L.B. Graham's Blog

This week we continue our discussion of faithfulness by talking about morality, which we can think of as faithfulness of behavior. We’ll talk about the importance of motive to our behavior, examine two different types of biblical commandment and more.

As we resume our reflection on the third big theme of the podcast – pursue fidelity in all things, faithfulness is essential – we turn to the study of theology, which we could think of as faithfulness of belief. We look at what theology is, some of the reasons why the American church at times seems wary of it, and at two theological issues as examples to illustrate why it matters.

In this fourth and final episode in our advent arc, examining Matthew 1-2 and some of the nativity account from Luke, we look at the response of various people to the birth of Jesus, focusing here on Simeon, Anna and Herod, for how we respond to the child born to be King is all important.

In our third advent episode we continue our examination of Matthew 1-2 and of some of the nativity account in Luke by looking at the famous stories of the Shepherds and the Magi.

In our second advent episode, we reflect on the story in Matthew of the angel telling Joseph about the miracle of the virgin birth and of the importance of the child Mary will give birth to, along with the Luke passage that narrates Gabriel’s visitation with Mary to do the same.

This is the first of our Advent episodes as we take a break for the month of December from our larger episode arc to reflect on Matthew 1-2 together (augmented by some passages from Luke as well). Today, we look at Matthew 1:1-17 and the genealogy of Jesus, which surprisingly, has quite a bit to tell us. 

This episode explores the connection between the law and love, and how the weightier matters of the law – justice, mercy and faithfulness – are also the primary forms of love. 

As we transition to the third big theme of the podcast – pursue fidelity in all things, faithfulness is essential – we look at a lesson I learned from Nicholas Wolterstorff, that God calls us to be faithful, not different. To be faithful will often require us to be different, but being different for the sake of being different has no intrinsic value. 

As we wrap up our episodes on our second main theme – stand under the Word of God, the Bible is foundational and authoritative – we reflect on some of the things we do and don’t control in our pursuit of spiritual growth, and talk about the importance of reading the Bible as a way of putting ourselves in the way of grace.

This episode tackles the difficult question, when is a church, not a church? It looks at the three marks of the church and focuses on the central importance of the preaching of the Word, before examining how both modernist progressivism and postmodern progressivism have impacted some churches and denomnations to that they often do not preach the Bible.