The Family Bible Journey Podcast

The "lost" parables show us the depth of God's love. The Shepherd risks his life for a lost sheep. A woman celebrates the recovery of a lost coin. A generous father receives his lost son. In each of these, we see a measure of God's love for us!

David tells Nathan the prophet that he wants to build a house for the ark of the covenant. God would not allow David to build this house. Instead, the Lord promises to build a forever house for David, by allowing one of his sons to reign forever! Receiving such an unimaginable promise from the Lord, David praises and thanks God for His untold goodness and love.

David moves his headquarters to Jerusalem. This strategic stronghold, where Judah meets Israel, becomes the military, governing and economic center of God's holy nation. In chapter six, David moves the Ark of the Convenant here, making this the spiritual capital of Israel. Largely because of David's moving the Ark to Jerusalem, it is revered as a holy city by Christians, Jews and Muslims still today.

The true test of discipleship is the quality of our service to others. So long as we are serving ourselves, as individuals or congregations, we are less than we are called to be. Instead, we who have been perfectly served by Jesus in every way, are called, like Jesus, to empty ourselves in service to others.

Abner, offended by Ishbosheth, swears an oath to bring Israel under David's rule. This leader of a military coup makes covenant with David, who welcomes him gladly. Sadly, or gladly, both Abner and Ishbosheth meet a bloody end, as scoundrels end their lives. Here we see God use human treachery to solidify David's reign.

David is annointed King of Judah, but not of Israel. Saul's son Ishbosheth is made king of Israel by Abner, Saul's general. A short civil war breaks-out, but the house of Saul is too powerful for the house of David. Nonetheless, God is working out his plan, slow as it may be, to give the kingdom to David.

Jesus teaches his disciples to wait patiently on him, even when life stinks! We hear of God's patience and power in three parables. These parables are taught around the story of a woman who had a disabling spirit for 18 years. May we, like her, find hope and confidence in Christ, even when life stinks.

Saul's last act of desperate defiance is suicide. His boys killed in battle, himself mortally wounded, he ends his own life. A tragic end to a story that began with so much hope and promise, all because he refused to listen to the Lord.

With the Lord no longer answering his prayers, Saul consults with a medium to conjure old Samuel up from the grave. From beyond the grave, Samuel predicts the fall of Saul and his family. This story of the medium of En Dor allows us to reflect on the reality of dark spiritual forces in the world.

This all-time favorite parable turns the world upside-down as the master serves his servants. Too often, people in positions of power or authority serve themselves, neglecting the common good. As God's children, God's character is seen in us when we serve others, as He has served us.

A wise woman Abigail interceeds with David on behalf of her arrogant husband and convinces David that showing mercy is a better way to get your way than acting in wrath. In the very next chapter, David has opportunity to kill Saul, but chooses mercy instead. Despite David's propensity towards violence, he exercises much mercy in these chapters.

David, even while hiding from Saul, rises to rescue the town of Keilah. Betrayed by those he rescued, he retreats to En Gedi, where he gets a chance to take the life or his arch-enemy Saul. Instead, he shows Saul mercy, buying a slight reprieve by a ninja-like act of bravery.

Jesus takes time, on His journey to Jerusalem, to teach His disciples the blessing of setting their hearts on the things of God. It is too easy for us to get distracted, and miss out on the Lord's blessing. Putting first things first keeps us on track and living into the Lord's will for our lives.

Saul is so consumed by his anger that he orders the execution of many priests. He accuses them of treason for aiding David. These innocent prophets die for their righteousness, and so become a great encouragement for us to stand up against evil, regardless of the consequences.

David and Jonathan grow close, even while Jonathan's father King Saul tries, on a number of occasions, to kill David. Here we learn a lesson of true friendship. David and Jonathan will love each other with undying love, even though the anger of Saul and the events of life separate them for the foreseeable future.

The Lord's Prayer is God's will for us in the form of promise. We are thankful for God's unconditional love. But sometimes we forget that our challenges and issues are no problem for God. Jesus reminds us of God's love, even when we can't see it.

