In the Fire: Recent Episodes
In the Fire Podcast
Welcome to the Fire. Join Justin, Peter, and Thomas as we discuss God's Word from the perspective of three young adult men. Our weekly episodes will feature Scripture and passages from all across the Bible as we learn and grow together. We are glad to have you with us on this journey through the Bible!
Fresh off our series on Romans, we flip back in the Bible for this episode as we take a look at the Old Testament book of Judges. This episode includes a background on Judges and a preview of some of the big themes of this time period in the history of Israel. We also read about Deborah, one of the "major judges" that delivered Israel from disaster. Deborah's story brings us plenty of courage, action, and intrigue, all of which we discuss in this episode.
In Romans 16, the final chapter of the book, Paul expresses his closing thoughts to the Church in Rome and imparts some final words of wisdom to the believers there. In this chapter, we learn more about Paul and his ministry (including the people he worked with), and we also get a nice recap of the entire book, as Paul sums up his letter and touches on many of the points he made earlier in the book. Enjoy the finale of our series on the Book of Romans!
In this episode, we return for the second-to-last (or penultimate!) chapter in the Book of Romans...Romans 15! Here, Paul pulls together a lot of the themes from earlier in the book, wrapping up his letter with a call for the Christians in Rome to live in unity, peace, humility, and selflessness. This episode brings us through a discussion of those topics, as well as a conversation about Paul as a man and minister.
This episode brings us back to a chapter of the Bible we have talked about once before: Romans 13 (see Episode 10!). As we read that chapter, as well as Romans 14, we cover some key Biblical instructions for Christians living our lives in this world. From submitting to authority to the "stumbling block" concept, this episode has no shortage of Biblical lessons. And from history's revolutions to Shrek, it also has no shortage of applicable analogies. Hop into the fire and join us for another great episode!
What does "hortatory" mean? Among many other things, we answer that question in this episode! We march on in the book of Romans and we read and discuss Romans 11 and 12 - two of the greatest books in the Bible. These chapters tell us a little more about the Gospel message to Jews and Gentiles before giving Christians some important lessons on how to live our lives. Come on in and join us in the fire for another episode in our Romans series!
If you couldn't get enough of last episode's discussion over the election of believers, you're in luck! We continue cruising along in Romans in this episode, this team reading chapter 10 and part of chapter 11. In these verses, Paul expands on election and God's sovereignty, with an emphasis on the role that us humans have in this process. This episode brings back a lot of what we have already discussed in our Romans series, as well as some neat Old Testament references. Enjoy!
This week, we grapple with one of the most confusing and debated topics among Christians and theologians as we read through Romans 9. This chapter of Romans gets into the concept of "election" and salvation, which leads us to an interesting discussion on this theological concept. Moreover, though, it leads us to recognize and talk about the sovereignty of God and His plan for the salvation of His children - Jews and Gentiles alike. Join us in the fire as we hear more from Paul in this episode!
In this episode, we are continuing our series on the book of Romans. This time, we read Romans 7 and 8 and talk more about the law and our relationship with it, and more importantly, the freedom we gain from Christ. Once saved, we are no longer under the shackles of the law but are instead ushered into great new freedom. What does this mean? Find out what Paul tells us by listening in.
We're back in the book of Romans as we continue our series, this time reading through Romans 5 and 6. We focus our attention mostly on chapter 6 and what it means to be a slave to righteousness. What does this phrase mean for us as Christ followers, how does it relate to our actions in this world, and what does it say about God's forgiveness? Come along and listen in.
After last week, we decided to march on ahead in the Book of Romans and take a look at the book's next chapter: Romans 4. This chapter takes us back to Abraham (or Abram) - and yes, this means we also read some select verses from Genesis! Ultimately, we talk about the role of faith and the role of the law, and how all of us are truly saved by faith alone. Romans 4 approaches this from the topic of circumcision, which makes for a fun conversation!
For the 100th time, we take a trip into the fire, this time to talk about the first few chapters of the Book of Romans. These chapters set the stage for the entirety of the book, as Paul writes about our fallen state, our status as sinners, and the justification we receive only through faith in Christ. You'll want to grab your Bible and read along closely for this one as we dig into Romans 1-3. Thank you for joining us on this awesome ride through 100 episodes!
As we welcome the Christmas season, we jump into a Christmas-themed episode and discuss the idea of the name Immanuel - "God with Us." What does "Immanuel" mean in a biblical, theological, and historical sense? How about in a personal sense, for each of us in our lives? These are the questions we tackle in this episode as we flip through passages in Isaiah, Hebrews, Matthew, and Psalms. Merry Christmas and welcome in!
This week brings us to a much more theological topic as we dig into the Biblical concept of atonement. We examine atonement in the Bible in both the Old and New Testaments, discussing God's forgiveness for us under the old covenant and the new covenant. The two key words for this episode are propitiation and expiation. What do those words mean and how do they relate to the grand scheme of atonement? Listen in and find out.
This episode brings us to the seventh chapter of the Book of Luke, where we see a variety of accounts from Jesus's life and some quick parables from Jesus. Through Luke's writing in this chapter, we get a great glimpse of some of the attributes that make Jesus so special and powerful as our Savior. What are those attributes? Listen in and find out!
This episode brings us to an oft-avoided topic among Christians: giving. The goal of our discussion on giving is to talk about the Biblical reality of why we give, as well as how the Bible instructs us to give. While giving our money, talents, and time is never an easy thing to do, we are directly told to do so at several points throughout Scripture. So, what does this really mean for us today? That's a question we try to answer together in this installment of "In the Fire."
This week, we dig into an episode that is a mix of history, theology, and straight-up Scripture. Sounds fun, right? It is! The topic for this episode is the "Five Solas," a theological development dating back to the Protestant Reformation, where the Christian faith was redefined in many important ways. The Five Solas refer to five core tenets of Christianity, with each one pointing to a defining characteristic of our faith. Come along as we talk about each of these points and look at the Scripture that tells us even more about them.
