Christ Or Chaos: The Fate of America

What if the health of your home and the strength of your nation both hinge on the same root: sound faith that forms honest character? We explore that claim by walking through Titus 2’s blueprint for sober, dignified living, Matthew 24’s stark warnings about deception and cold love, and Psalm 29’s thunderous portrait of a God who reigns above the flood yet blesses His people with peace. Along the way, Proverbs 7 puts street-level wisdom on temptation and boundaries, while a gripping Medal of Honor story shows courage with skin in the game—love that seals the hatch to save a friend and waits thirty-one hours for rescue.

I share how older and younger believers shape one another, why endurance matters when rumors and spectacle try to hijack attention, and how worship recenters a restless heart. We dig into the forgotten tradition of election sermons that charged public leaders to honor truth, the Sabbath, and the moral spine of a people, and we wrestle with a hard question: can institutions thrive when oaths become empty and perjury becomes common? The thread through it all is simple but demanding—Christ or chaos. Doctrine is not theory; it becomes habits that protect marriages, raise steady kids, and keep speech beyond reproach.

If you’re hungry for a clear path through noise and anxiety, you’ll find practical takeaways: guard your steps, cultivate reverence, tell the truth even when it hurts, and serve with courage when pressure mounts. I also share a family-friendly reading recommendation and ways to support the show for those who find value in Scripture reflections, marriage guidance, and stories that lift our eyes. Listen, share with a friend, and join the conversation—what virtue do you believe our homes and public life need most right now? If this resonated, subscribe, leave a review, and help spread the word.

#JesseAppleton #ElectionSermon #DailyScripture

Transcript

Welcome, Thanks, And Opening Prayer

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Back with another episode of the Marin Soul Podcast. Hope y'all are doing well wherever y'all are in whatever part of the day you're in. Sure do appreciate you joining me, giving me a little bit of your time and attention, a little piece of your day. I will try and use it wisely. Those of y'all who continue to share the podcast with others and tell others about it. Thank you. For those of y'all who continue to pray for me and for the podcast, thank you very much. Very grateful for your prayers. Need them and want them. Father, thank you for today. Thank you for you, Father, and your son Jesus Christ and your Holy Spirit. Thank you for your love and your mercy, your grace and your forgiveness of sins through the merit of your son Jesus Christ.

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Thank you for your patience, your compassion. Thank you for continuing to pursue us even when we run away like the prodigal son. Guide our steps.

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Help us to love you with our whole heart, mind, soul, and strength. Help us to love our neighbors as ourselves. Help us to show the world that we are your children. That we love your son Jesus Christ by our actions and our deeds, not merely our words. Do those who are those who are injured and ill, scared, comfort them, surround them with your angels. Be with those listening to the podcast, guide them, bless them. Help us to help those that have less than we do. Help us to help our country. Turn back to you. Forgive us when we get our priorities out of order. With our military law enforcement, our bias and us. Help us to encourage them to support them. To defend them in whatever way we can as they defend us. Be with our leaders in the pulpit and in the state. Help them to rule in fear of you. Be with our enemies. Particularly those inside our own country. Help them feel your presence.

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Turn back to you, your son Jesus Christ. Please guide my words here, Father, in your Son's name we pray. Amen.

Titus 2 And Marriage Guidance

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Marriage verse for today comes from Titus 2. Start with verse 1. But as for you, speak the things which are fitting for sound doctrine. Older men are to be temperate, dignified, sensible, sound in faith and love and perseverance. Older women likewise are to be reverent in their behavior, not malicious gossips, nor enslaved to much wine, teaching what is good, so that they may encourage the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, to be sensible, pure workers at home, kind, being subject to their own husbands, so that the word of God will not be dishonored. Likewise I urge the young men to be sensible, and all things show yourself to be an example of good deeds with purity and doctrine, dignified, sound in speech which is beyond reproach, so that the opponent will be put to shame having nothing bad to say about us. There's a lot in there, folks, that a lot of people today don't want to acknowledge inside the church. Again, this is why I say so often, regardless of where you're marriage advice from. Matthew 24, start with verse 1.

