A Podcast intended to address difficult, controversial & debatable issues related to the Bible & the church
Produced for WAAI 100.9 FM and posted here as is.
From Ephesians 4. Maybe we need to be thinking more of about our spiritual vocation (calling) and less about our next vacation.
Sermon # 4 in the "Parent Trap" sermon series. This one is taken from Isaiah 56.
Sermon # 3 in the series: "Parent Trap" - this one from Galatians 4 on Easter Sunday.
Sermon # 1 in the series entitled "Better than Tolerance"
Sermon # 3 in the series entitled, "It All Starts with the Bible."
An honest attempt to give guidance to the average Christian as to how to look at the decisions we make about which versions of the English Bible we should read and study.
Elijah Talley preaching a summary of the New Testament from Colossians 1.
Covering Genesis 15 as a single chapter representing the whole Old Testament.
Just focusing on one little phrase in the book of Jude.
Some questions to comfort true saints.
A conversation about the human conscience, springing from Hebrews 11.
Part one of a 2 part sermon on the book of Hebrews (part of the "Preach" sermon series).
This was a study from the book of Titus. Here is the quiz referenced in the sermon. Doctrinal Quiz: Mark all that apply. 1. Which of the following are incommunicable attributes of God? a. Immutability b. Goodness c. Transcendance d. Sovereignty e. Omnipotence 2. Which of the following does the Scripture claim for itself? a. Inspiration b. Infallibility c. Sufficiency d. Authority 3. Which of the following are explicit biblical designations used to identify demons? a. Unclean spirits b. Fallen angels c. Devils d. Ghosts e. Evil Spirits 4. According to the Bible, what is the origin of humanity? a. Darwinian Evolution b. Personal Creation c. Theistic Evolution d. Reincarnation e. Deistic Creation 5. Who is the originator of sin? a. God b. Satan c. Adam d. Eve e. None of the above 6. When did Jesus become the Son of God? a. At the time the Spirit caused Mary to conceive Him b. At the moment of His human birth c. When His cousin John baptized Him d. Upon His resurrection from the dead e. None of the above 7. Which of the following are necessary for salvation? a. Regeneration b. Justification c. Repentance d. Faith e. Grace 8. Which of the following are universal evidences of the baptism of the Spirit? a. The fruit of the Spirit b. At least one spiritual gift c. Being led by Him d. The ability to speak angelic languages e. Love for other saints 9. Which of the following are accurate applications of the word church? a. Israel b. All saints in every denomination both living and dead c. Each local congregation of genuine disciples d. Any religious organization 10. Which of the following are judgments that we should expect to happen in the future? a. The Judgment Seat of Christ b. The Judgment of the Nations c. The Judgment of Angels d. The Great White Throne Judgment Bonus: Which form of polity (church government) did the Jerusalem church have in Acts 6? a. Congregational b. Presbyterian c. Episcopal d. None of the above
An introduction to a sermon series entitled "Preach" and a quick journey through 1st & 2nd Timothy
This is a simple message from First Thessalonians addressing the coming of Christ (most specifically the rapture; phase one of the the second advent).
Just an attempt to whet your appetite for the book of Colossians.
This one is Dave Talley preaching the book of Philippians.
This one is a sermon preached by my (Dave Talley's) youngest son, Elijah Talley. It's his take on the book of Ephesians.
This is sermon number 1 in the series called "God's People" - a series covering Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians Colossians, and Thessalonians.
This is actually a sermon preached by our Chairman of the Deacons, Tony Landers. I'm experimenting with this new format for the podcast in hopes that the space will not go to waste. You could call this PHASE 2 of Grace or Grit. For a variety of reasons I dropped the ball on our old conversational strategy (with Patrick Reed) and I lack the creative juices to figure out how to revive it. BUT, maybe this approach will be a blessing to someone. So, enjoy! And, I would love to hear from you if you listen and are blessed.
For once, Patrick and I had no script. This is our first recording session in a couple of months, so we're just catching up here; talking about what's going on and what's coming up. Enjoy!
Pretty simple discussion: is "The Israel of God" a spiritual entity, or is it the literal, ethnic, historical, national, geographical Israel of the Old Testament? Listen as Dave and Patrick attempt a clear answer.
Here are some things that commonly impact my (Dave's) sermon prep: - I have a master plan of ideas. - My motto in preaching is to declare the truth with power, zeal, and affection. - It has been said that biblical preaching will teach something significant, will be authoritative (coming from Scripture), and will have a hook (it will call people to action). - I use a dominant text, focus on a central truth, find illustrations and examples to clarify the message, and construct an "Action Step" with which to conclude. - In both prayer and daily experience, I'm aware of the Spirit's leading in my meditations. Sermon preparation without heart preparation is woefully incomplete. And attached to this is my awareness of the role that the prayers of others plays in my preparation and delivery. - And, I have certain resources that I run to repeatedly for help in understanding my text and topic. There is more to consider though, so listen to the podcast and hear Dave and Patrick discuss their individual strategies and processes.
Transgenderism is a hot and divisive topic. In many cases it's even a basic litmus test of fidelity with modern wokeness. But, there are moral and spiritual ramifications. So, where should the Christian stand on this issue. Listen as Dave and Patrick attempt to deal with it with grace, and yes also with some grit. For sure, it is a gritty topic.
It's not exactly fun to think about, but the Bible teaches us that judgment has to begin at the house of the Lord. Listen as Dave and Patrick try to unravel this difficult issue.
Who decides what the church will do when the church comes together for a worship assembly? And, what is the basis or source of the elements that we do include? Are they Biblical, or is it just human tradition that drives us through... The call to worship Some songs Prayer Bible reading Communion Announcements The collection of contributions The sermon The invitation Baptisms ...etc. Additionally, even if we are including the right elements, are we doing them the right way, and are we giving each aspect the proper weight and emphasis? Listen as Dave and Patrick (and a surprise guest commenter) delve into the matter of biblical vs. traditional liturgy and address the question, "What get's into the order of service?" And, who are we trying to please anyway?
Once again, Patrick suggested our topic for today. To be exact, the suggestion was for us to discuss “God's providence and specifically how it relates to evil,” which is to answer the question, “Is God responsible for evil?” The verse that comes to my mind in answer to this question is Isaiah 45:7 where God said, “I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things.” (See all of the verses 1-7 here) Of course, that's the AV (KJV) wording and other English translations use words like calamity and disaster instead of evil, but ultimately, the answer is still the same, in my opinion. Evil (as in the deadly result of evil) is inextricably connected to evil as moral depravity. It's not a conversation for the timid, but let's dive in.
Who wants to listen to a podcast on demonology? Well, like it or not, this is something we need to address. Today I asked ChatGTP the following question: "Where in the Bible is it recorded that Jesus triumphed over all the forces of evil when He died on the cross?" This was the AI's answer: "The Bible records Jesus' triumph over the forces of evil in several passages, but one of the most well-known is found in Colossians 2:13-15: 'When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross. And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.' This passage emphasizes that through his death on the cross, Jesus not only forgave our sins but also disarmed and triumphed over the powers and authorities of evil." Now, I already knew what the substance of the answer would likely be, namely that Jesus disarmed the powers of evil, made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross. But, what should we do now as a result of what Jesus has already done? Perhaps we should focus especially on identifying demons and how they are involved in our lives and then in the power of the Spirit declare deliverance over them repeatedly. Or, perhaps not! But, there are some who are going about it in precisely that way. Listen as Dave and Patrick (and a little bit of Tonya) address "Deliverance Ministries" and their particular brand of charismatic continuationism. There are a few links mentioned in the podcast which you might want to explore. Here they are: Brandon Vaughan's blog entry on this topic. John Piper's article on a similar topic. GotQuestions.org's answer to the question, "What does the Bible say about deliverance?"
What should we be doing with surplus or disposable income? Should we be saving/investing for our future; specifically for retirement? Or, should we instead give our disposable income away? Perhaps there is a happy medium or golden mean where we properly balance saving and giving? The main focus of this podcast is to focus on what God has to say about giving. For sure, there are some universal principles that apply. We must give in faith, generously, cheerfully, proportionally, and as the Spirit leads us. But there are many related questions that are worth unpacking a little further. Listen as Dave and Patrick give this issue their best treatment.
The King James Version of the Bible translates the Greek word apologia in the following manner: defence (3x), answer (3x), answer for one's self, & clearing of one's self. It's defined as 1). verbal defence, speech in defense & 2). a reasoned statement or argument The word apologia is found in 1st Peter 3:14-16, "If you suffer for righteousness' sake, happy are you: and be not afraid of their terror, neither be troubled; but sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer [apologia] to every man that asks you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear: having a good conscience; that, whereas they speak evil of you, as of evildoers, they may be ashamed that falsely accuse your good conversation in Christ." So, Christian Apologetics seems to be a very biblical idea as well as a highly useful discipline in our attempt to fulfill the Great Commission. But why is (or are) apologetics important? And, if it IS important, then a second question worth our attention would be this, “How can we make sure that are able to defend what we believe?” David and Patrick take their good ol' time answering these 2 questions. While there is much more that could be said in response to both questions, this episode is a good place to start.
