Pea Ridge Audio Podcast

The hope of Christmas doesn't come in the form of improved circumstances. It comes in the form of a person: Jesus Christ. As Paul wrote, "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope." (Romans 15:13)

Thankfulness does not come naturally to us. Though we have a new nature as followers of Jesus, we still battle with our old sin nature. As we choose to "put on" the character traits of Christ, we walk in love and peace. The end result is a heart of gratitude.

The letter of Revelation is a specific type of literature filled with vivid symbolic imagery that is connected to various Old Testament passages. While it can be difficult for us to understand, the author encourages us to read it and follow its instruction. We are reminded that God will one day vindicate His people and make all things new, and the hope that comes from this promise motivates us to be faithful now.

A common theme in the New Testament letters is to love God and love others. In Philippians 2, Paul writes that this happens as we have the mind of Christ and walk in humility. This important character trait is infused into our hearts as we trust in God to give us the desire and power to obey Him.

Romans is commonly thought of as Paul's theological masterpiece, but the last five chapters instruct believers how to practically apply the doctrines he lays our in the first portion of the letter. In Romans 15, we see that Jesus is our example for how we are to live out our faith ... and it has much to do with how we live together with other people.

First century Jews wanted a messiah who would conquer the Roman Empire and set them free from foreign rule. However, Jesus came in humility and taught a message of service and sacrifice. Which Jesus are we following: the Jesus we selfishly want or the Jesus we see on the pages of Scripture?

Jonah was called by God to confront a foreign nation with their sin so they would repent and turn to the Lord. Rather than obey, Jonah went the opposite direction. He allowed his own opinion of that nation to cloud his calling. We must learn from this and lay down our opinions about people as we follow God's call to make disciples.

Into the barren landscape of a destroyed Jerusalem and its exiled inhabitants, God sent a prophet named Ezekiel. He had conveyed messages of warning before calamity struck, and then God gave to him a striking vision that would acknowledge Israel’s current state and also what lie ahead.

Biblical poetry uses the creativity, artistry and beauty of literature to convey powerful truths about the Lord and humanity. In Psalm 42, the author was inspired to use literary devices to convey a longing for God that was the result of a troubling time, and how he made the choice to trust in God rather than run from Him.

The history of Israel as seen in the Old Testament tells the story of the nation's rebellion against God, consequences of those choices, God's faithfulness to His people even in their sin and His provision for them to turn back to Him once again. Our story is much the same, though we live under a new covenant. Though these writings are ancient, we can still draw practical applications from them today.