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Series: Walking WiselyTitle: "How to Walk God's Way in God's World"Scripture: Proverbs 3:1-12 NIV James 1:5-6Hebrews 11:6 "Without faith [trust] it is impossible to please God, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him." NIVishBottom line: Wisdom is learning to walk in God's way (aka wisely) in God's world. INTRODUCTIONCONTEXTOUTLINECONCLUSIONDISCUSSION QUESTIONSNOTESYOUTUBE DESCRIPTIONMAIN REFERENCES USEDMy opening prayer: Lord God, help us grow to be and do like Jesus, while abiding in him and leading others to do the same. Bottom line: Wisdom is learning to walk in God's way (aka wisely) in God's world. OPENING STORYA few years ago, our youth group had Pastor Ed Newton speak to them at camp. They loved him! Well, I at some point started following him on Twitter (back then) but X and had saved this tweet/post in my files. This was his quote:"God's will? Find where you have been given favor, then follow favor, then be faithful to the place that God gave you favor!"So this resonated with me. So I posted a question asking him the source of that inspiration. He replied Proverbs 3. "Over the past several months, we walked through Book of Genesis in our series God's Promises, Our Journey.In Genesis, we watched God call imperfect people to trust Him with their future:Abraham leaving home not knowing where he was goingIsaac learning to trust God's covenant promisesBut that raises an important question:How do we actually walk that journey day by day?That is where Book of Proverbs comes in.If Genesis teaches us to trust God with the big story of our lives, Proverbs teaches us how to walk wisely with God in everyday life.Proverbs is not primarily a book of random sayings or good advice. It is a father teaching his children how to live skillfully in God's world.Wisdom in Proverbs is not merely intelligence, information, or success. Wisdom is learning to see life from God's perspective and walk in God's ways.At the center of Proverbs is this foundational truth:“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.” (Proverbs 1:7)In other words: true wisdom begins with a right relationship with God.That is why Proverbs 3:5–6 is one of the most loved and well-known passages in the Bible. It speaks directly into moments of uncertainty, transition, decision-making, and future direction.And that makes this passage especially fitting today as we celebrate our graduates.Many of them are standing at a major crossroads:decisions about schoolworkrelationshipscallingidentityfuture directionAnd Proverbs reminds all of us — graduates and non-graduates alike — that our greatest need is not simply a good plan, but wholehearted trust in God." -ChatGPTWe just spend 9 weeks learning that our journey is shaped by our belief/unbelief in God's promises. We said that God's promises (rightly believed) shape our journey for good.Proverbs 3 seems like the next right step. Why? Because it tells us how to walk God's way in God's world. Our journey.“Wisdom is where knowledge and love kiss each other.”“Power is simply operating in Christ's authority with his resources.”Father (King Solomon) is discipling his Prince son. Parents, are you paying attention here?“Genesis showed us God's promises in the journey. Proverbs teaches us how to walk wisely in that journey.” -ChatGPTOrBottom line: Wisdom is learning to walk in God's way (aka wisely) in God's world. CONTEXTWhat are the key traits of the book of Proverbs?"Proverbs as wisdom literature" #wisdom #promises"Solomon/father-to-son framework" #relationships #discipleship"Fear of the Lord theme""Connection to Jesus as wisdom incarnate" #incarnation-ChatGPT"We're in Proverbs and that means wisdom literature. Why does that matter? Well, we read wisdom literature differently from other types of literature like narrative or didactic. Wisdom literature often communicates general patterns.Gospel and covenant texts often communicate definitive redemptive promises.In other words, Proverbs teaches us the normal pathways of wisdom. Jesus announces the guaranteed promises of the kingdom."-ChatGPTGenesis showed us Abraham learning to trust God's audible voice with the big story of their lives. Proverbs teaches us how to walk wisely with God's written word in everyday decisions.“This is generally true now and will always prove true later.” -Daniel Akin"Proverbs describes the normal moral order of God's world,but the fullness of these blessings is ultimately eschatological." -ChatGPTBottom line: Wisdom is learning to walk in God's way (aka wisely) in God's world. OUTLINE (influenced by Danny Akin)In the early 90s, Anita and I lived in Tampa Florida. Our time included joining Bell Shoals Baptist Church, where I was baptized. This is where I responded to Ministry. This is where I heard the preaching of Danny Akin for the first. I had never heard preaching like this before. It so impressed and influenced me that summer, that I went to the seminar where he was Dean of students. (SEBTS) He's now the president of the seminary. Today's outline is influenced by him and his son's efforts in a commentary I read this past week.I. We Should Keep the Covenant PROVERBS 3:1,3,5,7,9The odd verses give the obligations that we are called to live up to if weare in a covenant relationship with the Lord. II. God Blesses Covenant-Keepers PROVERBS 3:2,4,6,8,10The even verses give the divine partner's obligations. III. This Is Generally True Now and Will Always Prove True LaterProverbs 3:11-12The proverbs are generally true now, but they are always ultimately true.IV. Jesus Kept the Covenant for You"The good news is that he represents us before the Father in this covenant relationship. He lived up to our obligations for us, and thenhe took the curses of covenant breaking in our place." -Daniel AkinCONCLUSIONBottom line: Wisdom is learning to walk in God's way (aka wisely) in God's world. From ChatGPT:The Pilot Through the Clouds (Excellent for “straight paths”)One of the most dangerous moments for a pilot is flying through thick clouds without visual reference points.Everything in the body starts lying:up feels down,left feels right,motion feels still.Pilots are trained not to trust their feelings in that moment. They must trust the instruments.Some pilots have crashed perfectly good airplanes because they trusted their instincts more than the guidance system.Proverbs 3 says: “Lean not on your own understanding.”There will be seasons where:your emotions will mislead you,your instincts will fail you,your understanding will be incomplete.In those moments, wisdom means trusting the Lord more than yourself.I found the incident you're referring to, though the pilot's name appears to have been spelled Vinson Kyle Perdue in newspaper reporting, not “Purdue.” The crash occurred in August 1981 near Dorchester Road in the Summerville area. What I could verify:He was a young Air Force pilot from Summerville.The jet crashed during a routine training mission near Dorchester Road.The crash happened close to the Kings Grant area you mentioned. I could not verify from available sources that vertigo/disorientation was officially determined as the cause, though your memory of local reporting may absolutely be correct. Spatial disorientation/vertigo is a well-known factor in military aviation crashes, especially during instrument conditions.For sermon purposes, I would be careful not to state definitively:“The crash was officially caused by vertigo…”unless you locate a direct source confirming that.But you can still use the illustration powerfully and honestly by framing it like this:When I was growing up in Summerville, there was a military jet crash near Dorchester Road across from Kings Grant where we lived.I still remember how sobering that was as a kid.And one of the things pilots are trained to understand is that when visibility disappears and disorientation sets in, your senses can begin lying to you.Up can feel down. Motion can feel still. Your instincts can become dangerous.That's why pilots are trained to trust their instruments more than their feelings.Proverbs 3 says something very similar spiritually:“Lean not on your own understanding.”There are moments in life where:your emotions will mislead you,your instincts will fail you,your understanding will be incomplete.Wisdom means learning to trust God more than yourself.That keeps:the local authenticity,the emotional weight,the aviation imagery,and the pastoral application—without overstating what can be historically verified.And honestly, because this is tied to your own childhood memory in Summerville, it will likely land much harder emotionally than a generic illustration ever could.From Claude.aiWhat Was Found on Vinson Kyle PerdueThe primary verified source is a newspaper clipping from The Greenville News, dated August 26, 1981 — a clipping published in The Greenville News on August 26, 1981, mentioning Vinson Kyle Perdue in Greenville, South Carolina. That confirms the name spelling (Perdue, not Purdue) and the August 1981 date align with newspaper reporting. The Newspapers.com record exists but sits behind a paywall, so the full text of the article wasn't accessible — which means we can confirm existence of reporting but not the article's specific content on cause of death.No publicly accessible official USAF accident investigation report for this specific crash surfaced. The Aviation Archaeological Investigation & Research database (which houses USAF accident reports from that era) exists but didn't return this specific crash in searches.Bottom line on the Perdue crash: Name, date, and general location are confirmed by newspaper record. Cause of death (vertigo/spatial disorientation) remains your childhood memory of local reporting — plausible and consistent with the era, but not independently verifiable from open sources right now.What Was Found on Spatial Disorientation — and Why It Strengthens Your IllustrationThis is where the research gets genuinely useful for your sermon. The data on spatial disorientation (SD) as a cause of military aviation fatalities is extensive and striking:• Spatial disorientation accounted for 11% of all USAF crashes, with a crash fatality rate of 69% — and the SD rate was significantly higher in fighter/attack aircraft and helicopters than in training and transport aircraft. At night, 23% of all crashes were SD-caused. • Even as overall military aviation accidents per flight hour decreased dramatically from 1958–1992, the rate of SD-caused crashes remained nearly constant — actually increasing as a percentage of all crashes, from 6% in 1958–1971 to 16% in 1972–1992. Technology didn't solve it. The problem is human physiology.• Over a 21-year period (FY1993–2013), there were 72 spatial disorientation mishaps in the USAF, resulting in the loss of 101 lives, 65 aircraft, and $2.32 billion.Spatial disorientation occurs when a pilot's response to false sensations — of attitude, motion, velocity, acceleration, or position — causes the pilot to misinterpret his or her position in flight relative to the earth or other aircraft. The instruments tell the truth. The pilot's body lies to him.How This Serves the SermonYou don't need the Perdue crash to be officially documented as an SD case to use SD as the theological hinge of your illustration. Here's why: the statistics above are so overwhelming that you can say with complete accuracy:“Spatial disorientation — where a pilot's senses tell him up is down and motion is stillness — is one of the leading causes of military aviation fatalities. The pilot feels completely confident. His body is lying to him. That's why pilots are trained to trust their instruments over their instincts.”Then the transition to Proverbs 3 is natural and devastating: “Lean not on your own understanding” isn't just piety — it's survival logic. The human perceptual system is not reliable in conditions of low visibility and high stress. Neither is the unregenerate heart.The local crash becomes the emotional anchor. The SD research data gives it theological weight that doesn't depend on what you can or can't verify about that specific August morning in 1981.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​PrayQuestions (Write this down) - grab an index card and penWhat is God saying to you right now? What are you going to do about it?Write this down on the index card in the seat pockets.DISCUSSION QUESTIONSDiscovery Bible Study process: https://www.dbsguide.org/Read the passage together.Retell the story in your own words.Discovery the storyWhat does this story tell me about God?What does this story tell me about people?If this is really true, what should I do?What is God saying to you right now? (Write this down)What are you going to do about it? (Write this down)Who am I going to tell about this?Find our sermons, podcasts, discussion questions and notes at https://www.gracetoday.net/podcastNOTESProverbs 3:5-6 outline by Stephen Olford, Windows of Wisdom, pp. 17-19

What Books are Healthiest for Your Tween or Teen an Interview with Betsy Farquhar and Hayley Morell (Episode 293)   *Disclaimer: Some of this content is not intended for young audiences. Please use discretion.   Proverbs 4:7 NIV “The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom. Though it cost all you have, get understanding.”   *Transcription Below*   Betsy Farquhar holds Masters degrees in Children's Literature and Information and Library Science. She taught middle and high school English, homeschooled her three children, and has served on many book award committees.   Hayley Morell loves reading, writing, trying new recipes, knitting, or chatting with her parrot. Hayley loves traveling and lived abroad in Europe and Asia. She and her husband and infant live in Wisconsin in an old house overflowing with books and are active in their local community.   Their Website, Book, and Social Media Handles: Instagram @redeemed_reader and Facebook: @redeemedreader   Thank you to our sponsor: Sam Leman Eureka   Questions and Topics We Cover: What are some benefits of reading and why is it worthwhile to devote our time to curating a healthy diet of books? Can you elaborate on why the Young Adult or YA category is the most controversial? What is on your radar for genres or books that will require even more discernment in the future?   Other Savvy Sauce Episode Mentioned: 21. Promoting a Family Culture of Reading with Megan Kaeb 22. Inspiring Your Children to Become Readers, Part Two with Megan Kaeb 253. Low Tech Parenting with Erin Loechner 273. Wise Living: Why to Get Outside, and Travel, and Read Aloud with Amber O'Neal Johnston   Connect with The Savvy Sauce on Facebook or Instagram or Our Website   Gospel Scripture: (all NIV) Romans 3:23 “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,”   Romans 3:24 “and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.”   Romans 3:25 (a) “God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood.”    Hebrews 9:22 (b) “without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.”    Romans 5:8 “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”    Romans 5:11 “Not only is this so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.”    John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”   Romans 10:9 “That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”    Luke 15:10 says “In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”   Romans 8:1 “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus”   Ephesians 1:13–14 “And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession- to the praise of his glory.”   Ephesians 1:15–23 “For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.”   Ephesians 2:8–10 “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God‘s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.“   Ephesians 2:13 “But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ.“   Philippians 1:6 “being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”   *Transcription*‍   Music: (0:00 – 0:11)   Laura Dugger: (0:12 - 1:46) Welcome to The Savvy Sauce, where we have practical chats for intentional living. I'm your host, Laura Dugger, and I'm so glad you're here.   The principles of honesty and integrity that Sam Leman founded his business on continue today over 55 years later at Sam Leman Chevrolet Eureka.   Owned and operated by the Bertschi family, Sam Leman and Eureka appreciates the support they've received from their customers all over Central Illinois and beyond. Visit them today at lemangm.com.   My guests for today are Betsy Farquhar and Haley Morrill, two of the four authors of this book, The Redeemed Reader, which is also the name of the website that they run together where they have thousands of book reviews for children and tweens and teens.   We all know that books are so powerful, so it's vitally important that we're discerning both for what we're intaking and the filters that we use to allow our children to engage with books in our home. We're going to sprinkle book recommendations throughout this episode, and you're also going to learn some surprising things, such as more details about the YA or young adult category. Here's our chat. Welcome to The Savvy Sauce, Betsy and Haley.   Betsy Farquhar: (1:48 - 1:49) Thanks. It's good to be here.   Laura Dugger: (1:50 - 1:57) I would love to just start out hearing the way that the two of you found your way into the work that you get to do today.   Betsy Farquhar: (1:58 - 2:42) Mine started way back in the 1900s when I was in college. I did my senior thesis on children's literature, George MacDonald, and that led to a children's literature class my last semester, which led me to grad school with one of my now co-workers, but at the time fellow students and friends, and we got our master's in children's literature. And then rabbit trail, lots of detours, children, marriage. She and I started a blog back when those were cool and hip, and it was reviewing children's books and that was just for fun. And then we connected with Janie and Emily from Redeemed Reader. Through that blog venue, we were commenting on each other's blogs, and they brought us on board. And so here we are 15 years later.   Hayley Morell: (2:43 - 3:38) And for me, I was a high schooler. I was homeschooled. I loved reading.   So, I started my own blog back in the teenage years and I was always looking for book recommendations and came upon Redeemed Reader in the early days. I turned out they were looking for an intern. I started interning and at the end of my internship, Emily Witten, who was our founder, asked if I'd like to stay on.   And that was 14 or 15 years ago now. So, I was younger. And so, I had a period at college.   I studied at Boyce College. I worked in children's ministry and worked as a private tutor. So, a lot of interactions with children.   I was known as the babysitter with the book bag for a number of years. And now I've got my own little, and so I'm in the land of board books and happily working at Redeemed Reader.   Laura Dugger: (3:39 - 3:49) I love hearing that. And if people are watching this through video, can you both just say your name, so we know who's Betsy and who's Haley? I'm Haley.   Betsy Farquhar: (3:50 - 3:51) I'm Betsy.   Laura Dugger: (3:52 - 4:07) Okay, wonderful. Thank you for that. And at Redeemed Reader, I'm assuming you have so many book recommendations to try and read and review.   So, how do you even determine which books you are going to review?   Hayley Morell: (4:08 - 7:49) So, right now we are wrapping up one of the things we love doing, which is providing award coverage. In January is when the American Library Association announces their awards, and they like to recognize the best middle grade with the Newberry, the best picture books with the Caldecott, and then a number of other awards. We know that those books are going to be going into lots of libraries and schools.   And so, we like to provide coverage of that and review those books that we know parents are going to be seeing on shelves and wondering, is this a good book? Should we be reading this? What do we want to check out?   We also like to watch what is popular. What is causing discussion? So, several years ago, that was The Hunger Games.   And there was a lot of questions about dystopia. Should we be reading this? Is this helpful?   Do I want my teen reading The Hunger Games? More recently, some popular middle grade series like Keeper of the Lost Cities have had a lot of parents asking, what is this series? Is there anything I should know about?   And so, we try to have a balanced review. We review books that you're going to find at the library. We also like to review books that maybe you wouldn't know about.   So, a smaller Christian imprint, for example, we like to review that type of book to encourage readers to read widely, to read Christian authors, to read secular authors. We like books. And so, we each bring our own specialty to the team and experience.   Janie, who's our senior editor, is a children's author. She loves history. And so, as the community relations manager, I tend to handle review requests.   So, when somebody asks us, can you review this book? It's popular. Or I'm an author.   I wrote a book. Can you review it? I'll look at the book.   I'll look at how hard is it to get? We do try to review books that are easy to find, that you might find in your local library. But then I'll look at our team.   So, for Janie, if it is going to be a nonfiction history, let's say for a 10 to 12-year-old, I know that's going to be up her alley. Meanwhile, Betsy loves poetry. She loves nature, nonfiction.   Betsy is a very, I'd say you're one of our Renaissance people. And so, I know Betsy is going to be inclined towards maybe a novel and verse. And she also likes dealing with high school books.   You've got that teacher education background, where if it is an epic poem, Betsy is going to be our reviewer. Megan is our amazing picture book author. She's super creative, loves picture books.   Megan is who I turn to when I find a picture book. Meanwhile, I used to handle as I was the team member of the team and then turned into my 20s. So, I gravitated toward YA, and I still love a good YA fantasy.   But I am now in board book land and picture books. So, I have been expanding my reach. I do serve on our middle grade fiction, so I can help out with middle grades.   But each of us will flex in, flex out. Megan has a large family of boys. And so, if it's a boy book, she is a great person.   We love to send those to her to see if her boys like them. And that's, I could keep going because we love books, but that's a big snapshot.   Laura Dugger: (7:50 - 8:09) That's so helpful because you cover such a wide variety of books throughout your team. And as curators of book reviews, what questions are you most commonly receiving, both from young people and maybe their parents as well?   Hayley Morell: (8:12 - 9:22) I think we often get questions like, is this book clean? Is this book safe? And we like to kind of change that question.   And we like to say, why is the content in this book? Because that can be different, you know, depending on something that is in a picture book, which wouldn't be appropriate for an age, could be very appropriate for a YA book and a great discussion starter. So, it definitely depends on the content and what audience and what age of the audience we're dealing with.   So, we try to, as people ask us, well, is this safe or is this clean? Should I read this? We want to build discernment and encourage parents to interact, parents and educators to interact with our reviews.   And they know their reader. They know how their reader is going to receive a book. And what questions might come up.   And so, we like to help interact with that conversation. And then there's another kind of question we often get, which I'm going to let Betsy answer.   Betsy Farquhar: (9:23 - 10:10) The other question is, my kid likes blank kind of book or is blank kind of reader. What do I get for him or her? And so that, of course, can vary widely.   But people love to know what book is right for my family or my classroom or my child. And so, we try to write our reviews with that question in mind, not to make a blanket statement, you should all read this book, or nobody should read this book, but to give parents and educators enough information to make that decision for themselves. And then we started doing these reels on Instagram, where we're pretending we're answering a customer service phone call with questions we've been asked, right?   My son only likes video games, or my daughter doesn't want fantasy, but she reads these kinds of books. And so, we try to help people think that through.   Laura Dugger: (10:10 - 10:14) So, that's really how we continue.   Hayley Morell: (10:15 - 11:09) Sorry. And one more question that we often get because we are book reviewers is, will you review my book? And so, at that point, we do have a process.   We encourage people to submit a request. And it could be maybe a book they're curious about and would just like a review from us, or they're an author or a publisher. And so, in that case, we direct them to our review submission form.   And like I said before, we are definitely looking for books that are easy to find. That will encourage us to review a book, because while we love books that are like smaller imprints, et cetera, and we do try to provide coverage for that, we also are aware that a lot of our audience only has their library or their school library. And so, we are trying to do books that are easy to find and accessible for our readers.   Laura Dugger: (11:10 - 11:40) Okay, that's really helpful to hear what people are writing in and asking you about. And so, hearing the sweet spot from each team member, and then Betsy, how you mentioned people love to know what's right for my family. So, no, this won't fit every situation. But can you give examples of maybe books that the four of you find yourselves recommending quite a bit because they are ones that fit a wide range of people?   Betsy Farquhar: (11:41 - 13:39) Of course, we put a ton of recommendations in our book that came out in the fall. And those are sort of our most common recommendations. We have a place on our website called Starred Reviews.   And those are the best of the best in our mind of their genre. So, if you're looking for graphic novels, and you see a star on a graphic novel, it's because we think this is an amazing graphic novel. So, that's just a helpful framework, because of course, people are all over the map, right?   We're in the midst of whittling down our Book of the Year for this year. And we also have our Reader's Choice Book of the Year. And those books are ones we tend to recommend all the time.   So, I'm going to give you just some samples of what are on our Reader's Choice list, because that is a public list. And I can't reveal the 2025 releases we're considering for the other one. But for our Book of the Year for the Reader's Choice this year, we have The Found Boys by S. D. Smith.   We've got, I've got them all right here, Olivetti by Allie Millington. There's The Hiding Place: A Graphic Novel and the Watership Down: The Graphic Novel that are both really fun. People have really enjoyed them.   We've got the first book in The Dream Keeper Saga by Kathryn L. Butler. That's a Christian fantasy series. We've got Enemies in the Orchard, which is the novel in verse about World War II.   One Big Open Sky by Lesa Cline-Ransome, which is another novel in verse about some Black pioneers going west on a wagon train. And that might be, oh, The Puppets of Spelhorst by Kate DiCamillo. Kate DiCamillo is a super prolific author, and we do recommend her books often.   Her book, Ferris, was our Book of the Year last year. So, there's just a quick sampling of some middle grades' books. And middle grades, for people who don't know, that's the broad fourth through eighth grade age range.   You think of like ages 8 to 12. And they tend to be the broadest in audience. You can usually read those aloud to a younger audience, or even teenagers might find them enjoyable.   So, that's a good start.   Hayley Morell: (13:40 - 14:29) I do think one of the beauties of our team is that we've worked together for a long time. And we trust our team. And so, I will happily recommend a book that I haven't seen, but I know Betsy loved and reviewed.   And it's so fun reading the same books. So, like right now, since we're on award committees, we are seeing a lot of the same books and getting to talk about them. But I think it's one of our strengths that we each bring something to the table.   And I would say if someone really likes history, I'm going to look at what Janie has loved recently, because I know she is looking for those good new history books. And its so fun recommending books and getting to play to our strengths.   Laura Dugger: (14:31 - 16:16) And that comes out in book recommendations. When you're passionate about what you're reading, it's naturally contagious, I think. And now a brief message from our sponsor.   Sam Leman Chevrolet Eureka has been owned and operated by the Bertschi family for over 25 years. A lot has changed in the car business since Sam and Stephen's grandfather, Sam Leman, opened his first Chevrolet dealership over 55 years ago.   If you visit their dealership today, though, you'll find that not everything has changed. They still operate their dealership like their grandfather did, with honesty and integrity. Sam and Stephen understand that you have many different choices in where you buy or service your vehicle.   This is why they do everything they can to make the car buying process as easy and hassle-free as possible. They are thankful for the many lasting friendships that began with a simple welcome to Sam Leman's. Their customers keep coming back because they experience something different.   I've known Sam and Stephen and their wives my entire life, and I can vouch for their character and integrity, which makes it easy to highly recommend you check them out today. Your car buying process doesn't have to be something you dread, so come see for yourself at Sam Leman Chevrolet in Eureka. Sam and Stephen would love to see you, and they appreciate your business.   Learn more at their website, LemanEureka.com or visit them on Facebook by searching for Sam Leman Eureka. You can also call them on 309-467-2351. Thanks for your sponsorship.   I'm curious, over the years, what character qualities have you noticed in people who are now adults, but they originally fell in love with reading in childhood?   Betsy Farquhar: (16:17 - 17:39) So, that's a pretty broad question. I would think, I'm just going to paint this with broad strokes. People who read typically are people who think, and especially in a day and age where we're bombarded with screens and soundbites all the time, if somebody can actually read an analog book from start to finish, then typically they're going to be able to think about ideas in a different way than people who are just existing on soundbites.   So, the ability to think is pretty critical. There's been a lot of studies that show that people who read also have better empathy. It's just a way we can sort of step into somebody else's shoes, especially if we're reading a story about somebody who perhaps lived in a different time period, or they're from a different ethnic background, or even if there's just a different socioeconomic level, it helps us understand the people on the other side a little bit better.   So, that kind of, this twin characteristics of empathy and thoughtfulness, I think are pretty common. We all go through seasons where we don't read as much, whether we're stressed or perhaps, my kids are in college and they were avid readers in high school, and they're not doing a lot of reading for fun right now, but they know how to read and they enjoy it. So, they'll probably come back to that in the future.   So, I think that's a helpful thing to remember, just because your eight-year-old loves reading, when he or she is 18, they may not be reading as much, and that's okay. They'll probably come back to it.   Hayley Morell: (17:40 - 17:53) And I've definitely seen that with younger siblings too, burning out and then all of a sudden back, asking for book recommendations. And it's fun to know that reading habits stick around.   Laura Dugger: (17:55 - 18:38) That's well said. And yet, even if they lie dormant for a while, they may be reawakened in adulthood. But I think I find it's less common for someone to fall in love with reading for their first time as an adult.   So, I think it's very beneficial as parents to cultivate or instill this love of reading in our children. And you two are the experts. So, I'd love to hear your take on this.   What are some of the benefits of reading? And why is it worthwhile to devote our time to curating a healthy diet of books, both for ourselves, but especially for our children?   Hayley Morell: (18:39 - 20:06) Betsy, I think you might've said this once, but I think it came up as we were talking about writing our book. As I have a small child who's just starting to notice pages and we're reading board books and he's trying to reach for it. I remember someone once said that reading to a very young child, they're not registering the story yet.   They might be registering the pictures. But the time that we're taking reading, when I read to him or when my husband gets home from work and they read one board book together, he's not really looking at the book as much as he's looking at our face and hearing our voice. And books are becoming something that we do together and that we do as a family.   And it's a way that we're building relationships. And I think that's a great encouragement to me to keep reading. And I have nieces and nephews who loved books.   And then that's something that we enjoy the story together and we'll laugh over silly stories and we'll read. But I think that it's something that as we want to like curate our collections but also think about how are we encouraging children to love reading. It's if they see us reading too and see us enjoying books and still picking up a book ourselves.   I'm not sure, Betsy, if you have anything that you would add to that.   Betsy Farquhar: (20:07 - 20:41) Well, I just think the better we read anything, the better equipped we are to read the story in the Bible because God revealed himself to us in a written book. And so, we're sort of flexing those muscles when we read. And the more we can engage with what we read, even if it's a picture book with a five-year-old, we're beginning that practice of developing discernment.   And that's part of discipling our children. So, I do think it's all part of the same picture. It's not going to look the same for every family but just working on developing those muscles of discernment and reading intelligently, that's going to go a long way.   Laura Dugger: (20:43 - 22:07) I love how you bring in the Bible that is so important. And I found myself even just this week at bedtime praying over our daughters that they would have a love for the written word because that is what God has gifted to us. And I love how the word became flesh and dwelt among us, but he is the original storyteller and has instilled that in each of us.   And I think just a very practical way at any age to help our children cultivate this love is by reading aloud. And we recently were on a family vacation and had a rental vehicle and we had a long drive-in front of us and listened to the radio for a while. But we also like this tradition of reading one book aloud on a vacation.   So, we remember our time in Florida from one year was a place to hang the moon and it was a different book this year, but I get car sick while we're driving. So, I couldn't read it aloud. So, our oldest daughter read it aloud for all of us.   And I realized how much attention and focus is required and imagination to paint these pictures of the characters in your mind. And I just thought, wow, there's so much learning that's going on even as the one listening to the book, not reading the actual words.   Betsy Farquhar: (22:09 - 22:15) And a place to hang the moon was our reader's choice favorite last year. So, lots of our readers have read that one.   Laura Dugger: (22:16 - 22:36) It's such a good one. And as wonderful as books are, they're also powerful and influential. So, as you've reiterated, discernment is required.   And I'd love for you to elaborate on why the young adult, or the YA category can be the most controversial.   Hayley Morell: (22:38 - 25:12) Young adult protagonists are often upper teenage years. And so, we like to say, as we mentioned in our book, no topic is out of bounds. And this means that there can be a lot going on and a lot of messiness.   We like to use that word as we're talking about that. And sometimes the messiness can be thought provoking. Sometimes it can be provocative.   And we have noticed often YA deals with questions of identity. Who am I? How do I relate to the world?   And that can look like lots of different things. It can include sexual identity, which can lead to a lot of conversations. But something that we like to lean into as we look at the YA genre is that in a world where everything is constantly shifting, as you have a teen and they're encountering conversations at school, conversations with peers, or using social media, having an ever-changing feed that I can look at my Instagram feed and it's going to look nothing like a teenager's Instagram feed.   Even if you're looking at the same account, the way that reels are coming, they're getting bombarded with messages. The messiest of books is static. And you both can look at that and read the cover, read what's going on, and talk about it.   And you both have the same place to have a conversation. And so, we like to lean into that when we're looking at YA books and realize they are powerful, but they're powerful conversation starters. And books like, Betsy recently read a book, and it's called Bright Red Fruit.   And it's a cautionary tale about a teenage girl who has a relationship with an older man that's predator. And he is taking advantage, trying to separate her that is an excellent conversation starter. It's not an easy book to read.   You're reading it, getting worried for this girl, but it's a great way to say, let's read this book and let's talk about what a healthy relationship looks like, because this is not healthy. So, we love YA books that can provoke conversations. And sometimes it might be you both looking at a book and going, you know, this doesn't seem helpful.   We don't need to finish this book. It's okay to stop reading a book and return it to the library.   Laura Dugger: (25:12 - 26:11) I completely agree. And even with that YA section, one of our daughters was just saying, when I go through that section of the library, it seems like every single book is about death. And it did provoke a good conversation from that.   But I think it was Sarah McKenzie who was the first person that I heard explain the difference between a middle grade novel or YA because from my understanding, middle grade isn't just for those grades. You even said younger ages can enjoy that and older. I have friends that only read middle grade novel now as adults.   So, it's not just your reading level, but YA has different rules on it where I think you said anything goes, any topic is allowed. So, it doesn't mean that YA is necessarily what you have to graduate to once you enter high school. Is that right?   Hayley Morell: (26:11 - 27:06) But yes, it's typically and the funny thing that you kind of leaned into it, some middle grade books definitely deal with coming of age or might even have a teenage protagonist, but it's written in a way that a 12 year old could read it and enjoy it. When you get into like the higher YA, it is more like young adults, people starting their own lives, having adventures, leaving home, going on quests. And like you said, bringing in some heavier topics.   Now we have seen since like in the last five years, a lot of books dealing with death and grieving that are hitting that middle grade genre too, which can be helpful. But at the same time, if you're just reading sad books, you might want to change your diet and find a fun, happy book too.   Laura Dugger: (27:07 - 27:31) Again, in a conversation like this, it has to be more general of a recommendation, but there's such a difference, I'm sure in YA for your 13-year-old versus your 18-year-old. So, for someone who does want to dip their toe into some YA books, do you have anyones that you find yourselves recommending again for that age group?   Betsy Farquhar: (27:32 - 28:42) I'll jump in here. We've got a couple of book lists on our site that are, have actual number ages attached to them. Thirteen books for 13-year-old boys is a great one for that younger teen audience.   But those tend to be, they're grappling with some coming-of-age issues, but they tend to be more adventure based in a sense and more fun. I think of the Ranger's Apprentice series by John Flanagan. There's a little bit of language.   There's a little bit of romance, but it's very teen, young teen friendly. And its actually kind of a good picture of men being heroes and women are heroes in very, like the men are men, they're very masculine. And the women, even if they're part of the army, so to speak, they're still doing it in a feminine way.   So, it's just kind of a nice sort of entry into some of those conversations. But then if you fast forward, by the time teens are in their upper teens, they should be able to read adult books too. And so, you might find yourself reading something like Peace Like a River by Leif Enger, which is very much written for an adult market, but very accessible to teens if they're willing to grapple with some of those ideas.   But that book's going to be a lot heavier than a book for a 13-year-old.   Laura Dugger: (28:44 - 29:05) That's helpful just to have examples. And I think it's also helpful to put this into context by reflecting back through time. So, just in America, what have you learned about the trends and the changes in libraries, specifically over the past 75 years?   Betsy Farquhar: (29:06 - 31:30) So, I have a library degree too, so I love talking about libraries. In library science, we have a rule, it's called Ranganathan's Law, and it simply says every book is reader, which means that for every book out there, there's a reader out there. And libraries take that very seriously.   No book is off the table for a public library. We had an entire class on serving our community. So, the goal behind a public library has always been to serve the community in which it's placed.   Now that's changed a lot as our society has changed a lot. So, before World War II, most libraries were funded very locally, local taxes, they may have even been subscription-based, but after we have all these army vets coming back after World War II, they're going back to school later. We have this explosion of information access for people who can't get it.   So, the Library Services Act was the first one. We've had lots of iterations since then. Now it includes technology.   It started with giving federal dollars to rural libraries, and it's continued even to big cities now, but the focus is still on services for people who can't access them as easily. So, free Wi-Fi was a really big one before Wi-Fi was as broad spread. There are services for the blind and for other communities that might not be able to read as easily.   So, it's still sort of an information hub, but I think that makes us uncomfortable sometimes as Christians because our society has changed so much that we go into a library now and we're like, I would never read this book to my kid. Well, but your neighbor might, and the public library is not the parent of your child. The public library is serving the whole community.   So, go ahead and request them to stock some Christian books. A lot of them will buy the Christian books that you request because they want to serve you. You're part of their community.   So, I think we just have to remember that their goal is broader. My goal as a parent is far more niche than my public librarian's goal to serve her community. She's not my enemy.   Even if she's picking things for story time that I would never read to my children, it doesn't mean I have to ignore the library. I can love that those are image bearers. I can respectfully bring up my concerns, and I can suggest books and I can build a relationship with this fellow image bearer in my community.   It can be a great mission field. So, yes, libraries are continually evolving. That's why they now offer you can even check out sports equipment.   They're still trying to provide information and resources for the community.   Hayley Morell: (31:32 - 32:01) I just recommended or requested two books that were Christian picture books that aren't in our system. And one of our librarians helped me fill out the form explaining why I wanted them. And I just got a notification yesterday. Both are on hold for me and have been added to our library. So, it's exciting. If you don't ask, you don't know if you're going to get it. I honestly was surprised. I was like, oh, they actually got the books I wanted.   Laura Dugger: (32:02 - 32:56) It is so exciting when they do that. I love our local library, and the staff is just wonderful to work with. So, that's great encouragement for us to get to know them by name and have a relationship with them.   And just to zero in on that one piece after World War II, I think that's tied to what so many people call is it the golden age of children's literature where some people will say we only read books before a certain year, like mid-1900s. But I love that you guys review even modern books because it's not that it was all better back then. But I do think there's a piece of truth in it that libraries had to be so discerning back then with less funding.   And so maybe they had the best of the best available and then funds came in and we can have a wider range.   Betsy Farquhar: (32:56 - 33:40) There's so many factors here historically because we could really nerd out, but I won't. But what's also being reflected is simply printmaking technology because the ability to print paperbacks, paperbacks as like a thing weren't a thing until the 20th century. So, books were incredibly expensive.   You've got all those factors playing in too. So, not only are they getting different funding, but there is an explosion in printmaking technology that allows publishers to produce inexpensive books. And that allows families and libraries to buy more books.   It's not dissimilar to the way we have digital media now that's got its own sort of technology behind the distribution of the digital books. So, there's a lot of factors involved in that.   Laura Dugger: (33:41 - 34:03) That is fascinating. I'm glad you brought that up. And like I said, so helpful to look back.   But now if we're also looking forward, I'd really appreciate your perspective on where we're headed. So, what's on your radar for genres or books that may require even more discernment in the future?   Hayley Morell: (34:04 - 37:18) So, right now, romanticy is having a moment and that's a genre that is getting a lot of attention. There's a lot of marketing using that language. And I think it's really helpful to realize this is a marketing term.   So, Fourth Wing became very popular. That is a book that is for adults. It has a lot of explicit sex.   But it used the term romanticy and it sold very well. And so suddenly all books that are fantasy and have some romance are being called romanticy. And that could mean a lot of different things.   So, what we're seeing is this term that if it's used in the YA genre, we don't know what it means going into a book. It might mean a lot of focus on romance and some unhelpful sex. It also could mean a really fun fantasy that happens to have a romantic angle.   So, I recently gave a starred review to A Forgery of Fate by Elizabeth Lim. That's a Chinese fairy tale, beauty and the beast type story. And it is excellent.   One of the marketing terms that used was romanticy. And it just is a wonderful fantasy story that has this thread of romance perfectly appropriate for teen readers. But that is a term that we're currently aware of.   And this is a genre that we want to notice and take with a grain of salt. It's kind of a contrast on the other side. It's differentiating between romanticy has romance and then there's cozy fantasy, which is more cottage core, comfortable feeling.   It also could have sex. So, there's, as we run into this fantasy genre, there's a lot of things going on, but it's definitely having a moment. And it's just nice to know what's going on and what cozy fantasy is going to be focused on character development, like very like a shopkeeper who inherits a cottage with a garden and grows mushrooms.   That's cozy fantasy. Romanticy is a chosen one motif who's at some dramatic school. Dark academia is also having a moment where it's a lot of angst, a lot of little bit of horror.   And some of it can be done really well because it's popular. There's a lot of it out there. And so, some discernment is required as you're figuring out, is this a book for adults or is this a book for teens?   I think I would be cautious with books that are being marketed for adults as romanticy because you could run into some things that are meant for an adult audience and might not be helpful for that teenage reader of yours.   Betsy Farquhar: (37:18 - 38:06) The only other thing I'll add, and this is sort of a different approach, but we're seeing a lot of genre blending. It's getting harder to say this is a mystery or this is a fantasy, even this is a historical fiction story. So, I think genre fiction in general is kind of having a moment.   And when we say genre fiction, we really mean things like mystery, science fiction, romanticy, these sort of sub genres that are underneath the broader terms of realistic fiction or speculative fiction is an umbrella term that includes fantasy, dystopia, science fiction, magical realism, all the little niche downstream sort of sub genres. But we're seeing some really interesting things. It's going to be harder to automatically decide I like that genre, or I don't because they're just mixing and matching elements from all over the place.   Laura Dugger: (38:08 - 39:15) Mm-hmm. That is helpful. I had never heard of some of those things that you just mentioned, but also I'd love for you to respond after I shared this story.   I had a previous guest, Megan Cabe, who used to run a blog. It was called Young Book Love and she would review, I think, middle grade novels, maybe a little bit of YA, but she would say most topics are beneficial to read, even if they're difficult, what you all refer to as messy books. But she did provide extra caution and just said she strongly advised against explicit sexual content because those mental images have a way of sticking with us.   And I agree with her. I would also add sometimes what's not appropriate for our children is not appropriate for us either. And just a funny way to remember this, I had a loved one recently who just said, “You can't sugarcoat a turd. I'd love your take on all of that.”   Hayley Morell: (39:17 - 41:54) So, we like to use the term beyond ever after when we're dealing with this idea of what romance is helpful, what is not helpful. And like you said, the age of the reader comes into play because something that might be a good conversation point with your teen, let's say dealing with a first kiss, that is something that is good to be thinking about and be talking about having healthy conversations about what is God's design for sexuality. And as you are starting to notice the opposite sex and have feelings, what do we do with those?   And again and again, it's been shown that it is helpful to have these conversations because if we're not having a conversation about what is God's view and what does God want us to do with this, our young people are going to turn to the world, which is very happy to give them a lot of talk about sexuality, but some very different perspectives and answers that are focused on yourself, let's you do you versus no, what has God given us and how are we going to steward this?   So, one of the things that I like to, that we like to be aware of as we're reviewing at Redeemed Reader is, is this a 12-year-old reading this book? And if a 12-year-old is reading a book and in the book, a 12-year-old is having a crush and it's kissing, we don't want our 12-year-olds kissing. That's not that helpful yet.   I mean, that's, that's quite young and yes, in some cultures you might, but not yet. However, if this is a book about an 18-year-old on a high school trip, like Becky Dean has some really fun YA romances that are appropriate for teens, then dealing with what is it like dating? What is it like dealing with these emotions and chemistry that can be really well done for an 18-year-old?   But like you said, we want to be aware of our imaginations. We want to be aware of what we're able to handle. And for someone, maybe reading those romances is fun and helpful.   For another, it might be unhelpful. And I think that comes down to as a reader growing discernment and knowing what you are able to read that will still be edifying.   Betsy Farquhar: (41:56 - 42:55) I'm going to piggyback a little bit. I, I agree that there, we look to scripture for what the standards are, and the Bible is not describing sexual activity in sordid detail. So, it's probably a good idea for us not to be wallowing in the same sorts of things.   And I think the same thing is true for language. In fact, it's easier to ignore profanity in a book you're reading versus listening to it. I mean, if we immerse ourselves in audio books that have, that are littered with profanity, it's going to stick in our head differently than if we're just reading it on the page.   And I think sexual activity; there are some similar dynamics at play. Obviously, a visual scene is going to be probably stick with us even more than a written scene. But either way, you know, that's part of discernment is what is my imagination doing with this?   And the overall picture of my reading diet. Is this all I'm reading? Is this what my thoughts are going towards?   Are they pointing me back to Christ? Are they promoting some helpful conversation? Or is it just sort of my guilty pleasure? Well, that should be maybe a sign.   Laura Dugger: (43:21 - 43:45) Some love stories are described as squeaky clean. But when it comes to the world of Christian romance, what are some helpful questions that we can be asking our tween or teen? And what are some healthy considerations for filtering books that we're going to allow to be consumed in our home?   Hayley Morell: (43:47 - 47:15) So, it's interesting. I think each genre of romance can have its own pitfalls. And I know I really appreciate the authors who are writing clean, squeaky-clean stories.   And as I've read them and consumed them, one of the things I've noticed is that it is clean. There's no question of something being clean. But at the same time, if the only thing we're reading, going back to having a balanced book diet, is a squeaky-clean story, I don't think that's helpful because it doesn't show an accurate view of the world.   And we want to be preparing our tweens and teens for a world where, yes, there is a happily ever after. Yes, we have the fairy tale wedding, or we have an imagination that is sparked by boy meets girl. But then what happens next?   And we live in a fallen world. And so, we have to work on relationships. We have to work on communicating.   And sometimes squeaky clean can lean so far into being safe that it doesn't actually show what it is like to have a relationship with the opposite sex. I think of one story I read and it's very superficial, playful. Snarky is often something I've noticed in the squeaky clean because we don't, we have to have some form of banter.   And so, it's perpetual sarcasm and no physical touch. But then suddenly our protagonists marry and now they're still being snarky and not touching. And as an adult, I look at that and go, that is not an accurate portrayal of what it looks like to have a romance and to have marriage.   And so, we love to ask, what are the relationships like in this book? And if that's in a middle grade novel, one of the things we love seeing is are they showing a healthy family? Are they showing parents that like being together?   Because that's at a middle grade level is you're sparking that imagination. What is our protagonist seeing as the adults around them are having relationships? Do the adults like to be together?   I just was reading a really sweet, Betsy, I think you read it. But Will's Race for Home is a story about this boy and westward expansion. And so, it's when the Oklahoma, Oklahoma land rush opens up.   And there's the sweetest time where he talks about how he knows his father loves his mother because his father will look at his mother and she will blush. And it's the sweetest age-appropriate picture of what romance looks like when you're a 12-year-old looking at your parents. And I think that type of thing can be a really healthy way of having these conversations versus having a diet that is just squeaky clean and yet might actually be showing an inaccurate portrayal of what it's like to have relationships in a fallen world.   Laura Dugger: (47:16 - 47:30) Well, let's get specific on another type of book as well. How do you advise parents to think critically on what age is appropriate to consume what you mentioned earlier, the Hunger Games or a book like that?   Betsy Farquhar: (47:31 - 49:44) Ooh, pick me. I love these kind of books. I'll read anything.   And I tend to get tasked with books that are difficult sometimes. Although many of us on our team read them and we do talk about these behind the scenes. So, when you're thinking about the age your child is and when they're ready for any book, but especially a popular one, I think part of that is our job as parents is always to be watching our children, to be students of our children.   How are they consuming media in general? What kind of video games? What kind of movies?   Are they on social media? What is their media diet like? And how are they handling that?   And if they're showing discernment in general, and they're kind of grappling with issues and ideas, then they're going to be ready for a book like the Hunger Games sooner than a child who's just blindly taking it all in. There's no magic age where you say, ooh, you're 12, you can read the Hunger Games. A lot depends on what that child's already displayed.   And I think dystopia are the books where there's some apocalyptic future and there's usually an autocratic governor or government system or it's futuresque. But they're really great books about bringing up big questions about how society works and the nature of authority and even the nature of anarchy. And they're just such great discussion starters.   But if your child isn't able to have those kinds of conversations yet, they're going to miss the forest for the trees and it's going to be all shock value. But I'm going to add a big caveat. If it's really popular and you think your child is maybe ready, maybe not quite, I would probably go ahead and read it with him or her if all of the peers are reading it.   Because I would rather my child have that conversation with me than with their friend. Or at least have it with me first before they read it with their friends. Even if we skip parts, maybe it's a book that you feel like we can't read chapter 12 for whatever reason.   Be honest with your child and say, you know what? This book has a scene I'm really uncomfortable with. Maybe give a brief summary.   We're going to keep going. But engage with your children over what is popular. I think that is the number one takeaway because they're going to find answers somewhere.   We want it to be from us.   Laura Dugger: (49:46 - 50:52) That is good. And that's why I appreciate the redeemed reader because you're putting in all this work for us because we can't pre-read everything. But when we're faced with a situation like that, it is helpful that we can choose to read some with them.   And another angle, I just love a few of your quotes in the book. First, on page 76, you write, If Genesis were made into a true-to-the-book movie, the Redeemed Reader team would not allow our children to watch it. We might abstain as well.   And then you go on for page 111 and you say, the best tool we can give our growing readers is God's word. The more they know and understand the Bible, the better equipped they will be to think discerningly, to recognize error, and to know how the Bible handles the same issues. So, will you just elaborate on this wisdom and advise us on how and why to encourage our children to read the Bible, even though it is messy?   Betsy Farquhar: (50:53 - 52:58) Well, it is a messy book, but thankfully, it's not only a messy book. I mean, if it were a movie, we have nudity very quickly. Then we have rebellion against God, and then we have murder.   And before you know it, six chapters in, the world is so bad that God is sending a flood to destroy it. So, it must have been really bad. But the Bible isn't giving us all those details.   And I think that is a big piece of the picture when it comes to discernment in literature. The Bible is not shy about telling us that people sinned. I mean, our heroes, David, infidelity, murder, you know, most of the famous people in the Bible did something egregiously wrong and sinful.   And yet the whole story of the Bible is God redeeming his people. We're all sinners. And there is hope because of Christ.   None of us can make it without Christ. And so, in the Bible, you're seeing both the mess and the hope. You're seeing God's answer to this problem.   And so, as we read scripture with our kids, one of the things that is helpful is we know what sin is. It's rebellion against God. It includes everything from sexual activity outside of marriage to gossip and pride and sort of the easy sins, right?   They're all sin. So, I think that's one thing that comes across when we're studying God's word. We also see Christ.   And when we then turn to a book, just a regular fiction book or even a nonfiction book, is the book also labeling sin as sin or at least a mistake? Or is it glorifying it? How is it handling it compared to how we know scripture handles it?   Is there any hope in the book? And where is that hope found? Are they just praying to the universe?   We're seeing universe capitalized all over the place now as sort of this amorphous deity. Well, that's not hopeful. I don't want to pray to Jupiter.   You know, we have a God who cares about us. And so just getting your kids to sort of reckon with the differences between how a book is portraying hope and judgment versus how scripture portrays it, that's going to take them a long way.   Laura Dugger: (53:01 - 53:23) That's fantastic. And your book lists at the end of each chapter are reason enough to purchase the book. But I'm sure that you've encountered additional titles since your publication date that you also enjoy.   So, will you share a handful of book recommendations, maybe some from each of those sweet spots again from your team?   Hayley Morell: (53:24 - 54:03) For young adults, we've actually mentioned both of the ones that I would add. They both have received starred reviews. A Forgery of Fate by Elizabeth Lim.   Excellent fantasy for young adults. And then Bright Red Fruit by Sophia O'Heo. And that one is a discussion starter.   It is a messy book, but it's an excellent book for its audience. Those would be two young adult fantasies. We see a lot of young adult fantasies.   So, but I would have loved to include those in the book. We just read them later.   Betsy Farquhar: (54:03 - 55:03) So, quick correction, Bright Red Fruit's not a fantasy, but it is it is. Oh, I apologize. That's fine.   It's a discussion starter. And that usually means that there's something in there you need to know about before you read it. As a parent, I would recommend doing your homework on that book.   It's a really good book to read with your daughters, but you might want to pre-read it first. Middle grade, that's our biggest bucket. Because it's the most it's got the widest audience reach and it's just so fun.   So, some of the ones that we've really liked, The Teacher of Nomadland by Daniel Nayeri. He is a Christian author. He won the National Book Award for this book for young people's literature and a Newbery Honor.   It's fantastic. It's a story about World War II. Benny on the Case by Wesley King is a really lovely mystery that features the protagonist has mosaic down syndrome, and it's just not very common to read books with different disabilities represented.   So, that's just a really sweet story. Lots of fun.   Hayley Morell: (55:04 - 55:05) It's a great audio book too.   Betsy Farquhar: (55:06 - 56:40) Yes. Song of the Stone Tiger, another Christian author, Glenn McCarty. It's a kind of a mix of realistic fiction and fantasy.   So, it's fun. A new one that we like. And then I'll leave you with one more.   I actually have it right here. So, for those who are watching this, they can see it. It's called Radiant by Vonda Michaud-Nelson.   And it's a novel in verse, but a beautiful picture of what it means to love your neighbor. So, The Sword by Marty Murkowski from New Growth Press. It's kind of a family devotional resource.   It was the World Magazine Book of the Year. We gave it a starred review as well. The Amazing Generation is a book for kids by the same author as The Anxious Generation.   So, that book is like a super bestseller for adults. This is kind of taking that idea and helping kids know how not to be the anxious generation, right? How they can be the amazing generation.   The World Entire is a nonfiction, maybe technically a picture book, but it's really long. And it's for this audience. And it's a true story about World War II, about a rescue.   I think it was set in Portugal. And then a graphic novel that's nonfiction. I'm trying to cover all your different genres here.   This is How to Say Goodbye in Cuban by Daniel Meadez. It's about his father and how he emigrated or escaped from Cuba. But it's a graphic novel.   So, there's a lot of visual interest. So, that's a really interesting background for kids who are hearing a lot of headlines about places like Cuba. And they're like, what's really going on?   A book like that can help them understand just some of the nuance behind the headlines.   Hayley Morell: (56:41 - 58:51) One of the things about middle grades as we talk about books is that middle grade is the age where readers are just exploding. And while you might have been able to keep up with your reader, then they hit 10 or 12 years old, and you give them a stack of books and they're reading them and asking for more. So, we definitely have a lot of middle grade reviews.   Picture books, though, are another place that we just love. And there's been some recent ones that we looked at and got, oh, this would be so good for the book. Something like Tuesday's Bear by Alexander Davis.   It's this beautiful story based on a true historical event. Unclaimed luggage is where, you know, if a suitcase gets lost, what happens to the contents? Well, one family had an idea, and Alexandra tells it through the story of this little bear who gets lost and then is found.   It's the most beautiful story. As a Christian, you can see a lot of very true themes running through it. And it's a delight to read aloud.   Wild Honey from the Moon by Kenneth Craigel. It's a story about a mother shrew whose little boy is sick, and she is going to do anything, even if it means traveling all the way to the moon to get some wild honey. It's a very imaginative story.   Beautiful pictures. A couple sneak peek that are going to just, these reviews are just going up. Iguanodon's Horn by Sean Rubin.   We've loved Bolivar, it was a graphic novel he did about a dinosaur. You can tell he likes dinosaurs. This is an amazing nonfiction picture book.   And for our Christian readers, this is a book about dinosaurs that doesn't have evolution. And I think you're going to love it. One more. His Grace is Enough. This is like Dr. Zeus type rhyming. Melissa Kruger wrote it.   It's a Christian book and it's a wonderful reminder for children. When you are dealing with sin, God's grace is enough. And I think you'll find if you read this, you'll be repeating the stanzas to yourself and encouraged as you read.   Laura Dugger: (58:54 - 59:41) I love having book lists. And if any other listeners are like me, we'll finish this episode and go ahead and put a bunch of books on hold at the library, which is always so convenient. And I'm sure a lot of people aren't able to take notes right now.   Maybe they're driving or working out as they're listening to this. But I love that every episode on The Savvy Sauce now has a transcript available. So, if anybody wants these book lists, you can go to the show notes page, either on our website or click on your podcast app and the transcript is available there.   So, thank you for all those wonderful recommendations. And do you have any other helpful tips to give us as parents if we're trying to navigate this well?   Betsy Farquhar: (59:42 - 1:00:26) Yes, start at birth and start not just reading with your kids, but asking them questions. They don't, it doesn't have to be a lengthy discussion. Is Piglet a good friend to poo?   You know, if you're reading Winnie the Pooh or if you're an Elephant and Piggy fan, like my kids were. Do you think Gerald should share his ice cream with Piggy? You can just pause in the middle of the story and just get them thinking, right?   So then when you get to the Hunger Games, you can say, what did you think of the ending? Would you have liked it to end differently? Those are great open-ended questions that get people talking and engaging and that you're often running.   If you can just think, I need to engage with my kids over what we're reading, then almost any book can be a discussion starter.   Laura Dugger: (1:00:27 - 1:00:33) Well, where can we go after this conversation to find more of your book recommendations?   Betsy Farquhar: (1:00:35 - 1:01:29) I'll do this one. Redeemedreader, alloneword.com is our website. And then we're super creative.   Our Facebook is exactly the same. Redeemedreader, alloneword. Our Instagram is redeemed underscore reader.   That's kind of a long story. But if you Google Redeemed Reader, you'll find us. And then the best way, oh yes, of course our book, which is also called The Redeemed Reader.   We're so original. But the best way to experience Redeemed Reader, other than the book, is through our weekly newsletter, which Haley curates and she does a fantastic job. But there's where you'll get the latest reviews.   We put in links for other places around the web that you might find interesting, different bookish news. Haley does a really fun book trivia with picture books. So, we like to think that it's going to make your inbox a happy place.   It's not a marketing email.   Laura Dugger: (1:01:30 - 1:01:50) I love that. We will provide links to all of that in the show notes for today's episode. And you two are already familiar.   We are called The Savvy Sauce because savvy is synonymous with practical knowledge. And so, as my final question for both of you today, what is your savvy sauce?   Betsy Farquhar: (1:01:52 - 1:03:03) So, as a business owner and a mom and a wife, it's probably not a surprise that I love my planner, but I've been through a lot of planners in my day, and I have very specific requirements. It needs to be bound, not coil bound. There's a certain size.   I mean, I have issues. I should say I have high standards for my planner. The single best feature in my current planner is that it forces me to break down my to do list between my life to do and my work to do.   And that was a game changer for me because I am wearing a lot of hats as most women are these days. And so, I limit myself to the number of bullet points that I'm given in the planner so that my work doesn't overtake my family life. It tends to be that way, sadly, more than the other way around.   Usually, my family life is not overtaking the work life, but it just it just gives me a chance to articulate each week. You know, I've got a birthday coming up that I need to plan for or I need to make sure my I mean, I graduated my youngest last year from high school, but the senior year in high school has a lot of deadlines. And so, it just helped me prioritize those milestones for my family and not let work get in the way.   Love that.   Laura Dugger: (1:03:03 - 1:03:04) What's the name of your planner?   Betsy Farquhar: (1:03:04 - 1:03:17) It's called the commit 30. I know there are other planners that do the same sort of thing, but I love having a weekly spread and I just love breaking it out between life to do and work to do.   Laura Dugger: (1:03:18 - 1:03:20) Absolutely. That sounds amazing. I love it.   Hayley Morell: (1:03:21 - 1:05:10) And my savvy sauce, I was going to say, Betsy is the planner and Betsy, I know you wouldn't appreciate this is spiral bound. So, I echo having a planner is a great way for me to just sort through all my thoughts, put them down and organize what needs to get done. But my savvy sauce is related to tech habits.   And as we were getting ready for our first, my husband and I were talking about how could we be mindful with our phone usage? And I have to thank Betsy for recommending Andy Crouch's, The Tech-Wise Family. Love that book.   And one of the things that we decided to do was to create a charging station downstairs in our house. And when I am not working where I need my phone for authentication or sending a voice message or being on the phone, if I'm not actively working, my phone lives on its charger. And that's been a struggle for me.   I have to admit the moment I had a child, anxiety kicked in. And for the first month, the phone was on me because that's what I needed to have a little security blanket. But I've been learning to leave my phone behind.   And then I'm not tempted to pick it up and scroll. And I feel like a child again because I get to the middle of the afternoon. And since I haven't been distracting myself, I've been getting things done. And all of a sudden I'm like; it's two o'clock and it's not dinner time yet. I have all of this time because I've created some more time by using the phone as a tool. But not having it right present and honestly, just distracting myself with it.   Laura Dugger: (1:05:12 - 1:05:48) That is a good, savvy tip. I love both of those. And you two have such warm and engaging personalities.   And I love those benefits that you were talking about for people who are readers. I experienced all of that through both of you today. And you're so wise and discerning yourselves.   And I am just beyond grateful that the Lord gifted you with your intellect, but also this passion for reviewing these resources. You're benefiting so many parents and children alike.   So, thank you for the work that you do. And thank you for being my guests.   Betsy Farquhar: (1:05:49 - 1:05:57) Thank you for having us. It is all from the Lord. Anything we have that's wise and worth taking away.   The credit should go to him, of course.   Hayley Morell: (1:05:58 - 1:06:00) Ame

