Podcasts about way it

Send us a textIn this episode of The Unrestricted Podcast, I'm joined by my good friend Angel Cervera for a laid-back yet meaningful conversation. We catch up on where life has taken us recently, dive into new documentary films that have caught our attention, and reflect on the state of creativity, culture, and staying grounded.We explore:

Send us a textIn this episode of The Unrestricted Podcast, I'm joined by my good friend Angel Cervera for a laid-back yet meaningful conversation. We catch up on where life has taken us recently, dive into new documentary films that have caught our attention, and reflect on the state of creativity, culture, and staying grounded.We explore:

Send me a text! I'd love to know what you're thinking!Shalom is a biblical concept that goes far beyond our usual understanding of “peace.” It's about healing, fulfillment, and every part of life coming together as God intended. For ministry leaders, this vision of shalom changes everything about how we lead, serve, and even think about the mission of the church.In this episode, Terry A. Smith, author of The Lord Give You Peace, explores what shalom really means, why it's at the heart of God's mission, and how we as ministry leaders can become bringers of Shalom in and beyond our churches.THIS EPISODE'S HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDE:Markus Watson invites Terry A. Smith to share how the concept of shalom became important in his life and faith.Terry A. Smith explains that encountering Tim Keller's writing helped him see shalom as the way God intended things to be.Shalom means more than just "peace"—it encompasses wholeness, flourishing, harmony, prosperity, and well-being.Terry A. Smith describes shalom as holistic well-being, productive flourishing, and happy fulfillment.Shalom involves every dimension of life: psychological, spiritual, physical, and relational wellness.Flourishing in shalom is not passive but should lead to positive, productive fruit in the world.Fulfillment includes experiencing deep happiness and contentment rooted in hope and connection with God.Markus Watson reflects that God's mission for Creation is to restore shalom on every level—between humans and God, with each other, within ourselves, and with creation.Terry A. Smith affirms that the presence of brokenness and lack of shalom is due to the fall and the "vandalization" of God's intentions.People can still taste and participate in shalom, even while living in a broken world.Terry A. Smith highlights that many biblical promises of shalom are directed at people in exile or less-than-ideal circumstances, encouraging hope and action.The church's calling includes being a model of unity and peace, creating opportunities for shalom in relationships and community.Terry A. Smith describes his church's intentional pursuit of diversity, unity, and partnership with local organizations as active shalom-making.Creating an environment of hospitable leadership fosters a culture where people and their God-given dreams flourish.Leaders who embody shalom can better guide others through change, adversity, and growth by bringing wholeness and well-being into every situation.RELEVANT RESOURCES AND LINKS:Website – terryasmith.comThe Life Christian ChurchBooks mentioned:The Lord Give You Peace, by Terry A. SmithNot the Way It's Supposed to Be, by Cornelius Plantinga, Jr.The Hospitable Leader, by Terry A. SmithRelated episodes:134. How to Help Your City Thrive, with Amy Sherman140. Bathed in Grace, with Matt Tebbe and Ben Sternke157. Seamless Leadership, with Steve GarberClick HERE to get my FREE online course, BECOMING LEADERS OF SHALOM.

Send us a textIn this episode of Kaffeen Espresso, I sit down with my former colleague and strategic powerhouse, Laura Pearlstein Mills—founder of Cider. With over 15 years of brand strategy experience spanning luxury fashion, FMCG, logistics, and tech, Laura shares insights into the power of purpose-driven branding, her experience on the prestigious WPP fellowship, and how her multi-disciplinary career has shaped her unique perspective.We discuss:The impact of the WPP fellowship and how it shaped Laura's careerWhat agencies can learn from smaller businesses when it comes to talent developmentThe balance between staying niche vs. chasing trendsHow brands can lead in times of political and economic uncertaintyThe power of listening in creative business successLaura's move between agency and client-side roles and what she's learned along the wayIt's an insightful conversation about brand strategy, industry evolution, and the importance of adaptability in business.

Dewey Groom - A Pair Of Fools ( Longhorn )Jimmy Dry - You're Changing Your Heart ( Princess )Donnie McDuff - What About My Hurt ( Trace )Country Johnny Mathis - Sugar Thief ( Little Darlin )Faron Young - That's The Way It's Gotta Be ( Capitol )Norman Wade - If That Ain't Country ( NCR )Al Horn - Come On In Mr. Blues ( BTR )Lefty Frizzell - Love Looks Good On You ( Columbia )Carl Butler And Pearl - Your Way Of Life ( Columbia )Hughie Burns - If Cheatin's A Sickness ( Bee Line )Bobby Austin - Do Die ( Capitol )Clay Allen -  I Can't Stop The Blues From Moving In ( Longhorn )Jeannie Sealy - You Tied Tin Cans To My Heart ( Monument )Jimmie Skinner - I Found My Girl In The USA ( Starday Bob Luce and The Stardusters - Lonely Hearts ( Love Lock )George Jones - Money To Burn ( Mercury )Stonewall Jackson - Lost In The Shuffle ( Columbia )Cal Smith - The Only Girl In The Game ( Decca )Johnnie Lee Wills - Talkin Bout You ( Flying Fish )Dugg Collins - I Just Want To Be Alone ( Certron )Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/thehonkytonkjukebox/exclusive-content

MONOLOGUE The Liberal Carbon Tax Con: Desperate Lies, Empty Promises, and Political Survival NEWSMAKER EKOS Research Poll Shows Liberals Closing the Gap – Is this a Mirage? https://www.thewrit.ca/p/projection-update-signs-of-liberal  Wyatt Claypool, Senior Contributor with The National Telegraph https://www.youtube.com/@thenationaltelegraph9253 OPEN LINES THE CULT OF CLIMATE CHANGE Trump signs executive order directing US withdrawal from the Paris climate agreement — again What Does the Paris Agreement Actually Do? https://apnews.com/article/trump-paris-agreement-climate-change 788907bb89fe307a964be757313cdfb0 Tony Unveils New Data Analysis Software https://www.visitech.ai  Tony Heller, Geologist, Weather Historian, Founder of Real Climate Science dot com MONOLOGUE Trump Shows the Way: It's Time for Canada to Ditch Woke Policies and Get Back to Work NEWSMAKER Biden preemptively pardons Anthony Fauci https://www.wnd.com/2025/01/bidens-pardon-for-fauci-is-in-no-way-going-to-stop-congressional-investigations/ Donald Trump Backing mRNA Vaccine Project Gets Backlash https://www.newsweek.com/donald-trump-mrna-vaccine-cure-cancer-ai-2018701 Naomi Wolf is the Author of The Pfizer Papers: Pfizer's Crimes Against Humanity. Co-founder and CEO of DailyClout.io THE X WARRIORS Liberal Leadership Candidate Mark Carney has submitted his paperwork to enter the race Ahead of tomorrow's deadline. He Claims He's an “Outsider.”  Brittani Russell aka Brattani Political Commentator. Her handle on X is @BrattUnderscoreWorld THIS DAY IN ROCK HISTORY In 1966, The Beach Boys entered Gold Star Studios to record “Wouldn't It Be Nice,” the opening track on their forthcoming album, Pet Sounds. In 1977, Paul McCartney proved his post-Beatles prowess when he topped the US album chart for the sixth time with Wings Over America. In 1983, after nearly two years on air, MTV began broadcasting to the West Coast of America. The 24-hour music video network fundamentally changed the way the world interacted with music and was, for many years, the ultimate youth culture tastemaker. Jeremiah Tittle, Co-Host of "The 500 with Josh Adam Myers" Podcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to a very merry episode of the podcast! The holiday season is a great opportunity to connect with teens. Join us as the Teen Life team shares what makes Christmas feel special to them—and maybe get a little inspiration to bring back to your own holiday celebrations! We'll touch on traditions, activities, holiday food, music movies, and more. It's an episode that will have you laughing out loud and ready for your own celebrations. . . In this episode, we mentioned the following songs: - Joy to the World (Pentatonix) - Jingle Bell Rock by Daryl Hall & John Oates - Skating by Vince Guaraldi Trio - 12 Days of Christmas by Reliant K - The Little Drummer Boy by For King + Country Movies: - White Christmas - The Muppet Christmas Carol - Jingle All the Way - It's a Wonderful Life - How the Grinch Stole Christmas - Home Alone - The Santa Clause - Rudolf the Red-Nosed Reindeer - Santa Claus is Comin' to Town - The Nightmare Before Christmas Also mentioned: - Reese's Trees - Interlochen Holiday Lights in Arlington TX . . Visit our website: www.teenlifepodcast.com Subscribe to get the episodes in your inbox: www.teenlife.ngo/subscribe Watch the podcast on ⁠YouTube⁠! Follow Us: Instagram | Facebook | Twitter . . Podcast Music by: Luke Cabrera & Tobin Hodges Hosted by: Karlie Duke, Caleb Hatchett & Tobin Hodges Produced by: Karlie Duke & Kelly Fann --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/teenlifepodcast/support

Gina Livy's Facebook Lives from The Livy Method Fall 2024 Support Group hosted on Facebook. This is a recording of the Day 43, 9 AM live. You can find the full video hosted at:https://www.facebook.com/groups/livymethodfall2024Topics covered:We've reached the midway point of The Program - are you going to make it to the end?Can minimizing alcohol intake be beneficial for weight loss?What the Menopause Add-On group will look likeTake some time to take stock of where you're at and assess what you need to keep showing upIt's still normal for the scale not to moveDownsizing one last time - it's time to be all inHow weight loss on The Livy Method hits differentHow the weekly tweaks help to fast-track the weight loss processAre bits and bites creeping in? Time to reassess your ‘Why' and the bigger pictureGetting to a place where you can enjoy indulging without punishing yourself afterwardsHow using your energy creates more energyIt's not just about losing weight - it's what you're learning about yourself along the wayIt's not the candy on Halloween - it's having candy every dayWhy it's important to meet yourself where you're at and not get stuck on what you did last timeHow to work through feeling like you're behind - you are exactly where you need to beThe difference between diet fatigue and life fatigue - how to define what you're struggling withTo learn more about The Livy Method, visit www.ginalivy.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

"Changing the World, Part 2: The Way It's Supposed To Be" (10-20-2024) - Rev. Mike Graves

The Constitution, The Way It's Supposed To Be | Can't Miss Moments https://www.audacy.com/989word The Charlie James Show Listen on Spotify : https://spoti.fi/3MXOvGP Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-charlie-james-show-podcast/id1547262821 Follow us on Social Media Join our Live Stream Weekdays - 3pm to 7pm Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/989word Rumble: https://rumble.com/c/c-2031096 X: https://twitter.com/989word Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/989word/ "Red Meat, Greenville." 09/17/24

Why doesn't work always work? There's no one to blame but us. https://www.kibbeconsulting.com/https://www.goodworkconference.com/And check out Cornelius Plantinga's book, Not the Way It's Supposed to Be. 

If only the going was always easy. But life's not like that. Sometimes we have to travel through difficult times. Times that test our patience, our endurance and our faith. And it's right in the middle of those times that God's Word holds the answers that we need to make it through.   Life Wasn't Meant to be Easy These days, it's a bit unpopular for someone like me to be talking about obedience to God's Word. It's not something most of us want to hear. Aw, come on Berni, teach me about grace, tell me about God's blessings, I want to know more about God's love. That's the stuff people want to hear about and sure, they're all really good things. I mean, really good things. But what about these particular verses of Scripture, John chapter 14, verse 15: If you love me, you will obey my commandments. 1 John chapter 5, verse 3: For the love of God is this, that we obey his commandments. No, obedience to God's Word is not a particularly popular concept these days. But the whole point of obeying God, is that the only things He tells us not to do, are the things that are going to bring harm to us and the people around us. So paradoxically, obedience brings freedom. Obedience sets us free from the consequences of our sin ... and sin ... sin always has consequences, right? Okay that's great. But what about when the going gets tough? What about when other people are doing the wrong thing, and we're hurting? What about obedience to God's Word in that place when the degree of difficulty gets ratcheted up to about a 9.9? Psalm 119, verses 20 to 24: My soul is consumed with longing for your ordinances at all times. You rebuke the insolent, accursed ones, who wander from your commandments; take away from me their scorn and their contempt, for I have kept your decrees. Even though princes sit plotting against me, your servant will meditate on your statutes. Your decrees are my delight, they are my counsellors. That's amazing, because the man writing this Psalm, the man speaking to God here, is under a lot of pressure. But he's taken a stand. He's made a decision that he will long for God's will, God's Word, God's ways, when? Just in the good times? No! At all times! Even when evil people are heaping scorn and contempt on him, even when princes are plotting against him. That's a tough decision, but it's the right one. Many centuries later, the Apostle Paul put it this way. Galatians chapter 6, verse 9: So let us not grow weary in doing what is right, for we will reap at harvest time, if we do not give up. The time when God's Word is most important, when God's wisdom is most important, when God's ways are most important, is when the going gets tough. Right in that moment when we want to give up honouring God by living His way, right in that instant, that's when obedience to God's Word is most important. Because in that moment, the enemy wants to snatch your inheritance away from you. But don't give up, because there's a harvest coming. When? Well, at harvest time of course! The trick, I guess, the piece of wisdom, the powerful Word that God wants us to hear today though, is don't give up in doing what is right. Don't give up honouring and obeying God. But that's not always going to be easy is it? One of the things I love about the Hebrew culture in which the Psalms of the Old Testament were written, is the powerful use of picture language to express deep emotions. The Jewish tradition is full of rich, evocative picture language, like Psalm 119, verses 25 and 26: My soul clings to the dust; revive me according to your word. When I told of my ways, you answered me; teach me your statutes. Just drink that picture in for a moment: my soul clings to the dust. It speaks of complete and utter desolation. It speaks of burdens so heavy, a body so weary, that it's lying in the dust, barely able to move. Not even able to lift its head to look up at God. When you're in that place, it feels hopeless. It feels lonely. It feels as though you're the only one who's ever been there, and nobody else understands. My soul clings to the dust. It's a picture that we all get. It's a picture that speaks into the desolation that we've all felt. Perhaps you're in that place right now, where your soul is sucking in the dust, with nothing else to cling to. It's the place where we want to give up, because we don't have a single ounce of energy left in us. Yeah, we've all been there. So, what do you do? What does the Psalmist do? What does he have to say to God? God, revive me according to your word. When I told of my ways, you answered me; teach me your statutes. The first part of that makes a lot of sense – God revive me. The obvious thing to do, the obvious place to turn, the obvious cry for help … although how often do we miss the obvious? The question is, how does God bring that revival to an exhausted and completely depleted soul? Well, the psalmist knows! Revive me according to your word. When I told you of my ways, you answered me; teach me your statutes. You see, when we're in that desolate, dusty place, we need a way back. A real, tangible way back. And that way is through the Word of God. It's through God speaking to us. God's Word is food for the starving soul. God's Word is living water for a parched soul. But how often do we miss the obvious? I've seen Christians from time to time praying for revival. But revival begins at home. There will be no revival unless and until the living water, the Spirit of God, overflows from His people. You and I need revival in our hearts. You and I need to be filled to overflowing with the revelation of God through His Word, the joy of God, the healing of God, the Spirit of God. Revival begins at home! Lord revive me, according to your word. God's Word is a powerful thing, because not only does it bring revival to our hearts, not only does God breathe His Sprit into us through His Word, not only does God deliver His new life for us through His Word, but His Word also brings understanding. And understanding is wisdom. Have you ever found yourself in a situation where you don't understand what's going on – either around you, or in you, or both? Sure you have, so have I. I mean, sometimes we don't even understand ourselves, let alone our circumstances, or the way other people behave and think. And the absence of that understanding, that wisdom if you will, makes life a difficult thing to live. Understanding as it turns out, is the key to living life. Psalm 119, verses 27 to 32: Lord, make me understand the way of your precepts, and I will meditate on your wondrous works. My soul melts away for sorrow; strengthen me according to your word. Put false ways far from me; and graciously teach me your law. I have chosen the way of faithfulness; I set your ordinances before me. I cling to your decrees, O Lord; let me not be put to shame. I run the way of your commandments, for you enlarge my understanding. Understanding is mentioned twice in that passage, once at the beginning and once at the end. Again we see that the Psalmist is going through difficult times – my soul melts away for sorrow – and yet the thing that he asks for is understanding. That in itself is surprising enough. We spend our time asking God to take away the pain when our souls are melting away through sorrow, but the Psalmist is asking instead, for understanding. But understanding of what? Of the ways of God's precepts. In other words: Okay God, Your Word, Your precepts, they're all fine, that's a given. But now, God, I want to understand the ways of your precepts. I want to understand how the rubber hits the road. I want to understand how I can live them out, because I want your strength, I want to put false hope far from me, so teach me. I'll cling to your Word, because I know that as I live it out, You are going to enlarge my understanding. What a powerful prayer. It's a prayer for on-the-job training. You imagine asking God for that, over and over again … imagine the understanding, the wisdom, the power that God is going to unleash in your life. Just imagine! Here's the thing: God wants to do powerful things in you and through you, He just does. And He's put His Word there, the Bible, through which to give you, all the understanding you need. Make me understand the ways of your precepts, and I will meditate on your wondrous works. Wow!   A Heart for God's Word If I were to ask you today, what is the one thing that you're focussing on at the moment, what would that be? What's the biggest thing going on in your heart at the moment? The truth is, that from time to time the things of this earth grab our attention. Some of those things are good things. Some of those things are bad things. In a few months' time my daughter is going to be getting married. Well, you can imagine, that's pretty much the focus of things in our household at the moment. There's nothing wrong with any of that, unless and until the things of this world bubble to the top of our priority list, above God Himself. When that happens, our lives have a way of going pear-shaped. All of a sudden, when we get our priorities the wrong way around, we start to live out the consequences of that. So let me come back to that question: what is your heart focussed on at the moment? What's at the top of your list, hmm? Psalm 119 verses 35 and 36: Lead me in the path of your commandments, for I delight in it. Turn my heart to your decrees, and not to selfish gain. This Psalm is written by a man who is speaking to God. So, when he says: lead me in the path of your commandments and turn my heart to your decrees, He's asking God to do those two things for Him. Psalm 119 blows me away. It's the longest chapter in the Bible – 176 verses all-in-all. And the majority of it is a prayer, asking God essentially to help this man who is writing it, to get his life straight, by getting God's Word into his heart. That's the bottom line of the whole Psalm. God I can't do it on my own, I need your help. That's a great admission, because it happens to be true. And here in verses 35 and 36, the Psalmist is asking God to turn his heart to God's decrees rather than to his own selfish gain. That's the pivot point in our hearts isn't it? Our whole lives swing on this hinge between honouring God and selfish gain. Between right and wrong. And that's why I keep asking you: what's the focus of your heart right at the moment? Where is your heart? Focussed on honouring God or on selfish gain? The answer matters. It matters a lot. There is such power in the Word of God to set you free from your selfishness. Why is it that people leave their Bibles on a shelf somewhere gathering dust? God has the power to set you free. Free from the consequences of sin. All you need to do is to ask Him for His help and He will step in. And here's the thing about God's help. It's intensely practical. Intensely real. In our lives on this earth, you and I, we're prone to trusting things that we can see. It's only natural. We live in a physical world, so we trust in physical things. We know, for instance, that tonight the sun will set, and in the morning it will rise again. We trust in relationships. We trust in our circumstances, good or bad. We trust in our pay packets and our bank balances. And to a point that's as it should be … to a point. Up until the point where we trust in those things above and beyond who God is and what He says He will do. At that point, you've started trusting your life into things that are not worthy of that level of trust. If you have a share-portfolio that's worth a certain amount of money, hey, the market could plummet tomorrow. The same is true of every other physical thing on this earth – they can give way ... in an instant. And so often, we're caught out, because we've place our trust in the wrong things. That's why we need God's help, His intensely practical help, to get our hearts focussed on the right things. Psalm 119, verses 37 to 40: Turn my eyes from looking at vanities; give me life in your ways. Confirm to your servant your promise, which is for those who fear you. Turn away the disgrace that I dread, for your ordinances are good. See, I have longed for your precepts; in your righteousness give me life. So here the Psalmist is asking God to turn his eyes away from all those vanities, all those false idols in which we place our trust. What idols as you trusting in at the moment? In what vanities have you placed your trust? Hmm? Father God turn my eyes from looking at those vanities and give me life in your ways, literally, give me living energy to pursue the way marked out by You O God. That's it! That's what I need, that's what you need. Living energy. Holy Spirit energy, to head God's way, to trust God to lead us forward, rather than placing our hope in false idols. Friend, God's promises are true. Those false idols, ultimately are going to lead you to disgrace. But God's promises will never fail. God I've seen that your ways are good. I long for your ways. Lead me in them. Give me life. What a great prayer. What a powerful way to change your heart. Try as we might, we cannot change our own hearts for ourselves. But God's living energy, the power of His Word, the power of His Spirit – that's where we get a change of heart. That's where we get a change of focus. God doesn't want you to continue trusting in idols, dreading the disgrace that they will ultimately bring. He wants to shift your focus, transform your heart, with His living energy. Because when we walk in God's ways, then all of a sudden we discover what freedom really is. It pains me to tell you this, but for the first thirty-six years of my life, I thought I was free. Free to live my life the way I wanted. But now, looking back on that time before I accepted Jesus into my heart, I realise that I was nothing but a captive. The best way to describe it, is that I looked successful and happy on the outside, but on the inside, I was plagued by fear and doubt. On the inside, I was a complete mess. That's because I was a captive rather than living as a free man. That's because the expectations of this world dominated my heart. Again, the Psalmist puts it like this, Psalm 119 verses 41 to 46: Let your steadfast love come to me, O Lord, your salvation according to your promise. Then I shall have an answer for those who taunt me, for I trust in your word. Do not take the word of truth utterly out of my mouth, for my hope is in your ordinances. I will keep your law continually, forever and ever. I shall walk in liberty, for I have sought your precepts. I will also speak of your decrees before kings, and shall not be put to shame. I really get that bit about having an answer for those who taunt me. The criticism, the mockery of others, used to be like arrows into my heart. Let me ask you, to what extent are you marching to the beat of the world's drum? To what extent are you dancing to the tunes of the expectations of others? And when you can't meet those expectations, people criticise you, people reject you, they throw you out like a worthless piece of trash. We spend way too much time and energy striving, sacrificing, performing in order receive the approval of others, only to fail, only to miss the mark, only to discover that it's a pursuit that's hollow and empty and simply not worth the effort. But the more we get into God's Word, the more we discover the steadfast love that God has for us, the more we get to know God's Word and trust God's Word, the less those things matter. And the less those things matter, the more we discover the freedom that we have in Jesus Christ. I shall walk in liberty for I have sought your precepts! Yes! Hallelujah! Absolutely! Freedom. God's freedom. There is such freedom when we get it into our hearts that we're meant to live our lives for an audience of One. That's what God has ready and waiting for you. True freedom in His ways, in His precepts, in His Word. Jesus said: If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples; and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.   Jesus is the Way It's rather an odd thing, but one of the names that Jesus is given in the Bible, is that He is the "Word of God". Now we normally use that term ‘the Word of God' for the Bible itself, because, after all, it's through the Bible that God speaks His words into our lives. Fair enough. But have you ever thought how powerfully God speaks to us through Jesus Himself, the very Son of God ... God in the flesh? This is how the Apostle John puts it. John chapter 1, verses 1 to 5: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. The light shines in  the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it. We all travel through dark times, we just do. And in those dark times, what we need is light. Jesus came to be that light. This is what He said of Himself – John chapter 8, verse 12: I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life. Jesus is God speaking to us in a language that we can understand. And that's why in my own personal reading of the Bible, I always make sure that from time to time, I cycle through one of the Gospels. Right now I'm just about to finish the book of Psalms and head into Matthew's Gospel. Why? Because Jesus is God revealing Himself to us – to you, to me. And I don't know about you, but I need that Light in my life. I need Jesus speaking directly into my life. I need a deep, personal, intimate relationship with Jesus, as I walk with Him and for Him, day by day. Without Jesus, we don't know God, indeed, we cannot know God. Without Jesus we can't find the way to God, because Jesus is the Way. Might I ask you today, what darkness do you have going on in your life? What fears, what uncertainties, what worries are at the forefront of your thinking right at this moment? What situations are confusing you and confounding you and proving completely impossible for you to overcome? Jesus is the answer. In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God. All things that were created, were created through Him and by Him. He has knowledge and wisdom and power beyond anything we can imagine. And He is the light for all people. That includes you. And when that light, His light, the Light of the world shines in your life, the darkness simply cannot overcome it. Jesus is the answer.

