1 Corinthians 15 is arguable among the most important passages of the Bible. Fr. Pat examines this passage from today's reading.

Fr. Pat explores the literary source of Christian philosophy as found in the Holy Scriptures.

The Christian hope is based on an oath God made to a man from Mesopotamia 4,000 years ago. Fr. Pat looks at the irony of hope, its source, and how we should go about strengthening it.

The Christian lives an upright moral life not because of conformity with some commandment, and not by way of modeling himself on some external model, but because he does not want to depart from Christ.

The radical path taken by Peter, James, and John in Luke 5 to forsake all and follow Christ is a path for us as well. It has has a fundamental effect on our imagination and memory, our approach to knowledge, and our relationship to truth.

The Christian life is one of effort. Faith in Christ is not something that simply can be attached to a secular lifestyle. In this homily preached in 2008, Fr. Pat reflects upon Ephesians 4:1-6.

Christ died for each of us personally, but he also died for families; and the context of the family is often the locus in our experience of the Cross. Fr. Pat considers three individuals whom Jesus loves as a family: Lazarus, Mary, and Martha.

The calling of the first four apostles gives us a model of the calling each of us receives from Christ. Fr. Pat looks at three qualities of this calling.

Jesus' healing of the Paralytic in Matthew 9 teaches us many things about man's biggest problem, about the corporate nature of the Church's service to the sinner, and about the Lord's authority to forgive sins.

Some say Orthodox Christianity is one of the world's best kept secrets. So let's talk about what Orthodoxy is. At it's core, Orthodoxy is about the Gospel, the Good News of our new life in Christ. And there's a lot more to say, so we're going to spend a few weeks answering some of the basic questions people have about the Faith.

A new study from the Pew Research Group has some interesting numbers. Do they show that Christianity is shrinking? While it's true that people are leaving the Church, we can't panic. Instead, we should use these numbers as a challenge. Our challenge is to be the bee and live Orthodoxy: to help people find God and to live the Faith everyday.

Christ asked His disciples something personal: "Who do you say that I am?" It's an invitation to do more than answer a question: He's asking us to share our relationship with Him. So who do you say that Christ is? And how is He active in your life? Share your answer and this video!

Our lives are chapters in a greater story. What part are you playing: the all-star athlete, the Greek American, the top of your class? What about the disciple of Christ? This week, let's refocus our lives in God's story, the greater story of salvation.

Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew and Fr. John Chryssavgis join Steve to explore why caring for the environment is part of our role as Christians and priests of creation.

You've heard it before: you are what you eat. That's most true when we eat Holy Communion. Christian joins Steve to consider the amazing insights that Fr Alexander Schmemann offers in "For the Life of the World."

Last week, Steve and Christian talked about how receiving Holy Communion forms us into Christ's Body. This week, they reflect on the ways our good habits can build a "second nature" and form us into the people God made us to be.

You may be the only Orthodox Christian at school or work. Fr. Andrew joins Steve to offer 4 tips to help you live as an Orthodox Christian in the world.

Our lives can feel empty and alone. But the Church offers us a different kind of emptiness: one that will lead us to be full of the Holy Spirit.

We're stuck at home We haven't been to Church services in weeks. What does it all mean? Steve shares a prayer and a parable that can help us see this with the eyes of a bee.

Christians seem more divided than ever. Is there really such a thing as "one" Church? Does Christian unity even matter? Father Andrew Stephen Damick joins Steve to tackle these important questions!

As an Orthodox Christian, you're often the only one in the room. How do you share your faith in Christ with others? Why are you an Orthodox Christian (rather than part of some other tradition)? Father Andrew Stephen Damick joins Steve again as they share 4 basics reasons they're Orthodox Christians.

“The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.” (John 1:5) Politics are toxic and the world seems full of darkness. Is our job, as Christians, to fight that darkness? We'll review the advice of two greats saints (St Isaac the Syrian and St Poprhyrios of Kavsokalyvia) to see how we can bring the Light of Christ into a world darkened by toxic politics. As a special bonus, we've prepared a FREE downloadable workbook to help you act on what you'll learn. mailchi.mp/goarch/bethebee152

“Be holy, because I am holy.” (1 Peter 1:16) Adults fear that young people will grow up and stop being Christians. But no one ever fears that a kid will stop rooting for their favorite sports team. Why? We'll look at how the life of a sports fan can challenge the way we share the Faith with others. Because our goal isn't simply to make people loyal to our religion: it's to give them a taste of holiness and inspire them to be saints. If we're going to raise people to be faithful Orthodox Christians, we need to start here. As always, we've prepared a FREE downloadable workbook to help you act on what you'll learn: mailchi.mp/goarch/bethebee154

“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:19-20) Orthodox Christianity is perhaps the best-kept secret in America. Why? And how can we help share the Good News? We'll change the way we think about evangelism and learn two principles that should shape the way we introduce other people to Jesus Christ. Because there’s a close connection between being the Lord’s witnesses and being close to the Lord. As always, we've prepared a FREE downloadable workbook to help you act on what you'll learn: https://mailchi.mp/goarch/bethebee155

“Thoughts are like airplanes flying in the air. If you ignore them, there is no problem. If you pay attention to them, you create an airport inside your head and permit them to land!” (Saint Paisios the Athonite) Does having bad thoughts make you a bad person? What should Christians do with the temptations we experience? The Church refers to these thoughts as logismoi: the thoughts that tempt us and can lead us into sin. And Christians have been dealing with these temptations from the beginning. In fact, Jesus Himself had these same thoughts. Yet He overcame them. And so can you. Steve shares three simple keys to handling temptations and staying focused on Jesus Christ. As always, we've prepared a FREE downloadable workbook to help you act on what you'll learn. mailchi.mp/goarch/bethebee156

“I believe; help my unbelief!” (Mark 9: 24) We often think of faith as meaning either "certainty" (confidence that some idea is true) or "religiosity" (participation in a group's activities). But the Fourth Sunday of Great Lent is dedicated to Saint John Climacus, and the top rung of his "Ladder of Divine Ascent" describes faith. The Church presents faith in much deeper terms than we often admit. We'll learn by looking at how Abraham was faithful to God, while the disciples weren't. Because real faith is about placing ourselves in God's hands. As always, we've prepared a FREE downloadable workbook (https://mailchi.mp/goarch/bethebee172) to help you act on what you'll learn. You'll find a coupon code for "Effective Christian Ministry" in this week's workbook.

Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick is Kevin's guest as they discuss what it means to be a Christian in light of the thousands of Christian denominations. Fr. Andrew is the host of two podcasts on AFR and the author of the Conciliar Press book Orthodoxy and Heterodoxy.

Ancient Faith Radio presents a special edition of Ancient Faith Today with Kevin Allen – A Christian in Egypt. Kevin interviews a Coptic Christian in Cairo by telephone to get a first hand report on what has been happening in this troubled country over the last several days and weeks. For his own safety, we use only his first name.

Host Kevin Allen talks with Faith McDonnell and Ralph H. Sidway about the rising tide of Christian intolerance and genocide—the intentional killing of people for their Christian faith—and why global Christophobia is rarely covered by Western media or addressed by the United Nations. Faith McDonnell is the Director of Religious Liberty Programs at the Institute for Religion and Democracy and the author of the book Girl Soldier: A Story of Hope for Northern Uganda's Children. Her blog is titled "Juicy Ecumenism." Ralph H. Sidway is the author of Facing Islam and the blog of the same name.

Dr. Philip Mamalakis and Andrew Williams, the creators and facilitators of “Finding the freedom to live in the image of God,” a new therapeutic program based on Orthodox principles for sexual addictions and sex-related issues.

Kevin's guest is Fr John Breck, theologian of the OCA specializing in Scripture and ethics, and the topic is "Orthodox Bioethics: Contraception, Stem Cells, and Reproductive Technologies."

Guest: Deacon J. Mark Barna, author of A Christian Ending: A Handbook For Burial in the Ancient Christian Tradition, speaks about dying, death, the movement toward natural burial, and dealing with grief from the perspective of the ancient Orthodox Christian tradition.

