The NorthWord
NorthWord is a daily Christian podcast from St. John's Fort Smith in collaboration with the Anglican Family. Hosted by Father Aaron from Fort Smith, Northwest Territories.
Here's how it works: Every Sunday we release the full sermon preached that morning. Then Monday through Saturday, you get 3-5 minute daily reflections based on that sermon - one thought you can actually use each day. Every Wednesday we explore the rhythm of Jesus' life and how his followers have lived it out for 2,000 years.
Whether you're Pentecostal, Orthodox, Baptist, Catholic, or just curious about faith - this is for you. Ancient faith. Real life. No fluff.
The Word. The North. Your Week.
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The NorthWord
Who Are You Actually Following?
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Today we start the week by naming the voices we've been following and asking whether any of them have actually earned the trust we've given them.
Good morning, this is Northword. What are you actually following and has it earned the trust you've given it? Good morning, this is Northword, the Word, the North, your Week, a daily podcast from St. John's Fort Smith in collaboration with the Anglican family. I'm your host, Father Aaron, and I want to start the week with something an elder here in our community said to me. We were talking about the church, and he said it doesn't matter the tribe, it matters the chief. He was right, and I want to sit with that today because I think most of us are carrying around a version of this question without ever naming it. Look at the opening of Psalm 23. It doesn't start with a program or a plan, it starts with a person. The Lord is my shepherd. Everything else flows from who the shepherd is, and that's the point. You can have the right tribe, the right building, the right label, and still be following the wrong voice. Or you can be in the most unlikely place with the most unlikely group of people. And if the chief is the real one, you're home. Here's how this lands on a Monday morning. Most of us don't wake up and ask who we're following. We wake up and react. We answer the email, we scroll the feed, we pick up yesterday's worry, and by 10 o'clock something has been leading us around. We just haven't named what. So today try this. Before you do anything else, ask yourself one question. Who or what am I actually following right now? Not what should I be following, what am I following? The news cycle? A grudge? A voice in your head that tells you you're behind? A person whose approval you're chasing? Name it. Don't argue with it yet, just name it. Because the first thing sheep have to learn is whose voice is whose. And you cannot do that until you're honest about the voices already in the field. The shepherd is not hiding from you. He's calling by name. But you have to be quiet enough and honest enough to notice which voice is his and which voice isn't. That's Monday. Get honest, name one thing you've been following that isn't it. Thank you for joining us this morning. This has been Northward, the Word of the North your Week. I hope you've enjoyed your time with us. Please feel free to use the text us link in the description to reach out. And until tomorrow, God be with you. In the name of Fower, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.