The Jewish people were returning to their homeland! The Temple was being rebuilt! Things were looking up for Israel–at least, they would have been, if not for its sin. Ezra the priest saw the people’s unrighteousness and reacted as God desired: He repented for their sin. His humility and leadership shine through in the Israelites’ return to Israel, as we …
April 29, 2023 | The Book of Ezra, Part 3
Do you like surprises, or do they stress you out? In the days of the rebuilding of the Temple, Ezra encountered a good surprise and a bad one. After studying the obstacles Israel faced in rebuilding the Temple, part 3 of our 4-part series on the book of Ezra brings us to the good and the bad awaiting Ezra’s return …
April 22, 2023 | The Book of Ezra, Part 2
When we start a project, we get frustrated when obstacles pop up to keep us from finishing. Imagine how frustrated the Jewish people must have felt when they faced seemingly immovable obstacles while rebuilding the Temple! This week’s show takes us back to Ezra, part 2 of our 4-part series on the book, to examine the obstacles that stood in …
April 15, 2023 | The Book of Ezra, Part 1
Join us this week as we start a new series on the book of Ezra! This book records a key turning point in Israel’s remarkable history, the beginning of the Israelites’ return from Babylonian exile. Chris draws from archaeological history while teaching on chapter 1 in the opening of our 4-part series. Seventy years after the fall of Jerusalem, the …
April 1, 2023 | Middle East Update: Interview w/ Elliot Chodoff
What in the world is going on in the Middle East? We’ve got the answers for you on this week’s show! During Chris’s recent trip to Israel, he interviewed IDF Major Elliot Chodoff to get his scoop as a political analyst on the major developments in Israel and its Middle East neighbors. Elliot discusses the details of the Israeli government’s …
March 25, 2023 | Interview w/ Chris Katulka in Israel
There’s no better way to teach about Israel than by going to Israel—and that’s what Chris is doing this week! We’re catching up with Chris in the Holy Land, as Steve turns the tables to interview Chris about his time with The Friends of Israel’s Up to Jerusalem tour. After two years of halted tourism, Israel has spent the last …
March 11, 2023 | The Prophet Hosea, Part 4
In the days of the prophet Hosea, Israel had sinned severely against God. Their spiritual adultery led to their judgment, as God punished them for walking away from Him to bring them to repentance. After digging into their five cycles of judgment last week, we now see the hope of restoration that awaited Israel in five cycles of salvation, as …
March 3, 2023 | The Prophet Hosea, Part 3
The book of Hosea is a sad story of Israel’s failures in faithfulness to God. The people were guilty of many sins that drew God’s wrath. Worst of all was their spiritual adultery against the Lord, as they worshiped false gods instead of Him. Today’s show, part 3 of our 4-part series on Hosea, explores the cycles of judgment the …
February 25, 2023 | The Prophet Hosea, Part 2
We are sinful people. When we sin, we deserve punishment. And when Israel sinned in the times of the prophet Hosea, the nation faced divine punishment. God used Hosea to identify major sins, including injustice, hypocrisy, and violence, that had entrapped the Israelites. They took pride in themselves instead of thanking God for His provision. Worst of all, Israel was …
February 18, 2023 | The Prophet Hosea, Part 1
God illustrates truths about Himself and His relationship with His people in unique and memorable ways. The book of Hosea is a great example of God’s penchant for doing these unusual types of things. God gave the prophet Hosea an incredibly difficult task: He was to marry an immoral woman who would be unfaithful to him. But through this difficult …