Today my long time outdoor compadre Kenji Haroutunian makes his 3rd appearance on the show. As longtime director of two top-fifty trade shows in the country (and many events and services beyond), Kenji's experience has afforded him a truly independent viewpoint to best understand the ebbs and flows of business trends, successes, failures and the tools that can be applied these days to make a difference. Facebook​ ​Twitter​ ​Instagram​ Love the show? Subscribe, ​rate, review, and share!​ Sign up for my Newsletter ​HERE​ I'd love to hear your feedback about the show! You can contact me here: ​rick@theoutdoorbizpodcast.com Brought to you this week by Alabama Beaches Show Notes 04:27 The pivot from outdoor retail (A16) to trade shows. I don't quite remember how that happened. I had been managing stores, a store manager for Adventure 16 in L. A. and then in the Valley store, and was back in the L. A. store managing there. And then got a call from Larry Harrison, who was. Put on task by the outdoor retailer team to go find their next account exec. There was a long-time account executive who was leaving, and they're looking to fill that spot. And I said, like, well, what's an account executive? It's not something that I was familiar with and sounded pretty fancy, but you know, long story short, I interviewed down in Laguna Beach with the team. And then, back then, it was called Miller Freeman, who was the owner of the outdoor retailer shows. And I got hired there as a salesperson having zero experience selling space or advertising, and starting in, in earnest, my career in the media slash shows business. 08:00 The Big Gear Show Big Gear rose up out of what was the paddle sports retailer show. So that was a show launched by a couple of guys from the paddle sports industry who became sort of unhappy with the timing of outdoor retailer. Paddle sports was a big part of the outdoor retailer show, and they passed. They took their boat, went off, and started their own show. Out of that came the desire to be more inclusive categorically. So, instead of just paddle sports, why don't we bring in hike, running, camping, and biking and create a more comprehensive and inclusive platform? And so that's where the Big Gear Show came from. It launched in 2020. 14:29 Outdoor Biz Evolution Those trade shows were all a bunch of guides, and, you know, we were young kids who worked at the retail shop floors and stuff. It was not as sophisticated then as it is now today. You're right. That evolution is big. And I think, you know, the infusion of capital market representatives, you know, I, it was very different. You're right. You know, during my time, for example, at the show's helm was during the time when financial investors started showing up in numbers dozens and then like hundreds of people were coming, and we even created an event for them called what's that called, Fund Source? And it was specifically designed for new brands to pitch to investment community people and get valuable feedback and maybe even score an investor, you know, in the, in the sort of mode of Shark Tank. Right. But it was, I think Camber Outdoors is helping to sponsor it. 17:10 Do you have any thoughts on how that shakes out, consolidates, and continues to expand? I shy away from the word trade show anymore because it's kind of a loaded term. It kind of almost by default says the old. Way or the old show model that were the outdoor industry anyway, has become passé. And I think that whatever we're going to call the new show model you know, at big gear, we call it B2B2C or just simply like an inclusive platform that makes less of a deal of your categorical status. You know, interestingly, you know, I, I have a, well, I don't have my badge on right now, but I came in the show and they had sort of parsed the show entry timing by what kind of badge you had. So it was like, you get an eight, if you have this badge, get an 11, if you have this badge and you're not allowed in, if you don't have this badge. So I think that determination of who occupies what is really difficult now because. You know, who is a retailer anymore? Who is a guide outfit or influence or media, et cetera. Um, even supplier brands have, have brand, like they have products with their brand name on it, you know, Gore, for example. So it's it's a fuzzier world when you make those determinations. So creating a more inclusive show experience is I think part of the, the future equation that'll make sense and will help to, you know, In concert with several other things that need to happen. 31:48 What, what do you think are a couple of the biggest, we talked about this before we hit the record button, about the state of the outdoor industry today. What do you think are a couple of the biggest challenges facing the outdoor industry today?  I think there's a lot of challenges. I think losing our neighborhood shops, you know, in the cities, primarily, I think shops and touch points at the trailhead and near put in and at the destinations. That's still relatively strong across the country. What I see is that the urban shops are really getting crushed. Like they are, their costs are going up. Their inventory and open to buy situations are super stressed and they're just finding it hard to keep going. It's also a time of changeover. Like a lot of the shops like a 16 that were founded, you know, in the 60s and 70s. Those. Company owners are either looking to sell or turn over the younger generation may or may not be interested in running retail stores. And so they're finding this, this time of change over is very active. And that's true in other, you know, related sectors like fly fishing and surf and others, but I think that's part of the challenge right now. We're still working through the inventory glut that happened from the disruption of the of the pandemic. So get 1st. Sold, people sold everything they had and then they had nothing to sell. And then the product was getting delayed because factories were closed and then the shipping lanes were delayed because they couldn't have enough dock workers to even unload the ships. And so that just created this big lag time in the industry that we're still working through like that created this over inventory situation that we're still in right now. 37:40 How has sustainability been reflected at the Big Gear Show? What are some of the initiatives you guys have? Well, I think on the brands and the product side, you could definitely feel it. A lot of. A presence and interest in that re commerce story. For us as a show producer, you know, shows are horribly wasteful historically. So trying to minimize the flow of that you know, because we have such a small team, I was managing a lot of that myself. What was happening over on the outside festival side, we really wanted to participate in, but we weren't able to do it this year. But they had a composting aspect too. So they really activated a zero waste program that did a pretty good job, but it's pretty expensive because you've got to have people. Staff that are there saying, Oh, wait, that's not a composting thing. You got to put that over here. And this is, it's sort of pre sorting. So they had staff at each of these 10 stations or however many there were. And so that's expensive because you just got to pay people for all the time that they're there, but very very impressive commitment from outside and their partners on, on the festival side of things, we want to implement. And so we've been paying close attention to. Like the flow of trash, you know, trashable things coming in. We had a space that we dedicated just for cardboard that could be reused storing it so that it was kept dry and viable. And then, you know, the companies that needed them at the end of the show, we had it for them. So just reusing and being smarter about You know, everything from badge holders, which we didn't have, you know, no badge holders just printed on enough, you know, quality paper that it's going to stay in place and have a, have a badge holder design that is effective. And we only had that for the B2B day. You didn't need badges or anything to come in with, we had digital waivers, so again, you know, just not piles of paper that you have to keep for years, we used a digital service for that. So. You know, little by little getting smarter as a event producer and bringing those bringing those solutions to bear at the show. 38:37 What are a couple of the brands or products you think are leading the way in sustainability?  I guess the small brand Stream2Sea they're called they're making a product that doesn't like it's a sunscreen product Skin care product I guess you'd say but even the packaging on it is thoughtfully designed so that it's biodegradable, you know over time not in your backpack, of course, but and they have a system for being able to return that, you know empty or recycle it So just you know little thoughtful things like that. I think some of the different stove options, you know, I think one of the big stories coming out of the stove and cooking side is. Single use propane, you know, those green ubiquitous one pound propane bottles. And then we had a pellet stove coming from Timber Stoves. There was quite a bit, actually, especially in one of the highlights of the show was the Founders Market, which was produced by Path Ahead Ventures, REI's program for lifting up. BIPOC and women-founded organizations. Cool. And a lot of those companies are really really carefully curated to bring like really thoughtful, more sustainable solutions to the market, as well as, you know, better solutions for groups that historically haven't been addressed, whether that's different body shapes or just, you know, disabled folks. But that, you know, that's different than sustainability in a way. It is sustainability, but it's the same. Yeah. Way It's the same. 42:28 With all the talk lately of PFAS and things you know, we're discovering that are maybe worse off than we thought. How do you think, or do you think we can do more or maybe. Do some of it faster because it seems like maybe just, you know, guys like us, we're running out of time, but I think about my niece and nephew in the world, we're going to leave them and, you know, some of these things we've got to implement these programs like last week, and it seems like it takes a lot of energy and thought and conversation and things to get everybody's head around it to implement any thoughts on that. Yeah, I'm pretty active in California with the California Direct Creation Partnership that I helped found back in twenty-eighteen in addressing these aspects because you know, the way that the legislation first came out was basically saying that at retail, there can't be p fast in any of the products you sell after January first twenty-five or whatever the date was, and this is like, hey. Hold on a second. We, as the industry, believe in eliminating PFAS, just like we believe in eliminating BPA, just like we believe in using post-consumer recycled ingredients, and just like we believe in circular economy solutions. However, starting with the retail side starts with the horse's tail instead of the front. Like you've got to start at the supply chain side. Get them to stop using it, and then you can regulate. If that's a word regulation-wise, you can, you know, move down the chain. So you start at the fiber manufacturer, then you go to the fabric manufacturer, then you go to the. Apparel manufacturer, then you go to the wholesaler, then you go to the retailer and then you go to the, you know, the consumer and give them a way to get rid of that stuff or to cycle it in a way that doesn't end up with just plastic in the ocean or in the landfill. So I think more plastic in the ocean or the landfill. This is the reason why business. And government partnerships, you know, are the really so important to how we move forward, whether it is keeping PFAS out of our bodies and out of our ecosystems or doing a better job of working with tribes and taking that native knowledge and that stewardship mindedness. Of, you know, thousands of years of indigenous presence and and honoring that all of these things mean disrupting the current flow. And that's hard. You know, if a river is flowing super fast, it's pretty hard to get it to move in a different direction. And that's what we're trying to do. We're changing the culture. We're changing the entire culture of an industry, like changing our own personal culture. It's hard enough doing it for your family or your community is. Super hard and takes longer doing it for an entire industry that has all these moving parts across the country and across the globe like that's, that's going to take years. So I think part of this is just learning to keep I had a coach when I paddled out rigor and he had this phrase, you know, we would use because outrigger races are sometimes. Really long like 20 miles 30 miles. Yeah, and it's just smooth power, like keep the pressure on keep applying the pressure. Don't burn yourself out because you've got an hour and a half more to keep paddling. Don't run out. Don't burn yourself out, but smooth power, you know, and you'll keep keep the rhythm. Keep the power going. That's what we need. We need rhythm and we need, we need gentle applied power. That's. Consistent. Kind of like you and your podcast. 47:02 Where do you see the Big Gear Show in the next three to five years, say? What's that evolution look like? I think we have to keep adapting and building this new model. And I think that the future of it is going to be more more events. Kind of surrounding the main event. So I guess I think of it as like a constellation of stars or something like we've created the critical mass in the center, and now we're just, you know, you, you mentioned ATT elevate. Like I know Shannon's thinking about maybe that belongs in orbit with. The outside festival and the CEO summit idea. And I participated in an Asian outdoor leaders group meeting. They know little things that start to build around the core. People bring their sales meetings to town. That's always happened back at the old show, right? Those are the things that create. The critical mass and get people to say, you know what, I really need to be there. And the more you do that across more sectors, across more job functions and you know, the workforce part of the industry, the more that'll bring the industry to bear. And create that critical mass. So I think that's the future is continuing to work partnerships. I think partnerships are what fuel that that type of you know, critical mass building. 52:52 What is your favorite piece of outdoor gear under a hundred dollars? I think last time I, I said headlamps and I still think headlamps are amazing. 56:58 Is there a memorable outdoor adventure or experience that has influenced your work side of the world? Yeah, absolutely. One of my bigger adventures was skiing the high route across the Sierra from Independence to Fresno, basically. Yeah. And I, in that experience because I was with Jeff Cooper, Dan Dalbera, and Suniva Sorby, it was great; it was pretty well documented. So I have images from that, and I can tell the story. It's a story that's relevant to people who want to ski the high route, but it's also relevant to a number of different objectives or just, um, inspiration for businesses who are facing challenges as a team or challenges as a marketplace. And it's even helpful for for our journalists and people like I, I, I use that story was included in Jeannette Stawski's recent book, The Outdoor Leader recent book called The Outdoor Leader. So I have an excerpt in there from this trip that I did, you know, and that, that I learned so much about not just, you know, how to backcountry ski a multi day like big, big objective. Yeah. Kind of thing, but also about leadership, about following, you know, when the right time is to be following and leading when the, when you're needed to be leading, and that is, It reminds me of kind of this uh, the dynamic in leadership. Like you don't always have to be the big, bad boss. You know, there's times to hand over the boss reins to your up and coming leader or identifying who is, who are your up and coming leaders and investing in them. And then when the time comes, they have the skills and they have the ability to go out and go for it and take up, take the reins. And I learned a lot about that during this trip where I was not the trip leader. But I had to become the leader for, for at least a while away. 59:44 Do you have any advice for anyone looking to break into the outdoor industry? My standard answer is for people who have, you know, been asking me this question for decades, I say, well, best way started retail, learn the retail ropes, go with the front lines, talk to people who are just getting into it or need a new piece of gear or need some advice about where to go and what to do. And you'll learn. Where the point pressure points are, where the pain points are, where the opportunities are, where the products are. Learn More You can follow up with Kenji at: the biggearshow.com and click contact. Next Steps If you enjoy interviews devoted to the outdoor industry, find us online at ricksaez.com/listen. We love likes and comments, and if you know someone who is also an outdoor enthusiast, go ahead and share our site with them, too. And be sure to Subscribe to our newsletter Keywords #Outdoor industry, #Big Gear Show, #trade shows, #outdoor events, #diversity in leadership, #sustainable practices, #sustainability measures, #PFAS regulations, #environmental issues, #outdoor gear, #mentorship programs, #conservation efforts, #pandemic impact on outdoor industry, #sustainability initiatives, #re-commerce. Podcast produced using Descript, CastMagic Podcast hosted by Libsyn: sign up with code 'outdoorbizpod' for 20% OFF Show Notes powered by Castmagic Website powered by Wordpress Get Your Podcast Published NOW!  I'm partnering with Tracy DeForge, Stephanie Euler, and the Produce Your Podcast team to get it out of your head and into your followers' ears. Tracy and her team have helped me grow and monetize my show, and podcasters trust them because they deliver. Go to https://ricksaez.com/pyp to get all the details. Let's get your show created, produced, and on the air today. 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Pastors Ashley Mathews and Isaiah DeVyldere discuss what the Bible has to say about the roles of men and women and the Gospel. Podcast 1 Show Notes:Biblical references: Genesis 1-3, 4:7, Romans 5:14,15The drone vs. go-pro analogy for the different perspectives of creation in Genesis 1 and 2 is from Nijay Gupta in chapter 2 of his book Tell Her Story: How Women Led, Taught, and Ministered in the Early ChurchThe language of the “vandalism of Shalom” is from Cornelius Plantinga in his book Not the Way It's Supposed to Be: A Breviary of SinOther works referenced:• Icons of Christ: A Biblical and Systematic Theology for Women's OrdinationWilliam G. Witt• Seriously Dangerous Religion: What the Old Testament Really Says and Why It MattersIain ProvanMore from Tim Mackie and BibleProject on “pain in childbirth” in Genesis 3:16: Does God Punish Women with Pain in Childbirth?

Is your Tuesday grey? Does it break your heart? Give you a heart attack? Make you wanna stay in bed? We say pshaw, Robert Smith, PSHAW! He apparently doesn't know that Tuesday means brand new O3L episodes. Come to think of it, no matter what day you listen, you'll say "I'm in love." Or perhaps this our thinly veiled way of saying that, in this episode, we chat about songs with a day of the week in the title. Our Third Lad this week is Dan Cuddy, the bassist/singer/songwriter who has been leading Hoboken, New Jersey's The Special Pillow since 1995, and was previously in the late '80s/early '90s psych-tinged indie rockers Hypnolovewheel. The Special Pillow are esteemed purveyors of a full-spectrum, string-driven sound encompassing concise '60s-flavored pop gems, dreamy hallucinogenic reveries, and pulse-pounding propulsion redolent of your favorite antipodean indie upstarts of the '80s. The band specializes in catchy and confounding songcraft that has earned them notable fans such as Yo La Tengo, who have covered the group's classic "Automatic Doom" The Special Pillow Meets the Space Monster is the latest in a series of acclaimed EPs, following in the wake of Mind Wipe (2022) and World's Finest (2020). It is named in honor of the 1965 science-fiction potboiler, Frankenstein Meets the Space Monster, the soundtrack of that cinematic milestone being the source of the featured cover song, "That's the Way It's Got to Be," originally performed by Scotland's beat titans The Poets and an underground hit for The Special Pillow in the summer of 2023. SOCIALS: https://www.facebook.com/TheSpecialPillow/ https://www.instagram.com/thespecialpillow/ https://thespecialpillow.bandcamp.com Special thanks to Mike Turner from Crashing Through Publicity for the intro! Proud members of the Pantheon Podcasts family. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the last segment of UnMind, we took up the most social of the Three Treasures: Sangha, or community. In this segment, we will continue with our analysis of the design of Dharma study; and in the next, that of Buddha practice, Zen's unique meditation, or zazen. These three constitute the highest values and manifestations of Buddhism in the real world, and the simplest model for the comprehensive nature of living a Zen life. They are regarded as three legs, without any one of which the stool of Zen is unstable. Design intent is reflected in their modus operandi, message, and method, respectively. Dharma study consists in reviewing and contemplating the “compassionate teachings,” the message transmitted by Shakyamuni and the ancestors down to the present day. While they were all, in effect, “speaking with one voice,” nonetheless Dharma ranks second in importance and emphasis, as an adjunct to meditation, just as Sangha comes in third, in providing the harmonious community and conducive environment for Zen. As referenced in Dogen's Jijuyu Zammai – Self-fulfilling Samadhi: Grass, trees and walls bring forth the teaching for all beingsCommon people as well as sages The “walls” are the infrastructure that was built around personal and communal practice in the form of our sitting space at home, grass hut hermitages, and meditation halls of temples, centers, or monasteries. This is the millennia-old design-build activity of the ancestors attested to by the stupas of India and the monasteries of China, Tibet, Japan, and the Far East, the legacy inherited by modern proponents of Zen in the West. Dharma likewise has been codified, collected, and contained in tangible documents, originally in the form of rice paper scrolls, now in books distributed worldwide in hardbound and paperback format. My own two current volumes in print ‑ “The Original Frontier” and “The Razorblade of Zen” ‑ were actually printed and bound in India, the home country of Buddhism They are also, or will soon be, available in electronic form, as eBooks and audiobooks accessible to virtually anyone, anywhere, anytime. It is as if Avalokiteshvara, the Bodhisattva of Compassion – s/he of the innumerable eyes and ears needed to see and hear the sights and sounds of dukkha in the world, with innumerable arms and hands bringing the tools necessary to help ‑ has come to be manifested globally, in the form of the worldwide network of mobile media. By means of which her ongoing witness to the suffering of the world is also recorded for posterity. Thus, the potential for Dharma to have an effect on the world at large has expanded exponentially, as in the vow: “I take refuge in Dharma, the compassionate teachings.” Taking refuge in the Dharma means returning ‑ or “fleeing back” ‑ to the original truths or laws of existence, and our place in it. Consider what the first teachings of Buddha really had to say, and what was their intended effect upon the audience. The First Sermon lays out the essential logic of the Middle Way, and its avoidance of extremes of attitudes and approaches to the fundamental problem of existence as a sentient, human being. The design intent of the Dharma as expounded by Shakyamuni Buddha, was, as far as we can determine from the written record, to correct the conventional wisdom of the time, which I take to have been primarily based on beliefs and doctrines of Hinduism. One well-known example is his teaching of anatta or anatman, a refutation of the Hindu belief in a self-existent soul, or atman. Not being a scholar, I am basing this on my scant study of the canon and the opinion of others more learned than I. Considering how the Dharma was first shared gives us an insight more technically oriented to the intent of its design. In the beginning was the spoken word of Siddhartha Gautama, similar to the Bible's creation story. Buddha never committed a single word to paper, or so we are told. It is also said that he “never spoke a word,” a comment I take to mean that while language can point at the truths of Buddhism, it cannot capture them. Buddhist truth is uniquely experiential. It has to go through a kind of translation into language that is beyond language itself, as in the last stanza of Hsinhsinming‑Trust in Mind: Words! The Way is beyond language for in itthere is no yesterday, no tomorrow, no today Later given the honorifics of “Buddha, ‑ fully awakened one” and “Shakyamuni ‑ sage of the Shakya clan,” and others, ten in total, Siddhartha's First Sermon to the five ascetics with whom he had been practicing, begins with: O monks, these two extremes ought not be followed by one going forth from the household life. What are the two?There is devotion to the indulgence of self-gratificationWhich is low, common, the way of ordinary peopleUnworthy and unprofitableThere is devotion to the indulgence of self-mortificationWhich is painful unworthy and unprofitableAvoiding both these extremes the Tathagata has realized the Middle WayIt gives vision it gives knowledge and it leads to calm to insight to awakening to Nirvana The intent of the content was to dissuade these monks from continuing to follow the dictates of their method of asceticism, which Buddha had found to be ineffective, to say the least. And to hold out the hope that if they were able to relinquish their own opinions of the truth they were seeking, and the method for apprehending it, they would be able to accede to the insight that he had experienced directly in meditation, the “middle way.” “Tathagata,” by the way, is also one of the ten honorifics accorded to Buddha later in the course of his teaching career, meaning something like the “thus-come one.” It was most likely appended to this narrative when finally committed to written form, some four centuries after-the-fact. But our point is that the spoken language was the medium in which the teaching was first shared. Buddha was said to have spoken Pali, which is similar to, and perhaps a dialect of, Sanskrit. The theory I have heard explaining why they were not recorded in written form is that they were considered sacred, and writing them down would have made them vulnerable to accidental or intentional change. The oral tradition was more dependable in terms of preserving them with their original intent intact. So the “design intent” of Buddha's use of kind or loving speech was not the usual intent of language in general. It was intended to encourage others to apprehend the “Great Matter” of life-and-death in the most direct way, the only way, possible. Buddha recognized that there was no way of sharing his experience with others in the ordinary sense, so he resorted to parables and analogies, to allow his audience to see themselves in the pictures he painted, and to transcend ordinary understanding in words and phrases, or the pursuit of information, the usual application of language. The later codifying and organization of the original spoken teachings into the Tripitaka or “three baskets” was designed to allow teachers and students to study the voluminous canon in an orderly way, and to prioritize their approach to it in digestible bites. It was most likely understood that the existing literature of the time ‑ which had to be scarce, compared to today's glut of publications – was to be absorbed in concert with practicing the meditation that had led to Buddha's insight to begin with. As Master Dogen reminds: Now all ancestors and all buddhas who uphold buddha-dharma have made it the true path of enlightenment to sit upright practicing in the midst of self-fulfilling samadhiThose who attained enlightenment in India and China followed this wayIt was done so because teachers and disciples personally transmitted this excellent method as the essence of the teaching In the authentic tradition of our teaching it is said that this directly transmitted straightforward buddha- dharma is the unsurpassable of the unsurpassable The design intent of the teachings has been, from the very beginning, the direct transmission of the buddha-dharma, what Matsuoka-roshi referred to as “living Zen.” In the daily lives of monks and nuns, frequent repetition of chanting selected teachings enabled the monastics to deeply assimilate them. Master Dogen was known for connecting each and every regular daily routine with brief recitations, such as the Meal Verse, in order to bridge the gap between the sacred and the profane, the physical and the spiritual. Codification of the koan collections of Rinzai Zen ‑ some 1700 strong according to tradition, later organized into five sets by Hakuin Ekaku Zenji, the 18th Century Rinzai master ‑ represent design efforts to structure the lore and legacy of Zen's anecdotal history of exchanges between masters and students available in progressive levels of difficulty, enabling accessibility of the apparent dichotomies of Dharma. Soto Zen simplifies the approach even further by regarding zazen itself as representing the living koan, requiring nothing further to complement, or complicate, the process of insight. All the various models of buddha-dharma developed by the ancients qualify as efforts in information design ‑ visualizing images and what is called “pattern-thinking” ‑ that allow us to grasp the form of the Dharma beyond what mere words can convey. The Four Noble Truths comprise the first historical example of these descriptive models, including the prescriptive Noble Eightfold Path. Tozan's “Five Ranks” and Rinzai's “Host and Guest” come later, but have the same design intent – to help their students get beyond the limitation of the linear nature of language. My semantic models of the teachings, published in “The Razorblade of Zen,” represent more contemporary cases in point. Nowadays ‑ as testimonial evidence indicates, from one-on-one encounters in online and in-person dharma dialogs with modern students of the Way ‑ people are no longer studying buddha-dharma as they may have throughout history, when documents were rare. More often than not, they are reading more than one book at a time, in a nonlinear process I refer to as “cross-coupling”: simultaneously absorbing commentaries from one author or translator along with others; or perhaps comparing the teachings of more than one ancestor of Zen to those of a different ancestor. This may be an artifact or anomaly of the ubiquitous presence and availability of Zen material in print form, as well as the encyclopedic scope of online resources on offer today. It seems that in every category, and every language, we have at our fingertips a greater textual resource than ever conceivable in history, dwarfing the great libraries of legend. We can “google” virtually anything – no pun - with a few strokes of a keyboard. In addition, Artificial Intelligence threatens to bring together summaries and concoctions of content at the whim of any researcher; documents are readily searchable for those who wish to quantify uses of words and phrases at any point in history, teasing out trends and making judgments as to the hidden patterns in historical evolution of ideas. In this context it is difficult to ascertain the design intent of dharma as articulated today. It is not easy to discern the intent of the publish-or-perish, rush-into-print crowd, or to judge whether a given piece of contemporary writing is worth our effort and time to read. Fortunately, Zen offers a wormhole out of this literary catch-22. Zazen provides recourse to an even greater inventory of databases, built into our immediate sensorium. We can always return to upright sitting, facing the wall. This is where we will find the nonverbal answers we are seeking so feverishly, and somewhat futilely, in “words and letters” as Master Dogen reminds us in his seminal tract on meditation, Fukanzazengi: You should stop pursuing words and lettersand learn to withdraw and turn the light on yourselfwhen you do so your body and mind will naturally fall awayand your original buddha-nature will appear This stanza is sometimes interpreted as a slam on the nature of contemporaneous Rinzai practice predominant in the Japan of Dogen's time. But I think we should take a broader view of the great master's intent. He is merely cluing us in to the fact of the futility of pursuing literal, linear understanding of the Dharma in its manifestation as verbal expression. We are to turn our attention, instead, to the immediate and intimate presence of the self of body-and-mind ‑ beyond, or before, words can interfere. Here is where, and now is when, we will witness the full force of the design intent of the Dharma.* * * Elliston Roshi is guiding teacher of the Atlanta Soto Zen Center and abbot of the Silent Thunder Order. He is also a gallery-represented fine artist expressing his Zen through visual poetry, or “music to the eyes.”UnMind is a production of the Atlanta Soto Zen Center in Atlanta, Georgia and the Silent Thunder Order. You can support these teachings by PayPal to donate@STorder.org. Gassho.Producer: Shinjin Larry Little

Climate & Energy: the Case for Realism ... GUEST Dr Cal Beisner ... President of the Cornwall Alliance for the Stewardship of Creation, an interdisciplinary scholar in philosophy, religion, economics, the history of political thought, and environmental ethics. Gratitude: Why Giving Thanks Is the Key to Our Well-Being ... GUEST Dr Cornelius (Neal) Plantinga ... senior research fellow at the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship and president emeritus of Calvin Theological Seminary in Grand Rapids, Mich ... author of many books, incl the Christianity Today Book Award winners “Not the Way It's Supposed to Be,” “Engaging God's World,” and “Reading for Preaching, and our favorite, “Under the Wings of God”. Science & Faith in Harmony ... GUEST Dr SyGarte ... biochemist who has taught at NY Univ, the Univ of Pgh, and Rutgers Univ ... He's the author of "The Works of His Hands: A Scientist's Journey from Atheism to Faith". originally aired 2.1.24, 4:35.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

By His Grace, you've reached the other side.  You may not see it now,  but you have changed.  And that's all that's necessary.  Support the show: ▶▶https://www.patreon.com/goodmornings   ***Free Meditation Meetup on Clearwater Beach, FL  -Saturday, April 6th at 8:00am ET -RSVP for the exact location by emailing nikki@curlynikki.com ________________________________ "I know that I know and that I don't know. But I forget. I see that I am blind and I see the blinding light in everything, but I forget. I see what I know I think I know what I see. But sometimes I forget. And This is the Way It should be. At the end of every forget I remember." -Lonny Brown via Be Here Now "It is your fixed idea that you must be something or other, that blinds you." - Nisargadatta Maharaj "The ego is like one's shadow thrown on the ground. If one attempts to bury it, it will be foolish. The Self is only one. If limited, it is the ego. If unlimited, it is Infinite and is the Reality." Talk 46, Ramana Maharshi "We are either moving toward God or away from God. There is nothing in between. You cannot be neutral about God." -@marcusmecum  

Sunday March 10, 2024. God's Mission to the World: Studies in Acts. "Church the Way It's Supposed to Be," as sermon on Acts 2:42-47 from Dr. Sean Michael Lucas.

The republican hybrids excuses are a nice band-aid, but will crumble in the end.Get the Haley Out"Dishonrable Aileen" song w/ lyrics Poor old Donnie Jpounded out more excuses with a whole lot more on full displayStonewalling DOJHolding up American lawthe Constitution is in his wayIt's an immigrant songCompletely gone wrong Cannon loves her Trump more than ever Appoint ya, use ya, sue ya Surpayyyyea!!!Trump will send you back to Columiaoh Dishonor Aileenher filthy hands are uncleanand she use itto win Trump everythingthought you knew bestthen you sold out the restto serve daddy11th say goodbye Aileen!Oklahoma PASSES RIGHT STRIPPING TERROR LAWS AGAINST CHILDREN, PARENTS, TEACHERS AND DOCTORS! Let 'em Die they say!

NEWSAWARDSXmas / New year!Book guffDwayne backQNew Barry QuizAEW Fantasy League - Week 1 UpdateEMAILSREVIEWS:WRASSLINWorld's EndDynamite CollisionWrestle Kingdom NotesMOVIESSilent NightSaltburnGodzilla Minus OneStreet Fighter Legend of Chun LiThe Boy and the Heron x2Ocean WavesFerrariSouth Park (not Suitable for Children)Jingle All the WayIt's a Wonderful LifeRebel Moon Pt 1: A Child of FireThe HoldoversA Haunting in VeniceThe DukeAmadeusKlausManhattan Murder MusteryCyranoSoapdishMay DecemberTVMonarch: Legacy of SHITThe Leftovers s2The DartsThe BearGAMESCookie ClickerCyberpunkSteam World Build Fallout New VegasMario WonderfulBaldur's Gate 3Donkey Kong Country: Tropical FreezeOcarina of Time RandomizerMUSICSPRINTS - Letter to Self

In episode 155, Dean and Deron talk about games they've played lately (Rudolph the Red-Nose Reindeer: Snowstorm Scramble Game, Jingle All the Way: It's Turbo Time!, and Jekyll vs Hyde). They visit the Jazz Club to talk about games they are excited to play (The Anarchy, Skara Brae, Storm Raiders, Inventors of the South Tigris, Marvel Zombies, and Monumental). They wrap up the episode with a MeepleTown Hall where they discuss their gaming tastes in the past, present, and future. If you enjoy our podcast, please consider rating us and giving us a review. If you like our YouTube channel, please consider subscribing. If you have questions you would like us to answer on the podcast, please email us at meepletownmail@gmail.com. To support us further, check out www.patreon.com/meepletown or www.buymeacoffee.com/meepletown9. 00:00       Intro 04:44       Rudolph the Red-Nose Reindeer: Snowstorm Scramble Game 08:16       Jingle All the Way: It's Turbo Time! 14:29       Jekyll vs Hyde 21:05       Jazz Club 42:32       MeepleTown Hall Thanks for coming down to MeepleTown!

This Week in the Nation's Capitol ... GUEST Greg Clugston ... SRN News White House Correspondent. New Book... GUEST Dr. Michael Youssef. For All who are Far Away (from “Under the Wings of God”) ... GUEST Dr Cornelius (Neal) Plantinga ... senior research fellow at the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship and president emeritus of Calvin Theological Seminary in Grand Rapids, Mich ... author of many books, incl the Christianity Today Book Award winners “Not the Way It's Supposed to Be,” “Engaging God's World,” and “Reading for Preaching”.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this week's conversation between Dr. James Emery White and co-host Alexis Drye, they discuss the theology of race - human creation - and the evil that is racism. A few years ago, Dr. White delivered a series at Mecklenburg Community Church titled “Woke” with three installments on race, racism and civility. You can find that series in both .mp3 and .pdf formats HERE. Episode Links While there are not many people who think of themselves as racist, a shadow racism can certainly be found in today's culture. For more on that, you can click HERE to read a blog by Dr. White titled “Shadow Racism.” And for pastors and church leaders listening who would want to do an in-depth teaching on race and racism, you can check out our “Going Forward: Next Steps” pastor's package. This includes not only the “Woke” series, but also the discussion with members of Meck following the death of George Floyd. Dr. White also referenced Why We Can't Wait (Letter from a Birmingham Jail) by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. If you've never taken the time to read it, you really should. Another book he mentioned was Not the Way It's Supposed to Be: A Breviary of Sin by Cornelius Platinga on the idea of “shalom” - finding peace and the human community that God desires for us to be. For those of you who are new to Church & Culture, we'd love to invite you to subscribe (for free of course) to the twice-weekly Church & Culture blog and check out the Daily Headline News - a collection of headlines from around the globe each weekday.

