Podcasts about tyrannus

What was the lecture hall of Tyrannus? In this episode, Emma Dotter explores Paul's ministry in the lecture hall in Acts 19:1-10. She unpacks how Paul took an ordinary lecture hall and turned it in to a discipleship hub. She encourages listeners to consider the question, “What ordinary space and ordinary rhythms has God already given me that I can leverage for His kingdom?” // ADDITIONAL VERSES MENTIONED: // RESOURCES FOR FURTHER STUDY: // RELATED JOIN THE JOURNEY EPISODES:  “S4:263 – Introduction to the book of Acts” (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast...)    “S4:270 – Acts 18-20" (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/s4-270-acts-18-20/id1600151923?i=1000736247835)  // WHAT IS JOIN THE JOURNEY? Join The Journey is a realistic daily Bible reading plan that helps followers of Jesus at Watermark Community Church and beyond enjoy abiding in Jesus together. Join The Journey Jr. is designed to help parents guide their kids in Bible reading through interactive and age-specific lessons. In 2026, we're studying the book of Acts—one passage per week. For another year, teaching on Sunday will align with each week's passage. Then, for the next six days, we'll return to the same passage with fresh focus, exploring insights about who God is and how we can enjoy him more deeply. Monday through Saturday, we'll approach the same passage from a different perspective each day—whether observation, interpretation, prayer, or another spiritual practice—to gain a deeper understanding and appreciation for God's Word. Then, watch or listen to the video podcast to tackle the week's toughest verses and discover key historical, theological, and practical insights. Daily Bible lessons for adults: https://jointhejourney.com Daily Bible lessons for parents and families: https://jointhejourney.com/jr Weekly Bible podcast for kids: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast...  // MORE RESOURCES FROM JOIN THE JOURNEY:  Digital Bible study resources: https://jointhejourney.com/resources Previous years' print curriculum: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Waterma... Contact the Join The Journey team: jointhejourney@watermark.org 

An underground despot. Alternative Fantastic Four. A troll king. Flag-Smasher's army. Hank Pym's son. Dormammu's sister. Which are Hot? Which are Not? Find out, as the Hot Squad completes its coverage of OHOTMU's 13th issue and reveals how datable its characters are. Featuring permanent panelists Elyse, Isabel, Nathalie, Josée, Shotgun, and Amelie. Listen to Episode 114 below (the usual mature language warnings apply), or subscribe to oHOTmu OR NOT? on Apple Podcasts or Spotify! Relevant images and further credits at: oHOTmu or NOT ep.114 Supplemental This podcast is a proud member of the FIRE AND WATER PODCAST NETWORK! Visit our WEBSITE: https://fireandwaterpodcast.com/ Like our FACEBOOK page: https://www.facebook.com/FWPodcastNetwork Use our HASHTAG online: #FWPodcasts Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/fwpodcasts Subscribe via iTunes as part of the FIRE AND WATER PODCAST NETWORK. And thanks for leaving a comment.

An exposition of 2 Samuel 12:1–15 examining Nathan's confrontation of David following his adultery with Bathsheba and his orchestrated murder of Uriah the Hittite. The sermon sets the passage in its full narrative context from 2 Samuel 11, tracing how God's sovereign grace pursues the sinning king through prophetic rebuke, genuine repentance, and costly but assured forgiveness. Main points: - the nature and gravity of David's sin against God and against Uriah - Nathan's parable and God's confrontation of David - the grace of God in David's repentance and the announcement of forgiveness Scripture references: - 2 Samuel 11:1-27; 12:1-15 - Psalm 51:1-17 Free Grace Baptist Church — https://www.freegrace.ca Full transcript & sermon notes: https://sermons.freegrace.ca/sermons/sermon-2-samuel-12-the-sin-of-david-and-the-grace-of-god Description generated by Tyrannus.ai: https://www.tyrannus.ai

An exposition of 1 Timothy 2:9–10 addressing Paul's apostolic instruction on how women are to adorn themselves in the context of corporate worship. The sermon examines the contrast between external ornamentation and the inward adornment of godliness, drawing out the theological grounding of Paul's directives and their practical implications for women professing faith in Christ. Main points: - the apostolic context: biblical conduct as waging the good warfare - the prohibition: what modest apparel excludes (braided hair, gold, pearls, costly clothing) - the positive command: adorning with good works as befitting women who profess godliness Scripture references: - Proverbs 31:30 - Isaiah 3:16-24 - 1 Timothy 2:1-10 - 1 Peter 3:3-5 Free Grace Baptist Church — https://www.freegrace.ca Full transcript & sermon notes: https://sermons.freegrace.ca/sermons/sermon-1-timothy-2-the-conduct-of-women-in-corporate-worship Description generated by Tyrannus.ai: https://www.tyrannus.ai

Acts 16:6–15 records the sovereign opening of Lydia's heart in Philippi — the first recorded conversion in Europe — as Paul and Silas are redirected by the Holy Spirit from Asia to Macedonia. This sermon expounds the providence of God in guiding the gospel westward and the effectual grace by which the Lord draws a worshipper of God to saving faith in Christ, with her subsequent baptism as a mark of her profession. Main points: - the Spirit's providential direction of the missionary journey to Macedonia - the gathering at the riverside and the preaching of the gospel - the Lord's effectual opening of Lydia's heart and her baptism Scripture references: - Acts 15:36-41; 16:1-15 Free Grace Baptist Church — https://www.freegrace.ca Full transcript & sermon notes: https://sermons.freegrace.ca/sermons/sermon-acts-16-the-conversion-of-lydia Description generated by Tyrannus.ai: https://www.tyrannus.ai

An exposition of 1 Timothy 2:8 examining Paul's apostolic instruction to men regarding their conduct in corporate prayer. The sermon draws out the theological and practical significance of the posture, purity, and disposition required of men who lead or participate in the public prayers of the gathered church. Main points: - the apostolic command for men to pray everywhere - the significance of lifting up holy hands as a posture of prayer - the requirement of freedom from wrath and doubting as conditions for acceptable corporate prayer Scripture references: - Psalms 24:3-4; 134:2; 141:2 - Isaiah 1:15-16 - Malachi 1:10 - Matthew 5:23-24; 6:5-7 - Mark 11:25 - John 4:23-24 - 1 Corinthians 14:40 - Ephesians 4:26-27 - Philippians 4:6 - 1 Timothy 2:1-8 - James 1:6-7; 4:3 Free Grace Baptist Church — https://www.freegrace.ca Full transcript & sermon notes: https://sermons.freegrace.ca/sermons/sermon-1-timothy-2-the-conduct-of-men-in-corporate-prayer Description generated by Tyrannus.ai: https://www.tyrannus.ai

An exposition of Chapter 28 of the 1689 Second London Baptist Confession of Faith, which serves as a brief introductory chapter to the two gospel ordinances before the Confession treats each in dedicated chapters (29 and 30). The sermon examines the two compact paragraphs of this chapter, unpacking the Baptist doctrine that baptism and the Lord's Supper are ordinances of positive and sovereign institution, appointed by Christ as the sole lawgiver, to be continued in his church and administered only by those duly qualified and called. Main points: - the nature of the ordinances as Christ's sovereign institution, not human invention - the significance of the ordinances as living symbols consecrated by Christ's own word - the requirement that the ordinances be administered by those qualified and called according to Christ's commission Scripture references: - Matthew 28:19-20 - 1 Corinthians 11:23-26 Free Grace Baptist Church — https://www.freegrace.ca Full transcript & sermon notes: https://sermons.freegrace.ca/sermons/sunday-school-2lcf-chapter-28-of-baptism-and-the-lords-supper-2 Description generated by Tyrannus.ai: https://www.tyrannus.ai

An exposition of 1 Timothy 2:3–7 grounding the church's call to corporate prayer in the gospel itself. The passage establishes that the universal scope of gospel proclamation — one God, one mediator, a ransom testified to all peoples — is the theological reason Paul commands the church to pray for all men, including kings and those in authority. Main points: - the command for corporate prayer and its scope - the gospel foundation: God's saving desire and the one mediator - Paul's apostolic appointment as preacher to the Gentiles Scripture references: - 1 Timothy 1:18; 2:1-7 Free Grace Baptist Church — https://www.freegrace.ca Full transcript & sermon notes: https://sermons.freegrace.ca/sermons/sermon-1-timothy-2-the-gospel-foundation-for-corporate-prayer Description generated by Tyrannus.ai: https://www.tyrannus.ai

An exposition of Psalm 18:31–50, the third and final installment on this psalm, examining the fortification of the psalmist. The sermon reads this passage Christologically, understanding verses 31–50 as depicting the exaltation and present reign of Christ — his session at the right hand of the Father, his conquest of enemies, and the universal scope of his rule over all nations. Main points: - the fortification of the psalmist: the strength and protection supplied by God - the conquest of enemies: Christ's subjugation of all who oppose him - the exaltation and reign: Christ as head of the nations, praised among the Gentiles Scripture references: - Psalms 2; 18:31-50; 110 - Matthew 28:18-20 - Romans 15:9 - Ephesians 1:20-23 - Hebrews 1:3; 2:5-9 - Revelation 19:11-16 Free Grace Baptist Church — https://www.freegrace.ca Full transcript & sermon notes: https://sermons.freegrace.ca/sermons/sermon-psalm-18-the-deliverance-of-the-psalmist-part-3 Description generated by Tyrannus.ai: https://www.tyrannus.ai

An exposition of Chapter 27 of the 1689 Second London Baptist Confession of Faith, treating the doctrine of the communion of saints as grounded in the believer's union with Christ. The sermon works through both paragraphs of the chapter, showing that the horizontal communion believers share with one another flows necessarily from their vertical union with Christ by the Spirit and through faith, and that this communion carries binding duties both spiritual and material. Main points: - the nature of the communion of saints, founded upon union with Christ - the duties involved in the communion of saints Scripture references: - Acts 2:42-47 - Romans 15:26-27 - 1 Corinthians 12:12-27 - Galatians 6:10 - Ephesians 4:15-16 - Hebrews 10:24-25 - 1 John 1:3-7 Free Grace Baptist Church — https://www.freegrace.ca Full transcript & sermon notes: https://sermons.freegrace.ca/sermons/sunday-school-2lcf-chapter-27-of-the-communion-of-the-saints Description generated by Tyrannus.ai: https://www.tyrannus.ai