Signs Of The Times In Matthew 24

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As Jesus was leaving the temple grounds, his disciples pointed out to him the various temple buildings. But he responded, Do you see all these buildings? I tell you the truth will be completely demolished. Not one stone will be left on top of another. Later, Jesus sat on the Mount of Olives. His disciples came to him privately and said, Tell us, when will all this happen? What sign will signal your return and the end of the world? Jesus told them, Don't let anyone mislead you, for many will come in my name, claiming I am the Messiah. They will deceive many, and you will hear of wars and threats of wars, but don't panic. Yes, these things must take place, but the end won't follow immediately. Nation will go to war against nation and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in many parts of the world. But all this is only the first of the birth pains, with more to come. Then you will be arrested, persecuted, and killed. You will be hated all over the world because you are my followers, and many will turn away from me and betray and hate each other, and many false prophets will appear and will deceive many people. Sin will be rampant everywhere, and the love of many will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end will be saved, and the good news about the kingdom will be preached throughout all the world the whole world, so that all nations will hear it, and then the end will come. The day is coming when you will see what Daniel the prophet spoke about, the sacrilegious object that causes desecration standing in the holy place. Reader, pay attention. Then those in Judea must flee to the hills. A person out on the deck of his roof must not go down into the house to pack. A person out in the field must not return even to get a coat. How terrible it will be for pregnant women and for nursing mothers in those days, and pray that your flight will not be in winter or on the Sabbath, for there will be greater anguish than at any time since the world began, and it will never be so great again. In fact, unless the time of calamity is shortened, not a single person will survive, but it will be shortened for the sake of God's chosen ones. Then if anyone tells you, Look, here is the Messiah, or there he is, don't believe it. For false messiahs and false prophets will rise up and perform great signs and wonders, so as to deceive, if possible, even God's chosen ones. See, I have warned you about this ahead of time. So if someone tells you, Look, the Messiah is out in the desert, don't bother to go and look, or look he is hiding here, don't believe it. For as the lightning flashes in the east and shines to the west, so it will be when the Son of Man comes. Just as the gathering of vultures shows there is a carcass nearby, so these signs indicate that the end is near. Psalm twenty nine verses one through eleven. Honor the Lord,

The Majesty Of Psalm 29

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you heavenly beings, honor the Lord for his glory and strength. Honor the Lord for the glory of his name, worship the Lord in the splendor of his holiness. The voice of the Lord echoes above the sea, the glory of God thunders. The Lord thunders over the mighty sea. The voice of the Lord is powerful, the voice of the Lord is majestic, the voice of the Lord splits the mighty cedars. The Lord shatters the cedars of Lebanon. He makes Lebanon's mountains skip like a calf. He makes Mount Hermon leap like a wild young ox. The voice of the Lord strikes with bolts of fire. The voice of the Lord makes the barren wilderness quave. The Lord shakes the wilderness of Kadesh. The voice of the Lord twists mighty oaks and strips the forest bare. In his temple everyone shouts Glory! The Lord rules over the floodwaters, the Lord reigns as king forever. The Lord gives his people strength. The Lord blesses them with peace.

Warnings From Proverbs 7

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Proverbs 7, verse 6 through 23. While I was at the window of my house, I looked through the curtain. I saw some naive young men, and one in particular who lacked common sense. He was crossing the street near the house of an immoral woman, strolling down the path by her house. It was twilight in the evening as dark, deep darkness fell. The woman approached him, seductively dressed and sly of heart. She was brash, rebellious type, never content to stay at home. She is often in the streets and markets, soliciting at every corner. She threw her arms around him and kissed him, and with a brazen look she said, I've just made my peace offerings and fulfilled my vows. You're the one I was looking for. I came out to find you, and here you are. My bed is spread with beautiful blankets, with colored sheets of Egyptian linen. I've perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon. Come, let's drink our fill of love until morning. Let's enjoy each other's caresses. For my husband saw he's away on a long trip. He has taken a wallet full of money with him, and won't return until later this month. So she seduced him with her pretty speech and enticed him with her flattery. He followed her at once like an ox going to the slaughter. He was like a stag caught in a trap, awaiting the arrow that would pierce its heart. He was like a bird flying into a snare, little knowing it would cost him his life.

Medal Of Honor: Henry Brault’s Courage

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Medal of Honor for today is somewhere again. But I don't Henry Brailt or Brault Rank Torpedo Man class Interim 1920 to 194 US submarine zero TAC 5, US Navy, October 28, 1923, Lemon Bay Canal Zone, Panama. On the morning of 28 October 1923, the OTAC 5 collided with the steamship Abengarez and sank in less than a minute. When the collision occurred, Bralt was in the torpedo room. Upon reaching the hatch, he saw that the boat was rapidly sinking. Instead of jumping overboard to save his own life, he returned to the torpedo room to the rescue of a shipmate who he knew was trapped in the boat. Closing the torpedo room hatch on himself. Brault and Brown remained trapped in this compartment until rescued by the salvage party thirty one hours later. Accredited to Vermont, not awarded posthumously, presented march eighth, nineteen twenty four, the White House, presented by President Calvin Coolidge. Born october fourteenth, nineteen hundred, Putnam, Windham County, Connecticut, died December 5th, 1941, Newport, Rhode Island. Buried St. Mary's Cemetery, MH Old Tech 691, Putnam, Connecticut. Additional information from Navy Journal Orders 125 dated 20 February 1924. At 624 on the morning of 28 October 1923, the O5 collided with the SS Abangares and sank in less than a minute. When the collision occurred, Brault was in the torpedo room. Upon reaching the hatch, he saw that the boat was rapidly sinking. Instead of jumping overboard to save his own life, he returned the torpedo room to rescue his shipmate who he knew was trapped in the boat. Closed the torpedo room himself. With the aid of Brown, the member of the crew who was trapped, Brault closed the watertight door between the forward battery compartment and the torpedo room. By this time, by the time this was accomplished, the board had sunk in forty feet of water, with every compartment

