Episode 2.70
Every New Year feels like standing at the edge of something new. Fresh starts. New resolutions. Another chance.
But Scripture reminds us that real change rarely comes through dramatic leaps—it comes through faithful steps.
In this episode, Michael and Zach reflect on the biblical meaning of the Jordan River as a place of transition, renewal, and obedience. From Israel entering the Promised Land, to Elijah and Elisha, to Naaman’s healing, to Jesus’ own baptism, the Jordan marks moments where God brings His people through change, not around it.
Using the New Year as a natural pause for reflection, the conversation explores:
-Why we’re drawn to fresh starts
-Why New Year’s resolutions often fail
-How sanctification works through ordinary, repeated obedience
-The difference between chasing goals and walking faithfully in a direction
-Why God’s grace transforms us slowly—but surely
This is a reminder that the Christian life isn’t about instant arrival, but steady movement—crossing the water one step at a time, trusting the God who goes with us.
If you’re entering a new year feeling hopeful, hesitant, or worn out, this episode is an invitation to begin again—not with pressure, but with presence.
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The Crisis That Gave Birth to Modern Philosophy
Episode 2.69
Before René Descartes ever said “I think, therefore I am,” Western thought was already in crisis.
For nearly two thousand years, Aristotle’s philosophical system shaped how the West understood knowledge, reality, ethics, and even science. But between the 1500s and 1600s, that system collapsed—undermined by the scientific revolution and shaken by the realization that trusted authorities could be wrong.
In this episode, Michael and Zach trace:
-Aristotle’s dominance in medieval thought
-His rediscovery and integration into Christian theology
-The cracks introduced by nominalism and internal scholastic tensions
-The decisive blow dealt by Copernicus, Galileo, and Kepler
-The resulting crisis of knowledge that split Europe into empiricist and rationalist camps
This is the story of how the West lost its shared foundation for truth—and why Descartes’ famous line was not arrogance, but desperation.
Part 1 sets the stage for the modern philosophical divide and prepares the ground for Descartes’ attempt to rebuild certainty from the ground up.
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Episode 2.68
This Christmas Day episode presents a dramatic reading of the biblical nativity—told entirely through Scripture.
Drawing from Luke 2:1–20, Matthew 1:18–2:12, and John 1:1–18, the story of Christ’s coming is heard as it unfolds: the decree of Caesar, the quiet obedience of Joseph, the wonder of the shepherds, the worship of the Magi, and the eternal Word made flesh.
Paired with visual imagery that reflects each scene, this reading invites listeners and viewers to slow down, listen, and behold the glory of the incarnation—not as sentiment, but as the arrival of the Light of the world.
No commentary. No embellishment. Just the Word of God proclaimed on Christmas Day.
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Episode 2.67
What does it actually mean to say that God became man?
In this episode of Take 2 Theology, the incarnation of the second person of the Trinity is explored—who became incarnate, what changed, and what did not. The discussion walks through classic Christian teaching on Christ’s full deity and full humanity, drawing from Scripture, the Chalcedonian Definition, and the Athanasian Creed.
Key theological questions are addressed:
How can Christ be one person with two natures?
Why the incarnation must be assumption, not subtraction
Where Christ’s obedience belongs—in His humanity, not His eternal being
Why debates over eternal subordination matter for the Trinity and worship
The episode also explores whether the incarnation was merely God’s response to sin or central to His eternal plan, and why Christ’s two wills make His obedience real rather than symbolic.
If Jesus is not fully God, worship collapses. If He is not fully human, salvation fails. The incarnation stands at the center of Christian theology—and this episode explains why it still matters.
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Episode 2.66
Michael and Zach sit down with Tim Bryant, founder and president of the Lowcountry Biblical Counseling Center, for a wide-ranging conversation on what truly distinguishes biblical counseling from both secular approaches and broader forms of “Christian counseling.”
Tim explains the foundations of nouthetic counseling—rooted in Scripture, focused on the heart, and committed to real transformation rather than symptom management. As a member of the Association of Certified Biblical Counselors (ACBC), Tim explains how biblical counseling addresses the whole person by dealing honestly with sin, suffering, and sanctification, rather than reframing problems or merely validating emotions.
The discussion turns practical as they explore common emotional struggles such as fear, anger, and depression, and how Scripture provides concrete tools for change. Tim walks through the biblical pattern of put off / put on, showing how lasting growth comes through repentance, renewed thinking, and obedience. They also discuss the value of meditation walks—intentional time spent walking, praying, and meditating on Scripture—as a way to reorient the heart and mind toward truth.
This episode offers clarity, pastoral wisdom, and hope, reminding listeners that real change is possible—not through techniques alone, but through the transforming power of God’s Word applied faithfully to everyday life.
Lowcountry Biblical Counseling Center: http://www.lcbcc.org
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Episode 2.65
Every December, churches sing Joy to the World as if it were written for the manger. But historically—and theologically—that’s not quite true. In this episode, Michael and Zach explore the surprising origins of one of the most beloved Christmas hymns and ask a simple question: What is this song actually about?
Written by Isaac Watts and drawn primarily from Psalm 98, Joy to the World is not a nativity hymn but a declaration of kingship. It celebrates the Lord coming to reign, judge the world with righteousness, and restore creation—not the quiet birth of a child in Bethlehem. There are no shepherds, angels, or manger scenes here. Instead, the imagery is cosmic: seas roaring, fields rejoicing, nations witnessing salvation, and creation responding to the arrival of its King.
That doesn’t make Joy to the World unfit for Christmas—it makes it richer. Christmas marks the arrival of the King whose reign Psalm 98 anticipates. Advent looks not only backward to Christ’s first coming but forward to His return. The hymn pulls Christmas out of sentimentality and anchors it in hope: sin and sorrow will not reign forever, because Christ does.
In a season often focused on comfort and nostalgia, Joy to the World reminds believers that Christmas is not just about a baby—it’s about a throne. We sing it not because the world is already joyful, but because its King has come…and He’s coming again.
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Episode 2.64
This final episode brings the whole adoption series together by reviewing the Father’s plan, the Son’s costly redemption, and the Spirit’s sealing work—then turning the spotlight onto what Scripture says adoption does in believers. Drawing from Ephesians 1 and Romans 8, the lesson shows that adoption is not only a change of legal status but a lifelong transformation into the likeness of the One who adopted us.
The hosts walk through the blessings Paul lists in Ephesians 1—election, redemption, forgiveness, sealing, inheritance—and show how each of these is an adoption benefit, rooted in God’s eternal love. Then Romans 8 unfolds the lived reality: sons and daughters led by the Spirit, freed from fear, empowered to fight sin, assured of belonging, and destined for glory. Adoption gives believers a new name, a new family, a new identity, and a new future.
The episode emphasizes that God’s children aren’t just declared righteous—they are reshaped, conformed to the image of His Son (Rom. 8:29). Adoption always produces resemblance. The Father who chose us before the foundation of the world is the same Father who will finish the work He began, transforming His children so that the family likeness becomes unmistakable.
Big truth: Adoption is grace past, grace present, and glory future. God claims His children, forms them, keeps them, and brings them home.
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Episode 2.63
This episode explores the biblical theme of naming—from Adam in Genesis to Jesus in Revelation—and shows how naming reveals authority, identity, mission, and destiny. Michael and Zach trace how Scripture uses naming to communicate dominion (Adam naming the animals), responsibility (parents naming their children), divine revelation (God naming Himself in Exodus 3), and testimony (Hagar calling God El Roi). The episode highlights how Jesus wields unmatched authority over the spiritual realm, silencing demons who attempt to name Him, and how He renames His followers—Peter the Rock, the Sons of Thunder—to define their calling.
The hosts show how naming attempts in the ancient world were often tied to power, control, or manipulation, yet Jesus resists every attempt to be defined by others. From Philippians 2’s “name above every name” to Revelation’s mysterious “name no one knows but Himself,” the Bible presents Christ as both revealed and inexhaustible.
The episode concludes by connecting naming to adoption: God places His own name on His children, granting belonging, identity, and security. The God who cannot be claimed or controlled chooses to claim us—writing His name on His people and inviting them into His family forever.
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Episode 2.62
Week 4 turns to the Holy Spirit and shows how He makes our adoption real, experiential, and secure. Building on the Father’s eternal plan (Ephesians 1) and the Son’s costly redemption (Galatians 4), Michael and Zach walk through Romans 8:14–17 to show that believers are not spiritual orphans or fearful slaves, but Spirit-led sons and daughters. The Spirit empowers the fight against sin, replaces fear with the “Spirit of adoption,” and bears witness that we truly belong to God—teaching us to cry “Abba, Father” with both tenderness and desperation, just as Jesus did in Gethsemane. Tied to November’s Pure Religion Sunday (James 1:27), the episode connects doctrine to practice: real religion moves toward the vulnerable, because God moved toward us. The hosts also unpack what it means to be heirs with Christ—a status that includes both suffering and future glory—and return to the theme of names and identity: adoption gives us a new family, a new name, and a new way to live that honors the God whose name we bear.
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Episode 2.61
You’ve probably heard that all the apostles were martyred—except John.
But how much of that is actually true?
Capping off their series on Paul, Michael and Zach take a historical look at the final days of the apostles and those “apostle-adjacent” figures—asking what we know for sure, what we strongly suspect, and what we can only propose.
Starting with Paul’s well-attested martyrdom in Rome, the conversation moves through the most certain cases—like James the son of Zebedee and James the brother of Jesus—before exploring the middle tier (Peter, John, Thomas, Andrew, Jude, and others) and ending with the most uncertain, legendary, or entirely lost traditions.
Drawing on New Testament data, early church writers, and historical analysis (including Sean McDowell’s research), this episode separates sober evidence from later legend—showing that some stories stand on rock-solid ground while others rest on centuries-later imagination.
Takeaway:
The diversity of evidence—clear for some apostles, foggy for others—doesn’t weaken the faith story; it strengthens it. The earliest witnesses lived and died with conviction, and history still echoes their testimony.
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Episode 2.60
Psalm 92 stands alone in the Psalter — “A Song for the Sabbath.”
It’s a perfectly balanced, chiastic psalm that blends praise, wisdom, and victory, with a single line shining at its center:
“The LORD is on high forever.”
In this episode, Zach and Michael unpack the psalm’s structure and theology, showing how the King’s deliverance foreshadows Christ’s triumph and how worship reorients our lives around God’s eternal rule.
Listeners will explore:
– The seven-fold symmetry that reveals divine perfection in the psalm’s design
– How the “flourishing of the wicked” is temporary, while the righteous thrive in God’s presence
– Why verse 8 (“You on high forever, LORD”) is the hinge that holds the entire psalm together
– How Sabbath worship reorders perspective and renews hope
– The connection between Psalm 92 and true thanksgiving — gratitude expressed in liturgical life
Takeaway:
Psalm 92 teaches that flourishing begins where worship takes root.
The wicked may bloom briefly, but only those planted in the Lord’s courts bear fruit forever.
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Episode 2.59
Almost everyone feels grateful—but not everyone practices thanksgiving.
In this episode, Zach and Michael unpack a distinction Scripture makes far more clearly than we often realize: gratitude is an inward posture; thanksgiving is an outward expression.
Drawing from both definitions and biblical insight, the discussion traces how gratitude acknowledges grace privately, while thanksgiving proclaims it publicly.
Hebrew thanksgiving, as Waltke notes, is not just saying “thank you”—it’s telling everyone what God has done (Psalm 100).
Listeners will explore:
– Why gratitude focuses on the gift, but thanksgiving exalts the Giver
– How gratitude fuels worship and thanksgiving completes it
– Why one without the other leads to either silence or showmanship
– How both together dismantle pride, calm anxiety, and deepen spiritual maturity
Through passages like Colossians 3, 1 Thessalonians 5, and Psalm 100, the episode reminds us that true worship is both felt and expressed — heart and mouth, reflection and declaration.
Takeaway:
Gratitude transforms perspective; thanksgiving transforms people.
When we learn to do both, we don’t just feel blessed — we become a blessing.
Thanksgiving is wearing your gratitude on the outside.
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Episode 2.58
Adoption is not sentimental — it’s sacrificial.
In this week’s episode, Zach and Michael turn from the Father’s loving plan to the Son’s redeeming work, showing that our adoption came at a staggering cost: the blood of Christ.
Drawing from Galatians 4:1–7, they trace the journey from slavery to sonship. Humanity once stood as heirs-in-waiting, bound under the law. But “in the fullness of time,” God sent His Son — born of woman, born under the law — to redeem us so that we might receive adoption as sons. The Son bore the curse we deserved (Gal. 3:13), freeing us to share in His own inheritance.
Paul’s phrase “adoption as sons” carries Roman legal weight: all believers — male and female — share in the same full rights before the Father because they are united to Christ, the true Son.
Our adoption was not cheap. It required the cross.
Romans 5 reminds us: “While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” God didn’t adopt the neutral — He adopted the hostile. Every believer’s redemption is a declaration of victory in a cosmic war.
Applications:
– Adoption is Warfare — every redeemed life is proof that Christ has conquered.
– Adoption is Costly — our family status required the Son’s death.
– Adoption Invites Worship — Jesus was forsaken so we could be welcomed.
– Adoption Shapes Gratitude — understanding the cost leads to humility and joy.
Big Idea:
Spiritual adoption is possible only because the Son paid the full price of redemption, securing our right to call His Father our Father.
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Episode 2.57
The letters are shorter now. The tone is quieter. The man who once turned the world upside down writes from a cell, preparing to hand the mission to others.
In this final chapter of Paul’s story, Zach and Michael explore the Pastoral Epistles — 1 & 2 Timothy and Titus — tracing the voice of a man who has nothing left to prove and everything left to give.
Paul’s words reveal a mentor, not a martyr; a father in the faith, not a fading apostle. He remembers mercy (“Christ Jesus came to save sinners, of whom I am foremost”), sets things in order (“Appoint elders in every town”), and finishes with peace (“I have fought the good fight…”). The “Old Soldier” models what it means to end well — not by strength, but by steadfastness.
Covered in this episode:
– How grace defines identity even after decades of ministry (1 Tim. 1:12–17)
– Why Paul’s legacy is measured in disciples, not monuments (2 Tim. 2:2; 4:6–8)
– What “guarding the good deposit” means for the next generation (2 Tim. 1:14)
– Why aging in faith should deepen gratitude, not cynicism
– How the gospel teaches us not just how to live, but how to finish
Takeaway:
The mark of maturity is not how loudly we start, but how faithfully we end.
Paul finishes his race not defeated, but fulfilled — a man at peace with both his failures and his finish.
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Episode 2.56
Before the world began, the Father had already decided to make us His own.
In this week’s episode, Zach and Michael trace the doctrine of adoption back to its eternal source—God’s loving plan “before the foundation of the world” (Ephesians 1:3–6). Adoption is not a divine backup plan but the very heartbeat of redemption.
The discussion unpacks how the Father chose, predestined, and purposed our adoption in love through Christ—joyfully, not reluctantly. His design was always to create a family of sons and daughters who reflect His holiness and live “to the praise of His glorious grace.”
Listeners are invited to:
– Rest in the Father’s plan — chosen before creation.
– Rejoice in His love — wanted, not pitied.
– Rely on His faithfulness — secure in His will.
– Respond in worship — praising the grace that made us His.
The episode closes by contrasting earthly adoption—beautiful but uncertain—with divine adoption—undeserved yet guaranteed. “The fix is in,” the hosts say: before time began, the Father had already written the ending. Through Christ, we are not merely accepted—we are wanted, chosen, and eternally loved.
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Episode 2.55
From a rented house in Rome, chained yet unbroken, Paul writes letters that overflow with gratitude and joy.
In this episode, Zach and Michael explore how the apostle’s identity has shifted—from fiery defender to faithful servant. No longer striving for approval, Paul sees his confinement not as defeat but as divine assignment.
Drawing from Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon, this conversation uncovers how the gospel reframes hardship as opportunity and how maturity turns suffering into stewardship. Paul’s chains become a metaphor for freedom: he’s not Rome’s prisoner, but Christ’s ambassador.
Covered in this episode:
– What it means to be an “ambassador in chains”
– The secret of contentment in Philippians 4
– How suffering in Colossians becomes service for others
– Why Philemon shows theology’s true test: reconciliation
– How limitation becomes God’s classroom for joy and faith
Takeaway:
Freedom isn’t the absence of chains—it’s the presence of Christ.
Paul’s joy behind bars proves that the gospel’s power isn’t hindered by circumstances; it shines brightest through them.
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Episode 2.54
Adoption isn’t a side note to salvation—it’s the summit of it.
In this opening week, Zach and Michael explore what Scripture means when it calls believers “sons of God.” Drawing from Ephesians 1, Romans 8, and Galatians 4, they unpack how adoption is both legal—a new standing before God—and transformational—a new likeness to Christ.
The discussion follows the ordo salutis to show why J. I. Packer called adoption “the highest privilege of the gospel.” A look at first-century Roman adoption sheds light on Paul’s language: adopted children received full rights, name, and inheritance, not as second-class heirs but as true sons.
Takeaway:
Adoption reveals the Father’s heart. Through Christ, we’re not just forgiven servants—we’re beloved sons invited to live like heirs of the King.
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Episode 2.53
Paul’s life was a contradiction — beaten yet joyful, weak yet unstoppable.
By the mid-50s A.D., he had endured rejection, imprisonment, and exhaustion. Yet his writings from this period reveal a man who found grace not by escaping pain, but by enduring it.
In this episode, Zach and Michael walk through Paul’s “theology of scars,” exploring how his sufferings shaped both his ministry and message. From the “spectacle” language of 1 Corinthians to the “thorn in the flesh” of 2 Corinthians and the anguish of Romans, Paul’s life becomes a living sermon: God’s strength is made perfect in weakness.
Covered in this episode:
– Why Paul’s ministry looked like failure to the world but victory to heaven
– The paradoxes of apostleship: sorrowful yet rejoicing, weak yet strong
– The “Fool’s Speech” and the radical humility behind Paul’s boasting
– Romans 7–9: Paul’s inner conflict and his deep compassion for Israel
– How hardship, not applause, authenticates the gospel worker
Takeaway:
The Christian life isn’t about avoiding pain—it’s about discovering power through it. Paul’s story reminds us that endurance, not ease, is the true proof of grace.
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Episode 2.52
Two short books. One urgent message.
Jude and 2 Peter sound like echoes of each other—warning about false teachers, moral corruption, and a church tempted to drift. But behind their similarities lies a sharp, Spirit-led call to courage and purity.
In this episode, Zach and Michael unpack how these “forgotten books at the back of the Bible” fit into the bigger New Testament story. They explore their shared language, debated relationship, and the timeless message that faith must be defended, not diluted.
Covered in this episode:
– How Jude and 2 Peter mirror each other almost word-for-word
– Whether Peter borrowed from Jude—or Jude from Peter
– What their warnings reveal about early heresies and modern ones
– 2 Peter’s threefold defense: God’s Word, judgment, and return
– Why Jude quotes 1 Enoch—and how it doesn’t undermine Scripture
– The call to “contend for the faith once delivered” in an age of moral confusion
Takeaway:
Grace doesn’t excuse sin, and delay doesn’t mean denial. God’s patience is mercy—but judgment and redemption are still on the clock.
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Episode 2.51
Before the shipwrecks and prison letters, Paul was a man under suspicion.
Not one of the Twelve. A former persecutor now claiming divine authority.
In his earliest writings—Galatians and 1 Thessalonians—Paul defends his calling, clarifies his gospel, and opens his heart as a pastor.
In this episode, Zach and Michael trace Paul’s transformation from zealot to apostle, exploring how God turned an enemy of the church into its most tireless servant.
Covered in this episode:
– Galatians 1: Paul’s authority “not from man, but from Christ”
– Galatians 2: Standing alone for gospel truth—even against Peter
– Galatians 4 & 6: The emotional cost of authentic ministry
– 1 Thessalonians 2–3: A pastor’s integrity and affection under fire
– How authority, courage, compassion, and credibility shaped Paul’s early ministry
Takeaway:
The early Paul isn’t polished—he’s passionate, bruised, and believable. His defense of apostleship shows what real ministry looks like when truth and tenderness meet.
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