Podcasts about Supper

Register your feedback here. Always good to hear from you!This month's tour of California starts where talk about California always starts, for better or for worse. We'll talk about the nature of stardom and whether it's worth the cost; our obsession with happy endings and the harsh realities that may land instead; the heroes Hollywood used to produce, how the modern-day versions measure up and whether it matters; and how a show about your colon might be the key to becoming the best TV executive in your gaming group.Check out Hal on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/@halhammons9705Hal Hammons serves as preacher and shepherd for the Lakewoods Drive church of Christ in Georgetown, Texas. He is the host of the Citizen of Heaven podcast. You are encouraged to seek him and the Lakewoods Drive church through Facebook and other social media. Lakewoods Drive is an autonomous group of Christians dedicated to praising God, teaching the gospel to all who will hear, training Christians in righteousness, and serving our God and one another faithfully. We believe the Bible is God's word, that Jesus died on the cross for our sins, that heaven is our home, and that we have work to do here while we wait. Regular topics of discussion and conversation include: Christians, Jesus, obedience, faith, grace, baptism, New Testament, Old Testament, authority, gospel, fellowship, justice, mercy, faithfulness, forgiveness, Twenty Pages a Week, Bible reading, heaven, hell, virtues, character, denominations, submission, service, character, COVID-19, assembly, Lord's Supper, online, social media, YouTube, Facebook.  

What is the church—and how can you tell whether a congregation is organized according to God's word?In this teaching episode, Joel Settecase presents a biblical doctrine of the church, also known as ecclesiology.The discussion covers the relationship between the local, visible church and the universal body of Christ; why believers should commit to a local congregation; and how baptism, the Lord's Supper, worship, membership, discipline, and restoration fit into the life of the church.Joel also examines the biblical offices of elder and deacon. Are bishops, overseers, pastors, presbyters, and elders different offices—or different names for the same role? What qualifications does Scripture establish for church leaders? And what responsibilities belong to older men, older women, younger men, and the congregation as a whole?The episode concludes by addressing one of the most controversial questions in modern Christianity: can women serve as pastors or elders? Joel argues that men and women possess equal dignity and value before God, while Scripture assigns them distinct and complementary roles within the church.Ultimately, the church does not belong to pastors, elders, denominations, or congregations. It belongs to Jesus Christ. He is its head, king, and chief shepherd.Go DeeperBecome the worldview leader your family and church need. Learn more about the Hammer & Anvil Society at https://thethink.institute/society.Pastors and church leaders can bring practical worldview and apologetics training to their congregations through The Think Institute. Learn more at https://thethink.institute/forchurches.The Think Institute is a Christian nonprofit ministry equipping believers to explain, share, and defend the Christian message. Give now at https://thethink.institute/partner.

“Do you have any crosses without the little man on it?” That’s a real question a woman once asked in a jewelry store. And it says more about how we’ve sanitized the cross today than we’d like to admit.In this message, Pastor Greg Laurie walks us through the darkest hour in human history—and the love that held Jesus there. Notes: Luke 23 The cross was not a fashion statement.It was the most scandalous, horrifying symbol imaginable. Next to Christ’s arrival in Bethlehem, the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus are the most important events in human history. At the cross, God and man were reconciled. God's righteous demands were satisfied. It's not an accident that when Jesus instituted the Lord’s Supper, He pointed us straight back to the cross, “Do this in remembrance of Me.” Read 1 Corinthians 15:14–17 But here's the good news: Jesus did die, and He did rise again.And because of that, we know there really is life beyond the grave. That's what sets our faith apart from every other religion. The cross was not an accident, but a plan. God’s plan.Acts 2:23 The cross wasn't a detour from Jesus’ mission.It was the mission. Before there was a Bethlehem, there was a Calvary. Before there was a crown of thorns, a decision was made. Romans 5:8 (KJV)While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. John 10:18 (NIV)“No one takes My life from me, but I lay it down of My own accord” Christ’s road to the cross ran through a series of illegal and rigged hearings. Read Luke 23:26, 32–33 Simon from Cyrene was forced to carry the cross of Jesus. A garrison was 600 elite Roman legionnaires. Matthew 26:53 (NIV)“Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and He will at once put at My disposal more than twelve legions of angels?” Jesus had access to more than 70,000 angels. God placed Simon there to have the greatest privilege: to ease the pain of Jesus momentarily as he carried His cross. This brush with Jesus changed Simon forever. Read Luke 23:33–43 The Romans did not invent crucifixion, but they took it to another level. Rome perfected it into a science of suffering. It was a punishment designed to produce the slowest possible death with the greatest possible pain. Crucifixion was death by suffocation. A crucified person might survive for hours, sometimes days. Your arms tire, and your chest can no longer expand to breathe.Therefore, you must push up against the nail in your feet to pull in another breath. THE SEVEN STATEMENTS FROM THE CROSS:1. “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34).2. “Today you will be with Me in Paradise” (Luke 23:43). 3. “Woman, behold your son! Son, behold your mother” (John 19:26).4. “My God, my God, why have You forsaken Me?” (Matthew 27:46).5. “I thirst” (John 19:28).6. “It is finished” (John 19:30).7. “Father, into Your hands I commend My spirit” (Luke 23:46). Matthew 5:44 (NKJV)“Love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who mistreat you.” Our sins put Jesus on the cross. Acts 2:36 (NKJV)“God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.” That first prayer from the cross, “Father, forgive them,” was ultimately answered.Thousands of those very people were cut to the heart, turned, and believed. No one is beyond the reach of prayer. The two criminals couldn't have escaped their crosses.Jesus could have escaped His with a single word to Heaven. No one is beyond the reach of God, not even a hardened criminal. Believing in Jesus can happen in a flash. Read Luke 23:40–42 This man, only moments old in his new faith, had amazing insight.He knew Jesus was the Son of God and would be going to His kingdom. Luke 23:43 (NIV)“Truly I tell you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.” Luke 9:23 (ESV)“If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me.” The cross means dying to self. Luke 9:24 (NIV)“For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for Me will save it.” The world says, “Find yourself.”Jesus says, “Lose yourself.” Losing your life for His sake isn't the loss of everything.It's the discovery of everything that matters. Isaiah 53:10 (NKJV)It pleased the LORD to bruise Him. Jesus died to show His love for us. If you are ever tempted to doubt God’s love for you, look at the cross. Jesus died to absorb the wrath of God. Jesus suffered and died to provide our forgiveness and justification. Christianity says, “Done!”Jesus said, “It is finished; it is accomplished!” Christ’s love for you and me held Him to the cross. — Become a Harvest Partner today and join us in knowing God and making Him known through media and large-scale evangelism, our mission of over 30 years. Explore more resources from Pastor Greg Laurie, including daily devotionals and blogs, designed to answer your spiritual questions and equip you to walk closely with Christ.Support the show: https://bit.ly/anbsupportSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

“Do you have any crosses without the little man on it?” That’s a real question a woman once asked in a jewelry store. And it says more about how we’ve sanitized the cross today than we’d like to admit.In this message, Pastor Greg Laurie walks us through the darkest hour in human history—and the love that held Jesus there. Notes: Luke 23 The cross was not a fashion statement.It was the most scandalous, horrifying symbol imaginable. Next to Christ’s arrival in Bethlehem, the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus are the most important events in human history. At the cross, God and man were reconciled. God's righteous demands were satisfied. It's not an accident that when Jesus instituted the Lord’s Supper, He pointed us straight back to the cross, “Do this in remembrance of Me.” Read 1 Corinthians 15:14–17 But here's the good news: Jesus did die, and He did rise again.And because of that, we know there really is life beyond the grave. That's what sets our faith apart from every other religion. The cross was not an accident, but a plan. God’s plan.Acts 2:23 The cross wasn't a detour from Jesus’ mission.It was the mission. Before there was a Bethlehem, there was a Calvary. Before there was a crown of thorns, a decision was made. Romans 5:8 (KJV)While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. John 10:18 (NIV)“No one takes My life from me, but I lay it down of My own accord” Christ’s road to the cross ran through a series of illegal and rigged hearings. Read Luke 23:26, 32–33 Simon from Cyrene was forced to carry the cross of Jesus. A garrison was 600 elite Roman legionnaires. Matthew 26:53 (NIV)“Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and He will at once put at My disposal more than twelve legions of angels?” Jesus had access to more than 70,000 angels. God placed Simon there to have the greatest privilege: to ease the pain of Jesus momentarily as he carried His cross. This brush with Jesus changed Simon forever. Read Luke 23:33–43 The Romans did not invent crucifixion, but they took it to another level. Rome perfected it into a science of suffering. It was a punishment designed to produce the slowest possible death with the greatest possible pain. Crucifixion was death by suffocation. A crucified person might survive for hours, sometimes days. Your arms tire, and your chest can no longer expand to breathe.Therefore, you must push up against the nail in your feet to pull in another breath. THE SEVEN STATEMENTS FROM THE CROSS:1. “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34).2. “Today you will be with Me in Paradise” (Luke 23:43). 3. “Woman, behold your son! Son, behold your mother” (John 19:26).4. “My God, my God, why have You forsaken Me?” (Matthew 27:46).5. “I thirst” (John 19:28).6. “It is finished” (John 19:30).7. “Father, into Your hands I commend My spirit” (Luke 23:46). Matthew 5:44 (NKJV)“Love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who mistreat you.” Our sins put Jesus on the cross. Acts 2:36 (NKJV)“God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.” That first prayer from the cross, “Father, forgive them,” was ultimately answered.Thousands of those very people were cut to the heart, turned, and believed. No one is beyond the reach of prayer. The two criminals couldn't have escaped their crosses.Jesus could have escaped His with a single word to Heaven. No one is beyond the reach of God, not even a hardened criminal. Believing in Jesus can happen in a flash. Read Luke 23:40–42 This man, only moments old in his new faith, had amazing insight.He knew Jesus was the Son of God and would be going to His kingdom. Luke 23:43 (NIV)“Truly I tell you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.” Luke 9:23 (ESV)“If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me.” The cross means dying to self. Luke 9:24 (NIV)“For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for Me will save it.” The world says, “Find yourself.”Jesus says, “Lose yourself.” Losing your life for His sake isn't the loss of everything.It's the discovery of everything that matters. Isaiah 53:10 (NKJV)It pleased the LORD to bruise Him. Jesus died to show His love for us. If you are ever tempted to doubt God’s love for you, look at the cross. Jesus died to absorb the wrath of God. Jesus suffered and died to provide our forgiveness and justification. Christianity says, “Done!”Jesus said, “It is finished; it is accomplished!” Christ’s love for you and me held Him to the cross. — Become a Harvest Partner today and join us in knowing God and making Him known through media and large-scale evangelism, our mission of over 30 years. Explore more resources from Pastor Greg Laurie, including daily devotionals and blogs, designed to answer your spiritual questions and equip you to walk closely with Christ.Support the show: https://bit.ly/anbsupportSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Part 4 of "Church, Unpacked." In this sermon, we learn what the Lord's Supper is and its significance to the Church.

August 30, 2026 - Sunday AM Bible Class This episode is the final Bible class of the quarter, taught by Hiram with Neal as co-instructor, walking through Acts 20–28 and highlighting the recurring challenges every church faces. Starting in Acts 20 the class examines Paul's ministry rhythm—how he deliberately encouraged other believers (spending months building people up), modeled a ministry of encouragement, and prioritized fellowship. Key topics covered include: the ministry of encouragement (Acts 20:1–3; Proverbs 12:25; Romans 12:8), the centrality of corporate worship and the Lord's Supper on the first day of the week (Acts 20:7; 1 Corinthians 11; Hebrews 10:24–25), and practical ways to view worship as fellowship rather than entertainment—participation, mutual exhortation, and sacrificial giving (2 Samuel 24:24). The class then turns to the harsh realities Paul faced: false accusation and misrepresentation in Jerusalem (Acts 21), how Christians should respond when misunderstood (gentleness, patient instruction from 2 Timothy 2:24–26; avoid mocking, vengeance, or endless complaining), and the long-term effects of slander that can upend lives while still serving God's purposes. Listeners also hear about the challenge of evangelism and handling rejection—Paul's bold, Christ-centered preaching before rulers like Felix, Festus, and Agrippa (Acts 24–26) shows that faithful proclamation does not always produce immediate conversions, but the evangelist is successful when he shares the gospel faithfully (Philippians 1:29; Matthew 5:10–12). Practical takeaways include: cultivate a ministry of encouragement (look for the overlooked; speak life when you see good), prioritize face-to-face worship and mutual participation, give and serve in ways that cost you something, respond to false accusations with humility and instruction rather than anger, and persist in evangelism without equating faithfulness to immediate results. The episode closes by challenging listeners to write Acts 29 in their community—consider what legacy the local congregation will leave and how each member will rise to these timeless challenges.   Duration 44:52

September 6, 2026 - Sunday AM Bible Class This episode introduces the new quarter of adult and college classes and transitions into a focused study of 1 Corinthians, co-taught by the hosts and guest teachers. Announcements include Barrett and Grant leading the adult class (Psalms devotional studies) and Joey teaching the college class (sin struggles). The main teaching is a co-led lecture on Studies in 1 Corinthians with Hiram and Neal exploring the book's context and application. Listeners will hear a group discussion opening with the question: why do people leave a church? The episode catalogs common causes — hurt feelings or “church hurt,” unmet needs, lack of connection, doctrinal disputes, personality clashes, preacher-following, ministry availability for children, and even racial tension — and offers pastoral counsel about confronting problems biblically (go to elders, speak privately, avoid hasty moves) and recognizing the consumer mentality that can undermine Christian discipleship. The hosts then ground the conversation in the history and geography of ancient Corinth — a strategic, wealthy, and morally compromised port city — and Paul's role in founding the church there during his second missionary journey. Key background details include Corinth's diverse population, its idolatrous and sexualized culture, and the unique pressures that produced division within the congregation. The heart of the episode unpacks 1 Corinthians 1–4: Paul's call as an apostle and his appeal for the church to be of the “same mind and same judgment.” Neal explains the theological meaning of calling (sanctification, fellowship with Christ, baptism as calling-on-the-name), Paul's apostolic authority, and why reminding believers of their identity in Christ is the first step toward healing division. Listeners are given a roadmap of the issues Paul addresses across the letter — factional allegiance to different leaders, sexual immorality, marital problems, disputes over judgment and conscience, misapplied Israelite examples, gender-role misunderstandings, abuse of the Lord's Supper, and rivalry over spiritual gifts — and how these fractures reveal a deeper problem of worldly, fleshly thinking rather than a Christ-centered unity. Finally, the episode points to Paul's solution: re-center the church on the cross and on Christ's revealed mind. Practical takeaways include pursuing unity through shared submission to Scripture and Christ's mind (not merely human preferences), addressing doctrinal error through proper channels, valuing the body metaphor (many members, one purpose), and striving for mutual edification so the church can be blameless and effective in the world. Duration 44:01

Continuing with our series “Cutting Thru The Noise”, today Pastor Ira teaches on “My Big Fat Rehearsal Dinner”. As we study 1 Cor. 11:17-34 we come upon an important correction Paul brings to the church. With all the diversity of the believers, it is easy to not honor and care for each other. Paul uses the Lord's Supper to show us His Kingdom way of Loving God and Loving People. Key Scriptures:1 Corinthians 11:17–34, Luke 20:46, Romans 12:16, Acts 20:35, Jeremiah 31:31–32, Psalm 139:23–24, Matthew 5:23–24

Identification and proclamation for those with credible profession of faith.Christ gave His church two ordinances: baptism and the Lord's Supper. Baptism is the believer's public identification with Christ in His death, burial, and resurrection, and entrance into the community of faith. The Lord's Supper is the ongoing proclamation of that union and the continued fellowship of the redeemed around the finished work of Christ.These ordinances belong to the church, not to individuals or families. They are not means of salvation, nor should they be cheapened by careless administration. Both require a credible profession of faith and careful oversight by the elders who will give an account for the souls under their care. When practiced biblically, baptism and communion powerfully declare the gospel and strengthen the body.Preached by Rodney Brown Jr. at Rhome Bible ChurchWebsite: https://www.rhomebible.org#BibleTeaching #RhomeBibleChurch #Sermon #ChristianPodcast #BiblicalPreaching #GodsSovereignty #Faith #ImpartingTheWord #Reformed #ExpositionalPreaching #ExpositionalTeaching #Baptism #LordsSupper #ChurchOrdinances

The Shepherd Who Bears the Millstone | Matthew 18:1–20 | Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 18A) | LCMS SermonWho is truly the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven — and what happens when we lead one of Christ's little ones to stumble? In this sermon on Matthew 18:1-20 for the Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 18A), Pastor David Balla explores Jesus' surprising answer: true greatness means becoming like a child, trusting entirely in the Father's care.Jesus doesn't stop at correcting ambition. He warns that causing a fellow believer to sin brings real and lasting consequences — a warning that exposes how our careless words, broken trust, and even our silence wound the people around us. None of us stands innocent before this warning.But this sermon doesn't leave you under judgment. It follows Jesus into the parable of the lost sheep, showing a Shepherd who goes out searching for the one who has wandered — a picture of grace fulfilled at the cross, where Christ bore the punishment our sins deserved and won redemption and salvation for sinners. That forgiveness comes to you today in the Lord's Supper, where Christ gives His true body and blood for the forgiveness of sins, and in the assurance that no sin is too great to be forgiven.Subscribe for weekly sermons, devotions, and teaching from God's Word.Support this ministry: buymeacoffee.com/whitegandalph☕ You can also support this channel at: https://buymeacoffee.com/whitegandalph(207 words)Hashtags#LCMS #Lutheran #Sermon #BibleStudy #Christianity

Register your feedback here. Always good to hear from you!Shawn Highfill and Mike Wilson have joined me for an insightful talk about California this week. We conclude our conversation by considering the abundance of blessings God shares with us in this life – and that are visible in California arguably more than any other place in the world. Links to Shawn's work in San Jose and Mike's work in Santa Clara are supplied in the show notes. If you have a vacation coming up, you couldn't do better than to spend it with these good brethren in the Bay Area.Check out Hal on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/@halhammons9705Hal Hammons serves as preacher and shepherd for the Lakewoods Drive church of Christ in Georgetown, Texas. He is the host of the Citizen of Heaven podcast. You are encouraged to seek him and the Lakewoods Drive church through Facebook and other social media. Lakewoods Drive is an autonomous group of Christians dedicated to praising God, teaching the gospel to all who will hear, training Christians in righteousness, and serving our God and one another faithfully. We believe the Bible is God's word, that Jesus died on the cross for our sins, that heaven is our home, and that we have work to do here while we wait. Regular topics of discussion and conversation include: Christians, Jesus, obedience, faith, grace, baptism, New Testament, Old Testament, authority, gospel, fellowship, justice, mercy, faithfulness, forgiveness, Twenty Pages a Week, Bible reading, heaven, hell, virtues, character, denominations, submission, service, character, COVID-19, assembly, Lord's Supper, online, social media, YouTube, Facebook.  

Register your feedback here. Always good to hear from you!Christians are prisoners of local culture. Such has always been the case. What do we do when local culture interferes with the culture Jesus is trying to build in His body? And is the problem with California culture that much different than in other places? To help us find an answer, we have Shawn Highfill from San Jose and Mike Wilson from Santa Clara, deep in the heart of a region with a reputation of, to put it mildly, not prioritizing godly principles and behavior.Learn more about Shawn's work with the Miller Avenue church at https://milleravechurch.com/Learn more about Mike's work with the Santa Clara church at https://santaclarachurchofchrist.com/Check out Hal on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/@halhammons9705Hal Hammons serves as preacher and shepherd for the Lakewoods Drive church of Christ in Georgetown, Texas. He is the host of the Citizen of Heaven podcast. You are encouraged to seek him and the Lakewoods Drive church through Facebook and other social media. Lakewoods Drive is an autonomous group of Christians dedicated to praising God, teaching the gospel to all who will hear, training Christians in righteousness, and serving our God and one another faithfully. We believe the Bible is God's word, that Jesus died on the cross for our sins, that heaven is our home, and that we have work to do here while we wait. Regular topics of discussion and conversation include: Christians, Jesus, obedience, faith, grace, baptism, New Testament, Old Testament, authority, gospel, fellowship, justice, mercy, faithfulness, forgiveness, Twenty Pages a Week, Bible reading, heaven, hell, virtues, character, denominations, submission, service, character, COVID-19, assembly, Lord's Supper, online, social media, YouTube, Facebook.  

“Eat my flesh and drink my blood.” If you've ever read John 6 and thought, "What does that even mean?!" You are not alone. Understanding this phrase Jesus used becomes a doorway into communion, the Word of God, and the kind of spiritual discernment Scripture says we must have if we want to truly understand Jesus' voice.We lean into the Bible's plain contrast between the natural mind and the Spirit-led mind, using 1 Corinthians to explain why spiritual truth can sound like “foolishness” when we try to process it only through human logic. Then we get practical about the daily war between flesh and spirit, pulling from Galatians 5 and Romans 7 to name the struggle, the stumbles, and the hope: God's hand still reaches out and says, get up. Our reasoning matters, but it has to submit to the supremacy of God's Word and God's will.From there, we build the meaning of communion from the ground up: Deuteronomy 8, manna in the wilderness, and “man shall not live by bread alone.” That foundation leads straight into Jesus as the bread of life, the manifest Word made flesh, and why His shocking language about flesh and blood is calling us to something spiritual, life-giving, and covenant-deep. If you care about Bible study, Christian discipleship, the Lord's Supper, and learning to hear and obey God's voice, this is for you. Subscribe, share with a friend, and leave a review so more people can find the show."Message Our Father's Heart a Question or Response"Support the showThank you so much for listening and sharing with others! We would very much appreciate you continuing to FOLLOW, SUBSCRIBE, and LIKE us through any of the following platforms:Substack: htt​ps://ourfathersheart.substack.com/Website: ourfathersheart.orgPodcast: https://ourfathersheart.buzzsprout.com/shareTwitter: https://twitter.com/@ofathersheart Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/ofathersheartYouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@ourfathersheartMay God bless you and make you prosperous in Him as you listen and obey His voice!

This devotional explores the Heidelberg Catechism's teaching on the Lord's Supper as a tangible sign and seal of Christ's sacrifice. Pastor Jason explains how the physical elements of bread and wine serve as visible promises that nourish the believer's soul with Christ's body and blood. By referencing the Synoptic Gospels and Pauline epistles, the text highlights the command to partake in remembrance and participation. The message emphasizes that this communal act strengthens believers for eternal life through faith. Ultimately, God invites us to rest in the assurance of grace found in Christ alone, received by faith through this ordained sacrament.

Biblical preaching should give you more than a few helpful ideas for the week. Todd contrasts expository preaching with the me-centered “TED Talk” approach, offers a biblical grid for evaluating worship music, and tackles a listener's question about whether women should serve Communion. Segment 1 • Todd introduces the heart behind his new book, Go Serve Your King. Pre-Order today at FortisInstitute.org/King • Why your faith shouldn't occupy a separate spiritual category from your work, money, recreation, family, and everyday responsibilities. • Christianity isn't a checklist. Learn how ordinary faithfulness in the life God has already given you can glorify your King. Segment 2 • What's the difference between biblical expository preaching and a Christianized TED Talk? • Does your pastor begin with what God has said—or with a topic, felt need, story, or cultural trend? • Todd gives seven questions you can use to evaluate the preaching you hear every Sunday. Segment 3 • Todd examines Andy Stanley's sermons and asks whether they're teaching you the Bible—or simply teaching you Andy Stanley's ideas. • Is your worship music primarily about God and His glory, or about you and your experience? • Five questions to consider when evaluating whether the songs your church sings are biblically faithful, God-centered, and appropriate for congregational worship. Segment 4 • A missionary planting an underground church challenges Todd's view on women administering the Lord's Supper. • Does Scripture actually require elders or men to distribute Communion—or are we turning a biblical pattern into a rule? • Should women read Scripture in the gathered church? Todd considers where participation ends and teaching authority begins. ___ Thanks for listening! Wretched Radio would not be possible without the financial support of our Gospel Partners. If you would like to support Wretched Radio we would be extremely grateful. VISIT https://fortisinstitute.org/donate/ If you are already a Gospel Partner we couldn't be more thankful for you if we tried!

Register your feedback here. Always good to hear from you!California is now my second-favorite state. And as a birthday present to myself, we're going to spend the whole month of September there. Here to help are Shawn Highfill from the Miller Avenue church of Christ in San Jose and his neighbor Mike Wilson from the church of Christ in Santa Clara. We start with the reason California was so low on my list for so long – stereotyping. I asked whether they had experienced stereotyping as Californians, and if so what should be done to set the record straight.Check out Hal on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/@halhammons9705Hal Hammons serves as preacher and shepherd for the Lakewoods Drive church of Christ in Georgetown, Texas. He is the host of the Citizen of Heaven podcast. You are encouraged to seek him and the Lakewoods Drive church through Facebook and other social media. Lakewoods Drive is an autonomous group of Christians dedicated to praising God, teaching the gospel to all who will hear, training Christians in righteousness, and serving our God and one another faithfully. We believe the Bible is God's word, that Jesus died on the cross for our sins, that heaven is our home, and that we have work to do here while we wait. Regular topics of discussion and conversation include: Christians, Jesus, obedience, faith, grace, baptism, New Testament, Old Testament, authority, gospel, fellowship, justice, mercy, faithfulness, forgiveness, Twenty Pages a Week, Bible reading, heaven, hell, virtues, character, denominations, submission, service, character, COVID-19, assembly, Lord's Supper, online, social media, YouTube, Facebook.  

E473 Victoria Salisbury is a retired elementary school teacher who decided she wanted some adventure and went to live in Antarctica, in service to the US Arctic Program. She called it the experience of a lifetime. It inspired her new children's book, The Selfish Skua's Supper, and changed her forever. For more information and links, […]

“Ten percent of life is what happens to us, and ninety percent is how we react to it.” -Chuck Swindoll   With his back against the wall... 1. He Defends His Distress 6:1-13 2. He is Disappointed in His Detractors 6:14-30      - Job feels... Abandoned Accused An Appeal 3. He is Disillusioned by His Days and His Death 7:1-10 4. He Desires to be Distant and Disregarded 7:11-19           - Job says:  God leave me alone! 5. He Delves into man's most Discouraging Dilemma 7:20-21, 9:2-3      - Job is wishing for Jesus! The Lord's Supper signifies, seals, and exhibits to believing partakers “the benefits of his [Christ's] mediation.” -Keith Mathison  

This week we take our entire worship service to observe the Lord's Supper. Instead of a sermon we talk about the Lord's Supper and read Scripture to remind us of what it is in which we are partaking. We're glad that you made it to this video! We are also available on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. For more information on our worship services or church as a whole, visit fbcwest.com

What makes a restaurant, brewery, winery, or coffee shop worth seeking out? In Episode 227 of On The Delo, Delo sits down with Eric Walters, co-founder of a Taste of AZ, to talk about the stories behind Arizona food and beverage, and the people who put their heart into creating it.Eric shares how a Taste of AZ brings that mission to life through a quarterly magazine, a book, a podcast, a weekly newsletter, and large-scale events. From choosing features and building lasting partnerships to helping people discover their next place to eat or drink, this conversation is a thoughtful look at local storytelling, community, and the work behind a platform built to celebrate Arizona hospitality.The episode also goes beyond the plate. Delo and Eric discuss the noise restaurants face around marketing, the value of local relationships, Eric's experience stepping away from drinking, and the habits—journaling, movement, coaching football, and staying connected—that help him manage an always-active mind. If you care about Arizona hospitality, building meaningful partnerships, or finding a healthier way to stay present while doing the work, this one is for you.Chapter Guide (Timestamps)(0:15 - 2:58) Welcome Back and the Latest a Taste of AZ Magazine(2:58 - 6:14) The Book, Quarterly Publishing, and Stories Behind the Food(6:14 - 12:19) Chefs, Local Hospitality, and Arizona's Changing Food Scene(12:19 - 16:06) Cutting Through Marketing Noise and Creating Lasting Value(16:06 - 24:04) Stepping Away from Drinking, Journaling, and Better Self-Talk(24:04 - 30:18) Support Systems, Coaching Football, and Staying Present(30:18 - 36:09) Movement, Arizona Outdoors, Partnerships, and Event Value(36:09 - 39:26) a Taste of AZ's Multi-Platform Mission and Statewide Discovery(39:26 - 44:28) Rapid Fire: Food, Music, Hiking, and Supper(44:28 - 46:54) Supporting Local Businesses, the Newsletter, and Delo's Close

The Upper Room // The Lord's Supper (pt.2) | Jared Douglas 

The Lord's Supper may be one of the most familiar parts of Christian worship—but do we truly understand its meaning and power? In this message from our Uncomplicated series, we explore how Jesus transformed the Passover meal into the Lord's Supper and answer some common questions: Who is invited to the table? Why does CapCity celebrate Communion every week? Why do we use bread and juice? And what does this meal mean for followers of Jesus? The Lord's Supper is more than an individual moment between us and God. It is a family meal—a table of grace, memories, hope, and celebration. Here, we remember the sacrifice that made us family, recognize that through Jesus we are one body, and look forward to the day when everything will be restored and we will share the table with Him face to face. Scripture references: John 6:53–55; Luke 22:15–20; Acts 2:42; Acts 20:7; 1 Corinthians 10:16–17; 1 Corinthians 11:20–26; Matthew 26:29

What does the Bible really say about communion? Is the Lord's Supper simply a Christian tradition or ritual, or is there something much deeper happening when we take communion?

The post Membership, Baptism, and the Lord’s Supper – Mike Miosi – Sunday Evening appeared first on Calvary Bible Church - Wrightsville, PA.

Get Behind Me: The Cross We Cannot Avoid — Matthew 16:21-28 — Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 17) — LCMS SermonHave you ever wanted Jesus to be your Savior, but only on your own terms? In this sermon on Matthew 16:21-28, Pastor David Balla examines Peter's stunned reaction when Jesus announces His coming suffering, death, and resurrection in Jerusalem, a reaction that exposes the same instinct hiding in every human heart: wanting God's blessings without God's cross.This message names that resistance honestly. We all, like Peter, want the crown without the cost. But Jesus walked the road to Calvary anyway, bearing our sin so that forgiveness, grace, and salvation could be freely given to sinners like us. His death opens the Kingdom of Heaven to all who believe, and that same redeeming work is still delivered to us today in the Lord's Supper, where Christ gives His true body and blood for the forgiveness of sins.Whether you are wrestling with suffering, doubt, or what it means to follow Jesus faithfully, this sermon points you to the Savior who turns the cross into the doorway of eternal life.Subscribe for weekly sermons and devotions grounded in the historic Christian faith. If this ministry has blessed you, consider supporting it here: https://buymeacoffee.com/whitegandalphSupport this ministry: https://buymeacoffee.com/whitegandalphHashtags:#LCMS #LutheranChurch #ChristianSermon #BibleTeaching #Gospel

Have you ever felt like you've let God down? Maybe anger got the best of you, an old habit returned, or you made a decision you regret. In those moments, guilt and shame can leave us wondering, What does God think about me now? Does He still want me? In this message from the Gospel of Mark, we join Jesus and His disciples on the night He shared the Passover meal with them. Jesus knew what was coming—one disciple would betray Him, another would deny Him, and the rest would scatter. Yet knowing all of that, Jesus still invited them to the table. Through the Lord's Supper, Jesus gives His followers a powerful way to remember what He has done, renew our relationship with Him, and remember that we don't walk this journey alone. Communion reminds us of the grace at the heart of the gospel: no matter how far we've wandered, Jesus invites us back to the table. Discover why Communion matters and how this simple meal continually draws us back to Jesus. There's a place at the table for you.

In this episode of Outlaw God, Caleb Keith and Dr. Steven Paulson explore Luther's break from Platonic and mystical ideas of revelation, especially the belief that preaching exists to reveal the right way to live. They explain why the law cannot reconnect us to God or make us righteous, and why Luther insisted that the law kills while the gospel gives life through the forgiveness of sins. The conversation also examines how misunderstandings of worship, the Lord's Supper, and the road to Emmaus can turn God's Word into ritual action rather than the proclamation of Christ's promise. More from 1517: Support the work at 1517 1517 on Youtube 1517 Podcast Network on Apple Podcasts 1517 Events Schedule 1517 Academy - Free Theological Education 1517 Podcast Listeners Get a Free Book When They Sign Up for Memento This August Dr. Paulson's Outlaw God in Three Volumes: Volume 1 Volume 2 Volume 3 New Books from 1517 Publishing: The Turk at the Door by Adam Francisco Luther and the Lion: A Narnian Catechism by Samuel Schuldheisz By Water and the Word by Brian Thomas Being Family by Dr. Scott Keith More from the hosts: Caleb Keith Steven Paulson Follow 1517:  Instagram X/Twitter Facebook  

Summer is basically over, the kids are back in school, and some of them returned home looking like they'd just completed a six-month combat deployment instead of one day of algebra. Naturally, that sends The Rizzuto Show down memory lane to discuss suspiciously easy senior-year schedules, bowling classes, walking classes, movie classes, and the beautiful teenage realization that maybe calculus simply isn't going to be part of your personal journey.NFL chaos with the story of 49ers owner Jed York and an alleged prostitution sting in East Palestine, Ohio. The crew tries to understand how a man connected to billions of dollars somehow ends up at the center of a $140 Sunday-morning situation in a mobile home community.A workplace prank involving heavy machinery that ended in tragedy. That leads into a rundown of some of the deadliest jobs in America, including logging, commercial fishing, roofing, steel work, trash collection, aviation, mining, construction, and landscaping. Suddenly sitting in a radio studio complaining about the air conditioning doesn't seem quite as heroic.And because The Rizzuto Show can never stay on one subject for more than the medically recommended amount of time, Fujifilm sends everybody tumbling into a conversation about words that instantly reveal your age. “Videotape.” “Pocketbook.” “Slacks.” “Icebox.” “Billfold.” “Filling station.” “Supper.” Welcome to the portion of the show where everyone discovers they're approximately 900 years old.Then it's time to discuss the upcoming iPhone and whether spending around $1,200 on another rectangle that looks suspiciously like your current rectangle is still exciting. The show heads Back in the Day for anniversaries involving The Wizard of Oz, Bruce Springsteen's Born to Run, Boston's legendary debut album, Lauryn Hill, Aaliyah and more.ZZ Top plays its first show following the death of drummer Frank Beard, the crew attempts to demonstrate its vast knowledge of Quando Rondo, Ella Langley continues her monster chart run with “Choosing Texas,” and Miranda Lambert enters the conversation thanks to a songwriting story involving a kangaroo. Because sure.The Terminator 2 cast reunion also gets reviewed with all the tact and restraint you've come to expect from this comedy podcast. Edward Furlong gets some love, everybody realizes he was only 13 while filming the movie, and Rafe delivers the completely unnecessary observation that the reunion photo looks like “the future they were trying to prevent.”Then the show turns to a frightening story out of Columbia, Missouri, where a 21-year-old former Mizzou student suffered severe injuries after falling from the rooftop area at Harpo's. The crew talks about what was known about the accident, the young man's condition, and their own experiences with Columbia's downtown, the Blue Note, Shakespeare's, old venues, King Scott's favorite Wal Mart and the college-town scene. It's a genuinely awful situation, and everybody's hoping the kid pulls through.And then Simpleton Trivia arrives to destroy everybody's self-esteem.The premise sounds insultingly easy: answer 10 common-knowledge questions in 45 seconds. Get one wrong and you're immediately done. Callers can either take the challenge themselves for two pairs of tickets or put their faith in somebody from The Rizzuto Show and bet on—or against—them.Follow The Rizzuto Show → linktr.ee/rizzshow for more from your favorite daily comedy show.Connect with The Rizzuto Show Comedy Podcast online → 1057thepoint.com/RizzShow.Hear The Rizz Show daily on the radio at 105.7 The Point | Hubbard Radio in St. Louis, MO.49ers owner Jed York pleads no contest to two misdemeanor charges in OhioMan crushed coworker's head while 'f---ing around' with tree-trimming machineryOne seemingly ordinary job has gotten much more deadly over the past 10 years, federal data showsFrench visitor dies in Death Valley National Park after becoming stranded on remote roadMount Fuji hiker leaves tired son, 7, behind to reach iconic summit: ‘Wait here'Former Chillicothe football player in critical condition after fall from Harpo's rooftop barSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Summer is basically over, the kids are back in school, and some of them returned home looking like they'd just completed a six-month combat deployment instead of one day of algebra. Naturally, that sends The Rizzuto Show down memory lane to discuss suspiciously easy senior-year schedules, bowling classes, walking classes, movie classes, and the beautiful teenage realization that maybe calculus simply isn't going to be part of your personal journey.From there, this funny podcast takes a hard turn into NFL chaos with the story of 49ers owner Jed York and an alleged prostitution sting in East Palestine, Ohio. The crew tries to understand how a man connected to billions of dollars somehow ends up at the center of a $140 Sunday-morning situation in a mobile home community. There are questions. So many questions. Mostly: 9:30 in the morning?! The conversation also spirals into other professional sports owners who have spectacularly found themselves in trouble over the years, because apparently owning a franchise does not include the complimentary Common Sense Package.Then we move from bad decisions to an actual nightmare: a workplace prank involving heavy machinery that ended in tragedy. That leads into a rundown of some of the deadliest jobs in America, including logging, commercial fishing, roofing, steel work, trash collection, aviation, mining, construction, and landscaping. Suddenly sitting in a radio studio complaining about the air conditioning doesn't seem quite as heroic.This funny podcast also heads to Death Valley, where extreme heat turns a stranded-car situation deadly, before traveling approximately 8,100 feet up Mount Fuji for our unofficial Father of the Year competition. A dad hiking with his children reportedly decided his exhausted seven-year-old could wait alone on the mountain while Dad and the other child continued toward the summit. Rain? Fog? Early morning? Giant mountain? Details, details. Police eventually ordered Dad to abandon the climb and go back for his kid, proving once again that some parenting advice really should not require law enforcement.And because The Rizzuto Show can never stay on one subject for more than the medically recommended amount of time, Fujifilm sends everybody tumbling into a conversation about words that instantly reveal your age. “Videotape.” “Pocketbook.” “Slacks.” “Icebox.” “Billfold.” “Filling station.” “Supper.” Welcome to the portion of the show where everyone discovers they're approximately 900 years old.It's another funny podcast packed with weird news, sarcastic humor, NFL shenanigans, daily comedy, St. Louis nonsense, questionable life choices, and the kind of conversations that begin somewhere reasonable before wandering directly into traffic.Follow The Rizzuto Show → linktr.ee/rizzshow for more from your favorite daily comedy show.Connect with The Rizzuto Show Comedy Podcast online → 1057thepoint.com/RizzShow.Hear The Rizz Show daily on the radio at 105.7 The Point | Hubbard Radio in St. Louis, MO.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Videotaping instead of recording? Pound sign instead of hashtag? Supper instead of dinner? What are some words or phrases that make you sound old?See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Register your feedback here. Always good to hear from you!I turn 60 years old in two weeks. And I'm totally OK with it – so OK, in fact, that I want to talk about one of the greatest senior citizens in the Bible; a man who some thought was too old and stubborn to be president, and who then got elected and proved them right; the disadvantage of having older men as advisers and how it got a king killed; and a game that gets better and better the longer you leave it on the table, although it may start to smell worse.Check out Hal on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/@halhammons9705Hal Hammons serves as preacher and shepherd for the Lakewoods Drive church of Christ in Georgetown, Texas. He is the host of the Citizen of Heaven podcast. You are encouraged to seek him and the Lakewoods Drive church through Facebook and other social media. Lakewoods Drive is an autonomous group of Christians dedicated to praising God, teaching the gospel to all who will hear, training Christians in righteousness, and serving our God and one another faithfully. We believe the Bible is God's word, that Jesus died on the cross for our sins, that heaven is our home, and that we have work to do here while we wait. Regular topics of discussion and conversation include: Christians, Jesus, obedience, faith, grace, baptism, New Testament, Old Testament, authority, gospel, fellowship, justice, mercy, faithfulness, forgiveness, Twenty Pages a Week, Bible reading, heaven, hell, virtues, character, denominations, submission, service, character, COVID-19, assembly, Lord's Supper, online, social media, YouTube, Facebook.  

Today we continue our series in the Gospel of Luke, one of four eyewitness accounts of Jesus' words and works. In them we learn of his life, death, and resurrection to rescue his people from among the neighborhoods of Seattle and the nations of the world. Today, we move into the final hours of Jesus' life, beginning with a famous meal now known as the “Last Supper.” Here we discover that Jesus is the ultimate passover lamb given so that we might belong to God together, forever. Audio | Notes

Against_the_Storm_400513_-_Supper_In_The_Park

Packinghouse's Sunday morning worship service from August 23, 2026. Paul corrects the Corinthians for the careless way they were approaching the Lord's Supper and brings their attention back to what communion is meant to remember: Jesus' body given for us and His blood shed for the forgiveness of sin. Pastor Ed explains that churches may practice communion differently, but the important thing is not allowing it to become an empty ritual or losing sight of the sacrifice it represents. Communion points us to the New Covenant, the forgiveness Jesus purchased for us, and the work of the Holy Spirit in changing our hearts. The message encourages believers to examine themselves, receive God's forgiveness, and approach the Lord's Table with gratitude and a renewed focus on Jesus. - Ed Rea - Sunday, August 23, 2026

Are some of the most popular Christian ministers wrong on major theological issues? In this video, we're reacting to theological takes from R.C. Sproul, Michael Heiser, and John MacArthur and comparing their views with what the Bible actually teaches.We tackle three important questions that every Christian—and especially anyone exploring Christianity—should think through. Is God's love truly unconditional? Is Communion merely a symbol, or is something deeper happening when Christians take the Lord's Supper? And what does Jesus' Parable of the Widow's Two Coins actually mean?Whether you're a new Christian, Jesus-curious, skeptic, Bible student, or a Christian looking to strengthen your faith, this discussion will challenge you to examine popular Christian teachings carefully and return to Scripture.We'll look at Christian theology, biblical interpretation, the love of God, Communion, the Lord's Supper, Jesus' teachings, the Bible, salvation, and Christian doctrine while responding to influential voices in modern Christianity.If you enjoy thoughtful Christian apologetics, Bible study, theological debates, and discussions about what Christianity actually teaches, make sure to subscribe and join the conversation!What do you think? Let us know in the comments.Enjoy!

"May one partake of the Lord's Supper before he is indulged with undoubted assurance of a personal interest in Christ?" It is easy to answer in the affirmative. If assurance of salvation were absolutely necessary to qualify for the Lord's table, then worthy communicants would be much fewer than they are. And if that were the case, it would easily appear that our blessed Redeemer had appointed the sacred supper, not for the babes in his house, but for the strong men in his family. This would be very discouraging to the weak-minded. And I am persuaded it was far from the design of the tender-hearted Shepherd, who is so mindful of his lambs, and so compassionate, that he gathers them in his arms, and carries them in his bosom.

The Gates of Hell Shall Not Prevail | Matthew 16:13–20 | Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost | LCMS SermonWho do you say that Jesus is — and does your answer actually change anything when life feels uncertain?In this sermon on Matthew 16:13–20, we travel with Jesus and His disciples to Caesarea Philippi, where He asks Peter the question every person must eventually answer for themselves. Peter's confession — "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God" — becomes the rock on which Christ promises to build His Church, a Kingdom of Heaven that no power of darkness can overthrow.We're honest about the doubt and anxiety so many of us feel when we measure faith by numbers, attendance, or outward success instead of resting in God's promises. But this message points beyond ourselves to the good news: Christ has already won the victory over sin and death. Through His cross and empty tomb, He offers grace, redemption, forgiveness, and salvation freely to all who trust in Him — gifts He continues to deliver through His Word and in the Lord's Supper.Subscribe for weekly sermons, devotions, and teaching to help you grow in God's Word.☕ Support this ministry: https://buymeacoffee.com/whitegandalphWatch, share, and join us as we grow together in faith. If this message encouraged you, you can also support the channel at https://buymeacoffee.com/whitegandalphHASHTAGS#LCMS #Lutheran #ChristianSermon #BibleStudy #FaithJourney

Sunday Service (8/16/26) // *Revelation 19: 17-21* (ESV) // *17 Then I saw an angel standing in the sun, and with a loud voice he called to all the birds that fly directly overhead, “Come, gather for the great supper of God, 18 to eat the flesh of kings, the flesh of captains, the flesh of mighty men, the flesh of horses and their riders, and the flesh of all men, both free and slave,[a] both small and great.” 19 And I saw the beast and the kings of the earth with their armies gathered to make war against him who was sitting on the horse and against his army. 20 And the beast was captured, and with it the false prophet who in its presence[b] had done the signs by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped its image. These two were thrown alive into the lake of fire that burns with sulfur. 21 And the rest were slain by the sword that came from the mouth of him who was sitting on the horse, and all the birds were gorged with their flesh.*Footnotes*a. Revelation 19: 18 For the contextual rendering of the Greek word doulos, see Prefaceb. Revelation 19: 20 Or on its behalf#Revelation #BookofRevelation #BibleStudy #BibleExplained #BiblicalStudies #BibleTeacher #WordOfGod #BiblicalLessons #BibleJournal #BibleReading #BibleStudyCommunity #BibleVerse #prophecy #prophetic #jerusalemWebsite: https://mbchicago.org *FOLLOW US* Facebook: https://facebook.com/mbc.chicago Instagram: https://instagram.com/mbc.chicago TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@mbc.chicago Podcasts: Listen on Apple, Spotify & others *TO SUPPORT US* Zelle to: info@mbchicago.org Web: https://mbchicago.org/give Venmo: https://venmo.com/mbchurch DAF Donations: https://every.org/mbc.chicago PayPal/Credit: https://paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=AA74AC7V5WYMJ*Chapters and main sections of the message:*

In this episode of Outlaw God, Caleb Keith and Dr. Steven Paulson continue exploring Luther's "new Kabbalah" and his rejection of mystical approaches to God, Scripture, and the law. They explain how Luther moved away from Plato and Aristotle and came to see God's Word, preaching, Baptism, the Lord's Supper, and absolution as the true means through which God gives Christ and salvation. The conversation shows why Luther believed the Gospel must be separated from mystical ideas of ascending to God through suffering, rituals, dreams, or human effort. More from 1517: Support the work at 1517 1517 on Youtube 1517 Podcast Network on Apple Podcasts 1517 Events Schedule 1517 Academy - Free Theological Education 1517 Podcast Listeners Get a Free Book When They Sign Up for Memento This August Dr. Paulson's Outlaw God in Three Volumes: Volume 1 Volume 2 Volume 3 New Books from 1517 Publishing: The Turk at the Door by Adam Francisco Luther and the Lion: A Narnian Catechism by Samuel Schuldheisz By Water and the Word by Brian Thomas Being Family by Dr. Scott Keith More from the hosts: Caleb Keith Steven Paulson Follow 1517:  Instagram X/Twitter Facebook

In this episode I sit down with historian Dr. Michael Haykin to work through the strange, largely forgotten world of Baptist sacramentology. We start with the language itself — the way early Baptists could speak of Christ's real presence and of genuinely feeding on him at the Table, in terms that would make a lot of modern Baptists twitch. From there we ask how a tradition that once treated the Supper as central to congregational life ended up treating it as an occasional appendix to the sermon, and what was lost in the trade. We also get into the fights. Should a Baptist church share the Lord's Supper with Christians who were baptized as infants — and what does your answer say about what you think baptism is? And the bigger question underneath all of it: can Baptists honestly claim a place in the Great Tradition while holding the line on believer's baptism, or does that commitment put us outside the room we keep asking to be let into? If you've ever suspected that "just a symbol" isn't the whole Baptist story, this one is for you. Show Notes Buy Michael Haykin's book: https://a.co/d/03C6Wg8b Support the Podcast Support us on Patreon Website: thatllpreach.io IG: thatllpreachpodcast YouTube Channel  

This video delves into the multifaceted concept of ritual, exploring its historical significance and contemporary perception, particularly within evangelical contexts. It examines how Old Testament rituals served purposes of atonement, purification, and remembrance, contrasting them with New Testament understandings. The discussion clarifies that while rituals like the Lord's Supper and baptism are important acts of remembrance and obedience, they are not a means to salvation or forgiveness.

In episode 501, Tony Arsenal and Jesse Schwamb dig into the parable of the watchful doorkeeper in Mark 13:32–37 — four tightly packed verses that Jesus uses to call his servants to alertness before his return. But this isn't a passage about spiritual caffeine and white-knuckling your way through the Christian life. Tony and Jesse unpack what "stay awake" actually means through the lens of Reformed theology: active, differentiated stewardship in the ordinary means of grace, faithful vocation in every sphere of life, and a corporate ecclesial readiness that belongs to the whole church, not just the individual. This episode reorients the familiar language of watchfulness away from anxiety and date-setting toward the sturdy, quiet confidence of a believer who knows who they are, whose house they serve in, and why that identity drives everything. Key Takeaways "Stay awake" is a command about identity, not performance. The doorkeeper doesn't do what he does to become the doorkeeper — he's already the doorkeeper. Christians are watchful because of who they already are in Christ, not to earn or secure that status. Vocation is not optional waiting — it's active, differentiated stewardship. Christ's ascension corresponds to the master's departure, and the interim period is characterized by each servant being given his own work, reflecting Calvin's doctrine of vocation and the Reformed insistence that the Christian life between the ascension and the Parousia is not passive. Watchfulness is corporate, not merely individual. The church, as the pillar and buttress of truth, is called to a collective readiness. In Presbyterian polity, every act of a valid church jurisdiction is an act of the whole church — meaning each member has a genuine stake in the faithfulness of the whole body. The ordinary means of grace are the means of watchfulness. Prayer, the Word, the sacraments, fellowship, and sitting under preaching are not supplementary to vigilance — they are the very instruments by which God preserves and prepares his people. Two errors must be avoided: speculative date-setting and practical indifference. Uncertainty about the hour of Christ's return is neither an invitation to calculate nor an excuse for carelessness. It is the very grounds for sustained, ordinary faithfulness. The warnings of Scripture are themselves a means of grace. Following Westminster Confession of Faith 17, the sobering warning of verse 36 is not a threat to the elect's final security but a pastoral instrument by which God preserves his people in living, active faith. The rooster-crowing language of Mark 13 anticipates the Passion narrative. The clustering of watchfulness, the night watches, and the crowing rooster in this chapter echoes the Garden of Gethsemane and Peter's denial — a connection particularly resonant given Mark's traditional association with Peter's testimony. Explanatory Paragraphs Vocation and the Active Interim One of the most theologically rich observations in this episode is the way Jesse frames the master's departure as corresponding directly to the ascension of Christ. The key phrase in verse 34 — "each one his task" — is not incidental detail. It reflects the Reformed doctrine of vocation at full strength: every believer, in every sphere of influence, has been given particular work to do on behalf of the Lord during Christ's bodily absence. This is not a passive waiting room existence. It is an active, differentiated stewardship that is deeply personal and yet accountable to the master who owns the whole house. The ascension does not mean abandonment, and the parable makes that clear by the fact that the servants are left in charge — trusted, commissioned, and expected to be about their work when the master returns. The Church's Corporate Readiness A standout contribution of this episode is Tony's move from the individual to the ecclesial. Drawing directly from OPC Book of Church Order, Chapter 3, he argues that church power is not vested in officers alone but in the whole body of believers. This means that when any legitimate church jurisdiction acts — whether in discipline, instruction, or governance — it is the whole church acting. The parable's doorkeeper is therefore not just a figure for personal piety; he is a figure for the corporate watchfulness that belongs to every member of the household. Tony's point is that a Christian who is disconnected from his local church, indifferent to what is being taught and decided elsewhere in the visible church, is not simply failing at individual holiness — he is failing to be awake in the fullest sense the parable intends. The Ordinary Means of Grace as Watchfulness Itself Perhaps the most pastorally stabilizing insight of the episode is Jesse's observation that watchfulness is not some extraordinary spiritual heroism layered on top of normal Christian life — it is normal Christian life. The ordinary means of grace are ordinary precisely because they are the regular, appointed instruments through which God delivers his grace to his people. Prayer, the Word, the sacraments, and fellowship are not preparatory disciplines that get you ready for the real work of being watchful. They are the work. Tony reinforces this by noting that a person who persistently refuses the ordinary means of grace is not simply being unwise — they are declining the offer of God's grace, which is a far more serious matter than mere spiritual lethargy. Memorable Quotes The doorkeeper doesn't do what he does to become the doorkeeper in this parable. He's already the doorkeeper, and the fact that he's the doorkeeper explains why he's given certain responsibilities and certain commands. That's the way it is for us as Christians. - Tony Arsenal The warnings of Scripture are themselves among the ordinary means by which God preserves His people... the sobering possibility of being found asleep functions pastorally not to threaten the loss of the elect, but to press home the seriousness of watchfulness as the fruit and evidence of genuine faith." - Jesse Schwamb When I go into a patient encounter at the hospital, or when I pull up to a red light, or when I order a sandwich at McDonald's and they get it wrong — I bring with me the fact that I am a Christian, the fact that I am a servant of Christ, that I am a doorkeeper in the house of the living God. - Tony Arsenal Full Transcript Jesse Schwamb: [00:01:00] Welcome to episode 501 of The Reformed Brotherhood. I'm Jesse.  Tony Arsenal: And I'm Tony, and this is the podcast with ears to hear. Hey, brother.  Jesse Schwamb: Hey, brother. Well, we've got some more kingdom teaching on tap right from the mouth of Jesus. We're going through all the parables, if you haven't been tracking with us so far, and we're finding ourselves in Mark chapter 13. And as J- only Jesus can do, packs four verses with all kinds of rich, robust theology, and it's all in this kind of strange setting, actually. A guy heads out of town. He hands his servants the keys. He tells the doorman, "Hey, watch the place," with the same kind of e- enigmatic and vague energy that I imagine, like, your cable internet provider gives you when they give you an arrival time between now and Friday. And then Jesus lists literally, like, every possible hour He might show up, evening, midnight, rooster clock, dawn. And all of this is for His glory and for our benefits. [00:02:00] And we're gonna somehow try to see if we can take all of these four verses, which are so jam-packed, and fit them into our conversation. That's our challenge, and it's gonna be yours to listen to. So welcome to this episode.  Affirm or Deny Segment Jesse Schwamb: But before we do all of that, it is everybody's favorite time. Well, except for Wicked Scriptures. That is really everybody's favorite time. Second favorite time is where we find something in our lives, Tony, that we either affirm with because it's awesome, it's exciting, want everybody to know about it, or conversely, we deny against something because it's just not that great. We don't like it. Don't waste your time with it. So everybody longs to know, in this conversation, are you affirming with or denying against?  Tony Affirms Psalm Music Tony Arsenal: I'm affirming something tonight. Uh, the listener might remember, I don't know, maybe a month and a half back, I affirmed a particular setting of Psalm 63 in the Trinity Psalter Hymnal. And as I was kind of, you know, looking around for, I wanted to find a track to sort of maybe add to the end of the episode just to sort of, [00:03:00] like, put a point on that. I stumbled on, um, a song, singer, I don't know if you'd call him a songwriter, 'cause he's mostly just writing song- psalms. But he's, he's arranging them. He's, you know, writing the guitar line for it or whatever. Uh, his name is Matthew David Montgomery. Uh, I don't know that you would know him from anywhere, but he's on, um- Apple Music, YouTube, Spotify, wherever. Uh, he does an arrangement of O God Show Mercy to Us, which is Psalm 63, uh, setting A, I believe, in the Trinity Psalter hymnal. But, um, it's, it's in other hymnals, other psalters, uh, under the same name with the same tune. Uh, he has a beautiful singing voice. He does a lot of, uh, what's typically called, like, finger style, uh, guitar picking, uh, which is just very melodious and very gentle and soft. Um, it would be a great addition to, like, your morning devotional time to just, like, pick a psalm that he sings, that he's, he's recorded. Um, you can get most of his stuff for free on, uh, YouTube, or again, if you have Apple [00:04:00] Music or Spotify, it's available there. Uh, again, his name is Matthew David Montgomery, and he's got several, uh, several albums. He has ones that specifically is psalms called Psalms for Singing. Um, and then he has a couple finger style hymn songs, uh, hymn albums that are like, you know, like I don't know, more modern hymns, He Will Hold Me Fast, Only Holy God- Right kinda like Getty, um, Getty-style and City Alight songs, those kinds of sort of that complex of modern hymnody. Um, but he's excellent, and it's excellent theologically rich sound music. Um, I haven't listened to everything, but he seems like he's in kind of that, uh, sort of vein of worship music production producer peoples, um, that are just putting out good, accessible music. I know, like, a lot of small churches, uh, have in the past have had to resort to using tracks like this actually to sort of lead their vocal music. Um, that would be something to think [00:05:00] about. It's simple. It's arranged in a straightforward fashion. Many times it's arranged according to the psalters, which are by, almost by definition are designed for congregational singing. So it's good. It's great. Use it for family worship, listen to in your car. I don't know, workout music. I don't know if you would work out to this, but I guess you could try. Um- I love it ... but yeah, I usually, I usually listen to, um, Oh God, Show Mercy To Us probably, like, once a day. I listen to it usually in the morning to kinda center my day and get my head in the right space. Um, but yeah, it's just good stuff. David, um, Mi- Matthew David Montgomery, uh, the specific one was Psalms for Singing, but, um, all of his stuff is really great.  Jesse Schwamb: All right.  Jesse Affirms Hymn Devotional Jesse Schwamb: People are gonna think we're totally conspiring now, but I promise we're not. This is just how our minds work in collective fashion, that we never speak about stuff together. So my affirmation is right in the same vein. So I'm actually excited about this one because it might just be the golden age of daily books about, like, theological meditation. It might be. And [00:06:00] so this one is really good, and I'm super stoked because I'm kind of on the cusp of this one because I got an advance copy of this book, and it's just out now. It's called Awake My Soul, and it's daily readings, 365 hymn texts taken throughout church history from the Middle Ages to 1900. And each hymn for the day includes s- a suggested tune and then, like, a short historical slash, like, theological meditation. The beauty of this- Wow One, I'm learning all kinds of new hymns that are not my favorite. Two, you can either read them or... There's no music included in this, except that in the back there's an index that will give you... There's, like, a little code every day. This is like a s- it's your own treasure hunt. There's a little code on each day, and if you take that code and go back to the end of the book, what you'll find there is names of popular hymns or songs that you do know the, the tune to, and then you can take that same tune and use the same poetic meter that the hymn is in that you don't know, and guess what? You can actually sing it. So you're prepared every day to sing [00:07:00] music and to sing brand-new music with great confidence and high conviction. So this is, like, the bridge here. Go listen to some good music. And I would say if you wanna buy this, because it is brand new, go to hymnworks.com. It's by P&R Publishing. That's where you'll find the best price. It's, like, 25 bucks. It's a beautiful clothbound, like, handsome two-color printing with a ribbon. And also Passion Week and Advent are clearly marked and can be adapted for use in any calendar year. So there you go. Like, it's the double-barreled affirmation for good singing, good hymns. By the way, for all the brothers and sisters of exclusive psalmody, we see you raising your hands in the back. Actually, if you're doing exclusive psalmody, you're in the front. So we see you in the front, and this- And you're  Tony Arsenal: probably not raising your hands.  Jesse Schwamb: You're definitely not raising your hand. We see your hands  Tony Arsenal: in your pockets. Jesse Schwamb: We see you standing there  Tony Arsenal: stoically.  Jesse Schwamb: Yeah. We see your hands in your pockets, never coming out. That's fine. Yeah. Uh, this book also is for you because so much of it is actually just, uh, the psalms adapted for kind of [00:08:00] more, when I say contemporary, between the Middle Ages and 1900 worship. So, uh, there you go. I think this is lovely. Uh, we didn't plan it, but you've got two great resources for daily living and daily singing.  Tony Arsenal: Yeah.  Building Daily Liturgy Tony Arsenal: And, you know, I think, um, there is sort of an element, and I'll be quick about this, where we are set up... We have such a, like, a dearth of riches in terms of accessibility to musical worship. And y- you know, used to think of it as, like, daily devotions, but I think the more, I think the more accurate and I think a, a more theologically rich term is a daily liturgy. Right. Um, you know, with books like Be Thou My Vision, um, by I think it's David Gibson, or, you know, he has, like, the Christmas version and the, um, I think there's an Easter version of it where it really walks you through a, a full daily liturg- liturgy with, like, a call to worship and a, a confession of sin. And, [00:09:00] um, and you could take these resources, whether it's an album like David, uh, or, like, um, David Michael Montgomery. That's a country singer, I think. Whatever the guy is that I recommend. I don't have his name in front of me. Uh, whether it's an album like that or whether it's- Right ... this resource Jesse's talking about, or like I've said before, like, just the trendy Psalter Hymnal app on your phone which will play the music for you and display the words. You can take this and there... I, I hate to say it this way because I know there's a lot of people that, that make good profitable use of sort of like evangelical, I would call it, like, fluffy devo kinda stuff. Uh, which ironically on my list of affirmations of things that are in the queue, there's, there's a devotional resource that even kinda falls into this category. Yeah, there is. But, um, there really is no good excuse for not having some sort of robust daily worship pattern. Right. Um, because you can, you can really make use of these resources to create a pretty cohesive, well put-together, pleasurable kind of [00:10:00] daily worship set or liturgy or experience, I don't know, whatever word you wanna slot in there. Um, a- and really get... Like, really just have an excellent experience out of it, really have good resources. So yeah, I'm, I'm on board. I think it's great. I would love to, I would love to be able to, uh, to take a look at that. So maybe next time we're in the same geographical location you'll have to show me. Jesse Schwamb: Oh, I'll bring it. We'll, we'll do it. It actually doubles as a hymnal because it's all indexed, so you can actually- Yeah ... just use it as a hymnal. I love books that give you two purposes. Oh, that's a double threat book right there. And that means, like, for the spaces taken up in your life and on your shelf it can do more than one thing. That's like having a kitchen appliance that, like, I don't know, is like an air fryer and it brews beer. Like, that's worth- Yeah ... the space all the time  Tony Arsenal: Yeah, I, I just recently found out that they make washers that are also dryers, and they're in the same machine, and- Wow.  Jesse Schwamb: That's transformative ... I  Tony Arsenal: would feel like a millionaire if I had one of those- Reading Mark 13 Parable Jesse Schwamb: 'cause- Well, speaking of [00:11:00] feeling like a millionaire, and I think what you challenge us with is settling in some patterns of daily worship and living for God, it just so happens that Jesus has some instruction for us in that same way- Nice ... in Mark chapter 13. So let me start beginning in verse 32. And if you're tracking along or keeping score at home and you've gone to this chapter, what you're probably gonna find is we're actually in the, the parable of the fig tree, or just at the end. But w- we're not gonna touch that one, not yet, so don't get too excited. We're actually coming right at the end of that. So picking up in verse 32: "But of that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone." Now, this is Jesus speaking: "See to it, keep on the alert, for you do not know when the appointed time will come. It's like a man away on a journey who, leaving his house and giving authority to his slaves, each one his task, also commanded the doorkeeper to stay awake. Therefore stay awake – for you do not know when the master of the house is coming, whether in the [00:12:00] evening, at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or in the morning – lest he come suddenly and find you sleeping. And what I say to you I say to all: Stay awake." Tony Arsenal: Yeah.  What Stay Awake Means Tony Arsenal: Yeah, it's a good, uh, it's a good parable. And, you know, this is covering a lot of the same ground as other parables that we've, uh, approached. I think what's a little bit, uh, unique or different about this one is that some of the, some of the cautions that we, um, brought out with the other parables, because they were actually longer and had more details, um, some of those cautions don't necessarily apply the same way here. Jesse Schwamb: Right.  Tony Arsenal: Right? We, we talked about the parable of the 10, of the 10 virgins, or the wise and foolish virgins, whatever you wanna call it, and we talked a lot about how this language of, like, stay awake seemed to be misapplied, uh, as, like, falling asleep is foolish. Because in that para- that particular parable, [00:13:00] um, both the wise and the foolish virgins fall asleep. It's not the falling asleep that was the problem, it was the being prepared, um, for the master's return. Uh, in that case, having the proper equipment, having your, you know, your lamps trimmed, your oil ready, all that stuff. In this parable, um, it really is about being awake. Like, being awake is the task. Yes. It's the specific command. That's right. And so our task tonight is to unpack a little bit about what it even means to be awake, what does this parable say to us about that. Um, but I, I think this one falls a little bit more in line with kind of what we maybe... I know this is weird to say. It falls a little bit more in line with what we've been talking about as a, sort of like a little bit of a legalistic approach to some of the parables. This one really does have, I th- I think, has more to do with, uh, the, the sort of production that Christians are expected to have.  Jesse Schwamb: Right.  Tony Arsenal: The, the, the holiness, the good works we're expected to have, and how [00:14:00] that plays into kind of our alertness, our, our fittedness for service, uh, and, and maybe ultimately even the way that we're rewarded in the last, the last times or in, in heaven. All of that kinda plays in here, and this is kind of like Mark's equivalent to sort of like the eschatological parables that we talked about at, at the end of Matthew in, you know, Matthew 25 and, and sort of that area  Jesse Schwamb: I totally agree.  Vocation and Stewardship Jesse Schwamb: I think this bad boy, even just the first verse, it's like a compact statement of the doctrine of vocation and providence all wrapped into one. And it's easy to read it and just kind of fly by that stuff and say, "Of course, I need to be aware of what's going on. I need to be aware of God's presence or seek Him in worship." All that's true, but there's a lot in this because, of course, the master's departure here corresponds clearly to Christ's ascension. There's like a real bodily absence that nonetheless does not amount to like abandonment. And then to your point, what I think starts to differentiate us from some of like the [00:15:00] other parables where we've been very careful about parsing this, has been this assignment, each his own work. It's reflecting like a really traditional like Reformed, I think, emphasis, even from like Calvin's doctrine of vocation, that the Christian life between the ascension and the Parousia is not one of like passive waiting, but there is like an active differentiated stewardship, and it's every believer. And even though it's just a sentence, there's like a lot of particularity in this to remind us that each one has a task, and that task is something that you should undertake on behalf and for the Lord  Tony Arsenal: Yeah. Yeah, and this, um, the other element of this, um, that I think is interesting is, you know, we don't wanna, um We wanna be careful not to try to build entire theological, like edifices, edifices. I'm not sure which word is right. Edifice. We don't wanna build huge theological structures on top of like slight variations in words. And, and I know that, um, that can [00:16:00] sometimes be very popular in our circles and, and I'm, I s- absolutely support the grammatical historical interpretive method. I don't think it's the only el- only, you know, hermeneutic we should think about. But I definitely agree with the words matter and the meanings of the words matter. Right. But we can also go too far in, like, making an entire theological point hang on the particular choice of a verb pars- like a verb tense or mood or whatever. But I think it's interesting, um, w- the sort of what we might call the parable proper starts in verse 34, but in verse 33 it says, "Be on guard, keep awake, for you do not know when the time will come." That's not the parable. That's Christ giving a command to his immediate audience, and then I think vicariously therefore for us. When we get into the parable and it, and it says, uh, that the command for the doorkeeper, right? So the, he, he takes his servants, he puts his servants in charge, and I s- I take that to mean, [00:17:00] like, he leaves the house to them. Like, he leaves them to their task. They're, they're not, they're not having to report to anybody. They just manage the household- Right ... autonomously or independently. Um, each with his work, so there's this idea that, like, each of the servant has their own proper sort of realm of the house that they manage, right? The gardener's managing the garden, the, the house, you know, the, the, um, the, the person who's in charge of the money is managing that. And the doorkeeper, which is a particular role, his task, his charge, his, he is commanded to stay awake. Now, the phrase, the word for stay awake in verse 30, uh, 34 is not the same word that's used in verse 33. Now, I, I have not done the word study on this or, or the c- commentary work to know how significant that is, but we do affirm that the Holy Spirit inspires each individual word.  Jesse Schwamb: That's right.  Tony Arsenal: And I think we could make an argument that sometimes a word is just used, um, at least on a, on a [00:18:00] human level. It, it's just you don't wanna use the same word multiple times. Like, just like anyone writing any sort of pi- piece of work, you don't use the same word repetitively. You vary the words. You use, use synonyms to, to spice it up and to give it some variety. But also, I think there may be some significance in the fact that within the story, within the parable, the command to stay awake is a particular word, and then a different word to stay awake and to be watchful, and there's this repetition, "Be on guard. Keep awake." Like, those are parallel statements. Um, those, that's a significant thing that that word is different  Jesse Schwamb: Yeah. It's a huge, I think, reminder that there's all... The- even, again, I can't believe how much is packed. Now that I think about this, we start talking about it into, like, a single sentence. But every believer, like every servant in this house, has been given some kind of task suited to his place. I believe that's what Jesus is trying to impress us with. And that idleness is not an option countenanced by the text because the doorkeeper's [00:19:00] particular charge to watch, like you were saying, functions to me, I think, almost like a synecdoche. Like, it's f- for the whole- Yeah ... household's duty. His vigilance stands for what is in fact required of every servant, since verse 37 will then extend this command to, like, everybody. So just- Yeah ... within, like, this little space of writing or this little space of teaching, I think what we have here is, like, it's realistic for us to say we've got the twin realities that ground really biblical ecclesiology in the interim period. We have Christ's real absence, but that's, like, against, I would say, any collapsing of the already into a fully realized eschatology. And then you have Christ's ongoing ownership and authority over his house, which is the church, against any notion that the church is left to autonomous self-governance. So the house, in other words, re- remains Christ's, and the servants remain accountable to him, not to themselves, like you've just said, and each one is accountable to God in a unique way according to the task that he's given them. So again, this beautiful marriage of [00:20:00] both the responsibility, the providence, and the responsibility that we have before God in being responsible to him, but also that he is governing all things for his good and for his glory.  Tony Arsenal: Yeah.  Doorkeeper Role Explained Tony Arsenal: And you know, I think, um, the word doorkeeper here too, uh, you know, as I peek at the Greek a little bit, the word doorkeeper is also a much broader term than, uh, it might seem. You know, like I think, you know, one of my kid's favorite shows is like Curious George, and there's a character in the, the story that's literally named Doorman, and he's just the guy that like opens the door in the apartment that- Right ... Curious George and the Man in the Yellow Hat. But the word doorkeeper in, uh, in the Greek here, when applied to a, a female, is understood to be like the janitor. So the doorkeeper might even be considered something more like the master of the house. Like think of like, um-  Jesse Schwamb: Lady's ...  Tony Arsenal: uh, like the, the head butler, right? In like if you think of like Downton Abbey, right? Right. The, the guy who actually like takes care of and like [00:21:00] runs, the house manager or something like that might be a better way to look at it. And I think you're right that his charge to stay awake, to keep alert, it does extend to the entire household, but it also is a particular command for that figure.  Jesse Schwamb: Right.  Tony Arsenal: Right? So yes, everybody is given their task. This, this person, this doorkeeper, he is, um, called out specifically, individually, right? It's not as though he's the only servant in the house. There's all these other servants, they each have their task, and they're all commanded to keep about their business. The doorkeeper, the master of the house, the, I don't know, head butler, the head ch- the chief janitor, I don't know what you would want, the head custodian of the house, um, and don't think of custodian or janitor in terms of like- Like the school janitor who like cleans the toilets and mops up after the kids throwing up and stuff. The, the janitor or the custodian of the house is really the person who kind of like runs the household, the sort of like head servant of the house. [00:22:00] His command to keep watchful, to be on guard or to be alert is because, um, the, the master's return is sudden and unexpected. Right. And so if the doorkeeper doesn't keep up with things, if he's not awake, if he's not running things, if he's not managing things, if he's not alert and awake, then not only does his task get, get, um, undone... And I think like we think of it like, "Oh yeah, be on guard." You sometimes hear this parable or, or variations of this parable taught as like you gotta keep the wolves out, like he's the guard at the door. Right. I don't think that's what this is getting at. It's really more like if this, if the doorkeeper s- falls asleep on the job, then the entire house falls into disarray, and you can't recover that when the master all of a sudden is at the gate. If you're just the guard, I guess you might be able to snap to attention and like, you know, pull your pole arm or whatever it is up. Like you might be able to snap to attention and kind of fake it. But if you're the guy who manages the entire household and the [00:23:00] whole household is in disarray because you've fallen asleep on the job, there's no recovering from that when the master taps you on the shoulder and says, "Please wake up, I'm home." You just can't recover from that. And so I think that's, that's the element of the story, the element of the parable that we probably need to think about a little bit more is, all right, w- no one of us is the doorkeeper of the church.  Jesse Schwamb: That's right.  Tony Arsenal: But also none of us are not the doorkeeper of the church. So like we all have a role and a responsibility in, in the church to sort of like be a part of, an active part of the church, an active part of God's kingdom, which is not, I'm not trying to say we're all gatekeepers, right? We're not all called to be r- to rule over the church. Like there's a particular office of ruling elder that I would say exists, uh, you know, that's codified in the OPC. But even within other kinds of s- setups, there's usually some sort of elder, you know, setup where there's elders that are not teaching elders. They're not there to like teach and minister and, and preach. They're there to [00:24:00] like govern the church and support the needs of the body spiritually. That's really, uh, you know, like a particular office, but that's also a task and a role that we all share as Christians is to, to sh- sort of, I almost said shepherd, but that doesn't feel right, but it also doesn't feel wrong. To sort of like manage the business of the congregation and the church- That's right ... and the, the invisible church as a whole. That's the task of every Christian, and that's really what this parable's getting at, I think.  Jesse Schwamb: I think so too. And I, I don't wanna, like, build too far a bridge away from that point. I think it's worth sitting there for a second because what occurs to me as you were saying that is I just happened to be reading Calvin's commentary this morning in 1 Corinthians 5, and he builds this whole theological argument around this idea that he, he basically is saying, "Why should the Corinthians mourn over one man's sin?" And he gives two reasons. First, as a consequence of the communion that exists among the members of the church, it's becoming that all should feel hurt at or so it's deadly if one of their members should fall. And the second is when such an erroneous sin is [00:25:00] perpetrated in a particular church, the perpetrator is an offender in such a manner that he pollutes the whole society. That is to say, I think it's kind of in line with what you're saying, that corruption in one place will affect the entire body. That is like falling asleep, pulling away from the mission Being found outside of the mission of God's, uh, for God's glory is something that hurts the church body. And we might ask, like if there is in our own lives a persistent sin, some kind of corruption, then we ought to ask, is there any form of corruption that we're contributing to the body of God? And I think those, these like real consequences of what it means to live in a way where we find ourselves, again, outside of what it means to worship whole heartedly, to worship with heart, soul, and mind, all of which we do imperfectly. Yet at the same time- Yeah ... are we being awake? Are we being made aware? Watchfulness and Rest Jesse Schwamb: I, I wonder if part of what's envisioned here and in view with Jesus' teaching is not just this idea... Almost like I think sometimes we, we say stay awake or we say be [00:26:00] watchful, and of course like I love that Jesus mentions like the four watches. Like that's, I think, like a distinctly kind of Roman division of the night into four three-hour segments. And of course it's gonna suggest to Mark's gentile audience that, and, and underscore this point, that it's not which watch, but that no watch may be presumed safe from the master's arrival. And so I think when we hear that stuff we think, "Well, this means like don't fall asleep." In other words, like there's going to be a test somewhere in your life or all of your life where you're going to be legitimately tempted to take a rest, and you can't take a rest. You gotta keep like just going thrust or no th- you, there's no other choice- Right ... but to give it your all. I think what's better here and what's in view is in all areas of life, are you awake to the reality that God has given you work to do in the spheres of influence that you have, in the particular place in which you live, among the church people whom He has given you to worship with? Are you aware that at all times you ought to be moving and working and for His glory, [00:27:00] even while you are literally sleeping in rest so that you might do those things for the next day? So I- Yeah ... I don't wanna get too hyped up on it's kind of like, again, what's the spiritual equivalent of always drinking Celsius and Red Bull and just like toughing it out- Yeah like with your eyes wide open. It's, it's way more than that.  Tony Arsenal: Yeah. Yeah, uh, this is gonna seem like a weird transition, but it's, it is but also isn't. Um, I, I saw an interesting video the other... I'm getting super nerdy here right now. But, um, I saw an interesting video on YouTube the other day that was talking about how strange it was that there is like a night shift on the Starship Enterprise on Star Trek Next Generation. But, but actually like- It, it demonstrated something to me that, like, even on a, you know, this is obviously a fictional television show, but, like, even on a spaceship where there is no sun, there is no actual reference- Right ... for what a day is, right? We think of a day, and, and rightfully so, it's locked into a 24-hour cycle because of the [00:28:00] way God has created the Earth to spin, and the sun, and the sunrise, sunset, et cetera. But in this fictionalized universe, in this fictionalized world, there's no sunset. There's no, uh, chronology, yet they still divide on, on this, they still divide the day into these three watches. And it's funny, 'cause they talk about how, like, well, there's, there's the day shift, there's the sort of like second shift, and there's the night shift. And they actually even, like, turn the lights down on the ship to simulate a day-night cycle. And, and what it got me thinking about, and I think in the parable, obviously, like, it's the four watches of the night. Um, I play a lot of Dungeons & Dragons, and, like, when you're gonna do what's called a long rest, you have to determine who's gonna set a watch. If you don't set a proper watch, then the dungeon master may make it so monsters show up and you don't get your long rest. This idea that- Even resting is an appropriate and necessary execution of- Right ... the task to be watchful. That's right. Like, I think that's important. If you are, um, i- if you think of like, uh, Lord of the [00:29:00] Rings, right? And they set a watch. Uh, the responsibility of the people who aren't on watch is to make every, every use of that time to sleep so that if something happens, they're alert. And then when also when it's time for them to take watch, they're able to be watchful. And, uh, the other thing I wanna, wanna just comment really quickly on, because I, I, I didn't do a lot of prep for this episode. Big shocker. We don't prep a lot for these episodes. And this is another Markan parable that I'm not super familiar with.  Church Alertness and Power Tony Arsenal: But one of the things that as we're talking through it I'm, I'm becoming more convinced of, is this really is about not just any one individual being alert, although there is implications for us. It's really about the whole church being alert.  Jesse Schwamb: That's  Tony Arsenal: right. Like, the church is the, uh... I, I think it's in, I wanna say it's in Timothy, I don't know where, but the Church is the buttress and pillar of truth, right? So that's not to say we're the, we're the arbiter of truth, but I wanna read this. The... I don't know any other podcasts, although in our circles there [00:30:00] probably are other podcasts that you might hear someone reading out of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church book of Church Order, Form of Government, chapter three, verse, uh, passage one here. Uh, but this is, this is, as I said, uh, BCO chapter three, Form of Government. Uh, and this is, the chapter is titled The Nature and Exercise of Church Power. And when I was coming into the OPC, I don't think I was surprised, uh, in terms of like I thought the theology was different. I was pleasantly surprised to see that this was articulated and how clearly it was articulated. So I'm just gonna read the whole section here. It says, "The power which Christ has committed to His Church is not vested in special officers alone, but in the whole body. All believers are endued with the Spirit & called of Christ to join in the worship, edification, and the witness of the Church which grows as the body of Christ, fitly framed and knit together through, uh, that which every joint supplies according to the working and due measure of each part." Sidebar commentary. The BCO doesn't [00:31:00] have proof text, but if they did, they would just be citing to Ephesians 5 here. Um, back to what the text says. "The power of believers in their general office includes the right to acknowledge and desire the exercise of the gifts and calling of the special officers. The regular exercise of oversight in a particular congregation is discharged by those who have been called to such work by the vote of the people." So just to summarize that, officers, at least in the OPC Um, ruling elders are nominated and voted into, into office and essentially, uh, given their powers, their official powers, their official responsibilities, not by the presbytery, uh, and not by some hierarchy, but by the congregation. They call from within.  Church Authority From Congregation Tony Arsenal: But that, that means that the power of the ruling elders, the, the authority of the ruling elders, is not derived from some hierarchy. It's derived from the [00:32:00] authority and the exercise of power of the whole church. And the other thing, I won't read this, but the other thing that I found, um, really interesting that I really like is in Presbyterianism, and, and I, I believe Presbyterianism is what the Bible teaches positively as a command. I know there are other church polities, and I know everybody is trying to figure it out, and we don't all agree. I think Presbyterianism is the right way.  Jurisdictions And Whole Church Acts Tony Arsenal: But either way, um Presbyterianism works on a s- sort of an idea of, uh, jurisdictions, right? And they're kinda concentric circles. They're not necessarily hierarchical, but it's, it's narrow jurisdictions and then broader jurisdictions. And the most narrow jurisdiction is the session of a local church over that congregation. But what's really interesting is that the, the Book of Church Order calls out that when any valid jurisdiction of the church is exercising its authority, it's not just that jurisdiction that's [00:33:00] acting. That's an act of the whole church, the entire Orthodox Presbyterian Church. So in a congregation where someone is in unrepentant sin and that, uh, session makes a decision, votes a decision to excommunicate that person, to remove them from the rolls, consider them to be an unbeliever, that's not just an act of that jurisdiction. I- i- as a member of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church, when some church in Sacramento, California, I don't know if there's an OPC in Sacramento, I assume there probably is, but some church in Sacramento, California, the presbytery or the session excommunicates someone, I am e- I'm engaged in that act. That's an act of the whole church.  Watchfulness Beyond Personal Piety Tony Arsenal: And this, the, the only reason I go there and I bring, I kind of dive into that level of granularity is I actually think that this is kind of what this parable is teaching, is that as individuals, we need to be alert because the whole church acting is the whole church acting. So whether this takes the [00:34:00] form of me just being really un- un- like, locked into my local church and making sure that I'm active in my local church, or whether... And I think there are some of us who are called to this, um, and I think our, our podcast in some levels sort of takes this shape a little bit, are watching what other people in the church are doing and sometimes are offering corrections, right? It is not the case that an average blogger has ecclesiastical authority in the strictest sense, but when I see, or, or anyone who is sort of involved in online commentary, podcast, blogging or otherwise, I see someone in the church teaching something elsewhere and I call that out, that's me sort of fulfilling this command of Mark 13. I'm being watchful Because what that Christian says or does, if they're truly a Christian, actually does have something to do with what I believe. It actually does have something to do with me as a believer. That doesn't mean that you should get up in everybody else's business. That's not what I'm saying. Like, sometimes- Right ... the thing [00:35:00] that's going on in the church over there is just that thing that's going on over at the church there. But for example, there was a pretty high-profile, um, uh, ecclesiastical, I don't know if it was a trial, but like an ecclesiastical deposition, I guess, um, for a presbytery down in the Southwest, um, about some pretty gnarly things that were being said by an elder in the OPC church, and I wrote to that presbytery. They haven't sent it to me yet, but I wrote to that presbytery and said, "Hey, what you did at that meeting is an act of the whole church that I'm a part of. Can you send me the minutes?" And I have a right to do that, because I wanna see what's going on. I wanna understand what statements they're making on behalf of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church of America. Or, I just combined like 1,000 different denominations- Yes, you did. ... into one sentence. But I, I think the point is clear, like the, the parable of the watchful doorkeeper or the porter is not about exclusively, I do think there's an element of it, but it's not about our individual piety. It's about the sort of readiness state of the entire church for [00:36:00] Christ's return, if you really boil it all down  Avoid Date Setting And Indifference Jesse Schwamb: Yeah, so we, I think before we leave verse 35, we, we are at least contractually obligated to say, though we've said it before, that there are two errors here that we should definitely seek to avoid. And because we're talking about, again, this idea that we do not know when the master of the house will come, that is the reason why we wait, and we are watchful, like you just said. But it means that the first is any kind of, like, speculative date setting, which is a fool's errand. We've talked about that at length. Yeah. The second one, again, I think we're contractually obligated to say, is a practical indifference, maybe sometimes dressed as, like, pious agnosticism, like treating the uncertainty of that hour as grounds for some kind of spiritual carelessness rather than heightened attentiveness. So I think where all this wraps up with what you said about one representing all, that, that is the church's responsibility. Yes, you're right. In Timothy we get the command that this is the center and the pillar. So I... That obviously all this coheres with just straight-up biblical [00:37:00] doctrine of assurance and perseverance, because the elect are kept by God's power through faith. So what that means is watchfulness is not some kind of, like, anxious uncertainty about final salvation, but instead it is, like, this disciplined fidelity in the means God has appointed. Ordinary Means Of Grace Jesse Schwamb: And what are those means? Like, I feel like this is where everybody just shouts back, "Ordinary means." You know what I mean? When I say means- ... you say ordinary. Means- Or I should, I should say it the other way around. Ordinary. But this idea that, like, what are those things God has put into our lives, has appointed for us to use, has commanded us to up- obtain for ourselves by his power? It's prayer, it's the word, it's the sacraments. It's a mutual watchfulness within that visible church like you were just describing, and it's precisely because the timing of Christ's return has been sovereignly withheld from creaturely knowledge. So there's actually a lot in this that I think assuages that, that really sensitive Christian conscience, which is like, "Well, are you telling me I have to do more?" That's not what we're saying at all. We're, we're saying, "Do the things which God has empowered you to do." And guess what? Those things [00:38:00] are just very chill, very ordinary things that take on extraordinary influence and power in our lives by the work of the Holy Spirit. So again, it's like this whole thing of saying, like, when we work, we work. When we pray, God works. It's the same kind of thing here. There is work to be done. There is a watchfulness to undertake in all the activities of our lives. But it is not like whatever the, again, the equivalent, like, is of, like, spiritual, I don't know, like shots of espresso and, and Celsius to just try to, like, by all accounts, by your own power, somehow just not sleep. Uh- Yeah ... not sleeping is not what this text is about. It's actually about being aware, worshiping in awareness around all the things, and then devoting ourselves to all the stuff that we keep talking about, to praying, to studies in the scripture, to having family devotions and time of worship, to baptism, and to the Lord's Supper. That's what watchfulness is all about.  Tony Arsenal: Yeah. [00:39:00] Yeah, and I, I think, um, you know, this is again I do think this parable has more to do with the idea of kinda getting after it. I, I think that's how we usually talk about it, like getting after holiness. Yeah, it is. Um, I, I think this parable has more to do with that than some of the other parables with similar language that we've talked about. But I, I also think, um, as Reformed Christians, uh, we get the, we get the cart before the horse if we think that even though that's what it's about, that that somehow places the onus on us to do the good works, right? Right. The good works are prepared for us in advance that we might walk in them. And, uh, i- it's not even right to say, like, our responsibility is to walk in them. That's not even quite right theologically. Like, we are going to walk in them. Like, that's, that's the thing, is the doorkeeper is given this charge. He's commanded to stay awake, and in good Augustinian fashion, it's really more along the [00:40:00] lines es- of the doorkeeper is made to stay awake because he's been commanded to. Jesse Schwamb: Yes, that's right.  Tony Arsenal: And I think that's, that's really key.  Fruit Checking And Assurance Tony Arsenal: And yes, there is some- something to say for, uh, fruit checking. And I, I know that there are probably some in our audience that just, like, threw up in their mouth a little bit when I said that. Um, but the, the reality is, a lack of fruit, uh, i- in our life, and by fruit I'm talking about good works. Primarily I'm talking about the ordinary means of grace, like you said. A, a person who is refusing to avail themselves of the ordinary means of grace, right? Right on. Regular church attendance, prayer- Right ... the sacraments, Bible reading, um, sitting under the preaching of the Word, fellowship with other believers. Um, I would even say to some extent regular s- regular financial support of the Church. Mm-hmm. Um, and, and I... There, there are times where that may not be, uh, the most feasible thing, and so that's a decision between you and the Holy Spirit and for you to discuss with your pastor. [00:41:00] But, but the reality is God has given us these ordinary means of grace as a gift and as a way to nourish and support us. When we refuse to take part in those, and I use the word refuse intentionally, when a person refuses to attend church, for the most part most of us who have had a season where we don't, don't attend church, and I, I had a long season when I was in college where I just didn't attend church. There was no good reason for it. I just didn't do it. And if I'm being really honest, it was 'cause at that time in my life I had some sinful patterns that I didn't wanna face up to, right? That's usually what it boils down to.  Jesse Schwamb: Right.  Tony Arsenal: Um, but for those of us who d- who refuse to, uh, take part and to avail ourselves of the ordinary means of grace, that should really cause us to question our salvation. Not because the ordinary means of grace cause our salvation, but because the ordinary means of grace are exactly as they're called. Exactly. They're the ordinary means by which God delivers His grace to us. So if we're refusing to receive God's grace, it means we're refusing to receive God's grace. And the only people ultimately who are not forgiven are [00:42:00] those who receive to ref- you know, refuse to receive God's grace. So I think this, this passage has more to do with us in an indi- sort of on the individual level, us being actively engaged and partaking in the, uh, the administration of the covenant of grace, to use a more technical term, right? The administration of the covenant of the grace are the visible means of grace. If we refuse to be baptized, if we refuse to partake of the Lord's supper, if we refuse to attend church and to sit under the preaching of the word and to pray, then we are, we are turning down God's offer of grace. That's right. We're taking the gift that He desires to give us, and we're saying, "No thank you." Well, when we phrase it that way, it's a flat rejection of God's grace that we're engaged in.  Church Mission And Readiness Tony Arsenal: But on a, on a sort of like big picture scale I think it has to do also along with these lines that I'm talking about of the Church itself being ready. Well, how does the Church prepare itself for Christ's [00:43:00] return? Again, the ordinary means of grace, right? We prepare ourselves by teaching and ministering, right? C- I think it's Colossians 1:28. If I was on Reformed Forum, I'd have this memorized 'cause it's their, like, theme verse. But, like, equipping every person for the ministry of Christ, equipping every person, making sure every person is, uh, mature and ready. Like, all of those things come together as the primary mission of the Church. And I know this is gonna trigger some people, but, like, evangelism is not the primary mission of the Church. The primary mission of the Church is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever, which takes place mostly on the Lord's day. I think all of that, the personal dimension, the corporate dimension, all of that coalesces in this command to be watchful, to stay awake, to be on guard, to s- be about the task, to be in charge of the commands you've been given. All of those different concepts come together in what Christ is talking about here in verse 37 when He says, "I say to you, I say to all, [00:44:00] stay awake." Like- Right ... that's what we're talking about. So it's not as simple as personal piety. It's probably not as complicated as some sort of, like, I don't know, least of these, feed-the-poor schema that happens sometimes. All of that happens. It really is just about the Church being the Church and doing the things the Church does, both on the individual level, but also on the corporate level. Perseverance And Scriptural Warnings Jesse Schwamb: And that's why, as loved ones of God, then we can come to verse 36, which is the full warning, and we actually read it as a great comfort. So it says, "Lest he come suddenly and find you asleep." And after all we're talking about here, the way I read this warning against complacency is entirely consistent with, instead of being contradictory to, the doctrine of perseverance of the saints. Because perseverance is not fatalism, and I'm just... I'm still learning this, loved ones. Like, and even here, what I marvel at is the warnings of scripture are themselves among the ordinary means by which God preserves His people. So I go back to the Westminster [00:45:00] Confession of Faith chapter 17, which notes that, "Believers may, through the temptations of Satan and of the world, fall into grievous sins, and so incur God's displeasure, even while never finally falling from grace." So that sobering possibility of, of quote-unquote being found asleep I think functions pastorally not to threaten the loss of the election, of the elect, but to press home I think, like, the seriousness of watchfulness as the fruit and evidence of genuine faith, which is what you're talking about. That, that's kind of like the Reformed theological jam in a sense, and that's why, where I think we'd anchor like James 2, Hebrews 3 and 4. There is, like, a call of the necessity of perseverance in the means as the mark of the true as opposed to be merely, of course, like some kind of profession of discipleship. The visible church, and we talked about this too, mixed as it is, is here warned that the formal membership in the household is no substitute for actual wakefulness. And so I hope we see that warning as not something [00:46:00] that's like, "Well, you gotta, you gotta check yourself every day 'cause if you just step out of line once, if you fall asleep at any little thing, then it just goes to show you that you weren't serious enough." Instead, it's like you said, Tony, like even the warning itself is proof positive that God will save, that He arrests, that He holds everything firm and secure, and that even the setting of the table or the preparing of the good works and then the way in which you walk in them, we might ask, how is it that you are even walking? Yeah. And so even this is all an act of God, whether we speak about that, uh, that justification, that initial positional sanctification, and even the progressive frame as well is all f- happens here because God is in fact doing that good work. So it's a good warning because it reminds us that what's, I think, the particular and special dispensation of the Christian is that in this falling asleep, as the Westminster Confession says, it may mean that we fall even into grievous sins. We're incurring God's displeasure. We're not disrupting our [00:47:00] identity in Christ, but we are disrupting our harmony with Christ. Yes. And so we always want to seek and to live in that kind of beautiful harmony where there is, I think, obedience for a word. There is a special fellowship that comes from being close to God in this way. We should always strive after that and want that very thing, but at no point does the Christian who even falls into grievous sins, as the Confession reminds us, fall outside of God's mercy and grace. Merely we fall outside of God's pleasure, and we r- we're finally returned to grace by His power in our lives, whi- which He Himself affects so that even in our fall, even in our death every day, there is a little bit of resurrection that restores us. Tony Arsenal: Yeah.  Rapture Ready Misreadings Tony Arsenal: Yeah, another way, um, another way to put this, um, and I, I don't mean to trugger, trig- to trigger, uh, our dispensationalist friends and family who are listening to the show, um, there are I will speak from my own experience coming out of a dispensationalist framework when I was in [00:48:00] high school and early college. Um, there was a lot of focus on being, quote, "Rapture ready." And I, I think sometimes we can read parables like this to think that stay awake means be Rapture ready. And what that means is, like, in some forms of dispensationalism, and I think probably many forms of dispensationalism, there's this idea that, like, if you're not right with God in, in this sense you're talking about, if, like, you're in disharmony with God when the Rapture comes, you may ultimately be saved, but you're not gonna be saved by the Rapture, which means you're gonna have to deal with the tribulation, and that's no good. So, like, if your piety's not on point when the Rapture happens, all your friends are gonna be taken away, and you're gonna be left behind, right? I don't think it's too much of a characteristic- a caricature to talk about Left Behind when there's an entire dispensational book series about this, right? Right. The whole concept behind the Left Behind novel is that it's populated by people who thought they were Christians who weren't. Uh, and some of [00:49:00] those are because they had a false profession of faith. Some of them were just back- what, what a lot of people would just call backslidden Baptists or backslidden Christians who, who had a genuine profession of faith but just weren't living in a holy fashion. I think we can sometimes read this, whether we're dispensationalists or not, we can read these kinds of parables in light of Rapture readiness. I think it's, it's both more assuring and also infinitely more severe than that. Right. It's not about Rapture ready. It's about whether you're saved or not. Right. Whether you are in the kingdom of God, whether you are among the household of believers. All of the people in view in this parable are members of the master's household, right? Uh, they're all his servants. So it's not as though there are some who are, um, outside of his family that are be given, being given a command to be watchful. There's also no consequence implied for the doorkeeper if somehow he's not watchful. It's more along the lines of if you're in the faith, if you are the doorkeeper or a [00:50:00] doorkeeper in the g- in the king's house, then you ought to be watchful because that's what you do. And so there's no, like, implied consequence. There's no assumption that the doorkeeper somehow won't be watchful. So I think if there's any sort of, like, gut check, status check that needs to happen, it's really more along the lines of are we in the Lord's household or are we not? That's right. That's right. And I think that's, that's what you're getting at. If we're in the Lord's household, if we're members of his house, if we're servants in his kingdom, then we will be awake when the time comes. We will be awake when he returns.  Rooster Crow And Passion Echoes Tony Arsenal: And the other thing, and I'll just throw this out there maybe as a tease. I don't, I don't think there's enough here for us to come back to it next week, uh, although I've been wrong before, and sometimes Jesse and I have conversations right after that turn into the next episode. I think it's really interesting- I don't know if you ran into this when you were reading it, but- Yeah ... verse 35: "Therefore stay awake, for you do not know when the master of the house will come, in the evening or at [00:51:00] midnight or when the rooster crows," that's a very interesting phrase to me- It is, yeah ... "or in the morning." It's just another chapter or two when- Yeah ... we see the disciples fall asleep in the Garden of Gethsemane, right? Gethsemane. Um, the disciples fall asleep. We see language of the watches, right? The, the hours that Christ is alive and dies on the cross are associated with the watches. Right. And then of course the rooster crowing. And it's a very well-known, um, uh, I, I don't wanna call it a fact 'cause that might be too strong, but it's a pretty accepted, uh, theory in, in the sort of, uh, academic understanding of the, the authors of the Gospels that Mark, uh, Mark actually represents Peter's testimony. That the sort of a- apostolic imprimatur of the Gospel of Mark is actually that M- John Mark, probably while he was ministering with Peter, was being told these, this account, and he's collecting Peter's, Peter's [00:52:00] statements on the events of the Gospel It is very interesting to me that this phrase about the rooster crowing associated with being watchful and ready in the service of the master- Yep would appear particularly in the gospel that's asso- associated with Peter. Right. And I'll throw that out there just as maybe food for a discussion- ... in our Telegram chat, but I do think e- even that is sort of for our benefit, right? Right. We're not talking about, uh, this isn't a parable about what happens when you betray Jesus and hang yourself with a rope, right? This isn't, this isn't Judas who never was a believer. If we're drawing this peril- parallel, this is a parable about Peter, or related to Peter's experience, uh, who was restored, who ultimately had a moment of sleepiness, I guess, both physically and, you know, spiritually here. Had a moment of, of sleepiness, but ultimately was awake when the master came. That's right. And I think, like, there's something there for us to tease out, and, and again, [00:53:00] maybe we'll leave that for the Telegram chat. Maybe that's just for your own personal study. I've done zero commentary work, so maybe this is a connection that I feel- ... is super novel, but actually everyone else makes. Um, but I just thought it was really interesting how closely that language, that sequence of the watchfulness, the watch, sleepiness, awakefulness, and the rooster crows, how closely that lines up to the events that w- would be if we were going through Mark sequentially- Yep ... we would be encountering in just a couple chapters, right? In just chapter 15. They're coming up. Um, we're talking about this exact thing. So it's very interesting to me, is it... The Holy Spirit is amazing in how He has put together this. Yes. Even if, even if that is a super tenuous connection, it's still a connection. And- Agreed ... I have a tough time thinking anyone who's familiar with the, the passion accounts would read this and not go, "Woo." That's a lot of language from the passion account. It's a lot of- Yes ... language related to what happened in just a few chapters.  Jesse Schwamb: Yes. I'm with you. Like we said, there's so much that's within these couple of verses, and you'd have to think if you were reading this with brand-new eyes, [00:54:00] with eyes that never seen this text before, and you were just going straight through, you'd come in just a few short chapters to that whole narrative in Gethsemane and be like, "What? Did he, didn't he just, didn't this guy Jesus just say to them- Like be watchful, stay awake. And here they're... Isn't that ironic? Here they are in the garden, and he said- Yeah ... to them again, "Stay awake." They fall asleep. He comes back, he's like, "Could you not watch for one