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Today, weâre diving into a conversation that seems to surface in every generation: What makes music “Christian enough”? From rock to rap to the genre-bending sounds of artists like Forest Frank, thereâs always a new style that challenges what came before.
Why does it seem that we discuss the issue of âChristian musicâ over and over again? Why do believers so often wrestle with the question: Canât I just enjoy all genres? Does God care about the sound, or is it really just about the heart?
This isnât a new debate â when Christian rock first emerged, it stretched what was comfortable. When Christian hip hop arrived, the conversation sparked again. And now, with artists pushing creative boundaries, weâre asking the same questions once more.
Question To Consider:What is music? Where are its origins discussed in the Bible?Why has each generation of younger people âtested the limits” of whatâs been previously accepted as âChristian music?âWhat Actually Makes Music Christian?Is it okay to enjoy music from all genres, as long as it doesnât pull me away from Christ?Does what the artist intends matter more, or does how the listener uses the music carry more weight?Canât I just enjoy all genres? Do I have to draw a line? Who (or what) decides where that line is?How can I bring these questions about music and my heart before the Lord?Subscribe so you don’t miss an episode!The post Beats, Bars, and Boundaries – What Makes Music Christian? appeared first on Patterns of Truth.
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Ever wrestled with a question that felt too big to answerâsomething that Google couldnât quite help with, and the Bible app just gave a list of verses that didnât really land?
We live in a world of instant answers, but spiritual wisdom takes more than a search bar.
So, how do we actually find answers to hard questions using Godâs Word first, not last?
Todayâs episode is called âBible First: Finding Real Answers to Questionsâ, and weâre talking about how to study, search, and investigate hard topics using Scripture, not just shortcuts. And the episode is less about specific questions and more about methods to use when searching for answers.
When you have a question, where do you usually start? Why do you take this approach? Be honest! Here are more questions to consider:
Why is our default to Google or search in the Bible app? And is that always bad?What does it look like to actually investigate using Scripture alone?What types of resources can we use when searching for answers?What makes this kind of study so hard for most of us?What fruit comes from doing it âthe hard wayââthe Bible-first way?What do we really need when weâre studying? TIME and PATIENCE!I hope our listeners know that that Google is not our enemy, but we should still question the root, and the effect, of getting quick answers that we seldom meditate upon. How do you need to slow down, read, reread, and ponder Godâs word? This is a challenge for me, as well.
We donât learn everything all at once; growth takes time. We are always learning!
We encourage you to keep reading, praying, and talking with the Lord about your questions. Then, speak with mature Christians who have navigated similar questions and know their Bibles well.
Subscribe so you don’t miss an episode!UNEDITED TRANSCRIPTION:
00:00:00 Patricia: Have you ever wrestled with a question that felt too big to answer? Something that Google couldn’t quite help you with? And the Bible app just gave a list of verses that didn’t really land. We live in a world of instant answers, but gaining spiritual wisdom takes more than just searching in a search bar. So today’s podcast is about using the Bible first finding real answers to our questions. Welcome to our Patterns of Truth podcast. I’m Patricia, your host, and today we are talking about how to study, search and investigate hard topics using the scriptures and not just shortcuts. Shortcuts are not a bad thing. We’ll talk about that. Um, but we want to kind of reexamine the practices that we engage in when we’re searching for answers. So this episode is about is not really about specific questions, specific hard questions that we seek to answer, but more about the methods that we can use when searching for those answers. So hello to everyone on the podcast today. Hello, Peter. Hello, Roy. Hello, Bethel. How are you all doing today?
00:01:05 Peter: Hello, hello.
00:01:07 Roy: Hey, great. Rainy and cold in Oregon. Oh it’s raining. Yeah. Rainy.
00:01:15 Bethel: Not humid here.
00:01:17 Patricia: Yeah.
00:01:17 Peter: Whereas here Bethel.
00:01:19 Bethel: Right now it’s Jersey.
00:01:21 Patricia: Yeah.
00:01:22 Bethel: It’s not Philly. It’s Jersey today.
00:01:24 Patricia: Jersey. Welcome back. All right. So um I’ll start with a panel question for all of us. So when any of us have a question, something popped into your mind. Somebody talks about something. Where do you usually start to find the answer? It can be any resource. It could be Google, it could be another. Right. So where do you start and why do you take this approach?
00:01:52 Bethel: I’m a Googler.
00:01:54 Patricia: All right. Yeah.
00:01:55 Bethel: Everybody and everybody makes fun of me that I even use Google because everybody just uses AI. Like everybody’s just like, just ask ChatGPT. Just ask ChatGPT. Um, so even googling is like outdated at this point, but depending on how deep I might text my dad.
00:02:11 Patricia: Oh, nice. All right. Cool. Roy? Peter.
00:02:17 Roy: Um, I asked my wife.
00:02:19 Patricia: Okay.
00:02:21 Roy: Um, good place to start. That’s good intuition. Um, my daughter, um, who also has very good insight. Um, and then it depends on what kind of a question. And I appreciate the Google answer. Um, in fact, I did, I used Google just the other day when I wanted to know the initial, um, area that was assigned to the tribe of Dan and I got a pretty good answer. So if the question is specific enough, um, then I think, um, Google is fine or I don’t know about chat, I haven’t used chat GP so I don’t know how that works, but I know Google uses AI underneath. So Google basically a, a front end to an AI program. Yeah. But it has to be specific. It depends on the type of question.
00:03:18 Patricia: Yeah, I like that you mentioned that because sometimes you could do like a broad question and then who knows what you’re going to get just just how Google works. Right. Sorry, Peter.
00:03:28 Peter: Yeah. I, I would say I try to find the shortest article I find, usually from kind of the same circle of church community. Amen. Um, um, and uh, definitely Google. Like sometimes it’s like a specific website that I go to other than, uh, I find got questions sometimes is a website that would help a lot in like general questions. Uh, if it’s something specific, more doctrine, I go back to the like some brief, uh, article and then control F to find. Yeah, the article. So, uh, yeah, I do that.
00:04:12 Patricia: Yeah. All right. That’s practical, I like it. I tend to start with the Bible app for some reason, right? There’s just, I don’t know, it’s, uh, it’s easy and I don’t know, there’s something I like Google, but I feel like So I really slow down and I think about like, what I feel when I Google something, I usually feel fear because I think that there are questions that I may have that when I Google it, there are harmful or anti-God, anti-Christian things that seem to pop up at the top. And I honestly just don’t want to see that when I’m searching out something. I don’t know what it is, but it just really disturbs me. Um, I know some people can see it and just discard it, but for me, it just, it really unsettles me. So I tend to like not want to go to Google for some reason. So maybe the Bible app, I’m trying to protect myself in some way. I’m not sure. But, um, our first question really is about like, why do we think that, um, a more popular default for searching for any question will be Google or a search in the Bible app? Why is that something that we tend to do these days? And is that always a bad thing?
00:05:21 Peter: Well, convenience.
00:05:24 Patricia: Um.
00:05:25 Roy: It depends a lot on the question.
00:05:28 Patricia: Do you ever feel like. Or maybe I should ask it this way? Is there a scenario where you find something on Google or a different tool, and it makes you immediately stop searching? Like you don’t go back to your Bible? Or does the opposite happen? You find what you need and then you say, oh, I want to go deeper. What does that look like?
00:05:50 Roy: Really depends upon the subject matter and the question. Okay. Um, I think, you know.
00:05:56 Peter: Yeah. I mean, for, for Patricia’s point, um, that’s a good point because I think when I Google things, it does stop me from digging more into scripture because I found the solution or at least part of an answer, and then I’m satisfied with it. Um, so that’s a, that’s a good point. I mean, we’re definitely not against technology. We should use technology. Um, if it’s your favorite AI search, LLM or Google, uh, it can be useful. Um, but, um, I think studying scripture as we can talk soon about is and, uh, like changing your heart through studying scripture is more just knowledge. Um, and I think you reach just knowledge if you like, get the answer quickly.
00:06:55 Roy: Yes. That’s very important point. Uh, and I want to emphasize that we are talking about having a specific question or a question about something. We get an answer, but that should lead us to dig deeper. And that should even that even specific studies should not keep us from regular Bible reading. Um, and that’s where we gain a general knowledge of God’s character. Um, you know, there’s a, a rule, there’s apps and whatnot that lead you through the Bible? Genesis to revelation in a year? Well, you may or may not want to use one of those apps, but the point is you have to be generally familiar with your Bible. I found questions that are, quite surprisingly in books like Ecclesiastes or Proverbs or Chronicles, and that seem to have nothing to do with the subject matter, but they. But they’re put in a way that for trigger thinking about things in a different way. So general Bible reading needs to always be done on a regular basis.
00:08:03 Patricia: Yeah. So leading into that, um, or coming out of that point, I should say, uh, if we had no technology, right. I couldn’t use my phone. Google’s down. It does happen from time to time, right? We can’t get to the website that we want. Um, I’m thinking about that AWS blackout from a few weeks ago where people were panicking. They couldn’t find anything. So if we only had our Bible in front of us, the actual physical volume, what does it look like to investigate using Scripture alone? Where does it start?
00:08:38 Roy: Need to know the books of the Bible and where they are.
00:08:41 Patricia: Mhm. Mhm.
00:08:44 Speaker 6: And I think maybe a general gist of what’s happening in each one.
00:08:48 Patricia: Yeah.
00:08:49 Roy: Definitely the difference between the Old and New Testament. Mhm. Um, and it also helps to have a, a mental map like Bethel was saying of what generally goes together. And this is fairly obvious, and I think a lot of people, uh, talk about it. So maybe we don’t need to belabor the point, but there are prophetic books, there are poetry books, there are history books, and there’s the Pentateuch and there’s New Testament. That’s a general classification. But we should know generally how how the different books relate to one another. Like among the Gospels, Matthew presents the Lord Jesus as the King. And I’m not saying anything that is particularly remarkable. I mean, we I think we all know this quote.
00:09:44 Bethel: And maybe instead of just looking up, oh, what does the Bible say about this? Fill in the blank. We could use Google as a resource to say, hey, how is the Bible split up? What is the Old Testament about? What are the parts of the Old Testament? What makes it different from the New Testament? What makes the Gospels different from each other? And you can use the internet as that type of resource to dig deeper in that way.
00:10:10 Patricia: Yeah. I think also if someone is a new believer, I mean, it’s, it might feel like kind of steep, right? Like, oh, before you start, you got to memorize all these things. I think while you’re doing it, I think I’m looking at the front of my Bible. There’s a table of contents, right? So if you’re a new Christian, or maybe it’s been a little while, if you if you need the pages with the numbers, right, start with it, like where each book of the Bible is. And what’s great is like most Bibles, like mine is organized, it tells you what’s in the Old Testament, what’s in the New Testament, and that can help you with organizing. Um, we’re looking at the Bible like how it’s, how it’s organized. And I think that’s a good place to begin. Um, I.
00:10:52 Peter: Think it’s high yield to Patricia. Like knowing the books of the Bible can be very helpful and knowing like the sections that, like Roy was saying, and I can argue also like some of them maybe can, they’re not inspired the chapters, but knowing how many chapters, like, you know, like, oh, you know, for example, Ephesians and Galatians are six chapters. Colossians and Philippians are four chapters. Um, so help you kind of. you know, contain or have a hold of of the book and how, how long it is.
00:11:29 Patricia: Yeah, that’s really good. And I think too, it’s, um, it’s good to think of how while we learned about what the book of the Bible’s are and how the Bible’s organized, that we can still start reading it. I think sometimes it can feel like levels like, oh, I can’t, I can’t do this until I do that. But it’s like, no, start reading while you’re memorizing where the books of the Bible are. So we talked about, I guess, operationally speaking, knowing how the Bible’s organized, but is there another way that we can begin that helps us when we’re just looking at the scripture alone and trying to find an answer?
00:12:08 Peter: We need help from Roy on this one.
00:12:14 Roy: Well, it’s been a long time since I was, uh, first, uh, I was pretty much know where everything is right now, and I hope this is going to be cut out of the. That’s the final deal. Um, well, again, I have to go back to the kind of question, I guess, because questions about the church, for example, if I have a question about that, I’m going to have to look in the New Testament. And I have to start with acts because that’s where the church began. And then Paul’s epistles in particular. So having a knowledge of where things are talked about and explained in Scripture is almost essential. Um, if you need comfort, let me give a couple of examples. We often look to the Psalms for comfort and encouragement, but in doing that, you need to realize that it’s a Jewish book. And so there are things in the Psalms which do not apply to us. Um, the Imprecatory Psalms in particular, which are Psalms which call down judgment upon our enemies. Well, if you’re new to the Bible, you might get confused by some of that. If you haven’t read and absorbed Romans, for example, toward the end where it says, vengeance is mine, I will repay, saith the Lord. And if you haven’t really digested that. So I guess I’d have to say that we need to start looking through the New Testament to get a feel for the kinds of things that are particularly appropriate for the Christian. I’m thinking of a new believer now. Sometimes we say, okay, start reading John’s gospel. Well, that’s a good one. Um, if I say start reading Matthew, Then I may run across the kingdom of God, where servants are failed, and throw in thrown into outer darkness. And that kind of verses have led to the idea of we can lose our salvation if you don’t really understand what the kingdom of God is. So there is some basic knowledge that’s required. You know, if you keep reading, then you’ll get to John’s Gospel. And there you find out that if you’re in the hand of the Lord, no one can pluck you out. And so there’s the answer. But some of this can be confusing to a new person. So the only solution is, I think, to ask somebody that you can trust, give you a general feeling for what the different books talk about. And then you have to have your general knowledge to have scripture reading it through to, to come up with stuff. And I gotta say this right here too. There are several verses that emphasize that God is compassionate and he preserves the simple. And I think if actually, in my experience, the biggest hindrance is pride. So if we come to the Bible with the proper attitude that this is God’s word, then I think God can lead us. The Holy Spirit leads us to apply things in the right way. Um, striking verses in um, um, Psalm one hundred and sixteen six is perhaps just a good one. Um, and also in Proverbs there’s some. So God and God will guide us if we’re humble enough to learn from him.
00:16:15 Peter: Yeah. Just to add to what Roy was saying is when you’re studying the scripture, uh, it’s good to, uh, uh, look at the context of.
00:16:25 Roy: Right.
00:16:26 Peter: Uh, I think that’s what Roy’s saying also of the whole scripture and the book and the context of the chapter. What does it talk about?
00:16:36 Patricia: So then, okay, so we have the word of God, um, itself, and we have the Holy Spirit who will teach us and reveal things to us that we cannot learn just intellectually on our own. So when we’re Christians, we have that. We have him as a resource. But what about some other resources that we can use when searching for answers? I’m talking about things that other very mature Christians who have studied the Bible have put together. Um, and I’m thinking of a concordance. I’m thinking of biblical commentaries. Um, can we have some commentary on that? What type of resources can we use when searching for answers and how do we use them?
