Thursday's Theology

What happens when the Israelites forget everything they learned? The book of Deuteronomy, that’s what. Deuteronomy literally means “second giving.” In the case of the Biblical book, it is the second giving of the Mosaic law to a new generation of Israelites who were born in the wilderness. They needed to hear the law for themselves before entering the Promised Land to be reminded of the consequences of their decisions.

Deuteronomy is often a book that is viewed as outdated, especially in light of Jesus’ fulfillment of the law. But to skip over this book is to miss a fundamental piece of who Jesus was. Jesus was the fulfillment of the Jewish law. To truly understand the depth of that, we need to know what the law itself says. That is why the book of Deuteronomy is so vital for us to know. If we want to know more about Jesus, we need to know more about Deuteronomy.

- THIS WEEKS TOPICS & QUESTIONS -

History of the Wandering (Ch. 1-4) – Why the History lesson?

Review of the Law (Ch. 5-26) – Why the emphasis on the law?

Repercussions (Ch. 27-30) – Why is the punishment so severe?

The Death of Moses (Ch. 31-34) – Why is Moses’ death important?

If you have questions of your own about these stories, drop them in the comment section below and Jeff and Jeremy would be happy to answer them!

BEER PAIRINGS FOR GENESIS

Jeff – St. Sebastiaan Grand Reserve

It is considered to be a smooth Belgian ale. In the book of Deuteronomy, it is said that if the Israelites abide by the laws of God, everything will go smoothly for them. Hence, why a smooth Belgian ale was chosen for this particular episode.

Jeremy – Merry Christmas Anchor Steam Lager

Jeremy wanted to leave the better beer for his wife.

SUPPORT THURSDAY'S THEOLOGY

Numbers Explained

The Grain Offering Ep. 5

When’s the last time you sat down and read through the book of Numbers? If you’re like us, you’ve probably skipped over this book to the more action-packed books of the Bible. But Numbers offers us a lot of important lessons. Namely, what happens when we disobey and distrust God.

Join us as we do a deep dive into the book of Numbers and talk about why it is important for us to remember the role this book plays in the story of Israel. It may seem like a boring book, but it is vital for us to know why trusting God is linked to our well-being.

- THIS WEEKS TOPICS & QUESTIONS -

Preparing the Israelites to Inherit the Promised Land (Ch. 1-10) – Why couldn’t Israel simply inherit the Promised Land?

Falling Away from the Plan (Ch. 11-14) – Why does Israel suffer from short term memory loss?

The Lord’s Response and Discipline (Ch. 15-36) – Is God being too harsh with Israel?

If you have questions of your own about these stories, drop them in the comment section below and Jeff and Jeremy would be happy to answer them!

BEER PAIRINGS FOR GENESIS

Jeff – Lindeman’s Kriek Sour Cherry Lambec

Israel’s fear prevents them from going into the Promised Land. They took something that was sweet to their eyes and made it sour. This sour all takes the sweetness of raspberries and makes them sour.

Jeremy – Merry Christmas Anchor Steam Lager

Jeremy had it left over in his fridge.

SUPPORT THURSDAY'S THEOLOGY

Many people skip over Leviticus, simply because it is seen as “boring.” Is there anything in Leviticus that we should pay attention to? Does it play a role in our lives today? This week, Jeff and Jeremy dive into this highly technical book and talk about why it is still important for us to consider, even if we do not practice the laws found within it.

Leviticus is a long, drawn out look at the legal and religious practices of the early Israelite nation. From what festivals guide the Israelite calendar, to the purification rituals one must go through to enter the Tabernacle. Leviticus, on the surface, seems like an outdated and unimportant book, especially for Christians. But to discard it as irrelevant misses the crucial importance of why it’s necessary for better understanding who Jesus is.

TLDR: Leviticus is still relevant because Jesus embodies the law himself.

- THIS WEEKS TOPICS & QUESTIONS -

Approaching Holiness (Ch. 1-10) – Why so many different types of offerings?

Becoming Holy (Ch. 11-27) – Why so many festivals?

