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Introduction: 5 Reasons Pastors Should Be Paid: (1 Corinthians 9:1-14) It's COMMON Sense. (1 Cor 9:7) It's a CONCERN in the Law. (1 Cor 9:8-11) 1 Timothy 5:17-18 - Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in preaching and teaching. For the Scripture says, “You shall not muzzle an ox when it treads out the grain,” and, “The laborer deserves his wages.” It's CLAIMED By Others. (1 Cor 9:12) It's a CUSTOM from the Old Testament. (1 Cor 9:13) It's COMMANDED By Jesus. (1 Cor 9:14) Luke 10:7 – for the laborer deserves his wages. Matthew 10:10 - the laborer deserves his food. Sermon Notes (PDF): BLANKHint: Highlight blanks above for answers! Audio Transcript 00:36-00:40Open up those Bibles to 1 Corinthians 9.00:44-00:52The title of today's message is, "Should Pastors Be Paid?" Yeah.00:54-00:57I'd like to invite the worship team to come back up as we close.00:58-01:00If you want to worship through giving, the offering.01:04-01:09You're like, "You better earn that pay." Fair, fair.01:09-01:12You know, I was associate pastor for 11 years.01:12-01:16And one of the things that I did was run the Wednesday night program.01:16-01:18It was pioneer clubs like Awana's.01:18-01:26But I'll never forget one girl who was lifelong member of the church from forever.01:26-01:27She the one little girl came up.01:28-01:39She goes, "Pastor Jeff, where do you work?" And I'm not gonna say her name 'cause she's an adult now and might be watching this, but I said, "Well, you know where I work.01:40-01:42"I'm one of the pastors here at the church." She just rolled her eyes.01:42-01:46She goes, "I know that, but I mean, where do you work?01:46-01:49"Like, what's your job?01:49-02:02"Like, what do you do to get paid?" I'm like, "You know, just when you start "to feel pretty good about yourself." Along comes some kid to bring you right back down to earth, right?02:03-02:03Where do you work?02:07-02:09Many people hold that opinion, right?02:10-02:12I mean, being a pastor isn't really work.02:15-02:19You know, my favorite, you only work for one hour a week.02:23-02:24And you know what?02:24-02:25I've heard that so many times.02:25-02:27I'm quick to correct people on that.02:28-02:28I'm like, "No.02:31-02:32I don't work the whole hour.02:34-02:36My part's only like 35 minutes.02:37-02:43I work 35 minutes a week." So should pastors be paid?02:44-02:47When you bring it up, people get weird.02:48-02:49People get weird.02:49-02:51Everybody's evaluating the pastor's car.02:53-02:55Everybody's evaluating the pastor's house.02:55-02:58Everybody's evaluating the pastor's clothes.02:59-03:00How much is he making?03:03-03:05You know nobody does that for other professions, right?03:08-03:18Like for example, if somebody here is a nurse and you pull up to church driving a Boxter, what are people gonna say?03:18-03:20"Good for her, good for her.03:21-03:23Wow, I am so happy for her.03:26-03:31If I drove up driving a Porsche, what are people gonna say?03:35-03:36How much is he making?03:40-03:49I've heard a lot of things over the years, statements people have made, their little evaluations on how pastors should be paid.03:49-03:51I just want to share a couple with you.03:51-03:53Just this is, these amuse me.03:54-03:57But one person told me this regarding how a pastor should be paid.03:58-04:10He said, "A pastor shouldn't make more "than the lowest paid congregant." So we should find out who in the church makes the least and that should determine the pastor's salary.04:13-04:17Because after all, the pastor shouldn't make more than anybody else in the church.04:19-04:20I had one guy tell me this.04:21-04:31He goes, "I have a real problem "with preachers getting paid by the church." And I said, "What's the issue with that?" He goes, "Think about it this way.04:33-04:35"You teach tithing, right?04:35-04:55"10%." I'm like, "I'm following you." He goes, "Okay, so if 10 people give 10%, "now automatically the pastor's making "more than everybody in the church." And I'm like, you're gonna have to back up here 'cause you lost me somewhere on that math.04:57-04:58I mean, does that math work out?05:01-05:02Should pastors be paid?05:04-05:05Awkward.05:05-05:07Right, it's an awkward subject.05:07-05:10Can we just get that under, it's an awkward subject to stand up and preach about.05:10-05:11You're like, well then why are you?05:12-05:17Because we're going through the book of 1 Corinthians and guess what the subject is of this next section that we are going in?05:18-05:24"Should pastors be paid?" Yeah, it's going to be awkward to talk about, but you don't be more awkward than that, skipping it.05:26-05:26Right?05:26-05:29Because didn't God put it in His Word for a reason?05:30-05:31And we don't skip anything here.05:32-05:33So we're going after it.05:34-05:35We're just going to go after it.05:35-05:36Should pastors be paid?05:37-05:39The Bible is clear, yes.05:41-05:50But some ministers, you know, they live lavishly, and they demand that the church pay for the their extravagant lifestyle, and that is wrong.05:52-05:59But we can't just disregard what the Bible says just because some people have abused the privilege.06:02-06:06This section here, we're in 1 Corinthians, it's about liberty.06:08-06:21You're like, "Well, what is liberty?" It's this, you know, to be saved means that you have to turn from your sin and receive Jesus Christ.06:21-06:34And when you receive Him, you believe that Jesus died for your sin, when you believe that Jesus resurrected from the dead, when you believe that, the Bible says you are adopted as a child of God.06:34-06:36And nothing can change that.06:37-06:40Nothing can separate you from the love of God in Jesus Christ.06:41-06:41Nothing.06:42-06:46When you are saved, you are saved as a gift of God's grace.06:47-06:48Nothing can change that.06:51-06:54So understand your salvation is not performance-based.06:56-06:58So that means there's nothing you can do.06:58-07:01If you're saved, there's nothing you can do that would disqualify you from being a child of God.07:01-07:02It's not performance-based.07:04-07:12So the extreme view of that is, well, if it's not performance-based, I'm free to do whatever I want.07:15-07:16And that's what we're looking at in this section.07:17-07:19Am I free to do whatever I want?07:19-07:38Their particular issue, we talked about this last week, was they were, some of the more mature Christians were eating meat that was sacrificed to idols, and they were like, "A burger's a burger." But it bothered some of the weaker Christians who came out of the pagan background and said, You don't want to touch meat that was used in pagan worship.07:39-07:46And Paul says, "Love says, 'I will give up my rights if it keeps a brother from stumbling.'" I'll give up my rights.07:49-08:02So understand here in this section that we're looking at today, Paul is saying, "Corinthians, I'm not asking you to do anything that I'm not willing to do.08:05-08:10Paul is saying here in this section we're looking at, I am laying down a freedom that I have.08:10-08:13I have the freedom to get paid by the church.08:13-08:15And Paul says, I laid that freedom down.08:17-08:23We're going to talk more about that part of it next week, but why would Paul lay that freedom down?08:23-08:25He knew it would bring offense.08:27-08:31You see, he knew that there were going to be some people that thought, "Oh, look at this guy.08:31-08:35There's this new religion and he's using it to cash in.08:35-08:36He's using it just to make money.08:37-08:40He's trying to rip you off." So Paul got a job making tents.08:40-09:03So he's like, "I'm not going to be a financial burden to anybody because I don't want anybody to think that I have an ulterior motive in preaching the gospel." So chapter 9, the section we're looking at today illustrates this whole giving up my liberty issue. I have the freedom to not use my freedom.09:05-09:18All right, let's bow. I'm going to ask you to pray for me to be faithful to communicate God's Word, and I will pray for you to have a heart open to receive it, and then we'll go right after it. Let's just take a moment and pray.09:22-09:23by your name and your word, Father.09:26-09:30We ask you in the mighty name of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior forever.09:31-09:35And all of God's people said, amen.09:36-09:42All right, so the Corinthians are like, hey, we are free in Christ to do what we want.09:42-09:44Look at chapter nine, verse one.09:45-09:46Paul says, am I not free?09:48-09:49Am I not an apostle?09:51-09:52Paul's like, "I'm free.09:53-09:55"I'm free to, you know about your freedom?09:55-10:08"I'm free too." And Paul says, "By the way, I'm not just a pew sitter." Okay, he's like, "I'm an apostle." And as always, when the issue comes up, you're going to have a group of people that were like, "Are you, Paul?10:08-10:09"Are you really an apostle?10:09-10:13"Are you really?" Oh, look at what he says.10:15-10:18"Have I not seen Jesus our Lord?10:18-10:25"Are not you my workmanship in the Lord?" Paul was always defending himself.10:25-10:27And right here he goes, "Yeah, I am an apostle.10:27-10:28"I'll give you two proofs.10:28-10:30"One is the big one.10:30-10:37"To be an apostle, you had to have seen "the resurrected Jesus Christ." And Paul's like, "I've seen him." Like, did Paul see Jesus?10:37-10:39Yeah, at least three times.10:39-10:42Oh, by the way, one of those times was actually in Corinth.10:42-10:43What's that, Acts chapter 18?10:46-10:56Paul says, "I have another proof." He goes, "You want another proof of my apostleship?" He goes, "You, you are my proof." What do you mean by that?10:56-10:57Look at verses two and three.10:58-11:07He says, "If to others I am not an apostle, "at least I am to you, "for you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord.11:08-11:30"This is my defense to those who would examine me." Paul says, "Some might not believe that I'm apostle, but you cannot deny the way that the Lord has worked through me to you." He says, "You're my seal." See, in those days, if somebody wanted to authenticate a letter, they would put a wax seal with the signet ring.11:31-11:32That was to say, "This is genuine.11:32-11:35This is real." Paul goes, "You want to know that I'm real?11:35-11:48Do you want to know that I'm authentic?" He goes, "You're my proof, because God has ministered the gospel through me to you." These are the evidences that I'm an apostle.11:48-11:53So, verse 4, do we not have the right to eat and drink?11:55-11:57That's obviously sarcasm.11:58-12:03I was like, "Yeah, I'm an apostle and God has used me, so I'm not allowed to eat?" Is that what you're saying?12:06-12:10I've been faithful to your souls, I've been faithful to the Lord, but I don't get to eat?12:11-12:20He's saying, "I don't get to… are you saying that I don't get to earn a living from the work that I do in the Lord?" Look at verse 5.12:24-12:32He says, "Do we not have the right to take along a believing wife, as do the other apostles and the brothers of the Lord and Cephas?12:34-12:39Or is it only Barnabas and I who have no right to refrain from working for a living?12:41-12:49Paul's like, "Other ministers are supported." So much so that other ministers actually take their wives along with them.12:50-12:52So you support them.12:56-12:57What about me?12:57-13:00Do I have the right to be supported by the church?13:01-13:03See what Paul's doing here.13:03-13:06in this little introduction, he's setting this all up.13:07-13:19He goes, "This freedom that I am laying down, is it actually a freedom that I have?" As we look at verses 7-14, Paul here is establishing that this is a right.13:19-13:21This is legitimate.13:21-13:25Ministers have the right to be supported by the church.13:25-13:26He's proving that in this section.13:29-13:35And in Paul's day, as in ours, there are people that are going to doubt the premise.13:36-13:38Like, really, should ministers be paid?13:38-13:38Really?13:39-13:40Not sure about that.13:40-13:41Should they, is it really work?13:42-13:4635 minutes, rather, 35 minutes a week, is that really work?13:47-13:48Should we be paying you for that?13:52-13:56Well, Paul gives five reasons why you should pay the pastor.13:57-13:57All right?13:59-14:00"Jot these down.14:00-14:08By the way, you're paying me overtime this week 'cause I spent some extra time making sure these were alliterated.14:09-14:12I don't always do that, but when I do, I charge extra.14:13-14:23And I charge by the word, that's why the sermons are so long." So five reasons a pastor should be paid.14:23-14:24Number one, I love this.14:24-14:26He just knocks this one right out.14:26-14:26It's common sense.14:27-14:28It's common sense.14:28-14:30Look at verse 7.14:32-14:36Paul says, "Who serves as a soldier at his own expense?14:38-14:40Who plants a vineyard without eating any of its fruit?14:41-14:48Or who tends a flock without getting some of the milk?" Obvious point, right?14:49-14:52A man earns his living by his work.14:53-14:55And he gives three examples.14:56-15:00A soldier, a farmer, and a shepherd.15:03-15:09Imagine as Paul calls us to here, imagine doing those jobs at your own expense.15:10-15:11Imagine that.15:11-15:13That's ludicrous, right?15:14-15:14Like what do you do?15:14-15:15I work at Target.15:17-15:17Why do you work at Target?15:18-15:25"Well, just trying to pay the bills so in my free time I can be in the army." Like what?15:26-15:27Paul's like, "Who does that?15:28-15:36That's called a hobby if you're doing it without being compensated.15:36-15:41Their families are fed from the work that they do." So it should be true for pastors.15:41-15:42It's common sense.15:43-15:47should earn from the work that they do.15:50-15:55And I have to add, church, that this is also extremely practical when you think about it.15:55-15:57The church benefits from a focused pastor.16:00-16:05You're going to get your best work from the pastor if he's not distracted.16:06-16:07I mean, think about it.16:07-16:43If the pastor has to provide for his family by working another job, how much gas is left tank to be a pastor. And you're like, "Eh, doesn't look that hard." Well, I want you to think about your job, whatever you do. You're nine to five, whether you work in a bank, work in HVAC, community, you know, some kind of like social service function, think Think of what you do.16:44-16:52When your shift ends, do you feel like you would be able to effectively pastor a church on top of that?16:55-16:59Again, I don't care if you're with the police, a computer programmer.17:00-17:05Imagine working all day doing that, and then you get home and now you've got to write a sermon.17:06-17:07Oh, and you have two counseling appointments.17:07-17:09And make sure you squeeze time in.17:09-17:17you've got to follow up with these new people at church, oh, and then you have a ministry team meeting on top of that.17:17-17:21Are you really going to do all of that on top of your nine to five?17:24-17:25It's common sense.17:26-17:33You see, if a pastor has to work another job, it's easy for him to phone it in when it comes to the church work, right?17:33-17:37Well, I've got to work at Target so that I can pay my bills.17:38-17:39the church stuff is just going to have to wait.17:39-17:42I sure hope they're not expecting a decent sermon this week.17:44-17:45It's just common sense.17:45-17:47People should get wages.17:49-17:52People should benefit from their workplace.17:52-17:53That's where he starts.17:54-17:55It's common sense.17:55-17:58Number two, five reasons pastors should be paid.17:58-18:02Five reasons Paul says this is a right for pastors to be paid.18:02-18:05Number two is it's a concern in the law.18:05-18:06It's a concern in the law.18:09-18:10Like, what do you mean?18:10-18:11Well, look at verse eight.18:12-18:17Paul says, "Do I say these things on human authority?" Like, you think I'm making this up?18:19-18:22He says, "Does not the law say the same?18:23-18:37"For it is written in the law of Moses, "you shall not muzzle an ox when it treads out the grain." That's Deuteronomy 25 verse 4.18:38-18:43Like, what do you mean an ox treading out the grain?18:43-18:47It was actually an Egyptian trick that Israel adopted.18:49-19:01They would tie a big round flat stone to an ox, and they would have the ox drag the stone over the wheat to crush it to remove the husk.19:03-19:13Okay, so you have this ox helping you prepare food, doing this hard work of dragging a stone.19:13-19:19Now how cruel would it be to put a muzzle on the ox while he's doing that?19:19-19:22Like you have to drag the stone, but you're not allowed to eat.19:23-19:27Oh, you're going to stand on top of food all day, but you're not allowed to take a bite.19:28-19:28That's inhumane.19:36-19:37That's the point.19:39-19:41Look at verse 9, second part.19:44-19:56He says, "Is it for oxen that God is concerned?" Does He not speak entirely for our sake?19:57-20:15It was written for our sake, because the plowman should plow in hope, and the thresher thresh in hope of sharing in the crop." See Paul's point, you know, the whole don't muzzle an ox while it's treading out the grain.20:15-20:27Paul's like, "You think God's concerned about the ox?" Look, I don't think God has anything against ox, oxen, oxes, oxen, oxen.20:27-20:28Thank you, Randy.20:28-20:28Oxen.20:28-20:31I don't think God's against oxen.20:31-20:32He created them.20:32-20:33I think God loves oxen.20:34-20:42Paul's like, "Do you think he wrote that in the law for the oxen who are going to be reading the law?" Like, "Hey, wait a second.20:43-20:48You're not supposed to muzzle me while I'm working." I think he didn't write that for the oxen.20:50-20:51But don't do it now.20:51-20:52You can do it later.20:53-20:56You get some time, turn back to that reference in Deuteronomy.20:56-21:01And you're going to see that section of Deuteronomy has nothing to do with animals.21:02-21:05Nothing to do with how to treat the livestock.21:05-21:06It has nothing to do with that.21:07-21:12It has everything to do with people.21:12-21:13And how you treat people.21:15-21:17You see, it's a figure of speech.21:17-21:21We use animals in figures of speech all the time, don't we?21:22-21:25Don't look a gift horse in the mouth, two birds with one stone, all of that.21:25-21:26It was a figure of speech.21:28-21:36And Paul reminds us here, look, when God wrote that through Moses, He wasn't really concerned about the oxen, He was concerned about man.21:38-21:44And the point of that expression is the worker deserves to benefit from his work, obviously, right?21:45-22:02Luke 11, he says, "If we have sown spiritual things among you, is it too much if we reap material things from you?" Sown spiritual things.22:05-22:09That's all I'm trying to do for this church.22:10-22:13There are many people in this church that I have led to Christ.22:16-22:23There's many people in this church that I've not only taught the Bible, but I've taught how to teach the Bible.22:25-22:35There are people in this church that I have counseled out of disaster, comforted you and your family at funerals.22:36-22:37I married a lot of people here.22:39-22:45I've come along leaders to try to encourage them in their particular ministries.22:46-22:57None of this is meant to be boastful or "Hey, look at me." I'm just saying objectively, this is what I'm striving to do among you.22:59-23:01So is it out of line to support me in doing those things?23:03-23:05Am I asking too much?23:07-23:10Or do you see no value in anything that I do?23:12-23:16Now look, I am so thankful.23:16-23:18This church has always supported me and my family.23:20-23:24And I am so thankful to God for you and your support.23:27-23:34It would absolutely grieve me though if you thought that I wasn't worth it.23:35-23:43Like, yeah, we'll support him, but I mean, does he really bring something to the table?23:48-23:57Some churches, well, they do justify no pay or meager pay for the pastors.23:58-23:59Some churches justify that.23:59-24:01You can't pay the pastor very much.24:01-24:01Why?24:02-24:04Gotta keep 'em humble, right Pastor Taylor?24:06-24:07Gotta keep 'em humble.24:07-24:11Pastor Taylor gets paid two Kit Kats a week, that's all he gets from the church.24:12-24:14Because we're gonna keep 'em humble.24:16-24:18We don't want 'em to get swollen head.24:19-24:21So we gotta keep 'em humble.24:21-24:30Listen, that is an unbiblical mindset, completely backwards to what the Bible says about the way you treat your pastor.24:31-24:32Right?24:34-24:371 Timothy 5, look what Paul told Timothy.24:38-24:50He says, "Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in preaching and teaching." You know what he means by double honor?24:51-24:55He doesn't mean like, thank you, thank you.24:58-24:58Great job, great job.24:58-24:59That's not what he means at all.25:00-25:02You look at the context, he's talking about pay.25:04-25:07He's saying you should double my pay.25:09-25:11You get the point there, right?25:12-25:14Not keep them humble.25:14-25:17He's like, those who preach the word of God deserve double honor.25:18-25:24He says, for the scripture says, you shall not muzzle an ox when it treads out the grain.25:25-25:29and the laborer deserves his wages.25:33-25:37And right now some Bible scholar is like, oh, okay, don't muzzle the ox.25:38-25:40Okay, Pastor Jeff, that's Old Testament.25:40-25:42We don't live under the Old Testament.25:45-25:52Well, we abide under the principles of the law, especially when they're repeated in the New Testament.25:53-25:53All right?25:54-25:55The five reasons pastors should be paid.25:56-25:58Paul says it's common sense.25:58-25:59It's a concern in the law.25:59-26:01Number three, write this down, it's claimed by others.26:02-26:04It's claimed by others.26:07-26:21Verse 12, he says, "If others share this rightful claim on you, do not we even more?" Paul's like, "Oh, by the way, it's not weird or unusual.26:23-26:25In fact, there's precedent for it.26:27-26:27Right?26:28-26:30Many of you do support others.26:31-26:39And you should, but there's many people here that you're like, I support certain missionaries or I support world vision, or I support Samaritan's Purse.26:39-26:41I support all these people.26:41-26:46And Paul here is just simply saying, hey, what about the shepherd who has devoted his life to caring for you?26:47-26:47What about that guy?26:48-26:49Should he be paid?26:49-26:50Should he be supported?26:53-27:03And my whole life revolves around caring for you, praying for you, discipling you.27:06-27:15And some people are like, "Well, you know, I listen to such and such preacher on the Facebooks or the YouTubes or whatever.27:15-27:22I listen to Jack Hibbs, so my tithe goes to Jack Hibbs." Okay.27:28-27:32But when you need counseling, do you think Jack Hibbs is going to come and counsel you?27:34-27:39You know, if you have a tragedy, do you think Jack Hibbs is going to be at your house to pray for you, pray with you?27:42-27:43Does Jack Hibbs even know who you are?27:46-27:46That's Paul's point here.27:47-27:49Paul's like, "Others share the rightful claim.27:49-28:12"You support others." Paul's like, "How can you not support the one who loves you?" He goes on in verse 12, he goes, "Nevertheless, we have not made use of this right, "but we endure anything rather than put an obstacle "in the way of the gospel of Christ." That's the whole point of broaching the subject.28:13-28:25We have the freedom to get paid, but Paul says, "I laid that freedom down." Just as I'm telling you to do about eating the meat sacrifice to the idols, it's okay.28:25-28:28It's okay to lay your freedom down sometimes.28:30-28:32We're going to get into that more next week.28:33-28:36This week though, he's giving us five reasons a preacher should be paid.28:36-28:39And here's number four, it's a custom from the Old Testament.28:40-28:46It's common sense, it's a concern in the law, it's claimed by others, and it's a custom from the Old Testament.28:47-28:48Look at verse 13.28:49-29:03He says, "Do you not know that those who are employed in the temple service get their food from the temple, and those who serve at the altar share in the sacrificial offerings.29:06-29:09Do a little study sometime, Old Testament law.29:09-29:16In the Old Testament, priests were supported for their work by their work.29:18-29:26All of the sacrifices that were given under Old Testament law realized the priest received a portion of what was offered in some way, shape, or form.29:26-29:27That's what Paul's talking about here.29:31-29:41And I was studying this this week, and I'm like, why did he sort of, he kind of said that in verse seven, right?29:42-29:43The same thing.29:43-29:46So why did he bring this up again?29:46-29:47And then it hit me.29:50-29:54Verse seven, he gave secular examples.29:56-29:57You know, the soldier, the farmer, the shepherd.29:57-29:59He gave secular examples.29:59-30:23And there are some in the church that would say, "Okay, Paul, you're using secular reasoning and you're trying to apply it to the spiritual realm." And I think what Paul's doing here is saying, "Look, yes, this principle, you should be supported for the work that you do, by your work." It's true in the secular world and it's true in the sacred world too.30:23-30:25So Paul's like, "Don't act like this is a new thing.30:26-30:31supporting the spiritual leaders, because it's a custom that goes way back to the Old Testament.30:35-30:40Number five, five reasons pastors should be paid.30:41-30:45It's common sense, it's a concern in the law, it's claimed by others, it's a custom from the Old Testament.30:46-30:57Last and probably most important, I would say, I think that's why it's last, it's commanded by Jesus.31:00-31:01It's commanded by Jesus.31:02-31:17Look at verse 14, "In the same way, the Lord commanded that those who proclaim the gospel should get their living by the gospel." Wait a minute, when did Jesus say that?31:18-31:20Well, He said that a couple of times.31:21-31:34In Luke chapter 10, Jesus was sending out the 72 and He was talking about, you can look this up later, the people that believe you should be the ones that feed you.31:34-31:41So Jesus in sending them out said, "For the laborer deserves his wages." What's the context of that?31:42-32:06And again in Matthew 10, verse 10, Jesus was sending out the twelve, and He says, "The people that believe you should be the people who support you." And that's why He said, "The laborer deserves his food." In both cases, Jesus was saying those who preach the gospel must be supported by those who believe the gospel.32:07-32:14In other words, believers, we could say church members, should financially support their leaders.32:17-32:23If you're a guest here today, I want you to understand you're under no obligation to give.32:24-32:29Don't feel guilty or like, "Well, I probably should." If you're a guest, be our guest.32:31-32:32There's zero obligation.32:35-32:37is something that we are to share as a church family.32:39-32:39All right?32:43-32:45But nevertheless, the Lord commanded it.32:46-32:48Those who proclaim the gospel should get their living by the gospel.32:50-33:01So Paul, in this whole section, is saying as a minister of the gospel, I have every right to expect you to support me, but I laid that right down.33:03-33:19I thought it might be an obstacle to the work, so because I love you, I didn't take financial support from you." Paul's like, "I'm trying to show you something, that when you love, you're willing to lay down your rights.33:21-33:56When you love, you're willing to lay down your freedoms." Paul is just simply saying, as we'll see next week, "Follow my example." Right now you're like, "Okay, pay the pastor, fine." Well my hope is not that you reluctantly get on board with giving, but I want you to see the bigger picture of why you give.33:57-34:00Yes, giving primarily is an act of worship.34:00-34:01We've had a whole sermon series about that.34:02-34:03Giving is an act of worship.34:04-34:08But also I want you to think about the tangible effects of giving.34:11-34:14When you give, my family is supported.34:16-34:22And that frees me from trying to do ministry on top of a nine to five job.34:22-34:25It lets me stay focused on caring for you.34:25-34:35Understand that when you give, look at the big picture, you're freeing me up so that I can care for everybody in this church to the best of my ability.34:39-34:39Everyone benefits.34:41-34:44When you give, other staff are paid.34:44-34:47That allows us to worship in excellent music.34:48-35:07It helps us disciple your children and young adults to minister on a personal level through the oversight of our entire small group ministry and so many more things that are able to happen that couldn't happen if you weren't financially supporting the leadership of the church.35:09-35:15Oh, oh, oh, and when you give, understand that you're supporting a whole network of ministers in Thailand.35:17-35:30Do you know in northern Thailand and beyond, we have 23 churches, we have four children's homes, we have a Bible institute, and do you know how many people stateside support them?35:33-35:34Just this church.35:35-35:49You, when you give, you are allowing the work of evangelism happen all over that area of the world through our network of churches.35:52-35:55Disciples are made all over Northern Thailand and beyond.35:57-36:08When you give, that is your way of actively partnering with me in advancing the kingdom of Jesus Christ.36:10-36:12I'd like you to bow your heads as the worship team makes their way up.36:16-36:29Father in heaven, it felt awkward to have to give a message like this, but God, it's your word.36:29-36:30We don't skip anything.36:32-36:34We just want to go after what you said.36:35-36:46Father, I thank you for the way that this church has always sought to support me and my family.36:48-36:53Financially sure, but so many other ways this church has sought to bless and protect my family.36:54-36:55God, I thank you so much for these people.36:56-36:58This is from you, God, and I thank you for that.36:59-37:11I just pray, Father, that looking at a passage like this, you would give us sort of a bigger picture of the way your economy works and why you have called us to certain things that you've called us to.37:15-37:24God, we believe that all things are yours, and we believe, God, that you have called us to be faithful stewards with everything that you give us.37:27-37:32We thank you for the privilege and all the ways that you've called us to partner with you in the work of the ministry.37:33-37:38Thank You, Father, for the spirit of generosity that You have stirred among Your people here.37:39-37:47And as King David prayed in preparation for the temple, might that spirit always be found in Your people.37:48-37:50We pray in Jesus' name, amen. Small Group DiscussionRead 1 Corinthians 9:1-14What was your big take-away from this passage / message?Explain why Paul broaches the subject of paying the pastor in the first place. What does that have to do with their question about Christian liberty?What are some practical benefits that come when a pastor doesn't have to work outside the church?How would you respond to someone who says, “Pastors should have a job like everyone else! It's not fair that the pastor has money when some people in the congregation are struggling financially.”BreakoutPray for one another.

