Truth Be Told: Recent Episodes
Micah Gunn
A theology and apologetics podcast born out of a love of God‘s word, a hope to find common ground with those who study it, and a desire to outline truth as the Bible tells it.
Often, people claim that the Bible is an instruction manual for life. While it can (and should) guide and teach us, this view of Scripture feels so narrow to me.
In this episode, I explore why I've never connected with books like James or Proverbs in quite the same way many Christians do—and what that has taught me about the way we read Scripture.
Commands, wisdom, and moral instruction are essential. We need the Law. We need to be taught, corrected, and guided. But being told to do good isn't always the same as being inspired to become good.
That's where stories matter.
The greatest works of fiction captivate us because they allow us to witness courage, sacrifice, integrity, redemption, and character growth. We don't simply learn about virtue—we come to admire it, long for it, and often find ourselves wanting to imitate it. The Bible offers this same gift through its narratives.
What if we've been reading those stories the wrong way?
Too often we approach biblical narratives only to extract lessons, commands, or principles, reducing living stories into bullet points for moral instruction. But God didn't just give us rules to follow—He gave us people to know, struggles to witness, failures to grieve, victories to celebrate, and examples that stir our hearts toward goodness.
The Bible isn't fiction. But sometimes we should read it the way we read great fiction: entering the story, connecting with the characters, feeling the weight of their choices, and allowing their lives to inspire us. Not just so we'll know what is good—but so we'll genuinely desire to be good.
Join me as we explore why inspiration is just as important as instruction, and why Scripture was designed to shape not only our actions, but also our affections.
Email: truthbetoldbiblepodcast@gmail.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TruthBeToldYouTube
Logo: Matt Hernandez
Music: Acoustic Indie Folk Years By MarkJuly
Bible #BibleStudy #Christianity #ChristianPodcast #ChristianYouTube #Scripture #BiblicalWisdom #Faith #Discipleship #SpiritualGrowth #CharacterFormation #Virtue #BiblicalNarrative #Storytelling #ReadTheBible #BibleReading #ChristianLiving #Theology #ChristianThought #FaithJourney #Jesus #OldTestament #NewTestament #ChristianContent #WisdomLiterature
Is 1 Corinthians 14 really just about speaking in tongues?
In this episode, we explore a broader principle hidden within Paul's instructions about tongues and interpretation. While language barriers may not look the same today, communication barriers are everywhere—in our churches, our worship, and even our relationships with one another.
Using 1 Corinthians 14 alongside 1 Corinthians 10:23-24, we discuss why being right isn't always enough.
As Christians, we're called not only to speak the truth, but to communicate it in ways that build others up. What happens when worship styles clash? Is it wrong to sing a prayer? Should we abandon tradition—or cling to it?
Rather than taking either extreme, this conversation looks at how both presenters and listeners share the responsibility of pursuing unity through love, humility, and effective communication.
Whether you're a preacher, worship leader, Bible teacher, or simply someone who wants to better understand Scripture and strengthen the church, this episode will challenge you to think differently about what it means to edify one another.
Scriptures Discussed: • 1 Corinthians 14:27-28 • 1 Corinthians 10:23-25
If this episode encourages you, consider subscribing, sharing it with a friend, and joining the conversation in the comments.
BibleStudy #1Corinthians #ChristianPodcast #ChristianYouTube #Worship #ChurchUnity #BibleTeaching #ChristianLiving #Faith #Scripture #faith #truthbetold #JesusChrist #God #Jesus #Christ #church #theology #apologetics #speakingintongues #cultural #culture #communication #barriers #Communicationbarriers #languagebarriers #bible #biblical
Email: truthbetoldbiblepodcast@gmail.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TruthBeToldYouTube
Logo: Matt Hernandez
Music: Acoustic Indie Folk Years By MarkJuly
In this episode of Truth Be Told, we take a look at a danger that can quietly creep into the lives of Christians: familiarity.
Because Christianity is so deeply woven into our culture, our families, and even our personal histories, it can sometimes begin to feel ordinary. We go to church, say our prayers, try to live good lives—and somewhere along the way, we can lose our sense of wonder.
We forget the incredible reality of what we have been called into.
The early Christians experienced this struggle as well. Many faced persecution, hardship, division, and uncertainty. They were scattered throughout the world and often looked at their circumstances and wondered where they fit in God’s plan. But Peter begins his first epistle by reminding them of something far greater than their immediate situation: they were not forgotten people living meaningless lives.
They were chosen by God, called according to His purpose, redeemed by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, and brought into a salvation that generations of prophets longed to see. Peter reminds believers that this salvation was not a small or ordinary thing—it was the fulfillment of a plan that stretched across history.
It was something even angels longed to understand. Their circumstances may have been difficult, but their spiritual reality was extraordinary.
In this episode, we explore how passages like 1 Peter and Hebrews 11 challenge us to recover our amazement at the Christian life. The heroes of faith were still waiting for the completion of God’s promises, because God had planned something even greater that included us.
Our faith is not mundane. Our calling is not ordinary. The fact that Christianity may feel familiar does not mean God is common, boring, or small.
It means we have the privilege of living in the reality that generations before us hoped to see. Join us as we remember the epic truth of what it means to be called by God.
Email: truthbetoldbiblepodcast@gmail.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TruthBeToldYouTube
Logo: Matt Hernandez
Music: Acoustic Indie Folk Years By MarkJuly
TruthBeTold #ChristianApologetics #ChristianPodcast #Theology #BibleStudy #BiblicalStudies #Scripture #JesusChrist #Gospel #ChristianFaith #FaithAndReason #ChristianLiving #SpiritualGrowth #RediscoverFaith #WonderOfGod #AmazingGrace #CalledByGod #ChosenByGod #IdentityInChrist #LifeInChrist #PurposeOfGod #GodsCalling #Salvation #1Peter #FirstPeter #1Peter1 #Hebrews11 #HeroesOfFaith #FaithJourney #FaithOverFear #Persecution #EarlyChurch #BiblicalEncouragement #ChristianHope #HopeInChrist #EternalPerspective #KingdomOfGod #GloryOfGod #GodsPromises #TheChristianLife #FollowingJesus #KnowingGod #DeepBibleStudy #BibleTeaching #TheologyTalk #ChristianWorldview #DefendingTheFaith #ApologeticsPodcast #BibleReliability #JesusIsLord #Christianity #FaithIsNotBoring #AmazedByGod #EpicFaith
In this episode, we explore one of the most fascinating encounters in the Gospels: Jesus and the Samaritan woman at the well in John 4.
At first glance, the story of a woman who had five husbands—and was living with a man who was not her husband—may seem like a simple account of Jesus offering grace to a broken person. But when we look deeper into the Old Testament background, an incredible connection emerges.
The story of this Samaritan woman appears to parallel the history of Samaria itself, especially the events recorded in 2 Kings 17, where Assyria brought five foreign peoples into the land who mixed pagan worship with the worship of YHWH. The five husbands of the Samaritan woman may serve as a powerful literary and theological reflection of the five nations and their false gods that shaped Samaria’s history.
In this encounter, Jesus presents Himself as the true bridegroom—the one who comes to restore what has been broken and bring true worship back to God’s people.
But how should Christians respond when we find these kinds of striking parallels between the Old and New Testaments?
Some fear that connections like this make the Bible seem like an ancient myth—a story carefully crafted by human authors rather than a record of real events.
In this episode, we explore why that conclusion does not follow. Instead, these connections should deepen our awe at the way God works through history, through human authors, and through real lives to reveal His purposes. The writers of Scripture could recognize meaningful patterns and highlight details, while God Himself sovereignly guided history and inspired His Word to point toward the greater story He was telling.
Join us as we examine the Samaritan woman, the history of Samaria, and the incredible unity of Scripture that reveals a God who is not only able to inspire the written Word, but also to bring His promises to fulfillment through real people and real events.
Email: truthbetoldbiblepodcast@gmail.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TruthBeToldYouTube
Logo: Matt Hernandez
Music: Acoustic Indie Folk Years By MarkJuly
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Jacob is one of the most relatable people in the Bible. He's flawed, fearful, deceptive, and often running from the consequences of his choices. Yet God remains patient with him, shaping him into someone who no longer lives by fear—but by faith.
In this episode, we explore a fascinating pattern woven throughout Jacob's story in Genesis that centers on one recurring phrase: "seeing someone's face." From wrestling with God at Peniel, to reconciling with Esau, to embracing Joseph in Egypt, Jacob repeatedly expects judgment, loss, or even death—but instead encounters mercy, reconciliation, and restoration.
Could these moments be intentionally connected? And what do they reveal about Jacob's transformation... and about God's work in our own lives?
Together we'll examine:
- Why Jacob's life is marked by hiding, deception, and running.
- The life-changing significance of wrestling with God "face to face."
- How Jacob's reconciliation with Esau echoes God's grace.
- Why Jacob's reunion with Joseph completes a powerful biblical pattern.
- What this repeated "face" imagery teaches us about fear, mercy, restoration, and finding true life in Christ.
Jacob's story reminds us that the places we fear the most are often the very places where God intends to reveal His grace. The faces we expect to bring condemnation may become the places where we discover mercy. And the circumstances we think will undo us may be the very means God uses to give us fuller life.
If you've ever struggled with fear, shame, or the temptation to keep running, this episode offers a fresh look at one of Genesis' most compelling stories—and a powerful reminder that God's grace often meets us exactly where we least expect it.
If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to follow the podcast, subscribe on YouTube, and share it with someone who could use this encouragement. I'd also love to hear your thoughts: What do you think the repeated "face to face" moments in Jacob's life are meant to teach us?
Email: truthbetoldbiblepodcast@gmail.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TruthBeToldYouTube
Logo: Matt Hernandez
Music: Acoustic Indie Folk Years By MarkJuly
BibleStudy #Genesis #Jacob #ChristianPodcast #BibleTeaching #ChristianYouTube #Faith #BiblicalTheology #OldTestament #Jesus #BibleStudyPodcast #VerseByVerse #BibleExplained #BibleCommentary #ChristianFaith #ScriptureStudy #ReadTheBible #BibleTeacher #KnowYourBible #Theology #ChristianContent #BibleTruth #FaithJourney #GrowingInFaith #GodsGrace #GospelCentered #ChristianEncouragement #TrustGod #WalkWithGod #ChristianLife #conflict #practicalChristianity #fyp #fypyoutube
Are you spending time in God's Word to know Him—or just to prepare for the next thing you have to teach?
In this episode, I share a personal conviction that surfaced after realizing much of my Bible study had become preparation for sermons, podcast episodes, and ministry rather than simply pursuing fellowship with Christ. Ministry is a good thing, but when serving Jesus begins to replace sitting with Him, we've gotten the order backwards.
Jesus never tells us to manufacture fruit—He calls us to abide in Him. From that relationship, everything else flows.
We'll look at what Scripture teaches about abiding in Christ, the story of Mary and Martha, and Jesus' invitation to drink deeply from the source of living water before pouring into others.
In this episode:
• Why ministry should never replace personal fellowship with God
• The connection between abiding in Christ and bearing fruit
• What Mary and Martha teach us about this concept
• Why Jesus is the source of "living water"
• The warning of broken cisterns in Jeremiah 2
• A challenging question for pastors, teachers, and all Christians
Whether you're a pastor, Bible teacher, ministry volunteer, podcaster, or simply someone who wants to grow in your walk with Christ, I hope this conversation encourages you to pursue God first—not merely what you can produce for Him.
If this episode encouraged you, consider subscribing, sharing it with someone serving in ministry, and leaving a comment below:
How do you keep your personal relationship with Christ from being overshadowed by serving Him?
Email: truthbetoldbiblepodcast@gmail.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TruthBeToldYouTube
Logo: Matt Hernandez
Music: Acoustic Indie Folk Years By MarkJuly
ChristianPodcast #BibleStudy #AbideInChrist #John15 #ChristianLiving #Discipleship #BibleTeaching #JesusChrist #Theology #Apologetics #TimeWithGod #SeekGod #BiblicalTruth #Faith #WalkWithGod #faith #biblical #theology #spirituality #religion #brokencisterns #livingwater #abideinme #Christian #Christianity #fyp #fypyoutube
When people think about biblical prophecy, they often imagine a detailed roadmap of future events—wars, timelines, signs, and exact predictions that unlock hidden knowledge about the end times. But what if that approach is missing the point entirely?
In this episode, we explore a different way of understanding prophecy: not as a timeline to decode, but as a traffic map meant to guide God’s people in faithful living through uncertain times.
Drawing from passages like 2 Peter 3, Acts 1, Jonah 3, and Daniel 11, we consider four key principles for reading prophecy well:
- Prophecy is not given to satisfy curiosity, but to form character
- Prophetic warnings are meant to change the present, not just predict the future
- Not every prophetic detail is about every individual personally
- And above all, the center of all prophecy is Jesus Christ and His Kingdom
Along the way, we challenge common modern approaches to end-times speculation and ask a more important question: Is our understanding of prophecy making us more faithful—or merely more anxious and distracted?
Ultimately, prophecy is not about secret information. It is about faithful navigation. It calls us to repentance, endurance, hope, and a steady focus on Christ.
Because in the end, every road in history leads to one destination: the throne of Jesus Christ. The real question is not whether we can decode every detail—but whether we are traveling faithfully toward the King.
Email: truthbetoldbiblepodcast@gmail.com
Logo: Matt Hernandez
Music: Acoustic Indie Folk Years By MarkJuly
What if one of the greatest obstacles to experiencing God's power is our constant need to prove our own?
While rereading the book of Exodus, I noticed something I had never paid much attention to before. When God sent the first plagues upon Egypt, Pharaoh's magicians immediately tried to replicate them. Water turned to blood? They turned more water to blood. Frogs covering the land? They produced more frogs.
Instead of trying to undo the suffering, they added to it—all in an effort to prove they still had control. The more I reflected on that response, the more I realized how often we do the same thing.
It's easy to see this tendency in Pharaoh or even in skeptics who refuse to consider the possibility of God. But what if Christians struggle with the same problem?
When we're exhausted, insecure, anxious, or facing difficulties, how often is our first instinct to work harder, fix ourselves, or prove we're capable rather than surrendering the situation to God?
In this episode, we explore the surprising lesson hidden within the early plagues of Exodus and how the magicians' response mirrors our own tendency to grasp for control.
We'll talk about what true surrender looks like, why spiritual disciplines can sometimes become tools of self-reliance, and how admitting our weakness may be the very thing that opens the door to God's strength.
Sometimes God isn't asking us to become better magicians. Sometimes He's asking us to stop pretending we're magicians at all.
Join me as I share a personal study, my own struggles with surrender, and the simple prayer that has helped me begin letting go of control and trusting God more deeply.
Email: truthbetoldbiblepodcast@gmail.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TruthBeToldYouTube
Logo: Matt Hernandez
Music: Acoustic Indie Folk Years By MarkJuly
ChristianPodcast #BibleStudy #Exodus #ChristianLiving #FaithInGod #TrustGod #SurrenderToGod #SpiritualGrowth #ChristianEncouragement #BiblicalTruth #GodsWill #FaithJourney #ChristianYouTube #JesusChrist #ChristianTeaching #LetGoAndLetGod #TrustingGod #ChristianDiscipleship #WalkingWithGod #BibleTeaching #FaithOverFear #ChristianContent #SpiritualFormation #KingdomMindset #ChristianMessage #JannesandJambres #HotepandHuy #PrinceofEgypt #10Plagues #TenPlagues #Moses #Pharaoh #Egypt #fyp #fypyoutube
In this special episode of Truth Be Told, we sit down with Apollo 16 astronaut Charlie Duke—the 10th man to walk on the Moon, former Apollo 11 CAPCOM, and the youngest person ever to set foot on the lunar surface.
Drawing from his historic experiences exploring the Moon and viewing Earth from space, Duke reflects on wonder, humanity, purpose, and the profound questions that have captivated people for generations. We discuss the relationship between science and faith, whether space exploration strengthened his belief in God, the possibility of intelligent extraterrestrial life, and whether the discovery of aliens would challenge Christianity.
Charlie also shares the remarkable story of his spiritual transformation after Apollo, the search for meaning beyond achievement, and what seeing Earth from the Moon taught him about God, humanity, and our place in the universe.
Whether you're interested in apologetics, theology, space exploration, Christianity, or the Apollo program, this conversation offers a fascinating perspective from one of the few people in human history to have walked on another world.
Email: truthbetoldbiblepodcast@gmail.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TruthBeToldYouTube
Logo: Matt Hernandez
Music: Acoustic Indie Folk Years By MarkJuly
Image/Audio/Video Credit: NASA
Relevant Links:
Charlie's Book: https://www.amazon.com/Moonwalker-Dotty-Duke-ebook/dp/B01FBES2AE/ref=sr_1_2?adgrpid=1345804784361678&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.wUR3m6BhutUnDBIp04DcWyT7tqGM-EcSB6QMg_JkEa5qgm27mtjVe3MiCiIv5b1GyvjESo6wZku1NYpDOQNOeM95v54OFDMxqasaK382hn35IdhSsQTxE20CCqxL1SrsRZWBoEpzh5GIMEyGVk7g7g.MbBghDTbXPj002dHfCUgTRxmmJ2vLaRILBvg-2hn_3I&dib_tag=se&hvadid=84113081114533&hvbmt=be&hvdev=c&hvlocphy=60677&hvnetw=o&hvqmt=e&hvtargid=kwd-84113996446174%3Aloc-190&hydadcr=22536_13494472&keywords=charlie+duke+book&mcid=bbde435edecb3065b7b5f37954d267b0&msclkid=0d015659ab78162b889b3c6c22dec1ce&qid=1781893545&sr=8-2
Duke Ministry For Christ: https://www.dukeministryforchrist.org/
Charlie's Website: https://charlieduke.com/
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Why do some sermons about sin leave us burdened while others leave us transformed?
In this episode, we explore the tension between warning and invitation in Christian preaching.
While sin is real and destructive, the Gospel is ultimately good news. Drawing from the teachings of Jesus, the story of the bronze serpent in Numbers 21 we examine how true repentance is more than turning away from sin—it's turning toward life in Christ.
What happens when Christians become experts in their wounds but lose sight of the cure? Why did Jesus proclaim, "Repent, for the Kingdom of God is at hand"? And how can preaching expose sin honestly while inspiring hope, faith, and transformation?
If you've wrestled with legalism, grace, repentance, discipleship, or the balance between truth and hope, this conversation offers a biblical perspective on what it really means to "look up and live."
Email: truthbetoldbiblepodcast@gmail.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TruthBeToldYouTube
Logo: Matt Hernandez
Music: Acoustic Indie Folk Years By MarkJuly
Christianity #Gospel #Repentance #JesusChrist #BibleStudy #ChristianPodcast #Faith #KingdomOfGod #John3 #Numbers21 #ChristianTeaching #GraceAndTruth #faith #bible #Jesus #bronzeserpent #Moses #God #repent #evangelism #Gospel #theology #apologetics
Bad news is everywhere. We hear it from the media, from social media, and sometimes even from the pulpit. But are we so conditioned to expect bad news that we've forgotten how to receive good news?
In this episode, we explore the biblical and psychological power of renewing the mind, gratitude, and intentionally dwelling on the realities that should transform us. Drawing from Scripture, church history, and insights from counseling psychology, we examine three life-changing truths that many Christians know intellectually but struggle to fully internalize: Jesus Christ died for you, you have direct access to the presence of God through the Holy Spirit, and God has chosen to use you in His work on the earth.
What if the Gospel is even better news than we've allowed ourselves to believe? And what if learning to remember it, repeat it, and be grateful for it could reshape the way we live?
If you've been discouraged, anxious, spiritually weary, or simply in need of hope, this conversation is a reminder that the good news is still good.
Email: truthbetoldbiblepodcast@gmail.com
Logo: Matt Hernandez
Music: Acoustic Indie Folk Years By MarkJuly
Do Christians sometimes love salvation more than the God who saved them?
Salvation is one of the greatest gifts ever given—but what if it was never meant to be our ultimate goal?
In this episode, we explore a challenging question: can salvation itself become an idol when our deepest desire is simply to be safe, avoid judgment, or make it into the Kingdom? Scripture calls us to much more than self-preservation.
Men like Moses and Paul were so captivated by God's purpose that they were willing to sacrifice their own comfort—and even their own salvation—for the sake of others.
The Bible speaks of those who have been saved, are being saved, and will be saved. Salvation is a process that reconciles us to God, but reconciliation was never the end of the story. We are saved for something.
God is creating a family, bringing many sons and daughters to glory, and inviting us to participate in His work.
We'll discuss:
-Why the Christian life can become stagnant when our primary focus is simply "making it" AND
-How everything changes when God Himself becomes our greatest desire.
Drawing from Scripture, the Westminster Shorter Catechism, and Jesus' own words in John 17:3, we'll examine what it means to glorify God, enjoy Him forever, and find our purpose in knowing Him.
Salvation is not a trophy to place on a shelf. It is a gift meant to be used. The question is: what are you doing with it?
Check this episode out as we consider why God saved us, what He is accomplishing in the world, and how our lives can become aligned with His purpose rather than merely our own security.
Email: truthbetoldbiblepodcast@gmail.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TruthBeToldYouTube
Logo: Matt Hernandez
Music: Acoustic Indie Folk Years By MarkJuly
ChristianPodcast #Christianity #BibleStudy #Faith #JesusChrist #ChristianLiving #BiblicalTruth #Discipleship #Gospel #KingdomOfGod #Salvation #EternalLife #KnowGod #LoveGod #FollowingJesus #ChristianGrowth #SpiritualGrowth #FaithJourney #BiblicalTeaching #ChristianDiscussion #PurposeInChrist #GodsPurpose #GlorifyGod #ChristianMotivation #Theology #ChristianTheology #ChristianWorldview #KingdomMindset #FaithOverFear #LivingForGod #John173 #WestminsterCatechism #GospelMessage #ChristianEncouragement #BiblePodcast #FaithPodcast #JesusIsLord #ChristianContent #BiblicalWisdom #ChristianCommunity #DoYouKnowGod #WhyDidGodSaveUs #MoreThanSalvation #RelationshipWithGod #ChristianQuestions #DeepFaith #ChristianPerspective #KingdomLiving #LoveGodFirst #CreatedForPurpose
Politicians quoting Scripture doesn’t automatically make their message biblical.
In this episode , we respond to a claim made by James Talarico, a democrat running for U.S. Senate in Texas, that “Jesus never asked us to worship Him” and examine what the Bible actually says about the identity of Christ.
From forgiving sins to accepting worship after His resurrection, the Gospels paint a clear picture of who Jesus claimed to be and what it truly means to follow Him.
We also discuss the increasing use of Christian language in politics and why believers need discernment no matter which side of the aisle is speaking. Whether Scripture is being used to gain support, justify ideology, or soften unbiblical teaching, Christians are called to know God’s Word deeply enough to recognize truth from distortion.
We’ll examine:
• Did Jesus claim to be God?
• Why did Jesus accept worship?
• What does it mean to follow Christ?
• Can Christianity exist without worshipping Jesus?
• The danger of reshaping God to fit political agendas
If we aren’t rooted in Scripture ourselves, we’ll always be vulnerable to people who use it incorrectly.
Email: truthbetoldbiblepodcast@gmail.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TruthBeToldYouTube
Logo: Matt Hernandez
Music: Acoustic Indie Folk Years By MarkJuly
Christianity #JesusChrist #BibleStudy #Apologetics #TruthBeTold #ChristianPodcast #BiblicalTruth #JesusIsGod #Faith #Theology #ChristianYouTube #BibleTeaching #Discernment #ChristianLiving #GospelTruth #PoliticsAndReligion #Bible #ChristianContent #Scripture #FollowJesus #JamesTalarico #DonaldTrump #ChristianPolitics
There has been a LOT of discussion online surrounding Bryce Crawford, Christian influencers, money, ministry, and where the line is between making a living and exploiting the Gospel.
After publicly challenging prosperity preacher Kenneth Copeland, Bryce Crawford launched an energy drink brand, announced speaking tours, and began selling high-priced tickets — leading many Christians to ask:
👉 Is this biblical?
👉 Is profiting from ministry wrong?
👉 At what point does influence become self-promotion?
👉 Can Christians build platforms without compromising the Gospel?
In this episode of Truth Be Told, we examine what Scripture ACTUALLY says about money, ministry, dishonesty, motives, and preaching the Gospel.
We discuss:
- Bryce Crawford and the current controversy
- Why Kenneth Copeland’s teaching is dangerous
- What the Bible says about pastors and ministers making money
- Paul refusing financial support in certain situations
- Ananias & Sapphira and the real issue behind their punishment
- Whether wealth itself is the problem
- Christian influencers, branding, merch, and monetization
- Why discipleship is bigger than social media numbers
- The danger of replacing personal ministry with passive support online
Most importantly, this episode is a reminder that YOU have a role in the Great Commission. Christianity was never meant to be something we only watch from a distance through influencers, podcasts, and platforms. The Gospel spreads through relationships, discipleship, conversation, sacrifice, and faithfulness.
Email: truthbetoldbiblepodcast@gmail.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TruthBeToldYouTube
Logo: Matt Hernandez
Music: Acoustic Indie Folk Years By MarkJuly
Christianity #Bible #Jesus #Christian #Faith #God #BibleStudy #Gospel #Truth #Church #ChristianPodcast #ChristianYouTube #Apologetics #Theology #BiblicalTruth #Discernment #ChristianInfluencer #BryceCrawford #KennethCopeland #ProsperityGospel #Ministry #ChristianDebate #ChristianReels #ChristianContent #Discipleship #GreatCommission #Evangelism #BiblicalTeaching #ChristianDiscussion #FaithOverFeelings #FollowJesus #BibleTeaching #TruthBeTold #ChristianCommunity #Scripture #Podcast #YouTubePodcast #CultureAndChristianity #DefendTheFaith #theology #apologetics #faith #spirituality #religion #bible #biblical #holybible #Jesus #Christ #JesusChrist #God #Christianliving #church #scripture #fyp #fypyoutube
In this episode, we dive deep into the parables of Jesus in Matthew 13 and wrestle with a question many Christians rarely stop to ask: are we always reading the parables the way Jesus intended?
From the Parable of the Sower and the Wheat and Weeds to the Mustard Seed, the Leaven, the Net, and the Pearl of Great Price, Jesus tells layered stories about the Kingdom of God that often resist simplistic interpretations. Sometimes Jesus explains the meaning directly — and sometimes He leaves room for discussion, curiosity, and deeper reflection.
What if the point of the parables isn’t just identifying “who represents who” in every story? What if Jesus intended His disciples to wrestle with these teachings in a more profound way?
In this conversation, we explore:
• The purpose of parables in Jewish rabbinical teaching
• Why Matthew 13 can challenge rigid Bible interpretation
• The Parable of the the Pearl of Great Price
• How the Kingdom of God reveals both God’s value to us AND our value to Him
• Why biblical interpretation requires humility, curiosity, and context
This episode is for anyone who has ever struggled with understanding the parables of Jesus, wants deeper Bible study insights, or is seeking a richer understanding of the Kingdom of God.
Email: truthbetoldbiblepodcast@gmail.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TruthBeToldYouTube
Logo: Matt Hernandez
Music: Acoustic Indie Folk Years By MarkJuly
Why is it that some of the most outspoken atheists still find themselves praying in moments of fear?
In this episode, I’m wrestling with an idea that’s been sitting in the back of my mind for a while. I’ll be honest—I don’t love making content aimed at atheists online. It often turns combative, exhausting, and rarely leads to meaningful dialogue. But at the same time, I can’t ignore the questions that keep coming up.
This isn’t a “gotcha” argument or a polished apologetics breakdown. It’s a thought experiment—something I’ve been turning over and genuinely wondering about.
We’ve all heard the phrase: “There are no atheists in foxholes.” In the chaos and terror of life-or-death situations, people often cry out to God—even those who would normally deny His existence. Why is that?
Is it just desperation… or could it point to something deeper? If, in our most raw and vulnerable moments, we instinctively reach beyond ourselves for help—what does that say about what we actually believe? Could it be that belief in God isn’t just learned… but embedded?
