The Family Bible Journey Podcast

In this psalm, Asaph, the psalmist, wrestles with the temptation to find his purpose and glory in the fleeting desires of his heart. Confessing his sin, and expressing his inner turmoil, he finds his way as he considers God's perspective, and meditates on God's promises. When we are confused, and tempted to go the way of the world, God is there to forgive our sin and guide us in His truth.

This final psalm of the second book of psalms is a psalm of all the Redeemed. We join David in praising our Redeemer King, Jesus! His victory is our victory, and so we have every reason to praise Him, both now and forever.

This world adores the strong, popular and entertaining. So many are measured by likes and followers, that many are acting in outlandish and foolish ways, just to get noticed. Instead of seeking power or popularity, Christians are called to bear with the weak, endure suffering, and elevate others, instead of promoting themselves.

It is good for us to know that when we are down, we pray to a God Who knows exactly how we feel, because He's been there and felt that. Jesus became one of us so that He could know and carry our burdens. Even when we feel far from Him and doubt His love, He is there for us.

Too many see the Bible as just another religious text. The precise prophecies of this psalm are a powerful connection to God and His love. They prove that the Bible is more than just a human creation, it is Truth, Life and Love inspired by God's Holy Spirit.

If someone fails to obtain the salvation that Jesus has lived and died that all may know it, whose fault is it? We wrestle with a theory issue of theology in this episode.

This psalm crosses from the realm of poetry into prophecy! The Ascension of Christ, and our ascension into glory are both clearly proclaimed here, nearly 1,000 years before Jesus was even born! These powerful, well-documented prophecies, and the promises they contain, give us good reason to share our faith boldly with those whom we love.

Here we are challenged in what it means to praise and worship. Nature, by its mere existence, praises God. Why then is it so hard for us to find the time and desire to praise Him? When we live inline with His purposes, our lips naturally overflow with His praise, and our lives in worship.

This chapter encourages the faithful to live in submission to the authorities. How do we do that when they are so corrupt and even unjust? By trusting the Lord with judgement, and by seeking to live according to His way.

We learn from creation and the psalmist, to praise God not only for what He does, but rather, for Who He Is! Being loved for who you are is so much more fulfilling than being loved for what you do. In this psalm, we are encouraged to praise God not merely for what He does for us but, more importantly, Who He Is to us.

We have good reason to live lives of faith and love! In Christ Jesus, all of our sin is gone, and all of the good that we do in faith will remain forever! This fills us with joy as we live-out our faith, by sharing God's love.

After spending many chapters talking about those who reject the Holy Spirit, Paul pivots back to describing the work of the Holy Spirit in the life of the saints. When the Holy Spirit brings us to faith, he continues to shape and mold us in the faith. We are transformed by a renewal of the mind. Imperfect though we may be, we strive to be the change we want to see in the world.

Over 1/4 of Americans no longer believe in heaven, and 1/3 no longer believe in a literal hell. This means than 1/9 Americans believe in heaven with no hell. We will consider why people reject the idea of a judgement, and the good reason that God has given all to look forward to, not fear, the judgment.

The psalmist extols the blessings of holy living even in godless times. We receive encouragement in our walk with God. There is great blessing in walking in His way.

Paul concludes his discussion regarding acceptance and rejection by encouraging those of the household of faith to not look down upon those who are not of the household of faith. It is too easy for us to judge others, when God alone is the judge. Instead of judging others, let us look humbly to the Lord for the mercy we all need.

We reflect on the relationship between Jesus and Judas as the psalmist shares his grief after being betrayed by a friend. Those who are closest to us are able to hurt us the most. When we find ourselves betrayed by a friend, or struck by a friend, we find our hope in our stay in our most faithful friend Jesus.

Living in evil times, godly people may wonder who is there for them? Even though we sometimes forget, God has promised to always be there for us.

Many Christians think that they are saved because they believe. They would rather trust in their personal choice, than God's eternal election. We will discuss how the physical life span of a human being illumines our understanding of the conversion process.

Living in a faithless and godless age, people will try to emulate God by speaking the future that they want into existence. Sadly, this means that many people will turn to lies, deceit, and falsehood, instead of finding hope for the future in the unchanging truth of God's redeeming love. As people of faith, we cling to God's word of truth, knowing that He is the one who is going to judge all things in the end, and that we will be defended and protected by his unchanging love.

In the wake of being caught in the transgression with Bathsheba, David pens a powerful psalm of repentance. As sinful human beings living in a sinful world, the question isn't if we will sin, but rather when and how we will sin. When confronted with sin, we can like Adam and Eve try to hide from the consequences, cover it up, lie about it or blame others. Or, we can acknowledge our wrong and find healing, mercy, and grace in Jesus.

In this episode, we wrestle with the uncomfortable reality that we are not in control. Life has a way of demonstating that we are not in control, but we often live as if we can manipulate the forces of earth and even God Himself. This causes us worrisome consternation, especially when we ponder the gift of salvation.

The God of the Bible does not demand tremendous sacrifice as the basis of our good standing before Him. Rather, we are assured of a positive relationship with Him by our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. When we serve, we serve in faith, knowing that God blesses all sacrifices that we make for Him or others, simply because of His goodness and love for us.

It often appears on this side of eternity that the rich, the powerful and the mighty are successful, but we learn in this psalm that if their hope is in themselves, they will end up no better than any beast of burden. The faithful on the other hand, placing their trust in the Lord, and walking in His way, have the assurance that even when it appears that we are losing, that in the end, we will be victorious in our Savior.

This is one of the greatest chapters in the Bible, because it so clearly conveys the hope and confidence we have in Christ! Even in death, we are assured of the victory we have in Christ, because He Who lived, died, and rose from the dead for us, promises to return and bring us home with Him.

These psalms give us an opportunity to reflect on the perspective of both the psalmist and the prophet. Biblical faith is built upon historical events and real people who live real lives. Even though God used people living in very different times and very different places and very different cultures and realities, He inspired these people with truth that we appreciate as the people of God today.

This psalm inspired the great reformer Martin Luther to write his most famous hymn. Inspired by the hymn, we consider the events in Luther's life that gave him great appreciation for God's promises in this psalm.

Temptation is something that everyone struggles with, including, and maybe especially, Christians. The Holy Spirit is constantly urging us to do good, but we also live with a sinful human nature that is alive so long as our physical body is alive. In Romans, chapter 7, we hear an epic description of this struggle, and find or hope in Christ Jesus.

This messianic Psalm of praise exalts the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. We here in these words, not just the praise of an earthly king, but praise for our eternal king.

Here the soul must lament with the people of God who have been handed to their enemies. They feel as if God has forgotten them at the least or rejected them at the worst. This Psalm gives us opportunity to reflect on the blessings of knowing that God is our God in both victory and defeat

After learning how God's love is made abundant for all in Romans, chapter 5, Saint Paul goes on to describe very beautifully how the gifts of God's love are delivered to us personally in holy baptism. God's love is not some abstract concept applied generically to all people. Instead, it is a gift delivered individually to us through his holy sacraments.

The psalms pivot in chapter 42 from individual expressions of faith towards focusing on the community of faith. In this episode, we hear how the psalms follow the order of the Pentateuch, and the blessings of seeing faith not only as an individual pursuit, but as a family endeavor.

In this life, it often seems the greedy win and the poor suffer. But when our hearts are set on the Lord's purposes, we live assured of His blessing now and forever, regardless the size of our bank account. Our confidence comes from the One who has blessed us forever in Christ Jesus.

The deep and beautiful interconnectedness of the Old and New Testament are made abundantly clear for us in this chapter. Paul describes how Jesus has undone the damage caused by Adam by his sin in the garden. We are given a master class in the types of Christ that we see in the Old Testament in this chapter.

Sometimes we cry to God because others have sinned against us and it hurts. Other times, we cry to the Lord because we have sinned, and hurt ourselves. In either case, God is the God of mercy, and He forgives and cares for us as only He can.

This penitential psalm gives voice to our cries when we have sinned, and are crushed by shame and guilt. Why do we often end-up on our knees after trying everything in our own power to do things our own way? Good thing Jesus came to save us from ourselves and deliver us from God's wrath. In Him we have a faithful friend.

Here we are reminded of the powerful faith possessed by the patriarch Abraham. He is held before our eyes as a wonderful pattern of faith. Through his example, we come to a better understanding of how we are saved, and then by the same faith, given the ability to do great and wonderful things for others and for God.

The world may look at the "little" of a righteous person and scoff. But greed will never be satisfied. A person of faith, meanwhile, finds all they want or need in the Lord and pursuing His desires.

When God's people embrace the Lord's way, others are blessed by our godly virtues. In a world rent asunder with conflict and violence, God teaches Mercy over Might, Forgiveness instead of Retribution, and Compassion above Condemnation.

This passage makes very clear the simple way to salvation. Human beings are saved by faith as a gift of God in Christ Jesus. And even as Saint Paul tells us how we are saved, he humble believers by reminding us that we are all on equal footing before God.

WORDS OF WISDOM: "WHAT YOU DO WITH WHAT YOU HAVE MATTERS MORE THAN WHAT YOU HAVE." The world tempts us to judge the appearance of things. Worldly victory looks like weath and power and winning. In this Psalm, we are reminded that no matter the earthly outcome of our choices or circumstance, those who have God on their side are always on the right side.

God's people are warned against putting their faith in the mighty. Instead, we are encouraged to find our hope in God's mercy instead.

In this episode, we deal with some touchy topics. We learned the difference between a natural and an unnatural love of self. Left to our own devices we are prone to hurt ourselves and others when we give into our selfish and sinful desires. As we delve into sensitive subjects, in order to help those who do not come from a faith perspective to consider these issues, we are going to utilize the wisdom of artificial intelligence to demonstrate many of the results of difficult choices.

We will learn how penitentiary or "prison" is tied to the idea of repentance. When we are wrong, it's good for us to admit it, and receive the forgiveness God offers all in Christ.

I actually rescued an owl from the snare of a soccer net one time. We will reflect on the snares that people find themselves in, and find rescue and wisdom in the times when God redeems us from the traps laid for us.

The book of Romans lays out the case for the transcendent love of God that leads to transformational change in His people. In the first chapter, we see how the love of God revealed in His word opens the door of salvation to everyone. We also explore what it means to be sent by God, as an apostle, to share his love everywhere we go.

The World Happiness Report in 2024 revealed that for the first time on record, young people were not as happy as older adults. They had less optimism about their future prospects than their elders. This depressing fact gives us good reason to share the hope that we have in Christ Jesus!

We cry with the psalmist that God would confound the plans of the wicked. When it seems that evil triumphs, it's good to know that God promises to make all things right in the end.

Paul lands in Rome after quite an arduous and difficult transit. Here he will spend years, awaiting trial, writing epistles, and sharing Christ with all who come to him. It isn't the destination that matters so much as the journey! Here we learn that what you do with your time along the way matters more than getting your way.

We consider the special blessing of worship in these psalms. The untrained eye sees only the human aspects of worship. But they eyes of faith see God at work in humble means when His people gather for worship.

Given the difficult nature of this life, it is good to know we have a faithful friend to guide us. David learned this from experience, as he trusted God through decades of difficult insecurity. Those who know the Lord appreciate His loving faithfulness, especially in tumultuous times.