Election Sermons And National Morals

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flooded except the torpedo room. Brault and Brown remained trapped in this compartment until rescued by the salvage party 31 hours later. Oh, you gotta have some respect for that, folks. You want to talk about courage and a level head and trust? I wonder how many of us trust. Like this man obviously trusts the salvage crew to know that they were gonna come looking for him. And there's a lot there. We need to remember far more than teners or athletes who really uh even more so. Jesse, I think. Applegate. Apple ton, Jesse Adds, uh, from 1814. The interesting thing about this, folks, I was reading a little bit about this. Uh, you can read the whole thing on the Wall Motors website, and uh great little excerpt in their Bible, founder's Bible about it. But these election sermons were given frequently uh in colonies and even after the colonies became states uh to all of the state officials, lieutenant governor, cabinet, house, senate, representatives, and they would call these people together after their election, and they would have this sermon given to them. It's a more little piece of absolute proof, the idea that we were born a secular nation, and our founders wanted to separate God and Jesus Christ away from politics. It's just it's just a lie. It's grossly ignorant at best. And it's it's for a lot, I think, more malevolently uh we may come back and read. There's two sections here. It's it's pretty lengthy. Um see how long it takes. I make a respectful and solemn appeal to the honored legislators of the common book. Do you believe any state, community, or nation can be powerful, tranquil, and permanently happy if their morals are extensively depraved? Would not the most alarming deprivation of morals result from a general disbelief of the Christian religion? Would the happiness of families, would property or life be secure in a nation of deists? If Christianity is the most powerful guardian of morals, are you not, as civilians, bound to give it your support and patronage? Do you in the least question whether the institution of the Sabbath has an extensive influence in bringing to the view of men their dependence on God, the extent and purity of his law, the soul's immortality, and the day of judgment? It is doubtful whether that reverent regard with which this day was treated by our ancestors with those habits of integrity, industry, sobriety, and moderation for which they were so remarkable. Is it doubtful? Have not the general profanation of God's name and the inconsiderate use of that language, in which he has been pleased to express the sanctions of his law, a direct tendency to impair the influence of those sanctions and to dissipate the fears of profligate men. Probably there was never a time since we became a nation when the crime of perjury had become so frequent as at present. This is the legitimate offspring of other sins, to which we have been long accustomed. And to those who are acquainted with the human character, it can produce but little surprise. When the witness, the complaint, or the accused adds to his promise of uttering nothing but the truth, these words, so help me God, he does indeed imprecate on himself the divine anger, if his testimony should be designedly false. But imprecations of a similar import he has used perhaps a thousand times without feeling his responsibility or realizing the solemnity of an oath. That individual, therefore, especially if placed in a commanding station, who swears profanely or violates the Sabbath, is abolishing the foundations of society's order. He breaks up the fountains of the deep of the great deep, excuse me, the waters will rush out from their caverns and overflow the earth. Whoever may be the immediate authors of our present sufferings, certain it is that in order to our obtaining the blessings of permanent and solid prosperity,

Call For Reformation And Truth

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a reformation must be effected in our national character.

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Folks, I mean come on, the bottom line.

SPEAKER_00 19:21

We used to give these sermons to our legislatures, and it wasn't it wasn't Jews, it wasn't Muslims, it wasn't deists, it wasn't Buddhists or Hindus or anything else. It was Christians. We're a Christian nation, we can only function as such. And if we're falling apart today, which we are, it's because we've turned away from God and Jesus Christ. And you see in that last line, we need a reformation. We desperately need a reformation today. And and can you can you not argue along with Uh the author here, Appleton, can you not say that has there been a time when the perjury has been greater than today, when we lie more frequently and easily as a nation than today? Because we turned away from God. Folks, that's the whole ball game. Everything is wrapped up in that. Every single aspect of our society goes back to Christ or chaos. If you are looking for a family-friendly middle grade read, that hopefully I uh manage to put a little bit more of the principles of God and Jesus Christ in, and a little bit less the principles of the world than a lot of the entertainment that we have today. Uh it's along the lines of Narnia, The Hobbit, Percy Jackson, Harry Potter. It's called the Countryside Series. There's two books right now: Hardback, Paperback, ebook. You can get them on Amazon,

Family-Friendly Book And Support

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Barnes and Noble, a lot of different places. And if you enjoy it, if you would leave a review for one book or both, I would very much appreciate that. And if you feel like you're getting something out of the podcast every once in a while, the marriage verses or scripture medal of honor or our American heritage and history, tying us back to God and Jesus Christ. If you have five or ten dollars a month, you can donate to the podcast. There's a link in the show notes where you can set that up. I would be very grateful for that. And if you can leave a review on Spotify or Apple Podcast or wherever you listen, I would be very grateful for that too. And also, if you know somebody that would rather listen to the podcast on YouTube, it's there now. Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.

The Lord’s Prayer And Blessing

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Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us, and lead us not to temptation, but deliver us from evil, for thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory forever and ever. Amen. God bless y'all. God bless your families. God bless your marriages if you're married. God bless your nation, wherever you are around the world listening. God bless America. We'll talk to y'all again real soon, folks. Looking forward to it.