Episodes

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/ii3v883...

I've been working with AI daily for a couple of years. I use it in my work to augment the digital capabilities of my business. I use it to create this podcast. I've seen the amazing things it can do, and I've been down rabbit holes that have caused me to wake up to AI's inherent flaws. If you were to take a poll among senior AI engineers and developers, the overwhelming consensus is that AI will be the end of humanity. We take a look at this and discuss something that none of these AI guys ar...

We created this Berean filter to evaluate our own interpretation of scripture and to interpret scripture using scripture. Today we started a conversation based on the transcript from a video by AOC Network on YouTube called: This May Be Why Jesus is on His Way… The THIRD DAY is FAST Approaching! https://youtu.be/CCwlqlUF9cA?si=U7lZZ6o150BWoz1W Sometimes it feels like we are talking to Data, from Star Trek. We had to teach our Berean Filter bot to be a little more forgiving; yet, still maintai...

I'm betting if you look back at your own redemptive history you can recognize when it was that you got off track. I know I can. Perhaps if you're listening to this podcast and you can't think of a time when you strayed, you might want to reflect on where you stand today and make sure you are not on the Pharisaic side of the equation. In the modern sense, that person is one who says something like: " I'm a good person" with no caveats to your own depravity. That is one of the most dangerous po...

Have you been to Chick-Fil-A lately? Those long lines! Or see what happens at the general admission doors at a concert for your favorite artists! What you might not see is that the guests of that artists don't have to deal with that! Have you attended a sports event recently? The closer you get to the players, the higher the cost of the seats. We don't even hide it anymore! We've commercialized it. This is exactly what Jesus is addressing in Luke 14:7-14. And maybe it's just me but is it really...

We are on the last leg of Jesus' ministry, heading for Jerusalem. At this point in our Red-Letter journey, seeing Jesus confront the Pharisees about healing on the sabbath is not a new thing. So you, as a disciple, gathered at this dinner table, will not be surprised at what Jesus says or does here. There are some nuances to the situation that we call out in this passage that are still worth highlighting: Luke 14:1-6 Notes for The Ambush Exposed Episode Link https://www.rabbitholesandmeditati...

So much has transpired in Luke 10. In this episode, the 70 disciples have returned exceedingly joyful. This section of Luke really covers complete gospel theology including: Sovereign sending — Christ initiates the mission. Sovereign harvest — only God prepares hearts. Kingdom authority — delegated power over the enemy. Satan’s fall — the kingdom invades the domain of darkness. Correction of joy — salvation, not success, is the foundation. Sovereign revelation — the Father reveals to whom ...

We are in Luke 10: 1-16 On its face, Jesus sending out the 70 is a straightforward mission. Or so I thought until I started asking questions! This is one of the deepest rabbit holes I've ever been down. I'm far from digging my way out of this one. However, what we are commanded as believers is obedience. You may not aways understand the why. It's kind of like when you were a kid and your dad told you to do something. Sometimes, you just did it. Sometimes, you wanted to know why. And sometimes...

Luke 14:25–33 stands among the most penetrating and demanding teachings of Jesus. After decades of studying this concept (not always in the Bible - I lived most of my adult life as an atheist), its weight still presses deeply, not because the English is startling or abrupt—though it is—but because the concepts Jesus sets forth cut to the very structure of human existence. The pivotal realization is this: Scripture permits no such thing as a “free spirit.” The notion of the untethered, self-gover...

Producing this podcast was somewhat convicting for me because I recognized that in my own fascination with the origin of the giants in Genesis I was missing the most important point. So, I want to use this podcast to put the question to bed. There are other resources if you want to chase giants, Nephilim and the like but they are not the main focus of the Bible. God does have to deal with them, both before and after the flood but ultimately, you'll discover that God's grace is bigger than the Gi...

We posted a debate on "Once Saved Always Saved" (OSAS for short) a while back and I'm not sure it resolved the tension. Today, we put on our Berean hats and jumped back into the scriptures to determine the validity of this popular doctrine. We decided to be more direct in this podcast, flush out the appropriate and debated scriptures, put on our Berean hats and dissect the issue with scriptural clarity. We also had to determine where this doctrine comes from. Knowing the history, and the "why...

I think we fall into this trap more than we're willing to admit. Factions within the church is one thing but we all want to believe that we are in the "right" church. As we jump back on the Red-Letter journey today, we see the disciples worrying about someone who is not in their group casting out demons in Jesus' name. They are put off by this. That same bias creeps into our own churches. Paul had to confront it directly. So, while the topical subject of these passages is casting out demons, the...

