The Teaching Series (with Brad Gray and Brad Nelson)

There’s a lot the Bible doesn’t say about the Magi. For example, it doesn’t say there were only three of them or that they were kings. So, who exactly were the Magi? In order to answer that question, we’re going to have to explore astrology (yep, you heard that right!), the Parthians, the Romans, and, of course, Herod the Great. But don’t worry, by the end of this episode, you’ll understand why it...

There are multiple aspects to the shepherds and the Christmas story in Luke 2 that we’ve traditionally gotten wrong. By understanding first-century shepherding practices and the agricultural calendar, we’ll learn why Jesus almost certainly wasn’t born on December 25 (and how we got that date in the first place). We’ll also explore whether the shepherds were simple village shepherds or temple sheph...

Traditional Christmas pictures of Mary show a meek, quiet woman keeping watch over her infant. But the cultural implications of Jesus’s birth suggest a very different image of Mary than most of us are familiar with. Mary wasn’t simply “sweet.” She was fierce and courageous. But we can’t fully appreciate her courage until we understand how much she was risking by agreeing to be the mother of the Me...

We’ve all seen the Christmas Pageants where Mary and Joseph show up in Bethlehem within minutes of Mary about to birth. In their moment of greatest need, they’re rejected by family and then by the mean, old innkeeper who informs them “there’s no room in the inn!” Relegated to a stable on the far side of town, and all alone, Mary and Joseph give birth to the savior of the world. Sound familiar? But...

In this final episode of our mini-series on David and Goliath, we’ll look at the number one reason David does what he does. In fact, David’s motivation is a key theme that shows up again and again in the Scriptures. What we’ll learn will challenge you to face a key question: Why do you do what you do? By the end of this episode, you’ll know how to strike the balance between blessing God and owning...

David and Goliath is one of the most well-known underdog stories in the world. But what if it’s not an underdog story at all? A closer look at the context reveals David isn’t an underdog (shocking, I know!). In fact, a careful reading suggests the moment David grabs a sling, Goliath is in serious trouble. By the end of this episode, you’ll understand how the context of ancient warfare completely c...

Before there was David and Goliath, there was David and Saul. The literary design of 1 Samuel reveals a tale of two shepherds that clash at the intersection with Goliath. One shepherd is fearful. The other is faithful. One backs down. The other steps up. One is rejected by God. The other is anointed by God. By the end of this episode, you’ll see how the writer of 1 Samuel was dropping hints about...

David and Goliath is a story we all know. But like all stories that stand the test of time, there’s more to it than we fully understand. As we launch this new series on this beloved story, we begin by carefully examinating the geography of the event, and understanding the location alone yields a whole new level of insight. By the end of this episode, you’ll have a new appreciation for the urgency...

While Christians all over the world celebrate Easter each year, many of us struggle to live out the transformative power of Easter the rest of the year, especially during challenging seasons. But a close look at the Easter story reveals a powerful pattern we can emulate in order to move from death to life. By the end of this episode, you’ll learn how to name your deaths, open yourself to new possi...

Despite being dead to sin and alive to Christ, many followers of Jesus inevitably fall prey to excusing or rationalizing our failures. “I’m a sinner saved by grace.” This is true, but not entirely in the way we often use it. According to the Apostle Paul, in Christ, you are dead to sin. Lent is a season of preparation and refinement where we pay attention to the ways we’re making a mess of ourselv...

Our final episode in the Lenses of Context series examines the brilliant and highly intentional literary background of the Bible. We don’t read a legal document the same way we read a poem or a historical account. We’re mindful of the context. Unfortunately, many of us miss the literary clues in the Text that help us know HOW to read that particular section in context. Thus, we need to engage the...

Languages often reveal the values of a culture, which is one of the reasons why understanding the original languages of the Bible is so important. Hebrew and Greek can be intimidating, but here’s the good news: you don’t need formal training in these ancient languages to improve your Bible reading. There are multiple tools and techniques to help you get the most out of the languages of the Bible....

