Author: Tim Young

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The Greatest Commandment

Jesus said the greatest commandment of all was “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.” and that there was a second like it “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” This was so important that he said, “on these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.” (Matt. 22:37-40)

Tim and Aaron explore the importance of love as an essential of essential Bible studies. They go back to the Old Testament reference that Jesus draws upon as well as the context. Discover what love is really all about and how to know and show forth the love of God in your life.

For more shows or to get in contact with us go to www.essentialbiblestudies.org

Cover art from Unsplash

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Season 4 Highlight Teaser

The next season of the Essential Bible Studies Podcasts starts on January 17th, 2022. Listen to some of the highlights coming up. It’s going to be a great season of engaging Bible study and discovery. Don’t miss it!

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Visit essentialbiblestudies.org and sign up for a free media kit and the online Bible Study Group.

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Testimony and Reflections Season 3 (Part 2)

This is the second part to our season three testimony. Stan Isbell continues the amazing story of how God has worked in his life. Stan recalls considering ending his life before one conversation would change everything. Along the way Stan relates lessons learned through the years and how we can more effectively preach the word of God to others.

Here is the 7000 year plan that Stan says changed his life.

The cover photo is from the Texas Christadelphian Camp and Conference Center, a place dear to Stan, but that’s another story.  Photo courtesy of @hannah.young104.

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Testimony and Reflections Season 3 (Part 1)

For our season three testimony we welcome Stan Isbell to share his story of how God has worked in his life. Stan recalls his early life in Texas, the experiences that led him to drug addiction, and to thoughts of ending his life before God stepped in and brought him back from the abyss. The is the first of a two part series because it is so amazing.
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You are gods

This is the second of a two part study on Jesus’ words in John 10:22-38. In response to the Jews accusing Jesus of making himself equal with God, Jesus quoted Psalm 82:6 “I said, you are gods.” What did Jesus mean by this and how did it help to answer his antagonists? Tim Young and Tom Colby find the answer in the context of Psalm 82. Follow this lead and you’ll see the wonder and beauty of Jesus’ response.

Episode Outline

  1. Introduction
    • Previous podcast, setting the scene (John 10:22-24)
    • Jesus’ answer is quoting from Psalm 82:6
  2. Understanding Psalm 82 and God Manifestation
    • Elohim = judges (Ex. 22:8-9; Deut. 1:16-17; 2 Chr. 19:5-7)
    • Using this to better understand Psa. 82:1,6. The judges were supposed to manifest God.
    • Relating this back to Jesus’ argument in John 10:34-36
  3. Conclusion
    • This is how Jesus and the Father are one (John 10:38)
    • We too must strive to manifest God (John 17:20-22)
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I and the Father are One

This is the first of a two part study on Jesus’ words in John 10:22-38. In verse 30 Jesus said, “I and the Father are one”. It’s important to understand the context of the argument Jesus is having with the Jews. Tom Colby and Tim Young spend some time unraveling the meaning of this phrase to reveal a very important Bible principle called God manifestation. This is the culmination of some of the studies we’ve been having this season. It is sure to make you appreciate the Lord Jesus Christ more and how we pray to be one with him as he is with the Father.

Episode Outline

  1. Introduction
    • Previous podcasts on God manifestation… and now we study how it relates to Jesus using John 10:22-38
    • Setting the scene (John 10:22-24)
  2. Jesus manifesting the name
    • The works I do in my Father’s name (John 10:25) cp. “I am come in my Father’s name (John 5:43-44)
    • Given a name above all names (Phil. 2:9-11)
  3. What does it mean God and Jesus are one?
    • Not the Trinity. My Father is greater than all (v. 29) seems contradictory to “I and my Father are one” (v. 30). How do we explain this?
    • Comparing to Jesus’ prayer in chapter 17
      • Jesus’ manifested the name (17:6)
      • The oneness of the Father, Jesus and all believers (17:11, 21-26)
  4. Conclusion
    • The reaction of the Jews
    • The answer of Jesus saved for the next podcast
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Discerning the Spirits

How did Christians living in the first century know what was true and what should be included in the Bible? How can we be confident what is in the Bible is what is supposed to be there? The answer is in the Bible. Jay Mayock and Tim Young discuss the role of prophets and how the Holy Spirit gifts of the first century were used to test the prophet’s words to be true or false. This essential Bible study brings us confidence in the Bible as the word of God and provides the tools to reject false doctrines.

Theme Verse – 2 Timothy 2:15

“Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.”

Show Outline:

The Gospel of Judas

  • A copy was found that is 1700 years old
  • Released in 2006 (National Geographic published an article)
  • Reverses the role of Judas, vindicates him as the one who understood Jesus
  • There were lots of ‘false gospels’ circulated in the early days of Christianity
  • How did first century Christians know what was really the word of God?

The Role of Prophets

  • Both foretelling and forthtelling the word of God – lexicons and context
  • True vs. False prophets (18:20-22)
  • Jeremiah vs. Hananiah (28:2-4, 10-11)
  • Agabus (Acts 11:27-30)

Prophecy: One of the Spirit Gifts

  • Prophets were one of the most important gifts (3:5)
  • The whole point of the gifts was to build up the whole ecclesia (4:11-16)
  • All members had to work together to help each other
  • Specifically, prophets had to work together with ‘provers’

Authenticating the Word – An Ecclesial Work

  • Context #1 – Spirit, prophecy, discerning, spiritual good for all (1 Cor. 12:4,10,7)
  • Context #2 – Spirit, prophecy, weighing, spiritual learning and encouragement for all (1 Cor. 14:12,29,31)
  • Context #3 – Spirit, prophecy, testing, holding fast to good (1 Thes. 5:19-21)
  • Counterfeit messages! (2 Thes. 2:2; 1 John 4:1; Rev. 2:2)
  • The church, ecclesia, need to work together to develop the unity of the faith
  • They did attain it, because the gifts were withdrawn! (4:13-14)

Lessons for Us Today

  • The prophets’ words were confirmed in part through the accuracy of their predictions, and also by those who had the gift to discern, weigh the spirits.
  • The gifts of the Holy Spirit were withdrawn after the ecclesias attained unity in the faith.
  • ‘False’ gospels do not undermine our NT.
  • Now that we have received the word of God from the prophets, we must test any teaching with that word. In short, we must: “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.”  (2 Tim. 2:15)
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The Name Proclaimed

This is the second of a two part study on Exodus 33 and 34 (the first part is here). We ascend the mountain with Moses to have the name of Yahweh revealed to us. Tim Young and Stephen Macfarlane discuss this surprising and powerful revelation and what it means for us in our discipleship.

The cover photo is from the summit of Mt. Sinai. Photo credit: Mohammed Moussa – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, Link

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Show Me Your Glory

In this first of a two part study on Exodus 33 and 34, Stephen Macfarlane joins Tim Young to dig deeper into the record to see how Moses sought to know God. The divine name had been revealed earlier to Moses (see this podcast) but Moses still desired to know God more intimately. These chapters serve as key studies to show us how we too should seek after God, to know him and to manifest his name.

The cover photo is from the summit of Mt. Sinai. Photo credit: Mohammed Moussa – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, Link