Wake Before the Day

In this episode we discuss the importance of reading a verse within the context of the chapter, and the chapter within the book and the book within the greater library of the Bible. Remember the Bible was written for us but not to us. Big difference. Lastly, is it true that the Bible talks about unicorns?!

A man once said one could become an atheist just by reading the Bible. The reasoning behind his statement is that there are many things in the Bible that are difficult to understand. If one avoids asking the hard questions and tragedy strikes or a "smarter" person comes along it's quite possible one's faith might implode. On the flip side of the coin, if one attempts to address these issues but do...

At some point in time we have asked, "Who is in control?" The Bible speaks to the fact that God is good, he has a good plan and that he loves us. However, some of our life experiences can lead us to question these Biblical truths. Enter into 2 Samuel with us and feel the tension as King David is on the run again, this time being hunted by his own son.

In this episode we sit in the midst of a very sad and heavy story. The consequences of David's sin become very evident and his sons take on his worst traits. Where do we go when our shame becomes too much to bear? The answer is to the cross. We're reminded that in the midst of David's failures as king one of his descendants would one day come and be the perfect king we all need - Jesus Christ.

Sometimes we buy into the lie that we need to do things "for" God when the reality is God has done everything for us and invites us to do things "with" him! We end this podcast looking at a powerful story where David extends grace to someone who could have been considered an "enemy". The message he extends is the same Jesus extends to us today: 1) don't be afraid 2) eat at my table 3) you are a so...

In this episode we see brilliant leadership from David as well as major failure. When life becomes difficult and despair is knocking on the door how do you deal with it?

It's tempting to take "justice" in our own hands and give people what we think they deserve. While we're called to speak truth and fight for what is good we know that final judgment is in the hands of God. Join us as we recap a fascinating story of King David, a brave woman named Abigail and a fool named Nabal.

While David's fame increased so did Saul's jealousy. While the obvious battle seemed to be between the two kings the focus of this podcast is on a less popular character, Prince Jonathan. He was put in between a rock and a hard place having to decide whether he would support his father or his best friend. Let's take a look at 1 Samuel 19-21 and see what the Lord has for us.

Episode #158 focuses on Saul's downfall. The scripture clearly compares and contrasts Saul and his son Jonathan. Will we focus on our own desires or first look to the Lord and what he might be doing? It's tempting to take matters into our own hands when God doesn't act in our timing. Trust he's at work, wait on him!

In episode #157 we discuss the beauty of repentance, the importance of learning from other people's mistakes and the call to give and not take. Let's jump into 1 Samuel 7-9, here we go!

Looking at 1 Samuel 3 & 4, we can learn from the Israelite's mistake - we cannot make God a lucky charm with the hopes of getting what we want. We invite you to think through the ways we try to shape God in our image, heartlessly "pray the prayer" we've always prayed and even developed a spirit of entitlement because we always attend church.

In episode #155 we briefly discuss the stoning of Stephen and the presence of the Holy Spirit! We also look ahead to the future podcasts. Next up are podcasts on 1 & 2 Samuel and a book study on "How (Not) To Read The Bible" by Dan Kimball.

Episode #154 is dedicated to a brief conversation regarding "end times". A lot has happened the last year and the conversation regarding Jesus' return has heightened. What does the Bible say about his second coming and how should we handle conversations with others asking about this topic?

Whenever Luke 15 is brought up, we often think about how God pursues US, loves US, sought after US. While this is good (and true) we want to encourage you to focus on God, the one who sought after the "lost". In addition to this, consider who God might want to reach through you!

Episode #145 covers a jam packed chapter from Luke. What's striking is how Jesus operates in the ordinary instances of life - speaking, touching, blessing and spending time with people. We're called to do the same. We end by discussing God's timing. There have been instances in our life where our prayers were seemingly not answered or things didn't go the way they hoped. Trust in God's timing. Tru...

The Gospel of Luke differs from the other gospels in that it gives us an in depth view of the relationships between key people. In Luke 1 we see two people who were entrenched in the "old way of doing things" open up to God's work. We can be encouraged by Mary and Elizabeth's relationship. Chapter one has 80 verses entrenched with important details to life preceding Jesus, check it out!

As we near the end of Exodus we need to ask ourselves, what have we learned from this book? The answer is, God wants to be with you! It ends with an invitation to follow him just as the Israelites did. Join us for our final podcast on this amazing book.

In this episode we point out the result of the offering taken in Exodus 25! The tabernacle and the rest of the furnishings were created. The Holy Spirit filled two men and gave them the gift of craftsmanship. Today, God continues to give gifts and skills to us (1 Cor. 12). Not for show. Not so we can be popular. But so we can tell everyone around how good God is.

Imagine dropping the Lombardi trophy or a precious crystal vase and it shattering on the ground. Yikes. Now imagine dropping a gift given and written by the very finger of God and it shattering. Double yikes. Exodus 34 picks up when God gave Moses the second set. In this chapter we see God's first in depth description of himself. Join us for episode #139!

"What happened to that fellow Moses?" said the Israelite people. You see, Moses had been up Mt. Sinai with God for 40 days and the people were impatient so they made a golden calf to worship. There is a good chance that very wicked sexual acts occurred which lead to discipline, death and harsh consequences. Exodus 32 reminds us of the holiness of God and that his presence is what we need more than...

After reading a number of chapters discussing the dimensions of the tabernacle, the colors of the curtains, and the outfits of the priests we want to remind you what the main point of all of this is: GOD WANTS TO BE WITH YOU!

Does God change his mind? Does God repent? Maybe you've come across verses that say something like this. In this episode we address these questions head on by interpreting the Bible with the Bible.

In episode #135 we are reminded that God has always desired to be with his people. Throughout the pages of the Bible we see God began by "tabernacling" with his people, to residing in a temple and now he lives in the hearts of believers. Join us as we unpack Exodus 25.

We often avoid reading the Old Testament because of chapters like this. There are so many obscure laws and it seems women are treated poorly! Behind all of these laws are backstories and behind the backstories is our gracious God wanting what is best for his people. Our prayer is that this helps you understand the beauty of the Old Testament and that you'll meet God in these verses.

In episode #133 we discuss the 10 Commandments found in Exodus 20! As we continue to read the Bible what we come to realize is that the Law is good to show us our inability but it cannot change our hearts nor can it save us. Only Jesus can do that. Let's see how the 10 Commandments show up in Jesus' teaching!