Word Processing

If you were to poll your Christian friends as to what they thought was the most confusing, daunting, or intimidating book of the Bible, the Revelation of Jesus Christ would likely be near (or at!) the top of the list. Maybe it's because of the symbols and prophetic language. Perhaps it's because they've heard some confusing teaching in the past. Or, there's a chance they still haven't recovered from watching Left Behind in Youth Group. Whatever the reason, many of God's people stay away from the end of God's story and this cumulative section of God's word. That's tragic.

Today we're going to try and peel away a layer or two of such impediments by discussing the approachability and understandability of the book of Revelation. Rather than scary and intimidating, we will find that it's awe-inspiring and hope-instilling. Oh, and there's promised blessing.

On this episode, Andrew Longmire returns. While previously serving at Oakridge Bible Chapel as an associate pastor, Andrew has recently accepted the call to a lead pastor position at Community Bible Church in Lucan, Ontario.

Fitting neatly with our current study on the person and work of the Holy Spirit, Andrew explains how it was that he and his family were led, affirmed, taught, and convicted by the Spirit en route to a new home, new community, new church family, and new ministry role. This conversation is a practical look at this desirous-but-often-mysterious work of God in the life of his children.

Every growing Christians wants to know the will of the Lord, to be led by the Spirit, and to be used by God for his glory in the arenas in which he wants to use them. It sounds wonderful! The problem isn't usually one of motivation but of execution. How do we know what way the Lord would have us go? How can we sense and discern the leading of the Holy Spirit in our lives? How can we learn to ignore the lures of idolatrous desires and egotistical directions? These are significant questions that we want to tackle today.

Sanctification is a heavy concept, but one with which every Christian must grapple because it is God's will for every Christian (1 Thes 4:3). The Bible declares that all in Christ have been sanctified, set apart, declared righteous (1 Cor 1:30). At the same time, the Bible admonishes all in Christ to actively pursue sanctification (1 Pet 1:15).

So, we are set apart but we are to become set apart. We are holy but must chase holiness. We are and we ought.

Today on the podcast we wrestle with this topic, one that is just as beautiful and freeing as it is complicated and humbling.

We're back in 1 John, and this time it's a warning about what can get in the way of our usefulness and our intimacy with Christ: false teaching. While it may seem a little easier to notice in the world, this is a very real problem in churches too, and we need to be on our guard against falsehoods. This week on the podcast, Josiah and Andrew look a little closer at this passage and the warnings contained, and ask two simple questions: why is this important, and how do we do it?

After 4 weeks in the book of Joel in our corporate worship gatherings, we're finally going to take some time to talk about it. But as some things come to an end, other things are just getting ready to begin. On this episode of the podcast, Josiah chats with Andrew about what led him to the book of Joel and what was most impactful in that study for his own life, before abruptly changing the conversation to questions about the future, as big life transitions approach.

As a local church grows in size, it can become increasingly difficult to actually know everyone in the community and, thus, to be blessed by everyone in the community. This is unfortunate because there are no unnecessary members (1 Corinthians 12:7), none who are ungifted (Romans 12:6), and not one who isn't called to the "work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ" unto spiritual maturity (Ephesians 4:11–13). Said another way, we need one another as Spirit-indwelled conduits of God's grace to propel us toward holiness and, when unable to be around one another and to know one another, this process is hindered.

With that in mind, we're going to try and "shrink the church" a bit today and, hopefully, provide an opportunity for one particular Oakridge family member to "build up the body of Christ" from afar. On this episode, Andrew chats with Brett Harris about his walk with Christ, the greatest struggles in his Christian life, lessons he's learned along the way, and much more.

Many times throughout the Bible we see people making a vow or swearing an oath—sometimes to God or before God, sometimes in the name of God. But what does it actually mean to make a vow, what was the purpose, why is it so serious, and is this something to be avoided by Christians now? Where does marriage fit in, or commitments to God for his sake and glory? Join with Tim and Andrew on the podcast this week where they discuss the concept of biblical vows.