Hosea 8-10 (David Bell)

In this final message of our Upside Down Glory: Disability and the Kingdom of God series, Pastor Bob Erbig turns to 1 Corinthians 15 to ask a deeply personal and eternal question: What happens to disability in the resurrection? Framed by the sobering yet hope-filled reflections of former Senator Ben Sasse, this sermon explores Paul's powerful imagery of the seed and the resurrection body—sown in weakness, raised in power. Addressing questions about continuity, transformation, identity, and the future of our suffering bodies, Pastor Bob walks carefully through the promise that God does not discard what has suffered but glorifies and redeems it. With pastoral tenderness and theological clarity, this message reminds us that our identity is not rooted in dust, diagnosis, or decay, but in Christ—the Man of Heaven—and that one day, at the sound of the trumpet, death itself will be swallowed up in victory.Sown in weakness, raised in power—because in Christ, the body that suffers will one day shine with resurrection glory.

Going on, we now proceed to two other parables that Jesus spoke. The first has to do with the lamp and it's light. Where should the lamp and it's light be put? These are questions which the Lord asks. Light dispels darkness. We, who know Christ as savior, are a light to the world both in words and deeds. Dr. Mitchell makes mention of the fact that God is light. Are we walking in the Light?Therefore Jesus said, take care what you hear. What is going into your ears?Is it the Word of God? Faith comes from hearing and hearing comes from the word of Christ. Rom.10:17Secondly, Jesus compares the kingdom of God to a man who sows seed and it grows to maturity and is harvested.Let's turn to Mark 4:21 with Dr. Mitchell on the Unchanging Word Bible Broadcast.

