The Sift: Sorting Through Life

In this episode, we explore 1 Samuel 21 and one of the darkest seasons in David's life. Once Israel's celebrated hero, David is now alone, afraid, and running for his life. Along the way, we wrestle with David's failures, God's quiet provision through the holy bread and Goliath's sword, and the surprising reminders of David's true identity. Drawing from Psalms 56 and 34, we...

In 1 Samuel 20, David faces uncertainty, danger, and the growing hostility of King Saul. As Saul's anger intensifies, David and Jonathan work together to uncover the truth, revealing both the destructive nature of unchecked anger and the beauty of godly friendship. In this episode, Nathan Eldridge and Jeff Holsclaw explore how chronic anger often manifests through irrationality, disproportiona...

In 1 Samuel 19, David finds himself the target of Saul's growing hatred and jealousy. Though anointed to be king, David remains under constant threat as Saul repeatedly seeks to take his life. Yet throughout the chapter, the Lord faithfully preserves His servant. Jonathan courageously intervenes, Michal helps David escape, and God even prevents Saul's messengers—and Saul himself—from carry...

What does it look like when God's hand rests upon a person's life? In 1 Samuel 18, David experiences remarkable success, but the chapter reveals that God's blessing is about far more than outward circumstances. In this episode of The Sift , we explore three themes that shape the narrative: friendship, fear, and faithfulness. We discuss the covenant friendship between Jonathan and David...

David and Goliath is one of the most familiar stories in the Bible, but is it primarily about finding courage to face the giants in our lives? In this episode of The Sift , we explore the deeper meaning of 1 Samuel 17 and discover how David points us to a far greater Champion: Jesus Christ. Together we discuss the fear that gripped Israel, Saul’s failure as king, and David’s remarkable confidence...

In this episode of The Sift , we begin a new series on the life of David by exploring 1 Samuel 16 and one of the Bible’s most important lessons about leadership. As Saul’s reign comes to an end, God sends Samuel to anoint a new king. Yet the man God chooses is not the strongest, oldest, or most impressive by human standards. While others are captivated by outward appearance, God reminds Samuel tha...

In this episode, we wrap up the story of Joseph in Genesis 50 and consider what it looks like to trust God all the way to the end. As Joseph faces the lingering fears of his brothers after Jacob’s death, he responds with grace toward his brothers and faith in God: “You meant evil against me, but God meant it for good.” Even after years of suffering and success, Joseph’s confidence rests not in cir...

In this episode, we finish Genesis 49 and begin Genesis 50, exploring how God works through flawed people to accomplish His perfect purposes. As Jacob speaks his final words over his sons, he’s honest about their failures, and yet he knows God’s plan will move forward through them. And there is a thread of grace that runs through it all, pointing to Christ. We also talk about how God uses both the...

In this episode, we walk through Genesis 48, which is near the end of the Joseph story, and we consider what it means to die well. As Jacob nears the end of his life, his focus is not on possessions but on the promises of God. He reflects on God’s faithful care, “the God who has been my shepherd all my life long,” and anchors his hope in what God promised to do. We explore how dying well starts lo...

In this episode of The Sift , Nathan Eldridge and Jeff Hollesclaw explore Genesis 47 and ask: how does God work in your life when He places you somewhere unexpected? As Jacob’s family settles in Egypt, we see God’s providence unfold through leadership, hardship, and surprising blessing. Joseph models wisdom and humility in crisis, while Jacob reminds us that this world is not our true home. Even i...

In this episode of The Sift , Nathan Eldridge and Jeff Hollesclaw explore Genesis 46 and ask: What do you do when God leads you somewhere that doesn’t make sense? As Jacob leaves the promised land for Egypt, we see a powerful picture of faith in uncertainty. God meets him at Beersheba with a reassuring promise: “I will be with you,” a theme echoed throughout Scripture and fulfilled in Christ.  We...

In this episode of The Sift, Nathan Eldridge and Jeff Hollesclaw explore the powerful climax of Joseph’s story in Genesis 45 and ask a deeply personal question: What do you do when someone who has wronged you finally confesses? As Joseph reveals his identity to his brothers, we see a moving picture of forgiveness, reconciliation, and the sovereignty of God. This conversation highlights what makes...

