Farther Along

Today’s episode comes from Clay Leonard on a tough text from the book of Genesis. Do you remember God’s command to Abraham to kill his son Isaac? If you’re like me and grew up in Sunday School, maybe you’ve never thought much about it. A couple of years ago, however, I was teaching a class full of nonChristians in a secular university and this same story from Genesis 22 came up. The majority of the students in the classroom had nev...

After the past two episodes, I’m reminded how much I miss New Zealand church of Christ family camps. This next lesson completes the recent trilogy from last year’s Easter camp and comes from Trevor Major on the challenges of relativism and how we as Christians might use the story of Jesus to show the importance of truth. Again, apologies on the less than perfect audio quality, but the lesson is well worth it.

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Laughter? Bad audio quality? Heartfelt lessons nonetheless? You’re probably at camp! This lesson is the next in a series from New Zealand. Todd O’Donnell reminds us in a lighthearted way how Christians must deal in Christlike love with the conflicts that inevitably rise up in the church. Scripture is full of reminders of Christ’s love and mercy for us when we don’t deserve it. That’s how we’ve got to treat our brethren.
As menti...

The next few episodes are coming all the way from New Zealand and will be a little bit longer than usual. That’s because the members of the churches of Christ over there get together a few times a year for camps that dedicate a lot of time studying the Bible. This particular camp focused on Dealing with the challenges we face from the world.

This first lesson is from Kent O’Donnell encouraging us to live godly lives even though our...

Gender. It’s a concept we likely took for granted. Men are men and women are women. Right? Our culture has introduced complexity to something that many of us never even thought could be questioned. Whether we’re facing the interrogation of gender roles in the work of the New Testament church or even the nature of a person’s identity, this is a topic that the Christian ought to have an answer for. We hope you’ll be blessed by Robert...

Have you ever made a New Years Resolution? This is usually the time of year when wives all over the world collectively roll their eyes for some far fetched scheme that their husbands have resolved to do. I know I’ve been guilty of that in the past. In this episode, I want to encourage you to make some practical spiritual resolutions for the sake of your own soul and the sake of the kingdom. Let’s take the opportunity the new year p...

It’s the most wonderful time of the year! Or at least that’s what the song tells us.

It certainly is a time of year in our culture when people, whether religious or not, seem to be more generous and considerate of the needs of others.

 In this episode Justin Rogers emphasises the nature of God as a gift giver and how we, as His people, can be more like Him in sharing the gifts He’s blessed us with.

Thanks be to God for his inexpres...

Biblical characters and people groups have deeply impacted our common vocabulary, even thousands of miles away and thousands of years later. If someone was to call you a “Doubting Thomas,” “A Pharisee,” or a “Good Samaritan” we would understand what they mean.  Sometimes, however, the Bible’s teaching about these ancient people may not impact us as it should because we are so far removed from the original culture where these groups...

Jesus wants his followers to be connected with one another. What exactly does that look like in my local congregation? Thanks for joining us today as we study how the Lord adds us to His body and what His plan is for our assemblies. We will consider a number of principles and possible objections to congregational autonomy, the leadership of local shepherds, and our commitment to be connected to the blessings and responsibilities of...

Our episode today comes from Chris Fry. Chris has served in ministry for over 20 years and now serves as Director of Latin Teams with Great Cites Missions.

Have you ever considered what life is like for full time church workers? Chris brings us a neglected but necessary topic on how we can better support our brethren who work full time for the local congregation.

As mentioned in the intro, check out https://thechristianexile.com ...

As Christians, our spiritual walk can be described as a battle. At the very end of his life, Paul could say, in 2 Timothy 4:7 that he fought the Good Fight. How is your battle going? In this episode Lance Mosher brings an encouraging message that reminds us what we’re fighting for, the weapons we’re using, and the motivation that encourages us to the front lines. 

After listening, be sure to check out Lance’s website mosherministr...

Have you voted? Who did you vote for? If we don’t win this election, this will be the end of democracy! Maybe you’ve been asked these questions or heard similar sentiments because it’s time for the United States to elect their next president. For every Christian concerned with the current political landscape, this episode is for you. Let’s consider our heavenly citizenship and what it means for Jesus to be King as David Pharr encou...

There are certain words that you will likely never hear outside of a church building. One of those words is sanctification. 1 Thessalonians 4:3 tells us that our sanctification is God’s will! Sanctification seems to be a really important concept in the Bible, yet it’s not a word we use often. What does it mean? We hope you’ll enjoy a deep dive into Isaiah’s vision of God’s throne room as he learns how to be sanctified for the Lord’...

The children’s song: I’m in the Lord’s Army is likely a favorite at Vacation Bible Schools all across this country. The song mentions being in the Lord’s army, but not marching in the infantry or flying over the enemy. In this lesson, Kurt Montooth reminds us that God’s Family truly is the Lord’s Army and we have a fight on our hands, but we don’t fight in the ways we see other armies fight. 

Kurt Montooth is the owner of Montooth...

One of my favorite songs is “This world is not my home.” I remember singing it as a child, without knowing what it meant. I sang it before I ever knew how alluring certain aspects of the world would be to me. Now that I’m older and I’ve seen the pain and suffering behind those alluring temptations offered by the world, I sing it even louder. This world is not our home, we’re just a passing thru. Lets dive into the depths of Scriptu...

Where do you look for encouragement? There are encouraging messages coming from many different directions in this world, but are all of them true? As Christians we need to find connection, value, and our  purpose in life in the context of where God has put us: inside the body of Christ, the local congregation of God’s people. I hope this lesson encourages you to consider your role in the body of Christ, the church.

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Suicide. It’s a word we’d rather not say, but whether we say it or not, it is a reality that darkens the doors of our communities and even the Lord’s church. In this lesson Lance Mosher invites us to consider God’s view of suicide, what to do if you ever find yourself considering suicide, and how to handle a situation in which a friend or loved one takes their own life. It’s a hard discussion, but a necessary one and we’re thankful...

As Christians, how do we respond to grief when we’re suffering? Are there some practical ways to deal with loss? What should I say to a brother or sister who is facing challenges?  We hope you’ll be encouraged by Lance Mosher’s sermon which answers these questions and gives us a biblical overview of the problem of pain and suffering we face in this world.  

As mentioned in the intro, check out ⁠https://thechristianexile.com⁠ for a...

In our Pilot episode, John Jones brings us a lesson from 1 Samuel 19 about Jonathan, his courageous armor bearer, and the ways in which their bravery can inform our attempts to encourage the disheartened in our churches. As mentioned in the intro, check out https://thechristianexile.com for articles about how Christians, as exiles and strangers in this world, can best understand Jesus's kingdom and our role in it.

Music by Bensoun...