Out of Exile
45 episodes - English - Latest episode: over 1 year ago -A podcast about biblical studies, the Ancient Near East, and everything else.
With Rebekah Devine of Wheaton College, and Benjamin Giffone of LCC International University
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Episodes
FEED EXPIRING – Advent Sermon: “Trading Away Our Glory”
November 28, 2022 21:55 - 26.3 MBThis is the audio (37:57, 26.3 MB) of a sermon preached at Center Church (EPC) of Grove City, PA, on November 27, 2022. The main texts are Genesis 1:26–31; 2:7; and 3:1–11. You can also watch the service on YouTube. Continue reading →
PLEASE UPDATE PODCAST FEED
November 09, 2022 02:18 - 8.16 MBNew links to follow my work: ***** As I have shared in the last few months, I am transitioning from serving as a professor who is involved in ministry part-time, to serving as a full-time pastor in a church. This … Continue reading →
Sermon: “I Am the Bread of Life” (John 6:25–71)
October 04, 2022 18:27 - 38 MBThis is the audio (49:10, 38.0 MB) of a sermon preached at Center Presbyterian Church (EPC) of Grove City, PA, on September 18, 2022. The main text is John 6:25–71. You can also watch the service on YouTube. Continue reading →
Sermon: “We Are Members of One Another” (Ephesians 4)
August 19, 2022 11:25 - 11.9 MBThis is the audio (37:24, 11.9 MB) of a sermon preached at Klaipėda Free Christian Church, on August 14, 2022. The main text is Ephesians 4. The sermon was translated back-and-forth into Russian, for the benefit of Ukrainians who have … Continue reading →
Sermon: “Those Who Sigh and Groan” (Ezekiel 8-9)
May 16, 2022 08:07 - 46.9 MBOur passage for today is one that has been rattling around in my head for the last two years, and I’m finally collecting my thoughts to say something about it. It’s kind of like an expose, a bit of “hidden camera footage” that shows what the religious leaders of Israel were doing in secret, in the Jerusalem temple, in its last days before it was destroyed. They thought that they could use their power to do whatever they wanted, and that no one would see—including God. We will see from this pa...
Sermon: Sage Gibson on Mark 5:25-34
April 17, 2022 19:13 - 26.9 MBThis is the audio (30:08, 26.9 MB) of a sermon preached at Klaipėda Free Christian Church, on April 3, 2022, by one of my students, Sage Gibson. The main text is Mark 5:25-34. Sage completed a course on the Book … Continue reading →
Sermon: “I Stretched Out My Hands All Day Long” (Isaiah 65–66)
March 28, 2022 05:14 - 99.1 MBHave you ever had an experience with a toddler that you knelt down, held out your arms, and waited for the child to run to you to be hugged—and instead the child runs past you to someone else? (This can also happen with dogs!) No one really takes this personally when it happens, because—children are children! But if, let’s say, you’re an uncle or an aunt, and a child ignores you like this, multiple times in a row—maybe you feel a bit hurt. Well, God felt this way with Israel. He didn’t just w...
Sermon: “Hide the Fugitives!” (Isaiah 15:8–16:5)
March 13, 2022 14:32 - 146 MB VideoThe church is Jesus’s household, his kingdom on earth. We should absolutely be a place of refuge for refugees and those fleeing for their lives—just as the Davidic kings of ancient Judah could be a safe place for Moabites and others from all over the world. Continue reading →
Sermon: “Oh, That You Would Rend the Heavens!” (Isaiah 63:7-64:12)
February 14, 2022 05:54 - 574 MB VideoThe prayer in Isaiah 63–64 is a great example because the faithful prophet knows what his people need: they need God to change their hearts, and they need God to be near to them. It is passionate, and thoughtful, and based on God’s promises to his people. It’s also beautiful for us to think about how God answered this prayer: including in ways that his people did not expect. Continue reading →
Seminar: “Images of Healing, Healing Images”
January 30, 2022 14:50 - 31.2 MBThis presentation explores the concept of the “image of God” found in the Hebrew Scriptures, and its value for understanding the task of the healing and caregiving professions. Against the backdrop of other ancient Near Eastern conceptions of cultic images—their fashioning, care and feeding, and function to mediate the deities’ presence—the Bible describes only human beings as adequate images to mediate the presence of YHWH, Israel’s deity, into the world. Treating human beings with care and ...
