Podcasts about twelve disciples

Andrew: Bringing Others to JesusSeries: The Twelve Disciples Preacher: Rev. Dr. Russell HerbertSunday MorningDate: 4th May 2025Passage: John 1:35-42-------------------Russell refers to a YouGov survey commissioned by Bible Society.

Read Online“Gather the fragments left over, so that nothing will be wasted.” So they collected them, and filled twelve wicker baskets with fragments from the five barley loaves that had been more than they could eat.” John 6:12–13John's Gospel is filled with much symbolic meaning. The passage above concludes the story of the miracle of the multiplication of the loaves and fishes. After feeding the multitude of people with only five barley loaves and two fish, they were able to fill twelve wicker baskets with what remained. What was the reason for the extra?Saint Augustine, in commenting upon this passage, explains that Jesus provided more than the people could eat as a way of symbolically representing spiritual truths that were beyond what the vast crowds could comprehend. Thus, Jesus' teachings spiritually nourished the crowds to the point that they were fully satisfied. But even though the general crowds were satisfied with what Jesus taught them, there was still so much more that He had to teach. These deeper spiritual truths are represented by the extra twelve baskets.The twelve baskets represent the Twelve Disciples. They were the ones specially chosen by Jesus to receive so much more. Recall the times when Jesus taught the crowds in parables and then, later, would explain the meaning to the Twelve in private. He revealed to them certain truths that most people could not understand and accept.It is helpful to consider three different groups of people in this miracle and apply those groupings to us today. The first group of people are those who were not even present for the miracle. Those who did not make the journey to be with Jesus in the wilderness. This is the largest group of people within society who go about their daily lives without even seeking minimal nourishment from our Lord. The second grouping of people is this “large crowd” who followed Jesus to the remote side of the Sea of Galilee to be with Him. These represent those who diligently seek out our Lord every day. These are those who are faithful to the celebration of the Mass, the reading of Scripture, to daily prayer and study. To this grouping of people, our Lord teaches many things, and they are nourished by His holy Word and Sacraments.The third grouping of people, the Twelve Disciples who are represented by the Twelve wicker baskets left over, are those who are exceptionally faithful to our Lord and continue to be nourished by Him in a superabundant way. These are those who seek to understand and embrace the deepest spiritual truths so as to be nourished and transformed on the deepest level.Reflect, today, upon the fact that the spiritual food our Lord wishes to offer you is most often far more than you can immediately accept and consume. But understanding that fact is the first step to disposing yourself to receive even more. As you reflect upon this superabundance of spiritual food from our Lord, recommit yourself especially to seek out that remaining “twelve wicker baskets” of spiritual truths. If you do, you will discover that there is truly no end to the transforming depths of the gifts of grace our Lord wishes to bestow upon you.My most generous Lord, You not only give spiritual nourishment to Your people, You give it in superabundance. As I daily seek You out and am filled with Your mercy, help me to never tire of feasting upon the superabundant gift of Your grace. Please do nourish me, dear Lord, and help me to consume Your holy Word. Jesus, I trust in You.Ambrosius Francken I, Public domain, via Wikimedia CommonsSource of content: catholic-daily-reflections.comCopyright © 2025 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.

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Mark 6:1-29 // Jonathan NeefExplore the challenging realities of following Jesus. This sermon examines Jesus' rejection in his hometown, the surprising limitations on his miracles there, and his commission of the twelve. We look at themes of rejection, mission, discipleship, and persecution, including the beheading of John the Baptist.SERMON NOTES (YouVersion): https://bible.com/events/49403544PRAYER REQUESTS: https://ccefc.ccbchurch.com/goto/forms/2542/responses/new25.03.16

Mark 6:1-29 // Tom NelsonJesus - "The Hidden Years"SERMON NOTES (YouVersion): https://bible.com/events/49403545PRAYER REQUESTS: https://ccefc.ccbchurch.com/goto/forms/2509/responses/new25.03.16

Mark 6:1-29 // Caleb JenkinsExplore the challenging realities of following Jesus. This sermon examines Jesus' rejection in his hometown, the surprising limitations on his miracles there, and his commission of the twelve. We look at themes of rejection, mission, discipleship, and persecution, including the beheading of John the Baptist.SERMON NOTES (YouVersion): https://bible.com/events/49403546PRAYER REQUESTS: https://ccefc.ccbchurch.com/goto/forms/2553/responses/new25.03.16

Mark 6:1-29 //  Bill GormanExplore the challenging realities of following Jesus. This sermon examines Jesus' rejection in his hometown, the surprising limitations on his miracles there, and his commission of the twelve. We look at themes of rejection, mission, discipleship, and persecution, including the beheading of John the Baptist.SERMON NOTES (YouVersion): https://bible.com/events/49403547PRAYER REQUESTS: https://ccefc.ccbchurch.com/goto/forms/2546/responses/new25.03.16

Mark 6:1-29 // Jacob VangenExplore the challenging realities of following Jesus. This sermon examines Jesus' rejection in his hometown, the surprising limitations on his miracles there, and his commission of the twelve. We look at themes of rejection, mission, discipleship, and persecution, including the beheading of John the Baptist.SERMON NOTES (YouVersion): https://bible.com/events/49403543PRAYER REQUESTS: https://ccefc.ccbchurch.com/goto/forms/2574/responses/new25.03.16

The disciples were Jesus' closest companions during his ministry, the collective Robins to his Batman. As such we might expect them to be more enlightened, more intelligent, more attuned to God's divine plan than other people Jesus' came across. The Gospel of Mark, however, seems to defy that expectation. Today, we talk about how the author of Mark portrays the disciples, how that treatment advances his aims for the gospel, and whether this portrayal is representative of a personal vendetta.

This is message 14 in The Twelve Disciples series John 21:1-25 Jesus confronted Peter after his denial, challenging him to fully commit to following Him without reservation. Through three questions, Jesus addressed Peter's love, restored him to leadership, and commissioned him to shepherd God's people, emphasizing that there could be no backup plan or distraction in his devotion to Christ. Don't forget to download our app for more from the Riverview Baptist Church. http://onelink.to/rbcapp Find more at https://riverviewbc.com/ Donate through Pushpay https://pushpay.com/pay/riverviewbc

Join us as Bill Purvis will be going through each of The Twelve Disciples! He will be speaking about a disciple each month in the year of 2024.Click for Notes

This is message 13 in The Twelve Disciples series Matthew 26:19-25 Judas Iscariot's life serves as a sobering reminder of the dangers of superficial faith and hardened sin. Despite close association with Jesus, Judas harbored deceit, contempt for Christ's teachings, and disdain for His warnings. His tragic path, marked by betrayal and unrepentant remorse, underscores the devastating consequences of rejecting Christ's offer of grace and redemption. Don't forget to download our app for more from the Riverview Baptist Church. http://onelink.to/rbcapp Find more at https://riverviewbc.com/ Donate through Pushpay https://pushpay.com/pay/riverviewbc

This is message 12 in The Twelve Disciples series Luke 6:13-16 Simon the Zealot exemplified the transformation fo misplaced zeal into a passion for Christ's misson. Once a fervent nationalist, Simon learned form Jesus that true zeal is grounded in love, truth, and service. His life and martyrdom remind us that God calls every believer to be zealous in faith and good works, directed by knowledge and compassion. Don't forget to download our app for more from the Riverview Baptist Church. http://onelink.to/rbcapp Find more at https://riverviewbc.com/ Donate through Pushpay https://pushpay.com/pay/riverviewbc

This is message 11 in The Twelve Disciples series John 14:19-23 Jude, also known as Thaddaeus, is remembered for his humility, devotion, and a single profound question he asked Jesus during the Last Supper. While little is recorded about him, Jude faithfully followed Christ and later carried the Gospel to distant lands, ultimately giving his life as a martyr. His story highlights the transformative power of love, obedience, and a commitment to Christ's mission. Don't forget to download our app for more from the Riverview Baptist Church. http://onelink.to/rbcapp Find more at https://riverviewbc.com/ Donate through Pushpay https://pushpay.com/pay/riverviewbc

There are lots of Jameses mentioned in the Gospels. Who was James the Apostle and why is he also referred to by certain Christian denominations as James son of Alphaeus, James the Lesser, James brother of Jesus, James the Just, James bishop of Jerusalem, and James the author of the Epistle of James? Also named SAINT James by several denominations, James was one of the original Twelve Disciples of Jesus according to the Gospels of the New Testament. Let's investigate and find out more.  James Prothro books available at https://amzn.to/4gkOYjm Catholic Saints podcast at https://amzn.to/4igQZ1P Dwell On These Things podcast https://amzn.to/4hXMR6W John Stange books at https://amzn.to/4f0Df8G  ENJOY Ad-Free content, Bonus episodes, and Extra materials when joining our growing community on https://patreon.com/markvinet  SUPPORT this channel by purchasing any product on Amazon using this FREE entry LINK https://amzn.to/3POlrUD (Amazon gives us credit at NO extra charge to you).  Mark Vinet's HISTORY OF NORTH AMERICA podcast: www.parthenonpodcast.com/history-of-north-america                                        Video channel: https://youtube.com/c/TIMELINE_MarkVinet                              Website: https://markvinet.com/podcast  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mark.vinet.9 Twitter: https://twitter.com/HistoricalJesu   Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/denarynovels   Books: https://amzn.to/3k8qrGM  Audio Credits: Catholic Saints podcast: St. James the Lesser (01may2023) with Dr. James Prothro and Mary McGeehan, Augustine Institute; Dwell On These Things podcast with pastor & author John Stange (episode: Who were the apostles of Jesus? 20nov2023) Life Audio, Salem Media.  Audio excerpts reproduced under a Creative Commons license and the Fair Use (Fair Dealings) Legal Doctrine for purposes such as criticism, comment, teaching, education, scholarship, research and news reporting.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is message 10 in The Twelve Disciples series Matthew 10:2-3 James the Less, identified as the son of Alphaeus, serves as an example of quiet faithfulness and humility. With no recorded words or notable actions in Scripture, he represents the countless believers who serve behind the scenes with unwavering devotion. His life underscores the truth that God values faithfulness over recognition and will one day reveal the eternal impact of such quiet service. Don't forget to download our app for more from the Riverview Baptist Church. http://onelink.to/rbcapp Find more at https://riverviewbc.com/ Donate through Pushpay https://pushpay.com/pay/riverviewbc

Join us as Bill Purvis will be going through each of The Twelve Disciples! He will be speaking about a disciple each month in the year of 2024.Click for Notes

This is message 9 in The Twelve Disciples series Matthew 9:1-13 Matthew, once a despised tax collector, experienced a life-changing transformation when Jesus called him to follow. Leaving his lucrative but corrupt job behind, Matthew embraced a new life as a devoted disciple and the author of the first Gospel. His story highlights the grace of Christ, who sees beyond past failures to offer hope and salvation, even to the most unlikely. Through his Gospel, Matthew demonstrates Jesus as the Messiah, fulfilling Old Testament prophecies and proclaiming the Kingdom of Heaven. Don't forget to download our app for more from the Riverview Baptist Church. http://onelink.to/rbcapp Find more at https://riverviewbc.com/ Donate through Pushpay https://pushpay.com/pay/riverviewbc

