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Looking back at our Vacation Bible School, Jason and Roger conclude a Fridays in June series called “Four ‘Be's' for Children & Adults.” In this fourth episode, be right. PREVIOUSLY IN THIS SERIES: Be Brave: Paul's First Missionary Journey Be Ready: Paul’s Second Missionary Journey Be Busy: Paul’s Third Missionary Journey
12:00 noon Mass (Fifth, and last, Day of Vacation Bible School)
In anticipation of our upcoming Vacation Bible School, Jason and Roger continue a Fridays in June series called “Four ‘Be's' for Children & Adults.” In this third episode, be busy. PREVIOUSLY IN THIS SERIES: Be Brave: Paul's First Missionary Journey Be Ready: Paul’s Second Missionary Journey
Vacation Bible School season is here, and churches everywhere are preparing decorations, snacks, crafts, lessons, games, registrations, and all the beautiful chaos that comes with welcoming children for a week of gospel-centered ministry.But before VBS begins, there is one important question every church should ask:Is our VBS accessible for every family God has already placed in our care?Show notes at KeyMinistry.org
8:00 am Mass (Fourth Day of Vacation Bible School)
8:00 am Mass (Third Day of Vacation Bible School)
8:00 am Mass Second day of Vacation Bible School.
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of 4) Vacation Bible School.
8:00 am Mass First day of Vacation Bible School.
Today we begin a new series—Strength for the Climb. It's based on the scriptures our children will explore at this year's Vacation Bible School in just a few weeks. Each day of VBS, the kids will explore stories from scripture that illustrate how God is with us through every season of life, and we don't have to do hard things on our own. The theme verse for both VBS is Philippians 4:13: "For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength." When Paul wrote those words, he wasn't standing on the winner's podium—he was sitting in prison. Right before that verse, he says, "I have learned how to be content with whatever I have. I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation..." Then comes the famous line: "I can do everything through Christ who gives me strength." The strength Paul is talking about isn't the strength to avoid hardship—life is going to have difficult moments. Paul reminds us that with God, we have the strength to persevere through anything—not only to endure it, but because God is God, God can use those hardships and challenges to help us become more of who God created us to be. And that's exactly what we see in Joseph.
Rose, Dan, and Damen join together to chat about how God treasures rest as they continue to preview Vacation Bible School!
As we got ready to kick off our Vacation Bible School this year, Chris shares a message about the importance of wanting our Kids to love God, Love others, and love their church!
Send us Fan MailRomans 8:1–17: No Condemnation, Life in the Spirit, and Adoption as God's Children Ken Corkins and pastor Rocky Ellison discuss Romans 8:1–17 (RSV) on “Pondering the Bible,” focusing on Paul's shift from despair in Romans 7 to assurance that there is “no condemnation” for those in Christ, especially in the end-time judgment. They explain that believers are judged by what Jesus has done, not by the law weakened by the flesh, and emphasize the role of the indwelling Holy Spirit as evidence of belonging to Christ. They interpret “living by the Spirit” as being troubled by sin and pursuing sanctification, and they discuss verses 9–11 as pointing to the Trinity. Using an ancient slavery-and-redemption analogy, they describe Jesus as redeemer and conclude with believers' adoption as God's children and heirs with Christ; they recommend the NLT for clarity and note a week off for Vacation Bible School before finishing Romans 8. 00:00 Welcome and Setup 00:21 Romans 8 Reading 03:22 No Condemnation Explained 06:04 Judged by Different Rules 08:45 Flesh vs Spirit Mindset 09:18 Do You Have the Spirit 13:02 Trinity in You 16:04 Debtors and Redeemer 20:05 Adoption and Heirs 23:03 Wrap Up and Next WeekNEW!: Rate us at Podchaser Find us at www.pondergmc.org. Feedback is welcome: PonderMethodist@gmail.com Music performed by the Ponder GMC worship team.Cover Art: Joe WagnerRecorded, edited and mixed by Snikrock
This episode reflects on Matthew 9 where Jesus heals, shows compassion for the crowds, and sends out the twelve disciples with a mission to proclaim the kingdom and heal the sick. The speaker connects that Gospel call to Vacation Bible School, describing VBS as a moment when the church equips and sends out "unfinished" disciples into an imperfect world, trusting the Spirit and the gifts of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, and faithfulness.
Your Faith Journey - Finding God Through Words, Song and Praise
Year A – Pentecost 3; Lectionary 11 – June 14, 2026 Pastor Megan Floyd Matthew 9:35 - - 10:23 Grace and peace to you from God, our Creator, from the Holy Spirit, our Sustainer, and from Jesus Christ, who sends us out with compassion to welcome and serve. Amen. *** Last weekend was one of those weekends that reminds me why I love the church. On Saturday, many of us gathered with our neighbors to first worship, and then celebrate at the Pride Festival. We shared smiles, conversations, and reminders that God's love is for all people. Then, on Sunday, we worshiped together here in celebration of Pride Month, giving thanks for the beautiful diversity of God's creation and for the truth that every person bears the image of God. Then this past week, our congregation joined with three other churches for Vacation Bible School. Children filled the church with laughter… and a bit of chaos. Friendships were formed. Stories were shared. Meals were served. New faces became familiar faces. On the surface, Pride celebrations and Vacation Bible School might seem like very different events. But as I reflected on today's Gospel from Matthew, I realized they share something important. Both were acts of hospitality.Both were ways of saying, "There is a place for you here." …and both were opportunities to share the good news of God's love. And that is exactly what Jesus is talking about in today's Gospel. Matthew tells us that Jesus went throughout the cities and villages, teaching, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and curing every disease and sickness. Then comes one of the most moving descriptions in all of Scripture: "When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd." Everything that follows… flows from that compassion. Jesus does not look at the crowds and see problems to be solved. He does not see enemies to defeat. He does not see people to judge. He sees people who are hurting. …People who are exhausted. …He sees people who have been pushed aside and wounded by systems of power and oppression. And his heart breaks for them. Jesus was moved by his compassion… to act. And you see, that is where the mission of the church begins. Not with strategy or plans for growth. Nope. The mission of the church… begins with compassion. Except… this is often where we get things wrong. We hear Jesus sending the disciples out… and we immediately think of evangelism as persuasion or recruitment. We imagine that our job is to convince people to come to our church and be part of our community. And this isn't a bad thing… I think our community is absolutely wonderful and I definitely think people should come check us out! But that is not what Jesus sends the disciples to do. In the Roman world, people would have immediately recognized the language of "proclaiming good news." When Rome conquered a territory, messengers would arrive announcing the "good news" that Caesar was now in charge. And… they came backed by military force… carrying the power of empire. …They came with the expectation that everyone would submit. Jesus… sends his followers out in exactly the opposite way. They carry no weapons, and they bring no wealth. …They travel with almost nothing so they must depend on the hospitality of strangers. They cannot force anyone to listen or compel anyone to receive them. They simply arrive… bearing peace… and offer healing. They proclaim that the kingdom of heaven has come near… And then they leave the response up to others. If people receive them, they stay, but if people reject them, they move on. This is such a radically different vision of God's kingdom. …The kingdom of God advances not through coercion but through compassion. Not through domination and force… but through love and hospitality. And perhaps that is why Jesus' words about shaking the dust from their feet can sound so startling. When a town refuses to receive the message, Jesus tells the disciples not to stay and argue. Not to keep fighting. Not to force the issue. Just move on. The good news must be shared. There are too many hurting people to spend all our energy trying to convince those who have already closed their hearts. And then Jesus invokes Sodom and Gomorrah. Now, those names carry a lot of baggage… but I think, especially so, during Pride Month. Many people immediately assume that Sodom and Gomorrah represent God's judgment against LGBTQ+ people. …But Scripture itself tells a different story. The prophet Ezekiel says in chapter 16:49, "This was the guilt of your sister Sodom: she and her daughters had arrogance, excess of food, and prosperous ease but did not aid the poor and needy." The sin of Sodom was not love… It was violence… and exploitation. It was the refusal of hospitality. It was the failure to welcome and care for strangers. It was the absence of compassion. In other words, it was the very opposite of the kingdom Jesus proclaims. Wherever people are dehumanized or rejected… wherever power is used to exclude rather than welcome… in those places… it is appropriate to invoke Sodom and Gomorrah. But wherever compassion, hospitality, and love flourish… in those places… the kingdom of God is drawing near. This week, as many of us celebrated the start of Pride Month, I saw glimpses of that kingdom. I saw people who felt safe and seen. …I saw people free to celebrate who God created them to be. I saw joy… and love and community… I saw reminders that every human being bears the Imago Dei—the image of God. And that matters. Especially in a week when the Southern Baptist Convention voted to further restrict women's leadership in ministry. Such actions stand in stark contrast to the expansive movement of God's Spirit throughout Scripture. After all, look at the people Jesus called. …Fishermen… Tax collectors… Political zealots… men AND women. Jesus called the powerful and the powerless… the respectable and the overlooked. Jesus gathered an astonishingly diverse community of disciples. It matters… not because diversity just is a modern value… but because God's kingdom has always been larger than our categories… and the church is at its best when it reflects the wideness of God's embrace. Because the good news is that God's grace is for ALL people, and that Christ's love is wider than our fears and our divisions. The good news is that every person is created in God's image and invited into God's beloved community. The good news is that wherever there is genuine love, God is already at work. That is the Gospel… and that is why it matters. Because there are still crowds all around us who are harassed and helpless. People longing for belonging… carrying wounds and wondering if they matter… wondering if they are loved… People searching for peace. And Jesus still sees them. …Jesus still has compassion… and Jesus still sends disciples to greet them… disciples of all colors, genders, and sexualities… Jesus still calls them… and sends them to greet the people that Jesus loves. My hope and prayer is that we become the kind of church that reflects the heart of Christ so clearly that people encounter that compassion through us. And honestly, I already see that here… I saw it at Pride… I saw it at Vacation Bible School… I saw it in the friendships that were formed… the meals shared… the laughter all around… and the welcome extended. Every act of hospitality becomes a witness to the kingdom… Every gesture of welcome becomes an act of evangelism… Every reminder that someone is beloved becomes a proclamation of the Gospel. Because evangelism is not primarily about getting people into church. It is about helping people encounter the love of God. And so… Jesus' invitation today is both simple and challenging. …Go… Go with compassion and humility… Go without needing to control the outcome. Go willing to offer hospitality and… and also… Go willing to receive it. Go… and be ready to recognize the image of God in every person you meet. Go beyond the boundaries of your comfort… beyond the limits of your assumptions. Go… trusting that the Holy Spirit is already at work ahead of you. The harvest is still plentiful. There are still people longing for good news. There are still opportunities to embody Christ's love. There are still communities waiting to experience the transforming power of hospitality. And so let us say yes to this mission… yes to compassion. Let us say yes to welcome… and yes to the delight God takes in the diversity of creation. Let us say yes to sharing the good news that God's love is for all people. For the kingdom of heaven has come near. Thanks be to God. Amen.