In this episode, we get a chance to do one of our favorite things: we connect three parts of the Bible to get an overview of how God's plan unfolds over time. Specifically, we read Genesis 11, where we review the account of the Tower of Babel. From there, we ask ourselves how this piece of Biblical history connects with the Great Commission. That is, how are we called to reach the nations in light of the incident with the Tower of Babel? Finally, we flip to the Book of Revelation, where we see the outcome of everything and our final hope in achieving our calling as believers.
We continue a long string of episodes in the Old Testament, this time flipping over to the book of 1 Samuel for a lesson as old as the earth itself. 1 Samuel gives us a lot of great people and interesting stories, one of which is that of Israel asking God for a human king. After years of God's provision through chosen people and priests, His people ask the priest Samuel for God to grant them someone to rule over their nation. Well, God grants their request - but not without emotional pain and strong warning. He gives them King Saul, the first king of Israel. In this episode, we talk about how Israel's request for a king mirrors our own selfish desires, and we look at the consequences (both good and bad) of Israel's request.
Last week's episode about wisdom in Proverbs got us in the mood to examine the topic even more closely! To do so, we flipped over just a little bit to the book of Ecclesiastes, which was (as far as we know) also written by Solomon. Considered one of the wisest to ever do it, Solomon has some perspective on wisdom that we hope to understand by reading some select passages from Ecclesiastes. In doing so, we ask ourselves how to correctly seek wisdom, what true wisdom means, and how wisdom can be misunderstood. Grab your Bible, and hopefully some wisdom rubs off on us all through this episode!
In this episode, we return to a book that we have yet to cover in much detail! After a short discussion of wisdom literature in the Bible in general, we read a few chapters out of the book of Proverbs. Written (mostly) by Solomon, the Proverbs give us a collection of some of the wisest statements of knowledge in Scripture. As we discuss these chapters, we take some time to read and reflect, and suggest you do the same. We also talk about some of the lessons that stand out most to us in these unique and thought-provoking words.
Well, we've made it to the final episode of our series following the books of Ezra and Nehemiah! In this episode, we discuss the (somewhat unsatisfying?) conclusion to Nehemiah's account of God's people restoring Jerusalem. As we read through the final chapter of this book, we see some of the same themes come up that we've discussed before, and we talk about those along with some of our biggest takeaways from this series. Hopefully you all learned just as much as we did through these two great books of the Bible!
We continue this week with the sixth and penultimate episode of our Nehemiah series. Now that we've been studying this book for a while, the dots are starting to connect as we near the end of Nehemiah's account of leading the people of Judah upon their return to Jerusalem. In this episode, we read and talk through chapters 11 and 12 of Nehemiah (after a brief recap of some notable points from previous chapters). These chapters give us some more of the historical narrative that we saw earlier in the book, and also provide us with a useful roadmap for effective and joyful worship. Enjoy!
We're back! This week, we return to the fire to bring you the fifth installment of our series on Nehemiah! In this episode, we get into a deeper discussion about repentance and talk about how we can turn our lives fully back to God - based on the account of the people in Jerusalem after the city walls were rebuilt. As we read in these chapters (Nehemiah 8-10), our old pal Ezra returns to lead the people spiritually as they seek forgiveness and work to re-orient their lives on God. One of the more spiritually intriguing and challenging portions of the Book of Nehemiah, these chapters give us a lot to talk about regarding how God's people (including us) relate to Him.
Come along for the fourth installment of our series on the Book of Nehemiah! This time, we cover a good bit of ground as we trek through Nehemiah Chapters 5, 6, and 7. Here, we read some interesting details about internal conflict and division among the people in Jerusalem, as well as some external plotting and devious plans of outsiders who continue to oppose the rebuilding of the city and its walls. This episode also brings us some of the more dramatic and intriguing storylines that we see in the book - so be prepared for some fun scenarios!
For our third episode in the Nehemiah series (and seventh in the Ezra-Nehemiah series), we skip ahead to the fourth chapter of the Book of Nehemiah, where we see Nehemiah and the people in Jerusalem directly dealing with threats and opposition from enemies nearby. Nehemiah's response to this opposition leads us to a very interesting question and discussion on how we are to love our enemies even if they pose a significant threat to us. This gives way to an hour of discussion where we compare the state of God's people on earth in the Old Testament to the state of the Kingdom in the New Testament and beyond, all revolving around how we are to treat and feel about our enemies.
On this Easter Sunday, we are continuing along with our trek through the books of Ezra and Nehemiah! In this episode, we read and talk through the events that are laid out in Nehemiah Chapter 2, where we learn more about Nehemiah as a faithful follower of God and about his relationship with the Persian king Artaxerxes. And because everything ultimately points to the Savior, we have some notes that link the story of Nehemiah to the death and resurrection of Jesus, which we celebrate on Easter weekend. Hopefully you enjoy learning more about Nehemiah!
We continue our series on the return of God's people to Jerusalem after the Babylonian Exile, this time flipping from the book of Ezra to that of Nehemiah! In this episode, we recap the big lessons and takeaways from Ezra before diving into some leftover questions and concerns from our previous episode. After wrapping up Ezra's account of the return to Jerusalem, we turn to the account Nehemiah, who followed in Ezra's shoes as one of the many great individuals raised up by God to lead His people. Jump on into the fire as we discuss the context of Nehemiah and read the first chapter of the book bearing his name.
We're back! After a little break, we are here again for the final installment in our series on the Book of Ezra. In this episode, we read the final chapters of Ezra and learn more about the state of the people of Judah as they rebuilt and reentered Jerusalem. These chapters tell us of ongoing sin and unfaithfulness among God's people, but also tell us of the work of Ezra in reaching those in Jerusalem and helping turn their hearts back to God. Listen and read along as we wrap up the history written by Ezra and prepare to turn next to the Book of Nehemiah.
As you may be able to tell by the name of the episode, this week we are continuing our series on the Book of Ezra! In this episode, we read the next few chapters out of Ezra (chapters 6-8), where we see the Temple finished in Jerusalem following the return of God's People from the Babylonian Captivity. We also get some more history and find out more about the timeline of events after the Judeans returned to Jerusalem, and we finally meet Ezra! Learn more about this fascinating time in history by listening to this episode of "In the Fire."
