The Four Senses Train Christians to Read with Four Questions
Have you ever heard a sermon that explained what a biblical text meant in its original context, showed how it pointed to Christ, challenged you to live differently, and encouraged you with the hope of heaven? If so, you’ve encountered something remarkably similar to how Christians read the Bible for centuries. Though the medieval four […]
Why Expository Preaching Matters
What’s the big deal about expository preaching? Does it really matter if we preach through books of the Bible? Can’t we just do something more “relevant” or innovative? In this episode, Jared Wilson and Ronni Kurtz talk about the biblical, theological, and pastoral importance of preaching expositionally and warn about some challenges and pitfalls in […]
What Are the Four Senses of Scripture?
Why did early theologians feel the need to distinguish “senses” of the Scriptures in the first place? Denys Turner asserts that there are three reasons. First, Scripture itself distinguishes between the literal and allegorical senses. Even though the biblical authors didn’t fully outline this form of interpretation, they themselves distinguished between the literal and spiritual […]
How Active Learning Can Transform Your Women’s Bible Study
Howard Hendricks challenged educators when he wrote, “The best learners are participators; they’re not merely watching the action from the outside, but are deeply engrossed in it, involved to the hilt.”[1] When it came time for our church plant to determine what our women’s Bible studies would look like, Hendricks’s idea became our guiding aim. […]
How to Read the Bible
Having trouble making sense of the Bible? Don’t know how or where to start? Bible study can sometimes feel overwhelming, but Jared Wilson and Ronni Kurtz are here to help. On this episode, they share a little bit about their personal disciplines in Scripture reading before offering some practical steps to read the Bible in a way that’s more spiritually fruitful.
Stuff We Don’t Want to Talk About
Inspired by Ronni’s refusal to record on a particular topic, Jared Wilson and Ronni Kurtz discuss the things they don’t want to discuss. Consider this the Banned Episodes episode. What topics feel “off limits?” What subjects do we feel out of our depth about? What issues do we just want to avoid? And why?
Is It Wrong to See Jesus in the Old Testament?
One of the first things we learn when it comes to reading the Bible is to never make a text say something the author did not intend to say. The technical term for this is authorial intent. However, we are also taught that the whole Bible is about Jesus. We learn that every page—Old Testament […]
FTC Mailbag
Jared Wilson and Ronni Kurtz dive back into that bag of indeterminate color, the FTC Mailbag! Answering your submitted questions and topics, the guys discuss age gaps between staff pastors, baptizing nonverbal churchfolk, how to share concerns with a pastor, what to do if your pastor is having AI write his sermons, and more. You can always send us a question or topic via [email protected]
Grab Bag!
In the latest installment of our occasional Grab Bag feature, Jared Wilson and Ronni Kurtz ask each other surprise questions. This time Ronni comes with a bonus question, so there’s a bit more bang for your buck.
How to Win a Girl
Alright, single dudes. This one’s for you. Jared Wilson and Ronni Kurtz offer advice on how to win a godly girl.