Dewey Bertolini's Podcast

Welcome to a Jewish Wedding!  Not just any Jewish wedding. But THE Jewish wedding! The Jewish wedding where Jesus -- for the VERY. FIRST. TIME. -- chooses to reveal Himself as to the person He truly is: Almighty God in a fully human body. What we call the Incarnation. Deity who took on humanity. Now that is quite a statement. But it is an accurate statement. You can hear all about it by clicking HERE. Which taunts us with this intriguing question: Why in the world did Jesus choose that time, in that place, to do that? Why there? Why then? The answer will amaze you. Because the answer includes you. Yes, you. Trust me: You are in for a treat! PLEASE NOTE: With some web browsers, it may take up to 60 seconds for the podcast to begin to play.

Welcome to our presentation of a Passover Seder, a celebration observed by-our-many Jewish friends, a festival that has been taking place every year for more than 3000 years.  They have done so ever since that defining moment in the book of Exodus when God commanded His chosen people to commemorate their miraculous deliverance from their 400 years of bondage in Egypt. Tonight we are going to connect so many of the dots that we have talked about these many weeks that we have been together, studying together Jesus in HD. As we noted several weeks ago, Jesus celebrated this holy day every year of His life. And even during this past week, millions of Jewish people the world over gathered in their homes, with their families and friends, to celebrate this festival of Passover. In this podcast, we are about to discover in a way that you will never forget that God wove into the very fabric of the ancient Passover story a far larger and greater story of redemption that encompasses every one of our Jewish friends,

OK, be honest. Does your faith ever falter? Would it help if I admitted that at times, mine has?  The good news, the GREAT news, is that if or when our faith falters, we are not alone. You can hear all about this by clicking HERE. In this podcast, you will meet three remarkable individuals, two of whom battled with their own faltering faith. But here’s the thing: While their faith in Jesus may have at times faltered, Jesus’ faith in them NEVER faltered. And that’s the key. Even when our own faith falters, Jesus’ faith in us will NEVER falter. Now THAT’S something worth celebrating. Please note that with some web browsers, it may take up to 60 seconds for the podcast to play.

“I’m not good enough.”  Ever hear those words echoing in your mind? I do. More often than you might think. Certainly more often than I would like to admit. I can tell you from personal experience that those four words are paralyzing. Paralyzing to our Christian walks. Paralyzing to our service to Christ. Paralyzing to our ministry to others. Paralyzing to any expression of joy in our lives. “I’m not good enough.” The devil delights in calling to our minds our past failures. He preys on our personal weaknesses. He is THE master at making us feel insecure or inadequate. Well, we need not feel insecure nor inadequate any longer. Meet Andrew and Peter, blood brothers and the very first disciples of Jesus. As we consider their backstories -- and quite compelling, they are -- you will realize why the words, “I’m not good enough,” NEVER have to vex you again. PLEASE NOTE: With some browsers, it may take up to 60 seconds for this podcast to play.

Welcome to Junior High/Middle School Camp!  I am in Atlanta for training to become a Walk Thru the Bible instructor. So while I am away from my beloved Safe Haven family, I offer to you this bonus podcast, recorded last summer at Hartland Christian Camp.  My goal in this message was to paint a portrait for these precious students of just how much God loves them... AND YOU! To do so, I chose one of the most beloved of all of the parables that Jesus taught. Care to make a guess?  I will dare to make this bold prediction: If you listen in to this podcast, you will come away with a whole new and fresh appreciation for what it truly means to be loved unconditionally.  To be loved by a God who does not love you if... Or love you when... Or love you because... You will hear what it means to be loved by your God who loves you, period. No qualifications. No caveats. No conditions. He just loves you! Which is exactly what it means to be loved unconditionally.  As you can probably tell, I am THRILLED that you ar

If He had been a president, they would have called it Jesus’ Inauguration Day. If He was an earthly king, His Coronation Day. If Jesus was a student, it would be remembered as His Graduation Day or Commencement. Commencement: as in the beginning of something strategically significant. It was all of that, and so much more. One day in the life of Jesus. But oh, what a day. A day after which nothing would ever be the same again. Come share the moment with us as we vicariously participate in this singularly significant day through the eyes of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. PLEASE NOTE: With some browsers, it may take up to 60 seconds for this podcast to play.