This is message 8 in The Twelve Disciples series John 20:24-29 Thomas, often remembered for his doubts, exemplifies a journey from skepticism to steadfast faith. Known for his pragmatic nature, Thomas demonstrated loyalty and resolve, as seen in his willingness to follow Jesus to Bethany despite the dangers. His questions in the upper room revealed a desire for clarity, leading to Jesus' profound declaration as the way, the truth, and the life. Though marked by a moment of doubt following the resurrection, Thomas' encounter with the risen Christ transformed him, culminating in his powerful affirmation, “My Lord and my God.” Don't forget to download our app for more from the Riverview Baptist Church. http://onelink.to/rbcapp Find more at https://riverviewbc.com/ Donate through Pushpay https://pushpay.com/pay/riverviewbc

This is message 6 in The Twelve Disciples series John 1:43-46 Philip, known for his practical and cautious nature, demonstrated both strengths and struggles in his journey of faith. From responding to Jesus' call and inviting Nathaniel to “come and see,” to grappling with tests of faith during the feeding of the five thousand, Philip often leaned on logic rather than trust. He hesitated when approached by Greeks seeking Jesus and sought tangible evidence in his request to “show us the Father.” Through these moments, Jesus gently guided Philip to move beyond his reliance on reason and embrace a deeper faith, teaching him—and us—to trust in the sufficiency of Christ's revelation and provision. Don't forget to download our app for more from the Riverview Baptist Church. http://onelink.to/rbcapp Find more at https://riverviewbc.com/ Donate through Pushpay https://pushpay.com/pay/riverviewbc

This is message 7 in The Twelve Disciples series John 1:43-51 Nathanael, also called Bartholomew, was brought to Jesus by Philip, overcoming his initial skepticism about Nazereth. Jesus revealed His divine knowledge of Nathanael, leading him to declare Jesus as the Son of God and King of Israel. Nathanael's story highlights the power of introducing others to Jesus and responding to Him with genuine faith Don't forget to download our app for more from the Riverview Baptist Church. http://onelink.to/rbcapp Find more at https://riverviewbc.com/ Donate through Pushpay https://pushpay.com/pay/riverviewbc

Who was the Apostle, Jude? Why was he also referred to as Thaddaeus? Also named SAINT Jude by several Christian denominations, Jude Thaddeus was one of the original Twelve Disciples of Jesus according to the four Gospels of the New Testament. Let's investigate and find out more. Dwell On These Things podcast https://amzn.to/4hXMR6W Catholic Answers Live podcast available at https://amzn.to/47IB5Yk  ENJOY Ad-Free content, Bonus episodes, and Extra materials when joining our growing community on https://patreon.com/markvinet  SUPPORT this channel by purchasing any product on Amazon using this FREE entry LINK https://amzn.to/3POlrUD (Amazon gives us credit at NO extra charge to you).  Mark Vinet's HISTORY OF NORTH AMERICA podcast: www.parthenonpodcast.com/history-of-north-america                                        Video channel: https://youtube.com/c/TIMELINE_MarkVinet                              Website: https://markvinet.com/podcast  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mark.vinet.9 Twitter: https://twitter.com/HistoricalJesu   Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/denarynovels   Books: https://amzn.to/3k8qrGM   Audio Credits: Saint of the Day: 19jun2024 Holy Apostle Jude, the Brother of the Lord (Jerome Atherholt & Ancient Faith Ministries); Saint of the Day podcast with Mike Roberts, Saints Simon And Jude (28oct2023, Covenant Network); Catholics Answers Encyclopedia - Why do Matthew and Mark List Thaddeus in the Names of Apostles, but Luke Mentions Another Judas? by A. Camerlynck & Epistle of Saint Jude, Letter attributed to the brother of James by A. Camerlynck, Hosts-Good Catholic); The Saint of the Day: 28oct2024 Sts. Simon and Jude  Audio excerpts reproduced under a Creative Commons license and the Fair Use (Fair Dealings) Legal Doctrine for purposes such as criticism, comment, teaching, education, scholarship, research and news reporting.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Who was Simon the Apostle? Why was he referred to as the Zealot? Also named SAINT Simon by several Christian denominations, Simon the Zealot was one of the original Twelve Disciples of Jesus according to the four Gospels of the New Testament. Let's investigate and find out more. Catholic Answers Live podcast available at https://amzn.to/47IB5Yk Dwell On These Things podcast https://amzn.to/4hXMR6W ENJOY Ad-Free content, Bonus episodes, and Extra materials when joining our growing community on https://patreon.com/markvinet  SUPPORT this channel by purchasing any product on Amazon using this FREE entry LINK https://amzn.to/3POlrUD (Amazon gives us credit at NO extra charge to you).  Mark Vinet's HISTORY OF NORTH AMERICA podcast: www.parthenonpodcast.com/history-of-north-america                                        Video channel: https://youtube.com/c/TIMELINE_MarkVinet                              Website: https://markvinet.com/podcast  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mark.vinet.9 Twitter: https://twitter.com/HistoricalJesu   Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/denarynovels   Books: https://amzn.to/3k8qrGM   Audio Credits: Saint of the Day podcast, Simon the Zealot 10may2024 (Jerome Atherholt & Ancient Faith Ministries); Saint of the Day podcast with Mike Roberts, Saints Simon And Jude (28oct2023, Covenant Network); Catholics Answers Encyclopedia - Simon, Apostle, Saint by Klemens Loofler; The Saint of the Day podcast, Sts. Simon and Jude (28oct2024, Hosts-Good Catholic); Dwell On These Things podcast with pastor & author John Stange (episode: Who were the apostles of Jesus? 20nov2023) Life Audio, Salem Media. Audio excerpts reproduced under a Creative Commons license and the Fair Use (Fair Dealings) Legal Doctrine for purposes such as criticism, comment, teaching, education, scholarship, research and news reporting.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Who was Thomas the Apostle? Why was he called Doubting Thomas? Also named SAINT Thomas by several Christian denominations, Thomas was one of the original Twelve Disciples of Jesus according to the four Gospels of the New Testament. Let's investigate and find out more. Catholic Answers Live podcast available at https://amzn.to/47IB5Yk Infancy Gospel of Thomas https://amzn.to/3wIW9ko ENJOY Ad-Free content, Bonus episodes, and Extra materials when joining our growing community on https://patreon.com/markvinet  SUPPORT this channel by purchasing any product on Amazon using this FREE entry LINK https://amzn.to/3POlrUD (Amazon gives us credit at NO extra charge to you).  Mark Vinet's HISTORY OF NORTH AMERICA podcast: www.parthenonpodcast.com/history-of-north-america                                        Video channel: https://youtube.com/c/TIMELINE_MarkVinet                              Website: https://markvinet.com/podcast  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mark.vinet.9 Twitter: https://twitter.com/HistoricalJesu   Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/denarynovels   Books: https://amzn.to/3k8qrGM   Audio Credits: Saint of the Day podcast, Thomas the Apostle 06oct2024 (Jerome Atherholt & Ancient Faith Ministries); Saint of the Day podcast with Mike Roberts, Saint Thomas The Apostle (03jul2024 season 3, episode 62, Covenant Network); Catholics Answers Encyclopedia - Thomas the Apostle, Saint by Herbert Thurston; The Saint of the Day podcast, St. Thomas the Apostle (s3e3, 03jul2024, Hosts-Good Catholic);  Audio excerpts reproduced under a Creative Commons license and the Fair Use (Fair Dealings) Legal Doctrine for purposes such as criticism, comment, teaching, education, scholarship, research and news reporting.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In light of a series of miracles in our readings for today, Fr. Mike focuses on our Lord's compassion and our call to be merciful, as he is. He emphasizes the beauty of God's mercy and his offering of it despite our unworthiness. He also strikes a balance between the goodness of humanity as God's creation and our brokenness due to original sin. Today's readings are Luke 6-8 and Proverbs 26:1-3. For the complete reading plan, visit ascensionpress.com/bibleinayear. Please note: The Bible contains adult themes that may not be suitable for children - parental discretion is advised.