I explore:
• Why foxhole moments are different from normal reasoning
• The difference between intellectual disbelief and instinctive trust
• Whether desperation-driven prayer means anything at all
• How this connects to the core Christian idea of our need for salvation
This isn’t scientific proof. It’s not meant to settle the debate. But it might make you think a little differently about belief, doubt, and what comes out of us when everything else falls away.
Let me know your thoughts—I’m genuinely curious.
Email: truthbetoldbiblepodcast@gmail.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TruthBeToldYouTube
Logo: Matt Hernandez
Music: Acoustic Indie Folk Years By MarkJuly
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We all want it—we want to love God, follow His will, and live lives that are clearly aligned with what He’s doing in the world. There’s something deeply appealing about the idea that we’re so in tune with God that we can confidently say, “God told me…” or “The Lord is leading me…”
But what happens when we get that wrong?
In this episode, we explore the tension between two common approaches Christians take when trying to discern God’s will. On one side are those who readily attribute their decisions and desires to God’s direct leading. On the other are those who hesitate—who rarely, if ever, say “God told me,” and instead operate with uncertainty, often seeing things through a more natural lens.
Both approaches can come from a sincere place. Both can also lead to problems.
So where’s the balance?
Looking at passages like Acts 16, Genesis 15, and Jeremiah 22, it’s easy to feel like we’re missing something—that others in Scripture had a clarity with God that we simply don’t experience. But then we come to an often-overlooked line in Luke 1:1–4: “It seemed good to me also…”
Luke—the same author who so confidently describes the work of the Holy Spirit in Acts—chooses those words when explaining why he wrote his Gospel.
What does that mean for us?
This episode offers a refreshing and grounded perspective: that it’s okay to pursue what seems good—prayerfully, thoughtfully, and in alignment with God’s revealed will—without needing to claim direct revelation at every turn. At the same time, we’re reminded not to swing too far in the other direction and ignore God’s active role in our lives.
If you’ve ever struggled to know whether something is truly “from God,” this conversation aims to bring clarity, humility, and freedom.
Because sometimes, faithful obedience doesn’t start with “God told me”…
Sometimes, it starts with, “it seemed good to me also.”
Email: truthbetoldbiblepodcast@gmail.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TruthBeToldYouTube
Logo: Matt Hernandez
Music: Acoustic Indie Folk Years By MarkJuly
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In this episode, we tackle a viral-style argument that’s been circulating online—one that lists influential women in Scripture only to dismiss them with the repeated claim: “they were not pastors.” At first glance, it may sound like a defense of biblical roles or a defense of women's ability to do amazing things regardless of whether they were pastors or not.. but is that really what’s going on beneath the surface?
We take a closer look at what Scripture actually says in 1 Timothy 2:11–3:7 about the qualifications for pastors/overseers—and affirm an important truth: the role of pastor is reserved for qualified men who faithfully lead their households. But that’s not the whole story.
Too often, conversations like this drift beyond Scripture and into something else entirely—minimizing, dismissing, or even devaluing the countless ways God has worked through women throughout biblical history. From leaders and prophets to servants, messengers, and proclaimers of the Gospel, women have always played vital, God-ordained roles in His mission.
So where’s the tension? And how do we avoid overcorrecting in a way that causes more harm than good?
This episode challenges both extremes:
- The tendency to ignore or rewrite biblical teaching to fit cultural preferences
- And the equally dangerous impulse to go beyond Scripture and limit women more than God ever does
We explore how easily the conversation can shift from “different roles” to “different value”—and why that shift is neither biblical nor acceptable. We also ask hard, personal questions for both men and women:
- Are we unintentionally sidelining women in the church?
- Have we confused tradition with biblical command?
- Are we operating at only half strength because we’re not fully engaging the gifts God has given to women?
At the heart of it all is this: God designed men and women to work together in His mission—not in competition, not in hierarchy of worth, but in complementary purpose.
If you’ve ever wrestled with questions about gender roles in the church, felt tension around these topics, or want to better understand how to hold truth and dignity together without compromise—this conversation is for you.
Let’s uphold what Scripture clearly teaches—without adding to it, and without taking away from the value and calling God has placed on women.
Email: truthbetoldbiblepodcast@gmail.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TruthBeToldYouTube
Logo: Matt Hernandez
Music: Acoustic Indie Folk Years By MarkJuly
Have you ever felt uncomfortable witnessing how someone else worships?
Maybe it's a different religion, a different Christian denomination, or maybe it's someone in your very own congregation - but I'd be willing to bet that all of us have witnessed a method of worship that makes us uncomfortable.
But does this make it wrong?
In this episode, we do a survey of humanity's problem with worship from Cain to Israel, to David, to us.
The reality is, ALL of us, in one way or another, have probably been guilty of some of the sins related to worship that the rest of humanity has fallen to.
Across time, cultures, and methods, humanity has made the mistake of choosing for themselves how they would like to worship God. Sometimes we see people worshipping the wrong god (or gods) in ways that should be reserved for the true God. Sometimes we see people worshipping the right God in all the wrong ways. Sometimes we get uncomfortable when we perceive the "wrong people" to be worshipping the right God.
However, aside from adding elements to worship that actively displease God or ignoring certain things He has asked of us - MANY of us can be guilty of choosing for ourselves how we would like to worship God in our condemnation of other people's perfectly acceptable forms of worship.
You may not enjoy contemporary Christian music and find movement and passion to be awkward - but does that make it unbiblical?
Maybe you find hymns outdated and ritualistically performative - but does that mean God does not enjoy hymns?
We must be careful not to offer things to God that He has explicitly asked us NOT to offer up. But we must also be careful not to condemn others who are offering forms of worship that God desires just because it may make us uncomfortable.
Email: truthbetoldbiblepodcast@gmail.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TruthBeToldYouTube
Logo: Matt Hernandez
Music: Acoustic Indie Folk Years By MarkJuly
In this episode, we revisit the powerful story of the widow who gave two mites—but not in the way it’s usually told. While her act of generosity is often lifted up as a model of sacrificial giving, what happens when we zoom out and read the full context?
Just before her offering, Jesus confronts religious leaders who exploit the vulnerable. Just after, people marvel at the grandeur and wealth of the temple. Placed in this setting, the widow’s story becomes more than an example of generosity—it becomes a contrast between two very different value systems.
One system, upheld by powerful leaders, prioritized image, wealth, and institution—even at the cost of the needy. The other, embodied by a poor widow, reflected deep trust in God and a willingness to give everything.
So what actually lasts?
The temple, with all its grandeur, eventually fell—just as Jesus said it would. But the widow’s story has endured for generations. Not because of the amount she gave, or even because she was perfect, but because Jesus saw her.
In this episode, we explore what that means for us today. Yes, we are called to give. Yes, our hearts matter. But ultimately, what gives our lives and offerings lasting significance isn’t the size of the gift or even the sincerity behind it—it’s Jesus.
Email: truthbetoldbiblepodcast@gmail.com
Logo: Matt Hernandez
Music: Acoustic Indie Folk Years By MarkJuly
In Exodus 4, we read a passage that is widely agreed to be the most confusing and hardest to interpret sections in all of Scripture.
Moses is commissioned by God.. and then, IMMEDIATELY, God seeks to kill him.
Zipporah, Moses's wife, somehow knows that MOSES is going to die because their SON is uncircumcised. She jumps into action and has him circumcised, quickly touching Moses's feet with the foreskin....what now?
She then says, angrily if you believe most commentaries, that Moses is a "bridegroom of blood" to her. Sounds terrifying. Makes no sense.
What is going on in this section?
In this episode we examine one theory that, I believe, makes the most sense of all the information we're given, holds great explanatory power, and integrates New Testament themes that we all readily accept as signatures of God working.
An episode about circumcision. What could go wrong?
Email: truthbetoldbiblepodcast@gmail.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TruthBeToldYouTube
Logo: Matt Hernandez
Music: Acoustic Indie Folk Years By MarkJuly
This week, we’re diving into one of the most profound, and controversial, aspects of Catholic theology: Transubstantiation.
What does it mean when Catholics say the bread and wine truly become the body and blood of Jesus? And why do so many reported Eucharistic miracles (wafers turning red or even resembling human heart tissue) raise as many questions as they answer?
From the 8th-century miracle in Lanciano, Italy, to modern cases in Buenos Aires, Poland, and Mexico, we’ll explore the claims, the science, and the symbolism behind these phenomena.
Why do miraculous wafers sometimes show physical changes while the wine seems untouched? Why is the blood type often AB? And why haven’t these events been studied in fully transparent, peer-reviewed ways?
I’ll also ask questions every Catholic thinker should consider: Do the physical properties of the bread and wine really need to change? How do we reconcile miracles with faith and scientific scrutiny? And why interpret Jesus’ words literally when He often spoke in metaphor?
Whether you’re Catholic, Christian from another tradition, or simply curious, this episode invites respectful reflection, challenging questions, and thoughtful conversation about faith, science, and the mysteries of the Eucharist.
Email: truthbetoldbiblepodcast@gmail.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TruthBeToldYouTube
Logo: Matt Hernandez
Music: Acoustic Indie Folk Years By MarkJuly
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This week’s episode dives into one of the most chaotic, confusing, and, honestly, unsettling books in Scripture: Judges.
If you’ve followed this channel for a while, you know I love exploring typology; the patterns and echoes that point us to Jesus throughout the Bible. Once you start seeing them, it’s almost impossible to stop. They’re often beautiful, clear, and deeply compelling.
But Judges? Judges feels… different.
When you look for Jesus in Judges, you do find Him, but not in the clean, obvious ways we might expect. Instead, the typology feels messy, tangled, and even contradictory. The moments where certain figures look the MOST like Christ are often the very same moments they look the LEAST like Him.
-Samson stretches out his arms in death to deliver Israel—but seems more resigned to his death than nobly willing.
-Abimelech carries wood on his shoulders—but not to save, only to destroy.
-Sisera, a tool of God’s judgment, thirsts and is betrayed before his death—but is an enemy of God’s people and is crushed in the head which resonates more with “seed of the serpent” prophecy than anything Messianic.
So what are we supposed to do with that?
In this episode, I explore a theory that changed the way I read Judges: what if these figures aren’t just pointing to Christ—but also to sin itself?
Scripture tells us that Jesus, who knew no sin, became sin for us. At the cross, we don’t just see the love and mercy of God, we also see the full weight and ugliness of human sin laid bare. What if that’s the key to understanding Judges?
What if these broken “saviors” are intentionally written to reflect both:
→ the seed of the woman and the seed of the serpent
→ judgment and mercy
→ a shadow of Christ and a mirror of our sin
When Abimelech is crushed, Sisera is pierced, and Samson brings the temple down, we see echoes of the serpent’s defeat. But in the same breath, we also see pride, vengeance, betrayal, and failure.
It’s not clean typology.
It’s cruciform typology.
And maybe that’s the point.
Because at the cross, the clearest picture of God’s glory is also the clearest picture of our sin.
If Judges has ever confused you or even made you uncomfortable, this episode is for you.
Let’s wrestle with the tension together.
Email: truthbetoldbiblepodcast@gmail.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TruthBeToldYouTube
Logo: Matt Hernandez
Music: Acoustic Indie Folk Years By MarkJuly
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EPISODE 200!!
In this episode, we explore a fascinating phrase from Jesus’s letter to the church in Philadelphia in Revelation 3:7 when He identifies Himself as “the One who holds the key of David, who opens and no one will shut, and who shuts and no one opens.” What does this title mean, and why does Jesus use it here?
Think Lord of the Rings. Remember Denethor, the Steward of Gondor? His role was to govern the kingdom until the true king returned. But over time Denethor grew proud, bitter, and resentful of the very idea of the rightful king reclaiming the throne. The steward began to act like the kingdom was his.
In Isaiah 22, we get a similar story where God confronts a royal steward named Shebna. As steward of the king’s household, Shebna held immense authority symbolized by the “key of the house of David.” His role was not ownership but stewardship: to manage the king’s house on the king’s behalf. Yet Shebna allowed his position to inflate his pride, acting as though the house belonged to him rather than to the master he served.
Through the prophet Isaiah, God rebukes Shebna and removes him from his position, replacing him with a faithful servant, Eliakim. The key of David would be placed on Eliakim’s shoulder which serves as a symbol of delegated authority and faithful stewardship typological of Christ's ultimate authority as Lord and Master.
Fast forward to the book of Revelation, and Jesus deliberately invokes this imagery. By claiming the key of David, Jesus declares that He (not any human authority) holds ultimate authority over the kingdom of God. He is the true and faithful steward of David’s house, the one who grants or denies access to the kingdom, and whose decisions cannot be overturned.
In this episode, we unpack this powerful Old Testament backdrop and explore what it reveals about authority, humility, and the danger of confusing stewardship with ownership.
The warning given through Shebna still speaks today to leaders, institutions, and believers alike.
Join us as we connect Isaiah and Revelation to see how this small phrase reveals a profound truth about who Jesus is and what it means to faithfully serve in the house that ultimately belongs to God.
Whether you consider ancient Judah, fictional Middle Earth, or the modern day Church, the lesson is the same: don't be a Denethor.
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Email: truthbetoldbiblepodcast@gmail.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TruthBeToldYouTube
Logo: Matt Hernandez
Music: Acoustic Indie Folk Years By MarkJuly
In this week’s episode, I reflect on a challenging story about an old pastor I once struggled to respect. He seemed harsh and old-fashioned, often presenting a view of God that felt unkind and rigid. Yet, a miraculous story my dad shared about him—being saved from a terrifying car accident—once earned my respect. Later, I discovered that the pastor interpreted this miracle as punishment rather than grace. This revelation shook my perception of him, but it also sparked a deeper reflection on my own pride, judgment, and understanding of God’s work in others. Through this experience, I was reminded that God can work through anyone, regardless of their shortcomings or our personal opinions. It’s a call to humility, grace, and introspection: no one, on their own merit, is more righteous, more worthy, or more deserving than another in God’s eyes. Join me as I wrestle with pride, grace, and the truth that the gospel can be preached—even through “crooked teeth.”
Email: truthbetoldbiblepodcast@gmail.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TruthBeToldYouTube
Logo: Matt Hernandez
Music: Acoustic Indie Folk Years By MarkJuly
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In this video, we dive deep into Romans 9:6–13 and uncover a powerful theme that runs throughout Scripture: God’s sovereignty, the role of believing loyalty, and the incredible blessing we have in Christ.
When Paul writes to the church in Rome—a community made up of both Jews and Gentiles—he addresses a difficult question: If God’s covenant people were Israel, and yet so many rejected Jesus as Messiah… did God’s plan fail?
At first glance, it might seem that way. But Paul shows us something deeper. By looking at familiar Old Testament accounts—Isaac and Ishmael, Jacob and Esau—we begin to see a pattern.
The firstborn, who culturally should receive the double portion (see Deuteronomy 21), repeatedly does not carry the promise forward. Instead, God chooses according to His sovereign will. Ishmael was firstborn… yet Isaac received the blessing. Esau was firstborn… yet Jacob carried the promise. Joseph, Moses, David, and others follow this same unexpected pattern. Even Israel itself—God’s “firstborn” nation—now sees Gentiles brought into the covenant family through Christ. So what is God doing?
Paul shows us that this has always been the pattern: God chooses whom He wills to carry forward His redemptive plan. Not based on human expectation. Not based on birth order. Not based on merit. But according to His purpose.
And here’s where it becomes personal. According to Colossians 1:15, Jesus is the “firstborn of all creation”—a title of authority, inheritance, and supremacy. And in 1 Corinthians 15:20–23, He is called the “firstfruits” of the resurrection.
That means something staggering for us. We are not the firstborn. And yet… we share in the inheritance. Though we earned death through rebellion, we have been raised to life and brought into Christ’s inheritance by grace. Not elevated above Him—but elevated from death into promise through Him.
Romans 9 isn’t just theology—it’s perspective. It humbles us. It guards us from arrogance. It keeps us prayerful for those who do not yet believe. And it reminds us just how blessed we are in Christ.
If you’ve ever wrestled with God’s sovereignty, Israel’s role in the New Covenant, or what it truly means that Jesus is the Firstborn—this study is for you.
Let’s walk through it together.
Email: truthbetoldbiblepodcast@gmail.com
Logo: Matt Hernandez
Music: Acoustic Indie Folk Years By MarkJuly
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In this video, I explore Bel and the Dragon—a fascinating story preserved in the Greek version of the Book of Daniel (often included in the Apocrypha/Deuterocanonical books). Although it’s not found in the traditional Hebrew text of Daniel, this narrative offers a compelling window into how Jewish communities in the Second Temple period understood Daniel’s character and faith.
The story features the prophet Daniel exposing the fraud of the Babylonian god Bel, destroying a living dragon worshiped as divine, and once again surviving a lions’ den.
On the surface, it reads like a dramatic tale of courage and wit. But beneath that, it’s a powerful polemic against idolatry and a bold affirmation of the God of Israel.
In this overview, I ask an important question: What can we learn about biblical Daniel from an extrabiblical book? Rather than treating Bel and the Dragon as Scripture (for those traditions that don’t), I use it as a case study in how to read extrabiblical literature responsibly:
-How later Jewish writers interpreted Daniel
-How stories develop around revered figures
-What themes are emphasized (wisdom, fidelity, mockery of idols, divine vindication) What historical context might have shaped the narrative
-This is not about elevating extrabiblical texts to the level of canonical Scripture, nor is it about dismissing them outright.
Instead, it’s a practice in careful historical and theological reading—learning about the biblical world without confusing later tradition with the biblical text itself. If you’ve ever wondered how to use the Apocrypha responsibly, or how stories like Bel and the Dragon illuminate the faith and imagination of ancient Jewish communities, this video is for you.
Email: truthbetoldbiblepodcast@gmail.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TruthBeToldYouTube
Logo: Matt Hernandez
Music: Acoustic Indie Folk Years By MarkJuly
faith #religion #spirituality #God #Jesus #Christ #theology #apologetics #JesusChrist #truthbetold #bible #biblical #biblestudy #faithful #hermeneutics #apocrypha #belandthedragon #daniel #danielandthelionsden #fypyoutube #fyp #oldtestament #newtestament #hope #love #apocryphal #extrabiblical
When you read the story of Paul having dreams, the Apostles performing miracles, the first Christians speaking tongues on Pentecost - do you ever feel a disconnect?
I believe, as a Christian, that I have been given that same Holy Spirit and that the same God lives in me that lived in them. Why is there such a huge discrepancy, then, between the kinds of things that happened at that time as opposed to now?
In this episode we take a look at some of the claims and promises regarding what kinds of effects the Holy Spirit will produce in the lives of Christians and then ask ourselves some hard hitting questions to determine what's going on.
It's possible that we've been HEARING God speak through His Spirit, but not actually LISTENING to Him through it.
Email: truthbetoldbiblepodcast@gmail.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TruthBeToldYouTube
Logo: Matt Hernandez
Music: Acoustic Indie Folk Years By MarkJuly
faith #religion #spirituality #Chrisitan #Christianity #spirit #HolySpirit #God #Jesus #Christ #JesusChrist #spiritual #conscience #advocate #helper #church #Scripture #bible #biblestudy #biblical #theology #apologetics #christianliving #truth #hope #love #OldTestament #NewTestament #miracles #fyp #fypyoutube
@TruthBeToldYouTube @TruthBeToldBiblePodcast
During Noah's story, just after the flood, Genesis 8 continues the narrative with a section that has, for whatever reason, caused commentators, early church fathers, and lay-Christians to pause and ask, "Is something odd happening here that I need to pay attention to?"
Noah sends out two birds, a raven and a dove, from the ark to determine the state of the Earth. Something about the way this story is told causes us to pause and take note. Perhaps it is the description of events without explicit explanation as to why they're occurring. Perhaps it is the rhythmic, poetic way in which this story is told.
Some, however, would see Christians pausing at this section and feel incredibly confused. They might ask, "Isn't it just recorded this way because.. that's how it happened?" Maybe so.
Whether you read this account through a hyper-literal lens or a hyper-symbolic one, in this episode, we explore the theories others have put forward as to why Noah sends these two birds specifically and whether they might hold meaning beyond the surface.
It is in sections like this, where dogmatism isn't necessary, we don't KNOW for certain, opinions are divided, and there is equal value in seeing the literal as well as the symbolic, that people from across ideological aisles can come together and practice good discussion driven by interest and a desire to understand which views hold explanatory power.
Email: truthbetoldbiblepodcast@gmail.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TruthBeToldYouTube
Logo: Matt Hernandez
Music: Acoustic Indie Folk Years By MarkJuly
faith #religion #spirituality #theology #apologetics #Genesis #creation #recreation #Noah #Moses #Torah #Pentateuch #raven #dove #ark #noahsark #flood #theflood #noahsflood #God #Jesus #Christ #JesusChrist #OldTestament #NewTestament #symbolism #hermeneutics #bible #biblical #holybible #holy #biblestudy #Christian #Christianity #hope #love #discussion #truth #podcast #fyp #fypyoutube #scripture #church
David is an iconic, biblical character, but sometimes he can tend to make people uncomfortable.
Sure, David is described as a man who chased after God's heart, but when we see some of his sins, we have a hard time seeing him as the hero that later biblical figures esteem him as.
What's more complicated is that, after David commits some of his most egregious sins, it seems as if he never faces the FULL weight of the consequences. While this is a beautiful lesson in the mercy of God, when we see others facing consequences on David's behalf, this can begin to feel unjust.
And none of us want to see God as unjust.
However, when we unpack David's story a bit more, we do begin to see the justice and mercy in perfect harmony which should also teach us a lesson about justice and mercy in our own lives as well.
Email: truthbetoldbiblepodcast@gmail.com
Logo: Matt Hernandez
Music: Acoustic Indie Folk Years By MarkJuly
@TruthBeToldYouTube @TruthBeToldBiblePodcast
Was Mary, the mother of Jesus, sinless? Did she NEED to be?
The sinlessness of Mary is a prevailing Catholic teaching formally defined as a Catholic doctrine in 1854 with roots that go back to the Early Church Fathers.
The idea is that, in order to be acceptable before God to fulfill this special role, she had to be without sin.
Often, when we hear Catholic apologists or teachers discuss this topic certain texts will be used that non-Catholic Christians don't recognize as authoritative in the same way that Scripture is. If a Catholic tells a Protestant that "the Apocrypha says..," and the Protestant believes that apocryphal source as a later addition, a fabricated text, or a contradiction to the 66 book canon, why would they accept it?
In this episode, however, we discuss 2 Instagram reels by Catholic pages that attempt to prove Mary's sinlessness by strictly using biblical truths and verses.
While the method is one I respect and appreciate because it meets non-Catholics where they're at, as a non-Catholic, it is pretty easy to see where these arguments fall off the tracks a bit.
So, what DOES the Bible say about Mary and which verses do Catholics use as support for this teaching that doesn't explicitly come from Scripture itself/alone?
Email: truthbetoldbiblepodcast@gmail.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TruthBeToldYouTube
Logo: Matt Hernandez
Music: Acoustic Indie Folk Years By MarkJuly
faith #religion #spirituality #Christian #Christianity #Jesus #Christ #JesusChrist #God #theology #apologetics #Catholic #RomanCatholic #RomanCatholicism #Mary #virginMary #Maryology #sinlessness #sinless #sinlessMary #MarymotherofJesus #Catholicism #Protestant #sin #unclean #Leviticus #presence #bible #biblestudy #biblical #scripture #earlychurchfathers #apocrypha #hermeneutics #exegesis #immaculate #immaculateconception #doctrine #teaching #church #fyp #fypyoutube
I've noticed a tendency, in most Bible studiers, to categorize characters into "good guys" and "bad guys."
While the authors of the Bible DO use storytelling techniques to communicate historical truths, we do need to be careful of overgeneralizations of characters into good and bad categories.
When we aren't, there are a few pitfalls we can stumble into:
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We don't study deeply into moments when "good characters" do less than good things.
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We refuse to admit that the actions of "good characters" are actually bad and end up justifying evil.
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We might not notice when stereotypically "bad" characters do good things.
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We feel cognitive dissonance when we're told that certain characters are "good" but we read about them doing awful things, thus, disenfranchising the biblical text.
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We feel the need to "play teams" with biblical characters, forgetting that the Bible is more concerned about GOD'S goodness and our discerning of it through people stepping in and out of alignment with His will and way, than it is about individual character's generalized goodness.
Instead, we need to be okay with the fact that Biblical characters are people. As flawed, if not (at times) more so, as you and me.
This will help us process complex individuals better, ensure we're looking through a human lens at.... humans, and keep our mind's focused on discerning good and evil through God's eyes rather than the categories we set up based on our feelings about certain characters.
Email: truthbetoldbiblepodcast@gmail.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TruthBeToldYouTube
Logo: Matt Hernandez
Music: Acoustic Indie Folk Years By MarkJuly
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Many Christians believe Elijah was taken directly to heaven in a chariot of fire—but does the Bible actually say that?
In this video, we examine Jesus’ own words that “no man has ascended into heaven,” the overlooked letter Elijah sent to King Jehoram after the chariot event, and the Hebrew meaning of “heaven” as it often refers to the sky or atmosphere.
When all the evidence is placed side by side, the traditional assumption about Elijah may not hold up.
This isn’t about attacking belief—it’s about interpreting Scripture honestly.
📖 Let’s take a closer look at what the Bible really says.
Email: truthbetoldbiblepodcast@gmail.com
Logo: Matt Hernandez
Music: Acoustic Indie Folk Years By MarkJuly
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As part of God's Law, He determines that, in order to verify the truth of a matter in court, it must be brought before the leaders by the mouth of two or three witnesses. This would ensure that no single, jealous or angry party testifies falsely, wrongly condemning an innocent person.
In establishing the covenant with Israel, God appears to follow this by calling two witnesses of His own - Heaven and Earth.
The question this episode seeks to answer is, without eyes or ears to witness or a mouth to testify, how are Heaven and Earth valid witnesses, and what EXACTLY (or WHO exactly) are they witnessing about or against?
Email: truthbetoldbiblepodcast@gmail.com
Logo: Matt Hernandez
Music: Acoustic Indie Folk Years By MarkJuly
A few months ago, I received an email from an atheist outlining several supposed issues with Christian theology and thinking.
This email covered everything from miracle claims to morality and, it seemed to me, these questions were asked with sincerity.
In this episode we respond, systematically, to the concerns presented and, hopefully, come closer to clarity of understanding between people who believe and people who don't.
Atheists aren't bad people just because they don't believe in God. Christians aren't dumb people just because they believe in the text of Scripture. As often as we can reject these extreme narratives, come to the table, and have honest and open discussion with one another, the better.
Email: truthbetoldbiblepodcast@gmail.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TruthBeToldYouTube
Logo: Matt Hernandez
Music: Acoustic Indie Folk Years By MarkJuly
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What does it mean to be "freed from the Law"?
Would you be surprised to know that the Bible doesn't actually ever state this?
Certainly there are sections of Scripture that discuss Law and the ways we now relate to it under the New Covenant in Jesus Christ. And, certainly, those sections do reflect a difference in HOW we relate to that same Law. But nowhere in Scripture does it say that we are FREED from obedience or rules or that God has no expectation of us as Christians.
So what DOES the Bible say?
When thinking about this, we have to ask ourselves - what do we even MEAN by this question?
I can't imagine finding ANY Christian who would state that we're freed from the Law meaning we are now free to sin at will. Most often, I see people interpreting these passages about Law as meaning we are freed from CERTAIN laws that seem outdated or overtly Jewish in nature.
Is THIS what the Bible means?
Next, we have to ask ourselves: what does the Bible mean by Law?
This might seem like an obvious question but.. it really isn't. Did Paul mean that Jesus had eased off the burden of Roman law in Israel? Did he mean the 10 commandments are no longer valid? What about the Oral vs. Written Law?
In this episode we take a look at what the Bible ACTUALLY says about Law because.. these sections can get really complicated.
Legalists will often accuse mainstream Christians of anti-nomianism (being against the Law). Other Christians even HEAR the word Law and accuse someone of being legalistic.
