Equipoise

I'm a Protestant, but I went to a Roman Catholic mass. Here's how it went.

Are there common denominators to poorly-held and indefensible theological positions? I think there are, and I talk about them here.

How does Jesus say his followers respond to violence, theft, slander, and injustice? Have a listen!

What does Jesus say about oaths, promises, and spin? Have a listen!

What does Jesus say about marriage and divorce? While we won't tackle particulars until we get to Matthew 19, here's a glimpse of Jesus' mind on the issue.

How does Jesus approach the issue of lust? Very, very seriously. And for good reason, too. Have a listen!

In this text, Jesus helps us see that anger -- no matter to whom it's directed or why -- isn't something to be nursed. It's something to be evicted in the strongest of terms.

What does it mean that Jesus didn't come to abolish the law but to fulfill it? And what does it mean that our righteousness has to exceed the righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees if we're to enter the Kingdom? Have a listen!

We're told not to "try to be" salt and light, but rather that we ARE, in fact, salt and light as Christians. That is our identity. Have a listen!

As we wrap up the Beatitudes, we take a look at what it means to be persecuted as well as zooming out and looking at the beatitudes as a whole...and seeing Jesus there.

In this episode, I discuss whether or not pacifism is Biblically tenable, and -- if so -- whether it is the way of Christ or simply an option.

What does the rich young ruler have to do with the beatitudes? In short, I think he helps us understand the inverse of the people whom Jesus was welcoming into his Kingdom in today's blessings: the merciful, the pure in heart, and the peacemakers. Have a listen!

What does it mean to "hunger and thirst after righteousness?" And what does it mean to "mourn" or be "meek?" Is it possible that we've quite possibly misunderstood what Jesus meant? I think we largely have in the modern West. Have a listen!

What does it mean to be "poor in spirit?" Further, what does it mean that Jesus blessed them? Have a listen!

In this brief introduction to Matthew 5 and the Sermon on the Mount, we'll ask a couple of questions of the text and pursue balance. Also, please forgive my voice and poor microphone performance!

What does it mean to be a disciple of Jesus? Is it some optional "add-on" for super-Christians? Or does it mean something else entirely? Have a listen!

What is "The Kingdom of Heaven" and what does it mean that it's "at hand?" Isn't it something that's way off in the future? Or is it really, actually here now? Have a listen!

In this episode, we explore the idea of Jesus' testing in the wilderness. What's up with this story, anyway, and what does it mean for you? Have a listen!

Today, we take the time to look at Jesus' baptism, and what exactly Jesus meant by "fulfill all righteousness." What did Jesus mean, and how did his baptism fulfill anything? Have a listen!

Who was John the Baptist? And why did Matthew describe his origin as "the wilderness?" Why does Matthew relate John's weird apparel to us readers? What did John mean when he said "bring fruits of repentance," and how did John's audience understand baptism? Have a listen!

In this episode, we follow Matthew as he traces the events of Matthew 2:13-28 back to the Old Testament, so as to say, "We've been here before."

In this text, Matthew introduces three characters, of which the Magi are only one. Have a listen!

In this short passage, we'll take a look at some claims that Matthew was making. For such a small passage, they're not at all small claims!

In this first episode dealing with the content of Matthew's Gospel (finally!), we take a look at the opening phrase and genealogy to discover that Matthew is writing to a Jewish audience that knows that Torah, and he's conveying some very specific things. Have a listen!

In this second of two prefatory episodes, we discuss the date of the writing of Matthew's Gospel.

This is the first of two preliminary or prefatory podcast episodes before we dig into the text of Matthew's Gospel. In this episode, we discuss whether or not Matthew was, in fact, the author of Matthew!

Going forward into the Fall and Winter seasons, I'll be centering my focus on properly exegeting, understanding, and explaining the Gospel of Matthew. In this episode, I'll be revealing my reasons and my hopes that you'll be along for the ride.

In a world where we're taught that prayer means "talking to God" or "communing with God" or even "aligning our will with his," it's more important than ever to properly define prayer. Have a listen!

I submit to you in this episode that a failure to understand others -- no matter their stance or state -- is a great folly and a harmful one, at that. Have a listen!

It's a word that's thrown around with near-reckless abandon: heresy. Should we be so quick to write people out of the Kingdom, or is there a balance? Have a listen!

This phrase, found anywhere from memes to TikTok videos of glow-ups and glamor shots, is popular, all right. But is it Biblical? Have a listen!

A continued look at missions as it is practiced today. Are there areas of opportunity for balance here? I think there are. Have a listen!

Today, we talk about deputation -- are there areas where we could improve and find some balance? I think so. Have a listen.

In this follow-up to last week's episode, I try to bring some balance to our approach to people with depression, whether you're the one suffering or you're the one in a place to help them.

This episode is the first of two episodes in which I talk about depression. This week, I address three questions as a preface to next week's fully-orbed discussion on how to address depression from a balanced perspective.

It's important to be settled on matters of theological importance, but where do we draw the line? In other words, how settled should we be on things that aren't explicitly stated in Scripture? Have a listen!

In this sort-of sequel to "Hyles in Charge," an episode from two years ago, I've recorded a few other observations about some of the negative ramifications of an imbalanced view of the pastorate. Have a listen!

Last week, the United Methodist Church voted to redefine marriage and move forward in an LGBTQIA+ affirming direction. Why? Was it random or is there something more?

Say, what's the deal with people saying "amen" during the preaching? Is this Biblical? Is it good? Bad? Otherwise? Have a listen!

Ever been in a situation where you learned that someone didn't know you were a Christian until a little while into your friendship? Is this a bad thing? Depends. Maybe yes. Maybe no. There's a balance.

What's the deal with altar calls? Are they Biblical? Are they good? bad? As always, I think there's a balance. Have a listen!

It's been long held (and rightly so) that truth, goodness, and beauty are a trinity of sorts, each one inexorably connected to the other. However, I feel that beauty has been neglected in favor of the other two for too long. Balance is needed.

When to speak up? When to remain silent? What to say when we do speak up, and how to say it? When? Where? I hope you'll have a listen to some heartfelt (and hard-learned!) proverbial guidelines when it comes to speaking with wisdom.

How do we discern God's will for our lives? Is that even a thing? Have a listen.

Yep. This one's about that He Gets Us ad. Here we go.

This episode is a bit...different. I wasn't going to record one today due to the hectic business of life lately, but I decided to read a poem to you all instead. And yes, I'm aware the account in the poem is quite possibly fictitious, but it's beautiful nonetheless.

...and I loved it! This episode is about a balanced approach to physical fitness. I hope it is a blessing. And yes, that is pickleball equipment superimposed on my logo for this episode. :)

In this episode, I talk about what I'm doing, what I'm not doing, and the potentiality of sunsetting the podcast.

Why is it that if you ask ten Christians what any given passage of Scripture means, you'll sometimes get ten different explanations? I think it's partly because not all of us are reading our Bibles with responsibility.

Or see. Or hear. There's much more we need to do before simply adopting something as correct and true. Sources: https://isbndb.com/blog/how-many-books-are-in-the-world/ https://wordsrated.com/number-of-books-published-per-year-2021/

This episode deals with a balanced approach to the beliefs and behaviors of the previous generation that are seen as outlandish (or even unbiblical) today. How do we respond? *Note: I did not know about the 1965 Big John Patton album "Let Em Roll" when I titled this. I'm not re-titling this episode, though. Way too much work. Just gonna go with it.