This week, we continue our series on the Book of Ezra as we talk more about the return of God's People from the Babylonian Exile. This episode brings a lot of historical notes as we read Ezra 4 and 5 and go through the timeline of events as the people of Judah finish rebuilding the Temple in Jerusalem. These chapters tell us of the adversity that the Judeans faced as they started the Temple project and the opposition they continued to face in the following decades, as they rebuilt Jerusalem and its walls. We also briefly read through the book of Haggai, the name of the prophet sent by God to encourage the people of Judah through the the adversity they faced.
We have an exciting group of episodes coming, starting this week as we begin a series on the Books of Ezra and Nehemiah! Taking place at the conclusion of the Babylonian Captivity, Ezra tells the story of the return of God's people to Jerusalem. This week, we take a look at Ezra 1-3, where the first group of people returning to Jerusalem gets off to a surprisingly positive start, aided by King Cyrus of Persia. We start off this series by taking a look at some key themes, ideas, and pieces of history presented to us at the beginning of the Book of Ezra.
Jesus is not only the greatest leader in the history of the world, but he is also the most humble person to ever walk on earth. As Scripture reveals again and again, it was Jesus's humility in his interactions with others that made him such a strong leader. For this episode, we take a look at a few specific instances where the New Testament shows us the importance and value of humility. Jesus preached, practiced, and admired humility, which makes it a virtue that all Christians and all people should strive to act with every day. Listen in as we discuss the significance of being humble before others and under God.
It may be a few days after Christmas, but it's still Christmas in our minds! For this year's Christmas episode, we take a look at the different ways that God communicated with the people involved in the narrative of Jesus's birth. From Mary to the Shepherds (to Simeon), God sends messages and talks to all of these different people in unique and impactful ways. From these individual communications, we learn about the various ways that God communicates with us. So, what stands out about God's methods of communication and how we can best respond to them? Come on into the fire and find out.
What do you know about the book of Habakkuk? If your answer is "not much," then it's your lucky day! In this episode, we take some time to talk about the context, importance, and prevalent themes of the book of Habakkuk. As one of the minor prophets in the Old Testament, Habakkuk provides us with an interesting look at the nation of Judah just before the Babylonian Exile. In the end, the book gives us a view of God's sovereign justice and mercy.
In the Old Testament, much of Israel's life and much of God's mercy was brought about by the Law that God handed down to His people. Eventually, however, Jesus came to earth as the "fulfillment" of that law (as described by Jesus himself, as well as others such as Paul). In this episode, we take a look at exactly what it means that Jesus "fulfilled" the law. To do so, we read through some Scripture from Leviticus 24 (the famous "eye for eye" passage) and compare it with what Jesus talks about in Matthew 5, in the Sermon on the Mount. In his most famous sermon, Jesus illustrates for us exactly what it means that he "fulfilled" the law. Join us again in the fire as we attempt to figure out this oft-repeated, but perhaps little understood phrase.
If you are familiar with the Bible, you are probably familiar with angels - or at least of the fact that angels exist. But beyond that knowledge, what do we really know about angels? That's the topic of this episode of "In the Fire," where we dig into the origin of angels, the role and purpose of angels, and the importance of angels in the past, present, and future. Jump back into the fire and listen along to a cool discussion!
We're back! In this episode, we take a look at Romans 5:12-21 to see what Paul has to say about our condemnation and justification. Specifically, we spend some time talking about Adam, who ushered in the original sin of humanity, and contrasting that with what we see in Jesus, who redeemed humanity through his life, death, and resurrection. It is common to hear that Jesus is a "second Adam," and with that idea in mind, we dig into what Paul has to say on that concept. Grab your Bible and join us in the fire for another discussion of Scripture! And Happy Halloween!
There is no virtue that carries more significance in the Bible than love. It was out of love that God established his covenant with Israel and with us, and it was out of love that Jesus sacrificed his life for us. It is also out of love that we are called to live our lives here on earth. As Christians, we are to love our God and love others as we love ourselves. In 1 Corinthians 13, Paul devotes a whole portion of his letter to the church in Corinth to discuss the topic of love. He details why we should love, what that love means, and what our lives would mean if we lived without love. Join us for a classic "In the Fire" episode as we talk about our takeaways from Paul's writing.
As one of the Fruits of the Spirit, patience is a quality that every believer should strive to show on a daily basis. There are also opportunities to show patience each day, meaning that we constantly have chances to work on being patient in our own lives and to use it as a way to stand out to others in the world around us. In this episode, we discuss the value of patience as it is discussed in Scripture (Psalm 37), and also look at some practical examples of people in the Bible (Esther and Eli) who benefited from being patient. As always, thank you for joining us in the fire!
When we take Communion to celebrate the Last Supper at church, what are we really celebrating? While there are likely plenty of people who ponder the significance of this moment in history each time they partake in the Lord's Supper, there are likely many, many more who don't give such deep thought to this event. In this episode, we take some time to read about the original Last Supper, as portrayed by the Gospel of Luke and as discussed by the Apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians. Come along and join us in the fire as we discuss what is so meaningful about the Last Supper.
This episode of "In the Fire" takes a look at two of the most recognizable, significant, and memorized verses in the Bible: Jeremiah 29:11 and John 3:16. Not only do we discuss these two verses, but we take a greater look at the context surrounding the two verses and the greater story that they tell. Our conversation takes us through Old and New Testament and spans from the beginning of time through eternity. As you can tell, these verses have great significance - and as we figure out through our discussion, there is a reason they are two of the most well-known verses in Scripture.
In our last episode, we talked about the promise of the Holy Spirit, and what the Spirit means for our lives. This time around, we decided to follow up that episode with a discussion on what it actually looks like when the Spirit is in action - or, in other words, what it means to walk in the Spirit. To figure that out, we flipped to Genesis 5, where Paul details the Fruits of the Spirit. These verses give us a good idea of what our lives should look like when the Holy Spirit is present within us and when we follow the path that the Spirit leads us on. Join us for a fun, fruit-filled discussion!
