Truth Be Told

Give a Man a Fish

So much can be drawn out of scripture if we ask questions about what we read, rather than just read it, expecting the same message every time.

In this episode, we do a half verse-by-verse, half expository study of accounts of the disciples going fishing. Why are these recorded for us? Why were they important to the disciples? Why did they happen the way they did?

 

Email: truthbetoldbiblepodcast@gmail.com

Music: Pop-Rock Beautiful By: Twisterium

Logo Thumbnail: Matt Hernandez

What's In A Name?

You've heard it said in prayer before, maybe you've said it yourself, or maybe you've never said it. "In Jesus Christ's name we pray," is more than an aesthetically pleasing phrase to round out a prayer. It's more than a kind nod at Christ to keep Him in the loop. It is more than just words.

Today we take a look at this phrase for those of us who say it routinely and might have lost the deeper meaning, for those of us who say it and never understood the fullness of the words, and for those of us who don't include it in our prayers ever, in order to look at the necessity, and the depth, of something that has become commonplace, but shouldn't be said dismissively or out of habit and nothing more.

God desires a relationship with us and one huge part of this relationship is prayer. It is so easy to not be mindful of the things we say in prayer, particularly with things that become "church-speak." Many things, like "in Jesus Christ's name we pray," are examples of this "church-speak" that are wonderful practices, given that we are not practicing vain repetition, but speaking to God in fullness of understanding of what we are saying, how we are able to say it, and Who we are saying it to.

 

Contact Info: truthbetoldbiblepodcast@gmail.com

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Music: Pop-Rock Beautiful By: Twisterium

Logo Thumbnail: Matt Hernandez

Is God Getting In The Way Of The Good Things In Your Life? Good!

God's place to a Christian who commits to discipleship of Christ is at the very center. Sometimes that means separating us from the things (yes, even the good things) that we cling tightly to, not so we can be separated from those things forever, but to make room for God to come first, as He should.

When Christ says He comes bearing a sword to separate, know that it is not always to take blessings away from you, but to be able to give you BACK those blessings in more fullness once He assumes His proper role in your life.

 

Music: Pop-Rock Beautiful By: Twisterium

Logo Thumbnail: Matt Hernandez

The Problem of Half-Hearted Discipleship

God asks us to love Him and to follow Him with our whole hearts. Discipleship cannot be half-hearted. The very nature of becoming disciples of Jesus Christ requires that we follow behind Him step by step. There is no room for any other answer but an absolute affirmative.

In this episode, given originally in Columbus, Ohio for church services, we explore examples of half-hearted discipleship and see the dangerous outcomes it can have for those who attempt it.

We all have hearts and, while they might be broken at times, while they might be hurting or weak depending on our situation, God asks for them in their entirety. Our whole hearts might seem like a steep price, but what a blessing it is that we all have one to give Him when He calls us.

 

Music: Pop-Rock Beautiful By: Twisterium

Logo Thumbnail: Matt Hernandez

The Power of Prayer: What Would You Do For A Klondike Bar?

For the next few weeks, instead of doing one longer message every other week, I'm going to post a few shorter messages I've given Church services to add more variety in length of episodes.

This message was given in Columbus, Ohio on October 24, 2020 and it covers things we need to remember in order to have effective prayer. Prayer is one of our most powerful tools because it is communication with our most powerful ally. Are we using the power of prayer effectively?

I hope this is an encouraging reminder to take our prayer lives as seriously as we do so many other things in our lives.

For any questions or comments please feel free to reach out at truthbetoldbiblepodcast@gmail.com

 

Enjoy!

 

Music: Pop-Rock Beautiful by: Twisterium

Logo Art: Matt Hernandez

Is God Spirit, Or Is The Spirit, God?

Sometimes it happens that we only study the Bible to reaffirm our beliefs and, in doing so, we read into the Bible, the conclusions that we expect to see there.

Do we do this even with the nature of God? 

On this episode we will take an in depth look at the nature of the Holy Spirit to see what people currently believe about it, what early Church Father's taught about it, and what the Bible teaches about it, to see whether or not our conclusions need reevaluated.

 

Music: Pop-Rock Beautiful By: Twisterium

Thumbnail Logo: Matt Hernandez

If Hell Is Real, Should Christ Be There?

All Christians believe that Christ paid the penalty for the sin of mankind. Many Christians believe that the penalty experienced by impenitent sinners is an eternally burning hellfire. If THIS is the penalty, and Christ PAID the penalty, shouldn't He be in an eternity of torment in Hell? This doesn't add up.

Christians all over are having trouble reconciling the common understanding of hell with that of a loving God sending people there for eternity who have never so much as HEARD the name of Jesus Christ. What does the Bible say about this doctrine?

This is a look at what the Bible teaches on Hell, so that we might begin to read the scriptures for what they say and not what we presuppose they should say.

 

Thumbnail Logo: Matt Hernandez

Music: Pop-Rock Beautiful; Twisterium

Compassion vs. Consequence: Which Way Does God Lean?

Is it true that God is all about consequence in the Old Testament, and all about compassion in the New? 

We know we are flawed, and we know that God is good, but the second we don't understand something, we immediately question His nature rather than our ability to understand.

Both parts of the Bible are full of examples of compassion and consequence, but we continue to hear the presupposition that the God of the Old and the God of the New Testaments must be different beings.

I hope this episode helps you RECLAIM the understanding that God is good; both for your own mindset, and when defending your faith. The Creator of the Universe that deals with mankind, acts in a perfect balance of compassion and consequence.

 

Music: Pop-Rock Beautiful By: Twisterium

Thumbnail Logo: Matt Hernandez

Suffering: What Game Are You Playing?

When we analyze our success by the metrics our society lives by, we can often feel like we are losing. But should we be playing the same game that society is, for the same outcome? Everyone goes through difficulty, whether it occurs through time and chance, consequences of our own actions, or God's chastening, but our attitude and understanding of suffering can drastically change how we respond to it.

Isn't Christianity supposed to have all of the answers? Why am I suffering when I'm doing my best to follow God? 

These are all questions we will look at today as we analyze Christian, and worldwide, suffering through scripture, and analyze the reality of what we're called to when we accept the path of life that God lays out for us.

 

Thumbnail Logo: Matt Hernandez

Intro Music: Pop-Rock Beautiful by Twisterium

Should We Always Allow What God Allows?

We shouldn't speak against what God has spoken, think against what God thinks, or act against His actions, but does this mean we should also always allow what God allows? What does the Bible say about what God allows and what we should or shouldn't also allow? God allows sickness, and we go to the doctor. God allows us to be tempted, and expects us to fight it. This episode is not meant to tell you where your line should be, or which battles you should fight, but rather to get you to think critically about what the Bible says regarding our response to some of the things that God allows.

 

Thumbnail Logo: Matt Hernandez

Music: Pop-Rock-Beautiful By: Twisterium