Podcasts about your holy spirit

"The Folly of the Jews" John 6:22-48 Dan Jaussen Download Sermons Archive RSS John 6:22-48 On the following day, when the people who were standing on the other side of the sea saw that there was no other boat there, except that one which His disciples had entered, and that Jesus had not entered the boat with His disciples, but His disciples had gone away alone— 23 however, other boats came from Tiberias, near the place where they ate bread after the Lord had given thanks— 24 when the people therefore saw that Jesus was not there, nor His disciples, they also got into boats and came to Capernaum, seeking Jesus. 25 And when they found Him on the other side of the sea, they said to Him, “Rabbi, when did You come here?”26 Jesus answered them and said, “Most assuredly, I say to you, you seek Me, not because you saw the signs, but because you ate of the loaves and were filled. 27 Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set His seal on Him.”28 Then they said to Him, “What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?”29 Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent.”30 Therefore they said to Him, “What sign will You perform then, that we may see it and believe You? What work will You do? 31 Our fathers ate the manna in the desert; as it is written, ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.' ”32 Then Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, Moses did not give you the bread from heaven, but My Father gives you the true bread from heaven. 33 For the bread of God is He who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”34 Then they said to Him, “Lord, give us this bread always.”35 And Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst. 36 But I said to you that you have seen Me and yet do not believe. 37 All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out. 38 For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. 39 This is the will of the Father who sent Me, that of all He has given Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day. 40 And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day.”41 The Jews then complained about Him, because He said, “I am the bread which came down from heaven.” 42 And they said, “Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How is it then that He says, ‘I have come down from heaven'?”43 Jesus therefore answered and said to them, “Do not murmur among yourselves. 44 No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day. 45 It is written in the prophets, ‘And they shall all be taught by God.' Therefore everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to Me. 46 Not that anyone has seen the Father, except He who is from God; He has seen the Father. 47 Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me has everlasting life. 48 I am the bread of life.2 Timothy 3:12 Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecutionRomans 8:38-39 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, 39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.Psalm 51:10-12 Create in me a clean heart, O God,And renew a steadfast spirit within me.11 Do not cast me away from Your presence,And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.12 Restore to me the joy of Your salvation,And uphold me by Your generous Spirit.Mark 1:14-15 Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, 15 and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.” Sermon Discussion Questions:What were the intentions of the crowd following JesusWhat does it mean to eat and drink of Christ?What does Jesus mean by "The one who comes to me, I will by no means cast out"?What reason did Jesus give for the unbelieve of the Jews?What do the great truths discussed today mean for us?

June 21, 2026Today's Reading: Luke 15:1-10 or Luke 15:11-32Daily Lectionary: Proverbs 24:1-22; John 19:1-22“But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him.” (Luke 15:20)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.You would expect a father to be furious with his son. First, this son asks for his inheritance while his father is still living - implying that his father is better to him dead than alive. Then, he wastes all of his father's possessions and has the audacity to come home to his father. It's worth noting that the son wants to beg to be his father's servant rather than demanding his place as a son, but it is still insulting. You would expect the father to be angry with his son. But this is a parable told by Christ Jesus, and so it should be no surprise that things go differently than expected. Notice what has happened. “While he was still a long way off,” —the father kept an eye out for his son, waiting for him to return as if he knew the man would come back. The father looks for his son. We might think he'd be waiting to give his son a piece of his mind for trashing the good things he gave him. That's what we expect. But when the father sees his son, he feels compassion for him, not anger. He looks upon this starving, hurting son with mercy and love. And then the father runs to him. He does not wait for the wayward son to reach the house but meets him with love, hence the hugging and kissing. That's not the expectation. No self-respecting landowner would run, especially to a disgraceful son. But to the father, this is a joyous reunion and one of celebration. The father sends for fine clothes and a feast and for merriment because his dead son is alive again; he was lost and now is found. Our Lord tells a parable full of unexpected actions to show how God is. God sees a sinful world full of sinners who take His good gifts and abuse them. He sees a world so broken it would kill His Son. But even while we were far off, not even seeking Him, He ran to us and sent for fine clothes, reinstating us as His children. You are made a son of the Father because He has compassion on you. You are clothed with righteousness won by Christ Jesus on the cross. In your Baptism, you were made His child. You were dead in your sins, and He has made you alive. In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.Lord God, heavenly Father, we all like sheep have gone astray and have allowed ourselves to be led from the right path by Satan and our sinful flesh. We implore You, graciously forgive us our sins for the sake of Your Son, Jesus Christ. Enliven our hearts by Your Holy Spirit, that we may abide in Your Word in true repentance and steadfast faith, and so continue in Your Church to the end and obtain eternal salvation; through the same Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.Deac. Emma Heinz, registrar for Higher Things.

When a difficult situation hits, where do you turn first—your own problem-solving, other people, or the Lord? In today's episode of the MY Devotional Podcast, Dr. Michael Youssef challenges a common habit: trusting our minds to carry us through life, then “withdrawing” our surrender the moment God's way feels inconvenient. God gave us minds to use, but He calls us to humble ourselves before the One who created them. There will be moments when only God's wisdom can lead to the right solution—and no problem is too great for Him, even when you feel trapped by circumstances. Dr. Youssef offers a memorable picture: just as an investment account can't mature with constant withdrawals, your faith struggles to grow when you repeatedly take back control after “depositing” your life into God's hands. Surrender is not passive resignation—it is trusting God enough to let Him do His deepest work in you: transforming your heart and mind into the likeness of Christ. If you're wrestling with control, uncertainty, or the need to “fix it,” this devotional will help you rest in the most trustworthy truth of all: there is no one you can trust more than the Son of God. Prayer: Lord, I want You to be in control of my life today, leading me through Your Holy Spirit. Help me to submit to You daily. I pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.  “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight” (Proverbs 3:5-6). Learn more in Dr. Michael A. Youssef's sermon Seven Awesome Statements from the Cross, Part 6: LISTEN NOW| WATCH NOW The voice you hear on the MY Devotional podcast is digitally generated with Dr. Youssef's permission. If today's devotional stirred a question, burden, or need for prayer, you don't have to walk through it alone.

In 1969, Dr. Dean Kenyon, then professor of biology at San Francisco State University, published a book that left him recognized as one of the leading evolutionary scientists. His book, Biological Predestination, tried to explain how simple living things could, over millions of years, become more complex, and finally evolve into human beings.When Dr. A.E. Wilder-Smith, a biochemist with a world-wide reputation and a creationist, wrote his book, The Creation of Life he carefully showed what was scientifically wrong with Dr. Kenyon's evolutionary explanation. One day, one of Dr. Kenyon's students gave him a copy of Dr. Wilder-Smith's book.After reading Wilder-Smith's scientific arguments, Dr. Kenyon said, “I found myself hard-pressed to come up with a counter-rebuttal.” This was a turning point in Dr. Kenyon's personal search, as he learned that, “It is possible to have a rational alternative explanation of the past.” Dr. Kenyon came to believe that creation better supported all the scientific facts. He eventually became an international spokesman for creationism.Too many people stand before the truth in silence, hoping they won't have to give up their own ideas. May God make all of us as honest with the truth as did Dr. Kenyon!1 Kings 18:21"And Elijah came unto all the people and said, “How long halt ye between two opinions? If the Lord be God, follow Him; but if Baal, then follow him.” And the people answered him not a word."Prayer: To be honest, dear Lord, there are indeed times when Your truth shakes some of my pet ideas too. I pray that You would grant me Your Holy Spirit so that I may always receive Your truth with thanksgiving, even when I must change my thinking. In Jesus' Name. Amen.Image: The books Biochemical Predestination and The Creation of Life. To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/1232/29?v=20251111

Lloyd discusses the cognitive bias that leads us to trust someone who appears to be in a position of authority. A high‑visibility vest, clipboard, hardhat, or -- in Lloyd's example -- a panel van -- can trigger this bias and cause you to let your guard down. Armed Lutheran Radio is a listener-supported podcast. If you value the information and entertainment we provide, consider supporting the show by joining our membership site, The Reformation Gun Club! http://www.ReformationGunClub.com  Links of Interest  Buy Duty to Defend, Volume 2 on Amazon – https://amzn.to/3D3frE5*  Prayer of the Week O God our merciful Father, who taught the hearts of Your faithful people by sending to them the light of Your Holy Spirit, bring us by the same Spirit to have a right judgment in all things and evermore to rejoice in His holy comfort; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who with You and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, now and forever. Amen. Get in Touch Visit our Feedback Page - https://armedlutheranradio.libsyn.com/contact Please tell your friends about us, leave an iTunes review, and like us on Facebook Join our Facebook group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/fansofarmedlutheranradio Subscribe to us and follow us on Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/armedlutheran Check Out More at our Website- http://www.armedlutheran.us Original Music by Reformer  https://www.youtube.com/ReformerBand

Prayer: I Decree Continual Communion with Jesus!Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. “I am the vine; you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. John 15:4-5Heavenly Father, I come before You with a heart overflowing with gratitude. Thank You for the gift of Your Son, Jesus, who invites me to dwell in His presence. As I reflect on Your word in John 15:4-7, I desire to abide in You just as You abide in me. As I decree continual communion with Him over my life, my family, my friends, my business, and my ministry, I feel an urgency to deepen my intimacy with You. I long for that first love fire to ignite within me once more, reminding me of the joy of simply being at Your feet.Just as Mary chose to sit at Jesus' feet in Luke 10:39-42, I also choose to prioritize my time with You over the distractions of this world. Lord, help me to shift from occasional religious routines to a constant, moment-by-moment connection with You. Let my days be woven with prayer and delight in Your Word, as Philippians 3:10 calls me to know You more deeply, to share in Your sufferings, and to experience Your resurrection power in my life.In Psalm 27:4 David said, "One thing I ask from the LORD, this only do I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the LORD and to seek him in his temple."I ask for Your Holy Spirit to fill my heart, granting me the ability to hear Your voice clearly and to obey promptly. Let me walk in constant awareness of Your presence, that I may reflect Your love to all those around me. May my life become a living sacrifice, an echo of Psalm 27:4, as I seek Your face above all else. Jesus, be my dwelling place; keep me abiding in You every moment. I decree that I abide in You, and You abide in me. As I open my heart to Your everlasting love, let this communion overflow into every aspect of my existence as a living sacrifice of love, gratitude, and constant communication with You. As I seek You, Lord, I claim the blessings that flow from this relationship. Let it overflow into all I do and all I am, reminding me always that in You, I've found my home. In Jesus name, I pray, Amen. Philippians 3:10 says, "I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death." Amen.https://maglife.org

The hymn we are studying this week is an old one (sort of). The English hymn was written by John Neale, based (roughly) on a Greek hymn by St. Joseph the Hymnographer from the 800's. In essence it is a completely new hymn but is based on the idea of St. Joseph.  The hymn we are studying this weekend is 322 in The Lutheran Hymnal: "And Wilt Thou Pardon, Lord." It does a beautiful job of presenting the Law, the Gospel and Christian Sanctification which flows from the Gospel. The hymnwriter, like the Psalmists of the Old Testament wrestle with the reality of sin and what we deserve because of them. It almost shows the incredulity of one who has been brought to know the depravity of his or her nature, that God could possibly forgive us or cleanse us from our sin. And that attitude is proper. Peter says: "For the time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel of God? Now “If the righteous one is scarcely saved, Where will the ungodly and the sinner appear?” (1 Peter 4:17-18). Knowing our sin, we turn to God and the work of Jesus for help. In Psalm 51 we confess with David: "Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, And cleanse me from my sin... Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Make me hear joy and gladness, That the bones You have broken may rejoice. 9  Hide Your face from my sins, And blot out all my iniquities. 10 Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me. 11 Do not cast me away from Your presence, And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me. 12 Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, And uphold me by Your generous Spirit." What joy is our when we know the salvation that is ours, and the confidence that His Spirit is at work in us! May the LORD bless your reflection on our depravity and His mercy to you this weekend.

The apostle Paul often used the theme of running in his letters. Discover what he might have been trying to tell us through his running metaphor. Receive The apostle Paul often used the metaphor of running a race to remind his readers, and us, how important it is to run our race well. In his letter to the Corinthian church, Paul encouraged believers to run away from sin and temptation and to run toward God.  What have you been running toward lately? Is there something you need to flee from in your life so you can pursue God instead? What could your next step of running toward God look like? Reflect  How can you run away from sin and temptation as the apostle Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 6:18 and 1 Corinthians 10:14? What does it look like to “run in such a way” as it says in 1 Corinthians 9:24? According to 1 Corinthians 9:26–27, why is it important to be disciplined along your Christian journey? Based on 1 Corinthians 14:1, what are we to be running toward?  Respond (Use this prayer to start a conversation with God) “Dear God, thank You that You are with me as I run the race You have set before me. Help me to run away from sin and temptation and run to You with my whole heart. Thank You that Your Holy Spirit can empower me to run my race well.”      Discover more about the topics in this episode with these recommended resources Mentioned in this episode: In Pursuit of Paul Listen: Paul Through Mediterranean Eyes  Paul, the Letter Writer | Week 1  Paul, the Letter Writer | Week 2  Read: The More Excellent Way: What Paul Actually Means in 1 Corinthians 13  Spiritual Disciplines | Running the Race  Watch: Why Do We Have to Struggle? | 1 Corinthians 10:13  Cleansing the Body and Spirit – 2 Corinthians 7:1  

Lloyd addresses a common refrain heard any time a Christian argues against the Left's cause du jour: there's no hate like Christian hate (or something to that effect). The point is to suggest that somehow it's hateful to want to protect citizens, babies, and teenagers from woke nonsense. The truth is that there is no hate like Christian hate. We hate the sin, but love the sinner. When the world hates you, it wants you dead. Armed Lutheran Radio is a listener-supported podcast. If you value the information and entertainment we provide, consider supporting the show by joining our membership site, The Reformation Gun Club! http://www.ReformationGunClub.com  Links of Interest  Buy Duty to Defend, Volume 2 on Amazon – https://amzn.to/3D3frE5*  Prayer of the Week O God our merciful Father, who taught the hearts of Your faithful people by sending to them the light of Your Holy Spirit, bring us by the same Spirit to have a right judgment in all things and evermore to rejoice in His holy comfort; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who with You and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, now and forever. Amen. Get in Touch Visit our Feedback Page - https://armedlutheranradio.libsyn.com/contact Please tell your friends about us, leave an iTunes review, and like us on Facebook Join our Facebook group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/fansofarmedlutheranradio Subscribe to us and follow us on Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/armedlutheran Check Out More at our Website- http://www.armedlutheran.us Original Music by Reformer  https://www.youtube.com/ReformerBand

The apostle Paul often used the theme of running in his letters. Discover what he might have been trying to tell us through his running metaphor. Receive The apostle Paul often used the metaphor of running a race to remind his readers, and us, how important it is to run our race well. In his letter to the Corinthian church, Paul encouraged believers to run away from sin and temptation and to run toward God.  What have you been running toward lately? Is there something you need to flee from in your life so you can pursue God instead? What could your next step of running toward God look like? Reflect  How can you run away from sin and temptation as the apostle Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 6:18 and 1 Corinthians 10:14? What does it look like to “run in such a way” as it says in 1 Corinthians 9:24? According to 1 Corinthians 9:26–27, why is it important to be disciplined along your Christian journey? Based on 1 Corinthians 14:1, what are we to be running toward?  Respond (Use this prayer to start a conversation with God) “Dear God, thank You that You are with me as I run the race You have set before me. Help me to run away from sin and temptation and run to You with my whole heart. Thank You that Your Holy Spirit can empower me to run my race well.”      Discover more about the topics in this episode with these recommended resources Mentioned in this episode: In Pursuit of Paul Listen: Paul Through Mediterranean Eyes  Paul, the Letter Writer | Week 1  Paul, the Letter Writer | Week 2  Read: The More Excellent Way: What Paul Actually Means in 1 Corinthians 13  Spiritual Disciplines | Running the Race  Watch: Why Do We Have to Struggle? | 1 Corinthians 10:13  Cleansing the Body and Spirit – 2 Corinthians 7:1  

Prayer: I Declare Overflowing Blessing!“And all these blessings shall come on thee, and overtake thee, if thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God." Deuteronomy 28:2Heavenly Father, with a heart full of gratitude, I come before You, recognizing the endless gifts You shower upon me each day. Thank You for Your unwavering love and faithfulness, for it is by Your grace that I stand, ready to receive Your overflowing blessings. As You declared in Deuteronomy 28:2, may Your blessings follow me and overtake me, bringing joy and abundance into every corner of my life.Lord, just as the house of Obed-Edom was filled with prosperity and favor when Your presence dwelled among him, I invite Your Holy Spirit to inhabit my home and my heart. Let the work of my hands be blessed and let creativity and purpose flow through me. As I pursue my daily tasks, may they become an act of worship, reflecting Your love and goodness.Proverbs 10:22 says, "The blessing of the LORD makes a person rich, and he adds no sorrow with it."I lift up my household to You, asking that harmony and love reign among us. Strengthen our relationships, Lord; fill them with kindness and understanding. In Proverbs 10:22, You remind us that the blessing of the Lord brings wealth without painful toil. May laughter and joy be our companions, keeping sorrow far from our threshold.Father, instill in me a spirit of generosity, that I might share the overflowing blessings You have given me. Help me to be a vessel of Your love, spreading Your goodness to those around me, fulfilling the call in Psalm 23:5 — to have my cup run over. Let each act of giving be a reflection of Your heart.In this sacred moment, I boldly declare: Father, command Your blessing upon me. Let goodness and mercy chase after me, wrapping me in their embrace. May Your glory shine brightly in my life, drawing others to You. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen. Psalm 23:5-6 says, "You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever." Amen.https://maglife.org

In Revelation 11, John is told to measure the temple and set boundaries around it—and Dr. Michael Youssef draws out the spiritual comfort behind the imagery: this is not merely about a physical structure, but about God placing protective boundaries around His people—His living temple—who are sealed by the Holy Spirit and kept secure. Even persecutors can only go so far. They may attack the body, but they cannot touch the soul. The outer “temple” can be harmed, but the inner sanctum belongs to the Lord—safe in His sanctuary and under His fortress-like protection (Psalm 91:1–2). Yet protection doesn't mean passivity. Dr. Youssef warns that one of Satan's cruelest strategies is counterfeiting spiritual language—masquerading as a voice of “truth” while actually accusing and crushing you. That's why it's essential to distinguish: The Holy Spirit convicts to draw you to repentance and restoration, Satan accuses to drive you into despair and keep you from God. When accusation rises, don't entertain it. Change the channel—praise God for salvation, run to Him in prayer, and ask the Holy Spirit to send the enemy fleeing. God has not left you unguarded. You are sealed, protected, and equipped to live in victory. Prayer: Father, thank You for protecting me and sealing me with Your Holy Spirit. Help me to discern Your voice and to turn to You and repent. May I be sober and alert to the schemes of Satan so I can serve Your Kingdom, arrayed in Your spiritual armor. I pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.  “This is how we know that we belong to the truth and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence: If our hearts condemn us, we know that God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything” (1 John 3:19-20).  Learn more in Dr. Michael A. Youssef's sermon Revelation for Today, The Beast vs. the Lamb: LISTEN NOW| WATCH NOW The voice you hear on the MY Devotional podcast is digitally generated with Dr. Youssef's permission. If today's devotional stirred a question, burden, or need for prayer, you don't have to walk through it alone.

