The Family Bible Journey Podcast

Over 1/4 of Americans no longer believe in heaven, and 1/3 no longer believe in a literal hell. This means than 1/9 Americans believe in heaven with no hell. We will consider why people reject the idea of a judgement, and the good reason that God has given all to look forward to, not fear, the judgment.

The psalmist extols the blessings of holy living even in godless times. We receive encouragement in our walk with God. There is great blessing in walking in His way.

Paul concludes his discussion regarding acceptance and rejection by encouraging those of the household of faith to not look down upon those who are not of the household of faith. It is too easy for us to judge others, when God alone is the judge. Instead of judging others, let us look humbly to the Lord for the mercy we all need.

We reflect on the relationship between Jesus and Judas as the psalmist shares his grief after being betrayed by a friend. Those who are closest to us are able to hurt us the most. When we find ourselves betrayed by a friend, or struck by a friend, we find our hope in our stay in our most faithful friend Jesus.

Living in evil times, godly people may wonder who is there for them? Even though we sometimes forget, God has promised to always be there for us. 

Many Christians think that they are saved because they believe. They would rather trust in their personal choice, than God's eternal election. We will discuss how the physical life span of a human being illumines our understanding of the conversion process.

Living in a faithless and godless age, people will try to emulate God by speaking the future that they want into existence. Sadly, this means that many people will turn to lies, deceit, and falsehood, instead of finding hope for the future in the unchanging truth of God's redeeming love. As people of faith, we cling to God's word of truth, knowing that He is the one who is going to judge all thing...

In the wake of being caught in the transgression with Bathsheba, David pens a powerful psalm of repentance. As sinful human beings living in a sinful world, the question isn't if we will sin, but rather when and how we will sin. When confronted with sin, we can like Adam and Eve try to hide from the consequences, cover it up, lie about it or blame others. Or, we can acknowledge our wrong and find...

In this episode, we wrestle with the uncomfortable reality that we are not in control. Life has a way of demonstating that we are not in control, but we often live as if we can manipulate the forces of earth and even God Himself. This causes us worrisome consternation, especially when we ponder the gift of salvation. 

The God of the Bible does not demand tremendous sacrifice as the basis of our good standing before Him. Rather, we are assured of a positive relationship with Him by our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. When we serve, we serve in faith, knowing that God blesses all sacrifices that we make for Him or others, simply because of His goodness and love for us.

It often appears on this side of eternity that the rich, the powerful and the mighty are successful, but we learn in this psalm that if their hope is in themselves, they will end up no better than any beast of burden. The faithful on the other hand, placing their trust in the Lord, and walking in His way, have the assurance that even when it appears that we are losing, that in the end, we will be...

This is one of the greatest chapters in the Bible, because it so clearly conveys the hope and confidence we have in Christ! Even in death, we are assured of the victory we have in Christ, because He Who lived, died, and rose from the dead for us, promises to return and bring us home with Him.

These psalms give us an opportunity to reflect on the perspective of both the psalmist and the prophet. Biblical faith is built upon historical events and real people who live real lives. Even though God used people living in very different times and very different places and very different cultures and realities, He inspired these people with truth that we appreciate as the people of God today.

This psalm inspired the great reformer Martin Luther to write his most famous hymn. Inspired by the hymn, we consider the events in Luther's life that gave him great appreciation for God's promises in this psalm. 

Temptation is something that everyone struggles with, including, and maybe especially, Christians. The Holy Spirit is constantly urging us to do good, but we also live with a sinful human nature that is alive so long as our physical body is alive. In Romans, chapter 7, we hear an epic description of this struggle, and find or hope in Christ Jesus.

This messianic Psalm of praise exalts the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. We here in these words, not just the praise of an earthly king, but praise for our eternal king.

Here the soul must lament with the people of God who have been handed to their enemies. They feel as if God has forgotten them at the least or rejected them at the worst. This Psalm gives us opportunity to reflect on the blessings of knowing that God is our God in both victory and defeat

After learning how God's love is made abundant for all in Romans, chapter 5, Saint Paul goes on to describe very beautifully how the gifts of God's love are delivered to us personally in holy baptism. God's love is not some abstract concept applied generically to all people. Instead, it is a gift delivered individually to us through his holy sacraments.

The psalms pivot in chapter 42 from individual expressions of faith towards focusing on the community of faith. In this episode, we hear how the psalms follow the order of the Pentateuch, and the blessings of seeing faith not only as an individual pursuit, but as a family endeavor.

In this life, it often seems the greedy win and the poor suffer. But when our hearts are set on the Lord's purposes, we live assured of His blessing now and forever, regardless the size of our bank account. Our confidence comes from the One who has blessed us forever in Christ Jesus.

The deep and beautiful interconnectedness of the Old and New Testament are made abundantly clear for us in this chapter. Paul describes how Jesus has undone the damage caused by Adam by his sin in the garden. We are given a master class in the types of Christ that we see in the Old Testament in this chapter.

Sometimes we cry to God because others have sinned against us and it hurts. Other times, we cry to the Lord because we have sinned, and hurt ourselves. In either case, God is the God of mercy, and He forgives and cares for us as only He can.

This penitential psalm gives voice to our cries when we have sinned, and are crushed by shame and guilt. Why do we often end-up on our knees after trying everything in our own power to do things our own way? Good thing Jesus came to save us from ourselves and deliver us from God's wrath. In Him we have a faithful friend.

Here we are reminded of the powerful faith possessed by the patriarch Abraham. He is held before our eyes as a wonderful pattern of faith. Through his example, we come to a better understanding of how we are saved, and then by the same faith, given the ability to do great and wonderful things for others and for God.

The world may look at the "little" of a righteous person and scoff. But greed will never be satisfied. A person of faith, meanwhile, finds all they want or need in the Lord and pursuing His desires.