The Jim Bradford Podcast

In today's episode, we're moving from the Old Testament to the New. Over the next few weeks, we'll be looking at each of the gospel accounts. We'll discuss the author, the reason for writing, and what makes each of the gospel books unique. In our conversation today, we're discussing the book of Matthew. We hope these conversations will help you learn and inspire you to rea...

Today is a milestone conversation for us. We are discussing our final book of the Old Testament, Malachi. As the last of the minor prophets, Malachi offers us some of the prophetic words closest to the arrival of Jesus in the New Testament. We take a closer look at Malachi's words, his lessons, and reflect on our time together in the Old Testament.  

As we come close to the end of our conversations in the Old Testament, we find ourselves in the post-exilic period discussing the prophets of that time. In today's episode, Pastor Jim looks at the life and work of Zechariah. We'll see the unique challenges Israel faced upon their return from exile and how Zechariah called them to faithfulness and obedience. We'll also discuss how Ze...

We are continuing our conversations through the Bible. Today, we come to a new section within the minor prophets. For the next few weeks, we will be looking at the post-exilic prophets, those prophets who did their work after Israel's return from exile. Pastor Jim helps us better understand the historical moment, the work of these prophets, and how their voices prepare us for the story of the...

In today's episode, we're taking a closer look at the book of Zephaniah. Working our way through the Old Testament minor prophets, we've been exploring how God speaks to his people and the prophetic warnings against sin, corruption, and injustice that are often themes of these books. The scope of the coming judgment Zephaniah saw was immense, including not only Judah but also the su...

In today's episode, we're taking a closer look at the book of Habakkuk. Working our way through the Old Testament minor prophets, we've been exploring how God speaks to his people and the prophetic warnings against sin, corruption, and injustice that are often themes of these books. Habakkuk offers us a unique kind of prophetic work. Habakkuk describes his own personal struggles as...

In today's episode, we're taking a closer look at the book of Nahum. Working our way through the Old Testament minor prophets, we've been exploring how God speaks to his people and the prophetic warnings against sin, corruption, and injustice that are often themes of these books. Naham turns his prophetic attention to the ancient Assyrian empire. Pastor Jim offers historical backgro...

In today's episode, we're taking a closer look at the book of Micah. Working our way through the Old Testament minor prophets, we've been exploring how God speaks to his people and the prophetic warnings against sin, corruption, and injustice that are often themes of these books. Pastor Jim offers historical background on Micah and suggestions on what we can learn from this prophet...

Lately, we have been working through the books of the minor prophets. Many of those books are unfamiliar to believers, but the story of Jonah is one of the Bible's most recognized stories. In today's episode, we discuss the book of Jonah and take a closer look at the often neglected portions of the story. Pastor Jim offers lessons and a compelling case for the heart of God, which is to r...

We are continuing our conversations through the Bible with today's discussion on the book of Obediah. Recently, we have been discussing the minor prophets and recognizing similar themes but also the frequent quotation of these prophets in the New Testament. Obediah is a short book, but it is significant enough to have been passed down for generations. Pastor Jim explores the book's histo...

In today's episode, we are continuing our look at the minor prophets. Each episode, another conversation on a book of the Bible. Pastor Jim explores the historical setting for Amos as well as its major themes. We also recognize the overlapping themes between these minor prophets and their role in the larger prophetic section.

As we continue our series through the books of the Bible, we come to the minor prophet Joel. Well known for its quotation in Acts 2, we explore the fuller historical context for Joel's prophecy and its major themes, how it warns of destruction but in the midst of that judgment also holds out the opportunity of repentance and the promise of hope. Joel recognized a day was coming when God'...

Hosea is the first of what is commonly called the minor prophets. In today's episode, we discuss the category of minor prophets and take a closer look at the book of Hosea. Pastor Jim offers some historical context for the book and its major themes. Hosea is a book full of emotional images and prophetic actions but also offers one of the Old Testament's most moving descriptions of the go...

In today's episode, we're continuing our conversation on the books of the Bible by taking up the book of Daniel, the last of the major prophets. Pastor Jim explores its historical context, images, and themes featured in the book. Daniel is a mix of narrative and poetic prophecy and it offers readers powerful examples of faithfulness and obedience. We hope our conversation helps you read...

In today's episode, we're continuing our conversation on the books of the Bible by taking up the book of Ezekiel. Listed as one of the major prophets, Ezekiel is an important but complex book. Pastor Jim explores its historical context as well as its images and themes. We hope our conversation helps you read the book with better clarity and recognize its importance in the Biblical canon.

As we continue our progress through the prophetic works, we come to the unique book of Lamentations. Attributed to Jeremiah, Lamentations acknowledges the destruction of Jerusalem and offers readers both language and reflection on loss. But that loss is never without hope. Pastor Jim explores the historical moment in which Lamentations was produced, the grief it articulates, and also the hope to b...

The prophet Jeremiah worked in complicated times and left us not only his prophecies but stories of his own life and struggle. In today's conversation, we continue our look at the prophets as we discuss the book of Jeremiah. Pastor Jim explores the prophet's life, historical moment, and the major themes of his work, many of which reemerge throughout the New Testament. In spite of the cha...

Beginning with today's episode, we're moving into the books of the prophets, beginning with one of the longest prophetic books, the book of Isaiah. Key to reading the prophets is situating them in their historical context. Pastor Jim describes the person of Isaiah as well as the historical moment in which he did his work. We also explore the book's themes, how it was used by New Tes...

As we continue our conversations on the books of the Bible we come to our final wisdom book, the Song of Songs. There have been a lot of debates throughout history on how best to read the Song of Songs or if they should be read at all. A collection of love poetry, the book is about human love, marriage covenant, and sexuality. It also raises those questions in the context of divine love and a divi...

We continue our conversations on the wisdom books of the Bible with today's discussion on the book of Ecclesiastes. As Pastor Jim notes, Ecclesiastes can be a challenging book to read, but for the careful reader willing to take their time, it offers profound wisdom and a particular kind of freedom from the pressures of the world. We discuss the book's major themes, how Pastor Jim has pre...

In today's episode, we're exploring the book of  Proverbs. As part of the books of wisdom, Proverbs offers readers a collection of sayings and wisdom statements meant to describe a life of wisdom. In our conversation, Pastor Jim helps reveal the book's overarching structure and some of its key themes, critical to understanding the whole. The conversation will help you better underst...

The book of Psalms is the longest book of the Bible. It is also the book the New Testament authors quoted most often. The book of Psalms offers the language of prayer and faith used by generations of God's people. In today's episode, we explore the structure of the Psalms as well as its major themes and topics. We also consider the role the book can play in the life of today's belie...

Today's episode transitions our conversations into a new genre of the Bible. The book of Job is considered part of the wisdom literature. Job is a challenging read for many, full of poetry and philosophical speeches, but it also raises some of the most deeply held questions of suffering and justice. Pastor Jim gives a summary of the book and helps work through its major themes and what lesson...

The book of Esther is a unique story in the Bible. Set in Persian exile, the story is full of dramatic tension, ironies, and unexpected redemption. In this week's episode, we take a closer look at the storyline of Esther, its historical context, and the major themes of the book. We explore how to live well in exile, why everyday character matters, and why even when God seems absent, there are...

The book of Nehemiah continues the story from the book of Ezra. Nehemiah tells of the third return of Jews from Exile to Jerusalem with the goal of rebuilding the city's walls and gates. But Nehemiah faced challenges from external opponents and from within God's people. Like Ezra, the book is full of some of the Bible's greatest moments of celebration but also complications and disa...