Reliable Truth

How can we know God? Is He knowable?Yes He is! Today we're studying Jeremiah --- Many Bible scholars, including Tim Keller, view this as the most famous prophecy of the Bible. Though it was written almost 800 years before Christ was born, the New Testament writer Peter felt this passage was important enough that he wrote it in its entirety in Hebrews.God is knowable—He is not a god who is hidden. He reveals Himself so that He can be known.

What is the season of advent? The season of advent is a season of waiting on the Lord. We're waiting. We recognize not everything is right, we're waiting for it to be reordered. And we find the people of God in Isaiah chapter 40 in a season of waiting. And what is it that they're having to wait for? Well, Isaiah tells us they're waiting for mishpat, a Hebrew word that means "judgment," or "law. They're waiting for justice, and they're waiting for the fulfillment of these promises that come in Isaiah 40:28-31Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth.He will not grow tired or weary, and His understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength.They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint. >>Watch on YouTubeDr. Mark Gignilliat is professor of divinity at Beeson Divinity School, where he teaches courses in Old Testament and Hebrew. Mark also serves as theologian in residence at St. Peter's Anglican Church in Birmingham. Dr. Gignilliat is married to Naomi, and they have four children.

In what way does God exist and is He present in the book of Esther? And what does it mean to live life faithfully when God's absence seems to be real?When Esther has finally become the queen and the crisis is now emerging in the book, her Uncle Mordecai says to her, "Who knows Esther, maybe you became Queen for such a time as this."That is a claim about God's providence, God's ordering of creaturely human affairs towards His own ultimate redemptive purposes.Dr. Mark Gignilliat is professor of divinity at Beeson Divinity School, where he teaches courses in Old Testament and Hebrew. Mark also serves as theologian in residence at St. Peter's Anglican Church in Birmingham. Dr. Gignilliat is married to Naomi, and they have four children.

Why did Jesus work miracles?These miracles served to show love to hurting people, prove His divine nature, and affirm the authenticity of His teaching. The book of John tells us how Jesus replied to the Samaritan woman's question to him:"Jesus answered and said to her, 'If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, ‘Give Me a drink,’ you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.'” - John 4:10 >>Watch on YouTube

Who or what are you trusting in? Today Mark is discussing Isaiah 13-39."Draw near, O nations, to hear, and give attention, O peoples! Let the earth hear, and all that fills it; the world, and all that comes from it. For the Lord is enraged against all the nations, and furious against all their host.... Strengthen the weak hands...say to those who have an anxious heart, 'Be strong; fear not!'... Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened,.. And the ransomed of the Lord shall return and come to Zion with singing; everlasting joy shall be upon their heads; they shall obtain gladness and joy, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away." —Taken from Isaiah 34:1-2; 35:3-5,10 >>Watch on YouTubeDr. Mark Gignilliat is professor of divinity at Beeson Divinity School, where he teaches courses in Old Testament and Hebrew. Mark also serves as theologian in residence at St. Peter's Anglican Church in Birmingham. Dr. Gignilliat is married to Naomi, and they have four children.

What is it like to be the caddy for the number one pro golfer in the world? Richard's guest is pro caddy Ted Scott, sharing his story of caddying for Scottie Scheffler, his faith journey and his calling to serve others. ⁠>>Watch on YouTubeTed Scott has been the caddy for Scottie Scheffler since late 2021. Their partnership has been highly successful, resulting in 17 victories over four seasons, including two Masters titles and an Olympic gold medal. Ted's experience and support have been crucial in Scheffler's rise to the top of professional golf. Ted Scott has a notable history in caddying, previously working with other prominent golfers like Bubba Watson.Follow Ted Scott on Instagram @jtedscott and soon on his website tourcaddiecoach.com

Do our words have power?If we are honest with ourselves we would say yes. The book of Proverbs tells us: "The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.” - Proverbs 18:21James 3:9-10 tells us, "With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be."Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad, for the tree is known by its fruit.Now he's talking about us. Each of our lives are known by its fruit. For the mouth speaks out of that which fills the heart. >>Watch on YouTube

When crisis comes into your life, who do you turn to? Who do you trust?The question that God puts before His people again and again is, "Are you going to trust Me?" Where you going to put your hope and your trust when hardship comes? Psalm 4:35 says, "Some trust in horses, some trust in chariots, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God." What does this mean? It's very easy for us to talk about trust in the abstract. Trust God. Put your confidence in God. But when crisis comes, whether it's small or big, our first instinct is usually to try to fix it on our own—in other words, "What can I do to fix this on my own?"That's the crisis that emerges here in chapters 7-9 of the book of Isaiah. >>Watch on YouTubeDr. Mark Gignilliat is professor of divinity at Beeson Divinity School, where he teaches courses in Old Testament and Hebrew. Mark also serves as theologian in residence at St. Peter's Anglican Church in Birmingham. Dr. Gignilliat is married to Naomi, and they have four children.

What would life be like if there is no God?​In the book of Ecclesiastes, King Solomon writes about the meaning of life. He says a lot of the same things over and over. He also uses this phrase, "life under the sun."When Solomon says "life under the sun," he's asking you to consider—what would life be like if there is no God? Solomon says that it leads to a life that's empty and meaningless. We look for ways to divert the mind.You see this in Solomon's life in Ecclesiastes, and you see this today. The way you deal with this sense of meaninglessness, this vanity is to look for ways to divert your mind. And the way you do it, the way he did it, and the way people do it today is through pleasure and through their work.Solomon talks about all these great buildings that he's built. He talks about all the wives that he had.​Then we learn from Solomon that this is not effective. It doesn't work. These pursuits in life don't bring any type of permanence or lasting satisfaction.​And therefore he says, it's all vanity. It's all meaningless. >>Watch on YouTube

How can we make a lasting impact? We have been called to be lights in a dark world, ambassadors for Christ and now we're called to be salt.Matthew 5:13 tells us, "You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot."How can we be salt to the world?The apostle Paul gives us a great recipe for this in Colossians 4:2, 5-6:"Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful... Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone." >>Watch on YouTube