David becomes a folk hero when he slays Goliath, the champion of the Philistines. Saul, who blessed David before the battle, begins to despise the young shepherd boy. But as Saul loathes David, Jonathan loves him and the two quickly become best of friends.

When Saul spares Israel's enemies, the Lord rebukes him and rejects him as king. A fearful Samuel is sent to anoint a new king, one who will have a heart for the Lord. David is anointed, then called into Saul's service, where he will be well prepared to become king himself.

Jesus challenged even His disciples when He showed them how God sees people. Many who had been blessed to hear His teaching and see His miracles were condemned in their unbelief. Many outsiders were welcome in His kingdom. Even His dear friend Martha risked missing out on His blessings, when she was so busy doing good, that she forsook the greater blessing.

Saul loses the Lord's blessing because the man who began as a humble king grows so much in pride that he no longer listens to the Lord. Saul's son Jonathan, meanwhile, rallies the troops and leads them to a great victory over their foes. This victory was clouded by Saul's egotistical wrath that threatened even the life of his son, whose heroic bravery had won the day for Israel.

Upon giving them a king, Samuel renews Israel's covenant with God and plans to retire. They now have a king to govern them. Sadly, his retirement will be punctuated by interruptions caused by Israel's first unfaithful king.

Jesus rubs people the wrong way when He sets His mind on the Father's will of going to the cross. The crowd, the disciples, the Samaritans all miss the point. If Jesus is misunderstood, what should we expect when we set our minds on God's will for us?

Saul is humble and timid, even though he is tall, strong and handsome. In a comical fashion, he is announced as Israel's king. His kingdom begins with wisdom and mercy, two traits he will lose over the course of his reign.

Samuel laments Israel's thirst for a king, thinking that they had rejected his leadership. God tells Samuel that they rejected not their high priest, but God Himself as King over them. God gives the people a king, as they ask, but promises they are going to get more than they bargained for.

As Jesus turns His attention towards Jerusalem, we consider how victory in this life often feels more like defeat. As great as Jesus's healings, exorcisms and resurrection miracles were, He came to heal and raise all people, not just a few. In order to do this, He was bound and determined to go to the cross in Jerusalem.

When God smites the family of Eli, a bunch of unholy priests who were leading Israel astray, the holy Ark of God falls into the hands of the Philistines. Here we learn how God defended His honor, and how the Philistines show God more honor, in some ways, than Israel.

The books of Samuel could be called "The Book of Saul," and "The Book of David," respectively. Samuel was the last of Israel's judges. In this episode, we are introduced to the prophet called by God to anoint Israel's first two kings.

The death and resurrection of a little girl gives us a glimpse of how we will, as God's people, both die and rise again in faith. This story is so important that it appears in all three synoptic gospels. It gives us hope for the end, as this little girl shows us both how to die and how we will rise again.

Boaz is a faithful man who notices the kindness and generosity of Ruth, who is an immigrant widow. He cares for her. He marries her. Their love story is a true redemption story. God will so bless their family that the two will become great-grandparents of the Shepherd King of Israel, David.

Naomi left Isreal in hopes of a brighter future in Moab. Her hopes were dashed when her husband and both sons died an early death. But when she turns back to Israel, her daughter-in-law Ruth proves to be a faithful daughter, even in the face of extreme poverty.

In this chapter we see four episodes that reveal the wisdom of God's love in different ways. The thread that runs through each miracle is God's wisdom shining forth in His Son. Jesus did not act or react as people expected. Instead of doing as we'd expect, He shows us the better way of God's wisdom, which is love in action.

"Everyone did what was right in his own eyes." A damning judgment of the moral state of Israel at the close of Judges. Immortality and chaos reign as one of the tribes is nearly extinguished in a civil war. Judges ends with no judge and little hope for God's people.

With Israel's champion Samson dead, the tribes are sorely oppressed and wandering aimlessly. A tragic episode of rape and murder shows how far Israel had fallen. Everyone was their own god. They had fallen so far that wrong was right and right was wrong.

