{"type":"rich","version":"1.0","provider_name":"Transistor","provider_url":"https://transistor.fm","author_name":"New Hope Church | becomehope","title":"How Do You Respond When You're Under Attack?","html":"","width":"100%","height":180,"duration":2099,"description":"Pastor Randy explores Jesus' command to \"Be wise as serpents and harmless as doves\" (Matthew 10:10), and what it really means in a culture of anger and reactivity.\nTHE CONTEXT:\nJesus sends out His disciples as \"sheep among wolves.\" They'll be arrested, flogged, betrayed, hated, and persecuted. In the middle of these warnings, He says: \"Be as shrewd as snakes and harmless as doves.\"\nTHE GREEK WORD:\nShrewd (phronimos) doesn't mean intelligence in the abstract sense. It means practical wisdom, thinking things through before you act. It's the same word Jesus uses for the wise man who built his house on the rock and the wise bridesmaids who prepared themselves.\nTHE SERPENT REFERENCE:\nThe only serpent called \"shrewd\" in Scripture is Satan in Genesis 3:1. Before approaching Eve, he had a plan. He knew what he'd say, how he'd say it, and when to say it. Jesus wants us to think things through like that, but for good purposes.\nNOT A CALL TO DECEPTION:\nJesus is NOT saying \"behave like Satan.\" He's saying: think strategically. Plan your responses. Don't react emotionally when you're under attack. Instead, be assertive, not passive, not violent, but deliberate.\nTHE CURRENT PROBLEM:\nWe live in an age of anger:\nFBI reports twice as many hate crimes in 2026 as in 2015\n22% of Americans experience anger daily\nSocial media amplifies every emotional outburst\nBut is there more actual anger, or just more visibility? The data suggests it's visibility. We broadcast our anger 24/7.\nTYPES OF ANGER:\nExasperated anger - frustration that builds over repeated behavior\nSlow burn - simmering resentment that can create \"roots of bitterness\"\nViolent anger - verbal or physical (Jesus would say: never justified)\nAssertive anger - thinking things through, responding calmly but firmly\nTHE JESUS EXAMPLE:\nWhen arrested and flogged before Pilate, Jesus stayed silent. When it was time to speak, He spoke deliberately. He was always in control, always thinking things through. He modeled assertive anger....","thumbnail_url":"https://img.transistorcdn.com/QeSOhOM9pdl7ie6YwFiWKrFHSz-rrRbE1NzVv7jCKNA/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:400/h:400/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS9zaG93/LzIwMDk2LzE2MTc4/MDY0ODctYXJ0d29y/ay5qcGc.webp","thumbnail_width":300,"thumbnail_height":300}