🔋We treat the Sabbath as a rigid restriction on our freedom! Reclaiming Sabbath as a radical declaration of God’s provision and our trust.

June 22, 2026
00:00 57:35
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s the Old Testament Law a heavy burden to be avoided, or a guide to the heart of the Lawgiver? 📜🤔

In this installment of our crossover series with the Bible Unbranded podcast, Dr. James Spencer, Renee Duffy, and Dr. Rebekah Josberger tackle the common misconceptions surrounding Biblical Law. Far from being an obsolete set of rules, the law—and specifically the Sabbath command—reveals deep theological truths about who God is and how He cares for His creation.

In this episode, we discuss:

  • Rehabilitating the Law: Moving past the idea that the Law is "passe" to see it as a vital revelation of God's character. 🧐

  • The Logic of the Sabbath: Exploring why a "day of rest" is actually a theological statement about God’s sovereignty and provision.

  • Trust vs. Effort: How the Sabbath forces us to confront our own "limitless" desire to provide for ourselves instead of trusting God. ⚓

  • The Beauty of Boundaries: Why God’s instructions are designed to protect and bless us, helping us fall in love with Him more deeply.

  • Practical Rhythm: Navigating what it looks like to find rest and "Sabbath moments" in a modern, 24/7 world. 🔋✨

Stop seeing the Law as a list to check off and start seeing it as an invitation to rest in the Creator. Join us as we explore the life-giving nature of God's commands. ⚓🙌

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To read James's article on this topic, check out his author page on Christianity.com.

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#ThinkingChristian #BibleUnbranded #Sabbath #OldTestament #BibleStudy #Theology #ChristianRest #GodsCharacter #Scripture #LawAndGospel

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Meet Your Host
James Spencer earned his Ph.D. in Theological Studies from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. He believes discipleship will open up opportunities beyond anything God’s people could accomplish through their own wit and wisdom. As such, James seeks to help believers think Christianly about social, cultural, and political assumptions. His desire is to see Christians test God by trusting God so that they conform ever more closely to the image of Christ.

In addition to being a regular contributor to Christianity.com and Washingtontimes.com, James has published multiple works, including Christian Resistance: Learnign to Defy the World and Follow Christ, Useful to God: Eight Lessons from the Life of D.L. Moody, Thinking Christian: Essays on Testimony, Accountability, and the Christian Mind, and Trajectories: A Gospel-Centered Introduction to Old Testament Theology.

James currently serves as president of the D. L. Moody Center, an adjunct instructor at Wheaton College Graduate School, and faculty member at Right On Mission.

You can find out more about James at his personal website www.jamesspencer.com.
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