In this second episode of the series on First John, John and Ron delve into the division that lay behind the letter's sharp admonitions to its readers.

John and Ron introduce a new series on the letter of First John. The letter opens with an emphatic statement about the concrete reality of the gospel, and it moves quickly to the difficult topic of love in the context of bitter division.

The final episode in the Book of Joshua series reviews the results of Israel's campaigns to take the land of Canaan and God's instructions for its distribution to the tribes. The text appears to report that Israel both did and did not subdue the whole of Canaan. Ron and John discuss how we should read this in order to understand the final section of the book.

In this fourth episode of their series in Joshua, Ron and John tackle the exciting but difficult episodes that describe the conquests of Jericho and Ai. Before those battles, however, important rituals set up what follows in order to keep the focus on the real message of the Book of Joshua: God's covenant faithfulness.

In the discussion this time, Ron and John follow the people of Israel as they cross the Jordan River into the promised land. In Joshua 3-4, God arranges their passage in a spectacular way. This episode takes a close look at how that happens and how the story is told—and retold.

In the second installment of their series on Joshua, John and Ron take a close look at chapter 2. Joshua—once a spy for Moses—now dispatches his own spies to scope out Jericho. Their encounter with a woman named Rahab proves intriguing.

Ron and John begin a new series in the Book of Joshua by looking at how Joshua's story fits into the biblical narrative and how Israel begins its final preparations to enter the promised land. "Be strong and courageous" is the word in chapter 1 as Israel moves toward the fulfillment of an ancient divine promise.

John and Ron conclude their treatment of the Sermon on the Mount, but there are still some surprises to come in the statements Jesus makes during his epilogue.

In this episode, John and Ron reach the end of the primary instruction in the Sermon on the Mount with the Golden Rule as the grand finale. Along the way, though, they have to confront the challenging address about worrying.

John returns from a recent trip to the Holy Land, and in this episode he and Ron explore the background and significance of Jesus' teaching on prayer. The Lord's Prayer is a central part of this teaching, and a special treat related to it waits for you at the end of the episode.