BeachCast.TV: Bible Exploration, Apologetics and Church History with Dr. Chase A. Thompson:

The Psalms are unflinchingly honest, and today's reading contains an extended lament that God isn't listening to or heeding the Psalmists prayer. Surely you have been in that place, right? You've prayed and prayed and prayed, but God hasn't rescued you yet. How do we deal with that situation - what is the right response?

Paul commands Christians in today's passage to 'test' and 'examine' themselves. Does such an act cause doubt and undermine assurance of faith? How does a Christian actually test themselves - what does that look like, and why is it so important that it is a command repeated multiple times in the Bible?

Today we discuss one of the most profound and deep mysteries of the Bible, Paul's statement that, "When I am weak, then I am strong." Paul's discussion of weakness in 2nd Corinthians 12 is so counterintuitive and yet absolutely central and crucial to the Christian life. If you think God is about the business of making you strong, healthy, wealthy and confident, then today's Bible passage will quickly challenge that erroneous idea, and replace it with a far better, and more encouraging one!

Most Westerners think of Satan as a red-skinned being with a pointy tale and a pitchfork, but the Bible says that we are more likely to encounter him as "an angel of light." What does this mean to us practically, and how can we recognize this sort of deception?

Paul talks about spiritual warfare and the 'weapons of our warfare' in today's Bible passage from 2 Corinthians. What sort of weapons are Christians given, how do we use them, and who do we use them against? Are these weapons given for fighting and ruling over other people?