Kingdoms Collide

Tyler Henderson

Kingdoms Collide One city. Five biblical books. Forty years. One continuous story. What happens when the Kingdom of God enters a city built for another kingdom? Kingdoms Collide is a narrative documentary podcast that follows the complete forty-year story of the church in Ephesus—from its unlikely beginning in Acts, through Ephesians, 1 Timothy, 2 Timothy, and finally to Christ’s personal message in Revelation 2. These books were never meant to feel disconnected. Together, they tell the story of one church across one generation. It begins with a Jewish tentmaker named Paul making an unexpected stop in one of the largest, wealthiest, and most spiritually hostile cities in the Roman Empire. Beneath the shadow of the Temple of Artemis, ordinary believers—tentmakers, merchants, families, and pastors—quietly build a church that will eventually help spread the gospel throughout Asia Minor. You’ll witness miracles and riots, public debates and private discipleship, idol makers defending their livelihoods, the burning of magic scrolls, the rise of Timothy’s leadership, and ultimately the heartbreaking moment when Jesus Himself evaluates the church forty years after it first began. Every episode combines careful biblical study, historical research, archaeology, and cinematic storytelling to place you inside the streets, marketplaces, homes, synagogues, lecture halls, and harbor of first-century Ephesus. Rather than studying isolated passages, you’ll experience the New Testament as one unfolding narrative, discovering how each book builds upon the last. Along the way you’ll meet Aquila and Priscilla, Apollos, Timothy, Epaphras, Tychicus, Trophimus, and countless ordinary believers whose faithfulness quietly transformed an entire province. But this series is about more than history. It’s about how God builds His Kingdom in the middle of another one. Sometimes kingdoms move through dramatic miracles. Sometimes they move through a conversation in a marketplace. Sometimes they move through a dinner table. Sometimes they move through years of unseen faithfulness. Whether you’ve studied the Bible for decades or are opening these passages for the first time, Kingdoms Collide invites you to experience Scripture the way the first believers lived it—as one interconnected story of endurance, discipleship, spiritual warfare, and the unstoppable advance of the Kingdom of God. Because the story of Ephesus isn’t just the story of one ancient church. It’s the story of how Christ builds His Church—and what happens when His Kingdom collides with the kingdoms of this world. Free devotionals, Bible study guides, and study resources are available at www.KingdomsCollide.com

Season 1

  1. Episode 1

    The Stop That Began a Church

    Hey! I'd love to hear your thoughts, send me a voice note. Episode 1 — The Stop That Began a Church Before Ephesus became one of the most important churches in the New Testament, it began with a stop. Paul arrives in Ephesus near the end of his second missionary journey with Aquila and Priscilla. He enters the synagogue. The people ask him to stay. And Paul leaves. It hardly looks like the beginning of anything significant. But behind that brief visit, God is already putting people in place. Aquila and Priscilla remain in the city. A gifted preacher named Apollos arrives knowing only part of the story. And through a series of ordinary decisions, relationships, and acts of faithfulness, the foundation is laid for what will become one of the most influential churches of the first century. In Episode 1 of Kingdoms Collide, we go to Ephesus around 52 AD and explore the overlooked events of Acts 18:18–28 that set the stage for everything that follows. In this episode: Why Ephesus mattered in the Roman worldPaul’s surprisingly brief first visit to the cityThe crucial role of Aquila and PriscillaThe arrival and discipleship of ApollosHow God uses ordinary faithfulness before anyone can see what He is buildingThe small beginnings behind a church that would eventually receive teaching from Paul, Timothy, and the Apostle John—and ultimately a message from Jesus HimselfThis is where our forty-year journey through the church at Ephesus begins. Six biblical books. Forty years. One church under pressure. Go Deeper The podcast is only part of the journey. Each episode of Kingdoms Collide has companion material designed to help you move beyond listening and dig deeper into the Scripture, history, people, and spiritual lessons behind the story. Use it for personal study, discussion with your family, a small group, or alongside the podcast as we follow the Ephesian church from its beginning in Acts to Christ’s final evaluation in Revelation. Get the Episode 1 companion material at KingdomsCollide.com/ephesus/episode-1. Join the Journey Want the companion material, future episode resources, and updates as new episodes release? Join the Kingdoms Collide email list at KingdomsCollide.com. You’ll be able to follow the series beyond the podcast and continue exploring the biblical world behind Ephesus with us. Scripture explored: Acts 18:18–28 Kingdoms Collide Exploring 40 Years of Church in Ephesus

