Elisha's Bears: Exploring Faith, Baptists, and the Bible

Mother's Day is an emotional holiday for many people for a lot of reasons. Pastor Danny talks about this, as not every woman is wife or a mom, and some persons are approaching this day for the first time since the death of their mom. Yet, it is also a very happy time for moms and families who have good relationships and can be together. The relationship of Jesus and his own mother is a good model...

Hypocrisy is a real problem in the church, yet many religious leaders do not see this character flaw in their own lives. It's easier to point out the sins of others than it is to recognize on our shortcomings and failures. Jesus saved his harshest criticisms for the Pharisees and Scribes who were responsible for guiding the people into the knowledge of God. Yet, they often "did not practice what t...

Pope Francis died on Easter Monday, and his funeral has drawn political and religious leaders from around the world. Soon after this, the Roman Catholic Church leadership will enter a time and place to call their next Pope. Pastor Danny talks about Conclave as a secretive and ancient process resulting in the election of the next Pope to lead more than one billion Roman Catholics worldwide. Obvious...

Thomas is best remembered for his "doubting" when the other disciples told him that they had seen the Lord. It wasn't called "deconstruction" then, but Thomas provides an example for this kind of struggle to discern between truth and fiction. There are many who question and doubt regarding Christianity's truth claims. There's nothing wrong with honest doubt, provided that it is part of a process o...

The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the most important event in human history. Christians as well as unbelievers come together on Easter Sunday to hear the testimony of the eyewitnesses to the risen Jesus as recorded in the Bible. The church exists not because of the power of human effort but due to the truth of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. While there are a number of witnesses to this event,...

In this episode, we explore the profound significance of Holy Week, emphasizing the importance of reflecting on the events leading up to Easter. This is the last week of Jesus' earthly life, and includes his triumphal entry into Jerusalem, the cleansing of the temple, and the emotional responses of the people. It's important for us to embrace the journey of Holy Week, while acknowledging the chall...

Habakkuk is considered a minor prophet because of the brevity of his prophecy. He is frustrated to God's perceived inactivity in dealing with injustice in his world, and this leads to his complaining to God about his situation. Habakkuk provides a wonderful model of moving through the spiritual seasons of complaint, prayer, and ultimately praise of God despite the circumstances around us.

In this episode, we revisit Jesus' visit with the Samaritan woman at the well. This conversation from John 4 is significant not only because it's the longest recorded conversation involving Jesus, but also because he reveals himself as Christ for the first time to this unlikely person. This woman has been vilified due to her past, yet Jesus does not condemn her. Once we get beyond inferenc...

Stress is a real problem for us. It keeps us from "being where our feet are" and appreciating who we are and the people around us. In this episode, we listen in on a conversation between Jesus and Martha concerning her frustration with her sister Mary. This beautiful moment is a template on how worry leads to anger and being distracted from what's truly important. We take our cues on...

This first episode is about the cost of following Jesus as it relates to the curious and seemingly harsh reactions he had to three people who were candidates for discipleship. There's a challenge to take seriously the choice between following Jesus and allegiance to our families. There's also a reference to the anniversary of the Asbury College revival and its impact to that campus and the church...