Podcasts about Your God

Your God is Too Small | Tullian Tchividjian | "Feeling God, Part 02"Psalm 19:1-6

Take some time to reflect on the image of Your God being a protective tower around you. No matter what kind of day you've had, rest in hope and peace tonight as you draw near to the heart of God. This short, uplifting meditation from His Word will create a space at the end of the day for you to refocus on the goodness and nearness of the Lord, entrust your burdens to Him and fill your mind with His promises and faithfulness towards you. Tonight's meditation is read by Adeyinka. Meet the team at https://www.odbm.org/en-GB/about-us/meet-the-teamSend us a text message to let us know how we can make the Evening Meditations an even better experience for you!Support the showYou can now share the Evening Meditations through the updated Our Daily Bread app! If you've not done so already, download it for free from your app store.We hope that you have enjoyed this Evening Meditation from Our Daily Bread Ministries! You can find more exciting content from Our Daily Bread Ministries by following us on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and TikTok. You can even sign up to receive Our Daily Bread Bible reading notes sent straight to your door for free: ourdailybread.org/meditation. All our funding comes from our listeners, like you, who value what we do and want to help us reach more people. You can make a donation towards our mission at eveningmeditations.org.

Episode Title: Love Thy Neighbor- Beyond The Fence*The Purposefully Fit Podcast is designed to inspire, motivate, and encourage you to pursue YOUR God-given passion purposefully.Visit Coach NikE's Website: IAmNikE.com

Welcome to the VOUS Church Podcast.In today's message, Pastor Rich continues our collection, Your God is Too Small, with God Flex reminding us, God doesn't flex to impress, but to show up.Join us June 19-21 for VOUSCon, three days to encounter Jesus, get equipped, and leave empowered. Don't miss it. Head to vouscon.com to learn more.

April 25, 2025 - Equipped 2025 - Day 2 - 3:30PM Session   Rick addresses the ability of Isaiah to predict events in the future to significant detail while being a significant number of years (700) before the events would come to pass.   Isaiah 48-53 - Israel Refined for God's Glory 48 “Hear this, O house of Jacob, Who are called by the name of Israel, And have come forth from the wellsprings of Judah; Who swear by the name of the Lord, And make mention of the God of Israel, But not in truth or in righteousness; 2 For they call themselves after the holy city, And lean on the God of Israel; The Lord of hosts is His name: 3 “I have declared the former things from the beginning; They went forth from My mouth, and I caused them to hear it. Suddenly I did them, and they came to pass. 4 Because I knew that you were obstinate, And your neck was an iron sinew, And your brow bronze, 5 Even from the beginning I have declared it to you; Before it came to pass I proclaimed it to you, Lest you should say, ‘My idol has done them, And my carved image and my molded image Have commanded them.' 6 “You have heard; See all this. And will you not declare it? I have made you hear new things from this time, Even hidden things, and you did not know them. 7 They are created now and not from the beginning; And before this day you have not heard them, Lest you should say, ‘Of course I knew them.' 8 Surely you did not hear, Surely you did not know; Surely from long ago your ear was not opened. For I knew that you would deal very treacherously, And were called a transgressor from the womb. 9 “For My name's sake I will defer My anger, And for My praise I will restrain it from you, So that I do not cut you off. 10 Behold, I have refined you, but not as silver; I have tested you in the furnace of affliction. 11 For My own sake, for My own sake, I will do it; For how should My name be profaned? And I will not give My glory to another. God's Ancient Plan to Redeem Israel 12 “Listen to Me, O Jacob, And Israel, My called: I am He, I am the First, I am also the Last. 13 Indeed My hand has laid the foundation of the earth, And My right hand has stretched out the heavens; When I call to them, They stand up together. 14 “All of you, assemble yourselves, and hear! Who among them has declared these things? The Lord loves him; He shall do His pleasure on Babylon, And His arm shall be against the Chaldeans. 15 I, even I, have spoken; Yes, I have called him, I have brought him, and his way will prosper. 16 “Come near to Me, hear this: I have not spoken in secret from the beginning; From the time that it was, I was there. And now the Lord God and His Spirit Have sent Me.” 17 Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer, The Holy One of Israel: “I am the Lord your God, Who teaches you to profit, Who leads you by the way you should go. 18 Oh, that you had heeded My commandments! Then your peace would have been like a river, And your righteousness like the waves of the sea. 19 Your descendants also would have been like the sand, And the offspring of your body like the grains of sand; His name would not have been cut off Nor destroyed from before Me.” 20 Go forth from Babylon! Flee from the Chaldeans! With a voice of singing, Declare, proclaim this, Utter it to the end of the earth; Say, “The Lord has redeemed His servant Jacob!” 21 And they did not thirst When He led them through the deserts; He caused the waters to flow from the rock for them; He also split the rock, and the waters gushed out. 22 “There is no peace,” says the Lord, “for the wicked.” The Servant, the Light to the Gentiles 49 “Listen, O coastlands, to Me, And take heed, you peoples from afar! The Lord has called Me from the womb; From the matrix of My mother He has made mention of My name. 2 And He has made My mouth like a sharp sword; In the shadow of His hand He has hidden Me, And made Me a polished shaft; In His quiver He has hidden Me.” 3 “And He said to me, ‘You are My servant, O Israel, In whom I will be glorified.' 4 Then I said, ‘I have labored in vain, I have spent my strength for nothing and in vain; Yet surely my just reward is with the Lord, And my work with my God.' ” 5 “And now the Lord says, Who formed Me from the womb to be His Servant, To bring Jacob back to Him, So that Israel is gathered to Him (For I shall be glorious in the eyes of the Lord, And My God shall be My strength), 6 Indeed He says, ‘It is too small a thing that You should be My Servant To raise up the tribes of Jacob, And to restore the preserved ones of Israel; I will also give You as a light to the Gentiles, That You should be My salvation to the ends of the earth.' ” 7 Thus says the Lord, The Redeemer of Israel, their Holy One, To Him whom man despises, To Him whom the nation abhors, To the Servant of rulers: “Kings shall see and arise, Princes also shall worship, Because of the Lord who is faithful, The Holy One of Israel; And He has chosen You.” 8 Thus says the Lord: “In an acceptable time I have heard You, And in the day of salvation I have helped You; I will preserve You and give You As a covenant to the people, To restore the earth, To cause them to inherit the desolate heritages; 9 That You may say to the prisoners, ‘Go forth,' To those who are in darkness, ‘Show yourselves.' “They shall feed along the roads, And their pastures shall be on all desolate heights. 10 They shall neither hunger nor thirst, Neither heat nor sun shall strike them; For He who has mercy on them will lead them, Even by the springs of water He will guide them. 11 I will make each of My mountains a road, And My highways shall be elevated. 12 Surely these shall come from afar; Look! Those from the north and the west, And these from the land of Sinim.” 13 Sing, O heavens! Be joyful, O earth! And break out in singing, O mountains! For the Lord has comforted His people, And will have mercy on His afflicted. God Will Remember Zion 14 But Zion said, “The Lord has forsaken me, And my Lord has forgotten me.” 15 “Can a woman forget her nursing child, And not have compassion on the son of her womb? Surely they may forget, Yet I will not forget you. 16 See, I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands; Your walls are continually before Me. 17 Your sons shall make haste; Your destroyers and those who laid you waste Shall go away from you. 18 Lift up your eyes, look around and see; All these gather together and come to you. As I live,” says the Lord, “You shall surely clothe yourselves with them all as an ornament, And bind them on you as a bride does. 19 “For your waste and desolate places, And the land of your destruction, Will even now be too small for the inhabitants; And those who swallowed you up will be far away. 20 The children you will have, After you have lost the others, Will say again in your ears, ‘The place is too small for me; Give me a place where I may dwell.' 21 Then you will say in your heart, ‘Who has begotten these for me, Since I have lost my children and am desolate, A captive, and wandering to and fro? And who has brought these up? There I was, left alone; But these, where were they?' ” 22 Thus says the Lord God: “Behold, I will lift My hand in an oath to the nations, And set up My standard for the peoples; They shall bring your sons in their arms, And your daughters shall be carried on their shoulders; 23 Kings shall be your foster fathers, And their queens your nursing mothers; They shall bow down to you with their faces to the earth, And lick up the dust of your feet. Then you will know that I am the Lord, For they shall not be ashamed who wait for Me.” 24 Shall the prey be taken from the mighty, Or the captives of the righteous be delivered? 25 But thus says the Lord: “Even the captives of the mighty shall be taken away, And the prey of the terrible be delivered; For I will contend with him who contends with you, And I will save your children. 26 I will feed those who oppress you with their own flesh, And they shall be drunk with their own blood as with sweet wine. All flesh shall know That I, the Lord, am your Savior, And your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob.” The Servant, Israel's Hope 50 Thus says the Lord: “Where is the certificate of your mother's divorce, Whom I have put away? Or which of My creditors is it to whom I have sold you? For your iniquities you have sold yourselves, And for your transgressions your mother has been put away. 2 Why, when I came, was there no man? Why, when I called, was there none to answer? Is My hand shortened at all that it cannot redeem? Or have I no power to deliver? Indeed with My rebuke I dry up the sea, I make the rivers a wilderness; Their fish stink because there is no water, And die of thirst. 3 I clothe the heavens with blackness, And I make sackcloth their covering.” 4 “The Lord God has given Me The tongue of the learned, That I should know how to speak A word in season to him who is weary. He awakens Me morning by morning, He awakens My ear To hear as the learned. 5 The Lord God has opened My ear; And I was not rebellious, Nor did I turn away. 6 I gave My back to those who struck Me, And My cheeks to those who plucked out the beard; I did not hide My face from shame and spitting. 7 “For the Lord God will help Me; Therefore I will not be disgraced; Therefore I have set My face like a flint, And I know that I will not be ashamed. 8 He is near who justifies Me; Who will contend with Me? Let us stand together. Who is My adversary? Let him come near Me. 9 Surely the Lord God will help Me; Who is he who will condemn Me? Indeed they will all grow old like a garment; The moth will eat them up. 10 “Who among you fears the Lord? Who obeys the voice of His Servant? Who walks in darkness And has no light? Let him trust in the name of the Lord And rely upon his God. 11 Look, all you who kindle a fire, Who encircle yourselves with sparks: Walk in the light of your fire and in the sparks you have kindled— This you shall have from My hand: You shall lie down in torment. The Lord Comforts Zion 51 “Listen to Me, you who follow after righteousness, You who seek the Lord: Look to the rock from which you were hewn, And to the hole of the pit from which you were dug. 2 Look to Abraham your father, And to Sarah who bore you; For I called him alone, And blessed him and increased him.” 3 For the Lord will comfort Zion, He will comfort all her waste places; He will make her wilderness like Eden, And her desert like the garden of the Lord; Joy and gladness will be found in it, Thanksgiving and the voice of melody. 4 “Listen to Me, My people; And give ear to Me, O My nation: For law will proceed from Me, And I will make My justice rest As a light of the peoples. 5 My righteousness is near, My salvation has gone forth, And My arms will judge the peoples; The coastlands will wait upon Me, And on My arm they will trust. 6 Lift up your eyes to the heavens, And look on the earth beneath. For the heavens will vanish away like smoke, The earth will grow old like a garment, And those who dwell in it will die in like manner; But My salvation will be forever, And My righteousness will not be abolished. 7 “Listen to Me, you who know righteousness, You people in whose heart is My law: Do not fear the reproach of men, Nor be afraid of their insults. 8 For the moth will eat them up like a garment, And the worm will eat them like wool; But My righteousness will be forever, And My salvation from generation to generation.” 9 Awake, awake, put on strength, O arm of the Lord! Awake as in the ancient days, In the generations of old. Are You not the arm that cut Rahab apart, And wounded the serpent? 10 Are You not the One who dried up the sea, The waters of the great deep; That made the depths of the sea a road For the redeemed to cross over? 11 So the ransomed of the Lord shall return, And come to Zion with singing, With everlasting joy on their heads. They shall obtain joy and gladness; Sorrow and sighing shall flee away. 12 “I, even I, am He who comforts you. Who are you that you should be afraid Of a man who will die, And of the son of a man who will be made like grass? 13 And you forget the Lord your Maker, Who stretched out the heavens And laid the foundations of the earth; You have feared continually every day Because of the fury of the oppressor, When he has prepared to destroy. And where is the fury of the oppressor? 14 The captive exile hastens, that he may be loosed, That he should not die in the pit, And that his bread should not fail. 15 But I am the Lord your God, Who divided the sea whose waves roared— The Lord of hosts is His name. 16 And I have put My words in your mouth; I have covered you with the shadow of My hand, That I may plant the heavens, Lay the foundations of the earth, And say to Zion, ‘You are My people.' ” God's Fury Removed 17 Awake, awake! Stand up, O Jerusalem, You who have drunk at the hand of the Lord The cup of His fury; You have drunk the dregs of the cup of trembling, And drained it out. 18 There is no one to guide her Among all the sons she has brought forth; Nor is there any who takes her by the hand Among all the sons she has brought up. 19 These two things have come to you; Who will be sorry for you?— Desolation and destruction, famine and sword— By whom will I comfort you? 20 Your sons have fainted, They lie at the head of all the streets, Like an antelope in a net; They are full of the fury of the Lord, The rebuke of your God. 21 Therefore please hear this, you afflicted, And drunk but not with wine. 22 Thus says your Lord, The Lord and your God, Who pleads the cause of His people: “See, I have taken out of your hand The cup of trembling, The dregs of the cup of My fury; You shall no longer drink it. 23 But I will put it into the hand of those who afflict you, Who have said to you, ‘Lie down, that we may walk over you.' And you have laid your body like the ground, And as the street, for those who walk over.” God Redeems Jerusalem 52 Awake, awake! Put on your strength, O Zion; Put on your beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the holy city! For the uncircumcised and the unclean Shall no longer come to you. 2 Shake yourself from the dust, arise; Sit down, O Jerusalem! Loose yourself from the bonds of your neck, O captive daughter of Zion! 3 For thus says the Lord: “You have sold yourselves for nothing, And you shall be redeemed without money.” 4 For thus says the Lord God: “My people went down at first Into Egypt to dwell there; Then the Assyrian oppressed them without cause. 5 Now therefore, what have I here,” says the Lord, “That My people are taken away for nothing? Those who rule over them Make them wail,” says the Lord, “And My name is blasphemed continually every day. 6 Therefore My people shall know My name; Therefore they shall know in that day That I am He who speaks: ‘Behold, it is I.' ” 7 How beautiful upon the mountains Are the feet of him who brings good news, Who proclaims peace, Who brings glad tidings of good things, Who proclaims salvation, Who says to Zion, “Your God reigns!” 8 Your watchmen shall lift up their voices, With their voices they shall sing together; For they shall see eye to eye When the Lord brings back Zion. 9 Break forth into joy, sing together, You waste places of Jerusalem! For the Lord has comforted His people, He has redeemed Jerusalem. 10 The Lord has made bare His holy arm In the eyes of all the nations; And all the ends of the earth shall see The salvation of our God. 11 Depart! Depart! Go out from there, Touch no unclean thing; Go out from the midst of her, Be clean, You who bear the vessels of the Lord. 12 For you shall not go out with haste, Nor go by flight; For the Lord will go before you, And the God of Israel will be your rear guard. The Sin-Bearing Servant 13 Behold, My Servant shall deal prudently; He shall be exalted and extolled and be very high. 14 Just as many were astonished at you, So His visage was marred more than any man, And His form more than the sons of men; 15 So shall He sprinkle many nations. Kings shall shut their mouths at Him; For what had not been told them they shall see, And what they had not heard they shall consider. The Sin-Bearing Messiah 53 Who has believed our report? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? 2 For He shall grow up before Him as a tender plant, And as a root out of dry ground. He has no form or comeliness; And when we see Him, There is no beauty that we should desire Him. 3 He is despised and rejected by men, A Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him; He was despised, and we did not esteem Him. 4 Surely He has borne our griefs And carried our sorrows; Yet we esteemed Him stricken, Smitten by God, and afflicted. 5 But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed. 6 All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way; And the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all. 7 He was oppressed and He was afflicted, Yet He opened not His mouth; He was led as a lamb to the slaughter, And as a sheep before its shearers is silent, So He opened not His mouth. 8 He was taken from prison and from judgment, And who will declare His generation? For He was cut off from the land of the living; For the transgressions of My people He was stricken. 9 And they made His grave with the wicked— But with the rich at His death, Because He had done no violence, Nor was any deceit in His mouth. 10 Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise Him; He has put Him to grief. When You make His soul an offering for sin, He shall see His seed, He shall prolong His days, And the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in His hand. 11 He shall see the labor of His soul, and be satisfied. By His knowledge My righteous Servant shall justify many, For He shall bear their iniquities. 12 Therefore I will divide Him a portion with the great, And He shall divide the spoil with the strong, Because He poured out His soul unto death, And He was numbered with the transgressors, And He bore the sin of many, And made intercession for the transgressors.   Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cnGl00h-CJo   Duration 37:06

