The Analytical Preacher - Bible Discussions For The Modern World

Does Christianity have holy sites and holy items? If so, what are they? The New Testament provides us with a clear direction on this topic, which we discuss in this podcast. 

If we are created in God's image, formed and made by Him, then why would God disapprove of who we are and how we choose to act? Is it fair to say that we shouldn’t be blamed for acting in a way that is natural, even instinctive to us? As we discuss in this podcast, we can't begin to biblically answer that question until we are viewing the question through the appropriate God-focused lens. 

As a Christian, how do I give a defense of the hope that is in me? The charge to be able to give a defense of our faith by giving reasons for the hope that is in us comes from 1st Peter chapter 3. And the Bible provides those reasons (peace with God, the promises of God, the faithfulness of God) in other, related verses. In this podcast, we look at all the relevant scriptures so that we will be prepared to give that defense of the hope that is within us as believers. 

How can I be better at sharing my faith as a Christian? Some believers love talking to people about Jesus, some find it a bit challenging but others are paralyzed with fear at the very thought of trying to witness. In my experience, I encounter two main misconceptions that hold people back from testifying about what Jesus means to them. In this podcast, I expose and disarm those misconceptions and provide a few tips to help move our evangelism to the next level. #witnessing #evangelism 

There are two meanings of the phrase 'don't grow weary in doing good' as found in the Bible. The most common meaning is explicated in Galatians 6, while the lesser understood takes its context from 2nd Thessalonians chapter 3. Of course, this reinforces the necessity of studying scripture in context. 

Can communion be taken too frequently? Can it be taken too infrequently? As with all things related to our faith, we want to base our actions as much as is possible off of what we see in scripture and avoid the trap of basing manmade rituals on our historic traditions. So, what does the Bible teach about communion, how it is done and when it is done? We explore the relevant scriptures in this podcast. 

A common question that circulates in both Christian and non Christian circles is whether God sends people to hell or they choose to go themselves. Of course, scripture as a whole points us to an answer to this question. But in this podcast, Andy looks at just two verses from one of Jesus' parables to point us in the right direction. 

There are ongoing conversations on whether one can lose their salvation while they are still on earth or if the Bible teaches that once we are saved we are always saved. And I have been asked a similar question to this - can a believer lose their salvation once in heaven? Can a Christian ever be kicked out of heaven as Satan was? The Bible provides a very clear and definitive answer! 

We all know the Bible teaches that "it is more blessed to give than to receive". But the Bible also provides a number of different directives on the types of charity we should seek to provide and restrictions on those to whom we should provide it. We use specific Bible verses to cover those directives in this podcast. 

The Bible says we are saved by grace through faith but also says in a number of places that we are to repent for the forgiveness of our sins. So, I am frequently asked the question "are we saved through repentance or faith?" Thankfully, of course, there are verses in the Bible which perfectly meld these two interlocking concepts together. #salvation #faith #grace #repentance 

We have made songs, posters and so much more from the verses from the book of Numbers which say "The Lord bless you and keep you and make His face shine upon you and give you peace". And the Bible adds a bit to that concept in the Psalms. In this podcast, we discuss how Psalm 67 makes that blessing actionable for us as believers today. 

It is possible to take the notion of trying to find good in everyone or only trying to find good in everyone too far. If we were all good all the time, the Bible wouldn't need to remind us that love covers a multitude of sins nor would God's word repeat to us the importance of being patient with and forgiving one another. In this podcast, we discuss the balance between loving others and understanding that there are wolves in sheep's clothing we have to deal with in the world. 

In two different places, Jesus provides a summary of scripture as it existed in His day, a summary of God's moral law. But when we look closely at those two summaries, we see that one seems incomplete. In this podcast, we explain how those two summaries work together to compliment one another. #Goldenrule #Greatcommandment 

Where did the church come from and what structure is it supposed to take? The answers to these questions determine not only what the church is but how we are to interact with it. In this podcast, we cover a handful of scriptures that clearly explain the church's origins, structure and our necessary participation in it. 

In Genesis chapter 12 the Bible takes a dramatic turn and begins to focus on one family which has been promised to produce one person who will bless all the other families to ever exist. The first eleven chapters of Genesis teach fundamental lessons about the nature of God and man and the origin and consequences of sin. But beginning in Genesis 12, the focus turns to tracing the promises and fulfillment of the line of a single family in history. The lessons of Genesis 12 is that God always had  plan to deal with humanity's sin and that for us to understand that plan we had to understand and track Abraham and his descendants. 

There is one main lesson for modern Christians in Genesis chapter 11, which is a reinforcement of a lesson on our motives first brought to light in Genesis chapter 4.  

In Genesis chapter nine, we see God repeating some commands previously given to Adam and Eve and adding to or changing other commands. Genesis ten reminds us all of our common beginnings. 

