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The Biden administration is prosecuting so many innocent Conservatives, the DOJ is running out of funding. Biden is now asking Congress to raise the DOJ's budget by 11% ($3.5 Billion) so the Department can ramp up prosecutions of domestic extremism, gun violence, voter discrimination, environmental crimes, and other Biden administration priorities. They MUST be stopped!   Stop Congress from giving Biden $3.5 Billion to prosecute Conservatives! https://app.advocacytoaction.com/campaign?id=3563   Want to run for office but don't know how to get started? Sign up for the How To Run For Office As A Christian Conservative course and help take back the country! Make sure you use Promo Code CD10 for an extra 10% off on the course! https://www.runforoffice.training/CD   Today's podcast is brought to you by AirMedCare Network. Do you live in a rural area that's hard to reach by road? Do you like to hike or spend a lot of time outdoors? Health insurance wont always cover the cost of an emergency medical flight. But with AirMedCare Network, you're covered! For as little as $85 per year, your WHOLE household will be covered in case you ever need an air medical transport. And if you use Promo Code DAILY, you will receive up to a $50 eGift Card back when you sign up today! You can sign up right here: https://www.airmedcarenetwork.com/daily   Make sure you Like, Comment, and Share!   Text FREEDOM to 89517 to get added to our text list to receive notifications when we go Live!   We are now on Gab and Gab TV! Make sure you head over there and follow our Gab account! https://gab.com/ConservativeDaily And our Gab TV channel! https://tv.gab.com/channel/ConservativeDaily   Please make sure you join our newsletter to receive our action alerts: https://bit.ly/joinconservativedaily   We are now also going to be streaming on dlive! Check us out here: https://dlive.tv/ConservativeDaily   Help us reach even higher on the podcast charts by subscribing to the podcast on Apple Podcasts and leaving a good review here: http://bit.ly/ConservativeDailyPodcast   We are now on Rumble too! Videos get posted there after the livestream is over, so make sure you subscribe to our Rumble videos here: https://rumble.com/user/ConservativeDaily   Follow us @ConservativeDaily on Parler!   Click here to donate: http://bit.ly/cd-donate   Subscribe to our daily podcast at Apple Podcasts: http://bit.ly/ConservativeDailyPodcast   And on Google Podcasts (for Android users): https://bit.ly/CDPodcastGoogle   We are also available on Spotify! https://open.spotify.com/show/2wD8YleiBM8bu0l3ahBLDN   And on Pandora: https://www.pandora.com/podcast/conservative-daily-podcast/PC:37034   And on iHeart Radio: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/256-conservative-daily-podcast-53710765/   And on TuneIn: https://tunein.com/radio/Conservative-Daily-Podcast-p1350272/   And on Podbean: https://conservative.podbean.com/   Don't forget to like and follow our Facebook page to get notified when we go live with our podcast! http://www.facebook.com/conservativedaily   And lastly, don't forget to subscribe to our new YouTube channel as well! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkxItqCoYlToavUYY4unsJg?sub_confirmation=1   We are also now on Twitch too: http://www.twitch.tv/conservativedaily

The Biden administration is prosecuting so many innocent Conservatives, the DOJ is running out of funding. Biden is now asking Congress to raise the DOJ's budget by 11% ($3.5 Billion) so the Department can ramp up prosecutions of domestic extremism, gun violence, voter discrimination, environmental crimes, and other Biden administration priorities. They MUST be stopped!   Stop Congress from giving Biden $3.5 Billion to prosecute Conservatives! https://app.advocacytoaction.com/campaign?id=3563   Want to run for office but don't know how to get started? Sign up for the How To Run For Office As A Christian Conservative course and help take back the country! Make sure you use Promo Code CD10 for an extra 10% off on the course! https://www.runforoffice.training/CD   Today's podcast is brought to you by AirMedCare Network. Do you live in a rural area that's hard to reach by road? Do you like to hike or spend a lot of time outdoors? Health insurance wont always cover the cost of an emergency medical flight. But with AirMedCare Network, you're covered! For as little as $85 per year, your WHOLE household will be covered in case you ever need an air medical transport. And if you use Promo Code DAILY, you will receive up to a $50 eGift Card back when you sign up today! You can sign up right here: https://www.airmedcarenetwork.com/daily   Make sure you Like, Comment, and Share!   Text FREEDOM to 89517 to get added to our text list to receive notifications when we go Live!   We are now on Gab and Gab TV! Make sure you head over there and follow our Gab account! https://gab.com/ConservativeDaily And our Gab TV channel! https://tv.gab.com/channel/ConservativeDaily   Please make sure you join our newsletter to receive our action alerts: https://bit.ly/joinconservativedaily   We are now also going to be streaming on dlive! Check us out here: https://dlive.tv/ConservativeDaily   Help us reach even higher on the podcast charts by subscribing to the podcast on Apple Podcasts and leaving a good review here: http://bit.ly/ConservativeDailyPodcast   We are now on Rumble too! Videos get posted there after the livestream is over, so make sure you subscribe to our Rumble videos here: https://rumble.com/user/ConservativeDaily   Follow us @ConservativeDaily on Parler!   Click here to donate: http://bit.ly/cd-donate   Subscribe to our daily podcast at Apple Podcasts: http://bit.ly/ConservativeDailyPodcast   And on Google Podcasts (for Android users): https://bit.ly/CDPodcastGoogle   We are also available on Spotify! https://open.spotify.com/show/2wD8YleiBM8bu0l3ahBLDN   And on Pandora: https://www.pandora.com/podcast/conservative-daily-podcast/PC:37034   And on iHeart Radio: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/256-conservative-daily-podcast-53710765/   And on TuneIn: https://tunein.com/radio/Conservative-Daily-Podcast-p1350272/   And on Podbean: https://conservative.podbean.com/   Don't forget to like and follow our Facebook page to get notified when we go live with our podcast! http://www.facebook.com/conservativedaily   And lastly, don't forget to subscribe to our new YouTube channel as well! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkxItqCoYlToavUYY4unsJg?sub_confirmation=1   We are also now on Twitch too: http://www.twitch.tv/conservativedaily

When God blesses us with whatever kind of blessings that may be, they're not there just to sit with us. They MUST be put into use. 1 kings 3:16-22, God has granted Solomon his request and now there was a dilemma....what judgement would you and i have given in such situation?

TENSEI SHITARA SLIME DATTA KEN 2ND SEASON also known as That Time I Got Reincarnated As A Slime Season 2 is back and Rimuru is now the leader of his own National Tempest Country. In This Season we will see fights of those attempting to break down his hardwork but also his nation face off the dangers of the world!. They Must build their nation and powers to be able to outstand any enemy forces. Enjoy This Review! CONNECT WITH ME: Follow The Socials Discord: https://discord.gg/BF4W783Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/5knAeTAYpIE0RuswBrKfVeTwitter: https://twitter.com/roose366Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/roose366 --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/roose366/message

