After reading 1 Corinthians 12, everyone wants to know - what's my spiritual gift? Super speed? Invisibility? LASER EYES?! Obviously, this is a joke, but it is actually close to how many feel about spiritual gifts - like they are hyper-spiritual abilities that make us stand out from the crowd. However, while they absolutely are blessings from God, …

Watch this episode if you're interested in watching us make fun of each other for 2 hours while sprinkling in a few good thoughts about the Bible, the Church, podcasting, etc. Ryan and Brad are two of my best friends who I've known for most of my life. Every time we interact it's enjoyable (hopefully for those around us as well). It is a privilege …

Our view of God can, sometimes, be shaped by our view of authority. I hate being in trouble. Feelings of guilt and shame are always at my fingertips and it isn't uncommon for me to be debilitated by those feelings at times - unable to grow or learn from experiences, instead just beating myself up. This has been true for a lot of my life. When I was…

In Isaiah 9, we come across a really strange name for the Northern region of Israel - Galilee of the Gentiles. In modern English, it doesn't read in quite as foreboding language as it would have been in Isaiah, or even Jesus's time. I always knew that Jesus was often discredited based on where, and with whom, He decided to associate, but I never re…

Is it possible that I am more like a Pharisee than I'd care to admit? Unfortunately.. yes. In Mark 7, we read about something the Pharisees did that Jesus wasn't terribly happy with. While, on the surface, we might think we don't do the same thing, the heart of our actions might be similar. Through an adopted practice known as "corban," (ceremonial…

There's a wild theory that the Apostle John is actually alive somewhere on the Earth waiting for Christ's return. The old fashioned, skeptic in me wants to scoff at this but I actually watched a REALLY interesting video about it and found it to be more reasonable than I expected. This theory comes from a verse found in the last chapter of the book …

Sure, I can easily feel like I'm doing good work for God as long as I'm sharing the Gospel, serving people at church, or doing anything we'd label "spiritual." But doing EVERYTHING as unto God just seems like an impossible standard to live up to. In this episode we examine this verse in Colossians 3, gaining context from the surrounding section, an…

Skeptics and critics of the Bible will often level accusations against Christians stating that they serve an "angry God." They look at verses in the Old Testament outlining God's judgment on people and don't like how it sits with their view of morality. To them, God just seems angry, harsh, and vengeful. Christians, sensing that God is under attack…

**This episode utilizes, and refers to, many different historical images and depictions of Jesus. As such, it might be beneficial to view it through the YouTube link in the description below to get the full experience.** Jesus was not white. This shouldn't come as a major shock to anyone. He was born in Bethlehem in Judea, raised by a typical Israe…

What can the widow's mite teach me about my own value? This is a biblical lesson that is 2,000 years in the making! Often when Christians consider how amazing God is, it can actually lead to some really problematic self-esteem issues. When we observe the perfection of God, it is a natural byproduct that we also observe our own imperfection. Some pe…

Asking this one question might SERIOUSLY help your Bible Study - not because the answer is drastically important, but because it can change how your brain is interacting with the text. So often, people have a hard time shifting from simply READING Scripture to actually STUDYING it. They believe it must take some monumental effort to do good, effect…

The Sons of Korah are fascinating figures throughout the Old Testament. Dissenters, rebels, and subjects of God's judgment, but somehow also righteous, contented, dutiful, obedient, and loyal to God. Though Korah and his sons don't have a unique book dedicated to their wild story, there are breadcrumbs for us to follow that paint an elaborate pictu…

Ephesians 4:16 often gets rephrased as saying that the Church is, "joined and knit together by what every member supplies." But.. that's not what the verse says. In nearly every translation, and even in the original Greek, the word Paul uses is "joint." Maybe this doesn't seem like a big deal but "joints" and "members" are fundamentally different e…

Yes, I know. A biblical lesson from the Belchers in Bob's Burgers? Seems insane. But, honestly, if we are focused on God and meditating on His word regularly, we should be able to see evidence of Him and His truths everywhere! All truth and all good gifts are from Him - whether they come from observing creation, our interactions with others, or a s…

In Genesis 9, God makes a covenant with, not just Noah but, the animals. In Genesis 1, God asks mankind to rule over animal kind as Ambassadors in His image with goodness and love. In Romans 8, Paul says that ALL of creation groans under the weight of the corruption its been subjected to as it longs for the revealing of the sons of God. In Mark 16,…

A friend of mine told me once that I am like an "Evangelist for frozen mango." This was about the weirdest comment I've ever received and so I had to ask about it and consider the statement. It's true, I do love frozen mango. It's one of the greatest snacks in the world. It's just something that makes me happy. When people find this out about me, m…

