Four Oaks Midtown Podcast: Recent Episodes
FOUR OAKS CHURCH MIDTOWN
Even as Israel doubted and tested God, He responded with grace, providing water from the rock and victory over Amalek. These events point forward to Christ, the true Rock who was pierced to give life and the greater Deliverer who defeats the serpent and will bring perfect justice. Rather than testing God as Israel did, we are called to walk by faith, trusting Him in every circumstance.
In the wilderness, God tested Israel through healing, provision, and rest to expose their hearts and teach them to trust Him. Though they repeatedly grumbled, God graciously revealed Himself as their Healer, Provider, and the source of true rest. Every test in the wilderness ultimately points us to Christ, who is our daily bread and the One in whom we find true and lasting rest.
Israel sings not because life is easy, but because God's victory has become their victory. The Song of Moses celebrates the mighty power of God that defeats every enemy and assures us that, through our union with Christ, death itself has been conquered and God's strength is always for His people. God's calls us to make His victory known, so as we await the day when all creation joins the new song before His throne, we begin singing His praises and proclaiming His gospel today.
Pharaoh’s “shock and awe” strategy in going after the Israelites was an attempt to overwhelm them with fear, but Moses calls God’s people to respond differently: “Fear not, stand firm,” trusting that the Lord Himself will fight for them. As God parts the Red Sea and defeats Egypt, He reveals His holiness, power, and glory, inviting all people to stand in awe of Him, for His steadfast love endures forever. Like Israel and Moses, our journey of faith moves us from fear and doubt to awe and worship as we come to know God more deeply and stand in wonder at Jesus, asking with the psalmist, “What is man that You are mindful of him?”
God faithfully led Israel through the wilderness by the pillar of cloud and fire, demonstrating that His way, even when it is longer, is always wiser than the shortcuts we would choose. Today, God continues to guide His people through the Holy Spirit, His Word, and the call to faithful obedience. As we trust His leading rather than our own understanding, we are transformed into the likeness of Christ and protected from the dangers of following our own desires.
God used rituals to remind Israel that He had freed them, made them His people, and pointed them toward the coming redemption in Jesus Christ. In doing so, He shaped Israel's identity, passed down a reminder of God's faithfulness to future generations, and emphasized that salvation is experienced within a community of believers. Today, believers continue this through Sabbath, communion, and gathering together, trusting God's provision and remembering Christ's finished work.
The final plague demonstrates the finality of God’s judgment against sin and the certainty of His salvation, freeing His people from Egypt forever and giving them confidence to walk in freedom. The haste of Israel’s departure reminds us of the urgency of responding to God and following Christ. Through the Passover, God established a lasting remembrance that points beyond itself to Christ’s atoning blood, nourishing the faith of God’s people and calling future generations to endure in faithful worship until He comes.
God judges Egypt’s firstborn while providing Israel a way of rescue through the blood of a lamb. The Passover lamb served as a substitute, bearing the judgment that would have otherwise fallen on the people. God then exalts Israel by delivering them from slavery and providing for them in abundance. He establishes Passover as a lasting reminder that His people belong to Him, redeemed by the blood of the lamb.
God reveals His glory through His sovereignty over creation, generations, and salvation, showing that even Pharaoh’s rebellion serves His purposes. Though Pharaoh confessed sin during judgment, his heart remained hardened because he feared the plagues more than he feared God. Through the plagues, God demonstrated His power over all creation and His faithfulness to future generations. The passage reminds us that God’s promises are certain, and our greatest struggle is often our unwillingness to fully surrender to Him.
In Exodus 8:1–9:12, God reveals more of Himself through the plagues. His precision in the timing and progression of the plagues demonstrates His sovereignty and reassures His people that He keeps His promises down to the smallest detail. His power is displayed as Pharaoh's magicians fail to replicate God's works and are forced to acknowledge that they are outmatched by the living God. Through it all, God is setting apart His people by grace, reminding them, and us, that we have been freed to worship Him and live as a holy people.
Exodus 7 reveals that every sign God gave Pharaoh was not merely a miracle, but a declaration of His authority over His people, His enemies, and the nations. While Pharaoh’s heart grew harder with each warning, Aaron and Moses stood confidently in the power and promise of God, trusting the One who subdues chaos itself and triumphs over every false power and idol.
In Exodus 6, Moses returns to God weary and questioning after the trust between him and the people of Israel begins to erode, yet God responds by reminding Moses of His covenant faithfulness. The same God who made promises to Abraham proves throughout Scripture that His character is steadfast, redeeming a people for Himself through covenants that ultimately find their fulfillment in Christ. Though our doubt and self-centeredness can tempt us to believe we will be the generation where God stops being faithful, Scripture continually reminds us that God always keeps His promises. From Exodus to Revelation, we see that there is no safer ground than standing on the trustworthy and true promises of God, who moves toward His people, redeems them, and fulfills every word He has spoken.
Following God does not shield us from suffering, but it does shape how we respond to it. Scripture teaches us to practice lament turning to God in honest complaint, bringing our troubles and grief directly to Him, and asking Him to intervene. Moses models this posture when he turns to the Lord after his obedience to God and Pharaoh's response led to further suffering. As Christians, we lament with assurance that the story is not over, just as it was not over in Exodus 5.
God calls Moses to proclaim deliverance, yet meets his doubt with patient provision, giving signs, a spokesman, and a clear summons to obedience. The signs He performs reveal His power over all, foreshadowing the coming plagues and declaring that He alone blesses, judges, and saves. God also makes clear His sovereign rule, even over Pharaoh’s heart, while calling Israel His firstborn son and demanding their release. Through the sobering scene of blood and covenant, ultimately pointing to Christ, we see that deliverance comes by God’s provision of a substitute, where He gives His own Son so that His people might be spared and brought to worship.
In Exodus 3, we see one of the most well-known Bible stories as God appears to Moses in the burning bush. In this interaction, we see God reveal Himself to Moses as a holy, eternal, and near God. He calls Moses to return to Egypt and be the instrument through which He will deliver His people from slavery. Even in Moses’ fear and hesitation, God assures him of His presence and faithfulness.
In Exodus 2, the life of Moses begins to unfold under the quiet but steady hand of God’s providence. We see a mother entrusting her child to the river with an uncertain future, a sister watching from a distance, and Pharaoh’s daughter unexpectedly raising the very one who would later challenge Egypt’s power. As Moses grows, he witnesses injustice, acts in haste, and flees to Midian, where his life again seems hidden and uncertain. Yet while Moses’ story develops in the background, Israel cries out in their suffering, and the chapter closes with a powerful reminder of God’s faithfulness: God remembered His covenant, God saw His people, and God knew.
Exodus is a book rich with foreshadowing, vivid imagery, and powerful accounts that reveal God’s redemption, providence, and deliverance for His people. In Genesis, God promises to multiply His people and give them a land to call their own, and Exodus begins as those promises start to unfold. We see clear evidence that God has multiplied and sustained His people, even in the midst of hardship and oppression. Yet the fulfillment of their promised home still lies ahead, setting the stage for God’s continued faithfulness and redeeming work.
Paul prepares for his third visit to Corinth not with polished rhetoric, but with the resolve of a father willing to spend and be spent for his children. He refuses to burden them, even as he warns that he will not spare unrepentant sin. The Corinthians want proof of Christ’s power in Paul—but Paul turns the question back on them. Do they see the evidence of Christ in themselves?
In this passage (2 Corinthians 12:14–13:14), Paul dismantles the illusion that strength is found in appearances. Christ was crucified in weakness, yet lives by the power of God—and the same pattern marks His people. The call is not to project strength, but to examine ourselves, to pursue restoration, and to embrace the kind of weakness through which God’s power is made known.
On the road to Emmaus, we see the resurrected Jesus draw near to two disciples as He shows them that everything in Scripture points to Him and that the cross and resurrection are the fulfillment of God’s plan from the beginning. God opens their eyes through faith, demonstrating that believing is seeing and that He gives hearts able to recognize the risen Christ. When they finally recognize Him, their joy compels them to share the news.
Palm Sunday gives us a glimpse of heaven as we see the dead raised, with Lazarus standing as living testimony to Jesus’ power over death. The crowd clamors in praise, echoing the day when all people will worship Christ with joyful celebration. The King comes humbly into Jerusalem, pointing forward to the day when Jesus will return and reign in full glory. In this moment, everything begins to make sense as God’s redemptive plan unfolds before the people. As the world goes after Him, Palm Sunday foreshadows the day when every nation will be drawn to Christ and worship Him forever.
In this episode of Understanding 2 Corinthians, Paul engages in what he calls “foolish boasting” to expose the hollow claims of his opponents. Forced to speak their language, he subverts it—boasting not in strength, status, or spiritual spectacle, but in weakness, suffering, and dependence on Christ. From visions of paradise to the thorn in his flesh, Paul reveals that true apostolic authority is not marked by triumph, but by grace-sustained endurance.
At the center stands a paradox: God’s power is perfected in weakness. What the world dismisses, God uses to display His strength. In defending his ministry, Paul redefines it—showing that the servant of Christ is not self-exalting, but Christ-dependent, content in weakness so that the power of Christ may rest upon him.
James 5:13–20 reveals that God cares for His church by working through His people, calling us to actively love one another through prayer, confession, and pursuit. When we pray for healing, we are participating in God's tangible, active love, trusting Him even when His will differs from our desires. Through confession, we invite honesty over hypocrisy, walking in repentance and depending on God’s grace. Finally, pursuing the wayward reflects God’s heart, as we patiently and lovingly guide one another back to truth, living as doers of the Word and not just hearers.
In 2 Corinthians 10:1–11:15, Paul confronts a church tempted to equate spiritual authority with outward impressiveness. Against rivals who boast in credentials and charisma, Paul insists that true power is found not in appearances but in truth, humility, and allegiance to Christ. The real battle is not for influence but for minds and hearts—whether they will remain devoted to the true Christ or be drawn toward a distorted version that looks more compelling. In the end, this passage exposes how easily we trade substance for image—and calls us back to a costly, undistracted devotion to Jesus.
James calls us to a patient endurance in the midst of suffering, entrusting ourselves to the Lord who faithfully brings to completion all that is good. He directs our gaze toward the coming of Christ, not as a promise of immediate escape from pain, but as a steady anchor for our hope. In that coming, we are given a foretaste of what awaits us: a day when sorrow is swallowed up, communion with the saints is restored in fullness, and suffering is no more. Until that day, we are to remain steadfast, strengthened with courage, grounded in peace, and assured that the Lord draws near to us even in our deepest affliction.
In 2 Corinthians 8–9, Paul turns to the collection for the saints in Jerusalem. But what could seem like mere fundraising becomes, in Paul’s hands, a profound theological moment. The generosity of the Macedonians reveals what grace actually does: it produces joyful, self-giving love even in the midst of poverty and affliction. The Corinthians are invited to follow this pattern—not out of compulsion, but as a response to the grace they themselves have received.
At the center of Paul’s appeal stands the gospel itself: “Though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich.” Christian generosity is nothing less than participation in the self-giving life of Christ.
James 5:1–6 calls for a prophetic accounting of how wealth is gained and trusted, warning against the false security riches promise. Echoing the cautions from 1 Timothy and Matthew, James reminds us that money can easily become an idol that masks injustice and tempts us to misuse power. Rather than placing our confidence in wealth, believers are called to pursue righteousness and justice in how they handle their resources. In the end, we are reminded that God—not riches—is our true refuge and security.
In this episode of Understanding 2 Corinthians, Paul calls the church to a holiness that flows from God’s promises. Drawing from Israel’s Scriptures, he reminds the Corinthians that they are the dwelling place of the living God—set apart, claimed, and cleansed. Separation from idolatrous entanglements is not withdrawal from the world but devotion to the Lord who walks among His people. Yet holiness is not cold distance; it creates room for restored affection. As Paul rejoices over their repentance and renewed loyalty, we see that godly grief produces life, and widened hearts mark a reconciled church.
James exposes the arrogance that leads us to believe we control our lives, our plans, and even the timing of our death. This passage calls us to humility, recognizing that our plans are to be submitted to the Lord in humility, not declared with self-assured confidence. James ends with a sober warning that we will answer to God, not only for what we do, but for the good we know we ought to do and neglect to do.
In this episode of Understanding 2 Corinthians, Paul draws back the curtain on what compels true gospel ministry. Constrained by the fear of the Lord and the love of Christ, he proclaims reconciliation through the crucified and risen Savior. Those united to Christ are not merely improved—they are made new. Entrusted with the ministry of reconciliation, believers now serve as ambassadors for a kingdom not their own. Yet this ministry unfolds through weakness, hardship, and paradox. As Paul opens his heart to the Corinthians, we are confronted with a searching question: will we receive the grace of God in vain, or will we live as those reconciled and sent?
James 4:1-12 confronts the pride and covetous desires that drive us to want what others have, revealing how such unchecked passions fracture relationships and oppose God. James’s stark language, speaking even of murder, exposes how envy can quickly escalate from inner hostility to destructive action, showing the deadly trajectory of sin in the heart. He calls the church to turn away from pride through humble repentance, submitting to God, resisting the devil, and trusting that God gives grace to those who lay down self-exaltation.
In this episode of Understanding 2 Corinthians, Paul unfolds a vision of ministry shaped by perseverance, weakness, and eternal hope. Carrying the treasure of the gospel in fragile jars, believers learn that suffering does not signal defeat but becomes the stage for God’s sustaining power. Paul calls the church to fix its gaze beyond present affliction to the unseen realities secured by Christ’s resurrection. With the certainty of future glory and the coming judgment seat of Christ in view, Christian life and ministry take on renewed seriousness and courage. What emerges is a portrait of endurance rooted not in human strength, but in resurrection confidence.
James 3:13–18 shows that true wisdom is made visible in how we live together, either cultivating peace through humility or unleashing chaos through self-seeking hearts. James contrasts earthly wisdom, marked by envy and selfish ambition, which produces disorder, with wisdom from above that is pure, peaceable, gentle, merciful, and sincere.
Here’s a Schmidlin-style episode description for 2 Corinthians 2:12–3:18, followed by concise title options.
Episode DescriptionIn this episode of Understanding 2 Corinthians, Paul pulls back the curtain on the nature of true Christian ministry. From restless anxiety in Troas to the triumphal procession of Christ, he reframes weakness as victory and suffering as participation in God’s saving work. Ministry is not self-commendation but divine commissioning—not letters of recommendation, but lives transformed by the Spirit. As Paul contrasts the fading glory of the old covenant with the surpassing glory of the new, we see that the heart of ministry is not external performance but unveiled beholding. Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom—and where Christ is seen, His people are transformed.
In this episode of Understanding 2 Corinthians, we enter the opening movement of Paul’s most personal letter. From blessing the “God of all comfort” to explaining his delayed visit, Paul reveals a ministry marked not by triumphalism but by suffering, sincerity, and costly love. His change of plans was not indecision but mercy; not self-protection but pastoral restraint. As accusations swirl, Paul anchors his defense in the unwavering faithfulness of God, whose promises are always “Yes” in Christ. In these verses, we discover that authentic Christian ministry is forged in affliction, shaped by integrity, and sustained by divine comfort.
James 3:1–12 confronts us with the reality that the tongue, though small, exercises immense influence through words. God Himself treats speech as powerful and purposeful. From creation onward, God brings new realities into being through His Word. He speaks, and what did not exist comes to life, order, forgiveness, and restoration. This passage calls us to submit our words to God’s renewing grace, so that our speech reflects the creative, truthful, and life-giving power of the Word we confess.
James 2:14–26 warns against reducing Christianity to a faith of empty words, void of action. While we are not part of God’s family because of what we do, the faith that saves is never alone, it is living and active. James points us to Rahab and Abraham, where we see faith both proclaimed and demonstrated through mercy and obedience, even when trust in God was costly. Saved by grace through faith, believers are called to a living faith that bears fruit and longs for God’s righteousness.
Second Corinthians is one of Paul’s most personal and contested letters. Written amid misunderstanding, criticism, and strained trust, it reveals both the depth of Paul’s love for the Corinthian church and the cost of faithful ministry.
