The Yellow Balloons Podcast

S1 Ep 11: Do Not Fear

The central theme in The Book of Revelation is a call to faithfulness. To steward our lives as a faithful witness of God’s goodness and love. We continue looking at the patterns of commendation, exhortation, consequence, and reward throughout the letters to the seven churches. Even in the midst of tribulation, God gives us an opportunity to love and trust Him. He will reward our faithfulness with His approval.

S1 Ep 12: The Best is Yet to Come

There’s a difference between being approved and being accepted. We talk about what it looks like for an overcomer to lean into this distinction. Revelation calls us to be a faithful witness, an overcomer who lives above our circumstances. Tim begins by tying in chapter 1 of James, which shows us how to overcome a vast array of circumstances to live the life Revelation asks of us.

S1 Ep 13: Victim vs. Choice

We look at the church of Pergamos. Tim examines how the ancient community wanted to have Jesus without fully obeying him. The Church in Pergamos was struggling. They didn’t want to change their familiar patterns and behaviors. Revelation calls us to overcome by reading the Word, hearing it, and obeying it faithfully. 

S1 Ep 14: All This and Jesus Too

We continue the teaching on Revelation 2 and the church in Pergamos. Our circumstances affect what our faithfulness looks like. They are an opportunity for us to make a choice. We examine the role of witness, martyr, and overcomer, the impact of our prayers, and the danger of false teachers. Revelation calls us to fight against the temptations of the flesh and pursue a life of faithfulness. This episode begins with a look at the story of Balaam.

S1 Ep 15: Resist Wrong Authorities

Revelation gives us a unique view of Jesus. In the last book of Scripture, Jesus basks in the full manifestation of his authority. This Jesus is going to set things right. Tim warns us about the dangers of being seduced into corruption, and missing out on the fullness of Christ. We explore the stories of Elijah and Jezebel as an example of a warrior against a seductress. God wants us to be warriors and to resist the temptation towards corruption so that we might share in the fullness of His Kingdom. 

S1 Ep 16: Stand For What Is Right And True

We continue our look at the story of Elijah and Jezebel. These two contrasting figures show us the value of fighting against temptation with courage and honor. Christianity has a call to power that is counter-intuitive to this world. Those who humble themselves are exalted, and those who exalt themselves are humbled. Scripture calls for us to resist, overcome, and remain humble. We join Tim in 2 Kings with the story of Elijah.

S1 Ep 17: In Dying You Live

In the last episode we saw the importance of humility in the story of Elijah & Jezebel. In this episode we move onto the ancient church of Sardis. This church does not get a favorable description in The Book of Revelation, it is described as a place that seems alive but is actually dying. We go through Revelation’s response to being spiritually dead. Why do we claim faith but don’t live it out? How can we improve the consistency of our lives? The warning to the church of Sardis is the same for us – it is time to come alive.

S1 Ep 18: Do I Have Living Faith?

We continue looking at the challenges of having a living faith, using James 2 as a guide. This popular chapter on works prescribes an antidote for the hypocritical church of Smyrna, claiming to be alive but not acting out the gospel. Having a living faith profits us and will increase our capacity to love. We should start with whatever measure of faith we have and do our best to add to it. All the while, being watchful and waiting attentively for Christ’s return. 

S1 Ep 19: The Throne Room of Jesus

We move onto the third chapter of Revelation, which focuses on the question, “who sits on the throne?”, in other words, “who should we direct our faith towards.” The Book of Revelation mentions thrones numerous times. The theme of strength and power is central to this passage. A picture of heaven starts to form, not as a place in the clouds but as a time when wrong things get set right. God, the proper authority, has the throne. Evil is vanquished. And the trials of this world are no more. 

S1 Ep 20: Persevere

We have looked at God as the ultimate power, in this episode we see how through that power he gives us everything we need to be faithful servants. As we strive for faithfulness and wait for the fullness of Heaven, perseverance emerges as a key factor in the life of the disciple. We are not only to persevere when things are hard, we also need to persevere in doing good works. We look at a passage in Hebrews about the joy set before Christ. We also have joy set before us, and we must be patient and persevere if we want to receive it in full, remembering that God gives us everything we need to endure.