Exploring My Strange Bible
Exploring My Strange Bible is a podcast by Tim Mackie, lead theologian and co-founder of BibleProject. It delves into the stories, themes, and theology of the Bible, offering insights and reflections on scripture. The podcast aims to make the Bible accessible and engaging for listeners.
Episodes
Holiness (Remastered)
The Language of Faith E1 —- Some of the most important vocabulary words in the Bible and Christian faith are rarely used in modern Western culture, or they’re used in ways totally different from how the Bible uses them. This short series qualifies, resurrects, and gives new meaning to three of these old terms. In this teaching, Tim explores the biblical word and concept of holiness, as it applies
All Things New or All New Things? (Remastered)
Resurrection as a Way of Life E5 — In this final teaching of a five-part series, Tim explores the depiction of new creation in the book of Revelation. These final pages of the Bible talk about this future universe as new because many aspects of our current world will not carry over. At the same time, we will experience some points of continuity. So what do we make of all this and why is it importa
Acorns of Fire (Remastered)
Resurrection as a Way of Life E4 — In this fourth teaching of a five-part series, Tim explores 1 Corinthians 15, one of the most important chapters on the resurrection in the New Testament. The Apostle Paul expounds on the importance of resurrection hope, as well as what the resurrection body is (and what’s it’s not). Tim gave this message at Door of Hope Church in Portland, Oregon, on August 7, 2
Groaning and Liberation (Remastered)
Resurrection as a Way of Life E3 — In this third teaching of a five-part series, Tim dives into one of the most exhilarating and beautiful chapters in all of the Apostle Paul’s writings. In Romans 8, Paul retells the whole story of the Bible with imagery from Exodus, which is all about people groaning in slavery, being liberated by God, and stepping into freedom in the promised land. Tim gave this
A Living Hope (Remastered)
Resurrection as a Way of Life E2 — In this second episode of a five-part series, Tim explores 1 Peter’s opening paragraph and its themes of new birth and living hope, both made possible by Jesus’ resurrection. Tim also reflects on what he learned about human psychology and hope from the Holocaust survivor Viktor Frankl. He gave this message at Door of Hope Church in Portland, Oregon, on July 10, 2
A New Vision (Remastered)
Resurrection as a Way of Life E1 — The topics of resurrection and new creation in the teachings of Jesus and the apostles are crucial for how followers of Jesus view the world, the future, and themselves. In this first episode of a five-part series, Tim teaches from Luke 24 on the story of Jesus offering a new vision of the messiah to two disillusioned disciples on the road to Emmaus. Tim gave thi
Sharing Grace (Remastered)
Why Church Matters E2 — Why is sharing our stuff so hard? And how does church play a critical role in helping us form this habit? In this second episode of a two-part series, Tim explores the portrait of the first church community in Acts 2, who committed to sharing their resources with each other. This demonstrates a core habit of the Church from the beginning: crossing over boundary lines to fre
A Life of Learning (Remastered)
Why Church Matters E1 — When people think of Christians, openness to new ideas is not usually the first thing that comes to mind. That's because we've lost a key part of the mindset of a “disciple,” a word that actually means “learner.” In this first episode of a two-part series, Tim explores the earliest depiction of the Church in Acts 2, where a group of people commit to each other and to Jesus
A Renewed Creation (Remastered)
Heaven & Hell E4 — Everything we learn in the Bible about heaven and hell comes from a series of complex, ancient images, and it’s easy to misunderstand them. What do images of eternal death and everlasting fire refer to in their original context? And what do images of new creation and resurrection actually mean? In this final episode of a four-part lecture series, Tim brings everything together.
