Resident Strangers

With the 4th of July just around the corner, Steve, Rich, and Sarah take some time to discuss Independence Day and how Christians can think about and respond to it. The conversation begins with favorite memories, family traditions, and what makes this summer holiday special. As with many topics, there can be extremes, and Christians can sometimes get caught up in them. Rich highlights that the val...

It's Tuesday which means we have another episode of Resident Strangers to share! This episode serves as a part 2 to last week's conversation on how to study the Bible. The conversation begins with Sarah, Rich and Steve reflecting on Bibles they have had and how they've seen God's faithfulness through studying. At the end of last week's episode Rich began explaining inducti...

Welcome back to Resident Strangers! This week's episode is somewhat of a continuation of last week's as Rich and Steve dive into the practical steps to study the Bible. Steve brings up a quote that meant a lot to him as he was learning to study the Bible, "this book will keep you from sin or sin will keep you from this book." We all have access to the Word of God, isn't th...

Today is a new day on Resident Strangers as Steve and Rich begin to cover topics outside of the doctrinal statement that Desert Springs holds. There are plenty of episodes to catch up on if you'd like to get through that first 😉 Rich references the very first episode of Resident Strangers in which theology in general was discussed. What is focused on today is the idea that sometimes systemat...

This is a monumental episode on Resident Strangers today as Steve and Rich have officially reached the end of the doctrinal statement of Desert Springs Community Church. Have no fear! This is only the beginning of topics that will be covered on this podcast. Over the last two weeks all things marriage have been discussed. There are so many things to include and discuss as this is an area the enemy...

Welcome to part 2 of the discussion surrounding marriage! Last week the conversation centered around what God wants in and through marriage. This week Steve and Rich are discussing the difficult topic of divorce. The reality is that divorce trends are similar between the world and the Church. Steve states that divorce is not this "scarlet D" people have to wear as an unforgivable sin, bu...

Believe it or not Steve and Rich have reached the end of the doctrinal statement they've been working through. Time flies when you're having fun, right? This point will be split into three parts over the next three weeks. No need to worry about being at the end of the doctrinal statement as Steve and Rich have plenty more to talk about when it comes to thinking like a Christian in this f...

Welcome back to Resident Strangers! Steve and Rich are picking right back up with the importance of the Church. When someone comes to faith in Christ their priorities should certainly include the body of Christ. We are not only saved from sin but saved into the Church. Have you ever thought about what it would like if everyone was living fully invested in the body of Christ? God designed each pers...

Steve and Rich are continuing in the Desert Springs doctrinal statement today talking about something very near and dear to their hearts; that is the church. What exactly is the church? Is it a specific building or place? How much do the people in the church matter? Does the church exist to merely provide "religious services"? What does it mean to be a member of a church? Rich encourages...

This week on Resident Strangers Steve and Rich are continuing their discussion on the future bodily resurrection. Everything about the future bodily resurrection has to do with the resurrection of Jesus. Rich points out that Paul really frames this as something to bring believers hope. What exactly does it mean that bodies will be raised and restored? Paul again focuses on it being a spiritual bod...

The whole gang is back together on Resident Strangers! Rich is back from his break and is once again joining Steve and Sarah in the studio. They're jumping right back into the doctrinal statement held at Desert Springs, talking about the future bodily resurrection. This is a concept that brought hope to people who heard it then and continues to bring hope to believers now. Eternal life is tru...

Our beloved co-host Rich will be joining back in again next week so this episode will just be a conversation with Steve and Sarah. If you've been a regular listener, you know that Steve and Rich have been working through the doctrinal statement that our church (Desert Springs Community Church) holds. Since August of last year, they have been breaking down each element of the doctrinal stateme...

Shawn Jones once again joins Steve and Sarah in the studio to continue the discussion on witnessing, specifically diving into the concept of oikos. Many might be familiar with Oikos the yogurt brand, but did you know that oikos is an important word to know for a Christian wanting to make a difference in Jesus' name? If you attend Desert Springs, you're hopefully already familiar with thi...

