Podcasts about wesleyan

Nausheen I. Chen is a 3-time TEDx speaker, a Public Speaking instructor for the Executive MBA program at Central European University and Wesleyan, and a LinkedIn Learning Instructor with 600,000+ followers across LinkedIn, Instagram and TikTok.   Nausheen coaches leaders at Google, Amazon, NASA and the UN as well as startup founders to speak fearlessly. Her clients have raised more than $115 million through winning investor pitches and successful exits. You can connect with her on: nausheen@speaking.coach.   Summary:   Public speaking coach Nausheen Chen joins Lyndsay Dowd to break down the real reasons people freeze under the spotlight — and the practical framework she uses to turn nervous executives and introverted entrepreneurs into compelling, confident communicators.   Key takeaways:   - Nervousness on camera isn't a personality flaw - The three-level speaking framework - Better pitching = better deals - Authenticity is the strategy   Episode chapters:   0:00 Intro & episode preview 1:03 Nausheen's origin story 3:33 From filmmaker to speaking coach 6:06 The purple hair strategy 9:39 Speaking to investors: a $65M case study 14:18 Know your story before you tell it 16:39 The speaker's toolkit: voice, energy & body language 20:47 What inspires Nausheen 22:52 Legacy, ideal clients & what's next 24:49 Final advice & how to connect

Friends, this is such a rich conversation on the Wesleyan doctrine of assurance -- everything Katherine has learned in her recent deep dive into the topic. You don't think you need this, but by the end of the conversation you'll be saying, "Wow ... I needed this."

In this episode of More to the Story, I sit down with Brad Edwards, author of the award-winning The Reason for Church. Brad offers a compelling vision for why Christian institutions still matter in an age marked by individualism and skepticism toward organized religion. Drawing on his experience as a church planter, he explains how many today are open to God but hesitant about the church itself.Brad challenges the assumption that institutions are inherently restrictive, arguing instead that they provide the “durable and formative structures” necessary for faithful Christian life together. The conversation also explores the rise of consumerism in church culture, the weakening pipeline for pastoral leadership, and the need for long-term, faithful institution-building. This episode will help pastors and leaders recover a biblical vision of the church as the people of God—formed through shared practices, worship, and community.Youtube - https://youtu.be/h4J3I8TXYqUAudio - https://andymilleriii.com/media/podcastApple -  https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/more-to-the-story-with-dr-andy-miller/id1569988895?uo=4Get Brad's book here - https://a.co/d/06i8oYdZIf you are interested in learning more about my two full-length video-accompanied courses, Contender: Going Deeper in the Book of Jude andHeaven and Other Destinations: A Biblical Journey Beyond this World , visit andymilleriii.com/coursesAnd don't forget about my most recent book, Contender, which is available on Amazon! Five Steps to Deeper Teaching and Preaching - Recently, I updated this PDF document and added a 45-minute teaching video with slides, explaining this tool. It's like a mini-course. If you sign up for my list, I will send this free resource to you. Sign up here - www.AndyMillerIII.com or Five Steps to Deeper Teaching and Preaching. Today's episode is brought to you by Wesley Biblical Seminary. Interested in going deeper in your faith? Check out our certificate programs, B.A., M.A.s, M.Div., and D.Min degrees. You will study with world-class faculty and the most racially diverse student body in the country. www.wbs.eduIf this episode resonated with you, share it with a friend and leave a review! For more from Andy Miller III, visit andymilleriii.com or follow @andymilleriii on X.Thanks too to Phil Laeger for my podcast music. You can find out about Phil's music at https://www.laeger.net

Rev. Jonathan Brown 05/11/2026 Sometimes the things that become central to who we are begin as a surprise. They do not always arrive with a clear plan, a perfect explanation, or a sense that we understand exactly what we are saying yes to. Sometimes a door opens, an invitation comes, a possibility appears, and only later do we realize that something important in us began to take shape there. When Francis came to us at eleven, he spoke very little English. I spoke no Spanish. Katy knew a bit. And DC Child and Family Services seemed to consider a person bilingual if they had Google Translate on their phone. Every day, I thank God because his young mind has been able to adapt to our language, while I still find myself cursing Duolingo. And since Francis became part of our family, he has also become an accomplished cyclist. He has won two Under 19 series championships, and he spends his free time training to get better. At our local bike shop, someone told us he was a unicorn because he fell in love with cycling even though his parents were not already obsessed with it. This was not a family culture he simply inherited. It became his. One day after a race, I was kind of in awe of him and all he had accomplished, and I asked him, “Francis, how did this happen? How did cycling become your thing?” And he said, “Do you remember when I first moved in with you, and you asked if I wanted a bike?” I said, “Yes.” And he said, “I did not know what you were saying, and I did not want to be rude, so I just said yes. Then I fell in love with it.” I love that. Because so much of life is like that. One day, seemingly out of the blue, something comes into our lives that we did not plan for and could not have predicted. At first, it may feel random. It may feel small. It may feel like a simple yes to a simple question. But over time, that unexpected beginning can become a practice, then a passion, then a major part of who we are. A bike becomes more than a bike. A first ride becomes a rhythm. A rhythm becomes a love. A love becomes part of someone's identity. And that helps me hear Mark's story with fresh ears. Simon and Andrew do not wake up that morning knowing they are about to become disciples. James and John do not begin the day expecting their lives to turn in a new direction. They are working. They are casting nets. They are mending nets. They are living the life they know. Then, seemingly out of the blue, Jesus walks by and says, “Follow me.” What may have felt sudden in the moment becomes the beginning of their identity. They will come to be known as disciples, apostles, witnesses, people whose lives are forever shaped by Jesus. One ordinary day becomes the day they discover the call that will define them. In this first movement of our series, we are asking one of the most basic and important questions Christians can ask: Who are we? In a culture that often tells us our worth depends on success, power, control, or fear, the gospel speaks a deeper truth. We are beloved. We are called. We are connected. We are sent. And today, we begin with this: we know who we are because we know who we follow. We follow Jesus. Mark tells the story with striking simplicity. Jesus passes along the Sea of Galilee and sees Simon and Andrew casting a net into the sea, because they are fishers. Jesus says to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of people.” Immediately, they leave their nets and follow him. Then Jesus goes a little farther and sees James and John, the sons of Zebedee, mending nets in their boat. He calls them too, and they leave their father in the boat with the hired men and follow him. That whole scene unfolds with surprising simplicity. Jesus walks along the water and sees ordinary people in the middle of their ordinary work. The call of Jesus meets them right there, in the texture of daily life, among boats, nets, family, labor, and responsibility. Before they have time to prepare themselves, before they know where the road will lead, Jesus invites them into a new life. He finds them in the routines they know and calls them toward a future they cannot yet imagine. That is good news, because many of us assume that if God is going to call us, we need to be somewhere else first. We need to become more faithful, more prepared, more certain, more spiritually mature. But Mark tells us Jesus calls people in the middle of life. Jesus calls them as they are, but he does not leave them as they are. “Follow me,” he says, “and I will make you fishers of people.” That phrase can sound strange to us, especially when it has been used in ways that feel manipulative or aggressive. But Jesus is calling them into a way of life that gathers people into the nearness of God. He is calling them to participate in healing, mercy, liberation, forgiveness, and beloved community. Jesus calls these first disciples to walk with him until his way becomes their way. That is discipleship. Discipleship is the lifelong practice of being shaped by the one we follow. That is why this sermon title matters: “We Know Who We Follow: Jesus.” The church is always tempted to forget. We are tempted to follow success, fear, nostalgia, outrage, or whatever gives us belonging without transformation. But Christians belong to Jesus Christ. And Jesus shows us who God is. As we follow Jesus through Mark, we see what God's life looks like in the world. We see Jesus announcing good news, healing bodies, restoring people to community, touching those others refuse to touch, feeding hungry people, welcoming children, challenging religious hypocrisy, confronting oppressive powers, and refusing to abandon the vulnerable. We see him going to the cross rather than returning violence for violence. We see him raised by God, with the promise that death and empire and abandonment do not get the final word. So when we say, “We follow Jesus,” we are saying our lives are being reoriented around the crucified and risen Christ. We are saying that the clearest picture we have of God's character is Jesus eating with sinners, touching the untouchable, forgiving enemies, blessing the poor, challenging the powerful, and giving himself in love. That is not ideology. That is a way of life. This is where our United Methodist tradition helps us. Methodism began as a renewal movement of people who wanted to follow Jesus with their whole lives. Early Methodists gathered in societies, classes, and bands. They prayed together. They confessed sin together. They studied scripture together. They gave money to the poor. They visited the sick and imprisoned. They held one another accountable in love. As the movement grew, John Wesley gave the people called Methodists what became known as the General Rules: first, do no harm; second, do good; third, attend upon all the ordinances of God. In more recent years, Bishop Rueben P. Job helped many United Methodists recover the power of these rules in his book Three Simple Rules: A Wesleyan Way of Living . Job summarized Wesley's General Rules in language that has become familiar across our tradition: do no harm, do good, and stay in love with God. These rules are a way of asking, every day, “What does it mean to follow Jesus here?” What does it mean to follow Jesus in this conversation, this conflict, this family, this workplace, this church, this neighborhood, this moment? There is a sitcom called The Good Place that, beneath all the jokes, bright colors, frozen yogurt shops, and absurd afterlife architecture, is really about moral formation. The show begins with Eleanor Shellstrop waking up after death and being told that she has made it into “the Good Place.” But Eleanor quickly realizes she does not belong there. In life, she had been selfish, rude, careless, and often cruel. So at first, her moral project is not really about becoming good. It is about passing as good. That is part of what makes the show so funny and so honest. Eleanor wants to learn enough ethics to blend in. She wants goodness as a disguise. And if we are honest, that is not always far from how people can treat religion too. We can learn the language, the gestures, and the right answers. We can learn how to pass as good. But Jesus does not call us to pass as faithful. Jesus calls us to follow. And this is where Chidi becomes so important. Chidi Anagonye is a moral philosophy professor. He knows the ethical theories. He can explain Kant, Aristotle, utilitarianism, virtue ethics, and moral duty. If anyone should know how to be good, it should be Chidi. But Chidi's problem is that knowing about goodness does not automatically make him free to live it. He is so afraid of making the wrong choice that he struggles to make any choice at all. His knowledge is real, but it has not yet become courage. His ethics are serious, but they have not yet become love in motion. That makes Eleanor and Chidi surprisingly helpful for the church. Eleanor reminds us that faith is not about passing as good. Chidi reminds us that faith is not only about knowing what is good. Knowledge matters, but knowledge alone is not discipleship. Discipleship is when what we know becomes a life. Discipleship is when truth becomes practice. Discipleship is when grace becomes courage, mercy, forgiveness, service, and love. Over time, Eleanor and Chidi both change because they are drawn into a deeper kind of formation. Eleanor has to practice honesty, compassion, and care for someone beyond herself. Chidi has to practice trust, courage, and choosing love even when he cannot calculate every possible consequence. In other words, both of them have to be discipled beyond appearance and beyond certainty into faithfulness. That is what makes The Good Place surprisingly Wesleyan. The characters become different not because they master one idea or earn enough points, but because they keep practicing a better way of being human. Christian faith is not self improvement with hymns. The gospel is grace. It is God meeting us before we are ready, loving us before we are worthy, and calling us before we fully understand where the road will lead. But grace does not leave us unchanged. Grace begins to form us. That is why the Methodist tradition has always cared about practices. We practice faith because practice keeps us open to the love that is already working on us. We practice doing no harm. We practice doing good. We practice staying in love with God. And over time, through the mercy of God, those practices begin to shape us into people who look a little more like the one we follow. The first rule is: do no harm. Harm is not only physical violence. Harm can come through words, neglect, silence, systems, assumptions, jokes, posts, grudges, and the people we refuse to see. To follow Jesus is to ask: Is my life causing harm? Are my words causing harm? Are my habits causing harm? Are my comforts causing harm? Most of us are not being asked to leave literal nets on the shore, but we may need to ask what nets we are holding. What old ways of being keep catching us? What habits make us feel safe but keep us from love? The second rule is: do good. Christian faith is about participating in God's healing of the world. “Follow me,” Jesus says, “and I will make you fishers of people.” In other words, your life is going to become part of God's work of gathering, healing, feeding, forgiving, restoring, and liberating. Sometimes doing good is serving someone who cannot repay you. Sometimes it is telling the truth when silence would be easier. Sometimes it is forgiving someone, apologizing, showing up, or acting with courage at work or at home. The third rule is: stay in love with God. Wesley's original language was “attend upon all the ordinances of God,” meaning the practices that keep us open to grace: public worship, prayer, searching the scriptures, receiving communion, fasting, Christian conversation, and works of mercy. In other words, stay close to the practices that remind you who you are and whose you are. Because we cannot follow Jesus for long on outrage, willpower, or guilt alone. We need grace. We need prayer. We need worship. We need scripture. We need communion. We need community. We need people who help us remember when we forget. And we do forget. The disciples forgot. Peter left his nets immediately, but later denied Jesus three times. James and John followed Jesus, but later argued about greatness. They followed, but they stumbled. They were called, but they were not instantly complete. And that should comfort us. Following Jesus does not mean we never fail. It means that when we fail, grace calls us again. This matters because the world is full of rival formations. Every day, something is trying to disciple us. Fear disciples us. Consumerism disciples us. Nationalism disciples us. Algorithms disciple us. Anger disciples us. Anxiety disciples us. The endless need to prove ourselves disciples us. The endless need to belong by having an enemy disciples us. So the question is not whether we are being formed. The question is: Who is forming us? So when we talk about discipleship, we are talking about formation. We are talking about what shapes our loves, habits, reflexes, speech, courage, compassion, and imagination. The world is constantly discipling us into anxiety, resentment, consumption, suspicion, and fear. But Jesus calls us into another formation. Jesus says, “Follow me,” and then teaches us the way of mercy, justice, courage, humility, forgiveness, and love. And when Jesus says, “Follow me,” he is giving us both a command and a promise. “Follow me, and I will make you…” The making belongs to Jesus. The transformation belongs to grace. Jesus calls us as we are, and then grace begins its work. Grace teaches us to do no harm. Grace strengthens us to do good. Grace draws us deeper into love with God. Grace makes us into people who can bear witness to another way of life. So this week, choose one small way to follow Jesus intentionally. Serve someone. Forgive someone. Act with courage in your work or home. Do no harm. Do good. Stay in love with God. Not because these practices save us by our own effort, but because they open our lives to the grace that is already calling us. Because somewhere, even now, Jesus is walking along the shoreline of our ordinary lives. He sees us. He knows us. He calls us. And his invitation is still the same: “Follow me.” May we have the grace to leave behind what binds us. May we have the courage to walk in his way. May we have the humility to be made new. And may our lives become a clear witness to the truth we proclaim: we know who we follow. We follow Jesus. Amen.

