#Matthew 17:26

[adventism-atheism-orthodoxy-me]

This Verse Secretly Undermines All of Christianity...

I just saw this and thought I would process it on my own.

This YouTuber doesn't sound like he's explored much beyond mainstream Western Christianity. He makes the bold statement that EVERY Christian sect finds indispensable the idea that Christ died on the Cross "for our sins". Period.

For the longest time I found that challenging too. He goes on to talk about many of the same things I've asked, "Why couldn't God just forgive us outright? Why must he go through a generational pageant to do something the God of the Universe could have done of his own accord in the first place?"

You can say this is a dumb question. I've been told this many times.

Yet I have never been the only one asking this.

Many, if not all Atheists ask this question. Frankly, many "Christian" answers sound a little unhinged.

Now, I don't think that his examples necessarily contradict the prevailing point of view though. All anyone has to do is look at the banking industry to see that credit on future earnings is a valid payment method. Now it's true that modern banking, and especially credit, wasn't developed until the European Jews, unable to make a living any other way, started lending during the medieval period. Jesuits came up with the idea of insurance, which didn't technically fall under the prohibition against usury. And with ongoing innovation, modern financial markets developed.

None of these, of course, would have been understood by the local people of Jesus' time and place.

What was understood was life and death.

And this is where I found my peace.

Sins can easily be forgiven, but sickness and eventual death? That's a whole other nut to crack. Now, to be clear, unfortunately even the most traditional Christian communities have started to obsess about how SIN must be atoned!

But there is a strain in the oldest Christian traditions that it wasn't primarily sin that was destroyed on the cross, but rather death, disease, corruption (of which sin is a derivation to be sure, but not the point).

Now it's easy to look around and say - "Look! it didn't work." I myself have had to say good bye to both my parents over the last several months.

However, there is a resurrection that is promised. And if Christ has done what he said he did, then there WILL be a general resurrection.

The key is to be prepared for that resurrection. Now we could go on about which denomination is best prepared, but I have little faith in denominationalism. I think it's a means to conquer and divide the faithful, pitting follower against follower. Soon the God who's being worshiped isn't the most High God, but the Deceiver who encourages us all to call each other heretics. I do not think most "Christians" are Christian, but rather following their own wisdom (1 Timothy 6:3-5, 2 Thessalonians 2:11, Matthew 7:13-14, Matthew 24:11).

Now I may be a false teacher myself for thinking such a thing and putting it out there, but I have faith that God will know his own. And while he loves the rest, and has given them life, that life will be so much less for the fact that they reject what he's given them.

I find the idea of a river of fire helpful - Moses and the Glory of God (Exodus 33:20-23), speaks to the idea that to human senses, God is Fire. The Story of the Three Holy Youths (Daniel 3) has also been seen as an illustration of man abiding in the presence of fire, as a proxy for God, unharmed. Pentecost is God's fire experienced by the faithful after his resurrection. How will Gods fire be experienced by the unfaithful?

I have no idea, but I doubt that it will be pleasant (Luke 16:19-31).

In short, I feel this video failed to land it's point. There's enough diversity in Christianity to survive this argument, though I do not think that most modern Christians are open to my resolution.

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, Have mercy upon me, a sinner.

[bojackson54]

Words Matter. Read These and See If You Don't Agree

Read every word of this quote, and see if it sounds sane, or crazy. “Jesus said, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life. No man comes to the Father, but by me.'” (John 14:6, NIV) This short statement is amazingly full, and it’s worth challenging. It’s also worth considering. Depth Not Length First of all, consider the first two words: Jesus SAID. The spoken word is incredibly important in the…

[mindfulldsliving]

Understanding the Fear of God: Impact on Faith and Wisdom

It is vital to rest in God's love, but that love is best understood when seen against the backdrop of His awe-inspiring greatness and our own need for His mercy. This perspective doesn’t just comfort us; it transforms us, grounding us in true wisdom that

Photo by Jr Korpa on Unsplash Introduction Proverbs 9:10-12 provides profound insights into the interconnectedness of the fear of God, faith, wisdom, and God’s love. These verses emphasize that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom and that understanding leads to a fulfilling life. To fully grasp the depth of these concepts, it’s essential to explore related scriptures and their…

[doulafaith]

