The Biltmore Church Podcast

Genesis 6:5-85 The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. 6 And the Lord regretted that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him to his heart. 7 So the Lord said, “I will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the land, man and animals and creeping things and birds of the heavens, for I am sorry that I have made them.” 8 But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord.5 The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. 6 And the Lord regretted that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him to his heart. 7 So the Lord said, “I will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the land, man and animals and creeping things and birds of the heavens, for I am sorry that I have made them.” 8 But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord.

What does it actually mean to put Jesus first in your life?

This week on the Biltmore Church Podcast, Pastor Bruce Frank and our Brevard Campus Pastor, Jacob Payne, join us as we kick off our new teaching series, First, with a conversation from Colossians 1:15–20.

In this passage, Paul gives us an incredible picture of who Jesus is. He's the Creator and Sustainer of everything, and everything was made through Him and for Him. But what does that mean for the way we actually live?

We talk about how easy it is to make our faith about ourselves, how to recognize whether Jesus is really influencing our everyday decisions, and why following Him can feel like we're being asked to give up something we don't want to lose.

We also dig into what it means that the One who holds everything together went to the cross for us, why so many Christians still struggle with feeling like God is disappointed in them, and how to think about sacrificial generosity without comparing ourselves to others.

As we begin this new season in the life of Biltmore Church, we're asking a question that goes beyond what we give or what we do: Is Jesus really first in our lives?

Colossians 1:15-2015 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. 16 For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. 17 And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18 And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. 19 For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.

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How do you know when God is speaking to you, or when you're just hearing what you want to hear?

This week on the Biltmore Church Podcast, Pastor Bruce Frank and our Central Worship Pastor, Caleb Brocaille, join us as we wrap up our series through the life of Elijah in 1 Kings 19.

Throughout Elijah's story, we've seen God speak and Elijah respond. But how does God speak to us today, and how do we know we're actually hearing from Him?

We talk about how to recognize God's voice, why Scripture is so important in that process, and how the Holy Spirit helps us understand what we're reading. We also wrestle with what to do when the Bible challenges us, how to develop a genuine love for Scripture, and what it means when we're trying to hear from God but He seems silent.

And when we do sense God leading us, how do we take the next step when we're not sure how things will turn out?

If you've ever wondered whether you're hearing from God—or wished you could get more out of reading your Bible—this conversation is for you.

Recommended Resource: 30 Days

1 Kings 19:9–15 (ESV): 9 There he came to a cave and lodged in it. And behold, the word of the LORD came to him, and he said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” 10 He said, “I have been very jealous for the LORD, the God of hosts. For the people of Israel have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword, and I, even I only, am left, and they seek my life, to take it away.” 11 And he said, “Go out and stand on the mount before the LORD.” And behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind tore the mountains and broke in pieces the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. And after the wind an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. 12 And after the earthquake a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire the sound of a low whisper. 13 And when Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. And behold, there came a voice to him and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” 14 He said, “I have been very jealous for the LORD, the God of hosts. For the people of Israel have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword, and I, even I only, am left, and they seek my life, to take it away.” 15 And the LORD said to him, “Go, return on your way to the wilderness of Damascus. And when you arrive, you shall anoint Hazael to be king over Syria.

What do you do when you realize you're not okay?This week on the Biltmore Church Podcast, Pastor Bruce Frank joins us as we continue through the life of Elijah in 1 Kings 19.After everything Elijah has seen God do, his story takes a surprising turn. He's afraid, exhausted, disappointed, and pulling away from the people around him.We talk about what to do when God doesn't do what we expected, how much we can trust our feelings when we're struggling, and why we sometimes pull away from people when we need them most. We also talk about how to care for someone who's isolating themselves and how guilt can make an already difficult season even harder.Then we get practical about taking care of ourselves physically, meeting with God when we don't feel like it, and learning to preach the truth of the gospel to ourselves when our thoughts start taking us in the wrong direction.If you've ever realized “I'm not doing very well right now,” this conversation is for you.Recommended Resource: Spiritual Depression by D. Martin LLoyd Jaones - https://a.co/d/02nqLbvn

1 King 19:1-10 esv19 Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword. 2 Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, “So may the gods do to me and more also, if I do not make your life as the life of one of them by this time tomorrow.” 3 Then he was afraid, and he arose and ran for his life and came to Beersheba, which belongs to Judah, and left his servant there.4 But he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness and came and sat down under a broom tree. And he asked that he might die, saying, “It is enough; now, O Lord, take away my life, for I am no better than my fathers.” 5 And he lay down and slept under a broom tree. And behold, an angel touched him and said to him, “Arise and eat.” 6 And he looked, and behold, there was at his head a cake baked on hot stones and a jar of water. And he ate and drank and lay down again. 7 And the angel of the Lord came again a second time and touched him and said, “Arise and eat, for the journey is too great for you.” 8 And he arose and ate and drank, and went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights to Horeb, the mount of God.9 There he came to a cave and lodged in it. And behold, the word of the Lord came to him, and he said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” 10 He said, “I have been very jealous for the Lord, the God of hosts. For the people of Israel have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword, and I, even I only, am left, and they seek my life, to take it away.”

What do you do when you keep praying and nothing seems to change?

This week on the Biltmore Church Podcast, Pastor Bruce Frank joins us as we continue through the life of Elijah in 1 Kings 18.

Elijah prayed for rain, sent his servant to look, and heard the same answer again and again: nothing. So what does his story teach us about our own prayer lives?

We talk about how to know which promises in Scripture we can pray for ourselves, the difference between praying with faith and expecting a specific outcome, and why unanswered prayer can eventually make us afraid to keep hoping. We also wrestle with how to know when to keep asking God for something, and how to trust Him when His answer may look different than the one we want.

If you've ever wondered whether you should keep praying, this conversation is for you.

1 King 18:41-46 esv

41 And Elijah said to Ahab, “Go up, eat and drink, for there is a sound of the rushing of rain.” 42 So Ahab went up to eat and to drink. And Elijah went up to the top of Mount Carmel. And he bowed himself down on the earth and put his face between his knees. 43 And he said to his servant, “Go up now, look toward the sea.” And he went up and looked and said, “There is nothing.” And he said, “Go again,” seven times. 44 And at the seventh time he said, “Behold, a little cloud like a man's hand is rising from the sea.” And he said, “Go up, say to Ahab, ‘Prepare your chariot and go down, lest the rain stop you.’” 45 And in a little while the heavens grew black with clouds and wind, and there was a great rain. And Ahab rode and went to Jezreel. 46 And the hand of the Lord was on Elijah, and he gathered up his garment and ran before Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel.

What really has your heart?

This week on the Biltmore Church Podcast, Pastor Bruce Frank joins us as we continue through the life of Elijah in 1 Kings 18.

The showdown on Mount Carmel forces Israel to confront a question we still have to wrestle with: Are we fully trusting God, or are we trying to hold on to Him while looking somewhere else for security, satisfaction, and control?

We talk about how good things become idols, the subtle ways we can start performing for God, and what it looks like to surrender something we genuinely care about. We also wrestle with a harder question: How do we trust that God can change an impossible situation when we don’t know if He will?

It’s a conversation about divided hearts, real surrender, and learning to trust God even when we don’t know the outcome.