The B4Church Podcast

Jesus tells his friends and neighbors in Nazareth that the prophet Isaiah wrote about him in 61:1-2, referring to his authority to free “the captives.” In this first installment from our Miracles series, Pastor Bo digs into how this is still the heart of God for his people, to free them from bondage, whether addictions, […]

In this topical message, we look at three different modes of being: our “before” seasons, beyond our horizon future imaginings, and those in between transition periods that can frustrate us. Each of these times make important contributions to who we are, but they all offer very different opportunities for interaction with God. Pastor Bo looks […]

Jesus hangs on a Roman Cross between two criminals. At his feet is his mother, Mary. Luke offers us a dialog between the two men executed with the Lord, one conversation in particular with Jesus. The fourth Gospel also includes a poignant moment with Jesus’ mother. Why these details? How might they help us see […]

Jesus stands trial before the kings of this world. Pilate represents Caesar, the ruler of the “Eternal Kingdom” of Rome. And, Herod represents the unholy alliance of religion and politics, where God’s chosen people choose friendship with the powers of this world over relationship with their Creator. They maintain the outward trappings of their faith […]

Zacchaeus and the crowd that judges him represent two kinds of injury: those who hurt others because of self interest and those who do so because of their religious self-righteousness. In today’s message we see how Jesus addresses both hurts as Pastor Israel invites us to bring our injury to the Lord. In the chapter […]

Jesus said, “I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” He’s surrounded by scoundrels like Jewish tax collectors, who have become turncoats serving the interests of their Roman oppressors and growing rich in the process. In their company one often found other evil doers. Yet, in this instance, the righteous Pharisees […]

Jesus’ baptism is a crescendo of sorts, a crowning affirmation by Israel’s greatest prophet at the time AND Jesus’ Father in Heaven, who says, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well-pleased.” One would expect that the Lord could ride this kind of momentum into a triumphant public ministry, but he doesn’t. Instead, […]

As Jesus’s mother, Mary had a unique perspective. She saw him as few others did and helps us view the Son in all of his fullness. She is a major figure in Luke’s narrative. Mary’s responses to the revelation of Jesus — as her soon-to-be-born baby and as her crucified-but-soon-to-be resurrected Lord — bookend his […]

We all look through a variety of lenses to see things well. We sometimes even need glasses or corrective lens surgery to maintain that clarity as we age. The Bible, and specifically Luke’s Gospel, is one of our “lenses” that can help us see life clearly throughout our journey. However, our culture has taught us […]

On the first day of the week following Jesus’ death, the 8th day, his followers approached his tomb with disappointment. Their only goal was to complete his hasty burial and mourn him properly. Nothing had prepared them to find his burial place empty, and messengers proclaiming that he had risen — despite Jesus’ teaching about […]

Jesus said that his Father looks for worshippers in Spirit and in truth. God’s pursuit of these worshipers begs a question. Will they recognize him when he arrives? What will his visitation look like? How will it line up with their expectations? Will they miss the moment entirely? Pastor Bo walks us through such an […]

We all yearn for freedom. Yet, so many people find themselves enslaved to things like bad relationships, exploitive jobs, or addictive behaviors. It would seem that trying harder to control our lives might be the answer, but it’s not. Instead, trusting in God’s goodness and his loving direction for us is what brings freedom. However, […]

The Apostle Paul often paired the concepts of grace and peace in his greetings as he wrote to the churches of the Ancient Roman World. The paring was an important one for Paul because it combined God’s inclination and affection for his people with their welfare and they way in which they would experience the […]

Blessing is built into Creation. Even though our world is marred by the evil evident to anyone paying attention, we are still blessed and designed to be vessels of blessing. In this latest installment of the Follow series, Pastor Bo teaches a fuller understanding of blessing, a concept that has grown increasingly “thin” in recent […]

God arrested Moses’ attention with a bush that burned and was not consumed, a shiny object if you will. However, he commanded Moses to come only so close and no closer, remove his sandals because he now stood on holy ground. God was calling him to something and imparting the means to accomplish that calling […]