Christian Questions Bible Podcast

Many know the story of Jacob wrestling with an angel. When we just drop in on the account and read what happened, there are many unanswered questions. Why would you pick a fight with an angel anyway? Why would an angel even let you fight? Couldn't the angel have overwhelmingly defeated Jacob even before the altercation began? What could possibly be gained by such a confrontation? Once we begin to understand who Jacob was and the experiences of his life that led up to this confrontation, it all begins to fall into place. What we will find is that Jacob lived a life filled with experiences of great faith, as well as experiences of great deception and rivalry. God allowing him to wrestle with the angel gives us a clue as to how God knows us and meets us where we are. For us, wrestling with God really doesn’t sound even remotely reasonable. However, once we understand what wrestling with God can really mean, all of that can change. Examining the life story of Jacob is a great way to make all of this clear. His wrestling with an angel is the scriptural basis for this thought. Looking at his life helps us to see our own life struggles more clearly. Jacob was a twin. He was the second born, right behind his brother Esau. You might say his wrestling experiences began even before he was born, based on a message from God to his mother, Rebekah. God essentially told her she would have twin sons, and the older would serve the younger. Back in those days, the first born received the greatest blessings and a double portion of paternal inheritance. This message from God was in direct conflict with all expectations. Later in their lives, it would cause great frustration and rivalry. This was only the beginning. For most of his adult life, Jacob found himself in circumstances that provoked confrontation. His dysfunctional experiences regarding his brother Esau led him to leave his home for about 20 years. Interestingly, Jacob was not the one doing the provoking through all of his unrest. He was also on the receiving end as well. All of these interactions led him to eventually make his way back home, even though he had no idea if he would be welcomed back. Check out our January 6, 2025 podcast, “What Happens When We Wrestle with God?” for details. We investigate many of the dramatics of Jacob’s life that led him to that incredible wrestling match with God’s angel. We put the profound reasons for his tenacious wrestling in line with God’s responses. The results are inspiring. Jacob wrestled because he could not go on without God’s blessing. Our lives are the same. Join us as we learn how wrestling with God in the right ways is not only a productive practice but also encouraged as well. These are lessons that can bring clarity and direction to our daily lives!

We have all heard the saying, “Life is what you make it!” It is usually at the approach of a new year or a birthday or some landmark life event when we turn our focus inward. We think about changes we would like to make. Normally, these changes are aimed at finding a greater measure of happiness, health or fulfillment in our daily lives. So, what should we decide needs changing? Even more importantly, how will we decide to implement those changes? On the surface this may sound easy, but for the vast majority of us, it is not. Life tends to get in the way, along with old habits and second thoughts. Then there is our old friend, our comfort zone! Why would we want to leave that, as it is so, well...comfortable? What can we learn from the Scriptures to help us actually implement God-honoring life changes? WHY? The first big question to ask about making life changes is why. Why do I think I want to take this or that part of my life and alter it to fit some other mold or objective? What do I see as the real benefit? Answering this question honestly will give us insight as to what level of value the proposed changes truly hold for our future. Think about it. As a professed Christian, our whole lives are supposed to be about serving God, about doing His will. If the changes I seek are primarily focused on me and not Christlikeness, then what am I really pursuing? Is it what I look like or what I really am? There’s a big difference between trying to make myself look better compared to others and trying to live up to my calling in Christ. Obviously, one way brings me into the center of everyone’s thinking and perception. Do I want to be more acceptable, more respected or more admired in relation to those around me? Or do I want others to more fully notice Christ in me? While this may seem like an odd way to look at making significant life changes, it certainly is a credible approach. Even if the life changes we seek are focused on our physical wellbeing or rethinking old habits, our motivation should always gravitate toward letting Christ shine through us. Ok, so we may need to do some rethinking when it comes to our motivation. As we work on this reexamination, we also need to consider our comfort zones of old habits. Wait a minute - does changing for the sake of Christ mean that all of my comfort zones are now obsolete? Check out our December 30, 2024 podcast, “How Will I Choose to Live the Life That is Ahead of Me?” for answers. We look at the dynamics of making life changes as well as how to leave old comfort zones and find new ones. All of this brings us to being positioned to make truly valuable God-honoring life changes. Walk this path with us; it is well worth the effort!

When Jesus came to earth 2,000 years ago, he came to pay the price for Adam’s sin by willingly offering himself as a just and equal ransom price to redeem Adam - and therefore the entire human race - from sin and death. To prepare for his coming as a man, God sent the angel Gabriel to deliver preparatory messages to John the Baptist’s father Zacharias, and to Jesus’ mother Mary. Joseph would be guided by spiritually driven dreams. When Jesus was born, a whole host of angels made the announcement to some lowly shepherds who were in the fields with their flocks. When this angelic announcement came, it was prefaced with some beautiful words of assurance, "Fear not!" This reassuring “fear not” sentiment would echo repeatedly throughout Jesus’ entire ministry! What comfort! To be able to tell someone who is afraid to “fear not” and actually have a reassuring effect on them is powerful. Think about the strength those two words can have when someone is in a situation that for whatever reason, has overwhelmed them. To say “fear not” is to say that whatever is scaring you doesn’t have to. It is to say that you can be equipped to handle whatever it is that is coming your way. It is to replace fear with peace and assurance. It's eye-opening to think about how often the words “fear not” were proclaimed before, during and after Jesus’ ministry. What is even more impressive is who uttered these words and the authority with which they were spoken. Angels spoke these words several times before Jesus was born. Because these angels were sent from God, their messages were delivered with divine authority. When angels told Zacharias, Mary and a group of shepherds to “fear not,” they were relaying God’s personal assurances. When God says, “fear not,” well, you simply don’t need to be afraid! Looking into the ministry of Jesus, we see this pattern of assurance continue. There were several instances where Jesus told his followers to “fear not.” When we begin looking into these varied accounts several significant observations begin to emerge. First of all, the life Jesus brought to his followers was like nothing they had ever previously seen or experienced. The magnitude of wisdom, miracles, teaching and challenges to their normal lives proved to be beyond their expectations. “Fear not” would not only become a common phrase they would hear from Jesus, but it would also be a necessary one as well. Check out our December 23, 2024 podcast, “Why Did the Angel Say “Fear Not”? for more. We touch on the angel’s messages of assurance that prepared the key players and the world for the birth of Jesus. Then we focus one at a time on the several “fear not” messages Jesus spoke. We find a thrilling pattern of care and guidance for his followers at every level of their newfound discipleship. Join us and see how the lessons of their “fear not” experiences can bring us strength and comfort as we walk with Jesus today.

How does someone become a follower of Christ? Does it begin by becoming curious about this Jesus person and all of the world-changing influence he has? Perhaps we are living in fear and are searching for a kind of security that is different and higher than anything else we know. Maybe we’re overwhelmed with despair in our lives, and we’re searching for powerful hope and encouragement. Or maybe we've been awakened to the realization that there is more to life than what this world has to offer - much more. While any and all of these things can play a role in coming to Christ, the one common factor in all cases of true discipleship is beyond us. It is God drawing us to Him through Jesus. So, how does that work? How can we identify the drawing of God and differentiate it from our own emotions? By invitation only During his ministry on earth, Jesus plainly stated that no one comes to him unless God has drawn them. The context of this statement was Jesus talking about what it takes to become a true disciple of his. He was indicating to those listening that there was more to becoming one of his followers than they may have thought. True discipleship would always begin with God’s providence in someone’s life. An individual’s decision to truly follow would be an outgrowth of that invitation. So, what does that drawing from God actually look like? The answer to this is best understood by looking at actual biblical examples of some who were called to follow Jesus from widely diverse backgrounds. Observing someone’s actual life circumstances coupled with what we are told was their heart attitude helps us see the process of how God calls. Take Cornelius the Roman Centurion for example Cornelius loved God, even though his life was far outside of God’s favor as a Roman Gentile. In spite of that lack of favor, he remained devoted to honoring what he knew of God’s ways. When God’s timing arrived, the Apostle Peter was sent to him to witness about Jesus. Cornelius was ready, and the despair of his previous lack of favor was transformed into fulfilled contentment as a follower of Jesus. This is just one example of how God may call us. Check out our December 9, 2024 podcast, “How Do You Know If God Is Calling You?” for more. We also dig into the lives of the Apostle Paul before his conversion, Zaccheus the tax collector, and the Apostle Peter at the time he was drawn by God to Jesus. All four examples show us differing life circumstances through which God would draw individuals to Him as they came to Jesus. The lessons here are eye-opening as we learn how varied and unique God calling people can be. Join us as we walk through the lives of these faithful disciples of Jesus and appreciate their responses to God’s drawing.