Baldhead Bible Podcast

It has been a while since I last posted. I have been speaking non-stop at camps for the past three weeks, but finally, I could carve out some time to record a podcast while speaking at Trout Creek in Oregon. This week's episode is a sad one. Ananias and Saphira are found lying to God and paying the ultimate price with their lives. But we also meet a new character in the story of Acts, a character introduced for the first time, but one that will play a significant role in the story of the growth of the church moving forward. His name is Barnabas. Hear his story and that of Ananias and Saphira in this week's podcast.

Jesus. Some people use it as a swear word, others use it only at Christmas or Easter, while others use it when talking about the man they worship and serve. In today's story, we will look at the power of the name of Jesus. In today's story, we meet a man who was healed simply because of the name of Jesus. And we will also learn the importance of talking and sharing His name. There is immense power for a Christian to simply talk about Jesus and to boldly proclaim Him as Lord. So, who was the man who was healed, how did it happen, and what kind of power can be found in Jesus' name? Listen to find out, and turn to Acts chapters 3 and 4 to follow along.

Jesus told the disciples to wait in Jerusalem after He left. To wait for the coming of the Holy Spirit. And so, as we turn to Acts chapter two, that is exactly what we find: the disciples waiting and praying, and praying. And then they are still waiting when they find themselves in the middle of the Feast of Pentecost. And then it happens. One of the most glorious events during one of the most glorious Jewish festivals of the season. What was that event? Listen to this week's podcast to find out.

We are going to tell the story of the birth of the church. From its early days in Jerusalem to its final expansion through the work of the Apostle Paul, we see it all unfold in the book of Acts. The whole book is the story of the early church, and we will follow the adventure of the gospel spreading forth as we tell the story found in the book of Acts. First, we begin with an ending of sorts: the end of Jesus' time here on earth and His ascension to be with His Father. But before He left, He left the apostles with a mission: to spread the gospel's good news and make disciples. Listen to part one of the exciting story in the Book of Acts.

At last, we have arrived at the end of Matthew's story. However, this is just the beginning of a greater and more marvelous story. Matthew concludes his account of Jesus' life with the starting call of the ongoing, unending tale of God's glorious love for us who acknowledge Jesus as our Lord and Savior. Jesus calls all His followers to go out and make more disciples, but what does it mean to be a disciple of Jesus? How can one know if they are truly a disciple? To find the answers, let's turn to Matthew 28 and follow along.

The Bible sometimes has peculiar little-known stories that many people skip over on the way to the really important stuff. One such story is found in Matthew 27. It's a story I like to call the time Jesus met some Zombies. But they weren't Zombies, no these were people coming out of graves, but they weren't half dead, half alive monsters. No, they were resurrected saints proclaiming the victory of Jesus over death. Who were they? And what story am I talking about? Turn to Matthew 27 to find out.

We now come to Friday of Jesus' last week on earth. It is one of the saddest stories in the Bible and one full of hope because of what Jesus accomplished. This is a story of two Marys and their devotion to Jesus. This is a story of betrayal, abandonment, and denial. But it is also a story of hope, loyalty, and spiritual power. It is the end of one story and the beginning of a more glorious one. Read on and learn more about Jesus's death and burial and how all the disciples abandoned Him except for two women named Mary. Turn to Matthew 26 - 28 to follow along.

Jesus had just spent the evening celebrating the Passover meal with the disciples. Jesus introduced the New Covenant and gave His disciples a new perspective on the Passover meal. A new perspective that they were to do from now on "in remembrance of Him." But now, as they began to ascend the Mount of Olives, I believe the burden of what He was about to bear on the cross became real to Him. Maybe it's too real. And this is where Jesus finds a quiet place to beg His Father to take this cup of wrath from Him. Will the Father do it? Listen to this week's episode to find out. Turn to Matthew 26 to follow along.

The disciples are eating the Last Supper in the upper room. They are enjoying their time together as they reflect upon Yahweh's faithfulness in leading the people of Israel out of Egypt. But then Jesus makes an announcement: one of them sitting right there will betray Him. The disciples look at each other in fear and begin shouting: is it I, Lord? But there was one who was silent, plotting and scheming, and was glad to be rid of this imposter Messiah. Who it was and what happened next, listen to todays episode to find out.

We are coming down to the end of Jesus' earthly ministry. We are in the middle of passion week. It's Wednesday. But I wonder if the knowledge of what He is about to go through on Friday begins to weigh on His shoulders and begins to color everything that He sees and tastes. Remember, Jesus is 100% God, but He was also 100% man and lived and felt the things any human would feel during His time on earth. And I cannot imagine the feelings He must have felt knowing what He was about to go through. But I think one caring soul did sense the deep sorrow that Jesus was feeling, and she did something about it. She celebrated who Jesus was. How? Listen to this week's story and turn to Matthew 26 to follow along.

It is the Tuesday of Holy Week, the week Jesus went to the cross to die and then 3 days later defeated sin and death by resurrecting from the grave. But before that Friday, Jesus still had a lot to do. His Father had much for Him to accomplish on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. One of those jobs was to confront the Pharisees and Sadducees, to warn them of the peril they were in and to offer redemption. Confront their hypocrisy and call them to repentance. Listen on to find out what happens on Tuesday. You can also turn to Matthew 23 to follow along.

It is now Tuesday of Holy Week and Jesus is heading back into Jerusalem. He is about to encounter a group of men who will hound His every move, looking for any opportunity to discredit His ministry and arrest Him. These men were part of a powerful religious organization called The Sanhedrin who are afraid of Jesus and His attack on their power and prestige. They were beginning to fear Jesus, and they were looking for ways to try to take Him down. Listen on to hear how Jesus fights these attacks and along the way teaches us how to be better disciples.

It is now Monday of passion week, the week Jesus will die for the sins of the whole world. But that is on Friday, and there is still Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday to come. Today is full of service, ministry, healing, and teaching. But before all that starts, Jesus and His disciples need to eat some breakfast. A nice juicy fig will do. So, as they walk towards Jerusalem, Jesus spots a fig tree. What happens next will be an opportunity for us all to learn more about faith and what it means to be a true disciple of Christ. Turn to Matthew 21 to follow along.

This is a beautiful day and the beginning of the final week in the earthly life of Jesus. It is a Sunday, and what will happen today will fulfill an ancient prophecy Daniel and other Old Testament prophets foretold. Today will be a day that will introduce Jesus as King to His people. Sadly, they will ultimately reject Him, but today they are shouting Hosanna, today they are praising His name, calling Him King. Today is a good day.

As you read the gospels, it is interesting how difficult it was for the disciples to learn spiritual truths from Jesus. He would make a point that seems clear to us, the reader, but it goes right over the disciple's heads. Well, in today's story, we will hear one of those moments, and be reminded again of the wonderful Savior we serve and how He came to serve and to give Himself as a ransom for many. Turn to Matthew 20 to follow along.

In this week's episode, we listen to Jesus teaching through story, or as we often call them, parables. In this parable, Jesus is trying to get his thick-headed disciples to understand what it means to live with generosity based on the grace of God. He wants His disciples, then and now, to see that the rules for living in the Kingdom of God are not like the worlds and are fundamentally different. So, Jesus tells the story of the Vineyard Workers. What is that story, that parable? Well, listen on to find out.

Can you imagine dealing with the fact that every day you would meet people who would seek to trip you up, or try to embarrass you? Essentially, you would be tested every day of your life., Well, that was the life that Jesus led every single day, as He was constantly being tested by a group of men desperate to make Jesus look bad in the eyes of His followers. These men were the Pharisees. And on this day, they had the perfect controversial question to try to humiliate Jesus with, or to use a modern concept, to cancel Him. And that was the issue of divorce, specifically the question of on what grounds could a man legitimately divorce his wife? This was a dangerous question for Jesus to answer because He could offend so many people. What is Jesus to do? Turn to Matthew 19 to follow along.

The power of a story. Stories move us, do unique things to our brains when we listen and can engage us for a longer time than any lecture. We know this from modern studies of the brain, but the ancients knew the power of story. And the greatest man who ever lived also knew the impact of story. Jesus would tell parables to teach great spiritual truths. He would tell stories to move the hearts of his listeners. Today we are going to hear one of those stories, one of the parables Jesus told to teach His disciples. Today, we will hear a story that will teach us the importance of forgiveness and how forgiving others is a sign that you are a true follower of Jesus. The power of story and the power of forgiveness come together in this parable from Matthew 18.

Children were not worth a lot to society in Jesus' day. They could not generate any money; instead, they cost you a ton of money as a parent. Plus, many of them never made it out of childhood. So, the average kid costs you a lot of money and heartache. Consequently, many were neglected and fought for survival at the margins of society. But then came Jesus. Jesus loved children, elevated their status, and saw in them the perfect example of what it meant to be one of His followers. Jesus also warned anyone who would hurt one of these little ones: mess with a child and you will literally have Hell to pay. Listen to hear the rest of the story and turn to Matthew 18 to follow along.

At the end of Matthew 17, we stumble across a delightful but odd story. It's a story of taxes, Jesus' declaration of His deity, and fishing. It's a story showing that Jesus cares about the mundane things in life and that He provides for His own in miraculous and marvelous ways. Turn to Matthew 17 and listen on to find out more.