Episode Title: Path Lit by Lightning: The Awakening of Jim Thorpe

Series: Kingdom People in the Pages of History

Date: January 20, 2026

Target Length: 45:00

Theme: Gift discovered → Glory revealed → Gift will be tested

[SHOW INTRO MUSIC / PODCAST INTRO VOICEOVER]

“Hello, and welcome to the Kingdom Corner Podcast…”

[MUSIC FADE UNDER]

MATT (warm, reverent):

Let the beauty of Jesus be seen in me… all His wondrous compassion and purity.

Oh Thou Spirit divine… all my nature refine… till the beauty of Jesus be seen in me.

And today—just for a moment—I’m going to shift the lyric, because it fits where we’re going:

O let the gift He has given flow out of me… for all His wondrous compassion and purity.

O Thou Spirit divine… all my nature refine… till the gift You have given flows out from me…

Till the gift You have given flows out from me.

[PAUSE 2 beats]

MATT (signature upbeat):

Good day, good day, Kingdom Corner followers and devotees—The Great Matt Gibe with you once again—coming to you from the Pacific Northwest, where the coffee is strong, the air is crisp today… and I’ve had the past tapping me on the shoulder these last few days.

Welcome back to our series—Kingdom People in the Pages of History—where we look at people, places, and events… and we lay biblical truth right alongside them… and we glean. We extract. We learn. We repent where we need to repent… we adjust where we need to adjust… and we find courage where we need courage.

Because people learn through stories. They remember through stories.

Jesus told parables for a reason.

And today… we have a true story from history that deserves to be sung again.

MATT:

We’re stepping into a new chapter in this history series, drawn from David Maraniss’ powerful biography:

Path Lit by Lightning: The Life of Jim Thorpe.

And the title I’m using for today is this:

Lightning Rises: The Awakening of Jim Thorpe.

Now—quick reminder—our rhythm is usually Tuesdays and Fridays. Fridays we’re continuing our reading through Power and Authority Over Darkness by Angela Greenig—spiritual warfare, discernment, and how the enemy tries to move in patterns. This Friday we’ll be touching divination, familiar spirits, and the antichrist spirit. You do not want to miss it.

But today… settle in. Because I’m excited about this one.

MATT (slower, weightier):

As I’ve been reading and studying Jim Thorpe… a thought came back to me from John Eldredge’s book Waking the Dead. He opens with a quote from the second century—St. Irenaeus:

“The glory of God is man fully alive.”

Let that sink in.

Not a man merely surviving.

Not a man merely coping.

Not a man merely existing.

Fully alive.

And in this story—Jim Thorpe is a picture of a gift being awakened… like lightning splitting the sky… sudden, undeniable… impossible to ignore.

MATT (storytelling tone):

Not long ago, I sat in a local coffee shop. Two young people behind the counter—baristas—one about eighteen, the other mid-twenties.

And I decided to run a little experiment.

I asked:

“Have you ever heard the name Jim...

Kingdom Corner Podcast — January 16, 2026

In today’s Kingdom Corner, Matt Geib continues the Friday reading series from Angela Greenegg’s powerful deliverance manual Power and Authority Over Darkness. We explore two destructive spiritual strongholds—the Seducing Spirit and the Perverse Spirit—and how they infiltrate minds, wound hearts, distort truth, and trap souls through deception, lust, offense, and unresolved trauma.

Matt opens by updating listeners on the two-track rhythm of the podcast:

• Tuesdays — Kingdom People in the Pages of History (just завершено: The Nightingale Song series)

• Fridays — Book readings that equip believers to recognize and defeat spiritual strongholds.

This episode is both a sobering warning and a hopeful call to healing, repentance, and renewed minds.

