Ruth is one of the great short stories in history. People have called it a Cinderella tale from the Old Testament. Each character gives an insight into the faithfulness of God. They model righteousness in difficult circumstances. In the end, we get an incredible picture of God's plan to redeem and to save through his Son Jesus. 

Why do we have 1 & 2 Chronicles, 1 & 2 Samuel, and 1 & 2 Kings when they all relate similar events? In the Hebrew Scriptures, Chronicles is the last book, a kind of recap of the history of Israel and a message of hope for those coming back from the exile. What can we learn from the similarities and differences? Why does the Chronicler focus on the Levites and the Temple? The answers to these questions create a unique message of hope found at the very end of the history of Israel. 

What do these short letters offer the church today? At the end of John's life he was still pastoring. In 2 John, he addresses a church, and in 3 John, he addresses a church leader, instructing them and encouraging them to live out their faith in the midst of opposition and false teaching. These short encouragements to the church are packed with implications for our lives today. 

In this episode, Cole and Terry discuss the fourth installment of Tim Keller's essay, "The Decline and Renewal of the American Church." They touch on reasons for decline and strategies, promises, and glimpses of renewal. 

Leviticus may not be anyone's favorite book of the Bible, but it is central to understanding how and why we worship God. Cole and Terry discuss the outline and purpose of Leviticus and draw lessons for our worship today. 

Terry's Recommended Reads:

For the Making of Modern Israel series:

Leadership, Henry Kissinger

Six Days of War, Michael Oren

Israel, Noa Tishby

Crisis: The Anatomy of Two Major Foreign Policy Crises, Henry Kissinger

The Arab-Israeli Wars, Chaim Herzog

Islamic Imperialism, Efraim Karsh

General:

One Damn Thing After Another, William Barr

Here’s the Deal, Kellyanne Conway

The Kingdom of God in America, Richard Niebuhr 

The Expulsive Power of a New Affection, Thomas Chalmers 

Encouragement for the Depressed, Charles Spurgeon

Cole's Recommended Reads:

Peterson - The Pastor 

Piper - What Is Saving Faith 

Romans:

Psalms:

Eric Berger - Liftoff 

Mark Noll - America’s Book 

Like Daniel, Ezekiel, and Revelation, Zechariah is an apocalyptic book, but that doesn't mean it has no relevance for the church today. The images and visions in Zechariah are some of the strongest and most repeated in scripture. In a time of terrible discouragement, Zechariah offers encouragement by the Spirit of God and a picture of God fulfilling his promises. 

In this final episode on the book of Revelation, Cole and Terry look at the millennium, the final judgment, and the vision of the new heavens and the new earth. Though many people have different views on the millennium, we can all come together on the stunning vision at the end of the Bible - God making all things right and dwelling with his people forever. 

The middle vision of Revelation spans chapters 4-16 and includes three sets of seven: seals, trumpets, and bowls. In the middle, God brings judgment on the world and sustains his people. Beginning with a glimpse into the throne room of Heaven and ending with peals of thunder and earthquakes, there is a lot to take away from the second vision. In this second part, Cole and Terry look at John's vision from the throne room and draw lessons for reading Revelation and applying it today. 

Revelation is the capstone of the whole Bible. Allusions and images from the prophets are interwoven to reveal God's plan for things that must soon take place. It may also be the most controversial book of the Bible. In this episode, we look at the structure of the book, four ways to interpret it, and examine the letters to the seven churches. 

For more on Revelation see Terry Feix's 10-part series.