hopeforvermont.orgIG @PastorJeffonWDeVFacebook @PastorJeffonWDeVwithLeePastorJeffonWDeV@gmail.comPastor Lincoln Sprague; Church of the Valley (Waitsfield, VT)

“Getting to Know God: Reason”Text: Acts 17:16-34 This week, our sermon series about getting to know God looks at the use of reason. It is not the means by which we get to God, but is the tool by which we interpret how God has been revealing himself through Scripture. God calls us to engage…

How did we get from the gospels recording Jesus' words as “Take, eat, this is my body broken for you” to Youth Pastors offering donuts & Coca Cola as “communion”? How did the primary locus of mystical Christian worship become “just a symbol”? How did the evangelical church get here, and (in the adapted register of The Clash)... should we stay or should we go?[to watch this video, either scroll down or visit the pod on YouTube]In his recently defended PhD thesis, my friend & Kingswood co-labourer (and newly minted doctor) Axel Kazadi traced a bit of a history of the eucharist, specifically bringing in a triumvirate of early protestant conversation partners, and then putting those considerations in conversation with John Wesley… and eventually with Wesley's denominational children, which includes the host of this podcast.Have I done a geekier, more “theological-dictionary-required” episode than this? I'm honestly not sure… so BUCKLE UP AND ENJOY THE RIDE!Chapters:00:00 - Welcome and introduction to the episode's focus on Eucharistic theology02:15 - The role of historical debates: transubstantiation, memorialism, and sacramental union06:45 - The significance of Christ's presence—material, spiritual, or symbolic10:22 - Examining the Eucharist as a sacrifice, thanksgiving, and act of almsgiving15:42 - Influence of the Reformation on Eucharistic doctrine20:12 - Wesleyan perspectives: how Wesley approached communion and real presence24:39 - Practical implications: integrating Eucharist into worship and community life30:45 - Handling mystery and faith: accepting doctrines beyond full human understanding36:28 - The importance of frequent communion in Wesleyan practice44:39 - Structuring worship to emphasize the Eucharist's grace and communal aspect51:02 - The role of ordination and church authority in administering communion58:11 - The continuity of Eucharistic tradition from early church to today63:36 - Encouragement for worship leaders to deepen Eucharistic practice73:07 - Connecting Eucharist with acts of love and social justice77:21 - Practical steps for incorporating Eucharist intentionally in services81:22 - Final thoughts: Eucharist as a celebration of thanksgiving and a corporate act of sacrifice83:50 - Reflecting on the mystery of Christ's presence and theological humilityRecommended Resources:The Life of the World by Alexander SchmemannSacramental Theology: Wesleyan PerspectivesBook of Common PrayerKey Words:Historical development of Eucharistic theology, including transubstantiation, consubstantiation, memorialism, and sacramental union || The significance of Christ's real, spiritual, or symbolic presence in the Eucharist || The relationship between Eucharistic sacrifice, thanksgiving, and the church's outward acts of love (almsgiving) || Practical ways to re-emphasize the Eucharist's role as a means of grace and a corporate act of worship || Theological reflections on the nature of Christ's presence and the importance of mystery and faith in Eucharistic understanding || The influence of the Reformation on the diversity of Eucharistic beliefs and Wesleyan practice Get full access to Marc Jolicoeur (aka Jolly Thoughts) at marcjolicoeur.substack.com/subscribe

Youtube - https://youtu.be/ciZsXCts-9sAudio - https://andymilleriii.com/media/podcastApple -  https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/more-to-the-story-with-dr-andy-miller/id1569988895?uo=4If you are interested in learning more about my two full-length video-accompanied courses, Contender: Going Deeper in the Book of Jude andHeaven and Other Destinations: A Biblical Journey Beyond this World , visit andymilleriii.com/coursesAnd don't forget about my most recent book, Contender, which is available on Amazon! Five Steps to Deeper Teaching and Preaching - Recently, I updated this PDF document and added a 45-minute teaching video with slides, explaining this tool. It's like a mini-course. If you sign up for my list, I will send this free resource to you. Sign up here - www.AndyMillerIII.com or Five Steps to Deeper Teaching and Preaching. Today's episode is brought to you by Wesley Biblical Seminary. Interested in going deeper in your faith? Check out our certificate programs, B.A., M.A.s, M.Div., and D.Min degrees. You will study with world-class faculty and the most racially diverse student body in the country. www.wbs.eduIf this episode resonated with you, share it with a friend and leave a review! For more from Andy Miller III, visit andymilleriii.com or follow @andymilleriii on X.Thanks too to Phil Laeger for my podcast music. You can find out about Phil's music at https://www.laeger.net

On the Contacts Coaching podcast, host Justin interviews Cody Bartlow, newly hired head men's soccer coach at Kansas Wesleyan University, about his path from an unplanned start coaching a U6 co-ed team in high school to 25 years in coaching across club, high school, and NAIA college programs in Texas, Oklahoma, Nebraska, and Kansas. Bartlow explains why he now calls sessions “training” instead of “practice,” emphasizing scenario preparation and player autonomy in a sport with no timeouts. He discusses lessons from coaching co-ed and both genders, building belief in female athletes through relationships and individualized approaches, and borrowing concepts from football, track, basketball, hockey, rugby, and baseball to teach soccer. He also covers multi-sport development, workload management, referee relationships, why back-to-back soccer games raise injury risk, regional differences in soccer culture, and the administrative reality of small-college coaching.00:00 Podcast Welcome00:30 Coach Bartlow Journey03:54 New Kansas Role04:17 Training Not Practice06:10 Coed Team Lessons11:13 Building Confidence16:25 Cross Sport Coaching22:11 Specialization Club Tension26:34 Managing Multi Sport Load28:58 Coed Season Juggling29:41 Managing Back To Back Games29:57 Respecting Referees32:15 Building Ref Rapport34:30 Soccer Scheduling Safety36:19 Recovery And Injury Risk40:22 Texas Vs Midwest Sports42:46 Club Culture And Ego46:01 Small College Coaching Reality51:52 Growth Mindset And Mentors54:42 Process Driven Training58:19 Final Takeaways And Thanks

This one is as action-packed and varied in scene as a James Bond movie.  John Ferrara is founder and CEO of Capstone Partners, the middle market investment bank.  John's story rolls through his upbringing in hardscrabble Brockton, MA to college at liberal arts enclave Wesleyan to an early career stop with Lehman Brothers on Wall Street, to two years of professional baseball in Australia.  Then business school at UCLA, partnership at Arthur Andersen and, in 2002, the founding of Capstone.  John discusses his ambitious early plans for a new investment bank, the buildup of Capstone through a series of acquisitions, and the decision to sell to Huntington Bank in 2022.  John and the hosts wrap up discussing some personal challenges and life philosophy that applies to but transcends the world of finance.   

A sermon preached by Rev. Ginger E. Gaines-Cirelli with Foundry UMC, May 3, 2026, the fifth Sunday of Easter. “We Know Who We Are”series. Texts: Isaiah 43:1-4; Romans 8:14–17; 31-39 A while back a friend reached out with a question. He had seen a pastor online passionately teaching about the transformative power of God's love. My friend asked simply, “How does God's love really change anything? Is focusing on God's love really the most important thing?” I was struck by the question—and have come back to it any number of times over the past weeks as, together with many of you, I've grappled with loss and grief…with worry about loved ones ill or injured…with the continued assault of this corrupt administration on civil rights and constitutional law, on black and brown law-abiding citizens, on refugees and asylum seekers, on the environment itself. What difference does the love of God make when so much feels painful and messed up? My friend asks a fair question. Because if we're honest, “God loves you” can sound thin in the face of the world as it actually is. But, as we begin this new series, “We Know Who We Are: A Counter-Testimony of Faith, United Methodism, and the Work of the Church,” I want to suggest that everything begins here. Before we talk about United Methodism. Before we talk about the work of the church. Before we talk about witness or justice or discipleship or mission. Everything begins with the love of God. And if we get this wrong, everything else eventually falls apart. Let's look at our texts for today to understand why. Isaiah 43 is found in the section of the book often called Second Isaiah—chapters 40-55—and the context is the Babylonian Exile. Walter Brueggemann points out that throughout this section, God's words of care and presence interrupt the despair of the people again and again. And that's what we receive in our text today. The people are displaced and grieving countless losses. They are a people living under the crushing weight of empire. Babylon has named them defeated, forgotten, insignificant, abandoned. But God counters with a wholly different word. A word of relationship, a word of covenant, saying, “I have called you by name. You are mine.” The text beautifully describes God's loving activity, moving from creation—“I created you”—to redemption—“I redeemed you”—to naming—“I have called you by name”—to accompaniment —“When you pass through the waters…” And notice what God does not say. God doesn't say, “You will never pass through deep waters.” God doesn't say, “You will never walk through fire.” God doesn't say, “Nothing hard will ever happen to you.” God says, “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you.” And then these astonishing words: “You are precious in my sight, and honored, and I love you.” The Hebrew here is unusually intimate and tender. God loves God's people not because they are strong or successful. Not because they have earned restoration. But because God freely chooses covenant love. Because they are precious in God's sight…honored…loved. Babylon—and empires across the ages—measure worth through military dominance and status and wealth and appearance and productivity. And honestly, our world still does. We are constantly being told who we are: You are what you produce. You are what you achieve. You are your failures. You are your fears. You are your appearance. You are your politics. You are your usefulness…People carry those names around every day. And we call ourselves things we would likely never call anyone else: We tell ourselves we're Not enough. Too much. Failure. Weak. Unseen. Disposable. But into all of those voices comes the voice of God: “You are mine.” “You are precious.” “I love you.” This—this!—is where everything begins. It is the beginning of our freedom and the ground of our true identity. And if we can stay connected to it, it allows us to live in the furnace of this world without losing our soul. Without becoming consumed by fear. Without surrendering to hatred of self or others. Without forgetting our own humanity or the humanity of other people. This is at the heart of what we call sacred resistance. And sacred resistance begins in the heart of God. It is, in fact, God's consistent stance toward the world. Out of an overflowing love desiring to be shared, God creates the world and all that is. Out of love, God seeks relationship with humankind. Out of love, God provides everything we need to live in peace, joy, and wholeness. And when we, God's children, turn away and our love fails, God's love remains steadfast. God resists abandoning us. Think about that. God resists abandoning us. What a mess we the people have made and yet God resists abandoning us. We wander off. We get distracted. We cling to idols. We organize our lives around fear and power and scarcity. We wound one another. We betray one another. We fail to love. And over and over again, God refuses to check out. God chooses to stay with us. To keep calling us. To keep loving us. To keep drawing us back toward the image that is our birthright. God loves us with an everlasting, stubborn love. In this Easter season, we remember that the power of God's love is stronger than death. In our Baptism, we remember that God adopts us, that God's love enfolds us into the family of God—the Beloved Clan—without our having to understand or earn that amazing grace. Throughout our lives with God, we learn that God's love and mercy have the power to release us from the chains of guilt and despair. And our Wesleyan theology teaches us that as we open our hearts and lives to God's love, that love fills us and overflows from us as we participate in God's work of peace, justice, and mending in the world. Do you see? This divine love from our good God is the model and the fuel for our counter-testimony, our sacred resistance, in this beautiful, broken world. When you are able to stay connected to the love of God who holds you, calls you by name, forgives you, and empowers you to be your full authentic self, you will be better equipped to act in the world with sacred resistance. Because you will know first-hand what sacred resistance is really about. It's about love. Love that looks upon each person with a desire for their wellbeing. Love that looks upon human community with a desire for healing and peace with justice. Love that looks into all creation with a desire for mending and reverence. Love that is compassionate and merciful. Love that is stubborn and sacrificial. This is how God loves the world. This is how God loves you. This is how God created you to love. Everything flows from this love. Our courage flows from this love. Our resistance flows from this love. Our mercy flows from this love. Our hope flows from this love. It is our guardrail and our guide as we seek to counter the perversions of the Gospel so prevalent in our world today. Because if love is truly the first principle of the Christian life, then any version of Christianity rooted primarily in fear, cruelty, domination, exclusion, or the hunger for power has already lost its way. If our faith leads us to dehumanize people made in the image of God, something has gone terribly wrong. If our theology produces contempt more than compassion, suspicion more than mercy, condemnation more than healing, then we are no longer moving in the Spirit of Christ. The love of God revealed in Jesus consistently moves toward people—not away from them. Toward the wounded. Toward the vulnerable. Toward the outsider. Toward the sinner. Toward the suffering. That kind of love is not weak. It is the deepest power in the world. It is our strength and our comfort in the storms of life. It is our fuel as we live with freedom and power and the joy that comes with living in our truest identity. And there is nothing that will ever be able to separate us from this love. From ancient of days this is God's word to us: I am your God and you are my Beloved. And Paul asks the rhetorical question whose answer he already knows: “Who will separate us from the love of Christ?” And then comes this breathtaking proclamation: “I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Nothing can separate us from God's love in Christ. What difference does God's love make? Every difference in the world. So this week, I invite you to start at the beginning and practice remembering who you are. When your inner voice starts trash-talking you, interrupt that old story with these true words: “I am God's beloved.” Or pray this breath prayer: Breathing in I know I am loved… Breathing out, I am loved… I know I am held… I am held… I know I am protected… I am safe… God says: “You are precious in my sight, and honored, and I love you.” And nothing in all creation can separate you from that love. And that, beloveds, makes all the difference. Amen.

How a young Wesleyan discovered Rushdoony's Institutes of Biblical Law and experienced a radical transformation that continues to this day.

Happy Mother's Daywww.hopeforvermont.orgIG @PastorJeffonWDeVFacebook @PastorJeffonWDeVwithLeewdevradio.compastorjeffonwdev@gmail.com

Welcome to another episode of Wesleyan Ways: Exploring Our Methodist Roots. In this episode, host Dwayne Stinson and Bishop Sue Haupert-Johnson sit down with Kenda Creasy Dean

In this episode of More to the Story, I'm joined by New Testament scholar Dr. David A. deSilva for a rich and fun conversation about faith, vocation, and theological formation. Dr. deSilva shares his personal calling to serve the church as a scholar and reflects on how his academic work has been shaped by a desire to build up the people of God. We explore his major areas of research in the New Testament and early Christianity (commentaries, apocryphal, and archaeological studies). Along the way, David tells the story of how God gradually led him into Wesleyan theology and Methodism, helping him see the deep coherence between his scholarly commitments and a tradition shaped by holiness, grace, and discipleship. This episode is warm and genuinely fun—a conversation with someone whose work has made a lasting contribution to both the academy and the church.Youtube - https://youtu.be/GkyAyJ8QrEEAudio - https://andymilleriii.com/media/podcastApple -  https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/more-to-the-story-with-dr-andy-miller/id1569988895?uo=4If you are interested in learning more about my two full-length video-accompanied courses, Contender: Going Deeper in the Book of Jude andHeaven and Other Destinations: A Biblical Journey Beyond this World , visit andymilleriii.com/coursesAnd don't forget about my most recent book, Contender, which is available on Amazon! Five Steps to Deeper Teaching and Preaching - Recently, I updated this PDF document and added a 45-minute teaching video with slides, explaining this tool. It's like a mini-course. If you sign up for my list, I will send this free resource to you. Sign up here - www.AndyMillerIII.com or Five Steps to Deeper Teaching and Preaching. Today's episode is brought to you by Wesley Biblical Seminary. Interested in going deeper in your faith? Check out our certificate programs, B.A., M.A.s, M.Div., and D.Min degrees. You will study with world-class faculty and the most racially diverse student body in the country. www.wbs.eduIf this episode resonated with you, share it with a friend and leave a review! For more from Andy Miller III, visit andymilleriii.com or follow @andymilleriii on X.Thanks too to Phil Laeger for my podcast music. You can find out about Phil's music at https://www.laeger.net

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Your soul is being shaped every day— by something you barely notice.Money is one of the most powerful forces shaping your soul. Not just in the big decisions, but in the small ones you barely think about. What you spend without hesitation. What you second guess. What feels normal to you now.Join us as we draw on wisdom from the Bible and from the Methodist tradition to help us turn our hearts to that which is more true!

In this episode of the More to the Story Podcast, I'm joined by theologians Tom McCall and Jason Vickers to discuss their new book, Love Divine: A Wesleyan Systematic Theology, recently published by Eerdmans.Why write a full-scale and one-volume Wesleyan systematic theology now? Tom and Jason reflect on what gave rise to this project, and on the need for a doctrinal work that is both deeply rooted in the Wesleyan tradition and fully engaged with the broader Christian theological conversation. They explain how Love Divine seeks to bring clarity and rigor to core Christian doctrines while remaining attentive to Scripture, the classical creeds, and the needs of the contemporary church.We also talk about the audiences they had most clearly in view. The book is written to serve students who are being formed theologically for ministry, as well as pastors who need a reliable doctrinal resource that connects theology to preaching, teaching, worship, and Christian life.Youtube - https://youtu.be/b6kj-psUOKUAudio - https://andymilleriii.com/media/podcastApple -  https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/more-to-the-story-with-dr-andy-miller/id1569988895?uo=4Get the book from today's podcast here: https://a.co/d/0g76jsjxIf you are interested in learning more about my two full-length video-accompanied courses, Contender: Going Deeper in the Book of Jude andHeaven and Other Destinations: A Biblical Journey Beyond this World , visit andymilleriii.com/coursesAnd don't forget about my most recent book, Contender, which is available on Amazon! Five Steps to Deeper Teaching and Preaching - Recently, I updated this PDF document and added a 45-minute teaching video with slides, explaining this tool. It's like a mini-course. If you sign up for my list, I will send this free resource to you. Sign up here - www.AndyMillerIII.com or Five Steps to Deeper Teaching and Preaching. Today's episode is brought to you by Wesley Biblical Seminary. Interested in going deeper in your faith? Check out our certificate programs, B.A., M.A.s, M.Div., and D.Min degrees. You will study with world-class faculty and the most racially diverse student body in the country. www.wbs.eduIf this episode resonated with you, share it with a friend and leave a review! For more from Andy Miller III, visit andymilleriii.com or follow @andymilleriii on X.Thanks too to Phil Laeger for my podcast music. You can find out about Phil's music at https://www.laeger.net