Divine Judgment and Resurrection Hope (Remastered)
Heaven & Hell E3 — The definitions of human life and death on pages 1-3 of the Bible are based on the idea that humans can live in a state of death. But the goal of God’s rescue mission is to take people out of “living death” and transfer them into a mode of “eternal life” here in the present. In this third episode of a four-part lecture series, Tim moves onto a new part of the story, which is
Heaven and Zombies (Remastered)
Heaven & Hell E2 — The biblical authors didn’t see death as something that just happens to you at the end of your physical life. Rather, both life and death are present realities, starting on page three of the Bible. (And believe it or not, zombies are a biblical idea!) In this second episode of a four-part lecture series, Tim tackles the biblical word for “heaven,” exploring what it does and does
Life and Death in Genesis 1-3 (Remastered)
Heaven & Hell E1 — Popular culture and the media show us many misconceptions about heaven and hell. For example, it may be surprising to learn that, in the Bible, the opposite of heaven is not hell, but Earth! In this first episode of a four-part lecture series, Tim explores the popular misunderstandings and distortions of the concepts of heaven and hell in Western culture. Starting on page one of
Come, Holy Spirit
The phrase “Come, Holy Spirit” has deep roots in the Christian Church, across many centuries and traditions. It’s a phrase regularly used both in communal worship and personal prayer, but what does it actually mean? In this message, Tim teaches from a variety of biblical passages to identify what followers of Jesus are actually saying (and not saying) when they pray, “Come, Holy Spirit.” Tim gave
Praying and Acting (Remastered)
Practicing Faith E3 — In the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus models for us how to daily bring our requests to God. But implied in its words are ways of being and acting that will align with our words. In this final of three teachings on Christian practices, Tim explores the meaning and significance of the Lord’s Prayer, which has incredible potential to change our lives. Tim gave this message at Door of Hope
Feasting and Fasting (Remastered)
Practicing Faith E2 — In the lives of Jesus and the apostles, we discover the twin practices of fasting—-that is, withholding food from yourself for an intentional reason for a period of time—and also feasting and celebration in community. What are these practices and how do they work together? In this second of three teachings on Christian practices, Tim explores the meaning of feasting and fasti
Solitude and Community (Remastered)
Practicing Faith E1 — In the Gospels, we find moments when Jesus steps away from the crowds for times of solitude to reflect and pray. What value did Jesus find in this practice of solitude, and how has it served his followers over the centuries and across the globe? In this first of three teachings on Christian practices, Tim explores the practice of silence and solitude, considering how to balan
A Renewed Heavens and Earth (Remastered)
New Testament Themes E6 — Some people reject Christianity or the Bible because of something they hear about the end of the world, final judgment, or Heaven. But often, they're not actually rejecting Scripture, but rather some distortion of it. In this final message in a six-part series, Tim teaches from Revelation’s final chapters on how the New Testament depicts Heaven and new creation, compared
A Community of Good News (Remastered)
New Testament Themes E5 — The New Testament shows us that a church is meant to be a group of disciples calling out the best in one another and embodying a faithful witness in their neighborhood and city. But drama, unhealthy leadership, and even spiritual abuse can make it hard to stay committed to a church community. In this fifth message in a six-part series, Tim teaches from Hebrews 10 on what
A Generous Gospel (Remastered)
New Testament Themes E4 — In the Apostle Paul's mind, the good news about Jesus becomes most persuasive when his followers live with incredible generosity. And that’s because radical generosity permeates the New Testament, most powerfully revealed in Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection. In this fourth message in a six-part series, Tim teaches from 2 Corinthians 8 on how financial generosity demon
Protecting the Witness (Remastered)
New Testament Themes E3 — In the New Testament, “witness” is what Jesus' followers do together as they live, committed to one another and to Jesus. How is this understanding of witness different from how it’s viewed in modern Christianity? And how can we protect this kind of communal witness? In this third message in a six-part series, Tim traces the theme of witness in the book of Acts, concludin
The Cost of Following Jesus (Remastered)
New Testament Themes E2 — Many who are intrigued by Jesus of Nazareth have a difficult time balancing his overwhelming generosity and grace with his challenging call to discipleship and making serious sacrifices. So how do these two aspects of Jesus go together? This second message in a six-part series looks at some of the very challenging things Jesus says about counting the cost of following him
The Kingdom of God Has Arrived (Remastered)
New Testament Themes E1 — When we open the New Testament and start reading about Jesus, his message, and his mission, it’s not what most people imagine when they think of Christianity. Early on, we find the phrase “Kingdom of God” or “Kingdom of Heaven.” But what does this phrase mean? Why is it important to Jesus? And what bigger storyline is it a part of? This first message in a six-part series
A God of Love, a World of Suffering
During his earthly ministry, Jesus interacts with multitudes of hurting people. So how does he process, understand, and respond to all the suffering and evil he encounters? Tim explores the book of Job as the biblical framework for understanding pain, evil, and suffering in a world created by a God of love. Tim gave this message at Bridgetown Church in Portland, Ore., on April 6, 2022.
