The Bible Matters Podcast

In this episode  Leo spoke to Richard Coombs, Rector of St Matthew's & The Minster in Cheltenham, UK. Drawing on decades of ministry experience, Richard reflects on two church revitalisation stories, sharing what he learned about leadership, patience, prayer, and the slow work of gospel transformation. Questions answered in this episode How can a struggling church be revitalised without causin...

In this episode we feature a talk by William Taylor on Song of Songs 7-8. In it, William considers the book's conclusion and how it fits into the context of salvation history and the Old Testament's Christology. Questions answered in this episode: What does the Song of Songs teach us about true love? Why does the Bible present love as something to be guarded and treasured? How are sexual immoralit...

The Song of Songs is one of the Bible's most beautiful and mysterious books. Is it simply a collection of ancient love poetry, or is there something deeper going on? In this episode, William Taylor joins Leo Elbourne to explore the Bible's celebration of love, marriage, and sexual intimacy, and why this often-misunderstood book remains so relevant today. Questions answered in this episode Is Song...

The Song of Songs is one of the most surprising books in the Bible. Often ignored, misunderstood, or treated with embarrassment, it presents a bold and beautiful celebration of love, marriage, and sexual intimacy as gifts from God.   In this episode, we begin our journey through Song of Songs, exploring why the Bible speaks so positively about sex while also insisting that it must be protected wit...

In this episode of the Bible Matters Podcast, Leo sits down with Chris, pastor of a multicultural church in Cape Town, South Africa. Together they explore Chris's journey from accounting to gospel ministry, the challenges and opportunities of serving in a post-apartheid society, and why God's Word remains central to church planting, leadership training, and Christian education. From raising up fut...

Have you ever wondered whether following God is really worth the cost when life seems to be falling apart?   In this episode, we begin our journey through the book of Ruth by exploring one of the Bible's most honest accounts of grief, loss, faith, and hope. Naomi returns from Moab convinced that God is against her, while Ruth makes the remarkable decision to leave everything behind and cast her lo...

What does the Book of Ruth really teach? Is it simply a love story, or is it asking a much bigger question: is it worth returning to the Lord when life is hard? In this episode, we were joined by Tim Sheppard to explore the first book in our series on the Megilloth, the Five Scrolls. We examined Ruth as a carefully crafted narrative that points beyond itself to God's sovereign purposes, his hidden...

Have you ever wondered whether following God is really worth the cost when life seems to be falling apart?   In this episode, we begin our journey through the book of Ruth by exploring one of the Bible's most honest accounts of grief, loss, faith, and hope. Naomi returns from Moab convinced that God is against her, while Ruth makes the remarkable decision to leave everything behind and cast her lo...

What if five seemingly unrelated books of the Bible were actually part of a forgotten collection? In this introductory episode to our new series on the Megilloth (the Five Scrolls), Leo is joined by Molly to explore one of the Bible's most overlooked groupings: Ruth, Esther, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs and Lamentations. Why were these books collected together? What can we learn from reading them a...

What does it take to finish the race of faith well? Drawing on Paul's images of the athlete, the soldier and the hardworking farmer, we consider the dangers, pressures and disappointments that can cause Christians to lose heart. Yet alongside the warnings comes a powerful encouragement: faithful perseverance is possible through spiritual discipline, dependence on God and a fixed hope in the reward...

Following William Taylor's recent talks on Titus and the Church of England, a number of questions and comments were raised by those who attended. In this short bonus episode, Leo Elbourne sits down with William Taylor to explore those questions in more detail, clarify his position, and discuss the implications for churches, ministry training, and the future of evangelical ministry within the Churc...

What strategy should the church follow in order to reach a broken world? In this episode we feature a talk from William Taylor on Titus 3 that was given at a gathering of church leaders and ministry staff in London. In the talk, William looks at Paul's instructions to Timothy, and particularly the instructions on how he's to respond to false teachers. The Bible Matters Podcast is funded entirely b...

How will God save the world?  In this episode we feature a talk from William Taylor on Titus 1-2 that was given at a gathering of church leaders and ministry staff in London. In the talk, William looks at Paul's instructions to Timothy concerning his ministry to Crete, and how we can learn from it as we seek to minister in our context.  Questions answered in this episode: - How will God save the w...