Pastor Timothy shows that”Your God given identity defines what you are and how you are to live.

A Sermon for Ascension Sunday Acts 1:1-11 by William Klock The King came to Canada this week and I can help but reflect on how providential this event has been—the King of Canada coming to take his throne in the Senate chamber in Ottawa—in the same week that we remember and celebrate the ascension of Jesus.  I might be tempted to title my sermon: A Tale of Two Kings. So a new Parliament needed to be opened.  A throne speech had to be read.  That's normally done by the Governor General, but these are not normal times.  The new President next door, in what has always been Canada's best friend and ally, is now making economic war and daily challenging the country's sovereignty.  It was time for the Sovereign to come and save the day.  And so the King came, and he ascended to his throne in Parliament, and he read a speech.  The last time the Sovereign did this was almost fifty years ago, so this is no small thing.  And yet the King was here for all of about twenty-four hours.  The speech he read was written by government speech-writers, not by the King.  And even then, it's vitally important in our constitutional monarchy that the King avoid any openly political speech—and so the big concern of the day, the big thing that threatens the nation's economic well-being and sovereignty—was only hinted at obliquely.  And everyone applauded.  And then the King got back into his jet and flew home.  And maybe it's just because I'm an American, but it doesn't seem to me that all the pomp and circumstance and expense really accomplished anything.  The King didn't go to Washington to negotiate peace with the belligerent bully or to rough him up a bit or even to give him a good talking to.  Instead, he came here, he sat in the Senate chamber, and recited back to the government the talking points it gave him.  Again, I mean no disrespect to the King or to Canada's constitutional monarchy, but watching and listening to this week's events as an American—although I suspect even the staunches of Christian monarchists can't help but notice it too—that there's a big—an enormous—difference between the ascension of King Charles III in Ottawa this week and the ascension of Jesus that we read about today in both our Epistle and Gospel. I listened to the throne speech and even though I know that the King can't actually do anything, when it was over I still felt like: What now?  The King flies all this way, he ascends to his throne with great pomp and circumstance, he reads a speech intended to stir patriotic feelings—and even as an American, watching and listening I felt pride for Canada—but then he got back into his airplane and went home.  He didn't do anything about the current crisis.  The enemy is still there.  In fact, the King's talk of Canadian sovereignty just seemed to provoke a new round of fifty-first state talk.  It's kind of a let down.  I don't know what I expect the King should do, but he's a king after all and I sort of have a mental image of him taking off his pinstripe jacket, putting on a shining suit of armour, going to Washington, and popping the President in the nose.  In real life that probably wouldn't solve anything.  It's just that kings are supposed to deliver their subjects in times of trouble and cast down their enemies.  Right?  That's what kings are for. This is why the disciples were so discouraged when Jesus was crucified.  They thought he was the Messiah, the anointed king, and then he got himself killed—and that's not what was supposed to happen to the king.  He was supposed to defeat his enemies and take his throne.  And then Jesus rose from death and he met them and they were so excited to go declare the good news to Jerusalem that Jesus actually had to calm them down and tell them to wait.  Enthusiasm isn't enough.  They also needed the power of God's Spirit—but that's for next week.  But for forty days Jesus has been teaching them.  He's been walking them through the scriptures and showing them how it was there along: the Messiah had to die in order to defeat his enemies and take his throne.  Like I said a couple of weeks ago, those forty days must have been the most thrilling days in all of history as Jesus taught them and as it all came together.  And yet, even then, the disciples were still stuck on the wrong things.  But now I'm getting ahead of myself for today.  Keep this all in mind and let's look at our Epistle again.  The first chapter of Acts.  Luke writes: Dear Theophilus, the previous book which I wrote had to do with everything Jesus began to do and teach.  I took the story as far as the day when he was taken up, once he had given instructions through the Holy Spirit to his apostles.   Luke is talking about his Gospel.  He goes on in verse 3: He showed himself to them alive, after his suffering, by many proofs.  He was seen by them for forty days, during which he spoke about God's kingdom.  As they were having a meal together, he told them not to go away from Jerusalem, but to wait, as he put it, “for the Father's promise, which I was telling you about earlier.  John baptised with water, you see, but in a few days from now you will be baptised with the Holy Spirit.”   So good so far.  Forty days of Bible teaching with Jesus.  All about the kingdom.  He thinks they're ready to do the proclamation part of their new ministry, they just need to wait a minute so he can ascend to this throne and send the Spirit who will empower that proclamation.  Jesus thinks their ready to be set loose on the world.  But have you ever taught something to someone, explaining it to them, and they're nodding and you think they understand.  You're ready to turn them loose.  And then they ask you a question and you realise that they still don't understand the central point of what you've been trying to teach them? I took calculus as a freshman in college.  Twice.  The only class I ever failed.  I understood the instructions.  But no matter how hard I tried and no matter how long the professor explained it to me—I had the benefit of sitting next to him in the church choir—I never understood what it was all about.  I didn't get it.  I thought that at least I could just follow the instructions to solve the equations.  I found that usually worked pretty well with math.  But it didn't with calculus.  So he—or my friends who understood calculus—would explain it to me and I'd say, “Right.  I do this, then this, then this, and so on.”  And they'd smile and say, “Yes!”  Like it was finally sinking in for me.  And then I'd do what I thought were the steps and it wouldn't work and they'd ask me to explain it, and I couldn't, because I never could wrap my head around the concept at the heart of it all. Brothers and Sisters, the kingdom was the heart of everything Jesus was teaching and doing.  And the disciples knew this.  That's, again, why they were so discouraged when he died.  Dead kings don't establish kingdoms.  But now Jesus is alive again and they're excited and especially so because for forty days Jesus has been teaching them even more about the kingdom.  And then they ask, “Master, is this the time when you are going to restore the kingdom to Israel.”   I remember the look on my calculus professor's face when he through I'd finally got it through my thick skull and how his smile faded away when he realised I didn't get it at all and I can picture the same look on Jesus' face.  Disappointment and exasperation.  I don't know.  Maybe Jesus knew that no amount of talk would get them straight on this and that it would only fall into place once they saw him ascend and once they'd received the Spirit.  But it's clear: despite all the teaching, the disciples still didn't get it. See, this idea of the “kingdom of God”, for the Jews it had become shorthand for the idea that one day the Lord would fulfil his promises, come back to Israel, take up his throne.  He'd defeat Isreal's enemies and he'd set Israel to rights—and then they'd all live happily ever after with God as their king and the pagans under their feet.  They sang songs, like Psalm 2, about the nations raging and the kings of the earth getting together to plot against the Lord and his people.  And in the middle of the song the Lord bursts out in laughter, mocking the nations and their feeble kings.  And then the Lord lets loose his wrath and announces, “I have set my king on Zion, my holy hill.”  And then the king speaks: “The Lord said to me, ‘You are my son; today I have begotten you.  Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage, and the ends of the earth your possession.  You shall break them with a rod of iron and dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel.”  And then the Psalmist can announce to the nations: “Now, O kings, be wise; be warned, O rulers of the earth.  Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling.  Kiss the son, lest he be angry and you perish in the way, for his wrath is quickly kindled.”  It's the king in shining armour come to crush his enemies and set his people to rights. They sang songs like the one in Isaiah 52 about the beautiful feet of the one who brings good news and who announces to Zion, “Your God reigns.”  “The Lord has bared his holy arm before the eyes of the nations, and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of God.”  This was the same song in which they sang about the suffering servant who would be exalted only after he had borne their griefs and sorrows, only after he'd been stricken and afflicted.”  This was the hope of Israel and this is why the disciples had followed Jesus.  They believed he was the Messiah, the king who would rescue his people and defeat their enemies.  Again, for those three days he was in the tomb it looked like they'd been wrong, but now Jesus was alive again.  They knew with absolute certainty that he really is the Messiah.  And so now they're asking him: “Your resurrection put the story back on track, Jesus.  So when are you going to fulfil those old promises, defeat the nations and their kings, and set Isreal on the top of the heap?” And Jesus says to them in verse 7: “It's not your business to know about times and dates.  The Father has placed all that under his own direct authority.  What will happen, though, is that you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you.  Then you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judaea and Samaria, and to the very ends of the earth.”   I've noticed a lot of people read this and think that Jesus is saying something like, “No.  It's not time to restore the kingdom.  I'll do that sometime in the future and only the Father knows the date.”  But that's not what Jesus is saying at all.  Think of the pair Jesus met on the road to Emmaus.  They were saying that they'd hoped Jesus was the one who would redeem Israel, but well, he'd been crucified so scratch that idea.  And that's the point when Jesus explains to them that it was actually through his crucifixion that he would accomplish God's long-promised redemption.  Even though it was there all along in songs like Isaiah 52, it doesn't seem to have occurred to anyone that the Messiah would usher in God's kingdom by his suffering and death.  And yet when Jesus says this, suddenly a lot of other things he said and did finally make sense.  Think of the stories—the parables—he told.  Over and over: The kingdom is coming—yes!—but it's not coming like you think.  Instead, the kingdom is coming like seed planted in the ground.  The kingdom is coming like leaven in a lump of dough.  The kingdom is like a man who had two sons.  Or when Jesus and the disciples were approaching Jerusalem and they asked this same question: Is the kingdom finally coming now?  And Jesus said that the kingdom is like a nobleman coming back to see if his servants have been faithful with their stewardship.  Over and over Jesus has been saying, “Yes, the kingdom is coming right now, but you keep missing it because it doesn't look like what you expected. At that last Passover meal Jesus ate with his friends, he told them that he would not drink with them again until the kingdom had arrived. And here they are, these forty days after the resurrection eating and drinking with Jesus as he teaches them.  The kingdom has come, Brothers and Sisters.  Too many Christians live as if the mission of the church is to prepare for Jesus to become king, when the church's mission is, in fact, really all about announcing and living out the reality that Jesus is the king even if his kingdom isn't quite what a lot of people expected. And then, just to make all of this absolutely clear, Luke says in verse 9: As Jesus said this, he was lifted up while they were watching and a cloud took him out of their sight.   We're prone to missing the significance of this image because we're not steeped in the Old Testament the way they were.  The disciples, however, understood exactly what was happening: Jesus was acting out the prophecy of Daniel 7.  That's the chapter were Daniel has this nightmare full of beasts coming up out of the ocean.  It's a vision of the nations and their kings raging against God's people.  But then “one like a son of man” is taken up and exalted on the clouds to sit beside the Ancient of Days.  He's given a kingdom, power, and authority so that all people, nations, and languages should serve and obey him.  It's a vision of the kingdom being restored to Israel.  And now, all through Jesus' ministry, we've heard him talking about himself as this son of man, as Israel's representative, and now—in answer to the disciples' question about the coming of the kingdom—Jesus literally acts out Daniel's vision.  He fulfils it.  In fact, in Matthew's telling of the ascension, Jesus even says—echoing the words of the Ancient of Days in Daniel—“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.  So you must go and make all the nations into disciples.” The ascension proclaims: Jesus is king and his kingdom is here.  One day Jesus will return to finish what he's begun, but never forget that it has begun.  As Paul says in Romans 15, “He has to go on ruling until he has put all his enemies under his feet.” So the disciples were thinking that Jesus was going to lead a revolution—like Judas Maccabeus or Simon bar Kochba—except this time it wouldn't fizzle out.  This time it would be successful and it would be forever.  And Jesus is saying (and acting out) that no, the kingdom has been inaugurated and it's going to take shape and grow—the nations will be put under Jesus' feet—not as the disciples take up arms, but as they go out into the world as witnesses of Jesus: as they go out and proclaim the good news that Jesus crucified and risen, is the world's true Lord and as they live out the reality of his kingdom.  Like Jesus did, the disciples would work miracles—miracles that underscored that in the kingdom all the sad thing are beginning to become untrue; and they would live lives transformed by the Spirit's fruit, but maybe more than anything else, they would confront the kings of the present evil age with the reality of Jesus' lordship.  And through their witness, the world would begin to change. It's not a linear, always progressing, always upward change.  That was the idea of theological liberalism a century ago, but two world wars and nuclear bombs and fascism and Communism blew that idea up.  But through the witness of the church, the world is changing.  I've mentioned before Tom Holland's remarkable book Dominion and how, in that book, he writes about the profound changes that the gospel brought to Western Civilisation.  Each generation lives in its own brief age and so, if we don't know anything about history, we're prone to not even noticing the changes that have happened, but happen they have.  Christians began taking in the unwanted girl babies of the Greeks and Romans, left to die of exposure, and we taught the world the value of life.  The influence of the gospel put an end to gladiatorial games and slavery.  The gospel has taught the world mercy and grace, the value of life, the dignity of each person.  And on and on.  The church, when we are faithful witnesses of Jesus and living the new creation life the Spirit gives, builds and spreads the kingdom and someday, when the work is done, Jesus will return—not to take us away, but to restore heaven and earth, God and human beings, and to put an end to death and sin once and for all.  To consummate his new creation. But there's work to do in the meantime.  He created us in the beginning to be his stewards—to cultivate his garden.  That's why, when it came time to set us back on that track, God called and created a special people for himself: to be his representative, to be his stewards, to be his living kingdom in the midst of the old.  And so Luke says, They were gazing into heaven as he disappeared.  Then, lo and behold, two men appeared, dressed in white, standing beside them.  “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why are you standing here staring into heaven?  This Jesus, who has been taken away from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you saw him go into heaven.”   Brothers and Sisters, there's work to do.  Like Jesus said, they needed to wait a few days before going out, so that when they did go out, they would go out in the power of the Spirit.  The kingdom doesn't happen in our power.  But it does happen as we go out to faithfully fulfil the mission we've been given to witness Jesus.  Our task is to go out in faith, to till the soil, to steward the garden.  It's an overwhelming task.  That's why it takes faith to go out and do it.  But we go out in faith knowing that God has given us his Spirit who infuses what we do with divine power.  We go out in faith knowing that in Jesus—at the cross and in the resurrection—God has already done the impossible part.  Now, as Paul wrote, all he has to do is go on ruling until all his enemies have been put under his feet.  There's no “if”.  It's just “until”.  It's a sure thing.  And so is the witness of his church. It doesn't always seem that way.  Sometimes it seems like we're going backwards and things are getting worse.  People won't listen or won't take us seriously.  Sometimes we're tempted to give up.  Sometimes we act like all Jesus did was come to earth to give us a rousing pep talk, then he went back home to heaven.  But read the Gospels and that's not it at all.  He hasn't just gone back to heaven and left us alone.  He's ascended to his throne, where he rules and reigns over his kingdom, which—remember—is like seed planted in the soil and like leaven in a lump of dough and like a man who had two sons.  And one day, through his people—through us—the work of his word and the work of his Spirit will be done.  The world will know his death and resurrection, it will know the forgiveness of sins, it will know the end of death, it will know mercy and grace.  The knowledge of his glory will cover the earth as the waters cover the sea and every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus is Lord.  Because Jesus died and rose again, because the Lord's word does not return void, and because he does not give his Spirit in vain. Let's pray: O God, the King of glory, you have exalted your only Son Jesus the Messiah with great triumph to your right hand in heaven: Do not leave us comfortless, but send us your Holy Spirit to strengthen us for the task you have given, and that we might look forward in hope to the day when every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus is Lord.  Amen.