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Diligent Teacher with Lisa Earl A Bible podcast for ladies Ep310 - Vacation Bible School Reminders
On an ordinary summer afternoon in 1993, twelve-year-old Sara Anne Wood rode her turquoise bicycle home from Vacation Bible School and vanished without a trace. What followed uncovered a serial predator, a hidden dungeon beneath a house, and a decades-long game of deception played by a killer who still refuses to reveal where Sara rests. But this isn't just the story of a monster... it's the story of a family that turned unimaginable tragedy into a mission that has helped bring thousands of missing children home. HAH DISCORD - https://discord.com/invite/bJdbpH3hQm YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@HauntedAmericanHistory TikTok - @hah_podcast hauntedamericanhistory.com Patreon- https://www.patreon.com/hauntedamericanhistory LINKS FOR MY DEBUT NOVEL, THE FORGOTTEN BOROUGH Barnes and Noble - https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-forgotten-borough-christopher-feinstein/1148274794?ean=9798319693334 AMAZON: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FQPQD68S EbookGOOGLE: https://play.google.com/store/books/details?id=S5WCEQAAQBAJ&pli=1 KOBO: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/the-forgotten-borough-2?sId=a10cf8af-5fbd-475e-97c4-76966ec87994&ssId=DX3jihH_5_2bUeP1xoje_ SMASHWORD: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1853316 !! DISTURB ME !! APPLE - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/disturb-me/id1841532090 SPOTIFY - https://open.spotify.com/show/3eFv2CKKGwdQa3X2CkwkZ5?si=faOUZ54fT_KG-BaZOBiTiQ YOUTUBE - https://www.youtube.com/@DisturbMePodcast www.disturbmepodcast.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
In anticipation of our upcoming Vacation Bible School, Jason and Roger continue a Fridays in June series called “Four ‘Be’s’ for Children & Adults.” In this second episode, be ready. PREVIOUSLY IN THIS SERIES: Be Brave: Paul’s First Missionary Journey
Send us Fan MailJoin us this week as Jeremy, Kathy Brotherton, and new VBS Director Dannysha Russell discuss the importance of VBS and its impact on the hearts of those who participate.
The summer season is completely different from the other seasons of the year. At times, it seems summer slows life down, so you can breathe, take some personal time, and renew yourself physically, emotionally, and spiritually. At the same time, summer can be very busy, filled with extra activities, days of travel, and perhaps even many different experiences. Parents with kids at home still have to navigate personal schedules, plus camps, perhaps Vacation Bible School, and other special opportunities children are afforded today.
I deliver the snacks. Even at Vacation Bible School. And them kiddos take the stories sideways quick! Team Burger Shed didn't really need a week off after all. We needed to put in the work. Venmo: @Tavin-DillardOntario, CA tickets: https://www.ticketweb.com/event/tavin-dillard-ontario-improv-tickets/14887083Other show tickets: https://www.sweetteafilms.comTavin Bacon Bags: https://berryhillbacon.com/products/tavins-bacon-more-baconMerch and shirts: https://www.rockcityoutfitters.com/collections/tavin-dillardPersonal Video Greetins: https://www.sweetteafilms.com/shop/greetingsEmail: tavindillard@gmail.com
This week, we celebrated Vacation Bible School at Trinty. The kids spent the week hearing five big truths: God is our Creator. God knows everything. God is our safe place. God is love. God is forever. Those truths are not just for kids. God created us for life with Him and love for one another. Sin bends that love inward, but God shows His love for us in this: while we were still sinners, Jesus died for us. Jesus takes our death in our place and for our sake, and He gives us His life. Death was not the last word for Jesus, and because of Him, death is not the last word for us. God made you. God knows you. God loves you in Jesus. God gives you life now and forever. Wow, God. Genesis 1:1-5, 24-31 1 John 4:7-16 Luke 24:1-12
The second in a series in correlation with Vacation Bible School. This sermon focuses on Joseph in Genesis 41. Brought by senior pastor Rev. Dane Womack.
The second in a series in correlation with Vacation Bible School. This sermon focuses on Joseph in Genesis 41. Brought by senior pastor Rev. Dane Womack.
There's a lot happening at McGregor right now, and the people you love being around are talking about all of it. Mark, Tamar, and Christian are back this week covering the Renew Phase 2 permit news (spoiler: they're back on schedule), a Vacation Bible School preview that sounds like it's taken over the whole building, and a new summer Bible study series called "How to Handle Life's Interruptions." Plus, a welcome to Lydia Coggin, the newest addition to the staff. If you haven't found your way into Around McGregor yet, this week is a good place to start. Now available on McGregor Podcast! For more information go to McGregorPodcast.com. New to McGregor? Plan a visit at mcgregor.net/plan-a-visit #McGregorBaptistChurch #McGregorPodcast #AroundMcGregor #FortMyersChurch
In anticipation of our upcoming Vacation Bible School, Jason and Roger kick off a Fridays in June series called “Four ‘Be’s’ for Children & Adults.” In this first episode, be brave.
