“What is the Sound the of Heaven? Its the people of God. Us. It is our calling, in whatever arena, to be His light, His hands and feet to a lost world. These songs are a declaration of the desire to walk in the identity of Christ and be the audible and visible Sound of Heaven.” 

-- Brad + Rebekah

This is the mission statement from the newest album released by our friends, Brad & Rebekah Bichsel!!  We had the chance to sit down and talk with this awesome couple, who both lead worship together, and have such a great heart for the Church.  Take a moment and listen in!  Brad & Rebekah share some personal things that they are walking through, and how this album is really a declaration of faith. And speaking of that album, check it out:

Also, take some time and head over to their website at Brad + Rebekah Music.  Make sure to check out the "About" section and read up on their story.  There's even some images and stories behind a few of the songs on this album - many times we write songs out of real experiences.  This album, and their stories, are no exception, and you'll be impacted by it.  If you're looking to get the album ( YOU SHOULD! ), there's a few ways to do that:

• Buy it on iTunes
• Listen on Apple Music
• Listen on Spotify
• Download on Amazon Music
• Download on Google Play

There's plenty of options there for you, there's no excuse!  Last but not least, Brad + Rebekah have even released multi tracks, chord charts & videos along with everything.  You can find that under the "Music" section of their website here.  We pray that these songs would minister powerfully both to you & to your church! 

We are excited for you to meet our guests on the AAW podcast, Clinton Allen & Ryan Williams from River Valley Worship! They both lead worship at their church in Minneapolis, MN.  

In today’s interview, we’re talking with Ryan & Clinton specifically about their story as worship leaders and as songwriters. They talk to us about their current roles in their local church as worship leaders and leading teams. They also have some great insights about how they approach writing new songs for their church - considering the people that will be singing those songs and even their senior pastor - It starts with relationship!  They share experiences from leading REAL people in REAL ministry week to week, so we really believe this will speak to many of you listening that are also leading worship week in & week out.  You have authority as a pastoral musician. 

Last but certainly not least - you can find out more about River Valley Worship's brand new album!  Head on over to rivervalleyworship.org and find ways to listen below:

• Buy it on iTunes
• Listen on Apple Music
• Listen on Spotify
• Download on Amazon Music
• Download on Google Play
• Watch on YouTube

There's plenty of options there for you, there's no excuse!  Be blessed, and be sure to check out their new album —- “MILLION LIFETIMES”! 

We have such a tendency to water down words. Lessening their impact through casual use: awesome, love, and worship were the three that came to mind. 

Worship? You might ask, “How has worship been watered down?” As I took time to think about the word, I began to realize something. Just as we have lessened the impact of words such as awesome and love through overuse, we have done much the same with the word worship through underuse.

We have so narrowed its scope until – in our current Christian culture – we often relegate it to just another music genre or a segment of time in our church services. Though from the first welcome to the benediction our services are designed to engage our congregations in worship; worship is so much more. Worship is an attitude, an action, a way of life.

As I reflected on the hundreds and hundreds of times I have had the privilege of leading congregations in worship through music, James 1:27 came to mind. 

Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you.

I began to recall several settings in which I have lead worship; large churches, small churches, conferences, and festivals, in many states and denominational traditions. However, the two venues which most stood out were not of leading large congregations in worship, but they were found in the small church basement where I first lead worship with children from 2-10 years old, and the nursing homes where I, and often my family have lead these old dear saints in the singing of hymns and praise choruses. Each representing the opposite end of the age spectrum and both reflecting the childlike faith Jesus referred to in Matthew 18:3. 

Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

I believe we refuse to let the world corrupt us when we use our gifts to serve others including those who have nothing to give us in return – the children, the elderly, the sick. Yes, as I look back the most impactful worship experiences I have had are seeing these little children sing with reckless abandon, and the elderly – whom often could not even accurately communicate where they were or what day it was – with tears streaming down their face singing every word to every hymn along with me. 

For vocational artists it is certainly necessary that we are able to pay our bills. However, I am realizing more and more that our church salary or concert honorarium is not payment for services rendered, but rather an effort by those who write the checks to redeem the time we would otherwise need to use provide for ourselves and our families so that we can fully use our gift of music to freely serve the body, no matter whether it gathers in church basements, nursing homes, living rooms, soup kitchens, or auditoriums.

