This podcast is the message archives of the Lake Merced Church of Christ in San Francisco.
Lake Merced Church of Christ
Claim This Podcastby Lake Merced Church of Christ
373 episodes
Updated Bi-weekly
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Podcast Overview
This podcast is the message archives of the Lake Merced Church of Christ in San Francisco.
Language
🇺🇲
Publishing Since
3/24/2019
1 verified contact email on file for Lake Merced Church of Christ
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Recent Episodes
June 28, 2026
Can We Trust the New Testament?
"Can We Trust the New Testament?" — John Mulligan anchors the reliability of the gospel accounts in Luke 1:1-4 and historical tests used for any ancient document. Christian faith is not meant to rest on wishful thinking. Jesus claimed to forgive sin, judge the world, give eternal life, and be one with the Father. If His life is a fraud, He cannot be the truth. Luke does not write like someone passing along legend. He says the account was handed down by eyewitnesses, investigated from the beginning, and written in an orderly way so readers may know "the certainty" of what they were taught. The bibliographical test asks whether copies preserve the originals. No originals remain for most ancient works, but the New Testament has a far stronger manuscript base than other accepted writings from antiquity, with early fragments and vast support. The internal test asks whether the documents hold together. John appeals to what he saw, Peter says they did not follow cleverly devised fables, and Paul tells Agrippa these things were not done in a corner. The testimony is close to the events and open to challenge. The external test asks whether outside sources confirm the record. Tacitus, Josephus, Pliny the Younger, and other non-Christian writers preserve independent references to Jesus, His followers, His death, and the beliefs that spread after Him. The New Testament presents concise, historical accounts of Jesus’s life, teaching, crucifixion, and resurrection. The evidence is not hidden. The question is whether people want the truth enough to examine it and live by it.
June 21, 2026
Did Jesus Really Live?
"Did Jesus Really Live?" — John Mulligan surveys the historical evidence for Jesus's existence across biblical testimony, non-Christian sources, and the consensus of modern historians. Christianity stands or falls on the identity of Jesus. If He is not who He claimed to be, Paul said we believe in vain; if He is the Son of God, He is everything. The question deserves attention — not just whether Jesus was divine, but whether He lived at all. First, the Bible treats Jesus as a real person, never as myth or legend. Luke roots his Gospel in eyewitness testimony and Roman history — naming Caesar Augustus, Tiberius, Pilate, Herod, Annas, and Caiaphas — all verified by archaeology. Over five hundred saw Him after the resurrection. Second, non-biblical ancient sources confirm His existence. Tacitus, Suetonius, Pliny the Younger, and Josephus — none of them believers — referenced Christ. Tacitus recorded Christ "suffered the extreme penalty during the reign of Tiberius at the hands of Pontius Pilate." Josephus called Him "a wise man" and "a doer of wonderful works." Independent attestations align with the Gospel accounts. Third, the historian consensus is settled. F.F. Bruce wrote the historicity of Christ is "as axiomatic as the historicity of Julius Caesar." John Stuart Mill, no Christian, called the idea that Christ was invented absurd. The Encyclopedia Britannica devoted more space to Jesus than to Aristotle, Alexander, Caesar, or Napoleon. Jesus lived — that question is closed. The one that remains is His question to Peter: "Who do you say that I am?" The answer changes everything.
June 14, 2026
The Case Study
In "The Case Study," Dane Franchi reads the Gospels while skipping every word printed in red and asks a question most Bible studies overlook: what did Jesus teach not by what He said, but by how He walked? Three patterns surface that do not need a sermon to land. First, Jesus healed before He opened His mouth. Physical restoration came before spiritual instruction — not as a warm-up act but as the message itself. We are not self-sufficient; with God we are. The practical implication is sharp: before speaking, do something for someone they cannot do for themselves. In a society starved of unhurried, non-judgmental attention, listening well is one of the few gifts that genuinely qualifies. Second, Jesus guarded time alone. Mark 1:35 records Him slipping out before dawn to a solitary place to pray — and this was when everything was going right, not when things were falling apart. He did not announce His departure or ask permission. Solitude was not a symptom of crisis but a rhythm of health. The corollary is double-edged: take that time, and give others theirs without pressing for an explanation. Sometimes the need is simply to be with God, not a sign that something is wrong. Third, holiness recognizes holiness. Before either was born, John the Baptist leaped in Elizabeth's womb at the sound of Mary's voice — God-bearing meeting Spirit-filled, joy erupting before a word was preached. The torn temple veil was never only about human access to God; it was God relocating His dwelling into human hearts. That means every voice singing next to us carries God's presence. How much joy goes unnoticed simply because we fail to hear it?
373 total episodes available
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