00:17:19 Roy: Concordance is really helpful. I use a concordance frequently. Usually there’s a concordance at the back of most Bibles that is tuned to the particular, um, um, uh, version that you’re using, uh, translation, but you can always do a cross-reference. You know, the standard concordance is ah, Strong’s and Young’s someone that says strongest for the weak and young is for the old. But be that as it may, um, they’re both both good, although they’re different. Um, um, and if you’re not using King James, both of those are based on King James. Maybe they’ve been upgraded, I don’t know, or changed. But anyway, you can always, um, if you have a particular verse in NIV, for example, look it up at the same verse, uh, in, uh, in the King James. Um, and figure out what verse, what word you want to look up and then go to the concordance with that. Now, I use Young’s a lot because it gives the Greek and Hebrew and, um, that can be helpful if you have a good, um, uh, uh, dictionary, uh, specific, you know, the, the, the old Testament, uh, dictionary I use is um, theological wordbook of the old Testament, which is good, good Hebrew, uh, analysis. I don’t know a word of Hebrew. So I just have to depend in that, uh, in Greek, uh, in Hebrew.
00:18:56 Speaker 7: Let me ask you, Roy.
00:18:57 Peter: Um, I, I don’t remember the last time I used the concordance. Bethel. Have you you.
00:19:05 Bethel: Really just just the one in the back of my Bible.
00:19:09 Peter: Uh, are we missing out a lot because we’re not using the concordance or when do you use it? Do you. When is the deep study verse by verse?
00:19:19 Patricia: Wait, so maybe I should define it and it will help to answer the question. Right? I’m thinking that the concordance is actually what the search bar is now in the Bible app. But all right, so the definition of concordance, it’s an alphabetical index of all the words in the Bible or any text. And it lists where each word appears. So it’s an alphabetical index of all the words in a text and lists where each word appears.
00:19:48 Roy: Now the problem is, and this is why I use Young’s analytical concordance, is that there are only about four thousand words in the Hebrew biblical Hebrew. Now, modern Hebrew is totally different, but we’re dealing with an Old Testament text. And if you think about the number of words that we have in the English language, It’s up in the. Millions and more are being added every year. So to have four thousand words in a language means that each word is going to have to do multiple jobs. And so context is really important. And you can get that information. You can look that information up, uh, in the, um, in the back of the Young’s concordance and figure out how the different words are being used in the context in which they’re being used. So you can kind of parse that out. So it is definitely for a deeper study of, of the words. But the basic idea is that it gives you a list of verses where the word is used.
00:20:56 Patricia: Mhm.
00:20:56 Roy: And so you can go and compare where the word is used or how the word is being used in these different verses. And in the back of Young’s Concordance, you also have a reverse cross reference so that you can look up the Hebrew word, for example, and see the different version, the different ways the translators have translated it. So you get a sense of how specific the word is and, um, and what the translators were thinking of when they translated it. You can sort of figure that out. So, um, those kinds of things have to do with puzzling verses that you run across and they just, why? What does that mean? And so if you’re trying to figure out what that means or what a particular verse means, then, uh, a concordance is really helpful. Okay.
00:22:00 Patricia: So on the most basic level, for example, if I have a question about world peace, does the Bible ever talk about world peace? I can look up the word peace in a physical concordance. And I know Strong’s is like big and blue. Maybe they updated it, but the one I grew up seeing was like baby blue. Um, and you could look up the word peace. And when you look it up, it’s got a list of every single place that the word peace is mentioned. And you have to go through each verse to decipher what the definition of peace, I guess you could say is being, or I should say like the part of speech is being used, right? Is it the peace that’s between that passes all understanding for Christians? Is it the peace between God and humans? Now, because of the Lord Jesus? Is it peace that God will establish in the future? So you have to really do some legwork to find out if what you’re looking for is the definition of the word that you found. I guess you would say, is that like how you start at the most basic level?
00:23:04 Roy: Yes.
00:23:05 Patricia: Okay. All right. But if you’re advanced, you’d be like, going towards more nuanced definitions of the word. Um, maybe if they’re in Greek or in Hebrew, there are different words for different types of peace, which I know, like for people who are bilingual, they understand that a lot better than I do. Like being monolingual. I only speak English, but I know there are multiple words. Say, for example, love. So you can’t just look up love. You can. But there’s so much variety in what you’ll find. So it takes effort, right? That’s what it sounds like. Effort.
00:23:42 Roy: Yeah, yeah. You have to do some study. Okay. Probably a real example would be, um, the word corruption in the New Testament. Okay. That has a certain, uh, mental image brought up. But the problem is that in Greek, which is what the base language that the New Testament was translated from, the Greek word uses the same word, same Greek word for two different kinds of corruption. Now we distinguish, for example, corruption from decay. Decay is what results from the law of physics. The entropy. You throw a pile of grass out in the in the backyard and after a while it decays. Um, on the other hand, um, immorality is also corruption. So this, this requires that you kind of look at the verse and try and figure out what is being meant by the word decay. But and some translators will translate them differently. Sometimes they won’t. Okay.
00:24:53 Patricia: So then I guess it’s good to just have a dictionary. Yes. Do I know what the words mean that I’m searching up? Right. That I think that would probably be useful. Like even in your own language, like, you know, the way we use certain words are not necessarily how they’re always used in other contexts? It would be good to have a dictionary as well. Okay. All right. So we got the concordance. So what about biblical commentaries? What are they? When should be the when should they be used and does the publication date matter?
00:25:27 Peter: I thought the use the commentary.
00:25:29 Bethel: Honestly, I’m big on commentaries. I am an enduring word person. Um, I don’t know how the saints feel about that, but I like it. Um, no, I just think it’s very helpful that like sometimes, honestly, I’ll sit and read a passage and I’m like, wow. Um, my reading comprehension is not with us today. I have no idea what I just read. And so sometimes enduring word does a good job of setting the scene of where are we in the chapter? What’s going on? Um, and it breaks it down like couple verses at a time. And then it’ll provide like texts of what certain authors have said about said portion. Um, so it’s very helpful to get a well-rounded picture. Of course, like anything else, we are trying to emphasize that using things as a resource is good. Using things as the source is not good. And so referring back to the Word of God and just kind of, you know, I think we said this, but to, to pray and ask the Lord for wisdom and help. Um, because that’s, that’s the main reason that we can understand any of this because of the help of the Holy Spirit and, um, to kind of be able to have a better understanding of the word of God, but using scriptures in itself to understand you look at a couple commentaries. I mean, like that’s, I really thought about like, how did I learn anything when I was applying for college? How did I learn how any of that process worked? I read a million articles and I read a million Reddit posts, and I read a million everything. And I gathered information on what is what are people saying? And so you can go about it like that, but ultimately approaching it prayerfully and using things, like we said, as a resource, not as the source.
00:27:16 Roy: Yes, that’s that’s a very important principle because no resource I haven’t I’ve been through lots of different translations, for example, and I don’t find any single one that’s perfect or that I, you know, isn’t without some complaint that I can come up with. Uh, and that’s doubly true of commentaries. We have to look at several. And it changes over the years. The commentaries that I looked at when I was, uh, twenty or thirty are quite different than the ones I look at today. But we have to look at different ones and think about what they’re saying in context. And we have to talk to different people to. MM.
00:27:58 Patricia: Oh, one thing I forgot to do was like, define what a commentary is. I know the word comment is in commentary, but there are some people who don’t use a commentary at all. Or maybe they’re nervous about it because it seems like, is it about the Bible? How am I supposed to know? So just by way of defining things, a biblical commentary is a written aid that provides explanations and sometimes interpretations of scriptures to help readers better understand a biblical text. So there are lots of different types. There are some that are about certain topics that are discussing certain topics. And then there are others that are, um, devotional, um, there are some that are historical, cultural. So Bethel, probably the one that you’re talking about. And I’ve seen some in some study Bibles where they give the context of the cultural Sauk, um, backdrop of a particular book of the Bible or a particular passage. And that’s really helpful to help to assist in how we can understand. But like I said, there’s lots of different types of commentaries that we.
00:29:06 Bethel: I think.
00:29:06 Patricia: It is.
00:29:06 Bethel: Helpful along the lines of what you’re saying. I took a class and it’s silly that I had to take a class about this in college to understand it. But always, always, always, no matter what you are looking up, know what the source is and knowing what the point of the source is like. For example, if I’m reading a commentary that is meant for daily encouragement, it’s always going to be not twisted, but the point pulled out of that portion will be to encourage me. And so maybe that’s not exactly what this portion is, or that’s not the point of this portion, or that’s not the context that this portion originally was in. So being able to read a resource and take a step back and put it back in the big picture, is this what the what the scripture is saying? Is this what our context is? Does this fit into what we’re understanding here? AM I getting this right? Always, always, always looking back at what is the source?
00:30:01 Roy: Yes, that’s extremely important. Um, if you pick up something from Legionnaire, for example, which is a reformed, uh, outlet, um, you’re going to have reformed theology woven in and some of what they said is going to be quite wrong. Uh, from my point of view, um, but a lot of it is going to be spot on. You know, I was once riding in a car. This really struck me because I was riding in, in the car listening to some religious program of some kind. It was just a general program. No, it was a Catholic priest, and it was one of the best explanations of a particular subject in Scripture that I had heard. I haven’t heard anything better since, but that was a Catholic priest, but it just happened to be a subject that was so universal that, uh, any denomination basically would, um, would agree to what he said. Uh, but it was, it was very sound and very well put. But if I’m going to listen to him about the remembrance meeting, as we call it, or can, um, confession or something like that, that’s not going to be reliable. So having the source, knowing the source is extremely important.
00:31:15 Patricia: What should people do if they, if the answer they are seeking, the support they’re seeking can be found in a commentary that was written a long time ago, but it just doesn’t make sense to you because we understand things a little bit differently now. What should they do?
00:31:33 Roy: That’s a really tough one. And the best advice that I can say is to talk to somebody about it. Um, an older person, uh, it’s really unfortunate. Uh, you know, it’s, it’s terrible because I, I see exactly what you’re, what you’re talking about. Um, some of these, some of these texts should be rewritten. Um, but who’s going to do that? We just don’t have the energy and the time anymore. Um, if you, if you really want to get into some of the best commentaries I remember, I tell you a funny story. I was in a Bible study at work for a while, and as a miscellaneous group of people there from all kinds of denominations. And, um, we were talking everything and I said, well, I don’t think anything useful has been written about the Bible in the last hundred years.
00:32:27 Patricia: Mhm.
00:32:29 Roy: Well, that was a good talking point. We got off on a real discussion about commentaries. Right. But the problem is it’s it’s almost true. And it’s sad. Um, if you really want to learn about these, then get a dictionary. Sit down and just work at it. MM. That’s all I can say. You know, it’s like if you want, if you want to be really good at something, If you want to be a great basketball player and always be able to sink that shot from beyond the third three shot line, three point line. That’s going to take concentration. It’s going to take work. It’s going to take effort. It’s going to take time. Yeah. So I’m I’m sorry. There’s just no other way.
00:33:18 Patricia: Yeah. No I don’t think you have to be sorry. I do think that there’s something there’s something in the effort that comes forth. And just on the literacy side, like I’ve always got two suggestions. Um, one is using technology and one is just reading out loud. So at times reading out loud, right, can help bring a certain clarity that the voice in your head may not be able to, um, and reading something repeatedly out loud in a conversational voice can be very helpful. Um, in terms of helping you to hear what the author is saying. My second suggestion is that particular sentences or passages you don’t understand, honestly, you can feed it into AI and ask AI, can you please change the level which is literacy? You could change the lexile level. That is what it’s called, or just the reading level of the passage. And you can put it down to like a ninth grade or tenth grade level. If you’re in nine states and it’s going to help you a lot. Just know that it may take away some of the original author’s voice and their particular writing style. Um, but that could be really helpful for you to get the gist of what they’re trying to say. But do be careful because those commentaries are commenting on the Bible, which is God’s Word and AI, and Google those resources. When they summarize, they can lose the original nuances of the words that the Lord intends. So always just know that the technology is not perfect either. Um, and it can also just be a way to just lose the true core meaning of a passage. So just be careful. Thank you, Peter Boy and Bethel for this important conversation about how to answer any question using the Bible. Of course, I’ll go back to the beginning. Knowing the books of the Bible and where they are is always a really great challenge to put upon yourself. Memorize them. We used to have competitions about this when we were younger. There’s some there are there are songs. Right? Exactly. But that’s a really good place to start. Um, I hope that our listeners know that Google is not our enemy. The internet is not our enemy. We love technology, but we should always question the root. The effect of getting quick answers. Um, when we seldom meditate on those answers. So let’s think about how we need to slow down, read, reread, and ponder God’s Word. It’s a challenge for me as well. And just know that we don’t need to learn everything all at once. Growth takes time as well. So we encourage you to keep reading, praying, and talking to the Lord about your questions. And then also, as has been mentioned so many times, talk to mature Christians who have navigated similar questions and they know their Bibles well. They can probably give you some really great supports as to how they have been helped too. For more on this topic, you can check out Patterns of Truth dot org and we will see you next time for another conversation about living this Christian life.
00:36:15 Speaker 1: Thank you for listening to the Patterns of Truth podcast. We invite you to join us for our next episode. And we also encourage you to check out Patterns of truth dot org, where we post articles every week for the encouragement and growth of Christ followers. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to submit them on our website. I’m Peter. Until next time.
The post Using Godâs Word to Answer Hard Questions appeared first on Patterns of Truth.
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Zijn er afleveringen die ontbreken?
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Faith, Doubt, Leaving the Faith
A few years ago, I followed a well-known Christian influencer whose faith journey was encouraging many, including me. But recently, he announced he was stepping away from Christianity, citing years of wrestling with doubts about the fundamentals of the faith. He said his doubt was too overwhelming to maintain his Christian life.
Hearing this was both difficult and confusing. I donât know his heart or what God is doing in this manâs life, but I pray for him and trust him to the Lordâs care.
His story made me pause and ask: Is he the only one? How many of us have quietly struggled with similar doubts? How much doubt can we carry before it becomes paralyzing or makes us question where we stand with God?
Today, weâll ask: What does it mean to doubt as a believer? How does God respond to our questions? Is there space for some doubt that isnât disruptive? And, ultimately, how do we move forwardâgrowing in confidence and resembling Him more, even when weâre not sure we have all the answers?
Our goal is NOT to spread doubts and âinfectâ others, so to speak. However, we can acknowledge them without giving them too much power.
What type of doubts have you experienced? Doubting the existence of GodStruggling with doubts during challenges in life (wondering if thereâs a point in all of this – seeing Godâs hand)I hope our listeners know that they are not the only ones who may struggle with similar questions and wonder: how much doubt should I be having?