Epiphany Sermon: “Nations Shall Come to Your Light” (Isaiah 60:1-14)
January 02, 2022 16:13 - 30.5 MBThis is the audio (42:20, 30.5 MB) of a sermon preached at our Lithuania home church, Klaipėda Free Christian Church, on January 2, 2022. It was the Second Sunday in Christmas Season, but since I was not scheduled to preach … Continue reading →
Advent Sermon: “He Will Stand and Shepherd His Flock” (Micah 4:9-5:6)
December 19, 2021 18:30 - 304 MB VideoThis is the video (42.57, 303 MB) of a sermon preached at our Lithuania home church, Klaipėda Free Christian Church, on December 19, 2021, Fourth Sunday of Advent. The main text is Micah 4:9-5:6. In verse 6, we find another … Continue reading →
Sermon: “I Have Dealt With You for My Name’s Sake” (Ezekiel 20:30-44)
September 05, 2021 14:59 - 11.7 MBThe elders in Ezekiel’s day were at a loss as to how to approach God. Their guilt was before them, and everything that YHWH said through Ezekiel was abundantly true. Continuing to the time of Jesus: How did God deal with his sinful people, still in exile, still oppressed by the Romans and their gods, and victims of their own sinfulness? There seemed to be no way out. But God, who was rich in mercy, provided a solution for his people, in Christ. Jesus was tempted in the wilderness for 40 days,...
Sermon: “Laws Through Which They Could Not Live” (Ezekiel 20:11-29)
August 01, 2021 15:39 - 29.6 MBIf we don’t live by God’s law, the alternative is not “freedom”—it is slavery—either slavery to chaos and disorder, or to human-made law. If we will not say to God, “Let your will be done!” then God says to us, “OK, let your will be done.” We probably live in the time where at least people in the developed world have the most self-determination, but it seems to lead to depression and anxiety, rather than to liberation. God wants us to be holy because it’s good for us, and because of his reput...
Sermon: “Shame Rolled Away” (Ezekiel 20:1-11)
July 25, 2021 16:57 - 35.8 MBEach of us still lives with the scars and the effects of sin in our life: the sins that we have committed, and the sins committed against us. That is a reality of life in this fallen world. But the good news is that because of Christ’s death and resurrection, for those who believe and turn to God in repentance, we are no longer defined by our past sins. Continue reading →
Sermon: What Are You Building? (Eccl 3; 6; 7)
June 26, 2021 17:14 - 223 MB VideoThings fall apart, and they don’t bear fruit like they should. Sometimes, a farmer plants a seed in the ground—and there is no rain. Sometimes, an entrepreneur builds a great business by wise decisions and honest dealings—and a hurricane wind comes through and wipes her investment away. Sometimes, a married couple tries for years and years to get pregnant—with no success. Sometimes, a single mom works for years scrubbing floors to get out of debt—and then she gets sick, can’t work, and falls ...
Sermon: Acts 2 and Isaiah 28:5-13, Pentecost
May 24, 2021 08:19 - 36.9 MBThis is the audio (40:21, 36.9 MB) of a sermon preached at our Lithuania home church, Klaipėda Free Christian Church, on May 23, 2021: Pentecost. The main text is Acts 2; I also make reference to Isaiah 28:5-13. Continue reading →
Sermon: Called to Community (Philippians 4:10-20)
May 18, 2021 07:24 - 38.1 MBThis is the audio (50:10, 38.1 MB) of a sermon preached at the Kaunas Free Christian Church, on May 16. The main text is Philippians 4:10-20. Enjoy hearing the sermon in both English and Lithuanian (back-and-forth)! You can also watch … Continue reading →
Sermon: A Testimony to the Powers (Ephesians 3:1-13)
April 21, 2021 17:35 - 37.9 MBThis is the audio (41:27, 37.9 MB) of a sermon preached at our Lithuania home church, Klaipėda Free Christian Church, on April 18. The main text is Ephesians 3:1-13. Enjoy hearing the sermon in both English and Lithuanian (back-and-forth)! You … Continue reading →
Sermon: Matthew 21:1-11, Palm Sunday
March 31, 2021 12:58 - 28.7 MBThis is the audio (31:21, 28.7 MB) of a sermon preached at our Lithuania home church, Klaipėda Free Christian Church, on March 28, Palm Sunday. The main text is Matthew 21:1-11; I also make reference to John 1:9-13 and Zech … Continue reading →