If you have questions of your own about these stories, drop them in the comment section below and Jeff and Jeremy would be happy to answer them!

BEER PAIRINGS FOR GENESIS

Jeff – St. Bernardus Tripel

If done properly, the sacrifices outlined in Leviticus will emit a pleasant aroma to the Lord. This Belgian Abbey Ale gives off a sweet, yet complex aroma. The idea of a sweet aroma is what drew Jeff to this beer as a pairing for the book of Leviticus.

Jeremy – Brekenridge Brewery Vanilla Porter

Jeremy likes sweet porters.

SUPPORT THURSDAY'S THEOLOGY

Exodus Explained

The Grain Offering Ep. 3

Why is Exodus such an important book? Why does it play a central role in the Israelite history? These are just a couple of the questions we’ll be exploring on this week’s episode of the Grain Offering. Jeff and Jeremy will be doing a deep dive into the book of Exodus and tackling some of the complexities of this crucial book.

Understanding Exodus can help unlock the Old Testament. The story of the Exodus is constantly brought up throughout the Old Testament as a way for the Israelites to remember what God had done for them by bringing them out of slavery. Exodus sets the stage for the rest of the Old Testament and serves as an origin story of how and why the Israelites came to be in the Promised Land.

Join Jeff and Jeremy as they crack open a cold one and talk about Exodus.

--------------------------------------------------------

- THIS WEEKS TOPICS & QUESTIONS -

The Early Life of Moses (Ch. 1-4) – Is it easy to overlook Moses’ murder of the Egyptian?

The Plagues and the Exodus (Ch. 5-15) – Why did God harden Pharaoh’s heart?

The Red Sea and the Law (Ch. 16-24) – Why does Israel complain so much?

Instructions for the Tabernacle (Ch. 25-40) – Why all the restrictions/purifications?

If you have questions of your own about these stories, drop them in the comment section below and Jeff and Jeremy would be happy to answer them!

--------------------------------------------------------

BEER PAIRINGS FOR GENESIS

Jeff – Belching Beaver Peanut Butter Milk Stout

Exodus talks a lot about the Promised Land being a land flowing with milk and honey. Jeff chose this beer to compliment the idea of the Promised Land.

Jeremy – Anchor Steam Lager

Jeremy ran out of Fat Tire.

--------------------------------------------------------

SUPPORT THURSDAY'S THEOLOGY

Genesis Explained - Genesis Part II

The Grain Offering Ep. 2

Welcome back to the Grain Offering! Last episode, Jeff, and Jeremy dove into the first part of Genesis. From Creation to Abraham, the first part of Genesis offers some key Insights Into the origins of the Israelite people. If you want to catch up on the first episode, click here (Insert link to first episode)

For this episode, Jeff, and Jeremy dive into the second half of Genesis as they talk about Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph.

On this episode, they will focus specifically on the second half of Genesis. Along with talking about these stories in depth, Jeff and Jeremy will be tackling some questions that are often asked when reading these narratives. Below are the stories and questions that will be covered in the episode.

- THIS WEEKS TOPICS & QUESTIONS -

Isaac (Ch. 21-26) - Why Is Isaac often overlooked?

Jacob (Ch. 27-36) - What's the deal with Jacob stealing the birthright?

Joseph (Ch. 37-50) - Why was Joseph such a punk?

If you have questions of your own about these stories, drop them in the comment section below and Jeff and Jeremy would be happy to answer them!

BEER PAIRINGS FOR GENESIS

Jeff - Weihenstephaner Vitus Weizenbock

This Is the same beer from Episode 1. Since Jeff and Jeremy did not finish the book of Genesis, they saved some of their beer from last time.

Jeremy - Fat Tire Amber Ale

Jeremy had another Fat Tire in his fridge from last time.

SUPPORT THURSDAY'S THEOLOGY

The Grain Offering Ep. 1

What happens when you take two seminary trained brothers, sit them down and give them beer? They will end up talking about what makes the Bible unique, bizarre, controversial, weird, and wonderful all at the same time. This is the Grain Offering.

Join us for the very first episode of the Grain Offering as our hosts, Jeff and Jeremy, dive into the first half of the book of Genesis.

On this episode, they will focus specifically on the first half of Genesis. They will be focusing specifically on Creation, the Fall, the Flood and Abraham. Along with talking about these stories in depth, Jeff and Jeremy will be tackling some questions that are often asked when reading these narratives. Below are the stories and questions that will be covered in the episode.

- THIS WEEKS TOPICS & QUESTIONS -

Creation (Ch.1-2) - Did It take God 7 literal days to create the universe?

Fall (Ch. 3-5) - Why did God put the tree of the knowledge of good and evil in the garden?

Flood (Ch. 6-10) - Why did God choose to start over?

Abraham (Ch.11-20) - Why did God ask Abraham to sacrifice his son?

If you have questions of your own about these stories, drop them in the comment section below and Jeff and Jeremy would be happy to answer them!

BEER PAIRINGS FOR GENESIS

Jeff - Weihenstephaner Vitus Weizenbock

This beer comes from one of the oldest operating breweries in the world. It Is a nice compliment to studying the origins of the Israelite people in the book of Genesis.

Jeremy - Fat Tire Amber Ale

Jeremy picked the beer which was in his refrigerator.

SUPPORT THURSDAY'S THEOLOGY

Is youth ministry Biblical? Does it matter? Why should churches spend money to hire a youth pastor? 

These are just some of the questions that Pastors Jeff and Fernando dive into on this episode of the Thursday's Theology podcast. You'll hear not only their own backstories, but will find out how they came to be involved in youth ministry and why they believe it is a vital function of the local church. 

Youth Ministry plays a crucial role in the lives of teens. Both Pastor Jeff and Pastor Fernando believe that when the church invests in the next generation, they are actively supporting the leaders, pastors, visionaries and disciples of tomorrow. Join them and hear for yourself why youth ministry matters. 

SHOW NOTES; 

Pastor Fernando Morales is the Associate Pastor of Youth Ministry at New Life Church, Santa Barbara. 

Jeff Kaetzel is the Pastor of Student Ministries at Community Covenant Church, Goleta. 

Resources; 

Evangelism is one aspect of the Christian life that we are all called to do. Whether we feel gifted in it or not, we are called to share the good news of Jesus with whoever we meet. But, there has been a lot of toxic ways evangelism has happened in the United States which has given it a bad reputation. 

For this Thursday's Theology podcast episode, I am joined by Alex Smith, a member of E3 partners and an expert in Evangelism and outreach. In this record setting episode (over an hour long!), Alex and I discuss a number of different things revolving around Evangelism, Discipleship and Faith. Some of the things we cover in this episode are; 

Evangelism doesn't always mean success. 

Evangelism is extremely hard sometimes 

We are called to share a simple story of who Jesus is. 

When it comes to our faith and lives, God gives us a compass, not a map. 

Discipleship is a journey that requires endurance. 

Evangelism is an invitation to relationship with God. 

These are just a few of the topics we cover in this episode of the Thursday's Theology podcast. Thanks for joining us for this installment! 

And remember, theology doesn't always have to be difficult, it is simply the study of who God is. 

Show notes; 

Is God's love truly reckless? Or is it more calculated? 

Join us as we discuss the most hotly contested debate to come out of Evangelical Christian theology in the past year. In this podcast, Chrissy and I discuss Cory Ashbury's hit worship song "Reckless Love" (linked below) and how it has caused Christians to question the nature of God's love for humanity. 

At the heart of the debate is whether or not God's love is reckless, and the ramifications of what we believe God's love to look like. As we talk, you'll hear our take on the nature of God's love and how it is informed by many of the parables Jesus uses to describe the love of the creator. 

We will also discuss the politically subversive lyrics that address some of the turmoil in our current society and how it challenges us to apply our understanding of God's love for us to others (regardless of political, legal or racial status). 

Thanks for listening to this installment of the Thursday's Theology podcast! 

And remember, theology doesn't always have to be difficult, it is simply the study of who God is. 

Links mentioned: