The B4Church Podcast

Matthew 19 is a chapter that is relevant for us in every way. Divorce, marriage, children and money. Matthew compacts them all in one small section. It is also a chapter about priorities and in every example we see that Jesus prizes human relationships more than any other thing. What we find in Matthew 19 […]

We develop words and images and ideologies around the things that are intrinsically embedded into our belief system and, without examination, those things become an invisible structure that holds us in and can also keep us out of a better story that is more true and more life-giving. Essentially, our language contains the heart of […]

We, as followers of Jesus, believe that the greatest story ever told is the true story of our loving creator God redeeming all things in and through his Son, Jesus. This is the story we have in the Scriptures. We meditate on it, and hopefully, have our imaginations and our lives shaped by it. Whether […]

There is the Jesus we know and welcome into our lives. The risen Jesus. There is also the historical Jesus – the Jesus who lived in first-century Palestine. An actual flesh and blood Jesus who walked real streets and talked with real people. It’s the historical Jesus who lived a real life and died a […]

This is a mission-critical moment in the life of the Church in America… a crossroads moment. American Christianity is in danger of losing the Christ in our Christianity… We’ve allowed other things to distract us to the point where we are losing our North Star. How we embody the life and love of Jesus in […]

Nehemiah led a miraculous restoration of the wall of Jerusalem. The city was finally safe to live in healing, hope, freedom and flourishing. They were to return to the life of a vibrant city of God. Gatekeepers, musicians and Levites were assigned – three appointments that guard the physical, emotional and spiritual health of the […]

Every faith community is called to build and cultivate. And B4 is no exception. We’re called to build a place of hope, healing, freedom, and flourishing. It’s a big job that will invite opposition in many forms, like for example, disunity and distractions. Much as Nehemiah did, we will face varied opposition as the enemy […]

The story of God is all about creating, restoring, and redeeming. The book of Nehemiah reflects this by painting a beautiful portrait of God’s work in our world through wise and prayerful people who restore brokenness, renew purpose, and revive hope. As we enter Nehemiah’s story, we see enemies who do not want the Jewish […]

Nehemiah is a short book but it’s a big story. It centers on rebuilding after a huge crisis. It has a lot to teach us about how to face the ruins in our lives and start rebuilding. We often use the life and times of Nehemiah to teach leadership principles, but this series is focused […]

We share a fallen world where hearts, vows, and bodies break. Where evil surrounds and pursues us. From the moment our feet hit terra firma, we are searching for the Eden we all left behind. As a result, trauma marks our stories. It is embedded in our souls and our bodies. When our vision of […]

Most of us know that the world isn’t what it should be. All it could be. So, what do we do about that? Some people go all in, devoting their lives to causes like the rights of a marginalized group or environmental issues. However, Christians can marshall a different response, namely intercessory prayer. It’s a […]

Everything starts with relationships: especially prayer. Prayer is a life lived out in front of God — with Him. It’s organic, beautiful, and woven into our days as water flows through sand. At least it can be when we aim to rejoice in Him. To love him. To share a relationship with Him. But, it’s […]

Throughout life’s distracting demands, God listens to our hearts and cares deeply about us. Between work deadlines, homework, social dynamics, soccer games, and life’s “overwhelm,” it’s easy to feel unheard. Drowned out. But God is always nearby, longing to hear your heart and care for you. Prayer isn’t about perfection, performance, or productivity — it’s […]

Our final service of the 2024 year is a fully online experience. Pastor Bo offers a message of hope springing from Jeremiah 1, and shows how God calls us all to a great adventure.

May this candlelight service offer you the Peace of Christ. May the Prince of Peace, Jesus, visit your heart and home this Christmas. May you sense Him near and dear, greater than fear, greater than confusion, greater than our worried hearts.  And may you, being filled with His ever-increasing peace, be an agent of peace in […]

The fourth name in Isaiah 9:6 is “Everlasting Father,” which refers to the fatherly care that this child-king will show God’s people. He is from everlasting — there is an eternal quality to his person and mission — and he cares deeply for his people with fatherly love, patience, and protection. Isaiah has Israel’s Messiah […]

There is no order, no boundaries. And into this great, vast, chaos, God speaks the first words we ever hear Him speak, “Let there be light.” It says his first act in building a home for us was to separate light from darkness. What would the rest of creation have been like without the gift […]

Throughout church history, Advent has been a season of anticipation, anticipating the birth of Jesus and his return. It’s an opportunity to remind ourselves that Jesus entered our world with all its troubles. In a time when many of us want to escape the worries of this world, Jesus enters it. A holy God chooses […]

We celebrate the arrival of Jesus, God’s promised Redeemer, each Christmas. However, the wonder of that event is often drowned out by the demands of culturally traditional celebrations, or dampened by a long slog through the “grayness” of any winter season. Fortunately, Isaiah 9 reminds us that we were meant to be in awe of […]

We all experience hallway seasons, aware of movement from one place to another while traversing an in-between space. Maybe that’s due to a job layoff or a relationship that’s ending. Perhaps it’s because you’ve graduated and it’s time to put that degree to work. Or, maybe it’s because you’re entering the proverbial empty nester years […]

Every story has a beginning, middle, and end. Jeremiah’s letter to the Israelites suffering exile in Babylon promises a good ending. The beginning? That’s the past. There are promises in the beginning, made by a good God and you can count on those. The middle? It’s where you are now. It’s the muddy middle, a […]

After water, food, and shelter, we crave security. We are made to seek out a safe, protected environment. Unfortunately, the harsher realities of our world often prompt us to do so behind walls and weapons. As illustrated in Jeremiah 29, God offers us an alternative: security within His Presence. This is not an ironclad guarantee that […]

Jeremiah 29:11 is one of the most often quoted verses in the Bible. It can frequently be misunderstood if readers try to apply its truth in an individualistic and overly personalized manner. What God offers His people, the Exiles in crisis, is a reassurance that He has good plans for them, even though He is […]

We live in a culture driven by ambition and emotion. The high achievers are encouraged to go even higher and they’re handsomely rewarded for their accomplishments. At the same time, those driven by unregulated emotions often gain the most attention and an increased measure of influence — especially on social media. However, Psalm 131 sees […]

Everyone suffers to some extent. It’s a universal human condition that causes skeptics to question God’s character. The Psalms engage suffering through another universal human experience: sin. Psalm 130 offers a poetic treatment of the issues, acknowledging suffering and sin while affirming God’s character.  Plumbing the depths of Psalm 130, Pastor Bo explores its ancient […]