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In this episode, we have an ambitious reading goal;  four New Testament books. 1st, 2nd, and 3rd John and Jude. Of course three of the books are only one chapter long, so we’ll probably be okay! Jude is written by the brother of James and Jesus. It is very similar to 2nd Peter dealing with similar instances of false teachers. It’s a call to defend the faith. It contains one of my favorite closing benediction.  Jude writes in vs 24-25, "To him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power, and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen."

 1st 2nd and 3rd John are written by the apostle John, a close friend of Jesus, son of Zebedee. The author also of the Gospel of John and the book of Revelation. He wrote from Ephesus as a leader in the church and he is writing as an elderly man.  As we read these three letters of John, think of an elderly man distilling in short form, the essence of his life, the core values of his heart, the message that he comes back to over and over again. And what is that message? It’s a message of the priority and value of love. Is there more to it than that? Sure. But over and over again, John comes back to love.  Love is from God, so we should love one another. How can we say we love God if we don’t love people? Love casts out fear. Over and over again, he is coming to the church and saying, “You have seen this in me. It is my life-message. If I have any influence with you still, please love God and love each other."

Very simple, but very profound challenge!

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In this episode, we are diving into the two short books of one of the most famous of all of Jesus’ initial followers. Peter; once a fisherman, then a water-walker, now a follower of Christ and leader in the church. He’s probably writing from Rome, in fact, 2 Peter is probably written while in prison awaiting execution from Nero. The letter is written to Christians scattered throughout modern-day Turkey; Christians who are suffering persecution and hardship. Peter is writing to encourage them and fill them with hope. 

This hope at least in part comes because the Word of God is living and enduring (1 Peter 2:23-25). It will give birth to life in our hearts and it will stand forever! But the hope that Peter gives also comes from personal experience. Peter was the loud-talking-before-thinking-step-into-the-water-without-hesitating-I’ll-never-betray-you-Jesus disciple. He was also the disciple who denied three times that he even knew Jesus. But then he was also the disciple who experienced personally the redemptive grace of the risen Christ. I believe that experience of redemptive grace combined with the reality of the risen Christ...pumped life-changing hope into the heart of Peter...and it could do so to you as well!

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Today’s episode focuses on the book of James and before we jump in, let me say that James talks a lot about the Word. He writes in James 1:22 “But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves.” Be doers not hearers only. That’s why we have said over and over again… when we come to scripture, we listen, we learn but it’s not over till we lean in. Lean into the doing of what we are hearing and learning! 

So a bit about James before we jump in. First of all the James who wrote James is James the brother of Jesus. Think about that for a moment.  Imagine growing up as the brother of Jesus.  How many times did you have to hear your mom or dad say something like, "James why can't you just be more like Jesus?" But James was not a believer/follower/disciple of Jesus before He died. No James doubted that Jesus was who He said He was. But something happened; a u-turn. How did it happen?  Paul tells us in I Corinthians 15:7 that Jesus took the time to appear one on one with James his brother. How do you suppose that went?  I think that's powerful evidence of the resurrection of Jesus.  You don't convince a skeptical brother with a fairy tale.

After that James became a leader in the early movement of Jesus-followers.  He was there for those amazing early days, but he was also there for the persecution. He watched friends imprisoned, persecuted, and killed.  He watched the church scattered and all those experiences shaped his heart. In fact, he had two nicknames that give us a glimpse of his heart.  The first was "James the Just." That referred to his honesty, piety, devotion and his heart for those in the margins of life.  The second nickname was "Old Camel Knees." He was called Old Camel Knees because of the callouses on his knees and the callouses on his knees were gained from hours spent kneeling in prayer. 

So here is what you get when you read James, an honest, humble man who loved people, was filled with practical wisdom, and couldn't stop praying...and oh yeah, the brother of Jesus. It's quite the book!

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The book of Hebrews is written for people with whom many of us could relate; a people who had lost a measure of their passion for Jesus, who had gotten so wrapped up in other pursuits that they had less and less time for God. They didn't have video games, social media, Netflix, or 24/7 News, but the question has been the same since time began...how will I pursue life? They had tried to find life in so many pursuits other than God but they had become, as one commentator writes, a world-wearied and discontent people. So Paul's trying to encourage them. He’s trying to encourage them by regaling them with the blessings of the new way of approaching God through Christ. He’s trying to challenge them to persevere with the image of a stadium filled with those who have gone before cheering them on.

He is pouring out hope into dry and thirsty hearts with the promise that their story is not finished. That’s where we will pause in this episode; Hebrews 11-12. Hebrews 11 is known as the faith hall of fame and Hebrews 12 begins with this timeless challenge, “Therefore since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us…fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author of our faith."

Can I tell you what I believe? If Jesus is the author of your story, then hope is the story of your life!

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In today's reading, you will hear some words about the Word. It’s Hebrews 4:11-13, where the author writes, "For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to the dividing of soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is  uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account."

I want you to paint this picture in your mind. This is what happens if we come to scripture, with humble hearts ready to listen, learn and lean in. Imagine Christ, the word of God, standing over you with a sword in hand. It cuts away all the masks, every layer of deception. It brings everything into the light. As the Word speaks, we know that nothing is hidden from God's sight. What does he see? Lust. Anger. Pride, perhaps bitterness that you would not let go. Or perhaps it's the quiet whisper of a voice late at night that says, "You'll never measure up." "No one could ever love you." 

 Everything is uncovered. That word literally means naked. We come to God through the Word and as His word enters our souls, it uncovers everything, like we are spiritually naked. Laid bare and actually, that's not a great translation. Laid bare (in Greek) means head pulled back and neck exposed. Laid bare is what the Priest would do with a sacrifice. This is how we come to the Word. Spiritual naked and vulnerable before God. Our life in his hands. Only to find that the one who holds our life in his hands is the very one who has given his life into our hands. Naked and vulnerable with nothing to offer, we find grace.

The scripture reading today is filled with people in need of grace.  And at the end is a story of grace about a man who still needs grace.

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At Calvary, we talk quite a bit about being Jesus-apprentices. We want to be people who not only follow Jesus but live and love like Jesus. And we cannot, apprentice with Jesus without being sent on His mission. What is our mission? At its most simple, basic understanding we are called to love our neighbors and introduce them to Jesus. So you don't have to be a pastor to have a mission. You don't have to move to a foreign country to have a mission. You don't have to go to seminary or have a master's in anything other than Jesus, but you do have to be an apprentice of Jesus. 

And what do apprentices of Jesus do when they go on a mission. Would it surprise you to hear me say, "They pray first." They pray first for all people with all sorts of prayer. That's where we will land in this video for a few moments today as we pause on 1 Timothy 2.

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In this day's reading and video we are diving into 1st and 2nd Thessalonians. Paul wrote this letter to a new church filled with young believers going through a difficult season of persecution and suffering. So he's writing to encourage them and give them instruction on how to live like Jesus in the midst of hard times. He's writing to remind them of their hope. 

In this video, we will pause on one verse in the midst of both letters. It's a verse that has grabbed my heart, convicted my mind and stirred up my spirit. It's a verse on hospitality where Paul tells the church that because of his heart for them, he not only shared the gospel, but he wants to share his life. This kind of hospitality is at the very heart of the gospel. Jesus came not just to share his message with us. He came to share his very life.  This is divine hospitality and some theologians would argue that it is one of the chief attributes of God. 

If we would lean into that...it might change the world!

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In this episode, we are hanging out in the New Testament book of Colossians, and here is what I love about Colossians. It is passionately thrilled with Christ. Colossians is one of the most Christ-centered; Jesus-loving, Son of God-exalting books in the Bible. It’s filled with variations on the theme of Jesus. Jesus is the object of our faith and the image of the invisible God. Jesus is the creator of all things and in fact, all things were created by him and in fact, all things are even now held together in him. He is the head of the church. The resurrected one; our Savior through the cross; our victorious champion over sin and Satan, Lord of glory. Lord of Life. Model for living. Colossians is an exaltation of the exalted Christ.

If you ever need a pick-me-up reminder of the treasure that has been given to us in Christ, just take 15-20 minutes and read through Colossians. You will find that there is nothing greater than Christ. Christ is the treasure of Christianity. With all my heart I believe that the church is the hope of the world, but only because the church is on the heart of Christ.

I don't know why you are listening to these podcasts, why you are reading through the whole New Testament, but if it's not because of Christ, you're missing everything. Join me in pondering the treasure of Christ, described in the book of Colossians.

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Today's reading covers the book of Philippians, Paul's letter to the church of Philippi. Philippians as a book on extreme joy. If joy was an XGames event, this would be the manual. Extreme joy.  There are few books of the Bible that focus more on joy than Philippians.  But the fascinating truth, that gives this study an extreme edge... is that this book on joy was written by a man in prison, a man in chains, a man with circumstances we would not necessarily define as joyful. And this was not his first bad experience. 

When he wrote to some of his friends in Corinth; he was swapping "good old days" stories...and comparing himself to others he said something like this,  (I Cor. 11:23-28) "They say they serve Christ?  I know I sound like a madman, but I have served him far more!  I have worked harder, been put in jail more often, been whipped times without number, and faced death again and again. I was beaten, stoned, and shipwrecked--three times! I've faced more danger in more places from more people than I can count." 

So much difficulty and now in prison, possibly facing execution...so when Paul says, "Rejoice in the Lord and again I will say rejoice," his words have power because of his life experience.

In this episode, we will pause for a time on Paul’s antidote for worry and anxiety because if there is a joy-sucker out there it’s worry and anxiety right? And my goodness in the last year we have had more than enough good reasons to worry. All the uncertainty has been fertile soil for worry. But Paul tells us that no matter what...we can have joy!

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In this episode, we are reading Paul's letter to the church at Ephesus. Paul started the church at Ephesus in Acts 18/19 during his second missionary journey and they experienced a mighty move of God, a city-wide awakening. Paul and the church at Ephesus literally changed the spiritual climate. During Paul’s ministry, so many people became Christ-followers, that it disrupted the marketplace, specifically those connected to the worship of Artemis. If there is a church in the New Testament that experienced a region-wide move of God, it was the church in Ephesus.

 Ephesians is one of my all-time favorite New Testament books and it develops an amazing blueprint for the church. Because of that, there are so many places where I want to pause, but in this podcast, we will touch briefly on two things. First, we will talk about what Paul means when he says that we are "in Christ." This is so important. "In Christ" is our address and it shapes our identity. Secondly, we will talk about how being "in Christ" gives us strength for the dark, difficult days. Because we are in Christ, we can persevere, thrive and finish well regardless of how great the battle becomes.