Who is Jesus? And what verdict have you reached? In this powerful concluding address from the "Who's Jesus?" series, John Stott argues that the claims of Jesus demand a response. Drawing from Matthew 11:25-30, he explores Jesus' extraordinary statements about himself, his unique ability to reveal God, and his invitation to all who are weary and burdened. Stott explains why Christianity is more tha...

Why does the church so often disappoint people? And what did Jesus actually intend it to be? In this classic address, John Stott asks whether Christians are merely harmless spectators in society or whether Jesus intended his followers to be a transformative force for good. Beginning with the memorable question, "Are Christians cabbages or kings?", he explores God's purpose for the church and its c...

Christianity sounds like good news. Forgiveness. New life. Peace with God. So what's the catch? In this powerful talk, John Stott explores one of Jesus' most challenging teachings: the cost of discipleship. Speaking to large crowds who were eager to follow Him, Jesus stopped them and urged them to count the cost first. What does it mean to put Christ before relationships, ambitions and possessions...

Can people really change? Many believe that with enough effort, education, social reform, or self-discipline, human nature can be improved. But Jesus offered a far more radical answer. In His conversation with Nicodemus in John 3, He declared: “You must be born again.” In this message, we explore the difference between turning over a new leaf and receiving a new life. Looking closely at Jesus' wor...

Did Jesus really rise from the dead? In this classic talk, John Stott explores both the historical evidence for the resurrection and its life-changing significance. Examining the empty tomb, the appearances of the risen Jesus, and the dramatic emergence of the early church, Stott argues that the resurrection is not merely a Christian belief but the foundation upon which Christianity stands. More t...

Why did Jesus die?   For centuries, Christians have insisted that the cross stands at the very centre of the faith. But why? Couldn't God simply forgive sins without the death of Christ?   In this historic lecture from Cambridge University in 1977, John Stott explores the meaning of the cross, the seriousness of sin, and the relationship between God's justice and God's love.   This episode forms p...

In 1977, a packed hall in Cambridge gathered to hear one question explored: What is a human being?   The speaker was a vicar from London named John Stott, and this would prove to be his final university mission. In this series of Bible Matters we'll be featuring the talks from this series, enhanced and restored for a new audience.    Questions answered in this episode:  - What was John Stott's pre...

How do we reach the next generation?   In this episode of the Bible Matters Podcast, we speak with pastor and theologian Kevin DeYoung about how churches can faithfully answer that question. Drawing from his book The (Not-So-Secret) Secret to Reaching the Next Generation, Kevin challenges the idea that there is a hidden formula for effective ministry.   Rather than chasing trends or trying to stay...

What does the future hold for humanity—and where does Jesus fit into that story? In this bonus episode of Bible Matters, we bring you a second interview with Oxford mathematician and Christian apologist John Lennox. Together, we explore one of the defining questions of our time: what kind of future are we moving towards? From rapid advances in technology to the growing interest in “upgrading” huma...

What hope does artificial intelligence really offer for the future of humanity? In this episode of the Bible Matters Podcast, Oxford mathematician John Lennox reflects on AI, transhumanism, and the growing belief that technology can solve humanity’s deepest problems. Drawing on science, philosophy, and the Bible, Lennox explains why technological progress cannot overcome death, sin, or the brokenn...

In this episode Leo sat down with Rory Shiner, a Bible teacher based in Perth Australia. They discussed evangelism, and particularly how topics such as ghosts and demons can serve as a good intersection between discussions the world wants to have, and the answers Christianity offers. Questions answered in this episode: - What are demons? - Should Christians be afraid of ghosts? - What topics shoul...

In this final episode of the series, we sat down with Wililam for one final time to discuss Genesis 10-11, the story of the tower of Babel, and the generations of Terah. We also discussed preaching Christ from Old Testament passages and considered correct and incorrect ways to do it.  Questions answered in this episode:  - What was the tower of Babel?  - Why is scattering a sign of judgment?  - Sh...