A sermon preached by Ed Crump with Foundry UMC, April 19, 2026, the second Sunday of Easter.   Texts: Isaiah 51:1–6; Luke 24:13–35 April 19, 2026 Good morning. Will you pray with me, May the words of my mouth and the meditations of all our hearts be pleasing to you God, our Rock and our Redeemer. Amen.   There are moments in life when everything you thought was solid… suddenly isn't. Plans collapse. The future you trusted no longer exists. Many of us have had those moments since January 20, 2025. Some of us are dealing with illness or a sick loved one. Some of us have experienced heartbreak. Some of us are lonely. Some of us are feeling financial insecurity. And when we experience those things, usually all we can do is put one foot in front of another.   In our text from Luke this morning, that's where we meet the disciples: Not triumphant.  Not celebrating resurrection.  Not even waiting in hope. They are walking away from Jerusalem. Away from the place where everything fell apart. Away from the cross. Away from hope. Two friends walking away together. They say, “We had hoped…”  And note they use the past tense. “We had hoped he was the one to redeem Israel.”   Not just grief, but disorientation.   Their understanding of God, of justice, of the future has all unraveled. The Jesus they were presented with did not meet their expectations, so they had difficulty recognizing and accepting him. And if we're honest, many of us know that road. We know what it is to say, “I had hoped…” And for some communities, that sense of “we had hoped” is not just a moment or a season, but a painfully long history. A history of displacement, of promises broken, of identity challenged or erased.   Today, as we mark Native American Ministries Sunday, we remember that Indigenous peoples across this land are not abstract names from a history book. They are living communities, with real histories, sacred languages, deep wisdom, and enduring resilience with cultures that existed for thousands of years before their land was taken from them. And many carry stories of disruption and loss that echo, in their own way, that same cry: “we had hoped.” On this special Sunday during Easter Season, I want to read Foundry's WE ARE ON NATIVE LAND statement: When we gather for worship and ministry on the corner of 16th and P, we do so upon the sacred, traditional, and unceded lands of the Anacostan, Massawomack, Susquehannock, Piscataway, and Pomunkey peoples, who were forcibly removed from this area to allow for English settlement. As occupiers of their territory, we recognize them as the original and perpetual stewards of this land and gratefully acknowledge our responsibility for a more honest recounting of our history that empowers us to work for the thriving of all people!     Now hold that ugly, inconvenient reality alongside the voice from the prophet Isaiah we read this morning: “Listen to me, you who pursue righteousness… look to the rock from which you were hewn.” Isaiah is speaking to a people who are also disoriented. They are exiled, displaced, unsure of who they are anymore. In the wake of the Babylonian Exile, everything that once defined them: land, temple, nation, has been stripped away. They are not just geographically displaced; they are spiritually disoriented, wondering if they are still God's people at all. And into that uncertainty, God does not begin with explanation but with invitation: “Look to the rock from which you were [cut].” Isaiah says to remember Abraham and Sarah, how God brought life out of barrenness, promise out of impossibility. In other words, Isaiah is saying, your identity is not determined by your present loss, but by God's enduring faithfulness. Scripture tells us that every human being is made in the image of God. That's why we proclaim that truth in rainbows and banners right out front:  “No matter anything, you are welcome here to be met by our God, who knows you by name, and who loves you, and who wants to have an ever deepening relationship with you. Welcome.” That means no people, no culture, no community is less-than.   Even now, God says, salvation is on the way, not just for you, but as a light for all nations. What feels like an ending is, in God's hands, still unfolding. The prophet Isaiah says: “For the Lord will comfort Zion… will make her wilderness like Eden.” What looks barren is not the end of the story. But here's the tension between our texts from Isaiah and Luke today: On the road to Emmaus, the disciples know the story. They know the Scriptures. They know the promises. And still…they're walking away. They really don't understand what's going on. And then, all of the sudden, without announcement, Jesus comes alongside them. And they don't recognize him. He's not what they expected. Not what they had “hoped for.” Luke tells us, “their eyes were kept from recognizing him.” The risen Christ is right there walking beside them, and they don't recognize him. [PAUSE]   Why don't they know it's Jesus? I don't think it's because they're actually foolish. And I don't think it's because they completely lack faith. Rather, I suspect it's because sometimes grief closes our vision. Sometimes disappointment narrows what we can imagine God doing; or loved ones doing; or our ability to persevere.   And what does Jesus do when the disciples don't recognize him?  …and I think this is one of the most instructive parts of this passage… Jesus listens. He lets them tell the story. Cleopas basically says, ‘Are you the only one in Jerusalem who hasn't heard what happened to Jesus?' …to Jesus. …and what's really amazing is, Jesus lets them tell HIS OWN story and he just listens…he doesn't jump in and say, well of course I know the story, it's about me! He keeps quiet. He lets them name their grief. He lets them speak their dashed hopes out loud. And only then does he begin to reframe things. “Was it not necessary that the Messiah should suffer these things and then enter into his glory?” Beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he reframes the story. Not as failure. Not as defeat. But as part of a larger unfolding, where suffering and glory are somehow, mysteriously intertwined. This is where Luke and Isaiah meet. Isaiah says: Do not trust only what you see. God's future is bigger than your present reality. Jesus says: You are reading the story too narrowly.   But even after this incredible moment of teaching…the Disciples still don't recognize Jesus! Not yet. It's not until they reach the village. Not until there's an invitation. Not until they sit down. Not until they share a meal. In a text clearly designed to evoke the image of the Eucharist it says, “He took bread, blessed it, broke it, and gave it to them.” Then, and only then, do they recognize him. Not in the explanation. Not in the argument. But in the breaking of the bread. In the shared table. In an act of community. And this is exactly why John Wesley refers to Holy Communion as a “means of grace.” An opportunity to have a real encounter with God and Spirit.   According to the UMC website, a “means of grace” in the Methodist and Wesleyan tradition is: “...an ordinary channel—such as prayer, Scripture, or Communion—through  which God invisibly works to strengthen, sanctify, and convey [God's] love to believers. These practices, categorized as works of piety and devotion; mercy and compassion, are not meritorious acts but instruments for receiving grace and cultivating personal and communal holiness.” And in our tradition we celebrate the Eucharist in an “open table” where we invite all who desire to be Christlike—regardless of denomination, membership, or baptismal status—to partake in Holy Communion. And that tells us something about how we understand God's vision. In the Interpretation Bible Commentary on Luke, Fred Craddock notes something profound,  “...Luke here tells us that the living Christ is both the key to our understanding the Scriptures and the very present Lord who is revealed to us in the breaking of bread. His presence at the table makes all believers first-generation Christians and every meeting place Emmaus.” The table is not a place where difference disappears. It is a place where difference is honored, and still, there is room for everyone.  The Gospel is Good News precisely because it declares this inclusiveness and abundance.  There is more than enough in God's economy. And then, just as suddenly, just at the moment they recognize who Jesus is, he vanishes. But something is different. Something has changed in them: “Were not our hearts burning within us while he was talking to us on the road?” The recognition was not just about realizing it was Jesus. It was about becoming people who can fully understand who Jesus is. People whose hearts are awake. People who remember who they are called to be and act accordingly.  And what do they do after they recognize Jesus? They get up, immediately, and go back. Back to Jerusalem. Back to the place they had fled. Because resurrection doesn't just comfort us. It sends us. It calls us to service in the priesthood of all believers. And when it sends us, it sends us not just with ideas, but with action.   The question for us is:  How do we recognize Jesus like the disciples did? How do we live into the love of Christ we are called to embody?     The Wesleyan answer to that question is — of course — through various “means of grace” like prayer and Holy Communion. Let me give a specific example…   One of the most helpful practices I've found to help me improve my conscious contact with God, allowing me to more fully perceive God's presence is Centering Prayer.   Centering Prayer is a simple form of silent, contemplative prayer that invites us to rest in God, not through lots of words or scripted prayers, but through quiet consent to God's presence.    The practice is to choose a “sacred word” like peace, love, grace, or Jesus, and use the word to pray with and connect to God, gently returning to the word whenever our mind wanders.   So the practice is to sit in silence, letting thoughts come and go, always returning to our sacred word as a way of opening ourselves to God.   I want to invite everyone to try Centering Prayer now for a couple minutes to get a taste for the practice:   Sit up straight - comfortable and alert Choose a “sacred word” Take a deep breath in and out And silently introduce your sacred word as a simple prayer.  This is like “placing yourself” in God's presence without effort or expectations.   [2 MINUTES OF SILENCE]     What many people discover is that, over time, this practice makes God's presence more accessible—especially in difficult moments. The sacred word becomes “top of mind” and can readily remind us that God is always here.   What I most of all want to do this morning is encourage all of us to explore various means of grace as we journey through life. To find practices that help us improve our regular conscious contact with God.    [PAUSE] So what does this all mean for us today? It means: Christ meets us on the road we didn't plan to walk. Christ listens to the stories we tell, even when they are full of disappointment. Christ reinterprets our lives in light of a larger hope. And Christ is made known, not just in grand moments, but I think mostly in simple acts: Breaking bread. Sharing space. Welcoming one another. In quiet moments of prayer, meditation, and contemplation. And it also means this: We are ALL invited to be part of what God is doing in the world. Not just as charity. But as a partnership. Not as rescuers. But as people willing to listen, to learn, and to walk alongside.   So if you find yourself today somewhere on that road— Carrying grief… Holding disappointment… Wondering where God is in all of it… …or walking alongside someone who is struggling… Pay attention. Because today's Scriptures tell us we do not walk the road alone. Who is representing Christ to you on your journey?  As we begin to fully perceive, we may also begin to see Christ in one another: in acts of compassion; in truth-telling; in shared table; in repaired relationships. May we, with God's help, not only recognize Christ walking with us, but also be willing to imitate Christ in lives of love, compassion, justice, humility, and shared humanity. Amen.

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In this Monday reflection on 1 John 5:6–12, John's three witnesses — the Spirit, the water, and the blood — are unpacked through the lens of Wesleyan theology to show how each one gives unified testimony to the same truth: eternal life is found in Jesus, and only in Jesus. The Spirit is the agent of prevenient grace, always going before us, calling, convicting, justifying, and sanctifying. The water is baptism — the sign of the new covenant, functioning as circumcision did under the old, marking us as God's covenant people. And the blood is the atoning work of Christ, by which our sins are washed away and through which we feast at the communion table — the sacraments themselves flowing from the wounded side of Jesus. Together, these three testify to the same thing: God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life. It's only ever about Jesus.Join us for our daily reflections with Andy. In 10 short minutes, he'll dig a little deeper into Scripture and help you better understand God's Word.You can read today's passage here - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20John%205%3A6-12&version=NRSVUEClick here if you'd like to join our GroupMe and receive this each morning at 7:00 a.m. CST. - https://groupme.com/join_group/107837407/vtYqtb6CYou can watch this in video form here - https://www.revandy.org 

On Good Shepherd Sunday, we are reminded that Jesus is not only the Shepherd who knows, protects, and loves His flock—He is also the Gate through which abundant life is found. Reflecting on Psalm 23 and John 10, this message explores how we often try to climb over the fence and find our own way, only to discover that Christ has already made the path clear. Through the lens of Wesleyan theology, we see God's prevenient grace drawing us near, justifying grace welcoming us in, and sanctifying grace sending us out to serve. Wherever you are on the journey, the Good Shepherd is calling you by name.