James & Dustin had a chance to sit down with Jonathan Brown - President of Integrity Music - to discuss unity and division among the people of God, and among worshipers in the church.

JB (Jonathan Brown) and Dustin both had the chance to be part of a tour with WeAreWorship, where they visited multiple church leaders in multiple cities.  There were so many great things experienced and along with that, there were so many things learned.  At the end of the day, we want unity in the the people of God and especially among the leaders of God's Church, and we need to have inspired conversation on this topic. 

Enjoy!

-----

The Worship Podcast is powered by All About Worship (Dustin Smith & James Galbraith) and WeAreWorship (Wisdom Moon & Morgan Shirey).

You can also connect with The Worship Podcast on social media:
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The Worship Podcast on Twitter

A COP KNOCKED ON MY DOOR AND TOLD ME MY DOGS WERE CHASING PEOPLE ON BIKES.

MY DOGS DON’T EVEN OWN BIKES...

Laughter. Is. Important.

I love to laugh. Anyone who knows me will tell you I’M HILARIOUS. OK, kinda kidding, but I WILL go out of my way (sometimes to crazy lengths) to lighten up any situation.  That started me thinking about the power of laughter, not just to ourselves, but to those around us. Strap in.

First, a crazy stat. “An adult, on average laughs around 15 times a day. Compare this a child, who on average, laughs around 300 times per day.” Now some will say this is extreme at best, but however you look at it, kids do seem to enjoy life more than most adults I know. Of course, as adults, we all have to endure the stresses of family, church, peers, finances, etc. and those can weigh us down. But I believe we all want to laugh more. I haven’t met one person in life that hates laughing.

So, here are 6 facts about laughter you may not know and may help you live a long laugh-filled life:

1. You’re More Likely to Laugh Around Others – Not Because of Jokes

If you're laughing, you're far more likely to be surrounded by others, according to research by laughter expert Dr. Robert Provine. The critical laughter trigger for most people is another person, not a joke or funny movie. Selah.

After observing 1,200 people laughing in their natural environments, Dr. Provine and his team found that laughter followed jokes only about 10-20 percent of the time. Social laughter occurs 30 times more frequently than solitary laughter.

In most cases, the laughter followed a banal comment or only slightly humorous one, which signals that the person is more important than the material in triggering laughter.

2. Laughter Is Contagious

The saying "laugh and the whole world laughs with you" is more than just an expression: laughter really is contagious. The sound of laughter triggers regions in the premotor cortical region of your brain (I looked that up), which is involved in moving your facial muscles to correspond with sound and prepare to join in.

3. Laughing Burns Calories

The International Journal of Obesity found that laughter increases both heart rate and calorie expenditure by up to 20%. In real terms, this means that laughing just 15 minutes per day could help you burn anywhere between 10 and 40 calories, depending on the intensity of your laugh. And this equals up to 1 to 4 lbs of weight-loss per year. Helllllo new year

4. Laughing Is Good for Your Relationships

Research shows that people who use laughter and smile when discussing a touchy subject feel better in the immediacy and report higher levels of satisfaction in their relationships. They also tend to stay together longer.

5. Laughter Is Attractive

The ability to make someone laugh often correlates with their intelligence; ie. the funnier someone is, the more intelligent they’re likely to be. And this has been used as a premise as to why we find funny people more attractive.

6. Laughter Improves Your Emotional Health

When you laugh, your brain releases a cocktail of chemicals that make you feel good. Dopamine allows you to feel pleasure and process emotional responses. Serotonin puts you in a good mood. Meanwhile, endorphins regulate pain and stress while making you feel generally good. And together, these hormones alongside other physical responses from laughter are effective in reducing stress and anxiety.

This is all SUPER INTERESTING. In summary, sometimes you have to get around the right people to be healthy! If you tend to isolate yourself, and are feeling down in the dumps, then get around people! Preferably happy people and see how laughter can affect your everyday life. Even help you lose some of those Thanksgiving pounds...amiright??

I’ll end this with some of what the bible says about laughter. Hopefully you’ll have a more joyous holiday season knowing that God himself is all about joy and laughter. Now, go out, and have some gosh darn good belly laughing fun!

