Ether Podcast

In this the first podcast episode on our new series on How to Study the Bible we talk about how the Bible is not about us but it is about God. Even though it may seem counterintuitive realizing the fact that the Bible is about God can enrich the way that we learn and apply Scripture to our lives.

Johnny Reus is back to further discuss the Holy Spirit. On our last Ether Talk, he discussed the Holy Spirit in the Old Testament. Now he discusses the events that bridge the gap between the Old and New Testaments. We often think that the Holy Spirit's form and function changed between the Old and New Testaments. Upon further study however, we discover that they are the same. This fact has a great meaning and consequence to our lives as christians.

We are starting a new podcast segment that we are calling Ether Talks. In it we invite someone to come on and talk to us about a Bible topic they are passionate about. For this first episode we invited Johnny Reus, college and young professionals ministry in the Palm Beach Church of Christ, to talk to us about the Holy Spirit in the Old Testament. Is the Spirit in the Old Testament different than in the the New Testament? Has its function changed? Listen and find out.

Mark 14-16 cover the last supper through the resurrection of the Christ. Then the book suddenly ends. We discuss some reasons as to why Mark would have ended his book in this way. We also give our final thoughts and lessons learned from the Gospel of Mark.

As the disciples admire the temple, Jesus tells them that soon there will not be a stone left of the temple. The disciples reaction upon hearing this is to ask when will this happen to which Jesus replies with a prophecy that seems mysterious and confusing. In this podcast we try to tackle the meaning of the prophecy as well as the question, what if any of it applies to us today.

When jesus comes to Jerusalem he gets into a series of conflicts with all the different members of the religious council known as the Sanhedrin. This council was the highest religious and political authority in all of Israel and also the group directly responsible for Jesus' crucifixion. In this podcast we go deep into the background of the Sanhedrin to try to understand their depth of influence and why they saw Jesus as such a threat.

When Jesus comes to Jerusalem, all of his activity revolves around the Temple. Including turning over of tables, driving people out of the temple courts and in chapter 13 of Mark prophesying about the destruction of the once magnificent building. One of the reasons why the men of the Sanhedrin seek to kill the so called Messiah is because of what he says and the actions he takes around the temple. The magnitude and breath of his actions can be lost on us if we do not understand the deep significance this building had to the people of Israel. Join us in this three part series as we delve deep into the history, significance and place of the temple and its leadership in Jewish society.

On our last episode we discussed the topic of divorce through Mark 10:1-12. We limited our discussion to the aformentioned scripture and the scripture that it alludes to in Deuteronomy. On this episode, with the aid of a guest speaker John Brush, elder of the Broward Church of Christ, we go even more in depth as we discuss many of the issues of discussion that revolve the topic of divorce.

Our society seems to make less and less of the issue of divorce. In Mark 10:1-12 the Pharisees approach Jesus about the topic, which was much more of a big deal in their time. Jesus teaching on divorce can seem strict and narrow. Fact that creates a lot of controversy in Christian circles. Join as we discuss this topic in part one of a two part series. In this episode we explore the greater context of divorce in Jewish culture, ours and what Jesus teaching on the topic ultimately teaches us about marriage. In part two we will have a guest speaker who will help us tackle many of the difficult aspects of the topic of divorce.

From Mark 8 through 10 Jesus teaches discipleship and the morals of his kingdom. He challenges pre conceived notions of morality and challenges us to live in a way that does good to those around us. Listen as we discuss how Jesus wants us to live and the way it can impact the world!

After revealing to his disciples for the first time that he is going to die, Jesus takes Peter, James and John up on a mountain where he is transfigured. This event is monumental, it ties many symbolism of the old testament to Jesus' ministry and it is a clear sign that Jesus is the Messiah and that the Kingdom of God is here!

In this episode of the Ether Podcast, Ryan and Rodrigo discuss Jesus' teaching on discipleship in depth. A teaching that demands that we lose ourselves for the sake of Christ. A teaching that is the only way for us to truly find life.

Questions are important but maybe no more important than the one question Jesus asks his disciples. Join us as we discuss the importance of questions and the importance of THE question!

A trip to gentile land highlights a huge difference between the Pharisees and Jesus. With their teachings and traditions the Pharisees make their faith exclusive and isolated from Gentiles. Jesus on the other hand goes among them and performs the same miracles he does in Israel. Join us as we discuss the accessibility of the Gospel, why it was a big deal in Jesus' time and why it is a big deal now.

Morality, no matter the flavor we adhere to, is a crucial part of our every day living. It determines our behavior and helps us navigate our lives. During the time of Jesus, the Pharisees were deeply attached to morality, so much so that they clung to a series of religious norms that would ensure their purity and righteousness. Jesus, however, during a confrontation with the aforementioned religious group, reveals to them that their norms were at odds with the Law of God and did not address the true source of impurity, "what comes from within". This interaction between Jesus and the Pharisees, shows a truth that we need to embrace if we hope to obey and be transformed by God, which is that we stink at morality.

Ignorant? Stubborn? A little bit of both? These are questions that we could ask ourselves about Jesus' Apostles. One thing we cannot deny is that in spite of their possible ignorance or stubbornness, they obeyed and trusted Jesus. What they clearly display is faith. A faith that we have a great deal to learn from. Join us as we discuss Mark 6:30-56, and learn to have faith like the Apostles did.

Jesus gives very specific instruction when he sends out the twelve and later the seventy two. Embedded in that instruction is a principle that Jesus and his disciples used to evangelize the world. The "Person of Peace" principle is a tool that can make our evangelism extremely effective. We have a special guest on this podcast that will help explain this powerful concept that has the potential to revolutionize the way you make disciples.

Jesus was always looking for people of faith. One of the places in which we would expect he would find it is in his own hometown. However, there, he finds a glaring lack of it. We can tend to look down on the people of Nazareth for treating the Christ in a bad way, but would we have been very different? In this podcast we discuss the factors that may have caused Jesus' own friends and neighbors to not believe in him. We also explore some modern hurdles to having deep and powerful faith.

Jesus calms the storm and saves the lives of his disciples. Their reaction is to be fear him. Likewise the people who witness Jesus drive several demons out of a man are afraid and ask him and his companions to leave. Was fearing Jesus a bad reaction to have? We generally consider fear a negative emotion, one that drives us away from people. Yet, fear is an important part of our walk with God. Fear can be good, join us in this Podcast as we explore why.

Starting in chapter 4, Jesus would begin teaching in parables, often starting with the word "Listen". Some of these short simple stories held rich insight as to the nature and breath of the Kingdom of God. Others were meant for self reflection that would lead to repentance. Yet, Jesus purposely taught in ambiguous short stories to keep some people from understanding and repenting. If you think this seems counter intuitive, you should listen to this Podcast. We will wrestle with Jesus' motivation for teaching in Parables and we will draw deep insights from the lessons they hide.