Deacon Speakin' podcast

7:41

Season 7 Episode 177 What Has God Done for You? “Do you realize what I have done for you?” That line says so much by asking all of us a big, big question. “Do you realize what I have done for you?” I think THAT is the question that should be in our hearts and on our minds when we awaken on Easter Morning. We should meditate on that and bake that into our prayers daily and then spend our lives answering that question – or trying to answer that question.…

Deacon Speakin'

1
Dry Bones Come to Life 7:03

8 days ago7:03

7:03

Many fall asleep in faith and many die. Still living, but spiritually and faithfully asleep. Going through the motions, not really sure and not really unsure of what it is their faith has in their life. Not completely engaged with their faith; going through the motions, existing. Those who die to their faith quit; as a dead man: unable to move; unable to be. Listless and without response. What does it take to awaken the sleeping and the dead.…

Deacon Speakin'

1
Throwing Rocks 8:01

15 days ago8:01

8:01

Season 7 Episode 175 Throwing Rocks Who are we to judge? Who are we to be judged by the scribes and the Pharisees of our time? Do we find ourselves the unknown man in this story and know that we have sinned – have been caught red-handed in sin, and carry that sin like a yoke around our necks…never approaching Jesus in our sinful state with all the humility and shame that comes with it and never asking for that yoke to be removed from us. He is the only one who can remove the yoke and the burden and pain and the suffering of that yoke – He’s the only one who can absolve you and forgive that sin; the only one who can free you from the imperfect and sinful creatures that we are and heal us.…

Deacon Speakin'

1
The Ghosts of the Monastery 8:42

21 days ago8:42

8:42

Season 7 Episode 174 The Ghosts of the Monastery When I stepped onto the familiar grounds of the monastery, checked into my room, and began to tread the trodden trails of the monastery halls and places – I was immediately greeted by the ghosts. But not before running into my dear friend Steve who was parked upon a wooden bench, walking stick by his side, journaling as he has faithfully done for years. When I sat with him, we remembered Tony...…

Deacon Speakin'

1
Bickering and Complaining 13:08

29 days ago13:08

13:08

Season 7 Episode 173 Bickering and Complaining Bickering and Complaining is really a one-sided argument when not a means to resolution – a resonant noise; a clanging of cymbals; a resounding gong (to quote First Corinthians) and a lot of “hoo-ha” in some cases. We all have that right to complain, and I’ve been complained to, I have complained, and I have been complained about and it always begs the question: to what end?…

Deacon Speakin'

1
The View from the Top 8:36

5 weeks ago8:36

8:36

Season 7 Epsiode 172 The View from the Top It is a common belief that mountains have much significance as places where people can connect with God. A high place depicting a closeness to God, not to mention the challenge to ascend to that high place. Great things seem to happen on the mount, but I tend to only focus on the end-result: the blessing or the event at the top. What I tend to lose track of is the effort it takes to ascend to a height. When folks say things like “it’s an uphill battle,” it is to suggest that the battle itself is more difficult due to the greater challenge of the hill. I’ve also heard it said that the best view comes after the hardest climb.…

Deacon Speakin'

1
Let's All Go to the Desert! 7:55

6 weeks ago7:55

7:55

Season 7 Episode 171 Let's All Go to the Desert! The desert is humbling for certain, taking the best and the strongest and reducing them to simplest form. You all remember the guy on TV in any given desert with his ripped and torn clothes, his burnt skin with sweat popping off his head, crawling on his belly in the hot sand and sun begging in a raspy voice, “water…water…water.” Well, that’s kinda like Lent.…

Deacon Speakin'

1
How to Grow a Good Garden 7:37

7 weeks ago7:37

7:37

Season 7 Episode 170 How to Grow a Good Garden The seeds that you plant, and tend, and care to, one day turn into something much bigger and that look much different than what you began with – maybe even bigger, better, and more fragrant than you even expected. Families plant the little seeds and grow the little flowers that glorify God’s garden.…

Deacon Speakin'

1
Weaning the Calves 9:50

8 weeks ago9:50

9:50

Season 7 Episode 169 Weaning the Calves While I was writing this homily, I called a dear friend of mine who I could rely on to tell me how the weaning process works on a farm and she gave me some keen insight to the baulking, complaining, and protesting as dairy calves and beef calves are separated on the farm from their mothers – sometimes right away. She mentioned how very common it is to hear them bawl for their mothers throughout the night because they are hungry and scared. I have read that “there is no event we impose on these calves more stressful than weaning.” But, in the end, the calf is removed from its dependence on its mother and is fed elsewhere for its betterment and well-being.…

Deacon Speakin'

1
A State of Utmost Bliss 7:40

9 weeks ago7:40

7:40

Season 7 Episode 168 A State of Utmost Bliss For those of us who have raised kids, you will attest that there are probably more times than not when the same message must be repeated a few times in hopes that it will stick. And, often in order for that message to stick, you need to make eye contact to get your point across. I see Jesus on the Plains as a parent, getting down to a child’s level, looking them in the eye, and being very clear on a familiar lesson of obvious importance to the disciples, as if to say, “In case you didn’t catch this from the hilltop, I will give it to you again down here where you live.…

Deacon Speakin'

1
The Path to Truth 7:59

10 weeks ago7:59

7:59

Season 7 Episode 167 The Path to Truth So, John the Apostle saw someone who does not follow the path that Jesus has put the Apostles on and here they are “driving out demons in the name of Christ.” Mincing words here, but they were not trying to drive out demons, he says they were driving out demons in the name of Jesus and they weren’t even on the same path that the Apostles were on. How do you suppose Jesus respinds to this? How do you respond? Have a listen to Episode 167 Now Playing!…

Deacon Speakin'

1
Hocus Pocus 11:18

11 weeks ago11:18

11:18

Season 7 Episode 166: Hocus Pocus The words 'hocus pocus,' were often chanted during tricks involving sleight of hand and would entertain and draw the crowd into a veil of mystery. The words had become familiar in our vocabulary for over 400 years now and has perhaps lost the impact that it once had, but is still used nonetheless to refer to an impossible or unbelievable feat. The term has its origins in the Latin blessing from our Catholic Mass. Observers and those less informed in the Catholic faith or perhaps not versed in Latin would hear the Priest say during the Consecration portion of the Mass: Hoc est corpus meum (mayum) Which means - “This is my body” To the misinformed and unaware; hapless onlookers of the Mass were told of the great miracle of transubstantiation at the altar and heard the words Hoc est corpus…and explained what they did not fully understand as Catholic hocus pocus – changing wine and bread into another substance, as if magically.…

Deacon Speakin'

1
A Hometown Welcome 9:56

12 weeks ago9:56

9:56

Season 7 Episode 165 A Hometown Welcome When I go back to my hometown, everyone knows me as Tommy – that’s a pretty clear indicator of people who knew me growing up. But it’s not only that. For me, my family is tied to Tommy – my parents and my brother and sister; the friends I kept; the good and the bad decisions; all the bones. And you are held to that. Jesus was held to that as a child who grew up in Nazareth. “This is Josephs boy,” and not anything beyond that except everything connected with his upbringing as a boy in Nazareth. They had to wonder what he was alluding to with his bold assertion of the fulfillment of a 700 year old prophecy.…

Deacon Speakin'

1
A Nick in your Shell 9:48

13 weeks ago9:48

9:48

Season 7 Episode 164 I believe that we can all look at moments in our lives when we have grown, and flourished, and when we have been stalled and been pruned, and I am sure we can recognize times in our lives when we have gone to seed and seem to start over. When appropriate in the course of our lives, in all of its ebbs and flows, and all the anticipation of growing into something useful and beautiful; the Gardener will nick the shell to encourage good growth in us.…

Deacon Speakin'

1
What's Your Talent? 11:23

14 weeks ago11:23

11:23

Do you think that you have no particular talent – well that is simply not true. Do you think that you can’t do some things or anything very well – well that is not true either. Do you feel that your gifts pale in comparison to others – that is just a lie. Listen to Episode 163 of Deacon Speakin to realize your talents!…

Deacon Speakin'

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The Hired Hand 8:18

15 weeks ago8:18

8:18

Deacon Speakin is back! All new Season 7 Episode 162 "The Hired Hand" available now. When we are looked after by a hired-hand you can expect a greater level of risk: primarily the risk that your care is only as complete as his compensation. So, I guess it begs the question then from one sheep to another: to whom do we entrust our care?…

Deacon Speakin'

1
Starting Over 9:28

16 weeks ago9:28

9:28

Deacon Speakin is back! All new Season 7 episode "Starting Over" available now. Good timber does not grow with ease, The stronger wind, the stronger trees, The further sky, the greater length, The more the storm, the more the strength. By sun and cold, by rain and snow, In trees and men good timbers grow. - Douglas Malloch…

Deacon Speakin'

1
The Patience of Job 10:32

1 year ago10:32

10:32

Season 6 Epiosode 160 All around us is suffering and pain; we feel it – we see it – we experience it. But we should not allow ourselves to be made blind by it when all around us is also caring, and hope, and faith, and love…and God. God will never abandon you in all the suffering and pain – He will lift you. He will bolster you, He will call out to you, and He will shine a light in the darkness. Do not be made blind to what God gives you by the problems of pain.…

Deacon Speakin'

1
The Conversation 8:26

1 year ago8:26

8:26

Season 6 Episode 159 - The Conversation It all really is a conversation with God that he started with us at the moment life began for us. I say it all the time, “You will find God exactly where you look for him.” That is why it is so important to ask yourself daily in all situations: the good and the bad – where am I finding God in this? That really does provide the same answer as “Here I am,” when you start your daily search for Him.…

Deacon Speakin'

1
Christmas Okra 8:41

1 year ago8:41

8:41

To my mother’s disappointment, I never had a taste for okra. She was born and raised in the south and her family loved it, fried okra, okra gumbo, stewed okra; it seems that it was a staple for them. So when mom married a fella from southern Indiana and moved here with him to raise a family I'm sure she looked forward to many meals around the Scarlett table with okra as a part of it. My grandmother’s maiden name was Carrencegie and I’ve been told that I did not get the Carrencegie okra gene; that is the taste for this (in my opinion) vile little vegetable. So, I spent my entire life trying it if I had to and rejecting it back to those with iron clad stomachs and a penchant for slimy foods.…

Deacon Speakin'

1
Thanksgiving - Feeding the People 9:26

1 year ago9:26

9:26

Podcast #157 All of us cook, I think, in part to feed our daily hunger, but just as important and perhaps more so, we cook and eat to feed our spirits, to keep us all in the same orbit of life. As the generations turn, as our family expands, the table and its simple pleasures – never just the food- but the food and the talk, the food and the laughter, the tears, the jokes, the memories, the hopes – still hold us in place, well anchored in a safe harbor. There may very well be another depression or endless other troubles, big or small, lying in wait for us. But rather than freezing in fear about what may come, we try our best to live and enjoy the lives we’ve been served forth.…

Deacon Speakin'

1
Gone Fishin' 8:26

2 years ago8:26

8:26

Podcast #156 “People who don’t fish think that fishing is lazy or boring, but it is the complete opposite. There are 100 little decisions to be made; variables to be considered and you’re never quite sure what made the difference. Did I cast too high, too far to the left? Did I reel it in too slow or too fast? Is the lure too shiny or too dull? Should I stay here, or should I go over there? And you know it’s not luck, but you do not know by how much."…

Deacon Speakin'

1
Moms Love - No Charge 9:40

2 years ago9:40

9:40

...I sat there witnessing a moment in time, a moment that looked much differently a year ago when my mother-in-laws health was very different. She celebrated this Mother’s Day meal with us in this wonderful place due to the heaviness of this life and we celebrated with her due to the promise of this life to love – always.…

Deacon Speakin'

1
Disagreeing Badly 9:07

2 years ago9:07

9:07

Throughout all of history, we really do have a terrible track record of disagreeing. Some might think that we could eliminate that by simply all agreeing together on everything that comes about, but that would be an rather dull and honestly an unsuccessful civilization. Disagreement is really a good thing – no scratch that – disagreement is a great thing! Disagreement fosters conversation and encourages growth. It breeds revelation and more than anything, if done rationally, can strengthen relationships. Disagreement can be spirited and lively, it is often best when fueled by passion and it can be enduring.…

Deacon Speakin'

1
The Sheep Next Door 8:28

2 years ago8:28

8:28

When someone is not present to keep the sheep in check, to repair the fences, and tend the flock, and the sheep are left to their own accord, they will move beyond the safety and familiarity of the fenced-in pastures and sometimes encounter danger; or find themselves separated from the herd; or even perish as a product of their own innocent wanderings.…

Deacon Speakin'

1
The Elephant and the Stake 9:00

2 years ago9:00

9:00

Episode #152 The elephant at the circus has a chain around one of its legs that is attached to a stake in the ground next to it. I don’t know if this has ever crossed your mind when you’ve seen something like this, but why doesn’t this mighty elephant who we know can crush cars and uproot trees pull the stake from the ground and move about freely. Does that make any sense that one of the strongest and most majestic creatures on the planet can be held by a single chain and a tiny stake? Listen to find out why...…

Deacon Speakin'

1
Open the Door 8:23

2 years ago8:23

8:23

It is so easy to do – to get caught up in the things of this world. It happens to all of us; we all do it. We are all perfectly imperfect in our pursuit of God and our attempts to live our life for Him, but He knows that. He knows that we will stumble and fall and He knows more than anything that we will always find a way to muck it up.…

Deacon Speakin'

1
Why Do Bad Things Happen to Good People? 8:48

2 years ago8:48

8:48

Episode 150! Why Do Bad Things Happen to Good People? I have seen those who fold in these experiences, and I see others who lean into them, not alone, but strengthened in their resolve to recognize Christ in all occasions – the ordinary and the extraordinary. I have seen it before in my lifetime when it appears that someone or some folks are dealt more than they can handle, and it breaks our hearts for our Christian brethren.…

Deacon Speakin'

1
The Rules of Guitar 9:23

2 years ago9:23

9:23

These rules - these basics, were necessary. I could hold a guitar at nine years old and make a lot of noise on it, but I didn’t hold it the right way and the noise was certainly not music. There were some necessary things to learn. An instrument can be intimidating if you’ve only watched someone play it and never tried it yourself, and it can be especially intimidating if you tried it and like all of us the first time picking something up, the noise you make is awful. It is part of the process, a part of learning the rules and finding out how a beautiful sound is made.…

Deacon Speakin'

1
The Cardinal in the Rafters 9:35

2 years ago9:35