This is message 1 in The Twelve Disciples series Mark 3:13-19 The twelve disciples were chosen by Jesus to be more than mere followers; they were called to fulfill specific roles in His ministry and the early church. Beginning with the call to salvation, each disciple had the opportunity to respond and grow in faith and commitment. Jesus invited them to follow, learn, and ultimately preach, empowering them to spread His message. Though they were ordinary men from humble backgrounds, Jesus invested in them, shaping them for His work. As the apostles, they laid the foundation for the church, sharing sound doctrine, spreading the gospel, and producing New Testament Scriptures through the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Don't forget to download our app for more from the Riverview Baptist Church. http://onelink.to/rbcapp Find more at https://riverviewbc.com/ Donate through Pushpay https://pushpay.com/pay/riverviewbc

Join us as Bill Purvis will be going through each of The Twelve Disciples! He will be speaking about a disciple each month in the year of 2024.Click for Notes

Who was Bartholomew the Apostle? Who was Nathanael the Apostle? Were they perhaps the same person? Bartholomew the Apostle also called SAINT Bartholomew by several Christian denominations was one of the original Twelve Disciples of Jesus according to the three synoptic Gospels of the New Testament. The Gospel of John refers to him as Nathanael. Let's investigate and find out more. Catholic Saints podcast available at https://amzn.to/4evE0Hx Augustine Institute books at https://amzn.to/4h1lGaE Ben Aker book available at https://amzn.to/3ZZ1yQl   ENJOY Ad-Free content, Bonus episodes, and Extra materials when joining our growing community on https://patreon.com/markvinet  SUPPORT this channel by purchasing any product on Amazon using this FREE entry LINK https://amzn.to/3POlrUD (Amazon gives us credit at NO extra charge to you).  Mark Vinet's HISTORY OF NORTH AMERICA podcast: www.parthenonpodcast.com/history-of-north-america                                        Video channel: https://youtube.com/c/TIMELINE_MarkVinet                              Website: https://markvinet.com/podcast  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mark.vinet.9 Twitter: https://twitter.com/HistoricalJesu   Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/denarynovels   Books: https://amzn.to/3k8qrGM   Audio Credit: Catholic Saints podcast with Dr. Ben Aker and Dr. John Sehorn (episode: St. Bartholomew on Who Christ Is, 24oct2022; Augustine Institute. Audio excerpts reproduced under the Fair Use (Fair Dealings) Legal Doctrine for purposes such as criticism, comment, teaching, education, scholarship, research and news reporting. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

