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Episode 132 explores some examples of those who are remembered more for what they were rather than what they became. It is an important lesson for those of us who are followers of Christ. We are not what we once were. This episode provides us encouragement to see ourselves in light of what Christ is doing now in us, even if those around us might not see it yet.

Episode 131 provides a sample chapter from the audio book version of "The Capsule". The chapter is a reflection on the gift and privilege of reading. The book is available in paperback, e-book and audio book. A link to a “one stop” webpage showing the vendors selling the book can be found at https://books2read.com/thecapsule A sampler of the paperback can be found at  https://restoringthecore.com/wp-content/Capsule/The Capsule Sampler.pdf

Episode 130 centers on a discussion of the inner room, referred to by Christ in Matthew 6. Christ's call to private prayer in an inner room of one's house has an interesting 20th century parallel. During Apollo missions to the Moon in the late 1960s and early 1970s, the lunar orbiting command module pilot was behind the Moon for half of each orbit. During that time, that lone astronaut was cut off from communication with Earth and even his fellow astronauts of the surface of the Moon. During those times of "loss of signal", the Command Module capsule became humanity's ultimate "inner room." Walt's new book, "The Capsule", looks to this and other aspects of those Apollo-era missions to explore insights of how those aspects can be adapted to our time in the "inner room" to spend time in solitude with Christ. The book's release date is October 18, 2024. "The Capsule" is available for pre-order before that date. Please go to https://restoringthecore.com/the-capsule/ for a list of print book, e-book and audiobook distributors

Episode 129 recounts Walt's adventure of seeing a total solar eclipse from northern Ohio in April of 2024. The episode explores the comparison of seeing photos of a total solar eclipse with actually seeing one live. The comparison is extended for those of us who believe in Christ. We know of Him incompletely in this life. What will it be like to see Him, with our own eyes, face-to-face?

Episode 128 centers on a study of Psalm 46. I had the privilege of teaching the study during the week that I stayed at a Hospitality House, nicknamed the Hangar, in Landscheid, Germany. The Hangar is an outreach of Cadence International, a mission organization which focuses on the needs of the military. They can be found at https://cadence.org/. The website for the Hangar is located at https://cadence.org/ministry/the-hangar/ .   

Episode 127 explores an example of cross-referencing meditation on the Bible. While reflecting on one passage, other passages can provide deeper insight and show us a more, full-orbed view of the Scriptures. .

Episode 126 is an exploration of the Gospel accounts of what happened when Christ encountered the dead. Dead doesn't stay dead. This has far-reaching and staggering implications for the life of every human being, both for now and into eternity. The picture is that of a painting depicting the raising to life of the son of the widow of Nain. . .

This episode contains some thoughts about an extraordinary church service known as the Asbury Revival of 2023. This episode contains some thoughts on criteria which could be applied to seek to determine the genuiness of this revival. It also contains discussion of some parallels between what is happening in Asbury in 2023 with a series of revivals which swept the English-speaking world starting in 1857. Much of this episode is an exploration of an article found in the January 2007 edition of the Evangelical Review of Theology. The article, entitled "Prayer Revivals and the Third Great Awakening" can be found here .

Episode 124 features a discussion of discerning and remembering the true state of things concerning a believer's life in Christ. It is good for us to believe the things which the Bible says about God. It is also good for us to remember the things which the Bible says about us. .

Episode 123 marks Walt's return after a nine-month absence. In this podcast, Walt recounts the health issues that took him away for a while as well as some hopefully helpful insights about the deaths and resurrections which we face in this life. xxx

Episode 122 is a post concerning what may be the largest public reading of Scripture ever held. This is a brief retrospective on the special Christmas Eve broadcast held by the astronauts of the crew of Apollo 8, humanity’s first voyagers to the Moon. The photograph known as Earthrise was taken by the crew of … Continue reading "A Very Memorable Reading of Scripture"

This episode is devoted to a reading of the text of the Morning Prayer of the Optina Elders. Find out more about the prayer and those who crafted it.. Go to https://restoringthecore.com/morning-prayer-of-the-optina-elders/

This episode centers on a discussion which my wife Julie and I had about a question from one of her Bible Study women. They read Jen Wilkin’s book “None Like Him” about God’s attributes He does not share with us (Omni-present, omniscient, etc). Julie got a question from someone in her study asking, in essence: … Continue reading "What Do We Do With God’s Unshared Attributes?"

