Reasoning Through the Bible

Matthew 12 reaches a major turning point as the religious leaders move from questioning Jesus to openly rejecting Him.After the Pharisees begin plotting His death, Jesus withdraws and continues healing those who follow Him. Matthew connects His gentle ministry to Isaiah’s prophecy of the Servant who would bring justice and become the hope of the Gentiles.Then Jesus heals a demon-possessed man who was blind and mute. The crowd begins asking the crucial question: “Could this be the Son of David?” The Pharisees cannot deny the miracle, so they claim Jesus is casting out demons by the power of Satan.Glenn and Steve examine why this miracle mattered, how Jesus answers the accusation with the logic of a divided kingdom, why His authority over demons confirms the presence of the King, and what He means when He says, “He who is not with Me is against Me.”Matthew 12:15–30 | The Book of Matthew — Session 22 Questions discussed during this session include:Who is the only person who can know someone’s thoughts?Can someone be neutral regarding Jesus? What about people who merely do not care about Jesus? Has Jesus shown Himself trustworthy, or is faith blind?Support the showThank you for listening!!  Please give us a five-star rating to help your podcast provider's algorithm spread RTTB among their listeners. You can find free study and leader resources at the following link - Resource Page - Reasoning Through the BiblePlease prayerfully consider supporting RTTB to help us to continue providing content and free resources. You can do that at this link - Support RTTB - Reasoning Through the Bible May God Bless you!! - Glenn and Steve

Did Jesus and His disciples break the Sabbath?In Matthew 12:1–14, the Pharisees accuse Jesus’ disciples of doing unlawful work because they plucked grain while walking through a field on the Sabbath. But the Mosaic Law actually permitted what they were doing.Glenn and Steve examine how religious leaders had added layers of tradition around God’s commands and turned the Sabbath—a gift intended for rest—into a burden. Jesus answers their accusation by pointing to David eating the consecrated bread, the priests working in the temple on the Sabbath, and the greater importance of mercy, compassion, and genuine worship.Jesus then makes two remarkable claims: something greater than the temple is here, and the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.The conflict intensifies when the Pharisees try to trap Jesus over healing a man with a withered hand. Jesus responds simply: “It is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.” The man is healed, and the Pharisees respond by beginning to plot Jesus’ death.Matthew 12:1–14 | The Book of Matthew — Session 21 Questions discussed in this Session include:We learn the purpose of showbread and the priests’ responsibilitiesCan giving up things result in pleasing God?What is the purpose of the sabbath and how important is it to God?Jesus asks “Is it lawful to do good on the sabbath?”Support the showThank you for listening!!  Please give us a five-star rating to help your podcast provider's algorithm spread RTTB among their listeners. You can find free study and leader resources at the following link - Resource Page - Reasoning Through the BiblePlease prayerfully consider supporting RTTB to help us to continue providing content and free resources. You can do that at this link - Support RTTB - Reasoning Through the Bible May God Bless you!! - Glenn and Steve

Why do some people refuse to believe even when the evidence is right in front of them?In Matthew 11:16–30, Jesus compares His generation to children who are impossible to satisfy. John the Baptist lived an austere life and was accused of having a demon. Jesus ate with sinners and was called a glutton and a drunkard. No matter what God did, the critics found a reason to reject it.Jesus then pronounces judgment on Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum—cities that had witnessed His miracles and still refused to repent. Glenn and Steve discuss judgment, human responsibility, God’s knowledge of what people would do under different circumstances, sovereignty and free will, and why theological systems often struggle to explain an infinite God.The passage then turns from warning to invitation. Jesus says, “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.” The burden of trying to earn righteousness through religion is heavy, but Christ offers rest, grace, and a yoke that is easy and light.Matthew 11:16–30 | The Book of Matthew — Session 20Questions discussed in this session include:If a skeptic were to see a true miracle, would they then be satisfied?Is there a judgement to come? Does God draw all people to Himself with the same degree of force?What is Molinism and what questions need to be answered by this system? Support the showThank you for listening!!  Please give us a five-star rating to help your podcast provider's algorithm spread RTTB among their listeners. You can find free study and leader resources at the following link - Resource Page - Reasoning Through the BiblePlease prayerfully consider supporting RTTB to help us to continue providing content and free resources. You can do that at this link - Support RTTB - Reasoning Through the Bible May God Bless you!! - Glenn and Steve

Did John the Baptist begin to doubt Jesus while sitting in prison?Matthew 11 opens with John sending his disciples to ask Jesus, “Are You the Expected One, or shall we look for someone else?” Rather than simply saying yes, Jesus points them to the evidence: the blind see, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor hear the gospel.Glenn and Steve consider whether John himself was struggling with doubt or whether he may have been intentionally sending his remaining followers to Jesus. They also discuss why John was imprisoned, whether Christians should speak publicly about moral issues, and how Jesus described John as a bold prophet rather than a reed shaken by the wind.The study then moves into Malachi’s prophecies, John’s connection to Elijah, the deity of Christ, the relationship between the Law and the Prophets and the kingdom, and the meaning of Jesus’ difficult statement that “the kingdom of heaven suffers violence.”Matthew 11:1–15 | The Book of Matthew — Session 19  Questions discussed in this session include:How do I know whether to keep silent on moral issues or speak out and risk persecution?What should we do if we have doubts? Of what value is it being in Christ’s kingdom? Are churches receptive to people asking doubtful questions? Support the showThank you for listening!!  Please give us a five-star rating to help your podcast provider's algorithm spread RTTB among their listeners. You can find free study and leader resources at the following link - Resource Page - Reasoning Through the BiblePlease prayerfully consider supporting RTTB to help us to continue providing content and free resources. You can do that at this link - Support RTTB - Reasoning Through the Bible May God Bless you!! - Glenn and Steve

What should followers of Jesus expect from the world?In Matthew 10:24–42, Jesus tells His disciples that they should not expect better treatment than He received. If the world maligned Him, some will malign His followers too. Yet Jesus repeatedly says, “Do not fear.”Glenn and Steve discuss why false accusations will ultimately be exposed, why believers should fear God rather than men, and how Jesus’ teaching about sparrows and numbered hairs gives comfort during persecution and discouragement.The discussion also examines Jesus’ difficult statement that He did not come to bring peace, but a sword; why following Christ can divide families; what it really means to take up your cross; why losing your life for Christ leads to true life; and how even simple acts of service will receive eternal reward.Matthew 10:24–42 | The Book of Matthew — Session 18 Questions discussed during this session include:What should you do if you think God has forgotten about you? What does Jesus mean when He says He came to separate family members? What does it mean for us to carry our cross? What message should we proclaim from the housetops?What does it mean to fear God? Support the showThank you for listening!!  Please give us a five-star rating to help your podcast provider's algorithm spread RTTB among their listeners. You can find free study and leader resources at the following link - Resource Page - Reasoning Through the BiblePlease prayerfully consider supporting RTTB to help us to continue providing content and free resources. You can do that at this link - Support RTTB - Reasoning Through the Bible May God Bless you!! - Glenn and Steve

Why did Jesus tell the Twelve to go only to Israel when He later commanded them to make disciples of all nations?Matthew 10 contains instructions that apply to more than one setting. Jesus sends the Twelve on an immediate mission to the lost sheep of Israel with the message, “The kingdom of heaven is at hand.” He tells them to travel lightly, depend on God’s provision, and move on when a city rejects their message.But later in the same chapter, Jesus speaks about persecution, appearing before governors and kings, testimony to Gentiles, and enduring severe opposition. Glenn and Steve discuss how Matthew’s topical structure helps explain why instructions from different time periods can appear together.The study also examines what it means to be wise as serpents and innocent as doves, why repeated rejection can harden the heart, why believers should prepare themselves in Scripture rather than expect effortless inspiration, and how to understand “he who endures to the end will be saved.”Matthew 10:5–23 | The Book of Matthew — Session 17 Questions discussed in this session include: Why would Jesus send out His disciples only to Israel?Why were the disciples sent out without money or extra supplies?Why would God punish a city more than Sodom for rejecting the message of the kingdom?What does Jesus mean when He says “He who endures to the end will be saved?”Support the showThank you for listening!!  Please give us a five-star rating to help your podcast provider's algorithm spread RTTB among their listeners. You can find free study and leader resources at the following link - Resource Page - Reasoning Through the BiblePlease prayerfully consider supporting RTTB to help us to continue providing content and free resources. You can do that at this link - Support RTTB - Reasoning Through the Bible May God Bless you!! - Glenn and Steve

Matthew 10 introduces the Twelve as Jesus prepares to send them throughout Israel. They were not an impressive religious elite. Among them were fishermen, a tax collector associated with Roman rule, a Zealot connected with opposition to Rome, and several men about whom Scripture tells us very little.Glenn and Steve discuss the difference between a disciple and an apostle, why being well-known does not make someone more important in the work of the church, and why Jesus gave these apostles special miraculous authority.The session also examines the message Jesus sent them to preach—“The kingdom of heaven is at hand”—and why that message was directed specifically to Israel at this stage of His ministry. The miracles authenticated both the messengers and the Messiah they proclaimed.Finally, the discussion looks at the growing conflict between Jesus and the religious leadership, particularly over the oral traditions that had accumulated around the Mosaic Law, and considers how God still calls and prepares believers for service today.Matthew 10:1–8 | The Book of Matthew — Session 16 Questions discussed in this session include: Did Jesus pick Judas knowing he would be His betrayer? In our day, does God still pick people today for a purpose? Do we have the office of apostle in the church today? What are the proofs that someone is an apostle?How were spiritual gifts given to people in the New Testament? Support the showThank you for listening!!  Please give us a five-star rating to help your podcast provider's algorithm spread RTTB among their listeners. You can find free study and leader resources at the following link - Resource Page - Reasoning Through the BiblePlease prayerfully consider supporting RTTB to help us to continue providing content and free resources. You can do that at this link - Support RTTB - Reasoning Through the Bible May God Bless you!! - Glenn and Steve

Why did Jesus say new wine cannot be put into old wineskins?In Matthew 9:14–38, Jesus continues challenging religious assumptions while demonstrating His authority through a remarkable series of miracles.The discussion begins with fasting. Jesus explains that fasting is useful for prayer and spiritual discipline, but it does not make anyone righteous. He then uses the illustrations of an unshrunk patch and new wine in old wineskins to show that He did not come simply to repair an old system of religious works.The session then turns to several powerful miracles. A woman suffering for twelve years reaches out in faith and touches Jesus’ garment. A ruler comes to Jesus believing He can raise his daughter. Two blind men recognize Him as the Son of David, and a mute demon-possessed man is freed.Glenn and Steve also discuss why faith does not guarantee physical healing today, how the miracles function as signs of Jesus’ deity, why some Pharisees still rejected Him despite overwhelming evidence, and Jesus’ final call: “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few.”Matthew 9:14–38 | The Book of Matthew — Session 15 Questions discussed in this session include:What is the purpose of fasting?Did Jesus come to patch up an old religious system? Who has power over death? What will happen if we get close to Jesus and touch Him? Support the showThank you for listening!!  Please give us a five-star rating to help your podcast provider's algorithm spread RTTB among their listeners. You can find free study and leader resources at the following link - Resource Page - Reasoning Through the BiblePlease prayerfully consider supporting RTTB to help us to continue providing content and free resources. You can do that at this link - Support RTTB - Reasoning Through the Bible May God Bless you!! - Glenn and Steve

Who has the authority to forgive sins?In Matthew 9, friends bring a paralyzed man to Jesus expecting physical healing. Instead, Jesus first tells him, “Take courage, son; your sins are forgiven.” The scribes immediately accuse Him of blasphemy because they understand that only God can forgive sins.Jesus then heals the man physically to demonstrate that He possesses the authority He claims.The session also follows Jesus as He calls Matthew from the tax collector’s booth. Matthew leaves a lucrative and socially despised career to follow Christ, then immediately invites fellow tax collectors and sinners to meet Jesus.When the Pharisees object, Jesus responds that the sick need a physician and quotes Hosea: “I desire compassion, and not sacrifice.”Glenn and Steve discuss forgiveness, sign miracles, faith and healing, the calling of Matthew, legalism, mercy, and why Jesus came for sinners.Matthew 9:1–13 | The Book of Matthew - Session 14  Questions discussed in this session include:How does Jesus respond to the faith of a friend? Can our faith cause healing? If Jesus would have healed the body but not the soul, would it have helped?When God calls to us, what can happen if we wait? Support the showThank you for listening!!  Please give us a five-star rating to help your podcast provider's algorithm spread RTTB among their listeners. You can find free study and leader resources at the following link - Resource Page - Reasoning Through the BiblePlease prayerfully consider supporting RTTB to help us to continue providing content and free resources. You can do that at this link - Support RTTB - Reasoning Through the Bible May God Bless you!! - Glenn and Steve

Matthew 8 continues to reveal who Jesus is through a series of attesting miracles.Jesus heals Peter’s mother-in-law with a touch, casts out demons with a word, and then challenges those who say they want to follow Him by explaining that discipleship carries a real cost. Following Christ is not a path to worldly fame, comfort, or wealth.Then Jesus and His disciples enter a boat and encounter a violent storm on the Sea of Galilee. While experienced fishermen fear for their lives, Jesus sleeps. When they wake Him, He rebukes the wind and sea and everything becomes perfectly calm. The disciples ask the question that hangs over the entire chapter: “What kind of man is this?”The session closes in the region of the Gadarenes, where even demons recognize Jesus as the Son of God and must ask His permission before acting.Matthew 8:14–34 | The Book of Matthew — Session 13Questions discussed in this session include:  Are Christians guaranteed to have health and wealth? Should we wait until we have our life in order before following God?How rich was Jesus? What does it mean for us to follow Jesus? Support the showThank you for listening!!  Please give us a five-star rating to help your podcast provider's algorithm spread RTTB among their listeners. You can find free study and leader resources at the following link - Resource Page - Reasoning Through the BiblePlease prayerfully consider supporting RTTB to help us to continue providing content and free resources. You can do that at this link - Support RTTB - Reasoning Through the Bible May God Bless you!! - Glenn and Steve

Matthew 8 begins a new section in which Jesus’ miracles demonstrate His authority and reveal who He truly is.The first person who approaches Him is a leper—someone who had been isolated from society, separated from worship, and forced to live apart from family. The man bows before Jesus and says, “Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.” Jesus responds with compassion: “I am willing.” Then He does something remarkable—He touches him.Next, a Roman centurion comes seeking healing for his servant. Unlike the leper, this man has worldly power and authority, yet he approaches Jesus with humility and recognizes that Jesus possesses a far greater authority: “Just say the word, and my servant will be healed.”Glenn and Steve examine how these miracles point to Jesus as Messiah and Lord, how leprosy provides a vivid picture of sin and cleansing, why the centurion’s faith amazed Jesus, and what Jesus meant when He spoke of Gentiles coming from east and west to sit with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom.Matthew 8:1–13 | The Book of Matthew — Session 12  Questions discussed during this session include:What is leprosy and what does it represent in the Bible?What authority does Jesus have?Are there similarities between the lowest and highest levels of society? Who are the sons of the kingdom and what does Jesus say about them?Support the showThank you for listening!!  Please give us a five-star rating to help your podcast provider's algorithm spread RTTB among their listeners. You can find free study and leader resources at the following link - Resource Page - Reasoning Through the BiblePlease prayerfully consider supporting RTTB to help us to continue providing content and free resources. You can do that at this link - Support RTTB - Reasoning Through the Bible May God Bless you!! - Glenn and Steve

Jesus closes the Sermon on the Mount with a series of serious warnings and powerful illustrations.In Matthew 7:13-29, He contrasts the broad road that leads to destruction with the narrow gate that leads to life. The narrow way is not one spiritual option among many--it points to the one way to the Father through Jesus Christ.Glenn and Steve then examine Jesus’ warning about false prophets who appear in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. How can believers recognize false teachers? Jesus says to look at their fruit, especially their teaching, and compare it carefully with Scripture.The session also tackles the difficult words, “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven,” and explains why outward religious activity, miracles, or Christian language are not substitutes for a genuine relationship with Christ.Finally, Jesus closes with the wise man who built his house on the rock and the foolish man who built on sand. Storms come to both--but only one foundation stands.Matthew 7:13–29 | The Book of Matthew — Session 11 Questions discussed in this session include:Are there many spiritual paths that are all valid?Are there people in churches who are not true believers? How do we tell if a person is a true Christian or a wolf in sheep’s clothing?What makes a true Christian? Support the showThank you for listening!!  Please give us a five-star rating to help your podcast provider's algorithm spread RTTB among their listeners. You can find free study and leader resources at the following link - Resource Page - Reasoning Through the BiblePlease prayerfully consider supporting RTTB to help us to continue providing content and free resources. You can do that at this link - Support RTTB - Reasoning Through the Bible May God Bless you!! - Glenn and Steve

What did Jesus really mean when He said, “Do not judge so that you will not be judged”?In this session, Glenn and Steve finish Matthew 6 and move into Matthew 7. Jesus first addresses worry and anxiety, reminding His followers that the Father already knows what they need. Instead of allowing food, clothing, work, possessions, and tomorrow’s problems to dominate life, believers are called to seek first God’s kingdom and righteousness.The discussion then turns to one of the most quoted verses in Scripture: “Do not judge.” Jesus is not prohibiting all discernment. He warns against hypocritically condemning others while ignoring our own sins. Christians must examine themselves first and then evaluate truth and error with humility and care.The session also considers what Jesus meant by “pearls before swine,” how “ask, seek, and knock” should be understood in light of God’s will, why unanswered prayer does not mean God is unloving, and how the Golden Rule summarizes a major principle of biblical relationships.Matthew 6:25–7:12 | The Book of Matthew — Session 10 Questions discussed in this session include:Does God know about our needs?Can we trust God to supply our needs?Should we judge other people’s actions and teachings?Will we always get what we pray for if we pray in faith? Support the showThank you for listening!!  Please give us a five-star rating to help your podcast provider's algorithm spread RTTB among their listeners. You can find free study and leader resources at the following link - Resource Page - Reasoning Through the BiblePlease prayerfully consider supporting RTTB to help us to continue providing content and free resources. You can do that at this link - Support RTTB - Reasoning Through the Bible May God Bless you!! - Glenn and Steve

How did Jesus actually teach His followers to pray?In Matthew 6:9–24, Jesus gives what is commonly called the Lord’s Prayer—but perhaps more accurately understood as the model prayer. Rather than giving us a formula to repeat mechanically, Jesus provides a pattern that begins with honoring God, longing for His kingdom, submitting to His will, and then bringing our daily needs before Him.Glenn and Steve examine what “daily bread” means, why believers should pray for God’s kingdom to come, how forgiveness affects our relationships with others, and why those closest to us can sometimes be the hardest people to forgive.The session also explores biblical fasting, heavenly rewards, storing treasure in heaven rather than on earth, and Jesus’ warning that no one can serve two masters.Where we invest our time, attention, and resources reveals what we truly value—and ultimately who or what we serve.Matthew 6:9–24 | The Book of Matthew — Session 9Questions discussed during this session include:  How are we to pray?Should we memorize and repeat the Lord’s Prayer? Can physical fasting be of spiritual benefit? How can we lay up treasure? Support the showThank you for listening!!  Please give us a five-star rating to help your podcast provider's algorithm spread RTTB among their listeners. You can find free study and leader resources at the following link - Resource Page - Reasoning Through the BiblePlease prayerfully consider supporting RTTB to help us to continue providing content and free resources. You can do that at this link - Support RTTB - Reasoning Through the Bible May God Bless you!! - Glenn and Steve

Can doing something good for the wrong reason turn it into something spiritually harmful?In Matthew 6, Jesus continues the Sermon on the Mount by addressing the motives behind giving, good works, and prayer. He warns His listeners not to practice righteousness in order to be noticed by others. The issue is not whether Christians should do good works, but whether those works are being done for God or for human applause.Glenn and Steve also examine the relationship between salvation and good works, why public recognition can become dangerous in Christian ministry, what Jesus means by giving in secret, and why taking Scripture literally does not mean ignoring figures of speech.The discussion then turns to prayer. Jesus warns against praying to impress others and against meaningless repetition. But if God already knows what we need before we ask Him, why pray at all?Matthew 6:1–8 | Reasoning Through the BibleQuestions discussed in this session include:How do we evaluate Christian ministers?How should Christian ministries handle giving?How should private and public prayers be different? If God knows what we need, why should we pray? Support the showThank you for listening!!  Please give us a five-star rating to help your podcast provider's algorithm spread RTTB among their listeners. You can find free study and leader resources at the following link - Resource Page - Reasoning Through the BiblePlease prayerfully consider supporting RTTB to help us to continue providing content and free resources. You can do that at this link - Support RTTB - Reasoning Through the Bible May God Bless you!! - Glenn and Steve

What does Jesus mean when He tells His followers to be the salt of the earth and the light of the world? And why does He later say, “Be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect”?In this session, Glenn and Steve continue through the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5:13–48. They examine how believers should influence the world around them, why good works should point people toward God rather than ourselves, and what Jesus meant when He said He came not to abolish the Law but to fulfill it.The discussion then turns to some of the most challenging teachings in Matthew: anger and murder, lust and adultery, reconciliation, divorce, keeping our word, turning the other cheek, going the extra mile, and loving our enemies. Throughout the passage, Jesus moves beyond outward rule keeping and exposes the condition of the heart.The chapter ends with an impossible human standard: “Be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” The Sermon on the Mount ultimately shows why righteousness cannot be earned through human effort and why sinners must depend upon God’s mercy and righteousness.Matthew 5:13–48 | The Book of Matthew — Session 7  Questions discussed in this session include:  What is the best light for a dark world? What does it mean to be salt and light? Is the Mosaic Law in place today? How serious does God view sin and righteousness? What does Jesus teach about divorce? Support the showThank you for listening!!  Please give us a five-star rating to help your podcast provider's algorithm spread RTTB among their listeners. You can find free study and leader resources at the following link - Resource Page - Reasoning Through the BiblePlease prayerfully consider supporting RTTB to help us to continue providing content and free resources. You can do that at this link - Support RTTB - Reasoning Through the Bible May God Bless you!! - Glenn and Steve