This episode seeks to take the Bible at its word, reject extremist viewpoints, and make sense of some confusing concepts in the Bible. When we do this we should be able to ease ourselves of cognitive dissonance.
Christians live as if there are moral standards that God, in His goodness, legislates, but to hear the word Law sounds too restrictive to many people.
Let's ease that tension.
Email: truthbetoldbiblepodcast@gmail.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TruthBeToldYouTube
Logo: Matt Hernandez
Music: Acoustic Indie Folk Years By MarkJuly
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In the Gospels, we get an account of Jesus overturning tables and driving out the money changers. He calls them a den of thieves which, to most readers, tells us that the thing He's angry about is their dishonest business dealings.
They must be taking advantage of the poor, buying and selling unfairly, and extorting those who can't help but fall prey to them. Right?
Kind of.
Jesus isn't just arbitrarily calling them a den of thieves, and He doesn't arbitrarily decide to state that the temple was meant to be a house of prayer for all peoples.
These are verses from Jeremiah and Isaiah, respectively, that we can read for ourselves to understand the context with which Jesus is speaking.
In both sections of Jeremiah and Isaiah, God is displeased with Israel's treatment of the foreigner and stranger who is attempting to draw near to God.
In the Gospels, it helps us to know that Jesus is overturning the tables OUTSIDE OF the Court of the Gentiles.
Who is being extorted? Who is being cheated to make a profit? The same people that Israel has always mistreated - those to whom they were supposed to be bringing the light of God as a model nation - the Gentiles.
Email: truthbetoldbiblepodcast@gmail.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TruthBeToldYouTube
Logo: Matt Hernandez
Music: Acoustic Indie Folk Years By MarkJuly
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In the book of Isaiah we get to read an amazing prophecy about the coming Messiah. When we line this prophecy up with the events of Jesus's life they fit to a point of precision that should amaze us and YET, it would have been so obscure to reader's in Isaiah's (or even Jesus's time) that to believe the events of Jesus's life were fabricated to REPLICATE this prophecy also doesn't seem very likely.
As awesome as it is that this prophecy stands as a cool proof text for Jesus as Messiah, something literarily occurs in this chapter that really stood out to me - the tense changes mid prophecy.
Instead of Isaiah saying, "He WILL come," he speaks as if He HAS come. Instead of Isaiah saying, He SHALL bear our sins," he speaks as if he HAS borne them already. At a certain point, he does switch to future tense. Why?
What can we learn from this interesting little piece of information? Why would Isaiah write a prophecy about the Messiah that actually reads BETTER for someone living during our time than someone living in his own?
Email: truthbetoldbiblepodcast@gmail.com
Logo: Matt Hernandez
Music: Acoustic Indie Folk Years By MarkJuly
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In this episode we begin a discussion on quoting sources. While, on the surface, this might not seem like a biblically relevant topic, it is one that people have differing opinions on throughout Christian circles.
When we quote various books and authors, what is the responsibility of the person offering the quote to make disclaimer statements regarding what ELSE from the author we do or do not ascribe to?
Most of the sources we will draw on (outside of Scripture itself) will be connected in SOME way to something unsavory, undesirable, or downright unholy. While, of course, we should be careful about where we draw information from and use solid discernment while reading and studying (especially as it relates to assisting with our understanding of Scripture), does the inability of any person throughout history (aside from Jesus Christ) to stand up to rigorous scrutiny mean that we should avoid quotations or references altogether?
The reality of the situation is, there are many people who use quotes regularly in sermons or conversations with other Christians AND there are many who are uncomfortable with a loose utilization of quotations for fear of some being led astray when checking out quoted sources that, in other places, might state things better left unsaid.
In this environment, and whatever our responsibility towards precise vetting of sources for moral purity, we are responsible for treating one another with love when we disagree - especially on topics like this.
Email: truthbetoldbiblepodcast@gmail.com
Logo: Matt Hernandez
Music: Acoustic Indie Folk Years By MarkJuly
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In the book of Exodus we read a very challenging set of verses. One says that GOD hardens Pharaoh's heart. One says that PHARAOH hardens his own heart. Everyone wants to know - which one is true and what are the implications for God's goodness and sovereignty in the face of the human suffering (the plagues) that came from this moment?
In this episode we take a look at the best modern explanation I've ever heard for this conundrum that explains it with simplicity and clarity. We also take a look at a centuries old explanation that mirrors the first one.
Hopefully, this grants us some peace with these verses, some solidarity with ancient thinkers, and some encouragement to be actively engaged in some of the writings of the early church fathers (as well as modern discussion with our peers) in order to glean some solid points on things that have been discussed for ages.
While I don't see the early church fathers as authoritative in the same way Catholics do, to take the opposite approach and ignore them entirely is to pretend that we, in our historical context, are the first ones to approach scripture and, therefore, miss out on many points of wisdom that have already been laid as groundwork for good biblical study.
Email: truthbetoldbiblepodcast@gmail.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TruthBeToldYouTube
Logo: Matt Hernandez
Music: Acoustic Indie Folk Years By MarkJuly
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Sometimes when we read scripture we might walk away feeling like we got NOTHING from that bible study session. It can be aggravating and defeating, but we have to keep reading. You never know when something you read NOW might connect perfectly to something you read later.
In this episode we examine one of my personal favorite stories: the woman with the flow of blood for 12 years. On its own, this story is an incredible story of the compassion of Christ, the faith of a broken woman, and a merciful miracle. But when we keep reading, particularly later in the book of Matthew, we learn more about the incredible, CONTINUED faith of this woman, the effect our story can have on others, and a wonderful lesson about the goodness of God NOT being too good to be true.
Email: truthbetoldbiblepodcast@gmail.com
Logo: Matt Hernandez
Music: Acoutic Indie Folk Years By MarkJuly
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I recently returned from a trip to India for the Feast of Tabernacles where I traveled with my dad, my girlfriend, and her best friend.
After the Feast, and before returning home, we took a brief trip to Mumbai where we experienced the most chaotic journey through the streets that we have ever lived through. We were the racial minority, we got odd looks from everyone, we were visiting at peak holiday season with Diwali coming up, millions of people swarmed the streets, we were tired, some of us were injured, and we were lost with no knowledge of how to make it back to our hotel.
During this terrifying walk through the city, the thought that kept coming into my head as I led this group was, "Where should I stand?" If I stand in front of the group, I can lead. If I stand behind the group, I can protect.
In these moments of indecision, I was drawn to the times where God says to His people, "I will go behind and before you." I was grateful to God for this promise and jealous of God for His ability to do both.
In this recounting of this journey through Mumbai, and a reflection on the times God has promised this to His people, we also draw out a lesson for what WE should be doing for each other in following God's example.
Email: truthbetoldbiblepodcast@gmail.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TruthBeToldYouTube
Logo: Matt Hernandez
Music: Acoustic Indie Folk Years By MarkJuly
This episode is case and point why we should always be reading our Bibles.
I just recently got done with a full study of the book of Romans, Romans 5 is one chapter I've studied extensively, there are memory verses all throughout it - but it took reading it THIS time to draw out something that struck me differently.
In this episode we walk through and appreciate a logical case that Paul outlines for why we should feel confident in God's sanctifying work in our lives AS MUCH AS we should be confident in Christ's work on the cross.
Hopefully, by the end of this episode, you can breathe a sigh of relief like I did after examining this section more closely.
Email: truthbetoldbiblepodcast@gmail.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TruthBeToldYouTube
Logo: Matt Hernandez
Music: Acoustic Indie Folk Years By MarkJuly
faith #religion #spirituality #Jesus #Christ #JesusChrist #God #Christian #Christianity #bible #biblestudy #biblical #faithful #religious #spiritual #spirit #truth #hope #love #assurance #soteriology #theology #apologetics #newtestament #romans #romans5 #apostlepaul
Throughout the Bible, particularly in Isaiah and Romans, there are allusions to the story of Gideon's defeat of the Midianites, but these allusions come at times that might not make much sense to modern readers. In fact, they might be missed as allusions altogether!
In this episode, we walk through this story in Judges 7 and analyze the allusions to learn more about what this story points to in the minds of Isaiah and Paul.
This narrative is a memorable one full of oddities and interesting occurrences, but the lesson it teaches us about ourselves and who we REALLY are even when we're feeling at our worst should prove encouraging and empowering.
Email: truthbetoldbiblepodcast@gmail.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TruthBeToldYouTube
Logo: Matt Hernandez
Music: Acoustic Indie Folk Years By MarkJuly
Waiting is one of the most frustrating things that people have to do in general, and that Christians are called to do.
We know it's just a part of life, but that doesn't make it any easier. Sometimes, depending on how desperate a thing we're waiting for, it can be downright torturous.
Isaiah writes, "men have not seen, nor has ear heard, nor eye perceived a God besides You who acts for those who WAIT for Him."
Paul commandeers the verse and writes, "no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who LOVE Him."
I don't know about you, but in moments of desperation, of pain and suffering, of intense fear - waiting feels nothing like love. And yet, Paul's use of this verse is good and correct. How?
How can Christians turn waiting into anticipation? How are waiting and love connected?
Email: truthbetoldbiblepodcast@gmail.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TruthBeToldYouTube
Logo: Matt Hernandez
Music: Acoustic Indie Folk Years By MarkJuly
A few weeks ago I ran into a guy at the self-checkout that felt the need to share an incredibly personal story about a struggle he was currently experiencing.
I asked if he believed in God. He said, "I don't think so, but I'm not sure since I haven't really looked into all that."
I asked if he would let me pray with him. He said he, "didn't really see the point," and clearly felt skeptical and uncertain of the idea.
Ultimately, however, he was interested in the idea enough to come BACK to me and let me explain prayer and walk him through one.
I left hoping that God would use that moment of this man's openness to show him mercy and love and draw him closer to Himself.
FAST FORWARD A FEW WEEKS
I'm reading in the book of Hebrews and come across a verse that says ANYONE who desires to DRAW CLOSE to God, must believe that He exists AND believe He is a rewarder of those who seek Him."
This stopped me in my tracks.
That guy in the self-checkout was very skeptical about God's existence. He was even more skeptical about whether prayer would be any benefit at all.
Does Hebrews 11:6 mean that my interaction with this person was fruitless and a waste of time? Was there no chance for God to do anything in this situation because this man was experiencing uncertainty? If so, how can ANYONE EVER draw near to God?
Email: truthbetoldbiblepodcast@gmail.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TruthBeToldYouTube
Logo: Matt Hernandez
Music: Acoustic Indie Folk Years By MarkJuly
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The Question of the Day: What outside/extrabiblical sources and resources are appropriate for a Christian to use?
Word of the Day: Discernment.
Christians tend to fall all along a spectrum of belief on this topic and, while I wouldn't agree with an extreme liberal view that all information is good and created equal, that you should consume information without abandon, and all paths lead to God, a hyper-traditionalist view is also problematic.
In fact, if you are someone who holds the hard line that, "The Bible is all we need," I'd ask you the question, "all that we need for what?"
Absolutely, the text of Scripture is the inspired word of God and absolutely it is truth about God and man and the story of our departure from Him and His rescue of us back to Himself.
However, we know, instinctually, that the Bible does not tell us EVERYTHING about EVERYTHING.
So, where is the line?
Are commentaries good, but works of fiction bad? Is Josephus good but mythology bad? Is empirical truth right but story false? What about philosophy and wisdom - aren't those just attempts at syncretism and gnostic thinking?
As wild as it might seem, the biblical authors seem far less afraid of this possibility and use outside sources and resources about the world around them, morality, and wisdom to HIGHLIGHT biblical truths about God with ease.
Let's learn from their example.
Email: truthbetoldbiblepodcast@gmail.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TruthBeToldYouTube
Logo: Matt Hernandez
Music: Acoustic Indie Folk Years By MarkJuly
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I know it might sound silly to some, but there is, quite literally, no area of life that cannot be transformed completely by God through radical goodness, self-sacrifice, compassion, and love for others - even the world of Pokémon shows us this.
Many people experience feelings of tension when they consider the transformative life they believe Christianity calls them to on one hand, and the confusion they have over how they are to live that out practically on the other.
While I often emphasize the importance of verbally sharing your faith with others and being unafraid to speak about Jesus Christ to those who need Him, one example of good works and Godly action has stood out to me as worth sharing. @CoopsCollection and @BeardDadCardz are two Pokémon card vendors who, regardless of what they believe theologically, have chosen to lead their businesses with generosity, compassion, and love for their customers.
While their constant giving might seem like it is contrary to effective money-making, business strategies, it is IN these actions that others have taken note, followed, and joined in the giving process.
Our words can be a very effective form of communication and they should never be foregone in efforts to preach the Gospel to others. However, SHOWING others the light of God in us is super effective in exemplifying what all people are starved for and searching for, and also provides them with an actionable step after witnessing that Gospel in real-time.
Email: truthbetoldbiblepodcast@gmail.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TruthBeToldYouTube
Logo: Matt Hernandez
Music: Acoustic Indie Folk Years By MarkJuly
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In the wake of the assassination of @RealCharlieKirk I, am ashamed to admit, did not have a Christian response.
It isn't a problem that I was angry. It isn't a problem that I was horrified at the insensitivity and inhumanity of some people's responses. It isn't a problem that I hope justice comes swiftly.
What IS a problem is that I allowed myself to be overcome by evil rather than overcoming evil with good. What IS a problem is that I desired an enemy to vent my anger on. What IS a problem is that the thought of praying for my enemies sickened me. What IS a problem is that, briefly, I allowed my politics to inform my morality rather than my morality to inform my politics.
"The problem is that all of our hate is 'justifiable.' There's enough evil for us to endlessly pass the blame, justify our actions, keep killing each other, isolate ourselves, and create power structures that protect our own interests. There's only one way out and it's impossible for humanity to do it. When Jesus went to the cross, He demonstrated the ONLY PATH of redemption in an evil world filled with corruption and pain. Jesus is the way. The cross is the way. Forgiveness, releasing debt, choosing generosity in the midst of injustice, sacrificial love, and building relationships with your enemy is the only way to abundant life."
- @johnmarkdyer7
Some will see this as SOFT Christianity but, really, it just IS Christianity and it is INCREDIBLY difficult at a time like this - but it is what we are called to.
Email: truthbetoldbiblepodcast@gmail.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TruthBeToldYouTube
Logo: Matt Hernandez
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2 Corinthians 2:9 is a favorite verse of many preachers, pastors, speakers, and teachers who want to communicate JUST HOW GREAT the Kingdom of God will be.
"Eye has not seen," meaning, "You won't believe it when you see it!" "Ear has not hear," meaning, "You've never heard of anything like it!" "Nor has entered into the heart's of man," meaning, "You couldn't even IMAGINE IT if you TRIED!"
But is that what this verse is saying?
For some reason, this verse is one that gets ripped out of context and, it really doesn't even need THAT much context to know that this is not what Paul is talking about.
In this episode, we keep reading, and get to the beautiful truth that this verse is ACTUALLY trying to communicate.
Email: truthbetoldbiblepodcast@gmail.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TruthBeToldYouTube
Logo: Matt Hernandez
Music: Acoustic Indie Folk Years By MarkJuly
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When faith is talked about, it is often incredibly complicated or overly simple. It's something we all understand and, also, struggle to comprehend - not to mention live out!
In this episode, we look at an analogy that might help us understand faith a bit better, review one of the Bible's most common stories that illustrate faith, doubt, and fear, and we dig deeper into why belief in what Christ has done is a faith builder.
I know that the biblical authors talk A LOT about faith in the person of Jesus Christ, faith in His life, works, and death, and faith in His resurrection; but how does this translate into faith in my daily life? How does knowing that Jesus existed help me life my life more faithfully? How does knowing that He could do incredible miracles help me have faith that He is working things on MY behalf? How does the fact that He was resurrected make me have more faith that He hasn't left me in the proverbial Valley of the Shadow of Death?
Certainly, believing these things to be true is GOOD and helpful for SOME things.. but it hasn't always correlated, for me, why the authors of the Bible seem to think these things are foundational for faith in God for EVERY part of my life.
This is something I've struggled with for awhile (and probably will continue to to some degree), but the thought process in this episode helped me out a lot!
Email: truthbetoldbiblepodcast@gmail.com
Logo: Matt Hernandez
Music: Acoustic Indie Folk Years By MarkJuly
Truth Be Told is 5 years old! Over the course of 5 years, this project has seen a mix of lessons learned and amazing successes that I can only count as blessings from God. In many ways, all of you listening now, or all those who have listened in the past have BEEN blessings yourselves.
Many of you who listen regularly have expressed a desire to see Truth Be Told reach a larger audience and are truly rooting for the success of this channel.
However, we have accomplished quite a bit in 5 years so, in this episode I wanted to share some of those milestones with you and encourage you to continue supporting.
One fascinating lesson I've learned over the course of this work is that, much like Joseph telling his brothers, "what you meant for evil, God has meant for good," often, it is those who dislike Truth Be Told, despise Christianity, and can't stand me that end up being one of the biggest helpers to me. Every time they comment something hateful, every time they share my content with their friends to mock, and every time someone skeptical wants to "keep tabs on me," by sharing my content with someone they respect more, the algorithm responds by increasing the visibility of the video that, hopefully, is a reflection of God and His Word to those who need it.
With this in mind, just imagine what your partnership could mean for Truth Be Told! Maybe, in this project, I am doing the planting, but every time you watch, comment, share, subscribe, rate, or interact with this content, you make yourselves the waterer which, SO FAR, has given God the opportunity to cause this effort to yield a lot of good fruit.
Thank you!
Email: truthbetoldbiblepodcast@gmail.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TruthBeToldYouTube
Logo: Matt Hernandez
Music: Acoustic Indie Folk Years By MarkJuly
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How can we deal with some of the incredibly difficult times we go through? How does finding meaning in our suffering make it easier to bear? Does it always?
Exciting episode this week in that, I am able to blend two of my favorite worlds: Christian Counseling and Biblical Study.
While reading Isaiah this week, I FINALLY reached a section (Chapter 32) that began to make sense of some of the confusing prophecies found in previous chapters. God says He'll be protective of His people.... like a lion is protective over its prey gulp. He says He will bind up His people's wounds..... that He has inflicted gulp. The list goes on. But FINALLY, in Chapter 32, we get a hint at the MEANING behind why God has allowed or caused these things.
There's a theoretical model of counseling called "Existentialism," popularized by Viktor Frankl, that deals A LOT in meaning making as an important part of having a fulfilling life that can endure all things.
Since Israel and Judah are expressly TOLD the meaning of their trials, and finding meaning in our suffering is incredibly important, does that mean they handle it well?
Unfortunately, no.
Why not? How does this effect our lives when we go through suffering and are desperate to find meaning in it?
If we treat Israel and Judah's reaction to the meaning God gives for their suffering as a cautionary tale, we can learn a REALLY valuable lesson in the process.
Email: truthbetoldbiblepodcast@gmail.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TruthBeToldYouTube
Logo: Matt Hernandez
Music: Acoustic Indie Folk Years By MarkJuly
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In John 10, there's a really odd section dealing in a claim that Jesus is God, an obscure Psalm, a supernatural worldview that is only BEGINNING to become more commonplace, and cultural understandings of scripture and expectations of Messiah.
In this episode we go through the 2 main theories that seek to explain this section of Scripture and leave it up to you to decide which option has the greatest explanatory power.
Email: truthbetoldbiblepodcast@gmail.com
Logo: Matt Hernandez
Music: Acoustic Indie Folk Years By MarkJuly
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While the answer to this question might seem obvious to many Christians on the surface, when we apply some critical thinking, common sense, and look deeper at the Scriptures, we might come to different conclusions.
This episode won't teach you WHAT to think but, hopefully, it will give some guidance on HOW to think about this sensitive topic.
Email: truthbetoldbiblepodcast@gmail.com
Logo: Matt Hernandez
Music: Acoustic Indie Folk Years By MarkJuly
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When we read our Bibles, there is A LOT to remember.
History, Language, Culture, Audience - ALL of this needs taken into consideration.
At the risk of giving you one too many things to consider - we might also reflect on what TONE we're allowing to color our reading of the text.
In this episode, we walk through one example where the tone I applied to the text actually affected my understanding of what was being said.
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YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TruthBeToldYouTube
Logo: Matt Hernandez
Music: Acoustic Indie Folk Years By MarkJuly
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I am not usually one to comment on current events but this one has me a little confused so I thought I'd start the discussion.
Recently, the CEO of #Astronomer #AndyByron was caught cheating on his wife at a #Coldplay concert. Since then, there has been a flood of jokes, parody scene recreations, and commentaries on the event as the public latched onto it as a source of entertainment.
This episode is not meant to analyze the situation itself or weigh in on the lives of those affected. It is not meant to shame those who have engaged in the discussion surrounding it.
Instead, I want to present a platform for us, as Christians, to discuss the merits of staying out of it all together in an effort to not be so eager to cast stones vs. engage in it in an effort to highlight that sin leads to destruction.
Admittedly, the enjoyment I see people getting out of this story isn't making a lot of sense to me, but I'd really love to have conversations about your thoughts!
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Logo: Matt Hernandez
Music: Acoustic Indie Folk Years By MarkJuly
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In this episode we will connect ourselves to the plan of God.
While it seems as if God has changed up what He has done, how He has worked, and what He has expected of humanity as it relates to His long-term goals, in reality, as Adam and Eve were commissioned, so are we.
When we trace God's statements throughout history to Adam and Eve, Noah, Abraham, Israel, Isaiah, and the Church through Jesus, we realize that our jobs today are the same even while the methodology might have shifted.
Let's not fall into the same pitfall that Israel fell into, missing the forest for the trees. God's plan is for ALL people throughout ALL time and, when we commit our lives to Him, we commit to joining in the work that He gave His people to do throughout history.
Email: truthbetoldbiblepodcast@gmail.com
Logo: Matt Hernandez
Music: Acoustic Indie Folk Years By MarkJuly
In the Gospels, there is a story about Jesus's life that we would NEVER in a million years account to Him as failure. Yet, when we find ourselves in very similar scenarios - we feel like failures ourselves.
Christians, you are called to carry your cross daily, but the example of Jesus should show us that we do NOT have to carry it alone.
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Logo: Matt Hernandez
Music: Acoustic Indie Folk Years By MarkJuly
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How do we preach the Gospel to those who.... seem like they've already heard it?
In the first century, when Jesus first commissioned His disciples, the majority of the world had never heard His name, what He had done, or any of the tenets of Christianity - sharing this information might have been persecuted, but it wasn't redundant.
Often, Christians feel as if they should still be preaching the Gospel but aren't sure how that is supposed to look in the modern landscape now that.. MOST people have a general idea of who Jesus is.
In this week's episode, we consider a simple mindset shift on this topic that might help us continue doing what Jesus asked us to do.
Email: truthbetoldbiblepodcast@gmail.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TruthBeToldYouTube
Logo: Matt Hernandez
Music: Acoustic Indie Folk Years By MarkJuly
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In Isaiah Chapter 20, we see the, normally, mild-mannered Isaiah being asked to behave as eccentrically as some of the other prophets. For 3 years, he walks naked and barefoot.
Why, you might ask?
That's the kicker - until the 3 years is up, no explanation is given.
Of course, God has His reasons for doing things the way He does. But the question this brought to my mind is - would I have faith like Isaiah to obey a command like this without understanding? Would you?
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Logo: Matt Hernandez
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In this episode we take a look at the story of Jacob and Rachel as they flee from Laban. If we overlay the Exodus story, we can't help but notice that they share many of the same plot points:
-Jacob leaves the Promised Land to enter a foreign place
-Jacob enters into hard service to claim his bride
-Jacob is blessed by God and his household multiplies
-Jacob asks to leave and is denied
-Jacob flees and Laban pursues
However, there's one part of this story that is simply stated with very little explanation or commentary: Rachel steals Laban's household gods and refuses to return them. She tells Laban that, because she is on her period, she will not get up for him to search her possessions, all while she's sitting on the idols to hide them.
Why are we told this? Why aren't we given more information about what's going on?
While most read this story and assume that this is a moment of faithlessness from Rachel, desiring to preserve her connection to her pagan roots, overlaying the Exodus story actually sheds light on this bizarre section of Scripture and gives us clues to the fact that Rachel might actually be performing a faithful action LIKE one that God performs later on in Egypt.
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Logo: Matt Hernandez
Music: Acoustic Indie Folk Years By MarkJuly
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We have been called by God to do a job.
How are we doing?
We should be excited to be working for Him - not fearful.
Email: truthbetoldbiblepodcast@gmail.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TruthBeToldYouTube
Logo: Matt Hernandez
Music: Acoustic Indie Folk Years By MarkJuly
The Bible....and Shrek. Probably not 2 things you thought you'd hear compared in your lifetime but, ACTUALLY, there are a lot of similarities between the two.
When you sit down to watch Shrek, believe it or not, you have put in A LOT of preliminary groundwork in order to watch that movie with any enjoyment at all. Shrek is a story that CONTAINS other stories within it both in its thematic elements, jokes, and character choices. You, the viewer, are assumed to have a working knowledge of ALL of those things in order to dialogue with the story at the various levels it is trying to communicate on.
Can you still watch Shrek if you don't understand who Pinocchio is? Sure. Is it better if you do - absolutely.
The Bible is the same way. The authors of Scripture often had common worldviews, mythologies, cultural paradigms, and turns of phrase. They regularly draw on past stories from earlier portions of the Bible and Ancient Near Eastern literature to highlight deeper truths, evoke certain feelings, and to present deeper messages to the reader.
To have effective Bible study, it is REALLY helpful to know some of these things so that proper connotations are drawn when reading the Scriptures holistically.
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YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TruthBeToldYouTube
Logo: Matt Hernandez
Music: Acoustic Indie Folk Years By MarkJuly
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After reading 1 Corinthians 12, everyone wants to know - what's my spiritual gift? Super speed? Invisibility? LASER EYES?!
Obviously, this is a joke, but it is actually close to how many feel about spiritual gifts - like they are hyper-spiritual abilities that make us stand out from the crowd. However, while they absolutely are blessings from God, attitudes like this about spiritual gifts are SPECIFICALLY warned against by Paul because they can lead to some terrible consequences for the church and its members.
In this episode, we read this section of scripture critically with awareness of some of the dangers people fall into when considering this topic and reverse engineer it to actually give us insight into how we might actually discover what gifts God has blessed us with.
This method doesn't involve waiting for some mystical revelation or overestimating our abilities, it involves understanding the purpose for the gifts God gives us, looking out for the needs of the body, and determining where we might be uniquely suited to stand in the gap.
Email: truthbetoldbiblepodcast@gmail.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TruthBeToldYouTube
Logo: Matt Hernandez
Music: Acoustic Indie Folk Years By MarkJuly
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Watch this episode if you're interested in watching us make fun of each other for 2 hours while sprinkling in a few good thoughts about the Bible, the Church, podcasting, etc.
Ryan and Brad are two of my best friends who I've known for most of my life. Every time we interact it's enjoyable (hopefully for those around us as well). It is a privilege to have been a subject for reaction on their channel and it was awesome to talk with them for a full-length episode.
Email: truthbetoldbiblepodcast@gmail.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TruthBeToldYouTube
Logo: Matt Hernandez
Music: Acoustic Indie Folk Years By MarkJuly
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Our view of God can, sometimes, be shaped by our view of authority. I hate being in trouble. Feelings of guilt and shame are always at my fingertips and it isn't uncommon for me to be debilitated by those feelings at times - unable to grow or learn from experiences, instead just beating myself up.
This has been true for a lot of my life. When I was younger, I had a few unfortunately negative experiences with police officers. I didn't do anything horrendously evil but I found myself in trouble nonetheless.
Now, even HEARING sirens has me immediately considering if I've unintentionally done something wrong. Are they out to get me? If we're not careful, we can have these same views of God as well. He's waiting for me to fail. He is disappointed in me. His rod and staff are hanging over my head to punish, not comfort or guide.
This isn't the way God is presented to us in Scripture. In this episode, we address our fear and shift our mind back to God as a loving Father who corrects our disobedience with love and patience.
