Solid Food

God personally selected Saul to become Israel's first king, changed his heart, and empowered him with His Spirit. Yet Saul repeatedly disobeyed God's instructions, and Scripture eventually tells us something astonishing: God regretted making Saul king. Did God choose the wrong man, or is there something deeper happening in this familiar biblical narrative?

In this episode of Solid Food, we examine Saul's selection, his troubling pattern of disobedience, and the Hebrew word nāḥam to understand what Scripture means when it speaks of God's regret. Along the way, we'll discover an extraordinary irony in Israel's demand for a king and consider what Saul's failures reveal about our own responsibility to obey God.

Primary Scripture: 1 Samuel 15:7–23

Additional passages: 1 Samuel 8–14; 15:24–35; Genesis 6:6; James 1:22–25.

Solid Food Ministries: solidfoodministries.org

Works Cited

Robert D. Bergen, 1, 2 Samuel, vol. 7, The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1996), 117.

Mary J. Evans, The Message of Samuel: Personalities, Potential, Politics and Power, ed. Alec Motyer and Derek Tidball, The Bible Speaks Today (Nottingham, England: Inter-Varsity Press, 2004), 88.

When we think of the betrayal of Jesus, weimmediately think of Judas. But what if the betrayal we ought to examine most carefully is the one we're capable of committing ourselves?

Peter loved Jesus. He followed Him, witnessedHis miracles, confessed Him as the Christ, and boldly declared that he would go with Him to prison and even to death. Yet when the moment came, Peter denied knowing Him—not once, but three times. What happened between his confidentpromises and his devastating failure? And what can we discover in the haunting moment when Jesus turned and looked at him?

Join us as we trace Peter's journey fromdevotion to denial and, ultimately, to restoration. Through the details recorded in Luke, Mark, and John, we'll discover not only the seriousness of Peter's failure but the extraordinary faithfulness of the Lord he denied. Because Peter's story doesn't end in the courtyard. And neither does ours have to end with our failures.

Bring your Bible and your curiosity. It's time for some Solid Food.

Most people remember Mark 5 as the story where Jesus cast demons into a herd of pigs that ran into the sea—but is that actually what the text says?

In this episode of Solid Food, we slow down and sit inside one of the most dramatic encounters in the Gospel of Mark. We’ll examine why the demons feared Jesus, why they appealed to God for mercy, why they requested the pigs, and what their destruction reveals about Christ’s authority over evil.

We’ll also discover something remarkable in the three different groups who implored Jesus—and why the only person whose request Jesus denied was the man He had just delivered. In the end, “Jesus and the Pigs” is not really about pigs at all. It is about a Savior who enters hostile territory, breaks evil’s claim on a human life, and sends the delivered person back into the world as evidence that Jesus has been there.

Ask almost any Bible student why Moses was not allowed to enter the Promised Land, and the answer comes quickly: he struck the rock instead of speaking to it. That answer istrue—but is it the answer God actually gave?

In this Season Four premiere of SolidFood, we slow down in Numbers 20 and examine God's own indictment of Moses: unbelief, rebellion, rash speech, and failure to represent God's holiness before Israel. Along the way, we trace the significance of Moses' staff, revisit the first water-from-the-rock episode, and carefully consider Paul'ssurprising statement that “the Rock was Christ.” What emerges is not merely a lesson about disobedience, but a sobering study of leadership, representation, grace, and the danger of allowing our own attitudes to speak for God. And in the end, Moses' story may have one final surprise waiting on a mountain inside the very land he was forbidden to lead Israel into.

Most people think the story of the Rich Young Ruler is about money. But is it?

In this episode of Solid Food, we revisit one of Jesus' most familiar encounters and discover that the true issue was never wealth—it was discipleship. By slowing down, observing the text carefully, and allowing Scripture to interpret Scripture, we uncover a subtle but powerful progression that has been hiding in plain sight.

What did Jesus mean when He said, "One thing you lack"? Why did He mention only six of the Ten Commandments? What is "treasure in heaven," and why does the invitation to "follow Me" change everything?

Join Dr. Lee Lewis as we move beyond surface reading and learn how careful observation can reveal profound biblical truth. This isn't just a study of the Rich Young Ruler—it's an invitation to ask what our own "one thing" might be.

Works Cited

James A. Brooks, Mark, vol. 23, The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1991), 162–163.

Richard R. Melick, Philippians, Colossians, Philemon, vol. 32, The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1991), 132.

Why would God strike a man dead for trying to keep the Ark of the Covenant from falling?

For many, Uzzah's death is one of the most troubling moments in Scripture. At first glance, it appears harsh—even unjust. But was Uzzah really punished for doing a good deed, or is there much more happening beneath the surface?

In this episode, we trace the Ark of the Covenant from Exodus through Samuel, examining its purpose, its holiness, and the instructions God gave for its care. Along the way, we'll discover that the answer to Uzzah's death didn't begin in 2 Samuel—it began generations earlier. Join us as we use careful observation and Scripture itself to uncover one of the Bible's most misunderstood accounts and, in the process, gain a deeper appreciation for God's holiness, mercy, and the importance of approaching Him on His terms.

Works Cited

R. Dennis Cole, Numbers, vol. 3B, The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2000), 102–104.

I just received one of the most touching Father's Day gifts in memory. Ya'll, I was moved to tears by the things my (grand) babies had to say and by the wonderful thoughtfulness and creativity of Brittani Clarkson. I hope you smile as much as I did. Happy Father's Day to all dads and granddads!

Did Jesus write names in the dirt? Sins? A passage of Scripture? For centuries, Christians have asked the same question: What did Jesus write on the ground? In this episode, we slow down and carefully examine one of the most mysterious moments in the Gospels, not by claiming to know what Jesus wrote, but by observing what the text actually says. Along the way, we'll uncover details about the Law, the accusers, the trial, and the surprising way Jesus turned the spotlight away from a guilty woman and onto the hearts of those condemning her. More importantly, we'll learn a powerful method for studying Scripture: slowing down, noticing details, asking questions, and allowing the text to speak for itself.

Works Cited

D. A. Hagner, “Scribes,” in The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, Revised, ed. Geoffrey W. Bromiley (Wm. B. Eerdmans, 1979–1988), 359.

Bradley T. Johnson, “Pharisees,” in The Lexham Bible Dictionary, ed. John D. Barry et al. (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2016).

Colin G. Kruse, John: An Introduction and Commentary, vol. 4, Tyndale New Testament Commentaries (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2003), 198.

Matt Carter and Josh Wredberg, Exalting Jesus in John (Nashville, TN: Holman Reference, 2017), 184.

Gerald L. Borchert, John 1–11, vol. 25A, The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1996), 374–375.

You asked a difficult question in Part I: Are there sins believers commit that do not sever our relationship with God? But John’s words in 1 John 5 raise another question—and perhaps an even more sobering one: What is the sin that does lead to death?

In this episode, we explore what John means by “death,” whether he is referring to physical death or spiritual separation, and how the New Testament consistently frames life and death through our relationship with Christ. Along the way, we examine apostasy, falling away, the spirit of antichrist in 1 John, and the terrifying possibility of rejecting the very One who is life itself.

Bring your Bible and come study with us.

Works Cited

Colin G. Kruse, The Letters of John, The Pillar New Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI; Leicester, England: W.B. Eerdmans Pub.; Apollos, 2000), 192, 194.

Daniel L. Akin, 1, 2, 3 John, vol. 38, The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2001), 208–209.

John R. W. Stott, The Letters of John: An Introduction and Commentary, vol. 19, Tyndale New Testament Commentaries (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1988), 188-189.

Ian W. K. Koiter, “Apostasy,” in The Lexham Bible Dictionary, ed. John D. Barry et al. (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2016).

Daniel L. Akin, 1, 2, 3 John, vol. 38, The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2001), 210.

In this episode of Solid Food, we explore a truth that challenges a common assumption: not all sin leads to separation from God. Drawing from First Epistle of John 5:16–17, we examine what Scripture means by “sin not leading to death” and how it functions within the life of a believer. By looking at the fall in Eden, the life of David, and the restoring work of Christ, we see that sin can wound fellowship without ultimately ending relationship. This is not a license to sin, but a call to understand both the seriousness of sin and the depth of God’s grace. We also consider our responsibility to pray for and restore one another with gentleness and humility. Join us as we begin this two-part study on sin, restoration, and the nature of true separation.

Works Cited

Daniel L. Akin, 1, 2, 3 John, vol. 38, The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2001), 208.

Daniel L. Akin, Exalting Jesus in 1,2,3 John (Nashville, TN: Holman Reference, 2014), 143.