This episode wraps up day 3 in Israel going through the sites of Nazareth, Akko (Acre), and Haifa. At this point in the trip we are still in the Northern part of Israel with Nazareth in the land allotted to Zebulun, Akko being in the land allotted to Asher, and Haifa near the border of Asher and Manasseh. The primary sites here are the Church of Annunciation, the Hospitaller Fortress, and the Baha'i Gardens on Mt. Carmel. Pictures: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1zlyZDyWOWUf8rumN2_YW2jW3...
Nov 24, 2023•1 hr 7 min•Ep. 72
It's widely known that Saul didn't end up being a good king for Israel. However, most people read the stories surrounding his start and miss something pivotal that the biblical author of 1 Samuel is trying to show us. Did you miss it too? Email: truthbetoldbiblepodcast@gmail.com Logo: Matt Hernandez Music: Acoustic Indie Folk Years By MarkJuly
Nov 17, 2023•14 min•Ep. 71
I think I said the word "interesting" in this episode about 500 times, followed closely by the word "beautiful." If you have grace for that minor annoyance, this episode covers my 2nd day in Israel (first full day), and the first stop of our intentional touring: Tzippori. While not a site expressly mentioned in Scripture, Tzippori or Sepphoris is an important site for archeologists and historians and it gives a great backdrop to a few really important biblical stories and characters including Je...
Nov 10, 2023•1 hr 7 min•Ep. 70
Since returning from Israel, I've been struggling to know what to do with the information I picked up while there. It seems a waste to have gained so much from such a transformative trip, only to have that gain be for no purpose or benefit to anyone else. On the other hand, stories and explanations fall so short of the desired goal and can sometimes end up being boring and self-indulgent. After a lot of consideration, it seems to me that I have to AT LEAST try to put "pen to paper," as it were, ...
Oct 27, 2023•44 min•Ep. 69
On this episode we begin an exploration into the enigmatic spiritual realm of angelic beings. Drawing from a bible class conversation, we delve into their multifaceted roles as guardians, messengers, and more. As we navigate through scriptural references and visions, we ponder the intriguing question: Are there women angels? This discussion centers around divine communication, metaphoric language in prophecy, and gender's significance in the celestial context. Uncover the profound complexities o...
Aug 23, 2023•53 min•Ep. 68
Most are familiar with Theology, some are familiar with Christology, but in this study we take a look at a term coined specifically for this - humanology. If the Bible is the story of God and man, how do we understand these two major players? Often we tend to look at humanity (either through ourselves as individuals or through the whole) and gain a very low estimation of ourselves. Sometimes scripture even seems to support this low estimation. Certainly we shouldn't think too highly of ourselves...
Jul 14, 2023•46 min•Ep. 67
Honesty is often thought to be relegated to whether or not we tell the truth. However, whether a person is honest or dishonest has so much more to do with overall character and virtue. While this is all well and good, it does provoke the question, why are we expected to be good, virtuous, morally upright, and honest people? Is it because being an honest person is the least harmful thing to be? Is it because God said so and that should settle the matter? In this brief episode we get to the bedroc...
Jul 07, 2023•12 min•Ep. 66
Odd title, I know. What kind of study could possible come from the "movement" of God? What does the Bible even have to say about something as obscure as this? Surprisingly, a lot. Through this study we'll take a look at Ancient Israel's views on where God is, how He moves, and in what manner He interacts with the physical world to show the slippery slope the human mind can be on when considering the boundlessness of God. Is there anywhere in your life that you believe God cannot move to? Are the...
Jun 28, 2023•41 min•Ep. 65
Anger is a natural part of being human. Knowing this, seeing how often anger is prevalent in godly people written about in scripture, and experiencing the mercy of God when we show anger to Him can start to make us feel like anger against God is okay. However, if we look analytically at the topics of sin, root causes of anger, and God's nature, a clear picture begins to emerge showing how unjustified our frustration with God actually is. If we gain a clearer understanding of God's goodness, the ...
Apr 28, 2023•58 min•Ep. 64
It is so common to feel lacking and unworthy in the face of our great God. This feeling of uselessness pervades the non-religious world as well, in my view, because they lack belief in God. However, Christians are not immune to situations like this especially when we sin and fall short of the glory of God. We might begin to ask ourselves- what do I have to offer? What could He possibly want with me? Maybe we even begin coming up with false scenarios in our heads about how He really doesn't want ...
