Your Church Friends Podcast

Jesus dropped the reverse Uno card on leprosy when He touched the man plagued by the disease. Normally, when anyone came in contact with someone with leprosy, they would become unclean and fear they might also become a leper—a death sentence in those days. But Jesus didn’t become unclean. Instead, the reverse happened: the man with leprosy became clean and was able to rejoin the community. Join Your Church Friends as they closely e...

Is being unclean the same as being sinful? From the perspective of many in the Bible, yes, it was. So, when Jesus has an encounter with a man with leprosy, the people's understanding is about to be shaken up, as all they knew about being unclean and leprosy is going to go out the window. Join Your Church Friends as they closely examine the difference between being unclean and being sinful, and how knowing the difference is an essen...

Full disclosure: this is the conversation that took place after the demon episodes and before the Peter episodes. We thought we lost it due to a file transfer error, but it turns out it was just hiding—sneaky file! So here it is!

They wanted the miracle, but Jesus’ main objective was to teach about the Kingdom of God. His proclamation was that the new King had arrived, and the question before the people then, and us today, is: wi...

Full disclosure: this is the conversation that took place after the demon episodes and before the Peter episodes. We thought we lost it due to a file transfer error, but it turns out it was just hiding—sneaky file! So here it is!

When Peter’s mother-in-law develops a fever, Jesus comes over and heals her. Interestingly enough, He rebukes the sickness just like He did the demons before. Does this mean that sickness and demonic activ...

He’s a fisherman, but not just any fisherman—Peter is an expert fisherman. So, what happens when a carpenter from Nazareth named Jesus comes along and gives him advice on fishing? Peter then catches more fish than he ever has before. How does Peter respond to this encounter with Jesus? How would you respond to an encounter with Jesus? Join Your Church Friends as they closely examine an encounter with Jesus and how our response to t...

Is everything we struggle with today a demon? Many believe that is the case, but when you look at the demonic activity in the Bible, you may think otherwise. Jesus encounters a man possessed by a demon in the synagogue, and when Jesus rebukes the demon, it leaves. The people are amazed at the authority Jesus has, even over demons. Join Your Church Friends as they closely examine demons and their activity in the Bible, and how Jesus...

Have you ever sat back and wondered, where do demons come from? They are scarcely mentioned in the Old Testament, and then suddenly, in the New Testament, exorcising them from tormented souls becomes part of Jesus' mission. How did this eerie shift occur, and how does understanding the shadowy writings of the Second Temple period help? Join Your Church Friends as they closely examine the origins of demons in the Bible, their relati...

Jesus is in His hometown, the place He grew up in, and in the synagogue, reading from the scroll of Isaiah 61. Everything was going great—the people enjoyed His message—until He gave two Old Testament references: the Widow of Zarephath and Naaman. After this, the people wanted to kill Jesus by walking Him off a cliff. But why? Why did these two references stir up so much rage in the people of Nazareth? Join Your Church Friends as t...

After Jesus’ encounter with the Devil in the desert, He is now prepared to begin His earthly mission. The Spirit leads Him back home to Nazareth, where in the synagogue, He opens up the scroll and begins to read from Isaiah 61. Jesus uses this portion of the Old Testament to proclaim to all listening—and to us—the mission of the Savior. Join Your Church Friends as they closely examine the mission of Jesus and why it is an essential...

The confrontation between Jesus and the Devil continues, and it’s time for temptation number 3! There is a back-and-forth about Psalm 91, known as “The Exorcism” Psalm. That’s right, “The Exorcism” Psalm. After this exchange, the Devil leaves Jesus, and the battle is won. This victory, so early in Jesus’ ministry, is crucial to understanding the purpose of why Jesus came to earth. Join Your Church Friends as they closely examine th...

After the riveting section on Jesus’ Genealogy, Luke picks up the story of Jesus in the wilderness for forty days and nights fasting, and the devil appearing after to tempt Him. But why forty? What was so significant about that number in the Bible? Also, why in the wilderness, and how did the devil get there? The answers may surprise you! Join Your Church Friends as they closely examine the Temptations of Jesus and why they are an ...

Genealogies might be considered some of the most mundane parts of the Bible, yet God saw fit to include them. They're simply lists of names, so why are genealogies so important, especially when it comes to the genealogy of Jesus? For Luke, he strategically pauses at the end of chapter 3 to provide us with Jesus’ genealogy, revealing who Jesus' Father truly was and demonstrating that even our Savior can have an imperfect family tree...

We're going way back in the time machine to a conversation between Chris and Special Guest Rogelio Rodriguez Jr that took place in 2021. This conversation served as a follow-up to Season 1, 'The Sermon on the Mount.' In it, they discuss: What are the Beatitudes? How does Jesus' use of the word 'blessed' differ from our understanding of 'blessed'? How do the Beatitudes challenge our morality, and what influence should they have on t...

Out of the desert came a man with a message of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. That man was John the Baptist, and he did not shy away from telling people God’s truth. In fact, his first words in the Bible are, “You brood of vipers, who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?” So, if repentance was so important at the establishment of the Gospel, why doesn’t the Church talk about repentance today? Join Your Church Friends ...

We've all experienced that sinking feeling in our stomach when we think we've lost something important. When we find it, there's a profound sense of relief. For Mary and Joseph, they lost Jesus. Imagine the distress of losing the Savior of the world. Yet, we don't have to imagine, because sometimes in our Christian journey, we feel like we've lost Jesus. Join Your Church Friends as they closely examine why it's important to seek Je...

I believe that at some point, we've all daydreamed about what life would look like if we won the lottery. How it would "save" us from our woes. However, the Bible tells a different story. Our salvation is only found in Jesus, who was born into poverty. Yet, even in this poverty, He was recognized as the Savior by two faithful, elderly Israelites. Join Your Church Friends as they closely examine why salvation is exclusively found in...