Show Notes:SummaryHave you ever felt like your vision's gone blurry? Like the dream God gave you is buried under fear, fatigue, or failure? I've been there too. In this episode, I'm walking you through how to clear the fog, lift your eyes to Father, and start seeing again—through faith, not just sight. If you've lost clarity about what's next, this one's for you, my friend. Let's reclaim your vision—together.TakeawaysThat vision God gave you? It's not gone—it's just buried under a little fog.If you've been tired, discouraged, or afraid to dream again, I see you—and we're clearing that clutter together.You can't run toward something you can't see. Let's clear up your focus so you can move forward.When you lift your eyes to Father, you're going to see more clearly—both spiritually and scientifically (yep, brain science backs it).Faith isn't about having it all mapped out—it's trusting the One who already does.You don't need to wait for clarity to take a step—clarity actually comes when you start moving.We're calling out the fog—whether it's fear, failure, or just plain burnout—and giving it over to God.You're not disqualified. Not by the past. Not by what didn't work. You're still called.Holy Spirit is right there with you, revealing what's to come and reminding you of what's true.You're not alone, and you don't have to figure it all out—just trust God with the next step.Sound Bites“You cannot run toward a blurry vision.”“Your God-given vision isn't gone—it's buried under fear, fatigue, or false starts.”“Lift your eyes. Your help comes from Father, not your feed.”“Vision isn't about clarity; it's about trust.”Chapters00:00 Reclaiming Your Vision01:20 Intro Reclaim Your Vision and Roar Back Series Recap03:17 Where My Vision Got Cloudy06:08 Identifying the Fog08:28 Lesson 1: Clear the Fog11:58 Focus the Reticular Activating System (RAS) on Future You Want Not Past14:37 Lesson 2: Lift Your Eyes18:45 Lesson 3: See with Faith, Not Just Sight24:46 Recap Reclaim Your Vision26:41 Courageous Action Steps29:20 Sneak Peek Next Week's Episode29:46 Can You Do Me a Favor?Courageous Action: 5 Steps to Reclaim Your VisionTake 10 minutes today—quiet, reflective time—to listen and take action:Pray – Lift your eyes and ask Father to help you reclaim your vision.Name Your Fog – Is it fear, fatigue, failure? Identify and surrender it.Reconnect with Father's Heart – Ask: “What are You inviting me into?” Listen and write it down.Write the Vision – Whether it's new or buried, write down what you see and the next step.Take the Step – What's one baby step you can take in the next 24 hours? Do it. Don't wait.Heather Bunch – The Courageous Coach Heather is a certified life and Enneagram coach, speaker and author who helps women of faith close the gap between their dreams and reality by Live Fearlessly Free. Now they can stop hiding, show up fully themselves and fulfill their God-given purpose–courageously. Heather also uses her ninja writing skills to help other coaches, speakers, and authors get their ideas out of their heads into their signature systems and books so they can create the income and income they dream about. Heather's book is available on Amazon––Hello, Courageous! The Gal's Guide to Delight, Discover, and Direct Your Divine Life by Heather Bunch: https://hellocourageous.com/hcbookOr get it on Amazon at: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CP3BZ7ZPBeat Procrastination cheat sheet: https://www.heatherbunch.com/beatitYou can find Heather at https://www.heatherbunch.com. Or email her at hello@heatherbunch.com

Welcome to the VOUS Church Podcast. In today's message, Pastor Rich kicks off our new collection Your God is Too Small, challenging us to tear down the boxes we've placed around God and allow Him to reshape how we see and live. Join us June 19–21 for VOUSCon, a gathering to encounter Jesus, equip the Church, and empower the next generation. Visit vouscon.com to learn more.

 Watch as the wrong ANALYSIS of God results in wrong action and wrong BELIEF of God results in wrong BEHAVIORS. This is in the shadow of God reminding them that I am YOUR God; I fight for you. I go before you. I show you the way to go. I carry you like a father carries his son.Even so, after God speaks to them so tenderly, they'll not obey, not follow and not really repent. There'll be lots for us to learn. Subscribe too: https://youtu.be/xG5HMZD-RXw

Statements of fact for the Israelites:I am YOUR God; I fight for you. I go before you. I give clear guideposts to you in the day and the night. I show you the way to go. And Most beautifully: I carry you when necessary. How far? All the way. When? when you are in the wilderness. Subscribe to be carried a bit tomorrow: https://youtu.be/nCZyPoQecW4

This wonderful passage shows our Savior, 700 years before the incarnation, suffering and receiving honor and glory. Chad gives such pastoral encouragement in his meditation on this scripture. The amazing Markita Knight sings "Don't Let Me Go Astray". Show Notes: Support 1517 Podcast Network 1517 Podcasts 1517 on Youtube 1517 Podcast Network on Apple Podcasts 1517 Events Schedule 1517 Academy - Free Theological Education What's New from 1517: Preorder Sinner Saint by Luke Kjolhaug The Impossible Prize: A Theology of Addiction by Donavan Riley Ditching the Checklist by Mark Mattes Broken Bonds: A Novel of the Reformation, Book 1 of 2 by Amy Mantravadi More from the hosts: Chad Bird Lyrics to "Don't Let me Go Astray" Isaiah 49: 1-6   You were there in ages past And called from the womb Called to redeem the lost And rise out of the tomb You are the Light Light of the nations  Until the end, and after My Salvation My Salvation Chorus Don't let me  go astray Don't let it be for nothing  Don't let me fall away As I wait for your coming My Salvation My Salvation You were despised and rejected  Your labor was not in vain In the shadow of Your hand, you hid me You saved me and know my name Open your ears, all you people Pay attention near and far Our salvation Our salvation But You said, “I have labored in vain;
    I have spent my strength for nothing and vanity;
yet surely my right is with the Lord,
      my recompense with my God.”   And now the Lord says,
    he who formed You from the womb to be his servant,
to bring Jacob back to him;
    and that Israel might be gathered to him—
for You are honored in the eyes of the Lord,
    and Your God has become Your strength—.   Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia

How can Christian entrepreneurs can eliminate distractions, escape comparison, and focus on what truly matters? Garrett is joined today by Matt Farnham and together, they challenge the hustle narrative by encouraging listeners to work from approval, not for it, and to focus their energy on what brings purpose, significance, and eternal value.From the tension between work and family to the trap of perfectionism and the power of divine appointments, this episode is a roadmap to purpose-driven living in business and beyond. Garrett and Matt also introduce the launch of the One Life Podcast, created to help Christians live intentionally and fully aligned with their calling.Key Takeaways:✅ Distraction is one of the enemy's greatest tools—eliminate it to refocus on what's eternal✅ Comparison culture robs contentment and clarity✅ Harmony, not balance, is the key to integrating work and family✅ You are already approved in Christ—work from that truth✅ Focus on things that make tomorrow better than today✅ Spiritual warfare often looks like busyness and perfectionism✅ Your God-given talents point to your unique calling✅ Delegation and simplicity can free you to focus on significance✅ Presence > proximity when it comes to family✅ Faith should anchor both personal and professional decisions✅ Divine appointments often require slowing down to notice✅ You don't retire from a life of purpose—you lean deeper into itEpisode Chapters:⏳ 00:00 – Introduction to the One Life Journey

Mama, true beauty isn't just seen—it's felt in the words we speak and the peace we bring. Join us today as we reflect on what it means to be a gentle peacemaker and how your spirit, shaped by Christ, can shift the atmosphere of your home.“How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, ‘Your God reigns!'” Isaiah 52:7

Episode Title: It's Not Over*The Purposefully Fit Podcast is designed to inspire, motivate, and encourage you to pursue YOUR God-given passion purposefully.Visit Coach NikE's Website: IAmNikE.com

Your purpose isn't about striving to be perfect or get it all together. Your God-given purpose is to become more and more like Jesus, little by little, each day!

The Gospel: Our Need of a King Introduction: “How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who publishes peace, who brings good news of happiness, who publishes salvation, who says to Zion, ‘Your God reigns.'” (Isaiah 52:7 ESV). You will notice in the above text that the good news […] The post The Gospel: Our Need of a King appeared first on Woodland Hills Church of Christ.

Your purpose isn't about striving to be perfect or get it all together. Your God-given purpose is to become more and more like Jesus, little by little, each day!

Thank you Dr. Bryan Loritts, another play of the day.  Thank you Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship in Dallas, TX, for hosting and sharing.  We both agree.  Bryan is an annointed speaker for a season such as this.  I strongly encourage you to listen to the rest of that message.  Simply click the YouTube link in the show description or search "Your God is Too Small" and Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship. https://www.youtube.com/live/qg02n4VfoSM?si=Z7KAiIg7iMKBwyQKThat is such a mic drop that I'm a bit speechless.  Do you know a story like that?  If so, please let us know at FriDudes.com. On the flip side, I know people that filed for divorce for a lot, lot, less.  Heck, I've been upset with my wife of 30+ years for a lot, lot less.  As I've said countless times on this podcast, any relationship you care about, you don't have to be married to get this, any relationship you care about...will not last without grace.  Choosing to give grace, forgiveness.  Choosing to love.  For those 'IN LOVE', falling in and out of love is for rookies.  Sooner or later, you are going to have to choose to love on certain days.  Most certainly, you are going to need to choose forgiveness and grace to keep going.Back to you, that is your relationship with God.  You've cheated on God somewhere.  How do I know that?  Rom 3:23.  Yet we have this amazing gift in Rom 8:1.  Wouldn't we be the ultimate hypocrites is we didn't extend the same.  As stated before, doesn't mean you need to hug it out with that person that hurt you.  It does mean you hand over that hurt to God.  Quit carrying that hurt around like a tattoo on your face.  As for that unbelievable dude in that Play of the Day.  Think about it.  His selflessness kept a family together.  It kept a marriage together.  Most important, it added a new member to the forever kingdom.  A truly amazing story that I am already relaying.  Maybe you too.  Spread what works.Matt 22:  36-40

Episode Title: Make a Decision*The Purposefully Fit Podcast is designed to inspire, motivate, and encourage you to pursue YOUR God-given passion purposefully.Visit Coach NikE's Website: IAmNikE.com

#589 Walk humbly with Your God.    Imaging taking a walk with God?  How about dinner with Jesus?  How about taking God to work with you, inviting His into every facet of your life?  This is actually what our faith offers us, a daily connection and inclusion of God in our every day living.  What could be greater?  Ready to get into this exciting topic? Let's go….                         

Episode Title: Live Beyond The Post*The Purposefully Fit Podcast is designed to inspire, motivate, and encourage you to pursue YOUR God-given passion purposefully.Visit Coach NikE's Website: IAmNikE.com

Episode Title: Ditch the Distractions*The Purposefully Fit Podcast is designed to inspire, motivate, and encourage you to pursue YOUR God-given passion purposefully.Visit Coach NikE's Website: IAmNikE.com

Immeasurably More// Faith Under Fire// March 30, 2025Ephesians 6:10-20 (NIV)“Finally, BE STRONG in the Lord and in the strength of HIS MIGHT. Put on the full armor of God so we can take our stand against the devil's schemes because our battle is not against flesh and blood but against rulers and against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” 2 Corinthians 10:3-5 (NIV)“For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does…On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”Isaiah 59:14-17 (NIV)“So, justice is driven back, and righteousness stands at a distance; truth has stumbled in the streets, honesty cannot enter. Truth is nowhere to be found, and whoever shuns evil becomes a prey. The Lord looked and was displeased that there was no justice. He saw that there was no one, he was appalled that there was no one to intervene, so his own arm achieved salvation for him, and his own righteousness sustained him. He put on righteousness as his breastplate, and the helmet of salvation on his head; he put on the garments of vengeance and wrapped himself in zeal as in a cloak.” The armor is about confidence in God's ability to hold all those elements of the armor true and together.  The Helmet is His Salvation Isaiah 12:2 (NIV)“Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The Lord, the Lord himself, is my strength and my defense; he has become my salvation.” Ephesians 2:8 (NIV)“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God.”   The Breastplate is His RighteousnessPhilippians 3:8-9 (NIV)“What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith.” The Belt is His TruthPsalm 33:4 (KJV)“For the word of the LORD is right, and all His work is done in truth.” Ephesians 4:14 (NIV)“Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming.” The Sword of the Spirit is His WordHebrews 4:12 (NIV) “For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.”  The Shoes are His Gospel of PeaceIsaiah 52:7 (NIV)“How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, “Your God reigns!” The gospel is meant to be peace with God and peace with one another. The Shield of FaithFaith is deliberate confidence in the character of God.Faith is not about my ability to believe but it's about His ability to BE.His unfailing character and person.  Faith is not about my ability to believe but it's about His ability to BE.  John 14:26,27 (NIV)“But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you…Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”  

Episode Title: Embrace the Interruptions*The Purposefully Fit Podcast is designed to inspire, motivate, and encourage you to pursue YOUR God-given passion purposefully.Visit Coach NikE's Website: IAmNikE.com

Year C – Third Sunday in Lent – March 23, 2025 Pastor Megan Floyd Luke 13:1-9 Isaiah 55:1-13   Grace and peace to you from God, our Father, and from our Lord, Jesus Christ, who, together with the Holy Spirit, long for us to live fruitful lives full of abundance. Amen. *** I learned a long time ago that… I can't tell the difference between a trombone and a baritone… or an oboe and a clarinet. Now, if I'm looking at them, then yes, I can tell them apart and would even agree that they sound different… but the quality of their different sounds is not overly distinctive to my ear… so I struggle to tell them apart based on sound alone. It's just not something I have much experience with. I discovered this… tragic failing of mine back in college when I had some elective courses to fill, and I thought it would be fun to take …the History of Jazz. I thought I was taking a history class… I enjoy history… But it was not so… it was apparently a music class disguised as a history class. And I almost failed… A big part of the class involved listening to classic jazz pieces and identifying the parts of the music… not only the instrument but the artist… based on the way they were playing. I was way out of my league. But over the course of the semester, I was able to train my ear just enough to scoot by… and I also think the professor had mercy on me. I know there are people out there who are naturally gifted with hearing and can pick up on subtle differences in sound… but I think most of us have to be trained to do that… …and if we want to keep that skill and build on it, well… then we need to practice. It's very similar to our ability to recognize God's presence in our lives… and to truly listen to God's word in such a way that it shapes our lives toward fruitful living. We have to be taught… trained to recognize God through word and action… and we have to return to God every day… to practice. *** The prophet Isaiah tells us this week to “Seek the Lord while he may be found, call up him while he is near.” It's part of this beautiful invitation to come to the banquet… all who thirst… and all who hunger… Come! Eat and drink… it's all freely given, and it is so much better than the junk food you had before… the stuff that did not satisfy… come… and eat what is good! No one is turned away! The Lord is near… and wants you to truly live! This must have been incredible for the Israelites to hear… it was likely written around the time of Israel's return from the Babylonian exile, around 538 B.C.E. Can you imagine? Returning home after being exiled… returning to God after hardship and struggle… and hearing God's promise anew that God's love covers all. God proclaims… “Incline your ear, and come to me; listen, so that you may live.” Listen. Train your ear to hear… Listen to God's word… and hear the promise that is spoken over you. Listen… so that you may live! And to those who have wandered away… to those who have chosen or stumbled onto the wicked and unrighteous path… let them also listen… and hear God's promise… so that they might also return to God… and God will have abundant mercy on them. Listen… so that you may live! Your God, who loves you, wants you to have the fruitful and flourishing life that you were created to have… God wants your life… to bear good fruit… and through God's word, we are given all we need to achieve it. But we must listen… and return daily to God's word… to practice our hearing. *** There are just a few problems with all this… For starters, this open invitation to all is… well… pretty open… but we humans sure do like exclusivity… we like the V.I.P. treatment… so we struggle with the idea that everyone is invited to this banquet. Also, we like to think there is a hierarchy of sins… but that's our invention… God doesn't seem to play that way. God's offer of compassion and mercy doesn't seem to have the qualifiers that our human systems want to place around everything. And furthermore… sure… God wants us to live a fruitful life… but that's harder for some… for all sorts of reasons… with lots of stumbling along the way. Even if we ignore the fact that many of the struggles some people face are due to the sin of human systems that are designed to keep them down and struggling… Most human… societies or even families… eventually want to give up on those who struggle with bearing good fruit… And yet, like the fig tree in our Gospel passage from Luke 13, God seems determined to give us more chances… to give us more time… to nurture us, and help us grow… God is determined for us to train our ears to hear… to listen… so that we may return to our Lord and live the fruitful and flourishing lives God created us to live! God comes to us in our pain and our struggle… and says… have mercy… give it another year… let us nurture this beloved child and give her more time… Because… thankfully…mercifully…  God's thoughts are not our thoughts… and God's ways are not our ways. Through the prophet Isaiah, God declares that God's love will not be denied… no obstacle is greater than God's word! For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return there until they have watered the earth, making it bring forth and sprout… So shall my word be… it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and succeed in the thing for which I sent it. For you shall go out in joy, and be led back in peace! God is near to you now… and longs for you to incline your ear and listen to the promise found in God's word… to hear that word and repent, so you might return to the Lord, your God, every day. *** Both Isaiah and Luke emphasize the urgency of our repentance… but to be clear… this isn't a transactional experience… Repentance… returning our heart and mind to God… is not a quid-pro-quo… it is not a trade we make with God… we are not trading our remorseful apology for God's grace and forgiveness. Our repentance… is an act of faith… It's an acknowledgment of how much we need God's grace, and it communicates our trust that God hears us, knows us to our core, and still loves us. God offers us grace and forgiveness… and our repentance allows us to receive these gifts… receive them, but not hide them… God's gifts are meant to be shared. Our repentance is an act of faith that opens the way to a life that bears good fruit. …it acknowledges that when we return our hearts and minds to God, and truly listen to God's word with ears that are trained to hear… it will shape us… it will shift our hard-heartedness into compassion and patience… our cruelty into mercy and kindness… and our indifference into empathy and love. Compassion… patience… mercy… kindness… empathy… and love… are signs of a fruitful life… the kind of flourishing that God created us to live. *** But even if we are not quite there… even if we stumble and are not quite as compassionate or loving as we ought to be… God, who is near, tells us to practice our training. Give it a little more time… return to God now and incline your ear to God's word that guides us back to fruitful living. Don't wait until you have it perfect… don't wait until you think you are worthy… return now. God is not waiting for us to figure everything out… not waiting to bestow grace upon us until we have shed all questions and doubt. No… God is already here, speaking to us… speaking a word of light into our darkness… a word of love into our suffering… and so we train our ear to listen, to hear God's word. Like the talent of distinguishing a trombone from a baritone… we learn to distinguish God's word based on the good fruit it produces, both in us and through us. And we return to the Lord daily to be nourished by God's word… and trust that God's word, which is sent out with joy, will not return empty but will be led back in peace. Listen… so that you may live! Amen.

Episode Summary: In honor of International Happiness Day, join me as I sit down with Rev. Jessica Van Roekel to explore what it really means to count it all joy. As we reflect on personal experiences and biblical examples, we’ll highlight the distinction between circumstantial happiness and the deep, steadfast joy that comes from trusting God through trials. You’ll gain a deeper understanding of how joy can be a deliberate response to life’s challenges, cultivating faith and steadfastness. Whether you’re navigating hardship or seeking a renewed perspective, this conversation offers hope and encouragement to find joy in every circumstance. International Day of Happiness aims to make people around the world realize the importance of happiness within their lives. This day encourages people to spread happiness through a small action. But what happens when actions don’t cut it, and the feeling of happiness lasts mere seconds? What do we do when the idea of happiness seems far off and impossible? Quotables from the episode: I liken joy and happiness, the difference between that is that a river usually has a source. And A river can get filled up with mud and leaves and twigs and even beavers come along and build dams and so further on down the little stream, it's just dried up, rocky, dry bed. But if you follow that stream, you eventually come to the source and the source is where it just bubbles out. And that's how I liken happiness and joy is that joy is the source. My relationship with the Lord is my source of really life. It's my source of source of strength. It's my source of everything. The breath that I breathe comes from God and that is my joy. So, I can have these circumstances like postpartum where it felt like continue on with the analogy that streambed dried up. It's like the depression built this dam between the feelings of happiness and yet that joy, the source was still bubbling and still there. From a neuroscience perspective, happiness and joy engage the brain in distinct but overlapping ways. Both emotions activate reward systems in the brain, but their triggers, durations, and neural pathways differ significantly. Happiness is often a fleeting emotional state triggered by external stimuli or achievements, like eating a favorite meal, receiving a compliment, or reaching a goal. The brain's happiness response is typically short-lived, subsiding once the rewarding experience ends or the novelty wears off. Joy is a deeper, more enduring emotional state that often arises from intrinsic sources, such as gratitude, faith, or connection with others. Unlike happiness, it does not rely solely on external circumstances. Joy is more sustainable than happiness because it is less tied to transient external factors and more rooted in internal states like faith, gratitude, and meaningful relationships. Happiness primarily relies on external stimuli and rewards, triggering immediate but temporary dopamine release Joy emerges from internal processes and deeper reflections, engaging serotonin pathways and regions involved in emotional and existential meaning. Happiness is short-term, as the brain’s reward circuitry adapts quickly to pleasurable stimuli (a phenomenon called hedonic adaptation). Joy is longer-lasting, supported by neural circuits linked to emotional regulation, contentment, and resilience. Happiness can be disrupted by stress, as the brain's focus shifts to managing perceived threats. Joy can coexist with stress, as it often stems from a sense of purpose or faith that provides emotional resilience during trials. Happiness happens to us while joy happens within us—fruit of the Spirit, a choice, endures hardships/sufferings. Happiness is a reaction but joy is a practice and a behavior, deliberate and intentional. In the Bible, happiness appears less than 30 times but joy appears hundreds of times. Counting it all joy when we face trials means we: experience God’s strength, feel the power of faith, hang on God’s powerful arm, and witness God’s work. When we “count it all joy” God proves himself faithful to produce steadfastness in our hearts. Scripture References: James 1:2-4, ESV “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And Let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.” Esther 8:16, NIV “For the Jews it was a time of happiness and joy, gladness and honor.” Proverbs 23:25, NLT “So give your father and mother joy! May she who gave you birth be happy.” Psalm 92:4, NET “For you, O Lord, have made me happy by your work. I will sing for joy because of what you have done.” Isaiah 52:7, ESV and NASB “How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who publishes peace, who brings good news of happiness, who publishes salvation, who says to Zion, “Your God reigns.” Psalm 32:1-2 NLT “Oh, what joy for those whose disobedience is forgiven, whose sin is put out of sight! Yes, what joy for those whose record the LORD has cleared of guilt, whose lives are lived in complete honesty! 2 Corinthians 12:10 That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong. Recommended Resources: Reframing Rejection: How Looking Through a Different Lens Changes Everything By Jessica Van Roekel Sacred Scars: Resting in God’s Promise That Your Past Is Not Wasted by Dr. Michelle Bengtson The Hem of His Garment: Reaching Out To God When Pain Overwhelms by Dr. Michelle Bengtson, winner AWSA 2024 Golden Scroll Christian Living Book of the Year and the 2024 Christian Literary Awards Reader’s Choice Award in the Christian Living and Non-Fiction categories YouVersion 5-Day Devotional Reaching Out To God When Pain Overwhelms Today is Going to be a Good Day: 90 Promises from God to Start Your Day Off Right by Dr. Michelle Bengtson, AWSA Member of the Year, winner of the AWSA 2023 Inspirational Gift Book of the Year Award, the 2024 Christian Literary Awards Reader’s Choice Award in the Devotional category, the 2023 Christian Literary Awards Reader’s Choice Award in four categories, and the Christian Literary Awards Henri Award for Devotionals YouVersion Devotional, Today is Going to be a Good Day version 1 YouVersion Devotional, Today is Going to be a Good Day version 2 Revive & Thrive Women’s Online Conference Revive & Thrive Summit 2 Trusting God through Cancer Summit 1 Trusting God through Cancer Summit 2 Breaking Anxiety’s Grip: How to Reclaim the Peace God Promises by Dr. Michelle Bengtson, winner of the AWSA 2020 Best Christian Living Book First Place, the first place winner for the Best Christian Living Book, the 2020 Carolina Christian Writer’s Conference Contest winner for nonfiction, and winner of the 2021 Christian Literary Award’s Reader’s Choice Award in all four categories for which it was nominated (Non-Fiction Victorious Living, Christian Living Day By Day, Inspirational Breaking Free and Testimonial Justified by Grace categories.) YouVersion Bible Reading Plan for Breaking Anxiety’s Grip Breaking Anxiety’s Grip Free Study Guide Free PDF Resource: How to Fight Fearful/Anxious Thoughts and Win Hope Prevails: Insights from a Doctor’s Personal Journey Through Depression by Dr. Michelle Bengtson, winner of the Christian Literary Award Henri and Reader’s Choice Award Hope Prevails Bible Study by Dr. Michelle Bengtson, winner of the Christian Literary Award Reader’s Choice Award Free Webinar: Help for When You’re Feeling Blue Social Media Links for Host and Guest: Connect with Jessica Van Roekel: Website / Instagram / Facebook For more hope, stay connected with Dr. Bengtson at: Order Book Sacred Scars / Order Book The Hem of His Garment / Order Book Today is Going to be a Good Day / Order Book Breaking Anxiety’s Grip / Order Book Hope Prevails / Website / Blog / Facebook / Twitter (@DrMBengtson) / LinkedIn / Instagram / Pinterest / YouTube / Podcast on Apple Co-Host: Jessica Van Roekel is a worship leader, speaker, and writer who believes that through Jesus, personal histories don’t need to define the present or determine the future. She inspires, encourages, and equips others to look at life through the lenses of hope, trust, and God’s transforming grace. Jessica lives in rural Iowa surrounded by wide open spaces which remind her of God’s expansive love. She loves fun earrings, good coffee, and connecting with others. Hosted By: Dr. Michelle Bengtson Audio Technical Support: Bryce Bengtson Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Deity of Christ Interpretations of the Bible Dishonor the Father, the Only True God If Jesus is God, then God the Father is not the one true God. The claim that “Jesus is God” becomes the main building block used by humans to construct a multi-person god. If Jesus is one member of a multi-person (or a Triune god) then the multi-person god is the one God, and the Father is not.  Mainstream Christians agree that there is one God.  “Weare monotheists. We believe in one God”. But for mainstream Christians, the one God is made up of three persons.   Either the Father, a singular self, is the one true God, or a multi-person god is the one God.  But if the Father is the one true God, then the claim that “Jesus is God” (that God is multi-persons) is an attempt to denigrate the only true God -- the Father. What deity of Christ and Trinitarian interpreters are doing is attempting to put another god on the face of and in the place of our God and Father.  The HIGH cost of any “deity of Christ” interpretations is an attempt to claim that the Father is not the one, the only true God.  Christians need to decide: who is your God. Either the Trinity, or the Father alone. Your God can't be both.For full text of the podcast, see here:https://landandbible.blogspot.com/2025/03/the-high-cost-of-deity-of-christ.html#deityofchrist, #biblicalunitarian, #billschlegel

Session 2 - The Water“Say to those with fearful hearts, Be Strong, do not fear; Your God will come…He will come to Save you!” - Is. 35:4

Session 2 - The Water“Say to those with fearful hearts, Be Strong, do not fear; Your God will come…He will come to Save you!” - Is. 35:4

How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, “Your God reigns!” — Isaiah 52:7 One day in 1987 the rain poured down as we made our way to a church workers meeting in a little chapel on Panay Island in the Philippines. The chapel was separated from the nearest road by a kilometer of rice fields. We took off our shoes and socks, rolled up our pantlegs, and walked across the fields on little dikes between the rice paddies. I was not skilled at this, and my foot slipped into a muddy paddy several times. The meeting was a monthly gathering for fellowship and mutual encouragement—and sometimes problem solving— for leaders from 10 churches on the island. It was a warm time of worship, sharing, and prayer. I won't forget the tasty sinuk mani (a sweet rice treat) served on banana leaves by the host church that day. Then we walked back across the rice fields. Soaked again with rain, I took a picture of my muddy feet. Later I sent copies, with Isaiah 52:7 written on them, to the churches that were supporting me. When we get involved in God's mission, muddy feet and rain-soaked clothes may be among the least of the challenges we face. But they won't measure up to the joys of sharing the good news and gathering for fellowship with believers in remote places. Where is God leading you to bring the good news? Thank you, Lord, for the joys of cross-cultural fellowship. Be with mission workers who may be struggling with cultural-adjustment challenges today. In Jesus, Amen.

Episode Title: Beauty In Unity*The Purposefully Fit Podcast is designed to inspire, motivate, and encourage you to pursue YOUR God-given passion purposefully.Visit Coach NikE's Website: IAmNikE.com

Years ago there was a wonderful little book written by J.B. Phillips called Your God is Too Small. It's what Martin Luther meant when he said to Erasmus in the 16th century, "Your God is too human [like]." The LORD Himself puts it like this in Isaiah 40:25, "To whom then will you compare me...?" (ESV) God is great, Westtown Church! Let's move Forward in Faith and celebrate our great God together!Support the show

Scripture - Luke 24:36-49  “What Is Written”.  Other scripture: Exodus 15:2,Isaiah 52:7, Psalm 27:1, 1 Chronicles 16:35  Our story today continues with the two disciples in the story, “Road to Emmaus” from last week who once they understood that it was Jesus they had been talking with, immediately returned to Jerusalem. Our story picks up after they have arrived back in Jerusalem and are with the others in a private, locked room when suddenly Jesus Himself is with them in the room and greets them, “Peace be with you!” Peace… The peace we receive from Jesus is life transforming. Peace or the Hebrew word, Shalom, means everything is right with the world because everything is right with God because when Jesus rose from the grave it shows that now everything is now right with God and with those who have repented and received Him by faith.  As those people with God's peace, we know that ALL things are going to work together for good, we know God has won the victory and that we will be part of His final triumph - so fear flees and peace comes! Back to the story: Jesus' sudden appearance startles them. He's supposed to be dead and defeated and yet here He is and He is no longer dead - He is not defeated, He is VICTORIOUS! Jesus shows them His hands and feet and eats with them and reminds them that everything written about Him in the books of the Law, the prophets and the psalms was fulfilled through Him. Then He opens their minds so they can understand the Scripture and they see who He truly is and how the scripture is all about Him.  Jesus' name means SALVATION - and all throughout scripture the One who saves is mentioned over and over - Jesus is the One who has become our Salvation. Jesus IS Salvation! In Hebrew the word for Jesus is the same word as the word for Salvation.  It's an interesting exercise to read scriptures replacing “Jesus” for the word “salvation.”  Examples: Psalm 27:1 The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?  Becomes: The Lord is my light and my JESUS; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? Exodus 15:2 The Lord is my strength and my defense; he has become my salvation. He is my God, and I will praise him, my father's God, and I will exalt him. Becomes: “The Lord is my strength and my defense; he has become my JESUS. He is my God, and I will praise him, my father's God, and I will exalt him. One more, Isaiah 52:7 How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, “Your God reigns!” Becomes: How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim JESUS, who say to Zion, “Your God reigns!” Jesus is all over the Hebrew Scriptures (Old Testament). It is not simply the prophetic words that predicted His coming, his death and His resurrection; it is not merely the historic events that mirrored who He would be and give us a picture of Him before He even came; it is not simply the promisee of the prophet's that Messiah would come - HIS NAME - Is everywhere! He is salvation!  Salvation and Jesus are the same Hebrew word. Wherever you read salvation it is Jesus! Now it will be impossible to miss it every time you read it! As our story continues, Jesus talks how the scriptures say He would suffer, die but rise again. He talks of how repentance for the forgiveness of sin would be preached in Jerusalem and then into the whole world, and he shares how they were witnesses to these things. He ends with the promise of the Holy Spirit. As we look at the New Testament - we can see for example that the story of Zacchaeus when Jesus said, “Today, Salvation has come to this house” that Jesus was probably speaking Hebrew (not Greek, the language the New Testament was written in) so what is translated “salvation” was most likely “Jesus” so it sounds like this: Jesus said, “Today, JESUS has come to this house!” Jesus is the name by which we are saved because Jesus IS Salvation! May we never stop speaking Jesus! May we never stop speaking salvation! What is written - is our Salvation What is written - Is the Name of Jesus! Our website –  https://www.awakeusnow.com Watch the video from our website! https://www.awakeusnow.com/2-year-study-of-the-gospels-upper Watch the video from our YouTube Channel!! https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLTaaqrC3dMOzMkhPyiNWwlJRpV6Bwpu01 St. Luke's Account is part three of our Two Year Study of the Gospels. This book written by Luke, a non-Jew, offers a unique perspective into the story of Jesus' life. This study is great for large group, small group or home group study.