REFERENCED
A Future for My Work (Remastered)
Theology of Work E2 — Many Christians believe the world will ultimately be destroyed when Jesus returns, and so our day-to-day lives don't really matter. But the Apostle Paul teaches the opposite in 1 Corinthians 15 and Colossians 3. The eternal, redeemed nature of the new creation makes our work more meaningful than we can imagine. In the second half of a two-part teaching, Tim explores how our h
A Story About Work (Remastered)
Theology of Work E1 — Whether we’re young and still discovering our career, or perhaps more seasoned in work but new to following Jesus, integrating our vocation with our discipleship to Jesus is challenging. Why? Because the modern American story about work is very different from the Bible’s. In this message, Tim explores Genesis 1-3 to show how work is not a curse, but actually one of the greate
Prayer and Paradise
Prayer and encountering God’s presence are biblical topics we can study, but they’re also very personal experiences for each of us, and so this message combines both. First, Tim shares his personal history with prayer, and then dives into a biblical study of God’s Eden paradise appearing where we least expect it. Tying these two parts together is a personal parable involving a wild huckleberry fie
The Gift (Remastered)
Ecclesiastes E2 — In the first teaching of this series, we explored the teacher’s core metaphor for life, which is the Hebrew word hevel, meaning “smoke” or “vapor.” The teacher takes a pretty dim view of things, saying that everything in life is unpredictable, enigmatic, absurd, and ungraspable. So what do we do with such a sobering truth? In this message, Tim explores how embracing life as hevel
Hevel (Remastered)
Ecclesiastes E1 — In the book of Ecclesiastes, the teacher shows how most of our daily time and energy is spent on meaningless things. The core metaphor he uses to make this point is smoke or vapor, which in Hebrew is the word hevel. So why is such a bleak book in the Bible? Tim unpacks Ecclesiastes’ introduction, its authorship, and how the book as a whole seeks to motivate humility, integrity,
A History of New Testament Manuscripts and English Translations (Remastered)
Making of the Bible E3 — The manuscript history of the New Testament is very different from that of the Old Testament. The number of manuscripts, the amount of time they cover, the history of manuscript discoveries—it’s all very complex and fascinating! Then there is the separate history of how the New Testament has been translated and regarded by the Church over the centuries. In this third and f
Old Testament Manuscripts & the Making of the New Testament (Remastered)
Making of the Bible E2 — In this series of lectures, we’re building the foundation for understanding where the Bible came from. When looking at Scripture through this lens, we discover that the texts themselves offer clues about how they came into existence and why they were written. Rather than casting doubt on the Bible, this work actually helps us gain a deeper sense of what the Bible is and wh
The Making of the Old Testament Books (Remastered)
Making of the Bible E1 — Many people who view the Bible as God’s word believe it must have come into existence with little or no human agency. But this idea is foreign to the biblical authors and to Scripture’s very traceable history. It was not written in secret! The authors of these texts were, of course, human. However, they also claimed God was speaking to his people through these human words.
Torah Crash Course: Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy (Remastered)
Torah Crash Course E3 — The books of Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy tell the story about God’s covenant with Israel at Mount Sinai—and make up two-thirds of the entire Torah! God gives Israel 613 laws, interspersed with stories that offer commentary on them. Tragically, the Israelites demonstrate their inability to truly love and obey God and follow the laws. This unresolved tension creates a
Torah Crash Course: Exodus (Remastered)
Torah Crash Course E2 — Israel’s liberation from Egypt and the night of Passover were the foundational stories for ancient Israelites, and they’re also crucial for understanding Jesus and his mission. For example, Jesus timed his arrival into Jerusalem with the Passover feast, and at the Last Supper, he used the symbols of Passover to explain the meaning of his coming death. Exodus also contains t
Torah Crash Course: Genesis (Remastered)
Torah Crash Course E1 — For many modern readers, the first five books of the Bible—known as the Torah—can feel strange, overwhelming, or confusing. But when we look at these five books as a single narrative, we can begin to see how it sets up a larger story of God’s rescue plan for humanity that is ultimately fulfilled in Jesus. In this episode, we’ll start with Genesis. From creation and humanity
The Surprising, Actual Story of Genesis 1-2
In modern Western culture, we have two very different narratives swirling around the first two pages of the Bible. In the first narrative, the creation story in Genesis 1-2 represents a literal seven days, and this all happened only a few thousand years ago. In the second narrative, earth and its inhabitants took billions of years to evolve into their present form—and therefore, Bible-believing Ch