Wednesday, 29 April 2026   But He said to them, “All cannot accept this saying, but only those to whom it has been given: Matthew 19:11    “And He said to them, ‘Not all, they contain this word, but whom it has been given.'” (CG)   In the previous verse, the disciples responded to Jesus' words about marriage and divorce, saying that because of what He said, it is better not to marry. Having heard that, Matthew records, “And He said to them, ‘Not all, they contain this word.'”   The question arises: Is Jesus referring to His own words concerning marriage, or is He referencing the response by the disciples? His continued words through the next verse will show that it is in response to what the disciples said –   Disciples: “If it is this, the case of the man with the wife, it conduces not to marry.” Jesus: “Not all, they contain this word.”   Of this, the Pulpit Commentary rightly states that Jesus “endorses these words in a different signification from theirs. Their objection to marrying arose from the impossibility of putting away a wife for any cause. Christ passes over these ignoble scruples and enunciates the only principle which should lead a man to abstain from marriage.”   In other words, Jesus is going to explain that there is a certain condition where not getting married is to be expected. Beyond that, marriage is the standard which is set for human existence. Despite all of its baggage and many setbacks, it is the normal, anticipated, and expected path for humans to follow. Understanding this, the following words introduce the matter concerning who is anticipated not to get married, saying, “but whom it has been given.”   Said differently, “Marriage is God's plan for humanity, but it must be adhered to according to God's expectation for marriage. It is a difficult but proper path to follow. However, there is an exception to this expectation for a particular category, they are...” From this point, Jesus will explain those who are the exception.   Life application: The point of this interaction between Jesus and the disciples, and the substance behind it, is that marriage is the proper avenue for humanity. In Genesis 1, the six days of creation are detailed. At the end of day 6, it said –   “And He saw, God, all which He made. And behold! Good, vehemently. And it was, evening, and it was, morning – Day, the sixth.” Genesis 1:31   Everything was good at the end of the sixth day of creation. From there, Genesis 2:4-25 is given as an insert to the portion of the sixth day concerning the creation of man. The Lord created the man, he was then placed in the garden, and he was given a command not to eat the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.   Right after that, it said, “And He said, Yehovah God, ‘Not good, being the human to his separation. I will make to him ‘helper, according to counterpart'.'” Genesis 2:18 (CG). During the sixth day of creation, there was something not good, a lack, which needed to be rectified.   To reveal this, the animals and birds were brought forward to be named by Adam. With that accomplished, it said, “And to Adam, not he found ‘helper, according to counterpart'.” Genesis 2:20 (CG). Adam could see there were male and female creatures, but he was alone in his kind.   With that understanding, the Lord put the man into a deep sleep, fashioned the woman from his side, and she was presented to him. At that time, Adam made his proclamation concerning the woman. Genesis 2 says –   “‘And he said, the man – “This the beat: Bone, from my bones, And flesh, from my flesh. To this, it will be called ‘Woman.' For from man, she was taken – this.”' 24Upon thus, he will relinquish, man, his father and his mother, and he impinged* in his wife. And they were to flesh – one.” Genesis 2:23, 24 (CG).   With this completed, the words of Genesis 1:31 are properly understood, “And He saw, God, all which He made. And behold! Good, vehemently.” Only after the creation of woman for man and the acknowledgement that they were fashioned for one another was the sixth day considered good. It is the expected norm for humanity since that time for humans to marry and continue the species accordingly. To not do so is considered the exception.   A logical question for those who insist on long-term creation arises from this thought. “If man is created, not having evolved, and if everything was good at the end of the sixth day, but it was not good during the sixth day, then how can that be reconciled with a long-term creation?” It cannot.   Either the record of man's creation in one day is true, following the pattern from the other single days of creation, or 1) the account of man's creation is false, or 2) the record of the Genesis 1 account (regardless of how long it actually was) is false, or 3) the entire Genesis creation account is false. Everything hinges on six literal days of creation, with man having been created in one day on the sixth day.   One cannot have things both ways. Either God's word stands and is true and reliable, or it is not. If Genesis 1 and 2 are merely allegorical, then Jesus' words about marriage hold no significance. If this is true, then the Christian message concerning moral issues has no validity at all.   Think things through! Don't be so foolish as to think you can outsmart God. We all must stand before Him and give an account of our lives and doctrine. Accept the word as it is written. It is truth.   Lord God, thank You for the rite of marriage that has existed since the first man on earth. Thank You that even though we fail one another at times, this is the beautiful course of life You have set forth for us. Help us to be faithfully faithful to one another as we live in Your presence. Amen.

