Matthew 5:1-12 Jesus kicks off His major sermon with several statements about being blessed. But they don't seem much like being blessed. Andrew and Edwin dig into what these statements are all about and how blessing is not, despite the number of people who say it, the same as happiness. Read the written devo that goes along with this episode by clicking here. Let us know what you are learning or any questions you have. Email us at TextTalk@ChristiansMeetHere.org. Join the Facebook community and...
Oct 04, 2021•15 min•Season 3Ep. 21
Matthew 4: 17-25 Jesus went about proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom. This is not talking about a set of teachings called the gospel that belong to the kingdom. Rather, Andrew and Edwin discuss that the kingdom itself is the gospel, the good news. Read the written devo that goes along with this episode by clicking here. Let us know what you are learning or any questions you have. Email us at TextTalk@ChristiansMeetHere.org. Join the Facebook community and join the conversation by clicking her...
Oct 01, 2021•16 min•Season 3Ep. 20
Matthew 4:12-22 Jesus calls disciples with essentially two words: "Follow Me." Andrew and Edwin discuss the heart of discipleship. They also discuss a possible different understanding of that whole "fishers of men" thing. The book they mention by Richard B. Hays is "Echoes of Scripture in the Gospels." Read the written devo that goes along with this episode by clicking here. Let us know what you are learning or any questions you have. Email us at TextTalk@ChristiansMeetHere.org. Join the Faceboo...
Sep 30, 2021•17 min•Season 3Ep. 19
Matthew 1:1-11 Andrew and Edwin discuss the third temptation. This is where Satan tries to get Jesus to worship him by offering Him the kingdoms of the world. What's up with that? Read the written devo that goes along with this episode by clicking here. Let us know what you are learning or any questions you have. Email us at TextTalk@ChristiansMeetHere.org. Join the Facebook community and join the conversation by clicking here. We'd love to meet you. Be a guest among the Christians who meet on L...
Sep 29, 2021•17 min•Season 3Ep. 18
Matthew 4:1-11 Andrew and Edwin tackle the second temptation. Satan tries to get Jesus to jump off the pinnacle of the temple to see if God will actually keep His promise from Psalm 91. What is that about? Read the written devo that goes along with this episode by clicking here. Let us know what you are learning or any questions you have. Email us at TextTalk@ChristiansMeetHere.org. Join the Facebook community and join the conversation by clicking here. We'd love to meet you. Be a guest among th...
Sep 28, 2021•16 min•Season 3Ep. 17
Matthew 4:1-11 Andrew and Edwin discuss the first temptation the devil brought against Jesus. It is the temptation to turn some stones into bread. What's up with that? Read the written devo that goes along with this episode by clicking here. Let us know what you are learning or any questions you have. Email us at TextTalk@ChristiansMeetHere.org. Join the Facebook community and join the conversation by clicking here. We'd love to meet you. Be a guest among the Christians who meet on Livingston Av...
Sep 27, 2021•16 min•Season 3Ep. 16
Matthew 3:11-17 If John's baptism was one of repentance for the remission of sins, why did Jesus need to be baptized? Andrew and Edwin dig into Jesus's statement about fulfilling righteousness and once again learn how profoundly Jesus fulfills not just a few statements of Scripture, but all of Scripture. Read the written devo that goes along with this episode by clicking here. Let us know what you are learning or any questions you have. Email us at TextTalk@ChristiansMeetHere.org. Join the Faceb...
Sep 24, 2021•15 min•Season 3Ep. 15
Matthew 3:7-12 Andrew and Edwin listen to John's statement that God can raise up Abraham's offspring from stones. That leads them to wonder who else God can use? From where else can He make offspring of Abraham? Might it be someone who is listening to this podcast? Read the written devo that goes along with this episode by clicking here. Let us know what you are learning or any questions you have. Email us at TextTalk@ChristiansMeetHere.org. Join the Facebook community and join the conversation ...
Sep 23, 2021•15 min•Season 3Ep. 14
Matthew 3:7-12 Repentance isn't just in the mind. It changes our actions. Andrew and Edwin discuss the fruit of a godly repentance, the changed life it should bring about. They also dig into John's push back against the Pharisees for just going through the motions. Read the written devo that goes along with this episode by clicking here. Let us know what you are learning or any questions you have. Email us at TextTalk@ChristiansMeetHere.org. Join the Facebook community and join the conversation ...
Sep 22, 2021•17 min•Season 3Ep. 13
Matthew 3:1-6 The fulfillment of the Law and the Prophets continues, though this time we don't see it because Matthew said so. Rather, we just can't help but notice the connection because of how John the Baptist is dressed. Andrew and Edwin take us back to Elijah and his strange garb, and then bring us forward to Malachi paving the way for John who paved the way for Jesus. Read the written devo that goes along with this episode by clicking here. Let us know what you are learning or any questions...
Sep 21, 2021•15 min•Season 3Ep. 12
Matthew 3:1-3 The fulfillment of prophecy doesn't end in Matthew 2 and didn't actually begin with Jesus. Rather, the fulfillment of the Law and the Prophets continues in this week's chapter but takes us back to John, the cousin of Jesus who paved the way for Him. Andrew and Edwin consider John and the amazing prophecy he fulfilled as a voice crying out in the wilderness. Read the written devo that goes along with this episode by clicking here. Let us know what you are learning or any questions y...
Sep 20, 2021•15 min•Season 3Ep. 11
Matthew 2:13-23 Andrew and Edwin break down one of the saddest events in history: Herod's slaughter of the children in Bethlehem. Matthew tells us this fulfills the prophet's declaration that Rachel wept. This opens some thought for study that once again reminds us that Jesus fulfills so much more than just a scattering of sentences throughout the Old Testament, He fulfills all of the Old Testament. Read the written devo that goes along with this episode by clicking here. Let us know what you ar...
Sep 17, 2021•16 min•Season 3Ep. 10
Matthew 2 Andrew and Edwin continue to look at the prophecies Matthew claims Jesus fills. However, they find one that seems a bit off. In fact, it doesn't seem much like a prophecy at all. It wasn't foretelling the future, but describing the past. Our hosts explain why this is actually even more profound than what we most commonly think about prophecy. Read the written devo that goes along with this episode by clicking here. Let us know what you are learning or any questions you have. Email us a...
Sep 16, 2021•16 min•Season 3Ep. 9
Matthew 2:1-12 Herod was a liar. Andrew and Edwin discuss the difference between Herod as a lying, foolish king versus those wise men we learned about yesterday. Read the written devo that goes along with this episode by clicking here. Let us know what you are learning or any questions you have. Email us at TextTalk@ChristiansMeetHere.org. Join the Facebook community and join the conversation by clicking here. We'd love to meet you. Be a guest among the Christians who meet on Livingston Avenue. ...
Sep 15, 2021•16 min•Season 3Ep. 8
Matthew 2:1-12 Andrew and Edwin take a look at the "wise" men. Who are they and what makes them so wise? Read the written devo that goes along with this episode by clicking here. Let us know what you are learning or any questions you have. Email us at TextTalk@ChristiansMeetHere.org. Join the Facebook community and join the conversation by clicking here. We'd love to meet you. Be a guest among the Christians who meet on Livingston Avenue. Click here to find out more . Michael Eldridge sang all f...
Sep 14, 2021•16 min•Season 3Ep. 7
Matthew 2:1-12 Matthew's first arguments that Jesus is the Christ had to do with ancestry. He embarks on new evidence by relying on Old Testament prophecy. In this conversation, Andrew and Edwin consider the prophecy about the Messiah's birthplace. Read the written devo that goes along with this episode by clicking here. Let us know what you are learning or any questions you have. Email us at TextTalk@ChristiansMeetHere.org. Join the Facebook community and join the conversation by clicking here....
Sep 13, 2021•16 min•Season 3Ep. 6
Matthew 1:18-25 The genealogy takes a left turn right at the end. It has been leading down to Joseph, but then points out Jesus isn't actually the son of Joseph. Rather, Joseph is the husband of Mary, the mother of Jesus. This has been a legal genealogy, not a biological one. But the key is, when the genealogy points out Jesus is the adoptive son of Joseph and not his biological son, it reminds us of a very important point. Jesus's father is the Holy Spirit. Jesus isn't the son of Joseph, He's t...
Sep 10, 2021•16 min•Season 3Ep. 5
Matthew 1:1-6 Matthew handles this genealogy a bit differently than the one he calls to mind toward the beginning of Genesis. Matthew includes some of the mothers. But what a shocking group of mothers: Tamar, Rahab, and Ruth. He also includes the one who had been the wife of Uriah. These are shocking stories and connections to bring up at the beginning of a book designed to claim the main character is the Messiah, the Christ, the Savior of the Jews and the entire world. Andrew and Edwin discuss ...
Sep 09, 2021•15 min•Season 3Ep. 4
Matthew 1:1-2 Matthew's second argument that Jesus is the Messiah/Christ is that He is the son of Abraham. Andrew and Edwin explore how Jesus fulfills the promises of Abraham and how He much follows in the footsteps of Abraham and those promises found in Genesis 12. While it almost never happens, Edwin even waxes a little political in this episode. Read the written devo that goes along with this episode by clicking here. Let us know what you are learning or any questions you have. Email us at Te...
Sep 08, 2021•15 min•Season 3Ep. 3
Matthew 1:1-16 The first thing Matthew wants us to know about Jesus is that He is the Christ. His first argument this is true is Jesus is the Son of David. Andrew and Edwin dive into what it means for Jesus to be the son of David. They address His kingship and His inheritance of David's covenant. Read the written devo that goes along with this episode by clicking here. Let us know what you are learning or any questions you have. Email us at TextTalk@ChristiansMeetHere.org. Join the Facebook comm...
Sep 07, 2021•16 min•Season 3Ep. 2
Matthew 1 Andrew and Edwin jump into Season 3 by tackling Matthew's account of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. They jump in with both feet by kicking of a genealogy. What could be more fun, exciting, and thrilling than that? However, as boring as a genealogy seems to our modern, Western minds, our hosts help us understand why the genealogy is really important. We aren't dealing with a fairy tale; we're dealing with history. Read the written devo that goes along with this episode by clicking here. Le...
Sep 06, 2021•15 min•Season 3Ep. 1
Psalm 53 Andrew and Edwin find Jesus in the last verse of Psalm 53. Jesus is the salvation from Zion that the psalmist looks forward to. No matter the context for those Israelites, whether awaiting a temporal deliverance or following one, the ultimate salvation was still in the future. They were still looking for it. However, in our context, we know it has already occurred. This psalm may be the same old song, but with a different meaning now that Jesus has come. Read the written devo that goes ...
Sep 03, 2021•16 min•Season 2Ep. 265
Psalm 53 Andrew and Edwin dig a little deeper into the one majorly, significant difference between Psalm 14 and Psalm 53. The two psalms seem like they are pointing at the same event from different vantage points. They highlight a common understanding of Psalm 53 and then propose an alternative. The alternative is really meaningful for us today. They also dig into Jesus's teaching about fear. Whom do we need to fear, whom do we need not fear, and why? Read the written devo that goes along with t...
Sep 02, 2021•15 min•Season 2Ep. 264
Psalm 53 Andrew and Edwin dig into some historical context for Psalm 53. That is, they dig into a historical context that the surrounding literary context in the psalms points to. Psalm 52 brings up the events of Saul, Doeg, and Ahimelech. Psalm 54 brings up the events involving the Ziphites. Smack in the middle of those historical studies in 1 Samuel is the story of a real fool: Nabal. Our hosts show how his life brings to life the meaning of Psalm 53. Read the written devo that goes along with...
Sep 01, 2021•16 min•Season 2Ep. 263
Psalm 53 Edwin takes a look back at recent musical history to give us an illustration from Motown records and the Four Tops to help us understand what is going on in this repetitive psalm. It's the same old song, but in a new context, it has a new meaning. In Psalm 14, it was a context of fear and doubt and hoping for deliverance. In Psalm 53, the deliverance has come. The same song has a new meaning. Read the written devo that goes along with this episode by clicking here. Let us know what you ...
Aug 31, 2021•15 min•Season 2Ep. 262
Psalm 53 This psalm should sound familiar. It is almost identical to Psalm 14. Andrew and Edwin take on critics who make silly claims against the Psalms and inspiration because of this repetition. They also talk about why a psalm would be repeated like this one. Read the written devo that goes along with this episode by clicking here. Let us know what you are learning or any questions you have. Email us at TextTalk@ChristiansMeetHere.org. Join the Facebook community and join the conversation by ...
Aug 30, 2021•15 min•Season 2Ep. 261
Psalm 52 Edwin reveals that this psalm has been making him think about Judas all week long. He and Andrew dig into the betrayal of Jesus by Judas and then how our own sins put us right up there with Judas. We have a choice. We can either run headlong into destruction like Judas or we can turn back to Jesus. Read the written devo that goes along with this episode by clicking here. Let us know what you are learning or any questions you have. Email us at TextTalk@ChristiansMeetHere.org. Join the Fa...
Aug 27, 2021•16 min•Season 2Ep. 260
Psalm 52 As we wrap up this year in the Psalms, we are taken right back to the very first Psalm. David talks about trees. One of them is uprooted, the other is planted in the Lord's house. Andrew and Edwin talk about Saul's beginning as a Psalm 1 tree, but the judgment that came upon him. Then they look at David as that tree planted by streams of water. Read the written devo that goes along with this episode by clicking here. Let us know what you are learning or any questions you have. Email us ...
Aug 26, 2021•16 min•Season 2Ep. 259
Psalm 52 Things looked super good for Saul and Doeg. They were riding on what seemed to be a victorious high. Things looked super bad for David. He was on the run. But, there was hope because judgment was coming on those who did evil. Andrew and Edwin talk about the comfort of judgment. They also dig into the fact that we push back against judgment, but need to understand how serious actually is. Read the written devo that goes along with this episode by clicking here. Let us know what you are l...
Aug 25, 2021•15 min•Season 2Ep. 258
Psalm 52 The first major argument David brings against the evil man he is rebuking is about his vicious tongue. In the end, the major point the man needs to know is his tongue isn't really causing the destruction of others, it is causing his own destruction. Andrew and Edwin talk about Doeg and Saul, how their words led them places, and how James makes the same point about horses and their bits. Read the written devo that goes along with this episode by clicking here. Let us know what you are le...
Aug 24, 2021•16 min•Season 2Ep. 257