Christ's Breakthrough

“His Abide”  Reading  Reflecting Responding To God’s Word while Walking it Out Context: Matthew 27: 1-66 Focus:  Matthew 27:51-52 “At that moment the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth quaked and the rocks were split. The tombs broke open, and the bodies of many saints who had fallen asleep were raised.” Matthew 27: 51-52 Definition: Breakthrough – a military…

[touchofgoddotworld]

Overcome Evil by The Spirit of The Lord (231) - February 3 2024

Play on other Podcast Apps It is time to go around the mountain once more. We as the Body of Christ must learn to speak to the mountains in the world that need to be removed (Mark 11:23). There are mountains everywhere to be cast into the sea. Mountains of captivity for the souls in Afghanistan. Mountains of sickness and disease in people’s bodies. Mountains of lack. We can use the faith that…

[candletocandle]

Lepers, Prostitutes, and Thanksgiving

Intro: 

Several years ago, a woman bought a frozen pumpkin pie to bake for Thanksgiving dinner

She burned the pie badly

Accidents happen

However, this woman did not take responsibility for her mistake

Instead, she took a picture of the burned pie and posted it on the pie company’s Facebook page

She actually blamed the pie company for “ruining her Thanksgiving dessert”

Internet reaction and memes aside, it’s apparent she did not have her priorities straight

She could have taken the time and effort to make a pumpkin pie from scratch

A frozen pumpkin pie is a convenience

If you think about it, a frozen pie is one of the easiest things you can cook 

No cooking skill required

In any event, it’s probably safe to say this woman did not have an attitude of thanksgiving

Her Facebook post revealed a sense of self-centered entitlement

It’s easy to look down on this woman, whether to make fun of her or judge her

However, are we much different than this woman when it comes to Thanksgiving?

Especially in the eyes of God?

Today, I would like to discuss two stories of Thanksgiving

A story about lepers and a story about a former prostitute

Let us pray…

Story #1: cleansing of the ten lepers (Luke 17:11-19)

Jesus was passing through Samaria when He was spotted by ten lepers from afar off

They cried out, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!”

Interestingly, Jesus does not immediately heal these lepers 

Instead, Jesus tells them to go show themselves to the priests

As they go to the priests, they are healed

Only of these ten lepers comes back to thank Jesus for what He had done for them

Story #2: the anointing at Bethany (Matthew 26:6-13; Mark 14:3-9; Luke 7:36-50)

A former prostitute shows up at the house of Simon the Leper

She anoints Jesus by breaking an alabaster flask of expensive oil over His head

However, she was greatly criticized by several people who witnessed her action

“What a waste of expensive spikenard!”

“She could have sold the spikenard for 300 denarii and used the money for the poor!” 

So, what do these stories have to do with each other, let alone Thanksgiving?

Let’s go back and look at each story in greater detail

Story #1 revisited

Leprosy in the Bible refers to any variety of contagious skin diseases

In Jesus’ time, leprosy was often a death sentence

No matter how esteemed or rich you were, if you contracted leprosy, you were driven out of society into the fringes

You were not allowed to participate in daily societal activities or even go to the temple to worship

In the worst forms of leprosy, lepers would lose their extremities like their fingers, toes, ears, and even nose

Sometimes leprosy could even affect your vocal chords

This cruel disease robs its victims of feeling human

Is it any wonder those ten lepers cried aloud to Jesus for healing?

When Jesus responds to their pleas by telling them to show themselves to the priest, Jesus is testing their faith

A leper would only show themselves to the priest if they were healed

The priest would then have that individual undergo a cleansing ritual as prescribed in Leviticus chapter 14 to confirm their healing 

Only then could that individual officially reintegrate that person back into society

These ten lepers actually walked in faith to the priest, even though Jesus did not actually heal them yet

Somewhere along the way, all the lepers were miraculously healed of their leprosy

When the priest pronounced these men to be free of leprosy, they were allowed to re-enter Jewish society

Surprisingly, nine of these ten lepers did not return to Jesus and acknowledge what He had done for them 

When those men had leprosy, they would have given anything, done anything to receive healing

Yet, Jesus did not receive a simple thank you from them

Before we criticize these nine ex-lepers too much, are we any different?

When times are difficult and you go through trials in life, do you not pray more?

Have you ever promised God you would be more faithful, read the Bible more, be more active in church if He would only deliver you?

When God delivered you, did you follow through on your promises?

Did you truly thank Jesus for what she did for you or did you go back to living life as normal?