During his early ministry, Jesus recruited or welcomed both men and women as close companions and followers. Of these supporters and admirers, twelve men became part of his inner circle or disciples. Philip the Apostle also called SAINT Philip by several Christian denominations was one of the original Twelve Disciples of Jesus according to all for Gospels of the New Testament. Later Christian traditions describe Philip as the apostle who preached in Greece, Syria, and Asia-Minor.  Catholic Saints podcast available at https://amzn.to/4evE0Hx James B. Prothro books available at https://amzn.to/3YdtKO8  ENJOY Ad-Free content, Bonus episodes, and Extra materials when joining our growing community on https://patreon.com/markvinet  SUPPORT this channel by purchasing any product on Amazon using this FREE entry LINK https://amzn.to/3POlrUD (Amazon gives us credit at NO extra charge to you).  Mark Vinet's HISTORY OF NORTH AMERICA podcast: www.parthenonpodcast.com/history-of-north-america                                        Video channel: https://youtube.com/c/TIMELINE_MarkVinet                              Website: https://markvinet.com/podcast  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mark.vinet.9 Twitter: https://twitter.com/HistoricalJesu   Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/denarynovels   Books: https://amzn.to/3k8qrGM   Audio Credit: Catholic Saints podcast with Professor James Prothro and Taylor Kemp (episode: St. Philip the Apostle, 08jan2024; Augustine Institute. Audio excerpts reproduced under the Fair Use (Fair Dealings) Legal Doctrine for purposes such as criticism, comment, teaching, education, scholarship, research and news reporting. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Join us as Bill Purvis will be going through each of The Twelve Disciples! He will be speaking about a disciple each month in the year of 2024.Click for Notes

In this series, Rev. McDowell explores the teachings of Neville Goddard as taught in his book “Your Faith is Your Fortune.” This episode focuses on chapter eighteen “The Twelve Disciples” and Rev. McDowell teaches Neville's alternative hypothesis on the metaphysical interpretation of the twelve main disciples of Jesus.  Find Rev. Gaylon McDowell on Facebook Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Friends of the Rosary, Accompanying Jesus and the Twelve Disciples were women like Mary Magdalene, Joanna, the wife of Herod's steward Chuza, Susanna, and many others. In this journey, these women provided for Jesus and the disciples out of their resources and were helping to proclaim the Kingdom of God, as we read today in the Gospel (Luke 8:1–3). Jesus, breaking the social conventions of that time, invited women to participate fully in the life of discipleship. Great women have followed Jesus over the centuries. Across history, we find role models like St. Monica, Clare of Assisi, Terese of Avila, Thérèse of Lisieux, Edith Stein, Mother Teresa of Kolkata, Faustina Kowalska, and many others. Ave Maria!Jesus, I Trust In You!Come, Holy Spirit, come! To Jesus through Mary! + Mikel Amigot | RosaryNetwork.com, New York

