Aspen Grove Podcast

What are the 10 Commandments for? How should we relate to these rules as Christians? As we consider these commands, we see these rules as a benefit and a blessing! Exodus 20:1-11

In preparation for the giving of the Law, God chooses to appear to the people in dramatic and terrifying fashion! The people are left trembling at God’s holiness and power. How should we as believers in Jesus reflect on this reality of God? Exodus 19

Moses is overloaded. He can’t keep up with the needs and complaints of the people. Thankfully, his father-in-law Jethro shows up with some timely advice. His wise words remind us of the blessing of biblical community. Exodus 18

The discontentment of the Israelites increases as they journey toward Sinai, signaling a continued distrust in the Lord. But God proves repeatedly that he is worthy of their trust, and ours! Exodus 17

Having been officially free from slavery in Egypt, the Israelites quickly begin grumbling against God. And yet, God provides for them even more! What can we learn about discontentment from this passage? Exodus 16:1-36

As Jesus closes His famous sermon, He shares one very challenging illustration. Will we build our house on the rocks or on the sand? Matthew 7:24-29

What are the dangers of false teachers, and how can we recognize them? What is the danger of false faith, and how can we be sure ours is genuine? Rob McGruder examines Matthew 7:15-23

Jesus, after returning to the concept of prayer with a helpful illustration, goes on to challenge us with the Golden Rule and the teaching of the narrow gate. Matthew 7:7-14

Jesus says “Judge not.” But Jesus also says “I judge” and “judge rightly.” So how are Christians supposed to approach judgment? Matthew 7:1-6

"Do not be anxious about your life." How are we supposed to follow this complicated instruction from Jesus? Matthew 6:16-34

Should we pray and ask God not to tempt us? Does He do that? Join us as we examine the last lines of The Lord’s Prayer and discuss temptation. Matthew 6:13

God is a good provider, and the Lord’s Prayer shows us that we can pray for our basic needs. But what if God doesn’t provide what we think we need? Matthew 6:11-12; 14-15

In the Lord's Prayer, Jesus offers a model for prayer that begins by re-orienting our hearts, showing us that prayer is not something we perform, but rather something meant to conform us to our King and His Kingdom. Matthew 6:5-10

We all enjoy attention and recognition to some degree. But what does Jesus say about how who deserves the attention when we give? Matthew 6:1-4

One of Jesus’ most difficult commands is this: Love your enemies. How can we understand and apply this teaching? Matthew 5:43-48

Instead of retaliating, Jesus tells people to turn that other cheek. But is Jesus really saying that we should all be perpetual pushovers and doormats? We should be careful to understand and apply this teaching contextually. Matthew 5:38-42

While you may not find yourself taking a lot of oaths these days, Jesus' teaching on swearing in the Sermon on the Mount has broader implications...implications that may apply to you more than you think! Matthew 5:33-37

As the Sermon on the Mount continues, Jesus strikes some serious nerves, tackling the issues of lust and divorce. Matthew 5:27-32

Jesus begins a section of correctly interpreting Old Testament law by likening anger to murder! Can we be angry without sinning? How can we deal with ur anger? Matthew 5:21-26

As Jesus continues Hid famous sermon, He chooses to validate the Scriptures, making the controversial statement that He did not come to abolish them, but to fulfill them. What does it mean for Jesus to fulfill the Law and the Prophets? Matthew 5:17-20

In His sermon on the Mount, Jesus makes it clear that His followers will be persecuted. And yet, He calls us to be salt and light anyway. What should that look like? (Matthew 5:10-16)

Jesus begins the famous Sermon on the Mount with the Beatitudes, statements of blessing. We can best understand each of the various statements from 3 perspectives: identification, aspiration, and expectation. Matthew 5:1-9

Before we begin examining the most consequential sermon ever preached, we first need to understand the foundational message that led to it. Jesus’ message is summarized like this: “Repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” What is this Kingdom? Matthew 4:17-23

RJ Johnson from Not My Will Ministries, one of our missions partners, shares his testimony of how God radically changed his life in prison, allowing him to go back into prisons to share the gospel.

As we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus this Easter, we focus on the incredible trade that He initiates in us.

