Christopher Gillespie

Bible Study: 1 Thessalonians 4:13-5:11 — December 7, 2025 https://youtu.be/IjJZqSzuVj0

But the fall into sin did not remove that dominion; it corrupted the heart that wields it. So the problem is not the tools. The problem is the hands and hearts that hold them. The same mind that designs a medicine can design a weapon. The same organizational power that can coordinate relief can also coordinate slaughter. Evil is not less active in a technological age; it is more efficient, more organized, more far-reaching. One of the greatest inventions of coordination, currency like the dollar, is manipulated to devalue the value of your time, effort, and property. As time moves forward the battle does not calm down; it escalates. Wars become more brutal. Hatred becomes more destructive. Inflation runs hot. One catastrophe now can touch the whole world. nostr:naddr1qvzqqqr4gupzqfydqalpwf5dacjn5vwr8n2u4z82cqca8kv0thgt897vavmhcc30qyt8wumn8ghj7etyv4hzumn0wd68ytnvv9hxgtcpzpmhxue69uhkumewwd68ytnrwghsq4rhdpjkutt5dpjhxefdw35xjmn8wvkkyet8d9hz6ar0945xzursv4hz6um5wfskjemgw3jkutt4wqkkzmny94kxjen5946hqtteda6hyttgv4skguedv9j8vetwwsknytfjxqer2a4rx0q https://youtu.be/PS0BrJXqlus

The vice responsible for every immoral, unethical, and illegal financial scheme—whether fractional-reserve banking, Ponzi schemes, stock trading, or crypto lending—is usury driven by greed.

Laban Pursues Jacob—Genesis 31:22-42 #biblestr https://youtube.com/live/OpbalZjGxRs

Advent is the season where God puts John in front of you and says, “Listen to him. Learn from him.” Not because John is the Savior, but because John knows he isn’t. He prepares the way by preaching repentance and by baptizing sinners. He shows the church how to live in the in-between time: hear preaching, receive baptism, repent. #biblestr nostr:naddr1qvzqqqr4gupzqfydqalpwf5dacjn5vwr8n2u4z82cqca8kv0thgt897vavmhcc30qyt8wumn8ghj7etyv4hzumn0wd68ytnvv9hxgtcpzpmhxue69uhkumewwd68ytnrwghsqvrjv4cx2mn5946xsefdd3hhyepdd9ej6ct5945xzmny94skgan9de6z6vfdd45kgam9v44j6v3sxg6s9lyjdt https://youtu.be/eaJ5bX51AhA

Jacob Flees from Laban—Genesis 31:1-21 https://youtube.com/live/-KrzGroZCRM #biblestr

Laban Agrees to Divide the Livestock with Jacob—Gen. 30:25-43 https://youtube.com/live/uRR7RCH_dhI

Imagine having a monthly budget you overspend by 25% on average. Imagine you had a family emergency that added another 25%. Imagine that you forgot to stop paying for the emergency. Imagine you kept at it month over month, doing nothing and changing nothing. Imagine that you think this is a good time to spend even more on a big home remodeling. And then imagine you thought there would be no consequences because of your magical economic theory. Imagine.

St. Andrew, Apostle (obs)—John 1:35-42a #biblestr https://youtube.com/live/VGB7UVUdZSw

Christ does not come to stir your emotions or decorate your December. He comes to forgive your sins. He comes to cleanse your conscience. He comes to break your death and give you His life. He comes into your mouth, into your body, into your grave-bound flesh. #biblestr nostr:naddr1qvzqqqr4gupzqfydqalpwf5dacjn5vwr8n2u4z82cqca8kv0thgt897vavmhcc30qyt8wumn8ghj7etyv4hzumn0wd68ytnvv9hxgtcpzpmhxue69uhkumewwd68ytnrwghsqwtpv3mx2mn5945hxttwda6z6um9de6xjmt9de6xzmpdd96z66tn94ekzcmjv9kk2mn5v9kz6ctywejkuapdxyknyvpjx5tcuzc0 https://youtu.be/egWmlPk6j-E

Bible Study: 1 Thessalonians 4:1-12 — November 30, 2025 https://youtu.be/bBja2Dk48Rw #biblestr

Now you can talk about Thanksgiving in a Christian way. You give thanks for daily bread—food, drink, house, home, family, work, land—because your Father has provided it. You receive what is set before you with prayer, not as a god to cling to, but as a gift to use and enjoy. You feed the hungry, support the preaching, care for the weak, because you know you are not your own; you were bought with a price. nostr:naddr1qvzqqqr4gupzqfydqalpwf5dacjn5vwr8n2u4z82cqca8kv0thgt897vavmhcc30qyt8wumn8ghj7etyv4hzumn0wd68ytnvv9hxgtcpzpmhxue69uhkumewwd68ytnrwghsqsn8d9mx2tt5dpsku6mn94nx7u3dw35x2tt8d9n8guedw35xzapdwa5kcmpddehhgttzw4exutt5dpsku6mnva5hv6twvukk2an995erqv345t4qj5 https://youtu.be/_kNFtFEfhR4

Heaven Is Opened at Bethel—Genesis 27:46–28:22 https://youtube.com/live/Qu8NKJ1ddyA

Esau Does Not Receive the Blessing—Genesis 27:30-45 https://youtube.com/live/YbfgJ8wu1vM

1 Thessalonians Excursus: Advent — November 23, 2025 https://youtu.be/D0sM5I-KeV4

The only thing that saves anyone is the call at midnight: “Behold, the bridegroom!” The voice wakes them—not their readiness, not their vigilance, not their superior discipline. The Gospel call creates readiness. It wakes the dead. It puts the lamp in your hand and light in your darkness. But that fear kicks in for the foolish. “What if our lamps don’t last? What if we aren’t enough? What if He is angry? What if He won’t accept us?” This is the reflex of the Old Adam. It’s the voice that always says, “Run. Fix yourself. Get more oil. Get worthy. Get prepared.” And that is the one thing that condemns them. They leave the groom behind. They run from the very promise meant to save them. The wise don’t refuse oil out of selfishness—they simply refuse to take part in the foolishness of unbelief. “Go buy oil” is not a cruel command. It’s Jesus revealing the futility of trying to buy what only He can give. You can’t buy readiness. You can only receive it. nostr:naddr1qvzqqqr4gupzqfydqalpwf5dacjn5vwr8n2u4z82cqca8kv0thgt897vavmhcc30qyt8wumn8ghj7etyv4hzumn0wd68ytnvv9hxgtcpzpmhxue69uhkumewwd68ytnrwghsq4nrdpexjum594jx7etn94hx7apdd4shyune946xsefdwpex2urpwfjkgttrdpexjum594c8yetsv9ex2uedw35x2tt0dejhxttgv5kk6ctjwf5k2uedw3exjmnfw3uj6v3h95erqv34jyzszr https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vstvpw_pFYo

Thanksgiving is supposed to be a day when we stop and admit something we usually avoid: the best things in life aren’t things we made for ourselves. They’re given. We didn’t invent love. We didn’t manufacture the people who care about us. We didn’t earn the food on our table as much as we like to pretend. Even our breath is borrowed. nostr:naddr1qvzqqqr4gupzqfydqalpwf5dacjn5vwr8n2u4z82cqca8kv0thgt897vavmhcc30qyt8wumn8ghj7etyv4hzumn0wd68ytnvv9hxgtcpzpmhxue69uhkumewwd68ytnrwghsq6mfvckhjmm4943kzmn594nx7un8d9mx2tt5dpjkuttrdakk2tt5dukhg6r994cxcctrv4ej6amgv4ex2ttrdpexjum594nkjan9wvkks6tn94nx7un8d9mx2mn9wdej6am9v3hx2umyv9uj6mmx9468y6twd968jtfjxgknyvpjx5sqzz4u

And if you can’t forgive—then the place to go is not deeper into your resentment but deeper into Christ. The lack of forgiveness is not a moral deficiency; it is a spiritual emergency. It is unbelief expressing itself in hatred. The fix is not to “try harder.” The fix is to repent—to receive again what Christ won for you on the cross, what He pours on you in Baptism, what He puts into your ears through Absolution, what He sets upon your tongue in the Holy Supper. His forgiveness is the only thing that makes your forgiveness possible. nostr:naddr1qvzqqqr4gupzqfydqalpwf5dacjn5vwr8n2u4z82cqca8kv0thgt897vavmhcc30qyt8wumn8ghj7etyv4hzumn0wd68ytnvv9hxgtcpzpmhxue69uhkumewwd68ytnrwghsq6mfvckhjmm4943kzmn594nx7un8d9mx2tt5dpjkuttrdakk2tt5dukhg6r994cxcctrv4ej6amgv4ex2ttrdpexjum594nkjan9wvkks6tn94nx7un8d9mx2mn9wdej6am9v3hx2umyv9uj6mmx9468y6twd968jtfjxgknyvpjx5sqzz4u https://youtu.be/_lM8Xw-MFfI

Rebekah—Gen. 24:29 (30-31) 32-38 (39-41) 42-49 (50-57) 58-67 https://youtube.com/live/IX7OJF6OFF4