Faith Episodes

We just saw Jesus proclaim to the Jews in Capernaum: "I am the Bread of Life". That caused quite a ruckus. From here, Jesus retreats into gentile territory for the first time in his ministry and encounters a gentile mother. It's only fitting that from the Bread of Life we see the crumbs of mercy. Notes for Crumbs of Mercy Episode Link: https://www.rabbitholesandmeditations.com/crumbs-of-mercy/

Almost every encounter between Jesus and the Pharisees becomes a teaching moment for Jesus and a learning one for us. It starts off simple enough. Jesus and His disciples sat down to eat. The religious elite seem mortified that they did not wash their hands. Jesus has just the opening he needs. As we were studying this, the surface level stuff became pretty obvious. By now in our red-letter journey, it is almost redundant. Jesus calls the Pharisees out on their hypocrisy... again. This time h...

It's easy to look at the scriptures and judge. It's better to look at the scriptures and learn. We often ask: "How could those guys have missed the Messiah?" He was standing right there, healing, casting out demons, raising the dead! Jesus had just fed a crowd of probably 10,000 people (5000 men plus women and children) and some of them came back and asked for a sign! Hello! We looked at what they knew. We looked at what their expectations were. We looked at scripture they would have been ...

The title is intended to be provocative. Of course A.I. is not the bread of life... however you don't have to go far into the web to discover many people that would disagree with you. As we were walking through the Red-Letter journey that we've been on, we are just leaving the scene where Jesus has fed the 5000. He sends his disciples onward. He dismisses the crowd and the retreats to the mountain. Later that evening, he heads to Capernaum taking the shortest distance, across the water. That'...

Jesus and the disciples are leaving a full day. They never seem to have time to rest. After the feeding of the 5000, Jesus instructs his disciples to take the boat over to their next destination. Jesus dismisses the crowd and retreats to the mountain to pray. After waiting a bit, the disciples move out without Jesus. They encounter rough waters and find themselves struggling against the waves and the wind. Jesus crosses the water on foot. This miracle cements the notion that Jesus is the Son of ...

The Disciples have returned from their mission. They've seen Jesus over the course of about two years perform every kind of miracle. They've seen Him calm the storms and cast out a Legion of Demons. He's turned water into wine. Now, before they've even had time to reflect on the meaning of their recent mission. With the help of a young boy, Jesus is going to show it to them the meaning of discipleship and giving. Notes for Even the Smallest Offering Episode Link:

I think typically when this debate comes up in conversation it is initiated by someone who is worried about stumbling. So, let's get that off the table even before we begin the debate. We all sin! I think that your response to sin is the deciding factor. Do you sin in defiance? Do you have regrets? Do you want to fix what you did wrong? The fact that a person is worried enough to ask the question is a good sign! That person's response should be to confess to Christ and ask for forgiveness, which...

As we walk with Jesus, we constantly see a stark contrast. We see the helpless, the blind, the sick, the demon possessed being healed. We see the Pharisees and the Scribes deny the very deity of the one who is healing these people. Today we seek to understand why the thoughts and ideas of the Jews of the day split into these two camps. Hopefully we begin to see how these miracles speak to the glory of God and we even recognize meaning of why sometimes the healing doesn't happen. We should never ...

I find it sometimes helpful to imagine the scene and the emotion in the moment. We often read the Bible clinically and if you don't put yourself in the scene, you're going to miss it. You read the Bible as much with your heart as you do with your mind. Today, we walk along with Jairus and try to imagine what is going on in his world in this moment. More importantly, what is his emotion. Not what is he thinking, but rather, what is he feeling. This is hard for me, I'm not a super emotional person...

I think sometimes the subject matter of these passages causes us to not go deeper. It's uncomfortable just on its surface. If you just stop, put aside your preconceived notions and look at this story beyond the blood, you'll see the entire story of the Gospel. As we have followed Jesus through the gospels, every healing is revealing. Every miracle is a microcosm of the Gospel. Notes for A Touch of Faith Episode Link: https://www.rabbitholesandmeditations.com/a-touch-of-faith/

You know, sometimes you get caught in the middle of some crisis. Your immediate thought is, "OK" how am I going to get myself out of this.". In our Red-Letter journey, today we see the disciples, experienced fishermen, in a boat with Jesus. Jesus is tired and sleeping. A storm comes up that drives these fishermen to the point of panic. We discover how the storm can be a test of faith. "How am I going to get myself out of this" is not the right response! Notes for "When the Storms Come" Epi...

No, it is not in scripture, but we used scripture and the meaning to write this parable. I prayed even before releasing this Podcast. Please listen and consider the source material in light of the intent. We start where Jesus is called out of a crowd to His mother and brothers. We often are taken aback by Jesus's response. In fact, the emotional response to this passage is often about the rejection of His blood family in favor of His spiritual family. In that exchange we are as stunned as we ca...

Jesus has just healed a blind and mute man. The crowd who has seen the miracle is speculating that Jesus could indeed be the son of David. The Pharisees have to divert that belief. They can't deny the miracle, so they attack the messenger. That is a very common occurrence, even today! No amount of showing them signs would convince them, they are not after proof, they are looking for escape. They are looking for a way to trap Jesus. It's like what happens when the defendant takes the witness stan...

Don’t Miss Your Ticket to Eternity Imagine this: by some miracle, you were told tomorrow’s winning lottery numbers. You write them down. You know they’re right. But then you decide not to bother buying a ticket. The next day the numbers are called—and sure enough, they’re the winners. But you have no ticket. That’s not a money-loss story. That’s a tragedy of unbelief. Jesus paints the same picture about eternity. In John 3:16, God has given us the winning numbers: “Whoever believes in H...

Matthew 7:13–14 (ESV) “Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.” Did you ever want to dig deeper into this passage? Here's your chance. This presents a very sobering view for every Christian and every person that identifies as Christian. I know that Jesus says the road is difficult. But for me, while it is in som...

This is convicting for a lot of Americans... but it doesn't have to be. God doesn't deny you your wealth. The question isn't about your money but what is it that you're relying on? Notes to Heavenly Retirement https://www.rabbitholesandmeditations.com/heavenly-retirement/

You are living your life as an interactive novel with God as the author and humans as the characters, highlighting the balance between God's sovereignty and human free will. Your journey is different from everyone else's. Each of us has a story. Let's explore why God wants to be part of that journey. Isaiah 46.10 - I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say, ‘My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please.’ Deuteronomy 30:19 - This ...