Reverberate: A Berean Bible Church Podcast | Knoxville, TN

Title: Disciples Making Disciples
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00:19 Individual Christianity, the Local Church, and Missions are All Connected
04:29 What Is a Church?
09:27 A Church Has a Mission
13:26 What Does "Disciples Making Disciples" Mean?
15:08 A Look Inside: How Do I Engage with Missions
24:36 A Look Outward: Practically Loving Others
38:31 A Look Upward: God is Working Everywhere
44:18 Questions to Ask Yourself about Missions and Discipleship
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- Acts 2:42-47 – Characteristics of the early church (teaching, fellowship, worship, service, and community). 
- Acts 1:8 – The church’s mission to be witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. 
- Luke 24:46-48 – The mission to proclaim repentance and forgiveness of sins to all nations. 
- Matthew 5:1-12 (Beatitudes) – Emphasizes the need for God and the blessings of those who seek righteousness. 
- Philippians 2:3-8 – Jesus’ humility and call for believers to serve others.
- 2 Corinthians 1:3-7 – Comfort from God is given so that believers can comfort others.
- Hebrews 13:15-16 – Offering sacrifices of praise and doing good to others. 
- 1 Corinthians 3:5-9 – Paul describes believers as God’s fellow workers in His mission.
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In his sermon, "Disciples Making Disciples," Jed Gillis emphasizes the inseparable connection between individual Christianity, the local church, and missions. Drawing from Acts 2:42-47, he highlights the essential characteristics of a biblical church: teaching, fellowship, worship, service, and community. The church is not meant to be inwardly focused but is called to mission, as seen in Acts 1:8 and Luke 24:46-48, where Jesus commands His followers to proclaim repentance and forgiveness to all nations. 
Gillis explains that engaging with the church and missions should not be about self-promotion or self-righteousness, but rather a recognition of personal need and dependence on God (Matthew 5:1-12). A true disciple understands their own thirst for God and seeks to help others find the same satisfaction. The blessings believers receive are not just for them but are meant to be shared, following the example of Christ’s humility in Philippians 2:3-8 and Paul’s teaching in 2 Corinthians 1:3-7—that God's comfort is given so that it may be extended to others. 
Furthermore, a church cannot fulfill its purpose without a commitment to making disciples, both locally and globally. Hebrews 13:15-16 reminds believers that their worship includes doing good and sharing with others, while 1 Corinthians 3:5-9 reinforces that believers are God's fellow workers in His mission. Gillis challenges listeners to consider how they are personally involved in disciple-making, urging them to recognize their own need for God, share His blessings with others, and look upward to see His ongoing work around the world.
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Berean Bible Church is a non-denominational church in East Knoxville, TN. We are grounded in the Word, celebrating the transformative power of the Gospel. Our community thrives on worship and mutual encouragement, fostering deep connections among members. Committed to our mission, we reach out with compassion and hope, reflecting God's glory throughout our city and beyond.
Learn more at berean.church.

Title: Wisdom's Call in a Busy World
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04:41 The Call to Listen
07:45 The Attriveness of Wisdom and Foolishness
17:38 Countering Abusive Communities with Genuine Communities
22:10 Wisdom is Found at the Crossroads
23:17 Wisdom is for Fools, Scoffers, and Simple Ones
30:27 The Irreversible Consequences of Waiting to Find Wisdom
36:27 Will Your Turn Towards Wisdom or Foolishness?
39:13 The Person of Wisdom
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Proverbs 1:8–33
Hear, my son, your father’s instruction,
and forsake not your mother’s teaching,
for they are a graceful garland for your head
and pendants for your neck.
My son, if sinners entice you,
do not consent.
If they say, “Come with us, let us lie in wait for blood;
let us ambush the innocent without reason;
like Sheol let us swallow them alive,
and whole, like those who go down to the pit;
we shall find all precious goods,
we shall fill our houses with plunder;
throw in your lot among us;
we will all have one purse”—
my son, do not walk in the way with them;
hold back your foot from their paths,
for their feet run to evil,
and they make haste to shed blood.
For in vain is a net spread
in the sight of any bird,
but these men lie in wait for their own blood;
they set an ambush for their own lives.
Such are the ways of everyone who is greedy for unjust gain;
it takes away the life of its possessors.
Wisdom cries aloud in the street,
in the markets she raises her voice;
at the head of the noisy streets she cries out;
at the entrance of the city gates she speaks:
“How long, O simple ones, will you love being simple?
How long will scoffers delight in their scoffing
and fools hate knowledge?
If you turn at my reproof,
behold, I will pour out my spirit to you;
I will make my words known to you.
Because I have called and you refused to listen,
have stretched out my hand and no one has heeded,
because you have ignored all my counsel
and would have none of my reproof,
I also will laugh at your calamity;
I will mock when terror strikes you,
when terror strikes you like a storm
and your calamity comes like a whirlwind,
when distress and anguish come upon you.
Then they will call upon me, but I will not answer;
they will seek me diligently but will not find me.
Because they hated knowledge
and did not choose the fear of the LORD,
would have none of my counsel
and despised all my reproof,
therefore they shall eat the fruit of their way,
and have their fill of their own devices.
For the simple are killed by their turning away,
and the complacency of fools destroys them;
but whoever listens to me will dwell secure
and will be at ease, without dread of disaster.” (ESV)
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Jed Gillis’ sermon, *Wisdom’s Call in a Busy World*, unpacks Proverbs 1:8–33, emphasizing the urgency of pursuing wisdom amid the noise of life. Wisdom isn’t just knowledge—it’s the ability to navigate life’s complexities in a way that honors God. The passage presents a contrast: the wise path, shaped by godly instruction, and the foolish path, luring people into self-destructive greed, violence, and deception. Wisdom calls out in the streets, but many ignore her voice, choosing short-term gain over eternal security. The sermon challenges listeners to examine their own hearts—are they scoffers, fools, or the simple who refuse to commit? Or are they those who hear, turn, and embrace wisdom? True wisdom, Gillis argues, isn’t just a concept; it’s found in the person of Jesus Christ, the wisdom of God. His invitation remains open to all who will turn and follow Him, finding true security and rest.
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Berean Bible Church is a non-denominational church in East Knoxville, TN. We are grounded in the Word, celebrating the transformative power of the Gospel. Our community thrives on worship and mutual encouragement, fostering deep connections among members. Committed to our mission, we reach out with compassion and hope, reflecting God's glory throughout our city and beyond.
Learn more at berean.church.

Title: The Foundation of Wisdom
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01:37 How to Get the Most out of the Proverbs Series
03:59 A Backround on Proverbs
06:45 The Introduction to the Introduction of Proverbs
08:12 What is Wisdom?
13:47 What is Insight?
14:27 What is  Instruction in Wise Dealing, Righteousness, Justice, and Equity.?
15:18 What is Prudence to the Simple?
16:59 Proverbs is for the Wise to Increase in Learning
19:17 The Fear of the Lord is the Beginning of Knowledge
24:36 What is the Fear of the Lord
28:46 Why Fear?
37:30 Can I Trust God?
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Proverbs 1:1–7
The proverbs of Solomon, son of David, king of Israel:
To know wisdom and instruction,
to understand words of insight,
to receive instruction in wise dealing,
in righteousness, justice, and equity;
to give prudence to the simple,
knowledge and discretion to the youth—
Let the wise hear and increase in learning,
and the one who understands obtain guidance,
to understand a proverb and a saying,
the words of the wise and their riddles.
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge;
fools despise wisdom and instruction. (ESV)
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In his sermon "The Foundation of Wisdom," Jed Gillis explores Proverbs 1:1–7, emphasizing the centrality of wisdom in navigating life’s complexities. He defines wisdom as more than knowledge or moral understanding—it is the ability to make godly decisions in real-time, shaped by a deep relationship with God. 
Gillis underscores that true wisdom begins with "the fear of the Lord," a life-rearranging, trembling joy and wonder before a supremely worthy God. This reverence for God frees us from lesser fears and provides the foundation for righteous living. He calls on believers to orient their entire lives around God, challenging them to trust Him unconditionally and pursue wisdom that transforms character and actions. Proverbs encourages the church to seek God’s guidance together, growing in discernment, prudence, and deep faith.
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Berean Bible Church is a non-denominational church in East Knoxville, TN. We are grounded in the Word, celebrating the transformative power of the Gospel. Our community thrives on worship and mutual encouragement, fostering deep connections among members. Committed to our mission, we reach out with compassion and hope, reflecting God's glory throughout our city and beyond.
Learn more at berean.church.

