Michael Easley inContext

A Bonus Episode in two parts: First, a conversation between Michael and Tommy Nelson about the literal, human aspect of Song of Solomon. Second, a conversation between Michael and Dr. Philip Ryken about the perspective of Christ's love for the church displayed in the Song of Solomon. Both have studied and written extensively about Song of Solomon and we wanted to offer both of their expertise for this episode. We hope you enjoy these back-to-back conversations! To view notes from this episode, visit: htt

Michael teaches an overview of Song of Solomon. The Song of Songs or Song of Solomon is a complex, mysterious, and somewhat uncomfortable book. As the Bible is meant to serve as a guide in all aspects of life, it is a gift to look at this text and derive from it God's intentions and design for sexual intimacy. Do you have a biblical or theological question? Ask Dr. E! Send us a note at [email protected] or call 615-281-9694 and leave a message with your question. Dr. E will answer on an upcom

Curtis Zackery joins Michael for a conversation about Ecclesiastes. What does it mean to be right before God? How are we to view our pursuit of righteousness? What is the meaning and purpose of this life? Listen as Michael and CZ pull lessons from this Old Testament text that help us understand what Christ has done and how we ought to live in light of His mercy. To view Show Notes for this episode, visit: http://michaelincontext.com/ecclesiastes-bonus-curtis-zackery

Michael teaches an overview of the book of Ecclesiastes as part of our ongoing series: The Big Book–Cover to Cover. The book of Ecclesiastes seemingly fails to fit in with the rest of Scripture - it has no obvious outline, no narrative. Where proverbs offers practical guidance for living, Ecclesiastes offers musings and observations about this life. This unusual book meets the discouraged and disillusioned in their struggle, and offers a a gentle encouragement toward that which gives meaning.

Today we land in the book of Proverbs: Wisdom for the Ages. What is wisdom? Where do we find it? Join us as Michael discusses how we are to read, interpret, and apply this text. To view this episode's Show Notes visit: http://michaelincontext.com/cover-to-cover-proverbs

As I've gone through this series, several people have asked me, "How are you going to teach through the book of Psalms in one lesson?" Indeed, this portion of Scripture is a lot to take on in one sitting. Today we're looking at the Psalter, a collection of national songs from the Israelites. The Psalms come from various authors throughout the Israel's history and offer insight both to Israel's pleas and praise to God, and God's responses to Israel. Join us as we seek to understand how we are to read thes

What do we do when bad things happen to us or those we love? How do we make sense of tragedy? How are we to respond in times of suffering and loss? Jim Traficant joins Michael today to talk about his journey through chronic illness and what he has learned through years of suffering and loss about the God who sustained him through it all. We hope you are encouraged as you listen to this very special conversation. If you have a biblical or theological question, Ask Dr. E! You can submit your question to

We're moving from the historical books to the Wisdom/Poetry Literature, beginning with the book of Job. In this important text we are forced to ask impossible questions about difficulties in life: loss, illness, suffering; and to wrestle with the possibility that, perhaps, the answers to those questions aren't ours to have. Join us as Michael helps us understand the book of Job. To view this episode's Show Notes, visit: http://michaelincontext.com/cover-to-cover-job

Have you ever asked the question, "Why is this happening to me?" Or wondered how God could possibly use your current circumstances for good? Alistair Begg joins Michael for an encouraging conversation about God's providence. "And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose." Romans 8:28 NASB

Some scholars would argue that the book of Esther shouldn't be in the Bible. Neither God's name nor his laws appear in the text, no miracles occur, no prophet speaks - but here, in this text, we see God's providence. Join us as Michael teaches through this unique and important book.

Bestselling Author Gary Thomas joins Michael to discuss his new book, When to Walk Away. Join us for this valuable conversation about balancing relationships with difficult people, and the unexpected consequences for leaders who fail to address toxic people or attitudes within their spheres of influence. To learn more about his new book, visit: http://www.garythomas.com/books/when-to-walk-away/ Our thanks to Gary for his time and expertise!

Michael teaches through Nehemiah, a continuation of last week's lesson on Ezra. Nehemiah was a contemporary of Ezra's. Where Ezra is moving the exiles back to Jerusalem, most of Nehemiah's account is in Jerusalem as he attempts to repair the wall around the city to prevent enemies from entering who would physically and spiritually destroy Israel's newly reestablished temple complex. Nehemiah's task is a restoration project not unlike Ezra's attempts to reform the Jews who had fallen away from YHWH. To v

Dr. Eugene Merrill joins Michael to discuss the book of Ezra: Where we find it in Scripture, why it matters, and what we can learn from Ezra's example. Dr. Eugene Merrill is distinguished professor of Old Testament studies at Dallas Theological Seminary and distinguished professor of Old Testament interpretation at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky. With degrees from Bob Jones University (Old Testament studies), New York University (Jewish studies), and Columbia University

What have we set our hearts on? "For Ezra had set his heart to study the law of the Lord and to practice it, and to teach His statutes and ordinances in Israel." Ezra 7:10 Join us as Michael teaches through the book of Ezra.

We're back with another episode of Ask Dr. E! In this episode Michael answers your questions about salvation for ancient people groups other than the Israelites, what happens when people denounce their faith, conflict in Israel and preparing to travel to the Holy Land, calvinism, and where Christ really was between His death and resurrection. You can view timestamps for each episode as well as resources mentioned in their answers in our Show Notes Here: http://michaelincontext.com/ask-dr-e-8 Do you have

Though 1 and 2 Chronicles give us one continuous story, the emphasis in 2 Chronicles is somewhat different. In 1 Chronicles the emphasis is the importance of the temple in national life - but in 2 Chronicles, the emphasis is the impotence of the temple in national life. While 1 Chronicles emphasizes the importance of recognizing God as a nation, 2 Chronicles emphasizes the importance of following formal recognition with actual recognition in attitudes and actions. Tragically, we see in 2 Chronicles th

Is there a difference in Bible reading, comprehension, and retention whether you use a physical book or read a digital version? What is the influence of switching from print to digital? John Dyer joins Michael today to discuss the impact technology has on our personal Bible study. To read notes and find resources mentioned in this episode, visit: https://michaelincontext.com/digital-bible-john-dyer/

1-2 Chronicles covers the same time period as 2 Samuel-2 Kings, but offers more and different detail because it was written for a different purpose. What we know of the past shapes how we view our present and plan our future. What we know of our theological history will affect the way we understand and live out our faith. Join us as Michael helps us to fill out our understanding of the history of our theological roots. To read notes and find resources mentioned in this episode, visit: http://michaelinco

Rubbing off on the people around you is inevitable. The question is: What type of influence will you have? Bill Hendricks joins Michael to discuss his book, Men Of Influence. Bill Hendricks is president of The Giftedness Center, a Dallas-based consulting firm specializing in organizational effectiveness and individual career guidance. He is the author or coauthor of twenty-three books, including Your Work Matters to God, Living by the Book, The Power of Uniqueness, and The Person Called You. He is the pro

Michael continues our series The Big Book – Cover to Cover with an overview of 2 Kings. In this book we see the reign of 19 more kings in the Divided Kingdom, the transfer of leadership between Elijah and Elisha, and are introduced to a new prophet: Isaiah. As we read about the faith of the prophets and failures of many of these kings, we're prompted to ask: where do we turn in times of trouble? Do we seek answers from our own resources, worldview, network, friends? May we learn to first inquire of the

Dr. David Lamb joins Michael to talk about the books of 1 and 2 Kings. Dr. Lamb is an associate professor of Old Testament at Biblical Seminary and loves to teach the Bible. This passion was developed during twenty years of ministry with InterVarsity Christian Fellowship, as a student at Stanford University (BA, MS,) and then on staff in Los Angeles and Philadelphia. Studies at Fuller Theological Seminary (MDiv) and the University of Oxford (MPhil, DPhil) further deepened his interest in the Old Testament.

1 Kings begins with a portrait of the king we're all longing for and ends in disaster. Power un-checked and un-submitted to the Lord breeds injustice and corruption. The nation of Israel splits into the Divided Kingdom and we are left longing for the King who will rule justly, mercifully, perfectly. Join us in our study of 1 Kings: http://michaelincontext.com/cover-to-cover-1-kings

Ask Dr. E is back for its 7th episode and we have some great questions to answer today, but want to quickly be sure to share a resource before we dive in. We've had a number of Logos Mobile Ed professors join us as guests on Bonus Episodes in our current series, The Big Book–Cover to Cover. I was an early adopter of Logos software - the library is exhaustive and the software is so fast. They've begun to offer a Mobile Ed program. You'll continue to hear from more of those professors, but Logos a great

The book of 2 Samuel takes place at about the mid-way point in the timeline between Abraham and Jesus Christ. It's here that we come to know David, the man after God's own heart, whose reign is mired by his great failures - and redeemed by God's great graciousness to him. In examining David's kingship it's important to note: what motivates the king to seek the Lord's guidance? Join us as we explore David's inquiries of the Lord in this important text: To read this episode's Show Notes: http://michaelinc

Today we welcome Dr. Michael Lawson back to talk about God's chosen king: David, and what that choice teaches us. You can read a transcript of our conversation here: http://michaelincontext.com/bonus-king-david Have a biblical or theological question? Ask Dr. E! Call us at 615-281-9694 and leave a voicemail with your question. Michael will answer it on an upcoming episode!

