Four Oaks Midtown Podcast

Let’s do a quick orthodoxy test. What do you think about this statement: “The central doctrine of the gospel is the atonement of Jesus Christ.” Sounds great, right? Well this statement comes from the Church of Latter Day-Saints commonly referred to as the Mormons. They use the same words as Christians but mean entirely different things by those words. Specifically, they deny the deity of Jesus Chr...

Jesus warns the disciples to not be formed by the teaching of the day, but to follow Him. 

Jesus shows how the accounts in the Old Testament were a foreshadowing to his coming and his ministry as he is the fulfillment. 

As Jesus interacts with a Canaanite women, his merciful response reveals that the kingdom is for all of those who would put their faith in him. 

Jesus responds to the Pharisees' question about his disciples by challenging their tradition and exposing their hypocrisy.

Jesus displays his power as he walks on the water in the midst of a storm.

Paul describes how in dying to law he lives to Christ through faithful union with him.

Jesus coming reveals that God is love, shows God is love, and shares the love of God with His people.

In this season of expectations, we are reminded that for those who find their hope in Christ, there is a present and future joy to hold on to.

For those that find themselves in Christ, the offer of Christmas is peace.

Through Old Testament prophecies, we consider the meaning of hope and the tension of present reality and future promise.

As Jesus' ministry and kingship are put in contrast to John the Baptist and Herod, his authority is displayed.

As Jesus uses fishing imagery to explain what the kingdom of heaven is like, he returns to the idea of coming judgement.

As Jesus continues to teach in parables, he uses three illustrations to explain the kingdom of heaven, inviting us to consider the surpassing worth of receiving the gift of being part of this kingdom.

How often do you think about the second coming of Christ? This critical doctrine of our faith either gets sensationalized with respect to current events or passed over for the sake of other more relevant topics like marriage, parenting, or anxiety management. But the second coming of Christ dominated the mind of the Apostle Peter. His focus on the second coming only increases as his death nears. O...

Jesus continues to teach through parables and compares the kingdom of God to a farmer’s field, depicting the reality of a fallen world and pointing forward to the future judgement.   

The book of Proverbs warns us against people who “like the glaze covering an earthen vessel” possess “fervent lips with an evil heart (Proverbs 6:23).” Rarely do false teachers get on stage and announce boldly, “Believe this heresy!” The seduction of false teaching comes from the subtle prodding of our sinful desires. False teachers come draped with the pretense of love, compassion, and the fulfil...

Jesus teaches the crowds about the Word through the parable of the sower and later explains the meaning of this teaching to his disciples.

In 1981 the movie Clash of the Titans came out which depicted on the big screen the Greek myth of Perseus. It famously featured a claymation Medusa emerging from the shadows with snakes writhing out of her head. We’d probably laugh at the outdated special effects today, but for the time Clash of the Titans captured the imaginations of audiences worldwide because this myth highlighted timeless virt...

Jesus responds to the questions of the Pharisees in a surprising manner by condemning the seeking of signs, reflecting on the spiritual dangers of an empty, orderly life, and inviting all to the Father.

How would you respond if God revealed to you the manner of your death? You’d probably lose a lot of sleep. For most of us death exists as an abstract concept that happens to people “out there”. But for Peter his death loomed large over his life. Listen to Jesus’s words to Peter in the gospel of John, “Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were young, you used to dress yourself and walk wherever you...

As Jesus establishes his kingdom through his ministry, he overthrows the dominion of Satan. For those in his kingdom, the reign of Christ in hearts and minds implies a purified way of living, especially with how we speak.

What is a pastor? According to the New Testament he is first and foremost a shepherd. But before we conjure up tranquil visions of rolling green pastures we must understand that the job of a shepherd required hard work. Shepherds were required not only to feed their sheep, but also guide them away from predators. The Kings of the OT were referred to as shepherds entrusted with the care and protect...

Jesus is challenged by the Pharisees regarding the Sabbath.

Christians who talk about the end times attract a lot of eye rolls. We’ve all seen the guy on a street corner with a cardboard sign with red letters that say “the end is near”. But Jesus and the Apostles spend a great deal of their ministry warning people that the “end is at hand”. Jesus preaches with apocalyptic fury calling people to repent in light of coming judgement. He also encourages Christ...