On today's episode of The Coffee Break, Becket talks about Vacation Bible School, Sarah Ballinger talks about the Cross Reference Library Book Sale, Tim Timmons talks about the upcoming Night of Faith. The Coffee Break is the daily Christian talk and local events program on Hope Radio KCMI 97.1FM serving the Scottsbluff, NE area. Tune in for interviews with authors, musicians, pastors, and others in the Christian community and our local area! Visit our website: www.kcmifm.com Like us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/kcmifm
Fat Loss School - Weight loss, Wellness, and Mindset Lessons for Women Over 50
Ready to kick off your healthiest summer after 50? In this episode of FAT LOSS SCHOOL, Amy shares practical belly fat loss tips for women in menopause, explains why the 14-Day Belly Blast is the perfect jumpstart for fat loss and healthy habits, and also invites you to join Vacation Bible School for Fabulous-over-Fifty Women. Learn how strength training, strategic nutrition, core workouts, and mindset shifts can help reduce belly fat, boost metabolism, and create lasting results—while having fun along the way! Join the June 1-14 BELLY BLAST here: https://fasterway.com/products/belly-blast?aid=AMYBRYAN Join the free Facebook community to take part in Vacation Bible School for Fabulous-over-Fifty Women here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/fasterwaywithamybryan Join my next foundational 6-week FASTer Way to Fat Loss® class for women over fifty here: https://www.fasterwaycoach.com/AMYBRYAN
Hi friends! Can you believe VBS is just over 2 weeks away? We're having 3 podcasts over that time to prepare and get excited for Vacation Bible School. Stephanie and Camille are here today to give an overview of this year's VBS!
The One Who Holds it All Together Speaker: Michael Shockley, ReCreate Church Scripture: Colossians 1:15-17 (NLT) Episode Summary On a 5th Sunday family service, Pastor Michael invites kids up to conduct magnetic experiments while challenging the false idea that you can't love science AND love Jesus. Through Colossians 1:15-17, he reveals that Jesus is the Cosmic Painter and Eternal Engineer behind everything science studies, and that the same Jesus who holds atoms together can hold our lives together. Key Points – Invisible doesn't mean imaginary - just like we can't see magnetic force but can see what it does, we can't see God but can see what He does – Jesus is the visible image of the invisible God - He shows us what God is like in His heart and character by showing love to the forgotten, outcasts, and broken – Jesus created everything visible and invisible - all stars, atoms, molecules, light, matter, energy, space, time, and spiritual powers in the heavenly realms – "Firstborn" doesn't mean born first but first in rank, honor, authority, and supremacy - Jesus has real authority over galaxies and gravity, atoms and angels – Jesus holds all creation together - protons in atoms should repel each other and collapse, but they don't because Jesus sustains the laws that hold creation stable – The Same Jesus who holds the universe together can hold families together, hold our hearts together, and hold us when we're scared, grieving, or falling apart Main Takeaway Jesus made it all, Jesus owns it all, Jesus holds it all together. Science and faith aren't enemies - explaining how something works proves the brilliance of the designer, not that the designer doesn't exist. The more we learn about how the world works, the more we should praise God for making such an amazing world. When life feels like it's falling apart, remember that the Creator of Life is strong enough to hold you together. Memorable Quotes – "Jesus made it all, Jesus owns it all, Jesus holds it all together." – "Invisible doesn't mean imaginary." – "Science shows us how. Faith shows us Who." – "Science doesn't make God smaller. It shows us more and more how BIG He Is!" – "Jesus loves us and laid down His Life for us. And then He Rose Again, because The Creator of Life can't be conquered by death." – "The Same Jesus Who Holds the universe together can help us hold it together." – "If you're turning your heart toward Jesus, He attracts you. If you're turning away, you resist His Love." Reflection Question What parts of your life feel like they're falling apart? Are you willing to trust the One who holds atoms together with holding your heart, your family, and your future together? Tune in to hear the interactive magnetic experiments with kids, why spilled milk never spells out the meaning of life (proving accidents make messes, not masterpieces), the explanation of why atoms don't blow apart, and why Pastor Michael is excited about Vacation Bible School's "Glad Scientist" theme. Connect & Give Learn more about ReCreate Church at www.recreatechurch.org Give online easily and securely through Tithe.ly
Sermon by associate pastor, Pastor Sarah Ellzey in the first of a sermon series on stories taken from Vacation Bible School. This week, Pastor Sarah focused on the book of Esther who tells us: "I can be brave!" Scripture references are Esther 7:1-6, 9-10, 9:20-22.
Sermon by associate pastor, Pastor Sarah Ellzey in the first of a sermon series on stories taken from Vacation Bible School. This week, Pastor Sarah focused on the book of Esther who tells us: "I can be brave!" Scripture references are Esther 7:1-6, 9-10, 9:20-22.