The Sermon on the Mount is one of the best-known teachings of Jesus, but what is it actually teaching? Is it a set of commands Christians are expected to perfectly live today, a description of life in Christ’s future kingdom, or something that contains elements of both?In this session, Glenn and Steve begin Matthew 5 with the Beatitudes and examine the larger purpose of the Sermon on the Mount. Jesus has already been presented as Israel’s King, and now He begins explaining the righteousness and character associated with His kingdom.The discussion examines what it means to be poor in spirit, to mourn, to be meek, to hunger and thirst for righteousness, to show mercy, to be pure in heart, to make peace, and to endure persecution for Christ. Along the way, we consider why Jesus raises God’s standard far beyond outward obedience and why no one can reach that standard through human effort alone.Matthew 5:1–12 | The Book of Matthew — Session 6Questions discussed in this session include:Is the sermon on the mount for today? Are we able to follow Jesus’ commandments here? What is the main purpose of the sermon on the mount? What is the difference between the letter of the law and God’s level of righteousness? Support the showThank you for listening!!  Please give us a five-star rating to help your podcast provider's algorithm spread RTTB among their listeners. You can find free study and leader resources at the following link - Resource Page - Reasoning Through the BiblePlease prayerfully consider supporting RTTB to help us to continue providing content and free resources. You can do that at this link - Support RTTB - Reasoning Through the Bible May God Bless you!! - Glenn and Steve

How did Jesus respond when Satan tempted Him in the wilderness? Matthew chapter 4 shows that Jesus was truly tempted, yet He remained without sin and answered each temptation with the Word of God.In this session, Glenn and Steve examine the three temptations of Christ, how they connect with the desires of the flesh, the desires of the eyes, and the pride of life, and why Jesus’ response gives believers a practical model for resisting temptation. The discussion also considers fasting, why Satan quoted Scripture, and why knowing the Bible matters when temptation comes. The session then moves into the beginning of Jesus’ public ministry. He announces, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand,” calls His first disciples to follow Him immediately, and begins healing throughout Galilee. These miracles function as signs that confirm who He is and validate His message.Matthew 4:1–25 | The Book of Matthew — Session 5 Questions discussed in this session include:What is the purpose of fasting? What should we do when we are tempted?Why would Jesus change His message halfway through Matthew? What does it mean to say “the kingdom is at hand?”When Jesus asks people to follow Him, how do they respond?Support the showThank you for listening!!  Please give us a five-star rating to help your podcast provider's algorithm spread RTTB among their listeners. You can find free study and leader resources at the following link - Resource Page - Reasoning Through the BiblePlease prayerfully consider supporting RTTB to help us to continue providing content and free resources. You can do that at this link - Support RTTB - Reasoning Through the Bible May God Bless you!! - Glenn and Steve

John the Baptist was not impressed by outward religion, family heritage, or public appearances. When the Pharisees and Sadducees came to him, he challenged them to “bear fruit in keeping with repentance.” In this session, Glenn and Steve examine what genuine repentance means and why changed thinking should eventually produce changed actions. John’s message also contains strong warnings of coming judgment: the axe at the root, the winnowing fork, the chaff, and unquenchable fire. We discuss the difference between baptism with the Holy Spirit and baptism with fire, why religious heritage cannot substitute for faith, and how John’s warning fits with both the justice and love of God.The session then moves to the baptism of Jesus. Why was a sinless Savior baptized? We consider how Jesus identified with humanity, how baptism points toward death and resurrection, and how the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are all revealed together at the Jordan River.Matthew 3:7–17 | The Book of Matthew — Session 4  Questions discussed in this session include:Are there modern-day Pharisees and Sadducees?Can someone be a true Christian without showing the fruit of repentance? Does Jesus ever do unpleasant and violent things? Is the doctrine of Hell found in the Old Testament? When will be the baptisms of the Holy Spirit and Fire?Support the showThank you for listening!!  Please give us a five-star rating to help your podcast provider's algorithm spread RTTB among their listeners. You can find free study and leader resources at the following link - Resource Page - Reasoning Through the BiblePlease prayerfully consider supporting RTTB to help us to continue providing content and free resources. You can do that at this link - Support RTTB - Reasoning Through the Bible May God Bless you!! - Glenn and Steve

 God repeatedly guides Joseph during the dangerous early years of Jesus’ life. When Joseph is warned to flee to Egypt, he obeys immediately. Later, God directs him back to Israel and then to Galilee. In this session, Glenn and Steve discuss how Christians should think about dreams and spiritual experiences today and why every claimed message must ultimately be tested against Scripture. Matthew also continues emphasizing fulfilled prophecy. Jesus is born in Bethlehem, comes out of Egypt, and grows up in Nazareth—three very different locations that come together in the life of the Messiah. The discussion also examines Herod’s killing of the children in Bethlehem and why the event’s absence from surviving secular history is not especially surprising.Then Matthew 3 introduces John the Baptist, a rough wilderness prophet with a simple message: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” We consider what repentance means, why John baptized in the Jordan, and how Isaiah’s prophecy identifies John as the herald preparing the way for the coming King.Matthew 2:13–3:6 | The Book of Matthew - Session 3Questions discussed in this session include: Does God speak to people in dreams today?  What about the modern messages people get from Mary?  Were the accounts around Jesus’ birth accurate historically? Does God provide guidance to those who follow Him? Support the showThank you for listening!!  Please give us a five-star rating to help your podcast provider's algorithm spread RTTB among their listeners. You can find free study and leader resources at the following link - Resource Page - Reasoning Through the BiblePlease prayerfully consider supporting RTTB to help us to continue providing content and free resources. You can do that at this link - Support RTTB - Reasoning Through the Bible May God Bless you!! - Glenn and Steve

Why does the virgin birth of Jesus matter? Matthew 1 does much more than tell us the circumstances surrounding Jesus’ birth. It identifies Him as the Savior who will save His people from their sins and as Emmanuel - “God with us.”In this session, Glenn and Steve examine Joseph’s difficult situation when he learns Mary is pregnant, the angel’s explanation that the child was conceived by the Holy Spirit, and the textual evidence supporting the virgin birth. They also discuss why the virgin birth is theologically important to understanding both the humanity and deity of Jesus Christ.Then Matthew 2 introduces the Magi, who travel in search of the newborn King of the Jews. We consider what the Bible actually tells us about these wise men, why the star appears to be a supernatural act of God rather than an ordinary astronomical event, and the striking contrast between outsiders who travel to worship Christ and religious leaders who know the prophecy but never go to Bethlehem. The session closes by examining Herod’s hostility, the Magi’s worship of Jesus, and the significance of their gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.Matthew 1:18–2:12 | The Book of Matthew — Session 2 Questions discussed in this session include:What is the main reason Jesus came to earth?What is the importance of the virgin birth?  Who were the Magi (Wise Men)?What does fulfilled prophecy tell us about the messiah? Support the showThank you for listening!!  Please give us a five-star rating to help your podcast provider's algorithm spread RTTB among their listeners. You can find free study and leader resources at the following link - Resource Page - Reasoning Through the BiblePlease prayerfully consider supporting RTTB to help us to continue providing content and free resources. You can do that at this link - Support RTTB - Reasoning Through the Bible May God Bless you!! - Glenn and Steve

Why would Matthew begin his Gospel with a genealogy? In the very first verse, Matthew identifies Jesus as the Messiah, the son of David, and the son of Abraham. Those names are not accidental. They connect Jesus directly to two of the great unconditional covenant promises God made in the Old Testament. In this first session of our verse-by-verse study through Matthew, Glenn and Steve examine the Davidic Covenant, the Abrahamic Covenant, and why Jesus’ ancestry establishes His right to the promised kingdom. We also look at some of the unexpected people Matthew includes—such as Ruth, Rahab, and Bathsheba—and what their presence reveals about God’s grace and faithfulness.Finally, we examine the structure of Matthew’s genealogy, including the three groups of fourteen generations, why generations can be omitted in biblical genealogies, and why these lists should be used for their intended purpose rather than as a precise method for calculating historical dates.Matthew 1:1–17 | The Book of Matthew — Session 1Questions discussed in this session include:How did Jesus fulfill the Davidic and Abrahamic covenants? What are the purposes for the genealogy and what can it tell us?  Can we trust God to keep His promises?  Are God’s promises to Israel still in place? Can we use the Biblical genealogies to calculate the age of the earth? Support the showThank you for listening!!  Please give us a five-star rating to help your podcast provider's algorithm spread RTTB among their listeners. You can find free study and leader resources at the following link - Resource Page - Reasoning Through the BiblePlease prayerfully consider supporting RTTB to help us to continue providing content and free resources. You can do that at this link - Support RTTB - Reasoning Through the Bible May God Bless you!! - Glenn and Steve

Before beginning our verse-by-verse study of the Gospels, we step back and ask some foundational questions about the four Gospels. Why do we have Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John? Why do they sometimes emphasize different events or arrange their material differently? And can these ancient accounts really be trusted?In this introductory session, Glenn and Steve examine the distinct audiences and emphases of the four Gospels, with Matthew presenting Jesus to a predominantly Jewish audience and emphasizing Him as the promised King. They also discuss the so-called “synoptic problem,” literary and form criticism, the claim that the Gospels were originally anonymous, and arguments that the accounts were written too late to preserve reliable testimony. Most importantly, the discussion considers the eyewitness foundation behind the Gospel accounts and why similarities and differences between them do not require us to treat them as myths or legends. This session provides the foundation for the RTTB verse-by-verse journey through Matthew. Matthew Series — Session 1 | Introduction to the Four GospelsQuestions discussed in this session include: What are the distinctions in the gospels? Why are there four gospels instead of just one? Who wrote them and can we trust their writings? What does the term “gospel” mean and why is it important to us? When were the gospels written? How long was it between the events of Jesus and when they were written down?Who were the intended audiences for the gospels? Were the gospels anonymous, or how can we be sure who wrote them? Is there a synoptic problem?  Support the showThank you for listening!!  Please give us a five-star rating to help your podcast provider's algorithm spread RTTB among their listeners. You can find free study and leader resources at the following link - Resource Page - Reasoning Through the BiblePlease prayerfully consider supporting RTTB to help us to continue providing content and free resources. You can do that at this link - Support RTTB - Reasoning Through the Bible May God Bless you!! - Glenn and Steve

Ruth chapter 4 brings the story of Ruth, Naomi, and Boaz to its beautiful conclusion.Boaz goes to the city gate, gathers the elders, and properly follows the law to settle the question of redemption. A closer relative has the first right to redeem Naomi’s land, but when he learns that Ruth must also become part of the family inheritance, he declines. Boaz then steps forward and publicly declares that he will redeem both the land and Ruth.The transaction illustrates what redemption means. Something has been lost, a legitimate claim exists, and a price must be paid to restore it. Boaz pays that price and gains the legal right to redeem Ruth and restore the family inheritance.The session connects this with Jesus Christ. Scripture teaches that believers were bought with a price. Christ paid the debt of sin in full through His death on the cross. Redemption is not merely forgiveness in the abstract—it is a costly act in which the Redeemer pays what we could not pay for ourselves.Ruth’s progression throughout the book is remarkable. She begins as a foreigner, then calls herself a maidservant, then becomes Boaz’s maid, and finally becomes his wife. She moves from poverty and exclusion to belonging, inheritance, marriage, and blessing.Naomi experiences a similar transformation. She once asked to be called Mara because she believed the Lord had dealt bitterly with her. By the end, she holds a grandson in her arms while the women of Bethlehem celebrate with her.The book closes with the genealogy leading to King David, showing that God’s providential work in the lives of Ruth and Boaz becomes part of the larger story of redemption that ultimately leads to Jesus Christ.Scripture: Ruth 4:1–22Series: The Book of Ruth — An RTTB StudyQuestions discussed in this session include:What does it mean when we say Jesus paid for our sins?What is redeeming and why is it important to us? How is Jesus our redeemer? What is the state of a person before and after they come to Christ? Support the showThank you for listening!!  Please give us a five-star rating to help your podcast provider's algorithm spread RTTB among their listeners. You can find free study and leader resources at the following link - Resource Page - Reasoning Through the BiblePlease prayerfully consider supporting RTTB to help us to continue providing content and free resources. You can do that at this link - Support RTTB - Reasoning Through the Bible May God Bless you!! - Glenn and Steve

Ruth chapter 3 brings the Kinsman-Redeemer theme to the center of the story.The session begins with the law from Deuteronomy 25, which provided for a widow to be cared for by a close family member so that the family name, inheritance, and land could continue. That background becomes essential when Naomi recognizes that Boaz may be able to act as Ruth’s redeemer.Naomi then sends Ruth to the threshing floor. Ruth approaches Boaz humbly, lies at his feet, and asks him to spread his covering over her because he is a close relative. Her request is essentially a request for Boaz to fulfill the role of kinsman-redeemer.Boaz responds with kindness and integrity. He praises Ruth’s character, explains that another relative has the first right of redemption, and promises that if that man will not redeem her, he will.This session explores how Boaz points toward Jesus Christ. A redeemer had to be a true kinsman. In the same way, Christ had to become fully human in order to redeem humanity. He is not a distant Savior—He became one of us so that He could serve as our mediator and Redeemer.The chapter also emphasizes humility, submission, timing, salvation, waiting on God, and trusting His promises.Ruth places herself at Boaz’s feet.Boaz makes a promise.Then Ruth has to wait.That same pattern speaks powerfully to the Christian life. Christ has made promises to His people, including the promise that He will return. Until then, believers are called to trust Him while they wait.Scripture: Ruth 3:1–18Series: The Book of Ruth — An RTTB StudySome questions discussed in this session include:How does God keep families together?Can we earn a relationship with Christ? How should we approach God when talking to Him? How should a couple today find a spouse? What time is the best time to settle our relationship with God? Support the showThank you for listening!!  Please give us a five-star rating to help your podcast provider's algorithm spread RTTB among their listeners. You can find free study and leader resources at the following link - Resource Page - Reasoning Through the BiblePlease prayerfully consider supporting RTTB to help us to continue providing content and free resources. You can do that at this link - Support RTTB - Reasoning Through the Bible May God Bless you!! - Glenn and Steve

Ruth 2 moves fully into the growing relationship between Ruth and Boaz.Ruth is a widow, a foreigner, and poor. She has no inheritance in Israel and is gathering leftover barley simply to survive. Then Boaz, a wealthy landowner from Bethlehem, notices her.In this session, Glenn and Steve explore how the romance between Ruth and Boaz also illustrates the believer’s relationship with Jesus Christ. Ruth is the outsider with no ability to change her circumstances, while Boaz is the wealthy kinsman who sees her, protects her, provides for her, and begins drawing her closer.Boaz tells Ruth to remain in his field, commands his workers not to harm her, gives her access to water, invites her to eat with his servants, personally serves her food, and instructs his workers to intentionally leave extra grain behind for her. Ruth receives far more than the minimum the law required.The passage also explores Ruth’s status as a foreigner and the biblical truth that God does not show partiality based on race, nationality, social standing, or background.By the end of the chapter, Naomi recognizes that Boaz is more than simply a generous landowner. He is a close relative and a potential kinsman-redeemer.The romance is beginning, but so is a much larger picture of redemption.Scripture: Ruth 2:5–23Series: The Book of Ruth — An RTTB StudyQuestions discussed in this session are:  What does the Bible teach about race and nationality? How should we take care of the least advantaged in our midst?Can we trust in the providence of the Lord? How much does God notice of our lives?What benefits does Christ give us?  Support the showThank you for listening!!  Please give us a five-star rating to help your podcast provider's algorithm spread RTTB among their listeners. You can find free study and leader resources at the following link - Resource Page - Reasoning Through the BiblePlease prayerfully consider supporting RTTB to help us to continue providing content and free resources. You can do that at this link - Support RTTB - Reasoning Through the Bible May God Bless you!! - Glenn and Steve

Ruth 1–2 shows the difference between turning toward God and fully committing to Him.Orpah begins the journey toward Israel but eventually returns to Moab. Ruth does the opposite. She leaves her homeland, her people, and her former gods behind and tells Naomi, “Your people shall be my people, and your God, my God.” Her words are more than family loyalty—they represent a wholehearted commitment to Yahweh.When Ruth and Naomi arrive in Bethlehem, the town is stirred by Naomi’s return. Naomi asks to be called Mara, meaning bitter, because she believes the Lord has afflicted her. Her grief is understandable, but she cannot yet see what God is preparing.The story then introduces the biblical practice of gleaning. Under the Mosaic Law, landowners were required to leave portions of their harvest for widows, foreigners, travelers, and the poor. This system provided help while still allowing those who were able to work for their food.Ruth does exactly that. Rather than demanding assistance, she humbly asks permission to glean behind the harvesters.Then one of the most important statements in the story appears: Ruth “happened” to come to the field belonging to Boaz.Boaz is wealthy, respected, related to Naomi’s late husband, and positioned to become a kinsman-redeemer. His meeting with Ruth looks accidental from a human perspective, but the story begins revealing God’s providential arrangement of ordinary circumstances.God’s provision often does not arrive through spectacular miracles. Sometimes it appears through a field, a harvest, a conversation, or simply being in the right place at the right time.Scripture: Ruth 1:14–2:9Series: The Book of Ruth — An RTTB Study  Questions discussed in this session include:Does God always recognize those who turn Him?  What value is there in taking care of the human needs of a loved one? Can we keep one foot in the old life and one foot in the new?  Is there a Biblical way to have welfare?  Support the showThank you for listening!!  Please give us a five-star rating to help your podcast provider's algorithm spread RTTB among their listeners. You can find free study and leader resources at the following link - Resource Page - Reasoning Through the BiblePlease prayerfully consider supporting RTTB to help us to continue providing content and free resources. You can do that at this link - Support RTTB - Reasoning Through the Bible May God Bless you!! - Glenn and Steve

The Book of Ruth begins during the dark period of the Judges, when Israel was marked by disobedience, idolatry, and judgment. Yet Ruth offers a striking contrast: even in a corrupt culture, individuals can still live faithfully, and God can work quietly through ordinary people and painful circumstances.In this opening session, Glenn and Steve introduce the major themes of Ruth, including redemption, kindness, rest, providence, love, grief, and restoration. Ruth and Boaz will eventually become the great-grandparents of King David, and Ruth will also appear in the genealogy of Jesus Christ.The story begins with a famine in Bethlehem, whose name means “house of bread.” Elimelech leaves the promised land with his wife, Naomi, and their two sons and travels to Moab. There, Naomi loses her husband and both sons, leaving her in a foreign land with her two daughters-in-law.The session pauses to consider the deep grief that follows the loss of a spouse and other loved ones. Steve shares personally about the death of his wife and how his relationship with God, his daughters, and other believers helped him continue through sorrow.When Naomi hears that the Lord has again provided food in Judah, she begins the journey home. She urges Ruth and Orpah to return to their families. Orpah leaves, but Ruth clings to Naomi and makes one of Scripture’s most memorable declarations:“Where you go, I will go… your people shall be my people, and your God, my God.”At this point, Naomi believes that the Lord has turned against her. She cannot yet see that God is using these very circumstances to bring blessing, redemption, and a future greater than anything she could imagine.Scripture: Ruth 1:1–18Series: The Book of Ruth — An RTTB Study  Questions discussed in this session include: If tragedy happens, is God sill working?  What does it indicate when the Jews leave a land? Can grief be overwhelming? Can good come out of tragedy? Support the showThank you for listening!!  Please give us a five-star rating to help your podcast provider's algorithm spread RTTB among their listeners. You can find free study and leader resources at the following link - Resource Page - Reasoning Through the BiblePlease prayerfully consider supporting RTTB to help us to continue providing content and free resources. You can do that at this link - Support RTTB - Reasoning Through the Bible May God Bless you!! - Glenn and Steve

Why did God command Israel to destroy the people of Canaan?Passages in Deuteronomy and Joshua describe commands to destroy entire Canaanite populations, including soldiers, families, livestock, and cities. These passages raise one of the most difficult moral questions in the Old Testament and are often used by skeptics to accuse God of cruelty or injustice.In this topical discussion, Glenn and Steve examine the larger biblical context surrounding the judgment of Canaan. The study begins with God’s sovereignty as Creator and giver of life. Because life comes from Him, He possesses authority over life and death in a way that human beings do not.The Canaanites were also not presented as innocent people. Their culture included child sacrifice, sexualized worship, idolatry, and practices that eventually corrupted Israel when the nation failed to carry out God’s command completely.God’s judgment was not sudden or arbitrary. Israel remained in Egypt for approximately four centuries before entering Canaan, and the biblical pattern shows that God repeatedly warns people before judgment. Rahab demonstrates that a Canaanite who recognized Yahweh, believed, and submitted to Him could receive mercy.The discussion also considers four possible ways God could respond to evil: permit free choices and judge them, permit evil without judgment, prevent every evil choice and eliminate meaningful human freedom, or remove children before they mature into the same evil practices.The central conclusion is that God’s actions must be understood within His holiness, sovereignty, patience, justice, and complete knowledge of every possible outcome.Topical Study: The Judgment of CanaanSeries: Reasoning Through the Bible Topical SeriesSupport the showThank you for listening!!  Please give us a five-star rating to help your podcast provider's algorithm spread RTTB among their listeners. You can find free study and leader resources at the following link - Resource Page - Reasoning Through the BiblePlease prayerfully consider supporting RTTB to help us to continue providing content and free resources. You can do that at this link - Support RTTB - Reasoning Through the Bible May God Bless you!! - Glenn and Steve

Who is the Angel of the Lord in the Old Testament?This phrase appears repeatedly in passages involving Hagar, Abraham, Moses, Balaam, Gideon, Samson’s parents, and the nation of Israel. At first glance, readers may assume this is simply another created angel. A closer examination, however, reveals that the Angel of the Lord speaks with God’s authority, accepts identification with God, gives divine promises, receives worship, forgives or judges, and is feared as Yahweh Himself.In this topical study, Glenn and Steve examine several important Old Testament appearances of the Angel of the Lord. Hagar calls Him the God who sees her. In Genesis 22, He tells Abraham that he did not withhold Isaac “from Me.” In Exodus 3, the Angel of the Lord appears in the burning bush and identifies Himself as the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.The study also considers appearances in Judges, including the Angel of the Lord speaking to Gideon and appearing as a man to Samson’s parents. These passages show that He could appear physically and converse with people while still being identified as Yahweh.Isaiah 63 and Zechariah 12 provide further evidence by distinguishing between divine persons while affirming the deity of the One who suffers, delivers, and is pierced. These passages contribute to the biblical foundation for the deity of Christ and the doctrine of the Trinity.The Angel of the Lord is best understood as the pre-incarnate Son of God—Jesus Christ appearing before His birth in Bethlehem.Topical Study: The Angel of the LordSeries: Reasoning Through the Bible Doctrine DiscussionsSupport the showThank you for listening!!  Please give us a five-star rating to help your podcast provider's algorithm spread RTTB among their listeners. You can find free study and leader resources at the following link - Resource Page - Reasoning Through the BiblePlease prayerfully consider supporting RTTB to help us to continue providing content and free resources. You can do that at this link - Support RTTB - Reasoning Through the Bible May God Bless you!! - Glenn and Steve

Judges 20-21 brings the Book of Judges to its tragic conclusion. After learning of the horrific crime committed at Gibeah, the tribes of Israel unite and demand that Benjamin surrender the guilty men. Benjamin refuses and chooses tribal loyalty over justice.Civil war follows.Israel seeks God’s direction before battle, yet loses twenty-two thousand men on the first day and eighteen thousand on the second. This raises a difficult question: What should believers do when they are following God’s direction, opposing evil, and still appear to be losing?Rather than abandoning God, Israel continues to seek Him. The people weep, fast, offer sacrifices, and return for guidance. God eventually promises victory and delivers Benjamin into their hands.The victory, however, creates another crisis. Israel had made an emotional vow not to give its daughters in marriage to the men of Benjamin. After nearly destroying the tribe, the people regret what they have done and begin searching for ways around their own vow.Their solutions reveal how distorted their sense of justice has become. They destroy Jabesh-gilead and take its surviving young women. When that does not provide enough wives, they permit the remaining Benjamites to kidnap women from a feast at Shiloh.Israel attempts to correct one evil by committing additional wrongs.The book closes with its defining statement: “In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes.”Judges warns that when people reject God’s Word as the standard of truth, sincerity, emotion, technical rules, and human reasoning cannot produce righteousness.Scripture: Judges 19:30-21:25Series: The Book of Judges — An RTTB StudyIs there a limit to how depraved humans can get? What should you do when you’re doing what the Lord wants but still failing?Can God allow pain for a purpose? Can we deal with God as with a shady businessman?  Support the showThank you for listening!!  Please give us a five-star rating to help your podcast provider's algorithm spread RTTB among their listeners. You can find free study and leader resources at the following link - Resource Page - Reasoning Through the BiblePlease prayerfully consider supporting RTTB to help us to continue providing content and free resources. You can do that at this link - Support RTTB - Reasoning Through the Bible May God Bless you!! - Glenn and Steve

Judges 18 continues the story of Micah, his household idols, and the Levite he hired as a private priest. When six hundred armed Danites arrive, they steal Micah’s religious objects and persuade the Levite to leave with them by offering him a larger congregation.In this session, Glenn and Steve examine the danger of measuring spiritual success primarily by numbers, money, influence, or prestige. The Levite is delighted by the opportunity to serve an entire tribe, but neither he nor the Danites shows concern for obedience to God or the spiritual maturity of the people.The Danites eventually establish Micah’s stolen idol and a separate center of worship in the northern city of Dan. This corrupt worship continues and later provides a foundation for the golden calf established there by King Jeroboam. A small departure from God’s revealed pattern produces consequences that continue for generations.Judges 19 then records one of the darkest events in Scripture. A Levite travels with his concubine and eventually stays in Gibeah, a town belonging to the tribe of Benjamin. During the night, wicked men surround the house and demand that the Levite be sent out to them.The men inside respond with cowardice and moral failure. The Levite’s concubine is handed over to the mob, brutally abused throughout the night, and left dying at the doorway. The Levite later cuts her body into twelve pieces and sends them throughout Israel.The Bible records this evil without approving it. The story reveals what happens when people reject God’s authority, corrupt worship, ignore His Word, and continually do what is right in their own eyes.Scripture: Judges 18:16–19:29Series: The Book of Judges — An RTTB Study Questions discussed in this session:Is church growth measured in numbers of people? Can a child of God can be distracted from the Lord’s work? How can a society get so immoral to wink at murder?Are we equally guilty of not dealing with murder near us?  Support the showThank you for listening!!  Please give us a five-star rating to help your podcast provider's algorithm spread RTTB among their listeners. You can find free study and leader resources at the following link - Resource Page - Reasoning Through the BiblePlease prayerfully consider supporting RTTB to help us to continue providing content and free resources. You can do that at this link - Support RTTB - Reasoning Through the Bible May God Bless you!! - Glenn and Steve

Judges 17 begins the final section of the Book of Judges, where the narrative moves away from individual deliverers and shows the spiritual and moral condition of Israel more broadly. The repeated statement, “Everyone did what was right in his own eyes,” becomes increasingly visible.In this session, Glenn and Steve examine Micah and his mother, who attempt to combine the name of Yahweh with practices God had clearly forbidden. Micah steals a large amount of silver from his mother, returns it after hearing her curse, and is then blessed by her. She claims to dedicate the silver to the Lord but uses part of it to create carved and molten images.Micah builds a household shrine, makes an ephod and additional idols, and appoints one of his sons as priest. He later hires a traveling Levite and assumes that possessing a legitimate religious official will guarantee God’s blessing and prosperity.The passage demonstrates the danger of syncretism—mixing the worship of the true God with idols and worldly practices. Micah appears sincere and highly religious, but sincerity does not make false worship acceptable. He uses God’s name while repeatedly ignoring God’s commands.Judges 18 then introduces men from the tribe of Dan who are searching for new territory because they failed to possess the inheritance God had already given them. Instead of seeking God before beginning their journey, they proceed according to their own plans and later ask Micah’s hired priest to confirm that they will succeed.The priest gives them the answer they want.This session warns against replacing obedience with religious activity, treating spiritual leaders as good-luck charms, and expecting God to approve decisions simply because His name has been attached to them.Scripture: Judges 17:1–18:13Series: The Book of Judges — An RTTB StudyQuestions discussed in this session:Is all religious worship valid? Is it possible to worship the true God and idols at the same time?Are all sincere religious people correct in their religion? Can I do religious activities to make myself righteous? What should religious leaders do if they are tempted to compromise? Support the showThank you for listening!!  Please give us a five-star rating to help your podcast provider's algorithm spread RTTB among their listeners. You can find free study and leader resources at the following link - Resource Page - Reasoning Through the BiblePlease prayerfully consider supporting RTTB to help us to continue providing content and free resources. You can do that at this link - Support RTTB - Reasoning Through the Bible May God Bless you!! - Glenn and Steve

Judges 15–16 completes the tragic story of Samson, a man given extraordinary strength but repeatedly controlled by selfish desires, sexual temptation, anger, and pride.The session begins with Samson being handed over to the Philistines by his own countrymen. The Spirit of the Lord empowers him to break his bonds, and he kills one thousand Philistines with the jawbone of a donkey. Yet even after this remarkable victory, Samson’s first recorded prayer is motivated primarily by his own thirst rather than a desire for God’s guidance or glory.Judges 16 then records Samson entering Gaza to visit a prostitute. The Philistines attempt to trap him behind the city gates, but Samson tears the gates, posts, and bars from the wall and carries them away. The act demonstrates his supernatural strength, but it also reveals how consistently he wastes his gift on personal situations rather than leading Israel against its oppressors.The story then turns to Delilah. The Philistine rulers offer her a large payment to discover the source of Samson’s strength. Although she repeatedly betrays his supposed answers, Samson remains with her and gradually moves closer to revealing the truth.Samson becomes spiritually blind before the Philistines physically blind him. He ignores the obvious warnings, compromises his Nazirite calling, and finally reveals that his uncut hair represents his dedication to God. When his hair is removed, Scripture records one of the most tragic statements in his story: Samson did not know that the Lord had departed from him.The Philistines imprison, blind, and publicly humiliate Samson. Yet his hair begins to grow again, and in his final moments he cries out to God for strength. His prayer remains mixed with personal vengeance, but God still answers and uses him to strike a devastating blow against the Philistines.Samson’s story is both a warning and a message of hope. Great ability cannot replace obedience, but even after serious failure, it is not too late to turn to God and ask Him to use what remains.Scripture: Judges 15:13–16:31Series: The Book of Judges — An RTTB StudyQuestions discussed in this session:When God gives us a gift, what does He expect us to do with it?What happens when people try to trap God?How could Samson be so blind as to not recognize Delilah for what she was? Can God use us even if we’ve been a failure up to now?  Download our free Lesson Plans on our website: Reasoning Through the Bible – Straightforward with some Critical ThinkingSupport the showThank you for listening!!  Please give us a five-star rating to help your podcast provider's algorithm spread RTTB among their listeners. You can find free study and leader resources at the following link - Resource Page - Reasoning Through the BiblePlease prayerfully consider supporting RTTB to help us to continue providing content and free resources. You can do that at this link - Support RTTB - Reasoning Through the Bible May God Bless you!! - Glenn and Steve

