Crusade with Me

Our last time.Countdowns.Fireworks.Endless advice on how to reinvent yourself by midnight.As if life responds to pressure.As if becoming whole can be rushed.But tonight, we slow down.Because the dawn is not rushed.The sun has never forced its way into the sky.It has never strained to arrive.It simply rises, steady, patient, right on time.That is how real beginning work.

One more episode will follow—an episode of hope, prayer, and strength for the days ahead. But today… today is about grounding.What do we leave you with? What must remain when the music fades and the episodes stop coming?The answer is not a feeling. Not a memory.It is Truth.

And tonight… the wait is nearly over.For weeks we have watched. We have trained. We have waited in the long quiet of Advent.And now — the night has arrived.The night when angels sing. The night when eternity steps into time. The night when heaven bends low and the world is never the same again.This is Christmas Eve.

A quick chat with Ribeye (Grandson) with ten questions about Christmas. Ah, the Christmas spirit.

And today, we stand in a sacred in-between. This is our final episode of Advent. And there are only three episodes left in this entire journey.That is not coincidence.Because Advent has always been about living in the tension between what has already happened and what has not yet come. Christ has come. Christ is present. And Christ will come again.Advent does not ask us to rush forward. Nor does it allow us to linger in the past. It calls us to wait with intention.Not idle waiting. Not anxious waiting. But a waiting that is awake, aligned, and grounded — a stillness that listens for movement.

One hundred and fifty episodes in a little less than a year. That number is not just impressive— It’s meaningful.Because Scripture gives us 150 Psalms. And the final Psalm—Psalm 150—doesn’t analyze, argue, or explain.It simply says:“Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.”So today, Crusaders, this episode is a breath. And this breath is praise.

The first Christmas wasn’t shiny. It was dark, uncertain, and fragile.If you’ve lost your fa la la this year, this episode is for you.

This is Episode 148, and as this year draws to a close, so does this podcast.We’ve spent a year walking together—through Scripture, tradition, encouragement, and challenge. Our final episode will air on New Year’s Eve, and we hope this journey has brought you comfort, a deeper faith, and maybe even a little wisdom along the way. We’ve learned so much from this time we’ve shared together.Today, we conclude our study of the Ten Commandments with the Ninth and Tenth, as taught in Luther’s Large Catechism. But our Advent series continues—today with a reflection inspired by Saint Bernard of Clairvaux, who saw the humility of Christ’s birth not as a romantic image, but as a profound truth: The King of Kings came to a stable. To dirt. To smell. To imperfection. And that is where He meets us still.

This is Episode 147, and today we continue our Advent journey through the Nativity Fast. We’ll reflect on three powerful passages of Scripture—Psalm 82, Isaiah 8:9–9:7, and 1 Peter 4:1–19—and then we’ll turn to the Seventh and Eighth Commandments, explained in the great catechetical tradition of Martin Luther’s Large Catechism.This episode is about justice and truth: preparing our hearts to live faithfully, guarding against theft and falsehood, and walking in holiness as we await the coming of Christ.

This is Episode 146, and today we’re entering deeply into, the Nativity Fast, the season of Advent and the call to holiness that prepares us for the coming of Christ. We’ll be reflecting on three powerful passages of Scripture: - Psalm 102:13–17 - Isaiah 2:1–22 - 1 Peter 1:13–25 And then, we’ll spend time unpacking two of the Ten Commandments—the Fifth and the Sixth—as explained in the great catechetical tradition of the Church. This episode is meant to be both encouragement and challenge: a call to prepare our hearts, discipline our lives, and walk faithfully as we await the Nativity of our Lord.

Today we’ll talk about Advent as a season of holy waiting, the Nativity Fast as a discipline of simplicity, and then we’ll dive into the 3rd and 4th Commandments. And yes—we’ll wrestle with the hard question: how do we honor father and mother when those relationships were complicated.

Today’s episode is a journey through gratitude, discipline, and obedience. We’ll begin at the Thanksgiving table, praising God for His abundant gifts. Then we’ll step into the Nativity Fast, a season of preparation and watchfulness. And finally, we’ll begin our study of the Ten Commandments, focusing on the first two—commandments that strike at the very heart of our lives."

The Fast Before the FeastThe world rushes toward Christmas with lights, sales, and sugar. But we are called to slow down. To prepare the way of the Lord—not with glitter, but with stillness.“Make ready the way of the Lord, Make His paths straight!” (Mark 1:3, NASB)This fast is not about punishment. It is about preparation. It is about clearing space in our lives to receive the Christ who comes.

💰 Financial pressure. 👨‍👩‍👧 Raising kids in chaos. 🏘️ Living among the godless. 🙏 Still called to obey.In a world that mocks reverence and rewards compromise, how do we stay faithful? This episode dives deep into the spiritual battle of everyday life—and the quiet power of obedience.🕯️ Featuring timeless wisdom from Scripture and the stillness of the Jesus Prayer. 🎧 Listen now and join the crusade for holiness in a noisy world.

💰 Financial pressure. 👨‍👩‍👧 Raising kids in chaos. 🏘️ Living among the godless. 🙏 Still called to obey.In a world that mocks reverence and rewards compromise, how do we stay faithful? This episode dives deep into the spiritual battle of everyday life—and the quiet power of obedience.🕯️ Featuring timeless wisdom from Scripture and the stillness of the Jesus Prayer. 🎧 Listen now and join the crusade for holiness in a noisy world.

💰 Financial pressure. 👨‍👩‍👧 Raising kids in chaos. 🏘️ Living among the godless. 🙏 Still called to obey.In a world that mocks reverence and rewards compromise, how do we stay faithful? This episode dives deep into the spiritual battle of everyday life—and the quiet power of obedience.🕯️ Featuring timeless wisdom from Scripture and the stillness of the Jesus Prayer. 🎧 Listen now and join the crusade for holiness in a noisy world.

Today’s episode — “As Far as It Depends on You” — is a challenge from the Apostle Paul that feels almost impossible in our world today. We live in a culture of outrage, division, and noise. Everyone’s shouting — but few are listening. Everyone’s fighting — but few are standing for truth with peace in their heart.Romans 12:18 says,“If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.”This isn’t a soft verse. It’s not a call to retreat from battle. It’s a command to fight for peace — through humility, restraint, and faith in the justice of God.Let’s go deep into that today. Let’s talk about what it really means to live as peaceful warriors — firm in truth, unshakable in faith, and disciplined in heart.

Because what happened back then — is happening again. The same pressure to bow. The same attempt to silence faith. The same call to compromise what’s holy.

And today, I want to call you into something ancient — something burning, holy, and alive. Something forged long before modern man began measuring time by clocks and calendars.We’re talking about the rhythm of heaven — the sacred order of days and seasons through which God trains His warriors and sanctifies His people. This is not about being “religious.” It’s about being formed. It’s about reclaiming the sacred pattern of life that keeps a man steady when the world spins wild.Because a liturgical life is not a schedule — it’s a weapon. It’s the rhythm of victory that beats beneath the chaos of the age.

The world around us urges us to “find our tribe” — to gather with those who understand us, who think like we do, who affirm who we are. And that longing is real.But have you ever wondered why we long for it so deeply? Why our souls ache to belong?It’s because that desire — that instinct to be part of something greater than ourselves — isn’t just human culture. It’s divine imprint. It’s God’s very breath within us, calling us home.

Today, we’re diving into a question that lies at the heart of everything we believe, confess, and live by: What is sin?But before we go back to the ancient text, I want to start right here — in our time — in the way we often misunderstand sin.I saw a meme recently that said:“Society is just sinners judging other sinners for sinning differently.”That hit me hard. Because it’s true, isn’t it? In our modern world, we’ve distorted sin in both directions. Some people lessen it — they say, “Oh, that’s not really sin anymore, times have changed.” Others intensify it — magnifying someone else’s sin while ignoring their own. And then we do something even more dangerous: we start comparing sins. We calibrate them like weights on a scale — measuring, ranking, excusing, condemning — as if God grades on a curve.

This one comes straight from the heart, because today… we’re talking about our favorite hymns. Not just mine — but my bride’s as well.Music, as we know, is one of God’s greatest gifts to His people. Luther himself said, “Next to the Word of God, the noble art of music is the greatest treasure in the world.” And I think he was right. Hymns are more than just melodies — they are sermons set to song, theology that we can hum on the hardest days and shout on the best ones.

Today’s episode — number 133 — is titled “Faith That Stands in the Fire.”It’s taken from 1 Thessalonians, chapter 2, and it’s about boldness in the face of persecution, truth over popularity, and joy that comes when faith endures the test.The Apostle Paul and his young companion Timothy had been through the wringer. They had been beaten, imprisoned, mocked, and warned to keep quiet. But instead of silence, they chose proclamation.And not the kind of preaching that flatters men, or bends to public opinion — but the kind that speaks God’s Truth, even when it burns.

This episode is dedicated to every first-born son listening — whether you’re a young man just finding your footing, or a seasoned warrior of faith who’s carried the weight of leadership your whole life.From the beginning, God set apart the first-born — both human and animal — as His own. The first-born belongs to Him. And when we understand what that truly means, we begin to see how it all points to our Redeemer, Jesus Christ — the First-born over all creation, and the One who redeems us back to the Father.

Crusaders I am so sorry for the volume issue in this episode of my #1 Grandson. After the first five minutes I went old school and used my speaker on my phone holding it up to the mic, and that helped. I am proud of this 12-year-old who is growing and will be an awesome man in the short future.

Today’s episode is called “Iron Sharpens Iron — Challenge Accepted.”That comes from Proverbs 27:17 (NASB):“Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.”It’s a simple verse — short enough to memorize in a breath — yet it carries a lifetime of meaning.It tells us that the Christian Walk isn’t passive. It’s not about sitting still and hoping things improve. No, we’re called to be sharpened — and to sharpen others — in our faith, our work, our bodies, our minds, and our relationships.

Today’s episode 129 is titled ‘Resist the Life of Ease.’ Our age tempts us to choose comfort, convenience, and passivity over endurance, diligence, and courage. But the Scriptures call us to something higher — to share in the life of Christ, to be strengthened by grace, and to become faithful stewards of what God has entrusted to us. We will look at three themes:How to handle life’s challenges with steadfast faith.Why we must seek to work hard, not as drudgery but as holy offering.How to set big, audacious goals with a steward’s heart, trusting God for more than we can see.”

Our forty years of experience in marriage with some practical do's and don'ts. Ya, some are pretty simple, but hey, I'm a slow learner!