With the Exodus from Egypt officially complete, Moses and a people take a moment to commemorate the events in song. What can we learn from the praise offered by Moses in Exodus 15?

The moment has finally arrived! The people of Israel will finally be free as God leads them across the Red Sea, defeating Pharaoh and Egypt for good! But, are the people ready for this? Exodus 14

As Exodus 12 continues, the story meanders a bit. And while it may feel a bit disjointed, we continue to see gospel truths shining through. Exodus 12:29-51

Apologies for the distorted audio! In this session we cover the institution of Passover as Moses prepares the people for a swift departure. Exodus 12:1-28

The ninth plague and God’s warning of the tenth send a clear message. And yet, Pharaoh proves yet again to be blind and deaf. Exodus 10:21-11:10

As the plagues continue and escalate, so does Pharaoh’s hardness of heart. What can we learn from this pattern? Exodus 9:1-10:20

As the plagues continue to burden the people of Egypt and pressure Pharaoh, his heart remains hardened. What does Pharaoh’s hardness of heart reveal about our human condition? Exodus 8

As Moses and Aaron confront Pharaoh once more, they don’t know what to expect. They don’t know what the plagues will be or how God will rescue His people. But as the story unfolds before them, the great work of God is on full display! (Exodus 7)

Nobody seems to be fully cooperating with God’s plan to deliver the people from Egypt. And yet, the plan moves forward…even with these people. What can we expect from God, even if we are resistant like Moses? Exodus 6

As God’s plan begins to unfold, circumstances get drastically worse for Moses and the people of Israel. Is this the norm? Does following the commands of God make life harder? Exodus 5

The amazing story of Moses in Exodus, as well as many parts of the Bible, raises a lot of questions. While there is much that we don’t know, God has given us much that we can know for sure. Exodus 4:18-31

As God calls Moses into action, Moses does his best to prove that he isn’t who God wants. Rather than choosing to prove that Moses is qualified, God instead proves Himself. Exodus 4:1-17

The lead-up to Christmas involves a lot of waiting, as does the Christian life. How can we find hope in our waiting?

Christmas can bring about a lot of complicated feelings. Grief and sadness often keep people out of the Christmas Mood. How can we approach the sorrow of the holidays biblically?

Are you in the Christmas Mood, or are you honestly just too stressed? Stress is just part of the Christmas season. So what does the Bible say to us about stress?

As Moses’ encounter with God at the burning bush continues, he’s got questions! Moses asks, “Who am I?” and “Who are you?” The answer to the first question is wrapped up in the answer to the second. Exodus 3:11-22

At the burning bush, Moses experiences the presence of God in a new way, and it changes everything! But his experience was only an echo of what was to come. Exodus 3:1-10

Eager to deliver the Hebrews from slavery, Moses springs into action…and fails massively. Did God make a huge mistake in choosing Moses? Or did God know exactly what He was doing? (Exodus 2:11-25)

Exodus 1:15-2:10 expands in some detail on verse 12 which said, “the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied,” mad leads into the story of Moses. It also raises an interesting question: does God sometimes commend lying?

As we begin our study of Exodus, we establish the context and explore the essential connection that Exodus has to the gospel. Exodus 1:1-14

The letter of Jude shares many direct parallels to 2 Peter. For that reason, we finish out our Living Things Grow series looking at Jude’s call for Christians to “contend for the faith.”

Christopher LaChance finishes out the letter of 2 Peter, diving into how we are meant to grow in grace. 2 Peter 3:14-18

In 2 Peter 3:1-13, Peter shifts his focus to the imminent return of Christ and asks the question, “What sort of people ought we to be” in light of these things?

