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God isn’t looking for the strongest, the smartest, the most experienced, or the most qualified. None of the things we place such importance on are on God’s list of expectations of us. God asks for something specific from us … believe. Simply believe he will do what he says he will do. Believe he can do it through you and he can do it for you. We are so quick to dismiss ourselves. We’re so accustom to playing little and sitting it out. Experience has shown us if we will just sit and wait, someone else might step up and do it for us. But really, is that what God created you for? Did he create you to be the girl who never does anything hard? Did he create you to be the girl who watches others do what you should be doing? I think not! Your Creator expects you to believe his power is enough to overcome every single inadequacy you may have. Your Creator expects you to show up like you’re chosen, and count on divine providence to make things happen as you go. This whole laying low, hiding in dark corners, and playing little nonsense has got to stop. Your muscles are atrophying because you’re not using them. And let me tell you something, your faith is a muscle. The more you use it, the stronger it gets. But lack of use causes it to wither and deteriorate. If you haven’t been showing up in the middle of circumstances that are beyond your own ability and putting yourself out there in the face of potential failure, then you’ve started to believe you never could. Your focus has become set on all you can’t do, rather than what GOD COULD DO through you. What could God do through you? Oh girl, you have no idea! But don’t you want to know! I totally want to know what God could do through an ordinary girl like me. I want to know what my life could become with a disciplined surrender to his promptings. Notice I said “disciplined surrender” to his promptings. I’ve discovered this journey of being led by the Holy Spirit is a daily act of discipline. It means I get up when I don’t want to get up. It means I show up no matter what. It means I believe there’s something greater guiding me than my feelings in the moment. It means I start small and humble and refuse to give up in the struggle, because eventually God will grow it to something greater. But he doesn’t grow great things out of our nothing. He doesn’t show up and use magic in our lives. Is that what you’ve been counting on? Magic. God, just make it happen. Do something big, while I do nothing. Nope. God uses seeds. Your disciplined surrender every day is a seed. If you don’t plant it by showing up when you don’t feel like showing up, then guess what … you forfeit the blessing of seeing what God could have done with your little. You dismiss yourself from growth. So, God will grow someone else. God will use someone else’s seed of disciplined surrender to create what you’ve been dreaming of, and you’ll sit there and watch it happen wondering why it couldn’t be you. Well, honey, maybe it couldn’t be you because you weren’t willing to believe to the point of action. Yes, that’s what we’re talking about today. Belief in God that makes us move. Believing so much that we can’t sit in inaction. Believing God is doing something so good, no one could make you sleep the day away. Believing God is guiding you so powerfully, that nothing could hold you back from taking the next step. Would God really choose someone like you for that? YES – You’re perfect for this! In the Old Testament, the Lord chose Gideon as his mighty warrior to rescue his people. But there was one little problem, Gideon was a very unlikely candidate for a warrior position. No one else would have chosen Gideon, but God did. And you need to know why. You need to know why God chose someone totally unlikely for great things, because you’ve been focusing on how unlikely you are while God has been trying to tell you YOU ARE CHOSEN. Judges 6: 11-16 “The angel of the Lord came and sat down under the oak in Ophrah that belonged to Joash, where his son Gideon was threshing wheat in a winepress to keep it from the Midianites. When the angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon, he said, “The Lord is with you,mighty warrior.” “Pardon me, my lord,” Gideon replied, “but if the Lord is with us, why has all this happened to us? Where are all his wonders that our ancestors told us about when they said, ‘Did not the Lord bring us up out of Egypt?' But now the Lord has abandoned us and given us into the hand of Midian.” The Lord turned to him and said, “Go in the strength you have and save Israel out of Midian's hand. Am I not sending you?” “Pardon me, my lord,” Gideon replied, “but how can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family.” The Lord answered, “I will be with you, and you will strike down all the Midianites, leaving none alive.” Why would God choose the least person out of a family in the weakest clan to rise up as a warrior? Oh honey, don’t you remember what Jesus said in 2 Corinthians 12:9 “My power is made perfect in your weakness.” Gideon being a total unlikely warrior was God’s divine opportunity to show his power. So, Sister, all the reasons why you can’t … all the reasons why you’re not good enough … all the reasons why you dismiss yourself … those are the exact reasons God has chosen you. YOU ARE THE ONE HE WANTS because his power is made absolutely perfect in you. You can’t do this on your own, and you’re not supposed to. But you are supposed to do this with his power! Gideon began following God’s promptings with disciplined surrender. He did things that were hard for him to do. He did things that made absolutely no sense to him. He did things that would cause others to question. And with each act of disciplined surrender, God’s power was made perfect within him. This is how the least person in a family of the weakest clan became a mighty warrior. He actually BELIEVED what God said about him. And he believed it so much, he took action. And this is exactly where you are today. You’re at this place where God is speaking to you. He is telling you you are his beloved and chosen girl. He is telling you he created you for a purpose and he has great plans for you. He is telling you the deepest desires of your heart have been put there by him, written into your soul by your creator, as a guide to your destiny. Will you BELIEVE IT? Will you believe this could be true for you? Will you believe your weakness makes you a perfect candidate for God’s power? Will you believe it so much that you stop dismissing yourself? Will you believe it so much that you greet the feelings that tell you you don’t want to, and show up with disciplined surrender anyway? Will you believe it in the face of your most recent set back? Will you believe it when it looks totally unlikely? Will you believe it when you’re tired? Will you believe it when it doesn’t make sense? Will you believe it to the point of action? God has aligned things for you that your mind simply cannot even begin to fathom right now. It’s crazy perfect how God’s plans for your life will fulfill every dream you’ve ever had and bring purpose to every struggle you’ve ever lived through. Yip, God meant it when he said he will give you the desires of your heart. He meant it when he said he would take everything the enemy ever meant for harm and use it for good. Now, you get to choose whether you believe it. And if you choose to believe it, something will start shifting within you. That belief will stir up power and courage and strength you never knew possible. The warrior stuff inside of you will start showing up. And every day, through disciplined surrender pushing you through all the things you don’t feel like doing, you will discover you really are the one God has chosen! Your job today is to start believing it and start showing up for it. My whole world changed when I spent more time believing I could be the one God spoke through than dismissing myself from the calling. No more dismissing yourself. God is calling you. He’s calling you out of the corner where you’ve been hiding. Out of the rut where you’ve been stuck. Out of the comfort you’ve been clinging to. Out of the excuses you’ve been using. Believe it and see where your feet are guided next! Each act of your disciplined surrender invites God’s power to be made perfect within you. Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
