On this episode of Preaching the Text, John Hoyum and Steve Paulson discuss Luke's account of the annunciation where the angel Gabriel appears before Mary to announce that she will conceive a child by the Holy Spirit.

In episode TWO HUNDRED AND THIRTY-SIX, Mike and Wade discuss disappointment.

Are We Just Rats in a Maze? In this episode, we discuss grief, mourning, death, and hope while reading C.S. Lewis’s book, A Grief Observed.

Over the last several weeks, the news has been abuzz with UFOs.

We are celebrating our 100th episode by answering listener questions that were sent in.

Pastor Sheek Teaches On Luke 9:51-62

. . . to which Jesus answers, "Why? What have you heard?" Jesus challenges all the doubts about Himself and demands we believe in who He truly is.

What do you do when you doubt? What happens when people or churches who have lead you to faith have betrayed you? What is deconstruction anyway?

Like the Israelites of old, Naomi enters into the Promised Land, but she does so grumbling with bitterness. Is she wrong to blame God? What is God doing?

In this chapter's "bonus" episode, both Debi and Producer Dan talk with a guest from Chapter One of this Season, R. J. Grunewald. R.J. is writing a book about those who have left the church for one reason or another, and are, as he puts it, "left for dead." We discuss R.J.'s research and how we might talk about the faith and the church for those who think they've had enough.

In this episode, you hear one of the more dramatic and exciting stories we found. Michael is someone who has indeed left the church, but only for a season, and now is the pastor of a church in Louisiana that is especially sensitive to the plight of those who think they have nowhere left to go. Despite a ministry and church that is flourishing, sometimes Michael feels as if the message might be "too good to be true" and other times feels the loneliness of one trying to stand up for the lost.

In this episode, Debi talks to Jason in New Jersey—a man who grew up with some kind of faith, seemed to lose whatever he had, and now has questions as to whether any of it is with it at all. After talking to Jason, Debi talks with Pastor Bruce Hillman, also from New Jersey, about Jason's plight. Pastor Hillman is an exceptionally well-read and fun conversation, and he and Debi discuss reasons for leaving, for doubting, but ultimately resting in Christ Alone.