The Teaching Series (with Brad Gray and Brad Nelson)

We read of Jesus feeding the five thousand. And then shortly thereafter, we read of him feeding the four thousand. What gives? Of all the stories to choose from, why would two of the gospel writers include stories that seem nearly identical? The answer is that they’re not. The difference is in the details, and the implications of those details are astou...

Did you know that of all the miracles Jesus performed, only one is recorded in all four Gospels? Yep, only one! And it’s the feeding of the five thousand. Why is this story so central to the ministry of Jesus that all four biographers recorded it? That’s what we begin tackling in this teaching. And like all of the stories familiar to us in the Bible, there’s so much more going...

The season of Lent is upon us! We are on a journey towards Resurrection Sunday, and it is a season that will fly by if we’re not intentional about how we’re going to engage it. In John 6:35, Jesus called himself the “Bread of Life.” In this teaching, we explore the imagery of bread, its significance in the Bible, and how it can be a grounding image for us in this season. Furthermore, it challenges...

In John 5, Jesus makes the claim that since his father is “working” on the Sabbath, so is he. Does this undermine everything we’ve explored in this Sabbath series, or is there something deeper going on here? And what is a Christian’s relationship to “The Law?” Does one keep Sabbath out of commandment obedience or because it’s great wisdom? These are the main questions we address in this...

So what does it look like to observe the Sabbath in our world today? This a question my family and I have been joyfully wrestling with for about fourteen years now. And in this episode, I walk you through what we’ve learned and what the Sabbath looks like for us. The purpose isn’t to imply that we’ve got it all figured out, but to provide you with practical ideas and suggestions on how t...

Thus far, we’ve been talking about the Sabbath in the context of the Older Testament. And now, we get to hear from Jesus! And my oh my, hang on tight. The Sabbath was ridiculously important to Jesus and he addressed it at every opportunity. He knew what an unbelievable gift it was, and emphatically demonstrated in word and deed what it was intended to do for our lives. May you unlea...

Despite God’s pleas and instructions for His people to observe the Sabbath, they struggled to do so. Sure, they “observed” the Sabbath, but they did so in a way that completely missed the point. They were distracted by the things of life and were completely unaware of how blurry their vision had become. Subsequently, their destructive habits went unchecked. The same happens to us as well when we f...

We are a culture of accomplishment. We value people based on what they can produce. It’s toxic and oppressive. The Israelites experienced this in their slavery in Egypt. But God brought them out of that system and instituted the Sabbath so that they’d begin to learn that their identity and worth didn’t come from their work, but from something infinitely more substantial. Until...

We are not beasts of burden. We were not designed to go, go, go. And yet for most of us, we struggle to slow down. Our lives are constant noise, and we’re so drowned out in our schedules that we fail to see the insanity for what it is. Sabbath teaches us that there’s a rhythm and a cadence to life. It slows us down and emphatically reminds us that in order to be healthy, we must prioritize re...

Every day we make decisions, and those decisions are based on trust – trust in ourselves, trust in others, and trust in God. But what happens when our trust is misplaced? What happens when the trust we place in ourselves is actually supposed to be in God? For one, it will prevent us from taking a Sabbath because we’ll believe that if we take a break, our needs won’t&n...

Mark Buchanan once wrote, “In order to keep the Sabbath well – to embrace the rest of God – we need a right view of work. Without a rich theology of labor, we’ll have an impoverished theology of rest.” I couldn’t agree more, which is why we’re launching this Sabbath series by exploring the dignity of work, what the Bible has to say about it, and how we’re supposed to approach it in our relationshi...

The New Year is underway and many of you have made resolutions, but do any of them pertain to the Bible? In this episode, we explore one of the coolest Hebrew expressions (that often gets lost in translation) that depicts our relationship with God and His Word in a way that inspires us to dig into His Word in order to truly thrive this next year. And it all has to do with a little man in the eye....

