Bible Banter

In this episode, Ryan and Steph discuss three truths about prayer from the book of James. First, prayer is more than a monologue or a wish list; it is communion with our Creator. Second, prayer is not meaningless or trivial; it has great power that moves the heart of God. And third, prayer is not reserved for the spiritual elite or the ultra righteous; it is equally accessible to each one of us.

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We are immersed in a culture of instant gratification. We want quick and easy results in every arena of life, including our spiritual growth. But, following Jesus is a lifelong journey of being transformed into His image, as the Apostle Paul puts it, "from one degree of glory to the next." This is why James instructs us to look at the patient farmer. Cultivating genuine faith takes a lot of patience and work, and there are ...

Money is a tricky thing. It's necessary to pay the bills, it's nice to have a little extra, and there's nothing inherently evil about it. And yet, the biblical authors repeatedly warn us of the dangers of accumulating wealth. The big question Ryan and Steph consider is whether or not money, in and of itself, is the problem, or, as with everything else, is money an issue of the heart?

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In this episode, Ryan and Steph reflect on James' sobering reminder that we could die at any moment. "Your life is a vapor," James writes. "It's gone in a flash!" James points out the arrogance of living our lives under the assumption that we will see tomorrow. However, James is not suggesting we throw our hands up and live hopeless, futureless lives. Instead, James challenges us to make our plans and set ou...

James echos the words of Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount by telling us to not bring false accusations or judgment against one another. Does this mean that we are never allowed to "point out the speck in someone's eye?" How should we respond if someone brings a charge against us? Ryan and Steph explore these questions and more as they continue their study of the book of James.

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The Gospel is lightly peppered throughout James' letter, but he gives a strong Gospel reminder in the center. In order for the Gospel (which means "good news") to be good news, it must follow bad news. So first, James presents the problem of sin in our broken hearts. Then, James reminds us of the good news of God's abundant grace to heal our hearts.

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One of the key themes in James' letter is wisdom, and according to James, there is false wisdom and true wisdom.  False wisdom is the prevailing perspective that "I am the center of the universe and everything revolves around me." In stark contrast, true wisdom is the perspective that "God is the center of the universe and everything revolves around Him." If we truly have true wisdom, it will be evident by what ...

James gives a strong warning about the power of our words. What we say may seem small and insignificant, but it can set our entire world ablaze with the fires of hell! James also points out the hypocrisy of using our words to worship God and also belittle those who have been made in His image. Ultimately, James teaches us that if we are to tame our tongue, we must begin with our heart.

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Ryan and Steph continue their study of the book of James by discussing the hotly debated words: "Faith without works is dead." Is James suggesting that our salvation can be earned by good works? Or, is James once again challenging us to cultivate a genuine faith that produces fruit worthy of repentance?

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In this episode, Ryan and Steph turn the page to chapter two in the book of James and discuss James' strong warning against partiality. James says showing partiality and favoritism is evil thinking that is treasonous to King Jesus because it is diametrically opposed to the Kingdom of God. He then gives us three ways to guard against the treasonous mindset of partiality.

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Up to this point in his letter, James has been teaching us how to cultivate genuine faith. Now, James tells us faith that is truly genuine is going to produce good fruit. If we hear the Word but we don't do what the Word says, we can deceive ourselves into believing we are followers of Jesus when we are, in fact, not followers of Jesus. Ryan and Steph discuss this sobering warning from James.

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Ryan and Steph continue their conversation on the book of James by heeding James' warning about temptation. Sin may seem harmless at first, but it will eventually turn and destroy you. James encourages us to overcome temptation by remembering who God is and remembering who we are in Christ.

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In the opening words of his letter, James instructs us to count it all joy when we face trials and difficulties, because the exercising of our faith develops endurance to weather any storm. This is certainly a tall order, but in this episode, Ryan and Steph discuss two ways we can be anchored in joy in the midst of the raging sea.

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In this episode of Bible Banter, Ryan and Steph begin a verse-by-verse study through the book of James. The key to understanding James' letter is a word he uses seven times: "perfect." This word, in the original Greek, means "whole, complete, genuine." James is challenging his readers to turn away from hypocrisy and cultivate a genuine faith that practices what it preaches.

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In the conclusion of their salvation conversation, Ryan and Steph shift gears slightly and talk about the invitation to become a disciple of Jesus. Every time someone asked Jesus, "What must I do to inherit eternal life?" the answer He gave seemed to be very personalized. Ryan and Steph discuss how, in order to follow Jesus, we must turn away from our old identities and become new creations in Christ.

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In part three of their conversation on salvation, Ryan and Steph tackle a mammoth question: Can you lose your salvation? First, Ryan presents a few key verses for the Eternal Security (once saved, always saved) side of the debate. Then, Ryan presents some key verses for the Conditional Security (you can lose your salvation) side. After considering both sides of the argument, Ryan and Steph discuss where they land.

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Ryan and Steph continue their conversation on salvation by asking the question, "Can you earn your salvation?" First, they consider the explicit words of Paul in Ephesians 2 that we are saved by grace through faith and not of works. Then, Ryan and Steph turn to James 2 and discuss the seemingly contradictory words that faith without works is dead. Is salvation a gift to be simply received, or is it something we must achieve...

What are we talking about when we talk about salvation? Is salvation a ticket to heaven, personal redemption, or perhaps so much more? In this episode, Ryan and Steph begin a four-part series on salvation by tracing the storyline of salvation throughout the Bible. From Genesis to Revelation, God is on a rescue mission to deliver us from our sin and restore all that was lost and broken.

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In this stand-alone episode, Ryan and Steph explore the fascinating symbolism of east in the Bible. On the first page of the Bible, we are told that God plants a garden on the east side of Eden. After the humans rebel, God expels them eastward. As you continue reading the biblical story, humanity keeps moving further east, away from the Garden of Eden. But, the prophets envisioned a day when humanity would ultimately return to Eden...