Equipping Eve: Recent Episodes
Equipping Eve
Equipping Eve exists to equip women with "fruits of truth" from God's Word so they will be prepared to stand strong in an age that is ripe with deception.
God is listening, ladies, even when it feels as though our prayers aren’t heard. Remember, He is our Father. I hope this truth encourages you today.
EE Endorses: Muk Luk slippers
2021 has already been challenging. Open your Bibles, ladies, and let’s be renewed, strengthened, and encouraged by the words of our Lord.
Equipping Eve Endorses: Prayer for your nation (wherever that is!) and prayer for Christ’s Church.
With each new year comes new opportunities, new resolutions, new routines. Join Erin in undertaking the ultimate self-care challenge in 2021. Not sure how you feel about “self-care”? Listen to the episode and see below for notes on the 2021 Equipping Eve Challenge.
Ladies, in 2021, I want to encourage you to engage in a daily SPA day. Sound a little selfish? Self-care is rarely a bad thing, but this SPA is a little different than what you may be thinking!
S: Scripture. Find a plan, routine, or regimen that works for you and stick to it!
P: Prayer. Strive to find a daily time for prayer that works with your schedule. But don’t just pray for yourself, your family, and your close friends. This year, I encourage you to regularly pray for someone else beyond your immediate circle. Perhaps you will even consider praying for someone who in the past would have been unlikely to make it onto your prayer list!
A: Application. Ask the Lord to help you live out what you’re reading and learning about in His Word.
Beyond this, I encourage you to seek to learn more this year about a figure, place, or item from Church history.
To be clear, this is not intended to be a legalistic challenge in any way. That’s why it is purposefully flexible to fit everyone’s own schedule and interests. Oftentimes it helps to have a bit of structure when it comes to these things, though, so I hope this won’t be cumbersome, but will instead be a source of joy and encouragement for you throughout the year!
Equipping Eve Endorses:
Epic by Tim Challies
Feminine Threads: Women in the Tapestry of Christian Historyby Diana Lynn Severance
50 People Every Christian Should Know by Warren Wiersbe
The Advent season is winding down, so today we are focusing on the fourth candle on our wreaths, the candle of love. And of course, we cannot celebrate Advent without pausing in praise and thankfulness to consider the fifth candle, otherwise known as the Christ candle. Merry Christmas, ladies!
EE Endorses: HAVE A MERRY CHRISTMAS!
It’s time to light the third candle on our Advent wreaths, ladies! Have your Bible ready, because today we are talking about joy!
EE Endorses: Repeat the Sounding Joy (Christopher Ash) and Love Came Down at Christmas(Sinclair Ferguson)
We all know that Christmas is right around the corner, but why does it seem as though the celebration of Advent has been waning among Christians in recent years? Join Erin as we spend the next few episodes walking through Advent, focusing this week on hope and peace.
EE Endorses: Repeat the Sounding Joy (Christopher Ash) and Love Came Down at Christmas(Sinclair Ferguson)
Matthew Henry once wrote, “Thanksgiving is good, but thanks-living is better.” Join Erin as we ponder these words in light of Scripture.
EE Endorses: Listening to Christmas music!
The book of 1 Samuel opens with the story of a remarkable woman, Hannah. How did God use Hannah in the broader story of HIStory? Open your Bibles, ladies, and let’s find out!
Additional Resources: Sermons from 1 Samuel (Alistair Begg)
EE Endorses: Sermons on Women of the Old Testament (Spurgeon)
It's November (yes, really), and here in the US, that means Thanksgiving is right around the corner. As we embark on the busiest season of the year, in perhaps one of the most bizarre years of our time, how can we keep our focus on Jesus our Savior?
EE Endorse: Being deliberately and mindfully grateful. Start a gratitude journal!
Yes, it’s Reformation Day, but what’s October 31 without a good ghost story? Open your Bibles to 1 Samuel, ladies, and let’s get spooky!
