Eat This Scroll

All roads lead to God.  Whether it's our personal resistance to being limited or our sympathy for those of other faiths, we can bristle at the binary nature of salvation. Jesus concludes His Sermon on the Mount with three examples of the same two worldviews. One road leads to death, the other to life. Sean walks us through this first example and explains the implications of Jesus' words....

Welp, that was easy! Anxiety is one of the most prevalent topics in our culture today. Certainly there is precedents for this, our news cycle never stops with catastrophe, cultural issues divide friends and family, and our own personal needs leave us uncertain and uneasy. Sean unpacks this famous portion of the Sermon on the Mount and provides insight into what can sometimes be a pithy response to...

This is one of the most important questions we are all asked.  Through three illustrations, Jesus challenges idolatry in our hearts. Few of us have physical idols we make offerings to, barring the Buddha statues that are popular. However, Sean walks us through this part of Jesus' Sermon on the Mount to help illuminate how we foster idolatry in the 21st century. 

We're always eating! Well... we're always consuming. Whether it's food, entertainment, stimulation, distraction. It's good for our souls to take a break and position ourselves to rely on God in a deeper more tangible way. Sean shares what Jesus has to say regarding fasting so that we might understand it better and do it biblically. 

How should we pray? Ever felt like you don't know how to pray, or you don't have the right words for God to hear you? Prayer can be a nebulous part of the Christian life but it doesn't have to be! Sean walks us through what Jesus has to say on the matter in this section of the Sermon on the Mount.  PS. We got a bit out of order here, but we're back on track with the Sermon on t...

What can we learn from Psalms? Sometimes we treat Psalms like a pitstop before we read Proverbs, then a chapter from the Old and New Testament. In it's pages we find familiar words turned into hymns, illustrative proclamations about who God is, and lamentations of those who've experienced crisis. Lew shares how we can learn from not just the content of the Psalms, but how the form of the...

Do as to others, as you would have them do unto you.  We've all probably heard this. If we've got kids we've likely said it ourselves. Sean helps us understand how God's goodness as our Father equips us for rightly navigating relationships. 

Don't be so judgmental! Navigating relationships can be difficult, especially given our current cultural climate. One of the greatest social wrongs we can act out is making a judgement on those around us. In this episode, Sean tackles one of the most quoted and misunderstood verses in the Bible. If you're curious about what the Bible actually says about judgement, stay a while and listen...

Do you remember when? When we consider how God has shown up in our lives and throughout history, we get to reap the continued fruit of God's goodness. Jamie walks us through the first few verses of 1 John, sharing how John's introduction is a model we can consider for our own lives. 

Are We the Body, Temple, or Family? The Bible uses a lot of different terms to describe our identity as part of a larger community of those saved by God's grace. Jerell helps us understand the implications of each term as it pertains to us and our relationship with other Christians. 

Why you should care, how you care.  A while back it was popular to see self-congratulatory videos of people giving clothes or food, or just a hand-full of cash to a homeless person. They made sure to capture the moment for their blog and online clout. While everyone would likely watch that and cringe, we must be careful of how we can do that same thing in our own lives. Sean walks us through Jesus...

What came first? One of the ways God speaks of Himself is rooted in what He has done and will do. Lew shares what it means when God defines Himself by this framework, and what it means for us. In a world full of doing, it's important to remember how and why we do things. 

What do tents have to do with a feast? It's not family camp, at least not exactly. Jamie walks us through the final feast as we consider the purpose and implication of the Feast of Booths. Also known as the Feast of Tabernacles, we learn how this celebration brings our thoughts back to God's desire to be with His people. 

What do trumpets have to do with us? Jamie takes us through the beauty found in the feasts of Trumpets and Atonement. In them we find shadows of Christ's victory, both past and future, as well as reminders of God's atoning work for us. 

What does it mean to be wise in your own eyes? Scripture has a lot to say about how we view ourselves, especially as it pertains to areas of pride. Jerell looks at ways that we can engage in or be subtly drawn into this today. 

Got milk? What are you hungry for in this life? Are you still hungering after the things of this world? Jerell continues his journey through 1 Peter 2. 

What's motivating you? So much of what Jesus said had just as much if not more to say about someone's motivation than their actions. Continuing in our series through the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew, Sean tackles matters of the heart. 

Ribbons and first-fruits? Jamie takes us back again as we examine the feasts of Scripture. This episode, Jamie dives into the feast of Weeks and showing us how it relates to Pentecost and us today. Don't miss out on the depth that can be found in some of the more obscure parts of God's redemptive history. 

I like all your fancy words! We don't want anyone to feel isolated because of a language barrier as it pertains to our Christian life. That's why we are bringing you a top-down look at some of the Christian categories and language we use that can be confusing. Brett begins the conversation by going through each of the typical categories of systematic theology so that you can have more to...

I'll rest when I'm dead! What's the deal with this Sabbath business? Is it an Old Testament thing, should I fold laundry during it, what's it even for? Jamie walks us through the Sabbath as a beneficial practice that we as Christians can participate in today. I'd ask if you are always hustling and tired, but let's be honest, you are. So listen in and be encouraged. 

Do you look like your Father? The function of the Kingdom of Heaven and the family of God is often so different than that of this world. We make enemies, we burn bridges, we keep grudges, and we look for our chance to one-up those who have landed on our bad side. But, is that what our Heavenly Father does and strengthens us to do? This week Sean breaks down the last part of this segment of Jesus&a...

But - but! This has to be one of the most difficult pills to swallow. We can all say that we shouldn't repay evil with evil, but our flesh on the other hand has no interest in taking the high road. We want to stoop low and get our vindication. Sean has a few things to say about this as we unpack more of Jesus' famous teaching from the Sermon on the Mount. Stick around and get convicted. 

So did the parenting pay off? After hearing from Pastor Brett and his wife Phares, we decided we should hear from their three kids. Each kid now has a family of their own and offers reflections on the purpose, plan, process, and pitfalls of their parents approach to raising a family.  Stick around to listen to some encouragement, insightful observations, laughter, and how it all went from their pe...

 Let's eat! We're back at  it again with Jamie walking us through the feasts of Scripture. This episode dives deeper into the connection between the feats and their Gospel counter-part found in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. This episode will deepen your appreciation for how intentional God is. 

Our efforts impact cherished people with faces, names, and lives.  The stories from the mission field ground the people we're serving in our minds. When we hear about their lives it can convict and encourage us. Jane shares with us about our South Asia partners in a way that should remind you about the importance of those at the ends of the earth.