In the Fire

The Bible makes it quite clear from start to finish that we are to take God's name with fullness of sincerity, awe, and reverence. From the Ten Commandments to the words of Jesus himself, the name of God is a powerful piece of our lives and our faith. Further, the Bible contains hundreds of different names in the Hebrew language that refer to the Lord, with each of them revealing a new characteristic about Him. In this episode, we take a look at a handful of these names, their meanings in their original language, and the context surrounding their use to find out what we can learn about God. As you'll see, there is a lot of power in a name - especially in God's name.

Some of the greatest writers of the Bible spend time focusing on what it means to have wisdom, where wisdom comes from, and how we can seek it out in our lives here on earth. And while there have been many 'wise' individuals in world history (both fictional and real), there is a clear distinction between worldly wisdom and that of God. That's what we discuss in episode 15 of 'In the Fire' as we barely scratch the surface on what it means to live life with wisdom. This week's main passage is brought to us courtesy of Solomon - one of the wisest to ever walk the earth - as he writes on this all-important topic in Proverbs 3. 

After Jesus teaches his first parable, his disciples ask, "Why do you speak to the people in parables?" To answer this question, we take a look at that very first parable, the Parable of the Sower in Matthew 13 (also found in Mark 4 and Luke 8). By digging into this passage and other parts of Scripture, we try and dissect why Jesus used parables in his teachings and how we can look back at them now and learn about our faith. Have questions or want us to cover a specific topic? Email us at [email protected] or reach out to us on Instagram at @inthefirepodcast. Thanks for listening!

When Jesus died on the Cross, three of his disciples (Matthew, Mark, and Luke) make a point of saying that veil of the temple was torn in two. Why do they record this specific fact, and what does it mean? Taking a look at the book of Exodus as well as a few passages in Hebrews, we break down the symbolic, historical, and spiritual significance of the veil being torn. Ultimately, we draw some key conclusions for our faith in Jesus as the High Priest and Sacrificial Lamb who gives us direct access to the Throne of God. The central scripture for this episode is from Hebrews 9, so grab your Bible and follow along!

The last two weeks, we've covered Romans 13 and Romans 14...So, what could this week's passage be? You guessed it - Romans 15! This episode, we learn more from Paul as he discusses building each other up with encouragement and glorifying God by submitting to each other in humility and patience. These truths bring us back to the idea of hope and how believers can approach life in this world knowing that we can place this great hope in Jesus.

We're back for the 11th episode of "In the Fire." This time, we move from last week's Romans 13 study to take a look at the very next chapter, Romans 14. Divisions in the Christian Church go back to the very beginning, so how are we called to handle differences in beliefs? That's what we hope to learn from Paul in this chapter as he writes about how to interact with other believers who may have different opinions from us on various 'doubtful' issues and he shows us the importance of unity through common faith. Want to find out more? Listen in to this episode!

In light of recent events in the United States, our tenth episode takes a look at a difficult topic: how we, as Christians, are called to respond to our governing authorities - and more importantly, how this factors into to the greater Kingdom of God. Paul and Peter both write that we are to submit to those in power, but what exactly do they mean? And to what extent are we to do so? We answer these questions by looking at Romans 13, where Paul gives us a blueprint of submitting to our authorities, while submitting wholeheartedly to our God.

After a week off for Christmas, we are back to take an in-depth look at John 15. Specifically, we closely examine the analogy used by Jesus of the vine and the branches, and how we fit into that and God's larger plan. Our apologies for the truncated episode...part 2 of this one had some issues in the upload process and was forced to be cut off. However, please enjoy the first part of John 15 and be sure to read the rest on your own! 

With Christmas just around the corner, this week's episode looks at one of the most important people in the entire Bible: Mary, the mother of Jesus. Grab your Bible and jump into the fire as we discuss the great example that Mary can set for us with her faith and courageous service to the Lord. This week's Scripture comes to us courtesy of Luke - specifically, Luke 1. Get in the Christmas spirit as we examine the birth of our Savior and explore Mary's role in the Bible!

What are some things that you do to find peace in your life? What are some things that get in the way of that? This week's episode addresses some of these issues by looking at the circumstances of (soon-to-be king) David's life in 1 Samuel and examining his response there and through his own words in the Psalms. Find out how you can attain Biblical peace through God and His Son by taking a listen to this episode! Scriptures for this one are in 1 Samuel 23, Psalm 31, and Matthew 11 (with a few others sprinkled in). Be sure to like, subscribe, share, and join us for the next episode!