Disciples' Quest

Disciples' Quest Disciples' Quest aims to help its listeners explore The Bible and develop a deeper understanding.

It's a new year and we are still on hiatus. In September we had our honeymoon and thought we would work on Disciples Que...
01/01/2024

It's a new year and we are still on hiatus. In September we had our honeymoon and thought we would work on Disciples Quest afterward but haven't yet. Things have been busy. This month we are planning to start looking for a house. If we do return to podcasting all updates will be on social media.

Picture: in Nova Scotia

Season 3 ends with the conclusion of Romans 5. Listen now on     &   PodcastsWe will be back with new content in Novembe...
08/27/2023

Season 3 ends with the conclusion of Romans 5. Listen now on & Podcasts

We will be back with new content in November.

Romans 5 part one is out now! Listen on
08/20/2023

Romans 5 part one is out now! Listen on

As mentioned at the end of our episode on Romans chapter 4, Justyn is leaving the podcast! He will be missed. With this ...
07/28/2023

As mentioned at the end of our episode on Romans chapter 4, Justyn is leaving the podcast! He will be missed. With this change, William and Emily will be releasing episodes together going forward and seeking God for answers as to where to go with the podcast.

Faith in Jesus Christ is what saves us, not the work that we do for Him! Listen to this episode on     &                ...
07/24/2023

Faith in Jesus Christ is what saves us, not the work that we do for Him! Listen to this episode on &

The final part of our discussion on speaking in tongues focuses on our own lived experiences with this gifting. Listen o...
07/16/2023

The final part of our discussion on speaking in tongues focuses on our own lived experiences with this gifting. Listen on and

Our latest episode is part two of three on speaking in tongues. We hope listening helps you think more about The Holy Sp...
07/11/2023

Our latest episode is part two of three on speaking in tongues. We hope listening helps you think more about The Holy Spirit and the gifts He imparts.

The start of a new series on the gifts of the Holy Spirit. What does it mean to speak in tongues and is it still a gift ...
07/02/2023

The start of a new series on the gifts of the Holy Spirit. What does it mean to speak in tongues and is it still a gift God gives us today?

Dwelling in You“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem,...
06/29/2023

Dwelling in You

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” These were the last words of Jesus before He ascended back to Heaven as recorded by Luke in Acts 1:8. This promise showed the importance of Jesus leaving them with the third person of the Trinity. Jesus had to go back to the Father, now it was The Holy Spirit’s time to dwell on Earth. This dwelling did not come in the form of a man, but as the name implies, a spirit who dwells within believers of the Gospel.

The disciples did receive the Holy Spirit at the time of Pentecost which is recorded in Acts chapter two: “All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them” (verse 8). This started the fulfilment of the promises that the Holy Spirit came to dwell in them and that they could witness to the ends of the earth. The barrier of language was no longer an issue, thanks to the power of the Holy Spirit gifting them the ability to speak in the tongues of other cultures. After this, the Holy Spirit never left them and continued to work miracles through them. This can be seen all throughout the book of Acts.

So, what does this mean for us today? The main thing I want to focus on is that the Holy Spirit is HERE and he is ALWAYS with you. He NEVER LEAVES you. You don’t have to ask Him to come when you need help, He is already present.

While the Holy Spirit gives power… He isn’t some force that surrounds you that you can do cool tricks with. It is only by God’s will that you receive the Holy Spirit and while He isn’t going to leave you, you can’t force Him to give you the gift of healing, prophecy, tongues etc. He gives certain gifts to certain people, which shows how we are to work together as a community and as Christ’s body here on Earth (1 Corinthians 12). You are a part of the body and you are being led by the Holy Spirit. Listen to Him and follow his leading. You are a part of his plans and He loves you!

This week, we are starting a series on the gifts of the Spirit. Listen to part one of our discussion on speaking in tongues this Saturday!

There will be no episode this weekend due to celebrating Father's Day last weekend. Next will be an episode about the gi...
06/24/2023

There will be no episode this weekend due to celebrating Father's Day last weekend. Next will be an episode about the gift of speaking in tongues! Have a great weekend!

What Our Gifts Are ForBy William and Emily CookThe Bible says that believers are given different gifts and not all the s...
06/21/2023

What Our Gifts Are For

By William and Emily Cook

The Bible says that believers are given different gifts and not all the same ones. But what are they for? And why do we receive them? To cover every purpose of why the gifts of the Spirit are given would extend this blog too long, so we will talk about one broad reason. Before we get into the reasoning, let us first see what these gifts are.

In First Corinthians 12, Paul lists the gifts of the Holy Spirit. These are the 9 gifts:

The ability to give wise advice.
A message of special knowledge.
Great faith.
The gift of healing.
The power to perform miracles.
The ability to prophesy.
The ability to discern whether a message is from the Spirit of God or from another spirit.
The ability to speak in unknown languages.
The ability to interpret what is being said.
Taken from 1 Corinthians 12:8-10; New Living Translation.

Before giving this list, Paul says in verse 7 that, “a spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other.” The gifts of the Spirit are to edify and help the church, they are tools to aid us in our life on earth. Now, when we say church, that isn’t restricted to a church building but rather refers to believers in Christ as a whole. We are all God’s church and the Holy Spirit dwells in each of us.

Just like with our unique, God-given talents and purpose, the gifts of the Spirit cannot be given by man and we can not choose the way that God will work through us. These gifts come from The Holy Spirit alone and only He can determine which one(s) we have (1 Corinthians 12:11). If we were all the same and had the exact same gifts, the church could not function as a whole, and would be sided in one direction. We cannot all be prophets, we cannot all be healers, and so on. God knows which gift would best serve the church through us.

The gifts of the spirit are not to be revered and worshiped themselves, you should not go to church for the purpose of enjoying the feeling of the gifts of the Spirits, we should not worship tools, no matter how good it feels to use them. A close friend of ours said, “The gifts are a means to an end for our short lives on earth. What is more, important is love. People sometimes miss the meaning of an important part of the love passage.”

Ah, yes, the love passage, found in 1 Corinthians 13. Here are a few key verses in that passage that emphasize the point of our giftings.

1 Corinthians 13:1-3 “If I could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn’t love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. If I had the gift of prophecy, and if I understood all of God’s secret plans and possessed all knowledge, and if I had such faith that I could move mountains, but didn’t love others, I would be nothing. If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it; but if I didn’t love others, I would have gained nothing.”

1 Corinthians 13:8 “but if there are gifts of prophecy, they will be done away with; if there are tongues, they will cease; if there is knowledge, it will be done away with.”

1 Corinthians 13:13 “Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love.”

In the end, it is all about love. What gift you have doesn’t matter as much as the love that you put into it. God created you to be in a relationship with Him and we are all a part of His body. Be His hands and His feet here on Earth. You were put here for this very moment, use the giftings He has given you and always do so with love!

New episode on Romans chapter 3. If salvation isn't achieved through good behaviour, then why practice good behaviour at...
06/19/2023

New episode on Romans chapter 3. If salvation isn't achieved through good behaviour, then why practice good behaviour at all?

Who is the Holy Spirit?The Bible clearly shows that God is three beings in one being. God the Father, God the Son, and G...
06/15/2023

Who is the Holy Spirit?

The Bible clearly shows that God is three beings in one being. God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit has been here since the beginning and can be seen all over the Bible through Old and New Testament texts. An example of a verse that shows that the Holy Spirit is God is 2 Corinthians 3:17 which says, “Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.” As the Holy Spirit is God, He has some amazing traits such as giving freedom, being an advocate, a spirit of wisdom and understanding, and being our counsellor (John 14:26 and Isaiah 11:2).

A passage that clearly shows the relationship between the Father, Son, and Spirit is Matthew 3:16-17 where Jesus was baptized: “At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, ‘This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.’” The Father is in Heaven, Jesus was on Earth, and the Spirit travelled from Heaven to Earth.

When Jesus left to go be with his Father in Heaven, the Spirit came to dwell within us. In Acts 1:8, Jesus was preparing to leave and the last words that He said to his followers were: “you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you shall be My witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

On the day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit came to Earth in a new way which is documented in the 2nd chapter of Acts in which the disciples started to speak in new languages that were those of other cultures, thus witnessing to those people. The Apostle Peter explained by quoting Isaiah that, “In the last days it shall be, says God that I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh” (Isaiah 44:3). Peter said later in this chapter to “repent and be baptized every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:38).

The power of the Holy Spirit lives in us and He communicates with us on a personal level. We don’t have to go to church to experience God’s presence as His presence is with us always thanks to the gift of the Holy Spirit. He hears us and listens. He speaks to us; we just need to listen. It is a beautiful relationship with our creator that we have the privilege to carry. We don’t have to ask the Holy Spirit to come as He already came on the day that you were saved by God’s grace.

I’d like to end this blog with a blessing that Paul gives in Romans: “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope” (15:13). There is hope, joy, peace and so much more that comes when we have faith in God. I pray for you, dear reader, that you are blessed and truly experience the Spirit’s presence all the days of your life.

