Just For a Closer Walk

What are the roles and functions of the Church? How do we go about finding a good church to get plugged in to? Are there any tips or guidelines to help with the process? Indeed! Join us for this episode as we explore these questions together.

As we progress through the season of Lent, it can be helpful to observe and investigate the events which led up to the Passion. One significant event was the implementation of the Lord's Supper, which occurred during the Passover Feast. What are these, and what significance do they hold which might be relevant for us today?

What's the difference between passive and active revival? Who's responsibility is it for us to personalize our faith and become active participants in God's work rather than passive observers? Isaiah 6 sets an example for us to follow - "Here am I, send me."

Jeremiah 33:3 invites us to call unto God and watch as He performs great and mighty things, but do we really believe this? We should.

Can anything good come out of Nazareth? Or better yet, can anything useful be learned from the way Jesus called his first disciples? And what's the point of changing water into wine?

How did Jesus start His ministry? What can we learn from His temptations in the wilderness? Surely there is great significance that applied not only to Jesus' original audience, but also applies to us today.

John the Baptist! We know the name, but often forget that there was more to his ministry than just eating locusts and wild honey. John was the forerunner - the "new Elijah" promised to prepare the way for Messiah.

How do we address and solve the modern dilemma of Bible poverty in the Church? Just as the problem is multi-faceted, so also the answer. It was once said that "Opportunity is often missed because it is dressed in overalls and looks like hard work." So also, Henry Ford observed, "Thinking is the hardest work there is, which is probably why so few people engage in it." May we embrace the challenge to live into our God-given potential and our role as co-laborers of the Gospel - that is, to serve as ministers of reconciliation wherever and whenever we go.

We take a brief pause from our chronological study of the New Testament to talk about Bible poverty and how to gain proficiency with the Word of God.

What can we learn from the early life of Jesus to apply to our own lives? Submission. A humble heart honors God and others, seeking to avoid/minimize creating a stumbling block for others and then providing instruction (or sometimes correction) with love.

Who were the Magi? What was the star of Bethlehem? And what principles can we draw from this information?

Merry Christmas! Join us in Luke 2 as we recount this familiar passage but with an unfamiliar spin.

Genealogies and birth announcements! The opening chapters of Luke and Matthew offer remarkable insights to the nature of hope, belief and righteousness.

Into the New Testament we go! Starting with the Gospels, we quickly discover that these overlap considerably, but also seem to complement each other and fill in gaps. Why do Matthew, Mark, Luke and John read differently from each other? Is there a "method to the madness?" Ah, it turns out that there is indeed.

The Maccabean revolt, Herod the Great and his three sons - the last two centuries BC included a lot of significance and heartache for the Israelites. The people were looking for a hero, a savior, or just a break. This episode, we conclude our brief recap of the Old Testament and surrounding events in laying the groundwork for our chronological study of the New Testament.

What happened during the inter-testamental period? Between Malachi and Matthew, did anything significant happen? It most certainly did!

Kings and dynasties are significant to the study of history. In the case of Israel, an equally significant study would be of the prophets to both the northern and southern tribes. Who were the prophets, and how can we find out more about them?

What happened to Israel after the glory days of Solomon? Unfortunately the party didn't last for long. Some kings were good, but many were evil. And anytime we allow the wickedness of the flesh to dominate our life or culture, we're in a bad spot. Christ came so that might have life abundant, but the enemy comes only to kill, steal, and destroy.

"Your descendants will be more numerous than the sand on the sea shore." Was this promise to Abraham ever fulfilled? Yes! During the glories years of the reign of King Solomon, Israel truly experienced the reality of a land "flowing with milk and honey."

"Man looks at the outward appearance but God looks at the heart." What was the difference between King Saul and King David? King Saul LOOKED like a king, but David LIVED like a king.

"We want a King!" Saul was the full embodiment of what the people were wanting - someone who looked good and could lead them in military strength. We would be wise to be careful what we ask for. Looks and strength do not, in themselves, create a leader worth following.

Even when we think God's voice is sparse or distant, He's working to bring beauty from rubbish, order from chaos, revelation from obscurity. Join us as we pick back up with our Old Testament recap!

The people of Israel had successfully taken possession of the Promised Land, but what did they do with it? Worship God faithfully and bless the world around them? Sadly, no. The book of Judges records some of the darkest days in Israel's history. But even unpleasant history is useful history to know. With any luck, we can learn from the mistakes of the past and make better decisions in the future.

The Israelites were out of Egypt, but Egypt was still in the hearts and minds of the Israelites. It took 40 years, countless miracles, and an entire generation to die in the wilderness before the Israelites could complete a journey that would normally take about 11 days. Be strong, take courage, trust and honor God. Choose today whom you will serve.

It took less than a year to get the Israelites out of Egypt, but it took 40 years to get Egypt out of the Israelites. Join us as we continue our recap of the Old Testament in preparation for a New Testament study.

"Those who fail to study history are doomed to repeat its mistakes." What happened when a new Pharaoh came into power that didn't know the history and heritage of the land he ruled? He began to demonize his allies. May we learn from his mistakes.

In Genesis 3 we see the advent of the Great Balal - the great confusion that has plagued and continues to plague the human race - the confusion of Lordship. We can't properly relate to ourselves or others until we acknowledge the exclusive Lordship of God in our lives. When we deviate from the author of life, and life abundant, the result is our pursuit of death and mundanity. It is for freedom that Christ set us free! Join us as we continue our recap of the Old Testament in preparation for the New Testament study.

When we read the New Testament, we're picking up in the middle of the story, which can be confusing unless we know what leads up to it. Starting with a brief overview of eternity, the beginning of time and the creation narrative, join us as we inaugurate our Old Testament recap in preparation for the Chronological New Testament Study.

Looking back on the first year of this podcast, and looking forward to the year ahead. What is the role of Scripture in our life today, and how do we successfully read and apply it to our own life and context?

What is the Atonement? Did Christ have to die to save us? Many theories of the Atonement have been circulating ever since the Resurrection. Join us as we take a brief look at 7 of the most common/popular theories.

How do we deal with Gnosticism? Is it possible that we've dropped the ball by not including the gnostic gospels in the canon of Scripture? How was the canon of Scripture formed? Join us this episode as we finish a 2-part study through these questions, using the so called "gospel" of Thomas as our case study.

How do we deal with Gnosticism? Is it possible that we've dropped the ball by not including the gnostic gospels in the canon of Scripture? How was the canon of Scripture formed? Join us this episode as we begin a 2-part study through these questions, using the so called "gospel" of Thomas as our case study.

John 4:4 tells us that Jesus HAD to pass through Samaria. Why does that matter? Who were the Samaritans? Join us this episode as we take a closer look!

What does it look like to celebrate Christmas year round? What is Christmas really about? Is this really the most wonderful time of year? Join us as we explore an uncommon Christmas text from Scripture.

Continuing our mini-series on the importance of context, this episode we take a look at "the context of us". What lens are we viewing Scripture (and the world) through?

How do we read and understand the Bible? Is context important to understand? Join us as we explore some of the categories of context that can be useful to understand when we're reading and studying Scripture.

"A text out of context becomes a pretext for a proof text." Is the Bible meant to be read only at face value, or can we benefit by studying the context and culture in which these events took place?

We are loved by God's relentless love. This month, we take a look at a dramatization of the life and encounters of the Apostle Peter.

Just For a Closer Walk Podcast - episode 2