Loving the Scriptures

I'm sure that Christians would agree that the Word of God should be the standard by which we walk. However, in the American Christian culture, are there many areas where obedience to the Bible isn't taken seriously? Do we as believers come up with unbiblical exceptions as to why we can't obey certain areas of Scripture? Or perhaps ignore them althogether? In this episode, we talk about the importa...

In Christian life and ministry, everything we do is (or should be) about Jesus Christ. He is the main attraction, and not anything of ourselves. And this is the lesson that John the Baptist's disciples had to learn when they expressed their worry about more people going to get baptized by Jesus than John. In this episode, we learn about John's humble attitude as he talks about why it is absolutely...

Many of us love John 3:16. But when Jesus was saying the words of this verse to Nicodemus, Nicodemus probably would not have received them the same way we do today. In fact, what Jesus says in that verse and the verses that follow would likely have not sat well with him. Why? That's what we explore in this episode as we finish this section of John 3.   Order a copy of my book:  Signs of the End :...

In this episode we continue our look at Jesus' words to Nicodemus in John 3, which highlights the work of God in salvation independent of any work from man. We talk more about Nicodemus' unbelief, as well as exploring the meaning of Christ's words about ascending and descending (v. 13).   Order a copy of my book:  Signs of the End : What Jesus Taught His Disciples in the Olivet Discourse  Amazon:...

In this episode, we begin to look at a well known passage of Scripture, John 3, where Jesus speaks with Nicodemus. Even though this passage may be familiar to many Christians, there is an element to this that many Christians either overlook or don't understand. We will talk about it as we begin to unpack this most fascinating chapter that highlights God's wonderful and powerful work in salvation....

In John 2:23, we are told that many believed in Jesus' name when they saw His signs that He performed. But as the following verses seem to indicate, Jesus recognized that their "faith" was not the faith that saves? But why? In this episode, we explore this issue, which will lay a foundation for our future examination of Jesus' encounter with Nicodemus in John 3.   Order a copy of my book:  Signs o...

In this episode, we spend a little more time on some verses we covered last week (John 2:18-22) as we approach Easter and consider the resurrection of Christ and the demonstration of His authority as the Son of God. Order a copy of my book:  Signs of the End : What Jesus Taught His Disciples in the Olivet Discourse  Amazon: https://a.co/d/0592Fozu    Please be sure to leave a review! Music: http:/...

In this episode, we talk about Jesus' cleansing of the temple. What was the problem that Jesus had with people selling animals and exchanging money in the temple? And what does this event say about the authority Jesus Himself possesses?   Order a copy of my book:  Signs of the End : What Jesus Taught His Disciples in the Olivet Discourse  Amazon: https://a.co/d/0592Fozu    Please be sure to leave...

In this episode, we begin John 2 and study Jesus' first sign performed in Galilee. We talk about some significant features about this miracle and what effect this had on those who witnessed it.   Order a copy of my book:  Signs of the End : What Jesus Taught His Disciples in the Olivet Discourse  Amazon: https://a.co/d/0592Fozu    Please be sure to leave a review! Music: http://www.purple-planet.c...

In this epsiode, as we continue our study of the book of John, we finish chapter 1 by examining Jesus' encounter with His first disciples, how much of an impact that first encounter had, and how that contributes to the testimony of who Jesus Christ is.   Order a copy of my book:  Signs of the End : What Jesus Taught His Disciples in the Olivet Discourse  Amazon: https://a.co/d/0592Fozu    Please b...

In this episode we continue to examine John the Baptist's testimony about Jesus Christ as we continue our study of the book of John. This time, we will see John speak about how he knew that Jesus was the Son of God, and how that coninues to point to the superior mission and ministry of Christ.    Order a copy of my book:  Signs of the End : What Jesus Taught His Disciples in the Olivet Discourse  ...

In this episode, we begin to look at the testimony of John the Baptist about Jesus Christ and His ministry, as well as who John said he himself was and was not. Also discussed: Why were the Pharisees interested in finding out who John was? What was it about John's ministry that would have raised such curiosity? And how does John compare his ministry to the upcoming ministry of Christ?   Order a co...

In the last part of the prologue in John 1, we encounter a powerful verse regarding our Lord's incarnation: "And the Word became flesh..." In this episode, we talk about the meaning of the incarnation, how this affected eyewitnesses like John himself, and what this says to us today.   Order a copy of my book:  Signs of the End : What Jesus Taught His Disciples in the Olivet Discourse  Amazon: http...

No matter who you are, you were born into this world as a sinner who rebels against God. And whether Jew or Gentile, both sides have the same sin problem. But in this episode, as we continue our study of John, we talk about how through Jesus Christ salvation is for the world, and not just for one people. We also talk about spiritual birth, and the things that do not  produce that birth.   Order a...

In this episode we begin our study of the text of the book of John, starting with a discussion on Jesus Christ, the Word, being identified as God. What does this communicate, both to the original audience and to us, and why is it important?   Order a copy of my book:  Signs of the End : What Jesus Taught His Disciples in the Olivet Discourse  Amazon: https://a.co/d/0592Fozu    Please be sure to le...

In this episode I introduce our study of the Gospel of John by talking about John as an eyewitness, and what that says about the truthfulness of the claims of Christ, as well as the divine makeup of the Bible as a whole.   Order a copy of my book:  Signs of the End : What Jesus Taught His Disciples in the Olivet Discourse  Amazon: https://a.co/d/0592Fozu    Please be sure to leave a review!   Musi...

Prayer is more than communing with God when we have time, and it is more than just going to Him only when there is a crisis in our lives. So how should we view prayer? How should it be used? In this episode, I share a sermon I preached on this topic, drawing from Colossians 4:2-4.   Order a copy of my book:  Signs of the End : What Jesus Taught His Disciples in the Olivet Discourse  Amazon: https:...

In this episode, we talk about the wonderful truth of justification as a reminder to us of who we are in Christ and what has been done on our behalf. Hearing such truths should never get old, so be sure to give this a listen!   Order a copy of my book:  Signs of the End : What Jesus Taught His Disciples in the Olivet Discourse  Amazon: https://a.co/d/0592Fozu    Please be sure to leave a review!  ...

Sin and the wrath of God are not popular things to talk about, but in order to fully appreciate the good news of salvation, we must understand the bad news. How does man's concept of sin measure up to the Bible's? Why is sin such a problem? And how did Christ's sacrifice take care of the sin problem? We discuss in this episode.   Order a copy of my book:  Signs of the End : What Jesus Taught His D...

For so long, our Christian culture has treated evangelism in transactional ways: pray a prayer to receive Jesus into your heart, and you become a Christian. But what is the problem with this kind of mindset? And how does it effect our understanding (or misunderstaning) of the gospel and the new birth (regeneration)? These things we will explore in this episode.   Order a copy of my book:  Signs of...

This episode is a special Christmas episode, where we examine the words of Matthew 1:21: "She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins."   Order a copy of my book:  Signs of the End : What Jesus Taught His Disciples in the Olivet Discourse  Amazon: https://a.co/d/0592Fozu    Please be sure to leave a review!   Music: http://www.purple-planet.c...

In this episode, we talk about how we should view evangelism in light of God's work in regeneration, as well as talk about the role of faith and repentance for the one who hears the message. How does obedience to the command to repent and turn to Christ align with the truth of God's regenerative power "even when we were dead in our trespasses" (Eph. 2:5)?   Order a copy of my book:  Signs of the E...

The question, "How dead is dead?" is ridiculous. Dead is just dead; there are no degrees. When it comes to spiritual death, understanding a person's utter helplessness before Christ is helpful in understanding the miracle of regeneration in Christ. In this episode, we talk about man's inability to respond to God in their spiritual deadness, and the work of God in spiritually raising someone from t...

The Bible says that sin had separated us from God. But the good news is that in Christ Jesus we have been reconciled to God. What is reconcilation, and why is it such a glorious truth? We talk about it in this episode.   Order a copy of my book:  Signs of the End : What Jesus Taught His Disciples in the Olivet Discourse  Amazon: https://a.co/d/0592Fozu    Please be sure to leave a review!   Music:...

How did Paul specifically regulate tongues and prophesying in the church? Why did he set down the regulations as they were? Are women to remain absolutely silent in the church? We answer these questions as we finish up 1 Corinthians 14, exploring how the answers to these questions contribute to love and proper order in the church.   Order a copy of my book:  Signs of the End : What Jesus Taught Hi...