Unanswered Questions

Lessons from Rebekah and Isaac, Genesis 27. Desperation makes us vulnerable to stop believing God will do what He said He will do. We are tempted to stop listening to His voice and listen to our own voice instead. This is always a mistake.

Why did Jesus restore Malchus ‘ ear? And why did Luke choose to include this story? A look at Luke 22:47-53 from a canonical lens.

Tim answers the question: why is it good , good for us, to sing praises to God? Tim looks at spiritual, emotional, and physical benefits of singing.

In this Sunday chapel chat teaching, Tim examines Jesus' words in Luke 17:1-10. In view of Jesus' teaching; What does a leader do or not do to be a good influence, not a faith stumbler to those who look up to him or her?

Give up your rights for the sake of peace. God will bless you. Titus 3:1-3

Takeaways: -Marriage Start: A good start in marriage is wonderful, but it is no guarantee that it will finish well. -Marriage points of vulnerability, the slow leaks in either spouse. -Parenting a child's strengths in preparation for their future marriage. -The Family Blessing.

Esaau's choice to take Hittite daughters as his wives showed that he was unfit to inherit the Abrahamic Blessing and was a bitter blow to his parents. Takeaways: As we climb a ladder in life, what wall is our ladder leaning against? Our choices are an X-Ray of the realities inside of us. Jesus invites us to find all that we need in Him.  

A canonical view helps us see how the entire Bible is tied together. The first meal in human history resulted in tragedy. The first meal in the new creation, on resurrection afternoon, reversed those consequences.

Luke 5:1-11. Luke wrote the story of Jesus, master of the sea, as a reenactment of Jesus first creation in Genesis 1. Jesus, the creator, is now calling and developing people, as new creations.

Genesis 26:23-33. 1. We can expect blessing and rewards from God when we choose peace, and don't stand on our rights. 2. Worship is the natural response to God's grace.

How can you have good character and God's blessing in your career and public life, and yet have private weaknesses and failures. Does one cancel out the other?

Who is qualified to lead, to be a shepherd of people? Why did God choose David? He evaluated him based on his heart. In a world of social comparison, focus on character, not achievement.

Genesis 26:1-11. God provided for Isaac because of his faith. He protected him despite his major failure because of His mercy.

Both Joseph and Jesus, beloved sons, suffered unjustly. Lessons and hope from Genesis 37:1-11.

Isaac and Rebekah started well, trusting God to give them children. But as parents they developed very different values. It caused division in the family and heartbreak. Genesis 25:27-34

Listen to Tim's sermon from Genesis 37:11; 42: 18-24; Luke 2:41-51 Both Joseph and Jesus experienced unjust suffering that God used to refine and prepare them to lead people effectively. Have you been disappointed or confused because of suffering in your life or the life of someone you love? This lesson from Joseph and Jesus can help you make sense of it.

When a foolish man, Balaam, decided to disobey God, his donkey spoke to him with God's message.

Three stories of three donkeys, three people, and three stories of death and resurrection, pointing us to Jesus.

Donkeys left the presence of an unfit leader, King Saul. They were safer lost than under his care.

These pigs refused to be controlled by evil.

These donkeys were submissive to God's King.

Part 4 in series

Lessons from animals in the scripture

Introduction to series of lessons from animals. Wisdom for us and for our children.

Animals in the Bible that God uses to show how foolish and unfaithful people are.

Jesus knew ahead of time that his entire leadership team would desert him in his time of crisis when he needed them the most. He still chose them, loved them, and committed to lead them and use them. Jesus still chooses you, even tho he knew ahead of time all the sins and failures in your life. He still has a future for you.

The term predestination is a Lightning rod - it attracts arguments and misunderstandings. In this podcast, Tim looks at Ephesians 1 and Romans 8 to examine what Paul meant when he used the term. #predestination

The best kept secret for living free may be your spouse, a person who cares and loves you & knows you better than anyone. 

Why does God reject our halfhearted worship? Cain's faith was fake. His offering was just his leftovers, reflecting his entitled attitude toward God. His failure at worship then led to failure in family. War in his family was the bitter fruit of Cain's war with God.

What does it mean to be blessed by God? What does the term God bless you mean? Tim traces the context and meaning when the blessing of God is pronounced throughout scripture in the Old Testament and New, conferring God's protection, potency, and power, or enablement. How does this practice apply today in our churches and family?

A sobering message for all parents that want to raise kids that love christ.

Genesis3:1-7 Satan, Gods shrewd adversary, exploited a women's imprecise knowledge of Gods word, causing her to doubt His integrity and goodness and to weaken her trust in His word.

Sunday sermon from 11/27/2022 based on Colossians 3:16 and 1 Timothy 2:11 - 15

Our salvation does not depend on our own faithfulness or lack of sin. We have assurance of our salvation although we continue to sin. God's declaration of our righteous standing before Him at the beginning of our Christian experience is the final word on our case.

