THE UNLIKELY HERO
June 14, 2021

This is the exciting first episode of an epic summer Daily Thunder series drawing on the legendary life of Alfred the Great. Vegas odds are stacked against the Church of Jesus Christ in the year 2021 just as they were stacked against Alfred over eleven hundred years ago. We appear weak, downtrodden, vulnerable, and on our heels. And yet, every great hero in Scripture starts in that exact position. God seems to delight in taking the least likely of circumstances and the least likely of people and showcasing His magnificent plot-twisting powers in and through them.  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 Vegas oddsmakers wrong. Alfred’s story is remarkable, and ours should be, too.

THE BEHAVIOR OF ROYALTY
June 16, 2021

This is the second episode in Eric Ludy’s epic summer Daily Thunder series drawing on the legendary life of Alfred the Great.  In this particular episode he takes a deep dive into the concept of kings in Biblical history and what God says about them.  A king is in a rare and powerful position to sway the destiny of an entire nation and the nations surrounding. It is critical that we realize that what a king of nations must recognize on a global scale, each of us as believers must recognize on a more intimate scale.  We have a territory to rule and protect.  And the decisions we make don’t just impact our own territory but that of miniature kingdoms surrounding us.  Like Alfred, let’s learn to do this ruling thing right. 

THE KNOCK-OUT PUNCH
June 18, 2021

This is the third episode in Eric Ludy’s epic summer Daily Thunder series drawing on the legendary life of Alfred the Great. In this particular episode he draws a strong parallel between the fractured kingdoms of Britannia in 865 with the denominationalized Church of Jesus Christ in the year 2021. Alfred is going to inherit a broken system when he was crowned king, just as we are inheriting a fault-filled Church system as we step into our faith-walk with Christ. However, unlike many of us, Alfred is going to spend his life fixing that which is broken instead of just accepting its unhealthy state. And just like in Alfred’s day — the future of decency, honor, liberty, and truth depend upon someone rising up and doing something about the impending doom. 

THE SALT WATER BANDITS
June 21, 2021

This is the fourth episode in Eric Ludy’s epic summer Daily Thunder series drawing on the legendary life of Alfred the Great. In this particular episode he introduces the terrible Vikings and the immense threat they pose to the isle of Britain. This once Christian nation is suddenly experience a very real judgment. They have forgotten God and turned from His ways. Is there a remedy? Much like the current movement of darkness against the continent of North America in the year 2021, the Vikings seemed unstoppable in the mid ninth century. But, something is going to happen in this exciting season of history that will turn the tide on this evil encroachment.

THE DANGERS OF THE SNOOZE BUTTON
June 23, 2021

This is the fifth episode in Eric Ludy’s epic summer Daily Thunder series drawing on the legendary life of Alfred the Great. In this particular episode he dives into the two distinct ways that the Kings of island of Britain dealt with the Vikings in the ninth century. The most popular way was to pacify them and give them what they wanted so that they would leave town. This was called, “paying the Danegeld”. While the other way was much more difficult and 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.

THE DARK NIGHT OF VIKING DOMINANCE
June 25, 2021

This is the sixth episode in Eric Ludy’s epic summer Daily Thunder series drawing on the legendary life of Alfred the Great. In this particular episode he explores the first encounters Alfred shares with the legendary Vikings and how that parallels 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 to that is going to turn the tide in the famed Battle of Ashdown.

 THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE KING
June 28, 2021

This is the seventh episode in Eric Ludy’s epic summer Daily Thunder series drawing on the legendary life of Alfred the Great. In this particular episode he dives into the way of Anglo-Saxon kings with their men. In 871 Alfred is going to become King of Wessex. And as a king, more than anything, he desires to walk out his kingship with his loyal thegns by his side. The extraordinary fellowship of the Anglo-Saxon king and his thegns is something foreign to our modern system of manly relationship building, but in studying it, it helps us better understand the fellowship that Christ the King yearns to have with His thegns, the Church.

THE BETRAYAL OF WULFHERE
June 30, 2021

This is the eighth episode in Eric Ludy’s epic summer Daily Thunder series drawing on the legendary life of Alfred the Great. In this particular episode he examines the significance of covenantal pledges in the ninth century and how that played a prominent role in the storyline of Alfred. The seemingly inordinate value place upon the ideal of integrity in the Kingdom of Wessex is a beautiful and striking parallel to the much greater Kingdom of Christ and the weight He Himself places on integrity in His system of government. The betrayal of Wulfhere is a shocking demonstration of the fact that colossal compromise is a close companion to all who consider their own comforts higher than the preservation of their king.

THE SHOCKING END OF GUTHRUM
July 12, 2021

This is the thirteenth episode in Eric Ludy’s epic summer Daily Thunder series drawing on the legendary life of Alfred the Great. In this particular episode two unexpected and amazing things are going to enter the already-exciting storyline. First, Guthrum, the evil king of the Vikings is going to have a shocking end to his life — a death that students of history have deeply pondered and wondered about for generations. While the second thing is the arrival of a new character on the scene named Æthelstan, at the precise time Guthrum exits the storyline. Æthelstan is another king who will prove critical to Alfred’s successes in transforming a terribly fractured Britain into one united England.