We encourage you to keep reading, praying, and talking with the Lord about your doubts. Then, speak with mature Christians who have navigated these challenges.
Subscribe so you don’t miss an episode!UNEDITED TRANSCRIPTION:
00:00:00 Patricia: Welcome to another Patterns of Truth podcast. A few years ago, I followed a well-known Christian Christian influencer whose faith journey was encouraging many, including me. But recently he announced that he was stepping away from Christianity, citing years of wrestling with doubts about the fundamentals of the faith. He said his doubt was too overwhelming to maintain his Christian life. Hearing this was both difficult and confusing. I don’t know his heart or what God is doing in this man’s life, but I pray for him and I trust in the Lord’s care. But his story made me pause and ask, is he the only one? How many of us have quietly struggled with similar doubts? How much doubt can we carry before it becomes paralyzing or makes us question where we stand with God? I’m Patricia, your host for today’s Patterns of Truth podcast. And today we will ask the question, what does it mean to doubt as a believer? How does God respond to our questions and our doubts? And is there space for some doubt that isn’t disruptive? Ultimately, how do we move forward, growing in confidence and resembling the Lord even more, even when we do not have all the answers? Our goal for today’s podcast and conversation is not to spread doubt and infect others with disbelief, so to speak, but we want to acknowledge that we all experience doubt from time to time without giving that doubt too much power. So hey everyone, we have Peter, Roy, and Bethel. How are you guys doing today?
00:01:31 Bethel: Good. How’s it going? Oh.
00:01:34 Patricia: Good. All right. So I want to launch right into our first question. Um and it doesn’t matter who answers, but what type of doubts have you experienced in your Christian life?
00:01:51 Bethel: I think even in my limited amount of life, as I go through different seasons, different phases, there’s always some point that I’m kind of like, Is God who he says he is in terms of, is God as good as he says he is? Is God um, always with me as he says he is? Which I mean, an utmost respect. I don’t mean that in any irreverent way, but I think that that’s normal, that we all kind of go through a point where we’re like, um, God, really with me. Is God really carrying me? Is God really sticking with me?
00:02:26 Patricia: MM. Yeah. Anybody else? What type of doubts have you experienced?
00:02:32 Peter: Like many of us who are new believers, I, uh, at the beginning of my salvation, uh, did doubt being saved. I remember praying multiple times. Um, and every time there was a salvation message, I was always worried, oh, no, if there’s another message. Um, until I reached a point where I prayed, Lord, you know, I don’t know what’s going on. And, um, I remember that I saw a difference in my life. And, uh, that was a shooting to me that, you know, the Lord worked in my heart. People didn’t know. They didn’t see the difference. But I knew the difference. I know that I started, you know, desiring to read scripture more. Um, my attitude towards life changed. Um, when I was I mean, still like a young, maybe thirteen years old. So that’s one of the doubts, um, that I had. Um.
00:03:39 Patricia: Okay. Right.
00:03:42 Roy: I, um, no doubt it’s been a long time. Uh, I’m the old guy on the podcast and I, uh, I don’t remember having doubts like Peter described, but I’m almost certain that I must have, uh, they’re long gone out of my memory, in any case, but, uh, for sure, uh, doubts about, um, details of life. Should I go this road or that road? Uh, what does this scripture mean? Why does, uh, somebody who’s wiser than I am think it means something different than I? Different than I believe it. So those are the kind of doubts that I’ve had mostly. Okay. Uh, and there’s been specific incidences when I’ve had to do something that had no knowledge that it would be the right thing or the wrong thing, but a decision had to be made. And it turns out, uh, years later, it was obvious that, um, that that was the right thing to do. So I think that’s an interesting experience. And I have to say, I was encouraged by a book, uh, by Elsie Cole. And I don’t remember the title of it right at the moment. Um, I’m, this is off the top of my head right now, but she was a missionary to China for many years and expressed the same sort of experience. So I was encouraged by that. Uh, we, we have to sometimes go ahead in our practical life, uh, on faith, uh, believing God is good and that he’s going to make everything work out and not worry about whether I’m doing exactly the right thing or not. Uh, because he’s sovereign and he’s good. And I think those two principles really have to guide us. Yeah.
00:05:39 Patricia: So I want to back up a little bit. Can we define doubt? What is it? Because I think we’re talking about like how it’s functioned in our lives. But, um, what actually is doubt?
00:05:56 Peter: I mean, my simple thought process, uh, um, like in simplicity, I would think is what I believe in is true or not.
00:06:06 Patricia: Mhm.
00:06:07 Peter: Um, what I feel confident about what I put my faith in. Is that true? Or is that just, uh, you know, Another imaginary thing or something that I, I made up.
00:06:24 Patricia: Oh yeah. It’s like a competing idea in your mind. Like, maybe I’m wrong about this whole thing. Yeah. So then thinking along those lines, can we have a little clarity? Are doubts a sign of weak faith, or can they be part of a normal Christian journey?
00:06:49 Bethel: I think we have to doubt at some point everybody’s gonna doubt. I think what differs is maybe what you will have doubts about. But I think that it’s normal that if you care about anything, you are inquisitive about it and you want to see it and you want to experience it. And so to doubt something means that you’re, I believe, spending time in it and that you are invested in it. So I think the same for your faith. If you want to see God’s hand. And maybe sometimes you don’t see it in the way you want to see it. You might doubt if you want to be saved. And so you hear a gospel message and you doubt. Each time it’s because you want. You want to be saved. You want to be sure that you’ve done it right. So I think that that can definitely be normal. Oh.
00:07:38 Roy: Doubt can be the means by which we expand our understanding. Um, I think I, I’m struck by what the Apostle Paul wrote to the Corinthians thirteen, verse twelve, I think, where we see through a dim window and I think it’s part of our human experience. Um, our limitations. And thankfully that’s going to be done away. Uh, in the new, uh, the new era, the new creation. Um, when we fully realize, um, two things. Uh, I think that’s in the same passage actually. First Corinthians thirteen that, which is, uh, partial will be put away. So, um, doubt prompts us to investigate. It should now it can be debilitating. And that’s where it becomes bad and a real hindrance when we come maybe obsessed with our doubt, but that that actually is a result of not really believing God is good. Because if we really believe that he’s good. Um, and I think scripture from page one enforces that on us. Um, even if we go back to the Garden of Eden and I think so much depends on the Garden of Eden or as revealed there, what happened? Uh, our first parents failed miserably and it was catastrophic. The, the failure. It’s affected every human being that’s ever lived. And yet what has come out of that? Um. The Lord, speaking to his disciples in John twelve said, except the corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abides alone, but if it die, it brings forth much fruit. Well, that is such a profound verse, and it explains why God allowed the fall and what he’s done about it. We could not really be inheritors with Christ if Christ had not come into this life to save us. As a man, he is now risen man and we’re going to be like him. All of that’s made possible by the fall. If you think about it. So here are the most catastrophic failure result in the most catastrophic injustice that the world has ever seen, which resulted in the most incredible blessing that eternity will require us to investigate. So when you think about that pattern, then the only way we can explain it, I think, is by realizing that God is good and that he nothing is going to get slipped through his fingers, as it were. So we can be complacent in our relationship with him. He’s going to take care of us. And that includes, like in Hebrews tells us about the discipline. You know, he will discipline us if need be, but what’s the result of that? It’s going to be so that we learn righteousness and we improve. And so when you when you realize that, then doubts cannot be debilitating. They have to be simply a doorway to understanding more about what God has for us. Well.
00:11:14 Patricia: I appreciate how you mentioned, um, our for parents because I think that, um, for anyone who’s struggling with doubt, maybe they think that they’re the only ones, but there are many doubters that are featured in the Bible with a variety of solutions. And so, um, you mentioned, um, Adam and Eve. So, uh, I’ll just go down the list, right. And we can talk about what each doubt was about and how the doubts were resolved, or if that individual was overwhelmed by doubt. So we’ve got Abraham, Sarah, Barak, Gideon, Jonah, and we’ve got Thomas in the New Testament. So I want to take a crack at it. What was the doubt about and how was it resolved? Anybody?
00:12:05 Roy: Eve doubted the goodness of God. If anything, that’s got to be the fundamental doubt. Oh, she was in a. Are they? I should say, you know, we pick on Eve. But they were both there. Adam and Eve. Um, Adam could have intervened, but he didn’t. Um but. They were surrounded by every possible evidence of the goodness of God. And there was one requirement and basically said Satan came to them and said, okay, this thing that God has kept from you, that’s evidence that he’s not really good. MM. That was really the bottom, I think the bottom line. Temptation. Mhm. And they, they fell for it.
00:12:59 Patricia: Yeah.
00:12:59 Roy: So it was the goodness of God manifested. And they were tricked into doubting God’s goodness.
00:13:09 Patricia: Especially the part of. Well, you will be as gods, right? So then there’s this idea of, oh, he’s withholding something from me. I can be elevated. What is this? Right. The doubt of God’s goodness, but also something about the self. There’s something right. Why can’t be greater than what I am. Why not? Right. Yeah. Well, that’s a really good one. So I guess, well, considering all your comments before like that doubt was not necessarily resolved because we are all where we are right now. Um, it wasn’t.
00:13:41 Bethel: But it had to happen. It had to happen for God’s goodness, God’s ultimate goodness and ultimate grace with us to be presented. So ultimately, and I think that that’s the, what we can learn about all of these examples in the Old Testament is that no matter what doubt they had, God’s will was what it was in the end, and God was who he said he was in the end. And so I think that that’s something beautiful. Like our next example was Abraham. And Abraham doubted God’s promise, and he tried to go about things in his way that he saw fit. But where did he end up? Yes, he made a big mistake with Hagar in Egypt as well with Sarah. But ultimately God’s will came to be what he promised. And, you know, we have Isaac and we have the this blessing. And so sometimes it’s a matter of, yes, we will make the mistakes that we will make. We will doubt even a New Testament example. The disciples were with the Lord in the boat, and they doubted. They feared they panicked. But ultimately, God is going to be who he says he’s going to be. He’s going to do his will. He’s going to carry us through whether we see it or we don’t. Oh.
00:14:56 Patricia: I love that. The question then it kind of goes right back to the same thing Roy was saying. The disciples in the boat, they said, Lord, do you not care that we are about to die? Right.
00:15:07 Speaker 6: And still he was right there with them.
00:15:09 Patricia: Right. The like, don’t you know? Right. Because for us, right. The biggest fear and threat is death, right? We all want to survive death no matter what. And it’s like, well, don’t you see? This is what’s the end is going to be. Um, but he does see. So so you got Sarah Barak Gideon, Jonah Thomas. What was the doubt about? How was it resolved?
00:15:39 Peter: Well, we’ll talk about Abraham and Sarah, right. That, uh, um, they Abraham doubted that God is going to fulfill his promise of having a child under. There was a consequences of that. Oh, there was another child instead of Isaac, Ishmael. And that caused heartache, you know, and, and his life and, you know, in the future too. Um, because he didn’t trust the Lord. And, you know, honestly, if we think about it, we would be in the same place. Uh, imagine being old and not having a child and still trying to trust that the Lord promise will be fulfilled. Uh, I.
00:16:28 Speaker 6: Would have left, too.
00:16:32 Peter: Yeah.
00:16:33 Patricia: And hers was like a very much about the boys.
00:16:35 Peter: Yeah. And he knows exactly what he’s doing, you know?
00:16:38 Speaker 6: Yeah.
00:16:40 Patricia: Yeah. And her particular doubt. I’m trying to find it in Genesis was about the limitations of her body. Right in age. Right. And like, how can a dead womb bring forth like, what is this? Like, this is not possible. Right. I know how old I am, right? That’s what she was saying. Um. All right. Uh, Barrett. Gideon. Jonah. Thomas.
00:17:06 Bethel: Can I just add one more thing to the Abraham and Sarah conversation? The good, the beautiful thing is that we don’t just see it in Genesis, but we see it in Hebrews as well. Mhm. That’s that’s the point, I think, because it doesn’t. Go ahead, brother Roy and Galatians.
00:17:25 Roy: Galatians is a very important lesson.
00:17:28 Bethel: Yes. But that it wasn’t just. Yes. They doubted, yes, that that was what happened. But at the end of the day, God was faithful. God was faithful. And even though they doubted, they they still went about it and they still followed the will of the Lord. And in in Hebrews eleven, Sarah has described, uh, in verse eleven, actually, Sarah herself also received strength to conceive seed. She bore a child when she was past the age because she judged him. Capital H judged God faithful who had promised. And so it’s that’s the end of their story. And that’s the beautiful part.
00:18:09 Patricia: Yeah, I love that part. She counted him faithful, who had promised. Right. And it wasn’t. He was faithful. Right. The conclusion. Yeah. Not like well, I, you know, I had some really good herbs and I just changed my diet. And then I figured it out. It was. He was faithful.
00:18:26 Bethel: He was faithful.
00:18:27 Patricia: And gave her the power to conceive. Yeah. Peter, I know you had Gideon before. Oh, sorry.
00:18:35 Bethel: Yeah. Give us. Give us some Gideon. Peter.
00:18:39 Peter: Uh, uh, uh, when we were just, uh, planning for the recording, just before we started recording, I. I told the group that how much I love the story of Gideon.
00:18:50 Patricia: Mhm.
00:18:51 Peter: Um, we know typically of the first doubt that he had, which is doubting himself if he’s able to go and fight for the Lord. The enemies and the Lord showed miracle. You know a couple miracles for him to reassure him, but he also doubted afterwards also. Oh, um, if he’s going to win. After they sifted the army to three hundred people, three hundred men, um, and he was not sure. And the Lord answered his doubt too. So, um, doubt will continue to happen. And if we take it to the Lord, um, um, a mighty man like Gideon had multiple doubts and the Lord used him and he can use us also.
00:19:47 Patricia: So kind of going off of that then, Peter, what’s the, what’s the biblical pattern for a dressing down. So we know doubters in the Bible existed, right? This is a human condition, right? We see it in ourselves. We see it there. So what’s the biblical pattern for addressing this type of doubt?
00:20:06 Peter: Well, I’ll start by saying we have to be honest to the Lord. Come to him with Lord, you know, and this is what’s going on.
00:20:18 Speaker 7: Oh, yeah.
00:20:20 Bethel: And isn’t that what he wants? Because I don’t think like we’ve already acknowledged doubt is not necessarily a bad thing. And so doesn’t he want us to come to him with our questions and with our curiosities and with our struggles?
00:20:31 Speaker 7: Mhm.
00:20:31 Bethel: That’s how that’s how I felt that as has shown up in my life. Like sometimes it will literally take me going through something to continuously tell myself. But I know God is good, but I know God will come through. But I know God is who he says he is until I believe it.
00:20:49 Speaker 7: Yeah. Yeah.
