Four Oaks Midtown Podcast

At the heart of the Christian life is our union with Christ, through which all that rightfully belongs to Him is graciously given to us. Because Jesus reigns now at God's right hand, we are invited to view ourselves and our circumstances from His perspective. Though we do not yet comprehend it, the fullness of His glory will be revealed when Christ returns, and we will share in that eternal future with Him. Until then, we are called to live with attentive faith, allowing the reality of the gospel to shape every part of our lives.

I loved reading Choose-Your-Own-Adventure books as a kid because of the way this format drew me into the story. These books contained decision points marked by page numbers. You flipped to page 98 for choice A and page 105 for choice B. Of course, as a kid, I kept my thumb on the original page just in case I chose the wrong outcome, but real life carries higher stakes. We rarely get a chance to undo our choices which freights our decisions with meaning and significance. Esther stands at the point of no return as she resolves to risk her life by coming before the king unprompted to plead for the deliverance of her people. She maneuvers the web of political relationships in the royal court to bring about her desired outcome, but not without risk. Her plan requires the alignment of a host of variables outside of her control, yet she courageously steps forward. The fate of her people lies not in the casting of lots or the whims of an unstable king or conniving counselor, but the providence of God bringing about a stunning reversal. This is Understanding Esther. Check out the rest of our Understanding Series: https://www.fouroaksmidtown.com/teachings

Legalism often masquerades as devotion, drawing us to what feels right, looks impressive, or seems perfectly obedient. Paul reminds us that moralism, mysticism, and aestheticism do not guide us to Christ, faith alone does. As we face these temptations to judge ourselves or others by feelings, appearances, or rules, we can learn to rest in Jesus, trusting Him to justify, preserve, and sustain His people even when our preferences, perceptions, or practices differ.

In the final film of Christopher Nolan's Batman Trilogy, The Dark Knight Rises, the main villain Bane watches the city of Gotham devolve into chaos and destruction while he calmly knits. This detail alludes to a character in Charles Dickens' novel A Tale of Two Cities who knits while sentencing people to death. Nolan deploys this subtle hint to cue the audience to read his Batman narrative in light of Dickens' novel. In a similar way, the author of Esther uses careful allusions in order to place the narrative within the wider scope of the Bible. The dialogue, decisions, and dramatic tensions introduced in Esther 3-4 pull on the narrative threads of prior Old Testament books underscore the unchanging and sovereign goodness of God towards his people. This is Understanding Esther.  Check out the rest of our Understanding Series: https://www.fouroaksmidtown.com/teachings

In Christ, we are given a new life, freed from sin's dominion and united to Him as the source of our fruitfulness. We not only receive a new status as saints marked by forgiveness but we are given a new future. A future where Christ has triumphed over all powers and calls us to live with our eyes fixed on Him as both our means and our end. Let us rest in this truth and walk in the freedom, identity, and hope that are ours in Christ.

A good film rewards repeated viewings with deeper insight, appreciation, and meaning. We begin to appreciate minor details in the lighting, production design, and movement of the actors. Every subtle piece of dialogue or placement of the camera enriches our experience of the narrative and internalizes the major themes in a powerful way. The book of Esther, at first glance, tells a simple story about a queen who ascends to the heights of power in order to save her people. A closer examination however, reveals a multi-layered narrative of remarkable depth that subverts expectations and traces out the surprising way in which God works through fallen people in a broken world. The drama of Esther serves not only to get us into the story, but more importantly, to get the story into us. Esther 1-2 sets the stage by introducing the three main characters King Ahasuerus, Esther, and Mordecai whose lives intertwine to bring about the dramatic deliverance of God's people. This is Understanding Esther. Check out the rest of our Understanding Series: https://www.fouroaksmidtown.com/teachings

In Colossians 2:6–12, Paul calls believers not just to receive Christ, but to walk in Him, firmly rooted and built up in faith. The life that flourishes in Christ must be grounded in Him, not in empty philosophies or self-sufficient thinking. This passage invites us to examine what shapes our minds and desires: does what we meditate on draw us closer to Jesus or pull us away? Remembering our baptism and the joy of salvation reorients us, reminding us that we are not the source of life but recipients of grace. To walk in Christ is to cultivate vigilance, humility, and direction, to set our faces toward Him and live a life worthy of His calling.