In this Friday reflection on 1 John 5:1–5, John's simple declaration — everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God — becomes the starting point for a pastoral word about primary and secondary issues of faith. Doctrinal and denominational differences are real and important; the preacher is a convinced Wesleyan and isn't pretending otherwise. But historically, the boundaries of orthodox Christianity have always been defined by two things: Jesus Christ and the Trinity. Everything else — baptism, communion, church governance, specific denominational doctrine — falls inside the sandbox, where there is plenty of room for disagreement among genuine brothers and sisters in Christ. Drawing on C.S. Lewis's concept of "mere Christianity" and the Old Testament story of the shibboleth, the reflection lands here: faith in Jesus Christ is the password, the marker, the foundation. On Christ the solid rock I stand; all other ground is sinking sand. It's all about Jesus — and it's dangerously easy to let it become about anything else.Join us for our daily reflections with Andy. In 10 short minutes, he'll dig a little deeper into Scripture and help you better understand God's Word.You can read today's passage here - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20John%205%3A1-5&version=NRSVUEClick here if you'd like to join our GroupMe and receive this each morning at 7:00 a.m. CST. - https://groupme.com/join_group/107837407/vtYqtb6CYou can watch this in video form here - https://www.revandy.org

In this episode of More to the Story, I sit down with Dr. Andrew Thompson to explore a major development unfolding within the Wesleyan world. Dr. Thompson has been part of the leadership team shaping the Antioch Connection, a new denominational‑like network forming among roughly 25 churches across Oklahoma and Arkansas.We dig into:• Why these churches are seeking a new structural model• How the Antioch Connection emerged and what it hopes to accomplish• The theological and missional convictions driving this movement• What this moment reveals about the broader landscape of Wesleyan bodies• How church structure can either hinder or unleash missionThis is an energizing conversation about innovation, ecclesial identity, and the future of Methodist ministry. If you care about how the church organizes itself for mission, you'll find this episode especially meaningful.Youtube - https://youtu.be/tkfQ2z1wjdUAudio - https://andymilleriii.com/media/podcastApple -  https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/more-to-the-story-with-dr-andy-miller/id1569988895?uo=4If you are interested in learning more about my two full-length video-accompanied courses, Contender: Going Deeper in the Book of Jude andHeaven and Other Destinations: A Biblical Journey Beyond this World , visit andymilleriii.com/coursesAnd don't forget about my most recent book, Contender, which is available on Amazon! Five Steps to Deeper Teaching and Preaching - Recently, I updated this PDF document and added a 45-minute teaching video with slides, explaining this tool. It's like a mini-course. If you sign up for my list, I will send this free resource to you. Sign up here - www.AndyMillerIII.com or Five Steps to Deeper Teaching and Preaching. Today's episode is brought to you by Wesley Biblical Seminary. Interested in going deeper in your faith? Check out our certificate programs, B.A., M.A.s, M.Div., and D.Min degrees. You will study with world-class faculty and the most racially diverse student body in the country. www.wbs.eduIf this episode resonated with you, share it with a friend and leave a review! For more from Andy Miller III, visit andymilleriii.com or follow @andymilleriii on X.Thanks too to Phil Laeger for my podcast music. You can find out about Phil's music at https://www.laeger.net

In this episode of Capital for Good, we speak with Tony Marx, the president and CEO of the New York Public Library, the nation's largest library system and the world's preeminent public research library. Marx's reimagination of this storied institution builds on his transformative leadership in higher education when he served as president of Amherst College. A distinguished scholar and political scientist, Marx's education — in the power of education — was forged by his experience in South Africa in the 1980s. We begin this wide ranging conversation with Marx's beginnings: his childhood in New York City's Inwood neighborhood, high school at Bronx Science, the intellectual care and attention he received from professors at Wesleyan and Yale, and his early passion for political science, inspired by his involvement in the anti-apartheid movements on campus and the "excitement of being involved in something bigger than myself, and thinking about social justice at scale." Marx would soon move to South Africa, where he helped create Khanya College, a free, residential liberal arts college for Black South Africans to prepare them for entry and success in the country's top universities, where they had long been excluded. Marx notes that his years in South Africa were "life changing," allowing him to live and work with "people who were living and dying for the rights of democracy that we take for granted," and teaching him how one year of high-quality education at Khanya could "undo" twelve years of a stunting K-12 system. "The power of the human mind, the power of education to feed the human mind, should never be underestimated," Marx says. These lessons would define his career and life's work. Back in New York, Marx's scholarship on Africa and questions of nationalism earned him tenure at Columbia, where he and his family spent thirteen fruitful years. Without extensive administrative experience or ties to Amherst, Marx was surprised to find himself a serious candidate in the presidential search of the country's leading liberal arts college, but soon discovered that Amherst's board was ready to lean into change from its position of strength. "When you're at the top of the game is when you should take risk," Marx believes. "It's a wild way of thinking, but it's the right way of thinking, but nobody thinks that way." With the board's support, Marx undertook a number of groundbreaking initiatives that would make Amherst an even stronger institution; he is best known for his efforts to increase significantly the economic diversity of the student body, improving the school's racial diversity, and academic standing, in the process.   In 2010, the New York Public Library came calling. Marx saw in the library's unusual combination of assets — a branch system that served millions of people in person each year (the most trusted and visited civic institution in the city) and the world's most used public research library — a 130-year-old educational institution ripe for "innovation at scale." Over fifteen years, Marx and his colleagues have invested significantly in the branch libraries, transmuting them into community centers, which today are, after the schools and CUNY, the city's largest provider of educational services, all free, from early literacy and career training to English language and technology instruction. In Inwood, Marx's childhood branch, the NYPL has partnered with various public development agencies and philanthropies to build 175 units of affordable housing atop a new library and community center, a model they are pursuing at other sites across the city. In wifi "deserts," the team has worked with internet service providers to beam broadband from local libraries into the neighborhoods. Technology has also been crucial to expanding global access to the research libraries, starting with vast and copyright-respecting digitization efforts. "The notion is that every book ever written should be available to anyone on the planet for free through their library — that's the aspiration and we're building it," Marx proclaims. He has not shied away from the promise of artificial intelligence to support this work, if AI can be harnessed in ways consistent with the institution's values including "privacy, veracity, and respect." "Even more than books, trust is our greatest asset" Marx says. He therefore holds that institutions like the New York Public Library have a role to play in shaping the responsible evolution of these new technologies, and to ensure equitable access to information and knowledge. "It all goes back to the same lesson I learned in South Africa… that the world learned in the Enlightenment," he concludes. "We have to respect everyone. We have to be compassionate towards everyone. We have to understand that everyone has the capacity to learn, to create, to inspire, to inspire others, to have empathy, so that we can live in the world we want to live in." Mentioned in this Podcast Khanya College Lessons of Struggle: South African Internal Opposition, 1960-1990, (Oxford University Press, 1992) Making Race and Nation: a Comparison of South Africa, the United States and Brazil, (Cambridge University Press, 1997) Amherst College The New York Public Library Neighbors Fight Affordable Housing, But Need Libraries. Can't We Make a Deal?, (Michael Kimmelman for the New York Times, 2024)

This is the second half of a lecture by Dr. Vic Reasoner is titled, "What Is a Wesleyan?" It was presented at the 2018 FWS Conference.

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Brian Russell teaches on Reading Scripture for Truth and Deep Transformation. He takes us on a deep dive into the Wesleyan quadrilateral properly understand, 2 Timothy 3:16–17, and Psalm 19. This podcast is a reaffirmation of what reading Scripture as God's Word means for us personally and corporately as disciple making disciples of Jesus. The goal of interpretation is always our ongoing conversion so that we can live holy missional lives for the sake of the World. Questions or comments: Brian@brianrussellphd.com  Brian's Newsletter: www.brianrussellphd.com/newsletter   Brian's books:  Centering Prayer: Sitting Quietly in God's Presence Can Change Your Life (Paraclete, 2021): https://amzn.to/47Dwdpk   Astonished by the Word: Reading Scripture for Deep Transformation https://amzn.to/3uuWCoQ    (Re)Aligning with God: Reading Scripture for Church and World (Cascade Books) https://amzn.to/30tP4S9     Invitation: A Bible Study to Begin With (Seedbed) https://my.seedbed.com/product/onebook-invitation-by-brian-russell/    Work with Brian: Brian is available for personal coaching in the areas of spiritual growth, missional leadership and biblical/theological training.  Brian is also available for virtual or in person speaking/teaching. He offers workshops and stand alone talks on contemplative spirituality as well as on a variety of books and topics relating to engaging Scripture for a life of mission, community and holiness.  Amazon links are affiliate links. Without affecting the cost on your end, Amazon shares a small royalty with me if you purchase any product after following these links to Amazon. In other words, if you shop regularly on Amazon, you can support my work by clicking on any of the books I linked and then searching for whatever you want to purchase. Thanks for your support.

In this episode of More to the Story, I'm joined by Benjamin Espinoza to discuss his timely new book, Good News About Self-Care. We talk honestly about exhaustion, hustle culture, and the quiet pressure many pastors and leaders feel to always be “on.” Espinoza reframes self-care not as indulgence, but as faithful resistance—rooted in Sabbath, Scripture, and grace-filled rhythms.Our conversation explores how rest, boundaries, and relational health are not optional extras, but essential to spiritual formation and holiness. Drawing from Wesleyan theology and lived pastoral experience, Espinoza calls us to honor the image of God in ourselves and others by rejecting burnout as a badge of faithfulness.This episode is for pastors, leaders, and anyone longing for a deeper, more theologically grounded vision of rest. Self-care, as Espinoza shows, is not about escape—it's about becoming the person God created us to be.If you are interested in learning more about my two full-length video-accompanied courses, Contender: Going Deeper in the Book of Jude andHeaven and Other Destinations: A Biblical Journey Beyond this World , visit andymilleriii.com/coursesAnd don't forget about my most recent book, Contender, which is available on Amazon! Five Steps to Deeper Teaching and Preaching - Recently, I updated this PDF document and added a 45-minute teaching video with slides, explaining this tool. It's like a mini-course. If you sign up for my list, I will send this free resource to you. Sign up here - www.AndyMillerIII.com or Five Steps to Deeper Teaching and Preaching. Today's episode is brought to you by Wesley Biblical Seminary. Interested in going deeper in your faith? Check out our certificate programs, B.A., M.A.s, M.Div., and D.Min degrees. You will study with world-class faculty and the most racially diverse student body in the country. www.wbs.eduIf this episode resonated with you, share it with a friend and leave a review! For more from Andy Miller III, visit andymilleriii.com or follow @andymilleriii on X.Thanks too to Phil Laeger for my podcast music. You can find out about Phil's music at https://www.laeger.net

