The Yellow Balloons Podcast

In this episode, we explore some of the challenges behind obeying God, believing His guidance is best for us, and trusting in what he has to say. We are all hard of hearing, stubborn and rebellious in our own ways. What is it that we need to hear? What message is God trying to get across to us? We continue looking to Chapter Five of Hebrews for answers. Current reality is an acquired taste. We all...

We continue our series on The Book of Hebrews. Beginning in Chapter Five, we seek to understand more about the practical realities of possessing a holy inheritance. We know how to get there. We are told. But we tend to do everything except for what we ought to do. Spiritual maturity involves approaching the throne of grace to find help for our imperfection. God wants us to enter into his rest and...

In this episode, we dive into Chapter Four of Hebrews. Here the author uses the word “finish” as a synonym to rest. The peace of accomplishment. The joy of fulfillment. Finishing the job means entering God’s rest, being at peace with Him and His Kingdom. Just like The Creator modeled for us in Genesis 2. The call of Hebrews is to be faithful and endure suffering in order to get to rest. There is n...

In this episode we ask the question: How do we steward our salvation? What does faithful and consistent obedience look like and how do we motivate ourselves to do it? Exploring Chapter Three of The Book of Hebrews, we notice that humans tend to substitute something difficult for something easier. Our desire for quick resolution sometimes short-circuits the truth. We need to learn to slow down and...

In this episode, we explore the power of having Jesus as our King. Jesus overcame death through suffering and thereby completed the work God gave him to do. Jesus is the beginning and end of our salvation. He showed us the way - purpose through service. Love through sacrifice. We have all been given a beginning; Jesus is our firm foundation. The question is will we continue striving and receive th...

We begin by wrapping up conclusions from chapter one and chapter two of Hebrews, using Psalm 2 as a tethering pole. We then look into the word “inheritance”, what it says about our relationship with God and our call to steward life on this Earth. Humans are supposed to be ruling the earth in perfect harmony, serving God as His stewards over The Created Order. Although we have made a mess of this t...

Dr. Dave Anderson continues with the first chapter of Hebrews. We also look back to Psalm 2 in order to see how Jesus is the perfect king. There are a lot of Hebraic references in the book of Hebrews. The possession and inheritance the Israelites long for are one and the same. They are manifestations of Christ’s reward. Through Hebrews we are given a tool to grapple with suffering and see Christ’s...

In this episode we are joined by special guest Dr. Dave Anderson, who speaks on the beauty and importance of the first chapter of Hebrews. We celebrate what Hebrews has to say about Jesus and what it means for us. Jesus is the son of God and humans have been granted the opportunity to become sons of the Kingdom too. The book of Hebrews is about salvation through sonship. Dave gives us a closer loo...

In this episode, we continue looking at Hebrews 2. The unfortunate reality in this world is things are not always the way they are supposed to be. However, those circumstances are no excuse to not faithfully choose the path of righteousness. We are sons of God, co-regents in His Kingdom. We can neglect this salvation by not following the path Jesus has given to us. The author of Hebrews is implori...

In this episode we get into the text of The Book of Hebrews. Focusing on Chapter 2, we start to see that obedience and disobedience both receive a consequence... but they are different outcomes. We examine the word salvation, which is more complex than we often give it credit for, and investigate an important framework for understanding what that word means and how to apply it in our lives. There...

In this episode, we continue our introduction to The Book of Hebrews by exploring the term brethren from Hebrews 2. The author certainly seems very familiar with his audience. There is a lot that can be deduced from this reality. Much of Hebrews is centered on encouraging the audience, including each of us, to develop a heart of faith in order to walk in obedience to God. All of our actions have c...

In this episode we begin our study on The Book of Hebrews. As we set up a foundation for understanding what Hebrews has to say, we establish some important context. Who is the author and audience of Hebrews? Surprisingly, we turn to The Book of Acts for some potential clues. Throughout this fascinating book, we will parse through the context, themes, and events to discover one of the great treasur...