EE Endorses: Selina, Countess of Huntingdon (book)
Nobody likes to be told what to do. Part of our fallen nature is the desire to control as much of our own lives as possible. What does this mean for us as Christians?
EE Endorses: Find a fun mask and just wear it!
There are two women in 2 Samuel 17 who are often overlooked. Yet, they played an important role in the execution of God’s plan for history. Open your Bibles and listen in, ladies!
EE Endorses: Erin’s family secret for the best apple pie. You’ll have to listen to learn what it is!
Did you know that sunflowers actually follow the path of the sun throughout the day? What can we learn from this bright, happy blooms?
Additional Resources:The Mystery of Why Sunflowers Turn to Follow the Sun
EE Endorses: Plant a sunflower!
How much do you know about Abigail, ladies? If you’re not familiar with her, open your Bibles to 1 Samuel 25 as we see how God used this oft-forgotten lady of Scripture.
EE Endorses: In Trouble and In Joy
We know that one day, at the name of Jesus, “every knee will bow and every tongue will confess” that Jesus is Lord. But for an incalculable number of people throughout time, this cry of “Jesus is Lord!” will be one of anguish. What does that mean for those of us who proclaim it as a shout of joy?
EE Endorses: A hummingbird feeder! This one is small and unobtrusive (just like those little hummingbirds) and this one makes allows you to watch them up close as they rest and drink.
After Jesus’ crucifixion, the disciples are nowhere to be found. But the women who followed Him never left Him. They watched where and how He was laid in the tomb. They returned the day after the Sabbath, to finish preparing His body for burial. They sought to serve and worship their Lord, and what a reward they received for their faithfulness!
EE Endorses: The Worthy Book
2020 has certainly been a year for the books, hasn’t it? Take a few minutes as Erin ponders the church’s response to the hardships of this year and reflects on the reality upon which we should be focused. Namely, that God is sovereign over all and is not hindered by the craziness of this world.
EE Endorses: Enjoying some flowers!
Well, ladies, we finally reached the end of John’s gospel! Thanks for joining Erin on this journey. Listen in as we remind ourselves of John’s purpose for writing, and ponder the encouragement that we can take away from this wonderful account of our Savior’s life.
EE Endorses: Reread the gospel of John!
Jesus’ kingdom is not of this world. This should strengthen and encourage us in these days of uncertainty and chaos.
EE Endorses: Scrunchies!
The events of John’s gospel seem to be speeding up, but Jesus still has time to pray for His own. Today we’re in chapters 17 and 18, ladies, seeing Jesus’ love, care, and willingness to die for those He came to save.
EE Endorses: Tiesta Tea Fireberry
One writer has said, “You don’t have to be loud, controversial, angry, out-spoken, or widely-published to live for the honor of Jesus Christ.” Amen. Let’s aspire to live quiet, faithful lives, ladies.
Additional Resource: Aspire to Live Quietly
EE Endorses: Strong hairspray for destroying spiders (listen to the episode and it will make more sense).
Erin is continuing to walk through the Gospel of John in this episode. Ladies, open your Bible and follow along!
EE Endorses: Sense and Sensibility
J.C. Ryle says that peace is “God’s peculiar gift to His people.” Ladies, if you are in Christ, this peace belongs to you! Let’s open our Bibles to John 14 and see how this promise fits into the continued narrative of Jesus’ final days.
EE Endorses: Time alone with God. If we have time for Facebook, we should have time to spend with the One who saved us.
By John 13, we are into Passion Week and the final few days of Jesus’ life before His crucifixion. Here we find some exceptionally rich, not-to-be-missed teaching!
EE Endorses: Kindness. It sounds simple, but if it’s so easy, why are we not practicing it?
There is a lot going on in John 12, ladies. Open your Bibles and let’s dive in!
EE Endorses: Devoted to God (Sinclair Ferguson)
Gentleness should characterize us as Christians (yes, all Christians, not just women!), but is this true of us? Or are we harsh and biting, particularly in spiritual conversations? Let’s take a moment and consider the effectiveness of being gentle.
