Doable Discipleship

“Rejoice, O people of Zion! Shout in triumph, O people of Jerusalem! Look, your king is coming to you. He is righteous and victorious, yet he is humble, riding on a donkey - riding on a donkey’s colt.” - Zechariah 9:9In my opinion, Zechariah is a diamond of a book. It has so many facets, so many ways to approach it and points of emphasis and things to teach. Last week we talked about Haggai and Zechariah is a partner book - we are still in the post-exilic period talking about rebuilding the temple. But Zechariah covers a lot of ground. It talks about returning to the Lord. There are chapters of visions we haven’t really seen the like of since Daniel and Ezekiel. There are calls to justice and mercy, promises of blessings and a beautiful look ahead to the coming Messiah and the second advent still to come. As I said, this is an incredibly rich, multifaceted book. To help us navigate it is Dr. Andrew Hill, Professor of Old Testament Emeritus at Wheaton College and author of a commentary on Zechariah. Doable Dis

“Then the Lord sent this message through the prophet Haggai: ‘Why are you living in luxurious houses while my house lies in ruins? This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: Look at what’s happening to you! You have planted much but harvest little. You eat but are not satisfied. You drink but are still thirsty. You put on clothes but cannot keep warm. Your wages disappear as though you were putting them in pockets filled with holes.’” - Haggai 1:3-6The book of Haggai is a bit of a jump back to the books of Ezra and Nehemiah and refocuses in on the temple. At its heart, this is a book about priorities. As the passage I just read says, “Why are you living in luxurious houses while my house lies in ruins?” God is using the prophet Haggai to call out hypocrisy, to call out wayward hearts but lo and behold, what happens? The people listen and we get to see God’s response to their obedience. Haggai is not the longest book by any means, but there’s a lot in it to unpack. To help us navigate the book of Haggai is

What sorrow awaits rebellious, polluted Jerusalem, the city of violence and crime! No one can tell it anything; it refuses all correction. It does not trust in the Lord or draw near to its God. Its leaders are like roaring lions hunting for their victims. Its judges are like ravenous wolves at evening time, who by dawn have left no trace of their prey. Its prophets are arrogant liars seeking their own gain. Its priests defile the Temple by disobeying God’s instructions. But the Lord is still there in the city, and he does no wrong. Day by day he hands down justice, and he does not fail. - Zephaniah 3:1-5The book of Zephaniah, while being another in the line of prophets sharing God’s message of judgment and repentance, deserves more time and attention than what we tend to give it. Only three chapters long, God’s message through Zephaniah is a direct yet beautiful encapsulation of the themes we’ve seen so often in the prophets. It’s a book about humility and unity. It’s a book about repentance and turning heart

“What good is an idol carved by man, or a cast image that deceives you? How foolish to trust in your own creation - a god that can’t even talk! What sorrow awaits you who say to wooden idols, ‘Wake up and save us!’ To speechless stone images you say, ‘Rise up and teach us!’ Can an idol tell you what to do? They may be overlaid with gold and silver, but they are lifeless inside. But the Lord is in his holy Temple. Let all the earth be silent before him.” - Habakkuk 2:18-20The book of Habakkuk is quite unlike any others in the canon of the prophets. Instead of the book being a message that God has given a prophet to share with a nation, Habakkuk is a conversation between Habakkuk and God. The book is structured: “Habakkuk’s first complaint”, “The Lord’s Reply.” “Habakkuk’s second complaint”, “The Lord’s Second Reply”, “Habakkuk’s Prayer.” The themes in this book are not unlike the themes from other prophet books, but the way in which they are explored is very different and what this book teaches us about how we

“The Lord is a jealous God, filled with vengeance and rage. He takes revenge on all who oppose him and continues to rage against his enemies! The Lord is slow to get angry, but his power is great, and he never lets the guilty go unpunished.” - Nahum 1:2-3The book of Nahum, the 34th book of the Old Testament, is somewhat a companion to Jonah. When we read Jonah, we saw God send Jonah to Nineveh to repent of their ways and, what do you know, they did! Well Nahum picks up a little while later and we see Nineveh has gone back to their old ways and Nahum is now foretelling God's judgment on Assyria and its capitol, Nineveh. Nahum isn’t long, it’s only three chapters, so you may be wondering, “How on earth is this episode on Nahum an hour and twenty minutes long?” Don’t let Nahum’s length fool you - it is an incredibly rich portrait of who God is and, specifically, his relationship to evil. To help us navigate the book of Nahum is Dr. Thomas Renz, Professor of Old Testament and Hebrew at Oak Hill Theological Colleg