Sometimes I wish I could be like Joshua and lengthen my days at will. For sure, there are days that include more items on my to-do list than can be done in 24 hours. Last week I asked for some advice from a couple of men in our church. One of them, Matt Taylor, has been a guest on the podcast before. I asked him and another godly man for suggestions for podcast topics. The results were not disappointing. One of the topics Matt mentioned was about living a balanced life. Specifically, he proposed that we talk about “A biblical work life balance for men and women.” I thought, "That would be a good topic for me to think about, talk through, and hopefully improve on (in my own habits and routines). Hopefully, for some of our listeners, this will also be a blessing. I think that trying to give the proper amount of time, energy, effort, focus, and investment to our work responsibilities in proportion with other parts of life is a relevant and important topic for discussion. Let's think of life as a pie chart or like a big pizza. How big is each slice? How big should each slice be? And you can think of these as slices of time or of each slice as a different priority in life. We have to rest, we have to eat, we have to spend some time on basic hygiene for our own body, we should spend time in strictly spiritual pursuits (such as Bible study, prayer, evangelism, worship, fellowship), we have responsibilities in relation to our family, our friends, our civil duties as citizens, & our health. Then for affluent societies, there are usually slices that could be labeled hobbies and leisure. There are also slices that need to go because it's either a straightforward vice (some sin) or at least it a distraction of some sort that takes away from the purpose and productivity of our lives. So let's think of life in terms of time (although that's not the only way to look at it). We are told in the Bible to “Redeem the time, because the days are evil.” How much rest is appropriate? How much time eating? How much time working to “make a living” to take care of myself, my financial obligations, and my family? How much time with my wife or husband? How much time doing necessary tasks like grocery shopping, planning, paying bills, cleaning house, and repairing broken things? How much time in time alone with God, etc? If we are generous and give 8 hours for sleep and 8 hours for work, how should the other 8 hours be spent? How much work is too much? It would seem that 16 hours a day “at work” is likely an imbalanced ratio. Some days do demand that kind of stamina, or maybe even more, but it's not sustainable, and even if it is, it's not likely to be healthy or holy. Then we have to ask questions like, what if you can't leave work at work? What if you “can't afford” to work less? What if your “work” is ministry, does that change things? Are there hybrid models where (for example) if you work with your wife and children in a family business, that significantly changes the dynamic of how much time can be wisely spent in your “occupation?” How about scheduling margin into our lives in anticipation of mishaps and surprises? How about the “work 6 days” commandment and principle? Is it ok to sacrifice some slices temporarily in the name of fulfilling my obligations “at work” - (sort of the "ox-in-a-ditch" exception)? What about evaluating our standard of living and learning to “live within our means” instead of striving perpetually to make more, earn more, have more, do more, be more, achieve more, & leave more? Listen as Dave & Patrick take an honest stab at this important issue.
This is a wonderful interview with Pastor Said Usuf of the Omega Church in THE GAMBIA. You will be greatly blessed by his testimony concerning how he came to faith in Christ and how God moved him into the gospel ministry. Hopefully you will pick up on some of the great things that we share in common with Pastor Said, as well as a few of the unique challenges that he and his people face in their service to our King.
Or wives... if you consider Israel as one and Judah as one. Did God divorce His wives? It's a relevant question for reasons that we don't even get into in this episode, but it's relevant also because divorce among humans is a topic addressed repeatedly in the Bible. And, it's a major problem in our society. The statistics are indeed grim. It's not our goal to beat anybody up with this episode, nor do we want to excuse anybody's sin. We want to humbly and honestly address a relevant topic. And, that is always beneficial. I (Dave) do have a quote in the episode that I failed to accurately credit the proper person for, so I will do that here. The quote goes like this, "Sinners leap into sin and love it. Saints lapse into sin and loath it." The author of that quote was Dr. Fred Moritz. Perhaps he got it from someone else, I don't know - but he is the one I heard say it more than once. Anyway, listen to this episode and let us know what you think. Send feedback to pastorbigred@aol.com anytime night or day.
What is a miracle? Is it "a conspicuous show of power outside of the common course of nature"? Or, is it something else? What does it mean when we say that God works providentially behind the scenes? According to Dave, it means that God is constantly providing for & preparing for His desired outcomes through the common course of nature. But consider this: Patrick claims that miracles fall properly under the heading of providence. It's a discussion worth having, especially since it could be said that we make fools of ourselves if we call natural occurrences "miracles." Listen as Dave and Patrick try to hammer out some clarity concerning this important and interesting issue.
