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Send Bite Me a Text - What did you take away from this episode?Embark on a flavourful journey through the world of culinary cannabis with me, Marge, as I sit down with Jamie Evans, The Herb Somm. Discover the intriguing path Jamie took from the wine industry to becoming a cannabis connoisseur. She shares her expert insights on pairing wine with cannabis. Learn how to skillfully merge alcohol and cannabis, craft your own cannabis beverages at home, experience the sophisticated art of pairing wine and cannabis in a way that mirrors a sommelier's approach. Jamie and I explore the critical role of terroir in both wine and cannabis, bringing you to vivid places like Anderson Valley where regional expressions come to life. Enhance your understanding of terpenes with techniques such as using dry flower vaporizers and tasting terpenes through a dry pull from unlit joints. We also delve into practical tips for building a cannabis pantry with homemade infusions and emphasize the importance of labeling your cannabis-infused creations, especially if you have children at home.Join us as we uncover the powerful connections that culinary cannabis can foster within communities. Jamie shares how cannabis-infused dinners can transform strangers into friends and help dismantle the stigma surrounding cannabis through education and open dialogue. We discuss the essentials of responsible consumption, including precise dosing and creating an inviting atmosphere for both newbies and seasoned users alike.  Tune in for an enriching conversation that promises to broaden your culinary and cannabis horizons.Support the Show.Visit the website for full show notes, free dosing calculator, recipes and more.

Send Bite Me a Text - What is your favourite infused drink?Master the art of crafting cannabis-infused beverages and edibles with our Certified Ganjier Marge as your guide in this tantalizing episode. We explore the joy of creating delectable treats and drinks with a cannabis twist, from the unexpected places our listeners have enjoyed edibles to the cost-effective and rewarding experience of making your own infusions at home. Get ready to tantalize your taste buds with a recipe for a spicy Serrano pineapple margarita that's perfect for summer sipping. Plus, stay tuned for an exciting interview with Jamie Evans, one of the authors of the "Let's Get Baked" cookbook, where we dive deeper into the world of culinary cannabis creations. Support the Show.Visit the website for full show notes, free dosing calculator, recipes and more.

INTRODUCTION These two chapters are the hinge of the book of Leviticus, the first half broadly sketching our duties to God (1-17) and the second half our duties to our neighbor (18-27). In this, we see the great indicative/imperative distinction that echoes through the rest of Scripture and Christian theology. We do because of what God has done. We do because of what God has made us to be. So the center of life is the blood of Christ, and everything else flows from there. THE TEXT “… What man soever there be of the house of Israel, that killeth an ox, or lamb, or goat, in the camp, or that killeth it out of the camp, and bringeth it not unto the door of the tabernacle…” (Lev. 17–18). SUMMARY OF THE TEXT God prohibits His people from offering sacrifices to other gods (Lev. 17:1-7), as well as offering sacrifices in any other place than He designates (17:8-9). God also forbids eating or drinking the blood of animals whether sacrificial animals or animals taken for food, since the life is in the blood (17:10-16). Those who disobey these commands are to be cut off or excommunicated from the covenant people (17:4, 9, 10, 14). Paganism and idolatry are always trying to trick life out of lifeless and dead things, and next to blood, sexual rites are the other common talisman of the nations. So God forbids His people from imitating the sexual confusions of the Egyptians and Canaanites (18:1-17), particularly through tribalistic marriages (18:18), or any other vile perversions (18:19-25). By these, the earth is defiled and vomits out its inhabitants (18:26-30). THE COUNCIL OF JERUSALEM The council of Jerusalem clearly affirmed the ongoing relevance of these chapters: “For it seemed good to the Holy Ghost, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things; that ye abstain from meats offered to idols, and from blood, and from things strangled, and from fornication…” (Acts 15:28-29). While fornication often refers to sex outside of marriage, it also refers to any kind of sexual immorality, which would include all the incestuous prohibitions in our text. While it may have been tempting to dismiss these prohibitions against blood and incest as a lot of archaic oddities in previous decades, these have actually been the marks of paganism throughout history, and they are currently in the process of being mainstreamed again as we speak. The council was not prohibiting eating rare steak, but clearly we may not dismiss these prohibitions as mere ceremonial law. God's people must always abstain from idolatry, including the bloodlust and sexual deviance that accompanies it. THERE WILL BE BLOOD We should never forget is that it is not whether there will be blood, but which blood, whose blood. The life is in the blood (Lev. 17:11, 14), and in this fallen world man wants to trick life out of blood apart from the God who gives and upholds all life. The fires of Molech (Lev. 18:21) and all abortion is the attempt to trick life out of blood and death. Cultures of sexual deviance are also always cultures of death and dying, and the diseases and ailments and shorter life spans that accompany them are no accident (Lev. 18:22-24). As Romans 1:27 says, they receive the consequences in their own bodies by their actions. It is simply a fact that the widespread culture of piercing and tattooing has also grown out of this bloodshed. Despite great progress in medical science, pseudo-scientific witchcraft is also on the rise. We reject the Jehovah's Witnesses' complete ban on blood transfusions, but we absolutely agree that the perennial scientific hubris of man must be rejected: trying to be lord of life and death, especially attempts to conjure up life from the bodies of murdered babies. But we have all this bloodshed because we have rejected the blood of Jesus. We have been embarrassed and ashamed of the blood of Jesus, and so now we have blood running in our streets. It is not whether but which. THE KINGDOM OF GOD When one extreme rears its ugly head, you can bet that others are preparing their pitch. We live under a regime of statism (worshiping the power of the state), but right on schedule, we have some beginning to preach the power of familialism or tribalism. While statists worship the blood of the sword, another ancient demonic impulse worships the blood of kin, and incest has historically been central to that quest for power. While there are sexual deviants who pursue perversion for mere kicks, we should not be naïve to the power plays at work in the current sexual cesspool. The statists and globalists are currently using sexual deviance to grasp for power, but one reaction to that tyranny collapses into an idolatry of tribe with its own attendant sexual maladies (e.g. polygamy, incest). But we are not tribalists, we are covenantal Christians. Human society is built on flourishing families, but families cannot flourish apart from the blessing of God, apart from the blood of Christ (and neither can nations). The blood of Christ does not obliterate natural affections for family and culture or nation, but natural affection certainly must die and rise again. Jesus said that unless we hate our father and mother, we cannot be His disciples (Lk. 14:26). The Kingdom of God is an international, global, and pentecostal mission. We believe that the nations (as nations) will bring their glories into the New Jerusalem, but those Christian nations will be united by the Spirit of God indwelling them, joint missionary work, tons of neighborly commerce, and boatloads of cousins. CONCLUSION Never forget that God made the world such that you become what you worship. Psalm 115 says that those who make idols and serve them become like them, and when you reject the Living God, you can only go down. You can only change the glory of the incorruptible God into images of corruptible man, birds, beasts, or creeping things (Rom. 1:23). But when you worship man divorced from His Maker, you are worshipping a man descending into beastlike vulgarity. When you worship animals you become like them. So we are here to worship the Living God who made us, who knows what we are for, and who has come and dwelt among us, so that we might become like Him. Creation itself groans for the redemption of the sons of God because when we worship and act like animals we only harm and misuse creation and so it vomits us out. But the blood of Jesus cleanses every stain, and by His blood we have eternal life. And under that blessing, we work and marry and exercise dominion until the earth is full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.

INTRODUCTION The aim of this sermon is to remind you all that there is absolutely no one who can condemn you. And that message of “no condemnation” has a purpose. The purpose is not merely to leave you feeling happy, though happy it should leave you. The purpose is to increase your joy and confidence so that you would be bolstered in your conquering. THE TEXT “What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth. Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, ‘For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.' Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom. 8:31–39). NO ONE TO CONDEMN The passage tells us that there is no one to condemn us. But that does not mean that there is any shortage of those who will try to condemn us. And these attempts come in various forms and from many directions. DO MORE THAN CONQUER Being justified, we are then more than conquerors. We not only conquer. We do more than conquer. The conquering is extensive, which means that the things which need to be conquered are extensive. IT IS CHRIST Colossians 1:17 says that by Christ all things consist. Christ holds all things together. And your justification is one of those things that Christ holds together.

Folgt dem weißen Kaninchen in die neue Folge von Nerbie! Nach einer kleinen Winterpause geht es für uns endlich weiter - und es wird gleich Philosophisch. Anlässlich des neuen Teils von Matrix, Matrix-Ressurrections, stellen wir uns dem Gedankenexperiment. Wahrheit oder süße Lüge, Realität oder Matrix, rote oder blaue Pille? Wie entscheiden wir uns und was sagt die Community dazu? Warum bringt der neue Teil einige wichtige, neue Aspekte in diese Frage? Dafür werdet ihr wohl reinhören müssen. ;o) Wir sprechen in der Folge zwei Dinge an, wozu Ihr vielleicht mehr Infos wollt: Mehr zum radikalen Skeptizismus gibt es hier: https://philosophisches-jahrbuch.de/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/PJ110_S59-73_Newen_Erkenntnis-und-Skepsis.pdf Mehr zum experimentellen Text "What it is like to be a bat?" gibt es hier: https://www.reclam.de/data/media/978-3-15-019324-2.pdf

[et_pb_section admin_label="section"] [et_pb_row admin_label="row"] [et_pb_column type="4_4"][et_pb_text admin_label="Text"] What began as the story of one man's family is today the story of many families working together toward a common goal – better treatments and a cure for a disease that threatens our most precious resource – our children. Cooley's Anemia or Thalassemia is an inherited blood disorder that reduces the production of functional hemoglobin (the protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen). You can listen to the podcast below or wherever you listen to podcasts. Enjoy! [/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column] [/et_pb_row] [/et_pb_section]

In this episode of the AI Show, Edward Un is back and he's joined by Heiko Rahmel to talk about what's new in Speech to Text and Text to Speech. Landing the core scenarios for Speech service including speech transcription for call centers, text to speech for content creation, read-out functionality, and chatbots. Check it out!Jump to:[00:15] Seth welcomes Edward and Heiko[01:15] Speech to Text - What's new[02:30] Demo - Speech to Text[06:45] Pronunciation Assessment[09:35] Text to Speech - What's new[12:05] Cross Lingual Adaptation - Explore voice options[13:38] Demo - Custom voice[20:12] Ethics of Custom Neural Voice[22:23] Real-world uses: Speech to Text[24:34] Real-world uses: Text to Speech[26:00] Learn moreLearn more:ACOM page - https://aka.ms/AIShow/CognitiveSpeechServicesSpeech to text quickstart - https://aka.ms/AIShow/SpeechtoText/QuickstartText to speech quickstart - https://aka.ms/AIShow/TexttoSpeech/QuickstartBuild 2021 – Speech updates blog - https://aka.ms/AIShow/SpeechUpdates/BlogTranscribe speech blog - https://aka.ms/AIShow/TranscribeSpeech/BlogAzure speech and batch blog - https://aka.ms/AIShow/AzureSpeechandBatch/BlogBuild a voice blog - https://aka.ms/AIShow/BuildaVoice/BlogAI Show Playlist https://aka.ms/AIShowPlaylistCreate a Free account (Azure) https://aka.ms/aishow-seth-azurefreeGet Started with Machine Learning https://aka.ms/AIShow/StartMLAI for Developers - https://aka.ms/AIShow/AIforDevelopersAzure Machine Learning https://aka.ms/AIShow/AzureMLFollow Seth https://twitter.com/sethjuarezFollow Edward https://twitter.com/EdUnFollow Heiko https://twitter.com/HRahmelDon't miss new episodes, subscribe to the AI Show https://aka.ms/AIShowsubscribeJoin us every other Friday, for an AI Show livestream on Learn TV and YouTube https://aka.ms/LearnTV - https://aka.ms/AIShowLive