Apr 15, 2023•25 min•Ep. 63
In this continuation of the study of love, we analyze love not being puffed up. This phrase, on the surface, is relatable since the concept of a prideful person being "filled with hot air" has transcended time. However, by bringing this characteristic out of the verse to understand it as a concept can help us when we place it back into correct context. Email: truthbetoldbiblepodcast@gmail.com Music: Pop-Rock Beautiful By Twisterium Logo: Matt Hernandez...
Mar 25, 2023•26 min•Ep. 62
Though I believe this topic is way bigger than can be expressed in a 35 minute episode, I felt it was worth it to discuss bible prophecy in an effort to demystify it for those who hesitate to study it. Though it's a genre that can be difficult to interpret and read, we shouldn't shy away from it but embrace it as God's word praying that He will lead us into greater understanding as time goes on. If biblical prophecy is a mountain, take it one step at a time and keep the end in mind the entire wa...
Mar 10, 2023•35 min•Ep. 61
The Bible often asks the question, why do the wicked prosper? We can tend to ask this question too but, many times, what we want to know is: why do the righteous suffer? We can be convinced that it's fine that the wicked prosper as long as it doesn't mean our frustration or misery. In this message originally given in Columbus, Ohio, we go through the Old and New Testaments to find examples of people who, like us, questioned God's judgement in dealing with both the righteous and the wicked and, h...
Feb 24, 2023•54 min•Ep. 60
The Passover is incredibly rich in meaning connecting both the Old and New Testaments in its symbolism. This episode briefly explores why modern Christians should continue to observe the Passover and highlights on the symbols of the Passover - the bread and the wine - before diving into the less remembered portion of the evening that Christ and His disciples observed prior to His crucifixion - the foot washing. In this examination of the foot washing, we also examine ourselves in order to realiz...
Feb 16, 2023•32 min•Ep. 59
This episode walks through a post that has been circulating on social media dealing with God's interactions with men and women. Within this post, several premises are listed that seem scripturally based but offer more eisegesis than exegesis. The claims center around the idea that men in the Bible ascended up mountains to commune with God while He meets women where they are to accommodate their day to day lives. Through this study we should learn good methods for questioning everything against t...
Feb 10, 2023•33 min•Ep. 58
This is the first interview I've been a part of where I'm not the one conducting the interview. It was a privilege to be able to speak to the former president of the United Church of God, and my good friend, Victor Kubik on the topic of apologetics. I hope this episode going over some of the fundamentals is beneficial and might inspire you to look into the study yourself. Apologetics is a fantastic tool for any Christian to keep on hand. Email: truthbetoldbiblepodcast@gmail.com Music: Pop-Rock B...
Feb 05, 2023•48 min•Ep. 57
Often those who study the Bible fall into the habit of researching a biblical topic and spanning the scriptures to find support when speaking on or discussing said topic. While there is nothing wrong with this approach, allowing that one is careful not to force scripture to support an unbiblical belief, it can often limit our ability to engage in verse by verse study. God inspired scripture and I believe there is a methodology to why He had it written the way He did. It can be incredibly valuabl...
Jan 18, 2023•15 min•Ep. 56
By looking at Ancient Israel's relationship to God's presence, modern Christians can get a glimpse of how we might differ in our estimation of God's Spirit dwelling in us. Do we fear the presence of God appropriately as the glory of the all-powerful, living God? Do we celebrate this incredible reality that the ancients only dreamed of? Email: truthbetoldbiblepodcast@gmail.com Music: Pop-Rock Beautiful By Twisterium Logo: Matt Hernandez...
Dec 02, 2022•13 min•Ep. 55
I gave this (short) sermon in Columbus, Ohio on September 24, 2022. This message is about refuting the idea that Jesus Christ did not come as a conquering King at His first coming. This statement has become so commonplace in Christian circles, that very few question it as anything less than gospel truth. However, just because the Jewish people who rejected Jesus as Messiah had a certain view of what a conquering King was supposed to do, does not mean that Christ, in no way, conquered. While He d...
Oct 05, 2022•34 min•Ep. 54
When the Apostle Paul states that he became as all things to all men so that he might win some to the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the Kingdom of God, it might tend to sound hypocritical to some who want to understand exactly how to apply this to their own interactions with people outside of the faith. Did Paul just put on a face or an act in order to endear people to him, or is something else going on here? In this episode we take a look at one prime example of Paul's efforts at evangelism, givin...
Aug 30, 2022•17 min•Ep. 53
In this episode of Truth Be Told, Dr. Frank Turek and Micah Gunn offer up a defense for the discipline of Apologetics. The defense of the Christian faith is not only something that is under attack from skeptics, but also Christians who incorrectly believe that an evidential approach to the truth claims of the Bible somehow hinders or infringes on an individual's faith. Some might believe that an answer to God's calling should be wholly apart from evidence or logic, and others might think that ut...
Aug 12, 2022•35 min•Ep. 52
In this episode we take a look at the term "original sin," which has long been dominated by a single perspective stretching back to the early 400's A.D. Essentially, what most people understand about this concept upon any base-level study, is that it has its origins in an argument between a man named Augustine and another named Pelagius. Eventually, Augustine won the debate via support from the organized church at the time as well as a few other early church fathers. However, while most have con...
Jul 08, 2022•57 min•Ep. 51
This is a sermon that I gave on the day of Pentecost celebrating the initial outpouring of God's Spirit on His church nearly 2,000 years ago. In this message I attempt to highlight the intricate difference (though intimately connected) concepts of truth, belief, faith, and hope. Often, modern students of the Bible confuse the terms faith and belief as being interchangeable. This misunderstanding, along with the fact that ancient Greeks and Hebrews only had one term each (used in various contexts...
Jun 10, 2022•47 min•Ep. 50
Listening is one of the hardest things for people to do. We're very good at discussing, informing, and telling - but listening takes a certain humility that can be very difficult. In this study we look at the importance of listening to God, examples of how people have not listened in the past, as well as good examples of people that listened to very difficult instruction or sayings from God. By taking a look at this topic we should, hopefully, have a more gracious approach to those in the Bible ...
May 30, 2022•34 min•Ep. 49
After watching the new Marvel series, Moon Knight, I was struck with how much it seemed to be in line with my spiritual worldview. Particularly one fight scene depicting Khonshu and Ammit in their full, towering forms battling in the backdrop of a physical fight between Moon Knight and Arthur Harrow. How can we learn about the spiritual world from a TV show about super heroes? Where did I get the idea that the Bible might somehow relate to a fight scene between ancient Egyptian deities? Isn't th...
May 13, 2022•45 min•Ep. 48
New ideas can almost become taboo within Christianity. The primary elements of our faith have been around for a long time and we believe we can trace our roots back to the beginning of time when our God created all things - what else could there be that is new for us to consider? Also, doesn't much of the New Testament warn us against "new ideas"? Sometimes new ideas aren't actually all that new, and sometimes, something presented as a new idea is really only a new perspective. However, if we re...
Apr 21, 2022•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 47
Though many sayings of Christ have been interpreted different ways over time and some can be a bit confusing if not placed in the right context - His instruction, "follow Me," was always presented in a clear and concise way and remains unchanged throughout the centuries. His call to men and women in the 1st century is applicable to you today but, just like some men and women in the 1st century, sometimes our expectation of Christ's call doesn't always match the reality of it. Are we ready to fol...
Apr 08, 2022•14 min•Ep. 46
Christians are called to love their enemies, pray for their enemies, and treat their enemies with kindness - but this doesn't mean we should be glad when an enemy succeeds against us. If an enemy makes a mistake while trying to cause harm to us, that should be a good thing. Christians deal with more than just disapproval, or even persecution, from others, but also a continuous persecution from a host of spiritual adversaries, with Satan as their chief. Fortunately for us, even when Satan's plans...
Mar 18, 2022•10 min•Ep. 45
Often Christians can get caught up in the idea that the Bible is a historical book that, periodically, "comes alive" whenever a particularly interesting subject is brought up. However, the Bible speaks of itself as "living," not, merely, resurrected when our interest is piqued. The people of the New Testament lived their lives believing they had the Bible in the Old Testament, unaware that they were to be primary subjects in the Bibles that we have today. Could we be making the same mistake in t...
Mar 04, 2022•30 min•Ep. 44
In this episode Dr. Peter Gurry and I explore the topic of textual criticism, or textual reliability, which is a practice used across many literary works, including the text of Scripture. While gaining a better understanding on the topic, it should be come clear that textual criticism, while fascinating and valuable as a study for Christians, should never be a study that ones faith hangs on. The Bible has been proven to be textually reliable, though there is still so much to look into and ask qu...
Feb 10, 2022•49 min•Ep. 43