In this episode, guest podcaster Brian Seagraves joins us to explore the book of Esther. Together, we'll consider the surprising moral ambiguity of its main characters, how the story is told with God's name absent yet His sovereignty hidden in plain sight, and the dramatic reversals that shape the narrative. We'll also reflect on why Esther retells history the way it does—not simply to record the past, but to shape how God's people live in the present. This is Understanding Esther. Check out the rest of our Understanding Series: https://www.fouroaksmidtown.com/teachings

Once we were alienated from God, hostile in mind, and marked by sin, but through Christ's death we have been reconciled and now stand holy and blameless before Him. Paul reminds believers to remain steadfast in the gospel, thankful to live in the fullness of God's revealed plan that prophets and angels longed to see. His aim is to see the church mature in Christ, knit together in love, firm in faith, and walking in the wisdom found only in Him.  

The book of Ruth focuses on two things that reveal our dependence upon God: land and children. We typically think of land as just matter that we through technology impose our will upon, but in the ANE land meant life, provision, and security. Central to Israel's conception of land is the idea of an inheritance — God himself apportions various plots to tribes and families. These are gifts to be received rather than objects to generate profit. God nourishes his people through the land. Similarly, God grants children as a gift. Land and children remind us not only of our dependence, but our place as one rung in a ladder of generations through time. Everything in our modern world drives us to focus on the here and now. But land and children gives us a broader perspective. But even these temporal things are not the final end, for as we learn in the NT, the great inheritance we possess as Christians is an eternal kingdom, a new creation. And that the extension of our life in time through children is only finally fulfilled in our resurrection. Ruth draws us into that fundamental reality of God as our ultimate provider, protector, and redeemer. This is Understanding Ruth.  Check out the rest of our Understanding Series: https://www.fouroaksmidtown.com/teachings

In Colossians 1:15–20, Paul lifts our eyes to the wonder of who Jesus is as our Creator, Redeemer, and the One who holds all things together. All things were made by Him and for Him, and in Him all things hold together. From the firstborn over creation to the Lamb praised in Revelation, Scripture calls us to see Christ's supremacy and respond in worship with thankful hearts.

Any author, playwright, or screenwriter worth his or her salt knows the golden rule of effective writing: show don't tell. The narrative of Ruth shows the faithfulness of God unfolding through the ordinary lives of men and women through dialogue, action, and setting. The time of harvest symbolizes the fertility God grants to his people both in terms of bread and offspring. The shroud of darkness over the threshing floor highlights the hidden manner in which God works. The dawn of a new morning cues the audience into the rebirth of hope as Ruth returns to Naomi with a harvest of barley. Ruth offers a powerful corrective to our modern tendency to divorce God's work from “real life”. God not only writes the stories of our lives, but calls us to live by faith as actors within his unfolding drama, submitting our will to his and playing our part with humility. We live within the same world as Ruth — a world in which God lifts up the humble and inclines his ear to the needy. A world where God acts in subtle and surprising ways. This is Understanding Ruth. Check out the rest of our Understanding Series: https://www.fouroaksmidtown.com/teachings

In Colossians 1:3–14, Paul prays with thanksgiving, showing us that prayer is our first response to what God is doing in others. Prayer not only lifts our needs before the Lord, it stirs thanksgiving within us and strengthens faith, love, and hope. Paul's pattern teaches us to pray for fellow believers: that they would grow in wisdom, walk worthy of the Lord, and wait with patience and joy.

Everyone wants to know God's will for their life, but few want to conform their lives to God's will. Deuteronomy 29:29 reminds us that “the secret things belong to the LORD... but the things that are revealed belong to us... that we may do all the words of this law.” God's secret will—his providence—unfolds day by day, while his revealed will calls us to obey his commands. Our focus should not be on deciphering God's secret plan but on living faithfully in light of what he has revealed. Ruth and Boaz model this, acting with courage and righteousness without knowing God's plan, yet finding themselves woven into his redemptive story—far greater than anything they could have imagined. This is Understanding Ruth. Check out the rest of our Understanding Series: https://www.fouroaksmidtown.com/teachings  

We are kicking off a new sermon series through Colossians, a letter Paul wrote from prison to the church in Colossae. Though he hadn't personally visited this small-town church in modern-day Turkey, we will read Paul's encouragement for them to hold fast to Christ as the all-sufficient Lord and his warning against false teachings that threatened to add to the gospel.

