Agape Baptist Church | Scottsboro, Alabama

What if joy isn't found in better circumstances—but in faithful obedience? In this message from Philippians, we discover that when we step into what God calls us to—even when it's hard—His sufficiency meets us there. Learn how Gospel partnership, humble service, and surrendered trust lead to a joy that circumstances can't take away.

Romans 9 raises one of the most difficult questions in Scripture: does God choose some people for salvation—and others for judgment? In this episode of Curious Faith: Questions Answered, we walk through Romans 9:21–29 and explore what Paul means by “vessels of mercy” and “vessels of wrath.” How do we understand God's sovereignty without misrepresenting His character? And how do we hold together divine justice and human responsibility? This episode aims to bring clarity to a challenging passage while keeping our focus on the goodness, justice, and mercy of God.Have a question or comment you'd like us to address in a future episode? Email us at questions@curiousfaithpodcast.com. To learn more about Agape Baptist Church and the ministries of Community Care Village, visit agapebaptist.com.

What if spiritual growth isn't just about learning more—but living more? In this message from Philemon 1:4–6, we explore how God deepens our faith not by keeping us comfortable, but by calling us into obedience. As we step out in faith, our need for Him increases—and so does our experience of His sufficiency. Because Jesus is alive, hope is alive, and that hope is discovered as we follow Him.

How do you evaluate yourself honestly without drifting into pride or insecurity? In this episode of Curious Faith: Questions Answered, we explore what Paul means in Romans 12:3 about thinking with “sober judgment” and how to measure ourselves by the faith God has given. Learn how the Gospel helps us see ourselves clearly—neither inflated nor diminished.Send your questions or comments to questions@curiousfaithpodcast.com.For more information about Agape Baptist Church or the Community Care Village, visit agapebaptist.com.

Everyone is searching for hope. Easter answers why. In this message from 1 Peter 1:3, see how the resurrection of Jesus doesn't just inspire hope—it creates a living hope that changes your past, present, and future.

In John 20:22–23, Jesus tells His disciples, “If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them.” But doesn't Scripture teach that only God can forgive sins? In this episode of Curious Faith: Questions Answered, we explore what Jesus actually meant in this surprising passage. We'll look at the context of Christ's commission to His disciples, how the original language clarifies the meaning, and why the church has the authority to declare forgiveness through the Gospel—not create it. This episode helps us understand the difference between divine forgiveness and the church's responsibility to proclaim it.

You can be close to Jesus—and still miss Him. On Palm Sunday, the crowd praised a King they didn't fully understand. In Colossians, Paul shows us who Jesus really is: supreme, sufficient, and worthy of everything. This message explores what happens when Christ is truly preeminent in your life—and challenges you to answer the question Jesus still asks today: Who do you say that I am?

If the New Testament book of Jude quotes the Book of Enoch, why isn't Enoch included in the Bible? In this episode of Curious Faith: Questions Answered, we explore how the biblical canon was recognized, why quoting a source does not make it Scripture, and how ancient Jewish and Christian communities evaluated religious writings. We'll also look at what scholars mean by “pseudepigrapha” and why the Book of Enoch—though historically interesting—was never considered authoritative by the Hebrew Scriptures recognized in the time of Jesus.

What does real unity look like in a diverse church—and why is it so hard to maintain? In this message from Ephesians, we explore how Christ has already accomplished unity through the cross and how we are called to protect, practice, and live it out. From relationships in the home to spiritual battles we often overlook, this message reveals that unity is not something we create—but something we trust God to sustain.

If someone professes faith in Christ but openly lives in a way Scripture calls sin, what does that say about their relationship with God? In this episode of Curious Faith: Questions Answered, we tackle a difficult but important question about salvation, repentance, and the transforming power of the Gospel. Rather than focusing on one particular sin, we step back and ask a deeper question: How does the Bible describe a believer's relationship to sin? Looking at passages like 2 Corinthians 5, Ezekiel 36, and 1 Corinthians 6, we explore the difference between struggling with sin and settling into it—and what genuine faith in Christ produces in a person's life.

In this message, we step back and look at the sweeping message of the book of Romans and Paul's declaration that the Gospel is the power of God for salvation. This message invites us not only to understand the Gospel more clearly, but to experience its power as it transforms how we live.

James 1:2 tells us to “count it all joy” when we face trials — but what does that really mean? Is biblical joy a deep confidence in God's work, or does it sometimes become a spiritual mask we wear to avoid admitting pain? In this episode of Curious Faith: Questions Answered, we explore the difference between genuine, gospel-rooted joy and pretending everything is okay. We'll look at how sorrow and joy can coexist — and why real faith doesn't require emotional denial.

The world celebrates strength, success, and influence—but the Gospel tells a different story. In this message from 2 Corinthians, discover how God's power is revealed through weakness and how the very places we feel most fragile can become the places where Christ's grace shines the brightest.

Is it possible to take wise precautions and still fully trust God — or do those compete with each other? In this episode of the Curious Faith podcast, we explore the difference between prudence and fear, human responsibility and divine sovereignty. Does trusting God mean rejecting practical protection, or does God often work through those very means? We'll look at what Scripture says about wisdom, preparation, and where our ultimate confidence should rest.