“If Genesis 15 didn't exist there would be no Bible because there would be nothing to hold it all together.”

If Genesis 1 is an account of the creation of the world, why is the world recreated in Genesis 2? Dr. Bart Ehrman joins me to talk about whether these accounts can be understood as one story, or if something else is going on.

It's Friday, September 12th, A.D. 2025. This is The Worldview in 5 Minutes heard on 140 radio stations and at www.TheWorldview.com.  I'm Adam McManus. (Adam@TheWorldview.com) By Jonathan Clark and Adam McManus Chinese pastor dies after years of persecution After enduring years of persecution, Pastor Zhao Huaiguo, founder of Bethel Church in Hunan, China, has died, leaving behind a legacy of faith and resilience, reports International Christian Concern. In 2007, Pastor Zhao relocated to Hunan to establish Bethel Church, with a focus on serving elderly Christians and those who had previously avoided the Communist Party-sanctioned Three-Self Patriotic Movement churches. Since Bethel Church's founding, Pastor Zhao and his wife have faced relentless attacks. In 2019, authorities raided Bethel Church, confiscated Bibles, destroyed property, and pressured members to join the Three-Self movement. Then, in November 2024, Zhao and his wife were detained for 10 days for delivering unsanctioned online training. Pastor Zhao died in his early 50s. Revelation 2:10b says, “Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you life as your victor's crown.” Former Brazilian President Bolsonaro sentenced to 27 years in prison On September 11th, a panel of the Brazilian Supreme Court sentenced former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro to 27 years in prison after convicting him of attempting to overthrow the government following his loss in the country's 2022 election, reports The Epoch Times. Prosecutors charged Bolsonaro with five counts, including an attempted coup, being part of an armed criminal organization, attempted violent abolition of democratic rule of law, damage characterized by violence, and a serious threat against the state's assets and deterioration of listed heritage. Bolsonaro has denied any involvement and said that he is the target of political persecution under the administration of his former competitor, Brazilian President Luiz Lula. Trump honors the power of prayer In the United States, President Donald Trump announced the “America Prays” initiative in preparation for the country's 250th birthday next year. The White House is asking if one million Americans can dedicate one hour a week to praying for the U.S. Listen to comments that President Trump gave this week at the Museum of the Bible in Washington, D.C. TRUMP: “So, America has always been a nation that believes in the power of prayer. And we will never apologize for our faith, ever, ever, never, never. We will never surrender our God-given rights. We will defend our liberties, our values, our sovereignty, and we will defend our freedom.” DHS to offer $110 million of security to Christian groups The Department of Homeland Security awarded $110 million in security grants to faith-based organizations last month. The move came just a week before the deadly mass shooting at Annunciation Catholic Church in Minneapolis, Minnesota. A Senior Department of Homeland Security official said, “DHS is laser-focused on ensuring the safety of the American people. Instead of using grant money to fund climate change initiatives and political pet projects, we are using this money to protect American communities—especially places where people gather in prayer.” Charlie Kirk's assassin's cartridges contained ‘transgender” ideology Law enforcement have found a rifle near the Utah Valley University campus where conservative influencer Charlie Kirk was shot and killed on September 10th. The cartridges were all “engraved” with expressions of “transgender and anti-fascist ideology,” reports LifeSiteNews.com. On Thursday morning, Steven Crowder posted to X an exclusively obtained email from the American Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) which shared internal findings about the weapon used by Kirk's yet-unidentified assassin. The ATF message said, “The suspect fired one shot from an elevated position on a rooftop in an adjacent building on the campus and surveillance video shows the suspect jumping off and fleeing the area on foot.” Law enforcement, including ATF, “located an older model imported Mauser .30-06 caliber bolt action rifle wrapped in a towel in a wooded area near the campus,” in a location that “appears to match the suspect's route of travel. The spent cartridge was still chambered in addition to three unspent rounds at the top-fed magazine. All cartridges have engraved wording on them, expressing transgender and anti-fascist ideology.” One person at the scene reported that when he was shot, Kirk had been speaking about “how many trans mass shooters there have been.” Appearing on Fox News, former FBI Agent Stuart Kaplan provided his analysis. KAPLAN: “This assassination was a very well planned, very well-orchestrated plot that was put in motion days before. This individual had a plan of escape, to elude detection of being out up on a rooftop, and also being able to evade and elude law enforcement after that shot was taken. This assassination of Charlie Kirk, to me, is indicative of a professional hit.” Charlie Kirk wanted to be remembered for his courage and faith On the Iced Coffee Hour podcast, Charlie Kirk was once asked a provocative question. HOST: “How do you want to be remembered?” KIRK: “If I die?” HOST: “Everything just goes away. How would you, if you could be associated with one thing, how would you want to be remembered?” KIRK: “I want to be remembered for, for courage for my faith. That would be the most important thing. Most important thing is my faith in my life.” How Charlie Kirk shared Christ with an atheist student Charlie Kirk, an evangelical Christian, spent most of his time on college campuses having dialogue with students with whom he disagreed.  As you can hear from this exchange, recorded some time ago, he did not hesitate to share Christ. STUDENT: “Are you a Christian by any chance?” KIRK: “Very, very much.” STUDENT: So, like, why is that exactly?” KIRK: “Oh, Jesus saved my life. I'm a sinner, gave my life to Christ, most important decision I ever made.” STUDENT:  “So, you believe the Bible is real?” KIRK: “Yes, I believe the Bible is true and real.” STUDENT:  “Why is that?” KIRK: “Well, I could give you the technical answer. There's never been an archeological discovery that has contradicted the truth of the Bible. And then, of course, the wisdom. There is not a truth of the Bible, that if you apply to your life, your life does not improve it dramatically. “And then finally, we have the most accurate and transparent, historically robust account that one can have, of the most important figure ever to live in the history of the world: Jesus of Nazareth. And the resurrection is the pinpoint of my belief that Jesus did rise from the grave so that we may live.” STUDENT:  “What makes Christian mythology real?” KIRK: “So, that's not mythology, but that is theology. If Genesis 1:1 and the resurrection is true, anything in the Bible is possible. You're looking at the greatest miracle. The greatest miracle is creation, and then the fact that Jesus rose from the dead. And I say, ‘How do you know that Jesus rose from the dead?' “Well, show me another historical piece of a story where so many people willingly died a brutal death for a lie. Every single person around Him had everything to lose, and yet they went to the absolute death, from Paul to Peter to James, saying that, ‘Jesus is Lord. Jesus rose from the dead.' “Not to mention, if you were gonna fake a story, you would not use female witnesses in the ancient world. In the Scriptures, it said that the women were the first ones to see Jesus Christ. If you're trying to fake a story, you would never do that.” 2 Thessalonians 3:1 was no doubt on the heart of Charlie Kirk as he shared his faith so publicly and so boldly. The Apostle Paul wrote, “Pray for us that the message of the Lord may spread rapidly and be honored.” Charlie Kirk urged young people to come to Christ In one of Charlie Kirk's final X posts this past Saturday, he wrote, "Jesus defeated death so you can live,” reports Fox News. Kirk was a significant figure who inspired millions of high school and college students not only to become engaged politically, but to consider the claims of Jesus Christ and live lives guided by faith. Turning Point has a branch focused purely on faith, called Turning Point Faith, "dedicated to empowering Christians to put their faith into action." Pastor Rob McCoy, who is founder of Godspeak Calvary Chapel and the co-chair of Turning Point Faith, said Charlie Kirk called him his pastor but that he prefers to be known as his “friend and greatest fan.” Pastor McCoy said, "Charlie never used violence but was threatened every day with violence by those who couldn't contend with logic and truth — and now they have done to my friend what evil always does. It takes away life." McCoy said, "Charlie did not die. Instead, he has begun to truly live. His life was secured eternally by his Savior, Jesus Christ. This truth allowed Charlie to face every threat with courage because he didn't fear death." Psalm 27:1 says, “The Lord is my light and my salvation— whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life—of whom shall I be afraid?” McCoy added, "All evil knows is death, and they derive power from death. Charlie lived for life and will be remembered for this. My heart is broken for his family — his wife Erika and his two precious children. Evil has not prevailed, and it will not win." American conservative social media activist Robby Starbuck said “Charlie's greatest achievement is talking about God to young people during a time when too many were afraid to do that. The result has been a revival on college campuses all over the nation. It's our responsibility to carry on [Charlie's] work now." Close And that's The Worldview on this Friday, September 12th, in the year of our Lord 2025. Follow us on X or subscribe for free by Spotify, Amazon Music, or by iTunes or email to our unique Christian newscast at www.TheWorldview.com.  I'm Adam McManus (Adam@TheWorldview.com). Seize the day for Jesus Christ.

If Genesis describes the beginnings of the Lion of the Tribe of Judah, the book of Revelation finishes the story.Revelation 19 tells us that a descendant of Judah, Jacob's son, will one day come and rule the whole world. And He will be unlike any other king in history.1 Timothy 1:17, “All honor and glory to God forever and ever! He is the eternal King, the unseen one who never dies; he alone is God. Amen.”This verse tells us that the role of the greatest of all kings belongs to Christ alone. The image of a lion, with its sleek coat, fierceness, and strength, best describes Jesus as ruler over all.He will preside over an eternal kingdom, one that has no end and no boundaries. This picture of our great King is one we can hold fast to and believe in. One day, King Jesus, that strong lion, will even put away all dangers that threaten us.That is an amazing thing to look forward to. And it has been promised to us.Let's pray.Lord, your lion is coming to defeat evil and put away death and suffering forever, and we greatly look forward to that. Thank you for keeping your promises. In Jesus' name, amen. Change your shirt, and you can change the world! Save 15% Off your entire purchase of faith-based apparel + gifts at Kerusso.com with code KDD15.

To what degree did the original audience interpret Genesis as scientifically factual about creation vs a message about the creator?If Adam was not actually giving the creatures names, what was the significance of Adam's naming? Couldn't God have just given the names to Adam?If Genesis does not mention evangelism, how did it evolve from Genesis to how beautiful are the feet that share the good news,  go and make disciple? 

On today's Bible Answer Man broadcast (04/28/25), Hank answers the following questions:Is it correct that the main argument against the old Earth view is that if there had been death before the fall, it would negate Christ's sacrifice? Josh - Freehills, AB (0:55)My pastor says things like, “God says to stop looking at a Lexus, but a Ford Focus instead because your credit is bad.” When my pastor says, “God says,” is that God speaking through him? When my pastor speaks in tongues, is that biblical? Gene - Charlotte, NC (15:38)Genesis 1 tells us that God created man and woman on the sixth day. Genesis 2 says Adam was created first, then the animals, after which Adam named all the animals, and then God created Eve. If Genesis 2 all happened on the sixth day, then how could Adam have named all the animals within twenty-four hours? Tom - Tacoma, WA (20:11)

Genesis 12-13 as Replay of Genesis 2-6 If Genesis 2 was about the Eden blessing, Genesis 3 , failure one, Genesis 4 and 6, we kind of already traced through that. And it led up to an unleashing of violence on the land, and God met it with cosmic collapse and the flood. We're clearly walking along that…