May 30, 2026Today's Reading: Introit for Trinity - Psalm 8:1-2a, 3-5; antiphon: Liturgical TextDaily Lectionary: Numbers 32:1-6, 16-27; Luke 24:1-27Blessèd be the Holy Trinity and the undivided Unity. Let us give glory to him because he has shown his mercy to us. (Antiphon for the Introit on Trinity Sunday) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.Tomorrow, we celebrate Trinity Sunday. It's very likely that you'll confess the Athanasian Creed in church tomorrow. The Athanasian Creed describes (in not a few words!) the relationship between the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit – the Three in One and One in Three. And while it may be hard to understand how God can be three Persons in one God, we can believe it by faith, knowing that this is exactly what Jesus has revealed to us. Not only can we believe it, we must believe it. As the creed says, “whoever desires to be saved must, above all, hold the catholic faith…And the catholic faith is this, that we worship one God in Trinity and Trinity in Unity.” There is no salvation without faith in the Trinity, because there is no God beside Him. Which also means there is no salvation apart from Him.And that's really where the rubber hits the road. We must believe and trust that God is triune, but we do not come to that faith by learning about God's omnipotence or His eternal nature, or even that He is Three in One. We come to faith through the Gospel, by hearing what God has done for us in Christ. In fact, I would argue that it is through the Gospel that we learn about the Trinity most clearly. Perhaps that's why Trinity Sunday was placed here at the end of the festival half of the Church Year. The year began with Advent and the Christmas season, in which we are reminded that the Father's love for His creation compelled Him to send His Son, the second Person of the Trinity, to become flesh and blood for us. Next came the Epiphany season in which we heard of Christ's Baptism, fasting, temptation, and Transfiguration – all things He underwent on our behalf to fulfil God's will for our salvation. Then came Lent and Easter, which focus our attention on Jesus' suffering and dying to atone for our sins, and His victorious defeat of death and the devil. Finally, we celebrated the Ascension and Pentecost - Christ's enthronement at the Right Hand of the Father, and the giving of the Holy Spirit who creates and sustains faith in us so that we can believe in Jesus and be saved. Only after learning of all these things that God has done to have us as His people can we truly see who God is. That is, we see beyond the outward characteristics of God (His omnipotence, omniscience, eternal nature, etc.) and we begin to see God's very heart. We see from the Gospel that God, the Three in One, is more than a mysterious power in the heavens, but is in fact our loving Lord, united in nature and essence as well as in our life and salvation. In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.Almighty God, our heavenly Father, because of Your tender love toward us sinners You have given us Your Son that, believing in Him, we might have everlasting life. Continue to grant us Your Holy Spirit that we may remain steadfast in this faith to the end and finally come to life everlasting; through Jesus Christ, our Lord.Rev. Aric Fenske, Executive Director of Lutherans for Life.

Time is running out to register for Sacred Heart Radio’s 25th Anniversary banquet! On June 13th, Join Matt and Anna (and Paul!), along with keynote speaker and Mass celebrant Fr. Wade Menezes, Ken Craycraft, and bishops and priests who’ve been part of our mission, to celebrate a quarter century of sharing the Catholic Faith over the airwaves. The ticket price includes dinner, wine, and dessert…. it’ll be an epic birthday celebration! Register here. Good morning! On today’s show, Matt Swaim and Anna Mitchell welcome Greg Willits to continue our series on his book, “God Doesn’t Hate Me After All.” Other guests include Fr. Phillip Larrey on how tech companies are responding to the pope’s new encyclical, and Fr. Hezekias Carnazzo from the Institute of Catholic Culture and Fr. Jonathan Duncan from the Bone Church Revival podcast to preview the Sunday Mass readings. Plus news, weather, sports, and more… ***** St. Monica Sodality Prayer for Fallen Away Catholics “Eternal and merciful Father, I give You thanks for the gift of Your Divine Son Who suffered, died and rose for all mankind. I thank You also for my Catholic Faith and ask Your help that I may grow in fidelity by prayer, by works of charity and penance, by reflection on Your Word, and by regular participation in the Sacraments of Penance and the Holy Eucharist. You gave Saint Monica a spirit of selfless love manifested in her constant prayer for the conversion of her son Augustine. Inspired by boundless confidence in Your power to move hearts, and by the success of her prayer. I ask the grace to imitate her constancy in my prayer for [name(s)] who no longer share(s) in the intimate life of Your Catholic family. Grant through my prayer and witness that (he/she/they) may be open to the promptings of Your Holy Spirit, and return to loving union with Your Church. Grant also that my prayer be ever hopeful and that I may never judge another, for You alone can read hearts. I ask this through Christ, our Lord. Amen. ***** Full list of guestsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Lloyd shares a recent incident at his home and discusses the most basic lesson when it comes to home security. Armed Lutheran Radio is a listener-supported podcast. If you value the information and entertainment we provide, consider supporting the show by joining our membership site, The Reformation Gun Club! http://www.ReformationGunClub.com  Links of Interest  Buy Duty to Defend, Volume 2 on Amazon – https://amzn.to/3D3frE5*  Prayer of the Week O God our merciful Father, who taught the hearts of Your faithful people by sending to them the light of Your Holy Spirit, bring us by the same Spirit to have a right judgment in all things and evermore to rejoice in His holy comfort; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who with You and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, now and forever. Amen. Get in Touch Visit our Feedback Page - https://armedlutheranradio.libsyn.com/contact Please tell your friends about us, leave an iTunes review, and like us on Facebook Join our Facebook group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/fansofarmedlutheranradio Subscribe to us and follow us on Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/armedlutheran Check Out More at our Website- http://www.armedlutheran.us Original Music by Reformer  https://www.youtube.com/ReformerBand

May 24, 2026Today's Reading: John 14:23-31Daily Lectionary: Numbers 21:10-35; Luke 21:20-38“Jesus answered him, 'If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.'” (John 14:23)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.“Jesus answered him, 'If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.'” (John 14:23)I love Jesus. I'm sure most of you do too. Jesus says that if we love Him, we will keep His words. The word “keep” here doesn't just mean to obey; it also means to treasure or hold on to. If we love Jesus, we will love and obey His Words. That totally makes sense. If we love Jesus, we'll love the things that He tells us to love and cling tightly to them. If we love Jesus, we'll love the things that Jesus loves. If we love Jesus, we'll want to make Him happy and do the things that He wants us to do. This is all most certainly true. So, how's that going for you? Do you always appreciate everything Jesus has said to you? Do you love Jesus' words that say you should forgive that girl at school who's always mean to you? Do you love God's plan for chastity and sexual purity the way that Jesus does? Do you always want to make Jesus happy, or are you preoccupied with making yourself happy? We all know the answers to these questions, and it's not good. But remember, when Jesus promises to send the Holy Spirit to us, He promises that the Spirit will bring to our remembrance all that Jesus has said to us (John 14:26). And Jesus doesn't just preach the Law to us, He gives us the promises of the Gospel! You are washed by Jesus' blood. Your Baptism has joined you to Christ's death and resurrection. The Heavenly Father loves you and has made His home in you. Jesus will feed you with His own Body and Blood to strengthen you unto everlasting life. And all of this is given to you as a Gift, by grace through faith, apart from any merit or worthiness in you. If we love Jesus, we will love these words! In fact, that's pretty much what it means to be a Christian! We love the Gospel, and we live in the peace that Jesus promises, with hearts untroubled by the accusations of the Law (John 14:27). At the same time, in response to the Gospel, the Holy Spirit begins to create in us a love for the other words that Jesus has spoken to us, the words of His holy law, that we might obey them to the pleasure of God.  In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.O God, on this day You once taught the hearts of Your faithful people by sending them the light of Your Holy Spirit. Grant us in our day by the same Spirit to have a right understanding in all things and evermore to rejoice in His holy consolation; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. (Collect for Pentecost)Rev. Aric Fenske, Executive Director of Lutherans for Life.

Did you know that you have three eyes? In fact, someday your third eye may provide spare parts that might be necessary to repair the two eyes you normally think about.Scientists have known for more than a century that the western fence lizard has a third eye. Its third eye can be seen as a white spot on the top of its forehead. While this third eye is an extension of the pineal gland, it has a retina, lens, and cornea. While this third eye is unable to focus light, it does sense light. Pineal eyes are also found in other lizards, frogs, and lampreys, but not in mammals. Since human beings are supposed to be evolutionarily closer to mammals, scientists did not expect to find the third eye in human beings.When medical researchers investigating the human pineal gland compared their findings with eye researchers, they were astonished. Both the pineal and the retina make melatonin, an important chemical in our daily rhythm that also affects mood. Your pineal also makes a number of proteins that were thought to be made only by the eye that are necessary for processing light. And like the pineal, the eye also serves as one of the body's time-keeping mechanisms. There are so many similarities between the eye and the pineal in humans that scientists hope to one day use a person's pineal as a source of genetic spare parts to treat some eye diseases!That scientific advance might have already been made if scientists had long ago given up their belief in evolution.Proverbs 26:12"Seest thou a man wise in his own conceit? there is more hope of a fool than of him.”Prayer: I am truly fearfully and wonderfully made, dear Lord! I thank You for the wonders You have designed and placed within me. But most of all, I thank You for Your Holy Spirit, Who has convinced me of the forgiveness of my sin by grace, through faith in Your innocent suffering and death on the cross. Amen.REF.: Julie Ann Miller. "Eye to (Third) Eye." Science News, Vol. 128. Image: Pineal gland in red, Life Science Databases(LSDB)., CC BY-SA 2.1 JP, Wikimedia Commons. To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/1232/29?v=20251111

Lloyd reacts to the most recent attempt on the life of President Trump and the lack of shared moral values that makes support for political violence possible. Armed Lutheran Radio is a listener-supported podcast. If you value the information and entertainment we provide, consider supporting the show by joining our membership site, The Reformation Gun Club! http://www.ReformationGunClub.com  Links of Interest  Buy Duty to Defend, Volume 2 on Amazon – https://amzn.to/3D3frE5*  Prayer of the Week O God our merciful Father, who taught the hearts of Your faithful people by sending to them the light of Your Holy Spirit, bring us by the same Spirit to have a right judgment in all things and evermore to rejoice in His holy comfort; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who with You and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, now and forever. Amen. Get in Touch Visit our Feedback Page - https://armedlutheranradio.libsyn.com/contact Please tell your friends about us, leave an iTunes review, and like us on Facebook Join our Facebook group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/fansofarmedlutheranradio Subscribe to us and follow us on Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/armedlutheran Check Out More at our Website- http://www.armedlutheran.us Use these Links to Support Armed Lutheran Radio If you value the information and entertainment we provide, consider supporting the show by joining our membership site, or shopping at your favorite online stores using the links below. Check all the books by the Armed Lutheran - https://amzn.to/4kan8JL Shop at Amazon* - https://amzn.to/4ahxBii  Disclaimer  The links above which are indicated with an asterisk (*) are affiliate links, which means that if you choose to make a purchase, I will earn a commission. This commission comes at no additional cost to you.  Original Music by Reformer  https://www.youtube.com/ReformerBand

Welcome to Day 2862 of Wisdom-Trek. Thank you for joining me. This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom. Day 2862 – Wisdom Nuggets – Psalm 126:1-6 – Daily Wisdom Wisdom-Trek Podcast Script - Day 2862 Welcome to Wisdom-Trek with Gramps! I am Guthrie Chamberlain, and we are on Day 2862 of our Trek. The Purpose of Wisdom-Trek is to create a legacy of wisdom, to seek out discernment and insights, and to boldly grow where few have chosen to grow before. The title for today's Wisdom-Trek is: The Song of Ascent – The Dream of Restoration and the Harvest of Joy In our previous episode on this grand expedition, we stood in the protective shadow of the cosmic center. We explored Psalm One Hundred Twenty-Five, where we learned a profound, stabilizing truth. We discovered that those who place their absolute trust in Yahweh take on the permanent, immovable qualities of Mount Zion itself. We marveled at the spiritual geography of the holy city, realizing that, just as the physical mountains surround Jerusalem, the Creator intimately and fiercely surrounds His people. We rested in the prophetic guarantee that the oppressive scepter of the wicked—the ruling power of the dark, rebellious principalities—has a strict expiration date. We anchored our souls in the unshakeable peace of God's protective perimeter. Today, we continue our upward climb on the ancient pilgrim trail, stepping into the seventh song of this magnificent collection. We are exploring Psalm One Hundred Twenty-Six, verses one through six, in the New Living Translation. As the weary travelers ascend the mountain pass, they raise their voices to sing a song of stunning contrasts. It is a song that looks backward with unbelievable, intoxicating joy, while simultaneously looking forward through the blurry lens of tears and sorrow. It is the ultimate anthem of the exile, beautifully capturing the tension of living in a world that has been saved, yet still waits for its final redemption. Let us step onto the trail, and listen to the song of the harvest. The first segment is: The Unbelievable Reality of the Cosmic Rescue Psalm One Hundred Twenty-Six: verses one through three. When the Lord brought back his exiles to Jerusalem, it was like a dream! We were filled with laughter, and we sang for joy. And the other nations said, “What amazing things the Lord has done for them.” Yes, the Lord has done amazing things for us! What joy! The stanza opens with a glorious, overwhelming memory of divine intervention. "When the Lord brought back his exiles to Jerusalem, it was like a dream!" To fully comprehend the sheer euphoria of this opening verse, we must remember the devastating reality of the Babylonian exile. The nation of Israel had been conquered, their holy city burned to ash, and the people violently dragged away into a foreign, pagan empire. In the context of the Divine Council worldview, this was not just a political defeat; it appeared to be a massive, cosmic victory for the kingdom of darkness. The rebel gods of Babylon seemed to have triumphed over the Creator. For seventy long, agonizing years, the Israelites wept by the rivers of Babylon, convinced that they would die in the suffocating grip of their captors. But then, the Sovereign of the universe moved His hand. He orchestrated the rise and fall of entire empires, moving the heart of the Persian king to release the captives. Yahweh reached into the dark, hostile territory of the disinherited nations, and He physically pulled His people out. The deliverance was so sudden, so massive, and so humanly impossible, that the returning exiles could hardly process reality. "It was like a dream!" Have you ever woken up from a nightmare, and felt that crushing wave of relief when you realized you were safe in your own bed? That is the exact emotion the psalmist is trying to capture. The rescue was so magnificent, it bypassed their logical comprehension. This supernatural deliverance produced an involuntary, physical reaction. "We were filled with laughter, and we sang for joy." The heavy, suffocating silence of their captivity was shattered by the ringing, defiant sound of holy laughter. Their joy was a weapon, actively testifying to the faithfulness of their King. And the surrounding pagan world was forced to watch. "And the other nations said, ‘What amazing things the Lord has done for them.'" This is a staggering moment of cosmic vindication. The surrounding nations, who were governed by the rebel, lesser elohim, had to publicly confess the supreme, unrivaled power of Yahweh. The dark, spiritual principalities were humiliated on the global stage. The pagan cultures looked at the joyful, returning exiles, and they had to admit that the God of Israel had orchestrated a masterclass of redemption. The rescue was so undeniable, that even the enemies of the cosmic order had to acknowledge the majesty of the Creator. The pilgrims echo this confession, turning it into a roaring anthem: "Yes, the Lord has done amazing things for us! What joy!" They look backward at the great salvation of their past, and they allow that memory to fuel their present journey. The second segment is: The Desperate Plea for the Desert Streams Psalm One Hundred Twenty-Six: verse four. Restore our fortunes, Lord, as streams renew the desert. Suddenly, the tone of the psalm shifts dramatically. The intoxicating laughter of the past fades, and the stark, difficult reality of the present moment sets in. The psalmist cries out, "Restore our fortunes, Lord, as streams renew the desert." Why this sudden plea for restoration, if they had already been rescued from exile? Because the ancient believers understood the tension of the "already, but not yet." Yes, Yahweh had miraculously brought them back to the physical city of Jerusalem. The great, initial rescue had occurred. But the world was still broken. The land was still devastated, the enemies were still lurking outside the walls, and the exhausting, grueling work of rebuilding their civilization lay before them. They had been delivered from the nightmare, but they woke up to a harsh, demanding reality. They needed a second wave of divine grace. Therefore, they pray for a restoration that is "as streams renew the desert." Other translations use the term, "like the watercourses in the Negev." The Negev is the arid, unforgiving, southern desert region of Israel. Most of the year, its riverbeds, or wadis, are completely dry, baked hard by the relentless sun. The landscape looks entirely dead, incapable of sustaining life. But when the seasonal rains finally fall in the distant mountains, something miraculous happens. Without any warning, a sudden, violent flash flood comes roaring down the dry riverbeds. The rushing waters carve through the parched earth, instantly bringing explosive, vibrant life to the desert. Dormant seeds sprout, and the barren wasteland is transformed into a blooming oasis overnight. This is exactly what the psalmist is asking God to do in the spiritual realm. He is saying, "Lord, our current circumstances feel like a dry, scorched desert. Our souls are parched. The work of rebuilding is draining our strength. We need You to send a sudden, overwhelming flash flood of Your Holy Spirit. We need the rushing waters of Your grace to carve through our spiritual drought, and bring vibrant, unexpected life back to our community." He is asking the Creator to intervene with the same undeniable power He used to bring them out of Babylon. The third segment is: The Grueling Warfare of the Sower Psalm One Hundred Twenty-Six: verses five and six. Those who plant in tears will harvest with shouts of joy. They weep as they go to plant their seed, but they sing as they return with the harvest. To illustrate the agonizing process of waiting for that restoration, the psalmist turns to the powerful, ancient metaphor of agriculture. "Those who plant in tears will harvest with shouts of joy." To a modern reader who buys their food at a grocery store, planting a garden is often a relaxing, pleasant hobby. But in the ancient Near East, planting was an act of desperate survival, fraught with terror and physical pain. We must view this through the lens of the curse in Genesis Chapter Three. The ground had been cursed, heavily contested by the forces of chaos. The earth yielded thorns, thistles, and hard, unforgiving rock. Imagine a poor, ancient farmer. The winter has been long, and his family's food supply is almost entirely gone. He holds a small, precious sack of grain in his hands. He could feed that grain to his starving children today, and satisfy their...

Two hundred and fifty years ago, before a single battle of the Revolutionary War had been won, a group of men from vastly different denominations sat down together and did something that would set the tone for everything that followed — they prayed. Congregationalists, Anglicans, Quakers, Baptists, Lutherans, and more, setting aside every theological difference to seek God together for the future of a nation not yet born. They opened that first Continental Congress with the reading of Psalm 35, crying out to God as their shield, their armor, and their salvation. It was an act of unity that history has rarely matched. On this National Day of Prayer, we are invited into that same spirit — not as a political act, but as a profoundly spiritual one. The divisions in our nation run deep, and the temptation to pray only within the walls of our own traditions is real. But the founders understood something we must recover: that corporate prayer, offered in humility and unity, moves the hand of God in ways that individual effort never can. The same God who heard the prayers of those early colonists and brought a nation through impossible odds is still listening today. He is still moved by repentance. He is still responsive to humility. And He is still able to do far more than we can ask or imagine — if His people will simply set aside what divides them and call out to Him together. Interested in creating something new with us!? Take Our Newsletter Survey! Bible Verse "Contend, Lord, with those who contend with me; fight against those who fight against me. Take up shield and armor; arise and come to my aid. Brandish spear and javelin against those who pursue me. Say to me, 'I am your salvation.'" — Psalm 35:1-3 Ponder Today America's founders understood that physical battles are ultimately won or lost in the spiritual realm — their commitment to corporate prayer was not ceremonial, it was foundational. Unity in prayer does not require uniformity in doctrine — the founders set aside significant denominational differences to pray together for a shared purpose, and God honored it. National repentance is not just a historical concept — the story of Nineveh reminds us that God is always ready to relent when His people genuinely humble themselves and turn back to Him. The Great Awakenings in American history did not begin with political movements — they began with prayer, and there is no reason to believe that pattern has changed. Corporate prayer is one of the most powerful forces available to the Church — when believers across denominational lines join in one accord, the watching world sees the love of God at work in a way nothing else can replicate. Today's Prayer Dear Father, as our nation marks this significant anniversary, lead us by Your Holy Spirit to set aside our differences and join together in prayer for our country. Give us wisdom and insight into the needs of our nation and our leaders. Soften the hearts of our citizens to respond to a call for repentance, and draw us to humble ourselves before You, to seek Your face, and to turn from our wicked ways. Strengthen our faith to believe in the power of prayer and to cry out for another Great Awakening in America. We ask for miracles in our nation and in the lives of those who lead us. In Jesus' name, Amen. Enjoy Today's Prayer? If this episode encouraged you, we'd love to stay connected! Subscribe to the LifeAudio newsletter at LifeAudio.com for daily prayers, devotionals, and faith-filled content delivered straight to your inbox. Don't miss an episode — subscribe and share with someone who needs encouragement today. Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

