Skeptic Disciple B&H

In this episode we explore the relationship between repentance and belief. We will dive into what transformation of the mind might entail. And, even discuss the kingdom of heaven here and now!

This week we will explore a very important question, so important in fact… that it happens to be some of the first words Jesus speaks in the gospel of John.

Music by Prigida, Track Title: "Stumbling"

Taking the Disciple approach to the Skeptic Disciple, we will explore the encouraging message sent from Paul to a young Timothy:

As a teen, whenever someone asked (usually a pastor) what our favorite bible verse was, I’d try to either sneak out or pray I wouldn’t be called on.

I hated being put on the spot. I didn’t have a verse to quote from memory. Truth is I never read the Bible. It seemed so odd to me. But, the expectation was there. You’re a good kid, so you must read the Bible, and you must have a favorite verse.

But, if you ask me now. I’ll tell you that I DO have a favorite verse. And, it comes from 2 timothy. Where it is believed that Paul is encouraging Timothy to lead, despite his youth.

2 Timothy 1:7 “for God did not give us a spirit of cowardice, but rather a spirit of power and of love and of self-discipline.”




Episode Notes / Blog
Music by Prigida, Track Title: "Stumbling"

Thanks for Listening to the Skeptic Disciple Podcast 

We are first of all human and secondly we are learners. Listening is an essential skill in reading scripture and listening to teaching. In this episode we will discover how NOT to listen.

The 3 Defects of Listening:

1. Listening in a way that is like an upside down container. This means that physically we may be attending to but mentally we are busy somewhere else. So when someone is teaching, we are not in fact listening at all.

2. Listening in a way that is like a container with holes. This means that even though we are listening, we don't retain the content. In this case we lack mindfulness and memory. In order to benefit from teachings we must retain them with mindfulness. When our interest is half hearted, we only remember half the points, and we retain them only for a short time. We should reflect and think about whatever we have heard, over and over again. In this way, the knowledge will stay in our mind for a long time.

3. Listening like a vessel containing poison. When we listen to the teachings, we must avoid deluded motives. All activities, particularly Dharma practices such as listening and reading scriptural texts, must be done with a wholesome motivation. We should aim to control the undisciplined mind. I urge you not to treat Dharma knowledge like any other kind of science just to earn a living.

It's our hope that you can apply these principles even when we listen to each other. 

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Book Source:

Stages of Meditation by The Dalai Lama
Kamalaśīla.; Bstan-ʼdzin-rgya-mtsho, Dalai Lama XIV. Stages of Meditation. London : Rider, 2001.

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Music from Uppbeat (free for Creators!):

https://uppbeat.io/t/prigida/strumbling

License code: PKRGXCGD3EEPEJO9

A covenant meal, stone tablets and a golden calf? Sounds like trouble. Both, God and Moses react. A story that begins with a covenant meal, ends in bloodshed and the shattering of the Ten Commandments. This is a story of a complicated God-human relationship. 
Join us as we dive into the drama, and ask burning questions that lead us to discuss what it all means!
Music by: Lily J found on https://mixkit.co/free-stock-music/mood/mellow/

Many of us learned the children's version of Bible stories, but have we ever looked back and read them as adults? What do we do with the problematic parts. Do we still prefer to see those stories as we did when we were children, and if so how does this affect the way we live out our beliefs? This is a short episode simply doing a little bit of "house-keeping" before moving on with the rest of our episodes. 

Thanks for listening!