#Matthew 28:19-20

[walkswithmyfather]

Matthew 28:19-20 (NASB). “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

“Jesus’ Enduring Presence” by In Touch Ministries:

“The Savior who died for you will stay by you.”

“Life can feel like a complicated puzzle sometimes, with lots of uncertainties and challenges. But here’s the good news: Jesus tells us in today’s passage that He’s always with us, no matter what. His presence is like a reliable compass, guiding us in the right direction as we navigate the twists and turns of life.

Experiencing God’s presence isn’t just about attending church each week or being part of a monthly Bible study group; it’s a daily thing. As we consistently draw close to Him, He draws near to us (James 4:8).

If you’ve ever had a trustworthy friend who was faithful to walk with you in tough times, you know just how invaluable such companionship can be. And Jesus is the greatest and most loving friend we could ever have—guiding, comforting, and giving us strength. In His presence, we can find peace, courage, and the assurance that we’re never alone.

Take the words of Matthew 28:20 to heart. As we go through life, remember that Jesus is always there. Whether things are going well or not, in the everyday and the extraordinary moments, His presence is our constant. He’s with us always, even to the end of the age.”

[drshermaines-wisdomnuggets]

"THE IMPORTANCE OF UNDERSTANDING AND KNOWLEDGE"

THE HOLY SPIRIT’S WORK IN JEREMIAH: God’s call and anointing upon Jeremiah’s life as a prophet began in the womb. God reveals to Jeremiah, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew [and] approved of you [as My chosen instrument], and before you were born I separated and set you apart, consecrating you; [and] I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.” (Jeremiah 1:5 AMPC). This reveals that the…

[mybeautifulchristianjourney]

The Great Commission

19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen. — Matthew 28:19-20 | New King James Version (NKJV) The Holy Bible; New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved. Cross References: Jeremiah 26:2; Matthew 13:39-40; Matthew 13:52; Matthew 18:20; Matthew 25:32; Mark 16:15; Luke 24:47; Acts 1:2; Acts 1:8; Acts 2:38; Acts 18:10

[alandemoss]

Are Modern Christians Misunderstanding Jesus?

The Shocking Truth About What Jesus Actually Taught and Why We’ve Been Getting It Wrong When was the last time you took a deep breath and truly felt at peace with your faith? Not burdened by endless rules or the fear of not being “good enough,” but true peace—the kind that Jesus promised. If you’ve ever wondered if modern Christianity has strayed from Jesus’ teachings, you are not alone. Here’s…

[bojackson54]

Solomon Was Given a Mission, But the Temple Didn't Just Build Itself!

Solomon King of Israel, was given a mission, ordained and blessed by the God of the universe. Since you’ve also been given a mission, I thought it would be instructive to see what Solomon did with his! Any life hacks that Solomon’s story provides? Any ancient YouTube DIY videos we can follow? Here’s what Solomon had to say about it: “I intend, therefore, to build a temple for the Name of the…

[calvarypentecostalchrch]

Our Foundation - Nuestra Fundacion

Praise the Lord!

Compared to other churches we have attended in our lives, with the same beliefs and same doctrine, we could feel that something was missing. We felt that there was a need for more love and compassion for anyone who had ever been rejected for their past. As Jesus said in 2 Corinthians 5:17 KJV “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” We believe God can use the most broken soul and transform them in being the brightest person. Calvary Pentecostal Church is the difference we want to see.

Paz de Cristo!

En comparación con otras iglesias a las que hemos asistido, con las mismas creencias y la misma doctrina, podíamos sentir que faltaba algo. Sentimos que era necesario tener más amor y compasión por cualquiera que alguna vez hubiera sido rechazado por su pasado. Como dijo Jesús en 2 Corintios 5:17 RVA “De modo que si alguno está en Cristo, nueva criatura es; las cosas viejas pasaron; he aquí todas son hechas nuevas.” Creemos que Dios puede usar el alma más quebrantada y transformarla para que sea la persona más brillante. La Iglesia Pentecostal del Calvario es la diferencia que queremos ver.

