This episode kicks off a new series on Bible verses that are Googled most. At the top of the list is John 3:16. Millions know it by heart. Countless sermons have been preached on it. This one verse contains many of the most important themes in the Bible: God, Christ, salvation, love, faith, salvation and the hereafter. 

Yet the “Golden Text” of the Bible is one of the least understood. Church traditions have obscured the meaning of Jesus’ famous words and religions such as Judaism and Islam deny one of the foundational tenets of Christianity taught by it—the role of Jesus Christ in salvation. As a result, it remains little more than a tee shirt slogan or a tattoo for many.

This episode takes you step-by-step through the words of this rich passage of Scripture that is a promise of hope to a world in darkness.

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• Scripture: John 3:16; I John 4:9-10; John 1:1
• “Jesus and Nicodemus,” Annual Lesson Commentary, Fourth Quarter, 1949

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• RENEW 2014 – “God’s Amazing Grace”

The U.S. military bombs Islamic terrorist locations in Nigeria. New York City elects the first Muslim Mayor. A Congressional hearing is held to discuss whether sharia is compatible with the American system of government. These recent developments have called attention once more to the growing presence of Islam in America.

This episode is not a primer about what Muslims believe and how they worship. It is a discussion of a question that is being increasingly debated: Is Islam a violent ideology or a peaceful religion? There is only one way to get to the bottom of this issue, and that is to consult the most authoritative sources in Islam. 

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• Scripture: Matthew 7:15; Ephesians 6:10-17
• How God Speaks and How You Can Know

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• “Jesus, Muhammad, and Peaceful Coexistence”

The wealthiest and wisest man who ever lived said the problem of mankind is that people are not satisfied. His name was Solomon. In the book of Ecclesiastes, he wrote about the emptiness inside us that can drive us to seek satisfaction through selfish pleasures. But he said that just will not work. The more we try to find fulfillment through pleasures, the more empty we will feel. He knew that by revelation, and he had learned it by experience. What were his final words about the the solution to the restless feeling many have inside? “Fear God and keep His commandments” (Ecclesiastes 12:13).

The apostle Paul was not a free man when he wrote to the Christians at Philippi. He had been through good times and bad times in life, and he had learned from them. He learned by experience to be content. 

This episode caps off a series on living a selfless, giving life. 

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• Scripture: Philippians 4:11-13; I Timothy 6:7-8; Hebrews 13:5
• “Christian Contentment” in Annual Lesson Commentary, 1950, Fourth Quarter, Lesson 2

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• "America Through the Eyes of Isaiah", track 22 “The Furnace of Affliction”

It’s no surprise that Philippians 4:6-8 is one of the top internet searches related to the Bible. Stress, anxiety and depression are worldwide problems. People are looking for peace with others and peace inside. This is a powerful passage on the subject that deserves special attention.

Many Christians are like Martha who was “worried and troubled about many things” (Luke 10:41). People in Bible times struggled with worry too. That’s why God’s teaching in this 2,000-year-old passage is so important. Christians today need it and can benefit from it as much as the Philippian Christians did. Follow this episode carefully and commit to training your heart and mind to pray and be thankful instead of worrying.

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• Scripture: Philippians 4:6-8; Matthew 6:25-34; Proverbs 3:5-6
• “God’s Promises”

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• RENEW 2019 – “…stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding…” (1 Cor. 15:58)

For hundreds of years before Jesus came, Greek philosophers debated all kinds of philosophical questions. They rarely agreed on anything. But there was one thing many of them were united on: the highest goal in life, the greatest good, is happiness. But the tragedy was that they couldn’t agree on what happiness is or how to get it.

Today 2000 years later, the situation hasn't changed. People want to be happy, but they don't know what real happiness is or how to have it.

In this lesson, we come to one of the most memorable things Paul said about joy. “Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, Rejoice!”

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• Scripture: Philippians 4:4; Matthew 5:10-12; II Cor. 7:4; Prov. 17:22
• “Bright Expectations”

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• “10 N 10”, 10 Proverbs in 10 Minutes Devotional Series - Proverbs 17

Your past can be a friend or an enemy, a teacher or a tormentor. Memories can make you happy or sad. The apostle Paul had, as we would say, “a past.” But not everything in his life before he became a Christian was evil. Much of it was good, even impressive, in his time. He was a successful man in the Jewish community who was on the verge of becoming more successful. He also did something that still astounds Bible readers: he persecuted Christians. But he left that life behind and kept it there. Learn how as you sit at the feet of this great man of God.

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• Scripture: Philippians 3:5-14

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• Bible Commentary, Ephesians 1:18-2:22 (track 8)
• Bible Commentary, Ephesians 2:16-3:21 (track 12)

They weren’t related by blood, but they had the same heart. Both of them had an unselfish, giving spirit. Bible readers usually recognize one of their names, but they don’t know much about the second. Yet Paul paid to each of these men some of the highest compliments he ever gave anyone outside of the Lord Himself. They stand out in the New Testament among the saints, but not because they were smarter than others. Not because they were better preachers. Not because they had more spiritual gifts than others. What stood out to Paul about them was their care for others and their willingness to sacrifice for the work of the Lord. They truly practiced what Paul said earlier in Philippians 2:4—“Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.”

Timothy and Epaphroditus raised the bar high by their selfless service to the Lord. Best of all, they did so gladly. This episode will challenge you not just to learn more about these men but also to learn more about yourself and grow in the giving nature these men had.

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• Scriptures: Philippians 2:19-30; Matthew 22:1-5
• "Present Your Bodies"

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• Bible Commentary I-II Corinthians, Lesson 27

Don’t let the title fool you. If you’ve read your Bible a lot, you’re probably thinking this is a lesson from Jesus’ words in the Sermon on the Mount. But this is different. Jesus talked about letting your light shine by doing good. In this episode, Paul shows us that we let our light shine by what we don’t do.

The book of Philippians is about how to face trials and tribulations. It is a book about how Christians should have optimism and joy in spite of these troubles. That optimism will show. Others will see it even when when we’re not talking about it.

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• Scriptures: Philippians 2:14-17; Numbers 11
• “Peace and Contentment”

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• Bible Commentary I-II Corinthians, Lesson 39

Today we look backward and forward at the same time. This episode will help you do both. We’ve pulled an episode from the archives that fits this time of the year perfectly. We’re going back 100 years to America in the 1920s. Why? To see how we arrived at this point in our beliefs and morals. To learn how to appreciate what we have. To understand verses like Ecclesiastes 1:9—“That which has been is what will be, that which is done is what will be done, and there is nothing new under the sun.” 

You’ll notice a calmness that comes over you as you think about the life that then was. They had good times and hard times just like we have. And we survived as a people. But more than that, you’ll realize that every generation has spiritual battles, and by the grace of God we can endure to the end.

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• Scriptures: Ecclesiastes 1:9-11; Galatians 6:7-8
• Right From the Beginning, Chapter 1

We decided to air an episode from the archives this week. If there’s one thing everybody wrestles with, it’s anxiety. Holidays are wonderful—at least they should be. But the real world is full of heartaches and trials, and they hit at the worst possible time. In this episode you’ll hear from generations who lived through the struggles of life and made it through them. More importantly, you’ll hear from the Master on this subject. 

One of the most common problems anywhere in the world is worry. Some have a harder time dealing with it than others. But at different stages of life, and in certain circumstances, we all wrestle with this challenge. Anxiety is not a problem that is unique to our modern age. Some stress may be due to advances we have made in communication and travel, but the human race has always dealt with worry. 

In this section of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus teaches us a lesson about worry that is far more profound than any motivational or self-help book will give you today. His teaching is the only instruction that will truly help us. In this episode, you will be reminded not only to listen to what the Bible says about this problem but also to learn from nature not to be anxious.

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• Scriptures: Matthew 6:25-34; Philippians 4:6-8; I Peter 5:7
• “Bright Expectations”

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• “Understanding the Times” Renew 2024