Title: A Good Servant of Christ Text: I Timothy 4:6-10 FCF: We often struggle persevering in our walk. Prop: Because a good servant of Christ has certain characteristics, we must show these characteristics as God’s people. Scripture Intro: [Slide 1] Turn in your bible to I Timothy chapter 4. Last week Paul had some rather discouraging news to relay to Timothy and his church. News that the Spirit explicitly said would be true in later times, and is happening in their time. That some would walk away from and oppose the confession of truth that they once claimed. Paul explains how that happens and how they are led away from truth and convinced of the lies. We made a point last week that the gospel is incredibly narrow. We are often tempted to either add to it or take from it. As fear inducing as such a proclamation can be, it is necessary for us to hear. But today – we get to see the other side of that. Paul will take Timothy under his wing, as his young child in the faith, and explain how he can be sure that he and his flock do not suffer such disastrous things. How can Timothy insure that he is, and his people are, good servants of Christ? That is the goal of the text today. I’m in I Timothy 4, and I’ll start reading in verse 6. I am reading from the NET which you can follow in the pew bible on page 1339 or in whatever version you have in front of you. Transition: After the sermon from last week… let’s get some encouragement shall we? Let’s see how we can be a good servant of Christ! I.) A good servant of Christ has certain characteristics, so we must teach the true gospel. (6-7a) a. [Slide 2] 6 – By pointing out such things to the brothers and sisters, i. What things? ii. He could be talking about the entire letter up to this point. He could be referring to everything since the beginning of chapter 2 where he left Timothy’s personal instruction last. iii. I think for certain we can be sure that he at least is referring to the end of chapter 3 and the beginning of chapter 4. iv. Therefore, what is certainly in view is the true gospel, encapsulated in the hymn Paul gives standing in contrast to the distortions of the false teachers. v. Paul says that by pointing out such things – or by teaching them. vi. Although Paul puts this in a progressive way – by pointing out – it is certainly to be interpreted as a command. But it is a command that Timothy has not been neglecting. So, Paul spurs him to continue on. vii. By doing so toward his congregation… b. [Slide 3] You will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, i. The title of this section to the end of chapter 4 could be – a good servant of Christ Jesus. ii. Everything Paul says is pointed toward this concept. How can Timothy be a good servant of Christ Jesus? iii. First – it is by pointing out – by teaching the true gospel of Christ and opposing the lies of demons. iv. But how can Timothy be sure that he is continuing to be the kind of man that teaches his people the true gospel only? c. [Slide 4] Having nourished yourself on the words of the faith and of the good teaching that you have followed. i. It is through personal spiritual nourishment and growth. ii. If Timothy does not feed himself on the truth of the gospel, if Timothy does not heed the teaching of those who have come before him, if Timothy does not follow the instruction of his mentors and forebearers, then he cannot hope to instruct others. iii. Teachers cannot ever stop being learners. They MUST continue to be fed on what they learn, so that they can share it with others. iv. Timothy must continue to drink and eat from the gospel of Christ so that he can fill those whom he teaches. v. And notice that that isn’t just doctrine and preaching – but it is obedience too. The good teaching that he has followed. vi. Paul will expand on this in a moment – but this isn’t just focusing on teaching on a knowledge level but holistically, to the extent that the truths of the gospel permeate everything he does. vii. We’ve seen the first way that Timothy is to be a good servant of Christ. That is to teach his people the gospel truth. That is only possible if he is being nourished by it and living it himself. d. [Slide 5] 7 – But reject those myths fit only for the godless and gullible i. The second way that Timothy can be a good servant of Christ is this… ii. Avoiding, or more strongly – rejecting myths. iii. When you are in your study, pondering the marvelous mysteries that God has only partially revealed, when you have questions for which God does not provide clear answers – it can be tempting to speculate. To guess. To lead yourself and others down the back avenues of what could be. iv. Reading between the lines of scripture, trying to find answers that either are not there, or are not clearly there. v. As these false teachers did with forbidding to marry and forbidding to eat certain foods. They added myths to revealed truth to support conclusions they had already arrived at. vi. These are the teachings we must reject. vii. Why? viii. Because they are not fit for those who are seeking God. They are only fit for those who are godless and old-wifey. That is the word for gullible. One commentator referred to these things as prattle. They do nothing to edify the body and only serve to divide, distract or distort. ix. There is a delicate balance here. Some of the most rewarding moments in my study has been chasing down questions that did not have clear answers. Most notably and most recently has been my rediscovery of the Lord’s Supper and all its facets of meaning. x. But one can go so far and so long hunting down questions that they need to invent connections to come up with answers. Or they see connections that those who have already agreed with them would be able to see. xi. It is difficult to know where to draw the line between humble searching and preoccupation. xii. We must not be enamored by what we don’t know. Instead we must be preoccupied with the gospel of Christ. xiii. And that is really Paul’s primary point. He desires Timothy to continue to be nourished on the things that he has been (past tense) taught and continue to grow in those truths. But the tangential, the uncertain, the grey, the unknown – don’t feed on this – reject it instead. Avoid it. xiv. When we combine these two commands they essentially equal the first one. Continue to preach and teach the truths of the true gospel. xv. How? By being nourished by them and living them out, and by rejecting or avoiding all that is not the gospel. e. [Slide 6] Passage Truth: Paul throughout this passage is teaching Timothy what it means to be a good servant of Christ. f. Passage Application: Timothy must continue to teach the true gospel and refute the myths. To do this he must continue to be nourished by and live out the gospel message. g. [Slide 7] Broader Biblical Truth: Zooming out to the rest of scripture we see this as the basic tenant of our faith. The gospel is the Word of God revealed from Genesis to Revelation. The gospel is the person of Christ revealed in the scriptures form Genesis to Revelation. The gospel is not simply the message that justifies… it is the whole message of God’s holiness, man’s wickedness, and God’s plan to save them in His Son. By Substitution. Through Adoption. He brings us into His family! WOW! The whole of the gospel message is the whole of scripture. All things come back to this - that God is redeeming His creation. He is taking it back. Little by little. Piece by piece. Until all things are His and there is no more opposition. That is a gospel that has immediate and far reaching effects on who we are and what we do. Indeed, there is no way it couldn’t. We are all striving to be good servants in Christ. That is the essence of the gospel. That is what the gospel does to us. It makes us into good servants of Christ. h. Broader Biblical Application: And what do good servants of Christ do? They preach the truth. They teach the gospel. They reject the myths. They pursue and are enthralled by Christ and Him crucified. Not that other things that God reveals are not of interest. Not that we cannot question or pursue things that are not clearly revealed. But our priority, our emphasis, is on the gospel. And so we must ask ourselves – is that where my priority is? My friends. The world will sit and talk to you about all kinds of things. They will mythicize and scrutinize, and trivialize the text of scripture. They will read out of sheer morbid curiosity the difficult things and the unknown things in this book. But they will not abide the gospel. Because it tells them they are wicked. My friends, people in our churches that are not truly converted, They will love the sermons that focus on the unknown things in scripture. They will sit on the edge of their seat as they hear the pastor explain his opinion on the uncertain things in these pages. They will weep in their seats as the person behind the pulpit holds high the need for acceptance and tolerance, while tearing apart God’s law. They will give hearty amen when a pastor adds human works as a component of their salvation. And they will cheer when he speaks ill of their particular political opponent. But my friends. They will squirm under the teaching of the gospel of Christ. Because it is the power of God unto salvation. They will be confronted with the truth that there is a Holy God who hates their sin. But maybe… just maybe… they will see it for the first time. And they will hear that this same God, who hates their sin, crushed His beloved Son, so that they would be free. You want to be a good servant of Christ? Preach the gospel with your lips, drink it deep into you, feed on its truth, bask in its grace, and let it come flowing out of every pore. Do this while avoiding prattle… and you will be a good servant of Christ. One who never need worry about deserting the faith. Transition: [Slide 8(blank)] So this is one way we can be sure that we are a good servant of Christ. But there is still another component to this. One that Paul has hinted at – but one that he has not explained fully as of yet. Let’s look. II.) A good servant of Christ has certain characteristics, so we must train ourselves for godliness. (7b-9) a. [Slide 9] 7 – and train yourself for godliness i. So, the first half of being a good servant of Christ Jesus revolves around doctrine. It revolves around teaching, learning, and living the right doctrines and rejecting the false ones. ii. This is the first task of any man of God who would desire to be a good servant or minister of Christ. And indeed, it is the first task of any person who would desire to be a good servant of Christ. iii. The second is equally important. iv. It is to train himself for godliness. v. The word “train” is a word used for exercise. It is a word associated with physical discipline to perform in the games. vi. It is diligence, It is difficult. It is discipline. vii. But Paul uses this to speak of spiritual discipline and spiritual exercise. viii. Timothy, if he is to be a good servant of Christ, is to diligently discipline himself for godliness. For piety. For holiness. ix. As much as we speak of grace, as often as we speak of Christ working through us, as much as we say not I but Christ – the fact of the matter is – that godliness is not something we attain by simply sitting back and praying for God to do it in us. x. We attain godliness by the passion that God gives, swinging the pickaxe that God gave us, with the energy God gave us, to mine out the gems of righteousness that God has prepared for us from before the world began. xi. This will be work. It will not be easy. It will probably be quite… painful. xii. BEAT YOUR BODY into subjection. xiii. CRUCIFY yourself. xiv. Mortify the flesh. xv. This is the work of sanctification. And it is true that it is not us alone, nor is it us primarily, nor do we get “credit” for success – but we do work. That much is true. xvi. Paul, having mentioned exercise, will now state a well known and true phrase. b. [Slide 10] 8 – For “physical exercise has some value, but godliness is valuable in every way. It holds promise for the present life and for the life to come. 9 This saying is trustworthy and deserves full acceptance. i. Taking these out of order, reading verse 9 first, we see that this is another one of Paul’s trustworthy sayings that deserves to be accepted and appreciated. It is completely true. ii. These statements as we’ve seen have been core truths and values that cannot be argued or disputed. iii. So far we’ve seen 1. Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. 