It’s Christmas Eve! Which means it’s the perfect time to conclude our Genealogy Christmas by looking at Jesus being the Son of God, and how Matthew is helping us understand the magnitude of his identity and calling by using the names “Jesus” and “Immanuel.” As we explore these names, we’ll be reminded of why we celebrate Christmas and are able to have the hope that we have. God became ma...

Have you ever wondered why Matthew tells us that “Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph” and then in the very next verse he tells us that Joseph was planning to “divorce her quietly?” How does that work? And was Joseph being insensitive, or was he demonstrating the noblest of character? I’ll give you a hint – it’s the latter, and the context here is riveting. What’s more, we find that Joseph (a...

In Pt 1: Son of David, we learned that Jesus was the fulfillment of the Davidic Covenant for the Jews. Now Matthew wants us to understand that Jesus was the fulfillment of the Abrahamic Covenant. But what does that mean? And how does Matthew “prove” it in the genealogy? Well, buckle up, because what Matthew does next is astounding, and its implications for our lives and for this Advent Season...

If you were tasked with retelling the most significant story in human history, how would you begin? Matthew had to ask the same question, and what was his answer? A genealogy. Seriously? Could there be anything more boring than that? We normally skip right over them. And yet, what Matthew does with Jesus’s genealogy is electrifying! The jaws of the first century audience would’ve been on the...

Over the last nine episodes, we’ve been digging into Psalm 23 and I’ve been encouraging you to ask your questions. In this episode, I seek to answer those questions. The discussion entails everything from how we teach our kids to understand the Bible’s context to leaders being intentional about setting aside times for rest and renewal to discussing whether Jesus was beaten with a shepherd’s “...

David concludes Psalm 23 by proclaiming, “and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.” It’s a stunning ending to a stunning Psalm. But what’s David’s context? What’s he declaring? Is he talking about Heaven? Is he talking about the Tabernacle (often referred to as “the house of the LORD”). Is “forever” the best translation? As we seek to answer these questions, I believe we’ll be invit...

Have you ever had that sense that someone was following you? It’s a deeply unnerving feeling. As a shepherd, David would’ve experienced this on a regular basis. And yet, what’s on his heels in the last verse of Psalm 23 isn’t something threatening, but two of the most significant realities in the entire Bible. And when we understand what’s chasing him, we’ll have great confidence that they’re...

As soon as David mentions “preparing a table,” “anointing with oil,” and “cup overflowing,” we know he’s no longer communicating a shepherding imagery. You don’t do any of these with sheep. So why the shift? And what’s he conveying? This is one of the most fascinating cultural aspects of Psalm 23, and understanding the imagery shift and its implications will help you see your relationship wit...

The rod and the staff, comfort David. And likely the sling too! These are what the shepherd carries for various situations. Learning about these alone is utterly fascinating, especially when you find out how David uses them against lions, bears, and Goliath (which we discuss). But how these translate into what God does for us is in the midst of our deep valleys is where the power lies. And on...

We all experience difficult times in our lives that cause fear, frustration, sadness and pain. In Psalm 23, these are the “valleys of deep darkness.” Once in, the only the way out is through. David understood this, and yet he boldly states, “Even though I walk through the valley of deep darkness (shadow of death), I will fear no evil for you are with me.” What exactly was David talking about? Once...

When navigating a disorienting landscape, paths are essential. Sheep know this. Shepherds know this. And it’s why David highlights God leading on “paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.” But what did David imply by this? What does righteousness even mean? Why is God’s name at stake? And what happens if we stray from the path? All of this and more are discussed in this next episode on Psa...

Were you aware that sheep won’t drink water if it’s moving? It freaks them out. Thus, when David mentions “still waters” in Psalm 23, it’s intentional. Water is life. And sheep need to drink. But as David is doing throughout the psalm, this isn’t about getting water; it’s about getting something much deeper – something we desperately long for and need in the midst of the hecticness of life. I...

A flock thrives in the desert, so what could David possibly be talking about when he mentions “Green Pastures” in Psalm 23? The answer will likely shock you. I always thought it was a statement about God abundantly giving us what we need or want. And then I went to Israel, and everything changed. This teaching is geared towards doing the same for you.