Sermons In Cars: Recent Episodes
Tony Martelle
In Luke 3 John the Baptist answers the question, "What should we do?" to 3 groups of people. And he ties it all together with this idea of being baptized by the Holy Spirit and fire. This episode unpacks the importance of recognizing how we are all connected through this concept.
A relationship shrouded in scandal, a group of roughnecks (shepherds) and some magicians. Ever stopped to think about the people at the nativity scene? And if we’re honest with ourselves I bet we’ll see a piece of us in each of them. Happy holidays and merry Christmas from Sermons In Cars!!!
Ever stop to think that our idea of swearing is entirely cultural? You'll love this lighthearted episode on swearing and how it's really only religious people who have a hard time with it. Because the Bible certainly doesn't!
Ever heard the phrase "the Bible says"? But then wonder why someone would need to spend the next 30 minutes telling you what "the Bible says" if the Bible has already supposedly said it? That's because the Bible rarely says what it means. It goes through layers of interpretation before we arrive at any particular meaning that applies to our present day context. This episode is a brief into to the healthy awareness of this process and why it's so important for our everyday lives!
Ever think about the lens with which you read the Bible? Most of the time it's automatic and we don't even give it a second thought. But our lenses determine the way in which we filter the information we're taking in. This critical self examination can be so fruitful for your own spiritual and relational growth. But it's not as easy as you might think! Here are some ways to begin seeing faith with different lenses.
When beliefs and doctrine go unchecked and unchallenged they become enshrined. And once enshrined they become like an idol. This is exactly what has happened with the mainstream view on Hell. For centuries it has been the position of the Church that our starting point in life is Hell; separated from God. Or at least as soon as we reach the elusive "age of accountability." This episode unpacks the concepts found in scripture that have been mis-translated "hell". And then reframes a healthy perspective for engaging these concepts in light of Christ's contextual uses of them.
Further resources on this topic: Love Wins by Rob Bell That All Shall Be Saved by David Bentley Hart The Sin of Certainty by Pete Enns
The current mainstream understanding of Hell goes against everything Christ did. Every action. Every step. Every word spoken was geared towards helping people live life to the fullest. He doesn't do this only to curse us to hell if we don't "believe" in him.
Introducing Dawn Sutherland! In this episode she unpacks the importance of reading scripture with the lens of Love in order to help us better understand everything about who God is and how He interacts with his creation.
What you believe about God will inform how you live. If God is an arbiter of all things right and wrong just waiting for you to make a mistake then you will live under a veil of condemnation every time you fall short. The ultimate mistake of course being that unless you "accept" Jesus you are destined for an eternal torment of hell. This episode begins the journey of assessing how you understand God and why it's SO important.
Reframing your beliefs can feel overwhelming but it shouldn't be a house of cards. It doesn't need to be an all or nothing venture. Your faith may grow and shift but it doesn't have to collapse in on itself. Tyler unpacks the Western notion of "rapture" in this episode and offers some ideas to help come at it from an ancient perspective instead of the relatively new one that it is. Subscribe to the channel for up to date notifications!
What if this whole idea about being "saved" or "eternal life" has more to do with how we live in connection with those around us and ultimately the entire world - rather than "believing in Jesus" as they so often say in churches?
We've all heard someone talk about this question in church. How many times have we listened to how Jesus actually answers the question? The answer may surprise you!
The kingdom of Heaven is not defined by winners and losers or how hard we work.. or don't work for that matter. It's a gift to experience life abundantly.
What if God wasn't trying to get you to "do" something for him? But instead he's trying to get you to live free? This episode explores the paradigm shift between these two.
Tyler shares on the value of reviewing and rethinking our beliefs on scripture and relationships as a lifelong endeavor. Share your comments on our YouTube page! And check us on any digital platform where podcasts are heard. Although we think the value is in watching us drive and preach!
What's your baseline for understanding scripture? How do you interpret it? What about how Christ interprets something? If we begin with Jesus we soon realize there are no experts. Only beginners.
The fear of the Lord is not what you might think! Continuing the discussion around ps 111-112. Be sure to listen to episode 2 or you'll miss some great content leading into this one.
We've all heard the verse "The fear of the Lord in the beginning of wisdom." What in the world does this mean? This episode explores the concept of the fear of the Lord using Ps 111 as the launchpad.
Driving around while talking about God, faith and life. Sermons in Cars is a bite-sized conversation on topics you don't hear in church.
How often does our circumstance cloud our judgement and cause us to see an enemy where we might otherwise see an opportunity? This episode explores the unfortunate circumstances of Paul in Acts 16 where he's faced with this exact situation.