The Bible Project

Sermon on the Mount E37 –  The final teaching of the Sermon on the Mount addresses the most important aspect of the choice Jesus presents to his listeners. Where does the path that we choose lead us? Jesus describes two builders—a foolish man who builds his house on sand and a wise man who builds his house on rock. When the storm comes, the house on sand is destroyed, while the house on rock remains standing. This seems straightforward, but unpacking the biblical themes of houses, cities, and floodwaters reveals deeper implications for Jesus followers in every generation. Listen in as Tim and Jon conclude their discussion of the sermon by exploring how Jesus' teachings equip us to weather storms outside of Eden, just as Jesus' life ultimately overcame the floodwaters of death.TimestampsChapter 1: The Simple-Minded (0:00-22:03)Chapter 2: When The Storms Come (22:03-30:50)Chapter 3: Neither Compromise Nor Revolt (30:50-39:53)Chapter 4: If You Live By the Way of Jesus (39:53-53:17)Referenced ResourcesCheck out T

Sermon on the Mount E36 –  In the second part of the final section of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus emphasizes the tension present in the choice between two paths. How do we know if someone is leading us toward the path to life, and whose voice should we listen to? Jesus uses the images of a sheep in wolf’s clothing and trees bearing fruit to emphasize the wisdom needed to identify those who truly represent him. In this episode, Tim and Jon wrestle with the challenge of discerning God's words and recognizing the true destination of someone's path, regardless of the direction they claim.TimestampsChapter 1: How Do You Know The Difference? (00:00-11:11)Chapter 2: Mislabeling Prophets (11:11-28:55)Chapter 3: Should I Be Suspicious? (28:55-43:57)Referenced ResourcesCheck out Tim’s library here.You can experience our entire library of resources in the BibleProject app, available for Android and iOS.Show MusicOriginal Sermon on the Mount music by Richie KohenBibleProject theme song by TENTS“Kauai” by Loyae“Meadow

Sermon on the Mount Q+R 4 (E35) – Can Jesus’ riddle about the good eye and the bad eye also apply to Genesis 3? Does the Bible offer conflicting views on the topic of testing? What is the connection between asking God for our daily bread and Jesus calling himself the “Bread of Heaven?” Does God forgive us only after we forgive others? In this episode, Tim and Jon respond to your questions from episodes 22-28 in the Sermon on the Mount series and share some of the Lord’s Prayer song submissions. Thank you to our audience for your thoughtful contributions to this episode!Listen to the rest of the Lord’s Prayer songs on our website →Timestamps Did Jesus Have Genesis 3 in Mind When He Taught About Good Eyes and Bad Eyes? (00:00-17:45)Does the Bible Contradict Itself When it Comes to God Testing Us? (17:45-45:33)Is Jesus Himself the “Daily Bread” He Tells Us to Pray For? (45:33-56:06)Does God Forgive Us Only After We Forgive Others? (56:06-01:04:42)Referenced ResourcesCheck out Tim’s library here.You can experienc

Sermon on the Mount E34 – Jesus closes the Sermon on the Mount by presenting his listeners with a choice, illustrated in three parts. He first describes two gates and two paths. The narrow gate is difficult to enter, but it opens up the way to life. The wide gate is easy to navigate, but it leads to ruin. In this episode, Tim and Jon explore the choice we all must make after listening to Jesus’ words and how the decision to live out our true calling as humans is challenged daily by paths that appear easier.TimestampsChapter 1: The Wide and Narrow Gates We Walk Through (0:00-12:49)Chapter 2: The Narrow Door (12:49-28:32)Chapter 3: The Few and the Many (28:32-45:16)Referenced ResourcesCheck out Tim’s library here.You can experience our entire library of resources in the BibleProject app, available for Android and iOS.Show MusicOriginal Sermon on the Mount music by Richie KohenBibleProject theme song by TENTS“Golden” by Aarigod“Longing” by Chase MackintoshShow CreditsJon Collins is the creative producer for toda

