The B4Church Podcast

God designed creation as a mirror of His love, one that is balanced, harmonious, and beautiful. Like a child finding identity in a parent’s gaze, humanity was meant to be captivated by and reflect God’s love. But sin shattered that. Instead of keeping their eyes on the loving God with them, Adam and Eve’s gaze […]

In Isaiah 43, the prophet reminds God’s people of their greatest deliverance, the miraculous Exodus. Nothing else defined their national identity like this miracle, which they were commanded to celebrate each year at Passover. Even so, the prophet writes in 43:19 that God will do a new thing, make a new way, something even better. […]

Fear is one of the most powerful forces shaping our lives. From economic uncertainty to personal struggles with anxiety, many of us feel gripped by the same kind of fear that past generations faced during wars and crises. Yet the message of Isaiah 43 breaks into that reality with a powerful word from God: “Do […]

This second message in our two-part series explores Paul’s charge to Timothy, “…fan into flame the gift of God” (2 Tim. 1:6). Building on last week’s theme of being sifted, Pastor Bo emphasizes that God has uniquely created each believer as His masterpiece, equipped with gifts meant for good works prepared in advance. We must […]

For the first installment of this mini series, Pastor Bo takes us into two powerful moments with Jesus: one with His disciples at the Last Supper, and another with the Rich Young Ruler. In both stories, Jesus flips expectations upside down. Peter thinks he’s strong enough to stand, but Jesus warns that sifting is coming. […]

In John’s Gospel, the writer tells the story of a healing at the Pool of Bethesda, a special place known for its healing powers. Jesus goes there and encounters a man who was an invalid for almost 40 years. Jesus asks him a simple question, “Do you want to get well?” It seems an odd […]

Blindness and sight are key biblical themes that run through the Old Testament stories and the great writing prophets, such as Isaiah, eventually culminating in the Gospels. Through today’s message, we’ll look at the deeper meaning of a miracle recorded in Mark 10, a physical healing that restores a man’s sight. Even as He did […]

Two words run through every part of Jesus’ story, woven throughout His teachings, His miracles, His death, and His resurrection. They are empathy and compassion. These aren’t just nice character qualities. For anyone who follows Jesus, they are essential. They mark the presence of His Kingdom in us. But let’s be honest. Our culture doesn’t […]

The opposite of love isn’t hate. No, according to the Apostle John, the opposite of love is fear, along with anger, its near-constant companions. However, in 1 John, we’re invited to abandon fear and return repeatedly to the home made for us within God’s reliable love. Just as fear can multiply among a group of […]

How do we know what love is? How do we know we are loved? These questions haunt most people because we were made for love and long to experience it. The first Christians also wrestled with these questions, and Jesus was at the center of their confusion. He had promised to return, but when? It […]

We have limitless capacity to fool ourselves. That practice is making us sad and sick. We are mucking about through guilt and trying to fight a torrent of shame, when all the while our good Father stands ready to hear, forgive, and heal, but that requires us to confess our sin. Confession has become convoluted […]

Love is not revealed in our doctrine or our theories or our church mission statements. It’s written in those places, but it isn’t revealed in those places. Love is revealed in the words we speak and the things we do in the neighborhood. We, like Jesus, are containers of the word of Life, and we […]

What is our position when we’re faced with wars and rumors of wars? Our world is suffering all manner of fighting and fury. Every morning, new and disturbing headline supplant the ones from the day before. Each day, a new and more intense fight seems to break out somewhere. What do we do as followers […]

The Creation account in Genesis tells us that God rested from His work. If God decided to rest, imagine how badly we — without His infinite resources — should do the same. He set an example and established a rhythm in creation: work six days and rest on the seventh. However, in our go-go 24/7 […]

We were made for communion with God and one another. But in an age of curated connections and crowded loneliness, we have forgotten how to be with one another. As a result, many people live relationally shallow lives — not because they want to, but because of the incessant demands on their time. We are […]

Soul health begins with coming “home” to our original design, as God made us to connect with Him and one another. Adam and Eve are in the garden, a place named “delight.” They share healthy connections, in good company with God and with one another. He designed them for Himself, but also for one another. […]

In his letter to the Ephesians, the Apostle Paul writes about the administration of a beautiful mystery. This mystery was kept hidden in God for ages, but has finally been revealed to all, Jew and Gentile alike. The mystery? It is the enriching grace of God offered to us in Jesus Christ. Paul is saying […]

Naomi’s willingness to turn from her tragic losses and return to Bethlehem — “The House of Bread” — led to more fulfillment than she could have imagined. Her turnaround produced a great reversal: provision, hope, redemption, and a future for herself and Ruth. As Psalm 126 teaches us, we sometimes sow in tears so we […]

This part of Ruth’s story would jump off the page to ancient readers. Ruth is no longer a victim. She demonstrates bold faith and a willingness to risk rejection when she follows Naomi’s advice and asks Boaz to marry her. Ruth is willing to step out of the social norms of her day: a foreigner […]

Sometimes, God’s blessing begins with a trickle. We see this in today’s message from Ruth, chapter two. As God reveals His hand in this story, desperation gives way to humility and nobility. We also meet a new and impressive character, Boaz, who reflects God’s loving concern for Ruth and Naomi. And quite suddenly, a trickle […]

Our story finds Naomi and her daughters at a low point, at a moment of desperation and decision. The writer foreshadows better times, so we know, “Bread is coming!” But they don’t know that yet. These women are caught within the mysterious tension of God’s will. They don’t understand how God is working. But they […]

Ruth is a book, like Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, and Daniel. It’s a story stuffed full of tragedy, turmoil, heartache, and God’s redemption. It’s been given to us as a gift, helping us conform to Jesus’ way and character. While the book is spiritually formative in many ways, it emphasizes a theme that we see play […]

Anchors are found drawn on the walls of the Christian catacombs and chiseled into the tombstones of 1st and 2nd-century believers. They were symbols of hope for those first Christians who were persecuted for their faith. In Jesus, they had an anchor, firm and secure, and heaven was their ultimate home. When Christianity became the […]

In one of the most intimate moments with His disciples, Jesus redefines greatness. As He shares the Last Supper, a dispute breaks out—who among them is the greatest? Instead of rebuking them harshly, Jesus responds with a radical picture of servanthood: He takes on the role of a servant and washes their feet. This moment, […]

In this passage, we find Jesus at a dinner party in Bethany, just days before His crucifixion. As He sits with His disciples, a woman arrives and performs an extravagant act of worship by pouring an expensive jar of perfume on Jesus’ head. This deeply symbolic act foreshadows His burial, and despite the disciples’ criticism […]