📖 Reading from Power and Authority Over Darkness

Author: Angela Greenegg

Section: Spirits #10 and #11

• The Seducing Spirit

• The Perverse Spirit

• Completion of The Nightingale Song historical series

• Teaser for the upcoming history series (keyword: “running”)

• Ongoing Friday reading series through Greenegg’s book

• Upcoming interview with Pastor Andrew Scribner (Philippines)

Key Characteristics

• Misleads and persuades

• Twists truth

• Entices through promise or pleasure

• Burns images into the mind

• Dulls conscience

• Opens door to lust, pornography, adultery

• Targets the vulnerable

• Reprograms thinking

• Captures and enslaves

Biblical Foundation

• 1 Timothy 4:1 — Seducing spirits in latter times

• Genesis 3 — Eve and the twisted word

• Galatians 6:1 — Restore gently, watch yourself

• Matthew 12:29 — Bind the strongman

Prayer Focus

• Breaking seductive influence

• Cleansing of mental images

• Protection of families

• Binding and casting out in Jesus’ name

Key Characteristics

• Wounded spirit

• Offense as an entry point

• Twisted thinking

• Deceit

• Sexual perversion

• Self-love and pride

• False teaching

• Mood instability

• Resurrected past hurts

• Entrapment through unforgiveness

Biblical Foundation

• Isaiah 19:14 — A mingled perverse spirit

• Proverbs 15:4 — Perverseness breaks the spirit

• Acts 13:10 — Perverting the right ways of the Lord

• Romans 1:17–32 — Fruits of a debased mind

• 1 Corinthians 6:9–11 — Washed, sanctified, justified

• Hebrews 13:5 — God never leaves nor forsakes

Core Insight

Matt shares personal reflection on how none of us are exempt — even mature believers must guard their hearts from offense.

• Spiritual warfare begins in the mind.

• Seduction twists truth before it traps behavior.

• Offense is often the hidden doorway to deeper bondage.

• Healing of wounded spirits restores discernment.

• Binding the strongman requires prayer, patience, and truth.

• Renewing the mind realigns the walk.

• Healing of wounded hearts

• Release from past offenses

• Cleansing of thought life

• Restoration of purity

•...

Kingdom People in the Pages of History (Conclusion of The Nightingale’s Song)

Date: Jan 13, 2026

Length: 50:53

In this closing chapter of The Nightingale’s Song series (based on Robert Timberg’s 1993 classic), we step back and listen to the echo of five lives—John McCain, Oliver North, Robert “Bud” McFarlane, John Poindexter, and James Webb. This is more than a history recap; it’s a Kingdom lens on the human heart.

Using 1 Corinthians 10:1–13 as a foundational “history-as-admonition” passage, we explore how historic events become tupos—impressions, templates, warnings, and encouragements for God’s people today. From Annapolis to Vietnam to Iran-Contra, we trace how a single national furnace shaped these men in profoundly different ways—and then we turn the mirror toward our own generation: What kind of people will we become when our hour of testing arrives?

1. 1 Corinthians 10:1–13 — History as “examples” (tupos) for admonition and escape from temptation
2. 1 John 2:16 — Lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes, pride of life
3. 2 Peter 1:3 — God’s divine power for life and godliness
4. Psalm 8 — “What is man?” (human frailty and divine mindfulness)
5. James 1:12 — Steadfast under trial
6. Romans 10:2 — Zeal without knowledge
7. Galatians 6:2 — Bear one another’s burdens
8. 1 Corinthians 8:1 — Knowledge puffs up; love builds up
9. Psalm 42:5 — Hope in God amid inner turmoil
10. 1 Corinthians 1:18–25 — The cross vs. human wisdom
11. 1 Peter 1:6–7 — Trials refining faith like gold
12. Ephesians 2:8–10 — God’s workmanship: created for good works

Opening: Why this history series matters

1. Why “Kingdom People in the Pages of History” exists: extracting biblical principles from human events
2. The Nightingale’s Song as the first completed “chapter” of the series
3. 1 Corinthians 10 as the anchor text: history is written for our admonition

Tupos: How history becomes a template

1. The Greek idea of “tupos” (impression/strike)—like a typewriter imprint
2. Israel’s wilderness failures and God’s “way of escape” as a pattern for today

The conclusion monologue:...

Ecclesiastes 12:1, 6–8

Air Date: January 9, 2026

Episode Length: ~20 minutes

Series: Searching for Significance – A Devotional Journey Through Ecclesiastes (Final Reading)

In this special Friday episode of The Kingdom Corner Podcast, Matt Geib concludes the final chapter and closing reflections from his devotional book, Searching for Significance: A Devotional Journey Through Ecclesiastes.