Luke (the disciple)? Finding Nemo? The early Church? What do all of these have to do with each other? Well, in this episode, we dig into the first chapter of the book of Acts, where you'll hear us talk about all of these topics and much more! The book of Acts immediately follows the four Gospels and continues the story from where they leave off, as Jesus departs for Heaven and his followers take up the responsibility of spreading the Good News and starting the Church. Acts 1 kicks off this journey and carries with it a variety of lessons as the disciples figure out what to do immediately after Jesus is called to Heaven.
What happens in the book of Philemon? Do you even know how to pronounce Philemon? If you didn't know the answer to either of those questions, you aren't alone! In this episode, we dig into this book, a letter that Paul writes to his good friend Philemon. In it, Paul discusses brotherhood in Christ, addresses the issue of slavery, and talks a whole lot about forgiveness. It's a short book, but one filled with wisdom! Come along and learn about the book of Philemon in this episode of "In the Fire."
For this episode, we discuss a fascinating person. Solomon, king of Israel after the death of his father David, was likely both the wealthiest and wisest (besides Jesus) individual in the Bible, yet he is not talked about quite as much as he deserves! So today, we dig into his life a little bit, discussing the beginning of his reign, his request for God to grant him wisdom, how he used that wisdom, and finally, his shortcomings. Like his father before him, Solomon fell victim to sin, lust, and a corrupt heart. At the same time, though, he was one of Israel's greatest kings and one of the most admirable men we see in Scripture. Open your Bible to 1 Kings and join us in the fire!
Early in the Bible, we get a clear glimpse of God's wrath and judgment upon evil. This glimpse comes to us courtesy of Genesis 19, where we see the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah recorded in Scripture. In this episode, we go over the background of these cities, why they were destroyed, and how the entire story applies to our lives today. Join us in the fire to hear a LOT on this very intriguing piece of the Bible.
One important part of any Christian's life is prayer. But you may wonder, why do we pray? And how? Those two questions, along with many others, are definitely common questions for believers. In this episode, we do our best to provide some insight into prayer by reading examples of prayers in the Bible. From Moses to Paul, and many others in between, there are many people in the Bible that provide us with a roadmap on how we might approach prayer in our lives. Come along and listen in as we journey through Scripture once again!
During the Babylonian Exile, God's people were understandably in a time of confusion, pain, and uncertainty. Under the strong dominion of another empire, they likely felt hopeless and abandoned. However, not all was lost. God was at work in His people and in the empire of Babylon. During this time, He gave a vision to his servant Daniel, who recounts what he saw in the book of Daniel (chapters 7-12). This is a vision of the end times, where Daniel sees turmoil in the earth followed by an everlasting kingdom led by Jesus. Daniel 7 begins this vision, and that is the topic for today's episode as we discuss what Daniel saw, what it means, and how it was a hopeful reminder to a people in pain.
The Prosperity Gospel. You've heard of it. We've heard of it. But what is it? That's the question of the day for the latest episode of "In the Fire." In this one, we discuss what exactly is taught by the "Prosperity Gospel" and take a deep dive into where those teachings come from and what they mean. We also talk about the dangers of teaching and believing this flawed version of Christianity and touch on what we, as believers, can do to respond to such teaching when we come across it. Come along as we journey through Scripture and talk about an important topic in today's world!
Throughout Scripture, God makes five covenants with His people (us!). This begins way back with Noah, who receives the first of God's covenants following the events of the Great Flood in the book of Genesis. After that, God makes new covenants with other key figures in the Bible, until Jesus makes the final covenant with his disciples - and the whole world - at the Last Supper. In this episode, we discuss why these covenants are important, what they mean, and what each specific covenant says about God and our place in His Kingdom. Grab your Bible and enjoy!
For our second ever Easter episode, we turn through various passages in Matthew and Isaiah where Jesus's death is foretold (both by Him and by prophecy) before looking at some later passages in Matthew to see those prophecies fulfilled in a sad, yet glorious way. Following our series on Jesus's miracles, this is the greatest of them all as Jesus gives his life on the Cross to redeem the sins of the world. In this discussion, we go through the things that stick out most to us as we read about both prophecy and fulfillment of prophecy, how Jesus acts as our King and Savior, and how those closest to him (the disciples) respond. Happy Easter, and thanks for listening!
As we continue our Miracles series and quickly approach Easter weekend, we take a look at Jesus's greatest miracle yet. In this episode, we discuss the story of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead. In a story that foreshadows Jesus's soon-to-come death and resurrection, Jesus shows us his power over life and death by calling Lazarus, who was dead for four days, out of his grave. Not only do we see Jesus perform the miracle, but we also see the human side of our Savior as he confronts the worldly death of a loved one. Come on back into the fire as we talk about our key takeaways from this story, written in John 11.
In this episode, we discuss one of the most unique passages in the entire Bible: the Transfiguration of Jesus. Taking place in Matthew 17:1-13, the Transfiguration represents one of the more significant moments of Jesus's life. In this glorious moment, we see parts of the past, present, and future come together as Peter, James, and John not only see Jesus in communion with Moses and Elijah, but also experience the voice and image of God the Father. Listen along as we discuss how this moment relates all the way back to Moses and Elijah and potentially all the way ahead to the events detailed in the book of Revelation.
We're back! After a few weeks away, the three of us are jumping back in the fire to continue our series on the miracles of Jesus. This time, we look at one of the most incredible miracles out there - which is also one of the miracles that offers us the most context following the miraculous act. Listen along as we discuss how Jesus gave sight to a blind man and what that miracle means on a larger scale. The Scripture for this episode comes from John 9, so grab your Bible and join us in the fire as we dive into another one of Jesus's miracles!
Welcome back into the fire! This week we continue our series on Jesus's miracles by talking about one of the more fascinating miracles out there. Grab your Bible and flip over to Mark 5:1-20 and read along as we discuss the miracle where Jesus casts thousands of demons out of a possessed man and sends them into...you guessed it...a herd of pigs! What sounds like a crazy story actually has some serious theological undertones which we talk about in this episode. There's plenty to take away from this miracle, and we do our best to unpack it together.
We're back for our fifth episode in our series on the miracles of Jesus! Join us this week for a journey to the Sea of Galilee, where we get to read and talk about two more miracles: Jesus calming the storm and Jesus walking on the water. These classic miracles can teach us a ton about faith, hope, and the sovereignty of Jesus (and so much more!). Both miracles we discuss this week are from the Gospel of Matthew - so grab your Bible and join us for another trip into the fire!