00:20:50 Bethel: And I, I think we see that in Scripture that we’ve mentioned.
00:20:54 Patricia: It makes me think of the Scripture. Casting all your care upon him, for he cares for you. And sometimes we think of cares as which they can be like the issues of this life. Lord, I don’t know how I’m going to get through this financial problem or Lord, I’ve been praying for something for a long time. But what if someone’s care that constantly is on their heart is Lord, I’m just not sure about this. Fill in the blank, right? Whatever he’s asking someone to do or something to believe. Lord, that’s a care. It’s weighing you down, right? Roll off that care onto him like, Lord, I don’t know what it is. This unbelief is just overwhelming me. Help me. Right. I think that is a it is a care that can affect us, right? Big time depending on what is going on in life. Um, but yeah, so. Roy. Peter oh, sorry, Roy because Peter already answered a biblical pattern for addressing doubt.
00:21:53 Roy: Well, like Peter said, we we first of all have to be honest. And I like the story of the man who brought his paralytic. His paralytic son to, um. To the Lord. Uh, for, um, for help. Uh, he was a a demon, actually a demon possessed boy. Um, who, um, I suppose in modern language, it’d be like an epileptic fit, but, uh, it was demonic. Uh, it wasn’t just epilepsy, but he, um, appealed to the Lord. And, um, the Lord said, um. Um. Uh, Jesus said to him, yeah, I’m looking at the verse. He said to him, if thou couldst believe all things are possible to him that believes. And immediately the father of the young child, crying out, said with tears, I believe, help my unbelief. So, um.
00:23:12 Patricia: Or is that.
00:23:12 Speaker 7: Roy?
00:23:13 Roy: Uh, that’s uh, Mark nine twenty four, the verse I read. Okay. Um, and I think it’s important to realize that God, again, is a good God and he’s going to, um, not base his mercy on the weakness of our faith, but he’s going to take what it is.
00:23:36 Speaker 7: Uh. Huh. Yeah.
00:23:38 Roy: So, um, so the point is to come to the Lord with our difficulties and trust him to guide us. And he will.
00:23:49 Speaker 7: Yeah.
00:23:51 Peter: But to what Roy is saying, we don’t base our future and our confidence on our feelings or our emotions, but on or the circumstances. But on truth and truth comes from Scripture. So regardless of how we feel or what we’re going through, we have to go back to the truth and scripture.
00:24:16 Speaker 7: Yeah. Mhm. That’s very good. Um, I know.
00:24:21 Patricia: That before.
00:24:22 Speaker 7: We were.
00:24:23 Patricia: We pressed record, we were talking about two Psalms, um, that have a really nice pattern of what we do when we’re struggling with, um, a doubt or a particular perspective. Um, and obviously these were written a long time ago, um, by Jewish people. So there are some things that are mentioned in both the Psalms that don’t necessarily apply to us here as Christians in twenty twenty five, but the principles are really good to examine. So I know that we mentioned Psalm forty two, which is titled, why are you cast down, O my soul? And Roy, you gave us Psalm seventy three, and Psalm seventy three is a Psalm of Asaph. So Psalm forty two is from the sons of the sons of Korah, and seventy three is a psalm of Asaph. So not from David, but really, really great principles throughout. And, um, we read, we read the two Psalms before we came on the recording, but I would just encourage our listeners to go ahead and read and read those Psalms, because they both follow a pattern of observing hard things right in, in life, looking at the wicked prospering or um, our soul is cast down. And every time the psalmist, these two psalmists go through their doubts, they remind themselves of the goodness of the Lord and how the Lord has delivered them and Israel over and over again. And so even in the face of our own faithlessness, the psalmist keeps coming back to hope in the Lord, hope in the Lord. And I think that this it really matches up with so much of what’s been said already. Um, and it’s really great to see that pattern in scripture that the Lord left this for us to say, this is what you can do when you’re struggling.
00:26:19 Speaker 7: Yeah. Yeah.
00:26:24 Patricia: So what does honest prayer look like in seasons of doubt? You’re struggling. You’re overwhelmed. Roy, you mentioned like debilitating doubt where everything feels like you’re not sure. Right. And I imagine that’s really difficult. Right? You walk out the front door, it’s like something’s going to fall on me if my car got to break down. Like it’s so much anxiety. So what does that honest prayer look like when things get intense and it’s not that healthy curiosity, that questioning.
00:26:54 Roy: Well, we’ve talked a lot about the goodness of God, and I think that has to be really the underpinning. If if God is not good, then everything is hopeless. Um, that ends in nihilism. So, um, the goodness of God really is behind our prayers. So we may not see it. And that’s why the Psalm seventy three is so good, because the expressions there can reflect, um, a hopelessness really.
00:27:29 Speaker 7: Um.
00:27:30 Roy: But the conclusion there is when he says, I went into the sanctuary.
00:27:36 Speaker 7: MM.
00:27:36 Roy: So the key that’s, you know, our prayers. And so if we have a sense that God is there and he’s listening.
00:27:46 Speaker 7: Mhm.
00:27:47 Roy: Um, then that forms the basis of whatever appeal, uh, we can put. And I think there is going to be a response.
00:27:56 Speaker 7: Yeah.
00:27:57 Patricia: Also, do you feel like that’s a change in perspective to like, sometimes we can become so preoccupied with our own thoughts and our own, I don’t know, our own ideas and doubts. And then we go to where the Lord is, right? We go to his house with his people and something.
00:28:14 Roy: That’s right. The whole first part of the Psalm is an external review. He’s just looking at others.
00:28:20 Speaker 7: Mhm.
00:28:21 Roy: And that’s never a good solution. We have to look to the Lord.
00:28:24 Speaker 7: Mhm. Yeah.
00:28:27 Patricia: So I guess it’s good. Like, if we’re struggling with something, we shouldn’t stay away. We shouldn’t stay away from meeting with other Christians because Lord might have something So precise not might he will have something so precise to say to us that will help us, that we would not get if we just stayed alone in our own minds.
00:28:48 Speaker 7: Yeah.
00:28:49 Peter: Well, I say, I encourage I’ve done it once or twice before to write down your prayer on a piece of paper and, uh, um, read it. And while you’re reading it, you can write down underneath it what are the lies that you are believing in? Um, so maybe the lie is God doesn’t care for me or God is not present in my life. Um, or God is withholding something good from me. Um, and then underneath it, write the truth. Uh, from a verse in scripture.
00:29:29 Speaker 7: That’s really good.
00:29:30 Peter: And, uh, this can be a practical, easy way to. Or and you can go back to it, you know, when you’re struggling with the same data again.
00:29:39 Speaker 7: Mhm.
00:29:39 Peter: Read my prayer again. Mhm. That’s why I believe the lie is. And what’s the that’s the truth. And that can be an encouragement.
00:29:49 Speaker 7: That’s really good.
00:29:50 Patricia: I even sorry, Bethel.
00:29:53 Speaker 7: Go ahead.
00:29:53 Bethel: No. Even a step further. A lot of people journal. And so they’ll journal their prayers this way. And it helps even in a few months time, further down, when you’re dealing with a new season or you’re struggling with something else to look back and be able to say, wow, remember when I was struggling with that and the Lord got me through? Wow. Remember how I felt? And he really revealed himself to me. That’s that same God. He hasn’t changed. My circumstances have just risen again and I’m in a new lesson. But he’s still the same God.
00:30:22 Speaker 7: We tend to forget.
00:30:24 Roy: What you just what you just said might sound mechanical to some people, but that’s exactly what many of the Psalms are. their recounting of what God did in the past.
00:30:39 Speaker 7: Okay.
00:30:40 Patricia: That’s good to do it again. I remember I heard a suggestion one time from a preacher who said similar to what you said, Peter, but like when you write down your prayer, you write down next to it the date where you really started praying about it intensely. And when God answers, whether it’s a yes or no or a wait, you put the date next to it. So you see the bookend because our minds naturally go, oh, thanks God, that was great. We just move on up and don’t remember like, oh, like the Lord. Really? He, he solved that for me in a way that I couldn’t have done myself. Um, but yeah, I heard that as an encouragement one time. Now I’m like, I gotta go back and do that. Write down the date where it was answered, right? Because our minds will say, oh, like God hasn’t done anything for me. And that is a that’s a doubt. That’s a lie. Oh, like he hasn’t, but he has. Right. And if we keep a record of that, I really do believe it will help buoy us, um, over time. So, um, but I’d like to ask, is it possible for doubt to strengthen our faith over time?
00:31:51 Peter: Definitely.
00:31:53 Speaker 7: Okay.
00:31:56 Roy: I think in my, my experience, um, like I mentioned before, perhaps my most experiences doubting about what something means, uh, what Scripture means. And I think, um, doubt, as I said before, is really the doorway to understanding more about what the issue is. MM. Um, and I think often people that don’t doubt have shallow thoughts about what something means, um, scripture in particular Is amazingly profound. We don’t realize how profound it is, and very often. Um, even reading a slightly different translation, even reading a translation that’s not very good will sometimes prompt ideas about what a verse means that you would not have otherwise thought of. And of course, the, the, the problem might be that you’ll be led astray, but you have to deal with that. And the way you deal with it is keeping in mind another verse from Isaiah that’s very important. And that is little that we learn little by little here, a little there, a little, uh, line upon line, precept upon precept. So there’s no oh, and the other verse that’s really important is in Peter. Uh, no. Scripture is of its own isolated interpretation. I’m paraphrasing that which I think is misunderstood by some of the modern translations. Um, Darby has it right. These are important principles. We need to have a general knowledge of Scripture, because what one verse seems to say will be if we misinterpret a verse in one place, maybe put it this way, then that can be corrected by a verse in another place. So we have to have a general understanding, a general knowledge of Scripture.
00:34:01 Speaker 7: Oh, okay.
00:34:04 Patricia: So my last question is about, um, encouragement for people who are doubting right now, because I feel like, and I’ve experienced this in my own life, that when we experience doubts or someone close to us or near to us is doubting, we can recoil from that person. Um, if they express a doubt that is scary to us, Like, oh, well, that’s like a fundamental that you should just believe, right? Or we feel very uncomfortable or uncomfortable or unsettled by that doubt. Um, maybe it’s something that we doubt as well, but we don’t want to admit it. Like, how do we deal with other Christians who express doubts that make us uncomfortable? How do we encourage them and deal with that?
00:34:51 Roy: Can I start by talking a little bit more personal about this? Not with other people, but anything that comes up? Uh, a question maybe you hear a preacher on the internet or whatever, a faith in the in a Christian sense. And I think this is so important that we understand that faith is really not gullible. We don’t believe something when we don’t have evidence for it. Christian faith is evidence based. And when John was writing his gospel, he said, I think it’s in verse chapter twenty or so. He said, these things have I written? Okay. John was an eyewitness, and he had other people around him that had also witnessed the same thing. So he had to be accurate in what he said. And he wrote a lot of things that were pretty precise about what the Lord said. So we have to look at that and say, wow, this guy knew what he was talking about. He was a reliable witness. He had people that would have beat him around the head and shoulders if he had said something wrong. Right. You know, Peter would not let some John say something wrong. I think we can. We get we get that from Peter, at least. He was pretty outspoken. So John had to write what he had seen and heard in a pretty accurate way. We have a faith that is based on written records of what people saw. The Apostle Paul wrote about the resurrection in chapter fifteen of First Corinthians. And he could say, look, if you doubt what I’m telling you, go ask those five hundred people that are hanging around. Well, some of them have died, but go ask them.
00:36:51 Speaker 7: Huh?
00:36:51 Roy: They know what they’re talking about. They know what they heard and saw. And so we have solid evidence for what we believe. So doubts come up. What’s your evidence? Where’s your evidence? You know, somebody tells me something. Where’s your evidence?
00:37:12 Speaker 7: Mhm.
00:37:13 Roy: And another principle connected with this is that the first thing that we hear or the first thing that we see might not be the the correct. You know, there’s a proverb. It’s it’s phrased as if someone was telling you something. He. That is, if he that is first in his own cause seemeth just. But his neighbor comes and searches him out. That’s a actually a very fundamental principle. The first thing that I that comes into my mind when I’m reading Scripture might not be correct. I have to keep reading. I have to question it. I have to doubt it, as it were. That’s why I say doubting can be a pathway to deeper understanding. And that’s a principle that we need to realize. If you read something in scripture, come back and read it again next year or a month later, don’t just, you know, it’s something that we have to learn over time. We accumulate evidence that puts our doubts. a side.
00:38:24 Peter: I’d like to share a kind of different side of doubt. If you’re doubting, uh, because of doubting God’s goodness or doubting the Lord’s faithfulness through difficult circumstances, I’d encourage you to write down and memorize verses about perseverance and persevere. And I’d like to share one of them, which is James one twelve. Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial. For once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love him. And there’s multiple others. I have four verses that I keep just so I can. The Lord, you know, tells us to persevere and difficult circumstances and difficult times of doubt.
00:39:11 Speaker 7: That’s good.
00:39:12 Bethel: I don’t think there’s ever been a time that I doubted and didn’t come out Stronger in my faith after going through it with the Lord. And so for me, I just say, let it be a chance for him to prove himself to you. If I can say that so plainly. But let it be a time where God can come through for you again. And this is something you remember in the future. Like, oh, remember when I struggled with this? And then the Lord really came through this way and cling on to that. And like Peter and Roy have said, go back into scripture, find where he has done that for all of mankind. Because every one of those stories, the Lord is still faithful. The Lord is still good. The Lord is still with us. He’s overcome the doubt. He is who he is. And let this be a chance for him to prove that to you again.
00:39:59 Speaker 7: Yeah. Yeah.
00:40:01 Patricia: I feel like that’s really, I feel like I think about why memorization is so important. Um, memorizing the word of God because there’s, we have so many thoughts. And when you do memorize scripture, the Holy Spirit will bring it to mind as a block, right? And because sometimes you don’t have time to sit down and write in your journal and go find that because something will come up while you’re driving in your mind or you’re working, you’re doing something right and it comes in your face. And what is the what is the defense against that? Right? I need to be ready. Like, obviously, like the Lord knows all. But when Satan came to him, he said, it is written and I need to be ready with my. It is written right to speak and say no. Like this is like, this is what the truth of Scripture is. So that’s my challenge to myself and to others. Like, I know it’s so easy to just scroll on your Bible app, right? Google it. But memorization is still the way to go. Um, yeah. So, well, thank you, Peter Roy and Bethel for this important conversation about doubt and living as a Christian. I hope that our listeners know that they are not the only ones who may struggle with similar questions. And we touched very, very lightly on people in the Scripture who struggle with doubt. And there were a variety of ways the Lord spoke to them and spoke to what they were struggling with. So I would encourage everyone, of course, I think the best place to start is in the positive. Go to Hebrews eleven, the Hall of Faith, right? Read about faith because we talked about Sarah and Abraham and their struggles. But you know, the conclusion of the matter is that through faith, right? Um, Sarah judged him people, he who, um, had promised and he gave her the strength to conceive. And so we see the end, right? And what the Lord does and how he gives us faith because we can’t get it from ourselves. So, um, we encourage you to keep reading the Bible. That’s the number one thing. Keep reading, keep praying. Talk to the Lord about your doubts. Don’t hide them from him. Tell him that you are struggling. Um, and then I would encourage you to talk to some mature Christians who have navigated these challenges so they can encourage you in ways that you probably have never thought of before. So for more about this topic, you can check out our various articles and Q and A’s at patternsof dot org. See you next time, everybody, for another conversation about how to live this Christian life. Bye.
