Four Oaks Midtown Podcast

Jesus teaches about how people should respond to God and the path to the Father.

Peter spends a great deal of his first letter exhorting Christians to endure present suffering by setting their minds on future hope by faith. In doing this, Christians follow in the footsteps of Christ who entrusted himself to his Father in the midst of unjust suffering. To follow Christ is to walk the path of suffering then glory. But future hope does not replace present faithfulness. Christians...

John the Baptist, imprisoned and doubting, sends his followers to Jesus who answers by rooting his ministry in Old Testament prophesy.

Understanding First Peter continues with a look at the Apostle's instructions for early Christians in difficult situations. Peter applies the example of Christ's unjust suffering to the spheres of government, slavery, and marriage. These words continue to challenge Christians today with regard to authority, submission, and honorable conduct among non-Christians.

Jesus instructs the disciples, challenging where their allegiances should lie and preparing them for how to go out as one sent by Him.

Understanding 1 Peter continues in this episode as we look at the identity of God's people and why it matters. Peter points to the Old Testament people of God as a framework for the New Testament people of God. From this insight flows a slew of moral implications for Christians in the first and twenty-first century. We also talk about how Christians find comfort in the midst of persecution and tri...

Jesus sends the disciples as sheep among wolves.

Understanding 1 Peter begins with a dive into the profound themes of 1 Peter 1:1-21. In this episode, we unpack the enduring message of hope and faith in the face of trials, emphasizing the call to live holy and obedient lives as strangers in a foreign land. Join us as we navigate the rich terrain of salvation, grace, and the precious inheritance that believers receive through Christ's redemption....

We continue learning about the life of Christ in the Gospel of Matthew as Matthew shows how Jesus fulfills the prophecy that God will be a shepherd to his people. 

Jesus’s miracles preach a message — that he is Lord of all creation. This message provokes crowds in both the first and the twenty-first century to consider the claims of Jesus on their lives. Each healing demonstrates Jesus’s authority as the Son of David to bring healing, restoration, and resurrection into this present world.

We continue learning about the life of Christ in the Gospel of Matthew as Jesus calls Matthew to follow him and summarizes the purpose of his ministry.

We continue learning about the life of Christ in the Gospel of Matthew as Jesus returns to his hometown, Capernaum, and responds to a desperate act of faithfulness by healing a man from his paralysis while reminding us that he came to save his people from their sins.

Jesus speaks about the cost of following Him and how urgent it is, and He also tells us how fear impacts our faith through the story of Jesus calming the storm.

Jesus heals three different people. Each healing has a different theme, but all the healings show Jesus's authority.

Zechariah 14 features many mysteries that even the brightest Christian minds stumble over. We need to tread with humility as we attempt to interpret these verses. One helpful north star to help us interpret these passages is to see them in light of the New Testament. Jesus sees himself as the center of a New Israel. He takes along twelve disciples which equals the twelve tribes of Israel. He leave...

The Holy Spirit plays a central role in Zechariah. The Old Testament does not name the third member of the Trinity, but references his activity as the engine that brings about restoration and revival. Old Testament prophecy gives the outline that the New Testament fills in. In Zechariah 12-13:6 we see the Spirit’s activity as a major sign that God will do a new thing in the future that brings abou...

Jesus tells us that Christians are marked by good fruit and endurance as they are building their foundation on the solid rock.

The story of the Old Testament is the story of Israel repeating the same history over and over again. God blesses them with prosperity and they take that blessing and use it to chase after other gods. If the OT have one message it’s this: learn from history and repent. Zechariah 10-11 continues that prophetic tradition by contrasting God the good shepherd with the wicked shepherds of Israel’s lead...

This sermon goes through Psalm 125 - God's presence and power and how it gives us a sturdy hope.

Jesus invites us to come to Him at the end of the Sermon on the Mount, and He gives a warning.

Everyone loves a good underdog story. Whether you cheer on the Cinderella team who defies all odds to make it to a championship game or the overlooked player who finally gets a chance to shine we all want to pull for the little guy. Underdog stories testify to the power of grit, determination, and self-belief. In many ways the victory of Israel over their enemies is an underdog story but with one...

In Zechariah 1-6, we encountered a series of visions given to the prophet Zechariah about God’s promise to the returned exiles of a New Jerusalem with a New Temple that surpasses the old in glory. In Zechariah 7-8, the mode of revelation shifts from an emphasis on visions to specific words about Israel’s past and future. Despite the difference in mode the message remains the same: Israel must not...

Jesus tells us how we should position ourselves in asking and seeking and knocking, and He tells us the posture we are to have when praying for these things.

Jesus talks about what judging is - discernment and evaluation - and then talks about how to judge correctly.

One of the key aspects of understanding the Old Testament is getting a handle on the three offices of Israel: the king, the prophet, and the priest. Each of these offices serves a unique function in the religious economy of Israel. The prophet speaks God’s words to the nation, the king leads the nation to worship God, and the priests teach the law and perform its rites. But the Old Testament conti...