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Lord, This Is A Hard Saying!Lectionary Leftovers 2 - May 5 - Acts 10, Isaiah 66, Psalm 98, John 15, 1 John 5Once again we have some awesome readings to crawl through. In Acts 10 we see Peter on a role. Along with his fellow apostles we see the acting out of Isaiah 66.
Psalm 98 reminds us that Jesus does the Yahweh things.
In John 15 we meditate on what the Love of God really looks like, and in 1 John 5 we find that our victory is already won, and it's Christ who won it for us on the cross.2024-06-1358 minLord, This Is A Hard Saying!Lectionary Leftovers 1 - April 21 - Acts 4, Psalm 118, John 10, Ezekiel 34When reading the New Testament, it's imperative to go back and read the Old Testament chapters which the New Testament authors cite. When Peter tells the Scribes and Priests that Jesus was the stone which the builders rejected, he's citing Psalm 118 and everything that goes with it.
We then move to John 10, where Jesus says he's the Good Shepherd. This brings Ezekiel 34 to mind, and Jesus says a whole lot by simply saying he's the Good Shepherd. 2024-05-1355 minLord, This Is A Hard Saying!10 - The Problem of Suffering - Psalm 73, Job 38, Habakkuk 1, 2 Corinthians 12Theodicy: The Problem of Suffering
We wrap up our class on Hard Sayings with the question of theodicy, or the problem of suffering in light of an all-powerful, all-knowing, benevolent God.
“For I was envious of the arrogant
when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.
4 For they have no pangs until death;
their bodies are fat and sleek.
5 They are not in trouble as others are;
they are not stricken like the rest of mankind.
6 Therefore pride is their ne...2024-04-2857 minLord, This Is A Hard Saying!9 - Why Aren't We Bound By All The Old Testament Laws? - Old VS New CovenantToday we discuss the New Covenant verses the Old Covenant, and why we don’t practice all the Old Covenant laws anymore. From the moment after Christ ascended, the early church had several topics to work through, including circumcision and dietary laws to name a few. Paul, Peter, and the author of Hebrews have more than a few things to say on the subject.
We discuss several forms of Judaizing which some Christians still struggle with today, and we’ll find that the New Testament isn’t silent, and understanding the extremely important, but often overlooked, topic of the...2024-04-201h 12Lord, This Is A Hard Saying!8 - Not Peace, but a Sword - Matthew 10, Ephesians 5, Luke 14“Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. And a person's enemies will be those of his own household.”
--Jesus
Too often we make Jesus fluffy. He surely is compassionate and merciful, and he came to be a servant, but he also wields a proverbial giant two-edged sword. Today we discuss this and the cost of discipleship, whic...2024-03-281h 04Lord, This Is A Hard Saying!7 - A Talking Snake? - Genesis 3 through Revelation 20Really? A talking snake? Why doesn’t this seem to faze Eve? Really it begs a couple other questions: Could animals talk? Who did Eve think she was talking to? Did it really happen this way?
Today we look at the serpent in Genesis 3 and the theme it carries forward through the rest of the bible all the way to Revelation. We’ll find that God sends snake wranglers to combat the forces of evil along the way, arriving eventually at Jesus who defeats sin, death, and the power of the devil on the cross.
“And as...2024-03-211h 02Lord, This Is A Hard Saying!6 - The Shrewd Manager - Luke 16“And I tell you, make friends for yourselves by means of unrighteous wealth, so that when it fails they may receive you into the eternal dwellings.”
In Luke 16, Jesus shares the intriguing Parable of the Dishonest Manager, a story that challenges conventional thinking and provokes deep reflection. All of the characters are bad, and it centers around a manager who, upon facing firing, cleverly reduces the debts of his master's debtors to secure his own future. Surprisingly, Jesus points to this dishonest manager as an example, not for his unethical actions, but for his shrewdness in planning for...2024-02-171h 02Lord, This Is A Hard Saying!5 - Conquest of Canaan - Exodus 23, Deuteronomy 1, 7, 32, & JoshuaThe Conquest of Canaan has been a stumbling block for many Bible readers over the millennia. Why would a loving God have his people conquer a land with people already in it?
There is much to this story, which unfolds over several books in the Old Testament. We discuss God’s “Plan A” in Exodus and we see how God’s goodness is expressed in both his mercy but also his right justice.
Also, τοὺς γίγαντας!
For more on τοὺς γίγαντας, listen to this episode of A Word Fitly Spoken: https://podcasts.apple.com/sa/podcast/they-might-be-giants/id13...2024-02-071h 02Lord, This Is A Hard Saying!4 - Can Apostates Return to the Fold? - Hebrews 6 & 10“For it is impossible, in the case of those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, and have shared in the Holy Spirit, 5 and have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the age to come, 6 and then have fallen away, to restore them again to repentance, since they are crucifying once again the Son of God to their own harm and holding him up to contempt.”
–Hebrews 6.
Can apostates return to the fold? Are those who fall out of the faith sealed in their unbelief?
Hebrew...2024-01-301h 02Lord, This Is A Hard Saying!3 - Hard Hearts - Romans 1 and 9. Exodus 4-14.Why would God harden someone’s heart? What about free will?
This week we talk about God hardening Pharaoh’s heart, and
Paul’s application of the subject in Romans 9. God tells Pharaoh, “But for this purpose I have raised you up, to show you my power, so that my name may be proclaimed in all the earth.”
We look at the process of the plagues, Pharaoh’s role, and
the wider story of God’s plan of salvation for his people.
You can find any class handouts (PDF) here: https://electricsystemconsulting.com/secret
...2024-01-2357 minLord, This Is A Hard Saying!2 - "Slavery" Laws - Exodus 21 and 22Did the Israelites, right after being freed from slavery, immediately start practicing it amongst themselves? Did God allow fathers to sell their daughters for extra cash?
The answer, despite what Reddit Atheists will claim, is no;
and quite frankly we could probably learn a few things about how to order our lives from them.
Join us this week and see how.
You can find any class handouts (PDF) here: https://electricsystemconsulting.com/secret
All music recorded by Jonathan. Intro and outro music was played on a Seagull Merlin Strumstick Dulcimer. Interludes...2024-01-161h 01Lord, This Is A Hard Saying!1 - Imprecatory Psalms - Psalms 139 and 137“Do I not hate those who hate you, O LORD? And do I not
loathe those who rise up against you? I hate them with complete hatred; I count them my enemies.”
How should Christians deal with the intense emotions we
might feel against unrighteousness in the world? How should it affect our prayer life? Is it okay to pray against certain people?
Today we cover “imprecatory” psalms, prayers which ask God
to bring his vengeance down upon the wicked. We explore if these types of prayers still have a place for the Christian today.
Yo...2024-01-091h 01Lord, This Is A Hard Saying!0 - Class DescriptionBuckle up, buttercup! We’re going to tackle some
uncomfortable and challenging sections of scripture. Often when Christians read certain topics in scripture, they do exactly the wrong thing: shy away, skirt the text, or ignore it altogether.
So strap in and let’s wrestle with some challenging sections. When we put down our guard, lean into the text, and let it speak, we often find there the largest blessings, and discover ourselves the closest to grace.2023-12-0901 min
Exodus: Marching to Mt. Sinai and Ascending the Mountain of the LORDNaaman's Healing - 2 Kings 5 - Adult VBS Day 2Naaman was a foreign pagan general. He was on nobody's list to be saved--except for God's list. Through the compassion of a little girl who justly had no reason to be kind to him, Naaman finds himself being cleansed from leprosy by the Prophet of the LORD. Not only this, but we find Naaman's heart is also changed.
Many years later, Jesus refers to Naaman as proof that the good news of the LORD is not just for Israel, but for all nations. The story of Naaman should both humble us and inspire us to recognize that...2023-06-281h 04Exodus: Marching to Mt. Sinai and Ascending the Mountain of the LORD12 – The Golden Calf and God’s Glory – Exodus 21 and 22, 32 – 33, and 40If God is so wonderful, why doesn’t he just forgive everyone? This week we wrap up our study of Exodus with the story of the Golden Calf, then we see God reveal his glory to Moses more directly than any other place in the Bible. God sure is a Holy, compassionate, slow-to-anger God who is full of steadfast loyal love, but he is also just, and will by no means clear the guilty. So that begs the question: are we guilty? And if so, do we have hope?
This, too, points to Jesus, and we see th...2023-03-211h 04Exodus: Marching to Mt. Sinai and Ascending the Mountain of the LORD11 – The Ten Commandments and Other Laws- Exodus Ch 20 and 21What does it mean to take God’s name in vain? Does it mean we shouldn’t cuss? Does it mean we shouldn’t say “God” flippantly? How about using dark magic? Or, is there something much more profound going on?
Does God condone slavery? If he had just saved them out of slavery, why would he then give them laws to condone it?
We cover these and other questions about the ten commandments. Buckle up!
You can find the class handout PDF here: https://electricsystemconsulting.com/secret
All music recorded by Jonatha...2023-03-201h 03Exodus: Marching to Mt. Sinai and Ascending the Mountain of the LORD10 – Israel at Mount Sinai - Exodus Ch 19You are a priest. That’s right, as a Christian who has been redeemed by the blood of Christ and called to faith in the New Covenant, you are a priest. You are to represent Christ to the world through your life. Peter shares this priestly concept in his first epistle, and it comes from Exodus 19 at the foot of Mount Siani, where God comes down in his Glory to make his covenant with the Old Testament Israelites.
You can find the class handout PDF here: https://electricsystemconsulting.com/secret
All music recorded by Jonathan. In...2023-03-171h 03Exodus: Marching to Mt. Sinai and Ascending the Mountain of the LORD9 – Crossing the Sea - Exodus Ch 14 and 15Crossing the Sea of Reeds! This week we ponder several often overlooked details in this famous story: an angel in the cloud and fire, the breath/spirit of God, and lots of language from the first few chapters of Genesis.
I know I was looking for the word “gulf”, fusing that with “peninsula”, but you’ll get the picture.
You can find the class handout PDF here: https://electricsystemconsulting.com/secret
All music recorded by Jonathan. Intro and outro music was played on a Seagull Merlin Strumstick Dulcimer. Interludes are a regular 6-string guitar.2023-03-061h 00Exodus: Marching to Mt. Sinai and Ascending the Mountain of the LORD8 - The Passover - Exodus 12:1 – 13:22The blood of the lamb protects the Israelites from the Destroyer. The Passover is instituted and the reader is invited to be one of the Israelites marching out of Egypt. Everything in here points ultimately to Christ.
You can find the class handout PDF here: https://electricsystemconsulting.com/secret
All music recorded by Jonathan. Intro and outro music was played on a Seagull Merlin Strumstick Dulcimer. Interludes are a regular 6-string guitar.2023-02-281h 02Exodus: Marching to Mt. Sinai and Ascending the Mountain of the LORD7 – The Plagues (Part 2) – Exodus 9:8 – 11:10This week we follow Moses through the second half of the plagues. We see God seals Pharaoh in Pharaoh’s own path of destruction, and God will do so in order to magnify his name and his story of salvation for his people, so that all nations will hear about Yahweh’s deeds.
You can find the class handout PDF here: https://electricsystemconsulting.com/secret
All music recorded by Jonathan. Intro and outro music was played on a Seagull Merlin Strumstick Dulcimer. Interludes are a regular 6-string guitar.2023-02-2600 minExodus: Marching to Mt. Sinai and Ascending the Mountain of the LORD6 - The Plagues (Part 1) - Exodus 6:14 - 9:7Today we cover the first group of plagues on Egypt. We talk about what it means for Pharaoh to harden his heart, and what it means for God to harden Pharaoh’s heart. Can a just God harden someone’s heart? Is there room for repentance?