Additional ResourcesThe Hidden Value of Pastoral Gentleness
EE Endorses: NIV 1984
The story of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead is a familiar one, but don’t let that deter you from looking at it fresh today.
EE endorses: Out of the Ordinary (blog)
We’re still walking through the Gospel of John, ladies, so open your Bibles to chapter 10 and let’s take a look at Jesus as the Good Shepherd and see how He bluntly proclaimed His deity to the world.
Scripture: John 10
EE Endorses: Expository Thoughts on the Gospels (J.C. Ryle)
John chapter 9 describes the healing of a man born blind. Moreover, it’s a marvelous and encouraging metaphor for salvation. We once were blind, but now we see! Follow along in your Bibles, ladies, as we look at this familiar, beloved miracle of Christ.
Scripture: John 9
EE Endorses: A hymnal
Jesus will raise us up on the last day. What a promise! Indeed, it is God who works in us and who will bring His work to completion one grand day. Join Erin as she considers the comforting doctrine of the preservation of the saints.
Scripture: Selected passages
EE Endorses: Caught in the Web (Faith Cook)
Today’s episode will review John chapters 7 and 8. Here we’ll see the recurring theme of light in John’s gospel, as well as other marvelous truths about our Savior.
Scripture: John 7-8
Equipping Eve Endorses: Why Can’t We Be Friends? by Aimee Byrd
The apostle John is consistent in fulfilling his purpose of writing so that we may “believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God.” As we turn to chapter 6 of John’s gospel, we’ll see Jesus feed thousands with bread He created, and we’ll see Him proclaim Himself to be the Bread of Life.
Scripture: John 6
Equipping Eve Endorses: NanoPure hand sanitizer
John chapter 5 is filled to the brim with wonderful truth! Open your bibles, ladies, and let’s continue our journey through the marvelous gospel of John.
Scripture: John 5
Equipping Eve Endorses: Honey roasted cashews (any brand!)
Nobody likes to smell bad, and that’s hopefully true of us both physically and spiritually! Join Erin as we consider what it means to be a fragrance of Christ.
Scripture: 2 Corinthians 2:14-16
Equipping Eve Endorses: Philosophy Unconditional Love
If you don’t love the story of Jesus and the Samaritan woman at the well, there might be something wrong with you! This story offers such a beautiful picture of Jesus and His compassionate approach to evangelizing sinners. Open your Bibles and join Erin as we continue this journey through the Gospel of John!
Scripture: John 4
Equipping Eve Endorses: Doing something you enjoy!
We're continuing our study of the Gospel of John by digging into chapters 2 and 3. While John 3:16 is perhaps the most well-known Bible verse (and contains the gospel in a nutshell!), there are so many other rich truths contained in these chapters!
Scripture: John 2 and 3
Equipping Eve Endorses: Foxe’s Book of Martyrs
In this episode of Equipping Eve, Erin begins a high-level study of the Gospel of John. Open your Bibles to chapter 1, ladies, and let’s get reacquainted with our great Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ!
Scripture: John 1
Equipping Eve endorses: Leuchtturm notebooks
Additional resource: What John 1 Taught Me About Who Jesus Is
We will all leave a legacy behind when we leave this earth, and surely we all want to leave behind a pleasant legacy, don’t we? What will be the first thing people think of when they hear your name after you have gone to glory?
Scripture: 1 Corinthians 2:2
Equipping Eve Endorses: Lamy Al-Star; Lemur Ink
We’re quick to complain when things don’t go our way, or something isn’t up to our standards, but are we as quick to tell of the great things Jesus has done for us? Are we as quick to acknowledge His sovereignty in even those less-than-ideal situations? Turn to Luke 8, ladies, and let’s think a bit more about what it looks like to tell of the great things Jesus has done.
