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Since the October 7 attack Israel has been in the news. With the help of Tucker Carlson and Candace Owens there has been a fascinating turn against Israel inside the U.S. Even conservative pastors are joining the shift. So, in this cast o' the pod I discuss what is replacement theory—that the Church has replaced Israel as God's covenant people—and what is wrong with it from a biblical perspective. In the show's cultural-reflection I discuss recent fears about A.I. and delineate why I am now less concerned than I was a short time ago. Then, having just read two biographies of Karl Marx, I talk about what my big takeaways are for civilization. I never quite saw the mayhem for what it was until I read those two books. Come join me in thinking through life from a Christ-centered perspective.

Introducing SYLVESTER STALLONE: “I Wasn’t Stupid. I Was Just Misunderstood.” from On Purpose with Jay Shetty. Follow the show: On Purpose with Jay Shetty Jay sits down with Sylvester Stallone to trace the extraordinary journey from a painful, unwanted childhood to the creation of Rocky, and the $360,000 offer he turned down rather than compromise his self-respect. Stallone reflects on the decades of rejection, health struggles, and career setbacks that shaped the man behind the legend. He opens up about his mother’s emotional distance, his father’s advice on his deathbed, and the life philosophy he discovered only after letting go of the need to constantly fight. With Love and Gratitude, Jay Shetty Mazda crafts cars for people who do more than simply move. Visit Mazdausa.com to learn more. Consumer reports does not endorse products or services. JAY'S DAILY WISDOM DELIVERED STRAIGHT TO YOUR INBOX Join 900,000+ readers discovering how small daily shifts create big life change with my free newsletter. Subscribe here: https://news.jayshetty.me/subscribe Check out our Apple subscription to unlock bonus content of On Purpose! https://lnk.to/JayShettyPodcast What We Discuss: 00:00 Introduction 01:09 The Steps 01:48 The Fortune Teller Who Predicted His Future 03:39 The Power of Writing Your Thoughts Down 05:10 The Regret of Not Meeting Elvis Presley 05:55 Overcoming His Fear of Public Speaking 08:30 Birth Complications & Childhood Hardships 10:00 Queens Boarding House 11:40 Cinema As Sanctuary 13:23 The Words That Left Internal Scars 14:54 Making Peace With Rejection & "Mirror Therapy" 19:15 Writing About Edgar Allan Poe & Creating Rocky 20:27 Using Cruel Labels As Motivation 24:25 The Hells Angels Story 27:59 Turning Down $360,000 To Sell Rocky 31:35 Imposter Syndrome & Stepping Into Rocky's Shoes 33:29 Channeling Real-Life Pain In Acting 38:00 Rocky As A Love Story 41:26 The Painful Relationship With His Mother 49:45 Parents' Final Days 53:47 Learning To Let Go of Anger 56:12 An 8-Year Career Slump & The Return Of Rocky 59:06 Health Battles, Borrowed Time & Aging Gracefully 01:02:20 What Makes A Good Friend? 01:03:25 The Key To 29 Years of Marriage 01:07:30 Life Before Vs. After 40 01:13:20 The Power Of Dreams & Concrete Vision 01:16:38 Finally Getting His Father's Apology 01:19:35 Sylvester Stallone On Final 5 Episode Resources: The Steps | https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-steps-sylvester-stallone Website | https://sylvesterstallone.com/ Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/officialslystallone Facebook  | https://www.facebook.com/share/1FMjtjkWJA/?mibextid=wwXIfr Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices DISCLAIMER: Please note, this is an independent podcast episode not affiliated with, endorsed by, or produced in conjunction with the host podcast feed or any of its media entities. The views and opinions expressed in this episode are solely those of the creators and guests. For any concerns, please reach out to [email protected].

Here's some uber common thinking: Jesus when he felt pain or frustration did that in his humanity, but when he drove out demons or raised Lazarus from the dead he did so in his divinity. It is a common question: Did Jesus do different things, and exercise his power, alternately in his humanity and/or his divinity? I work through what the Gospels in particular, and the New Testament more broadly, show us. In the show's cultural reflection I opine on the Lindsay Clancey case in Massachusetts. What did the law (not prosecutors, not defense team, not the judge) in Plymouth, MA, get wrong? How did that case impact me as a grandpa?