This is episode 9 of our series: The Big Book–Cover to Cover. We're in the first of six books that make up a the majority of the historical texts. In 1 Samuel, we witness the transition from the period of the judges to the monarchy. We'll see what happens when Israel makes their own choices rather than aligning themselves to God's choice, and how we really aren't so different. Have a biblical or theological question? Ask Dr. E! Call and leave your question for us at 615-281-9694, or email question@mi

As you heard in the recent episode of our Cover to Cover series, it's my opinion that Boaz is the primary character in the book of Ruth. But my dear friend Jeanne Hendricks holds a different view. Join us as we listen to her take on the purpose of this book and who she believes to be the real hero of the story: Naomi. To read a transcript of our conversation, visit http://michaelincontext.com/cover-to-cover-naomi-jeanne-hendricks

Our current series is unlike anything I've ever done before and I'm learning. I sort of know how to prep to teach on a passage, but teaching an entire book is something new. Today we'll look at a high-level overview of the book of Ruth. It's a beautiful story of love, faithfulness, loyalty, and redemption set right in the time when the judges were judging. To read this episode's Show Notes, visit: http://michaelincontext.com/cover-to-cover-ruth

How do we resolve texts we can't reconcile to any sort of order or justice? When the bad guys win, and evil violence seems to have the last word? Dr. Mark Chavalas joins us again to discuss some of the more difficult passages in the book of Judges. Our thanks to Dr. Chavalas for joining us on the show again! To read a transcript of this conversation visit: http://michaelincontext.com/cover-to-cover-difficult-scripture

We've moved through the Pentateuch (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy) and into the Historical Books. If you missed our study of Joshua, listen and review Show Notes Here. Today, we're looking at Judges, which has often been referred to as the darkest days in Israel's history. Judges is a tectonic shift in the storyline, as we look at a generation who doesn't know God. To read this episode's Show Notes visit: http://michaelincontext.com/cover-to-cover-judges

We’ve covered the Pentateuch and if there’s a takeaway I want to make sure you have, it’s that it’s a corpus of literature, not five individual books. So often we think of Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy as 5 books – but there’s a continuity that carries through each one: Genesis: The beginning of creation Exodus: Redemption from slavery, consecration for worship Leviticus: Holiness to the Lord Numbers: Understanding the allotments and order God has given for the Levitica

One of my goals for the big book cover to cover study was to emphasize some of the things that maybe are key to a book, but are not necessarily addressed as you've listened to the podcast. Today I'm thrilled to have Dr. Constable here and to answer some of my questions and to talk about the creation of his outlines, which are available to us online for free. You can find links to Dr. Constable's outlines in our Show Notes: https://michaelincontext.com/understanding-gods-word-tom-constable

Moses leads his people as far as he will be allowed to go toward the Promised Land and is buried by God in the book of Deuteronomy. This book is much more than a second-telling of the law. It's a recounting of Israel's history and an underscoring of who God is, and what He's promised. Join us as we look today to the fifth and final chapter of the Pentateuch. To read this episode's Show Notes, visit: https://michaelincontext.com/cover-to-cover-deuteronomy/ Have a Biblical or theological question? Ask Dr.

Joining us today is historian and professor Dr. Mark Chavalas. How does a Historian read this text? For Show Notes visit:https://michaelincontext.com/numbers-historian/

Years ago we visited the church we had attended in college. As the pastor was preparing to teach, he warned he would be reading a lengthy passage of Scripture and encouraged us: "While I have been nervous about this reading, I want you to remember, ...this is a page of the Word of God and it deserves our attention." As we dive in to an overview of the book of Numbers, let's be reminded that this is the Word of God. For Show Notes visit: https://michaelincontext.com/cover-to-cover-numbers/

As we saw last week, Leviticus - though often approached with dread - offered its first recipients a welcome reprieve and freedom. The Law revealed all that was needed to know how to worship a holy God. It’s not just formalism. It’s holiness. Jody Capehart joins us in this episode to help us see how Christ is reflected in the festivals decreed in Leviticus, and invites us to incorporate rest into our upcoming holiday season. For Show Notes visit: https://michaelincontext.com/modern-day-sabbath

To the first recipients, Leviticus offered freedom from the burden of the Law through instruction for confession and worship. The Pentateuch––the first five books of the Bible––is a whole in five parts. We might even say it's one book with five chapters, and Leviticus is one of them. Leviticus is a trip-up for a lot of us. It's the shortest "chapter" in the Pentateuch literature, and even still, we sometimes approach it with dread. We tend to look upon the law as overwhelming if we think w

Dr. Ken Boa joins us today to talk about Joseph: a man of great wisdom who thrived in exile, and what we can learn from Joseph's example. For Show Notes visit: https://michaelincontext.com/joseph-man-of-wisdom/ To learn more about Dr. Boa visit: http://kenboa.org

