Exploring My Strange Bible

Psalms E1 —The book of Psalms has played a significant role in Jewish and Christian history for thousands of years. Observant Jews have always memorized and prayed the Psalms. At multiple points in Jesus’ life, he used the language of the Psalms to express his own thoughts. And Jesus models for us what it can look like to use the Psalms as the language of our own prayers. In this first teaching of a four-part series, Tim explores Psalm 3 as a way to pray when we're in the midst of great fear and anxiety. Tim gave this message at Door of Hope Church in Portland, Oregon, on May 19, 2013.

The Language of Faith E4 — This is the final episode of a four-part series looking at foundational words and concepts in the Bible and Christian faith. These words rarely come up in modern culture, and when they do, they’re often used very differently. In this teaching, Tim explores the controversial word and concept of atonement by diving into the biblical story and letting it speak for itself. Tim gave this message at Door of Hope Church in Portland, Ore., on October 16, 2016.

The Language of Faith E3 — This four-part series looks at some of the most common and important words in the Bible and Christian faith that are often misunderstood and underused in modern culture. In this teaching, Tim explores the word covenant and how it's crucial for understanding the storyline and architecture of the whole biblical story. Tim gave this message at Door of Hope Church in Portland, Oregon, on November 20, 2016.

The Language of Faith E2 — In this short series, we’re looking at three foundational words and concepts in the Bible and Christian faith. These words rarely come up in modern culture, and when they do, they’re often used very differently. In this teaching, Tim explores the biblical word of glory, which is commonly used and misunderstood among Christians but crucially important in the biblical story. Tim gave this message at Door of Hope Church in Portland, Oregon, on October 30, 2016.

The Language of Faith E1 —- Some of the most important vocabulary words in the Bible and Christian faith are rarely used in modern Western culture, or they’re used in ways totally different from how the Bible uses them. This short series qualifies, resurrects, and gives new meaning to three of these old terms. In this teaching, Tim explores the biblical word and concept of holiness, as it applies to God and people in the story of the Bible. Tim gave this message at Door of Hope Church in Portland, Oregon, on October 2, 2016.

Resurrection as a Way of Life E5 — In this final teaching of a five-part series, Tim explores the depiction of new creation in the book of Revelation. These final pages of the Bible talk about this future universe as new because many aspects of our current world will not carry over. At the same time, we will experience some points of continuity. So what do we make of all this and why is it important? Tim gave this message at Door of Hope Church in Portland, Oregon, on August 21, 2016.

Resurrection as a Way of Life E3 — In this third teaching of a five-part series, Tim dives into one of the most exhilarating and beautiful chapters in all of the Apostle Paul’s writings. In Romans 8, Paul retells the whole story of the Bible with imagery from Exodus, which is all about people groaning in slavery, being liberated by God, and stepping into freedom in the promised land. Tim gave this message at Door of Hope Church in Portland, Oregon, on July 24, 2016.

Resurrection as a Way of Life E4 — In this fourth teaching of a five-part series, Tim explores 1 Corinthians 15, one of the most important chapters on the resurrection in the New Testament. The Apostle Paul expounds on the importance of resurrection hope, as well as what the resurrection body is (and what’s it’s not). Tim gave this message at Door of Hope Church in Portland, Oregon, on August 7, 2016.

Resurrection as a Way of Life E2 — In this second episode of a five-part series, Tim explores 1 Peter’s opening paragraph and its themes of new birth and living hope, both made possible by Jesus’ resurrection. Tim also reflects on what he learned about human psychology and hope from the Holocaust survivor Viktor Frankl. He gave this message at Door of Hope Church in Portland, Oregon, on July 10, 2016.

Resurrection as a Way of Life E1 — The topics of resurrection and new creation in the teachings of Jesus and the apostles are crucial for how followers of Jesus view the world, the future, and themselves. In this first episode of a five-part series, Tim teaches from Luke 24 on the story of Jesus offering a new vision of the messiah to two disillusioned disciples on the road to Emmaus. Tim gave this message at Door of Hope Church in Portland, Ore., on July 3, 2016.

Why Church Matters E2 — Why is sharing our stuff so hard? And how does church play a critical role in helping us form this habit? In this second episode of a two-part series, Tim explores the portrait of the first church community in Acts 2, who committed to sharing their resources with each other. This demonstrates a core habit of the Church from the beginning: crossing over boundary lines to freely release our time and resources to other people. Tim gave this message at Door of Hope Church in Portland, Ore., on January 11, 2014.