Concert FridayThe Feast of the Archangels,Michael, Gabriel and RaphaelMUSICAngels Among UsSongwriters: Steve Goodman / Becky Hobbs I was walking home from school on a cold winter dayTook a shortcut through the woods, and I lost my wayIt was getting late, and I was scared and aloneBut then a kind old man took my hand and led me home My mama couldn't see him, oh, but he was standing thereAnd I knew in my heart, he was the answer to my prayers Oh, I believe there are angels among usSent down to us from somewhere up aboveThey come to you and me in our darkest hoursTo show us how to live, to teach us how to giveTo guide us with the light of love When life held troubled times and had me down on my kneesThere's always been someone to come along and comfort meA kind word from a stranger to lend a helping handA phone call from a friend just to say I understand But ain't it kind of funny at the dark end of the roadThat someone lights the way with just a single ray of hope Oh, I believe there are angels among usSent down to us from somewhere up aboveThey come to you and me in our darkest hoursTo show us how to live, to teach us how to giveTo guide us with the light of loveThey wear so many faces, show up in the strangest placesTo grace us with their mercy in our time of need Oh, I believe there are angels among usSent down to us from somewhere up aboveThey come to you and me in our darkest hoursTo show us how to live, to teach us how to giveTo guide us with the light of loveTo guide us with a light of love Songs of the AngelsMusic and Lyrics byRobert Dufford, S.J. Songs of the AngelsMusic and Lyrics byRobert Dufford, S.J.May songs of the angels welcome you and guide you along your wayMay the smiles of the martyrs greet your own as darkness turns into dayEvery fear will be undone and death will be no moreAs songs of the angels bring you home, before the face of God Behold, I tell you a mystery we shall all be changed.  For the trumpet shall sound, the dead be raised in the victory, the glory of our God.May songs of the angels welcome you and guide you along your wayMay the smiles of the martyrs greet your own as darkness turns into dayEvery fear will be undone and death will be no moreAs songs of the angels bring you home, before the face of God 

Resources WAITLIST OPEN: The Cravings Code Feb 2024: Reduce cravings & overeating by up to 70% & prime your mindset & metabolism to naturally eat fewer calories & sustainably lose weight. Join the free #CravingsCLEANUP Challenge, starting September 10th! Reduce mindless snacking & afternoon cravings by up to 50% in as little as 7 days implementing #Satisfull Plates! FREE #CravingsCLEANUP Challenge Send me a Direct Message Description #Satisfull Plates is more than just a guide to building plates that control cravings & reduce hunger. This simple guide has the potential to impact various areas of your life including your mindset, your ability to achieve fat loss and your emotional eating response. One simple strategy with so much dynamic power! Timestamps (00:00:00) - Intro (00:00:53) - Intro: Your relationship with food isn't separate from sustainable health & weight loss (00:03:17) - 1st Way - There is no restriction or elimination (00:04:02) - 2nd Way - Helps you build Awareness (00:04:49) - 3rd Way - No guilt or shame (00:05:52) - 4th Way - You can be flexible with your lifestyle (00:06:27) - 5th Way - It puts you in the driver's seat (00:07:32) - 6th Way - OBSERVE connects us to biofeedback (00:8:43) - Registration open for #CravingsCLEANUP Challenge! (00:10:05) - 7th Way - Supports eating whole nutrient-dense foods without tracking or count (00:11:03) - 8th Way - there is no privilege (00:12:06) - 9th Way - It stabilizes hunger and cravings (00:13:25) - 10th Way - Encourages you to shift portion sizes and add in new foods without giving up foods (00:14:15) - The power of #Satisfull Plates, join the #CravingsCLEANUP Challenge, Outro Connect with me! Instagram:@lauracavallo__cravings_coach Facebook: @LauraCavalloCoaching888 TikTok: @lauracavallo_coaching Website: www.lauracavallocoaching.com

Why I became an American Citizen ... GUEST Dr Carl R Trueman ... Department of Biblical & Religious Studies at Grove City College, where he teaches courses on the history of religious thought ... author of the new book, "Strange New World: How Thinkers & Activists Redefined Identity and Sparked the Sexual Revolution,” along with “The Rise & Triumph of the Modern Self: Cultural Amnesia, Expressive Individualism, & the Road to Sexual Revolution" Under the Wings of God: 20 Biblical Reflections for a Deeper Faith (new book: Ch 14) ... GUEST Dr Cornelius (Neal) Plantinga ... senior research fellow at the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship and president emeritus of Calvin Theological Seminary in Grand Rapids, Mich ... author of many books, incl the Christianity Today Book Award winners “Not the Way It's Supposed to Be,” “Engaging God's World,” and “Reading for Preaching” Don't Execute People in Public ... GUEST Elizabeth Bruenig ... staff writer at The Atlantic ... She's written for the Washington Post & The NY Times, and was a staff writer at The New Republic ... (born and raised in Arlington, TX ... received her MPhil in Christian theology at the Univ of Cambridge, where she studied as a Marshall Scholar ... Previously, she was an editor for the Post's Outlook and PostEverything sections ... Her essays & reviews have appeared in The Post, The Nation, The Atlantic, The Boston Review, Jacobin Magazine, First Things, & many more ... She lives with her husband & kids in Wash DC)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Ride Home with John & Kathy! Buckle in for a Monday full! Like… Under the Wings of God: 20 Biblical Reflections for a Deeper Faith (new-ish book) ... GUEST Dr Cornelius (Neal) Plantinga ... senior research fellow at the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship and president emeritus of Calvin Theological Seminary in Grand Rapids, Mich ... author of many books, incl the Christianity Today Book Award winners “Not the Way It's Supposed to Be,” “Engaging God's World,” and “Reading for Preaching”. Originally Aired 7/10/23 at 5:10 Homelessness and addiction. Day of Hope July 20th... GUEST Jerrel Gilliam ... Executive Director, Light of Life Mission. 3 principles of revival ... GUEST Greg Gordon ... founder of SermonIndex.net, est in 2002, from which millions of audio sermons have been distributed world-wide ... He's also been involved in organizing 12 intern'l historic revival events ... 1) honesty before God (authenticity) 2) Dependence on God (child likeness) 3) Not touching God's glory (revival can be aborted by men's pride and arrogance) Plus Does This Make Sense? And more! Thanks for riding with us on The Ride Home with John & Kathy.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Pastor Josh Rowland continues our walk through the book of Hebrews. It's clear that we have a sin problem, and we need the perfect sacrifice of Jesus Christ to deal with it.Scriptural ReferencesHebrews 9:11-10:182 Corinthians 5:21John 4:17-19Romans 5:1Non-Scriptural ReferencesNot the Way It's Supposed to Be - Cornelius Plantinga

Pastor Josh Rowland continues our walk through the book of Hebrews. It's clear that we have a sin problem, and we need the perfect sacrifice of Jesus Christ to deal with it.Scriptural ReferencesHebrews 9:11-10:182 Corinthians 5:21John 4:17-19Romans 5:1Non-Scriptural ReferencesNot the Way It's Supposed to Be - Cornelius Plantinga

The Ride Home with John & Kathy! Buckle in for a Monday full! Like… In the News ... GUEST Daniel Silliman ... News Editor, Christianity Today ... author of, "Reading Evangelicals: How Christian Fiction Shaped a Culture & a Faith" How Archaeology Affirmed the Historic Stature of a Biblical King: Once the House of David seemed like a folk tale. Now, the rocks testify to its historic significance ... GUEST Gordon Govier ... writes about biblical archaeology for Christianity Today, hosts the archaeology radio program “The Book & The Spade,” and is the editor of “Artifax” Under the Wings of God: 20 Biblical Reflections for a Deeper Faith (new-ish book) ... GUEST Dr Cornelius (Neal) Plantinga ... senior research fellow at the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship and president emeritus of Calvin Theological Seminary in Grand Rapids, Mich ... author of many books, incl the Christianity Today Book Award winners “Not the Way It's Supposed to Be,” “Engaging God's World,” and “Reading for Preaching” Plus Does This Make Sense? And more! Thanks for riding with us on The Ride Home with John & Kathy.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We leak RPL-R ST & MT Performance, AMD RDNA 3 Releases, and discuss the news! [SPON: dieshrink = 3% off Everything, brokensilicon = 25% off Windows: https://biitt.ly/shbSk ] [SPON: BROKENSILICON for 5% OFF the OBSBOT Tiny 2: https://bit.ly/43XUgM4 ] [SPON: Get 10% off Tasty Vite Ramen with code BROKENSILICON: https://bit.ly/3wKx6v1 ] 0:00 Northern Cities look like DUNE & Tom is buying a Studio! (Intro Banter) 6:40 RTX 4060 8GB Reviews & Early Sales Discussion 18:16 Saving Uplifts for RTX 5000, Nvidia gives Early Reviews to Shill Channels 32:09 RX 7900 16GB Picture Leaked by MLID 41:31 AMD Accused of Gatekeeping DLSS Implementation 54:31 The Way It's Meant to be Played, GeForce Partner Program 57:47 R5 5600X3D Officially Announced – DIY Sales are Micro Center Exclusive 1:08:54 AMD Little Phoenix 2 Pictured with Specs Confirmed! 1:20:39 Intel Raptor Lake Refresh Performance Leak 1:30:24 Sapphire Rapids Issues, A770 Discontinued, AMD HYPR-RX is AFK (Wrap-Up) 1:36:56 AI Compute, Power Supply Pricing, Next Gen XBOX 2028 (Final Reader Mail) MLID RTX 4060 Analysis Video: https://youtu.be/AoADopUg0tA https://www.techspot.com/review/2701-nvidia-geforce-rtx-4060/ https://youtu.be/O0srjKOOR4g https://youtu.be/WS0sfOb_sVM https://videocardz.com/newz/again-only-one-person-shows-up-to-buy-geforce-rtx-4060-series-gpu-at-launch-in-japan https://youtu.be/6vTizq6MLFY https://wccftech.com/whats-up-with-the-missing-nvidia-dlss-support-in-amd-sponsored-fsr-titles/ https://videocardz.com/newz/amd-dodges-questions-about-fsr-exclusivity-in-amd-sponsored-games https://www.techpowerup.com/310713/amd-ryzen-5-5600x3d-to-be-exclusive-micro-center-product-in-the-us https://videocardz.com/newz/amd-little-phoenix2-apu-for-ryzen-7040u-series-has-a-die-size-of-137mm%c2%b2 https://videocardz.com/newz/amd-phoenix2-a-smaller-zen4-rdna3-apu-has-been-pictured https://www.amd.com/en/products/apu/amd-ryzen-5-7640u https://www.amd.com/en/product/13211 https://www.amd.com/en/product/13216 https://youtu.be/RV8gjITtIMM?t=1387 https://videocardz.com/newz/intel-temporarily-pauses-shipment-of-xeon-sapphire-rapids-mcc-cpus-due-to-a-bug https://twitter.com/momomo_us/status/1675128262589321218 https://www.techspot.com/news/99148-nvidia-h100-hopper-gpu-gaming-performance-surpassed-integrated.html https://www.anandtech.com/show/18928/intel-discontinues-arc-a770-limited-edition-graphics-card https://investors.micron.com/static-files/5d57ee3a-72f3-40f2-99e5-51322403192b https://videocardz.com/newz/amd-has-failed-to-launch-hypr-rx-technology-on-time

Hello to you listening in Galiano Island, B.C. Canada!Coming to you from Whidbey Island, Washington this is Stories From Women Who Walk with 60 Seconds for Motivate Your Monday and your host, Diane Wyzga.Maybe like me your mom said: “You're the oldest! You should know better.” Why? You think I went to Know Better School?But I can't blame my mom; it seems that they all went to Mom School. How else do you explain that what moms say to their children day in and day out is understood practically all over the world?Take 3 minutes to listen to stand-up comedian Anita Renfroe sum up all the things that a mother says to her children - Momisms - set to the William Tell Overture. See how many you remember from your childhood. And which you say today to motivate your own kids.Click HERE to listen to the Official YouTube VersionLyrics in the Episode Notes if you want to sing along:William Tell Momisms LyricsGet up now, get up now, get up out of bedWash your face, brush your teeth, comb your sleepy headHere's your clothes and your shoes, hear the words I saidGet up now, get up and make your bedAre you hot? Are you cold? Are you wearing that?Where's your books and your lunch and your homework at?Grab your coat and your gloves and your scarf and hatDon't forget you gotta feed the catEat your breakfast, the experts tell usIt's the most important meal of allTake your vitamins so you will grow upOne day to be big and tallPlease remember the orthodontist will beSeeing you at three todayDon't forget your piano lesson isThis afternoon so you must playDon't shovel, chew slowly, but hurry, the bus is hereBe careful, come back here, did you wash behind your ears?Play outside, don't play rough, would you just play fair?Be polite, make a friend, don't forget to shareWork it out, wait your turn, never take a dareGet along, don't make me come down there Clean your room, fold your clothes, put your stuff awayMake your bed, do it now, do we have all day?Were you born in a barn? Would you like some hayCan you even hear a word I say?Answer the phone, get off the phoneDon't sit so close, turn it down, no texting at the tableNo more computer time tonightYour ipod's my ipod if you don't listen upWhere you going and with whomAnd what time do you think you're coming home?Saying thank you, please, excuse meMakes you welcome everywhere you roamYou'll appreciate my wisdom somedayWhen you're older and you're grownCan't wait 'til you have a couple littleChildren of your ownYou'll thank me for the counsel I gave you so willinglyBut right now I thank you not to roll your eyes at meClose your mouth when you chew, would appreciateTake a bite maybe two of the stuff you hateUse your fork, do not you burp or I'll set you straightEat the food I put upon your plate Get an A, get the door, don't get smart with meGet a grip, get in here or I'll count to 3Get a job, get a life, get a PhDGet a dose of...I don't care who started itYou're grounded until your 36Get your story straightAnd tell the truth for once for heaven's sakeAndIf all your friendsJumped off a cliffWould you jump too?If I've said it once, I've said at leastA thousand times before thatYou're too old to act this wayIt must be your father's DNALook at me when I am talkingStand up straighter when you walkA place for everythingAnd everything must be in placeStop crying or I'll give you something real to cry aboutOh! Brush your teeth, wash your face, get your PJs onGet in bed, get a hug, say a prayer with momDon't forget I love you *kiss*AndTomorrow we will do this all againBecause a mom's work never endsYou don't need the reason whyBecause, because, because, becauseI said so, I said so, I said so, I said soI'm the Mom, the mom, the mom, the momThe momTa-da!You're invited: “Come for the stories - stay for the magic!” Speaking of magic, would you subscribe, share a 5-star rating + nice review on your social media or podcast channel of choice, and join us next time!Meanwhile, stop by my Quarter Moon Story Arts website to:✓ Check out What I Offer,✓ Arrange your free Story Session call + Bonus gift,✓ Opt In to my monthly Newsletter for valuable tips & techniques to enhance your story work, and✓ Stay current with Diane and on LinkedIn.Stories From Women Who Walk Production TeamPodcaster: Diane F Wyzga & Quarter Moon Story ArtsMusic: Mer's Waltz from Crossing the Waters by Steve Schuch & Night Heron MusicAll content and image © 2019 to Present: for credit & attribution Quarter Moon Story Arts

Jim Keena | Guest Speaker | June 04, 2023 11a “Man, the world ain’t supposed to work like this. Maybe you don’t know that, but this ain’t the way it’s supposed to be. I’m supposed to be able to do my job without askin’ you if I can. And that dude is supposed to be able to wait with his car without you rippin’ him off. Everything’s supposed to be different than what it is here.” Simon - Grand Canyon Read Hebrews 10:19-25 (NIV) The Way It’s Supposed to Be: “So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.” Genesis 1:27 (NIV) “Pain and shame compel us to hide behind walls of self-protection.” Jennie Allen What’s the Way to the Way It’s Supposed to Be? “Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, and since we have a great priest over the house of God.” Hebrews 10:19-21 (NIV) DRAW NEAR: “Let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.” Hebrews 10:22 (NIV) HOLD FAST: “Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.” Hebrews 10:23 (NIV) CONSIDER HOW: “And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” Hebrews 10:24–25 (NIV) Jennie Allen, in her book Find Your Bible: Building Deep Community in a Lonely World, explains that most people have a network of around 150 people. Of those, about 50 will be what she calls acquaintances. And within those fifty people, about fifteen will be in your village. And in your village, about 2-5 become close friends. As a group, discuss her findings. Is it true of you? Who is your “acquaintances” group that could be welcomed into your village? Who in your village could become a close friend? Reflection Questions:1) Is there a risk you need to take to develop deeper connections with others? “We must risk pain to have this kind of deep connection in our lives.” Jennie Allen 2) Read Genesis 1:26-27: Discuss the significance of men and women being created in the image of God. How does that influence your thinking about other people? How does that change your thinking about yourself? 3) Review Genesis 1:26-2:25: What does this section reveal about “the way things are supposed to be”? 4) Review Genesis 3:1-13: What happened to cause the world to become “the way it ain’t supposed to be”? 5) Read Hebrews 10:19:21: This section is the theological foundation for the three practical applications in Hebrews 10:22-25. How is this section foundational to building deep community in a lonely world? Next Steps: Complete the Connect Card to receive more information, have us pray for you, or to ask us any question: http://journeyweb.net/connectcard Want to worship through giving and support the ministry of Journey Church: https://journeyweb.net/giveDownload our app: https://journeyweb.net/app Join our Facebook Group to stay connected throughout the week: https://facebook.com/groups/JourneyChurchBozemanGet your children connected to our children's ministry, Base Camp: http