2. If anyone aspires to the office of an overseer, he desires a noble task iv. This is the final saying that is worthy of full acceptance in this book. So, what is it saying? v. He says that physical exercise is a good thing. It does have some value. But there is something worth greater value. Now the value here is defined. What is the greater value of godliness versus the lesser value of physical exercise? vi. Physical exercise holds value for this present life. The body benefits from exercise. But what good is a chiseled body when it is dead? vii. Training for godliness, like physical exercise, has present benefit for this life. Living in God’s will is its own reward. And God gives present promises to those who would walk in His ways. Promises that are of general joy and peace. This does not always manifest in physical ways in this age, but sometimes it does. viii. But beyond this age – Godliness has value in the life to come. Godliness is treasure that is laid up where moth and rust do not destroy and where thieves do not break in and steal. ix. Godliness in all its disciplines is valuable in every way. There is no end to the benefit of godliness. x. And as a reminder…there is no exception to this saying. This is true always and all the time. Training for godliness is profitable for anyone in this life and the next. c. [Slide 11] Passage Truth: Again, Paul is telling Timothy how to be a good servant of Christ. d. Passage Application: Timothy must train himself for godliness. He must discipline Himself for holiness. e. [Slide 12] Broader Biblical Truth: Zooming out again to all of scripture – we have already shown that the gospel does this to God’s people. God keeps working on and changing His true children to be conformed more and more into the image of His Son – and that is… the gospel. f. Broader Biblical Application: And so the working of the gospel here, is that we grow in godliness. This is, of course, not without effort. It is not without difficulty. It is not without pain. In fact, I am convinced that some of the trouble that Christ predicted for His children, would be this. The mortification of sin and the discipline in righteousness. But God’s true children know that this effort to train themselves for godliness, not only has present benefits. Not only does it please the Lord now. Not only is there great promises associated with being pressed into Christ’s mold in this life… but even more in the life to come. The benefits of godliness are sometimes difficult to see in this life… but are on vivid display in the next. Transition: [Slide 13(blank)] But that is hard. Because this life is all we know now. How do we make it? In fact, Paul just said that some won’t make it. So how do we KNOW that we will? What gives us the courage, the strength to carry on in this uphill fight? III.) A good servant of Christ has certain characteristics, so we must continue to trust God. (10) a. [Slide 14] 10 – In fact, this is why we work hard and struggle, because we have set our hope on the living God, i. Paul continues to point out exactly why we discipline ourselves in this way. ii. Why do we continue to teach, to learn, to grow, to obey, to train for godliness? iii. Why do we discipline ourselves? iv. Why do we work so hard? v. Why do we struggle? vi. We do this because we have set our hope on the living God. vii. We have set our eyes on the prize that is set before us. viii. We have seen what is promised to those who run the race well. ix. Furthermore, we know that as we run, it is This God, this King, that will keep us standing. He will keep us going. He will keep us swinging. x. We wear ourselves ragged knowing that God is the one who will not let us wear out before we reach the finish line. xi. God providentially is both the goal and the means. xii. So, we work hard knowing that He will bring us unto Himself. xiii. Seeing this in what Paul says helps us to interpret rightly the next phrase. b. [Slide 15] Who is the savior of all people especially of believers. i. God is the savior of all people especially of believers. ii. What in the world does this phrase mean? iii. Because if we are not careful – we could make this phrase say something which supports universalism. iv. Universalism is a teaching that says, in one way or another, God will draw and deliver every single person to Himself. That all men will be saved. The Pope just recently made a statement to this effect, saying that even atheists will be ushered into the kingdom of heaven. v. This teaching says – you don’t have to believe in God – because He believes in you. vi. This is heresy. It is garbage. It is refuse. I have other words I’d like to use to describe it, but they are too strong for this audience. You can use your imagination. vii. Paul is not teaching universalism. viii. So how can God be a savior of all men? ix. Perhaps we can use the old trick from chapter 2. God is the savior of all kinds of men…. No… because how do we explain “especially of believers” x. There are two acceptable interpretations of this. 1. The first is an alternate interpretation of the word translated “especially.” Although its only meaning in the New Testament is “especially” or “to a greater degree”, other writings indicate that one usage of the word is to express “that is” or “Namely.” So the phrase would be that God is the savior of all people namely of believers. I, however, do not find this explanation very convincing. 2. The other interpretation fits much better in the context of the passage. a. Paul is speaking about exercise, hard work, struggle. In struggle and hard work you need endurance. You need to press on to get through. b. This word “save” means to deliver. It means to move something from point A to point B. It is true, that most often in scripture it refers to saving from sin, from death to life. Indeed, that is probably the normal way of translating this word. c. However, here in the context it seems that that may not be what Paul is intending. d. What Paul seems to be saying is… e. We discipline ourselves in teaching, refuting, learning, growing, obeying, and being godly because we have set our hope on the living God. f. Who delivers all men through this life, especially believers. g. God helps those who are not believers to endure to their appointed end. God does not give the wicked what they deserve. He does not snuff out their lives. Rather he providentially leads them to His truth, or to His Judgment. In either case, He is the one who delivers them from birth to death. h. That, then, is especially true for believers. Because He brings them to truth. He providentially leads them, not with an invisible hand that the wicked don’t see or spit on – but with a visible hand seen through the graced eyes of faith. c. [Slide 16] Passage Truth: So Paul is still teaching this concept of being a good servant of Christ. d. Passage Application: Timothy must continue to work and struggle trusting God to help Him endure. e. [Slide 17] Broader Biblical Truth: Zooming out, we won’t belabor the point, but God preserves His own dear children. Romans 8 tells us that those whom He calls He will glorify. Jude prays that Christ will present them spotless before the throne of God. Paul assures the Philippians that Christ will continue his work in them until it is perfected. f. Broader Biblical Application: So yes, it is certainly work, and discipline to go on training in godliness. It is certainly work to continue to proclaim the true gospel and reject the lies. But we have set our hope on the living God. Paul elsewhere says – WORK OUT your own salvation. He continues by telling us that the will or desire to work out our salvation and the ability or the power to work out our salvation which is the good pleasure of God – comes from GOD! That is why we work out our salvation in fear and trembling. It is a wonderous thing to behold a person empowered by God to mine the fruit of the Spirit out of what was once a spiritually dead thing! It is amazing to see God come along side us to help us do His will. This is what is promised. But it is not without work. It is not without effort. Godliness is a lifelong endeavor. But God’s true children know, that godliness is profitable not just for this life… but for the life to come as well. And God’s true children have set their hope on the good nature of God to His people. God is the providential deliverer of all men to their appointed ends… and how much more so to the believers… because their appointed end, is only the beginning. Their worked for godliness will continue… forever. Conclusion: [Slide 18(end)] What does this mean for us here at CBC? You can feel the fear that could come over a congregation, and even a young pastor, when his mentor and spiritual leader reminds him that some will walk away from and oppose the faith in the last times. That some will actively attack the true confession of doctrine that they once claimed to hold. What a sobering thought. The words in today’s passage are a salve on that fear. A sweet and calming ointment to pacify our shaken hearts. You can be a good servant of Jesus. How? Preaching, eating, drinking, living, and defending the true gospel of Jesus Christ. Cling to it as if your life depended on it… because, of course, it does. This is true faith. This is true belief. John 3:16 says that God loved the world so much that he sent His unique Son into the world, that whoever is a believing one on Him, would not die in spiritual death, but would live in spiritual and eternal life. To be a believing one is not a one and done kind of thing. It is a once for all kind of thing. It is a description of all those who will inherit eternal life. They continue to believe. Since this is true, Paul encourages Timothy and his church, to continue to believe. Worried you’ll desert the faith? Keep believing and you won’t. But how else can you be a good servant of Jesus? Training in Godliness. We saw this in I John. How do we know that we are children of light? We walk in the light. How do we know that we have been born of God? We live in righteousness. Faith without works is dead, James says. It is a fake faith. The long and the short of it is that although our salvation is not by our works, our salvation is certainly for good works. The only thing we bring to our own salvation is our sin. But we take from our salvation the power of God to be conformed to the image of Christ. That power will not fail. So Paul says, worried that you will desert the faith? Discipline yourself for godliness and you won’t. But as is usual with Paul – he cannot let us see only the human side of this equation. No. He goes on to say that the reason we continue in this struggle, is because we have placed our hope on God, who delivers all men to their appointed end… and that is especially true for those who endure in true belief. In short – the teaching that God is our deliverer is the motivation for us to continue to fight, struggle, endure, and hold fast. His promise to always help, always give aide, always give power, always give a way of escape – these promises do not cause His children to be idle or passive – rather – they encourage us to press on, why, because we are on the Lord’s Side! He will hold us up. Compare that to those who will desert the faith. They are not doing any of this… but they are preoccupied with the lies of demons from the mouths of false teachers whose lives live in opposition to God’s law. We have been made to be more than conquerors in unity with Christ. So go and conquer! Cast down the lies of the demons, hold up the blessed truth of Christ, and persist, endure, and discipline yourself toward godly, holy, God’s law loving righteousness. Because that is what you have been predestined to. Ephesians 2:10 – Every single believer is God’s masterpiece, re-created in Christ for the purpose of good works that God prepared before the foundation of the world… so go and do them! My friends – I will not lie to you, continuing to hold up the truth amid the lies, and disciplining yourself in godliness is not easy. Is it easy to discern error? Is it easy to call out false teaching? Is it easy to teach with patience? Is it easy to defend truth while still being loving? No. It isn’t easy. Is it easy to discipline yourself to read God’s word? Is it easy to be gentle when others attack you? Is it easy to be a servant? Is it easy to love and honor your spouse? No. It is easier to not do these things. Is it easy to deny the lust of your eyes on the computer screen? Is it easy to say no to going too far in a relationship? Is it easy to submit to your parents? Is it easy to tell the truth, even when it means admitting to your own failure? No. It is easier to do the opposite. Is it easy to follow wise counsel? Is it easy to show love and compassion to someone who would consider himself your enemy? Is it easy to forgive? Is it easy to trust God with our country? No. No it is far easier to do the opposite. My friends, there is nothing about what Paul is talking about here, about being a good servant of Christ, that is easy. It will take discipline. Struggle. Endurance. And maybe even a little pain. Blood, sweat, and tears. But you can find the strength to carry on… how? Your hope is set on the Living God. He delivers all men to their appointed ends. And that is especially true for believers. He is the goal. He is the means. So let’s get to work. Let’s preach, eat, drink, and live the gospel while refuting the error. Let’s discipline ourselves in godliness. Knowing full well, that God will see to it that we endure to the end.

