The Whole Counsel

Latest Episodes:

Life of Joy III: Obstacles to Contentment Jul 02, 2026

Show notes

Contentment is one of the distinguishing marks of the Christian life—but it is also one of the most difficult graces to cultivate. Why is it so hard to gain and so easy to lose?

In the third episode of our A Life of Joy series, Justin Miller and Dr. John Snyder examine five of the greatest obstacles to Christian contentment: worldliness, busyness, bitterness, grief, and opposition. Drawing from Scripture, the Puritans, and personal experience, they show how these common struggles pull our hearts away from Christ and how God uses even painful providences to deepen our joy in Him.

Rather than settling for shallow happiness or stoic resignation, believers are called to find lasting satisfaction in Christ alone.

Show Notes

Kingdom Life: Studies in the Sermon on the Mount: https://shop.mediagratiae.org/collections/kingdom-life

The Life of Samuel Rutherford by Andrew Thomson: https://www.amazon.com/Samuel-Rutherford-Andrew-Thomson/dp/1164013874

Samuel Rutherford and His Friends by Faith Cook: https://banneroftruth.org/us/store/ebooks/samuel-rutherford-and-his-friends/

Letters of Samuel Rutherford: https://banneroftruth.org/us/store/letters/letters-of-samuel-rutherford/

Want to listen to The Whole Counsel on the go? Subscribe to the podcast on your favorite podcast app: https://www.mediagratiae.org/podcasts

You can get The Whole Counsel a day early on the Media Gratiae App: https://subsplash.com/mediagratiae/app

Life of Joy II: The School of Contentment Jun 25, 2026

Show notes

In the first episode of this series, Justin Miller helped us understand what Christian contentment is and why it differs from both complacency and stoicism. But if contentment is not something we naturally possess, how do we learn it?

In this episode, Dr. John Snyder and Justin Miller explore Paul’s statement in Philippians 4:11, “I have learned to be content.” Together they consider how God uses trials, hardships, disappointments, and even unanswered prayers to teach His people that Christ is sufficient. Drawing from Scripture, the Puritans, and the lives of believers who have walked this path before us, they discuss why contentment is learned in the school of providence.

They also examine the truths that fuel Christian contentment: God’s sovereignty, God’s goodness, His commitment to work all things for the good of His people, and His wise use of affliction to wean us from the world and teach us to treasure Christ above all else.

Show Notes

A Life of Joy: Learning Christian Contentment by Justin Miller - https://freegracepress.com/collections/coming-soon/products/a-life-of-joy

The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment by Jeremiah Burroughs -

Free from Chapel Library: https://www.chapellibrary.org/book/rjoc/rare-jewel-of-christian-contentment-the-burroughsjeremiah

Banner of Truth edition: https://banneroftruth.org/us/store/christian-living/the-rare-jewel-of-christian-contentment/

Want to listen to The Whole Counsel on the go? Subscribe to the podcast on your favorite podcast app: https://www.mediagratiae.org/podcasts

You can get The Whole Counsel a day early on the Media Gratiae App: https://subsplash.com/mediagratiae/app

Life of Joy I: Contentment, Not Complacency Jun 18, 2026

Show notes

For years, believers have turned to Jeremiah Burroughs’ classic work The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment to learn what it means to rest in God’s wise and fatherly providence. In this new series, Dr. John Snyder is joined by Pastor Justin Miller to discuss his forthcoming book, A Life of Joy: Learning Christian Contentment, which seeks to bring these timeless truths to a new generation of Christians.

In this first episode, Justin explains how his own struggles in ministry led him to study the biblical doctrine of contentment more deeply. Together, he and Dr. Snyder explore the difference between true Christian contentment and its counterfeits. Christian contentment is not complacency, spiritual laziness, or stoic resignation to circumstances. Rather, it is learning to receive every providence from the hand of a wise and loving Father, finding our joy not in changing circumstances but in Christ himself.

Whether you are facing trials, disappointments, unanswered questions, or simply desire a deeper joy in Christ, this conversation provides a helpful foundation for understanding one of the most neglected and necessary graces in the Christian life.