In an upcoming episode, we will be starting a topical series on the gifts of the Spirit. Stay tuned for more information!

God is righteous, not people. Find out more on our new episode on     &
06/11/2023

God is righteous, not people. Find out more on our new episode on &

This past week, I attended Siloam Mission’s first-ever Reconciliation gathering. It was a two-day event with two keynote...
06/08/2023

This past week, I attended Siloam Mission’s first-ever Reconciliation gathering. It was a two-day event with two keynote speakers, four sessions, times of prayer, and a time of worship. I could see how God worked throughout the event and learned much about the history of colonization in North America and what we can do about its impacts today as Christians.

Something that really stood out to me was that truth must come before reconciliation. If you do not know what needs to be reconciled, you must seek the truth first. Education is a big part of this. Listen to people’s stories, they will tell you much about their lived experiences and you will learn much if you listen to understand. John 16:13 says that “But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come.” Truth is an important spiritual aspect that is found throughout The Bible and in the Seven Sacred Teachings.

One resource that participants brought home was: 30 days of Reconciliation and Learning (link below) which was put together by Jenny Foidart & Christine Vanagas. It is written for the Canadian context. You can view it online and follow through with the thirty days, I plan to. Reconciliation is not about racing to a finish line, it is a process of healing and heart work that will take time. By working on your own understanding of reconciliation, you can be an ally and put in action to show the love of Jesus Christ.

Christine is the Director of Indigenous Relations at Siloam and she did the first two sessions of the gathering. She is an Indigenous Christian who shared her story and what God led her to understand through her journey navigating life from this perspective. There are some similarities between Christian and Indigenous beliefs about creation and other areas of life. As Romans 1:20 states: “For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.” Indigenous people in North America likely witnessed God, the Creator, and passed this on throughout their communities.

What happened in the past to our Indigenous brothers and sisters is horrendous. The traumas that were created continue to impact our world today. We need to find truth and work towards healing for those here and for generations to come. A final verse: “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you” (James 1:5). This is for all areas of life, seek God first and you will be guided in the right direction and to the right people.

Blessings,

Emily Cook

https://acrobat.adobe.com/link/review?uri=urn:aaid:scds:US:10292192-3ec3-3a1f-bd02-61bf32cdd49d

How do The Ten Commandments and other laws from the Old Test impact us as Christians today? Find this out and more in th...
06/04/2023

How do The Ten Commandments and other laws from the Old Test impact us as Christians today? Find this out and more in the latest episode of on &

06/03/2023

Soundbite! We have all broken the laws from the Old Testament. Moral standards are important to living life well.

Full Episode releasing midnight CST

Emily’s Changing RoleI have been considering for some time what my role in the Disciples’ Quest ministry should be. Reco...
06/01/2023

Emily’s Changing Role

I have been considering for some time what my role in the Disciples’ Quest ministry should be. Recording an episode every week had begun to seem more like a chore to me than something I was inspired to do. In content creation, this is something that you do not want to occur as it makes the content not as good as it once was. I have given over a year to be consistent in my involvement with our podcast episodes, my increase in lack of passion showed in all areas of my work for the ministry.

This is something that I have been praying about a lot and I believe that the following is where God is leading for my role in Disciples’ Quest… I still want to be involved but in a different capacity. I will no longer be on the podcast every week and I don’t know how often or when I will return to co-host. I will continue to lead our social media by managing and creating posts. By not spending time prepping for and recording the podcast, I will have more time for social media and the blog, thus being able to create more and release both more frequently. Topics for the blog will not be restricted to the chapters we are discussing on the podcast but rather will be on topics that I feel God is leading me to write about.

When making discussions, you should ask God to lead you down the right paths as he is where your help comes from (Psalm 121:2). Creating this ministry was something that William, Justyn, and I prayed about a lot and it continues to be important to us. It is our way of ministering to people through digital content creation. We are also involved in church ministries and Bible studies. We are committed to following The Holy Spirit wherever He takes us. Our mission has been and continues to be to make and equip disciples as we have been called to for Jesus (Mathew 28:19-20).

New episode on Romans. William and Justyn go deep into the biblical text. The question of whether or not we should judge...
05/28/2023

New episode on Romans. William and Justyn go deep into the biblical text. The question of whether or not we should judge others is answered.

Passing JudgementBy William & Emily Cook“Therefore you have no excuse, O man, every one of you who judges. For in passin...
05/25/2023

Passing Judgement
By William & Emily Cook

“Therefore you have no excuse, O man, every one of you who judges. For in passing judgment on another, you condemn yourself, because you, the judge, practice the very same things.” - Romans 2:1 (ESV)

This passage has long been quoted as a means for people to use The Bible to convince people to not judge sin as sin. One may say, “I don’t think the bible condones that behavior” To which someone may respond with Romans 2:1. After all, don’t judge lest you be judged… right?

