Podcasts about Rejection

If this resonated with you, here are additional resources: ⭐ APPLY TO SHIFT: https://sidehustlepro.co/shiftIn this solo episode, I'm pulling back the curtain on my entrepreneurial journey and sharing the six most important lessons I've learned since leaving my corporate job in 2017. Most people assume that quitting was my biggest risk, but the truth is, the scariest steps happened long before I ever turned in my notice.I take you all the way back to 2015, when I graduated from business school without a job after not receiving the full-time offer from my Google internship. From studying abroad in Barcelona to avoid reality, to moving back to DC and starting a blog with no plan, this episode is about what really happens in the messy middle before success shows up. I share how rejection led me to NPR, how my experience there became the foundation for Side Hustle Pro, and how I earned my first $4,000 sponsorship contract from a cold email to a customer service inbox.This episode is for anyone who is waiting for a sign, a plan, or the perfect moment. Spoiler: that moment is not coming. What is coming is everything you need to build, but only if you start. I break down exactly how I got here and what I want you to take away from this milestone journey.Main TakeawaysRejection is redirection: Not getting the Google offer was the push that led Nicaila to build Side Hustle Pro.You don't need the whole plan: Taking one next step, even without knowing where it leads, is how clarity is built.Clarity comes from action: The idea for Side Hustle Pro did not come before the action; the action revealed the idea.Bet on proof, not hope: Nicaila didn't quit her job out of fearlessness, she quit because she had consistent data showing her business could grow.Highlights Include[00:02] I share the real biggest risk I took, and it wasn't quitting my job[00:24] The Google internship story: expecting the full-time offer and not getting it[02:45] Graduating from business school with no job, no plan, and moving back to DC[04:40] Lesson 1: Rejection is redirection, and what that looked like in real life[07:16] Lesson 2: You don't need the whole plan, just the next step[00:02 segment 2] Lesson 3: Clarity comes from action, not waiting for an aha moment[03:11] How Side Hustle Pro's concept was born out of a boring blog pivot[07:26] Lesson 5: Bet on proof, how I earned my first $4,000 sponsorship[11:37] The real reason I quit: not fearlessness, but evidence[12:19] Lesson 6: The life you want is built before you leave, not afterLinks Mentioned in This EpisodeAPPLY TO SHIFT: https://sidehustlepro.co/shiftWatch & ListenListen to Side Hustle Pro on Spotify: open.spotify.com/show/13qDj08lBR4ymzGhXIKy8tListen on Apple Podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/side-hustle-pro/id1126021323Social MediaInstagram: @SideHustlePro Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Want real joy? It starts with love. Today, Joyce teaches how to overcome fear of rejection, let go of self-pity, walk in love, and experience the freedom of living unselfishly.

Rejection. Insecurity. Perfectionism. These are some of the reasons why we may be taking things personally. At different stages and seasons in life, we have all found ourselves in a space where we are asking, “What did I do? Why am I the target here?” Most of the time, it is not about you. However, your reaction is an indicator of something going on within you. In today’s episode, Terri and Dr. Dom help us explore why we take things personally and offer strategies to heal. Resources:Dr. Dom’s Therapy PracticeBranding with TerriMelanin and Mental HealthTherapy for Black Girls Psychology TodayTherapy for QPOCTherapy for Black MenWhere to find us:Twitter: @HERspacepodcastInstagram: @herspacepodcastFacebook: @herspacepodcastWebsite: cultivatingherspace.com Check out the Best Of CHS!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Struggling with self-focus, past pain, or even the fear of rejection? Today, Joyce shares how to stop feeling sorry for yourself, walk in love, and live a more fulfilling life.

***Link to the Guided Meditation for Divorce Anxiety**How Not to Suck at Divorce YouTube Divorce: How to Handle the Rejection When You Didn't Want the DivorceDivorce is painful no matter what. But when you're not the one who wanted it? It can feel like so much more than a life change. It can feel like rejection.In this heartfelt mini episode of How Not to Suck at Divorce, Andrea Rappaport and Morgan Stogsdill tackle one of the most painful—and least discussed—parts of divorce: being the spouse who didn't want the marriage to end.But first- Don't miss out on our Divorce Crash Course. It's $50 for a limited time. Get it now to save thousands on your divorce. Why does being left hurt so much? Why do so many people immediately assume they're not enough? And how can that emotional pain quietly derail your divorce case, cost you money, and keep you stuck chasing answers you'll never get?Andrea and Morgan break down what happens to your brain when you're blindsided by divorce, why rejection often feels personal even when it isn't, and how to keep heartbreak from driving legal decisions.Plus, Andrea shares a simple but powerful tool that helped her survive some of her darkest divorce days: the "scheduled meltdown."In This Episode You Will Learn✅ Why divorce rejection feels so personal ✅ What happens to your brain when you're blindsided ✅ Why people often treat divorce like evidence against themselves ✅ How emotional pain can lead to expensive legal mistakes ✅ The difference between grieving a person and grieving a future ✅ Why family court cannot provide emotional closure ✅ How heartbreak can derail settlement negotiations and mediation ✅ The legal risks of making decisions from a place of hurt ✅ Andrea's "scheduled meltdown" technique for emotional regulation ✅ How to get your brain back online when emotions take overTimestamps(00:00) Why divorce feels like rejection when you didn't want it (03:16) The emotional conclusions people make after being left (04:20) How rejection can derail your divorce strategy (05:21) You're not really fighting about the house (06:33) Grieving the future you thought you would have (07:07) Why legal deadlines don't stop for heartbreak (08:17) The expensive trap of chasing closure (10:12) Morgan's cautionary tale about "Chad" and emotional decision-making (12:02) The opposite problem: fighting every battle out of anger (13:30) Separating emotion from legal strategy (14:00) Andrea's "scheduled meltdown" exercise (16:33) How to release emotions without sabotaging your case (18:18) Why this divorce is only one episode in your storyKey Takeaways

In this honest conversation, Lori welcomes pastor, husband, father, and Absent Dad, Present Father contributor Kyle Ogle to share his powerful testimony of growing up without a father and the lasting impact of rejection. Kyle opens up about meeting his biological father as a young teen, only to later experience heartbreaking abandonment that shaped many of his struggles with insecurity, identity, anger, and fear of abandonment.Yet through God's kindness, the influence of faithful men, and the healing work of Christ, Kyle's story did not end in rejection. Today, he serves as the lead pastor of Center Church in Texas, loves being a husband and father, and points others to the truth that God truly is a present Father to the fatherless.This conversation offers hope to widowed and single mothers raising children alone, encouragement to fatherless sons and daughters wrestling with rejection, and a reminder that our stories do not have to be defined by the absence of an earthly father. Through Jesus, there is healing, identity, belonging, and redemption.Key TakeawaysThe hidden wounds of fatherlessnessHelping children process dormant griefThe importance of godly mentors and the body of ChristFinding identity in God as FatherBreaking generational cycles through ChristResources MentionedAbsent Dad, Present Father: From Loss to Light – Testimonies of God's Unfailing Love for Fatherless ChildrenScripture Referenced: Ezekiel 18, Matthew 3, John 1, Psalm 68:5ConnectTo connect with Perspective Ministries and learn more about resources for widows and fatherless children, visit Perspective Ministries

Today's episode of The Rizzuto Show starts with a devastating tragedy that may require federal intervention, congressional hearings, and at least three strongly worded emails: Moon got rejected by the Blue Angels. That's right. After years of dreaming about flying with the legendary flight team, filling out paperwork, getting medical forms completed, and generally doing everything he was supposed to do (allegedly), the Navy said, "Nah." The crew spends way too much time trying to figure out who got the spot instead, throwing out names ranging from Cardinals legends to local celebrities and basically anybody who isn't Moon.Then things somehow get even weirder.The gang debates one of the most ridiculous music questions ever created: if you could only listen to one genre for an entire year, would you choose mumble rap, post-9/11 patriotic country, Christian death metal, or AI-generated EDM? The answers reveal way more about everyone's personalities than anyone intended, and somehow Christian death metal becomes the surprise hero of the conversation.In Crap On Celebrities, the celebrity chaos is firing on all cylinders. Diddy drama takes another bizarre turn, Sabrina Carpenter gets a restraining order against an alleged stalker who apparently thought hiding in a Prius was a good plan, Taylor Swift fans once again convince themselves they're decoding secret messages from the universe, and The Black Crowes find themselves at the center of a USA chant controversy.The crew also dives into the latest music news, including Mick Jagger somehow still having more energy than people half his age, a Gene Wilder biopic that already has everyone fan-casting, and the ongoing debate about whether Val Kilmer was a misunderstood genius or simply impossible to work with.Then comes the emotional destruction.A list of the most heartbreaking animal moments in movie history sends everyone spiraling. From Artax sinking into the Swamp of Sadness in The NeverEnding Story, to Mufasa's death in The Lion King, to Homeward Bound, Fox and the Hound, I Am Legend, and more childhood trauma than any morning radio show should legally be allowed to revisit before noon. If you've ever cried because of a fictional animal, prepare to relive every painful second.It's another completely normal day with The Rizzuto Show, which means absolutely nothing is normal.Whether you're here for celebrity gossip, weird news, movie nostalgia, music debates, or Moon's ongoing battle against aviation-related disappointment, this daily comedy show delivers the perfect mix of laughs, chaos, and emotional damage.Thanks for making us part of your morning. Seriously. We have no idea how you've tolerated us this long.If you're looking for a daily comedy show that somehow combines military aviation drama, celebrity scandals, death metal discussions, and childhood trauma into one episode, congratulations—you've found it.And if you're already a fan of this daily comedy show, you know exactly what kind of beautiful disaster you're about to hear.Follow The Rizzuto Show → https://linktr.ee/rizzshow for more from your favorite daily comedy show.Connect with The Rizzuto Show Comedy Podcast online → https://1057thepoint.com/RizzShowHear The Rizz Show daily on the radio at 105.7 The Point | Hubbard Radio in St. Louis, MO.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

We have heard so many dentists say they hate selling. What they really hate is rejection. In this episode, Peter and Craig tackle one of the most misunderstood topics in dentistry and business: sales. Not the sleazy, manipulative version. The kind that every practice owner, leader, and entrepreneur relies on whether they realize it or not. They break down why selling is ultimately about creating value, communicating clearly, and helping people make decisions. The problem is that most dentists never learn how to handle rejection, so they avoid conversations that could grow their practice, improve patient outcomes, and create opportunities for their team. Peter and Craig explore the lessons they've learned from entrepreneurs like Ken Griffin and Roy Kroc, why clarity beats charisma in sales, and how confidence is built through repetition, not talent. They also discuss why ambitious people sabotage themselves by taking rejection personally, when in reality rejection is simply the price of growth. The conversation challenges the idea that technical skill alone creates success. Because if nobody knows who you are, what you do, or why it matters, none of your expertise can create value. If you've ever felt uncomfortable selling, promoting yourself, asking for commitment, or putting yourself out there, this episode is for you. DESCRIPTION The Bulletproof Dental Podcast Episode: 440 HOSTS: Dr. Peter Boulden and Dr. Craig Spodak In this episode, Peter Boulden and Craig Spodak discuss the importance of selling, handling rejection, and creating value in business. They unpack why sales is often misunderstood, why rejection is unavoidable for anyone pursuing growth, and how practice owners can develop the confidence to communicate their value more effectively. From patient conversations and leadership communication to entrepreneurship and personal growth, this episode provides a practical framework for becoming more effective in business without becoming someone you're not. TAKEAWAYS Selling is a fundamental skill for every business owner Most people fear rejection more than they dislike sales Clarity is one of the most powerful tools in communication Confidence comes from repetition, not natural talent Adding value should always come before making an ask Rejection is feedback, not a personal attack Technical expertise alone does not create growth Leaders must learn how to communicate vision effectively Patients are more likely to say yes when they understand the value Boldness is often rewarded more than perfection Business growth requires consistent promotion and visibility The ability to sell impacts every area of leadership and entrepreneurship CHAPTERS 00:00 The Importance of Selling in Business 02:55 Overcoming Rejection and Embracing Leadership 05:28 The Power of Clarity in Selling 08:17 Creating Value and Building a Successful Practice REFERENCES Bulletproof Summit Bulletproof Mastermind

Special Guest: Diann Wingert Welcome to Podcast Profits Unleashed, the show that helps coaches, consultants, and experts grow their business through the power of podcasting and smarter business strategies. In this eye-opening episode, Karen Roberts sits down with ADHD business strategist, coach, and host of the ADHD-ish Podcast, Diann Wingert, to explore why so many entrepreneurs struggle—not because they lack talent, but because they're trying to build businesses using systems that were never designed for the way their brains work. With over 20 years as a psychotherapist and multiple successful businesses behind her, Diann shares powerful insights into ADHD, rejection sensitivity, perfectionism, fear of visibility, and how entrepreneurs can create businesses that support their strengths instead of fighting against them.

Rejection isn't a verdict on your worth. Here's how to stop treating it like one and start asking for what you want. If you are a man who holds back from asking for what he wants because the no feels like too much to risk, you will learn the real psychology of rejection, how to stay grounded across three key contexts, and what it actually takes to separate the no from the story you make it mean.

In this episode of She Who Dares Wins, Michelle sits down with Sara, an author and cold water swim guide who has rebuilt her life through divorce, grief, major surgeries, and a near-death experience on the operating table.From being told she'd never “make it” as a freelancer, to years of rejection before finally landing a book deal, Sara shares how cold water, community, and storytelling helped her find courage, connection, and a new chapter in her 60s.This one is for anyone who feels “too ordinary,” too late, or scared to put their work out into the world.Key Takeaways Life is short – act now, not “one day”Facing heart surgery, failed operations, and grief taught Sara to stop postponing the things that matter.Cold water as medicineA 10-degree lake became her way back to the outdoors, easing pain, rebuilding confidence, and reconnecting with her body and mind.Community over competitionThe cold-water swimming world gave her supportive connection she never found in more competitive sports.Social media is a tool, not the measure of your worthInstagram can be frustrating, but breaks, boundaries, and real-life connections matter more than algorithms.Rejection doesn't mean your story doesn't matterYears of “no” eventually led to a book deal – and readers now message her to say her stories helped them be braver.Dreams feel different when they come truePublishing a book was a lifelong dream, but the reality came without fanfare – just the question: “What now?”Boundaries change everythingLearning to say no, choose better people, and set limits helped her finally find the right kind of support.Dare: stop hiding your workIf you want to write, submit something – a pitch, a manuscript, a competition entry. Expect rejection, celebrate small wins, and get your words out of your laptop and into the world.Are you ready to stop dounting yourself and become more daring like our guests? Join Dare Club now! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, Pastor Sam Gibson continued our FREED series with a sermon on rejection—opening by admitting he couldn't promise freedom from it. Rejection is inevitable. The real question is whether it will deform you or transform you. Pastor Sam unpacked the snare of recognition as rejection's dangerous shadow side, walked through the Greco-Roman context of adoption in Romans 8, and landed on this: in Christ, we are not rescued strays but chosen heirs—named, inheritance transferred, legally irrevocable. That is the spirit of adoption available to us, and it is what sets us free.

The gospel teaches you CANNOT follow Christ alone.  Thankfully, the gospel also teaches you WILL NOT follow Christ alone. To understand and appreciate the Holy Spirit two words emerge: Relationship and Role  1. His Relationship to Us 14:15-17                    A.His relationship is… Promised 14:16a Permanent 14:16b  Personal 14:17c 2. His Relationship to the World 14:17b 3. His Role in the World 16:7-15             He convicts the world concerning the… Rejection of Christ Righteousness of Christ's Death  Reality of Christ's Work 4. His Role in Us  The Holy Spirit... Gives us Spiritual Life Guides us into Spiritual Truth  Guards us from Sin Guarantees our Salvation Glorifies the Savior 15:26; 16:14 Stay Tuned In!  

In this episode, we discuss:• Danielle Walter's engagement and relationship dynamics (which are weird)• Dealing with rejection and not being chosen• Why failure is often part of success• Social anxiety and personal growth• PMDD and mood disorders• Mood tracking for therapy and psychiatric care• Choosing career goals over external validation• Situationships, healing, and self-worth• Recognizing your growth when old patterns resurfaceIf you've ever felt overlooked, rejected, or questioned your value, this episode is for you.Fan Mail HereSupport the showhttps://www.instagram.com/carissapaige_?igsh=eG1wd2pvZmx5ZWFj&utm_source=qrhttps://www.tiktok.com/@manicandmedicated_?_r=1&_t=ZP-96es0ea4sTX

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Read OnlineJesus began to speak to the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders in parables. “A man planted a vineyard, put a hedge around it, dug a wine press, and built a tower. Then he leased it to tenant farmers and left on a journey. At the proper time he sent a servant to the tenants to obtain from them some of the produce of the vineyard.” Mark 12:10–12Today's Gospel takes place during the Passover at the Temple in Jerusalem, just days before Jesus' Passion and Death. The chief priests, scribes, and elders of the people were outraged and wanted to put Jesus to death, but they feared the people who were hanging on His every word.In today's parable, the “vineyard” is a biblical metaphor for Israel. The Prophet Isaiah chastised the people of Israel for being like a fruitless vineyard, and Jesus' parable would have been immediately understood by His audience as a reference to that prophecy (cf. Isaiah 5:1–7). Fearlessly yet mercifully, Jesus brings this metaphor to life, applying it directly to Israel and the religious leaders who were present and plotting His death.Jesus' parable teaches that God is the owner of the vineyard and has provided everything necessary for it to flourish: the hedge for protection, the wine press for fruitfulness, and the tower for vigilance. These symbolize God's providence, blessings, and the spiritual resources given to His chosen people to bear fruit. The tenant farmers, to whom the vineyard is leased, represent Israel's leaders, who were entrusted with shepherding God's people.The servants sent by the owner symbolize the Old Testament prophets, whom God sent to call the people of Israel to repentance and fidelity. These prophets were often rejected, mistreated, or killed by Israel's leaders—a sobering reminder of humanity's resistance to God's call throughout history, and our resistance to His grace today.The beloved son represents Jesus Himself, sent by the Father in a final appeal for repentance. However, the tenants of Israel—now referring to the chief priests, scribes, and elders before Him—plot to kill the son, mistakenly believing they can maintain their control over the Jewish people. Their envy and pride blind them to their God-given responsibilities within the community and their duty to accept Jesus as the Messiah.Though tensions were high and anger filled the hearts of the religious leaders, Jesus spoke boldly. While the people were amazed at His authority and teaching, they were likely uncertain and fearful of what might happen next.Most people in Jesus' position, risking their lives as our Lord was, would quickly become worried for their own safety. Jesus was not. He knew the Father's will and the eternal value that would come from His Passion and Death. For that reason, He quotes Psalm 118:22–23: “The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. By the LORD has this been done; it is wonderful in our eyes.”Jesus knew that He was about to be rejected: betrayed, falsely accused, arrested, tortured, and killed. Yet He also knew that He was the fulfillment of Psalm 118. He was the “stone” that, once rejected, would become the “cornerstone” of the Church and the New Covenant of grace. With this divine hope and mission in mind, Jesus didn't run and hide; He confronted rejection directly. He knew that His rejection would transform the worst—the murder of the Son of God—into the best—salvation for all who believe in Him and repent. Reflect today on Jesus' courage during that sermon as He foresaw all that would unfold that week. While we might expect such courage from the Son of God, He invites us to imitate Him. Every evil that befalls us has the potential, through grace, to become part of that cornerstone. As members of Christ's Body, the Church, we are called to courageously allow grace to transform our own rejections and sufferings in Christ. In doing so, the foundation of Christ's Church continues to be made manifest in our world today through us. My Lord, the Cornerstone of the Church, You willingly accepted and endured rejection, transforming it into the means of our eternal salvation. Grant me the courage to not only imitate You but to embrace and share in Your rejection. May my own experiences of rejection be transformed by grace into a foundation for faith in our world today. Jesus, I trust in You.  Image: Jan Rombouts I, CC0, via Wikimedia CommonsSource: Free RSS feed from catholic-daily-reflections.com — Copyright © 2026 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. This content is provided solely for personal, non-commercial use. Redistribution, republication, or commercial use — including use within apps with advertising — is strictly prohibited without written permission.

Joe Gatto is a comedian, producer, actor, and founding member of the hit television show Impractical Jokers. Known for his fearless sense of humor and willingness to embrace embarrassment for entertainment, Joe has spent decades building a career rooted in authenticity, resilience, and friendship. In this episode, Travis breaks down some of the biggest lessons he learned from his conversation with Joe — from overcoming rejection to staying present with family and rebuilding identity after major life transitions. On this episode we talk about: Why success often comes down to outlasting rejection How embarrassment can become a personal superpower The real reason Impractical Jokers became such a massive success Why presence matters more than “work-life balance” How to rebuild your identity after major life changes Top 3 Takeaways The people who succeed are often the ones who simply refuse to quit. Joe and the Jokers spent years facing rejection before finally breaking through. Fear of embarrassment stops more dreams than fear of failure. Learning to embrace awkwardness can unlock massive personal growth. Being fully present with the people around you — even for a few minutes — creates more meaningful relationships than divided attention ever will. Notable Quotes “The people who make it are usually the ones who are still standing when the door finally opens.” “It's not the fear of failure — it's the fear of embarrassment that kills most dreams.” “Five fully present minutes with your kids will probably be the best part of their day.” Connect with Joe Gatto: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joe_gatto Other: https://www.joegattoofficial.com His Interview on TMF A Word from Our Sponsors: - Are you ready to start your own creatorjourney and make it big? Visitwww.fanvue.com today and launch yourcareer! - To learn more about Mode Mobile and its investor community, go to https://invest.modemobile.com/travismakesmoney -Travis Makes Money is made possible by High Level – the All-In-One Sales & Marketing Platform built for agencies, by an agency.Capture leads, nurture them, and close more deals—all from one powerful platform.Get an extended free trial at gohighlevel.com/travis Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Speaker | Dr. Jim Bradford JUDGES: GOD'S UNUSUAL HEROES - Jephthah's Rejection and Recklessness Sunday May 31, 2026 Sermon Slides | YouVersion

1 Samuel 15:1-35 • The Disobedience & Rejection of Saul (5/31/26) Jared Thomsen

Sometimes rejection is not a failure, it's a repositioning. I break down how getting rejected from a job, relationship, opportunity, or space often means you were misaligned, not worthless. A lot of people take rejection personally because they tie their identity to being accepted, but that's a dangerous way to measure your value. I explain why position matters more than approval and how the wrong space can make you think something is wrong with you when it's really just the wrong fit. Sometimes the rejection is actually redirecting you toward where you belong and where you can win bigger. Show Notes: [03:21]#1 Rejection exposes structural mismatch. [08:36]#2 Repositioning reframes any loss as data. [20:55]#3 Authority grows when you choose your arena. [25:47] Recap Next Steps: --- Execution is not a talent.   It is a standard. If your results don't match your ability, something in your approach is out of alignment. Most people do not have a motivation problem.   They have a consistency problem. Power Presence is the system for operating with greater discipline, clarity, structure, and execution under pressure. Learn more: → http://www.PowerPresenceProtocol.com  — This show is the public record of standards. All episodes and the complete archive: → http://WorkOnYourGamePodcast.com 

Have you ever wanted to prove someone wrong when someone told you that you couldn't do something?  Maybe you proved a nay-sayer wrong.  Maybe you outperformed someone who doubted you.  Maybe you refused to give up when you failed. Now imagine that same energy, but instead of proving a point…You build a multi-million dollar company. Actually, scratch that. You build a company so successful, it competes with the person who rejected you. That's not just redemption, that's legendary. So today on The Missing Chapter, we're diving into one of the greatest connections in automotive history.  A story where one “no” led to another, which led to another, which led to some of the fastest, most beautiful cars ever created. Welcome to the Missing Chapter, everyone, let's get started.Want some Missing Chapter merchandise? Click ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠HERE⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠!

In this #amwriting Write Big session, Jennie Nash discusses managing mindset during the submission process, sharing that her new book project is out with an agent in staged publisher batches and that rejections often arrive faster than acceptances because “yes” decisions take more time and coordination. With four early nos, she feels encouraged because most responses cite familiarity with her and her work and affirm the project's purpose, offering specific, non-boilerplate feedback. She frames these nos as validation and useful information, emphasizes not relying on external approval, and urges writers pitching or on submission to treat rejections as fuel while focusing on enjoying the journey. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit amwriting.substack.com/subscribe

ABOUT THE EPISODEListen in as David Schrock and Stephen Wellum interview Knox Brown on his COA essays, "Divine Energies: Eastern Orthodoxy's Strangest and Most and Most Important Doctrine" and "All Protestants God to Hell": Eastern Orthodoxy's Official Rejection of the Gospel at the Synod of JerusalemSponsorThis month's sponsor is Grimke Seminary. Pastors are called to care for the church of God that God called them to. So why do seminaries require men to leave their church to pursue theological studies? At Grimké Seminary, you can get Christ-centered, theological training in the Reformed, Protestant tradition, without leaving your local church. They offer a range of pastoral studies for students of all backgrounds to serve your growth in ministry, from a Bachelor's to a Doctor of Ministry.To apply, go to grimkeseminary.org and use the code “christoverall” to have your application fee waived.Timestamps00:37 – Intro04:43 – Knox's Exposure to Eastern Orthodoxy07:10 – Hans Boersma10:46 – Knox's Article on the Doctrine of God13:10 – Essence and Energies17:14 – Explaining How the Energies are Existing Enhypostatically19:56 – What Does Being Canonized Mean?21:40 – How Does This All Relate to the Economic Trinity?24:12 – In EO, How Do We Share in the Energies?29:27 – Sponsor: Grimké Seminary36:37 – The Council of Jerusalem38:57 – Is Cyril Lukaris Still a Saint?40:10 – How Prominent is the Council of Jerusalem?43:45 – Different Weights and Measures on Schism53:40 – Reading the Councils to Know What You Gain and What You Lose in EO57:35 – OutroResources to Click“Divine Energies: Eastern Orthodoxy's Strangest and Most Important Doctrine” – Knox Brown“All Protestants Go to Hell: Eastern Orthodoxy's Official Rejection of the Gospel at the Synod of Jerusalem” – Knox Brown“The Acts and Decrees of the Synod of Jerusalem, Sometimes Called the Council of Bethlehem, Holden under Dositheus, Patriarch of Jerusalem in 1672”“The Delayed Synodical Receptions of the Councils of Jasy (1642) and Jerusalem (1672)” – Craig Truglia“Georgian Orthodox Church” – Wikipedia“When Did Today's Autocephalous Churches Come Into Being?” – Orthodox History“Eastern Orthodox and Oriental Orthodox: What's the Difference?” – TheoriaTheme of the Month: Go West, Young Men: Evaluating the Drift toward Eastern OrthodoxyGive to Support the Work

Rejection can leave deep wounds, but it does not have to define your future. Joyce shares how God can heal past hurts, restore confidence, and help you step boldly into the life He planned for you.

Welcome back to Living Your Truth with Tavares.This is Season 11, Episode 2.Today we're talking about something that impacts every area of life:Self-confidence.The way you walk into rooms.The way you handle pressure.The way you speak.The way you love.The way you lead.The way you recover from failure.Confidence touches everything.But here's the truth:A lot of people think confidence is something you're born with.It's not.Confidence is built.It's developed through repetition. Through resilience.Through keeping promises to yourself. Through surviving difficult moments and realizing: “I'm stronger than I thought.”And unfortunately, many people lose confidence over time.Life happens.Criticism happens.Rejection happens.Failure happens.Trauma happens.Sometimes confidence doesn't disappear overnight.Sometimes it erodes slowly.One disappointment at a time.But today we're going to talk about rebuilding it.Not fake confidence.Not ego.Not arrogance.Real confidence.The kind that comes from knowing who you are.Tavares A Garrett Linkhttps://linktr.ee/tavaresagarrettAmazon Books by Tavares Allen Garretthttps://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B08778562HThe Body Synthesiswww.thebodysynthesis.com

What kind of rejection have you faced? Join Joyce, Ginger, Erin & special guest Lysa TerKeurst for a discussion on hope, healing, and truth about your priceless worth in Christ.

Ever turned to your partner at 9:30pm, asked "you wanna…?" and rolled over disappointed when she said no? She didn't reject you... she rejected the way you initiated.In this episode, I break down the three ways most men initiate sex that almost guarantee a "no". None of them are your fault, you weren't taught this. But once you see which one you fall into, you can stop blaming her (or yourself) and start building the kind of connection that makes sex feel inevitable instead of awkward.I'll walk you through what real initiation looks like... the small, intentional moments throughout the day, the touch, the eye contact, the way you talk to her like she's your woman and how that completely changes what happens at night. This is about creating the frame and the energy that sex actually lives inside of.Ready for sex coaching?Join Built Daily

Meet author, New York Times viral writer, and wife/mom Amanda McCracken, the woman who sat beside Katie Couric and was told she had 'fairytale princess syndrome' as she dreamed of romantic love. This comment launched a ten year research journey that became the book, When Longing Becomes Your Lover: Breaking from Infatuation, Rejection, and Perfectionism to Find Authentic Love, that we're talking about today on the brand new pod. Discover how limerence - obsessive romantic rumination - became both self-protection, avoidance, and self-sabotage all in one, not delivering and yet keeping thousands of individuals (married or single) from the healthy relationship they desired. Learn about the intersection of personality and limerent patterns, the science behind why we get addicted to unavailable people, and most, practical steps toward authentic love. Watch on YouTube! Show links: Get Amanda McCracken's book, "When Longing Becomes Your Lover" here! Learn more about Amanda and her writing here! Follow Amanda on Instagram here! Find more about your type, the pod, freebies, and SO much more at our website right here! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.EnneagramandMarriage.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Love what you're learning on E + M? Make sure you leave us a podcast review so others can find us, too⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ here!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Get Christa's Best-Selling Book, The Enneagram in Marriage, here! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://a.co/d/df8SxVx Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Kelsi talks with church historian, professor, and author, Carl Trueman about his newest book, The Desecration of Man: How the Rejection of God Degrades Our Humanity. Carl R. Trueman (PhD, University of Aberdeen) is professor of biblical and religious studies at Grove City College. He is an esteemed church historian and previously served as the William E. Simon Fellow in Religion and Public Life at Princeton University. Trueman has authored or edited more than a dozen books, including The Creedal Imperative; Luther on the Christian Life; and Histories and Fallacies. Trueman is a member of The Orthodox Presbyterian Church.Show Notes:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Support 1517 Podcast Network⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠1517 Podcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠1517 on Youtube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠1517 Podcast Network on Apple Podcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠1517 Events Schedule⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠1517 Academy - Free Theological Education⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠More from Kelsi:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Kelsi Klembara⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow Kelsi on Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow Kelsi on Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Kelsi's Substack⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Subscribe to the Show:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple Podcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Youtube⁠⁠⁠Order The Desecration of Man: How the Rejection of God Degrades Our Humanity by Carl Trueman

In this four-hour broadcast, host Tim Ozman deconstructs the reported White House shootingA significant portion of the show is dedicated to analyzing predictive and concurrent programming in the series The Boys. Ozman highlights how the show's season finale, which depicts the assassination of a Trump-like character (Homelander) and the death of a Musk-like figure (Gunter Van Ellis), was filmed long before real-world parallels like the Butler, Pennsylvania shooting occurred. He asserts that these “engineered coincidences” are designed to bypass the public's mental immune system.Ozman further critiques the “Truther” community, labeling positions like anti-vax and anti-5G as “alt-NPC” programming and controlled opposition. He introduces a Gnostic framework, categorizing humanity into the “helix” (soulless animals), “psychics” (partially aware), and “pneumatics” (those with direct knowledge or gnosis). The episode concludes with the announcement of his upcoming trip to Seattle on June 11th (6-11), where he intends to provide “off-world stage” reporting on a predicted theatrical nuclear or disaster scenario.The White House “33” Hoax Code: Ozman notes the report of 33 shots fired at the White House as a primary indicator of a scripted event.Quote: “I susptect it was 33... it's sort of the hoax code.”Systemic Fakery and Collusion: The broadcast claims that national news events and entertainment are synchronized to precondition public perception.Quote: “The connections between entertainment and psyops is intentional, engineered.”Trump/Homelander Parallels: Ozman analyzes how The Boys finale mirrored real-life assassination attempts, suggesting the real events were executed based on a pre-existing script.Quote: “Amazon says, quote, the boys' assassination episode was filmed long before the Trump shooting. The finale similarities are, quote, unintentional.”The Death of Elon Musk Proxies: Using characters from The Boys and The Madness, Ozman argues that the media is “force-memeing” the eventual death of Elon Musk.Quote: “I'm keeping track of how many times Elon Musk dies in these predictive programming roles.”The “Seattle 6-11” Disaster Scenario: Based on patterns in films like Terminator 2, Ozman predicts a “theatrical disaster” in Seattle on June 11th.Quote: “Ground zero for some world event is going to take place in Seattle on 11-3... [or] 3-11... using the same logic... they're preparing us for some major event.”Rejection of Controlled Opposition: Ozman dismisses “anti” movements (anti-vax, anti-5G) as part of the same “binary” system used by the mainstream to control the public.Quote: “If you're an anti, you're mind controlled... Every anti-position is controlled opposition.”Gnostic Categorization of Consciousness: The host categorizes the public into three levels of awareness based on their ability to perceive the “transcendent”.Quote: “The pneumatics are those who are cognizant of a transcendent nature... the helix... are completely soul dead.”Systemic Gaslighting: Ozman describes how media authority trains individuals to ignore their own perceptions in favor of the televised narrative.Quote: “Gaslighting is when your perceptions tell you one thing and the authority tells you to believe another thing.”Predictive Programming Axiom: Ozman establishes as an “axiom” that predictive programming never predicts real tragedies, only manufactured ones.Quote: “Predictive programming only ever foreshadows fake events... every time, no exception.”The “Off-World Stage” Mission: The episode frames Ozman's work as “media deconstruction” intended to offer a perspective outside the controlled mainstream/alternative dialectic.Quote: “We are media deconstructionists and another point... every conspiracy theory is a subplot on the meta script.”

Most people think negotiation is about winning. It's not. AJ and Johnny sit down with Attia and John to unpack why the best negotiators focus less on control and more on curiosity, relationships, and emotional regulation. From fear of rejection and reciprocity to fairness, empathy, and practicing rejection on purpose, this episode breaks down the real skills behind influence and lasting agreements. They also explore why most people fail negotiations before they even begin — because they haven't practiced discomfort, clarified what they actually want, or learned how to regulate emotions under pressure. Chapters00:00 – Why negotiation isn't about defeating people08:00 – FBI negotiation tactics and behavioral training16:00 – Rejection, fear, and building negotiation resilience24:00 – Empathy, reciprocity, and understanding motivations33:00 – Fairness, emotions, and hidden decision making41:00 – Practicing failure and managing stress responses49:00 – Social capital, authenticity, and influence 56:00 – Clarifying what you actually want in negotiation A Word From Our Sponsors Stop being over looked and unlock your X-Factor today at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠unlockyourxfactor.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠  The very qualities that make you exceptional in your field are working against you socially.  Visit the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠artofcharm.com/intel ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠for a social intelligence assessment and discover exactly what's holding you back. If you've put off organizing your finances, Monarch is for you. Use code CHARM at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠monarch.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ in your browser for half off your first year.  Indulge in affordable luxury with Quince. Upgrade your wardrobe today at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠quince.com/charm⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for free shipping and hassle-free returns. Grow your way - with Headway! Get started at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠makeheadway.com/CHARM ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠and use my code CHARM for 25% off. This year, skip breaking a sweat AND breaking the bank. Get your summer savings and shop premium wireless plans at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠mintmobile.com/charm⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Curious about your influence level?  Get your Influence Index Score today! Take this 60-second quiz to find out how your influence stacks up against top performers at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠theartofcharm.com/influence⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Episode resources: https://www.neversettlenegotiate.com/ Check in with AJ and Johnny! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠AJ on LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Johnny on LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠AJ on Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Johnny on Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Art of Charm on Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Art of Charm on YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Art of Charm on TikTok negotiation, communication skills, influence, emotional intelligence, persuasion, empathy, reciprocity, conflict resolution, rejection, relationship building, decision making, fairness, social skills, confidence, behavioral psychology Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this conversation, actor Dave Maldonado shares his journey from a small town in Louisiana to Hollywood, discussing the challenges of rejection, mental health, and balancing family life with a demanding career. He emphasizes the importance of perseverance, faith, and the lessons learned through struggles, including overcoming addiction. Dave's insights provide a candid look at the realities of the acting industry and the personal growth that comes from navigating its ups and downs.TakeawaysDave transitioned from an art major to pursuing acting later in life.The acting industry is filled with constant rejection and anxiety.Mindset is crucial; focus on presenting your gift rather than seeking approval.Every audition is an opportunity to learn and grow.Balancing family and career requires compromise and trust.Faith played a significant role in overcoming personal struggles.Substance abuse can affect anyone, and seeking help is vital.Every hardship prepares you for future challenges.Being present and leading with love is essential in parenting.Success is not just about fame, but about personal growth and relationships.Chapters00:00 Chasing Dreams: The Journey of Dave Maldonado05:49 The Struggles of Rejection and Anxiety in Acting11:48 Finding Balance: Mental Health and Flexibility in Life17:12 The Importance of Every Role: Respecting the Craft23:00 Behind the Scenes: The Process of Filmmaking26:53 Exploring the Role of Special Effects in Filmmaking28:19 Navigating Mental Health in the Acting World30:41 Balancing Family Life with an Acting Career32:34 The Journey of Parenthood and Career35:53 Lessons Learned from a Career in Acting38:40 The Role of Faith in Personal Growth43:14 Overcoming Substance Abuse and Finding Support45:58 Lighthearted Moments in FatherhoodClick the link for YDP deals (Triad Math, Forefathers, and more) - https://linktr.ee/youngdadpod Click this link for Pod Launch Coaching- https://linktr.ee/podlaunchcoachingInterested in being a guest on the Young Dad Podcast? Reach out to Jey Young through PodMatch at this link: https://www.joinpodmatch.com/youngdadLastly,consider making a monetary donation to support the Pod, https://buymeacoffee.com/youngdadpod.

End Codependency & Build Healthy, Balanced Relationships https://attachment.personaldevelopmentschool.com/dream-life-codependency-course?utm_source=podcast&utm_campaign=dream-life-codependency-course&utm_medium=organic&utm_content=pod-05-25-26&el=podcast You may think you're chasing love… but what you're really chasing is relief from rejection. If you find yourself drawn to inconsistent or unavailable people, this pattern isn't random, it's your nervous system trying to resolve deeper emotional wounds. The good news? This is something you can change. Episode Summary In this episode, Thais Gibson explains why chasing love is often driven by nervous system activation and unresolved core wounds, not true romantic connection. You'll learn how Anxious Attachment patterns can lead to chasing inconsistent partners due to intermittent reinforcement, why rejection activates deep subconscious wounds, and how this creates a cycle of emotional dependency. Thais also shares a powerful exercise to help you begin rewiring these patterns, so you can stop seeking validation externally and start building self-worth and emotional safety from within. Key Takeaways ✔️ Chasing love is often a search for relief from rejection ✔️ Intermittent reinforcement increases emotional attachment ✔️ Anxious Attachment can drive patterns of overpursuit ✔️ Rejection activates deeper core wounds, not just present pain ✔️ External validation cannot resolve internal emotional wounds ✔️ Rewiring patterns requires self-awareness and new behaviors ✔️ You can break the cycle and build healthier relationships Meet the Host Thais Gibson is the founder of The Personal Development School and a world leader in attachment theory. With a Ph.D. and over a dozen certifications, she's helped more than 70,000 people reprogram their subconscious and build thriving relationships. Helpful Resources:

Matthew 21:33-46 The Issue of Ownership 1. The Setup for Harvest Isaiah 5:1-7 2. The Rejection of the Servants Acts 7:51-53 Matthew 23:37 3. The Slaying of the Son 4. The Judgment on the Tenants Psalm 118:22-26 1 Peter 2:4-10 Ephesians 2:19-22 5. A Surprising Realization Application: 1. Consider Your Stewardship 1 Corinthians 4:1-2 2. Consider Your Cornerstone Acts 4:11-12 Acts 17:24-25 Acts 17:30-31

Submit to Season 4 Courage Files Here What does it take to keep believing in a story through rejection, rewrites, and years of uncertainty?Middle grade author Shafaq Khan joins me to talk about her debut novel, Zaina: Lost and Found, a historical adventure inspired by the real-life Hippie Trail through Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran, and Turkey in the 1970s. We discuss balancing research with fast-paced storytelling, writing about identity and belonging, and the emotional resilience required to survive the long road to publication.Shafaq also shares the behind-the-scenes reality of querying, revising after difficult feedback, finding community, and learning to trust her voice as a writer.If you're deep in the messy middle of your own writing journey, this conversation is a reminder that persistence matters—and sometimes the long road is part of becoming the writer you're meant to be.Timestamps 00:00 – Grounding Through Story 07:12 – The Premise of Zaina: Lost and Found 11:42 – Research vs. Storytelling 24:07 – Querying and Rejection 30:00 – Tough Feedback and Big Rewrites 35:12 – Learning to Trust Her Voice 41:59 – Advice for WritersLinks Mentioned:Shafaq Khan WebsiteInstagramTiktok SCBWIHave a comment or idea about the show? Send me a direct text! Love to hear from you.Support the show To become a supporter of the show, click here!To get in touch with Stacy:Email: Stacy@writeitscared.cohttps://www.writeitscared.co/wishttps://www.instagram.com/writeitscared/Take advantage of these Free Resources From Write It Scared: Download Your Free Novel Planning and Drafting Quick Start Guide Download Your Free Guide to Remove Creative Blocks and Work Through Fears

Ever been told you're a "great guy!" but she's "just not feeling it"? Or felt like you're endlessly chasing women but never being pursued yourself?Here, we dig into what's actually happening when women consistently report not feeling attracted to you -- and what you can do about it.The truth is, attraction only has a little to do with what you look like physically. For example, one client came into our program good-looking by every conventional standard: broad shoulders, nice body, the whole thing.But he wasn't having success with women. He was frustrated and stuck. He felt like if he kept going in the same vein, he'd never get the partnership he craved. In this episode we reveal how he got to a breakthrough; after 8-10 weeks of doing what we talk about ... he was being chased for the first time in his life.Plus, Jason shares a personal story — a date that fizzled, a year of doing the men's work, and then reconnecting with the same woman and completely changing the dynamic -- including having sexy time! Not because he looked different. Because he showed up differently.Spoiler: "A man's looks account for 20% of attraction. The consciousness that animates a man is 80% of it." And the good news — that 80% is workable.—Work with usReady to go deeper than the podcast and take action? Jason and I will help you break old patterns and transform your sex & love life for good. To see if you're a fit for our flagship program, Pillars of Presence, book a call here. Start anytime. (https://evolutionary.men/apply/)—Memorable quotes from this episode:"If I'm in the friend zone with a woman, can I change it?""I would freeze when it would be time to bring attraction forward.""We know pretty fast whether we're interested in someone.""There are a lot of guys that know they were attracted to a woman they're friends with from the moment they met.""Rejection wears you down.""I don't want to make her uncomfortable, so I'm going to hold that back.""We ended up changing it to a sexual relationship.""By being direct, you're leading.""I can't always tell whether I'm attracted to a man until he comes towards me.""You're just the same man with a nicer car.""I'd never had a woman chase me before."