Fun fact: There is only one miracle that is recorded in all four of the Gospels. You guessed it - the Feeding of the 5000! In this episode, we take a look not only at that miracle, but at another similar one, the Feeding of the 4000! You may be wondering, why does Jesus perform the same kind of miracle twice (and only within a few days of each other)? What are the differences and similarities between the two? And most importantly, what are the most important details and lessons that we can learn from these two miracles? We discuss those questions and more as we take a look at two more miracles in the 54th episode of the "In the Fire" podcast. Thanks as always for joining us in the fire.
We're continuing our series on the miracles of Jesus with this episode as we discuss the classic moment in Jesus's ministry when he heals the paralytic man who was lowered down through the roof of a house. There is a lot to unpack about this event, from the faith of the paralytic man and his friends to the way(s) in which Jesus heals the man to the back-and-forth between Jesus and the Pharisees that follows. Jump back in the fire with us as we discuss all of this and more! The scripture for this episode is from Mark 2:1-12.
For the second part of our series on Jesus's ministry through his miracles, we take a look two more of Jesus's earliest miracles as they are recorded in the Gospel of Luke. Specifically, we read and discuss the moment when Jesus calls Simon Peter and some more of his disciples (highlighted by the miraculous catch of fish), as well as the miracle that immediately follows, when Jesus heals a leper. What does it mean to be a fisher of men? How does Jesus healing a leper relate to the Old Testament? These are just a couple of the questions we discuss on this episode of "In the Fire."
In the 51st episode of "In the Fire," we start a series looking at the many miracles performed by Jesus during his lifetime. To kick off this series, we take a look at the second chapter of John's gospel, which details Jesus's first miracle (turning water into wine) and the first public declaration of his ministry, where he overturned the tables in the temple at Jerusalem. With these events, Jesus officially announced his arrival as the Messiah, first to a smaller group and then to Jerusalem. Listen along as we discuss some key takeaways we learned and some lessons about the significance of the beginnings of Jesus's ministry.
Merry Christmas! This week, we have a special Christmas episode that focuses on the glorious signs and wonders that led to the birth of Christ. Most notably, we discuss the visits of angels to Mary, Joseph, and the Wise Men and the significance that God's use of angels carries in this important moment in history. Next, we talk about the star that led the Wise Men to Jesus, what that star signifies, and what it means in the narrative of Jesus's birth. We hope you enjoy our Christmas episode and have a very merry Christmas!
For the third episode in this year's Christmas series, we read through Jesus's genealogy from Matthew 1. We discuss why Matthew would even include this genealogy in his account of the Gospel and how it relates to Christmas and Christianity as a whole. We also spend a lot of time talking about what we can learn about Jesus and about our faith through Christ's family tree. Listen along with us and learn about the awesome Old Testament names that all combine to ultimately lead to our Savior.
The second week of our Christmas series aligns with the third week of Advent, so this week we take a look at an important topic and value in Christianity: Joy. What is it? Where does it come from? We answer those questions and more in this action-packed Christmas episode as we read a passage from the Gospel of Luke (Luke 2). This chapter tells the story of Jesus's birth and the surrounding events - most notably for this episode, the shepherds who hear of the Savior's birth while watching over their flock. Join us in the fire and enjoy another episode of our Christmas series!
As we enter the Advent season, we begin a Christmas series this week with an episode on Christmas prophecy in the Bible. Specifically, we read Isaiah 9:1-7, which (among other things) foretells the birth of Christ. We discuss why this specific prophecy is so important, as well as why prophecy in general is a critical aspect of Scripture. We also look at a few other portions of the Bible in this episode, including Luke 2, where the prophecy from Isaiah 9 is fulfilled. Join us as we kick off the Advent season, and listen in for a little more context and a deeper dive into this important Biblical prophecy.
We turn the clock way back for the 46th episode of "In the Fire" - all the way back to the beginning of the universe! In this episode, we read through Genesis 1, which tells the story of creation. We take some time to discuss God's creation of the world and the heavens, and talk about some highlights from this amazing part of the Bible. We also discuss what this means for us today. In other words, how can we take the story of creation and apply it to our current-day lives? Join us and find out!
In this episode, we tackle an interesting topic by asking ourselves one question: what is gluttony? One of the "seven deadly sins," gluttony is an interesting combination of greed, selfishness, over-consumption, and so much more. In our discussion, we focus in on not only what gluttony is, but also where it can be found, how it affects us in our daily lives, and ultimately what can be done to re-focus our lives on Christ and escape the trap of gluttony that we all fall into. We've all been victims of this sin, whether we know it or not...so, want to think a little more about how gluttony exists in our world today? Join us in the fire and find out.
On the 1-year anniversary of the "In the Fire" podcast, we examine an important, yet overlooked topic that the Bible teaches: Rest. What does rest mean in the context of Christianity, and how can we, as believers, use our faith to enter into the rest freely offered to us? Moreover, we take an in-depth look at how the gift of rest given to us gives us a glimpse of our ultimate Heavenly home. It's been a great year in the fire with our listeners, and we are thankful for you all as we continue to bring our podcast to you. Please enjoy this week's episode!
King David is one of the more significant figures in the Bible for several reasons. He unites and builds up the nation of Israel, he works as a precursor to Jesus, and he teaches us plenty of important lessons through his own story. But despite his Christ-like qualities and admirable faithfulness, David is still fully human. This week, we take a look at one of Scripture's most well-known instances of sin, when David's temptation and pride give way to a series of unspeakable actions. Join us as we read through 2 Samuel 11 and 12 and discuss what lessons we can learn through both the fall of David, as well as his repentance and redemption that ultimately lead to God's forgiveness.
For this episode, we are joined by Stephen Cartwright of the "Tesserae" podcast, who enters the fire with us as we take an in-depth look at the last section in the book of Jude (verses 17-25). Among other things, these verses focus on maintaining our lives with God by persevering and remaining steadfast in God's love and mercy. We also look at the prophet Jeremiah as an example of the lessons that we learn by reading Jude's words. As always, we are thankful for all our listeners and we hope that you enjoy and learn from this episode!