Scripture: Luke 8:26-39
Equipping Eve Endorses: The Pursuit of Holiness
It seems that a lot of “tribes” have formed across conservative evangelicalism, even in reformed circles. What grieves Erin is the way there is no tolerance or grace for differences of opinion on secondary or tertiary issues. What did Jesus have to say when confronted with a similar situation?
Scripture: Luke 9:49-50; Mark 9:38-41
Equipping Eve Endorses: Christ the Lord: The Reformation and Lordship Salvation
The Christian walk is a way of life, not a passing fad. Join Erin as we consider what “#blessed” might have looked like for the apostles.
Scripture: 2 Corinthians 11
Equipping Eve Endorses: Daily Readings from All Four Gospels (J.C. Ryle)
John 20:30-31 offers us the “interpretive key” to John’s gospel. With that in mind, let’s walk through this marvelous narrative and see how much the Apostle points us to Christ so that we may believe.
Scripture: John 20:30-31; selected Scriptures
Additional Resource: The Key to John’s Gospel (sermon by Dick Lucas)
Equipping Eve Endorses: Cambridge Clarion Bible
Sometimes, circumstances happen in life that are simply…poetic. Other times the poetry of life is noticeably absent and everything seems to be chaotic. We need to be prepared for all of these times, but how?
Coming back after a brief hiatus, join Erin as we inaugurate a new and improved format for Equipping Eve!
Scripture: Colossians 1:15-20
EE Endorses: The Chronicles of Maud by Amy Mantravadi
Christmas is nearly here! Amid the busyness, take a few minutes to relax and consider some some gospel-rich carols.
Additional Resource:Stories Behind the Best-Loved Songs of Christmas
Erin recently saw a church sign that read, “He is divine, we are dibranches.” Get it? It’s hokey, as almost all church signs are, but it does draw us to a fabulous passage of Scripture. Open your Bibles to John 15, ladies, and let’s talk abiding and fruit-bearing.
It’s Equipping Eve’s 100th episode and 5-year anniversary and we are celebrating! Join Erin as she examines a favorite topic—our true identity as Christian women. And don’t miss the details of our 100th episode/5-year anniversary giveaway!
Enter the giveaway!
We love the New Testament because it reveals our Savior to us, but we do ourselves and Christ an injustice if we ignore the first half of the story—the Old Testament. Have you ever considered that, for Jesus and the apostles, “Scripture” meant those first 39 books of our Bible?
Additional Resource10 Reasons the Old Testament Is Important for Christians
Not all women grew up as “daddy’s girls” or have fond and pleasant memories of their fathers. This can make it difficult to comprehend, appreciate, and rest in the idea of God as our heavenly Father. When we turn to the Bible, though, we see how loving our Father truly is, and it causes us to praise and thank Him for His goodness.
Death and dying are unpleasant subjects, but are realities nonetheless. Still, this world is not our final destination and our death will usher us into our final home. And since all of us will experience death one day—first perhaps the death of loved ones and ultimately our own death—it’s important for us to know how to get home.
Resources”How to Get Home” (Proto Magazine)
”What Will Heaven Be Like?”
The whole of our lives is a witness and a testimony to the Christ we claim to serve. If Christ was faithful even in the mundane things of life, shouldn’t we strive for this as well? Listen in, ladies, as Erin considers what it means for us to be faithful in the little things.
The world, and sometimes even the Christian world, tells us that we need to do “big things” and “change the world,” but is this true? Is it even necessary? The Bible tells us practically what it looks like to serve God well, and it does not include doing “radical,” “monumental” things. Rather, it is faithfulness in the little things that makes us world-changers.
Peter never imagined he would deny Jesus. In fact, he swore he would follow his Lord even to death! Yes, Peter learned some difficult lessons, but by God’s grace those lessons were not learned in vain.
Oh, Peter. Many of us find it easy to identify with this imperfect apostle. He was impetuous, among other things, and often spoke first and thought later. Yet the Lord loved Peter and used him mightily for His kingdom. Let’s open our Bibles, ladies, and take some time to ponder Peter.
The Bible uses leaven as a picture of both good and bad influence. In Matthew 13 and Luke 13, Jesus uses the parable of the leaven to describe the nature of the Kingdom of God. Though the origins of God’s kingdom on earth may seem small and insignificant, there’s no denying that its power has transformed the world. In this episode, Erin discusses some implications of this impact.
If you’re unfamiliar with the pop culture reference in this episode, check out this video clip.
With this week being the annual celebration of Christ’s death and resurrection, it seemed appropriate for us to focus this episode on one of the greatest statements in the New Testament:
The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! (John 1:29)
Listen in as we consider the great truth that our Good Shepherd is also the Lamb of God.
Jesus is the Good Shepherd. Is there any picture more comforting? In this episode of Equipping Eve, we’ll open our Bibles and see exactly what Jesus meant by this great “I Am” statement, and in the process, we’ll see exactly what a good shepherd looks like.
Do you know Joan Broughton? Let’s travel back in time and consider this sister from the past who gave her life for Christ. Persecution might look different for most of us today, but it does still exist in various forms. What encouragement can we draw from the Word in the face of persecution?
ResourcesHer-Story: 366 Devotions from 21 Centuries of the Christian Church
Feminine Threads: Women in the Tapestry of Christian History
In Acts 4:13, we are told of Peter and John that it was clear “they had been with Jesus.” Is this true of us? Is this true of those from whom we are learning? What did Jesus look like, and what implications does this have on our lives?
God has set forth for His children a myriad of promises. Perhaps one of the sweetest promises of God to us is found in John 10, where we learn that those who have been saved are safely cupped in the hand of Christ, our Savior, and He is never letting go.
Erin tends to cringe when she hears the phrase “biblical womanhood.” That’s because so many of the sermons, studies, and books with this theme seem to lead to checklists and a works-based mentality. When talking about biblical womanhood—or manhood, for that matter—we must start with a proper a foundation. Otherwise, our concept of biblical womanhood will be dangerously skewed.
Further ListeningChrist-less Checklists and Holiness (Part 1and Part 2)
It's Christmastime, which means we’re celebrating the first advent of Christ. But the fact that there’s a “first” advent implies a second, and that event—the second coming of Christ—is something all Christians should be eagerly anticipating!
Additional Resources:
Spurgeon’s exposition of Psalm 98
Matthew Henry’s Commentary on Psalm 98
A Brief History of “Joy to the World”
The Story Behind the Carol: “Joy to the World”
"Bad company corrupts good morals.” We’re all familiar with this principle from Scripture, but have we ever really pondered what it is for our company to be “contagious”?
Most reformed Christians have said, thought, or written something to the effect of, “Oh, I am a wretched, wicked worm…” This is because Scripture teaches the total depravity of man before he is saved. In Christ, however, we have been made a new creation, so what does total depravity mean for the Christian?
Additional Resources:Total Depravity: Misapplied (Things Above Us)What Is Total Depravity and Is It Biblical? (CARM)
Remember “Doubting Thomas,” who insisted on seeing the resurrected Christ before believing that He was alive? When Jesus appeared to Thomas, He said to him, “Blessed are they who did not see, and yet believed.” We love Christ even though we haven’t seen Him, but we can still know what He looks like by studying His marvelous attributes as found in the Bible. Join Erin for an all-too-quick glimpse at who our Savior really is.
Our God keeps His promises, and no doubt the greatest of these promises is found in Genesis 3:15. Get your page-turning fingers ready, ladies, because we’re about to dig into the biblical text to find out more about God’s promised Seed!
All those sacrifices…all that blood! Wow, it really must have been difficult for Old Testament believers to get saved and stay saved! Wait a minute…let’s back up and see what the Bible has to say about salvation in the Old Testament.