In this episode of Understanding 2 Corinthians, Brian Seagraves introduces the circumstances behind the letter, explaining Paul’s changed travel plans, the challenge posed by his opponents, and why Paul is compelled to defend himself—not for his own sake, but for the good of the church. What emerges is a surprising vision of ministry shaped not by strength or polish, but by weakness, suffering, and dependence on God.
We’ll also see how Paul reframes credibility and authority in light of the gospel, showing that God’s power is most clearly displayed through human frailty. This episode lays the groundwork for reading 2 Corinthians as both rich theology and a deeply pastoral response to conflict, suffering, and hope.
James 1:27–2:13 shows us that God is a Father to the fatherless and a defender of widows, one who seeks out and protects those who need to be held. If we desire to be like God, we must remain impartial in our compassion, hold justice and grace together, and humbly recognize our own weaknesses and limitations.
James calls believers into a posture of humility that is quick to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger. This posture reorients our hearts toward God’s righteousness rather than our own. However, true faith takes shape as we apply God’s Word to our daily lives, allowing it to root out the hardened places in our hearts that resist God’s righteous work. James therefore invites us to pay close attention to our speech, since our words reveal the desires of our hearts.
James calls us to look both ways in our trials, honestly facing our present struggle while lifting our eyes to the end God has promised. Trials expose what our hearts are holding onto, but wisdom guards the soul with gratitude, remembering that every good gift comes from an unchanging God.
In times of trial, we are called to active faith, strengthening our spiritual discipline rather than retreating or remaining passive. James urges us to turn our eyes to God, asking for His wisdom with confident faith and a humble willingness to receive what He gives. Through God’s Word and prayer, we choose to trust His sovereignty and endure faithfully until the end.
In these verses, we see Jesus interact with the disciples, welcoming them with grace even in the midst of doubt and uncertainty. The disciples longed to be with Him, to dwell in His presence, and through His life, death, and resurrection, we too are invited into God’s presence and promises. No one comes to Him on their own, yet His invitation extends freely to the whole world. As we receive His welcome, we are called to share it, pointing others to the hope, life, and love found in Christ.
John 1:5–13 confronts us with Jesus as the true Light of the world and the darkness that resists Him. It raises questions about why unbelief persists and what it means to receive Christ, while also revealing a profound truth about Christ’s identity and who we become through Him. Reflecting on this passage presses us to consider our response to Jesus as the true Light and to God as our Father.
John opens his Gospel not with the details of Jesus’ birth or His earthly relationships, but with a revelation of His eternal identity. While the other Gospels show who Jesus is through His interactions, His family line, and historical moments, John steps back to unveil the divine nature behind it all. In John 1:1–5, we see Jesus as the eternal Word, present with God and fully God from the beginning. John declares that all life flows from Him, life that is everlasting. And in a world marked by darkness, Jesus shines as the true Light, a Light that darkness cannot overcome.
Paul closes Colossians by showing that Christians share a common mission shaped by Christ’s love and courage. Even in his suffering, he reminds them that God is at work forming unlikely bonds and strengthening His people. Believers are called to comfort one another through presence, prayer, and living out Scripture together. In all things, Christ never abandons His people, and our lasting crown is our relationship with Him and each other.
Paul calls believers to see every part of life - work, relationships, words, and witness - as a place where Christ is all and in all. He urges us to continue steadfastly in prayer, remaining watchful so our hearts are stirred to thankfulness to the Lord. He teaches us to walk in wisdom toward others, which requires discerning not only what to say but when to say it. And he commands us to speak graciously, seasoning our words with the Spirit’s wisdom while working heartily so that our lives testify to Christ.
Paul’s words remind us that every relationship is reshaped by our union with Christ. Whether it be as a wife, husband, father, or child, we are taking on a role defined by sacrifice, humility, and trust, with Jesus as our anchor. When we follow God’s design, our homes become places where His wisdom and goodness take root.
Paul calls believers to be clothed with the character of Christ because we are God’s chosen and dearly loved people. His love enables us to love even our enemies, letting Christ’s peace rule our hearts and His Word shape our lives. Through prayer, preaching, sacraments, and song, we speak and live out God’s truth with thankful hearts, allowing gratitude to drive out bitterness. In everything we do, we live in the name of Jesus, so that His love, peace, and Word become the defining marks of our lives.
Many of our most cherished family traditions revolve around meals. Gathering family and friends around food shapes a group of people in a powerful way. This explains the significance of feasts in the Old Testament. These communal gatherings passed down through the ages connect the past, present, and future in a manner that grounds our identity and orientation to the world. Esther features six feasts that mark out significant moments in the narrative. The first three feasts, two by King Ahasuerus, and the third by Queen Vashti, establish the reality of Israel’s exile under foreign powers and sets up the rise of Esther. She, in turn, holds two feasts on consecutive days for the King and Haman which sets up a stunning reversal of fortune for the Jews. Here, in Esther 9-10, we encounter our final feast, Purim, which commemorates the deliverance of the Jews from destruction by Esther’s brave action. This feast ensures that future generations, when they partake of this meal, remember the faithfulness of God. That the same God who delivered his people in the past ever lives to care for his people in the present. This is Understanding Esther.
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The Christian life is one of continual repentance, rooting out sin with persistence and being remade in the likeness of Christ. Our desires, our words, and even our relationships are to be reordered by His Spirit. As we confess and turn, we are freed from the idols of control and covetousness, and we learn to see others not through suspicion or rivalry but through the reconciling love of Christ, who is all and in all.
One of the dominant themes in the Bible is how the weak overcome the strong. Esther illustrates this dynamic by how she channels the strength of others against themselves. The authority and emotional volatility that makes the King a fearsome tyrant becomes the means by which Esther brings salvation to her people. The massive ego of Haman that drives his murderous crusade against the Jews becomes the cause of his downfall. Words and indirect influence enable Esther to act with great agency in a world with the cards stacked against her. Yet she’s not alone. Remember Esther means “hidden” which not only describes her concealed Jewish identity, but also the hidden way in which God works in the background on behalf of his people. In chapters 7-8, Esther’s hiddenness gets exposed which places her at the mercy of the “hidden” sovereignty of God. The stakes rise as the various threads of the narrative come together in surprising and unexpected ways. This is Understanding Esther.
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At the heart of the Christian life is our union with Christ, through which all that rightfully belongs to Him is graciously given to us. Because Jesus reigns now at God’s right hand, we are invited to view ourselves and our circumstances from His perspective. Though we do not yet comprehend it, the fullness of His glory will be revealed when Christ returns, and we will share in that eternal future with Him. Until then, we are called to live with attentive faith, allowing the reality of the gospel to shape every part of our lives.
I loved reading Choose-Your-Own-Adventure books as a kid because of the way this format drew me into the story. These books contained decision points marked by page numbers. You flipped to page 98 for choice A and page 105 for choice B. Of course, as a kid, I kept my thumb on the original page just in case I chose the wrong outcome, but real life carries higher stakes. We rarely get a chance to undo our choices which freights our decisions with meaning and significance. Esther stands at the point of no return as she resolves to risk her life by coming before the king unprompted to plead for the deliverance of her people. She maneuvers the web of political relationships in the royal court to bring about her desired outcome, but not without risk. Her plan requires the alignment of a host of variables outside of her control, yet she courageously steps forward. The fate of her people lies not in the casting of lots or the whims of an unstable king or conniving counselor, but the providence of God bringing about a stunning reversal. This is Understanding Esther.
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Legalism often masquerades as devotion, drawing us to what feels right, looks impressive, or seems perfectly obedient. Paul reminds us that moralism, mysticism, and aestheticism do not guide us to Christ, faith alone does. As we face these temptations to judge ourselves or others by feelings, appearances, or rules, we can learn to rest in Jesus, trusting Him to justify, preserve, and sustain His people even when our preferences, perceptions, or practices differ.
In the final film of Christopher Nolan’s Batman Trilogy, The Dark Knight Rises, the main villain Bane watches the city of Gotham devolve into chaos and destruction while he calmly knits. This detail alludes to a character in Charles Dickens’ novel A Tale of Two Cities who knits while sentencing people to death. Nolan deploys this subtle hint to cue the audience to read his Batman narrative in light of Dickens’ novel. In a similar way, the author of Esther uses careful allusions in order to place the narrative within the wider scope of the Bible. The dialogue, decisions, and dramatic tensions introduced in Esther 3-4 pull on the narrative threads of prior Old Testament books underscore the unchanging and sovereign goodness of God towards his people. This is Understanding Esther.
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In Christ, we are given a new life, freed from sin’s dominion and united to Him as the source of our fruitfulness. We not only receive a new status as saints marked by forgiveness but we are given a new future. A future where Christ has triumphed over all powers and calls us to live with our eyes fixed on Him as both our means and our end. Let us rest in this truth and walk in the freedom, identity, and hope that are ours in Christ.
A good film rewards repeated viewings with deeper insight, appreciation, and meaning. We begin to appreciate minor details in the lighting, production design, and movement of the actors. Every subtle piece of dialogue or placement of the camera enriches our experience of the narrative and internalizes the major themes in a powerful way. The book of Esther, at first glance, tells a simple story about a queen who ascends to the heights of power in order to save her people. A closer examination however, reveals a multi-layered narrative of remarkable depth that subverts expectations and traces out the surprising way in which God works through fallen people in a broken world. The drama of Esther serves not only to get us into the story, but more importantly, to get the story into us. Esther 1-2 sets the stage by introducing the three main characters King Ahasuerus, Esther, and Mordecai whose lives intertwine to bring about the dramatic deliverance of God’s people. This is Understanding Esther.
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In Colossians 2:6–12, Paul calls believers not just to receive Christ, but to walk in Him, firmly rooted and built up in faith. The life that flourishes in Christ must be grounded in Him, not in empty philosophies or self-sufficient thinking. This passage invites us to examine what shapes our minds and desires: does what we meditate on draw us closer to Jesus or pull us away? Remembering our baptism and the joy of salvation reorients us, reminding us that we are not the source of life but recipients of grace. To walk in Christ is to cultivate vigilance, humility, and direction, to set our faces toward Him and live a life worthy of His calling.
In this episode, guest podcaster Brian Seagraves joins us to explore the book of Esther. Together, we’ll consider the surprising moral ambiguity of its main characters, how the story is told with God’s name absent yet His sovereignty hidden in plain sight, and the dramatic reversals that shape the narrative. We’ll also reflect on why Esther retells history the way it does—not simply to record the past, but to shape how God’s people live in the present. This is Understanding Esther.
Check out the rest of our Understanding Series: https://www.fouroaksmidtown.com/teachings
Once we were alienated from God, hostile in mind, and marked by sin, but through Christ’s death we have been reconciled and now stand holy and blameless before Him. Paul reminds believers to remain steadfast in the gospel, thankful to live in the fullness of God’s revealed plan that prophets and angels longed to see. His aim is to see the church mature in Christ, knit together in love, firm in faith, and walking in the wisdom found only in Him.
The book of Ruth focuses on two things that reveal our dependence upon God: land and children. We typically think of land as just matter that we through technology impose our will upon, but in the ANE land meant life, provision, and security. Central to Israel’s conception of land is the idea of an inheritance — God himself apportions various plots to tribes and families. These are gifts to be received rather than objects to generate profit. God nourishes his people through the land. Similarly, God grants children as a gift. Land and children remind us not only of our dependence, but our place as one rung in a ladder of generations through time. Everything in our modern world drives us to focus on the here and now. But land and children gives us a broader perspective. But even these temporal things are not the final end, for as we learn in the NT, the great inheritance we possess as Christians is an eternal kingdom, a new creation. And that the extension of our life in time through children is only finally fulfilled in our resurrection. Ruth draws us into that fundamental reality of God as our ultimate provider, protector, and redeemer. This is Understanding Ruth.
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In Colossians 1:15–20, Paul lifts our eyes to the wonder of who Jesus is as our Creator, Redeemer, and the One who holds all things together. All things were made by Him and for Him, and in Him all things hold together. From the firstborn over creation to the Lamb praised in Revelation, Scripture calls us to see Christ’s supremacy and respond in worship with thankful hearts.
Any author, playwright, or screenwriter worth his or her salt knows the golden rule of effective writing: show don’t tell. The narrative of Ruth shows the faithfulness of God unfolding through the ordinary lives of men and women through dialogue, action, and setting. The time of harvest symbolizes the fertility God grants to his people both in terms of bread and offspring. The shroud of darkness over the threshing floor highlights the hidden manner in which God works. The dawn of a new morning cues the audience into the rebirth of hope as Ruth returns to Naomi with a harvest of barley. Ruth offers a powerful corrective to our modern tendency to divorce God’s work from “real life”. God not only writes the stories of our lives, but calls us to live by faith as actors within his unfolding drama, submitting our will to his and playing our part with humility. We live within the same world as Ruth — a world in which God lifts up the humble and inclines his ear to the needy. A world where God acts in subtle and surprising ways. This is Understanding Ruth.
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In Colossians 1:3–14, Paul prays with thanksgiving, showing us that prayer is our first response to what God is doing in others. Prayer not only lifts our needs before the Lord, it stirs thanksgiving within us and strengthens faith, love, and hope. Paul’s pattern teaches us to pray for fellow believers: that they would grow in wisdom, walk worthy of the Lord, and wait with patience and joy.
Everyone wants to know God’s will for their life, but few want to conform their lives to God’s will. Deuteronomy 29:29 reminds us that “the secret things belong to the LORD... but the things that are revealed belong to us... that we may do all the words of this law.” God’s secret will—his providence—unfolds day by day, while his revealed will calls us to obey his commands. Our focus should not be on deciphering God’s secret plan but on living faithfully in light of what he has revealed. Ruth and Boaz model this, acting with courage and righteousness without knowing God’s plan, yet finding themselves woven into his redemptive story—far greater than anything they could have imagined. This is Understanding Ruth.
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We are kicking off a new sermon series through Colossians, a letter Paul wrote from prison to the church in Colossae. Though he hadn’t personally visited this small-town church in modern-day Turkey, we will read Paul’s encouragement for them to hold fast to Christ as the all-sufficient Lord and his warning against false teachings that threatened to add to the gospel.
Most of us in the world live as functional atheists. We live our day to day lives without reference to God almost by instinct. This way of conceiving of the world as a “closed system” detached from anything beyond the physical realm stands in contrast to the worldview we find in the book of Ruth. The three main characters in Ruth: Naomi, Ruth, and Boaz all speak in ways that acknowledge God’s hand in all things despite the fact that He never speaks nor performs a single miracle in this narrative. We often assume that God works only in extraordinary circumstances, but Ruth challenges this notion by showing how the purposes of God play out in the ordinary lives of two grieving widows searching for bread. This is Understanding Ruth.
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The return of Christ is a message of hope, grounding us in God’s promises of resurrection, judgment, and renewal. God is not only transforming souls but will one day restore the whole creation. Because of this, our labor for the Lord is never in vain. Complete fulfillment and lasting satisfaction will not be found in this life, but only at Christ’s return, when we will share in all that Jesus has, resurrection life in eternity.
The Lord’s Supper is a table of grace where sinners draw near to Jesus with all their need and find cleansing, peace, and acceptance in God. In this meal, we proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes, washed by His blood, clothed in His righteousness, and welcomed by His mercy into God’s presence. He meets us with mercy and unites us to Himself, renewing us to walk in His ways. When we hold the weight of this gift alongside the weight of our sin, we can rejoice together in the grace of a seat at His table.
The church is the body of Christ and he has pledged himself to her forever. The church is distinguished by her gospel message, her sacred ordinances, her discipline, her great mission, and, above all, by her love for God, and by her members’ love for one another and for the world. Crucially, this gospel we cherish has both personal and corporate dimensions, neither of which may properly be overlooked. Christ Jesus is our peace: he has not only brought about peace with God, but also peace between alienated peoples. The church serves as a sign of God’s future new world when its members live for the service of one another and their neighbors, rather than for self-focus.