Why Church Matters E1 — When people think of Christians, openness to new ideas is not usually the first thing that comes to mind. That's because we've lost a key part of the mindset of a “disciple,” a word that actually means “learner.” In this first episode of a two-part series, Tim explores the earliest depiction of the Church in Acts 2, where a group of people commit to each other and to Jesus so they can learn new ideas and form new habits of living and thinking together, all centered around Jesus. Tim gave this message at Door of Hope Church in Portland, Ore., on January 4, 2014.

Heaven & Hell E4 — Everything we learn in the Bible about heaven and hell comes from a series of complex, ancient images, and it’s easy to misunderstand them. What do images of eternal death and everlasting fire refer to in their original context? And what do images of new creation and resurrection actually mean? In this final episode of a four-part lecture series, Tim brings everything together. He explores Jesus’ teaching on God’s final justice, as well as the apostles’ hopes for a renewed creation, which closes out the grand story of the Bible. Tim gave this message at Blackhawk Church in Madison, Wisc., on September 30, 2011.

Heaven & Hell E3 — The definitions of human life and death on pages 1-3 of the Bible are based on the idea that humans can live in a state of death. But the goal of God’s rescue mission is to take people out of “living death” and transfer them into a mode of “eternal life” here in the present. In this third episode of a four-part lecture series, Tim moves onto a new part of the story, which is the Old Testament vision of final justice. Why does God bring divine justice into human history, and what comes after it? Tim gave this message at Blackhawk Church in Madison, Wisc., on September 30, 2011.

Heaven & Hell E2 — The biblical authors didn’t see death as something that just happens to you at the end of your physical life. Rather, both life and death are present realities, starting on page three of the Bible. (And believe it or not, zombies are a biblical idea!) In this second episode of a four-part lecture series, Tim tackles the biblical word for “heaven,” exploring what it does and does not mean, and then unpacks the language of life and death throughout the rest of the Bible. Tim gave this message at Blackhawk Church in Madison, Wisc., on September 30, 2011.

Heaven & Hell E1 — Popular culture and the media show us many misconceptions about heaven and hell. For example, it may be surprising to learn that, in the Bible, the opposite of heaven is not hell, but Earth! In this first episode of a four-part lecture series, Tim explores the popular misunderstandings and distortions of the concepts of heaven and hell in Western culture. Starting on page one of the Bible, he looks at the themes of life, death, the grave, eternal life, and eternal death. Tim gave this message at Blackhawk Church in Madison, Wisc., on September 30, 2011.

The phrase “Come, Holy Spirit” has deep roots in the Christian Church, across many centuries and traditions. It’s a phrase regularly used both in communal worship and personal prayer, but what does it actually mean? In this message, Tim teaches from a variety of biblical passages to identify what followers of Jesus are actually saying (and not saying) when they pray, “Come, Holy Spirit.” Tim gave this message at the 2025 Holy Spirit Conference in Portland, Ore., on February 8th, 2025.

Practicing Faith E3 — In the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus models for us how to daily bring our requests to God. But implied in its words are ways of being and acting that will align with our words. In this final of three teachings on Christian practices, Tim explores the meaning and significance of the Lord’s Prayer, which has incredible potential to change our lives. Tim gave this message at Door of Hope Church in Portland, Ore., on August 24, 2014.

Practicing Faith E2 — In the lives of Jesus and the apostles, we discover the twin practices of fasting—-that is, withholding food from yourself for an intentional reason for a period of time—and also feasting and celebration in community. What are these practices and how do they work together? In this second of three teachings on Christian practices, Tim explores the meaning of feasting and fasting and why it’s important to have both. Tim gave this message at Door of Hope Church in Portland, Ore., on August 3, 2014.

Practicing Faith E1 — In the Gospels, we find moments when Jesus steps away from the crowds for times of solitude to reflect and pray. What value did Jesus find in this practice of solitude, and how has it served his followers over the centuries and across the globe? In this first of three teachings on Christian practices, Tim explores the practice of silence and solitude, considering how to balance it with the equally important practice of community. Tim gave this message at Door of Hope Church in Portland, Ore., on July 20, 2014.

New Testament Themes E6 — Some people reject Christianity or the Bible because of something they hear about the end of the world, final judgment, or Heaven. But often, they're not actually rejecting Scripture, but rather some distortion of it. In this final message in a six-part series, Tim teaches from Revelation’s final chapters on how the New Testament depicts Heaven and new creation, compared to some deep misunderstandings in popular culture. Tim gave this message at Door of Hope Church in Portland, Ore., on December 9, 2012.

