Episodes
Dec. 24, 2023
God's Love for the Irrelevant Magi
Merry Christmas! So who were the Magi? What were they doing in Bethlehem and what does it mean for us today? What happened when the love of God for the irrelevant bumps into pagan irrelevant ambassadors? Support The Show: https://www.gospelrant.com/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.
Dec. 17, 2023
God's Love for the Irrelevant Tribe
Merry Christmas! What happens in the Advent story when God's love bumps into a disgraced and long cursed tribe? This is one of the best cold-case stories ever. Enjoy. Pass it on. The love of God can do it. Support The Show: https://www.gospelrant.com/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.
Dec. 10, 2023
God's Love for the Irrelevant Priest
Merry Christmas. You know the story of Zechariah, a faithful priest in the irrelevant temple of God in Jerusalem around 5 BCE? Or do you? What happens when God's love bumps into an irrelevant priest? Support The Show: https://www.gospelrant.com/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.
Dec. 10, 2023
God's Love for the Irrelevant Priest
Merry Christmas. You know the story of Zechariah, a faithful priest in the irrelevant temple of God in Jerusalem around 5 BCE? Or do you? What happens when God's love bumps into an irrelevant priest? Support The Show: https://www.gospelrant.com/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.
Dec. 3, 2023
God's Love for the Irrelevant Temple
Merry Christmas! The Temple of God in Jerusalem in the first century had become irrelevant compared to it's Old Testament counterpart. We will explain why. But what's going to happen when God comes and bumps into His irrelevant temple? Support The Show: https://www.gospelrant.com/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.
Nov. 26, 2023
God's Love for the Unlovable Widow of Nain
What happens when the love of God incarnate bumps into a woman who has lost everything--at the funeral of her only child? We will dig a little into the concept of Jesus 'seeing' her. Very powerful. It could change how we think about Jesus today. Support The Show: https://www.gospelrant.com/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.
Nov. 19, 2023
God's Love for the Unlovable Rich Ruler
We know the story. A rich ruler comes to Jesus and asks what he must do to inherit eternal life. But there is so much more to the story than the way it is most often taught. What was he really looking for? Check it out. Support The Show: https://www.gospelrant.com/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.
Nov. 12, 2023
God's Love for the Unlovable Blindman
What happens when God’s love bumps into a man who would have been treated as an outcast, unclean, and likely cursed by God. Today we treat such people differently, but then, to be born blind carried a huge societal stigma. What happens when Jesus ‘sees’ a blind man and his love for the outcast who has felt unlovable, unloved and unlovely his entire life rushes over him? Check it out. The story is not just about his healing. The larger story is why others weren’t heal. This is the morality tale o...
Nov. 5, 2023
God's Love for the Unlovable Gomer
What happens when God’s love bumps into the perhaps most unlovable unworthy, unlikable person in the Old Testament? What happens when the love of God for the unlovable, the unloved and the unlovely bumps into the active unrepentant, sex addict, God blaming prostitute, Gomer? What God does will likely shock you, even if you’ve heard the story before. This could change how you see God and his amazing unbelievable love. Support The Show: https://www.gospelrant.com/ Discover more Christian podcast...
Oct. 29, 2023
God's Love for the Unlovable Cain
On this Gospel Rant, we are going to look at God's relationship with the first murderer Cain. What if I told you that it is pretty clear in the story that God's really did love Cain and was offering him a stunning gift? The story is pretty familiar to you, but there's a couple of things that you might have just missed. What happens when God’s love bumps into the first murderer, Cain? Curious? Support The Show: https://www.gospelrant.com/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and in...
Oct. 22, 2023
God's Love for the Unlovable Leper
What's going to happen when the fierce love of God for the unlovable bumps into someone whose unfortunate disease made them leave family and tribe and live in the shadows as untouchables. Does God's love pursue and embrace lepers? You'll see. Enjoy. Support The Show: https://www.gospelrant.com/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.
Oct. 15, 2023
God's Love for the Unlovable Samaritan
Now that we've laid out a more biblical view and understanding of God's love, let's see it in practice. Our first case study is a really good one. It is hard to think of a more unlovable or more unloved woman than this unnamed Samaritan woman. That's where Jesus finds her, but he doesn't leave her there. What happens when this unworthy woman bumps into Jesus' love for the unworthy? You'll see. Enjoy. Support The Show: https://www.gospelrant.com/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.co...
Oct. 8, 2023
God's Love for the Unlovable 3: The Silencing of Eros
Did you know that the Greek word eros (where we get erotic) is not even in the New Testament? Only used twice in the Green Old Testament. And yet, we modern Christians, like the Ancient Romans are terrified of eros. The Romans even tried to legislate against it. It did not work very well. Our views of love have been widely informed by C.S. Lewis’ Four Loves (agape, eros, phileo and storge). Every Sunday School child knows that agape is “God’s love”, right? Well it turns out that ‘agape’ is actua...
Oct. 1, 2023
God's Love for the Unlovable 2: The Ancient History of Love
I have come to believe, based upon a lot of research that our Western view of love, including our western Christian view of love, has much more in common with the Ancient Romans than Paul. Example? The Ancient Romans truly believed that love is a function of the object (per Plato and of course Pygmalion). Let me unpack a bit. If an object (art, drama, person) is beautiful, they should expect to be lovable and loved. If they do not fit with the cultural norms of beauty (size, personality, skin co...
Sept. 24, 2023
God’s Love for the Unlovable 1: Your Brain In Love
Welcome to our new series, God’s Love for the Unlovable. It’s the stark wonderful and frightening truth, God’s love is for the unlovable, the unlovely, and the unloved. That’s all of us on any given day if we were just a little bit honest. How has the creator God wonderfully made my brain so that it can love others and be loved, even in trying circumstances? We will get into the fun neuroscience of “falling in love.” It is very interesting and geared toward laypersons. The point? When I experi...
Sept. 17, 2023
The Song Finale (SOS28)
In this show, Dr. Bill will read Movements 6-Epilogue from his Novella (available on Amazon). Support The Show: https://www.gospelrant.com/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.
Sept. 10, 2023
Why Did Jesus Die For You? (SOS27)
The events in the Queen’s life—just like us-- relationships, choices, context had beat her up and sucked substance and identity away from her. Until the King. And the King’s powerful gaze. Now, she makes a splash. She is different. Her own testimony—don’t take my word for it. From the beginning I said that this was the greatest gospel presentation in the Old Testament. This is the answer to the question, why did Jesus die for me, for you? Was it so that I wouldn’t be punished for my crimes and c...
Sept. 3, 2023
The Ancient Feminist (SOS26)
The Song of Songs is ridiculously modern. Have you heard of the female gaze in films and TV projects? These are the projects that present the POV of the woman, not from the lens of a male director or writer, but from the POV of a woman. Some modern feminists think that this revolution started a decade ago. Not so. It's over 2500 years old. She is presented as a person of substance and worth, the beloved of the King. Even more, she represents all followers of God, male and female, all who are in ...
Aug. 27, 2023
Rebirth of the Queen (SOS25)
We are about proclaiming God’s love to the unlovable, the unloved and the unlovely. That’s all of us, if were only a little honest. Are you beginning to see changes in you? Your sense of worth, value, identity? Are you needing other sources of affirmation less? Are you more free? Are you feeling like you love others a little more? That’s our goal. Well? This has not been just a study to teach about a book. It is to tap into the power behind the book and begin to see frustrated, unloved and unlov...
Aug. 20, 2023
The Eyes Of Jesus (SOS24)
There is something in the direct unaverted gaze of Jesus that initially causes us to look away, to close our eyes. There is shame, there is fear of seeing disappointment, or his notice of some ugly that we haven’t been able to wash away. But the secret working of the Holy Spirit is to make us look direct into his eyes. It is life changing. Come and see what happened to the Queen when she does. Help us get the word out. This could change the lives of so many Christians. Support The Show: https:/...
Aug. 13, 2023
The Novella: Movement 4 (SOS23)
Dr. Bill is reading from his modern screenplay of the Song of Songs, Movement 4: The Novella. No ancient Hebrew poetry, just Movement 4 in plain clear English. Enjoy. Support The Show: https://www.gospelrant.com/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.
Aug. 10, 2023
Movie Review of BARBIE
It's the summer of pink. The blockbuster movie scored $330 million in the first weekend alone. It could be nominated for up to 10 Oscars. So this is a special Gospel Rant. I hope you enjoy it and pass it on. If you benefited from it please FOLLOW. We will get back to the last two movements in the Song of Songs on Sunday. Support The Show: https://www.gospelrant.com/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.
Aug. 6, 2023
Hinnal Yapha Ra'yati! (SOS22)
Hopefully you have been following the last 4 shows on this very important Movement 4 of the Song of Songs. There was the shocking betrothal of the Great King and this very unworthy emotionally shredded bride with a secret shame. Then the great marriage procession, likely following two aborted processions, the original runaway bride. Then the public proclamation of the King’s love for her in front of friends, family and dignitaries—and of course the consummation, the yichud, the event that she ha...
July 30, 2023
Just Married! (SOS21)
Here’s where we are in the central movement of the Song. The Queen is betrothed to the King. He has come for her to complete the marriage process in a grand marriage procession. Arguably twice she has left him hanging at the altar—in an ancient Mideastern context. She wasn’t ready when he came for her. Something is wrong. Now the wedding celebration has at last begun. He has toasted her with an amazing worship poem, a wasfs—in front of all of the esteem guests in the land and told her that she i...