Show Notes

A Life of Joy: Learning Christian Contentment by Justin Miller - https://freegracepress.com/collections/coming-soon/products/a-life-of-joy

The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment by Jeremiah Burroughs -

Free from Chapel Library: https://www.chapellibrary.org/book/rjoc/rare-jewel-of-christian-contentment-the-burroughsjeremiah

Banner of Truth edition: https://banneroftruth.org/us/store/christian-living/the-rare-jewel-of-christian-contentment/

Want to listen to The Whole Counsel on the go? Subscribe to the podcast on your favorite podcast app: https://www.mediagratiae.org/podcasts

You can get The Whole Counsel a day early on the Media Gratiae App: https://subsplash.com/mediagratiae/app

Letters of Samuel Rutherford X: Entertain Christ Well Jun 11, 2026

Show notes

Samuel Rutherford’s letters are often remembered for their soaring descriptions of the beauty and loveliness of Christ. But Rutherford was not content merely to comfort sleepy Christians. He also knew how to awaken them.

In this final episode on Samuel Rutherford, Dr. John Snyder examines a series of Rutherford’s letters written to stir believers out of spiritual lethargy and call them to earnestness, holiness, and wholehearted pursuit of Christ. Whether addressing young converts, careless professors, or discouraged saints, Rutherford repeatedly presses the same point: Christ is too precious to be followed lazily.

These letters confront the danger of spiritual drift, warn against assuming salvation without evidence of perseverance, and urge believers to cultivate prayer, holiness, watchfulness, and delight in Christ. Yet Rutherford’s exhortations are never cold or merely moralistic. Again and again, he reminds us that true obedience flows from hearts captivated by the sweetness of Christ himself.

This episode also includes one of Rutherford’s most beloved warnings to dry and wandering believers: “We are rather dry than thirsty.” His counsel is simple and searching — stop dwelling far from the well and return to Christ.

As this series on Rutherford concludes, Dr. Snyder reflects on the enduring value of these prison letters and the way they continue to call believers to sincerity, diligence, and deeper communion with Christ.

“Keep Christ and entertain him well.” — Samuel Rutherford

Show Notes

Kingdom Life: Studies in the Sermon on the Mount: https://shop.mediagratiae.org/collections/kingdom-life

The Life of Samuel Rutherford by Andrew Thomson: https://www.amazon.com/Samuel-Rutherford-Andrew-Thomson/dp/1164013874

Samuel Rutherford and His Friends by Faith Cook: https://banneroftruth.org/us/store/ebooks/samuel-rutherford-and-his-friends/

Letters of Samuel Rutherford: https://banneroftruth.org/us/store/letters/letters-of-samuel-rutherford/

Want to listen to The Whole Counsel on the go? Subscribe to the podcast on your favorite podcast app: https://www.mediagratiae.org/podcasts

You can get The Whole Counsel a day early on the Media Gratiae App: https://subsplash.com/mediagratiae/app

Letters of Samuel Rutherford IX: Small Souls and a Boundless Christ Jun 04, 2026

Show notes

Samuel Rutherford knew suffering, imprisonment, isolation, and loss. Yet from his prison cell came some of the richest descriptions of communion with Christ ever written.

In this episode of Dr. John Snyder continues exploring Rutherford’s letters by focusing on one central theme: the nearness of God. Drawing from Rutherford’s prison correspondence, Dr. Snyder examines the different ways Scripture speaks about God’s presence and how Rutherford experienced the sweetness of Christ in ways he once thought impossible on this side of heaven.

Rutherford writes of the believer’s regret over loving Christ so little, the overwhelming abundance of Christ’s love toward his people, the dangers of idolizing spiritual experiences, and the diligence required to pursue deeper fellowship with God. Again and again, his letters press us beyond merely knowing truths about Christ into delighting in Christ himself.

What happens when a believer discovers that his soul is too small to contain the love of God? Rutherford’s answer is simple: stop standing on the shore and throw yourself into the ocean.

“If this whole world were the beam of a balance, it would not be able to bear the weight of Christ’s love.” — Samuel Rutherford

Show Notes

Kingdom Life: Studies in the Sermon on the Mount: https://shop.mediagratiae.org/collections/kingdom-life

The Life of Samuel Rutherford by Andrew Thomson: https://www.amazon.com/Samuel-Rutherford-Andrew-Thomson/dp/1164013874

Samuel Rutherford and His Friends by Faith Cook: https://banneroftruth.org/us/store/ebooks/samuel-rutherford-and-his-friends/

Letters of Samuel Rutherford: https://banneroftruth.org/us/store/letters/letters-of-samuel-rutherford/

Want to listen to The Whole Counsel on the go? Subscribe to the podcast on your favorite podcast app: https://www.mediagratiae.org/podcasts

You can get The Whole Counsel a day early on the Media Gratiae App: https://subsplash.com/mediagratiae/app

Letters of Samuel Rutherford VIII: Make Your Choice May 28, 2026

Show notes

This week we continue our study through the letters of Samuel Rutherford by looking at the cost Rutherford paid for following Christ faithfully. Dr. John Snyder gives an overview of Rutherford’s turbulent life, including his imprisonment, exile from his congregation, work at St. Andrews, influence at the Westminster Assembly, and his final years under house arrest awaiting trial for treason.

From those seasons of suffering came some of Rutherford’s richest letters. In this episode, we read selections where Rutherford calls Christians to make their choice clearly: Christ or the world. Again and again, Rutherford compares the passing pleasures of sin and worldly comfort with the surpassing worth of Jesus Christ.

Rutherford’s words are not theoretical. They come from a man who lost family, freedom, reputation, and security, yet still testified that Christ was worth every sorrow. His counsel remains deeply relevant for believers today as we count the cost of following Christ in a world that continually calls us elsewhere.

Show Notes

Kingdom Life: Studies in the Sermon on the Mount: https://shop.mediagratiae.org/collections/kingdom-life

The Life of Samuel Rutherford by Andrew Thomson: https://www.amazon.com/Samuel-Rutherford-Andrew-Thomson/dp/1164013874

Samuel Rutherford and His Friends by Faith Cook: https://banneroftruth.org/us/store/ebooks/samuel-rutherford-and-his-friends/

Letters of Samuel Rutherford: https://banneroftruth.org/us/store/letters/letters-of-samuel-rutherford/

Want to listen to The Whole Counsel on the go? Subscribe to the podcast on your favorite podcast app: https://www.mediagratiae.org/podcasts

You can get The Whole Counsel a day early on the Media Gratiae App: https://subsplash.com/mediagratiae/app

Letters of Samuel Rutherford VII: When Christ Comes with a Cross May 21, 2026

Show notes

Samuel Rutherford’s letters are filled with counsel for Christians walking through suffering, affliction, persecution, and grief. Having endured imprisonment, bereavement, sickness, and deep ecclesiastical conflict, Rutherford wrote not as a detached theologian, but as a pastor acquainted with sorrow.

In this episode of The Whole Counsel Podcast, we examine Rutherford’s teaching on Christian suffering and the believer’s union with Christ in trials. Looking at passages such as Matthew 5, Romans 5, and James 1, we consider how Scripture speaks of joy in tribulation, sanctification through affliction, and the temporary nature of earthly crosses.

Rutherford reminds believers that Christ often comes with a cross, but never without purpose. Trials loosen our grip on the world, expose remaining sin, and conform us to the image of Christ. Yet suffering is not permanent. As Rutherford wrote, “Christ and his cross part ways at heaven’s door.”

Show Notes

Kingdom Life: Studies in the Sermon on the Mount: https://shop.mediagratiae.org/collections/kingdom-life

The Life of Samuel Rutherford by Andrew Thomson: https://www.amazon.com/Samuel-Rutherford-Andrew-Thomson/dp/1164013874

You can read the letter here: https://www.mediagratiae.org/blog/samuel-rutherfords-9-marks-of-a-true-christian

Life of Samuel Rutherford by Andrew Thompson

Samuel Rutherford and His Friends by Faith Cook: https://banneroftruth.org/us/store/ebooks/samuel-rutherford-and-his-friends/

Letters of Samuel Rutherford: https://banneroftruth.org/us/store/letters/letters-of-samuel-rutherford/

Want to listen to The Whole Counsel on the go? Subscribe to the podcast on your favorite podcast app: https://www.mediagratiae.org/podcasts

You can get The Whole Counsel a day early on the Media Gratiae App: https://subsplash.com/mediagratiae/app

Letters of Samuel Rutherford VI: The Love and Loveliness of Christ May 14, 2026

Show notes

In this episode of The Whole Counsel Podcast, Dr. John Snyder returns to the letters of Samuel Rutherford to consider a central theme of his writings, the love and loveliness of Christ.

Drawing from The Life of Samuel Rutherford by Andrew Thompson, this episode highlights Rutherford’s emphasis on experiential Christianity, where truth is not only understood but lived.

Rutherford presents Christ as beyond comparison, infinitely full and endlessly satisfying. His letters illustrate both the greatness of Christ’s love and our incapability of expressing it. Yet Christ remains an inexhaustible well, never diminished by the needs of his people.

He also reminds us that Christ himself is the glory of heaven, the one who makes eternity desirable. As reflected in the hymn by Anne Cousin (The Sands of Time Are Sinking), the focus is not the crown, but the King.

Next week, we will consider Rutherford’s teaching on suffering and the cross in light of Christ’s surpassing worth.

Show Notes

Kingdom Life: Studies in the Sermon on the Mount: https://shop.mediagratiae.org/collections/kingdom-life

The Life of Samuel Rutherford by Andrew Thomson: https://www.amazon.com/Samuel-Rutherford-Andrew-Thomson/dp/1164013874

You can read the letter here: https://www.mediagratiae.org/blog/samuel-rutherfords-9-marks-of-a-true-christian

Life of Samuel Rutherford by Andrew Thompson

Samuel Rutherford and His Friends by Faith Cook: https://banneroftruth.org/us/store/ebooks/samuel-rutherford-and-his-friends/

Letters of Samuel Rutherford: https://banneroftruth.org/us/store/letters/letters-of-samuel-rutherford/

Want to listen to The Whole Counsel on the go? Subscribe to the podcast on your favorite podcast app: https://www.mediagratiae.org/podcasts

You can get The Whole Counsel a day early on the Media Gratiae App: https://subsplash.com/mediagratiae/app

Letters of Samuel Rutherford V: Am I What I Say I Am? May 07, 2026

Show notes

We appreciate you giving us time to prepare new studies and to let you know about the study with Dr. Stephen Yuille that we just released. You can find more information about that study in the show notes.

But this week Dr. John Snyder returns to the letters of Samuel Rutherford. As Dr. Snyder says, those we read can become lifelong friends and counselors who speak truth to us in times of need. This is particularly true of Samuel Rutherford. While he did write polemical works, he is especially remembered for his warm and compelling descriptions of Christ and for his helpful words regarding the sanctification of the Christian.

In this week’s letter, Rutherford presents nine evidences of saving faith. He is helping us answer the question, “Am I truly the Christian I say I am?” Every Christian experiences uncertainty in particular seasons, and many experience it without realizing how common it is. This letter is written for them.

Rutherford calls us to consider whether these evidences are present in our lives:

A willingness to prize Christ above all things
Obedience that is driven by love and not fear
Humility and self-denial
A profession of faith that is accompanied by good works
A desire to live for God’s honor in all things
A genuine hatred of sin
A careful commitment to biblical truth and worship
Conscientiousness in everyday calling and relationships
A life marked by habitual prayer

As we listen to or read this letter (linked in the show notes), we pray God uses these evidences to both encourage and convict us, strengthening true assurance and directing us again to Christ.

Show Notes

Kingdom Life: Sutdies in the Sermon on the Mount: https://shop.mediagratiae.org/collections/kingdom-life

You can read the letter here: https://www.mediagratiae.org/blog/samuel-rutherfords-9-marks-of-a-true-christian

Life of Samuel Rutherford by Andrew Thompson

Samuel Rutherford and His Friends by Faith Cook: https://banneroftruth.org/us/store/ebooks/samuel-rutherford-and-his-friends/

Letters of Samuel Rutherford: https://banneroftruth.org/us/store/letters/letters-of-samuel-rutherford/

Want to listen to The Whole Counsel on the go? Subscribe to the podcast on your favorite podcast app: https://www.mediagratiae.org/podcasts

You can get The Whole Counsel a day early on the Media Gratiae App: https://subsplash.com/mediagratiae/app

Kingdom Life: A New Study from Media Gratiae Apr 30, 2026

Show notes

For the past two weeks, we’ve mentioned an upcoming study with Jeremy Walker. This week, we’re pleased to announce that our new study with Dr. Stephen Yuille is now available.

Dr. Yuille’s study focuses on the longest recorded sermon of Jesus Christ—the Sermon on the Mount. In this episode, Dr. John Snyder asks Dr. Yuille about the personal impact this portion of Scripture has had on his life and why he chose to teach it. The conversation then turn to how God has used it in Dr. Snyder’s ministry in shaping the life of Christ Church New Albany over the years.

You can find more information about the study at the link in the show notes.

Show Notes:

Kingdom Life: Sutdies in the Sermon on the Mount: https://shop.mediagratiae.org/collections/kingdom-life

Want to listen to The Whole Counsel on the go? Subscribe to the podcast on your favorite podcast app: https://www.mediagratiae.org/podcasts

You can get The Whole Counsel a day early on the Media Gratiae App: https://subsplash.com/mediagratiae/app

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected