You may have heard the name, "Ebenezer" before in the book or movie, "A Christmas Carol", in which the main character is Ebenezer Scrooge. That same name is used of God in our passage today and shows that he is the true Ebenezer, or as the name means, "stone of help". 

Passages in this episode: 1 Samuel 6-8, Acts 7

In this episode we hear how the God of the bible is both personal and powerful. He is not a charm bracelet or superstitious relic to be used for your purposes, nor is he distant or impersonal. Rather, he is a God who personally cares for and loves his people, using his power to do so, and yet also not someone you can manage or manipulate. 

Passages in this episode: 1 Samuel 3-5, Psalm 23, Acts 6

How do you keep trusting God when going through trials or suffering? The story of Hannah shows a woman who pours her heart out to God in honest prayer, telling us that trusting God means being willing to do the same, knowing that whatever the answer, God cares. We see this lived out in the apostles in Acts 5 as they even consider it an honour to suffer for Jesus because they are living in light of his love for them, a love that gives them the ability to trust God.

Passages in this episode: 1 Samuel 1-2, Psalm 120, Acts 5

Redemption means to buy someone back or to buy them out of slavery or debt. This means redemption is by nature, costly. What motivates someone to redeem someone at great cost? Love. And this is the great story of the bible as a whole and is seen in the courage of those we meet in our passages today. 

Passages in this episode: Ruth 3-4, Psalm 37, Acts 4

We begin the book of Ruth in this episode and see a dedication in Ruth that is inspiring! Her thankful loyalty, at cost to herself is a picture of the loyalty of God for his people. In our second passage from Acts, we see this loyalty again in the changed life of man Peter and John meet on the way into the temple. And like that man and Ruth, thankful loyalty is a quality of those who have experienced the generous grace and love of God!

Passages in this episode: Ruth 1-2, Acts 3

The final story in the book of judges is very disturbing and shows why the final words of the book say that Israel had no king and everyone did what was right in their own eyes. Judges shows us how real evil and injustice is and how desperately we need a king unlike any other leader or king. And the good news is that Jesus is that King we need, who not only forgives, but sends his Spirit to change and empower those who trust in him. 

Passages in this episode: Judges 19-21; Acts 2

In contrast to the failed leaders who did what was right in their own eyes, Jesus is presented as the true and perfect King we need in Psalm 21 and in Acts 1. In the first chapter of Acts, we read about Jesus ascending into heaven as the King of kings, who gives his followers instructions to wait for his Spirit to empower them to go on mission to spread the good news that Jesus is the true and only King we need. 

Passages in this episode: Judges 17-18, Psalm 21, Acts 1

God achieves victory in unexpected ways and through unexpected people. And his ultimate victory for people is not military or financial, but it is a victory over sin and death achieved and proven by Jesus rising from the dead! This victory is the heart of Christianity, and while always the plan of God, it was unexpected by Jesus' followers and is still the unexpected victory for people today; a victory we desperately need and God graciously shares! 

Passages in this episode: Judges 12-16, Psalm 146, Luke 24

It's tempting to listen to the stories of the bible, especially ones like those we will hear today, and think of how much worse they are than us or how evil they are compared to us. But these stories are meant to be warnings of how the same evil we read about can be in our own hearts and it is this evil that leads to the trial, suffering and crucifixion of Jesus, who calls out, "Father, forgive them" because he knows the only way for us to be saved from the evil of our own hearts is for him to pay for our sin through his suffering and death. 

Passages in this episode: Judges 9-11, Psalm 17, 

Sometimes victory, defeat and betrayal seem obvious when we look at the circumstances of our lives or read about it in passages like those we hear in this episode. But these passages tell us that in God's eyes some defeats end in victory and certain victories end in defeat. They key is to trust in Jesus who has the power and grace to turn defeat into victory, even when facing the hardship of betrayal by those closest to him. 

Passages in this episode: Judges 7-8, Luke 22