It seems quite unfair, on the surface, that God asks His people to bless those who curse them. When He calls us to love those who hate us. But isn't that exactly what He's done for us? As a matter of fact, is there anything more Christ-like than forgiving those and doing good to those who sin against us?

Delilah seduced Samson. In her unholy embrace, he trusted her with the secret of his great strength. She betrayed him. God's blessing left him. But in his lowest moment, Samson turned to the Lord who allowed him, in death, to slay more Philistines than he did during his life.

Samson grows in strength and passion. His weakness for Philistine women puts him at conflict with the oppressors of Israel. God used his weakness for women to spark a rage that led to a mighty victory over the Philistines.

Luke frames the beatitudes differently than Matthew. Mathew spoke only of blessings. Luke speaks of blessings and woes. Here we get to consider how God works on behalf of those who seek to do His will, in the midst of a crooked and evil generation.

Tragically flawed as he was, Samson has much in common with Jesus. Their parents were visited by angels. Both were called to save, albeit in different ways. In this episode, we begin our exploration of one of the central figures in the book of Judges.

God raises another flawed judge to give His people victory over their nemesis. But an innocent girl will pay the ultimate price for her father's rash words. Today we consider how we use our words, because when we speak without thinking, it is often those closest to us who suffer the most.

Jesus didn't come to heal just a few people, but all people. In order to do this, He took all sin upon Himself, and freely forgave all who came to Him in faith. May we not reject Him becuase we think we are good enough, but rather embrace Him and His redeeming love, which forgives all our iniquities and heals all our diseases.

We hear how God gave Gideon a great victory, even though his army was outnumbered 450 to 1. Sadly, despite his courageous leadership, Gideon's family is consumed by conflict. Here we learn how even the best of Israel's leaders are still human and make mistakes. But scripture records these stories so that we can learn from the mistakes of others, rather than suffer the consequences of our own.

Gideon was brought from cowardice to courage, from fear to faith. We consider God's great patience with His people and learn how He uses a small victory to prepare Gideon for greater leadership.

It wasn't miracle or preaching that brought Jesus' first disciples to their knees in faith. It was a miraculous catch of fish. How silly. How fitting. Jesus, the carpenter, caught the attention of three fisherman named Peter, James and John, with an impossibly large catch of fish.

Deborah teaches us how to lead and how to praise in this episode. We learn the blessings of lifting others up in our leadership, sharing and giving credit to others for the successes we see. We also learn of the importance of praise and thanksgiving that gives God credit for who He is and all He does for us.

Deborah is a wonder woman from the Old Testament. We learn of her courage, and the courage of another woman namedd Jael. These two women stepped up in faith, to lead God's people to a mighty victory when the men failed to lead.

Jesus finally finds acceptance in Capernaum. The people hear His gracious words and witness His mighty power. They receive Him and His blessing, even though they don't understand why He can't stay with them.

The story of Judges is the story of "saviors" who rescued God's people from their enemies. We will learn the cycle of Judges and how each judge will show us, in different ways, a lesson of God's faithfulness to His unfaithful people.

Joshua dies in faith as a mighty warrior for God's people. Joseph also speaks of God's faithfulness from beyond the grave as his bones are buried near his childhood home. So the book of Joshua ends. Two faithful witnesses being laid to rest in the land of promise.

One would think that Jesus would be welcomed and hailed by his townspeople when He returned to Nazareth as a teacher. But all they saw was a failed carpenter. Here we learn that the first to conspire against Jesus to take His life were not the religious establishment in Jerusalem, but rather, the people who knew him best, and should've loved him the most!

Joshua charges Israel to be faithful to the Lord, as He has been faithful to them. They promise to follow the Lord. Joshua sets a memorial stone to remind them of the day they promised faithfulness to the Lord, so that if and when they find themselves struggling, they may be brought to remembrance and repentance and come back to the Lord in faith.