Eight unpublished books. Endless rejection letters. A family straight out of Charles Dickens. In this unforgettable interview, author Jay Neugeboren opens up about the experiences that shaped his life and work, from mental illness in the family to conversations with the late Oliver Sacks. It's a moving, wise, and surprisingly funny discussion about literature, aging, perseverance, and the stories we carry with us.Get your copy of Dickens in Brooklyn by Jay NeugeborenAs an Amazon Associate, Now I've Heard Everything may earn a commission from qualifying purchases.Chapters:00:00 Introduction to Jay Neugeboren and His Work 02:31 Exploring the Nature of Autobiography and Essays 04:58 Influences and Inspirations in Writing 10:04 Conversations with the Deceased Oliver Sacks 12:40 Family Dynamics and Dickensian Themes 16:51 A Life of Diverse Experiences 19:47 Dealing with Rejection and Persistence in Writing 24:12 Future Aspirations and Unwritten GenresGuest InformationJay NeugeborenWebsiteEasier, more confident everyday conversation: "The Everyday What To Say"For more intriguing and engaging interviews each week, subscribe now on:Spotify Apple Podcasts YouTube

Send us Fan MailThis episode is a republish from episode 697 of What's Your Problem? Podcast — and I wanted to bring it back because the message is too important to get buried. A lot of you are new listeners now, and even if you heard it the first time around, there's a good chance you forgot some of the lessons that matter most.This episode is about the power of asking.Not just asking for a sale, a chance, an opportunity, or help — but learning how to push through the fear of rejection that keeps most people stuck. We talk about why asking is a muscle, why rejection isn't personal, and how confidence is built by putting yourself in uncomfortable situations instead of avoiding them.I break down why most people don't fail because they ask… they fail because they never ask in the first place. They assume the answer before ever giving life a chance to respond.This one is about:Building the “ask muscle.”Becoming familiar with rejection instead of fearing itWhy vulnerability creates strengthThe 3–5 second window where your mind tries to talk you out of growthHow boldness creates opportunities and exceptionsAnd why living with rejection hurts a lot less than living with regretIf you want more out of life, relationships, business, fitness, finances, or fulfillment… you've got to ask more.Keep it simple, keep it moving, never settle, stay tough. Peace.Support the show

Patti Height shares her powerful testimony of growing up with gender confusion, same-sex attraction, abuse, addiction, and deep loneliness — and how an encounter with Jesus Christ completely transformed her life.In this conversation with Brady Cone, Patti opens up about:childhood confusion and trauma,addiction and destructive relationships,life inside LGBTQ identity,the moment she encountered the truth of the Gospel,and how both she and her girlfriend surrendered their lives to Christ on the same day.This is ultimately a story about truth, repentance, grace, discipleship, and the transforming power of Jesus.Timestamps:00:00 — Patti's Introduction & Why These Testimonies Matter02:34 — “You Shall Know the Truth, and the Truth Shall Make You Free”05:02 — Childhood Gender Confusion Begins09:03 — Abuse, Rejection, and the Seeds of Deception17:05 — Alcohol, Drugs, and Escaping the Pain22:54 — Marriage, Abuse, and Eventually Coming Out as Gay37:04 — The Question That Changed Everything39:00 — Searching for God and Opening the Bible47:36 — Patti Gives Her Life to Jesus49:45 — Leaving the Relationship and Following ChristCheck out Pattie's ministry, Out of Egypt Ministries ( @pattiheight2493 ) here:Website: https://outofegyptministries.orgYoutube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCeNnvR8n3RMBXcKRihBz6w/featuredJoin us weekly as we strive help people embrace God's standard for sexuality! Other ways to listen:https://linktr.ee/calibrateconversations#Truth #Jesus #LGBTQ #Restoration #Christianity 

Henry Lindner walks into the cathedral of general relativity and asks why no one can hear the pipes, flowing space as reformation of Einstein's gravity, where the medium returns and the math bows down to something almost physical, almost true. We trace the long exile of substance from physics, from Newton's absolute space through the ether wars to Mach's ghost whispering in Einstein's ear that nothing real needs to exist at all. But a simplification is not an explanation, and gravity still has no mechanism, no cause, no beating heart beneath the geometry, only equations where a theory should be. This is the Keplerian step: cleaner orbits, better math, and the Darwinian question still howling unanswered in the dark.Flowing Space: https://henrylindner.net/FlowingSpace2024wide.pdfPATREON https://www.patreon.com/c/demystifysciPARADOX LOST PRE-SALE: https://buy.stripe.com/7sY7sKdoN5d29eUdYddEs0bHOMEBREW MUSIC - Check out our new album!Hard Copies (Vinyl): FREE SHIPPING https://demystifysci-shop.fourthwall.com/products/vinyl-lp-secretary-of-nature-everything-is-so-good-hereStreaming:https://secretaryofnature.bandcamp.com/album/everything-is-so-good-herePARADIGM DRIFThttps://demystifysci.com/paradigm-drift-show00:00 Go! 00:03:24 — Newton's Absolute Space and the Ether00:13:26 — Berkeley, Mach, and the Rejection of Physical Substance00:31:01 — Institutions, Ideology, and the Shaping of Physics00:47:31 — Einstein's 1905 Revolution: Removing the Medium00:57:33 — The Twin Paradox and Special Relativity's Loose Ends01:20:20 — GPS and the Case for a Preferred Frame01:24:46 — General Relativity and the Equivalence Principle01:29:06 — Flowing Space: A Mathematical Refinement of Gravity01:47:36 — Where's the Mechanism? What Flowing Space Can't Explain02:07:59 — Simplicity Is Not Causality02:23:47 — The Search for Mechanics in Gravitational Theory #Physics #physicspodcast, #philosophypodcast, #quantum , #quantumphysics, #quantummechanics, #generalrelativity #gravity #ether #einstein #newton #cosmology #naturalphilosophyMERCH: Rock some DemystifySci gear : https://demystifysci-shop.fourthwall.com/AMAZON: Do your shopping through this link: https://amzn.to/3YyoT98DONATE: https://bit.ly/3wkPqaDSUBSTACK: https://substack.com/@UCqV4_7i9h1_V7hY48eZZSLw@demystifysci RSS: https://anchor.fm/s/2be66934/podcast/rssMAILING LIST: https://bit.ly/3v3kz2S SOCIAL: - Discord: https://discord.gg/MJzKT8CQub- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/DemystifySci- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/DemystifySci/- Twitter: https://twitter.com/DemystifySciMUSIC: -Shilo Delay: https://g.co/kgs/oty671

What rejection have you faced in your life that still hurts? Discover how to heal and find your worth in God's love through honest, hope-filled truths shared by Joyce, Ginger, and Erin.

Rejection is something nearly everyone has dealt with at some point in life. Today, Joyce and Ginger discuss this very important subject as well as ways to heal and move forward with peace and purpose.

Lara Acosta joins James Smith for a no-holds-barred conversation about LinkedIn, the corporate world, and what it really takes to build a personal brand that actually moves the needle. A LinkedIn growth expert and founder who's helped thousands of professionals turn themselves into trusted authorities, Lara breaks down why most people are doing LinkedIn wrong — and why the platform isn't the problem, corporate is.

Send us Fan MailMost salespeople quit at the exact moment they are about to win, and we break down the mindset traps that cause it. We lay out a simple path to mental fortitude in sales using identity, realistic expectations around rejection, and daily disciplines that build confidence. • patterns that sabotage performance after rejection and after a great week • the “you versus you” problem when nobody is watching • fear of rejection, fear of failure, and imposter syndrome as learned traps • building a sales identity and stepping into it on demand • setting expectations so “no” stops crushing momentum • treating rejection as a numbers game that leads to skill growth • iterating fast instead of quitting when it gets hard • building confidence through follow-through and self-trust • using lead generation feeders and referral frameworks • measuring and monitoring dials, calls, and outcomes with a long-term view If you want help with this, reach out to me at jordan@edwards.consultingThat's my email. There's no.com, no nothing. It's Jordan@edwards.consulting I'd love to have a conversation with you. And if you want to check out my website, it's edwards.consulting, and you can book a call on there.  To Reach Jordan:Email: Jordan@Edwards.Consulting Youtube:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9ejFXH1_BjdnxG4J8u93ZwFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/jordan.edwards.7503Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jordanfedwards/Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jordanedwards5/Hope you find value in this. If so please provide a 5-star and drop a review.Complimentary Edwards Consulting Session: https://calendly.com/jordan-edwardsconsulting/30min 

Episode SummaryIn this episode, Morgan sits down with former military operator, behavioral expert, and communication specialist Chase Hughes to break down the hidden psychology behind influence, persuasion, and human behavior.Chase shares how elite interrogation and behavioral techniques can be applied to sales, leadership, negotiation, relationships, and everyday communication. From identity framing and covert influence to metaphors, elicitation, and detecting deception, this episode dives deep into how people make decisions often without realizing it.The conversation explores why resonance matters more than persuasion, how to guide people toward their own conclusions, and the neuroscience behind trust, communication, and compliance. Chase also explains how these same principles are used in military intelligence, legal trials, and high-level sales environments.This episode is a masterclass in influence, communication, and understanding human nature.Episode Timestamps0:00 Intro & The Psychology of Influence 0:51 Meet Chase Hughes 2:06 Taking Control of Conversations 4:06 Resonance vs Persuasion 6:08 Identity & Human Behavior 9:09 The Power of Identity Framing 12:10 Metaphors & Influence 15:08 Overcoming Fear & Rejection 17:57 Dreamfest 18:51 The Neuroscience of Communication 21:31 Plato, Persuasion & Human Nature 24:11 Influence in Sales & Trials 28:21 Selling Through Human Psychology 31:02 Why Scripts Don't Work 32:39 Elicitation & Getting People to Open Up 37:55 Detecting Lies & Behavioral Changes 43:18 The Confession Formula Explained 46:22 Using Influence in Everyday Life 47:14 Social Anxiety & Confidence 47:28 Dreamfest Reminder 48:42 NCI Sales & Human-Based Selling 50:16 Building Better Relationships Through Communication 51:13 Final Advice to His Younger Self About Chase HughesChase Hughes is a former military operator, behavioral profiling expert, and founder of Neuro-Cognitive Intelligence (NCI).After serving 20 years in the military, Chase transitioned into teaching advanced human behavior, influence, and interrogation techniques used by intelligence agencies, law enforcement, and high-level negotiators around the world.Today, he trains professionals in communication, sales, behavioral analysis, and leadership through the lens of neuroscience and psychology. His work focuses on helping people understand how humans think, make decisions, and build trust.Dreamfest Detailshttps://dreamfest2026.comConnect with Chase & NCIhttps://www.instagram.com/chasehughesofficialhttps://www.nci.university/ Connect with Mehttps://www.youtube.com/@morgantnelsonhttps://www.instagram.com/morgantnelson

From Door-to-Door Hustle to Scaling Two Companies: Troy Thompson on Sales, VAs, and PresenceSerial entrepreneur Troy Thompson shares how early hustles like door-to-door lemonade and selling books with Southwestern shaped his mindset around rejection, self-talk, social proof, and incentives. He discusses replacing football ambitions after injuries with sales-driven personal development, and why consistency is a daily grind—highlighting habits like writing goals down and locking away his phone to stay present with family. Troy explains his philosophy that money equals freedom, explores the tension between ambition and contentment, and describes running Pinnacle Insurance and STEL, a Pakistan-based virtual assistant company with 250 employees. He covers VA objections (trust, workload, cost), the value of delegating low-value tasks to focus on revenue, lessons from a multi-year insurance “hard market,” and his approach to parenting: delaying phones, emphasizing face-to-face skills, and viewing college as optional.00:00 Entrepreneur Origins00:31 Lemonade Stand Hustle01:06 Southwestern Sales Bootcamp02:11 Finding Housing Door to Door04:17 Is It a Scam06:22 Cold Door Sales Psychology10:19 Rejection and Self Talk13:32 Sports to Self Development15:31 Habits Writing and Phone Lockbox18:56 Money Freedom and Adventure21:02 Contentment Versus Ambition23:56 Goals EOS and Scaling25:05 Alcohol Boundaries and Sobriety28:09 Quitting Drinking for Dreams28:44 Avoiding the Middle Ground29:44 Parenting by Example30:26 Time as the Metric32:16 Building Teams and Culture35:06 Surviving the Hard Market37:24 Customer Care That Retains38:45 Raising Kids in Tech Era42:28 Parting Advice on Connection43:23 Saal Virtual Assistants Explained46:39 Delegation and Trust Objections51:16 Scaling Stories and Buyback Time54:51 Creator Workflow and Quality58:39 Closing Thoughts and Wrap