[touchofgoddotworld]

I Am In Anguish In This Flame (Part 2) (220) - November 18 2023

Play on other Podcast Apps The second of two programs looking at Luke 16:19-31, regarding the rich man and the destitute Lazarus. On earth Lazarus was at the gate of the rich man, begging for anything that may drop from the man’s table. After both died (in the physical sense), the rich man and Lazarus switched positions. The man was taken to Hades (the place of the dead) by angels, while Lazarus…

[graceandpeacejoanne]

Finisher of Faith

How grateful we are, o Lord, that You are present in every place, even in the darkest valley, or the loneliest wilderness, or in the slough of despond. You are with us and for us. #AdventDevotional #AdventMeditation #Magnificat #GreatCommission

“according to the promise he made to our ancestors, to Abraham and to his descendants forever.’”Mary’s Magnificat, Luke 1:52 (NRSV) Faithful Forever One of the distinctives of Judaism is this tracing back to a single progenitor of faith and fatherhood, for Abraham is both the father of a people and the pioneer of monotheism. In her conclusion to Mary’s magnificent praise to Mighty God, she…

[martyschoenleber]

Sons of Thunder -- Followers of Christ Filled with Anger

When Jesus passes through a Samaritan town in the last year of His ministry, two of His disciples, James and John, two of the men in the inner circle of His twelve, two of the three men He spent the most time with, demonstrated how far they had yet to grow in their discipleship. James and John had been nicknamed by Jesus as “sons of thunder.” (Mark 3:17) From a study of their character, you might…

[macrolit]

The 100 Best Books of the 21st Century.

As voted on by 503 novelists, nonfiction writers, poets, critics and other book lovers — with a little help from the staff of The New York Times Book Review.

NYT Article.

*************

Q: How many of the 100 have you read? Q: Which ones did you love/hate? Q: What's missing?

Here's the full list.

100. Tree of Smoke, Denis Johnson 99. How to Be Both, Ali Smith 98. Bel Canto, Ann Patchett 97. Men We Reaped, Jesmyn Ward 96. Wayward Lives, Beautiful Experiments, Saidiya Hartman 95. Bring Up the Bodies, Hilary Mantel 94. On Beauty, Zadie Smith 93. Station Eleven, Emily St. John Mandel 92. The Days of Abandonment, Elena Ferrante 91. The Human Stain, Philip Roth 90. The Sympathizer, Viet Thanh Nguyen 89. The Return, Hisham Matar 88. The Collected Stories of Lydia Davis 87. Detransition, Baby, Torrey Peters 86. Frederick Douglass, David W. Blight 85. Pastoralia, George Saunders 84. The Emperor of All Maladies, Siddhartha Mukherjee 83. When We Cease to Understand the World, Benjamin Labutat 82. Hurricane Season, Fernanda Melchor 81. Pulphead, John Jeremiah Sullivan 80. The Story of the Lost Child, Elena Ferrante 79. A Manual for Cleaning Women, Lucia Berlin 78. Septology, Jon Fosse 77. An American Marriage, Tayari Jones 76. Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, Gabrielle Zevin 75. Exit West, Mohsin Hamid 74. Olive Kitteridge, Elizabeth Strout 73. The Passage of Power, Robert Caro 72. Secondhand Time, Svetlana Alexievich 71. The Copenhagen Trilogy, Tove Ditlevsen 70. All Aunt Hagar's Children, Edward P. Jones 69. The New Jim Crow, Michelle Alexander 68. The Friend, Sigrid Nunez 67. Far From the Tree, Andrew Solomon 66. We the Animals, Justin Torres 65. The Plot Against America, Philip Roth 64. The Great Believers, Rebecca Makkai 63. Veronica, Mary Gaitskill 62. 10:04, Ben Lerner 61. Demon Copperhead, Barbara Kingsolver 60. Heavy, Kiese Laymon 59. Middlesex, Jeffrey Eugenides 58. Stay True, Hua Hsu 57. Nickel and Dimed, Barbara Ehrenreich 56. The Flamethrowers, Rachel Kushner 55. The Looming Tower, Lawrence Wright 54. Tenth of December, George Saunders 53. Runaway, Alice Munro 52. Train Dreams, Denis Johnson 51. Life After Life, Kate Atkinson 50. Trust, Hernan Diaz 49. The Vegetarian, Han Kang 48. Persepolis, Marjane Satrapi 47. A Mercy, Toni Morrison 46. The Goldfinch, Donna Tartt 45. The Argonauts, Maggie Nelson 44. The Fifth Season, N.K. Jemisin 43. Postwar, Tony Judt 42. A Brief History of Seven Killings, Marlon James 41. Small Things Like These, Claire Keegan 40. H Is for Hawk, Helen Macdonald 39. A Visit from the Goon Squad, Jennifer Egan 38. The Savage Detectives, Roberto Balano 37. The Years, Annie Ernaux 36. Between the World and Me, Ta-Nehisi Coates 35. Fun Home, Alison Bechdel 34. Citizen, Claudia Rankine 33. Salvage the Bones, Jesmyn Ward 32. The Lines of Beauty, Alan Hollinghurst 31. White Teeth, Zadie Smith 30. Sing, Unburied, Sing, Jesmyn Ward 29. The Last Samurai, Helen DeWitt 28. Cloud Atlas, David Mitchell 27. Americanah, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie 26. Atonement, Ian McEwan 25. Random Family, Adrian Nicole LeBlanc 24. The Overstory, Richard Powers 23. Hateship, Friendship, Courtship, Loveship, Marriage, Alice Munro 22. Behind the Beautiful Forevers, Katherine Boo 21. Evicted, Matthew Desmond 20. Erasure, Percival Everett 19. Say Nothing, Patrick Radden Keefe 18. Lincoln in the Bardo, George Saunders 17. The Sellout, Paul Beatty 16. The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay, Michael Chabon 15. Pachinko, Min Jin Lee 14. Outline, Rachel Cusk 13. The Road, Cormac McCarthy 12. The Year of Magical Thinking, Joan Didion 11. The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, Junot Diaz 10. Gilead, Marilynne Robinson 9. Never Let Me Go, Kazuo Ishiguro 8. Austerlitz, W.G. Sebald 7. The Underground Railroad, Colson Whitehead 6. 2666, Roberto Bolano 5. The Corrections, Jonathan Franzen 4. The Known World, Edward P. Jones 3. Wolf Hall, Hilary Mantel 2. The Warmth of Other Suns, Isabel Wilkerson 1. My Brilliant Friend, Elena Ferrante

[walkswithmyfather]

The Great Commission:

“Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted. And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” —Matthew 28:16‭-‬20 (ESV)

“What does Matthew 28:19 mean?” By Bibleref.com:

“In Matthew's story of Jesus, these are His parting words to His eleven remaining disciples. Verses 18–20 are often called the "Great Commission" because Jesus is sending His hand-chosen disciples out into the world to accomplish a specific mission: Make more disciples. This comes with some noteworthy inclusions, but what is also crucial are things which Jesus does not say.

Specifically, the disciples are to make more disciples of all nations. This means people from every people group and ethnicity on earth. Through Jesus, God's relationship with humanity has moved beyond Israel to include people from every corner of the world who come to the Father through the Son.

Jesus' command is to make "disciples." A disciple is someone who becomes like his or her master by living in a servant relationship to him. They learn from and submit to that person's example. That's what each of the eleven disciples hearing this for the first time had done in answer to Jesus' call. It is now what they will invite others to participate in from around the world.

Discipleship to Jesus involves at least the two things Jesus mentions in this command: baptism and obedience. The disciples are commanded to baptize new disciples in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. The choice to be publicly baptized is evidence that someone has believed in Jesus and made the commitment to follow Him. The disciples were given the authority to baptize that person in the name of God, declaring that person's position in the eternal family of God.

Notable is that Jesus does not command His disciples to "print Bibles," or anything similar. The written Word of God is our ultimate reference for matters of faith (1 Corinthians 4:6; Acts 17:11). It was intended for that purpose by God (2 Timothy 3:16–17). It is not meant to be the only means, or even the primary means, by which new Christians learn about faith (Acts 8:30–31). The primary work of the Great Commission is to "make disciples," which means the cooperative, mentoring process we now refer to as "discipleship" (Acts 18:24–28; Hebrews 10:25; 13:7).

Context Summary: Matthew 28:16–20 describes Jesus' commissioning the eleven remaining disciples on a mountain in Galilee. He had given them a message to meet Him there. Now He appears and commands them to make disciples from the people of all nations on the earth. He calls on them to baptize these disciples in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. They must also teach these new believers to obey everything Jesus has commanded them to do. Matthew ends his book with Jesus' promise to always be with those who believe in Him.

Chapter Summary: An angel of the Lord descends from heaven and rolls the stone from Jesus' tomb. The guards faint. The angel sits on top of the stone and waits. Two women, followers of Jesus, arrive and are told that Jesus is risen from the dead. Jesus then meets them and tells them to give the news to His brothers. The chief priests bribe the guards to say Jesus' followers stole His body. Jesus meets the disciples on a mountain in Galilee and commissions them to make disciples of people from all nations, baptizing them and teaching them to obey Jesus' commands. Jesus promises to be with them always.”

[hauntedppgpaints]

Hottest Player on Each Team Poll Results!!

GOOOOOOD MORNING HOCKEYBLR!

I've got the piping hot results of the poll I posted last week, served fresh and ready to be read! The final count was 319 submissions!

