We look at the miracles of Jesus, as they are described in Matthew, Mark, and Luke. We see that these "deeds of power", as these three Gospels call them, show that Jesus is the Messiah of the Old Testament - by carrying on with the miracle tradition of the Old Testament. We also look at the question of the reality of the miracles. Are they true? Were they added after the fact by people born long after the death of Jesus, by people who were attempting to take the biblical story and use it to deif...
Nov 05, 2023•21 min•Ep. 138
In the previous podcast, we looked at the parables of Jesus - and we look at them again, this time, with a focus on how Jesus preached using parables. Perhaps because he knew that of all oral traditions due to him, the parable stories would be most remembered, Jesus used them to teach us about the Kingdom of God. They are his summary statements, telling us what is most important to remember about his ministry.
Oct 22, 2023•22 min•Ep. 137
The miracles of Jesus establish Jesus as the Messiah. They speak to his authority. They also show Jesus being deeply humane. But they have another, more important purpose, and that is to teach us about the Kingdom. We look at the parables and what they mean to us as modern believers.
Oct 14, 2023•22 min•Ep. 136
We look at a very practical question: how to strengthen your connection to God, how to make God a tangible presence in your daily life. We look at seven specific suggestions on how to do this. The goal is to introduce easily accomplished, daily practices that will make your faith more real, give you a powerful sense of calm, and lead you to a joyous life on Earth in the Kingdom of God.
Oct 08, 2023•20 min•Ep. 135
We all have an appointment with death, and God will not cancel or postpone that reservation that has been made for each of us. How do we prepare for death as Christians? Paul reminds us in 2 Corinthians that our bodies are like flimsy tents that will one day be replaced by "a house not made with hands", one that is "eternal in the heavens." Can we accept the full reality of an eternal life?
Sep 30, 2023•20 min•Ep. 134
Are the "spirit" (with a small s) of the Old Testament and the Holy Spirit of the New Testament the same being? We look at this question, as well as the various ways that the Holy Spirit is described in the Bible. Our goal is to determine just who the Holy Spirit is - and more importantly, what the Holy Spirit can do for us.
Sep 23, 2023•21 min•Ep. 133
We look at social justice and the Bible: is taking up the cause of those who are marginalized simply a natural way of exercising our Christian love for others? Or is there something in the Bible that gives us a clearer mandate to take up social justice - or admit that we are not at all followers of Christ? We look at the Old and the New Testaments, and we discover just what the Bible says. The results might surprise some, especially when it comes to comparing the two Testaments....
Sep 17, 2023•22 min•Ep. 132
Modern TV preachers often want Christianity to sound like a lifetime in Disneyland. Follow Jesus and life will be a self-indulgent pleasure ride. But one of the greatest - and perhaps the absolute greatest - teachings of Christianity is rather negative. Jesus said: “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me." We must be willing to live by that command. We look at what this means in the daily life of a committed Christian....
Sep 09, 2023•22 min•Ep. 131
We look at angels in the Bible, who they are and what purpose they serve - and at the non-biblical notion of a "guardian angel". What is the basis for this widespread belief, that we each have an angel watching over us, guiding and protecting us as we move through life on Earth? Just as an angel came to strengthen Jesus on the Mount of Olives as he was accepting the horror that was going to befall him, we, too can turn to this host of Heavenly beings.
Sep 02, 2023•18 min•Ep. 130
Attending church is a public experience: but attending church should be a personal experience, as well. We look at the use of the Greek word "worship" in the New Testament, and this word, "proskuneo" is always used in the context of the state of mind and the responsibilities of individuals, and not on the collective nature of worship. We consider how church can be a truly individual and inspiring experience.
Aug 26, 2023•21 min•Ep. 129