Unlock Your True Potential! In this episode, Reginald D breaks down the power of talent and how it connects to your life's purpose. Too often, we settle for what we can do instead of embracing what we're truly gifted at. Reginald D shares how identifying and developing your natural talents—just like elite athletes—can lead to success, fulfillment, and purpose-driven living.Stop doubting yourself. Start walking in your calling. Your God-given talent is the key to your breakthrough! Tune in now and step into your greatness.Send us a textSupport the showFor daily motivation and inspiration, subscribe and follow Real Talk With Reginald D on social media:Instagram: realtalkwithreginaldd TikTok: @realtalkregd Youtube: @realtalkwithreginald Facebook: realtalkwithreginaldd Twitter Real Talk With Reginald D (@realtalkRegD) / TwitterWebsite: Real Talk With Reginald D https://www.realtalkwithreginaldd.com Real Talk With Reginald D - Merchandise

Episode Title: We Gonna Be Alright *The Purposefully Fit Podcast is designed to inspire, motivate, and encourage you to pursue YOUR God-given passion purposefully. Visit Coach NikE's Website: IAmNikE.com

Your God is able to do immeasurably more than you can ever know...

Your God is able to do immeasurably more than you can ever know...

Istrouma Baptist Church (BR) Jan 19, 2025 ========== January 19 - Daniel Welcome! We're glad you've joined us today for our Sunday morning worship service! For more information about Istrouma, go to istrouma.org or contact us at info@istrouma.org. We glorify God by making disciples of all nations. ========== Connection Card https://istrouma.org/myinfo January 19, 2025 - Tim Keith ‭‭Daniel‬ ‭2‬:‭47‬-‭49‬‬ The king said to Daniel, “Your God is indeed God of gods, Lord of kings,  and a revealer of mysteries,  since you were able to reveal this mystery.” Then the king promoted Daniel and gave him many generous gifts. He made him ruler over the entire province of Babylon and chief governor over all the wise men of Babylon.  At Daniel's request, the king appointed Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego  to manage the province of Babylon. But Daniel remained at the king's court. ‭‭James‬ ‭3‬:‭1‬-‭30‬‬ Not many should become teachers, my brothers,  because you know that we will receive a stricter judgment.  For we all stumble in many ways.  If anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is mature, able also to control the whole body.  Now if we put bits into the mouths of horses so that they obey us,  we direct their whole bodies. And consider ships: Though very large and driven by fierce winds, they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs. So too, though the tongue is a small part of the body, it boasts great things.  Consider how a small fire sets ablaze a large forest. And the tongue is a fire. The tongue, a world of unrighteousness, is placed  among our members. It stains the whole body,  sets the course of life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell. Every kind of animal, bird, reptile, and fish is tamed and has been tamed by humankind, but no one can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.  With the tongue we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in God's likeness.  Blessing and cursing come out of the same mouth. My brothers and sisters, these things should not be this way. Does a spring pour out sweet and bitter water from the same opening? Can a fig tree produce olives, my brothers and sisters, or a grapevine produce figs? Neither can a saltwater spring yield fresh water. Who among you is wise and understanding? By his good conduct he should show that his works are done in the gentleness that comes from wisdom.  But if you have bitter envy and selfish ambition in your heart, don't boast and deny the truth.  Such wisdom does not come down from above but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic.  For where there is envy and selfish ambition, there is disorder and every evil practice. But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peace-loving, gentle, compliant, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without pretense.  And the fruit of righteousness  is sown in peace by those who cultivate peace. Want to receive weekly announcements in your inbox each week? https://istrouma.org/email I know God is able. V.17 - "He is able to rescue us from the furnace of blazing fire" I believe God will rescue. V.17 - "He will rescue us from the power of you, the king" I will trust Him no matter what. v.18 – “but even if He does not rescue us… we want you as king to know that we will not serve your gods or worship the gold statue you set up.” Give Online Text ISTROUMA IBC to 73256 or go to: https://istrouma.org/give Our Website https://istrouma.org

A Sermon for the Second Sunday after the Epiphany Romans 12:6-16 & St. Mark 1:1-11 by William Klock The beginning of the good news about Jesus the Messiah, God's son.   With those words, Mark launches into telling the story of Jesus.  It's gospel.  It's good news.  Good news as in “Ding, dong, the witch is dead!”  Good news as in “Aslan is on the move.”  Good news as in the war is over and now we'll know peace.  Good news as in the old tyrant has been run out and a new, good king has taken his place.  That's what good news means.  Everything has changed because of it and life will never be the same.  Good news stand in contrast to good advice.  Try the new burrito place.  Go for a walk on the new trail.  Buy a Honda.  Maybe.  Probably.  But none of the burrito place, the trail, the Honda won't change your life, let alone the world.  Good advice?  You can take it or leave it.  Good news?  Good news can't be ignored. And this good news, says Mark, isn't any old good news.  It's bigger than “the war is over”.  It's bigger than Caesar has defeated his rivals.  This is the good news that in Jesus the promised and long-awaited Messiah has come.  And, Mark adds, that he's the son of God.  To Jews that meant something different than it does to most of us.  To us it sounds like a statement of Jesus divinity.  But for Jews—well—“son of God” was Israel's title—one the Lord had given them when he demanded Pharaoh let them go, one that he'd given them again at Mount Sinai.  So Mark's announcement is that Jesus has come to represent his people.  That's what king's do.  And Jesus is the Messiah—God's anointed King. So right at the outset Mark tells us that this good news is the story of the Messiah, the King, who has come defeat the enemies of his people and to set everything wrong to right.  This good news is that the King has come and so has his kingdom and because of that, everything has changed.  And because of that both Israel and the gentile nations face a choice: Will they come in faith to the king and give him their allegiance or will they stand as enemies of his kingdom? Centuries before, the prophet Isaiah declared, “How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who announces peace…happiness…salvation…who announces…“Your God reigns.”  When St. Mark thought of those beautiful feet he thought of John the Baptist.  He quotes another passage from Isaiah—one about the Lord sending a messenger to prepare his way.  And he quotes the Prophet Micah, too: “A shout goes up in the desert.  Make way for the Lord!  Prepare the way for him!” That was John.  John had been sent to prepare Israel.  The Lord had heard their cries, as he'd heard them crying out from Egypt and from Babylon.  And he was coming to visit and to deliver again—this time once and for all.  The world was going to change forever.  And so, says Mark, John led the people out into the desert, to the banks of the Jordan River, and summoned them to be baptised as an act of repentance and a sign of forgiveness.  Picture  John, out in the desert, on the banks of the Jordan with all those people.  It was a prophetic reenactment of the crossing of the Red Sea.  And as so many people do when they're sure the Lord is drawing near, the people confessed their sins.  And John baptised them.  Because they knew the God of Israel was about to do something amazing.  He was about to fulfil his promises. The new exodus had begun.  And lest the people think that it was John who would lead them in this new exodus, he also announced: After me comes one who is greater than I.  I'm not worthy to kneel down to untie his sandals.  I've plunged you into the water.  He's going to plunge you into the Holy Spirit. And there it is.  That, Brothers and Sisters, changes everything.  Picture Israel again in the desert, their tents pitched in neat formation around the tabernacle.  Picture the cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night at the centre of the camp.  Picture the cloud of his glory resting on the ark in the holy of holies.  God in the midst of his people.  But now John points to something even greater.  Instead of God living in our midst, but living over there in the tabernacle—and, more particularly, in the holy of holies where none of us can actually go because we're not holy enough, God is now coming to live not just in our midst, but inside us.  As St. Peter writes, he's building a new temple for himself and we ourselves are the blocks of stone he's carefully cut and carefully fitted together.  In the first Exodus, the Lord took his people through the water, he gave them a law written on stone tablets, and he gave them priests to tell them to do it.  And most of the time they weren't particularly good at living out that law.  But in this new exodus, Jesus leads us not only through the water, but in doing so he plunges us into his own Holy Spirit.  Instead of giving us the law on tablets of stone the Spirit writes God's law on our hearts so that it's not only internal, but so that we'll actually be in love with it and motivated by it and want to do it—that's the significance of it being written on our hearts.  And so we don't anymore need priests urging us to do it, because we'll have the Lord's Spirit himself in us, making his desires our desires as we steep ourselves in his word. This was the baptism Israel so desperately needed.  And so it was a surprise to John when Jesus came to him and asked to be baptised.  Jesus didn't need to repent.  But as the King, as the representative of his people, he did need to go before his people—to lead where they would follow.  And so John agreed and Mark then writes in verses 10-11: Immediately, as [Jesus] was getting out of the water, he saw the heavens open, and the Spirit coming down like a dove onto him.  Then there came a voice, out of the heavens, “You are my son!  You are the one I love!  I am pleased with you!”   Another epiphany!  For Jesus this was divine confirmation that he was who he'd come to believe he was.  It confirmed the words of the angel to Mary and to Joseph, it confirmed the song the angels sang to the shepherds, it confirmed the prophetic words of Simeon and Anna, and it confirmed the worship and the gifts of the magi.  It was an epiphany for John, too.  Jesus really was the Messiah he'd been sent to announce.  And it was an epiphany for the crowd, for the people of Israel.  In Jesus, the God of Israel was truly visiting his people.  As surely as John had plunged them into the water, this Jesus would plunge them into God's Spirit—and when that happened, nothing would ever be the same again. For that brief moment, Mark says, the heavens were torn open and Jesus, John, and everyone else there had a glimpse of what was to come—of the kingdom, of God's new age, of new creation.  It was like getting a glimpse into the closest where your mom had all the Christmas presents stored away—and you catch your breath and you get excited to think of what's to come when the time is right to bring it all out.  Like Christmas morning—but Christmas morning is just a dim comparison—this was a glimpse of God's coming kingdom—heaven come to earth—finally! Brothers and Sisters, consider that the church—redeemed by Jesus and plunged into the Spirit—the church is now—or it should be—we are now that vision into heaven, we're now that little pocket of God's new age, his new creation—his future right here in the present.  We're God's new age in the midst of the old.  That, I think, is why the men who selected our lessons for the Epistles and Gospels put today's Gospel from Mark with our Epistle from Romans 12.  Paul doesn't put it quite this way, but what he describes in the Epistle is what it means to be on-earth-as-in-heaven people. Today's Epistle begins at verse 6, but I want to back up a few verses.  (We would have read verses 1-5 last week if we hadn't shifted our observance of the Epiphany to Sunday.)  Paul starts out appealing to the Christians in Rome to offer their bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God.  Why?  Because that kind of worship, he writes, is what line's our minds up with God's.  It's a commitment to live as light in the midst of darkness.  It's a commitment to live as the people of God's new age in the midst of the old.  So he goes on in verse 3: “What's more, don't let yourselves be squeezed into the shape dictated by the present age.  Instead, be transformed by the renewing or your minds, so that you can work out what God's will is—what is good, acceptable, and perfect.” Brothers and Sisters, be the people of heaven who have been plunged into the Holy Spirit.  Be the people who embody God's new world in the middle of the old one—because it glorifies God and because it witnesses his goodness and his faithfulness to everyone around us.  And what does that look like?  It's going to be different in different circumstances.  This is something we have to work out for ourselves, but Paul shows us that we're to work it out in light of what Jesus has done for us.  The Romans were struggling to be united.  Jewish and Gentile believers were turning away from each other and in doing that they were living like people of the old age, not the new.  So Paul writes to them: “As in one body we have many limbs and organs, you see, and all the parts have different functions, so we, many as we are, are one body in the Messiah, and individually we belong to one another.”  We can't be the church Jesus has called us to be if we don't offer ourselves humbly to each other.  Brothers and Sisters, what Jesus has done for us, we do for each other.  So, for example, think of the gifts that the Spirit gives us.  Paul writes starting in verse 6: We have gifts that differ in accordance with the grace that has been given to us, and we must us them appropriately.  If it is prophecy, we must prophesy according to the pattern of faith.  If it is serving, we must work at our serving; if teaching, at our teaching; if exhortation, at our exhortation; if giving, with generosity; if leading, with energy; if doing acts of kindness, with cheerfulness. The list could go on and on and on, but this is enough for Paul to make his point.  The Spirit has worked in us—sometimes working with our natural gifts and abilities and sometimes giving us gifts we don't naturally have—and he's brought us together like a body.  Each of us has an essential part to play.  Arms and legs, hands and feet, eyes and ears, hearts and voice all working together towards one gospel purpose.  Think of Peter's illustration again of the temple not made with hands, a temple with each stone carefully cut by the Spirit for a unique spot, and all of them—all of us—assembled together with Jesus as our cornerstone.  If we don't all do the part we've been given and equipped to do, the body can't function, the temple falls apart. The prophet must prophesy and the teacher must teach.  The server must serve and the exhorter must exhort.  The leader must lead, the giver must give, and the doer must do—with cheerfulness and everything according to the pattern of faith.  In other words, remember that it's all gospel work rooted in Jesus and the Spirit and the amazing, loving, gracious, and merciful work he has done in us.  Sometimes we forget the gospel as we work and the work becomes a chore and a burden.  There are all sorts of things in ministry that can be discouraging and we can be tempted to give up.  And so Paul reminds us to keep our eyes on the gospel—on the good news that the king has come, that he has made us part of his kingdom, and that we have the joyful privilege of being his stewards and heralds. But there's more to life together than spiritual gifts.  Elsewhere Paul writes about the fruit that the Spirit causes to grow in us.  In other places he talks about being conformed to the mind of the Messiah.  There are lots of ways we can describe the Christian life as we live it out together, but ultimately what we need to recognise is that being in Jesus and the Spirit changes us and living as changed people is part of being kingdom people.  Think again about being a little kid and getting a glimpse into the closet where the presents are stored until Christmas morning.  When the world looks at us—as individual Christians but even more important, as the church, as a group of Christians living together—it should be like seeing that closet full of Christmas presents.  Except in our case, it's not a bunch of nicely wrapped packages; it's a glimpse of God's new creation—of his world set to rights.  Seeing the church ought to make people eager to be part of God's new age.  Seeing us should make them long for Jesus and the Spirit too.  So Paul goes on in verse 9: Love must be real.  Hate what is evil; stick fast to what is good.  Be truly affectionate in showing love for one another; compete with each other in giving mutual respect.  Don't get tired of working hard.  Be on fire with the Spirit.  Work as slaves for the Lord.  Celebrate your hope; be patient in suffering; give constant energy to prayer; contribute to the needs of God's people; make sure you are hospitable to strangers.   Bless those who persecute you; bless them, don't curse them.  Celebrate with those who are celebrating; Mourn with the mourners.  Come to the same mind with one another.  Don't give yourselves airs, but associate with the humble.  Don't be wise in your own sight.   We don't have time to cover each of these in detail, but again think of them in terms of giving the world a glimpse of Jesus and the kingdom.  We've seen real love in Jesus.  In him we've seen what it looks like to abhor evil and hold fast to good.  In him we get a sense of what it looks like to show honour to others rather than grabbing it all for ourselves.  We see in him what humility and lowliness toward others look like.  We—especially Gentile believers—have seen what Jesus' hospitality looks like as he welcomes us in to Abraham's family.  In Jesus we've seen the greatest example ever of what it looks like to bless those who persecute us.  And Paul ends this list in verse 21, writing, “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” Brothers and Sisters, this is what it looks like to be faithful stewards of the grace of God and heralds of the gospel.  This is what it looks like to live the life Jesus has given us.  This is what it looks like to be people who have been plunged into the Holy Spirit.  This is what it looks like to be the new Israel, rescued from our bondage to sin and death and given hope for a new life.  We love each other as Jesus has loved us and as he specially equipped us to love, and as we do so we show our love for him, because in loving each other we are loving the people whom Jesus loves.  But it's not just the Church we love.  Jesus was sent to redeem because “God so loved the world”.  We witness what love looks like as we love each other, but we also witness the love of God as we give ourselves for the sake of the world, as we give ourselves to be light in the darkness—even when the darkness is hostile and seeks to snuff us out.  In Jesus, God overcame evil with good and we are called to be his witnesses by doing the same.  And so let us proclaim the good news: Repent, for the kingdom of God has come.  But let's also show the world that this is good news, not just good advice.  Let's ourselves live in light of the knowledge that Jesus and the Spirit have changed everything.  Let us be heaven-on-earth people so that when the world looks at the church, it sees heaven torn open, so that it has a glimpse of God's new creation.  May the life of the church, redeemed by Jesus and filled with the Spirit, cause everyone around us to give glory to God. Let us pray: Heavenly Father, in the baptism of Jesus you revealed him to be your Son and you anointed him with the Holy Spirit.  May we who are born again of that same water and Spirit, we ask, be faithful to our calling as your children by grace, living and manifesting in our lives the love and mercy you have shown to us as we proclaim your kingdom.  We ask this through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