I greet you in Jesus' precious name! It is Thursday morning, the 23rd of April, 2026, and this is your friend, Angus Buchan, with a thought for today. We start in Psalm 2:7. The Lord says of Jesus: ”You are My Son, today I have begotten You.” Then we go to the Book of Hebrews 1:5, the exact same scripture: “You are My Son, today I have begotten You” You can go to Acts 13:33 - the same thing! Oh folks, He is everywhere. Jesus is the most mentioned person in the whole Bible. There are 66 books, and He's in every single one, because Jesus is the Word. John 1:1: ”In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” There are none so blind as those who don't want to see!I want to say to that lady listening this morning, that old widow who is missing her husband and maybe her children, Jesus is with you. He is everywhere! When the astronauts circled the Earth, they acknowledged that God was present in the universe. You can go to the highest mountain, Mount Everest, He is there! You can go into the deepest canyon, the deepest mine on earth, He is there! Why? Because He lives inside you, my dear friend. He walks with you. He is with you every moment of the day. You never have to be lonely again if you can ask God to open your spiritual eyes.Now, I want to pray for you this morning, and I want you to pray after me:Heavenly Father, In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, by the power of Your Holy Spirit, please open my spiritual eyes today that I may see You,that I may see You in the stars that shine at night;in the sun that rises in the morning;that I might see You in Your creation;that I might see You in that newly born baby; that I might see You in that lovely old gentleman; that I might see You in all Your glory! I ask this in Your precious name, amen.Have a wonderful day as you open your spiritual eyes today! Goodbye

Order of Service: - Prelude - Prayer: O Lord, our Maker, Redeemer, and Comforter, we are assembled in Your presence to hear Your holy Word. We pray You to open our hearts by Your Holy Spirit that through the preaching of Your Word we may be taught to repent of our sins, to believe on Jesus in life and in death, and to grow day by day in grace and holiness. Hear us for Christ's sake. Amen. - Hymn 456 - My Soul, Now Bless Thy Maker: Duet v. 1 (setting by J.H. Schein, 1618); C: vv. 3, 4 - Isaiah 40:9-11: O Zion, You who bring good tidings, Get up into the high mountain; O Jerusalem, You who bring good tidings, Lift up your voice with strength, Lift it up, be not afraid; Say to the cities of Judah, “Behold your God!” Behold, the Lord GOD shall come with a strong hand, And His arm shall rule for Him; Behold, His reward is with Him, And His work before Him. He will feed His flock like a shepherd; He will gather the lambs with His arm, And carry them in His bosom, And gently lead those who are with young. - The Lord's Prayer (p. 85) - Hymn 370 - The King of Love, My Shepherd is - Blessing - Postlude Service Participants: Rev. Shawn Stafford (Preacher), Allison Rygh (Singer), Rev. Prof. Dennis Marzolf (Pianist), Natalie Henning (Singer)

April 19, 2026Today's Reading: John 10:11-16Daily Lectionary: Exodus 32:15-35; Luke 6:39-49“I am the Good Shepherd.” (John 10:11a) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.Sheep need a shepherd. Sheep depend on a shepherd who will lead, provide, and protect. Otherwise, sheep wander, get lost, and in their lostness can be easy prey for the wolves.Isaiah says: “all we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned – every one – to his own way,” (53:6). It is as if we were in a race to see who could rebel and sprint from God the fastest! Green pastures? Still waters? Soul restoration? Righteous paths? Guiding presence in the very deep shadow of death? Comforting rod and staff? A banquet table? A divine home? No thanks! We will go it alone! We will be independent and self-sustaining. We will follow every false path. We will chase down every poisoned weed and lap up every polluted puddle. And to top it off, we will put ourselves under a hired hand, who doesn't give a farthing about us. He will let us do anything that floats our boats. And we won't even notice the hireling as he hightails it as the wolf creeps, snarls, and attacks. This scenario of sheep insisting on their own waywardness will not end well. It will end hellishly! Damnationally!  So it is time to repent. Turn from such sinful straying. Turn from going our own independent way. And then be turned to THE GOOD SHEPHERD – the Lord Jesus Christ in faith who does what it takes to salvationally find and rescue us, His wandering sheep, so that we will be totally dependent on Him. Why? Because “the good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep … I lay down my life for the sheep.” He is preaching His Good-Friday-on-the-cross death. This is the only death that atones for all sin, including yours. Here is the bottom line. Your salvation as a sheep all boils down to dependency. Or to put it quite bluntly: you cannot save yourself, no matter how hard you try. You need THE GOOD SHEPHERD, Jesus, the Bishop of our souls (1 Peter  3:25), who laid down His life into death – His Good Friday death on the cross FOR YOU. Dependent on Good Shepherd Jesus, we listen to His voice that categorically proclaims: “I died and rose FOR YOU. At My Table, I give you My Body and Blood, and I promise all your sin is forgiven. You're in my flock. I've got you.” To which faith-full sheep say: “Amen. Thank you. Thank you, Jesus!” In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.Almighty God, merciful Father, since You have wakened from death the Shepherd of Your sheep, grant us Your Holy Spirit that when we hear the voice of our Shepherd we may know Him who call us each by name and follow where He leads; through the same Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

Read Online“Do not be amazed that I told you, ‘You must be born from above.' The wind blows where it wills, and you can hear the sound it makes, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes; so it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.” John 3:6–8Today's Gospel offers us an opportunity to ponder the relationship between faith and reason. Is it good to live our lives according to human reason? Certainly! The natural virtue of prudence is the ability to use our human reason to discern the right course of action in any given situation, choosing what is most reasonable to achieve good and avoid harm. Unfortunately, we often make choices based not on prudence but on unruly passions and disordered desires. Prudence helps us cut through the confusion so we can choose the most reasonable course of action.Natural prudence, however, is not enough if we want to choose God's will in all circumstances. God's will is not contrary to reason and natural prudence; it is above what our natural minds alone can discern. This was the struggle Nicodemus had in today's Gospel.Nicodemus, a well-respected Pharisee, “came to Jesus at night” to converse with Him. Jesus warmly welcomed him and their conversation ensued. Some Church Fathers have interpreted the detail that it was at night as a symbol of Nicodemus' faith: it had not yet been enlightened by divinely revealed truth. He was clearly open and curious, knowing there was something special about Jesus, which is evidenced by his initial greeting: “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God, for no one can do these signs that you are doing unless God is with him” (John 3:2). Nicodemus, familiar with Jesus' miracles, understood that only God could empower one to do such things. This opened the door to his curiosity, which led him to seek Jesus out for a conversation.What a beautiful starting point for faith! Like Nicodemus, when we encounter God's almighty power in some way—such as during prayer, the holy virtues of another, or through our reading of the Scriptures—we will experience a certain tug on our hearts. We might not fully understand such an experience, but we must act on it. If we do not, we silence the gentle promptings of the Holy Spirit.Nicodemus sought understanding, and Jesus' response to him was exactly what he needed. Jesus did not address Nicodemus' compliment; instead, He addressed Nicodemus as a person and said what he needed to hear: “Amen, amen, I say to you, unless one is born from above, he cannot see the Kingdom of God” (John 3:3).Nicodemus responded in a way we are all tempted to do when we face a divine mystery—he tried to figure it out through the use of his natural reason alone: “How can a person once grown old be born again? Surely he cannot reenter his mother's womb and be born again, can he?” (John 3:4). This is a common tendency. We want to figure things out so they make sense. However, the only way to make sense of life is to allow our human reason to be informed and elevated by the grace of the Holy Spirit. For that reason, Jesus continued to insist on speaking mysteriously, to draw Nicodemus beyond natural prudential judgments into supernatural understanding.Reflect today on the mysterious ways the Holy Spirit communicates to you. Like the wind, the Holy Spirit moves through our lives, unseen yet transformative, refreshing our souls with His gentle guidance. We cannot direct His movements, but we can recognize His presence in the stirrings of grace and the fruits of goodness in our lives. When we allow ourselves to be carried by the Spirit, we find ourselves led in directions we might never have chosen on our own but that always lead us closer to God's will and His Kingdom.Lord of true Wisdom, Your thoughts are far above our thoughts and Your ways are far above our ways. Please bestow upon me, and upon all Your children, Your Holy Spirit so that we can always discern and choose Your holy will. I pray that Your grace will enlighten my natural reason so that I may know and love You with all my heart. Jesus, I trust in You.    Image: Visit of Nicodemus to Christ by John La FargeSource: Free RSS feed from catholic-daily-reflections.com — Copyright © 2026 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. This content is provided solely for personal, non-commercial use. Redistribution, republication, or commercial use — including use within apps with advertising — is strictly prohibited without written permission.

Introduction: How to Get Self-Controlled: (1 Corinthians 9:24-27) You Must Give Maximum EFFORT. (1 Cor 9:24) 2 Peter 1:5-6 - For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control... You Must Be Motivated By the PRIZE. (1 Cor 9:25) You Must Have a PLAN. (1 Cor 9:26) The Plan for Self-Control: AVOID Situations Where You'll Be Tempted. ACCOUNTABILITY. Put OFF / Put ON. You Must Have a Healthy Fear of Being DISQUALIFIED. (1 Cor 9:27) Sermon Notes (PDF): BLANKHint: Highlight blanks above for answers! Audio Transcript 00:36-00:41Open up those Bibles to the book of 1 Corinthians, in chapter 9.00:43-00:55After a little break from 1 Corinthians to go through our Easter series about the offices of Jesus, Prophet, Priest, and King, we are back in 1 Corinthians.00:56-01:05Let's get caught up, let's review, for those of us who have been part of it, and for those of you who are visiting with us, of 1 Corinthians so far.01:05-01:11The first four chapters are about the church being united.01:13-01:15Paul's like, "You guys have to get it together.01:15-01:19You've got to stop the faction, stop your little clique, stop the divisiveness.01:20-01:32You guys have got to get it together." And then, chapters 5 and 6, he talks about the church purified, dealing with sexual sin in the church.01:33-01:34you guys got to get it together.01:35-01:42All right, and then when you get to chapter seven and beyond, 1 Corinthians sort of turns into a Q&A session.01:43-01:46Paul's like, okay, you had some questions for me and I'm gonna answer them.01:46-01:55And the first issue was about marriage and the issues that go with that singleness, intimacy, all of those things.01:55-02:06And then this last stretch we've been on before our little break was the issue of Should Christians eat the meat that was sacrificed to idols?02:08-02:23And that turned into a whole discussion where Paul says the mature believer is willing to lay down his rights or her rights for the sake of winning the lost.02:24-02:30And that takes us to chapter nine, verse 24, picking up where we left off last time.02:30-02:35So, I'd like you to just bow your heads and just take a moment and please pray for me.02:36-02:44To be faithful to clearly communicate the word of God, I'll pray for you to have a heart open to receive what it is.02:46-02:49The Lord has something for each of us in this passage today, all right?02:50-02:50Let's pray.02:52-02:58Father in heaven, as we turn to your word today, it's such an ironic concept because we think we're in control.03:00-03:07But when we insist on doing things our way, we actually aren't in control at all.03:10-03:11You've commanded us, Father.03:11-03:15You've empowered us to be self-controlled people.03:17-03:40And I pray for every single one of us in this room, everyone who's watching the stream, everyone who's going to be downloading the podcast later, everyone who encounters this teaching from your word, Father, every single one of us, please, by the wisdom of your word, by the power of your Spirit, make us different than the world.03:43-03:50Make us kingdom people who are self-controlled. To your glory and honor, We pray in Jesus' name.03:52-03:56And all of God's people said, "Amen." Amen.03:59-04:03When you drive home today, just be careful.04:04-04:13I'm not sure legally if I'm allowed to say anything, but I have a pastor friend who, driving home from Easter, was crashed into by a door dash driver.04:15-04:17And I was so confused when he told me.04:17-04:25I'm like, "I thought they just brought the food to your house." Like, "Ah." But there's a lot of maniacs on the road.04:25-04:45You're like, "Yeah, I'm one of them." But several years ago, Aaron bought me a tire cover for the back of my Jeep that says, "To God be the glory." And at first I thought, that's just a nice little witnessing tool or something, right?04:45-04:49but I found that it's had a much different effect than I was expecting.04:50-05:18That thing has given me a lot of self-control. Aaron's always reminding me in traffic, "Remember what the back of your Jeep says, remember what the back of your Jeep says, do not give that driver a thumbs down, remember what the back of your Jeep says." And the reality is we all need help with self-control, don't we? We You and I, we have an enemy.05:20-05:22And if you're not careful, this enemy is going to destroy you.05:24-05:34And your enemy is not some spiteful coworker, not some other student in your school, not some slanderous church member.05:34-05:39And I'm not even talking about the devil himself.05:42-05:45Your biggest enemy is you.05:48-06:01And if we're going to be honest with ourselves, which we certainly encourage, many of your problems ultimately find their root in a lack of self-control.06:03-06:06I mean, just think about the problems a person can have.06:06-06:08Think about the problems that you have.06:08-06:13How much of it comes from just a complete lack of self-control, right?06:13-06:15People dealing with issues of lust.06:16-06:17It's a lack of self-control.06:18-06:21People dealing with anger issues, fits of rage.06:22-06:22What do they say?06:22-06:25"I just lost control." Right.06:26-06:28People dealing with addiction issues.06:29-06:33Zero self-control, whether it's a chemical or a drink or food.06:35-06:36Lack of self-control.06:36-06:37For some people, it's spending.06:39-06:40They just spend out of control.06:41-06:44There's no budget, there's no discipline, there's no self-control.06:47-06:49For some of you, it's your words.06:50-07:01Like, man, I just, I say things and I joke about things, I'm determined I'm not gonna do that, and then I just kinda go with it and I don't have any self-control.07:03-07:06But church, God's word is absolutely clear on this.07:07-07:13Your walk with Christ is to be on a path of self-control.07:15-07:19Self-control is going to affect every single area of your life.07:21-07:25Do you want to feel like you're walking in victory with Christ?07:28-07:30It's a path of self-control.07:32-07:34Lack of self-control can affect your physical health.07:36-07:39Lack of self-control can affect your mental health.07:40-07:46How many people dealing with depression, at the very base of it is, they lack self-control.07:50-07:54Lack of self-control can affect your witness for Christ.07:55-08:01So in this passage we're looking at today, Paul is going to show us how to grow in spiritual self-control.08:02-08:06And Paul says you need to learn principles from an athlete.08:07-08:17And they tell you, you know, when you're in preaching class, you don't always want to go to a sports illustration in your sermon.08:17-08:21And Paul didn't get the memo about no sports illustrations because that's where he went.08:22-08:28So this illustration we're going to look at is a familiar analogy to the Corinthians.08:29-08:32They were a sports-dominated culture.08:34-08:34Sound familiar?08:36-08:38They had the It's Me In Games.08:39-08:43It was every two or three years, depending on who you read.08:44-08:45But they were like the Olympics.08:47-08:49And I found this fascinating.08:49-09:01The athletes in these games had to take an oath that they were going to train for ten months, including abstaining from eating anything unhealthy.09:02-09:02Okay?09:03-09:35Funyuns for 10 months. These people were dedicated. But it was even harder than that because the last 30 days before the event, they were required to be in the gym every single day. And the winner of the event got a pine wreath. Alright, with that as a background, let's look at what Paul says, we're going to read all of it and then go back, pick up some principles.09:36-09:37That is a background.09:37-09:39They knew what he was talking about here.09:39-09:52He says in verse 24, "Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize?09:53-09:55So run that you may obtain it.09:57-10:02Every athlete exercises self-control in all things.10:04-10:11They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we, an imperishable.10:13-10:15So I do not run aimlessly.10:15-10:26I do not box as one beating the air, but I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others, I myself should be disqualified.10:28-10:30It's obvious Paul's point here, right?10:30-10:33He says our life is like a race.10:34-10:41And we need to run our race in such a way that we are useful to God.10:43-10:48And to do that, Paul makes it very clear, we must be self-controlled.10:48-10:53We have to be willing to give up anything that's going to hinder our race.10:55-11:03So using this race metaphor, God gives us principles for self-control.11:03-11:07So if you're taking notes on your outline, I certainly encourage you to do that.11:08-11:11Just very simply, here's the point.11:11-11:12This is how to get self-controlled.11:13-11:18Number one, you must give maximum effort.11:21-11:25You must give maximum effort.11:25-11:26Look at verse 24 again.11:27-11:39He says, "Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize?" Here it is.11:40-12:09run, that you may obtain it." Now their race only had one winner. But this prize he's talking about in this passage is open to everyone because it's your own race. Listen, in this race you're not competing with anyone but yourselves. You're like, "What's this prize he's talking about? Only one receives a prize. I knew what it was for the athletes, but how How does this analogy translate spiritually?12:10-12:12What prize is he talking about here?12:16-12:19You know, when you read the Bible, you have to read it in context.12:20-12:30You know, too many people just pull a passage out and kind of run with it, but he's keeping the same train of thought going throughout this whole section.12:32-12:33What is the prize?12:34-12:39Well, in the previous section, he talked about being all things to all people.12:41-12:43Why? Why, Paul?12:44-12:47If you recall, he said he wants to win people.12:48-12:49Win people.12:50-12:51He said it five times.12:52-12:54Verse 19, verse 20, verse 21, verse 22.12:54-12:58Paul's like the Jews, those under the law, those outside the law, the weak.12:58-13:00I want to win lost people.13:00-13:03That's the prize in view here.13:03-13:13You see, the prize he's not talking specifically here about salvation, or heaven, or some believers' heavenly rewards specifically.13:13-13:15All of those are prizes for sure.13:15-13:18But specifically in this context, he's talking about people.13:20-13:23Specifically here, he's talking about winning lost people with the gospel.13:24-13:34You see, this flows from the thought of the previous passage where he says, "Holding on to your rights can make you lose your opportunity to share the gospel and win people.13:38-13:41So what's his point here with this analogy, with this illustration?13:42-13:43This is the whole point.13:46-13:52If you're concerned about winning the lost, listen, church, you have lost your audience.13:54-13:55You have ruined your opportunity to share.13:56-14:04You have shot yourself in the foot when you're trying to win someone to Christ, but they don't see Christ in you.14:10-14:15You see, if somebody looks at your life, somebody that you're trying to win to Christ, they look at your life and they see sin.14:16-14:18They see hypocrisy.14:18-14:22And you're telling them that they need Jesus like you need Jesus.14:22-14:26They're thinking, well, Jesus didn't seem do you any good.14:27-14:32You know, all your church, and all your Bible studies, and all your Sunday school didn't seem to help you at all.14:33-14:35So why would I be interested in that?14:39-14:46That's why Paul says, "Run that you may obtain the prize." Run that you may obtain the prize.14:46-14:48You're like, well, that's obvious, right?14:49-14:51I mean, you run like you're trying to win.14:55-14:58He's talking about putting forth the effort.15:01-15:03Isn't this kind of a no-brainer?15:03-15:08I mean, what athlete would show up and not try to win?15:08-15:13Who shows up to the event and puts no effort into it?15:19-15:19a lot of people.15:23-15:24Here's what I mean.15:25-15:51For example, Christian men say, "I'm struggling with looking at things on the computer that I shouldn't look at." And I've dealt with a lot of this over the years where men come to me and they're like, "I'm struggling with that!" And I'm like, "Okay, well, tell me about your struggle." Well, I do it every day.15:52-15:53Like, that's not a struggle.15:54-15:55You know what struggle implies?15:57-16:01Struggle implies that there is some effort going on to deal with it.16:01-16:07But to just sort of roll over and give yourself to some besetting sin, and be like, well, it's a struggle.16:07-16:08You're not struggling.16:13-16:23Just doing it in no way suggests there's any effort for self-control with any besetting sin.16:24-16:24Not just that one.16:26-16:27And that's what Paul's saying here.16:27-16:28This is where it has to start.16:28-16:30Look, church, you've got to make the effort.16:33-16:37You can't just go to bed and hope the self-control fairy shows up.16:38-16:39You have to make the effort.16:42-16:46You have to get to the place where you're like, look, I am in a race, okay?16:47-16:52And maybe I haven't been putting the effort in, but that changes today.16:52-16:53I'm gonna win.16:53-16:58Look, you're gonna get to the place in your life where you say, I'm not okay with living in defeat.16:58-17:00I'm not okay with that anymore.17:01-17:02This ends right now.17:03-17:04You gotta put forth the effort.17:07-17:08How are you doing there?17:11-17:14As you know, I coach my son's deck hockey.17:14-17:17We, I've done it for years.17:18-17:25And several years ago, at the time, actually, the GOAT was coaching with me, we had a couple players on our team.17:25-17:26Don't say their name.17:26-17:36We had a couple, they're gonna be watching this, we're like, "Hey!" We had a couple players on the team a few years ago, extremely high-skilled players.17:40-17:52And during the game, we noticed - Sean and I did - we noticed that these two players in particular, any time we had a line change, they'd go out on the deck.17:54-17:57It was somewhere between a walk and a trot.18:00-18:37And I'm like, "Sean, what's going on there?" And he's like, "What are they doing?" we called them over like next line change and we're like what's going on out there why are you guys are like barely moving out there everybody else like running and they're just like and they said well we got a we got a big important game with another league this weekend we don't want to risk getting hurt so Sean and I were like hey that's great we'll help you with that you can and just sit the rest of the game.18:38-18:41Because we're not putting players out there that aren't putting forth any effort.18:42-18:43We're not going to do that.18:43-18:46You're embarrassing yourselves and you're embarrassing the team.18:49-18:54But you know, those two young men had everything they needed to win.18:55-18:57They had their equipment on.18:57-19:00They had a great knowledge of the game.19:01-19:03They had a lot of experience.19:04-19:29what they didn't have that day? Effort. So you see, it doesn't matter what else they had. When there was no effort, it was game over before it started. It's like, why did you guys even show up? Why did you put your gear on and go on the deck if you don't want You don't have to make any effort.19:32-19:36And I think that describes a lot of Christians in their walk with Christ.19:40-19:50I mean, you come to church, you go to small group, you go to the men's conference, you go to the women's conference, and you show up.19:50-19:57You have everything you need to succeed, but there's just zero effort in the area of self-control.20:00-20:00It's a problem.20:02-20:03It's a problem.20:06-20:10Look what 2 Peter 1:5-6.20:10-20:11Same thing.20:11-20:22Look, "For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with..." Oh, oh, there it is again.20:24-20:25Self-control.20:27-20:28Yes, listen, I know.20:29-20:35Before you send me a text or an email, I know that self-control is a fruit of the Spirit.20:36-20:43I know that the only way that happens is if the Lord empowers you to do that.20:43-20:44I know that. Yes.20:44-20:47That is 100% true, and that is also another sermon entirely.20:48-20:51This is telling us right here.20:52-20:56This passage is telling us here, you and I are commanded to make every effort.20:57-20:58Are you doing that?21:01-21:02You must give maximum effort.21:04-21:07If you're not willing to do that, none of the rest of this sermon is going to apply.21:08-21:12But if you are willing to do that, if you're willing to say, "I'm done.21:12-21:16I'm done living in defeat." If that's you, great, let's keep going.21:16-21:19Number two, you must be motivated by the prize.21:21-21:23You must be motivated by the prize.21:24-21:25Look at verse 25 again.21:28-21:29Bless you.21:31-21:36"Every athlete exercises self-control in all things.21:39-21:53They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable." First of all, note, "every athlete." This isn't a passage for preachers and missionaries alone.21:54-21:55This is for you too.21:57-22:00And then notice he says self-control in all things.22:01-22:02All things.22:02-22:03Every area.22:04-22:14You have an area of your life right now where you're like, you know what, I think overall I'm doing good in my walk with Christ, but I do have this area where I'm not self-controlled.22:14-22:14Do you have that?22:19-22:20You need to stay motivated.22:21-22:22You've got to keep your eyes on the prize.22:28-22:29I like Paul's point here.22:30-22:32The comparison of the prizes.22:33-22:37Paul says here that these Greek athletes, all that training, right?22:37-22:40Ten months, 30 days, all that training.22:40-22:41And what do they win?22:43-22:44What do they win?22:44-22:49A Christmas decoration put on their head.22:52-22:53Hip, hip.22:54-22:55No.22:56-22:58No, not even close.23:00-23:01That's Paul's point, right?23:01-23:05He says, "They do all that for a lame prize." Talk about lame prizes.23:05-23:09In these past Olympics, didn't those medals like fall apart or something?23:09-23:15Wasn't there a whole thing like, "Hey, I've traded my whole life for this medal." Oh, and a stuffed animal, yay.23:16-23:16(audience laughing)23:19-23:30He goes, "It's a lame prize." It's like, you know, that's like several years ago, a bunch of guys from church, we went to, do you ever see those indoor places where you can throw the ax at the wood,23:30-23:31(imitates ax thudding)23:31-23:32when you're into the bulls eye,23:32-23:32(imitates ax thudding)23:33-23:34do you ever see these?23:34-23:40What's it called, the lumber jacks or something, or you know what I'm talking about?23:40-23:41The old ax throwing thing?23:42-23:48Well, a bunch of us went there, And there might've been some ladies there too, I don't remember, but here's what I do remember.23:50-23:51I won.23:53-23:53I won.23:56-23:58Yeah, thank you, the one person that's proud of me.23:58-24:02No, Tristan, just Tristan, just Tristan.24:03-24:05The rest of you, too late, thank you, Tristan.24:07-24:07I won.24:08-24:09Do you know what I won?24:11-24:11A sticker.24:11-24:12(Laughter)24:14-24:15I'm not even joking.24:16-24:19It's on my wastebasket in my office, the sticker.24:20-24:22That's what I want. And that's Paul's point here.24:22-24:36He goes, "They did all that training, all that competing, and all they got was a stupid wreath for their head." Paul's point here is, shouldn't we be more motivated?24:37-24:39Because our prize is winning people to Jesus.24:39-24:50We're talking about eternity, and we're talking about lost people who are going to suffer apart from the presence of God forever, and we have the opportunity to change that.24:54-25:00And look, if you've ever won someone to Christ, you know the humble joy that that brings.25:03-25:05And if you haven't, go do it.25:09-25:10And if you have, go do it again.25:12-25:14It's about winning people to Christ.25:14-25:15That's the prize.25:15-25:16That's the prize.25:17-25:28I know there are some people that are hearing this, and they're like, "Oh, that's the prize." Yet people aren't excited about the gospel because they aren't doing what makes the gospel exciting.25:29-25:31That's the problem in the church.25:31-25:33They're not living it, and they're not sharing it.25:34-25:35That's what makes the gospel exciting.25:38-25:39That's the prize.25:41-25:56I promise you, someday, someday, Christian, when you stand before the Lord, you're going to realize it was worth it.25:58-26:12You're going to stand before the Lord, you're going to say, "Jesus, You were worth it." You're going to say, "Jesus, every time I used the self-control you gave Me by the power of Your Spirit for the sake of imitating You, it was all worth it.26:12-26:22Every person that you reached, Jesus, through Me, that is now beholding Your glory and worshiping You for all of eternity, it's worth it.26:24-26:27There's a glorious victory celebration that's coming soon.26:29-26:31And Paul reminds us, keep your eyes on the prize.26:31-26:33Not some stupid wreath.26:34-26:35Perfecting eternity.26:38-26:40So keep control of yourself.26:42-26:44How to get self-control.26:44-26:45Maximum efforts.26:46-26:47Motivated by the prize.26:48-26:52Number three, you must have a plan.26:53-26:54You must have a plan.26:56-26:57Luke 26.26:59-27:04Paul says, "So, I do not run aimlessly.27:06-27:10I do not box as one beating the air.27:12-27:13I do not run aimlessly.27:15-27:18Track and field people, you know this, right?27:19-27:26When you show up for a meet, when you show up for a race, there has to be a track and a finish line, right?27:26-27:34You don't show up to the event, you're like, "I'm ready to run." They're just like, "Run wherever you want." Well, how do I know if I win?27:34-27:35That's his point.27:35-27:36I don't run aimlessly.27:37-27:39You got to stay on track.27:40-27:46You don't show up at the track meet and you just start running through the bleachers, running by the concession stand.27:47-27:48Well, this is my race.27:48-27:49No, no, no.27:50-27:51No track.27:54-27:55No finish line.27:57-27:58Likely, no effort.28:00-28:01Definitely no victory.28:04-28:05You have to have a plan to win.28:10-28:10Please hear me.28:12-28:14This is why many of you struggle with self-control.28:16-28:19Many of you struggle with self-control because you do not have a plan.28:21-28:21Here's what I mean.28:21-28:26You'll walk out of church today, and this is your big takeaway.28:26-28:27You'll say, "You know what?28:29-28:30He's right.28:31-28:33From now on I'm going to have self-control.28:36-28:41And you're going to leave it that vague, you're going to leave it that non-specific, and you're going to fail again.28:44-28:45Because you don't have a plan.28:49-28:50You're not being intentional.28:51-28:53You're running in a concession stand.28:54-28:55You have to have a plan.28:55-29:00So very quickly here, you're like, "Well, I don't know what the plan is." tells you what the plan is.29:00-29:02I'm going to give you the plan for self-control.29:03-29:04Start here, okay?29:06-29:07Three things, again, quickly.29:07-29:13We could spend a whole lot of time on these, but if you want to dig deeper, come and meet with one of our pastors.29:14-29:15We will be glad to walk through this with you.29:15-29:17But letter A, the plan for self-control.29:17-29:19Avoid situations where you'll be tempted.29:19-29:21We just talked about this recently in a message.29:23-29:28You know, I'd like to remind you, as I do often, I've never ever ever lost a fight to Mike Tyson.29:29-29:29Not once ever.29:30-29:32I have a perfect record against Mike Tyson.29:33-29:35Zero losses, thank you, thank you Tristan.29:35-29:37Tristan is the only person in this church that's proud of me.29:40-29:42I've never lost a fight to Mike Tyson, why?29:42-29:43Because I've never showed up.29:45-29:53Right, you have to avoid situations where you'll be tempted because I guarantee you if I would have showed up to fight Mike Tyson, my teeth would have been in the fourth row, okay?29:54-29:57you won't lose the fight if you don't show up.29:58-30:00So avoid situations where you'll be tempted.30:00-30:01Put up fences for yourself.30:02-30:06You're like, "Well, that sounds like legalism." Listen, it's okay to be a personal legalist.30:07-30:07It's okay.30:08-30:13Legalism is a problem when I start enforcing my convictions on you.30:13-30:14That's when it's a problem.30:14-30:19But when I have convictions and fences that I enforce on myself, that is healthy.30:20-30:21That is self-control.30:23-30:24You can be a personal legalist.30:25-30:25It's okay.30:27-30:29But avoid situations where you'll be tempted.30:30-30:31Letter B, how about accountability?30:32-30:33Accountability.30:33-30:35You should be in a small group.30:36-30:39You should have a trusted brother or sister in Christ.30:40-30:41Somebody that you can be open with.30:41-30:43Somebody that you can share your heart.30:44-30:45Where you're really struggling.30:45-30:46Where you really need prayer.30:46-30:48Where you really need them to check up on you.30:48-30:53You should have a two-way street with someone that way.30:53-31:04Someone that's not going to judge you or look down on you or be harsh with you, but somebody who's going to love you through it and encourage you.31:05-31:06And you do that for them.31:06-31:07Accountability.31:11-31:13The third plan for self-control.31:14-31:14Put off, put on.31:16-31:17Put off, put on.31:18-31:19This is all through the Bible, by the way.31:21-31:24This is a key piece in your personal discipleship.31:24-31:26This is a key piece in your walk with Christ.31:29-31:30Here's the short version.31:30-31:32The Bible doesn't tell you to just stop sinning.31:33-31:37The Bible tells us that you need to replace sinning with something good.31:38-31:40That's over and over and over in Scripture.31:43-31:45It's like, "Okay, stop sinning." No, no, no. Don't stop sinning.31:46-31:47Replace sinning.31:48-31:51Take the sin off and then replace it with something else.31:56-32:07If you've ever come to one of us for counseling, especially if you're dealing with a besetting sin, this is what we do, because this is what the Bible commands.32:08-32:11That besetting sin, okay, here's what we're going to do.32:11-32:18We're going to look at it the way God looks at it, and we're going to replace that sin with something else, with something that honors and glorifies God.32:20-32:22It's like the old story.32:24-32:25I've shared this with you before.32:26-32:27I didn't make this up.32:27-32:30This is ancient, but I love it because it's effective and I like dogs.32:30-32:32But this guy had two dogs.32:33-32:36He had a white dog and a gray dog.32:38-33:35And every time he let him off the leash to eat, that old gray dog, he just beat that white dog up and the gray dog got all the food. So over time the gray dog was getting stronger and stronger and the white dog not getting to eat was getting weaker and weaker and the guy's like this isn't working. So here's what he did he he leashed both dogs and for a season he gave the white dog all the best most Awesome dog food kibbles and bits and bits and bits and and the gray dog He barely gave enough food to keep it alive. It's just an illustration. It's made up. Do not call PETA But the guy says no for a season I'm only feeding the white dog So, you know what happened the white dog got bigger and stronger in the gray dog at that And that season got weaker and weaker. So when he let him off the leash guess which dog was stronger, right?33:35-33:39The point of the story is this, the dog that you feed is going to be the stronger dog.33:42-34:00And if you find in your life that you're constantly feeding your sin, whatever your sin, your besetting sin is, your sin tendency, if you're constantly feeding that, it's a lot harder if you don't want to do the right thing when you're constantly feeding doing the sinful thing.34:00-34:03Self-control is feeding the white dog.34:03-34:05I'm only going after the things that honor the Lord.34:06-34:07That's what I'm going after.34:07-34:08I'm not feeding my sin.34:08-34:11I'm feeding righteousness, so to speak.34:14-34:15That's the plan.34:16-34:20I want to remind you that self-control has to happen before you encounter temptation.34:21-34:27Self-control isn't, well, I hope if I encounter a temptation today, I hope I stand strong.34:28-34:29It's usually too late by then.34:30-34:31The work has to be done beforehand.34:32-34:34Decisions have to be made beforehand.34:36-34:48That's why Paul here says in the second part of the verse, "I do not box as one beating the air." Same principle, right?34:48-34:49Paul says I have a plan.34:49-34:50I stick to the plan.34:50-34:52I stay focused on the plan.34:52-34:53Like wait, wait, wait, wait.34:54-34:55Boxing? I thought we were talking about racing.34:58-34:59I thought we were talking about running.35:00-35:56boxing thing. You know that'd be a great new sport. Wouldn't that make the Olympics so much more interesting if the people that were running were also allowed to punch each other? Wouldn't that be awesome? You know, because you, right, as one person pointed out, you would have one guy that's like really fast and like he's not getting punched and he's probably gonna win but I think that everybody faster. And I think it would really make those middle-of-the-pack people... I think we need to get on this. So what's he talking about here? Well, Paul says, "Yeah, I'm still talking about racing, but while I'm running my race, I have an opponent who wants to knock me off track. I have this opponent that I I have to knock him out.35:58-36:00Like, who is that opponent, Paul?36:00-36:01And he's like, it's me.36:02-36:04I'm the biggest problem in my race.36:06-36:07My flesh is my biggest enemy.36:10-36:17Which is why number four leads us to this, you must have a healthy fear of being disqualified.36:19-36:21You must have a healthy fear of being disqualified.36:23-36:24Look at verse 27.36:25-36:39He says, "But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others, I myself should be disqualified." I was like, hey, hey, I control my body, not vice versa.36:39-36:42My body doesn't control me.36:42-36:46I tell my body what we're doing.36:48-36:51Paul, why are you so adamant about that?36:51-36:56Why are you coming in hot about self-control here?36:56-37:02What's your issue, Paul?" He tells us right here, he says, "Because I don't want to be disqualified." That's why.37:06-37:21You know, it's interesting, in these It's Me and Games, their Olympic Games, the whole The whole thing began with a herald.37:22-37:26They would have a guy who got up, he announced the contest.37:27-37:28He announced the games.37:29-37:30He announced the rules.37:30-37:32He announced the contestants.37:34-37:38And anyone who broke the rules was disqualified.37:38-37:39You're out.37:40-37:41We don't tolerate that.37:42-37:44And here's the point, church.37:46-37:57Paul here is telling us that the Christian is the herald and an athlete in the race at the same time.38:03-38:07Do you see why that's such an important point to make?38:10-38:21Paul is saying here, how embarrassing would it be You stood up and told everybody the rules, and then you got disqualified because you broke the rules.38:22-38:24How embarrassing would that be?38:25-38:27Oh, it's worse than embarrassing.38:31-38:36Because a ruined testimony discredits the gospel in the eyes of the unsaved.38:40-38:41It's Paul's point here.38:42-38:45He goes, "Look, you're no longer effective.38:48-38:50You're worthless when it comes to witnessing.38:50-38:52You've discredited yourself.38:54-38:54It's happened to too many.38:55-38:57It's happened to too many Christians.38:57-38:59It's happened to too many preachers.39:00-39:03You stand up and announce, and then you break the rules yourself.39:03-39:06Like, dude, shouldn't you have known more than anyone?39:11-39:13So you need another motivation for self-control?39:14-39:16You should have a healthy fear of failure.39:17-39:23And please, let's be clear, he is not, when he's talking about disqualification, he's not talking about your salvation.39:24-39:25Understand that.39:25-39:27You cannot lose your salvation.39:27-39:48If you are truly born again, I mean, if you are truly born again, you believe in Christ, you receive Christ, you believe in His death on the cross to take away your sins, If you believe He rose from the dead, He gave you the promise of eternal life, if you truly believe that, you are an adopted child of God.39:49-39:52You are sealed in the Holy Spirit and nothing can change that.39:52-39:55There is not a force in the universe that can change that.39:55-40:00And I see no language in the Bible that talks about being unadopted.40:02-40:05That talks about the seal of the Spirit being removed from you.40:05-40:07I don't see any language in the Bible about that.40:08-40:11He is not talking about losing your salvation.40:12-40:13You can't.40:13-40:17But, you can lose your ministry.40:21-40:29And if you're a believer, you know, that's one of the greatest losses that you can experience in this life.40:31-40:42Any ministry, however you serve God, Whatever you're doing for the king, you lose that.40:46-40:50You're like, "You know, I was partnering with the living God.40:50-40:54I was doing things that matter for eternity and it's over.40:55-41:01And I have no one to blame but myself because I just couldn't control myself.41:02-41:07And I got myself disqualified." on the outside looking in.41:09-41:13Watching other people do what used to give you so much purpose and joy.41:14-41:14You're disqualified.41:17-41:19You ruined your testimony.41:19-41:21You shattered people's trust in you.41:22-41:24You're no longer useful for ministry.41:26-41:27You're disqualified.41:29-41:31You should have a healthy fear of that.41:33-41:41You should always have it in the back of your mind what's at stake if you fail to be self-controlled.41:43-41:47If our worship team would come back up, I'd like you to just bow your heads, please.41:47-41:49I just want us to take a couple of moments.41:50-41:57I want us to take a couple of moments for prayer, self-evaluation.41:58-42:00You know, sometimes we get together and go to little groups and pray.42:03-42:05That's wonderful, but we're not doing that today.42:06-42:08Today, this is between you and the Lord.42:10-42:12Just you and the Lord.42:15-42:16Right now.42:19-42:26Is there any area of your life right now where you are not exercising self-control?42:28-42:30We talked about this not too long ago.42:30-42:30Confession.42:31-42:32Agreeing with God.42:33-42:35Do you need to do that today?42:35-42:36Agree with God.42:36-42:36Yeah, God, you know what?42:36-42:45This is an area, Father, where I have completely neglected to exercise any kind of self-control.42:46-42:55I just want to ask you today - your head's bowed - how much effort are you putting into this?42:57-43:00Can you honestly say you've been struggling with sin?43:01-43:06Or have you just been sort of letting sin walk all over you?43:08-43:10Are you putting forth any effort?43:12-43:14Do you realize the prize?43:17-43:19Oh, there are so many prizes.43:21-44:07Eternal life in the presence of our Lord, the rewards that come through faithful service, all of that, but specifically again, here he's talking about winning the lost in this whole section. He's talking about winning the lost. That's the prize. Changing eternity for people, winning people to Christ, should motivate us to repent of our hypocrisy. So Again, my friends, you don't want to walk out of here with some generic, "I'm going to try to be self-controlled." It's just not going to work.44:08-44:09You've got to have a plan.44:11-44:18Are you willing to put up fences for yourself to stay out of places where you know you're going to lose that fight if you walk in there?44:20-44:22Are you willing to get accountability?44:22-44:33Are you willing to replace that sin, that time, that energy, that effort you're putting into sin, will you put that into something that honors the Lord instead?44:33-44:37You're going to start feeding the white dog and stop feeding the gray dog.44:38-44:39What's your plan?44:41-44:42Remember what's at stake.44:44-44:55Oh yes, there's always shame and embarrassment in being found out that you've been living in some kind of unrepentant, besetting sin.44:57-45:15There's also forfeiting your ministry, disqualifying yourself, being completely ineffective for the kingdom because you were so unwilling to get with God.45:17-45:25Today's the day to put the flag in the ground, draw the line in the sand, whatever other metaphor you want to use, but today's the day.45:26-45:28We're changing things today.45:29-45:38Father in heaven, I pray for every single one of us who are called by Your name.45:40-45:45Father, we all have areas of our lives where we just have let it go.45:45-45:46We've made excuses.45:46-45:49We've not exercised any control.45:50-45:53Today, Father, let us be done with the excuses.45:53-45:56Give us a reality check on what's at stake.45:59-46:04The main thing, Father, is Your glory and honor.46:06-46:24So I pray today, Father, that we leave here recommitted that the light of Your Word, the and the light that comes from Your Holy Spirit would shine in all of the dark places in our hearts and minds and show us where we are not honoring You.46:26-46:32Father, let today be a day of confession and repentance.46:33-46:39Let us be people who actually show up to the race to win.46:42-46:46We thank You, Father, for the power that You give us to do that through Your Holy Spirit.46:48-46:52Give us the want to by that same power.46:53-46:56We pray in Jesus' name, Amen. Small Group DiscussionRead 1 Corinthians 9:24-27What was your big take-away from this passage / message?What strategies have you found effective to be self-controlled?Why do you think many Christians put little (or no) effort in self-control?The “prize” in this context is winning lost people. How is that a motivation to self-control?NO NAMES! – but do you know someone who disqualified themselves from ministry due to lack of self-control? How did you react to that news? How does this make an unbeliever think about the Gospel? BreakoutPray for one another. In what area are you struggling with self-control? What is your plan for change?