Jordan walks us through his life of growing up in North Alabama in the Holiness Church. He also shares his struggles in young adulthood, and what eventually led him to coming into a true relationship with Christ and the digital ministries he now leads.

In this message from our HIStory series, we walk through 1 Corinthians and discover how the Cross redefines everything — our allegiances, our purity, our freedom, and our future.

Did the cross remove all judgment — or is there still something ahead for believers? In this episode, we unpack what it means that Christ bore our punishment and what Scripture teaches about the judgment seat of Christ. Clear answers. Gospel assurance. No fear-driven confusion.

What happens when faith grows — but so do the questions?In 2 Thessalonians, Paul writes to a church under pressure. Persecution was intensifying. Rumors about Christ's return were spreading. Some believers were fearful. Others had grown idle. In this powerful letter, Paul steadies their hearts by reminding them that God's judgment is righteous, Christ's return will be unmistakable, and Christian waiting is never passive.

Why build a podcast entirely around questions? In this first episode of Curious Faith: Questions Answered, we unpack the heart behind the show — why questions are not threats to faith but invitations to deeper understanding. We'll talk about the goal of this podcast, the role of the Curious Companion, where these questions have come from in the past, and how you can help shape future episodes. If you've ever wrestled with something you were afraid to ask out loud, this podcast is for you.

What does faithful waiting look like? In 1 Thessalonians, Paul shows us that the return of Christ is not about timelines and charts—it's about endurance, holiness, and encouragement. This message calls us to be a people shaped by the Gospel, strengthened in community, marked by holiness, and sustained by hope.

In this message, we welcome Gary Pate of Pate Ministries, serving faithfully in Ecuador, as he shares a powerful testimony of God's work on the mission field.

In this message on Jude, we examine Jude's urgent warning about false teachers—how rebellion against God's authority leads to judgment, how distorted grace produces moral compromise, and how deception spreads to those who follow it. At the same time, we're called to resist isolated, internet-shaped faith and instead grow through truth, discernment, and embodied church community, anchored in the hope that God Himself is able to keep His people from stumbling and present them with joy.

What if the trials you're facing are not setbacks, but sacred tools in God's hands? This message from James invites us to see suffering as formative—where God produces endurance, restores what is broken, and shapes a wiser, more resilient faith.

In this message, Mark Johnson challenges us to examine whether our faith is actually moving forward—or quietly stalled on a spiritual cul-de-sac.

What happens when the gospel gets edited? In Galatians, Paul opens his letter with urgency, reminding the church that the gospel comes from God—not people—and cannot be hybridized. This message calls us back to grace alone through Christ alone.

The book of Acts reveals the Holy Spirit not as a distant force, but as God's power dwelling within believers—applying redemption, shaping sanctification, and empowering obedience.In this message, we follow the Spirit's movement from Jerusalem to the ends of the earth. We are invited to ask an honest question: Am I living under the leadership of the Holy Spirit—or under the leadership of the flesh, self, or culture?

John's Gospel presents Jesus not just as the newborn King, but as the eternal Word who has come for the world. This Christmas message explores how John's portrait of Christ confronts us with a response and calls us into deeper discipleship in the year ahead.

Luke's Gospel shows us a Savior who seeks the margins and invites the outcast to the center of God's story. Discover how Jesus redefines belonging and offers hope to those who feel unseen, unworthy, or far from God.

The symbols of Christianity are surprisingly simple—a manger and a cross. In this message from the Gospel of Mark, we reflect on how these quiet, unassuming images reveal the humility, obedience, and glory of Jesus. As the light of Christmas shines, we are invited to examine the idols that glitter but do not give life and to follow the Savior who came low and stayed faithful.

Matthew tells the story of a Messiah who didn't shout His love from heaven but came down in flesh and blood. In this message, we explore Jesus' perfect timing in history, His role as the true and better Moses, and His identity as Immanuel—God with us. Christmas is the celebration of the King who stepped into our world to forgive, restore, and remain with His people forever. Let this message draw your heart toward the One who has come all the way to you.

In this message, Pastor Ryan shows how every major figure in the Old Testament points to Christ and how the long silence before His birth heightens the drama of His arrival. The message reminds us: the Bible isn't just His story—our story is meant to become His story as well.

In this Thanksgiving message, Pastor Ryan explores how the ‘Mandela Effect' illustrates our tendency to misremember the past—and how the book of Chronicles retells Israel's history to heal, restore, and reorient God's people. Discover why biblical remembering is the cure for bitterness, how gratitude rewires the heart, and how Thanksgiving becomes a spiritual practice that frees us from the past.

The book of Malachi doesn't whisper—it confronts. This message explores the hard questions God asks His people about worship, obedience, faithfulness, and spiritual drift. Instead of giving God our leftovers, Malachi invites us back to wholehearted devotion. A call to return, remember, and renew our worship.

