Well-Driven Nails

“'For if you forgive others for their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions'" (Matthew 6:14-15). Forgiveness is hard work. Is the command to forgive others unilateral? How do we avoid bitterness when we've been sinned against? How is forgiveness weaponized?

Andrew, Jeremy, and Matt talk about Matthew 19:1-12, zooming in on the Son of God's words in verse 12: "For there are eunuchs who were born that way from their mother’s womb; and there are eunuchs who were made eunuchs by men; and there are also eunuchs who made themselves eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. He who is able to accept this, let him accept it.” How does this verse apply to...

Second in our series of posts on the sayings of Jesus. Luke 18:1 Now He was telling them a parable to show that at all times they ought to pray and not to lose heart, 2 saying, “In a certain city there was a judge who did not fear God and did not respect man. 3 “There was a widow in that city, and she kept coming to him, saying, ‘Give me legal protection from my opponent.’ 4 “For a while he was un...

Matt. 7:13 “Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. 14 “For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it.

How much time do you spend looking at reels and shorts? Movies? Podcasts?! What's good about all the information we consume? What's bad? What does Scripture have to say? Mentioned in the show: Amusing Ourselves to Death by Neil Postman Alone Together by Sherry Turkle

Jeremy, Andrew, and Matt Shifflett (new regular!) discuss humor. What is its purpose? How does humor help us or harm us? God laughs but why? What kind of humor is forbidden by Scripture? That's what we discussed...with a few laughs along the way.

Jeremy & Andrew share their stories about pain in their lives: RA and Crohn's disease. What is God's purpose in giving us physical pain? What effect does pain have in our lives, for better or worse?

What's the deal with all these English Bible translations? Which ones should you avoid? Which one should you use?

We continue our discussion of the transhumanist's quest to usher in immortality through technology. The Christian Transhumanist Association thinks the quest is generally well-intentioned. We think not.  Mentioned in the show and recommended reading: Tony Reinke's  God, Technology, and the Christian Life

What is a transhumanist? What is the agenda of the transhumanist movement? How are Christians to view the transhumanist attempt to overcome aging and death through technology? As to what happened to Baseball Hall of Famer Ted Williams's cryogenically head, read this crazy account . For only $80,000 you can get your head frozen too. Maybe you'd like to get your pet frozen with you so you can be bac...

We start with one movie recommendation (*with reservations!) and then recommend some books that have impacted our walk with the Lord. After Scripture, some writings—old and new—should get your attention.

Jeremy and Andrew continue their conversations about religions and the religious. New Age spirituality is hard to pin down; it steals from Hinduism and occultism and generally anything else that gives off a spiritual vibe. We discuss some of the modern movements that led to New Age, some of the very old elements, and some warnings for us when we get dangerously New Agey.

Have you heard of the Voluntary Human Extinction Movement? They want you to curse God and die, leaving the earth to flourish in her innocence without man. But God says, "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth" (Gen. 1:28). No need to be afraid of Malthusian tipp...

The podcastosphere is in awe of Paul Harvey's "If I Were the Devil." We give our take (it's generally good, but not prophetic) and wander into another of Paul Harvey's most famous recordings: "An Open Letter From God" (It's terrible). If I Were the Devil An Open Letter From God

Our tour of religions continues. Judaism is the false religion that emerged from a complete misunderstanding of the Old Testament Scriptures.

The bleakness of Buddhism. Nirvana is not all it is cracked up to be.

Jeremy and Andrew turn to consider Hinduism. What is Hinduism? What is Brahman? Dharma? Karma (it’s not what you think it is)? What about the Caste system that dominates the areas where Hinduism originated? What’s the goal of Hinduism? How does Yoga fit in? And, of course, how does it differ from Christianity?

Jeremy and Andrew continue their discussion of Islam. This is part 2 of two episodes. 

This episode is the first in several podcasts that will look at false religions: Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism. Jeremy and I give a brief introduction to Islam.

2Kings 2:23  Then he went up from there to Bethel; and as he was going up by the way, young lads came out from the city and mocked him and said to him, “Go up, you baldhead; go up, you baldhead!” 24 When he looked behind him and saw them, he cursed them in the name of the LORD. Then two female bears came out of the woods and tore up forty-two lads of their number. 25 He went from there to Mount Ca...

Jeremy and Andrew make their case for and against New Year's resolutions. Jonathan Edwards's resolutions . What is A2 milk? Here's the answer.

There is a gravitational pull to our secular Xmas traditions that Christians ought to resist. Yes, put up the tree, bake the cookies, leave the nativity scene packed up in the attic, and feast...but don't be so silly and distracted as to miss the greatest joy of the season: the birth of the Savior of the World.

Jeremy and Andrew discuss addictions and how to put off old habits and put on new habits. Eph. 4:17   So this I say, and affirm together with the Lord, that you walk no longer just as the Gentiles also walk, in the futility of their mind, 18 being darkened in their understanding, excluded from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardness of their heart; 19 and...

We seem to take most opportunities to sprinkle our boasts into our conversations. We boast about our successes, failures, proximity to famous people, experiences, travels, and even breakfast cereal. Our boast should be in the Lord, the Cross, and our weaknesses. 

Today's "influencers" don't like Christian morality, so they posit the idea that Christ never existed. We take on that theory and debunk it.