The Bridge Austin

Pregnant with the long-promised Redeemer, Mary sang a song of adoration to the God who cares for the lowest of His servants. From his sermon series in the gospel of Luke, today R.C. Sproul examines the marvelous theology of the Magnificat.

Request R.C. Sproul's commentary on the gospel of Luke with your donation of any amount: https://gift.renewingyourmind.org/4484/offer
 
Live outside the U.S. and Canada? Request the Luke commentary ebook with your donation: https://www.renewingyourmind.org/global
 
Meet Today's Teacher:
 
R.C. Sproul (1939–2017) was founder of Ligonier Ministries, first minister of preaching and teaching at Saint Andrew's Chapel, first president of Reformation Bible College, and executive editor of Tabletalk magazine.
 
Meet the Host:
 
Nathan W. Bingham is vice president of media for Ligonier Ministries, executive producer and host of Renewing Your Mind, and host of the Ask Ligonier podcast.

Renewing Your Mind is a donor-supported outreach of Ligonier Ministries. Explore all of our podcasts: https://www.ligonier.org/podcasts

Series: 2025 - Rooted in the Journey: Thriving in Faith

Service: Sunday Worship

Type: Bible Message

Speaker: Phillip W. Martin

Zack Cooper is a Senior Fellow with the American Enterprise Institute and the author of Tides of Fortune: The Rise and Decline of Great Militaries. In this section, Larry and Zack explore how economic growth has historically been closely linked to the development of powerful militaries. They discuss examples from the late 19th century, when robust economies of the U.S. and Germany contributed to significant military advancements. At the same time, Great Britain faced a relative decline in military capacity. They consider what lessons these historical patterns offer regarding China’s current rise and emphasize the importance of understanding and preparing for China’s expanding military capabilities.

Zack Cooper is a Senior Fellow with the American Enterprise Institute and the author of Tides of Fortune: The Rise and Decline of Great Militaries. In this conversation, Larry and Zack explore how economic growth has historically been closely linked to the development of powerful militaries. They discuss examples from the late 19th century, when robust economies of the U.S. and Germany contributed to significant military advancements. At the same time, Great Britain faced a relative decline in military capacity. They consider what lessons these historical patterns offer regarding China’s current rise and emphasize the importance of understanding and preparing for China’s expanding military capabilities.

U.S. House Speaker MIKE JOHNSON (R-LA) hails Thursday’s  SCOTUS ruling clearing the way for Texas to redraw Congressional districts in advance of 2026 Midterms.

JAMES ROSEN—Chief Washington correspondent for NewsMax—offers analysis of Navy Admiral FRANK BRADLEY briefing Congress this week on strikes against NarcoTerrorists in Venezuela.

U.S. Senator JOHN CORNYN (R-TX) affirms that President DONALD J. TRUMP is “absolutely acting within his Constitutional duty to protect America from drug boats”.

ERIN HAWLEY, counsel at Alliance Defending Freedom, updates us on her appearance before the Supreme Court defending a New Jersey pregnancy center from attacks by the state’s Attorney General...  and TONY PERKINS’ commentary warms that America’s drug scourge is caused by societal and spiritual emptiness.

All that and more on This Week on Capitol Hill, sponsored by CLEAR PATH and AMERICANS FOR PROSPERITY.

More here: http://thisweekoncapitolhill.com. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ten years ago this month, Petr Jasek traveled to Sudan on behalf of The Voice of the Martyrs to meet with and encourage Sudanese Christians. At the airport on his way out of the country, Petr was arrested and later sentenced to life in prison. His first prison cellmates were ISIS fighters—men who hated Christians and quickly began to persecute Petr.

Petr Jasek spent 445 days in Sudanese custody. Listen this week as Petr shares about his first night in a jail cell, how God uniquely prepared him with a dream and how he discovered that his cellmates were radical Muslim ISIS fighters. In prison, Petr felt the Lord's presence very near as—once he received a Bible—he spent hours every day reading the Bible and praying.

In Petr's lowest moments, God brought to his mind the names and faces of other persecuted Christians—men and women Petr had met during his years overseeing VOM's work in Africa. He began to pray for other persecuted believers and his spirit lifted as his focus changed from his own difficulties to praying for other Christians. The story of Petr's imprisonment—and the ministry God allowed him inside—is told in his book, Imprisoned with ISIS: Faith in the Face of Evil.

Days after returning home, Petr sat down with VOM Radio to share his story and thank the thousands of people who prayed for him and his Sudanese co-defendants during his long months in prison. To hear Petr share the entire story of his arrest, imprisonment, and eventual release, go to www.vomradio.net/petr.

This interview was recorded during the VOM National Conference in Bartlesville, OK, where Petr shared how his time in prison and the lessons he learned there still impact him ten years later. To view a video version of Petr's interview, go to VOM's YouTube channel.

The VOM App for your smartphone or tablet will help you pray daily for persecuted Christians in nations like North Korea, Nigeria and Bangladesh, as well as provide free access to e-books, audiobooks, video content and feature films. Download the VOM App for your iOS or Android device today.