Serious Faith: Recent Episodes
First UMC and the Life Center
A podcast for people who want to follow the Jesus of the Gospels, Serious Faith investigates the Gospels story by story to discover the way Jesus intended his followers to live. Hosted by Chad Yoder, pastor at First UMC and the Life Center in Goshen, IN.
As we prepare to close this season and this book of the Bible, what are the author's final thoughts? To please God.
Last week, we talked about running the race. This week, we move into how to run the race. We talk discipline, both on the track and in the home, and how discipline helps us follow Jesus.
So what are we supposed to do with the list of faithful people in Hebrews 11? We jump into Hebrews 12 for the answer.
Remember when you first came to faith in Jesus? How exciting life seemed? The author asks, "What happened to that?"
Our author goes into another point of response from people: how we treat sin must change when we follow Jesus.
What do we do in response to Jesus and all that he does? Hebrews has some thoughts on that.
Jesus did his work as the last sacrifice... and then he sat down. Why is that important for us today?
Jesus offered himself once to death, but will come again in life to finalize what he started. Are you ready?
Why is the author on this thought of the Old Testament sacrifices? Because its important to what Jesus did for us. Learn more this week.
We've discussed Jesus being better, but the author continues to make that point. Does that make you more excited about Jesus? Maybe it should!
We continue discussing Jesus as high priest and how he compares to Melchizedek this week. Could Jesus possibly be better than him?
So we are meant to have this sure hope, but how? How is our hope so sure? We begin to answer that this week.
The writer lightens up a little this week and focuses on how to keep your hope sure. Is your hope sure?
As our author continues his piece on growing, he issues a stark warning about stagnation and backsliding. Will we heed the warning?
The writer this week goes deeper into Jesus as priest, but takes a break to accuse the readers of being spiritually lazy. Is that you? Is it me? Yikes.
The author of Hebrews says there is rest to be found in God, but how do we find it? This week, we answer that question.
With Jesus as our roommate, the author of Hebrews now points out that there is a rest available to us. But its a deeper rest than just physical, right?
This week, Hebrews speaks to tuning into God and not being stubborn. That leads us to a conversation about community groups and we get a little candid (too candid?) about finding community in the church.
Moses helped build God's house, but who built Moses? If you are God's house, who builds you? This week, we talk about what it means to be God's house and have Jesus as a roommate.
We continue the theme of "Jesus is better" this week with an impactful summary of the Gospel in Hebrews 2:10-18.
Jesus just keeps getting better, doesn't he? This week, he is the best human to have ever lived.
Last week, the author established that Jesus is better than angels and prophets. This week, they seek to prove it with Scripture.
As we dive into Hebrews, we immediately find the main theme: Jesus is better. This week, he is greater than the prophets and messengers. What does that mean for us though?
Season two is finally here! This season, we will walk through the book of Hebrews story by story. This week we start with an introduction to the book, focusing mainly on an important question: who wrote Hebrews?
How do you end a gospel? With a cool story and a cool statement, of course. John does it well this week.
We see a real life parable this week, as Jesus swoops in to bring a better night's work for the fishing disciples. Peter is blown away. Does Jesus blow you away?
What does Jesus tell his disciples to do the second he comes back? The same thing we should be doing.
How do we wait on the Lord when we do not understand something? Like Mary or like Peter?
Are you a Joseph of Arimathea or a Nicodemus? Do you have people like them in your life? Learn more in this week's episode.
What happens after Jesus died on the cross? We talk post-death, spears, and Martin Luther this week.
Jesus was motivated by his love for God and his love for his people. What motivates you?
We divert for one week to talk about the recent trip to Uganda and what Uganda can teach us about serious faith.
The chief priests seem to be experienced in getting what they want. Are there places in our lives that we manipulate the situation to get our desired outcome?
Much like Saul in Acts 9, the chief priests believed they were in the center of God's will. Are we more humble than them?
Why would the people release Barabbas instead of Jesus? Mob mentality? Concern for their status quo? Do we do the same thing in our own lives? Probably.
Pilate asks Jesus two important questions: "Are you the king of the Jews?" and "What is truth?" Those questions shape how we do life.
The Jewish leaders thought they would use the Romans to skirt some of their own laws and get what they wanted. Is that something you've been doing too?
The disciples were not shy on sharing their own failures in the Gospels. Do we have someone to bear our soul to or do we hide behind the "I'm doing pretty good" in life?
Sometimes we don't actually trust that what Jesus said is true or actually works in real life, but we are too afraid to explore it further in the church. Let's stop that. Let's explore.
Jesus offers himself without a fight but not all of his disciples go so easily. Which path will we choose?
Jesus comes to the end of his monologue this week with a bit of encouragement for the disciples, who are about desert him and feel terrible about it: "I have conquered the world." Jesus has conquered your world too.
The disciples are upset that Jesus is leaving, but Jesus assures them that God is in the sorrow too. God is in your sorrow, my friends.
Jesus didn't have time to tell his disciples everything so he sent the Holy Spirit to continue teaching us. Are we avid learners or are we tuning him out?
Jesus tells the disciples they should be happy he is leaving. But why? We explore the impact and work of the Holy Spirit this week.