We're approaching that time of year when every personal trainer who is committed to a career in fitness needs a new fitness client process. You need a system or a method. And you need to measure whether it works. After 37 years in fitness, and 33 as a one-to-one trainer or health coach I've definitely made my share of mistakes. But actually, thanks to my ex-husband and friend, back in 1992 I developed a process and I have used it over and over to describe how I work with clients, to start clients, and to continue with clients. My first session follows several steps. Consultation with New Fitness Client Process More and more with each book published, media appearance, TEDx talk, keynote speech, clients will apply to work with me without ever doing a consultation. But still 50% of the time, I will consult with a customer not sure if we're a match or with questions about how it works. Even during this consultation, I share the steps of how I work with clients from beginning to next. We all like to know what to expect. Setting expectations should be a part of your process. Following enrollment there is Pre-First Session Homework for the New Client They've filled out all the pre-questionnaires, history, inclusive of health, fitness, hormones, and awareness. Documents are Turned In Homework is Turned in 24 or more hours before I meet with a client. That guarantees I have time to go through them and start identifying an ideal lifestyle plan. That plan however is never the actual starting point. Literally, never. We're working with real life humans with a history of habits and preferences and a reality that has to be a part of the step-by-step change we help them make. Books to read for supporting you in supporting them: Tiny Habits Atomic Habits The ONE THING Essentialism Identify Questions for First Session I'll pick one, two or three areas where I want to ask questions. If I don't see an obvious ONE THING to start with and ask if the client agrees, I'll ask them which feels like a bigger pain point for them so we're co-collaborating on a starting point. I never turn a client's world upside down or assign an arbitrary goal out of the blue. They are somewhere before we met. That's our starting point for deciding where to go next and for deciding what turn to take. I have a template that I use for those meetings. I use a checklist. I list the follow up questions I need to ask to collect all the data I need. Those questions are qualitative and quantitative both. The answers to those questions that I'll use to finalize the actual proposed plan for week 1. In my mind I've got week 2, 3, 4 also plotted. That's creating an ideal. There is always a change to it based on data and feedback from week 1. Flipping 50 Master Class  Platforms for meeting: Tele-conference calls Skype Facetime Zoom Follow up connections with clients: Text What's App Voxer Start Your Sessions Systematically Ditch the small talk and the, how are you? Seriously, catch your clients when they throw that back to you. Yes, it's polite and conditioned but it's trite. This is about them. The purpose of this call is not to open up how you are. I've got their session prep form in front of me when we talk. But I always ask, is there anything else you want to add to this list or is it complete? And: Is there anything unusual coming up for you in the next week I should know about so as we talk I can take that into account so you're next week's plan makes the most sense for you?   I ask if the client wants to go through things from top to bottom or if there's a highest priority item they want to start with. Give Choices All of that is about putting the client in charge. Listen, we're co-collaborating here it's not a dictatorship. My job is not to make someone co-dependent, it's to help them rely on their own judgment and take charge. It's more about that than taking responsibility. A client who's reached out to you is extremely responsible. My view is the client is an expert. No one knows them better than they do. My expertise is hormone balancing fitness, kinesiology, movement, and behavior change that sticks. We have to do this together. End Sessions Systematically One of the important things for you to do is pad your sessions. I learned this the hard way. When I would have calls with 3 clients in a row and then have the day take off like a runaway train, getting back to send homework and summarize the session and give recordings to clients became really hard to do. So, I leave 10 minutes minimum and I'm also taking notes (keyboard right into their call transcript). You can also transcribe it with otter.ia but you will have to go through and edit that or have someone on your team do so. That way I send homework, recordings, any additional resources to a client before I start anything else. It's so much less time consuming done this way. A part of the session end for my new fitness client process is letting them know when we have 10 more minutes in this session. It's a good time to ask, is there anything additionally that you want to make sure we talk about today, or do you want to continue on the track we're on? Foreshadowing There is always a next step. I want clients to know that even as I keep the steps small in the beginning there will be bigger ones that I may believe they're capable of even before they do. I'll plant seeds about their progress, their goals, and about our working together and what next steps are. You want to make sure you have a next step. What will your clients need or want next? If you can't keep a customer or client and keep them on track with life goals you'll also jeopardize your business. Find a way to always be thinking, what's next for this client? How can I serve them in their next step? Often those options don't require that one-on-one attention. That then provides a new opportunity for both them and your business growth. That's the sign of a business with longevity.

[et_pb_section admin_label="section"] [et_pb_row admin_label="row"] [et_pb_column type="4_4"][et_pb_text admin_label="Text"]What if you could unlock the secrets to an overall inner peace? How much better would you feel if you could tap into God's perfect source of balance? Perhaps you suffer from chronic disease, pain, anxiety, fear, fatigue or maybe you simply find yourself in a circumstance that seems unbearable at present? Dr. Paula's message to LIV2DAY "Fully and Abundantly" will inspire you to get up and keep going in the midst of any storm. Author and teacher, Dr. Paula McDonald, ThD, will introduce you the study of Theosynthesis, God's perfect design for balance, as she tees up what will be a multi-episode journey to health and healing. To learn more visit www.drpaulamcdonald.com[/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column] [/et_pb_row] [/et_pb_section]

Text What's Next, Counting Calories & Food Fights

We're back with the inimitable and brain melting Dr. Timothy Gombis to discuss a theology of race and the diverse Kingdom God intended. It is a conversation packed with interpretation and intention. What is the hope for the modern evangelical church during this time? What is its role? Further, Dr. Gombis shares about his new podcast that will debut in two weeks: "Faith Improvised." We also celebrate Bonnie Lewis's last episode as co host as she transitions to her brand new podcast, "The Timshel Cast!" The first episode is out today and can be heard here: https://anchor.fm/timshelcast/episodes/Episode-1--In-the-Text-What-is-Timshel-egcksu/a-a2kse5j As we await the "Faith Improvised" podcast, Dr. Gombis can be read here: https://timgombis.com/ Learn more about the VOX Podcast: www.voxpodcast.com Subscribe on iTunes - apple.co/1Lla1Nj Support the VOX Podcast on Patreon: www.patreon.com/voxpodcast Follow us on Instagram: @voxpodcast Like us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/voxpodcast Follow Mike on Twitter: www.twitter.com/mikeerre Music in this episode by Timothy John Stafford www.timothyjohnstafford.com Instagram & Twitter: @GoneTimothy