How can I look at the HOUSE of God and feel like it's a HOME? Every time I look at the sections of Scripture that talk about the House of God, I remember that those verses often look directly at the Temple or Tabernacle structures as foreshadowing God making His home with us. While the presence of God, is absolutely a thing I love and desire, looki…

Christian content creator, @johnmarkdyer7 and I had an awesome conversation about Christian evangelism and social media. The discussion ranged from preaching the Gospel across generations to cultural starting points for sharing your faith. So many are divided over opinions on Christian social media. How effective is it? Is it watering down the Gosp…

When we meet new people we often learn about them through a mix of how we perceive them, what others say about them, and what they communicate to us through their words or actions. Many times, when considering God, we only consider our own perceptions and what others say about Him. We forget that God inspired and compiled the entire Bible which spe…

For modern Christians who have spent their entire lives studying Scripture, surrounded by Church life, very familiar with the "vibe" of Christianity, it can be very easy to forget that, Jesus said some really strange things. Without the benefit of 2,000+ years of theological research, amazing Christian lives lived, and acquaintance with the person …

Going through difficulties in life, suffering, and facing consequences of sin are difficult parts of life. Painful, harmful, and traumatic circumstances happen to all of us and they can cause us to question God's goodness. Why would God allow me to go through this? Didn't He know it would hurt me? Eventually, we learn that those situations and circ…

Ok, ok.. before you get all up in arms - No. I'm not saying Jesus was a woman. The term Messiah just means Anointed One, and refers to one who saves Israel. Many people were smaller versions of Messiah before Jesus appeared, prefiguring in part all that He would accomplish. Interestingly, in THIS story that we cover from 1 Samuel, it's a woman who …

When the world becomes chaotic, Christians flock to the Scriptures to determine read prophecy. We read about end time events and, naturally, have a little fear when we consider that we might have to live through some of it. Some people prepare by saving drinking water, hoarding food, equipping bunkers, and keeping extra batteries on hand. While the…

We all know someone who isn't Christian, and many of us probably know someone who has died without coming to Christ. Are those people who have died in ignorance eternally damned? In David Platt's book, "Something Needs to Change," he discusses his emotions at witnessing the burial rites of those who have died in the remote areas of the Himalayas. W…

A few weeks ago, it was brought to my attention that my friends Brad and Ryan have started a new project called, "Reacting to Truth," that, essentially, is a reaction channel to my podcast/YouTube channel. This news really took me by surprise. Were they making a joke about it? Was it a prank I wasn't aware of? Why didn't they tell me they were doin…

**PLEASE READ DESCRIPTION** This episode is the 2nd in a series that I'm slowly working through, dedicated to analyzing the potential for division in the Church that runs along age lines. While I don't see any wild amount of disunity between the different age groups currently, there are differences in experience, thought, understanding, and preferr…

Are you in danger of having an Us vs. Them mentality when it comes to those who aren't Christian? Is this even all that wrong? In Joshua 5, we get a really unique story in Israel's history regarding the Commander of the Army of the LORD. This story sits between Israel's wandering in the wilderness after their liberation from Egypt and the fall of J…

It often gets stated by skeptics that the Bible is "full of contradictions." Even Christians will stumble across verses that get a bit confusing sometimes. Whenever this conversations comes up, it seems like it results in hostility and frustration most of the time. There are a few things we need to keep in mind before we even THINK about getting in…

The birth of our Savior is one of the most important events in human history. It is the fulfillment of prophecies, it is the answer to prayers, it is the beginning of hope. God became flesh and dwelt among us. While, personally, I don't celebrate Christmas (I don't think there is any chance this is remotely close to the actual birth of Jesus), to i…

Job is one of the more well-known books of the Bible. It struggles through huge topics like human suffering, the spirit world, and God's goodness. This book also presents several questions that Job, in his suffering, petitions God about hoping for an answer. Why is this happening to me? What have I done wrong? Won't you give me a fair trial? Why is…

Stories have been a part of human culture since its beginning. We learn about morality, emotions, differences in people, virtue, struggle, and how the world works all through the telling and retelling of stories. The Bible contains what literary scholars call, "The Greatest Story Ever Told." The life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ has eve…

Eve, the mother of all mankind, gets an incredibly bad wrap. We read her story in Genesis 3 and pin the state of the world on her shoulders to, probably, an unfair degree. Sure, submitting to the temptation of the serpent, eating of the fruit in disobedience to God, and giving to her husband to eat as well are incredibly misguided actions that had …

Sodom and Gomorrah is a classic story of God's judgement. These cities have become bywords to represent evil and sin and their destruction acts as a cautionary tale to all who would disobey God. But is that all there is to it? Upon further reading, we might be surprised to know that this story is actually an amazing representation of God's mercy an…

The story of the prodigal son is one of the most well-known in the world. After centuries of telling and retelling, preaching and writing, expounding and studying - what more could we possibly take from this short section of scripture? Let me ask you - when, in the story, do you think the prodigal son repented? Some might place it at the moment he …

Last week's video was a wild one. I really did hope to have an even-toned discussion regarding the merits of the Christian claim of the sinless life of Jesus Christ. It turned into QUITE a bit more than that and I had comments as wide-ranging as requests for me to prove the supernatural, accusations against the validity of the manuscript evidence o…

Atheists, I am truly trying to come to you respectfully and with humility. I have no desire to call you out or to get into a shouting match in the comments. I do, however, have a challenge for you: So often Christians and Atheists spend a lot of time debating the plausibility of the resurrection of Jesus. Let's take one step back from that and disc…

Certain verses in the Bible act as summary verses for some of the complex and nuanced commands of God. They aren't meant to oversimplify or ignore the depth in the rest of Scripture but, in my view, to reorient the reader to the broader principles that we're being directed to. One such passage is Micah 6:8 where God is talking to wayward Israel and…

Our relationship with God is one of the "already" but the "not yet." Yes, God lives in His people via His Holy Spirit in an intimate relationship. But also, we're waiting for the time when He will FINALLY dwell with mankind and we can see Him as He is. In a way, then, our relationship with God is similar to a long-distance relationship. We have to …

When I take an honest look at Scripture, I don't see anywhere that the food laws of Leviticus 11 were abolished. I realize there are some verses that people will often use to defend that belief but, looking at them in context, rules that out as an option. Jesus Himself said that He didn't come to abolish the Law but to fulfill it, and most Christia…

The 5 Love Languages (physical touch, quality time, words of affirmation, gifts, and acts of service) are categories meant to help people understand which acts of love are the most effective in making those around them feel the most loved. In this theory, love is a form of communication. It's a language. Knowing how someone communicates helps under…

Obedience is a tricky word in today's world. Talking about obedience in a marriage relationship? Even harder. Immediately, images of harsh dictators and timid followers come to mind, and we bristle at the idea. This can take a real toll on our relationship with God because - like it or not, He does have commandments and does call us to obedience. H…

This is one of the most common questions I get asked about Bible Study. It's easy to get frustrated when we feel like we see others navigating different tools and resources with ease while we barely know how to read our Bibles for more than 10 minutes without it feeling like serious work! In this episode, we walk through 3 important things to consi…

In this episode, we open up by examining the joke phrase "that'll preach." Typically this is said about sermon topics, theological points, or certain exciting deliveries that inspire another speaker, preacher, pastor, or teacher to want to deliver the same type of message when THEY next speak. This shouldn't pose a problem if the information is tru…

The Shroud of Turin is, probably, the most controversial relic in history. However, this controversy doesn't necessarily speak to its illegitimacy. In fact, the ambiguity surrounding its authenticity might actually speak to a solid potential that it is the genuine article. In this episode we explore all things shroud related. What is it? What's the…

In this episode we dive into John 11:35 (the, Jesus wept, verse) and the surrounding section as a case study on how to practice good biblical observation and interpretation rather than mixing these two things up. One of the very first lessons they teach you in Bible college is about the art of biblical interpretation known as Hermeneutics. There ar…

In the book of Ezekiel, Israel contends with God's sense of justice asking "why SHOULDN'T the son die for the sins of the Father?" Their idea of fairness, possibly skewed from a position of desiring vengeance on their enemies, expected consequences AND guilt to pass on from father to son. God demands, in this section, that they correct their ideas …

In the book of Romans, like the rest of his writings, Paul draws on several Old Testament sources to make a point. While he seems familiar enough with books like Psalms, Isaiah, Hosea, or Jeremiah to quote them, his USE of singular verses to support his points sometimes leave us more confused than when we STARTED reading his letters. Of course, Pau…

The Roman Catholic Church executed Girolamo Savonarola as a heretic in 1498 for refusing to adhere to a Papal Bull condemning his preaching against the city and rulers of Florence. This heretic, however, left behind incredible wisdom that can aid modern Christians in properly esteeming the text of Scripture and removing some of their fears and hang…

In the book of Exodus (chapter 12) we read the story of the first Passover kept by Israel signifying their being rescued by God from bondage in Egypt. Most are pretty familiar with the story - God is going to send the death angel, the Israelites have to mark their doors with the blood of a lamb to be spared the plague, and, through their believing …

In the book of Isaiah, there is a Messianic prophecy regarding a lamb led silently to the slaughter that we learn (in Acts 8) was fulfilled perfectly by Jesus in His willingness to go to His death without verbally defending His innocence. Upon this read through in my study, I asked a simple question that opened this prophecy up a bit more for me. I…