Deep in Scripture Radio

Are You Dead or Alive, Ephesians 2: 1-10 (Part 3) - Marcus Grodi and Jim Anderson

We are looking at this section under the question: “Are you dead or alive?” & under three headings:

(1) What were we before Baptism: dead (2:1-3);
(2) What has God done for us in baptism: made alive (2:1, 4-7);
(3) How did we receive this: grace (2:8-10)

Are You Dead or Alive, Ephesians 2: 1-10 (Part 2) - Marcus Grodi and Jim Anderson

Marcus Grodi and Jim Anderson continue their study on Paul’s Letter to the Ephesians by discussing verses 2: 1-10. (Part 1)

Are You Dead or Alive, Ephesians 2: 1-10 (Part One) - Marcus Grodi and Jim Anderson

Are you dead or alive? I suppose you might presume you are alive since you are hearing this program. I suppose you could pinch yourself to make sure or kick the person sitting next to you to make sure their not dead, but yet, there are people walking around today, in all walks of life, who presume they are alive, yet they are dead, and also there are people walking around who fear they are dead but in fact they are alive! Sound confusing? Sound like I’m talking about the latest Zombie movie? No, I’m addressing the question of how are you spiritually. This is part of what we will discuss today on Deep In Scripture.

The Trinity, Recap of Ephesians 1:1-23 - Marcus Grodi and Jim Anderson

One of the dangers of our 21st century faith is that we can become apathetic, mater-of-fact about very important, essential aspects of our Christian faith. We’ve heard it all from the day we were born, over and over, maybe we’ve never lived personally in an area or amongst people who challenged key truths of our faith, and so we just take them for granted. Especially a doctrine like the Trinity, the central doctrine of our Christian faith, many believe it to be true, profess it every week in worship, but come Sunday afternoon through the next Sunday morning, it gets placed up on the nice shelf. This is part of what we will discuss today on Deep In Scripture.

The Power of the Resurrection, Ephesians 1:18-23 - Marcus Grodi and Jim Anderson

"Two Converts Critique a Clergyman" - Marcus Grodi and Jim Anderson continue their study of Paul's Letter to the Ephesians by discussing verses 1: 18-23, which deal with the Easter message. Jim and Marcus critique a sermon that Marcus wrote and gave when he was a Presbyterian pastor!

The familiar great cry of Easter is the proclamation, “He is risen!” Jesus of Nazareth, betrayed, arrested, falsely tried, scourged, crucified, and buried, is not dead. He is alive, and this news changed the world. It changed his cowardly followers into bold, courageous leaders and martyrs. But this Easter proclamation is certainly not a once a year message: it is the message that should change us, every single day of our lives. Yet, has it become so familiar that it has lost it’s meaning? This is part of what we will discuss today on Deep In Scripture.

The Effects of Baptism and Confirmation, Ephesians 1:15-19 - Marcus Grodi and Jim Anderson

For many of us, our baptism, that happened many years ago, has very little present meaning. For most of us, this happened when we were babies, leaving us no cognitive memory of the event. For others of us, our baptism occurred when we were believing teenagers or adults, and sometimes only as a visible symbol of our faith, with no expectation that the rite itself had any actual effect. The same can be true for many of us who were confirmed. What did these sacraments do for us, how ought our lives to have been different afterwards, and what can we do to help others experience the fullness of their baptism and confirmation? This is part of what we will discuss today on Deep In Scripture.

Thanks and Prayer, Ephesians 1:15-16 - Marcus Grodi and Jim Anderson

Marcus Grodi and Jim Anderson broadcast live from Catholic Marketing Network Conference. They continue their discussion on Ephesians. Today’s topic is prayer.

We are called to pray for one another. We presume this … it is an accepted practice of our faith. Jesus encouraged this, the entire Bible encourages this; the Church and her spiritual writers and leaders have always encouraged this. But why and what should we pray for? This is part of what we will discuss today on Deep In Scripture.

Being and Abiding in Christ, Ephesians 1:11-14 - Marcus Grodi and Jim Anderson

Marcus Grodi and Jim Anderson continue their discussion on the Book of Ephesians.

One of the most repeated phrases/ideas in the New Testament is to be “in Christ.” Jim and Marcus discuss what it means to “abide in Christ” and how can we know for certain that we are “in Christ”. Jim makes reference to how the earliest Christians understood what “abiding in Christ” meant.

Saint Paul wrote to the Corinthians, “Therefore, if any one is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away, behold, the new has come.” Even more boldly, he wrote to the Romans, “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” These are both bold promises for those who consider themselves “In Christ,” but what does it mean to be “in Christ”? How does one become “in Christ”? And how can we know for sure whether we are “in Christ”? “This is part of what we will be discussing today on Deep in Scripture.

The Will of God, Ephesians 1:5-12 - Marcus Grodi and Jim Anderson

One of the most common questions I received when I was a Presbyterian pastor, and mostly from young adults, was “How do I know God’s will for my life?” Whether it was concerning which college to chose, which career to pursue, which person to marry, or road to take at the fork, sincere Christians wanted to know how to direct their lives according to God’s plan. But does He have a clear, stated, predestined plan for our lives? And if He does, do we have the freedom to chose? Or are our lives all laid out for us, from the beginning of time? This is part of what we will be discussing today on Deep in Scripture.

Life-Changing Effects of Baptism, Ephesians 1:5-10 - Marcus Grodi and Jim Anderson

Imagine the possibility that somewhere, hidden away in a file folder, in a file drawer, in a file cabinet, up in your attic, there is a long forgotten document that proves that you are the adopted child of the king of a great kingdom, an heir to all the king’s fortunes, rites, and privileges, yet, either out of ignorance or forgetfulness, you’re living as if it isn’t true. A mere fairytale? Sadly, no, for most of us live as if we’ve forgotten that through our baptisms, we are adopted children of the king! This is part of what we will be discussing today on Deep in Scripture.