sermon notes

The following is an AI-generated rough transcript of the Equipping Hour. It may contain inaccuracies.  Opening and Introduction Smedly Yates: Well, good morning. Happy Sunday. Welcome to Grace Bible Church this morning and to Equipping Hour. This morning, we’re going to be doing a follow-up from an equipping hour that Jake taught on January 11th on dementia. And that was, Jake, that was riveting and encouraging. And I thought you taught us everything we needed to know, but apparently you didn’t. Because the numbers of follow-up questions from that equipping hour broke all records. So we’ve sort of accumulated those questions. And let me just encourage you, if you didn’t get a chance to listen to that equipping hour from January 11th, pull it up on the website, go back and listen to that. And this morning, what we’re going to do is just put the questions that many of you asked in person and submitted. Or just get to ask those of Jake in front of all of us. And so Jake really is going to give most of the answers here. I don’t know if I have a whole lot to say. Other than these are the questions we got, Jake, help us. So with that, let me open us in a word of prayer and we’ll get started. Heavenly Father, thank you so much for your kindness to us. We don’t deserve to have physical ability endure in this life. We don’t deserve to have mental capacity sustained in this life. We truly only deserve condemnation under your wrath for our sins. And so anything that you give to us, we pray to use as a gift, as a stewardship, to use well and for your glory, and to be content and to trust you as things diminish. And we thank you for the preparation, for mental decline. You’ve already given us from principles from your word. We pray even now as we discuss caring for one another and seeking to glorify you in personal worship in our physical existence that you would be honored as we listen and apply and are strengthened and sharpened to help others. We ask all this in Jesus’ name. Amen. I’m going to start with kind of a personal question that came in, Jake, and it goes like this. If I try not to get dementia, you gave us a lot of helps, dietary exercise, sleep, some of those things that were really helpful, practical things. So if I’m doing those things, if I’m trying not to get dementia, am I expressing distrust and dissatisfaction in God and his sovereignty? Stewardship, Planning, and God’s Sovereignty Jacob Hantla: Maybe. So, yeah, we spend a lot of time talking about the practical ways that you might want to steward this life and this body that God’s given you. The big hitters were exercise, right? We said if there’s one that you can do, it’s that. But there’s a lot more. There’s a, but if you’re doing those things, is that sinful? It might be. There’s a way to do the right thing for the wrong reasons. Planning, though, is not unbelief. Planning like God doesn’t exist is unbelief. or planning like God’s way isn’t best in your selfishly, arrogantly grabbing after your own desires. That’s unbelief. That’s sin. So the issue isn’t whether you should steward, but it’s whether an action that you’re saying is stewardship is actually a mask for control, pride, and fear. Proverbs 27:12 says the prudent sees danger and hides himself. There’s a way to see that. Where you see danger, you hide yourself from it. You take planned steps in order to avoid it that actually roots itself from fear of the Lord. And that would be right. And in contrast, it says the simple go on as if that danger isn’t there and they suffer for it. So there’s nothing inherently righteous or right and just saying, I’m going to trust the Lord and use that as a mask for just lazy thoughtlessness. Similarly, there’s nothing righteous at all in saying, I don’t want what I fear is coming and I’m going to grasp after what I want. But James 4, you guys might want to open there. This is, a really, really helpful section of scripture for planning. And it reveals why we actually have to, at the heart of all of this, guard our hearts, not merely do the right thing. James Chapter 4. And this is in the context of the warning, or the command to humble yourself from verse 10, humble yourselves before the Lord because God resists the proud and gives grace to the humble. And now, he says, come now, verse 13, you who say today or tomorrow, we’re going to go into such and such a town, spend a year there trade, and make a profit. Yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? You’re a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, if the Lord wills, we will do this or that. So the take home from that is not don’t plan, don’t run a business, but rather as you run it, run it as one who actually embraces and recognizes your temporalness, your weakness, your dependence, and God’s sovereignty. Smedly Yates: If we zoom out from the topic of dementia, and we just think about the principle underlying that, we’re dealing with the realities of God using human means in his sovereign plans. If we rephrase the question, we might say, is it sin and distrust of the Lord to study for your chemistry exam? No, of course not. Can you sin by studying for your chemistry exam without thought toward God and exalt your own pride and intellect and your hard work? Yeah, that’d be wrong. A godless, practical, atheistic approach to effort would be sin. But a laziness that says, well, I’m just trusting in the Lord, but I’m not going to go apply for a job, study from my exam, practice for the athletic endeavor, or whatever is sin the other way. And I love the example of evangelism. We know that God will save people, but we know that God uses means to do it. So is it a failure to trust God when I go out and share the gospel with people? No, it’s actually the obedience that God uses as a means to accomplish his ends. Now, I can’t control the results. So you can be faithful, worshiping the Lord, telling others how great Jesus is all day long and nobody gets saved and God is honored and we trust him. Jacob Hantla: Yeah. There’s two biblical, I love the illustration. It’s throughout the Bible of horses and chariots. You can write down Proverbs 21:31 and Psalm 20:7. In Proverbs 21:31, it says, the horse is made ready for the day of battle. Who does that? We do that. The people do that, and they go, battle, but it says, but victory belongs to Yahweh. And similarly, in Psalm 20:7, this, this was actually one of my favorite passages in fighting cancer. I stole it from Piper in his book, Don’t Waste Your Cancer. He says, some trust in chariots, and some in horses, but we trust in the name of Yahweh our God, which doesn’t mean go to battle with slow horses and broken down chariots, it’s wise to get the best you can. If you know that you might be facing a future with dementia or anything else you might face, chemistry test or other health problem, be diligent to plan, but do it in a way that when you don’t get dementia, it wasn’t your effort that gets the glory. It was Yahweh’s. And if you get dementia anyway, you say, it was the Lord’s will. It’s best, I trust. Reverse Sanctification and Dementia Smedly Yates: A question came through, and really there were several facets that sort of get at the same kind of question. But people wondered, and this comes obviously from people who have worked hard to care for people with various forms of dementia. But it seems like Christians at times can experience what looks like reverse sanctification. Is that what’s going on there? Have people been abandoned by the Holy Spirit when behaviors change in mental decline. Jacob Hantla: Yeah, I think probably about five, six of you asked that question with very particular circumstances in mind. And the question doesn’t overstate the reality of what occurs. So reverse sanctification. Sanctification is the process of progressively being conformed to the image of Christ from the point of salvation, usually, and normally for a Christian, until the point when they finish well, die, and are taken home, and then glory. But that doesn’t always happen for Christians. The reality is sometimes in dementia, some Christians become more childlike in their faith. It’s not inevitable that your sanctification will reverse. And I don’t think that’s the right term. It’s the observed reality that we see. But sometimes their faith becomes more simple, but not less godly. They might tell the same stories over and over again. Or if you imagine sometimes what happens in dementia, your existence in the moment is separated from what’s gone before it. So you’re always disoriented. That’s terrifying. And so you see the Christian in those moments having a childlike trust questions that you feel bad for them, but they are trusting the Lord in a real way. But sometimes, and this is the words of Dr. John Dunlop, wrote a book on the Christian and dementia. He goes, dementia can indeed change personalities. It has transformed wonderful, loving, godly people into tyrants. And that happens. I’ve seen, you see somebody who was self-controlled loving. and as they progress into dementia, they curse. They use language that’s not befitting a Christian at all. There’s inappropriateness in all kinds of ways. And so what’s going on there? I think it’s helpful. I’m going to do another physiology lesson. Bear with me, I promise it’s worth it. It helps me. So there’s some types of dementia, especially that there’s one we talked about called frontotemporal. What does that mean? It’s the area of the brain in which it happens. And it changes the way that your brain physically works. So there’s an, I’m going to oversimplify a little bit. So, but this is, this is helpful. If you think of your prefrontal cortex, you might have heard that word because we joke. Teenagers, their prefrontal cortex isn’t fully developed. And that’s true. It’s why you don’t trust your kids to make life-altering decisions. But the prefrontal cortex is, you could think of it as the executive control center of your brain. It houses the part of your brain for abstract thought, concentration, working memory, and most critically, inhibition of inappropriate thoughts and actions. You and I do it all the time you think it’s like the breaks. There’s a filter on, thank God there’s a filter, right? Something comes to your mind and it doesn’t come out your mouth. Because of the prefrontal cortex, it overrides automatic impulsive thoughts. It helps you consider the consequences in the future before acting. It connects your current behaviors to the past experiences and your goals. And when that area is damaged, somebody has a really hard time choosing the appropriate behavior for the situation. The damage, it sort of removes the filter. There’s another thing, orbital frontal cortex. It’s just another area of your brain. You don’t need to know the big word. But what that is is that’s particularly critical for regulating social behavior. When that area of the brain gets damaged, like if you get a cancer to that area or a surgery that affects, that area instantly, that person can explain what appropriate social behavior is, but they don’t recognize when their behavior violates that. So it’s manifested by like just a list from a textbook that I looked up on this. It’s greeting strangers in an overly familiar manner, standing too close to others, inappropriate touching, being aware of social norms, like I said, but unaware that your behavior violates that, and that can go to extremes, sexual inappropriateness, language inappropriateness, and they’re just unaware. You and I, if we were to be saying that, it would be sin. In this case, it actually may represent a physical inability. So what’s going on there? I want to think about the brain and the believer. When the Holy Spirit expresses self-control in a believer. So, right, the fruit of the spirit is self-control. And I just said, well, self-control comes from the prefrontal cortex. So are we just our brains? No. When the Holy Spirit makes a believer new. And when the Holy Spirit controls that believer, he does it in a way through the working of our physiologic brain that enables us to submit to him, which means that he’s actually using our prefrontal cortex in a renewed way. I think it’s helpful. Open your Bible’s to Ephesians 5:18. I think this is really helpful. And there is an inner working between the way our brains and our most inner us, your soul, your mind, you’re who you are. There’s a working there that we, don’t truly understand, but that we can get glimpses into here. And I think that that, if we think of the way our brains in the working of the Holy Spirit to accomplish things like self-control, I think this is a helpful verse. Ephesians 5:18, do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery. And what’s that contrasted with? But be filled with the Holy Spirit, with the Spirit. So what does alcohol physically do? Alcohol in a person, it actually, you’re going to now see why I did this physiology lesson, it actually dramatically reduces prefrontal cortex activity. It takes the break off. It takes the filter off. You may still have the Holy Spirit, but the physiologic means that he uses to exercise control of, you would use to minimize your expressions of sin while in this body that’s falling apart, you’ve now chemically altered that. And so you have a lack of self-control, an impaired moral reasoning, increased risk-taking. Similarly, your orbital frontal cortex goes dysfunctional. That’s why I mentioned those two things. That happens with alcohol and anything that stimulates GABA receptors. That would be like benzodiazepines, some sleeping pills, some anti-enactylase, some anti-enactylase. anxiety meds, it can lead to social inappropriateness for those same reasons. Opioids. Research shows that chronic amphetamine and opioid use alters decision-making by ways that are very similar to focal damage to that orbital frontal cortex. You can see now chemicals interacting with your brain in a way that we’re used to seeing those people don’t act right. THC from marijuana, same thing, decreased brain volumes in chronic use, especially in the orbital frontal cortex. Sleep deprivation. Tons of breakdown, temporary, and the connection between amygdala, which is like your fighter flight, your stress area, and your prefrontal cortex connectivity. So sleep deprivation triggers this. You basically don’t have a brain. on your emotional regulation. So why am I going through all that? If we have the ability, it’s right for us to keep ourselves from breaking our brain intentionally. Don’t be drunk. Avoid chemicals that would alter those areas and make the expression of self-control more difficult or less likely. and you can actually, you see it in your kids when they’re unslept, more prone to sin. You see it in yourself. So imagine yourself with 48 hours without sleep, then drink a little bit of alcohol. You will become disinhibited, irritable, and be much more prone to sin. Don’t do that to yourself. But now what happens if that’s actually happening physically because areas of your brain are dying, they’re tangled up with proteins, or they’re otherwise that they can’t access the energy stores to function? That’s effectively what they’re, but they can’t sleep it off or sober up. It helps you be probably a little more understanding and maybe see that it’s not actually a reversing of sanctification, but rather, I think it’s a, well, let’s just turn to 2 Corinthians 4, and I think we’ll see what it is. You see that dementia can change behavior by damaging the brain’s physiologic instruments of restraint and judgment, but it’s not the same thing as the Holy Spirit moving out. sanctification isn’t stored in a lobe of the brain. You are more than your brain. It’s actually our brain is that part of us that’s wasting away. It’s not our inner man. So 2nd Corinthians 4:16, we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. day. This is helpful to remember in somebody whose outer self is falling apart, not just physically their body doesn’t work anymore, but their brain’s not working. This light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison. As we look not to the things that are seen, but the things that are unseen, the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal. It’s really helpful. when we look at somebody with dementia and it looks like they’re becoming less and less Christian. I love the way John Piper says it. He has a helpful ask Pastor John on dementia. And he says, Paul’s telling us that weak, in glorious, demented shadow of a once strong Christian in front of us is on the brink of glory and power. You need to go into nursing homes and think that way. These people are on the brink of glory and power. We must keep this continuity in mind between diminished powers of human beings here and the spectacular powers that they’re going to have in the resurrection. It’s so important if we lose a sense of that continuity for the Christian, will assume that we are becoming less human rather than being on the brink of gloriously superhuman. So it’s helpful to see that your brain is the outer person that’s wasting away. And that isn’t necessarily connected to the what God has done in the most inner you. Confrontation, Rebuke, and Care for the Weak Smedly Yates: Given that reality, Jake, we think about somebody whose inhibitions are broken down. The manifest ability for self-control allows things in the heart to make their way out. Is there ever a place for confrontation, rebuke, encouragement, help for somebody who’s still living the Christian life, still susceptible to sin? At what level is it appropriate? How should we think about, you know, helping behavior and rotten speech and things like that? Jacob Hantla: Yeah, absolutely. There is. You have to recognize that the purpose of rebuke would be repentance, right? And just like with children and with all Christians, it’s really wise and necessary to discern when possible between sin and inability. The reality is that we can’t always do that. But before I go there, I want to get back to this question. Let’s think about ourselves and what we’re going to be prone to do with what I just said. I’m going to be prone, you might be prone, to say, well, I didn’t sin. It’s just my physiology that made me do it. You don’t get off the hook ever in the Bible because your physiology had a weakness. God uses our weakness and our physiology as the platform in which he demonstrates his power, and particularly his power over sin. Our brains, actually a significant part of why they’re weak and why they break like this, is because it’s a part of God’s judgment for us. Romans 1, right? We became futile in our thinking, and our minds were darkened as a result of our unwillingness to acknowledge God as God. We are not merely our brains, and yet the dysfunction of our brains is actually a significant part of the fall. God renews that. He changes that in the believer. And if you as a Christian say, I know where I am particularly vulnerable, maybe I’m heading down a path towards dementia, or maybe I have some particular weaknesses where I haven’t slept much this week. I just had back surgery. I know I’m going to be on an opioid for pain, and I know that I’m going to have a particular—even if you can’t say the area of your brain that’s going to not function right—you're going to say, all right, Jake taught me that I’m going to tend to act inappropriately towards people. I’m not going to view myself rightly. I’m going to have a lack of self-control. I better ask for help. I’m not going to justify sin, but I’m actually going to be more vigilant for it. Fight it more diligently and get people around me to help me fight it. So now let’s go to the question of, is it ever appropriate to rebuke a dementia patient? Let’s assume that person is a Christian. Go to 1 Thessalonians 5:14. If that person is a Christian and they are sinning, even if they’re not even aware of it, they’re going to say, will you please come to me and help me? I’m going to need help. We need to, as best we can, use the right tool for the situation. Discern weakness, faint-heartedness, and still don’t hesitate to admonish unruliness or idleness. So 1 Thessalonians 5:14: “We urge you, brothers, admonish the idle or the unruly, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak.” Do you see those three different instructions? Somebody might be expressing sin. All three of these might be evidences of—in all of these three cases—there might be somebody evidencing unbelief or something that needs turning, changing. And in one case, the tool is admonishment. In another, it’s actually help. And in the other, it’s encouragement. Now consider the person with dementia. Their brain is not functioning the way that yours is. They can’t connect their actions to what’s socially appropriate. They can’t connect their actions with the goals they’re aiming at. They might be unclear as to even the situation that they find themselves in, the context of their life. That’s a pitiable—in all the right ways—pitiable circumstance. That would tend to make that person fainthearted, very weak. What they probably need more than admonishment is help and encouragement. I love Poithress. This is from Piper and Grudem’s book, Recovering Biblical Manhood and Womanhood. He says, “Our privilege as Christ’s children altogether should stimulate rather than destroy our concern to treat each person in the church with the sensitivity and respect due to that person by reason of his age, gift, sex, leadership status, personality,” and I would add mental status. So how should you do this? With mild impairment, let’s just go down a category. If you had somebody with mild impairment—not all dementias, it’s not this catch-all where everybody’s all the same—you can have a mild impairment. Probably normal accountability. They’re going to tend to need more admonishment and help and encouragement, but be slower, be gentle, be more concrete. You’re probably not going to be able to string together three or four if-then statements to logically get them there. Make it simple. Sort of like when you’re admonishing your three-year-old, maybe your five-year-old, your seven-year-old. You still do it, but not in the same way that you would a 25-year-old or a 35-year-old. But then with moderate impairment, your correction probably becomes more redirection. Just simple statements of, “That’s not okay. Let’s go over here.” Change the environment. And then severe impairment, probably treat it more as symptom