No Church Answers!

Like all men, Jacob must deal will inevitable transitions that come with middle age, although for this patriarch, the pain will run deep. His beloved Rachel dies in childbirth, bearing him his 12th son. His father Isaac dies soon after. What follows is the devastating loss of his favorite son, Joseph, whom his brothers, out of jealousy and hatred, sold into slavery yet told Jacob he had been kille...

We come to a story of bloody vengeance. Shechem, son of Hamor, kidnaps and rapes Dinah, Jacob’s daughter by Leah. Three days later, Jacob's sons Simeon and Levi slaughter all the men of the city and take Dinah back. The other sons follow and loot what's left. We’ve all heard the criticism from non-Christians: “What sort of God allows wholesale slaughter?” And Christians would rather look past some...

We unpack one of the strangest yet most colorful episodes in the Bible—Jacob’s all-night wrestling match with God, who takes on a proto-incarnate form. The encounter will permanently change Jacob, who emerges with a new name—Israel—and a limp to serve as a reminder of the contest. We look at both the literal narrative as well as how it symbolically reflects our own lifelong wrestling with the Lord...

If you thought Jacob was a piece of work, wait ‘til you meet his Uncle Laban. We look at the 20 years Jacob spends working for his mother’s brother, who cheats and exploits him every chance he gets. Over time, however, Jacob gains both family and wealth, as well as knowledge through hardship. All men deal with career and family struggles at points in their lives. We talk about both the good and ba...

Jacob's dream-vision has inspired artists and songwriters for centuries. We examine the symbolism of the dream and what it tells--and foretells--us about God. In the context of Jacob's story, we discuss how it marks the beginning of a gradual change in the patriarch's relationship with God, who will make new demands of him. When stealing Esau's birthright and blessing, should Jacob have been more...

Jacob steals his brother Esau's birthright and later, his father's blessing. Yet how complicit is Esau in this? How gullible was Isaac? We examine the dysfunction in Isaac's household, where resentments fester, favorites are chosen and used against each other, and to what degree, if any, this was part of a greater divine plan. Do scholars try too hard to justify Jacob's duplicity? Are they too rou...

We begin a study of Jacob, scoundrel, cheat, con-man and ultimately God's choice to be founder of the Nation of Israel. We start with his dubious birth and immediate rivalry with his older twin and apparent pre-natal wrestling foe. Sunday school lessons like to focus on the morally virtuous figures of the Old Testament. While some men walk with God, others can only limp. In this series we'll look...

Picking up on the Men Matter podcast series "Leave With Your Bags Packed," the panel talks about plans, spiritual goals and transitions they are making as they enter or approach retirement. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https...

In the conclusion of our series on living full to the very end, Bill and Steve talk about the importance of setting goals after retirement and finding new purpose. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-no...

For our Holy Week podcast we look at the miracle of Cross of Christ. Why is the cross so central to Christian faith? Why do Christians put faith in an incarnate God who came not to rule humanity but to willingly surrender to a humiliating death at the hands of earthly powers? And why, above all, was all this necessary? The panel discusses the admittedly baffling mystery of the crucifixion and the...

In the second part of Bill and Steve's discussion of living full until the very end, Bill talks about how to build a Bucket List while Steve addresses the other important list--decluttering your life not only of material things, but of spiritual and psychological weights. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See...

When it comes to classic church answers, "It's God's will" arguably ranks at the top. Yet throughout the Bible, there are examples of God's willingness to change his plan. While God may have a perfect divine will, he also seems to have an acceptable or permissive will. Can we negotiate with God? What degree of agency do we have as citizens of his Kingdom? And, even as we strive to do his will, how...

Bill Cox and Steve Titch begin a series of short podcasts about living full until the very end. In the opener, we talk about facing the reality of mortality head-on. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-...

The fellows look at prayer from perspectives that range from Richard J. Foster to Lulu Roman. Prayer might be the primary means of accessing the Holy Spirit, yet most of us find it difficult. In Romans, Paul says the Spirit will find the words when we can't. We discuss the importance a prayer life and ways to cultivate it. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more abo...

With Peter's encouragement to the early church as a background, the panel talks about the importance of taking service and leadership roles in their churches. Bill talks about starting the Man Up men's discipleship ministry that led directly to this podcast. Mike, a one-time bass guitarist, talks about moving from music ministry to Bible study. We also talk about our often uneven paths to Christia...

Peter thought the Second Coming was imminent. But even if, as Jesus said, no one knows the day or the hour, it doesn't mean we shouldn't be prepared for judgment. Peter writes that we be "alert and of sober mind." That means discerning the most important ways of spending what time we have. Hint: it's not judging others. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about...

From 2019, we look at Peter's confession and acceptance of forgiveness and his mission in the final chapter of the Gospel of John. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

Suffering in life is inevitable; the founders of the Church knew that. They may have been the first to understand that suffering does not define us as victims, but that the Holy Spirit can transform our suffering into Christian witness, particularly by giving us the strength to be survivors. We talk about ways to deal with suffering that avoids old school stoic repression of pain and newer trends...

Happy Valentines Day! Are there divinely ordained roles in marriage, or have we just slapped a doctrinal label on mythologized notions of men's and women's "work?" What does "submission" mean when it's the wife, not the husband, who is chief earner? Does a Christian have a responsibility to bring a non-Christian spouse to the Lord? What can the Bible tell us about navigating contemporary realities...

Both Peter and Paul say Christians should submit to earthy authorities, but they lived at a time of emperors and kings whose word was law. In a modern republic or democracy, when and how should Christians exercise their right stand up to authority? We talk about balancing faith and activism, touching on how the Biblical counsel to "honor" and "submit" extends to civic engagement tactics that inclu...

What do we mean when we say Christ is our cornerstone? Peter is pretty harsh when he tells early Christians they must put all worldly values aside and build their faith on the permanent and eternal foundation of Jesus. Some worldly values are easy to forsake--drugs, alcohol, promiscuity, affluence--but other cultural idols maybe more difficult to abandon. In Texas, that might just be our guns. Do...

We delve into a tricky section of scripture to try to fathom the necessary attributes of Christianity. Peter calls on Christians to accept the crucifixion and resurrection as fulfillment of the "living and enduring work of God" and it should be lived out be becoming examples of agape love Christ expressed through the cross. Peter says sanctification requires faith, hope, love and acceptance of the...

Peter counsels “be holy in all you do.” At heart is the question of what boundaries should we put around our personal lives. Topics include R-rated movies, modern art, casino gambling, gay couples and evolution theory, as our panel--actor/screenwriter, a poker player, a former bassist in a rock band and an oil and gas industry professional--talks about what aspects of the common culture we allow i...

We begin the new year with a study of 1 Peter, which we see as a guide to being "in the world, but not of it." Peter greets his readers as "exiles." We discuss the significance of the term and, if we are exiles in a hostile culture, what our expectations should be. We also touch on the dangers of equating tradition with doctrine, which Bill calls "grouchy old-man-itis" and how that pertains to gri...

Just in time for the Feast of the Epiphany (aka Three Kings Day), we bring back our 2021 Christmas podcast on the Magi and their significance to the Nativity story. What motivated them to pack up and travel as far as a thousand miles to investigate an astrological portent that was only peripheral to their own religious and national background? Along the way we discuss comets, planetary conjunction...