The Rooted Podcast

Thank you to those of you who asked us your toughest Bible questions at last summer’s New Wine festival! In this episode we explore them together.     From the credibility of the creation story, to whether there will be a sea in heaven; from Bezalel and Oholiab’s abilities, to whether Jesus can lie or die; from who wrote the Bible and when, to how we know when to take it literally and whether it’s...

How can storytelling help us communicate the reality and relevance of the Kingdom of God today?   For this episode we're joined by spoken word artist, Dai Woolridge. He shares the creative inspiration behind the Parables Edition of the Rooted Journal and the significance of storytelling in sharing our faith. The conversation dives into the well-known parables of the good Samaritan and the prodigal...

In this episode we focus on parables that encourage us to make decisions about the Kingdom of God. We explore the confrontational nature of the parables about the sheep and the goats and the barren fig tree, drawing out their emphasis on the importance of what we do – Christian faith in action. We discuss how Jesus used these stories to provoke and challenge his audience regarding their relationsh...

Today we're joined by Liam Thatcher, a church pastor from Oxford and former writer at Bible Society. In this episode we discuss how Jesus used simple illustrations to convey profound truths about the kingdom of heaven, emphasising the hidden yet transformative nature of these teachings. Looking at the parable of the leaven, we discuss the growth and impact of the kingdom in the world today, highli...

What do the parables tell us about the value system of God's Kingdom? In this episode we look at God's value system as illustrated through Jesus' parables. We begin by touching on the big story of Scripture, exploring how humans have inverted kingdom values and the call to make sure God is on the throne in our lives and our values align with his. Then we explore the parables about the workers in t...

How do the parables reveal the nature of God's Kingdom? Today we look at the nature of God's Kingdom through the lens of various parables and explore why it was such a big theme in Jesus' teaching. We discuss its countercultural nature and how the reality of the Kingdom was different to the expectations of the original Jewish audience for these parables.    We explore the parables of the sower, th...

Why did Jesus speak in parables? What does the parable of the shrewd manager actually mean? In the first episode of our new series we delve into the significance of parables in the teachings of Jesus. We explore the definition of a parable, their use in other ancient societies and why Jesus chose to use them as a teaching tool. We then look at the parable of the shrewd manager and discuss the cont...

What is apocalyptic literature and are we living in the end times?   Revd Dr Peter Hatton joins us again and we discuss apocalyptic literature and references to the end times in the book of Daniel. We look at the non-linear treatment of time by exploring the repetition and cyclical nature of events in the book. We consider the cycles of success, sin and failure in Daniel alongside the cycles of si...

What do the dreams in Daniel mean and what is the book of Daniel all about? Listen as we demystify Daniel with Old Testament expert Revd Dr Peter Hatton.   In this episode we discuss the dreams and visions in Daniel, looking at the significance of them being set in the context of the Babylonian exile. We also consider the prevalence of divination and astrology in the ancient world. We explore the...

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What do we learn from the story of Daniel and the lions' den? In this episode we're joined by special guest, George Lapshynov from Theos Think Tank. George is a researcher and wrote some of the devotionals for the Daniel Edition of the Rooted Journal. We discuss the story of Daniel and the lions' den and explore what it tells us about living counter-culturally in a society where we may not feel at...

What does the writing on the wall mean? How should we read Daniel today? In this episode we discuss the story of King Belshazzar and the writing on the wall. We explore the themes of judgment, the differences between Nebuchadnezzar and Belshazzar, and the significance of the misuse of sacred objects. We also discuss the chiastic literary structure of the Book of Daniel and what this displays to us...

Is the Bible meant to be read literally? What can we learn from Nebuchadnezzar's humbling in Daniel 4? In this episode we look at the story of Nebuchadnezzar's dream, the symbolism within it, and the implications for our lives today. We also discuss the question of whether the story should be taken literally or as a historical novel. We look at importance of genre and context of Biblical stories w...

What is the context of the book of Daniel? Who is the fourth man in the fiery furnace? In our first episode exploring the book of Daniel, we look into the historical context of the book – how the Jews were taken into exile in Babylon and the rise and fall of kings, nations and empires. We then turn to the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the fiery furnace, discussing who the fourth man...

What is joy? Is joy the same as happiness? How do I find true joy? We’re rounding off the Philippians series with a bonus episode on joy. We discuss the differences between joy and happiness and look at how we express joy. We discuss the source of our joy and challenging those who aren’t joyful. We also talk about choosing joy and how CS Lewis viewed joy. We finish by looking at how some search fo...

How was Paul able to be content no matter the circumstances he was facing? What did Paul mean when he said, 'I can do all things through him who strengthens me'? In this episode we discuss the concept of contentment as mentioned in Philippians chapter four. We explore the source of Paul's contentment and the idea of finding contentment both in times of plenty and times of need. We look at the gift...

How can we be unified as Christians? How do we find true peace? Are we intentional about what we consume? Today we discuss Philippians 4.1–9. We explore Paul's call for unity within the church and the importance of focusing on Christ and our citizenship in heaven. We also discuss Paul's advice on not being anxious and the peace that comes from presenting our requests to God. We finish by looking a...

How do we live as citizens of heaven? What do Christians boast in? What conditions do we place on Christianity? Today we discuss Philippians 3, looking at how Paul calls us to rely solely on faith in Christ, not what we've done. We also look at Paul counting all of his Jewish heritage as loss compared to the priceless gain of knowing Christ. We finish with a conversation about the contrast between...

What does Paul mean by ‘fear and trembling’? How do we live for Jesus in our messy world?   Today we discuss Philippians 2.12–30. We break down what it means to work out our faith with fear and trembling, emphasising the active nature of the Christian faith and the need for ongoing, sometimes costly, obedience.  We talk about the challenge to live for Christ amidst a 'warped and crooked generation...

How do we live like Jesus today? What does the Christ hymn teach us? Today we discuss the link between Philippians 1 and 2, especially the importance of unity and selflessness in Church community. We talk about humility and valuing others above ourselves. We go on to look at the Christ hymn and Paul's challenge for Christians to live in humility and love as Jesus did, being counter-cultural in the...

How can the gospel advance despite bad circumstances and our limitations? What did Paul mean when he wrote, ‘to live is Christ and to die is gain’ and how can we adopt this attitude?   In this episode we discuss Philippians 1.12–26, focusing on the theme of spreading the gospel no matter what trials we face, and how we can grasp every opportunity to live for Christ.    We talk about God using our...

Did Jesus contradict himself or do both his teachings and actions emphasise the importance of grace? How do we interpret Jesus' teaching on worry in light of the cost of living crisis? How do we navigate Jesus' teaching on divorce? In this episode we answer your questions about the Sermon on the Mount! Mark's article on divorce Timestamps (00:35) - How can we let others see our good deeds if we're...

What is meant by the image of the narrow gate? How can we tell that someone is a false prophet? How do we discern good fruit? In this episode we discuss how these teachings impact our lives today. We consider the importance of good fruit in our lives and the responsibility to discern false teachings. We finish with a look at the parable of the two house builders – the necessity of building our liv...

Should Christians judge? How does Jesus say we should treat others? In this episode Noël, Esther and Mark discuss Jesus’ countercultural teaching on judging others, wisdom in sharing faith, and 'The Golden Rule’. We are reminded that our confidence in prayer comes from God’s goodness and generosity, and finish by discussing how Jesus calls his followers to live and how we should show compassion wi...

How should Christians pray and fast? How important is the heart behind these spiritual disciplines? Where should our priorities be? In this episode Noël, Esther and Mark look at Jesus' teaching on prayer, fasting and our relationship to possessions in Matthew 6.5–24. We dig deeper into The Lord's Prayer and discuss prioritising our relationship with God and our devotion to him. Timestamps (00:00)...