"Vanity of vanities, all is vanity." This is the way that "the preacher" starts his exploration of life and purpose in Ecclesiastes 1. It's a fascinating, philosophical book in the middle of the Old Testament where the author wrestles through the meaning (or lack thereof) of humanity and our limited time on earth. This week on the podcast, Andrew and Tim spend some time discussing the book of Ecclesiastes and the at-times confusing nature of its content, doing their own exploration into vanity, life, and purpose.

As Christians, we know that sin is bad, right? It's wrong, it's opposed to God, it ruins everything, and ultimately it is why Jesus had to die. But even with all that head-knowledge, it's not uncommon to find ourselves in situations where we don't take sin as seriously as we ought to. Perhaps we justify it, rationalize it, minimize it, or just straight-up ignore it. But the Bible is very clear just how dangerous destructive sin is; something to be taken very seriously. This week on the podcast Josiah and Andrew discuss some challenging verses on sin from 1 John 3, all with the goal of helping us avoid it and abide in Christ.

It's an all-too-common issue: we go through a season of suffering (or perhaps the opposite) and find ourselves feeling far from God. Maybe it feels like he's abandoned us, or muted us out, or perhaps we've been operating in our own self-sufficiency and done the same to him. Maybe our sin has gotten in the way and convinced us that God wants nothing to do with us. Whatever the issue, it doesn't feel good to realize we aren't where we want to be in our relationship with the Lord. But thankfully, it doesn't have to stay that way. Join with Josiah and Andrew on the podcast this week as they explore some biblical examples of people who felt far from God, and what it looked like to get things back on track.

We're back in 1 John, and this week it's all about keeping our eyes open for the obstacles that get in the way of truly enjoying the light. But what does it mean to be distracted by worldliness, or to be deceived in a way that hinders our intimacy with the Lord? How do we stay alert, and how do we avoid this pitfalls when they come? Furthermore, what does this all have to do with our assurance of salvation? Josiah and Andrew address these very common obstacles and methods for success in this week's episode.

Every year we have a Good Friday service and another on Easter Sunday, and, as expected, we talk about Christ's death and resurrection. But what does it look like to be on the planning end, behind the scenes every single Easter? How do we decide what to discuss with regards to resurrection? How do we preach when we know there are likely more non-believers present than usual? And looking at this year's topic, what does it mean to be transformed by the expectation of the resurrection? Join with Josiah and Andrew as they discuss all things Easter weekend, this week on the podcast.

We were inspired today by the yells and cheers of kids in the building to take some time to talk about ministry to children. What is children's ministry? What is the biblical precedent? What does the church have to do with it all? How can non-parents be involved? Josiah and Andrew discuss these questions and more on this week's podcast.

As we start into the meat of 1 John we quickly see that it is practical and filled with encouraging yet convicting words. In particular, as we finish chapter 1 and begin chapter 2, John calls followers of Jesus to avoid hypocrisy and live in a way that reflects their relationship with Christ, or risk experiencing the fellowship available to them. Thankfully he doesn't leave us with checklist of unfollowable commands, but ensures us that we already have access to everything we need to "claim the prize". Join with Josiah and Andrew as they explore these topics more deeply this week on the podcast.

It's a brand new sermon series at Oakridge as we start making our way through the book of 1 John. And while we started with only four verses this week, they certainly weren't short on content! But why 1 John, and what is so special about this opening prelude? Why does it matter that Christ is eternal, knowable, and even offers intimate fellowship within himself and his church? Josiah and Andrew begin the discussion on this complex yet beautiful book this week on the podcast.

We've talked about God's sovereignty before on this podcast, but understanding and appreciating it is an issue we often continue to wrestle with, especially when the going gets tough. In John 9 we meet a man who was blind from birth "so that the works of God might be displayed in him", and in-so-doing, get a fascinating picture of God's sovereign will. But knowing pain can have a purpose, and actually enduring it are two very different things. Join with Andrew and Josiah as they discuss what we can learn from this passage, and how we can be encouraged by this man's experience.

In the past year at Oakridge, we have seen four more step into the role of Elder, being commissioned to the task of leading and shepherding the flock that is this local expression of the body of Christ. But we also recognize that in the past few years we have seen many new faces and families in the church, many of whom may have not been a part of an elder-led church before, or understand why we do what we do in this regard. This past Sunday we heard a sermon explaining and illustrating the role and this week on the podcast Josiah and Andrew break it down a bit further by comparing some other popular church leadership models and why we land where we do.

