The Faith vs Works problem, at first glance, may seem to need an either/ or solution, but I think when you look at James 2:14-26 you'll find that "faith and works" is what God has expected from us from Abraham at the beginning of the Bible to Jesus Christ and the rest of the New Testament.

This podcast is about all the content that Ryan Enser, M.Div. published in 2021 including books, videos, articles, and an online course.

In this podcast you’ll find out what the name Emmanuel means, where the name Emmanuel comes from, and why Jesus is called Emmanuel.

I remember watching the news of the Iraq War in 2003 and talking to friends and family about it. We all confidently talked to each other like we really knew the Iraq War. My perspective changed after coming back from serving in the U.S. Army Infantry in Iraq in 2007. Like before going to war, I watched the news on television and talked to friends and family about it. What was different now was I had first-hand experience of the Iraq War, while my friends and family did not. They didn’t really understand what they saw on the news and there was no way for me to completely share my experience with them.

I think the same is true for Christianity. Someone with first-hand experience with following Jesus Christ has a different understanding of Christianity and they can’t completely share it with those that don’t have that experience. Doing religious ceremonies, going to church, even reading the Bible can be like watching the news on Iraq, but never having been there.

I want to encourage you to search your own heart and find out if you have first-hand experience with Jesus Christ or if you just know about him. Throughout history each person who has become a follower of Jesus Christ has had to move from knowing about him to knowing him. There is no substitute for first-hand experience with Jesus.

My wife and I have faced some large setbacks in life like the deaths of our friends, which has taught me many lessons. One is that going through hard things with God helps you to be a compassionate person. When someone else goes through something very difficult, I have become a better resource for them than I used to be. Going through difficult things motivates me even more to become more like Christ in the way that he was compassionate and empathetic.

In this installment of the series How to Enjoy Reading Your Bible we’re going to explore the book of Hebrews. The main point of Hebrews is "Don’t fall away from Jesus because there is nowhere else to turn for salvation." Listen to find out more about the main point, the “2 bite-sized pieces,” the main concepts of the book, and finally “what you should do” to apply the book to your life.

The Story of Christianity, Vol. 1: The Early Church to the Dawn of the Reformation Justo Gonzalez https://amzn.to/3f3Lll8

I highly recommend Justo Gonzalez’ "The Story of Christianity: Volume 1: The Early Church to the Dawn of the Reformation." His book shines a light on influential women who were not given much ink in other histories and shares about many indigenous people of North and South America who shaped the Christian faith during the colonial period.

Artist: Niki

Song: Positive Pop Dance

https://soundcloud.com/lukyanovnikita/positive-pop-dance-royalty-free-music

Geronimo was an Apache Native American who was removed from his land by the United States government. When I lived in Lebanon, I found out that what is happening to the Palestinians is very similar to what happened to Geronimo and the Apaches. I don't agree with what the United States did and I don't agree with what Israel is doing.

For more on Geronimo https://www.history.com/topics/native-american-history/geronimo

Artist: Yme Fresh

Song: CRWN