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Parsha ‘Beha-alotecha’ ends with what Mark Call of Shabbat Shalom Mesa fellowship has often described as “the Whining.” Which is followed by ‘the Lusting.’ And a lot of people who end up dead as a result. And that leads directly into parsha “Shalach Lekha,” where the words mean “send out men.” It is the story of the infamous “spies” — including Joshua and Caleb — and is also what Mark calls the “first recorded VOTE in history.” And Joshua and Caleb LOST it, 10-2. But, much like ‘votes’ today, the only people that REALLY lost were those who participated. Their “bodies fell in the wilderness,” ultimately, as they were promised. The Erev Shabbat reading of the entire ‘parsha-plus’ clarifies that connection: https://hebrewnationonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/SSM-6-12-26-Beha-alotecha-through-Shalach-Lekha-teaching-podcast-xx.mp3 Did EVERY single man over the age of 20 die in the wilderness because they went along with the “evil report” of those ten spies? Scripture makes it clear that they did. But, other than Joshua and Caleb, weren’t there ANY men above ‘voting age’ that simply didn’t participate with that infamous ‘first vote’? Would God really do that? But it turns out the pattern, and the progression, are clear. First they “murmured,” but perhaps “whined” really is what it would probably be termed today. Then they lusted, and got quail. A LOT of it. And probably wished they hadn’t. But Scripture told us the complaining, and worse, was widespread – but did not use the word “all.” Even if it may have been the vast majority. UNTIL that ‘first recorded vote.’ After which, it says clearly, and repeatedly, “ALL” of ’em. And Joshua and Caleb admonished ALL of ’em, too. And then ALL of them tried to kill them both. After which “ALL” of them got what they deserved. Or had earned. But it may not have been the very first time after all. “Numbers 10 through Shalach-Lekha: “Sodom VOTED to Die! How long will ‘they’ Despise YHVH”? https://hebrewnationonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/WT-CooH-6-13-26-Beha-alotecha-through-Shalach-Lekha-How-Long-will-you-DESPISE-Me-My-Word-podcast-xxxx.mp3 Service information: Shabbat Shalom Mesa fellowship worship services and teachings are broadcast live every Sabbath, via Paltalk. (www.paltalk.com has both the link, and the app.) The “room name” is “Walking Torah with Shabbat Shalom Mesa,” and can be found via the paltalk search, then bookmarked. Erev Shabbat services begin at 7:00 PM Mountain Time Friday evenings (9 PM Eastern, 8 PM Central) Live Sabbath teachings begin shortly after 11 AM Mountain time on Sabbath day (Saturday). email: mark@markniwot.com The combined two-part reading and Sabbath midrash:
LESSON 165Let Not My Mind Deny The Thought Of God.What makes this world seem real except your own denial of the truth that lies beyond? What but your thoughts of misery and death obscure the perfect happiness and the eternal life your Father wills for you? And what could hide what cannot be concealed except illusion? What could keep from you what you already have except your choice to see it not, denying it is there?The Thought of God created you. It left you not, nor have you ever been apart from it an instant. It belongs to you. By it you live. It is your Source of life, holding you one with it, and everything is one with you because it left you not. The Thought of God protects you, cares for you, makes soft your resting place and smooth your way, lighting your mind with happiness and love. Eternity and everlasting life shine in your mind, because the Thought of God has left you not, and still abides with you.Who would deny his safety and his peace, his joy, his healing and his peace of mind, his quiet rest, his calm awakening, if he but recognized where they abide? Would he not instantly prepare to go where they are found, abandoning all else as worthless in comparison with them? And having found them, would he not make sure they stay with him, and he remain with them?Deny not Heaven. It is yours today, but for the asking. Nor need you perceive how great the gift, how changed your mind will be before it comes to you. Ask to receive, and it is given you. Conviction lies within it. Till you welcome it as yours, uncertainty remains. Yet God is fair. Sureness is not required to receive what only your acceptance can bestow.Ask with desire. You need not be sure that you request the only thing you want. But when you have received, you will be sure you have the treasure you have always sought. What would you then exchange for it? What would induce you now to let it fade away from your ecstatic vision? For this sight proves that you have exchanged your blindness for the seeing eyes of Christ; your mind has come to lay aside denial, and accept the Thought of God as your inheritance.Now is all doubting past, the journey's end made certain, and salvation given you. Now is Christ's power in your mind, to heal as you were healed. For now you are among the saviors of the world. Your destiny lies there and nowhere else. Would God consent to let His Son remain forever starved by his denial of the nourishment he needs to live? Abundance dwells in him, and deprivation cannot cut him off from God's sustaining Love and from his home.Practice today in hope. For hope indeed is justified. Your doubts are meaningless, for God is certain. And the Thought of Him is never absent. Sureness must abide within you who are host to Him. This course removes all doubts which you have interposed between Him and your certainty of Him.We count on God, and not upon ourselves, to give us certainty. And in His Name we practice as His Word directs we do. His sureness lies beyond our every doubt. His Love remains beyond our every fear. The Thought of Him is still beyond all dreams and in our minds, according to His Will.- Jesus Christ in ACIM
LESSON 164Now Are We One With Him Who Is Our Source.What time but now can truth be recognized? The present is the only time there is. And so today, this instant, now, we come to look upon what is forever there; not in our sight, but in the eyes of Christ. He looks past time, and sees eternity as represented there. He hears the sounds the senseless, busy world engenders, yet He hears them faintly. For beyond them all He hears the song of Heaven, and the Voice for God more clear, more meaningful, more near.The world fades easily away before His sight. Its sounds grow dim. A melody from far beyond the world increasingly is more and more distinct; an ancient Call to Which He gives an ancient answer. You will recognize them both, for they are but your answer to your Father's Call to you. Christ answers for you, echoing your Self, using your voice to give His glad consent; accepting your deliverance for you.How holy is your practicing today, as Christ gives you His sight and hears for you, and answers in your name the Call He hears! How quiet is the time you give to spend with Him, beyond the world. How easily are all your seeming sins forgot, and all your sorrows unremembered. On this day is grief laid by, for sights and sounds that come from nearer than the world are clear to you who will today accept the gifts He gives.There is a silence into which the world can not intrude. There is an ancient peace you carry in your heart and have not lost. There is a sense of holiness in you the thought of sin has never touched. All this today you will remember. Faithfulness in practicing today will bring rewards so great and so completely different from all things you sought before, that you will know that here your treasure is, and here your rest.This is the day when vain imaginings part like a curtain, to reveal what lies beyond them. Now is what is really there made visible, while all the shadows which appeared to hide it merely sink away. Now is the balance righted, and the scale of judgment left to Him Who judges true. And in His judgment will a world unfold in perfect innocence before your eyes. Now will you see it with the eyes of Christ. Now is its transformation clear to you.Brother, this day is sacred to the world. Your vision, given you from far beyond all things within the world, looks back on them in a new light. And what you see becomes the healing and salvation of the world. The valuable and valueless are both perceived and recognized for what they are. And what is worthy of your love receives your love, while nothing to be feared remains.We will not judge today. We will receive but what is given us from judgment made beyond the world. Our practicing today becomes our gift of thankfulness for our release from blindness and from misery. All that we see will but increase our joy, because its holiness reflects our own. We stand forgiven in the sight of Christ, with all the world forgiven in our own. We bless the world, as we behold it in the light in which our Savior looks on us, and offer it the freedom given us through His forgiving vision, not our own.Open the curtain in your practicing by merely letting go all things you think you want. Your trifling treasures put away, and leave a clean and open space within your mind where Christ can come, and offer you the treasure of salvation. He has need of your most holy mind to save the world. Is not this purpose worthy to be yours? Is not Christ's vision worthy to be sought above the world's unsatisfying goals?Let not today slip by without the gifts it holds for you receiving your consent and your acceptance. We can change the world, if you acknowledge them. You may not see the value your acceptance gives the world. But this you surely want; you can exchange all suffering for joy this very day. Practice in earnest, and the gift is yours. Would God deceive you? Can His promise fail? Can you withhold so little, when His Hand holds out complete salvation to His Son?- Jesus Christ in ACIM
Molinism is one of the most influential models for reconciling human libertarian freedom and divine sovereignty. While Dr. William Lane Craig is among its most well-known defenders, Dr. Ryan T. Mullins recently argued that Craig's particular articulation of Molinism may contain an incoherence and proposed a possible solution. In this episode, Tyson James of Sound Faith Consulting and Reasonable Faith joins us to examine the debate, unpack the philosophical issues at stake, and evaluate whether the alleged contradiction is genuine or whether William Lane Craig's formulation of Molinism remains coherent. Check out Ryan's work at: https://www.rtmullins.com/ Specific podcast referenced: https://www.rtmullins.com/podcast/episode/de00b8b6/ep-194-molinism Check out Sound Faith: https://soundfaithconsulting.com/ Join the FTM Team: https://www.freethinkingministries.com/donate ➡️ CHAPTERS ⬅️ 00:00 Introducing Dr. Mullins and Tyson 07:45 What Are the Strengths of Molinism? 13:30 Handling the Grounding Objection 30:00 Would God's Knowledge of His Own Counterfactuals Lead to Fatalism or Undermine Freedom? 46:24 The Issue with Logical Moments Prior to Creation 58:09 Ryan Mullins' Challenge: Is William Lane Craig's Molinism Incoherent? 1:13:00 Dr. Mullins Offers a Solution 1:28:08 Parting Words and Concluding Thoughts ➡️ TOPICS DISCUSSED ⬅️ Molinism, William Lane Craig, Ryan T. Mullins, middle knowledge, libertarian free will, divine sovereignty, divine foreknowledge, counterfactuals of creaturely freedom, the grounding objection, fatalism, providence, logical moments, Christian philosophy, theology, and apologetics. ➡️ SOCIALS ⬅️ Website: https://freethinkingministries.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FreeThinkInc Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/freethinkinc X: https://x.com/freethinkmin TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@freethinkinc #Apologetics #Molinism #WilliamLaneCraig #RyanMullins #MiddleKnowledge #FreeWill #ChristianPhilosophy #Theology #Christianity #FreeThinkingMinistries
Behold the Army of God - Part 3: Jealous Love Why is God jealous for your heart? The secret to spiritual victory. In this third installment of our series, Behold the Army of God, we uncover the most critical requirement for every soldier in His ranks: Exclusive, undivided love. God delivered the children of Israel out of Egypt—they were wealthy, healthy, and "harnessed for war"—yet they carried their idols with them into their freedom. This act of spiritual adultery posed a massive problem then, and it remains the primary obstacle for the modern-day church today. In this message, Pastor Mark A. Stroud explores the dangerous intersection of idolatry and spiritual fruitfulness. From the first commandment given to the Old Testament church to the stern warning sent to the church at Ephesus in the book of Revelation, one truth remains: We have abandoned our first love. God is not distant; He is pursuing us with a Jealous Love. He desires the fullness of our devotion, not because He is insecure, but because He knows that as long as we hold onto our idols, we cannot be effective against the enemy or fully glorify Him. In this video, we discuss: The First Commandment Mandate: Why exclusive worship is the foundation of the "Army of God." The Ephesus Warning: What happens when the Church loses its "first love." The Anatomy of Jealous Love: Understanding the Father’s pursuit of your heart. Practical Consecration: How to identify and cast away the idols hindering your effectiveness. Scripture Reference: Ezekiel 20:7: "...do not defile yourselves with the idols of Egypt; I am the Lord your God." Revelation 2:4: "But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first." Ready to align your heart? Getting rid of our idols isn't just about giving things up—it’s about preparing ourselves to be productive, victorious, and fully devoted to the one who loves us most. #BeholdTheArmyOfGod #jealouslove #PastorMarkAStroud #firstlove #spiritualwarfare #ephesus #consecration #christianvictory #spiritualgrowth #idol #idolatry
Behold the Army of God - Part 3: Jealous Love Why is God jealous for your heart? The secret to spiritual victory. In this third installment of our series, Behold the Army of God, we uncover the most critical requirement for every soldier in His ranks: Exclusive, undivided love. God delivered the children of Israel out of Egypt—they were wealthy, healthy, and "harnessed for war"—yet they carried their idols with them into their freedom. This act of spiritual adultery posed a massive problem then, and it remains the primary obstacle for the modern-day church today. In this message, Pastor Mark A. Stroud explores the dangerous intersection of idolatry and spiritual fruitfulness. From the first commandment given to the Old Testament church to the stern warning sent to the church at Ephesus in the book of Revelation, one truth remains: We have abandoned our first love. God is not distant; He is pursuing us with a Jealous Love. He desires the fullness of our devotion, not because He is insecure, but because He knows that as long as we hold onto our idols, we cannot be effective against the enemy or fully glorify Him. In this video, we discuss: The First Commandment Mandate: Why exclusive worship is the foundation of the "Army of God." The Ephesus Warning: What happens when the Church loses its "first love." The Anatomy of Jealous Love: Understanding the Father’s pursuit of your heart. Practical Consecration: How to identify and cast away the idols hindering your effectiveness. Scripture Reference: Ezekiel 20:7: "...do not defile yourselves with the idols of Egypt; I am the Lord your God." Revelation 2:4: "But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first." Ready to align your heart? Getting rid of our idols isn't just about giving things up—it’s about preparing ourselves to be productive, victorious, and fully devoted to the one who loves us most. #BeholdTheArmyOfGod #jealouslove #PastorMarkAStroud #firstlove #spiritualwarfare #ephesus #consecration #christianvictory #spiritualgrowth #idol #idolatry
Behold the Army of God - Part 3: Jealous Love Why is God jealous for your heart? The secret to spiritual victory. In this third installment of our series, Behold the Army of God, we uncover the most critical requirement for every soldier in His ranks: Exclusive, undivided love. God delivered the children of Israel out of Egypt—they were wealthy, healthy, and "harnessed for war"—yet they carried their idols with them into their freedom. This act of spiritual adultery posed a massive problem then, and it remains the primary obstacle for the modern-day church today. In this message, Pastor Mark A. Stroud explores the dangerous intersection of idolatry and spiritual fruitfulness. From the first commandment given to the Old Testament church to the stern warning sent to the church at Ephesus in the book of Revelation, one truth remains: We have abandoned our first love. God is not distant; He is pursuing us with a Jealous Love. He desires the fullness of our devotion, not because He is insecure, but because He knows that as long as we hold onto our idols, we cannot be effective against the enemy or fully glorify Him. In this video, we discuss: The First Commandment Mandate: Why exclusive worship is the foundation of the "Army of God." The Ephesus Warning: What happens when the Church loses its "first love." The Anatomy of Jealous Love: Understanding the Father’s pursuit of your heart. Practical Consecration: How to identify and cast away the idols hindering your effectiveness. Scripture Reference: Ezekiel 20:7: "...do not defile yourselves with the idols of Egypt; I am the Lord your God." Revelation 2:4: "But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first." Ready to align your heart? Getting rid of our idols isn't just about giving things up—it’s about preparing ourselves to be productive, victorious, and fully devoted to the one who loves us most. #BeholdTheArmyOfGod #jealouslove #PastorMarkAStroud #firstlove #spiritualwarfare #ephesus #consecration #christianvictory #spiritualgrowth #idol #idolatry
In our series on Matthew Chapter 8, we are walking through each encounter with Jesus, as He is about to show these people miracles and healings. Today we find a woman who doesn't have a cancer, she's not possessed of a devil or paralyzed, no, she has a fever. Does this woman's condition warrant intervention from Jesus? Do we allow the smaller things to continue? Does Jesus? Would God heal someone of something non-life threatening? It says that Jesus spoke to this fever! Can a fever hear and if so, what about a cancer? Let's talk about it.
