Focus on Christ Podcast
167 episodes - English - Latest episode: 5 months ago - ★★★★★ - 3 ratingsA veteran pastor and a family physician tackles the tough questions that challenge our resolve, our faith, and our hope.
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Episodes
Episode 12: "I just want to die."
June 26, 2021 11:00 - 16 minutes - 11.4 MBEveryone dies, but not everyone has the sullen opportunity to face it before it happens. It's hard to know how one might respond when the clock winds down. Some cry out. Some pray. Others rage against God or someone they once loved. Some withdraw, stop eating, stop speaking. They shut off the world and shut out everyone else. As a pastor and physician, Jack and John have had too many encounters with those facing death. In Episode 12, Jack relays one such story that we hope makes a lasting im...
Episode 11: The Lord's Prayer
June 19, 2021 11:00 - 23 minutes - 16.3 MBListen as Jack and John unlock and unpack the Lord's instruction on prayer. Does it seem strange that Jesus' disciples had to ask him how to pray? I would have guessed prayer to be a normal part of first-century Jewish culture, but his closest followers asked him how to do it. I imagine they expected him to sound similar to one of the Pharisees. Big voice. Bold stance. Arms stretched toward heaven. But Jesus surprised them once again. First, he tells them to say "Our abba." Abba was child-s...
Episode 10: Alive Again
June 12, 2021 11:00 - 22 minutes - 15.7 MBWe only scratched the surface of the story of the lost son in Episode 8. Today, we take a closer look at the three stories Jesus used to confront the scribes and Pharisees. These teachers of the Law would have understood and related to the stories of the lost lamb and the lost coin. Any one of them, where they a shepherd, would certainly leave the rest of their flock secure in the fold to seek, rescue, and restore a lost lamb. The lamb was valuable and vulnerable. Likewise, they would have u...
Episode 9: God, Where Are You?
June 05, 2021 11:00 - 13 minutes - 9.56 MBJack and John tackle a big topic this week. "God, where are you?" When the world feels like it's falling apart, it's easy to wonder if God is there. Is He here? Is He listening, watching? Does He care? Tough questions, and these questions bring to the forefront the character and nature of God. Who is He? What is He like? In this episode, Jack and John scratch the surface of who God is and where is He when troubles surround us. Special thanks to Mike Bridgewater for producing our audio and v...
Episode 8: Welcome Home
May 29, 2021 11:00 - 16 minutes - 11 MBJesus told a story about a father and his two sons. The younger son asked his father for his inheritance. In first-century Hebrew culture, the son may as well have said, “I wish you were dead, so I can get what’s mine.” Those listening would have thought little of the son. I imagine the tension rippling through the crowd as Jesus spoke. When He tells of the father giving his hateful son his full share of the inheritance, I picture the crowd squirming, fists tightening, some spitting on the...
Bonus: Unintentional Baptism
May 24, 2021 01:00 - 5 minutes - 3.68 MBJack traveled and sang for much of his career. As you can imagine, the road is full of humorous stories. I asked Jack to share one of my favorites. A funny thing happened beneath the baptistry. 😂 Huge thanks to Mike Bridgewater our engineer, JD Miller our musical wizard, and Mt Gilead Church our home to record. Thank YOU for listening. We pray our efforts help you focus on Jesus the author, editor, and publisher of everything worth believing in. jackandjohnpodcast.com Facebook Instagram
Why Me?
May 22, 2021 11:00 - 25 minutes - 17.5 MB"Why Me?" Do you ever feel like that? Or... "Why me all the time?" Everyone suffers sometime, but why do some suffer more than others? One of our listeners asked why some families suffer more than others. We don't pretend to have all the answers, but we can certainly relate to the question and the surrounding emotions. This episode is our attempt to empathize with the hurt, the hope, and the raw honesty behind the question and provide a tip-of-the-iceberg answer. We start by looking at our...
Episode 7: Why Me?
May 22, 2021 11:00 - 25 minutes - 17.5 MB"Why Me?" Do you ever feel like that? Or... "Why me all the time?" Everyone suffers sometime, but why do some suffer more than others? One of our listeners asked why some families suffer more than others. We don't pretend to have all the answers, but we can certainly relate to the question and the surrounding emotions. This episode is our attempt to empathize with the hurt, the hope, and the raw honesty behind the question and provide a tip-of-the-iceberg answer. We start by looking at our...