TOP 10 ACROSS THE LEAGUE:

Leon Draisaitl, 215 points

Mat Barzal, 188

Nico Hischier, 178

Roman Josi, 167

Jeremy Swayman, 153

Matthew Tkachuk, 152

Claude Giroux, 138

Alex Lyon, 123

Sidney Crosby, 119

Brady Skjei, 114

Detailed tallies, pie charts, fun facts, and odd answers are below the cut! Sorry about how the teams are paired together, there's a 30 image limit on posts :(

DUCKS

one of two teams to have both goalies in their top three, the other being the Jets

19 unique answers

Funny other answers included: jamie drysdale rip, Donald Duck, Travis

BRUINS

22 unique answers

one person put Patrice Bergeron

SABRES

20 unique answers

2 people put Erik Johnson

weird answer: that one teenager that Tanger beat up

FLAMES

24 unique answers

2 people put Chris Tanev, one person put "it was hanifin"

HURRICANES

21 unique answers

BLACKHAWKS

23 unique answers

one person wrote Jonathan Toews. one person wrote Tommy Hawk, the team's mascot

with 13 of them, the blackhawks take the lead with the most non-answers. one of them was "skipping racist logo team". another was "this team is ugly".

AVALANCHE

23 unique answers

BLUE JACKETS

25 unique answers

STARS

19 unique answers

someone put "Nick Robinson" as an answer. that's not a player. i don't know who that is.

RED WINGS

18 unique answers

someone put "the ginger". someone else put "that cat guy"

OILERS

20 unique answers

someone put "anyone but Leon"

PANTHERS

27 unique answers

KINGS

21 unique answers

someone put Wayne Gretzky

WILD

23 unique answers

2 people put Connor Dewar. 1 person put Brandon Duhaime. 1 person just wrote "Bordeleau"

CANADIENS

21 unique answers

One person put PK Subban. One person put Chris Wideman

PREDATORS

17 unique answers

One of the weirdest answers across the whole poll: "they all looked pretty ugly when they beat the pens in OT that one time"

DEVILS

21 unique answers

someone put "one of the hughes kids"

ISLANDERS

17 unique answers

RANGERS

24 unique answers

one person put Henrik Lundqvist

SENATORS

16 unique answers

one person put "not that one guy"

FLYERS

20 unique answers

One person put Claude Giroux. One person put Nolan Patrick. 5 people put Gritty

PENGUINS

16 unique answers

SHARKS

28 unique answers

4 people put Anthony Duclair. 1 person put Tomas Hertl

KRAKEN

22 unique answers

1 person put Buoy

BLUES

22 unique answers

someone said "anyone but the goalie"

LIGHTNING

21 unique answers

MAPLE LEAFS

24 unique answers

another weird answer: "that sid lookalike kid mitch or marner or something"

COYOTES/UTAH

23 unique answers

one person put Jason Zucker

CANUCKS

23 unique answers

one person put Clayton Keller. one person put "that weird luke kid"

GOLDEN KNIGHTS

28 unique answers

one person put Nolan Patrick. one person put "Steve Aoki #77". Steve Aoki is a DJ. There is no #77 for the golden knights. i have no idea where this came from.

CAPITALS

22 unique answers

JETS

one of two teams to have both goalies in their top three, the other being the Ducks

26 unique answers

one person put Jesse Pollock. :|

FUN STATS!

2 teams are tied with the most amount of single-vote answers: the Rangers and the Panthers both had 10 players only voted for once.

4 teams are tied with the least amount of single-vote answers: the Senators, the Penguins, the Lightning, and the Maple Leafs all had 2 players only voted for once.

2 teams are tied with the most amount of unique answers: the Sharks and the Golden Knights both had 28 unique answers

2 teams are tied with the least amount of unique answers: the Senators and the Penguins both had 16 unique answers

Unsurprisingly, the top three teams that have the biggest gap between first and second place are the Oilers (195 points), Islanders (149), and Devils (145)

The top three teams with the closest gap between first and second place are the Sharks (2), Ducks & Canucks (3), and Blue Jackets & Blackhawks (4)

7 teams have a goalie in 1st place: Jets, Sharks, Wild, Red Wings, Blue Jackets, Bruins, and Ducks

18 teams don't have a goalie in their top three. Shame.

the team with the oldest 1st place is the Wild, with Marc-Andre Fleury being 39 years old

the team with the youngest 1st place is the Sabres, with Owen Power being 21 years old

A breakdown of first place nationalities:

Canadian: 15

American: 10

Swiss: 3

Swedish: 1

Latvian:1

German:1

Dual citizen (Swedish/Canadian): 1

[pippin-katz]

The Awardist - Nicholas Galitzine & Taylor Zakhar Perez

I have to write down the best bits and record my thoughts while listening to this because I am completely losing my mind over what is our first real interview with the boys that was recorded in real time.

27:55 - right off the bat we got a great inside joke/reference from the host that had me cackle

28:19 - taylor being happy to see their faces and nicholas immediately shutting him down like "well i'm not happy to see taylor's face"

28:40 - taylor joking about putting a post-in note over nick's face lmfao

29:30 - the way they don't want to talk over each other, it's giving alex's bedroom flashbacks

29:40 - nick being like "oh! oh, it's good!" when dipping into the online response when the movie released lmfao 😆

30:33 - the silence following the social media question where they were apparently nodding followed by taylor saying they were texting each other like "mate" "mate" back and forth

31:20 - THEY TALKED ABOUT THE SIGNING WARS

31:44 - nicholas calling taylor "this little fucker" had me dying cause me and @meraki-yao were literally referring to him as that in our conversation on ig yesterday

32:00 - nicholas genuinely asking taylor "what possessed you to do this?"; it's giving storage closet in the children's hospital vibes when henry's like "why do you dislike me?"

33:04 - "take it nick" immediately upon being asked the dense question regarding fans reacting to their portrayals of henry and alex, and the way that nicholas laughs and stutters makes me think that taylor totally did that on purpose to mess with him lmfao

34:00 - taylor stopping to talk to fans regardless of where he is or where he's going and specfically mentioning how meaningful it was that people have said *TW* they were contemplating suicide when they read the book/watched the movie and that it helped them 🥺

35:40 - the host referred to the film as "a coming out story", which i don't really agree with as a label because the coming out portion is an added piece of their relationship as two public figures, but their love is the actual story

36:40 - nicholas referring to the film as "wholesome and funny" made me smile so much because it truly is wholesome

37:18 - not the host making the "top to bottom" joke 😭

37:58 - nicholas and taylor have talked about their friendship with each other and how they instantly clicked; nick knew within a few minutes of rehearsal that taylor was "his buddy" 🥺

38:41 - catch me squaring up with everyone who has made nicholas self conscious and self deprecating about doing so much intimacy work on the screen that he refers to it as "basically his thing" like that's all he's recognized for; i am so ready to punch some motherfuckers 😡

39:10 - "it's so fun now, seeing my mate at all these awards and stuff"; catch me fucking crying

39:24 - not taylor misremembering the "nicholas or joey" question as "who was the better kisser"; he totally combined the "is nicholas a good kisser" question with the "who has your heart tonight" question

40:05 - taylor talking about matthew's background in theatre and how they got to actually rehearse with each other; i will never stop being insanely grateful that matthew is a theatre guy

40:55 - the way i said "oh my god" out loud because i was so excited by the question

41:14 - improvised the "physicality" of the store room; i.e. they just fell on top of each other and clamored around 😂

41:32 - the way i literally gasped so hard that i started coughing when nicholas called taylor "tay", i am not even fucking joking, that was so fucking cute 😭

43:42 - fucking wheezed upon realizing where the question going

44:02 - the knowing way taylor was like "i will take this one" lmfao

45:10 - not me going so red from second hand embarrassment 🫣

45:44 - taylor bringing the jockstrap that nicholas wears in bottoms, and nicholas immediately adding "i won't even go into mary & george" 😂

47:51 - taylor finishing nicholas' sentence about matthew's direction for the cake scene; sharing a braincell lol

48:36 - taylor's dog passed away the night of the first day of filming like wow, that fucking sucks 🥺😭

49:05 - "everyone's looking at me with these sad eyes" made me so sad but then taylor said "do you want some tea?" in a terrible british accent lmfao

49:50 - nicholas complimenting and boosting taylor's performance while having such a hard time emotionally 🥺

50:49 - taylor bringing up running through the museum; i can hear the smile in his voice while talking about it 😭

51:28 - they filmed the kensington palace fight and the red room the week after nicholas got covid

52:40 - oh my god, the way you can hear nick grinning as he throws taylor under the bus for the sequel question 😂

53:30 - taylor wants a second book to base the sequel off of

54:03 - taylor used they/them pronouns for casey!! see? he knows, it was totally nerves

55:20 - it felt like it was over too soon, i desperately need more of them PLEASE 😭

This is the greatest thing that's happened in like, a month for me lmfao I am literally begging for more people to interview the boys about RWRB, I am so fucking desperate for more content of the two of them together. They are everything to me 🥺

Thanks for reading!! If you enjoyed this essay & would like to support me, you can give me a tip on my Ko-Fi! ☺️

[alandemoss]

Are you unknowingly chasing false promises of heaven? What if the real gospel is hidden beneath the surface? Dive into the shocking truth about Jesus' message of love and grace versus the misleading allure of reward-based preaching.