The main lessons in Genesis chapter 8 range from those providing great emotional and spiritual support to modern Christians to renewed challenges for humans to undertake scientific endeavors. #genesis #oldtesament 

The lessons found in Genesis chapter 7 are straightforward but important. In this podcast, we explore four of those main lessons. #Bible #Genesis #OldTestament 

Genesis chapter 6 contains some of the most intriguing elements in the entire book. In this podcast, we discuss a few of those topics and focus in on three of the main lessons offered in this chapter of God's inspired word. #bible #Genesis 

In this podcast, we explore four of the most critical lessons Christians learn from the fifth chapter of the foundational book of Genesis. #Bible #OldTestament #Genesis 

The fourth chapter of Genesis contains critical lessons about our motives, how our actions can lead to negative emotions just as much as hot emotions can lead to negative actions and reminds us of the proper perspective for our human accomplishments. In this podcast, we explore all of that and more. #Genesis 

The third chapter of Genesis is one of the most important and instructional chapters in all of the Bible. It tells of sin entering God's perfect creation and contains the first prophecy of the coming Savior. In this podcast, we explore four of the main lessons to be taken from this portion of inspired scripture.  #Bible #Genesis 

It is too easy to get caught up in the ongoing debates about how we are to interpret Genesis and lose sight of the main lessons God inspired for us in its pages. But as Christians living in the modern, scientific world, we must remind ourselves of those lessons, because Genesis (especially the first 12 chapters) are foundational to our beliefs. In this podcast, we discuss the three main lessons we take from Genesis chapter two. #Bible #Genesis #Oldtestament 

It is too easy to get caught up in the ongoing debates about how we are to interpret Genesis and lose sight of the main lessons God inspired for us in its pages. But as Christians living in the modern, scientific world, we must remind ourselves of those lessons, because Genesis (especially the first 12 chapters) are foundational to our beliefs. In this podcast, we discuss the four main lessons we take from Genesis chapter one. #Bible #Genesis #Oldtestament 

Those who offered to pray after a recent national tragedy have been criticized by some who have commented that we should "do something instead of just praying about it". Obviously, this intentionally overlooks the point that the two are not mutually exclusive and many who pray are also active in numerous other ways in society. So, then, why the criticism of prayer and which is more important - efforts to improve public safety or prayers for those impacted by its failure? #guncontrol #prayer 

What does the Bible mean by the warning 'bad company corrupts good morals'? Does this impact the church we should attend? And how does it influence our witnessing to the non-believing world? 

In this podcast we cover three important but perhaps too often overlooked aspects of raising Christian Children. #Christian #Christianparents #Christianchildren #Raisingchildren 

A number of parents have expressed confusion and concern over Proverbs 22:6. They feel as though they trained up their child to be a Christian yet as an adult, that child has departed from the faith. In this podcast we examine this Proverb to see what is means and how we are to apply it to our lives. 

Though there are a number of descriptors of God in scripture, what most of us mean when we ask "what is God like?" is can I know Him personally, can I have a relationship with God?  The answer is a resounding yes and we understand that because of the picture the Bible paints for us of Jesus.  In this podcast we break down the Bible verses that help us understand what God is like and discover we can have a meaningful relationship with Him. 

The Twenty Third Psalm is known as one of the most beautiful pieces of scripture in the entire Bible. But what if it is even more beautiful and powerful than we realize? In this podcast, we look at the Psalm in the context of the Psalms that come immediately before and after it and that allows us to see it in a more intriguing light. 

In answering any question about our faith, we want to first turn to the Bible and see what the scriptures say.  This helps to provide us with a more comprehensive answer than we might pull from our memory or common anecdotes. Answering the question of why did Jesus come to earth from the scriptures also helps us to keep our answer from becoming overly focused on the human point of view. 

The Good News of the Gospel is required because the bad news related to our judgment before God is that He requires consistent perfection from us.  One rebellious sin, any breaches by us of God's moral code brings the sentence of spiritual death and eternal separation from our Creator.  But scripture says the Good News of the Gospel is that God is both just and the justifier.  In this podcast, we examine this topic and explain the relevant verses that provide our answer. 

It is common to question whether humans need the teachings of the Bible to truly understand what is morally good versus evil. Stated differently: do we need to rely on the Judeo-Christian ethics of scripture or can we - using our rational and logical minds - objectively determine what is right and wrong without the structure of religion? In this podcast, we look at this question from the viewpoint of scripture itself as well as from an experiential and historical perspective. 

I have heard people challenge Christianity saying they can't justify belief in something based on a blind faith. Going further still, I have had individuals tell me that as they understand it, Christian faith requires one to believe facts that have been proven untrue or things that are simply logically and rationally impossible. In fact, neither of those concerns are accurate. In this podcast, I discuss what faith means and explain from the scriptures why Christianity is not a blind faith. 

With so many religions and each with their own set of scripture, why would one choose the Bible and Christianity?  In this podcast we cover a number of different reasons for why the Bible is the clear and unique choice when it comes to sacred literature. 

