Bible in Life

"Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.” Jesus quotes these words when he's being tempted by devil. But the words originally appear in Deuteronomy 8:3, and they provide a real challenge to us as followers of Jesus.   Deuteronomy 8:1-5 “The whole commandment that I command you today you shall be careful to do, that you may live and multiply, and...

Jesus was not afraid to use a little Bible teacher trash talk when dealing with the religious leaders of his day. He often challenged them on their knowledge of Scripture ... which is both fascinating and frightening. These were the Bible experts of the day and yet Jesus questioned their knowledge of the Bible! Since our spiritual growth is tied to our grasp of the Bible, there's an important less...

Did you know Jesus had to learn the Bible? Have you ever thought about that?  Jesus didn't just somehow automatically know the Scriptures by heart just because he was God in the flesh. He had to study them and learn them, just like he had to learn so many other things as a human being.  And learn them he did.  Read the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) looking for all the time Jesus referred...

I don't know a single person who would say they wouldn't like a blessed life. We may have different pictures of what a blessed life is, but everybody wants one.  But that also indicates the problem ... we all have different pictures of what a blessed life is. There are thousands of voices all clamoring for our attention and all promising their version of the good life. Far too often, however, God'...

Masks or no masks? Protests, riots, and racial injustice. Name calling and labels over political opinions. Needless to say, the present time is contentious ... and Christians aren't immune. In this episode, I seek to inject some biblical wisdom into the situation so that we can better live as the people of God and better glorify God at the present time.  Become a Patron and get access to discounts...

Love is the the heart of the new culture in Jesus' family ... and not just any love either. Love that's patterned after Jesus. Love that is cross-shaped. This is capstone of re-scocializing, the goal of spiritual growth.    Want to deepen you connection with God? The #1 key to becoming like Jesus is living our life attached to him. So I've got a gift for you on my website ... a free video series d...

Forgiveness.    We all need it, and God gladly gives it to un in Jesus. And as God's new family in Jesus, he expects us to give forgiveness to each other. This is one of the most distinctive practices of the new culture we're learning in Jesus.    This episode discusses some of the things forgiveness is not and what it essentially is.    Bible passages referenced in this episode:   Colossians 3:12...

Even though we're part of a new kingdom as Jesus' followers, we're still part of the city in which we live. So as part of God's kingdom how are we supposed to relate to the kings and kingdoms of this world?    This is a crucial question that the apostles of Jesus regularly address. Peter offers a clear and compelling answer to this question in 1 Peter 2:11-17. He makes it clear that honoring the g...

As a follower of Jesus, how should we think about money and stuff? We tend think money is good. Often we think more of it will solve so many problems. Is that true?  Or is it bad? Should we get rid of it all and take a vow of poverty?  I think Jesus' way regarding money and stuff is much more insightful and balance than either of those two options.  Passages used in this episode: Matthew 6:19-24 1...

First Thessalonians 4:3-5 is one of the most powerful passage discipleship and sexuality in the New Testament. Sex and sexuality has been co-opted by Satan and the fallen world, and is thus a major area in need of resocialization when someone becomes a disciple of Jesus. Unholy sex is a problem, a real problem, in a fallen world! God has a better vision for sex and sexuality.  1 Thessalonians 4:1-...

Redeem Your Time; Reframe Your Tasks. This is something disciples of Jesus must learn to do, but it's not as obvious as others. God has a different view of time than the modern world. God has different goals for the use of our time than the modern world. So as disciples of Jesus we have to learn to tell time God's way.  The Bible and Time and Tasks Eph 5:15-16 15 Therefore be careful how you walk,...

Re-socializing, pt. 3 In this episode, John looks at what Colossians 3 teaches us about re-socializing in general and then he focuses on one area where we need to learn the new way of Jesus. Colossians 3:8 calls us to set aside "anger, wrath, malice, slander, and abusive speech from your mouth." Those are no longer how we mange life and relationships in the new family of Jesus. Instead, we practic...

In this episode, I encourage followers of Jesus to think about the behavioral commands of the New Testament in terms of re-socializing in the soft sense of that word. That is, learning new norms, values, and practices in keeping with a new group that you have chosen to be apart of.  The apostle Paul writes, "For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His be...

"I never thought of reading Philippians as a letter before!" said one guy after church.  Twenty-one out of twenty-seven New Testament books are letters. That means when you read most of the NT, you're reading somebody else's mail! Letters have a backstory and when we read them, we are only hearing one side of the conversation ... which poses some challenges.  In this episode, we explore the questi...

How do we do discipleship? The most important truth in answer to that question is this - you don't drift into discipleship. It doesn't happen on accident. You have to deliberately follow Jesus by rearranging your life to imitate Jesus' life. That's the essence of being a disciple.  In this episode, I also give some guidance on how you can disciple someone else. Here's a link to the reading plan re...

This episode explores several key questions about discipleship:  Are discipleship and evangelism the same thing? When does discipleship begin? Discipleship vs. salvation? Why is discipleship important? Why is discipleship difficult?  What discipleship is not?  How to do discipleship? ▶️SUPPORT THIS WORK: -Become a patron for as little as $5 per month at https://www.patreon.com/johnwhittaker -Donat...

When it comes learning how to do something, showing is more helpful than just telling.  And that’s just as true of discipleship as anything else. The way of Jesus gets passed on by showing not just telling. Your relationship with Jesus is personal but it's not individual. People need your concrete example of discipleship.  Bible Passages mentioned in this episode: 2 Thessalonians 3:7-9 - For you y...

What are the main components of being a disciple of Jesus? That is, if you had to boil it down to the main ingredients… what are they? In this episode, I highlight the three main  components of discipleship … and then zero in on the one component without which none of the rest are possible. So it’s the one component you can’t be a disciple without! Bible Passages mentioned in this episode: Mark 1:...

In Luke 9:57-62, Jesus challenges would-be disciples in shocking ways. In doing so, he highlights for us a fundamental requirement of being a disciple.  Why does Jesus say, "Let the dead bury their own dead"? Why doesn't Jesus permit someone to say good-bye to their family before following Him?  And what does all of this have to do with you being a disciple of Jesus?  Luke 9:57-62 57 As they were...

In this episode, I focus on this question: What is the goal of discipleship? How do you know if you are a disciple? How do you know when you're a fully trained disciple? Luke 6:39-40 39 And He also spoke a parable to them: “A blind man cannot guide a blind man, can he? Will they not both fall into a pit? 40 A pupil is not above his teacher; but everyone, after he has been fully trained, will be li...

Christian. Religious. Church goer.  Those are some of the words and phrases used to describe followers of Jesus. But I don't think they're the best. At least, they don't get at the heart of what it means to be a follower of Jesus. So in this episode we look at the #1 thing we're supposed to do and be and the word that Jesus used to capture that.  That word is "disciple."  Making disciples is the m...

This Bible in Life episode gives you a little preview of the Listener's Commentary on the New Testament ( listenerscommentary.com ) and studies Galatians 1:1-10. Galatians is Paul's defense of the gospel and the freedoms it provides. In Galatians 1:1-10, Paul introduces the letter, summarizes the gospel, and rebukes the Galatians for so easily going after a false gospel. The true gospel is the one...

"Leviticus is one of the most revolutionary books in the ancient world." - Brad Gray.  ​This is part 2 of my conversation with Brad Gray from Walking The Text, whose mission is  to help people learn, love, and live the Bible. Some of the topics we discuss are 1) wrestling with the question, how do I make sense of the Old Testament Law? There's so many weird laws and rules ... why is all of that in...

What is the #1 key to learning and living the Bible? "Everybody knows that in any facet of life context is everything, and yet the vast majority of people have never been taught how to think about context related to the Bible." - Brad Gray.  ​In part 1 of their conversation about learning, loving, and living the Bible, Brad Gray (from Walking The Text) and John explore the power of the original co...

"I'm reading Leviticus. Enough said!" Can you relate to that? I know I can. Leviticus is not the most exciting reading ... rule after rule, regulation after regulation! And some of those rules and regulations seem so odd! In this episode I give a framework to help you think about Leviticus properly and then I deal with what's the purpose of the clean and unclean laws. All of this points towards Je...