Our mouths were filled with laughter, our tongues with songs of joy. Then it was said among the nations, "The Lord has done great things for them."   Psalm 126:2 (NIV)

This is the day that the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.   Psalm 118:24 (ESV)

But look, God will not reject a person of integrity, nor will he lend a hand to the wicked. He will once again fill your mouth with laughter and your lips with shouts of joy.  Job 8: 20-21 (NLT)

She is clothed with strength and dignity, and she laughs without fear of the future.   Proverbs 31:25  (NLT)

A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance  Ecclesiastes 3:4 (ESV)

God blesses you who are hungry now, for you will be satisfied. God blesses you who weep now, for in due time you will laugh.   Luke 6:21 (NLT)

The Dodgers and Padres have created the best rivalry in MLB through a willingness to spend on big-name players and be contenders every season.

This is coming from a Cardinals fan...

Season ticket holders are getting a head start on their seats at Fenway as the Red Sox hosted Select a Seat Saturday.

Nov. 3—WILKES-BARRE — The great thing about Fenway Park in Boston and Wrigley Field in Chicago — and even Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles — is that those ball parks still sit exactly where they were when they first opened. Yes Fenway and Wrigley are the two oldest ballparks in Major League Baseball and Dodger Stadium. Chavez Ravine, is the third oldest. The point here is that those ballparks ...

The Red Sox need to add a right-handed-hitting slugger or two to balance out their left-handed-heavy lineup. Here are the top 10 right-handed hitters set to hit free agency.

With Garrett Crochet linked to the Red Sox as a potential trade candidate, John Tomase explains why the White Sox pitcher would be a great fit in Boston.

UNCASVILLE — Manny Ramirez turned to the man next to him, his former captain, and shared a little secret. “When I came to Boston, I watched you and I looked up to you,”: Ramirez told Jason Varitek. “When you went 4-for-4 or 0-for-4, you worked hard. It made me a better player.” It was a poignant moment during an evening of funny stories, fond reminiscences. “Man, I’ve never heard that before,” ...

It's hard to imagine Japanese ace Roki Sasaki wanting to come to the Red Sox based on their recent track record, writes John Tomase.

The Boston Red Sox reportedly are “in” on free agent Teoscar Hernández. ESPN's Jeff Passan on Tuesday published a wide-ranging MLB offseason preview and reported the Red Sox, while not the favorite to sign the outfielder, are among teams interested. “The Dodgers are the favorites to bring him back where he thrived in 2024,” Passan wrote.

The Chicago Cubs are just a couple of pieces away from finally returning to the playoffs. In 2024, the Cubs were profoundly mediocre on both sides of the ball. Improving the rotation is a worthy objective for the Cubs, because Imanaga could be due for regression as the league adjusts to his unique high-spin fastball. Chicago may try for the Corbin Burneses and Max Frieds of the world, but perhaps a lower-budget option could turn out to be the perfect Cubs addition.

Eovaldi gets ready to pitch against the Royals. | Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images Boston's former ace is reportedly on their radar this offseason. by: Michael Kadlick Posted: Nov 12, 2024 / 03:59 PM EST Updated: Nov 12, 2024 / 03:59 PM EST SHARE As the MLB's 2025 offseason begins, the Red Sox have a former ace on their radar. According to WEEI's Rob Bradford , Boston is among "about a dozen teams" who have shown interest in starting pitcher Nathan Eovaldi. He declined his 2025 player option on Nov. 4 and is set to hit free agency this winter. While top tier available pitchers remain Red Sox priority, they are one of about a dozen teams who have shown some level of interest in Nathan Eovaldi — Rob

The Boston Red Sox have lost two of their three catchers to free agency this offseason. Reese McGuire and Danny Jansen will hit the market, and the Red Sox aren't expected to sign them back because the organization can do better. Boston's top catching prospect, Kyle Teel, may not be major-league-ready out of spring training. Like Jansen and McGuire, the Red Sox also need to hit the catching market.

The Baseball Writers' Association of America on Nov. 11 announced the finalists for its Rookie of the Year Awards. Many Boston Red Sox fans take issue with its American League selections. Red Sox rookie Wilyer Abreu was not selected among the three AL ROY finalists. Colton Cowser, Austin Wells and Luis Gil — all AL East rivals — are the three youngsters nominated for this season's title.

