Reliable Truth

What is the thirst of the soul? We are in John 4, discussing Jesus' encounter with the Samaritan woman at the well. It is a fascinating conversation. He’s focusing on the spiritual need in her life and she’s thinking about not having to come to this well to drag water back to her house every day. The thirst of the soul. I read an older sermon by Tim Keller, and he talks about the role of water in...

We live in a time where many people just want to emphasis God’s love. But really, how do we know that He is a God of love? Does history tell us? Over the centuries, human society has had a good understanding that he is a God of wrath, who is righteous and puts down rebellion, who holds up the law of righteousness. But who came up with this idea of a loving God, a forgiving God, a merciful God–a Go...

Are you on a search for truth? Today we are studying John 3:1-15. In this familiar conversation that Jesus has with Nicodemus, we’re introduced to this great truth about being born again. The idea of a new birth. There is another word that Paul uses that means the same thing - regeneration . If you’ve ever read the Episcopal Book of Common Prayer, it uses the words regenerate and regeneration a go...

Today we're studying John chapter 2. It’s a quick read, and full of interesting details about Jesus. He spent 30 years of His life in a small, obscure village called Nazareth. The people in Nazareth didn’t even think much of Him, yet even at age 12, Jesus really had a good grasp of who He was and why He was there. He grew in wisdom and knowledge, and in favor with God and man. Hebrews 5 tells us t...

When my oldest son was about nine, out of the blue he asked me, “Dad, why do you believe in God?” And I gave him all kinds of reasons. I said there are a lot of very good, rational, logical reasons to believe in God. Then I said, but, for me, ultimately, I believe in God because of Jesus. The Word becoming Flesh and dwelling among us. What is the reason for life? Author Tim Keller said, “The Desig...

Richard joins Dr. Michael Easley to discuss Richard’s book Reflections on The Existence of God and the importance of evidence-based belief. Why is it important to have evidence to believe in? In this episode we'll look at these questions many of us have: How should we think about evil in a culture that loves evil?  What is the meaning of life? What is my purpose in living? What is the psycholo...

Today my guest is Paul Walker. We'll be looking at four different people from the gospel of John who represent four types of people: two seekers and two believers. One seeker is a guy named Nicodemus who seems to have it all together while the other is a woman caught in the midst of adultery who's clearly got her fault lines exposed. One believer is Thomas, Jesus's disciple who was plagued by doub...

All of us have certain pictures in our minds and in our hearts of how we want life to be. Our pictures are made up of people and circumstances. As long as reality and our pictures are somewhat in conformity, then life is good! Everything is going well! The problem arises when there's a gap between my picture and reality. And the greater the gap, the greater the pain and disappointment, the hurt, a...

Is life worth living? And if so, how can it be lived well? Dr. Mark Gignilliat joins us with a message from the Old Testament book of Joshua. Where is happiness in all of this? Interestingly, I recently read that the largest registration for a single course in the history of Yale University was a course entitled "Happiness." To live a fulfilled human life is an age-old question. Ancient Greek phil...

Happy Father's Day! Jerry Leachman of  Leachman Ministries  joins us with a message for fathers especially, but also for all men - to help us all focus on the things that matter. Are there any boundaries when it comes to human sexuality? How do our choices affect others in our lives? As a father, how do my choices affect my wife? My children? Today's message is about living an upright life - how t...

I remember watching a movie at around age 19, and laughing more than I'd ever laughed before in my entire life. About 6 months later I became a Christian, finished college and went on to start my career. Some years later I found that same movie in a rental store and excitedly took it home to watch it. I started watching it, and after about 10 or 15 minutes I had to turn it off because it was so cr...

Would you say that you're living a healthy life? And what does a healthy life even look like? Today I'm diving into the life of King David and his fall into adultery–we'll look closely at what happened in his life. When marriages are struggling and there's not much passion going on, that's when you are particularly vulnerable to the temptation to adultery. Proverbs 5 tells us men to, "Drink water...

As many of you may know, pastor and author Tim Keller passed away this past Friday. I am grateful for Tim's life and his witness, and for how the Lord has used him so powerfully in so many people's lives. We are thankful for the wisdom he has given to us through his speaking events at The Center. In honor of Tim, I’d like to share with you his last Bible Study message to us, given live from New Yo...