Episode 119 centers on a discussion of the Lord Jesus’ parable of the wheat and the weeds found in Matthew 13:24-30 as well as the explanation given by the Lord in Matthew 13:36-43. Two specific applications look at the question: “Why doesn’t God remove evil from the world?” as well asking us to expand our … Continue reading "Reflections on the Parable of the Wheat and the Weeds"

Audio-Post-11 is a reading of an article on my original blog School of the Solitary Place. In this post, I discuss several graces available to us in our time and place, particularly, for English speakers, the grace of having multiple translations of the Bible available to us in English. The article can be found at … Continue reading "Taking Advantage of a Great Grace"

Episode 118 explores some examples of those who realized that they needed to take their faith and walk in Christ more seriously. What they did, to use a sports phrase, was to “step up their game.” A link to John Piper’s lesson on how George Mueller (1805-1898) [pictured above] took his faith practice to a … Continue reading "Stepping Up Our Game"

Episode 117 centers on how our culture’s collective mindset is largely Christ-absent. The influence of Christ would largely be seen as irrelevant to our real-world, everyday lives. The episode also feature a discussion of several biblically-based, purposeful practices which a follower of Christ can do to keep Christ in our thoughts.

Finding Hidden Treasure returns after a long absence. Episode 116 is a discussion of how easily we are distracted. The 17th century theologian and philosopher Blaise Pascal observed how we are distraction-seekers, even to our own hurt. The discussion looks at some modern examples of this. It concludes by encouraging us to recognize our capacity … Continue reading "Living A Christ Focused Life – Episode 116"

Episode 115 is the audio of a prayer written by Pete Greig and the 24-7 Prayer Movement (www.24-7prayer.com). #prayer #coronavirus A pdf of the written prayer can be found here

Episode 114 presents us with a question and a challenge. Are you willing to accept grace?

Episode 113 is a personal reflection on the treasure we find in Psalm 23; The Gospel Coalition has a great article on two ways of life: Psalm 23 and the Anti-Psalm 23 .

In this episode, Walt and Zack discuss the meaning behind the brief prayer “Restore Our Souls.”

This episode centers on a discussion of some factors in promoting biblical literacy for ourselves and others.

My son Zack joins me on Episode 110 to discuss the need to find identity in Christ in every generation, including his and mine. Every generation of believers must come to understand who we are in Christ. This episode is intended to be an encouragement, particularly to the Millennial generation, to not let something or someone other than Christ set the agenda for you to define who you really are.

Episode 109 features a conversation with a young man from our home church. I spoke with Andrew about his take on Christianity in the Millennial generation. He also was kind enough to read a rather encouraging and insightful Facebook entry he recently posted on living and thinking about life in Christ. Player and Download Links are below:

In Episode 108, Walt welcomes his wife, Julie, for a discussion of the phrase "A Burst of Light And Then You See His Face." Player and Download Links are below:  

This minisode centers on asking three diagnostic questions to those of us who follow Christ. They are intended to have us think about the priority of loving God and loving to serve Him. This minisode is also available in video form on the Restoring The Core You Tube Channel   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j1pP9UhpRhY Player and Download Links are below:

This minisode features the reading of an anonymous prayer called the Prayer of An Aging Woman. The writer showed great insight and humor as she cried out to God for her needs in the later years of her life. This prayer could easily be offered by any of us as we ourselves get older. This podcast can also be found in video form on the Restoring The Core channel on You Tube.  A direct link to the video on You Tube can be found here. Player and Download Links are below.

This minisode contains some reflections how on the Word of God acts as a light to us, in both its' written form (Psalm 119:105) as well as in its' living form, the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. This podcast is also in video form. You can find it on You Tube on the Restoring the Core channel at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xyWevqKdwVk Player and Download links are below:

Episode 107 is set aside for a reading of Psalm 138, a psalm of giving thanks. Some commentary on the Psalm is interspersed between the reading of each verse. It is also a first for Finding Hidden Treasure as my wife is sharing the speaking in this episode. Player and Download Links are below:

Episode 106 centers on a discussion about God being in all places at the same time (omni-presence). As a result, we never truly leave His presence. Several writers of the past have likened this to an encounter that a citizen of a kingdom would have with his  king or queen in a special room designed for such meetings. A Presence Chamber would be the place of such an encounter. This analogy is useful in helping us to understand the importance of knowing that with God in Christ, we never leave the divine Presence Chamber. This episode also feature a reading from F.B. Meyer's book "The Secret of Guidance." The reading is from Chapter 8 is entitled "In The Secret of His Presence." A link to this book on the Christian Classics Ethereal Library website can be found here. Inserted photo is of the King's Presence Chamber at Hampton Court Royal Palace - London - thenenchantedmanor.com Player and Download Links are below:

Episode 103 is a supplemental podcast for the Year of Biblical Literacy. It is a reflection on the implications of Pharaoh's command to the Israelites to manufacture bricks but to do so with straw which they find, not already supplied. Just as the Israelites were being commanded to do more with less to take their focus off God and onto Pharaoh, how should Christians think and act today while living in a culture which demands more time and attention from us? Some ideas about how to recognize this and work through it in Christ are provided within the podcast. Player and Download Links are below:

Episode 102 announces a new effort by the Restoring The Core Initiative to engage in an online version of the Year of Biblical Literacy. The crisis of biblical illiteracy within the church has not gone unnoticed in recent years. This episode contains a "Call To Action" to encourage and exhort our fellow believers in Christ to enter into a deeper knowledge. understanding and appreciation of the Bible, the Written Word of God, to strengthen our relationship with God in Christ, the Living Word of God. Our Year of Biblical Literacy is patterned on similar initiatives by Reality Church San Francisco and Bridgetown Church in Portland, Oregon. Our version is customized to be a web-only project. Our quest begins on Sunday, July 1st 2018 and concluding on Sunday, June 30th, 2019. The Year of Biblical Literacy will structure our involvement with the Bible on four distinct levels 1.Individual; 2.Group; 3.Worship (sermons); 4.Educational The main page for Restoring The Core's Year of Biblical Literacy  supplies details on how each level works. Links to numerous resources for each level can be found at the Resources page. You can find the readings, Psalms and videos for the week hyper-linked under the Menu tab "Year of Biblical Literacy" and then "Map to the Weekly Readings." It is my prayer that you will join us in this quest to engage further with Scripture. Whether you are a seasoned reader of many years of taking in the Bible or are rather new to it, I believe that all of us can benefit by this deeper interaction with the Bible, the very Word of God. The "Call to Action" is in both audio form as Episode 102 but is also available here in transcript form as a pdf as well as at the Call To Action page. Player and Download links are below  

In Episode 101, the discussion centers on the crisis of biblical illiteracy within the American church. One path to resolving this crisis is explored, namely, the delight in the reading of the Word of God to overcome the perception of drudgery. Link to an introductory video for the Year of Biblical Literacy can be found here.  Their approach strongly parallels the Puritan approach to devotional practice (Personal/Secret; Communal/Private;  Worshipful/Public) as well as a strong educational component to teach more about how we got the Bible. Very much worth exploring. https://bible.realitysf.com/ Link to the Read Scripture Bible Reading Plan can be found here  Player and Download links are below

The discussion in Audio Post 10 centers around how to reconcile human freedom (and willingness) to sin with the Apostle Paul's words to his disciple Timothy about those not in Christ being held captive by the Devil to do his will (see 2 Timothy 2:24-26). One possible explanation is that of a spiritual version of what psychologists call "The Stockholm Syndrome" in which those held captive begin to sympathize with the beliefs of their captors. The original article from the School of the Solitary Place site can be found here. Player and Download links below:

This audio post centers on a discussion of the treasure we have in Christ, a treasure which those who refuse to believe can never diminish or remove. Comparisons are made to the refractive beauty of a diamond and also the wonders which Galileo saw in his telescope around the year 1610 (such as four moons which orbit the planet Jupiter...pictured here). No person who denied the beauty and wonder of such things removes these things from existence. The wonder still exists, even if no one else is willing to marvel. Such is our relationship with Christ. Player and download links are below:

Audio Post 8 centers on a commentary on 1 Thessalonians 5:16. How is it in a world of real pain, trouble and evil, we are called to "Rejoice Always?". Link to the original 2010 article from School of the Solitary Place. Player and Download Links are below:

This episode centers on a discussion of graces which God has given us in our time. One of those graces, for those of us in the English-speaking world, has been the presence of a number of excellent Bible translations available to us in English. One way of using that grace to our benefit is to be able to read more than one English translation of the Scriptures to get a better sense of what God is telling us in His Sacred Word. Link to the article on School of the Solitary Place Link to the Read Scripture Plan (which I'm using in my Bible reading in 2018) Link to the One Year Bible Reading Plan Link to the Discipleship Journal Bible Reading Plan Link to the Seed Company, a part of Wycliffe Bible Translators Download and Play Links are below:

In Audio Post 6, the discussion centers on how it may take time to recognize that God is working in a particular situation. Link to the original article found at the School of the Solitary Place blog site: Player and Download links are below:

In this Audio Post, we explore the presence of the Glory of God in the world around and its implications for our everyday life. Player and Download links are below:

Audio Post 3 features the audio of an article from the School of the Solitary Place website on the Psalms, the Hymnbook of the Church. Player and Download links below:

Audio Post 2 contains the audio of an article from my original blog, School of the Solitary Place. It is called "The Holy Name of the Lord." You can find the original article at this link. Player and Download Links are below:

This entry is for the first Audio Post on this site. It contains the audio of an article posted on restoringthecore.com. This audio is for the article "What Will You Take With You?" The article can be found here. Player and download links are below:

Episode 100 features a discussion on the start of the Restoring The Core Initiative five years ago. The discussion continues about the value of an encouraging type of discipleship and the value of the treasures we find in the "attic" of church history. The episode ends with the reading of an excerpt from a journal article by one of my theology professors, the late Dr. Luke Keefer. Pictured above: an early 20th century cigar cutter (listen to the episode to know why this is significant) Link to the entire article "No Other Foundation" by the Dr. Luke Keefer can be found here   Player and Download links are below

In this 27th minisode, a prayer is read which was composed by Christina Fox. It is a wonderful prayer for working through a time of waiting upon God Christina Fox blogs at https://www.christinafox.com/ The text of the prayer can be found here.  Player and Download links below:

Episode 99 is the second of two parts of a reading of the article "The Morning and Evening Sacrifice: A Sacrifice of Praise through the Psalms." The article was written by Walter Hampel for the Ashland Theological Journal. A link to a pdf of "The Morning and Evening Sacrifice: A Sacrifice of Praise through the Psalms" can be found here The Songs of Jesus: A Year of Daily Devotions in the Psalms  by Tim Keller can be found here Player and Download links are below:

Episode 98 is Part 1 of a reading of the article "The Morning and Evening Sacrifice: A Sacrifice of Praise through the Psalms." The article was written by Walter Hampel for the Ashland Theological Journal. A link to a pdf of "The Morning and Evening Sacrifice: A Sacrifice of Praise through the Psalms" can be found here The Songs of Jesus: A Year of Daily Devotions in the Psalms  by Tim Keller can be found here Player and Download links are below:

This minisode features the reading of an excerpt from a sermon by Charles Haddon Spurgeon. The biblical text on which the sermon is based is taken from Psalm 96:1-3. “O sing unto the Lord a new song: sing unto the LORD, all the earth. Sing unto the LORD, bless His name; show forth His salvation from day to day. Declare His glory among the heathen, His wonders among all people.” The sermon is entitled "The New Song and The Old Story." A free pdf of the full text of the sermon can be found on the Spurgeon Gems website: The link to this sermon can be found here Player and Download links are below:

Episode 97 centers on the discussion of several biblical texts which point out the importance of God-given names. Player and Download Links are below:  

Episode 96 centers on a discussion of Philippians 4:4 in which we are commanded to "Rejoice In the Lord Always."  In a world of real trouble, pain, oppression and heartbreak, how is it possible to do this. The discussion looks at other verses in Scripture in which the bigger picture, a God-revealed reality, is shown. Suffering and pain in this world are real, yet,  an "eternal weight of glory" must be considered and not simply the circumstances of this life.. LInk to the podcast of C.S. Lewis' essay "The Weight of Glory" can be found here. Player and Download links are below

Episode 95 centers on a discussion of the hidden treasure of catechisms. In this episode, there are lookbacks to their history and development, especially in the era of the early Reformation. Lastly, this episode stresses the importance and value today of those Reformation-era catechisms in assisting us in our lives in Christ in an age of biblical illiteracy. Click on the link below to bring up an online version of the catechism: Luther's Small Catechism Luther's Large Catechism Heidelberg Catechism Westminster Small Catechism Westminster Larger Catechism Link to Episode 52 which discussed the Heidelberg Catechism Download and Player Links are below: