The Full Dig

Today, we conclude our series on the promises from the Upper Room. “The Promise of Sorrow Turned to Joy.” We will be discussing the sermon from Palm Sunday. Join Pastors Kirk Sexton and Bruce Johnson as we discuss what it means when Jesus tells the disciples that they will see him again. Also, we will discuss the idea of the future joy that awaits those who trust in Jesus and his redeeming love.

Welcome to the full dig podcast. Today, we discuss John 15 and why it is so important for disciples of Jesus to stay connected to Jesus. To explain this abiding relationship, Jesus uses the analogy of a vine. This powerful imagery shows the intimacy and closeness Jesus desires of us. He says that without this abiding relationship we can do nothing. Join pastors Kirk Sexton and Bruce Johnson as we discuss this devotional classic and what it means for disciples who wish to be fruit bearers for the Kingdom.

Welcome to the Full Dig Podcast. Today, we continue the current sermon series Promises from the Upper Room. Today, Pastors Kirk Sexton and Bruce Johnson discuss the promise of the advocate or the Holy Spirit. The permanent indwelling of the Holy Spirit brings us comfort of God's continuing presence. The presence of the Holy Spirt means that all the Godhead—Father, Son and Holy Spirit is with us. Join us as we discuss the implications of this presence in our lives and the mystery of the Holy Spirit.

Welcome to the Full Dig Podcast today, we continue discussing the sermon series Promises from the Upper Room. Today we have the promise of answered prayer. Jesus gives his followers the incredible promise that he will do whatever we ask in his name. Join Pastors Kirk Sexton and Bruce Johnson as they discuss the nature of prayer and what it means to have the effective power of a sovereign God placed in the hands of believers, who exercise it through prayer offered in the name of the Son.

In today's podcast, we're looking at the claim of Christ to be the way, the truth and the life and how that is troublesome for some and comforting for others. Pastor Drew Hulse joins Pastor Bruce this week.

Welcome to the Full Dig Podcast. Today, we are beginning a new series that looks at the Promises from the Upper Room. In today's podcast we will discuss Pastor Steve Beard's sermon The Promise of Home, John 14:1-3. Join Pastors Kirk Sexton and Bruce Johnson as we discuss the place where Jesus is going and the hope of Heaven for us.

In today's podcast we discuss the fact that Jeremiah is consistently delivering the message given him by the Lord, that Jerusalem was about to fall. It did not make him very popular. It's a message that is discouraging to the warriors that are charged to protect the city. Jeremiah's message gives further weight to the charge that he is a traitor ready to desert to the Babylonians and he is urging everyone to surrender to the Babylonians. These are treasonous words to those who still believed that Yahweh would deliver the people and the city. Jeremiah's nightmare now gets worse. He is thrown into a cistern to die. Join pastors Kirk Sexton and Bruce Johnson as we discuss the context, historical setting, and archeological nature of a cistern in Jeremiah's day.

In today's Full Dig podcast, we look back chronologically, with chapter 35 dealing with events during the reign of Jehoiakim. The message of chapter 35 is simple and clear, with the Rechabites serving as examples of obedient children in stark contrast to the people of Judah. Join pastors Kirk Sexton and Bruce Johnson as we discuss this chapter with added commentary on archaeology, C.S. Lewis, and John Calvin.

Jerusalem is surrounded by the Babylonian army. All hope for deliverance was nearly gone. Property values had plummeted. Everyone was looking to sell, but no one wanted to buy. One of the few persons who had not lost faith was Jeremiah. He was willing to buy a piece of property that any day might become the property of Babylon. Join pastors Kirk Sexton and Bruce Johnson as we discuss the hope that believes regardless of how dark things look for Israel and Judah at the present, God has better days ahead for his people.

The Jewish exiles in Babylon listened to false prophets who said to expect an imminent return to their homeland. Jeremiah's letter confirms their exile will extend over a considerable length of time, at least seventy years. Jeremiah likely surprises his audience by encouraging them to embrace their time in Babylon as God's time and to nurture the hope that perhaps their children or children's children might one day be allowed to return home and rebuild their lives in the promised land. Join Pastors Kirk Sexton and Bruce Johnson as we discuss this letter and the hope that is in it.

In Chapter 25 Jeremiah puts his message into historical context: From the thirteenth year of Josiah until now—a period of twenty-three years—he has persistently spoken to the people and for all these years they have turned a deaf ear. Jeremiah was not the only messenger that God sent. Apparently, as judgment neared and the leaders—both spiritual and political—hardened their hearts, the voices of truth became fewer and came farther between, while the voices of deception and false assurance became more dominant. Join pastors Kirk Sexton and Bruce Johnson as we discuss this word of judgment and the hope that is there for the Hebrew people.