Sermon: Job 42:10-17, “Receiving Double from YHWH’s Hand”
March 01, 2021 09:59 - 44.3 MBThis is the audio (48:21, 44.2 MB) of a sermon preached at our Lithuania home church, Klaipėda Free Christian Church, on February 28, Second Sunday in Lent. The sermon is titled, “Receiving Double from YHWH’s Hand.” The main text is … Continue reading →
Psalm 102:18–22: A People Yet to Be Created
December 22, 2020 21:46 - 22.9 MBThis is the audio (25:00, 22.9 MB) of a sermon preached at our Lithuania home church, Klaipėda Free Christian Church, on December 13, Third Sunday of Advent. The sermon is titled, “A People Yet to Be Created.” The main text … Continue reading →
Book of Ruth: The Female Job (Naomi)
July 26, 2020 15:46 - 34.4 MBThis is the audio (37:36, 34.4 MB) of a sermon preached at our Lithuania home church, Klaipėda Free Christian Church, on July 26. The sermon is titled, “Naomi—The Female Job.” The main texts are Ruth 1:1–13, 19–21; 3:1–4; 4:13–22. Continue reading →
Book of Ruth: The Mother of All Who Believe (Ruth)
July 13, 2020 19:33 - 39.4 MBThis is the audio (43:00, 39.4 MB) of a sermon preached at our Lithuania home church, Klaipėda Free Christian Church, on July 12. The sermon is titled, “The Mother of All Who Believe,” focusing on the character of Ruth. The main texts are Ruth 1:11–18; 2:2–3, 12; 3:1–13. Continue reading →
Sermon/Devotional: Think Local
June 23, 2020 19:51 - 229 MB VideoThis is the video (229 MB) of a devotional recorded for our sisters and brothers at First Presbyterian Church of Endicott, NY entitled, “Think Local”; the text was Philemon 10–12. I plucked up my courage (or perhaps chickened out—you decide) … Continue reading →
Book of Ruth: His Delight Is in YHWH’s Law (Boaz)
May 24, 2020 17:40 - 56.5 MBThis is the audio (41.07, 56.4 MB) of a sermon preached at our Lithuania home church, Klaipėda Free Christian Church, on May 24. The sermon is titled, “His Delight Is in YHWH's Law,” focusing on the character of Boaz. The main texts are Ruth 2:8-12 and 4:1-13. Continue reading →
Ezekiel 11:14-25: “I Have Been a Sanctuary”
April 26, 2020 18:51 - 92.8 MB VideoThe human desire to commune with God is very powerful, and when sacrifice according to God’s law was not available, it was very painful. Many allowed themselves to be squeezed into worshiping God on their own terms, rather than according to God’s law. But other Judeans were faithful and accepted the promise of God’s continuing presence through this time of suffering, a presence revealed in ways that they hadn’t seen before, and trusted that he would eventually bring this time to an end. For t...
Sermon: God Draws Near
March 29, 2020 18:43 - 25 MBThis is the audio (38:34, 25.0 MB) of a sermon preached at our Lithuania home church, Klaipėda Free Christian Church, on March 29. The sermon is titled, “God Draws Near,” and the main texts are Numbers 5:1-4 and 9:1-14. Continue reading →
Sermon: The Book of Esther—Messy People, Faithful God
February 10, 2020 19:32 - 20.6 MBThis is the audio (14:59, 20.5 MB) of a sermon preached at LCC's International Christian Fellowship entitled, “The Book of Esther,” at our Sunday evening communion service on February 9. We read the entire book of Esther in a traditional way, with lots of cheering, booing, groggers, and stomping. Continue reading →
Sermon: Aukštas Bokštas (Tall Tower)
December 08, 2019 21:02 - 51.8 MBThis is the audio (37:44, 51.2 MB) of a sermon preached at our Lithuania home church, Klaipėda Free Christian Church, on December 8. The sermon is titled, “Aukštas Bokštas,” and the main text is Genesis 11:1–9, the story of the … Continue reading →
Sermon: YHWH’s Glorious Images
November 13, 2019 13:21 - 28.2 MBThis is the audio (20:32, 28.2 MB) of a sermon preached at LCC’s Wednesday chapel service entitled, “YHWH’s Glorious Images,” on November 13. The main text is Exodus 20:1-21. Here is an excerpt of the sermon: YHWH God is not just … Continue reading →
Seminar: Hebrew Verbs and Minor Keys
September 17, 2019 09:58 - 33.4 MBHere is the audio (47:40, 34 MB) of a presentation I gave on September 17 at the first Theology Department Seminar, “Hebrew Verbs and Minor Keys: How a Hebrew Poetry Seminar Changed My Bass-Playing.” I spoke about my transition from seminary … Continue reading →