It's Thursday, January 16th, A.D. 2025. This is The Worldview in 5 Minutes heard on 125 radio stations and at www.TheWorldview.com.  I'm Adam McManus. (Adam@TheWorldview.com) By Jonathan Clark and Adam McManus Top 10 worst countries for persecution of Christians Open Doors US released their 2025 World Watch List yesterday. The report covers the 50 worst countries for the persecution of Christians. The ten worst countries are North Korea, Somalia, Yemen, Libya, Sudan, Eritrea, Nigeria, Pakistan, Iran, and Afghanistan. Once again, North Korea tops the list for a 23rd year in a row. The report found 380 million Christians face high levels of persecution. That's one in seven believers worldwide. From October 2023 to September 2024, 4,476 Christians were killed for their faith, 4,744 Christians were detained, arrested, or sentenced for their faith, and 209,771 Christians were forced to leave their homes.   Hebrews 13:3 says, “Remember the prisoners as if chained with them—those who are mistreated—since you yourselves are in the body also.” Israel-Hamas ceasefire and hostage exchange Israel and Hamas reportedly agreed to a ceasefire yesterday brokered by America, Egypt, and Qatar.  If successfully completed, the agreement would end 15 months of fighting.  The deal would begin with Hamas releasing 33 hostages in exchange for hundreds of Palestinians imprisoned in Israel. The agreement also involves more humanitarian aid in the Gaza Strip. Both President Joe Biden's administration and President-elect Donald Trump's team cooperated in making the agreement.  Biden removes Cuba from list of state sponsors of terrorism In other international news, President Biden announced that the United States would remove Cuba from its list of state sponsors of terrorism. It's one of Biden's last official acts before Trump takes office next Monday. However, the Trump administration may reverse the decision.  At this moment, Cuba has promised to release 553 prisoners, likely including people imprisoned during anti-government protests in 2021.  The agreement was brokered by the Catholic Church to secure the release of political prisoners.  Vatican's approval of sexual perversion Speaking of the Catholic Church, the Vatican approved a document in favor of sexually perverted lifestyles. The Italian Bishops' Conference published the document last Friday.  The provisions allow candidates for priesthood to have “homosexual tendencies.” However, priests are still required to live in celibacy.  Proverbs 25:26 says, “Like a muddied spring or a polluted fountain is a righteous man who gives way before the wicked.” Biden awarded Pope Francis Presidential Medal of Freedom President Biden awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom with distinction to Pope Francis on Saturday.  It's the highest civilian award of the United States, and it's the first time Biden awarded the medal “with distinction.” The White House praised Pope Francis as being “unlike any who came before.” However, Fox News notes, “Francis, 88, has pushed to open the Church to the modern world since he took the helm in 2013. He has drawn criticism from some U.S. Catholics for his support of … positions that are contrary to Church teachings.” Marco Rubio: Emphasizing “national interest above all else is not isolationism.” Yesterday, Republican Senator Marco Rubio of Florida, whom Trump has nominated to be his Secretary of State, outlined his vision before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, reports CBS News. RUBIO: “We are once again called to create a free world out of the chaos. And this will not be easy. And it will be impossible without a strong and a confident America that engages in the world, putting our core national interests once again above all else. In Moscow, in Tehran, in Pyongyang, dictators, rogue states now sow chaos and instability and align with and they fund radical terror groups. And then they hide behind their veto power at the United Nations Security Council or the threats of nuclear war. “The post war global order is not just obsolete. It is now a weapon being used against us. Placing our core national interest above all else is not isolationism. It is the common sense realization that a foreign policy centered in our national interest is not some outdated relic.” Ted Cruz asked Trump's Attorney General, Pam Bondi, pick whether she would be fair In addition, Pam Bondi, the former Florida Attorney General, also appeared before the Senate Judiciary Committee   She  vowed to end the weaponization of the Justice Department, saying her focus will be on reducing crime and upholding the law, reports CBS News. Republican Senator Ted Cruz of Texas opened his time this way. CRUZ: “I don't know that there is a more important position in this new administration than the position to which you have been nominated, Attorney General of the United States. Perhaps the most tragic legacy of the Biden-Harris administration has been the politicization and the weaponization of the United States Department of Justice. Joe Biden publicly mused and allowed the New York Times to report it, calling on Merrick Garland: ‘Why will he not prosecute Trump more quickly?'  Merrick Garland, sadly, he sat in that chair and promised to be apolitical, and he broke that promise almost the instant he walked into the Department of Justice. “If you look on the west pediment of the Supreme Court of the United States, just above the entrance, there's a simple, yet profound, four word phrase: ‘Equal justice under law.'  We have seen over the last four years a Department of Justice that systematically targeted the political opponents of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris and that systematically protected his friends and allies. I don't think there's an institution in America who has lost more respect from the American people than the FBI has in the last four years. “So, I want to start with just a very simple question, if you, [Pam Bondi], are confirmed as Attorney General, will you pledge to fairly and faithfully uphold the law regardless of party?” BONDI: “So help me, God!” CRUZ: “Amen. I want to be clear for folks at home, I don't want a Republican Department of Justice. I don't want a Democrat Department of Justice. I want a Department of Justice that follows the law, and I think the American people do too. That shouldn't be too much to expect.” Trump plans to create the External Revenue Service President-elect Donald Trump announced Tuesday that he plans to create a new agency to collect tariffs from foreign sources. He began by criticizing the Internal Revenue Service on Truth Social. He wrote, “For far too long, we have relied on taxing our Great People using the Internal Revenue Service.  … Through soft and pathetically weak Trade agreements, the American Economy has delivered growth and prosperity to the World, while taxing ourselves.”  Trump went on to say, “It is time for that to change. I am today announcing that I will create the EXTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE to collect our Tariffs, Duties, and all Revenue that come from Foreign sources.” 935 languages still need a Bible translation And finally, Wycliffe Global Alliance has published their 2024 Global Scripture Access Report. The report notes that there are 7,396 languages in the world spoken by at least 7.45 billion people. Currently, 756 languages have full Bibles, an increase of 20 languages from 2023. About 10% of all languages now have full Bibles, accounting for 6 billion people.   Additionally, the number of languages needing Bible translation to start is 985, down 283 from 2023. The total number of languages with at least some portion of Scripture has reached 3,756. That's about half of all languages and accounts for 7.3 billion people.  Isaiah 52:7 says, “How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who publishes peace, who brings good news of happiness, who publishes salvation, who says to Zion, ‘Your God reigns.'” Close And that's The Worldview on this Thursday, January 16th, in the year of our Lord 2025. Subscribe by Amazon Music or by iTunes or email to our unique Christian newscast at www.TheWorldview.com. Or get the Generations app through Google Play or The App Store. I'm Adam McManus (Adam@TheWorldview.com). Seize the day for Jesus Christ.

