Listen, NOBODY likes favoritism (….unless of course it’s being shown to THEM).  Favoritism – or partiality – means giving preference over others, usually based on a condition (like, social class, wealth, power, etc.).  It’s basically a form of discrimination.  And when you look around our world today, you can see the EVIDENCE for it.  However, God is pretty resolute when it comes to favoritism – meaning, He’s not down with it.  The Bible is pretty clear in teaching how God feels about showing partiality, or playing favorites.  And so goes this episode of “Deeper in the Word’, which finds RevRob exploring the topic of God’s impartiality and how, according to the King James Version, He’s “no respecter” of any SPECIFIC type of people.  Join us as we examine t.opics which explain who in the world “Rappin’ Rodney” is, as well as themes which include explanations on how you’re “breaking the law” when you treat other people badly; why racists follow INACCURATE ideologies; and why neither your STATUS nor your MONEY will be able to help you on Judgment Day!

The trial of Jesus is the most famous one in history (yes, even more famous than the OJ trial).  However, it’s not the infamy of the trial that deserves our attention – it’s whether or not Jesus actually received a FAIR TRIAL.  Yet while some hold the view that the religious leaders kept the letter of the law during the trial (though the procedures may not have been to ethical), MANY others believe that too many illegal things occurred during the process such that the trial of Jesus could not POSSIBLY have been considered “fair” and that, ultimately, He was denied His due process in what may be viewed as a textbook example of using the law in a corrupted way.

 

We invite you to explore the evidence for yourself in this episode of “Deeper in the Word”, as we get our CourtTV on and discuss the TRUTH behind arguably the most notorious and unlawful trial in world history.  Come join the discussion which includes topics such as why “due process” has nothing to do with a hairstyle; why OUR legal system today isn’t too much different than the legal system back in Jesus’s day; an analysis of the SIX (yes, count ‘em) SIX illegal trials that Jesus went through in ONE NIGHT; and a breakdown of the bogus charges brought against Him that led to His execution.

Friends, we live in a society where many people – including so-called followers of Christ – DON’T believe in the Bible.  There used to be a time when virtually everyone who called themselves a “Christian” understood Scripture to be inspired and preserved….in other words, it was considered sacred.  People used to believe that God had given us His Word and that, accordingly, the Scriptures were to be followed and obeyed.  But sadly in today’s day and age, most people follow and obey their OWN sensibilities and laws, with very little regard for God.  Worse yet, they try to dictate to OTHERS that they ALSO should not follow God nor listen to or believe in what He has to say.

 

If we call ourselves following the Lord, we need to be ready and prepared to DEFEND Him and His Word against people like that.  Hence today’s episode, which finds RevRob examining the importance OF - and the steps necessary TO – defend our faith against the many attacks coming up against it today.  Come join this week’s discussion, which includes topics like how the Apostle Peter and how Jude were among the world’s FIRST defensive coordinators; why the old Greek legal term “apologia” is so significant to followers of Christ today; how ANY society needs moral codes and values, not just OURS (but why NOT ours?); and how WE can go about being offensive coordinators for Christ in our daily lives!

Being covetous means wanting what the next man has. People are seemingly NEVER satisfied with what they have when they compare what they have with what someone ELSE has…and jealousy and envy are the tools the enemy uses to force people to do things which remedy the problem of wanting what they don’t have – namely, to TAKE from others. Truly, covetousness is what drives many of the OTHER sins people commit – they lie, steal and kill because they either want something they don’t have, or they want something someone ELSE already has. So goes the topic of discussion for this week’s episode, which finds RevRob exploring what it means to be covetous, what God has to say about it, and how we can PREVENT ourselves from doing it. Join the conversation with topics that include trying to buy your own house (??), how the first NINE Commandments all somehow invoke the TENTH Commandment; why Jesus is all we ever TRULY need; and the SECRET to living the type of life where you’re completely happy with what YOU’VE got ALREADY and thoroughly satisfied with the way things already are TODAY!

So….what IS “church hurt”? It’s a term which refers to the very real pain and abuse that can be inflicted upon those in the church by others ALSO in the church, especially those in positions of church leadership…and it can be something that ALL followers of Christ may face one day. One of the most damaging aspects of church membership, church hurt can ostracize people from fellowship, cause people to question their faith and, ultimately drive people away from God. The body of Christ simply CANNOT hope to move forward with any degree of blessing if the people within it are treating others within it in manners which are not befitting of Christ, or in manners which actually VIOLATE Christ’s teachings. But is it GOD’S fault that the person was hurt, or does the blame lie….elsewhere?

 

Join RevRob for this VERY important and timely discussion about a subject that many in the church shy away from, but which nonetheless REALLY needs to be addressed. Topics include the concepts of extreme betrayal and exploitation by those who are supposed to be leading you; what Jesus thinks about those who suffer at the hands of others AND those to cause suffering to others; and some practical tips we should consider if we’ve ever been hurt by a church.

The late, great Whitney Houston once sang it best: “I get so emotional, baby…” Friends, we ALL can be overly emotional at times, and oftentimes our emotions can get the best of us and lead us to BAD, unwanted situations and areas in our lives. That’s why it’s so important that we learn how to PROTECT ourselves FROM ourselves….in other words, as followers of Christ we must learn how to control our emotions by building a wall of protection around our hearts and around our minds so that they aren’t infiltrated by detrimental thoughts and sensibilities. So goes this week’s episode, which finds RevRob examining how we can construct the walls that protect us from how we feel. Come join the conversation with topics that include how we protect ourselves like the Chinese learned to do thousands of years ago; what self-control and reason have to do with our daily lives; what in the WORLD “EIQ” stands for, as well as what it means, exactly; what brain science says about reading Scripture; and exactly which types of BRICKS we need in order to build these walls of protection.

“He’s TIPSY! He’s LIT! He’s ON ONE!”

These are all the ways in which people describe someone who’s intoxicated, or under the influence of alcohol. Being drunk on liquor is something that many people have experienced in their lives….including Christians. But Christians can ALSO be drunk in ANOTHER, more HOLY way…..and that’s being drunk with the Holy Spirit. Now some might say, “dude, is that even a REAL thing?” Well, the answer is “yes”, and in fact, there’s solid BIBLICAL precedence to SUPPORT that assertion. So goes our topic for today’s show, wherein we’re discussing the difference between being drunk with ALCOHOL and being DRUNK WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT. Join RevRob as we dive into the comparisons and contrasts between the two, including discussion topics such as how speaking in other languages doesn’t HAVE to mean you’re intoxicated; what the Apostle Paul says about gettin’ your sip on; exactly what it means to be “Spirit-filled”; and, we do an analysis on the similarities between acting like you on that Henny vs. acting like you on that Holy Spirit!

As followers of Christ, we ALL can become subject to BACKSLIDING….that is, to reverting to sin or wrongdoing or lapsing back into previous undesirable patterns of behavior.  Each of us has to battle daily with putting our flesh into submission – that is, dying to self to ensure that we do what GOD wants of us and not whatever WE WANT to do.  Truly, the follower of Christ can either be moving forward in our walk with Him (progressing), or falling backwards (regressing).  But how do we KNOW if we’re falling away from the Lord?  Are there any warning signs which will tip us off that we might be “slip sliding away”?  And does the bible provide any EXAMPLES of people who backslid in Christ but were able to get back to a place of being on fire for Him? Join RevRob this episode as we explore this provocative topic, with areas of discussion which include comparisons to drug addicts, how your old friends can be your worst enemies, how even a certain beloved Apostle once backslid so bad that it ALMOST destroyed him, how the story of a former Old Testament king should serve as a cautionary tale for us about how backsliding can destroy US, and the indications we need to be aware of that serve as the “writing on the wall” that WE might be slip slidin’ away from the Lord!

Ahhhh, Hollywood….the land of big dreams and, also, major DEBAUCHERY.  Too often we find Hollywood films and TV shows featuring far too much gratuitous sex and violence, as well as negative and stereotypical portrayals, and not enough POSITIVE images or morally upright depictions.  But many companies are seeking to change all of that by providing TV and film content which serves to balance out the negativity we see….including companies like the all-minority, all-women based company of T&T Management and Production out of Atlanta, Georgia and one of its members, Ms. Marquita Owens-Robinson, who happens to be one of our special guests today!  Ms. Owens-Robinson is an established actor, screenwriter and producer, and is making her directorial debut with the short faith-based film entitled “The Prayer Warrior”.  She joins us this episode to kick off Season 3 of “Deeper In The Word” to discuss not only her background and her upcoming projects, but also to engage us in a spirited discussion about the need for greater positive representation in film and TV projects, including an infusion of more faith-based films in Hollywood, and the proof that there IS a MARKET for such projects.  Discussion topics include being a zombie in the freezing cold, why nepotism works, how Black women aren’t ALWAYS at each other’s throats, 4:30am discussions with God and an overview about how a 12-year old introduces the power of the Lord to her family!

FIFTY EPISODES! What a milestone! We are thrilled to celebrate episode #50 and the completion of season #2 here are Deeper In The Word! And we thought, what better way to celebrate our 50th episode than to take a look back at how we GOT here? Truly, we’ve had some amazing guests and covered some interesting topics these past two seasons….whether it was how to preach to different generations, or how police brutality relates to the bible, or why churches shouldn’t TELL YOU that you need to give them money, or how we can trust the eyewitness accounts of the bible, OR whether we were discussing the truth about Jesus’s racial identity, we’ve covered a wide range of subject matters with some incredible guests in the short history of this podcast. AND SO….during this very special episode, we invite you to take a walk down memory lane with us as we review our favorite, most popular and/or most controversial episodes from our first two seasons!