Displaying episodes 1 - 30 of 174 in total
The Wheat and the Tares
We begin today by discussing the half-shekel tax the Pharisees wanted Jesus to pay, and the significance of Jesus interaction with His disciples around this episode. W...
Let Your Light Shine or Hide Your Deeds?
Today we examine Matthew 5 and compare it to Matthew 6, discussing the apparent contradiction. Specifically, in Matthew 5, Jesus tells His disciples to let their light...
Jesus As Both Shepherd & Door
In John's Gospel, Jesus talks about Himself as both Shepherd and Door. We discuss what each of these allusions means, while also contrasting Jesus with the false sheph...
Following God's Commandments vs Philosophical Pursuits
We discuss how the Bible, generally, and today's passage from Proverbs, specifically, challenges the worldview of its time--seeking "sophia" (wisdom) through philosoph...
The Cross and the Midpoint of Lent
We discuss the scriptural reason why the cross is our focus on the 3rd Sunday and 4th week of Lent. We conclude by focusing on the true meaning of "taking up your cros...
Cain, Abel, and Anti-Possessiveness
We discuss the story of Cain and Abel and how it teaches one of the most important lessons of Lent: becoming antipossesive.
Genesis 1, Lent, and Pascha
We discuss the first reading of Lent, Genesis 1:1-13, and how this text relates to what we as Orthodox Christians do during Lent, and how it also connects with our cel...
Joel Prepares Us For Lent
With Lent approaching, we now have readings from the Old Testament appointed. Today, we discuss the book of Joel and how it prepares us for the ultimate purpose of the...
Peter & Marriage
We began our discussion on Peter's epistles and their unique audience of the Jewish Diaspora, highlighting how Peter shares the same message as Paul, but with slightly...
Faith or Works? A Biblical Understanding of Grace
In discussing James, we are confronted with a teaching that some believe contradicts Paul's teaching on salvation. In highlighting a comprehensive biblical understand ...
St James on Judging Others
We discuss our innate tendency to judge others, but how the Bible, generally, and St James in his epistle, specifically, call us to overcome this sin. We talk about pr...
Spiritual Endurance & The Epistle to the Hebrews
Fr Aaron provides an overview of the Epistle to the Hebrews, paying special attention to the difficulties faced by early Jewish Christians in maintaining their radical...
God or Family: Who Comes First?
We discuss the implications of Jesus telling us that he who loves parents or spouses or children more than Him are not worthy of Him. What does that mean and how shoul...
Simon, Son of Jonah, Do You Love Me?
We discuss why Jesus seemingly pesters Simon Peter about whether he loves Him. We also emphasize the reason Simon is referred to in this passage as the "son of Jonah."...
The Collection For Jerusalem
In discussing 2 Corinthians 8, we referred back to Paul's collection from the Corinthian church for the church in Jerusalem. Fr Aaron highlighted the historical circum...
Transfiguration, The Cross, & The Tabernacle
In highlighting the biblical account of the Transfiguration, Fr Aaron showed how that event relates both in Scripture and in the Orthodox Church tradition to Christ's ...
The Traditions of Men
We discussed the dangers of placing the traditions of men above the Scriptures. Tradition is important, but we must ensure that nothing we do contradicts Scripture, no...
The Parable of the Seed
In discussing the parable of the sower, we recognized it should rather be referred to as the parable of the seed. For the emphasis of the parable is on the seed—spread...
My Power Is Made Perfect In Weakness
We discuss the similarities between II Corinthians, Galatians, and the Acts of the Apostles as it relates to Paul and his teaching. Paul’s experience, as described in ...
The Epistle of Jude
Today we examined the book of Jude. Fr Aaron discussed the similarities between Jude and the epistles of Peter and James. He showed how these epistles served as a corr...
Measuring Judgment
In discussing Jesus' teaching that we will be judged using the same measure with which we judge others, we touched on the importance of understanding Jesus' teachings ...
Why Jesus Points to the Children
We began the episode by explaining how children were viewed as an underclass in the 1st century Roman Empire. Jesus, therefore, makes the point that children are humbl...
Jesus Challenges Those Who Believed In Him
We discussed how Jesus challenged the “insiders,” those “who believed in Him,” which is consistent with the entire Bible. This approach is different than what we so of...
The Conversion of Saul
We discussed the conversion of St Paul, previously named Saul, as told in Acts 9. We focused on the meaning of Saul's name change to Paul and its implication, which is...
If You Forgive the Sins of Any
We began by discussing the tragic tendency to “individualize” the Gospel, missing not only the fact that the Scriptures were written to a community, but also neglectin...
Food Does Not Commend Us To God
Today we are republishing Episode 109, "Food Does Not Commend Us To God." Right before we begin the Lenten fasting season, the Orthodox Church appoints a reading from ...
The Last Judgment
Today’s episode centered around the readings appointed just prior to the beginning of Great Lent on the Saturday of Souls and the Sunday of the Last Judgment. Fr Aaron...
All Things Are Lawful
We began today by examining the word translated as “lawful” (from the passage “all things are lawful for me, but not all things are helpful.”). Through this we see St....
The Publican & The Pharisee
In lieu of a regular episode, this week we are offering Fr Aaron's sermon from Sunday, February 5, the Sunday of the Publican and the Pharisee in the Orthodox Church.
Zacchaeus & How The Rich May Be Saved
In discussing the story of Zacchaeus, Fr Aaron pointed out the double strike against him as a Jewish tax collector, making him the worst kind of traitor among his fell...