PLEASE MIGRATE TO @REDEMPTION ARC: bit.ly/rarc We start the story of why evil exists in the world at its source, Lucifer, an influential angel gone bad. The struggle for power and domination progresses through Lucifer's heart and then moves on to infect others, as he uses deceit to turn even divine beings against God. Sin migrates to our planet, and we set the stage for next week's episode, Job, where we will confront God with the age-old question, "Why do bad things happen to good people?"  We also discuss why Eve being the first to sin does not mean that male headship makes se ..read more

PLEASE MIGRATE TO @REDEMPTION ARC: bit.ly/rarc We discuss one of Jesus's most famous parables about opposing prejudice, and discuss how even the language used to describe the story misses the point. A self-righteous lawyer attempts to finagle an exception to "love thy neighbor." In response, Jesus tells a story of a Jewish traveler that leads even the lawyer to conclude that "love thy neighbor" is a command without exception. The lawyer is forced to confront the fact that the groups of people that disgust him the most don't quite live up to stereotypes. We discuss what that means for us today ..read more

PLEASE MIGRATE TO @REDEMPTION ARC: https://bit.ly/rarc We see Hezekiah's son enter the world with seemingly no objective but to watch the world burn. When he is captured by his enemies, he must face himself and his own actions. When he dies, his grandson Josiah inherits the throne. Like a well-known fictional character, Josiah has to decide whether he'll look to his brutal grandfather as a role model or move beyond that legacy into a new way of living.  CONTENT WARNING: TW: Discussion of self-harm. Violence: 2/5 Consensual Sexual Contact: N/A Sexual Assault: N/A Discrimination: N/A THEME ..read more

PLEASE MIGRATE TO @REDEMPTION ARC: https://bit.ly/rarc High off the victory over Sennacherib, Hezekiah gets a crushing diagnosis from the prophet Isaiah. Yet all is not lost, and God plays with the laws of space and time to show the king that there's still hope for him. But when Hezekiah meets mysterious foreigners, he loses himself in a desperate attempt to impress them, and God is displeased. In a sudden turn of events, the king becomes surprisingly callous, and we discuss what it means to be insensitive to the plight of future generations. We also question whether we're really putting our b ..read more

PLEASE MIGRATE TO @REDEMPTION ARC: https://bit.ly/rarc A man wakes up in the Greek underworld and tries to piece together the circumstances of his death. As he talks to the mysterious bartender, he gleefully describes how he ignored his own eyes and ears until the moment of his brutal stabbing. We start to despise him for his stupidity, but maybe we're equally guilty? CONTENT WARNING: Violence: 4/5 Consensual Sexual Contact: N/A Sexual Assault: N/A Discrimination: N/A THEME MUSIC CREDITS: Intro Theme Music is "Carnival" by Roa. "Roa - Carnival" is is under a Creative Commons (CC BY 3.0) licens ..read more

PLEASE MIGRATE TO @REDEMPTION ARC: https://bit.ly/rarc Hungry for opportunity, our main character nervously plants himself in the very region he's been warned is a haven for unspeakable evil. Years later, he's so desensitized that he can barely see the cruelty all around him. Two mysterious visitors show up on his doorstep, desperate to make him aware of the danger before it's too late. In our discussion of the story, we talk about why tolerating oppression is a major threat to our spiritual life. CONTENT WARNING: Violence: 3/5 Consensual Sexual Contact: N/A Sexual Assault: 5/5 Discrimination ..read more

PLEASE LISTEN TO THE FULL EPISODE HERE: https://open.spotify.com/episode/4uEiP0Mj5q1jrSjBfPCzYe?si=f066fb407d614e18 HERE: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/redemption-arc/id1719030416?i=1000643909322 Or to Redemption Arc anywhere you get your podcasts. A man wakes up in the Greek underworld and tries to piece together the circumstances of his death. As he talks to the mysterious bartender, he gleefully describes how he ignored his own eyes and ears until the moment of his brutal stabbing. We start to despise him for his stupidity, but maybe we're equally guilty? CONTENT WARNING: Violence ..read more

My new podcast, Redemption Arc, will be streaming starting January 19, and then every other Friday until the end of the season. You can find the show here: https://open.spotify.com/show/4HJB7Sm9JKWkLlo5f2Tjah https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/redemption-arc/id1719030416 MUSIC CREDITS: Opening theme is "Carnival" by Roa. "Roa - Carnival" is is under a Creative Commons (CC BY 3.0) license. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/b... https://youtube.com/c/RoaMusic Closing theme is "Joy of Travel" by Zakhar Valaha. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/talesfromsacredt ..read more

Tales From Sacred Texts will be rebooted as a new podcast, Redemption Arc, in lieu of a Season 4. It's a bittersweet announcement for me and I explain my reasoning in this short audio bite. Please find the trailer for Redemption Arc here: SPOTIFY: https://open.spotify.com/show/4HJB7Sm9JKWkLlo5f2Tjah?si=80165d9dd6814797 APPLE PODCASTS: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/redemption-arc/id1719030416 AUDIO CREDITS: Intro music by Caleb Howard. Closing music is by Evoke Music. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/talesfromsacredtexts/support ..read more

In the season 3 finale, we finally wrap up the story of David and Bathsheba as God steps in to wake King David out of his stupor. As he realizes the enormity of what he's done, David becomes overwhelmed and deeply repentant. Unfortunately, through his actions, he's already set a chain of events in motion that will lead to suffering and tragedy. We discuss how we as Christians have a duty to oppose those who, like David, use their power to hurt others. CONTENT WARNINGS: Violence: 2.5/5 Sexuality: 2/5 (including some mentions of sexual assault) Discriminatory themes: 2/5 MUSIC CREDITS: Vlad Glus ..read more