How often do we come to church faithfully every week, but don’t think about God the rest of the week?

Let’s go back to our second story

Story #2 revisited 

What’s the big deal about the oil anyways?

Before we can answer that question, let’s talk a little about spikenard

Spikenard was derived from a Himalayan aromatic plant of the Valerian family 

It has a very distinct fragrant aroma

The only other mention of spikenard in the Bible other than the Gospels is in the Song of Solomon in the Old Testament (1:12; 4:13-14)

Considering the origins of this plant, spikenard was not very easy to obtain

The value of the spikenard was estimated to be 300 denarii

One denarius was worth about a day’s wages 

Therefore, 300 denarii was almost a year’s worth of wages

To put this into perspective, let’s say you earned $20 an hour at your job

One day’s work is $160

If you worked for 300 days, that’s $48,000

I think it would be safe to assume spikenard is the stuff of kings

Now, why would a prostitute have spikenard?

A prostitute would not allure men with just her appearance, but also through smell

This box of spikenard would be considered invaluable by prostitutes

Now, let’s consider the act of breaking the box of spikenard over Jesus

Not such a minor thing, is it?

This former prostitute was so thankful for Being saved by Jesus, gave Him something back at great personal cost to herself 

This alabaster box of spikenard represented her former livelihood 

How long did she have to save to be able to purchase it?

Now she is giving it all to Jesus

That, brothers and sisters, is true gratitude 

Interestingly, her act of gratitude and self-sacrifice was condemned

Are we much different today?

How often do we judge and criticize others when they try to do something for God?

Putting it all together

Brothers and sisters, I want you to know you have a lot to be thankful for

No matter how bad things are going in your life right now…

…the fact you live in America automatically makes you better off than half the people in the world.

If you own a car, that puts you in the top 15-20% of the people living in this world

Even if you do not feel blessed, God has showered you with an abundance of blessings you may not even be aware of 

Brothers and sisters, will you be thankful to Jesus for all that He has done for you?

Brothers and sisters, we all have been stricken with the leprosy of sin

It is a fatal disease and the prognosis is eternal death

However, Jesus loves us so much He gave His life for us, so that we can be cleansed

We can have eternal life if we accept Him as our Lord and Savior

Not only that, Jesus wants us to be kings and queens to reign with Him forever

Yet, oftentimes, we are so caught up in this current life, we are not thanful for what He has done for us

We are afraid to sacrifice what we have for Him

And we don’t consider the cost that He paid for us

Closing: Jethro

My wife and in-laws don’t really like to buy toys for my son Jethro

Maybe he can have something on his birthday and at Christmas

They don’t want to spoil him

That’s a good thing and I respect that

However, personally, I don’t believe in that limitation

If you know Jethro’s story, then you know we’ve been through a lot in the first three years of Jethro’s life

Therefore, I buy him toys whenever I feel like it

I just enjoy the surprise and joy that comes upon his face when he unexpectedly receives a new toy

A few weeks ago when I was working on the computer (on this very message), Jethro gets up from where he was playing nearby

He comes to me with the newest toy I bought him

He shows it to me and says something that surprised me:

“Daddy, I like this toy very much.  It is my new favorite toy.  Thank you, thank you so much for buying it for me.”

Needless to say, I was very surprised and very touched to hear that unsolicited display of gratitude

And there’s been several times when Jethro wakes up in the morning and the first thing he says to me is, “I love you, Daddy”

This made me think

Do I show the same gratitude and love towards my heavenly Father?

Have I thanked God for the simple things in life?

Have I told Him how much I love Him?

Brothers and sisters, will you thank Jesus for all that He has done for you?

[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

[holyspiritgirl]

What is Spiritual Warfare and how to overcome it with the help of God?

• Spiritual warfare is the idea that there's a battle going on between good and evil forces. In Christianity, this means a fight between God and His angels against the devil and his demons. It mainly happens in our minds, hearts, and spirits. It’s about resisting bad thoughts, temptations, and influences that go against what God wants for us. Though we believe that Jesus has indeed already defeated Satan by dying on the cross and coming back to life, the enemy still tries to lead us to sin in order to push us away from God, thus spiritual warfare.