Sermon on the Mount E33 – The final teaching in the main body of the Sermon on the Mount is commonly known as the Golden Rule: do to others what you would have them do to you. Jesus says that all of the Law and Prophets—everything he has come to fulfill—are contained in this one statement. How? In this episode, Tim and Jon unpack what many consider Jesus’ most famous teaching. Join us as we examine how the Golden Rule fits into the intentional design of the Sermon on the Mount, reinforcing the central theme of how God’s desires reshape our own. TimestampsChapter 1: The Golden Rule as a Compass (00:00-9:55)Chapter 2: The Complex Motivation of the Human Heart (9:55-36:21)Chapter 3: Establishing a Heavenly Kingdom (36:21-50:27)Chapter 4: What’s Next? (50:27-55:09)Referenced ResourcesCheck out Tim’s library here.You can experience our entire library of resources in the BibleProject app, available for Android and iOS.Show MusicOriginal Sermon on the Mount music by Richie KohenBibleProject theme song by TENTS“Will

Sermon on the Mount E32 – In his fourth teaching on relationships and conflict in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus encourages his listeners to ask God for what they need. Because the three previous teachings don't directly tell us how to respond in specific situations, Jesus emphasizes that the challenges of relationships require wisdom that comes from a deep dependence on God. In this episode, Tim and Jon discuss Jesus’ invitation for his followers to relate to God as a loving and generous Father who delights in giving us good gifts.TimestampsChapter 1: Ask, Seek, Knock (00:00-19:25)Chapter 2: James and the Sermon on the Mount (19:25-34:48)Chapter 3: Connecting My World to the Wisdom of Jesus 9 (34:48-54:24)Referenced ResourcesCheck out Tim’s library here.You can experience our entire library of resources in the BibleProject app, available for Android and iOS.Show MusicOriginal Sermon on the Mount music by Richie KohenBibleProject theme song by TENTS“Casette” by Ward Willis“La Verdure” by Makzo, Guillaume Musc

Sermon on the Mount E31 – Is it possible to evaluate the behavior of others in a healthy way? Jesus offers two parables that illustrate the wisdom needed to evaluate someone else's behavior. The first parable invites us to examine ourselves before others, and the second parable reminds us the necessary discernment for this happens only in a community of faith. In this episode, Tim and Jon discuss Jesus’ teachings on how and when to speak into the lives of others.TimestampsChapter 1: To Judge or Not to Judge (00:00-10:30)Chapter 2: You, Your Brother, and the Speck (10:29-28:17)Chapter 3: Pearls, Pigs, and Dogs (28:17-52:05)Referenced ResourcesCheck out Tim’s library here.You can experience our entire library of resources in the BibleProject app, available for Android and iOS.Show MusicOriginal Sermon on the Mount music by Richie KohenBibleProject theme song by TENTS“And that’s okay” by Ian Ewing“Saib” by Porto Leone ft. FloFilzShow CreditsJon Collins is the creative producer for today's show. Production of tod

Sermon on the Mount E30 – After the four-part section on our relationship to money, Jesus turns to addressing our relationships with each other. He begins with the command to not judge. But judging can mean condemnation—or it can mean evaluation. So when is it acceptable to judge someone? And what does that mean for how we will be judged? In this episode, Tim and Jon unpack a challenging command that calls for a deep understanding of God’s generosity to compel us to respond generously to each other. TimestampsChapter 1: God, Money, and Relationships (00:00-10:47)Chapter 2: Measurements in the Marketplace (10:47-15:43)Chapter 3: Judgement (15:43-28:20)Chapter 4: Sorting The Field (28:20-48:28)Referenced ResourcesThe Divine Conspiracy: Rediscovering Our Hidden Life In God by Dallas WillardCheck out Tim’s library here.You can experience our entire library of resources in the BibleProject app, available for Android and iOS.Show MusicOriginal Sermon on the Mount music by Richie KohenBibleProject theme song by TENT

