Spiritual Lessons from the
Alfred the Great
A Daily Thunder Series with Eric Ludy
In the year 871, the evil Vikings appeared to be the unstoppable new rulers of the Isle of Britain, but, against all odds, King Alfred of Wessex stood up and faced this encroaching evil head-on. In history, Alfred is considered “great” not because he was a powerful man, nor because he was a rich man, but because he was a man that stared at dramatic impossibilities and believed that God was able to overcome. As the powers of darkness sweep across our beloved nation with malevolent intent, it is our hope that the Church regain its ancient swagger and freshly rally to the Cross of Christ, brandishing the ancient spiritual weaponry entrusted to us at Pentecost. May men and women like Alfred once again arise to meet the Viking invasion.
Note: Eric is reteaching this powerful series that he originally gave in 2021.
01: The Unlikely Hero
In the year 872 the Vegas odds were against Alfred and his future portended hopelessness, yet all these many years later we refer to this guy as Alfred the Great. Why? Because God enjoys proving the oddsmakers wrong. Alfred’s story is remarkable, and ours should be, too.
02: The Behavior of Royalty
We have a territory to rule and protect. And the decisions we make don’t just impact our own territory but that of the world surrounding us. Like Alfred, if we learn to do this “ruling” thing right, we could change the world.
03: Don't Pay the Dane
There were two distinct ways that the kings of the island of Britain dealt with the invading Vikings in the ninth century. The most popular way was to pacify them and give them what they wanted. This was called, “paying the Danegeld”. While the other way involved a great expenditure of energy and strength. It was called “fighting them”. In history, it has been shown time and again, that to pay the Danegeld doesn’t work. In fact, it empowers the invader to come back for more and more and more — until nothing is left. Whereas, the second method, though it be the harder way, actually gets the job done. How are we engaging the Vikings that are attempting to invade our life?
04: THe Dark Night of Viking Dominance
Eric explores the first encounters Alfred shares with the legendary Vikings and how those first encounters parallel our first steps forward against our own terrifying territorial invader, known as Sin. Alfred is going to have a rough beginning and then he is going to learn something, too, that is going to turn the tide in the famed Battle of Ashdown.