It may be a surprise when we realize that technically only about two chapters of Exodus (Exodus 13:17-Exodus 15:21) deal with the "Exodus proper." So, there is much more for us in these 40 chapters. We're continuing our over-view study of the Scriptures by looking at each book week by week. Join us today as Michael teaches about Exodus. To read today's Show Notes, visit: https://michaelincontext.com/cover-to-cover-exodus

From time to time throughout this series we'll release bonus episodes consisting of interviews with experts who are able to bring more nuance to some of the themes and characters in the books we're studying than I'm able to teach in a single episode about that book. In this first Bonus Episode in our Cover to Cover series, I spoke with with Dr. Mike Lawson about the creation of Eve and the first marriage. For Show Notes, visit: https://michaelincontext.com/eve-and-the-first-marriage/

Over the years, verse-by-verse has been my love and I think it's lacking in churches today, but after doing this for 40 years, one thing that's struck me is that people don't seem to know the big picture anymore. How do we re-engage with an overview of what the Bible is about? We study it as a whole. Join us for The Big Book–Cover to Cover: A teaching series the entire Bible, book by book. For this episode's Show Notes visit: https://michaelincontext.com/cover-to-cover-genesis/

Recently, Dr. E was invited to sit with Dr. Darrell Bock to be a guest on his podcast, The Table, produced by Dallas Theological Seminary. We hope you enjoy this valuable conversation about the role of the church in our culture. To view a full transcript of this Bonus Episode, visit: https://michaelincontext.com/the-table-church-and-culture/

As an adversary, satan hates Christ. He is our enemy and desires that we would live eternally separated from God. Yet God, in His sovereignty, is using Satan. Talking about Satan can bring up anxieties and worrisome thoughts for some. If you're prone to worrying about this, remember that, though Satan may tempt us, we have the Holy Spirit who can indeed bear any temptation. Join me today as I finish our Why We Believe What We Believe series with Part 2 of The Person and Work of Satan. To read and revie

Did you grow up in a home that taught that Satan was real? Maybe you were taught that when anything bad happens, any consequence that isn't what we intended, it's spiritual warfare. Satan is behind it. Or perhaps you were raised in a home where you were taught that Satan is a myth, no more real than nursery rhymes. But we need to understand him from a biblical context, not with what we grew up with or what we have glommed together in our own search for meaning, if you will. In today's episode we'll look

The Holy Spirit, which seals our Salvation, is a person at work. How does He empower us, fill us, indwell us? Unless we stop, rest, and spend time studying the work and role of the Holy Spirit in God's Word, it will remain a mystery to us. But I have confidence in His word and in His Spirit that as we spend time there, we will understand more and more His role in our lives. Learn more about the work of God’s Spirit in Episode 12 of our Why We Believe What We Believe Series. To view Show Notes for th

Concerning the Doctrine of the Holy Spirit, some of us come from stoic backgrounds and Holy Ghost language gives us the heebie-jeebies. Others of us come from more pentecostal or charismatic backgrounds and we tend to put great emphasis and trust in our experiences of what we perceive to be the Holy Spirit. But what, specifically, does Scripture tell us about the person and work of God's Holy Spirit? Join us today for part one of Michael's teaching on The Doctrine of the Holy Spirit. Michael mentions qu

Justification is not "just as if I'd" never sinned. It's much more than that. Justification is the work of Jesus Christ to declare you righteous. Grace, of course, is the means by which we are saved. It's not just that God decided to overlook our sins the way we overlook a child's minor disciplinary issue. Grace is His unmerited favor in the face of deserved wrath. How do we embrace this? Let's learn together as Michael teaches part two of The Doctrine of Salvation in episode 10 of our current series, W

The word "saved" is an odd word and we assign a lot of meanings to it, which get especially confusing when we add religious overtones. But to own and to be able to articulate why we believe what we believe about how a person is saved is perhaps the most important theme of the Bible. Join us today as Michael teaches part one on the Doctrine of Salvation–or, the big word, Soteriology. This series was originally given to the faculty and students at Moody Bible Institute. To read and review our full Show

"A defining question for a Christian is, "who was Christ?" and I don't think it's sufficient to conclude that he was a great thinker or a philosopher, because actually He went around saying He was the Messiah. That’s why He was crucified: He said He was the Messiah. So, either He was the Son of God–or He was nuts." Who do you say Jesus is? In this episode Michael concludes his teaching on the Doctrine of Christology. To read and review the Show Notes for this episode, visit: https://michaelincontext.

Once in a while we find ourselves in a conversation with a friend who wants to know about this Jesus, this Christ we believe in and what He means to us. How would you explain Jesus Christ if you were asked an unassuming question from a person that didn't know Him? Michael teaches part one of two in today's episode on the Doctrine of Christology. To read and review the Show Notes for this episode, visit: https://michaelincontext.com/why-we-believe-what-we-believe-episode-7/ This series was originally gi