Galatians 5:1–6 marks a hinge in Paul's letter — moving from his theological defence of justification by faith alone into its exhortative implications. This sermon expounds the liberty that Christ has secured for his people, the grave danger of seeking justification through law-keeping, and the nature of the faith that works through love, contrasting evangelical freedom with the yoke of legal bondage. Main points: - the liberty the gospel gives and the command to stand fast in it - the peril of falling back into legal bondage — estrangement from Christ and the fall from grace - the true hope of righteousness through faith working by love Scripture references: - Galatians 3:1-29; 4:1-31; 5:1-6 - Romans 3:20-28; 8:1-4 - 1 Corinthians 7:19 - Philippians 3:2-9 - James 2:10 Free Grace Baptist Church — https://www.freegrace.ca Full transcript & sermon notes: https://sermons.freegrace.ca/sermons/sermon-galatians-5-the-gospels-precious-liberty Description generated by Tyrannus.ai: https://www.tyrannus.ai

Psalm 18:20–30 is expounded as a declaration of the righteousness of God's anointed king, with David functioning not merely as author but as prophet pointing to Christ. The sermon examines how God's moral character governs His dealings with men — rewarding the righteous and resisting the proud — and how the believer's confidence in battle and in darkness rests entirely on the perfection of God's way and word. Main points: - the righteousness of the psalmist before God (vv. 20–24) - the moral character of God in His dealings with men (vv. 25–26) - the deliverance and fortification God gives to the humble (vv. 27–30) Scripture references: - Psalms 18:20-30 - 2 Samuel 22 Free Grace Baptist Church — https://www.freegrace.ca Full transcript & sermon notes: https://sermons.freegrace.ca/sermons/sermon-psalm-18-the-deliverance-of-the-psalmist-part-2 Description generated by Tyrannus.ai: https://www.tyrannus.ai

Galatians 5:1–6 marks a hinge in Paul's letter — moving from his theological defence of justification by faith alone into its exhortative implications. This sermon expounds the liberty that Christ has secured for his people, the grave danger of seeking justification through law-keeping, and the nature of the faith that works through love, contrasting evangelical freedom with the yoke of legal bondage. Main points: - the liberty the gospel gives and the command to stand fast in it - the peril of falling back into legal bondage — estrangement from Christ and the fall from grace - the true hope of righteousness through faith working by love Scripture references: - Galatians 3:1-29; 4:1-31; 5:1-6 - Romans 3:20-28; 8:1-4 - 1 Corinthians 7:19 - Philippians 3:2-9 - James 2:10 Free Grace Baptist Church — https://www.freegrace.ca Full transcript & sermon notes: https://sermons.freegrace.ca/sermons/sermon-galatians-5-the-gospels-precious-liberty Description generated by Tyrannus.ai: https://www.tyrannus.ai

Psalm 18:1–19 records David's praise to God for deliverance from his enemies, including Saul, and this exposition traces the movement from David's crisis and cry to God's theophanic response and the rescue he accomplished. The sermon grounds the believer's confidence in prayer on the character of God as rock, fortress, and deliverer, and reads David's deliverance typologically as pointing to the greater deliverance secured by Christ the anointed King. Main points: - the psalmist's declaration of love and trust in God as his strength and refuge (vv. 1–3) - the psalmist's desperate cry from the grip of death and Sheol (vv. 4–6) - God's theophanic intervention on behalf of his anointed (vv. 7–15) - the psalmist's rescue and the ground of God's delight in him (vv. 16–19) Scripture references: - Psalm 18:1-19 Free Grace Baptist Church — https://www.freegrace.ca Full transcript & sermon notes: https://sermons.freegrace.ca/sermons/sermon-psalm-18-the-deliverance-of-the-psalmist-part-1 Description generated by Tyrannus.ai: https://www.tyrannus.ai

An exposition of Chapter 26 of the 1689 Second London Baptist Confession of Faith, tracing the confession's doctrine of the church as it flows from all preceding chapters. The sermon demonstrates that the church is constituted by Christ's sovereign call through the ministry of the Word and Spirit, and that Christ as head is the supreme object of the church's allegiance and obedience. The confession's christocentric framing — naming Christ at least twelve times in the chapter — shapes the entire discussion of ecclesiology. Main points: - Christ as head of the church and the christocentric shape of confession chapter 26 - the church as the gathered company of those called out of the world by Christ through Word and Spirit - the convergence of all prior doctrinal heads — Scripture, the triune God, election, and salvation — in the doctrine of the church Scripture references: - Song of Solomon 5:10 - Matthew 16:18 - Ephesians 1:22-23; 4:11-16 - Colossians 1:18 Free Grace Baptist Church — https://www.freegrace.ca Full transcript & sermon notes: https://sermons.freegrace.ca/sermons/sermon-2lcf-chapter-26-of-the-church Description generated by Tyrannus.ai: https://www.tyrannus.ai

An exposition of Joshua 2 tracing the conversion of Rahab, a Canaanite harlot whose faith in the God of Israel set her apart from the condemned city of Jericho. The sermon examines the sovereign grace of God in bringing a most unlikely recipient to saving faith, the nature of that faith as evidenced by her confession and her actions, and the scarlet cord as a token of covenant protection. Main points: - the character of Rahab and the sovereign grace that reached her - the content and confession of Rahab's faith in the LORD - the scarlet cord as a sign of preservation and its redemptive-historical significance Scripture references: - Joshua 2:1-24 - Matthew 1:5 - Hebrews 11:31 - James 2:25 Free Grace Baptist Church — https://www.freegrace.ca Full transcript & sermon notes: https://sermons.freegrace.ca/sermons/sermon-joshua-2-the-conversion-of-rahab-the-harlot-4 Description generated by Tyrannus.ai: https://www.tyrannus.ai

An exposition of Luke 23:26-43 examining the conversion of the penitent criminal crucified alongside Christ. The sermon traces the contrast between the two criminals — one who blasphemes to the end and one who repents and confesses Jesus as Lord — and draws out what this narrative reveals about sovereign grace, the nature of saving faith, and the certainty of Christ's kingdom even in the hour of his deepest humiliation. Main points: - the mockery surrounding the cross and the hardness of the impenitent thief - the penitent thief's fear of God, confession of guilt, and recognition of Christ's innocence and kingship - Christ's authoritative promise: "today you will be with me in paradise" Scripture references: - Luke 23:26-43 Free Grace Baptist Church — https://www.freegrace.ca Full transcript & sermon notes: https://sermons.freegrace.ca/sermons/sermon-the-insurrectionist-and-the-king Description generated by Tyrannus.ai: https://www.tyrannus.ai

Luke 23:32–43 records the crucifixion of Christ between two criminals, one of whom repents and receives the promise of paradise. This sermon draws theological reflections from that scene, examining what the conversion of the penitent thief reveals about the nature of saving faith, the sovereignty of grace, and the sufficiency of Christ as Saviour even in the moment of death. Main points: - the sovereignty of God in the salvation of the penitent thief - the nature and marks of genuine saving faith as displayed by the dying criminal - the sufficiency of Christ and the assurance of paradise for the believing sinner Scripture references: - Luke 23:32-43 - John 6:37-44 - Romans 3:23-26; 8:28-30 - Ephesians 2:1-9 - Titus 3:4-7 Free Grace Baptist Church — https://www.freegrace.ca Full transcript & sermon notes: https://sermons.freegrace.ca/sermons/sermon-luke-23-the-instructions-of-calvary Description generated by Tyrannus.ai: https://www.tyrannus.ai

Deuteronomy 15 sets out three bodies of legislation governing Old Covenant Israel: the sabbatical release of debts (vv. 1–11), the release of indentured servants (vv. 12–18), and the consecration of firstborn animals (vv. 19–23). The sermon traces how each law reflects God's concern for the poor and the victim, the requirement of right internal disposition before outward compliance, and ultimately how the firstborn legislation points forward to the unblemished firstborn Son of God offered as the propitiation for sin. Main points: - Laws Concerning Debt (vv. 1–11): The Sabbatical Year and Release of Debts - Generosity to the Poor: Internal Disposition and Outward Act - Release of Slaves (vv. 12–18): Indentured Servitude, Dignified Release, and Theological Rationale - Sacrifice of the Firstborn (vv. 19–23): Consecration, Celebration, and Typological Significance - Conclusion: Divine Concern for the Poor, Protection for the Victim, and the Firstborn Son of God Scripture references: - Exodus 21; 22:1-3; 23:11 - Leviticus 17; 25:1-7; 25:39 - Deuteronomy 4:5-9; 12; 14; 15:1-23; 28 - Psalm 24 - Ecclesiastes 8:11 - Malachi 1 - Matthew 26:11 - Galatians 6:10 - Ephesians 4:28 - Colossians 1 - 1 Timothy 5; 6:17-19 - Hebrews 7 Free Grace Baptist Church — https://www.freegrace.ca Full transcript & sermon notes: https://sermons.freegrace.ca/sermons/bible-study-deuteronomy-15-laws-concerning-debt-slaves-and-firstborn Description generated by Tyrannus.ai: https://www.tyrannus.ai

Send us a message!We read Acts 19 and watch the gospel overturn a city, from Spirit-filled new believers to a public backlash that turns Ephesus upside down. We also sit with the hard question of costly repentance and what it looks like to leave old spiritual practices and comfortable sins behind. • Paul meets disciples in Ephesus and explains baptism in Jesus' name and receiving the Holy Spirit • bold synagogue teaching then daily instruction in the lecture hall of Tyrannus • extraordinary miracles and the warning against using Jesus' name as a formula • the sons of Skeva and a blunt lesson on real spiritual authority • believers confessing practices and burning expensive magic books as a public break with the past • Demetrius, Artemis, and how the gospel threatens idols tied to money and status • a practical challenge to repent with action even when it costs pride, time, relationships, or money  At outloudbible.com, you can find free resources to help you study the Bible. And while you're there, send us a message to say hi, or start a conversation about having us at your church or event. If Outloud Bible has been a valuable part of your understanding of the Bible, please consider supporting the ministry by visiting outloudbible.com.Support the showCheck out outloudbible.com for helpful study resources, and to discover how to bring the public reading of God's word to your church, conference, retreat, or other event.