Sermon on the Mount E29 –  In Jesus' fourth and final teaching on money, he offers his listeners an antidote to the worry that accompanies life’s daily troubles. Jesus teaches that the path to a peaceful mindset is found in what we pay attention to or seek. And seeking the Kingdom of the skies leads to trusting in God's abundance. In this episode, Jon, Tim, and Michelle explore how communities who understand God's character can live without worry, knowing that even death does not separate us from God’s generosity.View more resources on our website →Timestamps Chapter 1: With Your Whole Self (00:00-7:31) Chapter 2: Live Like the Birds (07:31-14:24) Chapter 3: A Conversation on Merimnao With Brittany Kim and Stephanie Tam (14:24-22:35)Chapter 4: Even Death Cannot Separate Us From the Generosity of God (22:35-33:37) Chapter 5: “We Become What We Pay Attention To” with Curt Thompson (33:37-54:05) Chapter 6: The Highest Values (54:05-57:12) Chapter 7: The Harmony of the Cosmos (57:12-1:03:17)Referenced ResourcesGe

Sermon on the Mount E29 (Uncut) –  In Jesus’ fourth and final teaching on money, he offers his listeners an antidote to the worry that accompanies life’s daily troubles. Jesus teaches that the path to a peaceful mindset is found in what we focus on—or seek. Seeking the Kingdom of the skies leads to investing in what is permanent and trusting in God's abundance. In this uncut episode, join an uninterrupted conversation with Jon and Tim about how understanding God’s character can help us live without worry, knowing that even death does not separate us from God’s generosity.View more resources on our website →TimestampsChapter 1: With Your Whole Self (00:00-8:00)Chapter 2: Your Heavenly Father Knows Your Needs (8:00-36:37)Chapter 3: Let Tomorrow Worry About Itself (36:37-50:30)Chapter 4: Your Heart’s Treasure (50:30-1:11:04)Referenced ResourcesGetting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity by David AllenCheck out Tim’s library here.You can experience our entire library of resources in the BibleProject

What does an obedient follower of Jesus do with their money? In this re-release of one of our most popular episodes, Jon and Tim share the story of John Cortinez and Greg Baumer. Ambitious, driven, and financially successful, John and Greg meet in class at Harvard Business School, confident of the plans they have for their lives. But when a class project gives them a vision for how their money could be part of God's Kingdom here on Earth, everything changes.  TimestampsChapter 1: Are You Telling Me We Don't Have to Tithe? (00:00-10:08)Chapter 2: Meet John and Greg, a Couple of Harvard Grads (10:08-22:41)Chapter 3: The Book Report That Changed Everything (22:41-37:58)Chapter 4: Radical Generosity (37:58-51:48)Chapter 5: The Genesis of Joy (51:48-59:22)Chapter 6: Discovering True Riches (59:22-1:02:41)Referenced ResourcesCheck out Tim’s library here.You can experience our entire library of resources in the BibleProject app, available for Android and iOS.Show Music“Above a Cloud” by Ian Post“Kalamazoo Kazoo” by

Sermon on the Mount E28 – In his third teaching on money, Jesus issues a warning about elevating wealth to the position of God in our lives. To describe wealth, Jesus uses the word “mammon,” which can be translated as “the thing in which you trust.” What happens when we put our trust in our wealth? What does Jesus mean by “unrighteous wealth?” And what can it look like to be free from the love of money? In this uncut episode, join Tim and Jon in a long-form dialogue exploring the Parable of the Shrewd Manager and how we can only have one ultimate allegiance—God or money. Timestamps Chapter 1: Hate One and Love the Other (00:00-13:44)Chapter 2: What is Mammon? (13:44-20:34)Chapter 3: Wealth and the Dishonest Manager (20:34-42:50)Referenced ResourcesThe New Testament and Rabbinic Judaism (Jordan Lectures) by David DaubeDictionary of Deities and Demons in the Bible by Karel van der Toorn, Bob Becking & Pieter W. van der HorstJesus, a Jewish Galilean: A New Reading of the Jesus Story by Sean FreyneCheck out T

Sermon on the Mount E28 – In his third teaching on money, Jesus issues a warning about elevating wealth to the position of God in our lives. To describe wealth, Jesus uses the word “mammon,” which can be translated as “the thing in which you trust.” What happens when we put our trust in our wealth? And what can it look like to be free from the love of money? In this episode, Tim and Jon and special guests explore the power we give our possessions and the upside-down wisdom that sharing, not hoarding, gives us the security we’re seeking. View more resources on our website →Timestamps Chapter 1: Ultimate Value and Allegiance (0:00-9:32)Chapter 2: What is Mammon? (9:54-15:16)Chapter 3: Unrighteous Mammon (15:16-25:00)Chapter 4: Can Wealth and Justice Coexist? (25:00-39:29)Chapter 5: The Story of Bishop Hannington Bahemuka (39:29-1:01:03)Referenced ResourcesThe New Testament and Rabbinic Judaism (Jordan Lectures) by David DaubeDictionary of Deities and Demons in the Bible by Karel van der Toorn, Bob Becking &

Sermon on the Mount E27 – Jesus continues addressing our relationship to money and possessions with a riddle about the eye being the lamp of the body–a reference to a common cultural metaphor in which “having a bad eye” meant someone was stingy. By saying that the eye is the lamp of the body, Jesus highlights how our relationship to our possessions reflects our true character. In this episode, Tim, Jon, and Michelle explore how generosity creates possibility, while clinging tightly to our stuff causes us to lose everything.View more resources on our website →Timestamps Chapter 1: Lay Up Treasures in Heaven (0:00-6:58)Chapter 2: The Riddle Goes Like This (6:58-25:50)Chapter 3: Light and Dark (25:50-30:14)Chapter 4: The Generous Eye Creates Possibility (30:14-39:08)Referenced ResourcesLiddell and Scott's Greek-English Lexicon by Henry George Liddell and Robert ScottThe Sermon on the Mount and Human Flourishing by Jonathan T. PenningtonCheck out Tim’s library here.You can experience our entire library of resourc

Sermon on the Mount E26 – The third section of the Sermon on the Mount's main body opens with a call to examine how we think about our stuff. Jesus makes it clear that how we relate to our money and possessions reveals how we relate to God and neighbor. He urges his listeners to not store up their treasures here on Earth but in the sky. But what is sky treasure? In this episode, Tim, Jon, and Michelle explore the differences between our earthly values and the values of God’s Kingdom in the skies. When we sacrifice our present pleasure and security to better love God and each other, we invest in the coming new creation which contains everything we’ll ever need. View more resources on our website →Timestamps Chapter 1: Don’t Store Up Your Treasures (00:00-10:50)Chapter 2: Where Moth and Eater Can Ruin (10:50-22:25)Chapter 3: The Sky Treasure (22:25-34:24)Chapter 4: Attaining Eternal Wealth (34:24-51:03)Chapter 5: Love People and Love God With Your Things (51:03-1:00:17)Referenced ResourcesA Treasury of Scriptur

Sermon on the Mount Q+R 3 (E25) – What does Jesus mean when he describes people entering the Kingdom of the skies? Are the promises in the Beatitudes possible now, or do we need to wait for the new creation? How did Jesus respond to other perspectives on how to treat our enemies? How do we reconcile Jesus’ teachings on creative nonviolence with violence in the Old Testament narratives? Why does Jesus tell his followers to be perfect when the Bible repeatedly mentions that all humans fail? In this episode, Tim and Jon respond to your questions from episodes 15-22 in the Sermon on the Mount series. Thank you to our audience for your thoughtful questions!View more resources on our website →Timestamps Chapter 1: What Do You Have to Do to Enter God’s Kingdom? (0:00-10:07)Chapter 2: Is It Possible to Experience the Kingdom of God Now? (10:07-18:27Chapter 3: How Do Jesus’ Teachings About Nonviolence Fit With Violence in the Hebrew Bible? (18:27-27:47)Chapter 4: How Should Jesus’ Disciples Advance God’s Kingdom? (27:

Sermon on the Mount E24 –  Many of us first learned the King James translation of the final, personal request in the Lord’s Prayer: “Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.” But does God actually lead us into temptation? In a motif that weaves throughout the Hebrew Bible, we see God allowing tests to strengthen his partnership with humans. When this motif picks up in the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus is the one experiencing testing. In this episode, Tim, Jon, and Michelle explore the theme of testing and temptation throughout the Bible and in the life of Jesus. From his own experience, Jesus teaches us to pray for protection from temptation and for rescue when it comes.View more resources on our website →Timestamps Chapter 1: (00:00-24:17)Chapter 2: (24:17-32:48)Chapter 3: (32:48-56:55)Referenced ResourcesCheck out Tim’s library here.You can experience our entire library of resources in the BibleProject app, available for Android and iOS.Show Music Original Sermon on the Mount music by Richie KohenB

Sermon on the Mount E23 – The second half of the Lord’s prayer contains four requests on behalf of the person praying. The second personal request is for God to forgive us. But forgiveness is not just a transaction between individuals or between God and humans. Forgiveness plays a central role in the arrival of God’s Kingdom. In this episode, Jon, Tim, and Michelle explore what forgiveness is, what it isn't, and what it looks like to set each other free. View more resources on our website →Timestamps Chapter 1: A Conversation on Release, Repair, and Delivery from Sin (00:00-28:19)Chapter 2: Forgiveness in the Life and Teachings of Jesus (28:19-36:54)Chapter 3: Is There a Limit on Forgiveness? (36:54-01:05:38)Referenced ResourcesNew International Dictionary of New Testament Theology in Exegesis, Moisés SilvaCheck out Tim’s library here.You can experience our entire library of resources in the BibleProject app, available for Android and iOS.Show Music Original Sermon on the Mount music by Richie KohenBibleProje

Sermon on the Mount E22 – The first half of the Lord’s Prayer features three requests on behalf of God and his Kingdom: he is our Father in the skies, whose name we recognize as holy and whose way of life we want to see on the land. The second half of the Lord’s prayer focuses on four personal requests, where we seek to align our needs with God’s wisdom. In this episode, Jon and Tim discuss the first request of “daily bread” and its connections to stories and wisdom in the Hebrew Bible.  View more resources on our website →Timestamps Chapter 1: Recap up to This Point (0:00-10:47)Chapter 2: The Meaning of “Daily Bread” in Greek (10:47-16:55)Chapter 3: “Daily Bread” in Exodus or Abundance in Proverbs? (16:55-34:36)Chapter 4: Reorienting Toward Radical Trust and Dependence (34:36-43:52)Referenced ResourcesJesus: A Very Short Introduction by Richard BauckhamCheck out Tim’s library here.You can experience our entire library of resources in the BibleProject app, available for Android and iOS.Show Music Original Ser

Sermon on the Mount E21 – Prayer is at the center of the center of the Sermon on the Mount. And it’s in this section of teaching that Jesus gives us a simple prayer that we can participate in. It’s only 12 lines long, but it contains a universe of ideas that center us with God. In this episode, Jon and Tim discuss the first half of the prayer: “Our Father who is in the skies, may your name be recognized as holy. May your Kingdom come and your will be done as it is in the skies so also on the land.”  View more resources on our website →Timestamps Chapter 1: Our Father (00:00-9:38)Chapter 2:  In the skies (9:38-16:20)Chapter 3: May your name be recognized as holy (16:20-26:15)Chapter 4: May your kingdom come, and may your will be done (26:15-36:01)Chapter 5: Checking in on the Lord’s Prayer Song (36:01-40:33)Referenced ResourcesCheck out Tim’s library here.You can experience our entire library of resources in the BibleProject app, available for Android and iOS.Show Music Original Sermon on the Mount music by Ri