To add to it, there are 3 different Hebrew verbs all translated “to harden” with regards to the heart! Plus, there are nuances with these terms in Egyptian thought as well.
Buckle up!
All music recorded by Jonathan. Intro and outro music was played on a Seagull Merlin Strumsti...2023-02-131h 01Exodus: Marching to Mt. Sinai and Ascending the Mountain of the LORD5 - The Psalms of the Exodus with Rev. Ken Hennings.Today we cover the Psalms which reference the Exodus, lead by special guest star Rev. Ken Hennings!
We’ve talked about how the Exodus shapes the rest of the bible, and becomes what is probably the largest event which shapes the thinking of Old Testament Israelites. In the Psalms, we see the writers look back to the events under Moses and both praise God for his salvation as well as call themselves and those around them to repentance, reminding them of God’s justice and expectations for his people.
God also reminds us not to rely...2023-02-0659 minExodus: Marching to Mt. Sinai and Ascending the Mountain of the LORD4 - The Return to Egypt - Exodus 4:23 - 6:9Today we follow the freshly commissioned Moses back to Egypt, but first we observe a bizarre story about God coming to kill Moses, and Zippora intervening with an emergency circumcision. We peal back the layers and find this cryptic story further solidifies Moses’s identity as God’s representative to institute a covenant with his people.
Back in Egypt, we see God’s plan appears to get off to a rocky start, and Moses once again plunging into despair, but God is about to make his name known.
All music recorded by Jonathan. Intro and outro...2023-01-311h 06Exodus: Marching to Mt. Sinai and Ascending the Mountain of the LORD3 - The Burning Bush (Part 2) - Exodus 3:16 - 4:23Today we finish God’s conversation with Moses at the burning bush. Moses is armed with excuses, citing his weaknesses, but God has already accounted for them and simply asks Moses to trust him. God even makes Moses a snake wrangler, bringing to mind God’s promise to Adam and Eve back in the garden.
We see that it’s not sinful to have weaknesses, but it would be wrong to ignore God’s instruction using those weaknesses as the excuse. In fact, God often uses the weaknesses of one of his people to make his name glorifie...2023-01-2057 minExodus: Marching to Mt. Sinai and Ascending the Mountain of the LORD2 - The Burning Bush (Part 1) - Exodus 2:11 - 3:16Today we follow Moses as he flees from Egypt to Midian. We discuss Moses’ identity crisis, the Priest of Midian, and the gods of Egypt. We then follow Moses to the Burning Bush where there is a whole lot going on.
The mural referenced in part 3 of the episode can be found here about a third of the way down the page: https://orthodoxartsjournal.org/new-murals-at-st-john-of-the-ladder-greenville-sc/
In attendance is Pastor Ken Hennings, former LCMS Texas District President. In the future he may cover a class when Jonathan can’t attend.
All music recorded by J...2023-01-151h 04Exodus: Marching to Mt. Sinai and Ascending the Mountain of the LORD1 - The Birth of Moses - Exodus 1:1 - 2:10Today we set the scene for the Exodus story. We see there's a new Pharaoh in town and he doesn't remember the blessings which Joseph and his family brought to Egypt. He irrationally orders the murder of the Hebrew baby boys, so God uses women subvert his plans. Moses' mother saves him by building a little basket/ark and places it in the reeds in the Nile. Then a member of Pharaoh's own household saves the boy who will one day be the instrument through whom God brings Pharaoh to his knees.
All music recorded by Jonathan. I...2023-01-081h 02Exodus: Marching to Mt. Sinai and Ascending the Mountain of the LORD0 - Class DescriptionThere’s a whole lot of marching going on in the book of Exodus: Marching from Egypt to the Red Sea; marching through the Red Sea; marching through the wilderness; marching to Mt. Sinai; marching up and down the mountain; and more. But through it all, God was with His people! In the book of Exodus, the central redemptive event of the Old Testament is described in vivid detail for us. Through the blood of the Passover lambs, the Lord delivered His people from slavery. This redemption becomes the most-mentioned event of Israelite history. Through the blood of the co...2023-01-0501 min