We hope you enjoyed the Passion Week devotionals and had a wonderful Easter weekend! It's back to business as usual this week; well, kind of. Rich is taking a little break for the next few weeks and with that Steve and Sarah decided to invite a special guest host to join in for this discussion on witnessing and evangelism. There was not a better person to join in than Shawn Jones! Shawn works...

Happy Easter! Or should we say, Resurrection Day! Today we are sharing with you a conversation we had back in November on the incredible value of the resurrection. You've heard this conversation before, but it is a great listen for this resurrection Sunday! Steve and Rich specifically highlight the incredible value the resurrection has in this episode. The latter part of 1 Corinthians 15 is r...

This episode focuses on silent Saturday, the day between Good Friday and Easter. It's not a day that is typically recognized. Have you ever stopped to think about what that day might have been like? We know the end of the story but those that were there in that time had to face whether what they had been told about the resurrection was true. What we can gather from scripture is that those who...

This episode focuses on the events of Good Friday. Steve walks us through a timeline of that day, starting very early in the morning on Friday. The episode ends with a reading of John 20:30-31. John recorded the events in this book to persuade us to believe that Jesus truly is the Messiah. We hope this helps you to reflect on your belief in Jesus and the magnitude of the cross.  If you are local t...

Today's episode focuses on John 13:1-14 (NIV). Rich gives us some background on what some know as Maundy Thursday. This is a remembrance of the night that Jesus spent with His disciples. An amazing thing to draw out from this passage is that Jesus washed His disciples' feet. His care for His disciples was so evident, He loved them until the very end. He even washed Judas' feet knowi...

Today's episode focuses on Luke 21:1-13 (NIV). It is Wednesday of Passion Week and in a little over 24 hours Jesus will be betrayed. In a little over 48 hours, He will be on the cross. We see Jesus' care and compassion for others as He tells this story of the widow. There is nothing small in the eyes of God when it is done in a heart of faith. As Jesus talks of His second coming, He is r...

Today's episode focuses on Matthew 22:15-40 (NIV). The people bringing the questions in this passage were trying to trick Jesus and yet He handles this masterfully. He answers the questions in a way that conveys the truth to not only His audience then but to us living now. This is a passage that has been referenced in many episodes of Resident Strangers. In these answers we see that Jesus is...

Today's episode focuses on Mark 11:11-17 (NIV). There should have been fruits of repentance; the fruit of embracing Jesus as Messiah but there wasn't. Jesus knew where this was going as He saw the lack of fruit. In a lot of ways Jesus was giving last warnings to Israel to repent in the days leading up to the cross. We cannot allow things in our lives to become more important than the wor...

Happy Palm Sunday! Today's episode focuses on Matthew 21:1-9 (NIV). Jesus came on a lowly donkey knowing that what was ahead of Him was a very humiliating death. It's also interesting to stop and consider that those who praised Him so greatly on this day were the same ones who would shout "crucify Him" just five days later.  Would you please subscribe and leave us a review? Thi...

With Passion Week approaching Steve and Rich wanted to share some special devotionals on the Resident Strangers podcast as we prepare our hearts for Easter weekend. Starting today short 5-10 minute episodes will be released every day until Sunday, March 31st to help center your heart on scripture and gratitude for Jesus and His sacrifice. Today's episode focuses on John 12:1-3 (NASB). Would y...

Baptism is the focus of today’s Resident Strangers conversation! Sarah, Steve, and Rich share their own baptism stories, including Rich’s unique journey of being baptized as an infant and then later as a teenager after placing his faith in Christ. What does infant baptism mean? Can it be considered believer’s baptism? Steve unpacks why this topic can create confusion, especially when it comes to s...

Rich and Steve jump right back into the conversation of eternal security. If you did not listen to last week's episode you should catch up before joining in on this one. Rich brings some clarity to some passages that some might use to argue the idea of losing salvation. Steve brings clarity as well getting into some specific contexts certain passages were written in (you may want to take note...