In this episode of the Sermon Notes Podcast, Jay Strother and Brian Ball begin a Holy Week journey through Mark 11, focusing on Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem and the deeper meaning behind Palm Sunday. Their conversation highlights the tension of the moment: the crowds shout Hosanna, but many misunderstand
My subject for today—the encounter of Saul with the prophet Samuel in 1 Sam 15—is not a stand-alone presentation. It is intended to set up a comparison with David’s encounter with the prophet Nathan in 2 Sam 12, to which I will turn in the next essay. My claim is
Christmas often comes with pressure to feel cheerful—even when life is heavy. In this episode, Jay Strother and Brian Ball slow down in Matthew 2 to see what the story actually contains: costly obedience from Mary and Joseph, the brutal reality of Herod’s violence, and the sobering reminder that Jesus’
In this episode of the Sermon Notes podcast, Jay Strother and Brian Ball dive deep into the early chapters of Matthew’s gospel, exploring how the themes of kingship, authority, and prophecy fulfillment take center stage as we prepare our hearts for Christmas. The discussion centers around the story of the wise men and the
Throughout his seminary and graduate school experiences, King worked relentlessly to develop a doctrine of God that made sense to him. From his father and other black preachers, he learned that the God of the Hebrew prophets and Jesus worked cooperatively with humans to achieve the divine expectation that justice
It’s widely acknowledged that any conversation about what sets the United States of America apart as “unique” or “special” is closely tied to its governmental structure, exemplified by concepts like democratic governance and the endurance of one of the world’s oldest written constitutions still in operation. To gain deeper insights