Christian Formation Series

Latest Episodes:

RML: Ruth, Week 4 · (Recorded 03/22/2026) Apr 13, 2026

Show notes

In this concluding lecture on Ruth, Mark Lloret expands the story’s themes into a broader reflection on our responsibility toward the vulnerable—widows, the poor, immigrants, and all who find themselves in need. Through a spectrum ranging from exploitation to sacrificial love, he challenges us to examine how we respond, ultimately pointing to Christ as the model of perfect love, truth, and justice. (Week 3 was not recorded.) The story of Ruth thus becomes not only a narrative of redemption, but a call to faithful, costly care for others in a complex and broken world.

RML: Ruth, Week 2 · (Recorded 03/01/2026) Apr 13, 2026

Show notes

In this lecture, Mark Lloret traces the story of Ruth from loss and displacement to restoration and hope. Beginning in the darkness of famine, death, and exile, the narrative unfolds through acts of quiet faithfulness—Ruth’s loyalty, Naomi’s perseverance, and Boaz’s generosity. Set against the moral chaos of the time of the Judges, Ruth becomes a striking contrast: a story shaped not by power, but by kindness and care for the vulnerable. Through cultural practices like gleaning and redemption, the story reveals a deeper truth—that even in uncertain times, God is at work bringing provision, restoration, and new life through ordinary acts of faithfulness.

RML: Ruth, Week 1 · (Recorded 02/22/2026) Apr 13, 2026

Show notes

In this opening lecture on the book of Ruth, Mark Lloret situates the story within the wider sweep of Scripture, placing it in the turbulent and morally fractured period of the Judges. Against this backdrop of disorder—where “everyone did what was right in their own eyes”—Ruth emerges as a quiet yet radiant story of faithfulness, loyalty, and redemption. Far from a simple or sentimental tale, it is a narrative that invites us to look beneath the surface and discover how God’s purposes unfold even in the midst of confusion and darkness—a true “candle in a dark mess.”

RML: Exodus, Week 4 · (Recorded 02/15/2026) Apr 13, 2026

Show notes

RML: Exodus, Week 3 · (Recorded 02/01/2026) Apr 13, 2026

Show notes

In this lecture, Dr. Stephen Bagby explores the unfolding of the plagues in Exodus as more than acts of judgment—they reveal a deeper struggle over sovereignty, as God confronts the powers of oppression and reclaims His creation. Through Moses, this becomes not only a story of deliverance, but an “assault on the consciousness of the empire,” inviting God’s people to see beyond the narratives of power that shape the world. In this way, Exodus calls us into a prophetic imagination—one that resists dominant cultural stories and instead lives as pilgrims, formed by God’s truth and His promise of redemption.

RML: Exodus, Week 2 · (Recorded 01/18/2026) Apr 13, 2026

Show notes

In this lecture, Dr. Stephen Bagby continues through the early chapters of Exodus, drawing attention to the deep themes of oppression, deliverance, and God’s sovereign work in history. Through the story of Moses—from his rescue in the waters to his encounter with God in the burning bush—we see a God who hears the cries of His people, reveals His name, and calls His servants into participation in His redemptive work. This unfolding story not only shapes Israel’s identity but echoes forward as a powerful picture of God’s saving presence in the life of His people.

RML: Exodus, Week 1 · (Recorded 01/11/2026) Apr 13, 2026

Show notes

In this lecture, Dr. Stephen Bagby begins an overview of the book of Exodus, presenting it as the unfolding fulfillment of God’s promises first given in Genesis. Through the story of deliverance—from bondage in Egypt to freedom under God—he traces themes of covenant, worship, and the abiding presence of God with His people. As the narrative moves from oppression to redemption, Exodus becomes more than history: it is a pattern that echoes throughout Scripture and finds its fullest expression in Christ, inviting us into a life of faith, obedience, and freedom in God’s presence.

RML: Zechariah, Week 2 · (Recorded 12/07/2025) Apr 13, 2026

Show notes

In this second lecture on Zechariah, Dr. Stephen Bagby deepens the vision of a people returning from exile and being called into renewed covenant life. Through prophetic imagery and reflection on the coming kingdom, he highlights a world defined by justice, mercy, and peace under the rule of God’s chosen King. In contrast to the politics of fear and power that shape much of human life, this vision invites us into a “politics of hope”—a way of living grounded in faithfulness, restoration, and the promise of God’s kingdom breaking into the present.

RML: Zechariah, Week 1 · (Recorded 11/30/2025) Apr 13, 2026

Show notes

In this lecture, Dr. Stephen Bagby opens the book of Zechariah, situating it within the fragile moment of Israel’s return from exile—a people longing for restoration after generations of upheaval. Drawing on the idea of a “politics of hope,” he invites us to imagine a vision of life shaped not by fear or power, but by the coming kingdom of God. Through vivid, apocalyptic imagery, Zechariah speaks into uncertainty with a call to renewal, covenant faithfulness, and a renewed expectation that God is actively at work, bringing about a new future for his people.

RML: Genesis, Week 10 · (Recorded 11/09/2025) Apr 13, 2026

Show notes

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

Christian Formation Series

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected