Creeds, Confessions, and Catechisms (Roundtables)

In today's episode Zach and Cody discuss the importance of creeds, confessions, and catechisms that have been passed down to us from centuries ago. How can we benefit from consulting and studying these resources?

The Little Fountain: Relieving Tension (Phil. 4:1-3)

When tension arises between us and another, how should we respond? Paul addresses a significant disagreement between two of the women at the church of Philippi, and helps us learn some principles for dealing with differences with believers and unbelievers alike.

Know Your Theologian: Charles Spurgeon (Roundtables)

In today's episode we continue our "Know Your Theologian" with a discussion of Charles Spurgeon, a 19th-century preacher, particular Baptist, and theologian hailing from Essex, England. Spurgeon is well known for his engaging sermons and devotional works such as Morning and Evening. Today, Zach and Cody discuss Spurgeon's influence in their own studies and great resources to recommend. Check out the end of the episode for a surprise!

For Whom Did Christ Die? (Roundtables)

1 John 2:2 says that Christ is an advocate for us and that He is not only the propitiation for our sins, but for the sins "of the whole world." What does this mean? Is John suggesting that Christ's death was a sort of universal redemption (He died for all of sin of all mankind), or is the atonement particular in nature? Today, Zach and Cody talk about the doctrine of Limited Atonement, break down 1 John 2:2 and offer some biblical and logical supports for a view of particular redemption. This is a critical doctrine to get right.

The Little Fountain: Citizenship (Phil. 3:17-21)

With the world reeling over recent tragedy and examples of human suffering, it is easy to lose track of our safety, both physically and spiritually. In this passage of Philippians, Charles walks us through Paul's exhortation to the people at Philippi and outlines the significance of having our citizenship in heaven.

The Little Fountain: Forgetting and Straining (Phil. 3:12-16)

The Christian life is oftentimes described as a journey. It is a lifelong, time-consuming, curvy road we walk down for our entire lives. In Philippians 3:12-16, Paul extends this metaphor out and talks about the one thing we should strive to do. Uniting the importance of "forgetting what is behind" with "straining forward to what is ahead," Paul is teaching us a fundamental discipline in living the Christian life.

Systematic Theology (Roundtables)

The phrase "systematic theology" can come off as intimidating, but actually it's a really beneficial approach to studying God for all of us. What is systematic theology, why should non-seminary students study it, and what qualities make up a good systematic treatment of God? Zach and Cody seek to discuss these questions and more on today's episode.

The Little Fountain: The Suprassing Worth of Knowing Christ (Phil. 3:8-11)

In today's podcast, Zach continues the study of Philippians and draws out the four key implications of knowing Christ and why it's of "surpassing worth."

The Little Fountain: Sola Gratia (Phil. 3:1-7)

One of the key components of the Reformation was upholding and protecting Sola Gratia, or "grace alone." But what does this concept look like in our Christian walk, and according to Paul's letter to Philippi. In opening to the beginning of Philippians 3, Charles helps unpack this rich doctrine of grace.

Know Your Theologian: Herman Bavinck (Roundtables)

On today's episode of Cultivated, Zach takes some time to examine another theologian in the "Know Your Theologian" series. This episode centers on the life and work of Dr. Herman Bavinck, a Dutch Reformed theologian who most notably was Abraham Kuyper's successor at Free University. Bavinck's classic Reformed Dogmatics just became fully translated in English only a mere 7 years ago. What did Bavinck contribute to our understanding of the Christian faith? Find that out along with key resource recommendations on today's episode.

The Little Fountain: The Man of Honor (Phil. 2:25-30)

The discipleship model of Epaphroditus is drawn out by Paul to close the second chapter of Philippians. In this passage we get to see the honorable qualities of Epaphroditus and his ministry. What does Paul mean when he calls Epaphroditus a "brother," a "worker," and a "soldier?" Zach spends some time discussing the relationships between Epaphroditus and us, and ultimately, Epaphroditus and Christ.

The Little Fountain: Discipleship (Phil. 2:19-24)

As a pastor once said, "Each Christian should have three things–A Timothy, a Paul, and a Barnabas." Who are the Timothys, Pauls, and Barnabas' in your life? As we dig into Paul's mentor relationship with Timothy near the end of Philippians 2, Charles helps us examine the characteristics of true discipleship.

The Little Fountain: The Good Man's Life and Death (by Charles Spurgeon, Phil. 1:21)

This is a sermon from 1857 in which Charles Spurgeon preached on Philippians 1:21. He addresses what it means to live for Christ, to die with gain, and why and how we can improve in these matters today.

The Little Fountain: Lights (Phil. 2:14-16)

We are familiar with the passage in Matthew 5 where Jesus calls his disciples "lights of the world." But how does that look practically in our everyday lives? Charles walks us through Philippians 2:14-16 where Paul also recognizes our "lighting" of the "crooked and twisted generation" we live in, and how we walk in that attitude.

The Little Fountain: Empowered Living (Phil. 2:12-13)

Paul continues in his letter to the Philippians, drawing off of Christ's example of humility and showing the church and believers everywhere that we obey God on the basis of fear and trembling. What does this fear look like? And where do we get the ability to work and will for His good? Zach unpacks these two verses in this week's episode.

The Little Fountain: To The Glory of God (Phil. 2:9-11)

In reading Scripture, it is easy to skip over transitional words and phrases. But when we step back and connect the dots, we see that words such as "therefore," "so that," and "to the" are helping us give the acts of the Bible purpose. As we continue our study of Philippians, Charles outlines these three words or phrases from Philippians 2:9-11 that indicate Christ's ultimate purpose.

Did God Give Joel Osteen a Pulpit? (Roundtables)

Most Christians do not deny that God is powerful, that He is Creator, and that everything happens by His will. But when it comes to someone like megachurch pastor and celebrity Joel Osteen, can we honestly say that God put such a person in that position? If God is for His glory above everything else, how could He let Joel Osteen preach on Sunday mornings, and let such people sit under his false teaching? Zach and Cody are here to discuss the sovereignty of God, how God ordains and uses preachers like Joel Osteen, and why going on a cruise ship with Joel would be kind of fun.

Here, There, or Everywhere?: An Honest Look at the Mission Field (Roundtables)

Are we doing a better job on mission in our backyards, or overseas? Certainly a multi-faceted questions with a lot of discussion points to think about. In today's roundtable, Zach and Cody take some time to discuss their experiences on the mission field, what they see in how the Church is approaching domestic and foreign missions, and how we can improve both of these areas of ministry.

The Little Fountain: True Humility (Phil. 2:5-8)

In coming to one of the most popular passages in the book of Philippians, Zach sets up how to live in gospel humility. To do that, we have to focus less on the vicious cycle of application and start focusing on the theology of the Incarnation. That will be the spark to our understanding of the importance of living humble lives. Today we'll talk about the purest form of humility in the example of Christ.

The Little Fountain: The Unified Mind (Phil. 2:1-4)

Charles starts off Philippians 2 with a word on church unity and how it requires a foreign mindset. We are going to consider three pieces concerning unity that are natural to the human nature, but unnatural to the Christian.

The Little Fountain: Granted (Phil. 1:29-30)

This week we are joined again by Charles Hampton as he finishes out the first chapter of Philippians. Charles highlights the importance of the word "granted" in this passage and discusses what it means to have "active faith" instead of "passive faith."

The Little Fountain: Side by Side (Phil. 1:27-28)

Unity in spirit, mind, and body has been one of the biggest hurdles the Church has faced in our society. Divisions and barriers are being built instead of being knocked down. The gospel is certainly powerful enough to destroy any barrier to unity, but how do we get to that point? And is church unity really that important? Zach discusses Philippians 1:27-28.

Know Your Theologian: Dietrich Bonhoeffer (Roundtable)

One of the most prominent twentieth-century theologians, Dietrich Bonhoeffer left behind a rich legacy of wisdom through his books and teachings. Even more so, his life reflected a commitment to Gospel truth, even to the point of being martyred in the faith by the Gestapo of Nazi Germany. In today's episode, Zach and Cody discuss a whole host of topics on Bonhoeffer, including his plot to kill Hitler, his best books, and what we can learn from him.

On Bible Marking (Roundtables)

Some people cannot bear to mark in their Bible. Others have marked, underlined, and highlighted almost every word, making it nearly unreadable. In this episode, Zach and Cody discuss the importance of marking in our Bibles, different methods for marking, and suggestions for reading and study along the way.

The Little Fountain: The Person Driven Life (Phil. 1:24-26)

We're all familiar with The Purpose-Driven Life, a book that millions of people studied in search of an answer to the ultimate question: "What on earth am I here for?" Paul, by contrast, asks a different question throughout Philippians and his other writings: "Who on earth am I here for?" Zach walks through Phil. 1:24-26 in search for "The Person-Driven Life."

The Little Fountain: Unshakable Confidence (Phil. 1:21-23)

"To live is Christ, to die is gain." That's an easy verse to memorize or put on wall decor, but it's really hard to live. How did Paul write that statement with such conviction? In today's section of Philippians, Zach outlines Paul's unshakable confidence, both in this passage and throughout his letters.

The Little Fountain: Honoring Christ (Phil. 1:19-20)

In these two verses, Charles expounds on the three-fold meaning of Paul's behavior of "honoring Christ." We see Paul's confidence really begin to take form in the text here, and this confidence will drive the rest of the chapter home.

The Proof and Value of an Historical Adam

One of the fundamental issues facing the defense of Biblical inerrancy is the doctrine of Adam. While many people theorize and begin to doubt Adam's physical existence, we must turn to Scripture. Does Scripture prove and demonstrate Adam as historical? And, if so, why is it so important to the gospel, and further, to our lives? Charles and Zach discuss.

The Little Fountain: Proclamation (Phil. 1:15-18)

"Proclamation of the gospel is about the gospel being proclaimed, period." In this week's podcast, Charles highlights verses 15-18 of Philippians 1 and explains three motives Paul elaborates on in the passage.

The Little Fountain: The Optimistic Prisoner (Phil. 1:12-14)

How do we live when we don't know where to turn? And how do we suffer with joy the way Paul did amidst his circumstances? In Philippians 1:12-14, we learn that not only the gospel will advance, but there are implications for that truth. Zach walks us through these implications on this week's episode.

The Little Fountain: Abounding Love (Phil. 1:9-11)

What does it mean to abound in love? In this week's look at Philippians, Zach walks through the importance of "abounding love" in our churches and communities, and four fruits that are the result of an abundant love.

Know Your Theologian: Martin Luther (Roundtables)

In today's roundtable, Zach and his brother and fellow "armchair theologian" Cody kick of the "Know Your Theologian" mini-series with a discussion on the life and works of Martin Luther. Luther is a famous 16th-century Reformer, credited for his role as patriarch of the Protestant Reformation. There are many things to love about Luther, some controversies that should be addressed, and a whole host of book suggestions in this episode. Stay tuned for the ending - there's a surprise!

The Little Fountain: Partners (Phil. 1:3-8)

This week, Charles takes a look at verses 3-8 in the first chapter of Philippians, and what it means to have a "partnership in the gospel" with the church at Philippi. Paul has much to say in this passage about joy, prayer, grace, and the work of Christ.

The Little Fountain: The Greeting (Phil. 1:1-2)

This week Zach discusses the importance of the introduction to the Epistle to the Philippians, and takes a wide-angle look at the opening two verses of the book, examining the many various joys that Paul alludes to throughout these verses.

Commentaries (Roundtables)

Our first roundtable discussion focuses on the subject of commentaries. Charles and Zach discuss why commentaries are a useful tool, right and wrong ways to use them, and practical steps to applying them to your own Bible study or teaching prep.

The Little Fountain: Introduction (Acts 16)

Today Zach kicks off our study through the Book of Philippians, "The Little Fountain," looking at the history of Philippi and the formation of the Philippian church in Acts 16. This was a pivotal moment in Paul's ministry, and in the overall growth of the church, through wildly unexpected beginnings.