In this episode of the Church Planter Podcast, Peyton Jones sits down with Dr. Michael Cooper to talk about his new book, Gods, Emperors, Philosophers, and a New Movement.Building on his work in Ephesiology, Michael explores how archaeology helps us better understand the early church, the spread of the gospel, and the world Paul and the first Christians inhabited. From Ephesus to Laodicea, they discuss house churches, public gathering spaces, Christograms, the Hall of Tyrannus, and the evidence of Christian movement in the first centuries.The conversation also challenges church planters to think beyond simple church growth formulas and recover the kind of patient, contextual, culturally engaged mission we see in the New Testament. The early church adapted to real places, engaged real people, and took the time to make disciples who could carry the gospel into new spaces.If you want to understand first-century mission, think more deeply about church planting, and learn how history and archaeology can sharpen disciple-making today, this episode is for you.Resources and Links Mentioned in this Episode:Gods, Emperors, Philosophers, and a New MovementNewBreed TrainingThanks for listening to the Church Planter Podcast. We're here to help you go where no one else is going and do what no one else is doing to reach people no one else is reaching.Make sure to review and subscribe to the show on your favorite podcast service to help us connect with more church planters.

Paul's charge to Timothy in 1 Timothy 1:18–20 to wage the good warfare is grounded not in Timothy's self-appointment but in his apostolic commission and prophetic investiture. The sermon works through the nature of the warfare, the weapons of faith and a good conscience, the defection that necessitates it, and the apostolic delivery of Hymenaeus and Alexander to Satan. Application is drawn to the church's ongoing responsibility to hold the line of truth and exercise discipline. Main points: - the charge to wage the good warfare (1 Timothy 1:18–19a) - the conflict that necessitates the good warfare (1 Timothy 1:19b–20) Scripture references: - Psalm 16 - Matthew 18:15-17 - Romans 16:17-20 - 1 Corinthians 5:5 - 2 Corinthians 10:3-5 - Ephesians 4; 6 - 1 Timothy 1:18-20; 3:1-7; 4:14; 5:17; 6:3 - 2 Timothy 1:6; 2:2-6; 2:14-18; 4:14-15 - Titus 1:5-9; 2:10; 3:9-11 - Jude 3 Free Grace Baptist Church — https://www.freegrace.ca Full transcript & sermon notes: https://sermons.freegrace.ca/sermons/sermon-1-timothy-1-the-exhortation-to-wage-the-good-warfare Description generated by Tyrannus.ai: https://www.tyrannus.ai

.videoWrapper {position: relative;padding-bottom: 56.25%; /* 16:9 */padding-top: 25px;height: 0;}.videoWrapper iframe {position: absolute;top: 0;left: 0;width: 100%;height: 100%;} ❖保祿在寫《厄弗所書》時，提到自己正被監禁：「我保祿為你們外邦人的緣故，作基督耶穌囚犯的，為你們祈禱。⋯⋯為這福音我竟作了帶鎖鏈的使者──使我能放心大膽，照我應該宣講的去宣講」（3:1; 6:20）。《厄弗所書》與《哥羅森書》、《費肋孟書》及《斐理伯書》，都提到受監禁一事，且表示有獲得釋放的希望，這四封信同被稱為「獄函」。學者大都認為這四封書信寫於同一時期，即在羅馬首次被監禁的末期，約在公元63年（宗28:16,30,31）。至於本書信的收信人，大概就是厄弗所或以它為中心的亞細亞信友團體。 ❖厄弗所（Ephesus）位於亞細亞的愛琴海岸，是愛奧尼亞十二城邦聯盟（Ionian amphictyony）之一。亞歷山大死後（公元前323年），厄弗所便成了培爾加摩王國（Pergamum）的領土。133年阿塔路三世（Attalus III 138-133）死前拱手把它送給羅馬，厄弗所遂成了亞細亞的省府。這城名人輩出，包括希臘形上學鼻祖赫拉克里特（Heraclitus）、詩人希波納赫斯（Hipponax）、演說家及政治家亞歷山大力克洛（Alexander the Lychnus）。公元二世紀，更建有塞爾蘇圖書館（Library of Celsus）。亞細亞當時的大路，都以厄弗所作起始點（caput viae），可謂條條大路通厄弗所。在新約時代，厄弗所是羅馬帝國亞細亞省的省會，因而成為各民族文物會萃的地方。猶太人在此城亦建有會堂，至今雖仍未發現它們所在的遺跡，但可知他們人數不少（宗18:19）。 這裏的阿爾特米女神殿（Artemision），是古代「七大奇觀」之一。阿爾特米（Artemis）等同亞細亞人的大神母西布利（Cybele），又是羅馬人的狄安娜（Diana）。這座神殿曾遭多次毀壞及重建，於保祿時代應是壯麗無比。神殿長約115米，闊55米，有127根巨柱。相傳放在廟內的女神像是用隕石製成，被稱為「那從天降下的神像」（宗19:35）。厄弗所的阿爾特米神像胸前滿布乳房，身上的長衣飾以各種動物，稱為多乳的阿爾特米（Artemis Polymaste）。厄弗所是亞細亞崇拜阿爾特米女神的中心，他們在阿爾特米月（Artemisia，三至四月間）舉行神像遊行、戲劇和競技大會。阿爾特米像先由神殿摃至大劇院，沿途有隆重巡遊，民眾夾道歡迎，載歌載舞。厄弗所大劇院，可容納25,000人，阿爾特米月為敬禮這女神而舉行的盛會，便是以這劇院為中心。這一切為製造阿爾特米小神像、神龕、還願獻禮，以至靈符的匠人，實在是一大商機。 這裏還有羅馬凱撒敬禮，在帝國中只有少數在帝國中心以外的城市，能設立敬禮凱撒的神廟。厄弗所竟獲此榮銜，得稱為帝國神廟的「廟祝」（neokoros）。這對當地的猶太人和基督徒而言，確是一大誘惑和挑戰。奧古斯都執政初期，厄弗所已在阿爾特米女神殿的庭院內，設了一座凱撒大祭壇，但這僅屬個別城市敬禮級別。厄弗所人幾經爭取，竟能三次成為帝國的廟祝（喀勞狄Claudius或尼祿Nero；哈德良Hadrian；色外洛Severus）。可是厄弗所人對阿爾特米的熱誠，令他們曾失去「帝國廟祝」的殊榮，因為公元26年羅馬議會認為厄弗所人太沉着於阿爾特米的敬禮，無暇兼顧羅馬女神和凱撒的敬禮。 ❖保祿在54年到了厄弗所傳教（宗19:1），其實他兩年前結束第二次傳教旅程時，已路過厄弗所作片刻逗留，並決意重臨（宗18:20-21）。保祿知道這裏比雅典或格林多是更理想的傳教中心：前者是個文化古都，後者是個商業重鎮，但厄弗所二者兼是，而且更是個宗教中心，對他來說，確是個大挑戰，又是個大好契機。保祿先在那裏的猶太會堂宣講，過了三個月，他見猶太人並無意接納基督的信仰，遂離開會堂，轉到提郎諾（Tyrannus）的講堂（scholē）繼續傳教。這活動持續了兩至三年（大概是54-57年；見宗19:10; 20:31），為厄弗所教會建立了穩固的根基（宗19章），並親自或派遣門徒在全亞細亞省傳佈了福音（格前16:8,9），以致亞細亞所有的居民「都聽見了主的道理」（宗19:10）。 ❖天主藉保祿行了一些奇蹟（宗19:12），致令許多從前曾篤信巫術的人皈依天主，並燒燬了大批巫術書籍。在這裏基督信仰首次與民間的鬼神信仰正面交鋒。厄弗所也充斥着「天使」敬禮和迷信，人們相信星宿與天使能影響他們的命運 （參看弗6:12；羅8:38；格前15:24；弗1:21; 3:10; 6:12；哥1:16; 2:10,15）。保祿曾對人說：「人手製造的，並不是神，」令製造阿爾特米小神龕的銀匠不滿，因為他們「是靠這手藝發財的。」銀匠工會領袖德默特琉（Demetrius）煽動群眾，喊着說：「大哉！厄弗所人的阿爾特米！」一起衝到劇院（宗19:28-29）。保祿險些被他們抓住，保祿原想親自到劇院去自辯，可是門徒們不讓他去，還有幾位亞細亞的首長（Asiarchoi），勸他不要冒險到劇院去（宗19:30-31）。 銀匠騷動過後，保祿在結束第三次傳教時，先巡視了希臘和馬其頓各教會（宗20:1-2），回程中更派人請厄弗所的長老到米肋托（Miletus）會晤，離別前對他們說：「我知道在我離開之後，將有兇暴的豺狼進到你們中間，不顧惜羊群，就是在你們中間，也要有人起來講說謬論，勾引門徒跟隨他們。因此，你們要警醒⋯⋯在各方面我都給你們立了榜樣，就是必須這樣勞動，扶助病弱者；要記住主耶穌的話，他說過：『施予比領受更為有福。』」保祿說完這些話，便和眾人一起跪下祈禱，「眾人都大哭起來，並伏在保祿的頸項上，口親他。他們最傷心的，是為了保祿說的這句話：以後他們不得再見他的面了。他們便送他上了船」（宗20:29-38）。後來果真如此，不但在厄弗所，即在亞細亞各教會，都闖進了一些兇暴的豺狼。 ❖為此，保祿在羅馬受監禁時致書他們，駁斥當時在亞細亞所流行的異端邪說，因為有些人否認耶穌為天主，僅將他列於天使的等級中；另有些人堅持舊約禁食和慶節的法律，還有些人倡言造化二元論。這封信可謂一封「公函」，信中並沒有提到私人的消息和個人的心境，以及對私人的問安等語。本書的主要論題，雖與《哥羅森書》頗相類似，但在理論方面較為抽象與深湛，且頗具系統化；所以本書在各書信中，確是深奧難明的一封，其中心思想，即是基督的教會宛如基督的妙身：為肢體的眾信友與為首的基督合而為一，以及肢體間彼此的連繫，即是這一妙身生命的基礎（1:22, 23; 2:20-22; 4:9-16; 5:23-33）。 ❖本書除題名（1:1,2）與結論外（6:21-24），可分為兩部份：一為教義部份，一為倫理部份。在第一部份內（1:3-3:21），首先討論基督救贖的奧蹟，然後討論基督妙身的道理；在第二部份內（4:1-6:20），勸告信友在各人地位上要保存心神的合一，並勉力修德成聖；最後勸勉信友要時常配備着信、望、愛三德的武器，以攻打靈魂的仇敵。 本書信的開端語： ❖「因天主的旨意，做耶穌基督宗徒的保祿」（1a）──保祿開首自稱為「耶穌基督的宗徒」，而且更指明是「因天主的旨意」而為的，這與他在格前、格後、哥、弟後所寫的相同，聲明他並非自詡為宗徒，而是「因天主的旨意」，是天主所選和安排的，正如天主對阿納尼雅論保祿所說的：「這人是我所揀選的器皿」（宗9:15）。 ❖「致書給那些在厄弗所的聖徒和信仰基督耶穌的人」（1b）──「在厄弗所的」一語，不見於重要的早期抄卷（P46、Sinaiticus 及Vaticanus；教父奧利振Origen及巴西略Basil也提及這點），很可能在抄寫其間，那些厄弗所的抄經員，給撒爾德（Sardis）、培爾加摩（Pergamum）或提雅提辣（Thyatira）等亞細亞教會抄寫時，覺得「在厄弗所的」一語對其他教會有點尷尬，遂把它刪去；這樣我們也可以明白為什麼有些古抄卷沒有此語，但此語大概應屬原文。自古以來的教父們（如依勒內Irenaeus、慕辣托黎殘卷Muratorian Fragment、亞歷山大里亞的格肋孟Clement of Alexandria、奧利振Origen、戴都良Terrtullian等）都公認此信是寫給厄弗所的。 本書的傳遞人是提希苛（Tychicus；6:21），我們可推想他到了厄弗所，就將本書呈交該處教會的長老們，保祿曾吩咐他，「給你們報告一切，好使你們知道我的事和我現在作什麼。我特意打發他到你們那裏去，為叫你們知道我們的情形，並叫他安慰你們的心」（6:21-22）。他們自然很高興地拆開閱讀了。這信既是給亞細亞各教會的「公函」，相信厄弗所的長老們事必設法多抄寫幾分，給每個教會送一分。保祿之所以請厄弗所教會轉送信件，是因為他以厄弗所教會為亞細亞各教會之首。提希苛很可能還帶著保祿的其他兩封信，一是給哥羅森教會的，一是給勞狄刻雅教會的（後者不知何故遺失了）。自然這些信將來也要在厄弗所誦讀，因為保祿當時要各地教會傳誦自己所寫的信：「幾時你們宣讀了這封信，務要使這封信也在勞狄刻雅人的教會內宣讀；至於那由勞狄刻雅轉來的信，你們也要宣讀」（哥4:16）。 ❖「願恩寵與平安，由我們的父天主和主耶穌基督，賜與你們！」（2）── 本書的致候辭，與保祿其他書信的致候辭，大抵相同（羅1:7；格前1:3；格後1:2；迦1:3；斐1:2；得後1:2；鐸1:4；費3［哥1:2；得前1:1；弟前1:2；弟後1:2略有不同〕）。這信首致候辭與信末的問候語，也引用了「我們的父天主和主耶穌基督」的「恩寵」與「平安」，正好構成一個前後呼應，他在信末說：「願平安、愛德和信德由天主父和主耶穌基督賜與眾弟兄！願恩寵與那些以永恆不變的愛愛我們的主耶穌基督的人同在！」（6:23-24）。 「恩寵與平安」（ca,rij kai. eivrh,nh - charis kai eirēnē）在新約出現的13次中，有11 次是保祿書信的致候辭，另兩次出現在伯後1:2；默1:4。所謂「恩寵」（charis: grace）並非單指一份恩典或禮物，而是舊約中常說的「慈愛」（ds,x,- ḥesed），這是天主基於盟約對選民不變的「慈愛」。當然，天主對教會的「慈愛/恩寵」，也表現在他賜與他們的各種奇恩異寵上（「神恩」ca,risma - charisma；參看格前12及14章）。而舊約中的「平安」（~wOlv' - shalom）除指消弭戰爭外，更是一種「圓滿和豐盈的生命」，不是世上以軍備平衡來維繫的「和平」（Pax Romana！），或一種苟且偷生的存活，免受侵犯和騷擾。為此，保祿說這平安是「由我們的天主父和主耶穌基督，賜給你們。」這正是耶穌所說的「我把平安留給你們，我將我的平安賜給你們；我所賜給你們的，不像世界所賜的一樣」（若14:27）。 ____________________________＿ ❖乙年的主日彌撒讀經，由常年期第十五主日開始，直至第二十一主日，我們連續7個主日會選讀聖保祿的四大書信之一的《厄弗所書》（另有7篇，分別在聖誕、四旬、復活期，及耶穌聖心和聖母無玷始胎節誦讀）。 厄弗所的街道和店舖遺跡 塞爾蘇圖書館遺跡 二世紀時的厄弗所城 厄弗所大劇院 阿爾特米女神像 阿爾特米女神殿模型