I asked my Patreon posse for their theological questions. Pastor Steve came back with a beaut: why is Jesus called the Word of God? This resolutely theological episode unpacks the answers to Steve's great question. We explore not only pre-existing Hebrew and Greek concepts—Yahweh dabar and Logos—but we see how Jesus both fulfilled and surpassed those. I used to teach my theology students, "Jesus is always what you think of him, but so much more." Along the way we clarify the differences between Jesus and the Gospel, Jesus and other supposedly divine messengers, the errors of both Liberal and Progressive Christians, and learn why Jesus is both mysteriously beautiful and beautifully mysterious!

What's wrong with Socialism-Communism? From a biblical perspective, much; both epistemologically and theologically. But to my delight and surprise Catholics were decrying the horrors of Soc-Com ideology two years before Karl Marx even published his Manifesto. Clear back in 1846 Pope Pius IX was both watching what was lurking over the horizon and sounding the alarm. Subsequent traditionally Catholic Popes and Priests also had much to say about what they were witnessing with the embodied presence of Soc-Com. I work through some of their warnings and critiques. In this show I also reflect in humor-splashed ways on the outcome of a recent college football game, address a now-established meme that Jesus didn't think he was divine, talk about ongoing social media shaddow-banning, and work through whether I am a Catholic-o-phile. Come think and laugh with me.

The Catholic Church, for some 150 years, warned of the dangers of Socialism-Communism. But today massive chunks of the global Church are sympathetic to the claims and aims of Socialism. So it's a natural question, can a Christian be a Socialist? In this episode I work through the value system of Socialism to compare and contrast it with the biblical portrayal of reality. Within all that, fundamental to the Socialist system is the elimination of the traditional family. Why? Why is that such a constant through Socialism's history? I also discuss things like: today's Christian Emo music, the mascot of my High School, and the importance of not only looking through one's worldview (field of perception) but of looking at it. It is good to know why one believes (1 Pet. 3:15). Midway through the pod I discuss a development in Los Angeles that helps us understand the Socialist economy. Oh, I also note what Karl Marx did with regard to his own maid; he, the great Robin Hood for the working man, was a less than stellar boss. Come think and laugh with me!

What is evil? I note what some heavyweight theologians and philosophers have said about evil. Classic answers include: evil is the physical world, ignorance, or something willed by God. In this theology and culture mashup I work through the question using Socialism-Marxism as a foil. With the rise in popularity of Socialism (even among purported believers) it is good to understand what generates evil, what is its root and foundation, and where evil is headed here in the early 21st century. To help make my points I cite Mike Judge's 2006 movie Idiocracy, but I also describe how Joseph Stalin had one of his former good Communist friends tortured in prison. Will the ideological madness slow down soon or will it keep spinning spinning spinning? Come think and laugh with me.

One used to see it on bumper-stickers, "Christianity is a relationship, not a religion." Why do Evangelicals sell it that way? More carefully, is that even true? In this cast o' the pod I define what the word religion means and explain why all Christians should, in fact, be proud to proclaim that following Jesus is, indeed, their religion, their rule of life. To make the point I note several ways by which we can make Christianity our rule of life. All of that is side "B" of the show. Side "A" is an unearthing of the whys and whats of our secular culture's take on religion. For at least 200 years Western culture has tried to diminish religion as the "private stuff" people privately believe in "they" heads. And frankly, we expect that from a culture that hates God. What we don't expect is that the church herself is pretty adept at cutting the branch she is sitting on out from beneath her. How so? I explain that and so much more.

Jesus was clear about the fount or root or heart of the Kingdom of God, but today's churches are not. In this episode I explain what Jesus taught and contrast that with so many confusions at work in our contemporary setting. In both halves of the show—culture and theology—I work through the epistemology of Neo-Marxism. I compare and contrast that epistemology with what Jesus, speaking to Pilate, said was his own epistemological frame. (Epistemology: the construction of knowledge; how we know; the tools we use to know.) What happens to nations when one tweaks the foundation? What happens to souls and families when the commitments of knowledge get warped? I work through those answers. Importantly, I also help my listeners understand why the American Church, including far too many Evangelical churches, have been captured by Neo-Marxist ways of being and evalutating. Come think and laugh with me!

It's not much discussed, but the state of our hearts is precious. In life we naturally guard what is precious: the homeland, our families and homes, our children and babies. But our culture does not emphasize protecting our hearts. In this episode I follow up on last week's show on Christian transformation and talk about simple, but wise, steps we can take to move toward Christ. Drawing on my award-winning dissertation I reference the wisdom of old-school Pentecostalism and Eastern Orthodox spiritualities. At the show's opening I work through the framework Pope Benedict 16 had with regard to the coming of anti-Christ. My listeners will be surprised at several of B16's prognostications; he was much aligned with Evangelicals on what and who anti-Christ will be. Come think and laugh with me.

Too much of Church history portrays becoming like Christ as a lifeless legalism; as though what the Lord only wants for us is that we sin less. For my PhD, when I compared Eastern Orthodoxy and Classical Pentecostalism, I found that they both believe (and teach, and model) that the Lord has still more for us when it comes to our own transformation into his image. More? Yes, like mission. God calls all of his own to the same mission, in different ways. And still more, God wants our selves to vibrate to the vibration of his eternally vibrating Holy Spirit. I explore all that in this uncorking of some theology. Also, during the show's opening cultural reflection, I comment on the historical and theological foolishness of the Democrat Socialists of America. Come laugh and think with me!

My own boyhood church was rather sectarian, parochial, separatist. My family was pretty much always ready to go to blows, internally and regarding those outside the family. As an ENTJ personality profile, my "J" is super strong; I don't like gaslighting, lying, or those who try to get-over on society. So why, against my own nature and upbringing, am I generous to believers who are not like me? I explain the three reasons for my understanding of and disposition toward Christians who are different from my own tradition. In the show's opening cultural segment I also remark on the recent DSA candidates and the heated energy behind them. Additionally, I crow about my recent prediction on Iran. Come wonder, laugh, and think with me.

Our culture despises judgment. But it's not just judgments in a legal setting that are so disdained, it is discrimination—choosing anything over anything else—that our culture finds disgusting. That attitude has crept into the Church. In this vivid episode I work through how it is that we should look forward to the day of our judgment! The cosmos itself eagerly anticipates God's final judgment day, the Day of the Lord. To make my case I work through both some of Jesus' own sayings and what the book of Revelation shows us about judgment. At the show's beginning I muse on the recent election of Democratic Socialists in New York. I also make a rare pastoral challenge to all my listeners. Here near the 4th of July, I muse on the glory of America's Independence Day. Come think, wonder, and worship with me.

Many Evangelical churches today are "Bible-alone" communities. Or, or they think they are. In this theology uncorked episode I explain both why the Bible-alone perspective is not why the Bible was inspired, written, or preserved and why it is actually an impossibility. To make the case, I give examples. First, when I, in junior high, was beginning to read the Bible "for me." And second, from my time in Bible school when another student, reflecting on his devotional, said, "I learned that God is like a motorcycle." Then, from my time as a prof, I note how Calvary Chapel students especially (but not at all only) wanted to take a Bible-alone position; what they didn't know but what I knew was that they had made Chuck Smith into their new Pope, or their new Vatican. Let's think through why God gave us the Bible, and what is the role of the Bible's authority in both the Christian life and the Church community. Oh, and in the pod's opening I reflect on a biblical perspective concerning civilization; does God care or does he only care about who goes to heaven and hell?

First in a new series, let's uncork us some theology! Across the pod I will explain why "just the Bible alone" (Protestant) perspectives aren't possible, what are the time-tested definitions of theology (& why theologians like definitions), why reason plays a role in Christian theology, the long-standing interface between theology and philosophy, and the role of culture on and in theology. And then, what makes theology good, helpful, and edifying? What makes theology bad, destructive, and soul-poisoning? At the show's opening I work through—noting the Bible's own cues about government—the election debacle in Los Angeles. Come and enjoy a laugh along the way with me.