Episode 6: The Chosen
May 15, 2021 11:00 - 18 minutes - 12.7 MBJack and John discuss The Chosen, a new groundbreaking video series that draws viewers into first century Israel. Imagine what it was like. See Jesus for the first time. See the lame walk, a leper healed, sins forgiven. Water turned into wine—a wedding feast saved. Hearts changed. Hope born. Give us a listen and join the conversation with your comments and suggestions, and please share us with interested friends. Special Thanks to Mike Bridgewater for running the technical aspects of ou...
Take the Plunge and Open Your Bible
May 08, 2021 11:00 - 21 minutes - 15.1 MBWhy is it so hard to study the Bible? Is it so difficult? Not enough time? Not enough reason? Is it that word? Study? We all have our reasons, our excuses? But we live in an age when most people can have the Bible in their hands at any given moment on their phone. We have audio versions, podcasts, study Bibles, and every tool imaginable to help us dive in deep. So let's cast off our excuses and dive in together. In this episode, Jack and John share insights and stories to help encourage you ...
Episode 5: Take the Plunge
May 08, 2021 11:00 - 21 minutes - 15.1 MBWhy is it so hard to study the Bible? Is it so difficult? Not enough time? Not enough reason? Is it that word? Study? We all have our reasons, our excuses? But we live in an age when most people can have the Bible in their hands at any given moment on their phone. We have audio versions, podcasts, study Bibles, and every tool imaginable to help us dive in deep. So let's cast off our excuses and dive in together. In this episode, Jack and John share insights and stories to help encourage you ...
Episode 4: More Life Verses
May 01, 2021 11:00 - 25 minutes - 17.6 MBThank you for sharing some of the verses that have impacted your lives. In this episode, we want to share those with you. Here are a few of them. · Galatians 6:14 “May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.” · Hebrews 12:14 “Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness, no one will see the Lord.” · Philippians 1:6 “being confident of this, th...
More Life Verses
May 01, 2021 11:00 - 25 minutes - 17.6 MBThank you for sharing some of the verses that have impacted your lives. In this episode, we want to share those with you. Here are a few of them. · Galatians 6:14 “May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.” · Hebrews 12:14 “Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness, no one will see the Lord.” · Philippians 1:6 “being confident of this, th...
More Life Verses - Episode 4
May 01, 2021 11:00 - 25 minutes - 17.6 MBThank you for sharing some of the verses that have impacted your lives. In this episode, we want to share those with you. Here are a few of them. · Galatians 6:14 “May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.” · Hebrews 12:14 “Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness, no one will see the Lord.” · Philippians 1:6 “being confident of this, th...
Attacking Anxiety
April 24, 2021 11:00 - 21 minutes - 14.7 MBAnxiety extends beyond pandemic proportions. Everyone on this planet experiences it. Everyone. No one is immune. And there is no vaccine. I've asked patients on occasion what they would do if Jesus was with them, in the flesh, every day. What would you do? Would you feel anxious? If the one who heals the sick, feeds the thousands, and raises the dead was beside you, guiding you, teaching you, physically with you every day, would you feel anxious? Would you have anything to worry about? Jesus...
What's Your Life Verse?
April 10, 2021 11:00 - 17 minutes - 12.2 MBOver the years, we've met so many people with so many experiences. As the ups and downs of life shape and reshape us, we often find ourselves clinging to certain verses as a source of hope and strength. One verse that hit home for me was Psalm 34:18. When I was 24 years old, I was in my third year of medical school. My wife was teaching third grade, and she was 32 weeks pregnant. We were given tickets to the Indianapolis Symphony. I had just finished the easiest and most fun week of medical...
Hello
April 09, 2021 12:00 - 17 minutes - 12.2 MBWhether you're in traffic, on your way to pick up the kids, on a plane, mowing the grass, or waiting for a friend, find a comfy seat. Picture yourself in a good friend's living room on a sofa that feels like home. You're going to meet some new friends who just want to talk about life and love and why we're here. Jack is retired pastor with over fifty years of wisdom and experience. John is a physician with a heart for those who hurt. They are long-time friends who enjoy each other's company ...