Send us your feedback — we're listeningMorning Prayer — Jesus, You Fill Me with Power, Love, and a Sound Mind Through the Holy Spirit Today 2 Timothy 1:7 — For God Has Not Given Us a Spirit of Fear, But of Power, Love, and a Sound Mind Live from London, England São Paulo • Chicago • Nairobi • Manila • Rome prayer for strength and courage • overcome fear prayer • power of the Holy Spirit prayer • sound mind prayer • confidence in Jesus today  2 Timothy 1:7 (NIV): “For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.”  Acts 1:8 (NIV): “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses…” Jesus, You fill me with power, love, and a sound mind through Your Holy Spirit today. I will not walk in fear. I will not be held back by uncertainty or doubt, because what You have placed within me is greater than what stands before me. Your Spirit lives within me, strengthening me, guiding me, and empowering me to stand firm. So I rise with confidence. Not in myself, but in the power of the Holy Spirit working within me. Where fear tries to take hold, I release it. Where doubt tries to speak, I silence it with truth. You have given me clarity. You have given me strength. You have given me a mind that is steady, focused, and disciplined. I am not overwhelmed. I am not shaken. I am anchored in You. Jesus, lead me forward with boldness today. Let me walk in authority, speak with confidence, and move with purpose in every situation I face. Let Your Spirit guide my thoughts, direct my steps, and shape my responses. I receive Your power. I walk in Your love. I stand in a sound mind. Jesús, camino en Tu poder y en Tu amor sin temor hoy. Jesus Cristo, caminho no Teu poder e no Teu amor sem medo hoje. From São Paulo to Chicago, from Nairobi to Rome, across every place stepping into the demands of this day, You are present. You are strengthening. You are empowering Your people. So I stand. I move forward. I walk in boldness. In Your name, Jesus, I overcome fear and walk in power today. Amen. morning prayer, 2 Timothy 1:7, prayer for courage, Holy Spirit power prayer, overcome fear prayer, sound mind prayer, Christian strength prayer, daily prayer prayer for strength and courage in the morning, 2 Timothy 1:7 meaning prayer, Holy Spirit power prayer today, Christian prayer to overcome fear and anxiety, Jesus give me confidence prayer, prayer for a sound mind and claritySupport the showDaily Prayer with Reverend Ben Cooper now reaches 185 countries and 3,012 cities worldwide through the Global Blend Radio network.This is a listener-funded global ministry. If these daily prayers strengthen your faith or help you through difficult seasons, would you consider becoming a monthly prayer partner for just £3 per month?Your support enables us to continue recording, hosting, and broadcasting daily biblical encouragement across the nations — keeping this ministry free and accessible to everyone who needs it.You can support today at GlobalBlendRadio.comTogether, we can keep prayer moving across the world.To submit a prayer request or connect with our global prayer community, visit DailyPrayer.ukBuy me a Coffee 

Mastodons were distant relatives of the elephant. Modern science says that one of the main parts of their diet was conifer needles. Supposedly, they died out at the end of the Ice Age because conifers became scarce as the world warmed.Now the discovery of the last meal of one mastodon calls this theory into question. Living bacteria have been found in a mastodon that died during the Ice Age. The bugs were found in the remains of a mastodon's last meal, preserved with a skeleton that was discovered while preparing a golf course in Ohio. Scientists think the bacteria normally lived inside the mastodon, working as part of the mastodon's digestive process.What scientists discovered about the mastodons' diet could upset some theories about what drove them to extinction. The scientists said the four-ton mastodon had spent its last day eating a salad of swamp grass, moss, and leaves, a bit of seed, and a garnish of water lily. What was left of these plants, as well as the bacteria, were separated from a mass of reddish-brown matter found near the mastodon's ribs and vertebrae.Scientists who believe in evolution claim that the animal died 11,000 years ago. But how sure can we be about that? After all, evolutionary scientists were wrong about the mastodon's diet. As a result, their theories about why mastodons became extinct seem to be wrong. The facts that the bacteria were still alive and the stomach contents were not fully decayed tell us that this evolutionary date, too, is greatly exaggerated.Joshua 24:15“…but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”Prayer: Dear Lord, so many people prefer to reject Your Word and then do their own speculating about things You have clearly revealed to us. I ask that through Your Holy Spirit, You would help me not to speculate where Your Word has spoken so clearly. Amen.Image: Mastodon excavation, Burning Tree Golf Course, Ohio, James St. John, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons. To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/1232/29?v=20251111

Taste and See that the Lord is Good UOL Retreat in Philadelphia PA on 3/28/2026 In this episode, we look at how the Church's pre- and post-Communion prayers prepare us not just to receive the Eucharist, but to be changed by it. They help us see our need, turn us toward God, and then teach us how to carry His presence into daily life. Communion becomes not just something we receive, but something we learn to live. --- PRE-COMMUNION PRAYERS (UOC-USA PRAYER BOOK) Through the prayers of our Holy Fathers, Lord Jesus Christ, our God, have mercy on us. Glory to You, our God, glory to You. Prayer to the Holy Spirit О Heavenly King, the Comforter, Spirit of Truth, everywhere present and filling all things. Treasury of Blessings and Giver of Life, come and dwell in us, cleanse us from every impurity and save our souls, O Good One. Thrice-Holy Hymn Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us. (3 times) Small Doxology Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever and to the ages of ages. Amen. Prayer to the Holy Trinity All-Holy Trinity, have mercy on us. Lord, cleanse us from our sins. Master, pardon our transgressions. Holy One, visit us and heal our infirmities for Your Name's sake. Lord, have mercy. (3 times) Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever and to the ages of ages. Amen. The Lord's Prayer 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 the Evil One. For Thine is the Kingdom, the Power and the Glory, of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, now and ever and to the ages of ages. Amen. Lord, have mercy. (3 times) Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever and to the ages of ages. Amen. Invocation to Jesus Christ Come, let us worship God, our King. Come, let us worship and bow down before Christ our King and our God. Come, let us worship and bow down before Christ Himself, our King and our God. Psalm 22 The Lord is my Shepherd. I shall not want. He settles me in a place of green grass; beside restful water He leads me. He restores my soul; He guides me on the paths of righteousness for His Name's sake. For even if I walk in the midst of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil because You are with me. Your rod and Your staff comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil and my cup overflows. Behold, Your mercy will follow me all the days of my life and I will live in the house of the Lord for the length of my days. Psalm 23 The earth is the Lord's and all its fullness, the world and all who live in it. For He has founded it above the seas and prepared it above the waters. Who will ascend into the mountain of the Lord and who will stand in His holy place? One whose hands are harmless and whose heart is pure, who has not received his soul in vain and has not sworn deceitfully to his neighbor. He will receive blessing from the Lord and mercy from God his Savior. This is the kind who seek the Lord, who seek the Face of the God of Jacob. Lift up your gates, you rulers and be lifted up, you eternal doors and the King of Glory will come in. Who is this King of Glory? The Lord of Hosts, He is the King of Glory. Psalm 115 I kept my Faith even when I said I am greatly afflicted. I said in my amazement: "Every person is a liar!" What shall I give to the Lord for all that He has given me? I will take the cup of salvation and call upon the Name of the Lord. I will pay my vows to the Lord, in the presence of all His people. Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints. Lord, I am Your servant – and the child of Your handmaiden. You have burst my bonds apart. I will offer to You the sacrifice of praise and I will call upon the Name of the Lord. I will pay my vows to the Lord in the presence of all His people, in the courts of the house of the Lord, in your midst, Jerusalem. Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever and to the ages of ages. Amen. Alleluia, alleluiа, alleluia, glory to You, our God. (3 times) Tropar, Tone 8 Lord, born of a Virgin, overlook my faults, purify my heart and make it a temple for Your Spotless Body and Blood. Cast me not from Your presence for You have infinitely great mercy. Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit;How can I who am unworthy, dare to come to the Communion of Your Holy Things? For even if I should dare to approach You with those who are worthy, my garment betrays me, for it is not a festal robe and I shall bring about the condemnation of my sinful soul. Lord, Lover of mankind, cleanse the pollution from my soul and save me. Now and ever and to the ages of ages. Amen.Great is the multitude of my sins, Birth-Giver of God. To you, Pure One, I flee and implore salvation. Visit my sick and feeble soul and intercede with Your Son and our God, that He may grant me remission of my sins, for You alone are blessed. First Prayer – Saint Basil the Great Lord and Master, Jesus Christ our God, Wellspring of Life and Immortality, Maker of every visible and invisible thing, Co-eternal and Co-everlasting Son of the Everlasting Father: in the abundance of Your Goodness, You were incarnate in these latter times, and crucified and buried for us ungrateful and graceless people. Through Your own Blood You have renewed our nature corrupted by sin. Immortal King, though I am a sinner, accept my repentance, incline Your Ear to me and hearken to my words. I have sinned before heaven and before Your Countenance and I am not worthy to gaze upon the immensity of Your Glory. For I have provoked Your Goodness, I have transgressed Your commandments and I have not obeyed Your ordinances. But, Lord, since You do not remember evil, but are long suffering and have great mercy, You have not given me over to destruction for my lawlessness, but have continually awaited my conversion. For You, Lover of Mankind have said through Your prophet, "I desire not the death of sinners, but that they may turn from their evil ways and live." Because You do not wish, Master, that the work of Your Hands should perish, neither, do You take pleasure in the destruction of humanity. Rather, You desire that all people should be saved and come to a knowledge of the Truth. Therefore, even I, though I am unworthy of heaven, earth and of this transitory life, having given myself completely to sin becoming a slave to pleasure and defiling Your Image – yet being Your creation – I despair not of my salvation in my wretchedness. But, emboldened by Your infinite Compassion, I draw near. Therefore, Loving Christ, receive me also as You received the harlot, the thief, the publican and the prodigal. Take away the heavy burden of my sins, You Who take away the sins of the world, Who heal all human infirmity, Who call to Yourself those who are weary and heavy-laden, granting them rest. You came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. Cleanse me from every stain of flesh and spirit and teach me to achieve perfect holiness in fear of You, that receiving my share of Your sacred things, I may be united to Your Holy Body and Blood and may have You dwell and abide in me with the Father and Your Holy Spirit. Yes, Lord Jesus Christ, my God, may the partaking of Your Most Pure and Life-Giving Mysteries bring me not to condemnation, nor may I partake unworthily of them. Grant that I, even to my final breath, may receive my share of Your sacred things without condemnation and thereby receive communion with the Holy Spirit as a provision for the journey to eternal life and an acceptable defense before Your Dread Judgment Seat. Lord, grant that I, together with all Your elect, may also be a partaker of immaculate good things which You have prepared for those who love You, with whom You abide and are glorified to the ages. Amen. Second Prayer — Saint John Chrysostom Lord my God, I know that I am not sufficiently worthy that You should come under the roof of the house of my soul, for it is entirely desolate and fallen in ruin and You cannot find in me a worthy place for Your head. But, as You humbled Yourself from on high for our sake, humble Yourself not to the measure of my lowliness. As You took it upon Yourself in the cave to lie in the manger for dumb animals, so take it upon Yourself now to enter into the manger of my ignorant soul and into my defiled body. Since You did not disdain to enter and eat with sinners in the house of Simon the Leper, so take it upon Yourself to likewise enter also into the house of my humble, leprous and sinful soul. As You did not cast out the harlot, a sinner much like me, who came and touched You, so have compassion on me, a sinner, coming to touch You. Since You did not detest the kiss of her sin-stained and unclean mouth, detest not my mouth, which is stained even worse and more unclean than hers as well as my sordid, unclean and shameless lips, nor my even more unclean tongue. Let the fiery coal of Your Most Pure Body and of Your Precious Blood bring me the sanctification, enlightenment and strengthening of my humble soul and body, a relief from the burden of my many transgressions, protection against every operation of the Devil, an aversion and hindrance of my base and evil habits, a mortification of my passions, an accomplishment of your Commandments, an increase in Your divine Grace and an entrance into Your Kingdom. For I do not come to You, Christ my God, in presumption, but having been given full confidence by Your Ineffable Goodness, I approach, lest I stray far from Your communion and become the prey of the wolf of souls. Therefore, I pray, Master Who alone are Holy; sanctify both my soul and body, my mind and heart and my emotions and affections. Renew me entirely, implant Your Fear in my members and make Your sanctification indelible within me. Be my helper and foundation, govern my life in peace and make me worthy to stand at your right hand with Your saints. Through the prayers of Your Most Pure Mother, the pure and immaterial Powers that always serve You and of all the saints who have been well pleasing to You from the ages. Amen. Third Prayer – Saint Simeon the Translator Only Pure and Spotless Lord, Jesus Christ, Wisdom of God, Peace and Power: moved by Your ineffable mercy and love for all mankind, You took up our whole nature from the chaste and virginal blood of the one who wondrously conceived You through the coming of the Holy Spirit and by the favor of Your Eternal Father. In that nature you took it upon Yourself to undergo Your life-giving and saving Passion – the cross, the nails, the spear and death itself. Mortify in me the soul-destroying passions of the body. As you despoiled the dominion of Hades in the tomb, bury in me the spirit of evil. You raised fallen Adam through Your life-bearing Resurrection - so raise me for I am immersed in sin and counsel me in the ways of repentance. You made divine the flesh You assumed and honored it on Your Throne at the Right Hand of the Father in Your Glorious Ascension. By the communion of Your Holy Mysteries make me worthy of a place at Your Right Hand with the saved. You made Your sacred disciples precious vessels by the coming of the Comforter, the Spirit – confirm me also to be a receptacle of His Coming. You promised to come again to judge the world in righteousness – grant that I shall go to meet You in the clouds with all Your saints. For You have made and formed me that I may unceasingly praise and chant hymns to You with Your Eternal Father and Your All-Holy, Good and Life-Creating Spirit, now and ever and to the ages of ages. Amen. Fourth Prayer – Saint Simeon the Translator Christ my God, as though standing before Your Dread Judgment Seat which does not regard personalities awaiting judgment and rendering an account of the evils I have committed: so today before the day of my condemnation appears, I stand before Your Holy Altar in Your Sight and in the Sight of Your awesome and holy angels. Bowed low by my own conscience, I offer my wicked and lawless actions, triumphing over them by declaring them. Lord, I know my iniquities have increased beyond the number of hairs on my head. The multitude of Your loving kindness is immeasurable and the mercy of Your Goodness and Forbearance beyond description and there is no sin which overcomes Your love for all mankind. Therefore, all marvelous King and merciful Lord, cause Your wondrous mercy to touch even me, a sinner. Receive me, a sinner, as I return to You, as You received the prodigal, the thief and the harlot. As You received those who came at the eleventh hour unworthily, so receive me also, a sinner. I know that You will set these sins I have committed before me and require an accounting of the sins which I have knowingly and unpardonably committed, but neither convict me with fitting judgment, nor chastise me in Your Anger. Lord have mercy on me for though I am weak, I am also the work of Your Hands. You have granted me to revere You, Lord, but I have done evil in Your Sight. Against You only have I sinned, but I beg You, Lord, judge not Your servant for if You will severely mark iniquity, who will survive it? For I am in a sea of sin and am neither worthy nor sufficient to behold and gaze upon the height of heaven for the multitude of my innumerable sins. Who will raise me up? Who has fallen into such evils and transgressions? Lord God, in You have I hoped. Have mercy on me, God, according to Your great mercy and do not reward me, as my deeds deserve. Rather convert, uphold and deliver my soul from the evils implanted in it and from fearsome designs. I will praise and glorify You all the days of my life. For You are the God of those who repent and we glorify You with Your Father without beginning and Your All Holy, Good and Life-Creating Spirit, now and ever and to the ages of ages. Amen. Fifth Prayer – Saint John of Damascus Lord and Master Jesus Christ our God, You alone have the power to absolve sin. Because You are Good and love all mankind, forgive all my iniquities committed in knowledge or in ignorance. Make me worthy to partake without condemnation of Your divine, glorious, pure and life creating Mysteries, that I may incur neither punishment nor an increase in my sins, but receive cleansing, sanctification, a pledge of the Life and the Kingdom to come, protection, an aid, a turning aside of my adversaries and the blotting out of my many transgressions. For You are a God of Mercy, Loving Kindness and Love for all mankind and we glorify You Father, Son and Holy Spirit, now and ever and to the ages of ages. Amen. Sixth Prayer – Saint Basil the Great Lord, I know that I partake unworthily of Your Pure Body and Your Precious Blood, my Christ and my God. Yet emboldened by Your Loving Kindness I come to You for You have said, "Those who eat My Flesh and drink My Blood abide in Me and I in them." Therefore, be merciful, Lord and do not rebuke me, a sinner, but deal with me according to Your mercy. And let these Holy Things afford me healing, cleansing, enlightenment, protection, sanctification of soul and body, the averting of every fantasy, evil practice and operation of the devil which works within me. Let them give me confidence and love for You, amendment of life and perseverance, an increase in perfection and virtue, the fulfillment of Your Commandments, communion of the Holy Spirit and a provision for the journey to eternal life and an acceptable answer at Your Dread Judgment Seat, but neither for judgment nor condemnation. Amen. Seventh Prayer - Saint Symeon the New Theologian From lips besmirched and heart impure, from unclean tongue and sin stained soul, receive my pleas, my Christ. Neither overlook my words, my way of speech, nor my annoyingly persistent cry. Grant me the boldness to express all the things for which I long, my Christ, and teach me all that it is fitting for me to do and say. More than the harlot have I sinned. When she learned where You were visiting she brought myrrh, boldly came there and anointed Your Feet. As You, Divine Word, did not cast her out when she came in eagerness of heart, detest me not. Rather give me Your Feet, I pray, for my embrace and my kiss. With the torrent of my tears, as with an ointment of great price, let me dare to anoint them. Purify me, O Word, in my own tears and cleanse me with them. Forgive my errors; grant pardon, for You know the multitude of my sins. You also know the wounds I bear. You see the bruises of my soul. Yet You know my faith, You see my eager heart and hear my sighs. From You, my God, Creator and Redeemer, not one tear is hidden, nor even part of one. Your Eyes know my imperfection, for in Your Book are found those things which are yet unfashioned. Behold my lowliness; behold how great is my weariness. Then God of the entire world, grant me release from all my sins, that with a clean heart and conscience filled with holy fear and a contrite soul, I may partake of Your most pure and spotless Mysteries. The one who eats and drinks with a pure heart has life and divinity. For You have said, my Master, that "those who eat of My Flesh and drink of My Blood do indeed abide in Me and I am likewise found in them." My Master and my God, this saying of Christ is completely true. For one who shares in these Divine and Deifying Graces is not alone, but is with You, Christ, the Triple Radiant Light Who enlightens the whole world. You see that for this I have drawn near to You with tears and contrite soul. Thus, I dare to hope in Your good deeds for us, I partake – both rejoicing and trembling – for I am but grass in fire and behold, a strange wonder! I am refreshed with dew, beyond all words, just as in ancient times the bush burning with fire was not consumed. Therefore, thankful in mind and heart, thankful with all my body and all my soul I worship You, magnify and glorify You, my God for You are blessed both now and to all the ages. Amen. Eighth Prayer - Saint John Chrysostom Lord Jesus Christ, my God, absolve, remit, forgive and pardon me, of all the errors, transgressions and trespasses which I have committed before You – whether in knowledge or in ignorance, in words, deeds, thoughts or intentions. Through the intercession of Your All-Pure Mother, Your heavenly hosts and all the saints, who through the ages have been faithful to You, count me worthy to partake without condemnation of Your Holy and Precious Body and Blood for the healing of both soul and body and for the elimination and the cleansing of my evil thoughts. For Yours is the Kingdom, the Power, the Glory, the Honor and the Worship of the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and to the ages of ages. Amen. Ninth Prayer – Saint John of Damascus I stand before the doors of Your temple and I refrain not from evil thoughts. But You, Christ my God, justified the tax collector: You showed mercy to the woman of Canaan and opened the Gates of Paradise to the Thief. Open to me the depths of Your love for all mankind and receive me as I draw near and touch You, even as You did the harlot and the woman with the issue of blood. The latter merely touched the hem of Your garment and immediately received healing and the former, clinging to Your Pure Feet, obtained the release from her sins. But, I in my pitiful state, dare to receive Your Whole Body. May I not be consumed, but receive me even as You received those others and enlighten the feelings of my soul, cleansing my sins; through the prayers of the one who gave You birth without seed and of the heavenly powers, for You are blessed to the ages of ages. Amen. POST-COMMUNION PRAYERS (UOC-USA PRAYER BOOK) Glory to You, O God! (3 times) Lord my God, I thank You that You have not rejected me, a sinner, but have allowed me to be a partaker of Your Holy Things.  I thank You that You have permitted me, though unworthy, to have a share in Your Most Pure and Heavenly Gifts. Master and Lover of Mankind, Who for our sake died and rose again and gave us these Awe-inspiring and Life-giving Mysteries for the benefit and sanctification of our souls and bodies: let these Gifts be for the healing of my own soul and body, for the averting of every adversary, the illumination of the eyes of my heart, the peace of my spiritual powers, an unashamed faith, an unfeigned love, the realizing of wisdom, the observance of Your Commandments, the receiving of Your Divine Grace and the inheritance of Your Kingdom. Preserved by them in Your holiness, may I always be mindful of Your Grace, no longer living for myself, but for You, our Master and Benefactor.  May I then pass from this life in the hope of Eternal Life and attain to the Everlasting Rest where the voice of those who feast is unceasing and the unending delight of those who behold the beauty of Your Face is inexpressible. For You, Christ our God, are truly the ineffable joy and desire of all those who love You and all creation sings Your praise to the ages of ages. Amen. Second Prayer following Communion By Saint Basil the Great I thank You, Christ, Master and God, King of the Ages and Maker of All Things, for all the Good Gifts You have given me and especially for the participation in Your Most Pure and Life-creating Mysteries. Therefore, I pray, Gracious Lord, Who loves all mankind, that You preserve me under Your protection and beneath the shadow of Your Wings. Grant that even to my final breath, I may partake worthily and with a pure conscience of Your Holy Things for the remission of my sins and for Eternal Life. For You are the Bread of Life, the Wellspring of Holiness, the Giver of all Good and we glorify You, together with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and to the ages of ages. Amen. Third Prayer following Communion By Saint Simeon the Translator You Who willingly give Your Flesh to me as Food, Who are a Fire burning the unworthy; let me not be consumed, my Creator. Rather, enter into all my members – my joints, my inner being and my heart. Burn the thorns of my iniquities. Purify my soul and sanctify my reasoning.  Strengthen my joints and bones. Enlighten my five senses. Bind me completely with reverence for You. Always shelter, guard and keep me from every soul-corrupting word and deed. Cleanse, purify and harmonize my being. Beautify me, grant me understanding and enlighten me. Show me to be the Habitation of Your One Holy Spirit and no longer the abode of sin, that having become Your Dwelling Place because of the Communion of Your Holy Mysteries, every evil deed and passion may flee from me as from fire. As intercessors, I bring all the Saints: the leaders of the Bodiless Hosts, Your Forerunner, the Most Wise Apostles and with them, Your undefiled, Most-pure Mother. Accept their prayers Christ, my Merciful One and make me a Child of Light. For You, Good One, are the only Sanctification and Enlightenment of our souls and to You, as God and Master, we worthily render glory day by day. Amen. Fourth Prayer following Communion May Your Holy Body, Lord Jesus Christ our God, be for me Life Eternal and Your Precious Blood for the remission of my sins. May this Eucharist grant me joy, health and gladness. At Your Dread Second Coming make me, a sinner, worthy to stand at the Right Hand of Your Glory, through the intercessions of Your All-pure Mother and of all Your saints. Fifth Prayer following Communion To the Birth-Giver of God All Holy Lady, Birth-Giver of God, light of my darkened soul – my hope, my shelter and refuge, my consolation and joy; I thank you for accepting me, the unworthy one, as a communicant of the Most-pure Body and Precious Blood of your Son. In that you gave birth to the True Light, enlighten the intellectual eyes of my heart. As the one who carried the Fountain of Immortality in your womb, enliven me, slain by sin. Merciful Mother of the Most-merciful God, full of loving kindness, have mercy on me, grant me contrition and compunction of heart, humility in my thoughts, and the ability to recall my reasoning from its captivity. Make me worthy, until my final breath, to receive the sanctification of the Most Pure Mysteries without condemnation, for healing of soul and body. Grant me tears of repentance and confession, that I may chant hymns and glorify You all the days of my life, for blessed and glorified are You to the ages. Amen. Master, now let Your servant depart in peace, according to Your word; for my eyes have seen Your salvation, which You have prepared in the presence of all people, a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to Your people Israel. Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us. (3 times) Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever and to the ages of ages. Amen. All-Holy Trinity, have mercy on us. Lord, cleanse us from our sins. Master, pardon our transgressions. Holy One, visit us and heal our infirmities for Your Name's sake. Lord, have mercy. (3 times) Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever and to the ages of ages. Amen. 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 the Evil One. For Yours is the Kingdom and the Power and the Glory of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, now and ever and to the ages of ages. Amen. Depending upon which Liturgy was celebrated, one of the following Tropars and Kondaks are said.Liturgy of Saint John Chrysostom Tropar, Tone 8 Grace shining forth from your mouth like a beacon has enlightened the universe, disclosing to the world treasures of generosity and showing us the heights of humility.  Since you instruct us by your words, Father John Chrysostom, intercede with Christ God, the Word Himself, to save our souls. Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. Kondak, Tone 6 From heaven you received divine grace and by your lips you teach all to worship the one God in Trinity, All-blessed and Venerable John Chrysostom. Worthily do we extol you, for you are an instructor who reveals things divine. Now and ever and to the ages of ages. Amen. Liturgy of Saint Basil the GreatTropar, Tone 1 Your voice has gone out to all the earth and it has received your word. By it you taught divine doctrine making the nature of things, which exist, clear and giving good order to human behavior. Venerable Father and Royal Priest Basil, intercede with Christ our God, that He may save our souls. Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. Kondak, Tone 4 You appeared as an unshakable foundation of the Church passing down an inviolate dominion to all mortals, sealing it with your teachings, Venerable Basil, revealer of Heaven. Now and ever and to the ages of ages. Amen.Bohorodychnyi, Tone 6 Protection of Christians not put to shame, unwavering Mediation before the Creator; despise not the prayer of sinners, but because you are good, quickly come to help us who call on you in faith. Be swift to intercede and make haste to supplicate, Birth-Giver of God, who always protects those who honor you. Lord, have mercy. (12 times) More honorable than the Cherubim and beyond compare more glorious than the Seraphim. You, Who without defilement did bare God the Word, true Birth-Giver of God, we magnify You. Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever and to the ages of ages. Amen Lord, have mercy. (3 times) Lord, Jesus Christ, Son of God, through the prayers of Your Most Pure Mother and all the saints, have mercy on us. Amen.    

