The Shield ONLINE
Teachings, messages, vital life learning, irrelevances, and other musings about the Bible from The Salvation Army's Captain Roger McCort. Life has few guarantees, but here's one: You will find something new or interesting in every message or you can reach out to me and I will provide you with additional new and interesting facts, free of charge. Guaranteed.
Episodes
310 episodes since 2018
Pure
Purity and holiness sound like terribly boring religious concepts requiring us to lead dull lives enclosed in harsh boundaries, deprivation, and perfection. When we screw up, we're out, right? ZAP goes the lightning, then straight into the dept...
September 15, 2024
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Season 7
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Episode 7
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24:09
Have Mercy
Sometimes people suck, and when they do they should be held up for ridicule and contempt and mockery... Oh, wait. That's what we DO, but is that what Jesus asks of his followers? Is it the example God provides us with? Or are we supposed to fin...
September 08, 2024
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Season 7
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Episode 6
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25:16
In Sync and Hungry
Now that we've spent a few weeks talking about being blessed, let's talk about what the word BLESSED means and how it may not be exactly what we've been thinking it is. Then let's talk about the deeper meaning of righteousness and ...
September 01, 2024
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Season 7
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Episode 5
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27:35
Meekness, Not Weakness
Just because things rhyme, that doesn't mean they are the same. If you use a cat for a bat, you'll never get a hit, and if you wear it as a hat, you'll probably regret it. And yet we tend to mix up meekness by thinking it is a weakness when the...
August 25, 2024
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Season 7
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Episode 4
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27:07
Hurts
Today we start with a lesson in the obvious: Life hurts. There are wounds which we need to tend to or they will fester and drive us to self-destructive means of altering or covering the pain because we just want it to stop hurting. Or the pain ...
August 11, 2024
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Season 7
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Episode 3
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26:54
Unclench
What does it mean to be poor and why would Jesus claim that this is some kind of blessed state? Why do we allow anxiety to drive us to cling to things we could release? What makes THIS the thing Jesus wanted to tell his followers to learn ahead...
August 07, 2024
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Season 7
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Episode 2
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24:39
Heart
"Guard your heart," declares scripture, "for everything you do flows from it."But what does that mean and what should we be letting in or keeping out of our hearts? It's not like Jesus left us a checklist... did he?Welcome to the ...
August 01, 2024
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Season 7
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Episode 1
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19:35
The Beginning of the End of the Beginning of the Beginning of the Story
What happened with Paul and the others? Did they get to Rome? What happened? What do we know? Did Luke wrap up all the loose ends in his story? And what does any of this mean for us in the modern world? All these questions and more are answered...
June 30, 2024
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22:06
Living the Mission
There's a little story towards the end of the book of Acts that most people slip past quickly, noticing only the unusual story about a snakebite. But this is the beginning of Luke's conclusion to the full message of the book he has written! Why...
June 23, 2024
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Season 6
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Episode 51
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23:18
Foul Weather at Fair Haven
They were sure this was going to work, but everything fell apart in an instant and they were plunged into chaos.How often has something similar happened to each one of us? There is a secret to understanding how to remain calm during eve...
June 09, 2024
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Season 6
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Episode 50
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27:48
Being an Agent of Light
Good day. Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to seek out pockets of evil scattered across the world and deal with them. You and your Mission:Possible team will be given light that will dispel the darkness and power to choose to ac...
May 26, 2024
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Season 6
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Episode 49
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27:17
Can Anything Good Come From Nazareth?
Did you know that chapters and verses weren't part of the Bible's original texts? We've added that stuff in. In some ways, that's a blessing; in others it's a curse. We may be able to find things easier, but because of that we don't KNOW things...
May 19, 2024
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22:44
Aggressive Doves
There is a passage in Acts 25 where Paul doesn't say a word - he doesn't even appear until the last sentence - but his witness has been so consistent that it drives people to want to speak with him, to hear him, and to learn more about Jesus.
May 12, 2024
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Season 6
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Episode 48
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23:38
Higher Authority
In a world dominated by Empire, can a poor man from a distant province get justice from the highest authority in the world? Yes, he can!That's not exactly what's happening here, though, is it?Or is it?
May 05, 2024
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Season 6
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Episode 47
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21:08
Eating Lumpy Oatmeal for God
We are celebrating the International Day for Children and Youth by taking a few minutes to examine the story of how one group of young people decided to respond to a difficult situation.When the big things are out of your control, will ...
April 28, 2024
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13:39
The Foreseeable Failure of Felix the Foolish
People tend to confuse "justice" with just getting what they want. What do most people want? To hurt people who hurt them. Is embracing the idea of retribution going to help us attain justice?Today we look at Paul on trial, the reality ...
April 21, 2024
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Season 6
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Episode 46
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27:18
Why Did You Let Them Die, Jesus?
The people knew Jesus was a miracle worker, casting out evil spirits, healing the sick, even giving sight to people who were born blind! So when someone they love died the obvious question was, "Why did you let them die?"Death stinks. Th...
April 14, 2024
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28:24
Escape Into Danger
Paul is losing his life of freedom and privilege. And he's threatened with losing his life altogether! But somehow he is going to respond to all that as if it is meaningless. It's like he's got some secret which allows him to be content in even...
April 07, 2024
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Season 6
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Episode 45
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24:31
Resurrection Easter Eggs
Easter eggs are hidden in movies, on purpose or by accident, to give thoughtful viewers something to find and think about, or something to notice and wonder about. Scripture is rife with the same kind of gems waiting to be uncovered! <...
March 31, 2024
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29:37
You Whitewashed Wall
A long time ago, when I was in a customer service job, there was one annoying and mistaken client who, after long minutes of berating me for a problem of his own making, said, "If you don't do what I tell you, I'm not going to be your customer ...
March 24, 2024
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Season 6
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Episode 44
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23:28
Belonging
What group or groups do you belong to? How does that set you apart or make you special? Now ask yourself why you think that makes you better than people who are not part of those groups. No, don't get defensive - we all do it. We s...
March 17, 2024
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Season 6
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Episode 43
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25:05
Accusations, Assault, and Arrest
Accusations of wrongdoing, a brutal assault on the one being accused, and his arrest without cause or charges having been considered...This is the story we are diving into today. And it's one that should speak into the lives of each one...
March 10, 2024
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Season 6
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Episode 42
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23:39
When in Jerusalem...
The great thinkers in each group were utterly baffled as to how anyone could see things in a different way. But the two groups reached opposite conclusions about many things! There was a distinct turning towards nationalism taking place which w...
February 25, 2024
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Season 6
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Episode 41
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27:48
Don't Go Breaking My Heart
Have you ever been certain of a thing but someone you know is absolutely convinced that you are wrong?Have you ever wondered how people can be so foolish as to believe, follow, or be so moved by a particular belief that you know is seriousl...
February 18, 2024
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Season 6
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Episode 40
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24:16
The Wolves Are Coming
If you thought it was the last time you were going to see beloved friends, what would you say to them? And why? What would you want to remind them of or warn them about?Paul, sailing past his former home, stops to say goodbye to one of ...
February 18, 2024
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Season 6
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Episode 39
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25:31