Our reading opens with an account of Paul finding some former disciples of John the Baptist who have been baptized by John but have not yet been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. After a brief conversation with Paul they are baptized into the name of Christ and are immediately filled with the Holy Spirit. Paul continues teaching, and after being rejected in the synagogue he begins speaking to both Jews and Greeks in the hall of Tyrannus. He stays there to teach for two years. Later, some Jewish exorcists try to use Jesus' name to expel demons, with surprisingly poor results. Finally, when silversmiths begin to lose money, they start a riot, and it turns out that most of the people involved don't even know what the riot is about. :::Christian Standard Bible translation.All music written and produced by John Burgess Ross.Co-produced by the Christian Standard Biblefacebook.com/commuterbibleinstagram.com/commuter_bibletwitter.com/CommuterPodpatreon.com/commuterbibleadmin@commuterbible.org

In this devotional, Pastor Jason Van Bemmel explores Acts 19, focusing on Paul's influential ministry in Ephesus. The chapter highlights the transition from the baptism of John to the power of the Holy Spirit, Paul's two-year teaching tenure in the Hall of Tyrannus, and the dramatic spiritual shift that led to the burning of magic books worth millions. The session concludes by discussing the inevitable opposition that arises when the Gospel impacts local economies and challenges entrenched idolatry.

Rather than rescuing Professor Xavier, who has been captured by Factor Three, the X-Men have to make a detour to Subterranea. The underground world is home to two villains, Mole Man and Tyrannus. Today's episodes cover their backstories before diving into the villains' conflict with the X-Men in Uncanny X-Men #34.Issues covered: Incredible Hulk #5, Fantastic Four #1, Tales to Astonish #80-81, Uncanny X-Men #34

An expository study of the ninth commandment from Deuteronomy 5:20, tracing the prohibition from its primary application in courtroom perjury outward to lying, backbiting, slander, gossip, and talebearing. The study draws on Deuteronomy 19, Leviticus 19, and extensive passages from Proverbs to show that the sanctity of truth is axiomatic to the right ordering of family, church, and civil society. Main points: - the prohibition — perjury in the courtroom - the broad act of lying - backbiting, slander, gossip, and talebearing Scripture references: - Exodus 23:1-6 - Leviticus 19:11-18 - Deuteronomy 4:5-8; 5:1-22; 17:6-7; 19:15-21 - Proverbs 6:16-19; 10:18; 11:13; 12:17-19; 12:22; 18:8; 18:13; 18:17; 19:5; 19:9; 20:19; 25:18; 25:23; 26:20; 26:22 - Matthew 7:12; 18:15-17 - Luke 10 - Romans 1:29-30 - Ephesians 4; 5:25-28 - 1 Timothy 5:19 - Hebrews 11 - Revelation 21:8 Free Grace Baptist Church — https://www.freegrace.ca Full transcript & sermon notes: https://sermons.freegrace.ca/sermons/bible-study-the-ninth-commandment Description generated by Tyrannus.ai: https://www.tyrannus.ai

Acts 19:8-20 8 And he entered the synagogue and for three months spoke boldly, reasoning and persuading them about the kingdom of God. 9 But when some became stubborn and continued in unbelief, speaking evil of the Way before the congregation, he withdrew from them and took the disciples with him, reasoning daily in the hall of Tyrannus. 10 This continued for two years, so that all the residents of Asia heard the word of the Lord, both Jews and Greeks. 11 And God was doing extraordinary miracles by the hands of Paul, 12 so that even handkerchiefs or aprons that had touched his skin were carried away to the sick, and their diseases left them and the evil spirits came out of them. 13 Then some of the itinerant Jewish exorcists undertook to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, “I adjure you by the Jesus whom Paul proclaims.” 14 Seven sons of a Jewish high priest named Sceva were doing this.15 But the evil spirit answered them, “Jesus I know, and Paul I recognize, but who are you?” 16 And the man in whom was the evil spirit leaped on them, mastered allof them and overpowered them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded. 17 And this became known to all the residents of Ephesus, both Jews and Greeks. And fear fell upon them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was extolled. 18 Also many of those who were now believers came, confessing and divulging their practices. 19 And a number of those who had practiced magic arts brought their books together and burned them in the sight of all. And they counted the value of them and found it came to fifty thousand pieces of silver.20 So the word of the Lord continued to increase and prevail mightily.   Key Words: Extraordinary, Miracles, Evil Spirit, Fear, Confessing, Prevail Keystone Verse: Jesus I know, and Paul I recognize, but who are you? (Acts 19:15) Download Bulletin

Acts 19:8-22 And he entered the synagogue and for three months spoke boldly, reasoning and persuading them about the kingdom of God. 9 But when some became stubborn and continued in unbelief, speaking evil of the Way before the congregation, he withdrew from them and took the disciples with him, reasoning daily in the hall of Tyrannus. 10 This continued for two years, so that all the residents of Asia heard the word of the Lord, both Jews and Greeks. 11 And God was doing extraordinary miracles by the hands of Paul, 12 so that even hand-kerchiefs or aprons that had touched his skin were carried away to the sick, and their diseases left them and the evil spirits came out of them. 13 Then some of the itinerant Jewish exorcists undertook to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, “I adjure you by the Jesus whom Paul proclaims.” 14 Seven sons of a Jewish high priest named Sceva were doing this. 15 But the evil spirit answered them, “Jesus I know, and Paul I recognize, but who are you?” 16 And the man in whom was the evil spirit leaped on them, mastered all of them and overpowered them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded. 17 And this became known to all the residents of Ephesus, both Jews and Greeks. And fear fell upon them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was extolled. 18 Also many of those who were now believers came, confessing and divulging their practices. 19 And a number of those who had practiced magic arts brought their books together and burned them in the sight of all. And they counted the value of them and found it came to fifty thousand pieces of silver. 20 So the word of the Lord continued to increase and prevail mightily. 21 Now after these events Paul resolved in the Spirit to pass through Macedonia and Achaia and go to Jerusalem, saying, “After I have been there, I must also see Rome.” 22 And having sent into Macedonia two of his helpers, Timothy and Erastus, he himself stayed in Asia for a while.

Collision Course   Acts 19 While Apollos was at Corinth, Paul took the road through the interior and arrived at Ephesus. There he found some disciples  2 and asked them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” They answered, “No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.” 3 So Paul asked, “Then what baptism did you receive?” “John's baptism,” they replied.   Religion Confronted   4 Paul said, “John's baptism was a baptism of repentance. He told the people to believe in the one coming after him, that is, in Jesus.”  5 On hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 6 When Paul placed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied. 7 There were about twelve men in all.   Religion Confronted - The Spirit Fills     8 Paul entered the synagogue and spoke boldly there for three months, arguing persuasively about the kingdom of God. 9 But some of them became obstinate; they refused to believe and publicly maligned the Way. So Paul left them. He took the disciples with him and had discussions daily in the lecture hall of Tyrannus. 10 This went on for two years, so that all the Jews and Greeks who lived in the province of Asia heard the word of the Lord.   Religion Confronted - The Spirit Fills - Open your Heart    11 God did extraordinary miracles through Paul, 12 so that even handkerchiefs and aprons that had touched him were taken to the sick, and their illnesses were cured and the evil spirits left them.   Evil Confronted    13 Some Jews who went around driving out evil spirits tried to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those who were demon-possessed. They would say, “In the name of the Jesus whom Paul preaches, I command you to come out.”  14 Seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, were doing this. 15 One day the evil spirit answered them, “Jesus I know, and Paul I know about, but who are you?”  16 Then the man who had the evil spirit jumped on them and overpowered them all. He gave them such a beating that they ran out of the house naked and bleeding. 17 When this became known to the Jews and Greeks living in Ephesus, they were all seized with fear, and the name of the Lord Jesus was held in high honor.    Evil Confronted - Idols Fall   18 Many of those who believed now came and openly confessed what they had done.  19 A number who had practiced sorcery brought their scrolls together and burned them publicly. When they calculated the value of the scrolls, the total came to fifty thousand drachmas.  20 In this way the word of the Lord spread widely and grew in power.   Evil Confronted - Idols Fall - Burn the Scrolls.     Resistance Confronted  Acts 20:17-24 From Miletus, Paul sent to Ephesus for the elders of the church. 18 When they arrived, he said to them: “You know how I lived the whole time I was with you, from the first day I came into the province of Asia.  19 I served the Lord with great humility and with tears and in the midst of severe testing by the plots of my Jewish opponents.  20 You know that I have not hesitated to preach anything that would be helpful to you but have taught you publicly and from house to house.  21 I have declared to both Jews and Greeks that they must turn to God in repentance and have faith in our Lord Jesus. 22 “And now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there. 23 I only know that in every city the Holy Spirit warns me that prison and hardships are facing me.  24 However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the good news of God's grace. Resistance Confronted - Servants Finish  Resistance Confronted - Servants Finish - Serve the Lord

Fue la posibilidad—aunque pequeña—de un cuclillo pico negro (Coccyzus erythropthalmus) que me trajo hasta el Río Marias. En 2021, mientras Anna Fasoli andaba en kayak por el río, escuchó y grabó un cuclillo pico negro cantando aquí. Esto es un ave que he pasado toda la vida sin encontrar, un ave que una antigua generación de naturalistas del siglo diecinueve observaba descendiendo en los huertos frutales en parvadas para alimentarse de orugas. Ya casi nadie ve una parvada de cuclillos pico negro. Ver a tan solo un cuclillo, en Montana por lo menos, ya es algo raro que requiere mucho esfuerzo, mucha suerte o las dos cosas. Pero el declive de los cuclillos pico negro, como casi todos los aspectos de su biología, permanece mal entendido. Y así es que estoy aquí, escuchando a saltaparedes de rocas en una quebrada oscura dentro de las badlands, rumbo al río e imaginando cuclillos.La historia de este mes te va a sumergir en un mundo ribereño donde los cuclillos pico negro estaban— ¿y todavía están? El podcast incluye mis grabaciones del saltapared de rocas (Salpinctes obsoletus), saltapared común norteño (Troglodytes aedon), búho cornudo (Bubo virginianus), gorrión chapulín (Ammodramus savannarum), tirano dorso negro (Tyrannus tyrannus), maullador gris (Dumetella carolinensis), zorzal de anteojos (Catharus ustulatus), papamoscas del oeste (Contopus sordidulus), papamoscas chico (Empidonax minimus), tordo cabeza amarilla (Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus), carpintero nuca roja (Sphyrapicus nuchalis) y picogordo tigrillo (Pheucticus melanocephalus). Además del sonido de alarma de un castor (Castor canadensis). O sea, ¡es un viaje a través de un montón de sonidos de la zona ribereña!Como siempre, dependo del apoyo de mis oyentes para seguir con este proyecto. Favor de compartir estos podcasts, dejarme un rating y (si puedes) hacerme una cooperación a través de Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/wildwithnature. Muchísimas gracias!!!Puedes encontrar la versión escrita con la historia aquí, con muchas fotos del campo: https://wildwithnature.com/2025/08/01/como-no-encontrar-a-un-cuclillo-pico-negro/

It was the possibility—slim though it was—of black-billed cuckoos (Coccyzus erythropthalmus) that brought me to the Marias River. In 2021, while Anna Fasoli was floating the river, she heard and recorded a singing cuckoo here. This is a bird that I've lived my whole life without encountering, a bird which a long-ago generation of nineteenth-century naturalists would observe descending on orchards in flocks to feed on caterpillars. Hardly anyone sees flocks of black-billed cuckoos now. To see a cuckoo at all, at least in Montana, is a rare encounter that takes a lot of effort, a lot of luck, or both. But the decline of black-billed cuckoos, like almost every aspect of their biology, remains shrouded in unknowns. And so here I am, listening to rock wrens  in a dark badlands gully, bound for the river and imagining cuckoos.This month's story will immerse you in a world at the river's edge that black-billed cuckoos inhabited—and do they still? The podcast includes many of my natural sound recordings: rock wren (Salpinctes obsoletus), northern house wren (Troglodytes aedon), great horned owl (Bubo virginianus), grasshopper sparrow (Ammodramus savannarum), eastern kingbird (Tyrannus tyrannus), gray catbird (Dumetella carolinensis), Swainson's thrush (Catharus ustulatus), western wood-pewee (Contopus sordidulus), least flycatcher (Empidonax minimus), yellow-headed blackbird (Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus), red-naped sapsucker (Sphyrapicus nuchalis), and black-headed grosbeak (Pheucticus melanocephalus). As well as the alarm sound of a beaver (Castor canadensis). In other words, it's a journey among a sea of sounds from the riparian zone! As always, I depend on the support of my listeners to continue doing this work. Please share these podcasts, leave a rating, and, if you're able, support me through Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/wildwithnature. Thank you!!!You can find the written, illustrated version of this story here: https://wildwithnature.com/2025/08/01/how-to-not-find-black-billed-cuckoos/

Send us a textActs 19:8-10And he entered the synagogue and for three months spoke boldly, reasoning and persuading them about the kingdom of God. But when some became stubborn and continued in unbelief, speaking evil of the Way before the congregation, he withdrew from them and took the disciples with him, reasoning daily in the hall of Tyrannus. This continued for two years, so that all the residents of Asia heard the word of the Lord, both Jews and Greeks.Support the show

Acts 19:8-20 English Standard Version8 And he entered the synagogue and for three months spoke boldly, reasoning and persuading them about the kingdom of God. 9 But when some became stubborn and continued in unbelief, speaking evil of the Way before the congregation, he withdrew from them and took the disciples with him, reasoning daily in the hall of Tyrannus. 10 This continued for two years, so that all the residents of Asia heard the word of the Lord, both Jews and Greeks.The Sons of Sceva11 And God was doing extraordinary miracles by the hands of Paul, 12 so that even handkerchiefs or aprons that had touched his skin were carried away to the sick, and their diseases left them and the evil spirits came out of them. 13 Then some of the itinerant Jewish exorcists undertook to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, “I adjure you by the Jesus whom Paul proclaims.” 14 Seven sons of a Jewish high priest named Sceva were doing this. 15 But the evil spirit answered them, “Jesus I know, and Paul I recognize, but who are you?” 16 And the man in whom was the evil spirit leaped on them, mastered all of them and overpowered them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded. 17 And this became known to all the residents of Ephesus, both Jews and Greeks. And fear fell upon them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was extolled. 18 Also many of those who were now believers came, confessing and divulging their practices. 19 And a number of those who had practiced magic arts brought their books together and burned them in the sight of all. And they counted the value of them and found it came to fifty thousand pieces of silver. 20 So the word of the Lord continued to increase and prevail mightily.English Standard Version (ESV)The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

Series: First Love LIVING| Foundation Test | June 8, 2025Read 19:1-7 – While Apollos was at Corinth, Paul took the road through the interior and arrived atEphesus. There he found some disciples and asked them, "Did you receive the Holy Spirit when youbelieved?" They answered, "No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit."So Paul asked, "Then what baptism did you receive?" "John's baptism," they replied. Paul said, "John'sbaptism was a baptism of repentance. He told the people to believe in the one coming after him, that is,in Jesus."On hearing this, they were baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus. When Paul placed his hands onthem, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied. There were abouttwelve men in all.Read v8-12 – Paul entered the synagogue and spoke boldly there for three months, arguing persuasivelyabout the kingdom of God. But some of them became obstinate; they refused to believe and publiclymaligned the Way. So Paul left them. He took the disciples with him and had discussions daily in thelecture hall of Tyrannus. This went on for two years, so that all the Jews and Greeks who lived in theprovince of Asia heard the word of the Lord.God did extraordinary miracles through Paul, so that even handkerchiefs and aprons that had touchedhim were taken to the sick, and their illnesses were cured and the evil spirits left them.

This story is the third and final in a series about pileated woodpeckers—a series that touches the earth of Oaxaca, Mexico, that invites us to immerse ourselves in a cottonwood forest in Montana, USA, that expands to touch on global themes like reciprocity and our human relationship with nature. This episode includes a passage by the writer Osprey Oreille Lake about reciprocity and gift economies from her book The Story is In Our Bones: How Worldviews and Climate Justice Can Remake a World in Crisis. Thanks to Osprey for giving me permission to quote her words. As always, I've also included various natural sound recordings that I made, among them: western wood-pewee (Contopus sordidulus) songs, pileated woodpecker (Dryocopus pileatus) calls and drumming, songs of a Wilson's warbler (Cardellina pusilla) and a yellow warbler (Setophaga petechia), the call of a Cassin's kingbird (Tyrannus vociferans), the wind through the tall dogbane (Apocynum cannabinum), the song of a Middle American screech-owl (Megascops guatemalae), songs of boreal chorus frogs (Pseudacris maculata), and a singing western screech-owl (Megascops kennicottii). As always, I depend on the support of my listeners to continue doing this work. Please share these podcasts, leave a rating, and, if you're able, support me through Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/wildwithnature. Thank you!!!You can find the written, illustrated version of this story here: https://wildwithnature.com/2025/06/01/pileated-woodpeckers-and-reciprocity/

Esta historia es la tercera y final en una serie sobre los picamaderos norteamericanos—una serie que toca las tierras de Oaxaca, México, que nos invita a sumergirnos en un bosque de álamos por Montana, EU y que se expande para abordar temas globales como la reciprocidad y nuestra relación humana con la naturaleza. Este episodio incluye un pasaje de la escritora Osprey Oreille Lake sobre la reciprocidad y las economías de regalo de su libro The Story is In Our Bones: How Worldviews and Climate Justice Can Remake a World in Crisis. Gracias a Osprey por darme permiso para citar el pasaje. Como siempre, también incluye varias grabaciones de los sonidos de la naturaleza que hice yo, entre ellas: los cantos de los papamoscas del oeste (Contopus sordidulus), las llamadas y el tamborileo de los picamaderos norteamericanos (Dryocopus pileatus), los cantos de un chipe corona negra (Cardellina pusilla) y un chipe amarillo (Setophaga petechia), la llamada de un tirano chibiú (Tyrannus vociferans), el viento por el cáñamo americano (Apocynum cannabinum), el canto de un tecolote sapo (Megascops guatemalae), los cantos de unas ranas de coro (Pseudacris maculata) y el canto de un tecolote del oeste (Megascops kennicottii). Como siempre, dependo del apoyo de mis oyentes para seguir con este proyecto. Favor de compartir estos podcasts, dejarme un rating y (si puedes) hacerme una cooperación a través de Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/wildwithnature. Muchísimas gracias!!!Puedes encontrar la versión escrita con la historia aquí, con muchas fotos del campo: https://wildwithnature.com/2025/06/01/picamaderos-norteamericanos-y-reciprocidad/

Reviving the Region In this episode of the Disciple Maker's Podcast, we explore Acts Chapter 19, drawing modern parallels from Paul's ministry in Ephesus. Hosts discuss the concept of a 'Hall of Tyrannus' in the contemporary church, where believers are trained and equipped for radical discipleship and city-wide gospel saturation. Tune in for a powerful vision on how to create movement engines alongside traditional church models to achieve regional revival and reach the nations with the gospel of Jesus Christ. 00:00 Introduction and Opening Remarks 01:34 Discussing Acts Chapter 19 02:17 Paul's Ministry in Ephesus 11:10 Modern Parallels to Paul's Ministry 21:56 The Power of Parallel Tracks in Church Growth 23:09 Embracing Control vs. Movement of God 23:37 The Role of Doctrine and Fear in Church Leadership 25:04 The Importance of Multiplication and Discipleship 29:40 Encouragement for Aspiring Disciple Makers 35:27 The Vision for a Modern Hall of Tyrannus Get Discipleship.org's premium Podcast Feed: https://disciplemakerspodcast.supercast.com/  Check out the following eBooks from Discipleship.org: -- What Is Church? And How Important Is It?  https://discipleship.org/shop/what-is-church-and-how-important-is-it/ -- Family Discipleship Blueprint: A Year-by-Year Guide to Family Discipleship https://discipleship.org/shop/family-discipleship-blueprint-a-year-by-year-guide-to-family-discipleship/ -- Becoming a Disciple Maker https://discipleship.org/shop/becoming-a-disciple-maker/ -- National Study: The State of Disciple Making Churches: A 10 Minute Visual Guide https://discipleship.org/shop/national-study-the-state-of-disciple-making-churches-a-10-minute-visual-guide/ -- Reaching & Discipling Women: A Guide to Women's Ministry in Your Church https://discipleship.org/shop/reaching-discipling-women-a-guide-to-womens-ministry-in-your-church/ Check out the following Books from Discipleship.org: -- The Discipleship Gospel https://himpublications.com/product/the-discipleship-gospel/?utm_source=discipleship-org&utm_medium=website&utm_campaign=books-page -- Disciple-Making Culture https://himpublications.com/product/disciple-making-culture/ -- Recreated to Be like God: Making Disciples in the Image of Jesus https://a.co/d/6DDvUrC -- King Jesus and the Beauty of Obedience-Based Discipleship https://a.co/d/7d85z6T -- The Disciple Maker's Handbook: Seven Elements of a Discipleship Lifestyle https://a.co/d/4ZHIbQz Take the FREE Disciple Maker Assessment: https://church-multiplication.com/disciplemaker/ Come to the The National Disciple Making Forum: https://discipleship.org/national-disciple-making-forum/ Stay informed - Get our newsletter:  http://eepurl.com/hPViAr Listen - Disciple Maker's Podcast:  https://discipleship.org/resources/podcast/

Our reading opens with an account of Paul finding some former disciples of John the Baptist who have been baptized by John but have not yet been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. After a brief conversation with Paul they are baptized into the name of Christ and are immediately filled with the Holy Spirit. Paul continues teaching, and after being rejected in the synagogue he begins speaking to both Jews and Greeks in the hall of Tyrannus. He stays there to teach for two years. Later, some Jewish exorcists try to use Jesus' name to expel demons, with surprisingly poor results. Finally, when silversmiths begin to lose money, they start a riot, and it turns out that most of the people involved don't even know what the riot is about. :::Christian Standard Bible translation.All music written and produced by John Burgess Ross.Co-produced by the Christian Standard Biblefacebook.com/commuterbibleinstagram.com/commuter_bibletwitter.com/CommuterPodpatreon.com/commuterbibleadmin@commuterbible.org

Acts 19:1-41 NIVWhile Apollos was at Corinth, Paul took the road through the interior and arrived at Ephesus. There he found some disciples and asked them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” They answered, “No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.” So Paul asked, “Then what baptism did you receive?” “John's baptism,” they replied. Paul said, “John's baptism was a baptism of repentance. He told the people to believe in the one coming after him, that is, in Jesus.” On hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. When Paul placed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied. There were about twelve men in all. Paul entered the synagogue and spoke boldly there for three months, arguing persuasively about the kingdom of God. But some of them became obstinate; they refused to believe and publicly maligned the Way. So Paul left them. He took the disciples with him and had discussions daily in the lecture hall of Tyrannus. This went on for two years, so that all the Jews and Greeks who lived in the province of Asia heard the word of the Lord. God did extraordinary miracles through Paul so that even handkerchiefs and aprons that had touched him were taken to the sick, and their illnesses were cured and the evil spirits left them. Some Jews who went around driving out evil spirits tried to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those who were demon-possessed. They would say, “In the name of the Jesus whom Paul preaches, I command you to come out.” Seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, were doing this. One day the evil spirit answered them, “Jesus I know, and Paul I know about, but who are you?” Then the man who had the evil spirit jumped on them and overpowered them all. He gave them such a beating that they ran out of the house naked and bleeding. When this became known to the Jews and Greeks living in Ephesus, they were all seized with fear, and the name of the Lord Jesus was held in high honor. Many of those who believed now came and openly confessed what they had done. A number who had practiced sorcery brought their scrolls together and burned them publicly. When they calculated the value of the scrolls, the total came to fifty thousand drachmas. In this way the word of the Lord spread widely and grew in power. After all this had happened, Paul decided to go to Jerusalem, passing through Macedonia and Achaia. “After I have been there,” he said, “I must visit Rome also.” He sent two of his helpers, Timothy and Erastus, to Macedonia, while he stayed in the province of Asia a little longer. About that time there arose a great disturbance about the Way. A silversmith named Demetrius, who made silver shrines of Artemis, brought in a lot of business for the craftsmen there. He called them together, along with the workers in related trades, and said: “You know, my friends, that we receive a good income from this business. And you see and hear how this fellow Paul has convinced and led astray large numbers of people here in Ephesus and in practically the whole province of Asia. He says that gods made by human hands are no gods at all. There is danger not only that our trade will lose its good name, but also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis will be discredited; and the goddess herself, who is worshiped throughout the province of Asia and the world, will be robbed of her divine majesty.” When they heard this, they were furious and began shouting: “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!” Soon the whole city was in an uproar. The people seized Gaius and Aristarchus, Paul's traveling companions from Macedonia, and all of them rushed into the theater together. Paul wanted to appear before the crowd, but the disciples would not let him. Even some of the officials of the province, friends of Paul, sent him a message begging him not to venture into the theater. The assembly was in confusion: Some were shouting one thing, some another.

En julio, un tirano chibiú (Tyrannus vociferans) llama desde el borde entre la pradera y el bosque de pino en Montana, EU. Tres meses después, estoy entre los tiranos chibiú de nuevo pero 3500 kilómetros al sur, en su hábitat invernal en Oaxaca, México. Durante el último año, mi vida ha trazado las rutas de estos tiranos chibiú migratorios—un viaje que, para mí, ha incluido enamorarme y pasar varios meses muy lejos de las tierras de Montana que conozco y amo. Ésta es una historia de la migración, de las memorias que llevan los cantos de las aves y de sentir una conexión con la tierra que abarca el tiempo y la distancia. En este viaje, conocemos a muchas aves y escuchamos sus voces. Entre las grabaciones que escuchamos en este podcast están sonidos de Montana del tirano chibiú, mascarita común (Geothlypis trichas), gorrión chapulín (Ammodramus savannarum), gorrión de Lincoln (Melospiza lincolnii), grulla gris (Antigone canadensis), gorrión sabanero (Passerculus sandwichensis), gorrión cola blanca (Pooecetes gramineus) y pradero del oeste (Sturnella neglecta) los que grabé yo, Shane Sater. Desde Oaxaca, comparto grabaciones de un saltapared cola larga (Thryomanes bewickii), gorrión arlequín (Chondestes grammacus), jilguerito dominico (Spinus psaltria), verdugo americano (Lanius ludovicianus), tirano pálido (Tyrannus verticalis) y rascador oaxaqueño (Melozone albicollis). Muchas gracias a Manuel Grosselet de Tierra de Aves (https://www.tierradeaves.com/) y a Jay McGowan del Cornell Lab of Ornithology por darme permiso de usar sus grabaciones de tiranos chibiú en Oaxaca. Dependo del apoyo de mis oyentes para seguir con este proyecto. Favor de compartir estos podcasts, darme un rating y (si puedes) hacer una cooperación a través de Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/wildwithnature. ¡Muchas gracias!Aquí puedes ver la versión escrita de esta historia, con mis fotos: https://wildwithnature.com/2024/12/01/tirano-chibiu-migracion/

In July, a Cassin's kingbird (Tyrannus vociferans) calls from the edge between grassland and pine in Montana, USA. Three months later, I'm among Cassin's kingbirds again but 2000 miles farther south, in their winter range in Oaxaca, Mexico. Over the past year, my life has traced the path of these migratory Cassin's kingbirds—a journey that, for me, has involved falling in love and spending months far away from the Montana landscape I know and love. This is a story of migration, of the memories that birdsongs carry, and of finding a connection to the earth that spans time and space.  Along this journey, we meet many birds and hear their voices. Among the recordings featured in this podcast are Montana sounds of Cassin's kingbird, common yellowthroat (Geothlypis trichas), grasshopper sparrow (Ammodramus savannarum), Lincoln's sparrow (Melospiza lincolnii), sandhill crane (Antigone canadensis), Savannah sparrow (Passerculus sandwichensis), vesper sparrow (Pooecetes gramineus), and western meadowlark (Sturnella neglecta) recorded by me, Shane Sater. From Oaxaca, I share recordings of a Bewick's wren (Thryomanes bewickii), lark sparrow (Chondestes grammacus), lesser goldfinch (Spinus psaltria), loggerhead shrike (Lanius ludovicianus), western kingbird (Tyrannus verticalis), and white-throated towhee (Melozone albicollis). Many thanks to Manuel Grosselet of Tierra de Aves (https://www.tierradeaves.com/) and Jay McGowan of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology for giving me permission to use their Oaxacan recordings of Cassin's kingbirds. I depend on the support of my listeners to continue doing this work. Please share these podcasts, leave a rating, and, if you're able, support me through Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/wildwithnature. Thank you!!! You can find the written, illustrated version of this story here: https://wildwithnature.com/2024/12/01/cassins-kingbird-migration-connections/

Nesse #vAPODN a Dra. Miriam Perilli bate um papo com o consultor Willian Menq sobre os incríveis gaviões-pega-macaco (Spizaetus tyrannus)!

On this episode, The Operator continues the chilling tales with the story of Teri Jendusa-Nikolai. You won't believe what she endured! And, in his usual, awkward fashion, he ends it with a happy ending - a case of soft-pour corn.Ad-free episodes, and hours of extra 911 Calls content each week, exclusive merch, and early access to all of the 11:59 Media podcasts. Start accessing hundreds of additional hours! Visit 11:59 PLUS or https://www.patreon.com/1159media

Today's teaching is on enemy territory and the reality of spiritual warfare. In a fallen world the battle is not between people - it is between the Living God and the powers of darkness, It is between the Body of Christ and those under the spell of the devil. Ephesus was the center of worship of Artemis and also a hotbed of the occult, magic, eastern religions, drugs, alcohol and many of the same things we encounter in our world today. Ephesus is where Paul carried out some of his most important mission work and it is where God shows us some important lifetime truths through how He worked in Ephesus nearly 2000 years ago. Where we left off last week was with Paul spending two years teaching daily in the Hall of Tyrannus. Verse 10 of Acts chapter 19 tells us that all Jews and Greeks in the area heard the word of the Lord. Paul and others were training up believers to share their faith and so the Gospel message was shared all over Asia.   During Paul's time in Ephesus he experienced more push back than ever before. God was doing extraordinary miracles through Paul and many were healed physically but Paul was also casting out demons and healing people from spiritual illness. DIVINE POWER         We need to be connected to the Living God. Our faith is not to be a little bit of head knowledge, a song and a prayer. Our faith is to be life changing, it is to be the heart of who we are.         Because God was doing amazing miracles through Paul, news traveled that Paul was not only healing physically but also doing spiritual battle and that He was healing in the name of Jesus.         Ephesus was a town filled with evil but the DIVINE POWER of God was so obviously being displayed in the miraculous healings done in Jesus' name, that it caused the name of Jesus to be held in high honor and it caused a reaction of believers to openly confess what they had done as part of the evil in Ephesus. TAKE GOD SERIOUSLY         A massive move of God caused people to take Him very seriously.         Our faith molds and transforms us because we are delivered from bondage to sin and death. God offers deliverance from the power of the demonic and the things that can so easily destroy our lives. CLEANING HOUSE         People who had practiced sorcery burned their scrolls publicly and the word of the Lord continued to spread and grow in power.         as believers changed and non-believers become believers people grew and matured in their faith and suddenly began to realize they needed to do a house cleaning in their lives.         God's Holy Spirit is gracious and reveals things to us as we grow and mature in faith. We are not fully mature the moment we believe - It is a life-long process.         God's desire is that we clean house in our lives, in our homes, in anything that gets in the way of our love and worship of God, anything that controls us in ways that are dangerous and spiritually defiling.         With all the awakening to the reality of the Gospel Power of Jesus and the importance of a God-pleasing life of faith, those who didn't have that faith were began to try to stop all that was happening in Jesus' name. WORLD VIEWS COLLIDE         A worker who made silver shrines to Artemus was very concerned about his economic future in light of the amazing growth of Christianity. And so he spoke out publicly, drawing a crowd and the two sides began to collide. World views are colliding in our world today. The world view of our culture is:         All that matters is me         All that matters is what I want         All that matters is that you don't stand in my way and say anything to upset me. The world view of the Bible is:         All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God         God sent His one and only Son          The Living God took on flesh and brought life and forgiveness through His sacrifice on the cross and His resurrection from the grave.         In Jesus there is life, forgiveness and power. The power to live a new life. And so their two world views clashed then and they are still clashing today. We are called not to fight with human weapons, but to recognize the reality of spiritual war and to use the weapons of the Holy Spirit:     Prayer     Trust in God     God's Word     The power of our testimonies Today's scripture reading ends with the whole city in an uproar - both sides shouting and many joining in the near riot. CROWD FOLLOWERS         It can be easy to just go along with the crowd         Yet God warns us not to follow the crowd. Exodus 23:2 says, “Do not follow the crowd in doing wrong.”         Wise words for us today! Scripture: Acts 19:11-41, Ephesians 6:12 and Exodus 23:2 https://www.awakeusnow.com Check out the video on our website https://www.awakeusnow.com/living-one Check out the video on Youtube https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLTaaqrC3dMOwUarSm3uJrzLI4thAJNXQj Watch via our app. Text HELLO to 888-364-4483 to download our app.

This week's teaching shows us the importance of growth in faith. Today's scripture is on the story of Paul's mission work in the city of Ephesus. As he begins to meet people he asks several believers if they received the Holy Spirit when they came to faith in Jesus. Their response was no, that they had never heard of the Holy Spirit.  Sadly, this is much the condition of the christian church in America today. The Holy Spirit has often been ignored.  Paul learns that the Christians there had received John's baptism. They had heard the teachings of John the Baptist and had been baptized in a baptism of repentance. Paul taught them that the One (Jesus) that John had predicted was coming was here and this was Jesus. John had said that Jesus would baptize with the Holy Spirit and with fire. Paul fills them in on Jesus, the one John had said was coming. So after hearing this they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus and the Holy Spirit came on them and they spoke in tongues. Today speaking in tongues has become very controversial. How do we deal with spiritual gifts?  Spiritual Gifts  Expired - A view that many have is that these once were, but have now ended with the end of the apostles and the end of the New Testament. But the TRUTH is that there is NO expiration on the gifs of the Spirit. We are to earnestly desire the gift of the Spirit. (1 Corinthian 12 and 14) And Jesus says in Luke 11:13 “…how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” There is nothing in the New Testament to indicate that these gifts have expired.  Everyone - People say everyone has to have the same gifts or we all have to have the gift of speaking in tongues and yet the New Testament, in 1 Corinthians 12, Paul says that the Holy Spirit gives different gifts to different believers, that not all have the same gifts.  Eliminate - Many desire the gifts of the Spirit be eliminated because they are controversial. This attitude is basically trifling with the gifts of God and in effect encourages the church to remain weak and spiritually deficient. However, Paul says to earnestly desire the gifts and don't forbid speaking in tongues. We need to take to heart what Paul says.  The gifts aren't badges to impress others with our spirituality, but they are gifts from the Holy Spirit given to build up the body of Christ, encourage believers and to empower us to carry out the work God has given us to do.  These opening verses of Chapter 19 of Acts - while controversial - show us that the gifts are still very important and require us to take a look at what the Bible actually says about them. We need to make sure we are allowing the scriptures to guide us rather than our own prejudices, our own practices and our own jealousies.  As we continue looking at more of Paul's work in Ephesus where he spent around 3 years, we discover more that we can learn.  In the synagogue, Paul spoke out boldly about the kingdom of God, but after 3 months, individuals refused to believe and began to publicly malign the teachings on Jesus the Messiah. So Pal moves from teaching in the synagogue to teaching daily in the lecture hall of Tyrannus for the next two years so that all the Jews and Gentiles who lived in the province of Asia heard the word of the God.  Paul was a tireless worker for the Lord, but what was it that he shared with the people of Ephesus? We can discover the answer to this in his epistle/letter to the Ephesians.  The Book of Ephesians  Messiah - Firstly, Paul concentrated on sharing the Good News of Jesus the Messiah and that through Him we receive every spiritual blessing, we come to know the deep love of Jesus, that we are saved by grace, and to know the fullness of God.  Maturity - Paul encourages us to grow in our faith, in our knowledge and love of Jesus our Savior. He shares how to not grieve the Spirit of God through impurity, but instead to grow in fellowship with God and to be filled with the Spirit. Paul also teaches to always give thanks for everything and to put on the full armor of God. In summary of today's text, Christ is to be in the center of our lives and we are to grow up in our relationship with Him. This is God's desire for His children.  We do not want to hold to a form of religion and deny it real power. We want to hear the Holy Spirit's testimony We want to respond to what the Word of God has to say We want to live in a dynamic relationship with Jesus, that we might not only be blessed by Him but may be used by Him to be a blessing for others The Gospel message of Jesus transforms! It has POWER! We encourage you to read the book of Ephesians. Scripture: Acts 19:1-10 and 2 Peter 3:18   https://www.awakeusnow.com   Check out the video on our website https://www.awakeusnow.com/living-one   Check out the video on Youtube https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLTaaqrC3dMOwUarSm3uJrzLI4thAJNXQj   Watch via our app. Text HELLO to 888-364-4483 to download our app.

Lyster and Ursula escape from the bunker on quads with the Doctor. Simon and crew head back to Tyrannus to retrieve their shuttle craft. Garrett arrives in Houston to the newly setup "war room". Sam and Bishop meet. Sam learns more about Bishop's plans and is getting closer to learning what his target is. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How to Support the Rob Skinner Podcast.  If you would like to help support my mission to multiply disciples, leaders and churches, click here:  https://www.buymeacoffee.com/robskinner   Transcript for "Raise your activity level, don't lower your goals"   I was looking forward to the final message of the evangelism conference.  Christians from all over the world were gathered for a conference meant to inspire and unify our family of churches.  The final speaker was someone I've always respected and is one of my favorite preachers.  I was waiting for a massive call to action.  A dream casting lesson that set our vision on winning this lost world.  In past seminars and conferences, the final lesson is usually one of the best and is typically preached by one of the most gifted leaders.  That slot summarizes the primary points from all the classes and channels them into a call for massive action on the part of the participants.  As the speaker began, I was waiting for that call.  Instead, I heard a lot of stories about family and parenting.  It was a long, meandering lesson and what I heard from it was that we are not going to win the world in one generation, therefore let's pass the torch on to our kids and let them do it.  I left deflated.  Instead of getting pumped up to return to my home church ready to change my city, I had seen a hero of my faith pull out the white flag of surrender and slowly wave it in front of the gathering of over ten thousand followers of Jesus.  Looking back, I understand what he meant.  We do need to pass on what we've learned, our convictions and passion for God and the lost people of this world.  I recognize that there will be millions of lost people long after I'm past.  I know that the work will continue on until Jesus returns.  However, the tone of the lesson was, “It's never gonna happen so let's not stress about it and let's just focus on the next generation.”  It felt very much like a call to lower expectations and to get satisfied with maintaining what we had rather than multiply what God had given us.  As people filed out on their way home, I sat there thinking to myself, “I'm not ready to surrender, settle or be satisfied yet.  I'm not dead yet.  Yes, I want to pass my faith on to my children, but as long as I have breath, I want to advance the Kingdom as far as I can.” Every generation has to decide how they will face the challenges God has placed before them.  During the Exodus, Moses called the Israelites to explore the land they would enter and see what they were facing, both good and bad.  In Numbers 13:17 it is written,  17 When Moses sent them to explore Canaan, he said, “Go up through the Negev and on into the hill country. 18 See what the land is like and whether the people who live there are strong or weak, few or many. 19 What kind of land do they live in? Is it good or bad? What kind of towns do they live in? Are they unwalled or fortified? 20 How is the soil? Is it fertile or poor? Are there trees in it or not? Do your best to bring back some of the fruit of the land.” (It was the season for the first ripe grapes.)  Twelve tribal leaders led the scouting expedition.  Their evaluation is found in Numbers 13:26, “26 They came back to Moses and Aaron and the whole Israelite community at Kadesh in the Desert of Paran. There they reported to them and to the whole assembly and showed them the fruit of the land. 27 They gave Moses this account: “We went into the land to which you sent us, and it does flow with milk and honey! Here is its fruit. 28 But the people who live there are powerful, and the cities are fortified and very large. We even saw descendants of Anak there. 29 The Amalekites live in the Negev; the Hittites, Jebusites and Amorites live in the hill country; and the Canaanites live near the sea and along the Jordan.” 30 Then Caleb silenced the people before Moses and said, “We should go up and take possession of the land, for we can certainly do it.” 31 But the men who had gone up with him said, “We can't attack those people; they are stronger than we are.”  Ten leaders saw the land and said, “We can't.”  Two leaders, Joshua and Caleb, said “We can.”  Those two men were some of the few who made it into the promised land.  The other ten were put to death by God for their lack of faith.  The Israelites were condemned to wander for forty years for their lack of trust in God.  All the leaders saw the same thing.  The same land, the same fruit, the same enemies and the same challenges.  The facts were identical, but the faith couldn't have been more different.  Every generation has the same command to obey, “Go and make disciples of all nations.” (Matthew 28:19).  We face open fields, difficult fields, persecution and blessings.  This lost world has both opportunities and challenges for us individually and as a Christian family.  However, we have to decide how we will respond.  Will we say with Caleb, “We can!” or with the forgotten and doomed ten leaders, “We can't.”  If you want to be a multiplying Christian, you have to consciously decide that you will be a “We can!” Christian.  It may be difficult, and there will be giants and fortresses to face down, but with God, we can.  One of the biggest traps many Christians fall into is lowering their expectations to when faced with spiritual challenges.  Instead of increasing activity, faith, intensity, focus, they begin to spout the language of those who say, “we can't.”  You can recognize it by: ·         Being satisfied with only a few people becoming Christians ·         Shifting focus from saving the lost to satisfying the saved ·         A critical spirit toward those bent on conquest ·         Jealousy and envy toward those who are making spiritual progress ·         Negative talk, gossip and slander toward those whose passion for the lost is still strong ·         A change of emphasis from building God's kingdom to padding our retirement ·         Faithless language like: o   “People aren't open” o   “Times have changed” o   “I've tried but…” o   “We don't have the right song service, enough money, the right people, etc.” I was reading a book by Grant Cardone called “The 10x Rule.”  He points out that so often when we don't hit our goals, we lower our expectations and our efforts.  We don't want to experience the emotional pain of failing.  Instead, he counsels people to increase your efforts ten times, or “10x.”  This principle is applicable to the world of finance, business, relationships, family or spirituality.  We all have a choice when faced with not achieving our ambitions, we can settle or we can set our minds on God and accept that our current level of faith, activity and love will need to grow to meet the challenge before us.  The difference between the man who returned with 10 minas versus the one who simply returned the mina given him by his master (Luke 19:11-27) is that the multiplying servant raised his expectations and efforts to meet the challenge and multiply what God had given him.  The wicked servant settled and became critical of the master and his expectations.  “21 I was afraid of you, because you are a hard man. You take out what you did not put in and reap what you did not sow.” (Luke 11:21)  He justified his inactivity by blaming his master for being hard and having too-high expectations. The apostle Paul faced difficulties in his ministry in Ephesus.  Take a look at Acts 19:8-10, “8 Paul entered the synagogue and spoke boldly there for three months, arguing persuasively about the kingdom of God. 9 But some of them became obstinate; they refused to believe and publicly maligned the Way. So Paul left them. He took the disciples with him and had discussions daily in the lecture hall of Tyrannus. 10 This went on for two years, so that all the Jews and Greeks who lived in the province of Asia heard the word of the Lord.”  When he faced opposition and a lack of openness, he didn't lower expectations, he changed locations and raised his level of activity.  He held daily discussions in a public location.  The result was that he was able to multiply disciples, leaders and churches in western Asia Minor.  I was reading this passage recently and challenged myself to increase my level of effort this fall.  My goal is to hold 90 “discussions in 90 days.  Anytime I am using a Bible with a non-Christian present I'm counting it as a “discussion.”  Sermons, group discussions or personal Bible studies all count.  If I'm going to reach the metropolitan area I live in, it has to start with greater activity on my part.  Yesterday, I went sharing on campus and we shared with over 100 people. Then I led three Bible studies in the afternoon and evening.  The last person I had a discussion with said he wants to get baptized right away.  I was energized and fired up at the end of the day even though it was a packed day.  I'd rather raise my intensity than lower my standards. I appreciate people like Kevin Miller, church leader from Boston.  He has a passion to reach the lost in the Boston metro area.  He could sit there and say that the church is too old, it's been this size for too long or the membership is too old or set in their ways.  Instead, he has a can-do attitude that won't settle for survival. He wants to see the church grow, multiply and do better than it ever has.  I love what Shawn Wooten is doing in Eastern Europe.  He could call it a day and retire on all the inspiring experiences and stories he's accumulated over the years.  Instead, he's driving on toward expansion of the gospel. Dr. John Oakes lifts my spirits.  Like Caleb, he is an older man.  He's retired from teaching.  However, he's determined to advance the kingdom in central California.  He planted a church in Merced, California in his late sixties.  Instead of lowering expectations, he raised his levels of effort.  He goes out on campus twice weekly to reach out and has grown his church of three Christians to over 25 in a little over a year.  He is a “We can!” disciple. Take a look at yourself.  Are you listening to the excuses and rationalizations that Satan and even well-meaning Christians are placing in your head?  Satan's lie is that when faced with difficult challenges, just lower your expectations, back off and don't try so that you won't experience disappointment, failure or defeat.  For example, if you haven't saved a soul in a while, you might be tempted to think, “I'm too old, too unrelatable, too isolated or too something…”  Take captive that thought and instead raise your activity level.  Start sharing your faith actively.  Keep a prayer list of people you can pray for, serve, show hospitality to and invite to church.  Increase your efforts ten times.  If you raise your energy, efforts and faith, you will see things begin to change.  Jesus said in Matthew 9:29, “According to your faith will it be done to you.” Just like with the exploration of the land, for every two faithful followers there will probably be ten cynical and faithless people.  Don't allow other people's negativity or spiritual issues drag you down.  If you want to do great things for God, you will get heat and reasons why it can't be or shouldn't be done.  People will say your too “old school.”  This often happens because the person is simply trying to justify their lives and low expectations.  Ignore it and do God's will.  Become a multiplying disciple.      Application: ·         In what areas have you surrendered or lowered your expectations? o   Relationships o   Evangelism o   Finances o   Purity ·         What could you do starting today to raise your level of faith and activity to see God work in that area?