Sean Azzaro speaks to the value of Vacation Bible School and River City Community Church's summer camps (2nd–12th grade), emphasizing discipleship through concentrated relationships, worship, and community. Sean urges parents to organize family life around the things of God, not treating church as negotiable or replaced by sports, activities, or Christian school, and to help kids sustain “camp high” by connecting to youth group. He shares scholarship opportunities via youth pastor Clay Burkholder (cburkholder@reallife.org) and announces camp June 8–12 at Camp Buckner and VBS July 13–17, with details at reallife.org.00:00 Welcome and YaYa Week00:43 Outnumbered Parenting01:14 Why Camp Memories Matter01:57 Daily Devotions and Activities04:29 Church Camps and VBS Options05:34 Why Youth Camp Works06:34 Choosing Faith First09:30 Parents Lead the Way16:27 Camp High to Lifelong Habits18:56 Scholarships Dates and Wrap Up
Sean Azzaro speaks to the value of Vacation Bible School and River City Community Church's summer camps (2nd–12th grade), emphasizing discipleship through concentrated relationships, worship, and community. Sean urges parents to organize family life around the things of God, not treating church as negotiable or replaced by sports, activities, or Christian school, and to help kids sustain “camp high” by connecting to youth group. He shares scholarship opportunities via youth pastor Clay Burkholder (cburkholder@reallife.org) and announces camp June 8–12 at Camp Buckner and VBS July 13–17, with details at reallife.org.00:00 Welcome and YaYa Week00:43 Outnumbered Parenting01:14 Why Camp Memories Matter01:57 Daily Devotions and Activities04:29 Church Camps and VBS Options05:34 Why Youth Camp Works06:34 Choosing Faith First09:30 Parents Lead the Way16:27 Camp High to Lifelong Habits18:56 Scholarships Dates and Wrap Up
Send us Fan MailThe Unsexy Church PodcastNew episodes drop every Wednesday MorningABOUT THE PODCASTThe Unsexy Church is a weekly podcast exploring the real, everyday life within our church family. Each week, join Pastor Bob (Senior Pastor) and Darren (Worship & Discipleship Pastor) as they sit down to discuss a wide variety of subjects—from deep theological questions to the practical, often "unsexy" work of following Jesus and building a healthy local church.WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO THRIVE?We want to help every person make a genuine commitment to follow Jesus and then follow through with that commitment in Connecting People to a Thriving Life in Christ. These Thriving disciples should Dig In to the Bible, Grow Up in Christ, and Branch Outinto the community.Our Mission: To Connect People to a Thriving Life in Christ. What is a thriving life in Christ? Scripture says that Jesus Christ came “that they may have life, and have it abundantly.” Our mission in the city of Tampa is to make disciples who follow the pattern of the believer in Psalm 1 and desire God's glory above all things.NEXT STEPSAre you looking to get connected or learn more about First Baptist Tampa? We would love to help you find your place in our community.Start Here: Visit fbctampa.org/new-here/first-steps/ to take your first step in finding out more about the Church and how you can get involved.STAY CONNECTEDWherever you are in life, you have a purpose. First Baptist Tampa wants to help you find your next step.Official Website: fbctampa.orgFacebook: First Baptist TampaInstagram: @fbctampaOur Student & Young Adult Ministries:AWANA (Kids): https://fbctampa.org/ministries/children/N1NE (Middle & High School): @onenine.fbctampaThe Collective (College): @thecollective.fbctampa
This week on the Beyond Sunday podcast, Cliff Hines, Hannah Buttram, and Josh Hensley join the conversation to unpack Sunday's message on anticipation, waiting, and being spiritually ready for the return of Christ. Along the way, the crew shares hilarious confessions about traffic rage, Amazon tracking habits, ruined surprises, airport timing, and why microwaves are apparently a spiritual test. The discussion balances humor with honest reflection as they wrestle through how waiting reveals our trust, patience, and priorities. The second half of the episode shifts into a deeper conversation around not wasting seasons of waiting, how believers can actively prepare themselves for Christ, and what life would actually look like if we truly believed Jesus was returning soon. The team also highlights upcoming opportunities at New Work Fellowship, including foster care support initiatives and Vacation Bible School, while encouraging listeners to step into faith instead of staying spiritually stagnant. It's a meaningful and surprisingly relatable conversation about living ready, living expectantly, and making the most of the time God has given us.
It's our first guest ep post-tour, and it's a great one! Today we're joined by comedy rapper Scoochie Boochie (@scoochie_boochie) for a chat about Chicago, Museum Speelklok, birding, Vacation Bible School, Chick Tracts, and more!Do you hate ads but love this show? Do you want an incredible deal on access to our entire 5 year backlog of video and ad-free episodes for TWO DOLLARS A MONTH? Then check out our Patreon and support the show at patreon.com/leightonnight! Kick us $5 a month and you even get a MINISODE every week, too. AND access to the fan discord, which is cool and fun. It's a steal. We literally shouldn't be doing this. Follow us on Twitter at @leightonnight and on Instagram/TikTok at @leighton_night. You can find Brian on Twitter/Instagram at @bwecht and Leighton at @buttchamps (Instagram). Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Fat Loss School - Weight loss, Wellness, and Mindset Lessons for Women Over 50
What if this summer became the season you finally stopped “starting over” with your health? In this special summer kickoff episode of Fat Loss School, Amy Bryan shares why summer may actually be the BEST time for women over 50 to improve their health, lose fat, build strength, and create lasting healthy habits. Instead of viewing summer as a season of vacations, cookouts, and falling off track, this episode reframes summer as an opportunity for: ☀️ more movement ☀️ more joy ☀️ more fresh foods ☀️ more energy ☀️ and more consistency with healthy habits Amy also shares insights from Gretchen Rubin's book Design Your Year and encourages women to intentionally design their summer around the feelings, activities, rhythms, and health goals they want most in this season of life. If you are tired of: starting over every Monday waiting until fall to “get serious” struggling with consistency after menopause or feeling stuck in an all-or-nothing cycle… This episode will encourage you to approach summer differently.
"Beyond Sunday" are episodes from Adam and Narrate staff that dive deeper into our life with Christ. Lexsey tells us all about Vacation Bible School 2026!