Exegetical Main Point: Jesus is the true and better son of God who is faithful through all temptations by the Spirit. Main Point of the Sermon: Despite all hell coming down on him, Jesus is our faithful overcomer. Me and We Before I became a Christian I had an on and off addiction to pornography. When I was 15, God forgave me of all my sins and made me new. On top of many other powerful life changes, I experienced several months of freedom. However, old habits and bad roots crept back in and I found myself in a weekly battle against porn. And I remember going through the vicious cycle of falling and then beating myself up for a while and then repenting and then experiencing some time of freedom and then finally again. Rinse and repeat. I remember distinctly times weeping on the floor because of my shame and how sorry I felt. I made promises to God that I would never do it again and then when I would, would feel the shame of breaking my commitment. I wonder why God would save me and ever forgive me again. I heard that Jesus would forgive any sin but wondered if that would be true for me. How could God accept me? Anyone know what I’m talking about? So I had a problem of assurance. How could God accept me despite my consistent failures? › I had another problem in my earlier years as a Christian, I didn’t know how to fight. I used all kinds of crazy unbiblical tactics to fight. In order to fight porn, I remember one time I took a sharpie and wrote all over the family computer monitor, along the border. I wrote, “angels are watching you.” And other silly things like that to try to deter me. For some reason, my dad was not mad. And perhaps like the Sam in high school, you feel similarly. You are stuck in the sin cycle of shame and going right back to your sin. And perhaps, you do not know how to fight either. And maybe it’s not lust, it could be food, it could be a substance, it could be acceptance. We all have different challenges we have to fight. And we all fail at times. The Text we’re going to be looking at today answers both problems I had as a young Christian. 1. How can God accept me though I fail? 2. And how did I fight sin? What if there was someone who always succeeded? And his record and victory became our record and victory? What if there was someone who exposed all the tactics of the enemy and showed us how he defeat him? In our Text today, we will see the only one who never failed and never sinned. Even when the deck was stacked against him, he never gave into temptation. Despite all hell coming down on him, Jesus is our faithful overcomer. Text: What does God Say? Context Last week Pastor Ross went over the genealogy and showed us that Adam too was the son of God. Also, if you remember the OT we find that Israel is also And Adam with all his descendents up to Jesus all failed in their life at some level. Some more than others. But in the moments of great temptation they all failed. And last week, at Jesus’ baptism, we also heard that Jesus was beloved son of God Is Jesus going to fail like Adam? Is he going to fail like Israel? › Before we get into the temptation of Jesus, we need to understand this word, “tempt.” What does “Tempt” mean? It’s very important to have a clear understanding of this word. The word in Greek, is the word, “Peirazo” The reason I highlight this, is that we don’t have a word in English that exactly like this word, Peirazo. We translate it as, tempt. However, tempt is always negative in english. You don’t tempt someone to do something kind. You tempt someone to do something bad. So although this word is used in a negative way, it’s always used positively. The word, test is maybe a better word for us. Deuteronomy 8:2 ESV 2 And you shall remember the whole way that the Lord your God has led you these forty years in the wilderness, that he might humble you, testing you to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep his commandments or not. The wilderness reveals what’s inside. Temptations don’t cause sin but expose it. Remember that one illustration I shared with you about water in a cup during family talk? Why does water come out of a cup if you shake it? Because there’s water in it. If there’s no water, no matter how hard you shake, nothing will come out of it! In the same way, shaking in life, reveals what’s inside. Jesus is about to get shook and we’ll see what will come out of his heart. Outline • Introduction: Lk 4:1–2 Spirit-led Fasting • Three Tests: • There are three tests. In each one, Satan both tests but also challenges Jesus’ identity. It’s temptation plus accusation. • Each test is made up of an If-Then. If you’re the Son of God, then you must do this. • Jesus then answers each test with Scripture. • Test 1: Lk 4:3–4: Satisfaction and provision • Test 2: Lk 4:5–8: Glory • Test 3: Lk 4:9–12: Trusting God • The Cliffhanger: Lk4:13 More tests to come Text Introduction: Spirit-led Wilderness Luke 4:1–2 ESV 1 And Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness 2 for forty days, being tempted by the devil. And he ate nothing during those days. And when they were ended, he was hungry. The Text starts off with Jesus being led by the Spirit. This is a test from God. And just previously, the Spirit descended on Jesus at his baptism. This forty days marker should be a flag to the careful reader that Jesus is reenacting Israel’s 40 years of tests in the wilderness. But where Israel failed, will Jesus succeed? ___ The text reads, “Being tempted by the devil.” The Greek reads as if he was being hounded by Satan continually throughout the entire 40 days in the wilderness. And the three tests we see in this passage were his final ones or perhaps, summed up the tests. It’s not clear. ___ The last line in v. 2 reads, “He was hungry.” It’s kind of an obvious statement. But the author is trying to help us realize that Jesus was human. He was limited like us. He hungred like us. And in that state, the temptations came. I want to make an important point that has been haunting me all week as I meditated on this passage, Satan doesn’t fight fair! Jesus fasted for 40 days. Satan