In this episode, Dave and Patrick attempt to answer these (and some additional) questions concerning fasting, lent, and penance. Are all of these (fasting, lent, and penance) found in the Bible? Who fasted in the Bible? What guidelines do we find for fasting in the Bible? Why do we fast? How do we fast properly? Are Lenten fasts in line with biblical principles? What are the most likely “pitfalls” of observing Lent? Why is penance not taught in Baptist Churches? Listen now and be blessed!
In the Old Testament of the Bible, we find in the book of Leviticus that God commanded His people saying, "You shall not rule one over another with rigour." What did He mean by that? If you check a variety of English translations you will encounter other words in the place of the word rigor: ruthlessness, harshness, severity, brutality. So again, what is that all about? God is gentle, patient, kind, good, generous, loving, giving, and forgiving with us; and He expects the same from us in how we treat each other. This principle is not canceled when it comes to those in vocational ministry; speaking specifically of missionaries. We are not allowed by God to be hard, harsh, demanding, severe, impatient, or flippant in how we interact with His choice servants. I've heard some pretty embarrassing horror stories over the years concerning how some of "God's people" sometimes treat missionaries. It's as if some "Christians" think missionaries are some kind of a combination of flawless angels and needless automatons. They aren't. They are sinners saved by grace. They are flawed humans in the process of sanctification right along with the rest of us. And so, the same kind of emotional, spiritual, and relational needs that are common for every average believer are just as common among our missionaries. They too endure fears, sorrows, regrets, aspiration, temptations, frustrations, etc. They too get lonely, homesick, sad, angry, hurt, and so much more. And so, they too need our compassionate attention, friendship, and fellowship. Will it cost us more than normal to try to care for someone who is on the other side of the globe? Well, obviously the answer is yes. But it is necessary and good nonetheless. Today on the podcast God has brought to us a man who is fully engaged in caring specifically for ABWE missionaries in and to western Africa. Wayne Moore and his wife Debra are involved in what is called Member Care for these missionaries. Listen as Dave & Patrick pick Wayne's mind a little to help us all learn how we can do a better job as we attempt to be the hands, feet, and heart of Christ to one another.
Shortly after Jesus' resurrection, He showed up hungry in one of the meetings where His apostles were gathered. In that context He wasted no time reminding them what He was all about and what their responsibility was. They were witnesses of His resurrection. They had the gospel truth. They had the job of telling the world about the living Christ. It is recorded for us in Luke 24:44-49. "Jesus said unto them, 'These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning Me.' Then opened He their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures, and said unto them, 'Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day: and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. And you are witnesses of these things. And, behold, I send the promise of My Father upon you: but tarry in the city of Jerusalem, until you are endued with power from on high.'" POWERFUL! PRECISE! Listen to this episode in which Dave & Patrick mull over the glorious gospel of Jesus Christ as He Himself presented it.
Solomon wrote that “A dream comes through the multitude of business…” (Ecclesiastes 5:3). I take that to mean that when you are involved in a lot of different things, you keep thinking about them and working out solutions even in your sleep. I'm no expert on dreams, of course, but I do have personal experience to reflect on. Mostly I don't consider dreams to be significant. I may be WAY wrong about that, but that's my perspective. It's curious that I have that opinion though, because I deeply respect the Bible and the examples set by biblical characters, and dreams are very common in the Bible. In Holy Writ, there are many significant dreams that are actually given by God and are messages from God. Jacob had revelatory dreams. Joseph had revelatory dreams and interpreted the meaning of dreams for others. Dreams were used by God in Abraham's life, Gideon's life, Daniel's life, Solomon's life, and in Joseph's life (husband of Mary). Jeremiah and Joel both spoke of the significance of dreams in the lives of prophets. Peter even pointed out in Act 2:17 that one of the evidences of the pouring out of the Spirit of God on men in the last days would be “the dreams of old men.” So, visions, dreams, trances, hearing “voices” (like Samuel did), meeting angels, personal and miraculous encounters with God (like Moses' or Paul's) are all common in Scripture, yet I don't expect these kinds of things in my own life. And if you claim that you received a dream from God, I know myself. I'm going to be suspicious. The fact is, I'm not sure I really want these kinds of things to happen to me or to people around me. But why? What is the real meaning of dreams and the place of dreams in the lives of believers? Listen as Dave and Patrick attempt to address the issue of dreams and how God uses them.
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