Science and Faith (Remastered)
Many people view science and religious faith as bitter enemies with conflicting views of the universe, especially when you consider the scientific explanation for the universe’s origin versus the biblical account. But is this tension real, or is it based on a deep misunderstanding of what the Bible is and how it communicates? Genesis 1-2—written thousands of years ago—says many surprising things a
When God Loves Your Enemy (Remastered)
The Amazing Jonah E5 – We’ve come to the final episode of a five-part series on the book of Jonah. And this last part of the book is one of the most puzzling. After Jonah preaches his strange, five-word sermon, the people of Nineveh surprisingly repent. And when God forgives them, Jonah fumes with anger and berates God for being too gracious. In this episode, Tim closes out the story of Jonah, con
Thrones and Ashes (Remastered)
The Amazing Jonah E4 — After the great fish vomits Jonah onto the shores of Nineveh, the prophet finally—and begrudgingly—obeys God. Even though Jonah only utters a strange five-word sermon to the Ninevites, they still repent and turn to God. In this episode, Tim teaches on Jonah 3, while also discussing what the biblical word “repentance” means—and doesn’t mean. This message was given on August 2
A Severe Mercy (Remastered)
The Amazing Jonah E3 — After he is thrown into the sea and swallowed by a fish, Jonah utters a strange and beautifully intricate poem from inside the fish’s belly. He is in a moment of crisis that is actually God’s way of bringing him to the end of himself. How can Jonah’s experience invite us to think about the moments of crisis in our own lives? In this message, Tim teaches from chapter 2 on thi
Asleep at the Wheel (Remastered)
The Amazing Jonah E2 — Jonah is portrayed as God’s prophet, but ironically, he is the only person in the book who refuses to listen to God. How can this story invite us to consider our own lack of perception and awareness of God’s voice in our lives? In this message, Tim explores Jonah chapter 1, looking at the many ways that the prophet seems unable to hear God directly or through anything else t
Running From Your Life (Remastered)
The Amazing Jonah E1 — Many of us know the story of Jonah as the prophet who gets swallowed by a whale. And while that is part of the story, it’s only a couple sentences in a longer narrative. So who is Jonah? Why did he flee from God and board a boat to Tarshish? And why is his story even in the Bible? In this first message of a five-part series, Tim lays the groundwork for exploring Jonah’s stor
What Is the Kingdom of Heaven?
After his baptism and testing in the wilderness, Jesus leaves Nazareth for Capernaum. There, he begins his public ministry, inviting fishermen to follow him and calling on people to “repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven has come near.” So what is the “Kingdom of Heaven,” and what does it mean that it has come near? In this message, Tim teaches from Matthew 4:12-25 on Jesus’ beginning proclamation, th
The Meaning of Hope (Remastered)
Hope is an important virtue that God’s people have actively cultivated for thousands of years. And the messianic hope we see throughout the Hebrew Bible is a kind of hope that followers of Jesus still need today. So what does this hope look like for us now as we wait for Jesus to return and fulfill all of the Bible’s promises? In this message from the Advent season, Tim explores a number of passag
(Re)introducing Exploring My Strange Bible
In 2016, we began releasing this collection of sermons and lectures that Tim Mackie gave over almost twenty years as a teaching pastor and professor. Then in 2019, we stopped releasing new episodes because that was all of Tim’s teaching! But starting today, we’re excited to begin re-releasing the episodes, now remastered and sounding much better. Plus, we’ll occasionally drop in a new sermon or le
An Update From Tim
A message from Tim to let everyone know that we will be putting this podcast on pause for now. It will remain active online so you can still listen or re-listen to his sermons.
If you want to hear more from Tim, check out The Bible Project Podcast: https://thebibleproject.com/podcasts/the-bible-project-podcast/ Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our
The Crocus Flower and the Empty Tomb - Gospel of Matthew Part 35
This story has changed the course of human history over the past 2,000 years. Of course the story is profound, but the IMPLICATIONS of what it means to the history of our universe leading up to Jesus’ resurrection is incredible. This teaching is a reflection about the significance of Easter.
Jesus walking out of the empty tomb offered a whole new history of the world. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsW
The Blood Cries Out - Gospel of Matthew Part 34
We are in the final moments of Jesus’ story, and we focus on his trial, but also the story in Matthew about Judas after his betrayal of Jesus. Judas experiences extreme remorse and ends up committing suicide.