Patrick welcomes listeners into a swirl of faith questions, from whether God creates souls bound for hell to what really sets the Ethiopian Bible apart. His conversations jump from parish problems in New York to hard-won lessons in marriage, landing on raw moments of confession and the ache to bring loved ones home to Catholic truth. With honest calls and scriptural insights, Patrick threads thought-provoking theology into the candid struggles and hopes of everyday believers. Chris (email) - Would God make a soul to damn them to Hell then, he knows all past, present and future? (00:28) Keith - How do Catholics view the Ethiopian Bible? (06:08) George - My neighbor is Anglican. What would she have to go through to become Catholic? She is about 80 years old. (16:19) Anthony - Can I move to a different parish? (20:39) Norman - I feel like I really feel short of the Ephesians scripture about loving your wife. I need prayer. What do I do? (26:23) Nancy (email) – Where’s that best of movie list? Yolanda - I see many people go through OCIA and see so much joy after the sacrament of Confession. (38:08) Jennifer - Can I get your advice on how to get my mother-in-law to come back to the Catholic Church? (41:45) Nathan - I know one of the thieves on the cross went to heaven, but what happened to the other thief? (48:06) Joe - When they ring the first set of bells, is that the consecration? (49:01)
Patrick answers questions with raw honesty, moving between callers wrestling with forgiveness, the Eucharist, and predestination, while keeping faith close to lived experience. Listeners open up about shaky relationships and spiritual setbacks, and Patrick responds with clarity that’s sometimes gentle, sometimes blunt, always anchored in Catholic teaching. Chad (email) - I was raised protestant but had no faith whatsoever in my adulthood until a year or so ago. I'm trying to get clarification on Catholic teaching on predestination. I've heard the word "the elect" meaning those chosen by God to go to heaven. I have also heard that God doesn't want anyone "not anyone" to go to hell. So, isn't the whole world "the elect?" (01:37) Andrew (email) - How would you help someone who has lost faith in Jesus due to tragic circumstances in their lives? (05:06) Barb - Do any Protestants have the authority to consecrate the Eucharist? (15:03) Nick - Can you explain more about predestination? Can you expound on working out salvation? (17:10) Vince - Protestants accuse us of worshipping Mary. How can I explain Mary and devotion to her? How can a mere human be a mother of all on the earth? (22:09) Chris (email) - Would God make a soul just to damn them to hell? (27:59) Danny - I have been interested in the priesthood. Can you give me some guidance? (32:58) Troy - What is the difference between forgiveness and reconciliation? (43:54)
Roadblocks - Why Would God Allow Suffering Pastor Sawyer Brunkow
Dreams can be good and they can be bad. They can be scary too. The Babylonian King in our story today has a dream, but he needs SOMEONE to tell him what it means! All of his wise men cannot tell him the meaning. So he rashly condemns them all to death. When the soldier knocks on Daniel's door and tells him that he and his friends are going to die, Daniel doesn't panic, but tells the guard, "Take me to the king." Would God help Daniel to know the meaning of the dream?Year B Quarter 2 Week 19All Bible verses are from the NKJVHymn: Sweet By and ByWrite to Ms. Katie: seedpod@startingwithjesus.comKatie's Korner: https://startingwithjesus.com/katies-korner/Find the Lessons Here: Kindergarten https://bit.ly/SeedPodKLessonsPrimary https://bit.ly/SeedPodPLessonsConnect with Us:Website: https://startingwithjesus.comStarting With Jesus - YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/StartingWithJesusSeedPod - YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCvU2FBPEL5-Zi2QW0STVLg Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/startingwithjesusFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/startingwithjesusAcknowledgments:Bible Readings this Week: DredynPodcast Producer: Katie ChitwoodSound Engineer: Dillon AustinMy Bible First, https://bit.ly/SeedPodLesson for use of their Bible Lesson curriculum.AudioVerse, https://www.audioverse.org/ for partnering with us and supporting our ministry.Lindsey Mills, for writing and performing our SeedPod Kids Theme Song & Background Music. To learn more about her music or to get her CD, email her: lindsey@startingwithjesus.com
Dreams can be good and they can be bad. They can be scary too. The Babylonian King in our story today has a dream, but he needs SOMEONE to tell him what it means! All of his wise men cannot tell him the meaning. So he rashly condemns them all to death. When the soldier knocks on Daniel's door and tells him that he and his friends are going to die, Daniel doesn't panic, but tells the guard, "Take me to the king." Would God help Daniel to know the meaning of the dream?Year B Quarter 2 Week 19All Bible verses are from the NKJVHymn: Sweet By and ByWrite to Ms. Katie: seedpod@startingwithjesus.comKatie's Korner: https://startingwithjesus.com/katies-korner/Find the Lessons Here: Kindergarten https://bit.ly/SeedPodKLessonsPrimary https://bit.ly/SeedPodPLessonsConnect with Us:Website: https://startingwithjesus.comStarting With Jesus - YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/StartingWithJesusSeedPod - YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCvU2FBPEL5-Zi2QW0STVLg Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/startingwithjesusFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/startingwithjesusAcknowledgments:Bible Readings this Week: DredynPodcast Producer: Katie ChitwoodSound Engineer: Dillon AustinMy Bible First, https://bit.ly/SeedPodLesson for use of their Bible Lesson curriculum.AudioVerse, https://www.audioverse.org/ for partnering with us and supporting our ministry.Lindsey Mills, for writing and performing our SeedPod Kids Theme Song & Background Music. To learn more about her music or to get her CD, email her: lindsey@startingwithjesus.com
Dreams can be good and they can be bad. They can be scary too. The Babylonian King in our story today has a dream, but he needs SOMEONE to tell him what it means! All of his wise men cannot tell him the meaning. So he rashly condemns them all to death. When the soldier knocks on Daniel's door and tells him that he and his friends are going to die, Daniel doesn't panic, but tells the guard, "Take me to the king." Would God help Daniel to know the meaning of the dream?Year B Quarter 2 Week 19All Bible verses are from the NKJVHymn: Sweet By and ByWrite to Ms. Katie: seedpod@startingwithjesus.comKatie's Korner: https://startingwithjesus.com/katies-korner/Find the Lessons Here: Kindergarten https://bit.ly/SeedPodKLessonsPrimary https://bit.ly/SeedPodPLessonsConnect with Us:Website: https://startingwithjesus.comStarting With Jesus - YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/StartingWithJesusSeedPod - YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCvU2FBPEL5-Zi2QW0STVLg Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/startingwithjesusFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/startingwithjesusAcknowledgments:Bible Readings this Week: DredynPodcast Producer: Katie ChitwoodSound Engineer: Dillon AustinMy Bible First, https://bit.ly/SeedPodLesson for use of their Bible Lesson curriculum.AudioVerse, https://www.audioverse.org/ for partnering with us and supporting our ministry.Lindsey Mills, for writing and performing our SeedPod Kids Theme Song & Background Music. To learn more about her music or to get her CD, email her: lindsey@startingwithjesus.com
Dreams can be good and they can be bad. They can be scary too. The Babylonian King in our story today has a dream, but he needs SOMEONE to tell him what it means! All of his wise men cannot tell him the meaning. So he rashly condemns them all to death. When the soldier knocks on Daniel's door and tells him that he and his friends are going to die, Daniel doesn't panic, but tells the guard, "Take me to the king." Would God help Daniel to know the meaning of the dream?Year B Quarter 2 Week 19All Bible verses are from the NKJVHymn: Sweet By and ByWrite to Ms. Katie: seedpod@startingwithjesus.comKatie's Korner: https://startingwithjesus.com/katies-korner/Find the Lessons Here: Kindergarten https://bit.ly/SeedPodKLessonsPrimary https://bit.ly/SeedPodPLessonsConnect with Us:Website: https://startingwithjesus.comStarting With Jesus - YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/StartingWithJesusSeedPod - YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCvU2FBPEL5-Zi2QW0STVLg Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/startingwithjesusFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/startingwithjesusAcknowledgments:Bible Readings this Week: DredynPodcast Producer: Katie ChitwoodSound Engineer: Dillon AustinMy Bible First, https://bit.ly/SeedPodLesson for use of their Bible Lesson curriculum.AudioVerse, https://www.audioverse.org/ for partnering with us and supporting our ministry.Lindsey Mills, for writing and performing our SeedPod Kids Theme Song & Background Music. To learn more about her music or to get her CD, email her: lindsey@startingwithjesus.com
Dreams can be good and they can be bad. They can be scary too. The Babylonian King in our story today has a dream, but he needs SOMEONE to tell him what it means! All of his wise men cannot tell him the meaning. So he rashly condemns them all to death. When the soldier knocks on Daniel's door and tells him that he and his friends are going to die, Daniel doesn't panic, but tells the guard, "Take me to the king." Would God help Daniel to know the meaning of the dream?Year B Quarter 2 Week 19All Bible verses are from the NKJVHymn: Sweet By and ByWrite to Ms. Katie: seedpod@startingwithjesus.comKatie's Korner: https://startingwithjesus.com/katies-korner/Find the Lessons Here: Kindergarten https://bit.ly/SeedPodKLessonsPrimary https://bit.ly/SeedPodPLessonsConnect with Us:Website: https://startingwithjesus.comStarting With Jesus - YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/StartingWithJesusSeedPod - YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCvU2FBPEL5-Zi2QW0STVLg Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/startingwithjesusFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/startingwithjesusAcknowledgments:Bible Readings this Week: DredynPodcast Producer: Katie ChitwoodSound Engineer: Dillon AustinMy Bible First, https://bit.ly/SeedPodLesson for use of their Bible Lesson curriculum.AudioVerse, https://www.audioverse.org/ for partnering with us and supporting our ministry.Lindsey Mills, for writing and performing our SeedPod Kids Theme Song & Background Music. To learn more about her music or to get her CD, email her: lindsey@startingwithjesus.com
Dreams can be good and they can be bad. They can be scary too. The Babylonian King in our story today has a dream, but he needs SOMEONE to tell him what it means! All of his wise men cannot tell him the meaning. So he rashly condemns them all to death. When the soldier knocks on Daniel's door and tells him that he and his friends are going to die, Daniel doesn't panic, but tells the guard, "Take me to the king." Would God help Daniel to know the meaning of the dream?Year B Quarter 2 Week 19All Bible verses are from the NKJVHymn: Sweet By and ByWrite to Ms. Katie: seedpod@startingwithjesus.comKatie's Korner: https://startingwithjesus.com/katies-korner/Find the Lessons Here: Kindergarten https://bit.ly/SeedPodKLessonsPrimary https://bit.ly/SeedPodPLessonsConnect with Us:Website: https://startingwithjesus.comStarting With Jesus - YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/StartingWithJesusSeedPod - YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCvU2FBPEL5-Zi2QW0STVLg Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/startingwithjesusFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/startingwithjesusAcknowledgments:Bible Readings this Week: DredynPodcast Producer: Katie ChitwoodSound Engineer: Dillon AustinMy Bible First, https://bit.ly/SeedPodLesson for use of their Bible Lesson curriculum.AudioVerse, https://www.audioverse.org/ for partnering with us and supporting our ministry.Lindsey Mills, for writing and performing our SeedPod Kids Theme Song & Background Music. To learn more about her music or to get her CD, email her: lindsey@startingwithjesus.com