For this episode, we pick up where we left off a few weeks ago by taking a look at Exodus 3 and 4. Most notably, these chapters include the story of Moses and the burning bush, where God calls Moses to return to Egypt and free the nation of Israel from bondage. As God and Moses speak to each other, Moses expresses hesitancy, fear, and doubt regarding God's plan to use Moses to free His people. As God listens to Moses's fears, He provides Moses with the encouragement, reassurance, and confidence that Moses needs to accomplish the difficult task ahead. As we read these chapters, we discuss the relationship between doubt and faith, and focus in on what we can take away from this intriguing conversation.
The "End Times" is a topic of much discussion, intrigue, and even controversy among the Christian community...which is understandable. It's a confusing topic that comes up in several places throughout the Bible, and the prophecies relating to the end times are often ambiguous and difficult to understand. In this episode, we take a look at Matthew 24, where Jesus speaks to his disciples concerning the end of days. This passage discusses both the "end times" that all of humanity has lived in since Jesus's crucifixion and resurrection, as well as the specific final days leading up to Christ's return and God's judgment. The purpose of our discussion in this episode is not to debate controversial topics or to predict anything at all; rather, this episode gives a broad overview of what Jesus talks about regarding the end times and, more importantly, the main takeaways from Jesus's words for our lives today. Sit back, listen in, and enjoy!
The Bible prepares Christians for living on earth by telling us that we will encounter trials in our lives. Peter discusses this issue in a letter (the book of 1 Peter) to Christians dispersed throughout Asia Minor. As we discuss, Peter writes this book of the Bible during a time when Christians were starting to be heavily persecuted in Rome. So, how does Peter tell us we are to live our lives while undergoing such difficulty and trial? He tells us to look to our wonderful inheritance: our salvation in Jesus Christ. Today, we discuss how we can do this by remaining grounded in faith and hope as we read some excerpts from the first chapter of 1 Peter.
Exodus chapters 1 and 2 tell us the story of a crucial period in the history of Israel, as well a tragic one. These chapters mark the beginning of Israel's slavery in Egypt - a time of oppression, punishment, and death. But throughout the incredible evil that the nation of Israel faces, it also finds itself fully within God's grasp. In this episode, we discuss some of the details in these chapters that point to the fact that God is always working for good, even when His people are in the midst of turmoil and trial. In these chapters, Israel sees great growth as a nation, grows stronger in resilience and emboldened in faith, and receives a new gift from God in the form of a baby named Moses who will grow up to lead the nation out of bondage and toward great blessing.
In this episode, we take a look at a passage out of 1 Peter 2, where Peter writes about how Christians are called to live as foreigners and sojourners in a foreign land (or, strangers in a strange land). What does this mean? That's what we discuss this week as we touch on some important topics, including faith, hope, and how believers are to act in our current world and society while still keeping our hearts set on an eternal home. We also flip over to Hebrews 11 and discuss some Biblical examples that we can look up to to help us navigate this important issue.
Welcome back to the fire! It's been a little bit since we've all been able to record an episode, but after a quick break, we are back and ready to go! This time around, we discuss the book of Galatians, giving an overview of the context of the book and the layout of Paul's epistle. We take a chapter-by-chapter look at Galatians and hit the highlights to tell you all that this wonderful book has to offer. Want to find out more? Grab your Bible and take a journey with us into Galatians.
Do you ever find yourself in a situation where you are waiting on God to act? Or where you are waiting on something to happen? In this episode, we take a look at two people in the Bible who found themselves in the same spot. We compare the patient, persevering, and faithful actions of Noah as he awaits the Great Flood in Genesis to the proud, selfish, and impulsive actions of Saul in 1 Samuel, when he is king over Israel. As we read their histories, we talk about key takeaways that should encourage us to be patient and hopeful as we await God's blessings and promises in our lives.
In this episode, we take on a difficult topic as we discuss who Satan is. Where did Satan come from? What is he up to now? What is going to become of him in the future? And most importantly, what does his presence in the world mean for us in our lives today and moving forward? Join us as we scratch the surface in answering these questions by reading some Scripture from Ezekiel 28, Ephesians 6, and Revelation 20.
We're back with another new episode of 'In the Fire,' where we take a look at a very cool topic: Commissions from God. The Bible is full of people who are called by God for very specific purposes, and each of them is commissioned and set forth on a path to accomplish great things to give glory to the Lord. Today, we take a look at some specific commissions in Scripture to see how God calls His people to action and how He prepares, encourages, and strengthens them (and us, too) to do His work here on Earth. Join us as we see how God commissions Joshua and Isaiah, how Jesus calls His disciples, and how we too are commissioned to carry out God's plan in our lives.
After a vacation the last couple weeks, the guys are back to discuss one of the Bible's more well-known stories: Jonah and the Big Fish! We take a look at this common Sunday School lesson and break down the book of Jonah from start to finish, talking about the biggest takeaways and lessons, and even relating it back to Jesus and the Gospel. You might think you know all about the story of Jonah, but there is always plenty to learn by digging just a little bit deeper. Grab your Bible and join us for another installment of 'In the Fire.'
What does it mean to be a friend? What is the true value of friendship? Those are the questions up for discussion today as we look at some of the Bible's best examples of friendship. For this episode, we examine the relationships of various people in the Bible, including David and Jonathan, Ruth and Naomi, Jesus and Simon Peter, the Good Samaritan, and Paul and Philemon (and several others). We'll start in Ecclesiastes 4 before sampling the books of 1 Samuel, Ruth, John, and Luke. Jump in the fire and listen in!
For episode 30 of 'In the Fire,' we take a look at a really cool, interesting, and somewhat confusing passage out of the third chapter of the Gospel of John. In this piece of Scripture, Jesus has a one-on-one conversation with a fellow named Nicodemus about being 'born again' as a Christian. As we find out, this concept is even confusing to Nicodemus, a religious scholar and teacher in the days of Jesus's life. We read through this chapter and discuss what it means to be born again and how it relates to the Kingdom of God. Open your Bible to John 3 and enjoy!