In this episode of The Sift , Nathan Eldridge and Jeff Hollesclaw explore Genesis 44 and ask a sobering question: what do you do when God brings your sin into the light? Through Joseph’s final test - hiding the silver cup in Benjamin’s sack - the brothers are forced to face their past guilt. Though innocent of this charge, they are not innocent before God.  We discuss how God uses difficult circum...

In this episode of The Sift , we walk through Genesis 43 and ask a hard question: what do you do when you’re backed into a corner and forced to act? As famine tightens its grip, Jacob must send Benjamin to Egypt, revealing how God often works through pressure, not comfort. We explore the weight of difficult decisions, the danger of lingering guilt, and the freedom found in Christ’s finished work (...

In this episode of The Sift , we explore Genesis 42 and the story of Joseph and his brothers during a severe famine . As Jacob sends his sons to Egypt for grain, external pressures expose deeper internal realities—especially their buried guilt over Joseph. Standing before Joseph, now a ruler in Egypt, the brothers are tested, and their honest confession of sin begins to surface. This passage shows...

In episode 11 of The Sift , Nathan and Jeff explore Genesis 41 and the moment when God opens a long-awaited door. After 13 years of slavery and prison, Joseph is suddenly summoned before Pharaoh to interpret troubling dreams. What follows is a dramatic shift—from forgotten inmate to second-in-command over all Egypt. The hosts reflect on how seasons of waiting are often seasons of preparation. God...

In this episode of The Sift , Nathan and Jeff ask a timely question: How do you stay faithful to God when you feel stuck? Turning to Genesis 40, they reflect on Joseph’s life in prison, when he was falsely accused and seemingly forgotten. Yet Joseph doesn’t grow bitter. He serves. He attends to the cupbearer and baker, showing that faithfulness in hard seasons often looks like caring for others in...

In episode nine of The Sift , Nathan and Jeff wrestle with the question: Is integrity still worth it when doing the right thing costs you… and no one comes to your defense? Turning to Genesis 39, they follow Joseph’s story from slavery to prison and explore what it means to live coram Deo —before the face of God. Joseph refuses temptation, calling it “great wickedness and sin against God.” His int...

In episode eight of The Sift, Nathan Eldridge and Jeff Holsclaw have an honest conversation about how God works in the messy situations of life. Turning to Genesis 38, they examine Judah’s story and see him distancing himself from God’s people, ignoring wickedness, breaking promises, and trying to hide sin. The chapter is raw and uncomfortable, but very instructive. Through Judah and Tamar, we see...

In this episode of The Sift , Jeff and Nathan reflect on Genesis 37. The key principle that comes to the surface is that we need to do the hard thing . Jacob avoids dealing with the jealousy and division in his home, and his passivity puts the whole family at risk. Joseph, on the other hand, walks straight into a tense and dangerous situation by obeying his father and going to check on brothers wh...

This week on The Sift , Nathan Eldridge and Jeff Holsclaw begin a new series by turning to the life of Joseph in Genesis 37. We explore the larger story behind Joseph’s life, including a bit of the background, and the broken family dynamics shaped by favoritism and jealousy, and the painful path that led to God’s purposes being fulfilled. Joseph’s dreams created tension, and even hatred, within hi...

This week on The Sift , we pick up our last conversation and take a careful look at words that heal and build up. Proverbs reminds us that life and death are in the power of the tongue, and that what comes out of our mouths flows from the heart. In this episode, we talk about the kind of words that give life - words shaped by grace, spoken with care, and offered at the right time. Drawing from Pro...

In this episode, we look at words that wound people and tear them down, and why Scripture takes our speech so seriously. Proverbs tells us that life and death are in the power of the tongue, because words are never neutral. They shape relationships, reveal what’s going on in the heart, and leave marks that can last a long time. We talk about harsh and angry words, cutting criticism, gossip, and th...

Are you quick to listen? Would your spouse, your boss, or your parents say that about you? Scripture calls us to be “quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry,” but what does that actually look like in everyday life? In this episode of The Sift , we talk about what biblical listening really means, why it matters so much, and how our habits of listening (or not listening) shape our r...

Wisdom doesn’t come automatically with age or life experience. It’s possible to grow older and still fail to grow wise. So where does wisdom actually come from? In this episode of The Sift , we explore the biblical answer found in Proverbs 1:7: the fear of the Lord. We talk about why wisdom begins—not ends—with fearing God, and how that fear shapes the way we think, live, and make decisions in eve...