As citizens of God’s Kingdom, believers are called to live as salt and light in a world marked by decay and darkness, preserving what is good, illuminating what is true, and engaging the world with truth and grace. We are not to withdraw in isolation or lose our distinct witness by conforming to the world, but to seek the good of the city and love our neighbors as ourselves. Though not yet fully realized, God’s Kingdom is already present, a powerful, redemptive force that advances against the darkness, transforms lives through repentance and faith, and gathers the redeemed into a new community under His righteous reign.
The work of the Holy Spirit is revealed in us when we experience genuine conviction and a longing to turn from our sin. No longer consumed by self, we begin to look outward with compassion and care for others. Within the church, each person is entrusted with unique gifts and callings, given by the Spirit to glorify God and serve His people. Though we differ in function and form, we are drawn together in Christ, called to live in unity and to seek it continually through the power of the Spirit.
As we contemplate the Holy Spirit, we must guard against diminishing His presence to a faint or subordinate role. Rather, we ought to acknowledge Him fully, as God, equal in glory, majesty, and power within the Godhead. The Holy Spirit is the very presence of God in action, operating in, among, and through His people to accomplish regeneration, salvation, sanctification, and union with Christ. Far from being distant or aloof, the Holy Spirit is God with us—indwelling, sustaining, and drawing near to our hearts at every moment.
How can a sinful person be accepted by a holy God? Justification is a judicial act of God, in which He declares a sinner righteous, not because of the sinner's merit, but because of the righteousness of Christ. By God's grace, this righteousness is imputed to the sinner by faith alone in Jesus Christ. This justification, this Great Exchange, is only possible because the perfect life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
The redemption of Christ is the period of time in Jesus' life when He was resurrected and then ascended to Heaven. Jesus' ascension establishes the reality of Christ's cession, intercession and mission. It marks the conclusion of His earthly ministry and the beginning of His exalted reign at the right hand of God the Father, fulfilling the Old Testament prophecy. From heaven, Jesus intercedes for His people as our High Priest, perfectly bridging the divide between a holy God and sinful humanity.
The humiliation of Christ refers to the period in Jesus’ life when He willingly emptied Himself and took on human form, remaining obedient to the point of death on a cross. While fully God and fully human, Jesus willingly subjected Himself to all the limitations, pain, and temptations of this world—yet without sin. His humiliation became the means by which we are offered new life - a life reoriented around Christ, one in which we are not only forgiven but also declared righteous, clothed in His perfection. In His descent, He lifted us up, securing our adoption as children of God and giving us a future grounded in His victory
What is the Gospel? Paul explains this good news in Romans 1, unpacking the truth that the Gospel is about Jesus; that all of Scripture centers on Him; that His life, death, resurrection, and ascension took place in real time in history; that these truths have been passed down through the apostles who witnessed and testified to these events; and that this good news is the hope of our salvation. The Gospel is the cornerstone of our faith, and the inevitable response from all who hear and believe is a joyful declaration of praise to our God, who saves.
What does it mean that God's plan for salvation is predestined? As we explore the plan of God from all eternity, we see He had a plan to graciously save a chosen multitude of guilty sinners. God furthermore justifies and sanctifies those who by grace have faith in Jesus, and that He will one day glorify them—all to the praise of His glorious grace.
Have you ever wondered what the term "total depravity" means? Or feel an unsettling sense of discord in this world begging the question "what is going on?" Why is this happening? These sort of questions inevitably lead us to The Fall, where sin entered the perfect world God created, where doubt and alienation found it's way to the human mind, where separation from God began. But amidst all this, we still find hope.
For thousands of years the opening chapters of Genesis have captured the imaginations of both Christians and non-Christians alike. The poetic beauty, majesty, and mystery of this creation narrative captures our imagination and forces us to consider life’s deepest questions. Modern culture says, “You’re free to create your own identity.” But that leads t confusion and anxiety — ask any honest college student. They’re not looking to be told who they can be, but rather who they ought to be. That answer only comes into focus when we accept the givenness of our humanity as something we receive rather than create. In short — we, following the path of Genesis, must begin with God as Creator in order to understand ourselves as creation.
When God created man and woman with distinct differences, He did so with intentionality. Why are these differences important and as believers, how can we embrace them in order to bring honor and glory to our Creator?
Through revelation, we are able to better understand who God is. By the moving of the Holy Spirit through the writers of the Bible, God reveals His character, His essence, His nature, to us. As we submit ourselves to the Word, may we discover who God is overflowing in the words we read.
God has graciously disclosed his existence and power in the created order, and has supremely revealed himself to fallen human beings in the person of his Son, the incarnate Word. Moreover, this God is a speaking God who by his Spirit has graciously disclosed himself in human words: we believe that God has inspired the words preserved in the Scriptures, the sixty-six books of the Old and New Testaments, which are both record and means of his saving work in the world.
As God’s people hear, believe, and do the Word, they are equipped as disciples of Christ and witnesses to the gospel.
What does it mean that we believe in a Triune God? We often hear "The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit" but how can we understand each of these together as one thing also with their own distinctions?
The Bible has an abundance of references to the Godhead and how we can understand each of them individually and as one. As we walk through knowing God truly, may we see ourselves as undeserving victors in the welcoming arms of our Father, through the Son, by the Spirit.
As we pursue truth through understanding doctrine and wrestling with theological questions, we can find delight in the Lord, with our actions stemming from a place of knowing what we believe. Even more, when the church serves as that pillar of truth, we can all come TOGETHER and worship, rooted in the same truth, united in Christ.
Easter is brimming with hope, hope of light after darkness, hope of life after death. The resurrection of Jesus is not just a part of our faith, but it is the cornerstone and often times we can hurry through what is actually unfolding. Have we reckoned with the events of the resurrection, as the women at the tomb did, and walk through the door of abundant life that Jesus has opened?
In our fallen world, we feel the tension and restlessness in our souls, that this isn't our home, this isn't our final destination. But in rejoicing, remembering, and fearing the Lord, we are able to turn toward our Creator where our hearts and souls will find the the true rest we seek.
It is a common sight at any high school football game to find “Phil 4:13” etched onto the eye black of a player — “I can do all things through him who strengthens me.” The desire to honor Christ in public is a noble one, but honest biblical interpretation requires that we understand texts in their proper contexts. The Apostle Paul writes these famous words not under glowing lights surrounded by adoring fans, but alone under house arrest as he faces an uncertain future. What keeps him joyful, content, and full of hope? The truth that he can do all things through Christ who strengthens him. And that is a promise that extends to us. This is Understanding Philippians.
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Have you ever sought out investment advice? Ecclesiastes offers direction on how to steward the good gifts God has given us - speaking and living with intentionality and wisdom.
There’s a cynicism that permeates our culture that looks at the idea of “prayers” as an ignorant kind of wish-fulfillment in the face of life’s anxieties. Maybe you asked somebody if they’ve prayed about a particular circumstance only to be met by ridicule. Stop giving me those trite Christian cliches. But we need to be honest — do we pray? G.K. Chesterton once wrote, “The Christian ideal has not been tried and found wanting; it has been found difficult and left untried.” Do we lay our anxieties and fears before God continually in prayer? God makes a radical promise to his people: when you ask me for help I will give it. I will give you peace in the midst of your uncertainties — one that surpasses understanding. We practice turning to God in prayer with our anxieties and he changes us into people of peace. Do you actually pray? If not, then Philippians 4:1-9 will be an encouragement to you. The Lord is near. Tell him what you need. This is Understanding Philippians.
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In this chapter, we read illustrations of folly and wisdom, revealing both their strengths and weaknesses, and as we intentionally fight the uphill battle of pursuing wisdom daily, we will find that the trajectory of seeking wisdom will lead you to Jesus.
The enemy of every coach is complacency — the belief that past success guarantees future victory. As the saying goes, NFL means “Not for long”. Paul shares this mindset in Philippians, urging believers not to rest on spiritual achievements but to press forward toward the prize: At the finish line — new creation, resurrection, and eternal glory. Along the way: divisions, distractions, and discouragements. But the mind of Christ, who gave up the distractions of earthly vanity to gain the glory of the resurrection, becomes our model. No longer do we chase the lesser glories of this fading existence, but rather through faith we seek the highest calling of all — the glory of God, which, by the way, is the purpose for which we were made. Which means that seeking the glory of God is simultaneously the fulfillment of our purpose and the fountain of all true and lasting satisfaction. This is Understanding Philippians.
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In Good Will Hunting, a math professor watches in anguish as Will Hunting burns a page of groundbreaking equations—his life’s passion reduced to ashes. Will, however, is unfazed. This clash of values mirrors Paul’s perspective. He takes everything his opponents prize—status, heritage, achievement—and sets it ablaze. Circumcision, Pharisaic righteousness, and zeal for God are mere ash heaps compared to the surpassing worth of knowing Christ. True status isn’t found in human credentials but in being united with Christ, conformed to His death and resurrection. Any boasting apart from Him not only misses the point but insults God Himself. This is the scandal of grace—the radical message that righteousness comes not by human effort but by the resurrecting power of God. This is Understanding Philippians
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God created the world with complexities that we come up against every day, whether it be authority, justice, or wisdom, and as we enter into a state of fully understanding these things, we must turn our eyes to the Creator who holds all the answers and with whom we will dwell for eternity.
In Ecclesiastes 7, we read of Solomon wrestling with darkness and reconciling this with God's sovereignty, which requires us to consider how we too can rightly view God amidst our adversities, pressing into humility and recognizing God as the orchestrator of everything under the sun.
There’s a saying in media and communications that “the medium is the message,” meaning the way content is delivered often has more impact than the content itself. If this is true, then the fact that much of the New Testament consists of letters holds great significance. Letters represent personal connections between individuals and communities. Paul’s epistles, in particular, are deeply personal, filled with specific greetings, appeals, and applications. They are messages from friends to friends, and the numerous names mentioned are not just foreign terms to us, but representations of men and women Paul loved—those with whom he shared suffering, meals, and ministry. Often, the deepest pains in the church stem from the breaking of such bonds of friendship. Paul’s emphasis on unity and love within the body of Christ is rooted in this. Philippians 2:19-30 offers insight into Paul’s friendships with Timothy and Epaphroditus, showing how these relationships enabled him to endure immense suffering for Christ. The need for deep, genuine friendships in the Christian life is as vital now as it was two thousand years ago. This is Understanding Philippians.
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The Christian life requires effort. While some may be accustomed to the phrase, “Let go and let God,” suggesting that passivity in obedience magnifies God’s grace, nothing could be further from the truth. As J.I. Packer aptly stated, “The Christian’s motto should not be ‘Let go and let God’ but ‘Trust God and get going.’” Grace is opposed to works, not action. Just as an adopted child dishonors their status by rejecting their family’s ways, so too does a Christian who neglects obedience. It is precisely because God has saved us and adopted us into his family that we obey him—not to earn his love, but out of gratitude and trust.
Philippians 2:12-18 challenges the notion that salvation is merely a one-time decision for Christ. Instead, salvation is an ongoing transformation, a process empowered and fueled by God himself. This divine work does not negate human effort but demands it, as we live out what God has worked within us. True faith does not lead to passivity but to Spirit-empowered action, shaping us into the image of Christ. This is Understanding Philippians.
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The illustrations in Ecclesiastes reveal the darkness we experience in this life and require us to pause and consider if how we handle suffering allows us to realize and better appreciate seeing the true Light.
Humility, central to our faith, defied Roman ideals of virtue and honor, where it was seen as weakness—reserved for slaves, women, and children. Yet, Scripture repeatedly elevates these very groups as models of faith. This is the scandal of Christianity: at its core is a God who humbles Himself. How can we follow Him while clinging to pride? True humility isn’t mere niceness—Jesus feared no man, and it led Him to the cross. Genuine humility seeks the good of others at any cost, just as Christ, though equal with God, emptied Himself to become a servant. Because He humbled Himself, even to the point of death on a cross, God exalted Him—and He will do the same for us. In the kingdom of God, the way up is down. This is Understanding Philippians.
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Through Ecclesiastes, we consider guarding how we live so that we may remain on the path of righteousness and receive the gifts God gives us in this life.
Our efforts to spread the kingdom are opportunities for fellowship with God. This humble posture frees us to rely on His grace, enriching our efforts with the joy of knowing that God Himself empowers our work. This mindset allowed Paul to rejoice in his sufferings and boldly advance God’s mission—and it is the same mindset we are called to adopt as we walk in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. This is Understanding Philippians.
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As we confront the vanities of this life, believers must train themselves to walk through trials and injustice with a sober mind and trust God’s mercy and sovereignty.
Conversion is often described as “inviting Jesus into your life,” but this falls short of the gospel’s radical message—the good news for which Paul suffers. The gospel (εὐαγγέλιον) proclaims God’s decisive action to redeem sinners: the Father plans salvation, the Son accomplishes it, and the Spirit applies it, bringing us into the very life of the Trinity. Through the Spirit, in Christ, we come to the Father as His adopted children. Salvation, from start to finish, is the work of the Triune God, and the ultimate gift of the gospel is God Himself. The good news is not merely that God enters our lives, but that we enter His. Our story is reshaped by Christ’s death, resurrection, and glorification—if He suffered, so will we; if He was raised, so will we be; if He reigns in glory, so will we. This truth gives us every reason for boldness, risk, and joy in trials. This is Understanding Philippians.
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Through the wisdom presented in Ecclesiastes, we are reminded to examine the toil of our lives relying upon God with hope as we walk through each season.
Joy and suffering—our culture sees them as opposites, but Paul’s letter to the Philippians tells a different story. Writing from a Roman prison, Paul proclaims a joy unshaken by chains, trials, or hardship. How? Because Christ, the true source of lasting joy, dwelled in him.
In this episode, we unpack Philippians 1:1-11 and discover how gospel partnership, prayer, and God’s ongoing work in us transform the way we experience joy—even in the darkest moments.
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Ecclesiastes confronts us with the reality that in this fallen world, all of us experience God’s common grace and face death.
Through Ecclesiastes, we consider what can be gained through seeking a life of pleasure.
As mankind, we encounter the tension of striving to make meaning to the days given to us under the sun and the reality that what we turn to cannot ultimately satisfy our souls.
Ecclesiastes invites us to honestly face the questions of life as it helps shape and form us in wisdom.
The Apostle Paul exhorts the Philippians to remain faithful and recounts how faith and knowing Christ is central to all of life.
Jesus teaches that the kingdom of God requires our faithful diligence while we wait upon and rely on God to see the fruit of the work.
The words from the prophet Isaiah stir our gratitude for the Prince of Peace that was born to us.
As we consider the meaning of the “son of man” we see how what was perplexing to Daniel in his vision of the throne room was answered in Jesus.
Through the prophet Ezekiel, we are reminded that God has bound himself to his people and that all our hopes and God’s promises are met in Jesus.
Through Jeremiah’s prophesy, we are reminded that the coming of the Messiah happens over the backdrop of sorrow. But we have a Lord who uses these times of sorrow and we can look forward in hope since we have a God who has come and will come again.
Jesus sends his disciples to make disciples wherever they go, which is an extension of his earthly ministry.
We’ve made it to the crown jewel of women’s Bible studies across America — Proverbs 31. Where do we begin with such a famous passage? Well first we need to read Proverbs 31 in the context of Proverbs 1-30, as the embodiment of wisdom in the form of an idealized wife. Proverbs 1 begins with a father instructing his son to seek after wisdom with all his might. Proverbs 31 ends with another father, King Lemuel, telling his son to seek after a wise wife with the same vigor. The choice of a spouse is the most critical earthly decision any human being makes. A wise man who embodies wisdom will find a wise wife and vice versa. Yet these words from King Lemuel come as inherited wisdom from his own mother. He’s giving his son grand’s wisdom, which we know, is always right. So we conclude our study in Proverbs by looking at how wisdom calls out the best in both men and women so that we might fulfill our royal calling as kings and queens tasked with exercising dominion over the earth. This is Understanding Proverbs.
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Jesus, in his authority, gives his final command to the disciples and provides the all sufficient motivation to the church for why we live how he taught us to and invite others to do so as well.