Fat Loss School - Weight loss, Wellness, and Mindset Lessons for Women Over 50
If you've ever thought: “I know what to do… so why am I not doing it?” Or found yourself stuck in the cycle of:
Fat Loss School - Weight loss, Wellness, and Mindset Lessons for Women Over 50
Looking for a free weight loss community for women over 50 that actually helps you stay consistent, motivated, and encouraged? In this special Extra Credit Friday episode of Fat Loss School, I'm inviting you beyond the podcast and into something even more powerful—my free Facebook community for fabulous-over-fifty women. Because while listening to podcasts can inspire you…
Mother's Day arrives on the heels of one of the fullest Sundays of the year at McGregor. Around McGregor hosts Mark, Tamar, and Christian look back on last Sunday, which included 17 baptisms across two services, senior recognition for graduating high school students, the introduction of incoming Family Ministry Minister Mike Hess, and a 400-person member meeting that welcomed 34 new members into the church family. They also celebrate Tamar's son graduating from UCF and look ahead to the church golf tournament, potential teacher training, the middle school sneak peak, the next prospective member class, and Vacation Bible School. Through it all, last week was a reminder that Christ continues to build His church, and Mother's Day is a chance to thank God for the mothers who keep pointing their kids toward Jesus. This episode is for anyone connected to McGregor who wants to stay current with what's happening across the church family during Renew Phase 2. Presented by McGregor Podcast 2026 Visit Our Website at McGregorPodcast.com New to McGregor? Plan a visit at mcgregor.net/plan-a-visit
100 Life-Challenging Devotionals: Emphasizes Evangelism and Christian Growth by Pat MannThese devotionals are intended to evangelize, educate, and inspire individuals to greater Christian growth. Some of them are used as tools in leading others to come to faith in God through Jesus Christ. They do not follow any theme throughout, so they are in no particular order. Users should choose one they deem appropriate for the occasion for which it will be presented. Use the titles as a guide to choose just the right one. These devotionals are used by some groups as a prelude to a Bible study class or as an opening, preceding a committee or board meeting, either for a religious group or a civil gathering. They are useful in nursing homes, pastors or auxiliary planning meetings, youth events, and campfire events. Some of the devotionals are appropriate to use for a short children's sermon. Travel groups enjoy a brief morning devotional before the day's activities begin, either in motel lobbies or on a travel bus. They also make great gifts for any occasion, such as graduations, birthdays, bridal showers, Christmas, Mother's Day/Father's Day, Pastor Recognition Sunday, or just a gift that says, "Thank you for all you do." Think about adding this book as kind of a "stocking stuffer" add-on with another gift appropriate for the occasion. Some individuals enjoy using the devotionals in this book for their own personal "closet time with the Lord." "These are written that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name" (John 20:31 KJV).Pat Mann has taught Bible lessons in many different settings, beginning at a very young age. Such settings include local church Bible classes, Vacation Bible School, Christian camps for youth and children, home Bible study groups, a thirty-five year weekly Bible lesson presented at the local county jail which continues to this day, and weekly Bible classes at two local nursing homes. She has served as education director at a local church, being in charge of the education program for all ages at that church. She has occasionally filled the pulpit in churches whose pastors are away, or for churches who currently have no pastor. She has always found it easier to write her own Bible lessons and devotionals rather than using pre-printed materials. She has served Woman's Missionary Union, leading in missions education for youth at her local church, as well as serving as area director and a consultant on state and national levels of Women's Missionary Union. She was commissioned by WMU to write a missions day camp unit used nationally, and om another occasion assisted in planning a year's curriculum, also for WMU. She served as chaplain of a local nursing home for ten years, and continues to volunteer leading chapel services twice a week.AMAZONhttps://patmannbooks.com/https://www.ecpublishingllc.com/
TEACH POWERFUL BIBLE LESSONS WITH ZERO PREP! P.J. MANN'S GAME-CHANGING GUIDETeacher Friendly Bible Lessons on Short Notice by P J MannThis book contains fifty-two Bible lessons suitable for students from grade 6 to adult and is useful in several different settings: a year's supply of Bible study lessons in any classroom setting. The book includes lessons for Easter, Thanksgiving, and Christmas.These lessons are useful when a substitute teacher is needed on short notice. The substitute teacher may select a topic and teach an effective lesson with little or no preparation time.Use as curriculum for an in-home Bible study group, for youth gatherings, for nursing home studies (either group or one-on-one), for jails or prisons, for special events (for Easter, Thanksgiving, or Christmas holidays). Or perhaps an individual, at-home, personal Bible study, or any other group gathered to study the Bible.These Bible lessons are intended to be easy to use for anyone who can read English. Teach a lesson with little or no preparation time. Those who are inexperienced in teaching Bible lessons will find these lessons easy to use.Each lesson includes the following: The main lesson text, including printed Scripture passages A summary/review of the main points of the lesson Life-application questions, applying the lesson to life A suggested closing prayer (optional) A Bible quiz to be used as a time filler, if needed An index and description of each lesson is located at the front of this book.Pat Mann has taught Bible lessons in many different settings, beginning at a very young age. Such settings include local church Bible classes, Vacation Bible School, Christian camps for youth and children, home Bible study groups, a thirty-five year weekly Bible lesson presented at the local county jail which continues to this day, and weekly Bible classes at two local nursing homes. She has served as education director at a local church, being in charge of the education program for all ages at that church. She has occasionally filled the pulpit in churches whose pastors are away, or for churches who currently have no pastor. She has always found it easier to write her own Bible lessons and devotionals rather than using pre-printed materials. She has served Woman's Missionary Union, leading in missions education for youth at her local church, as well as serving as area director and a consultant on state and national levels of Women's Missionary Union. She was commissioned by WMU to write a missions day camp unit used nationally, and om another occasion assisted in planning a year's curriculum, also for WMU. She served as chaplain of a local nursing home for ten years, and continues to volunteer leading chapel services twice a week.https://www.amazon.com/Teacher-Friendly-Bible-Lessons-Notice/dp/1644161575https://patmannbooks.com/https://www.ecpublishingllc.com/http://www.bluefunkbroadcasting.com/root/twia/42326pm1ec.mp3 Tea
VBS isn't just a week on the calendar, it's a gospel opportunity.In this episode, we dive into the heart behind this year's VBS theme, Illumination Station, and explore how every activity, lesson, and moment is designed to help kids clearly see who Jesus is. From high-energy rotations to meaningful Bible teaching, this conversation unpacks how the gospel message shines through each day of the week.You'll hear a breakdown of the daily content, key biblical truths kids will discover, and why clarity about Jesus, not just excitement, is the ultimate goal of VBS.We also share practical preparation tips, including:How to equip and encourage volunteersWays to create a welcoming and engaging environmentImportant considerations for special needs ministryHow to keep the gospel central in every rotationWhether you're a seasoned VBS director or planning for the first time, this episode will help you prepare with confidence and purpose.Let's make this the year kids don't just have fun—they leave knowing who Jesus truly is.SHOW LINKS:Lifeway Vacation Bible Study 2026Connect with Lifeway Kids Leave us a voice message here with any questions or feedback!