In this episode, we continue to look at the life of Samson and unpack why he is included in the Hall of Faith in Hebrews 11. Samson, like all of us, has weaknesses. And Samson is renowned for his strength. How do these strengths and weaknesses contribute to who He is? Through the life of Samson, we will see what it is to die for your faith and what it takes to exercise the courage to fight and die...

In this episode we take a look at one of the most surprising characters in The Hall of Faith. We explore what makes Samson worthy of The Hall of Faith and why many have such a difficult time with it. We often struggle to find the right perspective about ourselves and our relationship with God. Yet, we are called to try, to continue to make our choices, and do our best to exercise the power of our...

We continue the conversation from our previous episode concerning training and joy. There are many different ways to learn and grow. Life can be challenging and difficult. As we learn and grow, if we keep in mind the joy set before us, we can grow in intimacy with God and with one another. Running the race can be painful; but it is also a journey of joy. And, in the end, even the suffering is well...

In this episode we look at the dual themes of training and joy found in Chapter Twelve of The Book of Hebrews. Our existence is a balance between effort and celebration, stewardship and trust. The life of Jesus is like a pace-setting runner. Where He runs, we ought to follow. We also spend time in this episode talking about an interesting translation of charis (grace) and how it affects our lives.

In this episode, we continue looking at the life of Moses - one of the most influential characters in all of Christian Scripture - and how that life of faithfulness helps set the stage for the coming of Christ. Both Moses and Jesus suffered similar things. Exploring scenes from Moses’ life, we endeavor to define truth. And we discover how we can live a life invested in the truth. The Hall of Faith...

We begin by wrapping up some conclusions from our previous episode concerning the life of Noah. Then continue to examine the characters in the Hall of Faith - touching on the life of Abraham before settling in to focus on Moses. One of the pillars of the story of God in the world, Moses makes intentional choices about the source of power he trusts. In many ways, the faith of Moses lays a framework...

In this episode, we continue to look at the life of Noah. This man’s faith led to a radical obedience. Noah suffered for his faith; it was a risk and it cost him something. We will look at two structures - one in the shape of a triangle and the other in the design of a timeframe - that will help us to adopt a proper perspective. Because without a true perspective, we cannot adequately exercise our...

We continue to look at the lives mentioned in The Hall of faith - found in Chapter 11 of The Book of Hebrews. With the aid of some New Testament reflections, we examine the life of Noah, a Biblical character who was asked by God to do some pretty crazy things. What does God have to teach us about obedience and trust through the story of Noah? What other lessons does the faith of Noah share that ca...

In this episode we start to move from The Bible’s general descriptions of faith into some of its most renowned examples. People like Abel and Enoch, who lived their lives with a focus on trusting God. There are some significant challenges to believing God really who He says He is. The reality of God is different, and better, than what we want Him to be. So, what does God say about Himself? The ans...

We begin a new series focused on the people mentioned in Hebrews 11, commonly known as The Hall of Faith. These Biblical characters are an example of how to live our life in a healthy, productive, and faithful manner. We begin the series by exploring how The Bible defines faith. The ultimate joy of any human is to please God. And Scripture itself says that one pathway for pleasing God is to exerci...

We pick up where we left off in the last episode, talking about the four dreams of mankind. We continue exploring the dream of position. Wrapping up our series on life as an epic journey, we talk about God’s desire to have reign with him. If we endure, we will receive crowns in heaven and be allowed to continue to participate in His Kingdom. In the end, what we really crave is royalty. And God wan...

In this episode we explore the power of vision and what it means to see our dreams come true. We all are embedded with a picture of how things should be, a desire for broken things to be renewed, and a hope for a better tomorrow. This is our dream; the deepest desire of our hearts. There are four types of dreams people pursue - possessions, pleasures, praise, and position.. Each can be twisted for...

In this episode, we examine the story of the prodigal son. God is the perfect parent, always wanting what is best for us. He offers us love and belonging, built on the foundation of truth. If we follow the way of our Good Parent, listen to what He says, and make our choices with intention, we will be equipped to endure the struggles of this life and we will reign with God in the next.