Additional Resources
Churchgoers Stick Around for Theology, Not Music or Preachers
An Introduction to Christ in the Old Testament
God is faithful. It’s easy for us to give lip service to this, because we intellectually know it to be true, but sometimes it helps to reflect on real, living examples of how God has exercised His faithfulness to His people. That’s when our Lord stops being an unreachable entity in the sky, and starts being the personal Shepherd that He is.
Sanctification is a lifelong process that begins at the moment of salvation and will not end until we are called home to glory. As new creatures in Christ, renewed and regenerated by the Holy Spirit, we are called to live lives of holiness. As Christians, we must be active in our sanctification, seeking to please God, choose righteousness, and mortify sin. But we are not called to do this alone. Christ does not save us and then leave us to pursue and achieve sanctification on our own. Let us never forget the precious gift of the Holy Spirit, who indwells us and enables us to pursue the things of Christ and live in a way that honors Him!
Legalism is deadly. It deceives unbelievers into thinking they can earn their salvation, but it can also enslave believers, leading them to add works, not as a condition of salvation, but as a condition of God’s continued favor and love. This type of “doctrinally sound legalism” leads to a dangerous combination of spiritual pride toward others and spiritual weakness in our own walk of faith. We do not sin so that grace may abound—may it never be! Still, we must guard against legalism even within our doctrinally sound churches.
Ladies, we like to be well dressed, don’t we? And while we certainly don’t want to neglect our outward appearance, we know that Scripture emphasizes the greater importance of our spiritual adornment. When Christ saves us, we are given, in essence, a whole new wardrobe. The best part? This is one wardrobe that will never go out of style!
Who is Jesus Christ? He is the image of the invisible God. He is the Creator. He is God incarnate. He is the head of the Church. He is the Savior. He is the King of kings and Lord of lords. He is incomparable.
Additional Resource
Introduction to Colossians (sermon by Pastor Bill Vine)
John MacArthur has said, “Life without hope is bleak.” He’s right. The reality is, Christians are the only ones who know what true hope is because Christians are the only ones who know the One who is the source of true hope, Jesus Christ.
Additional Resources:
A Theology of Hope (sermon by John MacArthur)
“Consider it all joy.” “Rejoice in the Lord always.” The Christian life is a serious thing, and we are not promised lives of ease. Yet, Scripture calls us to rejoice in all circumstances, and when one considers the blessings that are ours in Jesus Christ, why would we not?
Contrary to what the Word of Faith preachers would have us believe, we are not promised lives of luxury as Christians. In fact, Scripture promises us quite the opposite. Scripture also promises us that God will strengthen us in our trials, sustain us in times of persecution, and grant us joy in all circumstances. God never promised us a rose garden, but we can still enjoy the fragrance of His grace and blessing in all things.
With a new year often comes the start of a new Bible reading plan and Bible study. How should we approach both our reading and study of the God's Word, and what are some resources to help keep us focused and accountable this year?
Resources:
An In-Depth Study of Matthew (R.C. Sproul)
Bible Studies (Michelle Lesley)
Bible Reading Plans for 2018
Every Woman's Grace (Grace Community Church)
Scrooge, Marley, Tiny Tim…no, not that Christmas Carol! As Christmas Day rapidly approaches, let’s pause to consider some of the hymns and songs that we sing each year in celebration of Christ’s birth.
Resources
Do You Hear What I Hear? (Tim Hawkins)
The Story Behind the Carol "Hark the Herald Angels Sing"
Christmas Carol Trivia
The Christmas season is upon us! Let’s turn our focus away from the busyness and distractions the world brings us this time of year and instead look upon the One Whom we celebrate this season: Immanuel, God With Us.
Resources
The King's Supernatural Birth (S. Lewis Johnson)
God's Gift of Christmas (John MacArthur)
Further Listening
Equipping Eve: Simeon's Psalm
Equipping Eve: The Wisdom and Witness of Anna
Equipping Eve: The Incarnation
Luther, Calvin, Zwingli. Without these men and many others, there would not have been a Protestant Reformation. We owe them a tremendous debt of gratitude. But the Reformation was not only impacted by men. What about the women behind those men? What about those women who were wives or sisters of the Reformers and who influenced the movement, not just by being faithful to the calling of wife or mother, but by demonstrating faithfulness through the pen and through their bold, public courage in the face of persecution? In this episode, we will meet some of these sisters in the faith from whom we can learn so much.
