STFI Podcast

Teacher: John Schoenheit

The Magi were wonderful men who traveled from the Parthian Empire, likely close to ancient Babylon, to see the young Messiah. Despite clear information about them in the Bible, traditions about the Magi, who were astronomers, have clouded who they were and when they came to Bethlehem. This teaching about the Magi opens many of the great truths and wonderful things the Bible says about these men. Their ancient ancestors had been trained by Daniel the prophet. They were Gentiles, but they were looking for a Redeemer, and knew he would come from Judah. They came to Bethlehem more than a year after Jesus was born, so they were not at the birth of Christ like the shepherds were. They never followed a star to find the Messiah; they went to Jerusalem, the capital of Israel, asked where he was, and were told, “Bethlehem,” so they went there. Also, there would have been many more than three of them. There is value in truth, and knowing the truth about these wonderful men helps us to understand why God would spend a whole chapter telling us about them.

Teacher: John Schoenheit

We are all familiar with the grace that God has freely poured out upon us. We are both saved by grace and forgiven by grace. Grace is unmerited divine favor, a gift from God that we did not earn and did not deserve. What we may not be as familiar with, however, is that once we receive God's grace and become His children, we have an obligation to Him, and He states that very clearly in His Word.

Teacher: Dan Gallagher

Throughout history God has called and inspired many people with wonderful promises. In fact, God’s Word even declares that He has given us “very great and precious promises” (2 Pet. 1:4). Unfortunately, many times people see the promise and tend to forget that before they receive it they must travel through a land of challenge. In this teaching, Dan Gallagher explores this pattern by looking at the lives of Adam, Abraham, Joseph, Moses and others so that we can be properly prepared when we face difficult times. We believe you will find this teaching to be very encouraging and also enjoy Dan’s review of seven practical things to do when you travel through the land of challenge.

Teacher: Dan Gallagher

Spiritual heart disease is a severe condition that afflicts the “inner heart” of the entire human race. The source of this disease can be traced all the way back to the sin of Adam in the Garden when he rejected God and rebelled against Him. This sin was so cataclysmic that its effects are painfully felt in the heart of every man and woman to this present day. Unfortunately, the malignant state of mankind’s inner heart causes people to turn to a variety of ungodly solutions in order to find relief and solace. Thankfully, God gave us the remedy for this illness when He instructed us to love Him alone with our whole heart, soul, mind, and strength. When we do, we not only begin healing in our hearts, but we also become able to help and heal others.

Teacher: John Schoenheit

Far too often people endure hardship and difficulty because of the foolish choices they make. Despite God clearly telling us that "Wisdom is supreme; therefore get wisdom" (Prov. 4:7), there is not nearly as much talk about, or pursuit of wisdom in Christianity as there ought to be. For example, when was the last time you heard one Christian complement another by saying, "You are so wise." In this teaching on "Living Wisely,” John Schoenheit explains that in many Christian circles the focus on wisdom has been supplanted by a focus on "faith,” with the underlying assumption being that if we can get what we want by "faith," then wisdom is not needed. John demonstrates how both faith and wisdom are important and that we need to understand both of them and how they work together. Living wisely is not an easy thing to do so we must take the time to think through our decisions, and have the discipline to carry out what we know to do.

Teacher: John Schoenheit

The book of Romans is the great doctrinal treatise that forms the foundation of the Christian faith and clearly sets forth that salvation comes by faith in Jesus Christ. Many people are overburdened by sin because they erroneously think it puts their salvation in doubt. Christians who believe in Christ think that if they commit sin, then God will not allow them to live forever. The New Testament teaches a great message of blessing and hope that when a person has faith in Christ, he or she is righteous in the eyes of God, that is, he or she has "right standing" with God.

Teacher: Mike Patten

Have you gotten in a line, and then patiently waited as you slowly crept forward towards the front, only to suddenly realize, “I’m in the wrong line!” In this teaching, “Get in the Right Line,” Mike Patten uses a very clear idea of a line to teach about each Christian’s need to make sure that we are doing what Christ wants us to do. By examining the eleventh chapter of Matthew’s gospel, Mike demonstrates what is involved in Jesus’ statement, “…no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him” (Matt. 11:27b). The listener will learn how a lack of repentance is the core issue in this chapter as Jesus instructs not only his followers, but challenges the unbelieving crowd as well. The thrust of this message encourages followers of Christ to Get in the Right Line so that Jesus can reveal to them the Father.

Teacher: John Schoenheit

For almost 2 millennia, the voice of women has been stifled in the Church. Interestingly, this has been in large part due to just two references in the New Testament: 1 Timothy 2:12 and 1 Corinthians 14:34 and 35. Something about these three verses, however, is that the way they have been translated and handled in the Church is in glaring contradiction to the flow and feel of the rest of the New Testament about women. Right from the start of the Christian Church on the Day of Pentecost, both men and women received holy spirit (Acts 2:17, 18). Women served in the Church and were speaking up in the meetings. There were simple churches in their homes, and there is much evidence that they taught the Word of God.

While 1 Timothy 2:12 has been mistranslated and misunderstood, there are a growing number of scholars who have concluded that 1 Corinthians 14:34 and 35 were added to the Bible by an early scribe, and that it was not part of Paul’s original letter to the Corinthians. In this teaching, John Schoenheit goes through some of the reasons many scholars now conclude that these verses were added to the text, and also speaks about how we should understand and apply them if they were part of the original text.

Teacher: Cara Hanson

The Body of Christ is supposed to be built up until we all reach maturity. With so much work still left to be done, each believer is vital to the building of the church. In this teaching, Cara Hanson explores some of the obstacles that are hindering the building up of the Body of Christ: bitterness/getting hurt, sin, boredom or feeling burned out, distraction, and self-esteem. This teaching is designed to inspire believers to realize that the Lord's work will only get done as each part does its work.

Teacher: John Schoenheit

It has been stated that no single person has had more effect on history than Jesus Christ. But now, just as when he lived, there are a lot of different opinions about him, ranging from a deceiver to the Son of God.

In this teaching John Schoenheit opens the Word of God to see what it reveals about who Jesus is. Taking a biographical approach, John examines different records in the Four Gospels to show that Jesus Christ is our Lord and Savior, but he is also our hero and role model. Scripture says that Jesus was tempted just like we are. If so, how could he live a sinless life? Scripture reveals that Jesus got hungry, tired, and had family problems just as we do, yet he singularly focused on God and lived and loved like no other person before or since. This look at the life of Jesus reveals a person who needs to be better known, and knowing him inspires us to live a more focused and holy life.