Rome Never Really Fell

Summer with Saul Ep. 4 | The Road to Damascus

Paul sets out for Damascus convinced he's defending God.He arrives blind.In Episode 4 of Summer with Saul, we follow one of history's most famous conversions, but we don't stop at the story. We explore what Damascus was actually like in the first century, why Saul believed he was doing the right thing, and how one encounter on a dusty road changed not only his life, but the future of Christianity.Along the way we discuss:• Why Saul traveled to Damascus• The historical city of Damascus and its importance• Paul's conversion in Acts 9• Paul's own retelling of the event in Acts 22 & 26• His personal reflections in Galatians• Ananias and the restoration of Saul's sight• Physical blindness vs. spiritual blindness in Luke's writingWhether you've read this story a hundred times or you're hearing it for the first time, our goal isn't to tell you what to believe. It's to explore the history, culture, symbolism, and context surrounding one of the Bible's biggest turning points.

Summer with Saul Ep. 3 | Meet Saul

Saul of Tarsus is one of the most controversial figures in Christian history.Before becoming the Apostle Paul, he was a Pharisee who approved of Stephen's execution and began hunting followers of Jesus. But why?In this episode of Summer with Saul, we finally get to know Saul. We explore first-century Tarsus, Roman citizenship, Jewish education, the Pharisees, Gamaliel, and the centuries of history that shaped Saul long before the road to Damascus.Join us as we continue our journey through the Book of Acts and discover the historical world that produced one of history's most influential figures.

Summer with Saul Ep. 2 | The First Christians

Last week, we built the world Saul would one day walk into. This week, the story truly begins.We explore the birth of the early church in the Book of Acts, the meaning of Pentecost, why thousands of Jews were gathered in Jerusalem, the first miracles of the apostles, and how the message of Jesus spread across the Roman Empire almost overnight.Then we meet Stephen. One of the church's first leaders. A brilliant speaker. A fearless witness. (A true badass in Maddie's opinion) His confrontation with the Sanhedrin becomes one of the most powerful moments in Acts, and it ends with the first Christian martyrdom.Standing quietly in the background is a young Pharisee named Saul.The rest of history is about to change.🎙️ Welcome back to Summer with Saul.-Maddie & Drew

Summer with Saul Ep. 1 | First-Century Rome

Welcome to Episode 1 of Summer with Saul! ☀️📜Before we can understand Paul, we have to understand the world he lived in.In this episode, we're stepping into the first-century Roman Empire to explore what life was really like when Jesus and Paul walked the earth. We'll talk about Rome, the Jewish diaspora, emperor worship, the different Jewish groups, the Gentile world, and why this moment in history became the perfect setting for the message of Jesus to spread.Basically by the end, you're going to feel like you've just stepped into the Roman Empire circa 40 AD. Much love my friends, see you next weeeeek!!!!-Mad

Chaotically Good

Some episodes are carefully planned.This is not one of those episodes.This week, Drew and I somehow end up talking about Jesus, Dungeons & Dragons, bald eagles, Vampire Diaries, neighborhood block parties, Ecclesiastes, hot dogs, and what it actually means to be "chaotically good."Underneath all the chaos is something we've been thinking about a lot lately:What does it look like to stay human in a world that constantly asks us not to?If you've ever felt like faith is supposed to look more like love than rule-following, pull up a chair...because we aren't very good at following rules...😅☀️ ALSO!!!! At the very end of this episode we officially announce our Summer with Saul series! Beginning next week, we'll be traveling back to the first century to follow the life of Saul (Paul, Spaul, Spaulding) and explore how Christianity spread throughout the Roman Empire and eventually worldwide.If you're excited for the journey, make sure you're subscribed.Thanks for hanging out with us. ❤️ - Madski & Drewski