For those of us living in societies often characterized as “post-Christian”, the symbol of the cross occupies a strange place in our cultural landscape—so familiar that it typically fades into the background, and yet that familiarity has certainly bred contempt. So what are we to make of the cross of Jesus? Aside from being an architectural feature of a skyline, what does this symbol really stand for? With Easter approaching, this week on Ask Away we're sharing a presentation Vince gave a few years ago on what the cross meant two millenia ago, and whether it still carries meaning today. ------ We're so glad you joined us for Ask Away. If you have a question that needs answering, we'd love to hear it. Send us an email at askawayquestion@gmail.com or call and leave a voicemail at (321) 213-9670. Ask Away is hosted by Vince and Jo Vitale, and produced by Studio D Podcast Production. New episodes come out regularly, so make sure to subscribe. The best way you can support Ask Away is to leave a review. All you have to do is open up the Podcast App on your phone, look for Ask Away, scroll down until you see ‘Write a Review' and tell us what you think. If you'd like to see videos from Vince and me, invite us to speak, or make a financial gift so that more people's questions can be heard on Ask Away, visit Kardiaquestions.com See you next time, and remember, if you have a question, it's worth asking.
LESSON 73I Will There Be Light.Today we are considering the will you share with God. This is not the same as the ego's idle wishes, out of which darkness and nothingness arise. The will you share with God has all the power of creation in it. The ego's idle wishes are unshared, and therefore have no power at all. Its wishes are not idle in the sense that they can make a world of illusions in which your belief can be very strong. But they are idle indeed in terms of creation. They make nothing that is real.Idle wishes and grievances are partners or co-makers in picturing the world you see. The wishes of the ego gave rise to it, and the ego's need for grievances, which are necessary to maintain it, peoples it with figures that seem to attack you and call for “righteous” judgment. These figures become the middlemen the ego employs to traffic in grievances. They stand between your awareness and your brothers' reality. Beholding them, you do not know your brothers or your Self.Your will is lost to you in this strange bartering, in which guilt is traded back and forth, and grievances increase with each exchange. Can such a world have been created by the Will the Son of God shares with his Father? Did God create disaster for His Son? Creation is the Will of Both together. Would God create a world that kills Himself?Today we will try once more to reach the world that is in accordance with your will. The light is in it because it does not oppose the Will of God. It is not Heaven, but the light of Heaven shines on it. Darkness has vanished. The ego's idle wishes have been withdrawn. Yet the light that shines upon this world reflects your will, and so it must be in you that we will look for it.Your picture of the world can only mirror what is within. The source of neither light nor darkness can be found without. Grievances darken your mind, and you look out on a darkened world. Forgiveness lifts the darkness, reasserts your will, and lets you look upon a world of light. We have repeatedly emphasized that the barrier of grievances is easily passed, and cannot stand between you and your salvation. The reason is very simple. Do you really want to be in hell? Do you really want to weep and suffer and die?Forget the ego's arguments which seek to prove all this is really Heaven. You know it is not so. You cannot want this for yourself. There is a point beyond which illusions cannot go. Suffering is not happiness, and it is happiness you really want.Such is your will in truth. And so salvation is your will as well. You want to succeed in what we are trying to do today. We undertake it with your blessing and your glad accord.We will succeed today if you remember that you want salvation for yourself. You want to accept God's plan because you share in it. You have no will that can really oppose it, and you do not want to do so. Salvation is for you. Above all else, you want the freedom to remember Who you really are. Today it is the ego that stands powerless before your will. Your will is free, and nothing can prevail against it.Therefore, we undertake the exercises for today in happy confidence, certain that we will find what it is your will to find, and remember what it is your will to remember. No idle wishes can detain us, nor deceive us with an illusion of strength. Today let your will be done, and end forever the insane belief that it is hell in place of Heaven that you choose.We will begin our longer practice periods with the recognition that God's plan for salvation, and only His, is wholly in accord with your will. It is not the purpose of an alien power, thrust upon you unwillingly. It is the one purpose here on which you and your Father are in perfect accord. You will succeed today, the time appointed for the release of the Son of God from hell and from all idle wishes. His will is now restored to his awareness. He is willing this very day to look upon the light in him and be saved. After reminding yourself of this, and determining to keep your will clearly in mind, tell yourself with gentle firmness and quiet certainty:I will there be light.Let me behold the light that reflects God's Will and mine.Then let your will assert itself, joined with the power of God and united with your Self. Put the rest of the practice period under Their guidance. Join with Them as They lead the way. In the shorter practice periods, again make a declaration of what you really want. Say:I will there be light. Darkness is not my will.This should be repeated several times an hour. It is most important, however, to apply today's idea in this form immediately you are tempted to hold a grievance of any kind. This will help you let your grievances go, instead of cherishing them and hiding them in darkness.- Jesus Christ in ACIM
LESSON 73I Will There Be Light.Today we are considering the will you share with God. This is not the same as the ego's idle wishes, out of which darkness and nothingness arise. The will you share with God has all the power of creation in it. The ego's idle wishes are unshared, and therefore have no power at all. Its wishes are not idle in the sense that they can make a world of illusions in which your belief can be very strong. But they are idle indeed in terms of creation. They make nothing that is real.Idle wishes and grievances are partners or co-makers in picturing the world you see. The wishes of the ego gave rise to it, and the ego's need for grievances, which are necessary to maintain it, peoples it with figures that seem to attack you and call for “righteous” judgment. These figures become the middlemen the ego employs to traffic in grievances. They stand between your awareness and your brothers' reality. Beholding them, you do not know your brothers or your Self.Your will is lost to you in this strange bartering, in which guilt is traded back and forth, and grievances increase with each exchange. Can such a world have been created by the Will the Son of God shares with his Father? Did God create disaster for His Son? Creation is the Will of Both together. Would God create a world that kills Himself?Today we will try once more to reach the world that is in accordance with your will. The light is in it because it does not oppose the Will of God. It is not Heaven, but the light of Heaven shines on it. Darkness has vanished. The ego's idle wishes have been withdrawn. Yet the light that shines upon this world reflects your will, and so it must be in you that we will look for it.Your picture of the world can only mirror what is within. The source of neither light nor darkness can be found without. Grievances darken your mind, and you look out on a darkened world. Forgiveness lifts the darkness, reasserts your will, and lets you look upon a world of light. We have repeatedly emphasized that the barrier of grievances is easily passed, and cannot stand between you and your salvation. The reason is very simple. Do you really want to be in hell? Do you really want to weep and suffer and die?Forget the ego's arguments which seek to prove all this is really Heaven. You know it is not so. You cannot want this for yourself. There is a point beyond which illusions cannot go. Suffering is not happiness, and it is happiness you really want.Such is your will in truth. And so salvation is your will as well. You want to succeed in what we are trying to do today. We undertake it with your blessing and your glad accord.We will succeed today if you remember that you want salvation for yourself. You want to accept God's plan because you share in it. You have no will that can really oppose it, and you do not want to do so. Salvation is for you. Above all else, you want the freedom to remember Who you really are. Today it is the ego that stands powerless before your will. Your will is free, and nothing can prevail against it.Therefore, we undertake the exercises for today in happy confidence, certain that we will find what it is your will to find, and remember what it is your will to remember. No idle wishes can detain us, nor deceive us with an illusion of strength. Today let your will be done, and end forever the insane belief that it is hell in place of Heaven that you choose.We will begin our longer practice periods with the recognition that God's plan for salvation, and only His, is wholly in accord with your will. It is not the purpose of an alien power, thrust upon you unwillingly. It is the one purpose here on which you and your Father are in perfect accord. You will succeed today, the time appointed for the release of the Son of God from hell and from all idle wishes. His will is now restored to his awareness. He is willing this very day to look upon the light in him and be saved. After reminding yourself of this, and determining to keep your will clearly in mind, tell yourself with gentle firmness and quiet certainty:I will there be light.Let me behold the light that reflects God's Will and mine.Then let your will assert itself, joined with the power of God and united with your Self. Put the rest of the practice period under Their guidance. Join with Them as They lead the way. In the shorter practice periods, again make a declaration of what you really want. Say:I will there be light. Darkness is not my will.This should be repeated several times an hour. It is most important, however, to apply today's idea in this form immediately you are tempted to hold a grievance of any kind. This will help you let your grievances go, instead of cherishing them and hiding them in darkness.- Jesus Christ in ACIM
The post If Satan Repented, Would God Forgive Him? Q&A for March 12, 2026 first appeared on Enduring Word.