“Where is another God like you, who pardons the guilt of the remnant overlooking the sins of his special people? You will not stay angry with your people forever, because you delight in showing unfailing love.” Micah 7:18The book of Micah may not be the most well-known of the Old Testament, but it has some of the most well-known verses and passages. Micah takes on the same challenge as many of the other prophets - sharing God’s message of both judgment and hope. What makes this book unique, however, is the pointedness of his message. He calls out wealthy oppressors and false prophets. He calls out corrupt leaders and how the corruption of the leaders has infected the citizens. His judgment is pointed, but so is his message of restoration and hope. The famous passage from Micah 6:8 says, “The Lord has told you what is good, and this is what he requires of you: to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.”  Micah has a message that continues to resonate today, and to help us navigate th

“Then Jonah prayed to the Lord his God from inside the fish. He said, ‘I cried out to the Lord in my great trouble, and he answered me. I called to you from the land of the dead, and Lord, you heard me! You threw me into the ocean depths, and I sank down to the heart of the sea. The mighty waters engulfed me; I was buried beneath your wild and stormy waves. Then I said, “O Lord, you have driven me from your presence. Yet I will look once more toward your holy Temple.”’” Jonah 2:1-4The book of Jonah is without a doubt the most known book of the prophets and perhaps one of the most well known of the Old Testament. That is to say, most of the story is well known. From the earliest ages the story of Jonah and the fish or Jonah and the whale is taught in church classrooms around the world. But usually that story ends in chapter 2 . . . but there are still two more chapters to the book of Jonah and, you know what, the conversation today spends most of its time in chapter 4. To help us navigate the book of Jonah is

“The Lord says to Edom, ‘I will cut you down to size among the nations; you will be greatly despised. You have been deceived by your own pride because you live in a rock fortress and make your home high in the mountains. “Who can ever reach us way up here?” you ask boastfully. But even if you soar as high as eagles and build your nest among the stars, I will bring you crashing down,’ says the Lord.” - Obadiah 1:2-4Obadiah is the shortest book of the Old Testament. Standing at one chapter, 21 verses, it’s a quick yet pointed announcement of judgment against the land of Edom. While the book is short, it didn’t stop my guest and me from talking about it for nearly 45 minutes. Obadiah has a lot to teach us on what God is judging Edom about, while also warning us what to be on the lookout for in our own lives. It’s a book about the results of pride, violence, and apathy. To help us navigate the book of Obadiah is Dr. Paul Raabe, Professor Emeritus of Exegetical Theology at Concordia Seminary, author of a commentar

“Do what is good and run from evil so that you may live! Then the Lord God of Heaven’s Armies will be your helper, just as you have claimed. Hate evil and love what is good; turn your courts into true halls of justice. Perhaps even yet the Lord God of Heaven’s Armies will have mercy on the remnant of his people.” - Amos 5:14-15The book of Amos has a bit of a reputation. It’s not known for being the most fun of the minor prophets. It doesn’t pop up in many sermons, you don’t see many Bible studies focused on it. There are many reasons why this is the case. Amos is a harsh book - he doesn’t hold back on what he has to say. In chapter 8 it says, “The Lord said, ‘Like this fruit, Israel is ripe for punishment! I will not delay their punishment again. In that day the singing in the Temple will turn to wailing. Dead bodies will be scattered everywhere. They will be carried out of the city in silence.’” Again . . . not the most fun read. However, the true heart of the book of Amos is an incredibly important message

We’ve been walking through this series on Navigating the Bible we're currently neck deep in talking about the Prophets. These books can be extraordinarily beautiful, but they can also be confusing and hard to read. As a brief pause in our series, I thought today might be good to rewind a conversation I had last year with Dr. John Walton about the prophets as a whole. Dr. Walton is professor of Old Testament Emeritus at Wheaton College and author of around 32 books including The Lost World of the Prophets. Dr. Walton was also our guest to help us navigate the book of Job. In this rewind, Dr. Walton and I talk about what we need to know about how prophets were thought of in the days of the Bible, the through-line of the covenant, the difference between interpretation and fulfillment, and so much more. If you ever needed or wanted a primer on how to navigate the prophets, this conversation is for you.Originally Released February 20, 2024Doable Discipleship is a Saddleback Church podcast produced and hosted by Ja