Drawing from Ecclesiastes 12 and James 4, Matt reflects on the brevity of life, the certainty of eternity, and the urgency of living with God-given purpose—before the silver cord is broken. This episode is both a farewell to a long devotional journey and a gentle yet sobering call to examine our hearts, relationships, and priorities while time remains.

1. Ecclesiastes 12:1, 6–8 – Remember your Creator before life slips away
2. James 4:13–14 – Life is a vapor; tomorrow is never guaranteed
3. Psalm 17:15 – Satisfaction found in beholding God
4. 1 John 4:16 – Abiding in love, abiding in God
5. Jeremiah 29:11 – God’s purposes and future hope
6. Matthew 6:14–15 – The weight and freedom of forgiveness
7. Ephesians 4:1–2 – Walking worthy in humility and love
8. 1 Corinthians 6:19 – Our bodies as God’s temple
9. Ecclesiastes 12:13–14 (Amplified) – The final word: fear God, keep His commands

Matt shares a deeply moving personal story surrounding the passing of his brother-in-law and a final bedside prayer—illustrating the urgency of reconciliation with God and the reality that eternity is never far away.

This moment anchors the episode emotionally and spiritually, reminding listeners that purpose is not theoretical—it is eternal.

1. Stay close to the Father — never drift too far to return quickly
2. Don’t live with regret — seek God’s purpose and act on it now
3. Keep short accounts — forgive freely; love deeply
4. Care for your body — it is God’s dwelling place
5. Express love often — today is never guaranteed to repeat

Solomon’s conclusion to life “under the sun” is simple, weighty, and unavoidable:

True significance is not found in achievement, pleasure, or possession, but in reverent obedience and...

Episode Title: James Webb — The Warrior Who Never Left Vietnam

Date: January 6, 2026

Length: 54:17

Series: Kingdom People in the Pages of History (Robert Timberg’s The Nightingale’s Song)

Previous Episode: John Poindexter — “The Sub-Driver”

Focus Figure: James Webb (Marine infantry officer, Vietnam veteran, author of Fields of Fire, public servant)

Some men come home from war… and some never fully do. In this final character study from The Nightingale’s Song, Matt Geib explores James Webb as “the Marine’s Marine”—a warrior marked by Vietnam, shaped by loyalty to his men, and unwilling to let the nation forget the real cost of war. The episode builds a powerful contrast: Webb the truth-telling, grief-carrying warrior versus Oliver North the meaning-making, mission-driven warrior—and then brings it all under the searching gaze of Psalm 8: “What is man?”

1. The episode begins with Scripture confession and worship: “The Lord is my light and my salvation…” (Psalm 27 language).
2. Matt frames the series: five men connected to Annapolis, shaped by Vietnam, and later elevated into national power.
3. Today’s “final voice” is James Webb—introduced with deep admiration and emotional weight.

Webb is presented as:

1. A combat Marine who experienced Vietnam from the ground level (mud, fear, responsibility, loss).
2. A man with unusual emotional honesty compared with others in the series—troubled, angry, disillusioned, yet ultimately able to process the war rather than bury it.
3. A writer who gave voice to the soldier’s experience through the novel Fields of Fire (1979), described as one of the most authentic portrayals of Vietnam combat and brotherhood.

Key line of the episode: Vietnam didn’t just end—it followed men home into politics, families, and old age.

1. Matt introduces a striking metaphor:
2. James Webb (Marine) looked at life through the brutal clarity of war.
3. James Webb (telescope) invites humanity to look outward into creation’s vastness.
4. That contrast leads into Psalm 8:
5. “When I consider Your heavens… what is man that You are mindful of him?”
6. Vietnam forces the question from the foxhole; creation forces the question from the stars.

1. Born 1946, raised in a military family.
2. Naval Academy →...

In this episode of the Kingdom Corner podcast, Matt Geib delves into the spiritual significance of the year 2026 and its parallel in the Hebrew calendar, 5786. Geib introduces the prophetic meaning behind the Hebrew numbers: refining the voice. Through challenges and trials, believers may find their voices tested yet refined like gold, leading to a future where truth is spoken with authority. Central to this exploration is the power of the spoken word as both a refining fire and a method of divine connection, urging listeners to recognize the impact of their words in shaping reality.

In today’s installment of Kingdom People in the Pages of History (through the lens of The Nightingale’s Song by Robert Timberg), Matt turns the spotlight on John Poindexter—brilliant, disciplined, emotionally contained, and shaped by the silent world of submarines and systems.

This episode asks a piercing question: What happens when a man trained to live by instruments and protocol is asked to navigate moral terrain? Through Poindexter’s rise (Naval Academy, Rhodes Scholar, high-level national security roles) and his role in Iran-Contra, we explore the tension between obedience and discernment, secrecy and truth, genius and humility—and why even the sharpest mind must bow to something greater than itself.

Matt closes by laying Poindexter’s story over 1 Corinthians 1–2, contrasting “the wisdom of the world” with “the foolishness of the cross,” and invites every listener to examine where we may be trusting competence over Christ.

1. A recap of the “Nightingale’s Song” series so far (McCain → North → McFarlane → Poindexter)
2. The opening metaphor: life beneath the ocean vs life in the light
3. “The Submarine Mind” and the cost of pure obedience
4. Poindexter’s background:
5. Born 1936
6. Top-tier academic and military performance (Naval Academy, Rhodes Scholar)
7. Command and leadership roles, including USS Truxtun
8. NSC roles under Reagan: Deputy NSA (1983), National Security Advisor (1985)
9. Iran-Contra explained in plain terms: secret arms sales → diverted funds → Contras in Nicaragua
10. The word that keeps showing up: compartmentalization
11. Major contrasts:
12. Poindexter vs. McFarlane (architecture vs consequence)
13. Poindexter vs. McCain (competence vs crucible)
14. Vietnam as the “silent divider” (shared suffering vs protected ascent)
15. Kingdom reflection:
16. “Genius without suffering tends to trust systems more than truth.”
17. “The Kingdom is not advanced by brilliance alone, but by humility before God.”
18. Scripture anchor: 1 Corinthians 1:18–31 (Christ as God’s wisdom)

1. “What works in the depths

Episode Title: "EMBRACING the Christmas Spirit" or What Child Is This? (A Christmas Devotional)

Date: December 23, 2025

Length: ~56 minutes

Series Note: A special Christmas devotional “pause” from the usual Tuesday history rhythm.

With Christmas only two days away, Matt steps away from the regular Kingdom People in the Pages of History track for a heartfelt Christmas devotional rooted in Luke 2:8–20 (the Linus “Charlie Brown Christmas” passage).

This episode asks the central question of the season: “What Child is this?”—and then moves beyond the manger to the full scope of Christ’s identity and mission: Son, Savior, King, and the One who purifies sin and sustains all things.

Matt also shares a personal reflection on how his view of Christmas has “swung like a pendulum” over the years—from childhood wonder, to seasons of skepticism, and back to a mature middle grounded in gospel opportunity, family warmth, and the deeper meaning of Christ formed in us.

1. A quick “Kingdom Corner rhythm” recap (Tuesdays: history + Scripture / Fridays: Ecclesiastes devotionals + spiritual warfare readings)
2. Christmas detour: a devotional episode with heart + theology
3. Reading: Luke 2:8–20 (shepherds, angels, Mary pondering)
4. Theme hymn: What Child Is This? — imagination, wonder, and the weight of the question
5. Mary’s cost & courage: the social risk and personal weight of obedience
6. Christmas pendulum story: childhood Christmas → Bible college pushback → later-life “middle ground” with grandkids and gospel focus
7. Core text: Hebrews 1:1–4 — Jesus is God’s climactic Word
8. Five reasons Jesus is God’s final Word (teaching segment)
9. Big Kingdom conclusion: the “Christmas spirit” is ultimately the Spirit of Christ living in believers
10. Worship ending: Revelation 5:6–14 — Worthy is the Lamb
11. Closing prayer + blessing and a return to regular scheduling next week

Five reasons Jesus is God’s final Word:

1. Jesus completes the revelation begun in the Old Testament (prophets converge in Christ).
2. Jesus brackets all of history — Alpha & Omega; beginning and end.
3. Jesus sustains the present moment — “cosmic glue” / all things hold together in Him.