The Isaiah 43 Podcast

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What should we do when the world rejects the Christ we love?

In John 16:1–3, Jesus prepares His disciples for the persecution that lies ahead. Some will be rejected by their own religious communities, and others will even believe they are serving God by persecuting Christ's followers. Why? Because they do not truly know the Father or the Son.

But Jesus doesn't warn His disciples to leave them in fear. He prepares them to remain faithful.

In this episode of The Isaiah 43 Podcast, we explore what it means to follow Christ in a world that rejects Him. We'll consider the importance of standing firm in God's Word, continuing to proclaim the gospel even when it's unpopular, and finding comfort in the preserving grace of our Savior.

Dear Christian, don't be surprised when following Jesus is difficult. Don't compromise the truth to win the world's approval. And don't forget that you are not alone. God has given His people the Holy Spirit, and Christ will never abandon those who belong to Him.

Our hope isn't in the strength of our own grip on Christ, but in the faithfulness of Christ to hold us fast.

Scripture: John 16:1–3; John 15:18–27; 1 John 2:19; Romans 10:14–17

The Isaiah 43 Podcast — exploring how God has formed us, redeemed us, and how He calls us today.

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Jesus never promised that following Him would be easy. In John 15:26–27, He prepares His disciples for the world's hatred while giving them an incredible promise: they will not bear witness to Him alone.

In Week 191 of The Isaiah 43 Podcast, we explore the work of the Holy Spirit, our Helper, who bears witness to Christ and strengthens His people as they proclaim the gospel. What does this mean when we struggle to find the right words? Do we need to have every theological answer figured out before we can tell someone about Jesus?

As we walk through John 15:26–27, we'll consider the apostles' testimony, the Spirit's work in the life of the believer, and the wonderful privilege of telling others about our Savior. We don't need to rely on our eloquence or persuade people through our own strength. We are called to faithfully proclaim Christ and trust God to work through His truth.

If you belong to Christ, take heart: you have a Helper. You have a Savior who loves you. And you have the privilege of telling others about the One who first loved you.

You don't have to have all the answers. You simply need to faithfully bear witness to Jesus Christ.

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What does it mean to reject Jesus Christ? And can we truly claim to know God while refusing to believe what He has revealed about His Son?

In John 15:18–24, Jesus explains why the world opposes Him and those who belong to Him. The issue goes deeper than cultural disagreements or personal differences. Jesus exposes a spiritual reality: to reject the Son is to reject the Father who sent Him.

In this episode of The Isaiah 43 Podcast, we explore the seriousness of rejecting Christ, the accountability that comes with the revelation of God's truth, and why Jesus cannot simply be reduced to a good moral teacher. Drawing on a well-known quotation from the author of Narnia, C. S. Lewis, we consider the claims Jesus makes about Himself and why those claims demand a response.

But this passage also challenges us as Christians. We are called to proclaim the true Jesus without watering down the Gospel to win the world's approval. That doesn't mean being harsh, argumentative, or self-righteous. It means speaking the truth with love, faithfully pointing sinners to the Savior, and remembering that we, too, depend entirely on God's grace.

Jesus is not merely a teacher to admire. He is the Son of God, the Savior of sinners, and the Lord we are called to trust and follow. May we proclaim Him faithfully, love our neighbors well, and never be ashamed of the Gospel.

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What does it mean that Jesus calls His disciples His friends?

As Jesus draws closer to the cross, He gives His disciples some of the most comforting words in all of Scripture. He tells them that they are His friends, reminds them that they did not choose Him first—He chose them—and commands them to love one another.

In this episode of The Isaiah 43 Podcast, we explore what it means to be a friend of Jesus. We’ll look at the relationship between obedience and Christ’s love, the incredible truth of God's sovereign grace in choosing His people, and the comfort that comes from knowing our salvation ultimately rests in Christ—not in the strength of our own faithfulness.

We’ll also consider what it means to love others because Christ first loved us, including those who are difficult to love and those who are living in sin.

If you are struggling, waiting, suffering, or simply wondering whether God truly loves you, I hope this episode reminds you of a beautiful truth:

Christ chose you. Christ loves you. And Christ will hold you fast.

And if you don't yet know Christ, my prayer is that you would see the beauty of the Savior who came for sinners, laid down His life for His enemies, and brings those who trust in Him near to God.

Scripture: John 15:14–17; Romans 5:6–11; Romans 8:28–39; Ephesians 1:4–8; 1 Peter 1:2

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What does the Green Lantern oath have to do with Jesus Christ?

More than you might expect.

In this special episode of The Isaiah 43 Podcast, we take those iconic words, “In brightest day, in blackest night, no evil shall escape my sight. Let those who worship evil’s might, beware my power—Green Lantern’s light!” and walk through them line by line, exploring the biblical ideas of light and darkness, divine justice, human weakness, courage, and hope.

From Genesis and Psalm 139 to John 1, Hebrews 4, 2 Corinthians 12, Psalm 23, and Revelation 21, we’ll see how one of pop culture’s most recognizable superhero oaths echoes truths that Scripture has been telling us all along.

Green Lantern carries a light into the darkness. The Gospel tells us something far greater: the Light Himself entered the darkness.

And even when the night feels blackest, the darkness has not, cannot, and will not overcome Him.

This is a special episode about superheroes, storytelling, and the Gospel of Jesus Christ—and why sometimes the stories we love are pointing us toward the story we were made for.

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In John 15:11–13, Jesus speaks about joy, obedience, and love on the very night before He would lay down His life on the cross.

That alone should make us stop and listen.

Jesus tells His disciples that His joy can be in them and that their joy can be full. He calls them to keep His commandments—not to earn His love, but because they already abide in His love. And then He gives them one of the clearest pictures of what Christian love looks like:

“Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.”

Jesus wasn't merely giving His disciples an illustration. He was describing the very thing He was about to do.

Christ would lay down His life for sinners.

In this episode, we look at what it means to obey Christ with joy, to love others sacrificially, and to follow the example Jesus has given us. We talk about loving those who have hurt us, forgiving those who have wronged us, and loving even those who disagree with us or live differently than we do.

But ultimately, this isn't about trying harder to become more loving.

It's about looking first at the love Christ has already shown us.

He loved us while we were still sinners. He laid down His life for us. And because He has loved us, we can now love others.

Come to Christ. Trust in Christ. Abide in Christ. And let His love shape the way you live.

“This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.” — John 15:12

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What does Jesus mean when He says, “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love”?

In John 15, Jesus is preparing His disciples for some of the darkest hours of their lives. They are about to see Him arrested, beaten, crucified, and seemingly defeated. And yet, in the middle of that fear and uncertainty, Jesus gives them an incredible promise: He loves them.

Not with a weak or temporary love. Not with a love that disappears when they fail. Jesus says, “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you.”

In this episode of the Isaiah 43 Podcast, we look at what it means to abide in the love of Christ, what faithful Christian living actually looks like, and how the fruit of the Spirit demonstrates the work Christ is doing in us.

But more than anything, we stop and consider just how incredible the love of God really is.

Romans 8 tells us that nothing in all creation can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus. Our faithfulness may fail. Our strength may fail. Our circumstances may change. But Christ remains faithful.

So what do we do when we fall into sin? When we feel distant from God? When we fail Him again?

We don't run away from Christ. We run back to Him.

Because the Christian life isn't about becoming worthy enough for Christ to love us. It is about abiding in the love He has already poured out upon us.

You may never fully understand the love of God.
But you can spend the rest of your life abiding in it

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What do you do when you feel weak?

What do you do when you're struggling with sin, wrestling with temptation, anxious about your circumstances, or exhausted from trying to hold everything together?

In John 15:1–7, Jesus gives us a simple but profound answer: abide in Me.

Jesus describes Himself as the true Vine and His people as the branches. A branch cannot produce fruit by itself. It must remain connected to the Vine. In the same way, we cannot live the Christian life by relying on our own strength, our own works, or our own ability.

In this episode, we explore what it actually means to abide in Christ—and why abiding isn't about performing our way into God's favor. It's about depending on Christ, remaining in His Word, coming to Him in prayer, and continually looking to Him as our source of life and strength.

We also talk about what abiding in Christ means when we're struggling with sin and temptation, when we're wrestling with anxiety and circumstances, and when God doesn't seem to be answering our prayers the way we hoped.

Because sometimes we're so focused on what we're asking God to give us that we forget the greatest gift He has already given us: Himself.

You cannot overcome sin in your own strength.
You cannot carry the weight of this life by yourself.
You cannot produce spiritual fruit apart from Christ.

But you don't have to.

“Apart from me you can do nothing.” — John 15:5

So when you feel weak, cling to Christ.

When you're tempted, cling to Christ.

When you're anxious, cling to Christ.

When you don't know what tomorrow holds, cling to Christ.

Your hope isn't found in how strong your grip is on Him. Your hope is found in how faithful He is to hold you.

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What looked like the end was actually the beginning of the greatest victory in human history.

In John 14:28–31, Jesus prepares His disciples for His departure, but He doesn't want them to see His leaving as defeat. He is going to the Father. He is returning to glory. He is accomplishing the mission He came to fulfill.

Jesus also tells His disciples that "the ruler of this world" has no claim on Him. Satan has nothing against the perfectly sinless Son of God. Christ walks toward the cross as the spotless Substitute for His people, willingly laying down His life in perfect obedience to the Father.

And then Jesus says four remarkable words:

"Rise, let us go from here."

The Upper Room was a place of comfort, teaching, and preparation—but it wasn't where Jesus intended His disciples to stay. He was calling them to follow Him.

In this episode, we'll consider what Christ's ascension means for our hope, why Satan has no ultimate claim over those who belong to Christ, and what it looks like for us to rise and take the next faithful step of obedience.

You may not know everything God is doing.

You may not understand where the road leads.

But you can trust the One who walks ahead of you.

Rise, let us go from here.

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Following the recent passing of legendary voice actor Peter Cullen, the voice of Optimus Prime, we reflects on the legacy of one of fiction’s greatest heroes - and the powerful words of hope that Peter gave generations of fans through Optimus.

From Transformers to Transformers Prime, Optimus Prime has spoken words about courage, sacrifice, hope, and enduring the storm. But those fictional words point toward something far greater.

Because Jesus doesn't merely tell us to hope for peace.

He gives us His peace.

In John 14, Jesus promises that His disciples will not be abandoned. The Father sends the Holy Spirit to teach and remind them of Christ's words, and Jesus gives them a peace that does not depend upon circumstances.

We explore what it means to have peace in the middle of suffering, grief, temptation, fear, and uncertainty—and why Christian peace isn't the absence of the storm, but the presence of Christ in the middle of it.

Peter Cullen's Optimus Prime could say, “Do not lament my absence.”

Jesus says something infinitely greater:

“I will not leave you as orphans.”

Our heroes may pass away. This world may shake. The storms may rage.

But Christ remains.

And because He lives, we can have peace.

 Scripture: John 14:25–27; Isaiah 53:5; Romans 5:1; Philippians 4:7; Ephesians 2:14