Sermon: The First Fruits of Resurrection
April 22, 2019 14:02This is the audio (25:45, 19.2 MB) of a sermon preached at LCC’s International Christian Fellowship entitled, “The First Fruits of Resurrection,” at our Easter Sunday celebration (April 21). The main text is 1 Corinthians 15:20–28. In this sermon I’m relying … Continue reading →
Seminar: Worshiping Community 3b
April 13, 2019 21:00https://s3.amazonaws.com/web-audio/worshiping-community-klkb-wk3b.mp3 Part 3b of a seminar presented at the Klaipėda Free Christian Church in March–April 2019, “Worshiping Community.” Description, outlines and other session audio available at: https://thinkhardthinkwell.com/events/worship-sem-2019
Seminar: Worshiping Community 3a
April 13, 2019 20:00https://s3.amazonaws.com/web-audio/worshiping-community-klkb-wk3a.mp3 Part 3a of a seminar presented at the Klaipėda Free Christian Church in March–April 2019, “Worshiping Community.” Description, outlines and other session audio available at: https://thinkhardthinkwell.com/events/worship-sem-2019/
Seminar: Worshiping Community 2b
March 30, 2019 21:00https://s3.amazonaws.com/web-audio/worshiping-community-klkb-wk2b.mp3 Part 2b of a seminar presented at the Klaipėda Free Christian Church in March–April 2019, “Worshiping Community.” Description, outlines and other session audio available at: https://thinkhardthinkwell.com/events/worship-sem-2019
Seminar: Worshiping Community 2a
March 30, 2019 20:00https://s3.amazonaws.com/web-audio/worshiping-community-klkb-wk2a.mp3 Part 2a of a seminar presented at the Klaipėda Free Christian Church in March–April 2019, “Worshiping Community.” Description, outlines and other session audio available at: https://thinkhardthinkwell.com/events/worship-sem-2019
Sermon: Freedom (Colossians 2:16–23)
December 02, 2018 19:00God could have left Israel muddling along with a Law that they couldn’t keep, which was constantly condemning them, and which isolated them from the world—but instead he sent his Son to keep it perfectly on their behalf. Continue reading →
Sermon: God’s Feast
October 07, 2018 16:54This is the audio of a sermon preached at the Klaipėda Free Christian Church entitled, “God's Feast,” in preparation for our monthly celebration of the Lord's Supper. The text is Exodus 24:1–12. Continue reading →
Sermon: So That It May Go Well With You
June 27, 2018 01:36This is the video (19:14, 68.0 MB) of a sermon delivered at First Presbyterian Church of Endicott, NY on June 24 entitled, “So That It May Go Well With You.” The text was Deuteronomy 4:5-13. Here is an excerpt: The Law … Continue reading →
Sermon: Apostles and Exiles
April 23, 2018 09:32A short homily delivered at LCC’s International Christian Fellowship on April 22 entitled, “Apostles and Exiles.” The text was Ezekiel 11:14-17. Continue reading →
Sermon: No Dry Trees
March 11, 2018 17:49The gospel, the good news for all of us, is that we serve a “single” Savior! Jesus never married a human woman, never had biological children. Yet according to Isaiah 53:10, as a reward for his perfect obedience, his Father gave him “many offspring,” and “prolonged his days”! Jesus showed us that the lasting impact of God’s work in our lives is not that we have biological children, but that we would have many spiritual sons and daughters—people whom we have invited into God’s family by faith,...
Worshipping with the Fifth Gospel
February 17, 2018 10:00Here is the audio of a Dec 3, 2017, worship service (1:32:25; 126 MB), based on the book of Isaiah. Visit thinkhardthinkwell.com for more info. List of the teachings, readings and songs, with timestamps: 0:00:00 Welcome Benjamin Giffone 0:00:50 Call … Continue reading →
Sermon: A Personal Encounter
November 13, 2017 06:21A sermon delivered at LCC's International Christian Fellowship on November 12 entitled, “A Personal Encounter.” The text was Psalm 73. Continue reading →
Sermon: New Family, New Temple
November 03, 2017 08:33This is the audio (20:00, 18.4 MB) of a sermon delivered at a chapel service at LCC on October 11 entitled, “New Family, New Temple.” The text was Ephesians 2:11-22, part of a series of sermons on Ephesians entitled, "A New World Order." Continue reading →