The account of the thief's interaction with Jesus on the cross was included in the Gospel of Luke for a reason. But what is the lesson we are to take from that brief interaction? In this podcast, we discuss what lessons should and which lessons should not be taken from that section of scripture. One of the main conclusions is that we can never get too far from God to return to Him through Christ and it is never too late to make our decision for Christ. #goodfriday 

Though we are not all called to be preachers or missionaries in another country, the Bible does directly state that we are all witnesses or ambassadors for Christ. But how does one go about being such a witness? As we discuss in this podcast, it is centered on the fact that in Christ, we are a new creation. And the change in us and the difference in how we choose to live our lives is the platform for our witness, not our Bible knowledge or our debating skills. As new creations in Christ, we simply need to be able to tell others that our thoughts, concerns and goals are different and we know it would be beneficial if they considered the same transformation. We are called to encourage people to seek God through Jesus. We are not called to win every debate or convert every individual with whom we have a conversation. 

Should I give to my local church? Is there are a certain dollar amount or a minimum percentage of our income we must give in order to be Christians? Should we view giving to a local church or a foreign mission as one of the costs of being a believer or as an unbelievable opportunity to invest in God's Kingdom? In this podcast we explore the key scriptures that answer these questions. 

What is the purpose of your life? In general, does human life have a meaning? As with all the pressing questions we ask ourselves, the Bible provides the clearest and most straightforward answer to questions such as these. In this podcast, we look at the specific Bible verses that address this issue. #biblicalworldview #purposeoflife 

Understanding how the Bible defines human nature and explains the role God ordained for governments, how would one with a biblical worldview seek to guide domestic fiscal policy? In this podcast, we discuss businesses, education vouchers, private unions, tax breaks and subsidies for corporations and the wealthy.  And all through the lens of scripture.  #biblicalworldview #bibleandculture #bibleandpolitics #bibleandcapitalism 

Should government policy focus on providing an equality of opportunity or work to ensure the equity of equal outcomes? More accurately, where should each standard be applied and why? And why do politicians focus so much attention on financial metrics? In this podcast, we answer these questions from a biblical standpoint and suggest more impactful measures than just those enlisting financial outcomes. #Bibleandculture #Bibleandpolitics #EquityEquality #Equityvsequality 

What direction does the worldview provided by the Bible give us in terms of how societies should best structure their economic systems? Related to this topic is capitalism, as so many people claim, an immoral system which should be rejected by believers?  And while all agree that communism has been a failure, how did Christians know communism was going to fail from the beginning? We cover all of that and more in this podcast. #biblicalworldview #bibleandculture #bibleandpolitics #bibleandcapitalism #bibleandcommunism 

What does the Bible teach us in regards to how believers should interact with a government that is non Christian? Scripture is very clear in its answer to this question and provides detailed steps for which every follower of God is responsible. In this podcast, we read and explain each of those scriptures. #biblicalworldview #bibleandculture #bibleandpolitics #bibleanddemocracy 

Does seeing the world through a biblical lens cause a Christian to support or oppose democracy as a form of government?  Does it cause us to support or oppose federalism, where different levels of government (national, state and local) work within different areas of responsibility? In this podcast, we provide an answer along with the biblical justification for that answer.  #biblicalworldview #bibleandculture #bibleandpolitics #bibleanddemocracy 

The church is not the only institution which the Bible establishes and defines a role for. In fact, scripture teaches that God has also ordained the family and the government as institutions through which society is to be structured and managed. In this podcast, we discuss those three institutions and explain the God-given role for each. 

In order to explain the world and how we are to engage in it and with it, a biblical worldview begins with descriptions of God's character and human nature. The understanding these foundational elements provide impacts how Christians view not only religion but also politics, science, philosophy, criminology, psychology and many other endeavors. In order to be truly fulfilled and well adjusted, we must grasp what scripture teachings about who God is, who humans are and pinpoint the way we are to interact with one another.  #worldview #biblicalworldview #bibleandculture #bibleandpolitics 

A biblical worldview is more than just a list of what God considers right and wrong.  Though it incudes a moral framework, it is much more comprehensive.  A biblical worldview answers all the grand questions of human existence, and does so better than any other philosophy, religion or ideology.  As does any worldview, a biblical worldview addresses where we come from, if there is purpose and meaning to life, how we decide truth from error and how we accumulate and apply knowledge.  #worldview #biblicalworldview #bibleandculture #bibleandpolitics 

In Luke chapter 7, we are told that Jesus marveled at a Roman Military Leader (or that He was amazed by him).  Why was Jesus amazed at this man?  More importantly, what lesson can we take from this account so that our lives are lived in a similar fashion?  #faith #christianfaith

There is a divide among Christian churches today whether spiritual gifts such as speaking in tongues or miraculous healings have ceased and if so, why and when they ceased.  In this podcast, we look at the relevant scriptures to answer the question of what the purpose of such gifts were and what was said about their use and duration.