In this episode, comedian and tea enthusiast Jesse Appell of Jesse's Teahouse takes us on a journey from studying Chinese comedy to building an online tea business. He shares how navigating different cultures shaped his perspective on laughter, authenticity, and community. From mastering traditional Chinese cross-talk comedy to reinventing himself after a life-changing move, Jesse and host Brian Lowery discuss adaptation and the unexpected paths that bring meaning to our lives. For more on Jesse, visit jessesteahouse.com and for more on Brian and the podcast go to brianloweryphd.com.…
Sometimes we can get to places in the Bible where we are lost and misoriented. There are passages that are hard to understand, and this is one of them. We must strive for clarity because even the hard parts of God's Word are profitable to teach and instruct us. Who are the "spirits" that Peter refers to in these verses, and what is the "prison"? Are they the disobedient human beings in Noah's time who refused to get into the Ark after decades of Noah's preaching? Or are they evil spirits, to whom Jesus proclaimed the victory of His work of redemption for lost souls? We must use the plain passages in God's Word to interpret the hard places in God's Word. We can't use our imaginations to create what we want to read out of the Scriptures. We are also reminded here to get into the Ark of salvation now because no evil will escape God's righteous judgment. Do not wait until "someday" to believe – trust in Jesus now!
Sometimes we can get to places in the Bible where we are lost and misoriented. There are passages that are hard to understand, and this is one of them. We must strive for clarity because even the hard parts of God's Word are profitable to teach and instruct us. Who are the "spirits" that Peter refers to in these verses, and what is the "prison"? Are they the disobedient human beings in Noah's time who refused to get into the Ark after decades of Noah's preaching? Or are they evil spirits, to whom Jesus proclaimed the victory of His work of redemption for lost souls? We must use the plain passages in God's Word to interpret the hard places in God's Word. We can't use our imaginations to create what we want to read out of the Scriptures. We are also reminded here to get into the Ark of salvation now because no evil will escape God's righteous judgment. Do not wait until "someday" to believe – trust in Jesus now!
We were born to be like Jesus – and Jesus suffered. As we go through pain and turmoil, the Lord is refining and shaping us. Jesus suffered for a reason: to bring us to a reconciled relationship with God. His suffering was necessary to pay for our sins and become our Substitute. And He triumphed over death and become the exalted King over everything. Do trials seem to be out of control in your life? What consumes your thoughts? Your problems that you are facing today or your King Who lives and reigns forever?…
God is completely faithful, and all His promises find their fulfillment in Christ (2 Corinthians 1:20). While human promises often fail, God never wavers; His covenant of grace is not a contract but a divine commitment. In this passage, Paul defends his integrity to the Corinthians – not by focusing on himself, but by pointing his readers to the trustworthiness of God's promises. The Holy Spirit serves as our guarantee, assuring us that God will complete His work in us. Our response should be a firm "Amen," living in faith and reflecting His faithfulness in our integrity, commitments, and daily walk. In a world of broken promises, we can proclaim that in Christ, God's promises are always Yes and Amen.…
There are two extremes when looking at this passage before us. One extreme is that baptism literally saves you, period. And the other extreme is that it literally does nothing. What is the middle ground here? Baptism is a sacrament that binds the believer to God and God to the believer. The water is just a sign, but what does it represent? It's a sign of our being born again. It's not a magic superstition; it represents us being united with Jesus. The Holy Spirit uses the sacrament to work spiritual blessings within us sealing us to be His. We must remember to not trust the sign of baptism alone, for the Holy Spirit must be applied to cleanse us from the sin in our heart. Also, we must look to Jesus as our only hope. He washed us in the water of regeneration and that is why we can stand before God. He has cleansed us, so we must hate sin, love something better, and live for God's glory.…