Any good preacher or prophet worth his salt wants to be heard and taken seriously. Jeremiah is no different. He desperately wants his people to listen to him, to take what he says seriously, to learn from God and thus be spared the pain of judgment and a life lived in exile. Jeremiah undoubtedly feels damned if he does and damned if he doesn't when it comes to delivering God's message (vv. 8-9). If he delivers the message, he only brings more pain and suffering upon himself. If he doesn't deliver the message, he risks paying an even bigger price at the hands of God. Instead of turning away from God and further isolating himself, as we might do in similar circumstances, Jeremiah engages God in a prayer of lament. Join Pastors Kirk Sexton and Bruce Johnson as we discuss Jeremiah Chapter 20 and how we as Christians can restore the lost art of lament and discover the power of honest wrestling with the questions that come with grief and suffering.

Jeremiah receives divine instructions for another symbolic action; this time, he is to observe the local potter at work and remind Israel that Yahweh's role is analogous to the potter, who does as he wishes with the clay. God, as the sole sovereign, has an absolute right to deal with the nations according to their conduct towards him; illustrated in a tangible way by the potters molding of vessels from clay. Join Pastors Kirk Sexton and Bruce Johnson as we discuss this illustration and the people's reaction.

Pastor Jackie Parks and Pastor Bruce Johnson discuss Jeremiah 3:12-23 in our Jeremiah series. They focus on themes such as "Loving Kindness" and "Repentance." Head to our website for more information!

Pastors Bruce Johnson and Clint Leavitt discuss our first week of Jeremiah from Jeremiah 1.

We have an exciting BONUS episode today before we officially start Season 3 of The Full Dig Podcast! Pastor Jackie Parks and Pastor Bruce Johnson give an overview of Jeremiah to prepare for our fall sermon series.

Today, we conclude our series on the Apostles' Creed. We will look at the last two articles “Resurrection of the body, and the Life Everlasting.” We cannot consider resurrection and eternal life without considering our inevitable death. Scripture sees death as life's one certainty. Join Pastors Kirk Sexton and Bruce Johnson as we discuss these important issues and how our faith and hope rests in the fact that Jesus rose in bodily form from the grave and now lives eternally in heaven.

Jesus tells us to baptize: “Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 28:19). Some Christians sprinkle water and some dunk in a pool, river, or lake; in each of these ways the church obeys Jesus' command. But it is Jesus who removes your sin and transforms you. Baptism illustrates our salvation in Jesus. In baptism we are identified with Jesus' death, burial, and resurrection. As the water washes over us, we realize our old, broken, sinful self has been put to death and raised to new life. Join Pastors Kirk Sexton and Bruce Johnson as we discuss the Forgiveness of Sins, as we continue looking at the Apostles' Creed.

The communion of saints is what each one of us has in common with all other believers. When the Apostles' Creed speaks of communion it refers to believers in the past, believers in the present and believers in the years to come sharing a common salvation in our Savior the Lord Jesus Christ. Join Pastors Kirk Sexton and Bruce Johnson as we discuss the mystical nature of the church and the blessings we have in common with all other believers.

The church is comprised of people who believe Jesus is their Savior and have made him first in their lives. The church is not made up of perfect people, but is made up of people who are learning about following Christ and learning how to love God and each other. Join pastors Kirk Sexton and Bruce Johnson as they discuss the importance of the church and how each of us as the body of Christ are a vital part of it

“I believe in the Holy Spirit” So, starts the Creed's third paragraph. From the creating work of the Father and the rescue work of the Son, we now turn to the re-creating work of the Spirit, whereby we are made new in and through Christ. Join Pastors Kirk Sexton and Bruce Johnson as we discuss the theology surrounding the Holy Spirit and the doctrine of the Trinity.

He will come to judge the living and the dead. …he shall come to judge the living and the dead. We are comfortable calling Jesus our friend or helper or the one who loves us. But when we come to this part of the Apostles' Creed our minds recoil from such an idea of Jesus as Judge. It's clear in holy scriptures that God has given the authority to judge to Jesus the Son. Join pastors Kirk Sexton and Bruce Johnson as we discuss the implications of judgement and why for Christians it is something we can long for and we can actually look forward to.

Episode 5: Descended, Rose, Ascended. On today's podcast we look at a difficult phrase in the Apostles' Creed, it is hard to get our minds around it. Jesus descended into hell; the third day he rose again from the dead; he ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty. These three statements can each stand on their own but together the actions described changed the world, change our lives, and bring the hope of eternity. As Paul wrote “if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile, and you are still in your sins.” So, bodily resurrection is a core doctrine of the church. The shocking truth is that God, in his mercy and love, has given us a choice between life and death, heaven and hell, mercy and wrath. Join Pastors Kirk Sexton and Bruce Johnson as we discuss the truth that Jesus will go to great depths to bring us to God.

John Stott wrote that Christianity is a rescue religion. It declares that God has taken the initiative in Jesus Christ to deliver us from our sins. This is the main theme of the Bible, and it was the main theme of the sermon on Sunday. The New Testament uses many different metaphors to express what happened in Christ's death for us. Join Pastors Kirk Sexton and Bruce Johnson as we discuss some theories of atonement and the mysterious truth of how the death of Jesus can put away the sins of the world.