[snowysosturn]

Speeding Car - Matt Sturniolo Part 5

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8 Part 9 Part 10 Part 11 Part 12 Part 13 Part 14 Part 15 Part 16 Part 17 Part 18 Part 19 Part 20 Part 21 Part 22 Part 23 Part 24 Part 25 Part 26 Part 27 Part 28 Part 29

Pairing : y/n x Matt Sturniolo

Summary : After six years with your boyfriend Alex, you start mentally check out. At a UCLA party, Alex reconnects with his childhood friend Emily, who proposes a double date with her boyfriend Matt. Your attraction to Matt grows as he pays you the first real attention you've had in years, sparking a complicated emotional journey.

Warnings : MDNI, unhappy relationship, mentions of hangover, angst

The start of the new semester at UCLA brought a sense of urgency and routine that clashed with my internal chaos. Alex was excited, his schedule packed with classes and Bruins practice. Meanwhile, I struggled to shake off the lingering thoughts about Matt and Emily from the party, the Instagram follow, and my relationship dying out. I couldn’t tell anymore if my embarrassment was first or second hand. But today was a new day, and I had to focus.

I made Alex a protein-packed breakfast this morning, I had the day off so I had the time. “Thanks y/n” Alex said as he gave me a pat on the back. A pat on the back. He took the last few bites of his meal and grabbed the keys to the car. “I��m not too sure what time I’ll be back tonight, I’ll text to let you know” Alex said as I walked behind him to the front door. I saw him off as he walked down the steps to the driveway. “Aw shit” I hear him exclaim, realizing one of his tyres had burst. "Great, just what I needed," he muttered. Alex and I shared a car, it was originally mine, but I let Alex put it in his name as he needs to get around more than I do. So in simpler terms, Alex has a car that I’m able to drive once a month at least.

"Take my phone and book an Uber," I offered, handing it to him. "I'll figure out the tyre later."

He accepted my phone with a grateful nod and quickly booked the ride. As he waited, I heard my phone ping. A familiar sound, from Instagram.

“Matthew Sturniolo (@matthew.sturniolo) has requested to follow you”

"Hey, looks like Matt wants to follow you," Alex said, showing me the screen with a chuckle. "Guess he enjoyed your company at the party."

My heart jumped, a burning sensation flushed through my body. Why did this have to happen when Alex has my phone.

I tried to keep my voice steady. "Yeah, probably. We did talk quite a bit. I got along well with Nick too”

Alex shrugged, accepting the request before handing the phone back. "Alright, my ride's here. See you tonight."

"See you" I replied, watching him head out the door. Not a kiss to say goodbye or anything.

The day passed slowly, my thoughts constantly drifting to Matt's follow request. It felt like a lifeline, a connection I desperately wanted but also feared.

—————————————————————————

As the evening approached, I texted Alex to let him know the tyre was fixed if he wanted me to pick him up whenever he was ready. He replied saying he had an evening free and he we was going to Uber home with Emily to hang out. They had figured out they were taking the same classes and were coming back to organize a few things for the current semester.

Alex and Emily arrived at our apartment. Alex seemed in good spirits despite the tire mishap. “We have a school trip to Barcelona in 4 weeks, Europe! How exciting!” Emily said with joy. “We decided it would be easier to come back here and look at flights together if you don’t mind helping us y/n, I know you’re good with all of that.” Alex suggested. For some weird reason this lit a fire in my stomach. I knew I was being stupid since it was for a school trip, but it bothered me how eager he was to organize everything. It was almost like pulling teeth anytime I tried to organize a trip with him. After an hour of searching, I found the cheapest flights for them and everything was booked.

"I'm going to hit the sack early," he said after a while. "Practice starts tomorrow."

"Alright, good night," I said, trying to sound casual.

Emily and I were left alone in the living room. An awkward silence settled between us, punctuated by the occasional sound of Alex moving around in the bedroom. I knew I needed to break the ice, and I also had an opportunity to see where her and Matt stood with each other after Saturday night's events.

"So, how are things with you and Matt?" I asked

Emily smiled, her eyes lighting up. "Matt's great. I mean, he’s really sweet and all, but sometimes I feel like he’s too good, you know? I also want to apologize to you for how I acted at the party, it was out of line. We’re only newly friends and I don’t want to embarrass myself or make a bad impression. I honestly still have a hangover from it all”

“Friends?” I thought to myself.

“Oh you don’t need to apologize to me at all Emily, it happens” I respond, trying to make her feel better.

“I feel like I get carried away sometimes. I like the attention I get from Matt, but I also love the attention I get from others."

I frowned slightly. "Others?"

She shrugged, taking a sip from her Stanley cup. "Yeah, I mean, Matt has a big following, and being with him means I get noticed too. I love him, but I can’t help enjoying the attention. It's kind of addicting. Did you not notice all of the influencers at the party?”

Her words struck a nerve. How could she be so nonchalant about treating Matt that way? He deserved someone who appreciated him fully, not someone who saw him as a means to boost their own ego.

"Oh, no I didn’t notice" I said, trying to keep my tone neutral.

Emily glanced at me, her expression unreadable. "It just comes hand in hand with his job. I love him, but I also love being in the spotlight. Is that so wrong?"

I didn't know how to respond. It felt wrong, deeply wrong. Matt deserved someone who loved him for who he was, not for the attention he brought. The more Emily talked, the more I realized she didn’t deserve him. My feelings for Matt, already complicated, grew stronger. He deserved better, and I couldn’t shake the feeling that maybe, just maybe, I could be that for him.

As time passed the conversation changed, I found myself genuinely getting along with Emily despite the lingering irritation from her comments about Matt. We chatted about various things like classes, mutual friends, upcoming campus events and even her life in Austin. I can’t lie, she was easy to talk to, and I could see why she was popular. But underneath her charming exterior, her earlier remarks about enjoying attention grated on me.

I knew I had to keep things friendly. Not just for Alex's sake, but for my own. Staying close to Emily meant staying close to Matt. It was a delicate balance, and I was determined to maintain it.

Later that night, Emily glanced at her phone and sighed. "I should probably get going. It's getting late."

"Do you need a ride?" I asked, half hoping she would say yes so I could see Matt again.

"Yeah, I'll ask Matt to come pick me up," she said, typing out a quick message..

Matt’s POV

I rotted away in my room all day Sunday. I needed some time to myself. Emily went back to college early this morning and I hadn’t heard from her since. After nearly 40 hours of sitting in my room, I decided it was time to try to be social again. I left my room and walked straight into the kitchen to find Nick and Chris sat at the kitchen table.

"Rough night Saturday" Nick asked, eyeing me with concern.

I sighed, running a hand through my hair. "You could say that."

Chris obliviously laughed. "Come on, it couldn't have been that bad."

Nick shot him a look. "Matt, we need to talk about Emily. Her behavior at the party... it wasn't okay."

I nodded, feeling a weight settle on my shoulders. "I know. She's been like this more and more lately."

Nick leaned forward, his expression serious. "You don't deserve to be treated like that. You do so much for her, and it seems like she doesn't appreciate any of it."

Chris, still not fully grasping the gravity of the situation, shrugged. "Girls can be complicated, man."

Nick ignored him, focusing on me. "Look, I know you care about her, but you have to think about yourself too. You deserve to be with someone who respects you and values you."

I sighed, the truth of his words hitting hard. "I keep hoping she'll change, that she'll realize how much I care about her and start treating me better."

Nick frowned. "People don't change unless they want to. And from what I've seen, Emily isn't interested in changing."

There was a moment of silence as we all absorbed the reality of the situation. Nick then changed the topic slightly, a mischievous look in his eyes. “I noticed you got along pretty well with y/n, Alex's girlfriend.."

My mind flashed back to our conversations. There had been an easy connection, a sense of understanding that I hadn't felt with Emily in a long time. "Yeah, she's great. We had some good talks."

Chris, always one to break the tension in the worst possible way, grinned. "And she’s got a fat ass, right?"

Nick groaned, and I shot Chris a look. "Dude, not the time."

Chris held up his hands in surrender. "Just saying."

The mood soured, I stood up, needing to clear my head. "I'm going to bed. Thanks for the talk, guys."

As I made my way back to my room, my phone buzzed. Emily had texted me: "Hey, can you pick me up? I'm at Alex's place."

I sighed, knowing I'd go pick her up despite everything. I couldn't shake the feeling that something had to change, but I wasn’t sure if it would be her or me.

—————————————————————————

Y/N’s POV

"He'll be here in about ten minutes." Emily said, reading out the message from Matt.

My heart danced but I had to maintain my composure.

We continued chatting until Matt's car pulled up outside. Emily grabbed her things, and I walked her to the door.

"Thanks for having me over," she said with a smile. "We should do this more often."

"We should" I replied, forcing a smile. "It was nice."

We stepped outside, and I spotted Matt waiting in his car. As we approached, he got out and walked over, his expression warm but tired.

"Hey, thanks for picking me up," Emily said, giving him a quick kiss on the cheek.

"No problem," Matt replied, his eyes briefly meeting mine. "Hi," he added, his smile softening as he looked at me.

"Hi," I responded, feeling a flutter in my chest.

"How was your evening?" Matt questioned.

"It was good," I replied, choosing my words carefully. "Emily and I had a nice time."

