In this episode Pastor A.J. is joined by a great panel of guests to share their faith stories and journey with the church through a perilous time. This episode was recorded in front of a live audience at the Delaware-Maryland Synod Assembly in Westminster, Maryland. Tune in to hear their stories!

In our last installment of our Revelation study, we look to the end of the story where we find the grand finale of God’s love being poured out for all and the doors of Heaven being thrown open wide for all to come. We talk about the supposed 144,000 that enter Heaven, aka this great multitude, and the books that will be opened to share God’s grand love. Thank you to all who participated in this study!

Discussion Questions:

1. What is your working theology of the gates of heaven? What was new to you in this reading of Revelation?

2. How have you understood the Book of Life before? How has this discussion changed your views?

3. What do you think that God wants from us in our covenant with God?

4. Bishop Kevin says “Because loves you so much, you need not do….”, what is your working theology of Law and Gospel?

5. Pastor A.J. says, “We are the workers in the warehouse of God’s love. Our job isn’t to know who gets it or what it looks like. Our job is just to love.” How do we understand our call as followers of Christ in the gray area of life?

6. Overall, how has your theology changed because of this study?

Pastor A.J. and Pastor Tuhina talk about the thousand year reign and Satan being put in a cage… then let out. This episode may ask more questions than give answers. What does this mean for our theology to have God have these powers and allow Satan to have a say? Dive in to help us unpack Revelation 20:1-10 for the 4th part in our Revelation study.

Discussion Questions

1. Pastor A.J.’s big question: Why do you think Satan needed to be let out for a little bit?

2. Why allow evil to remain in this world at all?

3. What is your working anthropology? And how does “evil” or “sin” fit in it?

4. Pastor Tuhina says, “It’s about the systems and the structures that are privy to evil. That’s for me what the book of Revelation is really about.” What do you make of this?

5. This big question: why did God make us with this capacity for sin and evil?

6. What does this all tell us about God?

The number of the beast: 666 has been ascribed to many over the course of history. Pastor Eric and Pastor A.J. dive into talking about the two new beasts introduced in Revelation 13, as well as, some gematria and how these numbers have been calculated over the centuries. Who would the author have been originally talking about and why would he have written in code? Join us as we unpack some of these big mysteries!

Discussion Questions:

1. Why would John of Patmos pull imagery about the beasts from Daniel? What is the case that the author is making in this?

2. Who have you heard was ascribed to the number of the beast?

3. What can we take away from the number crunching in Revelation?

4. Who do you think the author would have been writing about in code? And why?

5. What is the most surprising thing you have learned about Revelation so far?

6. What does this tell us about God?

We are diving into week 2 of our Revelation study. This week we will talk about the first beast in John of Patmos’ vision: the dragon. Join Pastor Chris and Pastor A.J. in unpacking the story of the lady who gives birth, what happens to her child, and the role of the dragon in the divine war. Study guide is available at tenfootpolepodcast.com/revelation

Discussion Questions

1. Have you read or heard this vision before with the pregnant woman? What were you told about her?

2. Jesus is both portrayed as both shepherd and sheep. How do we expect Jesus to show up? A ruler? A shepherd? A lamb?

3. Pastor A.J. reads a quote that says evil is not outside God’s power. What do we make of God allowing this evil in the world?

4. What universal truths can we find in Revelation?

5. What do we think the author is setting up for us in this story?

6. What does this tell us about God?

Notes:
- “Revelation and the End of All Things” by Craig Koester

Welcome to our first episode on the book of Revelation in our 5 week study. This week, Dr. Lewis and Pastor A.J. lay out some of the context for what is to come. The book of Revelation may not be even remotely what we have heard in popular culture. It’s not about the end of the world, but rather a word of encouragement for the church. Stay tuned for more on the visions from Revelation!

Discussion Questions

1. What have you learned about the book of Revelation before?

2. Have you ever thought about Revelation being an encouraging message before?

3. What encouraging things can we take out of this vision of John of Patmos?

4. What issues do your church (or the wider church) have that you think these words from Revelation could speak to?

5. What are you looking forward to unpacking in the next few weeks of this study?

6. What does this tell us about God?

Happy *almost* Easter everyone! For this episode Pastor A.J. and Pastor Melissa dive into the Gospel lesson for Easter Sunday: Luke 24:1-12 and some death and resurrection theology. What does it mean to be people of faith living in the wake of the resurrection? What is our focus?

Discussion Questions:

1. What does it mean for your faith to live in the light of the resurrection?

2. What's at the front of your worship space? What is the focus?

3. What does it mean to you that “the beauty of grace is that it makes life not fair”?

4. What does this tell us about God?

Two ADHD pastors talk about the morals of Judas, Mary, Martha, Lazarus, and Jesus. Everything from bad boyfriend behavior to some questions of sexuality. Join for this fun and funny conversation on John 12:1-8 for Sunday, April 6t, 2025.

Discussion Questions:

1. What is your working resurrection theology around Jesus and Lazarus?

2. How have you thought about Jesus’ rebuke of using the expensive oil before?

3. Do you think Jesus is commanding us to “keep the poor with us always”?

4. What benefits of doubt do you give to Judas?

5. What have you learned about Jesus’ singleness or marriedness?

6. What does this tell you about God?