Have you ever felt stuck in a pattern you can't break—like worry keeps winning, anger keeps resurfacing, or temptation keeps circling back? In today's episode of the MY Devotional Podcast, Dr. Michael Youssef warns that many Christians, without realizing it, have allowed Satan to establish strongholds—spiritual fortresses designed to block prayer, cloud discernment, and keep you from living out God's will. Dr. Youssef identifies a key root issue: carnality—when the old sinful nature dominates the new nature Christ has given you. Left unchecked, carnality builds power bases of self-centeredness that weaken your spiritual life from the inside out. But there is hope—and a weapon God has already placed in your hands: prayer. Drawing from Paul's words, Dr. Youssef reminds believers that we don't fight with worldly tools. In Christ, we've been given supernatural, God-powered weapons that can tear down the enemy's dark fortresses—whether they show up as obsessive fear, controlling anxiety, bitterness, hate, lust, or simmering rage. If you're ready to stop managing strongholds and start demolishing them, this devotional will point you to the Father's unconditional love, your secure identity in Christ, and the spiritual authority God gives to overcome. Prayer: Father, thank You that nothing can snatch me out of Your hands. I am Yours forever. Armed with this assurance, help me to break down Satan's strongholds in my life as I surrender to Your Holy Spirit. I pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.  Today's MY Devotional has been provided by Leading The Way. The voice you hear on the MY Devotional podcast is digitally generated with Dr. Youssef's permission. If today's devotional stirred a question, burden, or need for prayer, you don't have to walk through it alone.

I greet you in Jesus' precious name! It is Sunday morning, the 15th of March, 2026, and this is your friend, Angus Buchan, with a thought for today. We start in Psalm 51:10-11. David cries out: ”Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me away from Your presence, And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.“ That was his prayer after he had committed adultery with Bathsheba, and the Prophet Nathan had come and exposed him. Then we go to Romans 10:13: “For whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” And you'll find that also in Acts 2:21.Anybody that calls upon the name, I said, anybody that calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved - the backslider, the thief, the murderer, the adulterer. Think about it: Moses, Zacchaeus, David, Paul, every one of them a sinner, called upon the name of the Lord, and they were gloriously saved and used by God.I want to tell you about a baseball player who lived in the 1800's. His name was Billy Sunday. He was a star player, one of the best in the world. On a Sunday afternoon, he was walking down the street in Chicago with a few of his baseball friends, and he went past a mission, a little city mission. He heard beautiful gospel songs being sung. He was a gambler, a drinker, and he used to swear like a trooper. What happened? He went in, he was called in by God, into that mission. They made an altar call after the preacher had preached. He went forward, knelt in public, cried out for forgiveness, and God miraculously saved him. He left a $3000 baseball contract and he became one of the greatest missionaries and evangelists that the world has ever known.I want to say to you today, I don't know where you are today, maybe you feel there's no hope for you? “I don't think that I have a second chance.” I want to tell you today, call upon the name of the Lord and He will hear you like He heard Billy Sunday and He will save you and give you a brand new life. “Whosoever” means literally any person, regardless of who, calls upon the name of Jesus Christ shall be saved. It happened to me, it can happen to you. I want to pray the sinner's prayer with you right now. Father God, In the name of Jesus Christ and by the power of the Holy Spirit, I repent of all my sins, and I ask you once more to be the Lord of my life.Amen.Go out now and tell the first three people you meet what you've done. Jesus bless you and have a wonderful day.Goodbye

I greet you in Jesus' precious name! It is Thursday morning, the 12th of March, 2026, and this is your friend, Angus Buchan, with a thought for today. We go to the Book of Galatians 6:7: (Amplified Version) “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked [He will not allow Himself to be ridiculed, nor treated with contempt nor allow His precepts to be scornfully set aside]; for whatever a man sows, this and this only is what he will reap.” Wow! Strong words, a warning to us, a caution - be careful what you are sowing. Now you know, as a farmer, I understand the importance of sowing good seed. It is the most important part for any arable farmer, he will tell you, because whatever he sows, whatever he plants in that field, that is what he is going to reap. The worst thing a farmer can ever do is to hold back some of his finances and buy cheap, inferior seed because from the start he is going to lose. Now, one big seed company had a slogan which I often use and I think it is very appropriate and this is what it says, “Good seed doesn't cost, it pays.” Now, what good seed are we talking about?We are talking about sowing love, we are talking about sowing patience, understanding, we are talking about being generous, we are talking about taking care of widows and orphans, we are talking about sowing into the word of God. That's good seed. We are sowing love in our families, patience with our children, loving our husbands and our wives. Good seed - what you sow is what you reap. I have seen it so many times in my life, and if you sow bad seeds like self-centredness, anger, hatred, or greed, that is exactly what you will reap.I want to pray for you this morning that you and I will start sowing only good seed in our lives, and that God will guarantee we will reap a bountiful harvest. Let us pray:Father,I want to pray this morning for my dear friend listening today to this thought for today. Oh Jesus, through the power of Your Holy Spirit, convict them today to stop being selfish, to stop being so concerned about ourselves that we forget our fellowman. Help us to be patient and kind and gentle, because we know that what we sow is what we eventually will reap.We ask this in Jesus' precious name, amen.Have a wonderful day. Goodbye.

I greet you in Jesus' precious name! It is Saturday morning, the 7th of February, 2026, and this is your friend, Angus Buchan, with a thought for today. We go to the Gospel of Matthew 26:36: “Then Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane,…”Gethsemane is a garden. I have been there myself many times. There are olive trees there that they say are thousands of years old, and I sit there often and I think of what the Master went through. Gethsemane actually means, “the oil press”, yes, the place of intense spiritual struggle. Oh my dear friend, are you there this morning? Are you in an intense spiritual struggle? You see, it is the place where Jesus endured profound agony and emotional pressure. Are you emotionally under pressure at the moment? It was so much for the Lord that he sweated drops of blood when He was praying, but what did He say? He could have said, “Lord, I can't take this. Please send a legion of angels down to take Me home.” No, if you look at verse 39, while He was praying He said, “My Father, if it is possible let this cup pass from Me, nevertheless not as I will but as You will.”So if you are suffering, that does not mean that you are not walking with the Lord. It does not mean that you are backsliding or that you haven't got any courage. It means that you are in the garden, you are in the time in the oil press, in a time of exceedingly great pressure. Now, what is the answer? Well, the answer is to do exactly what Jesus did. What did He do? He prayed and He prayed, and then God, through the power of His Holy Spirit and His angels, gave Jesus the strength to do what He had to do for you and for me. Now this morning I want to pray for you. I just sense as I am sitting in my prayer room, that many people are in the garden, in the place called Gethsemane, and you are sorely pressurised on both sides and you don't know what to do. Well, I am going to pray for you, and I want you also to pray this prayer with me:Heavenly Father,In the name of Jesus Christ and by the power of Your Holy Spirit, I bring before Your throne, my problems.They are many, Lord, I cannot even find a way out, but Lord, I appeal to You now and I ask You to undertake for me.I pray for strength for the strain. Lord, I know that this time will pass by, but at the moment, it seems like there is no way out.I ask You in Jesus name to strengthen me Lord, so that I can endure that which has been put before me, and I will give You all the glory, all the praise and all the honour.In Jesus' name, amen.God bless you and have a wonderful day.Goodbye.

Read OnlineKing Herod heard about Jesus, for his fame had become widespread, and people were saying, “John the Baptist has been raised from the dead; That is why mighty powers are at work in him.” Others were saying, “He is Elijah”; still others, “He is a prophet like any of the prophets.” But when Herod learned of it, he said, “It is John whom I beheaded. He has been raised up.” Mark 6:14–16When a person sins seriously and refuses to repent, the damaging effects of that sin deepen over time, creating spiritual blindness and unrest. In contrast, repentance not only brings forgiveness, it allows God to transform the wounds of sin into instruments of grace, using even our failures for His glory.Herod is a prime example of how obstinacy magnifies the damage caused by sin. The first paragraph of today's Gospel takes place some time after Herod executed John. The rest of the Gospel recounts how Herod was manipulated into beheading John by Herodias, his illegitimate wife, and her daughter. While much could be said about John's execution and the good fruit borne by his ultimate testimony to the Truth, it is also helpful to reflect on Herod's pitiful state to learn from his failure in order to avoid a similar response to sin.As soon as Jesus was baptized by John in the Jordan River, John's ministry began to decrease, as he himself acknowledged: “He must increase; I must decrease” (John 3:30). John's mission was one of preparation for the Messiah, calling people to repentance and pointing to the One who would bring salvation. Once Jesus began His public ministry, John's work was complete, and God permitted his arrest by Herod so that his martyrdom could become his greatest witness to Christ.Jesus' ministry was markedly different from John's. While John preached repentance and fearlessly rebuked Herod for his sinful relationship, Jesus' public ministry was marked not only by authoritative teaching but also by miraculous signs, including healings and even raising the dead. His fame spread quickly, reaching even Herod.When Herod heard about Jesus, he irrationally concluded that Jesus was John the Baptist raised from the dead. This reaction reveals Herod's inner turmoil. His erroneous belief was not borne of faith but of the torment of a guilty conscience. Herod had killed a holy man. His unresolved guilt blinded him to this truth and distorted his perception of Jesus, preventing him from recognizing the Messiah.Herod's tragic story reveals the universal danger of unrepentant sin, offering us a lesson about the destructive power of guilt and the healing grace of repentance. Unrepentant sin not only leads to further sin but also causes irrational thinking, fear, and paranoia. His guilt interfered with his ability to think clearly and rationally—not only about Jesus but likely about many other aspects of his life.Similarly, when we fall into serious sin, we are faced with two paths: repentance or obstinacy. Repentance opens the door to God's mercy, healing, and transformation. Through His grace, this path not only sets us free but also forms virtue within us and opens us to the spiritual gift of wisdom. Obstinacy, on the other hand, leaves us in spiritual unrest, deepening the wounds of sin. That path leads to self-destructive irrationality, confusion, and blindness. Reflect today on the importance of sincere and total repentance for past sins. Though difficult, an honest assessment of our sins and sincere repentance is the path to immediate freedom and eternal glory. We must understand and believe in the power of repentance. When we fall into sin, we must have the courage to face it, own it, and seek God's mercy. Learn from Herod by rejecting his example, and allow God's mercy to flood your life, eliminating the effects of a guilty conscience and leading you to peace and freedom. Most merciful Lord, I come before You as a sinner in need of Your infinite mercy. Free me from the spiritual blindness and obstinacy that prevent me from fully opening my heart to You. Grant me the courage to confess my guilt without fear, so that I may receive the forgiveness only You can give. By Your grace, transform my past sins into opportunities for Your glory, and turn my guilt into virtue through the gifts of Your Holy Spirit. Jesus, I trust in You.Image: Caravaggio, Public domain, via Wikimedia CommonsSource: Free RSS feed from catholic-daily-reflections.com — Copyright © 2026 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. This content is provided solely for personal, non-commercial use. Redistribution, republication, or commercial use — including use within apps with advertising — is strictly prohibited without written permission.

Read OnlineWhen Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain, and after he had sat down, his disciples came to him. He began to teach them, saying: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 5:1–3The Beatitudes call us to the heights of morality and holiness. Those who live according to these divine precepts are blessed beyond measure. The promises to those who live this high calling are great: They become children of God and inherit the Kingdom of Heaven. Furthermore, they receive comfort, satisfaction, mercy, purity, and peace. Though the rewards are great, so are the requirements: spiritual poverty, holy sorrow, meekness, longing for righteousness, a merciful heart, purity, peacemaking, and patient endurance during persecution.The Beatitudes reveal the culmination of God's moral teaching and the highest revelation of the Christian life. To fully appreciate their significance, it is helpful to understand the history of moral revelation. Doing so is more than a history lesson on God's deepening revelation, it also reveals the path for our spiritual journey toward perfection.Morality begins with the Natural Law—the innate understanding of right and wrong written on the human heart. This Law is from God and is often described as living in accord with right reason or common sense. All people have access to this moral law within their own consciences, enabling them to recognize God as the Creator, honor Him, respect human dignity and the common good, and refrain from acts such as murder, theft, and deception. Though universally present in all people, sin and our fallen human nature cloud our ability to clearly see and follow that law.In the Old Testament, God slowly revealed Himself and called His people to greater holiness and moral living by adding to the Natural Law through revelation. From Abraham and his descendants, God raised up Moses through whom He revealed the Ten Commandments—a concise moral code rooted in Natural Law but explicitly revealed by God that called His chosen people to right worship, justice, and love for one's neighbor.Through the prophets—such as Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel—God called Israel to move beyond mere external observance of the law to an interior conversion of heart. Isaiah emphasized the virtues of justice and mercy, Jeremiah prophesied a new covenant in which God's law would be written on the hearts of His people, and Ezekiel promised that God would give His people a new heart and a new spirit, enabling them to follow His statutes.The wisdom literature—Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Wisdom, Sirach—deepened the understanding of moral life by revealing moral gifts, such as the Fear of the Lord, the blessedness of righteousness, and the call to trust in God's providence and live a virtuous life.The Beatitudes elevate all laws of the Old Covenant. Jesus not only calls us to profound holiness, He also provides the means to achieve it through His Sacrifice, transmitted through the grace of the Sacraments. To live the Beatitudes is to live in imitation of Christ, who perfectly embodied all virtues in His life, Passion, and Resurrection. Hence, the Beatitudes are not only a moral code we must follow, they are a participation in and union with the Son of God, Who lived the Beatitudes to perfection.As we ponder the Beatitudes, reflect today on their high and glorious calling, as well as their rewards. Sometimes, reading the Beatitudes can leave us discouraged, as we are aware of how far we are away from perfecting them. Dispel discouragement and know that these new divine precepts are attainable by grace. Set your eyes on the heights of perfection and open yourself to the abundant grace offered. Doing so will not only result in glorious spiritual rewards in this life, it will also result in the greatest eternal rewards in Heaven.Lord of perfection, You lived the Beatitudes to the fullest during Your life on earth and continue to manifest those perfections from Heaven. Please open my heart to Your grace and fill me with Your Holy Spirit, so that I may answer the call to the new and glorious moral state to which I am called. Empower me to live fully immersed in and guided by Your Sacrificial Love. Help me to inspire others to embrace this path of holiness, so that we may journey together toward the eternal joy of Your Kingdom. Jesus, I trust in You!  Image: Église Saint-Martin de Castelnau-d'Estrétefonds, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia CommonsSource: Free RSS feed from catholic-daily-reflections.com — Copyright © 2026 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. This content is provided solely for personal, non-commercial use. Redistribution, republication, or commercial use — including use within apps with advertising — is strictly prohibited without written permission.

Metropolitan Community Churches is one chapter in the story of the Church, the Body of Christ. We are people on a journey, learning to live into our spirituality, while affirming our bodies, our genders, our sexualities. We don't all believe exactly the same things. And yet in the midst of our diversity, we build community, grounded in God's radically inclusive love for all people. We are part of an ongoing conversation on matters of belief and faith, shaped by scripture and the historic creeds, building on those who have come before us. Our chapter begins when God says to us: “Come, taste, and see.” “Come, taste, and see.” Jesus Christ, You invite all people to Your open table. You make us Your people, a beloved community. You restore the joy of our relationship with God, even in the midst of loneliness, despair, and degradation. We are each unique and we all belong, a priesthood of all believers. Baptized and filled with Your Holy Spirit, You empower us to be Your healing presence in a hurting world. We expect to see Your reign on earth as it is in heaven as we work toward a world where everyone has enough, wars cease, and all creation lives in harmony. We affirm Your charge to all of humanity to care for the land, sea, and air. Therefore, we will actively resist systems and structures which are destroying Your creation. With all of creation we worship You—every tribe, every language, every people, every nation. We know You by many names, Triune God, beyond comprehension, revealed to us in Jesus Christ, who invites us to the feast. MCC Statement of Faith As we continue our “Faith Revealed” series leading up to Lent, we are diving deep into what we actually mean when we talk about faith at Open Table MCC. Following our discussion last week on the “Queer Trinity” and embodied theology—the idea that God is revealed through our physical bodies and identities —today we explore the document that binds our global community together: The MCC Statement of Faith. What We Believe The preaching highlights that unlike many older denominations, MCC does not focus on long lists of rigid, dogmatic theologies. Instead, our faith is defined by several core pillars that emerged from years of global conversation and research within our denomination. 1. Radically Inclusive Love At the heart of our community is a “radically inclusive love for all people”. This isn’t just a slogan; it is the foundation of our identity as a church that affirms diverse sexual orientations, gender identities, and expressions (SOGIE). 2. A Progressive, Justice-Oriented Faith Our faith is “progressive,” which means it is actively informed by justice. We are not passive observers; we are called to be a healing presence in a hurting world, resisting systems that destroy creation and marginalize people. 3. The Church as a Home When asked what MCC faith looks like, many members describe it as “home”. We strive to be a sanctuary where everyone—including those living with HIV and families exploring progressive theologies—can feel safe and valued. 4. An Evolving Conversation The current Statement of Faith, approved in 2016, moved away from strictly traditional patterns to better reflect our lived reality. It acknowledges that we don’t all believe exactly the same things, yet we remain part of an ongoing conversation shaped by scripture, reason, and our own experiences. A Reflection on our Shared Journey The sermon reminds us that our faith is “revealed” through our diversity. Whether you are a “legacy member” or a guest visiting for the first time, you are invited to “taste and see”. We reclaim the idea that God is beyond comprehension and yet revealed in the very human acts of building community and seeking justice. Closing Prayer Loving God, thank you for this community. Thank you that despite our imperfections, You gather us here to learn, to grow, and to mature. Speak to us through Your Holy Spirit and guide us as we continue to build a community founded in Your love. Amen. The post MCC Faith Revealed appeared first on Open Table Metropolitan Community Church.

Has your heart hardened over time? It can happen to any one of us. God has this promise for you today, if you want it…He says, “...I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart.” This can seem impossible and scary… but it is good, and it is possible through Jesus. On the cross, He carried our sin; through His resurrection, He offers new life, transforming us from the inside out. He did it for me—and He will do it for you, if you ask Him. A new heart doesn't mean instant perfection; it's a journey. If you want it, pray with me now: “Jesus, I need a new heart. Remove the stubbornness and defensiveness from inside me. Fill me with Your Holy Spirit, and teach me to follow You with a tender heart. Amen.” Always remember, there is hope with God. Scripture Reference: Ezekiel 36:26 radio.hopewithgod.com

Good morning! On today’s show, Matt Swaim and Anna Mitchell welcome pastoral counselor Kevin Prendergast to discuss developing virtuous habits in the new year. Other guests include Dr. John Bergsma from the St. Paul Center, Gary Michuta from Hands On Apologetics, and Courtney Brown from Ruah Woods. Plus news, weather, sports, and a whole lot more… ***** Prayer for Christian Unity God of all, we pray as one, that we may be one, just as the Lord Jesus prayed we may be one in Him. Your son Jesus compels us to be reconciled to one another. May our spirits be joined to Your Holy Spirit, that we may witness to the visible unity of your Church. May we all recognize that we are truly one with You, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit and grow together in peace. We ask this in the name of Jesus our Lord. Amen. More resources for the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity can be found at the Catholic Apostolate Center. ***** Full list of guestsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Good morning! On today’s show, Matt Swaim and Anna Mitchell welcome Fr. John Gavin, S.J., to share more thoughts from the Church Fathers on Christian maturity. Other guests include Kevin Schmiesing with This Week in Catholic History, and Teresa Tomeo to preview the EWTN coverage of this week’s March for Life. Plus news, weather, sports, and more… ***** Prayer for Christian Unity God of all, we pray as one, that we may be one, just as the Lord Jesus prayed we may be one in Him. Your son Jesus compels us to be reconciled to one another. May our spirits be joined to Your Holy Spirit, that we may witness to the visible unity of your Church. May we all recognize that we are truly one with You, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit and grow together in peace. We ask this in the name of Jesus our Lord. Amen. More resources for the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity can be found at the Catholic Apostolate Center. ***** Full list of guestsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I greet you in Jesus' precious name! It is Friday morning, the 16th of January, 2026, and this is your friend, Angus Buchan, with a thought for today. We go straight to Proverbs 18:24: “But there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.” Then we go straight to John 14:18. And Jesus says: ”I will not leave you orphans. I will come to you.”When Jesus left the earth, after His resurrection, He said to the disciples, “I will not leave you as orphans. I will send you a Comforter, a Parakletos (which is the Greek word for comforter, a friend, a helper). One who will not leave you, who is with you 24 hours a day. Now that is a friend! One, who will be with you through thick and thin, when everybody else leaves you, He will still be there. There are no orphans in the Kingdom of God because we have the Holy Spirit. Now, the Holy Spirit, you need to understand, is part of the Holy Trinity. We as Christians, believers, followers of The Way, believe that there is a Father, a Son and a Holy Spirit. Now, the Holy Spirit is equal to the Father and to the Son. Oh yes! No, He is not second-class, He is equal. He is extremely powerful and He is Someone who will comfort you when you are feeling lonely. Are you lonely today, my dear friend? I am talking to a lady here, maybe she has just lost her husband of 40 or 50 years. Her children are overseas and she is lonely. There is a friend who is waiting to talk to you, waiting to wipe away those tears. He is extremely intimate and powerful. He is with you 24/7. He is your sounding board. He is your hand-brake when you want to do something irrational. He is your go-between. When you are talking to your Heavenly Father and to Jesus, the Holy Spirit is the One conveying all those thoughts and messages to the Father. I love Him so much, but I think I am speaking here to someone who doesn't understand the Holy Spirit.You see, the disciples were powerless in the upper room. They were cowering in the corner. They were dead scared, and then the Holy Spirit came upon them. Flames of fire settled on each one of their heads and they were filled with the power of God. Peter went out, and in the first sermon he preached, 3,000 people came to Christ!Now, I want to introduce you to my Best Friend, the Holy Spirit. I want you to pray after me:Dear Lord Jesus,Thank You for promising me today, that I will never be lonely again in this life because you have sent me Your Spirit, Your Holy Spirit. He will guide me, He will direct me, He will love me and He will protect me.In Jesus' name, Amen.God bless you and have a lovely day,Goodbye.

On Creation Moments, we often challenge evolution with examples that show that the creation is carefully and lovingly designed by the Creator. Many of these evidences leave evolutionists silent and unable to respond. But one evidence for design is so powerful, it almost seems unfair for creationists to mention it. Yet they do, as in one release from scientists at the Institute for Creation Research.While the brain weighs only three pounds, it can do the work of 1,000 supercomputers. It doesn't need to be connected to a power source and it doesn't overheat because it is able to make its own electricity and it operates on only microvolts of power. If your brain's 10 trillion cells were placed end to end, they would stretch for over 100,000 miles. Your brain has the capacity to store every word of every book on a bookshelf 500 miles long.In order for the human brain to have evolved from a simpler brain in the time that evolutionists claim it has, the brain would have had to evolve millions of new cells every year for millions of years. A.R. Wallace, co-discoverer with Charles Darwin of natural selection, once noted that there is a huge gulf between the human brain and that of the ape. Darwin recognized what Wallace's argument did to their theory and responded, "I hope you have not murdered completely your own and my child."God has given you a brain that has wonderful abilities. Don't waste one of the greatest material gifts the Creator has given you.Psalm 40:5"Many, O LORD my God, are Your wonderful works which You have done; and Your thoughts which are toward us cannot be recounted to You in order; if I would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be numbered."Prayer: Forgive me Father, for underestimating the great gift which You have given me—my brain. Grant me Your Holy Spirit so that I may begin and continue all learning and wisdom in You. In Jesus' Name. Amen.REF.: DeYoung, Don, and Richard Bliss. Thinking about the brain. ICR Impact. Image: A human brain under examination in a surgical setting. To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/1232/29?v=20251111

January 5, 2026Today's Reading: Genesis 46:1-7Daily Lectionary: Isaiah 65:8-25; Luke 3:1-20“I am God, the God of your father. Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for there I will make you into a great nation. I myself will go down with you to Egypt, and I will also bring you up again, and Joseph's hand shall close your eyes.” (Genesis 46:3-4)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.Several years ago, I received a Divine Call away from my home state. It was an existential crisis for me to move away, even though I knew it was at the Lord's direction and that He would guide me along the way. Now, I've returned “home” from that “exile” and everything is perfect, right? Of course not! Jacob also doesn't want to leave the Promised Land he had been given by God, even though it was God's plan for him to do so. He wants to stay where he is because that was how he understood God's promise to Abraham, his grandfather. But the Lord's plans for us often follow unexpected detours.Like Jacob, we want to bypass struggle and get straight to glory. We are sure we know better than God how our lives should play out, so we doubt God's plans and direction. Except our all-powerful God isn't tied to one place. Sure, Canaan is the land He promised to Jacob, but this time in Egypt is only one small step on the road of God's people being established for eternity.God told Abraham this would happen (in Genesis 15); it was the plan all along for Jacob's family to live in Egypt for generations and to grow there into the nation that Moses and Joshua would lead back “home.” The Lord God did not desert His people, even when it seemed so. He had a future planned for them from the start, and He guided them to it.In a similar way, the years away from family for me were difficult. Even so, the Lord's work was being done; His great nation was being made in His way and on His schedule. Even now, I'm not really “home.” I won't be until the Last Day when the true Promised Land is revealed in the New Creation.That's the underlying truth of Jacob's move, and of your life. No matter how this world may change for Christians, God's mercy remains unchanged. His guiding hand will lead you home to the inexplicable glory of His presence that you see veiled now in preached Word and Sacramental Gifts, but then face to face.In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.Almighty God, our heavenly Father, because of Your tender love toward us sinners You have given us Your Son that, believing in Him, we might have everlasting life. Continue to grant us Your Holy Spirit that we may remain steadfast in this faith to the end and finally come to life everlasting; through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen. (Collect for Steadfast Faith)Author: Rev. Duane Bamsch, pastor of Our Redeemer Lutheran Church, Wichita Falls, TX.Audio Reflections Speaker: Rev. Richard Heinz, pastor at Trinity Lutheran Church in Lowell, IN.Work through the first ten chapters of Matthew and learn more about who Jesus is. As you move through this study, you'll ponder the theological, practical, and historical considerations of the text. With ample room for personal notes, this study will have you feeling confident in your understanding of Matthew's Gospel. Matthew 1:1-11:1 of the new Concordia Commentary Bible Study Series is available now.

The story of Christ’s birth is filled with divine reversals—moments where God chose humility over grandeur and simplicity over splendor. Instead of being born in a palace fit for a king, Jesus entered the world in a lowly manger among livestock, revealing a Savior who draws near to the humble. The Magi, guided by God’s star and later by His Spirit, demonstrate how no one finds Jesus on their own—He leads us to Himself. This season, we are invited to return to the manger with hearts open to wonder, worship, and the profound meaning of Christ’s humble arrival. Main Takeaways You’ll learn why Jesus’ humble birthplace reveals God’s upside-down kingdom and His heart for the lowly. Discover how the Magi’s journey shows that God Himself leads people to Christ. Understand the prophetic connections between Isaiah 53, Luke 2, and Matthew 2. Reflect on how the Holy Spirit guides believers today to continually rediscover Christ. Be encouraged to seek Jesus wholeheartedly and worship Him with the same joy and reverence as the Magi. Bible Verse References Luke 2:7 – https://www.biblestudytools.com/luke/2-7.html Isaiah 53:2 – https://www.biblestudytools.com/isaiah/53-2.html Matthew 2:1–2 – https://www.biblestudytools.com/matthew/passage/?q=matthew+2:1-2 Matthew 2:3–6 – https://www.biblestudytools.com/matthew/passage/?q=matthew+2:3-6 Matthew 2:7–8 – https://www.biblestudytools.com/matthew/passage/?q=matthew+2:7-8 Matthew 2:9–12 – https://www.biblestudytools.com/matthew/passage/?q=matthew+2:9-12 Your Daily Prayer Dear Father,As we enter this Christmas season, lead our hearts to the manger—to Jesus. Open our eyes to the wonder of His humble birth and the beauty of Your plan. Help us seek Him wholeheartedly, like the Magi, and worship Him with joy, awe, and reverence. Soften our hearts to lay our treasures before Him and guide us by Your Holy Spirit to know Him more deeply and to lead others to Him.In Jesus’ name, Amen. Want More? Subscribe to Your Daily Prayer for daily devotionals delivered straight to your favorite podcast app. Leave a rating or review to help others discover biblical encouragement. Visit LifeAudio.com to explore more faith-building podcasts. Read more Christmas devotionals and Bible studies at Crosswalk.com and Christianity.com. Relevant Links & Resources Christmas devotionals, Bible studies, and spiritual reflections:Crosswalk.com – https://www.crosswalk.comChristianity.com – https://www.christianity.com Scripture study tools for today’s passages:BibleStudyTools.com – https://www.biblestudytools.com/luke/2-7.html Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

As Thanksgiving approaches, it’s natural to reflect on the blessings God has given us—family, provision, protection, and health. But among all gifts, one stands far above the rest: the gift of the cross. Without the cross of Jesus Christ, we would still be lost, hopeless, and destined for eternal separation from God. Every blessing we enjoy flows from Christ’s sacrifice. The hymn “At the Cross” captures the heart of this truth:“At the cross… where I first saw the light, and the burdens of my heart rolled away.”The cross is the place where darkness turns to light, guilt gives way to forgiveness, and death is swallowed up in victory. Jesus willingly took our place—enduring the horrors of crucifixion—to give us eternal life, reconciliation with God, and the hope that sustains us in every season. This Thanksgiving, Scripture encourages us not to focus solely on earthly blessings but to “set our minds on things above” (Colossians 3:1–2). If all Christ ever gave us was His sacrifice on the cross, it would still be more than enough. But the cross is not the end—it is the beginning. Through His resurrection and the power of His Spirit, God continues to keep, sustain, and mature us daily. Whether this year brought joy or hardship, the cross stands as our unchanging anchor. Jesus' death secured our salvation, and His Spirit secures our growth. We are kept by God, not by our own strength. And that alone is reason for deep thanksgiving. Today's Bible Reading:“For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” – 1 Corinthians 1:18 Takeaway Truths The cross is the greatest gift God has given humanity. Jesus’ sacrifice makes hope, joy, and life possible. God not only saves—He sustains, keeps, and transforms us. Thanksgiving begins with remembering what Jesus endured for our salvation. Every blessing flows from the finished work of Christ on Calvary. Let’s Pray Abba Father, Thank You for dying for me. Thank You for the cross of Calvary, where Jesus paid a debt I could never repay. As I enter this season of Thanksgiving, help me fix my eyes not only on the blessings You’ve provided, but on the sacrifice that made all blessings possible. Thank You for sustaining me, keeping me, and growing me through Your Holy Spirit. Thank You that because of the cross, I am forgiven, redeemed, and reconciled to You. No matter what this year has held, I choose to be thankful for Your love demonstrated through Jesus’ sacrifice. Help me honor the cross with a grateful heart—this Thanksgiving and every day. In Jesus’ name, Amen. Additional Scriptures for Reflection Isaiah 53:5 Romans 5:8 Galatians 6:14 Ephesians 2:4–9 Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Lloyd reacts to disgraced former CNN anchor Don Lemon who went on a pro-Second Amendment rant last week … calling for brown people to exercise their rights so they can shoot ICE. Plus a shout out to the “No Kings” protestors. Armed Lutheran Radio is a listener-supported podcast. If you value the information and entertainment we provide, consider supporting the show by joining our membership site, The Reformation Gun Club! http://gunclub.armedlutheran.us Links of Interest Buy Duty to Defend, Volume 2 on Amazon – https://amzn.to/3D3frE5* Duty to Defend (Signed Copies!) – https://www.armedlutheran.us/product/duty-to-defend-2nd-edition-signed-copy Prayer of the Week O God, forasmuch as without You we are not able to please You, mercifully grant that Your Holy Spirit may in all things direct and rule our hearts; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end. Amen. Get in Touch Visit our Feedback Page - http://www.armedlutheran.us/feedback Please tell your friends about us, leave an iTunes review, and like us on Facebook Join our Facebook group - http://www.armedlutheran.us/facebook Subscribe to us and follow us on Youtube - http://www.armedlutheran.us/youtube Check Out More at our Website- http://www.armedlutheran.us Use these Links to Support Armed Lutheran Radio If you value the information and entertainment we provide, consider supporting the show by joining our membership site, or shopping at your favorite online stores using the links below. Check out the other Great Armed Lutheran Books - http://www.ArmedLutheran.us/Books Shop at Amazon* - http://www.armedlutheran.us/amazon Armed Citizens Legal Defense Network - https://www.armedcitizensnetwork.org Disclaimer The links above which are indicated with an asterisk (*) are affiliate links, which means that if you choose to make a purchase, I will earn a commission. This commission comes at no additional cost to you. Please understand that I have experience with all of these items, and I recommend them because they are helpful and useful, not because of the small commissions I make if you decide to buy something. Please do not spend any money on these products unless you feel you need them or that they will help you. Original Music by Reformer Keep Shooting, Keep Praying, We'll Talk to you Next time!

This talk was given at St. Nicholas Orthodox Church (UOC-USA) in Charlottesville, VA. In it, Fr. Anthony presents Orthodoxy's sacramental view of creation and uses music as an example of how the royal priesthood, in Christ, fulfills its commission to pattern the cosmos according to that of Eden. My notes from the talk: I'm grateful to be back in Charlottesville, a place stitched into my story by Providence. Years ago, the Army Reserves sent me here after 9/11. I arrived with a job in Ohio on pause, a tidy life temporarily dismantled, and a heart that didn't care for the way soldiers are sometimes told to behave. So I went looking for an Orthodox church. I found a small mission and—more importantly—people who took me in as family. A patient priest and his matushka mentored me for six years. If anything in my priesthood bears fruit, it is because love first took root here. Bishops have a sense of humor; mine sent a Georgian convert with no Slavic roots to a Ukrainian parish in Rhode Island. It fit better than anyone could have planned. The Lord braided my history, discovering even ancestral ties in New England soil. Later, when a young man named Michael arrived—a reader who became a subdeacon, a deacon, and in time a priest—our trajectories crossed again. Father Robert trained me; by grace I was allowed to help train Father Michael; and now he serves here. This is how God sings His providence—melodies introduced, developed, and returned, until love's theme is recognizable to everyone listening. Why focus on music and beauty? Because they are not ornamental to the Gospel; they are its native tongue. Beauty tutors us in a sacramental world, not a "God of the gaps" world—where faith retreats to whatever science has not yet explained—but a world in which God is everywhere present and filling all things. Beauty is one of the surest ways to share the Gospel, not as salesmanship or propaganda, but as participation in what the world was made to be. The Church bears a particular charism for beauty; secular beauty can reflect it, but often only dimly—and sometimes in ways that distort the pattern it imitates. Beauty meets the whole human person: the senses and gut, the reasoning mind, and the deep heart—the nous—where awe, reverence, and peace bloom. Music is a wonderfully concrete instance of all of this: an example, a symbol, and—when offered rightly—a sacrament of sanctifying grace. Saint John begins his Gospel with the Logos—not a mere "word" but the Word whose meaning includes order, reason, and intelligibility: "All things were made through Him." Creation, then, bears the Logos' stamp in every fiber; Genesis repeats the refrain, "and God saw that it was good"—agathos, not just kalos. Agathos is goodness that is beautiful and beneficial, fitted to bless what it touches. Creation is not simply well-shaped; it is ordered toward communion, toward glory, toward gift. The Creed confesses the Father as Creator, the Son as the One through whom all things were made, and the Spirit as the Giver of Life. Creation is, at root, Trinitarian music—harmonies of love that invite participation. If you like, imagine the first chapter of Genesis sung. We might say: in the beginning, there was undifferentiated sound; the Spirit hovered; the Logos spoke tone, time, harmony, and melody into being. He set boundaries and appointed seasons so that music could unfold in an ordered way. Then He shaped us to be liturgists—stewards who can turn noise into praise, dissonance into resolution. The point of the story is not that God needed a soundtrack; it is that the world bears a pattern and purpose that we can either receive with thanksgiving or twist into something self-serving and cacophonous. We know what happened. In Adam and Eve's fall, thorns and thistles accompanied our work. Pain entered motherhood, and tyranny stalked marriage. We still command tools of culture—city-building, metallurgy, and yes, even music—but in Cain's line we see creativity conscripted to self-exaltation and violence. The Tower of Babel is the choir of human pride singing perfectly in tune against God. That is how sin turns technique into idolatry. Saint Paul describes the creation groaning in agony, longing for the revealing of the sons and daughters of God. This is not mere poetic flourish; it is metaphysical realism. The world aches for sanctified stewardship, for human beings restored to their priestly vocation. It longs for its music to be tuned again to the Logos. Christ enters precisely there—as the New Adam. Consider His Theophany. The Jordan "turns back," the waters are sanctified, because nothing impure remains in the presence of God. He does not merely touch creation; He heals it—beginning sacramentally with water, the primal element of both life and chaos. In our services for the Blessing of Water we sing, "Today the nature of the waters is sanctified… The Jordan is parted in two… How shall a servant lay his hand on the Master?" In prayer we cry, "Great are You, O Lord, and marvelous are Your works… Wherefore, O King and Lover of mankind, be present now by the descent of Your Holy Spirit and sanctify this water." This is not magic; it is synergy. We offer bread, wine, water, oil; we make the sign of the cross; we chant what the Church gives—and God perfects our offering with His grace. The more we give Him to work with, the more He transfigures. And then Holy Friday: the terrible beauty of the Passion. Sin's dissonance swells to cacophony as the Source of Beauty is slandered, pierced, and laid in the tomb. Icons and hymns do not hide the scandal—they name it. Joseph and Nicodemus take down a body that clothes itself with light as with a garment. Creation shudders; the sun withdraws; the veil is rent. Liturgically, we let the discomfort stand; sometimes the chant itself presses the dissonance upon us so that we feel the fracture. But the dissonance does not have the last word; it resolves—not trivially, not cheaply—into the transcendent harmony of Pascha. On the night of the Resurrection, the church is dark, then a single candle is lit, and the light spills outward. We sing, "Come receive the Light from the unwaning Light," and then the troparion bursts forth: "Christ is risen from the dead, trampling down death by death…" The structure of salvation is musical: tension, longing, silence, and a resolution that is fuller than our peace had been before the conflict. Here is the pastoral heart of it: Christ restores our seal. Saint Paul says we are "sealed with the promised Holy Spirit." Think of a prosphora seal pressed into unbaked dough; the impression remains when the loaf is finished. Sin cracked our seal; everything we touched bore our corruptions. In Christ, the seal is made whole. In Baptism and Chrismation, that seal is pressed upon us—not only on the brow but on the whole person—so that our very engaging with the world can take on the pattern of the Logos again. We do not stop struggling—Paul's "what I would, I do not"—but we now struggle inside a music that resolves. Even our failures can become passing tones on the way to love, if we repent and return to the key. This is why the Church's common life matters so much. When we gather for Vespers and Liturgy, we enact the world's purpose. The Psalms give us perfect words; the Church's hymnody gives us perfected poetry. Music, rightly offered, is Logos-bearing—it is rational in the deepest sense—and love is the same. Music requires skill and repetition; so does love. Music benefits from different voices and timbres; love, too, is perfected when distinct persons yield to a single charity. Music engages and transfigures dissonance; love confronts conflict and heals it. Music honors silence; love rests and listens. These are not analogies we force upon the faith—they are the way creation is built. The world says, "sing louder," but the will to power always collapses into noise. The Church says, "sing together." In the Eucharistic assembly, the royal priesthood becomes itself—men, women, and children listening to one another, matching pitch and phrase, trusting the hand that gives the downbeat, and pouring our assent into refrains of "Lord have mercy" and "Amen." The harmony is not uniformity; it is concord. It is not sentimentality; it is charity given and received. And when the Lord gives Himself to us for the healing of soul and body, the music goes beyond even harmony; it becomes communion. That is why Orthodox Christians are most themselves around the chalice: beauty, word, community, and sacrament converge in one act of thanksgiving. From there, the pastoral task is simply to help people live in tune. For families: cultivate attentiveness, guard against codependence and manipulation, and practice small, steady habits—prayer, fasting, reconciliation—that form the instincts of love the way scales form a musician's ear. For parishes: refuse the twin temptations of relativism and control; resist both the shrug and the iron fist. We are not curators of a museum nor managers of a brand; we are a choir rehearsing resurrection. Attend to the three "parts" of the mind you teach: let the senses be purified rather than inflamed; let the intellect be instructed rather than flattered; and let the nous—the heart—learn awe. Where awe grows, so does mercy. And for evangelization in our late modern world—filled with distraction, suspicion, and exhaustion—beauty may prove to be our most persuasive speech. Not the beauty of mere "aesthetics," but agathos beauty—the kind that is beautiful and beneficial, that heals what it touches. People come to church for a thousand different reasons: loneliness, curiosity, habit, crisis. What they really long for is God. If the nave is well-ordered, if the chant is gentle and strong, if the icons are windows rather than billboards, if the faces of the faithful are kind—then even before a word is preached, the Gospel will have begun its work. "We no longer knew whether we were in heaven or on earth," the emissaries of Rus' once said of their time at worship in Hagia Sophia. Beauty did not close their minds; it opened them to truth. None of this bypasses suffering. In fact, beauty makes us more available to it, because we stop numbing ourselves and begin to love. The Scriptures do not hide this: the Jordan is sanctified, but the Cross remains; the tomb is real; the fast is pangful. Yet in Christ, dissonance resolves. The Church's hymnody—from Psalm 103 at the week's beginning to the Nine Odes of Pascha—trains us to trust the cadence that only God can write. We learn to wait in Friday night's hush, to receive the flame from the unwaning Light, and to sing "Christ is risen" not as a slogan but as the soundtrack of our lives. So: let us steward what we've been given. Let us make the sign of the cross over our children at bedtime; let our conversations overflow with psalmody; let contended silence have a room in every home; let reconciliation be practiced before the sun goes down. Let every parish be a school for choir and charity, where no one tries to sing over his brother, and no one is left straining alone in the back row. If we will live this way, not perfectly but repentantly, then in us the world will begin to hear the old pattern again—the Logos' pattern—where goodness is beautiful and beauty does good. And perhaps, by God's mercy, the Lord will make of our small obedience something larger than we can imagine: a melody that threads through Charlottesville and Anderson, through Rhode Island and Kyiv, through every parish and prison and campus, until the whole creation—long groaning—finds its voice. Let God arise. Let His enemies be scattered. Christ is risen, trampling down death by death, and upon those in the tombs bestowing life.

Inside each of us, God has placed a unique combination of gifts — a divine mix of talents, passions, and personality that reflects His creative design. Yet, as our daily prayer and devotional remind us, so often, fear holds us back from using them. We compare ourselves to others, worry about failure, and hide our gifts instead of letting them shine for God’s glory. In today’s meditation, Whitney Hopler reminds us that fear does not come from God. Instead, He gives us power, love, and self-control to boldly live out our purpose. When we step out in faith, relying on God’s strength, our gifts become like a blazing fire — illuminating His truth and love to a world in need. If you’ve been hesitant to use your gifts, today’s prayer invites you to ask God to reignite that holy fire within you. Let His Spirit empower you to serve with confidence, courage, and joy. Today's Bible Reading:“… I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands, for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.” – 2 Timothy 1:6–7, ESV

“And when he comes, he will convict the world of its sin, and of God’s righteousness, and of the coming judgment. The world’s sin is that it refuses to believe in me.” (John 16:8–9 NLT) Over the next few days, we’re going to look at the nature and work of the Holy Spirit, one of God’s greatest gifts to us. The Holy Spirit performs vital duties in this world. Yet many of them go unnoticed because we simply take them for granted. But it’s important for God’s people to understand and celebrate His work. So, let’s start with this one: The Holy Spirit convicts us of our sin. Jesus said of the Holy Spirit, “And when he comes, he will convict the world of its sin, and of God’s righteousness, and of the coming judgment. The world’s sin is that it refuses to believe in me” (John 16:8–9 nlt). The Holy Spirit shows us that we are sinners. He communicates the amazing truth of Jesus’ death and resurrection. He shows us that we need to turn to God. Without the convicting power of the Holy Spirit, none of us ever would have come to Jesus. That’s why, when I pray for a nonbeliever, I say, “Lord, convict them by Your Holy Spirit.” If I tell someone that Jesus has made my life fuller and better, and that I have joy and peace, they will think, “Well, that’s fine for you.” But what they need to realize is that they’re a sinner in need of a Savior. And that’s the work of the Spirit. The Spirit convicts us of our sin—not to drive us to despair, but to send us into the open arms of Jesus. On the Day of Pentecost, the apostle Peter delivered a sermon. Some of the people in the audience were culpable in Jesus’ crucifixion. Acts 2:37 says, “Peter’s words pierced their hearts, and they said to him and to the other apostles, ‘Brothers, what should we do?’” (NLT). The Holy Spirit was doing the piercing. The idea of piercing someone’s heart may be a little unsettling—if you imagine the act as an attack with a knife. But what if the blade is a scalpel? And the one wielding it is a highly trained surgeon? And the piercing is a necessary procedure to remove a cancerous tumor? Suddenly the scenario is reframed as a life-giving act of mercy. So it is with the convicting work of the Holy Spirit. He reveals the ugly truth—that we are sinners, powerless to save ourselves. He reveals the dire consequences—that we face God’s eternal judgment. And then He reveals the life-giving truth—that God made salvation possible through the sacrifice of His Son. The Holy Spirit pierces our hearts—not to weaken us or destroy us, but to save us. He shows us just how much we need Jesus. Reflection question: What did the convicting work of the Holy Spirit look like in your life? Discuss Today's Devo in Harvest Discipleship! — The audio production of the podcast "Daily Devotions from Greg Laurie" utilizes Generative AI technology. This allows us to deliver consistent, high-quality content while preserving Harvest's mission to "know God and make Him known."All devotional content is written and owned by Pastor Greg Laurie. Listen to the Greg Laurie Podcast Become a Harvest PartnerSupport the show: https://harvest.org/supportSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Reach Out: Please include your email and I will get back to you. Thanks!Ephesians 3Paul reveals the mystery of God's plan—to unite both Jews and Gentiles as one in Christ. This truth, once hidden, is now made known through the gospel, allowing all believers to share in God's promises. Paul describes his calling to preach this message, emphasizing that his mission is not by his own strength but by God's grace. He highlights how God's wisdom is displayed through the church, which reveals His eternal purpose. He then prays for believers to be strengthened by the Spirit, to be rooted in love, and to grasp the immeasurable love of Christ. He concludes with praise, declaring that God can do far more than we ask or imagine through His power at work in us, bringing glory to Him in all generations, forever and ever.  We are part of God's incredible plan, united in Christ and granted access to His promises through the gospel. This truth should humble and inspire us to live with purpose, knowing that we have been chosen to reveal God's wisdom and love to the world. Like Paul, we depend on God's grace and strength, not our own abilities, to fulfill His mission. We should pray for spiritual strength, seeking to be rooted in Christ's love and to comprehend its immeasurable depth. As we grow in faith, we trust that God is working beyond what we can see or imagine. Our lives should reflect His glory, demonstrating His love and power to those around us, bringing glory to Him in His church.  Glorious God, thank You for revealing the great mystery of the ages through Your beloved Son—that anyone from anywhere can be saved through the power of the gospel of Jesus Christ. We live in the unfathomable riches of our Savior, and we pray that this leads to confidence and boldness in our faith. Please grant us strength and power through Your Holy Spirit. Open our hearts for Your Son to dwell within us. Root us in His love and help us grow and bear fruit for You, demonstrating His glory as we live victoriously as His protected church.  Thought Questions: -       If God's great mystery invites all people to come together in Christ, should that also be part of your mission? Whom should you share Jesus with? -       God's wisdom is shown to everyone through the church. When people see us as Christ's church, what should we reveal about God? -       Are you rooted and grounded in the love of Christ? How is that shown in how you treat others, especially those in the Lord's church?

Send us a textGood morning! Thank you for taking a few minutes to listen. If you are interested in the Daily Bible Devotional, you can find it at the links below:Amazon - (paperback, hardcover, and Kindle)Spiritbuilding.com - (premium quality paperback)Youtube Video Introducing the ContentFeel free to reach out with any questions: emersonk78@me.comI Corinthians 12The Christians in Corinth possess a wide variety of spiritual gifts, such as miraculous wisdom, healing abilities, and speaking in tongues. All gifts originate from the same Spirit and serve a common purpose: to build up the body of Christ. Paul describes believers as parts of a body, each with a distinct function, yet all working together to promote unity. No gift or role holds more significance than another, and no one should feel either insignificant or superior. Christians are encouraged to value and respect every member's contribution, as each gift is bestowed for the common good. God arranges each part of the body intentionally and for His glory. Ultimately, Paul urges the church to use their gifts with love, unity, and a commitment to strengthening the community of believers. The Holy Spirit will use those who confess Jesus as the Lord of their lives. He will give each of us gifts to exercise for the kingdom's good. While we no longer possess supernatural gifts like healing or tongue speaking, Christians today do have wonderful abilities from God to understand things, teach truths, serve others, extend mercy, and give to help those in need. Every person matters in the body of Christ, and we should not neglect our connection to the church. We are baptized into Christ's body of believers to help that body remain healthy and grow. A primary function of every member is to assist God's people in avoiding division and to exercise great care for one another.Generous God, we praise You for the gifts You have given us through Your Son and by Your Holy Spirit. Help us to understand “the common good” among Your people and how each of our gifts should be used for the betterment of others. Show us how to honor everyone in the church, as we have all been baptized into one body. Train us to be humble and active while also recognizing the important contributions of those who often get overlooked. Use us as vocal encouragers, devoted unifiers, and voices of peace and love within our fellowship of believers.  Thought Questions: -       Why has the Spirit given Christians a wide variety of abilities? How does this help us develop a deeper need for one another? -       In a time where supernatural spiritual gifts no longer exist, what are some abilities God has given you to use for the good of Christ's body? -       Is it unifying to acknowledge workers in the kingdom, and especially those less recognized? Who will you offer appreciation for today?

Send us a textGood morning! Thank you for taking a few minutes to listen. If you are interested in the Daily Bible Devotional, you can find it at the links below:Amazon - (paperback, hardcover, and Kindle)Spiritbuilding.com - (premium quality paperback)Youtube Video Introducing the ContentFeel free to reach out with any questions: emersonk78@me.comRomans 2 Religious people in Rome often judged others while committing similar sins themselves. However, God's judgment is impartial, and all who choose to live in sin will face the day of wrath. Christians must not take God's kindness, tolerance, and patience so lightly that they choose sin while condemning others. Self-righteousness and hypocrisy lead to condemnation, as God judges based on truth rather than outward appearances. Both Jews and Gentiles are accountable to God. The Gentiles, who did not know the Law, were still accountable to their conscience, while the Jews, who possessed the Law, were judged by it. True righteousness arises from an inner transformation evident in sincere faith, not merely from external practices or specific sectarian affiliations. Circumcised hearts, shaped by the Holy Spirit, will draw praise from God. Pride among the religious can be dangerous. It is easy to see ourselves as superior to others, which leads to two critical errors: taking on the role of judging others and conveniently ignoring our own shortcomings. God shows no partiality. This truth keeps us humble, repentant, and focused on our own need for growth. It helps us develop a better attitude toward others, as we all need Jesus and will answer to Him in judgment. Unfortunately, some believers have been pointing out the sins of others while committing similar sins themselves. Everyone, whether Jew or Gentile, must honor Jesus to be saved. We cannot achieve salvation through the law. Therefore, we must be transformed from the heart to faith.   Righteous Judge, we know You show no partiality. Neither history nor heritage makes us any more deserving of salvation from You. No one can perfectly keep the law, whether it is the law of conscience or the Law of Moses. Unfortunately, some pretend to do so by judging and labeling others as they overlook their own shortcomings. Please God, break our spirit and reshape us in humility if we are committing these sins. Help us to abandon hypocrisy in every form and to allow Your Holy Spirit to circumcise our hearts so that our praise will come from You.   Thought Questions: -       Why do some religious people judge others harshly while committing the same sins secretly? How will God respond to that? -       If God will judge the secrets of men, and He knows all that you do, how should that deeply impact the way you think and live? -       No one will be justified by law-keeping. How is this comforting news to hear? And how can this truth lead us to more faith in Jesus?