Christ 2r Culture Podcast

A common question for young adults is, “How far is too far when it comes to sex?” In this study, Paul answers that question and tells us how to pursue sexual purity in a sex-saturated world.

What does good spiritual leadership look like? In 1 Thessalonians 3, Paul gives us an X-ray of his heart, showing us his love for the Thessalonians. This window into Paul’s soul helps us understand what good spiritual leadership looks like in the church.

If Jesus didn’t rise from the dead, what happened on resurrection Sunday? Join us as we examine the last 2,000 years of alternative explanations for the resurrection and see how they ultimately prove Jesus’ resurrection is true.

Recently, my father went to the doctor for an X-ray. This gave the doctor a true picture of his bones. In 1 Thessalonians 2:17-20, Paul gives us an X-ray of his heart. We get a chance to see the heart of a good pastor. By seeing a good pastor, we can be a good pastor.

Have you squandered an opportunity? Have you seen someone so close to a good thing but miss it through a foolish decision? As we continue in 1 Thessalonians, Paul contrasts the Thessalonians and the Jews. One makes him glad as they embrace the gospel with limited opportunity, the other makes him sad as they reject it after countless chances to embrace it. Join us as we learn how to choose wisely with the gospel.

Today, most men are encouraged to be couch potatoes rather than bold leaders. There are plenty of manipulators, scammers, and those who lack character in positions of power. More acute than the leadership crisis in the world is the crisis of leadership we have in the church. Many of us don’t know what makes a good spiritual leader or how to be one. Join us as we learn what the gospel teaches about good spiritual leadership.

Artificial Intelligence makes it harder to distinguish between a deep fake and reality. It generates lifelike videos, where only experts can tell the difference between fantasy and reality. Deep fakes are nothing new when it comes to the Christian faith. Many claim to be saved by Christ but, over time, walk away from Him. How can we tell the difference between genuine faith and fake faith? Join us to learn the difference.

How do we handle the wounds of life? The world tells us to get even. Recently, a man in Colorado shot a dog to death because days earlier, it was in a fight with his dog, so he plotted revenge. War in the Middle East never ends because of a commitment to revenge instead of extending forgiveness. In this study, we look at what the Bible says about the aroma of forgiveness from the life of a Christian introduces people to Jesus.

When life is difficult, it is easy to become discouraged. We long for easier days. As Christians, when society is against us, it is tempting to think our relationship with Jesus will fade and the church will wilt. As we begin the book of 1 Thessalonians, we find the opposite is true. 1 Thessalonians is the story of healthy Christians and a thriving church in a city hostile to the gospel. Join us as we learn that God does some of his best work in us and through us when the world is against us.

David saved Israel from their enemies through the books of 1 and 2 Samuel. In the book’s closing chapter, we find one enemy from which David couldn’t save the nation. That was God and his just wrath against their sin. Join us as we finish the book and see the need for a better king named Jesus!

Zvika Greengold was celebrating Yom Kippur at his Israeli kibbutz when he heard the sound of a jet fighter. Realizing there would be no military exercises on a religious holiday, he turned on his radio and learned that Egypt and Syria sprung a surprise attack on Israel. It was October 6, 1973. As a reserve tank commander, Zvika ran to his tank and drove it to the Golan Heights. Force Zvika singlehandedly held back two thousand advancing Syrian tanks, giving the Israeli military enough time to mobilize. After 30 hours of fighting, Zvika emerged from his tank, burned, wounded, and too exhausted to walk after destroying forty tanks and thwarting five Syrian divisions. His sacrifice and courage saved the country. As we continue studying 2 Samuel, we meet the mighty men God put around David. We will learn of their heroic deeds and how God used them to save David and the kingdom. When God raises up a leader, thankfully, he also raises up a team.

Have you listened to a worship song and found your heart resonating with the song’s words about the goodness of God? Many of us know that experience. As the author of 2 Samuel prepared to draw his book to a close, he shared one of David’s final songs. It is a song where David looks back on his life and worships God for all the goodness shown to him. In the song, he answers the question, “What can we do to put ourselves in a position where we experience the abundant goodness of God?”

As we come to the last four chapters of 2 Samuel, instead of organizing themselves chronologically, they look back on David’s kingdom, God’s kingdom, and the relationship between them. Chapter 21 discusses some of life’s biggest questions, such as, “If there is a good God, why does he allow natural disaster and suffering?” Join us as we turn to the Bible for answers to some of life’s biggest questions.

Every election season politicians make promises. The promise to lower the debt, solve immigration, and reduce taxes while raising our benefits. What should we expect from our flawed leaders? As David's kingdom is restored after Absalom's coupe, we see the limits of human leaders and why Jesus is the better king we need.

In today's world, who can you trust? Stockbrokers don't always pick winners. Doctors make mistakes. Fortune tellers are virtually never reliable. Whose word is good? Is the Bible simply another authority we cannot trust? In this study, we examine what the Bible claims to be and do in our lives.

Jesus changed many things in this world. He changed education, medicine, science, civilization, arts, and politics. Most importantly, he came to change us. Jesus came to save us from our sin, to be the savior of the world. In our final message of this series, we look at how Jesus saves lives, and how he can save yours today.

The world into which Jesus was born was a harsh place. He was born in a stable because the inn had no room and people had no compassion. He grew up in poverty. He grew up in a world where the Roman government heavily taxed their people and crucified all who resisted. For entertainment, the Romans watched gladiators kill one another and animals dismember defenseless humans. The gothic tribes of Europe that eventually overran the Romans were not better. They practiced polygamy, blood sacrifices, and abandoning their children in the forest. They raped, killed, and burned everything and everyone they met. When Jesus came, the gospel message conquered Rome, conquered the barbaric tribes of Europe, and conquered the darkness of every culture it penetrated. Join us as we learn how the birth of Jesus brought civility to the world.

In the 1946 film classic, It’s a Wonderful Life, the character played by Jimmy Stewart gets a chance to see what life would be like had he never been born. In many ways, that movie is the springboard for this series. The film’s main point is that each person’s life impacts everyone else’s. Had they never been born, there would be gaping holes left in their absence. This series aims to help us realize Jesus's enormous impact on history.

When was the last time you struggled with forgiveness? It is hard to forget and forgive after someone has said or done something hurtful. How do we work for unity and restoration in the church and our family? As we continue our study in 2 Samuel, we will examine how David worked for unity in a divided nation and the tensions that tried to tear it apart.

From 1955 until 1962, the world’s largest statue of Soviet dictator Josef Stalin loomed over Prague. The 17,000-ton monster dominated the skyline. When sculptor, Svec Polesny, applied to build the monument, he never expected to win the opportunity and spend the next five years of his life building it. During construction, the size of the project overwhelmed him. He fell into depression, became an alcoholic, and had an affair on his wife, which resulted in her committing suicide. As the monument neared completion in the spring of 1955, the project took so much out of him that Svec took his life. In the same way, Absalom was consumed with building a monument for himself. He wanted to leave a lasting legacy no one would forget. Like Svec, his attempt to build an unforgettable monument led to the end of his life. Join us as we study the story of Absalom, a man obsessed with being remembered.