God‘s Story Podcast

Brent and Ian explore God’s alternate reality in Hebrews 11.  (2:17) How the Bible presents us with an alternate reality; (3:40) God’s alternate reality in Hebrews 11; (5:15) How the Old Testament saints see a better reality; (6:01) What we learn about faith in chapter 11; (11:21) How Abraham trusts God; (12:30) How Abraham senses God’s alternate reality; (14:30) How Joseph sees God’s alternate re...

Brent and Ian talk with Kiwi musician Brett Wilson about his new book from Castle Publishing called ‘Let’s Back Up a Bit – Conversations with Pioneering Kiwi Christian Musicians’. How have Kiwi musicians been inspired by God in the past few decades? Brett Wilson is a musician and songwriter who lives in Hamilton and who is now Communications Co-Ordinator for CBS, a Hamilton based health IT company...

How does the metal man image of Daniel 2 relate to the book of Revelation? What does the Empire statue image mean? (0:49) The conflict of Empires established further.  The Babel project again; (3:08) How the Empires of Babylon, Persia, Greece and Rome become God’s Empire for the Restoration period; (9:00) The Jewish people as faithful witnesses within the Empire; (9:45) What happens in the chapter...

A conflict of Empires and a Babel project examined. Brent and Reido are joined by Dr Alastair Roberts of the Theopolis Institute in the USA who explains the background to the book of Daniel and explores chapter 1. (0’57) Who was Daniel? (2:03) Background of exile; (2:20) How Daniel recapitulates big theological themes; (4:12) Daniel about ‘new beginning’s; (5:14) The conflict of Empires; (11:12) T...

We talk with Nick Klinkenberg , founder of Vision Churches International .  His book ‘How to Multiply Churches’ is published by Castle Publishing in New Zealand. (0:46) Covid’s impact on ministry.  Importance of micro or small churches; (4:29) Micro churches and what they can do; (7:22) Why Europe was so central to the strategy; (9:56) Why we need to multiply churches.  Church planting the best lo...

We're joined by Dalene Joy Fisher to examine the faith of Mary Wollstonecraft, Jane Austen, Elizabeth Gaskell and Anne Bronte. How did they use their faith and their writings to improve women’s position in society? Dalene Joy Fisher is Assistant Provost, Dean and Associate Professor of English at Oklahoma Wesleyan University .  Dalene’s book ‘ Resisting the Marriage Plot – Faith and Female Agency...

In this episode we talk with Nicholas Piotrowski to learn how best to read the Bible and why our interpretative principles matter. Nicholas Piotrowski is the President and Academic Dean at Indianapolis Theological Seminary in Indiana. His book, ‘ In All the Scriptures – The Three Principles of Biblical Hermeneutics ’ is published by IVP America. (1:01) What does ‘hermeneutics’ mean? How we interpr...

We talk with Michael MacKenzie to find out why so many pastors burn out and how we can care for our pastors and ministry leaders. Michael is the clinical director of Marble Retreat , a Colorado retreat centre that specializes in ministry to pastors and ministry leaders in crisis. His book, ‘ Don’t Blow Up Your Ministry - Defuse the underlying issues that take pastors down ’ is published by IVP Ame...

Have you ever struggled to read the Old Testament? You're in good company! Brent talks to Eric Seibert, Professor of Old Testament at Messiah University in Pennsylvania, to find out how to enjoy the Old Testament and where to start. Eric's book, ‘ Enjoying the Old Testament – A creative guide to encountering Scripture ’, is published by IVP America. (1:07) How Eric came to love the Old Testament....

How does detective fiction deal with good and evil? Brent delves once again into this fascinating topic and talks to best selling romance and crime novelist Elizabeth Goddard about her latest crime thriller, ' Deadly Target ' published by Revell books a division of Baker Publishing Group in the USA. (1:40) Why presenting a podcast is a dangerous thing; (3:14) Writing with head and heart. The impor...

How do we best think Christianly and how was Francis Schaeffer's L'Abri central to this movement? In Episode 29 Brent and Ian talk to Charles Cotherman, pastor and planter of Oil City Vineyard Church in Oil City, Pennsylvania about his book ‘ To Think Christianly – a history of L’Abri, Regent College and the Christian Study Center movement ’ published by IVP America. We also learn about L’Abri, Re...

What is faith? How does it work? How do we persevere in our faith? In this episode Brent and Ian dive deep into Hebrews chapter 11. (1:37) Perseverance in chapter 10.  Jesus will take us to the end; (3:48) Meaning of ‘faith’ in the Greek.  Faith about seeing the reality of what God is bringing into being; (4:45) The faith of Old Testament saints; (7:00) Platonic thinking in Hebrews; (7:25) Why cre...

In Episode 27 Brent and Ian discuss a controversial passage of scripture in Hebrews 10 verses 26-39. What is deliberate sin? Can we lose our salvation? (2:59) Deliberate sin and how we should interpret this passage.  Deliberately turning away from Jesus and rejecting Him; (6:30) We can’t go back to the Law and expect it to bring us salvation; (9:05) Judgement for going back to the sacrificial syst...

 What we do about feelings of past guilt in our lives? In Episode 26 Brent and Ian discuss perfection in Hebrews 10, verses 11-25. (1:18) How Jesus has made us holy and perfect through His sacrifice; (2:30) The ineffectiveness of the sacrificial system; (4:11) Jesus offers a single sacrifice for sin; (6:37) Jesus’ sacrifice consummates history; (7:22) The meaning of ‘perfection’ in Hebrews; (8:11)...

How does Christian romance and detective fiction portray God's Story? In Episode 25 Brent talks to international romance and crime novelist Natalie Walters about her new thriller, ‘ Lights Out ’ published by Revell, a division of Baker Books in the USA. (1:24) The background of the novel. Intelligence agencies and missing spies; (2:24) Background as a military wife.  Time in Egypt; (3:38) Why the...

Paul Horrocks - Tough Guys of the Bible We meet some tough men of the Bible and find out how we can encourage Christian men to be more courageous. Paul and David Horrocks are the authors of ‘ Tough Guys of the Bible – Learn the traits of courageous men who truly follow God ’ published by Innovo Publishing in the USA. (1:16) Why we need courage (2:00) Why the West is moving further away from Christ...

Cameron J. Anderson is an artist, associate director of Upper House and former executive director of Christians in the Visual Arts. He’s one of the editors (together with G. Walter Hansen) of a new book from IVP America called ‘ God in the Modern Wing – Viewing Art with eyes of faith ’. (1:27) Importance of visual arts to Christians. Visual art was the ‘bible for the poor’ (3:42) Has the modern ch...

HEBREWS 10:1-10 Brent and Reido discuss Hebrews chapter 10. How did Jesus fulfill the Law and how we are made holy?  The difference between justification and sanctification. (0:45) The cost of writing and producing a New Testament book (4:53) The Law a shadow pointing to Christ (5:32) What the Law actually did (7:35) Dealing with guilt and shame in the Old Testament sacrificial system (8:17) Can w...

Hebrews 9:15-28 Brent and Ian explain how Jesus fulfilled the Old Covenant and why Jesus’ blood has the power to save us. (1:18) Jesus as our great High Priest and a better High Priest (3:15) Jesus’ death brings in a new covenant (4:22) Jesus’ death and substitutionary atonement.  What happens on the cross when Jesus dies? (8:56) The Covenants of the Bible (9:59) The importance of blood in God’s c...

Brent and Reido answer listeners’ questions about Bible translations, how we can be certain of our salvation, the prosperity gospel and how to trust God and connect with others in a time of Covid. (1:13) Which Bible translations to use.  The 3 types of Bible translations (3:11) The translations which are closest to the original Greek and Hebrew (6:59) KJV and the Textus Receptus (9:42) How can we...

Gordon Smith explains how the Holy Spirit works in creation and in the life of the believer.  How do we know that we have the Holy Spirit? Gordon Smith is President and Professor of Systematic and Spiritual Theology at Ambrose University and Seminary in Vancouver, Canada. (1:50) Why the Spirit has been open to manipulation and abuse. The Holy Spirit and Christ, Scripture, Creation and the Church –...

How was America founded and on what basis?  How has America developed politically and what’s the future of American democracy? Robert Tracy McKenzie is Professor of History at Wheaton College in Illinois in the States.  His new book ‘ We the Fallen People – the Founders and the Future of American democracy ’ is published by IVP America and available on Amazon and all other good book sellers. (1:32...

Noel Snyder shows us how music and preaching are related and how to get our sermons to sing.  Preacher’s alert! Noel Snyder is Program Manager at the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship at Calvin University, Grand Rapids, Michigan in the States.  His book ‘Sermons that Sing – music and the practice of preaching’ is published by IVP Books America, and available on Amazon and other book sellers. (...

How Jesus fulfills the Old Testament sacrificial system and why Jesus’ blood saves us. (1:40) How gospel and law relate to one another, (4:21) How Jesus has fulfilled the Old Testament sacrificial system, (7:08) What happened on the Day of Atonement, (12:00) Why the four cherubim have four faces, (13:21) What Jesus did on the Cross, (17:51) Jesus’ death gives us security of salvation, (18:56) Past...

In Episode 15 we find a better Temple and a better Covenant.  Why Jesus is a better High Priest than the Levitical high priests and how Jesus fulfills the Law. (1:01) Why Jesus is a better High Priest, (1:40) Plato’s influence in Hebrews. The perfect Temple and the better covenant, (5:20) The Old Testament Tabernacle and Temple discussed, (6:05) Jesus our true Tabernacle and Temple, (9:39) Jesus’...