• “Symptoms” vary since the devil attacks you where it hurts the most, to make you as vulnerable as possible; but here are some of the most common ones:

- believing that your not worthy of having a relationship with God or talking to God therefore feeling the need to distance yourself from him

-self destructive / sabotage / harm temptations

-paranoia / overthinking

-strong headaches / body aches

-temptations towards sin such as lust, gluttony, laziness, anger.. etc, depends on your weaknesses

-self hatred & self doubt / doubt in faithfulness

-hopelessness, fear, anxiety

-random depressive moods & replaying bad memories … the list goes on!

• Living a life more aligned with God’s will is seen as a threat to Satan and his purposes, leading to increased attempts to discourage or derail one’s faith journey. With a deeper relationship with God often comes a greater sense of purpose and mission, attracting more challenges and obstacles from evil forces trying to prevent one from fulfilling God’s plans. Our Father allows these intensified battles to refine and strengthen our faith, helping us rely more on Him and grow spiritually.

• Here are some bible verses that may help you during those tough times battling spiritual warfare :

-Corinthians 10:13

- Psalm 91

-Ephesians 6:11-18

-Isaiah 54:17

-Galatians 5:17-26

- Peter 5:8-9

-Romans 8:37-39

-Luke 10:19

-James 4:7

-John 16:33

-Deuteronomy 3:22

-Matthew 4:10-11

• Let me know if you’d be interested in me posting those verses and talking about some of them with you guys, sort of like a bible study kind of thing. It’d be a pleasure ;)

Have a blessed day 💞💓👼🏻

[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

[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

[bojackson54]

Saturday Before Good Friday: Ten Days That Changed the World

Yesterday, we began a day-by-day look at the Passion Week, so our “week” is actually ten days, starting BEFORE Palm Sunday… Here are some observations about the Saturday before Good Friday, which would have been eight days before Easter. It is a quiet Saturday, a sabbath, so there is no mention of any activity until we read John’s account  of Supper at Bethany. Eyewitness Account (John’s Gospel…

[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

[souliebird]

[[soulie's masterlist]]

Daredevil:

and then I met you [matt murdock x reader]

A one-night stand years ago gave you a daughter and you are now able to put a name to her father – Matthew Murdock. Everything is about to change again as you navigate trying to integrate your life with that of the handsome and charming blind lawyer’s and Matt realizes he needs to not only protect his new family from Hell's Kitchen, but from the world.

Season one:

ch: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 |

11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 |16 | 17 | 18 | 19 |

20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25

Season 2:

ch: 26 | 27

coffee maker [matt murdrock x reader]

the coffee maker breaks

punish the wicked [matt murdock x reader]

the devil wants out

get low [matt murdock x ofc]

matt gets off early and he's not the only one

addict [matt murdock x reader]

your life revolves around matt. his doesn't revolve around you

Punisher

sugar skulls and altars [frank castle x ofc]

she makes him feel like Frank Castle

Kin (AMC)

last call for sinners [michael kinsella x reader]

The weight of the world feels like it is on Michael's shoulders and you are there to make sure he doesn't crumble under it

Batman

the man and then nothingness [tim drake]

He doesn’t want to be Nothing.

He runs and runs and runs and he doesn’t even know where he is going. Not until there is gravel under his feet and he’s flying past pristine hedges.

Wayne Manor is in front of him and Tim forces his legs to move Faster.

He knows he shouldn’t . He knows he shouldn’t - but between Nothing and Batman, Batman will probably win

---

Or: Tim Drake is 10 years old and really, really, needs an adult.

the multiverse series [tim drake x jason todd]

Jason Todd is traveling through the Multiverse and gets stuck in a world where he never died. He seeks out Tim Drake for help but this Tim is not what he expects at all.

A series of ficlets I wrote on Tumblr starting in 2015.

Random

winterwitch dog [bucky barnes x wanda maximoff]

some houses [ original work]

[hiseyeisonthesparrow]

I am feeling very hurt today.

For context, I went to high school in well-off, suburban Utah, although I didn't grow up there. My family still lives there. It's a VERY Mormon- and white-dominated location.

Last night, I was on the phone with my mom, just catching up, making plans for the weekend, the typical Phone Home Because Your Mom Misses You.

She told me that there were plans to build a warming shelter for the homeless in the town. I was excited -- I'd just been to a workshop about homelessness, and me and my friends had exchanged some heartfelt stories about our experiences with homeless friends, family, ward members, et cetera. But then she followed it up by telling me that many folks in the town were strongly against it -- mad that there would be a warming shelter in the town, yelling about it on Facebook groups, protesting at city council meetings. None of them wanted a warming shelter in their town. Hundreds of people, upset.

I've never felt more disheartened. Over half of the people in that town are members of the Church. The chances that there were Mormons at that city council meeting, yelling angrily about a warming shelter are astronomically high.

What God are they following?

What Christ did they get baptized to?

What scriptures do they read? Did they not get the chance to read Proverbs 19:17, Matthew 25:35-36, Luke 3:11, James 2:15-16, 1 John 3:17, Deuteronomy 15:11, Psalms 82:3-4, Proverbs 14:31, Isaiah 58:10, Mosiah 4:16-26, Alma 34:28-29, Mosiah 18:28-30, 3 Nephi 12:3, or Jacob 2:13-17?

What commandments are they following? What "love one another" do they ascribe to?

What has the name of Christ become in this day and age?

The devil turning evil into good and good into evil has never been so obvious. What perversion of gospel principles can possibly lead someone to riot against a warming shelter -- not even a homeless shelter? A place for people to stay alive in the blistering cold.

"Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me." The 'members' that have fought against this have, effectively, spit in the face of the Lord. Where has Christlike compassion gone?

[thewordfortheday]

"Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak."

— Matthew 26:41

Jesus had a simple request for Peter, James, and John in the Garden of Gethsemane, and that was to watch and pray. But they were sleeping instead of praying.

I think the disciples' lack of prayer was because up until that moment everything was going well for them. Think about it: When do we usually pray? We pray when we are in trouble. If things are going reasonably well, if there are no problems on the horizon—we may not pray all that much. But when a crisis hits, when problems come, we storm heaven. 

Jesus knew that a crisis was coming. He wanted them to pray with Him. Especially because He didn't want them to fall into temptation. 

All Jesus was asking from Peter, James, "Just watch and pray." But twice when Jesus went back to check on them, they were sleeping.

Prayerlessness is something many Christians struggle with.  

l Thessalonians 5:17 says, "Pray without ceasing."

Has your prayer life been lacking lately? Would you ask the Lord to help you in this area?

Pray: Lord, I want to pray more, I need your help. Please help me to fix my eyes on You and pray without ceasing, as You have commanded me to, not just when I am in need, but always. In Jesus' name, Amen.

[tangerinesgirl]

Kinktober 2024 - Masterlist

** All days will be completed with various Dan Stevens characters; Frank/Adam Barrett, David Collins, David Haller, Herr König, Travis 'Trapper' Beasley, Matthew Crawley, Alexander Lemtov. **

** All prompts will be completed as Female Reader **

List provided by: @absurdthirst

Kinktober List Here

*** 18+ only, minors DNI ***

Day 1: Handjobs - Matthew Crawley

Day 2: Voyeurism - Travis 'Trapper' Beasley

Day 3: Public Sex - Alexander Lemtov

Day 4: Sensory Deprivation - David Haller

Day 5: Rough Sex - David Collins

Day 6: A/B/O Heats or Ruts - Herr König

Day 7: Bruising or Bitemarks - Adam 'Frank' Barrett

Day 8: Cock Warming - Matthew Crawley

Day 9: Food Play - Alexander Lemtov

Day 10: Lingerie - Matthew Crawley

Day 11: Knife Play - David Collins

Day 12: Sex Toys - Alexander Lemtov

Day 13: Pregnancy - Herr König

Day 14: Candle/Wax Play - David Haller

Day 15: Teasing - Matthew Crawley

Day 16: Lactation - Herr König

Day 17: Period Sex - Adam 'Frank' Barrett

Day 18: Massaging - Travis 'Trapper' Beasley

Day 19: Mirror Sex - Alexander Lemtov

Day 20: Threesome - Adam 'Frank' Barrett and David Collins

Day 21: Gun Play - Adam 'Frank' Barrett

Day 22: Thigh Riding or Fucking - David Collins

Day 23: Breeding - Herr König

Day 24: Glove Kink - Adam 'Frank' Barrett

Day 25: Titty Fucking - Alexander Lemtov

Day 26: Edgeplay - David Haller

Day 27: Hate Fucking/Angry Sex - Matthew Crawley

Day 28: Phone Sex - Adam 'Frank' Barrett

Day 29: Uniforms - Matthew Crawley

Day 30: Sex Pollen - Travis 'Trapper' Beasley

Day 31: (Free For All) Costumes - David Collins