Dr. Nick Epley, PhD, is a professor of behavioral science at the University of Chicago and a leading expert on the science of social connection. We discuss how seemingly small daily interactions with strangers (as well as with people we know) can meaningfully improve our mental and physical health. Dr. Epley also explains how to reduce social anxiety using simple and easily accessible science-supported tools. We also discuss the data on assumptions — both the ones we and others make — and why so often those are wrong when it comes to social dynamics. Read the episode show notes at hubermanlab.com. Thank you to our sponsors AG1: https://drinkag1.com/huberman Wealthfront*: https://wealthfront.com/huberman Eight Sleep: https://eightsleep.com/huberman Function: https://functionhealth.com/huberman LMNT: https://drinklmnt.com/huberman Timestamps (00:00:00) Nick Epley (00:02:29) Assumptions about Other Thoughts; Inferring Behavior (00:09:03) Eye Gaze, Social Cues (00:14:27) Sponsors: Wealthfront & Eight Sleep (00:17:18) Tone, Voice vs Writing; AI; Public Figures & Ambiguity (00:29:59) Importance of Social Connection, Communication Types (00:37:18) Social Isolation, Self-Worth (00:42:33) Sponsor: AG1 (00:44:16) Social Media, Conversation & Responsiveness (00:47:52) Social Connection & Cooperation; Adopted Children (00:57:04) Connecting with Strangers, Manners (01:02:52) Fear of Strangers, Tool: Small Moments for Connection (01:08:50) Sponsor: Function (01:10:28) Connection to Humanity, Strangers; Extroversion & Well-Being (01:22:26) Social Anxiety & Changing Beliefs; 100 Days of Rejection (01:33:52) Perceived Creepiness, Social Anxiety; Developing Social Skills (01:41:40) Sponsor: LMNT (01:43:00) Initiating Conversation, Testing Cues, Pessimistic Expectations (01:47:00) Social Gatherings; Blessings of Children with Down Syndrome (01:59:43) Parents, Shame, Children Challenges; Supporting Kids' Pursuits (02:09:17) Outdoors, Hunters, Conservation, Social Connection (02:17:39) Modeling Social Interactions for Kids, Tool: Habits Awareness (02:27:42) Zero-Cost Support, YouTube, Spotify & Apple Follow, Reviews & Feedback, Sponsors, Protocols Book, Social Media, Neural Network Newsletter Disclaimer & Disclosures Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This episode explores why modern life is quietly making us less social — and why even tiny moments of connection can dramatically improve happiness, relationships, and confidence. AJ and Johnny sit down with University of Chicago professor Nick Epley to unpack the psychology behind loneliness, introversion myths, social anxiety, communication, and why people consistently underestimate how much others want to connect with them. They also discuss how technology trains us to avoid uncertainty, why your voice matters more than text, and how honesty and asking for help actually strengthen relationships instead of weakening them. Chapters00:00 – Why small social habits matter more than we think07:00 – Technology, isolation, and the loss of human connection14:00 – Social “superpowers” and hidden opportunities around us19:00 – Why your voice matters more than texting24:00 – Social uncertainty, pessimism, and missed connection30:00 – Introversion myths and social energy explained39:00 – Rejection, vulnerability, and negative social experiences44:00 – Deep conversations vs small talk48:00 – Honesty, warmth, and authentic connection51:00 – Why asking for help strengthens relationships A Word From Our Sponsors Stop being over looked and unlock your X-Factor today at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠unlockyourxfactor.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠  The very qualities that make you exceptional in your field are working against you socially.  Visit the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠artofcharm.com/intel ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠for a social intelligence assessment and discover exactly what's holding you back. If you've put off organizing your finances, Monarch is for you. Use code CHARM at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠monarch.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ in your browser for half off your first year.  Indulge in affordable luxury with Quince. Upgrade your wardrobe today at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠quince.com/charm⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for free shipping and hassle-free returns. Grow your way - with Headway! Get started at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠makeheadway.com/CHARM ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠and use my code CHARM for 25% off. This year, skip breaking a sweat AND breaking the bank. Get your summer savings and shop premium wireless plans at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠mintmobile.com/charm⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Curious about your influence level?  Get your Influence Index Score today! Take this 60-second quiz to find out how your influence stacks up against top performers at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠theartofcharm.com/influence⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Episode resources: ⁠https://www.nicholasepley.com/ A Little More Social Check in with AJ and Johnny! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠AJ on LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Johnny on LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠AJ on Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Johnny on Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Art of Charm on Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Art of Charm on YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Art of Charm on TikTok social skills, communication, psychology, loneliness, introversion, connection, emotional intelligence, relationships, confidence, social anxiety, conversation skills, human behavior, authenticity, happiness, self improvement Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to Day 2863 of Wisdom-Trek. Thank you for joining me. This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom. Day 2863 – Wisdom Nuggets – Psalm 127:1-5 – Daily Wisdom Wisdom-Trek Podcast Script - Day 2863 Welcome to Wisdom-Trek with Gramps! I am Guthrie Chamberlain, and we are on Day 2863 of our Trek. The Purpose of Wisdom-Trek is to create a legacy of wisdom, to seek out discernment and insights, and to boldly grow where few have chosen to grow before. The title for today's Wisdom-Trek is: The Song of Ascent – The Architect, the Watchman, and the Warrior In our previous episode on this grand expedition, we climbed through the seventh Song of Ascent, Psalm One Hundred Twenty-Six. We stood in the tension of the “already, but not yet,” remembering the unbelievable, dream-like rescue of God's people from exile, while desperately praying for a fresh outpouring of His grace. We learned the profound, agricultural lesson of the sower. We discovered that in the contested territory of this fallen world, we often have to plant our seeds in tears, exhausted by the spiritual warfare around us. Yet, we anchored our souls to the unbreakable, cosmic guarantee that those who weep as they plant will eventually return singing, carrying a massive, joyful harvest. Today, we take our next deliberate steps upward on this ancient pilgrim trail. We are exploring the eighth song in this magnificent collection. We are turning our attention to Psalm One Hundred Twenty-Seven, verses one through five, in the New Living Translation. Interestingly, this specific psalm is attributed to King Solomon. Solomon was the ultimate builder of the ancient world; he built the glorious Temple, fortified cities, and amassed unprecedented wealth. Yet, in this psalm, he pauses to deliver a sobering warning about the futility of human ambition. He teaches us that building a physical empire, or a lasting family legacy, is entirely useless if the Architect of the cosmos is not the one holding the blueprints. Let us step onto the trail, and learn how to build a legacy that actually lasts. The first segment is: The Futility of Autonomous Ambition Psalm One Hundred Twenty-Seven: verses one and two. Unless the Lord builds a house, the work of the builders is wasted. Unless the Lord protects a city, guarding it with sentries will do no good. It is useless for you to work so hard from early morning until late at night, anxiously working for food to eat; for God gives rest to his loved ones. This magnificent stanza opens with a definitive, double-sided declaration of human limitation. “Unless the Lord builds a house, the work of the builders is wasted. Unless the Lord protects a city, guarding it with sentries will do no good.” To truly grasp the weight of these words, we must view them through the lens of the Ancient Israelite worldview, specifically regarding the Divine Council and the cosmic rebellion. When human beings attempt to build a house, a dynasty, or a fortified city without the authorization and the active presence of Yahweh, they are essentially repeating the catastrophic sin of the Tower of Babel. At Babel, humanity sought to build a localized empire, a massive tower to reach the heavens, in order to make a great name for themselves, completely autonomous from the Creator. That act of autonomous ambition resulted in God disinheriting the nations, confusing their languages, and placing them under the jurisdiction of lesser, rebel spiritual principalities, the fallen elohim. Therefore, any city, or any human institution, built outside the cosmic order of God, is inherently vulnerable. It belongs to the chaotic, unstable realm of the rebel gods. You can hire the greatest architects, lay the thickest foundation stones, and post the most highly trained sentries on the walls, but if the Most High God is not the active Protector of that territory, the entire enterprise is spiritually bankrupt. It is destined to collapse into the dust. This reality brings us to the deeply psychological, and practical, observation in verse two. “It is useless for you to work so hard from early morning until late at night, anxiously working for food to eat; for God gives rest to his loved ones.” The rebel gods of the surrounding pagan cultures demanded endless, anxious labor from their followers. The deities of Canaan, Egypt, and Babylon were viewed as cruel taskmasters, requiring constant sacrifices and frantic appeasement just to ensure the rains would fall, and the crops would grow. The kingdom of darkness thrives on human anxiety. It wants you waking up before dawn, terrified of failure, and going to bed late, exhausted and consumed by the stress of basic survival. But Solomon, the wisest king of Israel, calls this frantic, autonomous striving “useless.” It is vanity. It is chasing the wind. He draws a sharp, beautiful contrast between the oppressive systems of the world, and the loving economy of Yahweh. “For God gives rest to his loved ones.” Other translations say, “He provides for His beloved even in his sleep.” The God of the Bible is not a cruel taskmaster. He is the loving Father who provides Shalom—complete, restful wholeness. This does not mean that believers are called to be lazy. We are called to be diligent, responsible stewards of creation. But the motivation changes entirely. We do not work out of a suffocating, paralyzing fear of starvation, or a desperate need to build our own autonomous empires. We work from a place of profound rest, knowing that the Sovereign Lord is the ultimate Provider, and that He is intimately guarding the house we are building. The second segment is: The Divine Gift and the Rejection of the Fertility Cults Psalm One Hundred Twenty-Seven: verse three. Children are a gift from the Lord; they are a reward from him. Suddenly, the psalm pivots. Solomon shifts the metaphor from building a physical house out of stones and cedar, to building a household, a dynasty, made out of human lives. He declares, “Children are a gift from the Lord; they are a reward from him.” In our modern culture, we might read this simply as a sweet, sentimental statement about the joy of parenting. But in the ancient Near East, this was a massive, aggressive theological claim. It was an act of profound spiritual warfare. The nations surrounding Israel were deeply entrenched in fertility cults. They worshiped gods like Baal and Asherah, believing that these localized, rebel deities controlled the womb, the rain, and the harvest. When a couple wanted to conceive a child, they would participate in the corrupt, often deeply immoral, rituals of the pagan temples, frantically trying to manipulate the gods into granting them fertility. By stating that “Children are a gift from the Lord,” the psalmist is explicitly stripping all power and authority away from the false gods of Canaan. He is reminding the pilgrims that Baal has absolutely no jurisdiction over human life. The womb is not controlled by the chaotic forces of nature; it is the exclusive, sovereign domain of Yahweh. Every single child is a direct, intentional inheritance, and a precious reward, handed down by the Creator of the universe. To build a family legacy, you do not turn to the frantic, anxious practices of the world; you look upward, to the Giver of all good things. The third segment is: The Warrior's Quiver and the Expansion of the Kingdom Psalm One Hundred Twenty-Seven: verses four and five. Children born to a young man are like arrows in a warrior's hands. How joyful is the man whose quiver is full of them! He will not be put to shame when he confronts his accusers at the city gates. Having established the divine origin of the family, Solomon introduces one of the most striking, martial metaphors in the entire Psalter. “Children born to a young man are like arrows in a warrior's hands.” Why does he compare children to weapons of war? Because, in the biblical worldview, raising a family is not a neutral, passive activity. It is an act of strategic, generational combat. The world is contested territory, deeply infected by the lies, the injustice, and the chaotic rebellion of the dark spiritual principalities. When you raise children in the fear and admonition of the Lord, you are intentionally shaping imagers of God, preparing them to push back against the darkness. Consider the nature of an arrow. An arrow is not meant to be kept safely inside the quiver forever. A warrior carefully shapes the shaft, balances the weight, sharpens the arrowhead, and attaches the fletching. All of this meticulous, grueling preparation is done for one specific purpose: to launch the arrow outward, into enemy...