management, prioritizing safety, comfort. Simple statements still: “That’s not okay.” Like you would use for your one-year-old: “Use your hands for gentleness. We don’t speak like that. That doesn’t honor the Lord.” Normal Aging, Forgetfulness, and Dementia Smedly Yates: Statements like that. This is so helpful, Jake. I think partly because we don’t want to be in a position where we’re shocked and our black-and-white categories of sanctification, justification, get in the way of compassionate care and love for someone who is in a weakened state that needs help. It’s not dismissing sin, but just really helpful, compassionate care. I have a more personal question for you. Last evening, we had a number of friends in our home, and I got confused and thought that a dear sweet friend was somebody else altogether. And it occurred to me later, I asked a really strange question that didn’t make any sense to her at all. Do I have dementia? Jacob Hantla: I don’t think so. But you are getting older. There’s a forgetfulness that’s just a part of being human. And there is a forgetfulness that’s increasingly normal with age. Smedly Yates: You’re right behind me. You’re catching up. No, you’re not catching up, but you’re behind me. Jacob Hantla: Percentage-wise, I’m catching up, and I will never in an absolute, absolute way. So there’s normal aging, and some normal cognitive decline with aging is very different than actual dementia. So if you do have questions about that, it’s helpful. Regardless, if you just say, hey, I’m getting old. I’m not sleeping as well. Just as a result of not sleeping as well, as a result of just being weaker, maybe having more history behind you, some more stuff to forget, or whatever, you realize, hey, I don’t have dementia, but I’m not who I once was. That’s not a bad place to be. There’s a weakness there that’s helpful to get people around you to augment your weaknesses. How much more, if you were heading toward dementia. I promise I’ll tell you if I see it. You do the same for me. But regardless, you might or you might not. I don’t think you do. But let’s say that you’re saying, I forget stuff, do I have dementia? The second that you start thinking that, you’re probably not the right person to be making that call. It’s wise to get family members, elders, even medical professionals, doctors to assess: is this dementia? Is it a reversible cause? What’s the probability it’s going to accelerate? And then as you start seeing more and more likelihood that, yeah, this is progressing, start getting people around you to start relinquishing intentionally controls that you might have on your life. Can you double-check me on any purchases greater than X amount of money? Let’s go update the will. Let’s get you on a power of attorney. Invite them to take away the keys at the appropriate time. Even if you say that’s a long way from now, that’s a really humble way to invite, in a godly way, people who love you to be enabled to help you. Forgetting the Gospel and Childlike Faith Smedly Yates: Jake, can a believer forget the gospel in a mentally diminished state or not have the ability to articulate the gospel? Jacob Hantla: Yeah. They can. Memories are stored in our brain. And you might not have access to those memories even while you are saved. Right? That unbreakable chain of salvation will end in glorification from Romans chapter 8: all those whom he foreknew, and it gets all the way to glorification. And in the midst of that may be a trial like your memories are disconnected from you in a way that you can’t explain concepts like substitutionary atonement, you might not even remember that Jesus is your Savior, though he is. And so if somebody has forgotten those things, don’t tire of reminding them of those things. Because even if that memory can only stay with them for that one moment, it’s real. And it might help them endure that moment. It’s a really complex, I can’t say that we understand it at all. But God does. There’s a complex relationship between our thoughts, our memories, how those connect to our actions, and what our ultimate status before God that’s normally expressed through faith. And you can’t have faith without trusting in Jesus. So how can somebody who doesn’t even know who Jesus is trust in him? I’m just going to say I’m not God. God knows. And when you are in your right mind, if you do, that’s evidence of God’s work in you. Because nobody can say Jesus is Lord apart from, in me, and being it, apart from God changing them, saving them, making them new. And so if their brain breaks, and they no longer are able to say that in the same way, I don’t think that’s going to be devastating because they weren’t saved on the merit of faith, but they were saved by grace through the exercise of faith. That faith may look different now. But it’s helpful to think of what kind of people go into the kingdom. Like the disciples, when the children were coming, and they said, no, don’t let them near. And Jesus says, no, it’s, it’s that kind of person who gets into the kingdom. Don’t think that those, faith doesn’t have to be complex. Faith doesn’t have to be well reasoned out. That doesn’t mean that you have an excuse not to think. Peter says, add to your faith knowledge, right? We are expected to grow in faith. I’d love to hear you expound on this, Smed. But there’s a childlikeness of faith that actually in your dementia, you might be able to express that. In your arrogance, maybe in your self-trusting when your faculties are working, it may actually be God’s means of separating you from your strength, because when we’re weak, we’re strong in him, that we don’t get to see all the interplay of that, but we may be a means moment by moment of reminding the Christian who forgot who Jesus was of who he is. Smedly Yates: I think that’s so helpful. The weakest place you will ever be in life are at your last moments on the earth. No matter how it is you go out of this life. Just last night I was working through the details of the resurrection in 1 Corinthians 15. And listen to this, Paul is comparing the resurrection to a seed sown into the ground and then what comes out afterwards. And there are different levels of glory from sun, moon to stars, different kinds of bodies, fish, and other things. But not everybody’s the same. But every human being who faces physical mortality ends life here and then experiences resurrection, every one of us will experience the most profound weaknesses in the last moments. And here’s how Paul describes it. The body is sown, placed into the ground like a seed, corruptible. Subject to absolute humiliating corruption, raised incorruptible. No longer ever subject to corruption. And when we think about brain deterioration, that word corruption is weighty. Sown in dishonor. The last moments of anyone’s physicality are the most dishonorable. Stripped of power, stripped of strength, stripped of dignity, but raised in glory. And Jake, what you shared earlier about somebody being on the brink of the kind of glory that C.S. Lewis described—if we were to see a resurrected saint now we’d be tempted to fall down and worship them or run away in abject terror. We just have no idea what this glory is like on this side of it. But we go from the lowest, most undignified, most powerless spot in our earthly existence in those last moments. And he goes on and says, put in the ground in weakness, raised in power, put in the ground natural, raised supernatural. And so the earthy is first and then the spiritual. And so it’s just helpful to think about not being surprised when someone is at their most profoundly weak, not just physically but mentally, end-of-life scenarios. Jacob Hantla: Yeah, it’s profoundly humbling. And it makes us want to say, I don’t want to be there. Can I avoid that? Okay. I mean, do your best. And ultimately God may bring us there in a way that all of us, sometimes our last moments are momentary, sometimes our last moments of that corruptible humiliation last a really long time. In this tent we groan, longing to put on our heavenly dwelling, if indeed by putting it on, we may not be found naked. For while we are still in this tent, this physical body that’s falling apart, we groan, being burdened. Not that we would be unclothed. It’s not merely saying, hey, let’s take this thing off, but that we would be further clothed so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. It’s not even worth comparing. And so if that’s the way that God has to be glorified in us—to go back to that first question—okay, I’ll do that. It’s light and momentary, even if it lasts a long time. And even if I’m not even able in the moment to contemplate what time is, it’s humiliating. And you know what? I’m going to ask the Lord to take that from me. I’m going to say, God, please don’t. That’s an okay prayer. That’s similar to what Paul prayed and said in 2 Corinthians 12. And Jesus says, no, my grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. And if Jesus says that to you, Christian, you can say, okay, I’m going to be content with weaknesses. And man, if you get to care for somebody in their weak moments there, it’s helpful to have these things in mind to know they’re on the brink of glory. Marriage, Roles, and Dementia Smedly Yates: I want to move to a practical and theological question related to roles, thinking particularly about husbands and wives honoring biblical roles in marriage, particularly when a husband is experiencing mental decline and dementia. How does a wife caring for a husband honor those roles with a diminished ability? Jacob Hantla: Yeah, that’s a really helpful question. I loved thinking through this. Smedly Yates: I came up with it myself. No. Several people asked. I just wrote it down. Jacob Hantla: You did. I think we want to avoid two opposite errors. One is a view of submission and leadership as a rigid subservience. If a husband can’t lead, the wife can’t act. Or on the other side, a role evaporation. That illness or inability cancels biblical patterns. Both of those would be absolutely wrong. Did you get that? One would be if the husband can’t lead, then the wife shouldn’t be able to act. And if the husband can’t lead because of inability, role distinction, that God set out that is grounded in creation order, not in ability, right? Men aren’t pastors because we’re better at it or smarter at all or better teachers. That’s not where God grounds it. But in his purposes. And so it’s helpful. If we think about what femininity is, so we’re helping a wife whose husband is just incapable of leading in the ways that she wishes he could, a heart that longs to follow. You think of 1 Peter 3:4. The adorning for the woman is in the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God’s sight is very precious. Normally, that’s going to be expressed through submitting to husbands, to their leadership, even in ways, as long as their leadership—for unbelievers, as long as their leadership doesn’t lead them to go against the Lord—even submitting to that with a gentle and quiet spirit. That’s going to play itself out differently for a husband who can’t lead through inability or poor decision-making due to brain decline. You go to Proverbs 31. This breaks the category of a submissive wife as one who’s subservient and just says, “Tell me exactly what to do, so I only do that thing.” No, an excellent wife who can find, she’s far more precious than jewels. The heart of her husband trusts in her. He will have no lack of gain. She does him good and not harm all the days of her life. You see right there a husband who can trust his wife, whose wife is working for his good and not harm, that’s a wife who’s embraced godly roles. It’s not a wife, it’s not neediness that she expresses, but productivity and care. Jump forward to verse 15 of Proverbs 31. She rises while it is yet night, provides food for her household, portions for her maidens, she considers a field and buys it, the fruit of her hand, she plants a vineyard, she dresses herself with strength and makes her arms strong. She perceives that her merchandise is profitable, her lamp does not go out at night. This is a woman who can work, who can work hard, but very different from that which feminists would say, hey, a woman who doesn’t need a man, a woman who functions for her own good, depart from him, but this is a woman who’s functioning strong for the good of her husband. And her husband trusts, she, verse 27, looks to the ways of her household. She doesn’t eat the bread of idleness. Children and her husband call her blessed and praise her. Charm is deceitful, beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised. This biblical femininity is rooted in fear of the Lord, love of her husband, not a desire to dominate over the husband, but to come alongside as a God-given helper to build him up, that can be demonstrated in very unique, very God-glorifying ways with a husband whose mind is increasingly not working. It’s fundamentally a disposition to honor and support the husband voluntarily and gladly. Leadership often involves delegation. So, husbands: if you’re heading that way, plan in advance for the kinds of ways so that your wife, even when you can no longer give your preferences, she knows, and it seems like in the moment, she’s actually working against it when you no longer understand what’s going on. She’s actually able to follow. So it’s good and right for the wife to be productive, capable, in a way that might look independent, but with a hard attitude that supports. So anticipate that. I want to give a personal example. This is actually hard and a little bit embarrassing. So dementia is different than delirium. Delirium is something that’s short-term, usually from a cause. You see it in elderly when they get like UTIs. You can see it from medications. Post-surgery, I see it all the time with anesthesia. As many of you guys know, I spent a long time in the hospital with Burkitt lymphoma. I was getting a lot of chemo. They stick a needle in my spine, give me chemo directly into my cerebral spinal fluid around my brain. I was on tons of pain medication and all kinds of other medications that did weird things to my brain. I don’t remember this time, but there was apparently a few days—I remember bits and pieces of it—where I was out of my mind. I at one point apparently tried to hit Kiki. I took all my clothes off and tried to go in the hall at the hospital. Kiki was a loving, submissive, supportive wife by helping me not do that. I am very grateful for her tearfully persevering, guarding me from myself as my brain was failing me. At that point, thankfully, in a reversible way. But she was not stepping out of her God-ordained role by saying, “No, Jake, you cannot go in the hall naked. No, Jake, you cannot hit me. Jake, get in bed,” and even physically and chemically restraining me for a time. That was a gracious expression of role differentiation that I think honored the Lord and honored me. I remember also, just husbands to wives, me at the—I was reading my vows this morning from almost 25 years ago. I wrote in those vows. And I’d encourage you guys to think through that now. And singles, as you’re thinking through marriage, think through what it might mean in all the different stages. I said, “I pray that as we grow old together, our love will grow stronger because we are together growing as one closer to Christ. I commit myself to loving you, even when your beautiful body is gone, even when your mind is not sharp, even when you do not recognize who I am. No matter what the cost to me, I will be married to you until God takes you.” And that’s what it means. That love isn’t in it for what the other one can give. It’s not self-seeking. It actually seeks the good of the other. So have this mind in you, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped after, but he emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being found in human form. He did that all the way to the point of death, death on the cross. That’s what husbands are called to. That’s what all of us are called to. So thinking, I am above changing this diaper or correcting my spouse for the thousand and seventy-second time this week. Stooping that low is nothing compared to our Savior’s humble condescension to us. And so you actually are embracing God-given roles as a Christian when we help and endure and love our spouse to the very end. Honoring Parents and End-of-Life Care Smedly Yates: And that’s a great segue, Jake. When I think about what you just described, our parents did those very things for us when we were helpless. There may come a time where those roles are reversed and we’re helping our parents in their end-of-life situations. I’m going to ask you a series of questions that came in and you can answer whichever ones you want. I’ll try to go faster so we get through them. Maybe. Maybe we do a part 17 of this series, whatever. But I’m thinking about the command, the prohibition, do not sharply rebuke an older man. And the positive commands honor your father and mother. Those commands don’t expire. And when I think about don’t sharply rebuke an older man, there ought to be an elevated view of those who have walked this life longer than we have. We’ve lost that in an American culture, right? Tribal cultures have kept that in some ways. Other places, other cultures have kept that. We just sort of disregard the elderly as a new cultural phenomenon. And, you know, the word euthanasia, the beginning of the word is, is eu or good and thanasia, thanos, death. Good death. It’s not good. And we don’t discard people when they’re no longer of utilitarian purpose. But that is where our culture is going. And Christians must look very different. So when we think about how do we gently, compassionately, lovingly honor God, honor our parents, loving them through end-of-life scenarios. Here’s a series of questions. How do I honor those relationships when compassionate care, sometimes correction, help the 1,077th time. Dad, use your words. Don’t use your hand. You know, whatever it is. Give me the keys. How do we do that and honor them in our disposition? Number two, is it sin to employ the resources of home health care or a live-in situation, a retirement community, etc.? And then what do we need to think about with end-of-life scenarios? Yeah. That’s a lot of questions. Let’s go. Jacob Hantla: Let’s go. So I think honoring your parents means, first off, it’s a disposition of the heart, but it’s a disposition of the heart that is connected to meeting their physical needs. You went to 1 Timothy 5. Do not sharply rebuke an older man, but encourage him as you would a father. And then dot that dot, second, verse 2, older women as mothers. And then it rolls into, let’s think of widows who are truly widows. Open to 1 Timothy 5. This is maybe a section that you’re like, you might not read this honor widows who are truly widows section, thinking it applies to you. It does. And I think in it is the answer to this question, or at least a significant part of it. Verse four, the thought here is the church needs to take care of widows, but don’t do so in a way that robs a family of the responsibility and need to take care of their own parents. So look at verse four. If a widow has children or even grandchildren, let them first learn to show godliness to their own household. And now look at this three part: make some return to their parents. So rooted in just a mom, dad, thank you for however many years of my life. You changed my diapers and fed me and looked after every need. It’s okay if my career is messed up because I have to have you in my home and I have to go take care of you. That is, do you see what it says? That is actual showing of godliness. I love what you just said. It’s so different than the culture. The culture might do this in a way that Christians have to be sharply different than. It is godliness to make return for the way that your parents cared for you. Number two, this is pleasing in the sight of God. You don’t do it out of social obligation—well, who else is going to do it? They don’t have enough insurance. Or even if they do have insurance and you do get the privilege of having live-in help. No, you are seeking to please the Lord as you make return to them. This is pleasing. Yeah, and then the third was, yeah, so godliness, make return to their parents. It’s please the Lord. Take care of your parents. Meet the needs. And if you don’t, verse 8, do you see what it says? If anyone does not provide for relatives, especially members of his household, do you see what you’re saying? You have denied the faith and you are worse than an unbeliever. This is what James is referring to in chapter 2. That’s a faith that’s dead being by itself. The religion, end of James 1, the true religion, takes care of orphans and widows in their distress. How much more are your parents? So, yes, take care of your parents. You have to. It’s a great privilege. It’s actually God’s ordained means of living out godliness. So can you send your parents to a care home? Does that mean you have to maximally sacrifice? Not necessarily. It doesn’t mean that you have to perform every task. Neglect is sin, but using help may be wisdom. The reality is dementia needs are often 24-7. They involve skilled needs at times. They may wander, fall, be incontinent, unsafe swallowing. Care at home at all costs—that may be rooted in love. It may also be rooted in pride or even foolishness. Honor can actually look like choosing a good facility, visiting often, advocating, overseeing care. Encourage the church to be involved, but don’t demand the church do the work at you avoiding it. I don’t remember what the other questions were. Smedly Yates: That’s all right. We got one minute left, Jake. Would you close our time in prayer? Closing Prayer Jacob Hantla: God, thank you for your word and just how replete it is with wisdom and principles and instruction and most of all revelation of who you are and what pleases you. God, I pray from this and just from this lesson and all the trials that you bring us through related to dementia and so many others that you would increasingly form us each individually and then corporately as your body. Form us into your image. Increase our godliness and then, God, bring us safely home. We love you. Be glorified in our lives and in our church. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen. The post Equipping Hour: Dementia and the Christian Q&A appeared first on Grace Bible Church.

