John Chapters 4-7 focus on the interactions of Jesus with various people and groups, highlighting his teachings and miracles. In Chapter 4, Jesus speaks with a Samaritan woman at a well, breaking social and cultural norms, and revealing to her that he is the Messiah. This interaction leads to many Samaritans coming to believe in Jesus. In Chapter 5, Jesus heals a man who had been an invalid for 38 years, but the religious leaders criticize him for doing so on the Sabbath. Jesus defends himself, ...
Mar 09, 2023•44 min•Ep. 166
Overall, John Chapter 3 teaches about the need for spiritual rebirth through belief in Jesus, the love and salvation that God offers through his Son, and the importance of testifying to Jesus as the Messiah. Jesus tells Nicodemus that to see the kingdom of God, one must be "born again". This represents a spiritual transformation that occurs when someone accepts Jesus as their savior. This transformation involves a new perspective on life, a changed heart, and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. G...
Feb 23, 2023•36 min•Ep. 165
The Gospel of John 1-2 is seen as a profound theological reflection on the nature of Jesus and his relationship to God. The central idea of these chapters is that Jesus is the Word (Logos) of God, a term that has rich philosophical and theological connotations in the ancient world. The Word is not only the source of all creation, but also the source of light and life, which are essential elements of the divine presence in the world. We hear about the relationship between John the Baptist and Jes...
Feb 09, 2023•51 min•Ep. 164
• We’ve seen Isaiah’s message of both Judgement and Hope for Jerusalem • Isaiah made it clear through his messages that the people of Israel and Jerusalem had rebelled against God, amongst other things they had continued with their worship of idols, and treating the poor and less fortunate with contempt. • As a result of this rebellion, Isaiah tells the rulers that God is going to use both the nations of Assyria and then later Babylon to bring Israel’s kingdom to nothing through this act of judg...
Jan 26, 2023•53 min•Ep. 163
Through Isaiah, God warned that he would bring military crisis and judgement upon Jerusalem. People were characterised by spiritual insensitivity, religious hypocrisy and unwillingness to trust their destiny to God. The coming crisis would be severe , but God would suddenly and miraculously rescue the city from the armies outside the walls of Jerusalem. This prophecy anticipated God’s deliverance of Jerusalem in 701bc. Deliverance will only come through repentance and faith. If only they would c...
Jan 12, 2023•49 min•Ep. 162
Isaiah Chapters 13-28 are focussed on Isaiah’s Judgment Speeches. These are not just judgements on Israel and Judah, but all the nations of the world and specifically those surrounding Israel and Judah at the time. God is sovereign over ALL nations. God’s people should not have feared the surrounding nations, but they also should not rely on them for aid! However, as we have already seen in Isaiah, this message of judgement is delivered with a message of hope – that in spite of this judgement an...
Dec 29, 2022•49 min•Ep. 161
Isaiah 1-12 (740-700 BC) Isaiah the Prophet lived in Jerusalem in the last part of the 2 Kingdom period (Israel in the North and Judah in the South) and his prophetic word was directed to the leaders of Jerusalem and Judah. Isaiah had been warning Hezekiah (the king of Judah at the time) about the nations rebellion against God and under Hezekiah’s reign there was a ‘revival’ of sorts. In 701bc, the Assyrian ruler Sennacherib marched against Judah and besieged Jerusalem and Isaiah urged the King ...
Dec 14, 2022•45 min•Ep. 160
Micah was a contemporary of Isaiah and Hosea – He prophesied mostly in Judah (but speaking to all Israel (North and South), across the reigns of 3 kings of Judah: Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah. This book, much like Hosea is also written in Hebrew Poetry. Micah announces God's judgment against Israel. Israel has exploited the poor and twisted the laws of the Torah, and God’s justice means that he will deal with them severely. But Micah’s prophecies are not without hope. The God of Israel is also fai...
Dec 08, 2022•42 min•Ep. 159
The book of Hosea is mostly written in the form of Hebrew poetry. Hosea actually means ‘Salvation’ in Hebrew. Hosea was a contemporary of Isaiah and Micah – at the time of Israel (Northern Kingdom) ruler Jeroboam 2. 750-722 BC. Hosea is one of the most autobiographical of the prophetic Books in that the opening account of Hosea’s own marriage and family actually formed a vital part of his message. The people of Israel (Ephraim) placed false hope in their own remedies. Like farmers trying to sow ...
Nov 24, 2022•37 min•Ep. 158
In this episode we cover the books of Jonah and Amos, both written about the same time period during the rule of Jeroboam 2 one of Israel’s worst Kings. The story of Jonah, is probably one of the most well known Bible stories. In many ways, it is holding up a mirror to our own disfunction when it comes to understanding God’s ways and in particular His unmerited grace. Are we OK with the fact that God loves our enemies? Do we let our pride get in the way of our joy as God redeems people to Himsel...
Nov 10, 2022•42 min•Ep. 157
Written to Christians in the Roman province of Galatia. (In the center of modern Turkey). Capital of Galatia at the time was Ancyra. Written about the same time as Corinthians or alternate view is that this was Pauls earliest letter. The Christians in this province came manly from a Gentile background. They were relatively new believers (most likely only a matter of 2 or 3 years). Paul wrote to respond to issues that had arisen after he left the Galatian church, where there were people saying th...
Oct 27, 2022•39 min•Ep. 156
The Apostle Paul teaches about the spiritual war that the children of God are engaged in. He defends himself against those who oppose him. He recounted how he was caught up into the third heaven and described how his weaknesses proved to be a blessing. Before ending his epistle, Paul exhorted the Saints in Corinth to examine themselves and prove their faithfulness. In last part of 2 Corinthians we learn that Paul gloried in the Lord and taught that his own weaknesses should not be used to justif...
Oct 13, 2022•43 min•Ep. 155
The church at Corinth had recently been struggling with divisions and quarrels which Paul had dealt with in his first letter. Now in this second letter, Paul felt the need to articulate a defense of his apostleship and his message. Some in the church had apparently taken his meekness among them to be a sign of moral weakness or lack of authority. Paul argued that he was of equal stature and importance as the other apostles, that he had deep knowledge of the Christian faith, that he had suffered ...
Sep 29, 2022•50 min•Ep. 154
Love is the greatest gift of all. After Paul has said that the Corinthian church should eagerly desire the greater gifts, he then tells them what the greatest gift of all is. LOVE Paul says that Love should be the priority over ALL other aspects of life in the Spirit. BUT still the greatest of these is LOVE. So whilst the church had struggles around many issues internally – worship, prophecy, tongues, the highest priority for Paul was that they pursued LOVE FOR ONE ANOTHER – above all these thin...
Sep 15, 2022•52 min•Ep. 153
1 Corinthians 8-12 We cover an enormous amount of territory through these chapters as Paul unpacks so many of the issues facing the early Corinthian church, but with very relevant lessons for us today! • Eating food sacrificed for other gods. • Freedom and Rights - Christian freedom grows as Christian understanding grows • Old Testament Lessons – Idolatry • Honoring Others in Worship • The Lords Supper • Spiritual Gifts in Worship • Unity and Diversity We need to restrain our freedoms if it will...
Aug 31, 2022•51 min•Ep. 152
1 Corinthians 1 – 7 Corinth was a vey strategic city – center for trade as a port city. Paul spent 18 months living in Corinth as a missionary, getting to know people (networking), and so many people came to know Jesus and hear about Jesus. They formed a church community. You can read more about this initial ministry of Paul’s to Corinth in Acts 18. Paul moved on of course to start churches in other cities – he planted churches all over the Mediterranean world - and just a few years after moving...
Aug 18, 2022•47 min•Ep. 151
Judah has reached the end of the road. The final 4 kings turned away from the exclusive worship of God that Josiah had practiced. In a series of attacks, Jerusalem is captured and totally destroyed and the people taken into captivity in Babylon. God’s Prophets in the last days of the Southern Kingdom – Judah. Habakkuk – prophesied the Babylonian invasion soon after Josiah’s death as judgement from God on his sinful people. Daniel – Taken captive to Babylon during the reign of Jehoiakim. Lived mo...
Aug 04, 2022•31 min•Ep. 150
Hezekiah When there was finally a Godly King in Judah – Hezekiah – they find themselves facing the greatest threat the nation had ever known – the attack of Assyria. Without adequate resources to defend Jerusalem, Hezekiah casts himself in faith upon the Lord and receives not only the promise of victory through God’s prophet Isaiah, but also experiences God’s victory through the Lord’s intervention. Manasseh Worst King ever to rule in Judah. Longest reigning Judean King - 55 years. He adopted a ...
Jul 21, 2022•47 min•Ep. 149
Jehu – Israel (Northern Kingdom) - Anointed as King by Elisha in secret and given the task to destroy the house of Ahab. Jehu is the only king of the Northern Kingdom (Israel) to have been anointed Carried out God’s requirement and prophesy to eliminate Ahab’s complete family line including Jezebel. Jehu eliminated Baal worship from Israel, but he continued to allow the worshipping of the Golden Calves. Athaliah Usurps the Throne (Judah – Southern Kingdom). She annihilated all the royal heirs. K...
Jul 07, 2022•28 min•Ep. 148
2 Kings 2 - 2 Kings 8 As we head into 2 Kings, we see Jehoshaphat become King of Judah (the southern Kingdom) and the writer states he ‘did what was right in the eyes of the Lord’ We’ll here more about Jehoshaphat as we move forward, but we can find out some key aspects to Jehoshaphat in 2 Chronicles 17-20. • Jehoshaphat was a King with a passionate personal commitment to God. • Jehoshaphat was committed to the centrality of the word of God in such a way that he ordered his reign as King around ...
Jun 23, 2022•45 min•Ep. 147
1 Kings 16 leading into 17 – we see the House of Omri take reign of Israel (the northern Kingdom) and his son Ahab. During Ahab’s 22 year reign he consolidated his fathers achievements and expanded Israel’s influence. Secular historians would tend to speak highly of the accomplishments of Ahab. But the Bible has a different perspective. It was the worst of times for the northern Kingdom – Israel. Ahab did more evil than any before him. Ahab was a polytheist – claiming to follow the Lord, but als...
Jun 09, 2022•46 min•Ep. 146
In this episode of Thrive Deeper we continue our study through the Kings of Israel and Judah. We find the story of Asa in 1 Kings 15, starting in verse 9. We can also find more detail around his reign in 2 Chronicles 14. According to these accounts, the land of Judah experiences peace for 10 years under the reign of Asa. During this time, Asa eradicates anything pagan or idolatrous in the land and they rebuild Judah. Even when an army led by a man named Zerah tries to wage war against him (becau...
May 26, 2022•36 min•Ep. 145
Books of 1 and 2 Kings are shaped around 4 significant events: 967BC David's son Solomon united Israel and began to build the temple 931BC nation split in two. 10 nations formed a new kingdom of Israel under Jeroboam (considered a rebel), and Judah was the other kingdom under the Davidic King Rehoboam. 722 The nation of Israel (10 northern tribes) were attacked and destroyed by the Assyrians and vanish as a nation at that stage in history. The nation of Judah continued until about 587 BC until i...
May 12, 2022•39 min•Ep. 144
As we move into these last 5 chapters of Romans, the Theology that Paul has presented in Romans Chapter 1- 11, is what informs the actions we see Paul speak to now in Chapters 12-16. This is where Paul demonstrates that Doctrine is not separate from practical Christianity. Rather it is the force behind it. In light of what God has done, here is how we should live. Chapter 12:1-2 – Personal sacrifice. Chapter 12:3-8 – Sacrifice in the Church. Chapter 12:9-21 – Sacrifice in Relationships. Chapter ...
May 05, 2022•34 min•Ep. 143
Romans Chapters 9-11 In this episode Matt and Stu will discuss: The Gospel and the Intersection between Responsibility (Human) & Sovereignty God (9:1-5) Gospel has always been based on election. (9:6-13) Gospel has always been based on Justice and Mercy (9:14-18) Gospel has always been based on God’s Sovereignty. (9: 19-29) The Pursuit of Righteousness based on merit. (9:30 – 10:4) As we move into Chapter 11, we see Paul shift from, what might seem a discouraging assessment of the Israel’s p...
Apr 14, 2022•41 min•Ep. 142
Life in the Spirit makes us able to understand and endure suffering in our current context. Paul’s analysis of the present suffering and our future glory makes it clear that these cannot be compared to each other. All of creation is awaiting and anticipating this coming glory. We also groan and wait with perseverance for the coming glory. God’s help through the Spirit is available to us now. God’s help is an enduring promise; He has the ability to work all things for good and to see us through t...
Mar 31, 2022•44 min•Ep. 141
In this episode Matt takes us through the first part of Chapter 8 – vs 1-17. Paul’s letter to the Romans can be divided into three major parts: a presentation of the gospel (chapters 1-8), the place of Israel in God’s plan (chapters 9-11) and exhortations for Christian living (chapters 12-15). Chapter 8 comes near the end of Paul’s explanation of the gospel. It is the climax, and the truths that Paul shares here are so significant - No condemnation! / Life in the Spirit / Our response. When our ...
Mar 17, 2022•41 min•Ep. 140
We continue in the book of Romans working through Chapters 4-6. We cover: • The grace we receive because of God’s just faithfulness • Adams sin and how it resulted in us all being guilty before God • How the law showed (and shows) us the nature of sin more clearly • The difference between Adam and Jesus • God’s grace • How we can be set free from the hold of sin Romans 5:18-19 The result of one man’s sin was that everyone became guilty. So the result of one righteous act is that everyone can bec...
Mar 03, 2022•45 min•Ep. 139
The book of Romans is the longest of the Apostle Paul's letters and is regarded by many people as his greatest. Romans contains Paul’s most complete explanation of the doctrine of justification by faith in Jesus Christ rather than by the law of Moses. Romans was most likely written while he was in Corinth on his third missionary journey, in A.D. 57 In this episode we cover: The Gospel as the Revelation of God’s Righteousness God’s Righteousness in His Wrath against Sinners The Saving Righteousne...
Feb 17, 2022•47 min•Ep. 138
This week, Matt takes a look at 1st Kings as we close out the reign of David and he hands on the throne of Israel to Solomon his son. In this episode we cover a lot of ground but focus on: Solomon building the temple . . . and also his palace. Through this time, David’s son Solomon, leads Israel to greatness and to a period of peace and prosperity. But, because he didn't obey God and got drawn away from the ways of God - even to the point of idol worship - he ends up leading Israel to a civil wa...
Feb 04, 2022•45 min•Ep. 137
