In the Fire

For this episode, we discuss a fascinating person. Solomon, king of Israel after the death of his father David, was likely both the wealthiest and wisest (besides Jesus) individual in the Bible, yet he is not talked about quite as much as he deserves! So today, we dig into his life a little bit, discussing the beginning of his reign, his request for God to grant him wisdom, how he used that wisdom, and finally, his shortcomings. Like his father before him, Solomon fell victim to sin, lust, and a corrupt heart. At the same time, though, he was one of Israel's greatest kings and one of the most admirable men we see in Scripture. Open your Bible to 1 Kings and join us in the fire!

Early in the Bible, we get a clear glimpse of God's wrath and judgment upon evil. This glimpse comes to us courtesy of Genesis 19, where we see the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah recorded in Scripture. In this episode, we go over the background of these cities, why they were destroyed, and how the entire story applies to our lives today. Join us in the fire to hear a LOT on this very intriguing piece of the Bible.

One important part of any Christian's life is prayer. But you may wonder, why do we pray? And how? Those two questions, along with many others, are definitely common questions for believers. In this episode, we do our best to provide some insight into prayer by reading examples of prayers in the Bible. From Moses to Paul, and many others in between, there are many people in the Bible that provide us with a roadmap on how we might approach prayer in our lives. Come along and listen in as we journey through Scripture once again!

During the Babylonian Exile, God's people were understandably in a time of confusion, pain, and uncertainty. Under the strong dominion of another empire, they likely felt hopeless and abandoned. However, not all was lost. God was at work in His people and in the empire of Babylon. During this time, He gave a vision to his servant Daniel, who recounts what he saw in the book of Daniel (chapters 7-12). This is a vision of the end times, where Daniel sees turmoil in the earth followed by an everlasting kingdom led by Jesus. Daniel 7 begins this vision, and that is the topic for today's episode as we discuss what Daniel saw, what it means, and how it was a hopeful reminder to a people in pain.

The Prosperity Gospel. You've heard of it. We've heard of it. But what is it? That's the question of the day for the latest episode of "In the Fire." In this one, we discuss what exactly is taught by the "Prosperity Gospel" and take a deep dive into where those teachings come from and what they mean. We also talk about the dangers of teaching and believing this flawed version of Christianity and touch on what we, as believers, can do to respond to such teaching when we come across it. Come along as we journey through Scripture and talk about an important topic in today's world!

Throughout Scripture, God makes five covenants with His people (us!). This begins way back with Noah, who receives the first of God's covenants following the events of the Great Flood in the book of Genesis. After that, God makes new covenants with other key figures in the Bible, until Jesus makes the final covenant with his disciples - and the whole world - at the Last Supper. In this episode, we discuss why these covenants are important, what they mean, and what each specific covenant says about God and our place in His Kingdom. Grab your Bible and enjoy!

For our second ever Easter episode, we turn through various passages in Matthew and Isaiah where Jesus's death is foretold (both by Him and by prophecy) before looking at some later passages in Matthew to see those prophecies fulfilled in a sad, yet glorious way. Following our series on Jesus's miracles, this is the greatest of them all as Jesus gives his life on the Cross to redeem the sins of the world. In this discussion, we go through the things that stick out most to us as we read about both prophecy and fulfillment of prophecy, how Jesus acts as our King and Savior, and how those closest to him (the disciples) respond. Happy Easter, and thanks for listening!

As we continue our Miracles series and quickly approach Easter weekend, we take a look at Jesus's greatest miracle yet. In this episode, we discuss the story of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead. In a story that foreshadows Jesus's soon-to-come death and resurrection, Jesus shows us his power over life and death by calling Lazarus, who was dead for four days, out of his grave. Not only do we see Jesus perform the miracle, but we also see the human side of our Savior as he confronts the worldly death of a loved one. Come on back into the fire as we talk about our key takeaways from this story, written in John 11.

In this episode, we discuss one of the most unique passages in the entire Bible: the Transfiguration of Jesus. Taking place in Matthew 17:1-13, the Transfiguration represents one of the more significant moments of Jesus's life. In this glorious moment, we see parts of the past, present, and future come together as Peter, James, and John not only see Jesus in communion with Moses and Elijah, but also experience the voice and image of God the Father. Listen along as we discuss how this moment relates all the way back to Moses and Elijah and potentially all the way ahead to the events detailed in the book of Revelation.

We're back! After a few weeks away, the three of us are jumping back in the fire to continue our series on the miracles of Jesus. This time, we look at one of the most incredible miracles out there - which is also one of the miracles that offers us the most context following the miraculous act. Listen along as we discuss how Jesus gave sight to a blind man and what that miracle means on a larger scale. The Scripture for this episode comes from John 9, so grab your Bible and join us in the fire as we dive into another one of Jesus's miracles!