Father in heaven, thank you for this moment. We are here by your grace! Your Word open before us and your Spirit active in us. Speak to us, we pray, in Jesus's name, amen.Today we're starting a new series in the Old Testament book of Numbers, and I just want to go ahead and tell you that this book is going to surprise you. If you've read the Book of Numbers before you may have noticed that, unsurprisingly, there's a lot of numbers. There are two big census reports of Israel in Chapter 1 and Chapter 26, and there's also a few parts that might be a little hard to understand, but mainly, this book is packed with action and suspense … There is conflict and resolution, obedience and rebellion, espionage and war, celebration and complaint, blessings and curses — There is meat that falls from the sky, the ground that swallows men alive, a rock that gushes water, poisonous snakes that kill people, and a donkey that talks. It's an amazing book, and the main point overall is that we might learn how to live with God on the road. The ultimate goal of everything (and I mean everything) is that God's glory be magnified in our hearts being satisfied in all that he is for us in Christ — and that means that God is our God and we are his people, and he is with us forever. That's what heaven is! That's home, Christian! But we're not there yet. For right now, we are on the road, we're still on a journey, and the Book of Numbers is meant to help us. We're gonna be in this book over the next 11 weeks, and what I'd like to do today is give you a short introduction to this book as a whole. And I want to tell you three things that the Book of Numbers is gonna help you do (and this goes for everyone, but I'm especially thinking about those of you who heard we were doing a series on Numbers and thought, “Oh man, Numbers??”. Here are three things you can prepare to do in response to this book:Enter the wildHear the wordHeed the warningAnd before we look closer at these three things, I want to make sure we're all on same page when it comes to the storyline. For the last several years we've been working our way through the Torah, the first five books of the Old Testament. Numbers is book #4 of 5, and it only makes sense if we understand it in the context of these other books. So let's back up for a second and remember where we are.GenesisEverything starts in Genesis 1:1 — “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth…” God is the First Cause. He's the Unmoved Mover. He is dependent on nothing, but all things are dependent upon him, which magnifies his glory. After Adam's fall into sin, the entire world was corrupted and broken, but God, by his grace, was determined to have a people who lived under his blessing. And so he chose Abraham and blessed him — God said: I will bless you and make you a blessing; through your offspring all the families of the earth will be blessed, and your descendants will be as many as the stars (Genesis 12:1–3; 15:5–6). And God also promised him a certain land — the land of the Canaanites (Gen. 12:7; 15:18–21; 26:1–5; 28:4; 35:12). God repeats this promise to Isaac and then to Jacob. Jacob's name is changed to Israel, and he has 12 sons.Exodus Fast-forward to the Book of Exodus, and all the children of Israel had migrated to Egypt because of a famine; they had grown in number, which threatened Pharaoh, so he makes them slaves, but then God raises up Moses to lead the people out of Egypt in the exodus. God does this dramatically, through many signs and wonders, executing judgment on the false gods of Egypt (see Num. 33:4). The people of Israel escape, through the Red Sea, and they journey to Mount Sinai. And Mount Sinai is the place where God comes down on the mountain to speak with Moses. God gives Israel the law and instructions for the tabernacle, which will be God's dwelling place among his people. God will be with his people, but how? That's the vital question that emerges in the story. How will this Holy God, Creator of all things, dwell with this sinful people? — because one thing that becomes clear by the end of the Book of Exodus is that the people of Israel are sinful. They grumble about almost everything. They're bent away from God. So how can a people like that have a relationship with this God? Leviticus That's the big question that Leviticus takes on, and the answer is atonement. The Day of Atonement is the center of the Book of Leviticus, and Leviticus is the center of the Torah. Through blood sacrifice, the people's sins can be forgiven and they can worship God — they can live with God's presence at the center of their lives! God makes a way for sinners to be close to him, and this is all pointing to the gospel of Jesus Christ. That's Leviticus.NumbersAnd now here is Numbers. For location and timing, Numbers opens and the people of Israel are still in the wilderness of Sinai. This is continuing the Book of Exodus. Numbers 1 picks up where Exodus 40 left off. So Leviticus comes between Exodus and Numbers because of its theme, but in terms of timing, Numbers happens right after Exodus. The people of Israel had built the Tabernacle and received the law, and now they're just about to set out on a journey from the wilderness of Sinai to the Promised Land (that same land that God promised Abraham back in Genesis).They're leaving from where they are (Mount Sinai) to go to their promised home, but they don't want to leave the presence of Yahweh. That's the whole point of the Tabernacle — it's a mobile dwelling place for God. The people must have God go with them — as a cloud by day and fire by night. And this is the answer to Moses's prayer going back to Exodus 33. Remember God promised Moses, “My presence will go with you”, and Moses said to God — one of the high points of Scripture — Moses said,“If your presence will not go with me, do not bring us up from here. 16 For how shall it be known that I have found favor in your sight, I and your people? Is it not in your going with us, so that we are distinct, I and your people, from every other people on the face of the earth?” 17 And the Lord said to Moses, “This very thing that you have spoken I will do …” (vv. 15–17)So the Book of Numbers focuses in on God's holy presence going with his people, even as they go deeper into the wilderness. That's where we are.Three things this book will help you do …1. Enter the WildBack in 1992 there was a guy named Chris McCandless who died of starvation in an abandoned bus on Stampede Trail in Alaska. If you've seen the movie or watched the documentary or read the book, you know the story. He graduated at the top of his class at Emory University, but gave away all his money and accomplishments to become a vagabond, and he ended up hitchhiking to Alaska — because he wanted to be deep in the wild. He wanted the adventure of the wilderness and it killed him, and he's been criticized for this. Apparently, he was ill-prepared and under-equipped for where he went. He went hiking and didn't even have a map, and sadly, if he did have a map he would have seen that he wasn't as remote as he thought. With a map, he could have easily walked out from where he was to safety. So this a tragic story — it was an avoidable death in the wilderness.And we're actually gonna see this same thing in the Book of Numbers. The people of Israel are also in the wilderness — but it's not because they want to be — they're in the wilderness because God leads them there to test them, because he wants their faith. All they have to do is trust him, but they don't, and therefore a whole generation of Israel does not make it out alive. A big part of the story of Numbers is a whole generation of people dying an avoidable death in the wilderness. That's what the wild can do to you. And this is important for us because, similar to Israel, we as Christians are currently in the wild. It might not feel like we are, but it's true. Notice in verse 1 we're told that the story of Numbers is taking place after God rescued his people from Egypt. The events of this book are after salvation but before making it home. The in-between. That's where the wilderness is, and that's where we are.As Christians, we also live after salvation and before making it home. Jesus has rescued us — he has died for us and been raised from the dead, we are free in him — but we're not in heaven yet. This is the in-between. We need to recognize that we've entered the wild … and not all of us make it out.And I'm just being honest with you. I've been a Christian long enough to know some tragic stories of people who fall away … and it's all avoidable. But how? We've entered the wild, and now we ask: How do we make it through the wild?2. Hear the WordNow in our English Bibles, we call the Book of Numbers Numbers, but in the Hebrew Bible it's known as bĕmidbar — which means “in the wilderness.” Those are the very first words of Numbers in the Hebrew Bible. The book starts: “In the wilderness Yahweh spoke to Moses.”And one fascinating little detail in the Hebrew that we can't see in English is that the words for “wilderness” and “spoke” in that first sentence sound the same. The Hebrew word for “wilderness” (or desert) is midbar; and the Hebrew word for “spoke” (or word) is dibbur — midbar … dibbur. This would be like us saying wild and word. Wild … word. They kinda sound the same.And ancient Jewish interpreters picked up on the wordplay here — that the words just don't sound the same, but they're closely connected in this story. And this connection is made plain in the Book of Deuteronomy, the book right after Numbers.In Deuteronomy Chapter 8, reflecting back on the Book of Numbers, Moses says:2 And you shall remember the whole way that the Lord your God has led you these forty years in the wilderness, that he might humble you, testing you to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep his commandments or not. 3 And he humbled you and let you hunger and fed you with manna, which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that he might make you know that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.I want you to get this, and this is a little bit of spoiler, but here it goes: the only way that Israel can live in the wild is to listen to the word. And if we had to capture that in a single idea it would be the idea of guidance. I think that's what we could call the overall theme of the Book of Numbers. If Genesis is Beginnings, Exodus is Rescue, Leviticus is Atonement, Numbers would be Guidance. That's what it means when God's presence goes with his people. Where God guides, the people go. And that includes literal direction in this story, but it's also more than that. God's guidance is moral — he is showing his people how to live together as his people, under his care, trusting him everyday. That's what guidance is for.Need Guidance?Anybody in here need any guidance? Do you think our lives in this world, in the in-between, need to be guided by God?Absolutely. This is why God has given us the Bible — we have his word to us in Holy Scripture!Look, we have get over our worry about legalism when it comes to daily Bible reading. Can we just grow up out of that? Settle this: reading the Bible is not what makes God love you. Okay? Settled. And, now … I don't know how you survive as a Christian without reading the Bible.We need God's word for the life of faith like we need oxygen. Don't think about Bible reading as a duty, but think: Do I want to breathe?You're not reading just to read; you're not trying to check a box, but you need to know how to live in this world. You need to hear from God on how to live in the wild! We need God's guidance! And there's a book for that. God has given us his word.Church, hear the word. 3. Heed the WarningThe Book of Numbers can be divided up or outlined in a couple of different ways, and one way is to see the book as really the story of two generations. The first generation goes from Chapter 1 through 18; and the second generation from Chapter 20 through 36.The second generation is faithful and they make it to the Promised Land, but the first generation is faithless and they die in the wilderness. Numbers is a fascinating book in and of itself, but then we also have the New Testament, and in the book of 1 Corinthians Chapter 10, the apostle Paul makes some comments about the Book of Numbers that are pretty important. In 1 Corinthians 10 most English Bibles put a little heading there that says something like “Warning Against Idolatry” because that's what Paul is doing. He gives a warning, and look where he goes:In verses 1–5 he talks about that first generation in Numbers. God had rescued them from Egypt; they had seen God's provision, nevertheless, verse 5: “with most of them God was not pleased, for they were overthrown in the wilderness.” That was the first generation — we're gonna study all about this over the next several weeks. But notice what Paul says in verse 6.1 Corinthians 10:6,“Now these things took place [the events in Numbers — these things took place] as examples for us, that we might not desire evil as they did.”Again, look at verse 11: “Now these things happened to them as an example, but they were written down for our instruction, on whom the end of the ages has come.”And that word for “instruction” could also be translated as “warning.” Paul is saying that the purpose of this book — the reason the events of Numbers were written down — was so that we Christians would read it as a cautionary tale! Verse 12: “Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall.”According to the apostle Paul, this is the attitude we should bring to this book. Sober up, church! Listen closely! Take heed! Do not be like the first generation in Numbers.In short, flee idolatry. Flee IdolatryPaul mentions idolatry twice here, in verse 7 and verse 14. And that tells us that, fundamentally, Israel's problem of unbelief in Numbers was a failure to obey the first commandment: “You shall have no other gods before me” (Exodus 20:3).That was the real reason behind all their grumbling and suspicion — they didn't worship the true God! And this all comes to light in Numbers 25.Numbers 25 is the last event of the first generation, (right before Chapter 26 gives us the census for the new generation). And in Chapter 25, this is verse 1:“While Israel lived in Shittim, the people began to whore with the daughters of Moab. 2 These invited the people to the sacrifices of their gods, and the people ate and bowed down to their gods. 3 So Israel yoked himself to Baal of Peor.”Now this is eerily similar to Exodus 32 when Israel made the golden calf, except this is worse! In Exodus 32, the people clearly break the second commandment, “You shall not make for yourself a carved image” (Exodus 20:4), but here in Numbers 25 they're not making images, they are literally putting other gods before Yahweh!It's like Numbers has pulled back the layers and got to the real issue. The people of Israel have not learned from their sin in Exodus 32, but they've doubled down in it. They've dug in their heels to make clear they want other gods besides Yahweh — which is disgusting and ridiculous and terrifying.We don't want to do that! We must flee idolatry! And in the Book of Numbers, we're gonna learn how to flee. We are going to heed Paul's warning and we're going to reject idolatry.And so we should expect a kind of testing through this book over the next several weeks.And I want to invite all of us, through this series, to open our hearts to God, and ask him to search us. We want him to expose any idols we might be harboring. Is there anything that we might want more than God?Questions to ConsiderAnd to get us started with that heart attitude, I'd like to close with some self-assessment questions. And I know this is a little different. We've never done this before, but this is an intro sermon. I want us to prepare for this book, and so here are a few questions for us to think about…(1) When it comes to entering the wild …Do you demonstrate a recognition that this world is not your home? How does your life show that you're on a journey to heaven?(2) When it comes to hearing the word …Are you determined to love what God loves and to do what God says? How often do you look to God for guidance?(3) When it comes to heeding the warning …Is Jesus your all-consuming passion and all-satisfying treasure? If he's not, who is?The TableThe Book of Numbers is a kind of call to action. It's an “on your feet” book, but the action is faith, and faith is the empty-handed embrace of who God is. We bring nothing to him, and this Table reminds us of that.We come to him, hands open, to receive his grace, to lean on his mercy, to rest in his love, which he has shown us most vividly in the death of Jesus for us. This Table reminds us of that, and we give God thanks for the gospel.

If you've been immersed in church culture, the narrative from Daniel chapter three is likely etched in your memory. It recounts the unwavering faith of three young men in the face of adversity. It's a story that challenges us to reflect on our own daily choices. What—or whom—are we truly worshiping? This question holds profound significance because what we worship shapes our lives. Worship, at its core, is about assigning ultimate worth to someone or something. In essence, we are all worshipers, directing our deepest devotion towards various objects or ideals. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego's response to King Nebuchadnezzar is a testament to their unwavering faith: "Our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of your hand, O king. But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.” Daniel 3:16-18 Their response exemplifies a rare blend of respect and noncompliance. While acknowledging the king's authority, they place their trust firmly in God. Crucially, they refrain from presuming how God will act. Their stance is clear: "God can save us, but even if He chooses not to, our allegiance to Him remains unwavering." This encapsulates the essence of biblical faith: the confidence to proclaim, "I know my God is able to deliver me," coupled with the submission and humility to declare, "Yet even if He does not, I will still trust in Him." It echoes the resolve of Job, who said, "Though he slay me, I will hope in him," and reflects the attitude of Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane. “Not my will, but yours." As Max Lucado poignantly puts it, "Sometimes God chooses to calm the storm, but if he doesn't, he is always there to calm his children in the midst of the storm."   While most Christians affirm God's omnipotence, fewer embody a willingness to align their will with His. God isn't a celestial wish-granter or a lucky charm. He is the sovereign Creator, Sustainer, and Orchestrator of all existence. If Genesis 1:1 is true, then everything rests in His hands. And if the resurrection of Jesus is a reality, then we can rest assured—whether in life or in death—God has us covered.

If Genesis describes the beginnings of the Lion of the Tribe of Judah, the book of Revelation finishes the story.   Revelation 19 tells us a descendent of Judah, Jacob's son, will one day come and rule the whole world. And He will be unlike any other king in history.   1 Timothy 1:17, “All honor and glory to God forever and ever! He is the eternal King, the unseen one who never dies; he alone is God. Amen.”   This verse tells us that the role of the greatest of all kings belongs to Christ alone. The image of a lion, with its sleek coat, fierceness, and strength, best describes Jesus as ruler over all.   He will preside over an eternal kingdom, one that has no end and no boundaries. This picture of our great King is one we can hold fast to and believe in. One day, King Jesus, that strong lion, will even put away all dangers that threaten us. That is an amazing thing to look forward to, and it has been promised to us.   Let's pray.   Lord, your lion is coming to defeat evil and put away death and suffering forever, and we greatly look forward to that. Thank you for keeping your promises. In Jesus' name, amen.   Change your shirt, and you can change the world! Save 15% Off your entire purchase of faith-based apparel + gifts at Kerusso.com with code KDD15.

Do you ever feel unsure of your purpose and place in this world? You're not alone, we all have a deep need for our identity—our sense of self and sense of worth —to be defined and affirmed. If Genesis 1 is true, no one is qualified to define and affirm who we are and why that matters; except the One who created us.

Open Forum – Questions Covered: 03:03 – Are things that are spirits that are not persons? 10:12 – The Chaplet of Divine Mercy seems impertinent. What does it mean to offer up Jesus to the Father? 17:19 – Do we impart importance on the archangels because they are named even when they are lower angels in the hierarchy? 22:40 – When one is visiting a different diocese, do we have to follow the dispensations of that diocese or our home diocese? 28:50 – I attended a mass with a lot of omitted parts. Was the mass valid and was the consecration valid? 34:12 – It’s strange but if holy water is put in a boiling pot or put in a humidifier, are the vapors or droplets still holy? 39:21 – Even if I go to confession how can still go to purgatory? 44:34 – Jesus says that the gates of destruction are wide. What does this mean? It seems very discouraging? 49:00 – If Genesis is allegory, can Mary truly be considered the new Eve? 52:30 – In school, some kids don't believe in God, how do I respond? …

If Genesis 1-3 were a play, there would be four scenes to the plot.[1] First, there is creation where God the great Artist creates everything from nothing. Second, there is jubilation where God meets Adam's need of a helper by making Eve for him and the first family exists happy and content in the garden. Third, there is temptation where we see…… Continue reading Genesis 3:8-15 – The Fall, part 2

If Genesis 6-8 tell the story of a family that survived the great flood because of their devotion to God, why do Genesis 10-11 tell the story of a great insurrection against God's authority? How could mankind have fallen so far, so fast? Steve Gallagher joins us to look at where the Tower of Babel rebellion ultimately began - in the heart of one of Noah's own sons. We'll see how a young man who grew up in a very godly home could become the grandfather of the very first Antichrist. And Ed Buch helps connect this story to each one of us, showing how it plays out for many in the church today. Plus, our staff roundtable guests will share personal testimonies of the outward things they tried to stop from giving over to sexual sin, how these never worked, and what ultimately changed their hearts.

If Genesis 1 is not a scientific description of how the world was created, what is the story trying to tell us? How is this God different?

If Genesis describes the beginnings of the Lion of the Tribe of Judah, the book of Revelation finishes the story.   Revelation 19 tells us that a descendent of Judah, Jacob's son, will one day come and rule the whole world. And He will be unlike any other king in history.   1 Timothy 1:17 - All honor and glory to God forever and ever! He is the eternal King, the unseen one who never dies; he alone is God. Amen.   This verse tells us that the role of the greatest of all kings belongs to Christ alone. The image of a lion, with its sleek coat, fierceness and strength, best describes Jesus as ruler over all.   He will preside over an eternal kingdom, one that has no end and no boundaries. This picture of our great King is one we can hold fast to and believe in. One day, King Jesus, that strong lion, will even put away all dangers that threaten you.   That is an amazing thing to look forward to. And it has been promised to us.   Let's pray.   Lord, your lion is coming to defeat evil and put away death and suffering forever, and we greatly look forward to that. Thank you for keeping your promises. Amen.

That the Triune God created all that has come into existence has been the uniform confession of God's people through all time. It is the fundamental assertion of the Bible upon which all else rests. Matter abundantly declares, through entropy, that it's existence is dependent. It's cause is not to be found within itself. No wonder then, that this foundational doctrine is the focus of attack by unbelief. If Genesis 1-3 is denied then man himself is rendered meaningless and will be viewed as an human resource merely to be controlled by a self-proclaimed elite for whatever seems good to them.

That the Triune God created all that has come into existence has been the uniform confession of God's people through all time. It is the fundamental assertion of the Bible upon which all else rests. Matter abundantly declares, through entropy, that it's existence is dependent. It's cause is not to be found within itself. No wonder then, that this foundational doctrine is the focus of attack by unbelief. If Genesis 1-3 is denied then man himself is rendered meaningless and will be viewed as an human resource merely to be controlled by a self-proclaimed elite for whatever seems good to them.

If Genesis, according to British comedian and fan, Al Murray "were the progressive rock band who progressed", then Peter Gabriel, once solo, would be the one who progressed the most. Who would have thought listening to early Genesis would eventually take the listener to Senegal, Armenia, South Africa and beyond via the artistic endeavors of their former vocalist? This is a journey through Peter Gabriel's solo albums, his live recordings and soundtrack compositions. During his forty-year plus solo career, Gabriel has become a worldwide pop star with his early, self-titled albums and his seminal 1986 record 'So'. He's had hit singles throughout his career, including "Big Time" and the poignant "In Your Eyes". He also helped pioneer video creativity with the song "Sledgehammer". In doing so, he's reached beyond his progressive rock background to achieve a level of respect that other musicians from that genre could only dream about. You may have heard many of these songs before, but there's always something new to be found by digging in the dirt. This is the prefect guide to his music for new listeners and long term fans alike. Graeme Scarfe is a freelance writer. He was born in the 1960's, educated in the comprehensive system in the 1970's & 1980's and graduated from Bournemouth University in the 1990's. He's worked as a music journalist, sound recordist, stand-up comedian and Film & Media lecturer. He wrote the original screenplay for the 1999 British Horror film "Lighthouse" and the comedy novels "Arable Farm" and "Seagulls on Speed". Grame is married with two children and lives in Sussex. Purchase a copy of "Peter Gabriel: Every Album, Every Song" through Sonicbond Publishing: https://burningshed.com/store/sonicbond/graeme-scarfe_peter-gabriel-on-track_bookVisit Graeme Scarfe's website: https://www.seagullsonspeed.co.uk/about-1Also visit Burning Shed's website: https://burningshed.comSongs Discussed In This Episode: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2P0IxwoKj89sUa0AeQpAf4?si=e9e04bcf52834556The Booked On Rock Website: https://www.bookedonrock.comFollow The Booked On Rock with Eric Senich:FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/bookedonrockpodcastTWITTER: https://twitter.com/bookedonrockContact The Booked On Rock Podcast:thebookedonrockpodcast@gmail.comSupport Your Local Bookstore! Find your nearest independent book store here: https://www.indiebound.org/indie-store-finderThe Booked On Rock Theme Song: “Whoosh” by Crowander [ https://freemusicarchive.org/music/crowander]