This media has been made available by Mosaic Boston Church. If you'd like to check out more resources, learn about Mosaic Boston or donate to this ministry, please visit mosaicboston.com.Heavenly Father, we thank you for another opportunity and occasion to study your holy scriptures before us. And Lord, we thank you that all of scripture is God breathed and it's profitable for teaching, for correcting, for rebuke and for training. And Lord, as we look at the text before us and we see the temptation set before Joseph, Lord, we thank you for his victory and I pray that you give us victory over our temptations. And Lord, we thank you for the tests that you send in life. And I pray, give us the power of the Holy Spirit to not just pass the test, but pass them with flying colors and graduate to ever higher levels of usefulness in your kingdom. Lord, if there's anyone who's not yet a believer in Christ today, save them, draw them to yourself. Remove condemnation and replace it with your love and your mercy. And Lord bless our time in the holy scriptures. We pray all this in Christ's name. Amen.We're continuing our study in Genesis 3750. We've entitled the series, Graduate Level Grace Studying the Life of Joseph. The title today is Tested and Tried. We never graduate from needing grace, although becoming a Christian happens by grace through faith, you repent, you believe you're saved. But there are times where God wants us to level up. He wants us to grow in our faith and he sends us grace to test us and to mature, and season us to make us more useful in the hands of the Father. This grace often comes when we are tried with temptation and testing, and often temptation and testing is one and the same occasion. Temptation comes from the flesh, Satan and the world, whereas God uses that temptation to test us because God does not tempt any one of us.And Genesis 39 is one of the truly great chapters on a subject that each of us is more than familiar with. It's the subject of temptation. We've all been in the situation where we've been tempted. Oscar Wilde, Tongue-In-Cheek, he said he could resist anything except temptation. The lesson is before us that temptation is not just something that we should grit our teeth and just get through as some useless thing to endure. No, temptation is an occasion to grow. We are to use that experience to grow. For example, look at the progression in James 1:12-15, "Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial for when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life which God has promised to those who love him. Let no one say when he is tempted, I'm being tempted by God. For God cannot be tempted with evil and he himself tempts no one. But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it is conceived, gives birth to sin and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death."In the previous chapter, we went through the episode of Judah and Tamar and here we are back to Joseph. And throughout the narrative we see that God seasons Joseph, matures, grows him. Why? What's the point? So that later he's able to endure. When he is placed in the position of prominence, he becomes a prime minister, so to speak in Egypt, the number two person in Egypt. When he's in that exalted position, will he be able to endure the temptations that come without falling into conceit? So that's what God is doing. He's purging Joseph's character of any dross. We've already seen that he has been a person of integrity, although probably naivete, maybe inexperienced.And yes, there was probably an admixture of pride in his disposition. So what is God doing through this narrative? He is refining Joseph. He's purging the dross out of his life and once he's refined, he becomes a more useful instrument in the hands of God. The same language of testing to describe Joseph is used in Psalm 105:16-19 "When he," God, "summoned a famine on the land and broke all supply of bread, he had sent a man ahead of them, Joseph, who was sold as a slave. His feet were hurt with fetters. His neck was put in a collar of iron until what he had said came to pass. The word of the Lord tested him," explicitly spoken that Joseph in his hardest years, darkest years, those are years of testing from the Lord. Surely Joseph was asking, "Lord, what are you doing?"He had been a favored son and now he finds himself suddenly as a slave, but the passage emphasizes eight times. Moses emphasized eight times, Joseph is not alone, for the Lord is with him. Despite the slavery, despite the temptations, despite the jail, the Lord is favorable to him even when it doesn't feel like it. We're going to walk together through Genesis 39 verse by verse three points to frame up our time. First, if God is for you, no one can stand against you. Second, how then can I do this great wickedness and sin against God? And third, how to win against temptation? First, if God is for you, no one can stand against you. Verse one of Genesis 39, "Now, Joseph had been brought down to Egypt and Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, the captain of the guard and Egyptian had bought him from the Ishmaelites who had brought him down there."So we meet Potiphar, he's a big shot. He's the captain. It says of Pharaoh's guard or his body guards, meaning he's the captain of the executioners. He's a big deal. He's a dangerous man, keep that in mind. In verse two, "The Lord was with Joseph and he became a successful man and he was in the house of his Egyptian master." What's fascinating is after the experience of being sold by his brothers, we don't see Joseph just stuck in a place of hatred. You don't see bitterness or vindictiveness in his soul, and the Lord is with him. The word Lord here is Yahweh, the God of covenant love, and not just the reference to God's omnipresence. Yes, God is everywhere, but in a particular favorable way, God's presence was with Joseph. God takes special note of Joseph when he's in his time of need and God draws near.We see this repeated over and over and over. One fascinating thing to note is that Joseph isn't told that he's heard God's voice audibly. He's heard about God from his father and from his grandfather. He's heard that God spoke to Abraham and Isaac and Jacob. Joseph did not have the same experience. He had the divine dream. He still believed that God was with him, but he operates here in the same way that we do. By faith we believe that God is with us. By faith, we as Christians believe that Jesus Christ, God is with us, Emmanuel God is with us. So Joseph believes, and Joseph is working to be faithful. Potiphar's name in Egyptian means he whom ra'ah has given. The Egyptians worship this idol, ra'ah. That was their God. But ra'ah isn't given blessings here on Potiphar's household. No, it's Yahweh, it's God, and it's on account of Joseph and his faithfulness.Joseph doesn't have a friend in the world. He's thrown in. He doesn't know the language. If anyone has come here from a different country without knowing English, perhaps, you've been forced into immigration, you show up, you don't know the language. Joseph doesn't have any friends. He doesn't know the culture. He doesn't have a skillset that would make him valuable in Egypt. All he has is himself and his belief in God. How does he respond to the situation he finds himself in? Does he get angry at the world? Does he get angry at God? Does he play the victim? Is he paralyzed or immobilized by resentment? No, he can't control the circumstances he's in, but he can control how he responds and he chooses to be present and useful. He chooses to work hardly at whatever task he is given because he knows he's not serving Potiphar, he's serving God.He takes life by the horns and he does so quickly and speedily rises through the ranks in the house of Potiphar. And verse three, "His master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord caused all that he did to succeed in his hands. Whatever the young man took in his hands thrived." Here's a young man who has been living in the presence of God. He's been working in the presence of God. And as shocking as this may sound, young men can be useful. This is what the text... Even when they're young, men can be useful. Charles Spurgeon put it like this. He says, "Chins without beards are better than heads without brains," and what he's saying is, young men when wise, they're to be preferred to those without sense who don't even have youth as an excuse for their folly. Now, he understands that God has given me this time.He was 17, 18 years old at the time, and he understands that yes, he isn't in a situation that he wants to be, but God is sovereign, so he is seeking to be faithful. So Genesis 39:4, "So Joseph found favor in his sight and attended him." So Joseph becomes the personal attendant servant of Potiphar, "And he made him overseer of his house and put him in charge of all that he had. And from the time that he made him overseer in his house and over all that he had, the Lord blessed the Egyptians house for Joseph's sake. The blessing of the Lord was on all that he had in house and in field," so God is with him. God is prospering Joseph and prospering the Egyptians house. Potiphar notices that this blessing is much more than usual. Something here is coming from the supernatural realm.And this is what God promised Abraham. He said, "Look, if people bless you, I will bless them. And if people curse you, I will curse them." Joseph is being blessed by Potiphar, and Potiphar is being blessed by God. Joseph could hardly have risen higher, and this is incredible achievement. Thanks be to God and Joseph's work ethic, and this is a work ethic that is taught to us from holy scripture in Colossians 3:22-24, "Bondservants," or we can translate that to the modern day of employees, "obey in everything those who are your earthly masters, not by way of eye service as people pleasers, but with sincerity of heart, fearing the Lord. Whatever you do, work hardly as for the Lord and not for men. Knowing that from the Lord you'll receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ." And that's Joseph's mindset.He could have said, "I'm 17, this work of a slave is beneath me. I am not doing this or I'm going to do it just enough to get by." No, he throws himself into this work. He says, "The Lord is with me. I'm put here for a reason. I'm going to do the best work I can to the best of my abilities because Potiphar's not my ultimate boss. God is." Verse six, "So he left all that he had in Joseph's charge. And because of him, he had no concern about anything but the food he ate. Now, Joseph was handsome in form and appearance." So the text, everything was going great for Joseph and then all of a sudden the text takes a turn, and we go from Joseph's work ethic to what does he look like? Apparently he looked really good, well-built and good-looking. That phrase is only used of two other men in scripture, David and Absalom.And the same phrase is used of Rachel, Joseph's mom, so apparently the looks were in the genes. So yes, Joseph apparently is good-looking. What does he do with that? What's the text telling us? Well, this takes us into the great temptation and this is point 2, "How then can I do this great wickedness and sin against God?" So this is Genesis 39:7, "And after a time his master's wife cast her eyes on Joseph and said, lie with me." And first of all, I do want to note that the temptation comes in Joseph's life. The timing's uncanny, when it seems everything's finally going well. He was a slave, now he's worked himself up in the hierarchy. He's in a place of influence. He's probably got the nice garments keeping up with his station of being a personal attendant of Potiphar. Everything is going swimmingly, that's when the temptation strikes.So just be careful, know that when everything's going great, be on guard. So as he's advanced in the household, we see Mrs. Potiphar notices him. She observes and the observation rapidly turns into lust and desire, and she propositions him, "Lie with me." And strictly from a human perspective, it wouldn't make sense to be nice with the boss's wife and he could justify everything that is happening. From a spiritual perspective morally speaking, he had no authority over him other than himself. It's him and God. He has no family. His family certainly wouldn't find out if he commits to sin. And moreover, he's a slave. He's got to do what he's told and sexual promiscuity was a daily part of the slave holding households. And face it, he could have said, "Old Potiphar is gone all the time and he's not meeting his wife's needs and she's entitled to some affection," et cetera, et cetera.And he could have even blamed it on his genes. He could have said, "It's in my blood. Look at my brothers. Look at Ruben, look at Judah," look at the previous chapter. No, we don't see any of that. He had all the reason in the world to act out. He had every reason to be angry and bitter, and resentful and cynical, and self-serving and self-pitying. He could have rationalized all of this, but Joseph has not forgotten who he is. He is not just a slave. He knows that, "I'm not just a slave and I'm not here because of anything I've done. No, I'm not a slave. I am the son of Jacob. I am the son of Isaac. I'm the son of Abraham. I am the son of God. How can I sin against my God?" His identity was rooted in God. He knew God's will.So in verse eight it says, "But he refused and said to his master's wife, behold because of me my master has no concern about anything in the house. And he has put everything that he has in my charge. He has no greater in this house than I am, nor has he kept back anything from me except you because you are his wife. How then can I do this great wickedness and sin against God?" His answer is unmistakable. He refused, and we see his wisdom. We see that even as a young man, he gives a response and his response very measured. It's very logical. He forges a powerful argument against the temptation with reason, and it shows his wisdom. And his wisdom is evidenced because he fears God. The root of his wisdom is the fear of the Lord. The three major reasons he gives for, "Why would I ever even think to do that?"The first, he's like, look, the master, Potiphar has bestowed so much trust in Joseph, so much trust in him and to betray this great level of trust would be the basis of betrayals. And then he emphasizes to Potiphar's wife that she's Potiphar's wife. He emphasizes, he's like, "You are Mrs. Potiphar. You're literally Mrs. Potiphar and have you forgotten your husband's an executioner? What are you tempting me with?" Here, even if she's forgotten her role, he reminds her. And then third of all, and this is the main reason why he doesn't sin, he realizes yes, the sin is against the people involved. Yes, he'd be sinning against Potiphar, he'd be sinning against his... But he'd be sinning against God. And for Joseph, this is the greatest of sin. And it echoes the language here does, of when David after repenting, after committing a sin against Uriah and Bathsheba, he repents in Psalm 51.He says, "God against you and you only have I sinned." And also if you compare this text with a temptation of Genesis 3, Satan comes to Adam and Eve and he points to the tree that God said, "Do not eat of it." And Joseph says, "Look, the master hasn't kept anything from me except you." Adam and Eve used the prohibition to actually be tempted by the thing that God kept from them. And Joseph here on the opposite, he says, "No, no, no. I will not take the thing the master has kept from me." In verse 10, "As she spoke to Joseph day after day, he would not listen to her to lie beside her or to be with her." So the overtures are daily, she's persistent in her solicitations and he continues to remain steadfast. You see, she's flexible in her seduction. First she says, lie with me. She realized that doesn't work. And then she lessens the proposition. She says, "Lie beside me. Joseph, you had a long day come snuggle with me," and then that wasn't working. So she said, "Just be with me. Just sit here, just relax a little bit."She's trying to coax him into the sin and he does not. And Potiphar's wife is precisely the picture of the adulterous woman painted by the father in conversation with his son in Proverbs 5:6 and 7. By the way, the book of Proverbs was written for young boys. So these boys as they were entering manhood, they were given the book of Proverbs and said, "There's 31 chapters, read one a day." And by the way, if you have children, one of the best ways to form them spiritually is that. Proverbs, learn the fear of God. But look at Proverbs 5: 1-8, "My son, be attentive to my wisdom. Incline your ear to my understanding that you may keep discretion and your lips may guard knowledge. For the lips of a forbidden woman drip honey, and her speech is smoother than oil, but in the end she's bitter as wormwood sharp as a two-edged sword. Her feet go down to death. Her steps follow the path to Sheol. She does not ponder the path of life. Her ways wander and she does not know it.""And now, oh, sons, listen to me and do not depart from the words of my mouth. Keep your way far from her and do not go near the door of her house." Realizing Mrs. Potiphar that she's not winning the war of attrition, we see one final ambush, and this is verse 11, "But one day when he went into the house to do his work and none of the men of the house was there in the house, she caught him by his garment saying, lie with me. But he left his garment in her hand and fled and got out of the house. And as soon as she saw that he had left his garment in her hand and fled out of the house, she called to the men in the household and said, see, he has brought among us a Hebrew to laugh at us. He came into me to lie with me and I cried out with a loud voice. And as soon as he heard that, I lifted up my voice and cried out, he left his garment beside me and fled, and got out of the house."Joseph, by the way, the unluckiest guy in the world with his coats. If I were Joseph, I'd just stop wearing coats. I refuse. I'd rather get a cold, no. So she's got his coat and she's not happy about it. Someone said, "Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned." She desired him and he rejected, and then her lust turns to anger. And there's many a lesson here. If you analyze what's really driving her, it was a matter of pride. When she was unable to seduce him, her pride was bruised, her ego was bruised when she realizes she is not going to have victory here. So she goes on the attack, she gathers all the men in the household, she builds her case against him. She calls him a Hebrew slave. She doesn't even name her husband, "Look my husband," she blames the husband. She makes herself a victim. By the way she puts the garment as incriminating proof on her bed, et cetera. Many a lesson here, but the root of sexual immorality is not just desire, it's always a spiritual root, and what's at the root is pride.Who is God to tell me what to do, his scriptures? I decide for my... It's pride. And that's what she's dealing with here. A lesson here from Moses. What is Moses doing in writing the text as he does, presenting the story as he does? Well, he is showing us that when God chooses to use a man, he first needs to test the man's uprightness. That's what's happening here. Joseph can't control his circumstances. He's a slave and he has no control over his destiny. All he can control is his faithfulness. Will I be faithful in this moment of temptation? And that's the quality that God wants for every man or woman that will be used by him, he wants faithfulness. That's what he wants for those to build his kingdom. This is the quality of a good steward. If God has entrusted something to us, will we be good stewards of a good managers of it?If we want to be put over much, are we faithful with the little that is before us? And how do you learn faithfulness? You don't learn faithfulness from a book. You don't learn faithfulness by just reading about it. No, you learn faithfulness by being tested at moments like this. When there's every reason to skirt faithfulness, do you stay the course no matter the consequences? And Joseph does. And Genesis 39:16, "Then she laid up his garment by her creating this optical illusion until his master came home and she told him the same story saying, the Hebrews servant whom you've brought among us came in to laugh at me. But as soon as I lifted up my voice and cried, he left his garment beside me and fled out of the house." The phrase here, "You brought him to laugh at me," implies attempted rape, that's the accusation.Verse 19, "As soon as his master heard the words that his wife spoke to him, this is the way your servant treated me, his anger was kindled. And Joseph's master took him and put him into the prison, the place where the king's prisoners were confined and he was there in prison." So Potiphar comes home, here's a story. He looks at Joseph, he looks at his wife, he looks at the other servants, and he has a decision to make. His anger is kindled. It's fascinating that the text doesn't say his anger is kindled at Joseph. Most likely, and this is what all the c, they're shocked by his reaction. Well, how do you expect him to react? Well, you expect him that he's the chief of the executioners to execute Joseph and execute him swiftly in order to maintain order. That's not what he does. Not only does he not execute Joseph, he also puts him in a prison where the king's prisoners were.And that's why in the next chapter of the cup-bearer and the breadmaker, that's where Joseph meets them. So it wasn't regular prison, it was a king's prison for the important people. Most likely what the text is telling us is that Potiphar wasn't convinced by Mrs. Potiphar. And this is the goal, to become such a person of integrity that when false accusations are made against you, the people who know you best refuse to believe them. So Joseph's faithfulness throughout the entire episode seems to be unrewarded. What does he get for being good at that moment of temptation? What does he get? He gets prison, but we know that ultimately that's the path that God has for him from the prison to the palace.And verse 21, "But the Lord was with Joseph and showed him steadfast love and gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison. And the keeper of the prison put Joseph in charge of all the prisoners who were in the prison. And whatever was done there, he was the one who did it. And the keeper of the prison paid no attention to anything that was in Joseph's charge because the Lord was with him. And whatever he did, the Lord made it succeed." We don't know how much time elapsed, how much time he had spent in Potiphar's house and then how much time in prison, but it was years. And I wonder how often Joseph remembered his dreams, the dreams that God had sent him, the dreams that he will be put in a position of prominence and power, whatever it was God was with Joseph, and Joseph remained close to the divine presence.God was with him and everything that he did as Joseph continued to work diligently. What God's presence meant in Joseph's life, it wasn't that everything's easy, smooth sailing. Yes, God was with him, but Joseph was still in prison. Yes, God is with him, but Joseph is still a slave. And what this means is from a theological perspective, yes, everything's settled, everything is secure and ultimate all is well and as safely in God's hands. But as we look at the life of Joseph, there's still risk and there's still uncomfortable circumstances and danger, and difficulty and even disappointment, but he continued to stay close to the Lord. He continued to work out his salvation with fear and trembling, and that's the same before us. We don't see the full story of God's plan for us. We know his purposes are to glorify his name, to do good, but we don't know all the details. And while we are alive, we must remember that we are still living in warfare. Day by day, we need to be conscious of the fact that we do have an enemy.We have adversaries of Satan and his lackeys and demons. We are living life in the thick of combat, in a battlefield strewn with a carnage of those who have come before us. And the scripture speaks about this often, that we are given weapons, weapons for our left hand and our right weapons to fight the good fight of faith. We are given a sword, the sword of the spirit, which is the word of God. And so often we forget this, we meander through life. We forget that we are pilgrims headed to a country, a kingdom that is not of this world. A large part of why we forget is because most of the people around us don't have that worldview. They live with a faithless worldview as if the material is all there is. Well, we must never lose sight of the fact that our lives are epic, that our souls are eternal.Everything we do in the body has eternal consequences. We are not to stop thinking of our lives as being inconsequential and we are to think of our lives as God does, and walk by faith, not by sight. I think one of the greatest temptations before modern people is this. It's the temptation to live for nothing, of no purpose greater than just enjoying ourselves or enjoying the short years we've been given. There's a writer called Plantinga who wrote a book called Not the Way It's Supposed To Be, and this is, and I'll read the quote, it's so powerful. It says, "Many live life making a career of nothing, wandering through malls, killing time, making small talk, watching television programs until we know their characters better than our own children. Well, this robs the community of our gifts and energies, and shapes life into a yawn at the God and Savior of the world. The person who will not best stir herself, the person who hands himself over to nothing in effect says to God, you have made nothing of interest and redeemed no one of consequence including me.""C. S. Lewis has the devil's Screwtape explained to the junior devil wormwood that the man he is after can be drawn away from God by nothing. Nothing is very strong, strong enough to steal away a man's best years not, in sweet sins, but in a dreary flickering of the mind over it knows not what and knows not why. And the gratification of curiosities so feeble that the man is only half aware of them, and drumming of fingers and kicking of heels, and whistling tunes that he does not like. The only thing that matters is the extent to which you separate the man from the enemy. Murder is no better than cards if cards can do the trick. Indeed, the safest road to hell is the gradual one, the gentle slope, soft underfoot without sudden turnings, without milestones, without signposts."Joseph thankfully remains faithful and he wins in this battle against this temptation. And this brings us to point 3, how to win against temptation in our lives? First of all, it's not a sin to be tempted. It is a sin to yield to temptation. As one writer says, "A mob may batter at the palace gates but if it's unable to enter in, there's no damage done to the kingdom." I'll give you three points to win against temptations. Tips first, forge a forceful argument using God's word, and we are to know God's word in order to apply God's word. You must make this argument with Satan sometimes, sometimes with people tempting you in your life, more often than not, with yourself.You have to learn to preach to yourself in particular in the moments of weakness, and you have to make a case. You have to convince yourself this is what Joseph was doing. He's making arguments. The sin Potiphar's wife was proposing would've been an outrage, yes, against Potiphar, but specifically against God himself. And a Christian can think of countless arguments, some of them specific to the certain sins you are tempted to commit, but many of the reasons we can marshal to not commit sin at any time in any way. How's this for one, how about the love of God that God loves me, I belong to him, that I am a son of God, that you are a son or daughter of God. That God loves you so much that he doesn't want me to die for my sins, therefore he sent Jesus Christ, the cross of Christ.How about the presence of the Holy Spirit, that we love the presence of the Holy Spirit so much that we do not want to grieve him. The damage to our own soul, that sin does have consequences. The unworthiness of it all, the fruitlessness in your life. The tendency of when you give into one sin that sin begetting another sin and then all of a sudden you are spiraling out of control. Well, what about the example to an unbelieving world? What about giving the evil one victory, the one who hates you? What about the fact that we will even as Christians be taken to a second judgment, a judgment where the Lord will judge us? What do we do in our body? What do we do with the gifts and talents he's given us? Joseph here is animated by his conviction that his life is not his own.That he has a God who is over him and a God who is with him, and a God who loves him, and a God who is not to be dishonored. He did exactly what Jesus Christ was doing in the desert when Satan comes to tempt him. Christ marshaled arguments from the word of God. The apostle Paul in Ephesians 6 when he talks about fighting the good faith and spiritual warfare, he says, "Take up the sword of the spirit." It's the word of God, meaning the stress there is on the precise application of the word of God when we are tempted, so we are to know the word of God and apply it specifically. Second is avoid tempting situations. Joseph did as best as he could. As soon as he saw Potiphar's wife's interest, he tried to avoid her all to together. The father in Proverbs says, "Do not go near the door of her house."Why? Because of the attraction of sin. It does lure us. It's like the closer you get, the more powerless you become. And such as the power of sin, even our love of it that we often want to get as close as possible without breaking the commandment. This is what Robert Murray M'Cheyne, a holy man as there ever was. He wrote the following, "Satan tempts me to go as near to temptations as possible without committing the sin. This is fearful, tempting God and grieving the Holy Spirit. It's a deep-laid plot of Satan." This is what Romans 13:11-14 says, "Besides this, you know the time that the hour has come for you to wake from sleep for salvation is near to us now than when we first believed. The night is far gone, the days at hand, so then let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light. Let us walk properly as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in quarreling and jealousy, but put on the Lord Jesus Christ and make no provision for the flesh to gratify its desires."And third is flee temptation. When Joseph had nothing else to do, he took flight and it was deliberate act of the will, abrupt, decisive and he runs. 1 Corinthians 6:13-20, the apostle writes, "The body is not meant for sexual immorality, but for the Lord and the Lord for the body. And God raised the Lord and will also raise us up by his power. Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make the members of a prostitute? Never. Or do you not know that he who is joined to a prostitute becomes one body with her. For as it is written, the two will become one flesh, but he who is joined to the Lord becomes one spirit with him. Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexual and moral person sins against his own body.""Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God. You are not your own, for you were bought with a price to glorify God in your body." And then 2 Timothy 2:20-22. In this text, I just notice the connection between righteousness with sexuality and our usefulness to the Lord. And I'll never remember this text, I was 13. I was at Slavic Youth Camp. If you don't know, I was raised in Slavic churches. And at 13 they got all the boys in one room and they're like, "We're going to have a talk." And then they bring in just a savage, this old dude, just a savage guy, bearded, just massive hands, although he was 85 he could still kill you. And he walks in and he just said, "Gentlemen, remember this. 2, 2, 2. 2 Timothy 2:22." He said, "Memorize this and live by it, and the Lord's going to keep you from sin."And just look at the connection between usefulness and righteousness. 2 Timothy 2:20-22, "Now in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver but also of wood and clay, some for honorable use, some for dishonorable. Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from what is dishonorable, he will be a vessel for honorable use set apart as holy, useful to the master of the house, ready for every good work. So flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart." Flee youthful passions and pursue these great things, don't do it by yourself. Do it with others, with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart. So flee when faced with temptation, don't tarry.Thomas à Kempis in his famous description in The Imitation of Christ, he gives these successful steps of temptation. He says, "First, there is first the bare thought of the sin. Then after that, there's a picture of the sin formed and hung up on the secret screen of the imagination. A strange sweetness from the picture is then let down drop by drop into the heart. And then that sweetness soon secures the consent of the whole soul and the thing is done." Today, is Communion Sunday, and I do want to think through fighting temptation from the perspective of the cross that when we are faced with temptation, you've got to ask yourself, how can I sin? How can I, for whom Christ died, continue to sin? How can I, the object of God's electing grace, the object of the work of the Holy Spirit, the object of God's efficacious grace, he sought me when I was lost. He converted me. He regenerated. He filled me with the Holy Spirit, how can this great God that bled from me, how can I sin against him?What about those who have given into temptation? Well, that's every single one of us. We have all sinned. And what are we to do? Well, do you see the wickedness that your sins are before the Lord? Can you say, "Yes, I have done this egregious thing against God?" Do you understand that you are condemned because of your sin, that you will be judged for your sin? And once you do, once you understand that, well, then flee to Christ for refuge, then flee to him to receive everlasting life. The comparisons between Joseph and Jesus... Well, they're not just incidental. I think it was all part of the story, but you see the comparisons. Joseph was the A beloved son of the Father.Jesus Christ was the beloved son, the only-begotten son of the Father. Joseph was sent by the father to the brothers and Jesus was sent to his brethren by the Father. Joseph was sold by his brothers into slavery, Jesus was as well. Joseph later on forgives his brothers. Jesus Christ forgives those who are crucifying them. On the cross Jesus said the following, "Father, forgive them for they know not what they do," he's forgiving them. But also notice that not knowing that you're sinning against God is not enough. That's not enough of a defense. We all know that we have sinned. We all need forgiveness. Jesus Christ was numbered among the transgressors in order to intercede for us. Isaiah 53:12, "Therefore, I will divide him a portion with the many and he shall divide the spoil with the strong because he poured out his soul to death and was numbered with the transgressors, yet he bore the sin of many and makes intercession for the transgressors."Upon the conception of Christ, the Messiah, and the womb of the Virgin Mary, the angel Gabriel, explained to another Joseph in Matthew 1:21, "She will bear a son and you will call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins. All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which means God with us." Because Jesus Christ died on the cross for our sins, he can be with us because Jesus Christ was rejected by the Father on the cross. "He said, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" He did that so that we would not be forsaken when we come to the Lord and ask for forgiveness. We are now going to transition to holy communion, which is commanded in scripture to be celebrated as a remembrance of the suffering of Christ. For whom is holy communion?It is for repentant believers in Jesus Christ. So if you do not trust in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, we ask that you refrain from this part of the service. Or if you're living in unrepentant sin, also refrain from this part of the service. But if you trust in Christ and if you are repentant, you're welcome to partake. If you'd like to partake and don't have the elements, the cup and the bread, raise your hand during prayer and the ushers will hand them out. Would you pray with me? Heavenly Father, we thank you that you did not leave us in our sins. We have all transgressed your holy commandments. We have all sinned against your holy name. And Lord, we come to you with humility and contrition of heart, and we repent and we ask, Lord, forgive us for our sins and our many transgressions. We thank you Jesus, that those transgressions were placed upon you.Lord, we thank you that at the moment of your greatest test when you were in Gethsemane under pressure that we can't even begin to imagine, and as the capillaries in your face were bursting and you were sweating blood and you asked if there's any other way, you said, "Father, if there's any other way, let this cup pass from me, the cup of wrath, yet not my will but yours be done." Jesus, we thank you that despite the fact that you saw how difficult that would be, Lord, you gave into the will of the Father. And Lord at those moments of temptation, when we are tempted to do our will instead of the Father's will Lord give us more grace. Give us power, the power of the Holy Spirit to be a righteous people continuing to be useful to you. Lord, bless this time, the holy communion. Jesus, we meditate upon your sufferings. We thank you that your body was broken so that we might be healed and your blood was shed so that our souls might be cleansed.Lord, we thank you for the gospel. We thank you for the gift of grace. And Lord, right now minister to us as we partake in holy communion. We pray this in Christ's name. Amen. If this is your first time with us, the bread is at the bottom, open that up. On the night that Jesus Christ was betrayed, he took the bread and after breaking it, he said, "This is my body broken for you. Take eat and do this in remembrance of me." Then he proceeded to take the cup and he said, "This cup is the cup of the new covenant of my blood, which is poured out for the sins of many. Take, drink, and do this remembrance of me."Heavenly Father, as we meditate the sufferings of Christ, we also remember the perfection of Christ. Lord Jesus, we thank you that you never sinned. We thank you that you never gave in to temptation, not even once. And because of Jesus, your faithfulness, you provided a way for us to be clothed with the righteousness of Christ. Lord, make us the people that on a daily basis choose to remind ourselves that we are yours and we're not yours just once because you've created us, we're yours twice because you have redeemed us by the blood of Christ. Therefore, make us the people who live in a manner worthy of this gospel. And we pray all this in Christ's name. Amen.