ResourcesReformation Womenby Rebecca VanDoodewaard
There is a lot of talk among professing Christians, some of whom are influential figures, about unity with the Roman Catholic Church. In this episode, we’ll explore why the gospel of Roman Catholicism and the biblical gospel cannot be united.
Resources (link does not necessarily equal endorsement)
What does it mean that good works are the fruit of salvation (GotQuestions.org)
Christian Research Network: Roman Catholicism
In Orange County, bishop and pastor model Catholic/Evangelical ties
A recent Pew survey reveals that many professing protestants do not actually know or understand what they believe. 2017 marks the 500th anniversary of the Protestant Reformation, but is it possible that there has been a steady reversal of the reformation over the years? In this episode, we’ll continue our discussion from last time, emphasizing the need for Christians to know what they believe by knowing what God has said in His Word.
To access the Pew research survey referenced in this episode, click here.
A recent Pew survey reveals that many professing protestants do not actually know or understand what they believe. 2017 marks the 500th anniversary of the Protestant Reformation, but but is it possible that there has been a steady reversal of the reformation over the years?
To access the Pew research survey referenced in this episode, click here.
Can boredom be productive? Are being bored and being idle the same thing? Also: Erin discusses how the Bible is filled with women who were students of the Word. What does this mean for us today as women of the Word living in the world?
In this episode, we continue our discussion of God’s disciplining by grace, and examining the distinction between law and gospel. The Law is good, but salvation is by grace.
Author Jerry Bridges has noted that God disciplines by grace, not law. Yet, is this how we perceive our Christian walk? Might we be trapped unknowingly in a subtle cycle of dangerous legalism? How does it help us to “preach the gospel to ourselves everyday?”
Have you ever heard the phrase, “Context, context, context!”? Context is always important, especially when we are studying the Bible. In this episode, we’ll take a look at some errors that may result when context is ignored, and demonstrate why context is not only important, but interesting!
See also:
Bible Backgrounds: Why You Need Them and Where to Find Them
Is the plan of redemption too violent? Is it really just a horrific tale of “cosmic child abuse”? Believe it or not, there are those who profess to be Christians who would say that it is. As always, let’s go back to the Bible and see what God has to say about the penal substitutionary atonement.
Additional Resources
Christ—Our Substitute (Charles Spurgeon)
The Scriptural Necessity of Christ’s Penal Substitution
Penal Substitution in Church History
Penal Substitution in the Old Testament
Replacing the ‘Violent’ Cross
Is the plan of redemption too violent? Is it really just a horrific tale of “cosmic child abuse”? Believe it or not, there are those who profess to be Christians who would say that it is. As always, let’s go back to the Bible and see what God has to say about the penal substitutionary atonement.
Additional Resources
Christ—Our Substitute (Charles Spurgeon)
The Scriptural Necessity of Christ’s Penal Substitution
Penal Substitution in Church History
Penal Substitution in the Old Testament
Replacing the ‘Violent’ Cross
"Choice, not chance, determines destiny.” Do you think the writers of this church sign had verses like John 1:12-13 in mind? It seems doubtful! Let’s open our Bibles and use the example of Lydia in Acts 16 to see just who is making the choices that determine our “destiny.”
Additional Resources
The Conversion of a Businesswoman (sermon by S. Lewis Johnson)
Women in Scripture: Lydia
Twelve Extraordinary Women
Jesus Teaches the Teacher (sermon by John MacArthur)
How do we know the 66 books of our Bibles are the correct 66 books? Could there be more? Should there be less? Who determined the canon: man or God?