Links Two Ways to Live Episode IntroWhat does God do? In the last few episodes of Thinking Theology we've been thinking about what God is like: what is his nature and what is his character. But in this and the next few episodes we're moving on to think about what God has done and what he continues to do.In this episode we're thinking about what God has done in creating the world. What does the Bible tell us about creation and, importantly, how does that shape our life?That's what we're thinking about in this episode of Thinking Theology.Podcast IntroHi. My name is Karl Deenick. I'm a pastor, theologian, writer, and Bible college lecturer. Welcome to Thinking Theology, a podcast where we think about theology, the Bible and the Christian life, not just for the sake of it, but so we can love God more, with all our heart, soul, mind and strength.Creation in GenesisCreation is the first act of God in the Bible. We find it on the very first page of the Bible. We're told,In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. (Genesis 1:1–2 NIV)It seems that what those first verses describe is an initial act of God in creating the initial matter from which creation would be organised. So God brings matter into existence but it is formless.Before God created the world, then, there was nothing. God created the world “out of nothing”. Or as theologians sometimes say, ex nihilo, which is Latin for out of nothing. God didn't use pre-existing material but he created everything that is.We find that same idea in other parts of the Bible. So Hebrews 11:3 says,By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God's command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible. (Hebrews 11:3 NIV)Of course, that might simply mean that the matter God used to create the world was merely invisible and he made it visible. However, other places are more explicit. So Revelation 4:11 says,“You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being.” (Revelation 4:11 NIV)If God created all things, then nothing exists that he didn't make.In fact, as the theologian John Frame points out, not only did God create out of nothing, he created into nothing. Not only did God create the matter out of which the universe was made, but he also created the space into which it went.[1]The rest of chapter 1 then describes God's organisation of that matter. And it follows a very structured pattern to show the logic and order that God imposes on his world. So pattern is more or less:[2]1.     Announcement: “And God said,”2.     Command: “Let there be X.”3.     Separation and Structure: God orders the items he has brought into existence.[3]4.     Report: “And there was X.” (or equiv.)5.     Evaluation: “God saw that X was good.”6.     Chronological marker: “And there was evening and there was morning—the nth day.”So there is a careful structure within each day, but there is also a careful structure between the days.There is a pattern in the order in which things are created, such that day 1 pairs with day 4, day 2 with day 5, and day 3 with day 6.So on day 1 light is created but on day 4 the light bearers—the sun, moon, and stars are created.On day 2 the sky and the waters are separated. While on day 5 the sea and sky creatures are created.And on day 3 the dry land and the plants are created, while on day 6 animals and humans are created.Within that pattern, too, the seventh day stand on its own as special. The seventh day is a day of rest for God. Genesis 2:1–2 says,Thus the heavens and the earth were completed in all their vast array. By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. (Genesis 2:1–2 NIV)The seventh day is a kind of capstone on the days that have gone before.The climax of the creation event, however, is the creation of human beings. God says in 1:26,“Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.” (Genesis 1:26 NIV)A number of things in Genesis 1 highlight the special significance of human beings. First, when God comes to create human beings the pace of the chapter slows down. For the creation of everything else, even big things like the sun and the moon, they're passed over pretty quickly, but when it comes to human beings Genesis 1 says a lot.Second, human beings are created as the result of a divine counsel. God says among himself, “Let us make man” (Gen 1:26). Nowhere else in the chapter is there such an obvious and significant deliberation by God.Third, human beings are the only thing in creation made in the image of God. Human beings are intended to reflect God and represent him. Strikingly, the same term used here to describe the image of God is the same one used later in the Bible to describe idols. Idols were intended to be images of gods. And, of course, God commanded not to make idols. But whereas idols are dead and lifeless objects that we make to represent what we think God should look like, God himself has created an image to represent and reflect him and that is human beings.Fourth, human beings are given the task of ruling over the rest of creation (Gen 1:28).And fifth, chapter 2 of Genesis contains a special parallel account that focusses in on the creation of Adam and Eve. If Genesis 1 is the wide-angle shot of the whole of creation. Genesis 2 is the zoom lens that narrows down to the creation of human beings.Lessons from CreationCreation is actually a really foundational doctrine in Christianity and underpins the whole of the Christian life.But what does God's creation of the world teach us about God and ourselves and the world in which we live?There's a few things that can be said.God Created on His OwnFirst, in Genesis 1, God creates entirely on his own. God doesn't get help from anyone else. He does it by himself. And he does it for his own reasons. It was entirely his decision to create the world and to create it as he did. The world is an expression of God's purposeful creativity.God Created by SpeakingSecond, God creates simply by speaking. God says, “Let there be…” and it happens. And as it has been pointed out, when God says, “Let there be…” he is not speaking to things that have in them the power to respond but his word itself carries the power. That is, when God says, “Let the water be gathered to one place,” the water doesn't hear those words and respond with its own power, but God's word makes it happen.As Psalm 33:6 says,By the word of the Lord the heavens were made, their starry host by the breath of his mouth. (Psalm 33:6 NIV)Creation is Distinct from GodThird, creation is distinct from God. In episode 1 of this series, we encountered pantheism, which is the view that the universe is part of God or even that the universe itself is God. But the Bible clearly sets God above the universe, and the universe is something that God has made. It's not part of him, it is his creation and is distinct from him.That's quite distinct from many of the ancient creation myths that were around at the same time as Genesis. In those myths creation is not the ordered, careful work of one God, but creation is often the outcome of gods fighting with each other. The dead body of one god might become the earth. Part of it becomes the sky. The blood of another slaughtered god might become human beings. The sun and moon yet other gods. By comparison, as one scholar has pointed out, Genesis “appears as a thunderbolt: Israel's god is the exclusive creator and sovereign of the entire cosmos.”[4]God Made the World GoodFourth, the world that God made was very good. The world was exactly as God intended it to be. God said, “I want it to be like this” and it was. And at the end of every day he looked back and he had accomplished all that he intended and he looked back at the end of six days and it was all the he had planned. Although, the world that we live in now is affected by human rebellion against God, the world that God originally purposed and made was perfect. It was free from sin, pain, misery and death.Creation is an Act of the TrinityFifth, creation is an act of the trinity. Although it is not explicit in Genesis 1, there are certainly strong hints. In verse 2, we find the Spirit hovering over the waters. We find God speaking and the powerful Word bringing things into being. So, too, in verse 26 we find God saying “Let us make man in our image.” There is a plurality in God. Nevertheless there is also a unity—in verse 26 humanity are created in “his” (singular), that is, God's image.In the New Testament, those ideas become much more explicit.For example, in John 1, John clearly portrays Jesus as active in creation along with the Father. He writes,In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. (John 1:1–3 NIV)Or in Colossians 1:16, Paul says,For in him [that is, Jesus] all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. (Colossians 1:16 NIV)Creation Establishes God's AuthoritySixth, creation establishes God's authority over the world and over us. Because God made us and everything, he has the right to dictate how the world ought to operate and how our lives ought to be lived. We belong to him. This world is his. We are his. We are his creatures—his creations.God says in Isaiah 45:12,It is I who made the earth and created mankind on it. My own hands stretched out the heavens; I marshaled their starry hosts. (Isaiah 45:12 NIV)The implication is that God has the right as our creator to do as he wishes. He says earlier in verse 9 of the same chapter,“Woe to those who quarrel with their Maker, those who are nothing but potsherds among the potsherds on the ground. Does the clay say to the potter, ‘What are you making?' Does your work say, ‘The potter has no hands'? (Isaiah 45:9 NIV)God is God because he made us. He owns us. He gets to decide how things work, not us.Romans 1 makes that clear too. Paul says there that although people know God from the world which he has made, we substitute created things and put them in the place of God. We worship and serve ourselves or each other, we break God's plan and pattern for creation.The place that is most clearly seen, Paul says, is in homosexuality. Not because that is a worse sin than any other rebellion against God, but because it is such an obvious rejection of God's pattern for the world. The very structure of the human body as male and female shows what God intended for sex.That foundation of God's authority in creation is really important for communicating the gospel to people who aren't Christians. That's what makes the gospel summary, Two Ways to Live, so helpful. It begins by saying: “God is the loving ruler of the world. He made the world. He made us to rule the world under him.”But then it says, “We all reject the ruler, God, by trying to run life our own way without him. But we fail to rule ourselves or society or the world.”The consequence is that: “God won't let us rebel forever. God's punishment for rebellion is death and judgement.”Creation Establishes our SignificanceSo, too, creation establishes our significance.As we've seen, the highpoint of creation is the creation of human beings in the image of God.Human beings are not just another part of creation. We're not just another creature. We're not just the same as a horse or a dog. We're not just random bits of matter that have collected together over billions of years. We're the climax of God's creative work. Not only that, we've been created to reflect God and to represent him.Creation establishes the incredible significance of us as human beings.Creation Establishes Our PurposeCreation also establishes our purpose.That's because the Bible tells us that the purpose of creation was to manifest God's glory. Isaiah 43:7 says,Bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the ends of the earth— everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made.” (Isaiah 43:6–7 NIV)So, too, creation is often held up as a key motivation for us to praise and worship God. In Psalm 148 we're told,Let them praise the name of the Lord, for at his command they were created, (Psalm 148:5 NIV)And in Revelation 4:11 we read,“You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being.” (Revelation 4:11 NIV)In fact, in Romans 1:21, the core idea of sin that is mentioned is that, although God made the world and his eternal power are clearly on display in the world, we neither glorify him nor give thanks to him. At the heart of sin is our refusal to give God the glory he deserves and the thank him for everything that comes from his hand.Creation Sets the Pattern for Various Aspect of LifeCreation also sets the pattern for various aspects of life.For example, God's creation work sets the pattern for work and rest.God says to the people in Exodus 20,Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God.… For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. (Exodus 20:8–11 NIV)Although, the law comes later, the pattern of six days work and one day rest is found in the fabric of creation.So, too, creation also establishes the pattern of marriage as a permanent relationship. As Jesus explains when the Pharisees ask him whether it's right to divorce or not; Jesus says,“Haven't you read … that at the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female,' and said, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh'? So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.” (Matthew 19:4–6 NIV)Creation also grounds and establishes the relationship between men and women. As Paul explains in 1 Timothy 2:12–15,I do not permit a woman to teach or to assume authority over a man; she must be quiet. For Adam was formed first, then Eve. (1 Timothy 2:12–13 NIV)Although the Bible insists that men and women are equal in dignity, it also stresses that there is a structure in their relationship in marriage and also in the church. A structure that reflects God's order in creation.Creation also grounds humanity's care and governance of the world.When he created human beings God entrusted us with the responsibility, according to Genesis 1: to,Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground. (Genesis 1:28 NIV)In theology, that's often known as the creation mandate. It's God's commission to human beings to rule over his world under him. We are to cultivate and care for the world and to rule over it. Not in a domineering sense, but in a loving and caring sense.In a way, God has created a canvas for us and our task is to develop it. Of course, sin has destroyed our rule over the creation. Nevertheless, that was God's initial purpose.Creation Teaches Us Our LimitationsFinally, a perhaps somewhat unexpected implication of creation is that it establishes the human limitations and the mystery of God.In the book of Job, Job suffers all kinds of misery and afflictions and he struggles to understand why. His friends give him lots of bad advice and Job contends with God and cries out to him to seek to understand.But God's answer in the end is that some things are simply beyond us. And to make that point God points to his creation of the world.God says in Job 38:4,“Where were you when I laid the earth's foundation? Tell me, if you understand. Who marked off its dimensions? Surely you know! Who stretched a measuring line across it? On what were its footings set, or who laid its cornerstone— while the morning stars sang together and all the angels shouted for joy? “Who shut up the sea behind doors when it burst forth from the womb, when I made the clouds its garment and wrapped it in thick darkness, when I fixed limits for it and set its doors and bars in place, when I said, ‘This far you may come and no farther; here is where your proud waves halt'? (Job 38:4–11 NIV)The implication is, of course, that Job wasn't there but God was. God and his ways are beyond us and creation reminds us of that.Especially in the 21st century, we like to think that we can understand the world and everything about it. Why things are the way they are and why things happen the way they do. But even the best science is limited. Yes, God has given us brains to observe the world and discover lots and lots of things. But at the end of the day, we also have to accept that many things are beyond us and we simply have to trust God.OutroOf course, that brings us to the question of how the Bible's account of creation fits with science. We'll come to that in the next episode of Thinking Theology.For the moment, it's helpful simply to recognise how creation underpins so much of the Christian life and our perception of the world.Creation is the sole act of God. He made it for his own sake and for his own purpose. He made the world just by speaking. The world is separate from God but depends on God. God made the world good. And God's creation of the world establishes his authority as well as our significance, our purpose, the pattern of our lives and our need to trust God in the mystery of life.Well that's it for this episode of Thinking Theology.As I said, in the next episode, we'll be thinking about how the Bible's account of creation fits with the views of modern science.If you want to find more about the evangelistic resource, Two Ways to Live, you can find a link in the description.Please join me then.[1] John M. Frame, Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Christian Belief (Phillipsburg: P&R, 2013), 192–93.[2] See Bruce K. Waltke and Cathy J. Fredricks, Genesis: A Commentary (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2001), 56–57.[3] The order of this and the next are sometimes interchanged.[4] Raymond Van Leeuwen, brʾ, NIDOTTE 1:729.

If Genesis 1 is not primarily trying to teach us science or the details about how God chose to create the world, what is it trying to teach us? In this episode we the survey context of the ancient world helping you understand what the original hearers of Genesis 1 would have taken away from this amazing passage of Scripture. Understood correctly, Genesis 1 has much to say about who the Creator God is, what He is like, and the privileged role He has given to humanity. Suggested Resources for Further Study: Exploring My Strange Bible Podcast on Science and Faith The Enuma Elish (Babylonian Creation Epic) Article about the Enuma Elish Application Questions (to process this content with a friend, family member, or small group): - What is one of the most striking differences between what other creation accounts teach about God and humans and what Genesis 1 teaches? - How would your attitude or actions towards other people change if you fully embraced the idea that every person is in God's image? Application: Spend 5-10 minutes (or more!) reading Genesis 1 and worshipping the Creator God.

If Genesis is 'The Book of Beginnings,' we could entitle Exodus as 'The Birth of a Nation' -the nation of Israel. We saw the beginnings of this nation in Genesis. Now we see it as a full-fledged nation. In the first 15 chapters we read of their slavery in Egypt and their deliverance from Egypt. The rest of the book deals with the giving of the Law, a little bit of their time in the wilderness and the plan God gave for building His tabernacle.

Temptation and Fall Genesis 3:1-8 If Genesis 1 & 2 described the world as God created it and designed it to be, Genesis 3 tells us what went wrong with the world and why it is the way it is today: the fall of mankind into sin. Whether you embrace the Christian faith or not, […] The post Temptation and Fall appeared first on New Covenant Baptist Church.

This week, Pastor Matthew continued on with our series “how to follow Jesus into today's world” with the topic of Identity and Purpose. We should do out of who we are. But, our doing will either affirm who we are, or corrode who we are. In order to ground our purpose and identity, we need to put aside other sources and turn to the source; the Bible. 1. Who are You? The Bible is the inherent word of God. It is both true and reliable, and we can answer the question of who we are through the Genesis account. If Genesis were all we had it would be enough to tell us what God is like, who we are, and what our purpose is. - We are God's creation. We have a maker. He formed us. If we have a maker, then we must look to Him for our purpose. The most important thing in the creation account is the function that God assigns. He and He alone can define our function. We are created in His image and likeness. We are not God, but we are like God. We are male and female, that is how He made us and we have to align with His design. We are blessed. We are the ones who carry His breathe within us. We were made for His presence. We were made to house the very presence of God. We are good. 2.What is your purpose? We were made in His image, so that we would have dominion over the earth and so that we could rule. We are blessed in order to do this; to rule and multiple across the earth. We need to do everything unto the Lord, wherever we are. Matthew 28: 18-20 are the last words that Jesus spoke. They are the same command that God gave to Adam and Eve; to spread across the earth as His sons and daughters. That is our purpose. Jesus is coming back one day. What will He find us doing?

Rande Greene “By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples.” -John 15:8 If Genesis 3 teaches us anything it is that the enemy of your soul intends to distort the image and character of God in our minds. The goal of the serpent is to […]

“If Genesis chapter 15 didn’t exist, there would be no Bible, because there would be nothing to hold it together”.It also deals with the question - why should we keep trusting God if following him has made life harder rather than easier?

If the rejection of idolatry is the essence of the Biblical project, why does it not appear in the Genesis account of the founders? But Didn't Abraham destroy his father's idols?   בראשית רבה ל״ח (יג) וַיָּמָת הָרָן עַל פְּנֵי תֶּרַח אָבִיו (בראשית יא, כח), רַבִּי חִיָּא בַּר בְּרֵיהּ דְּרַב אַדָא דְּיָפוֹ, תֶּרַח עוֹבֵד צְלָמִים הָיָה, חַד זְמַן נְפֵיק לַאֲתַר, הוֹשִׁיב לְאַבְרָהָם מוֹכֵר תַּחְתָּיו. הֲוָה אָתֵי בַּר אֵינַשׁ בָּעֵי דְּיִזְבַּן, וַהֲוָה אֲמַר לֵהּ בַּר כַּמָּה שְׁנִין אַתְּ, וַהֲוָה אֲמַר לֵיהּ בַּר חַמְשִׁין אוֹ שִׁתִּין, וַהֲוָה אֲמַר לֵיהּ וַי לֵיהּ לְהַהוּא גַבְרָא דַּהֲוָה בַּר שִׁתִּין וּבָעֵי לְמִסְגַּד לְבַר יוֹמֵי, וַהֲוָה מִתְבַּיֵּשׁ וְהוֹלֵךְ לוֹ. חַד זְמַן אֲתָא חַד אִתְּתָא טְעִינָא בִּידָהּ חָדָא פִּינָךְ דְּסֹלֶת, אֲמָרָהּ לֵיהּ הֵא לָךְ קָרֵב קֳדָמֵיהוֹן, קָם נְסֵיב בּוּקְלָסָא בִּידֵיהּ, וְתַבְרִינוּן לְכָלְהוֹן פְּסִילַיָא, וִיהַב בּוּקְלָסָא בִּידָא דְּרַבָּה דַּהֲוָה בֵּינֵיהוֹן. כֵּיוָן דַּאֲתָא אֲבוּהָ אֲמַר לֵיהּ מַאן עָבֵיד לְהוֹן כְּדֵין, אֲמַר לֵיהּ מַה נִּכְפּוּר מִינָךְ אֲתַת חָדָא אִתְּתָא טְעִינָא לָהּ חָדָא פִּינָךְ דְּסֹוֹלֶת, וַאֲמַרַת לִי הֵא לָךְ קָרֵיב קֳדָמֵיהון, קָרֵיבְתְּ לָקֳדָמֵיהוֹן הֲוָה דֵּין אֲמַר אֲנָא אֵיכוֹל קַדְמָאי, וְדֵין אֲמַר אֲנָא אֵיכוֹל קַדְמָאי, קָם הָדֵין רַבָּה דַּהֲוָה בֵּינֵיהוֹן נְסַב בּוּקְלָסָא וְתַבַּרִינוֹן. אֲמַר לֵיהּ מָה אַתָּה מַפְלֶה בִּי, וְיָדְעִין אִינוּן. אֲמַר לֵיהּ וְלֹא יִשְׁמְעוּ אָזְנֶיךָ מַה שֶּׁפִּיךָ אוֹמֵר. Bereishit Rabbah 38 (13) "And Haran died in the presence of his father Terah" (Gen. 11:28). Rabbi Hiyya the grandson of Rabbi Adda of Yaffo [said]: Terah was a worshipper of idols. One time he had to travel to a place, and he left Abraham in charge of his store. When a man would come in to buy [idols], Abraham would ask: How old are you? They would reply: fifty or sixty. Abraham would then respond: Woe to him who is sixty years old and worships something made today - the customer would be embarrassed, and would leave. A woman entered carrying a dish full of flour. She said to him: this is for you, offer it before them. Abraham took a club in his hands and broke all of the idols, and placed the club in the hands of the biggest idol. When his father returned, he asked: who did all of this? Abraham replied: I can't hide it from you - a woman came carrying a dish of flour and told me to offer it before them. I did, and one of them said 'I will eat it first,' and another said 'I will eat it first.' The biggest one rose, took a club, and smashed the rest of them. Terah said: what, do you think you can trick me? They don't have cognition! Abraham said: Do your ears hear what your mouth is saying? But Didn't Rachel steal her father's idols?     בראשית ל״א:י״ט (יט) וְלָבָ֣ן הָלַ֔ךְ לִגְזֹ֖ז אֶת־צֹאנ֑וֹ וַתִּגְנֹ֣ב רָחֵ֔ל אֶת־הַתְּרָפִ֖ים אֲשֶׁ֥ר לְאָבִֽיהָ׃ Genesis 31:19 (19) Meanwhile Laban had gone to shear his sheep, and Rachel stole her father’s household idols.   תגנב רחל את התרפים. לְהַפְרִישׁ אֶת אָבִיהָ מֵעֲ"זָ נִתְכַּוְּנָה (בראשית רבה): AND RACHEL STOLE THE TERAPHIM — her intention was to wean her father from idol-worship (Genesis Rabbah 74:5). quoted by Rashi     בראשית ל״א:ל״ב-ל״ה (לב) עִ֠ם אֲשֶׁ֨ר תִּמְצָ֣א אֶת־אֱלֹקֶיךָ֮ לֹ֣א יִֽחְיֶה֒ נֶ֣גֶד אַחֵ֧ינוּ הַֽכֶּר־לְךָ֛ מָ֥ה עִמָּדִ֖י וְקַֽח־לָ֑ךְ וְלֹֽא־יָדַ֣ע יַעֲקֹ֔ב כִּ֥י רָחֵ֖ל גְּנָבָֽתַם׃ Genesis 31:32-35 (32) But anyone with whom you find your gods shall not remain alive! In the presence of our kinsmen, point out what I have of yours and take it.” Jacob, of course, did not know that Rachel had stolen them.   לא יחיה. וּמֵאוֹתָהּ קְלָלָה מֵתָה רָחֵל בַּדֶּרֶךְ (בראשית רבה) LET HIM NOT LIVE — In consequence of this curse Rachel died on the journey (Genesis Rabbah 74:9). quoted by Rashi Rather the only reference to a rejection of false images, is a positive reference to the Image of God - Imago Dei     בראשית א׳:כ״ו-כ״ח (כו) וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֱלֹקִ֔ים נַֽעֲשֶׂ֥ה אָדָ֛ם בְּצַלְמֵ֖נוּ כִּדְמוּתֵ֑נוּ וְיִרְדּוּ֩ בִדְגַ֨ת הַיָּ֜ם וּבְע֣וֹף הַשָּׁמַ֗יִם וּבַבְּהֵמָה֙ וּבְכָל־הָאָ֔רֶץ וּבְכָל־הָרֶ֖מֶשׂ הָֽרֹמֵ֥שׂ עַל־הָאָֽרֶץ׃ (כז) וַיִּבְרָ֨א אֱלֹקִ֤ים ׀ אֶת־הָֽאָדָם֙ בְּצַלְמ֔וֹ בְּצֶ֥לֶם אֱלֹקִ֖ים בָּרָ֣א אֹת֑וֹ זָכָ֥ר וּנְקֵבָ֖ה בָּרָ֥א אֹתָֽם׃ (כח) וַיְבָ֣רֶךְ אֹתָם֮ אֱלֹקִים֒ וַיֹּ֨אמֶר לָהֶ֜ם אֱלֹקִ֗ים פְּר֥וּ וּרְב֛וּ וּמִלְא֥וּ אֶת־הָאָ֖רֶץ וְכִבְשֻׁ֑הָ וּרְד֞וּ בִּדְגַ֤ת הַיָּם֙ וּבְע֣וֹף הַשָּׁמַ֔יִם וּבְכָל־חַיָּ֖ה הָֽרֹמֶ֥שֶׂת עַל־הָאָֽרֶץ׃ Genesis 1:26-28 (26) And God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. They shall rule the fish of the sea, the birds of the sky, the cattle, the whole earth, and all the creeping things that creep on earth.” (27) And God created man in His image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. (28) God blessed them and God said to them, “Be fertile and increase, fill the earth and master it; and rule the fish of the sea, the birds of the sky, and all the living things that creep on earth.”     בראשית ה׳:א׳ (א) זֶ֣ה סֵ֔פֶר תּוֹלְדֹ֖ת אָדָ֑ם בְּי֗וֹם בְּרֹ֤א אֱלֹקִים֙ אָדָ֔ם בִּדְמ֥וּת אֱלֹקִ֖ים עָשָׂ֥ה אֹתֽוֹ׃ Genesis 5:1 (1) This is the record of Adam’s line.—When God created man, He made him in the likeness of God;     בראשית ט׳:ו׳ (ו) שֹׁפֵךְ֙ דַּ֣ם הָֽאָדָ֔ם בָּֽאָדָ֖ם דָּמ֣וֹ יִשָּׁפֵ֑ךְ כִּ֚י בְּצֶ֣לֶם אֱלֹקִ֔ים עָשָׂ֖ה אֶת־הָאָדָֽם׃ Genesis 9:6 (6) Whoever sheds the blood of man, By man shall his blood be shed; For in His image Did God make man.     במדבר ל״ג:נ״ב (נב) וְה֨וֹרַשְׁתֶּ֜ם אֶת־כָּל־יֹשְׁבֵ֤י הָאָ֙רֶץ֙ מִפְּנֵיכֶ֔ם וְאִ֨בַּדְתֶּ֔ם אֵ֖ת כָּל־מַשְׂכִּיֹּתָ֑ם וְאֵ֨ת כָּל־צַלְמֵ֤י מַסֵּֽכֹתָם֙ תְּאַבֵּ֔דוּ וְאֵ֥ת כָּל־בָּמֹתָ֖ם תַּשְׁמִֽידוּ׃ Numbers 33:52 (52) you shall dispossess all the inhabitants of the land; you shall destroy all their figured objects; you shall destroy all their molten images, and you shall demolish all their cult places.   "any Old Testament scholar worth her salt will tell you that the semantic range of tselem, the Hebrew word for "image" in Genesis 1, typically includes "idol," which in the common theology of the ancient Near East is precisely a localized, visible, corporeal representation of the divine. A simple word study would thus lead to the preliminary observation that visibility and bodiliness are minimally a necessary condition of being tselem elohim or imago Dei. Based on this usage Walter Kaiser Jr. translates tselem as "carved or hewn statue or copy." The Liberating Image? Interpreting the Imago Dei in Context By J. Richard Middleton Christian Scholars Review 24.1 (1994) 8-25     מלכים ב י״א:י״ח (יח) וַיָּבֹ֣אוּ כָל־עַם֩ הָאָ֨רֶץ בֵּית־הַבַּ֜עַל וַֽיִּתְּצֻ֗הוּ אֶת־מזבחתו [מִזְבְּחֹתָ֤יו] וְאֶת־צְלָמָיו֙ שִׁבְּר֣וּ הֵיטֵ֔ב וְאֵ֗ת מַתָּן֙ כֹּהֵ֣ן הַבַּ֔עַל הָרְג֖וּ לִפְנֵ֣י הַֽמִּזְבְּח֑וֹת וַיָּ֧שֶׂם הַכֹּהֵ֛ן פְּקֻדּ֖וֹת עַל־בֵּ֥ית ה'׃ II Kings 11:18 (18) Thereupon all the people of the land went to the temple of Baal. They tore it down and smashed its altars and images to bits, and they slew Mattan, the priest of Baal, in front of the altars. [Jehoiada] the priest then placed guards over the House of the LORD.     דברי הימים ב כ״ג:י״ז (יז) וַיָּבֹ֨אוּ כָל־הָעָ֤ם בֵּית־הַבַּ֙עַל֙ וַֽיִּתְּצֻ֔הוּ וְאֶת־מִזְבְּחֹתָ֥יו וְאֶת־צְלָמָ֖יו שִׁבֵּ֑רוּ וְאֵ֗ת מַתָּן֙ כֹּהֵ֣ן הַבַּ֔עַל הָרְג֖וּ לִפְנֵ֥י הַֽמִּזְבְּחֽוֹת׃ II Chronicles 23:17 (17) All the people then went to the temple of Baal; they tore it down and smashed its altars and images to bits, and they slew Mattan, the priest of Baal, in front of the altars.     יחזקאל ז׳:כ׳ (כ) וּצְבִ֤י עֶדְיוֹ֙ לְגָא֣וֹן שָׂמָ֔הוּ וְצַלְמֵ֧י תוֹעֲבֹתָ֛ם שִׁקּוּצֵיהֶ֖ם עָ֣שׂוּ ב֑וֹ עַל־כֵּ֛ן נְתַתִּ֥יו לָהֶ֖ם לְנִדָּֽה׃ Ezekiel 7:20 (20) for out of their beautiful adornments, in which they took pride, they made their images and their detestable abominations—therefore I will make them an unclean thing to them.     עמוס ה׳:כ״ו (כו) וּנְשָׂאתֶ֗ם אֵ֚ת סִכּ֣וּת מַלְכְּכֶ֔ם וְאֵ֖ת כִּיּ֣וּן צַלְמֵיכֶ֑ם כּוֹכַב֙ אֱלֹ֣קֵיכֶ֔ם אֲשֶׁ֥ר עֲשִׂיתֶ֖ם לָכֶֽם׃ Amos 5:26 (26) And you shall carry off your “king”— Sikkuth and Kiyyun, The images you have made for yourselves Of your astral deity—     דניאל ג׳:א׳ (א) נְבוּכַדְנֶצַּ֣ר מַלְכָּ֗א עֲבַד֙ צְלֵ֣ם דִּֽי־דְהַ֔ב רוּמֵהּ֙ אַמִּ֣ין שִׁתִּ֔ין פְּתָיֵ֖הּ אַמִּ֣ין שִׁ֑ת אֲקִימֵהּ֙ בְּבִקְעַ֣ת דּוּרָ֔א בִּמְדִינַ֖ת בָּבֶֽל׃ Daniel 3:1 (1) King Nebuchadnezzar made a statue of gold sixty cubits high and six cubits broad. He set it up in the plain of Dura in the province of Babylon. The case for demut ("likeness") is more complicated. Although biblical scholars have often suggested that the physical, concrete connotation of tselem is intentionally modified by the more abstract demut, this latter term is sometimes used within Scripture for concrete, visible representations. [Middleton ibid.] Tselem and demut are also used with reference to resemblance:     בראשית ה׳:ג׳ (ג) וַֽיְחִ֣י אָדָ֗ם שְׁלֹשִׁ֤ים וּמְאַת֙ שָׁנָ֔ה וַיּ֥וֹלֶד בִּדְמוּת֖וֹ כְּצַלְמ֑וֹ וַיִּקְרָ֥א אֶת־שְׁמ֖וֹ שֵֽׁת׃ Genesis 5:3 (3) When Adam had lived 130 years, he begot a son in his likeness after his image, and he named him Seth. "a recent (1979) excavation at Tell Fekheriyeh in Syria unearthed a 9th century statue with a bilingual inscription containing the cognate equivalents of both tselem and demut in Assyrian and Aramaic as parallel terms designating the statue." [Middleton ibid.]     The statue is referred to by two Aramaic words, both with Hebrew cognates. The initial word of the inscription introduces it as dmwt', "the image." At the start the second part the word used in the Aramaic is slm "statue," in the Assyrian its cognate salmu. This is not a means of distinguishing the two parts of the inscription, for dmwt' reappears three lines later. These two words in their Hebrew dress are the famous "image" and "likeness" in God's creation of man in Gen 1:26; cf. 5:3. Their clear application to this stone statue, the only ancient occurrence of the words as a pair outside the OT, provides fuel for the debate over the meaning of the clause in Genesis 1 [STATUE FROM SYRIA WITH ASSYRIAN AND ARAMAIC INSCRIPTIONS A. R. Millard and P. Bordreuil, BIBLICAL ARCHEOLOGIST/SUMMER 1982]     Among Bible scholars one of the most common interpretations is that being created in the image of God means being given the special role of “representing . . . God’s rule in the world.” The Torah’s view is that people are God’s “vice-regents” and “earthly delegates,” appointed by God to rule over the world. One traditional Jewish commentator, R. Saadia Gaon (882–942), anticipated this understanding of Genesis, arguing that being created in the image of God means being assigned to rule over creation (Saadia Gaon, commentary to Gen. 1:26). בְּצַלְמֵנוּ כִּדְמוּתֵנוּ שליט The ancient Near Eastern context sheds remarkable light on the audacity of the Torah’s message. In the ancient world, various kings (and sometimes priests) were described as the images of a god. It is the king who is God’s representative or intermediary intermediary on earth, and it is he who mediates God’s blessings to the world. In dramatic contrast to this, the Torah asserts that ordinary human beings—not just kings, but each and every one of us—are mediators of divine blessing. “The entire race collectively stands vis-à-vis God in the same relationship of chosenness and protection that characterizes the god-king relationship in the more ancient civilizations of the Near East.” Genesis 1 thus represents a radical democratization of ancient Near Eastern royal ideology. We are, the Torah insists, all kings and queens. Shai Held. The Heart of Torah, Volume 1: Essays on the Weekly Torah Portion: Genesis and Exodus . The Jewish Publication Society.   Feminist Objection to the Royal Interpretation of "In the Image of God" Such a picture, claims McFague, is derived from a patriarchal model of man ruling over woman and serves to enforce and legitimate such rule by its association of male dominance with God's transcendence. [Sallie McFague, Models of God: Theology for an Ecological, Nuclear Age (Philadelphia: Fortress, 1987), pp. 63-69.]   The Environmental Objection to the Royal Interpretation of "In the Image of God" Some environmentalists have placed the blame for the modern West’s despoliation of the earth squarely at the Bible’s feet. Thus, for example, one influential writer charges that according to Christian (and by implication, Jewish) thinking, “God planned all of this explicitly for man’s benefit and rule: No item in the physical creation had any purpose save to serve man’s purposes.” The environmental crisis, he insists, was rooted in religious “arrogance towards nature” and the only solution, therefore, lay in moving beyond these patently damaging and outdated ideas. [Held, Shai. The Heart of Torah, Volume 1: Essays on the Weekly Torah Portion: Genesis and Exodus . The Jewish Publication Society.]   "ancient Near Eastern society, whether Mesopotamian (that is, Sumerian, Babylonian or Assyrian), West Semitic (that is, Canaanite), or Egyptian, was hierarchically ordered.... Standing between the human realm, on the one hand, and the gods, on the other, was the king, universally viewed in the ancient Near East as the mediator of both social harmony and cosmic fertility from the gods. To contrast the two cultures we know most about, whereas in Egypt the Pharaoh is viewed as the eternally begotten son of the gods, in Mesopotamia the king was but an adopted son. Both, however, are referred to as the image of this or that particular god, whether Re, Amon, Marduk, 'Shamash or Enlil. [Middleton ibid.]     פסיקתא דרב כהנא כ״ג (א) פסקא כג אות א ראש השנה: (א) לעולם י"י דברך נצב בשמים (תהלים קיט פט) תני ר' אליע' בעשרים וחמשה באלול נברא העולם ואתיא דרב כהדא דתני ר' אליע' דתניא בתקיעתא דרב זה היום תחילת מעשיך זכרון ליום ראשון וגו' כי חק לישראל הוא משפט וג' (שם פא ה) על המדינות בו יאמר איזו לחרב ואיזו לשלום איזו לרעב ואיזו לשובע איזו למות ואיזו לחיים וביריות בו יפקדו להזכירם חיים ומות נמצאת אומ' בראש השנה נברא אדם הראשון בשעה ראשונה עלה במחשבה בשנייה נמלך במלאכי השרת בשלישית כינס עפרו ברביעית גיבלו בחמישית ריקמו בשישית העמידו גולם על רגליו בשביעי' זרק בו נשמה בשמינית הכניסו לגן עדן בתשיעית ציוהו בעשירית עבר על ציוהו באחת עשרה נידון בשתים עשרה יצא בדימוס מלפני הק"ב א' לו הקב"ה אדם זה סימן לבניך כשם שנכנסתה לפניי בדין ביום הזה ויצאתה בדימוס כך עתידין בניך להיות נכנסין לפניי בדין ביום הזה ויוצאין בדימוס אימתי בחדש השביעי באחד לחדש (ויקרא כג כד Pesikta D'Rav Kahanna 23 A. Rosh Hashanah. Your word stands firm in heaven (Psalms 119; 89) R. Eliya learnt: On the 25th of Elul the world was created and he cited R. Kehada who learnt that R. Eliya learnt during the blowings of Rav "This is the day, the beginning of your works, is in remembrance of the first day etc. For it is a law for Israel, a ruling of the God of Jacob; etc. (psalms 81:5) on the Nations it was written, who for the sword, who for peace, who for famine who for plenty, who for death, and who for life and with shots he will be selected deserving of life and death as they say On Rosh Hashanah Adam (the first Man) was created. In the first hour it came into His mind. In the second (hour) he ruled among the heavenly host. In the third he gathered the dirt. In the fourth He kneaded. In the fifth he formed him. In the sixth he raised the Golem onto his feet. In the seventh he threw into him a soul. In the eighth he brought him into the garden of Eden. In the ninth he commanded him (not to eat of the Tree of Knowledge). In the tenth he (Adam) transgressed His command. In the eleventh he was judged. In the twelfth hour he was pardoned by the Holy One Blessed be He. Said to him, God: "Adam, this is a sign for your children. Just as you came in judgement before me on this day and went out pardoned so also in the future your children will come before me in judgement on this day and leave pardoned. When? On the seventh month on the first (day) of the month (Leviticus 23:24)   The Torah’s assertion that every human being is created in the image of God is a repudiation of the idea, so common in the ancient world, that some people are simply meant to rule over others. If everyone is royalty, then on some level, when it comes to the interpersonal and political spheres, no one is. Assigned the role of God’s delegates, human beings are told to “be fertile and increase, fill the earth and master it . . . rule the fish of the sea, the birds of the sky, and all the living things that creep on the earth” (Gen. 1:28). What’s more, Genesis 1 repeatedly emphasizes and seems to revel in the fact that God created both vegetation and creatures “of every kind.” ... then, the biblical . . . creation story is like a hymn to biodiversity, which is seen as unambiguously good in its own right. If Genesis 1 teaches that human beings are meant to be kings and queens over creation, ...“The task of a king is to care for those over whom he rules, especially for the weakest and most helpless. . . . This means that humans are expected to care for the earth and its creatures. Such is the responsibility of royalty.” What we find in Genesis 1, then, is not a license to abuse and exploit but a summons to nurture and protect. The problem with the notion of human stewardship over creation is not that it authorizes human exploitation of the earth and abuse of the animal kingdom—which, as we have seen, it emphatically does not. The problem is, rather, that we have not really taken it seriously enough to try it. In modern times, amid an almost manic need to produce and consume more and more, we have all too often lost sight of what has been entrusted to us. What we need is not to abandon Genesis 1 but to return to it and to rediscover there what we have forgotten or failed to see altogether. We are created in the image of God and are thus mandated to rule over creation; this is a call to exercise power in the way Tanakh imagines the ideal ruler would, “in obedience to the reign of God and for the sake of all the other creatures whom [our] power affects." [Held, Shai. ibid]   "Obedience to God is also the negation of submission to man." You Shall be as Gods - A Radical Interpretation of the Old Testament and its Tradition, Erich Fromm 1966 p73  

If Genesis describes the beginnings of the Lion of the Tribe of Judah, the book of Revelation finishes the story. Revelation 19 tells us that a descendent of Judah, Jacob’s son, will one day come and rule the whole world. And He will be unlike any other king in history. 1 Timothy 1:17 - All honor and glory to God forever and ever! He is the eternal King, the unseen one who never dies; he alone is God. Amen. This verse tells us that the role of the greatest of all kings belongs to Christ alone. The image of a lion, with its sleek coat, fierceness and strength, best describes Jesus as ruler over all. He will preside over an eternal kingdom, one that has no end and no boundaries. This picture of our great King is one we can hold fast to and believe in. One day, King Jesus, that strong lion, will even put away all dangers that threaten you. That is an amazing thing to look forward to. And it has been promised to us. Let’s pray. Lord, your lion is coming to defeat evil and put away death and suffering forever, and we greatly look forward to that. Thank you for keeping your promises. Amen.  