waits for him to get to a point where He was physically exhausted, starving, lonely, and mentally drained. To understand how tantalizing this was, remember our fast? For those who only drank water. Imagine extending that fast for five more weeks. Imagine not having anything to eat from now until the month after next. Then imagine surviving such a fast out in the desert. Jesus must have been at the very limits of physical endurance. Satan doesn’t wait for you to be top of your game but when you are most susceptible. He’s doesn’t play by proper rulers of war. This is why it is so important for us to increasingly grow in self-awareness of when we are most vulnerable. Perhaps it’s late at night when you’re tired? Or right after work? Or when you feel rejected by someone? Or when you’re lonely? › Now let’s take a closer look at these tests. Test 1: Satisfaction and provision This first test focuses on if Jesus will look to God for his provision and satisfaction or put it in his own hands. So being, hungry, Luke 4:3 ESV 3 The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread.” Remember, each time, Satan is going to attack Jesus’ identity. IF you are the son of God, then you’ll do this or you must do this. What’s wrong with turning a stone into bread? 1. Questioning the goodness and wisdom of God If Jesus is the son, then the son must life. If the son doesn’t eat, he’ll die. So Jesus, you have to reasonably eat. The Father doesn’t know what’s best for you. If he did, he would have food for you. You have to take things into your own hands. Jesus could have easily rationalized, “God would not want his own Son to starve.” “I have a mission to accomplish!” The end justifies the means, right? If there would ever be a time where people would understand, it would be here. But Jesus succeeds where others would fail. He doesn’t make excuses. He doesn’t rationalize disobedience. God called him here and led him to fast, he won’t break it until God says so. Sometimes we make excuses, don’t we? Well, I was tired. Or I had a bad day. My wife wasn’t giving me the attention she should so I went somewhere else. › The 2nd problem with turning the stone into bread was that, 2. Rejecting His Humanity Jesus never uses his power by the Spirit in order to self-serve. He needed to live a life like a man, experience life with the weaknesses of man. He did this in order to be the perfect representation of man for us. Hebrews 4:15 ESV 15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. By saying this, Jesus was identifying himself as a human being. It was as a man that he stood against the devil. Jesus was not masquerading as a man—a divine mind trapped in a human body. He was fully human, body and soul. Thus it was in his humanity that he withstood the wiles of Satan. We need to see this because usually we think that it was easy for Jesus to resist temptation. He was God, after all! Yet the Bible also says that Jesus was made in our human nature, that he was fully man, and that therefore “in every respect [he] has been tempted as we are” (Heb. 4:15). Understand this: Jesus did not resist the temptations of Satan by the superior power of his deity, but in all the weakness of his humanity. This gives us hope. Sometimes we say that we sin because we cannot help it. But by the grace that we have in Jesus Christ, we too have the ability to resist the devil: “because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted” (Heb. 2:18).1 So how did Jesus fight? Jesus’ Answer: The Power of the Word Luke 4:4 ESV 4 And Jesus answered him, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone.’ ” Jesus quotes Deuteronomy. This is not a denial of his need for bread for it says, “Bread alone.” His great need is for obedience. Whatever his Father says. Jesus does not will himself out of this temptation. He doesn’t reason himself out of it. He speaks truth to it. He does not consider any of them, he just shuts it down. When you are weak, reality can be hazy. Your identity can be confusing. But when you declare God’s Word, you declare truth. Unwavering truth no matter how you feel about it. Sometimes I don’t fight like this. I reason. I ignore. I try to think about some other distraction. I sometimes have conversations. Jesus will have none of that. He shuts the conversation down! Some of us need to stop conversing with the devil. Weighing the pros and cons of the temptation. And just shut it down with the Word. This implies you need to know God’s Word. Check out the promises page on our website. Memorize Romans 8 with us, it’s not too late. Fill your spiritual gun with plenty of ammunition. if Jesus Christ did not think he could handle life without knowing the Scripture, do you think we can? › Jesus faithfully overcomes the first test. Test 2: Comfort and Glory This second test, Satan is going to challenge Jesus’ allegiance to the Father but also his commitment to a hard path. Luke 4:5–7 ESV 5 And the devil took him up and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time, 6 and said to him, “To you I will give all this authority and their glory, for it has been delivered to me, and I give it to whom I will. 7 If you, then, will worship me, it will all be yours.” “It has been delivered to me.” Once Adam rebelled and sinned against God, he relinquished his co-reign with God. Satan gained power over the kingdoms of men, which is why Jesus called him “the ruler of this world” (e.g., John 12:31). So Satan offers him co-rule with him if Jesus worships him. I think this is not just a simple bow, but allegiance to him. The irony of all this is that Jesus will indeed inherit the kingdoms of the world. And at this point, Jesus probably knew that the way to that requires a cross. He knew what the road ahead looked like. So Satan is offering a crown without a cross. Satan wants to promise him the results without the road. But Jesus knew he couldn’t inherit the kingdoms without dealing with the kingdom’s greatest problem, their penalty. › Again, Jesus does not entertain Satan’s temptations, Jesus’ Answer: Worship Only God Luke 4:8 ESV 8 And Jesus answered him, “It is written, “ ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and him only shall you serve.’ ” Notice Jesus doesn’t say, I’d really like to but I can’t cause the Bible says so. Only God is worthy of worship and service and you’re NO GOD! › Now, Satan is no dummy. He is picking up a pattern. Jesus uses God's word as a sword to dismantle everyone of his tests. So, Satan plans to use scripture himself. Test 3: Trusting God This final test is very similar to the heart of the last test. Can Jesus speed us this whole process of his glorifying. Luke 4:9–11 ESV 9 And he took him to Jerusalem and set him on the pinnacle of the temple and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here, 10 for it is written, “ ‘He will command his angels concerning you, to guard you,’ 11 and “ ‘On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.’ ” Satan probably took him to the top of temple called, the Royal Porch. This was about a 450 ft. drop. Josephus the historian mentions that just looking over the edge would make some people dizzy. So if Jesus were to jump off in front of a large crowd, he would be able to show his glory. Satan is twisting God’s Word in order to get Jesus to violate God’s ways. This is an age old trick from him, Genesis 3:1 ESV 1 Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?” Just because someone uses Scripture, doesn’t mean it’s actually God’s intention. Context is everything! All false teachers use Scripture. They just use it out of context. If you’ve ever have had a Jehovah’s Witness come to your door, they will often invite you to have “Bible” study. › Again, Jesus will not entertain his temps, Jesus’ Answer: You Shall not Test God Luke 4:12 ESV 12 And Jesus answered him, “It is said, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’ ” What’s wrong with testing God? A final way we tend to show a lack of trust in God is to try to force him to act on our behalf. In the test we often set up, we want to see if he is for us or against us. This type of spiritual wagering does not involve leaping from tall buildings, but in walking into events where we say in effect, “If you care for me God, then this situation will turn out this way.” In effect, we test the “emergency broadcast system” of God’s presence and presume on how he should react. This kind of testing is an attempt to control God, not follow his leading. We are setting ourselves up for disappointment, since it may be in our best interest for events to go in a different direction than we desire. - Darell Bock Think about the arrogance we can have in trying to force God’s hand. You prove yourself to me. As creatures this is unfathomable that we would challenge the creator. For the Christian, What more can he do but give us his son? Romans 8:32 ESV 32 He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? The Cliffhanger: More Temptations to come Luke 4:13 ESV 13 And when the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from him until an opportune time. How will Satan know when there’s an opportune time? He watches. he prowls. This is true for us too, 1 Peter 5:8 ESV 8 Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. How should we now live? Let’s go back to that early question I posed in the beginning, “How can God accept me though I fail?” All of us have tests all the time, tests that reveal what’s inside. And we all like Adam and Israel, fail these tests at times. The accuser will come to all of us and challenge our identity. There’s no way God could love you! Look at what you did. There’s no way God could forgive you, you just asked for forgiveness the other day. The good news is that you don’t have to pass the test. Jesus already did. He did it with flying colors! In those moments when we fail, this is what you say, “You’re right Satan, I have failed and even more than you know and I know and God shouldn’t love me. And yet, Jesus, stood the test. He is the perfect one. He was condemned for my failures and sin. And now, I am forgiven and clean because of him.” When Martin Luther was asked how he overcame the Devil he said, “Well, when he comes knocking upon the door of my heart, and asks ‘Who lives here?’ the dear Lord Jesus goes to the door and says, ‘Martin Luther used to live here, but he has moved out. Now I live here.’” -Martin Luther Satan will point at you and try to get you to look at yourself. We must simply direct his attention and point to Christ. When he points at you and says, “Sinner” you point to Christ and say, “Sinless.” When he points at you and says, “unfaithful” you point to Christ and say, “Faithful.” Gospel Invitation If you’re not putting your trust in your savior your putting your trust in yourself. You will fail like we all have. And you will stand before God one day. And you will not be able to stand beneath the accusations. Your good deeds will not be enough. But praise be to God, that he has made a way. You must repent of being your own God and savior. And if you put your trust in Jesus, his transcript will be yours. It is as if you only have perfect scores. He will give you his Spirit that will empower you to live the life he’s called us to live. He will adopt you as a one of his blood children. This is the good news! Conclusion Who are you putting your confidence in today? Your obedience or Christ’s obedience? And so Church, we will all fail this week at some point. We will be test and dirty junk will come out of us. In those moments, let us look to Jesus. The one who was shaken and only goodness came out. He is our record. He is our confidence. He is our goodness. He is our only hope. Let me end with the famous lyrics of Martin Luther, Did we in our own strength confide, our striving would be losing, were not the right Man on our side, the Man of God's own choosing. You ask who that may be? Christ Jesus, it is he And though this world, with devils filled, should threaten to undo us, we will not fear, for God has willed his truth to triumph through us. The prince of darkness grim, we tremble not for him; his rage we can endure, for lo! his doom is sure; one little word shall fell him.

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

Nicky Jurd owns a website development company in Cairns called Precedence, who specialise in building websites for small businesses, and she feels many small business owners are leaving the financial future of their businesses in the hands of social media channels, which they do not own or control. A great social media profile is important, but it will not replace a well-designed website that you own outright.  Only building your business on social media platforms is like handing over the keys and control to someone else...it's risky.  Web Developer or Free Site Nicky openly admits there are many free sites where you can build and design your own website, however, to do it right you need to commit time and also some creativity, otherwise it will look poorly designed and poorly designed websites lack credibility.  Trust Triggers A poorly designed website does not build trust and people only buy from businesses they trust. Things to avoid include:  Using too many fonts Using the wrong font for the message Wrong colours Auto-playing sound with video Too much movement or adding things that distract Poorly timed pop-ups When you look at a website and something doesn't quite feel right, that's your trust trigger going off.  But My Friend Builds Websites Often someone will say they have a friend or family member that can build their website, therefore they do not need a web developer, which may be correct, but do they: Understand business? Understand the flow of customer questions? Know what makes a customer buy? Know your target market?  It's important to understand that your website is where your future customers head before contacting you.  Silent Achiever Your website is a silent achiever and it is constantly working in the background, and it never puts it's hand up and says, "look, I'm getting old". A five-year-old website, for example, will no longer look very good on a mobile phone and a lot of people use their mobile device for searching businesses.  New Person - where do they start? Brand: You need to work out what your brand is going to be and it's a good idea to engage a Graphic Designer to help with creating a logo and brand suite (colours & fonts) Good Photos: Using your own photos is better than using 'stock photos' and you need a good headshot of people in the business. Get a good camera or use a photographer.  Text: What is your website going to say. Remember it's a silent salesperson. If you can't write, get help from a copywriter. They may also help you with other written materials in your business (brochures etc)  I Have A Website, But It's Old If you have an existing website that's old you need to look under the hood. You need to get your stat's (Google Analytics). You need to know where your traffic is coming from and which pages are the most popular as you do not want to lose these pages during an upgrade. If you're not happy with your web developer it's very easy to make a change, and you should if you're not being looked after.  Websites should be tinkered with every 12-months and a complete re-design every three years. It's important to update and do re-designs because as technology changes your website needs to change as well.  I Have A Modern Website If you have a new website that is modern and up to date you need to remember that Google loves text, so make sure you are adding new information on your website via Blogs, FAQ's, etc on a regular basis. Weekly is a good time frame.  Also, add videos to your website, but make sure they look professional. Videos shot of a shaky phone may be good enough for social media, but they're not good enough for your website if you want to build trust. Monday Morning Tip Look at your stats and know how your website is performing, because you need to know how it works if you want to tweak it and make improvements.  If you have any questions about this podcast episode please email me at tf@tysonfranklin.com or you can leave a comment below.   If you want to contact Nicky Jurd and talk more about how her team can help you and your business please visit Precedence, or you can easily find Nicky on most social media channels by searching for her name.  Save The Date 17th and 18th August 2018. I will be holding a 2-Day event in Cairns titled Communication, Persuasion and Influence. My Keynote Speaker is David M Frees from Pennsylvania, who was also my guest on Podcast Episode 2. More details coming shortly, but keep an eye on the EVENTS page.  FREE DOWNLOADS: First 16 Pages of My Book – It’s No Secret There’s Money in Small Business. 12 Secrets to Get More People Through Your Front Door.

Tamar Merin is a writer, critic, and literary scholar. In her story “What Are You Looking At?”, the prosaic act of a mother and son going for ice cream becomes an exploration of the anxiety of immigration, the shock of living in a new land. Text: “What are you Looking At?” by Tamar Merin. Translated by Ari Leiberman.

Acts 13:48 Text: What does Acts 13:48 say? Acts 16 show that belief comes first. What does “appointed” (“ordained”) mean? Greek: tasso To…