He Is Series Day 2-El Elyon (Most High God) Genesis 14:18-20 “And King Melchizedek of Salem brought out bread and wine; he was priest of God Most High. He blessed him and said, “Blessed be Abram by God Most High, maker of heaven and earth; and blessed be God Most High, who has delivered your enemies into your hand!” And Abram gave him one-tenth of everything.” The next title for God is El Elyon. This means Most High God. If we look at how this is used in today's verse, we see two different ways of showing that our God is the Most High God. First, King Melchizedek of Salem says that God is the maker of heaven and earth. Next, he says that he delivered your enemies into your hands. I am sure we have all had times when we needed El Elyon to deliver our enemies into our hands. I can think of one instance in particular that a friend of mine just went through. She had a family member betray her very deeply. He did some work for her and then said she owed far more than she really owed him. He made up all sorts of lies and, in the end, decided to sue her. She couldn't believe that a family member would be doing this, and it caused so much pain, stress, and worry. However, she knows God, and she trusts God. This is a great time to call upon El Elyon to deliver her enemies into her hand. She did not know what she would do if she had to pay all the money the family member said she owed. Even though she had the truth on her side, there were several times throughout this whole ordeal that it looked like things were not going in her favor. There were lies that were told and believed by the courts. However, she also had records and receipts for things she had paid for, and so she knew she was right and he was in the wrong. But would the courts see it that way? Would God come through for her? Would he save her from this injustice? I hope you all know the answer to that question. Yes, of course, he would save her. Of course, he would not let evil win. The court eventually advised the family member to make a deal that was actually fair, and she did not pay more than she felt she owed. God is so good!! Here is one thing that I think we need to remember when we call up God. He is going to answer our prayers in the best way possible. That is not always the way we want Him to, and it is definitely not always in the timing that we want Him to. Remember, we are talking about the Most High God. He is the most high. That means His plan is better than our plan. I know you don't want to hear that, but it is true. That also means that His time is better than our time. I know you didn't want to hear that either. We can get tired of waiting for the Lord's time. My friend was in this legal battle for years. Not one year, not even two, I think it has been more than two years. I am sure she cried out to the Lord many times over those two years. I am sure you have too. That's ok, keep crying out. God wants us to keep asking. He wants us to keep turning to Him. He also wants us to know He is with us through it all. Even if He is not answering your prayer immediately because of some reason or another, that doesn't mean He is not in it with you. He is the one giving you the strength to keep going to work or the provisions to keep paying the lawyer. He is there with you every step of the way. There was a time in Tony's career when he had a boss who did not treat him well at all. She was always talking down to him and telling him he wasn't very good at his job. Tony has always been great at his job. His previous supervisors had praised his writing skills, as he is an excellent writer. This boss told him he didn't know how to write. It was awful, and he hated going to work. Every Sunday night, he would get very sad because it meant he would need to go to work the next day. He lived for the weekends. I am not sure if Tony prayed for God to be delivered from this. I know I prayed, though. I prayed that whole year for her to be removed from command. I prayed that God would change her heart. I prayed that the military would move her. I prayed they would move Tony to another position. I didn't know what the solution was, but I knew God did, and I prayed he would deliver Tony from this situation. She did eventually move on, and the next commander was so much better. Aside from that one commander, he has always had amazing bosses. I am not sure why Tony had to go through that one year. I am not sure why things didn't get better faster, but I do know that God was with him during that whole year. He gave Tony great friends so that he could enjoy his weekends and get a break. Despite this boss, God provided an amazing experience for us on that assignment. We got to go on trips, hang out with friends, and just enjoy life. I know that our Most High God was providing amazing things for us, even in the middle of that struggle. What about you? When you look at your life, when you look through the years, can you see where the Most High God was delivering your enemies into your hands? When did you need a problem solved, and God solved it for you? Are you in this situation right now? Do you feel attacked on all sides, and you need to be delivered? Call out to El Elyon, He is the Most High God. Nothing is stronger than Him. Nothing is more powerful than Him. He is above all the rest. Call out to Him, and He will deliver your enemies into your hands! Dear Most High God, please bless each person listening today. El Elyon, thank you for delivering our enemies into our hands. Thank you for knowing what to do and when to do it. Lord, help us to be patient while we wait for you to deliver us. Help us to trust that you are the Most High and you will save us. Please help us to keep coming to you and to keep calling out to you. We love you Lord and we ask all this in accordance with your will and in Jesus's holy name, Amen! Thank you so much for joining me on this journey to walk boldly with Jesus. I look forward to meeting you here again tomorrow. Remember, Jesus loves you just as you are, and so do I! God is on your side and we are both rooting for you! Have a blessed day! Today's Word from the Lord was received in September 2025 by a member of my Catholic Charismatic Prayer Group. If you have any questions about the prayer group, these words, or how to join us for a meeting, please email CatholicCharismaticPrayerGroup@gmail.com. Today's Word from the Lord is, “I am the Lord. I am all that you need. I have made you worthy. Do not be afraid to come. Let the Holy Spirit work in and through you. Be the blessing I want you to be.” www.findingtruenorthcoaching.comCLICK HERE TO DONATECLICK HERE to sign up for Mentoring CLICK HERE to sign up for Daily "Word from the Lord" emailsCLICK HERE to sign up for my newsletter & receive a free audio training about inviting Jesus into your daily lifeCLICK HERE to buy my book Total Trust in God's Safe Embrace
Please follow and share this episode. Doing so helps a lot!Showrunner: This episode discusses expectations, blessings, and how God's Presence can transform everything in your entire household. Would God be welcomed in your household?How much notice of His visit would you need?Would you want Him to stay or go on His way?
As we look at the Seven Letters to the Seven Churches this week, we see a pattern of seven components in each one and how they are relevant to us today.
In this first live Q&A of our Lent 2025 series Jesus in Galilee, Dom and I work through 35 questions from the more than 2,000 people who have joined the class — and true to form, Dom tries to honor every single one of them. The conversation ranges from the silver cups of Boscoreale to the Gulf of Mexico, from Josephus's gritted-teeth defense of Judaism to what a State of the Union address might look like if Jesus gave it tonight. Dom argues that the apocalyptic imagination is, bluntly, a loss of faith; that coinage was the only real mass media of antiquity; that nonviolent resistance was invented — not borrowed — in first-century Judea; and that if you want to understand what an autocrat is planning, read very carefully what the autocrat accuses his opponents of. It is, in other words, exactly the kind of conversation I look forward to all year. If you want in on the rest of the series — the lectures, the live Q&As, and the full archive — head to CrossanClass.com. You can WATCH the conversation YouTube ONLINE LENT CLASS: Jesus in Galilee w/ John Dominic Crossan What can we actually know about Jesus of Nazareth? And, what difference does it make? This Lenten class begins where all of Dr. John Dominic Crossan's has work begins: with history. What was actually happening in Galilee in the 20s CE? What did Herod Antipas' transformation of the "Sea of Galilee" into the commercial "Sea of Tiberias" mean for peasant fishing communities? Why did Jesus emerge from John's baptism movement proclaiming God's Rule through parables—and what made that medium so perfectly suited to that message? Only by understanding what Jesus' parables meant then can we wrestle with what they might demand of us now. The class is donation-based, including 0, so join, get info, and join up here. John Dominic Crossan, professor emeritus at DePaul University, is widely regarded as the foremost historical Jesus scholar of our time. He is the author of several bestselling books, including The Historical Jesus, How to Read the Bible and Still Be a Christian, God and Empire, Jesus: A Revolutionary Biography, The Greatest Prayer, The Last Week, and The Power of Parable. He lives in Minneola, Florida. Previous Podcast Episodes with Dom & Tripp A Tale of Two Gods: Why C.S. Lewis's Famous Argument Falls Apart From Iron Swords to Nuclear Bombs: Tracing 3,000 Years of Escalatory Violence Paul, Christ, & the Mystery of Execution & Resurrection Paul, Josephus, & the Challenge of Nonviolent Resistance Paul, Rome, & the Violent Normalcy of Civilization Paul & the Fictional History of Luke-Acts Paul & Thecla Ask JC Anything This podcast is a Homebrewed Christianity production. Follow the Homebrewed Christianity, Theology Nerd Throwdown, & The Rise of Bonhoeffer podcasts for more theological goodness for your earbuds. Join over 75,000 other people by joining our Substack - Process This! Get instant access to over 50 classes at www.TheologyClass.com Follow the podcast, drop a review, send feedback/questions or become a member of the HBC Community. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
God couldn't possibly instruct someone to sin, right? How do we make sense of a confusing passage in 2 Samuel that seems to indicate this?In today's episode, Pastor Derek and Pastor Jackie talk through a listener question on a specific passage of Scripture to explain why David was in sin while instructing a census to be taken. We dig through who influenced this (hint: it likely isn't God), David's potential motives in this, and how he missed one big part of God's command around taking a census to bright light to this question. We also throw out a relatable application for us today!The 17:17 podcast is a ministry of Roseville Baptist Church (MN) that seeks to tackle cultural issues and societal questions from a biblical worldview so that listeners discover what the Bible has to say about the key issues they face on a daily basis. The 17:17 podcast seeks to teach the truth of God's Word in a way that is glorifying to God and easy to understand with the hope of furthering God's kingdom in Spirit and in Truth. Scriptures: 2 Sam. 24:1-14; 1 Chr. 21:1-8; James 1:13-14; Job 1:8-12; Job 2:3-7; Zech. 3:1; Rev. 12:10; 2 Sam. 21:1-14; 1 Sam. 14:47; Josh. 9:15; Lev. 26:14-17; Exo. 30:11-16; 2 Sam. 24:16-25; 2 Chr. 3:1-2; Jer. 17:9; Prov. 16:18; Rom. 8:28; 1 Cor. 10:6, 11-14; 1 Sam. 24:3; 1 Chr. 21:3-4.If you'd like access to our show notes, please visit www.rosevillebaptist.com/1717podcast to see them in Google Drive!Please listen, subscribe, rate, and review the podcast so that we can reach to larger audiences and share the truth of God's Word with them!Write in your own questions to be answered on the show at 1717pod@gmail.com. God bless!
February 23-March 1I remember the first time I visited the massive, ancient building erected by Herod the Great in Hebron. He had it built over the Cave of Machpelah more than 2,000 years ago to mark and protect the sacred resting place of Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Rebekah, Jacob and Leah. I walked into the building as a ten-year-old with a covering over my head and my parents, brothers and a number of friends at my side. There was one place where you could go to your knees and carefully look through a brass grate and see into the cave below. A small lamp was burning there. A feeling came over me at that moment, not only that this was a sacred place, but that I was connected to Abraham. He was my direct-line grandfather. I have never forgotten that moment.
Read this Question of the Week Here: https://www.reasonablefaith.org/writings/question-answer/why-would-god-create-people-he-knew-would-go-to-hell
#DadsOfTikTok #Fatherhood #DadLife #ChristianDad #BiblicalFatherhood #RaisingKids #FamilyLeadership #FaithBasedParenting #MensHealing #MenNeedMentors #BeTheMan #PersonalGrowth #MenOfFaith #SpiritualGrowth #HealingForMen #MentorshipMattersHey friends, Joe Barlow here. Welcome back to the Dads & Fathers Podcast — this is day number nine.If you've been tracking with me, you already know this isn't just a casual conversation about parenting tips. This is about identity. It's about calling. It's about becoming the man God created you to be.Today we're asking a bold question:Why should you become a dad?Not just biologically. Not just culturally. But spiritually. Purposefully. Intentionally.There is something inside of you that has not yet been tested. There is greatness in you that has not yet been revealed. And fatherhood has a way of drawing that greatness out.God said about Abraham, “I know him.”He chose Abraham not just because he would have children — but because he would lead them. Because he would command his household. Because he would multiply righteousness in the earth.That's not just Abraham's story.That's an invitation.What kind of man are you becoming?What is in you that deserves to be multiplied?If God were looking across a line of men, would He say, “I want more like him”?Today we're talking about leadership with love. Strength with softness. Authority without harshness. And the holy responsibility of multiplying what God has placed inside you.This one may challenge you.But if you're willing, it could change you.Let's get into it.Partner:This podcast is paid for by my partners. Please consider becoming a partner with us here and help us keep the ministry producing more and more content that changes lives.Coaching:This podcast might inspire you to spend more time one on one with Joe. Coaching might be what you need for a time?Check out Joe's books & music:For the Healing of the Nations/Healing Leaves an e-book that will make receiving divine healing so easy.Healing Is Yours an instrumental album with my voice speaking scriptures, prayer and prophetic word. Excellent for those battling physical illness.Come Up For Air/The Secret of the Whale, my first children's book. I did the pictures myself using AI. The Lord gave me the message. A simple profound truth and glorious illustrations.Read it free Watch itBuy itChange Is For The Brave: Potential Is A Promise, a revision and re-write of my first book. Deep, thought-provoking sayings along with many stories about how change happens in one's life.Prayer Is… sayings and prophetic words about prayer. A real favorite.Texting Through the Clouds: Your Quest an evangelistic book, that has Jesus leading someone to know Him through a text message conversation.Words From God: A Year of Conversations similar to God Calling. A 365 day devotional with a prophetic word for each day.We appreciate all the help and support. This podcast was provided to you through the support of our partners.