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Reflections on the different gifts of the F(e)ast in different years.

Start the year right by sowing and giving with intention.Genesis 26:12 - 2 Corinthians 9:6-7 - Matthew 13:3

In today's episode, our producer Ace sits down with Claire, an English major with a creative writing concentration, to discuss weird fiction, the Reed library—and what may or may not lie beneath it—and the complexities of being a college student in the modern era. The elevator pitch of Claire's creative writing thesis? Imagine a college that eats people, complete with a student reporter chasing the truth, a dash of ritual sacrifice, and a healthy helping of moral ambiguity. You won't want to miss Ace and Claire's conversation about how literary subgenres can critique capitalism, the difficulty of self-imposed deadlines, the importance of romanticizing one's life, and the idea that sometimes you have to be the one to go looking for the answers that they don't want you to find. Reed community members can read Claire's thesis, “To Reap What is Sown” online in the Electronic Thesis Archive: https://rdc.reed.edu/i/38514f29-e0e5-4d9e-b436-2f8b007d4665 Explore more interviews with Reed College alumni on our website: reed.edu/burnyourdraft

Fall is a rich time of year. One that helps us slow down and reflect. So, grab your coffee (or your tea) as we talk about harvesting what you've sown all year, and in your life's time. 

This sermon from 2 Samuel 2–3a traces the unfolding division between the house of David and the house of Saul, revealing the deep roots of conflict sown through disobedience, pride, and rivalry. We follow the anointing of two kings, the actions of Joab and Abner, the Field of Sharp Swords, and the widening fracture within Israel. The message highlights the danger of strife inside the covenant community and the urgent call for believers to guard the peace and purity of the church. Through these events we are pointed toward the greater Son of David, the Prince of Peace, who brings unity where men sow division. Worship with us at Reformation OPC Gastonia Each Lord's Day 9:30am and 5:30pm 203 Rhyne Oakland Road Gastonia NC 28098 (704) 931 8094 Website: https://refopc.net/ Email: ropcgastonia@gmail.com SermonAudio Tags Church Information: Worship with us at Reformation OPC Gastonia Each Lord's Day 9:30am and 5:30pm 203 Rhyne Oakland Road Gastonia NC 28098 704 931 8094 Website: https://refopc.net/ Email: ropcgastonia@gmail.com

Walter R. Hoefflin | October 26, 2025 hillschurcharcadia.org

Today's episode is being released just after the miraculous ceasefire that has ended the October 7th War in Israel and Gaza.  We celebrate the return of living hostages and many of our beloved dead.  While there is still more to be done, this is a moment to celebrate with music. Aaron Markovitz is currently the Cantorial Soloist at Temple Shir Shalom in West Bloomfield, Michigan.  When this episode was recorded Aaron was the Zipser Family Musician in Residence at Temple Israel. He will share his incredible spirit and musical talent with a song written for moments like this.  The recording features Cantor Neil Michaels on backup vocals.   To hear more of Aaron's music, check out this page: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/aaron-markovitz/1111744849   Edited by: Alex Wolf Original Music Composed by: Dan Hacker   Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/templeisraelmi  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/templeisraelmi/  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLn9spWvsCBvcQ-o5XLeFLHKcLoj2nBAfM  Web: https://www.temple-israel.org/wakinguptolifepod  You can get this podcast anywhere you get your media.  Join over 10,000 listeners who have been inspired by the show. And if you have someone with a story to tell, please contact me at josh@temple-israel.org

Rabbi Steve Berkson takes us on a deep dive through the scripture into the spiritual underworld led by an entity known in scripture as HaSatan. Understanding the enemy of our belief is crucial to successfully living a Torah-observant life.• Opener• Review• Matthew 12:22-24 – Demons?• A lack of understanding of authority • Matthew 12:24-27 – They shall be your judges? • Matthew 12:28-29 – Blinded by what? • Matthew 13:3-9 – The parable of the sower • Matthew 13:10 – To those who possess it?• Matthew 13:13-15 – Hear and perceive • Matthew 13:16-18 – Teachers are still necessary • Matthew 13:19 – Who is this “wicked one”?• Matthew 13:20-21 – Pressure and persecution • Matthew 13:22 – Sown among the thorns• Matthew 13:23 – It's all about the effort? • Matthew 13:24 – This is what the Kingdom is like• Matthew 13:24-41 – The parable of the darnel and the wheat• Matthew 13:42 – Wailing and gnashing of teeth? • Matthew 13:43 – HaSatan's role when this happens?• If you do this, you will be thrown out • Double-minded? • Prayer Listen to the Afterburn tomorrowSubscribe to take advantage of new content every week.To learn more about MTOI, visit our website, https://mtoi.org.https://www.facebook.com/mtoiworldwide https://www.instagram.com/mtoi_worldwidehttps://www.tiktok.com/@mtoi_worldwide You can contact MTOI by emailing us at admin@mtoi.org or calling 423-250-3020. Join us for Shabbat Services and Torah Study LIVE, streamed on our website, mtoi.org, YouTube, and Rumble every Saturday at 1:15 p.m. and every Friday for Torah Study Live Stream at 7:30 p.m. Eastern time.

In this message, Dan Sheed explores Jesus' first recorded parable — the Parable of the Sower — as the doorway into all the others. What if this story isn't about soil management, but about a reckless and generous Sower — a God is who is extravagantly sowing His Kingdom everywhere, even in places of resistance, and how good soil is found not through effort, but through grace and a willingness to listen.

Big Idea: Just like Jesus… 1 Corinthians 15:35-49I. was transformed through death…1 Corinthians 15:35-38But someone will ask, “How are the dead raised? What kind of body will they have when they come?” You fool! What you sow does not come to life unless it dies. And as for what you sow—you are not sowing the body that will be, but only a seed, perhaps of wheat or another grain. But God gives it a body as he wants, and to each of the seeds its own body.II. was uniquely a child of God…1 Corinthians 15:39-41Not all flesh is the same flesh; there is one flesh for humans, another for animals, another for birds, and another for fish. There are heavenly bodies and earthly bodies, but the splendor of the heavenly bodies is different from that of the earthly ones. There is a splendor of the sun, another of the moon, and another of the stars; in fact, one star differs from another star in splendor.III. was raised with power…  1 Corinthians 15:42-44So it is with the resurrection of the dead: Sown in corruption, raised in incorruption; sown in dishonor, raised in glory; sown in weakness, raised in power; sown a natural body, raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body.IV. was eternal…    1 Corinthians 15:45-49So it is written, The first man Adam became a living being; the last Adam became a life-giving spirit. However, the spiritual is not first, but the natural, then the spiritual. The first man was from the earth, a man of dust; the second man is from heaven. Like the man of dust, so are those who are of the dust; like the man of heaven, so are those who are of heaven. And just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we will also bear the image of the man of heaven.Next Steps: Believe: I need Jesus to transform my heart today.Become: I will let hope give me power this week. Be Sent: I will work to grow his kingdom this week.Discussion Questions: How did you demonstrate trust in God this week?In what ways can you show humility in your relationships this week?Describe what you think our resurrected bodies will look like.What is one thing that you most want changed about yourself in heaven?How does following Jesus' example shape your goals for this week?How can you show someone what your heavenly father is like tomorrow?Pray for the opportunity to push back darkness this week. 