These are grim stories, but they are very important insights into human conditions. You can see how Judas became trapped in his black hole of terrible decisions and how they destroyed him. It
Panic Attack - Gospel of Matthew Part 33
We’ve come to (from my perspective) one of the most profound, mysterious, and almost terrifying stories of the Gospel. It is the story of Jesus right before he gets arrested and executed.
He took his friends and followers to a small olive grove and he was disappointed by their inability to stay awake… his closest people fail him at the moment that he needs them the most. So then Jesus turns to God
The Passover Meal - Gospel of Matthew Part 32
This teaching is actually kind of a replay and development of a teaching that I gave numerous times about the Messianic Passover. As we retell the story of Passover year after year, we can see that the story is forward-pointing as it represents liberation. What Jesus does with this meal and how he takes its meaning and tweaks it is really interesting. We address all of this and more about the Pass
Gold, Darkness, and Dwarves - Gospel of Matthew Part 31
Today we ponder a pretty well-known peril of Jesus that has been misused and abused in unfortunate ways when it is read out of context.
This story is about a landowner who gives different sized investments to his servants and then expects them to produce something with the investments. Then based on what they have done with the investment, the landowner rewards or punishes different people.
As you
Signs of the Times - Gospel of Matthew Part 30
We go over Matthew Chapter 24 today, which in modern, especially American Protestantism, has become a very controversial text related to biblical discussions about “the end times”.
The longer I’ve gone on to learn more about the bible and how symbolism works and apocalyptic texts in Jewish writing, my understanding has really depended. That being said, they still remain controversial because of th
Love and the Rebirth of the Universe - Gospel of Matthew Part 29
We are in the “passion” week during Jesus’ stay in Jerusalem for Passover, and there are a series of controversies. Today we explore a controversy that Jesus has with some priests. They try to trap Jesus in a scripture-type puzzle, but he really doesn’t fall for it.
We watch Jesus deal with controversy, the future, resurrection, and more in this episode. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. S
Love Poems, Vineyards, and Rocks - Gospel of Matthew Part 28
We look at a story from a controversy that Jesus was involved in in this episode. During his final week in Jerusalem for Passover, he ends up telling this famous story of God’s covenant with Israel leading up to Jesus. He tells it through a story about a landowner who owns a vineyard and then has some hired hands who end up hijacking the farm and getting violent about it.
Jesus really confronts hi
Jesus, Prophet and Provocateur - Gospel of Matthew Part 27
In this teaching, we take apart Matthew Chapter 21 and the story of Jesus riding into Jerusalem during the week of Passover, and he creates a storm. He literally storms into the temple and turns over tables and stages a protest.
Immediately following that, there is a story about Jesus and a fig tree. Get ready for Hebrew word plays, prophetic poetry, and more in this episode. Hosted by Simplecast,
Forgiveness - Gospel of Matthew Part 26
We slow down on Matthew Chapter 18 and address Jesus’ aside road trip in this teaching. He is trying to give his staff and disciples an idea of what it is like to live in the upside-down value system of the kingdom in our personal conflicts and relationships.
He particularly addresses forgiveness because, for Jesus, forgiveness was the quintessential feature of what it means to follow him. We expl
Of Millstones and Guardian Angels - Gospel of Matthew Part 25
This episode takes us into Matthew Chapter 18. Jesus was taking a road trip, and then he decided to go on a solo march towards Jerusalem for Passover. He had been trying to invite his disciples specifically (his closest followers). This chapter focuses on resolving conflicts and relational problems within the kingdom of Jesus.
It is full of practical teachings about what the kingdom of God looks l
Death and Taxes - Gospel of Matthew Part 24
At this point, we take a look at Matthew Chapter 17 about taxes and death. This isn't the most famous story about taxes in the Bible, but it is one of the first. It is about how Jesus relates to power and the Jewish institutions within religious people. This is an interesting story to show how Jesus related to these powers that he believed were corrupt but still submitted to them, and it also shed
The Other Side of the Lake - Gospel of Matthew Part 23
At this point, we look at Matthew Chapter 15. It is a story about a woman who approaches Jesus and asks him to heal her child, and Jesus HESITATES (which is totally bizarre because it doesn’t fit the portrait of Jesus, right?). The backstory of this woman and her history in the scriptures is really interesting, and it really helps us frame why Matthew has included this odd story in the first place
Severed Heads & Hungry Crowds - Gospel of Matthew Part 22
We’re looking at Matthew Chapter 14. I consider two stories alongside each other in this teaching. One is the story of John the Baptist getting beheaded by the royal family. It is followed by another story of Jesus providing food for hungry people in the wilderness that interrupts his cousin’s death.
