Letters From Home

Hank Garner
  • 5.0 (2)
  • Christianity

We're all a long way from home. That's the thing the Bible keeps trying to tell us. We're sojourners. Pilgrims. People walking a road we can't see the end of. And the whole canon of Scripture — Moses, the prophets, the Psalms, the Gospels, Paul writing from a Roman prison — is mail for people still on the road. Sent by a Father who has not forgotten where we belong. Letters from Home is a daily Bible teaching podcast with host Hank Garner. Each weekday, we open one letter and read it slow. Monday through Thursday lays the groundwork — the context, the language, the lives behind the words. Friday, the message lands. No yelling. No hot takes. No twelve-step takeaways. Just Scripture, opened with care, for the kind of people who keep their Bibles dog-eared and their questions honest. If you're homesick for somewhere you've never been — that's not a problem. That's the address on the envelope. Pull up a chair. There's mail.

  1. 2d ago

    Letter 105 — The Whole Letter: Parepidēmos (1 Peter 1)

    One Greek word sits on the envelope. Parepidēmos, a resident foreigner, appears three times in the New Testament, and the third use takes us back to Hebrews 11, where this show began a hundred letters ago. In this letter - Parepidēmos (G3927) walked slow, built from three small pieces - 1 Peter 1:1, the address line - 1 Peter 2:11, and the word pair Abraham and David used in the Greek Old Testament - Hebrews 11:13, strangers and pilgrims, and a callback to Season One, Week 1 - The twelve verses walked once more as a whole - A direct word for the stranger, the comfortable, the withdrawn, the one in the fire, and the grieving Scripture — 1 Peter 1:1–12, 17, 2:11–12, 4:4, Genesis 23:4, Psalm 39:12, Hebrews 11:1, 13–16 Greek word studies - parepidēmos (παρεπίδημος, Strong's G3927) — a resident foreigner, someone living for a while in a place not his own - paroikia (παροικία, Strong's G3940) — a stay, a sojourn. "The time of your stay here." - paroikos (πάροικος) — a sojourner. Paired with parepidēmos in 1 Peter 2:11. - diaspora (διασπορά, Strong's G1290) — the Dispersion (carried from Wednesday) - dokimion (δοκίμιον, Strong's G1383) — genuineness, faith proven by testing (carried from Wednesday) Next week's letter | Philemon — The Runaway. > That's this week's letter. We'll see you Monday with another.

    Letter 105 — The Whole Letter: Parepidēmos (1 Peter 1)

  2. 3d ago

    Letter 104 — The Address: Resident Foreigners (1 Peter 1)

    Peter's first readers became foreigners without ever leaving home. Today we ask how a believer lives as a resident foreigner without settling in or pulling back, and what Peter says to the ones in the fire. In this letter - What following Jesus cost in a Roman city - Paroikia (G3940), the time of your stay here - The Christian who settles in and the Christian who pulls back - Jeremiah's letter to the exiles in Babylon - Trials as refining, with Job 23:10 - Loving a Christ you have not seen - A word for anyone who feels like a stranger right now Scripture — 1 Peter 1:6–8, 17, 2:11–12, 4:4, Jeremiah 29:4–7, Job 23:10, John 20:29 The question to sit with Which way do you drift, toward settling in or toward pulling back? When did following Jesus last cost you anything, and which neighbor has watched you do good up close? Coming tomorrow | The Whole Letter. > There'll be more mail tomorrow. Join us at thebereanheart.com for more resources to help strengthen your faith.

    Letter 104 — The Address: Resident Foreigners (1 Peter 1)

  3. 4d ago

    Letter 103 — The Story: A Deed to a Grave (1 Peter 1)