    The Stop That Began a Church
  2. Episode 2

    A War of Endurance

    Hey! I'd love to hear your thoughts, send me a voice note. Episode 2 — A War of Endurance Three years. That’s how long Paul will remain in Ephesus—longer than almost anywhere else in his recorded ministry. But when he returns to the city, there is no massive church waiting for him. There are twelve disciples. From that small beginning, Paul enters the synagogue and spends three months reasoning and persuading people about the Kingdom of God. Opposition eventually forces him out. So Paul moves. Not out of Ephesus—but into the Hall of Tyrannus. And there, day after day, Paul teaches. He works with his hands. He disciples believers. He faces opposition. He keeps showing up. Until Acts makes an extraordinary statement: “All the residents of Asia heard the word of the Lord.” — Acts 19:10 How does a movement capable of reaching an entire region begin? Not overnight. In Episode 2 of Kingdoms Collide, we return with Paul to Ephesus and follow the long, demanding work behind one of the most influential churches of the first century. In this episode: Paul returns to Ephesus and finds twelve disciplesThe Holy Spirit comes upon themPaul spends three months teaching in the synagogueOpposition forces the believers to make a strategic moveThe Hall of Tyrannus becomes a center for daily teaching and discipleshipPaul works, teaches, weeps, and enduresThe gospel spreads beyond Ephesus until “all Asia” hears the word of the LordWhy great movements are often built through ordinary, repeated faithfulnessEpisode 1 showed us how God prepares the ground. Episode 2 shows us what it costs to keep working it. Great movements are not built in a moment. They are built through obedience, endurance, tears, and daily faithfulness. Go Deeper Don’t stop when the episode ends. The Episode 2 Companion Material is designed to help you dig deeper into Acts 19:1–10 and explore the Scripture, historical setting, timeline, and spiritual lessons behind Paul’s years in Ephesus. Use it for personal Bible study, family discussion, small groups, Sunday school, or simply to follow the story at a deeper level as we journey through forty years of church history in Ephesus. Get the Episode 2 companion material at KingdomsCollide.com. Join the Journey We’re only beginning the story. The church taking shape in this episode will eventually face extraordinary miracles, spiritual warfare, public repentance, economic upheaval, false teaching—and ultimately an evaluation from Jesus Himself. Join the Kingdoms Collide email list at KingdomsCollide.com to receive new episode updates, companion resources, and additional material as we continue through Ephesus together. Main Scripture: Acts 19:1–10 Kingdoms Collide Exploring 40 Years of Church in Ephesus Six biblical books. Forty years. One church under pressure.

    A War of Endurance
  3. Episode 3

    The Door Opens

    Hey! I'd love to hear your thoughts, send me a voice note. Episode 3 — The Door Opens A piece of worn cloth. Seven men running wounded through the streets. And 50,000 drachmas worth of magic going up in flames. Something has changed in Ephesus. After years of teaching, working, and enduring, Paul watches the door of ministry open in ways no one could have predicted. Acts tells us that God begins performing extraordinary miracles through Paul. Even handkerchiefs and pieces of cloth that had touched him are carried to the sick causing diseases and evil spirits to leave. Then seven sons of Sceva attempt to invoke the name of Jesus themselves. It goes terribly wrong. Soon fear spreads across Ephesus, the name of Jesus is magnified, people publicly confess their practices, and an enormous collection of magical books is carried into the streets and burned. But something else is happening beneath the surface. Every scroll thrown into the fire represents money that will never be spent again. Every person abandoning magic represents a lost customer. Every person turning toward Jesus is stepping away from an economy built around the spiritual identity of Ephesus. Revival is becoming measurable. And someone is going to notice. In Episode 3 of Kingdoms Collide, we enter one of the most dramatic passages in Acts and discover what happens when the gospel doesn’t merely change what people believe but begins changing how an entire city lives. In this episode: The extraordinary miracles surrounding Paul’s ministryThe strange story of handkerchiefs and pieces of cloth being carried to the sickThe seven sons of Sceva and their disastrous encounter with an evil spiritWhy the name of Jesus could not be treated like another magical incantationThe world of magic and spiritual fear surrounding ancient EphesusPublic confession and repentanceThe burning of 50,000 drachmas worth of magical booksHow spiritual transformation began creating economic consequencesWhy the miracles were never the destination; they were the doorwayActs ends this section with the real measure of what happened: “So the word of the Lord continued to increase and prevail mightily.” — Acts 19:20 The cloth wasn’t the point. The demons weren’t the point. Even the fire wasn’t the point. The Word was prevailing. And when the Kingdom of God begins changing what people love, trust, fear, and buy, eventually another kingdom notices. That’s when kingdoms collide. Go Deeper The story doesn’t have to end when the episode does. The Episode 3 Companion Material takes you deeper into Acts 19:11–20 and explores the biblical, historical, and spiritual world behind this extraordinary moment in Ephesus. Dig deeper into the city’s relationship with magic, the sons of Sceva, the burning of the scrolls, and what this passage teaches us about genuine repentance and the authority of Jesus. Use it for personal Bible study, family discussion, Sunday school, small groups, or alongside the podcast as we continue following the church at Ephesus across forty years of New Testament history. Get the Episode 3 companion material at www.KingdomsCollide.com/ephesus/episode-3 Main Scripture: Acts 19:11–20 Kingdoms Collide Exploring 40 Years of Church in Ephesus Six biblical books. Forty years. One church under pressure.

    The Door Opens
  4. Episode 4

    Kingdoms at War

    Hey! I'd love to hear your thoughts, send me a voice note. Episode 4 — Kingdoms at War The fire has gone out. But someone has started counting the cost. For nearly three years, Paul has preached the gospel in Ephesus. People have been healed. The name of Jesus has spread. Magical books worth an enormous fortune have been burned. People are changing. And changed people spend their money differently. A wealthy silversmith named Demetrius understands the problem: the gospel is becoming bad for business. He gathers the craftsmen of Ephesus and warns them that Paul’s message threatens their income, their trade, and even the magnificence of Artemis herself. Within hours, a business meeting becomes a riot. Thousands flood into the Great Theatre of Ephesus. Paul’s companions are dragged into the chaos. And for two hours, the city roars: “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!” In Episode 4 of Kingdoms Collide, the conflict building beneath Ephesus finally erupts into the open. In this episode: The Temple of Artemis and the economy surrounding itWhy Demetrius saw Paul’s ministry as a financial threatHow a guild meeting exploded into a citywide riotGaius and Aristarchus being dragged into the Great TheatreWhy Paul wanted to enter the theater himselfThe crowd’s two-hour defense of ArtemisThe connection between Acts 19 and Ephesians 6:12What Ephesus teaches us about spiritual warfare, economics, idolatry, and allegianceOn the surface, the battle was easy to see. Paul. Demetrius. Money. Artemis. A screaming crowd. But years later, Paul would write to the Christians of Ephesus: “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood…” — Ephesians 6:12 The people weren’t the ultimate enemy. There was another kingdom underneath the kingdom. The gospel wasn’t merely asking Ephesus to change religions. Jesus was laying claim to their worship, money, identity, fears, and loyalties. Because eventually, genuine allegiance to Jesus changes more than what you believe. It changes how you live. And when that happens… Kingdoms collide. Go Deeper The Episode 4 Companion Material takes you deeper into Acts 19:21–41 and the world behind the riot, including the Temple of Artemis, the Ephesian economy, Demetrius and the silversmiths, and the spiritual conflict beneath the story. Use it for personal study, family discussion, Sunday school, small groups, or alongside the podcast. Get the Episode 4 companion material at KingdomsCollide.com. Join the Journey The riot ends. Soon, Paul’s time in Ephesus will too. But before he disappears from their story, Paul will gather the Ephesian leaders one final time. He will kneel with them, weep with them—and warn them about what is coming. The next threat won’t come screaming through the doors of a theater. It will come from inside the church. Join the email list at KingdomsCollide.com for new episodes, companion resources, and additional material. Main Scripture: Acts 19:21–41 Additional Scripture: Ephesians 6:12 Kingdoms Collide Exploring 40 Years of Church in Ephesus Six biblical books. Forty years. One church under pressure.

  5. Episode 5

    The Warning

    Hey! I'd love to hear your thoughts, send me a voice note. Episode 5 — The Warning The riot is over. Paul has left Ephesus. But before he continues toward Jerusalem, he asks the leaders of the Ephesian church to meet him one final time. They gather at Miletus. And Paul gives them a warning. For nearly three years, he has lived among these people. He has taught them publicly and from house to house. He has served through opposition, trials, and tears. Now he knows they may never see his face again. So Paul doesn’t waste his final words. “Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock.” — Acts 20:28 The church in Ephesus has survived pressure from the synagogue. It has confronted the spiritual world of magic. It has watched thousands of drachmas burn in the streets. It has survived the fury of a city defending Artemis. But Paul warns them about a different kind of threat. Wolves are coming. Some will attack from outside. Others will rise from among them. In Episode 5 of Kingdoms Collide, we follow Paul to Miletus for his emotional farewell to the Ephesian elders, and discover the warning that will echo through the next several decades of this church’s history. In this episode: Paul’s final meeting with the Ephesian eldersWhat his three years in Ephesus actually cost himWhy Paul reminds them about his tearsThe responsibility of church leaders to guard themselves and the flockPaul’s warning about “fierce wolves”The disturbing prediction that some false teachers will arise from withinWhy Paul’s warning becomes essential for understanding what happens next in EphesusPaul has spent years building this church. Now he entrusts it to others. And before they kneel together, weep, embrace, and say goodbye, he leaves them with a responsibility: Watch. Because establishing a church is one battle. Keeping it faithful is another. Go Deeper The Episode 5 Companion Material takes you deeper into Paul’s farewell to the Ephesian elders and the warning of Acts 20. Explore the passage, its historical setting, Paul’s model of leadership, and what his warning teaches us about protecting both the truth and the people entrusted to the church. Use it for personal Bible study, family discussion, Sunday school, small groups, or alongside the podcast. Get the Episode 5 companion material at KingdomsCollide.com. Join the Journey Paul leaves. But the story of Ephesus is far from over. Years later, the church will face exactly the kind of internal pressure Paul warned them about. And a younger leader named Timothy will be sent into Ephesus to confront it. The question is no longer whether the wolves will come. The question is whether the church will recognize them. Join the email list at KingdomsCollide.com for new episodes, companion resources, and additional material as we continue through forty years of the church at Ephesus. Main Scripture: Acts 20:17–38 Kingdoms Collide Exploring 40 Years of Church in Ephesus Six biblical books. Forty years. One church under pressure.

About

Kingdoms Collide One city. Five biblical books. Forty years. One continuous story. What happens when the Kingdom of God enters a city built for another kingdom? Kingdoms Collide is a narrative documentary podcast that follows the complete forty-year story of the church in Ephesus—from its unlikely beginning in Acts, through Ephesians, 1 Timothy, 2 Timothy, and finally to Christ’s personal message in Revelation 2. These books were never meant to feel disconnected. Together, they tell the story of one church across one generation. It begins with a Jewish tentmaker named Paul making an unexpected stop in one of the largest, wealthiest, and most spiritually hostile cities in the Roman Empire. Beneath the shadow of the Temple of Artemis, ordinary believers—tentmakers, merchants, families, and pastors—quietly build a church that will eventually help spread the gospel throughout Asia Minor. You’ll witness miracles and riots, public debates and private discipleship, idol makers defending their livelihoods, the burning of magic scrolls, the rise of Timothy’s leadership, and ultimately the heartbreaking moment when Jesus Himself evaluates the church forty years after it first began. Every episode combines careful biblical study, historical research, archaeology, and cinematic storytelling to place you inside the streets, marketplaces, homes, synagogues, lecture halls, and harbor of first-century Ephesus. Rather than studying isolated passages, you’ll experience the New Testament as one unfolding narrative, discovering how each book builds upon the last. Along the way you’ll meet Aquila and Priscilla, Apollos, Timothy, Epaphras, Tychicus, Trophimus, and countless ordinary believers whose faithfulness quietly transformed an entire province. But this series is about more than history. It’s about how God builds His Kingdom in the middle of another one. Sometimes kingdoms move through dramatic miracles. Sometimes they move through a conversation in a marketplace. Sometimes they move through a dinner table. Sometimes they move through years of unseen faithfulness. Whether you’ve studied the Bible for decades or are opening these passages for the first time, Kingdoms Collide invites you to experience Scripture the way the first believers lived it—as one interconnected story of endurance, discipleship, spiritual warfare, and the unstoppable advance of the Kingdom of God. Because the story of Ephesus isn’t just the story of one ancient church. It’s the story of how Christ builds His Church—and what happens when His Kingdom collides with the kingdoms of this world. Free devotionals, Bible study guides, and study resources are available at www.KingdomsCollide.com