Life is no dress rehearsal. You blink, and it's gone. So … it makes sense to live an extraordinary life. Okay … but how? Where do you start? How do you turn things around?   Why We Need A Mentor We're going to kick off something really exciting today on the program. Over the coming few weeks we're going to be looking at how to live an absolutely extraordinary life. I mean, we all wish we could. Some people are, some people … well, and some people not so much right? But just stop and think about this for a minute, what if you and I could live a totally outrageously extraordinary life, I mean a life that really impacts other peoples lives for the right reasons, instead of the wrong ones? A life that people will remember with a fondness and a gratitude, the sort of life that will have people queuing to deliver our eulogy at our funerals. And I know there are one or two people listening to me rabbitting on, thinking to themselves, "Yeah well that would be nice but …" you see there is always the butt. Well here is my challenge. No if's, no butts, do you want to live an extraordinary life, yes or no? If the answer is yes then lets have a chat huh? So what stops us from leading and extraordinary life? We can blame all sorts of things. We can blame our circumstances, we can blame our parents, our DNA, our personality type. The place or family or the time that we were born into and grew up in, the bad things that happened along the way and ok, perhaps just maybe a few of the mistakes we've made. But who we are, the abilities the limitations we've been given. How tall we are, the colour of our hair and our skin, how smart we are or aren't, all of those things are things we just can't change. I can't change who I am, you can't change who you are, but what we can do is make the most of what we've been given. The problem is with a lot of the self help rhetoric about the place, a lot of the motivational speakers, a lot of that genre of stuff is they tell you that you can be whoever you want to be; you can do whatever you want to do; you can have whatever you want to have. And my answer to that is … no you can't! it's just not true. I mean, I'd love to be a great artist but I can't draw or paint for nuts. I'd love to be a great photographer, but I just I just don't have the eye for it. I'd love to be a basketball player but I'm just too short. I'd love to be … Do you get it? It doesn't matter how positively I think, how hard I strive or how focused I am, I am never ever, ever going to be tall enough to be a great basketball player. Forget the fact I'm just getting a little old for that now anyway. So its not about being, doing, or having anything our little heart desires that's fairy land stuff. Its all about being realistic about who we are, what we're capable of and saying to ourselves, you know something? I want to make my life count, given the obvious constraints and we all have them even though they're different. I want my life to count. I want my life to make a positive difference in this world. Because if it's not, then we're living a sort of a meaningless existence an unfulfilling existence. I'll tell you want I think is the biggest reason that most people don't live lives that count its because we model ourselves on the wrong principles, the wrong beliefs and the wrong behaviours. We go to school, we learn how to read and write and do arithmetic but they don't seem to be any formal school to teach us life and how to live. How to be effective, how to be gracious. That bit of leaning, the most important bit of learning when you think about it, is pretty much left to chance in some cultures but not so much in others. And so we pick things up by watching our parents and mimicking them. Some of that is good, some of it's not. Which is why bad traits like anger and abuse get handed down from one generation to the next. We watch our teachers, we pick up things in the school yard and on television and on adverting billboards and somehow that all goes in the blender and our pops you. Out pops me. Good, bad and sometimes ugly. I mean, that's about it isn't it? And when you look at it that way, its just a little bit crazy and no wonder we're not living lives that count, lives that positive difference in this world. We've picked up some good habits and lots of bad habits. Some good attitudes but lots of wrong ones too. And the bad stuff we've picked up, that stuff you might hear Christians talk about and calling it sin, that bad stuff holds us back from really realising our potential to do good. Our potential to make a difference our potential to experience that satisfaction of using who we are and what we have to help other people. So what's the answer? Do we need a classroom and teachers and a curriculum on how to be the best person we can possibly be? You know, maybe. But probably in small doses. In a sense that's what these programs are about. But you know that old Chinese proverb: Tell me and I'll forget. Show me and I might remember. Involve me and I'll understand. Its exactly what Jesus does and He still does with his disciples. Consider those first Twelve Disciples, they hung out with Him for about three and a half years. He taught them, He listened to them, He dealt with some of their wrong attitudes, He admonished them, He encouraged them, and above all He involved them. They got to watch Him to see how He responded and reacted, what He said, when He was kind and gentle, when He was tough as nails, when He protested, when He was silent. They got to model themselves on Jesus by being involved in His ministry. Now here's and idea, do you think what if instead of soaking it all up without thinking, what if instead of assimilating selfishness and loneliness and all that stuff from our culture, what if we deliberately followed Jesus around for a while and watched Him and listened to Him and let Him guild us, involve us, teach us, disciple us. Hey, that'd be cool! Well my friend that is exactly what we're going to be doing on the program over these next few weeks. See often we'll take on little things that Jesus said and did and we'll study it and we'll learn from it and we'll move on, but what if we took a look at His life and soaked it in on the basis there is simply no better role model on any planet in any galaxy in any universe than Jesus. What if we looked at some of the really familiar stories perhaps from a different angle, from a slightly different perspective as a student looking to his or her mentor? That'd be cool. And you know the amazing thing that happens when we do that? Is that all of a sudden Jesus starts involving us in His work. He starts discipling us, He starts teaching us and speaking to us thought what's going on in our lives. Because this Jesus isn't dead He's alive and anyone, anyone who would believe in Him, would follow after Him, to that person He sends His holy spirit to be our counsellor our advocate, our guide, our personal life coach. Want to know how to live an extraordinary life? Well lets take a look at Jesus.   A Rocky Start In Life Now there are plenty of people in this world who want to blame the past for where they are today. You may want to say that sounds a bit harsh. You may have had a hard start in life yourself. Perhaps you were born into a very humble household, or you had a difficult family environment, or maybe like my parents you had to select through a war or two. Perhaps you lost your parents when you were really young. Someone who is listening today may have been abused. Another person may suffer from depression, yet another has gone through divorce. None of those things are pleasant. None of those things are things we'd wish on ourselves or on our worst enemy for that matter. What is it in your life, what circumstance, what relationship, what start in life did some damage to you along the way, huh? You know in an instant that thing that I'm talking about. So let me ask you this, to what extent are you still using that as an excuse today not to be living an extraordinary life? We Australian tend to be fairly blunt and direct, so I'm asking you a blunt and direct question … not to ruffle your feathers so much but to force each one of us to face facts. And the fact is, that the majority of people walking around on planet earth today has something in their past that's ruining their present and robbing them of their future. Now, lets turn back to Jesus. If you and I could model our lives on Him, if you and I could adopt Him as our life coach and mentor, if we could learn to live a life that looks a whole like Jesus, well man-o-man imagine what a life would that be? So what are we doing talking about our past, and then about Jesus? Because this whole thing about the past ruining our lives is one of the greatest scourges and epidemics of our society today. I mean, billions of people are being ruined because people let their past rob them of their present and there future. What do we learn through Jesus on that? What was His past? What was His start in life? What did that look like and how did He handle it? Well I guess that most people know the story, Jesus had a rather rocky start in this world. Mary fell pregnant out of wedlock … according to her the Holy spirit did it. Well, yeah right, who would believe that?! Then they had a long painful journey in her last weeks of pregnancy from Nazareth in Galilee to Bethlehem in Judea, then to top it off the travel agent lost their hotel booking and they had to bunk outside in a shed with the sheep and the goats and the cows. Where the very first breath of air that the little baby Jesus took was filled with a stench of cow dung and sheep urine. But there