The Restoration Project Podcast

Josh was doing pulpit supply for a friend this morning and the lectionary led him into some strange territory. The basic argument is this: if you want to fully grasp the significance of the Ethiopian eunuch's conversion and baptism, you have to spend some time in the Old Testament.

the restoration project. Joshua James. 29 April 2018

In this stand alone teaching, Josh discusses "calling." Admittedly, the target audience is soon-to-be-graduating college students, but really, this is for everyone. We all wrestle with what in the world we are doing, and sometimes, we need to be reoriented to our primary calling—to love God, to love others, to seek first the Kingdom.

the restoration project. Joshua James. 22 April 2018

In this final talk of the series, Josh discusses two of the most difficult passages in the Bible regarding the role of women in ministry. His argument is a pretty familiar one ... there is a historical and literary context that we must be aware of before we make our interpretive conclusions.

the restoration project. Joshua James. 15 April 2018

In this week's teaching, we revisit Phoebe, a "deacon" in the church of Cenchreae, who was entrusted by Paul with the safe delivery (and potentially, the reading and interpretation) of his letter to the Romans. Not only do we observe in these two verses, the emergence of an unlikely leader in the early church, we also hear of her role as a benefactor. Phoebe's story, though terse, is inspiring and worth our consideration.

the restoration project. Joshua James. 8 April 2018

Easter is the highest holiday in the Christian Church calendar. Indeed, without Easter, our entire faith falls apart. Instead of having a slightly revamped service, TRP took over the old Parker Place building in downtown Salisbury to host a real deal "celebration" (complete with some Martinelli's and a three-tiered cake!). We did take some time, however, to remind ourselves why we should celebrate. Take a listen.

the restoration project, Joshua James. 1 April 2018

This text probably doesn't classify as an "untold" story in the Bible, but it is certainly "important." A surface reading demonstrates a clear contrast between Mary's zeal for learning (and maybe better, just being in the presence of Jesus) and Martha's attention to detail—preparing and serving a meal, administering the rites of hospitality, making sure everything is in its place. This comparison is worth our consideration. However, when we zoom out of the frame, there may be something bigger going on as well.

the restoration project. Joshua James. 25 March 2018

This week, we were visited by Annapolis pastor and church planter, Donnie Reynolds of Centerpoint Church, who shared his family's story of foster care and adoption. May we be a "cup of cold water."

the restoration project. 18 March 2018.

For some women, the poem of the "noble" or "capable wife" has been read as an example to live up to (and for some men, it has been read as a checklist by which to judge their wife or future wife). But this is not the point. And it's a good thing, too, because this woman is crazy busy. In this teaching, Josh first unpacks the imagery of the poem in Proverbs 31:10–31, and then sets the poem within the broader context of the book to unlock what is going on. (The findings may surprise you.)

the restoration project. Joshua James. 11 March 2018

Branden Vanderhoof, a member of TRP and current MDiv student at McAfee School of Theology in Atlanta, GA, continues our series on the important and untold stories of women in the Bible by teaching through the story of Deborah and Jael in Judges 4. Once you get into it, you'll find that there is a lot of good stuff to consider here, most notably, the role of Deborah as a judge and prophetess in a patriarchal culture, the dependence of Barak on her as a proven leader, and the dramatic inclusion of Jael as a figure worthy of honor.

the restoration project. Branden Vanderhoof. 4 March 2018

In this week's teaching, we go back to the beginning, to Genesis 1–3, to see what we can learn. Even though this text is very familiar, we may be surprised with what we find.

the restoration project. Joshua James. 25 February 2018