Hi friends! This week's guest is someone special - Camille's mom, Edie Fleming! They talk about Edie's background (and why she sounds like such a professional podcasting), Eutychus, Vacation Bible School, Bible study, and so much more!Our memory work for the week is the 6th commandment. You can jump in the Amazing Race (our Wednesday night program) at any time!Find our past episodes on our website!
Recorded by Tim Earley for Poem-a-Day, a series produced by the Academy of American Poets. Published on January 12, 2026. www.poets.org
Early winter weather has us pondering an alternate definition of “slush pile,” albeit the mucky, grey residue remaining after a city snowfall. Our Slush Pile is far more fresh, but still a wintry mix as we discuss the short story “Catherine of the Exvangelical Deconstruction” by Candice Kelsey. You might want to jump down the page and read or listen to it in full first, as there are spoilers in our discussion! The story is set on the day of the Women's March, following 2017's Inauguration Day, but only references those events in the most glancing of ways. Instead the protagonist glances away to an array of distractions: Duolingo, a Frida Kahlo biography, a bat documentary, European architecture, banjo music, a stolen corpse flower, daydreaming, and actual dreaming. In the withholding of the protagonist's interiority, Sam sees a connection to Rachel Cusk's Outline, while Jason is reminded of early Bret Easton Ellis. The editors discuss how fiction might evoke the internet's fractioning of our attention, by recreating the fractioning or reflecting it? We'd like to offer congratulations to Sam whose debut book of short stories, “Uncertain Times,” just won the Washington Writers Publishing House Fiction Prize. As always, thanks for listening! At the table: Dagne Forrest, Samantha Neugebauer, Jason Schneiderman, Kathleen Volk Miller, Lisa Zerkle, and Lilllie Volpe (Sound Engineer) Listen to the story “Catherine of the Exvangelical Deconstruction” read in its entirety by Dagne Forrest (separate from podcast reading) (Bio): Candice M. Kelsey (she/her) is a bi-coastal writer and educator. Her work has received Pushcart and Best-of-the-Net nominations, and she is the author of eight books. Candice reads for The Los Angeles Review and The Weight Journal; she also serves as a 2025 AWP Poetry Mentor. Her next poetry collection, Another Place Altogether, releases December 1st with Kelsay Books. (Website): https://www.candicemkelseypoet.com/ (Instagram): @Feed_Me_Poetry Catherine of the Exvangelical Deconstruction Catherine's thumb hovers over Duolingo's question, her mind dim from doom scrolling, chest dead as TikTok. The green owl stares. She swears its beak is twitching. “Got 5 minutes?” She swipes Duo, that nosy bastard, and his taunting French flag icon away. “Non.” The apartment is dim, the air too still. Days feel hollow and unhinged, as if she's Edmond Dantès tossed off the cliff of Chatêau d'If, a brief and misplaced shell weighted to the depths of the sea. So much for learning a language to calm the nerves. Frida Kahlo's face stares from the page of a book she hasn't finished reading. “I should just return this already.” There are days she commits to her syllabus of self-education and days she resents it. Kahlo's eyes pierce her, and giving up feels like large-scale feminist betrayal—how she has shelved the artist, her wounds, tragic love, and all. But even sisterhood is too much this January 21st, and of all people, Kahlo would understand. Catherine opens her laptop and starts a documentary about bats instead. Chiroptera. A biologist with kind eyes speaks of their hand-like bones, the elastin and collagenous fiber wings. The chaos of nature is its own magic realism. She learns bats are vulnerable like the rest of us. Climate disruption and habitat loss. Plus white nose syndrome and the old standby, persecution by ignorant humans who set their caves aflame. In the documentary, there is a bat with the liquid amber eyes of a prophet. Maybe that's what this world has had too much of, she begins to consider. Mid-deconstruction of decades in the white, evangelical cesspit of high control patriarchy, Catherine sees the world as one big field day full of stupid ego-competitions like cosmic tug-a-wars. And prophets were some of the top offenders. King Zedekiah, for one, had the prophet Jeremiah lowered into a well by rope, intending he sink into the mud and suffocate. All because he warned the people of their emptiness. Her mind wanders to Prague, to art, to something far away that might fill her own cistern life. “Maybe next summer,” she whispers. “Charles Bridge, St. Vitus.” The rhythm of bluegrass hums through the speakers, enough to anchor her here, in this room, in this thin sliver of a world she cannot escape. “That could be the problem; I need to learn Czech. No, fuck Duo.” J'apprendrai le français. J'irai à Prague. Je verrai les vieux bâtiments. But then, something strange. The banjo's pluck feels different, deeper, its twang splitting the air. She Googles the history of Bluegrass, and the words tumble from the page, layering like the weight of a corpse settling into the silt off the coast of Marseille. The banjo isn't Appalachian in origin but rather West African—specifically from the Senegalese and Gambian people, their fingers strumming the akonting, a skin drum-like instrument that whispered of exile, of worlds ripped apart. American slavers steeped in the bitter twisting of scripture trafficked them across the Middle Passage, yet in the cruel silence of the cotton fields, they turned their pain into music. How are we not talking about this in every history class in every school in every state of this nation? The akonting, an enslaved man's lament, was the seed of a gourd that would bloom into the sounds