TextLab

David and Todd explore Peter’s resistance to Jesus’ path to the cross and why Christ’s death and resurrection are essential to understanding the true Messiah. We are called to reject watered-down discipleship, deny ourselves daily, and follow Jesus in the way of the cross rather than the comforts and values of the world.

David and Todd unpack Matthew 16:13–20, centering on Peter’s declaration that Jesus is the Christ and why rightly understanding Jesus is the foundation of true faith and the church itself. This truth is revealed by God, entrusted to believers, and calls each person to actively participate in Christ’s mission with confidence in His authority. 

David and Todd walk through Matthew 16:1-12, contrasting the hardened skepticism of the Pharisees with the confused yet teachable hearts of the disciples. Jesus' call to us is to pursue a clear and growing understanding of Him, guarding against distorted beliefs and trusting the truth of who He is as revealed in Scripture.

Todd and David explore Matthew 15:32–39 and the feeding of the 4,000, which shows Jesus’ compassion for the crowd and His power to provide abundantly even in a desolate place. This miracle in a Gentile region reveals the expanding reach of God’s kingdom and challenges us to trust Jesus’ provision rather than forget His past faithfulness. 

David and Todd examine Matthew 15:21–31 and the remarkable faith of the Canaanite woman who persistently cries out to Jesus for mercy. Her desperate dependence and unwavering trust become a powerful picture of true faith; a powerful reminder that anyone who comes to Jesus in humility will find His mercy. 

David and Todd explore Matthew 15:10–20, where Jesus challenges the Pharisees’ focus on external purity and reveals that true defilement comes from the human heart. Instead of managing outward behavior, pursue a deeper love for Christ, the only source of real transformation and lasting joy. 

In this episode, David and Todd talk about Matthew 15:1–10, where Jesus confronts the Pharisees for elevating human traditions above the commands of God. Consider where tradition or routine may have replaced genuine devotion, and return to a faith rooted in Scripture and a heart that truly loves and worships God.

David and Todd discuss Matthew 14:22–33, where Jesus walks on water and Peter steps out of the boat in faith. Following Jesus often requires leaving places of safety, learning to trust His presence in the storm, and fixing our eyes on Him rather than our fear.

Will and Todd explore the feeding of the five thousand and what it reveals about Jesus’ compassion and kingdom provision. They highlight how the miracle invites disciples to bring their limited resources to Christ, trusting that in His hands scarcity becomes abundance for the sake of others. 

David and Todd reflect on the death of John the Baptist and what his faithfulness reveals about the cost of Kingdom courage in a hostile world. Allegiance to God’s kingdom often brings opposition, yet John’s life and death point beyond earthly power to the unshakable purposes of God.

David and Todd turn to Matthew 13:53-58, examining Jesus’ return to Nazareth and the unexpected rejection He faces from those who knew Him best. They discuss the way that familiarity, preconceived notions, and offense taken can cause people to miss Jesus entirely. Examine whether proximity to faith has replaced genuine trust and surrender in your life.

In this episode, David and Todd wrap up Matthew 13 with verses 44–52, exploring Jesus’ parables of the hidden treasure, the pearl, and the net to show the incomparable value and ultimate cost of God’s kingdom. True discipleship flows from joy in Jesus and carries eternal weight as believers are sent out as stewards of the kingdom’s truth. 

In this episode, David and Todd explore Matthew 13:31–35, where Jesus describes the kingdom of heaven through the parables of the mustard seed and the leaven. They reflect on how God’s kingdom begins in hidden, ordinary ways, yet steadily grows in depth and influence—inviting faithfulness, patience, and trust in God’s transforming work.

In this episode, David and Todd unpack Matthew 13:24–30 and 36–43, exploring the Parable of the Weeds and Jesus’ teaching on the coexistence of good and evil in the present age. They reflect on the reality of spiritual warfare, the certainty of future judgment, and how the hope of God’s coming kingdom calls believers to stay awake, faithful, and encouraged in their mission.

In this episode, David and Todd walk through Matthew 13:1-9, focusing on the Parable of the Sower and what it reveals about the hidden, often discouraging nature of God’s kingdom work. They discuss the importance of faithful seed-sowing over visible results and explore how different responses to Jesus expose both the condition of the heart and our dependence on God for growth.

In this episode, David and Todd explore Matthew 13:10–17, where Jesus explains why He teaches in parables and reveals the hidden nature of God’s kingdom. Seeing and hearing the kingdom is both a gift of God’s grace and a call to responsibility—so steward what you’ve been given and live it out on mission.

In this episode, David and Todd explore Matthew 12:46–50, where Jesus redefines the true family of God as those who follow Him and do the Father’s will. They unpack how this reshapes our understanding of church as a spiritual family marked by sacrificial love, shared identity, and committed discipleship. 

In this episode, guest Paul Spangler joins to discuss Matthew 12:38–45 and Jesus’ confrontation with the Pharisees’ hardened hearts. Together they explore how true transformation begins with repentance, humility, and recognizing that Jesus—greater than Jonah or Solomon—is enough. 

In this episode, David and Todd dive into Matthew 12:33–37, where Jesus reveals that our words and actions flow from the heart. They discuss how real transformation begins with choosing Jesus and being rooted in Him, rather than trying to change through outward effort or moral performance. 

In this episode, David and Todd explore Matthew 12:22–32, unpacking Jesus’ authority over demons and the accusations of the Pharisees. They discuss how the passage reveals the arrival of God’s kingdom, the identity of Jesus as the anointed Son of David, and the danger of resisting the Spirit’s conviction.

In this episode, Todd and David explore Matthew 12:15–21, where Jesus reveals the quiet strength of God’s servant—one who brings justice not through power or noise, but through gentleness, compassion, and unwavering hope.

Todd and David discuss both the justice and gentleness of Jesus who invites us to come and rest in him.

Todd & David deep dive into Matthew 11:1-19 wrestling with doubt, John the Baptist, and Jesus' invitation to trust and live with confidence that He is the Messiah.

This week on the TextLab Todd and David break down Matthew 10:34-42 and what it means to trust and treasure Christ above all else, especially in the midst of obstacles and persecution that may come as we spread the Gospel message.

Todd and David dig into Matthew 10:26-33 and unpack what it means to live out of a heathy fear of God that drives a Kingdom boldness to live SENT and spread the good news of the Gospel.

Todd & David kick off a new season of the podcast by digging into Matthew 10:16-24. Jesus sends out the 12 disciples and prepares them for the persecution they will face as they spread the good news of the Gospel and the arrival of Christ's Kingdom.

As Jesus sends the apostles to do incredible things in Matthew 10:1-15, Kyle and David break down what applies specifically to the apostles in their town and what applies to us today in our town.

Kyle and David explore how Jesus calls an unexpected group of people to accomplish His extraordinary mission.

 Kyle and David examine how Jesus’ compassion fuels his ministry.

David and Kyle talk about the danger of filtering out Biblical ideas that don't fit nicely in our western worldview, and think about what it looks like to let the Bible shape our perception of reality.

Kyle and David explore how Jesus uses his power to reverse the curse. He comes to oppose the enemies of God‘s creation— sin, Satan, and death.

Kyle and David explore how Jesus and His Kingdom disrupt old patterns and ways of living.

Jake and Kyle explore how Jesus calling Matthew— a tax collector— to be his disciple teaches us that God’s kingdom is a place where outsiders become insiders, and those who were once far from God are invited to be sons and daughters of God.

David and Kyle look at Matthew 9:1-8, and explore how Jesus has authority to forgive sins.

Kyle and David dive into Matthew 8:28-34 to explore why a crowd of people reject Jesus after witnessing an incredible miracle—and how that story invites each of us to consider how we are responding to Jesus?

Kyle and David unpack Matthew 8:23-27, exploring how Jesus pairs truth with grace to diagnose what plagues the disciples' hearts.

Kyle and David dive into Matthew 8:14-17, exploring how the Bible talks about demons and the spiritual realm, and how Jesus has decisive authority over that realm.

Kyle and David explore how the identities of the people Jesus heals teach us that God’s kingdom is available to all people.

Kyle and David unpack the idea of ritual purity/impurity that is presented in the Old Testament, and explore how being "cleansed" of leprosy radically transformed this man's entire life.

Kyle and David explore how “hearing” and “doing” are intricately connected in scripture, and how true listening leads to obedience.

Kyle and David look at Matthew 7:15-23 and consider what “good fruit” is, and how we become disciples who bear good fruit in our own lives.

David and Kyle explore how Jesus’ words in Matthew 7:13-14 tap into a broader Biblical theme about “two divergent paths”, and how the way of Jesus leads to abundant life.

Kyle and David unpack how our perception of who God is shapes the way we pray. 

Kyle and David unpack Matthew 7:1-6, and explore  the danger of judging others harshly and being blind to our own sin.

Jake and David dive into Matthew 6:25-34 and explore what Jesus means when he talks about anxiety and how we can live a non-anxious life.

Kyle and David dive into Matthew 6:19-24 and explore how our relationship to wealth reveals the reality of our heart.

Jesus assumes his disciples will fast. But what's the purpose of fasting? In this episode, Kyle and David explore how fasting frees us to feast on God's love and presence.

Kyle and Jake explore how praying the Lord's Prayer can transform our own hearts, as well as the world around us.