Refuge Audio Podcast

In the Gospels, we read of all sorts of reasons people would follow Jesus. But one interesting aspect of the life & ministry of Jesus was that He often avoided large gatherings. Jesus was more concerned with making disciples. He was focused on individuals who would desire to learn from Him and choose to follow Him for the right reasons. To these individuals, He was constantly teaching about how Hi...

The news of Jesus’ body absent from the tomb didn’t bring immediate relief to His followers. They initially thought that someone had taken Jesus’ body. Their confusion slowly gave way to belief as He revealed Himself to them right where they were.

During His earthly ministry, Jesus preached and taught, warned and discipled—all according to the working of the Holy Spirit. And it all started in the unlikeliest of places—Nazareth and Galilee. In the eyes of the religious elite of the day, these were not destinations to travel to or places to be proud of. And yet, these places were just right for Jesus to begin His public ministry and recruit H...

“For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.” (Hebrews 4:15). Jesus was tempted in every way that we are tempted. In many ways, His temptations were much, much worse—and yet, He did not sin. But that does not mean He was unaffected by the human experience. His trial of temptation has a profound effect on His...

John the Baptist’s whole life & ministry was in preparation for the public ministry of Jesus. With each passing day, John knew that Jesus would be coming at any moment. So he faithfully prepared the people to be prepared for the Lord’s arrival. And then…that day came, when the Uncreated Creator not only visited humanity in the frailty of humanity, but also began His earthly ministry. 

In Matthew 3, two of the most influential men & ministers in history came to a crossroads. John's ministry was coming to an end and Jesus' earthly ministry was just beginning. In order to understand all that was happening, we have to go back to a time before Jesus and John were born—to the ancient prophecies that foretold their arrival.

In Matthew 3, we read about one man in the wilderness with one singular purpose—to prepare the way of The Lord. His name was John, and at first glance, he might seem like an odd man. After all, he wore camel’s hair and ate honey and locust. But he had an important message to fulfill his purpose. What was his message to prepare us for The King of The Kingdom that was at hand? What was the message t...

After speaking to His people through the prophet Malachi, God was silent for 400 years. The last thing He told them was that He would send a man who would help them prepare for the coming Messiah by turning their hearts to the things of the Lord. That man was John the Baptist—the last of the Old Covenant prophets, even though his life and ministry is recorded in the New Testament. John had a word...

In his letter to the Ephesian church, the Apostle Paul wrote that we are to put off our our old nature, which is continually corrupted by its deceitful desires. We considered this as we continue to learn about Herod in our study in Matthew. What would this mean for the heart of Herod after he rejected the Lord? His heart would be continually corrupted and rotted by its deceitful desires. But this...