Email: truthbetoldbiblepodcast@gmail.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TruthBeToldYouTube
Logo: Matt Hernandez
Music: Acoustic Indie Folk Years By MarkJuly
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In Isaiah 9, we come across a really strange name for the Northern region of Israel - Galilee of the Gentiles. In modern English, it doesn't read in quite as foreboding language as it would have been in Isaiah, or even Jesus's time.
I always knew that Jesus was often discredited based on where, and with whom, He decided to associate, but I never realized that Galilee was seen as SUCH a negative place.
Being in the North of Israel, this region was majority Gentile and the Israelites who lived there were seen as less by their compatriots by virtue of their proximity to unbelievers.
However, there's a lesson we can take from Isaiah's prophecy and Jesus's actions towards a place like Galilee that should inform how we view the world around us. This place "in darkness" should not be feared - it should have light brought to it.
We can choose to live like the rest of Israel - avoiding the dark places for fear of the light shared with us becoming dimmed. We can choose to live like Isaiah - wary, but proclaiming a coming light. Or, better yet, we can choose to live like Jesus - being an active part in bringing the light to those places.
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YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TruthBeToldYouTube
Logo: Matt Hernandez
Music: Acoustic Indie Folk Years By MarkJuly
Is it possible that I am more like a Pharisee than I'd care to admit? Unfortunately.. yes.
In Mark 7, we read about something the Pharisees did that Jesus wasn't terribly happy with. While, on the surface, we might think we don't do the same thing, the heart of our actions might be similar.
Through an adopted practice known as "corban," (ceremonially dedicating material wealth and possessions to God's service), people were under the impression that they could leave other parts of God's law undone; namely, honoring your father and mother.
By compartmentalizing certain parts of the commands of God and institutionalizing good works, people felt legally justified in washing their hands of other parts they perceived to be less important. However, if they had analyzed their hearts, it would have become clear that they were out to serve themselves and avoid certain fears over losing wealth or status.
Could we be following the same spirit in compartmentalizing certain parts of the God's commands and institutionalizing OUR good works? If Jesus corrects some of this at His return, will we miss Him like the Pharisees did, trusting in our methodological obedience more than the heart of what He is looking for in His people?
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Logo: Matt Hernandez
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There's a wild theory that the Apostle John is actually alive somewhere on the Earth waiting for Christ's return.
The old fashioned, skeptic in me wants to scoff at this but I actually watched a REALLY interesting video about it and found it to be more reasonable than I expected.
This theory comes from a verse found in the last chapter of the book of John and.. I THOUGHT I had the perfect explanation for it.. but could this theory hold a bit more plausibility than I originally expected?
Does it even matter?? Find out on this episode!
Email: truthbetoldbiblepodcast@gmail.com
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Logo: Matt Hernandez
Music: Acoustic Indie Folk Years By MarkJuly
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Sure, I can easily feel like I'm doing good work for God as long as I'm sharing the Gospel, serving people at church, or doing anything we'd label "spiritual." But doing EVERYTHING as unto God just seems like an impossible standard to live up to.
In this episode we examine this verse in Colossians 3, gaining context from the surrounding section, and look at a few examples that, I believe, showcase this verse in action.
Once you see it, you won't be able to UNsee it, and applying it to your life is going to be SO much easier!
Email: truthbetoldbiblepodcast@gmail.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TruthBeToldYouTube
Logo: Matt Hernandez
Music: Acoustic Indie Folk Years By MarkJuly
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Skeptics and critics of the Bible will often level accusations against Christians stating that they serve an "angry God." They look at verses in the Old Testament outlining God's judgment on people and don't like how it sits with their view of morality. To them, God just seems angry, harsh, and vengeful.
Christians, sensing that God is under attack, are likely to come to His defense. They begin explaining away verses that outline God's anger or try to drown out those verses with a look at the life of Jesus who society has painted to be much more even-keeled. (though, He got angry too..)
In doing this, we forget that anger, in and of itself, is NOT a bad thing!
Used correctly it can actually bring about a lot of good.
In this episode we look at the example of Superhero movies, where an angry hero is something we all root for, and analyze some Scriptural sections outlining God's anger to compare and contrast the two.
You might just find that you actually LIKE God when He's angry..
Email: truthbetoldbiblepodcast@gmail.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TruthBeToldYouTube
Logo: Matt Hernandez
Music: Acoustic Indie Folk Years By MarkJuly
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This episode utilizes, and refers to, many different historical images and depictions of Jesus. As such, it might be beneficial to view it through the YouTube link in the description below to get the full experience.
Jesus was not white. This shouldn't come as a major shock to anyone.
He was born in Bethlehem in Judea, raised by a typical Israeli family, and was physically indistinguishable from His friends at the end of His life.
Whenever we see images of Jesus, people have a whole host of responses and many of them are angry.
"You should NEVER depict Jesus. That's idolatry!" - is this true?
"Jesus didn't look like that! He looked more like this!" - do we know?
In this episode we take stock of a bunch of images and depictions of Jesus throughout history to show just how varied His portrayals are. Then, we ask the question, why?
Are white people trying to whitewash Jesus? Are other races trying to claim Him ONLY for themselves to the exclusion of others? History doesn't seem to think so. It tells a different story that we'll explore in this week's episode.
Email: truthbetoldbiblepodcast@gmail.com
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Logo: Matt Hernandez
Music: Acoustic Indie Folk Years By MarkJuly
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What can the widow's mite teach me about my own value? This is a biblical lesson that is 2,000 years in the making!
Often when Christians consider how amazing God is, it can actually lead to some really problematic self-esteem issues.
When we observe the perfection of God, it is a natural byproduct that we also observe our own imperfection. Some people look at this state of feeling lowly and consider it a good work. "I SHOULD feel terrible about myself because that shows that I'm esteeming God appropriately!" Now, of course, I don't want to advise IGNORING your own sin or lowliness in light of God's righteousness and loftiness. But there is another step we HAVE TO TAKE!
Often people will take this first step of considering God and considering themselves and realizing that they fall short but they don't take the NEXT step of considering how God views them.
When we do this: "look at your life through Heaven's eyes," as Jethro says in the Prince of Egypt, we begin to realize that our value is more than our own estimation of it.
Sure, you might think, I know that Jesus died for me. I get that that imparts value to me.. but I still don't have anything to offer that ACTUALLY makes me worth that. HERE is where we turn to the lesson of the widow's mite.
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Logo: Matt Hernandez
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Asking this one question might SERIOUSLY help your Bible Study - not because the answer is drastically important, but because it can change how your brain is interacting with the text.
So often, people have a hard time shifting from simply READING Scripture to actually STUDYING it. They believe it must take some monumental effort to do good, effective study because they don't find that it comes naturally.
In reality, a few small, intentional changes can go a long way in preparing your mind to dialogue with the text in a more effective way. And the good news is - it can be about cool stuff that you're already NATURALLY interested in like miracles!
Email: truthbetoldbiblepodcast@gmail.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TruthBeToldYouTube
Logo: Matt Hernandez
Music: Acoustic Indie Folk Years By MarkJuly
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The Sons of Korah are fascinating figures throughout the Old Testament. Dissenters, rebels, and subjects of God's judgment, but somehow also righteous, contented, dutiful, obedient, and loyal to God.
Though Korah and his sons don't have a unique book dedicated to their wild story, there are breadcrumbs for us to follow that paint an elaborate picture of this group of people starting in Numbers 16 and meandering all the way through to the Babylonian exile.
How did this family go from Korah who desired the Priesthood for himself, to a gentle group of gatekeeping psalmists who still yearned for access to God's House with that same passion, but respectfully did their jobs relying on God's promises to bless them in due time?
More importantly, what can we learn from these people both as individuals, and as a Church?
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Logo: Matt Hernandez
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Ephesians 4:16 often gets rephrased as saying that the Church is, "joined and knit together by what every member supplies." But.. that's not what the verse says.
In nearly every translation, and even in the original Greek, the word Paul uses is "joint."
Maybe this doesn't seem like a big deal but "joints" and "members" are fundamentally different elements to a physical body and the same hold true for the Spiritual body. In fact, to misunderstand this verse is to potentially cause great harm to a Church.
To misunderstand this verse can (and does) often lead to pride, self-esteem issues, and wrong judgment of others because it elevates the INDIVIDUAL instead of elevating RELATIONSHIPS.
The reality is, our strengths, gifts, and efforts are only worth ANYTHING in the context of one another. If I have a gift for speaking but I have no connection to my Church - my gift is wasted. If I have a gift of hospitality but I have harmed my connection points to the Church - my gift is wasted.
No matter WHAT we have to offer the body, if we have undervalued connection TO the body, that gift lies stagnant.
Hopefully, over the course of this episode, we'll reexamine the connection points in the Church - our relationships with others - and esteem them as the pivotal building blocks to the Church that they are.
Email: truthbetoldbiblepodcast@gmail.com
Logo: Matt Hernandez
Music: Acoustic Indie Folk Years By MarkJuly
Yes, I know. A biblical lesson from the Belchers in Bob's Burgers? Seems insane. But, honestly, if we are focused on God and meditating on His word regularly, we should be able to see evidence of Him and His truths everywhere!
All truth and all good gifts are from Him - whether they come from observing creation, our interactions with others, or a simple TV show, we can learn about God from the truth that all of existence can't help but repeat.
In one episode of Bob's Burgers, Bob is upset with his role as "Block Captain" and complains about the whistle he's been given that he feels is useless. His family comes to the whistle's defense saying that whistles serve A LOT of different functions and that Bob needs to stop complaining.
As soon as I saw this, I realized it was a great model for answering the question - what is God's will for my life?
You're probably asking - how?
Find out in this episode!
Email: truthbetoldbiblepodcast@gmail.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TruthBeToldYouTube
Logo: Matt Hernandez
Music: Acoustic Indie Folk Years By MarkJuly
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In Genesis 9, God makes a covenant with, not just Noah but, the animals.
In Genesis 1, God asks mankind to rule over animal kind as Ambassadors in His image with goodness and love.
In Romans 8, Paul says that ALL of creation groans under the weight of the corruption its been subjected to as it longs for the revealing of the sons of God.
In Mark 16, Jesus tells His disciples to preach the Gospel to EVERY CREATURE.
Could any of this inform how we should think about, and treat, animals?
An even WEIRDER thought is - can we/should we be preaching the Gospel to animals?? HOW?!
Email: truthbetoldbiblepodcast@gmail.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TruthBeToldYouTube
Logo: Matt Hernandez
Music: Acoustic Indie Folk Years By MarkJuly
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A friend of mine told me once that I am like an "Evangelist for frozen mango."
This was about the weirdest comment I've ever received and so I had to ask about it and consider the statement. It's true, I do love frozen mango. It's one of the greatest snacks in the world. It's just something that makes me happy.
When people find this out about me, many are intrigued. It seems like such an odd thing to be happy about. Sure, most people have tried frozen fruit before. There's an appeal. Smoothies are certainly good. But, why is that specific one so great?!
People ask me these questions. They're incredibly curious about this oddity of mine and, when they see me eating frozen mango, 9 times out of 10, they ask to try it to see what the fuss is all about. I've got a pretty good track record when it comes to showing people just how awesome this snack is.
For all of these reasons, evangelist for frozen mango actually seems like a fairly accurate description. But considering this made me realize that my sharing of the Gospel has been lacking something MAJOR. Find out what it is in this week's episode.
Email: truthbetoldbiblepodcast@gmail.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TruthBeToldYouTube
Logo: Matt Hernandez
Music: Acoustic Indie Folk Years By MarkJuly
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How can I look at the HOUSE of God and feel like it's a HOME?
Every time I look at the sections of Scripture that talk about the House of God, I remember that those verses often look directly at the Temple or Tabernacle structures as foreshadowing God making His home with us.
While the presence of God, is absolutely a thing I love and desire, looking at the physical buildings that were representative of that are a LONG WAY from giving me the warm fuzzies. To me, they've appeared cold and rigid. They seem too regal and austere to actually be a place I'd desire to dwell.
But the Psalmists write so lovingly about these places, not just talking about their beauty, but about how amazing it would be to actually LIVE there like the birds who make nests there do. So, what am I missing?
In this episode, we look through the book of Exodus and the elements God desired to have as a part of His tabernacle (and later the Temple) through the lens of "home," and see just how awesome of a place it actually is.
God doesn't desire to bring you in to live with Him in some stuffy, religious building - He built a home for His people (and is still building a home for His people) and when we see that, we'll want to dwell with Him there all the more.
Email: truthbetoldbiblepodcast@gmail.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TruthBeToldYouTube
Logo: Matt Hernandez
Music: Acoustic Indie Folk Years By MarkJuly
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Christian content creator, @johnmarkdyer7 and I had an awesome conversation about Christian evangelism and social media.
The discussion ranged from preaching the Gospel across generations to cultural starting points for sharing your faith.
So many are divided over opinions on Christian social media. How effective is it? Is it watering down the Gospel? Isn't it just a little too performative?
In the midst of all of this, John Mark Dyer has found a niche that tackles genuine topics in a way that communicates transparently and effectively.
Hopefully, this conversation sparks your imagination and encourages you to discover new tactics for sharing your faith life in your communities, workplaces, friend groups, and cultures. Preaching the Gospel is about so much more than the words you say - it's about the life you live that reflects God into the lives of others.
Email: truthbetoldbiblepodcast@gmail.com
YouTube:
Logo: Matt Hernandez
Music: Acoustic Indie Folk Years By MarkJuly
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When we meet new people we often learn about them through a mix of how we perceive them, what others say about them, and what they communicate to us through their words or actions.
Many times, when considering God, we only consider our own perceptions and what others say about Him. We forget that God inspired and compiled the entire Bible which speaks to us about Him.
Throughout the pages of Scripture, we see a lot of talk about the gods of other nations. These gods reigned over certain geographical locations, people groups, or elements and are known as: "Name of god" god of the "thing they are god over." Example: Poseidon god of the Sea
In the Bible, we get this same pattern repeated for God Most High, but the things that God says about Himself are incredibly unique. Sure, other gods might claim power over elements, events, or various civilizations but OUR God is God OF gods.
When we look at what God says about Himself in the pages of the Bible we should be left amazed at how high above it all He tells us He is. Most often, it shows us that our CONSIDERATION of God, is never high enough.
Email: truthbetoldbiblepodcast@gmail.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TruthBeToldYouTube
Logo: Matt Hernandez
Music: Acoustic Indie Folk Years By MarkJuly
For modern Christians who have spent their entire lives studying Scripture, surrounded by Church life, very familiar with the "vibe" of Christianity, it can be very easy to forget that, Jesus said some really strange things.
Without the benefit of 2,000+ years of theological research, amazing Christian lives lived, and acquaintance with the person of Jesus through Scripture, we miss what it might have been like to hear the words Jesus spoke for the very first time. When we strip away our bias, our over-comfortability with the phrasing of the Bible, and imagine what it would be like for someone to encounter Jesus in the first century - we realize that MANY of His words were inflammatory and radical.
We've become so used to using Jesus as a comfort blanket that we lose sight of just of how different a life He calls us to.
Don't get me wrong! Jesus IS and SHOULD BE a comfort to us. But to view His ministry as little more than a combination of cute quotes that make us feel good is to do a disservice to God, ourselves, and the relationship He desires to have with us.
In reality, when we understand how intense Jesus's message was, are appropriately shocked by it, and wrestle with it the way He desires us to wrestle with it - we realize that to accept and believe these words is nothing less than a powerful action of faith.
Lunatics and cult-leaders have used Jesus's radical methods to gain a following. Liars have echoed His words and claimed them about themselves. But it is only the LORD who can say them with no hint of insanity or deceit. Jesus is LORD.
Email: truthbetoldbiblepodcast@gmail.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TruthBeToldYouTube
Logo: Matt Hernandez
Music: Acoustic Indie Folk Years By MarkJuly
Going through difficulties in life, suffering, and facing consequences of sin are difficult parts of life. Painful, harmful, and traumatic circumstances happen to all of us and they can cause us to question God's goodness. Why would God allow me to go through this? Didn't He know it would hurt me?
Eventually, we learn that those situations and circumstances were designed and/or used to teach us good lessons, but it doesn't mean the pain totally goes away. When we experience this kind of scarring or residual pain, it can cause us to double down on our questioning of God. Sure, I understand the difficult circumstances was used to draw me closer to God, but how does this continuation of trauma (which seems to only lead to ongoing doubts) draw me closer?
In this episode, we'll explore the situations of some of the heroes of the faith who must have asked these same questions to try to gain solidarity with them and understand what some purposes might be for the scarring God allows us to experience rather than healing us fully every time.
Email: truthbetoldbiblepodcast@gmail.com
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@TruthBeToldYouTube
Logo: Matt Hernandez
Music: Acoustic Indie Folk Years By MarkJuly
Ok, ok.. before you get all up in arms - No. I'm not saying Jesus was a woman. The term Messiah just means Anointed One, and refers to one who saves Israel.
Many people were smaller versions of Messiah before Jesus appeared, prefiguring in part all that He would accomplish.
Interestingly, in THIS story that we cover from 1 Samuel, it's a woman who steps into that role. However, she isn't saving all of Israel or the entire world, but one man who, unfortunately might prefigure US.
I think it's amazing just how accurately this woman acts out what Christ fully accomplished and I think you will too.
Email: truthbetoldbiblepodcast@gmail.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TruthBeToldYouTube
Logo: Matt Hernandez
Music: Acoustic Indie Folk Years By MarkJuly
When the world becomes chaotic, Christians flock to the Scriptures to determine read prophecy. We read about end time events and, naturally, have a little fear when we consider that we might have to live through some of it. Some people prepare by saving drinking water, hoarding food, equipping bunkers, and keeping extra batteries on hand.
While there's absolutely nothing wrong with being cautious and prepared for potential rough times ahead, if we're doing all of this BECAUSE of our reading of prophecy, we might be missing the point.
Biblical prophecy is not just a heads up about God's punishment so we can attempt to avoid it. It's way more than just a telling of future events so we can beat the system. Biblical prophecy is given for a purpose, and it isn't for us to worry ourselves over escaping physical difficulty.
If we understand WHY prophecy is given in the Bible and read it accordingly, we might learn the ONE THING that might actually make us more prepared than any amount of stockpiling could do.
Email: truthbetoldbiblepodcast@gmail.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TruthBeToldYouTube
Logo: Matt Hernandez
Music: Acoustic Indie Folk Years By MarkJuly
We all know someone who isn't Christian, and many of us probably know someone who has died without coming to Christ. Are those people who have died in ignorance eternally damned?
In David Platt's book, "Something Needs to Change," he discusses his emotions at witnessing the burial rites of those who have died in the remote areas of the Himalayas. While the book itself is fantastic, his conclusions on the fate of those Hindus and Buddhists who never had an opportunity to hear the Gospel preached reflect those of many mainstream Christians.
However, do these conclusions accurately reflect what Jesus says about the subject?
Email: truthbetoldbiblepodcast@gmail.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TruthBeToldYouTube
Logo: Matt Hernandez
Music: Acoustic Indie Folk Years By MarkJuly
A few weeks ago, it was brought to my attention that my friends Brad and Ryan have started a new project called, "Reacting to Truth," that, essentially, is a reaction channel to my podcast/YouTube channel.
This news really took me by surprise. Were they making a joke about it? Was it a prank I wasn't aware of? Why didn't they tell me they were doing it? Surely they wouldn't go through all this effort to, not only LISTEN TO my content, but to discuss it enough to want to record their conversational thoughts on it, while JUST intending to be supportive and kind to me?
Sure enough - they were. They appreciated what I was doing and wanted to share their support and thoughts on the messages I was delivering. When I found this out, I immediately went from shocked and skeptical to heart-warmed and appreciative. But why was this my reaction?
Don't I pray always for God to bless my efforts? Don't I want HIS support for this endeavor? Why, then, was it so hard to accept that my friends would want to express this type of love for me?
If John says that it's more difficult to love God who we can't see if we're not even loving our brothers who we CAN see, is it possible the inverse is true? Is my reluctance to accept love from those I can see an indication that maybe I'm not in the right frame of mind to accept personal love from God who I can't see?
Email: truthbetoldbiblepodcast@gmail.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TruthBeToldYouTube
Logo: Matt Hernandez
Music: Acoustic Indie Folk Years By MarkJuly
PLEASE READ DESCRIPTION
This episode is the 2nd in a series that I'm slowly working through, dedicated to analyzing the potential for division in the Church that runs along age lines.
While I don't see any wild amount of disunity between the different age groups currently, there are differences in experience, thought, understanding, and preferred methodology that could quickly turn into division if we're not aware of them.
We should all be looking around at the members of our congregations and asking ourselves, "How can I better serve them?" The first step to this, in my opinion, is understanding them. By building relationships built on a desire to understand and succeed together, we mitigate the human tendencies to assume poor motives, to write people off, or to forge ahead alone believing ourselves to be the only correct thinkers.
In this episode, I sat down with my friend Dallin who spoke for himself but did his best to represent how he saw the mindsets of those in his age group. Dallin is a former camper of mine with a thoughtful mind and a great heart. He started out fairly nervous to participate in the podcast but ended up articulating his thoughts well.
The primary points that Dallin brings out that I hope you'll take away from this episode are:
-Younger generations don't always think the same way that older generations do and, if we assume they do, we'll really suffer in our communication with them.
-Younger generations were born into the culture of the Church, they didn't necessarily build it. This isn't their fault and it doesn't need to be held against them.
-Young Christians might take certain things less seriously than older Christians but this doesn't mean they should be taken less seriously. They're intelligent and thoughtful and valuable to our Church.
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TruthBeToldBiblePodcast
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TruthBeToldYouTube
Email: truthbetoldbiblepodcast@gmail.com
Logo: Matt Hernandez
Music: Acoustic Indie Folk Years By MarkJuly
Are you in danger of having an Us vs. Them mentality when it comes to those who aren't Christian? Is this even all that wrong?
In Joshua 5, we get a really unique story in Israel's history regarding the Commander of the Army of the LORD. This story sits between Israel's wandering in the wilderness after their liberation from Egypt and the fall of Jericho as the first of the conquests of the Promised Land. As such, it often gets forgotten. However, it is a story that might have some really interesting application to our own lives.
Joshua asks this Commander, "Are you for us or for our adversaries?" The Commander merely replies, "Neither."
How could the Commander of the Army of the LORD not be FOR those who considered themselves to BE the army of the LORD? Doesn't God deliver the city of Jericho over to Israel? Doesn't this mean He's AGAINST their adversaries?
In this episode, we explore all of these questions and some potential applications to our own modern lives as we follow God.
Email: truthbetoldbiblepodcast@gmail.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TruthBeToldYouTube
Logo: Matt Hernandez
Music: Acoustic Indie Folk Years By MarkJuly
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It often gets stated by skeptics that the Bible is "full of contradictions." Even Christians will stumble across verses that get a bit confusing sometimes.
Whenever this conversations comes up, it seems like it results in hostility and frustration most of the time. There are a few things we need to keep in mind before we even THINK about getting into these types of conversations.
It's important to go through the individual verses, but we have to remember to have respect for one another when we do this and come to the table for an actual conversation, not an anger-inducing session of talking past one another.
Follow these steps to increase effective communication between you and someone on the opposing end of the debate.
Link: https://www.logos.com/grow/biblical-hermeneutics-guide/
Email: truthbetoldbiblepodcast@gmail.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TruthBeToldYouTube
Logo: Matt Hernandez
Music: Acoustic Indie Folk Years By MarkJuly
The birth of our Savior is one of the most important events in human history. It is the fulfillment of prophecies, it is the answer to prayers, it is the beginning of hope. God became flesh and dwelt among us.
While, personally, I don't celebrate Christmas (I don't think there is any chance this is remotely close to the actual birth of Jesus), to ignore this story in an effort to distance yourself from the materialistic trappings of the holiday is to refuse to participate in the recognition of an event that lowly shepherds, lofty kings, faithful Israelites, watchful Gentile astrologers, a humble Jewish family of little notoriety, and hosts of angels took very careful note of.
This story is historical fact and it is the answer to a question that has echoed down throughout time. "How long, LORD?!" The answer of the Incarnation of Jesus Christ is one that should be rejoiced over.
Email: truthbetoldbiblepodcast@gmail.com
Logo: Matt Hernandez
Music: Acoustic Indie Folk Years By MarkJuly
Job is one of the more well-known books of the Bible. It struggles through huge topics like human suffering, the spirit world, and God's goodness.
This book also presents several questions that Job, in his suffering, petitions God about hoping for an answer. Why is this happening to me? What have I done wrong? Won't you give me a fair trial? Why is there no mediator between God and man?
This last one, we know, is answered in the person of Jesus who, having lived as both God and man, is uniquely qualified to stand as our Mediator.
Job asks another question that we might gloss over, but actually highlights something AMAZING about Jesus Christ as well. The question is: "Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean?" and the answer he sees in front of him is, "There is not one."
In this episode, we explore how Jesus uniquely answers this question.
Email: truthbetoldbiblepodcast@gmail.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TruthBeToldYouTube
Logo: Matt Hernandez
Music: Acoustic Indie Folk Years By MarkJuly
Stories have been a part of human culture since its beginning. We learn about morality, emotions, differences in people, virtue, struggle, and how the world works all through the telling and retelling of stories.
The Bible contains what literary scholars call, "The Greatest Story Ever Told." The life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ has everything that the best stories desire to have: dynamic characters, intricate plotlines, rising and falling of emotions and circumstances, complex topics and pleasant scenes. Amazingly, this story is true.
One thing that all stories need is the presence of Antagonists. These are characters that act to build tension, difficulty, and struggle within a story. They move the plot along and cause certain catalysts for the story's hero(es) to overcome. The story of Jesus is no different. In fact, the number of antagonists and the complexity of them are greater than any other tale.
In this episode we walk through the Greatest Story Ever Told highlighting the antagonists, or those who made themselves enemies of Jesus, to see what lessons we can learn when viewing the story through this lens.
Email: truthbetoldbiblepodcast@gmail.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TruthBeToldYouTube
Logo: Matt Hernandez
Music: Acoustic Indie Folk Years By MarkJuly
Eve, the mother of all mankind, gets an incredibly bad wrap. We read her story in Genesis 3 and pin the state of the world on her shoulders to, probably, an unfair degree.
Sure, submitting to the temptation of the serpent, eating of the fruit in disobedience to God, and giving to her husband to eat as well are incredibly misguided actions that had dire consequences. But we forget that her story continues past Genesis 3.
In fact, when we read of her story past that chapter, we see a type of faith that most of us struggle to have in our daily lives.
In many ways, Eve is a cautionary tale, but in many other ways, she is an exemplar that we should look to when we struggle to understand some of God's promises.
Email: truthbetoldbiblepodcast@gmail.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TruthBeToldYouTube
Logo: Matt Hernandez
Music: Acoustic Indie Folk Years By MarkJuly
Sodom and Gomorrah is a classic story of God's judgement. These cities have become bywords to represent evil and sin and their destruction acts as a cautionary tale to all who would disobey God. But is that all there is to it?
Upon further reading, we might be surprised to know that this story is actually an amazing representation of God's mercy and estimation of human life.
How, you might ask? Find out on this week's episode.
Email: truthbetoldbiblepodcast@gmail.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TruthBeToldYouTube
Logo: Matt Hernandez
Music: Acoustic Indie Folk Years By MarkJuly
The story of the prodigal son is one of the most well-known in the world. After centuries of telling and retelling, preaching and writing, expounding and studying - what more could we possibly take from this short section of scripture?
Let me ask you - when, in the story, do you think the prodigal son repented? Some might place it at the moment he "comes to himself" and prepares a speech on his way home to the father. This is a great candidate for repentance since he is ACTIVELY changing his actions and walking his sinful actions back.
However, there is a noticeable difference in the speech he PREPARES to deliver and the one he ACTUALLY delivers that might give us some insight into the heart of this wayward son.
The prodigal son is, after all, a story of the heart.
Email: truthbetoldbiblepodcast@gmail.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TruthBeToldYouTube
Logo: Matt Hernandez
Music: Acoustic Indie Folk Years By MarkJuly
Last week's video was a wild one. I really did hope to have an even-toned discussion regarding the merits of the Christian claim of the sinless life of Jesus Christ. It turned into QUITE a bit more than that and I had comments as wide-ranging as requests for me to prove the supernatural, accusations against the validity of the manuscript evidence of the Bible, and flat out name calling.
In amidst all of this, however, there were some really pleasant people that took the challenge seriously and offered biblical arguments in favor of their beliefs, or on-topic discussions on logic and the rules of it.
Many believed me to be making use of the logical fallacy of circular reasoning. This, I found interesting.
I'm often asked by atheists to prove that a God who transcends the natural world exists while ONLY using the laws of nature. This has always seemed circular to me but I've been happy to oblige to do the best I can at building a plausible, rational case for His existence based on history, archeology, philosophy, textual criticism, and science, but it never seems to be enough.
In this video I respond to a few of the more respectful comments from atheists from last week's video. If you haven't seen it, the link is below:
https://youtu.be/eEiGSAOA0aA?si=PAEfjUoD68GjGElX
Email: truthbetoldbiblepodcast@gmail.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TruthBeToldYouTube
Logo: Matt Hernandez
Music: Acoustic Indie Folk Years By MarkJuly
Atheists, I am truly trying to come to you respectfully and with humility. I have no desire to call you out or to get into a shouting match in the comments. I do, however, have a challenge for you:
So often Christians and Atheists spend a lot of time debating the plausibility of the resurrection of Jesus. Let's take one step back from that and discuss the Christian claim that Jesus lived a sinless life.
This is a HUGE claim. Not only is it impossible for a human, by their own strength, to live a morally perfect life, but if Jesus DIDN'T accomplish this, He couldn't be the perfect sacrifice for our sins we claim Him to be.
Atheists, if you can find one instance in Scripture of Jesus transgressing the Law, Christians will either HAVE to admit that Jesus sinned OR that the Bible lied. The stakes are massive.
I realize, most of you won't take this challenge seriously because you don't trust the Bible to tell an accurate account that didn't make Jesus seem like a shining star - but this isn't the precedent the Bible has set for itself as a well attested to, historically accurate collection of books from a people with a culture that didn't seem to shy away from showcasing the weaknesses of its' leaders.
Take a genuine look at the first five books of the Bible. Comb through them to try and understand the requirements of the Law. Next, familiarize yourself with the life of Jesus through the Gospel accounts. If you give these works a fair look you will, at the very least, gain immense credibility in the eyes of your believing friends. Possibly you won't find anything new and all you'll be out is your time - but there's also a possibility that spending THAT much time in the Word of God might leave you changed from when you started.
Email: truthbetoldbiblepodcast@gmail.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TruthBeToldYouTube
Logo: Matt Hernandez
Music: Acoustic Indie Folk Years By MarkJuly
Certain verses in the Bible act as summary verses for some of the complex and nuanced commands of God. They aren't meant to oversimplify or ignore the depth in the rest of Scripture but, in my view, to reorient the reader to the broader principles that we're being directed to.
One such passage is Micah 6:8 where God is talking to wayward Israel and tells them the 3 basic things He called them to - to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with Him. In this episode we survey these 3 things, focusing primarily on the "love mercy" aspect.
While justice isn't always simple, it's something that makes sense within our human reasoning. While humility isn't a comfortable thing to grow in, it does have its own, natural reward that comes along with it.
Loving mercy might seem like the easiest of these commands because.. we all need it and are grateful God extends it to us, but does this mean we ACTUALLY love mercy the way God intended us to?
Email: truthbetoldbiblepodcast@gmail.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TruthBeToldYouTube
Logo: Matt Hernandez
Music: Acoustic Indie Folk Years By MarkJuly
Our relationship with God is one of the "already" but the "not yet." Yes, God lives in His people via His Holy Spirit in an intimate relationship. But also, we're waiting for the time when He will FINALLY dwell with mankind and we can see Him as He is.
In a way, then, our relationship with God is similar to a long-distance relationship. We have to make time to spend with Him. We have to plan out our interactions. This is just the nature of things as we wait for the fulfillment of Scripture.
However, just like any other long-distance relationship, we might be prone to adding pressure to ourselves that we simply can't live up to. In long-distance relationships, there's often a pressure for every in-person interaction to be PERFECT. Our dates have to be enjoyable. Our interactions cannot have conflict. Our time has to be utilized well and none of it wasted.
In this episode we explore how we put the same pressure on ourselves in our relationship with God and I offer some encouragement in persevering through the less than ideal moments as we press on toward perfection.
Email: truthbetoldbiblepodcast@gmail.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TruthBeToldYouTube
Logo: Matt Hernandez
Music: Acoustic Indie Folk Years By MarkJuly
When I take an honest look at Scripture, I don't see anywhere that the food laws of Leviticus 11 were abolished. I realize there are some verses that people will often use to defend that belief but, looking at them in context, rules that out as an option. Jesus Himself said that He didn't come to abolish the Law but to fulfill it, and most Christians would agree that sin (i.e. transgression of the Law) still exists. So what makes us think we can pick and choose from God's commands when we try to express believing loyalty out of love for what Jesus did for us on the cross?
Probably the trickiest set of verses to this worldview that holds the Leviticus 11 food laws as still being in place are found in Romans 14 and Acts 10. Paul is clearly talking about divisive matters regarding food between Jews and Gentiles, and my translation does say it is matter of "clean" or "unclean."
So, doesn't this show that, when Paul says these foods are only unclean to the one who believes them to be, that this Old Testament Law has become a thing of the past?....Not so fast.
Email: truthbetoldbiblepodcast@gmail.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TruthBeToldYouTube
Logo: Matt Hernandez
Music: Acoustic Indie Folk Years By MarkJuly
The 5 Love Languages (physical touch, quality time, words of affirmation, gifts, and acts of service) are categories meant to help people understand which acts of love are the most effective in making those around them feel the most loved. In this theory, love is a form of communication. It's a language.
Knowing how someone communicates helps understanding to flourish. If your wife appreciates gifts but you typically show love through acts of service, understanding her preferences and your tendencies will make actual displays of love that much more meaningful.
If we could know God's love language, what would we do? Would we spend time trying to make Him feel loved? Fortunately, God has told us, very explicitly, what makes Him feel loved. Unfortunately, most people tend to opt for OTHER WAYS to show love to Him that He hasn't, explicitly, asked for.
Email: truthbetoldbiblepodcast@gmail.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TruthBeToldYouTube
Logo: Matt Hernandez
Music: Acoustic Indie Folk Years By MarkJuly
Obedience is a tricky word in today's world. Talking about obedience in a marriage relationship? Even harder.
Immediately, images of harsh dictators and timid followers come to mind, and we bristle at the idea. This can take a real toll on our relationship with God because - like it or not, He does have commandments and does call us to obedience. He also desires a covenantal, marriage relationship with us so.. once again, we have to wrestle with this idea of marriage and obedience.
In the DreamWorks movie, How to Train Your Dragon 2, there's a beautiful scene between Stoick, the Viking chief, and his long-lost wife that, I believe, illustrates an excellent model for understanding our relationship with God as it comes to obedience and loyalty.
Email: truthbetoldbiblepodcast@gmail.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TruthBeToldYouTube
Logo: Matt Hernandez
Music: Acoustic Indie Folk Years By MarkJuly
This is one of the most common questions I get asked about Bible Study. It's easy to get frustrated when we feel like we see others navigating different tools and resources with ease while we barely know how to read our Bibles for more than 10 minutes without it feeling like serious work!
In this episode, we walk through 3 important things to consider before diving in to extrabiblical sources and consider some good first steps to take so we don't get overwhelmed with all the information out there. One of the most important things to remember when we approach the word of God or a tool meant to help us in our study is that, no matter how comfortable we get in our Bible study, it will always be a labor.
These tools and resources can help it become a labor of love that doesn't frustrate us so much, but no software, book, or scholarly source is going to DO the work for us.
Email: truthbetoldbiblepodcast@gmail.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TruthBeToldYouTube
Logo: Matt Hernandez
Music: Acoustic Indie Folk Years By MarkJuly
In this episode, we open up by examining the joke phrase "that'll preach." Typically this is said about sermon topics, theological points, or certain exciting deliveries that inspire another speaker, preacher, pastor, or teacher to want to deliver the same type of message when THEY next speak.
This shouldn't pose a problem if the information is true. However, sometimes, something "preaches" so well, that we forget to vet whether or not it's completely true. I think all speakers are bound to do this in one way or another and even most lay-people have the problem of repeating information that sounds good without first checking its authenticity.
One example of this "that'll preach" phenomenon that I've heard repeated countless times without much challenge (to the point that I've even repeated it myself), surrounds the Greek word, "agape."
If you've ever heard this word expounded on, you might have heard some variation of: "Agape is the highest form of love. It is Godly and spiritual! It is self-sacrificial and all-encompassing. It stands out against all other Greek words for love."
However, if we do a brief survey of the Scriptures where this is, and other words for love are, used, we might be surprised to find that the ground we stand on when we make these claims, isn't as firm as we once thought. Certainly, it'll preach, but is it true?
Email: truthbetoldbiblepodcast@gmail.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TruthBeToldYouTube
Logo: Matt Hernandez
Music: Acoustic Indie Folk Years By MarkJuly
The Shroud of Turin is, probably, the most controversial relic in history. However, this controversy doesn't necessarily speak to its illegitimacy. In fact, the ambiguity surrounding its authenticity might actually speak to a solid potential that it is the genuine article.
In this episode we explore all things shroud related. What is it? What's the evidence for or against it being the ACTUAL burial shroud of Jesus Christ? Does the Bible speak to this at all, or is this only a matter for science, history, and tradition?
Keep in mind, we are surveying an artifact that spans AT LEAST a thousand years. In fact, most relics have fascinating backstories covering various kingdoms and countries, kings and churches, time periods and important events and it is A LOT to cover.
Email: truthbetoldbiblepodcast@gmail.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TruthBeToldYouTube
Logo: Matt Hernandez
Music: Acoustic Indie Folk Years By MarkJuly
In this episode we dive into John 11:35 (the, Jesus wept, verse) and the surrounding section as a case study on how to practice good biblical observation and interpretation rather than mixing these two things up.
One of the very first lessons they teach you in Bible college is about the art of biblical interpretation known as Hermeneutics. There are 4 basic steps to practicing good biblical hermeneutics:
-Historical Context
-Literary Context
-Observation
-Interpretation
These last two steps are PARTICULARLY tricky for us. While we might know, intuitively, that observation is different from interpretation, whether we are practicing one or the other is hard to discern.
We naturally bring our inferences, assumptions, biases, and general understanding about the world into the text and forget that these things are part of interpreting the text rather than simply observing the text.
Of course, there's nothing wrong with interpretation by any means. However, when we wrongly believe something we INTERPRET is the same as something we've OBSERVED, we tend to respond in anger when someone else observes or interprets something different than we have.
Email: truthbetoldbiblepodcast@gmail.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TruthBeToldYouTube
Logo: Matt Hernandez
Music: Acoustic Indie Folk Years By MarkJuly
In the book of Ezekiel, Israel contends with God's sense of justice asking "why SHOULDN'T the son die for the sins of the Father?" Their idea of fairness, possibly skewed from a position of desiring vengeance on their enemies, expected consequences AND guilt to pass on from father to son.
God demands, in this section, that they correct their ideas of justice to align with His objective standard. When we do Bible study with a mindset that considers the end from the beginning (as God inspired it to be written), we can ask ourselves the question: "How does this portion of Scripture lead the story closer to the fulfillment of Jesus Christ's life and work?"
By asking this question of this section in Ezekiel; by reading the reality of what was coming in the person of Jesus into the text, we understand why God saw it as such an important mentality to correct in His people.
Email: truthbetoldbiblepodcast@gmail.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TruthBeToldYouTube
Logo: Matt Hernandez
Music: Acoustic Indie Folk Years By MarkJuly
In the book of Romans, like the rest of his writings, Paul draws on several Old Testament sources to make a point. While he seems familiar enough with books like Psalms, Isaiah, Hosea, or Jeremiah to quote them, his USE of singular verses to support his points sometimes leave us more confused than when we STARTED reading his letters.
Of course, Paul isn't the only one who does this! The Gospels, general epistles, and apocalyptic writings all pull out single, Old Testament verses to illustrate or support things that don't always make sense to modern readers.
On Truth Be Told, we spend A LOT of time making sure we get the context right when interpreting a section of scripture. I'm constantly saying things like: read the verses before and after, understand the line of reasoning from the whole chapter, go read the whole BOOK if you have to - ALWAYS read things in context.
So, what do we do with this fact that the New Testament writers feel perfectly comfortable plucking one single verse out of an Old Testament writing and applying it somewhere else we wouldn't expect if this isn't how WE should be studying our Bible?
Do these guys just get a pass because they were important, or is something else going on here?
Email: truthbetoldbiblepodcast@gmail.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TruthBeToldYouTube
Logo: Matt Hernandez
Music: Acoustic Indie Folk Years By MarkJuly
The Roman Catholic Church executed Girolamo Savonarola as a heretic in 1498 for refusing to adhere to a Papal Bull condemning his preaching against the city and rulers of Florence. This heretic, however, left behind incredible wisdom that can aid modern Christians in properly esteeming the text of Scripture and removing some of their fears and hang-ups regarding sharing the Gospel message.
In this episode, we explore the story of this, little-known, martyr to learn 3 lessons that he exemplified in his life and preaching.
Email: truthbetoldbiblepodcast@gmail.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TruthBeToldYouTube
Logo: Matt Hernandez
Music: Acoustic Indie Folk Years By MarkJuly
In the book of Exodus (chapter 12) we read the story of the first Passover kept by Israel signifying their being rescued by God from bondage in Egypt. Most are pretty familiar with the story - God is going to send the death angel, the Israelites have to mark their doors with the blood of a lamb to be spared the plague, and, through their believing loyalty, God leads them to freedom.
What's absolutely crazy about this storied pattern is that, just a few books later (in Joshua 2) we get the story of Rahab protecting the spies that have come to scout out Jericho, as well as their subsequent promise of protection to her, which actually holds nearly ALL of these same story elements.
In analyzing the specific wording of the text, we can see that the biblical authors were trying to draw our attention to something amazing that had happened to Israel, that was also able to be salvific for Gentiles!
Anyone who wants to say that God didn't have the salvation of the whole world in mind from the beginning need only to read these accounts that SO MANY read past, and see what an awesome thing God was signifying.
Email: truthbetoldbiblepodcast@gmail.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TruthBeToldYouTube
Logo: Matt Hernandez
Music: Acoustic Indie Folk Years By MarkJuly
In the book of Isaiah, there is a Messianic prophecy regarding a lamb led silently to the slaughter that we learn (in Acts 8) was fulfilled perfectly by Jesus in His willingness to go to His death without verbally defending His innocence.
Upon this read through in my study, I asked a simple question that opened this prophecy up a bit more for me. I know THAT sheep and Jesus both were silent in the face of their persecutors/executioners - but WHY are they? In asking why sheep go silently after their masters to their death, we can actually learn something deeper that, I believe, Isaiah intended to portray with his use of this analogy.
Email: truthbetoldbiblepodcast@gmail.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TruthBeToldYouTube
Logo: Matt Hernandez
Music: Acoustic Indie Folk Years By MarkJuly
Let's get one things straight - God is not a sinner. He is not a transgressor of the Law. However, what this video attempts to show, is that the PURPOSE of the Law of God is an outpouring of His love, not a limitation on it. When we interpret the Law of God as some sort of hindrance on God's love, we're making the same mistake the Pharisees made.
In the same way that working on the Sabbath is unlawful, but Jesus healing on the Sabbath is good and right, God's display of love that we'll review in this week's episode does not ACTUALLY show that God did an evil or sinful thing, it shows that He fulfilled the greater purpose of the Law when it clashed with the keeping of the letter of it.
Deuteronomy 24 issues rules regarding divorce and remarriage for Israel but, later, after God issues His covenant people a certificate of divorce, He desires them back which, according to this portion of the Law, is an abomination.
God's display of love here and His desire for His wayward bride to return would have been shocking and unfathomable to an ancient people so bent on keeping the letter of the Law that they forgot how transcendent the love of God is.
Email: truthbetoldbiblepodcast@gmail.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDUkiQvCEF8Rc4TzjyBMsxg
Logo: Matt Hernandez
Music: Acoustic Indie Folk Years By MarkJuly
In Genesis 13 and 14 we read the story of Abraham. He has left his father's house, put his trust in God, and experienced a fair amount of difficulty (famine, the theft of his wife, plagues, wandering). Finally, God speaks to His chosen servant and explains the promise of land that He is going to bestow upon him. However, God tells Abraham, in very specific terms, to WALK OUT the land and wherever he walks, that will be what God gives to him.
Abraham sets out on his journey but doesn't make it very far before stopping and settling his small tribe at Hebron which is so far South in the land that he hadn't even reached where Jerusalem would be yet! We can't know Abraham's motivation for stopping: perhaps it was a lack of trust that God would deliver more than the small area he traversed, perhaps it was humility believing he didn't deserve more than that, or perhaps it was gratitude thinking "if God even gave me this small portion, it would be enough for my small group."
Whatever the reason for Abraham's stopping, God intended much greater blessings of land for His chosen people and, in a strange turn of events, presents Abraham with some provocation/trials that lead to Abraham's continued survey of the promised land.
Our trials nearly never feel like paths to gain. At best, we might learn a thing or two in the end that we're glad to have learned. However, as is evidenced by this story, sometimes God allows trials in our lives to push us towards greater blessings while, if left to our own devices, we might settle.
Email: truthbetoldbiblepodcast@gmail.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDUkiQvCEF8Rc4TzjyBMsxg
Logo: Matt Hernandez
Music: Acoustic Indie Folk Years By MarkJuly
So often, this verse is one that is taken out of context because of the comforting words, lovely poetry, and pleasant picture it seems to paint for our lives as God sees them. Taking verses out of context, however, is a dangerous game. When you misapply scripture to yourself or force meanings upon the text, you inevitably have to ask yourself - where does it stop?
Where does it STOP applying to me? What DON'T I want it to mean? When you begin asking these questions, even if you aren't being malicious, you are abandoning interpretation in favor of your subjective opinion and this is the worst way to do Bible study.
In this episode, we're just going through one verse (Jeremiah 29:11) as an example of how using verses out of context can quickly become problematic for our understanding and appreciation of Scripture.
Interestingly, the message that people want to force this section to say (that God loves us, has our best interest in mind, and is not, ultimately, desiring our downfall) is a true biblical message. But if it can be found throughout Scripture, why should we insist upon forcing this verse to say what it actually isn't intending to say?
Email: truthbetoldbiblepodcast@gmail.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDUkiQvCEF8Rc4TzjyBMsxg
Logo: Matt Hernandez
Music: Acoustic Indie Folk Years By MarkJuly
Throughout the Biblical narrative, there are overlapping patterns that so many largely ignore. However, if we track these patterns, we begin to see important messages and themes building in intensity that give us a much grander view of God's sovereignty over the construction of His Scriptures, and lifechanging lessons that weave our lives inextricably to the text of the Bible.
In this episode, we walk through one such pattern of meeting God at the well. At first, you'll just begin to notice that wells, springs, and cisterns are mentioned more frequently than you had really considered before, but after we build the examples one on top of another and ask WHY the authors are continuing this pattern, we'll see that God was building towards something in epic fashion that reminds us of His goodness and love for us.
Email: truthbetoldbiblepodcast@gmail.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDUkiQvCEF8Rc4TzjyBMsxg
Logo: Matt Hernandez
Music: Acoustic Indie Folk Years By MarkJuly
PLEASE READ DESCRIPTION
This episode starts off a series that I plan to slowly work through dedicated to analyzing the potential for division in the church that runs along age lines.
While I don't see any wild amount of disunity between the different age groups currently, there are differences in experience, thought, understanding, and preferred methodology that could quickly turn into division if we're not aware of them.
We should all be looking around at the members of our congregations and asking ourselves, "How can I better serve them?" The first step to this, in my opinion, is understanding them. By building relationships built on a desire to understand and succeed together, we mitigate the human tendencies to assume poor motives, to write people off, or to forge ahead alone believing ourselves to be the only correct thinkers.
In this episode, I was privileged to talk to my good friend, Ani who spoke for herself but did her best to represent how she saw the mindsets of those in her age group. Ani is a regular listener of this podcast and was excited to participate but nervous, particularly about saying anything that reflected negative views of others.
The primary points that Ani brings out in this episode that I hope those of other age demographics will take note of are:
-YOUNG Christians desire to be interacted with as GROWING Christians. They don't know everything but many of them are eager to understand and are capable of more than surface level learning.
-Young Christians have some level of fear of expressing doubts and questions for fear of how they might be perceived. Other generations working to create a Church where vulnerability is allowed and encouraged out of an evident love for those who need to express it would go a LONG way.
-Young Christians face issues that you might believe you understand by virtue of living in the same world as them. However, while you're an adult living in this time period, you've never been a kid in this time period. Listening to them with respect first will produce an incredible amount of trust for you to be able to share your advice. If you attempt to share the advice first without building that trust, it won't create the lasting relationship that they desperately need from you.
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDUkiQvCEF8Rc4TzjyBMsxg
Email: truthbetoldbiblepodcast@gmail.com
Logo: Matt Hernandez
Music: Acoustic Indie Folk Years By MarkJuly
In the midst of a larger narrative in Luke 19, we're told a brief story featuring a small-statured, tax collector named Zacchaeus of Jericho. On its own, this account makes a cute, kid-friendly story about Jesus's willingness and desire to care for the outcast. In a deeper look, however, which we go through in this study, Zacchaeus becomes a microcosm of the entire Gospel message.
Luke is an intelligent and intentional writer attempting to accurately depict historical events, but he is also recounting these events with a purpose in mind. In this section of Luke, specifically, we are in a transitional period from the earthly ministry of Jesus to His death on the cross with this account of Zacchaeus sitting squarely in the middle.
Is this, simply, a retelling of events, or did Luke intend this retelling to speak to the larger purpose of the good news of Jesus Christ and the Kingdom of God?
Email: truthbetoldbiblepodcast@gmail.com
Logo: Matt Hernandez
Music: Acoustic Indie Folk Years By MarkJuly
God is vast and powerful and beyond human comprehension on so many levels, but He does desire to be known. In fact, He has gone through some incredible lengths to teach us about Himself and His work. One way we can learn so much about God is by considering His creation. What better way to learn about the Creator than to look at what He has made?
Scripture shows us we can learn about God as a shepherd, a father, a farmer, a king and, now, a fashionista.
In this episode, we track a pattern outlined in the Bible of being alternately clothed and stripped of clothing culminating in a final clothing event where we are given more excellent garments by a benefactor.
We see this pattern in the stories of Adam and Eve, Joseph and his brothers, David and Saul, Jesus and His incarnation, and even in our own lives as it relates to the scriptures.
Viewing God as someone who is intricately invested in clothing might seem like a bizarre lens to view Him through, but there are incredible, encouraging lessons in this study that we might not get in the same way other places.
Email: truthbetoldbiblepodcast@gmail.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDUkiQvCEF8Rc4TzjyBMsxg
Logo: Matt Hernandez
Music: Acoustic Indie Folk Years
"YHWH Is Our Righteousness" is one of the compound names of God that describes Him as, not only righteous but, righteousness on our behalf. How are we supposed to understand that Someone can be righteousness for us when that doesn't seem to work in our human relationships? When many see the fulfillment of this in the person of Jesus Christ, they assume it means we have no obligation to behave righteously anymore since He did it for us.
Commandments? Laws? Good works? None of these are meant to SAVE a person (they couldn't even at their best), but if our King has shown us and offered us His righteousness, should we continue in sin that grace may abound? Certainly not.
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDUkiQvCEF8Rc4TzjyBMsxg
Email: truthbetoldbiblepodcast@gmail.com
Logo: Matt Hernandez
Music: Acoustic Indie Folk Years
Last week's episode outlined 4 practical steps to cultivate a natural curiosity of Scripture:
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Generally know the stories, truths, and virtues of Scripture
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Train yourself to find Biblical patterns
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Find those patterns that reflect universal truths, themes, and types EVERYWHERE (including outside of the Bible)
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Reverse the order (find the themes, truths, and types you love and connect with from other stories/examples and find them IN scripture).
This week, I wanted to go through these steps using one of my favorite examples: Gandalf the Grey from The Lord of the Rings. Hopefully, after walking through this example, the steps will become clearer to envision and you'll begin to see how you can borrow the emotion evoked by more modern stories/media/examples and apply them to Scripture because those examples are only borrowing from Scripture in the first place.
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDUkiQvCEF8Rc4TzjyBMsxg
Email: truthbetoldbiblepodcast@gmail.com
Logo: Matt Hernandez
Music: Acoustic Indie Folk Years By MarkJuly
So many Christians struggle to maintain proper motivation for prayer and bible study. Sometimes, the thought of studying the Bible can even feel downright boring and this can lead to a tremendous amount of debilitating guilt.
Wouldn't it be amazing if we were more genuinely curious about the Scriptures so that it didn't feel like a chore to look into them more frequently? Wouldn't it be great if we could confidently dive deep into the word of God without the fear of feeling guilty over how much we just don't know? What if feeling actually interested in the text didn't feel so forced?
In this episode, we walk through 4 practical tips for cultivating a natural curiosity of Scripture that should help to remove those roadblocks that hinder you from desiring deeper study.
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDUkiQvCEF8Rc4TzjyBMsxg
Email: truthbetoldbiblepodcast@gmail.com
Logo: Matt Hernandez
Music: Acoustic Indie Folk Years By MarkJuly
When we consider what a mediator does in a modern context, we might immediately have some modern conflicts come to mind. It's only natural for these modern conflicts to shape our view of the role itself.
When we consider Jesus as our Mediator before the Father, do we allow some of the horrible conflicts that modern Mediators deal in to shape our understanding of what He is doing for us? If so, we might be in danger of, not only, misunderstanding the role of Jesus Christ, but also misunderstanding the disposition of the Father towards us.
Jesus as Mediator acts as a conduit for us to run back to the Father, not as a shield against the hatred we believe the Father might have for us. It's true, our sin needed dealt with and there is a lot of anger/enemy language in those contexts that can't be ignored, but they shouldn't cause us to think that the Father is vengeful and hateful towards us when He is the One who SENT the Mediator as a way to repair the relationship between us that we broke in the first place.
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDUkiQvCEF8Rc4TzjyBMsxg
Email: truthbetoldbiblepodcast@gmail.com
Logo: Matt Hernandez
Music: Acoustic Indie Folk Years By MarkJuly
In Exodus 4, the staff of Moses is, in one way, transformed into something wholly unique and different from what it had ever been before. This change doesn't come with grandiose celebration or any sort of fanfare. In fact, most readers would probably gloss right over the change that takes place without paying it much attention.
However, when the staff of Moses becomes the staff of God, amazing symbolism takes place that correlates to Moses' own life which, in turn, should give us many things to think about in our own lives as well.
Email: truthbetoldbiblepodcast@gmail.com
Logo: Matt Hernandez
Music: Acoustic Indie Folk Years By MarkJuly
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDUkiQvCEF8Rc4TzjyBMsxg
I thoroughly enjoyed talking with my good friend Clint Porter about doubt (and faith and certainty and trust and knowledge and church cultures and the Dunning-Kruger effect and and and and and..).
Every Christian has moments of doubting and we can start to feel guilty for that, but it's highly likely that we're thinking of those moments all wrong.
In this episode we'll shed light on questions like - What do we mean when we say the word: doubt? What is faith? Can doubt ever be a good thing? How should we think about various biblical examples who expressed their own doubts?
We'll also dive into topics like - how to combat certainty thinking, what to do when church cultures that make doubting feel morally wrong, and using the Dunning-Kruger effect (learning curve) as a template for checking where we are and where we need to go as we weight the claims of the Bible.
Email: truthbetoldbiblepodcast@gmail.com
Logo: Matt Hernandez
Music: Acoustic Indie Folk Years By MarkJuly
Compared to Old Testament and First Century Israel, celebration of God's Holy Days have diminished significantly. Even those who keep the Holy Days often have a hard time genuinely celebrating them. With this decrease in outward festivity and joy has come a complete dissolving of some of the lesser biblical observances and traditions that occurred during the Holy Days themselves in antiquity.
One of these observances that probably wasn't taken too much notice of even in biblical times that has almost become devoid of meaning to the average biblical Christian is the Wave Sheaf Offering that took place between the Days of Unleavened Bread outlined in Leviticus 23.
If we carry the symbolism of this Wave Sheaf Offering through to the New Testament (as is common with all the rest of the Holy Day observances) to see what its purpose might have been as time went on, we just might be awestruck at how immensely important this small ritual actually is.
The Wave Sheaf offering was an armload of barley grain that was taken into the tabernacle/temple and waved "before the LORD," as a firstfruit offering of the new harvest. In this episode we explore how this ties to the ascension of Jesus Christ to the Father and why this was even an important thing.
While most people know that Jesus did ascend to the Father, few know what the need for this was and how greatly this symbolism should enhance our celebration of what God has done on our behalf.
Email: truthbetoldbiblepodcast@gmail.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDUkiQvCEF8Rc4TzjyBMsxg
Logo: Matt Hernandez
Music: Acoustic Indie Folk Years By MarkJuly
The things that run rampant in the culture of the world inevitably filter into the Church though, hopefully, to a lesser degree. One of these unfortunate things is the seeming desire to make division out of differences. Even in local church congregations where people, generally, have a lot in common, we find ways to divide ourselves contrary to Christ's prayer for us at the end of His physical life.
One of the biggest differences turned division in the Christian church is that of age. Younger people who have grown up seeing the mistakes of older people lose respect for them over time and the older people, sensing this, lose trust in the younger.
In this message (specifically given to my home congregation in Columbus, Ohio where this problem is honestly not one we struggle with, though applicable to everyone whether they struggle with it or not) we go over one story that takes place at the end of King David's life that outlines appropriate attitudes from both younger and older generations towards each other.
Hopefully we can take this as an example on how to overcome the generational divide by refusing to make it a thing worth being divided over.
Email: truthbetoldbiblepodcast@gmail.com
Logo: Matt Hernandez
Music: Acoustic Indie Folk Years By MarkJuly
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDUkiQvCEF8Rc4TzjyBMsxg
The argument between science and God is finally put to rest here!
The idea that we need to take an either or approach to these two topics is a false dichotomy often leveled at Christians, so that antagonistic skeptics, atheists, and extreme naturalists can pretend like God isn't real just because He isn't hemmed in by their isolated field of study. A biblical approach to things allows for God, science, philosophy, history, morality, etc. to be unified under the banner of reality.
Christians - refuse to be made to feel as if taking the biblical approach is the more narrow view because it simply isn't.
Email: truthbetoldbiblepodcast@gmail.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDUkiQvCEF8Rc4TzjyBMsxg
Logo: Matt Hernandez
Music: Acoustic Indie Folk Years By MarkJuly
NOTE: throughout this episode I refer to Moses as a "murderer." I'd like it to be clear that I, personally, view Moses' action of killing the Egyptian who was beating a Hebrew slave as a justified act not worthy of the title of murder. Modern Torah readers, and even first century Christians (see Stephen's statement on this event) seem to view Moses' actions as appropriate, heroic social justice, and I agree that this is an appropriate interpretation. This being said, my use of the term "murderer" is meant to reflect the attitudes that, clearly, both the Egyptians and Hebrews in his time reflected back to him which created extremely unpleasant circumstances for him. Guilt and perceived guilt are not the same but they can both cause issues.
While most wouldn't think of Moses as a cautionary figure, the events of his life and his life itself is summed up in one event that characterizes all of it, and it is certainly a cautionary story. Though Moses accomplished much in his life, ultimately, it ended in a failure to lead the children of Israel into the promised land on account of the sin he committed the second time God brought water from the rock.
In this episode we walk through the life of Moses to analyze his preexisting conditions that became a part of who he was, and the condition of that particular sin itself realizing that the entirety of Moses' life acted as a primer for that specific sin. Though this read through, initially, seems as if Moses was predisposed to fail in nearly everything he was asked to do, and his story cries out for justice and mercy and hope - it is also this very hole in the story that is perfectly filled by Jesus Christ.
In the cautionary tale of Moses we should gain an appropriate fear of committing the sins that often plague us, but with the hope that it points to in the person of Jesus Christ, we should also be filled with relief and gratitude for what he did that neither Moses, or we, could accomplish on our own.
Email: truthbetoldbiblepodcast@gmail.com
Logo: Matt Hernandez
Music: Acoustic Indie Folk Years By MarkJuly
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDUkiQvCEF8Rc4TzjyBMsxg
Discussing our faith opens us up for criticism, critique, and antagonism from some and might alienate us from others. Talking about our beliefs is fine in some circles but uncomfortable in most others. This can put a Christian who believes they're supposed to be unashamed about their relationship with God at odds with themselves and create a lot of unease. Don't worry - you're not the only one!
How do we balance the understanding that Christians should be ready, willing, and able to share their faith with the paralyzing fear that inevitably crops up when we're actually faced with the opportunity (or predicament) to do so.
In this episode we cover 3 tips for sharing our faith effectively and 3 tips for mitigating the fear that surrounds it. You might not always be met with encouragement and support when you decide to be open about what you believe, but it does NOT need to be as fearful as thing as we often imagine it is.
Email: truthbetoldbiblepodcast@gmail.com
Logo: Matt Hernandez
Music: Acoustic Indie Folk Years By MarkJuly
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDUkiQvCEF8Rc4TzjyBMsxg
With the topic of foot-washing entering the public eye with the "He Gets Us" campaign Super Bowl commercial, it felt appropriate to look into the topic to clear away some of the wrong ideas surrounding the practice.
Who did it? To who? For What?
Often, the people that actively perform foot-washing as a Christian practice either think that it's a generic act to be done for anyone in order to show yourself a servant to all OR see it as some sort of rededication or recommitment to God.
This second mentality is closer to the truth but still glosses over the important fact that your commitment to God happened at baptism. Once you've entered into that relationship, you can recall, reflect, and refocus on that commitment, but you can't enter into it again. To quote Jesus, "the one who has bathed does not need to wash, except for his feet, but is completely clean."
Email: truthbetoldbiblepodcast@gmail.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDUkiQvCEF8Rc4TzjyBMsxg
Logo: Matt Hernandez
Music: Acoustic Indie Folk Years By MarkJuly
Those who worship Jesus Christ have been called all kinds of derogatory things since biblical times. We're told this is expected to continue as we get closer and closer to the time of Jesus' return.
In this episode we look at 4 names leveled against people of the faith during the time of the New Testament and the responses of the ones facing the criticism. Modern aggression towards Christianity hasn't changed all that much and some of the names are still in use today! By looking at what early believers did when they were called names, we can be informed about how we can handle some of the same attacks.
The 4 Names included here are: Nazarene, Seedpicker, Disturber of the Peace, and Christian.
Email: truthbetoldbiblepodcast@gmail.com
Logo: Matt Hernandez
Music: Acoustic Indie Folk Years By MarkJuly
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDUkiQvCEF8Rc4TzjyBMsxg
Russ Ramsey is a pastor and author from Tennessee with a vested interest in art and how it communicates to us on a fundamental level. In this interview we use his fantastic book, "Rembrandt Is In The Wind," as a jumping off point to discussing the broad topic of beauty.
In a world that is obsessed with image, are we overvaluing beauty or are we just using an improper definition? What is the balance a Christian might want to aim for when considering beauty versus aesthetic obsession?
We also discuss a few specific paintings and artists to reflect on a variety of questions. Idolatry and religious images, Catholic and Protestant tendencies, as well as the morality (or lack thereof) of some of the world's most well-known religious painters.
If you love art or discussions on faith - you'll love this episode. If you hate art or hate discussions on faith - you'll love this episode. Russ Ramsey has an incredible way of analyzing some of the most polarizing topics (art and religion) through the universally loved language of story which is sure to increase your love and appreciation for art, artists, history, faith, and beauty itself.
Email: truthbetoldbiblepodcast@gmail.com
Logo: Matt Hernandez
Music: Acoustic Indie Folk Years By MarkJuly
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDUkiQvCEF8Rc4TzjyBMsxg
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCn-rlo-ORHtatIPjGmtZm-w
Russ Ramsey Information:
Rembrandt Is In The Wind Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Rembrandt-Wind-Learning-through-Faith/dp/0310129729
Instagram: @russramsey1
The phrase, "God works in mysterious ways," is so commonplace in Christian circles that it often gets mistaken for a Bible verse. Any time we perceive that God has worked in a way we don't expect, we might shrug our shoulders and say this. However, should His workings be mysterious to us?
Of course, God is all-powerful, all-knowing, omnipresent, etc. His ways are not our ways and His thoughts are not our thoughts. We're SUPPOSED to look at the work that God does and marvel at it, but this doesn't mean we should be surprised at it.
God has given us a deep text FILLED with examples of the myriad of ways He can and has worked. If we study His word, not only will we begin to understand more clearly how God does and can work, but we'll feel much more free to ask for His guidance and blessing in our lives when we see just how unrestricted He is.
Email: truthbetoldbiblepodcast@gmail.com
Logo: Matt Hernandez
Music: Acoustic Indie Folk Years
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDUkiQvCEF8Rc4TzjyBMsxg
The Bible is a complex series of books. It bears the marks of God in its cohesiveness across time, cultures, and personalities foretelling the end from the beginning and it bears the marks of humanity in its reflection of circumstances, periods in history, and perspectives. It wasn't perfectly understood at the times it was written and it isn't perfectly understood now because it is a book meant to gain clarity as times and seasons come into fulfillment.
As we continue to search the Scriptures to gain clarity, we can be faced with the predicament of not understanding how God's perfect Word was transmitted through His imperfect servants across imperfect media. Skeptics will raise interesting points about various perceived contradictions. Apologists will defend eyewitness discrepancy claiming that, if they were any more perfect they would be exhibiting signs of collusion. On top of this, we have the question of literary license by the authors. Sometimes the Bible seems TOO perfect almost as if it were fabricated by authors rather than recounted by historians.
If the Bible is TOO perfect - we feel we can't trust it. If the Bible is not perfect enough - we feel we can't trust it.
Through this message we'll analyze three stories in the Bible that bear the marks of God's amazing work through imperfect people to bring about historical events in a symmetrical and poetic way and the marks of human perspective writing in such a way to impress a deeper truth behind the historical facts.
Hopefully, by the end, we'll see that while the biblical authors were exercising literary license in how they retold historical accounts, it doesn't negate the factual nature of their writings.
Rather than skepticism, through deeper study, this can become an incredible proof of God's sovereignty to preserve perfect truth through imperfect people.
Email: truthbetoldbiblepodcast@gmail.com
Logo: Matt Hernandez
Music: Acoustic Indie Folk Years By MarkJuly
The Stoic philosopher, Seneca, offered a lot of wisdom on the topic of death - how to die well, how not to fear death, and how to live more fully in light of the knowledge that death is inevitable. Some, however, accused Seneca of being "obsessed with death," to which he might say, "No! You are obsessed with life!"
Which team should the Christian be on? Though so many want to paint the Old Testament as a collection of harsh, judgement books with no mercy in view and the New Testament as one of compassion, when considering the Bible through the lens of the story of life and death, the opposite picture is drawn.
The Old Testament draws clear lines between life and death and strongly exhorts the follower of God to choose life. In the New Testament, however, Christ and His followers are consistently found discussing the topic of death to self, death on behalf of others, and death by persecution as a very probable outcome for Christians. Paul even says, often, that he would PREFER to die rather than continue to live. So which is it?
In this grand story of life and death, where do we fit in and which side should we choose; Team Life or Team Death?
Email: truthbetoldbiblepodcast@gmail.com
Logo: Matt Hernandez
Music: Acoustic Indie Folk Years By MarkJuly
There is a constant debate going on regarding the Church's messaging to the world. Should we "cry aloud and spare not" reflecting the sins of the world back at them, hoping to convict the world of its evil, and drawing hard lines in the sand about moral rightness? Or, should we recognize the broken state of the world and try to share the hope that surrounds what Jesus Christ has done, is doing, and will do in the future in an effort to toss a life raft to those who appear to be drowning?
Doom or hope? This is the question but, are these things as disconnected as we think? How can you refrain from calling out evil for what it is - an affront to God? How can you withhold hope from those desperate for it? Both can be accomplished.
Just like our actual, physical sight, we can only focus on one plane of perspective at a time. If we focus on what's right in front of us, everything else becomes periphery. If we focus on something far away, the things closest to us lose clarity. If we focus on the sin and corruption in the world, we bring clarity to it but lose sight of the Kingdom of God. If, however, we focus on the Kingdom, the sin of the world is seen for what it is - a blurry and uncertain mess.
In this message, given immediately after returning from Israel and experiencing some of the horrible things that happened on October 7th, 2023 first hand, we outline the connection between sin and death to show that Jesus Christ did not just die to forgive us of sin but to walk back what is done in the process of sin. The Way, the Truth, and the Life took on the life of sin, the path of corruption, and the end of death to give us the promise of healing in the future.
This promised healing isn't just one of the removal of physical ailments but a restoration of immortality AND incorruption. Sin brings a lot more than death - it also brings suffering, pain, and decay as a consequence. Even more powerfully, the forgiveness and healing that Christ brings eclipses all of that by bringing restoration, life, and purity from the corruption of sin.
Email: truthbetoldbiblepodcast@gmail.com
Logo: Matt Hernandez
Music: Acoustic Indie Folk Years By MarkJuly
THE FINAL EPISODE!
This episode clips along at a pretty good pace - a lot to see and hear about, but this recounting of events matches the feeling of trekking across Israel, barely making it into the country of Jordan, and seeing all there is to see before getting out of the country. It all blurred together and happened so quickly that, despite having 3 days in Jordan, it felt more like wandering in the wilderness trying to make our way home, just like the Israelites did thousands of years before.
The border crossing was a nightmare but I got a good story out of it. Jordan itself didn't exactly endear itself to me despite the fact that I am, genuinely, glad that I went. Some of the hostility we came across was, no doubt, due to the recent aggression towards Israel and the long-held aggression between Islam and Judaism, but some was just indicative of a terse and aggressive people.
Petra was all that it's hyped up to be. Stunning formations built right into the sandstone from an ancient peopled called the Nabateans, possibly related or allied with the Edomites of the Bible.
Mt. Nebo was surreal, to survey the promised land with a longing for it as we also felt like strangers in a strange land, drew me closer to Moses than I've ever been up to this point.
Tel Al Hammam seems to be the more scientifically verifiable site of Sodom. Even though it didn't seem to fit the picture I had in my head, scholarship seems to be working its way towards a consensus that this is the correct historical site.
After a long few days of wandering through the desert, seeing some of the most incredible things on Earth, staying in amazing hotels, and trying different food, we had rebooked our flights out of the modern city of Amman and made it out safely. Though so many had difficulty getting out of the Middle East, my dad and I were so fortunate to have even better flight plans open up to us than the ones we had originally booked.
All in all, this trip to Israel and Jordan was absolutely life changing. I hope by listening through this series you're motivated to travel there yourself or study the Biblical text through the lens of the land of the Bible which offers so much clarity to the stories it contains. Thanks so much for listening!
Pictures: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1zlyZDyWOWUf8rumN2_YW2jW3FpVOkXXN?usp=drive_link
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDUkiQvCEF8Rc4TzjyBMsxg
Email: truthbetoldbiblepodcast@gmail.com
Logo: Matt Hernandez
Music: Acoustic Indie Folk Years By MarkJuly
OUR FINAL DAYS IN ISRAEL!
I am feeling almost as sad about this as I was at the time of actually leaving Israel. However, all good things must come to an end and this is no exception.
Of course, this series won't be over with this episode because we still traveled into Jordan and there's a lot to talk about there that I'd be remiss not to mention.
On Day 13 in Israel we visited the two primary proposed sites of Jesus' crucifixion, burial, and resurrection: the Church of the Holy Sepulcher and the Garden Tomb. Despite the Church of the Holy Sepulcher being steeped in mystical, Catholic tradition (contrary to my upbringing and Western mindset) and my bias being against it as the actual site of Jesus' death, the evidence was fairly strong in favor of it. Interestingly, my bias was, originally, leaning towards the Garden Tomb, but I had a change of heart after visiting each site. Which of these two, if either, do you see as the most likely site?
We also had a few hours to have lunch and do some shopping in the Muslim Quarter of Jerusalem which led to me being absolutely duped out of about 5 bucks from a young kid named Ryan and his brother Abu. I may come out looking ridiculous from this exchange but, overall, I count it as a positive experience.
Day 14 saw the horrific attacks on Israel by Hamas that had us all on edge but never feeling exactly unsafe. It was surreal to be witness to some of the conflict that goes on in Israel by virtue of them being surrounded by people with antithetical beliefs, cultures, and views and my heart still goes out to them as they continue to struggle against terrorism in their nation.
Pictures: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1zlyZDyWOWUf8rumN2_YW2jW3FpVOkXXN?usp=drive_link
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDUkiQvCEF8Rc4TzjyBMsxg
Email: truthbetoldbiblepodcast@gmail.com
Logo: Matt Hernandez
Music: Acoustic Indie Folk Years By MarkJuly
The temple mount was a surreal experience. To have stood closer to the proposed spot of the Holy of Holies than most of my biblical heroes could have in their time was humbling. Being there while it was almost deserted was ethereal. Picturing the layout of the first century scenery was enlightening. Standing at the Dome of the Rock, facing the Mt. of Olives, and looking up at the sky where Jesus says He'll return from was amazing.
We continued this slower-paced, contemplative day by walking to the pool of Bethesda where Jesus healed a lame man, stopping by at the Church of St. Anne to sing a song and speak with the attending priest on the way. The pools are all dried up now, but the porches can be made out affirming the biblical account.
A few of us had the opportunity to drive deeper into the West Bank to see the biblical city of Shiloh. Fairly incredible to, in one day, see Israel's two primary capital cities where the ark of the covenant was housed. We also were fortunate enough to get a behind the scenes look at the red heifers being kept for a potential, future purification of a priesthood in the event that a third temple is built.
To round out the day, several of us were dropped off at the Jaffa Gate to see a lightshow telling the story of King David projected onto the walls of the City of David itself. We didn't quite know what to expect from this going in but, considering the night was cool and pleasant and the story was incredibly relevant to the setting, it was an awesome way to spend an evening before walking back through Jerusalem to our hotel.
Pictures: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1zlyZDyWOWUf8rumN2_YW2jW3FpVOkXXN?usp=drive_link
Email: truthbetoldbiblepodcast@gmail.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDUkiQvCEF8Rc4TzjyBMsxg
Logo: Matt Hernandez
Music: Acoustic Indie Folk Years By MarkJuly
Masada is one of the most sobering stories in Jewish history. The final stand of the first Jewish Revolt following the destruction of the temple by Rome saw 960 inhabitants kill themselves rather than be captured or defeated by their enemies. To this day, the swearing in ceremony of the Israeli military swears that what happened at Masada will never be repeated.
Qumran isn't much to look at, though the rock formations are beautiful, but what this location means for the trust we can have in the accuracy of the Hebrew Bible is monumental. Despite only being a few caves in a cliff face, the accompanying story of the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls is incredible considering it wasn't archeologists, scientists, or researchers who found them, but a shepherd boy watching after his flock.
Floating in the Dead Sea (Arabah or the Salt Sea as it's found in Scripture) is one of the coolest experiences, but it's a taxing process to get all the way down to that elevation through throngs of people. It's a story to say the least!
Pictures: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1zlyZDyWOWUf8rumN2_YW2jW3FpVOkXXN?usp=drive_link
Email: truthbetoldbiblepodcast@gmail.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDUkiQvCEF8Rc4TzjyBMsxg
Logo: Matt Hernandez
Music: Acoustic Indie Folk Years By MarkJuly
LINK TO PICTURES DOWN BELOW
Day 10 was, by far, our busiest day in Israel. For one, the buses couldn't follow us into the narrow streets of Old Jerusalem so, basically, we were a walking tour for most of the day. Looking back, I'm surprised by how familiarized I was with the layout of the city by the end of this day. Even though it just felt like endless stairs and turns down outdoor corridors opening up into various sites and quarters, and a lot of the sides of the retaining walls to the Temple Mount look the same, even just having one focal point for cardinal directions has really helped me out a lot!
The difficult thing about Jerusalem is just how tightly packed everything is. The beautiful thing about Jerusalem is just how tightly packed everything is. It's hard to discern between one amazing, significant site and the next, but you can see so much in such a short window of time. \
We started the day in the valley between Jerusalem and the Mt. of Olives so we could see the proposed location of the Garden of Gethsemane. From there, we marched up to the old city of Jerusalem and walked around the higher elevation portions of the city before walking down into the City of David and, ultimately, descending again through Hezekiah's Tunnel.
An incredible, busy day. Hope you enjoy listening!
Pictures: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1zlyZDyWOWUf8rumN2_YW2jW3FpVOkXXN?usp=drive_link
Email: truthbetoldbiblepodcast@gmail.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDUkiQvCEF8Rc4TzjyBMsxg
Logo: Matt Hernandez
Music: Acoustic Indie Folk Years By MarkJuly
Prior to leaving the region of Galilee we stopped at Beit She'an, the historical location where Saul and his son's bodies were hung by the Philistines after they died at Mt. Gilboa. I took a bit of detour from the main group to climb to the top which made me feel anxious but turned out alright.
We, then, drove south to Jerusalem, passing Jericho on the way. Finally seeing the city itself was definitely worth having its own section in the episode, and our first stop in the city itself was the Israel Museum.
This museum is laid out much like other museums are but this stop, in particular, did an amazing thing in both orienting us to the layout of the city as well as tying together loose ends from the previous sites we had visited. The Israel museum has the most impressive archeological finds from the entire land of Israel. Each artifact was a tying together of all we had seen up to this point.
Pictures: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1zlyZDyWOWUf8rumN2_YW2jW3FpVOkXXN?usp=drive_link
Email: truthbetoldbiblepodcast@gmail.com
Logo: Matt Hernandez
Music: Acoustic Indie Folk Years By MarkJuly
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDUkiQvCEF8Rc4TzjyBMsxg
Day 8 was our last full day in the region of Galilee before heading down/up to Jerusalem for the remainder of the Feast of Tabernacles.
In this episode we'll walk through the proclamation by Peter when he stated at Caesarea Philippi that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of God. We'll also talk about how the landscape of this area plays a big part in interpreting this conversation between Jesus and His disciples.
At Tel Dan, we walk through an ancient city viewing the ruins of an altar set up by Jeroboam at the time of the division between Judah and Israel and discuss some impressive archeological finds from this area.
To end the day we drove within a mile of the Syrian border - a place where, just a few years prior to this visit, would have seen us shot at. We also took a detour to an army base turned memorial for lost soldiers during the Six-Day War.
Pictures: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1zlyZDyWOWUf8rumN2_YW2jW3FpVOkXXN?usp=drive_link
Email: truthbetoldbiblepodcast@gmail.com
Logo: Matt Hernandez
Music: Acoustic Indie Folk Years By MarkJuly
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDUkiQvCEF8Rc4TzjyBMsxg
On this day in Israel we balanced resting on the Sabbath day (seeing what that looked like on a national scale) and still seeing some incredible sites. Specifically, we visited the town of Magdala, home of Mary Magdalene, where we strolled through the ruins and learned about the first century synagogue uncovered there. It's likely that Jesus Himself would have taught at this synagogue at some point.
The most important biblical/historical/archeological find here is known as the Magdala Stone which depicts temple instruments as they would have looked prior to its destruction in 70AD. This is one of the earliest and most well preserved proofs we have of temple practices in the first century and before.
Pictures: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1zlyZDyWOWUf8rumN2_YW2jW3FpVOkXXN?usp=drive_link
Email: truthbetoldbiblepodcast@gmail.com
Logo: Matt Hernandez
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDUkiQvCEF8Rc4TzjyBMsxg
Music: Acoustic Indie Folk Years By MarkJuly
Friday, just prior to the Sabbath, we had a full day of touring in Israel. The biblical site of Hazor was first on the agenda. This is one of the largest archeological sites in all of Israel and is also one of the earliest, in-tact sites.
The Mt. of Beatitudes, though less certain that Jesus would have actually spoken at exactly this location, is home to a beautiful church overlooking the sea of Galilee. It's a nice place to reflect on Jesus' words and, if it isn't the place Jesus spoke His famous sermon, it's reminiscent of it.
Capernaum might have been my favorite place in all of Israel. Authentic, well preserved, concrete ties to the life and ministry of Jesus Christ - what else could a Bible nerd want in an archeological site?
The "Jesus Boat" has no concrete ties to Jesus but is a first century fishing boat dug up from the sea of Galilee. It really was a cool connection to the past.
The boat ride on the sea of Galilee wasn't terribly impressive from a storytelling point of view, but there was beautiful scenery and it was nice to be able to orient ourselves around the lake.
Pictures: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1zlyZDyWOWUf8rumN2_YW2jW3FpVOkXXN?usp=drive_link
Email: truthbetoldbiblepodcast@gmail.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDUkiQvCEF8Rc4TzjyBMsxg
Logo: Matt Hernandez
Music: Acoustic Indie Folk Years By MarkJuly
The rest of our group joined us on this day for our touring and trip up to the Galilee region. First, we stopped at Caesarea Maritime to see another of Herod's constructions. Paul was on trial in this area and was, presumably, sent to Rome from here. This was also the site of Rabbi Akiva's death in the 130s A.D.
On Mt. Carmel we got a panoramic view of the various mountains in Israel and a lesson in the story of Elijah and the prophets of Ba'al.
Our last stop of the day was Megiddo where many believe the final gathering of the armies of mankind will take place. In this episode I outline a few reasons that some scholars have seen this as a misreading of the text and offer up a potential solution to the problem.
The end of our day was spent driving to Tiberias and checking into our hotel overlooking the Sea of Galilee.
Pictures: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1zlyZDyWOWUf8rumN2_YW2jW3FpVOkXXN?usp=drive_link
Email: truthbetoldbiblepodcast@gmail.com
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDUkiQvCEF8Rc4TzjyBMsxg
Logo: Matt Hernandez
Music: Acoustic Indie Folk Years By MarkJuly
We are currently caught up at the rate of 1 episode per day (we'll see how long it lasts)! On Day 4 of touring we ventured into the West Bank for the first time to see one of Herod the Great's most impressive architectural structures: Herodium. This constructed mountain became one of his primary places of rulership within sight of Jerusalem where he would host dignitaries and important people. This also became his Mausoleum after his death until his tomb was raided in later years, most likely by members of Jewish rebellion against Rome.
We also toured the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem with a Christian Palestinian Tour guide who fully believed this to be the site of Jesus' birth, though archeological evidence is slim to none.
Lastly, we drove a similar route as David would have taken from Bethlehem to the front of Israel's army to the spot between camps where he would have faced off against Goliath.
Pictures: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1zlyZDyWOWUf8rumN2_YW2jW3FpVOkXXN?usp=drive_link
Email: truthbetoldbiblepodcast@gmail.com
Logo: Matt Hernandez
Music: Acoustic Indie Folk Years By MarkJuly
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDUkiQvCEF8Rc4TzjyBMsxg
This episode wraps up day 3 in Israel going through the sites of Nazareth, Akko (Acre), and Haifa.
At this point in the trip we are still in the Northern part of Israel with Nazareth in the land allotted to Zebulun, Akko being in the land allotted to Asher, and Haifa near the border of Asher and Manasseh.
The primary sites here are the Church of Annunciation, the Hospitaller Fortress, and the Baha'i Gardens on Mt. Carmel.
Pictures: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1zlyZDyWOWUf8rumN2_YW2jW3FpVOkXXN?usp=drive_link
Email: truthbetoldbiblepodcast@gmail.com
Logo: Matt Hernandez
Music: Acoustic Indie Folk Years By MarkJuly
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDUkiQvCEF8Rc4TzjyBMsxg
It's widely known that Saul didn't end up being a good king for Israel. However, most people read the stories surrounding his start and miss something pivotal that the biblical author of 1 Samuel is trying to show us. Did you miss it too?
Email: truthbetoldbiblepodcast@gmail.com
Logo: Matt Hernandez
Music: Acoustic Indie Folk Years By MarkJuly
I think I said the word "interesting" in this episode about 500 times, followed closely by the word "beautiful." If you have grace for that minor annoyance, this episode covers my 2nd day in Israel (first full day), and the first stop of our intentional touring: Tzippori.
While not a site expressly mentioned in Scripture, Tzippori or Sepphoris is an important site for archeologists and historians and it gives a great backdrop to a few really important biblical stories and characters including Jesus Himself. This site was a prime example showing that someone (like me) first coming into Israel, looking for the most prominent sites of the Bible might, mistakenly, skip over this one in favor of something actually mentioned. However, most places in Israel are significant for one thing or another as it has a very high concentration of historical sites, but if it was around in the 1st century, it is definitely important for coloring in the pages of our Bible.
Pictures: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1zlyZDyWOWUf8rumN2_YW2jW3FpVOkXXN?usp=drive_link
Email: truthbetoldbiblepodcast@gmail.com
Logo: Matt Hernandez
Music: Acoustic Indie Folk Years By MarkJuly
Since returning from Israel, I've been struggling to know what to do with the information I picked up while there. It seems a waste to have gained so much from such a transformative trip, only to have that gain be for no purpose or benefit to anyone else.
On the other hand, stories and explanations fall so short of the desired goal and can sometimes end up being boring and self-indulgent.
After a lot of consideration, it seems to me that I have to AT LEAST try to put "pen to paper," as it were, and do some sort of documentation of this trip with the express purpose of attempting to illuminate the pages of the Bible, give people an a sense of excitement about the land of Israel, potentially motivating people to travel there themselves, and not allow the greatest experience of my life to have no greater benefit than my own enjoyment.
In this episode, I navigate the travel time to Israel, the most notable things I experienced along the way, and a brief, half-day in Israel as I toured the ancient city of Joppa near Tel-Aviv. Home to Simon the Tanner's house, the resurrection site of Tabitha, the place from which Jonah fled his commission, and the port where the cedars of Lebanon came before going to the Temple, Joppa wasn't on the itinerary, but its proximity to Tel-Aviv illustrates the extreme density of historical richness in the land of Israel, as well as the nature of modernity and antiquity to sit side by side throughout the country.
Pictures: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1zlyZDyWOWUf8rumN2_YW2jW3FpVOkXXN?usp=drive_link
Email: truthbetoldbiblepodcast@gmail.com
Logo: Matt Hernandez
Music: Acoustic Indie Folk Years By MarkJuly
On this episode we begin an exploration into the enigmatic spiritual realm of angelic beings. Drawing from a bible class conversation, we delve into their multifaceted roles as guardians, messengers, and more. As we navigate through scriptural references and visions, we ponder the intriguing question: Are there women angels?
This discussion centers around divine communication, metaphoric language in prophecy, and gender's significance in the celestial context. Uncover the profound complexities of the angelic nature as we challenge assumptions and embrace the mysteries that lie beyond our comprehension.
Email: truthbetoldbiblepodcast@gmail.com
Music: Acoustic Indie Folk Years By MarkJuly
Logo: Matt Hernandez
Most are familiar with Theology, some are familiar with Christology, but in this study we take a look at a term coined specifically for this - humanology. If the Bible is the story of God and man, how do we understand these two major players?
Often we tend to look at humanity (either through ourselves as individuals or through the whole) and gain a very low estimation of ourselves. Sometimes scripture even seems to support this low estimation. Certainly we shouldn't think too highly of ourselves.
However, if we look through the eyes of God and His perfect plan He's chosen to work on the Earth, we have no choice but to either elevate our estimation of humanity or lower our estimation of God's desire to work in partnership with mankind.
In this message we'll look through 5 areas where God has very clearly shown that He desires to work with man and has outlined to us what the partnership between God and man is supposed to look like.
Email: truthbetoldbiblepodcast@gmail.com
Music: Acoustic Indie Folk Years By MarkJuly
Logo: Matt Hernandez
Honesty is often thought to be relegated to whether or not we tell the truth. However, whether a person is honest or dishonest has so much more to do with overall character and virtue.
While this is all well and good, it does provoke the question, why are we expected to be good, virtuous, morally upright, and honest people? Is it because being an honest person is the least harmful thing to be? Is it because God said so and that should settle the matter?
In this brief episode we get to the bedrock of why God has the expectation for us to be honest people living honest lives.
Email: truthbetoldbiblepodcast@gmail.com
Logo: Matt Hernandez
Music: Acoustic Indie Folk Years By MarkJuly
Odd title, I know. What kind of study could possible come from the "movement" of God? What does the Bible even have to say about something as obscure as this?
Surprisingly, a lot.
Through this study we'll take a look at Ancient Israel's views on where God is, how He moves, and in what manner He interacts with the physical world to show the slippery slope the human mind can be on when considering the boundlessness of God.
Is there anywhere in your life that you believe God cannot move to? Are there any dark places where you believe God cannot follow? You might have fallen down the same slope that Israel did when they began misunderstanding God's omnipresence and boundless movement.
Email: truthbetoldbiblepodcast@gmail.com
Logo: Matt Hernandez
Music: Acoustic Indie Folk (Years) By MarkJuly
Anger is a natural part of being human. Knowing this, seeing how often anger is prevalent in godly people written about in scripture, and experiencing the mercy of God when we show anger to Him can start to make us feel like anger against God is okay.
However, if we look analytically at the topics of sin, root causes of anger, and God's nature, a clear picture begins to emerge showing how unjustified our frustration with God actually is.
If we gain a clearer understanding of God's goodness, the reasons for our anger, and God's response to well-meaning people who DO experience anger towards Him, we can be greatly encouraged. God is not only provoked to anger in response to our sin, He is also provoked to love and mercy. We cannot forget this but we do so often.
Email: truthbetoldbiblepodcast@gmail.com
Music: Pop-Rock Beautiful By Twisterium
Logo: Matt Hernandez
It is so common to feel lacking and unworthy in the face of our great God. This feeling of uselessness pervades the non-religious world as well, in my belief, because they lack belief in God. However, Christians are not immune to situations like this especially when we sin and fall short of the glory of God.
We might begin to ask ourselves- what do I have to offer? What could He possibly want with me?
Maybe we even begin coming up with false scenarios in our heads about how He really doesn't want us but He's fine with us being around if it ends up that way. I speak all of this from personal experience.
The only cure that I've found for this way of thinking, seems so contrary to what we feel would work: consider how great God is. I realize that it is only BECAUSE of how great He is an how insignificant we deem ourselves to be that the problem compounds. But this might mean we're looking at it wrong.
In this study we'll consider several stories of God's awesome power wherein He required nothing from anyone - mankind or otherwise. We'll see how the very fabric of reality bends to His will and just how much He can accomplish and then consider that our free-will in tandem with His complete lack of NEED for us, sheds incredible light on just how much He WANTS us to choose Him.
Email: truthbetoldbiblepodcast@gmail.com
Music: Pop-Rock Beautiful By Twisterium
Logo: Matt Hernandez
In this continuation of the study of love, we analyze love not being puffed up. This phrase, on the surface, is relatable since the concept of a prideful person being "filled with hot air" has transcended time.
However, by bringing this characteristic out of the verse to understand it as a concept can help us when we place it back into correct context.
Email: truthbetoldbiblepodcast@gmail.com
Music: Pop-Rock Beautiful By Twisterium
Logo: Matt Hernandez
Though I believe this topic is way bigger than can be expressed in a 35 minute episode, I felt it was worth it to discuss bible prophecy in an effort to demystify it for those who hesitate to study it.
Though it's a genre that can be difficult to interpret and read, we shouldn't shy away from it but embrace it as God's word praying that He will lead us into greater understanding as time goes on. If biblical prophecy is a mountain, take it one step at a time and keep the end in mind the entire way up.
The goal of this episode is to give some practical tips on how to read bible prophecy, determine what questions to ask ourselves as we read it, and inspire a refusal to be intimidated by this massive portion of the Scripture.
Email: truthbetoldbiblepodcast@gmail.com
Music: Pop-Rock Beautiful By Twisterium
Logo: Matt Hernandez
The Bible often asks the question, why do the wicked prosper? We can tend to ask this question too but, many times, what we want to know is: why do the righteous suffer? We can be convinced that it's fine that the wicked prosper as long as it doesn't mean our frustration or misery.
In this message originally given in Columbus, Ohio, we go through the Old and New Testaments to find examples of people who, like us, questioned God's judgement in dealing with both the righteous and the wicked and, hopefully, take away three points.
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We are not righteous (though Christ's righteousness is ascribed to us).
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Fortunately, the wicked still have hope.
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Thankfully, God's ways are not our ways.
Email: truthbetoldbiblepodcast@gmail.com
Music: Pop-Rock Beautiful By Twisterium
Logo: Matt Hernandez
The Passover is incredibly rich in meaning connecting both the Old and New Testaments in its symbolism.
This episode briefly explores why modern Christians should continue to observe the Passover and highlights on the symbols of the Passover - the bread and the wine - before diving into the less remembered portion of the evening that Christ and His disciples observed prior to His crucifixion - the foot washing.
In this examination of the foot washing, we also examine ourselves in order to realize just how unworthy we are, not only to have our feet washed by Christ, but even to loose the sandals from His feet.
Email: truthbetoldbiblepodcast@gmail.com
Music: Pop-Rock Beautiful By Twisterium
Logo: Matt Hernandez
This episode walks through a post that has been circulating on social media dealing with God's interactions with men and women. Within this post, several premises are listed that seem scripturally based but offer more eisegesis than exegesis. The claims center around the idea that men in the Bible ascended up mountains to commune with God while He meets women where they are to accommodate their day to day lives. Through this study we should learn good methods for questioning everything against the backdrop of scripture and find the points where this post sounds good, but falls short of biblical truth.
Email: truthbetoldbiblepodcast@gmail.com
Music: Pop-Rock Beautiful By Twisterium
Logo: Matt Hernandez
This is the first interview I've been a part of where I'm not the one conducting the interview. It was a privilege to be able to speak to the former president of the United Church of God, and my good friend, Victor Kubik on the topic of apologetics. I hope this episode going over some of the fundamentals is beneficial and might inspire you to look into the study yourself. Apologetics is a fantastic tool for any Christian to keep on hand.
Email: truthbetoldbiblepodcast@gmail.com
Music: Pop-Rock Beautiful By Twisterium
Logo: Matt Hernandez
Often those who study the Bible fall into the habit of researching a biblical topic and spanning the scriptures to find support when speaking on or discussing said topic. While there is nothing wrong with this approach, allowing that one is careful not to force scripture to support an unbiblical belief, it can often limit our ability to engage in verse by verse study.
God inspired scripture and I believe there is a methodology to why He had it written the way He did. It can be incredibly valuable to read through whole books, chapters, or sections and ask ourselves, what is God intending to say with this section?
In this episode, I take a small section from the book of 1 Kings and go through verse by verse to bring out context and, hopefully, practical application that one might not draw out on an initial read through.
Email: truthbetoldbiblepodcast@gmail.com
Music: Pop-Rock Beautiful By Twisterium
Logo: Matt Hernandez
By looking at Ancient Israel's relationship to God's presence, modern Christians can get a glimpse of how we might differ in our estimation of God's Spirit dwelling in us. Do we fear the presence of God appropriately as the glory of the all-powerful, living God? Do we celebrate this incredible reality that the ancients only dreamed of?
Email: truthbetoldbiblepodcast@gmail.com
Music: Pop-Rock Beautiful By Twisterium
Logo: Matt Hernandez
I gave this (short) sermon in Columbus, Ohio on September 24, 2022.
This message is about refuting the idea that Jesus Christ did not come as a conquering King at His first coming. This statement has become so commonplace in Christian circles, that very few question it as anything less than gospel truth. However, just because the Jewish people who rejected Jesus as Messiah had a certain view of what a conquering King was supposed to do, does not mean that Christ, in no way, conquered. While He did not come, initially, to overthrow corrupt government or take authority over national powers, He did come to conquer sin, death, and you. We all await the coming Kingdom of God, but let's forget that the Kingdom, at least in part, can be here now as it is not just a place but an authority we submit to. We might be continuing to wait for the homeland but the King is on His throne and we should be acting as His subjects today.
Note: I've received some backlash for this message that I'd like to take a moment to respond to.
First: Some have taken issue with the analogy of the story that I used at the beginning of the message claiming that it breaks down in certain spots.
Answer: Analogies all break down on some level. However, I do believe that the story fits the parallels I intended to hit.
Second: Some have bristled at the statement, "the world was God's prior to the tower of Babel."
Answer: At the beginning of creation, the world contained 2 people. They rebelled against God, and yet, He did not turn them over to depravity or worship of other gods. They still belonged to Him even though they separated themselves FROM Him. Even at the flood when God said, "My Spirit will not strive with mankind forever," rather than giving up the world, He destroyed all but a small family and, in that way, all still belonged to God. It wasn't until the tower of Babel that mankind, again, reached a point of lawlessness that God could not condone and, at this point, He divided the nations and gave them up to foreign gods (Deuteronomy 32:8). Israel was His chosen, special people, but even they chased after foreign gods to the point that God had to allow them to face the consequences of their sin (being conquered by foreign nations). In short, my statement that all the world belonged to God is not reflective of the actions of individuals or nations who clearly chose rebellion against Him, but about God's maintaining of ownership over them until the point where He allowed them to be ruled over by foreign principalities and powers as it was clear mankind wished to be.
Third: Some believe I was too hard on the Jewish people for believing that the Messiah was to come as a conquering King.
Answer: I disagree with you. The Jewish people had observed Christ's proofs that He was the Messiah. The only thing He was missing was their false, preconceived notion that He would free them from Roman oppression. No verse in the Old Testament states that Rome would be overthrown by the Messiah. The Old Testament DOES state that the Messiah would conquer - but what did He come to conquer? My position is that He came to conquer - not nations or rulers, but sin, death, and individuals who would willingly submit to Him.
Fourth: Some have stated that my statement about Christ coming as a conquering King at His first coming negates His coming as a conqueror at His second coming.
Answer: I don't believe it does. It is clear to me (and I even referenced it in this message) that Jesus will return with a different agenda. Certainly the first agenda of conquering the hearts of individuals is still on His mind but, in order to do this, He will have to neutralize the corrupted national governments in the world. This will take a different form of conquering. However, my point still stands. I stated in this presentation that scorched earth warfare in the ancient world was the exception and not the norm. Christ will be victorious over so many without destroying. This does not mean that He will never have to destroy anything or anyone ever.
Christ has come as a conquering King. He has conquered my heart and He is my King. I look forward to the day when EVERY knee will to bow and more will "come out of the city. I realize that, in order to get to that time, some destruction will have to happen and Christ will come at His second coming, in part, to overthrow corrupt governments. The prophecies on this seem clear and uncontested. The point of this message is not to say that Christ will never come in the way that the Ancient Jews expected it. He will. But always remember - His first coming did accomplish something in the way of conquering and, I would argue, He conquered so much more than evil government powers at that coming.
Email: truthbetoldbiblepodcast@gmail.com
Music: Pop-Rock Beautiful By Twisterium
Logo: Matt Hernandez
When the Apostle Paul states that he became as all things to all men so that he might win some to the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the Kingdom of God, it might tend to sound hypocritical to some who want to understand exactly how to apply this to their own interactions with people outside of the faith. Did Paul just put on a face or an act in order to endear people to him, or is something else going on here?
In this episode we take a look at one prime example of Paul's efforts at evangelism, giving the situation historical context, to see exactly what Paul meant when he said he became all things to all men so that we might follow his example more accurately.
Email: truthbetoldbiblepodcast@gmail.com
Music: Pop-Rock Beautiful By Twisterium
Logo: Matt Hernandez
In this episode of Truth Be Told, Dr. Frank Turek and Micah Gunn offer up a defense for the discipline of Apologetics. The defense of the Christian faith is not only something that is under attack from skeptics, but also Christians who incorrectly believe that an evidential approach to the truth claims of the Bible somehow hinders or infringes on an individual's faith. Some might believe that an answer to God's calling should be wholly apart from evidence or logic, and others might think that utilizing logical argumentation or extrabiblical sources are misguided attempts to seek God with manmade tools. Another concern for apologists (both professional and lay people) is the ever-expanding movement of liberal theology which claims that correct thinking about God is limiting to Him and shouldn't be engaged in. So, why should a Christian study apologetics, particularly in light of all of this refutation towards the discipline itself? Join us in this episode for the answers!
Email: truthbetoldbiblepodcast@gmail.com
Logo: Matt Hernandez
Music: Pop-Rock Beautiful By Twisterium
In this episode we take a look at the term "original sin," which has long been dominated by a single perspective stretching back to the early 400's A.D. Essentially, what most people understand about this concept upon any base-level study, is that it has its origins in an argument between a man named Augustine and another named Pelagius. Eventually, Augustine won the debate via support from the organized church at the time as well as a few other early church fathers. However, while most have considered this debate to be a closed case and the term "original sin" to reflect the Augustinian view adopted by the Roman Catholic Church, the study and discussion on the topic of sin and the nature of mankind has carried on into the modern time and many views have sprung up.
The effect of this is that many people in the modern world continue to use the term "original sin" but mean very different things when they say it. This, along with the fact that the vast majority of people believe they understand what one means when they say "original sin" (the Augustinian/Roman Catholic view), results in a lot of miscommunication and disagreement.
Any time a discussion happens, terminology is extremely important as can be seen in this ongoing debate on what exactly original sin is.
Email: truthbetoldbiblepodcast@gmail.com
Music: Pop-Rock Beautiful By Twisterium
Logo: Matt Hernandez
This is a sermon that I gave on the day of Pentecost celebrating the initial outpouring of God's Spirit on His church nearly 2,000 years ago.
In this message I attempt to highlight the intricate difference (though intimately connected) concepts of truth, belief, faith, and hope. Often, modern students of the Bible confuse the terms faith and belief as being interchangeable. This misunderstanding, along with the fact that ancient Greeks and Hebrews only had one term each (used in various contexts to show distinction) to express these two concepts makes it nearly impossible to gain any context on the topics of belief and faith, and can even confuse two other words that are directly connected - truth and hope.
If we confuse faith and belief, which could also cause us to misunderstand the connected nature of truth and hope - it is no wonder modern Christians have such a hard time sharing what they believe with the world - just as the Apostles did at the start of the early Church. We look at a faithless and hopeless world and assume that preaching salvation to them will net us nothing.
However, if we have a biblical view of the terms truth, belief, faith, and hope which act as stepping stones, one to another, we might at least take that first step. We might have no chance of causing someone to go from being antagonistic to Christianity to hope in Jesus Christ, but might we at least offer them truth? Might that truth stick with the person long enough for them to come to believe it? Might their hard hearts, under the weight of what their subconscious now believes, soften unto faith? Might that faith (which comes with life-changing action) might not lead to hope someday? Are not all things possible for God?
As Paul says in Romans 10:14-15 "How then will they call on Him (faith) in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe (belief) in Him of whom they have never heard (truth)? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? 15 And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news (hope)!”
Listening is one of the hardest things for people to do. We're very good at discussing, informing, and telling - but listening takes a certain humility that can be very difficult.
In this study we look at the importance of listening to God, examples of how people have not listened in the past, as well as good examples of people that listened to very difficult instruction or sayings from God.
By taking a look at this topic we should, hopefully, have a more gracious approach to those in the Bible who didn't listen (by realizing that we are often very much like them), more admiration for those who did listen, and a better understanding for how important it is to God that we listen to Him. We might not often pair the concepts of faith and listening together, but it truly does require faith to listen to God when our human reasoning doesn't make it easy to obey.
Email: truthbetoldbiblepodcast@gmail.com
Music: Pop-Rock Beautiful
Logo: Matt Hernandez
After watching the new Marvel series, Moon Knight, I was struck with how much it seemed to be in line with my spiritual worldview. Particularly one fight scene depicting Khonshu and Ammit in their full, towering forms battling in the backdrop of a physical fight between Moon Knight and Arthur Harrow.
How can we learn about the spiritual world from a TV show about super heroes? Where did I get the idea that the Bible might somehow relate to a fight scene between ancient Egyptian deities? Isn't the spiritual world made up of God, Satan, and the angels and demons on either side of the fight?
In this episode we'll take a look at what the Bible says about the supernatural world in order to broaden our understanding of its reality and take it seriously when confronted with it interacting in our lives as the Bible claims it does.
Email: truthbetoldbiblepodcast@gmail.com
Music: Pop-Rock Beautiful By Twisterium
Logo: Matt Hernandez
New ideas can almost become taboo within Christianity. The primary elements of our faith have been around for a long time and we believe we can trace our roots back to the beginning of time when our God created all things - what else could there be that is new for us to consider? Also, doesn't much of the New Testament warn us against "new ideas"?
Sometimes new ideas aren't actually all that new, and sometimes, something presented as a new idea is really only a new perspective. However, if we react to some of these things as vehemently as we would a false gospel or false prophet we could easily be rejecting a lot of good that we haven't considered, we could be weakening our skills of discernment, and we could be alienating someone who is postulating something in good faith.
Today we take an in-depth look at several people in the Bible who were posed with an idea that was new to them to see how they responded - whether for the negative or the positive - to see what examples we would like to follow when handling similar situations. We'll also take a look at Old and New Testament precedents for the handling of new ideas so that we can be better equipped to discern when something might actually have value vs. when it needs to be rejected as a danger to believers.
Email: truthbetoldbiblepodcast@gmail.com
Music: Pop-Rock Beautiful By Twisterium
Logo: Matt Hernandez
Though many sayings of Christ have been interpreted different ways over time and some can be a bit confusing if not placed in the right context - His instruction, "follow Me," was always presented in a clear and concise way and remains unchanged throughout the centuries. His call to men and women in the 1st century is applicable to you today but, just like some men and women in the 1st century, sometimes our expectation of Christ's call doesn't always match the reality of it.
Are we ready to follow Christ wherever He leads us? Are we ready to follow Christ whenever He calls us? Are we ready to follow Christ into whatever end He has for us? Are we ready to follow Christ in doing all that He told us to do without moderating His command into something a bit more comfortable for us to follow? In this episode we look at these questions to see how our expectation of Christ's calling matches the reality of what He has called us to.
Email: truthbetoldbiblepodcast@gmail.com
Music: Pop-Rock Beautiful By Twisterium
Logo: Matt Hernandez
Christians are called to love their enemies, pray for their enemies, and treat their enemies with kindness - but this doesn't mean we should be glad when an enemy succeeds against us. If an enemy makes a mistake while trying to cause harm to us, that should be a good thing.
Christians deal with more than just disapproval, or even persecution, from others, but also a continuous persecution from a host of spiritual adversaries, with Satan as their chief. Fortunately for us, even when Satan's plans all seem to work out in his favor, we serve a perfect God who can work all things together for good to those that love Him and are called according to His purpose.
In this brief episode, we take a look at three actions that Satan deliberately took against God and His people to practice seeing how God can use, what Satan believes to be, a success, to teach us amazing truths about Him and His plan for us.
Email: truthbetoldbiblepodcast@gmail.com
Music: Pop-Rock Beautiful By Twisterium
Logo: Matt Hernandez
Often Christians can get caught up in the idea that the Bible is a historical book that, periodically, "comes alive" whenever a particularly interesting subject is brought up. However, the Bible speaks of itself as "living," not, merely, resurrected when our interest is piqued.
The people of the New Testament lived their lives believing they had the Bible in the Old Testament, unaware that they were to be primary subjects in the Bibles that we have today. Could we be making the same mistake in thinking that the Bible is about people who lived in the past rather than encompassing people of other times as well?
Throughout this episode we will take an in-depth look at Bible Prophecy and Typology to show that all Christians (throughout time) have a central role in the overall message in the Bible and that the words on the page deal directly with our lives, not only in a practical or logistical sense, but in a prophetic sense as well. You were written about in the pages of scripture and in the prophecies of God's messengers - find yourself there and realize that the Bible is, and always has been, the living word of God.
Email: truthbetoldbiblepodcast@gmail.com
Music: Pop-Rock Beautiful By: Twisterium
Logo: Matt Hernandez
In this episode Dr. Peter Gurry and I explore the topic of textual criticism, or textual reliability, which is a practice used across many literary works, including the text of Scripture. While gaining a better understanding on the topic, it should be come clear that textual criticism, while fascinating and valuable as a study for Christians, should never be a study that ones faith hangs on. The Bible has been proven to be textually reliable, though there is still so much to look into and ask questions about, and trust in the text is well founded.
Email: truthbetoldbiblepodcast@gmail.com
Music: Pop-Rock Beautiful By Twisterium
Logo: Matt Hernandez
So many people struggle with feeling valuable. Fortunately, our value isn't up to us, or even those around us. We were bought with a price and that price is the, immensely valuable, sacrifice of Jesus Christ.
In this episode we study the concept of value and take a look at the analogy used by Peter between "corruptible things like silver and gold" and the blood of Christ to see what deeper meaning we can draw out.
Email: truthbetoldbiblepodcast@gmail.com
Music: Pop-Rock Beautiful By Twisterium
Logo: Matt Hernandez
Dr. Louis Markos and I discuss virtue, myth, C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien, and pagan writers. How do we think about pagan writers? How do we think about truth?
Email: truthbetoldbiblepodcast@gmail.com
Video: Jamie Schreiber
Logo: Matt Hernandez
Music: Pop-Rock Beautiful, By Twisterium
All across the world, and increasingly in western nations, Christianity is facing heavy persecution. Voice of the Martyrs is an organization dedicated to assisting the persecuted in furthering the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the Kingdom of God in hostile nations. In this interview I speak with Todd Nettleton, Chief of Media relations for VOM, about some of these persecuted people he's come in contact with, the concept of persecution in general, and what our takeaway should be as Christians who aren't currently facing heavy persecution.
While Christians persecuted in far away nations might seem distant and disunified from us in western civilization, it doesn't have to be that way. We all might have different beliefs on doctrine, but they can still provide excellent examples of standing up for your faith when it's difficult. This is a lesson that all who claim to follow Christ will need to learn as the world at large turns more and more hostile towards any sort of Christianity.
Voice of the Martyrs Website: www.persecution.com
Truth Be Told Email: truthbetoldbiblepodcast@gmail.com
Music: Pop-Rock Beautiful By Twisterium
Dr. Christopher Yuan joins Truth Be Told in an interview regarding Holy Sexuality. Identity and sexuality often get mixed up in today's society, but that absolutely shouldn't be the case. Whether you are someone struggling with same-sex attraction, someone frustrated by singleness, or someone wrestling with sexuality and faith - this episode is for you. Join us as we unpack some of the hard questions - what do I do if I struggle with same-sex attraction? How can I better minister to my friends with sexuality difficulties? What does the Bible say about being single? What should we be striving for when it comes to sexuality?
Email: truthbetoldbiblepodcast@gmail.com
Music: Pop-Rock Beautiful By Twisterium
Video: Jamie Schreiber
Audio: Chaz Leathers
Logo: Matt Hernandez
What is the state of faith in America? Why are young people leaving the church? Can we, as individuals, make any kind of difference in our churches? How do we help the church in its mission to expand through the preaching of the Gospel, and maintain through the care of the people when we don't influence the organizational level?
These are all questions I discuss with Director of Research Analytics, Savannah Kimberlin of the Barna Group to help equip us to deal with the problems facing followers of Jesus Christ.