was something else in His past. Something much worst than that that could have left a horrible mental scar and marred him and hamstrung him for life. Have a listen to this Mathew chapter 2, starting at verse 13: Now after they'd left an angel of the Lord appear to Joseph in a dream and said ‘Get up, take the child and his Mother and flee to Egypt and remain there until I tell you, for Herod is about to search for the child to destroy him.' So Joseph got up and took the child and his Mother by night and went to Egypt and remained there until death of Herod. This was to fulfill what had been spoken about through the Lord through the profit, out of Egypt I have called my son. When Herod saw he had been tricked by the wise men, he was infuriated! He sent and killed all the children in and around Bethlehem who were two years old or under according to the time that he had learnt from the wise men. Then was fulfilled what had been spoken through the profit Jeremiah that a voice was heard in Ramah. Wailing and loud lamentation, Rachel weeping for her children. She refused to be consoled because they are no more. So there you have it. Infant genocide. Ethnic cleansing. All on account of Jesus. You don't think he knew about that when He was growing up? You don't' think people blamed him? You don't think this played on His mind and tore at His heart? You don't think that this one thing could have totally derailed Him from living his extraordinary life? See we don't often think about this, but this was in Jesus' past. This was on Jesus heart. This could have completely robbed him of His extraordinary life! But instead He declared, let us go onto the neighbouring towns so that I may proclaim the message there also, for that is what I came to do. Jesus was totally focused on His mission, on what God had sent Him to do. Now, I'm no physiologist, but I have friends who are. From them I know how complex and difficult it can be to let go of things in your past, things that are holding you back. Hey, and not just from the physiologist, I know from my own experience how difficult it can be to let go of the past. So here are my three essentials for letting go. For stopping the past from ruining your present and robbing you from a future. First, decide to change. When I went through a major loss in my life, there was a time a mourning and grief, hey, that's natural that's normal. But there comes a point when you just have to decide that the status quo isn't an option. It is time to move on. It is time to lay a hold of the extraordinary life that God has planned for you. Some people today need to hear that and they need to take that decision today. The second essential is, believing what God says and He says that if anyone is in Chris they are a completely new creation, all of the old things have past away. Look, everything, and I mean everything is new. 2 Corinthians chapter 5 verse 17. In other words, your faith in Jesus according to God is meant to set you completely free from the past. Now that's worth believing. And thirdly, for those people who have hurt me, for those people who have caused the loss in the first place … can I tell you that was the single most important thing for me. I've prayed constantly and I still do, that the Lord will bless them and they too would find Jesus. Praying for your enemies, blessing those who curse you, is what Jesus taught us to do. And now, I'm starting to live out that extraordinary life that God planed for me. So how about you? Jesus didn't let the past hold him back, and neither should we. Its time for you to live that extraordinary life that He planned for you.   A Life Of Submission Well what's the next thing that we discover by looking at Jesus about living an extraordinary life, well you may not like it but here it is. Jesus submitted to authority. Ah, yuck really!? You see, we Australians in particular are known around the world for our lack of respect for authority, its kind of in the DNA of our culture to flaunt it, to rebel against it, to poke fun at it. A good friend of mine, in fact he is my mentor Graeme, he was an officer in the Australian Army during the Vietnam War and the lads the Aussies that were over there, they decided that tonight was going to be party night. No particular reason, they just decided they wanted to let their hair down and have a good night. So the Australian's being Australians the soldiers decided to declare that day would be a celebration of Ho Chi Mien's birthday. It's not that politically correct, but if you're an Australian you'll smile, you'll get it. It taps right into this innate desire we have as we would say to ‘take the Mickey' out of things. Ho Chi Mien was of course the head of the North Vietnamese independence movement who our lads and the Americans and the South Vietnamese were fighting against. So they drove around to the different units, declaring that today was Ho Chi Mien's birthday, but (and Graeme loves telling this story) when they arrived at the American's unit and rather loudly and boisterously as we Australian's do, announced Ho Chi Mien's birthday party was happening tonight back at the Australian compound, well, there was a blank look on the America's face, they just didn't get the humour. What planet are these Australians on? Why was there such a disconnect? Because by and large, American's are a patriotic bunch. They believe in truth and justice and the American way sorry to borrow that from Superman. And they respect their leaders, even though they disagree with them which they can do and do do in their democracy but they tend to respect authority in a way that Australian's don't. But whichever culture we come from, however much we do naturally respect authority deep down I mean really deep down most of us struggle with authority from time to time. You see authority is always fine until to disagree with a person in authority. I mean its fine having a boss at work, until you want to go in this direction when she wants to go in that direction and so we have our little silent protest. We resist, we pout, we undermine, we backstab and sometimes it breaks out into open warfare. Does that sound vaguely familiar? Because our base position is "I'm right and she's wrong". I mean I'm always right, it's my way or the highway. Now we have a problem. We struggle, we complain, we become de-motivated, so what can Jesus' life teach us about the importance authority in living out an extraordinary life? Well here's a little vignette, a short segment of Jesus life on this Earth and it speaks into this very thing. Have a listen. Mathew chapter 3, beginning at verse 13: Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan to be baptised by him. John would have prevented him by saying, ‘Hang on I need to be baptised by you, and you're coming to me?' But Jesus answered him, ‘Let it be so for now, for it is proper for us in this way to fulfil all righteousness.' So John consented. Now these days, we kind of understand what baptism is. It's an outward sign of that we've died to self and that we've risen to Christ. It's a public expression or our faith in Jesus. But back then the only people who were baptised where proselytes. These were people who weren't born as Israelites – God's chosen nation – but who subsequently put their faith in the God of Israel. It was a sign that even though they weren't Jewish by birth, they had become one of God's people through faith in Him and that they would, wait for this, they would obey the Law of Moses. That was the key. And the reason that John the Baptist had been out in the wilderness baptising Jews was a sign of repentance of turning away from their sins and going back to God, submitting to back under the Law of God. Get it? So John was right to protest. "Hang on Jesus, what are you doing? You're the Messiah, You're Him! What am I doing baptising you for crying out loud? If anything, it should be the other way around." And Jesus answered, "Let it be so for now. For it is proper in this way to fulfil all righteousness." And Jesus had come to die for us, the perfect sacrifice, so that you and I could become the perfect righteousness of God. So that you and I when we put our faith in Jesus, have a complete perfect and forever right standing before God. Why did Jesus submit to John's baptism, the baptism of repentance, even though as the one man who had never ever, ever sinned He had nothing to repent from? This is why. Because this was the single most public, most visible thing that He could do to declare His submission to God through the Law of Moses. He wanted the world to know that He, although He was the son of God, although He had never once sinned, fully submitted, fully placed himself under the authority of the Word of God. It was the very first step He took in His public ministry. So how did His Dad in Heaven react? What was God's response? Mathew chapter 3, beginning at verse 16: And when Jesus had been baptised, just as He came up from the water, suddenly the Heavens were opened up to Him and He saw the spirit of God descending down upon him like a Dove and alighting on Him. And a voice from heaven said, ‘This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.' What an endorsement. I mean, imagine for a minute that you and I were to live for that? For God's endorsement. To please Him, to delight him by putting our lives under His mighty hand. By heading His voice. By loving Him. By obeying him. Imagine if that's the first thing that we did, the very first thing before stepping out into what God has planned for us? Just imagine the impact our lives would have? Its not such a bad start to have an extraordinary life.

