Resident Strangers

Welcome back to Resident Strangers! Today, we are expanding on a topic we’ve mentioned a lot on this podcast, and that is taking verses out of context. We dive into some of the most-used verses out of context and break them down to understand what they actually mean. As Steve says, context is king when it comes to understanding scripture. It’s important to study the context and original audience o...

Welcome back to Resident Strangers! This episode is all about living on mission! How do we obey the Great Commission? What does it mean to be a missionary? Living on mission means sharing the gospel and making disciples, which is living like Jesus. When we think of living on mission or being a missionary, we typically think of being a missionary overseas. These trips are important and effective, b...

Today’s episode of Resident Strangers is all about evangelism! Evangelism is the act of sharing the gospel with people who aren’t Christians. We as Christians are called to share Jesus through the way we live AND through verbally sharing the gospel. If we do one but not the other, it can be an ineffective witness and confuse non-believers. With whatever we do or say, we should always point back to...

It’s a new episode of Resident Strangers! In case you missed last week, Sarah is officially on maternity leave and Hailey Keller is filling in while she’s away. Steve, Rich, and Hailey talk all about oikos – not the Greek yogurt, but the biblical word meaning family, community, the people you do life with. Most people come to faith through hearing the gospel from these personal relationships, not...

Welcome back to Resident Strangers!  In this week’s conversation, we welcome a new voice to the table—Hailey Keller—and say “see you later” to our amazing co-host Sarah as she begins maternity leave. This episode dives deep into a powerful topic: the Sabbath – how we should navigate and honor it in our own context. In Exodus, God commands us to remember the Sabbath day, the seventh day of the week...

Welcome back to Resident Strangers! In this episode, we dive into what it means to parent through a Christian lens. With so many voices telling our culture how parenting should be, we can look to God’s Word, like Ephesians 6 and Deuteronomy 6, to guide us. And we have the Holy Spirit working in us to become more like Christ. Part of being a godly parent is teaching your kids to obey authority, so...

It’s almost Father’s Day, so we are here with a special episode about fatherhood! Steve and Rich share their experience as fathers as well as the importance of fathers. Father’s Day can be a difficult time for some, especially if you have a negative relationship with your dad. God is the perfect Father. He never fails and is always faithful. As, Christians, fathers should reflect God and model His...

Today is the last episode of our long-awaited predestination series — for now! To wrap up this topic, we cover works and faith. Is faith a work? If it is, how do you know if you’re truly saved? The Bible says that it is by grace we are saved, through faith, and it is not a result of works. What does that mean in terms of predestination? So many believers feel insecure about their salvation, but do...

We are so excited to be back with you today on Resident Strangers! Steve, Sarah, and Rich are continuing the conversation about the Calvinist view of predestination, specifically the order of salvation. Have you ever thought about the process of how people are saved? Does God call us to respond to the gospel message and be made alive by the Holy Spirit first, because we cannot do it on our own? Th...

Welcome back to part 4 in our predestination series! Today, the team breaks down the meaning of the sovereignty of God and compares it to the determinist belief. As Christians, we often hear phrases like “God is sovereign” or “God is in control,” but how should we understand those statements in light of what Scripture teaches? Is God's sovereignty the same as determinism? Determinism is the i...

Welcome to Part 3 of the Predestination series! Before you listen, make sure you are caught up with the rest of the episodes! Last week, Steve and Rich dove into the context of verses commonly used in the discussion of predestination. Today, they discuss what election is, analyzing Romans 9 to provide us with context. The traditional Calvinist view holds that God elects Jacob, not Esau, for salvat...

This week, the long-anticipated series on predestination continues as Steve and Rich take a deep dive into some of the most debated passages surrounding this complex topic. If you missed last week’s episode, we highly recommend going back to listen or watch as it lays essential groundwork for what’s to come. Rich emphasizes how deeply our presuppositions can shape the way we interpret scripture, a...

Welcome back listeners! Join Sarah, Steve, and Rich in this long-awaited series covering the topic of predestination! Predestination is the idea that God preordained for people to be saved. Although predestination is a secondary issue in Christianity that our salvation doesn’t hinge on, it is a very controversial topic amongst many Christians. While Christians do not all agree on this issue, that...

Steve, Rich, and Sarah are back this week to tackle a deeply personal and often controversial topic: IVF. What is IVF? IVF, short for in vitro fertilization, is a process of fertilization where eggs and sperm are combined in a lab to create an embryo, which is then placed in the uterus in hopes of beginning a pregnancy. Technology and science has become so advanced that people can now “artificiall...

HAPPY RESURRECTION SUNDAY! Resurrection Sunday is the most important day of the year! In fact, when you really think about it, every day since the original resurrection has been a kind of resurrection day—because those who follow Jesus live in the light of that defining moment. Today’s final Passion Week Devotional on the Resident Strangers podcast centers on John 20:1–9 (NASB). Verse 8 stands out...

Today’s episode of the Resident Strangers podcast reflects on Silent Saturday—the day between Good Friday and Easter. It’s a day that often goes unnoticed, but it’s one filled with deep significance. Have you ever paused to consider what that day must have felt like for Jesus’ followers? We have the privilege of knowing how the story ends—but they didn’t. They were left in the silence, wrestling w...

Today’s episode of the Resident Strangers podcast focuses on the profound events of Good Friday. Steve takes us through a timeline of that day, beginning in the early hours of the morning and leading us through the weight of each moment. The episode closes with a powerful reading of John 20:30–31, a reminder that John recorded these events so that we might believe that Jesus truly is the Messiah....

Today’s episode of the Resident Strangers podcast reflects on John 13:1–14 (NIV), as Rich offers some context around what many know as Maundy Thursday—the night Jesus shared a final meal with His disciples before the cross. One of the most powerful moments from this evening is when Jesus, fully aware of what was to come, took the posture of a servant and washed His disciples’ feet. His love for th...

Today’s episode of the Resident Strangers podcast centers on Luke 21:1–13 (NIV). It’s Wednesday of Passion Week. In just over 24 hours, Jesus will be betrayed. In less than 48, He will be on the cross. Yet even in these final moments, we see His deep compassion as He highlights the quiet faith of a poor widow. In God’s eyes, nothing done in faith is ever small. As Jesus also speaks of His second c...

Here’s the big picture: Resurrection Sunday is the most important day of the year! In fact, when you really think about it, every day since the original resurrection has been a kind of resurrection day—because those who follow Jesus live in the light of that defining moment. With Easter Sunday coming up, Steve and Rich wanted to take a few minutes to highlight the significance of the resurrection....

Today’s episode of the Resident Strangers podcast explores Matthew 22:15–40 (NIV). In this passage, religious leaders attempt to trap Jesus with tricky questions—but He responds with unmatched wisdom and grace. His answers not only silenced His critics then, but continue to speak truth and challenge us today. This section of Scripture has come up often on Resident Strangers, and for good reason—Je...

Today’s episode of the Resident Strangers podcast centers on Mark 11:11–17 (NIV). In this passage, we see a lack of the spiritual fruit that should have come from embracing Jesus as the Messiah. As He approached the cross, Jesus offered final, urgent calls to repentance—warning Israel of the consequences of hardened hearts and misplaced priorities. It’s a powerful reminder for us today: nothing in...

Happy Palm Sunday! Today’s episode of the Resident Strangers podcast reflects on Matthew 21:1–9 (NIV)—the moment Jesus entered Jerusalem riding on a humble donkey, fully aware that ahead of Him lay a path of suffering and a humiliating death. It’s sobering to realize that the same crowds who joyfully shouted “Hosanna!” on this day would, just five days later, cry out “Crucify Him.” If you haven’t...

As Passion Week approaches, Steve and Rich are excited to once again share a series of special devotionals on the Resident Strangers podcast to help prepare our hearts for Easter weekend. Beginning today, we’ll release short daily episodes—each just 5 to 10 minutes long—leading up to Sunday, April 20th. These reflections are designed to help you focus on scripture and cultivate gratitude for Jesus...

Steve, Rich, and Sarah kick off this episode by once again giving a big shoutout to the Media Team for their incredible work on the new studio. If you’re listening and haven’t checked out the podcast on YouTube yet—go take a look! This week, the conversation picks up where last week’s left off, diving deeper into the topic of deconstruction. Rich raises a compelling point: many people who say they...