Jesus predicted the world would hate his followers, but he also predicted they would be hated in the synagogue. Whew!
In our 50th episode, we look at Jesus' command (again) to love each other. This time, Jesus calls his disciples friends and links obedience to knowing him. What? Take a listen.
If you remain in Jesus, you will produce fruit. If you don't remain in Jesus and you don't produce fruit, you are gone. Simple principle; hard to accept?
Jesus just told the disciples he would be leaving, but not without offering the greatest parting gift ever: the Holy Spirit.
Have you ever had a moment where you accidently put Jesus in the backseat in your decision-making? So does Peter. Maybe we all have those moments? We challenge that this week.
Jesus tells his disciples to love requires sacrifice. Are you willing to sacrifice to love your neighbor well?
Randy Bennett, worship director at First UMC and the Life Center, joins us this week to talk emotions and blind spots as the disciples learn that Judas is about to betray them.
What if following Jesus is actually really simple? Jesus makes it simple for his disciples by washing their feet and directing them to do the same.
Jesus gets down to the basics of his mission: to save. Have we taken time to appreciate that lately?
Jewish leaders believed in Jesus, but chose not to say anything for fear of being sent out of the synagogue. How often do we hold our tongue for what is right in the church because we don't want to clash with our friends who do not get it yet?
This passage has SO. MUCH. in it. Jesus essentially unravels the mysteries of the Gospel for the people right before he completes them all in front of their eyes.
Jesus begins his death week with a grand entrance into Jerusalem, but the disciples didn't understand it at the time. When in your life did God do something you didn't understand at the time?
Mary spends a whole year's wages to anoint Jesus. Judas doesn't like it... but Jesus does so that makes it okay. Right?
You might think Jesus is running away in this week's passage... or is he preparing for what is coming? Are you prepared for what's coming?
A priest offers a prophecy about Jesus that is ironically true. Does God work in spite of you or through you?
Two thoughts come out this week: is God's work in the world a change to the natural law or is the natural law insufficient in capturing a greater law at work in the world? Also, what is our role in the supernatural work of God?
This entire passage is full of emotions: from Jesus, Mary, Martha, and even the crowd. How do we handle emotions before God?
Jesus' response to the news of Lazarus' illness was to wait two days before coming... what? Why would he do that? How do we handle times of worry?
Jesus points to his works as proof that God is working through him. Can we do the same?
Jesus has the desire and the authority to lay down his life for his sheep. Do we take that for granted?
Jesus is the gate, letting in the good and keeping out the bad. But do we let him do that in our lives? Are we living life to the fullest?
As Jesus continues his conversation with the Pharisees, he sees people as sheep and himself as the Shepherd. But do we know his voice like he says we should?
In the climax of the blind man story, the man moves from "I want to believe" to "I believe." Are we making those same transitions in our lives?
The saga of the blind man continues, but the Jewish leaders had already made up their mind about the ending. What does that say about us?
This week, we look at the second part of the healed blind man's story with special guest Josh Teegardin. We ask whether people can tell we are Christians or if we have to tell them as well as how we respond to the work of God in our lives.
Jesus finishes his encounter with the Jews on the topic of Abraham. We have to ask: how would we respond in these situations?
Jesus challenges the "claim to fame" for the Jews. In that challenge, we too are challenged: are we all children of God?
What motivates your life? For Jesus, it was a relationship and an event, the Father and the Crucifixion.
Are we living like Jesus or a Pharisee in our interactions with other people? Mercy and grace filled his ministry; what fills us?
Jesus offers the river of living water to all who are thirsty. Are we choosing to drink from it?
The disciples saw resources that could not meet the needs before them. Jesus saw limitless resources. Which will we see in our lives?
When Jesus comes into Jerusalem for a holiday, he has an encounter with a sick man. This week, we discuss who we are in this story and what we should do about it.
As Jesus heals a royal official's son in Galilee, his hope that Jesus can do miracles becomes a full belief in Jesus. Does the same happen for us when we encounter Jesus?
In our second week with Bobbi, we finish the story of Jesus in Samaria by looking at the fruit produced by his encounter with the woman at the well.
We bring on our first guest for the first of two episodes covering Jesus' interactions in Samaria and what they mean for our own faith journey.
The story comes back to John the Baptist this week so we discuss the importance of the phrase, "He must increase and I must decrease."
What does it mean to be born again? How do you even do that? Nicodemus asks these questions and we explore them together this week.
We explore the story of Jesus flipping tables and the ways we might be preventing people from worshiping God ourselves.
What does the wedding Jesus attended or the wine he created have to do with your life? Find out, as we talk spirits and THE Spirit this week.
In the final stretch of John 1, Chad explores the calling of the first disciples and the concept of "open heaven," leading to a serious challenge for Christ-followers.
This week, Chad talks about John the Baptist, humility, and the need for more Holy Spirit in our lives.
In our first Bible study episode, we discuss John 1:1-18. We talk about what it means that the Word becoming flesh, the light came into the darkness, and that we are now children of God.
In the opening episode of Serious Faith, Chad shares his experience that will help guide this podcast as well as some thoughts on how to study Scripture.