Dependence Episodes

Well, I started right where I should have in our journey tracing events in the bible where God has lived among men. The Israelites are about to construct the first human-built dwelling for God to live among them. I started today with Exodus 25 and didn’t get very far. I got to thinking about the last commandment (thou shalt not covet), about everything God is doing in this moment. I chased those thoughts. So today’s podcast isn’t not about the place where God lives … but then, as I think about i...

Today we're continuing our journey through one of the most important themes in all of Scripture: the temple. When most Christians hear the word temple, they think of a building in Jerusalem. Some think of Solomon's Temple. Others think of a future temple still waiting to be built. But what if the story begins much earlier than that? What if the temple was never primarily about a building at all? In this series, we're tracing the temple from its very beginning, following the thread from Eden thro...

I think by this point, many of our listeners might be scratching their heads. I thought this season was about the end times! The inspiration for this season was that we think, and I believe the scriptures will get us there, is that most present-day biblical scholars on the end times are following the same dispensational track that is not supported by scripture. We’re not inventing or, rather, re-inventing doctrine. I don’t believe in the need for a secret return that the text never supports. Wit...

We begin a new series today in Season Five. We are going to walk with God through the bible. It’s a huge endeavor, but the goal is simple. To understand what God wants for mankind and how He actually accomplishes it. We’re not presenting systems or charts. We’re not inventing theology and secret returns to fit a narrative. We are listening and interpreting with the only thing we need, God’s word. You may recognize this as our Berean strategy. Welcome to season 5. It starts right where God starte...

I happened to catch Pope Leo and the Catholic Church discussing concerns about AI. I thought this might be a good opportunity to weigh in as well. We’ve been very open about our use of AI on this podcast. Included in the source material is a recent Vatican discussion on AI and our response to it. I was particularly triggered by the idea that an institution heavily using AI is telling its members not to use AI. This is mentioned briefly in the paper. I think, ultimately, like with any technology ...

We take a break from the Red-Letter journey today to just discuss the elephant in the room. And to be sure, your elephant might look different. You could be looking at the tail or a foot. Or at the trunk. You're just a speck on this huge planet, and your perspective will drive your agenda... or perhaps your agenda will drive your perspective. I'm not sure in which direction we travel. As I was looking at this, I recognized that I, too, have an agenda. So does President Trump. So does Netanyahu. ...

How many times have you blown over the passage. Yeah, you marveled that Peter heard the rooster crow, which recalls what Jesus told Peter would happen when they were in the upper room. But let's really dig into this. There is so much we can learn from Peter in this moment and the subsequent restoration. Notes for Lovest Thou Me Episode Link: https://www.rabbitholesandmeditations.com/lovest-thou-me-the-restoration-of-peter/

If you have been traveling with us and followed the words of Jesus chronologically through the Gospels, then you have been the proverbial fly on the wall. Do not lose the immediate context when you read this - it is so easy to do because the theology is so rich. We are in the upper room for pages of scripture, and Judas has left the room. What Jesus has to say is not for Judas. But it is for you! Without stating exactly what will happen in the next few hours, Jesus addresses the tension in the r...

We are on the temple courts during Jesus' last week. The Parable of the Evil Vine-Growers is perhaps the most scathing indictment that Jesus has ever given confronting the religious elite head on. No stone is left unturned (pun intended). It should be no secret that we use AI in our Bible study with strict guardrails to only use scripture and not external interpretations or commentary. That is what we have commonly referred to as our Berean Filter. We let the Bible speak for itself and we use AI...

I think we've all heard the story of the Rich Young Ruler. But very often the entire story gets flattened to be about money and wealth. As we got into this, the entire theology of grace emerges. Once we came to the root of this passage, we got into a discussion about stewardship which was useful and then we circled back to probably the most profound point of the passage... a discussion of what is good, why try to do good and trying to understand the love of the Father. That last part comes from ...

Sorry for the vague reference - if you have not seen the movie "Benjamin Button". Benjamin Button, a character played by Brad Pitt, is living life in reverse. He is reverting to his childhood. On our Red-Letter journey, People are lining up, probably more like mobbing than single file, to get close to Jesus. Some of those in that mob are parents who have brought their children. Jesus never lets a moment like this go without a message... and this one is difficult for the average, well-adjusted ad...

Before you go ahead and start the New Year with another resolution that will fail (80% of New Years resolutions fail within the month!) consider creating a resolution this year that can't fail! Episode Link: https://www.rabbitholesandmeditations.com/grace-and-resolutions/

There's an easter egg at the end... Just wanted to get that out early. We are still in John Chapter 8. I had intended to finish this and, well, I made it to verse 32. TWO VERSES out of the 29 we wanted to cover. Is it any wonder that we call our podcast Rabbit Holes and Meditations? I think it helps to explain how this content is generated. Today, I have two verses and 47 pages of typed, formatted, organized notes. It's basically how I journal through scripture. I read what I want to study, then...

As I continue to ponder John 8:21-30, my mind was connecting the meaning of all that we have discovered up to this point in our red-letter journey. Walking chronologically with Jesus through the gospels helps afford you the same maturity of thoughts and ideas that the disciples would have been going through. It's only fitting that each encounter feels more deeply meaningful. I like to consider myself the 15th disciple. Matthias was the 13th replacing Judas. Paul, the 14th and the rest, you, me, ...

We hinted at this podcast in our last discussion. Up to this point in the man's history, all earthly systems have a mutually dependent relationship. No matter what the system, if that is where you place your trust, your faith, then you are engaging in idolatry. You are trusting something of earthly origin more than you're trusting in your own Creator. By contrast, your own creator, does not exist in that mutual, symbiotic relationship. You still depend on the Creator, whether you want to admit i...

There's a lot of talk about the nature of dependence in this podcast and I'm not sure it does a good job at answering the questions I was trying to resolve. Here are the questions... The bible talks about slavery - to your money, to your reputation, even to your religion. In short - slavery to sin. We defined this a basically a symbiotic relationship between the slave and the master. Though it might not appear so, the master is as much dependent on the slave as the slave is to the master. The po...

Feel like you're being a pest sometimes? God doesn't look at it that way. He loves your persistence! Never stop asking. I think if you read the notes today, you'll see how we like to read scripture. One might be inclined to just plough through a set of passages; but if you don't have thoughts and questions along the way, you probably are not reading scripture the way it was intended. As you read, let your mind wander into questions. If you're inclined to want to finish the passage, write down yo...

We hop off the red-letter journey today. A brother approached me to look at this passage from 1John 5:16. If you see any brother or sister commit a sin that does not lead to death, you should pray and God will give them life. I refer to those whose sin does not lead to death. There is a sin that leads to death. I am not saying that you should pray about that. This turns out to one of those cases where you just have to walk it slowly and it all makes sense. The bottom line is two people can be do...

We have spent a lot of time on the prodigal and some of the interpretive ideas might not sit well with some people. Some of the feedback: "It sounds too Calvinistic", or your denying "Free Will". We touched on the idea that God grants repentance, it does not come from human will. God grants a new heart. I want to be very clear; I am not a theologian. I didn't go to seminary school. I'm really just one guy out here podcasting my way through scripture. You are listening to AI generated voices: "sa...

If someone asked me where to start in scripture, I would tell them to read and reread the parable of the lost son every day for a month. Read it, meditate on it, understand it in every aspect. If you sink your teeth into these few passages, not only will you understand the message of the Gospel, but you will come away exceedingly happy about who you are in Christ. Whenever you're sad, sorrowful or just feeling somehow disconnected. THIS is the passage. Write it down, print it and carry it with y...

I think this is the slowest we've ever walked through scripture, and I think what the journey has produced is some of the richest revelation we've seen in the process. Today, we look at what happens to the prodigal son at his very lowest point. We are seeing the very definition of "rock bottom" and this is not an accident. We're going to spend some time here because it is in this moment where a lot is happening spiritually. I will admit that I want to put how God operates into a linear timeline,...

I think most American's have read the Prodigal son and many fall into this trap: I certainly did. We see his failure and we think: "Well, that's not what I would have done.". Beyond the complete disrespect of his father, which we tend to skip right over - we leap to the American jugular and think: "You idiot!" - You had all that money and you didn't invest it? C'mon, own up to it. You were thinking that! I hope this podcast is as convicting to you if you had that thought as it was to me in doing...

It's probably the most well-known of all the parables. The Prodigal Son is often reduced to a story about the youngest son. If you do that, or understand it that way, you miss so much about what Jesus is teaching. We are going to slow way down. In fact, today, we only got through the first three verses. And as we zoom out a little bit, we see a much bigger picture emerge. We learn not just who the prodigal son is but who all the players are. We step into the context to consider who Jesus is spea...

You know it as the parable of the lost cost. The title of the podcast will become more clear as we continue with these three parables: 1. The Lost Sheep, 2. The Lost Coin, 3. The Prodigal Son. You may never look at a found penny the same way. In fact, I would urge you to consider this. Start to create prayer prompts. This one is simple. The next time you see a penny on the ground, pick it up and whisper a prayer of gratitude to the one who found you. https://mcdn.podbean.com/mf/web/ii3v88338wt89...