re constantly pushing this from the stage. We’ve got to reach people. People are dying and going to hell every day. And this is where I think the church sometimes trips. We got enough people now. So now let’s get let’s let’s stop making it about people and let’s start making it about preferences. Rich Birch — Come on.Jeremy Baker — And I think that’s the danger that’s the danger where guys like me can, you know, I was just having an elder meeting a few days ago, and I andI was telling our elders, because now we’ve got to implement some other pathways of discipleship, some other handles to help people grow and mature faster. And I said, you can’t push maturity. Maturity takes time.Jeremy Baker — If we’re not careful, we’ll we’ll lose the vision of what got us here. And then what happens is we’ll become inward focus rather than outward focus. said, I’ve seen it, guys. And I was talking to my elders. and I was just opening up my heart to them. I said, I’ve seen us do this. I’ve been a part of big churches where now it’s about the building. It’s about the butts.Rich Birch — So true.Jeremy Baker — It’s about the budgets. It’s about, you know, I’ve seen that. And I’m like, let us never lose the very thing that God’s allowed us to be a part of in in this season. Rich Birch — Yep, so true.Jeremy Baker — I never woke up one day and said, hey, let’s go and have one the fastest growing churches in America in the New England region. I woke up one day said, God, I’m comfortable. And I don’t want to be comfortable anymore. Rich Birch — So good. Jeremy Baker — I want you to use my life for the rest of my life until I see you to bring an impact in this region, whatever region that you send me. He sent us to the Northeast. Rich Birch — Yep.Jeremy Baker — He sent us back home to where my wife was from. And so that’s our prayer. And I want to keep the main thing the main thing. I don’t want to drift because there is a difference between, there is a difference between preferences and then and then purpose, you know. The purpose of Elevate is to make heaven more crowded. The purpose of Elevate is to make disciples that follow Jesus. The purpose is to reach our community, to make an impact. But but if you’re not careful, you’ll you’ll get you’ll get satisfied with the people. You’ll settle. You’ll get complacent. We got enough people now.Jeremy Baker — But what if but what if God really wants to change? What if God, this is my question I’ve been wrestling with, and maybe maybe you have answers for me, but I’ve been wrestling with this question in my own spirit. Like, is it possible that one church could really change a community? Is it possible that one church could, God could use a church, a group of people. Not not I’m not talking I’m not talking about domination. I’m talking about just a group of people that are passionate about making heaven more crowded, that God could use a group of people that would change the facet of a community. Rich Birch — So good.Jeremy Baker — You know? That would that that that’s the that’s the thing I’ve been wrestling with. Can God use Elevate Life in this region? What if God wants to use us to help Yale? What if God wants us to use us to, you know, to to to get on college campuses and see a revival, you know, at Yale University?Rich Birch — So good.Jeremy Baker — You know, and I mean, that’s an Ivy League school. Rich Birch — Yes.Jeremy Baker — I mean, people from all over the world go to that school. And we haven’t even, I feel like, scratched the surface. So that’s part of my my always, I got to keep the main thing the main thing. It’s got to be about people. So one of our values is, people is our pursuit. That’s what we’re, we’re pursuing people.Rich Birch — That’s so good.Jeremy Baker — And not programs, not not preferences. I got preferences. I mean, I’m sure we all got preferences. Rich Birch — Yes.Jeremy Baker — But I’m putting down my preference so that I can carry the purpose of the good news. I hope that makes sense.Rich Birch — Yeah, that’s so good. Makes total sense. And yeah, super encouraging. And yeah, I think I think God’s placed your church in a, you know, every community across the country is an important place. There’s people all over the world that need Jesus, obviously, but I i don’t think you’re, I think it doesn’t, it’s not surprising to me that the Northeast is a place that is, some call it a spiritually dead or spiritually dry part of the country, while at the same time, it is of global significance in a lot of different ways. Like the the communities that you’re serving are are different than other parts of the kind country from an influence point of view. You place like Yale, it’s not just another university.Jeremy Baker — Yeah.Rich Birch — You know. And so I think God’s placed you there for a real specific reason, which I think is you know, super encouraging. Well, this has been a a great conversation, Jeremy. I just want to encourage you, thankful that you would come on today and help us kind of peek behind the curtain a little bit. As we land today’s episode, any kind of final words you give to church leaders that are listening in to today’s conversation?Jeremy Baker — You know, the only thing I would encourage church leaders is my my my thing I always tell pastors and and people that I am connected with always is just make it about people. Make it about people. And I’ll say it this way. It’s not problems to be solved. It’s people to be pastored. It’s not problems to be solved. It’s people to be pastored. Sometimes pastors, and I get it because I’m talking to myself, sometimes we make people the problem, and the people are not the problem. The people are the purpose of why we do the pastoring. That’s why we do what we do. That’s why we do shepherding. Jeremy Baker — So, you know, when you’re dealing with when you’re dealing with people, it’s messy. It can be hurtful. There’s there’s different things that come with that, and we could list a thousand things in that. But I would just say, just love people well to the best of your ability. Give them grace. Give them mercy. Jeremy Baker — If they leave your church and they go somewhere else, just let them know the key under the mat. We’re on the same team. We’re part of the same family. We’re all going to go to heaven to we know one day. It’s not about who’s got the bigger church or who’s better? Who’s got the better kids program or who’s got ah the more youth? It’s not about any of that. It’s about just trusting God with what he’s given us stewardship over and in stewarding that really well and just loving the people that God brings.Rich Birch — Yeah, so good. Pastor Jeremy, appreciate you being on today.Jeremy Baker — Thank you.Rich Birch — If people want to track with you or with the church, where do we want to send them online to connect with you guys and kind of follow your story a little bit? I would encourage people to follow your Instagram. So where can we find that and your website and all that? Jeremy Baker — Yeah, so our website is elevatelifect.com, elevatelifect.com, and that would be the same for our Instagram. And so thank you so much for having me. ‘m very grateful, and thank you for your time.Rich Birch — Thanks so much. Take care.