A Friend's Death and the Living God

A Friend's Death and the Living God18 Aug30 min

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Reflecting on Matthew 16:13-20, Zac shares the story of his late friend Vince — a man who bore juvenile arthritis and many surgeries with faith— and Vince's sudden death just a week after a road trip together, prompting Zac to imagine Christ asking Vince at his particular judgment the same question He asked Peter: "Who do you say that I am?" Zac unpacks how Peter's confession of Christ as "the Son of the living God" was a freely given gift from the Father, not a product of reason, and how that same gift invites believers to go on the offensive against "the gates of hell" through the overflow of joy in their own hearts. The episode closes with a meditation spoken in Christ's voice, assuring the listener that despite their fears of being forgotten or unloved, they are known, sought, and worth dying for. Reflection Questions:<ol><li>Who in your life, like Vince, has shown you Christ through their suffering carried with joy?</li><li>If Christ asked you today, "Who do you say that I am?" — how would your actions answer, not just your words?</li><li>What would it look like to love Jesus "more" by trying to know Him more this week?</li></ol> <a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1titdKHhdT-CNArb9nMWfk0-O1hQvPJd_Gu_fdeSDw60/edit?usp=sharing" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferer">Here's the link</a> to the text of the meditation: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1titdKHhdT-CNArb9nMWfk0-O1hQvPJd_Gu_fdeSDw60/edit?usp=sharing____Learn more about the mission of Paradisus Dei and its life-changing parish programs <a href="https://paradisusdei.org/">here</a>.The World English Bible is in the public domain and was used for all scripture quotations.Intro music: "My Life (Main)” by Good B MusicMeditation Music: Reawaken Hymns Worship Pads - foundations in the key of A