The Beatitudes & the Upside-Down Kingdom
Flipping Tables
Welcome to the table! In this episode of our series on Matthew: The Way of the Kingdom of Heaven. Julie and Kimberly continue their journey through the Sermon on the Mount, settling into the opening words of Jesus in the Beatitudes. Together, they reflect on how these familiar verses reveal the heart of the kingdom of heaven—an upside-down kingdom built on grace, humility, mercy, and transformation. The conversation explores how the Beatitudes are not separate categories of believers, but a complete portrait of kingdom character that Jesus forms in all His followers. Julie and Kimberly...
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16 Minute Sermon
Flipping Tables
Welcome to the table! In this episode we’re beginning to go through the Sermon on the Mount. This is Jesus’ “kingdom manifesto.” This is the way of the Kingdom of Heaven. Kimberly, my co-host, and I read through the entire sermon, Matthew 5–7, honestly wrestling with the tension, we feel over parts of it. These three chapters contain some of Jesus’ most familiar words and arguably some of His most misunderstood words. We pause in between each chapter to talk about some parts that are hard to understand and hard to obey. The Sermon can be read in as little as 16...
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Jesus is Jesusing
Flipping Tables
Season 4, Episode 11 — Matthew: The Way of the Kingdom of Heaven Text: Matthew 4:18-25 Welcome to the table! In this episode we discuss Jesus calling four fishermen to become His disciples. I give some background on the relationship between a rabbi and his disciples in the first century. Kimberly and I reflect on being disciples of Jesus in the twenty-first century. We discuss what’s hard about it and what we misunderstood or didn’t understand about what it means to be a disciple of Jesus. “A Rabbi's work was to instruct the crowds, but his greatest goal was to raise up disciples who...
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Unexpected Direction Galilee of the Gentiles
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Season 4, Episode 10 — Matthew: The Way of the Kingdom of Heaven Text: Matthew 4:12–17 In this episode, Kimberly and I finally arrive at the moment when Jesus begins his public ministry. As we step into Matthew 4, we talk about Jesus leaving Nazareth for Capernaum and why Galilee—called Galilee of the Gentiles—matters so much to the story of the kingdom of heaven. We reflect on Jesus’ rejection in his hometown, the way he flips expectations, and how the kingdom challenges our small worldviews. This conversation invites us to wrestle with nuance, loosen our grip on control, and...
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Matthew 4: Standing Firm Against the Enemy
Flipping Tables
Welcome to the table! In this episode, we explore Jesus’ temptation in Matthew 4 and what it reveals about spiritual warfare, identity, and endurance. As followers of Jesus, we are not merely passing through the wilderness — we live here. But this is not a place of defeat. Because Jesus triumphed, we can stand firm in His victory. What We Cover in This Episode Why the Spirit led Jesus into the wilderness The parallels between: Jesus and Israel in the wilderness Jesus and Adam & Eve in the garden The three categories of temptation: Lust of the flesh Lust of the eyes ...
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Anxiety, Panic, and the Faith That Held On
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Welcome to the table! My Guest: Kim Stolzfus is a college instructor at the University of Kentucky. Kim shares her powerful testimony—one marked by early religious confusion, people-pleasing, debilitating panic attacks, and seasons of profound hopelessness. Through it all, Jesus continually meets her, flips her assumptions about God, and draws her into freedom, purpose, and joy in His upside-down kingdom. This conversation is an honest exploration of what it looks like to bring our religious thinking to Jesus and allow Him to transform it—slowly, faithfully, and sometimes painfully—into...
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The Baptism of Jesus: A New Beginning
Flipping Tables
In Episode 7, Twila and I slow down and sit with the baptism of Jesus in Matthew 3—a moment that marks both an ending and a beginning in God’s story. As John the Baptist completes his role of preparing the way, Jesus steps into the waters of the Jordan, fully identifying with humanity and choosing obedience, even though He has no sin of His own. We talk about why Jesus insists on being baptized “to fulfill all righteousness,” and how this moment launches His public ministry while revealing the heart of the kingdom of heaven. Together, we trace the Jordan River through Scripture—from...
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Matthew 3: Fruit in Keeping with Repentance
Flipping Tables
In this episode, we gather at the table to explore Matthew 3 and the prophetic ministry of John the Baptist—a bold, table-flipping voice calling God’s people to repentance and renewal. In this conversation we invite our listeners to begin the year with anticipation, humility, and openness to transformation. John’s message is urgent: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” As Matthew’s Gospel introduces this phrase, we unpack why Matthew speaks of the “kingdom of heaven,” how John prepares the way for Jesus, and why repentance is more than behavior...
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Matthew 2: Exile, Grief, the Way of the Kingdom
Flipping Tables
Welcome to the table! In this Christmas-season episode, we continue sitting in Matthew 2 and invite Jesus to flip our tables as we linger with the hard parts of His story. We explore the families urgent flight to Egypt, Jesus as a refugee, and what this passage reveals about God’s heart for the vulnerable. Matthew shows us how Jesus retraces Israel’s story—yet succeeds where Israel failed—fulfilling Old Testament prophecy and revealing the unity of Scripture. We also confront the brutality of Herod, the grief of Bethlehem’s mothers, and the truth that every life matters deeply to...
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Matthew 2: The Way of the Kingdom (Part 1)
Flipping Tables
In this episode of Flipping Tables, Julie and Twila explore Matthew 2 and the arrival of the Magi, highlighting Bethlehem’s deep biblical history and the prophetic signs surrounding Jesus’ birth. They discuss who the Magi were, why Herod felt threatened, and what their extravagant worship teaches us today. This is Part 1 of a two-part conversation on Matthew 2. ✨ Bethlehem’s Deep Story ✨ Understanding the Magi ✨ Herod the Great ✨ The Mysterious Star ✨ Extravagant Worship ✨ What are you giving Jesus for Christmas? How can we sacrificially worship Jesus during the busy...
info_outlineIn this episode, we gather at the table to explore Matthew 3 and the prophetic ministry of John the Baptist—a bold, table-flipping voice calling God’s people to repentance and renewal. In this conversation we invite our listeners to begin the year with anticipation, humility, and openness to transformation.
John’s message is urgent: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” As Matthew’s Gospel introduces this phrase, we unpack why Matthew speaks of the “kingdom of heaven,” how John prepares the way for Jesus, and why repentance is more than behavior modification—it is a change of mind and direction that leads to a transformed life.
We explore John’s confrontation of the Pharisees and Sadducees and his call to “produce fruit in keeping with repentance.” We reflect on the tension between salvation as a free gift and the lifelong journey of sanctification that follows. We discuss how repentance is not a one-time event, but an ongoing posture of confession, surrender, and renewal.
Through personal stories, we also addresses influence, humility, and faithfulness without notoriety. John the Baptist’s willingness to fade into the background becomes a model for resisting platform culture and trusting God with the outcome of our obedience. We share how confession, community, and even painful seasons can become places of deep redemption—where wounds are transformed into fruit for the kingdom.
Matthew 3; 11:11-12
Psalm 130:7
Whether you've been following Jesus for years, are just getting started, or are simply considering it, you're invited to join us at the study table. Thanks for listening! Subscribe to my Table 2 Newsletter for updates and study reflections, and visit Flourish Ministry for free resources and to learn more.