Why We Build Arks When We are Saved By Grace by Autumn Dickson Moses 7 is powerful. There is so much. I have so many thoughts, but let's keep it to a few. One of those thoughts came to me while reading this verse. Moses 7:43 Wherefore Enoch saw that Noah built an ark; and that the Lord smiled upon it, and held it in his own hand; but upon the residue of the wicked the floods came and swallowed them up. Noah and his family were surrounded by wickedness and danger. They built an ark, and the Lord protected them. The rest of the people were wiped out by the flood. I want to draw your attention to two details. Noah built an ark, and the Lord held it in His hand. There is a type in this. Let's talk about one of my favorite subjects: grace and works. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is frequently attacked for not being Christian because we believe that we will be judged by our works and desires and not just by whether we believe in the right Jesus. Other Christians believe that it's just about accepting the Savior, not following Him. They believe that you don't have to do anything. Some believe that if you try to do anything, you're only taking away from His glory (or so I've been told by some of my friends; I recognize that there are nuanced beliefs within the Christian faith in general). I know others believe that it's all about belief and works simply follow belief, but the works are just not necessary. It is extremely important to note that Latter-day Saints believe 100% in grace. We believe that works are necessary, but works don't save us. Christ saves us. Works are necessary, but they perform a different function, not saving As I read the bible, over and over and over and over and over I get the message that the Lord does require works even if it's not ultimately the works that do the saving. There are places in the bible that more directly teach this concept, namely in the letters of Paul, but there is also story after story after story that teaches this principle. Noah and the ark is just one of these stories. Noah and the ark can teach us about how Christ does the saving, and it teaches us about why the Lord requires works and will judge us by our works. What do we learn from Noah's story? How does Noah's story teach us about grace and works? Let's talk about it. First of all, let's look at it before Noah even builds the ark. The Lord saved Noah and his family because they were righteous. There is a type in this. Noah and his family weren't perfect, but they were righteous. And even though they loved God, it didn't save them. It just meant that God saved them. Would God have saved them if they hadn't built the ark? My personal opinion is no. Why would He command Noah to build an ark if He didn't actually care whether Noah built it? Let's look more specifically at Noah and the ark and not everyone who died in the flood. Our verse teaches us that the Lord held Noah's ark in His hand. That's the grace right there. The Lord protected Noah. The Lord saved Noah. The verse could have said, “Noah obeyed God and built the ark, and it saved him.” But that's not what it said because that's not what Latter-day Saints believe. In fact, it doesn't even specifically say that God looked upon Noah, smiled at him, and saved him. It very specifically says that God looked at “it,” as in, the ark. God looked at the works of Noah. The works didn't save Noah, but God looked at the works, judged them as good and smiled at them, and saved Noah. If God is the one who saved Noah, then why did He have him build an ark? Why perform works? That's the million dollar question for Latter-day Saints. We believe that we are saved by grace, 100%. So why build an ark? Why do we believe in doing our best and performing works if the ark doesn't do the saving? It's because God has to judge. He has to judge who will destroy heaven and who will be able to appreciate heaven and preserve it. He could have saved all the wicked by smiling at them and holding them in his hand, but the wicked would have destroyed heaven. They would have made it as miserable as they were making the earth with their violence and idolatry. They wouldn't have been able to enjoy heaven because of their choices, because of their works. Beyond that, they would have ruined heaven. Our works don't save us, but God judges us by our works and saves us accordingly. That's what Noah's story is teaching us. The works don't save us; they just allow us to appreciate heaven and preserve it. They determine whether God steps in with the atonement of Jesus Christ, saves us, and brings us back into our heavenly home. So do Latter-day Saints believe that we are saved by works? No. We believe we are judged by them, but we believe that Christ does the saving with His atonement. I think parents of addicts understand this more than most. If you have a child who is extremely addicted to dangerous drugs, you don't keep bringing them back into your home just because they love you. They would destroy your home and any heavenly feelings that reside there. Even if you have the power to keep taking care of everything despite their addiction, I would hope that you wouldn't bring them back in to destroy everything (unless God says differently, listen to Him for specifics). If you do choose to bring them back in, then it's not home anymore. It's not heaven so no one really got saved anyway. So you make a judgment call. You pray your guts out for the child. You love the child, but you separate the child because of their works. You judge their works and preserve the home. If they repent and truly change, then they get to come back home. Not because of their works. Quitting drugs doesn't pay for the house; it just makes it so that you trust them enough to bring them home. I think it's important to also note that not everyone's ark looks the same. That's one of the beautiful things about the atonement of Jesus Christ. It removed the absolute justice that kept us from heaven. It enabled Christ to be the judge and save who He decides to save. Some of us will build an ark. Some of us will look at the barren desert before us and be lucky to build a canoe, but you know what? The Lord judges perfectly. He looks at your entire situation and what you have, and He judges perfectly. I testify that the Lord saves us with His grace. I testify that your ark is not enough to save you. I testify that even though your ark can't save you, it builds you and God judges you by your circumstances and your ark and determines whether you're going to contribute to our heavenly home. I testify that the relationship of works and grace is taught all throughout the bible. Autumn Dickson was born and raised in a small town in Texas. She served a mission in the Indianapolis Indiana mission. She studied elementary education but has found a particular passion in teaching the gospel. Her desire for her content is to inspire people to feel confident, peaceful, and joyful about their relationship with Jesus Christ and to allow that relationship to touch every aspect of their lives. Autumn was the recipient of FAIR's 2024 John Taylor Defender of the Faith Award. The post Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Moses 7 – Part 1 – Autumn Dickson appeared first on FAIR.
Patrick answers questions spanning everything from praying the rosary while making breakfast or driving, to whether it’s genuinely helpful to journal during adoration. Real-world family challenges about faith, grief, and even noise at Mass spark his down-to-earth guidance, thoughtful defense of Catholic practices, and a dose of humor when birthday wishes and smart phone-free dinners come up. Conversations swerve from discussing legal and moral responsibility under pressure to parenting in a complex culture, sometimes bluntly, always with an eye on compassion and truth. Karis - I am conservative. Spitting is not a mortal sin. The officer had already got in his truck. (00:46) Marina - Is it ok to recite the Rosary while doing things like cooking or cleaning. Can I journal during Adoration? (02:05) Jonathan – Is sinning under duress still a sin? Would God hold it against them? (05:01) Alex - Is it ok to pray the Rosary during Mass? My daughter is dating a girl. What is the most loving response I can give her? (08:18) Moe - My daughter is dating a girl. What is the most loving response I can give her? (12:00) Steve - I do pray the Rosary at Mass. It helps me get over distractions at Mass. (20:54) Debra - If my sister witnessed a trauma in her life, would she be accountable for the sins that happened after or would she only be accountable for sins committed beforehand? What does the Church teach about judgement? (26:58) Rick - Police are not supposed to engage with agitators. This is false witness and a character assassination. (34:50) Veronica - Thank you for inspiring my son and I to grow in our Catholic faith. (43:45) Geralyn - My daughter took grand kids to a restaurant, and they don’t have cell phones. Somebody paid their bill because they were not on cell phones. (48:19) Brendan - Is happiness an act of the will? (49:44)
Most of us wouldn't drink from a dirty cup — but we still expect God to pour fresh blessings into unclean vessels. In this message, Eric challenges a hard truth: freedom doesn't remove contamination — instructions do. God isn't withholding His presence. He's protecting it. This sermon unpacks why so many people feel free but still stuck, how impatience, insecurity, overthinking, jealousy, and strife quietly contaminate our lives, and why immediate obedience is often the reset we're praying for. If you're asking: “Why am I still stuck?” “Why does it feel like God isn't answering?” “What am I missing in this season?” This message is for you.
What if the most astonishing thing about Jesus isn't just that God became man—but that He willingly wore our weakness? In this episode, we reflect on the incarnation as more than a doctrine to admire, but a mystery meant to humble us and draw us to worship. From the fragility of human flesh to the depths of divine love, discover why God didn't stay distant, but stepped fully into our suffering so we could trust Him with everything To learn more about the sponsor of today's show and what our family currently uses for our healthcare check out Christian Healthcare Ministries by visiting https://hubs.ly/Q02vWQGy0 Editing and production services provided by thepodcastupload.com #TheKirkCameronShow #TheIncarnation #GodBecameMan #ChristmasReflection #Epiphany #ChristianPodcast #ChristianTheology #GospelTruth #BiblicalChristianity #FaithAndGrace #JesusOurHighPriest #GodWithUs #Emmanuel #ChristianTeaching #ReformedTheology #ChristianWorldview #BibleReflection #WorshipAndWonder
in this episode of this is kingdom, grace, tj, talon, and hollis kick off 2026 by sharing lighthearted new year wishes for one another before diving into elder patrick kearon's talk “jesus christ and your new beginning.” the hosts reflect on why new beginnings matter, from fresh starts and renewed hope to baptism, repentance, and the chance to change who we are becoming through christ. they share personal insights about letting go of the past, choosing a new path with faith, and trusting that with jesus, it is never too late to begin again.