New Testament Themes E5 — The New Testament shows us that a church is meant to be a group of disciples calling out the best in one another and embodying a faithful witness in their neighborhood and city. But drama, unhealthy leadership, and even spiritual abuse can make it hard to stay committed to a church community. In this fifth message in a six-part series, Tim teaches from Hebrews 10 on what it means to regularly gather as a community of Jesus’ followers, committed to one another. Tim gave this message at Door of Hope Church in Portland, Ore., on November 25, 2012.

New Testament Themes E4 — In the Apostle Paul's mind, the good news about Jesus becomes most persuasive when his followers live with incredible generosity. And that’s because radical generosity permeates the New Testament, most powerfully revealed in Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection. In this fourth message in a six-part series, Tim teaches from 2 Corinthians 8 on how financial generosity demonstrates the claim that Jesus really is the risen Lord of the world. Tim gave this message at Door of Hope Church in Portland, Ore., on November 11, 2012.

New Testament Themes E3 — In the New Testament, “witness” is what Jesus' followers do together as they live, committed to one another and to Jesus. How is this understanding of witness different from how it’s viewed in modern Christianity? And how can we protect this kind of communal witness? In this third message in a six-part series, Tim traces the theme of witness in the book of Acts, concluding in Paul’s farewell speech in chapter 20. Tim gave this message at Door of Hope Church in Portland, Ore., on October 28, 2012.

New Testament Themes E2 — Many who are intrigued by Jesus of Nazareth have a difficult time balancing his overwhelming generosity and grace with his challenging call to discipleship and making serious sacrifices. So how do these two aspects of Jesus go together? This second message in a six-part series looks at some of the very challenging things Jesus says about counting the cost of following him in Luke 14. Tim gave this message at Door of Hope Church in Portland, Ore., on October 7, 2012.

New Testament Themes E1 — When we open the New Testament and start reading about Jesus, his message, and his mission, it’s not what most people imagine when they think of Christianity. Early on, we find the phrase “Kingdom of God” or “Kingdom of Heaven.” But what does this phrase mean? Why is it important to Jesus? And what bigger storyline is it a part of? This first message in a six-part series gives an introduction to Jesus and his mission, as it’s offered in the Gospel of Mark. Tim gave this message at Door of Hope Church in Portland, Ore., on September 23, 2012.

During his earthly ministry, Jesus interacts with multitudes of hurting people. So how does he process, understand, and respond to all the suffering and evil he encounters? Tim explores the book of Job as the biblical framework for understanding pain, evil, and suffering in a world created by a God of love. Tim gave this message at Bridgetown Church in Portland, Ore., on April 6, 2022.

Theology of Work E2 — Many Christians believe the world will ultimately be destroyed when Jesus returns, and so our day-to-day lives don't really matter. But the Apostle Paul teaches the opposite in 1 Corinthians 15 and Colossians 3. The eternal, redeemed nature of the new creation makes our work more meaningful than we can imagine. In the second half of a two-part teaching, Tim explores how our hope about the ultimate outcome of history significantly impacts the way we think about our jobs and career goals. Tim gave this message at Door of Hope Church in Portland, Ore., on March 3, 2013.

Theology of Work E1 — Whether we’re young and still discovering our career, or perhaps more seasoned in work but new to following Jesus, integrating our vocation with our discipleship to Jesus is challenging. Why? Because the modern American story about work is very different from the Bible’s. In this message, Tim explores Genesis 1-3 to show how work is not a curse, but actually one of the greatest gifts God has given to humans. Tim gave this message at Door of Hope Church in Portland, Ore., on February 17, 2013.

Prayer and encountering God’s presence are biblical topics we can study, but they’re also very personal experiences for each of us, and so this message combines both. First, Tim shares his personal history with prayer, and then dives into a biblical study of God’s Eden paradise appearing where we least expect it. Tying these two parts together is a personal parable involving a wild huckleberry field on a remote mountainside. Tim gave this message at Bridgetown Church in Portland, Ore., on October 19, 2022.

Ecclesiastes E2 — In the first teaching of this series, we explored the teacher’s core metaphor for life, which is the Hebrew word hevel, meaning “smoke” or “vapor.” The teacher takes a pretty dim view of things, saying that everything in life is unpredictable, enigmatic, absurd, and ungraspable. So what do we do with such a sobering truth? In this message, Tim explores how embracing life as hevel can actually be a gift to enrich our days, rather than diminish them. Tim gave this message at Door of Hope Church in Portland, Ore., on January 13, 2013.

Ecclesiastes E1 — In the book of Ecclesiastes, the teacher shows how most of our daily time and energy is spent on meaningless things. The core metaphor he uses to make this point is smoke or vapor, which in Hebrew is the word hevel. So why is such a bleak book in the Bible? Tim unpacks Ecclesiastes’ introduction, its authorship, and how the book as a whole seeks to motivate humility, integrity, and enjoyment of the simple things in life. Tim gave this message at Door of Hope Church in Portland, Ore., on January 6, 2013.

Making of the Bible E3 — The manuscript history of the New Testament is very different from that of the Old Testament. The number of manuscripts, the amount of time they cover, the history of manuscript discoveries—it’s all very complex and fascinating! Then there is the separate history of how the New Testament has been translated and regarded by the Church over the centuries. In this third and final lecture of the series, Tim explores this manuscript and its translation history, as well as the process and dynamics of how these books were collected into an official canon of Scripture. Tim gave these lectures in February 2012 at Blackhawk Church in Madison, Wisconsin.

Making of the Bible E2 — In this series of lectures, we’re building the foundation for understanding where the Bible came from. When looking at Scripture through this lens, we discover that the texts themselves offer clues about how they came into existence and why they were written. Rather than casting doubt on the Bible, this work actually helps us gain a deeper sense of what the Bible is and what we’re supposed to do with it. In this second lecture of a three-part series, Tim explores the manuscript history of the Old Testament, as well as the composition and writing of the books of the New Testament. Tim gave these lectures in February 2012 at Blackhawk Church in Madison, Wisconsin.

Making of the Bible E1 — Many people who view the Bible as God’s word believe it must have come into existence with little or no human agency. But this idea is foreign to the biblical authors and to Scripture’s very traceable history. It was not written in secret! The authors of these texts were, of course, human. However, they also claimed God was speaking to his people through these human words. In this first lecture of a three-part series, Tim explores the making of the books of the Old Testament and what we can know from the Bible itself about how it came into existence. Tim gave this series of lectures in February 2012 at Blackhawk Church in Madison, Wisconsin.

Torah Crash Course E3 — The books of Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy tell the story about God’s covenant with Israel at Mount Sinai—and make up two-thirds of the entire Torah! God gives Israel 613 laws, interspersed with stories that offer commentary on them. Tragically, the Israelites demonstrate their inability to truly love and obey God and follow the laws. This unresolved tension creates a future hope announced by Moses himself: God will one day transform the people’s hearts and minds so they can be loving and faithful covenant partners. In this message, Tim explores Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy, showing how they develop the storyline that Jesus fulfilled. Tim taught this series in the early 2010s at Door of Hope Church in Portland, Oregon.

Torah Crash Course E2 — Israel’s liberation from Egypt and the night of Passover were the foundational stories for ancient Israelites, and they’re also crucial for understanding Jesus and his mission. For example, Jesus timed his arrival into Jerusalem with the Passover feast, and at the Last Supper, he used the symbols of Passover to explain the meaning of his coming death. Exodus also contains the covenant agreement between God and Israel, including the Ten Commandments, which Jesus picked up and developed in his own teaching. In this message, Tim explores all of these Exodus narratives and their influence on the Bible’s story. This series was taught in the early 2010s at Door of Hope Church in Portland, Oregon.

Torah Crash Course E1 — For many modern readers, the first five books of the Bible—known as the Torah—can feel strange, overwhelming, or confusing. But when we look at these five books as a single narrative, we can begin to see how it sets up a larger story of God’s rescue plan for humanity that is ultimately fulfilled in Jesus. In this episode, we’ll start with Genesis. From creation and humanity’s calling as God’s image-bearers to God’s surprising promise to bless all people through one man and his family, Genesis sets the stage for the rest of the Bible. In this episode, Tim traces the structure and themes of the book, revealing how God’s purpose to bring good out of human evil shapes the entire biblical story. This series was taught in the early 2010s at Door of Hope Church in Portland, Oregon.

In modern Western culture, we have two very different narratives swirling around the first two pages of the Bible. In the first narrative, the creation story in Genesis 1-2 represents a literal seven days, and this all happened only a few thousand years ago. In the second narrative, earth and its inhabitants took billions of years to evolve into their present form—and therefore, Bible-believing Christians are fools. What if both these narratives miss the main point of what Genesis 1-2 is all about? In this lecture, Tim explores the Bible’s creation story alongside other ancient creation stories, revealing a very different narrative about the origin of life, our purpose and identity as humans, and what all of this tells us about the God of the Bible. Tim taught this lecture in January 2016 at Bridgetown Church in Portland, Oregon.