It was epic in the extreme. I have no doubt that nature held its breath. Every angel in Heaven craned their necks to get a better view. Every demon cheered their hero on, hoping against hope that finally Jesus would be destroyed, once and for all, even before His earthly ministry began. How did the devil do it? How could he possibly think that he could win? What strategy did he employ in his efforts to topple the King of kings from His throne? Would it surprise you to learn that he employs the exact same strategy today, against us? He does. Like a prowling lion, the Apostle Peter wrote, the devil is determined to defeat us.  In this podcast, you will learn how he attempts it, how he sometimes succeeds, and God’s antidote against it. Though I originally gave this message to my beloved flock at The Safe Haven, my throat was so sore and my voice so scratchy that what you are actually going to hear is virtually the same message as given to the precious high school students this Winter at Hartland Christian Ca

This is a bonus podcast. Normally, each week I upload the latest in our Jesus in High Definition podcast series. But this past weekend, I took a break from my beloved little flock at The Safe Haven, where the Jesus in HD podcast is recorded, in order to speak at a High School Winter Camp in CA. Hartland Christian Camp, to be exact. One of my all-time absolute favorite places on this planet. So in place of a Jesus in HD podcast, I reached back into the archives to a message I gave last summer at a Junior High Summer Camp. A brief word of explanation as to what you will hear... I usually begin a camp on the opening night by handing out to each student a 3x5 card. I then invite them to write down the one question that they would ask God if given the chance. You might be amazed at the questions they would ask. As you will hear in this podcast, I closed my eyes and randomly selected three of the two hundred or so questions that I received. Those three questions were, sadly, typical of most of the questions that

You know what amazes me about the Bible?  Well, lots of things amaze me about the Bible. But this may well be the top of my list: “It is today as it was then.” “It is today as it was then.” I never cease to be amazed at how little has changed in the intervening 2000 years since the Bible was completed. Human nature is as human nature does, and human nature hasn’t changed all that much. Which is why I’ve never bought into the argument that the Bible is an outdated, irrelevant book that has nothing to say to us today. Fact is, the Bible has a ton to say to us today. Case in point: Last week, we looked at the landscape of the Israel of Jesus’ day from a physical/geographical point of view. We discovered then that we have many lessons to learn today from the desert. The wilderness. In this week’s podcast, we will focus the landscape of the Israel of Jesus’ day from a spiritual point of view. Here’s what’s so amazing to me: The Jewish landscape in first century Israel was strikingly, and I might add alarmi

The lovely little land of Israel. There is on this planet nothing that rivals Israel for its beauty, mystery, and meaning. Think of Israel as the “stage” on which the biblical drama is lived. We cannot begin to understand that drama until we know something of that stage. That’s what this podcast is all about. We are about to turn a corner in our study of Jesus in HD, and discover in some detail the wonder of Jesus’ adult life, ministry, teaching, and miracles. Consequently, this brief overview of the Land is coming at just the right time! You will be amazed at how familiar stories in the Gospels will now move from two dimensions into a full 3D. And how this knowledge of the Land will put your life experience -- right now, right here, in real time -- into its proper perspective. My thanks to Dr. James Fleming of Biblical Resources for his many insights that contributed to this podcast. PLEASE NOTE: With some browsers, it may take up to 60 seconds before the podcast will begin to play.

Be honest with me now... Have you, or anyone you know, ever been besieged by doubts? Have you ever silently wondered to yourself something like this: Is this Christian thing for real? Can I really truly trust the Bible? Is Jesus the real deal?  If so, I have good news for you. You are not alone. Wait until you see who went through his own crisis of faith. You may be in for a huge and shocking surprise.  AND you may be especially surprised at what Jesus thought of him. PLEASE NOTE: With some browsers, it may take up to 60 seconds before the podcast will begin to play.

...is another man’s treasure. Or should I say, One man’s trash is Almighty God’s Treasure? Or is it both? You’ve certainly heard of him: Mark, the author of the 2nd Gospel commonly referred to as The Gospel According to Mark. Would you believe me if I told you that Mark’s personal story goes right to the heart of the heart of God? That Mark’s story reveals to us the one attribute of God’s character that I, for one, find to be utterly irresistible? Let me further clue you in on this: Mark’s story graphically illustrates the absolute best and worst in a certain individual, the identity of whom will definitely surprise you. Indeed, through Mark’s story we will witness the growth of one individual and the redemption of another.  And for good measure, Mark’ story addresses an issue that for many, many Christians often causes a crisis of personal faith. One that we’ll address in this podcast. So needless to say, there is a lot going on here, all wrapped up in a nice but not-so-neat package known to us simpl

Thirty years in about 30 minutes or so. That was the goal. We didn’t quite hit it. But we did cover thirty years in about 45 minutes. Which is to say, we know very, very little about Jesus’ childhood, adolescence, and young adulthood. All of which spans a grand total of thirty years. Which makes what we do know that much more significant. There are basically two, and only two, incidents in the first thirty years of Jesus’ life that are highlighted by the Gospel writers -- 1 by Matthew, 1 by Luke. One dreadfully frightful, the other in some ways comical, heart-warming, and yet sobering. One of which we looked at last week -- Joseph, Mary, and Jesus fleeing to Egypt in the wake of Herod’s Holocaust -- that from Matthew. This week we’ll look at the second incident -- this one no less significant. PLEASE NOTE: With some browsers, it may take up to 60 seconds before the podcast will begin to play.

Mothers, think back to what it was like when you gave birth to your firstborn child – the fears, the insecurities, the feelings of inadequacy. Now imagine that when you did give birth, it was not in the clinical cleanliness of a hospital room or birthing center. Imagine you were in a cave, dark and alone, unsanitary to the extreme, no nurse, doctor, or midwife to help you, and you are all of 13 or 15 years old, in what was essentially a foreign country, away from your family, with only your fiancé to help you. Add to all of that the political climate of the world Mary was living in – a world of crushing oppression fueled by a brutal and barbaric military occupation. Furthermore, if we discover nothing else from the birth narratives in both Matthew and Luke, we at least learn this: There are some people in this world who are without a doubt the very incarnation of evil. Such was the power of Rome, and so was the person of Herod. From this point on in all four Gospels, every miracle that Jesus performs, e

Mary asked the angel, “But how can this happen? I am a virgin.” The angel replied, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the baby to be born will be holy, and he will be called the Son of God” (Luke 1:34-35). The virgin birth. A dual miracle. An unprecedented, never-seen-before-or-since, one-time, life-altering, history-changing event.  How did it happen? What kind of a man would this virgin born baby boy grow up to be? What does the Virgin Birth means to your life and mine.  Discover the answers to these questions, and so many more... PLEASE NOTE: With some browsers, it may take up to 60 seconds before the podcast will begin to play.

“That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep. Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terrified” (Luke 2:8-9). Do you see what is so singularly significant about that statement? You will after you hear this podcast. Trust me, you may never hear nor read the Christmas story in quite the same way again. PLEASE NOTE: With some browsers, it may take up to 60 seconds before the podcast will begin to play.

How much thought do you put into the gifts that you give at Christmas? I have no doubt that the Wise Men put a considerable amount of thought into theirs. The three gifts that these mysterious visitors from the East presented to Jesus -- Gold, Frankincense, Myrrh -- tell a remarkably riveting story. Indeed, the single most compelling story that has ever been told. That story, so beautifully symbolized and so clearly communicated, in a curious combination of three unusual-yet-fascinating gifts. Spoiler Alert: After hearing this message, you may never look upon a manger scene the same way again. PLEASE NOTE: With some browsers, it may take up to 60 seconds before the podcast will begin to play.

His eyes blazed with the fire of conviction. His voice thundered as he peered out from behind his uncut hair and unkempt beard. He wore a camel’s-hair garment bound with a leather belt. He ate a strangely strict diet of honey and grasshoppers, of all things. Yet when he spoke, the people trembled. Why? Who was this strange specter that haunted the barren sands of the Judean desert? Where did he come from?  What was it about him that caused Jesus to pay him the highest of all possible compliments -- “Among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptizer” (Matthew 11:11)? You are about to meet one of the most remarkable people ever to walk across the biblical stage in this epic drama we call “Jesus in HD.” PLEASE NOTE: With some browsers, it may take up to 60 seconds before the podcast will begin to play.

“Abraham begot Isaac, Isaac begot Jacob, and Jacob begot Judah and his brothers” (Matthew 1:2). This seemingly boring and benign statement shockingly reveals in stunning detail the sizable heart of Jesus, and what should be the heart of every one of His followers -- including you and me. How can that be true? Over the years, I have discovered -- much to my delight -- that many of the Bible’s most stunning insights, some of its most tantalizingly life-transforming truths can be found in the most unlikely of places. Case in point: Jesus’ genealogy. There are buried within its laundry list of strange-sounding names jewels to be harvested, gems to excavate, rare and precious stones to uncover. In just about 45 minutes or so, you might just discover -- to your own delight -- that your view of God will never be the same. AND for no extra charge, you'll also discover God's view of you. (Here's a hint: It's pretty cool!) All of this -- if you can believe it -- from Jesus' genealogy. PLEASE NOTE: With some browser

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (John 1:1).   Believe it or not, those 17 simple words comprise one of the landmark, foundational verses upon which our faith, and therefore our lives, rests. Yet, when I read them aloud, there are no bugles blaring, no angelic choirs singing, no lightning flashing, nor thunder pealing. My reading of these words never elicits from anyone any audible ooohs or aaahs.    Maybe, just maybe that’s because on the surface at least, these 17 words sound for foreign, so unlike the way we talk, so hard to relate to. "In the beginning was the Word"? As someone said to me just recently, "My mind has always just sort of glazed over that verse." I can see why.   That being said, it would be impossible for me -- impossible for me -- to overstate the importance of this opening verse that introduces to us the Gospel According to John.   Listen to this podcast, and you will quickly understand why.   PLEASE NOTE: With some browsers, it may take up