Chris Ionna Holland, an ex-Evangelical who was drawn to Mormonism as a teenager and (later) returned to her traditional Christian roots before becoming an Orthodox Christian (and taught how to evangelize Mormons), and Andrew Gusty (M.D.), a cradle Mormon, Temple worthy, an LDS High Priest, and Second Counselor to the Bishop, discuss their unique perspectives with Kevin Allen about Mormon theology, doctrines, and practices, as well as why they left the Mormon faith and became Eastern Orthodox Christians.

Father Barnabas Powell talks about why he left Pentecostalism, why he was drawn to Eastern Orthodox Christianity, and how he and the Orthodox tradition view this contemporary Christian movement.

Fr. George Aquaro, author of the blog "Orthodoxy and Recovery," and Dr. Albert Rossi, a licensed clinical psychologist in the state of New York, discuss addiction and ways to overcome it.

In this two-part interview Kevin's guest is "George," who became a Sunni Muslim at age 14 and studied to become an Imam at a madrasa, studying Quran, Arabic language, Islamic theology, hadith, and jurisprudence. He left Islam and became an Orthodox Christian 20 years later. Among other things, Kevin and his guest discuss Islamic theology, common misunderstandings of Christianity by Muslims, differences between "orthodox" Islam and the Nation of Islam, the true understanding and practice in Islam of slavery and jihad, and the extraordinary journey that led "George" to Orthodox Christianity.

In this two-part interview Kevin's guest is "George," who became a Sunni Muslim at age 14 and studied to become an Imam at a madrasa, studying Quran, Arabic language, Islamic theology, hadith, and jurisprudence. He left Islam and became an Orthodox Christian 20 years later. Among other things, Kevin and his guest discuss Islamic theology, common misunderstandings of Christianity by Muslims, differences between "orthodox" Islam and the Nation of Islam, the true understanding and practice in Islam of slavery and jihad, and the extraordinary journey that led "George" to Orthodox Christianity.

One of the great evils of all times is slavery and in this time human trafficking. Unknown to many an Antiochian Orthodox Christian has dedicated his life to educating the public and ending this evil practice. In this episode host Kevin Allen speaks about human trafficking with Tony Nassif Jr, the President of the Cedars Cultural and Educational Foundation. He also produces national Preventing Abuse Conferences which focuses on preventing human trafficking and child abduction.

In America Christianity is losing its youth, especially when they enter college and university. This is the case across all Christian faith traditions. Two recent studies conducted by both the Barna Group and USA Today found that nearly 75 percent of Christian young people fall away from the faith between the ages of 18 and 22. In this program, host Kevin Allen discusses with his guest Emma Solak, an Orthodox Christian university student and active member of the Orthodox Christian Fellowship—a pan-Orthodox Christian campus ministry—he challenges today’s Christian students face in college and our increasingly secular culture, and ways to stay strong in the faith.

As we enter the election cycle in 2016 what biblical principles or Church canons should be priorities in selecting candidates and supporting party platforms? Should Christian teachings, moral and bio-ethical teaching and Orthodox canons be disregarded in a contemporary secular society? Kevin’s guest is George E. Demacopolous, a Professor of Theology and the Fr. John Meyendorff and Patterson Family Chair of Orthodox Christian Studies, as well as the Co-Director of the Orthodox Christian Studies Center at Fordham University in New York.

We are seeing eastern meditation and mind-body practices like hatha yoga, tai chi, qi gong; and mindfulness-based therapy gaining wide credibility and attracting more and more adherents. Whether we as Orthodox should adopt eastern spiritual mind-body practices is a matter of great debate in the Orthodox Church. In this edition of Ancient Faith Today, Kevin discusses with his guest Christopher Kies what “Mindfulness” meditation is in its secular and Buddhist spiritual contexts; the Orthodox Christian correlative approach of Nipsis or Watchfulness; how they differ in goals and approaches; and whether formal Mindfulness meditation practices are appropriate for Orthodox Christians.

So you're doing well are you? Ooops! Christians are required to be different.

Let it go... 1 Corinthians 9: 2 - 12, Matthew 18: 23 - 35.

Galatians 6:11-18, John 3:13-17 The Exultation of the Cross.