“A picture is worth a thousand words.” “Seeing is believing.” “I saw it with my own eyes.” We humans are deeply visual creatures. In fact, mirror neurons in our brains give us the unique capacity to empathize and embody what we see. Unfortunately, many of us fail to engage the visual aspect of the Bible. Simply seeing photos, videos, or artist renderings of Bible stories can unlock a depth of unde...

The Bible often uses an economy of words to convey extremely significant information. Nowhere is this more obvious or glaring than when it comes to geography. Scripture is loaded with subtle hints and references designed to show us the connection between place and purpose, but if we don’t know the geography, we completely miss out on the insight. In this episode, we explore several examples from t...

If you’ve ever felt confused by the Bible, chances are you’re suffering from biblical culture shock (and probably don’t even know it). One way out of the confusion and into understanding is by learning to see any biblical passage through the cultural lens of its day. By way of illustration, this episode explores a well-known expression from the apostle Paul about walking in the light. As the cultu...

Perhaps the most frequent question we hear is, “How do I learn to study the Bible in context on my own?” That’s why we wrote a free e-book called The #1 Mistake Most Everyone Makes Reading the Bible. In it, we unpack six lenses of context: historical, cultural, geographical, visual, linguistic, and literary. In this brand-new mini-series, Lenses of Context, we’ll explore each lens, citing specific...

Timing is everything, and no one understands this better than God. When Paul writes, “In the fullness of time, God sent forth his Son,” it’s not empty language. Daniel 2 contains an ancient prophecy about how and when God would establish His everlasting kingdom. As we’ll see in this special Christmas episode, God used four different empires to pave the way for the arrival of Jesus. By the end of t...

The final weapon in the armor of God, and our last line of defense, is the Sword of the Spirit which Paul says is the word of God. When Paul talks about God’s words, he uses a very particular Greek word, rhema , which means “a word that is given.” Sometimes in the midst of battle, the Holy Spirit gives us a word from God to use in the fight. Other times, the Spirit recalls the words of God that we...

When Paul connects the image of the helmet with the concept of salvation, he’s talking about deliverance. Standing firm in the midst of the battle begins with how we think. Our adversary, the evil one, loves to get us thinking in ways that are contrary to what God wants for us. Once planted in our minds, those thoughts wreak havoc on our lives. But spotting those lies and being vigilant about guar...

The Roman military was one of the most formidable fighting forces in the ancient world. They routinely faced and defeated larger opponents because of their unique tactical approach to warfare: they never fought alone. The shield (scutum) allowed Roman soldiers to fight together as a unit, and that’s why Paul connects the shield with the concept of faithfulness. Evil’s desire is to isolate and cut...

Roman military sandals were all about traction. They stabilized and grounded soldiers so they could stand firm in the field of battle. According to Paul, the gospel of peace is what stabilizes and secures a follower of Jesus. Unfortunately, many of us fall into the destructive habit of locating our identity in unstable things: jobs, relationships, performance, the approval of others, etc. When we...

The breastplate was the piece of armor that protected a soldier’s vital organs. And when Paul pairs the word breastplate with the word righteousness , he’s drawing on the Hebrew understanding that righteousness is relational. In other words, relationships are at the very core of who we are, and the enemy’s number one purpose is to wreck relationships. By the end of this episode, you’ll appreciate...

When we’re not truthful, we become vulnerable. Paul’s description of the belt of truth corresponds to the cingulum that protected a Roman soldier’s most vulnerable parts. No matter how big or strong a Roman soldier was, a strike to the groin could bring him down in an instant. The cingulum provided protection so that didn’t happen. Likewise, when we’re not truthful, evil can drop us fast. By the e...

Paul doesn’t want us to be naïve about the fact that we’re engaged in a cosmic struggle with the forces of evil. Unfortunately, most of us are oblivious to the fact that there’s more going on than meets the eye. And because we’re unaware, we’re often ill-equipped to face the challenges. Which is why we’re launching a brand-new series called the Armor of God. By the end of this first episode, you’l...

When we’re nearing the finish line of anything, the temptation is to coast. But it’s the last 10% of any project that matters the most. In this final episode of The Journey mini-series, we explore how both Jesus and the apostle Paul refused to coast across the finish line, and instead accelerated through the point of impact. By the end of this teaching, you’ll have a clear picture of what gets in...