The character of Jesus shines brightly in this episode. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company.
Weeds and Wheat - Gospel of Matthew Part 21
We consider one of Jesus’ parables in this episode. Jesus is explaining who he is and what the kingdom of God that he is announcing is like. He is trying to shift and recreate new paradigms for people and life and God. The “Weeds and Wheat” is a famous parable that Jesus gives in Matthew Chapter 13. Listen in as we dive in together.
Want to learn more about the larger biblical ideas about God's ju
Jesus Gives Us a Sign - The Gospel of Matthew Part 20
In this teaching, we address Matthew Chapter 12. Here, the leaders of Israel challenge Jesus and they want to make him prove his identity. Jesus responds by giving them a riddle and talking about the sign of Jonah.
This story also raises a fascinating parallel with many of our own personal stories where Jesus is not coming through for us at all the way we thought he would, and we begin to bargain
One Way Road to the Grave - Gospel of Matthew Part 19
Matthew Chapters 11 and 12 are stories about people responding to what Jesus has been doing in chapters 4 -10. What we see here is one of the first notes of people’s rejection of Jesus by the Israelite contemporaries. So in this episode, we situate Jesus how he thought of himself in the tradition of the Hebrew Prophets. He gives warnings that are serious and significant, and they show us that Jesu
The Hammer that Heals - Gospel of Matthew Part 18
We look at Matthew Chapter 11 today. It is kind of a puzzling story, where John the Baptist (who is actually Jesus’ relative and played a very key role in Jesus’ life early on) is in prison. John the Baptist is also expressing serious doubts about who Jesus is and his identity.
It is a fascinating story that gives us a window into the kinds of expectations that Jewish people had about the Messiah.
An Open-Minded Faith - Gospel of Matthew Part 17
This episode addresses faith in a story about Jesus healing a blind man in Matthew Chapter 9. In the Gospels, the word “faith” and specifically "having faith and trust in Jesus" really has a specific meaning.
We see that different people have very different experiences with Jesus. Why the different reactions and responses? We address that question and more in this episode… Hosted by Simp
Who Can Forgive Sins? - Gospel of Matthew Part 16
We unravel a well-known story that takes place in Gospel Chapter 9 about Jesus forgiving the sins of a man who is paralyzed in legs. Then, he heals his legs so that he can get up and walk away. However, this is a controversy around this healing that Jesus performs, and it becomes a focal point for the whole story.
For Jesus to forgive sins a first-century Jewish context was a loaded and symbolic a
A Jesus-Centered Community - Gospel of Matthew Part 15
Today we look at a story in Matthew chapter 9. Each story makes a unique claim on Jesus’s identity, about his character, and the kind of communities that Jesus came to create. Jesus has brought together a diverse and complicated group of people around his Kingdom of God announcement. He’s labeled a rebel by the Jewish community, but today we are going to explore the method and mindset that is unde
Storms and Swine - Gospel of Matthew Part 14
We are in the narrative chapters of Matthew Chapters 8 and 9, where Matthew has collected nine stories of Jesus performing a whole number of powerful deeds and acts. Some of them are acts of healing, others of them are acts of creative power.
In this episode, we talk about two stories. One is about Jesus calming chaotic waters. The other is about Jesus meeting two dangerous men in a graveyard. Lis
Make Me Clean - Gospel of Matthew Part 13
In previous episodes, we explored the Sermon on the Mount, but now we turn a corner back into the story Matthew of chapter 8. We explore this story of Jesus healing a man with a skin disease, which holds a lot of symbolic freight.
Most importantly, this story is about Jesus’ contagious holiness. Jesus embodies the healing power of God’s holiness. This is an amazing story, especially once you take
Ask and You Will Receive - Gospel of Matthew Part 12
This episode explores Jesus’ teaching about prayer. It is the famous “ask and you shall receive” teaching.