Most of us in the world live as functional atheists. We live our day to day lives without reference to God almost by instinct. This way of conceiving of the world as a “closed system” detached from anything beyond the physical realm stands in contrast to the worldview we find in the book of Ruth. The three main characters in Ruth: Naomi, Ruth, and Boaz all speak in ways that acknowledge God's hand in all things despite the fact that He never speaks nor performs a single miracle in this narrative. We often assume that God works only in extraordinary circumstances, but Ruth challenges this notion by showing how the purposes of God play out in the ordinary lives of two grieving widows searching for bread. This is Understanding Ruth. Check out the rest of our Understanding Series: https://www.fouroaksmidtown.com/teachings

The return of Christ is a message of hope, grounding us in God's promises of resurrection, judgment, and renewal. God is not only transforming souls but will one day restore the whole creation. Because of this, our labor for the Lord is never in vain. Complete fulfillment and lasting satisfaction will not be found in this life, but only at Christ's return, when we will share in all that Jesus has, resurrection life in eternity.

The Lord's Supper is a table of grace where sinners draw near to Jesus with all their need and find cleansing, peace, and acceptance in God. In this meal, we proclaim the Lord's death until He comes, washed by His blood, clothed in His righteousness, and welcomed by His mercy into God's presence. He meets us with mercy and unites us to Himself, renewing us to walk in His ways. When we hold the weight of this gift alongside the weight of our sin, we can rejoice together in the grace of a seat at His table.

The church is the body of Christ and he has pledged himself to her forever. The church is distinguished by her gospel message, her sacred ordinances, her discipline, her great mission, and, above all, by her love for God, and by her members' love for one another and for the world. Crucially, this gospel we cherish has both personal and corporate dimensions, neither of which may properly be overlooked. Christ Jesus is our peace: he has not only brought about peace with God, but also peace between alienated peoples. The church serves as a sign of God's future new world when its members live for the service of one another and their neighbors, rather than for self-focus.

As citizens of God's Kingdom, believers are called to live as salt and light in a world marked by decay and darkness, preserving what is good, illuminating what is true, and engaging the world with truth and grace. We are not to withdraw in isolation or lose our distinct witness by conforming to the world, but to seek the good of the city and love our neighbors as ourselves. Though not yet fully realized, God's Kingdom is already present, a powerful, redemptive force that advances against the darkness, transforms lives through repentance and faith, and gathers the redeemed into a new community under His righteous reign.

The work of the Holy Spirit is revealed in us when we experience genuine conviction and a longing to turn from our sin. No longer consumed by self, we begin to look outward with compassion and care for others. Within the church, each person is entrusted with unique gifts and callings, given by the Spirit to glorify God and serve His people. Though we differ in function and form, we are drawn together in Christ, called to live in unity and to seek it continually through the power of the Spirit.

As we contemplate the Holy Spirit, we must guard against diminishing His presence to a faint or subordinate role. Rather, we ought to acknowledge Him fully, as God, equal in glory, majesty, and power within the Godhead. The Holy Spirit is the very presence of God in action, operating in, among, and through His people to accomplish regeneration, salvation, sanctification, and union with Christ. Far from being distant or aloof, the Holy Spirit is God with us—indwelling, sustaining, and drawing near to our hearts at every moment.

How can a sinful person be accepted by a holy God? Justification is a judicial act of God, in which He declares a sinner righteous, not because of the sinner's merit, but because of the righteousness of Christ. By God's grace, this righteousness is imputed to the sinner by faith alone in Jesus Christ. This justification, this Great Exchange, is only possible because the perfect life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

The redemption of Christ is the period of time in Jesus' life when He was resurrected and then ascended to Heaven. Jesus' ascension establishes the reality of Christ's cession, intercession and mission. It marks the conclusion of His earthly ministry and the beginning of His exalted reign at the right hand of God the Father, fulfilling the Old Testament prophecy. From heaven, Jesus intercedes for His people as our High Priest, perfectly bridging the divide between a holy God and sinful humanity.