Email: truthbetoldbiblepodcast@gmail.com
Music: Pop-Rock Beautiful By Twisterium
Logo: Matt Hernandez
Barna Website: https://www.barna.com/
Does God's placement of animals below humans in His creation, and His command for animal sacrifice in the Old Testament mean that God doesn't care about animals? In today's episode I respond to an animal rights activist's frustration at these thoughts on Christianity shared by many who believe Christian values don't include animal life.
Email: truthbetoldbiblepodcast@gmail.com
Music: Pop-Rock Beautiful By Twisterium
Logo: Matt Hernandez
The Feast of Tabernacles is a celebration commanded by God in Leviticus 23. Some may have never heard of it, some may know a lot about the historicity of the days but not see them as personally relevant, and some may actively keep the Feast of Tabernacles (along with God's other commanded observances). In this episode I will make the case, from scripture, that the Feast of Tabernacles is not something "done away with," and is an observance that we should still keep today. The points I will use are as follows:
- The Feast of Tabernacles is a command of God and should, therefore, be looked at closely to see who the command goes out to.
- The Feast of Tabernacles was a time planned out from the beginning of creation.
- The Feast of Tabernacles is not strictly a Jewish holiday, despite the Jews being included in the original command.
- The Feast of Tabernacles was kept by Jesus Christ and the Apostles (which only adds to the seriousness with which we should consider whether or not we should do it).
- The Feast of Tabernacles was continued to be observed by Christians after the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
- The Feast of Tabernacles will one day be celebrated by all nations.
I'm really excited about the thoroughness of this episode and I hope that, if you don't keep the Feast, this has, at the very least given you something interesting to think about and might even convince you that it's something worth looking into more. If you already keep the Feast of Tabernacles, I hope this offers you a resource to, not only solidify this for yourself, but also explain it to others when they ask. Enjoy!
Email: truthbetoldbiblepodcast@gmail.com
Music: Pop-Rock Beautiful By Twisterium
Logo: Matt Hernandez
Paul follows "love does not boast" with the phrase, "love is not proud." Just like Jesus Christ in His ministry, the Apostle Paul shows us an elevation idea. Not only do we have to be careful in our outward actions, but also in our inward thoughts and feelings as, boasting is the external expression of pride.
Pride leaves no room for love of others, love of God, or appropriate love of self, so Paul leaves no room for the love of pride in his description of the type of love a Christian is called to.
Email: truthbetoldbiblepodcast@gmail.com
Music: Pop-Rock Beautiful By Twisterium
Logo: Matt Hernandez
The Christian life is full of duality as we struggle to live like we are more and more a part of the life we are looking forward to in God's Kingdom, while still currently living as human beings in this world with all of its pressures and stresses and commitments. How do we reconcile this split reality?
In this episode we look at how Christ dealt with the things listed in Revelation 21:4 that will be "former things" in God's Kingdom. Christ was fully Man and fully God in His walk on Earth and He was able to live a perfect life without feeling torn between the two realities He was a part of. Let's hope we can do the same!
Email: truthbetoldbiblepodcast@gmail.com
Music: Pop-Rock Beautiful By Twisterium
Logo: Matt Hernandez
Every single person called by God needs to wake up to the fact that we are called into the middle of spiritual warfare. Those who have gone before us realized this truth, understood that they were what was being fought over, and comprehended that they were called to take an active part in fighting against the spiritual forces against them.
Satan the devil and all those who fight with him are a malicious and organized system designed for our destruction and they have perfected their style of warfare over the thousands of years of human history.
Fortunately for us, they have continued to attack humankind in the same way time and time again because it has continued to work for them. While we have to be careful to guard against these attacks, record of these attempts on humanity have been recorded in the Bible for us so that we can learn the enemy's movements, know where they'll attack, and fight against them more efficiently.
Today we look inside the enemy's playbook to see the three places, that also happen to be human weaknesses, where Satan and his army will continue to attack so we can become better members of the army of the Living God, and fight on until death or the Kingdom comes.
Email: truthbetoldbiblepodcast@gmail.com
Music: Pop-Rocks Beautiful By Twisterium
Logo: Matt Hernandez
In this episode we look into the life of the Apostle Thomas and attempt to go through a process of:
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Not accepting something just because someone says it or says it often
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Reading the text for ourselves
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Applying context (cultural, historical, literary) to the scripture we look at
that can be used to dispel all kinds of presuppositions we have about the Bible so that we can study more effectively and begin to think more critically about the text of scripture. Even if you already know all of the information I present here about the Apostle Thomas (unfairly named Doubting Thomas, from my perspective), the structure presented should be something you can take with you throughout all studies of the biblical text and all statements made by others that you'd like the Bible to weigh in on.
Often, speakers at churches, conferences, or just in conversation will give expositions about certain words found within the Bible. A common tactic, is to do a brief word study and, to add credence to the fact that their topic is important, announce the number of times the word they've chosen as their topic appears in the Bible. The inference, if speakers and listeners are not careful, that can be taken away from this, is that the more often a word appears in the text of scripture, the more important it is to the section of scripture, to the Bible as a whole, or to your very life.
There is, however, a term used by literary analysts, borrowed from the Greek called Hapax Legomena that literally means "used only once." This can be once in a section, once in a collection of works, or once across all of literature depending on the context. The Bible has 1,086 true Hapax Legomena, meaning words that are only found once in the entirety of the Bible. Are these words less important than all the rest? Can we ignore them? Or, is all scripture God-breathed?
While the usage of word count can be interesting and not intended to cause harm, it might lead us to unintentionally be cavalier in what we deem important or non-important, strictly based on quantity of times. Today we'll look at why frequency of use does not always equate to level of importance and some oversights we all might be guilty of in our speaking, hearing, and study, examples of Hapax Legomena, and a call to caution as we all go forward in our studies.
Email: truthbetoldbiblepodcast@gmail.com
Logo: Matt Hernandez
Music: Pop-Rock Beautiful By Twisterium
When Daniel says the words, "O King, live forever," to king Darius of the Persian empire, it should cause us to ask ourselves some questions. Why would Daniel say this to a national enemy? Was it just a phrase or a nicety meant to pacify a ruler, or did Daniel mean what he said?
With the geopolitical landscape being a hotbed of disagreement and fuming frustration, and the world itself becoming increasingly more divided along various lines that sometimes even overlap, we could look at nearly anyone on Earth as an enemy to us in something if we desired to. We may find ourselves angry with world leaders, angry with people who support them, angry with certain stances taken by people we believed to be friends - but do we hold fast to a true and real love that we're supposed to have for all men, including our worst enemies? On the flip side, do we love everyone as the world understands love by accepting all evil that comes along with individual rulers or people we come in contact with?
What can we learn from Daniel's example when he looks his oppressors and would-be killers dead in the eyes, asks them to repent of their sins, speaks truth to his own disadvantage and harm, and unashamedly continues doing right even when it defies them to their faces, but then simultaneously sees them with real, Godly love and says the words, "O King, live forever."?
Email: truthbetoldbiblepodcast@gmail.com
Music: Pop-Rock Beautiful By Twisterium
Logo: Matt Hernandez
This episode is a verse by verse study of Psalm 46 culminating in an evaluation of Psalm 46:10, which is a so commonly used out of context. Odds are you have heard or seen someone use this verse out of context or you have even used it out of context yourself! Join us as we take a brief look at what this Psalmist is saying throughout this Psalm, what context we SHOULD read verse 10 in, why it's important to not take sections of scripture out of context, and why we might be tempted to.
Email: truthbetoldbiblepodcast@gmail.com
Music: Pop-Rock Beautiful By Twisterium
Logo: Matt Hernandez
When we think of the word challenge, a number of real life examples probably come to mind, but they are probably all things we want to get through, overcome, or leave behind us. None of us consider challenge to be a place we want to remain in. However, following Christ, who lived a life of challenge and died a challenging death, is guaranteed to come with some amount of suffering, struggle, and/or difficulty. With this in mind, we can redirect our understanding of challenges to not represent things we desperately want to wish away, but rather something we need to accept that we'll be living in. God promises to provide a way through trials, but what if that way is that He makes us rise to the occasion and be able to live IN the challenges we find presented to us rather than leading us THROUGH them or allowing us to obliterate and leave them behind?
In this episode I will attempt to encourage all of you to challenge yourselves and make leaving your comfort zones a part of every day living so that when challenges are brought upon you circumstantially or from God, you won't be as shaken with the fear of failing a challenge, and you won't be as uncomfortable in unfamiliar territory. If we know we will be challenged in our lives as Christians, let's not wait to challenge ourselves in the little things so that when Christ asks everything of us, we'll be ready.
Email: truthbetoldbiblepodcast@gmail.com
Music: Pop-Rock Beautiful by Twisterium
Logo: Matt Hernandez
Spiritual gifts are such a hot topic amongst Christian communities. We treat them like superpowers we should be on the lookout for after we receive God's Holy Spirit and we wonder what our unique talents and abilities are or will be. In this message, given in Columbus, Ohio, I discuss the absolute best way to determine what our gifts from God are. Hyper charismatic churches attempt to boast that God is working miraculous things in their churches because their attendees truly believe He can. The implication is that other Christians, that don't subscribe to health and wealth gospels, DON'T believe in God's power. If we're not careful we can begin to believe this belittling and totally untrue message and begin to be frustrated with, what we perceive as, our lack of God-given gifts. If this is you, take heart! Your ability to prophecy the future or heal the sick are no correlation to God's work in you and I'd be willing to bet that you have boundless gifts from God if you would only look in the right place and see them as gifts!
Email: truthbetoldbiblepodcast@gmail.com
Music: Pop-rock Beautiful By Twisterium
Logo: Matt Hernandez
How can Paul say with confidence, love does not boast, when he admits to boasting in 2nd Corinthians? How can we be called to not ever boast, when we have examples like David boasting in God? Is it ever okay to boast, or were these great men admitting to just being unloving in their boasts of various things?
Email: truthbetoldbiblepodcast@gmail.com
Music: Pop-Rock Beautiful By Twisterium
Thumbnail Logo: Matt Hernandez
Mark 9 is such an amazing chapter of the Gospels full of rich narrative, awesome typology, lessons about the crucifixion, resurrection, glory, and deity of Christ, and a cool example of Christ using real-life, real-time events as teachable moments for His disciples. Many know the narrative account but sometimes, when presented with narrative, we read only to know what happened, and stop reading to draw out lessons for ourselves. Join me in this study as I go through the account of the transfiguration and the healing of a boy possessed by an unclean spirit to put these two stories in context, draw out some parallels, ask and answer some questions we should always ask as we study, and bring some fullness and connection to two seemingly disconnected narrative events.
Email: truthbetoldbiblepodcast@gmail.com
Logo Thumbnail: Matt Hernandez
Music: Pop-Rock Beautiful By Twisterium
When Paul says the simple phrase, love does not envy, we can miss such an important message if we don't stop to look at what exactly this implies. Whenever we study we should be asking ourselves, and God, questions. "If love does not envy, why DOES it do? Why doesn't love envy? Can you ever envy and love at the same time? What exactly does it mean to envy?
Join me as I continue through the study of love from 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 as we learn more about God (as He is described as love incarnate), what is expected of us as we try to become more and more like God, and what we should expect from others as we seek love from them.
Email: truthbetoldbiblepodcast@gmail.com
Logo: Matt Hernandez
In Acts 2, we read of the account of the Holy Spirit being poured out on the Early Church during the Day of Pentecost. This account can be inspiring and encouraging as we study our roots and see the power of God, but it can also be a bit disheartening as we live our day to day lives without always seeing grand visible miracles as proof of the Holy Spirit within us.
We might ask ourselves or God, where are our tongues of fire? Where is the rushing wind as we receive the Holy Spirit at baptism and the laying on of hands? Why will God not thunder at us? Why do we only ever hear a whisper?
In this message given at a Pentecost service in Columbus, Ohio, I discuss Elijah, who expected God in powerful displays, but got Him in a still small voice, and Job, who expected God to remain gentle and soft spoken, but was forced to be face to face with the thundering of God through trial and hardship. Join me in an attempt to dispel the idea that God will always be present in the ways we expect He should be, and rid ourselves of the doubts that might crop up when we don't see God in specific ways in our lives that we do see happening in the lives of others.
Email: truthbetoldbiblepodcast@gmail.com
Logo: Matt Hernandez
Christianity, oftentimes amongst skeptics, is made out to be nothing more than a fairytale but, in reality, Christianity is the most well-evidenced belief in existence. No other faith has as much proof of its accuracy than Christianity and the cumulative case becomes impossible to stand up against when faced honestly.
Join us on Truth Be Told as we discuss the rationality and evidence of Christianity with theologian, apologist, and cold-case detective, J. Warner Wallace of Cold Case Christianity.
If you have doubts about your faith or don't have answers to certain skeptic's attacks, don't be shaken, there are answers. If you are a skeptic, ask yourself if you've honestly evaluated the claims and evidence of Christianity. It takes strength and courage to look your world view in the face and see if it holds up to scrutiny. Christians, take heart and skeptics, take courage! The truth of Christianity stands strong through it all.
Cold Case Christianity: https://coldcasechristianity.com/
Email: truthbetoldbiblepodcast@gmail.com
Music: Pop-Rock By Twisterium
Logo: Matt Hernandez
Video Sound and Editing: Jamie Schreiber
Just a few thoughts on the incredible God we serve. God's entire plan is selfless. It is to offer us something we could never deserve, not in demanding things of us, but in showing us the right way to live through the example of Jesus Christ as He humbles Himself, kneels to the Earth to wash away the sins of mankind, and then asks that we kneel, in turn, to worship Him. Christ went first and, although it shows His humility, in our eyes it should elevate God all the more for the amazing love He shows us first.
Email: truthbetoldbiblepodcast@gmail.com
Music: Pop-Rock By Twisterium
Logo: Matt Hernandez
The word "kind" gets confused with so many other things. If we don't understand kindness, we might be misunderstanding love as well.
Kindness is not niceness. It is not compassion. It is not mercy. It is also not unable to be shown during times of anger. God is love and is, therefore, kind, and when He is angry with us, when He is wrathful, or punishes, His kindness does not cease to exist in the same way that His love does not cease to exist.
Join us in this second part in the study of love so that we can better understand who God is (because God is love), what is expected of us (because we are to show love to others as God does to us), and what we should expect from others when looking for love from them.
Email: truthbetoldbiblepodcast@gmail.com
Music: Pop-Rock Beautiful By Twisterium
Logo: Matt Hernandez
Identity is something that is vastly important to all of us. Most of us, at one time or another, have been frustrated with who we are as we continuously compare ourselves to others or are unsatisfied with various aspects our lives (2 Corinthians 10:12). Add to this a huge increase in mental health difficulties, a rise in traumatic experiences for young people, and a culture that only ever affirms different behavior (even when harmful), and you have a society primed for identity issues.
Join us on Truth Be Told as we interview Mr. Walt Heyer, an author, presenter, father, husband, and ex-transgender as we delve into the topic of transgenderism. The narrative that Christians hate people struggling with transgenderism is obscenely false: loving a person and affirming their actions are not synonymous.
If the word "transgender" is something that makes you angry, I urge you to listen to this from the standpoint of having love for a brother or sister who is struggling. If you are someone who previously believed that affirming actions is the only way to show love, I ask that you listen to this from an analytical point of view and with an open mind. If you are someone struggling with transgenderism, I ask that you listen with hope because, no matter where you find yourself in life, God always offers a way back (1 Corinthians 10:13).
Our identity is in Christ (Galatians 2:20) and in that identity there is strength: both to overcome transgender and identity issues if you are struggling, and to assist those in overcoming if we are already blessed with strength in that area of our lives.
Walt's Website: https://sexchangeregret.com/
My Email: truthbetoldbiblepodcast@gmail.com
Music: Pop-Rock Beautiful By: Twisterium
Logo: Matt Hernandez
Video and Editing: Jamie Schreiber
Audio: Chaz Leathers
This idea, that Old Testament people, events, and things existed with very intricate specifications, guided by God, to show us Christ before He even came to Earth as a Man, is called typology. Typology can be one of the most enriching and interesting studies you can do if you take the time to realize that the Old and New Testaments all revolve around the person of Jesus Christ, and realize that it exists in different facets to amaze us at the Bible's intricacy, show us God's hand in effecting the course of world events, and prove, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that Jesus is God.
On this episode I am joined by one of my all time favorite person in the world of theology and apologetics, host of the Bible Thinker Podcast, Mike Winger (link below) to discuss this awesome study and go through some examples of typology to, hopefully, introduce it to you if you've never heard of it, re-excite you about it if you've put it on the backburner, and illustrate the richness that this study can bring to a Christian's life.
Huge thank you to Jamie Schreiber and Chaz Leathers in their help with video and audio for this project. These amazing interviews could not be accomplished without their help!
Bible Thinker Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/57uF3G2X0cUJnUMLyRp5HY?si=yN-KLKmtRCu72MvSoFY_Ow
Bible Thinker YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7u2HaYBKDaLPcWmldxgGEA
Truth Be Told Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/5GRTgVGiqOOzz6DnJe1pfL?si=Qkjjj-yhQRqwIOcsbwIFsA
Truth Be Told YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCn-rlo-ORHtatIPjGmtZm-w
Truth Be Told Email: truthbetoldbiblepodcast@gmail.com
Intro Music: Pop-Rock Beautiful By Twisterium
Thumbnail Logo: Matt Hernandez
God can be patient when we mess up. People can patiently wait on something expected. Even dogs can learn to be patient for a treat. How is love patient?
Join us in this first part of the study of love as we discuss patience/long-suffering and how it relates to love in 1 Corinthians 13:4-8. Throughout this study, we strive to make this section of scripture more than just a list of words, and work to understand more and more about God's love for us, what is expected of us in showing love to others, and what we should expect when others love us.
Email: truthbetoldbiblepodcast@gmail.com
Music: Pop-Rock Beautiful By Twisterium
Thumbnail Logo: Matt Hernandez
This is an introduction episode for, what will be, an ongoing study on the topic of love. Together, we'll walk through 1 Corinthians 13:4-8, one quality at a time, to refrain from making these verses nothing more than a memorable list, and start making them rich, full, applicable words of God.
A study of love is a study of God's nature, His actions, His expectations of what we are supposed to become and exemplify, as well as a study of what we should expect from others in their treatment of us, as we're told to show love to each other, in every type of human interaction we might encounter.
From self-love to brotherly love, enemies, to friends, romantic feelings to familial bonds, and from God to mankind, all of us should have an accurate understanding of what the Bible says about love. I really hope you enjoy this study!
Email: truthbetoldbiblepodcast@gmail.com
Music: Pop-Rock Beautiful By: Twisterium
Thumbnail Logo: Matt Hernandez
Micah Gunn sits down with notable theologian and apologist, Thomas Fretwell to discuss miracles from an apologetic standpoint. Often, Christians don't include miracles within their apologetic conversations for a variety of reasons. Should we? Join us as we discuss common questions Christians have when it comes to the miraculous, different techniques for discussing the supernatural with atheists and naturalists, and enjoy the conversation along with Micah and Thomas as they discuss miracles from philosophical, historical, and theological frameworks.
Thomas Fretwell Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/2lviMYPsbabGfD4OgCFY08?si=sQ1QAAX7R32N13HK_ChEiA
Email: truthbetoldbiblepodcast@gmail.com
Music: Pop-Rock Beautiful By: Twisterium
Thumbnail Logo: Matt Hernandez
Video and Audio: Jamie Schreiber and Rudy Rangel
The beginning of humankind is fascinating to study. The creation account, the fall of man, and the start of the story of human history can offer a lot of good conversation, but we can't forget that these are more than stories. These are texts meant to give us understanding about God, His plan, and ourselves.
When you read about Eve taking the fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, do you read it as a narrative story, or do you study it as a person trying to glean what they can from scripture? Do you read that mankind gets cut off from the Garden of Eden and come to the conclusion that it was an isolated incident, or do you recognize that we have that fruit before us all the time and Satan's influence always tempting us to eat of it?
In this episode we take a look at what sin was committed in that Garden, so that we can be on guard against that same sin that might also be presented to us at some point in our lives.
Email: truthbetoldbiblepodcast@gmail.com
Music: Pop-Rock Beautiful By: Twisterium
Thumbnail Logo: Matt Hernandez
In the conclusion of this interview, Dr. Britt and I take a deeper look at the Moral Argument for God's existence. While most people inherently feel that there is objective morality, there are many who would argue against that. Where does that leave individuals who believe this?
Through discussion on what this argument claims, what objectivity is, differing opinions on morality, and several examples and interesting diversions, I hope you get a better understanding of how the truth of objective morality points to the objective truth of a transcendent Law-Giver.
Email: truthbetoldbiblepodcast@gmail.com
Music: Pop-Rock Beautiful By: Twisterium
Logo Thumbnail: Matt Hernandez
In part 1 of my interview with Dr. Steven Britt, we discuss the Ontological argument for God's existence. This might be one of the most confusing and misunderstood arguments throughout history, but what value can we draw from it?
As we discuss this philosophical, a priori, argument at length, ideally, you will discover that God's existence is a reasonable belief with extensive rationale behind it. While I still have a long way to go in my interview/hosting skills, hopefully you will enjoy the intricacies of the discussion and are able to take away something positive from this discourse.
Thanks very much to Dr. Britt for his time, study, expertise, and conversation!
Email: truthbetoldbiblepodcast@gmail.com
Music: Pop-Rock Beautiful By: Twisterium
Thumbnail Logo: Matt Hernandez
Often, people will point to Jesus saying that someone's faith made them well, or the scripture where Jesus went to His hometown and was "unable to perform many mighty works because of the people's unbelief," and conclude that God must rely on our faith. We'd be right in reasoning that our faith is important and that it holds a correlation to God working in our lives, but what exactly IS the relationship there?
Email: truthbetoldbiblepodcast@gmail.com
Music: Pop-Rock Beautiful By: Twisterium
Logo Thumbnail: Matt Hernandez
So much can be drawn out of scripture if we ask questions about what we read, rather than just read it, expecting the same message every time.
In this episode, we do a half verse-by-verse, half expository study of accounts of the disciples going fishing. Why are these recorded for us? Why were they important to the disciples? Why did they happen the way they did?
Email: truthbetoldbiblepodcast@gmail.com
Music: Pop-Rock Beautiful By: Twisterium
Logo Thumbnail: Matt Hernandez
You've heard it said in prayer before, maybe you've said it yourself, or maybe you've never said it. "In Jesus Christ's name we pray," is more than an aesthetically pleasing phrase to round out a prayer. It's more than a kind nod at Christ to keep Him in the loop. It is more than just words.
Today we take a look at this phrase for those of us who say it routinely and might have lost the deeper meaning, for those of us who say it and never understood the fullness of the words, and for those of us who don't include it in our prayers ever, in order to look at the necessity, and the depth, of something that has become commonplace, but shouldn't be said dismissively or out of habit and nothing more.
God desires a relationship with us and one huge part of this relationship is prayer. It is so easy to not be mindful of the things we say in prayer, particularly with things that become "church-speak." Many things, like "in Jesus Christ's name we pray," are examples of this "church-speak" that are wonderful practices, given that we are not practicing vain repetition, but speaking to God in fullness of understanding of what we are saying, how we are able to say it, and Who we are saying it to.
Contact Info: truthbetoldbiblepodcast@gmail.com
Instagram: @truthbetoldcast
Facebook: Truth Be Told Podcast
Twitter: @truthbetoldcast
Music: Pop-Rock Beautiful By: Twisterium
Logo Thumbnail: Matt Hernandez
God's place to a Christian who commits to discipleship of Christ is at the very center. Sometimes that means separating us from the things (yes, even the good things) that we cling tightly to, not so we can be separated from those things forever, but to make room for God to come first, as He should.
When Christ says He comes bearing a sword to separate, know that it is not always to take blessings away from you, but to be able to give you BACK those blessings in more fullness once He assumes His proper role in your life.
Music: Pop-Rock Beautiful By: Twisterium
Logo Thumbnail: Matt Hernandez
God asks us to love Him and to follow Him with our whole hearts. Discipleship cannot be half-hearted. The very nature of becoming disciples of Jesus Christ requires that we follow behind Him step by step. There is no room for any other answer but an absolute affirmative.
In this episode, given originally in Columbus, Ohio for church services, we explore examples of half-hearted discipleship and see the dangerous outcomes it can have for those who attempt it.
We all have hearts and, while they might be broken at times, while they might be hurting or weak depending on our situation, God asks for them in their entirety. Our whole hearts might seem like a steep price, but what a blessing it is that we all have one to give Him when He calls us.
Music: Pop-Rock Beautiful By: Twisterium
Logo Thumbnail: Matt Hernandez
For the next few weeks, instead of doing one longer message every other week, I'm going to post a few shorter messages I've given Church services to add more variety in length of episodes.
This message was given in Columbus, Ohio on October 24, 2020 and it covers things we need to remember in order to have effective prayer. Prayer is one of our most powerful tools because it is communication with our most powerful ally. Are we using the power of prayer effectively?
I hope this is an encouraging reminder to take our prayer lives as seriously as we do so many other things in our lives.
For any questions or comments please feel free to reach out at truthbetoldbiblepodcast@gmail.com
Enjoy!
Music: Pop-Rock Beautiful by: Twisterium
Logo Art: Matt Hernandez
Sometimes it happens that we only study the Bible to reaffirm our beliefs and, in doing so, we read into the Bible, the conclusions that we expect to see there.
Do we do this even with the nature of God?
On this episode we will take an in depth look at the nature of the Holy Spirit to see what people currently believe about it, what early Church Father's taught about it, and what the Bible teaches about it, to see whether or not our conclusions need reevaluated.
Music: Pop-Rock Beautiful By: Twisterium
Thumbnail Logo: Matt Hernandez
All Christians believe that Christ paid the penalty for the sin of mankind. Many Christians believe that the penalty experienced by impenitent sinners is an eternally burning hellfire. If THIS is the penalty, and Christ PAID the penalty, shouldn't He be in an eternity of torment in Hell? This doesn't add up.
Christians all over are having trouble reconciling the common understanding of hell with that of a loving God sending people there for eternity who have never so much as HEARD the name of Jesus Christ. What does the Bible say about this doctrine?
This is a look at what the Bible teaches on Hell, so that we might begin to read the scriptures for what they say and not what we presuppose they should say.
Thumbnail Logo: Matt Hernandez
Music: Pop-Rock Beautiful; Twisterium
Is it true that God is all about consequence in the Old Testament, and all about compassion in the New?
We know we are flawed, and we know that God is good, but the second we don't understand something, we immediately question His nature rather than our ability to understand.
Both parts of the Bible are full of examples of compassion and consequence, but we continue to hear the presupposition that the God of the Old and the God of the New Testaments must be different beings.
I hope this episode helps you RECLAIM the understanding that God is good; both for your own mindset, and when defending your faith. The Creator of the Universe that deals with mankind, acts in a perfect balance of compassion and consequence.
Music: Pop-Rock Beautiful By: Twisterium
Thumbnail Logo: Matt Hernandez
When we analyze our success by the metrics our society lives by, we can often feel like we are losing. But should we be playing the same game that society is, for the same outcome? Everyone goes through difficulty, whether it occurs through time and chance, consequences of our own actions, or God's chastening, but our attitude and understanding of suffering can drastically change how we respond to it.
Isn't Christianity supposed to have all of the answers? Why am I suffering when I'm doing my best to follow God?
These are all questions we will look at today as we analyze Christian, and worldwide, suffering through scripture, and analyze the reality of what we're called to when we accept the path of life that God lays out for us.
Thumbnail Logo: Matt Hernandez
Intro Music: Pop-Rock Beautiful by Twisterium
We shouldn't speak against what God has spoken, think against what God thinks, or act against His actions, but does this mean we should also always allow what God allows? What does the Bible say about what God allows and what we should or shouldn't also allow? God allows sickness, and we go to the doctor. God allows us to be tempted, and expects us to fight it. This episode is not meant to tell you where your line should be, or which battles you should fight, but rather to get you to think critically about what the Bible says regarding our response to some of the things that God allows.
Thumbnail Logo: Matt Hernandez
Music: Pop-Rock-Beautiful By: Twisterium