This media has been made available by Mosaic Boston Church. If you'd like to check out more resources, learn about Mosaic Boston or donate to this ministry, please visit mosaicboston.com.Heavenly Father, we thank you for another opportunity and occasion to study your holy scriptures before us. And Lord, we thank you that all of scripture is God breathed and it's profitable for teaching, for correcting, for rebuke and for training. And Lord, as we look at the text before us and we see the temptation set before Joseph, Lord, we thank you for his victory and I pray that you give us victory over our temptations. And Lord, we thank you for the tests that you send in life. And I pray, give us the power of the Holy Spirit to not just pass the test, but pass them with flying colors and graduate to ever higher levels of usefulness in your kingdom. Lord, if there's anyone who's not yet a believer in Christ today, save them, draw them to yourself. Remove condemnation and replace it with your love and your mercy. And Lord bless our time in the holy scriptures. We pray all this in Christ's name. Amen.We're continuing our study in Genesis 3750. We've entitled the series, Graduate Level Grace Studying the Life of Joseph. The title today is Tested and Tried. We never graduate from needing grace, although becoming a Christian happens by grace through faith, you repent, you believe you're saved. But there are times where God wants us to level up. He wants us to grow in our faith and he sends us grace to test us and to mature, and season us to make us more useful in the hands of the Father. This grace often comes when we are tried with temptation and testing, and often temptation and testing is one and the same occasion. Temptation comes from the flesh, Satan and the world, whereas God uses that temptation to test us because God does not tempt any one of us.And Genesis 39 is one of the truly great chapters on a subject that each of us is more than familiar with. It's the subject of temptation. We've all been in the situation where we've been tempted. Oscar Wilde, Tongue-In-Cheek, he said he could resist anything except temptation. The lesson is before us that temptation is not just something that we should grit our teeth and just get through as some useless thing to endure. No, temptation is an occasion to grow. We are to use that experience to grow. For example, look at the progression in James 1:12-15, "Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial for when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life which God has promised to those who love him. Let no one say when he is tempted, I'm being tempted by God. For God cannot be tempted with evil and he himself tempts no one. But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it is conceived, gives birth to sin and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death."In the previous chapter, we went through the episode of Judah and Tamar and here we are back to Joseph. And throughout the narrative we see that God seasons Joseph, matures, grows him. Why? What's the point? So that later he's able to endure. When he is placed in the position of prominence, he becomes a prime minister, so to speak in Egypt, the number two person in Egypt. When he's in that exalted position, will he be able to endure the temptations that come without falling into conceit? So that's what God is doing. He's purging Joseph's character of any dross. We've already seen that he has been a person of integrity, although probably naivete, maybe inexperienced.And yes, there was probably an admixture of pride in his disposition. So what is God doing through this narrative? He is refining Joseph. He's purging the dross out of his life and once he's refined, he becomes a more useful instrument in the hands of God. The same language of testing to describe Joseph is used in Psalm 105:16-19 "When he," God, "summoned a famine on the land and broke all supply of bread, he had sent a man ahead of them, Joseph, who was sold as a slave. His feet were hurt with fetters. His neck was put in a collar of iron until what he had said came to pass. The word of the Lord tested him," explicitly spoken that Joseph in his hardest years, darkest years, those are years of testing from the Lord. Surely Joseph was asking, "Lord, what are you doing?"He had been a favored son and now he finds himself suddenly as a slave, but the passage emphasizes eight times. Moses emphasized eight times, Joseph is not alone, for the Lord is with him. Despite the slavery, despite the temptations, despite the jail, the Lord is favorable to him even when it doesn't feel like it. We're going to walk together through Genesis 39 verse by verse three points to frame up our time. First, if God is for you, no one can stand against you. Second, how then can I do this great wickedness and sin against God? And third, how to win against temptation? First, if God is for you, no one can stand against you. Verse one of Genesis 39, "Now, Joseph had been brought down to Egypt and Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, the captain of the guard and Egyptian had bought him from the Ishmaelites who had brought him down there."So we meet Potiphar, he's a big shot. He's the captain. It says of Pharaoh's guard or his body guards, meaning he's the captain of the executioners. He's a big deal. He's a dangerous man, keep that in mind. In verse two, "The Lord was with Joseph and he became a successful man and he was in the house of his Egyptian master." What's fascinating is after the experience of being sold by his brothers, we don't see Joseph just stuck in a place of hatred. You don't see bitterness or vindictiveness in his soul, and the Lord is with him. The word Lord here is Yahweh, the God of covenant love, and not just the reference to God's omnipresence. Yes, God is everywhere, but in a particular favorable way, God's presence was with Joseph. God takes special note of Joseph when he's in his time of need and God draws near.We see this repeated over and over and over. One fascinating thing to note is that Joseph isn't told that he's heard God's voice audibly. He's heard about God from his father and from his grandfather. He's heard that God spoke to Abraham and Isaac and Jacob. Joseph did not have the same experience. He had the divine dream. He still believed that God was with him, but he operates here in the same way that we do. By faith we believe that God is with us. By faith, we as Christians believe that Jesus Christ, God is with us, Emmanuel God is with us. So Joseph believes, and Joseph is working to be faithful. Potiphar's name in Egyptian means he whom ra'ah has given. The Egyptians worship this idol, ra'ah. That was their God. But ra'ah isn't given blessings here on Potiphar's household. No, it's Yahweh, it's God, and it's on account of Joseph and his faithfulness.Joseph doesn't have a friend in the world. He's thrown in. He doesn't know the language. If anyone has come here from a different country without knowing English, perhaps, you've been forced into immigration, you show up, you don't know the language. Joseph doesn't have any friends. He doesn't know the culture. He doesn't have a skillset that would make him valuable in Egypt. All he has is himself and his belief in God. How does he respond to the situation he finds himself in? Does he get angry at the world? Does he get angry at God? Does he play the victim? Is he paralyzed or immobilized by resentment? No, he can't control the circumstances he's in, but he can control how he responds and he chooses to be present and useful. He chooses to work hardly at whatever task he is given because he knows he's not serving Potiphar, he's serving God.He takes life by the horns and he does so quickly and speedily rises through the ranks in the house of Potiphar. And verse three, "His master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord caused all that he did to succeed in his hands. Whatever the young man took in his hands thrived." Here's a young man who has been living in the presence of God. He's been working in the presence of God. And as shocking as this may sound, young men can be useful. This is what the text... Even when they're young, men can be useful. Charles Spurgeon put it like this. He says, "Chins without beards are better than heads without brains," and what he's saying is, young men when wise, they're to be preferred to those without sense who don't even have youth as an excuse for their folly. Now, he understands that God has given me this time.He was 17, 18 years old at the time, and he understands that yes, he isn't in a situation that he wants to be, but God is sovereign, so he is seeking to be faithful. So Genesis 39:4, "So Joseph found favor in his sight and attended him." So Joseph becomes the personal attendant servant of Potiphar, "And he made him overseer of his house and put him in charge of all that he had. And from the time that he made him overseer in his house and over all that he had, the Lord blessed the Egyptians house for Joseph's sake. The blessing of the Lord was on all that he had in house and in field," so God is with him. God is prospering Joseph and prospering the Egyptians house. Potiphar notices that this blessing is much more than usual. Something here is coming from the supernatural realm.And this is what God promised Abraham. He said, "Look, if people bless you, I will bless them. And if people curse you, I will curse them." Joseph is being blessed by Potiphar, and Potiphar is being blessed by God. Joseph could hardly have risen higher, and this is incredible achievement. Thanks be to God and Joseph's work ethic, and this is a work ethic that is taught to us from holy scripture in Colossians 3:22-24, "Bondservants," or we can translate that to the modern day of employees, "obey in everything those who are your earthly masters, not by way of eye service as people pleasers, but with sincerity of heart, fearing the Lord. Whatever you do, work hardly as for the Lord and not for men. Knowing that from the Lord you'll receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ." And that's Joseph's mindset.He could have said, "I'm 17, this work of a slave is beneath me. I am not doing this or I'm going to do it just enough to get by." No, he throws himself into this work. He says, "The Lord is with me. I'm put here for a reason. I'm going to do the best work I can to the best of my abilities because Potiphar's not my ultimate boss. God is." Verse six, "So he left all that he had in Joseph's charge. And because of him, he had no concern about anything but the food he ate. Now, Joseph was handsome in form and appearance." So the text, everything was going great for Joseph and then all of a sudden the text takes a turn, and we go from Joseph's work ethic to what does he look like? Apparently he looked really good, well-built and good-looking. That phrase is only used of two other men in scripture, David and Absalom.And the same phrase is used of Rachel, Joseph's mom, so apparently the looks were in the genes. So yes, Joseph apparently is good-looking. What does he do with that? What's the text telling us? Well, this takes us into the great temptation and this is point 2, "How then can I do this great wickedness and sin against God?" So this is Genesis 39:7, "And after a time his master's wife cast her eyes on Joseph and said, lie with me." And first of all, I do want to note that the temptation comes in Joseph's life. The timing's uncanny, when it seems everything's finally going well. He was a slave, now he's worked himself up in the hierarchy. He's in a place of influence. He's probably got the nice garments keeping up with his station of being a personal attendant of Potiphar. Everything is going swimmingly, that's when the temptation strikes.So just be careful, know that when everything's going great, be on guard. So as he's advanced in the household, we see Mrs. Potiphar notices him. She observes and the observation rapidly turns into lust and desire, and she propositions him, "Lie with me." And strictly from a human perspective, it wouldn't make sense to be nice with the boss's wife and he could justify everything that is happening. From a spiritual perspective morally speaking, he had no authority over him other than himself. It's him and God. He has no family. His family certainly wouldn't find out if he commits to sin. And moreover, he's a slave. He's got to do what he's told and sexual promiscuity was a daily part of the slave holding households. And face it, he could have said, "Old Potiphar is gone all the time and he's not meeting his wife's needs and she's entitled to some affection," et cetera, et cetera.And he could have even blamed it on his genes. He could have said, "It's in my blood. Look at my brothers. Look at Ruben, look at Judah," look at the previous chapter. No, we don't see any of that. He had all the reason in the world to act out. He had every reason to be angry and bitter, and resentful and cynical, and self-serving and self-pitying. He could have rationalized all of this, but Joseph has not forgotten who he is. He is not just a slave. He knows that, "I'm not just a slave and I'm not here because of anything I've done. No, I'm not a slave. I am the son of Jacob. I am the son of Isaac. I'm the son of Abraham. I am the son of God. How can I sin against my God?" His identity was rooted in God. He knew God's will.So in verse eight it says, "But he refused and said to his master's wife, behold because of me my master has no concern about anything in the house. And he has put everything that he has in my charge. He has no greater in this house than I am, nor has he kept back anything from me except you because you are his wife. How then can I do this great wickedness and sin against God?" His answer is unmistakable. He refused, and we see his wisdom. We see that even as a young man, he gives a response and his response very measured. It's very logical. He forges a powerful argument against the temptation with reason, and it shows his wisdom. And his wisdom is evidenced because he fears God. The root of his wisdom is the fear of the Lord. The three major reasons he gives for, "Why would I ever even think to do that?"The first, he's like, look, the master, Potiphar has bestowed so much trust in Joseph, so much trust in him and to betray this great level of trust would be the basis of betrayals. And then he emphasizes to Potiphar's wife that she's Potiphar's wife. He emphasizes, he's like, "You are Mrs. Potiphar. You're literally Mrs. Potiphar and have you forgotten your husband's an executioner? What are you tempting me with?" Here, even if she's forgotten her role, he reminds her. And then third of all, and this is the main reason why he doesn't sin, he realizes yes, the sin is against the people involved. Yes, he'd be sinning against Potiphar, he'd be sinning against his... But he'd be sinning against God. And for Joseph, this is the greatest of sin. And it echoes the language here does, of when David after repenting, after committing a sin against Uriah and Bathsheba, he repents in Psalm 51.He says, "God against you and you only have I sinned." And also if you compare this text with a temptation of Genesis 3, Satan comes to Adam and Eve and he points to the tree that God said, "Do not eat of it." And Joseph says, "Look, the master hasn't kept anything from me except you." Adam and Eve used the prohibition to actually be tempted by the thing that God kept from them. And Joseph here on the opposite, he says, "No, no, no. I will not take the thing the master has kept from me." In verse 10, "As she spoke to Joseph day after day, he would not listen to her to lie beside her or to be with her." So the overtures are daily, she's persistent in her solicitations and he continues to remain steadfast. You see, she's flexible in her seduction. First she says, lie with me. She realized that doesn't work. And then she lessens the proposition. She says, "Lie beside me. Joseph, you had a long day come snuggle with me," and then that wasn't working. So she said, "Just be with me. Just sit here, just relax a little bit."She's trying to coax him into the sin and he does not. And Potiphar's wife is precisely the picture of the adulterous woman painted by the father in conversation with his son in Proverbs 5:6 and 7. By the way, the book of Proverbs was written for young boys. So these boys as they were entering manhood, they were given the book of Proverbs and said, "There's 31 chapters, read one a day." And by the way, if you have children, one of the best ways to form them spiritually is that. Proverbs, learn the fear of God. But look at Proverbs 5: 1-8, "My son, be attentive to my wisdom. Incline your ear to my understanding that you may keep discretion and your lips may guard knowledge. For the lips of a forbidden woman drip honey, and her speech is smoother than oil, but in the end she's bitter as wormwood sharp as a two-edged sword. Her feet go down to death. Her steps follow the path to Sheol. She does not ponder the path of life. Her ways wander and she does not know it.""And now, oh, sons, listen to me and do not depart from the words of my mouth. Keep your way far from her and do not go near the door of her house." Realizing Mrs. Potiphar that she's not winning the war of attrition, we see one final ambush, and this is verse 11, "But one day when he went into the house to do his work and none of the men of the house was there in the house, she caught him by his garment saying, lie with me. But he left his garment in her hand and fled and got out of the house. And as soon as she saw that he had left his garment in her hand and fled out of the house, she called to the men in the household and said, see, he has brought among us a Hebrew to laugh at us. He came into me to lie with me and I cried out with a loud voice. And as soon as he heard that, I lifted up my voice and cried out, he left his garment beside me and fled, and got out of the house."Joseph, by the way, the unluckiest guy in the world with his coats. If I were Joseph, I'd just stop wearing coats. I refuse. I'd rather get a cold, no. So she's got his coat and she's not happy about it. Someone said, "Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned." She desired him and he rejected, and then her lust turns to anger. And there's many a lesson here. If you analyze what's really driving her, it was a matter of pride. When she was unable to seduce him, her pride was bruised, her ego was bruised when she realizes she is not going to have victory here. So she goes on the attack, she gathers all the men in the household, she builds her case against him. She calls him a Hebrew slave. She doesn't even name her husband, "Look my husband," she blames the husband. She makes herself a victim. By the way she puts the garment as incriminating proof on her bed, et cetera. Many a lesson here, but the root of sexual immorality is not just desire, it's always a spiritual root, and what's at the root is pride.Who is God to tell me what to do, his scriptures? I decide for my... It's pride. And that's what she's dealing with here. A lesson here from Moses. What is Moses doing in writing the text as he does, presenting the story as he does? Well, he is showing us that when God chooses to use a man, he first needs to test the man's uprightness. That's what's happening here. Joseph can't control his circumstances. He's a slave and he has no control over his destiny. All he can control is his faithfulness. Will I be faithful in this moment of temptation? And that's the quality that God wants for every man or woman that will be used by him, he wants faithfulness. That's what he wants for those to build his kingdom. This is the quality of a good steward. If