Episodes
This week we’ll be studying Colossians 4:2-6 under the theme “The Mystery of Jesus.” The concept of God’s grace to ALL is truly an upside-down, otherworldly mystery to this fallen world. This week, we’ll learn how we should direct our prayers and lifestyle accordingly, for the purpose of evangelism. The Church in Colossae was a product of Paul’s 3-year ministry in Ephesus. The Apostle Paul wrote the letter to combat a specific type of heresy—a combination of Eastern and Greek philosophy...
Published 05/06/24
Published 05/06/24
This week we will be studying Colossians 3:1-14 under the theme “The Clothing of Jesus.” A major part of Christianity is a new identity in Christ. When someone becomes a Christian, they don’t stop being their gender, race, age, political affiliation, or personality. All of those things are demoted below a more important identification factor – REDEEMED by the blood of Jesus. This child of God, recognizing they’ve now been redeemed by the love of God, commits themselves to a life of love...
Published 04/29/24
This week we’ll be studying Colossians 2:16-23 under the theme “The Freedom of Jesus.” A major component to the Colossian heresy, and much false religion today (including in Christian churches) is the unnecessary burdening of manmade laws. The Apostle Paul refused to allow the Colossians’ sincere faith to be squeezed out by the self-righteousness of false teachers who presumed to be close to God. The Church in Colossae was a product of Paul’s 3-year ministry in Ephesus. The Apostle Paul...
Published 04/22/24
This week we’ll be studying Colossians 2:6-15 under the theme “The Fullness of Jesus.” Here we receive one of Scripture’s clearest statements that Jesus is fully God and that his work on earth was to remove our sins by nailing them to his cross. We are working together to remove any deceptive philosophy, human tradition, or spirituality that would deter us from these truths.   The Church in Colossae was a product of Paul’s 3-year ministry in Ephesus. The Apostle Paul wrote the letter to...
Published 04/15/24
SERIES SUMMARY: The Church in Colossae was a product of Paul’s 3-year ministry in Ephesus. The Apostle Paul wrote the letter to combat a specific type of heresy—a combination of Eastern and Greek philosophy and Jewish legalism with elements of Gnosticism. The danger was not in denying Christianity altogether but in altering genuine Christianity with mysticism, legalism, Eastern religions, asceticism, and man-made philosophy—making it quite relevant to our contemporary pluralistic culture.
Published 04/08/24
This Easter we're looking at Isaiah 25:6-9 where Isaiah prophesies about the eternal Feast on Mount Zion, when we will meet the Lord face to face. On that day, there will be no more hunger and no more tears; the only crying that will be heard are the cries of praise to Our God. The Resurrection means every sin and every problem of this world will be undone, and for that, we rejoice!
Published 04/01/24
God has seen our most shameful moments, and instead of rejecting us, He loves us. He covers us and makes us beautiful; the only way for Him to do that was to make Himself ugly. He became sin to make us righteous. He was stripped naked to clothe us. He became an object of scorn to make us glorious. Based on John 19:17-30. "For the joy set before Him, He endured the cross, scorning its shame." - Hebrews 12:2
Published 04/01/24
We celebrate the Lord's Supper not just to honor Jesus, but to receive from Him. He wanted to have this meal with His disciples, and He wants to have it with us. This Holy Thursday, we feel His sorrow, feel His love, and feel His hope. Based on Luke 22:15-16.
Published 03/29/24
This week we’ll be studying John 12:12-29 under the theme “The King.” Jesus entered Jerusalem on Palm Sunday providing a unique picture of a humble, otherworldly King. This teaches us a great deal about the humble, otherworldly living of God’s people in the Kingdom. The Gospel of John, written a couple decades after the other Gospel records, focuses less on the facts of Jesus’ ministry and more on the meaning of those facts. John frequently refers to Jesus’ miracles as “signs” – i.e....
Published 03/25/24
Based on Isaiah 53:8. God promised Adam and Eve that he would one day send one who would crush the serpent and free his people from sin and its penalty. Isaiah announced that this person is the Lord's Suffering Servant. The fourth and final "Servant Song" in the book of Isaiah expresses the unheard of declaration that the suffering of a single man would release all of us from the consequences of sin. In this season of Lent we will focus on our suffering Savior and the Fourth Servant...
Published 03/22/24
This week we’ll be studying John 14:1-4 under the theme “Your Room in His House.” Jesus didn’t tell his disciples that they wouldn’t have troubles, but he did tell them to not let their hearts be troubled. He provided them with a resource that would let them face any opposition in life with courage. The Gospel of John, written a couple decades after the other Gospel records, focuses less on the facts of Jesus’ ministry and more on the meaning of those facts. John frequently refers to...
Published 03/18/24
Based on Isaiah 53:7. God promised Adam and Eve that he would one day send one who would crush the serpent and free his people from sin and its penalty. Isaiah announced that this person is the Lord's Suffering Servant. The fourth and final "Servant Song" in the book of Isaiah expresses the unheard of declaration that the suffering of a single man would release all of us from the consequences of sin. In this season of Lent we will focus on our suffering Savior and the Fourth Servant Song...