Connecting Pre-Flood Theology to Transhumanism. Ok, I think the cat's out of the bag. People know that we can apply our Berean Filter technology to just about anything coming up in today's biblical discussions. Frankly, we love doing it! This question arises from a video discussion out there between Glenn Beck and Dan Alberino. So I watched this discussion. I'm familiar with both people. Dan Alberino wrote a book called "Birthright" and if you like theories that take on things like the pre...

We step off our Red-Letter journey for a second. We may do more of this depending on feedback. In today's world, we learn through a variety of different media. Some think watching the Chosen is akin to reading the Bible! It is not but I won't begrudge anyone watching that series. There are far worse places you can go and hear what sounds like Biblical knowledge. But the media-scape pays attention to what you pay attention to. So it is not hard for other disinformation to cross your path. YouT...

As we continue following the Red Letters chronologically, we arrive at Peter asking Jesus how many times he must forgive his brother. How Jesus responds is profound and as we dig into this, we start to see real evidence of how the Gospel and Jesus replaces the Law. It seems everything associated with the Law was a shadow, provisional even. In Jesus answer to this question, we see the transition of what was understood by the law to the permenance that Jesus covers. Notes for The Forgiven Episo...

Just when all appears lost, Jesus opens the door. Jesus has just sunk the person who leads another to stumble, quite literally with a millstone around his neck. But then he turns to the one who stumbles and that picture doesn't look much better! Sin is pervasive and all have sinned. But Jesus fixes that! To understand how one must respond to another person who has sinned is to understand how Jesus responds to you. We're in Matthew 18:14-20 and Luke 17:3-4. Notes for Restoring the Wanderer ...

Jesus has just issued woes against the person who causes one of his children (one of the believers) to stumble. That doesn't mean the person that stumbles get a pass! Notes on the Stumbler

After Jesus has held a child up as an example of who is the greatest in the kingdom, he expands the meaning of "child" to cover all believers. You are indeed a child of God. We're reading Matthew 18:6, Matthew 18:10, Matthew 18:14, Mark 9:42 and Luke 17:1-2. There's an interesting mention of angels in Matthew 18:10 and we dig a little bit into the role of angels in our lives. The passages focus on those that would cause one of His children to stumble. That got us to ask the questions. Who makes...

The Bible warns of deceptions. I'm not so sure a lot of Christians are ready for it. Today, we jump off the Red-Letters and jump into a rabbit-hole over 4 million people have ventured! We take a YouTube video and apply our Berean Filter to its claims. Look: just because something is cloaked in "science" or even used and documented by the government entities does make it any more real, though many people believe it. Here's the video we're launching this podcast discussion from. Video Title:...

If you want to destroy a kids soccer game, load the benches with their parents! If you can picture the concept I'm reaching for, you'll also be able to picture what Jesus was teaching his disciples about being Child-Like. Jesus is aware of the conversations among the disciples; about who will be the greatest in the kingdom. Imagining the construct of that conversation will lead you to understand why Jesus uses a child as an example of greatness. None of the disciples would have considered the ch...

Yesterday, in Church, we covered 1 Corinthians 9. In our Red-Letter journey, we encounter Peter being asked if Jesus pays the temple tax. It turns out that these two scriptures dovetail really well! So today, we launch off that question to Peter and dig deep into Jesus' response. Let's Go Fishing! Notes to Yes We Have No Drachmas Episode Link: https://www.rabbitholesandmeditations.com/yes-we-have-no-drachmas/

What we heard in parables is now fully out in the open. Coming off the transfiguration, in the disclosure of His death and resurrection, Jesus now spells it out in plain English. What is fascinating is not the revelation itself, but how the disciples take it. They are clearly disturbed by the revelation and don't know how to process it. I think sometimes when we read the Gospels, we leave our empathy on the table and look at scripture from a purely intellectual vantage point. And of course we ha...

How does your discipleship look? Are you seeing comfort in your relationship? Are you holding back until such a time when you'll have enough time to be fully committed. Are you straddling your commitments to the world and your commitment to Christ. Three seeming very reasonable requests to follow Jesus are rejected by Him. How would you fare? Notes to Commitment Episode Link: https://www.rabbitholesandmeditations.com/commitment-vs-seeking-comfort-putting-things-off-holding-on-to-your-world/