In this episode of Peachtree Corners Life, host Rico Figliolini sits down with Kristie Onorato, a longtime art educator at Wesleyan School, to explore the intersection of creativity, teaching, and personal artistic practice. Kristie shares her journey from studying art education at Ohio State to teaching across grade levels before finding her home at Wesleyan, where she has spent the past 15 years inspiring students through art.The conversation dives into how creativity is developed, why problem-solving is central to the artistic process, and how Kristie encourages students to embrace imperfection and pivot when things don't go as planned. She also discusses her own artistic work, sources of inspiration, from travel to everyday life, and what it means to create and let go of deeply personal pieces as she prepares for the Wesleyan Artist Market. Resources:Wesleyan Artist Market:  https://www.artistmarket.wesleyanschool.org/Wesleyan School: https://www.wesleyanschool.org5 Key TakeawaysCreativity is universal—not optionalCreativity isn't reserved for artists. It shows up in problem-solving, communication, business, and everyday life. As Kristie puts it, we're all wired to create.The process matters more than the outcomeStudents learn more from how they think, adapt, and reflect than from the final piece they produce. The journey shapes the mindset.Problem-solving is at the core of creativityArt teaches resilience—things go wrong, and you don't start over, you adjust. That mindset carries directly into real life.Inspiration is everywhere—if you're open to itFrom travel to everyday observations, creativity comes from awareness. The key is being in the right mindset to notice it.Letting go is part of the creative journeyWhether it's finishing a piece or selling it, artists have to release their work—even when it's personal. That's part of growth.Timestamp:00:00:00 – Introduction and Wesleyan Artist Market overview00:02:28 – Kristie's background and path into art education00:04:31 – Discovering a passion for teaching and creativity00:06:16 – The role of creativity and faith in artistic expression00:08:00 – Problem-solving and adaptability in the art process00:10:01 – Student portfolios, reflections, and creative thinking00:11:20 – Staying connected with former students00:12:57 – Kristie's personal art practice and school art shows00:14:36 – Collaboration and group art projects00:15:55 – Field trips and exposure to professional art00:16:33 – Travel and inspiration, including Greece00:18:10 – Observing patterns, movement, and color in nature00:19:59 – Preferred subjects and creating for an audience00:21:15 – Studio habits and creative environment00:23:12 – Finding inspiration in everyday life00:24:10 – Planning vs. improvisation in art00:26:22 – Letting go of artwork and emotional attachment00:29:17 – Closing thoughts and Wesleyan Artist Market details

Dave and Cody close out this season of Watch-alongs by discussing the Shrinking Season 3 finale, "And That's Our Time." Alice leaves for Wesleyan. Gabby finds a ring and proposes on her own terms. Jimmy's perfectly planned goodbyes all fall apart. And Paul flies 3,000 miles to say the thing he should have said three seasons ago. They guys dig into transference, Jimmy's pattern of scripting perfect moments that never happen, whether Gabby's proposal is real growth or just prettier control, and a scars monologue that might be the best scene this show has ever produced. Plus their Who Grew picks for the entire season and what show runner, Bill Lawrence's comments mean for season four.

This is the first half of a lecture by Dr. Vic Reasoner is titled, "What Is a Wesleyan?" It was presented at the 2018 FWS Conference.

hopeforvermont.orgIG @PastorJeffonWDeVFacebook @PastorJeffonWDeVwithLeePastorJeffonWDeV@gmail.comwdevradio.com

On today's episode of More to the Story, we do something a little different: a role reversal. Instead of hosting the conversation, I'm the one being interviewed!I recently had the opportunity to join Thom and Sam Rainer on the Church Answers Podcast to talk about the innovative approach Wesley Biblical Seminary offers for accessible, live-online theological education. We also dove into the remarkable history of WBS, from near-closure to incredible growth, and what it means for faithful, orthodox theological training today.If you've followed the podcast, you know I often discuss theological education from the host's chair, responding to guests and exploring key issues in ministry formation. This time, I got to share the story directly, offer some reflections, and highlight how WBS is equipping church leaders. Whether you're considering seminary, already in ministry, or simply interested in the future of theological education, I think you'll find this conversation insightful. It's a chance to hear the “more to the story” behind WBS and why accessible, formation-focused education matters now more than ever.Youtube - https://youtu.be/KOmwkNYK-NoAudio - https://andymilleriii.com/media/podcastApple -  https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/more-to-the-story-with-dr-andy-miller/id1569988895?uo=4If you are interested in learning more about my two full-length video-accompanied courses, Contender: Going Deeper in the Book of Jude andHeaven and Other Destinations: A Biblical Journey Beyond this World , visit andymilleriii.com/coursesAnd don't forget about my most recent book, Contender, which is available on Amazon! Five Steps to Deeper Teaching and Preaching - Recently, I updated this PDF document and added a 45-minute teaching video with slides, explaining this tool. It's like a mini-course. If you sign up for my list, I will send this free resource to you. Sign up here - www.AndyMillerIII.com or Five Steps to Deeper Teaching and Preaching. Today's episode is brought to you by Wesley Biblical Seminary. Interested in going deeper in your faith? Check out our certificate programs, B.A., M.A.s, M.Div., and D.Min degrees. You will study with world-class faculty and the most racially diverse student body in the country. www.wbs.eduIf this episode resonated with you, share it with a friend and leave a review! For more from Andy Miller III, visit andymilleriii.com or follow @andymilleriii on X.Thanks too to Phil Laeger for my podcast music. You can find out about Phil's music at https://www.laeger.net

What Is So New about the New Covenant? Indwelling Spirit of God – In and Upon | KIB 525 Kingdom Intelligence Briefing   Description In Episode 525 of the Kingdom Intelligence Briefing, Dr. Michael and Mary Lou Lake explore the ministry of the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer and why a right understanding of the New Covenant is essential for the remnant in these last days. This episode examines the difference between the indwelling of the Holy Spirit and the baptism of the Holy Spirit, the promise of the Spirit in Ezekiel 36 and Jeremiah 31, and how God writes His law upon the heart of the believer through a covenant relationship. Dr. Lake also addresses the dangers of counterfeit spirits, misplaced charismatic emphasis, and the spiritual deception that has infiltrated much of the modern Church. Mary Lou opens with powerful insights connected to the Feast of Unleavened Bread, Jericho, Rahab's covenant, and the need for obedience in a prophetic hour. Together, they discuss spiritual discernment, the transformation of character, the fruit of the Spirit, and the necessity of separating from Babylon's system in order to walk in true kingdom power. This is a timely message for believers seeking authentic Holy Spirit transformation, biblical covenant living, and discernment in an age of deception. Topics covered in this episode: The Feast of Unleavened Bread and Jericho, Rahab and covenant parallels, Achan and the accursed thing, Nephilim strongholds and Mystery Babylon, the Holy Spirit in the New Covenant, being born again and indwelt by the Spirit, Spirit baptism versus Spirit indwelling, counterfeit spirits in the Church, the fruit of the Spirit as evidence of life, sanctification and internalized Torah, spiritual warfare through the Spirit, and Christ being formed in the believer. Timeline of Topics Discussed 00:00 Biblical Life TV opening 01:29 Introduction to KIB Episode 525 01:55 Mary Lou on the Feast of Unleavened Bread, Jericho, and expecting God's miraculous intervention 03:20 Rahab, covenant, the scarlet cord, and redemption imagery 04:15 Achan, the accursed thing, and the danger of Babylonian compromise 05:10 Prayer focus on current war, miracles, restoration, and salvation 08:24 Jericho as a Nephilim stronghold and its connection to Mystery Babylon 09:05 The urgent need to distinguish the Holy Spirit from counterfeit spirits 10:48 The New Covenant as a direct relationship with Jesus Christ 12:40 The Holy Spirit as the central operational reality of the New Covenant 14:20 Ezekiel 36 and Jeremiah 31 as foundational promises of the Spirit and internalized Torah 16:00 The new birth, new creation, and transformation from within 17:15 Critique of prosperity theology and outward success metrics 18:31 Mary Lou on peace through separation from Babylon 20:03 Regeneration, the born-again experience, and ontological transformation 22:35 When the Holy Spirit indwells the believer 23:20 John 20 and Jesus breathing on the disciples 25:00 Spirit-led evangelism and divine timing in ministry 27:05 Testimony of hospice ministry and authentic witness 28:10 Parallels between Genesis 2:7 and John 20 30:15 The believer as sacred space and the indwelling Spirit 32:55 Acts 1:8 and the difference between the Spirit within and the Spirit upon 34:00 Old Testament empowerment and craftsmanship anointing 36:30 The meaning of dunamis power 37:30 Elijah and Elisha as a type of Spirit empowerment 38:30 Sanctification as both instantaneous and progressive 40:15 The Holy Spirit illuminating the Word and convicting of sin 41:10 Being led by the Spirit in wisdom, discernment, timing, and restraint 43:05 The Holy Spirit always points to Jesus 44:15 Fruit of the Spirit versus mere behavior modification 46:50 Spiritual warfare through discernment, authority, intercession, and resistance 48:30 Christ being formed in the believer 50:10 True destiny begins with conformity to Christ 52:10 Twelve dimensions of Holy Spirit ministry 53:05 Redefining what it means to be Spirit-filled 54:43 Concerns about overemphasis on tongues 56:00 Wesleyan concerns about emotionalism without fruit 57:25 Counterfeit tongues and false impartations 58:30 Testimony of transformed life as true fruit 59:55 Prayer for discernment, covenant reality, and kingdom manifestation 01:01:16 Mary Lou on Artemis, spiritual symbolism, and hope for national turning 01:02:18 Closing prayer for the remnant to mature and walk in truth 01:03:05 Closing remarks Hashtags #KingdomIntelligenceBriefing, #HolySpirit, #NewCovenant, #SpiritualWarfare, #MysteryBabylon, #CounterfeitSpirits, #BiblicalDiscernment, #RemnantChurch, #EndTimes, #LastDays, #BornAgain, #SpiritFilled, #FruitOfTheSpirit, #ChristianLiving, #BiblicalTeaching

Hey friends,On today's episode of the Anchored by the Sword Podcast, I'm joined by Ben Espinoza, pastor, author, husband, and dad, to talk about his brand new book:

Bruce MacDonald is the CEO and CIO of the Virginia Commonwealth University Investment Management Company, which runs $2.5 billion for VCU's endowment and health system. Bruce joined the University in 2015 and shortly thereafter, had the opportunity to sell the portfolio and start fresh. Since being promoted to CIO in 2022, VCU has been a top decile performer with a team of just five investment professionals. Our conversation covers Bruce's unconventional path from a religion major at Wesleyan to fixed income investing at Putnam and endowment roles at Columbia and UVIMCO before arriving at VCU. We discuss the principles of VCU's approach, including building a portfolio around secular tailwinds like India, Vietnam, gold, and artificial intelligence while maintaining abundant liquidity to act countercyclically during market dislocations. We explore VCU's team-based underwriting process, lessons learned from mistakes, and personal influences that have shaped Bruce's investment philosophy. Learn more about our Strategic Investments: Ascension. Learn More Follow Ted on Twitter at @tseides or LinkedIn Subscribe to the mailing list Access Transcript with Premium Membership   Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant (⁠https://thepodcastconsultant.com⁠)

Easter Sunday. He is Risen. Indeed.Hopeforvermont.orgIG @PastorJeffonWDeVFacebook @PastorJeffonWDevwithLeeWdevradio.com

What do Easter, ancient Gnosticism, and modern Fury Fandom have in common?More than we might expect.In this episode of the More to the Story Podcast,  I'm joined by Christian author and apologist Melissa Dougherty to talk about how truth gets obscured, not always by outright rejection, but by replacement. Easter, Melissa argues, hasn't been abandoned by the Church; it's been crowded out by well‑intentioned traditions, consumerism, and a spirituality that feels meaningful without being clear.Together, we explore how this shift shapes what children and families actually learn about Easter—and what they often miss entirely.These concerns led Melissa to write a gospel‑centered children's allegory, The Day That Made the Way, designed to help children understand not just that Jesus rose from the dead, but why He had to.We also talk about Melissa's research into Fury Fandom, using it as a lens to examine modern devotion, identity formation, and how people—especially the young—are catechized by the stories and communities they inhabit.At heart, this episode is about discernment: how truth is preserved, how it's diluted, and how Christians can hold fast to what is true in a noisy and crowded age.Youtube - https://youtu.be/1MfgTxSJZ5QAudio - https://andymilleriii.com/media/podcastApple -  https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/more-to-the-story-with-dr-andy-miller/id1569988895?uo=4If you are interested in learning more about my two full-length video-accompanied courses, Contender: Going Deeper in the Book of Jude andHeaven and Other Destinations: A Biblical Journey Beyond this World , visit andymilleriii.com/coursesAnd don't forget about my most recent book, Contender, which is available on Amazon! Five Steps to Deeper Teaching and Preaching - Recently, I updated this PDF document and added a 45-minute teaching video with slides, explaining this tool. It's like a mini-course. If you sign up for my list, I will send this free resource to you. Sign up here - www.AndyMillerIII.com or Five Steps to Deeper Teaching and Preaching. Today's episode is brought to you by Wesley Biblical Seminary. Interested in going deeper in your faith? Check out our certificate programs, B.A., M.A.s, M.Div., and D.Min degrees. You will study with world-class faculty and the most racially diverse student body in the country. www.wbs.eduIf this episode resonated with you, share it with a friend and leave a review! For more from Andy Miller III, visit andymilleriii.com or follow @andymilleriii on X.Thanks too to Phil Laeger for my podcast music. You can find out about Phil's music at https://www.laeger.net

This week, in honor of Women's History Month, we're presenting two stories from our archive about women in science and the unique challenges they face. Part 1: Alison Williams' blossoming passion for chemistry is sidetracked by a professor's thoughtless comment. Part 2: Climate scientist Sarah Myhre becomes embroiled in conflict after speaking out against a senior scientist's problematic statements about climate change. Alison Williams is the Associate Provost for Diversity and Intercultural Education at Denison University. She received her Ph.D. in biophysical chemistry from the University of Rochester where she was a NSF graduate fellow and winner of the graduate student teaching award. Prior to becoming an administrator first at Oberlin and now at Denison, she was a chemistry faculty member for 25 years, teaching at Swarthmore, Wesleyan, Princeton and Barnard College of Columbia University. Her research focused using spectroscopy to determine the role of ions in shaping the physical properties of nucleic acids. Dr. Williams has been active nationally to increase access, inclusion and equity, especially in the sciences. She has received numerous recognitions for her teaching, outreach and mentoring activities. She is a mother of two and a semi-professional oboist.Sarah Myhre Ph.D. is a Research Associate at the University of Washington and a board member of both 500 Women Scientists and the Center for Women and Democracy. She is actively investigating and publishing on the paleoceanographic history of the Pacific ocean, using ocean sediment cores and robots on the seafloor. She is a freelance writer, grass roots organizer, and a leading voice in the field science communication. She is also an uncompromising advocate for women's voices and leadership, both in science and society. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Three stories about snap decisions and what happens next: a classic RISK! episode from December 2013 that still hits hard. Lauren Cook found her date for a stranger's New Jersey wedding on Craigslist Casual Encounters. She showed up with a fake identity, a room full of people who knew nothing about her, and a night that kept escalating in directions she did not plan for. (Content note: gun violence) JJ grew up in 1980s Bushwick, Brooklyn, fought his way into Wesleyan and then Wall Street, but one afternoon a neighborhood confrontation pulled him back to a version of himself he thought he had left behind. He came very close to throwing everything away. Daniel Lobell sank $2,000 into a hairless cat as the foundation of a breeding empire. When the cat ended up at a friend's apartment and she stopped returning his calls, his plan to get it back got increasingly creative. Full episode details and music credits at risk-show.com/podcast/impulsive-cre510 Support RISK! & Get Involved

In this special episode of More to the Story, I'm joined by my favorite guest of all time—my wife—to introduce a practical and engaging approach to delivering sermons together: Tag‑Team Preaching.We break down how this method works, why it has strengthened our ministry, and how couples or co‑communicators can use it to bring clarity, energy, and relational depth to the preaching moment. Together we explain how this method can create a richer experience for a congregation without losing focus or theological coherence.We share stories from our own experience, outline a simple framework for getting started, and offer guidance for making the transition smooth for both the preachers and the church. If you're a pastor, teacher, or ministry leader interested in collaborative communication, this episode provides a practical, encouraging roadmap.Youtube - https://youtu.be/Jq5wHY0dF4IAudio - https://andymilleriii.com/media/podcastApple -  https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/more-to-the-story-with-dr-andy-miller/id1569988895?uo=4If you are interested in learning more about my two full-length video-accompanied courses, Contender: Going Deeper in the Book of Jude andHeaven and Other Destinations: A Biblical Journey Beyond this World , visit andymilleriii.com/coursesAnd don't forget about my most recent book, Contender, which is available on Amazon! Five Steps to Deeper Teaching and Preaching - Recently, I updated this PDF document and added a 45-minute teaching video with slides, explaining this tool. It's like a mini-course. If you sign up for my list, I will send this free resource to you. Sign up here - www.AndyMillerIII.com or Five Steps to Deeper Teaching and Preaching. Today's episode is brought to you by Wesley Biblical Seminary. Interested in going deeper in your faith? Check out our certificate programs, B.A., M.A.s, M.Div., and D.Min degrees. You will study with world-class faculty and the most racially diverse student body in the country. www.wbs.eduIf this episode resonated with you, share it with a friend and leave a review! For more from Andy Miller III, visit andymilleriii.com or follow @andymilleriii on X.Thanks too to Phil Laeger for my podcast music. You can find out about Phil's music at https://www.laeger.net

If there was one passage of Scripture I would take on a desert island, it would be Romans 8. Its message is that important. Welcome to Wesley Memorial Church! We are a grace-filled, loving and warm-hearted congregation that is firmly rooted in the classic and orthodox Wesleyan stream of Christianity. Click SUBSCRIBE above! LIke and comment on this video. subscribe to our podcast on iTunes - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/wesley-memorial-church-high-point-nc-sermons-podcast/id1473843839 For prayer request, to learn more or to make your own decision for Jesus Christ, visit wesleymemorial.org Follow us on: facebook.com/wesleymemhp instagram.com/wesleymemhp x.com/wesleymemhp Enable our Alexa skill. Just say, "Alexa, enable Wesley Memorial Church." To play the latest sermon, just say "Alexa, play Wesley Memorial Church." #church #churchonline #watchchurchonline #christianity #biblestudy #sermons #inspriationalmessages

When people think of craft, certain images might come to mind, like knitting in a rocking chair by a warm fireplace. People often think of it as a quiet, solitary activity— one that doesn’t make much of a public statement. But crafts like knitting can be radical. The rocking chair by the fireplace isn’t just quiet and solitary— it can also be a site of real political change. This hour, we’re listening back to our episode about the power of craft. We’ll hear from a crafter who helped popularize the term "craftivism." It refers to a movement that combines craft with activism. We’ll also talk to a local potter who hopes to spread awareness of the indigenous Wangunk people. They are not recognized as a tribe by the federal or state government. GUESTS: Betsy Greer: writer and maker. She’s editor of the book Craftivism: The Art of Craft and Activism and author of Knitting for Good!: A Guide to Creating Personal, Social, and Political Change Stitch by Stitch. She helped popularize the term "craftivism." Gary Red Oak O'Neil: a Wangunk Elder, potter, and educator. He’s been a member of Wesleyan Potters since 1968. His solo exhibition, Excavations, was on view at the Ezra and Cecile Zilkha Gallery at Wesleyan University in fall 2025, and a current exhibition, The Art of Wangunk Elder Gary Red Oak O'Neil is on view at Wesleyan potters until March 22; This episode originally aired on August 22, 2025.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of More to the Story, I'm joined by historian and theologian Dr. John Wilsey to discuss his important new book, Religious Freedom: A Conservative Primer. John offers a clear, historically grounded, and theologically informed case for why religious liberty is essential to the American experiment—and why Christians should champion it not merely for themselves, but for everyone.We explore the intellectual roots of religious freedom, how conservative thinkers have approached the topic, and why protecting conscience is a distinctly Christian act of neighbor love. John also sheds light on current cultural debates, misconceptions about the First Amendment, and what a principled commitment to pluralism should look like for believers today.This thoughtful conversation helps us understand the past, navigate the present, and prepare for a future in which religious freedom must be intentionally preserved.Youtube - https://youtu.be/_2Ib1tvmZp4Audio - https://andymilleriii.com/media/podcastApple -  https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/more-to-the-story-with-dr-andy-miller/id1569988895?uo=4Find Dr. Wilsey's book here - https://a.co/d/05Ouchm4If you are interested in learning more about my two full-length video-accompanied courses, Contender: Going Deeper in the Book of Jude andHeaven and Other Destinations: A Biblical Journey Beyond this World , visit andymilleriii.com/coursesAnd don't forget about my most recent book, Contender, which is available on Amazon! Five Steps to Deeper Teaching and Preaching - Recently, I updated this PDF document and added a 45-minute teaching video with slides, explaining this tool. It's like a mini-course. If you sign up for my list, I will send this free resource to you. Sign up here - www.AndyMillerIII.com or Five Steps to Deeper Teaching and Preaching. Today's episode is brought to you by Wesley Biblical Seminary. Interested in going deeper in your faith? Check out our certificate programs, B.A., M.A.s, M.Div., and D.Min degrees. You will study with world-class faculty and the most racially diverse student body in the country. www.wbs.eduIf this episode resonated with you, share it with a friend and leave a review! For more from Andy Miller III, visit andymilleriii.com or follow @andymilleriii on X.Thanks too to Phil Laeger for my podcast music. You can find out about Phil's music at https://www.laeger.net

