Tanglewood Church of Christ

Jesus designated two of His disciples as the "Sons of Thunder." In fact, they were more commonly known as the sons of Zebedee. Some of the questions we consider today include: Why did Jesus call them Sons of Thunder? Who was their father, Zebedee? Was their mother the sister of Jesus’ mother? Why was James martyred by Herod in AD 44, becoming the first of the apostles to die? Click the blue button to listen as we hear what the New Testament says about these two apostles.

What kind of disciple was Simon Peter? In this second lesson on the Apostle Peter, we note three obvious facts about him. What did Jesus mean when He "crowned" Simon with the title "Rock (Cephas, Peter)?" The story of Jesus walking on the water in Matthew 14 provides the text for our message today. Click the blue button to hear.

 Simon Peter was and is the most prominent of the original twelve disciples. He is spoken of the most often; we know the most about him. In our continuing study of Twelve Who Dared, we look this week and next at this larger than life fisherman from Galilee. This lesson concerns what we can know of Simon before he became a disciple of Jesus. We know he was a partner in a fishing business, that he was commonly called Simon son of John (or Jonah), and that he was from a lakeside village near Capernaum called Bethsaida. To learn more, click on the blue button to listen.

For hundreds of years, Christians have honored the apostles for their incredible faith and dedication to spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ – and rightly so! However, they did not start that way. In fact, almost until the day Jesus ascended back to heaven, they were filled with doubt and seemed to be lacking in courage. Jesus knew this, and on several occasions pointed out their failings. Today we look at their shortcomings and why Jesus still depended on them. Click the blue button to hear more in our series on Twelve Who Dared.

As we continue our study of Twelve Who Dared, we ask, "What did Jesus offer his disciples that would motivate them to follow him?" The answer is found in the famous scripture, Matthew 11:28-30: "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." What Jesus offered them He offers us! Click the blue button to hear the complete message.

"Therefore, everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock." (Matthew 7:24) We observed last week that the Sermon on the Mount was a kind of "instruction manual" for those who would be disciples of Jesus. The Sermon reflected both what Jesus was and what He intended for His followers to be. And in these words we have just quoted, we see the necessity of both knowing and doing what Jesus said. That was every good rabbi’s goal – to implant a deep understanding of God’s Word within each of his disciples, and have those disciples live out those Words in their lives. Today we look at three things Jesus focused on in His training of His disciples; the same three things I believe He is looking for us to be trained in. Click the blue button to hear more.

We hold the apostles of Jesus in high regard today, some parts of Christianity even dubbing them "Saint Peter" and "Saint John." But, truthfully, they were a pretty rough lot. Typical of fishermen and other blue collar workers, they were probably rather short on formal religious training and long on worldly experience. Not that they were ungodly or profane, but simply ordinary. Yet, Jesus called them, not seminary scholars or members of the priesthood, to be His disciples. And the consequences and implications of this calling are profound. To hear more, click the blue button to listen. 

Jesus adapted to the culture of the Jewish religious faith of His time by becoming a rabbi. This was long before rabbis had to go to special schools and get ordained by the religious leaders. Instead, men who distinguished themselves by their knowledge of the scriptures, teaching ability, and exemplary lives — these became rabbis. Usually they had sat at the feet of a rabbi themselves. But not so with Jesus. Filled with the Spirit of God, He called disciples to come learn from Him teaching and insights completely original. Hear more about Jesus as a rabbi by clicking on the blue button to listen.

 Today we begin a new series entitled, "Twelve Who Dared," focusing on the original twelve disciples (or apostles) of Jesus. Our faith in Christ rests largely upon the preserved, written records of these and a few other early disciples of Jesus. So… Who are these men? What did it mean to be a "disciple?" What can we know about them from the Biblical record and from history? To hear more, click on the blue button to listen.

"However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name." (I Peter 4:16) Christians today, like Christians in the early centuries, find themselves described in less than flattering terms by their culture. Considered superstitious, intolerant, and perhaps ignorant and unlearned, we find ourselves on the defensive, trying to explain what we believe and why. Perhaps it is best if we begin by explaining to ourselves who we are. This lesson is a small step in that direction. Click the blue button to listen.