Episode Title: Stepping Into Your Spacious Place *The Purposefully Fit Podcast is designed to inspire, motivate, and encourage you to pursue YOUR God-given passion purposefully. Visit Coach NikE's Website: IAmNikE.com

Support Common Prayer Daily @ PatreonVisit our Website for more www.commonprayerdaily.com_______________Opening Words:I will give you as a light to the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth.Isaiah 49:6b Confession:Let us humbly confess our sins unto Almighty God. Most merciful God, we confess that we have sinned against you in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done, and by what we have left undone. We have not loved you with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. We are truly sorry and we humbly repent. For the sake of your Son Jesus Christ, have mercy on us and forgive us; that we may delight in your will, and walk in your ways, to the glory of your Name. Amen. Almighty God have mercy on you, forgive you all your sins through our Lord Jesus Christ, strengthen you in all goodness, and by the power of the Holy Spirit keep you in eternal life. Amen. The InvitatoryLord, open our lips.And our mouth shall proclaim your praise.Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen. Alleluia. Psalm 95:1-7The Lord has shown forth his glory: Come let us adore him.Come, let us sing to the Lord; *let us shout for joy to the Rock of our salvation.Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving *and raise a loud shout to him with psalms.For the Lord is a great God, *and a great King above all gods.In his hand are the caverns of the earth, *and the heights of the hills are his also.The sea is his, for he made it, *and his hands have molded the dry land.Come, let us bow down, and bend the knee, *and kneel before the Lord our Maker.For he is our God,and we are the people of his pasture and the sheep of his hand. *Oh, that today you would hearken to his voice!The Lord has shown forth his glory: Come let us adore him. The PsalterPsalm 461God is our refuge and strength, *a very present help in trouble.2Therefore we will not fear, though the earth be moved, *and though the mountains be toppled into the depths of the sea;3Though its waters rage and foam, *and though the mountains tremble at its tumult.4The Lord of hosts is with us; *the God of Jacob is our stronghold.5There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, *the holy habitation of the Most High.6God is in the midst of her;she shall not be overthrown; *God shall help her at the break of day.7The nations make much ado, and the kingdoms are shaken; *God has spoken, and the earth shall melt away.8The Lord of hosts is with us; *the God of Jacob is our stronghold.9Come now and look upon the works of the Lord, *what awesome things he has done on earth.10It is he who makes war to cease in all the world; *he breaks the bow, and shatters the spear,and burns the shields with fire.11“Be still, then, and know that I am God; *I will be exalted among the nations;I will be exalted in the earth.”12The Lord of hosts is with us; *the God of Jacob is our stronghold. Psalm 971The Lord is King;let the earth rejoice; *let the multitude of the isles be glad.2Clouds and darkness are round about him, *righteousness and justice are the foundations of his throne.3A fire goes before him *and burns up his enemies on every side.4His lightnings light up the world; *the earth sees it and is afraid.5The mountains melt like wax at the presence of the Lord, *at the presence of the Lord of the whole earth.6The heavens declare his righteousness, *and all the peoples see his glory.7Confounded be all who worship carved imagesand delight in false gods! *Bow down before him, all you gods.8Zion hears and is glad, and the cities of Judah rejoice, *because of your judgments, O Lord.9For you are the Lord,most high over all the earth; *you are exalted far above all gods.10The Lord loves those who hate evil; *he preserves the lives of his saintsand delivers them from the hand of the wicked.11Light has sprung up for the righteous, *and joyful gladness for those who are truehearted.12Rejoice in the Lord, you righteous, *and give thanks to his holy Name. Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: *as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen. LessonsIsa. 52:7-10A Reading from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah.How beautiful upon the mountains        are the feet of him who brings good news,    who publishes peace, who brings good news of happiness,        who publishes salvation,        who says to Zion, “Your God reigns.”    The voice of your watchmen—they lift up their voice;        together they sing for joy;    for eye to eye they see        the return of the Lord to Zion.    Break forth together into singing,        you waste places of Jerusalem,    for the Lord has comforted his people;        he has redeemed Jerusalem.    The Lord has bared his holy arm        before the eyes of all the nations,    and all the ends of the earth shall see        the salvation of our God. The Word of the Lord.Thanks Be To God. Te Deum laudamusYou are God: we praise you;You are the Lord: we acclaim you;You are the eternal Father:All creation worships you.To you all angels, all the powers of heaven, Cherubim and Seraphim, sing in endless praise:Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might,heaven and earth are full of your glory.The glorious company of apostles praise you.The noble fellowship of prophets praise you.The white-robed army of martyrs praise you. Throughout the world the holy Church acclaims you;Father, of majesty unbounded,your true and only Son, worthy of all worship, and the Holy Spirit, advocate and guide.You, Christ, are the king of glory, the eternal Son of the Father.When you became man to set us free you did not shun the Virgin's womb. You overcame the sting of deathand opened the kingdom of heaven to all believers. You are seated at God's right hand in glory.We believe that you will come and be our judge.Come then, Lord, and help your people, bought with the price of your own blood, and bring us with your saintsto glory everlasting. Revelation 21:22-27A Reading from the Book of Revelation.And I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb. And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb. By its light will the nations walk, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it, and its gates will never be shut by day—and there will be no night there. They will bring into it the glory and the honor of the nations. But nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who does what is detestable or false, but only those who are written in the Lamb's book of life. The Word of the Lord.Thanks Be To God. Matt. 12:14-21A Reading from the Gospel According to Matthew.But the Pharisees went out and conspired against him, how to destroy him.  Jesus, aware of this, withdrew from there. And many followed him, and he healed them all and ordered them not to make him known. This was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah:    “Behold, my servant whom I have chosen,        my beloved with whom my soul is well pleased.    I will put my Spirit upon him,        and he will proclaim justice to the Gentiles.    He will not quarrel or cry aloud,        nor will anyone hear his voice in the streets;    a bruised reed he will not break,        and a smoldering wick he will not quench,    until he brings justice to victory;    and in his name the Gentiles will hope.”The Word of the Lord.Thanks Be To God. Benedictus Dominus DeusBlessed be the Lord, the God of Israel; * he has come to his people and set them free.He has raised up for us a mighty savior, * born of the house of his servant David.Through his holy prophets he promised of old, that he would save us from our enemies, * from the hands of all who hate us. He promised to show mercy to our fathers * and to remember his holy covenant. This was the oath he swore to our father Abraham, * to set us free from the hands of our enemies, Free to worship him without fear, * holy and righteous in his sight all the days of our life.You, my child, shall be called the prophet of the Most High, * for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way, To give his people knowledge of salvation * by the forgiveness of their sins.In the tender compassion of our God * the dawn from on high shall break upon us, To shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death, * and to guide our feet into the way of peace.Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen. The Apostles CreedI believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord. He was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended to the dead. On the third day he rose again. He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again to judge the living and the dead.I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen. The PrayersThe Lord be with you.And also with you.Let us pray.Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy Name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever and ever. Amen. Suffrages AV. Show us your mercy, O Lord;R. And grant us your salvation.V. Clothe your ministers with righteousness; R. Let your people sing with joy.V. Give peace, O Lord, in all the world;R. For only in you can we live in safety. V. Lord, keep this nation under your care;R. And guide us in the way of justice and truth.V. Let your way be known upon earth;R. Your saving health among all nations.V. Let not the needy, O Lord, be forgotten;R. Nor the hope of the poor be taken away.V. Create in us clean hearts, O God;R. And sustain us with your Holy Spirit.   The CollectsCollect of the DayO God, by the leading of a star you manifested your only Son to the Peoples of the earth: Lead us, who know you now by faith, to your presence, where we may see your glory face to face; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen. Daily Collects:A Collect for PeaceO God, the author of peace and lover of concord, to know you is eternal life and to serve you is perfect freedom: Defend us, your humble servants, in all assaults of our enemies; that we, surely trusting in your defense, may not fear the power of any adversaries, through the might of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.A Collect for GraceO Lord, our heavenly Father, almighty and everlasting God, you have brought us safely to the beginning of this day: Defend us by your mighty power, that we may not fall into sin nor run into any danger; and that, guided by your Spirit, we may do what is righteous in your sight; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Take a moment of silence at this time to reflect and pray for others. Collect of Saint BasilO Christ God, Who art worshipped and glorified at every place and time; Who art long-suffering, most merciful and compassionate; Who lovest the righteous and art merciful to sinners; Who callest all to salvation with the promise of good things to come: receive, Lord, the prayers we now offer, and direct our lives in the way of Thy commandments. Sanctify our souls, cleanse our bodies, correct our thoughts, purify our minds and deliver us from all affliction, evil and illness. Surround us with Thy holy angels, that guarded and instructed by their forces, we may reach unity of faith and the understanding of Thine unapproachable glory: for blessed art Thou unto ages of ages. Amen. A Prayer of St. John ChrysostomAlmighty God, you have given us grace at this time, with one accord to make our common supplications to you; and you have promised through your well-beloved Son that when two or three are gathered together in his Name you will grant their requests: Fulfill now, O Lord, our desires and petitions as may be best for us; granting us in this world knowledge of your truth, and in the age to come life everlasting. Amen. DismissalLet us bless the LordThanks be to God! The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with us all evermore. Amen

How beautiful on the mountains    are the feet of those who bring good news,who proclaim peace,    who bring good tidings,    who proclaim salvation,who say to Zion,    “Your God reigns!”Start your day in God's Word with our Daily Verse Reflections! Each weekday, our pastors offer insights and encouragement to help you apply Scripture to your daily life. Whether you're seeking inspiration, comfort, or guidance, these Daily Verse Reflections will keep you grounded in your faith throughout the week!You can also watch the video versions of our Daily Verse Reflections at https://watch.timeofgrace.org/browse, where you will also find a wide variety of videos that will help you learn more about Jesus and grow in your faith!To receive special text offers and stay up to date with the Time of Grace, text the word "Grace" to 45321 to subscribe!

I have a question for you: What is the most important thing about you? Here's what A.W. Tozer, the great theologian of the last century, wrote: “What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us.” When you think about God, what do you think about God? Jesus put it this way: Now this is eternal life; that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent (John 17:3). Knowing God makes a difference now and in eternity. Therefore, getting to know God should be the most important pursuit of our lives as Christ-followers. Is that true for you? We get to know God through studying his Word and paying attention to what he tells us about himself. Let's consider just a few of God's attributes in order to get to know him better. God's Infinitude Infinite means immeasurable, exceedingly great, endless, inexhaustible. The Bible says: Great is the Lord and most worthy of praise; his greatness no one can fathom (Psalm 145:3). Great is our Lord and mighty in power; his understanding has no limit (Psalm 147:5). Have you ever meditated on the truth that God is infinite? Honestly, our minds are just too small to take it all in. As David said, no one can fathom the greatness of God. Even though we can't fully comprehend infinitude, that's who our God is, and we need to allow our minds to blow some fuses and just meditate often on our infinite God. That means his knowledge of you is infinite. It means nothing you will experience, no one you may have to deal with, no difficulty you will face today is too big for the God you serve. He's got you! He knows the worst about you and loves you infinitely! Go to your world with full assurance that the God you serve has promised to never leave you or forsake you, and he'll get you through whatever has you worried or frightened or frustrated. Your God is infinite!

TAKEAWAYSGreg says teens need three things to be equipped to serve Christ: a King (Jesus), a cause (the gospel) and a crew (a family)Your God-sized dream can be anything - every dream matters and is importantLearn how to pray and spend time every day in God's WordGod is opening up opportunities all around us every day

Our special guest today is Adelaide Garner. Adelaide is wife to Ben, and mother to four little treasures. They are Reformed Evangelical Christians. She was a pastor's wife for many years, but their family has moved into Ben owning a small business. Adelaide and Ben are second generation homeschoolers and use Charlotte Mason's principles. They live in a 120-year-old farmhouse on several acres outside of Houston, Texas. Six years ago, Adelaide, after many years of struggling with her own health. decided to become a certified health coach. When she learned to ask better questions, she found better answers for her health and the health of her family. She enjoys helping women find a grateful, sober-minded, and non-anxious approach to caring for the wellbeing of their families, to the Glory of God.  We had a few audio issues during this recording, so you'll have to forgive us for the handful of snags you hear along the way. With that said, today's conversation was fascinating because it combines a book we all read for last year's mentorship, A Failure of Nerve, by Edwin Friedman, with issues surrounding autism and other special needs. *** The live kickoff for our newest Scholé Sisters mentorship took place a couple weeks ago. Our mentorships are for Sophie-level Sistership members.  However, our kickoff was for everyone, even those of you on our free plan. If you are not yet in the Sistership but want to watch the replay of the live kickoff for the Mentorship (which we've named Stable and Steadfast: Standing on Your God-given Rights), go to scholesisters.com/join and sign up! *** Click here to access today's show notes. Click here to join the FREE area of the Sistership.