This week, we read through one of the Bible's most overlooked - yet most important - books. The book of Jude may just be 25 verses long, but those verses contain valuable insight, wisdom, and information that should prepare us to live out our lives in faith. Come join us as we read through the second-to-last book in the Bible and discuss what Jude means when he calls on us to contend for the faith, be wary of false teachers, and continually build ourselves up in the Holy Spirit.
Though he only appears for about three verses in the book of Genesis, Melchizedek's appearance to Abraham (or Abram as he is then) is one of the more fascinating pieces of the Bible. Why, you ask? Well, Melchizedek is the king of Salem (Jerusalem before it was called Jerusalem) and is also a high priest of God Most High. Only one other person in the Bible ever fully holds both titles of king and high priest of God (you might be able to guess who!). In this episode, we read about Melchizedek in Genesis 14 and Psalm 110, before reading a much more in depth analysis of this mysterious person, given to us in Hebrews 7. Grab your Bible as we discuss the importance of Melchizedek and his relationship to Jesus and our salvation as believers in Christ.
One of the more wisdom-filled books of the Bible, the book of Job offers us a glimpse at human suffering. Job is a wealthy, righteous, and well-respected man whose life is thrown into complete turmoil after he loses all of his worldly wealth and possessions. The rest of the book is a discourse on suffering, trial, and pain. We see the thoughts of Job and his friends and also get to see God's point of view on suffering. So, how do our trials here on earth relate to the sovereignty and omnipotence of God? Listen in to this episode of 'In the Fire' and find out for yourself.
This week we spend an episode looking at the book of Ruth - yes, the whole thing! One of the most fascinating books of the Bible, and certainly one of the most overlooked and important ones, the story told here gives us plenty to look to as believers (and non-believers, too!). It gives us several examples of people that we can follow in our daily lives, and connects in some very interesting and significant ways to the remainder of the Bible. This includes ties to Jesus, both direct and indirect. Learn all about the book of Ruth by listening in!
The Book of Psalms teaches us a lot. It includes the heights and depths of human emotions and the incredible characteristics of God (among many other things). Notably, each Psalm has a different theme. Some are Psalms of praise, some of lament or sorrow, and some of prophecy or royalty - just to name a few. In episode 25 of 'In the Fire' we take a look at various examples of each of these themes, read through them, and talk about our takeaways. Listen in and be prepared to flip through your Bible as we talk about some of our favorite Psalms!
At the beginning of Jesus's great Sermon on the Mount, he outlines a list of ways that Christians are to live our lives (The Beatitudes). According to him, these driving characteristics of believers are important in a couple of key ways. First, they are encouraging to us as followers of God as they allow us to receive heavenly rewards in the day of judgement. Second, they allow others to see these values in our lives as a testament to our faith. Clearly, it becomes important for believers to stay as true to these principles as we can. For this episode, we read Scripture from Matthew 5, Matthew 28, and 2 Peter 3:8-10.
Shortly after Jesus rises from the grave, he disguises himself for a fun little conversation with two guys on the road out of Jerusalem after witnessing the Crucifixion. It's the content of this conversation that we are most interested in here, though. These two followers of Jesus are experiencing doubts in their faith - and rightfully so, as they just watched as their savior was killed. So, how does Jesus approach these believers who find themselves struggling with doubt, and what can we take away from this conversation for our own lives? That's the question we try and answer as we read a passage out of Luke 24.
For our first Easter episode, the fellas take a look through Mark’s Gospel (specifically, Mark 15) to see how he writes about the moments leading up to Jesus’s crucifixion, death, and ultimate resurrection. A close look at the details that Mark describes in his account of these moments reveals that not only was Jesus crucified and resurrected to conquer death, but in the process he was also tragically, ironically, and gloriously crowned King. So what does this mean and why does it matter? Listen as we discuss Mark 15 and Isaiah 53 and find out for yourself!
In this episode, we journey into the book of Philippians (specifically, Philippians chapter 4) to learn some life lessons from Paul. In this chapter, Paul writes about the idea of being content with what we have – or do not have – in our lives. As we dig into how Paul describes a true life spent following Christ, we find that it all comes back to the idea of perspective. Find out what that means by listening to our discussion on Philippians 4!
It's a simple fact of life: our words can be used to build others up, tear others down, stir up trouble, or calm down a situation. Believe it or not, the Bible spends a lot of time focusing on the power of speech and how we should carefully watch the words that come out of our mouths. The ability to control one's speech is often equated with wisdom in Scripture, so it's no mistake that some of the wisest and sharpest minds in the Bible take time to write about this important topic. Come along as we discuss the power of speech by looking primarily in the books of James and Ephesians (with some Proverbs thrown in there, too, among other books). Enjoy!
Welcome to the 19th installment of 'In the Fire' with Justin, Peter, and Thomas! This week, we revisit our friends David and Paul and address the topic of worship. Take a trip with us into 1 Chronicles 16 and Romans 12 as we see how David and Paul give us Biblical examples and lessons on what it truly means to worship God in spirit and in truth. We find out that worship is a lot more than a Sunday morning service; instead, it is a lifelong mission that we have as believers to glorify God in all that we do.
If you've listened to this podcast so far, you've heard that humility is a concept that comes up quite often throughout Scripture. Since we've discussed it so frequently to this point, we figured we'd spend a full episode on the subject. Listen and read along as we take a journey into the fourth chapter of the book of James before seeing what Jesus teaches us about having a 'childlike' humility in our faith. We find out that not only is humility an important quality to strive after, but an essential one for our salvation.
The second part of a two-part series, this episode takes a look at the many names used for Jesus throughout the Bible. These include actual names (Immanuel, for example) as well as various things Jesus is called (like 'Son of Man'), and like we saw last week, each name carries its own special significance. As we find out, these names point to messianic themes throughout the Old and New Testament in prophecy, history, and quality. Take some time and listen in as we jump around Scripture and discuss some of these amazing names.
The Bible makes it quite clear from start to finish that we are to take God's name with fullness of sincerity, awe, and reverence. From the Ten Commandments to the words of Jesus himself, the name of God is a powerful piece of our lives and our faith. Further, the Bible contains hundreds of different names in the Hebrew language that refer to the Lord, with each of them revealing a new characteristic about Him. In this episode, we take a look at a handful of these names, their meanings in their original language, and the context surrounding their use to find out what we can learn about God. As you'll see, there is a lot of power in a name - especially in God's name.