of flatpicking Southerners. Still, the banjo plays on in Catherine's apartment. A much more tolerable sound than Duolingo's dong-ding ta-dong. But she can't quite cleanse her mind of the French lessons, of Lily and Oscar. Il y a toujours plus. Her voice is barely a whisper, trying to reassure herself. There must be more. A recurring dream, soft and gleaming like a pearl—her hands moving over cool clams, shucking them on a beach house in Rhode Island. It's a faint memory, but no less ever present. Aunt Norma and Uncle Francis' beach cottage and the closest thing to a Hyannis Port Kennedy afternoon of cousins frolicking about by the edge of a long dock lured back by the steam of fritters. But this time, Ocean Vuong stands beside her. He's talking about the monkey, Hartford, the tremors of the world. And the banjo has morphed into Puccini's La Bohème, which laces through the rhythm of Vuong's syntax like a golden libretto. They notice a figure outside the window, a shadow in the sand—the new neighbor? He's strange. A horticulturist, they say. Catherine hasn't met him, but there are rumors. “Did he really steal it?” Vuong asks. She practices her French—it's a dream after all—asks “Le cadavre fleuri?” They move to whispers, like a star's breath in night air. Rumor stands that in the middle of California's Eaton fire, the flower went missing from the Huntington Museum in Pasadena. The Titan Arum, bloated and bizarre in its beauty and stench, just vanished. Fran at the liquor store says the new neighbor, gloves always pressed to the earth, took it. At night, she hears him in the garden, talking to the roots. She imagines his voice, murmuring something incomprehensible to the moonlight. Like that's where the truth lies—beneath the soil, between the cracks of broken promises, smelling faintly of rot. She recalls the history she once read, so distant, so impossibly rotten. During WWI, when the Nazis swept through Prague, they forced Jewish scholars to scour their archives. They wanted to preserve the so-called “best” of the Jews—manuscripts, texts, holy materials—for their future banjo-twisted Museum of an Extinct Race. She shudders. The music, the wild joy of the banjo, now seems infected with something ancient and spoiled. The act of collecting, of preserving, feels obscene. What do you keep? What do you discard? Whom do you destroy? She wakes from the dream, her phone still alive with French conjugations. The bluegrass hums, but it's heavier, like a rope lowering her into Narragansett Bay. The neighbor's house is dark. But she thinks she can see him, a silhouette against the trees, standing still as a warning. Everything is falling apart at the seams, and she is both a part of it and apart from it. Like each church she left, each youth group and AWANA or Vacation Bible School where she tried to volunteer, to love on the kids, to be the good follower she was tasked with being. She leans her forehead against the cool glass of the window, closing her eyes. The ache is there, the same ache that never quite leaves. It's sharp, it's bitter, it's whole. The small, steady thrum beneath it all. Il y a toujours plus. Maybe tomorrow she will satisfy Duo. Maybe next fall she will dance down a cobbled street in Prague. Find five minutes to feel human. Perhaps she will be whole enough, tall as St. Vitus Cathedral, to face whatever is left of this America. She closes her eyes to Puccini's Mimi singing Il y a toujours plus and dueling banjos while her neighbor secretly drags a heavy, tarp-covered object across his yard under the flutter of Eastern small-footed bats out for their midnight mosquito snack. A scene only Frida Kahlo could paint.
When Yang Rongli, a pastor of Linfen Golden Lampstand Church in Shanxi Province, China, was sentenced to 15 years in prison, she responded with words of celebration. “I got the top reward!” she said, considering it an honor to suffer for Christ and referring to the fact that her prison sentence was longer than other church members. She and her husband, Pastor Wang Xiaoguang, remain in prison. Listen this week as Bob Fu, former prisoner for Christ in China and the founder and president of China Aid Association, shares updates from persecuted Christians in China, including Pastor John Cao, Pastor Wang Yi, and other Chinese Christians. The Chinese Communist Party continues to pursue absolute government control of churches and other religious institutions in China. Pastors and church leaders face long prison sentences for “fraud” when their church collects tithes and offerings, or “illegal border crossing” if they travel to meet with fellow believers outside China. Despite being prevented from leaving China following the completion of his seven-year prison sentence, Pastor John Cao continues serving the Lord through daily prayer meetings. He's even baptized new believers—despite Communist guards required to escort him everywhere he goes! Bob Fu, author of God's Double Agent, reports on recent church raids in China, including arrests of children attending Vacation Bible School. The Communist Party forbids any religious outreach or training for children under age 18. With two years remaining in his nine-year sentence, Pastor Wang Yi has composed books in his head during his time in prison, as well as praying daily through a list of more than 1,000 prayer requests. You can write letters of encouragement to Wang Yi and other Christian prisoners in China, Eritrea, Iran and other nations at www.PrisonerAlert.com. There are a few seats remaining at VOM's From the Field 2025 National Conference. The conference will take place in Bartlesville, Oklahoma September 25-27. Attendees will hear from Bob Fu and other persecuted Christians—including several former VOM Radio guests—during the conference. Learn more and register online today.