God has entrusted something to us, will we be good stewards of a good managers of it?If we want to be put over much, are we faithful with the little that is before us? And how do you learn faithfulness? You don't learn faithfulness from a book. You don't learn faithfulness by just reading about it. No, you learn faithfulness by being tested at moments like this. When there's every reason to skirt faithfulness, do you stay the course no matter the consequences? And Joseph does. And Genesis 39:16, "Then she laid up his garment by her creating this optical illusion until his master came home and she told him the same story saying, the Hebrews servant whom you've brought among us came in to laugh at me. But as soon as I lifted up my voice and cried, he left his garment beside me and fled out of the house." The phrase here, "You brought him to laugh at me," implies attempted rape, that's the accusation.Verse 19, "As soon as his master heard the words that his wife spoke to him, this is the way your servant treated me, his anger was kindled. And Joseph's master took him and put him into the prison, the place where the king's prisoners were confined and he was there in prison." So Potiphar comes home, here's a story. He looks at Joseph, he looks at his wife, he looks at the other servants, and he has a decision to make. His anger is kindled. It's fascinating that the text doesn't say his anger is kindled at Joseph. Most likely, and this is what all the c, they're shocked by his reaction. Well, how do you expect him to react? Well, you expect him that he's the chief of the executioners to execute Joseph and execute him swiftly in order to maintain order. That's not what he does. Not only does he not execute Joseph, he also puts him in a prison where the king's prisoners were.And that's why in the next chapter of the cup-bearer and the breadmaker, that's where Joseph meets them. So it wasn't regular prison, it was a king's prison for the important people. Most likely what the text is telling us is that Potiphar wasn't convinced by Mrs. Potiphar. And this is the goal, to become such a person of integrity that when false accusations are made against you, the people who know you best refuse to believe them. So Joseph's faithfulness throughout the entire episode seems to be unrewarded. What does he get for being good at that moment of temptation? What does he get? He gets prison, but we know that ultimately that's the path that God has for him from the prison to the palace.And verse 21, "But the Lord was with Joseph and showed him steadfast love and gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison. And the keeper of the prison put Joseph in charge of all the prisoners who were in the prison. And whatever was done there, he was the one who did it. And the keeper of the prison paid no attention to anything that was in Joseph's charge because the Lord was with him. And whatever he did, the Lord made it succeed." We don't know how much time elapsed, how much time he had spent in Potiphar's house and then how much time in prison, but it was years. And I wonder how often Joseph remembered his dreams, the dreams that God had sent him, the dreams that he will be put in a position of prominence and power, whatever it was God was with Joseph, and Joseph remained close to the divine presence.God was with him and everything that he did as Joseph continued to work diligently. What God's presence meant in Joseph's life, it wasn't that everything's easy, smooth sailing. Yes, God was with him, but Joseph was still in prison. Yes, God is with him, but Joseph is still a slave. And what this means is from a theological perspective, yes, everything's settled, everything is secure and ultimate all is well and as safely in God's hands. But as we look at the life of Joseph, there's still risk and there's still uncomfortable circumstances and danger, and difficulty and even disappointment, but he continued to stay close to the Lord. He continued to work out his salvation with fear and trembling, and that's the same before us. We don't see the full story of God's plan for us. We know his purposes are to glorify his name, to do good, but we don't know all the details. And while we are alive, we must remember that we are still living in warfare. Day by day, we need to be conscious of the fact that we do have an enemy.We have adversaries of Satan and his lackeys and demons. We are living life in the thick of combat, in a battlefield strewn with a carnage of those who have come before us. And the scripture speaks about this often, that we are given weapons, weapons for our left hand and our right weapons to fight the good fight of faith. We are given a sword, the sword of the spirit, which is the word of God. And so often we forget this, we meander through life. We forget that we are pilgrims headed to a country, a kingdom that is not of this world. A large part of why we forget is because most of the people around us don't have that worldview. They live with a faithless worldview as if the material is all there is. Well, we must never lose sight of the fact that our lives are epic, that our souls are eternal.Everything we do in the body has eternal consequences. We are not to stop thinking of our lives as being inconsequential and we are to think of our lives as God does, and walk by faith, not by sight. I think one of the greatest temptations before modern people is this. It's the temptation to live for nothing, of no purpose greater than just enjoying ourselves or enjoying the short years we've been given. There's a writer called Plantinga who wrote a book called Not the Way It's Supposed To Be, and this is, and I'll read the quote, it's so powerful. It says, "Many live life making a career of nothing, wandering through malls, killing time, making small talk, watching television programs until we know their characters better than our own children. Well, this robs the community of our gifts and energies, and shapes life into a yawn at the God and Savior of the world. The person who will not best stir herself, the person who hands himself over to nothing in effect says to God, you have made nothing of interest and redeemed no one of consequence including me.""C. S. Lewis has the devil's Screwtape explained to the junior devil wormwood that the man he is after can be drawn away from God by nothing. Nothing is very strong, strong enough to steal away a man's best years not, in sweet sins, but in a dreary flickering of the mind over it knows not what and knows not why. And the gratification of curiosities so feeble that the man is only half aware of them, and drumming of fingers and kicking of heels, and whistling tunes that he does not like. The only thing that matters is the extent to which you separate the man from the enemy. Murder is no better than cards if cards can do the trick. Indeed, the safest road to hell is the gradual one, the gentle slope, soft underfoot without sudden turnings, without milestones, without signposts."Joseph thankfully remains faithful and he wins in this battle against this temptation. And this brings us to point 3, how to win against temptation in our lives? First of all, it's not a sin to be tempted. It is a sin to yield to temptation. As one writer says, "A mob may batter at the palace gates but if it's unable to enter in, there's no damage done to the kingdom." I'll give you three points to win against temptations. Tips first, forge a forceful argument using God's word, and we are to know God's word in order to apply God's word. You must make this argument with Satan sometimes, sometimes with people tempting you in your life, more often than not, with yourself.You have to learn to preach to yourself in particular in the moments of weakness, and you have to make a case. You have to convince yourself this is what Joseph was doing. He's making arguments. The sin Potiphar's wife was proposing would've been an outrage, yes, against Potiphar, but specifically against God himself. And a Christian can think of countless arguments, some of them specific to the certain sins you are tempted to commit, but many of the reasons we can marshal to not commit sin at any time in any way. How's this for one, how about the love of God that God loves me, I belong to him, that I am a son of God, that you are a son or daughter of God. That God loves you so much that he doesn't want me to die for my sins, therefore he sent Jesus Christ, the cross of Christ.How about the presence of the Holy Spirit, that we love the presence of the Holy Spirit so much that we do not want to grieve him. The damage to our own soul, that sin does have consequences. The unworthiness of it all, the fruitlessness in your life. The tendency of when you give into one sin that sin begetting another sin and then all of a sudden you are spiraling out of control. Well, what about the example to an unbelieving world? What about giving the evil one victory, the one who hates you? What about the fact that we will even as Christians be taken to a second judgment, a judgment where the Lord will judge us? What do we do in our body? What do we do with the gifts and talents he's given us? Joseph here is animated by his conviction that his life is not his own.That he has a God who is over him and a God who is with him, and a God who loves him, and a God who is not to be dishonored. He did exactly what Jesus Christ was doing in the desert when Satan comes to tempt him. Christ marshaled arguments from the word of God. The apostle Paul in Ephesians 6 when he talks about fighting the good faith and spiritual warfare, he says, "Take up the sword of the spirit." It's the word of God, meaning the stress there is on the precise application of the word of God when we are tempted, so we are to know the word of God and apply it specifically. Second is avoid tempting situations. Joseph did as best as he could. As soon as he saw Potiphar's wife's interest, he tried to avoid her all to together. The father in Proverbs says, "Do not go near the door of her house."Why? Because of the attraction of sin. It does lure us. It's like the closer you get, the more powerless you become. And such as the power of sin, even our love of it that we often want to get as close as possible without breaking the commandment. This is what Robert Murray M'Cheyne, a holy man as there ever was. He wrote the following, "Satan tempts me to go as near to temptations as possible without committing the sin. This is fearful, tempting God and grieving the Holy Spirit. It's a deep-laid plot of Satan." This is what Romans 13:11-14 says, "Besides this, you know the time that the hour has come for you to wake from sleep for salvation is near to us now than when we first believed. The night is far gone, the days at hand, so then let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light. Let us walk properly as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in quarreling and jealousy, but put on the Lord Jesus Christ and make no provision for the flesh to gratify its desires."And third is flee temptation. When Joseph had nothing else to do, he took flight and it was deliberate act of the will, abrupt, decisive and he runs. 1 Corinthians 6:13-20, the apostle writes, "The body is not meant for sexual immorality, but for the Lord and the Lord for the body. And God raised the Lord and will also raise us up by his power. Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make the members of a prostitute? Never. Or do you not know that he who is joined to a prostitute becomes one body with her. For as it is written, the two will become one flesh, but he who is joined to the Lord becomes one spirit with him. Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexual and moral person sins against his own body.""Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God. You are not your own, for you were bought with a price to glorify God in your body." And then 2 Timothy 2:20-22. In this text, I just notice the connection between righteousness with sexuality and our usefulness to the Lord. And I'll never remember this text, I was 13. I was at Slavic Youth Camp. If you don't know, I was raised in Slavic churches. And at 13 they got all the boys in one room and they're like, "We're going to have a talk." And then they bring in just a savage, this old dude, just a savage guy, bearded, just massive hands, although he was 85 he could still kill you. And he walks in and he just said, "Gentlemen, remember this. 2, 2, 2. 2 Timothy 2:22." He said, "Memorize this and live by it, and the Lord's going to keep you from sin."And just look at the connection between usefulness and righteousness. 2 Timothy 2:20-22, "Now in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver but also of wood and clay, some for honorable use, some for dishonorable. Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from what is dishonorable, he will be a vessel for honorable use set apart as holy, useful to the master of the house, ready for every good work. So flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart." Flee youthful passions and pursue these great things, don't do it by yourself. Do it with others, with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart. So flee when faced with temptation, don't tarry.Thomas à Kempis in his famous description in The Imitation of Christ, he gives these successful steps of temptation. He says, "First, there is first the bare thought of the sin. Then after that, there's a picture of the sin formed and hung up on the secret screen of the imagination. A strange sweetness from the picture is then let down drop by drop into the heart. And then that sweetness soon secures the consent of the whole soul and the thing is done." Today, is Communion Sunday, and I do want to think through fighting temptation from the perspective of the cross that when we are faced with temptation, you've got to ask yourself, how can I sin? How can I, for whom Christ died, continue to sin? How can I, the object of God's electing grace, the object of the work of the Holy Spirit, the object of God's efficacious grace, he sought me when I was lost. He converted me. He regenerated. He filled me with the Holy Spirit, how can this great God that bled from me, how can I sin against him?What about those who have given into temptation? Well, that's every single one of us. We have all sinned. And what are we to do? Well, do you see the wickedness that your sins are before the Lord? Can you say, "Yes, I have done this egregious thing against God?" Do you understand that you are condemned because of your sin, that you will be judged for your sin? And once you do, once you understand that, well, then flee to Christ for refuge, then flee to him to receive everlasting life. The comparisons between Joseph and Jesus... Well, they're not just incidental. I think it was all part of the story, but you see the comparisons. Joseph was the A beloved son of the Father.Jesus Christ was the beloved son, the only-begotten son of the Father. Joseph was sent by the father to the brothers and Jesus was sent to his brethren by the Father. Joseph was sold by his brothers into slavery, Jesus was as well. Joseph later on forgives his brothers. Jesus Christ forgives those who are crucifying them. On the cross Jesus said the following, "Father, forgive them for they know not what they do," he's forgiving them. But also notice that not knowing that you're sinning against God is not enough. That's not enough of a defense. We all know that we have sinned. We all need forgiveness. Jesus Christ was numbered among the transgressors in order to intercede for us. Isaiah 53:12, "Therefore, I will divide him a portion with the many and he shall divide the spoil with the strong because he poured out his soul to death and was numbered with the transgressors, yet he bore the sin of many and makes intercession for the transgressors."Upon the conception of Christ, the Messiah, and the womb of the Virgin Mary, the angel Gabriel, explained to another Joseph in Matthew 1:21, "She will bear a son and you will call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins. All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which means God with us." Because Jesus Christ died on the cross for our sins, he can be with us because Jesus Christ was rejected by the Father on the cross. "He said, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" He did that so that we would not be forsaken when we come to the Lord and ask for forgiveness. We are now going to transition to holy communion, which is commanded in scripture to be celebrated as a remembrance of the suffering of Christ. For whom is holy communion?It is for repentant believers in Jesus Christ. So if you do not trust in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, we ask that you refrain from this part of the service. Or if you're living in unrepentant sin, also refrain from this part of the service. But if you trust in Christ and if you are repentant, you're welcome to partake. If you'd like to partake and don't have the elements, the cup and the bread, raise your hand during prayer and the ushers will hand them out. Would you pray with me? Heavenly Father, we thank you that you did not leave us in our sins. We have all transgressed your holy commandments. We have all sinned against your holy name. And Lord, we come to you with humility and contrition of heart, and we repent and we ask, Lord, forgive us for our sins and our many transgressions. We thank you Jesus, that those transgressions were placed upon you.Lord, we thank you that at the moment of your greatest test when you were in Gethsemane under pressure that we can't even begin to imagine, and as the capillaries in your face were bursting and you were sweating blood and you asked if there's any other way, you said, "Father, if there's any other way, let this cup pass from me, the cup of wrath, yet not my will but yours be done." Jesus, we thank you that despite the fact that you saw how difficult that would be, Lord, you gave into the will of the Father. And Lord at those moments of temptation, when we are tempted to do our will instead of the Father's will Lord give us more grace. Give us power, the power of the Holy Spirit to be a righteous people continuing to be useful to you. Lord, bless this time, the holy communion. Jesus, we meditate upon your sufferings. We thank you that your body was broken so that we might be healed and your blood was shed so that our souls might be cleansed.Lord, we thank you for the gospel. We thank you for the gift of grace. And Lord, right now minister to us as we partake in holy communion. We pray this in Christ's name. Amen. If this is your first time with us, the bread is at the bottom, open that up. On the night that Jesus Christ was betrayed, he took the bread and after breaking it, he said, "This is my body broken for you. Take eat and do this in remembrance of me." Then he proceeded to take the cup and he said, "This cup is the cup of the new covenant of my blood, which is poured out for the sins of many. Take, drink, and do this remembrance of me."Heavenly Father, as we meditate the sufferings of Christ, we also remember the perfection of Christ. Lord Jesus, we thank you that you never sinned. We thank you that you never gave in to temptation, not even once. And because of Jesus, your faithfulness, you provided a way for us to be clothed with the righteousness of Christ. Lord, make us the people that on a daily basis choose to remind ourselves that we are yours and we're not yours just once because you've created us, we're yours twice because you have redeemed us by the blood of Christ. Therefore, make us the people who live in a manner worthy of this gospel. And we pray all this in Christ's name. Amen.

