RUF Alabama Podcast

Weekly messages from Davis Sweatt, Minister for RUF at the University of Alabama.

Ecclesiastes - The Search for Control 09/11/2026

Ecclesiastes - The Search for Control Who is really in control of our lives and how can we trust anyone but ourselves with those decisions? What might happen if we let go of control? Is giving up our control where real freedom is found? Davis tackles these questions in this week's talk. This week's scripture is . /episode/index/show/rufbama/id/42871710

Ecclesiastes - "The Search for Pleasure" 09/04/2026

Ecclesiastes - "The Search for Pleasure" Why do I always chase things I think will make me happy only to be left unfulfilled? What hope does self-indulgence offer? Is there a better way? This week Davis delivers a message to tackle all of these questions. This week's scripture is from , . /episode/index/show/rufbama/id/42784810

August 26, 2026 - "Intro to Ecclesiastes" 08/28/2026

August 26, 2026 - "Intro to Ecclesiastes" Ecclesiastes is an interesting book that can seem hopeless and pessimistic, but what truths does it reveal to us? What is the perspective of the writer? And how should we approach it? As we begin our series on the book of Ecclesiastes Davis dives into these questions. This week's scripture is . /episode/index/show/rufbama/id/42590665

First Large Group Fall 2026 - "What is RUF?" 08/21/2026

First Large Group Fall 2026 - "What is RUF?" Why should you come to RUF or any campus ministry? This week Davis explores what it looks like to build a community that seeks God. This week's scripture is . Thanks to Matt Howell for much of the structure and content of this passage. /episode/index/show/rufbama/id/42550115

Senior Night 2026 05/15/2026

Senior Night 2026 Every year we take a week to honor our seniors and let them share the work of RUF in their lives. Though this podcast is uploading after commencement we hope it is a blessing to you and a testament to the work of the Lord through the ministry of RUF. Thank you seniors for all of the ways you have blessed RUF with your time and talents. We love you, we miss you, and we pray that the Lord continues to do amazing things through you. /episode/index/show/rufbama/id/41310100

Relationships: "Relating to Work" 04/10/2026

Relationships: "Relating to Work" What does the Bible have to say about our work? Do Christians see work as good or bad? What does God have to say about rest and how does rest prepare us for our work? Davis dives into the Christian view of work in the last installment of our relationships series. This week's scripture is , ; ; . /episode/index/show/rufbama/id/40803525

Relationships: "Relating to the Church" 03/27/2026

Relationships: "Relating to the Church" What is the church? Why does God give us the church? And where does it fit in to His plan for redemption? Daniel discusses these questions this week as he gives us a vision for the beauty of the church and urges us to love it despite its flaws. This week's scripture is , . /episode/index/show/rufbama/id/40644255

Relationships: "Relating to Parents" 03/13/2026

Relationships: "Relating to Parents" What does the Bible mean when it commands us to "honor our father and mother"? How can we do this well with parents who are also sinful and broken? How to we bring honor to parents that have hurt us? This week, Davis dives into the complex relationship with our parents. This week's scripture is , . /episode/index/show/rufbama/id/40430795

Relationships: Relating to Dating 02/27/2026

Relationships: Relating to Dating What is this thing we call dating? Why do we do it? Who should we be dating? What wisdom does the Bible have for figuring out when and how to date? These are the questions campus minister, Davis Sweatt, tackles this week. Scriptures for this week ... What is dating? Who do we date? ; Why do we date? ; When should we or shouldn't we date? ; How do we date? ; /episode/index/show/rufbama/id/40257675

Relationships: "Relating to Sex" 02/20/2026

Relationships: "Relating to Sex" The world seems to view sex as either nothing or everything, but what does the Bible have to say? This week Davis explores that question to try and provide deeper understanding of this part of our created design. This week's scripture is . /episode/index/show/rufbama/id/40199600

Relationships: Manhood 02/13/2026

Relationships: Manhood What does it mean to be a man? What are the characteristics of a Godly man? How can I grow into the man I am called to be? Davis tackles those questions in this week's talk on manhood. This week's scripture is & . Resource for talk: Brian Sorgenfrei /episode/index/show/rufbama/id/40099025

Grace and Peace 02/06/2026

Grace and Peace What do biblical grace and peace look like and how do they call us into greater reliance on Christ? Special guest, Rev. Benjie Slaton, speaks on the deeper meaning of grace and peace. This week's scripture is . /episode/index/show/rufbama/id/40099095

Relationships: Womanhood 01/30/2026

Relationships: Womanhood The book of Proverbs famously ends with a passage about the woman who fears the Lord. It is easy to read this passage as a list of achievements to check off before you are ready for marriage, but what if God is trying to show us something different? What if God is pointing us to what true beauty really looks like? What if true beauty is found not in accomplishments or validation from others, but in the fear of the Lord? This week Daniel explores these questions. This week's scripture is . /episode/index/show/rufbama/id/39936990

Relationships: Learning to Love - "Friendship" 01/23/2026

Relationships: Learning to Love - "Friendship" We all know the feeling of loneliness. The feeling you get when you walk into a place and you do not know anyone and no one knows you. It is a truly terrifying and anxiety inducing reality to be alone. So what is the solution? This week RUF Fellow, Cole, unpacks what the Bible teaches us about friendship. This week's scripture is . /episode/index/show/rufbama/id/39850370

Relationships: Learning to Love - "Relating to God's Will" 01/17/2026

Relationships: Learning to Love - "Relating to God's Will" What does God's will really look like? How do I know what He wants me to do? What if I make the wrong decision? Davis addresses these anxieties with a thoughtful look at the reality of God's will. This week's text , , , , . Source material: Matt Howell’s “Relating to God's Will”; Kevin DeYoung “Just Do Something” /episode/index/show/rufbama/id/39765985