Proverbs extends the fear of the Lord beyond our own individual lives to the whole of society. A society that honors God will create an atmosphere in which the wicked “flee when no one pursues, but the righteous are bold as a lion.” The wicked walk around with a low-grade anxiety because they know that God and his righteous rulers will find them out. The righteous, on the other hand, act with boldness knowing that the Lord will bless their efforts. A righteous culture ensures the poor neither experience oppression or oppress others. “Evil men do not understand justice, but those who seek the Lord understand it completely.” A society without God becomes morally corrupt in their perspective praising the wicked and oppressing the righteous. Those who seek the Lord must remain vigilant against evil to preserve the order and justice of society. This is Understanding Proverbs.
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Proverbs purposefully repeats certain themes from different angles as a way of challenging our minds to consider the various ways that wisdom and folly manifest themselves in every day life. We’re presented with interesting and sometimes humorous characterizations of drunkards, fools, and brawlers as a way to alert us on who to avoid, who to befriend, and who to correct. If we take note of these characters we’ll be better equipped to navigate social situations with skill and prudence. There’s a homespun kind of wisdom that gets to the heart of how things work in the world that forces us to peer deeper into the habits and routines of life to unearth hidden wisdom. If we want wisdom we need to pay attention not only to God’s word, but God’s world. This is Understanding Proverbs.
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Just as Jesus said would happen, he is resurrected and appears to the women waiting at his tomb. As he sends them to share the news with the disciples, the guards at the tomb are paid off to spread a false account, and we begin to see how the good news that Jesus has been raised in power and conquered death changes the world.
This section features another set of biblical ‘street smarts’ intended to help the simple man navigate the complex world of politics, commerce, and community. Many scholars note similarities between this section of Proverbs and the Egyptian document The Thirty Sayings of Amenemope. This similarity makes sense given the shared agrarian lifestyle of both Israel and Egypt. Proverbs takes common sense wisdom available to all people who pay attention to the patterns of life and reframes them in the context of fearing God. By God’s grace, the worship of false gods does not eradicate man’s ability to make truthful observations about the world. However, wisdom not only comes from, but also points to the Lord. Without knowledge of the true God all wisdom, though insightful, falls short. Only when we see wisdom in the context of God’s revelation will our paths be made straight. This is Understanding Proverbs.
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Jesus’ body is prepared for burial and laid in a tomb. Fearing Jesus’ own words that he will rise again, the chief priests and Pharisees request a guard for his tomb.
We encounter again and again in Proverbs the necessity of faith in the Christian life. Faith is not wishful thinking. It’s not replacing your rationality with superstition. Faith is about trusting God, believing that God is in control despite what your eyes see in the world. Without faith none of these Proverbs makes sense: is it really better to be an honest poor man than a rich crook? (1) Do false witnesses really get punished? Because there’s a lot of injustice out there (Proverbs 19:5, 9). How about the tragic observation that “Wealth brings many new friends, but a poor man is deserted by his friend (Proverbs 19:4).” Wealth gets you many friends, but some just want your money. Poverty makes everyone desert you. Faith allows us to live well in a world that often perplexes us by looking at the present through the lens of the future. God will punish the wicked. He will reward the righteous. Trust him. This is Understanding Proverbs.
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As Jesus lays down his life for sinners, we see how access to the Father was initiated and granted by God through the surrender and sacrifice of the Son.
You’ve probably heard many sermons bashing the idea of “following your heart” because as Jeremiah 17:9 says, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?” There’s truth to that especially in light of the way our culture conceives of the heart as any desire or emotion that bubbles to the surface. But Proverbs tells us that the problem is not in following our heart, but rather what or who our heart follows. The Scriptures portray the heart as the seat of the will, the place of our deepest allegiances. Conversion happens when God’s grace switches the allegiance of our heart away from sin toward God. That’s what it means for his law to be written on your heart. That the place of our deepest loyalties is occupied by God alone. If that’s true of your life, by all means, follow your heart, because if your heart follows God then it will lead you towards worship, trust, and obedience. This is Understanding Proverbs.
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Though found innocent, Jesus is led to be crucified. As he is mocked and scorned, the insults thrown declare the truth of the cross.
Have you ever felt like you’ve lost all hope in life? That’s a dark place to be. Human beings need hope to live as much as we need food or water. When Solomon writes in Proverbs 13:12, “Hope deferred makes the heart sick” he’s tapping into the deep sorrow we feel when we experience the tragedies of life in a fallen world. A Christian counselor once said, “Depression happens when a deeply desired goal or a dream becomes unattainable.” Yet, Proverbs provides a glimmer of hope for those of us who feel ourselves burdened with heart sickness: “but a desire fulfilled is a tree of life.” Proverbs reminds us that in the end the promises of God will overcome all the sadnesses we experience this life. That the righteous will find satisfaction, joy, and fulfillment. Adam lost the tree of life by his sin, but the Second Adam, Christ, redeems what was lost and paves the way for us to find that ultimate peace and satisfaction. That’s the promise to a heart-sick Christian — that a tree of life awaits in the future. And wisdom comes as our guide in the present to lead us every step of the way home. This is Understanding Proverbs.
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As Jesus sits on trial, we see how Scripture proclaims the truth that He is the righteous King who will suffer for his people.
Every father and mother wants to give their children the absolute best: the best education, financial situation, home, you name it. That’s a good and natural instinct, but the greatest blessing that father and mother can give to their children is wisdom. There’s no more precious inheritance than imparting the skill of living well in God’s world. Solomon’s collection of Proverbs come to us Spirit-inspired words from our Father who desires that we above all receive this precious blessing. This is Understanding Proverbs.
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As Peter is in the courtyard of the high priest, he is questioned regarding his identity as a disciple. Just as Jesus foretold, Peter denies him three times.
Proverbs 8-9 portrays wisdom as a woman to underscore the beauty and attractiveness of walking righteously. The feminine personification of wisdom draws out the subtle way wisdom persuades through words rather than direct masculine force. Wisdom serves as a queen alongside a king providing counsel, insight, and knowledge so that he might rule wisely. God created mankind to rule over creation as kings and queens, but sin subverts this desire primarily by cutting us off from the wisdom necessary to perform this task well. When we posses wisdom we’re able to act in the world as the men and women God always intended us to be — creatures of honor, glory, and beauty. This is Understanding Proverbs.
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Jesus withdraws to pray before his betrayal and invites the disciples to watch and pray with him.
God rarely sends thunderbolts to discipline us for our sin. Often he lets us experience the consequences of rejecting his wisdom. God’s sovereignty doesn’t mean he prevents us from ruining our own lives. There’s nothing worse than seeing an old man at the end of life regretting his foolish decisions. The choices we make in our youth often set our lives on a course that becomes increasingly more difficult to correct as time goes on. God gives us Proverbs to get us back on the straight path before we end up old and embittered with life. Wisdom will guide you, but only if you have the humility to listen. This is Understanding Proverbs.
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Jesus reveals his coming betrayal to the disciples and while partaking in the Passover with them, he institutes the Lord’s supper. He warns Peter of his denial and the scattering of the disciples.
There’s a reason why most sons grow up wanting to be like their dads either for good or ill. God intends for fathers and mothers to serve as examples of wisdom to the malleable minds of children. When the core unit of the family loses wisdom rooted in the fear of the Lord all of society begins to disintegrate. Proverbs frames wisdom not as an esoteric knowledge passed on by a spiritual guru to his devoted followers or a set of abstract principles taught within the confines of a university, but as practical knowledge imparted from a father to a son. Our parents aren’t perfect, but they do serve as an analogy of God’s fatherhood over us. He disciplines us because he loves us, and unlike our earthly parents, his discipline is always right and perfectly attuned to our need. When we entrust ourselves to the fatherhood of God we become like his son, Jesus Christ who embodies the wisdom of God in the flesh. That’s why getting a grasp on the fatherhood of God is so essential to growing our faith and trust in his words. This is Understanding Proverbs.
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If God could grant you anything in the world what would you ask for? If you’re sick you may ask for healing. If you’re poor you might ask for wealth. Or if you’re lonely you’ll ask for a romantic relationship. These are not bad things to ask for, but it should give us pause that Solomon, the primary author of Proverbs, when pressed with this exact question asks for wisdom, and “It pleased the Lord that Solomon had asked this (1 Kings 3:10).” God not only grants Solomon wisdom, but also a long life of riches and honor. It’s as if God is saying, “If you have wisdom all these things follow.” We know that life’s not that simple. Sometimes this leads us to approach this book with hesitation, but Proverbs recognizes the complexities of life in a fallen world. People are complicated. Relationships get messy. Life is often unpredictable. Proverbs anchors us with wisdom so that we can navigate the disorienting world we live in with confidence, faith, and joy. Because wisdom is ultimate the skill of living well in God’s world. This requires diligent attention, worshipful meditation, and disciplined application. Wisdom is not for the faint of heart. This is Understanding Proverbs.
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As Jesus prepares for the cross and the redemption of God’s people, the chief priests and elders prepare to kill Jesus, and a woman prepares him for burial by anointing him with oil.
Jesus describes the final judgement and the separation that will occur that will reveal who belongs in the kingdom.
Through parables, Jesus reminds the disciples that their task as followers is to anticipate and prepare themselves to be ready for the return of the Lord.
Jesus describes to his disciples what they should expect with his second coming and warns them to not be led astray by rumors and false prophets prior to his return.
Jesus answers the disciples questions about his coming and the end of the age by evoking imagery of the end times and exhorting them to endure in the faith.
Jesus addresses the crowds and Pharisees warning them of the necessity to be both respectful and discerning of leaders, and calling out the hypocrisy of the leaders of the day.
Jesus questions the Pharisees regarding who the Christ is and leaves them silent as he makes them consider David’s own words about the Messiah.
Jesus is tested regarding which commandment is the greatest, and responds that we are to love both God and neighbor.
Jesus responds to the question of the Sadducees regarding the resurrection by correcting the view on how to approach the scriptures.
Jesus responds to the Pharisees and Herodians trying to trap him in a question about taxes by astounding them with his wisdom, cutting at their pride, and pointing them to the heart of the matter.
Jesus teaches us what the kingdom of heaven is like through the parable of the wedding feast. Those who respond to the invitation are met with a hopeful picture of what it means to enter the kingdom of God, as the story points forward to the great wedding feast to come.
As Jesus’ authority is challenged by the Sanhedrin, their hardness of heart is revealed through Jesus’ questions and parables.
As Jesus enters Jerusalem, we are prompted to think back to the Garden of Eden and forward to the cross, as imagery of God dwelling with us, the command to be fruitful, and the promised Messiah are on display in Jesus returning to the temple and cursing a fig tree.
As Jesus enters Jerusalem, he fulfills Old Testament prophesies, opening the eyes of the blind and revealing himself as the humble King.
Jesus teaches that we are to model our authority & responsibility in the kingdom after his example, which focuses on serving others.
Jesus describes what life in the kingdom is like through the parable of the laborers in the vineyard and reminds us that God is the gracious King.
Jesus challenges a young man to give up everything for the kingdom and challenges us to consider the cost of discipleship and the temptation of greed.
Jesus responds to the Pharisees' questions regarding marriage by describing God’s intention for marriage from the beginning.
Jesus responds to Peter’s question on how often we are to forgive by using the parable of the unforgiving servant to remind us we are to forgive as the Father forgives us.
Jesus addresses the disciples regarding how to treat their brother or sister when they find them in sin.
Do you ever skip reading the opening and closing sections of some of the letters in the New Testament? You know, the parts where we see lists of names, greetings, and other details that seem irrelevant to our lives? That’s a mistake because these opening and closing sections give us insight into the way the early church understood their life as a community. The institutional structure of the church existed only to serve the organic relationships forged by the Holy Spirit. The New Testament does not recognize “lone ranger” Christianity. We’re not reading old documents about abstract theology, but letters written by people who love one another. We’re reading prayers about real people in real time with real friendships facing real struggles. Hebrews 13 challenges our modern conceptions of church as an ‘event’ or ‘experience’ with a bold vision of God’s household. There’s not category for an individualistic Christian experience. We cannot know Christ without knowing his body. This is Understanding Hebrews.
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We often don’t think about the fact that Jesus exercised faith. He’s not just perfect in his divinity, but also his humanity. God created us as dependent creatures. Our dependence upon God manifests as faith or trust. Therefore, Christ the perfect man manifests trust perfectly. He demonstrates the perfection if our faith. He’s not just the source and object of our faith, but also the exemplar of faith. Our faith in Christ strengthens when we meditate upon the faith of Christ. He’s the captain of our faith who leads us alongside the great cloud of witnesses chronicled in Hebrews 11 toward the eternal joy set before us. This is Understanding Hebrews.
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Through the parable of the wandering sheep, Jesus reveals the heart of the father and the spiritual reality of how we ought to care for others.
Well-meaning preachers emphasize that the characters in the Old Testament serve not as moral examples, but pointers to Christ. We’re not to see ourselves as David, but rather see David as merely a pointer to Christ. But Hebrews 11 rejects this either/or mentality. We view the Old Testament saints not only as pointers to Jesus, but also exemplars of faithful living. Furthermore, faith is not a New Testament thing, but an Old Testament thing. Salvation from beginning to end comes by faith alone. The Old Testaments saints believed beyond their visible circumstances to a greater and better future promised by God. We by faith look back on the sacrifice of Christ, but they looked forward to it. Our perspective on Christ may differ, but the substance of our salvation remains the same: the once-for-all offering of Christ on the cross for our sins and his glorious resurrection. If we try to run back to Moses and Abraham we’ll just find them running the opposite direction toward Christ. This is Understanding Hebrews.
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Jesus speaks to the disciples about how to correctly consider themselves and those around them.
There’s a famous clip of hall of fame NFL coach Bill Parcells telling his players during a game, “This is what you worked all off season for, this is why you lift all them weights.” He’s telling his players not to give up when the game gets tough. Don’t let all the blood, sweat, and tears in the weight room turn out for nothing. Coaches make it their goal to not let past accomplishments cause present complacency. Instead of resting on their laurels, athletes need to look to their past efforts as fuel for present endurance. Hebrews like a good head coach exhorts the church to remember their past adversity and God’s faithfulness so that they do not turn away. There’s no neutrality in the Christian life. We’re either moving toward or away from Christ. Hebrews jolts us awake to this reality and calls us to keep fighting. Don’t give in. This is Understanding Hebrews
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Paul reminds the Corinthian church that getting the resurrection right is of great importance as he invites them to ponder and cherish the hope that we have through the resurrection.
Jesus enters into Jerusalem and is welcomed and worshipped by those who were awaiting him.
"In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” These opening lines of the Bible reveal an often overlooked truth: heaven and earth serve as two realms of God’s creation that interlock and mirror one another. Hebrews focuses on how Jesus brings about a new priesthood, sacrifice, and covenant that fulfills and makes obsolete the old. In response, non-Christian Jews accuse their Jewish Christian brethren of innovation. They’re departing from the law of God, the Old Covenant, into heresy by following Jesus. Here’s the brilliance of Hebrews 9:1-10:18 — the Old Covenant itself down to the architecture of the Tabernacle that Moses built points to Jesus and the New Covenant. God never intended his story to end with the Old Covenant Tabernacle, priesthood, and sacrifices. These all serve as earthly shadows of the heavenly reality into which Christ enters and accomplishes an eternal redemption. This is Understanding Hebrews.
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A few years ago I go to see the Colorado mountain ranges for the first time. It was amazing driving through the reality of what I had only seen in photographs. Photographs may capture the beauty of the mountains in amazing detail, but nothing beats the real thing. In Hebrews 7-8, we see that Jesus is the real thing to the photograph of the Old Covenant. In particular, the high priesthood of Jesus brings to perfection what was lacking in the Old Covenant priesthood. This change in priesthood has massive implications for us today who live in the newer and better covenant through Jesus Christ. This is Understanding Hebrews.
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Jesus uses an encounter with the temple tax collectors to teach Peter what it means to follow him.
