A Stranger in the House of God
A Stranger in the House of God is the Podcast of award winning author John Koessler. Growing up the son of agnostics, John Koessler saw a Catholic church on one end of the street and a Baptist on the other. In the no-man’s land between the two, this curious outsider wondered about the God they worshiped—and began a lifelong search to comprehend the grace and mystery of God. John's podcast addresses fundamental questions and struggles faced by spiritual seekers and mature believers.
Episodes
The cure for Christmas melancholia is not, as a popular song tells us, that we “need a little Christmas right now.” Nor is it necessarily Puritan austerity or renunciation of all observance of Christmas. The cure, strange as it may seem, is good theology.
Hi, this is John Koessler, jumping in before we start to let you know about a new book that would make a great gift for that person who loves both Christmas and read...
I used to think that lullaby carols were odd. Why place so much emphasis on the baby Jesus? But this year, I began listening to Christmas carols in July in connection with a new book I was writing. I see them differently now.
Hi, this is John Koessler, jumping in before we start to let you know about a new book that would make a great gift for that person who loves both Christmas and reading. It’s called Christmas Tra...
I have heard more than one Christian express reservations about what we can look forward to in the age to come. What is it about Heaven that makes some of us nervous?
Hi, this is John Koessler, jumping in before we start to let you know about a new book that would make a great gift for that person who loves both Christmas and reading. It’s called Christmas Travelers, and it’s a collection of reflections, essays, and p...
When Jesus called the two disciples on the Emmaus Road "slow to believe," he was describing many of us as well. The disciples' struggle to believe provides insight into our own slow faith.
Dr. John Koessler is an award-winning writer and retired faculty emeritus of Moody Bible Institute. John writes the Practical Theology column for Today in the Word and a monthly column on prayer for Mature Living. He ...
Shakespeare called death “the undiscovered country.” But its environs may be more familiar than we think. The landscape of the undiscovered country is not as alien as we thought. Nor do we have to wait until we pass through the gates of death to catch a glimpse of its powers. In fact, if we take Scripture at its word, all those who are in Christ are already in residence there in some mysterious sense.
Today's t...
Scripture says that Job died "old and full of days." Unlike our culture, which tends to view old age through the lens of loss and debilitation, the Bible's perspective on aging is generally positive. What are the five "blessings" that come with old age?
Dr. John Koessler is an award-winning writer and retired faculty emeritus of Moody Bible Institute. John writes the Practical Theology column f...
Christmas is the day that holds pride of place for most Christians. Of all the holidays, it is the one that garners the lion's share of our attention and generates the most excitement. But this has not always been the case. In terms of church history, Christmas, at least as we now observe it, was a relative latecomer. The earliest Christians showed relatively little interest in fixing the precise date of Christ&a...
During this past presidential election, Joe Rogan attempted to sit down with Kamala Harris for an interview. When they were unable to come to terms, he expressed disappointment. "I hope she does," Rogan said. "I will talk to her like a human being. I would try to have a conversation with her." Whatever you may think of Rogan, he was correct in describing conversation as the art of talking to someon...
In a letter discussing the infant theory of quantum mechanics, Albert Einstein famously observed that God “does not play dice.” Perhaps, but sometimes, it feels as if God does play games with us. What is the nature of what Martin Luther called "the divine game?"
Hi, this is John Koessler, jumping in before we start to let you know about a new book that would make a great gift for that person who loves b...
John offers a review of Logos Bible Software's new subscription model, designed to enhance accessibility and maintain revenue. Mixed user feedback highlights concerns about costs versus value and the introduction of AI features into the software.
Hi, this is John Koessler, jumping in before we start to let you know about a new book that would make a great gift for that person who loves both Christmas and reading....
Playfulness is not typically attributed to the divine. Common descriptors include holy, sovereign, just, and merciful. Attributes such as omniscience, omnipresence, and self-sufficiency are well-acknowledged. However, playfulness seldom makes it into theological discourse. throughout the Bible, the grace note reflected in God’s dealings with humanity is that of mirth.
Hi, this is John Koessler, jumping in before we st...
The church is a caravan. It travels in company. In one of his sermons on the nature of Christ, Saint Augustine pictures the church as being a community of faith that stretches across the globe but across time. Or as he put it, “from Abel the just to the end of the world.” This is not what I usually see when the congregation assembles. I can’t help but notice how drab my view of the same spiritual landscape is by compa...
Faith and hope are essential in prayer. But how much faith is enough before God will answer?
Hi, this is John Koessler, jumping in before we start to let you know about a new book that would make a great gift for that person who loves both Christmas and reading. It’s called Christmas Travelers, and it’s a collection of reflections, essays, and poems about the birth of the Savior. It includes a number of beautiful col...
Some years ago, a friend admitted to me that she couldn’t pray. She is not alone. Some of the godliest people have found themselves at a loss for words in the presence of God. How do we pray when we have no words?
Hi, this is John Koessler, jumping in before we start to let you know about a new book that would make a great gift for that person who loves both Christmas and reading. It’s called Christmas Travelers, and i...
Everyone learns to talk by imitation. Most people learn to pray the same way. They hear the prayers of others and copy them. Jesus’s disciples learned how to pray from Jesus. His model prayer, usually referred to as the Lord’s Prayer, is a prayer that we can pray for ourselves, but it is also a kind of template.
Hi, this is John Koessler, jumping in before we start to let you know about a new book that would make a gr...
It is not a hyperbole to describe the Christmas story as fantastic. That is to say, it has all the characteristics of a fantasy. C. S. Lewis observed, ""The heart of Christianity is a myth which is also a fact."
Hi, this is John Koessler, jumping in before we start to let you know about a new book that would make a great gift for that person who loves both Christmas and reading. It’s called Christmas Tr...
Many things can get in the way of praying. But one of the most common obstacles is boredom. Prayer can sometimes seem tedious. How do we stay focused when praying?
Hi, this is John Koessler, jumping in before we start to let you know about a new book that would make a great gift for that person who loves both Christmas and reading. It’s called Christmas Travelers, and it’s a collection of reflections, essays, and poe...
Which kind of praying is better, memorized prayers, written prayers, or extemporaneous prayers that we make up in the moment?
Hi, this is John Koessler, jumping in before we start to let you know about a new book that would make a great gift for that person who loves both Christmas and reading. It’s called Christmas Travelers, and it’s a collection of reflections, essays, and poems about the birth of the Savior. It in...
Sometimes when we pray, we are angry with other people. On other occasions, we pray because we are angry with God. How do we manage our angry prayers?
Hi, this is John Koessler, jumping in before we start to let you know about a new book that would make a great gift for that person who loves both Christmas and reading. It’s called Christmas Travelers, and it’s a collection of reflections, essays, and poems about the b...
Do a search on books about intercessory prayer on the Internet, and the overall impression you get is that our concerns in this area are primarily concerns of focus and method. Intercession isn't exactly rocket science but that doesn't mean that it is easy.
Hi, this is John Koessler, jumping in before we start to let you know about a new book that would make a great gift for that person who loves both Christ...
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