Ryan and Brian's Bible Bistro

As we prepare to celebrate the birth of Jesus this year, Ryan and Brian thought it would be good to look at this season of Advent through the lens of the Old Testament prophets. In this episode, they look at the theme of hope through the prophecy of Jeremiah.

Does it matter if you believe in absolute truth? The answer is, "Yes!" In this episode, Ryan and Brian continue their conversation about truth, but this time, they also look at the book "The God Who Is There" by Francis Schaeffer. They discuss the rationality of belief in God, how knowledge can lead us to an understanding of God, and the importance of understanding truth in this way. Faith in the God of the Bible isn't a blind leap. Brian and Ryan also discuss how Schaeffer points out that if you don't believe in absolute truth rooted in God, then it is impossible to live consistently within your beliefs.

In this episode, Ryan and Brian discuss that nature of truth -- what it is and how we can come to know something. One of the ways to gain knowledge is through the testimony of others. So, they're taking a look at the Gospel of John and the use of testimony throughout the book. John leans heavily on testimony as a means of coming to know that Jesus was who he claimed to be. Watch on YouTube

In this episode, Ryan asks Brian a series of questions based upon some of their previous topics.Why do some people believe that the Kings James translation of the Bible is the only true Bible?Are we living in the end times?Is the character of Jesus consistent with how God reveals himself in the Old Testament?We hope you enjoy this episode. Let us know if you have any other questions you'd like answered.

This week, we're talking about the divinity of Jesus. We're looking a what the scriptures say, including Jesus' own words, and what that means for us as Christians. Check it out!

Psalm 120-134 are called Songs of Ascent and were believed to have been sung by those journeying to Jerusalem to worship. In this episode, Ryan and Brian are talking about the purposes, meanings, and images that are conveyed in these songs and what they mean for the church today.

This week, we're talking about Daniel 2. As you might recall, it's all about the dream of King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. The king summons all the magicians, sorcerers, and astrologers together to interpret his dream, but first requires that they tell him the details of the dream itself -- if they can’t do that, they are going to be killed. Daniel prays and is shown the king's dream and its meaning. So, we're discussing the dream, the interpretation, and how those prophecies played out in history. It's ready for listening!

This week, Brian and Ryan are taking a look at the books written between the Old and New Testament, the Apocrypha. While these books aren't scripture, they help us get a closer look at the worldview of the Jewish people when Jesus arrived. As you might have guessed from the title, one of the stories from the Apocrypha involves sparrows and strangely involves eye health as well -- it's wild.

This week, we're talking all about Bible translations. If you're like me (Ryan), you’ve read several different translations throughout your life. They all say things a little bit differently, which sometimes can be confusing. Brian tells us about the two different styles of translations and the strengths and weaknesses of both. We also talk about how comparing different translations can give us some hints about what's going on with the Greek and how that can be helpful as we read and study.

Last week, Ryan and Brian talked about the relationships that are broken because of sin, and in this episode, they take another look at what sin does to us. Brian gives us a way of looking at it that you may not have considered before. Listen in to this helpful and interesting conversation!