A little surprise for you all today. We usually post these setlist drafts over at our Patreon page, but for this month we decided to do something different. Since we had such a good month of Wrigley content in July, we wanted to follow that up by tailoring our setlist draft to be specific to Wrigley. So there are sets being drafted, however there are caveats. They MUST add a rain delay into their setlist. How will that all play out? If you like the idea and want to do a set draft with us one day, the best way to do it would be to become a Patron - http://patreon.com/liveon4legs

In the current episode, Melissa and Michael temporarily pull the "ACTing Queer" car to the side of the road so we can engage in the NECESSARY discussion regarding the systemic racism, police violence, and injustice. The hosts make it clear that, while this may seem to be a deviation from the premise of the series, it has direct action implications for clinicians as agents of social change. Black Lives Matter. They MUST.

174. If Masks are Required, They Must be ProvidedRelated links for 174. If Masks are Required, They Must be Provided: Reply to this episode on ykyz: https://ykyz.com/p/aace686fc49a1b0d211e676f7fb4852ecf8d1175 Just Thinking Aloud microcast: https://ykyz.com/c/microcast?&username=justthinkingaloud

Hello everybody and happy Thursday to you. Today brings us to a controversial topic among modern Christians that is not very controversial in terms of the Bible - at least from a grammatical place. You'll notice that the question we are covering is phrased in two different ways: CAN Christians drink wine, and SHOULD Christians drink wine. There is a reason for this, because each of the questions has a slightly different answer from the Bible. Today's Bible passages are Leviticus 20, Psalms 25, Ecclesiastes 3 and 1 Timothy 5. The reason the topic of wine is coming up today is from our focus passage in 1st Timothy 5, where Paul gives this word of advice to Timothy: 23 Don’t continue drinking only water, but use a little wine because of your stomach and your frequent illnesses. 1 Timothy 5:23 This is an interesting passage, and it brings up a large amount of questions. First - is this a command to us, or to Timothy or BOTH? And that is an excellent question to consider from the Word of God. At the beginning of this chapter, Paul writes to Timothy, "Don’t rebuke an older man, but exhort him as a father, younger men as brothers, 2 older women as mothers, and the younger women as sisters with all purity." Is that a command to Timothy, or to Christians, or both? I think almost all Bible teachers would say both for 1 Timothy 5:1-2. We generally consider commands in the Word spoken authoritatively to individuals or churches (for instance, a command of Jesus to Peter, a letter from Paul to the Ephesians, a letter from Peter, etc) to apply to all of us. However, there are some cases where commands in the Scripture do not apply to ALL who read them. For instance, I don't believe 1st Timothy 4:12 is very applicable to senior saints, "Don’t let anyone despise your youth, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, and in purity. " Likewise, 1 Peter 3:7 is a powerful and important passage, but it is not binding or applicable to my 8 year old daughter. "Husbands, in the same way, live with your wives in an understanding way, as with a weaker partner, showing them honor as coheirs of the grace of life, so that your prayers will not be hindered." Ultimately, I don't believe that our focus passage is a COMMAND for ALL that they MUST drink wine. That's our first issue to discuss. Our second is a little more complex. What does the Greek word for wine (οἶνος oînos) actually mean? Does this word refer to intoxicating wine, or new/unfermented wine. There are three basic views on this subject. I'm not going to go very deep into them, but they are worth recounting at a basic level. View #1 - Oinos is usually or often unfermented/sweet wine. In other words, the wine that Paul is telling Timothy to drink and the wine that Jesus made at the Wedding in Cana were what we would call grape juice - perhaps with a trace of alcohol, but not nearly enough to become intoxicated. This view has been held by many people throughout church history, and you can find some very long arguments on the internet that seem to prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that it is the correct view, until you actually research some of the other views. I recall that Donald C. Stamps, the author of the study notes in one of my first ever study Bibles, bought for me by my wife when we were dating, was very much in favor of this view. I loved Mr. Stamps and his notes, and I recall that he argued vociferously and uncompromisingly that oinos always meant unfermented wine, and that Jesus would NEVER ever make wine that could make somebody intoxicated. This view is generally called the two-wine view, and it asserts that when the Bible says something positive about wine (such as this passage, The Last Supper, the wedding at Cana, etc) that unfermented grape juice is in view. But when the Bible says something negative about wine - fermented wine is being discussed. View #2 Oinos can indeed contain alcohol, but not in the same proportion as current wines, and certainly nowhere near as much of an ABV as stronger drinks of modern times like vodka, whisky, scotch, etc. Currently our modern wine is usually around 12-14 percent ABV, but can be as low as around 5 percent, and get a little higher. Though there is no way to be certain, I've read some research that seems to indicate that first century and Old Testament wine would be of a lower ABV than modern wine. If this is the case - and it is hard to be definitive if it is - then Paul's advice to Timothy would be about a very weak wine compared to what is called wine today. Charles Spurgeon - and many others - were strong proponents of this view: YOU know the narrative. Jesus was at a wedding feast, and when the wine ran short, he provided for it right bountifully. I do not think that I should do any good if I were to enter upon the discussion as to what sort of wine our Lord Jesus made on this occasion. It was wine, and I am quite sure it was very good wine, for he would produce nothing but the best. Was it wine such as men understand by that word now? It was wine; but there are very few people in this country who ever see, much less drink, any of that beverage. That which goes under the name of wine is not true wine, but a fiery, brandied concoction of which I feel sure that Jesus would not have tasted a drop. The fire-waters and blazing spirits of modern wine manufacturers are very different articles from the juice of the grape, mildly exhilarating, which was the usual wine of more sober centuries. As to the wine such as is commonly used in the East, a person must drink inordinately before he would become intoxicated with it. It would be possible, for there were cases in which men were intoxicated with wine; but, as a rule, intoxication was a rare vice in the Saviour’s times and in the preceding ages. Had our great Exemplar lived under our present circumstances, surrounded by a sea of deadly drink, which is ruining tens of thousands, I know how he would have acted. I am sure he would not have contributed by word or deed to the rivers of poisonous beverages in which bodies and souls are now being destroyed wholesale C. H. Spurgeon, “The Waterpots at Cana,” in The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit Sermons, vol. 26 (London: Passmore & Alabaster, 1880), 493. View #3 is pretty simple. Oinos/wine in the New Testament is practically the same as wine today. Jesus made something similar to the kind of wine you can buy in the store today, and Paul told Timothy to drink something similar to the kind of wine that is sold today. I believe view number #1 is held by many sober-minded and Godly people who have seen the ills and harms of alcohol, and they want to protect as many people as possible from it. Unfortunately, I don't believe that view holds up to historical scrutiny very well, and it just falls apart under grammatical/contextual scrutiny. For one, Ephesians 5:18, "And don’t get drunk with wine, which leads to reckless living, but be filled by the Spirit." The word there for wine is our word oinos, which is the same word for wine in 1 Timothy 3:8, where Paul writes, "Deacons, likewise, should be worthy of respect, not hypocritical, not drinking a lot of wine, not greedy for money." Clearly both of these passages are discussing fermented wine - which can lead to drunkenness - and they are using the word oinos. Titus 2:3 also suggests that older women should not drink too much wine, using the same word. Thus I believe it is very difficult to make the case that oinos always refers to unfermented wine. Indeed, since the Greek New Testament frequently discusses 'new' wine, and clearly has a Greek phrase for the same, I believe it is far more likely that most, if not all, uses of the term oinos in the Bible refer to wine that could potentially intoxicate somebody. In my mind, such grammatical and contextual reading makes option #1 highly unlikely. Which brings us to the second or third option. Is wine in the Bible much the same as modern wine, or does Bible wine have less alcohol than modern wine? I've researched this question a bit, and the answer is quite hard to come by. It does seem that there are several historical references to wine being diluted by water - either to purify the water, or make the wine last longer, or be less potent, or all three. Regardless, it is difficult to be definitive. My best guess, given the evidence, is that New Testament wine contained less alcohol than most modern wines. It does not appear that first century Jews, Romans or Greeks would have had access to distilled beverages, so it is highly unlikely that the writers of the Greek New Testament even knew of stronger and more intoxicating beverages than wine. So - where does that leave us? Can Christians drink wine? I believe the answer is, quite simply: the Bible does not forbid it in most cases. In case you can't tell from the inflection, the key part of that sentence is the last part - "in most cases." The most important and critical thing to remember about drinking anything is the oft-repeated prohibition in both the Old and New Testaments about getting drunk: And don’t get drunk with wine, which leads to reckless living, but be filled by the Spirit: Ephesians 5:8 For the drunkard and the glutton will become poor, and grogginess will clothe them in rags. Proverbs 23:21 “Be on your guard, so that your minds are not dulled from carousing, drunkenness, and worries of life, or that day will come on you unexpectedly Luke 21:34 48 But if that wicked servant says in his heart, ‘My master is delayed,’ 49 and starts to beat his fellow servants, and eats and drinks with drunkards, 50 that servant’s master will come on a day he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know. Matt 24:48-50 Let us walk with decency, as in the daytime: not in carousing and drunkenness; not in sexual impurity and promiscuity; not in quarreling and jealousy. Romans 13:13 But actually, I wrote you not to associate with anyone who claims to be a brother or sister and is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or verbally abusive, a drunkard or a swindler. Do not even eat with such a person. 1 Corinthians 5:11 And, most soberingly: 19 Now the works of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, moral impurity, promiscuity, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hatreds, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambitions, dissensions, factions, 21 envy, drunkenness, carousing, and anything similar. I am warning you about these things—as I warned you before—that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. Galatians 5:19-21 9 Don’t you know that the unrighteous will not inherit God’s kingdom? Do not be deceived: No sexually immoral people, idolaters, adulterers, or males who have sex with males, 10 no thieves, greedy people, drunkards, verbally abusive people, or swindlers will inherit God’s kingdom. 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 Understand - I did not quote every negative thing in the Bible about getting drunk. There is a lot in there. It is not funny or anything to toy around with from a Bible view. Christians may NOT drink wine to get drunk, and may not drink wine to drunkenness. How drunkenness is defined, we don't know, but quite clearly a change in feeling, thinking and behavior is involved. I don't think it is wise to endeavor to walk up to the line of sin, and get as close as possible without going over. One other caveat about drinking: Christians may not do it if it causes other people to stumble. This does not mean that it literally makes them fall over, but that it might be a temptation to them, or it might make them upset, or it might make them angry, or whatever. You might think, "well, that is their problem - I have liberty!" Spoken like a true westerner, I'd say. But that's not what the Bible teaches. If my liberty hurts somebody else or makes them stumble - then I am disallowed from engaging in my liberty. Why not - to impinge on my freedom? Not at all, but rather to protect the conscience and walk of my brother or sister: 13 Therefore, let us no longer judge one another. Instead decide never to put a stumbling block or pitfall in the way of your brother or sister. 14 I know and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself. Still, to someone who considers a thing to be unclean, to that one it is unclean. 15 For if your brother or sister is hurt by what you eat, you are no longer walking according to love. Do not destroy, by what you eat, someone for whom Christ died. 16 Therefore, do not let your good be slandered, 17 for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit. 18 Whoever serves Christ in this way is acceptable to God and receives human approval.19 So then, let us pursue what promotes peace and what builds up one another. 20 Do not tear down God’s work because of food. Everything is clean, but it is wrong to make someone fall by what he eats. 21 It is a good thing not to eat meat, or drink wine, or do anything that makes your brother or sister stumble. 22 Whatever you believe about these things, keep between yourself and God. Blessed is the one who does not condemn himself by what he approves. 23 But whoever doubts stands condemned if he eats, because his eating is not from faith, and everything that is not from faith is sin. Romans 14:13-23 Romans 14 is one of the most practical, underrated and important biblical passages there is. If we all paid more attention to Romans 14, there would be so much more peace and unity in the world and especially in the church! I believe that most Christians have the liberty to drink wine, according to the Bible. They MUST not get drunk - whether in private, or in public. No exceptions. They also must not cause another to stumble because of what is eaten or drank. If eating meat causes a vegetarian to stumble, says Paul, then do NOT eat meat around them. (you can do so at home, or when they are not around.) If drinking wine causes somebody to stumble, then do not do it around them. (You can do so at home, or when they are not around.) Now - to our final question: Should Christians drink wine? And here's the thing: I don't believe I am allowed to answer that question based on Romans 14:22, "Whatever you believe about these things, keep between yourself and God." And in fact, I hope just talking about this issue today doesn't transgress that passage. The bottom line is this - whatever your view on wine - avoid getting drunk and avoid causing other people to stumble. Are you a teetotaler? Great! Don't cause a Christian non-teetotaler to stumble, and don't condemn him with your view. Are you a non-teetotaler? Great! Don't cause a Christian teetotaler (or non-drinker) to stumble, or beat him over the head with your view - and don't drink around him out of respect and love for him/her and their views! Peace and unity are far more important than our beverage of choice.

Hello everybody and happy Thursday to you. Today brings us to a controversial topic among modern Christians that is not very controversial in terms of the Bible - at least from a grammatical place. You'll notice that the question we are covering is phrased in two different ways: CAN Christians drink wine, and SHOULD Christians drink wine. There is a reason for this, because each of the questions has a slightly different answer from the Bible. Today's Bible passages are Leviticus 20, Psalms 25, Ecclesiastes 3 and 1 Timothy 5. The reason the topic of wine is coming up today is from our focus passage in 1st Timothy 5, where Paul gives this word of advice to Timothy: 23 Don’t continue drinking only water, but use a little wine because of your stomach and your frequent illnesses. 1 Timothy 5:23 This is an interesting passage, and it brings up a large amount of questions. First - is this a command to us, or to Timothy or BOTH? And that is an excellent question to consider from the Word of God. At the beginning of this chapter, Paul writes to Timothy, "Don’t rebuke an older man, but exhort him as a father, younger men as brothers, 2 older women as mothers, and the younger women as sisters with all purity." Is that a command to Timothy, or to Christians, or both? I think almost all Bible teachers would say both for 1 Timothy 5:1-2. We generally consider commands in the Word spoken authoritatively to individuals or churches (for instance, a command of Jesus to Peter, a letter from Paul to the Ephesians, a letter from Peter, etc) to apply to all of us. However, there are some cases where commands in the Scripture do not apply to ALL who read them. For instance, I don't believe 1st Timothy 4:12 is very applicable to senior saints, "Don’t let anyone despise your youth, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, and in purity. " Likewise, 1 Peter 3:7 is a powerful and important passage, but it is not binding or applicable to my 8 year old daughter. "Husbands, in the same way, live with your wives in an understanding way, as with a weaker partner, showing them honor as coheirs of the grace of life, so that your prayers will not be hindered." Ultimately, I don't believe that our focus passage is a COMMAND for ALL that they MUST drink wine. That's our first issue to discuss. Our second is a little more complex. What does the Greek word for wine (οἶνος oînos) actually mean? Does this word refer to intoxicating wine, or new/unfermented wine. There are three basic views on this subject. I'm not going to go very deep into them, but they are worth recounting at a basic level. View #1 - Oinos is usually or often unfermented/sweet wine. In other words, the wine that Paul is telling Timothy to drink and the wine that Jesus made at the Wedding in Cana were what we would call grape juice - perhaps with a trace of alcohol, but not nearly enough to become intoxicated. This view has been held by many people throughout church history, and you can find some very long arguments on the internet that seem to prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that it is the correct view, until you actually research some of the other views. I recall that Donald C. Stamps, the author of the study notes in one of my first ever study Bibles, bought for me by my wife when we were dating, was very much in favor of this view. I loved Mr. Stamps and his notes, and I recall that he argued vociferously and uncompromisingly that oinos always meant unfermented wine, and that Jesus would NEVER ever make wine that could make somebody intoxicated. This view is generally called the two-wine view, and it asserts that when the Bible says something positive about wine (such as this passage, The Last Supper, the wedding at Cana, etc) that unfermented grape juice is in view. But when the Bible says something negative about wine - fermented wine is being discussed. View #2 Oinos can indeed contain alcohol, but not in the same proportion as current wines, and certainly nowhere near as much of an ABV as stronger drinks of modern times like vodka, whisky, scotch, etc. Currently our modern wine is usually around 12-14 percent ABV, but can be as low as around 5 percent, and get a little higher. Though there is no way to be certain, I've read some research that seems to indicate that first century and Old Testament wine would be of a lower ABV than modern wine. If this is the case - and it is hard to be definitive if it is - then Paul's advice to Timothy would be about a very weak wine compared to what is called wine today. Charles Spurgeon - and many others - were strong proponents of this view: YOU know the narrative. Jesus was at a wedding feast, and when the wine ran short, he provided for it right bountifully. I do not think that I should do any good if I were to enter upon the discussion as to what sort of wine our Lord Jesus made on this occasion. It was wine, and I am quite sure it was very good wine, for he would produce nothing but the best. Was it wine such as men understand by that word now? It was wine; but there are very few people in this country who ever see, much less drink, any of that beverage. That which goes under the name of wine is not true wine, but a fiery, brandied concoction of which I feel sure that Jesus would not have tasted a drop. The fire-waters and blazing spirits of modern wine manufacturers are very different articles from the juice of the grape, mildly exhilarating, which was the usual wine of more sober centuries. As to the wine such as is commonly used in the East, a person must drink inordinately before he would become intoxicated with it. It would be possible, for there were cases in which men were intoxicated with wine; but, as a rule, intoxication was a rare vice in the Saviour’s times and in the preceding ages. Had our great Exemplar lived under our present circumstances, surrounded by a sea of deadly drink, which is ruining tens of thousands, I know how he would have acted. I am sure he would not have contributed by word or deed to the rivers of poisonous beverages in which bodies and souls are now being destroyed wholesale C. H. Spurgeon, “The Waterpots at Cana,” in The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit Sermons, vol. 26 (London: Passmore & Alabaster, 1880), 493. View #3 is pretty simple. Oinos/wine in the New Testament is practically the same as wine today. Jesus made something similar to the kind of wine you can buy in the store today, and Paul told Timothy to drink something similar to the kind of wine that is sold today. I believe view number #1 is held by many sober-minded and Godly people who have seen the ills and harms of alcohol, and they want to protect as many people as possible from it. Unfortunately, I don't believe that view holds up to historical scrutiny very well, and it just falls apart under grammatical/contextual scrutiny. For one, Ephesians 5:18, "And don’t get drunk with wine, which leads to reckless living, but be filled by the Spirit." The word there for wine is our word oinos, which is the same word for wine in 1 Timothy 3:8, where Paul writes, "Deacons, likewise, should be worthy of respect, not hypocritical, not drinking a lot of wine, not greedy for money." Clearly both of these passages are discussing fermented wine - which can lead to drunkenness - and they are using the word oinos. Titus 2:3 also suggests that older women should not drink too much wine, using the same word. Thus I believe it is very difficult to make the case that oinos always refers to unfermented wine. Indeed, since the Greek New Testament frequently discusses 'new' wine, and clearly has a Greek phrase for the same, I believe it is far more likely that most, if not all, uses of the term oinos in the Bible refer to wine that could potentially intoxicate somebody. In my mind, such grammatical and contextual reading makes option #1 highly unlikely. Which brings us to the second or third option. Is wine in the Bible much the same as modern wine, or does Bible wine have less alcohol than modern wine? I've researched this question a bit, and the answer is quite hard to come by. It does seem that there are several historical references to wine being diluted by water - either to purify the water, or make the wine last longer, or be less potent, or all three. Regardless, it is difficult to be definitive. My best guess, given the evidence, is that New Testament wine contained less alcohol than most modern wines. It does not appear that first century Jews, Romans or Greeks would have had access to distilled beverages, so it is highly unlikely that the writers of the Greek New Testament even knew of stronger and more intoxicating beverages than wine. So - where does that leave us? Can Christians drink wine? I believe the answer is, quite simply: the Bible does not forbid it in most cases. In case you can't tell from the inflection, the key part of that sentence is the last part - "in most cases." The most important and critical thing to remember about drinking anything is the oft-repeated prohibition in both the Old and New Testaments about getting drunk: And don’t get drunk with wine, which leads to reckless living, but be filled by the Spirit: Ephesians 5:8 For the drunkard and the glutton will become poor, and grogginess will clothe them in rags. Proverbs 23:21 “Be on your guard, so that your minds are not dulled from carousing, drunkenness, and worries of life, or that day will come on you unexpectedly Luke 21:34 48 But if that wicked servant says in his heart, ‘My master is delayed,’ 49 and starts to beat his fellow servants, and eats and drinks with drunkards, 50 that servant’s master will come on a day he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know. Matt 24:48-50 Let us walk with decency, as in the daytime: not in carousing and drunkenness; not in sexual impurity and promiscuity; not in quarreling and jealousy. Romans 13:13 But actually, I wrote you not to associate with anyone who claims to be a brother or sister and is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or verbally abusive, a drunkard or a swindler. Do not even eat with such a person. 1 Corinthians 5:11 And, most soberingly: 19 Now the works of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, moral impurity, promiscuity, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hatreds, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambitions, dissensions, factions, 21 envy, drunkenness, carousing, and anything similar. I am warning you about these things—as I warned you before—that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. Galatians 5:19-21 9 Don’t you know that the unrighteous will not inherit God’s kingdom? Do not be deceived: No sexually immoral people, idolaters, adulterers, or males who have sex with males, 10 no thieves, greedy people, drunkards, verbally abusive people, or swindlers will inherit God’s kingdom. 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 Understand - I did not quote every negative thing in the Bible about getting drunk. There is a lot in there. It is not funny or anything to toy around with from a Bible view. Christians may NOT drink wine to get drunk, and may not drink wine to drunkenness. How drunkenness is defined, we don't know, but quite clearly a change in feeling, thinking and behavior is involved. I don't think it is wise to endeavor to walk up to the line of sin, and get as close as possible without going over. One other caveat about drinking: Christians may not do it if it causes other people to stumble. This does not mean that it literally makes them fall over, but that it might be a temptation to them, or it might make them upset, or it might make them angry, or whatever. You might think, "well, that is their problem - I have liberty!" Spoken like a true westerner, I'd say. But that's not what the Bible teaches. If my liberty hurts somebody else or makes them stumble - then I am disallowed from engaging in my liberty. Why not - to impinge on my freedom? Not at all, but rather to protect the conscience and walk of my brother or sister: 13 Therefore, let us no longer judge one another. Instead decide never to put a stumbling block or pitfall in the way of your brother or sister. 14 I know and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself. Still, to someone who considers a thing to be unclean, to that one it is unclean. 15 For if your brother or sister is hurt by what you eat, you are no longer walking according to love. Do not destroy, by what you eat, someone for whom Christ died. 16 Therefore, do not let your good be slandered, 17 for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit. 18 Whoever serves Christ in this way is acceptable to God and receives human approval.19 So then, let us pursue what promotes peace and what builds up one another. 20 Do not tear down God’s work because of food. Everything is clean, but it is wrong to make someone fall by what he eats. 21 It is a good thing not to eat meat, or drink wine, or do anything that makes your brother or sister stumble. 22 Whatever you believe about these things, keep between yourself and God. Blessed is the one who does not condemn himself by what he approves. 23 But whoever doubts stands condemned if he eats, because his eating is not from faith, and everything that is not from faith is sin. Romans 14:13-23 Romans 14 is one of the most practical, underrated and important biblical passages there is. If we all paid more attention to Romans 14, there would be so much more peace and unity in the world and especially in the church! I believe that most Christians have the liberty to drink wine, according to the Bible. They MUST not get drunk - whether in private, or in public. No exceptions. They also must not cause another to stumble because of what is eaten or drank. If eating meat causes a vegetarian to stumble, says Paul, then do NOT eat meat around them. (you can do so at home, or when they are not around.) If drinking wine causes somebody to stumble, then do not do it around them. (You can do so at home, or when they are not around.) Now - to our final question: Should Christians drink wine? And here's the thing: I don't believe I am allowed to answer that question based on Romans 14:22, "Whatever you believe about these things, keep between yourself and God." And in fact, I hope just talking about this issue today doesn't transgress that passage. The bottom line is this - whatever your view on wine - avoid getting drunk and avoid causing other people to stumble. Are you a teetotaler? Great! Don't cause a Christian non-teetotaler to stumble, and don't condemn him with your view. Are you a non-teetotaler? Great! Don't cause a Christian teetotaler (or non-drinker) to stumble, or beat him over the head with your view - and don't drink around him out of respect and love for him/her and their views! Peace and unity are far more important than our beverage of choice.

Product Management Coach Scott Sehlhorst goes deep into how an Agile Workflow Model and Product Management can enable a company to thrive in an increasingly complex world.Our Agile Workflow Model is a robust decision making system; providing clarity and alignment at each decision point. This is the only way we can manage the complexity AND stay aligned as we execute. Scott explains the difference between a "regular workflow" and an "Agile workflow" and much more: Cross-functional collaboration over multiple Product teams and how they should work together. Product Teams should be focused on the prolems they are solving. It's not about building the thing. It's about solving the problem set before us and achieving the outcomes that result from solving the problem.Scaling and coordination across product teams is a challenge, but it's a requirement for large companies. The tiers of our workflow model are not hierarchical, they are a separation of concerns, they are looking at different time horizons, they are making decisions on different levels of the problem. They MUST work together. 3 Amigos: Product Owner, Tech Lead and QA Lead. Each person has their own vantage point and their own blind spots - but together, you minimize the likelihood of shared blindspots. Add the Scrum Master to those 3 roles and now the team can improve their own execution and effectiveness. As the team gets better at self-improvement, the Scrum Master role becomes more and more about cross-team coordination. What do you do if you have too much work for a Product Owner? Don't add a second product owner - then you have two cooks in the kitchen. Instead, add a Business Analyst - someone who can think like a PO, but doesn't hold the same role. T-shaped teams: some roles look broader at the situation and context, other roles are very narrow and specific to a topic/discipline. It's rare to find a single person who has both. On our teams with 3 amigos, we improve our odds of seeing things broadly and deeply (as in the T-shape). Link to Count Basie song Scott mentioned and incorrectly named: Count Basie - Straight Ahead

Chuck Holton, Author of inspirational books, War Correspondent, and the host of The Hot Zone Podcast. Chuck has a authored several books, and his most recently published title is Prowess: The Man You Were Meant To Be. Holton answers the question of why now is the moment for this book? "Men are in trouble. Today's college applicants are 20% more likely to be female. Marriage rates are declining rapidly. In the most prosperous era in human history, men are three times more likely to commit suicide. A whole subculture of young men, known as "Involuntary Celibates" is now on the FBI's radar as a terror threat. Even healthy, well-adjusted guys spend so much time interacting with devices that they are losing the ability to have healthy interactions with women. But it doesn't have to be that way. Grey-haired warriors remember how manhood is supposed to work. This book explores the timeless wisdom of the manly arts as they USED to be, and explains them in concrete terms for today's passive, milquetoast generation." Holton has spent the last thirty years hanging around with the people we call heroes - America's most elite special operations forces. They MUST be the best because in battle there is no second place. This book explores the methods Tier-1 warriors use to stay at the top of their game and adapts them for the rest of us. For a guy who wants to learn how to get a job, get the girl and live out the mandate of manhood, this book shares the secrets the old lions know. Prowess is about being the best version of the man you were created to be. It's a book that will help you stand out in a crowd and live a life of meaning and purpose. That's Prowess.

Boundaries And Choices A critical dimension of our sexuality and sexual development are boundaries and choices. If those aren’t well established, we are at the mercy of our feelings, desires, and peer pressure. To live within boundaries requires us to step back, recognize the difference that results from living within these, and thankful for their protection. Ironically, it is these boundaries that give us freedom. When I graduated from seminary and began my life as a Licensed Professional Counselor. I was a single twenty-five-year-old male in a female dominated field. Ninety-nine percent of my clients were women and most of my friends were female. I was terrified. I had an ETHOS drilled into me from my family and my training regarding the importance of boundaries. I also knew of a few cases where one accusation of wrongdoing had sunk a person’s reputation and career. I set up incredibly strict boundaries. These were for my freedom. Within these boundaries, I had less to worry about. Later, I was working at a college and was told I needed to loosen my boundaries if I was going to work with college students. I was surprised. I was also quite confused by the suggestion and wondered if I should loosen up. I quickly realized though that I had more freedom by using these boundaries and I added more — like never eating alone with a woman who was not my wife. Boundaries are entrenched into your ETHOS at an early age as we learn from our families and absorb their energy and culture. As we begin to play that out in our lives, we free ourselves, adopting some of the constraints put on us by our families and dispensing with others. We — and our children — have the freedom to choose. Our culture speaks out of both sides of its mouth. On one hand we are told to be free and choose for ourselves whatever we want. But, on the other hand, if someone chooses to act with reservation, wisdom or within a biblical sexual ethic, they are ridiculed as if they made the “wrong” choice. Find freedom in boundaries, your choices, and in saying, “NO.”  How To Say “No” Learning to say, “NO,” is a crucial skill. We are always saying, “NO.” In effect, every time we say, “Yes,” to something — we are, in turn, saying, “NO,” to something else. Teach your children to say, “NO.” Teach them to have the vocal and internal ability to stand up for themselves and have boundaries. Most of us are familiar with the concept of fight or flight. If we get into a sticky situation, we have a release of adrenaline and we are, in a sense, forced to expend that energy by fighting, or fleeing. However, there is another response — freezing — that has serious consequences since the energy built up by adrenaline and angst rarely gets resolved. When men and women that have been abused or violated tell their story, they usually regret not having spoken up, fought, or run away. Instead, they froze. However, despite — or maybe because of — freezing, they survived. They made it through. Now many remain stuck because the energy that was built up needs a place to go. It needs to be released. From this experience, they quickly learned to remain small and silent. Their ability to say, “NO,” diminishes.  Example Lisaand Bretthave invested in their children with a vision for their children’s future success. They started young, teaching and training their children in a biblical sexual ethic. As they went into each year of life with their children they also knew that part of the bargain was trusting God in the raising of their children. Hope in things unseen. We are not guaranteed tomorrow. Your faith must be in God and His work in the lives of you and your children. Hope breeds a peace that passes all understanding. Hope expects great things as well. Hope for the best things for each of your children. I want you to be able to place the most important thing at the top of your goals in the raising of your children. What is this most important goal? Dr. George Barnaspeaks of this goal in his bookRevolutionary Parenting.[1] What is your primary goal? With the primary goal Dr. Barna’s research found all the other priorities we may have for our children will work themselves out. Hope for great things! Expect much! Be intentional at preparing them well. May your children become adults that are “Champions for Christ.” — this ought to be our top goal.  [1]      Barna, George. Revolutionary Parenting.U.S.A.: BarnaBooks, 2007. Managing Hurts, Failures And Disappointments As parents, we can do everything we are supposed to do and bad things can still happen. Paulis a twenty-two-year-old that was taught a biblical sexual ethic, but chose to take his own path. He decided he had to try everything out for himself. Learning the hard way is a reality for many people. We grieve their choices. We love them. We pursue them. But we must also remember that these are their choices. Juliannais eighteen and a survivor. She grew up in a great home with a loving, single mom that talked with her early, used micro-conversationsoften, and built into her daughter a solid sense of identity, strength, and a passion to live by a biblical sexual ethic. Her ETHOS was unshakeable. That is, it was unshakeable until her first boyfriend. She met a young man in college, and they began dating. By the end of their first year together she was a different person. He seemed to be sweet and caring, and said and did all the right things. He slowly nibbled away at her soul though with demeaning comments that she was not quite good enough. He would criticize her appearance, weight, intelligence, and decisions. Eventually, she had no resolve left and when he pushed on her boundaries physically, she had no fight left in her. She surrendered to his desires without a fight or a care. She did not realize what had been happening until it was too late. I have heard this story numerous times from young women. The behavior of these “men” is disgusting and heartbreaking. This is grooming, leading to rape, even though there was no fight and no one said, “NO.” Jillgrew up with a dad that loved her and she was a strong confident twenty-five-year-old even though her mom had left them years ago. Her dad was proactive, engaging, funny, and raised his little girl the best he knew how. She had a strong biblical sexual ethic — an ETHOS — and was excelling in all areas of her life as a teenager. She went to a party though and had something to drink that had been tampered with. She woke up the next morning in a lot of pain and bleeding. She had been “roughed up,” and was unaware of what had truly happened at the party the night before. Now, at age twenty-five, she has grown in strength and resolve to help other girls never find themselves in a situation like that. She has a passion and calling that, when combined with her story, has propelled her to make a difference in a unique way that only someone in her shoes could do.  Freedom From Shame Shame steals everything — life, joy, desire, and a future. For many of us, our default setting is to stay here — to let it take up residence and settle. My hope and desire for you as a parent is that you can find freedom from shame in your own personal story. I want you to be able to see that when shame enters the story, it is only there to steal, kill, and destroy. Sound familiar? The marvelous truth is that God is a redeemer. Rest in this. Believe this. Live this out. Face that shame. Recognize that it only sucks you into a spiral of self-hatred and hatred of others. Realize that it only steals your joy and any desire you might have left. Dr. Dan Allenderexplains in his speaking and writing how shame can be overcome. The unlikely source of joy is found in being broken. To feel sorrow and grieve your loss allows you to then find yourself in a place of gratitude with no room for contempt or hatred. You can now dance for joy. What does this dance look like? This freedom? This joy? It is being truly broken and then, as Proverbs 31:25 says:“She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come” (NIV). What a beautiful picture of strength, grace, peace, and fearlessness that can laugh at the devil’s schemes as you rest in God’s perfect plan for your life. So, what is the task for us? First, we must address our story as parents.What are you holding on to? Where are you all tied up by the enemy?This can usually be found as you review your story.I would dare say that we all have places in our story that need attention, care, and honesty.  Forgiveness Paulhad to try everything. He made his way. One of his biggest hurdles in finding freedom for himself will be forgiving himself for the pain he caused his family and others. Juliannadid nothing wrong. She knows that in her head, but doesn’t feel it in her heart. She will need to forgive herself for trusting him, even though there was no way she could have known. She faces the insurmountable hurdle of forgiving her ex-boyfriend. Jillbeats herself up for going to that party and touching that drink. She has found forgiveness for the guys that raped her even in the vagueness of some of the memories. Forgiveness is never saying it was okay. Forgiveness is loving someone in the way that God does — not giving them what they deserve for their actions or hearts. Truthfully, we all deserve one thing — and that is hell. By the grace of God, we are offered free, eternal life. Forgiveness is not something we do once we feel like it. It is a conscious choice of our own personal freedom. It is cutting the ties with someone that harmed us and still has a hold on us. This is so difficult for our emotions to grasp, which, if we are not careful, keep us captive. Forgiveness is freedom. Be free!  Growth And Your Joy  What comes from relieving ourselves of the burden of shame and resting in God’s forgiveness? We grow. We truly experience joy. We find freedom. We are who God created us to be — worshipers. Let’s look at this from another angle. Your son or daughter needs to learn about this process. They need to understand about the real world. They don’t need us only for shelter. They need us to prepare them. They need us to prepare them for the hurts and disappointments that will inevitably come. They need us to teach them to stand up for themselves and for others. I was driving home from a movie recently with my oldest son and talking to him about the difficulty of going against the grain with friends — standing up for someone that is being picked on, or calling out dirty jokes and conversations that are disrespectful of women or others different from themselves as unacceptable. It starts with one. He can be that one. Lead your children into parts of your story — your successes and your failures. This should be done carefully, taking into consideration their age, maturity, and discretion — meaning their understanding that some things that are shared within the family aren’t to be shared publicly. They will learn more from your failures if you will be honest and real about how these affected you, hurt you, and even hurt others. Face YOUR shame over past actions.Face YOUR fears of being found out and being unloved.Model for them how to live FREE.Share YOUR story.Enable them to speak up, to say, “NO,” to flee when necessary, and to change the world around them. You are the most influential person in their life from birth to about age ten. Around the age of eleven, everything changes. Remember, the teenage years do not have to be the nightmare that so many parents have with their children. They need to take more risks. They MUST learn how to fail gracefully.Let them learn this while they are under your watch so that you can show them how to get back up and try again. This is a beautiful part of our calling as parents that began on the day of conception. Prepare them to fail. Show them how to get back up.Prepare them to face disappointment with a faith in God that brings them back to life, but know that this doesn’t always happen overnight.Prepare them to face heartache with a trust in their God that He even has all those details worked out for their good. He is a gracious God. Rest in that as a parent. Pass that peace that passes all understanding on to your children early (Philippians 4:7, NKJV) — the earlier the better.   Order my new International Best Selling book by clicking here: www.HealingLives.com

There are three basic needs that every person has in order for their job to be fulfilling. Of course, you probably have additional ones, but I want to focus on these three basics in today's episode. A job MUST provide you with an outlet for your passion, require sufficient proficiency to perform the job well, and compensate you sufficiently to be profitable. Let's break these down. Passion You MUST be engaged with the work you do for it to be fulfilling. You have motivated skills – those tasks you love to do and are very good at – that are non-negotiables. They MUST be present for your work to be fulfilling. You may be passionate about the product or service your company sells, the company itself and what it stands for, your role in the company. You could ask 100 people who say they are passionate about their jobs, and you'll likely get about 100 responses to the question “What are you passionate about?” It varies depending on the job, the person, and the environment. The bottom line: we as a human species seek passion in the work we do. Proficiency Humans have a basic need to feel proficient in the work they do. Whether they are filling totes with drugs to go off to a CVS, planning a fund-raising campaign for the local YMCA, or teaching young people to read, humans can only truly enjoy jobs in which they have at least a base level of proficiency. Proficiency is a moving target, in that the level of proficiency expected of you on day one of a new job is very different from the level of proficiency expected of you in year two. If you don't know how to effectively execute the duties of the job to which you are assigned, frustration will be inevitable. Most often, a lack of proficiency isn't universal – you aren't struggling with everything – but rather topical. You might have been promoted into a managerial role, for example, with no training or experience in managing people. You lack proficiency in this area of your new job. Profitability We most often think of profitability in terms of owning our own business. We brought in $X, $X went out, and what is left is considered profit. However, profitability also applies to employment. Your paycheck is $X, your living expenses are $X, and what is left is your profit. You put your job title (or aspirational title), level of experience and education, and geographic location into the blender and out comes a reasonable expectation of income. Does that number allow you to live in a reasonable amount of comfort? This, of course, varies widely by individual. Will you be paying off high student loan debt? Living in a high cost-of-living city? Buying a new car? I teach my clients to go into salary negotiations with three numbers: Their ideal salary (be realistic), their walkaway number (they won't take the job at anything less than this number), and their starting number (if they are asked to throw out the first number, where do they need to start to end up at their ideal salary?) You can also get creative about how to make your job more profitable. Seeking roommates and ride sharing instead of purchasing a vehicle are just two ways to reducing your cost of living so that your job is more profitable. So what happens when one of these ingredients is missing? Passion + Proficiency – Profitability = HOBBY If you're loving the work and are very good at it, but the mathematical equation leaves you consistently in the red, you have a hobby. I see this with entrepreneurs who say they have a business but aren't making any money. They have a hobby. Proficiency + Profitability – Passion = BOREDOM I see this one a lot with the more experienced clients who come to me. They're very good at what they do and are making a good living, but they have lost (or never had) passion for the work. They are antsy to find something that will reignite their passion. Passion can be a moving target, in that you are allowed to have shifting passions. Also, something you once found passion for is no longer “enough” – you need a new challenge to become passionate about. Passion + Profitability – Proficiency = FAILURE You simply can't do the job you were hired to do. Maybe you've been promoted in the company because you were great at making widgets, but you truly suck at managing the widget makers. Sometimes you can train for your lack of proficiency, if…of course…you identify that you have a lack of proficiency. Or someone else, such as your boss, brings it to your attention. I also see this with entrepreneurs, whose lack of proficiency in a certain area of business eventually catches up with them. They don't know how to run a business, they don't know how to market themselves or their business, or they don't know how to ask for the sale. So look for jobs that ignite your passion, for which you have the necessary proficiency, and that are suitably profitable. If you are in a situation now that is missing one of these ingredients, get busy solving the problem before it is “solved” for you with termination, mounting financial troubles, or a desire to pull the covers up over your head when the alarm goes off in the morning. To visit my website: www.exclusivecareercoaching.com Follow My YouTube channel (Lesa Edwards); it's chocked full of valuable career management content in easily digestible bites. Want to speak with an expert about your career/job search goals? Need help figuring out what's holding you back from achieving your dream career? Let's talk. Here's the link to schedule a 30-minute consult call with me:  https://my.timetrade.com/book/D6KLN. Hope to see you soon!

In this episode Steve and Tim explore how goal setting is imperative to success. How to gain the edge while avoiding the pitfalls! 6 steps for successful goal setting. "Goal achieving in 6 easy steps” 1. We MUST set goals that MOTIVATE US! - Set goals that move you! Inspire you! - Taking care of your family is another motivator! -"WHY "is your goal is so valuable to you! Write it down! 2. They MUST be S.M.A.R.T. Goals: which is an acronym for…Specific…Measurable…Attainable….Relevant & Time-Bound - SPECIFIC: All Goals MUST be clearly thought-out… - MEASURABLE: There MUST be a way to measure whether you have completed each goal… - ATTAINABLE: Be realistic but also be bold! EX: If you are a 5'3 male 130 lbs, chances are you won't be a forward for the Knicks no matter how hard you try! But on the other hand you MUST reach well beyond your comfort zone! - Relevant: Make sure your goals are aligned with where you want to be in life! Constantly tweak them as you go along & before you know it, you'll arrive! - Timing: Every goal must have a deadline as well as all the tasks you will be taking along the way in their obtainment! 3. Your Goals MUST be in writing! 4. Develop a plan of action! 5. Review your goals & plan of action daily & stick with it! 6. Do something right this moment....HOW ABOUT THIS: JOIN AN ONLINE MASTERMIND GROUP TODAY! DO YOU WANT THE EDGE! WELL THIS IS THE HOLY-GRAIL!! We have groups from beginners to advanced. Email Steve: Steve@StevenArecco.com

Our Marshals have killed Molo. But the Zombies and necromancer remain. They MUST get to Temple row to retrieve Gwen’s children. The zombies, however have other plans.Follow us on iTunes OR Stitcher OR Google play OR your podcatcher of choice!Please consider supporting us on Patreon, Like us on Facebook, Follow us on TwitterOr visit our Website: www.thatsnotcanonproductions.comPlayers: Isaac Joekong, Jack Cliff, Miranda Selwood, Nick De Villiers, Sebastian BriguglioDungeon Master: Zane C WeberRecorded and Produced by Zane C Weber

You’ll never hear Nicole raise her voice to her kids… at least not when they’re out shopping at Publix! Does she yell at home sometimes? Sure, but not out in public. If we can’t keep our composure across different settings, why do we expect our kids to be as good at home as they are at school? Their teacher says, “She’s so helpful.” We pick them up from playdates to hear, “Your kids are SO polite!” They MUST use up all their character strengths of kindness and helpfulness during the school day because once they get in the car or cross the threshold of our home, they flip into Crazy Mode. All that good behavior and politeness is LONG GONE. Was it an act? Did they use it all up? Where did it go? Nicole is careful not to criticize the kid but chooses instead to label the behavior. She admits that she is quick to blame herself: “Before I became a parent, I just never realized how much MY behavior and My actions affected my kids.” She knows that each of her kids want and need AND DESERVE her full attention. But there is only one of her at any given moment. She can’t give them all the love and attention they need. She and Robert both know that a mom’s and dad’s behavior is a determining factor in how their kids behave. But it is NOT the CAUSE. Kids are still their own agents, makers of their own decisions, drivers of their own actions. So she thinks like a teacher. She restates the rules at home, she creates more structure, and she sets up incentives like the ones her kids get at school. But nothing really changes. When none of that works, Nicole repeats her favorite mantra: “This, too, shall pass.” In this episode of the ‘I Am The Worst Parent Ever’ podcast, listen in to hear how you can get some outside perspective that can help you influence your kids’ behavior. Take a step back and don’t let it make you crazy. That way you can begin see what your kids’ behavior looks like through their eyes. If you can meet them where they are, you have a much better chance of guiding change.

You’ll never hear Nicole raise her voice to her kids… at least not when they’re out shopping at Publix! Does she yell at home sometimes? Sure, but not out in public. If we can’t keep our composure across different settings, why do we expect our kids to be as good at home as they are at school? Their teacher says, “She’s so helpful.” We pick them up from playdates to hear, “Your kids are SO polite!” They MUST use up all their character strengths of kindness and helpfulness during the school day because once they get in the car or cross the threshold of our home, they flip into Crazy Mode. All that good behavior and politeness is LONG GONE. Was it an act? Did they use it all up? Where did it go? Nicole is careful not to criticize the kid but chooses instead to label the behavior. She admits that she is quick to blame herself: “Before I became a parent, I just never realized how much MY behavior and My actions affected my kids.” She knows that each of her kids want and need AND DESERVE her full attention. But there is only one of her at any given moment. She can’t give them all the love and attention they need. She and Robert both know that a mom’s and dad’s behavior is a determining factor in how their kids behave. But it is NOT the CAUSE. Kids are still their own agents, makers of their own decisions, drivers of their own actions. So she thinks like a teacher. She restates the rules at home, she creates more structure, and she sets up incentives like the ones her kids get at school. But nothing really changes. When none of that works, Nicole repeats her favorite mantra: “This, too, shall pass.” In this episode of the ‘I Am The Worst Parent Ever’ podcast, listen in to hear how you can get some outside perspective that can help you influence your kids’ behavior. Take a step back and don’t let it make you crazy. That way you can begin see what your kids’ behavior looks like through their eyes. If you can meet them where they are, you have a much better chance of guiding change.

You ever just sigh to yourself while gazing, longingly out towards the sea. Someone must be out there for you. They MUST be! Uh… we mean… um…. ROMANCING THE STONE IS THIS PODCAST!! Joined by Chuck Kovalik (@ChuckforSure) and Alex … Continue reading →

You ever just sigh to yourself while gazing, longingly out towards the sea. Someone must be out there for you. They MUST be! Uh... we mean... um.... ROMANCING THE STONE IS THIS PODCAST!! Joined by Chuck Kovalik (@ChuckforSure) and Alex Foster (@GrumpaAlex) we three dudes think we've got what it takes to talk about one of the ultimate send-ups to the romance novel genre. Eh, this whole thing was produced by Michael Douglas, so I'm sure we've got it! Twitter: Chuck Kovalik - @ChuckForSure Alex Foster - @GrumpaAlex @idealremake Sam Gasch - @samgasch Artwork: Lindsay Lleras: www.lindsaylleras.com Theme Song: Rebel Spies "Not Dead, Not Yet" from the album Rise!: www.rebelspies.bandcamp.com

In this post and podcast episode, we'll be diving into the idea of writing rules and when you can break them. I was honestly surprised with where I landed on this. Keep reading and see if you agree! We've all heard that phrase: "Learn the rules; then you can break them." Or something like it. But how do you know what the rules are? And when can you actually break them?   This post contains affiliate links, which means I may earn a commission if you purchase something by clicking through.  WHY THERE AREN'T REALLY WRITING RULES We live in a time period where things are much more open. Language is changing and has been affected by social media and texting. (Don't feel too upset by this because language is always changing. People were mad at Shakespeare in his day. It's not a new problem!)  There are also different schools of rules. Personally, I adhere to the Chicago Manual of Style for my punctuation and grammar. While others might use the MLA or AP or something else. These don't all agree! (It's a good idea to find out which of these your particular niche uses so you can also adhere to the common guide in your niche!) RULES & EXPECTATIONS The rules we will be talking about today are really more of expectations that your readers have for your particular genre, niche, or medium. When you write a query to an editor and you have two spaces after a period, they may not read your manuscript. PERIOD. They are too busy to read everything and this choice gives them an easy out to toss your manuscript. When you buck the expectations and the rules, you are sending a message. Usually that message is- I'm ignorant OR I don't care. Neither is a good thing. Writer in another group talked about just not understanding why people care about punctuation and spelling. "It's about story," she argued. But readers won't read your story if there are tons of errors. It tells people that you are careless and that you haven't taken the time or effort to do the bare minimum. Same with covers. Constantly in writer's groups, people are saying things like "What do you think of my cover?" And when the responses are, "Hire a designer," they say "No." Cover matter. Period. They sell books. They set expectations. They keep people from buying books. LESSONS I LEARNED ABOUT RULES I personally was surprised (as a rebel) to find freedom in following the genre rules. I started writing clean fiction under a pen name in December. I'm a writer by instinct first, so I wrote, then realized that I had messed up some big conventions and expectations. Namely that one of my short stories didn't have a Happily Ever After ending. THEY MUST in this genre. Typically these books also switch back and forth between the perspectives of the two characters falling in love. I normally like a close third narration sticking to ONE character. This was hard for me. Both were actually hard--I like resolution, but not necessarily happy endings. I also like my choice for sticking to one character. FREEDOM WITHIN THE FRAMEWORK But I found that when I started writing within what seemed like strict confines, I wrote better. I wrote faster. In fact, I've published two full novels in 2018, with the third coming out in June. In addition to two short stories in December. I wrote almost 30k words this past week. I believe MUCH of this had to do with the freedom and framework I found in sticking to the conventions. REFRAMING THE RULES If you are struggling with rules (like me), see if you can reframe. This is a way of sort of tricking your mind by giving something another name and a different association. Call the rules expectations. Call them a framework or best practices. Do what it takes to help wrap your brain around finding and sticking to the rules that you need to for your niche, genre, or medium. Just know that for most of these things, you need to fit into expectations if you want to ever SELL things and connect with an audience. WHEN YOU CAN BREAK THE RULES AND BUCK EXPECTATIONS It's important to note that rules can be broken. New things can emerge. Now we are talking about disruption. Disruptive innovation is when something changes in the market that makes a huge impact. Brand new markets for different kinds of customers. Netflix is an example. They first disrupted the video stores and shut them DOWN. Then they doubled down on streaming and within a few years, TV will be totally different. (My opinion.)  As content creators, writing an unexpected blog post or type of book is more a micro-disruption. You might choose to do something outside the rules and find great success because of the contrast. But generally speaking, if you want an audience and/or money, you should know the expectations and do your best to meet them. The three times you can break the rules are when you are: Famous Genius Lucky Those are typically the only ways that breaking the rules will mean success. You're famous and already have an audience of raving fans, you can do whatever you want. You're a genius and you happen to stumble upon disruptive innovation that WORKS and changes the game. Or...you're lucky. You happen to break a rule at the right time or get in front of the right audience or have some crazy stroke of luck. Often there is hard work behind luck. But sometimes there is just...luck. It just happened to work, even though it shouldn't have. DO NOT BASE WHAT YOU DO ON THESE OUTLIERS. You can't look at what someone famous does and say, "Well, breaking the rules worked for THEM." If you see someone breaking the rules successfully, chances are they are famous, a genius, or lucky. You'll do best to stick to best practices, not base your decisions on the outliers and minority finding success breaking the rules. BREAKING THE RULES CAN BE SELFISH When it comes down to it, if you are breaking the rules because you feel like you need to for your art, you are being selfish. You are putting yourself ahead of your readers. You might say that you're writing for art, not for money. That's fine. But following the rules is NOT just about money. Expectations and rules are a gift to your readers. In some ways breaking the rules isn't just about art, it's about YOU. You are thinking of YOURSELF first when you break the rules. Readers have expectations and they may be best served when you follow the expectations of your niche or genre, whether that's clean romance or the kind of blog you write or even within podcasts. GO OUT AND CREATE CONTENT YOU LOVE THAT SERVES YOUR PEOPLE WELL.  I'd love to hear in the comments if you agree/disagree with this idea of freedom within the rules or my strong statement that breaking the rules can be selfish! {ducks head waiting for tomatoes to be thrown}   LINKS I MENTIONED IN THE EPISODE-   Emma St. Clair - my pen name for clean romance Two free short stories by Emma St. Clair - referenced as not fully adhering to conventions Two spaces after a period Bad reviews given to famous works Disruptive Innovation The Writing Life - being open to cover changes by Robert Kugler Tim Storm & Storm Writing School KDP Rocket - a tool I use for keywords (I'm an affiliate and happy user!!) Go On Write - great affordable covers (I use his branding package) German Creative on Fiverr - affordable cover designs Write to Market - book by Chris Fox

  “Everyone has a level of influence that can be harnessed for greater good” – Bernard Kelvin Clive A brand ambassador is a person who is engaged by a company/brand to promote the brand – giving it more visibility, value, and reach to increase the Return-On-Investment (ROI).   begin with, a brand ambassador should have some level of influence – Either paid or volunteer brand ambassadors. They Must be loyal, they must be genuinely interested in your brand and they must be willing to live by the brand’s values and code of conduct. Here are the 5 Main Roles of a Brand Ambassador in the acronym B.R.A.N.D. Believe in the Brand: Brand ambassadors’ first point of calling, connection and communication are to believe in your brand. They are to buy into the brand. If they don’t believe in the brand, there is very little they can do at the core and cry of being authentic in this age.   Represent the Brand: The role of a brand ambassador is to represent the brand whenever they can and wherever they find themselves. An ambassador becomes the mouthpiece of the brand, in words and in deeds; to positively project the image of the brand in every way possible.   Authenticate the Brand: A brand ambassador’s role of authenticating the brand implies making the brand more likable, real to consumers to enable them to trust the brand and attract more clients. In essence, they humanize the brand by articulating it genuinely.   Nurture the Brand: To nurture the brand is to help the brand grow to reach more people, to create more loyal consumers. Brand ambassadors are to bring in more leads and to replicate themselves creating more ambassadors in their circles of influence.   Defend the Brand: This means to protect the reputation of the brand. Stand in the gap of constantly proclaiming the goodwill of the brand, where others want to defame the brand, an ambassador quickly steps in with the truth. Where there has been a misconception about the brand, miscommunication of the brand and even instances where the brand has erred, the ambassador sets in to resolve issues effectively to elevate the brand’s image.   In all, a brand ambassador is to help the brand dominate in various areas and ways they can use their influence.   In conclusion, Brand ambassadors can either be volunteers or paid individuals to represent the company in various ways. A staff of a company can become a brand ambassador, and I personally advise firms to invest in their staff to make them brand ambassadors, it pays huge dividends. The scary thing is having a staff who doesn’t believe in your product and services but only exchange his/her time for salaries. It’s a sure sign of losing your credibility and sinking your business. I strongly believe that companies should focus on having both internal(staff) and external brand ambassadors. Consider a staff brand advocacy training program (BKC Consulting). Recommended Books: GOALS Are Dead! How to Make Every Day Count Skills Every young Executive Must Have  HOOKED: Overcoming Social Media Addiction Rebrand: The Ultimate Guide to Personal Branding Branding Simplified  Books by Bernard Kelvin Clive  

Hey hey! Welcome to episode 145 of Life on Fire TV. In this show we’re talking about one of the hottest topics around right now: video marketing. Sharing her real world wisdom and passion on how to make this tool a staple in your business toolbox is none other than Suzanne Evans.   Suzanne is an entrepreneur and business coach - I’m one of her students! She has grown her business to $7 million a year in under 6 years.    Currently she has 15 full-time employees, she’s been on Inc 500’s Top 5,000 list 3 years in a row and has the 6th fastest growing company in South Carolina, where she’s headquartered. She’s also a New York Times best-selling author. In other words Suzanne is the real deal!    On this show she shares how she created her tremendous success, and how you can apply the same strategies in your business. Specifically we dive into why video is a necessity, the 3 types of video you should be doing as an entrepreneur, and how to cash in using video.     In this episode you’ll hear: What are the 3 sources for business loans? (21:05) Why stories sell. (43:00) How many videos should you be doing per month - minimum? (1:04:10) Sales is a transference of what? (1:05:00) What Suzanne believes the real purpose of money is. (1:11:20) And so much more! Suzanne is living proof of the value of video marketing. To make video marketing easy she breaks it down into the 3 categories or types of videos we should all be making for our audience.   1. Positioning. Just like you need great copy, you need great video. And similar guidelines apply here: put your best message forward in a high quality and professional manner.    If you aren’t seeing results from your marketing it’s because you are being beaten by people who are better positioned than you are. They may not be as good as you but if their positioning is better they’ll beat you every time. So get your best message out to your people in a clear, concise and professional way with video.   2. Personality. This is where you let your freak flag fly! This type of video is the expert on-the-go type. These videos should be a mixture of iPhone, on the fly type videos as well as professional-produced videos.    In these videos you show you are warm and homey, this is where people fall in love with you.    Suzanne’s tips for doing this:  1. It’s how you say it, not WHAT you say.  2. Know when to stop talking! These are great at 2 minutes and under so know when enough is enough!  3. Talk to ONE person. Just like with your copy you find a person and talk to them…do this in your videos to create connection with your people.   3. Promotional. These are the videos where you sell your stuff and make money! They MUST be high quality, because high quality = more sales. These videos must also hold engagement and attention. If you're spending money on videos from only one of these categories spend it here!   Suzanne has a few other tips for us in this episode. She says when you make the leap into video be certain you are working with a videographer who knows marketing. They have to know how to edit and make it sizzle; they need to know the world of marketing and video so do your homework before hiring someone.   And at a minimum you want to be making 1-2 videos per month, that’s the bare minimum! You want to position video marketing in your mind as a key component of your marketing toolbag, it’s not just a one-off.   Suzanne’s wisdom continues on today’s show - hear all of her wisdom and enthusiasm when you listen in to episode 145 of Life on Fire TV. Thanks for being here and we’ll see you next time.   EPISODE RESOURCES   Suzanne Evans’ website http://suzanneevans.org Hell Yeah Studios website http://hellyeahstudios.com Subscribe to Life on Fire TV Podcast  http://www.lifeonfire.com/itunes Write a Review on iTunes http://www.lifeonfire.com/itunes Join the conversation at http://lifeonfire.com/145

--{ Save the Planet--Can It: Propaganda Ensures, When Taxed You're Feeling Good for "Green" Managers Who do the Stealing: "Income, Property Taxes, GST, VAT and Eco Fees To Ensure Great Unwashed are On Their Knees, There Will be no Disposable Income at End of Week In this Post-Consumer Society which They Seek, Yes, Fees, Fines and Levies are Consolation, 'Cos no Money to Consume is Saving the Nation, Strange Though, Our Master Class Live so High, Still, They Must be Allowed a Piece of the Pie For Saving We Morons, It's for Our Own Good, We can Surely Sacrifice Heating, Nutritious Food, Yes, We Sacrifice so the Fittest Go On it Seems, Their Manifest Destiny, To Fulfill Their Dreams, And All Their Success Goes Back to Darwin Who Validated Aristocracy, why Peasant's Starvin', Was All in the Way Nature Runs this Place, To Ensure the Survival of the Super Race" © Alan Watt }-- Democracy Given to Stop Rebellions - Mind Control from Feudal System to Present - More Freedoms during Pioneering and Buildup of America - Whisky Tax War - Time of U.S. Prosperity because of Lack of Gov. Interference - Depressions of 1800's and Corporate Conglomeration. Public Talked Down to like Children, are Told the "Noble Lie" - Linguistic Minimalism, Cannot Communicate. Canada Day, Bureaucrats Celebrate - PR Handouts - Eco-Fees on Top of Value Added Tax - Post-Consumer Society with Massive Fees-Taxes-Poverty - Bernays' et al Propaganda, Methods to Influence Public Opinion, Regimenting the Public Mind - Ted Kaczynski - Bertrand Russell's "Scientific Outlook" and "Impact of Science on Society" - Primitive Wild Natural Men (Undomesticated) - Eradication of the Individual - Sacrifices Made "for the Good of the Whole" - Worldwide Scientific Dictatorship - Total Information Network for Predictability and Personality Profiles - Domestic Flying Drones - Long-Planned and Organized Revolutions - Daily Media Distraction to Throw You Off Track - Being as Independent as Possible - Redistribution of Wealth - Last Memory of Freedom in USA. (See http://www.cuttingthroughthematrix.com for article links.) *Title/Poem and Dialogue Copyrighted Alan Watt - July 9, 2010 (Exempting Music, Literary Quotes, and Callers' Comments)