Join us as Bill Purvis will be going through each of The Twelve Disciples! He will be speaking about a disciple each month in the year of 2024.Click for Notes

Join us as Bill Purvis will be going through each of The Twelve Disciples! He will be speaking about a disciple each month in the year of 2024.Click for Notes

Join us as Bill Purvis will be going through each of The Twelve Disciples! He will be speaking about a disciple each month in the year of 2024.Click for Notes

In this story, we learn that Jesus picked twelve ordinary men to do extraordinary things. ✧ Check out more resources in The Biggest Story Curriculum ✧ Follow The Biggest Story on Instagram ✧ Watch The Biggest Story Animated Videos! ✧ Sign up to receive weekly emails about the new story each week!

Join us as Bill Purvis will be going through each of The Twelve Disciples! He will be speaking about a disciple each month in the year of 2024.Click for Notes

Join us as Bill Purvis will be going through each of The Twelve Disciples! He will be speaking about a disciple each month in the year of 2024.Click for Notes

The Twelve Disciples of Jesus Series: The Gospel of Luke Scripture: Luke 6:12-16 Date: July 7th, 2024 Preacher: Joshua Kirstine The post The Twelve Disciples of Jesus first appeared on Disciples Church.

Join us as Bill Purvis will be going through each of The Twelve Disciples! He will be speaking about a disciple each month in the year of 2024.Click for Notes

Join us as Bill Purvis will be going through each of The Twelve Disciples! He will be speaking about a disciple each month in the year of 2024.Click for Notes

Join us as Bill Purvis will be going through each of The Twelve Disciples! He will be speaking about a disciple each month in the year of 2024.Click for Notes

“Gather the fragments left over, so that nothing will be wasted.” So they collected them, and filled twelve wicker baskets with fragments from the five barley loaves that had been more than they could eat.” John 6:12–13John's Gospel is filled with much symbolic meaning. The passage above concludes the story of the miracle of the multiplication of the loaves and fishes. After feeding the multitude of people with only five barley loaves and two fish, they were able to fill twelve wicker baskets with what remained. What was the reason for the extra?Saint Augustine, in commenting upon this passage, explains that Jesus provided more than the people could eat as a way of symbolically representing spiritual truths that were beyond what the vast crowds could comprehend. Thus, Jesus' teachings spiritually nourished the crowds to the point that they were fully satisfied. But even though the general crowds were satisfied with what Jesus taught them, there was still so much more that He had to teach. These deeper spiritual truths are represented by the extra twelve baskets.The twelve baskets represent the Twelve Disciples. They were the ones specially chosen by Jesus to receive so much more. Recall the times when Jesus taught the crowds in parables and then, later, would explain the meaning to the Twelve in private. He revealed to them certain truths that most people could not understand and accept.It is helpful to consider three different groups of people in this miracle and apply those groupings to us today. The first group of people are those who were not even present for the miracle. Those who did not make the journey to be with Jesus in the wilderness. This is the largest group of people within society who go about their daily lives without even seeking minimal nourishment from our Lord.The second grouping of people is this “large crowd” who followed Jesus to the remote side of the Sea of Galilee to be with Him. These represent those who diligently seek out our Lord every day. These are those who are faithful to the celebration of the Mass, the reading of Scripture, to daily prayer and study. To this grouping of people, our Lord teaches many things, and they are nourished by His holy Word and Sacraments.The third grouping of people, the Twelve Disciples who are represented by the Twelve wicker baskets left over, are those who are exceptionally faithful to our Lord and continue to be nourished by Him in a superabundant way. These are those who seek to understand and embrace the deepest spiritual truths so as to be nourished and transformed on the deepest level. Reflect, today, upon the fact that the spiritual food our Lord wishes to offer you is most often far more than you can immediately accept and consume. But understanding that fact is the first step to disposing yourself to receive even more. As you reflect upon this superabundance of spiritual food from our Lord, recommit yourself especially to seek out that remaining “twelve wicker baskets” of spiritual truths. If you do, you will discover that there is truly no end to the transforming depths of the gifts of grace our Lord wishes to bestow upon you. My most generous Lord, You not only give spiritual nourishment to Your people, You give it in superabundance. As I daily seek You out and am filled with Your mercy, help me to never tire of feasting upon the superabundant gift of Your grace. Please do nourish me, dear Lord, and help me to consume Your holy Word. Jesus, I trust in You.Source of content: catholic-daily-reflections.comCopyright © 2024 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.Featured image above: Multiplication of the loaves and fish By Ambrosius Francken I, via Wikimedia Commons

Join us as Bill Purvis will be going through each of The Twelve Disciples! He will be speaking about a disciple each month in the year of 2024.Click for Notes

Join us as Bill Purvis will be going through each of The Twelve Disciples! He will be speaking about a disciple each month in the year of 2024.Click for Notes

Join us as Bill Purvis will be going through each of The Twelve Disciples! He will be speaking about a disciple each month in the year of 2024.Click for Notes

In light of a series of miracles in our readings for today, Fr. Mike focuses on our Lord's compassion and our call to be merciful, as he is. He emphasizes the beauty of God's mercy and his offering of it despite our unworthiness. He also strikes a balance between the goodness of humanity as God's creation and our brokenness due to original sin. Today's readings are Luke 6-8 and Proverbs 26:1-3. For the complete reading plan, visit ascensionpress.com/bibleinayear. Please note: The Bible contains adult themes that may not be suitable for children - parental discretion is advised.