Send us a text What this episode covers: · How 1 Samuel bridges the eras of the Judges and the Kings · The key literary structure built around Samuel, Saul, and David · Why Samuel is the “hinge” of Israel’s history — last judge, first prophet · How Israel’s demand for a king reveals the tension between human desire and divine will · &...

Send us a text In this episode, we explore one of the most pivotal turning points in Israel’s history — the moment they demanded a king. What looked like a political request was actually a spiritual crisis: impatience, fear, conformity, and a refusal to wait on God. We trace Israel's request, God’s warning, and the consequences that followed, and we draw out six core lessons for believers today — especially the call to wait on the Lord rather than force His hand. Key Themes: Wan...

Send us a text In this episode, we watch Israel return to the Lord under the leadership of Samuel — and witness how repentance, prayer, and wholehearted devotion bring supernatural deliverance and lasting peace. After twenty years of spiritual drifting, God’s people finally respond to Samuel’s call: “Return to the Lord with all your hearts.” What follows is a model for spiritual renewal that still speaks to us today: Return to the LordPut away the idolsPrepare your heartServe Him aloneWhat ...

Send us a text What happens when a nation tries to live without God? In this powerful new episode, we explore how moral confusion and cultural decline begin when we push God out — and how believers today can stand firm, think biblically, and live godly in the midst of it all. Catch On Fire PodcastsThis channel does a deep dive into the scriptures so as to teach what it means to be...Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify Support the show To listen to my monthly church history podcast, sub...

Send us a text In this episode, we follow the remarkable story of the Ark of the Covenant’s return from Philistine captivity — a moment that revealed both the foolishness of human superstition and the sovereignty of God. Through this ancient account, we discover a simple truth: God will not be mocked, and what is holy must be treated as holy. But the lesson doesn’t stop in 1 Samuel. We can also trace a parallel to the New Testament church at Corinth, where Paul warns believers not to dish...

Send us a text Today, we’re asking one of the hardest and most human questions anyone can ever ask: Why did the Lord allow this to happen? Now, let’s be honest — we’ve all asked that question at some point. The truth is, there’s rarely just one answer. Scripture gives us many different reasons why the Lord allows hardship, difficulty, or even disaster. But today, I want us to focus on just one particular possibility that’s revealed in 1 Samuel chapter 4. It’s not the only explanation, and p...

Send us a text And so, friends, what we look at today, in a sense, is the heart of the Christian life. We are called to walk worthy of our calling. To live in a way that reflects the One who has called us out of darkness into His marvellous light. Paul says: Don’t walk like the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their minds. Don’t drift back to what you once were. Instead, put off the old self, be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and put on the new self, created according to God in true r...

Send us a text In this episode, we continue one of the most tender and powerful moments in Israel’s history — the story of Hannah, her prayer, her obedience, and her son Samuel, who would become a prophet and kingmaker. From Hannah’s barrenness to her blessing, from her vow to her victory, we see the truth that anchors the entire book of 1 Samuel: “Those who honour Me, I will honour.” We’ll reflect on what it means to raise godly children in a godless age, how the influence of a praying par...

Send us a text In this episode, we explore how Hannah’s praise moves from personal gratitude to profound theology. From the pain of waiting to the joy of revelation, she discovers that God is sovereign — over life and death, over blessing and loss, over every turn of the human story. Her song anticipates the coming King, pointing forward to the Messiah Himself. Takeaway: True praise doesn’t just thank God for what He’s done — it trusts Him for what He’s doing and worships Him fo...

Send us a text In this episode, we consider the story of Hannah—a woman whose sorrow turned into song. Through her perseverance, prayer, and surrender, we learn how God uses human weakness to display His power. This is a story about the faith that prays through tears, the peace that comes through surrender, and the God who remembers His people. Key Takeaways: God answers prayer in His time and His way. True worship flows from gratitude, not just need. The Lord of Hosts is unlimited in His p...

Send us a text In this episode, we explore the structure and purpose of 1 Samuel — tracing Israel’s transformation from a loose confederation under the judges to a united monarchy under David. Through the lives of Samuel, Saul, and David, we see how God establishes His kingdom and reveals what true leadership looks like: not self-rule, but submission to divine authority. Support the show To listen to my monthly church history podcast, subscribe at; https://thehistoryofthechristianchurch.buz...

Send us a text Book Reviewed: The Story of the Trinity by Bryan M. Litfin (Baker Books, 2025) Understanding how the doctrine of the Trinity developed in the early churchWhy Nicaea (325) and Constantinople (381) still matter todayHow theology arises from lived worship, not mere philosophyThe modern misunderstandings of the Trinity and how to correct themWhat the Trinity teaches us about relationship, love, and divine unityQuote: “The Trinity isn’t an abstract puzzle for theologians — it’s ...

Send us a text Welcome to This Special Bonus Episode originally posted on Patreon in April 2025. Today, I'm thrilled to present a special extra-long bonus episode I have called "Can We Build a Bridge to Heaven." This episode dives into a conversation I have been having with myself that spans philosophy, theology, and political history, groups I have been attending these last 4+ years, it even touches on modern technology. Exploring some of the important questions of our time, includin...

Send us a text This episode was originally released as a Patreon-only bonus episode on the 5th of March 2025. Episode Summary: In this special bonus episode, I explore the political thought of Hannah Arendt—particularly her seminal work The Origins of Totalitarianism—from a biblical and theological perspective. Arendt’s analysis of 20th-century totalitarianism is as relevant today as ever, but what happens when we place her ideas alongside the timeless truths of Scripture? We begin with a ...

Send us a text This episode was originally released as a Patreon only episode in March 2025 as a reaction to the first meeting in the Oval Office between Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelensky. Summary: Throughout history, political thinkers have sought to understand the nature of power, war, and human ambition. The question I ask, having been exposed to the writings of three important works of political philosophy, is, but do their insights align with biblical wisdom? In this special bo...

Send us a text This an edited version of the In Our Time discussion on Joyce's Ulysses For the BBC podcast, upon which this presentation a discussion about. https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/in-our-time/id73330895?i=1000368640008 For the 1982 RTE Audio Version of the book. https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/ulysses-james-joyce/id1517040628 For a complete text and notes for my entire series of talks on James Joyce ( 4 hours over 3 talks), follow the link below. https://www.patre...

Send us a text This is a full version of the podcast episode issued as part of by report and reaction to the James Joyce Centenary exhibition released on Soundcloud on the 25th November 2022. Click on the link at the bottom to listen to the Sound scape I created and entered into the Irish Tourist Board's background soundscapes to be used at "The Properties of Water Installation", during the festival. It was shortlisted for consideration but not used. Study Notes: James Joyce and Rel...

Send us a text Please bear in mind this is recording of my practice of a talk I gave in February 2025 to a group of secular artists as a means of connecting with non-believers who operate in the creative arts in the areas of Music, Poetry, and Art. It is an attempt to help them see their creative process as a potential opportunity to approach God. "Art, Music, Poetry: Is It a Pathway to Christian Spirituality?" This presentation explores the concept of mysticism, challenging the misconc...

Send us a text This is the full-length, unedited version of my reaction to The Life and Work of Emma Goldman. Previously made available to my patrons in a 54-minute edited form. Hope you find it informative and helpful in understanding the unbiblical ideas that underpin the radical left and anarchist movements. Support the show To listen to my monthly church history podcast, subscribe at; https://thehistoryofthechristianchurch.buzzsprout.com For an ad-free version of my podcasts plus the opp...

Send us a text Welcome to today’s between-the-seasons bonus episode, in which I explore the fascinating—and deeply challenging—findings of Stanley Milgram's famous Obedience to Authority experiments and consider what they reveal about human nature, authority, and morality from a biblical perspective. This post was originally made available as a special post for those who follow me on Patreon. patreon.com/JeremyMcCandless Milgram’s research highlights the unsettling reality of how easily peo...