THE RING GIVER OF WESSEX
July 14, 2021

This is the fourteenth episode in Eric Ludy’s epic summer Daily Thunder series drawing on the legendary life of Alfred the Great. In this particular episode he explores the gift-giving prerogative of a king. The generosity of the Saxon kings of Alfred’s era is a fascinating study in itself, but the generosity of Jesus Christ, the King of Kings is even more astounding.  Christ has given kingly gifts to his Church, but have we received these kingly gifts? Have we responded as recipients of sacred gifts ought to respond? Have we tilled the land He entrusted us? Have we invested the talents of gold He bestowed upon us?  Have we swung the gilded swords that he placed within our grasp? May we honor our Almighty Ring Giver by handling His sacred trust with diligent and loving exercise.

THE SECRET OF ALFRED’S ARMOR
July 16, 2021

This is the fifteenth episode in Eric Ludy’s epic summer Daily Thunder series drawing on the legendary life of Alfred the Great. In this particular episode he unpacks the unusual way that Alfred handles the season of reprieve from battle that follows his extraordinary victory over the Vikings at Edington.  He doesn’t spend it enjoying the lovely Wessex summer, but he rolls up his sleeves and transforms the Saxon military system. He boldly changes out the age-old Fyrd system out for a new Burh system. This arduous and challenging shift alters the course of the island of Britannia, ultimately proves the undoing of the Viking hordes, and sets the pace for a united England in upcoming generations.

THE RETURN OF THE SAXON SWAGGER
July 19, 2021

This is the sixteenth episode in Eric Ludy’s epic summer Daily Thunder series drawing on the legendary life of Alfred the Great. In this special edition Daily Thunder message, he is welcoming the newly arriving students for the summer 2021 Alumni Summit and finding an excuse to share some profound tidbits about Alfred the Great simultaneously.  This particular episode introduces the extraordinary “revival” that comes to Wessex as a result of Alfred’s bold maneuvers as king. It’s a picture of the revival that God wants to bring to each and every one of our lives.

THE VIKING BRAWN VS. ALFRED’S BURH
July 21, 2021

This is the seventeenth episode in Eric Ludy’s epic summer Daily Thunder series drawing on the legendary life of Alfred the Great. In this particular episode he zooms in on a particular event in the year 885 when a new wave of Viking evil crashes up against Alfred’s newly built Burh defenses in Rochester.  It’s the ultimate test to determine if all of his effort to fortify the nation of Wessex has paid off. That’s a test that each one of us becomes familiar with as Believers in Christ. At conversion, we kick out the darkness and we are invigorated with the initial victory over sin, but there comes a time when the darkness returns to see if we have grown lax in our faith or if we really have exercised our newfound defenses in Christ. May the Vikings, when they come, find us firmly established in Lord’s power and victory!

THE SAXON PEACE-WEAVER
July 23, 2021

This is the eigtheenth episode in Eric Ludy’s epic summer Daily Thunder series drawing on the legendary life of Alfred the Great. In this particular episode he brings a woman into the series for the first time — Alfred’s first born, Æthelflæd. The beautiful young Æthelflæd becomes an incredible picture of love, grace, and self-sacrificing care as she is called on to play a very special role as a royal player in the Anglo-Saxon culture. Æthelflæd becomes the “peace-weaver” between two nations at at a time when peace between them was essential to overcoming the Viking onslaught.

THE RABID YETI OF WESSEX
July 27, 2021

This is the nineteenth episode in Eric Ludy’s epic summer Daily Thunder series drawing on the legendary life of Alfred the Great. In this particular episode he delves into the astounding drive of Alfred to re-introduce literacy and Biblical learning back to his nation. And to accomplish this amazing feat, he, himself, needed to learn to read. 

THE FIRST SUFFERER OF THE SAXONS
July 28, 2021

This is the twentieth episode in Eric Ludy’s epic summer Daily Thunder series drawing on the legendary life of Alfred the Great. In this particular episode he explores the manly initiative of the King of Wessex to lead as the “first to suffer the difficulty”, the “first to attempt the challenge”, and the “first to change from the old ways”.  This exemplary pattern of leadership hearkened back to the model of Christ and worked to transform his nation and the world.

THE FOOTPRINTS OF THE GREAT
July 30, 2021

This is the twenty-first and final episode in Eric Ludy’s epic summer Daily Thunder series drawing on the legendary life of Alfred the Great. In this particular episode he explores the idea of “the æstel” — a kingly gift given to Alfred’s men in order to help them better read and understand the text of the Bible. Alfred himself proved to be an æstel to his nation, to the world, and even to the generations that followed him. Alfred was a great king, but that is due to the fact that he lived with the sole purpose of bringing glory to the Greatest King — Jesus Christ.