Jesus at 2AM - A Humorous, Intelligent Look at the Bible, Church History & the Life of Faith

How does one go from being the church's greatest persecutor to its greatest advocate? The short answer, in Paul's own words, is: grace. In this episode, we examine this most central theme in Paul's theology. What exactly is "grace"? How do we experience it? And is it a new development in God's character, or has the God of Israel been demonstrating grace all along? If you've ever sought a deeper un...

The letter to the church at Rome - essentially a treatise on the saving work of God across history - is the Apostle Paul's magnum opus and one of the great works of Western literature. It is so profound in its insight and broad in application that we are tempted to read it apart from its context. But it is the work of a very human author, whose internal and external life must be understood. In thi...

One of the most difficult elements of the spiritual life to accept is that humans are inherently bad at it. That is not to say we cannot make progress (we surely can!). But for every three steps forward there are two in reverse. That's simply how it is. And it is a journey God accepts. What's more, God willfully chooses to walk it with us. And seeing that truth - the enduring presence of God among...

 The divine commandment of sabbath is stunning and without parallel in the Ancient Near East. Yet YHWH regularly repeats the command to rest and connects it with the covenant bond between Israel and God (so critical was it to God that laboring on the sabbath could be a capital offense!). In this episode we examine both the divine call to work and to rest, and why it is that God (contrary to what w...

Unheard of in the ancient world was a deity who travelled with his people. There were gods of particular regions (and within those regions lesser deities who controlled the wind here or the rain there), but a god so tied to his people that he sojourned with them, never. Until YHWH called Israel. In this episode we examine the depth of the bond between YHWH and Israel and God's commitment to be pre...

One of the most striking aspects of Israel's God is his concern for human interactions. We've seen this already in the 10 Commandments and YHWH's insistence that his people be marked by justice. But God does not stop a broad principles. In this episode (the first of two), we look at what's known as "The Mishpatim" - the civil law that is to govern day-to-day affairs amongst God's people. It give a...

Unlike the covenant with Abraham, the covenant at Sinai comes with stipulations - obligations which, if met, lead to blessing, but, if ignored, lead to punishment. The most critical of these stipulations we know as the 10 Commandments. In this episode we examine what these commandments actually command and how they function in light of the larger Sinai covenant, in later Judaism, and in the church...

After 40 days in the wilderness, Israel arrives at Mt. Sinai. And it is there the next stage of their growth as God's people begins. It is at Sinai that she is consecrated, and there that God establishes a new covenant - a contract that binds Israel to obedience. YHWH will be her king and she will live out a unique identity in the world - distinct from all other peoples. The question will become:...

Letting go of Egypt - saying goodbye to the past, to the familiar, to habit (however deadly it may have been) - is one of the most difficult tasks of the life of faith. And it is one of the primary purposes of the wilderness. In this episode we find Israel 3-days into her exodus journey, already longing for the (comforts?) of Egypt and questioning - again - the goodness of God. It is a deeply hone...

Israel has been saved by the mighty hand of God!...only to find herself in the "wilderness." (Always in scripture, a place representing isolation, emptiness, and fear.) It's not quite the picture of deliverance she had in mind. And yet, as Israel will discover, the wilderness is where the best spiritual formation happens. It is there that we are forced to confront our complete dependence upon God...

One of the great lessons Israel has to teach us is how to respond to salvation, what to do when we have been rescued. Israel's response? A psalm of praise. But this is not just a song about the powers and virtues of God, giving The Almighty his due. Rather, the poem is a means of both expressing thanks and memorializing events. It allows Israel to deepen her relationship with God in the present an...

At last God makes good on his promise to save. Israel is set free from Egypt and flees into the desert...only to discover that she is quickly trapped between the Red Sea and the fast-approaching army of Pharaoh. And it is a situation everyone who sincerely follows God will face - the moment when, unless God personally intervenes on our behalf, we are most certainly doomed. In this episode we join...

Few stories in scripture are more historically or morally questionable than the story of the Passover. Did YHWH truly put to death all the firstborn of Egypt??? And if so, how can we possibly consider God good, much less loving??? In this episode we examine the Passover, its place in Israel's salvation, and the instruction is provides for living as God's people. The biblical passage referenced in...

Before we can surrender to God's care and leading, we must first be (mostly) convinced that God is devoted to us and capable of securing our welfare. And in the ancient world, way a deity demonstrated both power and devotion was by means of partisan action - working demonstrably on behalf of their followers. In this episode, we examine YHWH's plagues upon the Egyptians and what they are intended t...

In the end, there is only one way to know for sure if God is active in the world and in your life: risk. Not random danger, but obedience to a call. It turns out that God's revelation is often paired with a command to "go...," and to risk, and thereby to discover that God is present. In this episode we look at God's appearance to Moses in the burning bush and the accompanying call to speak to both...

Learning to see God in our own lives is much like learning to see God in the story of Moses's birth. At first glance, God appears quite absent - nowhere to be found as his people face great trial. And yet, upon closer inspection, God's fingerprints begin to emerge everywhere. Where first we saw only indifference, slowly, deeply attentive care comes into focus. And we see that God has been active i...

The journey of faith and surrender to God's leading begins not in strength, but in weakness, in captivity - slaves to forces too great for us to overcome. It is there that God meets us and declares again the promise of salvation. In this episode we begin where the exodus began - with God's people enslaved to Pharaoh, crying out for deliverance. And we recognize this physical captivity as a symptom...

The ultimate work of the life of faith is to surrender ourselves to God, to entrust all that we are and all that we possess to his care and leading. The question is: HOW??? How do we overcome the countless resistances we have to placing ourselves in God's hands? The short, answer is: reluctantly. But there is hope! God has a long history of bringing broken humans into relationship with him. So in...

The purpose of studying what we don't believe is to define more clearly what we do - with the ultimate goal of obedience (and the healthy relationship with God, self and other that comes with it!). In this series's concluding, hopefully non-heretical episode, we look at Jesus's call to put faith into action, and I offer some practical advice on writing a personal statement of faith (a more helpful...

Protestantism brought much needed reform to the 16th century church, not least its call to return to the Bible as the primary source of authority. But it wasn't long before debates raged about the interpretation of the Bible. And rather than resolve their differences, many Protestant determined to split from the others to form what they considered a truly faith church. In this episode, we look at...

God is not an American. Nor an Italian, German, Brazilian, Australian...nor any other nationality. And yet, many a political state has woven into its cultural mythology the belief that God has set them apart to exercise divine authority on earth. In this episode, Ian looks at the dangers of nationalism and the horrifying example of Nazi Germany. He goes on to find hope in the bravely written Barme...

While some (distorted!) strains of Christianity seek to escape this age (cf., Gnosticism, Docetism, etc.), others dream of a comfortable life within it. Divine blessing takes the form of safety and secular - from protection against disease to owning luxury jets. This is "the prosperity gospel," and while it is hardly new, it has made quite a resurgence lately, especially in the US. Here, Ian Farre...

What must I do to be saved (by Jesus)? Is there a prayer that must be said? A doctrine that must be affirmed? A morality that must be adopted? Good deeds that must be done? The classical Protestant answer is: Grace alone! (...Which is generally followed by a prayer that must be said, doctrines believed, sins avoided and charity done.) It is all part of the church's historic struggle with Semi-Pela...

We seem to be experiencing a shift in contemporary western politics away from a competition of ideas in pursuit of the best solution to our problems and towards a tribalism that seeks power for its own sake and is more and more willing to regard (some) people as a means to a larger political end. In this special sermon - preached 24 June 2018 - we examine again the meaning of kingdom citizenship a...