There was once a time when the Boston Red Sox never had to worry about losing a prized free agent to an American League Central team, but that time may have passed. The Kansas City Royals appear to be leading the charge, having spent over $100 million in free-agent contracts last winter. This winter, the Royals look to be active again, already inking starting pitcher Michael Wacha to a three-year, $51 million extension. Perhaps their next move could be to pilfer a big bat from the Boston lineup.

Red Sox third baseman Rafael Devers and outfielder Jarren Duran were both finalists for AL Silver Slugger awards but neither won. Guardians' José Ramírez won for AL third basemen. Yankees sluggers Aaron Judge and Juan Soto as well as Orioles' Anthony Santander were the three AL outfield winners. BETTING: Check out our MA sports betting guide , where you can learn basic terminology, definitions and how to read odds for those interested in learning how to bet in Massachusetts. Duran, who was a finalist for the first time, led the majors in doubles with 48. He also tied with Arizona's Corbin Carroll for the major league lead in triples (14). He batted .285 with a .342 on-base percentage, .492 slugging

Corey Kluber dominated the American League for most of the 2010s. The Red Sox knew plenty about that as the right-hander dominated the club in his lone playoff start against them during the 2016 American League Division Series. Kluber suited up for five teams, including three in the American League East, over his MLB career. Not only did the Red Sox value his veteran experience, they named him the Opening Day starter in efforts to protect Chris Sale to start the season.

The Boston Red Sox offseason is expected to be full of moves. The Red Sox extended a qualifying offer worth a healthy $21.05 million to Nick Pivetta. While surprising, the decision by the Red Sox regarding Pivetta could end up being very shrewd, as The Boston Globe's Julian McWilliams explained alongside Jahmai Webster during Monday's episode of NESN's “310 To Left” podcast.

According to several reports this week, the Red Sox intend to be serious players in the Juan Soto Sweepstakes. Both the New York Post and ESPN reported that the Red Sox have plans to meet with Soto and his representatives in southern California this week. Both outlets reported that the Sox are among seven or eight bidders for the outfielder, with the New York Yankees, New York Mets, Los Angeles Dodgers, Toronto Blue Jays among others — including perhaps even the small-market Tampa Bay Rays — also in the running.

Red Sox prospect David Sandlin pitching for Oklahoma vs. UCLA in 2022. (Photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images) Getty Images By Christopher Smith | csmith@masslive.com The Red Sox had 10 players make their MLB debut in 2025. Richard Fitts was the most high-profile prospect to the group. The 24-year-old righty, who Boston acquired from the Yankees last offseason in the Alex Verdugo trade , allowed just four earned runs in 20 ⅔ innings (1.74 ERA) over four starts after being promoted from Triple-A Worcester on Sept. 8. More Red Sox coverage Making sense of the reported Red Sox-Juan Soto meeting | Sean McAdam Both Red Sox finalists denied Silver Slugger awards Red Sox 'in' on outfielder they had interest

The Boston Red Sox need an ace above all other things before the 2025 campaign, but they could use multiple veteran pitching additions. Boston's rotation is relatively young and inexperienced. Tanner Houck and Kutter Crawford are both 28 years old and Brayan Bello is only 25. Lucas Giolito is expected to join Boston's rotation in 2025, as he was meant to do last year before his UCL repair surgery.

The Boston Red Sox definitely are keeping their options open. Boston's starting rotation needs an addition or two, and with each passing day, it seems like that will happen. The Red Sox are expected to spend heavily this winter and have been tied to every big-name player who is available. The Red Sox mainly have been linked to the likes of Corbin Burnes, Blake Snell, and Max Fried, but there are other options out there.

This week Zorba and Karl discuss how doctors should balance traditional and alternative medicine, and they examine new research that explains why some people don’t experience COVID symptoms. Plus, they […]

This week Zorba and Karl discuss how melatonin gummies may have a higher dose than what’s on the label, and they examine new research showing sedentary time may significantly enlarge […]

This week Zorba and Karl discuss a new replacement proposed for BMI, and they talk about the effectiveness of statins for older people. Plus, they share a healthy recipe for […]

This week Zorba and Karl look at a study about how kids benefit more when parents step back and let them take the lead, and they talk discuss how laughter […]

This week Zorba and Karl talk about why it takes so long to get a doctor appointment, and they examine new research showing screen time is linked to delayed development […]

This week Zorba and Karl discuss how certain foods can improve your mood, and they talk about the FDA claiming a decongestant in popular cold medicines doesn’t work at all. […]

On this week's Brody File show, Jennifer Wishon reports from New York on Donald Trump's wild press conference. Plus, a commentary about the legacy of President Obama.

Here is something I've been experimenting with recently - show discovery through AI! Try it out and see how it works for you. Don't hesitate to ask it broadly or for a very specific types of shows - even if you need to describe it in multiple paragraphs - you can. For now, this is a Premium members only feature, but good news is Premium is free to try for 30 days (even if you had the trial before) and it's very cheap after - while giving you great features and supporting my efforts here. My testing shows huge potential, but I'm still tinkering with it and figuring out where to link/integrate it on Next Episode. So yeah, give this new feature a spin and let me know how it works for you! Edit: There was a bug that was causing it to load forever for some queries. It's fixed now!

I mentioned movies will get the streaming services availability - and it's now done. Here's what's new:streaming services availability was added in all Movies lists (my movies, browse, hot, trending, search)you can now filter these lists by streaming services or "my streaming services" availabilityAlong with these specific updates regarding the Movies section, there are a few general improvements as well:when filtered by a streaming service, what you filter by is first and highlighted - the rest is grayed outmany new countries are now supported so if yours wasn't there before - check again - it most likely is nowPlease let me know how these work for you and if something looks weird on your device/browser. Next - I plan to focus on improving how My Movies looks and works (both on desktop and mobile)

Iran is reportedly preparing for an attack on Israel within days. 2024 is seeing record-breaking early voting as election day approaches. As election day gets closer, one Illinois church wants to encourage the next president -- with prayer. ...

After Most Disturbing Anti-Semitism Spike Since WWII, 2,000 Israelis Airlifted from Netherlands

With the Final Senate Races Now Settled, Eyes Turn to House - Who Will Be in Charge?

Christians are caught in the middle of the fighting between Israel and Hezbollah.

As Israel buries the bodies of hostages recovered this week, the battles continue on the ground and in the international arena. In the biggest speech of her life, Vice President Kamala Harris laid out her story and vision Thursday hoping voters ...

Wanda Rolón, autora, nos habla de su experiencia como sobreviviente de cáncer y nos da consejos para enfrentar la enfermedad en la familia. También, nos presenta su libro "No Moriré".

“How could we have prepared for this?” Operation Blessing’s Disaster Relief team hears these words all too often after a disaster destroys a family home. Nobody knows when disaster will strike, so it’s important to be prepared with a disaster emergency kit. Does your family know what do to in case of disaster? How prepared are you? These fun questions are designed to spark a family conversation about your specific preparation plan. Here are some suggested talking points. When will you stay?...

Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote, “Every man I meet is my superior in some way. In that, I learn from him.” A man after God’s heart must be a man who is ever increasing in his capacity to be filled with and to pour out God’s love. Humility. Connectedness to Christ. Willingness to sacrifice for the people in his life. Teachability. These are the things that make a man a hero husband. I’m no “Lance Romance” and I make a lot of mistakes, but I am growing. I pay attention to God’s Word and to other godly...

Have you ever noticed that when you focus on one specific prob­lem in your life, the normal things you deal with every day tend to fade into the background? For example, not too long ago, multiple warning lights on my car’s dashboard popped on during a road trip I was taking with my wife and kids, including the dreaded “check engine” light. I couldn’t think about anything else other than the fact that my car needed maintenance as soon as possi­ble. It was difficult to focus on the subject...

Canadian Edition: Week of October 31, 2010

Canadian Edition: Week of November 7, 2010

This week on Canadian Edition, One of Britain's most famous journalists and outspoken atheists, Peter Hitchins talks about his journey to faith. Plus, a rebellious young man changes his ways when he develops a life-threatening illness.

Canadian Edition: Week of November 21, 2010

This week on Canadian Edition, Super Bowl winning quarterback Drew Brees shares his faith. Plus raped twice, Carla Matmati had no reason to trust God. However, she continued to pray for His peace.