“The church is a multiethnic and multicultural assembly of believers spanning history that God has called into fellowship with Christ and with one another. We gather regularly to consider the teachings of the Bible and to orient our lives around God’s coming kingdom. Together we wait for God to make all things new, and we bear witness to the world of what God has already done.” - Becoming God’s FamilyWhat is the purpose of the church? If you talked with different people you’d likely get different answers. You might hear that it’s a place to worship God. You might hear that it’s just a place people go to feel better about their lives. There’s a broader conversation happening about whether or not the church still matters. Even amongst Christians, there’s a question over why they need to go to church when they can just believe in Jesus and read the Bible on their own. Today’s episode is all about the church and the importance of with-ness. My guest today is Dr. Carmen Joy Imes, associate professor of Old Testame

“The act of confessing our sins to one another is a graced invitation to practice the way of faith, hope, and love. The soul tempted to despair will be particularly allergic to ecclesial confession, but it is here that they will find great remedy for their agonizing condition. For in confessing their sins to one another, they are heard with the faith of fellow saints, they are encouraged by the hope of fellow pilgrims, and they are loved with the charity of brothers and sisters.” - Pastoral ConfessionsConfession is not an easy topic - but it is a healthy topic. Oftentimes when the topic of confession is brought up, it’s met with one of two responses: 1. "My walls are now up and I’m tuning out what is being talked about." 2. "This is so true and important and a lot of other people have things to confess." But like I said, confession is healthy. And even more than that, confession is necessary. Now I may be biased, but one of the best books on confession releases one week from today - Pastoral Confessions writt

“That is why the Lord says, ‘Turn to me now, while there is time. Give me your hearts. Come with fasting, weeping, and mourning. Don’t tear your clothing in your grief, but tear your hearts instead.’ Return to the Lord for he is merciful and compassionate, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love.” Joel 2:12-13The book of Joel, the second of the minor prophets, is such a beautiful book. It’s not long, only three chapters, but packs quite a spiritual punch. It tells of a locust swarm. It tells of a call to repentance and what it means to rejoice in the Lord. It tells of the promise of the Spirit of the Lord. It tells of God’s judgment against enemy nations and blessings for God’s people. Joel is surely a book that, even though it might not be the most taught-through, has a lot of recognizable truths. To help us navigate the book of Joel is Dr. David Baker. David is Professor of Old Testament at Ashland Theological Seminary and author of a number of commentaries including one on Joel. Doable Discipleshi

“O Israel and Judah, what should I do with you?” asks the Lord. “For your love vanishes like the morning mist and disappears like dew in the sunlight. I sent my prophets to cut you to pieces - to slaughter you with my words, with judgments as inescapable as light. I want you to show love, not offer sacrifices. I want you to know me more than I want burnt offerings. But like Adam, you broke my covenant and betrayed my trust.” - Hosea 6:4-7We’re getting deeper into the prophets now as we’ve moved from what are considered the major prophets to the minor prophets. Now don’t let these terms color your view of these next books - the minor prophets have a lot to say. In fact, this conversation on Hosea has been one of my favorites. Honestly, I had not spent much time in Hosea before but man did re-reading it and spending time prepping for this conversation really impact me. Hosea is, yes, another prophet trying to warn Israel of the coming judgment of the Lord, but the approach Hosea takes hits home in a fresh way.

“Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego replied, ‘O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God whom we serve is able to save us. He will rescue us from your power, Your Majesty. But even if he doesn’t, we want to make it clear to you, Your Majesty, that we will never serve your gods or worship the gold statue you have set up.” - Daniel 3:16-18The book of Daniel is perhaps the most well-known of the major prophets, but also perhaps the least understood. It is a book of variation: there are perfectly understandable and well-known stories, but there are also visions and dreams and angels and hands writing on walls. There is some truly crazy stuff in the book of Daniel, but at its heart Daniel is a book about the kingdom of God, the faithfulness of God, and the providence of God. To help us navigate the book of Daniel is Dr. John Goldingay, senior professor of Old Testament and David Allan Hubbard Professor Emeritus at Fuller Theological Seminary and

“The next generation will live into the words we speak over them, so we should consider what words we are speaking over Gen Z. We, older generations, are responsible for raising, stewarding, and discipling the next generation, and right now, they are hearing from us, “We don’t like you.” - An excerpt from What Gen Z Really Wants to Know About God. We’re in a bit of a tale as old as time moment. There is a lot of discussion about Gen Z - and a lot of it negative. Honestly this seems like a not uncommon issue where older generations speak negatively about younger generations, but there is something that does seem different about the conversation surrounding Gen Z. Gen Z is considered the first digital native generation and there is data to show a decline in church engagement in Gen Z. As I read from the excerpt earlier, there is a narrative in place that Gen Z is lazy, difficult, and weak. But what if we flipped the narrative? What if we approached Gen Z with hope and optimism, maybe even appreciation for what

“As Scripture reveals, the kind of wisdom we drink in ultimately guides our choices. It conditions our thoughts and molds our character and habits to become who we are. It influences the longings and desires of our heart and the ways we seek to find meaning. The right question then becomes, what kind of wisdom are we currently being guided by?” - An excerpt from The Man You’re Meant to Be. There’s a lot of talk lately about men and manhood. The rise of the so-called "manosphere" is a major factor in this. As we’ve talked about before, social media and podcasts and other forms of media are can be so specific as ecosystems that it’s easier than ever to be fed almost exclusively however you want to - like going to a Cheesecake Factory but choosing to only get the same thing repeatedly. Now that’s not necessarily a bad thing - the choice you make can be delicious and you can enjoy it every day. But . . . it can also mean that you’re only being fed by one source and that can and will begin to shape you. What you i

“So now, this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I will end the captivity of my people; I will have mercy on all Israel, for I jealously guard my hold reputation! They will accept responsibility for their past shame and unfaithfulness after they come home to live in peace in their own land, with no one to bother them. When I bring them home from the lands of their enemies, I will display my holiness among them for all the nations to see. Then my people will know that I am the Lord their God, because I sent them away to exile and brought them home again.” - Ezekiel 39:25-28My guest today has previously started his teaching on Ezekiel this way: “Why in the world would anybody want to read Ezekiel let alone study this unbelievable and incomprehensible book?” When I heard this - I immediately knew he was the guy I wanted to help us navigate this book. Ezekiel is a diamond in the rough in the canon of the prophets. It’s message is similar to the prophets we’ve read already, Isaiah and Jeremiah, but with an element w

“Joy has left our hearts; our dancing has turned to mourning. The garlands have fallen from our heads. Weep for us because we have sinned. Our hearts are sick and weary, and our eyes grow dim with tears. For Jerusalem is empty and desolate, a place haunted by jackals. But Lord, you remain the same forever! Your throne continues from generation to generation.” Lamentations 5: 15-19The book of Lamentations picks up right where Jeremiah left off. Jerusalem has fallen and the prophet Jeremiah is left weeping at what has occurred. Lamentations, though not necessarily easy to read, is a beautiful book showing the heart of a man so burdened with grief for the choices that the people of Jerusalem had made. It’s also a picture of God’s heart, grieving for his chosen people to return to him. But like the book of Jeremiah, Lamentations is not without hope. We are treated to a beautiful reminder of the faithfulness of God and that hope continues to rest in him and him alone. To help us navigate the book of Lamentations i

“Why do some of us experience Christianity as a burden and others as a refuge? The answer, I am convinced, has to do with grace. Grace is the Big Relief at the heart of Christianity. When grace is down-played or qualified, faith turns into a project and then a burden. Project religion - the ancient human enterprise of proving ourselves morally and spiritually worthy of God’s love - is everywhere. When anchored to grace, however, Christianity remains good news. More than that, faith becomes a source of energy rather than a drain.” - an excerpt from The Big ReliefToday I’m excited to talk about one of my favorite books of the year. As I’ve mentioned a few times on this podcast, I’ve been on a bit of a grace kick lately. Grace was something I knew about, but honestly hadn’t spent a whole ton of time considering. It’s just the last few months though that I’ve really been sitting with grace and seeing just how beautiful, how important it is. So imagine my excitement when I saw a book about the urgency of grace in