Your Church Friends Podcast

The word is spreading about who Jesus is and what He’s doing. Could He be the Messiah that the people of Israel have been waiting for? All the people knew was that they wanted to be where He was teaching, and Jesus drew the attention of so many—even the Pharisees and teachers of the Law. What they weren’t expecting to see was a miracle tied to the need for forgiveness. Join Your Church Friends as...

Jesus dropped the reverse Uno card on leprosy when He touched the man plagued by the disease. Normally, when anyone came in contact with someone with leprosy, they would become unclean and fear they might also become a leper—a death sentence in those days. But Jesus didn’t become unclean. Instead, the reverse happened: the man with leprosy became clean and was able to rejoin the community. Join Yo...

Is being unclean the same as being sinful? From the perspective of many in the Bible, yes, it was. So, when Jesus has an encounter with a man with leprosy, the people's understanding is about to be shaken up, as all they knew about being unclean and leprosy is going to go out the window. Join Your Church Friends as they closely examine the difference between being unclean and being sinful, and how...

Full disclosure: this is the conversation that took place after the demon episodes and before the Peter episodes. We thought we lost it due to a file transfer error, but it turns out it was just hiding—sneaky file! So here it is!   They wanted the miracle, but Jesus’ main objective was to teach about the Kingdom of God. His proclamation was that the new King had arrived, and the question before th...

Full disclosure: this is the conversation that took place after the demon episodes and before the Peter episodes. We thought we lost it due to a file transfer error, but it turns out it was just hiding—sneaky file! So here it is! When Peter’s mother-in-law develops a fever, Jesus comes over and heals her. Interestingly enough, He rebukes the sickness just like He did the demons before. Does this m...

It’s something only God has done! Way back in Genesis chapter one, it was God who spoke and created fish out of nothing, but now Jesus has done the same. With this miracle, Peter understands he is in the presence of not only the Messiah but God. Join Your Church Friends as they closely examine an encounter with Jesus and how our response to that is an essential component in discovering a Savior.

He’s a fisherman, but not just any fisherman—Peter is an expert fisherman. So, what happens when a carpenter from Nazareth named Jesus comes along and gives him advice on fishing? Peter then catches more fish than he ever has before. How does Peter respond to this encounter with Jesus? How would you respond to an encounter with Jesus? Join Your Church Friends as they closely examine an encounter w...

Is everything we struggle with today a demon? Many believe that is the case, but when you look at the demonic activity in the Bible, you may think otherwise. Jesus encounters a man possessed by a demon in the synagogue, and when Jesus rebukes the demon, it leaves. The people are amazed at the authority Jesus has, even over demons. Join Your Church Friends as they closely examine demons and their a...

Have you ever sat back and wondered, where do demons come from? They are scarcely mentioned in the Old Testament, and then suddenly, in the New Testament, exorcising them from tormented souls becomes part of Jesus' mission. How did this eerie shift occur, and how does understanding the shadowy writings of the Second Temple period help? Join Your Church Friends as they closely examine the origins o...

Jesus is in His hometown, the place He grew up in, and in the synagogue, reading from the scroll of Isaiah 61. Everything was going great—the people enjoyed His message—until He gave two Old Testament references: the Widow of Zarephath and Naaman. After this, the people wanted to kill Jesus by walking Him off a cliff. But why? Why did these two references stir up so much rage in the people of Naza...

After Jesus’ encounter with the Devil in the desert, He is now prepared to begin His earthly mission. The Spirit leads Him back home to Nazareth, where in the synagogue, He opens up the scroll and begins to read from Isaiah 61. Jesus uses this portion of the Old Testament to proclaim to all listening—and to us—the mission of the Savior. Join Your Church Friends as they closely examine the mission...

The confrontation between Jesus and the Devil continues, and it’s time for temptation number 3! There is a back-and-forth about Psalm 91, known as “The Exorcism” Psalm. That’s right, “The Exorcism” Psalm. After this exchange, the Devil leaves Jesus, and the battle is won. This victory, so early in Jesus’ ministry, is crucial to understanding the purpose of why Jesus came to earth. Join Your Church...

After the riveting section on Jesus’ Genealogy, Luke picks up the story of Jesus in the wilderness for forty days and nights fasting, and the devil appearing after to tempt Him. But why forty? What was so significant about that number in the Bible? Also, why in the wilderness, and how did the devil get there? The answers may surprise you! Join Your Church Friends as they closely examine the Tempta...

Genealogies might be considered some of the most mundane parts of the Bible, yet God saw fit to include them. They're simply lists of names, so why are genealogies so important, especially when it comes to the genealogy of Jesus? For Luke, he strategically pauses at the end of chapter 3 to provide us with Jesus’ genealogy, revealing who Jesus' Father truly was and demonstrating that even our Savio...

We're going way back in the time machine to a conversation between Chris and Special Guest Rogelio Rodriguez Jr that took place in 2021. This conversation served as a follow-up to Season 1, 'The Sermon on the Mount.' In it, they discuss: What are the Beatitudes? How does Jesus' use of the word 'blessed' differ from our understanding of 'blessed'? How do the Beatitudes challenge our morality, and w...

Where did baptism come from? It’s not practiced in the Old Testament, but then you enter the New Testament and there is John baptizing in the Jordan. Where did he get the idea to baptize people in the Jordan for the forgiveness of sins, and what was the purpose of Jesus being baptized? Join Your Church Friends as they closely examine the origins of baptism and why it's an essential component in di...

Out of the desert came a man with a message of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. That man was John the Baptist, and he did not shy away from telling people God’s truth. In fact, his first words in the Bible are, “You brood of vipers, who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?” So, if repentance was so important at the establishment of the Gospel, why doesn’t the Church talk about repentan...

We've all experienced that sinking feeling in our stomach when we think we've lost something important. When we find it, there's a profound sense of relief. For Mary and Joseph, they lost Jesus. Imagine the distress of losing the Savior of the world. Yet, we don't have to imagine, because sometimes in our Christian journey, we feel like we've lost Jesus. Join Your Church Friends as they closely ex...

I believe that at some point, we've all daydreamed about what life would look like if we won the lottery. How it would "save" us from our woes. However, the Bible tells a different story. Our salvation is only found in Jesus, who was born into poverty. Yet, even in this poverty, He was recognized as the Savior by two faithful, elderly Israelites. Join Your Church Friends as they closely examine wh...

Why shepherds? Why would God choose to have shepherds be the first people to hear the announcement of the birth of the Messiah? Why did the angels proclaim Jesus’ birth as peace on Earth? Join Your Church Friends as they closely examine the good news of peace and why it is an essential component in discovering a Savior.   Visit our website: https://yourchurchfriends.rocks/  

The question of Jesus’ existence has been debated since His birth, but today, we know that there are no issues with Jesus’ existence due to numerous references to Him outside the Bible. However, a lingering question persists about the virgin birth of Jesus. Was His birth a derivative of some other ancient deity story, or was it simply a fabricated narrative to embellish His identity? Join Your Chu...

Zachariah writes his name as John! Immediately, his voice returns to him, and he begins to praise God with a song that sheds light on the mission of the upcoming Messiah and his son John—revealing who God had predestined John to be. Join Your Church Friends as they closely examine how God has predestined certain individuals to be His chosen instruments, and how that understanding is an essential c...

John the Baptist is born, but controversy arises over what to name him. The crowd is ready to name him Zacariah, like his father, but his parents know his name was predestined to be John. With this story in mind, we ask the question: What is predestination, and where did this concept come from? Join Your Church Friends as they closely examine how understanding that God is in control of everything...

Mary visits Elizabeth, and when they greet each other, there is a moment of celebration and joy for all around. Why would this meeting between these two soon-to-be mothers bring such joy? Could it be the spiritual revolution that was about to begin? Join Your Church Friends as they closely examine how joy marked the beginning of God’s revolution and how it is an essential component in discovering...

Ok, but seriously, can we trust prophecy, especially when it comes to prophecy about the Messiah in the Bible and how it all points to the birth, life, death, and resurrection of Jesus? Join Your Church Friends as they closely examine the significance of biblical Messianic prophecy and how it’s an essential component to discovering a Savior.   Visit our Website: https://yourchurchfriends.rocks/