Context: Ephesians – Who Wrote It, When, and Why It Matters Paul identifies himself as the author twice in the text (1:1, 3:1), and the early church overwhelmingly accepted his authorship. Paul wrote Ephesians from house arrest in Rome, somewhere around AD 60 to 62, making it one of four so-called “prison epistles” alongside Philippians, […]
Read More WIWO: Ephesians – Episode 01: Book OverviewHe did not remember lying down, only waking—thorns pressed light against his brow, not to wound but to mark. A Voice he could not see, only feel, said, “Rise. You have a castle. Come and see what has been built for you.” He almost laughed. His soul, as far as he’d ever known it, was […]
Read More KMCD 30: The Castle of the KingsmanFour C’s Questions for the Entire Gospel: Context: How has your understanding of first-century Judea and religious conflicts enhanced your reading of Mark? Jesus is interacting and engaging with a world that is divided politically and religiously. And in those divisions, people are looking to assert a degree of authority and to establish some hope […]
Read More WIWO: Mark – Episode 25: Review and ReflectionReading: Mark 16:1-20 Context: Why are the women going to the tomb, and what do they discover there? The women love Jesus. The women seek to honour the body of the one that they love. This is an expression of great affection and care, even for one they expect to be dead. When they arrive […]
Read More WIWO: Mark – Episode 25: Resurrection and CommissionI had an idea of what they were talking about when they referred to the individual as the King of Rock and Roll. I got the impression of what they meant when they called that person the King of Pop. I understood who the King of that football team was. What do we mean when […]
Read More Dryden Shorts – Who Is This KingWhat happens to the man who forgets how to ask? I don’t mean the man who’s forgotten his manners. I mean the one who has quietly stopped believing that asking changes anything, and so he just gets on with it — grits his teeth, manages the anxiety, tells himself that’s just what maturity looks like. […]
Read More KMCD 28: Supplication and the KingsmanReading: Mark 14:32-15:47 Context: What does Jesus’ prayer in Gethsemane reveal about His humanity and obedience to the Father? The prayer reveals Jesus’ appreciation for the gravity of the situation and, even at this late stage, appeals to the Father, who can do anything. At the same time as He appeals, He knows the decision […]
Read More WIWO: Mark – Episode 24: Gethsemane, Trial, and CrucifixionRead here to see what happened in The Tale of Two Kingdoms Part One. Eli turned the story over in his mind. “So the garden is…?” “The life of Christ within you,” Micah said. “The hidden life. The inner kingdom. The place where God grows what only He can grow. But many disciples, while speaking […]
Read More KMCD 27: The Kingsman and the Tale of Two Kingdoms – Part TwoReading: Mark 14:1-31 Context: How does the woman’s anointing of Jesus contrast with Judas’s betrayal preparations? What a fascinating set of circumstances. The woman doesn’t know she’s anointing Jesus for burial; she’s offering a heartfelt expression of devotion to Jesus. She loves Him and is keen to express that in a lavish, expensive and deep […]
Read More WIWO: Mark – Episode 23: Betrayal and the Last SupperThe city was called Meridian. It was not an ancient city of stone gates and camel roads. It was glass, steel, noise, traffic, digital billboards, coffee shops, podcasts in earbuds, calendars filled two months ahead, and souls too hurried to notice they were starving. In Meridian lived a young believer named Eli. He loved the […]
Read More KMCD 26: The Kingsman and the Tale of Two Kingdoms – Part One
Life With CD 