The Rural Think Tank

Episode Overview In this episode, we explore the theological and practical significance of Palm Sunday. We often approach faith with a list of demands, but the story of the entry into Jerusalem reminds us that Jesus came to fulfill a much greater purpose than immediate comfort or political victory. This message challenges us to reconsider what it means to truly welcome the King. Key Takeaways The...

Welcome to another week of “you can’t make this up”. This week we will be talking about talking donkeys and prophets for hire. The context of this passage is where the children of Israel have left Egypt for the promised land, they have been wandering in the wilderness and are about to enter the land they have been promised. They have some encounters and battles with neighboring tribes, one of them...

Welcome back to another week of “ You can’t make this up”. This passage from the book of Judges comes directly after The defeat of the Midianites under Gideon Theprevious chapter recounts how after he led the armies of Israel in victory, he just asked for a little of the spoils and went home, despite the people begging for him to be their king. It also tells us that Gideon had 70 sons between all...

Welcome back to another week of “You can’t make this up”. A few weeks ago, we looked at another passage with Elisha, and this passage precedes the floating axe head. This takes place right after Elijah is taken into heaven, and Elisha is left to be God’s prophet to His people. There were some of the men that were called “sons of the prophets” traveled to the Jordan River beginning in verse 7. As y...

Welcome back to another week of “ You Can’t make this up”.   This passage takes place right after Jesus and the disciples had sailed across the Sea of Galilee and dealt with a particularly nasty storm that the Jesus was trying tonap through. Instead, the concerned disciples woke Him up, and Jesus calmed the storm. This passage is also detailed in Mark 5 and Matthew 8.

Welcome back. Last week we studied the chapter previous to this and the events leading up to it that saw the Ark of the Covenant in the hands of the Philistines, as apunishment for The Israelite armies and even the priests treating God as a “good luck charm”, or that His hand could be forced by something we do. The Philistines got the Ark, placed it in their temple, and God, not once but twiceshow...

Welcome back to another week of “You can’t make this up”. This week is the first of a few that we will spend on this passage and the following chapter, as there is a bithere to unpack. There is a little bit of context that we need to add to this before we start digging into chapter 5, verse 1. A few chapters prior to this one is where God called Samuel in the night, while he was serving under Eli...

Welcome back to another week of “You can’t make this up!”, as we look at true narratives in the Bible that seem stranger than fiction. This passage was part of Paul’s last missionary journey before being arrested in Jerusalem, to ultimately wind up before Caesar at Rome with his appeal.

Welcome back to another week of “you can’t make this up” This week we are still in the Old Testament. By the time this series is over, there will be a few messages that involve Elisha or his compatriot Elijah. This passage occurs after the time that Elijah was taken up into heaven, and Elisha has taken the mantle

Welcome to week two of “You can’t make this up”. This week we are going to the Old Testament. We are going to look at a part of the Israelite history you may be familiar with, but this morning we are going to look at “the rest of the story,as Paul Harvey would say. Most of us know the story of Deborah and Barak, but this morning we are also going to look at two other people that are vital to this...

Today we are starting a new group of messages that look at some of the strange stories of the Bible and we will call it “You can’t make this up!”. There is more of a reason here than entertainment in looking at some of these odd occurrences in the Bible. We have to remember that culturally, most historical accounts of that time frame are there to record the victors of a war, or the rulers in charg...

1 Peter 2:13-25

1 Peter 2:1-12

1 Peter 1:20-25

Called to Be Holy

Intro to 1 Peter

The Book of Remembrance

Malachi 3: 1-15

Judah Profaned the Covenant

The Lord Rebukes the Priests

Intro to Malachi

Habakkuk Wrapup

Habakkuk's Prayer

Habakkuk's Second Complaint

This message is part of a series on the roots of the early New Tesatment church given at Eugene Methodist church 8/4/24. Eugene is a small community in Western Indiana that is exacty the type of small town the Rural Ministry Think Tank Exists to serve and resource. Want to know more? Comment on this episode and we will be in touch.