Title: Principles of Life
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03:14 Review of Galatians
06:02 Galatians 6:1-2: Purity and Purpose
19:56 Galatians 6:3-6: Comunity and Responsibility
31:45 Galatians 6:7-8: Harvest
39:37 Galatians 6:9-10: Do Good
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Galatians 6:1–10
Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. For if anyone thinks he is something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself. But let each one test his own work, and then his reason to boast will be in himself alone and not in his neighbor. For each will have to bear his own load.
Let the one who is taught the word share all good things with the one who teaches. Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith. (ESV)
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In his sermon on Galatians 6:1–10, titled Principles of Life, Jon Farra explored the biblical call to live lives of purity, purpose, community, and responsibility while sowing seeds that align with God’s Spirit. He emphasized the importance of restoring those caught in sin with gentleness, bearing one another’s burdens, and fulfilling the law of Christ through sacrificial love and compassion. Highlighting both personal accountability and communal care, Farra encouraged believers to evaluate their actions, avoiding self-deception and pride.

He connected the principle of sowing and reaping to the choices we make: sowing to the flesh leads to corruption, while sowing to the Spirit produces eternal life. Believers are urged to persevere in doing good, trusting in God’s promise that faithful effort will bear fruit in due season. Farra concluded with a challenge to seize opportunities to do good to all, especially fellow believers, as an expression of God’s transformative work in their lives. Through scriptural examples and practical applications, the sermon called listeners to embody Christ’s example, striving for holiness and genuine love in their daily walk.
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Berean Bible Church is a non-denominational church in East Knoxville, TN. We are grounded in the Word, celebrating the transformative power of the Gospel. Our community thrives on worship and mutual encouragement, fostering deep connections among members. Committed to our mission, we reach out with compassion and hope, reflecting God's glory throughout our city and beyond.
Learn more at berean.church.

Title: The Race of your Life

05:25 What Do These Witnesses Tell Us?

11:17 What is the Race?

12:27 What is the Race Like?

24:18 How Do We Run Well?

40:48 Our Goal is Glory
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Hebrews 12:1–2
Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. (ESV)
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The sermon, “The Race of Your Life”, examines Hebrews 12:1–2, calling believers to consider how they are running the spiritual race of life. It challenges listeners to focus on Jesus, the founder and perfecter of faith, who endured the cross for the joy set before Him. Using the metaphor of a race, the message encourages believers to lay aside sin and any hindrances, running with endurance toward spiritual maturity and ultimate glorification.
The race is described as difficult, long, and personal. Spiritual growth requires effort, akin to an athlete training through discipline and hardship. Jed Gillis emphasizes the importance of orienting every aspect of life—choices, habits, and goals—toward becoming more like Christ. This involves commitment, perseverance, and worship, as believers look to Jesus as both their example and source of strength.
The great cloud of witnesses from Hebrews 11 testifies to the reality and worth of this race, urging believers to trust God’s promises. The sermon concludes with a call to examine personal lives, remove obstacles, and run faithfully, knowing that God works through challenges to bring His people to joy and glory in Him.
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Berean Bible Church is a non-denominational church in East Knoxville, TN. We are grounded in the Word, celebrating the transformative power of the Gospel. Our community thrives on worship and mutual encouragement, fostering deep connections among members. Committed to our mission, we reach out with compassion and hope, reflecting God's glory throughout our city and beyond.
Learn more at berean.church.

Title: Ambitious Contentment
09:37 The Key to Contentment is a Secret
19:53 Abundance and Need Expose False Contentment
26:48 Contentment is Learned
34:33 Christian Contentment Empowers True Ambition
38:36 Is Jesus Your Contentment-Fueled Ambition?
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Philippians 4:10–13
I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at length you have revived your concern for me. You were indeed concerned for me, but you had no opportunity. Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me. (ESV)
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In his sermon Ambitious Contentment from Philippians 4:10–13, Jed Gillis explores the tension between contentment and ambition, showing how the two are not opposed but deeply connected in the Christian life.
Paul’s words reveal that true contentment is not about having or lacking material possessions, nor is it about passively accepting life’s circumstances. Instead, it’s an inner stability and sufficiency rooted in Christ, a balance that allows believers to navigate both abundance and need without losing their footing. Gillis explains that contentment isn’t the absence of desire but the absence of coveting—an unhealthy dependence on circumstances for fulfillment. He emphasizes that earthly achievements, relationships, and pleasures, though good, are like icing on a cake: they can be enjoyed but were never meant to sustain the soul. 
True contentment comes from recognizing Christ as the ultimate source of satisfaction and learning to enjoy His gifts without making them ultimate. This deep-rooted contentment doesn’t kill ambition; it fuels it. When believers are anchored in Christ, they are free to pursue God-glorifying goals with boldness, knowing their worth and stability don’t hinge on success or failure. In the end, Christian contentment doesn’t stifle ambition. It empowers it, driving believers to say with Paul, “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.”
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Berean Bible Church is a non-denominational church in East Knoxville, TN. We are grounded in the Word, celebrating the transformative power of the Gospel. Our community thrives on worship and mutual encouragement, fostering deep connections among members. Committed to our mission, we reach out with compassion and hope, reflecting God's glory throughout our city and beyond.
Learn more at berean.church.

Title: The Mission of Christmas
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Philippians 2:5–8
Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. (ESV)
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At the heart of Philippians 2:5–8 lies one of the most profound truths of the Christian faith: the incarnation of Jesus Christ. Paul calls the church to humility, unity, and selfless service, but he doesn’t root these commands in mere moral obligation. Instead, he anchors them in the very nature of Christ, who, though fully God, chose not to grasp at His divine rights. Instead, He emptied Himself—not by losing His divinity, but by adding humanity—and took on the form of a servant. 
Jesus wasn’t pretending to serve; He embodied true servanthood while remaining fully God. His humility wasn’t a departure from His divine nature but a perfect display of it. This passage reveals that God is not a distant, reluctant king but one who delights in pouring Himself out for others. As followers of Christ, we’re called to adopt this same mindset—not grasping for our own glory, but serving others from the fullness we have received in Him. True Christian service flows not from obligation or self-promotion, but from worship rooted in the character of God Himself. 
This is the mission of Christmas: God became man to serve and save, and His people are called to reflect that same humble, sacrificial love in their lives.
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Berean Bible Church is a non-denominational church in East Knoxville, TN. We are grounded in the Word, celebrating the transformative power of the Gospel. Our community thrives on worship and mutual encouragement, fostering deep connections among members. Committed to our mission, we reach out with compassion and hope, reflecting God's glory throughout our city and beyond.
Learn more at berean.church.

Title: What's New?

05:50 New Wisdom

17:04 New Trouble

24:10 New Worship

31:03 New Peace

37:48 Conclusion

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Matthew 2:1–12
Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, saying, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him; and assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it is written by the prophet:
“‘And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
for from you shall come a ruler
who will shepherd my people Israel.’”
Then Herod summoned the wise men secretly and ascertained from them what time the star had appeared. And he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “Go and search diligently for the child, and when you have found him, bring me word, that I too may come and worship him.” After listening to the king, they went on their way. And behold, the star that they had seen when it rose went before them until it came to rest over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. And going into the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh. And being warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed to their own country by another way. (ESV)
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In this sermon on Matthew 2, Jed Gillis explores the profound question: What’s truly new in the story of Christmas? New jobs, new marriages, or new children often reshape our lives, but nothing compares to the transformation brought by God taking on human flesh and dwelling among us.
Matthew isn’t merely recounting historical events; he’s preaching a message with purpose. Through the account of the wise men, King Herod, and the humble setting of Jesus’ birth, we discover four key “new” realities that Christmas introduces:
1. New Wisdom: Human wisdom is often flawed and temporary, but God’s wisdom transcends cultural expectations. The wise men sought a king not in a palace but in a humble home in Bethlehem.
2. New Trouble: The arrival of Jesus disrupts earthly power structures. Herod’s violent response highlights humanity’s resistance to surrendering self-rule to the true King.
3. New Worship: The wise men responded with joy, humility, and costly gifts. True worship means recognizing Jesus as King and offering Him our greatest treasures.
4. New Peace: Jesus came not just as a teacher or moral example, but as the Savior to rescue us from our sins. His arrival brings lasting peace where human solutions fail.
At the heart of the Christmas story is Emmanuel—God with us. This reality changes everything. It challenges our self-rule, calls us to true worship, and offers peace beyond human understanding.
This Christmas, let the wonder of God becoming flesh captivate your heart again.
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Berean Bible Church is a non-denominational church in East Knoxville, TN. We are grounded in the Word, celebrating the transformative power of the Gospel. Our community thrives on worship and mutual encouragement, fostering deep connections among members. Committed to our mission, we reach out with compassion and hope, reflecting God's glory throughout our city and beyond.
Learn more at berean.church.

Title: Fullness in Frailty
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John 1:1–18
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him. He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light.
The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.
And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. (John bore witness about him, and cried out, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me ranks before me, because he was before me.’”) For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father’s side, he has made him known. (ESV)
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In Fullness in Frailty, Jed Gillis expounds on John 1:1–18, focusing on the unmatched fullness of Jesus Christ revealed in His incarnation. The passage shows that Jesus, the eternal Word, is the source of divine fullness, embodying life, light, grace, and truth. Unlike the emptiness and insufficiency we encounter in worldly pursuits, Christ’s fullness is infinite, unchanging, and freely accessible to all who believe. Gillis emphasizes that through Jesus’s incarnation—God taking on human flesh—we see grace upon grace extended to us. This divine fullness overcomes darkness, reveals truth, creates new life, and produces humility in His followers.
The sermon underscores that Jesus’s fullness is both meaningful and accessible, offering lasting purpose and hope. It contrasts human striving for fulfillment with the satisfying grace that flows from Christ’s glory. Through His life and death, Jesus meets the deepest needs of our emptiness, pointing us to worship the one who is both fully God and fully man. Gillis calls believers to reflect on Christ’s fullness this Christmas, finding in Him the grace that transforms every area of life.
00:00 Introduction: Fullness and Emptiness
04:08 Christmas and The Fullness of Christ
06:30 Prayer of Ephesians 3
07:22 Reading of John 1:1-18
09:01 A Divine Fullness
14:15 Infinitely Full Goodness
19:41 His Fullness is a Meaninful Fullness
21:14 A Creative Fullness
22:40 An Overcoming Fullness
26:06 The Light of a Revealing Fullness
26:34 Humility-Producing Fullness
28:21 A Rejected Fullness
28:41 An Accessible Fullness
31:40 A Glorious Fullness
33:12 Fullness Full of Grace
34:41 Fullness Full of Truth
36:30 What Do You Do With the Incarnation?
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Berean Bible Church is a non-denominational church in East Knoxville, TN. We are grounded in the Word, celebrating the transformative power of the Gospel. Our community thrives on worship and mutual encouragement, fostering deep connections among members. Committed to our mission, we reach out with compassion and hope, reflecting God's glory throughout our city and beyond.
Learn more at berean.church.

Title: Faith that Worships