We live in a world that constantly pushes the opposite message: “Your will be done.” Build your own identity. Chase your truth. Define yourself by your desires, your politics, your subculture—left, right, conservative, liberal, or anything else the culture offers. Society tells us life is about self-expression, personal fulfillment, and fitting into this world on our own terms. But Scripture paints a very different picture. Jesus taught us to pray, “Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” That’s the heart of the Christian life—surrendering our plans to God’s perfect ones. 

Today we’re going to talk about the inner battle with our passions—the deep-seated habits and inclinations that pull us away from God—and how Saint Paisios of Mount Athos taught a surprisingly simple yet powerful way to overcome them: stop staring at the sins themselves and fix your gaze fully on Christ instead. 

Today we turn to one of the most beloved modern saints of the Greek Orthodox Church: Saint Gerasimos of Kefalonia (also spelled Gerasimus). A 16th-century monk, ascetic, and wonderworker, he is the patron saint of the Ionian island of Kefalonia, where his incorrupt relics still perform miracles to this day.

 Imagine, if you will, the quiet forests of northern California in the 1970s—a land of towering redwoods, remote monastic cells, and a small brotherhood of monks laboring to preserve the ancient faith amid the cultural upheavals of America. It was there, at the St. Herman of Alaska Brotherhood in Platina, that a converted soul named Eugene Rose, who became Hieromonk Seraphim, took up his pen not as a scholar seeking fame, but as a watchman on the walls, sounding an alarm for the faithful. 

 It was the late seventh century before Christ, and the kingdom of Judah was in a season of both reform and gathering storm clouds. The mighty Assyrian Empire, which had crushed the northern kingdom of Israel over a century earlier, was itself weakening and collapsing. Into that power vacuum stepped new players: the rising Babylonians under Nabopolassar and his son Nebuchadnezzar, the Egyptians under Pharaoh Neco, and the fading remnants of Assyrian influence. Judah, that small strip of land between these giants, found itself caught in the middle—politically vulnerable, spiritually adrift.  

Imagine, if you will, the dust and clamor of ancient Jerusalem in the early years of the sixth century before Christ. The kingdom of Judah, once vibrant under kings like Josiah who sought reform, had slipped back into shadows of idolatry and unfaithfulness. The prophets had warned—Jeremiah among them—that judgment was coming if the people did not repent. And it did. The mighty Babylonian Empire, under the ambitious and ruthless Nebuchadnezzar II, swept westward like a storm. This is the opening setting of one the historical view of the times when Prophet Daniel would enter the biblical texts, delivering some of the most notable prophecies of the old testament. Join us as we take a historical journey into the times of Daniel.

 Today we are addressing the overwhelming madness that seems to surround us on every side—not to fixate on it or amplify it, but to deliberately draw our attention away from it and back to the only thing that truly matters: Jesus Christ and the certain hope of His return.

 The evil one is working overtime to destroy our peace. He floods the airwaves, the internet, and our minds with endless noise—wars and rumors of wars, economic pressures, cultural upheaval, and the latest wave of UFO disclosure and “alien” speculation. Recently, many of us, including myself in honest moments of weakness, have fallen into the trap of consuming hours upon hours of podcasts, videos, and commentary dissecting how these phenomena might be demonic, how disclosure is unfolding, and what it all means for the end times. At the end of the day, I do believe much of the alien disclosure narrative is a demonic deception designed to gaslight the world into viewing these entities as our creators or saviors—distracting us from the true Creator and Redeemer. But the real danger is not the content itself; it is how easily it steals our peace and pulls our eyes off Christ. 

 Today we honor a quiet hero whose single act of courage brought one of Rome’s most brutal traditions to an end: Saint Telemachus (also known as Almachius or Telemakhos), the monastic martyr of 404 AD. A humble ascetic from the East, he entered the Roman amphitheater—likely the Colosseum—and gave his life to stop the bloodshed of gladiatorial combat. His martyrdom moved Emperor Honorius to ban the games forever, marking a profound victory for Christian mercy over pagan spectacle. 

 Today we are diving deep into one of the most pressing and spiritually urgent topics circulating in media, culture, and conversation right now: the surge of UFO (or UAP – Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena) disclosure, reports of missing scientists linked to classified research, discussions of time travel technology, and how all of it connects to the spiritual realm and the person of Jesus Christ.
These phenomena may appear modern and technological, but Scripture has already addressed their spiritual roots. While some elements may involve real advanced technology or interdimensional activity, the Bible equips us to understand them not as evidence of extraterrestrial life from distant planets, but as part of the ancient cosmic rebellion of fallen angels and the end-times deception warned about throughout God’s Word. Our goal today is not fear, but clarity, discernment, and unwavering focus on Christ—the true Light who exposes every darkness. 

 Good morning, beloved listeners, and welcome to another essential episode of From Dawn to Doctrine. Today we are exploring a topic that touches many of us in our daily lives: how to lovingly and effectively share the truth of Jesus Christ with friends, neighbors, or even strangers who follow Islam. The title of this episode is “Refuting Islam the Right Way,” but let’s be very clear from the start—this is not about winning arguments or “wrecking” anyone in a debate. It is about winning hearts for Christ.