The Satan

The story of Satan is found in both the Old and New Testament, but it takes a bit of time and research to see how this character works out. In this 1208-Bit *Nerd Church message, we follow the progressive revelation the Bible relates to us on who the Satan is. Subscribe to the 1208PODCAST on iTunes, Spotify, or Google Play.

The Beasts

In Revelation 13, Satan raises up and empowers two beasts—and what they represent speaks uncomfortable volumes to the Christian today and in every generation before.

The Divine Council

As Christians, we are monotheists—that is to say that we believe that there is only one God and He has created all things both physical and spiritual. However, there's a disconnect between the way we understand monotheism today and the way the Bible understood monotheism. For us today, it means that God is the only spiritual being with power and authority in existence. For the Bible writers of both the Old and New Testament, while God is the one and only God, He has distributed power and authority to other spiritual beings He created. These beings we know throughout the Bible as the false little-g-gods. While they are not anywhere near close to God because there is only one God, they are also not nothing. And that's the theme we dig into much more deeply in this message. Subscribe to the 1208PODCAST on iTunes, Spotify, or Google Play. 

Dragon Slayers

The dragon known as Satan in Revelation 12 is not only defeated by the archangel Michael and his angels, but he's also conquered by the most unexpected of people: the martyrs. Subscribe to the 1208PODCAST on iTunes, Spotify, or Google Play. 

The Giant Clans of the Bible

Goliath is not the only giant mentioned in the Bible. The story of giants is interwoven from the time of Noah all the way to David's reign and it's an important element that makes sense of a lot of confusing questions we still ask today.

The Two Witnesses

In John-like fashion, the narrative of Revelation is interrupted again with another side story. But side stories are not unimportant. They help bring the whole narrative together. And just who are the main characters of this story and why are they important? That's what we cover in today's message.

Jamin Speaks at Ypsilanti

Jamin shares his testimony of meeting the Holy Spirit with Ypsilanti Free Methodist Church.

Deliciously Bitter

It's sweet to receive a word from God, but it can be bitter to deliver it. You may want to read through Revelation 10 before listening to this episode.

Echoes of Egypt

In Revelation Christians are being persecuted and martyred. Last week we saw the martyrs ask God to respond. This week we see God do so as echoes of Egypt ripple throughout the narrative.

Altar & Incense

Jamin digs into the symbolism of Revelation 8:1-5 and talks about prayer and sacrifice.

A God Who Wipes Away Tears

Jamin shares a bit of his testimony and explains how it can be difficult for him to receive God's love while he has no problem dishing it out to others.

The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse

The four horsemen of the apocalypse are incredibly terrifying both on a visual level and a theological level. But understood correctly, it's not quite as theologically concerning as you might think—you just need to see it in the light John is painting.

The Lion is the Lamb

We often sing songs about God being a lion and a lamb. This is all well and good as the Bible likens God to a lion throughout, but in John’s Revelation, there is no lion to be found. Yes, a lion is announced, but when John turns to see him, it is, in fact, a lamb—not a lion morphing into a lamb, but a lamb. And this speaks volumes to John’s message. Listen to this episode by subscribing to the podcast on iTunes, Spotify, or Google Play. 

Christmas Politics

In a time where the nation is vocally divided on politics, it'd be nice to give the whole thing a rest for Christmas. But the truth is that Christmas is about a baby king being born in our midst—and kings tend to be political.

The Great Symbiosis VS Christmas

The gods of the Ancient Near East expected humanity to serve them and in return they would give humanity what they needed. The Hebrews, however, saw their God in a different light—and Christmas amplifies that light to an incredible degree.

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Beyond the Crystal Sea

Revelation 4 is a powerful scene of God's throne room and it's there that we find all kinds of strange things we don't know what to make of. But once we learn about these strange things we begin to see God glorified even more.

For a deeper look at my "snow globe" analogy, check out this infographic to see how the ancient people of the Bible viewed the cosmos.

Check out this podcast episode on 1208GREENWOOD’s webpage or simply subscribe to the podcast on iTunes, Spotify, or Google Play. 

The Letters to the Churches

The letters John wrote to the churches of Revelation are not churches in the future. They were real churches that existed at the time he wrote them and they were specifically written to them in their context. Jamin explains how each letter related to their particular environment.

1208 on MLive

“‘It gets disheartening to never have answers for people’s big problems,’ Bradley said. So 1208Greenwood is working to launch Empowerment Houses, which will provide transitional housing for the homeless and work with them to provide basic needs and help stabilize their lives.”

Thanks to Marie for writing up this article for our #GivingTuesday campaign! Check out the whole article here and see the fundraiser here.

#Giving Tuesday: Empowerment Houses

You can give on our Facebook fundraiser page today!

After our neighbor Loretta became homeless and passed away from an ongoing condition, we at 1208 Greenwood Church decided it was time to have some answers to the housing crisis in Jackson. So we set out to create what we call, "Empowerment Houses."

While we still have much to learn about these houses, they are meant to provide temporary housing for those in Jackson who need it while they find stability and move towards a flourishing life. We sense that many of these houses could be established with grant money in the future, but first we need to pilot our program to prove its effectiveness and work out the kinks. That’s why we want to start this project by raising money for our pilot house, “The Loretta House.”

Thank you to the wider Jackson community and beyond for partnering with us this #GivingTuesday to help this project get its feet on the ground!

Revelation 1 Q&A

Revelation is a very confusing book, but it's more understandable than you might think if you come at it from the perspective of the scholars and theologians who know it best. In this introduction to our new series, Jamin invites to see this book as letter, prophecy, and apocrypha. He then answers any questions people have on the first chapter of Revelation.

Clarification: Christians go to Heaven when they die, not Sheol/Hades. They are saved by Christ from going to that place and go to Heaven instead