This doesn’t make sense in context with the rest of the chapter or even the rest of Romans because Paul is making judgments of sin all throughout his writings.
Another passage, Matthew 7:3-5 gives us insights into this topic: “Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye.”
The key here is that it says, “First take the log out of your own eye, and you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.” Not that you should not judge at all.
However, of course, this is not to say that you should judge carelessly without restraint, partake in gossip, and speak in a spirit of judgment. Rather, there is a right and a wrong way to judge. The Bible shows us how to judge correctly: it should always be done in a spirit of love, taking care and being in a manner that is helpful. And always, look within yourself and at your own sin in your life first.
The real meaning behind this passage is a message to hypocrites, but possibly more importantly, he is pointing out a common logical oversight. When you condemn others you are pointing out that there is in fact a moral standard, and you yourself likely do not live up to it. You can look down on people who are inhospitable, but have you ever been rude yourself? “How dare they cut me off” - Have you never cut someone off? “That person is an adulterer, unlike me.” - Have you ever lusted after someone? Then The Bible says you have committed the act in your heart. “Thieves! What low lives right?” - Except, have you ever stolen? If you have slacked off when your boss was not looking, haven't you stolen from your boss? The list goes on.
By judging others with God’s moral standard, you yourself are stating that there is a moral standard and you are not living up to it. Therefore you condemn yourself by the very moral standard that you use to condemn others.
You cannot compare your sin to that of another person as everyone has different experiences. Only God knows what they are going through and He can free them from the torment and temptation that sin has placed in their lives. We cannot say that we are better than others as it shows later in Romans 3:23 that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” We must work on ourselves and repent as it shows in Romans 2:4 that “God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance.” No one can escape the perfect judgment of God (Romans 2:3). The only way to become right in His sight is to repent and accept that Jesus paid it all so that you could be set free. We have the freedom to make choices and need to choose the path of righteousness. To flee from evil and pursue God and His will for our lives. God is full of abundant grace and He forgives you no matter what you or anyone else has done. Accept God’s gift of grace and see how He will transform your life!

What does the wrath of God look like and what does it go against? Find out in today's new episode!                      ...
05/21/2023

What does the wrath of God look like and what does it go against? Find out in today's new episode!

New Season starts today! Journey with us as we venture into The Book of Romans! Available on     &                      ...
05/13/2023

New Season starts today! Journey with us as we venture into The Book of Romans! Available on &

A Prelude to Romans by William Cook“Romans is Christian theology,” said Mike Winger, a popular YouTube content creator i...
05/11/2023

A Prelude to Romans by William Cook

“Romans is Christian theology,” said Mike Winger, a popular YouTube content creator in a video where he recommended different books of The Bible.
For this blog, I was trying to do a bunch of research on the broad overview of Romans without reading through it. This felt at least in part a little dis-honest since I have not read through it yet. Instead of writing a blog based on what other people said about Romans, I would like to talk about why we are choosing that book next. We were actually going to do James next, but I sort of pushed against that, and my co-hosts didn’t seem to mind.
Romans was written when the Christian community was full of tension between the new Gentile Christians and Jewish followers of Christ. This sparked Paul to write an extensive explanation of what the Gospel is, uniting both Gentile and Jewish Christians.
I have been meaning to study Romans for a while. I have been hearing for a while that it’s exactly what Mike Winger said, Christian theology. I mean arguably all of the Bible is Christian theology, but Romans really bites down on what the most important things to the Christian faith are. What do we all declare to believe? What is the gospel? And so on. Not that I don’t already know what the gospel is, but I would have to be pretty arrogant to think I wouldn’t learn more about it from studying Romans’ extensive explanation.
Emily bought me a book all about memorizing large portions of scripture, “Warriors of The Word” by Aaron and Emily House. The book explains the benefits of memorizing whole chapters and even entire books of The Bible. If I was ever going to memorize a book of The Bible, I thought the first one would be Romans. I just can’t help but think about how useful the gospel explained thoroughly would be to know by heart. It would help me to navigate the pitfalls of ideas that go against the gospel and help me to minister it to others. Maybe now you can start to see why I want to study it on the podcast! How many people have misunderstandings about the gospel that leads them astray from their faith? Or how many others avoid Christianity because of those misunderstandings? Are we sufficiently equipped to guard ourselves and help guide people out of the potential misconceptions about the very things that the entire family of God is united around?
Sharpen your knowledge about the gospel! Learn with us as we dive deep into a study of Romans! The first episode is coming this Saturday!