Additional Resources
The Journey from Texts to Translations (book)
Ladies, open your Bible to Luke 10 and let’s take a look at the familiar story of Mary and Martha and ask ourselves: Are we choosing the good part?
Additional Resources:
Bible Questions and Answers, Part 65.
Totally Absorbed in the Words of Christ (sermon by Jerry Wragg)
The Christian’s Priority (sermon by John MacArthur)
At one time, the church at Ephesus was a stalwart body, sound in doctrine and intolerant of sin and error. Yet, in a sobering letter to this first-century church, Jesus Christ said these gut-wrenching words: “I have this against you, that you have left your first love.” Is it possible to be zealous for sound doctrine but lacking in love for Christ?
Resources
Rekindling Your Love for Christ
The Lord’s Word to His Church: Ephesus
Ephesus: When Love Grows Cold
A recent article by Melissa Kruger asks the question, “How healthy is the women’s ministry in your church?” What a great question! In this episode, we will discuss Kruger’s article, as well as look at the biblical portrait of women.
Resources
How Healthy Is the Women’s Ministry in Your Church? (Melissa Kruger)
The Biblical Portrait of Women: Setting the Record Straight (John MacArthur)
She was an elderly widow who had served God her entire life, and she was one of the few people chosen by God to be a witness of the infant Christ. Open your Bible to Luke 2:36-38 and let’s learn a bit more about the woman named Anna.
Resources
Testifying to Jesus: Anna (Sermon, John MacArthur)
Anna: The Faithful Witness
Anna: The Prophetess from Asher
Anna: The Aged Evangelist
Twelve Extraordinary Women
It's unlikely that anyone actually gleans their theology from a church sign. Church signs are notoriously cheesy and oftentimes the churches that display them are theologically unsound. Erin drives by lots of church signs everyday, and finally realized that they can make a great teaching tool—of what not to believe, think, or teach. Open your Bible as we seek to debunk more sad church signs.
It's unlikely that anyone actually gleans their theology from a church sign. Church signs are notoriously cheesy and oftentimes the churches that display them are theologically unsound. Erin drives by lots of church signs everyday, and finally realized that they can make a great teaching tool—of what not to believe, think, or teach. Open your Bible as we seek to debunk some of these sad church signs.
Resource
Slave by John MacArthur
By now, almost every Christian woman is aware of the latest fad of Bible Art Journaling. Can taping stickers in our Bible and doodling in the margins really draw us closer to God? Or is this merely one more way that the whims of the world have crept into the visible church?
Resources (link does not necessarily equal endorsement)
Art Journaling Joshua 1:9
Adult Coloring Books Test Grown-Ups’ Ability to Stay Inside the Lines
Why Jaded Adults are Buying Stacks of Coloring Books
Hey, Grown-Ups: Put Down the Coloring Pens!
The Sufficiency of Scripture (Charles Spurgeon)
Open your Bible to the book of Romans and join Erin as we look at how the Apostle Paul, under the divine inspiration of the Holy Spirit, describes a great and glorious exchange.
Resource
Sinclair Ferguson’s book, In Christ Alone: Living the Gospel-Centered Life.
The shelves of Christian bookstores are filled with so-called “Bible study” books, but can you effectively study the Bible without these resources? In this episode, we talk a bit about some methods for Bible study that focus on the most important thing: the Word.
Resources
The CSGMA Bible Study Method
10 Simple Steps to Plain Vanilla Bible Study
Bible Study You Can Do
What Is Bible Study?
The professing Christian community has a variety of views on baptism. In recent years, there was some controversy surrounding so-called “spontaneous baptisms,” but what does the Bible say about this commanded practice?
What does it mean to be sanctified? Do we just “let go and let God”? Is seeking sanctification the same thing as salvation by works? This episode of Equipping Eve delves into this important doctrine.
Resources
Sanctification: The Christian’s Pursuit of God-Given Holiness
The Means of Sanctification
Beholding Glory: The Dynamics of Sanctification