1 Cor 15:35-49

Luke's HAARP Time Warp: Part 3 Marion readies her attack. Based on a post by somethin fishy, in 15 parts. Listen to the Podcast at Explicit Novels. Chapter 11. The next morning the three of them all woke at about the same time. Luke was amazed that he had slept in and Cecilia was amazed that she had woken up early and was so rested. Watching Marion trying to walk, Cecilia fell off the bed she was laughing so hard. To rub salt into Marion's wounds, Luke was chuckling a bit as well and all Marion could do was blush. She was too sore, at the moment, to do anything else. They all took turns with the chamber pot and after Marion and Luke had washed each other up a bit; got dressed and went to get something to eat. In the dining area Luke was greeted like a mighty warrior; while Marion was getting jealous looks from every woman in the room. Everyone had heard them and every woman wanted to be her or have a man like she did. This actually cheered Marion up quite well. She actually was enjoying the looks that she was getting; after all it just proved that she had something that none of them could even dream of. The innkeeper meanwhile had given the lovebirds free food. This annoyed Luke but he yielded after the innkeeper explained that she was not only very happy for them, but their love making had lured extra people in for supper the night before. It had actually been standing room only and the only fighting had been when someone else made too much noise. She had made more money off Luke and Marion's love making then she had made in the previous month. Marion's reaction to this got laughs from everyone in the room because she flushed the deepest red that anyone had ever seen. Cecilia had also noticed that she had been getting some jealous looks; but hers were equally from men and women. It didn't take her long to figure out that they were jealous of her front row, well bed seat, to last night's entertainment. Of course, it didn't hurt that all three of them smelled like hot sex. Eventually they got done eating breakfast and returned to their room to pack up. Within an hour they were on the road to York. The three of them traveled quickly for Cecilia had given up on killing Marion on the road. Now she figured that she would use Marion to keep Luke around. Of course, that didn't mean that Marion could be free; oh no. The first thing that Cecilia planed on doing when she got home was to trump up some charges against Marion to have her thrown in the dungeon. With Marion still alive, Cecilia could use her to force Luke's cooperation. While traveling, Luke had noticed the change in Cecilia's behavior. At first, he had hoped that she might be starting to change, but a couple of comments, that she made, put this theory to rest; after all how often do leopards change their spots. Marion though, was overjoyed at her sister's change in demeanor for she had always wanted a loving sister growing up and now, apparently, she had one. As they rode Cecilia and Marion talked and joked as if they were the best of friends. Luke started to just ignore them and instead focused on keeping a look out for traps. The rest of their trip back to Cecilia and Marion's land was uneventful. Cecilia's charm though, wasn't fooling Luke and he began to mentally prepare himself to do whatever he had to do, including abandoning Marion, in order to keep his knowledge from getting into the wrong hands. As they passed back into their family lands, the ladies immediately noticed a change. A blind person could have seen it. Houses were burnt and the people that lived in the area were starting to show signs of starvation. It was so bad that even Luke felt sickened by the sights. Cecilia and Marion were pale as ghost as they threw up everything in their stomachs. Eventually, Marion found one of the people that she trusted. It was an older woman, Lucy, who had lost her husband years before. Lucy had been Marion's nanny, back when Marion was younger and they had retained a close friendship. When Marion first saw Lucy, Marion actually had to look very hard to make sure for Lucy had changed so much since Marion had last seen her, and that was just a week before Marion had left for London. “Lucy what happened?” “It was Richard. As soon as the three of you left for London, he moved in and took over. The guards that remained loyal are rumored to be in Richard's dungeon; that is if they have not been killed by torture yet. Where is your father anyway?” Lucy was so depressed and dirty that it broke Marion's heart, for she loved this woman. Lucy was the mother that Marion had never known. “Father was killed in an ambush. John, Cecilia's fiancé was killed too. The ambush was led by none other than William.” Lucy hissed at hearing this. “I am so sorry, Marion. Now the big question, who is the giant behind you?” “Oh sorry. Lucy this is Luke. Luke this is Lucy. She took care of me when I was younger. Lucy, Luke is the stranger that rescued Cecilia and me from the ambush. He killed William with his bare hands and he has been keeping us safe ever since. Also, we have fallen in love.” “Oh really.” “What, I am not allowed to fall in love?” Lucy smiled at this. Marion had always had a bit of fire in her soul. “Back to serious issues Marion, you three need to get out of here before you are discovered. Word has it that Richard has put a bounty on your and Cecilia's heads.” “Not to fear Lucy, the only head that is going to be collected will be Richard's” growled Luke. Lucy now felt a spike of fear go through her. She had never heard a human sound like this. This Luke sounded much more like a wild animal. More to her surprise, the look on Marion's face had hardened as well. Obviously these two knew something that Lucy didn't. “Lucy, I need all the information and rumors that you have on this Richard bastard.” Said Luke. Over the next hour the woman told Luke everything that she knew about Richard. Richard was an older Earl that lived next to their land and had been eyeing Marion's family land for years. Richard was one of those who get everything that he wanted, mostly because he was very quick to resort to very dirty and underhand tactics to get them. In the thirty years since Richard had gained his Earldom, he had tripled his land holdings. In the process, he had killed off whole villages and had put such a tax burden on the peasants living on his land that many of them were in a constant state of half starvation. This is what he had started doing in Cecilia and Marion's lands, but here he taxed the peasants at such a high rate that many of them would be dead by the end of the year. If a peasant couldn't pay the tax then one of several things might happen to them: they might be tortured, killed, if there were good looking women in the family then they would be taken to serve Richard or his men, young boys would be taken to be turned into soldiers. To put it simply, Richard viewed everyone below him as an expendable plaything and everyone including the king was below him, in his mind. By now, Cecilia had realized that she would have to put a hold on getting revenge on Marion. There was no way that Cecilia would live long enough to make up the charges against Marion, never mind pump Luke for information. Luke listened carefully to everything that the women told him and asked pointed questions if he thought that they might have missed something. Finally, Luke asked Lucy: “Where can I find Richard?” “Why he now lives in the castle” said Lucy while she pointed at the castle that had once been Marion and Cecilia's home. Luke gave Lucy some money and one of their extra horses and told her to get lost and if he failed to get rid of Richard, never come back. Luke had figured out, listening to all the stories that the only way to get rid of Richard was to kill him. So that's what Luke set out to do. He had Marion show him a spot from which Luke could watch the castle and remain hidden. He then told Cecilia and Marion to get back to Lincoln and stay there until Luke sent for them. Cecilia was good with this, Marion wasn't. Eventually it was agreed that Cecilia would travel to Lincoln with Lucy and Marion would help Luke. The ladies hugged each other when Cecilia set off with Lucy. Luke and Marion had given almost all their money to Cecilia and Lucy. Luke had told Lucy that she should find some business to invest in. That way she could keep making money and would have a secure future. Luke now had to face the problem that he didn't know what Richard looked like. Yes, he could shoot Richard from a long way off, but he had to know what Richard looked like first. Marion couldn't take Luke to show him Richard, because too many people in the castle knew Marion. Then he hit on a solution. Luke would go into the castle, claiming to be a Scottish mercenary looking for a new job. “How are you going to do that?” asked Marion “You're not Scottish.” “Something I haven't mentioned to you, my family name is MacDougall, and I've spent enough time in Scotland to fake the accent good enough. Just have to hope that Richard doesn't have any other MacDougall's around.” “Damn it Luke, how many more secrets do you have?” “If you're afraid of the answer then you probably shouldn't ask the question my dear. On the plus side, you already know my biggest one. The rest aren't too bad.” Marion just gave him the stink eye. “I should only be gone for a couple of days. If I'm not back by sunset four days from now, get out of here as fast as you can and never look back.” Marion was starting to argue, but Luke wasn't having any of it. “Damn it Marion, think with your head and not your pussy. We can't launch an attack without knowing what all Richard has going on inside and you are too well known to go in. That leaves me, plus I have a military background so I know what to look for.” Again, Marion was gearing up for a fight, when she suddenly drew in her breath. She had realized that once again Luke was right and that if she tried to go in, she would be caught before the sun had gone done. “Okay, Luke. Get going, just be careful and remember that I love you.” “I love you too, Marion. Remember if I'm no back by sunset four days from now get out of here, and take all my gear with you.” With that, Luke mounted his horse and started riding toward the family of York's castle. Chapter 12. Getting inside the castle was a pain for Luke, for he was searched multiple times. Finally, he managed to get through the guards. Once inside, Luke was amazed at how destitute the place was. Everywhere it seemed there were people hanging at the end of ropes or in stocks. The air was thick with flies, but the remaining people didn't seem to even notice. He saw some desperate people actually walk up behind someone in stocks and carve a big piece of flesh from them. A number of the people hanging appeared to be merchants and craftsmen which amazed Luke; after all what kind of idiot ruler would go after the very people who earned the money to pay the taxes. Of course, three answers came to Luke's mind. Evil despot rulers, socialist, and communist and usually the evil despot rulers were brightest of the three. Their end goal was always the same just dressed up in different ways; power for themselves and their supporters. Luke didn't even have to look for an inn because there were so many abandoned homes to pick from but first Luke had to get a meeting with this Richard idiot. This actually proved to be very easy. Luke just walked right up to the main castle doors and told the guard that he was a mercenary looking for a job. Luke looked the part too with two swords, an impressive collection of knives, and a large shield that he had bought while in Lincoln. When Luke finally met the Earl Richard for the first time Luke almost fell to the floor laughing. This guy had some serious man issues. For starters he was hideously ugly. Marion of course had told his this, but Luke had never pictured something this ugly. Another thing was Richard was extremely short, even for the era. Luke estimated him to be no more than four foot nine or ten. Finally, the guy had some kind of speech problem which for normal people wasn't a problem, but for people who thought of themselves masters of the world, this was a major problem. “So, I hear that you want a job as one of my soldiers?” “Yes sir, that is correct.” Stated Luke with his slight Scottish accent. He could have laid it on thicker but figured that keeping things light would help convince Richard that Luke was really a very experienced soldier. “Why?” “Why not. I need a job and I heard that you sir are hiring.” “Well, let us see what you can do.” “David, Matt, John. Test this man's metal.” Richard set back to enjoy the entertainment. He was going to enjoy watching his best man whittle this giant down to size. The three of them approached Luke spaced out evenly around him. Luke waited until the last possible second, then stuck. Using the same method that he had used on William; Luke sidestepped David's strike, grabbed his right wrist with one hand and broke is elbow with his other. Luke then moved and snapped David's neck. This pissed the other two men off for all three were very close. With new fury they moved on Luke who was still calm as ever. This time he drew his swords. These were hand and a half swords, but in Luke's hands they became single handed swords. With longer swords and much more strength, Luke quickly forced the other two knights back. Finally, Matt managed to get past Luke's swords and deliver a blow to Luke. This blow was normally a fatal blow, but Luke just shrugged it off. Before Matt could get out of the way, Luke hit him between his eyes with the pommel of one of his swords. Matt's skull shattered with the blow causing everyone around to cringe. Now it was one to one and John was not only in a rage, but was also fearful. He had seen both his best friends killed before his eyes and this giant had received a usually fatal blow from Matt. Yet it barely seemed to affect him. Luke now went on an all-out attack on John. It was all John could do to keep Luke's blades off of him. If John didn't do something fast, he would be killed too. Finally, John had an opening and he took it. Problem was that Luke had purposely let his have that opening and taking it proved to be a fatal mistake for John. As John delivered what he hoped would be at least a debilitating blow on Luke, Luke trapped John's sword and pulled John to him. Close in, Luke dropped his swords, picked up John, turned him over, and drove him head first into the floor. This completely crushed John's head. It was so bad that you couldn't even tell that it had been a head. Luke the casually picked his swords up and sheathed them. He then started to return to in front of Richard who was sitting in his chair with is mouth open. He had never seen someone win a three to one fight so fast. As Luke got back to where he had started, he heard the unmistakable sound of a bow being drawn. As quick as lighting, Luke drew a throwing knife and let it fly. It stuck the bowman in the throat, killing him instantly. Luke walked over, kicked his knife loose of the man's neck, wiped it off on the man's uniform, and returned the knife to its place. By now the look of fear was in every face of the room, including Richard's. It was obvious to all that this man was not one to be messed around with. Upon returning Luke asked: “Well, happy now?” “Yes, you are a remarkable soldier, how did you survive Matt's strike; sorcery?” Luke snorted at this. “Sorcery please? Do not insult me in such a way ever again. I survived because I designed my own armor which is hidden in my clothes. Only complete losers blame their loss on sorcery. Real men take responsibility for their victories as well as their defeats.” “So, they do, friend. So, they do. Now to business, what would you be charging for your services?” “Eighty pounds sterling a year.” He had talked with Marion and she had told him that while this was a bit expensive Richard would gladly pay it to have a soldier of Luke's caliber. “Sixty pounds a year plus I will provide you with girls to use whenever you please.” “Seventy, plus some girls of my choosing.” “You drive a hard bargain, Hildyard. I accept and my I say that name suits you very well.” “Thank you my lord.” Luke had picked this alias for that very reason. It meant one who is like a wolf in battle. “Take my new knight to pick his girls.” Richard said to a servant. The servant wouldn't even dare look at Richard for Richard would kill anyone who he thought gave him a disrespectful look. Luke followed the servant into another set of rooms. There were many good-looking females there, some being quite young and some being decent looking Milfs. “Thank you, my good man. What is your name?” asked Luke looking at the servant. “Michael, sir” Kneeling down in front of the servant Luke said quietly to him: “Never call me sir again, you hear me. My name is Hildyard. Got it?” “Yes sir, Hildyard” said Michael with a slight grin. “Good.” Luke had a warm smile on his face “When you tell your friends about me as I am sure that you will, make sure that you pass the word on to them.” “Yes Hildyard.” With that, the servant scampered away almost causing Luke to laugh. Turning back to the women, Luke had to work to hide just how disgusted he really felt. These women were being forced into sex slaves because their family couldn't pay the sky-high taxes that Richard insisted on levying on them. Luke quietly looked at each one. Finally, he thought that he might have a way that he could do this. Going to one of the servants by the door: “This is going to be a hard choice for me to make. Can you show me to my chamber and then have the women report to it one at a time please?” “Yes sir. This way sir.” the servant snapped. Luke sighed to himself, this servant hadn't heard his bit to Michael. ‘Oh well' thought Luke. Once Luke had been shown his chamber, the women were sent in one at a time like he had requested. Luke had to be very careful here for one false move on his part and Richard would figure out that Luke was lying through his teeth and then it was only a matter of time. As Luke carefully questioned each of the women, he had to work at sounding like an arrogant mercenary soldier when in fact all he wanted to do was to get the woman out of there and back to their homes. Luke finally picked some young ladies who were all a bit younger than Marion and an older one that had worked in the castle while Marion had lived there. The reason that Luke had picked the younger woman was to help protect them for they were brand new to the harem and were still virgins. He had absolutely no intention of forcing himself on any of them. Of course, this first night he would be able to use being very tired as an excuse but the following nights could be difficult. Finally, it was time for bed. Luke had managed to procure a separate room for “his” woman so that no one else would have a chance to force themselves on them. Luke took the oldest one into his room for the night. Of course, he had already checked out the room twice and had found no hidden listening holes. Still, he had to be careful. The older lady was named Stella and Luke put her age about thirty or so. “So, Stella what can you tell me about yourself. I find sex to be more enjoyable when I know something about the bitch.” “Well, I am twenty-nine years old, I think. Married once but he died from an accident. I had one child with him but she died before she made it to one year old. I have been working in this castle all my life and I know exactly how to please men.” “What can you tell me about the previous owners? I have heard whispers about them but none of it makes any sense.” “Why do you want to know about the previous owners?” “Because I am curious, so humor me please.” “The owner was named Charles. He was a good man who lost his wife so after his youngest daughter, Marion, was born. After this he never remarried but used the ladies of the castle to keep him company. It was actually very good for us because he was kind and gentle with us.” “You mentioned a daughter?” “He actually had two, Cecilia and Marion. Cecilia was a two-faced wild child, but Marion was kind, loving, and very intelligent.” “Was?” “Yes, word has it that they were killed on their way back from London which is just as well. For if they had gotten back here, Richard would have had Charles tortured and imprisoned and his daughters would have become Richard's concubines.” “I see. I can see where death would be preferable. Come here Stella.” Stella came up to Luke, expecting to be ravaged, but to her surprise Luke invited her to lay with him while she still had her clothes on. “Master what is wrong? Do I not please your eyes?” “Never call me master. My name is Hildyard and that is what I expected to be called. Understand?” “Yes” squeaked Stella. “Good. Now for tonight I just want a beautiful, caring woman to curl up with; for after my travels and the excitement of this afternoon I am too tired for any fun right now.” With that Stella curled up in Luke's arms and quickly found herself feeling safer than she had felt in years. This man was very kind and considerate; a bit weird for a man but Stella could live with that. He was much better than Richard was that was for sure. When she woke up the next morning, Luke was gone. His spot was still warm though so he wasn't far away. Indeed, as she put her feet on the floor, Luke came through the door holding two bowls of stew. He gave Stella her pick of the two and he took the other one. He also gave her a piece of bread and a few veggies. Now Stella was just blown away by this man. He was far kinder than any other man she had ever met. She was also glad that he had been able to get the fresh virgins before Richard could get to them for Stella knew that Hildyard would be gentle with them; while Richard purposely was extra rough with fresh meat. After they finished eating Luke gave Stella her assignment for the day. “I want you to care for my ladies. Get them cleaned up. A couple of them smell so bad that it is hard to be in the same room with them. Also, if anyone of the bastards so much as touches any of them I want to know about it. Got it?” “Yes, Hildyard” “Good. Now I have to get going for I have a lot of things to get done today.” Chapter 13. Luke wasn't actually worried that anyone would mess with his ladies, he had scared everyone shitless yesterday, but it was always better to be ready. Luke first went to the training yard to work out with some of the other knights and other soldiers, at least that's what he told everyone. In reality he was looking for weaknesses, learning about these knight's fighting styles, and learning just how many men Richard had here. Many of the knights seemed to be second rate and the soldiers only went about their training half heartily. Luke could guess why, but the last thing he wanted to do was ask them. The problem with asking questions is that you tell the person that you're asking that the information you seek is in some way important to you so Luke spoke as little as possible. After a few hours of training, Luke had a little bit of free time, so he wondered the town. Everywhere he went he could feel the people's eyes following him. He could feel the hatred in their looks. This, of course, put him on high alert but thankfully no one attacked. He made sure to quietly pay extra for all the food that he bought. Most of it he would take back for his ladies so that they could start to regain their strength. He dropped the food off in his quarters and went to find Richard for he had an important meeting scheduled. Luke had a contract to sign with the devil. To Luke's surprise, the contract was in order and ready for signature. After signing Luke got his first assignment. He was to go toward London and look for Richard's son William. William should have reported in by now and yet nothing had been heard of him. While out Luke was to keep an eye out for the previous owners. If Luke met them, he was to kill or capture them, whichever was most convent at the time. Luke couldn't believe his ears; this was going to play right into his hands. As an added bonus, he could take his women with him and he would have a small escort. The escort part bothered Luke a bit but they were easy to get rid of. On the other hand, though…Luke requested that he be able to choose his men. He figured that three should be enough. Richard agreed but only allowed Luke two. Luke made sure to pick two of the men that had shown the most hatred toward Richard's knights during the training session. Luke told them that they would be setting out first thing in the morning so they had better get some rest. Upon returning to his chamber for the evening, he was surprised that all his ladies were in the room. When Luke entered, they all stopped talking and looked at him. Luke had to admit that they definitely cleaned up nice. Then Stella stepped forward: “Hildyard, rumor has it that you are leaving in the morning?” “That is correct. Are you speaking for the group, Stella?” “Yes I am.” “Well then get on with it or let them speak for themselves.” “We thank you kindly for the extra food. That was the best that we have ate since this Richard took over.” “Well, no thanks are necessary.” Luke said to the group with a warm smile that always seemed to melt hearts. “Now ladies listen up. I will be leaving very early in the morning on a special mission. I have been given permission for you to accompany me on my journey. We will also have a two-man escort. Now I suggest that all of you get to bed now, for I want to be going through the gate just as it is getting light. Now move and no arguments.” Tonight, Luke took the youngest of the ladies to bed with him. Her name was Gabriel and she reminded Luke a lot of Marion. “Hildyard, I have no idea how to please...” That was as far as she got before Luke cut her off with a gentle kiss. “Do not worry about that for now. Just come sleep next