Hey friends! Welcome to our newest episode of the Auto Repair Marketing Podcast. Thank you to our friends at RepairPal for providing you this episode. RepairPal is the key that unlocks more business for your repair shop. Learn More at RepairPal.com/shops.Talking PointsThis recent trip out west - taught me some things about being connectedOur own story of feeling like we were “on an island”Shop Owners are disconnected and feel the same wayIt doesn't have to be that wayConversations that pointed me to the movie “Cast Away” We were not created or designed to be alone. We need community. Chuck Noland (in Cast Away) found a companion in “Wilson”. Who is your tribe?Other Shop OwnersFacebook Groups20 GroupsMastermindsWhat resources do you have? What do you have to give?CoachesIndustry groups/associationsIndustry EventsYou find what you're looking for. So, look for connections. Take action. As we visited shop owner after shop owner, we found ourselves having similar conversations about this ‘island'. Now we've connected our shop clients to the industry, other shop owners, and resources.Be a giver, a connector, a helperHow To Get In Touch with Shop Marketing ProsGroup - Auto Repair Marketing MastermindWebsite - shopmarketingpros.com Facebook - facebook.com/shopmarketingpros Thanks to our partner, RepairPal. Visit the Web HERE

Hey friends! Welcome to our newest episode of the Auto Repair Marketing Podcast. Thank you to our friends at RepairPal for providing you this episode. RepairPal is the key that unlocks more business for your repair shop. Learn More at RepairPal.com/shops.Talking PointsThis recent trip out west - taught me some things about being connectedOur own story of feeling like we were “on an island”Shop Owners are disconnected and feel the same wayIt doesn't have to be that wayConversations that pointed me to the movie “Cast Away” We were not created or designed to be alone. We need community. Chuck Noland (in Cast Away) found a companion in “Wilson”. Who is your tribe?Other Shop OwnersFacebook Groups20 GroupsMastermindsWhat resources do you have? What do you have to give?CoachesIndustry groups/associationsIndustry EventsYou find what you're looking for. So, look for connections. Take action. As we visited shop owner after shop owner, we found ourselves having similar conversations about this ‘island'. Now we've connected our shop clients to the industry, other shop owners, and resources.Be a giver, a connector, a helperHow To Get In Touch with Shop Marketing ProsGroup - Auto Repair Marketing MastermindWebsite - shopmarketingpros.com Facebook - facebook.com/shopmarketingpros Thanks to our partner, RepairPal. Visit the Web HERE

Mind Reading for Network Marketing book MasterClass +Rapport is 80%Survival programsSpeak to their programMost people like to know how to get startedMost people think I can do thisMost people think this makes senseMost people are afraid of making the wrong decision and falling behindMost people want to save moneyMost people think how can I take advantage of thisMost people are hesitant of trying something newI know you want the most for your moneyI know you want to be careful with your moneyI know you worry how expensive this problem isI know you're afraid of making the wrong decisionI know you're wondering how this could workI know you're wondering is you need this or notI know you're skeptical about thisI know you think this is too good to be trueIt is natural to feel that wayIt is natural to fear changeIt is natural to worry about others thinkIt is natural to feel anxiety when making decisionsI understand why you may be hesitantI understand why you want to ask more questionsI understand that you want to find the best option possibleI understand why committing is hardYou have probably noticedAnd are wonderingBody languageHot buttonsBe a great listenerOpen ended questionsPersonality typesFree Magic Words for Prospecting audiosMasterClass +All the MasterClassesMonthly Q&A group coachingStreaming audio coursesJoin us at: https://bigalbooks.com/masterclass/

The Ride Home with John & Kathy! Buckle in for a Wednesday full! Like… 4:15: Why the doctrine of the Trinity is important ... GUEST Father Tom Soroka ... pastor of St. Nicholas Orthodox Church, Mckees Rocks, PA 4:30: Practical engineering and NerdNite stuff ... GUEST Ralph Crewe ... is a science writer & content creator for various outlets including “Universe Today,” “Practical Engineering,” “Veritasium,” “SciShow,” and his own curious channel “Isn't That Something” 5:15: Under the Wings of God: 20 Biblical Reflections for a Deeper Faith (new book) ... GUEST Dr Cornelius (Neal) Plantinga ... senior research fellow at the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship and president emeritus of Calvin Theological Seminary in Grand Rapids, Mich ... author of many books, incl the Christianity Today Book Award winners “Not the Way It's Supposed to Be,” “Engaging God's World,” and “Reading for Preaching” 5:30: Originally Aired on 5/9/23... Is It Wrong to Switch Jobs Just for Better Pay? ... GUEST Amy DiMarcangelo ... author of “A Hunger for More: Finding Satisfaction in Jesus When the Good Life Doesn't Fill You” ... find her at equippedformercy.com. Plus Does This Make Sense? And more! Thanks for riding with us on The Ride Home with John & Kathy.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Guest: Dr. Cornelius “Neal” Plantinga | Dr. Arnold interviews Dr. Plantinga about sin. Topics of conversation include, 1) How to define sin, 2) Why sin is not directly addressed in churches today, 3) How our sin offends and grieves God, 4) Understanding the difference between degrees of sin, and 5) Resources for further reading on the topic of sin. Dr. Neal Plantinga holds a PhD from Princeton Theological Seminary and served as the president of Calvin Seminary from 2002-2011. Dr. Plantinga is the author of several books, including Engaging God's Word: A Christian Vision of Faith, Learning, and Living (Eerdmans, 2002), Reading for Preaching: The Preacher in Conversation with Storytellers, Biographers, Poets, and Journalists (Eerdmans, 2013), and Not the Way It's Supposed to Be: A Breviary of Sin (Eerdmans, 1996). Stay connected with us! Keep your ears open on this channel for future projects from Phoenix Seminary and connect with us by subscribing to https://ps.edu/shepherdsandscholars/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How do we define peace? Why don't we have peace with other people?  Why don't Christians encourage peace with others? As we begin a series on conflict resolution Pastor Matt and his friend Nathan answer all these questions and more in this episode of NorthWoods Church Matters. Books mentioned: Not the Way It's Supposed to Be: A Breviary of Sin Paperback by Cornelius Plantinga Jr.  The Peacemaker:A Biblical Guide to Resolving Personal Conflict by Ken Sande. Pursuing Peace: A Christian Guide to Handling Our Conflicts by Robert Jones. 

Elizabeth Woodson is joined by Tymarcus Ragland to dive into Genesis 3 to discuss how sin disrupts shalom and how sin is about more than us doing bad stuff. Sin is ultimately about who or what we worship and our actions are the indicator of whether we are worshiping the one true and Holy God or a counterfeit god, also known as an idol.Questions Covered in This Episode:What is the connection in scripture between sin and idolatry?Where do we see idolatry pop up in these first few chapters of Genesis (chapters 4-11)?What are some idols we are prone to worship instead of God?What does it look like for you to be aware of and fight against idolatry in your life?How do The Fall and the themes of sin & idolatry point us toward the gospel? Guest Bio:Tymarcus Ragland is married with two kids and serves as a minister at Citizens Church in Plano, TX. Tymarcus studied at Moody Bible Institute and University of Dallas, co-hosts on the Culture Matters podcast and owns Crown Coffee Roasters.Reflection Question:In what area of your life are you choosing your own way over God's way? Continue Learning:If you want to learn more about the entire story of the Bible check out Elizabeth's new study, From Beginning To Forever.Scripture Passage: Genesis 3-11, Matt 5-7, Col 3Video: Bible Project Video - SinBook: Counterfeit Gods by Tim KellerBook: Not the Way It's Supposed to Be: A Breviary of Sin by Cornelius Plantinga Jr.Amazon affiliate links are used where appropriate. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases, thank you for supporting Training the Church.Follow Us:Twitter | Instagram | TikTokOur Sister Podcasts:Knowing Faith | The Family Discipleship Podcast | Confronting ChristianityStarting Place with Elizabeth Woodson is a podcast of Training the Church. For ad-free episodes and more content check out our Patreon. Sponsors:To learn more about our sponsors please visit our website.Follow Us:Twitter | Instagram | TikTokOur Sister Podcasts:Knowing Faith | The Family Discipleship Podcast | Confronting Christianity | Tiny TheologiansStarting Place with Elizabeth Woodson is a podcast of Training the Church. For ad-free episodes and more content check out our Patreon.

Joining our family this week we welcome Mikie Orange, raising the energy with her blends of UK-inspired grooves, enjoy! -- Follow @mikie-orange @subsessions_slo @perfectdark909 https://www.instagram.com/mikie.orange -- "Mikie Orange is a Central Coast artist who is on an endless journey to push her creativity to new levels. She has been on a mission to bring the UK sound to the US. Her pursuit continues with this mix. In it you will hear the hypnotic addicting beats of classic garage, bassline, and speed garage. Cheeky chune innit bruv?" -- Tracklist: 1. The Players- R.I.P Productions 2. Sexual Healing- The Bass Cartel 3. Hold Your Head Up High (Julian Jonah's Bad Boy Mix) 4. Rolex- 2Fuddha 5. Bound 4 da Reload (Casualty)- Oxide & Neutrino 6. Gunshot- Champion 7. The Way It is- Tex 8. Bullacake- Dexplicit 9. Do You Know- Danny Wynn 10. Everybody- Run N Green 11. My Neck, My Back- Big Ang 12. Let Me Show You (Klubbheads Mix)- Camisra 13. Sweet Sensation- Big Ang 14. I Need Love- TRC 15. Dirty- DJ Q 16. Candy Rain- Addictive  17. No Means No- JTJ 18. Sweet Revenge (Subzero Remix)- Sacha 19. Run Away (TRC Remix)- Danny Dubz 20. PS- Wittyboy 21. The Boy is Mine (Rebel Bassline Mix)- Love Assassins 22. Down For You- Mr. Virgo 23. Move On- DJ Richard 24. I'm Sorry (Micky T Mix)- Ravo 25. Goodies (Mask Remix)- Ciara 26. What's It Gonna Be?- Jamie Duggan 27. Bleeding Love (DJ Booda 4x4 remix)- Leona Lewis 28. My Destiny- Delinquent 29. No One (Remix)- AJ Productions 30. Let The Music- Matt Craig 31. Have You Met Jenny?- Jenny Sparks 32. The Anonymous Track- Richard Dolby 33. Hideaway (BK298 Remix)- De'Lacy x Rainie 34. For Sure- CJ Reign 35. I'm Torn (Thorn Speed Garage Mix)- Stonedove 36. Down South- Scott Diaz

Episode 299 is about generational traumas and experiences, and how we cope with it differently in our varying paces as individuals. As we grow older, we may not even realize that we are living with the effects of generational traumas. Our coping skills are programmed into us by our parents, siblings and other environmental factors — even if it doesn't seem like we're hearing it directly from them. Each generation has nuances, but the bottom line is that we must break these patterns if we want to move forward. Generational trauma is defined as the psychological consequences of traumatic events that are experienced by a second or subsequent generation through inherited family systems. This form of intergenerational trauma can lead to physical, emotional and mental health problems. Today, Paul Cope, a highly accomplished consultant, coach, business owner and corporate lawyer possessing a powerful transformative presence with the ability to provide insights that are invaluable to any organization — reminds us of the impact of generational trauma and how we must cope with it. He shares that as humans, we are hardwired to deal with crises and trauma by connecting socially with other people in our community. As a result of our experiences with trauma and loss, it may be difficult for us to trust others or reach out when we need help, hence why he wrote the book How to Solve Any Problem in Life. Just like Paul, we want to help guide men in whatever it is that they might be going through. QUICK TIMESTAMPS: 9:28-11:00 Programming From Parents 00:11:13 Programming Experiences 11:58-14:17 IAN GOLD - Programming 00:14:35 Don't Cry 15:22-16:59 IAN GOLD 00:17:03 Compassion 00:18:04 Programming of Past Generations 00:20:54 Every Parent Says the Same Thing 22:16-26:05 IAN GOLD 00:29:54 That's Just the Way It's Done 31:05-37:16 IAN GOLD 00:37:46 How We Feel About Ourselves Inside 00:41:13 We Are All Flawed 00:41:42 Must Have Duality in Your Life 42:42-46:38 IAN GOLD 00:46:50 Depression and Anxiety 00:48:40 You Must Look After You First 53:37-56:54 IAN GOLD 00:57:16 All the Reasons You Can't Make Time for You 00:58:17 Extrovert vs. Introvert 00:58:47 Change the Question You Put In Your Search Engine 00:59:18 IAN GOLD - Language and Environment 01:08:00 IAN GOLD - Rocket Boosters Peeling Off Connect with Guest ❤️ Website: www.paul7cope.com

Should white people be taking the lead and practicing antiracism or stepping aside and following people of color? Do people of color want to speak for themselves, or does that burden them with representing their entire race?In this episode, we examine the role that white people have to play in the antiracism movement. We talk through the ethics of different contexts: white people who have careers in antiracism, whether white people should lead antiracism-focused organizations, and what role white people have in conversations about race. (Spoiler: It's an important one!)Sources:HBR, Does Diversity Training Work the Way It's Supposed To? (2019)HBR, Unconscious Bias Training That Works (2021)Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria? By Dr. Beverly Daniel-TatumThe Autobiography of Martin Luther King Jr.Your listen next list:Critical Race Theory 101: The 5 Basic Ideas You Need to Know on Apple & SpotifyCritical Race Theory 102: Three Important Criticisms You Need to Know on Apple & SpotifyTo support Marie and get exclusive resources, head to patreon.com/mariebeech. To learn more about Marie's DEI services, head to mariebeecham.com.

Daily Meeting - Personal Finance 10: Only Invest Where You UnderstandWherever you are is right where you should beIf you changed your life, it cost you a lotIf you're not at ease with your situation, you should be movingFormula: Pause, calm yourself down, and ask yourself, “What's my next, right move?”Oprah Winfrey on Career, Life, and Leadershiphttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6DlrqeWrczs&t=2s4th Law of GoldOnly invest in where you understandRisks are part of lifeRisk comes from not know what you're doingBecome a mastering what you are about do, or how you're about to spend your money Diversification is a protection against ignoranceOnly when the tide goes out do you discover who's been swimming nakedWhen everyone is investing their money, and when the media is convincing everyone to run towards a certain stock or investment, everyone looks smart. Yet, when a crash occurs, you find out who the real geniuses are.When you invest in what you know, good things happen for youWhat to Do With Your MoneyLearn how to get more moneyLearn how to keep the money you just gotLearn how to multiply what you just keptPut the money you kept and multiplied into profitable employmentFind a market that's already popularFollow Antonio's disruptive modelDo an old thing a new wayIt is not important to be the best, it is more important to be first to a new categoryBe First To A New CategoryOnce you are first to a category, you are the leader.You don't say you are the best, you say you are the firstTake your product and get it to the point of sellingNot perfect, but to the point of selling.Let your customers tear that product up.The customers buying a new product are willing to wait on/with you to fix it.Build their feedback.Use their feedback to make your product betterGive it right back to them.This time, go get their friends and their family.Improve your product againPut it back out againAs soon as you think you have enough money, you don't. GO GET SOME MORE!Now that you have more money, you are not going to compete with the big boys, you are just going to go get more Phils and Susans.Now, fix all of your customer loyalty problemsOnce you fix everything and you think you are ready, go after the established authority's customers.You're the ProductYour business is a frontYou're selling what you knowSelling what you know is a massive transaction, not a passive transactionYou're taking your customers' money and putting it in real estate or some hard, income-producing asset 50% of the money goes into a hard, income-producing asset40% of the money goes back into your company10% of the money goes into a discretionary fundClosing ThoughtsAntonio wants to buy a new apartment complex every monthHis end goal is own downtown high rises Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-secret-to-success/exclusive-contentAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Daily Meeting - Personal Finance 10: Only Invest Where You UnderstandWherever you are is right where you should beIf you changed your life, it cost you a lotIf you're not at ease with your situation, you should be movingFormula: Pause, calm yourself down, and ask yourself, “What's my next, right move?”Oprah Winfrey on Career, Life, and Leadershiphttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6DlrqeWrczs&t=2s4th Law of GoldOnly invest in where you understandRisks are part of lifeRisk comes from not know what you're doingBecome a mastering what you are about do, or how you're about to spend your money Diversification is a protection against ignoranceOnly when the tide goes out do you discover who's been swimming nakedWhen everyone is investing their money, and when the media is convincing everyone to run towards a certain stock or investment, everyone looks smart. Yet, when a crash occurs, you find out who the real geniuses are.When you invest in what you know, good things happen for youWhat to Do With Your MoneyLearn how to get more moneyLearn how to keep the money you just gotLearn how to multiply what you just keptPut the money you kept and multiplied into profitable employmentFind a market that's already popularFollow Antonio's disruptive modelDo an old thing a new wayIt is not important to be the best, it is more important to be first to a new categoryBe First To A New CategoryOnce you are first to a category, you are the leader.You don't say you are the best, you say you are the firstTake your product and get it to the point of sellingNot perfect, but to the point of selling.Let your customers tear that product up.The customers buying a new product are willing to wait on/with you to fix it.Build their feedback.Use their feedback to make your product betterGive it right back to them.This time, go get their friends and their family.Improve your product againPut it back out againAs soon as you think you have enough money, you don't. GO GET SOME MORE!Now that you have more money, you are not going to compete with the big boys, you are just going to go get more Phils and Susans.Now, fix all of your customer loyalty problemsOnce you fix everything and you think you are ready, go after the established authority's customers.You're the ProductYour business is a frontYou're selling what you knowSelling what you know is a massive transaction, not a passive transactionYou're taking your customers' money and putting it in real estate or some hard, income-producing asset 50% of the money goes into a hard, income-producing asset40% of the money goes back into your company10% of the money goes into a discretionary fundClosing ThoughtsAntonio wants to buy a new apartment complex every monthHis end goal is own downtown high rises Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-secret-to-success/exclusive-contentAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy