Seasons & Episodes
Background of the Book
The Gospel of Matthew is the bridge that connects the Bible’s Old Testament with the Bible’s New Testament. The Old
Survey of the Book
Let’s do a survey of Matthew’s Gospel. What’s a survey? Basically, we’re going to examine Matthew’s book in br
Key Scriptures & Theme
Before a King can rule over his subjects, he must be able to govern himself. Early in the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus was l
The Key Players
The Gospels were truly unique for their time. Not only were they a collection of biographies covering the life of Jesus,
Life Applications
One of the main takeaways from Matthew’s Gospel is the identity of Jesus of Nazareth. For the Hebrew mindset, Matthew
The Great Takeaway
Probably the greatest takeaway from the Gospel of Matthew is that Jesus Christ is the Messiah who fulfilled all the requ
Background of the Book
In the Gospel of Matthew, we learned that Jesus was born ‘King of the Jews.’ He came to fulfill prophecy and reveal
Survey of the Book
The Gospel of Mark is a short, unified account of selected parts of the life of Jesus. The Gospel moves through three di
Key Players
John the Baptist was a colorful character in history. He was a fearless preacher who came in the “spirit and power of
Key Locations
Jesus spent much of his ministry on the Sea of Galilee. Also known in the Bible as the Sea of Gennesaret, Lake Tiberias,
Life Applications
Since Mark focused on the works of Jesus for a Roman audience, miracles occupied a prominent place in his Gospel. In fac
The Great Takeaways
Mark 10:45 is probably the key verse in Mark’s Gospel. We might think of this verse in two parts. First, it describes
Background of the Book
Luke was a native of Antioch and a friend of the Apostle Paul. As a trained physician coming out of Hellenistic society,
The Arrival of the Son of Man
As a researcher, Luke did a very good job organizing his Gospel for us. Here is an overall outline for your reading adve
The Ministry of the Son of Man
From the beginning of Luke’s Gospel, we see the interweaving of two people: John the Baptist and Jesus of Nazareth. Jo
The Rejection of the Son of Man
For about three years, Jesus made quite an impact on the people of Galilee and Judea. Now it was time to make his way to
Key Players
Jesus attracted quite the following of disciples during his time in Galilee. Some of them he hand-picked, like Peter, An
The Great Takeaways
Perhaps the key verse in Luke’s Gospel comes near the end of Christ’s ministry: “For the Son of Man came to seek a
Background of the Book
The Gospel of John is often the first Gospel given to new Christians, because it’s probably the most straightforward i
The Big Ideas
There are three Big Ideas in John’s Gospel: Revelation, Rejection, and Reception. If you read closely, the framework f
Key Players
The people mentioned in the Gospels are fascinating. Sometimes they’re larger-than-life historical figures, and someti
The Seven Signs
For centuries, Bible scholars have noted what they call the “Seven Signs” in John’s Gospel. The signs begin with a
The Seven Signs (Continued)
For centuries, Bible scholars have noted what they call the “Seven Signs” in John’s Gospel. The signs begin with a
The Seven 'I Am' Statements
According to John’s Gospel, Jesus delivered seven important statements that began with the words, “I Am.” Like a p
Background of the Book
The Book of Acts begins where Luke’s Gospel left off. It starts with the 40 days that followed the resurrection of Jes
The Church Begins in Jerusalem
The Book of Acts begins in Jerusalem. The resurrected Jesus had just left the scene. Stunned and confused, his followers
The Gospel Spreads to Judea and Samaria
The execution of the deacon Stephen unleashed violent persecution against the upstart church, driving many believers out
The First Missionary Journey
Paul’s lifelong mission to the Gentile world is recorded in three, multi-year missionary journeys. Paul’s first miss
Paul's Second & Third Missionary Journeys
Paul’s second missionary journey happened between about 49 and 52 AD. It was a trip that took Paul and his companions
Paul on Trial
After three long journeys around the Mediterranean, Paul returned to Jerusalem to give a report to James and the elders
Background of the Book
The Book of Romans is a letter written by Paul to the Christians living in Rome. Paul wrote this letter from the city of
Paul's Time in Rome
Rome is one of Dave’s favorite cities in the world. Since this series covered Paul’s letter to the Romans, what bett
Righteousness & The Problem of Sin
Like all of Paul’s writings, his letter to the Romans is rich with theological concepts but incorporates practical inf
The Salvation God Offers Through Jesus Christ
here is a strange paradox in the Bible’s teaching about sin and salvation. The invitation to believe and trust Jesus a
The Roman Road
Congratulations! We made it through some complex words presented in Romans, such as Sin, Righteousness, Justification, a
Living as a Christian
Paul’s writings are rich in teaching but also rich in what we might think as practical instructions for ‘Christian l
Background of the Book
Corinth was the capital of the Roman province of Achaia. It was probably the fifth largest city in the entire Roman Empi
Church Division at Ancient Corinth
The Temple of Apollo was one of the oldest temples in Corinth and a major landmark in the city. It was located right nea
Sexual Immorality at Ancient Corinth
Due to its size and location, Corinth was prosperous. With prosperity came wealth, luxury, and immorality. The city was
Agape Love & Christ's Resurrection
Many of the questions and problems in the Corinthian church are still questions and problems in the church today. Not on
Paul's Ministry of Reconciliation
In Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians, we saw that true Christian love (agape) is the answer to many problems in t
New Creations in Christ
In addition to justifying his ministry and authority, Paul used 2nd Corinthians to announce a collection for the needy C
Background of the Book
Throughout history, many Bible scholars have considered Galatians one of Paul's most important letters. It has been char
The Cities of Galatia Province
Iconium is now known as Konya, and most of the ancient city has been lost beneath modern buildings. During the Roman per
The Judaizers
The upstart churches in Galatia Province were comprised of both Jewish and Gentile converts. After Paul and his companio
The Fruit of the Spirit
The fact that we are justified by grace through faith means we have spiritual freedom. We are not subject to the rules a
Paul's Writing Style & Methods
Paul usually dictated his letters to a secretary (scribe). However, in the case of Galatians, the above text tells us th
Paul's Answer to Jewish Legalism
Throughout history, many Bible scholars have considered Galatians one of Paul's most important letters. It has been char
The Ancient City of Ephesus
It was about 52 AD when Paul left the church in Syrian Antioch for his third missionary journey. He again traveled west
Paul in Ephesus
Paul returned to Ephesus, probably in late 52 AD, and made the city his temporary home during the reign of Roman Emperor
Paul's Letter to the Church
The broad theme of Paul’s Letter to the Ephesians is building the body of Christ – the church. How do we do that?
One Church in Christ
During the 1st Century, religious Jews considered themselves “clean,” because of their national heritage and their t
The Body of Christ
The Body of Christ is a common New Testament metaphor for the Christian Church. The Church is called “one body” in P
The Full Armor of God
The hard truth is that the Christian life isn’t always a playground, but a battleground. Therefore, Paul uses the fina
Ancient Philippi
After his missionary journeys through Philippi, it seems Paul kept a soft spot in his heart for the Christians living th
Paul's Ministry in Philippi
As we learned in our last episode, it was about 50 AD when Paul, Silas, Timothy, and Luke first crossed the Aegean Sea f
Paul's Joy for hte Philippians
After Paul’s missionary journeys, it appears he kept a soft spot in his heart for the believers in Philippi. Later in
Paul's Prayer for the Philippians
The primary themes in Chapter 1 of Philippians are thanksgiving, joy, and love, even during the toughest of times. In a
Humility
What else makes joy possible in periods of affliction, pain, or difficulty? In Chapter 2 of his letter, Paul encouraged
Rejoice in the Lord
In Philippians, we’ve learned that the key to Biblical humility is pursuing the mind of Christ. The mind of Christ req
Ancient Colossae
In Colossians, Chapter 4, Paul delivers some final instructions and greetings to the Colossian church. He urges the beli
Laodicea & The Lycus Valley
Paul mentions the Christians at Laodicea a few times in his Letter to the Colossians. Since Laodicea is very near Coloss
The Awe & Wonder of Christ
Like many of his letters, Paul began Colossians with a personal greeting, a prayer of thanksgiving, and a declaration of
The Colossian Heresy
After declaring the preeminence of Jesus Christ in Chapter 1, Paul used Chapter 2 to warn the Colossian believers agains
Putting on the New Self
In Chapter 3 of Colossians, Paul shifts to the practical implications of Christ’s supremacy for our lives as believers
The Preeminence of Christ
In Colossians, Chapter 4, Paul delivers some final instructions and greetings to the Colossian church. He urges the beli
Ancient Thessalonica
In this series of Bible Backroads, we’ll check out two letters that Paul wrote to the church at Thessalonica. Thessalo
Paul's First Letter to the Thessalonians
Paul’s first letter to the Thessalonian church was written in about 51 AD. The first verse indicates that it was writt
The Rapture
As we learned in our last adventure, Paul used the opening chapters of First Thessalonians to urge the believers to cont
The Day of the Lord
In our last adventure, we covered the mysterious event commonly referred to as the rapture in Chapter 4 of First Thessal
Paul's Second Letter to the Thessalonians
A year or two after Paul’s first letter to the Thessalonians, the church in Thessalonica still had some misconceptions
Example of the Thessalonian Church
In Second Thessalonians, Chapter 2, Paul reminded the Thessalonian believers of their salvation in Jesus Christ. He remi
Timothy
In this Bible Backroads adventure, we’re going to explore four of Paul’s other letters that made it into the New Tes
Paul's First Letter to Timothy
Paul wrote two letters to Timothy that became part of the Bible’s New Testament. In the first, written sometime betwee
Paul's Second Letter to Timothy
Paul wrote a second letter to Timothy shortly before his death in about 67 AD. Imprisoned in Rome, Paul recognized that
Titus
Titus was a Gentile who was led to faith in Jesus Christ by Paul. According to the Book of Acts, Titus was later drawn t
Paul's Letter to Titus
At the request of Paul, Titus led the church on the island of Crete. Just like he did with Timothy at Ephesus, Paul late
Paul's Letter to Philemon
Philemon was a first-century Christian who lived in Colossae. As you might recall from our series on the Colossians, Col
The Apostle Peter
The Gospel accounts tell us that Peter’s original name was Simon, a common Jewish name, and his father’s name was Jo
Peter's First Letter
First Peter (“1 Peter”) is a letter written by the apostle Peter to the “pilgrims of the Dispersion” (the “sca
Peter's Second Letter
Second Peter (“2 Peter”) addresses the rise of false teachers and emphasizes the importance of biblical knowledge an
The Apostle John
According to the Book of Acts, the Apostle John was a leader in the early Christian church. After the executions of Pete
John's First Letter
First John (“1 John”) is a heartfelt letter, packed with messages about truly understanding love, faith, and the nat
John's Second & Third Letters
In this episode, we’ll cover John’s second and third letters in the Bible’s New Testament. These are super short,
The Writer of Hebrews
In this series, we’ll explore the New Testament books of Hebrews, James, and Jude. Although we know about the authors
The Theme of Hebrews
The Book of Hebrews takes us on a trek of mystery, wonder, and faith. Although we don’t know who wrote it for sure, He
The Structure of Hebrews
As we’ve learned, some of the teaching in Hebrews is rather complicated, but the main takeaway is straightforward: Jes
The Writer of James
James was the leader of the church in Jerusalem during the middle of the 1st century. He was also known as the half-brot
The Book of James
The Book of James is a practical guide on Christian living. Rich with teaching, it covers numerous topics related to fai
The Book of Jude
The last book of the New Testament, right before Revelation, is called Jude. The author is identified as Jude, a relativ
The Island of Patmos
The final book in the Bible’s New Testament is the Book of Revelation. Also known as the Revelation of Jesus Christ, i
The Vision
According to the Book of Revelation, the Apostle John was in the Spirit one Sunday on the island of Patmos when he saw t
Letters to the Churches - Part 1
According to the first chapter of Revelation, the Apostle John saw Jesus Christ in a vision. Jesus was standing among se
Letters to the Churches - Part 2
The ancient city of Thyatira became part of the Roman Republic in 133 BC and was later considered one of the major citie
The Future
The Book of Revelation isn’t just the last book of the Bible, but it’s probably the most astounding preview of the f
The New Heaven and Earth
While the Book of Revelation speaks of a terrible time of wrath and woe on earth, it has a wonderful, victorious ending.
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