Published 03/15/24
This week we will be studying John 13:31-36 under the theme “Loving One Another.” Prior to dying for their sins on the cross, Jesus gets down and washes his disciples’ feet. While both, in a sense, are what God’s people do for one another, the latter provides the more accessible daily option and the apologetic of humbly showing love.   The Gospel of John, written a couple decades after the other Gospel records, focuses less on the facts of Jesus’ ministry and more on the meaning of those...
Published 03/11/24
Based on Isaiah 53:6. God promised Adam and Eve that he would one day send one who would crush the serpent and free his people from sin and its penalty. Isaiah announced that this person is the Lord's Suffering Servant. The fourth and final "Servant Song" in the book of Isaiah expresses the unheard of declaration that the suffering of a single man would release all of us from the consequences of sin. In this season of Lent we will focus on our suffering Savior and the Fourth Servant Song...
Published 03/08/24
Mary's gift and example of sacrifice and unconditional commitment to Jesus calls us to do the same. When will you "break the jar" and freely live in the comfort of His promises? Based on John 12:1-11. The Gospel of John, written a couple decades after the other Gospel records, focuses less on the facts of Jesus’ ministry and more on the meaning of those facts. John frequently refers to Jesus’ miracles as “signs” – i.e. signals that point us to something even more significant than the...
Published 03/04/24
Based on Isaiah 53:4-5. God promised Adam and Eve that he would one day send one who would crush the serpent and free his people from sin and its penalty. Isaiah announced that this person is the Lord's Suffering Servant. The fourth and final "Servant Song" in the book of Isaiah expresses the unheard of declaration that the suffering of a single man would release all of us from the consequences of sin. In this season of Lent we will focus on our suffering Savior and the Fourth Servant...
Published 03/01/24
This week we will be studying John 11:36-44 under the theme “Lazarus.” While Jesus performed many miracles, resurrection was his most important and most impactful sign. We’ll see his humanity, his power, and his intention to undo the results of sin in this world. The Gospel of John, written a couple decades after the other Gospel records, focuses less on the facts of Jesus’ ministry and more on the meaning of those facts. John frequently refers to Jesus’ miracles as “signs” – i.e. signals...
Published 02/26/24
Based on Isaiah 52:14 and Isaiah 53:2-3. God promised Adam and Eve that he would one day send one who would crush the serpent and free his people from sin and its penalty. Isaiah announced that this person is the Lord's Suffering Servant. The fourth and final "Servant Song" in the book of Isaiah expresses the unheard of declaration that the suffering of a single man would release all of us from the consequences of sin. In this season of Lent we will focus on our suffering Savior and the...
Published 02/23/24
This week we’ll be studying John 10:1-29 under the theme “The Good Shepherd.” The image of Jesus as a Good Shepherd and we as his sheep is humbling, helpful, and hopeful. It provides perspective on what we’re capable of, what Christ is capable of, and how valued we are. The Gospel of John, written a couple decades after the other Gospel records, focuses less on the facts of Jesus’ ministry and more on the meaning of those facts. John frequently refers to Jesus’ miracles as “signs” – i.e....
Published 02/19/24
God promised Adam and Eve that he would one day send one who would crush the serpent and free his people from sin and its penalty. Isaiah announced that this person is the Lord's Suffering Servant. The fourth and final "Servant Song" in the book of Isaiah expresses the unheard of declaration that the suffering of a single man would release all of us from the consequences of sin. In this season of Lent we will focus on our suffering Savior and the Fourth Servant Song of Isaiah. Written about...
Published 02/16/24
This week we’ll be studying John 9:1-12 under the theme “Born Blind.” Jesus’ interaction with a man born blind teaches us something about inherent human spiritual blindness, the cause of suffering, the self-righteousness of religious people, and what it truly means to see life clearly. The Gospel of John, written a couple decades after the other Gospel records, focuses less on the facts of Jesus’ ministry and more on the meaning of those facts. John frequently refers to Jesus’ miracles as...
Published 02/12/24
This week, we will be studying John 6:22-40 under the theme “The Bread of Life.” This famous teaching provides insight on the energy Christ gives us, how we consume the bread of life, and how to humbly receive this bread from heaven. The Gospel of John, written a couple decades after the other Gospel records, focuses less on the facts of Jesus’ ministry and more on the meaning of those facts. John frequently refers to Jesus’ miracles as “signs” – i.e. signals that point us to something...
Published 02/05/24
This week, we’ll be studying John 5:1-15, the account of “The Pool of Bethesda.” We see Jesus cure a man who has been an invalid for 38 years. Why didn’t Jesus come to him sooner? Why did he come now? Why doesn’t he always come in similar ways today? In this text, we’ll see the compassion of Jesus, but also the priorities of Jesus, as he’s even more concerned about the man’s spiritual welfare than his temporal circumstances. The Gospel of John, written a couple decades after the other...
Published 01/29/24
This week we will be studying John 4:1-41 under the theme “Living Water.” Jesus’ insistence on ministering to a woman in Samaria with a scandalous moral lifestyle stands in stark contrast to his previous conversation with Nicodemus in John 3. Jesus teaches us here that not only does his gospel work for everyone, but that it’s necessary and life-changing. To the degree you understand this good news, you too will go and tell about this Messiah. The Gospel of John, written a couple decades...
Published 01/22/24