How We Got the Bible – Formation of the Old Testament

Episode 393: We continue the journey of how we got the Bible by exploring the formation of the Old Testament. What is the timeline for the writing of each book? How did these 39 books come together in a single volume? Tune in as I do my best to build the timeline & examine the process of canonization.

Portraits of Grace (7): Judgment & Restoration of Moab

Episode 368: God calls Moab “my washbasin,” that is, the place where He washes His feet. They were a Gentile nation, not part of God’s covenant, & prideful people. Yet God shows grace first to a widow from the washbasin in the book of Ruth, then the whole nation of washbasin dwellers in Jeremiah 48. Tune in as I explore the grace which is present even in a relentless proclamation of judgment upon the nation.

Today in Church History: Henry Dunster resigns as president of Harvard (1654)

Question of the Day: Why do my prayers not get answered?

Portraits of Grace (6): A Tale of Two Sinners

Episode 367: Genesis 38 is a chapter of the Bible we tend to steer clear of due to its mature content. There is sin in just about every verse of this chapter. Where is God’s grace in all of this? “But where sin increased, grace abounded all the more.” Tune in as I take a look at this chapter & how God’s grace even reaches a man like Judah.

Today in Church History: English Parliament takes up a bill banning clergy from governmental positions (1641)

Question of the Day: How big is heaven?

Portraits of Grace (5): A Tale of Two Graces

Episode 366: The story of Joseph in Genesis eats my lunch each time I read it. Joseph blows me away. He is a young man who does not have a Bible, grows up surrounded by family which has all kinds of issues, comes of age in a grossly idolatrous land (Egypt), and yet he never loses focus on God. Tune in as I walk through Joseph’s story & what he teaches about being gracious to others.

Question of the Day/Church History: Did the Jews successfully kill Lazarus as they intended (John 12.9-11)?

Portraits of Grace (4): What Is & What Should Never Be

Episode 365: Warning: Explicit Content. Through the prophet Ezekiel, God uses graphic language to describe his broken relationship with Israel. After He tenderly nursed her, bountifully lavished her with gifts, & graciously married her, she used his gold, silver, & clothing to pay men to sleep with her. It is a grotesque portrait, yet it is a gracious picture because of how God responds after his bride’s faithlessness. Tune in to see God’s grace in Ezekiel 16.

Today in Church History: Teresa of Avila Dies (1582)

Question of the Day: Will we know our loved ones in heaven?

Portraits of Grace 3 – The World’s Best Love Story

Episode 364: The story of Hosea is the tragedy of a broken marriage, both of the prophet of God & of God Himself. How can there be grace in such a sad, sordid story? Tune in as we find the grace of God behind the scenes & in the shadows of a loving husband’s actions toward an unloving wife.

Today in Church History: George Whitefield preaches his last sermon (1770)

Question of the Day: Are there degrees of punishment in hell?

Portraits of Grace (2): The World’s Weakest Strongest Man

Episode 363: As we continue our stroll through the gallery of grace which is the Old Testament, we come upon one of the more tragic figures: Samson. Of course, we typically do not think Samson as tragic; he’s a character we teach the children about with his incredible feats of strength. He reads more like a superhero than a sad story. Yet it is true. Samson’s story is a sad one. How is God’s grace on display in the life of Samson? Tune in as I explore how can use someone as flawed even as Samson.

Today in Church History: C.S. Lewis comes to believe in Jesus (1931)

Question of the Day: Are there degrees of reward in heaven?

Portraits of Grace (1): In the Beginning

Episode 362: When God chooses to disclose Himself & reveal His nature, He chooses grace as one of the primary, if not the primary, characteristic. Grace is a New Testament word, but it has Old Testament roots. In this episode, I explore those roots as we begin to stroll through the gallery of grace which is the Old Testament. We will also see from a very common story the gracious nature of God.

Today in Church History: Cyprian Beheaded (258)

Question of the Day: Do we go straight to heaven or wait for judgment when we die?

The Beatitude of the Forgiven Lawbreaker

Episode 330: What do you do when you’ve blown it with God? I mean, royally blown it? King David was one who know about blowing it royally with God, but he also knew the way back home. In this episode, we dive into Psalm 32 to discover what we can do when we have blown it with God.

Today in Church History: Alexander Newcomer becomes a Christian (1858)

Question of the Day: Why doesn’t God just forgive without the cross?

Noah: Movie Review

Episode 240: The movie Noah came out last week. Based on what I’m reading, it only resembled the Book in that it had a main character named Noah who built a big boat and then the earth flooded. Much the rest was “creative license.” Tune in as I give you the truth about Noah’s ark.

Deconstructing Noah’s Arc