00:42:33 Patricia: Thank you for listening to the Patterns of Truth podcast. We invite you to join us for our next episode. And we also encourage you to check out Patterns of truth dot org, where we post articles every week for the encouragement and growth of Christ followers. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to submit them on our website. I’m Peter. Until next time.
The post Shadow of a Doubt: Can Your Faith Survive It? appeared first on Patterns of Truth.
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Weâre diving into one of lifeâs most powerful questions: Who am I?
Itâs a question weâve all wrestled with at some point, and for believers, it carries a deeper weight. As life changes, we may question our identities completely. Am I still a sinner, or am I something new? Does my past define me? What does it mean to have an identity in Christ?
For those who are not saved, we challenge you to consider your identity: a sinner, on your way to a Christless eternity. More specifically, what that means is eternal suffering and separation from God in a conscious state for eternity. This is not what the Lord intended – listen to the call of the Gospel. Good news that the Son of God was born as a baby, grew into a Man, fully man, fully God, and died on the Cross to pay a price you could not pay. Your Sin was condemned, and your sins were paid for; accept the free gift of salvation and have a new identity today: new creation in Christ.
In this episode, weâre going to unpack what the Bible says about who you really are â not who the world says you are, not who your mistakes say you are â but who God says you are.
If you had to introduce yourself to someone, how would you identify yourself? What happens when I have an unstable identity?Being saved – are you saved?!How does it impact my life when I donât know who I am or when I let my identity shift based on circumstances or opinions?”
What does it mean to be âborn again?ââYe must be born againâ – the words of the Lord Jesus2 Corinthians 5:7, 17Ephesians 2:10
What or Who ultimately defines my identity? My actions or God? Or is it a little bit of both?2 Corinthians 5:17 â “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.”Ephesians 2:10 â “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works⊔
How do I see myself: as a sinner, a saint, or something else?When I sin, is it ok for me to admit: âIâm a sinner?âRomans 8:1 â “There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus…”Ephesians 1:6 â “âŠHe made us accepted in the Beloved.”
Is there a difference between repentance and confession?Do sinners repent? Do saints confess?
Do I need to keep repenting to stay saved?Romans 8:1 â “There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus⊔Hebrews 10:14 â “For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified.”
Is salvation still active in my present life?Does that mean I can lose my salvation?2 Corinthians 4:16 â “âŠthe inward man is being renewed day by day.”Colossians 3: 1 – 17 (focus on verse 10). – Manâs responsibility Philippians 2:12-13 â “âŠwork out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who works in you⊔Subscribe so you don’t miss an episode!UNEDITED TRANSCRIPTION: Welcome to the Patterns of Truth podcast, the place for casual discussion of biblical principles and difficult questions that face the Christian believer. We believe that the Bible can speak to today’s issues, giving us the wisdom and the courage we need for our lives. We are so glad that you are joining us, and you can always find us at patterns of thought. Welcome to the Patterns of Truth podcast. This is the show where we explore the foundations of our faith and what it really means to live in the truth of the gospel. I’m your host for today’s conversation, Patricia. And today we’re diving into one of life’s most powerful questions who am I? It’s a question we’ve all wrestled with at some point, whether we’re in different stages of life or just growing and figuring ourselves out. But as Christians, as believers, this question carries a deeper weight Await as life changes, we may question our identities completely. Like I said before, we may ask ourselves based on my action, am I still a sinner or am I something new, a saint? Does my past define me? What does it mean to have identity in Christ? But first, I have to always mention we can’t assume that all of our listeners are Christians are saved. So we challenge those who may not be saved. Maybe you’re curious about the Bible, about Jesus Christ, about Christians. Whatever we talk about, we challenge you to consider your identity. In the Scripture. There are only two. You either belong to the Lord or you don’t. A sinner means that you are on your way to a christless eternity. And that term may sound unfamiliar, but specifically, that term means that eternal suffering and separation from God happens in a conscious state for all of eternity. You do not accept Jesus Christ as your Savior. This is not what the Lord intended for human beings, his creation. Please listen to the call of the gospel. That’s a word that means good news. And this good news is that the Son of God was born as a baby. His name is Jesus Christ. He grew up into a man. He was fully man and fully God. He is fully man and fully God. And he died on the cross to pay a price that you could not pay. Your sin was condemned and your sins were paid for. Please accept the free gift of salvation and have a new identity today. This is a new creation in Christ. So with that, we are going to unpack what the Bible says about who we really are post salvation right after we confess and we believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. And this podcast is not really about who the world says we are, like what society says we are not our mistakes or any of those things, any of those things, but what the Lord says. So let’s get into it. Today, I’m joined by Bethel and Roy, I hope you all are doing well. Hey. Hello. Hello. All right. So we’re going to start very, very basic. If you had to introduce yourself to someone based on where you are in your life right now, how would you identify yourself? Roy? Well, I generally say I’m retired. That’s really nice. I like it. But in Christian circles, of course. Um, I’m, uh, born again. Usually the term that I would use. Okay. And I think that gets to the chase. That gets to the bottom line of what we’re talking about. Yeah, I did look up center. We were talking about sinners or saints. And I found it interesting that there’s if you do a search, there’s forty one references to sinners in the New Testament. And one of them, only one of them refers to a possible believer. And that’s in James five twenty two talks about bringing a sinner back from the error of his ways. So the word centre really refers to the way a person is behaving, and the presumption and all the other verses is that they are unsaved. And I think we’ll talk a little bit more about what that means. MM. All right. What about you? If you had to introduce yourself to someone today based on where you are in your life, how would you identify yourself? A child of the Most High God. No. I’m kidding. Um, it should be, but, uh, I just got out of, like, interview season. And so you practice so much of like, oh, how do you present yourself? How do you, like, tell me about who you are. And I feel like I would always go for like, well, I live in new Jersey and I am the daughter of an Egyptian and Iraqi family. And just like, go about like my, my story. And I’m like, oh, and I’m a student and I am this and I am that and I’ve done this and that. all vein things that are fragile and frail and could pass away in an instant. I mean, I feel like identity is like most of what we say can be categorized in two, like two areas. Like what you’ve been given, like your parents, like your background where you grew up. Like they made those decisions, right? And then like the things that you’ve done. So congratulations, Roy, on retiring, right? But even that, like you had to tell someone, I am retiring now like you to send out paperwork and all that, like you had to officially stamp it. Like, this is who I am now. I am no longer a working American. Leave me alone. I will usually add I retired from Intel and that niches me as a geek. Okay, tech starts some kind of conversation, right? But you know, it’s funny because we usually do use these like identity, like touch points as a way to like, get to know other people and relate or just to have conversation, which is cool too. So but I feel like there’s so many layers, like Bethel just said, like about what our identity is. So let’s start with our first official question on the podcast. What happens when I like as a Christian or even anybody, right? Thinking about ourselves spiritually, what happens when I have an unstable identity? Not like many facets, but like I can’t decide who I am or I feel unsettled with who I am. HMM. I think it would be very discouraging. Um, and you certainly would not have a consistent testimony. And I use the term just generally. I mean, even an unbeliever has a testimony. I mean, what you what you present to other people, you’d have a very unstable, um, character, I think because I think character comes, uh, at least in some part from what you think you are. So in my case, you know, I’m like I said, I worked for Intel for many years. So that defines somewhat the way I behave and the way I talk and the verbs, the, excuse me, the language that I use, um, in talking about things and that reflects, that comes to reflect, uh, your language as a Christian, you’ll have certain, um, views about what’s going on in the world and that will come out in any real discussion. So it is important to have a stable self-conception. If you don’t, then you’ll be saying different things to different people and you’ll feel differently even about yourself and your relationship to other people from day to day. And that’s doesn’t sound to me like it’s a good thing. Why is it a big deal If you say different things to different people. I mean, about your identity, like Bethel was saying, you’re an interview season, right? The rules when you do interviews is like, you know, you kind of tweak what your resume, cover letter, interview content is based on who your audience and all this kind of stuff. And it’s really presented as you’re not being fake, you’re just being a chameleon. You’re being flexible. Dare I say, though, I think this is a good question to have. Like, it’s not good to be unstable, but it’s good to question what is my identity? What am I rooting my identity in? Um, and I think I actually went through this when Covid hit because it was like, okay, everything stopped. And it was like everything that I had put my trust in my like foundations, in my identity in, I couldn’t do those things anymore. And it was like, wow, I can’t even be a student in person. I can’t do like music in person. I can’t like go sing in people’s faces. Um, because we couldn’t like breathe next to each other. But so that kind of had a shift in my identity and I was like, wow, am I really going to depend on things that could be gone and like overnight? Um, and so I think that’s a decent question to have though, to walk through life, not worried about what your place is or what your point is. Um, I think you should wonder that and especially if you’re not a believer, um, not just about life, but about eternity. And I think some things that we like invest like a huge, like label on our identity and are really just circumstantial. Like it depends on like where you grew up or how much access you have. Like, I don’t know if you live in a rural area versus like a city. Like if you moved, right? Like I used to live, I used to live in the city. And then I moved back to the suburbs. I feel like I was different, like that transition period from being a New Yorker, like the way I stood my face, it adjusted based on my environment, but I’m still like Patricia at my core, but there’s still like this transition period where you realize like how much of whatever you put on, like your dress, your expression, your stance is so much like about your environment. And I don’t think we should feel like we got to be scatterbrained about that. Like, oh no, who am I in the suburbs versus who am I in the city? Like, that’s such a, I feel like we go through this when we’re teenagers. We’re like, I don’t know who I am. Slow tier and um, no, but seriously, don’t tell me nobody has cried in the mirror saying I don’t know who I am, Lord, because you wanted to wear dark eyeliner. But anyway, I digress. You know how it is for the emo kids, but I’m just saying like, we’ve all had those moments and then you grow up a little bit and you’re like, okay, it’s not a big deal. But then we think about ourselves as Christians, how we act, how we behave, and then most importantly, the state of our soul. So let’s talk about our next question. What does it mean to be born again? Roy mentioned it as a phrase. I say it because some people make fun of Christians and call them the born agains, right? When this was, I don’t know, it’s like a thing I heard in like in the seventies and 80s to call yourself a born again. People made fun of it, but like, what does that actually mean? To be born again? Well, Nicodemus. Mhm. This is a very important concept. And right off, um, we all know what it means to be born. And I, I’m fascinated by the way in which scripture so often uses natural events, creation would say, to illustrate some very profound spiritual truths. So when we’re born, we come into this world and we have an environment and we grow and we learn who we are. And there’s striking similarities between, uh, being born naturally and being born spiritually. Um, one key verse, and I think we need to look at a few verses or at least read them is in John’s gospel. John is the one that more than any other writer, talks about eternal life. MM. And, uh. This is certainly true of his letters. John’s gospel presents to us the Lord Jesus as the eternal life and his epistles present to us how that eternal life in us should be manifested. So right away in John’s gospel, very first chapter, and this is verse twelve, but as many as received him to them gave, he gave the right to become children of God. So there’s the first interesting phrase, you know, we become children when we’re born into this world. Children of God, even to those that believe in his name who are born now this important part, who are born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. So it excludes a number of possibilities and focuses on the fact that we are born of God. So that’s what I want to go with actually, that’s first John three, verse nine. Whosoever is born of God does not practice in, for his seed remains in him, and he cannot sin because he is born of God. And I’ll read verse ten in this. The children of God are manifest or shown forth, that the. And the children of the devil. Whoever does not. Righteousness is not of God. Neither is he that loves not his brother. His question, then, who or what ultimately defines my identity as sinner versus saint? Because I think the struggle we have often is what is defining who I am, my actions, or like what the Lord has done for me upon salvation? Or is it a combination of both? Well, who are you? We can go back to the the the initial question what defines you as PatriciaH? How did you get to be PatriciaH? Where did all your characteristics and so on come from, inherited and acquired? Well, okay. But you’re you’re not following the analogy. Quite exactly. Sorry. You were born. Follow the script. You were born. Yes, I was born. And and as a child of Adam, we have certain characteristics and failures. Yeah. But what we are is what we were born modified by our environment. Yeah, yeah. Sorry, I didn’t mean inherited traits. Sorry. So what we are is defined by how we’re by our birth. Basically, that’s what I really want to get at. We’re all by nature children of the devil. As you were saying, we are children. This is This actually comes out in in Ephesians. Also, we’re born. We’re born into this world as children of Adam. What happened to Adam? Well, he fell and he sinned and he died, you know? Um, and so we all partake of that environment, that situation. We’re born of the flesh. That which is flesh is flesh. See how profound. We have to be very careful when we read scripture to really think hard about it. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, that which is born as a child. If you’re born as a child of Adam, you’re going to follow Adam’s. Path, if you will. But we’ve been born again. And we’ve been born from above. We’ve been communicated. Eternal life has been communicated to us. And we have been made partakers of the divine nature, the very nature of God. And that’s why in first John three nine, it says you cannot sin. I’m saddened by the ESV. For example, some of the modern translations weaken that. But I was reading from the NASB and they have it spot on. You can’t. And because his seed abide and that’s key. His seed, the divine seed. Abides in him, and he cannot sin. He’s talking about the divine nature. So if we think of ourselves purely as a child of God, we can’t sin. If we were walking in the spirit, we wouldn’t sin. Now that’s a that’s a high standard and we’re going to have to work out, of course. But you see, we are also children of Adam. And that’s where the problem comes in. We have the flesh. And that’s Romans chapter seven. MM. All right. I have Bethel. I was sort of thinking kind of tying back to your original question of what does it depend on my actions or God’s actions? Um, it can also be in whose scope is it me looking at my identity or how God sees me? Um, do those things differ? And so in my head, sometimes I feel like we can look at ourselves and we, we even hear people say it that kind of like fueled this podcast of people trying to be humble and saying, oh, I’m just a sinner saved by grace. Um, that’s what you started as. Are you still a sinner saved by grace? Does God see me as that? Um, when we were kind of planning this podcast, I, I thought about. So in one of my classes, they like teach you how to write a doctor’s note. And so they always say that you shouldn’t say, oh, I have a cancer patient presenting today with such and such and such. Um, you should say a patient experiencing cancer with such and such and such. Because when you fix that phrasing, you make that illness the identity of that person. So it’s almost like we do that with ourselves, that when we say we’re a sinner, yada, yada, yada, you’re not that person anymore. That’s not your state anymore. That’s not how God sees you. The Psalms tells us that when we confess our sins, they’re, you know, push as far as the east is from the west, they’re removed from from his view of us. And so if God doesn’t see me that way, should I see myself that way? MM. I think that’s exactly what we’re getting at here. Um, and we need to distinguish those things. Um, going back to your question is, you know, who who determines what I am? It’s God because we read in the very first chapter of John’s gospel, how are we born? We’re born of God. And why? What does that do? It makes me a child of God. So that’s my fundamental identity, who I am, and that’s the way I ought to think of myself. And the, the, the, the fruit will flow out of my conception of myself. And that’s why this podcast is important. Yeah. Yeah. Especially to because the way we’ve talked about this before, like the way we see our identity, you know, where we are in a stage of life. And I think about the scripture that’s in the Old Testament and one of the minor prophets, I am the Lord, I changeth not. He’s the only one right, who is consistent, right? And, and I would not say, how do I say this? God’s. Him not changing doesn’t mean he’s out of date, right? It doesn’t mean like for us, we’re like, oh, someone never changed. Like that means they’re inflexible. They haven’t, you know, they haven’t grown or anything like that. That’s, that’s something that defines humans. It doesn’t define the Lord. You know, the Lord, he’s the Ancient of Days, but he doesn’t need to change. Right? And so if he’s the one who establishes who we are in Christ, right? That’s a really, really safe and secure place to be. But at the same time, I can understand that as we live, we’re going to we’re going to see ourselves get frustrated with ourselves and be like, why do I do these things? Why do I keep doing these things right? Sin inconsistency. We feel like we’re not growing fast enough. So when I speak to myself or how I think about myself, right? Based on scripture, right? Not like how I feel, but like, how do I really, really see myself as a sinner, as a saint? Something else. When I see myself doing good things towards God. And then the other half of the day, I’m like arguing with somebody, right? So how do I see myself and not get to that instability? God’s view of us, Practically, we are in Christ. We are accepted in the beloved. So there should never be any insecurity in a Christian with regard to his acceptance. Now there’s another issue, and that is that of discipline. And if I’m persistent in going down the wrong path, that’s going to be self-destructive. And so God has to step in and out of his love and his concern for me. He has to come come in and discipline me. Now, that’s a subject out of Romans. Excuse me. Hebrews. I’m sorry. That’s a subject that’s taken up in the familiar verses in Hebrews. Um, and the key there is that righteousness is a product of our bowing to the discipline of God. So we learn to walk in a way which is pleasing to him. When we recognize that his corrective action for us. Now, as far as my trying to do better, that’s that is a that is a really real problem for almost every Christian. And it’s self-defeating. And Romans that this the Spirit of God. The Lord has been so gracious. He’s devoted an entire two chapters to dealing with this. And that’s Romans chapter seven. And the first four verses of chapter eight actually begins. You have to begin back with Romans five twelve. That’s a whole section. It should probably almost memorize that, because from Romans chapter five, verse twelve to the end of chapter eight deals with the practical working out of what we’ve been talking about. Yes, I’m born again. Yes, I am completely secure. But how does that work out in my life? Because I don’t see that happening. I don’t feel that way very often. I get miserable when I do things wrong and all the rest of it. That’s the subject of those passages in Romans, and that the apostle Paul comes back, comes back to that in other, other, his other epistles. So that’s not the only place. In fact, in Colossians chapter three talks about laying aside this or laying aside that and being renewed. You’ve already mentioned, you know, that we want to talk about renewal. So Galatians also is a very important book in this in this line. So the struggle that we have is a very real struggle. And I don’t know that we want to expound on Romans chapter seven, but it’s very important to Recognize this. This is absolutely essential. If I see nothing else, this is the most important part of the podcast as far as a practical Christian walk chapter break of chapter between chapter seven and eight is the worst chapter break in the entire Bible because it separates the solution from the problem. Chapter seven defines the problem and it’s. And especially the very last verse, the very last verse of chapter seven is the summary of the struggle of chapter seven and the conclusion. The. The solution to that problem is chapter eight, verses one through four. Those verses have to be studied and studied again because. And when I really realized and I mean really realize, there is therefore. Now I notice that therefore, that’s the connection between the two chapters. Therefore, I always specify, and Paul is very specific. This way. He uses. He uses very concise and specific logic. He was a student of Greek philosophy at evident from his talk on. On the Mount of Areopagus. So his use of. Therefore, there is really important. Because of the hopelessness of our situation, the hopelessness of our ability to be able to improve ourselves. There is no condemnation now on the basis of that. I can then go on. Doesn’t stop there. Just being free from condemnation is only the beginning. But it’s then the work of the Spirit of God in my life. In view of the life that God has given me in Christ. Let’s look at that verse that’s so important. That’s um, Romans. Romans chapter eight. And I want to read from Darby’s version. Um, verse one. There is therefore now no condemnation to those in Christ Jesus. For now, notice that for for the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus. And that’s some of the modern translations. Don’t get this right. Darby’s absolutely right here. It must be. You must pay attention to this. The law of the spirit is like the law of gravity. It’s what the spirit has to do. It’s what the spirit does. If you jump off a high building, you’re going to land on a sidewalk. That’s that’s a law of gravity. The law of the spirit. What is this law? What is the law? It’s life in Christ. So it’s my life in Christ that is the foundation of all my good behavior. So that then he goes on, has set me free from the law of sin and death. And when I start making setting goals for myself in terms of I’m never going to be angry again at my wife. Got it. And my wife is sitting right back. That’s not to say, can we get her take on it? Can we? Like if we see Roy fall down her, chime in. I have to be careful what I say. It set me free from the law of sin and death. Okay, so I can do what I want. I’m not under law anymore. Mhm. Now next verse for what the law could not do. And that’s the whole subject of chapter seven. The law can’t do it. So what the law could not do notice it’s not, would not, but it’s could not do it. There’s a difference. There’s a difference between would and could. What the law could not do it couldn’t do it. In that it was weak through the flesh. That which is born of the flesh is flesh. God having sent his own son in the likeness of sinful flesh for sin, has condemned sin in the flesh in order that. Here’s the. Here’s the solution in order that the righteous requirements of the law. And a good deal more. Actually, we might say, well, let’s go on. Should be fulfilled in us who walk, who excuse me, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the spirit. So the key then is am I walking in the spirit? And this is the part that’s immutable. I love that word means unchanging and will never change. We are not like that, right? But what the Lord has done right. So usually that gets to the other verses we were going to look at about renewal. That renewal implies that there’s something in incorrect, not incorrect so much as wanting. There’s something wanting that needs to be made up. Okay. Renewal means you’re you’re going from one state to another, right? That’s what it means to be renewed. So that renewal has to happen. And that is how that happens, by the work of the Spirit of God in us, as we’re occupied with the as we are actually delighting in Christ. MM. And that that may be reading or it may be just sitting in a chair, looking out the window at the trees and thinking about what God has done for us, or thinking just about the beauty of life and what he’s done for us, or the fantastic meal that somebody has provided for us, you know? Remember what what we are to bring God into everything. What’s the verse? Um, whether you eat or whether you drink, do all unto the Lord, right? What does that mean? That means that everything I do should be in the presence of the Lord, should be as a manifestation of what he has done for me. MM. Whether you’re eating or drinking, you’d be thankful for a glass of cold water in a hot day. Yeah. You know, just think about how much God has given us in nature. You talked about getting angry at your wife, but, I mean, be angry and sin not so. Anger is not a sin, right? Okay. But, uh, like, okay, it can be. It can. Yes. The actions from coming from it. But okay, so I’ll do mine. So. Right. So I’m frustrated. I yell at my daughter. Um, Scripture Proverbs says a soft answer turneth away wrath, but grievous words will stir up anger. Okay, so I can apologize to my daughter. I am a Christian. So do I need to go to the Lord and repent of that action? Okay, or do I need to confess it because the word confess gets used in terms of salvation? If thou if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and believe in thine heart right. So we have all these words, but how do we make sure we’re doing the right thing? I would say, but more specifically, like with the right mindset and heart posture towards the Lord, that when I go to the Lord, I’m like, Lord, I belong to you. I shouldn’t be acting like that, right? What am I doing? that reflects what he has done. So I’m not acting like a sinner, right? Like, oh, Lord, save me from hell. Like, you know, I yelled at my daughter. That’s not the right thing for me to say. So what am I doing? Repenting. Confessing. Well, like what you said, you said acting like a sinner. And I think right there, that can be a key problem because sometimes it’s a matter of like, well, I think first we, we need to define what repentance is and what confession is, because sometimes I hear them use like interchangeably and they are not the same thing. Um, but I think that they can kind of carry one another. Um, I don’t think you can repent without confessing. Um, what are you repenting for? If you don’t confess the sin, you know what I mean? But confession alone is just like, oh Lord, I did it. No, like, that’s not the the way that we are to be. And it’s not the matter of like, oh, I can’t act like a sinner. I have to act like a Christian. I have to act like a Christian. But we talk about this all the time. And I like what you’ve been saying about like how nature teaches us, but we we abide. And a lot of it is more cause and effect that when you are walking that spiritual walk, like you mentioned, that comes out of you. And so yes, when we make a mistake, it’s like, oh Lord, no, that’s not right. But I need your help in turning away from that. So I think confessing is like step one. Repentance is like step two. Um, when it comes to like a sinner or like not a sinner, sorry, a believer, um, doing something that, you know, would, uh, upset the Lord. Um, but more so because of that walk and because of that spiritual nature rather than, oh, I can’t act like a sinner anymore or, oh, I can’t, I have to act like a Christian because then it gets legalistic. Um, but having that walk and letting it come out of you as that repentance, there needs to be that turning away of that thing, my boy. Repentance. Confession. Yeah. Um. I find it difficult to describe what is such a personal thing. I think a lot of what Bethel said is certainly true. Uh, maybe everything, uh. Um. I’d have to think about it. It’s a it’s a complicated subject. I think to me, um, but I think what needs to be done is a very personal, um, recognition that what was done. Uh, hurts the Lord is, um, and perhaps if it’s an overt act, it damages a testimony. Uh, if another person is involved, then of course we have to confess to them. Apologize. As we’d say, the Lord is so vast, so knowledgeable. He’s done so many amazing things in our minds, cannot wrap around any of those things because we are finite. We’re just human. And so but then I think we can tend to overcomplicate our walk with the Lord because because there’s so much. Right. And then we can like miss the message when we’re looking at those intricacies. And really it has to come back to like, I love the Lord. He saved me. He’s keeping me. How, how am I operating towards him? Right? And this could be like for our super our super scholars, right? Like you read five commentaries today, but like, I don’t know, like I’ve went through this before, like you read all these complicated things, but like, is it too much for me to sit quietly and read Psalm twenty three? Right? Can I read Psalm one and just meditate on one word? Or I’m like, no, I don’t feel accomplished today. Right? Like, but that’s, I feel like that’s where that Attitude comes from one of my friends likes to say, sometimes when we get a little, we get a little deep. She calls us super saved. We want to be super saved today, right? Which is not a biblical term, but it’s just a term like we throw around when it’s just like, okay, you want like the advanced advanced level. And not that there isn’t like an advanced level. I’m feeling that I’m right. But like, that’s how that’s how I’m going to introduce myself to people. I’m super saved, right? Yeah. No, I’m sorry, I can’t do that. I’m super saved. Right? It’s just like one of those things where you’re like, okay, but like today, I just gotta like sit, slow down and just be like, wait, like, where is this? Where is this walk with the Lord, right? My genuine love for him right now that we belong to the Lord, right? My genuine love for him. I want to do what he says. I want to be like him. Um, Bethel, you had a thought. It has to be that way. It has to be that way. It has to be a walk because then it’s religious. And so you can sit and confess to a priest all you want about the things that you’ve done. And it. What’s the priest going to do for you, you know. And so I don’t mean that irreverently, but I, I just mean that when you are walking with somebody that’s closer than a brother, but is also the one who conquered sin and death for himself and, you know, is outside of time and watching me in time and carrying me through time. It’s different when it’s like, oh my gosh, I did something wrong. I have to go, you know, pay my dues. I have to go, you know, make sure I’m right with the universal forces. And no, it’s oh my gosh, I can’t believe I messed up. I need my dad. I can’t believe I messed up, I need to run to him and though it has to be that way or it’s, it can be forced and you know, not. And it can be, you know, something that just because I feel like that’s how it always turns into like a conversation of like, oh my gosh, well, if I’m Christian, I can’t do what I want and I can’t do this and I can’t do that. Oh, because you guys won’t let me do this. And oh, well, it’s wrong if I do that. Well, no, somebody I love, like it would bother somebody I love if I did that stuff. I’m a new creation. And so it has to be that walk or it’s it can be irreverent. Mhm. One of my friends says, and she goes to a different Christian gathering, but she says something that always makes me think of exactly what you mentioned. Bethel stuff will happen. And I don’t know, it could be at work or whatever. And, you know, our flesh acts up all this kind of stuff, and she’ll just say, that’s not who I am. She doesn’t say, that’s not what I do. That’s not my values. She says, that’s not who I am. And I really, really like that. She says that because it’s such a different take on the the the list of dos and don’ts. And I don’t mean this in a marketing sense, like, oh, it’s just a reframing of an existing standard. I don’t mean that at all. I mean that that phrase, that’s not who I am is a literal reflection of the theological reality that we are supposed to be living in every day. Thinking about. Our last question then is where? Okay, so we’re Christians now, right? We’re saved. So I accepted the Lord as my Savior going forward in my life. Is salvation still being performed, being worked out in my life by the Lord? Or was it like a one time thing? I got saved when I was six. I confessed, repented, new nature done or is there something else still going on? Oh, that’s so good. Well, I think if you look at again, scripture and how it uses the term salvation, there’s three different and many Expositors have pointed this out. It’s not something I’ve come up with. There’s three different ways that salvation is used there. Like you said, there’s we’re saved from sin. We’re safe from guilt. Uh, that’s Romans chapter one through three. Mhm. Um, but then like in Philippians, um, where to work? You know, it’s, um, yeah, Philippians, work out your own salvation. That’s obviously not salvation from the penalty of sin, but that’s from the practice of sin, from the effects of sin in my life, which we’ve sort of been talking about now. It’s also salvation. Some verses that refer to salvation from the presence of sin. And that’s something we’re looking forward to. Mhm. So, uh, it’s good to realize that we are being renewed. We’ve already talked a little bit about that. It’s a process. And again, the seed illustrates that. Um, And Peter also talks about and second epistle first chapter has a whole list add to a certain property, this other certain property and that defines growth. Uh, John talks about father, son and children. Uh, excuse me, young men, children, young men and fathers. So there is clearly a growth in us as we walk with the Lord. I think we mentioned maybe it was Bethel earlier that, uh, some things, uh, uh, strike us when we’re, uh, born again that we should not do, but other things that we might realize years later that, oh, well, that wasn’t a good idea. So we have to recognize that God is working on us. And this is a process. This is often called practical I might notice here that Christians are always called saints. We talked about sinners, but there’s always a dichotomy. When Paul writes a letter, he writes it to the saints. Um, so we’re saints. We’re set apart to God. It’s what that really means. Mhm. Yeah. Doesn’t mean we’re perfect. Doesn’t mean we’re error free. Mhm. Sin free. Yeah, I like that you said that because that was something I was thinking about too. Is like, even when Paul was writing to other Christians and I was I’m thinking in particular First Corinthians when they were it was there was a lot going on there. He didn’t he did not address it. He didn’t say, greetings to you terrible sinners, right? Right. So then that should tell us something about how we even speak about ourselves when we know this is our identity. And he spends so much time telling them, this is not who you are anymore, right? Right. I feel like that is such a great book. I’m glad you said that, Roy. It’s such a great book to look at. To just say like, okay, so what happens when Christians are behaving badly, right? How does Paul, who has apostolic authority, address them? He says to the saints, right? Reminding you of who you are, like so, so important. Um, and yes, there has to be a change. It doesn’t mean, okay, this is who I am and I still behave badly. It’s no, no, no, this is the standard, right? And the Lord will help us to live. And he’s working on us. That’s the best part. He’s still working on us every day. So I thank you so much. Bethel. Bethel. You want to say something? Go ahead. No. It’s okay. Um, I just like in closing was going to kind of talk about and it’s it’s very deep but surface. Lee what sin is before you’re saved and what sin is after you’re saved. And I think that yes, sin is sin, but once you are saved, like it’s been conquered and that power, like the power of the cross is living in you. And so in my head, sin becomes a choice where weak we are. You know, beings of the flesh. But, uh, I think I always try to remind myself, like in any time of temptation and any time of struggle that like, I have that power in me that conquered sin on the cross. I have the spirit living in me. And that is what you know, God sees when he looks at me, and that intercession is being made on my behalf. Um, and that’s something to, to dwell on. Um, and so that that salvation, we don’t need to keep praying for salvation. We don’t need to keep being resaved. But yes, there should be growth. And because of that power that we have living in us to continuously fuel us and draw us nearer to the Lord and help us with our walk. Um, yeah, I feel like this is like another podcast topic, but like the difference between sin and sins, right? Um, where it’s like it’s always, or maybe we didn’t die for him, right? So there’s always like, okay, like there’s the, there’s the overlap that we can talk. About sometimes, but I think sometimes are both right. Well, I think what somebody has said to me before is that, you know, like when we’re a Christian, like I may, I may commit sins, but sin does not have me anymore, right? I am the Lord’s right. And I think that that’s a really important thing. That’s why we can confess those sins. Um, and, and it is a very, very precious thing to take Ahold of and to appreciate in our lives. Um, that before I didn’t have a choice. That’s all I could do, right? And it’s not even about choice. It’s about like, like, who is my master? Who’s my master now? Right? And that’s really key. So thank you so much, Bethel and Roy, I know this was like deep conversation. It was a long conversation. And there’s so many like interlocking, like truths that I know I’m still learning and being strengthened in this, in this scripture. So like to any of our listeners, Like if you heard anything that was like a verbal misstep. You know, just put the forgiveness on us, please. Um, I always just put it that way. Right? Like we’re still learning and growing and to be more careful with our words, but more specifically to be reflective of the scripture with our words. So, uh, Roy has a little bit more experience with that. So we’re still getting there, but I always put that out there. Um, we don’t, I don’t want to put out anything that’s like bad, bad doctrine or this leads down people to the wrong path. Always read the scriptures. Um, this conversation has been such a great reminder that knowing who you are and whose you are is an important part of daily living. If we don’t know who we are in Christ, then everything else in our thinking and our actions will be impacted. And I have to just say once again, I put out there, please, if you are not saved, respond to the call of the gospel. And the most important identity change will happen for you if you accept Christ as your Savior. So to our listeners, thank you for joining us today. Whether you’ve been walking with the Lord for years or just beginning, or just rethinking some topics and questions that maybe you’ve thought about in the past, we hope that this conversation sheds some light on how the Lord can help us in our walk with him. See you next time for the Next Patterns of Truth podcast. Thank you for listening to the Patterns of Truth Podcast. We invite you to join us for our next episode. And we also encourage you to check out Patterns of Truth. Org, where we post articles every week for the encouragement and growth of Christ followers. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to submit them on our website. I’m Peter, until next time.
The post Who Am I – Understanding Your Identity in Christ appeared first on Patterns of Truth.
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Welcome back to the Patterns of Truth podcast â weâre diving into one of lifeâs most powerful questions: Who am I?
Itâs a question weâve all wrestled with at some point, and for believers, it carries a deeper weight. As life changes, we may question our identities completely. Am I still a sinner, or am I something new? Does my past define me? What does it mean to have an identity in Christ?
For those who are not saved, we challenge you to consider your identity: a sinner, on your way to a Christless eternity. More specifically, what that means is eternal suffering and separation from God in a conscious state for eternity. This is not what the Lord intended – listen to the call of the Gospel. Good news that the Son of God was born as a baby, grew into a Man, fully man, fully God, and died on the Cross to pay a price you could not pay. Your Sin was condemned, and your sins were paid for; accept the free gift of salvation and have a new identity today: new creation in Christ.
In this episode, weâre going to unpack what the Bible says about who you really are â not who the world says you are, not who your mistakes say you are â but who God says you are.
So whether youâve just started your faith journey or youâve been walking with Jesus for years, this conversation is for you.
Subscribe so you don’t miss an episode!The post Are You Trying Too Hard? How to Balance Discipline and Dependence in the Christian Life appeared first on Patterns of Truth.
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Episode Summary
This episode comes as a lecture from one of our regular contributors. Aaron (the speaker in this lecture) takes up the question, Is truth captured or held in creeds and traditions? We think this is a very important question because we are seeing more return to traditions and rituals in our Christian circles. Aaron does something interesting. Instead of answering the question, he starts by looking at the scripture and what it tells us or reveals about God, and God the Son.
Along the way, he compares historic creeds like the Apostlesâ Creed and Nicene Creed with the âwhole counsel of Godâ found in the Bible. Are these man-made statements helpful, or do they risk missing the fullness of Godâs revelation? Aaron emphasizes that while creeds can summarize aspects of truth, only Scripture itself is living, active, and able to transform hearts.
This episode challenges us to seek truth not in human constructions but in the Word of God, which remains forever.
Subscribe so you don’t miss an episode!The post The Whole Counsel Of God appeared first on Patterns of Truth.
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Welcome to another episode of Patterns of Truth â a podcast where we explore challenging questions through the lens of Scripture.
We’ve got a big topic on the table: Calvinism.
In todayâs episode, weâll be unpacking the major ideas behind the five points of Calvinism â commonly remembered by the acronym TULIP. But what do those points actually mean? And what does Scripture have to say about them?
We recently published an article on this topic: A brief review of Calvinism: TULIP, or not TULIP?, but we thought it would be helpful to bring the authors Roy and Aaron and expand on it further and address some questions our audience might have.
Before we dive in, a quick disclaimer: our guests today arenât professional theologians or scholars â we’re simply believers aiming to examine this topic carefully and biblically.
Whether you’re curious, skeptical, or fully on board, weâre really glad youâre here. Check out the article that sparked the discussion:
A brief review of Calvinism: TULIP, or not TULIP?The post TULIP or no TULIP appeared first on Patterns of Truth.
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“Covenant Theology” is a term that more and more Christians are encountering in the mainstream on various platforms. What should we think of it? Is Covenant Theology new? Is it old? And what exactly is it? The same questions can be applied to âDispensations.â Are covenants at odds with dispensations?
Maybe youâre thinking: why does this even matter? Isnât this topic for theological students and shouldnât âregular Christiansâ just stick to the point? Understanding Covenant Theology and Dispensations directly impacts how we read the Bible, understand our places as Christians, and, even, how we address God in prayer. Each one of us must study and know whatâs in Godâs word.
In todayâs episode, join host Patricia and guests Roy, Peter, Nate, and Daniel as they discuss what Covenant Theology is, what it isnât, what Dispensational Truth is, and what it isnât; tackling the challenges and misconceptions surrounding these theological frameworks along the way. This podcast will not be an exhaustive conversation of each detail and the ins and outs of both Covenant Theology and Dispensational Truth.
Remember that understanding these theological frameworks is crucial for accurately interpreting Scripture. In a world filled with diverse ideas and influences, itâs vital to cut through the noise and uncover what the Bible truly says. Our primary focus should always be on understanding Godâs Word in its proper context, remembering that His ways are not our ways.
Keep studying and searching the Scriptures!
Weâd love to hear from you! If you have additional questions about this topic, visit us at patternsoftruth.org and click on the Q&A button to âAsk a Question.â
The post Covenant Theology vs. Dispensationalism: Navigating Theological Perspectives in Christianity appeared first on Patterns of Truth.
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Episode Summary
Fearâirrational, circumstantial, or deeply rootedâis something we all face. In this episode of the Patterns of Truth podcast, Patricia is joined by Roy, Bethel, and Peter for a heartfelt and faith-filled conversation about the top three fears they’re currently facing, how those fears have changed over time, and what the Bible has to say about anxiety, trust, and spiritual peace.
From fears of failure, loneliness, and death, to anxiety about health, flying, or FOMO, this discussion cover personal stories and Biblical truth. Together, the hosts explore whether anxiety is sinful, how to distinguish between emotional and spiritual fear, and how believers can biblically process overwhelming emotions while trusting in Godâs promises.
Whether youâre battling fear in silence or just curious about how faith intersects with emotional well-being, this episode is a relatable, encouraging, and a timely listen.
Resources & ReferencesâIs Anxiety or Depression a Sin?â â Read the blog postPhilippians 4:6â8, Psalm 23, Mark 4:35â41, Psalm 105Book mentioned: Out of the Blues (on Christian perspectives on depression) Call to ActionFeeling overwhelmed? Youâre not alone. Lean into Godâs promises, open up to trusted community, and donât be afraid to seek help. Whether youâre facing emotional, circumstantial, or spiritual fears, peace is possible through Christ.
Want more encouragement on difficult topics?
Visit PatternsOfTruth.org to explore thoughtful, biblical answers to real-life questions.Donât forget to subscribe, rate, and share this episode with a friend who needs biblical encouragement!
Subscribe so you don’t miss an episode!The post Top Three Things Weâre Scared Of appeared first on Patterns of Truth.
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There’s conversion but then there’s the training ground…
…how do we live?
Today weâre going to talk about embracing opportunities for discipleship in our Christian lives. What is it and how does it happen? Discipleship is not just a concept; it should be an integral part of our lives as believers and it requires vulnerability, accountability, and intentional sacrifice. Most importantly, discipleship requires us to have our eyes focused on the Lord Jesus Christ.
Some questions we’ll be looking at today:
What is a disciple?
How do we participate in discipleship alongside other believers?
Why is it so difficult for us to disciple/be disciples if it’s supposed to be “the norm” for us?
How d we seek out discipleship when things are good? When things are bad?
How does “disciple-making” happen?
How can I mentor someone spiritually?
How is sharing the Gospel part of discipleship?
Let’s remember that discipleship isn’t just a program or a checklist; it’s an opportunity to walk alongside other Christians, to get, and to give help as we grow closer to the Lord in every way.
Make the effort to be open and to be real. Discipleship isn’t about putting on a facade â it’s about being vulnerable and allowing others to walk alongside you. Don’t worry if you feel nervous â that’s perfectly normal! Look around at mature Believers in your vicinity and examine their lives. Don’t hesitate to ask the Lord to connect you with the right people who can guide and support you on your journey.
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In the “PoliticsâŠItâs Complicated” episode of the Patterns of Truth Podcast, host Patricia, along with panelists Roy, Peter, and Bethel, delve into the complexities of politics from a Christian perspective post the 2024 US election and 2025 inauguration.
The discussion isn’t about promoting or critiquing any politician but exploring how believers should approach politics. They define government, both from a secular and biblical viewpoint, referencing scriptures like Romans 13 and 1 Timothy 2, and acknowledge the variety of government systems Christians might encounter worldwide, from democracy to theocracy.
The panel discusses the idea of political neutrality, the Christian’s relationship with power, and how to handle fear in a politically charged environment. They explore whether it’s permissible for Christians to engage in politics for personal or communal benefit, emphasizing the importance of maintaining a heavenly perspective amidst earthly matters. The conversation also touches on God’s sovereignty over rulers, and government.
They conclude by addressing how to cope with the varied impacts of political decisions and encourage listeners to pray for political wisdom and for those under oppressive regimes. For more reflections, visit patternsoftruth.org.
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Welcome to another episode of the Patterns of Truth Podcast! Krista, Roy, and Peter join our host Patricia to have a conversation about growing pains.
Often, we think of literal growing pains in adolescence or metaphorical âgrowing painsâ as we figure ourselves out in our 20s. You might think growing pains are something we leave behind in our teenage years. But the reality is that, as adults, we often face new and unexpected challenges that test our faith, relationships, emotions, and careers.
Does spiritual growth ever peak? How do relationships with those around us affect our growing pains?
Can someone give me some practical tips for navigating my growing pains?
Through the insights, experiences, and, most importantly, Scripture shared by those who joined us today, we can be encouraged to know that no matter our age, we are not alone in our growing pains. We’re all in this process of constantly striving for understanding and clarity in God’s word.
Remember, spiritual growth never ends. Even when we face doubts, questions, and moments of spiritual dryness, Godâs Word reminds us that we are continually being shaped and matured in our faith.
We hope this conversation has made you think, stirred your curiosity, and will encourage you to open up this discussion with others. Our goal at Patterns of Truth is simple: to inspire meaningful conversations and foster growth in our relationship with the Lord.
If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to subscribe, share it with friends, and leave us a review. Until next time, keep growing, stay faithful, and remember that every growing pain is an opportunity to bring forth new fruit in your life.
Subscribe so you don’t miss an episode!The post How To Make Growth And Growing Pains More Rewarding appeared first on Patterns of Truth.
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When you think of good Christian fun, several things might come to mind: youth group, mini golf, bowling, ping pong, and Bananagrams. There’s nothing wrong with any of those things. Still, todayâs episode is about the wide diversity of hobbies, leisure, and adventurous activities that real Christians engage in to keep life interesting. At the same time, we look for the Lordâs return and balance work, faith, and family life.
Questions we ask:What do you enjoy?What are your hobbies?What are the common barriers Christians face when it comes to having fun? Is it wrong?Do non-Christians like this activity too much? Does that automatically mean I shouldnât do it?This world is a wilderness – does that mean we can’t enjoy anything while we are here?How do we reconcile the idea of being pilgrims in this world with the enjoyment of earthly blessings?In what sense are we pilgrims? Context matters.How does Colossians 2:21 shape our understanding of fun as Christians? What does this verse tell us about the balance between enjoying life and maintaining our faith?How do issues like being overly busy or feeling guilty impact our ability to prioritize enjoyment?
Conclusion:
Guilt – âRedeeming the timeâ (Ephesians 5:16) – If you have spare time, how should it be spent? Is it wise to spend it on entertainment? Or something else?
Guilt – âThe pride of lifeâ – Am I investing too much into entertainment and the things of this life?One takeaway I have from this conversation is that everything we do in this life should not be centered around work, career, or advancement. Yes, we have to live, but our relationship with the Lord, fellowship with others, and what we do during âdowntimeâ are so important.
As always, we must use biblical principles to navigate our Christian walk. Be happy – enjoy your life! When considering an activity or hobby youâre unsure about, ask the Lord to help you evaluate it!
Thanks again for joining us at the Patterns of Truth podcast! Our goal is simple: to inspire meaningful dialogue and foster spiritual growth in our relationship with the Lord. Tell others about the podcast and submit your questions!
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Question:
Why was Satan allowed in the garden?
Answer:Satan AllowedThe description of the creation of Adam and Eve in Genesis chapter 2 is followed immediately by the appearance of Satan at the very beginning of chapter 3. Verse 8 of chapter 3 gives the further impression that God was accustomed to visiting Adam and Eve in the evening. Putting this together gives the distinct impression that the appearance of Satan was very soon, if not immediately after Adam and Eve were placed in the garden. This brings to mind the account of Satan coming before God in the book of Job (Job 2:1-2). There it was God Himself who brought Job to Satanâs attention, which led to Job’s trial.
In contrast, the story of Elisha mocking the prophets of Baal, âhe is on a journey, or perhaps he is asleep and must be awakenedâ (1 Kings 18:27), is humorous because we know that the true God is never âasleepâ (Ps. 121:3-4) or inattentive to the events in His creation. So, we must realize that it was in Godâs sovereign wisdom and will that Satan tempted Adam and Eve. He knew what would happen. In fact, as we will see, Eden was not Godâs purpose for Adam and Eve. They were actually better off after the Fall. Just as Job had a necessary lesson to learn, God had a far higher purpose for mankind than to dwell in Eden. (1 Corinthians 2:9)
God’s PurposeGodâs purpose in creation can be seen by considering 1 Corinthians 15:46 with Acts 2:23 and John 12:24. In these verses we read, âBut it is not the spiritual that is first but the natural, and then the spiritual.â To provide the basis for this ânew creationâ we read â Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.â and âthis Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God.â So we see from this that God’s purpose from the beginning, even before creation, was the redemption of mankind, not sustaining them in a perfect garden on this Earth. This purpose finds its resolution in the New Jerusalem and the New Heaven and Earth.
The garden was certainly âpleasantâ as the name âEdenâ means. In Eden, everything considered desirable for life was provided: food, a place to live, companionship, fellowship with God, purpose, and useful work in an idyllic environment. For Adam and Eve, it was a witness of God’s goodness and thus exaggerates the lie of Satan that God was withholding something good from them. Their disobedience showed the weakness of their condition. Their failure represented the general failure of mankind. But, it provided the opportunity for God to reveal the redemption plan that was to be the basis of a permanent relationship with God. It is very important to realize that Adam and Eve were actually better off after the fall than being in the garden. In the garden, their relationship to God was based on a legal principle; whereas after the fall, God provides the promise of redemption, and their subsequent relationship with God is based on grace accepted by faith. In addition, the world they were thrust into was the perfect training ground for them as sinners. As Paul learned, he needed the thorn. (2 Corinthians 12:7â10)
Rather it was for them to trust his grace
So, it is not surprising that the record shows that Satan was allowed to immediately enter the garden to tempt Adam and Eve. Certainly, God could have prevented this but it was not his plan to keep Adam and Eve sequestered in a protected garden. Rather it was for them to trust his grace, living a life in a world that was contrary to their old nature, and learn the goodness of God in the face of trial. This provided the necessary discipline to instruct them in the ways of God’s grace and learn dependence in the face of their own frailty. It is important to recall here that it is the glory of the Lord Jesus, as Son of Man, to walk in the creature’s place. This would have an immeasurable reward.
We thank Thee, Lord, for weary daysWhen desert springs were dry,And first we knew what depth of needThy love could satisfy.Days when beneath the desert sun,Along the toilsome road,O'er roughest ways we walked with One,That One the Son of God.We thank Thee for that rest in TheeThe weary only know,That perfect wondrous sympathyWe only learn below.The sweet companionship of OneWho once the desert trod:The glorious fellowship with OneUpon the throne of God.We know Thee as we could not knowThrough heaven's golden years;We there shall see Thy glorious face ---Here understand Thy tears!And here in peace, with Thee we goWhere Thou, our Shepherd, trod,Still, learning through our need belowDepths of the heart of God.Anonymous (Spiritual Songs #329) You might be interested in:What was the purpose of creating the tree of the knowledge of good and evil?What Is Meant by Scriptural Inerrancy?Did God Plan for Samson to Sin?Subscribe so you don’t miss an episode!The post Why Was Satan Allowed in the Garden? appeared first on Patterns of Truth.
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Today weâre talking about guaranteed ways to overcome Imposter Syndrome as a Christian. Weâve all gone through it. If youâve ever felt like you’re not as skilled or accomplished as others perceive you to be – you’ve gone through imposter syndrome. if youâve experienced persistent doubt and fear of being exposed as a fraud – youâve experienced imposter syndrome. Well, you’re not alone.
We will tackle reasons why impostor syndrome can manifest itself in the life of the believer and, also, how to fight back â but from a biblical perspective.
The solution for imposter syndrome isn’t about believing in our achievements and skills – it’s about recognizing who we are in Christ.Weâll share our own experiences with imposter syndrome, and people from the Bible who went through it and use Godâs response to these individuals as a model for how we can navigate our own experiences.
Three ways Godâs people struggle with imposter syndrome:1) our identity2) our walk or manner of living3) the work the Lord has called us to do in His NameQuestion to consider:Have you ever dealt with imposter syndrome in your life? Why? How did the Lord answer your insecurities?
What do we say to someone who is a new believer who does not feel holy, saved, or pure?
As Christians, we still sin from time to time. What do we do when the Devil comes to us, accusingly, saying we donât really belong to the Lord? What do we do with the guilt?
In Genesis, the Lord called Moses to lead the Children of Israel out of Egypt. But Moses says that he is unqualified. How are Mosesâ words a reflection of imposter syndrome?
How do we express similar ideas? Are there other Biblical figures who had similar hesitancy?
Are there Biblical figures who did not express hesitancy? How did they respond to the call?Whatâs our responsibility or role in working on ourselves when we experience Imposter Syndrome as Christians?
Most professional advice on dealing with imposter syndrome is to âbelieve in yourself.â That has its uses â but…
For the Christian, the answer to overcoming imposter syndrome is never to look inward for a solution – we look upward, to the Lord.Let’s remember that imposter syndrome is a common struggle, but it doesn’t define us. Our identity in Christ, our walk, and the work He has called us to do are all anchored in His promises. So, whether you’re feeling like you don’t fit in or struggling with doubts about your abilities, remember this: Recognize who you are in Christ. He gives us the power to do what He says.
You are not an imposter; you are a beloved child of God.
Subscribe so you don’t miss an episode!The post How To Overcome Imposter Syndrome As A Christian appeared first on Patterns of Truth.
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Did you know that about 26% of all pregnancies end in miscarriage? That means, you probably know someone who has experienced a miscarriage and baby loss â or maybe, youâve gone through one. Or more than one.
In this podcast, we discuss the difficult topic of miscarriage and baby loss and what that means when youâre a Christian.Miscarriage isnât an easy thing even though many people have experienced this type of loss and grief. Sadly, miscarriages are common but each person and family experiences it in their own unique way. We might feel a loss of control, fear, confusion, stress, and heartbreak. Godâs voice may seem far away during these times. Even as Christians, it can be difficult to know how to pray and care for those grieving losses of this kind.
Elyse, Nathan, and Traci are our guests today.
A few verses of comfort to someone whenever they are ready to hear them. â…You put my tears into Your bottle. Are they not in Your book?â – Psalm 56â…They that know Your Name will put their trust in You: for You, Lord, have not forsaken those that seek Youâ – Psalm 9âPreserve me, O God, for in You do I put my trustâ – Psalm 16âIn my distress I called on the Lord and cried to my God: He heard my voice from His temple and my cry came to Him, into His earsâ – Psalm 18The Lord is near to them that have a broken heart and saves those who are crushed in spiritâ – Psalm 34âTrust in Him at all timesâŠpour out your hearts before Him: God is a refuge for us.â – Psalm 62Questions covered in this episode:In a world that is touched by death, pain and loss are inevitable. How do we reconcile our faith with the reality of this type of grief?When going through unexpected loss, we need truth – doctrine, and principles from God’s Word, the Bible, to help us make sense of what is happening to us – and what the Lord is doing. What aspects of a biblical framework can we turn to when faced with the tragedy of miscarriage and baby loss?Losing a child hurts – what does it look like to depend on the Word of God when youâre grieving?How do men deal with miscarriage and loss differently? What are needs that often go unseen?Miscarriage and loss are very painful. How can we grieve and long for a child while making sure that motherhood doesnât become an idol (something we worship)?Many people talk about âbreaking the silenceâ and encourage others to share tragedies publicly – but there are people who donât want to announce their pain. What steps can we take to get private support?How can we, as a community of Christians, better support those grieving “invisible” losses, so to speak?ConclusionYou might be suffering silently and this podcast helped you in some way. We implore you to reach out to other believers in your immediate vicinity who are trustworthy and lean on them for support to walk through this with you. Lean on Christ, God’s word, and God’s people.
Itâs hard – it might look like no one you know can understand what youâre going through. Pray – ask the Lord for wisdom and to direct you to the right people to speak with. We are the Body of Christ. When one member suffers, we all suffer.
Helpful ResourcesSkillful application of ScriptureSafe in the Arms of God, John MacArthurLearning through Loss Bible Study, Sandy Day (www.calebministries.org)Grief: Finding Hope Again, Paul David TrippThe Moon is Always Round, Jonathan GibsonSubscribe so you don’t miss an episode!The post Biblical Encouragement And Comfort For Christians Grieving Miscarriage And Baby Loss appeared first on Patterns of Truth.
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We can easily say that Christians shouldn’t boast about material wealth or career advantages we might gain in this life. But we have all done it in some way and our current culture encourages “flex culture” in the name of networking, casual conversation, and celebrating yourself.
What is Flex Culture?Flex Culture is when someone shows off their wealth, socioeconomic status, or educational level to others – namely, on social media.
Roy and Peter join our host Patricia and together they answer the following questions and more:
What does it mean to be âaddicted to influence?âHow can we differentiate between ambition and chasing after worldly pleasures?How do we overcome the comparison trap?What practical steps can we take to respond when we’re faced with the temptation to compare ourselves to others?Thank you for listening to another Patterns of Truth Podcast. As always, our compass for this discussion is the Bible. Our mission is to uncover the truth about our Christian journey and discover the patterns that shape our lives before God. Remember, the Enemy doesn’t take a day off from trying to distract us, but the Lord reminds us to stay anchored in the unchanging truths of the Bible.
Subscribe so you don’t miss an episode!The post Christians & Flex Culture?! appeared first on Patterns of Truth.
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Youâre probably expecting another podcast about this topic where, for the tenth time, someone is telling you about the ills of social media – or its endless virtues – but this is not what weâre going to do! This episode is about how Christians of a certain age (maybe gen z christians?) have experienced social media use and their faith as more and more platforms emerge. Todayâs conversation is just about sharing where we are.
We’re asking questions like:
What was the first social media platform you joined? What year was it?Why did you join that platform? What did you get out of it at the time?What are some some positive things social media has brought to your life?Has the Lord spoken to you about social mediaâs role in your life? Where are you now with social media and why? What boundaries have you set up (if any)?We hope that this discussion made you think, gave you some answers, and, maybe, piqued your interest so you dig deeper into the topic. Ultimately, our goal is to start conversations, stimulate curiosity and engage our critical thinking. Whatâs the point? To grow closer to the Lord.
If you found this podcast valuable to you, please subscribe and rate the podcast! It really help the algorithms push this content to more people that may also find it useful.
Subscribe so you don’t miss an episode!The post Millennials, GenZ, and Social MediaâŠAgain?! appeared first on Patterns of Truth.
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Today’s thought-provoking podcast episode is, “Does the salvation message make sense?” Most of our audience members are believers who heard the salvation message all their lives. But if you havenât heard it before it can sound very strange, confusing, and as one of my friends said and I quote âeasily dismissible.â
In this episode, we will delve into the reasons behind the belief that Jesus needed to die on the cross as part of the salvation message.We will also consider objections to the idea that God required a sacrifice for human sin, and examine the implications of these objections for our understanding of salvation.
Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give a reason for the hope that is in you.
We hope that this discussion made you think, gave you some answers, and, maybe, piqued your interest so you dig deeper into the topic. Ultimately, our goal is to start conversations, stimulate curiosity and engage our critical thinking. Whatâs the point? To grow closer to the Lord.
If you found this podcast valuable to you, please subscribe and rate the podcast! It really help the algorithms push this content to more people that may also find it useful.
Subscribe so you don’t miss an episode!The post Does the salvation story makes sense? appeared first on Patterns of Truth.
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Welcome to our 26th episode of Patterns of Truth Podcast. Today we are revisiting prayer, but with a different thought in mind:
Praying in God’s will.
Is there a wrong way of pursuing prayer? How do we reconcile the difference between God’s delight and our desires? How does Psalm 37 play into all of this?
Host Patricia, regulars Peter, Krista, and guest Steve Campbell are here to discuss those questions and more. We will be learning not only from our speakers’ personal experiences but also from the Word of God, Old and New Testament, to see what it means to pray confidently and in God’s will.
Thanks for listening to this podcast on prayer! Check out another podcast on the same topic, Pray Without Ceasing featuring guest blogger Elyse Casimir. We would love to hear from you, whether it’s your own experiences with God and prayer or a question you might have; if you have a question, submit it through the Ask a Question tab on the website. See you next month for another Patterns of Truth Podcast!
The post Praying In God’s Will? appeared first on Patterns of Truth.
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