"You just won your first major. You’ve got a beautiful young wife. You’ve got houses, cars, money, everything a 26 or 27 year-old could ever dream of and more. Well, what is this emptiness about? I had no ideas... " - Bernhard Langer Today Richard's guest is professional golfer Bernhard Langer. Join us to hear Bernhard's fascinating story and his journey of faith. Bernhard is a t...

Jerry Leachman of  Leachman Ministries  joins us today with a message calling us to give our lives away. Jesus said people that give their life away will find their life. You know when you’re giving your life away because it’s impossible to be contentious toward anybody. You have become their servant. You don’t think you’re better than others, and you’re free from the bondage of consumerism. Peopl...

What does it mean to be a human being?   Dr. Mark Gignilliat joins us with a message from the book of Exodus. I believe that we are seeing the erosion of the West, right in front of us. Shifts in our culture are accelerating very quickly. What we are seeing is going to require us to wrestle with the very basic questions of who we are: What does it mean to be a human being?  Do humans have a nature...

Millions have read books and listened to sermons by Timothy Keller. But which people and what events shaped his own thinking and spiritual growth? Today I'm having a conversation with Collin Hansen, as we celebrate his latest book Timothy Keller: His Spiritual and Intellectual Formation. Timothy Keller  takes readers behind the scenes to meet the people and understand the events that formed Ke...

The prophet Ezekiel in the Bible is a wild ride. I'm not sure how else to describe him. Ezekiel is a remarkable prophet of the Old Testament Exile. Dr. Mark Gignilliat joins us with a message from the first chapter of Ezekiel. Hebrews 7:25 tells us that Jesus, "...is also able to save forever those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them." Ezekiel chapter 1...

Think about these words - truth and evidence. How do we know what is true and valid? Is there real evidence for God? I believe that every single one of us should be asking these questions. The healthiest men I know adhere to Socrates' advice to “follow the truth wherever it leads.” So in order to discover what is true and valid we must take time to search it out for ourselves. Faith needs a founda...

Are you looking for hope in your life today? In light of the recent, tragic school shooting in Nashville, I'd like to share this message of hope from a Good Friday talk I gave a few years ago. I believe it is pertinent today. Author and pastor Tim Keller says this, “Hope is the engine that drives your life. And the reason is because how you live your life today is so influenced by how you perceive...

When you think of God, what is the first thing that comes to your mind? In other words, when you think of the attributes of God, what do you think of? Here in the south, many of us might describe God as a loving God, a merciful God, that He is a forgiving God and He is an all-powerful God. You see those descriptions in the Bible of who God is. These are descriptions that make us feel good about Go...

Today's message might possibly be the most important message I could ever share with Christian men. Proverbs 16:5 says, "The Lord detests all the proud of heart. Be sure of this: they will not go unpunished." Think about those words. Then James 4:6 tells us, "God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble." The Greek word for opposed there means "to be at war with." Now who in the world wants...

Today Richard joins Jeff Pinkleton on the Pinkleton Pull-Aside Podcast to discuss Biblical manhood, the existence of God, Alabama football and much more. Special thanks to our brother in the Lord, Bob " Coach Schue " Schuemann, for connecting Richard with Jeff and the good folks at The Gathering! Jeff Pinkleton is Executive Director of the Gathering of the Miami Valley, where their mission is to c...

We live in an age of constant distraction. We have to be intentional to find space for reflection, for prayer - to crowd out the noise of existence. Many people are marked by angst, depression and even suicidal thoughts.  Where are you looking for hope in your life? Dr. Mark Gignilliat joins us with a message about Lent and the book of Psalms. Psalm 121:1-2 tells us, "I lift up my eyes to the hill...

Isn't it interesting to think about how we let other people have such an influence on how we live our lives. I think we would all agree that the people in our lives are important to us. In fact, relationships are the substance of life. We were meant to be with other people. But, am I living my life to please others? Or am I living for the approval of God? I can't do both. You cannot truly live to...