Ezra and Nehemiah present the readers with an interesting situation: what happened when God sticks to the promise He made to His people, but it doesn't turn out like the people thought it would? God faithfully restores the remnant of his covenant people after the Exile, yet these two parts of the same story suggest that not everything ended up restored as they imagined. Join Jo, Alex and new host Chris as they discuss the challenge of reading this text in its context, yet mining it for meaning for us within the Church context of the 21st Century.

This episode, we take a look at the second half of the scroll of Ezra-Nehemiah, focussing on the life and memoirs of Nehemiah, and look at some challenging events that arise.

Resources/Links mentioned in this episode, or as references or helpful for Bible Streams:

• Link: Diagram Outline of Ezra-Nehemiah (Dropbox link)
• Book: Walton & Hill - A Survey of the Old Testament
• Book: Shepherd & Wright - Ezra and Nehemiah (Two Horizons Commentary Series)
• Book: Kidner - Ezra and Nehemiah (Tyndale Commentary Series)
• Book: Laird - Negotiating Power in Ezra-Nehemiah
• Book: The ESV Study Bible
• Web: The Bible Project - Ezra-Nehemiah

Big thanks to Tim Whittle for editing and extra production on this podcast. 

Get more info at Riverlife Church, and find us on Facebook and Instagram. Music credit: Scott & Annie McKinnon, 'Revive'.

Subscribe on iTunes, Stitcher, Android and Spotify

Ezra and Nehemiah present the readers with an interesting situation: what happened when God sticks to the promise He made to His people, but it doesn't turn out like the people thought it would? God faithfully restores the remnant of his covenant people after the Exile, yet these two parts of the same story suggest that not everything ended up restored as they imagined. Join Jo, Alex and new host Chris as they discuss the challenge of reading this text in its context, yet mining it for meaning for us within the Church context of the 21st Century.

This episode, we take a look at the first leader we see in Ezra-Nehemiah: Ezra, and ask some difficult questions of the text.

Resources/Links mentioned in this episode, or as references or helpful for Bible Streams:

• Link: Diagram Outline of Ezra-Nehemiah (Dropbox link)
• Book: Walton & Hill - A Survey of the Old Testament
• Book: Shepherd & Wright - Ezra and Nehemiah (Two Horizons Commentary Series)
• Book: Kidner - Ezra and Nehemiah (Tyndale Commentary Series)
• Book: Laird - Negotiating Power in Ezra-Nehemiah
• Book: The ESV Study Bible
• Web: The Bible Project - Ezra-Nehemiah

Big thanks to Tim Whittle for editing and extra production on this podcast. 

Get more info at Riverlife Church, and find us on Facebook and Instagram. Music credit: Scott & Annie McKinnon, 'Revive'.

Subscribe on iTunes, Stitcher, Android and Spotify

Ezra and Nehemiah present the readers with an interesting situation: what happened when God sticks to the promise He made to His people, but it doesn't turn out like the people thought it would? God faithfully restores the remnant of his covenant people after the Exile, yet these two parts of the same story suggest that not everything ended up restored as they imagined. Join Jo, Alex and new host Chris as they discuss the challenge of reading this text in its context, yet mining it for meaning for us within the Church context of the 21st Century.

This episode, we take a look at the first leader we see in Ezra-Nehemiah: Zerubabbel.

Resources/Links mentioned in this episode, or as references or helpful for Bible Streams:

• Link: Diagram Outline of Ezra-Nehemiah (Dropbox link)
• Book: Walton & Hill - A Survey of the Old Testament
• Book: Shepherd & Wright - Ezra and Nehemiah (Two Horizons Commentary Series)
• Book: Kidner - Ezra and Nehemiah (Tyndale Commentary Series)
• Book: Laird - Negotiating Power in Ezra-Nehemiah
• Book: The ESV Study Bible
• Web: The Bible Project - Ezra-Nehemiah

Big thanks to Tim Whittle for editing and extra production on this podcast. 

Get more info at Riverlife Church, and find us on Facebook and Instagram. Music credit: Scott & Annie McKinnon, 'Revive'.

Subscribe on iTunes, Stitcher, Android and Spotify

Ezra and Nehemiah present the readers with an interesting situation: what happened when God sticks to the promise He made to His people, but it doesn't turn out like the people thought it would? God faithfully restores the remnant of his covenant people after the Exile, yet these two parts of the same story suggest that not everything ended up restored as they imagined. Join Jo, Alex and new host Chris as they discuss the challenge of reading this text in its context, yet mining it for meaning for us within the Church context of the 21st Century.

Resources/Links mentioned in this episode, or as references or helpful for Bible Streams:

• Book: Walton & Hill - A Survey of the Old Testament
• Book: Shepherd & Wright - Ezra and Nehemiah (Two Horizons Commentary Series)
• Book: Kidner - Ezra and Nehemiah (Tyndale Commentary Series)
• Book: The ESV Study Bible
• Web: The Bible Project - Ezra-Nehemiah

Big thanks to Tim Whittle for editing and extra production on this podcast. 

Get more info at Riverlife Church, and find us on Facebook and Instagram. Music credit: Scott & Annie McKinnon, 'Revive'.

Subscribe on iTunes, Stitcher, Android and Spotify

The Fourth Gospel presents the transcendent, glorious and incarnate God presented in Jesus Christ. John's love of symbols, numbers, patterns and allusions makes for engaging reading and layers of meaning and revelation for those with a heart to seek God in its pages. John lifts up Jesus as the new Moses, new temple, new Exodus - the new way to know and love God. As John lifts up Jesus, He draws all people to Himself.

The life and ministry of Jesus have been recorded and given to us in the form of the four Gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. This series on the Gospels with a look at how we got these Jesus stories, and talk through the historical and literary context of these four accounts of Jesus the Christ.

Resources/Links mentioned in this episode, or as references or helpful for Bible Streams:

• Book: N.T. Wright & Michael Bird - The New Testament in Its World
• Book: The ESV Study Bible
• Book: Powell - Introducing the New Testament
• Book: D.A. Carson &  Douglas J Moo - An Introduction to the New Testament
• Web: The Bible Project - Luke

Big thanks to Tim Whittle for editing and extra production on this podcast. 

Get more info at Riverlife Church, and find us on Facebook and Instagram. Music credit: Scott & Annie McKinnon, 'Revive'.

Subscribe on iTunes, Stitcher, Android and Spotify

Luke's Gospel focuses on presenting an orderly account of the life and ministry of Jesus, collected from eyewitnesses and ministers of the good news. Luke presents us with another distinct and diverse view of Jesus, one that shows the human compassion and care that the Son of Man brings to people's lives. With great care for the outcasts and minorities of the day, Jesus shows us God's care for those that don't carry power, authority or position.

The life and ministry of Jesus have been recorded and given to us in the form of the four Gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. This series on the Gospels with a look at how we got these Jesus stories, and talk through the historical and literary context of these four accounts of Jesus the Christ.

Resources/Links mentioned in this episode, or as references or helpful for Bible Streams:

• Book: N.T. Wright & Michael Bird - The New Testament in Its World
• Book: The ESV Study Bible
• Book: Powell - Introducing the New Testament
• Book: D.A. Carson &  Douglas J Moo - An Introduction to the New Testament
• Web: The Bible Project - Luke

Big thanks to Tim Whittle for editing and extra production on this podcast. 

Get more info at Riverlife Church, and find us on Facebook and Instagram. Music credit: Scott & Annie McKinnon, 'Revive'.

Subscribe on iTunes, Stitcher, Android and Spotify

The Gospel according to Matthew, the first in our New Testaments, is an account replete with Jewish meaning, symbolism and allusion. Matthew penned his biographic account to show Jesus as the new Moses, the new David, and the new Torah, the embodiment of God in the new covenant, and a bridge between Jewish heritage and the Gentile mission.

The life and ministry of Jesus have been recorded and given to us in the form of the four Gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. This series on the Gospels with a look at how we got these Jesus stories, and talk through the historical and literary context of these four accounts of Jesus the Christ.

Resources/Links mentioned in this episode, or as references or helpful for Bible Streams:

• Book: N.T. Wright & Michael Bird - The New Testament in Its World
• Book: The ESV Study Bible
• Book: Powell - Introducing the New Testament
• Book: D.A. Carson &  Douglas J Moo - An Introduction to the New Testament
• Web: The Bible Project - Mark

Big thanks to Tim Whittle for editing and extra production on this podcast. 

Get more info at Riverlife Church, and find us on Facebook and Instagram. Music credit: Scott & Annie McKinnon, 'Revive'.

Subscribe on iTunes, Stitcher, Android and Spotify

Mark's record of Jesus's life and ministry is fast-paced, action-packed, and straight to the point. Jo and Alex unpack the who, what, when, and where of Mark, and spend some time exploring the interesting distinctives of the second Gospel.

The life and ministry of Jesus have been recorded and given to us in the form of the four Gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. This series on the Gospels with a look at how we got these Jesus stories, and talk through the historical and literary context of these four accounts of Jesus the Christ.

Resources/Links mentioned in this episode, or as references or helpful for Bible Streams:

• Book: N.T. Wright & Michael Bird - The New Testament in Its World
• Book: The ESV Study Bible
• Book: Powell - Introducing the New Testament
• Book: D.A. Carson &  Douglas J Moo - An introduction to the New Testament
• Web: The Bible Project - Mark

Big thanks to Tim Whittle for editing and extra production on this podcast. 

Get more info at Riverlife Church, and find us on Facebook and Instagram. Music credit: Scott & Annie McKinnon, 'Revive'.

Subscribe on iTunes, Stitcher, Android and Spotify

Dr. Michael Bird joins Jo to discuss finding the historical Jesus in the Gospel accounts, and why that matters. Mike brings his great love of scripture, his wealth of knowledge, and his witty insight together to help us see the importance of the historical setting of the Gospels, the power of digging deeper into the historical and cultural setting of the New Testament, and some very helpful tips on reading the parables of Jesus!

Resources/Links mentioned in this episode, or as references or helpful for Bible Streams:

• Book (Pre-order): Michael F. Bird - Seven Things I Wish Christians Knew About The Bible
• Book: N.T. Wright & Michael Bird - The New Testament in Its World
• Web: Michael F. Bird on SubStack
• Web: YouTube - Advancing the Christian Tradition with Michael Bird
• Social: Twitter - @mbird12

Big thanks to Tim Whittle for editing and extra production on this podcast. 

Get more info at Riverlife Church, and find us on Facebook and Instagram. Music credit: Scott & Annie McKinnon, 'Revive'.

The life and ministry of Jesus has been recorded and given to us in the form of the four Gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. Jo and Alex begin the series on the Gospels with a look at how we got these Jesus stories, and talk through the historical and literary context of these four accounts of Jesus the Christ.

Big thanks to Tim Whittle for editing and extra production on this podcast. 

Get more info at Riverlife Church, and find us on Facebook and Instagram. Music credit: Scott & Annie McKinnon, 'Revive'.

Subscribe on iTunes, Stitcher, Android and Spotify