Relationships: Learning to Love - "Relating to Relationships" 01/14/2026

Relationships: Learning to Love - "Relating to Relationships" The week's text is Genesis , . /episode/index/show/rufbama/id/39724400

The Parables: "A Parable About Partying" 11/21/2025

The Parables: "A Parable About Partying" What does the life God calls us to look like? Why do we make excuses and run from it? What would it look like to surrender to God and live into His Kingdom? In our last episode of the semester Davis looks at the Parable of the Great Banquet to answer these questions. This weeks scripture is . /episode/index/show/rufbama/id/39125305

The Parables: "A Parable About God's Generosity" 11/14/2025

The Parables: "A Parable About God's Generosity" In our talk this week we look into the realities of grace and what happens when our pride collides with God's grace. This weeks scripture is . Sources: Brian Sorgenfrei, Matt Howell, & Tim Keller /episode/index/show/rufbama/id/39045250

The Parables: "A Parable About Waiting" 11/05/2025

The Parables: "A Parable About Waiting" What does it mean to live in the already and the not yet? How to we wait for the Lord? What are our marching orders? This week Daniel speaks to these questions as he looks at the parable of the ten minas. This weeks scripture is . /episode/index/show/rufbama/id/38952100

The Parables: "A Parable About Relating to Others" 10/24/2025

The Parables: "A Parable About Relating to Others" What does it mean when Jesus calls us to love our neighbors? What does a neighbor look like? Where do we find our neighbors? What motivates us to be a neighbor to others? In this weeks talk Davis explores these questions in detail as we look at the parable of the good samaritan. This week's scripture is . /episode/index/show/rufbama/id/38769415

The Parables: "A Parable About Self Worth" 10/17/2025

The Parables: "A Parable About Self Worth" How does God see me? How does he react to me in my sin? What does his love look like? In this weeks passage Davis explores the misconceptions we have surrounding the love of God. This week's scripture is . /episode/index/show/rufbama/id/38619640

Healing: Far as the Curse is Found 10/10/2025

Healing: Far as the Curse is Found What does the story of the centurion tell us about Jesus? What does Jesus's redemption look like? What life is Jesus inviting us to? These are the questions that RUF International Pastor, Fraser Perrett, explores in this weeks sermon. The scripture this week is . /episode/index/show/rufbama/id/38541755

The Parables: "A Parable About Forgiveness" 10/03/2025

The Parables: "A Parable About Forgiveness" What does forgiveness really look like and how can you and I embrace and share the grace and forgiveness God shows us? These are the questions we look in to this week. Associate campus minister, Daniel Tortorici looks at the difficulty of forgiveness in this weeks message. The scripture this week is . /episode/index/show/rufbama/id/38454715

The Parables: "A Parable About Lostness" 09/26/2025

The Parables: "A Parable About Lostness" When we think of the parable of the prodigal son, we often assume it is primarily a critique of the prodigal son. We believe that the paraple is teaching us how much God loves us, and that we should be less judgemental of others. But what if the main character is actually the older son, the son who stayed at home and did everything his father asked? How does that change the message? This week Davis dives back in to the Parable of the Prodigal Son to find out. This weeks scripture is Luke . /episode/index/show/rufbama/id/38366910

The Parables: "A Parable About Being Homesick" 09/19/2025

The Parables: "A Parable About Being Homesick" The parable of the prodigal son presents us with two archetypes in the two sons we see. This week Davis explores the reality behind the actions of the first son, the "prodigal son." What would it have meant to take your inheritance early in his day? Why would he do that? How does he try to fix his mistakes? How does the father's love confound his son? This week's scripture is , . /episode/index/show/rufbama/id/38280325

The Parables: "A Parable About Being Justified" 09/12/2025

The Parables: "A Parable About Being Justified" What does it look like to live in the kingdom of God? Who are the people we should model ourselves after? How can we ever live up to the standard that God sets? Davis dives into these questions this week as we explore the parable of "The Pharisee and the Tax Collector". This weeks scripture is . Sources for this talk: Matt Howell, Sammy Rhodes, Tim Keller. /episode/index/show/rufbama/id/38181555

The Parables: "A Parable About Expectations" 09/05/2025

The Parables: "A Parable About Expectations" What does the kingdom of God look like? Why doesn't it feel like I thought it would? How can a kingdom be powerful without using military force? This week Davis tackles all this and more as he dives into the parable of the mustard seed. This weeks scripture is . /episode/index/show/rufbama/id/38106590

The Parables: "A Parable About Parables" 08/29/2025

The Parables: "A Parable About Parables" This week we begin our series on the parables. Davis investigates the "Parable of the Sower" to answer the questions, "What is God's Kingdom like," and "How can we experience Him?" This week's scripture is . /episode/index/show/rufbama/id/38019915

What is RUF? 08/25/2025

What is RUF? Campus Minister, Davis Sweatt, welcomes students at the first large group of the fall by asking the question "What is RUF?" Why does RUF exist? What does it look like? How can you be a part of it? These are the questions Davis explores. This weeks scripture is . /episode/index/show/rufbama/id/37946305

7 Ways to Approach Your Bible 07/22/2025

7 Ways to Approach Your Bible RUF Staff discusses the main ways people approach the Bible and the posutres to take when reading if you want to get the most out of it. /episode/index/show/rufbama/id/37503630

RUF Alabama Podcast

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