046 - Advent for Beginners

046 - Advent for Beginners

Between Thanksgiving and Christmas, we observe the season of Advent, a time to reflect on our longing for Christ’s return. Like the Israelites who waited for the Messiah to come, we too are waiting for his return. In this episode, Mark and Cameron cover the basics of Advent — what it is, how it relates to the rest of the calendar, and how this time of preparation changes the way we celebrate Christmas itself.

045 - Feeling God's Presence

045 - Feeling God's Presence

Cameron and Mark dig deeper into the role of our emotional responses — particularly when it comes to “feeling” God’s presence. Is there a difference between feeling close to God and being close to God? Could it be that the way to draw near to God — both for those struggling for a sense of God’s presence, and for those whose faith has never been tested — is one and the same?

043 - A Theology of Eating and Drinking

043 - A Theology of Eating and Drinking

With the holidays approaching, Cameron and Mark discuss the theology of eating and drinking in anticipation of a season of, well, eating and drinking. The Bible’s teachings about food and drink are complex, but by thinking in terms of how creation, fall, and redemption impact our dependence on food, we can appreciate how to eat and drink to the glory of God.

040 - Jesus Before Politics

040 - Jesus Before Politics

This is the 40th episode of The Commentary, and we are returning to a topic we tackled back in Episode 16 — politics! What happens when the Bible challenges your deeply-held political convictions? What are the signs that you’re letting your politics override your faith? Cameron and Mark dig into these questions and try to understand the right place of politics in the larger conception of the true, good, and beautiful.

036 - Presbyterians Need Presbytery

036 - Presbyterians Need Presbytery

Is there more to presbyterian church government than just having elders? In this episode, Mark and Cameron discuss another key factor: the checks and balances provided by the church’s “higher courts.” In addition, they talk about why Grace’s adult Sunday School class is tackling the Westminster Confession line by line.

Mentioned in this episode:
A Good Confession: Sunday School Recordings

035 - Matthew From 30,000 Feet

035 - Matthew From 30,000 Feet

In this week’s episode, Mark and Cameron take a look at the Gospel According to Matthew — the subject of Grace’s new sermon series — from a 30,000 foot perspective. They talk about how this book relates to the other Synoptic Gospels, and how its unique structure informs our reading. There are also a few tips as we get started in this inaugural New Testament text.

034 - The Mark of the Beast

034 - The Mark of the Beast

Cameron returns after a two-episode break with questions on Mark’s two most recent sermons. First comes the suggestion that Joseph, husband of Mary, despite his relatively brief time on stage in the gospel narrative, may offer an excellent model for biblical manhood. Then the conversation turns to the “mark of the beast.” Is it a literal marking of the flesh, or should we interpret the mark differently? What context does the rest of Scripture give us for thinking about the significance of marked foreheads?

033 - Retractions and Clarifications

033 - Retractions and Clarifications

Grace’s new sermon series on the Gospel According to Matthew just began last Sunday, and Mark is already issuing retractions and clarifications. In this episode, his wife Laurie — a woman with plenty of experience pointing out his errors — asks a series a questions about the genealogy at the beginning of Matthew 1. Then, Mark and Laurie discuss the upcoming women’s discipleship book group on Tim Keller’s The Prodigal God.

032 - The Liberating "Pressure" of History

032 - The Liberating "Pressure" of History

Mark’s special guest in this episode is Rev. Ethan Sayler, a fellow PCA pastor who recently explained the denomination to the YouTube channel “Ten Minute Bible Hour.” Ethan shares some behind-the-scenes details of the experience, and then engages with Mark over the question of whether our sense of history and our commitment to the Westminster Confession is a “pressure,” an anchor, or both!