Exploring My Strange Bible

Practicing Faith E3 — In the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus models for us how to daily bring our requests to God. But implied in its words are ways of being and acting that will align with our words. In this final of three teachings on Christian practices, Tim explores the meaning and significance of the Lord’s Prayer, which has incredible potential to change our lives. Tim gave this message at Door of Hope Church in Portland, Ore., on August 24, 2014.

Torah Crash Course E1 — For many modern readers, the first five books of the Bible—known as the Torah—can feel strange, overwhelming, or confusing. But when we look at these five books as a single narrative, we can begin to see how it sets up a larger story of God’s rescue plan for humanity that is ultimately fulfilled in Jesus. In this episode, we’ll start with Genesis. From creation and humanity’s calling as God’s image-bearers to God’s surprising promise to bless all people through one man and his family, Genesis sets the stage for the rest of the Bible. In this episode, Tim traces the structure and themes of the book, revealing how God’s purpose to bring good out of human evil shapes the entire biblical story. This series was taught in the early 2010s at Door of Hope Church in Portland, Oregon.

Many people view science and religious faith as bitter enemies with conflicting views of the universe, especially when you consider the scientific explanation for the universe’s origin versus the biblical account. But is this tension real, or is it based on a deep misunderstanding of what the Bible is and how it communicates? Genesis 1-2—written thousands of years ago—says many surprising things about the origins of the universe. But these chapters also leave most of our modern scientific questions unaddressed. So what do we make of this? In this 2011 lecture from a science and faith conference at Blackhawk Church in Madison, Wisconsin, Tim asks what it means to read the first two pages of the Bible as ancient Hebrew texts and considers how they might interact with modern scientific claims.

The Amazing Jonah E4 — After the great fish vomits Jonah onto the shores of Nineveh, the prophet finally—and begrudgingly—obeys God. Even though Jonah only utters a strange five-word sermon to the Ninevites, they still repent and turn to God. In this episode, Tim teaches on Jonah 3, while also discussing what the biblical word “repentance” means—and doesn’t mean. This message was given on August 25, 2013, at Door of Hope Church in Portland, Oregon.