The humiliation of Christ refers to the period in Jesus'  life when He willingly emptied Himself and took on human form, remaining obedient to the point of death on a cross. While fully God and fully human, Jesus willingly subjected Himself to all the limitations, pain, and temptations of this world—yet without sin. His humiliation became the means by which we are offered new life - a life reoriented around Christ, one in which we are not only forgiven but also declared righteous, clothed in His perfection. In His descent, He lifted us up, securing our adoption as children of God and giving us a future grounded in His victory

What is the Gospel? Paul explains this good news in Romans 1, unpacking the truth that the Gospel is about Jesus; that all of Scripture centers on Him; that His life, death, resurrection, and ascension took place in real time in history; that these truths have been passed down through the apostles who witnessed and testified to these events; and that this good news is the hope of our salvation.  The Gospel is the cornerstone of our faith, and the inevitable response from all who hear and believe is a joyful declaration of praise to our God, who saves. 

What does it mean that God's plan for salvation is predestined? As we explore the plan of God from all eternity, we see He had a plan to graciously save a chosen multitude of guilty sinners. God furthermore justifies and sanctifies those who by grace have faith in Jesus, and that He will one day glorify them—all to the praise of His glorious grace. 

Have you ever wondered what the term "total depravity" means? Or feel an unsettling sense of discord in this world begging the question "what is going on?" Why is this happening? These sort of questions inevitably lead us to The Fall, where sin entered the perfect world God created, where doubt and alienation found it's way to the human mind, where separation from God began. But amidst all this, we still find hope.

For thousands of years the opening chapters of Genesis have captured the imaginations of both Christians and non-Christians alike. The poetic beauty, majesty, and mystery of this creation narrative captures our imagination and forces us to consider life's deepest questions. Modern culture says, “You're free to create your own identity.” But that leads t confusion and anxiety — ask any honest college student. They're not looking to be told who they can be, but rather who they ought to be. That answer only comes into focus when we accept the givenness of our humanity as something we receive rather than create. In short — we, following the path of Genesis, must begin with God as Creator in order to understand ourselves as creation.

When God created man and woman with distinct differences, He did so with intentionality. Why are these differences important and as believers, how can we embrace them in order to bring honor and glory to our Creator?

Through revelation, we are able to better understand who God is. By the moving of the Holy Spirit through the writers of the Bible, God reveals His character, His essence, His nature, to us. As we submit ourselves to the Word, may we discover who God is overflowing in the words we read.

God has graciously disclosed his existence and power in the created order, and has supremely revealed himself to fallen human beings in the person of his Son, the incarnate Word. Moreover, this God is a speaking God who by his Spirit has graciously disclosed himself in human words: we believe that God has inspired the words preserved in the Scriptures, the sixty-six books of the Old and New Testaments, which are both record and means of his saving work in the world. As God's people hear, believe, and do the Word, they are equipped as disciples of Christ and witnesses to the gospel.

What does it mean that we believe in a Triune God? We often hear "The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit" but how can we understand each of these together as one thing also with their own distinctions? The Bible has an abundance of references to the Godhead and how we can understand each of them individually and as one. As we walk through knowing God truly, may we see ourselves as undeserving victors in the welcoming arms of our Father, through the Son, by the Spirit.  

As we pursue truth through understanding doctrine and wrestling with theological questions, we can find delight in the Lord, with our actions stemming from a place of knowing what we believe. Even more, when the church serves as that pillar of truth, we can all come TOGETHER and worship, rooted in the same truth, united in Christ.

Easter is brimming with hope, hope of light after darkness, hope of life after death. The resurrection of Jesus is not just a part of our faith, but it is the cornerstone and often times we can hurry through what is actually unfolding. Have we reckoned with the events of the resurrection, as the women at the tomb did, and walk through the door of abundant life that Jesus has opened?

In our fallen world, we feel the tension and restlessness in our souls, that this isn't our home, this isn't our final destination. But in rejoicing, remembering, and fearing the Lord, we are able to turn toward our Creator where our hearts and souls will find the the true rest we seek.