    Abraham had been promised the whole land, and the first piece of it he ever owned was a cave to bury Sarah in. Peter hands Abraham's words to scattered believers, then walks them through a living hope, an inheritance that cannot fade, and a faith tested like gold. In this letter - Genesis 23 and the cave of Machpelah - Abraham's words in Genesis 23:4, and how the Septuagint carried them into Greek - The Trinity in verse 2, and the sprinkled blood of Sinai - A living hope, from a man whose own hope died and rose - An inheritance incorruptible, undefiled, and unfading - Faith tested by fire like gold - Angels stooping to look, and Peter stooping at the empty tomb Scripture — 1 Peter 1:1–12, 2:11, Genesis 23, Exodus 24:7–8, Hebrews 11:13, Luke 24:12, 34 Greek word studies - parepidēmos (παρεπίδημος, Strong's G3927) — a resident foreigner, a pilgrim - diaspora (διασπορά, Strong's G1290) — a scattering, as of seed. The Dispersion. - elpis (ἐλπίς, Strong's G1680) — hope - klēronomia (κληρονομία, Strong's G2817) — inheritance - dokimion (δοκίμιον, Strong's G1383) — genuineness, the proven quality of something tested - ger and toshav (גֵּר and תּוֹשָׁב, Strong's H1616 and H8453) — foreigner and resident. Abraham's Hebrew in Genesis 23:4. Coming tomorrow | The Address. Living as a resident foreigner, then and now. > There'll be more mail tomorrow.

    Letter 103 — The Story: A Deed to a Grave (1 Peter 1)

  4. 5d ago

    Letter 102 — The Sender: Two Charcoal Fires (1 Peter 1)

    Simon Peter denied Jesus three times beside a charcoal fire and was restored beside another one. Some thirty years later he wrote from Rome, which he called Babylon, to Gentile believers who were about to be asked the same question. In this letter - Simon of Bethsaida, the fisherman Jesus named a stone - The two charcoal fires of John 18 and John 21 - Luke 22:32 and the charge to strengthen the brethren - Babylon as a name for Rome, and the tradition Eusebius records - Silvanus, Mark, and the question of who held the pen - Five provinces, the courier's road, and Gentiles handed Israel's exile words - Diaspora (G1290), the Dispersion, and a letter dated to the early sixties AD Scripture — 1 Peter 1:1, 18, 2:10, 12, 4:4, 12, 16, 5:12–13, John 1:42, 18:17–27, 21:9–19, Luke 22:31–32, Acts 2:9, 4:13 Coming tomorrow | The Story. Abraham at Sarah's grave, and where Peter got the word pilgrim. > There'll be more mail tomorrow.

    Letter 102 — The Sender: Two Charcoal Fires (1 Peter 1)

  5. 6d ago

    Letter 101 — The Envelope: To the Pilgrims (1 Peter 1:1–12)

    Season Three opens with a book of the Bible that went out as mail, addressed To the pilgrims of the Dispersion. A fisherman writes to scattered believers in five Roman provinces. Before he gives them a single instruction, he tells them who they are. In this letter - Season Three, Paper and Ink, and its title verse in 2 John 12 - A slow read of 1 Peter 1:1–12 (NKJV) in four parts - How letters in the Roman world opened, and what Peter packs into the address line - Rejoicing and grieving in the same sentence - Parepidēmos teased as the week's word, a resident foreigner Scripture — 1 Peter 1:1–12, 2 John 12 Coming tomorrow | The Sender. The fisherman who warmed his hands at the wrong fire. > There'll be more mail tomorrow. Join me at thebereanheart.com for more resources to help strengthen your faith. https://hanksbiblestudy.com/why-were-now-the-berean-heart/ Tune in to Coffee Chat with Hank at https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLCHSnkuLF7tU&si=UV0VzWHkbg0pPozX ---

    Letter 101 — The Envelope: To the Pilgrims (1 Peter 1:1–12)

  6. Oct 16

    Letter 100 — The Whole Letter: Agapē (1 Corinthians 13 + Season Two)

    Letters from Home is listener supported. If you have received value from this production, consider sending some value back. Support Letters From Home at https://buymeacoffee.com/lettersfromhome or donate via PayPal: paypal.me/authorhankgarner The Greek word that ties the whole chapter together. Agapē. Fifteen times in one chapter. The love that God is. The love the Spirit produces in us. And the closing of Season Two. In this letter - Agapē (G26) walked slow - The whole chapter walked one more time - Agapē as God's very being — 1 John 4:8 - Agapē as the fruit of the Spirit — Galatians 5:22 - Agapē as the summary of the Christian ethic - A recap of Season 2 — the ten weeks and their apex words - A recap of both seasons — from hypóstasis to agapē - A direct pastoral landing for the whole 100-letter run Scripture — 1 Corinthians 13; John 3:16; 1 John 4:8; John 13:34-35; Galatians 5:22 Greek word study - agapē (ἀγάπη, G26) — chosen, committed, sacrificial love (Friday apex and Season 2 apex) Season Two word studies, in review - bara (H1254) — to create (Week 11, Genesis 1) - shama / ra'ah (Hebrew hearing → seeing) (Week 12, Job 38-42) - yada (H3045) — to know intimately (Week 13, Psalm 139) - devarim (H1697) — words (Week 14, Exodus 20) - paga (H6293) — to fall on, to intercede (Week 15, Isaiah 53) - v'hen la — even if not (Aramaic, Week 16, Daniel 3) - epiousios (G1967) — daily (Week 17, Matthew 6) - anōthen (G509) — again / from above (Week 18, John 3) - ekcheō (G1632) — to pour out (Week 19, Acts 2) - agapē (G26) — love (Week 20, 1 Corinthians 13) Next season | Season Three of Letters from Home. Paper and Ink. There'll be more mail. We'll be back. > That's this season's last letter. There'll be more mail. We'll be back.

    Letter 100 — The Whole Letter: Agapē (1 Corinthians 13 + Season Two)

  7. Oct 15

    Letter 099 — The Address: What Have You Been Building On? (1 Corinthians 13)

    Letters from Home is listener supported. If you have received value from this production, consider sending some value back. Support Letters From Home at https://buymeacoffee.com/lettersfromhome or donate via PayPal: paypal.me/authorhankgarner If you had every spiritual gift you have ever admired, but did not have love, would it be worth anything? Paul says no. In this letter - Building identity on knowledge, service, experience, or morality - The fifteen actions applied to the person you are hardest to love - Ou logizetai to kakon — the ledger of wrongs - Verse 12 as the foundation — you are known fully Scripture — 1 Corinthians 13:1-7, 12 The question to sit with Whose ledger have you been keeping? And is it time to release it? Coming tomorrow | The Whole Letter. Letter 100. The Season 2 finale. > There'll be more mail tomorrow.

    Letter 099 — The Address: What Have You Been Building On? (1 Corinthians 13)

  8. Oct 14

    Letter 098 — The Story: Fifteen Actions of Love (1 Corinthians 13)

    Letters from Home is listener supported. If you have received value from this production, consider sending some value back. Support Letters From Home at https://buymeacoffee.com/lettersfromhome or donate via PayPal: paypal.me/authorhankgarner Walking the poem slow. The negative case, the description, the permanence. Fifteen actions of love. And the reciprocal knowing that ends the chapter. In this letter - Verses 1-3 — the negative case - Verses 4-7 — fifteen specific actions of love - Makrothumei (long-suffering) and chrēsteuetai (kind) - Ou logizetai to kakon — does not tally wrongs - The exercise — read the descriptions with Jesus's name in place of love - Verses 8-13 — permanence, maturity, and mirror imagery - The reciprocal knowing in verse 12 Scripture — 1 Corinthians 13 Greek word studies - agapē (ἀγάπη, Strong's G26) — chosen, committed, sacrificial love - makrothumei — long-suffering - chrēsteuetai — kind, useful in kindness Coming tomorrow | The Address. > There'll be more mail tomorrow.

    Letter 098 — The Story: Fifteen Actions of Love (1 Corinthians 13)
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We're all a long way from home. That's the thing the Bible keeps trying to tell us. We're sojourners. Pilgrims. People walking a road we can't see the end of. And the whole canon of Scripture — Moses, the prophets, the Psalms, the Gospels, Paul writing from a Roman prison — is mail for people still on the road. Sent by a Father who has not forgotten where we belong. Letters from Home is a daily Bible teaching podcast with host Hank Garner. Each weekday, we open one letter and read it slow. Monday through Thursday lays the groundwork — the context, the language, the lives behind the words. Friday, the message lands. No yelling. No hot takes. No twelve-step takeaways. Just Scripture, opened with care, for the kind of people who keep their Bibles dog-eared and their questions honest. If you're homesick for somewhere you've never been — that's not a problem. That's the address on the envelope. Pull up a chair. There's mail.

Information

  • Creator
    Hank Garner
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    106
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Hank Garner 2026
  • Show Website
    Letters From Home