Father John Strickland, Assistant Professor of History, St. Katherine College (Encinitas, CA), and assistant priest at St. John of Damascus Orthodox Church (Poway, CA), draws important parallels between the early Christian Church, confronting a pagan culture in the Roman Empire, and Christianity and life in a neo-pagan, postmodern North America and Western Europe in the 21st century.

Dr. Daniel Fanous (Taught by God: Making Sense of the Difficult Sayings of Jesus) is Kevin's guest and he addresses the "difficult" sayings and parables of our Lord in the gospels based on his extensive study of the Torah, Mishnah, and the religious and cultural environment of first-century Palestinian Judaism and early Christianity.

Fr. Josiah Trenham, member of the Secretariat of the Canonical Assembly of Orthodox Bishops of North and South America and podcaster on Ancient Faith Radio ("The Arena") talks with Kevin and the listeners about the Church today, its standing in the culture, and the recent work of the Canonical Assembly of Orthodox Bishops in America, which just met for the third time in September.

So how did you spend the day?

The Apostle Paul tells us about justification by faith of Christ who is always loving and giving himself for us.

The Apostle Paul tells Timothy to fulfil his ministry (his "diaconia"). That ministry was as an evangelist - someone who carries the Good News. All the Royal Priesthood of Christ are called to fulfil their diaconia too: by living the Christian life you also become an evangelist and will receive your due award.

The Lord said we should fast and pray.

The Apostles James and John came with an outrageous question! It's as if they'd learned nothing at all from their time with the Lord. So He sets abouut teaching them again...cas

Great and Holy Week starts! Find time to serve, to listen to the Lord and to pour out the oil of your purity on His feet.

Apostle Peter preached the words of this Life and Apostle John wrote that you may have Life...

The Two Demonaics were healed by the Lord but the local people asked the Lord to depart from their region. You also maight be very tempted to ask the Lord to leave you as His presence will cause real disruption in your life too.

After Jesus Christ had had the 5000 men plus women and childen (a tenth of the population!) He dismissed the crowd and told the disciple to go away. He then climbed the mountain and prayed. Alone and away from worldly cares ... you too need a place to pray and to pray and to listen.

It's only the first Sunday in Great Lent! Finding the going tough so far? Hmmm. There's a bit more to come!

St. Paul reminds us to concentrate on those things that will last for ever. Mark's Gospel today shows us that we have to work hard to come to the feet of Christ. God bless your Lenten struggle! Hebrews 1:10-2;3, Mark 2:1-12

When you compare the account of the healing of the two men with demons, with the accounts on either side of this story, you will notice two very different attitudes of those who came before the Lord in their attitude to prayer for others. Where do you fall? Matthew 8:28 - 9:1

The problem was thousands of hungry people. The disciples brought them to the Lord in prayer and had their own solution which was: "Send them away!" However, the Lord had other ideas. Matthew 14: 14-22

Did Our Lord and God and Saviour Jesus Christ stop and turn round and attend to the two blind men? Did He open His door to them? No He did not! Did they get disheartened? No they did not! Did they give up? No they did not! Did the Lord tell them to spread the good news? No He did not! Were they obedient? No they were not! What about you? Are you persistent? (You're not?) Do you tell others the good news? (You don't?) Tut. Matthew 9: 27-35

The Apostle Paul points out that the Cross has brought "New Creation" to all who walk in the new rule of the Cross of Christ. This affects every part of your life so that now you can take garden walks with the Saviour.

Those blind men knew how to use their lungs and they certainly knew how to pray. Matthew 9: 27-35

Don't let your prayers be little and timid but straight from your heart. 2 Corinthians 6: 16 - 18, 7:1 Matthew 15: 21 - 28

Menial service turns out not to be menial at all. Acts 6: 1 - 7, Mark 15: 43 - 16: 8

What sort of person becomes a saint and what do they all have in common? Hebrews 11: 33 - 12:2, Matthew 10: 32 - 38, 19: 27 - 30

So walk in the Light. Ephesians 5:8-19, Luke 18:35-43

Galatians 4: 4 - 7, Matthew 2: 1 - 12

Jesus Christ Hidden in Plain Sight. Did you notice Him? How did you treat Him? Perhaps you were too busy praying? Sunday of the Last Judgement. 1 Corinthians 8: 8 - 9:2, Matthew 25: 31 - 46

Matthew speaks at the Fortieth Biennial Clergy Laity Congress of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America in Atlanta, Georgia.

You need to prepare now for Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Here are the copy projects to optimize before you finalize your Black Friday deal.

The post How to prepare for Black Friday & Cyber Monday. Hint: Focus on lead gen. appeared first on Coaching and training to scale your copywriting business, plus programs for new copywriters, startups, and marketers.

Forgiveness is not symbolic but an act of faith. How do we have a heart of forgiveness at home and in the congregation?

Let's talk about the Sundays of Great Lent and how they help us on the journey.

Advent begins in just seven days! What are some books that would be great to read during the fast or to give as gifts? PLUS, a sweet little give away!

Join me as I review a few Orthodox toy items to consider for the children in your life this holiday season. AND since the last giveaway was so fun, I just have to do another. Make sure you watch to the end!

Whether it's a separate building somewhere on your property or a place on your living room sofa, having a place to pray can make a big difference in our spiritual lives. This is the story of our sacred space.

Do your children ask what's wrong if they catch you smiling at them? If so, you're not alone. In this episode we will discuss the importance of showing the joy of Christ to our children.

Family prayer can be such a blessed time. How can we teach our children to "taste and see that the Lord is good" without forcing it down their throats?

See exactly where the available hotels are on a Google Map.

So, one of the first rules of “Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up,” is, “take each item in one’s hand, and ask, “Does this spark joy?” If it does, keep it. If not, dispose of it. …and while I love Marie Kondo’s rule, I think you should take this one step further. Don’t just apply […]