"I really messed up. God’s not going to forgive me this time." Can you relate to this feeling? That’s the sentiment Paul addressed in Romans 11, the chapter we’re studying this week as we wrap up our 3-part series on why Israel still matters to God. Some were questioning if Israel’s sins had caused God to reject the Jewish people altogether. The comforting answer: Absolutely not! The reason: You’ll have to tune in to find out! You’ll learn what Paul wrote about the salvation of the Jewish people and the Gentiles through the grace of the gospel.

In Romans 10, Paul taught that salvation comes through putting faith in Jesus rather than working to keep the Law. But his writing was shocking to the Jewish people, as it countered everything they’d known about gaining righteousness. Salvation is offered to all people—Jews and Gentiles alike—through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. In part 2 of our series studying why Israel still matters to God, we’ll discover how God was preserving His promise through the Jewish people even when it was hard to see, followed by a story from Apples of Gold.

It’s no surprise that the world doesn’t love Israel. It’s a bit more surprising and heartbreaking that so many Christians reject the nation. Many churches and Christian leaders have publicly denied Israel’s importance today—even those who acknowledge God’s covenant with the nation. But guess what? Israel still matters to God! That’s the focus of our three-week study in Romans 9–11. This week in part 1 of our series we’re examining Romans 9 to address Israel’s spiritual condition and pinpoint why the nation is still so important to God. Stay tuned for a powerful story from Apples of Gold.

Before Jesus ascended to heaven, His disciples asked Him a burning question: “Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” Because we still await this glorious kingdom, the apostles’ question has been ridiculed and written off. Though Jesus didn’t give the apostles the answer they wanted, it might surprise you to know that they actually asked the right question at the right time in the right place! Chris Katulka goes in-depth on his Israel My Glory article “The Acts 1:6 Controversy” in this week’s program, followed by a story from Apples of Gold.

No one likes to be sad. We often try to avoid acknowledging sadness at all costs. But on the Jewish calendar, one day is reserved for the very purpose of remembering tragedy: Tisha B’Av, observed this past week. Destruction, expulsion, and persecution are recurring themes of this day. So why should we remember this day at all? Maybe it’s because these very tragedies can drive us closer to God! Learn how to grow spiritually through this day of sorrow in this week’s program, and enjoy a story from Apples of Gold.

This week we’re concluding our series on the book of Amos. Learning about true justice, biblical justice, gives us a glimpse into what is close to God’s heart. The prophet Amos was called to shine a light on God’s imminent judgment that was coming for Israel, but also we’ll see that God promises restoration. We’ll end the program with Apples of Gold, a dramatic reading from Holocaust survivor Zvi Kalisher.

We are continuing our series in the book of Amos. We have been learning that justice is close to the heart of God. Looking at Israel from the outside in the time of Amos, one would believe God was blessing them. They had abundant wealth and peace throughout the land. So what was the problem? Listen and find out! We’ll end the program with Apples of Gold, a dramatic reading from Holocaust survivor Zvi Kalisher.

We are continuing our series in the book of Amos, looking at true biblical justice. As we learned last week, justice is close to the heart of God. This week Chris takes us into the economic climate of Israel. Spoiler alert: It was GOOD! During this time of wealth and prosperity, the rich were getting richer, but it was on the backs of the poor. Again, we think you’ll see the parallel in our lives as believers, especially in the western world. You’ll also hear news from Israel and Apples of Gold.

One word we seem to hear often in our society is “Justice.” Sadly, the word is being redefined from its true meaning. We’ve selected a favorite past episode to air this week,“Prophetic Justice in Amos.” It’s interesting that many shy away from the minor prophets in the Bible, especially when it is there that we see the heart of God so clearly. And one issue very close to God’s heart is justice. Israel seemed to have it all during the days of Amos, yet in this time of prosperity, they lost sight of true worship. When you lose sight of that, you lose sight of what is important to God. We think you’ll see the parallel in our lives as believers, especially in the western world. We’ll finish our program with Apples of Gold, a dramatic reading from the life of Holocaust survivor Zvi Kalisher.

How would you sum up the New Covenant in one word? Simple: Reconciliation. This covenant is all about God reconciling sinners to Himself, and in return, our response should be mending relationships with others. Because continued sin separated Israel from Him, God provided the covenant as a way to share a personal relationship with Him. Only through Jesus’ sacrifice could the covenant be sealed, enabling the Holy Spirit to change believers’ lives while dwelling within us. Enjoy the conclusion of our three-part series on the New Covenant and an Apples of Gold story.