Judges 14 begins Samson’s downward spiritual spiral. Although he had been set apart for God from birth, Samson sees a Philistine woman in Timnah and demands that his parents arrange the marriage because she looks good to him.In this session, Glenn and Steve examine how Samson’s choices reflect the lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh, and the pride of life described in 1 John 2:16. His attraction is driven by appearance rather than shared faith, character, or obedience to God. Samson’s parents offer wise counsel, but as an adult, he insists on making his own decision.The passage then records Samson killing a lion through the power of the Spirit of the Lord. Later, however, he returns to the carcass, takes honey from it, eats it, and gives some to his parents without telling them where it came from. In doing so, Samson violates both the Mosaic Law and the requirements of his Nazirite calling.At his wedding feast, Samson begins gambling and trading riddles with the Philistines. What begins as entertainment quickly turns dangerous when the Philistine men threaten to burn his wife and her family. His wife betrays the answer, Samson reacts in anger, and the conflict escalates into violence and revenge.Judges 15 continues the pattern. Samson returns only when he wants physical intimacy, becomes angry when he learns that his wife has been given to another man, destroys Philistine crops, and then retaliates again after the Philistines kill the woman and her father.The session closes with Israel handing Samson over to the Philistines because the people are more afraid of their oppressors than willing to stand for what is right. The warning is clear: believers must decide their moral boundaries before pressure arrives. Waiting until temptation or fear has already closed in makes compromise much more likely.Scripture: Judges 14:1–15:13Series: The Book of Judges — An RTTB StudyQuestions discussed in this session:Should parents overrule their children when they make bad choices? What does the Bible teach us about marrying people outside the faith?Does our sin only affect us or does it always affect others?Can we play with evil? Do we sometimes have a gift of God that we do not take seriously?  Support the showThank you for listening!!  Please give us a five-star rating to help your podcast provider's algorithm spread RTTB among their listeners. You can find free study and leader resources at the following link - Resource Page - Reasoning Through the BiblePlease prayerfully consider supporting RTTB to help us to continue providing content and free resources. You can do that at this link - Support RTTB - Reasoning Through the Bible May God Bless you!! - Glenn and Steve

Judges 13 begins the story of Samson, one of the most recognizable yet deeply flawed judges in Scripture. Israel again does evil in the sight of the Lord, and the Philistines oppress the nation for forty years. Unlike previous cycles in Judges, however, the passage gives no indication that Israel cries out for deliverance.God acts first.In His grace, He appears to the wife of Manoah, a woman who had been unable to have children, and announces that she will give birth to a son. The child will be dedicated to God as a Nazirite from the womb and will begin delivering Israel from the Philistines.In this session, Glenn and Steve examine the historical background of the Philistines, their movement into Israel’s coastal territory, and how biblical history aligns with known historical and archaeological information.The study also introduces the Nazirite vow described in Numbers 6. Samson was not to consume anything from the grapevine, cut his hair, or come into contact with a dead body. Unlike most Nazirite vows, which were temporary, Samson’s dedication was intended to last for his entire life.The passage also provides significant evidence about the Angel of the Lord. He appears physically as a man, speaks directly with Manoah and his wife, accepts an offering, performs wonders, and is identified by Manoah as God. These details support the traditional Christian understanding that the Angel of the Lord was a pre-incarnate appearance of Christ.Judges 13 introduces a man with remarkable opportunity and supernatural gifting. Samson was chosen before birth, blessed by God, and stirred by the Spirit—but the chapters ahead will show how poorly he often used what he had been given.Scripture: Judges 13Series: The Book of Judges — An RTTB Study Questions discussed in this session:Does God notice the needs of His people even when they do not cry out? What is the purpose of taking a vow?Who is the Angel of the Lord? Can we ever see both God’s sovereignty and the free will of man? What is a Nazarite vow?  Support the showThank you for listening!!  Please give us a five-star rating to help your podcast provider's algorithm spread RTTB among their listeners. You can find free study and leader resources at the following link - Resource Page - Reasoning Through the BiblePlease prayerfully consider supporting RTTB to help us to continue providing content and free resources. You can do that at this link - Support RTTB - Reasoning Through the Bible May God Bless you!! - Glenn and Steve

Jephthah returns from victory over the Ammonites only to discover that his only daughter is the first person to come from his house to greet him. His careless vow suddenly becomes the defining crisis of his story.In this session, Glenn and Steve examine whether Jephthah actually sacrificed his daughter as a burnt offering. Although the wording of the original vow refers to a burnt offering, the later passage repeatedly emphasizes her virginity, her lack of marriage, and the end of Jephthah’s family line. This provides a strong contextual case that she may have been permanently dedicated to the Lord rather than killed.The discussion also explains that human sacrifice was clearly forbidden under the Mosaic Law. Jephthah could have appealed to the provisions of the law regarding an invalid vow rather than carrying out something God had prohibited.Jephthah’s story offers a sobering lesson: a person may genuinely trust God, follow His direction, and still make a very foolish decision. The Bible does not hide the flaws of its people, and believers should be careful not to place Christian leaders on pedestals or discard everything good they have taught when a weakness is later revealed.Judges 12 then records another conflict with the tribe of Ephraim. They threaten Jephthah because they were not included in the battle, even though Jephthah says he had previously asked for their help. Their jealousy and divisiveness lead to civil war and the deaths of forty-two thousand Israelites.The session closes by examining how internal division destroys churches and communities. When believers turn inward and fight each other, ministry, outreach, and witness quickly suffer.Scripture: Judges 11:35–12:15Series: The Book of Judges — An RTTB StudyQuestions discussed in this session:Can people be in the will of God and still make foolish mistakes? Can jealousy and hatred cause people to be unreasonable? What should we do when we meet people who cause division? How effective is the church when it’s fighting amongst itself?  Support the showThank you for listening!!  Please give us a five-star rating to help your podcast provider's algorithm spread RTTB among their listeners. You can find free study and leader resources at the following link - Resource Page - Reasoning Through the BiblePlease prayerfully consider supporting RTTB to help us to continue providing content and free resources. You can do that at this link - Support RTTB - Reasoning Through the Bible May God Bless you!! - Glenn and Steve

God refuses to help Israel because they refuse to repent, treating God like a Judges 10 records Israel falling once again into widespread idolatry. This time the people are not worshiping just one or two false gods. Scripture lists the gods of numerous surrounding nations before concluding that Israel had forsaken the Lord and no longer served Him.In this session, Glenn and Steve begin by making an important distinction about suffering. Judges repeatedly connects Israel’s deliberate sin with painful consequences, but Scripture does not teach that every instance of suffering is caused by a person’s individual sin. Job provides a clear example of righteous suffering whose full purpose was never explained to the person experiencing it.Israel’s situation in Judges 10, however, resulted directly from rebellion. After eighteen years of oppression, the people finally cry out to God. This time God responds differently. He reminds them of all the previous times He delivered them and tells them to seek help from the false gods they chose.The passage raises an important question: Did Israel really want God, or did they simply want relief from suffering? Treating God like a repairman—ignoring Him until something breaks—is not the same as genuine repentance. Eventually Israel puts away the foreign gods and begins serving the Lord again.Judges 11 then introduces Jephthah. Born to a prostitute, he is rejected by his brothers for circumstances beyond his control. Yet when Ammon threatens Israel, the same people who rejected him suddenly need his help.Rather than respond with bitterness, Jephthah appears calm and recognizes that any victory must come from Yahweh. He first attempts to negotiate with the Ammonite king, presenting historical, theological, and chronological arguments for Israel’s right to the land.The session concludes with Jephthah making a dangerous vow before battle. God gives him victory, but when Jephthah returns home, his only daughter comes out to meet him. The consequences of that vow will be examined in the next session.Scripture: Judges 10:1–11:34Series: The Book of Judges — An RTTB StudyQuestions discussed in this session:Would God sell Israel to its enemies? What would have happen for God say He will not help? Is it wise to make vows to God? What happens when we only go to God when we need help?  Support the showThank you for listening!!  Please give us a five-star rating to help your podcast provider's algorithm spread RTTB among their listeners. You can find free study and leader resources at the following link - Resource Page - Reasoning Through the BiblePlease prayerfully consider supporting RTTB to help us to continue providing content and free resources. You can do that at this link - Support RTTB - Reasoning Through the Bible May God Bless you!! - Glenn and Steve

Judges 9 introduces Abimelech, one of Gideon’s sons, and records one of the darkest chapters yet in Israel’s spiritual decline. Unlike the judges whom God raised up as deliverers, Abimelech seeks power for himself. With money taken from the temple of Baal-Berith, he hires reckless men and murders his brothers so that he can become king.In this session, Glenn and Steve examine what happens when ambition and power operate without a moral compass. Israel was supposed to be different from the nations around them, yet the people of Shechem willingly support a violent man because he is one of their relatives and promises the kind of leadership they desire.The only surviving brother, Jotham, responds with the parable of the trees. Valuable trees refuse to abandon their useful work in order to rule, but eventually the worthless bramble accepts the position. The warning is clear: the people have chosen a ruler who provides no real protection and will ultimately bring destruction.The chapter then descends into betrayal, crime, civil war, and violence. Abimelech and the people who empowered him eventually turn against one another. Judges 9 also raises the difficult question of God sending an evil spirit between Abimelech and Shechem. The discussion considers this statement in its larger context of divine judgment on people already committed to violence and idolatry.Abimelech eventually dies after a woman drops a millstone on his head. Even in his final moments, he appears more concerned about his reputation than about getting right with God.Judges 9 reminds us that sin may appear to go unpunished for a time, but God is not mocked. It also warns us to be careful whom we trust, whom we follow, and what ultimately serves as the anchor of our lives.Scripture: Judges 9Series: The Book of Judges — An RTTB StudyQuestions discussed in this session:What happens when we hire relatives?What would cause tribes of Israel to fight each other?Should churches try to be like the world? What happens when we make worthless people our leaders? Support the showThank you for listening!!  Please give us a five-star rating to help your podcast provider's algorithm spread RTTB among their listeners. You can find free study and leader resources at the following link - Resource Page - Reasoning Through the BiblePlease prayerfully consider supporting RTTB to help us to continue providing content and free resources. You can do that at this link - Support RTTB - Reasoning Through the Bible May God Bless you!! - Glenn and Steve

Judges 7 concludes with one of the most unlikely military victories in Scripture. Gideon’s three hundred men surround the Midianite camp at night carrying trumpets, clay pitchers, and torches. When they break the pitchers, reveal the torches, and sound the trumpets, confusion spreads through the enormous enemy camp. The Midianites turn their swords against one another and flee.The strategy makes no sense from a human military perspective. That is precisely the point. God reduced Gideon’s army so dramatically that Israel could not claim the victory came through its own strength. Yahweh alone deserved the glory.Yet this session also shows how quickly spiritual danger can follow success. The soldiers cry, “A sword for the LORD and for Gideon,” perhaps revealing the first hint that Gideon’s name is beginning to share attention that belongs to God.Judges 8 then records Gideon’s conflict with the tribe of Ephraim. They complain that they were not called into the battle earlier, even though they had years of opportunity to resist Midian. Gideon calms them through flattering language, exposing the danger of appealing to pride rather than dealing directly with truth.As Gideon pursues the remaining Midianite kings, the Israelite towns of Succoth and Penuel refuse to provide food. Their fear reveals how comfortable they had become living under oppression. They are more afraid of Midian’s possible return than willing to support the deliverer God has raised up.Gideon later returns and punishes these towns with extreme violence. His response goes beyond equal justice and reveals a troubling change in his character. Instead of asking God how to respond, Gideon acts according to what seems right in his own eyes.The decline continues when Gideon takes valuable spoil from the defeated kings and accepts a large collection of gold earrings from Israel. Although he refuses the title of king and correctly says that the Lord should rule over Israel, he increasingly adopts the wealth and privileges associated with royalty.Gideon then uses the gold to make an ephod. Whatever his original intentions may have been, the object becomes a center of false worship and a snare to Gideon, his household, and Israel.The man who began by tearing down an idol ends by creating an object that becomes an idol.This passage warns that victory, recognition, wealth, and influence can become dangerous when humility and obedience are lost.Scripture: Judges 7:16–8:35Series: The Book of Judges — An RTTB Study Questions discussed in this session:What happens when people go for a long time living around evil? Why would tribes of Israel fight among themselves?How can Israel forget God so quickly?How many times should God need to remind us of His being worthy?  Support the showThank you for listening!!  Please give us a five-star rating to help your podcast provider's algorithm spread RTTB among their listeners. You can find free study and leader resources at the following link - Resource Page - Reasoning Through the BiblePlease prayerfully consider supporting RTTB to help us to continue providing content and free resources. You can do that at this link - Support RTTB - Reasoning Through the Bible May God Bless you!! - Glenn and Steve

Before Gideon can confront the Midianites, God gives him a more personal assignment. He must tear down the altar of Baal that belongs to his own father, cut down the Asherah beside it, and build an altar to the Lord in its place.In this session, Glenn and Steve examine why spiritual restoration must begin close to home. Gideon is called to deliver Israel from Midian, but the first enemy he must confront is the idolatry within his own family and community. Following God may create conflict with family traditions, established religion, or the expectations of people around us, but obedience to Christ must come first.Gideon obeys, though he acts at night because he is afraid. His fear does not prevent him from doing what God commanded. This provides an honest picture of faith: obedience does not always require the complete absence of fear.When the people discover that Baal’s altar has been destroyed, they demand Gideon’s death. His father Joash responds by asking why Baal cannot defend himself if he truly is a god. Gideon’s act exposes the powerlessness of the idol and earns him the name Jerubbaal, meaning, “Let Baal contend against him.”The session also discusses Gideon’s request for the signs involving the fleece. Gideon has already seen God’s power and received the Spirit of the Lord, but he continues to seek reassurance. The conversation distinguishes between sincerely asking God for guidance and manipulating circumstances until they appear to confirm what a person already wants.Judges 7 then records one of the most surprising battle preparations in Scripture. Gideon gathers thirty-two thousand men, but God says the army is too large. After the fearful soldiers leave and another test reduces the force further, only three hundred remain.God gives the reason plainly: Israel might boast that its own strength produced the victory. The army must become so small that only God can receive the glory.Even after all these signs, Gideon remains afraid. God does not condemn him. Instead, He tells Gideon to approach the enemy camp, where he overhears a Midianite dream predicting Israel’s victory. God patiently provides the encouragement Gideon needs at the moment he needs it.Scripture: Judges 6:25–7:15Series: The Book of Judges — An RTTB StudyQuestions discussed in this session:Did Gideon obey with full or partial faith? Do we sometimes move forward on partial faith? What happens when we make a public proclamation about our faith in God?Do we ever have confidence one minute, and have doubts another? Support the showThank you for listening!!  Please give us a five-star rating to help your podcast provider's algorithm spread RTTB among their listeners. You can find free study and leader resources at the following link - Resource Page - Reasoning Through the BiblePlease prayerfully consider supporting RTTB to help us to continue providing content and free resources. You can do that at this link - Support RTTB - Reasoning Through the Bible May God Bless you!! - Glenn and Steve

 Judges 6 opens with Israel suffering under Midianite oppression because the nation has once again turned from God. For seven years, the Midianites invade at harvest time, destroy crops, steal livestock, and leave Israel impoverished and hiding in caves.When the people finally cry out, God first sends a prophet. Before providing deliverance, He reminds Israel of everything He has already done: bringing them out of Egypt, defeating their enemies, and giving them the land. The problem was not God’s lack of power. Israel had invited evil into its life through disobedience and then forgotten the Lord’s past faithfulness.This session then introduces Gideon, who is threshing wheat inside a winepress to hide from the Midianites. Wheat was normally threshed on an exposed hill where the wind could separate the grain from the chaff. Gideon is instead working in a confined hole, showing the fear, frustration, and defeat that had overtaken Israel.The Angel of the Lord appears and calls Gideon a “mighty man of valor.” At that moment, Gideon does not look like a warrior. He is hiding, questioning God, and describing himself as the least important member of the weakest family in Manasseh. Yet God sees Gideon according to what he will become through divine power.The study also examines the identity of the Angel of the Lord. The passage moves naturally from calling Him the Angel of the Lord to identifying Him as the Lord Himself, supporting the understanding that this was a physical manifestation of God and, as many scholars conclude, a pre-incarnate appearance of Christ.Gideon asks for assurance, and God patiently provides a sign by consuming the offering with fire. The passage reminds us that asking for guidance is different from using signs as excuses to avoid obedience.The central assurance is simple: “I will be with you.” Gideon’s success will not depend on his family status, confidence, resources, or natural ability. It will depend on God’s presence.Scripture: Judges 6:7–24Series: The Book of Judges — An RTTB Study Questions discussed in this session:What should we do if we are in frustration and defeat? If God says he is with us, can we move forward in confidence?Is it wise for us to look to God for a sign? What does God do to build our faith?  Support the showThank you for listening!!  Please give us a five-star rating to help your podcast provider's algorithm spread RTTB among their listeners. You can find free study and leader resources at the following link - Resource Page - Reasoning Through the BiblePlease prayerfully consider supporting RTTB to help us to continue providing content and free resources. You can do that at this link - Support RTTB - Reasoning Through the Bible May God Bless you!! - Glenn and Steve

Judges 4 concludes with Sisera fleeing from the battlefield after God destroys his army. Once the commander of nine hundred iron chariots, Sisera suddenly finds himself running on foot and searching for safety. He enters the tent of Jael because there was peace between her household and King Jabin, but the refuge he trusts becomes the place of his death.In this session, Glenn and Steve discuss why no true peace can be found while running from God. Sisera believed he had control during twenty years of oppression, but his situation changed within minutes. His defeat also fulfills Deborah’s prophecy that the honor of victory would go to a woman. Jael acts freely, yet her actions accomplish what God had already declared, providing an example of divine providence working through human decisions.Judges 5 then records the Song of Deborah, a poetic celebration of God’s victory. The song praises Yahweh as Israel’s true commander and emphasizes the importance of leaders who lead and people who willingly respond. Some tribes answer the call to battle, while others remain home because everyday responsibilities become more important than joining God’s work.The session also examines what life was like under Canaanite oppression. Roads became unsafe, travelers avoided the highways, military strength had disappeared, and Israel lacked courageous leadership. When people and societies turn from God, peace and security begin to disappear.After God provides victory, the land rests for forty years. Yet Judges 6 begins another cycle. Israel again does evil in the Lord’s sight, and the Midianites raid the land for seven years. They destroy crops, steal livestock, and leave Israel impoverished and hiding in mountain caves.The Midianites function like parasites, allowing Israel to labor and then returning at harvest time to consume the results. Only after seven years does Israel finally cry out to God.This passage warns believers not to tolerate sin and spiritual oppression when God is ready to hear genuine repentance. The fastest way out is not pride, self-reliance, or trying to repair everything alone. It is returning to God and allowing Him to address what has taken root.Scripture: Judges 4:17–6:7Series: The Book of Judges — An RTTB Study Questions discussed in this session: Can people who are not following God also be fulfilling God’s will? Are nations and cultures safe even if they disobey God? How should church leaders act when there is disagreement in the church?Does the Bible contain good literature? What happens when evil comes and stays in our life? Support the showThank you for listening!!  Please give us a five-star rating to help your podcast provider's algorithm spread RTTB among their listeners. You can find free study and leader resources at the following link - Resource Page - Reasoning Through the BiblePlease prayerfully consider supporting RTTB to help us to continue providing content and free resources. You can do that at this link - Support RTTB - Reasoning Through the Bible May God Bless you!! - Glenn and Steve

Judges 4 begins another cycle of Israel’s rebellion, oppression, and deliverance. After Ehud dies, the people once again do evil in the sight of the Lord. God allows Jabin, king of Canaan, and his commander Sisera to oppress Israel cruelly for twenty years with an army supported by nine hundred iron chariots.The problem, however, was not the strength of the chariots. Israel had already seen God defeat powerful armies and fortified cities. Their weakness came from turning away from the Lord and losing the protection and blessing that came through obedience.In this session, Glenn and Steve introduce Deborah, a prophetess and respected leader who judged Israel beneath the palm of Deborah. She summons Barak and reminds him that God has already commanded him to gather ten thousand men and confront Sisera’s army.Barak hesitates and agrees to go only if Deborah accompanies him. His response reveals a mixture of faith and doubt. Yet Deborah remains faithful, holds him accountable, and goes with him. Together, they demonstrate how God can use believers with different strengths: Deborah provides spiritual confidence and accountability, while Barak ultimately obeys and leads the army.The passage reaches its turning point when Deborah declares, “Arise! For this is the day in which the LORD has given Sisera into your hands. Behold, the LORD has gone out before you.” God had already declared the victory before the battle began.This study encourages believers who sometimes feel more like Barak than Joshua. Faith may be mixed with fear, hesitation, or uncertainty, but God can still work through those who ultimately trust and obey Him.Scripture: Judges 4:1–16Series: The Book of Judges — An RTTB StudyQuestions discussed in this session:  What do we do if we find ourselves with doubting God?When God commands us to do something, do we need experience before we trust Him? Do we have to be in perfect obedience before God can bless us? Does God give us signs that He is with us? Support the showThank you for listening!!  Please give us a five-star rating to help your podcast provider's algorithm spread RTTB among their listeners. You can find free study and leader resources at the following link - Resource Page - Reasoning Through the BiblePlease prayerfully consider supporting RTTB to help us to continue providing content and free resources. You can do that at this link - Support RTTB - Reasoning Through the Bible May God Bless you!! - Glenn and Steve

Judges 3 introduces the first specific deliverers whom God raises up for Israel. The chapter begins by explaining that God left certain nations in the land to test Israel and to teach a new generation how to wage war. The test was not designed to give God information He lacked. It revealed Israel’s condition and exposed whether the people would obey His commandments.Instead of remaining separate from Canaanite influence, the Israelites lived among the pagan nations, intermarried with them, and eventually served their gods. They became comfortable with the very practices God had warned would become a snare. This raises an important application for believers today: what we tolerate around us can eventually begin shaping what we accept and worship.The chapter then repeats the familiar cycle of Judges. Israel forgets the Lord and does evil. God allows an enemy to oppress them. The people cry out, and God raises up a deliverer. After a period of peace, the people return to disobedience and the cycle begins again.This session also explores the biblical themes of being sold under sin, redemption, and Christ paying the debt that sinners cannot pay for themselves. Israel’s bondage to foreign kings provides a picture of humanity’s deeper bondage to sin and the need for a Redeemer.The study then turns to Ehud, the left-handed Benjaminite whom God uses to deliver Israel from King Eglon of Moab. The account is violent and graphic, reminding us that sin and judgment are not pleasant realities. Yet it also shows God’s faithfulness when His people cry out for help.Finally, the chapter briefly introduces Shamgar, who defeats six hundred Philistines with an oxgoad. Shamgar receives only one verse, but his faithfulness was no less valuable than that of judges who receive several chapters. God does not require fame, recognition, or a large audience. He calls His people to faithfully accomplish the work He places before them.Scripture: Judges 3:1–31Series: The Book of Judges — An RTTB Study Questions discussed in this session:Were the Israelites supposed to marry outside Israel? What happens when we worship what seems right to us? Why would God want to teach people warfare? Do people today forget the good things that God does for us? Support the showThank you for listening!!  Please give us a five-star rating to help your podcast provider's algorithm spread RTTB among their listeners. You can find free study and leader resources at the following link - Resource Page - Reasoning Through the BiblePlease prayerfully consider supporting RTTB to help us to continue providing content and free resources. You can do that at this link - Support RTTB - Reasoning Through the Bible May God Bless you!! - Glenn and Steve

Judges 2:11–23 introduces the repeating cycle that will shape the rest of the Book of Judges. Israel forsakes the Lord, serves the Baals and Ashtoreth, provokes God to anger, suffers under enemy oppression, and then receives mercy when God raises up judges to deliver them.In this session, Glenn and Steve examine the Canaanite worship of Baal and Ashtoreth and explain why this idolatry was so dangerous for Israel. Rather than completely rejecting Yahweh at first, Israel began adding Canaanite worship to the worship of the Lord. That kind of syncretism led them deeper into idolatry and away from the covenant commitment they had made in Joshua.The study also addresses the relationship between God’s wrath and His lovingkindness. God’s anger is not arbitrary or uncontrolled. His anger burns against evil because He is holy and just. At the same time, this passage shows His mercy because He raises up deliverers for people who did not deserve His grace.The discussion then turns to practical application. Israel repeatedly turned away from God, and believers today must recognize the same danger in their own lives. Staying close to the Lord requires daily prayer, time in Scripture, fellowship with other believers, and keeping short accounts with God when sin appears.This session also explains the difference between feeling sorry and genuine repentance. Repentance is not merely regret over being caught or suffering consequences. It is a change of mind that results in turning back toward God.Scripture: Judges 2:11–22Series: The Book of Judges — An RTTB StudyQuestions discussed in this session:Did Israel deserve God’s love and grace? When we come in contact with unbiblical things, what usually happens?Is God wrathful? Should we concern ourselves with God’s wrath?Why would God describe idol worship as being like a prostitute?Is God loving or does He get angry? Support the showThank you for listening!!  Please give us a five-star rating to help your podcast provider's algorithm spread RTTB among their listeners. You can find free study and leader resources at the following link - Resource Page - Reasoning Through the BiblePlease prayerfully consider supporting RTTB to help us to continue providing content and free resources. You can do that at this link - Support RTTB - Reasoning Through the Bible May God Bless you!! - Glenn and Steve

Israel’s decline continues in Judges 1:23–2:10 as the people begin making deals with the Canaanites instead of fully obeying God. What may have seemed practical in the moment became spiritually dangerous over time. The Israelites spared people they were commanded to drive out, allowed pagan influence to remain in the land, and eventually placed some of the Canaanites into forced labor for economic gain.In this session, we examine the danger of partial obedience and why compromise often becomes a trap. The discussion contrasts Israel’s deal with the man from Bethel with Rahab’s faith in Joshua. Rahab trusted the God of Israel, but in Judges the Israelites are no longer acting from faith. They are negotiating with the very people God had warned would turn their hearts away from Him.Judges 2 then introduces the Angel of the Lord, who confronts Israel for breaking the covenant. He reminds them that God brought them out of Egypt, gave them the land, and would never break His covenant. Yet Israel failed to tear down the pagan altars and made covenants with the inhabitants of the land. Because of this, those nations would become thorns in Israel’s side, and their gods would become a snare.The session also explains how sin works like a snare. It is often hidden, attractive, and dangerous before a person realizes how trapped they have become. Israel’s compromise with idolatry did not remain harmless. It pulled the nation deeper into disobedience and removed the protection and blessing they had previously enjoyed.Finally, the study turns to one of the saddest statements in the early chapters of Judges: a new generation arose that did not know the Lord or the works He had done for Israel. The people had failed to pass down the knowledge of God’s faithfulness. This becomes a serious warning for parents, churches, and believers today.Scripture: Judges 1:23–2:10Series: The Book of Judges — An RTTB StudyQuestions in this session include:  Can I disobey so much that God stops working in my life? What happens when I leave evil in my life? What happens when Israel does not tell their children about God?How many of the things that caused Israel to forget the Lord do we see today? Support the showThank you for listening!!  Please give us a five-star rating to help your podcast provider's algorithm spread RTTB among their listeners. You can find free study and leader resources at the following link - Resource Page - Reasoning Through the BiblePlease prayerfully consider supporting RTTB to help us to continue providing content and free resources. You can do that at this link - Support RTTB - Reasoning Through the Bible May God Bless you!! - Glenn and Steve

The Book of Judges begins after the death of Joshua and covers the period between Israel’s conquest of the Promised Land and the rise of the kings. Joshua was largely a story of faith, victory, and obedience. Judges presents a much darker picture of unbelief, defeat, oppression, and repeated spiritual decline.In this opening session, we introduce the historical setting of Judges and examine the verse that summarizes the book: “In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes” (Judges 21:25). When people reject God’s standard and become their own authority, confusion and moral disorder soon follow.We also examine the recurring cycle that shapes Judges. Israel enjoys God’s blessing, turns to idols, falls under enemy oppression, cries out in distress, and receives deliverance through a judge whom God raises up. After a period of peace, however, the nation repeats the same pattern.Judges 1 begins positively when Israel inquires of the Lord. Yet the chapter soon reveals the first small compromises. Judah asks Simeon to accompany them even though God had identified Judah to go first. Israel later adopts the cruel practices of Adoni-bezek, fails to complete God’s commands, and eventually accepts defeat before iron chariots without seeking the Lord for an answer.The problem was not that iron chariots were too powerful for God. Israel had already seen Him defeat Egypt, part the Red Sea, bring down Jericho, and conquer numerous fortified cities. The deeper problem was that the people were beginning to rely on themselves rather than inquire of God.This study also considers the historical reliability of Judges, the role of the judges as deliverers, Caleb’s continued faithfulness, and Achsah’s wise request for springs of water.Join us as we begin a verse-by-verse study through one of the darkest yet most relevant books of the Old Testament.Scripture: Judges 1:1–22Series: The Book of Judges — An RTTB Study  Questions from this session:Why does Israel have trouble driving out the Canaanites?Was Israel supposed to make deals with the people of Canaan? What happens when we do not go to God at the first sign of trouble?  Support the showThank you for listening!!  Please give us a five-star rating to help your podcast provider's algorithm spread RTTB among their listeners. You can find free study and leader resources at the following link - Resource Page - Reasoning Through the BiblePlease prayerfully consider supporting RTTB to help us to continue providing content and free resources. You can do that at this link - Support RTTB - Reasoning Through the Bible May God Bless you!! - Glenn and Steve

In this special theology discussion, Reasoning Through the Bible steps away from the normal verse-by-verse format to address an important question: Does God change His mind, emotions, or knowledge based on what people do?This session looks at passages where Scripture says Israel provoked the Lord to anger, God tested people, God regretted making man, and God relented. How should these passages be understood alongside other Scriptures that say God does not change, does not grow weary, does not learn, and is not like man?The discussion explains key theological terms such as immutability, impassibility, omniscience, and anthropomorphism. It also addresses open theism, word of faith teaching, prayer, God’s emotions, and why biblical language sometimes describes God in human terms so people can understand His actions.Topics in this episode include: Does God change His mind?  God’s immutability  God’s impassibility  God’s emotions  anthropomorphic language in Scripture  omniscience and God’s knowledge  open theism  prayer and God’s will  does God learn?  can we make God more angry?  does God regret?  biblical theology and systematic theology Reasoning Through the Bible is a verse-by-verse Bible teaching ministry committed to careful exposition, biblical context, and faithful application. Questions from this session:Does God have human emotions? Can humans change God’s emotions? Can God change His mind? Was Christian theology built upon Greek philosophy? Support the showThank you for listening!!  Please give us a five-star rating to help your podcast provider's algorithm spread RTTB among their listeners. You can find free study and leader resources at the following link - Resource Page - Reasoning Through the BiblePlease prayerfully consider supporting RTTB to help us to continue providing content and free resources. You can do that at this link - Support RTTB - Reasoning Through the Bible May God Bless you!! - Glenn and Steve

In this special Reasoning Through the Bible discussion, we step away from the normal verse-by-verse format for an informal conversation on eschatology and end-times systems. This session compares views such as premillennialism, amillennialism, covenant theology, preterism, and postmillennialism, while asking a central question: Does God still have a future plan for Israel?The discussion focuses on the sequence found in the Old Testament prophets: Israel’s sin, God’s judgment, the nations gathering against Jerusalem, Israel crying out to the Lord, and God restoring His people. We examine passages and themes from Ezekiel, Zechariah, Joel, Daniel, Romans 11, Acts 1, and Revelation 20, showing why we believe the biblical pattern points to a future restoration of Israel and a future kingdom ruled by Christ.A major emphasis in this episode is that there is only one way of salvation. Israel is not saved apart from Christ. Gentiles are not saved apart from Christ. Salvation is through faith in Jesus Christ alone. At the same time, God’s national promises to Israel, the Abrahamic covenant, and the future kingdom should not be erased or replaced by the church.Topics in this episode include:eschatology and end timespremillennialismamillennialismcovenant theologypreterismpostmillennialismIsrael and the churchAbrahamic covenantRomans 11 and IsraelEzekiel 36 and restorationZechariah and the pierced MessiahRevelation 20 and the millenniumJesus reigning from Jerusalemone salvation through ChristReasoning Through the Bible is a verse-by-verse Bible teaching ministry committed to careful exposition, biblical context, and faithful application.Support the showThank you for listening!!  Please give us a five-star rating to help your podcast provider's algorithm spread RTTB among their listeners. You can find free study and leader resources at the following link - Resource Page - Reasoning Through the BiblePlease prayerfully consider supporting RTTB to help us to continue providing content and free resources. You can do that at this link - Support RTTB - Reasoning Through the Bible May God Bless you!! - Glenn and Steve