Ezra and Nehemiah tell the story of God's people rebuilding what was broken—temple, walls, and community. But even after the work was complete, something was still missing. In this message, Pastor Ryan shows that while human leaders can inspire, organize, and rebuild, they cannot heal the human heart. True rebuilding happens when God's Spirit unites His people under the leadership of Jesus—the greater Rebuilder who finishes what we cannot.

In the book of Zechariah, God gave a series of visions to a weary people rebuilding from ruins—visions meant to renew their hope and remind them that His promises never fail. This message explores how God encourages us to keep building when the work feels slow and the future uncertain.

When God's people returned from exile, their enthusiasm for rebuilding the Temple quickly gave way to distraction and discouragement. Through the prophet Haggai, God reminded them that He hadn't just called them to rebuild walls and roofs—He was rebuilding hearts.

Even when His name is never mentioned, His hand is everywhere. In this message from the book of Esther, Pastor Ryan Johnson explores how God works through ordinary people and everyday circumstances to accomplish His extraordinary purposes. When life feels uncertain and God seems distant, Esther reminds us that His providence is never absent—just unseen.

Ezekiel's visions open with the breathtaking sight of God's glory—not in Jerusalem's temple, but among the exiles by the river in Babylon. Through dramatic imagery, symbolic acts, and divine messages, Ezekiel reveals a God who is holy, sovereign, and present even in judgment. Though the people's rebellion led to ruin, God promises restoration, a new heart, and a future where His Spirit dwells among them once more. The book of Ezekiel reminds us that even when all seems lost, God's glory has not departed—it is moving to redeem and renew His people.

God's judgment isn't the opposite of His love—it's the proof of it. In Joel, He sends locusts to consume what distracts us, so He can restore what truly matters.

The book of Daniel is a manual for faith under pressure. When culture demands compromise, Daniel's life shows that conviction, courage, and communion with God can turn exile into mission.

In a world unraveling with violence, addiction, and division, many Christians look to politics, education, or culture to bring revival—but Obadiah reminds us that misplaced trust always ends in ruin. This brief but powerful book confronts the pride of self-reliance and re-centers us on God's call to holiness, prayer, and Gospel witness. Join us as we explore how believers can reclaim the truth that we are the instruments in God's hands for change, and why true hope is found not in other sectors of society, but in the Lord whose kingdom shall stand forever.

In a world filled with spiritual battles and unseen challenges, God has not left us defenseless. In Ephesians 6, Paul describes the “armor of God”—a divine provision designed to equip believers to stand firm against the enemy's schemes. In this message, we'll discuss the armor of God and discover how God empowers us to live with courage, clarity, and confidence. This isn't just about surviving; it's about being prepared to advance in faith, no matter what comes our way.

In this message, we explore the raw honesty of the book of Lamentations and explore how biblical lament is not a sign of weakness, but rather a pathway to endurance. When we bring our grief, questions, and pain before God, we find a deeper strength rooted in His faithful love. Don't bypass lament—walk through it and find hope that lasts.

Jeremiah, the “weeping prophet,” confronts Israel's idolatry and spiritual adultery while pointing to God's mercy and promise of restoration. This message calls us to examine the altars in our own lives and return to wholehearted devotion to the Lord.

On this episode of the "Real Life with Christ Podcast," Jonathan welcomes his mother-in-law, Sherry, back after a recording error. They joke about the technical mishap, framing it as a "trial run" and an opportunity to go more in-depth. Sherry recounts a traumatic childhood memory at age two. She also shares that as a child, she felt a pull toward church despite her family not attending. Sherry reveals other painful parts of her past, including a complicated relationship with her parents and a lack of connection with her siblings.She discusses how these traumas created a lack of self-confidence and trust issues that affected her relationships. The conversation highlights the power of God in mending broken relationships and using past hurts for His glory. She emphasizes that her testimony is intended to help others and that her experiences serve as a testament to the transformative power of faith.

The book of Zephaniah pulls no punches. It announces God's coming judgment on sin—both for His people and the nations around them. In this message, we explore Zephaniah's sobering warning, the reasons for God's judgment, and the hope that still shines through for those who seek Him in humility.

The book of Habakkuk offers a raw, honest conversation between a prophet and his God—a dialogue full of questions, confusion, and eventually, trust. In a time of national crisis and personal doubt, Habakkuk boldly brings his complaints before the Lord, only to be reminded of God's unfailing sovereignty. This message explores how faith is not the absence of questions, but the decision to trust God even when the answers don't come. Habakkuk teaches us how to move from worry to worship, from fear to faith, and from confusion to confidence in God's perfect plan.

In today's message, we turn to Luke 15 to discover the heart of the Father for those who have wandered far from Him. No matter how deep the shame, how long the road, or how broken the life, His grace, mercy, and love are ready to meet us the moment we turn in repentance. And when even one sinner comes home, all of heaven erupts in rejoicing.

In this message, Freedom Forge Director John Yassu brings a stirring call to action, Preparing Our Hearts for Freedom Forge. John challenges us to trust God's transforming power, embrace the mission of Freedom Forge, and step forward in faith to see lives restored and chains broken.