What happens after the miracle? In John 6, the crowds came for the bread—but left when Jesus offered Himself instead. This episode walks with those who stayed, those who left, and those who are still hungry for something real. Pastor Jim whispers gospel through the static, unpacking the cost of following a Messiah who doesn’t always make sense—but never walks away. If your faith feels thin but your feet are still planted, you’re in the right place. Listen, share, comment where you're tuning in from, and sit with the question: To whom shall we go?

Here's the song. Go listen first. Come back and listen to this. Then go back and listen to the song again. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xlVVaxpiB1E

In this episode of The Semi-Seminarian Podcast, Pastor Jim Wilhelm takes a lyrical deep-dive into Adam Carroll’s “Snowcone Man”—a deceptively sweet folk song that reveals a tender gospel about emotion, courage, and the colors we carry. Through rich storytelling and theological folklorist insight, discover how a yellow sno-cone becomes a symbol of accidental bravery, why nobody gets the flavor they ordered, and how love sometimes melts in your hands before you understand what it means. It's funny, heartfelt, and sneaky-deep—like a revival meeting at a sno-cone stand. For fans of Red Dirt theology, Americana music, and storytelling that sticks.

When Jesus breathed His last, the earth shook, the curtain tore—and graves split open. In this eerie and often-overlooked passage from Matthew 27:50–53, Pastor Jim explores a moment that reads like a ghost story but echoes with Gospel truth. Silent saints walk out of tombs, not as a horror twist, but as a sign that death has lost its grip. If you’ve ever felt buried but not dead, this episode is for you. The Semi-Seminarian returns with theology through the static—and a jailbreak for the weary.

Here's the video to this song. Go listen to it first. Come back listen to me. Then, go back and listen to it again: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=px8dzYR3vGw

What if the soul you’ve been ashamed of is the one God calls “good”? In this week’s Theology in Three Chords, Pastor Jim Wilhelm breaks open “Dings” by Mike McClure—a quiet Red Dirt gospel that preaches peace over performance and testifies through the dents. From the Anawim of scripture to the grief-struck glory of real life, this episode is for the bruised, the overlooked, and the ones still showing up with a shaky kind of faith.

Because grace doesn’t come to shine the spotless—it comes to sit beside the scuffed.

Pull up a chair. Say grace. Guard your peace. You’re not disqualified—you’re testified.

He wasn’t praying. He wasn’t repenting. He wasn’t even alive. But when his body touched the bones of a long-dead prophet, he stood up. In this week’s episode, we enter one of the strangest miracles in scripture—2 Kings 13:20–21—where resurrection breaks out not because of faith, but because of legacy.

This isn’t just a Bible story. It’s a confrontation. A reminder. A whisper from the graveyard: God is still moving—especially in the places we’ve stopped expecting Him to.

If you’ve ever wondered if it’s too late for your marriage, your calling, your hope… this one’s for you.

Let the bones preach.

Charlie Robison’s “The Preacher” tells the story of a man who thinks his sins were buried with the preacher who knew them. It’s funny—until it ain’t. In this episode, Pastor Jim takes us line by line through this darkly comic, theologically misguided anthem to reveal the deeper ache beneath the swagger: a desperate hope for absolution through secrecy instead of grace.

But the gospel doesn’t come by grave. It comes by cross. And this episode gently untangles bad theology born in the soil of real pain—offering not judgment, but a better story.

This ain’t your usual altar call. It’s a mirror. A warning. A whispered invitation to the ones who thought they got away with it—and still feel the guilt.

Here's the song we're talking about, go listen before and after: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mrj9v6laRZs

“God helps those who help themselves.” It sounds biblical—maybe even sacred. But it’s not in the Bible. It’s not from Jesus. It’s from Ben Franklin. And it might be doing more harm than good.

In this episode of The Semi-Seminarian, Pastor Jim Wilhelm traces the surprising history of this popular phrase—from ancient Greek fables to colonial common sense—and holds it up against the actual witness of scripture. What does the Bible really say about help, grace, weakness, and worth?

We walk through Romans 5, Luke 18, Psalm 72, Deuteronomy 7, and more to uncover a gospel that doesn’t reward the strong—but rescues the weary. This message is for the ones who’ve been told to work harder, pray louder, try more, and still feel like they’re not enough.

We also take a closer look at the often-misused verse, 2 Thessalonians 3:10 (“If a man won’t work, he shouldn’t eat”), and explore how it’s been pulled out of context to shame the very people Jesus came for. When scripture gets twisted, grace gets buried—and it’s time to dig it back up.

In this episode of The Semi-Seminarian, we crackle through the static to sit with one of the rawest outlaw ballads ever penned: Tom Ames’ Prayer, written by Steve Earle. This ain't your grandma’s devotional—unless she wore a pearl snap shirt to Wednesday night prayer meeting and whispered grace between drags on a Marlboro.

We take a verse-by-verse deep dive into this Red Dirt gospel confession, treating the song as sacred text. From a childhood mugshot in Nacogdoches to a final whisper in an Abilene alley, Tom’s story is all too familiar for the ones who’ve run out of luck, language, and shells.

The central question we wrestle with: What counts as prayer? Can a man who’s never prayed before—who cusses, bargains, and doesn’t know if anyone’s even listening—still be heard by the God of mercy?

Spoiler alert: yes.

Here's the song. Go listen to it first and listen to it after: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H5xhyuCkPBA&t=3s

The Great Disappointment: Why Jesus Didn’t Return in 1844

In 1844, thousands of believers climbed hills in white robes, waiting for Jesus to return. He didn’t.

In this episode, Pastor Jim explores the story of the Millerites, the roots of Seventh-day Adventism, and what the Great Disappointment reveals about faith, failure, and holy longing.

Featuring scripture from Daniel 8, Matthew 24, and Luke 12, this is a Bible study for anyone who’s ever waited on God… and wondered if He’d show.

Join Pastor Jim Wilhelm in this episode of The Semi-Seminarian as we journey through Randy Crouch’s surreal masterpiece, The Epic. This deep dive into the heart of Red Dirt music blends cosmic storytelling, outlaw theology, and lyrical analysis in true Theology in Three Chords fashion. From alien campfires to winged horses, discover how this psychedelic country-western odyssey reveals sacred truth in the strangest of places. We explore the story behind the song, its cultural impact, and why sometimes grace sounds like a fiddle solo from outer space.

Here's the Epic (listen to it first and listen to it after): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Od_ul8iJoc8