Flipping Tables

Season 4, Episode 11 — Matthew: The Way of the Kingdom of Heaven

Text: Matthew 4:18-25

Welcome to the table! In this episode we discuss Jesus calling four fishermen to become His disciples. I give some background on the relationship between a rabbi and his disciples in the first century. Kimberly and I reflect on being disciples of Jesus in the twenty-first century. We discuss what's hard about it and what we misunderstood or didn't understand about what it means to be a disciple of Jesus.

"A Rabbi's work was to instruct the crowds, but his greatest goal was to raise up disciples who would carry on his teaching."

Have you dropped your nets and started following Jesus?

The Jesus Boat

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Whether you've been following Jesus for years, are just getting started, or are simply considering it, you're invited to join us at the study table. Subscribe to my Table 2 Newsletter for study reflections, and visit Flourish Ministry for free resources. Keep following the Table Flipper, and leave the table flipping to Jesus.

Season 4, Episode 10 — Matthew: The Way of the Kingdom of Heaven Text: Matthew 4:12–17

In this episode, Kimberly and I finally arrive at the moment when Jesus begins his public ministry. As we step into Matthew 4, we talk about Jesus leaving Nazareth for Capernaum and why Galilee—called Galilee of the Gentiles—matters so much to the story of the kingdom of heaven.

We reflect on Jesus' rejection in his hometown, the way he flips expectations, and how the kingdom challenges our small worldviews. This conversation invites us to wrestle with nuance, loosen our grip on control, and consider who we're willing to sit with at the table as we follow the Table Flipper together.

• Matthew 4:12–17

• Isaiah 9:1–2

• Luke 4:14–30

• Isaiah 61:1–2

Thanks for listening! We'd love for you to share this episode with a friend.

Whether you've been following Jesus for years, are just getting started, or are simply considering it, you're invited to join us at the study table. Subscribe to my Table 2 Newsletter for study reflections, and visit Flourish Ministry for free resources.

Keep following the Table Flipper, and leave the table flipping to Jesus.

Welcome to the table!

In this episode, we explore Jesus' temptation in Matthew 4 and what it reveals about spiritual warfare, identity, and endurance. As followers of Jesus, we are not merely passing through the wilderness — we live here. But this is not a place of defeat. Because Jesus triumphed, we can stand firm in His victory.

• Why the Spirit led Jesus into the wilderness

• The parallels between:

  • Jesus and Israel in the wilderness

  • Jesus and Adam & Eve in the garden

• The three categories of temptation:

  • Lust of the flesh

  • Lust of the eyes

  • Pride of life

• How Satan twists Scripture — and how Jesus responds

• What it means to stop saying, "I'm in a wilderness season"
• Key Scriptures

  • Matthew 4:1–11

  • Ephesians 6:10–18

  • Exodus 15–17

  • Numbers 14

  • Genesis 3

  • 1 John 2:15–17

  • Romans 8:31–39

Thanks for listening! We'd love for you to share this episode with a friend.

Whether you've been following Jesus for years, are just getting started, or are simply considering it, you're invited to join us at the study table. Subscribe to my Table 2 Newsletter for updates and study reflections, and visit Flourish Ministry for free resources.

Keep following the Table Flipper, and leave the table flipping to Jesus.

Welcome to the table!

My Guest: Kim Stolzfus is a college instructor at the University of Kentucky. Kim shares her powerful testimony—one marked by early religious confusion, people-pleasing, debilitating panic attacks, and seasons of profound hopelessness. Through it all, Jesus continually meets her, flips her assumptions about God, and draws her into freedom, purpose, and joy in His upside-down kingdom.

This conversation is an honest exploration of what it looks like to bring our religious thinking to Jesus and allow Him to transform it—slowly, faithfully, and sometimes painfully—into true gospel freedom.

• Kim's early experience with faith and how fear distorted her view of God

• How people-pleasing and anxiety shaped her spiritual life

• A pivotal gospel conversation with a Campus Crusade (Cru) leader named Adele

• Why hearing the gospel didn't immediately change everything—but planted a seed

• Kim's descent into severe panic attacks and hopelessness after college

• A season of suffering that led to surrender and renewed dependence on God

• How God answered prayers in unexpected (and unwanted) ways

• Kim's journey through graduate school, Washington D.C., and deep Christian community

• The power of Christian friendship, Bible study, and faithful presence

• How God now uses Kim's story in her work as a university professor

• Why faith the size of a mustard seed is more than enough

If you are walking through anxiety, fear, or despair—or if peace feels unfamiliar or even frightening—this episode is for you. Kim's story is a reminder to never give up, to cling to Jesus even when faith feels small, and to trust that God is always at work, even when we can't see it.

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Whether you've been following Jesus for years, are just getting started, or are simply considering it, you're invited to join us at the study table. Subscribe to my Table 2 Newsletter for updates and study reflections, and visit Flourish Ministry for free resources.

In Episode 7, Twila and I slow down and sit with the baptism of Jesus in Matthew 3—a moment that marks both an ending and a beginning in God's story. As John the Baptist completes his role of preparing the way, Jesus steps into the waters of the Jordan, fully identifying with humanity and choosing obedience, even though He has no sin of His own.

We talk about why Jesus insists on being baptized "to fulfill all righteousness," and how this moment launches His public ministry while revealing the heart of the kingdom of heaven. Together, we trace the Jordan River through Scripture—from creation, to Israel's wilderness journey, to this powerful scene where the Father speaks, the Spirit descends, and the Son stands in humility.

This conversation invites us to reflect on wilderness seasons, waiting, and learning to trust God's timing. My prayer is that as we listen for God's voice in our own wilderness, we'll be equipped to bring hope, light, and belonging to others as we walk together in the way of the kingdom of heaven.

Bible Text: Matthew 3:11–17

Whether you've been following Jesus for years, are just getting started, or are simply considering it, you're invited to join us at the study table. Thanks for listening! Subscribe to my Table 2 Newsletter for updates and study reflections, and visit Flourish Ministry for free resources and to learn more.

In this episode, we gather at the table to explore Matthew 3 and the prophetic ministry of John the Baptist—a bold, table-flipping voice calling God's people to repentance and renewal. In this conversation we invite our listeners to begin the year with anticipation, humility, and openness to transformation.

John's message is urgent: "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near." As Matthew's Gospel introduces this phrase, we unpack why Matthew speaks of the "kingdom of heaven," how John prepares the way for Jesus, and why repentance is more than behavior modification—it is a change of mind and direction that leads to a transformed life.

We explore John's confrontation of the Pharisees and Sadducees and his call to "produce fruit in keeping with repentance." We reflect on the tension between salvation as a free gift and the lifelong journey of sanctification that follows. We discuss how repentance is not a one-time event, but an ongoing posture of confession, surrender, and renewal.

Through personal stories, we also addresses influence, humility, and faithfulness without notoriety. John the Baptist's willingness to fade into the background becomes a model for resisting platform culture and trusting God with the outcome of our obedience. We share how confession, community, and even painful seasons can become places of deep redemption—where wounds are transformed into fruit for the kingdom.

Matthew 3; 11:11-12

Psalm 130:7

Whether you've been following Jesus for years, are just getting started, or are simply considering it, you're invited to join us at the study table. Thanks for listening! Subscribe to my Table 2 Newsletter for updates and study reflections, and visit Flourish Ministry for free resources and to learn more.

Welcome to the table! In this Christmas-season episode, we continue sitting in Matthew 2 and invite Jesus to flip our tables as we linger with the hard parts of His story.

We explore the families urgent flight to Egypt, Jesus as a refugee, and what this passage reveals about God's heart for the vulnerable. Matthew shows us how Jesus retraces Israel's story—yet succeeds where Israel failed—fulfilling Old Testament prophecy and revealing the unity of Scripture.

We also confront the brutality of Herod, the grief of Bethlehem's mothers, and the truth that every life matters deeply to God.

Finally, we reflect on Jesus growing up in despised Nazareth—a reminder that our Savior identifies with outsiders, the marginalized, and those looked down upon.

This episode invites us to deepen our biblical literacy, embrace compassion, and follow Jesus in the way of the Kingdom of Heaven.

Scripture Focus: Matthew 2:13-23

Other references: Hosea 11:1, Jeremiah 31:15, Genesis 50:20, Luke 1:26-27, John 1:46, Isaiah 11:1, 53:1-3

Women of Welcome

Book: Start with Welcome by Bri Stensrud

Whether you've been following Jesus for years, are just getting started, or are simply considering it, you're invited to join us at the study table. Thanks for listening! Subscribe to my Table 2 Newsletter for updates and study reflections, and visit Flourish Ministry for free resources and to learn more.

In this episode of Flipping Tables, Julie and Twila explore Matthew 2 and the arrival of the Magi, highlighting Bethlehem's deep biblical history and the prophetic signs surrounding Jesus' birth. They discuss who the Magi were, why Herod felt threatened, and what their extravagant worship teaches us today. This is Part 1 of a two-part conversation on Matthew 2.

✨ Understanding the Magi

✨ Herod the Great

✨ The Mysterious Star

✨ Extravagant Worship

• How can we sacrificially worship Jesus during the busy holiday season?

• What gifts of time, attention, generosity, or obedience might we bring Him?

• How do we avoid squeezing Jesus out of His own celebration?

Whether you've been following Jesus for years, are just getting started, or are simply considering it, you're invited to join us at the study table. Thanks for listening! Subscribe to my Table 2 Newsletter for updates and study reflections, and visit Flourish Ministry for free resources and to learn more.

In this episode, Julie and Kimberly continue their journey through Matthew in our series, The Way of the Kingdom of Heaven. Today, we step into one of the most surprising moments of the Gospel: Joseph's dream and his quiet, courageous obedience.

We begin with a candid conversation about how we each respond to unexpected news — anxiety, problem-solving, and control. We discuss:

• Joseph's character: a young, just, compassionate man whose righteousness did not eclipse his mercy.

• The weight of the scandal: a pregnancy no one could explain, and the stigma Joseph quietly carried.

• The angel's message: the dream that redirected Joseph's entire life.

• God's adoptive love: how Joseph's story reveals the heart of the Father who brings us into His family.

• The clash of kingdoms: our plans vs. God's plan — and the invitation to walk in the way of the Kingdom of Heaven.

Key Scriptures:

Matthew 1:18–25, Galatians 4:4–7, Exodus 34:6–7

Whether you've been following Jesus for years, are just getting started, or are simply considering it, you're invited to join us at the study table. Thanks for listening! Subscribe to my Table 2 Newsletter for updates and reflections, and visit Flourish Ministry for free resources and to learn more.

Welcome to the table!

In this episode, we're pulling up a chair to explore the family tree of Jesus — and what it reveals about God's heart for our own broken families. By getting to know the people in Jesus' genealogy, we discover that there's nothing in our stories too big for Him to redeem. Jesus understands our grief, our scandals, our trauma, and our mess. He gets it — because His own family line tells a story of grace breaking through generations of pain.

Twila joins the conversation as we unpack Matthew's genealogy, written to prove that Jesus is both the Son of David and the Son of Abraham — the fulfillment of God's covenant promises. We'll see how Matthew intentionally includes women, Gentiles, and outsiders in the story of redemption, revealing that the gospel has always been radically inclusive.

• Matthew 1:1–16

• 2 Samuel 7 (The Davidic Covenant)

• Genesis 12, 15, 17 (The Abrahamic Calling and Covenants)

• Genesis 38 (Tamar's Story)

• Ruth 1:16; Ruth 4:12

Subscribe to my Table 2 Newsletter for updates and reflections, and visit Flourish Ministry for free resources and to learn more.