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Pastor Jason reads Christmas stories.
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Celebrate the most wonderful time of the year with this bingeable Christmas podcast from Focus on the Family. Find your holly-jolly cheer through heartwarming tales, fun banter, and ideas for holiday activities the whole family can enjoy! Each episode helps your family go deeper into the true meaning of the season with Focus on the Family host John Fuller, and friends.
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Christmas is around the corner and the cold wind is already blowing! To keep you warm, Chimes Radio brings a special collection of short, feel-good stories by our amazing team. These Christmas stories are for everyone who is looking for some holiday cheer, especially at this time of the year. So wrap yourself up, snuggle up with your loved ones, pour in some hot chocolate and enjoy these heartwarming stories of Santa Claus, elves, reindeers and small boys and girls. These amazing Christmas s ...
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Since Victorian times, Christmas has traditionally been the time of year to gather around a log fire, turn the lights down low and indulge in a Ghost Story. Every year - journalist and broadcaster Jon Briggs (also known as the original voice of Siri in the UK) has recorded a haunted tale - thrilling enough to freeze your mulled wine and send shivers down the back of Santa's neck. These tales of the supernatural are collated here for your delectation and delight from 2015 onwards. You will re ...
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It’s the most wonderful time of the year! The cookies, the mistletoe, the lights...oh, and the music! For Christians, Christmas carols mark a season of hope and the celebration of Jesus’ birth. Even in popular culture, these iconic jingles capture a warmth, a cheer and a nostalgia that transcends religious belonging. But where do these beloved yuletide songs come from? What inspired the people who composed them? How did they become popular and even mainstream? And what impact do their ancien ...
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The weather is warm outside, and it's the perfect time to celebrate Christmas in July! Join John Fuller, Georgia Dunham, and Diane Ingolia as they share some ideas for how to enjoy Christmas in July. You'll also hear from Danny Huerta and Rebecca St. James who will discuss ways for parents to enjoy Christmas in July with their kids. Then, Greg and …
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Send us a text Thank you for taking the time to download and listen to this year's scary festive tale. It's a real cracker this year- and you don't even have to wear the paper hat! The Tale of the Monkey's Paw in it's original form, as written by W.W. Jacobs, is a "3 wishes" story with a cautionary tale enclosed. Although subsequently made into sev…
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This story reminds us that we must not overlook suffering. May all of us be careful to observe and care for those who are in need. Support the showJason
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This is a story that has a great moral: To enjoy life while we live it. Listen in as you hear about the Fir Tree who learned that lesson a little too late. Support the showJason
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Here is a great little story about young Pastor's wife. Share it with a Pastor's Wife in your life, and let her know how much she means to you! Support the showJason
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What happens when you mail the wrong gifts to the right people? Listen to this charming story "The Fir Tree Cousins" by Lucretia D. Clapp Support the showJason
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The Tiny Foot, a true story by Dr. Frederic Loomis Support the showJason
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Our final episode of Hark! this season departs from the usual nativity of Christ in a manger, surrounded by shepherds and angels on high. Instead, our carol centers on the singular icon of a rose. “Lo, How a Rose E’er Blooming” is a German Christmas song, first published in a Lutheran hymnbook in 1599. Although its believed to be much older, origin…
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What if the true essence of Christmas could shine brighter without the glitz and glamour of extravagant parties and expensive gifts? Join us on this heartwarming adventure with the Davenport family in Cedar Hill as they face financial struggles that threaten to dampen their annual Christmas recital. But hold on - Christmas isn't cancelled! Through …
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As we conclude season 7 of Christmas Stories, we decided to take a fun look at how Jesus interacted with kids. Kim, Jesse and John share how the tender ways Christ treated children inspires them today, and Jim Daly explains why the Christmas story encourages him to make a difference. Receive the book 25 Days of the Christmas Story: An Advent Family…
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Enjoy this wonderful Christmas story about a boy whose wish list includes his father coming home. Author Unknown Support the showJason
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We’re looking at a song that is indisputably a Christmas carol but with a reach that extends to every season – “Go Tell It on the Mountain.” It belongs to a collection of historic Negro Spirituals, which likely started on the slave plantations in the American South and were later picked up in the Civil Rights Movement by activists like Fannie Lou H…
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Check out the Truth Trek Podcast! In this podcast, you will go along for an adventure through scripture. Each episode will take a look at a particular passage or concept and dive deeper into its meaning. Come along as we unlock the Bible and see how understanding it better can help us to glorify God and enjoy Him forever! https://truthtrek.buzzspro…
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How has parenting changed your perspective of Christmas? John, Jesse and Kim recount what each of their first Christmases were like as parents. Plus, we interviewed several people on what helps them keep a childlike wonder during the season. 1976701 Receive the book 25 Days of the Christmas Story: An Advent Family Experience for your donation of an…
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“The Wexford Carol” is heralded as Ireland’s oldest recorded Christmas carol. It’s been performed by world class cellist Yo-Yo Ma and American country music star Allison Krauss. Yet, the history of this carol is difficult to trace. We know that it was passed down in the oral tradition for hundreds of years. Some scholars claim it originated in the …
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Many boys wake up excited for Christmas day. To celebrate boys during the holidays, Kim, Jesse and John reflect on ways their sons have celebrated Christmas. You'll also hear Focus President Jim Daly read a story about a Christmas present he got as a young child. Receive the book 25 Days of the Christmas Story: An Advent Family Experience for your …
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Hark! Season 3 debuts with a crowd favorite- “O Holy Night.” Born as a French poem in 1843, and set to music a few years later, this carol was banned for two decades from the Catholic Mass. It resurfaced in the hands of a Unitarian minister in the U.S. and became an anthem for abolitionists before the Civil War. It is also the song that you, our li…
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Little girls have a special and unique way they contribute to Christmas. You'll hear a few girls share about what they're most excited about for Christmas this year. Plus, John, Kim and Jesse discuss lessons we can learn from Mary in the original Christmas story. Receive the book 25 Days of the Christmas Story: An Advent Family Experience for your …
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What are some of your favorite Christmas memories as a kid? For a lot of us, it was the simple things such as being with family, or even an unexpected surprise. John, Kim and Jesse discuss a few of their favorite Christmas memoires, and share why it's good to be reflective during the holidays. You’ll also hear from a number of guests on what they l…
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Welcome to Season 7 of the Christmas Stories podcast! Join John Fuller and his fellow co-hosts, Jesse Florea and Kim Trobee, as they preview the upcoming podcast season, and share some of their favorite childhood Christmas traditions. Throughout this season, we’ll be exploring what it means to have a childlike faith during the holidays. Receive the…
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Hark! Season 3 debuts November 26 with new episodes dropping every Sunday leading up to Christmas. Be sure to follow Hark! on your favorite podcast app and never miss a beat. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesAmerica Media
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For our last episode of the season, we’re blasting “Joy to the World” a carol that for many is synonymous with Christmas, but which has almost nothing to do with the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem. The prolific hymn writer, Isaac Watts, first penned “Joy to the World” after Psalm 98, which reflects the joy that followed Jewish deliverance from exile. …
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Send us a text I'm so pleased you have returned for this year's Christmas Ghost Story. Written by a master of the supernatural - Algernon Blackwood. We last read his work in 2015. As well as being a prolific ghost story writer, he also happens to be a master of my own profession - broadcasting. In this year's tale, our hero is a 4th year student at…
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“In the Bleak Midwinter” is the greatest carol of all time! Or, that’s what choir directors and choral experts across the U.S. and the U.K. told BBC Magazine in the 2008 poll that earned it this fame. This haunting carol is born out of a poem written by an English poet in 1872 for a U.S. literary journal, Scribner’s Monthly, unimaginatively titled:…
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What helps you remember Jesus during the Christmas season? As we wrap up Season 6 of Christmas Stories, we’ll hear Kati read Luke 2: 22 – 40, and our hosts share why this passage reminds us of the kind of life Jesus would live on earth. Receive the book "25 Days of the Christmas Story" for your donation of any amount Prepare Yourself for Advent 202…
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The Huron Carol may not be especially well-known by Americans, but in Canada, this song is a national treasure! It has been performed by some of Canada’s biggest recording artists, from Sarah McLachlan to Toronto Children’s Chorus. For decades now, Indigenous actor and singer, Tom Jackson, has performed a Christmas benefit concert in the carol’s na…
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The birth of Jesus is the reason we celebrate Christmas. And yet, more than two thousand years later, it still inspires us to make a difference. You’ll hear Megan read Luke 2: 1 – 21, and some stories from John and the co-hosts about how Christmas inspires them today. Receive the book "25 Days of the Christmas Story" for your donation of any amount…
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We’re traveling to bitter-cold Bohemia to dig deep into the story of a 10th-century duke turned king turned saint: Good King Wenceslas. The legend of Wenceslas’ generosity and faith has reverberated throughout time, but it wasn’t until 1853, that the prolific Victorian hymn writer, John Mason Neale, wrote the lyrics and paired them with a jaunty 16…
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The characters of the first Christmas all played a role in helping bring Jesus to earth. John, Paul, Diane, and Lisa reflect on some of their favorite characters of Christmas. Plus, you’ll hear from some of our friends of the ministry who’ll discuss things they’ve learned from the characters of Christmas. Plus, Kennedy will read Luke 1: 57 – 80. Ce…
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We’re ringing in the second season of Hark! with “Carol of the Bells,” or “Shchedryk.” Originally derived from a Ukrainian folk song, this Christmas classic crossed the Atlantic to become a major sensation, debuting at Carnegie Hall in 1922. Since then it has become an enchanting symbol of Christmastime with over 150 versions and recordings worldwi…
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Becoming an adult has a unique way of helping you gain new perspectives on the story of Christmas. Our friend Kristin reads Luke 1: 39 – 56, and you’ll hear from some Focus staff and broadcast guests about things they now see in the Christmas story as they’ve gained life experience. Prepare Yourself for Advent 2022 Celebrate Christmas: Giving My Ki…
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How did you first hear about the story of Christmas? For many people, it was in church or some other type of Christmas activity. John, Diane, Paul, and Lisa share what they’re looking forward to this year. And you’ll hear from a variety of guests on how they first learned about Christmas. Plus, Emerson, who works on our staff, reads Luke 1: 5 – 38.…
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Welcome to Season 6 of the Christmas Stories podcast! Join John Fuller and his fellow co-hosts, Diane Ingolia, Lisa Anderson, and Paul Batura, as they preview the upcoming podcast season, and recall the first time they heard about the original Christmas story. Throughout this season, we’ll be reading portions of Luke chapters 1 and 2 and discuss ho…
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Send us a text Welcome back for this year's Christmas Ghost Story. Written by William Wymark Jacobs in 1897, an author best known for his horror story The Monkey's Paw. This story reveals the tale of Jerry Bundler and the long term effects of his visit to a tavern, that still casts a shadow over revellers celebrating Christmas 80 years later.... Jo…
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It is hard to imagine a midnight Mass on Christmas Eve without Silent Night. Musicians may treat it differently—singing it a cappella, with spare chords on the organ in the background, or to the gentle picking of a guitar as its creators intended—but it is universally cherished. Its basic three-chord structure makes it a cinch to play and its lilti…
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