My God and My Neighbor

Paul was a prisoner. He was under house arrest in Rome. The Jews had tried to kill him but they failed. What could the great apostle to the Gentiles do? Why would God allow him to be kept from traveling so that he could convert lost souls and build up churches?We see so little. We look at troubles through thick lenses of pessimism and doubt that distort our thinking. Paul teaches us in this episode that the things we might think are for the worst are actually for the better. Read about this subject:Scriptures: Philippians 1:12-18; Genesis 50:19-20; Romans 8:28“Bright Expectations”Listen to more on this subject:America Through the Eyes of Isaiah - “The Furnace of Affliction”

What does the word fellowship in the Bible mean? Most people think of getting together at a meal and maybe in worship. But it means much more. It comes from a Greek word which means sharing. What is shared depends on the verse you’re reading. In the book of Philippians, Paul says the Christians in Philippi shared with him in some very important ways we need to imitate. And, one reward of this fellowship—again, not simply associating, even though that is priceless—is the joy and peace and fulfillment it gives us.Paul, a prisoner under house arrest in Rome, writes to these Christians. And as you read it, you’ll see that the troubles he had couldn’t sever the bond between him and these saints. In this episode, we will learn how to truly connect with other Christians and have joy that is beyond anything the things of this world can give.Read about this subject:Scriptures: Philippians 1:1-11“Peace”Listen to more on this subject:10 N 10 "Ten Proverbs in 10 Minutes" Devotional Series

It only takes a few minutes to read it. You probably know by heart some of the verses in it. But when you read it as a whole and take time to absorb it, you’ll be amazed at how helpful it is. It’s a short book in the Bible that is packed with meaningful direction for our lives. In this episode, we’ll look at three areas of our life we often struggle with. Then in the next episode we’ll begin to look at this short little book of the Bible. See if you can guess what it is as you listen to today’s podcast.Read about this subject:Scriptures: Hebrews 10, 11, 12; II Corinthians 7:4; Romans 8:28“Too Tired?”Listen to more on this subject:Bible Commentary - Hebrews

When things go awry, it’s time to go back to the basics. This is true in education, in business, in sports or any other area of life. It is certainly true in morals. Our world is very mixed up. The only way to have clarity in a world or confusion is to begin at the beginning. In the study of right and wring, that means going back to the first book of the Bible—the book of Genesis. There we find the true foundation of morality: God. This episode shows that the only way for a nation or an individual to change is to put God in their lives, and that begins by putting Him in our hearts.Read about this subject:Scriptures: Genesis 1; Romans 1:20-32; Psalm 8:3-5Right From the Beginning in a World of Wrong"This Nation Under God"Listen to more on this subject:What Happened to America? TBC Free Course

Ask anyone today how life is going and soon you’ll hear about money. It is a big part of life. No wonder the Bible says so much about it, Sometimes we can sympathize with Agur the son of Jakeh. He prayed, “Give me neither poverty nor riches—feed me with the food allotted to me; Lest I be full and deny You, and say, ‘Who is the Lord?’ Or lest I be poor and steal, and profane the name of my God.” A verse that has puzzled Bible readers for centuries is what Jesus said to the rich young ruler. We may not be as wealthy as he was, but we can learn a great deal about money and the distractions and temptations it can bring. This episode will use other passages in the Bible to illuminate this interesting discussion.Read about this subject:Scriptures: Matthew 19:16-24; Deuteronomy 8:1-18; Luke 12:13-21"Here to Make Money"Listen to more on this subject:America Through the Eyes of Isaiah10 n 10—10 Proverbs in 10 Minutes

There are few topics where religion and politics come together like they do in the case of Israel. Should they? Does the Bible have anything special to say about the nation of Israel that it doesn’t say about every other country?In this episode we will look at the highly controversial issue of the nation of Israel today and its relationship, if any, to prophecies in the Old Testament.This is also one of the most common biblical subjects of our time. Millions of churchgoing people all over the world look at the Jewish people as heirs of a future empire on earth that will surpass any civilization in history. What does the Bible say about this question?Read about this subject:Scriptures: Genesis 12:1-3; Isaiah 2:1-4; Matthew 21:43Unfulfilled Prophecy a Discussion on Prophetic Themes by H. Leo Boles and R.H. BollListen to more on this subject:Bible Doctrine - The Old Testament, “Israel in the Bible”

When Covid turned the world upside down in 2020, we lost a lot of trust in what we’d been told—by the government, by the medical profession, and by all types of media and “experts.” Who can we trust anymore?The dilemma is not all that complicated in regard to our spiritual life. There are only two choices: we can either trust God or trust man. Most people make the mistake of trusting in human beings. We all need encouragement and reassurance and teaching, so it’s understandable that we have confidence in people who help us. But we must keep that respect in perspective. It’s not a matter of being prideful or independent. It’s a matter of being honest with ourselves. No man is right all the time, but God is always right.This episode challenges us to “test all things” (I Thess. 5:21) by the Word of God that never fails.Read about this subject:Scriptures: Psalm 118:8; Daniel 4; Matthew 10:34-37Perilous TimesListen to more on this subject:RENEW 2019 “…stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding…” (1 Cor. 15:58)

News of the assassination of Charlie Kirk sent another shock wave throughout the country. Now that the reality of the crime has sunk in, attention has shifted to what should be done with the alleged shooter. The tragedy occurred in Utah, and Utah is one of 27 states that have the death penalty. President Trump is calling for it. Anti-capital punishment groups on the other side are complaining that killing the killer is absurd and counterproductive. Where do Christians stand in this controversy? We must know what the Bible says about it. This episode will explore the subject from the Old Testament to the New and apply relevant verses to this burning issue of today.Read about this subject:Scriptures: Genesis 9:6; Acts 25:11; Romans 13:1-4 Right From the Beginning, chapter 10: “The Death Penalty”Listen to more on this subject:Bible Doctrine, Government: Capital Punishment

There is a strong, clear message in the Bible from beginning to end: we are responsible for what we do. Our society is bent on denying this simple fact. Other people make us act the way we do. Conditions in our body determine how we behave. We are just products of heredity and environment.God cuts through all of these rationalizations. He gives us free will and we decide what we do with it. It’s strange that we agree yet disagree with this. If we do something great, we want to be recognized. We say, “I did it.” But when we do something wrong, we blame someone or something else. The question in this episode is a hotly debated issue. Instead of asking people what they think, we will ask what God says about it.Read about this subject Scripture: I Corinthians 6:9-11; 10:13Right From the Beginning in a World of Wrong, chapter four: “Gender.”Listen to more on this subject"Things No Man Can Destroy" RENEW 2022

When historians in the future list the worst tragedies of our time, what will they mention? Covid? Terrorism? Katrina? Somewhere on that list will probably be school shootings. We have asked the question “Why?” repeatedly in this series. If anything defies our ability to make sense out of human behavior, this crime does.This is one of those subjects people almost unanimously agree on in one sense and completely divide on in another. They agree that the deaths of innocent people, especially children, is a terrible thing. But they disagree about who is really responsible and what actually causes this atrocity. This episode challenges us to look deeper than typical mainstream and social media narratives about this lingering problem in society. Read about this subject Scripture: I John 3:12; Ezekiel 18:14; Matthew 15:19Will It Survive?Listen to more on this subject“Understanding the Times” - RENEW 2024

Studies show that depression is a common problem worldwide. There are many reasons for it. In poor countries the cause may be poverty. In America, ironically, the reason may be wealth. In the Bible we read of many people who struggled with depression—some because of their own choices and others for no fault of their own. All of us must deal with it. The book of Ecclesiastes is about depression we can do something about by changing the way we think—not by learning ways to beat the blues with human wisdom, but by restructuring our priorities and adjusting our perspective. Some books of the Bible tell you what they’re about early in the book. Others indicate the theme in the middle. This book makes you wait until the end before it puts the whole problem into perspective.Read about this subject Scripture: Ecclesiastes 6-12Without HopeListen to more on this subject“10 N 10” 10 Proverbs in 10 Minutes

He had it all – money, power, fame, and wisdom. He didn't have to worry about having enough money to pay for anything. He never had to ask anyone's permission to do something. He was the king of Israel in its heyday. But he also saw a lot of injustice in life. And with all his power, money and wisdom, there was often nothing he could do about the unfairness of life. He saw others being treated unfairly. And the most seemingly unfair event in life was something that even he could not avoid. That “one event” is death.So what advice does Solomon give? How did he deal with the problem of evil? What was his conclusion about the injustice and suffering in this life? The book of Ecclesiastes is one of the most remarkable books in the Bible on this topic. This episode is part one of a look at the counsel at Solomon gives. Read about this subject Scripture: Ecclesiastes 1-5Rich Without MoneyListen to more on this subject“10 N 10” 10 Proverbs in 10 Minutes

Prophets of God were human too. They struggled with their feelings. They felt like giving up at times. They wrestled with the unfairness of life. Jeremiah, sometimes called “The Weeping Prophet,” shows this side of himself in the book that bears his name.  This man of God asked God “Why?’ and “How long?” But God didn’t give him the answer we might expect. This is a hard lesson to learn, but this episode shows that God expects us to be adults and face our trials with resolve and not self-pity. We see this determination in Jeremiah as he fought against negative feelings and pushed forward. We also see that the hardships he faced activated strength and faith deep within his soul. That faith came from the Word of God in his heart. Read about this subject Scripture: Jeremiah Teacher’s Annual Lesson Commentary on Uniform Bible Lessons for the Churches of Christ 1947Listen to more on this subjectRENEW 2021 – “Let Not Your Heart Be Troubled”

What if God did speak directly from heaven and answer our old question: “Why, Lord?” One Old Testament prophet kept crying out to God. He asked why evil was everywhere around him and how long God was going to tolerate it. When God answered him, He told the prophet that He was about to put an end to these evil people and their wicked ways. That should have satisfied the prophet and ended the conversation.But it didn’t. The man of God asked “Why?’ again: But why are you doing it that way? So even if God were to answer our “Why?” questions, we would just have more. This Old Testament prophet was Habakkuk. The book named after him is a tremendous study in the problem of sin and suffering. It is short in length and seldom read, but its benefits are invaluable. Read about this subject Scripture: HabakkukWithout Hope?Listen to more on this subjectAmerica Through the Eyes of Isaiah, “A Drop of a Bucket” track 19

If you are a Christian, it is scary to think about losing your faith. How does this happen? It happens when we are pulled away from God. It occurs when we are distracted. When we look at the world instead of listening to God, we are vulnerable. One of the great things about the Bible is its honesty about good and great men. It does not pull punches. Even the greatest men of the Bible were human. They were tempted and sinned. If it were otherwise, how could we relate to them?In this episode we will look at one of the lesser known writers of the Bible. His name was Asaph. His story is like a chapter in his autobiography. He confesses his innermost feelings. He almost lost his faith because evil people had a good life—a life that seemed better than the life that good people had.Read about this subject Scripture: Psalm 73“This is Not the Answer”Listen to more on this subjectAmerica Through the Eyes of Isaiah

How do you respond to a child or teenager who is complaining about something he doesn’t understand? You might try to explain, but he may not be ready for that. If he’s a teenager and is convinced he’s right, you’ll probably ask him some questions to show him he doesn’t know as much as he thinks he does. That’s what God did with Job. This final section to the greatest book ever written on the problem of evil ends with God responding to Job. God doesn’t give an explanation. He doesn’t tell Job he’ll learn better when he’s even older. He doesn’t tell him to read books on this profound issue of life. He points him to something he already had right before him: nature, the creation of God. This is the simple but overlooked key to this whole problem. Read these chapters closely and prayerfully and behold God’s creation around and above you with a different perspective and the problem of sin and suffering won’t seem so unbearable.Read about this subjectScripture: Job 38-42"Alone"Teacher’s Annual Lesson Commentary on Uniform Bible Lessons for the Churches of Christ, Gospel Advocate Series 1951

The argument had come to a standstill and God wasn’t speaking. That’s how the debate ended between Job and his three friends. They said their peace (and then some) and reverted back to the silence we see in chapter two. But unknown to the first-time reader of this book when Job chapter 31 ends was someone else. A younger man had been there listening to them argue. By the time they finished, he was about ready to explode with his view of this matter. His name was Elihu. Up to this point he had refrained from speaking out of respect for his elders. But he was deeply convicted in what he was about to say. And when he spoke, he had a different point of view about this whole discussion. Elihu’s words are very much worthy of our consideration. We could call him the man God didn’t rebuke because that is what happened in the end.Read about this subjectScripture: Job 32-37Teacher’s Annual Lesson Commentary on Uniform Bible Lessons for the Churches of Christ 1951Listen to more on this subjectI Peter Bible Commentary

It is very easy to get things out of perspective when we're stressed and hurting. We pull into ourselves in a self-protective mode. In a sense this is a natural response to suffering. It's part of the healing process. But we must not allow self-protection to become self-pity. And, when life has been very unfair to us, we naturally want to defend and justify ourselves. But we can go too far. We can be so determined to vindicate ourselves that we forget about the injustices that others face. We can even become angry with God. This happened to Job. And if it happened to one of the greatest men in the Bible, it can happen to us. Read about this subjectScripture:Job 22-31“Do Trials Make Us Patient?”Listen to more on this subject“Delighting in Mercy”, James McGill RENEW 2018 “Who is like unto Thee” (Exod. 15:11)

We can only go so long without encouragement before we feel like we’re going to break. Christians are children of God, but we are human. We need encouragement from likeminded people. We need the support of others, especially when we’re down. “Anxiety in the heart of man causes depression, but a good word makes it glad” (Prov. 12:25). But sometimes we must face trials without encouragement for a while. This is what Job experienced. He felt all alone. Elijah the prophet felt the same way in I Kings 19 when he was on the run for his life. But there were many others who would have supported him had they been with him. In Job’s case, his friends are with him, but all they can do is criticize him, and his relatives and other acquaintances have turned their back on him. But Job held on to his faith—even though he felt that God had forsaken him as well! Learn from this great man’s example of perseverance as we delve deeper into this story.Read about this subjectScriptures: Job 6-21“Alone”Listen to more on this subjectRENEW 2021 Lectureship “Let Not Your Heart Be Troubled”

Do you remember the great prophets in the Bible who reached the point where they wanted to die? Moses did. Elijah did. And now we are seeing that Job felt the same way. But there are some interesting differences between his situation and the circumstances of Moses and Elijah. Moses and Elijah were not suffering physical pain. Moses was feeling extremely stressed, and Elijah was both stressed and afraid. Job felt intense emotional pain and excruciating physical pain at the same time. When Moses and Elijah asked God if they could die, they were talking directly to Him. No one else heard them. In Job's case, his friends heard what he said and it made them upset. That's when a friendly visit turned in to an ugly argument. But at least we can say that, even though things did not turn out for the best initially, the whole matter was resolved in the end. And had it not been for this disagreement, we would not have the book of Job as it is written.Read about this subjectScripture: Job chapter 3-5Ox in the Ditch by Kerry DukeListen to more on this subject10n10 10 Proverbs in 10 Minutes