Few things bring as much pain to our lives as seeing someone we care about “apostatize" or turn away from the faith. Perhaps that person served as a vital member of your local church leading Bible studies or evangelizing to the lost, but now he or she wants nothing to do with Christ or Christianity. Such moments rattle us with confusion and sadness. Yet Hebrews reminds us that apostasy existed in the first century just as it does now. The details may differ, but the core remains: repeated rejection of the word of God reveals an unchanged hardened heart. Hebrews addresses the complexity of apostasy with an honest and sober mind. We want to honor the words of Scripture by approaching this topic the same way. This is Understanding Hebrews.
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As Jesus heals a boy, his responses to the boy's father and to the disciples demonstrates the necessity of faith.
We all face anxieties and fears in life. Those fears and anxieties get amplified in a world of social media which exposes us instantaneously to every horrible event. We feel the pressure of a post-Christian world that sees our faith as dangerous and bigoted. We fear the well-being of our children and the pressures they face in a world hostile to Christ. We know we should turn to prayer, but so often we find ourselves so disoriented and confused that words fail us. It’s in those moments that we need to cling to the precious reality of Christ as our great High Priest who intercedes for us. Robert Murray M’Cheyne once said, “If I could hear Christ praying for me in the next room, I would not fear a million enemies.” Our hope does not lie in the fact that we pray to Christ, but rather Christ prays for us. And that confidence actually opens the door for us to approach the throne of grace in the midst of our trials with confidence. This is Understanding Hebrews.
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Jesus takes three of his disciples up on a mountain and there, they see him transfigure.
Every single person lives their life in pursuit of something they believe will grant them rest. Rest means more than just the cessation of activity or a temporary respite from work. No, rest means complete fulfillment, when a human being attains the end for which God created him or her. The great theologian Augustine in his famous work Confessions writes, “Because you have made us for Yourself… our hearts are restless till they find their rest in You.” Augustine’s recognizes one of the key themes of Hebrews 3:1-4-13 — that only in the pursuit of Christ do we find lasting rest. God made us to worship him which means all sin pulls us away from our ultimate purpose. Sin hardens us to the goodness of God and leaves us without rest. Repentance turns our mind and body away from the corrupt darkness and evil in the world and in our hearts that we might receive the only thing that brings eternal satisfaction — God himself. This is Understanding Hebrews.
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As Jesus reveals to the disciples what will happen to him, he presses the point that both he, and his disciples, will be known through how they handle the cross.
When we look into the night sky we feel a sense of insignificance. We’re just a pale blue dot in a sea of darkness speckled with light. This makes us comfortable so we distract ourselves with pleasure, entertainment, and consumption, but the feeling never leaves. The Bible, on the other hand, does not distract from, but rather embraces our smallness as a means of magnifying the grace of God. The infinite God of the universe bestows upon us his image. He gives us a destiny not of oblivion, but glory. Hebrews 1:5-2:18 unveils this glory through the lens of the Incarnation of God in Jesus Christ. The God of the universe not only cares for us, but he took on flesh and dwelt among us that he might pull us out of misery into eternal glory. This is Understanding Hebrews.
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Jesus questions his disciples regarding who the people are saying he is and then, who the disciples say he is.
Let’s do a quick orthodoxy test. What do you think about this statement: “The central doctrine of the gospel is the atonement of Jesus Christ.” Sounds great, right? Well this statement comes from the Church of Latter Day-Saints commonly referred to as the Mormons. They use the same words as Christians but mean entirely different things by those words. Specifically, they deny the deity of Jesus Christ. Our salvation depends upon getting Jesus right. Hebrews demonstrates for us that the early Christians held a “high Christology” — they understood Christ as God himself and worthy of all worship. Therefore to turn away from Christ is to turn away from the true and living God of the universe. It’s is to commit cosmic treason of the highest degree. The message of Hebrews is this: if you’re thinking about turning away from Christ don’t do it. This is Understanding Hebrews.
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Jesus warns the disciples to not be formed by the teaching of the day, but to follow Him.
Jesus shows how the accounts in the Old Testament were a foreshadowing to his coming and his ministry as he is the fulfillment.
As Jesus interacts with a Canaanite women, his merciful response reveals that the kingdom is for all of those who would put their faith in him.
Jesus responds to the Pharisees' question about his disciples by challenging their tradition and exposing their hypocrisy.
Jesus coming reveals that God is love, shows God is love, and shares the love of God with His people.
In this season of expectations, we are reminded that for those who find their hope in Christ, there is a present and future joy to hold on to.
Through Old Testament prophecies, we consider the meaning of hope and the tension of present reality and future promise.
As Jesus' ministry and kingship are put in contrast to John the Baptist and Herod, his authority is displayed.
As Jesus uses fishing imagery to explain what the kingdom of heaven is like, he returns to the idea of coming judgement.
As Jesus continues to teach in parables, he uses three illustrations to explain the kingdom of heaven, inviting us to consider the surpassing worth of receiving the gift of being part of this kingdom.
How often do you think about the second coming of Christ? This critical doctrine of our faith either gets sensationalized with respect to current events or passed over for the sake of other more relevant topics like marriage, parenting, or anxiety management. But the second coming of Christ dominated the mind of the Apostle Peter. His focus on the second coming only increases as his death nears. Our lack of attention to the final judgment reveals a distorted vision of our place within history. We think primarily about God entering into our story. We did not know him and now we do. That’s true and good. But that’s not the emphasis of the New Testament. The New Testament frames the Christian life in terms of getting our story into Christ’s. Of seeing our own lives as part of a larger narrative that encompasses all of creation. When we reframe our perspective in light of God’s story in the theater of history we realize to a greater degree our absolute dependence upon his mercy. But fixing our eyes on the second coming does not lead to passivity, but rather diligent effort toward holiness. The second coming of Christ for us, just as for Peter’s audience in the first century, spurs us on toward love and good deeds as we await the kingdom of righteousness God promises to those who love him. This is Understanding Second Peter.
Jesus continues to teach through parables and compares the kingdom of God to a farmer’s field, depicting the reality of a fallen world and pointing forward to the future judgement.
The book of Proverbs warns us against people who “like the glaze covering an earthen vessel” possess “fervent lips with an evil heart (Proverbs 6:23).” Rarely do false teachers get on stage and announce boldly, “Believe this heresy!” The seduction of false teaching comes from the subtle prodding of our sinful desires. False teachers come draped with the pretense of love, compassion, and the fulfillment of our dreams. Behind every narcissistic celebrity lies a drove of zealous fans who feed their ego. Behind every false teacher lies a crowd of seduced followers following them on their path of destruction. Jesus himself warned that those who lead his people astray would be better of tying a boulder to their neck and plunging into the sea. In 2 Peter 2, Peter gives a profile of the false teacher: someone consumed with greed and their own lusts who use soft and pleasant words to draw people away from Christ. Their judgment will be swift. This is Understanding 2 Peter.
Jesus teaches the crowds about the Word through the parable of the sower and later explains the meaning of this teaching to his disciples.
In 1981 the movie Clash of the Titans came out which depicted on the big screen the Greek myth of Perseus. It famously featured a claymation Medusa emerging from the shadows with snakes writhing out of her head. We’d probably laugh at the outdated special effects today, but for the time Clash of the Titans captured the imaginations of audiences worldwide because this myth highlighted timeless virtues of courage, hope, and wisdom. Whether or not the events actually occurred didn’t matter. That’s not what we’re talking about when it comes to Jesus. When Peter refers to the event of the Transfiguration in his second letter he’s goes out of his way to make clear that he’s not devising a clever myth. He’s not telling a fictional story in order to highlight a timeless truth. He’s reporting an eyewitness account of an historical event in which Jesus Christ displays his divine glory. This divine glory serves to confirm the prophecies of the Old Testament as the very words of God. The gospel comes to us as good news about God’s redemption in real space and time. Our hope rests not on abstract ideas, but concrete reality. Not in principles and myths, but a person. This is Understanding 2nd Peter.
Jesus responds to the questions of the Pharisees in a surprising manner by condemning the seeking of signs, reflecting on the spiritual dangers of an empty, orderly life, and inviting all to the Father.
How would you respond if God revealed to you the manner of your death? You’d probably lose a lot of sleep. For most of us death exists as an abstract concept that happens to people “out there”. But for Peter his death loomed large over his life. Listen to Jesus’s words to Peter in the gospel of John, “Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were young, you used to dress yourself and walk wherever you wanted, but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will dress you and carry you where you do not want to go.” (This he said to show by what kind of death he was to glorify God.) And after saying this he said to him, ‘Follow me.’” For Peter following Christ meant following his Lord into the clutches of death itself armed with nothing but the promise of resurrection and glory. This energized Peter’s life with urgency, an urgency that charges through this letter as he calls the young church to pursue godliness by God’s own divine power. We have in 2 Peter the final words of a great sage to the people he loves. Words of comfort, warning, and hope. Words that echo and resound throughout the ages until this very day. This is Understanding Second Peter.
As Jesus establishes his kingdom through his ministry, he overthrows the dominion of Satan. For those in his kingdom, the reign of Christ in hearts and minds implies a purified way of living, especially with how we speak.
What is a pastor? According to the New Testament he is first and foremost a shepherd. But before we conjure up tranquil visions of rolling green pastures we must understand that the job of a shepherd required hard work. Shepherds were required not only to feed their sheep, but also guide them away from predators. The Kings of the OT were referred to as shepherds entrusted with the care and protection of God’s people. Jesus speaks of himself as a good shepherd. In 1 Peter 5, Peter exhorts the leaders of the church to serve as shepherds for God’s people. This is a personal exhortation for Peter. Toward the end of the gospel of John we see Peter, fresh off his betrayal of Christ, swimming ashore to meet the resurrected Jesus. This launches one of the most famous dialogues in the New Testament. Jesus asks Peter three times if he loves him, one for each of Peter’s denials, and then commissions Peter to feed his sheep. Peter experiences the love of the good shepherd and this in turn motivates him to call all under-shepherds to feed the flock of Christ. This is Understanding 1 Peter.
Christians who talk about the end times attract a lot of eye rolls. We’ve all seen the guy on a street corner with a cardboard sign with red letters that say “the end is near”. But Jesus and the Apostles spend a great deal of their ministry warning people that the “end is at hand”. Jesus preaches with apocalyptic fury calling people to repent in light of coming judgement. He also encourages Christians not to buckle in the face of suffering in light of that same judgement. The Apostle Peter carries on that apocalyptic tradition with an exhortation to the church: the end of all things is at hand; therefore be self-controlled and sober-minded for the sake of your prayers. In other words, the end transforms the way we live in the present. This is Understanding First Peter.
Peter spends a great deal of his first letter exhorting Christians to endure present suffering by setting their minds on future hope by faith. In doing this, Christians follow in the footsteps of Christ who entrusted himself to his Father in the midst of unjust suffering. To follow Christ is to walk the path of suffering then glory. But future hope does not replace present faithfulness. Christians must live distinct from the world as sojourners and exiles as they await their final hope. The primary way the church distinguishes itself from the world is in the realm of morality. We do not engage our sinful passions, but pursue holiness. We do not limit our perspective to the here and now, but rather live our lives in light of God’s final judgement. We do all of this with Christ as our example who died and rose again that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. This is Understanding First Peter.
John the Baptist, imprisoned and doubting, sends his followers to Jesus who answers by rooting his ministry in Old Testament prophesy.
Understanding First Peter continues with a look at the Apostle's instructions for early Christians in difficult situations. Peter applies the example of Christ's unjust suffering to the spheres of government, slavery, and marriage. These words continue to challenge Christians today with regard to authority, submission, and honorable conduct among non-Christians.
Jesus instructs the disciples, challenging where their allegiances should lie and preparing them for how to go out as one sent by Him.
Understanding 1 Peter continues in this episode as we look at the identity of God's people and why it matters. Peter points to the Old Testament people of God as a framework for the New Testament people of God. From this insight flows a slew of moral implications for Christians in the first and twenty-first century. We also talk about how Christians find comfort in the midst of persecution and trials by fixing their eyes on Christ's own narrative of suffering and glory.
Understanding 1 Peter begins with a dive into the profound themes of 1 Peter 1:1-21. In this episode, we unpack the enduring message of hope and faith in the face of trials, emphasizing the call to live holy and obedient lives as strangers in a foreign land. Join us as we navigate the rich terrain of salvation, grace, and the precious inheritance that believers receive through Christ's redemption. As we journey through these verses, we'll also reflect on our innate longing for home in the new creation—a yearning that speaks to the eternal hope embedded in Peter's teachings. Understanding 1 Peter is your go-to resource for a comprehensive exploration of the Scripture's wisdom, carefully crafted to help you gain a deeper understanding of 1 Peter's key messages and apply them to your life.
We continue learning about the life of Christ in the Gospel of Matthew as Matthew shows how Jesus fulfills the prophecy that God will be a shepherd to his people.
Jesus’s miracles preach a message — that he is Lord of all creation. This message provokes crowds in both the first and the twenty-first century to consider the claims of Jesus on their lives. Each healing demonstrates Jesus’s authority as the Son of David to bring healing, restoration, and resurrection into this present world.
We continue learning about the life of Christ in the Gospel of Matthew as Jesus calls Matthew to follow him and summarizes the purpose of his ministry.
We continue learning about the life of Christ in the Gospel of Matthew as Jesus returns to his hometown, Capernaum, and responds to a desperate act of faithfulness by healing a man from his paralysis while reminding us that he came to save his people from their sins.
Jesus speaks about the cost of following Him and how urgent it is, and He also tells us how fear impacts our faith through the story of Jesus calming the storm.
Jesus heals three different people. Each healing has a different theme, but all the healings show Jesus's authority.
Zechariah 14 features many mysteries that even the brightest Christian minds stumble over. We need to tread with humility as we attempt to interpret these verses. One helpful north star to help us interpret these passages is to see them in light of the New Testament. Jesus sees himself as the center of a New Israel. He takes along twelve disciples which equals the twelve tribes of Israel. He leaves Egypt as a child like Israel’s Exodus, fights temptation in the wilderness for 40 days which equals the 40 years of Israel’s wanderings, gets baptized in the Jordan like Israel got “baptized” as they crossed the parted Jordan sea into the promised land, and cleansed the holy land of occupying demons like Israel cleansed the holy land of Canaanites. Jesus gets “exiled” at the cross, but then rises again much like Israel experienced exile in Babylon only to be “reborn” into the land during Zechariah’s day. This close parallel indicates that the promises of Israel’s restoration finds its ultimate fulfillment not in a building or a city, but Jesus Christ himself. So when we read these restorative promises we need to understand them in light of Jesus and how he fulfills the story of Israel. This is Understanding Zechariah.
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The Holy Spirit plays a central role in Zechariah. The Old Testament does not name the third member of the Trinity, but references his activity as the engine that brings about restoration and revival. Old Testament prophecy gives the outline that the New Testament fills in. In Zechariah 12-13:6 we see the Spirit’s activity as a major sign that God will do a new thing in the future that brings about repentance, revival, and restoration. His power will cause those who “pierced” their shepherd to mourn over their sin. A pierced shepherd and a poured out Spirit outlines in shadowy form the substance of what we see in the New Testament on Good Friday and Pentecost. Zechariah gives these visions in order to exhort God’s people to continue their Temple rebuilding project after a disappointing return from exile. But by the Spirit his words resonate to our generation as we await the completion of the work begun by Christ and the Spirit. The exhortation remains the same: stay faithful and trust that by the Spirit’s power God’s purposes in Christ will be accomplished. This is Understanding Zechariah.
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Jesus tells us that Christians are marked by good fruit and endurance as they are building their foundation on the solid rock.
The story of the Old Testament is the story of Israel repeating the same history over and over again. God blesses them with prosperity and they take that blessing and use it to chase after other gods. If the OT have one message it’s this: learn from history and repent. Zechariah 10-11 continues that prophetic tradition by contrasting God the good shepherd with the wicked shepherds of Israel’s leaders. All of this comes together in a live-action sign performed by Zechariah to remind Israel of their true source of peace and provision: Yahweh. This is Understanding Zechariah.
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This sermon goes through Psalm 125 - God's presence and power and how it gives us a sturdy hope.
Jesus invites us to come to Him at the end of the Sermon on the Mount, and He gives a warning.
Everyone loves a good underdog story. Whether you cheer on the Cinderella team who defies all odds to make it to a championship game or the overlooked player who finally gets a chance to shine we all want to pull for the little guy. Underdog stories testify to the power of grit, determination, and self-belief. In many ways the victory of Israel over their enemies is an underdog story but with one significant difference: the victory comes not from their own power, self-belief, or determination, but God’s faithfulness to his promises. Zechariah 9 tells the story not of underdog Israel summoning the will to conquer her enemies, but rather the gracious God of Israel who fights on their behalf against her enemies. But even more shocking is the fact that this God adopts enemies as his own. This is Understanding Zechariah
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In Zechariah 1-6, we encountered a series of visions given to the prophet Zechariah about God’s promise to the returned exiles of a New Jerusalem with a New Temple that surpasses the old in glory. In Zechariah 7-8, the mode of revelation shifts from an emphasis on visions to specific words about Israel’s past and future. Despite the difference in mode the message remains the same: Israel must not only return to the land, but to the Lord. They must not only rebuild the Temple, but also their true worship and obedience. When the Lord acts among his people he not only brings about peace and prosperity, but purification from sin. No man leaves unchanged when he encounters God. No greater threat exists to the Christian life than a heart that hears but does not heed God’s word. This is Understanding Zechariah.
Check out the rest of the Understanding series here
Jesus tells us how we should position ourselves in asking and seeking and knocking, and He tells us the posture we are to have when praying for these things.
Jesus talks about what judging is - discernment and evaluation - and then talks about how to judge correctly.
One of the key aspects of understanding the Old Testament is getting a handle on the three offices of Israel: the king, the prophet, and the priest. Each of these offices serves a unique function in the religious economy of Israel. The prophet speaks God’s words to the nation, the king leads the nation to worship God, and the priests teach the law and perform its rites. But the Old Testament continually points forward to a day when all three of these offices combine into one. We see one of those points in Zechariah 6 when Joshua the High Priest receives a crown. Zechariah’s prophecy sows seeds in his day that come to full bloom in the distant future when a kingly son of David becomes a great high priest who speaks the words of God not only to Israel but to the Gentiles as well. This is Understanding Zechariah.
Check out the rest of the Understanding series here
If you read a lot of books by one author you find that, after a while, you begin to think like that author. As you recognize familiar patterns in your favorite authors you develop a sense not only of the kinds of stories they tell, but the way they tell those stories. When we immerse ourselves in Scripture we get insight into the kinds of stories God tells. We learn about one of God’s favorite stories to tell in 1 Corinthians 1:27-29, “But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God.” God loves reversing the wisdom of the world which means the way he works will contrast with the way the world works. In Zechariah 4-5 we see that divine reversal through three visions that show us the grace of God at work in the midst of sin, suffering, and uncertainty. This is Understanding Zechariah.
Check out the rest of the Understanding series here
Jesus gives us a few points of logic - and then applications - as to why we should not be anxious.
God gives his people visions in order to help them see by faith a future not yet realized. It’s been said that, “If you wish to build a ship, do not divide the men into teams and send them to the forest to cut wood. Instead, teach them to long for the vast and endless sea.” Visions utilize images and symbols in order to cause us to long for the vast and endless sea of God’s future. Old creation, marred by sin and death, falls into decay and corruption, but God through Israel and ultimately Israel’s Messiah, Jesus, overcomes sin and death and ushers in a new creation that breaks forth in the present and assures us of its consummation at the return of Christ. This is Understanding Zechariah.
Check out the rest of the Understanding series here
The book of Zechariah unsettles us with strange visions of seven-eyed stones, flying scrolls, and conquering horns. We prefer the safe and familiar pastures of the gospels with Jesus walking, talking, and relating to the world in ways we deem “normal”. But the gospels feature exorcisms, miraculous healings, and angelic visitations. The Apostle Paul speaks of the third heaven, dining with demons, judging angels, and deflecting the fiery darts of Satan. Visions in the Bible remind us that we live in God’s world where odd things happens. Children learn about friendship, love, and courage not by attending philosophical seminars, but by reading stories with talking animals in magical worlds. Truth grips children first through the imagination and then the intellect. God grips us in the same way by drawing upon the things of the earth: olive trees, horses, oil, and fire in order to point us to heavenly realities. Children’s books help kids imagine a world that does not exist, but God’s visions challenge us to imagine by faith a world that does not yet exist, but will. And it reframes our perspective on the world so that we might go, as C.S. Lewis writes, “further up, and further in” to God’s world, which of course, is our world. A world which one day will overflow with the glory of God as the waters fill the sea. This is Understanding Zechariah.
Check out the rest of the Understanding series here
Jesus teaches more about how to pray - asking for our daily bread, being able to forgive, and for when our hearts are tempted.
Jesus teaches us how to pray - he gives an example - and this sermon goes through the beginning part of how Jesus models us to pray.
The famous Christmas carol “Joy to the World” contains excellent theology: “No more let sins and sorrows grow/ Nor thorns infest the ground; He comes to make his blessings flow/ Far as the curse is found.” This is Genesis language. This song is about the gospel. The redemption of Christ to undo the curse of the fall as far as the curse is found. Revelation 22, the final chapter of the final book in the Bible, shows us a vision of that world. In Romans 8:18-25, Paul envisions a future glory that overwhelms present sufferings. Creation itself, long under bondage and corruption to death and decay will experience a glorious freedom. But this freedom will not come until God’s own children receive their glorification. The hope that Paul sees from a distance John brings up close and personal. This is Understanding Revelation.
Check out the rest of the Understanding series here
This sermon talks through Matthew 6:1-8 and 16-18 and how Jesus tells us to give, pray, and fast. It addresses the ways in which the hypocrites do these things and what Jesus asks of us when we are practicing these things - the right ways in which to practice.
The Bible begins with creation, a husband and wife, and a garden surrounded by rivers and precious stones and ends the same way: new creation, Christ and his bride, and a garden-turned-city built with precious stones and flowing with living water. God fulfills his plan in Christ by the Spirit to reconcile his people to himself. He will be their God and they will be his people. Communion with God is the goal of eternal life which is why Revelation ends with a wedding. The church, adorned like as a bride on her wedding day, prepares to feast with Christ her groom in the new creation with death defeated and every tear wiped away. In the second-to-last chapter of the Bible, God provides the church with a blueprint for the present and a hope for the future. This is Understanding Revelation.
Revelation 20 may be the most controversial chapter in the most controversial book in the Bible. The reason for its controversy lies in Revelation 20:4’s reference to a reign of the saints with Christ for a thousand years. We’ll dive into that discussion in this episode, but it’s important to recognize that when brilliant theologians across 2,000 years cannot come to a consensus on a particular verse we ought to approach that same verse with humility and charity. It’s been said that the millennium is a thousand years of peace that Christians fight over. In many cases that is sadly true. But charity does not mean avoiding interpretation of this passage. God gave these words to us and we must do our best to piece them together. We do this because Revelation is a book meant to encourage us. If we give this revelation the time it deserves we will find a reservoir of strength in our time of need. This is Understanding Revelation
Revelation is an unveiling of Jesus, but Jesus is absent for much of the latter portions of Revelation. The last time we saw Jesus was as a child, destined to rule the nations with an iron rod, swept up by God from the clutches of the Dragon in Revelation 12. Here in Revelation 19, that child has matured into a man ready to claim his destiny as King of kings and Lord of lords. But this grown Christ comes not only to claim victory, but also a bride. Revelation 19 is not only a victory march, but a wedding procession. This is Understanding Revelation
Jesus tackles the 6th and 7th commandments in order to reframe our understanding of the law of God.
Revelation startles us because of how vividly it describes the wrath of God in history. Our modern world sections off the spiritual from the historical. History deals with the real world “out there” while spirituality deals with our inner lives. But Christ came into the world not merely into our hearts. His kingdom ripples out and effects the powers and principalities both invisible and visible. Christianity changed and is changing the world. When we grasp the historical nature of God’s judgements we are better able to understand just how cataclysmic the destruction of the Temple in 70 A.D. was. It did not merely destroy a building. It shattered an old corrupt order and out its ashes gave birth to a new one. This is Understanding Revelation.
Jesus came to fulfill the Law and Prophets and sets a perspective for the rest of the sermon on the mount.
Revelation 17 opens with shocking imagery: a drunk prostitute riding on a seven-headed and ten-horned beast holding a cup of wine. But the greatest shock is the prostitute’s identity: she is Jerusalem drunk with the wine of martyr blood. Her adultery is spiritual: she has forsaken her true husband Christ for the dragon and his Beast, the Roman empire. God will judge her for her unfaithfulness, but hints of redemption remain. The gospel is the story about Christ the bridegroom turning his whorish wife into a spotless bride. When the Beast turns on the prostitute she finds her spurned husband waiting with garment of redemption ready to restore. This is Understanding Revelation.
Revelation moves in waves. It pushes forward to a certain point, then recedes, then pushes forward again onto the shore except this time a bit further. We’ve seen seven seals, seven trumpets, and in Revelation 16 seven bowls of God’s wrath. Each succession of sevens overlaps, but also progresses forward toward God’s climactic judgement of Jerusalem in 70 A.D. We often think of God as trigger-happy, reading to inflict wrath at the slightest offense. But if we read Scripture carefully we realize God is exceptionally patient. God’s seals, trumpets, and bowls serve as a warning to those who war against him that there is still time to repent. But when that time passes only judgement remains. The message is clear: turn from your sin to God before it’s too late. This is Understanding Revelation
The book of Revelation begins with the glorified Christ and ends with the glorified church. This helps us understand the narrative arc of Revelation. Christ’s bride shares in his glorious inheritance by following him through the path of faithful witness and suffering, but her blood does not spill in vain. God’s martyrs ascend from their earthly suffering to their heavenly throne. Martyrs from generations past cry out for vengeance from the base of the heavenly altar in Revelation 6. God promises vengeance, but not until the sealed 144,000 martyrs join their ranks. In Revelation 14-15 Jesus harvests his martyrs after they die under the persecution of the sea beast of Rome allied with the land beast of the corrupt Jewish priesthood. Revelation 14-15 breaks down into four sections: first, the lamb and his flock (14:1-5), second, the lamb and his message (14:6-13), third, the lamb and his harvest (14:14-20), and finally the lamb and his song (15:1-8). This is Understanding Revelation.
Revelation 13 unveils for us the great dragon behind the scenes that stands behind every political, spiritual, and social force against the church. This is anything but fiction. But the great hope Revelation gives is this: the Beastly powers of the age can inflict damage, but cannot ultimately destroy the church. This is a call for the endurance and faith of the saints. This is Understanding Revelation.
We look at the final Beatitudes which present a pro-active stance toward life in God’s kingdom. True spirituality does not exist detached from our relationships with others. Mercy, purity of heart, peacemaking, and even persecution all assume a life connected to others. But in a fallen world relationships carry a significant amount of risk. As Charles Shultz once said, “I love mankind. It’s people I can’t stand.”
Jesus by contrast shatters our illusion of private spirituality with a call not only to endure, but embrace the difficulty of relationships in a fallen world with joy. Not only to avoid sin, but show mercy. Not merely to turn from impurity, but to pursue purity of heart. To pro-actively make peace. To seek the ultimate good of those who slander us. Because our future hope empowers us not only to endure fallen relationships, but to act righteously within them.
The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn’t exist.” Those famous final lines from the classic 90s movie The Usual Suspects describe the state of modern evangelicals today. We simply do not believe he exists or acts within the world. But Satan lies behind all forces of darkness. He veils himself behind false religion, evil regimes, and corrupt system of power as he seeks people to devour. Revelation 12 both unmasks the ancient serpent as the source of the church’s persecution both in the first and the twenty-first century and reveals Jesus Christ as the cause of Satan’s downfall. This is Understanding Revelation.
Jesus begins his famous sermon on the mount with a serious of well-known but strange sayings: the Beatitudes
Things get wild as two witnesses breathe fire against a Beast then die only to be raised to life three and a half days later. What does it all mean? Find out in this episode
John ingests the scroll unsealed by Jesus in order to proclaim the mystery of God to the nations — a mystery hidden since the time of Daniel.
Behind our everyday lives lies a heavenly conflict between light and darkness. The fifth and sixth seal reveal two opposing armies: the Satanic locusts of false teaching and the heavenly army of the church waging war with the message of the gospel.
Truth brings conflict in order to establish hope as Jesus breaks open the seventh seal of judgement to reveal seven trumpets. These trumpets symbolize the conflict that erupts in the wake of the gospel’s spread throughout families, nations, and people groups.
Truth brings conflict in order to establish hope as Jesus breaks open the seventh seal of judgement to reveal seven trumpets. These trumpets symbolize the conflict that erupts in the wake of the gospel’s spread throughout families, nations, and people groups.
Jesus enters the wilderness to be tempted and fulfils all righteousness where Adam and Israel so spectacularly failed.
God opens seven seals of judgements while sealing 144,000 martyrs for salvation while heaven watches in anticipation.
The baptism of Jesus reveals the life of God and demonstrates his work as the suffering servant.
In Revelation 4-5 John receives a vision of Christ’s ascension to the right hand of the Father from a heavenly perspective.
John the Baptist prepares the way for Jesus by insisting on repentance as the only path to the Saviour.
Jesus gives stern warnings and promises of hope to the final three churches in Revelation.
In this episode we look at Jesus words of warning and comfort to the first four churches in Asia.
What if Revelation is not about our future, but our past? And what if our hesitancy to understand it cuts us off from one of the greatest sources of hope in the Bible? Buckle up because our our journey through this strange book begins here. This is Understanding Revelation.
Revelation Resources
Alastair Roberts's audio commentary on Revelation
"Revelation" by Peter Leithart
"The Theology of the Book of Revelation" by Richard Bauckham
"Revelation" by Ian Paul
"Revelation" by Joseph L. Mangina
"Revelation: The Spirit Speaks to the Churches" by Jim Hamilton Jr.
"The Revelation of St. John" by Austin Farrer
Matthew sets in contrast the rule of King Jesus with the rule of this world as Herod hears from the Magi.
Paul gives a final farewell to the church in Rome while reflecting on his past ministry and future plans.
Understanding First Corinthians wraps up with a look at the "holy internet" of the church, the significance of Corinth giving to Jerusalem, and Paul's final exhortations to a divided community.
To check out more teachings visit our website.
Show Notes
"The Surprising Truth About Pastors in the New Testament" from That'll Preach Podcast
Paul gives the church some ground rules for dealing with disagreements and urges they strive for unity.
Jesus Christ was raised from the dead in a physical body. This will be our destiny too. Heaven is not our final destination. We are destined for resurrection and new creation. This changes everything. Find out how in this episode of Understanding First Corinthians.
To check out more teachings visit our website.
Everything we do is before the face of God which shapes how we treat one another in the church. Paul instructs the church not to pass judgement on one another regarding non-essential issues. Instead, Christians ought to extend charity and patience with one another.
Do we have good reason to believe that Jesus was raised from the dead? And if so, why does it matter? Find out in this episode of Understanding First Corinthians.
To check out more teachings visit our website.
What do we make of the Bible's teaching on the gift of tongues and prophecy? And how does this operate in the church? Find out in this episode of Understanding First Corinthians
To check out more teachings visit our website.
How do we develop a heart for God? We meditate on his law day and night. But this requires that we know his law. The ten commandments are not a legalistic ladder to heaven, but a lamp that guides us on the path of righteousness and blessing.
The church is bound together by love, but what does that mean on a practical level? Paul tells us: the church must operate like a body with unique and interdependent members. We all have the same Spirit, but different gifts and our task is to use those gifts for the common good.
To check out more teachings visit our website.
We are called to love one another as Christians, but do we understand what "love" means? Paul shows us how the law fulfils love and why we need to put off sin and put on Christ.
Here we go: what's the deal with head coverings? And why are people dying while taking the Lord's Supper? And what in the world does this have to do with the church today? Find out in this episode of Understanding First Corinthians.
