Bible Story Podcast
Bradon: Hey, if you are a teenager, you know the challenge of being known as a Christian.
Jon: You would think with God that he would make it easy for us.
Bradon: Following Christ can be hard, but today’s episode has some good news.
Bradon: Hey, we will get into some discussion questions for the episode Be known as a Christian.
Jon: Bradon and I talked about the struggle of being known as a Christian, particularly in our friend groups where there are few, if any, other Christians. We talked about why it’s important for us to be known as a follower of Christ. We also learned that we are not alone in our faith and that it’s important for us to have others who are also growing in their faith too.
Jon: You heard the episode Your Attitude Matters, and I had some great rhymes, including.
Bradon: We will discuss Paul’s encouragement to us all to have the same attitude as Christ. Jesus gave up a lot and endured unimaginable things, and offers us forgiveness. All so we can live in a right relationship with him. Jesus’s attitude is marked by love.
Jon: Bradon, you need to have an attitude of gratitude and change that baditude into a gladitude.
Bradon: If you make one more rhyme, I will turn off your mic.
Jon: Sounds like you have a saditude and need a raditude.
Bradon: Today, we will hear an example of the perfect attitude. It’s neither of ours.
Jon: Today, we learned what three of Paul’s obsessions are. Seeing people share the Good news, desiring to be with God, and seeing others live as citizens of heaven!
Bradon: We also asked you to make a list of how you live as a citizen of heaven or a citizen of the world. So if you have made that list, pull it out. If you haven’t, hit pause and make that list quickly because we are about to use it!
Jon: Bradon, would you describe the difference between being a citizen of heaven and a citizen of the world?
Bradon: I can give it a shot; feel free to add your thoughts. I think, at its core, it’s about with whom we belong. For instance, if a child is lost and a stranger comes to help them find their mom or dad. They know that they don’t belong with this stranger. They run to their mom or dad when they see them, even though the stranger may have been very kind and helpful.
Jon: I think we all have a sense of being a lost child from time to time. Maybe our actions, feelings, or thoughts lead us there. But we often hear people describe their first significant interaction with Jesus as coming home to a loving parent. No longer lost, but with someone who loves us unconditionally!
Bradon: I also think there is a longing to go home when we are away. Think of the last time you travelled somewhere or even had a sleepover at a friend’s house! There is often a sense of longing for a familiar place, and even though we have not been to heaven, we are created and designed to belong there. Which leads us to desire that as we grow in our relationship with God.
Jon: Bradon, long-time listeners, would know you are obsessed with coffee.
Bradon: Oh yeah. And anyone who sees me in the morning with my coffee mug! I do enjoy coffee!
Jon: Today, we will learn three of Paul’s obsessions, and it’s not really on the same level!
Bradon: I love coffee way more whatever it is that Paul loves.
Bradon: I am a person who tells Dad Jokes and I am not even a father!
Jon: Ok, Today is the start of Season 12!
Bradon: Does that make me a Faux “Pa?”
Jon: That’s funny; I like it! Today we will learn to Copy the Good we see in others.
Bradon: Today, we learned a bit of background on Paul, one of the first missionaries, and the Philippian Church he helped start. We noted that it would be beneficial for people to copy the Philippian Church and others we admire.
Jon: Bradon, what is the difference between love and LOVE?
Bradon: Oh, you mean the difference between romantic love and regular love.
Jon: Yes, I do, but there is nothing regular about the love we are going to talk about today, and it’s not the romantic kind of love.
Bradon: We will describe the big kind of love that will do whatever it takes!
Jon: Get ready for a discussion about the concepts shared in the episode Love Does Whatever it Takes.
Bradon: We read 1 John 4:7-21 and introduced four concepts. First, we learned that Love comes from God! Second, when we love, we have love living in us – God living in us. Third, with God or love living in us, we do not need to fear God’s judgement. Fourth, hate is not of God.
Jon: We realized that love – God will do whatever it takes to connect people to each other and to God.