Wesleyan educator and author Dr. Ken Schenck on his book, "A Biblical Argument for Women in Ministry and Leadership." Dr. Ken Schenck is an Asbury Theological Seminary graduate who did his New Testament Ph.D. under James D.G. Dunn at the University of Durham. He is author of more than 30 books and is an ordained minister in the Wesleyan Church. Dr. Schenck taught New Testament and Biblical languages at Indiana Wesleyan University for twenty-two years, where he also served as Dean for nine years. After two years at Houghton University as the Vice President for Planning and Innovation, he is the Provost of Campus.Edu. The Tru316 Foundation (www.Tru316.com) is the home of The Eden Podcast with Bruce C. E. Fleming where we “true” the verse of Genesis 3:16. The Tru316 Message is that “God didn't curse Eve (or Adam) or limit woman in any way.” Once Genesis 3:16 is made clear the other passages on women and men become clear too. You are encouraged to access the episodes of Seasons 1-11 of The Eden Podcast for teaching on the seven key passages on women and men. Are you a reader? We invite you to get from Amazon the four books by Bruce C. E. Fleming in The Eden Book Series (Tru316.com/trubooks). Would you like to support the work of the Tru316 Foundation? You can become a Tru Partner here: www.Tru316.com/partner

Date March 15, 2026 Synopsis In this sermon, we ask what we might be missing when we get stuck pining for the past. Nostalgia is seductive—it feels like home—but it can blind us to what God is doing right now. We explore how the man born blind models a different way: not reaching backward, but saying hello to here. Part of our series Reenchanted: A Series for Lent on Believing Again. The past isn't a destination. It's evidence. References Scripture: John 9:1–41 About The Local Church For more information about The Local Church, visit our website. Feedback? Questions? Comments? We'd love to hear it. Email Brent at brent@thelocalchurchpbo.org. To invest in what God's doing through The Local Church and help support these podcasting efforts and this movement of God's love, give online here.

In this episode of More to the Story, I sit down with Katy Faust, founder of Them Before Us, to talk about her powerful new “Greater Than” campaign—an initiative calling all of us to place the needs, rights, and well‑being of children above the desires of adults. Katy unpacks why children are greater than politics, trends, or adult preferences, and why a flourishing society begins with honoring the innate child's right to their mother and father whenever possible.We explore the theological, cultural, and practical implications of child‑first ethics, discuss how Christians can respond with both clarity and compassion, and consider how churches, parents, and leaders can champion the next generation. This conversation is both challenging and deeply hopeful.Tune in for a thoughtful discussion that reframes how we think about family, love, and responsibility.Youtube - https://youtu.be/RcxWChdlyoUAudio - https://andymilleriii.com/media/podcastApple -  https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/more-to-the-story-with-dr-andy-miller/id1569988895?uo=4Learn more about the Greater Than Campaign - https://greaterthancampaign.com/If you are interested in learning more about my two full-length video-accompanied courses, Contender: Going Deeper in the Book of Jude andHeaven and Other Destinations: A Biblical Journey Beyond this World , visit andymilleriii.com/coursesAnd don't forget about my most recent book, Contender, which is available on Amazon! Five Steps to Deeper Teaching and Preaching - Recently, I updated this PDF document and added a 45-minute teaching video with slides, explaining this tool. It's like a mini-course. If you sign up for my list, I will send this free resource to you. Sign up here - www.AndyMillerIII.com or Five Steps to Deeper Teaching and Preaching. Today's episode is brought to you by Wesley Biblical Seminary. Interested in going deeper in your faith? Check out our certificate programs, B.A., M.A.s, M.Div., and D.Min degrees. You will study with world-class faculty and the most racially diverse student body in the country. www.wbs.eduIf this episode resonated with you, share it with a friend and leave a review! For more from Andy Miller III, visit andymilleriii.com or follow @andymilleriii on X.Thanks too to Phil Laeger for my podcast music. You can find out about Phil's music at https://www.laeger.net

What happens to your soul when you let an algorithm do your thinking? Spoiler alert: it's not great. In this episode, Dr. Jeffery Skinner dives into the sneaky ways AI and digital platforms are reshaping our conscience and dulling our discernment. You might think you're just scrolling through memes or getting your daily news fix, but you're actually sidelining the part of you that wrestles with deeper questions about faith and morality. It's like outsourcing your soul's workout to a couch potato. We'll explore how this digital age affects our spiritual growth and discernment, and why it's crucial for us to reclaim our ability to think critically and seek God authentically. So grab your headphones, and let's get into why your soul might be missing out on some serious gym time while you're busy clicking ‘like' on everything.Scripture ReferencesRomans 12:2 — Transformation through the renewing of the mindHebrews 5:14 — Mature believers train themselves to discern good and evilMatthew 25:14–30 — The Parable of the TalentsLuke 6:40 — A disciple, when fully trained, will be like their teacherActs 15 — The Jerusalem Council as communal discernmentGalatians 5:13–25 — Life in the Spirit and formation of character1 Timothy 4:7–8 — Training in godlinessJAMES K.A. SMITH — Desiring the Kingdom & You Are What You Love Smith's big idea is that we are formed by what we habitually do, not primarily by what we intellectually believe. He draws from Augustine — we are lovers before we are thinkers. Our desires are shaped by repeated practices, or what he calls cultural liturgies.The Wesleyan Arminian angle: Smith gives us the mechanism of formation that Wesley always assumed but didn't systematize. Wesley's class meetings, his means of grace, his disciplined rhythms — these were all essentially liturgical formation practices. Smith helps you articulate why they worked and why their absence hurts.Key ideas to track down:∙ Liturgy as desire formation — practices shape loves before the mind engages∙ The mall as cathedral — his famous illustration of secular liturgies forming us toward consumption∙ Counter-formation requires intentional, embodied, communal practiceALAN JACOBS — How to Think (2017)Jacobs is winsome, careful, and genuinely funny. His core argument is that thinking well is not primarily an intellectual skill — it's a moral and social practice. We think badly not because we're stupid but because we're embedded in communities that reward certain conclusions and punish others.He introduces the idea of the “inner ring” — borrowed from C.S. Lewis — the social pressure to think like your tribe. Algorithms weaponize the inner ring. They identify your tribe, amplify its voice, and make departure feel socially costly.Key ideas to track down:∙ Thinking as a communal practice that can be corrupted by social incentives∙ The “repugnant cultural other” — his term for how we're trained to caricature those who think differently∙ Charitable interpretation as a spiritual disciplineJOHN DYER — From the Garden to the City (2011)Dyer is the most theologically careful of the group and writes from an evangelical framework that translates well into Wesleyan categories. His central argument is that technology is never neutral — it always shapes the user, not just the world the user acts on.He traces this from Genesis forward. Every technology from agriculture to the printing press to the smartphone changes what humans pay attention to, what they value, and ultimately who they become.Dyer gives biblical and historical credibility. This isn't a panic about modern machines — it's a pattern as old as humanity. The question has always been whether we are using tools or being used by them.Key ideas to track down:∙ Technology as transformation — it changes us, not just our circumstances∙ The Babel narrative as a technology cautionary tale∙ The difference between tools that extend human capacity and tools that replace human judgmentTRISTAN HARRIS — Humane Technology WorkHarris is not a theologian but he is our most credible secular witness. As a former Google design ethicist he speaks from the inside. His core argument is that social media and AI are not neutral platforms — they are persuasion engines optimized for engagement, which means optimized for outrage, anxiety, and compulsion.His most useful concept for your episode is “the race to the bottom of the brain stem” — the competition among tech companies to capture attention by appealing to the most reactive, least reflective parts of us.For Wesleyan Arminian framework: Wesley was deeply concerned with what he called the “carnal mind” — the unregenerate, reactive, self-centered orientation of the human soul. Harris, without knowing it, has mapped the technology infrastructure that feeds the carnal mind and starves the renewed one.Key ideas to track down at humanetech.com:∙ The asymmetry of power between algorithm and user∙ Engagement vs. wellbeing as competing design goals∙ His congressional testimony — specific, quotable, publicly availableSHOSHANA ZUBOFF — The Age of Surveillance Capitalism (2019)Zuboff is dense but her core idea is accessible and important: human experience has become raw material harvested by technology companies to predict and modify behavior. She calls this behavioral modification at scale.I did not go deep into her economics. What matters is her moral argument: this system requires human beings to be predictable. And predictable people are, by definition, not growing. Not being transformed. Not surprising even themselves.The Wesleyan connection is sharp: entire sanctification, growth in grace, the Spirit's renewing work — all of these assume a human being who is genuinely changing. Surveillance capitalism needs you to stay the same. Grace refuses to let you.Key ideas to track down:∙ Behavioral surplus — the data harvested beyond what you knowingly give∙ The goal of certainty over human behavior as the system's deepest aim∙ Her concept of instrumentarian power — shaping behavior without direct coercionDALLAS WILLARD — Formation TheologyWillard isn't writing about AI but he is your theological backbone for the whole episode. His central claim is that spiritual formation is the church's primary task and that it requires intentional, disciplined, often uncomfortable engagement with practices that renovate the soul.His concept of “the gospel of sin management” is particularly useful. The critique that the church has reduced discipleship to behavior modification rather than genuine transformation of the whole person.For your Wesleyan Arminian framework: Willard was deeply influenced by Wesley, and his formation theology maps almost directly onto Wesley's via salutis — the way of salvation as a journey of genuine transformation, not just positional declaration.Key ideas to track down:∙ Spiritual disciplines as training, not trying — you don't try to run a marathon, you train for one∙ The renovated will as the goal of formation∙ “Non-discipleship is the elephant in the church” — this is one of his most quotable lines and widely attributed so worth verifyingReferenced ResourcesAndy Crouch — The Life We're Looking For (2022)James K.A. Smith — Desiring the Kingdom (2009) and You Are What You Love (2016)John Dyer — From the Garden to the City (2011)Reverend Dr. Tim Gaines-Christian Ethics (2021)Alan Jacobs — How to Think (2017)Shoshana Zuboff — The Age of Surveillance Capitalism (2019)Shoshana Zuboff Youtube Harvard LectureTristan Harris — most of his quotable material lives at humanetech.com and his congressional testimonies, which are publicly searchable.The episode unfolds as a candid examination of how our reliance on artificial intelligence might be weakening our spiritual discernment and moral agency. Dr. Skinner introduces a fictional conversation where Mia, a young woman grappling with personal dilemmas, seeks advice from an AI. This scenario sets the stage for a larger discussion on the implications of turning to technology over human interaction for guidance. The AI, while appearing supportive and non-judgmental, represents a broader trend of individuals seeking validation and answers from algorithms, rather than engaging in the messy, beautiful work of community and spiritual growth. As the episode progresses, listeners are invited to reflect on their habits and the subtle shifts in their spiritual practices caused by digital engagement. Dr. Skinner articulates how algorithms prioritize efficiency and comfort, often at the expense of genuine moral engagement and personal growth. He details the necessity of re-establishing practices that encourage discernment, such as communal discussions and personal reflection, which can counteract the passive consumption of information. The episode concludes with a powerful call to action: to put down our devices, engage with our conscience, and embrace the challenging yet rewarding path of spiritual formation that requires presence, conversation, and the courage to...