It is a common sight at any high school football game to find “Phil 4:13” etched onto the eye black of a player — “I can do all things through him who strengthens me.” The desire to honor Christ in public is a noble one, but honest biblical interpretation requires that we understand texts in their proper contexts. The Apostle Paul writes these famous words not under glowing lights surrounded by adoring fans, but alone under house arrest as he faces an uncertain future. What keeps him joyful, content, and full of hope? The truth that he can do all things through Christ who strengthens him. And that is a promise that extends to us. This is Understanding Philippians. Check out the rest of our Understanding Series: https://www.fouroaksmidtown.com/teachings Subscribe to our YouTube Channel: www.youtube.com/@fouroakschurchmidtown1962

Have you ever sought out investment advice? Ecclesiastes offers direction on how to steward the good gifts God has given us - speaking and living with intentionality and wisdom.

There's a cynicism that permeates our culture that looks at the idea of “prayers” as an ignorant kind of wish-fulfillment in the face of life's anxieties. Maybe you asked somebody if they've prayed about a particular circumstance only to be met by ridicule. Stop giving me those trite Christian cliches. But we need to be honest — do we pray? G.K. Chesterton once wrote, “The Christian ideal has not been tried and found wanting; it has been found difficult and left untried.” Do we lay our anxieties and fears before God continually in prayer? God makes a radical promise to his people: when you ask me for help I will give it. I will give you peace in the midst of your uncertainties — one that surpasses understanding. We practice turning to God in prayer with our anxieties and he changes us into people of peace. Do you actually pray? If not, then Philippians 4:1-9 will be an encouragement to you. The Lord is near. Tell him what you need. This is Understanding Philippians. Check out the rest of our Understanding Series: https://www.fouroaksmidtown.com/teachings Subscribe to our YouTube Channel: www.youtube.com/@fouroakschurchmidtown1962

In this chapter, we read illustrations of folly and wisdom, revealing both their strengths and weaknesses, and as we intentionally fight the uphill battle of pursuing wisdom daily, we will find that the trajectory of seeking wisdom will lead you to Jesus.

The enemy of every coach is complacency — the belief that past success guarantees future victory. As the saying goes, NFL means “Not for long”. Paul shares this mindset in Philippians, urging believers not to rest on spiritual achievements but to press forward toward the prize: At the finish line — new creation, resurrection, and eternal glory. Along the way: divisions, distractions, and discouragements. But the mind of Christ, who gave up the distractions of earthly vanity to gain the glory of the resurrection, becomes our model. No longer do we chase the lesser glories of this fading existence, but rather through faith we seek the highest calling of all — the glory of God, which, by the way, is the purpose for which we were made. Which means that seeking the glory of God is simultaneously the fulfillment of our purpose and the fountain of all true and lasting satisfaction. This is Understanding Philippians.  Check out the rest of our Understanding Series: https://www.fouroaksmidtown.com/teachings Subscribe to our YouTube Channel: www.youtube.com/@fouroakschurchmidtown1962

Scripture frequently draws on the inevitability and reality of death and while we reflect on how death frames the way we view life under the sun, we can turn to the Lord with open hearts and hands to receive what He has for us now, today.

In Good Will Hunting, a math professor watches in anguish as Will Hunting burns a page of groundbreaking equations—his life's passion reduced to ashes. Will, however, is unfazed. This clash of values mirrors Paul's perspective. He takes everything his opponents prize—status, heritage, achievement—and sets it ablaze. Circumcision, Pharisaic righteousness, and zeal for God are mere ash heaps compared to the surpassing worth of knowing Christ. True status isn't found in human credentials but in being united with Christ, conformed to His death and resurrection. Any boasting apart from Him not only misses the point but insults God Himself. This is the scandal of grace—the radical message that righteousness comes not by human effort but by the resurrecting power of God. This is Understanding Philippians Check out the rest of our Understanding Series: https://www.fouroaksmidtown.com/teachings Subscribe to our YouTube Channel: www.youtube.com/@fouroakschurchmidtown1962

God created the world with complexities that we come up against every day, whether it be authority, justice, or wisdom, and as we enter into a state of fully understanding these things, we must turn our eyes to the Creator who holds all the answers and with whom we will dwell for eternity.

In Ecclesiastes 7, we read of Solomon wrestling with darkness and reconciling this with God's sovereignty, which requires us to consider how we too can rightly view God amidst our adversities, pressing into humility and recognizing God as the orchestrator of everything under the sun.

There's a saying in media and communications that “the medium is the message,” meaning the way content is delivered often has more impact than the content itself. If this is true, then the fact that much of the New Testament consists of letters holds great significance. Letters represent personal connections between individuals and communities. Paul's epistles, in particular, are deeply personal, filled with specific greetings, appeals, and applications. They are messages from friends to friends, and the numerous names mentioned are not just foreign terms to us, but representations of men and women Paul loved—those with whom he shared suffering, meals, and ministry. Often, the deepest pains in the church stem from the breaking of such bonds of friendship. Paul's emphasis on unity and love within the body of Christ is rooted in this. Philippians 2:19-30 offers insight into Paul's friendships with Timothy and Epaphroditus, showing how these relationships enabled him to endure immense suffering for Christ. The need for deep, genuine friendships in the Christian life is as vital now as it was two thousand years ago. This is Understanding Philippians. Check out the rest of our Understanding Series: https://www.fouroaksmidtown.com/teachings Subscribe to our YouTube Channel: www.youtube.com/@fouroakschurchmidtown1962

The Christian life requires effort. While some may be accustomed to the phrase, “Let go and let God,” suggesting that passivity in obedience magnifies God's grace, nothing could be further from the truth. As J.I. Packer aptly stated, “The Christian's motto should not be ‘Let go and let God' but ‘Trust God and get going.'” Grace is opposed to works, not action. Just as an adopted child dishonors their status by rejecting their family's ways, so too does a Christian who neglects obedience. It is precisely because God has saved us and adopted us into his family that we obey him—not to earn his love, but out of gratitude and trust. Philippians 2:12-18 challenges the notion that salvation is merely a one-time decision for Christ. Instead, salvation is an ongoing transformation, a process empowered and fueled by God himself. This divine work does not negate human effort but demands it, as we live out what God has worked within us. True faith does not lead to passivity but to Spirit-empowered action, shaping us into the image of Christ. This is Understanding Philippians. Check out the rest of our Understanding Series: https://www.fouroaksmidtown.com/teachings Subscribe to our YouTube Channel: www.youtube.com/@fouroakschurchmidtown1962

The illustrations in Ecclesiastes reveal the darkness we experience in this life and require us to pause and consider if how we handle suffering allows us to realize and better appreciate seeing the true Light. 

Humility, central to our faith, defied Roman ideals of virtue and honor, where it was seen as weakness—reserved for slaves, women, and children. Yet, Scripture repeatedly elevates these very groups as models of faith. This is the scandal of Christianity: at its core is a God who humbles Himself. How can we follow Him while clinging to pride? True humility isn't mere niceness—Jesus feared no man, and it led Him to the cross. Genuine humility seeks the good of others at any cost, just as Christ, though equal with God, emptied Himself to become a servant. Because He humbled Himself, even to the point of death on a cross, God exalted Him—and He will do the same for us. In the kingdom of God, the way up is down. This is Understanding Philippians. Check out the rest of our Understanding Series: https://www.fouroaksmidtown.com/teachings Subscribe to our YouTube Channel: www.youtube.com/@fouroakschurchmidtown1962

Through Ecclesiastes, we consider guarding how we live so that we may remain on the path of righteousness and receive the gifts God gives us in this life. 

Our efforts to spread the kingdom are opportunities for fellowship with God. This humble posture frees us to rely on His grace, enriching our efforts with the joy of knowing that God Himself empowers our work. This mindset allowed Paul to rejoice in his sufferings and boldly advance God's mission—and it is the same mindset we are called to adopt as we walk in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. This is Understanding Philippians. Check out the rest of our Understanding Series: https://www.fouroaksmidtown.com/teachings Subscribe to our YouTube Channel: www.youtube.com/@fouroakschurchmidtown1962