Some of the greatest writers of the Bible spend time focusing on what it means to have wisdom, where wisdom comes from, and how we can seek it out in our lives here on earth. And while there have been many 'wise' individuals in world history (both fictional and real), there is a clear distinction between worldly wisdom and that of God. That's what we discuss in episode 15 of 'In the Fire' as we barely scratch the surface on what it means to live life with wisdom. This week's main passage is brought to us courtesy of Solomon - one of the wisest to ever walk the earth - as he writes on this all-important topic in Proverbs 3.
After Jesus teaches his first parable, his disciples ask, "Why do you speak to the people in parables?" To answer this question, we take a look at that very first parable, the Parable of the Sower in Matthew 13 (also found in Mark 4 and Luke 8). By digging into this passage and other parts of Scripture, we try and dissect why Jesus used parables in his teachings and how we can look back at them now and learn about our faith. Have questions or want us to cover a specific topic? Email us at 3inthefire@gmail.com or reach out to us on Instagram at @inthefirepodcast. Thanks for listening!
When Jesus died on the Cross, three of his disciples (Matthew, Mark, and Luke) make a point of saying that veil of the temple was torn in two. Why do they record this specific fact, and what does it mean? Taking a look at the book of Exodus as well as a few passages in Hebrews, we break down the symbolic, historical, and spiritual significance of the veil being torn. Ultimately, we draw some key conclusions for our faith in Jesus as the High Priest and Sacrificial Lamb who gives us direct access to the Throne of God. The central scripture for this episode is from Hebrews 9, so grab your Bible and follow along!
The last two weeks, we've covered Romans 13 and Romans 14...So, what could this week's passage be? You guessed it - Romans 15! This episode, we learn more from Paul as he discusses building each other up with encouragement and glorifying God by submitting to each other in humility and patience. These truths bring us back to the idea of hope and how believers can approach life in this world knowing that we can place this great hope in Jesus.
We're back for the 11th episode of "In the Fire." This time, we move from last week's Romans 13 study to take a look at the very next chapter, Romans 14. Divisions in the Christian Church go back to the very beginning, so how are we called to handle differences in beliefs? That's what we hope to learn from Paul in this chapter as he writes about how to interact with other believers who may have different opinions from us on various 'doubtful' issues and he shows us the importance of unity through common faith. Want to find out more? Listen in to this episode!
In light of recent events in the United States, our tenth episode takes a look at a difficult topic: how we, as Christians, are called to respond to our governing authorities - and more importantly, how this factors into to the greater Kingdom of God. Paul and Peter both write that we are to submit to those in power, but what exactly do they mean? And to what extent are we to do so? We answer these questions by looking at Romans 13, where Paul gives us a blueprint of submitting to our authorities, while submitting wholeheartedly to our God.
After a week off for Christmas, we are back to take an in-depth look at John 15. Specifically, we closely examine the analogy used by Jesus of the vine and the branches, and how we fit into that and God's larger plan. Our apologies for the truncated episode...part 2 of this one had some issues in the upload process and was forced to be cut off. However, please enjoy the first part of John 15 and be sure to read the rest on your own!
With Christmas just around the corner, this week's episode looks at one of the most important people in the entire Bible: Mary, the mother of Jesus. Grab your Bible and jump into the fire as we discuss the great example that Mary can set for us with her faith and courageous service to the Lord. This week's Scripture comes to us courtesy of Luke - specifically, Luke 1. Get in the Christmas spirit as we examine the birth of our Savior and explore Mary's role in the Bible!
What are some things that you do to find peace in your life? What are some things that get in the way of that? This week's episode addresses some of these issues by looking at the circumstances of (soon-to-be king) David's life in 1 Samuel and examining his response there and through his own words in the Psalms. Find out how you can attain Biblical peace through God and His Son by taking a listen to this episode! Scriptures for this one are in 1 Samuel 23, Psalm 31, and Matthew 11 (with a few others sprinkled in). Be sure to like, subscribe, share, and join us for the next episode!
We dive into one of our most difficult passages this week as we read Revelation 4. This pivotal chapter in a book packed with meaning and intrigue provides us with an all-important view of God and His sovereignty. Grab your Bible and listen in as we break down the importance of the chapter and draw connections to the Old Testament, the Gospels, and more. Be sure to like, subscribe, and share if you enjoy our weekly shows!
"Vanity of vanties...All is vanity!" - or so says the writer of Ecclesiastes. But what exactly does this mean? Is Ecclesiastes really meant to make us feel depressed about our lives on earth, or is it actually pointing towards something far greater and more hopeful? This is what we take a look at this week as we dive into one of the Bible's more challenging books. The wise words in Ecclesiastes 1 and 3 tell us all about the importance of gaining an 'Over the Sun' perspective on our lives. Find out more about what this means in the newest episode of "In the Fire."
With Thanksgiving just around the corner, the three guys take a look at examples of thankfulness in the Bible. How can we look up to Paul and David, and what can we learn from the life of Jesus about giving thanks at all times? That's the question we try and answer here as we check out some passages from Ephesians, Psalms, and Luke. Enjoying the show? Be sure to like, subscribe, and share!
What is love? That's the question of the day for the third episode of "In the Fire." Listen in as the three guys enter the furnace once again, this time to spend some time on Biblical Love, where it comes from, and what exactly it means. This week's Scripture is from 1 John 4, John 5, and Galatians 5. Be sure to like, subscribe, and share if you enjoy listening to "In the Fire" - we are glad to have you with us!
In this episode, the guys jump into a lesson as old as the world itself: God's supremacy over all the earth. This week, we take a look at Scripture from Isaiah and Daniel and tie it into a couple New Testament passages from Philippians and the Gospel of John. We learn about pride with our old friend Nebuchadnezzar and other ancient kings and contrast that with the humility we see in Jesus. Just four days after the 2020 U.S. Presidential Election, this study provides some perspective to our place in the world and, more importantly, in the Kingdom of God. Enjoy!