Disciples' Quest Podcast will return on May 13th with a brand new series!
05/06/2023

Disciples' Quest Podcast will return on May 13th with a brand new series!

The final episode of our series on Hebrews is out now! Listen to the conclusion of this amazing letter and hear what we ...
05/01/2023

The final episode of our series on Hebrews is out now! Listen to the conclusion of this amazing letter and hear what we have coming next!

Coming to the end of Hebrews. Listen to part one of our chat about the final chapter on     &
04/25/2023

Coming to the end of Hebrews. Listen to part one of our chat about the final chapter on &

This WayHebrews 13 starts off with verses that list ways in which we can live how Jesus calls us to.In the first verse, ...
04/19/2023

This Way

Hebrews 13 starts off with verses that list ways in which we can live how Jesus calls us to.

In the first verse, the writer tells us to “love one another as brothers and sisters,” they then give examples in verses 2 and 3 on how to do this. Christian love isn’t love for the fellow Christian alone. The love that is talked about here is one that does not discriminate but loves all people from our closest relations to strangers. We are called to love all people regardless of their origin or world views. To show kindness to all is to love your friends, family, enemies, and everyone in between.

Next, in verse four, we are told to honour marriage. Marriage is something that has been spoken of many times in The Bible and we can see this through such stories exactly how adultery goes against God’s holy will. Exodus 20 gives us the list of the 10 commandments with verse 14 stating simply, that “you shall not commit adultery.” But there is more to it than not having sexual relations outside of marriage as Jesus stated in Matthew 5:28 that “anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” Such a sentiment goes for anyone with lust in their eyes. As Christians, we are called to repent of sexual sin and flee from all sexual immorality. While we can’t be perfect, we can strive to be better and seek purity throughout our lives.

After this, Hebrews 13 talks about the love of money and how we are to be content with what we have “because God has said, ‘Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you’” (Hebrews 13:5). We do not need to put our trust in money, in material possessions and in the pursuit of financial prosperity. Earthly wealth means nothing! When we go to Heaven, all we will have is of spirit, not of this world. You do not need more possessions to be happy! True happiness is found in God and following his commandments.

To love others, to flee from sexual sin, and to be content with what you have are three ways that we can serve God more effectively. If you struggle in these areas, pray and ask God to aid you towards love and purity. The only way to be free from sin is to repent and follow Jesus.

New episode out now with an exploration of Hebrews 12 verses 14-29. Listen on     &                                     ...
04/15/2023

New episode out now with an exploration of Hebrews 12 verses 14-29. Listen on &

We have an Easter special out with just Justyn doing the talking. Listen to what he has to say about the death and resur...
04/08/2023

We have an Easter special out with just Justyn doing the talking. Listen to what he has to say about the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Why Easter?Every year, Christians and non-Christians alike celebrate Easter. Good Friday is a paid holiday and yet those...
04/05/2023

Why Easter?

Every year, Christians and non-Christians alike celebrate Easter. Good Friday is a paid holiday and yet those who do not know Jesus Christ as their personal savior don’t use the day as it is intended to be. Good Friday is meant to be a day to reflect on the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. To understand the point of Easter, we must first look at Good Friday as there is no resurrection without the death of Jesus Christ.

J.D. Greear said that 4 words sum up the gospel: "Jesus in my place.” Jesus wasn’t sent down to Earth for trivial reasons, He came with a purpose that had been planned by God from the days of the Old Testament.

Hebrews 9:11-14 says “But Christ, when He came as a High Priest of the good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this creation, neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by His own blood, He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption. For if the blood of bulls and goats, and the ashes of a heifer, sprinkling the unclean, sanctifies so that the flesh is purified, how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?”

The sacrificing of animals couldn’t permanently remove the sins of the people, only Jesus, the perfect sacrifice, could take our place and restore the severed relationship between us and God. Jesus being fully man and fully God felt all the pain of sin once the events of the crucifixion took place. He knew the suffering that was to come and even prayed to God, “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done” (Luke 22:24). The Father did not take the cup of suffering from His son and continued the divine plan to sacrifice His only son!

Jesus died forsaken and alone. But, just as had been foretold, He arose from the dead three days later! That is why we can celebrate Easter! He died in your place, it is because of Jesus that we can know God as our father. There is triumph in the resurrection! Praise God on Easter Day and all other days! It is only in Him that we can escape the eternal damnation of sin.

For more about the significance of the death and resurrection of Jesus, listen to Disciples Quest this Saturday.

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