Many people view science and religious faith as bitter enemies with conflicting views of the universe, especially when you consider the scientific explanation for the universe’s origin versus the biblical account. But is this tension real, or is it based on a deep misunderstanding of what the Bible is and how it communicates? Genesis 1-2—written thousands of years ago—says many surprising things about the origins of the universe. But these chapters also leave most of our modern scientific questions unaddressed. So what do we make of this? In this 2011 lecture from a science and faith conference at Blackhawk Church in Madison, Wisconsin, Tim asks what it means to read the first two pages of the Bible as ancient Hebrew texts and considers how they might interact with modern scientific claims.

The Amazing Jonah E5 – We’ve come to the final episode of a five-part series on the book of Jonah. And this last part of the book is one of the most puzzling. After Jonah preaches his strange, five-word sermon, the people of Nineveh surprisingly repent. And when God forgives them, Jonah fumes with anger and berates God for being too gracious. In this episode, Tim closes out the story of Jonah, connecting it to Jesus’ challenging words to love and forgive our enemies. This message was given on September 1, 2013, at Door of Hope Church in Portland, Oregon.

The Amazing Jonah E4 — After the great fish vomits Jonah onto the shores of Nineveh, the prophet finally—and begrudgingly—obeys God. Even though Jonah only utters a strange five-word sermon to the Ninevites, they still repent and turn to God. In this episode, Tim teaches on Jonah 3, while also discussing what the biblical word “repentance” means—and doesn’t mean. This message was given on August 25, 2013, at Door of Hope Church in Portland, Oregon.

The Amazing Jonah E3 — After he is thrown into the sea and swallowed by a fish, Jonah utters a strange and beautifully intricate poem from inside the fish’s belly. He is in a moment of crisis that is actually God’s way of bringing him to the end of himself. How can Jonah’s experience invite us to think about the moments of crisis in our own lives? In this message, Tim teaches from chapter 2 on this heavily ironic yet powerful moment in Jonah’s story. This message was given on August 18, 2013, at Door of Hope Church in Portland, Oregon.

The Amazing Jonah E2 — Jonah is portrayed as God’s prophet, but ironically, he is the only person in the book who refuses to listen to God. How can this story invite us to consider our own lack of perception and awareness of God’s voice in our lives? In this message, Tim explores Jonah chapter 1, looking at the many ways that the prophet seems unable to hear God directly or through anything else that God sends his way. This message was given on August 11, 2013, at Door of Hope Church in Portland, Oregon.

The Amazing Jonah E1 — Many of us know the story of Jonah as the prophet who gets swallowed by a whale. And while that is part of the story, it’s only a couple sentences in a longer narrative. So who is Jonah? Why did he flee from God and board a boat to Tarshish? And why is his story even in the Bible? In this first message of a five-part series, Tim lays the groundwork for exploring Jonah’s story and also ponders why Jonah runs from God’s vision for his life—a choice we all face at some level in our lives. This message was given on August 4, 2013, at Door of Hope Church in Portland, Oregon.

After his baptism and testing in the wilderness, Jesus leaves Nazareth for Capernaum. There, he begins his public ministry, inviting fishermen to follow him and calling on people to “repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven has come near.” So what is the “Kingdom of Heaven,” and what does it mean that it has come near? In this message, Tim teaches from Matthew 4:12-25 on Jesus’ beginning proclamation, the call of the first disciples, and his pattern of Kingdom teaching and healing, which still challenges how we order our lives and values today.

Hope is an important virtue that God’s people have actively cultivated for thousands of years. And the messianic hope we see throughout the Hebrew Bible is a kind of hope that followers of Jesus still need today. So what does this hope look like for us now as we wait for Jesus to return and fulfill all of the Bible’s promises? In this message from the Advent season, Tim explores a number of passages from the book of Isaiah, focusing on how what we hope for shapes what we live for.

In 2016, we began releasing this collection of sermons and lectures that Tim Mackie gave over almost twenty years as a teaching pastor and professor. Then in 2019, we stopped releasing new episodes because that was all of Tim’s teaching! But starting today, we’re excited to begin re-releasing the episodes, now remastered and sounding much better. Plus, we’ll occasionally drop in a new sermon or lecture that Tim has given in the years since the conclusion of the show’s original run. In this short introduction, Tim shares his own story of going from life as an aimless skateboarder in Portland, to encountering Jesus, to becoming a Bible scholar, pastor, and co-founder of BibleProject.

An Update From Tim

We explore the FINAL story in the Gospel according to Matthew in this episode.