Show Notes
"Head coverings as visible eschatology in 1 Corinthians 11" by Dr. Matthew Colvin
God institutes authority for our good and teaches Christians to adopt a humble posture.
Can "Christian freedom" lead to dining with demons? Find out in this episode of Understanding First Corinthians
To check out more teachings visit our website.
Paul exhorts the Corinthians to use their freedom in Christ to serve the weaker brother and applies this principle to his own life and ministry.
To check out more teachings visit our website.
Paul presses us toward genuine love, purposeful service, hopeful suffering, and generosity.
Paul applies theology to singleness, marriage, sex, divorce and a host of other practical concerns: is it better to be single or married? What if your wife isn't a Christian? How do we think about sex within marriage? The answers might surprise you.
To check out more teachings visit our website.
How we think about ourselves, our gifts, and our place in the church must be transformed by the grace of God.
Paul applies the message of the cross to lawsuits and sexual immorality while reminding the Corinthians of their true identity in Christ.
To check out more teachings visit our website.
Understanding First Corinthians continues as we look at heavenly rewards, the church as God's Temple, and Paul's use of sarcasm.
To check out more teachings visit our website.
Paul reveals the mystery of Israel’s rejection of the gospel and how it plays into God’s plan for the world.
We start our first episode of Understanding the New Testament by looking at Paul's first letter to Corinthians. In this letter, Paul applies the historical event of Christ's crucifixion to the every day lives of Christians and teaches us why the world rejects the message of the gospel.
To check out more teachings visit our website.
Paul offers an explanation for the stumbling of Israel, gives hope for the future, and encourages humility in the people of God.
Ezra 3:8-13. The second temple pales in comparison to the first and it leaves the people of God to wonder what happened to better days. Prophets Haggai and Zechariah remind them the God is not bound.
God tells his people not to fear because of their circumstances, but to hope in his promises.
Want to check out other books in the Understanding the OT series? Visit our website.
Jerusalem is justly destroyed and God's people are justly scattered. Even so, God gives grace and a future to His people.
Understanding Haggai is the first prophet to speak to Judah after they return from exile in Babylon. His message is clear: rebuild the Temple because God is not done with Israel. But will Israel respond with faith? Or will they imitate their forefathers in unbelief? This is Understanding Haggai.
Want to check out other books in the Understanding the OT series? Visit our website.
What happens when God’s people ignore his warnings? And what hope is there after his discipline? In 2 Kings 17:6-23, we look at the warnings and hope God provides after Israel falls.
Understanding Zephaniah concludes with a powerful message of redemption in the midst of an evil world.
Things look bleak as the people of God turn to idols, but God reminds Elijah that he has always kept a remnant.
Understanding Zephaniah continues with a look at how God will judge the world and what that means for his people.
Ever hear someone say "Only God can judge me?" What does that actually mean? Zephaniah 1 tells us -- and it's not pretty.
Understanding Zephaniah is part of the Understanding the Old Testament series that makes the Bible accessible to every day readers.
God works in ordinary ways to bring about extraordinary results. Samuel and Saul cross paths and set the stage for the first king of Israel.
Habakkuk gives a model of Christian hope in the midst of chaos.
Understanding Habakkuk is part of a series of short and accessible Bible teachings to help readers better understand the Old Testament.
God responds to Habakkuk's lament with a call to remember his faithfulness.
Understanding Habakkuk is part of a series of short and accessible Bible teachings to help readers better understand the Old Testament.
The story of God's people continues through Moses. God redeems and rescues Israel, gives them his presence, and makes a covenant with them.
Faith, lament, and how to trust God when his plan does not make sense.
Understanding Habakkuk is part of a series of short and accessible Bible teachings to help readers better understand the Old Testament.
Father Abraham: A man made by grace, who was tested God, and walked by faith. Genesis 12:1-9
Nahum gives a terrifying warning to those who would pride themselves in their own strength, technology, or military might. Technology is a gift, but it can also give the illusion of control -- an illusion that can lead us into foolishness.
Understanding Nahum is part of a series of short and accessible Bible teachings to help readers better understand the Old Testament.
Stephen recounts the history of God's people reminding us that God's place has always been with his people and God's law has always pointed to a person - Jesus.
Nahum continues his prophecy with a promise to his people to defeat their enemies and restore their fortunes.
Understanding Nahum is part of a series of short and accessible Bible teachings to help readers better understand the Old Testament.
God is sovereign over both the ends and the means of salvation. And because God's word is unassailably true, we can confidently share it!
What does God's wrath have to do with God's goodness? According to Nahum -- a lot.
Understanding Nahum is part of a series of short and accessible Bible teachings to help readers better understand the Old Testament.
"If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved" (Romans 10:9-10). This gift of salvation is something we need, God provides, and we receive by faith.
Waiting on the Lord is tough, but it's a necessary part of the Christian life. Micah teaches us how to wait in hope for the Lord to act.
Do we obtain righteousness and good standing before God by our works and obedience to the law? Does God accept us on our own merit or on the merit of Christ? Paul reminds us that righteous has always been obtained through faith in Jesus. Does it sound too easy? Too good to be true? This is the gospel that has been proclaimed.
God's requirements aren't rocket science. He wants us to do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with him. This is the trajectory of a Christian's life.
Micah finds hope in the midst of darkness and societal decay when he looks into the future at a king who reunites Israel and brings peace.
The title says it all. Micah gives more bad news before showing how it all leads to good news. Jerusalem will have a future after exile that is glorious beyond their wildest dreams.
This sermon goes over the idea that God has always chosen some out of many (and idea called election), and it goes through how that choice has always been a gift.
This sermon gives encouragement to engage your brain and open your heart for the next few chapters to come. It goes through the reality of Israel's rejection, rote religiosity, and what the right response should be.
The corrupt leaders of Jerusalem ignore Micah's warnings of judgement as things go from bad to worse.
This sermon goes over Jesus' vindication and ascension, and the assurance we now have because of those first two things.
In this sermon, we look at God's foreknowledge and omniscience, the concept of predestination. It also talks about how we cannot be plucked from God's hand once we are His children and along with that we are justified and glorified.
This sermon talks about God's Spirit, providence, and plan to deliver us to the kind of life that is destined for image bearers because of God's glory.
This sermon goes over how we have a hope that is strong enough for suffering, deep enough for the soil, and sourced in the Spirit.
This sermon goes over aspects of Psalm 23 and contentment - the conviction and competence of God. Listen as Lance goes through these aspects and leads us through how our contentment is found in the person of Christ.
That's right. Obadiah. Forgot about him? Let's give this one chapter prophet his due by looking at his prophetic message on pride, judgement, and redemption.
This sermon goes through knowing Christ's place - who He is - and knowing our place - who we are in light of knowing Christ's place.
How would you feel if God blessed your worst enemy? Jonah faces this predicament as he ushers in a massive revival in Ninevah -- and is angry at God for saving souls! God's mercy is on full display as Jonah must face his own sins. Will we learn from his example?
In this sermon, we go through what it looks like to set your mind on the Spirit and how that molds you.
Jonah's journey continues as he is spit back onto land to preach a message of repentance to evil Ninevah. Will his message succeed? Or will it fall on deaf ears? The answer might surprise you.
This sermon goes through what this passage is not - it is not universalism, it is not wishful thinking, and it is not just anywhere. This might not make sense when you read it, but the sermon breaks these up and talks in depth about each segment.
What happens when God course corrects your life? Jonah is about to find out as he spends three days in the belly of the fish reflecting on the mercy and salvation of God.
Lance talks through WHEN Paul wrote about the law, and Paul gives us a few definitions of the law when applying the word to biblical context.
Understanding Jonah unpacks the story of a running prophet, a wicked nation, and a gracious God. It all begins here with Jonah on the go with God on his tail ready not only to change his prophet's course, but also the future of an entire city.
This sermon goes through three aspects that Paul goes though about sin: lover, light, and lethal weapon.
This sermon talks about how Paul connects our identity in Christ to obedience. Two things are juxtaposed: what happens under the law and what happens under grace (with an emphasis on the righteousness of God).
This sermon goes through mistakes and missteps that might occur when talking about what happened regarding the cross. If we have chosen Christ and died with Him, then we cannot live in sin any longer, and this sermon is a good reminder of who we are in Christ.
Jesus Christ became a man so that all men might become like Jesus Christ. This part of Romans talks through the curse of sin, but the gift that we receive through Jesus and the glory we now have because of what he did on the cross for us.
As we begin a new year, we remember the promises of God, what he has called us to do and who he has called us to be. As Moses called the Israelites to remember, we too are called to remember the promises of God and to respond in obedience and trust. This is the Gospel According to Deuteronomy.
A Christian is nothing if he is not a confessing Christian. Do you bring our sins to God? How can this act begin to shape us into a people who look more like Christ?
Christmas is a time to celebrate and remember the coming of Christ. But the wonder of Christmas is that the good news of Jesus means is that God's promise is fulfilled in us now. Do we want it? What do we desire? What are we waiting for?
Isaiah 40:1-5
Christmas is a time of gift-giving. And, while this act can be corrupted by consumerism, it is ultimately meant to remind God's people to delight in the great gift the Lord has given us in Jesus.
Our series on Amos ends on a hopeful note about the hope of God's people and a message for the church today.
The Christmas season brings joy but it also vividly reminds us of our lack, longing, and hope.
Our series continues as we look at how God judges a culture and what the signs are of a church in decline.
Intro music produced by Danya Vodovoz, Royalty Free Music
Our Advent series begins with a look at God's promise to be with his people in Jesus Christ.
Can God's patience wear thin? Looks like it can. We look at how God judges his own people and whether or not there is hope to turn the tide.
Intro music produced by Danya Vodovoz, Royalty Free Music
Our series continues with a look at God's harsh words against Israel for their entitlement and hypocrisy. Also he calls the rich women of his time "cows of Bashan". Definitely would have gotten canceled.
Intro music produced by Danya Vodovoz, Royalty Free Music
God gives us hope through suffering by pouring his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit
Understanding Amos continues our project to make the Bible accessible to everyone. In this episode we look at God's judgement and justice over the whole world.
Intro music produced by Danya Vodovoz, Royalty Free Music
What does "justification by faith" mean? This week we look to the lives Abraham and David to inform us on what it means to be justified by faith.
We hosted our first Romans Recap night where we answered common questions about the first few chapters of Romans. Recorded on October 15, 2022.
We wrap up our series on Joel with a look at God's warning of judgement and hope for the future.
Intro music produced by Danya Vodovoz, Royalty Free Music
On this episode we tie together the prophecy of Joel and the day of Pentecost and how God's Spirit changes everything.
Intro music produced by Danya Vodovoz, Royalty Free Music
Understanding Joel is a podcast series to help you learn the Bible in accessible and bite-sized pieces. This week we look at the theme of repentance and how God's grace gives us hope.
Intro music produced by Danya Vodovoz, Royalty Free Music
This week we explore God's righteous judgement against sin and his kindness that leads us to repentance.
Understanding Joel is a podcast series to help you learn the Bible in accessible and bite-sized pieces.
Intro music produced by Danya Vodovoz, Royalty Free Music
Are we responsible for our own actions? How does God respond when we willfully disobey and choose paths that eventually lead to death? These verses speak to man's responsibility for his sin and God's righteous decrees.
In order to rightly understand the good news of the gospel, we need to first understand the bad news of our sin. And to understand why our sin is such bad news, we need to understand the truth of who God is and who we are.
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This week we get a glimpse of Paul's heart for the Roman church as he describes the marks and means of the mission of God.
As we introduce the Book of Romans we explore the messenger and the message of this letter? Who is Paul and what is he writing about?
As we explore this passage of "Good Samaritan" we see what it looks like to love and give generously to our neighbors.
This sermon covers the topic of gentleness - what gentleness it, what it is not, and goes through a pattern, power, and path of gentleness.
This sermon covers the Fruit of the Spirit - Faithfulness, and it tells you how to better set your mind on God, commit your ways to the Lord, and discipline your actions all through the lens of faithfulness.
This sermon goes through Goodness and what that looks like in the church - specifically going through how to pursue practices, perseverance, and priorities of goodness.
This sermon walks through the Fruit of the Spirit: kindness. It tells how God is kind, and how we should, therefore, be kind.
This sermon focuses on patience and how that should look in the church. Specifically looking at how fear of the Lord, focusing your heart, and fellowship make up this Fruit of the Spirit.
We start a new series on C.S. Lewis's classic book Mere Christianity. This week we talk about objective truth, whether morality changes, Nazis, evolution, and Morgan Freeman (of course).
This sermon talks about the Fruit of the Spirit: Joy. It looks at how Godly joy plants, prunes, and produces.
This sermon walks through Peace - another Fruit of the Spirit - and talks about the promise of peace, how there can possibly be peace, and what that peace looks like.
This sermon goes through the Fruit of the Spirit Love specifically answering the question: what does the Bible say about love?
We finish our series on Mere Christianity by looking at C.S. Lewis's answer to why Christians do not seem to be as nice as they should be. What does it mean to be "nice"? And why does it seem like Christians don't live up to what they profess? They answer might surprise you.
Paul talks about how chaos creates disorder; he addresses slavery, conspiracy, and greed.
Jesus tells us that his yoke is easy and his burden light. He also calls us to pick up our cross and follow him. How do these two statements work together? C.S. Lewis gives us helpful insight about how our obedience and God's grace work together. Also Paul talks about snow.
Paul discusses defining relationships and the role of widows in the church (specifically dignity and distinction).
Is it ok to "fake it till you make it" with Christianity? The answer might surprise you. Join us as we continue our series on Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis. Also find out Bryan's controversial take on diets.
We look at how C.S. Lewis's analogy of tin soldiers helps us understand what it means to have "eternal life" and what that means for our every day lives.
What does the Trinity have to do with every day life? According to C.S. Lewis -- a lot. Find out how the Trinity shapes how we understand humanity, love, and what it means to be a Christian.
Bryan and Paul look at C.S. Lewis's take on theology and how it maps our faith and teaches us how to know God.
We finish up our study on the book of Ephesians by looking at spiritual warfare and the armor God provides to sustain us.
Bryan and Paul discuss how do we love God and our neighbor when we don't "feel it" by looking at C.S. Lewis's answer: do it anyway.
Bryan and Paul look at the role forgiveness plays in the Christian life and how pride masks itself as religious activity.
We look at how the gospel transforms social relations between fathers and sons and slaves and master. We also discuss whether the Bible promotes slavery and how we make sense of these tricky verses in our modern culture.
Our Mere Christianity series continues with a look into C.S. Lewis's views on marriage and sexuality. In this episode we cover:
- Why Christianity prohibits pre-marital sex
- How our culture shapes the way we think about sex
- Common misconceptions about the Christian view of sex
We continue our series on Mere Christianity by looking at how Lewis's insights about morality and psychology from over half a century ago give us insights into our world today.
In this special episode we tackle
- What does Paul mean when he says "I do not permit a woman to teach or have authority over a man?"
- How do we understand this in light of our modern culture?
- What does this mean practically in the church?
What does it mean to be "filled with the Spirit"? And what's the deal with wives submitting to husbands and husbands being the head of their wives? And how does the gospel change our approach to marriage? Find out in this episode!
We look at why Christian morality matters. Morality is not a bad word. It doesn't make you a Pharisee. We were made to be moral creatures. And if we fail to do this we go against God's law and our design. Also Paul says weird stuff in this episode.
What does it mean to be a Christian? The answer is straightforward and practical: you are an imitator of God. He has brought us from darkness to light so that we might live differently.
We continue our series on Mere Christianity by looking at how Christianity subverts modern ideas of God and why we can't ignore who Jesus claims to be. We also invent a new video game fighting series featuring philosophers called "Moral Kombat".
Christ has not only saved us from sin, but also to righteousness. And this righteousness expresses itself in how we treat others in the local church. How do we handle division? Hostility? Bitterness? We imitate the forgiveness of Christ.
What does it really mean to find your "calling"? The answer might surprise you: it's in the local church alongside other believers. Every believer has a spiritual gift given by the Holy Spirit that is meant be used for to build up the church. Are you using your gifts?