to me for we have to be up early in the morning.” Gabriel was starting to feel things that she had never felt before and Hildyard was causing those feelings. “But” Luke just gave her his special shut the fuck up look. It worked every time he used it, and it did here as well. Gabriel curled up next to Luke and like Stella the night before felt completely safe and quickly fell asleep. As promised, Luke was up very early the next morning. He figured that it was about three AM. He went around to all the ladies, gently woke them up, and ordered them to get ready to leave. Then he made his way to the barracks; here he wasn't gentle at all. He expected his men to follow orders and sure enough, neither of them was up yet. Luke woke them up with his boot on their asses. “Get up you miscible excuses for soldiers! Get up now! When I tell you to be ready to go at a certain time you had better be ready to go.” Luke's voice boomed through the barracks. He was being far meaner than usual on purpose. He figured that these men would probably continue to be soldiers once he helped Marion take over and Luke wanted to get a start on instilling disciple in the men. Luke had to wait almost an hour for the men to get squared away and ready to go. Of course, he had already anticipated this; after all that's why he woke everyone up so early. Finally, everything was ready and the small group set off. The two soldiers weren't happy to put it mildly. They had been dragged out of their billet before dawn, they were assigned to escort a monster and a group of his concubines, and the worst part was that this Hildyard had the complete support of that asshole Earl Richard. They were partisans for the previous landowner and they were convinced that Richard had something to do with the Charles's disappearance. “When that bastard is busy with his women, it will be the prefect chance to get rid of him, and then we can rescue those women and get them back home.” One of the escorts said quietly to the other as they were headed out of the castle. The other nodded in agreement. The trip out of the town gates went quickly for the sun was just starting to lighten up the Eastern sky. Luke made sure that they headed out the right gate so that Marion would see them. As the group was ready to head into the forest, the escort was out in front of the group; they came across a man standing in the road, wearing a long cape with the hood up. “Get out of our way!” one of the escorts, Michael yelled. He was agitated and this man had already pissed him off. “I have just as much right to be on this road as you do.” Answered the man calmly. This really pissed Michael off and he drew his sword. His companion, Tom drew his too. Luke just calmly watched but didn't draw his sword for he figured who the man was. “Why are you not drawing your weapon?” asked Stella “Why bother? The odds are already two-to-one, plus I know who that is and I have no desire to cross swords with her.” “Wait. Her?!?!” exclaimed Stella. “Just watch.” Marion waited until both men committed to their attack before making her move. She used her staff to knock both men off their mounts. Then she made sure to grab both men's mounts before they ran off. The last thing Marion wanted to do was to chase done the horses. She tied the horses to a nearby branch. By the time that Marion got the horses under control and tied up, the men were finally getting to their feet and to say that they were pissed would have been an extreme understatement. How had this peasant dismounted both of them? Marion just waited for them to get up. The men both charged at the same time and this time Marion actually had to fight back a bit. She used a leg sweep to take Tom out and she side-stepped Michael. Before Michael could turn around, Marion had him in a sleep hold and her knee was planted firmly in his back. With Tom still suffering from the wind being knocked out of him; it was just Marion and Michael so when she demanded that he yield, he did. Marion then drew her sword and held it to Tom's throat and demanded that he yield as well. Tom had no choice so he did. Marion then turned to Luke. “Well big guy, how about you? Are you going to join the party?” “I think not. I've done some dumb things in my time, but I'm not stupid.” The ladies in his group looked at him, confused. Luke didn't strike them as cowardly but here he was refusing to give battle and what was those strange words that he used. “No, you're not, Luke. You're a lot of things but you're not dumb.” Giggled Marion Now everyone in the group was confused. Who was this man? Why was Hildyard afraid of him? Who is Luke? “Now that I have everyone's attention...” said Marion. She then dramatically swept off her hood and there was a collective gasp from the group. This man that Hildyard was afraid of was a woman. Stella then recognized who it really was, leapt off her horse, ran to Marion, and fiercely embraced her. Stella whispered in Marion's ear, while embracing her: “What are you doing here? Marion, get out of here. Now! Hildyard has orders to arrest or kill you on sight. Get out of here, I will try and hold Hildyard off so you can escape.” “Stella, why would I want to escape?” Stella was alarmed for she cared deeply about Marion. Marion turned to Luke “Seriously Luke, Hildyard” Luke dropped his Scottish accent “What? I thought it was a nice touch.” With that he got off his horse walked over to Marion, picked her up, kissed her, and swung her around. Marion was laughing during this. Finally, they both turned to the group, who were now confused, afraid, and several emotions that they didn't know what they were. Marion then spoke to the group. “Everyone, I want to introduce to you Luke MacDougall, and yes he is my man. He rescued Cecilia and I when Richard's son attacked us. Luke killed William's men and killed William with his bare hands. Since then, he has been protecting us on the journey home. Cecilia has returned to Lincoln with Lucy until the crisis is over. By the way Luke, your gear is safely hidden away in camp” Luke turned to the women that he had brought with him “All of you are now safe. If you want you can return home.” One of the ladies started crying: “I cannot return home. Richard's men destroyed it.” Marion ran to comfort her while the others gave a similar story. While Marion was taking care of the women, Luke walked over to the guards. “Neither of you have anything to fear. I taught her” Luke pointed at Marion “how to fight. That is why both of you got your asses beat, and no I have no intention of supporting a bastard like Richard. I am completely loyal to Marion.” The relief on the men's faces was as obvious as it was instant. Michael also started to look a bit guilty for he remembered their plans and wasn't sure what to do or even what to think. Luke saved him from further worry. “No need to worry Michael. I figured that you and Tom were planning on killing me eventually. The reason I picked you two was the shear hatred, for Richard and his men, that I had seen in your eyes during our training season the other day.” Both of them were now red as beets and Luke had to laugh. “Part of the training that I got, when I was in the military, was how to look for traps and part of that is properly reading people. Now I am going to need your help. I want to help Marion get rid of Richard permanently. Will you two help me, help her.” “That bastard killed my wife in front of me after he and his men raped her. He took my daughters and made them his concubines, and he hung my sons from the ceiling of my house. He then forced me to be one of his soldiers and if I refused then my daughters would be killed very slowly. I only became one of “his men” to hopefully find a way to save my daughters.” Said Tom “What is your story, Michael?” asked Luke. “My family was killed several years ago. I had to come to town for a few days and when I returned home, I found out that they had all gotten sick and died while I had been gone. I became a soldier so that I would hopefully never have to return to that village again. Life was good while Charles was the lord running things, but under that devil Richard no one is safe. I was actually getting ready to leave and head to London.” “Well men, will we help me and hopefully afterwards stay soldiers but this time under Marion?” Neither man looked at the other one. They went up to Marion, drew their swords, kneeled in front of her, and held their swords up to her. Behind them, Luke smiled. He was happy that once again his instincts had been correct. Marion's embarrassment was just an added bonus. “Stand up, both of you. Luke did you tell them to do this?” Marion asked with a bit of venom in her voice. She had caught him smiling. Luke just shrugged at her. Luke and Marion then spent the next hour learning everyone's stories and telling their story. Neither Luke nor Marion mentioned that Luke was from the future. They were not ready to revile that secret, yet. Eventually, Luke and Marion stood next to each other, Luke with his arm around Marion's shoulder, “So ladies will you help us as well?” asked Marion. “But, we're women...” “And I'm not a woman?” asked Marion cutting them off. “That's…that's not what we meant Lady Marion.” Said the women all at once. Marion looked crossly at them and they all shrunk in fear. They were really thrown for a loop when Marion then smiled warmly at them. “Not to worry for once I was like you. I could not defend myself and then I met Luke. He taught me how to fight and more importantly when to fight and when to retreat and I bet that he will teach all of you too. One more thing, I am just Marion, not Lady Marion” Marion then looked at Luke and he nodded. Chapter 14. Over the next month, Luke and Marion trained everyone in the group basic self-defense tactics. The ladies were amazed at how their fortunes had changed. They had started off as simple concubines only allowed to live if they were able to please men and now, they knew how to protect themselves. Luke also taught them how to be soldiers. The guys didn't really agree with teaching the women how to fight or be soldiers, but they certainly were not going to complain. After all they now had a chance to square accounts with Richard. Part of their training was to ambush groups of Richard's soldiers as they raided the countryside. At first the women had a hard time killing, but they quickly got over it. When they would look at Marion, they would always take heart. In battle, Marion was proving to be not only extremely intelligent but also could be very cold blooded and ferocious when she had to be. She had no problems with executing prisoners that they took. Marion knew that they couldn't give prisoners a chance to escape and warn Richard. They also didn't have the extra manpower to guard them or food to feed them. In every battle, they would strip the dead of gear. When they had extra gear, they would put it in hiding so that they could come back and get it later. The better the women became the more disgruntled Michael became. He didn't believe in women in combat or even having them as soldiers, but he did admit that having them in close quarters did provide him with some unique opportunities for he was a serial rapist and murderer. There was nothing that he liked better then popping a virgin's cherry, filling her up with cum, and then forcing her to suck all the bloody cum off his cock before he strangled them. In this group he thought that he had found the pinnacle of virgins, Gabriel. She was tall, had chestnut colored hair that was full and wavy. She had warm, brown eyes, a firm pair of tits and with all the exercise that she had been getting over the last moth; she was developing a very firm ass. He wasn't worried about the fact that she had taken to Luke and Marion's training the best for he was planning on surprising her, raping, and killing her before anyone else knew what was going on. Afterwards, he would disappear and continue his raping somewhere else. Finally, it was the evening before the group was planning on returning to York. Their raiding of Richard's men had taken its toll on Richard's forces. They were afraid to leave the safety of the castle for even a short distance because just leaving the gates was proving to be very dangerous. Marion had made sure to leave some of the corpses where they could be seen from the castle walls. She had done this at Luke's urging while he explained to her the modern-day concept of Psy Ops. The more she thought about this, the more she liked it. If the enemy could be mentally defeated before battle then you would suffer fewer causalities and maybe you could even avoid a battle in the first place. Michael meanwhile had been watching everyone in the group and he finally saw his perfect opportunity to strike. The rest of the group had bedded down early so that they could get up early and get ready. Gabriel had gone down to the stream so that she could get a quick bath. She was unaware that she was being followed. Just as she had got her clothes off, Michael stuck. He came up to her quickly, put one of his powerful hand over her mouth and held his knife to her throat with the other one. Normally this would have been more than enough, but Gabriel now knew what to do. Before Michael could react, she drove her heal into his knee. While she didn't break it, he was now hurting and lost his grip on Gabriel. As soon has her mouth was free, she screamed. Michael was too busy trying to get control of his prey to care, after all they were a way away from the camp and everyone else had turned in. Michael was able to land a punch squarely in Gabriel's face. This knocked her to the ground and the force of hitting the ground stunned her. Michael untied his pants and slowly lowered them. He loved seeing the fear on his victim's faces when they realized what was about to happen to them. As Michael was getting on his knees so that he could force his way into Gabriel's virgin cunt, he felt something cold and sharp touch the back of his neck. This caused him to freeze. Slowly he turned his head and found himself looking into Marion's expressionless face. “Hey Luke, before we go to sleep, I have something to tell you.” Luke looked down at Marion. She had assumed their usual post coitus spot. Her head lying on his shoulder and one of her legs over his with her cream filled pussy leaking on him. “Oh ya what's that.” Said Luke half asleep. “I'm pretty sure that I'm pregnant. Won't know for sure for a little while but I missed my last period and I've not been feeling good in the mornings.” Luke was now fully awake. During their time together he had never given a thought to Marion getting pregnant. Mentally Luke cursed himself for being such an idiot. Yes, he loved Marion, but Luke wasn't sure why he had been transported to this universe and Marion having a child could cause serious problems if Luke ever got the opportunity to go home. This is why he never told Marion all he knew about the future. He never even told her his real fears of leaking the information that was locked away in his head. Marion misread the look on Luke's face. “Don't worry honey, it was bound to happen eventually and I'm so happy to be carrying your child.” Luke took a deep breath. He was going to have to finally tell Marion all of his fears. As he was about to start, they both heard a scream and recognized it as Gabriel. Marion grabbed her sword and raced off toward the scream as fast as she could still naked. Luke stopped to put his pants and then he was following in Marion's wake with both of his swords. When Luke caught up, he found Gabriel on the ground still stunned. Her clothes had been put on a nearby branch so Luke assumed that she had been getting a bath. Marion had her sword at someone's neck but however it was, was facing away from Luke. Then they turned their head and Luke could see that it was Michael. Luke went over and helped Gabriel to her feet and gave her back her dress. Meanwhile Marion was forcing Michael to return to camp without his clothes. Gabriel had serious problems walking so Luke decided just to carry her. He gently picked her up and cradling her in his arms, carried her back. Marion forced Michael back to camp and made him get on his knees. “You think making me get on my knees will change anything bitch then you are dumber than I thought you were. I was well within my rights as a man to demand that she service me.” Marion leaned in and whispered in his ear “It's not just me that you have to worry about. And if you think that raping that poor girl makes you a man then I have to wonder how humans have survived so long. With such sorry excuses for a man as yourself, we should have all died off thousands of years ago. I'm willing to bet that it was actually Adam that got humans kicked out of the garden and when the men writing the bible realized the truth, they switched the roles so that history wouldn't find out the truth.” By this time, Luke had returned with Gabriel and she was starting to recover. Luke tried to hand her off to Stella to care for but Gabriel wasn't having it. “I want to see what happens to him.” Her voice was one of iron and Luke knew that arguing wouldn't do him any good. “Well come on then” was all he said. Luke was actually impressed when he realized what Marion was doing. She was organizing a trial by jury. Everyone knew what had happened but Marion wanted to start establishing a precedent. She was obviously thinking long term and Luke was impressed. Once everyone in the group had gathered; the trail started. Gabriel told all what happened and what Michael said. Michael was given the opportunity to defend himself but refused. He obviously didn't realize Marion's growing power and strength. Finally, it was time for the group to vote on Michael's guilt or innocence. The entire group voted Michael guilty. Michael was stunned when Tom voted with the women. While Michael had been growing disgruntled, Tom had been changing as well. He saw the women getting stronger and he found that he was being drown to them and one in particular, Stella. They were close to the same age and had both had a hard life. Stella, for her part, was well aware of Tom's attraction to her and while she hadn't made a final decision on the matter yet, she was starting to have naughty thoughts about Tom especially while Luke and Marion were practicing their love making. With the guilty verdict, Marion passed sentence on Michael. He would be castrated, his balls would be forced down his throat, and then he would be executed. Luke was stunned by her harshness. He had never seen Marion so cold as she was now but he didn't argue. After all, this was her time era not his, and after the word got around of what she was capable of then hopefully there wouldn't be as much resistance for her. Marion ordered Michael tied to two trees. She then stood in front of him as she slowly sharpened her knife. Finally, Marion reached down and cut Michael's balls off. As he was screaming, Marion put his balls in his mouth and then covered his nose and clamped his mouth shut so that he would have to swallow his balls. After he swallowed his balls, Michael was crying. Luke and Tom cringed but didn't look away; after all nobody had forced Michael to attempt to rape Gabriel. Marion then drew her knife across Michael's throat, cutting the jugular and carotid. It took a minute or so for Michael to bled out. During that time, Stella came up next to Tom and held his hand. After all, Michael had started off being Tom's best friend. Marion then ordered that Michael's body be left where it was. It was getting late and they had to travel almost half a day tomorrow to get back to York. Chapter 15. Marion grows as a leader but only after some serious pain. It was early the next morning when Luke and Marion woke the group up. The sun was just starting to light up the Eastern sky but everyone in the group was used to getting up this early. They made sure to cook up an extra hardy breakfast for they didn't know when they would be able to eat again. Over the previous month the scared young women that had traveled out of York with Luke had been replaced with strong, young women that thought like soldiers and fought like lions. They now all carried swords and knives and knew how to use them. Every one of them also wore a leather overcoat that they could wrap around themselves to protect against swords or even long-range arrows. Under that they wore a green shirt and pants. Sown inside each shirt was light steel and leather armor that Luke had designed to deflect blows. They each also carried a helmet that was radically different than anything else currently in use. It looked a cross between a World War two German helmet and a modern U S military helmet. He had designed it this way to be able to give maximum protection with the materials available. Gabriel also carried a bow that she had gotten to be very good with. She was good enough to put an arrow into someone's eye from fifty paces. Luke was extremely proud of the ladies and of Tom. Tom had helped train everyone in sword use and had grown to love each of the ladies like sisters except Stella. No, her he loved romantically. What's more she was also falling in love with him. Tom was armed like all the women and he loved this new gear. It was lighter than his previous gear and protected him far better. It was a warm morning when they set out and there wasn't a cloud in the sky. They made quite a sight the seven of them, Marion, Luke, Tom, and the four women that were “suppose” to be Luke's whores. In that group there was from oldest to youngest: Stella, Pollyanna, Alice, and Gabriel. Stella was the leader of the group being the oldest amount them. Pollyanna was showing signs of wanting to become an engineer like Luke. Alice was showing an interest in medicine, while Gabriel was the sharpshooter and Luke thought that she might make one hell of a sniper. One of the other things that Luke had started teaching them was how to read and write for soldiers needed to know how to read orders and make out reports. It took the group almost half a day to reach York. During their trip they had to hide once to avoid a large patrol that Richard had sent out. Yes, they could have taken the patrol out but it was now far more important for the group to get to York. When they got to the gates Luke had to talk fast to get through. Once through, the group was deeply disturbed by what they found. The town had gone further downhill. The people were now walking skeletons and the streets were full of filth. The soldiers walking around took whatever they pleased including having their way with anything they pleased. Marion actually vomited at the horror that was before her. Still, they had a mission to accomplish. All the ladies were well aware that every soldier had their eyes on them. Many of the soldiers whipped out their cocks and waved them at the women. Marion actually snickered at some at the tiny cocks that were being waved at her, for Luke's was far bigger. At least she was still feeling good enough to snicker. Finally, the group reached the castle. Luke told the guard who he was and they let him in. They easily remembered him. Once in the group was in for another surprise, especially Tom, for Richard was in the middle of an orgy and Tom's daughters were in it. Luke had to act fast to keep the group under control for Tom was furious and Luke's “whores” were about to gut Richard where he was. Problem was that there were too many of Richard's loyal men in the room and they wouldn't have made it out, even with their skills. They had to release the men loyal to Marion first, that is if any of them were left. First thing that Luke had to do was to make his report. Richard wasn't happy that he was being interrupted mid orgy but he did stop long enough to listen. “I am sorry Milord, but we traveled all the way to London and did not find a trace of William. We heard some rumors of him but we could not find him.” “Well, you may go now, but I shall want to talk to you more later about this matter.” “Yes Milord.” Luke turned around and got the hell out of there and made his way back to his chamber. Once there, he found Tom puking his guts out, Stella was trying to comfort him. The ladies were white as ghost, seeing the fate that so far, they had avoided. Marion was the worst one, of the group, for not only was she puking but she was crying her eyes out. She had known some of the women that she had seen in the orgy. That is even if you could call the women people anymore. Luke knew that they had to move fast for he figured that it wouldn't be long before Richard came for “his” women as well. Within an hour Luke got a message that Richard wanted to see him immediately so Luke put the rest of the group on alert and he left to meet with Richard. “Ah Hildyard, Good to see you.” “It is good to be seen, sir.” “So, you found no sign of my son or his men?” “No Milord and we traveled all the way to London. If they had been there, we found no signs of them. We came back a different route and still found no signs of them.” “Now tell me about the whores that came in with you.” “Well, traveling fast does tend to make any fat disappear and they travel faster when they are healthy.” “By my count, you left with four, but I could have sworn that I see you come back with five.” “The fifth one is my intended, sir. I also must report the loss of one of my men. We were ambushed on the road. Tom and I had to fight hard to get out. By the time we did, there was no sign of Michael. We think that the bandits took him for we searched afterwards and found only some of his gear.” “So you couldn't find my son and you lost one of my men in the process; Hildyard, if you disappoint me anymore then I will take back the whores and might even have to take your intended. Do I make myself clear?” “Yes, Milord.” “Good, now get the fuck out of my sight.” To be continued in part 4, Based on a post by somethin fishy, for Sex Stories.

