Patterns of Truth Podcast

When you think of good Christian fun, several things might come to mind: youth group, mini golf, bowling, ping pong, and Bananagrams. There’s nothing wrong with any of those things. Still, today’s episode is about the wide diversity of hobbies, leisure, and adventurous activities that real Christians engage in to keep life interesting. At the same time, we look for the Lord’s return and balance work, faith, and family life.

How do issues like being overly busy or feeling guilty impact our ability to prioritize enjoyment?
Guilt – “Redeeming the time” (Ephesians 5:16) – If you have spare time, how should it be spent? Is it wise to spend it on entertainment? Or something else?
Guilt – “The pride of life” – Am I investing too much into entertainment and the things of this life?

One takeaway I have from this conversation is that everything we do in this life should not be centered around work, career, or advancement. Yes, we have to live, but our relationship with the Lord, fellowship with others, and what we do during “downtime” are so important.

As always, we must use biblical principles to navigate our Christian walk. Be happy – enjoy your life! When considering an activity or hobby you’re unsure about, ask the Lord to help you evaluate it!

Thanks again for joining us at the Patterns of Truth podcast! Our goal is simple: to inspire meaningful dialogue and foster spiritual growth in our relationship with the Lord. Tell others about the podcast and submit your questions!

• Popular Myth: Christians Have No Fun in Life

The post Popular Myth: Christians Have No Fun in Life appeared first on Patterns of Truth.

Why was Satan allowed in the garden?

The description of the creation of Adam and Eve in Genesis chapter 2 is followed immediately by the appearance of Satan at the very beginning of chapter 3. Verse 8 of chapter 3 gives the further impression that God was accustomed to visiting Adam and Eve in the evening. Putting this together gives the distinct impression that the appearance of Satan was very soon, if not immediately after Adam and Eve were placed in the garden. This brings to mind the account of Satan coming before God in the book of Job (Job 2:1-2). There it was God Himself who brought Job to Satan’s attention, which led to Job’s trial. 

In contrast, the story of Elisha mocking the prophets of Baal, “he is on a journey, or perhaps he is asleep and must be awakened” (1 Kings 18:27), is humorous because we know that the true God is never “asleep” (Ps. 121:3-4) or inattentive to the events in His creation. So, we must realize that it was in God’s sovereign wisdom and will that Satan tempted Adam and Eve. He knew what would happen. In fact, as we will see, Eden was not God’s purpose for Adam and Eve. They were actually better off after the Fall. Just as Job had a necessary lesson to learn, God had a far higher purpose for mankind than to dwell in Eden. (1 Corinthians 2:9)

God’s purpose in creation can be seen by considering 1 Corinthians 15:46 with Acts 2:23 and John 12:24. In these verses we read,  “But it is not the spiritual that is first but the natural, and then the spiritual.” To provide the basis for this “new creation” we read “ Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.” and “this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God.” So we see from this that God’s purpose from the beginning, even before creation, was the redemption of mankind, not sustaining them in a perfect garden on this Earth. This purpose finds its resolution in the New Jerusalem and the New Heaven and Earth. 

The garden was certainly “pleasant” as the name “Eden” means. In Eden, everything considered desirable for life was provided: food, a place to live, companionship, fellowship with God, purpose, and useful work in an idyllic environment.  For Adam and Eve, it was a witness of God’s goodness and thus exaggerates the lie of Satan that God was withholding something good from them. Their disobedience showed the weakness of their condition. Their failure represented the general failure of mankind. But, it provided the opportunity for God to reveal the redemption plan that was to be the basis of a permanent relationship with God. It is very important to realize that Adam and Eve were actually better off after the fall than being in the garden. In the garden, their relationship to God was based on a legal principle; whereas after the fall, God provides the promise of redemption, and their subsequent relationship with God is based on grace accepted by faith. In addition, the world they were thrust into was the perfect training ground for them as sinners. As Paul learned, he needed the thorn. (2 Corinthians 12:7–10)

Rather it was for them to trust his grace

So, it is not surprising that the record shows that Satan was allowed to immediately enter the garden to tempt Adam and Eve. Certainly, God could have prevented this but it was not his plan to keep Adam and Eve sequestered in a protected garden. Rather it was for them to trust his grace, living a life in a world that was contrary to their old nature, and learn the goodness of God in the face of trial. This provided the necessary discipline to instruct them in the ways of God’s grace and learn dependence in the face of their own frailty. It is important to recall here that it is the glory of the Lord Jesus, as Son of Man, to walk in the creature’s place. This would have an immeasurable reward. 

The post Why Was Satan Allowed in the Garden? appeared first on Patterns of Truth.

Today we’re talking about guaranteed ways to overcome Imposter Syndrome as a Christian. We’ve all gone through it. If you’ve ever felt like you’re not as skilled or accomplished as others perceive you to be – you’ve gone through imposter syndrome. if you’ve experienced persistent doubt and fear of being exposed as a fraud – you’ve experienced imposter syndrome. Well, you’re not alone.

We will tackle reasons why impostor syndrome can manifest itself in the life of the believer and, also, how to fight back – but from a biblical perspective.

We’ll share our own experiences with imposter syndrome, and people from the Bible who went through it and use God’s response to these individuals as a model for how we can navigate our own experiences.

Have you ever dealt with imposter syndrome in your life? Why? How did the Lord answer your insecurities?

What do we say to someone who is a new believer who does not feel holy, saved, or pure?

As Christians, we still sin from time to time. What do we do when the Devil comes to us, accusingly, saying we don’t really belong to the Lord? What do we do with the guilt?

In Genesis, the Lord called Moses to lead the Children of Israel out of Egypt. But Moses says that he is unqualified. How are Moses’ words a reflection of imposter syndrome?
How do we express similar ideas? Are there other Biblical figures who had similar hesitancy?
Are there Biblical figures who did not express hesitancy? How did they respond to the call?

What’s our responsibility or role in working on ourselves when we experience Imposter Syndrome as Christians?

Most professional advice on dealing with imposter syndrome is to “believe in yourself.” That has its uses – but…

Let’s remember that imposter syndrome is a common struggle, but it doesn’t define us. Our identity in Christ, our walk, and the work He has called us to do are all anchored in His promises. So, whether you’re feeling like you don’t fit in or struggling with doubts about your abilities, remember this: Recognize who you are in Christ. He gives us the power to do what He says.

You are not an imposter; you are a beloved child of God.

The post How To Overcome Imposter Syndrome As A Christian appeared first on Patterns of Truth.

Did you know that about 26% of all pregnancies end in miscarriage? That means, you probably know someone who has experienced a miscarriage and baby loss – or maybe, you’ve gone through one. Or more than one.

Miscarriage isn’t an easy thing even though many people have experienced this type of loss and grief. Sadly, miscarriages are common but each person and family experiences it in their own unique way. We might feel a loss of control, fear, confusion, stress, and heartbreak. God’s voice may seem far away during these times. Even as Christians, it can be difficult to know how to pray and care for those grieving losses of this kind. 

Elyse, Nathan, and Traci are our guests today.

You might be suffering silently and this podcast helped you in some way. We implore you to reach out to other believers in your immediate vicinity who are trustworthy and lean on them for support to walk through this with you. Lean on Christ, God’s word, and God’s people. 

It’s hard – it might look like no one you know can understand what you’re going through. Pray – ask the Lord for wisdom and to direct you to the right people to speak with. We are the Body of Christ. When one member suffers, we all suffer.

The post Biblical Encouragement And Comfort For Christians Grieving Miscarriage And Baby Loss appeared first on Patterns of Truth.

We can easily say that Christians shouldn’t boast about material wealth or career advantages we might gain in this life. But we have all done it in some way and our current culture encourages “flex culture” in the name of networking, casual conversation, and celebrating yourself.

Flex Culture is when someone shows off their wealth, socioeconomic status, or educational level to others – namely, on social media.

Roy and Peter join our host Patricia and together they answer the following questions and more:

Thank you for listening to another Patterns of Truth Podcast. As always, our compass for this discussion is the Bible. Our mission is to uncover the truth about our Christian journey and discover the patterns that shape our lives before God. Remember, the Enemy doesn’t take a day off from trying to distract us, but the Lord reminds us to stay anchored in the unchanging truths of the Bible.

The post Christians & Flex Culture?! appeared first on Patterns of Truth.

You’re probably expecting another podcast about this topic where, for the tenth time, someone is telling you about the ills of social media – or its endless virtues – but this is not what we’re going to do! This episode is about how Christians of a certain age (maybe gen z christians?) have experienced social media use and their faith as more and more platforms emerge. Today’s conversation is just about sharing where we are.

We’re asking questions like:

We hope that this discussion made you think, gave you some answers, and, maybe, piqued your interest so you dig deeper into the topic. Ultimately, our goal is to start conversations, stimulate curiosity and engage our critical thinking. What’s the point? To grow closer to the Lord.

If you found this podcast valuable to you, please subscribe and rate the podcast! It really help the algorithms push this content to more people that may also find it useful.

The post Millennials, GenZ, and Social Media…Again?! appeared first on Patterns of Truth.

Today’s thought-provoking podcast episode is, “Does the salvation message make sense?” Most of our audience members are believers who heard the salvation message all their lives. But if you haven’t heard it before it can sound very strange, confusing, and as one of my friends said and I quote “easily dismissible.”

We will also consider objections to the idea that God required a sacrifice for human sin, and examine the implications of these objections for our understanding of salvation.

Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give a reason for the hope that is in you.

We hope that this discussion made you think, gave you some answers, and, maybe, piqued your interest so you dig deeper into the topic. Ultimately, our goal is to start conversations, stimulate curiosity and engage our critical thinking. What’s the point? To grow closer to the Lord.

If you found this podcast valuable to you, please subscribe and rate the podcast! It really help the algorithms push this content to more people that may also find it useful.

The post Does the salvation story makes sense? appeared first on Patterns of Truth.

Welcome to our 26th episode of Patterns of Truth Podcast. Today we are revisiting prayer, but with a different thought in mind:

Praying in God’s will.

Is there a wrong way of pursuing prayer? How do we reconcile the difference between God’s delight and our desires? How does Psalm 37 play into all of this?

Host Patricia, regulars Peter, Krista, and guest Steve Campbell are here to discuss those questions and more. We will be learning not only from our speakers’ personal experiences but also from the Word of God, Old and New Testament, to see what it means to pray confidently and in God’s will.

Thanks for listening to this podcast on prayer! Check out another podcast on the same topic, Pray Without Ceasing featuring guest blogger Elyse Casimir. We would love to hear from you, whether it’s your own experiences with God and prayer or a question you might have; if you have a question, submit it through the Ask a Question tab on the website. See you next month for another Patterns of Truth Podcast!

The post Praying In God’s Will? appeared first on Patterns of Truth.

Join Peter in the Bahamas as he interviews Billy and Leah Slater at their kitchen table!

The Slaters were both called individually—Leah in ’94 and Billy in ’95— to serve God in the Bahamas nearly thirty years ago, neither knowing exactly what would happen when they left their hometown in Wisconsin. 

Hear about the work they started out with at the Adventure Learning Center and Ranfurly Home for Children, how they went from friends to sweethearts, and how their home, “The Castle,” became a transitional home to help teens and young adults.

As Billy and Leah share the work they’ve been doing and the life they’ve been living in a place most think of as tropical bliss, we get to see “the flipside of paradise,” as Leah calls it; the people they’ve come alongside, the day-to-day challenges, but also the encouragements. 

If mission work scares you, just like it does for many of us, take encouragement from the advice we get from Leah and Billy: 

Start small, start where you’re at, get involved, and see what happens. 

Thanks for listening to another Patterns of Truth Podcast, where we enjoy sharing not only what God shows us in His word, but also the work He is doing through normal people in every part of the world. If you enjoyed this podcast, check out some of our other interviews below:

The post Live From The Bahamas! appeared first on Patterns of Truth.

What’s the harm in calling Jesus “Yeshua” if that is how His name was said in Hebrew or Aramaic? What about “Meshiach” or “Messiah?”

What’s the harm in calling the Lord Jesus by this accurate title?

Welcome to another Patterns of Truth podcast!

Joining Peter at the mic today are Q&A bloggers Daniel and Aaron and a new member of our team, Deewan. They’ll be discussing the Sacred Name movement (also the Hebrew Roots movement) and its impact on us in North America and elsewhere in the world.

To start us off, let’s take a look at some of the basic questions—

—before we dig deeper into the topic and learn from Scripture and our guests’ personal experiences.

So often, the English language is described as “weaker,” and words that hold deeper meaning in other, more ancient languages seem to lose their potency. So, if English-speaking believers just call Him “Lord Jesus,” have we unintentionally disrespected Him? As Christians, we should revere God and the Lord Jesus, and throughout the Bible, we see how important the names of God are; even in the New Testament, many followers of the Lord Jesus call Him “Lord” instead of just “Jesus.” What can you say about the modern practice of referring to Him as “Jesus” without the title of “Lord?” Have we been unintentionally irreverent? Have we diminished the sacredness of His name? 

As Millennial and GenZ Christians, should we adjust our language? Does it matter to God if we do so or not? Is it legalistic to follow the pattern that is found in the Bible – and encourage our peers to do so as well?

Let’s take a look!

Thanks for listening with us; we hope you, like us, were able to take away something from this podcast and be challenged in how you speak about the Lord Jesus. If you’re interested in reading up more on this topic, Daniel and Aaron have both written Q&A posts for Patterns of Truth on this topic:

Check these great articles out and share them with a friend! 

We hope this discussion made you think, gave you some answers, and maybe, piqued your interest so you dig deeper into the topic. Ultimately, our goal is to start conversations, stimulate curiosity and engage our critical thinking. What’s the point? To grow closer to the Lord. See you next time!

The post The Sacred Name Movement appeared first on Patterns of Truth.