What drove Paul's mission to plant churches? The fact that God revealed to him the "mystery of Christ" -- that God's purposes are for the nations.
We talk about how God can be in complete control yet not be responsible for moral evil. For anyone who has lost sleep over Calvinism, divine sovereignty, and free will this episode is for you.
Our world is filled with division and hostility. It needs divine intervention. We have that in the gospel of Christ which is the only path to peace between people groups.
In this episode we look at how the Incarnation and suffering of Christ gives comfort to those who suffer.
Paul writes about how pursuing gospel teaching alone will order our thinking and our behavior correctly in the house of God.
Join us as we look at what it means to be "alive in Christ" and how that changes the way we view ourselves.
We look at a few well-meaning Christian answers to suffering that do not fully answer the problem of evil:
- God can do anything he wants
- God will work all things together for good
- Suffering is a result of your sin
- Evil is the "risk" God took in giving people free will
- God is building your faith through this evil
In this episode we look at how Jesus rules the world for the sake of his church and all the powerful ways he wants to answer our prayers.
We continue our series on the problem of evil by defining what evil is and why it's challenged Christians for generations.
Join us as we begin our new devotional series on the book of Ephesians. In this first episode we look at all the blessings God has promised us in Christ and why we can be thankful in all circumstances.
Bryan and Paul start a new series for the new year about the problem of evil. Why does evil exist in a world created by a good God? How do we reconcile this? Are there any answers?
Bryan and Paul talk about why the Eastern Orthodox church celebrates Christmas on a different day and how you can use this fact to double up on presents.
Bryan and Paul dig into why Christmas matters. Family fun to be had for all. Put in your new Air Pods and enjoy!
Ever wonder how we got the idea of Santa Claus? Or why we hang up Christmas lights? Find out in this episode!
Join us as we debunk popular Christian myths and take shots at people who eat wings with forks. There's no better way to pre-game for Christmas than with our podcast.
Paul and Bryan start a new Christmas series to give you hours of entertainment and life-changing moments for this holiday season. Gather your family around a fire and play this podcast as loud as you can. This week we talk about how the Old Testament points to Jesus. You won't read the Christmas story the same way!
We wrap up our Hosea series with a look at God's mercy and love for sinners. Catch up on all past episodes of the Hosea series here: https://www.fouroaksmidtown.com/teachings
Bryan and Paul discuss the topic of singing in the church and how it shapes who we are. Also Bryan attempts to sing and it does not go well.
How do we understand God's judgement in light of his mercy? Hosea 12-13 gives us the answer. And it's all about Jesus.
Preaching is essential to the church, but maybe not for the reasons you think. What makes preaching different than a TED talk or motivational speaking? In one word: God. God speaks through the preaching of his Word to change us on the spot. Bryan and Paul trace the origins of preaching in the OT as well as how to listen to preaching. What more would you expect from a podcast called That'll Preach?
It's popular today to speak about spirituality in individualistic terms. It's all about you and Jesus. Well it's not just about that. It's also about you and the body of Jesus -- the church. The New Testament does not have a category for a Christian disconnected from a local church. Bryan and Paul dive into why being part of a local church forms us into mature and wise people.
We toss the word "hope" around with sentimentality and fluff. But biblical hope is durable. It does not bend under pressure because it is founded on the character of God. God offers a hope for his wayward people that is greater than they could ask or think. And that same hope is offered to us.
Church creeds are there to help us draw on the rich tradition of our faith to make us better readers of Scripture. If we were on a deserted island with just our Bibles we would probably come up with strange interpretations. If you don't believe this just look at Mormons and Jehovah's Witnesses. We believe that Scripture is the highest authority, but not the only authority. God has given us the church to train us to read the Bible properly. This is the heritage that the Protestant Reformers drew upon for all their teaching. We should do the same.
Our series on Hosea continues as we look at the connection between idolatry and exile. We may not bow before clay figures, but we still have idols today. God wants to pull us away from them so that our joy might be restored.
Does the thought of sharing your faith make you break out into hives? Fear not, Bryan and Paul are here to help. You don't need to be a biblical scholar or a world-class debater to be a faithful witness. You can be a normal person who trusts in the power of God's Word and Spirit. This is evangelism for normal people.
Our Hosea series continues with a question: do we really want to be healed? God's mercy is greater than we can imagine, but our pride keeps us from what we need. We cannot receive healing on our terms. We must submit to what God has revealed in his word.
We are creatures of habit. The question is what habits do we cultivate? Bryan and Paul talk about the importance of liturgy. Liturgy has been one of the primary tools throughout church history of forming Christians through repetition, ritual, and reflection. Christianity takes practice. It takes thoughtful discipline. And it takes actually being around other Christians doing the same things.
We continue our Hosea series with a sober warning to leaders. We also look at why we should be careful in applying OT Israel passages to our nation today.
We know God is our Father, but rarely do we consider the church as our mother. But this is the historic position. Cyprian, a third century bishop, once said, "No one can have God as Father who does not have the church as Mother." Now before your Roman Catholic alarms go off, let's remember that John Calvin quoted Cyprian favorably. Mr. Reformer himself believed that the church is God's tool for raising Christians. She nurtures us and brings us to full maturity. Bryan and Paul dive into a new series called Why Church Matters to bring a deeper understanding of how God works through the church to grow healthy Christians.
Our series on Hosea continues with a look at how God's discipline demonstrates his love. This series is meant to help you get familiar with the themes and ideas of the OT as well as remind you of God's unchanging character.
Joseph's story of being plucked from the pit, positioned perfectly, and planted in his faith.
Bryan and Paul interview Guillaume Bignon about his radical conversion from atheist rock star and volleyball athlete to Christian husband, father, philosopher, and apologist. Through his own reading of the Bible and the friendship of a pastor, Guillaume realized that he did not understand the Christian faith he rejected. This led him on a path of difficult questions, long nights, and ultimately a powerful realization of what makes the gospel good news. Skip to 3:30 to skip the banter and get to the good stuff.
Check out Guillaume's book:
"Excusing Sinners and Blaming God: A Calvinist Assessment of Determinism, Moral Responsibility, and Divine Involvement in Evil)"
Our series on Hosea continues with a message about how God's discipline leads to restoration and healing.
We're wrapping up our Old Dead Guys series with... a gal! Bryan, Paul and special guest Meredith look at the meaning of forgiveness through the eyes of Corrie Ten Boom and her experience of suffering under the Nazis in World War II. Could you forgive someone who was responsible for the death of your loved ones? Where do we find the strength to do this seemingly impossible task? This is a podcast you will not want to miss.
Resources
The Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom
Do you have a hard time reading the Old Testament? We're here to help with a bite-sized and accessible series on the book of Hosea that you can listen to while you run, drive, fold laundry, or run errands. We dive into the first chapter of Hosea to learn about the patient mercy of God and why that drives Christian hope.
Bryan and special guest Lance tackle the topic of dreams in the Bible. What does God use them for? Does God still speak through dreams today? What role does the church play?
Our God Meant Good series continues with a look at God's sovereignty through Joseph's imprisonment.
How do we navigate the times in our lives when we feel "stuck"? Why do we lack joy despite having all the "right Christian answers?" Spiritual depression is something Christians throughout the ages have experienced. What are its causes? What is its cure? Is there any hope? The answer is yes. And the timeless sermons of Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones will help us find our way through.
Our mini-series on the life of Joseph by looking at God's faithfulness in the midst of Joseph's successes and temptations
Darlena Watson joins us for a special episode on the ministry of Safe Families. Safe Families for Children is a movement fueled by compassion to keep children safe and families intact. They temporarily host children and provide a network of support to families in crisis while they get back on their feet.
Resources:
"21 Ways to Care for the Fatherless"
The Gospel Comes with a House Key by Rosaria Butterfield
ThinkOrphan.com
Safe-families.org
Bryan and Paul tackle the topic of temptation with C.S. Lewis's classic book The Screwtape Letters. Why are we so easily tempted? The answers might surprise you.
We continue our series on Joseph's life by discussion of God's grace through Judah's family line.
We wrap up our series on Philippians with God's command to rejoice in all circumstances. But how do we do that when things are so uncertain?
Watch on IGTV: @fouroakscollege
Prayer is central to the Christian life, but why do we find it so hard to do? Bryan and Paul tackle this topic with the help of John Calvin. Calvin is known for his work on God's sovereignty, but his best stuff is on prayer. He gives us four keys to prayer rooted in the fatherly and kind character of God.
Bryan and Paul tackle how we understand the way the Bible speaks in human terms about God. How can we know God if he's infinite? Can we know anything about him? And why does it matter that we talk about it in the first place? Is it just because Bryan and Paul have no other hobbies? Yes. That is a major reason. But also God has revealed who he is to us. And that means his nature and identity are crucial for us to think through. We bring in our buddy Thomas Aquinas to help us in this task. He's dead though, so he won't actually be speaking on the podcast. You get what we mean.
We all feel the emotional burnout of this quarantine. This is why we need genuine friendship. Christian friendship is special because it is bound together by the Holy Spirit himself. But what does this mean on a practical level? Dive into Philippians with us to find out.
Watch on IGTV: @fouroakscollege
Bryan and Paul talk about the Trinity. No big deal. Simple stuff. But seriously -- we're talking about who God is and why it matters. We also introduce the Cappadocian fathers who were instrumental in giving us language to understand the Trinity. We also start our own sorority called Cappa Cappa Docia. We've got theology and cringeworthy jokes for days. What more can you ask for?
The apostle Paul writes Romans 4 to help us understand the gospel according to Abraham. We continue our study in the book of Genesis by allowing scripture to interpret scripture - looking at how Paul interprets and understands the events of Genesis through the lens of Romans.
Humility is a cornerstone of peace. We are called to be what we are -- creatures dependent upon God. We know this because Jesus, the perfect man, lived his life dependent upon God. Christ is God himself, but he humbles himself to our level to give his life for us. And because of this we too can adopt this mindset of humility. And we too can follow him to glory.
Watch on IGTV: @fouroakscollege
Why are our hearts so restless? It seems like everything we strive for never satisfies us despite all media and pop culture tell us. Our world tells us that love is the answer to everything, but rarely does it question the object of our love. Bryan and Paul tackle the topic of love, hope, and fulfillment through the eyes of one of the greatest Christian thinkers to ever live: St. Augustine.
We revisit the content and context of Genesis 1-11 by looking first at Genesis 1:1-5 to gain perspective on the story of redemption woven through scripture.
We start a new series today on peace. God promises that despite the troubles we have in this life we can have a peace that surpasses understanding. But how do we grasp this peace? With the Apostle Paul and his letter to the Philippians as a guide we will learn how to put peace into practice. The first tactic for peace: gratitude. Don't miss this series.
We dive into a new series today called Old Dead Guys. Each week we take one topic and recruit a Christian theologian to help us think through it. This week we're looking at the topic of humanity. What does it mean to be a human? Is Christianity about denying our humanity or something more? Athanasius was a theologian of the early church who pondered this question and worked through ideas that have shaped the core of our faith.
Peter teaches us on the importance of humility in trials and the hope God offers to those who trust him.
Bryan and Paul wrap up the Tallahassee Vice series on the Seven Deadly Sins by providing practical application. If you haven't listened to the Tallahassee Vice series... what are you doing with your life? Probably nothing because we're in a pandemic. So get to it!
How does God care for His church? He gives them the gift of pastors and elders to care for their souls.
Heaven will be wonderful, but it is only a step towards our ultimate hope. God promises he will make all things new -- including this world. Our great hope is that we will live forever in a physical world where the heavens and earth are renewed by God's glory. Revelation ends with a city descending from heaven to earth in a final act of redemption. Heaven is not forever. It is just the beginning.
Watch on IGTV: @fouroakscollege
Christian conversations about sex and lust can often devolve into legalistic finger-wagging or childish indulgence. Bryan and Paul take a serious look at what lust does to the dignity of sex and how we can break its cycle of shame, self-loathing, and slavery. Let's put the juvenile talk aside and dive in.
Peter gives surprising advice to Christians fearful of the future: don't be surprised when trials come, but also have faith that God will overcome.
It can be intimidating to be a Christian in a time of rapid cultural change, but the church still has reason to hope. Christ's call to disciple the nations will succeed not by our efforts, but by the power of the Spirit in Christ's church through the preaching of the gospel. Christianity will face set backs, but in the end all of our sacrifices and efforts will forge the path for new generations to prosper.
Watch on IGTV: @fouroakscollege
Gluttony is a sin, but it goes deeper than just eating that extra slice of pizza. It's fundamentally about selfishness. Gluttony makes our pleasure and preferences the center of the universe when it comes to food and drink. You can be a glutton because you're too picky with food. You can be fit and still a glutton because you do not consider others at the dinner table. How do we combat this sin in our lives? One effective way: fasting. Bryan and Paul tackle the root and symptoms of gluttony as well as discuss the purpose and goal of fasting.
Dragons? Beasts? Prostitutes? What does it all mean? Symbols lie at the heart of Revelation. Let's dive in to find out what they mean and why they matter.
Watch on IGTV: @fouroakscollege
Why are we so angry? We might not express anger in outbursts of rage, but we often carry with us a gnawing frustration with others. We act cold and distant to people we love to punish them. We wish the worst on others and find delight in their misery. Our anger destroys relationships, work environments, churches, and communities because we simply do not get what we want. Is there an escape from the prison of anger? Yes there is. Find out how.
Peter exhorts us to have sober minds and servant hearts as the church faces opposition.
How should we read Revelation? Is it a straight shot through 22 chapters? Or is there something else going on? Get ready to dive into the deep end of the strangest book in the Bible.
Watch on IGTV: @fouroakscollege
What is the biggest relationship killer? The answer might surprise you -- sloth. What is sloth? It's not just laziness. Sloth is a refusal to answer the call of love. To avoid doing the hard thing to love someone else through apathy or escapism. Bryan and Paul tackle the root causes of sloth as well as ways to grow into the kind of person who loves well.
Peter instructs us on how to have the proper mindset in the midst of persecution and trials.
What does Revelation teach about the Rapture? Nothing. It's not mentioned in Revelation. Yet the Rapture is one of the cornerstones of the modern American vision of the end times. We look at Matthew 24 and 1 Thessalonians 4 to uncover the truth about the Rapture and what it means for us today.
Watch on IGTV: @fouroakscollege
Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/6FEbaVgpEMc
Bryan and Paul tackle the touchy subject of money. It is difficult for all of us in a consumeristic culture to part with our stuff. We feel like we never have enough money and as a result rarely consider whether we need to be generous. How do we break this? How do we have money without letting money have us? How do we use money to love people rather than using people to love money? Find out in this week's episode!
Does Jesus actually expect us to succeed in the Great Commission? Will God's kingdom be a few people huddled in a corner, or a massive sea of worshippers from every tongue, tribe, and nation? Revelation gives us hope for our call as the church to preach the gospel. Despite how things may seem, God's kingdom will advance across cultures and people groups to the ends of the earth.
Watch on IGTV: @fouroakscollege
Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/dy1fQ3YEZh8
Bryan, Lance, and Zach reflect on current events regarding race.
Resources mentioned:
Black and Tired: Essays on Race, Politics, Culture, and International Development
Dr. Anthony Bradley
Black Rednecks and White Liberals
Dr. Thomas Sowell
The Black Church and Civil Rights
Dr. Ryan Reeves
It's common to limit the Christian life just to your personal devotions with God. Those are important, but they are only part of the picture. We are called to be part of Christ's church, his bride, not just in theory, but in practice in the local church. If we love Jesus we will love his church. We will also listen to Jesus when he corrects where we've gone wrong. In Revelation 2-3, the Spirit of God convicts the church of sin and shows her the path of repentance so that she might continue to serve him faithfully. We will find that the first century and the twenty-first century feature similar problems and solutions. Our generation loves to dream about changing the world, but the biggest change starts locally with real people, in a real place, with real problems, in the real local church.
Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/5xRdc5Zt328
Watch on IGTV: @fouroakscollege