Control Freak--They Came--Eternal Life--Where The Memory Goes--Ice Storm--You're So Cute--The Painted World--The Starburst Light--I Crashed My UFO--Seeds We've Sown

This week in If You Mark In Your Bible; Josh and guest Cody will look at James 3:13-18We look forward to sharing new episodes EVERY TUESDAY (August-December)!https://linktr.ee/iymiyb?utm_source=linktree_profile_share<sid=0d7a0387-1b92-46dd-b269-fb20acd2d51cCHECK OUT IF YOU MARK IN YOUR BIBLE Social Pages and more!

This week in If You Mark In Your Bible; Josh and guest Cody will look at James 3:13-18We look forward to sharing new episodes EVERY TUESDAY (August-December)!https://linktr.ee/iymiyb?utm_source=linktree_profile_share<sid=0d7a0387-1b92-46dd-b269-fb20acd2d51cCHECK OUT IF YOU MARK IN YOUR BIBLE Social Pages and more!

It's hard to gain perspective and see beauty in the middle of the mess. But that, my friend, is where beauty is built—one moment at a time.  We want things tidy. We want order. We want harmony. Although they are possible to achieve, the journey is where true beauty is discovered while we traverse each day.  There is value in the mess, and God uses it to build family bonds that last a lifetime.  Remember, Motherhood is the ministry of showing up. God is looking for your willingness and obedience, not your perfection.  "Beautiful things are rarely tidy. They are built over time. Sown in mess, grown with grit, and harvested in faith." Connie Albers  Read the full show notes with links here: Find Beauty in the Mess Popular episodes you might have missed: Cultivating Healthy Habits in Your Family Over-Scheduled Kids? Find the Right Balance for Your Family Is AI the New Parenting Expert? If you enjoy listening to Parenting and Homeschool Advice ~ Equipped To Be with Connie Albers, please leave a review and a five-star rating. It is easy and will only take a few seconds. When you do, it helps others see the show in their feed. Also, would you kindly share this with a friend or two? Equipped To Be might be an encouragement to them, too. Thank you ~ Connie   Have a question? Interested in having Connie speak? Send an email to Connie here: https://conniealbers.com/contact/   

Steve Gruber discusses news and headlines 

Thank you for supporting my independent thought - how to support my work - My work is now driven entirely by donations or supporting my content creation Paypal Donations: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/drnaoiseoreillyPodcast channel: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/channel/purple-psychology/id6446495392Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/purplepsychologyiBooks: http://books.apple.com/us/book/id6744105194Definition of a Nazi:A person with extreme racist and authoritarian views A person who seeks to impose their views on others in a very authoritarian or inflexible wayBooks mentioned:Becoming https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/38746485-becoming?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=gDZFjwuCrR&rank=1Alone in Berlin https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6801335-alone-in-berlin?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=WjglFwSiJ0&rank=1Correction* not little island - small Island https://www.nationaltheatre.org.uk/productions/small-island/Based on book by Andrea Levyhttps://www.goodreads.com/book/show/44001.Small_Island?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=c5cqvborsS&rank=2Migration story of Trump family - Grandfather migrated to avoid national service and could not return to Germany https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frederick_Trump

During the past week Israel moved to establish 22 new communities in the area of Judea and Samaria, a move that furthers Israel’s sovereignty over the area. The Bible speaks of sowing Judea and Israel with the seed of men, and this move is further advancement of the angelic hand in bringing about God’s plan.

Matthew Delaughter // 1 Corinthians 15:35-58 // 05.18.2025

Laws of the Harvest - Message 1This series of 15 broadcasts reveals the blessings of sowing and reaping found in Galatians 6:7-9. These absolute laws influence my life every day, maybe every hour.

Laws of the HarvestThis series of 15 broadcasts reveals the blessings of sowing and reaping found in Galatians 6:7-9. These absolute laws influence my life every day, maybe every hour.

Laws of the HarvestThis series of 15 broadcasts reveals the blessings of sowing and reaping found in Galatians 6:7-9. These absolute laws influence my life every day, maybe every hour.

Does the present political pendulum swing contrary to unbridled  Communism portend a positive shift toward the restoration of the Constitutional Republic? Perhaps, but an unchecked trend in the opposite direction would be equally devastating to the collective welfare, and the "Boys Downstairs" have been working both sides of the fence for centuries. Either way, our predecessors knew the game well, and left the door wide open for those who would follow suit by "Notice" of a personal Declaration of Independence.  The unabridged truth is that U.S. INC is none of our business, and contrary to the appearance of a Democratic elective process, most of us have not been given a seat at the table. Whether the contracted permissions of Corporate Citizenship satisfy your needs, or the adventure of no-holds free-ranging ignites your Spirit, it's all about the Right for Self-Determination, as our Creator intended. On this episode Abe Max & Jason Botkin join a very special Alfacast roundtable to further dissect the legal-lawful landscape that has obfuscated the simple truth for far too long.  Sovereignty is a state of Spirit that cannot be realized by words on a piece of paper, but our discussion will traverse the many supporting technologies we've shared through prior episodes and Alfa Vedic workshops. Abe Max and Jason Botkin are the creators of Self-Sown Life, a transformative educational journey along a path toward reclaiming autonomy through their own relationships with authority, using the Enlifted method to integrate personal understandings for better outcomes in a Self Sown Life.  Self Sown is a journey in self-authorship and the cultivation of wisdom, where the seed of your word becomes the blueprint of your reality. Rooted in the living principles of equity, natural law, and trust, this course empowers you to renegotiate your foundational agreements with the State, quietly and quickly reclaiming the power of your own authority. Through the Enlifted Method — a practical adaptation of narrative therapy — you'll build the mindset and resilience needed to stand strong, speak true, and live in accordance with what and who you really are. This is not just a legal education, but a reorientation of being — a bridge out of confusion, into clarity, and toward the grounded practice of freedom. Show links: https://selfsown.life https://beautyseedstudios.com https://jasonbotkin.ca/ Learn The True Nature Of Dis-Ease & How Our Bodies Actually Work: https://alfavedic.com/themyth/ Join Our Private Community And Join In The Discussion: https://alfavedic.com/join-us/ Follow our new YT channel: / @offgridelegance Get our favorite blue blocker glasses! https://alfavedic.com/raoptics Learn how to express your law and uphold your rights as one of mankind. https://alfavedic.com/lawformankind Alfa Vedic is an off-grid agriculture & health co-op focused on developing products, media & educational platforms for the betterment of our world. By using advanced scientific methods, cutting-edge technologies and tools derived from the knowledge of the world's greatest minds, the AV community aims to be a model for the future we all want to see. Our comprehensive line of health products and nutrition is available on our website. Most products are hand mixed and formulated right on our off grid farm including our Immortality Teas which we grow on site. Find them all at https://alfavedic.com​​​​​​​​​​​​​​ Follow Alfa Vedic: https://linktr.ee/alfavedic Follow Mike Winner: https://linktr.ee/djmikewinner

Laws of the HarvestThis series of 15 broadcasts reveals the blessings of sowing and reaping found in Galatians 6:7-9. These absolute laws influence my life every day, maybe every hour.

Raj Prakash Paul || The Lord's Church India

Laws of the HarvestThis series of 15 broadcasts reveals the blessings of sowing and reaping found in Galatians 6:7-9. These absolute laws influence my life every day, maybe every hour.

Laws of the Harvest - Message 1This series of 15 broadcasts reveals the blessings of sowing and reaping found in Galatians 6:7-9. These absolute laws influence my life every day, maybe every hour.Paul gives us laws of the harvest, the laws of sowing and reaping, seven laws that are absolute. These are the laws, my friend, of a structured God.

In this message, Pastor Mark Butler inspires us to recognize the transformative power hidden within every seed of God's Word planted in our hearts. He encourages us to nurture seeds of faith, joy, and peace, reminding us that even life's most intense storms can't overshadow God's promises. By trusting and cultivating God's Word, our smallest acts of faith can produce abundant fruit, bringing lasting transformation beyond anything we could imagine.

http://www.asbury.edu/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/2025.03.07.chapel.mix_.mp3 Fri, 07 Mar 2025 12:00:00 -0500

Sown to be Fruitful - Guillermo Verduzco - (03/02/25) by Jubilee Church

Missouri Rep. Emanuel Cleaver II says that Congressional Democrats have no power to stop the Trump administration's funding cuts and other actions without Republican buy-in. Cleaver and Kansas Rep. Sharice Davids joined Up To Date to discuss the impact of Trump's first month on Kansas City.

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Do you realize what you are raising when you forget God in your home? As we forget God in our homes, we are raising a generation a that will transgress God's Word and say that the Bible is not for us. We are raising a generation that will become a nation of idolaters. We are raising a generation that will be religious but will develop their own false religion. We are raising a generation that God will judge because their Maker has been forgotten.

Have you noticed the loudest voices aren't always the wisest? Bold words often leave broken relationships and chaos in their wake. What if the tension around us—and within us—comes from trusting the wrong kind of wisdom? Welcome to the Daily Devo. Our text today is James 3:17-18. But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace. — James 3:17-18 PART 1: OBSERVATION — What the Text Says Words & Phrases: Wisdom from above: Wisdom originating from God. Pure: Without corruption or contamination, holy. Peaceable: Promoting peace, avoiding conflict. Gentle: Kind, considerate, not harsh. Open to reason: Willing to listen, teachable, not stubborn. Full of mercy and good fruits: Overflowing with compassion and producing virtuous actions. Impartial: Not showing favoritism, treating everyone equally. Sincere: Genuine, without hypocrisy. Harvest of righteousness: Refers to the results of living rightly according to God's standards. Sown in peace: Actions taken peacefully lead to good outcomes. By those who make peace: Peacemakers actively foster peace. Characters: No specific individuals other than those who would receive the open letter. Grammar: A list of qualities for "wisdom from above." A conjunction "then" shows a sequence of wisdom attributes. A metaphor of "a harvest of righteousness" connects cause and effect. Structure: Verse 17 defines the attributes of "wisdom from above." Verse 18 shifts to the outcome: "peace sown by peacemakers." Genre: James is an epistle or letter written to many groups. Mood: The tone is instructive. PART 2: INTERPRETATION — What the Text Says to the Original Audience Who: Author: James, the brother of Jesus, writes to Jewish Christians scattered among the nations (James 1:1). Audience: Believers struggling with division, favoritism, and worldly wisdom within their community. What: James contrasts earthly, unspiritual wisdom from below (described earlier in James 3:14-16) with divine wisdom from above. Where: Written to the early church addressing practical issues in Christian communities. When: It was written around AD 45-49 when early Christians learned to live out their faith amidst cultural and spiritual challenges. How: The metaphor of sowing and harvesting resonates with the audience's agricultural context. Why: To guide believers in discerning true wisdom and encourage them to be peacemakers, fostering unity and righteousness. PART 3: APPLICATION — What the Text Means to Me & You Today Bridge the Gap: Timeless Truth: Godly wisdom is characterized by seven attributes that produce righteousness through peacemaking. God's Character: God values wisdom that aligns with His nature. Personal Reflection: Do my attitudes and actions reflect God's character and wisdom, or am I seeking selfish ambition? If my attitudes and actions reflect "wisdom from above," I should see a "harvest of righteousness" around me. I shouldn't see "burned bridges" and "tense relationship" or "wins for me and losses for them." I should see "peace" and "peacemaking" all around me, and people should be drawn to me for this reason. If you've ever chased after the loudest voices or leaned into selfish ambition, you know tension and division don't take long to creep in. But we are reminded there's a better way. Godly wisdom isn't about being the loudest or getting ahead; it's about living a life that reflects the character of Christ. Ask yourself: Do my words and actions leave peace or conflict in their wake? Am I open to God's wisdom—pure, peaceable, gentle, full of mercy—or have I let earthly desires take over? It's never too late to surrender. Give up the ambition that burns bridges. Let go of attitudes that stir chaos. Step into the wisdom of God that produces a harvest of righteousness. Today, I invite you to give in to God. If you're tired of burning bridges, come to Him. Ask Him to replace selfish ambition with His peace and righteousness. Ask Him to make you a peacemaker in your home, workplace, and community. Here is a prayer, I am going to prayer over you and me today: Father, I've tried to lead with my own wisdom, and it's left me weary and broken. I surrender my desires, my plans, and my pride to You. Teach me to live with Your wisdom and to sow peace wherever I go. May my life reflect Your character and bring glory to Your name. Amen. #GodlyWisdom, #Peacemakers, #HarvestOfRighteousness ASK THIS: Do my words and actions promote peace or create tension and conflict? How can I reflect God's wisdom in my daily decisions? What attitudes or ambitions do I need to surrender to God? Am I open to being teachable and gentle in my relationships? DO THIS: Ask God to reveal one attitude or habit that hinders peace and commit to replacing it with an action that reflects His wisdom. PRAY THIS: Father, guide my heart to seek Your wisdom above all else, letting it shape my words, actions, and relationships. Help me to be a peacemaker, sowing righteousness and reflecting Your character in everything I do. Amen PLAY THIS: Christ Our Wisdom.

1 Corinthians 15:42-44 It is the earnest desire, to lay before you the certain and definite hope of the Christian. Assurances like this cannot be found in this world due to its transient state of temporariness. Search high and low, with diligence and scrutiny, but O man, your search will be in vain. When Adam fell through willful disobedience, mankind was plunged into sin and death. God in His infinite love and mercy has sought to reverse this curse in redeeming a people back unto Himself through His beloved Son. In this sermon, we set forth the first and second installment of this most glorious work and consider what will be when Our Blessed Saviour appears in glory to change these vile bodies so as to be fashioned like unto His!

Adapted in a light-hearted, comical style from a diverse set of genuine Medieval Arthurian Romances, this special Three Ravens retelling of the iconic 14th century poem Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is our bonus miniseries for Advent 2024.Split into 25 parts, one for each day of December leading up to and including Christmas Day, the tale follows Gawain, a young knight in King Arthur's court who embarks on a rambling quest, packed with adventures, which takes him all around ancient Britain - a journey which begins at one Midwinter feast and ends at another, exactly one year later.In this third part, Gawain swings the axe, and what happens next none in Camelot could have predicted. Then, with feelings of regret, Gawain tries to muddle on, though luckily he has a few around him who can pick him up and set him straight...The Three Ravens is an English Myth and Folklore podcast hosted by award-winning writers Martin Vaux and Eleanor Conlon.Released on Mondays, each weekly episode focuses on one of England's 39 historic counties, exploring the history, folklore and traditions of the area, from ghosts and mermaids to mythical monsters, half-forgotten heroes, bloody legends, and much, much more. Then, and most importantly, the pair take turns to tell a new version of an ancient story from that county - all before discussing what that tale might mean, where it might have come from, and the truths it reveals about England's hidden past...Bonus Episodes are released on Thursdays (Magic and Medicines about folk remedies and arcane spells, Three Ravens Bestiary about cryptids and mythical creatures, Dying Arts about endangered heritage crafts, and Something Wicked about folkloric true crime from across history) plus Local Legends episodes on Saturdays - interviews with acclaimed authors, folklorists, podcasters and historians with unique perspectives on that week's county.With a range of exclusive content on Patreon, too, including audio ghost tours, the Three Ravens Newsletter, and monthly Three Ravens Film Club episodes about folk horror films from across the decades, why not join us around the campfire and listen in?Learn more at www.threeravenspodcast.com, join our Patreon at www.patreon.com/threeravenspodcast, and find links to our social media channels here: https://linktr.ee/threeravenspodcast Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

'Sown on good soil'

Student protests and trusting the “cult of youth.” __________ Get access to CCNC 2024 online with your gift to the Colson Center at colsoncenter.org/august. 

Student protests and trusting the “cult of youth.” __________ Download your free copy of The Christian Mind at colsoncenter.org/book.