While the first five covenants set the stage for God's plan for the redemption of his creation, without the final covenant, the new covenant, they would all just be logs in a fireplace waiting to be lit. The new covenant offered more than the other five ever could, and it promised a future of hope to be fulfilled in Jesus Christ. As we come to conclusion of this series, join with Josiah and Andrew as they discuss the new covenant and its place in the bigger picture, and how we can be inspired and challenged by this knowledge of the covenants moving forward.

In the penultimate biblical covenant, the one struck with David, God promises an eternal kingdom of endless jurisdiction and perfect authority. It is one that offers so much hope in the midst of a world filled with so much evil and brokenness that longs to be redeemed by its King. But how does this kingly covenant fit in with our understanding of the Kingdom, especially with regards to our role as believers now? Join Josiah and Andrew as they discuss the far-reaching implications and some of the incredible inspirations offered to us by this covenant.

If we were to make an educated guess, we'd imagine that of the six Biblical covenants, the one that is probably most likely to get a response of "huh?" would be the priestly covenant in Numbers 25. Yet despite being short and sweet, it is an important covenant nonetheless. So what is this priestly covenant, where does it fit, and why does it matter? We heard the answers to these questions on Sunday, but join with Josiah and Andrew as they dive a bit deeper into the text and its implications for our lives.

Josiah was asked to share some details from his personal testimony at Oakridge's Lively Oaks ministry gathering on January 27, 2023. Below is the recording of that talk in which he describes three things the Lord has been teaching him over the past number of years. (Josiah apologizes for his singing and longs for his glorified voice.)

And just like that we're halfway through the covenants already! This week it's the Mosaic Covenant, probably the most well-known, and unfortunately, most misunderstood. It's easy to look at a covenant involving a bunch of rules and morality and assume it must apply directly to all people, but that was never it's intended purpose. Join with Josiah and Andrew this week on the podcast as they discuss this covenant, where it fits, and why it matters.

We're two weeks into our new sermon series on biblical covenants, and that brings us to the Abrahamic Covenant: an oath involving three separate but connected branches of promise. But why is it so important to keep these promises distinct and to understand them the way that Abraham did? And again, why does a covenant like this matter to us now as New Testament believers? Josiah and Andrew discuss these questions and more this week on the podcast.

A new year, a new season of the podcast, and a whole new sermon series to start us off! As we begin 2023, we're looking at the biblical covenants, and this week, we started right at the beginning with the Noahic covenant. Join with Josiah and Andrew as they discuss this first covenant, what it means, and why it still matters to us as Bible readers so many years removed from it's swearing.

Another year is quickly coming to its conclusion, and with it, this season of Word Processing. Today Josiah and Andrew take a look back at the year: the joys and trials, and what God has been teaching them through it all. Be sure to stay tuned for new episodes of Word Processing coming in January, 2023! We hope and pray you have a joyous Christmas season and we’ll be back in the new year!

We're all called to ministry. The New Testament makes it very clear that every Christian is tasked with the gospel-sharing, disciple-making process as described in Matthew's so-called "Great Commission". Yet to attempt to do the work of ministry in our own limited, sinful strength would be absolutely foolish, especially when God's word clearly explains how to do it properly. Today we come to one such instance, in Colossians 4, where Paul emphasizes the importance of prayer and a pure life when it comes to the mission of the believers. Join with Josiah and Andrew as they discuss this text and it's implications and applications for our lives.

In a section of scripture with many words that might cause us some concern or discomfort, Paul directs the Christians in Colossae to practically apply their pursuit of holiness in their home life. But even as we think about ideas like submission and obedience and sacrifice, it's important to remember the context they are placed in. So what is the picture that Paul is actually painting in this text, how do we pursue it in a way that is God-honouring, and what do we do when our situation is drastically different than the ideal? Join with Josiah and Andrew as they discuss the humble home, one that serves and seeks after Christ.

In the 47th Psalm, the author points the reader to worship of God as the universal King, in part, because of how he has been King to Israel. As part of "all nations" and "all peoples" referred to here, the call put before us is simple: rightly worship the King! But what does that look like? How are we encouraged by God's blessings of others, how do we respond properly in worship, not just in deed but in heart? Andrew and Josiah explore this Psalm and these topics a bit more in-depth on this week's podcast.

Using the analogy of taking off and putting on clothes, Paul gives some clear instructions to the Colossian church about their pursuit of holiness in chapter 3. But holiness is obviously more than just "not doing bad things" or "doing good things", so what does it look like for a believer to truly live in a way that is holy? And how do we reconcile this with the fact that, this side of eternity, we are going to keep getting it wrong? This week on the podcast, Josiah and Andrew dive a bit deeper into this well-known section of Colossians and explore how to practically apply it.

Heaven. It's something that most people in Western society have some conception of, whether they even believe in it or not. Immediately, many picture golden streets in the clouds, harps and angels and winged babies, and of course the power to fly, go through walls, and eat whatever we want, whenever we want. But is that what the Bible actually describes, or have we simply allowed the cultural perceptions to unknowingly dictate our understanding of this essential biblical teaching? This week on the podcast, Nate Vellekoop joins Andrew to discuss heaven, and how we can better, as Paul says, "Think on things above."

In the second half of Colossians 2, Paul takes the time to remind his readers of the dangers of worldly ideologies being used as a litmus test for one's salvation. Specifically, he addresses three "-isms" that, if we aren't cautious, can just as easily sneak their way into our churches and homes. So how do we protect ourselves from these dangerous shadows, and what are the warning signs we should look out for? Josiah and Andrew seek to shed some more light in this week's podcast.

After a few weeks of topical podcasts, we'd be remiss if we didn't acknowledge our new sermon series! A few weeks ago at Oakridge we began studying Colossians during our time of corporate worship, and we haven't yet had a chance to discuss it on this medium. So this week on the podcast Andrew and Josiah discuss the first few weeks of Colossians sermons, including what led us to that book in the first place and what has been the biggest takeaway so far.

It's almost understandable that First and Second John often get overlooked. If you're moving through the Bible in order (as we have been), you've endured huge works like Acts and Romans and tricky works like James and First John and the end is now in sight. And what a finish line it is—the ever-daunting and ever-hopeful book of Revelation! So, again, it's easy to ignore the little notes that stand in the way. However, as we'll be reminded this week and next, to overlook them would be to do ourselves a great disservice.

To curate for us the significance of Second and Third John, Dr. Danny Akin joins us on the podcast. Dr. Akin currently serves as the president of Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in Wake Forest, North Carolina. He’s a teacher, theologian, and very productive author whose works include a preaching commentary on the two little books in question today.

One of the reasons we started this podcast, and indeed what we most often talk about, is understanding God's word with clarity and depth. How do we study? What ought we do in response? But on this episode we want to talk about simply spending time in the scriptures, that is to say, meditating on the Bible. Reading it, being washed by it, thinking about it, and memorizing it. Andrew and Tim discuss what it means to meditate on the word, why it's important, and how we can actually do it.

There are many reasons why a person might pick up and read a Bible. Perhaps curiosity or availability. Perhaps out of frustration or anger. Perhaps out of confusion. Perhaps to actually learn. This week on the podcast, Josiah and Andrew consider the various motivations for approaching God's word, and how we as believers can be better prepared to help others on their journey, and how we ourselves can be more engaged with the scriptures.

When we talk about God, there are endless directions our conversations can go. Oftentimes, these discussions end up addressing something to do with God's character, or the attributes that make him who he is. Yet in spite of this, for many of us, it can be hard to actually define what is actually meant when we hear words like "holy" and "sovereign" that get used in church all the time. So to help us gain a better understanding of the God we worship, this week Tim and Andrew picked a number of attributes of God to discuss and biblically define with some of their favourite examples from scripture. 

We recently emptied out our church library to make some room for future projects, and it got us thinking all about books! Books can be an incredible blessing from the Lord when it comes to understanding his word and the concepts within it better, and yet there is only so much time in a day to read! So how do we discern which books are helpful for our growth, and which are a waste of time? Should we read authors or perspectives we disagree with? If we want to read more, where should we start? Josiah and Andrew tackle all of these questions and more this week on the podcast.