As Peter continues in his rebuke of false teachers, we can see a variety of traits that we should be careful to address in our own lives and the lives of others. 2 Peter 2:13b-22

As Peter continues his letter, he turns his attention to an enemy of growth in the Christian life: false teachers. What is a false teacher, and what kind of “destructive heresies” were they promoting? 2 Peter 2:1-10a

Just as plants need light to grow, Christians also need to be oriented toward our source of light. 2 Peter 1:16-21)

Peter continues his encouragement toward growth by describing specific qualities that should be increasing in the Christian life. How can we intentionally make every effort to grow in these ways? 2 Peter 1:5-15

As we begin our new series in 2 Peter, we examine the context and focus on the overall theme of the letter: growth! 2 Peter 1:1-4

At the end of the book of Genesis and the story of Joseph, we finally read the iconic line: “What you meant for evil against me, God meant for good.” But how does that work? How can God meant for good evil for good? Genesis 50:50-21

As we read about the deaths of Jacob and Joseph, we see clearly that they finished well. How can we plan to finish well in our own lives? Genesis 49:28-50:14, 22-26)

In Genesis 49:1-27, Jacob speaks a prophetic word over his 12 sons from his deathbed. Some receive good news, others receive a degree of condemnation. The consequences of their actions will span generations! What can we learn about the idea of generational blessings and curses from this passage?

What will be your legacy? What will you pass down? As we come to the end of Genesis, we see a bit of a comparison. Which is more valuable, the wealth passed down by Pharaoh, or the faith heritage of Jacob? Genesis 47:13-48:22

As Jacob and all his offspring make the journey to Egypt, his heart is likely filled with questions. God answers those questions in a vision before they even escape his lips. Is God present and working in the place where we are, with the people around us, in every circumstance, in our normal living, after all this time? Genesis 46:1-47:12

Joseph finally reveals his identity to his brothers, but also makes a bigger reveal: God was behind all that has happened. How are we to comprehend a God that works despite and even through sinfulness, affliction, and disaster? Genesis 45

Joseph encounters his brothers once more, this time initiating a couple of tests. In this story, we see some indication of what it takes to overcome the barriers to reconciliation that we discussed last week. Genesis 43-44

In Genesis 42, Joseph encounters his brothers for the first time in 20 years! But, with all the relational baggage, reconciliation will not come easily. What can we learn about the barriers between us and reconciliation?

As the story of Joseph continues, after a long period of waiting, things escalate quickly! We can see clearly, however, that God was at work in the big moments and in the waiting. Genesis 41:1-52

In Genesis 40, as Joseph waits in prison, he is given the opportunity to interpret some very interesting dreams. But what about his own prophetic dreams?

After being sold into slavery, Joseph sees a series of highs and lows in his life. But the overarching theme is that God is with Him. What can we learn from Joseph's time in Potiphar's house? Genesis 39

As a short detour from the story of Joseph, Genesis 38 takes a dark detour into the complex and disturbing failures of his brother Judah. Why was this passage included? And what can we learn from this darker part of the story? Message by Chris LaChance

In the classic story of Joseph and the coat of many colors, we not only see interesting relational dynamics, but we also are reminded about general principles about God's sovereignty. Genesis 37

As we end our study of 1 Peter, chapter 5 gives a series of encouragements, and they are all focused on having this future perspective. The way elders lead, the way believers humble themselves, the way we resist the devil...all of it comes back to how we know all of this will end.

In 1 Peter 4:10-19, Peter continues with his theme of suffering. Suffering for the name of Jesus is a harsh reality with real consequences. Peter says clearly that it is to be expected! But what is our hope as we suffer for the name of Jesus?

In 1 Peter 4:1-9, Peter continues with practical advice for followers of Jesus as they prepare to suffer.

How can Christians endure suffering? How can our response to suffering be serve as a witness to the gospel? Peter answers those questions in 1 Peter 3:13-22, while also giving us one of the most mysterious verses in the New Testament!

Peter believes that Christians will change the world, but his strategy and advice for how they will do so is much more reserved than you might think. In 1 Peter 3:8-12, Peter gives practical advice for simply, humble thinking and living.

Building on the concept of a general life of Christian submission, Peter turns his attention to wives and husbands in 1 Peter 3:1-7. What does it mean to "be subject"? And is this passage just an outdated patriarchal relic that demeans women?

Taking a break from our verse-by-verse study of 1 Peter, we celebrate the resurrection from Peter's perspective. In the story of Peter, we see a unique aspect of what was accomplished by the real, bodily resurrection of Jesus!

We all live under various authorities and bosses. How are we supposed to live as followers of Christ while also being under those authorities? 1 Peter 2:13-25 gives guidance and shifts the focus back to Jesus.

Peter, writing to a wide variety of people across a vast region, calls believers into unity. While some issues may divide us, there are central, core beliefs that bind us together. Join us as we examine 1 Peter 2:9-12.

At the end of 1 Peter 1, Christians are given the command to "be holy." But what does that mean? How are we supposed to be holy? Well, as Peter begins chapter 2, he gives specific, applicable examples. (1 Peter 2:1-8)

Why should Christians have a grace mindset? How does a grace mindset lead us to pursue holiness? Is holiness even achievable? Peter addresses all these questions in 1 Peter 1:13-25.

Is our faith without sight? How are we blessed to believe without seeing? 1 Peter 1:8-12

In the opening of the letter of 1 Peter, two main ideas are established for his Christian readers: Identity and Inheritance. In Christ, we can be confident in who we are and where we are going! 1 Peter 1:1-8

As we live as Citizens of Heaven, as well as Citizens of Our Nation, we ultimately see it all play out as we live in our actual communities. That means we participate in our culture. How then should we live as Citizens of Culture.

Understanding our first citizenship and allegiance to be in heaven, how are we supposed to live as citizens in our nations? How are we supposed to “submit to the governing authorities“?

In a politically charged time, it’s important for Christians to know where we stand, and more importantly, where we belong. In session 1 of God and Country we examine our identity as Citizens of Heaven.

As the saga of Isaac and Jacob comes to a close, things don't exactly end on a high note. In fact, the passage reminds us of the harsh reality of sin in our world, all while pointing back to our need for a Savior. (Genesis 35:16-36:42)

After the dramatic failures of Genesis 34, Jacob and his people are invited to return to closeness with God. They are called to draw near to God as He draws near to them.

Genesis is filled with highs and lows, and Genesis 34 is an intense low! What are we to make of such moral failure?

In Genesis 33, after over 20 years apart, Jacob is faced with an unavoidable encounter with his brother Esau. In this story we can see good, biblical concepts that help us in our own interpersonal conflicts.

After the birth of Jesus, a prophecy revealed to Simeon is fulfilled. Simeon then speaks his own prophecy to Mary and Joseph…a prophecy that builds the tension over who this Savior would be. Luke 2:22-35

What did Mary know? Well, in contrast to the popular Christmas song, Luke 1 tells us that Mary knew and understood a lot about the coming Messiah!

The often-overlooked story of Zechariah and Elizabeth is not only important to the story of Christmas, but also shows us how the whole story of God comes together in Christ. The waiting is over. The King is coming. Luke 1:1-25, 57-59

Chris LaChance opens up Genesis 32, looking at Jacob’s faith development and struggle with God, culminating in an actual wrestling match!

In Genesis 31, Jacob hastily departs from Laban. His recollection, passed down for generations, included the good and the bad. Christians should be able to communicate their own journey similarly.

As Jacob prepares to depart from Laban, having completed his agreement, he is tricked by Laban once more. In this story of bargaining for sheep and goats, what can we learn about the Christian work ethic? Genesis 30:25-43

Genesis 29:30-30:24 describes the family dynamic of Jacob, Leah, and Rachel, as well as the names and circumstances of their offspring. The family is an absolute mess! What can we learn about the nature of sin and how it affects our relationships?

The story of Jacob and Rebecca begins as a pretty sweet love story. However, things don’t go as planned. The story reminds us of the truth about our experiences of love here on earth and points us to the hope of a far superior love. Genesis 29:1-30

In Genesis 28, we see the increasing division caused by sin. Isaac’s family is in turmoil. And as Jacob departs on his journey to find a wife, he has a majorly significant and impactful prophetic dream…a dream that is only fulfilled in Christ.

The well-known story of Jacob deceiving his father Isaac by disguising himself as his brother Esau is messy. Everyone involved makes major mistakes. What can this cautionary tale teach us about following the will of God?

The various failures and missteps of Isaac in Genesis 26 remind us of one very important thing: God is patient with us!

(Genesis 25:29-34) The story of Esau giving up his birthright to Jacob for a bowl of stew is iconic and also somewhat difficult. It leads to other passages that describe how God said, “Jacob have I loved, but Esau I have hated.” What are we to do with that?

The chapter on Abraham closes with an interesting development, and Isaac takes center stage. Unfortunately, the drama and tension continue!