Personally, prayer has always been one of the aspects of following Jesus that I’ve found most difficult to make a big part of my life. So in this episode, I explore both what Jesus says, but also some of the objections or questions that come up in our minds when we try to take Jesus at his wo
To Judge, or Not to Judge - Gospel of Matthew Part 11
Today we are going to explore one of the most memorable teachings of Jesus that many people, even non-Christians, know. It is the teaching that centers around judgment or the idea “Don’t judge so that you will not be judged”.
What did Jesus mean when he said not to judge other people? This is one of the teachings of Jesus that has truly taken on a life of its own. How has its meaning morphed over
The Lord’s Prayer - Gospel of Matthew Part 10
Specifically, we talk about the meaning and significance of one of the most important things that Jesus ever said to his followers. Jesus passed along his prayer and taught us how to pray, which he addressed in his Sermon on the Mount.
Even after I became a follower of Jesus, I still never adopted the Lord's prayer as my own prayer that I prayed regularly. It took me years until I came across othe
Love Your Enemies - Gospel of Matthew Part 9
Today we explore the meaning and significance of Jesus’s command “Love your neighbor”, which even includes the people who hate you (or your enemies). We’re going to look into why this is such a shocking and controversial teaching, especially in Jesus’s day and age. It can sometimes feel very counter-intuitive.
This is a difficult teaching to hear and process and think of what it means, but let’s g
Jesus, Truth & Spin - Gospel of Matthew Part 8
Today we are going to focus on Jesus’ teaching about swearing… as in “swearing oaths”. You’re probably not too hung up on “swearing too many oaths”, but it was actually a really important part of Jesus’ culture in his day and age.
More importantly, we’re going to explore some of the basic heart-level issues that Jesus is getting at here. The way we talk to each other with spins, half-truths, etc.
Jesus and Sexual Desire - Gospel of Matthew Part 7
Today’s particular teaching is about one of the few times that Jesus addresses the topic of sex and sexual desire. He uses a lot of intense language that has really stuck with Jesus’ followers for many thousands of years.
The goal is to get inside Jesus’ heart and mind about his vision of what sexuality is and what it is for. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for inform
Jesus and the Torah - Gospel of Matthew Part 6
Probably Jesus's relationship to the Torah isn't something that you woke up thinking about this morning, but it was actually a major major issue. The Torah represents not just the Bible, but the whole story and terms of the covenant that Israel used to relate to God.
Jesus came saying that the Kingdom of God had arrived through him and the work he was doing, but it was confusing to a lot of people
A Kingdom of Blessing - Gospel of Matthew Part 5
In this section, we’re exploring Jesus’s most famous collection of teachings in Matthew chapters 5-7. Jesus is announcing to the Kingdom of God that way of life that he’s inviting his followers to join only makes sense WITHIN the announcement that God’s Kingdom has arrived through Jesus.
This teaching focuses on those famous little poetic sayings at the beginning of the Sermon on the Mount called
Jesus and the Kingdom of God - Gospel of Matthew Part 4
This teaching is about the second half of Matthew Chapter 4. Jesus is an adult in this segment, and he says his first words to the public (the people of Israel). He talks about the Kingdom or the reign of God.
To me, this was a foundational idea and a big part of my own rediscovery of Jesus’ own life, mission, and values. This is ground zero for understanding Jesus and why you should follow him. H
Testing Jesus in the Wilderness - Gospel of Matthew Part 3
This is specifically a teaching that I did about Matthew Chapter 4 and the well-known story of Jesus being tested by the evil one in the wilderness. One of my biggest goals was to debunk a bunch ideas about Satan and the devil that aren’t actually in the Bible. I think debunking these ideas is a really important part of following Jesus because we should recognize the reality of “evil” and what tha
God with Us - Gospel of Matthew Part 2
We are going to explore probably the most famous story from the Gospel of Matthew in today’s show. It is the Christmas story, or the story of Jesus’s birth (you know, all the iconic images of Joseph and Mary riding on the donkey). So for this sermon, I tried to shake off all that familiarity and read this text from Mary’s perspective. Because interestingly, the story focuses in on her personal nar
Yahweh Saves - Gospel of Matthew Part 1
These sermons originally took almost two years to get through, and it was a remarkable experience for our whole church community. Stories of Jesus can become so over-familiarized that they begin to lack the power and passion and brilliance that they actually possess. Going through this book was an amazing religious and life-transforming experience for me and I hope it is for you too. Hosted by Sim
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