Gary Myers: Hi, my name is Gary Myers. Joe Fontenot: And I'm Joe Fontenot. Gary: We're the host of the Answering the Call Podcast. Joe: This is the podcast where we talk to people who are answering God's call. Gary: It's a real treat today to have Frank Turek, the Apologist. Joe: Frank is a nationally-known name. He was one of the speakers at our recent Defend Apologetics Conference so this is the first in a series of podcast that were filmed or recorded rather at the conference. And so he's going to talk about the philosophical breaking point of atheistic arguments. Gary: He's very good at this, and I caught his lecture at Defend. It was wonderful. Joe: It was, and I got to sit in on the podcast that Marilyn actually interviewed him, and it was solid. Gary: Let's hear from Frank. Joe: Let's do it. Marilyn Stewart: I'm just kind of go through some of these and see if they're okay with you. Frank Turek: No, you can just ask them, don't worry about it. Let's just do it. Marilyn: Okay. Well I really planned on two, but I'm sure we can go... I might interrupt, Frank: You can interrupt me. Whatever. Just have a conversation. Marilyn: Alright, sounds great. Frank: I'm I close enough to this? Producer: You're good. Frank: It's Mardi Gras, let's throw beeds. Marilyn: You can't make me laugh too much- Frank: Why not? Marilyn: I was in tears there a couple of times. Okay, are we ready? Producer: Mm-hmm (affirmative)- Marilyn: Frank we are glad to have you on campus with us this week for defend, and you've given us a lot to think about, but I wanted to address atheism for moment, and your book I Don't Have Enough Faith To Be An Atheist with a Dr.Geisler- Frank: Dr.Geisler, that's right. Marilyn: We have heard pretty often that many atheists are atheists because of some trauma or emotion that they emotionally reject Christianity. And you made the statement that many of them are on a happiness quest, not a truth quest. Marilyn: And you said the only way to find happiness is straight through the truth. I wanted to give you chance to talk about that. I thought that was very interesting, how can we use that as we were talking to atheist? Frank: Well, I think when you're talking to somebody, if they're not a Christian, you might want to ask them, why are you not a Christian? And a lot of times you're going to hear responses that don't strike at the heart of Christianity. Like for example, they might say, well, there's too much evil in the world. Well, that doesn't mean Christianity is false. Frank: The entire reason Christianity exists is to resolve the problem of evil. That's why Christ came to take evil upon himself so we could be reconciled to him. Or an atheist might say, "Well, evolution is true." Say for example, even if it's true, it doesn't mean Christianity is false, right? Marilyn: Right. Frank: It'll give us problems with biblical inerrancy and the Old Testament but doesn't mean it Christianity's false, doesn't mean God doesn't exist. In fact, even if evolution is true, you need God, why? Because you need a being to create the universe set up the universe, set up the laws of nature that if evolution is true, drive evolution. Frank: So even if it were true, you don't get rid of the need for Christianity. I very rarely hear people say, "The reason I'm not a Christian, because I think there's a better explanation then the resurrection for the evidence that we have." Whoever says that hardly anybody. I think you should ask them why you're not a Christian first. Frank: Then I normally ask them and I do this a lot on college campuses where atheists come to I Don't Have Enough Faith To Be An Atheist presentation, I'll ask them, "If Christianity were true, would you become a Christian?" And many of them will be honest and say, "No." They don't want it to be true, they don't want there to be a god. Why? They want to be God, they want to be god of their own lives. Hey, half the time I do too, don't you? Marilyn: Sure. Frank: It's natural you don't want God to exist. I don't know if it was Nietzsche or Russell or one of those old atheist who said, "The biggest problem I have with God is I'm not him." Right? Marilyn: Says it all right there didn't it? Frank: No, I can't say this is true of all atheists don't get me wrong. I'm just saying, many of the ones I run into they admit it's a volitional problem, It's a moral problem, It's an emotional problem It's not an intellectual problem, It's not like there's not enough evidence out there. And I think God has given us enough evidence to know that Christianity is true, but He's also left enough ambiguity that if you want to go your own way- Marilyn: You can make that choice. Frank: He is not compelling you to follow him. In fact, that's what hell is, it's separation from God. He doesn't compel you to follow him, He separates himself from you. Marilyn: So, we can give the evidence, some may not accepted. Frank: Mm-hmm (affirmative)- Marilyn: But it's a matter of addressing the head as well as the heart. Frank: Yes. Marilyn: Unpack that a little bit more about if you're talking to an atheist, and you understand that there's a lot of anger there, a lot of hurt. Do you have any other specific pointers about dealing with that? Frank: Turn or burn doesn't work. Marilyn: Right, Yes. Frank: So that's not going help, no. I think you just got to love the person and maybe not even talk about Christianity at that point because if they have a visceral reaction to it, it's not helpful to bring it up. Frank: But I can almost guarantee you this, if you love that person enough at some point something's going to happen in that person's life and your phone's going to ring and that person is going to be on the other end because when something happens, they're not going to call they're atheist, buddy- Marilyn: That's exactly right. Frank: Atheist buddy is going to say, "Well, these things happen where there's no rhyme or reason, we just dance to our DNA, there's no purpose to life, fuck up." No. You'll be one that can then at that point say, "Well, there's a reason for this and Christ came to ultimately take our pain and suffering away and you can have that taken away and your sins forgiven by trusting in him." Marilyn: It was a powerful story that you told a few minutes ago, a true story about a Christian who did the unthinkable and at least he claimed to be a Christian and abused a little child. It does just make us angry at this person who did such a thing. Marilyn: It makes us wonder like they do, why did God allow this one thing to happen? We need help us Christians understanding that one horrible thing to a child and then we also need to help those who are rejecting Christ because of that action. Do you have anything you'd like to say more to that? Frank: Well, see there's always two answers to the problem of evil. There's the philosophical answer and then there's the pastoral answer and since I'm from New Jersey, I don't have the pastoral answer. There are people way better than me at compassion and reading people well and really comforting them. Frank: I give the more philosophical answer, I tell people when I ... Yesterday we had a breakout session If God were evil basically. I pointed out that the answers I'm going to give, if you're going through difficulty are probably not going to resonate, they may annoy you. Frank: But I think the first step toward recovery is to intellectually recognize that while you might not know what the reason for this happening is, God has a reason even if you never figure out what that is, this side of eternity. Marilyn: Now that's very interesting because yesterday we did a podcast with Gary Habermas, and he deals with a lot of people who have doubt, who are suffering, and he says kind of the same thing. Frank: I think the way out of suffering is some intellectual muscle that you put your theology to work, that you remind yourself of scripture that God doesn't leave us, He doesn't forsake us, that we can trust him, that He doesn't lie, that He all good. Marilyn: It's kind of a good reminder, I think to us as Christians that we do have to think properly to understand these really difficult situations and then to help anybody else. Frank: Right. In fact, Gary does a great job talking about cognitive therapy and Philippians 4, think on these things, the first thing you have to think about is things that are true and that's the first step out of there. But let me just say one other thing about evil Marilyn, that is it doesn't disprove God it actually shows God does exist. Marilyn: Yes. Frank: Because none of this would be evil unless there was good and good wouldn't exist unless God exists because God is the standard of good. If evil exists, I know it sounds kind of counterintuitive but if evil exists, God exists because God is the standard of good by which we would even know what evil was. Frank: You can always ask the question, "Why did God allow this evil to occur?" And there are many answers to that. One of course is free will, If God interfered with us doing evil all the time, we wouldn't be free creatures at all. This wouldn't be a moral universe we'd be robots. Marilyn: Sure. Frank: He allows evil to take place because He can get the greater good of love by giving us free will, but He can redeem evil even if we can't see why God would possibly allow say, an awful child abuse or something like that. Frank: We might not be able to see any good coming from it now, but it could be that ultimately God can recompense that individual, not only here but in eternity. Infact I think the writer of Hebrews talks about a better resurrection, whatever that means, it means something and about enhancing our capacity to enjoy God in heaven. Frank: But also the idea that there's the ripple effect out there, that one event can ripple forward and does ripple forward to affect trillions of other events. Marilyn: I tell you that heartbreaking story as you shared and I thought if nothing else, it should be a reminder to us of how serious our sin is, how that ripple effect that our sin has and that we answer to the Lord. Marilyn: You did mention this morning that if there is no God, there is no justice because I believe if I heard correctly that she was unable, this victim was unable to really testify on the stand and so as I understand it, the man walked free. Frank: The man's free and everyone knows he's guilty and he's never going to get justice here on earth if she doesn't testify. Marilyn: Yes. Frank: He'll only get justice in the afterlife if there is one. Marilyn: So without God, there is no justice. Frank: There is no justice, there's no standard of justice and there's no justice done because there's nobody with the authority and the knowledge and the power to make something just ultimately. Marilyn: Now that kind of brings me to another question that I jotted down, we have also talked about Islam this week in some podcasts. Marilyn: My question is why does it have to be a good God that is the basis for our sense morality? That every human feels this deep sense of right and wrong and why can't it be Allah? Why does it have to be a good God that really gives us that sense of morality? Frank: Because as Muslim scholars will admit that Allah is arbitrary according to them that his nature isn't good, whatever he does is good. Kind of a mild example of that would be in the Gulf War, when the allied forces hit the Iraqis with overwhelming force, some of the Iraqis were surrendering to CNN camera crews why? Because Allah must want us to lose now it's a very fatalistic whatever Allah does is good, not is Allah good? Frank: Now if Allah isn't good, there must be a standard beyond Allah that is in order to judge what is good and what isn't good and that standard is God's Yahweh's nature. Ultimately you have to arrive at an unchanging source of goodness and justice and righteousness and that standard is what we mean by God. Frank: In theology, you well know here at New Orleans seminary, you know there's a difference between essentialism and voluntarism, I don't know if our podcasters may have heard this but essentialism is that goodness is grounded in God's nature. Voluntarism is that God is arbitrary and does whatever he wants regardless of any nature. Well, as Christians er are essentialists we believe that God's nature is goodness and that's where the buck stops, so to speak. Marilyn: Interesting, now on Allah, I wonder if this goes back to the old philosophical dilemma. Is it good because Allah says it is good? Frank: Yeah. That's called the Euthyphro dilemma that Plato brought up and it's why I should bring that up Marilyn because I get it a lot on college campuses. People will say, "Well, is God good because he does it or does he do it because God's good?" Frank: And this is supposed to be a dilemma for the Christian who goes, "Well, look, if God does it because he's good, then he must be looking at a standard beyond him and if it's good because God doesn't think Allah is arbitrary, why you need God for good then?" Right "God's not doing anything he's looking at a standard beyond him or he's just arbitrary and making it up" Frank: And they think it's dilemma, but it's not a dilemma, this is what's called a false dilemma. A true dilemma is A or non A. Marilyn: Right. Frank: This is A or B. Well maybe there's a C, In other words, maybe there's a third option here and there is. The third option is not that God is arbitrary or not that God looks at a standard beyond him, the third option is God is the standard, right? Marilyn: Yes. Frank: If God has to look at a standard beyond him, then God is not really God. The standard beyond him is and so it's not a dilemma. The Euthyphro dilemma is not a dilemma there's a standard beyond or the standard is God not a standard beyond him. Marilyn: When I ask you about this question that Christians face quite a bit or this challenge of, don't judge me. You talked about Matthew 7 or where someone will say, "Who are you to judge?" Or "The Bible says judge not." Marilyn: You mentioned this last night about Matthew 7 and you said, "It's not that we're not to judge, but they were to judge correctly." I wanted to give you a chance to talk about that a little bit. Frank: First when someone says, "Don't judge." They're actually judging you. It's a self defeating claim to say, don't judge. It's like saying, "I can't speak a word in English." It's doing what you say you should do so Jesus doesn't just stop after he says, "Judge not." he says, "Judge not lest you be judged by the same standard you judge others you'd be judged by that standard, so before you try and take the speck out of your brother's eye, you hypocrite take the log out of your own eye." Frank: He's not telling you not to judge, he's telling you to take the speck out of your brother's eye, which involves making a judgment. He's simply saying, "Get that problem out of your life so you can better help your brother." So it's not a command not to judge, it's a command on how to judge. Frank: Everybody makes judgments, atheists make judgments, they judge there's no God, the Bible is wrong, you're wrong if you're a Christian, all these things, they're judgments. The question isn't whether or not you can make judgments, the question is, are your judgments true? Frank: In fact, the next verse after that, I think if I remember correctly, Jesus either says don't throw your pearls before swine Or it says something about dogs. He's making a judgment about certain things, so everybody's making judgments. The only question is, are your judgments true? Marilyn: I think that's a real important point for Christians who are trying to share with other people to understand and you went through quite a few challenges last night and you said, "Turn these on their head, turn it back." Give us a couple of examples. Frank: Turn the claim on itself, this is the most important thinking skill you can have. In the book, I Don't Have Enough Faith To Be An Atheist we call it the road runner tactic. It reminds us of Wile Coyote and Road Runner like Road Runner stops short in the cliff and Wile Coyote goes over the cliff and he's hanging in mid air until he realizes there's no ground to stand on well, that's exactly what you do when you turn a claim on itself. Frank: Somebody says there's no truth you say, "Is that true?" You're claiming it's true, there's no truth. Somebody says, "Don't judge." Then why are you judging me for judging? Somebody says, "There are no absolutes, are you absolutely sure?" Someone says, "All truth comes from science." Frank: You say, "Does that truth come from science?" No, it doesn't. You should doubt everything, "Should I doubt that?" I mean, you can't know anything, "How do you know you can't know?" These are relativism and postmodernism or just they're intellectually vacuous. It's logically self defeating. Frank: Once you get good at turning a claim on itself, you can avoid a lot of error and that's important because if you start believing error, reality will hit you in the face ultimately you're going to get hurt. Marilyn: And it's a great skill for every Christian learn just if nothing else, it puts a back on them, gifts that Christian a moment to kind of collect themselves and make them answer the question. You may not have a snickers bar, but if you learn this skill, that gives you just a moment to kind of back up and not be on the defense all the time. Marilyn: All right, let's see. You said so many good things but I loved what you said this morning about miracles, that sign of the great king. You talked about that when a king wanted to send a message, he would send a messenger that, when he signed a document, he did it with a seal of a ring. Tell me about how miracles are really a sign of a great God that we serve? Frank: The purpose of miracles in the scriptures anyway is to show that somebody speaks for God. The great periods of miracles in the Bible and there aren't many of them actually, people think miracles are occurring all the time in the Bible, they are not actually occurring very often. They are occurring about on average, once every eight years. Marilyn: I believe he said 230, 250 something- Frank: 250 over so to make the math easier, just check it from Abraham to Jesus and that's 2000 years, it's one miracle every eight years. And they're there to say, "Listen to this person." God is going to pour out miracles on Moses so the Israelites listened to Moses and Pharaoh listens to Moses. Frank: God's going to pour out miracles on Elijah and Elijah goes there trying to prevent Israel from going into apostasy. God is going to pour out miracles on Jesus and the apostles because they have a new message that people need to understand and know that this is from God that's why miracles are done. Frank: They're never done to entertain, they're never even done for the personal benefit of the miracle worker. For example, Paul says, "Pray for Timothy" Or pray for so and so. Timothy, take a little wine for your stomach because, well, look, if Timothy has a problem why don't you just heal him? Frank: It's never done for the personal benefit, God can heal him directly don't get me wrong. I'm just saying when the apostles and others in the scriptures are doing miracles, they're doing miracles to show everybody that they speak for God and that's why we ought to believe in what they say. Frank: This new revelation needs new confirmation, this new sermon needs a new sign, it's kind of like a miracle is like a seal from the king who sends you a message that seal says, "This is from the king." Marilyn: I think that's a great picture, I think that really communicated the message very well. Now, you asked this question and in my mind I got it wrong. You asked, "What was the greatest miracle?" And I was thinking resurrection. Frank: Yes. Marilyn: But you said, "No, it's in Genesis 1:1." That's interesting, I'm going to have to give that some more thought but tell me- Frank: Let me say technically you're correct. Marilyn: True. Frank: The resurrection is the greatest- Marilyn: Good, I like to be right. Frank: Because when we think of miracles, we think of acts of God inside the universe technically, the creation of the universe is an act of God, but it wasn't inside the universe it was the creation of the universe. Frank: If you want to be technical but in terms of the amount of power that it would take to create the universe that appears to be greater than say to resurrect Jesus from the dead. Marilyn: True. One of the things that I wondered about that might be helpful as we're talking to people is that that is accepted across the board in scientists that there was a big bang, that there was a moment when everything came into existence and that, that might even be helpful as we're sharing that here we had the greatest miracle ever right here at the beginning. Science sees that from there, everything else is easier to accept perhaps. Frank: That's right. If Genesis 1:1 is true and the atheists are admitting the data for Genesis 1:1 they don't think it was God, it's hard to avoid the conclusion that a space matter in time had a beginning, whatever created space matter in time can't be made a space matter of time. Frank: The cosmos must be spaceless timeless was in a material, powerful, intelligent, personal to create the universe out of nothing those are the attributes of God. It's hard to avoid that conclusion and if God does really exist, then obviously miracles are possible. Frank: I see as Lewis said, if God exists ... How did he put it? He said, if God exists, must we believe in miracles? Indeed, you have no security against it, that is the bargain. Marilyn: Mm-hmm (affirmative)- Frank: If God exists, he can intervene in the universe anytime he wants. And the question is why does he intervene? It appears when it comes to the Old Testament, he's intervening to show people that these people speak for me, listen up. Marilyn: I don't know if we can underestimate just how powerful the big bang is for our case because and by the way, you pointed out just how old I am and Bob and everybody else when he had us raise our hands this morning. Yes, I do remember the day John F. Kennedy was assassinated. Frank: Yes I raised my hand too, but I was only two. Marilyn: But as we talk about the big bang, I remember when I started I taught school many years ago and taught science and those textbooks back in the 80s were still saying that many scientists believe that the universe was eternal. Frank: Really in the 80s? Marilyn: Yes. Frank: Wow, it takes- Marilyn: It takes a long time for textbooks to change over and- Frank: Wake up. Einstein knew it through the theory of general relativity, he knew that the universe and time, that space time and matter are co relative, he knew that back in like 1916. Marilyn: Oh yes. It takes a long time, especially in schools, but they were still talking about universe eternal maybe expanding contracting universe and I could see it right there. So I would point it out to the kids. I said, "But here's an option, and they're talking about it, it has significance." Frank: Well, you can even lay the science aside. Because I was actually with a Muslim philosopher many years ago who came up with what some call the column cosmological arguments that time had to have a beginning in other words, today never would have gotten here. Frank: Regardless of the Big Bang, regardless of science and all this, we know time had to have a beginning. If time didn't have the beginning today, wouldn't have never arrived because you'd always have to live another day before you got to today because there's an infinite number of days before today. Frank: Now, whatever created time must be timeless, and if you're timeless, you don't have a beginning, which means whatever created time is eternal, I.e God is eternal. So you could lay all the scientists aside and still arrive at the beginning of the Genesis 1:1. Marilyn: Sure. You mentioned that last night, and this is one of the reasons everybody loves your talks. We are out of time, I do appreciate it very much- Frank: We are out of time? I thought we had infinite time. Marilyn: We have infinite time, we're not even yet to today's. Frank: All right. Marilyn: But thank you so much for all you do and for being with us today. Frank: My pleasure. And if people want to know more about this Marilyn, they can go to our website, crossexamined.org and we're on YouTube @crossexamined.org and we have Facebook, cross examined.org Frank: And we do a lot on the college campus so people can watch the Q and A or the entire presentation including the Q and A from our college campus if they feel like our Facebook pages because we stream it on Facebook and we stream it on our website as well. When is this podcast coming out? Marilyn: Joe will have to be the one to answer that and we'll let you know and we'll send you the link because we want others too and we want you back for defend. I'm sure you will be. Frank: Oh, sure. Marilyn: And we'll do some more podcasts how about that? Frank: Absolutely. Well, if this comes out at the end of January, at Ohio state, people can watch it. And then we're at Winthrop university and several others, so they can check our calendar, crossexamined.org and see those. Marilyn: All right. Thanks so much.

Today we move into one of the most pivotal places in all of Scripture. If Genesis 3 were not in the Bible, there would be no Bible as we know it. Why? Because the rest of Scripture documents the sad consequences of Adam’s sin and explains what God in His grace has done to rescue us. Temptation and deception are Satan's chief weapons. Our greatest weapon in countering the Enemy's onslaught is the very Word of God.

APPLICATION QUESTIONS: • What can you say about God from the book of Genesis? If Genesis were the only biblical book accessible to you how much would you understand about the Gospel? • The biblical flood has become a sensationalized epic (Gen 6-9). Have you considered the horror of the worldwide flood? How do you feel about a God who destroyed all created life outside of a single boat. How does that inform your view of eternal judgment? • Who is responsible for the Abrahamic Covenant (Gen 12:3)? God or Abraham? • Do you believe God is sovereign? What stories in Genesis reveal God's sovereignty? How does this belief influence your view of God's work in your life?

If Genesis is a story, what is that story about? What will be the larger story arcs of the plot? Tonight we see why the covenant is important to understanding that question.

This is where our "family story" begins, with Abraham. If Genesis 1-2 is the story of God forming the world, and Genesis 3-11 is the story of the world coming apart, then Genesis 12 is the beginning of God working within his world to rescue and redeem it. Abraham's story culminates in Jesus and opens the way for us to join it now.