In this profound exploration of Matthew 21:40-46, Tony Arsenal and Jesse Schwamb unpack the Parable of the Wicked Tenants and its devastating indictment of Israel's religious leadership. The hosts navigate the complex theological terrain of kingdom transfer, covenant faithfulness, and the identity of God's people across redemptive history. With careful attention to the text's original context and its implications for the church today, they examine how Christ presents himself as the rejected cornerstone—the one upon whom people either fall in repentance or are crushed in judgment. This episode offers rich insights into supersessionism, the remnant theology of Romans 11, and the practical call for Christians to examine whether they're submitting to Christ as the true cornerstone or attempting to usurp his rightful place. Key Takeaways The Self-Condemning Verdict: The chief priests and Pharisees unknowingly pronounce judgment upon themselves when they declare the wicked tenants deserve destruction, demonstrating how the natural conscience can discern God's justice even when blind to personal complicity. Kingdom Transfer as Covenant Transition: The "taking away" of the kingdom represents not the abandonment of God's elect remnant but the historical-redemptive transition from the typological Old Covenant administration to the New Covenant church gathered from all nations. The Cornerstone's Double Judgment: Christ as the cornerstone presents two modes of encounter—those who fall upon him in repentance are broken but healed; those upon whom he falls in final judgment are ground to powder with no remedy. Visible vs. Invisible Church Distinction: The visible identification of God's people shifted from the geopolitical nation of Israel to the universal church, while the invisible elect have always been saved by grace through faith in the coming Messiah. Fear of Man vs. Fear of God: The Pharisees' restraint from seizing Jesus due to fear of the crowds (rather than fear of God) exemplifies how the wicked are dominated by human opinion rather than divine accountability. Infant Baptism and Covenant Community: The joyful inclusion of children in the visible covenant community through baptism reflects God's gracious promise sealed to those who contribute nothing to their own covenant status. Fruit-Bearing as Evidence: The "new tenants" are characterized not by works-righteousness but by evidential fruit—the genuine works that flow from "true and lively faith" worked by the Holy Spirit. Key Concepts The Irony of Self-Condemnation The theological and pastoral power of this parable reaches its climax when the religious leaders, failing to perceive themselves as the wicked tenants in Jesus's story, pronounce harsh judgment upon the hypothetical villains: "He will bring those wretches to a wretched end." This moment mirrors Nathan's confrontation of David after the Bathsheba affair, yet with a tragic difference—these leaders never experience David's repentance. Calvin observes that the natural conscience, even when blind to personal guilt, retains an "hidden impulse to identify with justice." The Pharisees demonstrate total depravity in high definition: they possess enough moral clarity to recognize egregious covenant-breaking in the abstract, yet remain entirely blind to their own embodiment of that very wickedness. This irony serves as both judgment and warning—we all possess an uncanny ability to see sin clearly everywhere except in the mirror. Kingdom Transfer: Covenant Continuity and Discontinuity The phrase "the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a nation producing its fruit" requires careful theological handling to avoid both replacement theology (in its pejorative sense) and dispensational fragmentation. The Reformed understanding maintains covenant continuity: there has always been one people of God, defined not ethnically but by faith in the Messiah. What changes is the visible administration of the covenant. Under the Old Covenant, the visible church was largely coterminous with ethnic Israel—a geopolitical reality with boundaries, a zip code, and national identity. Under the New Covenant, the visible church explodes these ethnic and geographic boundaries, fulfilling God's promise to Abraham that "in your seed all nations will be blessed." This is not Plan B; it's the eschatological unveiling of what was always intended. The "breaking off of natural branches" (Romans 11) refers to covenant unfaithfulness resulting in exclusion from visible covenant privileges, while the faithful Jewish remnant—the apostles, early believers, and the ongoing elect from Israel—remain fully incorporated into the church. The vineyard hasn't been abandoned; it's been opened to "other tenants" who will render the proper fruit: Gentiles grafted in alongside believing Jews into the one olive tree of God's redemptive purposes. The Cornerstone: Salvation or Destruction Christ's invocation of Psalm 118:22—"the stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone"—followed by his dual judgment ("whoever falls on this stone will be broken...on whomever it falls, it will scatter him like dust") presents two exhaustive options for relating to Jesus. The cornerstone in ancient construction was the foundational stone by which all other stones found their proper alignment and orientation. To fall upon this stone willingly—in repentance, faith, and self-abandonment—is painful. It shatters pride, self-righteousness, and autonomy. But this breaking leads to healing, to being properly "squared" and aligned with reality as God has constructed it. The alternative is catastrophic: to have the cornerstone fall upon you in final eschatological judgment is to experience irreversible, total destruction—being "ground to powder" with no possibility of remedy. The practical application is urgent: we must examine ourselves continually to ensure we're not attempting to be our own cornerstone, measuring righteousness by our own standards, aligning the universe to ourselves rather than submitting to Christ as the measure of all things. Memorable Quotes "There's never a time where that righteousness is removed or unapplied, but we are constantly faced with a choice as to whether we want to be the kind of people who render our fruit unto the Lord, as the faithful tenants when the unfaithful tenants are replaced. Or do we wanna be the people that reap wicked fruit and keep for ourselves?" — Tony Arsenal "The vineyard of God is still let out, the fruit is still demanded, the cornerstone is still laid. Blessed are they who receive him—and also get those babies into church." — Jesse Schwamb "This is not a wall you're gonna run through. Like you're gonna smash into this wall and it's gonna crush you. And if you are not properly assigning the cornerstone its place... the whole thing is gonna crush you." — Tony Arsenal Full Episode Transcript [00:01:05] Jesse Schwamb: Welcome to episode 492 of The Reformed Brotherhood. I'm Jesse.  [00:01:14] Tony Arsenal: And I'm Tony. And this is the podcast with ears to hear. Hey brother.  [00:01:18] Jesse Schwamb: Hey brother.  [00:01:19] Parable Recap [00:01:19] Jesse Schwamb: Well, the time has finally come for us to close out our discussion in Matthew 21. This is the Parable of the Vine growers, and everybody should just go back and list everything we said so far, but I think here's how we could sum it up. Jesus's authority gets challenged and he sets a trap so beautiful that we should put it into a museum. He tells basically the religious bigwigs, this whole story where tenants speed up servants, they kill the air. They generally behave like it's an HOA literally run by the devil. And then he asks them this question, so what should the owner of the vineyard do And the chief priest. Chest puffed up. Basically shout out the answers to their own indictment. Smoke 'em. Give the vineyard to somebody who isn't garbage. Listen fellas, you just preached your own funeral. So in this we get to see this total depravity in 4K. Sovereign grace skips the credential gatekeepers and it lands on the tax collectors and the gentiles. They elect the vineyard, the self-righteous, get the rock. And we're gonna close out what all of that means, including probably not a small amount of talk about the kingdom being transferred, whatever that means, and maybe a little engrafting. Aah, Romans 11 style. It's all there for us. And that is what is coming up. [00:02:34] Affirmations Setup [00:02:34] Jesse Schwamb: Of course before we can do any of that, we can't even get there. Tony, before we do affirmations, denials, you and I both know it's our contractual obligation. It's what the people want all over the world. If we skip this, there will be some kind of riot revolt. So we gotta start there. Let's not get too excited yet. So I'm curious as always, are you affirming with something or you not against something for this episode?  [00:02:58] Tony Arsenal: I am, I'm affirming, uh, this is gonna be like people are gonna grow and roll their eyes a little bit.  [00:03:04] Infant Baptism Joy [00:03:04] Tony Arsenal: I'm affirming infant baptism today. We had a lovely infant baptism at church, um, and a couple recently had a child. Um, there's been, this was a kind of a particularly, um, poignant baptism. Um, the, the mother was in the hospital for several weeks before the baby was born, um, with some medical challenges, so was in. In the hospital. In the hospital for like, I want to say probably four weeks, which is a long time. Um, they have several other children, which makes it even harder. Um, and then, uh, then the baby was in the hospital for quite some time. He came a little early and then had some other issues. Um, and so this family was out of church for quite some time dealing with these health issues, and we, we all miss them very much. So it was a very sweet moment. Um, and it's just a, a good reminder, right? And, and the way our church does it is, you know, the pastor, the family comes up, they do vows, they do the baptism, but he calls all the children forward and the children come and sit, uh, right in the front row and they watch this all happen. Um. Which is, is very sweet. And you know, I, I went up there with Augie, and Augie was sitting on my lap and he was very, he was like super locked into this, this whole thing, which is, uh, which was nice to see. So I'm affirming infant baptism. It's a beautiful, beautiful picture of the gospel. Um, it's, it's God's promise being sealed to someone who contributes nothing to, um, to that promise contributes nothing to, uh, their own, um, position in the church or status in the church. They contribute nothing. Um, in most cases they're not even aware of what's going on. So I know not all of our listeners are, uh, are covenant infant Baptists, uh, type people. Um, so yes, I get it. You disagree, but there is something just sweet and beautiful, uh, even I think even for people who aren't quite sold on infant baptism. Um, and I think even sometimes for people who are kind of opposed to infant baptism, I think we've commented in the PA past that there's kind of this impulse that I think all Christian parents have that their children should be. Treated in a certain way that's different than how a non-Christian family treats their children. Right. Um, so there is kind of this instinct that the, there's, whether it's a formal status or just sort of a, a way of thinking about things, there is this impulse that the children of believers are somehow set apart in different, and of course, the, the Presbyterian Covenant Baptist, um, position would, would formalize that through the rite of baptism, uh, at least in part. So I'm affirming infant baptism, both theologically, but also just experimentally today. Like it was just, it was just a balm to my soul to see this, um. And like I said, the congregation has been praying for a long time for the health, uh, and the, the welfare of this family, um, and been, you know, doing meal trains and all the stuff that churches do. But it was, it was a very sweet moment, um, to see the pastor scoop this little baby up in his arms and be able to sort of introduce him to the church as the newest covenant member of the congregation. Uh, it was just a very nice moment. [00:05:59] Baptism Dedication Common Ground [00:05:59] Jesse Schwamb: I think you're right. We can all agree that there's something really beautiful about God growing his church, at least the visible church, through just the multiplicative effect of. People having children, there's something beautiful about that, and then welcoming them in an official way into your congregation, into your midst. Interestingly, in my church, there was a baby dedication today and I was also equally moved though like I would say the promises that were invoked during that time, the equipment's made are very different than what you might hear during kind of pedo infant baptism. You're right in that the spirit of this that is like a representation kind of bringing forward of the child to say he or she is part of us and we're making a commitment to raise them in admonition of the Lord is a really lovely thing. It's like a public recognition that God is providing a manifest blessing in our midst, and that he is growing and working out his church and he's doing it by just bringing new people into it who are being, who are the subjects of procreation. Creation itself, but procreation and how can you not be like, just excited about that. And, and also a little bit like it's also, and I'm not trying to denigrate any practice here, but also just on the face also super adorable. Like when you, when you see a pastor scoop up, like you said, a little child, whether that's to pray with them and dedication or to baptize them. Either way, it's super just like lovely and just pulls in your heartstrings. Yeah. In like this very spiritual way, not just in kind of an emotional kind of way.  [00:07:26] Tony Arsenal: Yeah. Yeah. And I, you know, I don't, I think, um, when I think back, you know, Augie's, obviously you know this, but Augie was dedicated, um, Addie was not. Um, but when I think back to the vows we took, when we dedicated Augie, there are some differences, but there's also a lot that's not different like the sure close to like, raise up your child in the church and to like, pray for them and set a good example. And then, and then the sort of reciprocal vows that the congregation typically takes, that the congregation will do what they can to support the family as they, they raise this child and the Lord. Um, you know, even in, even in a lot of contexts, like in the Presbyterian church, I'm in like prayers that this, this child would come to know Jesus and would, would come to confess the faith for themselves and become a full, you know, full communicate member of the church. Like, those things are all present. So as much as I think, um. As much as I wanna acknowledge that infant baptism or, or covenant, I, I say covenant baptism versus, um, sort of like baptist theology writ, large credo Baptist theology, which is covenantal, but differently covenantal in most cases. Right. Um, even though that is a dividing line, and I think like it's a real dividing line. There's a real division that exists and that there's good theological historical reasons why those divisions exist. There still is so much that is the same. Um, in terms of how Baptists and, and Presbyterians or however formed, you know, PR Christians, um, re reflect on and think about their children. There's some differences, but in terms of like. We all want our children to come to know Jesus. We all want their first memory to be worshiping in the church and loving the Lord. We, we don't want them to ever remember a time where the name of Christ was not on their lips as their savior. Um, all those things are the same and even the, the way we promise before God and, and primarily before God, but before others, even the way we promise to nourish them in, in right doctrine and nourish them in good teaching and bring them into the church and, and set a faithful example. All of those things are the same. So I I I, I never want to diminish the fact that there are differences 'cause there are real differences and there are important differences. But I also think we often sort of like. I think because we've talked about this before, like Reformed Baptists and Presbyterians are so close that we have to bicker over the things that are different. It's like you're, it's like when you fight with your brother on whose side of the room it's on. Like you're so close that you have to find the little things to really bicker about and then you really, really bicker about them. And I think that kind of like describes the, the Presbyterian Baptist divide in a lot of ways. I know there's a lot of people that would say like, Lutherans are closer to Presbyterians and those people are just, I dunno, they're just wrong. Um, on, on, maybe on baptism, they're, they're not wrong. But in terms of general theological principles, like, you know, Westminster Confession, London Baptists, confession, like, it, it's 95% the same content. Sure. Um, and 95% like the same confession, not just the same like words, but the same meaning of the words. And, um, so yeah. Anyway, that's my affirmation. Infant baptism. It was a joy. I was happy to see it. Um, uh, we have a ton of little, little babies in the, the church. It's funny 'cause another, another, um. A couple announced today that they were expecting, and we've, we've had basically pregnant women in the church for, you know, obviously like at least nine months if someone is still pregnant. But like we've had, we've had this like rotation of, of women delivering babies for like, at least, probably, at least 16, 18 months of, of constantly having people who are, are expecting, which is really a great joy to see. So I, I love it. I love the church. I love the Presbyterian church. Um, and this was just another great example of, of the beauty of, uh, a robust confessionalism and a robust presbyterianism. [00:11:08] Jesse Schwamb: The way in which you said that made it sound like you're about to make like a grand historical statement. Like, we've had pregnant people in the church since the first century.  [00:11:18] Tony Arsenal: Well, I mean that's probably true, but  [00:11:19] Jesse Schwamb: yeah, it definitely  [00:11:20] Tony Arsenal: true. Not, not our church. Our church has only been around, our particular church has only been around for like 10 years, so I'm sure there have been times during that period where there were not pregnant people  [00:11:29] Jesse Schwamb: pregnant. It just sounded like we were going all the way back as if like to, again emphasize and maybe this isn't, this is as fair statement, like how faithful God has been like from the beginning. There's always been. Pregnant lady Church. Look, look at how faithful God is.  [00:11:42] Mic Grabbing Babies [00:11:42] Jesse Schwamb: And, and this is true, I like to play this game when there is a baby dedication. I'm not sure what the sound system is like in your church, but often our, our pastors wear like the tiny little like Backstreet Boys style. It's probably outdated reference, but microphone that comes over the ear and to the mouth and it's very discreet. But the game I like to play is like once, once he takes the child for a time of dedication or specifically prayer, the, the goal is to see like how long before that baby goes for the mic. Because as soon as like a baby sees a mic right there, it's like, oh yeah, this is the best thing that's happened to me in my tiny little life.  [00:12:20] Tony Arsenal: Yeah, it's like an angler fish is really what it is. Yes. It's like that glowing bulb that just sits in front of its face and it's, the baby's just gotta grab it. [00:12:27] Jesse Schwamb: It's just too tempting. It's just too tempting. And I, and I love, you can tell like our pastors are really adept at being able to keep the prayer going and like discreetly maneuver the child, keep the child happy. It's, it's really an amazing thing. So altogether, I'm totally with you on so many levels. It's so good to see that happen in the church. And I'm with you on that. We gotta take joy in that For sure.  [00:12:48] Tony Arsenal: Yeah. Jesse, what do you got for us tonight?  [00:12:50] Book Breath Pick [00:12:50] Jesse Schwamb: Yeah, something that's entirely unlike everything you just said. Certainly. Well, maybe, I guess there is a large spiritual component to this, but it's, I would say, for me, totally unexpected book recommendation and I came across this 'cause it was recommended to me and a while back, the keen or the listener who's been with us for a really long time, or a member that we talked about the book or why we sleep, this book became for me, like the equivalent of that in a totally different kind of topic or genre. It's called breath. The New Signs of a Lost Art by James Nestor and it explores how the way that humans breathe profoundly affects our health, our performance, our longevity. It's a book that is filled with both science and pseudoscience, which the author is really good at distinguishing and calling you to think about those things. But it's really totally changed how I understand like this little pattern in Habits of breathing. And it's a really interesting book of course. Like he draws from a lot of like religious influences, including of course the Judeo-Christian one. And I think that it even drew me back to understanding how God created us. And he did in a very specific way that text's giving some great description to the breadth that he gives us and how he gives us that breath. So if you're looking, I guess, for a little bit of a read, so that might surprise you about something that you might thought was automatic and simple in life and also that might. Be able to bring you some recommendations on how to better your health. Again, we're not doctors, but we are routinely considered among the top 50 healthcare podcasts. Then I would say this would be an interesting book for you to check out.  [00:14:19] Tony Arsenal: Yeah. Yeah. I haven't read it, but it's been recommended to me and one of the, one of the takeaways, actually, I think it might have been my doctor, my my PCP who mentioned this to me is like, if you wanna improve your health drastically, like just make it a practice of breathing through your nose. Yes. Like something that simple and straightforward has pretty significant health impacts of like. Like the way that your brain processes breath when it comes through your nose, the way that like, there's more filtering that happens with breath, so the air that gets to your lungs is cleaner. There's just a lot of, um, I haven't read it. I've, I think I actually have it somewhere, but I have not read it yet. Um, I, I should, I should take a look at it. I, I've heard good things about it.  [00:15:01] Jesse Schwamb: At the very least, if you're a Christian, it'll cause you to marvel again. That's how beautifully complex God has made the human body and how it seems entirely impossible that anyone could even logically reasonably conclude that somehow we are just time plus matter, plus chance, and that all these things got worked out. I don't wanna spoil some of the punchline. A part of the book is about this. Breathe through your nose, which you might think was just kind of an innocuous decision. Breathe through your nose, breathe your mouth. How, how different could it be? They actually do an experiment where they plug their noses, the author and somebody else for, uh, several, like 10 days straight. And do all these these things under medical supervision to see what the impact is. And I'll leave you to read it so you can hear that. There's also something fascinating, absolutely fascinating about carbon dioxide and a study that's done where they actually have people inhale a little bit of carbon dioxide and what it does to the body. In other words, like the system that God has put into play to ensure that the body gets the kind of right amount of oxygen that it needs and how it functions when it's given the warning side of carbon dioxide, even when. Your lung capacity and your oxygen, your blood doesn't change. There's a fascinating section on that. So I didn't expect to be this interested in the book and generally I take a little time before I recommend a book. I finished this a couple weeks ago and I'm still thinking about it. So, and I'm trying to put some things into practice, including I try to do some running and for the longest time I just thought, well, when you run, like even at any like moderate speed, like you have to breathe through your mouth, this book challenges some of that. So lo and behold, I went out and started to try just a little bit to see if I could just breathe through my nose. It turns out it's totally possible, like all this time I just thought that was impossible, like God didn't make us that way, and it's actually improving how I feel when I run and the running that I'm able to do. So I am surprised, I, I'm shocked by all this, and it's just as simple as understanding breath. Who would've guessed.  [00:16:56] Tony Arsenal: Yeah. I mean, I've heard it's a great book. I, I, I. It never ceases to amaze that the, the more we look at the human body, the more we look at God's creation, the more we see the fingerprints of our creators. So not, not  [00:17:07] Jesse Schwamb: right.  [00:17:07] Tony Arsenal: Sounds like a great book. I can't recommend it from personal experience, uh, although I've heard very good things.  [00:17:12] Reading Matthew 21 [00:17:12] Tony Arsenal: So, Jesse, I think we should probably just get into it because this is now week three of, uh, one week episode and, uh, we want to wanna dig in and we wanna wrap it up so we can move on to the next best thing out there, which is of course, the parables of Christ. [00:17:26] Jesse Schwamb: Let's get some. So I'm gonna read for us starting in verse 40 because if you've been tracking then you've already been with us through the first part of this parable, and it's notoriously or variously called parable the vine growers, or I kinda like the husband men, just because that's fun to say, and you don't get to drop husband men like very often. But vine dressers, vine growers, vine workers, it's all the same. But here's starting in verse 40. This is after Jesus has already explained the parable. He set it up for them and he's gonna bring for the indictment. So Jesus says, and therefore, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to these vine growers? They said to him, he will bring those wretches to a wretched end and he will rent out the vineyard to other vine growers who will pay him the proceeds at the proper seasons. Jesus said to them, did you never read in the scriptures the stone, which the builders rejected? This has become the chief cornerstone. This came about from the Lord in his, marvelous in our eyes. Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a nation producing the fruit of it. And he who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces, but on whomever it falls, it will scatter him like dust. And when the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his parables, they understood that he was speaking about them. And although they were seeking to seize him, they feared the crowds because they were guarding him to be a prophet.  [00:18:48] Irony Blind Leaders [00:18:48] Tony Arsenal: Yeah, that, that last little section here is just such, it's like dripping with such irony,  [00:18:53] Jesse Schwamb: so good  [00:18:54] Tony Arsenal: that like they, they are so blinded by their own, um, I dunno, ambition isn't, maybe isn't even the right word, but something in that, that neighborhood, they're so blinded by their desire to. Maintain their own status quo, their own uh, their own status. That they fear the crowds because the crowds hold them to be a prophet,  [00:19:15] Jesse Schwamb: right?  [00:19:16] Tony Arsenal: When in reality, like there is a prophet in their midst and much more than a prophet, uh, and they can't see it because of their own blindness. So I'm stoked to get into it. This is such, like we said, this is such a, like on the nose, paril, it's crazy. This is so much like, you know, Nathan's, you are the man kind of parable. Like yes, that's right, except there never is a, you are the man moment for them. They never get it, which is. Stunning. Like I, I, it just sort of is like, I don't even know what to make of that. [00:19:41] Jesse Schwamb: Yeah. There is like a wild blindness. I've been thinking about that a lot in our past conversations, but it culminates here. These chief priests and elders, I would say strangely, but I think that this is probably true of all of us, and maybe especially me, perhaps not yet, like perceiving themselves to be the vine growers here in view, they render this verdict of severe justice. It seems like you, you wanna say to them? Like, guys, guys, pull up, hold up a second. Yeah. Take a step back before you overreact here, because you're about to condemn yourselves and in the Greek here, this expression like, miserably destroy these wicked men. Or it gets like this double wretched in our translations. Mostly he will bring those wretches to a wretched end. It's this rhetorical intensification. It's incredible. And I, I think there's at least like two truths here. That come to my mind. One is, we've talked about before, but is in line with what you're saying, that the natural conscience, when not even aware of its own complicity, can still discern the justice of God's judgments. So here are these men who are so prone almost, I think what Calvin says elsewhere, like that we have this hidden impulse to identify with justice. Even when we can't see that we are the ones perpetrating something of injustice, still we can't help but cry out. We can't even help but identify it. And here they. Accurately identify it. And even though they're putting themselves exactly in the cross here, they cannot help but basically cry out that how egregious this behavior is of these vine growers that Jesus has basically, you know, created in this hypothetical environment, even still there, they're filled with rage and the rage gets turned on them. So the Pharisees here, of course, function as this unwitting witness to the righteousness of God's wrath against covenant breakers, even though they, they don't see it.  [00:21:29] Kingdom Transfer Talk [00:21:29] Jesse Schwamb: Uh, the second thing I think that comes to my mind, and maybe this is like more to the point, is that. The verse foreshadows this transfer of the kingdom from the Jewish nation to a new people that would bring forth its fruits, which I realize if I bring that up right now, that we've just committed to like six episodes just on that topic probably. But yeah, but like, we're gonna have to come to it because there's so much here. And the phrase of this, like, let out his vineyard unto other vine growers or husbandman, it does to me like anticipate this calling of the Gentiles and the formation of the Christian Church and in, in this way. It's not to me. The abandonment of the elect, remnant of Israel, but it is like the breaking off of the natural branches and then this engrafting of the wild olive shoots that come through like Allah, Romans 11. So it's, it's not like from one nation to another simply, but from like the carnal seed to a spiritual seed gathered out of all the nations, that that's wild. Right? I, I think that's all in view here. And it's like a kind of a crazy thing to say. It's certainly like a wild thing to say, no pun intended. And I imagine like, unexpected thing to say.  [00:22:38] Tony Arsenal: Yeah. Yeah.  [00:22:40] Supersessionism Clarified [00:22:40] Tony Arsenal: Let's think about that a little bit because I think too, there's, there's almost an element of, um. Man, I'm gonna get a lot of flack for saying this. You're, there's almost like a legitimate replacement theology here, right? Like replacement theology. I got covenant theology, you know, reformed, um, reformed theology often gets slandered as, you know, supersessionism or replacement theology, uh, with this idea that like, it's, it's interest. Uh, you have to have dispensational presuppositions for that phrase to even make sense because like the reformed paradigm is that there is one people of God full stop. And yes, like the identity of the one people of God seems to sort of like morph from the Jewish national people to now like Jews and Gentiles and actually predominantly Gentiles in the scope of like the whole history of the church. But what I mean by this is like, there's a visible church in the Old Testament, in the old, under the old Covenant, and the visible church under the old covenant is the national people of, of Israel. Right. By and large. Right. Um, and there are, there are sort of like Gentile, um, Clingons, not like the Star Trek people, but like gentile, like attachments to that throughout the history of, of Old Testament, um, theology. Um. That visible, that visible identification of this is the people of God being the Jewish people. Uh, these are the people that are the vineyard, the, they're the, the owner or the tenants of the vineyard or the, the visible Jewish people of the geopolitical nation of Israel under the old covenant that does sort of like get superseded by the church in the church age, in the new covenant,  right?  [00:24:24] Tony Arsenal: But where, where Supersessionism or the accusation of Supersessionism goes wrong is that there is this distinction between the visible and invisible church. And that distinction is what prevents us from being like, sort of like true replacement theologians in the way that the, the dispensationalist wanna paint us. So I, I think you're right that there is a lot to say here about the fact that, um, and, and this is where it gets, um. We have to be careful systematically. Right. God, God doesn't have to pivot. He doesn't have like a plan B. It's not like the Gentiles are the plan B, but there is a sense in almost in which the way that this is presented, the way that it appears in the scriptures is actually, yeah, there is almost like this plan B, like there is the geopolitical ethnic people of, of Israel, the Jewish people under the old covenant. And, and they don't do what they're supposed to do. They don't follow the terms of their covenant. They don't accept the kingdom that is bequeathed to them under the terms of the old covenant. And they, they reject that kingdom because of a disobedience. And, and I think what Christ here is narrowing in on is it's not just disobedience, right? It's not sort of like, um, accidental ancillary disobedience. It's not generalized disobedience. It is this sort of like usurpation of God's rightful status as the ruler and king of the nation. That's right. The the people, the, the Pharisees. And the chief priests and the scribes and the Sadducees, they want to be the rulers of the nation. They want to, they, they seem to wanna take the place of God, at least as far as Christ is presenting it. In this, they wanna usurp the kingdom. They want to take the heirs, uh, rightful inheritance, and they want to claim it for themselves. That is not a generalized disobedience, it's a special t type of covenant unfaithfulness that causes God to causes and kind of air quotes that causes God to hand over the kingdom to another people. Right. Partially, I think, uh, we don't need to get into Romans, the Romans 11 stuff, but partially I think because that's actually the way that he's going to ultimately save the Jewish people, right, is by sort of making, making them jealous of the Gentiles. Like there's a, there's a real element of that, that the salvation of the Gentiles is actually for, in some sense is for or unto the salvation of the Jewish people or the, the faithful Jewish remnant that's all here. And, and you can't really get past that in this parable. Um, this is why I think a, a lot of dispensationalist, um, uh, some of the classic dispensational sources would actually see like this, this is not for the Jewish church. This, this is for the Gentiles. This is actually part of the parentheses, um. You know, and, and again, dispensationalist divide all that stuff up differently, but this is a really interesting section for us to talk about that we can't, we can't just gloss over that. [00:27:11] Jesse Schwamb: I certainly don't mean to imply that it's wild because it's unexpected. I think it's wild because interestingly, the Pharisees, the teachers here, they challenge Jesus authority and his response to that is to challenge their covenant faithfulness.  [00:27:24] Tony Arsenal: Right?  [00:27:25] Jesse Schwamb: So it's not just if he turns it around, he uses this opportunity to explain what's going to happen to them as those who are, like you said, were supposed to be representative. And I think critically like the qualifying phrase. That that's using the text here, which shall render him the fruits in their seasons. That's like really important because these new vine growers are characterized by their fruitfulness. So this is not like a doctrine of works righteousness, but it's evidential fruit. And that's why, and I had to look this up and the Westminster Confession confession, chapter 16, good works are quote the fruits and evidences of true and lively faith, which I love. I was trying to find that language true and lively faith. So the visible church under that new administration is identified by the fruits of repentance, faith, and obedience worked out by the Holy Spirit. Again, I think that's all that is in view here, that that's a lot to say. But you know, famously, like you've kind of intimated, when we go back to the Old Testament, even we find when the Israelites leave triumphantly from Egypt, that they're accompanied by those outside of Israel. We find that other characters like Grh who continually want to identify with a Yahweh whom God is saving and drawing onto himself and here is kind. Him, Jesus, at least representing as the son of God. That kind of cli climactic view. Speaking from the prophet register again saying, this is what I was saying to Abraham. I said, like from your seed, all these nations in this spiritual sense will be gathered out. So there'll be a single nation as it were in Christ. And even now, I'm telling you, I'm breaking down those boundaries. But I think to your point, importantly Tony, in part because you have failed in the covenant promises and you who were to represent and to heed and to lead, have fallen down. And so now you're gonna trip over this stone and it's going to crush you. And as a result of that, the vine, the vine growers will be, or the vineyard itself will be turned over to those who bear this true and lively fruit.  [00:29:22] Tony Arsenal: Yeah. Yeah.  [00:29:23] Israel Failure Remnant [00:29:23] Tony Arsenal: There's an interesting, um. There's an interesting dynamic here that actually strikes me as kind of similar. It's a little bit more opaque, but similar to, uh, like Joseph in, uh, in Egypt, right when his brothers come and he says, you meant this for evil, but God meant it for good. Mm-hmm. There's a, there's an element of here, we've talked about the parables. That's sort of like systematic theology in story form. Um, there's a reality here that it's both true, that God always intended for the kingdom to be expansive and, and to expand beyond the nation of Israel. To be this universal, global lowercase c Catholic, universal church universal in the sense that it's not bound by any particular nation, by any particular geopolitical reality. Um. That's true, but it's also true that the reason, uh, on a sort of like horizontal level that that's true is that Israel failed. Right? It so God always intended for Israel to fail, yet Israel is responsible for the fact that they failed. Yes, that's right. Um, and, and, and again, we, we, we sort of commented on this before, like there are some in our broader reformed circles that turn this into a sort of antisemitism, like a sort of hatred for the Jewish people. And I don't think, I don't think that there's any warrant in scripture for that. In fact, I think scripture speaks strongly against that. Is that, um. Not necessarily because there's any particular unique special affection that God has for Israel, like, like the modern Jewish people, but, but that, like racism in general is prohibited by the Bible. But I think where we do need to be clear though, is that there is a real failure. It's a true, genuine failure on the part of the first century Jewish. Leaders and people, um, with a faithful remnant. Right? There was, um, we're, we're getting, you know, we're in the springtime and we've already had, uh, we've already had discussions about this. We've already done Easter, but like there is always conversations around Palm Sunday of like, are the crowds that are following Jesus into, into town screaming, you know, yelling, Hosanna? Is that the same crowds that are yelling crucify him a couple days later? Um, I tend to think like, no, like actually, like the people who are saying crucified, crucify Christ are probably like the Jews who live in Jerusalem or like the, primarily the religious leaders. There's a whole host of Jewish believers and kind of the hoy pallo, the, the people out in the country that absolutely follow Jesus. Like they follow him as the Messiah. They, they confess him in many cases. They convince him to be, um, they confess him to be God, to to be the savior, to be the, the figure from Daniel seven, the son of man. Um. There's a reality in which the Jewish remnant absolutely recognize Christ and they persist in the church, right? The earliest Christians were all Jews, and you know, there was a few Gentiles along the way, you know, and maybe not even Gentiles like Samaritans. I don't even know if you would call them gentiles. They're kind of this midway point, but in Jewish gentil. But there are people throughout Christ's ministry, right? Cornelius or not Cornelius, the Centurion recognizes that this is the son of God. Like there are people, the s Phoenician woman, there are people who are not part of Israel proper, who even in the, in the midst of Christ's ministry are recognizing him as God and as Messiah and as the savior of the world. But, but by and large, the earliest Christian movement was Jewish people. It was the faithful remnant of, of Israel who recognized that their Messiah had come. That is true. And at the same time. The, probably the majority, and especially the rulers and the leaders of the Israel, you know, the Jewish faith in the first century absolutely rejected him. And this is what I, this is what I think is wild, is I think sometimes we think that, um, the prophecies and the understanding of Christ and what the messiah, who the Messiah was to be and what to expect, we think of those as like super obscured and super hidden until Christ comes and then all of a sudden they're really obvious. Christ doesn't seem to treat them that way. Right? Right. He tells this parable and they rightly identify that, and this is a, this is such a thinly veiled parable. Like this is like, you killed the prophets. You're going to kill me. And there's going to be consequences. Like he practically says that outright. Um. He treats that as like they should obviously know this, right? The, have you never read in the scriptures, the stone, the builder rejected has become the cornerstone, right? This was the lord's doing. It is, and it is marvelous in their eyes that have you never read?  [00:34:06] Decree in Rejection [00:34:06] Tony Arsenal: That is a, that's a rhetorical question with the implied answer of, of course, you've read exactly like he's not, he's not teaching them something that he anticipated is new to them. He maybe is teaching them something that he anticipated they maybe you didn't recognize. But actually I think probably like, uh, there probably were many among them that were like, oh yeah, we are doing this. But then almost like we're powerless to stop themselves from moving forward in that.  [00:34:32] Jesse Schwamb: Right.  [00:34:32] Tony Arsenal: Sort of like wicked plan. [00:34:34] Jesse Schwamb: Right. Yeah. And I think we could extend that as well to say that this rejection of Christ by this Jewish leadership, which of course was a incredible failure, like you're saying, it wasn't an accident, it wasn't an unforeseen tragedy. So just like interestingly in Acts four in his sermon where Peter quotes from the same Old Testament passage about Christ being the cornerstone, you know, it was prophesied long before. And so the doctrine of God's eternal decree, I think finds v vivid illustration even here. This is all the Lord's doing. Yeah. And even the wicked rejection of the Messiah is serving this purpose, this sovereign purpose of God's great exaltation. And so it's fascinating, and we should marvel at the fact that, again, like God means what he says when he says like He uses what is weak to overcome that which is strong, or to embarrass the strong, he uses that which seems foolish. To make the wise themselves, the ones who are actually foolish in the same way.  [00:35:29] Cornerstone Unites Church [00:35:29] Jesse Schwamb: This very stone, which men in their malice cast aside on that day. God is in his wisdom setting as this chief cornerstone. And I love like that idea of this phrase, this head of the corner denoting that amazing preeminence of Christ, that Christ is not merely included in the building of the new Covenant church. He is its chief and constituent stone that joining together both like the Jew and the Gentile, finally into one structure. And that's really, I think to your point, that's the great mystery of the hidden ages from the past. That that's the thing which Christ is bringing to like this grand display, like out on the stage in the open, in front of everybody. He's drawing it up, he's calling it to account. And so in that way, the same Jesus that was rejected by men is in God's account of inestimable value. And that should be like, I think, familiar to most of us because like there a form tradition has always insisted that. The true theology always issues in doxology and the cross and exaltation of Christ are not merely these facts, which we give these intellectual ascent, but we, we confess them as mysteries which provoke us to adoration of who God is. It's the excellency of Christ expounding at length, like the wondrous conjunction of Christ's humiliation and his exaltation, which finds its pattern here, rejected by men, glorified by God.  [00:36:50] Tony Arsenal: Yeah. Yeah.  [00:36:52] Works Covenant Failures [00:36:52] Tony Arsenal: And, and this is, um, we, we commented in our first, uh, episode on this par ball. This is not isolated to just the rulers of Israel at the time of Christ, right? This is in reality, kind of like a reflection of every failure of the covenant of works. In some sense, every failure to hold the covenant of works boils down to an attempt to make oneself, God. Right. This was Adam's failure in the garden. Um, Eve, Eve was the first person to eat the fruit, but Adam, Adam was responsible for that and he, he also ate the fruit and they, they did so in part because they thought it was useful to make them like God and, and in an illegitimate fashion. And they knew it was an illegitimate fashion. It's not as though Adam and Eve suddenly were like, maybe we can eat the fruit. Maybe like we actually are fine to do it. Like they knew it was still forbidden. Right. They did it anyways. And the Pharisees here, um, are in a real attempt. Um, they are trying to take the role of Messiah for the people. They're trying to be the savior of the people in sort of shepherding and guiding them into this like. Ultra legalistic Puritan, like puritanical in the worst sense, um, kind of approach to the law. Um, this is the, the story of Old Testament Israel, right? What is the first thing that the Israelites do? Um, at Mount Sinai? The first thing they do is try to fashion gods so that they have a tame God that they can control and that they can actually be God's over. So I think this is really key and, and this is where it becomes practical for us, is that. I think we always are faced with a choice, right? There's, there's obviously those who are Christ, who the son is set free. He's set free indeed, and they will never not be his people. Like you never become not justified. If you were justified, you always forever more are justified. Justified is a final. It's, it's the future judgment of God's people dragged and dropped into the present and applied. It's the righteousness of Christ applied. So there, there's never a time where that righteousness is like removed or unapplied, but we are constantly faced with a choice as to whether we want to be the kind of people who render our fruit unto the Lord, uh, as the faithful, the sort of the implied faithful tenants that are going to be brought forward when the, the unfaithful tenants are replaced. Or do we wanna be the people that reap wicked fruit and keep for ourselves? And I think that's, that's really the thing. Like we're either gonna rep. Fruit of wickedness, or we're gonna reap fruit of righteousness. And the only thing to do with fruit of righteousness is surrender it to the Lord. But we often are faced with that choice, like, are we gonna reap our own wicked fruit and keep it all to ourselves right, uh, to our own detriment? Or are we gonna go ahead and be the faithful tenants that give the Lord what he deserves?  [00:39:46] Kingdom Transfer Explained [00:39:46] Jesse Schwamb: We're seeing so much of the simplicity of God here that like you and I have said so many times before that his loving kindness, his long suffering ness is his righteousness, is his justice, is his wrath. And so I think it's helpful, again, to remind ourselves that we're, we are talking, or he specifically is speaking of the kingdom of God here. And again referring to this visible administration of the covenant of grace, not to the inward and invisible kingdom of saving grace, which as you just said, can never be lost from those who possess it, which by the way is a really important distinctive of reform theology. There are many that would disagree with that statement, and I think really much to their harm in, in disagreement with the scriptures themselves, this one in particular, but it is this external administration, the privileges, the ordinances, the oracles of God. That is being transferred from the Jewish nation as a corporate body to a new and broader people of God. And because I know that sounds very extreme, I did look up Calvin and his commentary on this and let me read what he says because this is interesting. I think even this could possibly mis be misunderstood. But here's Calvin who can say it better than I. He says, quote by these words, he means that God would deprive the Jews of the honor and the privilege of being his peculiar people and would call the Gentiles that out of them he might form a church end quote. And going back to what you said earlier, I'm with you. I, I. I mean, this is not, I think as some have wrongly concluded, like replacement theology in like a wooden sense. I, I see this still as like this historical redemptive transition from the typological administration of the old covenant to the eschatological fulfillment of the new. And the elect remnant of Israel is not cast off, but the national like typological privileges are being transferred to the Catholic church, gathered from all nations. And in that, I really do see this wonderful confluence of God's loving kindness, his, his fidelity to the promises that he's made and his wrath being manifested all at once. And somehow Jesus, of course, in complete perfection, can bring that all to bear in this tiny little story.  [00:41:51] Tony Arsenal: Yeah. Yeah. And and isn't it just like the master teacher to like, put all of this baked into this? I mean, that's right. We think of this as like a long parable, like I think,  [00:42:02] Jesse Schwamb: right?  [00:42:02] Tony Arsenal: I think like it's, it's amazing how we think of parables as, you know, like this is a short one. A short one is a couple sentences, a long one is like a half a dozen sentences. Like, and of course like Christ is teaching broader than this. He's teaching more than this. Just, this is what's recorded by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. This is what Matthews preserved for us.  [00:42:22] Stone Breaks or Crushes [00:42:22] Tony Arsenal: But you're right, there's so much baked into this little parable and I think, um, there's something to be said about this idea of like. Not only do those who smash against the, the rock, the, the cornerstone, those who smash against the rock, like those who who fall on the rock are broken to pieces, but also the rock falls on others and smashes them to pieces. Right? And, and there's something to be said about the fact that, and I'm not exactly sure how I wanna articulate this, but it's only those who like recognize the proper place of the rock and don't either let it fall on them or don't smash themselves against it. You know, we always joke about like running through a wall. Like this is not a wall you're gonna run through. Like you're gonna smash into this wall and it's gonna crush you. And if you are, if you're not properly assigning the cornerstone it's placed, right? The cornerstone is, is the stone that's placed in the foundation of a building that all the other stones find their orientation and their proper alignment based on. [00:43:26] Jesse Schwamb: Right.  [00:43:26] Tony Arsenal: You might think of this sometimes. I've heard this articulated as like the, the arch stone. I think it's a little bit different than that. Um, but it, the, the idea is the same, right? Like there's a stone in an arch. If you think of like a classic Roman arch, you have these piles of stones until you put the final arch stone in. That, in that stone is what makes the arch stable. Until that point, either side can fall, but if you don't properly set that arch stone where it's supposed to be, then the whole thing is gonna crush you. It's gonna fall down on top of you at some point. I think this is a little different. This is the cornerstone of a, this is more like the cornerstone of a building. This is the stone that the rest of the building, building is oriented against and is aligned with. If you get that wrong, then you have a, you have like a crooked wall, a wall that's not set, that's not straight. It's not stable. What this is saying and what this, this prophecy right from, from Psalm one 10, I think I should probably look it up, but I haven't yet. But this prophecy that Christ is referring to this, this prophetic statement in the Psalms that he's assuming the audience is familiar with, right? I think that's a really important point. Like he's not only assuming that they're familiar with it, there's rhetorical force of kind of like, of course you understand this principle that there is a cornerstone coming. There is something or someone who is coming that all other things will be measured against. And if you're either in alignment with this, with this person who is coming or you're out of alignment with reality, this thing is understood by them. It just is so critical and I think like the, the, a lot of the parables don't have explanations built into them. Some of them do. We've talked about some of them. A lot of them don't, this one does, but it's kind of like a really surprising way to explain it. And there's so much, um, the more that I look at this, the more we talk about it, this really is so similar to David and Nathan, right? Right. When with the, the affair with Bathsheba, he is saying to the Pharisees, look, you're the man. Like, you're the one here. You're the guy. You guys are the wicked tenants that are gonna, you've killed the prophets. Right? Um, I'm losing my, my timeline a little bit, but John the Baptist either had been executed or would be executed shortly at this point, right? So like the, the most recent prophet either was already killed or, or Christ knew of course he was going to be killed. Um, he's saying, look, you guys are the ones that are doing this and you're going to kill me. Right. And this is obviously what the prophecy is, that you think you're going to come against the cornerstone, but in reality you're going to shatter yourself upon me. You think you're gonna come against me, I'm going to crush you. And rather than say, you know, as ba, you know, as David does, where he repents, he, he fasts and he, he refuses to eat. He's, he's in mourning over both the loss of his infant, but, but more so over his own sin, I think is the picture the text gives us. Um, he's mourning trying to uh, sort of like reverse God's decision, but there's a genuine repentance to it, right? That's where we get Psalm 51, like creating, clean me a clean heart, oh God, renew a right spirit in me. There's none of that for the Pharisees, there's none of that for the sadist of the chief priests. They just continue to smash themselves against this rock, not recognizing that it's actually the rock that is crushing them. [00:47:05] Jesse Schwamb: Yeah, it's, it's a bit like, I'm gonna speak like a little maybe beyond my depth here, but there's a little bit of like that Nathan, like Strategem, and then this is where I'm outside my own experience. And then a little bit like maybe like WWE the rock in terms of like. If you want some come and get some, right? It's a little of both. And of course the passage ends very tragically, well ends humorously by them, you know, saying that at some point they were like, they understood in these parables, again, this is one of three of the same kind of topic of variety, but that Jesus was referring to them, which is funny. You wanna be like, yeah, it took a, took a long enough, I guess, guys, but you finally got it. But then that last sentence of like, they still sought to kill him. So to your point, even after all of this, there wasn't repentance. And we do get these, I think, two very distinct judgements that are depicted here, which you've already kinda led us into this first, like, whoever shall fall on the stone shall be broken. You know, to me, I think that's invoking this idea that in this life, there we are, we can be brought to brokenness through the gospel and to fall upon Christ. And repentance. And faith is to be broken in self, in pride and self-righteous. It's a breaking that does lead to healing. But this second judgment, you know the one, but on whomever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder, grind him to dust, I mean. Man, think about what a vivid image that is. I mean, that's like the more terrible of the two. That that's like the, yeah. Final Es logical judgment of those who persist in unbelief and it, it admits there's like no remedy. So there are only two ways to relate to Christ. You either fall upon him willingly in faith and repentance, which is painful, but it is saving, you know, to have him fall upon us in judgment is final in damning, and so that's what Christ presents here. [00:48:48] Psalm 118 in Context [00:48:48] Jesse Schwamb: It's, it's both of these things and you're right, it is brilliant that he goes to Psalm one 18 even that as a setup, because as you've kind of already said, I love to think, of course that's, can you manner the tone in which this was said to these scribes and Pharisees? Because of course the, the secondary indictment here is like, listen, you guys who like your great pride is that, you know, the scriptures really well. Have you read this part is familiar to you. Yeah. Can you tell me where that is? So like, we, we should go there just, just quickly. This is Psalm one 18 because I think that here again is, as I'm hearing it in context. There are some verses surrounding this that I think we might be surprised that they come right on the heels of this idea of the stone. So just a couple verses. In Psalm one 18 being in verse 22, the stone, which the builders rejected, has become the chief cornerstone. This is from Yahweh. It is marvelous in our eyes. Here's the verses that we might not recognize. Come right after it. This is the day which Yahweh has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it. Oh, Yahweh, save. Oh, Yahweh, succeed. Blessed is the one who comes in the name of Yahweh. We have blessed you from the house of Yahweh. Yahweh is God, and he has given us light by the festival sacrifice with corns to the horns of the altar. You are my God, and I give thanks to you. You are my God, and I exalt you. Give thanks to Yahweh for his good, for his loving kindness endures forever. And so this idea that there's rejoicing in which day, I mean, usually we kinda say that it's like, well, it's a beautiful day out. It's the Lord's day. This is the day that Yahweh is like that. That's true. But also here in particular, it is this blessed day of Yahweh giving the stone, which the builders reject and which has become the chief cornerstone. And that stone is some will run headlong into and shipwreck their lives and others will be crushed underneath it. And guess what? This is the day which Yahweh has made and we're gonna rejoice and be glad in that.  [00:50:41] Tony Arsenal: Yeah. Yeah.  [00:50:43] Mark's Angle on Fear [00:50:43] Tony Arsenal: The other thing I think, you know, we. Should, um, maybe not spend any time on, 'cause we're at like, out, like minute 50 of a 60 minute podcast. But just going to, to Mark's version of this parable real quick. Um, starting in verse, uh, this is chapter 12, verse 12. It says, and they were seeking to arrest him, but feared the people for, they perceived that he had told the parable against them. So they left him and went away. And the, the main difference here, the reason I'm reading this is Mark chooses a d. Concerning them. The verb is, or the preposition is Perry. So it's kind of like this idea that he was, he was sort of speaking around them. He was talking about them. Mark uses the, the preposition, proce, which is not, um, not against, in like the same, uh, direct sense. We might use the word against. That would be something like Kada. Um, but he's, he's speaking this parable towards them or to them, um, against them. He's, he's directing the parable at them. And this is, this is, we, we commented on this a little bit in the, the first episode here. Um, he is speaking to the crowds. But he's telling the parable about or against or concerning the Pharisees and the scribes, and they perceive this, right. The, the gospels here don't say that the crowds perceive this. Right. And I think that's key. Like the Pharisees basically look at this and say, uh, we better get this under control because he's talking about us. Right, right. Like, I'm just picturing Paul Washer's. I'm not trying to say Paul Washer is a Pharisee, although some people would probably make that connection. But like I'm, I'm just hearing Paul Washer's voice saying like, I don't know why you're clapping. I'm talking about you. He's speaking to the Pharisees here. And it's interesting because Matthew associates the, the, uh, Pharisees. Cowardice in acting against Christ, uh, because they fear the crowds and because the crowds believe Christ is a parable or is a prophet Mark associates. And again, both of these things are true, right? This is holy scripture. This is inspired, these are not contradictory accounts. This is facets of the same diamond. Mark associates this with, they fear the crowds. Um, because they had taken him. They, they understood that the parable was being spoken against them, right? So there's this element that the Pharisees are not only understanding that the, the parable is about them, they feared them because the crowds believe that Christ is a prophet and that prophet is speaking this parable against them, right? So like they're, they're recognizing full on that it's only a matter of time before the, the general population, the general people that are listening to Christ recognize that he's overturning. Not only the Pharisees, the entire geopolitical nation of Israel, he's overturning the ethnic based reality, the geopolitical based reality, that God's people have a zip code and that zip code is Jerusalem. That zip code is this little si, this little tract of land the size of like Vermont and New Hampshire in the Mediterranean, like off the Mediterranean Sea. He's overturning that. And the, the Pharisees, the educated people, the, the Sadducees, the chief priests, the rulers, they recognize it's only a matter of time before the people understand what Christ is doing. They, they follow him as a prophet and this is what he's prophesying. And