Podcasts about Tarsus

If everyone in our church, churched like you, what kind of church would our church be? If everyone served like you, if everyone invited like you, if everyone shared the gospel like you, if everyone cared about the nations and the Muslim world like you, if everyone prayed like you pray, if everyone gave financially like you give -- Would the Church multiply?If God's own people don't take his greatness and grandeur and glory seriously, will the world?What might be the biggest problem in the world today, If there is anything missing in the church today, it's the fear of the Lord. For some days he was with the disciples at Damascus. 20 And immediately he proclaimed Jesus in the synagogues, saying, “He is the Son of God.” 21 And all who heard him were amazed and said, “Is not this the man who made havoc in Jerusalem of those who called upon this name? And has he not come here for this purpose, to bring them bound before the chief priests?” 22 But Saul increased all the more in strength, and confounded the Jews who lived in Damascus by proving that Jesus was the Christ.Saul Escapes from Damascus23 When many days had passed, the Jews plotted to kill him, 24 but their plot became known to Saul. They were watching the gates day and night in order to kill him, 25 but his disciples took him by night and let him down through an opening in the wall, lowering him in a basket.Saul in Jerusalem26 And when he had come to Jerusalem, he attempted to join the disciples. And they were all afraid of him, for they did not believe that he was a disciple. 27 But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles and declared to them how on the road he had seen the Lord, who spoke to him, and how at Damascus he had preached boldly in the name of Jesus. 28 So he went in and out among them at Jerusalem, preaching boldly in the name of the Lord. 29 And he spoke and disputed against the Hellenists. But they were seeking to kill him. 30 And when the brothers learned this, they brought him down to Caesarea and sent him off to Tarsus.31 So the church throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria had peace and was being built up. And walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, it multiplied.Acts 9:19-31We'd love for you to subscribe to our channel and turn on notifications to get updates on our latest content and resources that will help more people know Jesus and people know Jesus more.GIVE : We believe that generosity is golden. Freely we have received and so freely we give back to God. If you would like to give to support the work Jesus is doing here please visit: https://www.elevatecc.church/give.Elevate City Church is a Jesus Over Everything Church that launched in the Atlanta Perimeter area on October 4th, 2020.Jesus Over Everything.Give us a follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elevatecity.church/Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/elevatecc.churchPodcast on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3H8BBrEFWxGKsTF8wPSvrn?si=epcQMMrmQIiTpeXEnyxMOQPodcast on itunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/elevate-city-church/id1536637567Visit our website for more information about who we are as a church and how you can get involved.https://www.elevatecc.church/home

New Testament letters are compared with private, business, and administrative letters of Greco-Roman antiquity and analyzed against this background. More than 11,800 Greek and Latin letters – preserved on papyrus, potsherds, and tablets from Egypt, Israel, Asia Minor, North Africa, Britain, and Switzerland – have been edited so far. Among them are not only short notes by writers with poor writing skills, but also extensive letters and correspondences from highly educated authors. They testify to the literary skills of Paul of Tarsus, who knew how to make excellent use of epistolary formulas and even introduced new variations. They also show that some New Testament letters clearly fall outside the framework of standard epistolography, raising new questions about their authors and their genre. The introductions and discussions offered in this volume reflect the current state of the art and present new research results. Letters and Letter Writing (Brill U Schoningh, 2023) also presents over 130 papyrus and ostracon letters newly translated in their entirety. Peter Arzt-Grabner is Associate Professor and head of the Papyrological Research Unit at the Department of Biblical Studies and Ecclesiastical History at the University of Salzburg. He is the author of Philemon (Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, 2003) and 2. Korintherbrief (Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, 2013) as well as the co-author of More Light from the Ancient Near East: Understanding the New Testament through Papyri (Brill, 2023; with John S. Kloppenborg and Christina M. Kreinecker). He is also a series editor for Papyri and the New Testament (Brill) and Papyrologische Kommentare zum Neuen Testament (Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht). Jonathon Lookadoo is Associate Professor at the Presbyterian University and Theological Seminary in Seoul, South Korea. While his interests range widely over the world of early Christianity, he is the author of books on the Epistle of Barnabas, Ignatius of Antioch, and the Shepherd of Hermas, including The Christology of Ignatius of Antioch (Cascade, 2023). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

Acts 21:27-30 When the seven days were nearly over, some Jews from the province of Asia saw Paul at the temple. They stirred up the whole crowd and seized him,  28 shouting, “Fellow Israelites, help us! This is the man who teaches everyone everywhere against our people and our law and this place. And besides, he has brought Greeks into the temple and defiled this holy place.”  29 (They had previously seen Trophimus the Ephesian in the city with Paul and assumed that Paul had brought him into the temple.) 30 The whole city was aroused, and the people came running from all directions. Seizing Paul, they dragged him from the temple, and immediately the gates were shut.    From All Directions   Acts 22:1-10 “Brothers and fathers, listen now to my defense.” 2 When they heard him speak to them in Aramaic, they became very quiet. Then Paul said: 3 “I am a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city. I studied under Gamaliel and was thoroughly trained in the law of our ancestors. I was just as zealous for God as any of you are today.  4 I persecuted the followers of this Way to their death, arresting both men and women and throwing them into prison,  5 as the high priest and all the Council can themselves testify. I even obtained letters from them to their associates in Damascus, and went there to bring these people as prisoners to Jerusalem to be punished. 6 “About noon as I came near Damascus, suddenly a bright light from heaven flashed around me. 7 I fell to the ground and heard a voice say to me, ‘Saul! Saul! Why do you persecute me?' 8 “‘Who are you, Lord?' I asked.  “ ‘I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting,' he replied. 9 My companions saw the light, but they did not understand the voice of him who was speaking to me. 10 “‘What shall I do, Lord?' I asked.  “ ‘Get up,' the Lord said, ‘and go into Damascus. There you will be told all that you have been assigned to do.'    Don't forget where you came from. Don't forget where GOD brought you from.     Acts 23:1-11 Paul looked straight at the Sanhedrin and said, “My brothers, I have fulfilled my duty to God in all good conscience to this day.”  2 At this the high priest Ananias ordered those standing near Paul to strike him on the mouth.  3 Then Paul said to him, “God will strike you, you whitewashed wall! You sit there to judge me according to the law, yet you yourself violate the law by commanding that I be struck!” 4 Those who were standing near Paul said, “How dare you insult God's high priest!” 5 Paul replied, “Brothers, I did not realize that he was the high priest; for it is written: ‘Do not speak evil about the ruler of your people.'” 6 Then Paul, knowing that some of them were Sadducees and the others Pharisees, called out in the Sanhedrin, “My brothers, I am a Pharisee, descended from Pharisees. I stand on trial because of the hope of the resurrection of the dead.” Don't miss the moment. Don't miss GOD IN the moment.    7 When he said this, a dispute broke out between the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and the assembly was divided.  8 (The Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, and that there are neither angels nor spirits, but the Pharisees believe all these things.) 9 There was a great uproar, and some of the teachers of the law who were Pharisees stood up and argued vigorously. “We find nothing wrong with this man,” they said. “What if a spirit or an angel has spoken to him?” 10 The dispute became so violent that the commander was afraid Paul would be torn to pieces by them. He ordered the troops to go down and take him away from them by force and bring him into the barracks. 11 The following night the Lord stood near Paul and said, “Take courage! As you have testified about me in Jerusalem, so you must also testify in Rome.”   Don't underestimate where you might go. Don't underestimate where GOD might take you.        

Pastor John Ryan Cantu brings this week's message, “More Than This." Key Verse: Acts 9:10-19 ESV: “Now there was a disciple at Damascus named Ananias. The Lord said to him in a vision, “Ananias.” And he said, “Here I am, Lord.” And the Lord said to him, “Rise and go to the street called Straight, and at the house of Judas look for a man of Tarsus named Saul, for behold, he is praying, and he has seen in a vision a man named Ananias come in and lay his hands on him so that he might regain his sight.” But Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much evil he has done to your saints at Jerusalem. And here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on your name.” But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel. For I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name.” So Ananias departed and entered the house. And laying his hands on him he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus who appeared to you on the road by which you came has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” And immediately something like scales fell from his eyes, and he regained his sight. Then he rose and was baptized; and taking food, he was strengthened. For some days he was with the disciples at Damascus.” Sermon Topics: Maturity If you enjoyed the podcast, please subscribe and share it with your friends on social media. For more information about PNEUMA Church, visit our website at mypneumachurch.org. Connect with Us: Instagram: https://instagram.com/mypneumachurch YouTube: https://youtube.com/mypneumachurch Facebook: https://facebook.com/mypneumachurch Time Stamps: 00:00 - Introduction 00:30 - Welcome 03:51 - Acts 9:10-19 ESV 05:19 - More Than This

Come As You Are: IntroActs 9:15 “But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is an instrument whom I have chosen to bring my name before Gentiles and kings and before the people of Israel.”This verse comes just after Saul has seen a vision of Jesus, and Jesus asked him why He was persecuting Him.  Then Saul loses his sight and is told to go into the city and wait to be told what to do.  Then the Lord asked one of his disciples to go to Saul.  There is a conversation between this disciple and the Lord in Acts 9:10-16: “Now there was a disciple in Damascus named Ananias. The Lord said to him in a vision, “Ananias.” He answered, “Here I am, Lord.” The Lord said to him, “Get up and go to the street called Straight, and at the house of Judas look for a man of Tarsus named Saul. At this moment, he is praying,  and he has seen in a vision a man named Ananias come in and lay his hands on him so that he might regain his sight.”  But Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much evil he has done to your saints in Jerusalem;  and here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who invoke your name.” But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is an instrument whom I have chosen to bring my name before Gentiles and kings and before the people of Israel; I myself will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name.”There are several themes that I see coming across in these verses.  First, I always find it interesting when the disciples of God, those who get to have a conversation with Him, argue with Him or question Him.  I always think I would respond differently, and yet, I do get to have conversations with God, and I do still question Him. We are all human, and questioning and doubting are natural human behaviors.  In these verses, Ananias is given a task to do.  God wants him to go and restore Saul's sight.  I wonder if Ananias ever healed anyone before?  Would this be his first time?  Also, Ananias has heard rumors about this person, whom he is supposed to go and heal.  Saul's reputation preceded him.  He was not a nice person.  He was in that town to collect any believers of Jesus and bring them to jail, essentially.  He approved the stoning to death of Stephen, one of Jesus' followers. I can totally understand why Ananias would question this plan. Why he might even be scared.  If he goes to heal this man in Jesus' name, then Saul will know he is a Christian.  What if there are ramifications of that?There are many reasons why we might question the Lord's plan.  I think worrying about our own safety and the possible risk to our lives is a pretty big one.  It's interesting how I can silently judge Ananias for questioning God when he is dealing with someone who has stoned fellow believers, and yet I question God when I am completely safe, and just being asked to step outside of my comfort zone.  My life is not in danger, and yet I still question God's plan.  I still hesitate to do what I know He is asking me to do.  So, why do I always think it is crazy when others question God's plan?  I am the first to say God has a plan.  I am the first to encourage someone to step out in faith and do the scary thing God is asking you to do.  I am also the first one to hesitate when God asks me to do some things.  I am the first one to question and to wonder if I am really the best person to do that.  I question if He really knows what He is doing, asking me to do that.  In this verse, Ananias is actually not questioning his own ability; he is questioning Saul's worthiness of being healed.  This is another thing that we can be quick to judge.  We can all question God's decisions on who He heals, saves, and works through.  Maybe you know someone really great who died from cancer, or was killed in a car accident when they were a teenager, and you also know some pretty terrible people who beat cancer and seem to have everything going for them.  In our eyes, these things can seem very unfair, and we don't understand them. They make no sense to us.  I don't understand them either, so I will not be giving you any answers to those questions today.  However, I do know that God has a plan, and He can use anyone for that plan.  I do know when it comes to the question of worthiness, none of us is worthy on our own merit.  We can't judge others because we don't know their heart; only God can judge, as He knows what is in our hearts.  You can have someone who seems as lovely as can be in public and yet is awful in their private life.  You can have someone who is not very nice to people, and yet that is because they were wounded and they don't know any other way.I saw the movie and read the book called The Shack. If you have not read the book or seen the movie, you should check it out; it is so good.  Of course, the book is better, but the movie does a pretty good job explaining why we shouldn't judge others.  It discusses how we often don't see the whole picture.  We can judge the man who is abusing his wife and child, but would we judge that child?  What about when that child grows up to abuse his wife and child?  We only see a tiny part of who a person really is.  God can use anyone, and He often chooses the most unlikely candidate.  He tends to use imperfect people —those who have messed up, seem broken, struggled, or sinned.  God uses people who can easily be judged for their faults.  These people, people who aren't perfect (no one is perfect, by the way), people who have really struggled, are actually the ideal people to use because they can speak to those who are also struggling.  They are someone you can look at and say, If they could do it, so can I.  If someone who grew up with nothing can make something of themselves, then I can too.  If someone who has been abused was able to get away from that abuse, then so can I.  If someone who was an alcoholic can give up alcohol, so can I.  If God can use someone who is a sinner to do amazing things, He can use me too.  Dear Heavenly Father, I ask you to bless all those who are listening to this episode today.  Lord, let them hear precisely what they need to hear today.  Lord, help us not to judge others.  Give us your heart and your eyes for others, Lord.  Please help us to be compassionate and recognize that there is always more to a person than what we can see.  Lord, give us the boldness to do whatever you ask us to do, even when we are scared, even when we don't understand it, even if you are asking us to heal a really scary person.  Please give us the strength and the grace we need to follow your commands, no matter how hard we think they are.  We can do all things through you who strengthen us!  We love you so much, Lord.  We are grateful you have a plan and you don't let our questioning it get in the way.  We are thankful that you use all things for our good and you don't let us mess up your plan.  We love you and we ask all of this in accordance with your will and in Jesus' holy name, Amen!Thank you so much for joining me on this journey to walk boldly with Jesus. I invite you all into my mentoring group. CLICK HERE for the details about mentoring. It is on Tuesday nights at 8 PM on Zoom. You can just come to listen; you don't have to have your mic or your camera on if you don't want to. You can come in your PJs if you like. No judgment here. You don't have to drive anywhere. It's perfect. The theme for this month is Why Forgiveness is Essential. I will go over what forgiveness is and is not, along with why it is so important that we do it. And I assure you, it is more important than we know. Why is it we spend so much time and money on so many areas of our lives, and yet we don't invest in our spiritual life the same way?I look forward to meeting you here again tomorrow.  Remember, Jesus loves you just as you are, and so do I! Have a blessed day!Today's Word from the Lord was received in May 2025 by a member of my Catholic Charismatic Prayer Group. If you have any questions about the prayer group, these words, or how to join us for a meeting, please email CatholicCharismaticPrayerGroup@gmail.com. Today's Word from the Lord is, “I am the Lord your God. I am the one who loves you most of all. Come, my children. Come and know the joy and love of being my children.” www.findingtruenorthcoaching.comCLICK HERE TO DONATECLICK HERE to sign up for Mentoring CLICK HERE to sign up for Daily "Word from the Lord" emailsCLICK HERE to sign up for my newsletter & receive a free audio training about inviting Jesus into your daily lifeCLICK HERE to buy my book Total Trust in God's Safe Embrace

Send us a text"My flesh n my heart may fail, bt God is the strength of my heart n my portion forever." (Psalm 73:26)This truth opens a powerful journey into what it really means 2 follow Christ—not in comfort, bt in courage. Many believe walking with Jesus should make life easier. Yet Scripture tells another story.Look at the Apostle Paul: once Saul of Tarsus, respected n privileged, then transformed by Christ into a servant marked by hardship. He endured prisons, floggings, beatings, stonings, shipwrecks, hunger, thirst, n rejection. His new life wasn't easier—it was more costly, bt infinitely richer in God's presence.Paul's testimony reaches its climax in God's words: “My grace is sufficient for U, for My power is made perfect in weakness.” Even with his “thorn in the flesh,” Paul found strength not in deliverance, bt in surrender. His response shapes our faith today: “I will boast gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me.”This message speaks 2 every weary soul wrestling with trials, doubts, n fears. God doesn't strip us back 2 break us—He strips us back 2 fill us. Ur valley, storm, or shipwreck isn't the end. It's the very place where God's fire surrounds U, His Spirit sustains U, n His strength carries U.As we break bread together, let's embrace this divine paradox: weakness isn't failure—it's the doorway 2 real strength. For when we are weak, then in Christ, we are truly strong.Support the showThank you for listening! For more inspiring content, visit our main site at RBChristianRadio.net. Explore our ministry services and celebrations at LifeCelebrant.net. If you'd like to support our work, you can now Buy Me a Coffee and help us keep spreading the word. Every bit makes a difference! God bless and see you in the next episode.

Can you learn to love Christians who are NOT like you? That's the questin put to Ananias when God told him to go lay hands on Paul of Tarsus, so that Paul could regain his sight. That's the question put to Peter when he had that vision of a sheet filled with unclean animals. Will you enter the home of Cornelius (a Gentile AND the captain of the Italian reigment), break bread with him, and BAPTIZE him when you see that he is filled with the Holy Spirit? The call to the American church today is, in part, a call to love each other in such a way that the rest of the country asks, "How in the world can these people love each other like that?"

Joshua 7, Acts 9, Luke 6August 31st, 2025—Never short sell an immeasurably more God.Never underestimate the power of a simple prayer offered on behalf of a complex situation.Never dismiss the impact of obedience (or disobedience).A core problem of disobedience is its near-sightedness. Disobedience sees the tree but misses the forest. Obedience is 20/20 faith in an immeasurable more God. Joshua 6:15-19 (NIV) 15 On the seventh day, they got up at daybreak and marched around the city seven times in the same manner, except that on that day they circled the city seven times. 16 The seventh time around, when the priests sounded the trumpet blast, Joshua commanded the army, “Shout! For the Lord has given you the city! 17 The city and all that is in it are to be devoted to the Lord. Only Rahab the prostitute and all who are with her in her house shall be spared, because she hid the spies we sent. 18 But keep away from the devoted things, so that you will not bring about your own destruction by taking any of them. Otherwise you will make the camp of Israel liable to destruction and bring trouble on it. 19 All the silver and gold and the articles of bronze and iron are sacred to the Lord and must go into his treasury.”A fundamental element of obedience is God goes first. When God gets our first, God gives us His best. Joshua 7:1 (NIV) But the Israelites were unfaithful in regard to the devoted things; Achan son of Karmi, the son of Zimri, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took some of them. So, the Lord's anger burned against Israel.Joshua 7:10-12 (NIV) 10 The Lord said to Joshua, “Stand up! What are you doing down on your face? 11 Israel has sinned; they have violated my covenant, which I commanded them to keep. They have taken some of the devoted things; they have stolen, they have lied, they have put them with their own possessions. 12 That is why the Israelites cannot stand against their enemies; they turn their backs and run because they have been made liable to destruction. I will not be with you anymore unless you destroy whatever among you is devoted to destruction.Satan is forever trying to convince us that God is not enough for us. That God doesn't have our best in His mind. God doesn't “get it” or me. God doesn't understand this moment. I have to take matters into your own hands. Sin always wants to hide, it never wants submit, surrender or be exposed. Romans 6:23a “the wages of sin is death”. Romans 6:23b but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord! Never dismiss the death in disobedience. Never dismiss the life in obedience.Acts 9:10-19 (NIV) 10 In Damascus there was a disciple named Ananias. The Lord called to him in a vision, “Ananias!” “Yes, Lord,” he answered. 11 The Lord told him, “Go to the house of Judas on Straight Street and ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul, for he is praying. 12 In a vision he has seen a man named Ananias come and place his hands on him to restore his sight.” 13 “Lord,” Ananias answered, “I have heard many reports about this man and all the harm he has done to your holy people in Jerusalem. 14 And he has come here with authority from the chief priests to arrest all who call on your name.” 15 But the Lord said to Ananias, “Go! This man is my chosen instrument to proclaim my name to the Gentiles and their kings and to the people of Israel. 16 I will show him how much he must suffer for my name.” 17 Then Ananias went to the house and entered it. Placing his hands on Saul, he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord—Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here—has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” 18 Immediately, something like scales fell from Saul's eyes, and he could see again. He got up and was baptized, 19 and after taking some food, he regained his strength.Luke 6:46 “46 “Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,' and do not do what I say? Disobedience bubbles up from 3 lingering impacts of our sin nature.Independence. Mistrust. Fear. What is Obedience?Obedience is a daily transfer of ownership. Obedience is faith in action in the love and goodness of God. Obedience is empowered actions.6 Disobedience Tipoffs“No one will ever find out.”“This really isn't that big of a deal.”“I deserve this.”“This won't impact anyone but me.” “Just this one time.” “This will be the last time.”All disobedience isn't a separating sin. All disobedience is self-limiting and a relational speed bump. All obedience is relationship building. All obedience empowers life with God's glorious riches. All obedience leads to life in us and others, more and better life than we could have ever imagined.Matthew 25:21,23 (NIV) “Well done my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful with a few things, I will make you ruler of many things. Come and share in your master's happiness.” What does it mean for God to find us faithful? I believe our faithfulness will be measured less by big outcomes and more by consistent daily obedience.

Acts 11:19-30 19 Now those who had been scattered by the persecution that broke out when Stephen was killed traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus and Antioch, spreading the word only among Jews. 20 Some of them, however, men from Cyprus and Cyrene, went to Antioch and began to speak to Greeks also, telling them the good news about the Lord Jesus. 21 The Lords hand was with them, and a great number of people believed and turned to the Lord. 22 News of this reached the church in Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch. 23 When he arrived and saw what the grace of God had done, he was glad and encouraged them all to remain true to the Lord with all their hearts. 24 He was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith, and a great number of people were brought to the Lord. 25 Then Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul, 26 and when he found him, he brought him to Antioch. So for a whole year Barnabas and Saul met with the church and taught great numbers of people. The disciples were called Christians first at Antioch. 27 During this time some prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch. 28 One of them, named Agabus, stood up and through the Spirit predicted that a severe famine would spread over the entire Roman world. (This happened during the reign of Claudius.) 29 The disciples, as each one was able, decided to provide help for the brothers and sisters living in Judea. 30 This they did, sending their gift to the elders by Barnabas and Saul.

Bu bölümde konuğum bir mimar ve moda tasarımcısı Niyazi Erdoğan.Niyazi, daha çok erkeklere yönelik tasarımlarıyla adını duyursa da, dünyaca ünlü tekstil firmalarına da danışmanlık yapan, tekstil sektörünü de çok iyi bilen bir isim.Niyazi ile sohbete Tarsus'taki çocukluğundan başladık; mimarlıktan moda tasarımına ulaşan yolculuğunda "yeniden ve yeniden baştan başlamak"tan eğitime, kolektif çalışmadan, "kendimizi sevmememize" pek çok konudan söz açtık."Nasıl solunur?" başlığı altında Türk tekstil sektörününün bugünkü halinden de bahsettik. Dinleyiniz. Gazeteci#Journalist ~ #Art- #Food- #Travel lover ~ #EnthusiastBooks:

Rev. Cyril A. Stevens – Sermon 0254A recorded on November 23, 1980 teaching from Acts 9 – The Conversion of the Apostle Paul. Pastor Cyril A. Stevens examines on the conversion of the Apostle Paul as described in Acts 9. Stevens delves into the historical and cultural context surrounding Paul, then known as Saul of Tarsus,…

"He was an officer, a tribune, in the Roman army in the time of the Emperor Maximian. A Syrian by birth, he served in his native land. When the Persians attacked the imperial Roman army, this Andrew was entrusted with the command in the battle against the enemy — whence his title: commander, strateletes. A secret Christian, although as yet unbaptised, Andrew commended himself to the living God, and, taking only the cream of the army, went to war. Before the battle, he told his soldiers that, if they all called upon the aid of the one, true God, Christ the Lord, their enemies would become as dust scattered before them. All the soldiers, fired with enthusiasm by Andrew and his faith, invoked Christ's aid and attacked. The Persian army was utterly routed. When the victorious Andrew returned to Antioch, some jealous men denounced him as a Christian and the imperial governor summoned him for trial. Andrew openly proclaimed his steadfast faith in Christ. After harsh torture, the governor threw Andrew into prison and wrote to the Emperor in Rome. Knowing Andrew's popularity among the people and in the army, the Emperor ordered the governor to set Andrew free, but to seek another occasion and another excuse (not his faith) to kill him. By God's revelation, Andrew came to know of this imperial command, and, taking his faithful soldiers (2,593 in all) with him, went off to Tarsus in Cilicia, where they were all baptised by the bishop, Peter. Persecuted here also by imperial might, Andrew and his companions withdrew deep into the Armenian mountain of Tavros. There in a ravine, while they were at prayer, the Roman army came upon them and beheaded them all. Not one of them would recant, all being determined on death by martyrdom for Christ. On the spot where a stream of the martyrs' blood flowed down, a spring of healing water sprang forth, healing from every disease. The bishop, Peter, came secretly with his people and buried the martyrs' bodies in that same place. They all suffered with honour at the end of the third century and were crowned with wreaths of eternal glory, entering into the Kingdom of Christ our God." (Prologue)

Send us a textActs 22:1-7Brothers and fathers, hear the defense that I now make before you.”And when they heard that he was addressing them in the Hebrew language, they became even more quiet. And he said:“I am a Jew, born in Tarsus in Cilicia, but brought up in this city, educated at the feet of Gamaliel according to the strict manner of the law of our fathers, being zealous for God as all of you are this day. I persecuted this Way to the death, binding and delivering to prison both men and women, as the high priest and the whole council of elders can bear me witness. From them I received letters to the brothers, and I journeyed toward Damascus to take those also who were there and bring them in bonds to Jerusalem to be punished.“As I was on my way and drew near to Damascus, about noon a great light from heaven suddenly shone around me. And I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?'Support the show

Christ revealed Himself differently to the Samaritan Woman, Nicodemus and Saul of Tarsus

Send us a textActs 21:37-40As Paul was about to be brought into the barracks, he said to the tribune, “May I say something to you?” And he said, “Do you know Greek? Are you not the Egyptian, then, who recently stirred up a revolt and led the four thousand men of the Assassins out into the wilderness?” Paul replied, “I am a Jew, from Tarsus in Cilicia, a citizen of no obscure city. I beg you, permit me to speak to the people.” And when he had given him permission, Paul, standing on the steps, motioned with his hand to the people. And when there was a great hush, he addressed them in the Hebrew language, saying:Support the show

In a sobering yet hope-filled message titled “Satan's Trophy Room,” Bro. Georgeon Pedigo warns that it's not how you start the race of faith that matters most—it's how you finish. Preaching from 1 Samuel 31, he recounts the tragic downfall of King Saul, a man anointed, gifted, and full of promise, yet ultimately taken out by compromise, fear, and disobedience. Like a hunter's trophy mounted on the wall, Saul's life became a display of defeat in the enemy's collection. With vivid imagery and powerful biblical examples, Bro. Pedigo exposes how the enemy works subtly—through discouragement, offense, temptation, and distraction—to derail believers who once burned brightly for God. Yet this message is not one of despair—it's a call to perseverance. Using the transformation of Saul of Tarsus into the Apostle Paul as a shining example, he declares that no matter your failures or how you began, God's grace can rewrite your ending. Whether you feel distant from God, caught in the motions of church life, or wounded by the past, “Satan's Trophy Room” will challenge you to press on, continue steadfastly, and finish the race with faith intact. To hear more about what God is doing in Sheboygan County and beyond, visit us at posc.church!

Getting My ACTs 2Gether Pt. 6There is an old Gatorade commercial that contained the jingle, "Be Like Mike". Most of us have a role model whom we are inspired by. One person who is worthy of emulation is Barnabas, "Son of encouragement". Pastor Dave unpacks the extraordinary difference he made in elevating Saul of Tarsus to the Apostle Paul.

The apostle Paul was born in Tarsus. That’s modern-day Turkey! A surprising amount of the Bible took place there. But today, Turkey is largely hostile to the gospel. This week on The Land and the Book, we’ll share a firsthand account of a gospel witness in Turkey. Plus, we’ll tackle some intriguing listener Bible questions. And then, Charlie Dyer’s devotional introduces us to “The Man Who Needed a New Roof.” All on The Land and the Book.Donate to Moody Radio: http://moodyradio.org/donateto/landandthebookSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tom Riello on a world without hope, Dr. Robert Royal on Paul of Tarsus, and Dan Burke discusses finding peace in the storm.

We're so glad you are here! Thanks for checking out Sunday's message!-- SUNDAY'S NOTES --Now Saul was still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord. He went to the high priest and requested letters from him to the synagogues in Damascus. Acts 9:1-2 CSB I admit that I didn't always hold to this position, for a while I thought it was my duty to oppose this Jesus of Nazareth with all my might. Backed with the full authority of the high priests, I threw these believers, I had no idea they were God's people!, into the Jerusalem jail right and left, and whenever it came to a vote, I voted for their execution. I stormed through their meeting places, bullying them into cursing Jesus, a one-man terror obsessed with obliterating these people. And then I started on the towns outside Jerusalem. Acts 26:9-11 MSGBeing passionately determined doesn't make you wrong, but doesn't make you right either! As he traveled and was nearing Damascus, a light from heaven suddenly flashed around him. Falling to the ground, he heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” “Who are you, Lord?” Saul said. “I am Jesus, the one you are persecuting,” he replied. Acts 9:3-5 CSBReal repentance leads to incredible redemption and starts with the recognition that Jesus is Lord. I want you to get up and enter the city. In the city you'll be told what to do next. His companions stood there dumbstruck, they could hear the sound, but couldn't see anyone, while Saul, picking himself up off the ground, found himself stone-blind. They had to take him by the hand and lead him into Damascus. He continued blind for three days. He ate nothing, drank nothing. Acts 9:6-9 MSGYou may manage to minimize or even dismiss the evidentiary truth of God's word, but you will find difficult to quantify and impossible to dismiss the impact of a Divine encounter. “What could I do, King Agrippa? I couldn't just walk away from a vision like that! I became an obedient believer on the spot. Acts 26:19 MSG Obedient surrender is the second step on our repentant journey to restoration and one that can't be overlooked! There was a disciple in Damascus by the name of Ananias. The Master spoke to him in a vision: “Ananias.” “Yes, Master?” he answered. “Get up and go over to Straight Street. Ask at the house of Judas for a man from Tarsus. His name is Saul. He's there praying. He has just had a dream in which he saw a man named Ananias enter the house and lay hands on him so he could see again.” Acts 9:10-12 MSGYou do not desire a sacrifice, or I would offer one. You do not want a burnt offering. The sacrifice you desire is a broken spirit. You will not reject a broken and repentant heart, O God. Psalm 51:16-17 NLTYou can't earn, but you must turn, if you want to follow your way back to God's great plan for your life!So Ananias went and found Saul. He laid his hands on him and said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road, has sent me so that you might regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” Instantly something like scales fell from Saul's eyes, and he regained his sight. Saul stayed with the believers in Damascus for a few days. And immediately he began preaching about Jesus in the synagogues, saying, “He is indeed the Son of God!”Acts 9:17-20 NLTGod has the miraculous ability to restore our sight and redeem and redirect our destiny and determination. Then Barnabas took him under his wing. He introduced him to the apostles and stood up for him, told them how Saul had seen and spoken to the Master on the Damascus Road and how in Damascus itself he had laid his life on the line with his bold preaching in Jesus' name. After that he was accepted as one of them, going in and out of Jerusalem with no questions asked, uninhibited as he preached in the Master's name. Acts 9:27-30 MSGFor I am the least of the apostles, not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me. 1 Corinthians 15:9-10 CSBThe redemptive impact God's love has on a truly repentant heart is the greatest of all life's miraculous wonders! -------------------------------------------------Download the 828 Church app!To view our latest e-newsletter, the Midweek Momentum, and subscribe to our weekly updates, go here! https://linktr.ee/828church

We're so glad you are here! Thanks for checking out Sunday's message!-- SUNDAY'S NOTES --Now Saul was still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord. He went to the high priest and requested letters from him to the synagogues in Damascus. Acts 9:1-2 CSB I admit that I didn't always hold to this position, for a while I thought it was my duty to oppose this Jesus of Nazareth with all my might. Backed with the full authority of the high priests, I threw these believers, I had no idea they were God's people!, into the Jerusalem jail right and left, and whenever it came to a vote, I voted for their execution. I stormed through their meeting places, bullying them into cursing Jesus, a one-man terror obsessed with obliterating these people. And then I started on the towns outside Jerusalem. Acts 26:9-11 MSGBeing passionately determined doesn't make you wrong, but doesn't make you right either! As he traveled and was nearing Damascus, a light from heaven suddenly flashed around him. Falling to the ground, he heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” “Who are you, Lord?” Saul said. “I am Jesus, the one you are persecuting,” he replied. Acts 9:3-5 CSBReal repentance leads to incredible redemption and starts with the recognition that Jesus is Lord. I want you to get up and enter the city. In the city you'll be told what to do next. His companions stood there dumbstruck, they could hear the sound, but couldn't see anyone, while Saul, picking himself up off the ground, found himself stone-blind. They had to take him by the hand and lead him into Damascus. He continued blind for three days. He ate nothing, drank nothing. Acts 9:6-9 MSGYou may manage to minimize or even dismiss the evidentiary truth of God's word, but you will find difficult to quantify and impossible to dismiss the impact of a Divine encounter. “What could I do, King Agrippa? I couldn't just walk away from a vision like that! I became an obedient believer on the spot. Acts 26:19 MSG Obedient surrender is the second step on our repentant journey to restoration and one that can't be overlooked! There was a disciple in Damascus by the name of Ananias. The Master spoke to him in a vision: “Ananias.” “Yes, Master?” he answered. “Get up and go over to Straight Street. Ask at the house of Judas for a man from Tarsus. His name is Saul. He's there praying. He has just had a dream in which he saw a man named Ananias enter the house and lay hands on him so he could see again.” Acts 9:10-12 MSGYou do not desire a sacrifice, or I would offer one. You do not want a burnt offering. The sacrifice you desire is a broken spirit. You will not reject a broken and repentant heart, O God. Psalm 51:16-17 NLTYou can't earn, but you must turn, if you want to follow your way back to God's great plan for your life!So Ananias went and found Saul. He laid his hands on him and said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road, has sent me so that you might regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” Instantly something like scales fell from Saul's eyes, and he regained his sight. Saul stayed with the believers in Damascus for a few days. And immediately he began preaching about Jesus in the synagogues, saying, “He is indeed the Son of God!”Acts 9:17-20 NLTGod has the miraculous ability to restore our sight and redeem and redirect our destiny and determination. Then Barnabas took him under his wing. He introduced him to the apostles and stood up for him, told them how Saul had seen and spoken to the Master on the Damascus Road and how in Damascus itself he had laid his life on the line with his bold preaching in Jesus' name. After that he was accepted as one of them, going in and out of Jerusalem with no questions asked, uninhibited as he preached in the Master's name. Acts 9:27-30 MSGFor I am the least of the apostles, not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me. 1 Corinthians 15:9-10 CSBThe redemptive impact God's love has on a truly repentant heart is the greatest of all life's miraculous wonders! -------------------------------------------------Download the 828 Church app!To view our latest e-newsletter, the Midweek Momentum, and subscribe to our weekly updates, go here! https://linktr.ee/828church

Calocaerus (Greek: Καλόκαιρος; d. 334 AD) was a Roman usurper who led a short-lived revolt against Emperor Constantine I in Cyprus. Appointed in 330 AD as Magister pecoris camelorum ("Master of the Flock and Camels"), a position with uncertain significance, Calocaerus proclaimed himself emperor in 334 AD. His rebellion, however, was swiftly suppressed by Flavius Dalmatius, Constantine's half-brother, and he was executed in Tarsus. While often dismissed as an inconsequential footnote, the context of his revolt raises intriguing questions. In this episode, I'm joined by Dr. Maria Castello, whose research sheds new light on this period. Maria suggests that Calocaerus' rebellion might have been more significant than previously thought. The timing, occurring shortly after a devastating earthquake, and the dramatic manner of his execution hint at broader implications. 

I can still remember my wife's excited phone call that day. She said, "Honey! The baby just turned over!" Hey! He was three months old; it was a big deal. It's hard to believe there was a time you couldn't turn yourself over. Can you imagine a time when you couldn't walk by yourself? You couldn't feed yourself? Well, we took pictures of all these steps toward independence as all of our kids took those steps. There was a big cause for getting that old Super 8 movie camera out and getting the slide film out (come on, there was no iPhone then! You get it?). "Oh, look, he's crawling for the first time! He's walking for the first time! Take pictures! It's the first day they ever went to school." And then it happened, all three of our children were grown and out of the house, independent adults. But that's normal, right? I mean, the more you grow, the more independent you become. Right? Not necessarily. I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "The Freedom of Total Dependency." Now, our word for today from the Word of God comes from Acts 9. I'm going to begin reading at verse 7 - it's the dramatic conversion of that persecutor of Christians, Saul of Tarsus. What a life-transforming day! Saul has just been knocked off his horse by this light from heaven; he knows now that it is the Lord he's dealing with, and verse 7 says, "The men traveling with Saul stood there speechless; they heard the sound but did not see anyone. Saul got up from the ground, but when he opened his eyes he could see nothing. So they led him by the hand into Damascus. For three days he was blind, and did not eat or drink anything." Now, Saul of Tarsus is an intelligent, gifted, passionate leader. He felt sufficient, strong. He's all grown up, right? Wrong. Saul's road to maturity begins the moment after his conversion when it says, "They led him by the hand." Isn't it interesting to see here that from the moment of Saul's rebirth, God drives him to a position of total dependency? Later in this chapter God refers to Saul as, "My chosen instrument. I have great plans for him." You know when those plans begin? With total dependency. The more a child grows the more independent they should become. The more a child of God grows the more dependent he should become. Usefulness to God begins with a heart breaking. God will do whatever it takes to show you that dependency is maturity when it comes to spiritual adulthood. In fact, He may be doing whatever it takes right now. Paul would have to learn humility and dependency throughout his life. The stronger you are, the more it takes for you to learn to depend. In 2 Corinthians 1 he talks about hardships that they'd suffered almost to the point of death. And he says the reason was, "That we might not rely on ourselves but on God." He had to learn it again. Now, 2 Corinthians 12 - he talks about his "thorn in the flesh that was given to him to 'keep me from being conceited.'" This strong, driven leader had to be humbled and broken, and then re-humbled and re-broken. You say, "What strong and driven person? Paul?" In this case, I mean me. It's the Master's way to bring His strong-willed child to the end of their ability to control the situation; to make that child of His, in a sense, blind to where they need to be led by the hand. Maybe you're there now. God wants to pry open that tightly clenched hand of yours, empty it of self, and fill it with His power. Maybe He's brought you to the edge. It's going to be total dependency or total defeat. Why don't you get you out of the way? Grow up to the point where you will let your Father feed you, let your Father carry you, let your Father lead you. You're never stronger than the moment you reach up a trembling, empty hand and say, "Father, lead me by the hand."

The Christian life begins with an act of self-renunciation, and is continued by self-mortification . The first question of Saul of Tarsus, when Christ apprehended him, was, "Lord, what wouldst Thou have me to do?" The Christian life is likened unto a "race," and the racer is called upon to "lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset" which "sin" is in the love of self, the desire and determination to have our "own way" The one great aim, end, task, set before the Christian is to follow Christ—to follow the example He has left us and He "pleased not Himself" And there are difficulties in the way, obstacles in the path, the chief of which is self.

Today, Pastor Al will explore perhaps the most famous conversion in the history of the Church. In Acts chapter nine we read the account of the conversion of Saul of Tarsus to Paul the Apostle. Every conversion is a miracle, but some seem more miraculous than others, or at least more surprising. You'll be encouraged as you read Saul's story - for if God can save Saul he can save anyone! To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/1425/29

After the Reports  Acts 9:1-31 Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord's disciples.  He went to the high priest 2 and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any there who belonged to the Way, whether men or women, he might take them as prisoners to Jerusalem.  3 As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. 4 He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” 5 “Who are you, Lord?” Saul asked. “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,” he replied.  6 “Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.” 7 The men traveling with Saul stood there speechless; they heard the sound but did not see anyone.  8 Saul got up from the ground, but when he opened his eyes he could see nothing. So they led him by the hand into Damascus. 9 For three days he was blind, and did not eat or drink anything. Belong to the Way. 10 In Damascus there was a disciple named Ananias. The Lord called to him in a vision, “Ananias!” “Yes, Lord,” he answered. 11 The Lord told him, “Go to the house of Judas on Straight Street and ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul, for he is praying. 12 In a vision he has seen a man named Ananias come and place his hands on him to restore his sight.” 13 “Lord,” Ananias answered, “I have heard many reports about this man and all the harm he has done to your holy people in Jerusalem.  14 And he has come here with authority from the chief priests to arrest all who call on your name.” 15 But the Lord said to Ananias, “Go! This man is my chosen instrument to proclaim my name to the Gentiles and their kings and to the people of Israel. 16 I will show him how much he must suffer for my name.” 17 Then Ananias went to the house and entered it. Placing his hands on Saul, he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord—Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here—has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.”  18 Immediately, something like scales fell from Saul's eyes, and he could see again. He got up and was baptized, 19 and after taking some food, he regained his strength. Obedience opens doors.  Identify as an instrument.   Saul spent several days with the disciples in Damascus. 20 At once he began to preach in the synagogues that Jesus is the Son of God.  21 All those who heard him were astonished and asked, “Isn't he the man who raised havoc in Jerusalem among those who call on this name? And hasn't he come here to take them as prisoners to the chief priests?”  22 Yet Saul grew more and more powerful and baffled the Jews living in Damascus by proving that Jesus is the Messiah. 23 After many days had gone by, there was a conspiracy among the Jews to kill him, 24 but Saul learned of their plan. Day and night they kept close watch on the city gates in order to kill him.  25 But his followers took him by night and lowered him in a basket through an opening in the wall. 26 When he came to Jerusalem, he tried to join the disciples, but they were all afraid of him, not believing that he really was a disciple.  27 But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles. He told them how Saul on his journey had seen the Lord and that the Lord had spoken to him, and how in Damascus he had preached fearlessly in the name of Jesus.  Make room for redemption. 28 So Saul stayed with them and moved about freely in Jerusalem, speaking boldly in the name of the Lord.  29 He talked and debated with the Hellenistic Jews, but they tried to kill him. 30 When the believers learned of this, they took him down to Caesarea and sent him off to Tarsus. 31 Then the church throughout Judea, Galilee and Samaria enjoyed a time of peace and was strengthened. Living in the fear of the Lord and encouraged by the Holy Spirit, it increased in numbers. Have reverence for God, and renewal from God.

Listen along as we continue our series through the book of Acts. Notes//Quotes: Acts 9:1-31 - Larry/Jorgen Grace is something you can never get but can only be given. There's no way to earn it or deserve it or bring it about any more than you can deserve the taste of raspberries and cream or earn good looks or bring about your own birth. A good sleep is grace and so are good dreams. Most tears are grace. The smell of rain is grace. Somebody loving you is grace. Loving somebody is grace. A crucial eccentricity of the Christian faith is the assertion that people are saved by grace. There's nothing you have to do. The grace of God means something like: "Here is your life. You might never have been, but you are, because the party wouldn't have been complete without you. Here is the world. Beautiful and terrible things will happen. Don't be afraid. I am with you. Nothing can ever separate us. It's for you I created the universe. I love you.” There's only one catch. Like any other gift, the gift of grace can be yours only if you'll reach out and take it. Maybe being able to reach out and take it is a gift too. - Frederick Buechner  Gradually, and without violence, Jesus pricked Saul's mind and conscience with his goads. Then he revealed Himself to him by the light and the voice, not in order to overwhelm him, but in such a way as to enable him to make a free response. Divine grace does not trample on human personality. Rather the reverse, for it enables human beings to be truly human. It is sin which imprisons; it is grace which liberates. The grace of God so frees us from the bondage of our pride, prejudice and self-centeredness, as to enable us to repent and believe. One can but magnify the grace of God that he should have had mercy on such a rabid bigot as Saul of Tarsus, and indeed on such proud, rebellious and wayward creatures as ourselves. - John Stott I fled Him, down the nights and down the days; I fled Him, down the arches of the years; I fled Him, down the labyrinthine ways Of my own mind; and in the mist of tears I hid from Him, and under running laughter. Up vistaed hopes I sped; And shot, precipitated, Adown Titanic glooms of chasmèd fears, From those strong Feet that followed, followed after. But with unhurrying chase, And unperturbèd pace, Deliberate speed, majestic instancy, They beat—and a Voice beat More instant than the Feet— ‘All things betray thee, who betrayest Me  Francis Thompson, The Hound of Heaven Romans 10:14 “Put all this together, and what do we have, as the central, shaping marker of the new worldview, taking the place and bearing the weight that the Jewish symbols had borne within the worldview of Saul of Tarsus? We have precisely the gospel, the euangelion, the ‘good news', rooted in the ‘good news' spoken of in the Great Prophet, confronting the ‘good news' carved in stone around Caesar's empire. We have the symbol by which Paul declared that he was himself defined, the anchor of his own vocational mindset: Paul, an apostle, set apart for the good news of God; I am not ashamed of the good news, because it is God's power for salvation to all who believe; the Messiah did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel; woe to me if I do not announce the good news; I do it all for the sake of the good news; let me remind you of the gospel which I announced to you, which you received, in which you stand firm, through which you are saved; the gospel of the glory of the Messiah, who is the image of God. The gospel, the gospel, the gospel. It defined Paul. It defined his work. It defined his communities. It was the shorthand summary of the theology which, in turn, was the foundation for the central pillar for the new worldview. It carried God's power. That was just as well: the worldview, and those who lived by it, were going to need it.” NT Wright “Grace is God acting in our life to bring about, and to enable us to do, what we cannot do on our own. Grace is for all of life and not just for forgiveness. Grace is not opposed to effort (action)-though it is opposed to earning (attitude). Grace is inextricably bound up with discipline in the life of the disciple or apprentice of Jesus. “Grace,” of course, as an active agency in the psychological and biological reality of the disciple.” - Dallas Willard Eph 1:7-10 What you need to drive out an old passion, is a new passion, a greater passion. What you need is an over-mastering positive passion. To the degree, that you see Jesus on the cross, loosing absolutely everything for you, He will become a beauty to you, He will become so beautiful in your eyes that you'll be able to change these things that control you now, they'll loose their power. Do you know how to work on your heart like that? It's only by rejoicing in and resting in what Jesus Christ has done for you. Then you can replace your idols. And if you really want to change and want to pound the Gospel more deeply into your heart - Jesus Christ must become your over-mastering positive passion. Tim Keller All which I took from thee I did but take, Not for thy harms,
But just that thou might'st seek it in My arms. All which thy child's mistake
Fancies as lost, I have stored for thee at home: Rise, clasp My hand, and come!' Francis Thompson, Hound of Heaven

This morning we discuss Rabbi Jonathan Sacks' presentation of two very different and consequential responses to the catastrophe of the destruction of the second Bet HaMikdash - from Paul of Tarsus and from Rabbi Akiva. This leads us to Rabbi Yaakov Weinberg's analysis of how the month of Av, and Tisha B'Av specifically, propels us to the month of Ellul. Michael Whitman is the senior rabbi of ADATH Congregation in Hampstead, Quebec, and an adjunct professor at McGill University Faculty of Law. ADATH is a modern orthodox synagogue community in suburban Montreal, providing Judaism for the next generation. We take great pleasure in welcoming everyone with a warm smile, while sharing inspiration through prayer, study, and friendship. Rabbi Whitman shares his thoughts and inspirations through online lectures and shiurim, which are available on: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5FLcsC6xz5TmkirT1qObkA Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/adathmichael/ Podcast - Mining the Riches of the Parsha: Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/mining-the-riches-of-the-parsha/id1479615142?fbclid=IwAR1c6YygRR6pvAKFvEmMGCcs0Y6hpmK8tXzPinbum8drqw2zLIo7c9SR-jc Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3hWYhCG5GR8zygw4ZNsSmO Please contact Rabbi Whitman (rabbi@adath.ca) with any questions or feedback, or to receive a daily email, "Study with Rabbi Whitman Today," with current and past insights for that day, video, and audio, all in one short email sent directly to your inbox.

Brenten Powers focuses on the conversion of an extreme persecutor of Jesus' followers, into an extreme preacher and apostle, and what made such an extreme difference? Meeting the risen Lord Jesus. Saul of Tarsus who would go on to be called Paul the Apostle, who would say in 1Cor. 15, I worked harder than all the other apostles - but not I, it's the grace of God in me, and his grace was not in vain! Let his testimony be an encouragement to us, how Jesus changes a formerly dark life  into a glorious life and light to the world, so all may glorify God.This episode sponsored by www.topgradepaving.com and www.btpav.com

In this episode, Fordham University master's student Kristian Powell is joined by his classmate Thomas Warren to discuss the life of Theodore of Tarsus. Theodore was a 7th-century intellectual refugee from Asia Minor who, through a long career as a monk in Rome, was appointed as the Archbishop of Canterbury, influencing the early Anglo-Saxon church immensely.For more information, visit www.multiculturalmiddleages.com.

As we know, Saul of Tarsus became the Apostle Paul - one of the greatest men in Christian history. That happened in Acts chapter nine. In our study today in Acts eight, we'll get to know Saul, and another early missionary named Philip. To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/1425/29

Today in History: The Apostle Shaul (Paul) of Tarsus was killed in Rome on this day (according to tradition, Book of the Bee 48). Tradition holds that he was beheaded (Roman citizens were not crucified). It happened during the reign of Emperor Nero, after the great fire in Rome in 64 CE. Shaul wrote, “The time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith” (2 Timothy 4:6–7).This week's portion is called Mattot - Masei (Tribes - Journeys)TORAH PORTION: Numbers 34:16–35:8GOSPEL PORTION: Acts 1Think about: What Scripture spoke to you most today and why? Did you learn something about God, or something you need to do in your life?Daily Bread for Kids is a daily Bible reading podcast where we read through the Torah and the Gospels in one year! Helping young Bible-readers to study God's Word, while also discovering its Jewish context!THE KIDS' JOURNAL is available from ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://arielmedia.shop⁠⁠⁠⁠BUSY MOMS who want to follow the Daily Bread readings on podcast for adults, can go to ⁠⁠https://dailybreadmoms.com⁠⁠The Bible translation we are reading from is the Tree of Life Version (TLV) available from the Tree of Life Bible Society.INSTAGRAM: @dailybreadkids @arielmediabooks @dailybreadmomsTags: #DailyBreadMoms #DailyBreadJournal #BibleJournaling #Messianic #BiblePodcast #BiblicalFeasts #Journal #biblereadingplan #Messiah #JewishRoots #Yeshua #GodIsInControl #OneYearBible #MomLife #MotherCulture #FaithFilledMama #BiblicalWomanhood #Proverbs31woman

My daughter was all excited about the sign she saw at the airport. It was actually over the door at a terminal, and it simply said, "Through these doors pass the greatest employees in the world." She said, "You know, Dad, that would make me feel like I was really doing a good job if I came under that every day." It gives you something you want to live up to. I hope you're posting the right kind of sign. I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "I'll Become What You Call Me." Well, our word for today from the Word of God is from Acts 4, and I'm going to read beginning at verse 36 where a man gets a name change. "Joseph, a Levite from Cyprus, whom the apostles called Barnabas (which means Son of Encouragement), sold a field he owned and brought the money and put it at the apostles' feet." Now, notice Joseph becomes Barnabas, The Encourager. We read about him on several occasions in the book of Acts, not the least of which is when he came with Saul of Tarsus, who had just come to Christ. Now, remember, Saul had been persecuting the church. He was like public enemy number one for the Christians. But, "When Saul came to Jerusalem, (Acts says) he tried to join the disciples, and they were all afraid of him. But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles." This is the kind of thing Barnabas does throughout his ministry. He goes on to encourage new Gentile believers in Antioch, and nobody's quite sure about them. He rehabilitates Mark when Paul fires him. The point is, the apostles called Joseph an encourager, and he just kept living up to what they called him. That's a principle of human behavior. We tend to become the name we're called. That airline seems to know that, "Through these doors pass the greatest employees in the world." If you call them that, maybe they'll live up to it. That means you have at your disposal a powerful tool for building people, or a destructive weapon for tearing them down. For example, what names do you call your son or daughter? How many times have you said stupid, or lazy, or rebel, or problem? Well, you're programming them with ideas about themselves, and they may then go on to just prove you right. Think about what you've called your husband or wife lately, or that person who frustrates you - that person who's so irritating, so negative. You can help change a person if you'll look for their strengths and tell them what you see. Call them that good thing. Find a name you can use to bring out their best. Maybe that person, for all of their weaknesses, all of their negativeness, maybe they're obnoxious, but are they generous? Maybe they're sensitive, they fight for their family. Maybe they're a person of conviction; they're organized. Maybe they have a great smile, or a great spirit, or a budding talent. Would you tell them what you see? Would they make a great Christian if they turned their mind and talents toward Christ? Sometimes I've said that to people. "You know what, you would make a great follower of Jesus." Then they look surprised and I tell them their qualities that would make them a great follower of His. "With a mind like yours, with a gift like yours, oh what a follower of Christ you would be!" Tell the people around you who they could be with the strengths that they have, even if you only see a little bit of it. Because by naming it, you can nurture it. Look at those people close to you as if they were wearing a big old sign that says, "I'll become what you call me."

Worthaus 12 – Tübingen: 20. Mai 2024 von Prof. Dr. Kathy Ehrensperger.

In this powerful message, we explore the radical transformation of Saul of Tarsus—from persecutor of the church to passionate follower of Jesus. This story isn't just about Saul—it's about us. God still stops people in their tracks, opens blind eyes, and calls unlikely people into world-changing purpose.Whether you've been running from God, stuck in your past, or wondering if He could ever use you—this message is for you.Main scripture: Acts 9; Hebrews 12:5-10; Ecclesiastes 11:4

July 4, 2025 Today's Reading: Acts 11:19-30Daily Lectionary: Joshua 10:1-25; Joshua 10:28-22:34; Acts 11:19-30“and when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. For a whole year they met with the church and taught a great many people. And in Antioch the disciples were first called Christians.” (Acts 11:26)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Man needs a preacher—someone to proclaim the Law that kills and the Gospel that makes alive. A man sent by God to that place to preach and teach the Word and administer The Sacraments. Antioch was no different, and St. Saul (Paul), although different, was that preacher.Ever since Pentecost, the church had been growing among the Jewish people. Outreach to the Gentiles was not exactly the church's area of expertise. Luckily, they had just the man for the job who had already been on the move preaching the Gospel in the synagogues in Damascus and Tarsus. Remember what God Himself said concerning Saul, “Go, for he is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel.” (Acts 9:15).Set Saul's faults aside; God has made him His preacher to the Gentiles. In the same way also, God sends you His preacher. He, like Saul, might have some quirks and might not do things the way we always want, but God has sent him to you to give you Jesus. Your pastor, like Saul, will sit with you, bear your cross and suffer with you, laugh and cry with you. In times of greatest doubt and despair, your Pastor is the one God has sent to you to proclaim that your sins are forgiven. Like Saul, pastors are not perfect. They rely on God's grace just as much as we do, and that grace sustains us even in the hard times. Saul would be no stranger to suffering for the sake of Christ. He had already been snuck out of Damascus in a basket and sent away from the apostles for his reputation. God was with Saul throughout his ministry and service to the church.Saul and all pastors in Christ sent to serve His people in that time and place are sent to do what the church has always done. Care for you by preaching the Gospel that you are one of God's elect, claimed in the waters of Baptism. God has not forgotten you; His words are written down for you and proclaimed to you by your pastor. Thanks be to God for men like Saul, your Pastor who teaches, preaches, and cares for you.In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.Lord, help us walk Your servant way Wherever love may lead And, bending low, forgetting self, Each serve the other's need. (LSB 857:1)- Justin Chester is a seminary student at Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne, IN.Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, KY.In Clarifying the Great Commission, Rev. Daniel Christian Voth identifies common omissions from our collective understanding of Jesus' farewell discourse—omissions that turn Christ's promises of forgiveness, life, and salvation into a legalistic command. Come and discover a richer understanding of The Great Commission.

16 Behold I send you as sheep in the midst of wolves. Be ye therefore wise as serpents and simple as doves.Ecce ego mitto vos sicut oves in medio luporum. Estote ergo prudentes sicut serpentes, et simplices sicut columbae. 17 But beware of men. For they will deliver you up in councils, and they will scourge you in their synagogues.Cavete autem ab hominibus. Tradent enim vos in conciliis, et in synagogis suis flagellabunt vos : 18 And you shall be brought before governors, and before kings for my sake, for a testimony to them and to the Gentiles:et ad praesides, et ad reges ducemini propter me in testimonium illis, et gentibus. 19 But when they shall deliver you up, take no thought how or what to speak: for it shall be given you in that hour what to speak.Cum autem tradent vos, nolite cogitare quomodo, aut quid loquamini : dabitur enim vobis in illa hora, quid loquamini : 20 For it is not you that speak, but the Spirit of your Father that speaketh in you.non enim vos estis qui loquimini, sed Spiritus Patris vestri, qui loquitur in vobis. 21 The brother also shall deliver up the brother to death, and the father the son: and the children shall rise up against their parents, and shall put them to death.Tradet autem frater fratrem in mortem, et pater filium : et insurgent filii in parentes, et morte eos afficient : 22 And you shall be hated by all men for my name's sake: but he that shall persevere unto the end, he shall be saved.et eritis odio omnibus propter nomen meum : qui autem perseveraverit usque in finem, hic salvus erit.Saul of Tarsus was first a great persecutor and made havoc of the infant Church. Miraculously converted, he began his three great Apostolic Voyages and wrote his Epistles. After a captivity of two years in Caesarea, he came to Rome and travelled to that part of the Church situated beyond Italy. He was beheaded A.D. 65.

Read Online“And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys to the Kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” Matthew 16:17–19Saints Peter and Paul are often referred to as two of the great “Pillars of the Church.” They each played an incredibly essential role in the establishment of the early Church. And though each of their roles was essential and foundational, their roles were as different as they were different as persons.Peter was a family man, a local fisherman, uneducated and quite ordinary. From what we know about him prior to being called by Jesus, there was nothing that made him uniquely qualified to become one of the pillars of the new Church to be established by the Son of God. Jesus simply called him, and he responded. Jesus got into Peter's boat, ordered him to lower the nets, and produced a huge catch of fish. When Peter saw this miracle, he fell down at Jesus' feet and acknowledged that he was “a sinful man” who was unworthy of being in Jesus' presence (See Luke 5:8). But Jesus informed Peter that he would from now on be catching men. Peter immediately left everything behind and followed Jesus.Paul describes himself as “a Jew, born at Tarsus in Cili′cia, but brought up in this city at the feet of Gama′li-el, educated according to the strict manner of the law of our fathers, being zealous for God as you all are this day” (Acts 22:3). Paul was well educated in the strictest interpretation of the Jewish law, understood philosophy and was quite zealous as a young man. Recall, also, that prior to becoming a convert to Christianity, he “persecuted the church of God violently and tried to destroy it” (Galatians 1:13). In many ways, Paul would have been seen as the most unlikely person to be chosen to be a pillar of the Church, because he so vigorously opposed it at first. He even supported the killing of Saint Stephen, the first Christian martyr. Though each of these men would have been considered by many as very unlikely founders of the Christian Church, this is exactly what they became. Paul, after his conversion, traveled far and wide to preach the Gospel, founding several new Churches throughout Asia Minor and Europe. Eventually he was arrested in Jerusalem, brought to Rome for trial and was beheaded. Over half of the New Testament books are attributed to Paul and half of the Acts of the Apostles detail Paul's missionary journeys. Paul is especially known for his missionary activity to the Gentiles, those who were not Jews. Peter's role was truly a unique one. His name was changed from “Simon” to “Peter” by Jesus. Recall Jesus saying, “And I tell you, you are Peter (Petros), and on this rock (petra) I will build my church…(Matthew 16:18). “Peter” in Greek is Petros. However, the Greek word petra means a rock as a solid formation that is fixed, immovable, and enduring. Therefore, Jesus chose to make Peter a solid foundation of immovable rock on which the Church was to be built.You, too, have been called by our Lord to a unique mission within the Church that has not been entrusted to another. In your own way, God wants to use you to reach certain people with the Gospel as He did with Saint Paul. And like Saint Peter, God wants to continue to establish His Church upon you and your faith. Reflect, today, upon these two holy and unique pillars of our Church. As you do, ponder how God may want to use you to continue their mission in this world. Though Saints Peter and Paul are among the greatest and most consequential Christians within our world, their mission must continue, and you are among the instruments that God wants to use. Commit yourself to this mission so that the preaching of the Gospel and the rock foundation of our Church will remain strong within our day and age just as it was of old. Saint Peter, you were uniquely chosen to be a rock foundation of faith upon which the Church was established. Saint Paul, you went forth to preach this faith far and wide, establishing many new communities of faith. Please use me, dear Lord, to continue the mission of Your Church so that the faith may be firmly planted in the minds and hearts of all Your people throughout the world. Jesus, I trust in You.Image: Jusepe de Ribera, Public domain, via Wikimedia CommonsSource of content: catholic-daily-reflections.comCopyright © 2025 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.

Worthaus 12 – Tübingen: 20. Mai 2024 von Prof. Dr. Peter Arzt-Grabner.

Send us a textActs 11:19-31Now those who were scattered because of the persecution that arose over Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch, speaking the word to no one except Jews. But there were some of them, men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who on coming to Antioch spoke to the Hellenists also, preaching the Lord Jesus. And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number who believed turned to the Lord. The report of this came to the ears of the church in Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch. When he came and saw the grace of God, he was glad, and he exhorted them all to remain faithful to the Lord with steadfast purpose, for he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And a great many people were added to the Lord. So Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul, and when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. For a whole year they met with the church and taught a great many people. And in Antioch the disciples were first called Christians.Now in these days prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch. And one of them named Agabus stood up and foretold by the Spirit that there would be a great famine over all the world (this took place in the days of Claudius). So the disciples determined, every one according to his ability, to send relief to the brothers living in Judea. And they did so, sending it to the elders by the hand of Barnabas and Saul.Support the show

When Saul of Tarsus came to faith in Christ, little did he know how much he would suffer for his faith. Today, Ron shares some of the events that took place during the Apostle Paul's first missionary journey. It's a story of partnership, persecution and perseverance, and it comes your way next, in Ron's teaching series, “Paul: Surprised by Grace.” 

In a grand display of irony, Saul of Tarsus came to faith in Christ on his way to persecute believers in Christ. God intervened in a miraculous way, striking Saul blind and giving him vision in the process. And what a vision it was. Today, Ron takes us to the Apostle Paul's first missionary journey, as he moves ahead in his teaching series, “Paul: Surprised by Grace.”  

Saul was on his way to round up all the Christians he could find and throw them in prison. But a funny thing happened on the road to Damascus. If you're wondering how Saul of Tarsus made the switch from murderer to missionary, from assassin to apostle, the answer is found in Acts chapter nine. He was reborn that way. Ron takes us to Saul's conversion next, as he continues his teaching series, “Paul: Surprised by Grace.”  

He spent the early part of his career as a hitman for the Sanhedrin, persecuting the people of God in the name of God. Saul of Tarsus was not alone. In the early days of the church, he was one of many religious leaders who wanted to stamp out what they believed to be heresy. Over the next few weeks, Ron does a deep dive into the life of Saul, from his early years terrorizing Christians, to his miraculous transformation, and finally, to his faithful ministry as the Apostle Paul. Stay with us now as Ron kicks off his brand-new teaching series, “Paul: Surprised by Grace.” 

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Send us a textActs 9:26-31And when he had come to Jerusalem, he attempted to join the disciples. And they were all afraid of him, for they did not believe that he was a disciple. But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles and declared to them how on the road he had seen the Lord, who spoke to him, and how at Damascus he had preached boldly in the name of Jesus. So he went in and out among them at Jerusalem, preaching boldly in the name of the Lord. And he spoke and disputed against the Hellenists. But they were seeking to kill him. And when the brothers learned this, they brought him down to Caesarea and sent him off to Tarsus.So the church throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria had peace and was being built up. And walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, it multiplied.Support the show

Send us a textActs 9:10-19Now there was a disciple at Damascus named Ananias. The Lord said to him in a vision, “Ananias.” And he said, “Here I am, Lord.” And the Lord said to him, “Rise and go to the street called Straight, and at the house of Judas look for a man of Tarsus named Saul, for behold, he is praying, and he has seen in a vision a man named Ananias come in and lay his hands on him so that he might regain his sight.” But Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much evil he has done to your saints at Jerusalem. And here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on your name.” But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel. For I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name.” So Ananias departed and entered the house. And laying his hands on him he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus who appeared to you on the road by which you came has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” And immediately something like scales fell from his eyes, and he regained his sight. Then he rose and was baptized; and taking food, he was strengthened.Support the show

It's a Feria, with a commemoration of St. Boniface, 4th class, with the color of white. In this episode: Today's news from the Church: “Leo XIV's First Steps: A Busy Two Weeks,” a preview of the Sermon: “The Challenges Facing Our New Pope,” and today's thought from the Archbishop. We'd love your feedback on these Daily Devotionals! What do you like / not like, and what would you like us to add? podcast@sspx.org Sources Used Today: The Risen Christ– Caryll Houselander (Amazon) “Leo XIV's First Steps: A Busy Two Weeks” (FSSPX.news) https://fsspx.news/en/news/leo-xivs-first-steps-busy-two-weeks-52415 “The Challenges Facing Our New Pope” (SSPX Sermons) Watch on YouTube Listen & Subscribe: SSPX Sermons Podcast The Spiritual Life- Archbishop Lefebvre (Angelus Press) - - - - - - - - - - - “Uniting Ourselves to the Liturgy” (SSPX Sermons) -   Watch on YouTube -   Listen & Subscribe: SSPX Sermons Podcast - - - - - - - - - - - The Spiritual Life - Archbishop Lefebvre (Angelus Press) Please Support this Apostolate with 1-time or Monthly Donation >> Explore more: Subscribe to the email version of this Devotional - it's a perfect companion! Subscribe to this Podcast to receive this and all our audio episodes Subscribe to the SSPX YouTube channel for video versions of our podcast series and Sermons FSSPX News Website: https://fsspx.news Visit the US District website: https://sspx.org/ What is the SSPX Podcast? The SSPX Podcast is produced by Angelus Press, which has as its mission the fortification of traditional Catholics so that they can defend the Faith, and reaching out to those who have not yet found Tradition.  What is the SSPX? The main goal of the Society of Saint Pius X is to preserve the Catholic Faith in its fullness and purity, to teach its truths, and to...

Jesus is calling us to put our sinful nature to death and be raised to new life—not just once, but daily. In this message, we look at someone who embraced this truth: Saul of Tarsus. Notes: Focus verses - Acts 7–9 Being friends with your kids is a reward you receive after being a good parent.It is biblical to think about death.James 4:14 (ESV)Psalm 90:12 (NKJV) Christopher Laurie pointed others to Jesus. Jesus wants us to put our sinful nature to death and raise us to new life, daily. Read Acts 7:57–8:4 (NKJV) #1 A Man of Death Saul cast his vote; he oversaw and led the stoning of Stephen. Acts 26:11 (NKJV) Saul was a man of death. Saul was sincere. Yet he was sincerely wrong. Saul depended on his own righteousness, and not on the righteousness of God. Jesus saw a future apostle, a bold witness; Jesus saw Paul.1 Samuel 16:7 (NKJV) Nobody is beyond the reach of God. Saul was a man of death, but Jesus was calling him to put that life to deathso that he might truly live. #2 A Man Who Had to DieActs 9:1–5 (NKJV) Jesus didn’t just reform Saul, He replaced him.Saul became Paul. Jesus didn’t come to make bad people good.He came to make dead people live. Philippians 3:8–11 (MSG) #3 A Man Who Died DailyRomans 8:13–18 (NKJV) “I affirm, by the boasting in you which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily.”1 Corinthians 15:31 (NKJV) The Christian life is a daily burial of the old self. Jesus came to make you new. --- Learn more about Greg Laurie and Harvest Ministries at harvest.org. This podcast is supported by the generosity of our Harvest Partners.Support the show: https://harvest.org/supportSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.