"Good to hear," he said, glancing at Emily. "Ready to go?"

"Yep," she replied, but then she turned to me. "We should all hang out together again, the four of us. Maybe we can plan another double date or something."

"Sounds good," I said, knowing that staying close to her meant more opportunities to see Matt.

As Emily climbed into the car, I took a moment to speak to Matt. "Hey, I just wanted to say... if you ever need to talk or anything, I'm here."

Matt looked at me, his eyes searching mine. "Thanks, I appreciate that. And same to you."

Just then, Emily reached over and playfully tugged Matt's arm. "Come on, let's go. I've missed you."

Matt turned to her, his expression softening. "I've missed you too," he said, leaning in to kiss her. Their interaction was sweet and intimate, a stark contrast to the tension I had sensed earlier.

Watching them together, my heart sank. The way Matt looked at her, the way he held her, it made me question everything. Had I misread his kindness? Was I seeing what I wanted to see rather than what was really there?

As they drove away, I stood there for a moment, feeling a mix of confusion and heartache. The connection I thought I had with Matt now felt uncertain, overshadowed by his obvious affection for Emily.

Matts’ POV

The drive to Alex's was quiet, my thoughts a jumble of emotions. When I arrived, Emily was waiting outside, looking a bit worse for wear from her two day hangover but smiling when she saw me.

"Hey, thanks for coming to get me," she said, giving me a kiss on the cheek.

"No problem," I replied, trying to keep my tone neutral. Still wanting to keep my stance that how she acted on Saturday was out of line.

As Emily climbed into the car, y/n turned to me.

“Hey, I just wanted to say... if you ever need to talk or anything, I'm here." I knew fully what she was referring to. Could she relate to me? Or was it just out of pity from the events she witnessed at the party.

"Thanks, I appreciate that. And same to you." We locked eyes for a moment, until Emily tugged at me and instantly broke the contact.

We got into the car and drove off as y/n waved us off. On the ride back home I couldn't help but think about Nick's words and the confusion I felt brewing in me surrounding y/n. Maybe it was time to seriously consider what I wanted and needed in a relationship. Emily had her good moments, but were they enough to outweigh the bad?

Only time would tell..

a/n : i’m rushing out for dinner rn so i will proof read and do tags properly when i’m back i just wanted to get this out asaaaaap. we do go back and forth with the povs here soz. part 6 hopefully tomorrow or sunday!!!!

taglist : @muwapsturniolo @anitahunt @sturnfannn @jayde510 @chrissfavhoe @babyalliah-777 @v33angel @urmom69lol @willowrites @ribread03 @sleepyysavv @sturnsaver @sleepysturniolo @jcsturniolo11 @jessie-essie @immattsslut @mynbbys @sturniolopanini @mattsturnxoxo @delicatechrry @t77te @sturnsyaper69

[eternalholygirl]

✞ Journal Prompts

1. How can I honor/serve God today?

2. Write a prayer for someone

3. How can I be a better friend this week?

4. What can I trust God with today?

5. What is a promise of God that I will hold to my heart to get me through the day?

6. What kind of person is God leading me to be and how can I become that person?

7. Who is God to me?

8. What distractions are getting in the way of me walking with purpose?

9. Who are the people God is leading me to invest in?

10. What Habits in my life do not glorify God and how can I change them?

11. What prayers of mine has God answered recently?

12. Today I am grateful for…

13. What habits can I obtain to grow closer to God?

14. Bible verses that stand out to me and why

15. Characteristics of God that you look for

In relationships

16. Who am I holding a grudge against and why I should let it go

17. My favorite Bible characters and why

18. 20 Positive characteristics of mine

19. When do I feel most distant from God? How can I get away from those situations?

20. When do I feel closest to God?

21. If my life would be used to preach one message, what would it be?

22. What are my God given gifts and talents?

23. How does a fulfilling morning spent with God look like to me?

24. How does a fulfilling evening spent with god look like to me?

25. If Jesus stood in front of me today, what 5 Questions would I ask him?

26. Which character in the bible is my greatest motivation and why?

27. Which character in the Bible do I relate to the most and why?

28. How did I experience God’s presence today?

29. What is an Area of your life where you need to trust God more?

30. What blessings has God provided recently? How have they strengthened my faith?

31. How can I show Christ-like love to others in your daily interactions?

32. How can I surrender my worries to God and find peace in his promises?

33. What step of obedience had God called me to that I’m avoiding?

34. Is there a sin in my life that I am not confessing and not repenting from? What is it and why do I hold onto it? How can I stop?

35. Am I spending consistent time with God? Why or Why not? What has been occupying my time lately?

Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it.

Matthew 10:39