When we say in the Apostles' Creed: Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord, we say much about who Jesus is. We should say for clarity that Jesus is the Christ because the words Jesus Christ combine a proper name and title. He was also called Jesus of Nazareth referring to his childhood home. There really isn't much room to doubt that the man Jesus of Nazareth existed. Saying this man was fully man and fully God does have implications for us. Calling him the Christ is filled with theological implications as well. Join pastors Kirk Sexton and Bruce Johnson as we discuss the Jesus of history, God's only son and our Lord.

When the Creed speaks of “God the Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth,” it has in view the fact that we and all things depend on God as Creator for our existence, and God sustains every moment. Psalm 104 speaks of God's Creation and ongoing creation activity that holds it all together and sustains it with his almighty power. Join Pastors Kirk Sexton and Bruce Johnson who will discuss God as the true Creator of all, the one who has made the heavens and the earth and all that they contain.

Welcome to the Full Dig podcast. In this episode we begin our new series on the Apostles' Creed. Strangely, when we approach the New Testament, we instinctively think that old is good, but with it comes to creeds and confessions we tend to assume that old is bad. How can such an old creed speak to our current life? Is it still relevant? Stay tuned for the first in our series where we talk about faith and belief as expressed by the Apostles' Creed. We believe that you will find this creed not only relevant but also liberating.

Welcome to The Full Dig Podcast. Today we finish our series on the Ten Commandments. The Tenth Commandment, “Thou Shall Not Covet,” is a commandment that deals with a person's inner heart and attitude. Paul tells Timothy that “Godliness with contentment is great gain.” Jesus tells us “For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, and slander.” Join Pastors Kirk Sexton and Bruce Johnson as they discuss this, including Paul's own testimony of grappling with his own sin by means of the law. Also, we have special presentation by Mountain View Choir at the end of the podcast.

We've gone from discussing life to relationships to property—and now we turn to communication. The ninth commandment declares, "You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor" (Ex 20:16 par. Deut 5:20). The term used in the Exodus passage (shaper) means "lying" or "untrue witness." The term used in Deuteronomy (shave) means "empty," "vain," "insincere" or "frivolous witness"—the same word that is used in the third commandment, which forbids an empty, vain use of God's name. Join us as we discuss the differing views of the same problem: communicating wrongly about our neighbor.

Welcome to the Full Dig Podcast. This week we will be discussing the 8th Commandment to not steal. Behind this commandment lies the Bible's view of property. Our basic human existence requires not only life and health (protected by the sixth commandment) and committed relationships (covered by the seventh commandment), but a minimum of "stuff," a basic material infrastructure for life: food, clothing, shelter, tools and so on. That is why the eighth commandment declares, "You shall not steal" (Ex 20:15 par. Deut 5:19).

Adultery, as we will see in today's installment of The Full Dig Podcast is much more than just committing sexual sin outside the covenant of marriage. From the perspective of the rights of the neighbor, protection of one's life is appropriately followed by protection of one's marriage. As the sixth commandment guards the life of your neighbor, so the seventh commandment guards the marriage of your neighbor. Join Pastors Kirk Sexton and Bruce Johnson as they continue their series on the Ten Commandments and another look at the 7th commandment; You shall not commit adultery.

The sixth commandment “do not murder.” On its face this command seems fundamental, universal, obvious, a given, and without debate. We invite you to stay tuned to the Full Dig Podcast where Pastors Bruce Johnson and Kirk Sexton discuss how complicated the interpretation of the sixth commandment can be. You will discover the simplicity of the sixth commandment quickly fades as we begin to look at how far reaching this command is. How do we apply this to the complex issues facing us today?

Honoring parents is the logical starting point for directing human life toward the other who is not God. Our parents are our first neighbors. This commandment has a reach beyond our biological parents that includes as the Westminster Confession of Faith states “all superiors in age, and gifts; and especially such as, by God's ordinance, are over us in place of authority, whether in family, church or commonwealth.” At issue is how do we honor and how do we live this commandment especially, when our biological parents may have hurt or abandoned us. Stay tuned to this challenging discussion.

Join Pastor Kirk and Pastor Bruce this week as they discuss the Commandment about Sabbath Rest. As a reminder, you can view all our previous sermons on our Youtube channel- youtube.com/mtviewpres.

Pastor Kirk and Pastor Bruce discuss the Third Commandment in this episode, "God's Name." This Commandment focuses on showing respect. It addresses the way we communicate our feelings about God to others and to Him. It encompasses our attitudes, speech and behavior. Exodus 20:7 7 You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name.

Join Pastor Kirk and Pastor Bruce for week two of "The Full Dig." This episode is titled "A Jealous God" and this week they'll be digging into the second commandment. They will answer questions such as: -Why does God say He is "a jealous God?" -Do we need to be concerned about making idols in our time? Our scripture this week is from Exodus 20: 4-6: 4 “You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. 5 You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, 6 but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments.

Pastor Kirk Sexton and Pastor Bruce Johnson introduce our new podcast and then start digging into the Ten Commandments. They begin with the preamble to the Commandments and move on to the First Commandment:  “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. You shall have no other gods before me." If you haven't listened to the first two sermons in our Ten Commandments series, you can find them on our Youtube page.