Gospel Rant

So who is Melchizedek? Context? In Gen 14, Abraham had just won a surprising, miraculous military victory and is headed home. Two Kings came out to meet him in the King’s Valley (west of Jerusalem?). The King of Sodom, a picture of unrighteousness, self-focus, arrogance, hey, what about me? Attitude—who had already been defeated by the army that Abraham just defeated with 318 men—oh the shame and embarrassment. He will demand “Give me the people and keep the goods for yourself.” Very arrogant and ungrateful. No joy. Then there is the mysterious Melchizedek, the king of Salem (unknown, perhaps early Jerusalem?) who is also the King of righteousness (other-oriented, sacrificial, not a hey-what-about-me? Attitude) and the King of Peace. He blessed Abraham. The anti-Sodom.  Fun?Support The Show: https://www.gospelrant.com/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

I am very concerned about the well-being of teens and tweens today. Frustrated parents, we need big time help. I mean Captain Obvious right? Per the CDC, suicide and homicide rates (10-24) are the highest they have been in decades (since 1968). A shocking 42% of adolescents are experiencing sadness and hopelessness (up 50% from 2011)--57% of females. 22% of all students have considered attempting suicide (up 36% from 2011). It is a mental health crisis for one of our most vulnerable demographics, adolescents. Anxiety is up. Loneliness is up [i]. Gender dysphoria, confusion up. Religion and church attendance is down.[ii] Today, I want to give you a simplified class on attachment theory related to teens. I think that you will find things that just might help. How can already good enough parents of teens and tweens become just a little bit more good enough parents? Everything I say will have a firm biblical foundation while informed by attachment theory and neuroscience. We will look at the important notion of a

Today we dig into the entire concept of entering into God’s rest. Don’t think that it refers to relaxing here. This ain’t My Pillow. Nope, that’s for heaven. Heaven’s going to be great, this ain’t it. Is this important? Yeah, the author of Hebrews starts off this section with a stark warning to the Jewish Christians in Rome (likely). Phobeomai! Beware lest---be afraid if you miss this… Defcon 1. Don’t screw this one up. Pretty important. Make sure that no one has missed it or fallen short. So what do you think? Have we? Has anyone around you? Your church? Or do you claim ignorance? Fun right? In this show, we will explore what he is talking about. Believe me, it is not about sleeping more. It is not even about keeping the one-day-a-week sabbath free from work—not like what we typically think. In fact, he will ramp it up even more—This thing, this place of rest—we should be entering into it every day 24/7. Why is it that no one has ever told you about this? Curious? Welcome to Gospel Rant and God’s Love for th

Welcome to the Gospel Rant. Hebrews assumes that we Christians are, in spite of what we say, here still on planet earth for a reason only secondarily for our own success and well-being. Face it, heaven would be so much better. No we have a grand celestial eternal purpose, modeled by Jesus and Moses. We are here to be part of the salvation story of others. We don’t redeem anyone. But somehow, what we do, and how we do it proclaims salvation to them. That’s the good news. The bad news is that like Jesus and Moses, and Israel in the wilderness, that goal may only be achieved through our persecution, suffering and even harm. I don’t like it much either. It is the big theme of Hebrews. Humanly speaking, you will shudder in fear and rather stay in your tents in the wilderness. No judgement. But you, sons and daughters of God can ask for power, through the Spirit in your inner being to access heaven-born faith (willingness to be led into temptation, confidence in God, boldness) and heaven-born righteousness (caring

Hebrews assumes that we Christians are, in spite of what we might say, afraid of death. It's a brain thing. To accomplish God’s high Kingdom goals—meaning salvation for others, He requires and even ordains the testing, trials, suffering, loss, and sometimes even death of his beloved children—in order to rescue and save others. We Americans might hate this plan. But the template is Jesus, who willingly suffered and died and many children were saved. At one point you said, “Father, wherever you lead I will follow.” OK, he’s taking you seriously—because he loves you as much as the Father loves the Son and the Son loves the Father. But don’t expect life to be a rose garden. And he has something to prepare you for the struggle. You don’t naturally have it. Curious? Welcome to Gospel Rant.Support The Show: https://www.gospelrant.com/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Hey Dr. Bill Senyard here. Welcome to God’s love for the unlovable. We are going through the Book of Hebrews. It is very unique and for the most part, poorly covered by most pulpits. Why? Well you will find out again in this show. The Greek word for righteous and righteousness is used 8x in Hebrews. It is implied in many other places. Here’s the thing. We in the West have wildly misunderstood what the Bible means by righteousness—So much so, it is even hard to recognize. It is to our detriment. In this show, we will unpack the very important concept. I think you will be surprised and hopefully changed.  Support The Show: https://www.gospelrant.com/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Welcome to The Rabboni. This new biblical historical fiction tells of the long-lost journals of the Apostle Matthew. It is 73CE, Matthew had finally completed his biography of the life of Jesus. Now, he and a colorful team of men and women, circumcised and uncircumcised, followed the dangerous missionary charge of Jesus to go into all the world and preach the Gospel. Together, they boarded Roman ships to begin the very long journey to Axum (modern Ethiopia). Matthew’s team was a striking testimony to the saving grace of their Lord. There was a former prostitute, a recovering opium addict, a shamed African princess, a freed Roman slave, and even a former member of the Sanhedrin who was present that evening Jesus was condemned to die.  Matthew is surprised how, of all the things he penned, it is Jesus’ preeminent and signature message on the hillside in Galilee that most captured the interest of unbelievers and stirred up so much misunderstanding and misinformation among his followers. After studying the Sermon

Is there such a thing as God-ordained persecution for Jesus-followers? Isn't that a bad thing? How could that be the will of a good father? Great questions. I agree and yet the author of Hebrews seems to see it more clearly than we modern Christians. We must get back to this awareness.  It seems that the author of Hebrews knew that persecution was coming for his listeners—and that is not Plan B, it is Plan A. Did you know that according to Open Doors, 365 Million Christians suffer high levels of persecution and discrimination for their faith? 1 in 7 Christians are persecuted worldwide. Almost 5000 were killed for faith-related reasons last year. 14,766 churches and Christian properties were attacked. If Hebrews is right, it’s coming here and it’s for our higher good—to put it another way, it is a gift from God for his children he loves. Sounds very strange, right? I am not saying that I like the plan, just saying. Here’s a headline, if you are not being persecuted for your faith and love for the unloved, the

There is no more pervasive topic in Hebrews than persecution. Not just that it is a possibility for the follower of Jesus. It is Plan A. It is the way God has designed this. I may not like it—by the way—I don’t—but I don’t have God’s capacity to see—not even close. It is not a surprise to me that we don’t hear much about this today. And I am really sure that this is not a welcomed topic.  All I am saying is that it is wildly biblical. Don’t shoot the messenger. Support The Show: https://www.gospelrant.com/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

What's up with all of the references in Hebrews to angels? You may be surprised. Likely, there was a very popular jewish mysticism practice that was drawing Jewish Christians away from the gospel. Don't just think of this as a history lesson. It's shadows are alive and well today in Christianity. Support The Show: https://www.gospelrant.com/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Drift happens! In this second show in our new series on Hebrews, we are going to look at Hebrews 1:1 all the way to 2:4, skipping the section on angels which we will cover in the next show. Very interesting stuff. So today, three questions. What is our biggest problem ? Why do we do it? How do we stop it?Support The Show: https://www.gospelrant.com/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

This is the first show in Gospel Rants new series Hebrews. All institutions have a life cycle, from birth to death. Churches do as well. Most don't even realize that it is happening. The author of Hebrews gives very strong warnings about it. Maybe it is time to listen. Support The Show: https://www.gospelrant.com/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

This is the last of the ten Power2Change videos for addicts who want to try something different and powerful. It is immersed in the Gospel, but informed by neuroscience and the Attachment theory. Addicts, watch all ten and let me know how it is going, Bill@gospel-app.com.  Support The Show: https://www.gospelrant.com/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Struggling and frustrated Christian, there is one thing in particular that is pushing against your recovery bak to you. It is not evil, or Satan-sourced. It is very human-post-fall. No point whining. There is something that you can access that will dramatically help. Check it out and let us know how it goes.Support The Show: https://www.gospelrant.com/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Welcome to Gospel Rant. I am Dr. Bill Senyard. This is the eighth episode of my new series Power2Change. P2C8. Remember the classic SNL sketch about Blue Oyster Cult's “Don’t Fear The Reaper” with Christopher Walken and Will Ferrell? The punch line was about cowbells. Brother, sister, we need more cowbells. We are going to look at the spiritual equivalent of more cowbells, Joy. Don’t settle for less. I have faith in you that you can do it. Let’s have some fun. It is critical. Let me know what you think after this show, Bill@gospel-app.comSupport The Show: https://www.gospelrant.com/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Dr. Bill Senyard here with Gospel App Ministries, Good Enough Parent, and the Gospel Rant Podcast. Look, here’s the thing. I think that we pro-life Christians can do a much better job in this arena. In fact, I wonder if we are shooting ourselves in the foot more that we want to admit. Many years ago, the comedian George Carlin lambasted pro-lifers for our inconsistencies—and poor messaging. To a large degree, I think he was right. Things have not changed much. We can do better, be encouraged. This show is to throw my two cents into the mix. This was a special one-off show. I hope that you are listening to and enjoying my current series on my youTube channel (DrBillSenyard) and the Gospel Rant podcast called Power2Change, about how the power of the gospel can actually begin to truly defeat addictions, whether it is to drugs, porn, alcohol, sex, social media, or anything else. If this has benefitted you, please pass this on. Support The Show: https://www.gospelrant.com/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lif

Christian, what are you really worth? It makes a real difference. In this show Dr. Bill shares of a major breakthrough in his life when he began to learn what he was really worth. Maybe this will help you in your difficult journey.Support The Show: https://www.gospelrant.com/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

SPECIAL and IMPORTANT GOSPEL RANT! Crazy right? Dr. Bill Senyard here with Gospel App Ministries, Good Enough Parent and the Gospel Rant Podcast. 40 million people have stopped going to church in the last 30 years.  In 2019, the year before COVID, far more protestant churches closed than opened in the US. The average congregation size is now less than half what it was in 2000. 1/3 of churchgoers are 65 or older. Summary, far fewer churches, even so, each still is suffering decreasing attendance, and is notably greying.  Per Christianity Today, church closures are predicted to snowball. By 2025, 100,000 North American churches could close their doors.  Someone called it the Great Dechurching. This is happening at the very same time that so many Americans are feeling increasingly anxious and lonely. New survey shows that one in three said they feel lonely at least once a week. Worse, one in 10 Americans say they feel lonely every day. But, they are not thinking that churches are the answer. Sad. What’s up?Suppo

Beyonce said it. Partner, Let Me Upgrade You! What does the upgrade look like? What is you have been pursuing and living from a confusing notion of love? You may be very surprised to hear this, and encouraged. Love feedback, Bill@Gospel-App.com.Support The Show: https://www.gospelrant.com/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

You are not alone! The battle is bigger than you might think from a neuroscientific perspective and far more dangerous long term. Check out this 5 min talk by Dr. Bill Senyard. You won't regret it. Then check the FREE on-line resource Good Enough Parent (goodenoughparent.online). Fifteen helpful faith based tips for frustrated parents of teens and tweens. Support The Show: https://www.gospelrant.com/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.