How did Old Testament people of faith understand the afterlife? Where did they think they would go after death? Did they believe those outside the faith or people without faith in Yahweh (God) would have a different fate?

Dr. Zachary J. Cole, Associate Professor of NT at Reformed Theological Seminary, Orlando, FL joins us today with his message at our local church. He tackles a historically tough and debated passage on apostasy within the church. Today maybe more than ever, apostasy is alive and well in the church. Zach introduces the topic for us as with a 3 foundation reasons why we need to discuss this topic: “We need to talk about this for three reasons: • First, the Bible talks about it a lot. • Second, the Bible talks about it with dire seriousness. • Third, it is happening all around us.”

Join Tim in Galatians 6:1-5 as he tackles the mandate from Paul to come alongside a brother or sister in order to restore them. Our goal is to be a person who is capable of restoring another believer, bringing them back to a functioning, thriving, abundant life—capable of worship and capable of service for the kingdom.

It's easy, with our eyes and ears and senses inundated by a 360 degree world of media, to be impressed by all the wrong people and things. It's daily, and it's fast and normal, so much so that we might find ourselves asking, “What, or who exactly, SHOULD I be impressed with?” Join Tim as he tackles this very pertinent topic. May God give you ears to hear as you listen.

God doesn't choose to use a man, woman, boy, or girl based on the same standards we often use to pick someone. It's not the playground kickball team selection with God. God has His own standard and it's far better and just than ours—and thanks be to God it is, right? Listen in and be encouraged in the way of our God.

Whether you are aware or not, there exits in the OT a messianic chain of suffering shepherds. Their lives foreshadow Jesus, and when we get to our Savior, we see not only the true and better Adam, but also the true and better Shepherd—the one who is able to lead His people to safety within the fold. Join us and we hope you are blessing by your listening.

Thanks for listening! This second, short part II of epistemology, deals with one of the most important concepts for our daily lives: Do we believe in absolute truth, and if so, what is the source of that truth? Is it reliable? Can we bank on it during the storms of life? The episode will be split into two segments of 4 main points. This first segment deals with a foundational description of epistemology, then we dive into Eden and discuss the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil and its role in developing our epistemology. Dig in and enjoy, and we hope your faith grows as you listen.

Thanks for listening in to Tim Cole. This episode deals with one of the most important concepts for our daily lives: Do we believe in absolute truth, and if so, what is the source of that truth? Is it reliable? Can we bank on it during the storms of life? The episode will be split into two segments of 4 main points. This first segment deals with a foundational description of epistemology, then we dive into Eden and discuss the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil and its role in developing our epistemology. Dig in and enjoy, and we hope your faith grows as you listen. 

It seems like we would always be thankful to God, right? He's saved us, redeemed us, He's renewing us, and one day will fully glorify us. Unfortunately, our sinful hearts are big fans of gratitude—instead, we focus on our own desires, what we think we deserve, we complain, and we shun suffering; but God has made us to be creatures of gratitude. Join in and ask God to help you rethink how you start and love out your day, and why not adopt a lifestyle of gratitude!

Take a deep dive into Genesis 1:1 and the use of the Hebrew word “Bereshit” throughout the Torah. Follow Tim as he dissects Genesis 1:1, 1:27, 49:3, Psalms 78:51, and Psalms 105:36. In these passages he unravels the real meaning of Genesis 1:1, giving credibility to the NT authors that attribute all creation to Jesus Christ. May God give you ears to heart and an open heart as you listen.

We know from Genesis 1 that God has an image and that male and female were made in His image. So logically we ask, what is an image, and what exactly is God's image? Listen in and gain clarity, Hope, and confidence in God's word! God bless you as you learn.

Come back with us into the text and see the correct way to view the woman, the way God made her and equipped her. She's a sustainer, a warrior, and a life-giver! Dig into some examples with Tim and we hope this helps you break down any incorrect views you've picked up and reorient your view of the women God has placed in your life!

Dig into the original text with Tim and see exactly, from a canonical lens, what Moses intended when he chose these words to describe the creation of the woman. We hope this episode and others give you hope and encourage your faith—giving you a correctly placed confidence in the text. God bless you as you listen!

Join us as Tim discusses how the text uses a merism, a figure of speech, to describe Jesus. God bless you as you learn more about the savior.

Do you have deep wounds from perhaps family members, friends, coworkers, or bosses? Wounds that, left unchecked, grow roots of bitterness and resentment. It is difficult to forgive and to properly heal from those wounds, but it is where freedom is found. If this is you or you want to help others achieve this in their lives, listen in and we hope you are blessed by this episode!

How do we evaluated the former sins and failures of our forefathers, our family, and even ourselves? Do we say, “Well, the past is the past and we can't change it, so let's just move on!” Do we just ignore, dismiss, whitewash, or downplay them? Let's take a look at what God's word has to say on this topic and orient our mind and actions based on the text—not our emotions, our logic, or the party we link ourselves to.

Join Tim as he digs into the familiar story of Zacchaeus while showing us the canonical connections that are in the text.