The Dwelling Deeper Podcast

John closes his gospel with two remarkable claims: everything he has written is true, and there was far more he could not fit on the page. In this message, we walk back through the miracles of John's gospel — water turned to wine, a boy healed from a distance, a man born blind given sight, and Lazarus called from the grave — and ask whether we actually live like these things are true, or just confess them with our mouths. We close by considering what it means that Jesus's work did not end when the book did: he is still working, still alive, and still capable of the miraculous today.

As we mark 250 years as a nation, it's easy to either wave the flag without thinking or grow cynical about everything wrong with the country. Scripture offers a better path. In this message, we walk through four reminders for Christians living as citizens of two countries: that our nation was established by God, that it has been blessed by God, that it is in need of God, and that — no matter how good or bad it gets — it is temporary. Drawing from Romans 13, James 1, First Timothy 2, and Philippians 3, this episode is a call to hold gratitude for our earthly citizenship loosely, while anchoring our deepest allegiance to the kingdom that will never end.

In the epilogue of John's Gospel, Jesus meets his disciples on the shore of the Sea of Galilee — and what unfolds is one of the most layered and intentional scenes in all of Scripture. A miraculous catch of fish echoes Peter's original calling. A fire of coals recalls the night of his denial. Bread and fish on the shore call to mind two miracles of provision. And then, three questions about love answered with three commands to serve.
In this message from John 21, Pastor Justin walks through Jesus's restoration of Peter and shows how the same three barriers that threatened to sideline Peter — doubt about resources, guilt over past failure, and fear about the future — are the very same barriers that keep believers today from doing what God has called them to do. Jesus's answer to each one is just as true now as it was on that shoreline: he will provide, he will pardon, and he will guard what tomorrow holds. And when all of that has been settled, there is only one thing left: "Follow thou me."

When John wrote his gospel, he told us exactly why: "These are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name." In this final message from John 20, Pastor Justin walks through four witnesses to the resurrection — four people whose lives were broken in different ways and dramatically transformed by the risen Christ.
Mary Magdalene came to a tomb in sorrow and left as a messenger of joy. John the faithful found himself sitting in defeat behind locked doors and ended the day in gladness. Peter, haunted by his own failures, received a breath of new life from the one he had denied. And Thomas, who refused to believe without evidence, came face to face with the risen Savior and found that his doubt had no more ground to stand on.
Wherever you are this morning — in sorrow, confused by your faithfulness, weighted down by failure, or wrestling with doubt — John 20 was written for you. These things are written so that you might believe, and that believing, you might have life through his name.

We've all used the phrase — "if it sounds too good to be true, it probably isn't." But what if the most important truth in the universe sounds too good precisely because it is true? In this episode, Pastor Justin walks through John 19 and shows five ways Jesus explicitly fulfilled Old Testament Messianic prophecy at the cross: his crucifixion among sinners, the parting of his garments, his care for his mother, the vinegar he was given to drink, and the unbroken bones of the Passover Lamb. Along the way, we tackle the skeptic's best objection, look at the math that makes accidental fulfillment a statistical impossibility, and land on this: you have no reason to doubt and every reason to believe. Scripture reference: John 19:17-42.

Jesus stood trial before both Jewish and Roman authorities, yet neither could find any fault in Him. Annas found Him innocent. Caiaphas found Him innocent. Pilate found Him innocent. Again and again, the verdict was the same: not guilty.
Yet the innocent Son of God was condemned while a guilty criminal walked free.
In this message from John 18:28–19:16, we examine Pilate's repeated attempts to establish Christ's innocence and discover why the cross required a perfect sacrifice. Jesus was not crucified in spite of His innocence—He was crucified because of it.
Join us as we consider the injustice of Christ's trial, the sovereignty of God in redemption, and the glorious truth that the innocent King died so that guilty sinners could go free.

There is something deeply moving about the arrest of Jesus in John 18. The King of Glory stands before armed soldiers, fully capable of destroying every enemy with a word, and yet He willingly surrenders Himself to the cross.
He crosses the brook Kidron knowing betrayal is waiting on the other side. He confronts the guards without fear. He protects His disciples instead of Himself. He calms the conflict when Peter reaches for the sword. And through it all, we see a Savior completely submitted to the will of the Father for the sake of sinners like us.
Jesus was not dragged unwillingly to Calvary. He laid Himself down willingly in love.
This message explores the beauty, power, and submission of Christ in the moments leading up to His crucifixion, and challenges us with a sobering question: are we truly submitted to the will of God the way Jesus was?
Listen now and be reminded of the willing Savior who said, “Take Me. Let them go.”

In this sermon from Deuteronomy 6, Pastor Justin explores how faithful parenting begins with faithful covenant living. Long before Scripture speaks about teaching children, it calls God’s people to love Him with all their heart, soul, and might.
 
This message walks through “The ABCDs of Fulfilling God’s Covenant,” showing how believers are called to acknowledge the God of the covenant, be shaped by the covenant, commit the covenant to the next generation, and devote every area of life to the covenant God has made with us through Christ.
 
More than a message about parenting, this is a call for every believer to become a fully devoted covenant person whose life is saturated with the Word of God and centered on the glory of Christ.

In John 17, we are given a sacred glimpse into the prayer life of Jesus as He approaches the cross. And what we find is not merely a prayer for relief, comfort, or escape, but a prayer that the glory of God would be seen in His suffering, in His people, and ultimately in eternity.
In this sermon, we consider what it means to pray with the desires of Christ. Our prayers often focus on the removal of sickness, conflict, burdens, and pain, and there is a biblical place for bringing those things to God. But Jesus teaches us to pray for something deeper: that God would glorify His name in all things. Through John 17, we see Christ pray for His own glorification, for the sanctification and unity of His people, and for the day when His people will behold His eternal glory face to face.
Our highest desire should be the glory of God. And if that becomes the controlling desire of our hearts, it will change the way we suffer, the way we pray, the way we live, and the way we long for eternity.

Jesus told His disciples plainly that sorrow, suffering, and tribulation would come, but He did not leave them without hope. In John 16, Christ gives His people real reasons for peace: the presence of the Spirit, the promise of His return, access to the Father, and grace for our weakness. This sermon considers how believers can live with joy and confidence in a broken world because Jesus has overcome the world.