In 1 Samuel 8, Samuel has grown old and made his sons Joel and Abijah judges over Israel—but they’re corrupt, taking bribes and perverting justice. So the elders of Israel come to Samuel with a demand: “Give us a king like all the other nations have.” Samuel is displeased and prays, and God tells him something shocking: “It’s not you they’ve rejected—they’ve rejected ME as their king.” God tells Samuel to warn them what a king will do, so Samuel lays it out: the king will TAKE your sons for his army, TAKE your daughters for his palace, TAKE your fields, TAKE your grain, TAKE your flocks—and you yourselves will become his slaves. But the people refuse to listen: “NO! We WANT a king!” So God grants their demand. The big takeaway? Rejecting God’s way is rejecting God Himself—and wanting to be like everyone else can cost you what makes you special.

Sponsor: This episode of The Hey Eddy! Podcast is brought to you by THE KING STARTER KIT: Because who needs GOD as your king when you can have your big brother instead?

In this episode, two trials unfold simultaneously. Inside the high priest’s house, Jesus stands before the Sanhedrin as witnesses try and fail to build a case against Him. When the high priest finally asks point-blank, “Are you the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed One?” Jesus answers boldly, “I am”—telling the truth even though it guarantees His death. Meanwhile, out in the courtyard, Peter faces his own test when a servant girl recognizes him as one of Jesus’s followers. Three times Peter denies knowing Jesus, even calling down curses on himself—and then the rooster crows, exactly as Jesus predicted. Peter breaks down weeping. The contrast is striking: Jesus told the truth when a lie could have saved Him, while Peter told a lie when the truth might have cost him. Kids learn that real courage means owning your faith even when it’s scary.

In this episode, Cousin Michael guides kids through Jesus's final meal with His disciples before the cross. Jesus sends two disciples into Jerusalem with detailed instructions to follow a man carrying a water jar to find their Passover room—and everything happens exactly as He predicted. During dinner, Jesus stuns everyone by announcing that one of them will betray Him. He then takes bread and wine and gives them new meaning, explaining that the bread represents His body and the wine His blood of the new covenant, poured out for many. Even on this dark night, Jesus looks forward to a future celebration in God's kingdom. On the walk to the Mount of Olives, He warns that all the disciples will fall away, and tells Peter he will deny Jesus three times before the rooster crows twice. Kids learn that Jesus gave Himself willingly and that failure is never the final word.

In this episode, Cousin Michael guides kids through Jesus's final meal with His disciples before the cross. Jesus sends two disciples into Jerusalem with detailed instructions to follow a man carrying a water jar to find their Passover room—and everything happens exactly as He predicted. During dinner, Jesus stuns everyone by announcing that one of them will betray Him. He then takes bread and wine and gives them new meaning, explaining that the bread represents His body and the wine His blood of the new covenant, poured out for many. Even on this dark night, Jesus looks forward to a future celebration in God's kingdom. On the walk to the Mount of Olives, He warns that all the disciples will fall away, and tells Peter he will deny Jesus three times before the rooster crows twice. Kids learn that Jesus gave Himself willingly and that failure is never the final word.

In this episode, three dramatic scenes unfold side by side. While the chief priests secretly plot to arrest and kill Jesus, a woman at a dinner in Bethany breaks open an alabaster jar of perfume worth a year’s wages and pours it all over Jesus’s head. When onlookers scold her for the “waste,” Jesus defends her, calling it “a beautiful thing” and explaining that she has anointed His body for burial ahead of time. He then declares that wherever the gospel is preached, her story will be told in her memory. Immediately after, Judas Iscariot slips away to offer the chief priests a deal to betray Jesus for money—a stark contrast between one person giving everything out of love and another selling Jesus for personal gain. Kids learn that nothing given to Jesus out of love is ever wasted.

In this episode of The Hey Eddy Podcast, we explore the story of young Samuel hearing God’s voice for the very first time (1 Samuel 3:1–4:1a). During a time when God had gone silent because Israel’s spiritual leaders — especially Eli’s wicked sons — had turned away from him, God chose to speak again through a boy sleeping in the Tabernacle. Three times Samuel heard his name called, and three times he ran to old Eli thinking the priest had called him. When Eli finally realized it was God, he told Samuel to respond, “Speak, LORD, for your servant is listening.” What followed was a hard message — God’s coming judgment on Eli’s family — but Samuel faithfully delivered every word. From that night on, Samuel became Israel’s trusted prophet, and God let none of his words fall to the ground. The big takeaway: God is still speaking — are you listening?

Sponsor: This episode of The Hey Eddy! Podcast is brought to you by THE STORM-PROOF SLEEPING PILLOW: It won't help you trust God more, and it definitely won't give you power over the weather.

In this episode, Jesus shocks His disciples by predicting that the magnificent Temple will be completely destroyed. Sitting on the Mount of Olives, Peter, James, John, and Andrew ask when this will happen and what signs to watch for. Instead of giving dates, Jesus teaches them how to live while they wait. He warns against false messiahs and panic over wars and earthquakes, prepares them for persecution, and promises the Holy Spirit will give them words when they face trials. He then paints an awesome picture of the Son of Man returning in clouds with great power and glory. But the exact timing? No one knows—not the angels, not even Jesus Himself—only the Father. Jesus closes with a command for everyone: “Watch!” Kids learn not to be fooled or afraid, and to stay faithful and ready every day because Jesus is coming back.

In this episode, a teacher of the law asks Jesus a sincere question: of all 613 commandments, which is the most important? Jesus answers by quoting the Shema—love God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength—then adds a second command: love your neighbor as yourself. The teacher agrees enthusiastically, declaring that loving God and loving people matters more than all the Temple's burnt offerings and sacrifices. Impressed by the man's understanding, Jesus tells him he is "not far from the kingdom of God"—close, but not yet all in. Mark notes that after this exchange, no one dared ask Jesus any more questions, ending the series of challenges from religious leaders. Kids learn that loving God and loving others can't be separated, that rules are rooted in love, and that knowing the truth isn't enough—you have to follow it.

In this episode, the Sadducees—powerful religious leaders who didn’t believe in the resurrection—try to stump Jesus with a bizarre riddle about a woman who married seven brothers in succession, asking whose wife she’d be in the afterlife. Jesus tells them they are “badly mistaken,” not understanding the Scriptures or God’s power. He explains that in the resurrection, people won’t marry but will be like angels, because heaven will be completely transformed from earthly life. Then Jesus delivers His knockout argument from the Sadducees’ own beloved books of Moses: God told Moses “I am the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob”—present tense—proving that the dead are still alive to God, since He always keeps His promises. Kids learn that death is not the end, heaven will be beyond anything we can imagine, and God’s power is greater than any problem we face.

In this episode, the Pharisees and Herodians team up to trap Jesus with a sneaky question: “Is it right to pay taxes to Caesar or not?” If Jesus said yes, the crowd would turn against Him; if He said no, He could be arrested for treason. But Jesus saw right through their fake flattery and asked for a Roman coin. Pointing to Caesar’s image stamped on it, He gave His brilliant answer: “Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and give to God what is God’s.” Since God’s image is stamped on every person, we owe God far more than a few coins—we owe Him our whole selves. The religious leaders were left amazed and speechless. Kids learn to watch out for fake flattery, seek God’s wisdom in tricky situations, and remember that they belong fully to God.