Things Unseen with Sinclair B. Ferguson
Ligonier Ministries
Many people today think that seeing is believing, but Christians know there is more to life than meets the eye. We must look beyond this momentary life to understand its eternal significance, walking by faith rather than by sight. Things Unseen with Sinclair B. Ferguson is a weekday devotional podcast featuring thoughtful reflections on the Christian life and our relationship with God. Each week follows a theme to guide you day by day in the pursuit of spiritual renewal. A podcast from Ligonier Ministries.
Episodes
Mentioned books
14 snips
Oct 9, 2026 • 8min
What It Means to Be in Christ
Explore the Gospel’s defining phrase: “in Christ.” This discussion traces how believers’ identity shifts from Adam to Christ, how Paul understood himself through this union, and how Ephesians 1 frames election, reconciliation, adoption, sanctification, and every spiritual blessing. It also considers how a transformed identity shapes daily life and fills it with joy.
14 snips
Oct 8, 2026 • 6min
Positive and Negative Steps in the Christian Walk
Christian growth requires two movements: turning away from sin and actively pursuing Christlike character. This teaching explores why believers can become unbalanced, treating sanctification as either positivity or sin management. Colossians 3:1–17 offers a practical framework, grounding obedience in union with Christ and pairing the call to put off sin with the beauty of putting on a new way of life.
14 snips
Oct 7, 2026 • 6min
Already and Not Yet
Explore the “already and not yet” shape of Christian faith. The discussion moves from Christ’s finished work of atonement to His promised return, using D-Day and V-Day to picture decisive victory and final triumph. It also considers how believers navigate forgiveness, freedom, temptation, suffering, and hope while awaiting the consummation of salvation.
15 snips
Oct 6, 2026 • 6min
Gospel Indicatives and Imperatives
Explore the gospel’s “grammar” through the relationship between God’s gracious actions and our faithful response. The discussion examines reconciliation in Christ, the human tendency to turn grace into self-improvement, the Spirit’s role in understanding free grace, and why spiritual growth must rest on Christ’s work rather than personal performance.
16 snips
Oct 5, 2026 • 6min
The Grammar of the Gospel
Why does the gospel sound like a foreign language to fallen humanity? This reflection explores the “grammar” needed to understand Christian truth, the Spirit’s role in giving spiritual comprehension, and Nicodemus’s struggle to grasp Jesus’ meaning. It also examines how religious assumptions and misplaced effort can obscure the gospel’s fundamental structure.
14 snips
Oct 2, 2026 • 5min
The Hundredfold Harvest of God's Word
Jesus’ parable of the farmer, seed, and soils takes center stage, exploring what it means to truly hear God’s Word. The discussion follows the gospel from a seemingly small beginning to an abundant harvest, considering spiritual preparation, surrendering worldly cares, and the lasting fruit produced when Scripture takes root.
14 snips
Oct 1, 2026 • 6min
Choked by the Cares of This World
Explore Jesus’ parable of the sower and the ways people respond to God’s Word. The discussion focuses on thorny soil, worldly cares, wealth, possessions, and competing desires that crowd out affection for Christ. It also considers hidden distractions, the discipline of tending the heart, and the hopeful possibility of spiritual fruitfulness.
14 snips
Sep 30, 2026 • 6min
The Kind of Faith That Falls Away
Jesus’ parable of the sower reveals why some apparent conversions fade when hardship arrives. Explore the difference between shallow enthusiasm and deeply rooted faith, and why lasting joy is inseparable from genuine repentance. The conversation traces how faith and sorrow over sin grow together, enabling God’s Word to produce enduring fruit.
16 snips
Sep 29, 2026 • 5min
Hardened Hearers
Jesus’ parable of the sower offers a searching look at how people respond to God’s Word. The discussion explores four kinds of hearers, the danger of inattentive hearts, and how repeated resistance can turn regular exposure to preaching into spiritual complacency. It closes with an urgent call to seek God’s work in breaking hardened soil.
15 snips
Sep 28, 2026 • 5min
Take Heed How You Hear
A thoughtful exploration of how we listen to God’s Word. The conversation examines spiritual attentiveness, the ways careless hearing can dull our perception, and why even sound preaching cannot nourish a detached listener. It also considers how poor preaching may weaken spiritual hunger and invites honest reflection on what kind of hearer we are.
