The Blue Collar Scholar

Sermon: Walk in the Light, as He Is in the Light (1 John 1:5-10) 13.06.2026 36m

There is a tug-of-war between the extremes of hedonism & legalism, with neither side being the righteous choice. Instead, the Apostle John teaches us to "walk in the light, as He is in the light" (1 John 1:7), emulating Jesus rather than chasing an extreme. In today's sermon, we see that the Apostle John teaches us that (1) the Gospel starts with the glory & perfection of God, (2) our aim should be to emulate Him, (3) neither indulging in sin nor ignoring sin is acceptable, (4) only confession and repentance work, & Christ does all the heavy lifting and He fixes our mistakes.

Sermon: The Word Is Alive (1 John 1:1-4) 07.06.2026 39m

The Summer 2026 sermon series kicks off (well, besides the introductory sermon last week) where any expository series should start: chapter 1, verse 1. The book of 1st John opens with a poetic, slightly rambling soliloquy about the "Logos," the Greek word for "word" (which is also the key word at the beginning of John's Gospel). In this lesson, we see that (1) the Word is life, (2) the Word is Christ, (3) the Word is real, (4) the Word brings fellowship, (5) the Word brings joy, & that since (6) the Word is light, then we should walk in the light.

Sermon: Introduction to First John 31.05.2026 27m

This summer's sermon series is an expository preaching series through the Epistle of First John. This is the introduction, which lays out several overall themes of the book. Join us this summer as we dig into First John.

Sermon - Celebrate with Joy!, part 8: In Conclusion 23.05.2026 29m

Memorial Day seems like a nice bookend for this Easter sermon series; beginning and ending on a holiday. In this episode we summarize all that we've discussed the past 2 months regarding the topic of joy.

Sermon - Celebrate with Joy!, part 7: The Joy of New Beginnings 20.05.2026 38m

Congratulations to all our graduates! Life is going to get a lot more rewarding and more difficult. New beginnings fill us with fear because of the fear of the unknown. But there is joy in new beginnings as well, because there is opportunity there. And this is not just a message for young people. As long as you draw break, there are new experiences in store for you: opportunities to find joy, serve others, and worship God.

WWII, episode 16: The Cold War 19.05.2026 1h 44m

For the second time, The Blue Collar Scholar completes a course on the Second World War. The first attempt was choppy, and I failed to record every episode. This go round, I feel much more confident that this series is a good, surface-level-yet-deep-dive into the bloodiest conflict in human history. ... In this last episode of the WWII class, we talk about the sequel to World War II. Thankfully, that has not been World War III. Instead, the United States and the Soviet Union spent nearly a half century in an intense, will-they-won't-they "Cold War." But even though the Cold War never became a hot war, it was still extremely eventful. This episode does a criminally-brief overview of the entire Cold War.

Comparing World Religions, episode 16: Conclusion 16.05.2026 34m

This Spring, we've been going over the religions of the world. This Comparing World Religions class comes to a conclusion with this short lecture. In this episode, I make some concluding remarks, including going over what we should have learned from this class, but also what I hope that we have NOT learned from studying world religions.

Sermon - Celebrate with Joy!, part 6: Thankfulness 11.05.2026 27m

Happy Mother's Day! All of people, our mothers are the people in our lives that deserve the most gratitude. But this sermon is not just about the gratitude we should have for the mothers in our lives. Each of us should cultivate and attitude of gratitude that permeates all aspects of our lives, and shines through in good times and in bad. Thankful people are healthier, happier, and more joyful, and they have better relationships and more abundant lives.

WWII, episode 15: My Grandfather's Brief WWII Experience 10.05.2026 44m

My grandfather on my father's side was named Billy Reitz. He was drafted shortly after turning 18 on the first day of winter 1944. He entered the service in the US Army in April 1945, so fighting in Europe was never in the cards for Sgt. Reitz. Instead, he trained for the invasion of Japan. His ship was on the way to the Pacific Theatre when the news of Japan's surrender was announced. So instead of storming the beaches of Japan, Sgt. Reitz spent the next year and a half serving in occupation duty in Korea, being honorably discharged long before hostilities broke out on the peninsula. I honor his service. ... Note: This episode opens with extensive follow-up notes to previous questions and comments from class, mostly dealing with the Manhattan Project & the Nuremburg Trials.

Comparing World Religions, episode 15: Atheism 09.05.2026 1h 54m

Atheists claim that atheism is not a religion. Rather, it is a lack of religion. I see no reason to not allow atheists to define their religious beliefs thusly. However, since atheism answers all the same questions that religions answers, it would be a gaping hole in this sermon series if atheism is left out. So this episode delves into the definition of atheism, related terms (like agnosticism), a rundown of many of the big names in atheism/agnosticism since the Enlightenment, and finally we look at some arguments for and against the existence of God.

Sermon - Celebrate with Joy!, part 5: How the "Lordship of Emotion" Can Destroy Your Faith 06.05.2026 31m

Happiness is a good thing. If something makes you happy, then that is probably evidence that that thing is good. However, if the need to be happy (or, if the need to avoid unhappiness) is the driving force in all your decision-making, then the emotion of happiness is the Lord of your life. It isn't the President, or your boss, or the Lord Jesus Christ. Emotion itself becomes your king. We must not allow this to happen.

WWII, episode 14: Aftermath 05.05.2026 1h 54m

The Second World War changed human history is ways that are hardly even measurable. It changed everything. In this episode, we will look at the Nuremburg Trials and the Japanese War Crimes Trials, economic and political shifts, the move toward international cooperation and justice, the rise of 2 superpowers, decolonization, and the legacy of the war.

Comparing World Religions, episode 14: Paganism 04.05.2026 1h 39m

This episode reviews polytheism and pantheism, then gives a overall analysis of various kinds of pagan religions. For instance: African traditional religions, Native American tribal faiths, the traditional religions of Oceania, pre-Christian ancient paganism in Europe and the Middle East, neopaganism (both eclectic and reconstructionist neopaganism), and finally New Age religions, such as Wicca and Scientology.

Sermon - Celebrate with Joy!, part 4: The Joy of Heaven 03.05.2026 23m

The promise of Heaven is a source of immense joy for the Christian. It is unfortunate that so many powerful Christians throughout history have used the promise of Heaven as a weapon against the oppressed, promising them that the afterlife will be where they finally find their joy, while the powerful continue to oppress them in this life. That is a deplorable use of Scripture. The promise of Heaven should not be a weapon. But, for the person who is redeemed by Christ, the promise of Heaven is a source of much joy!

WWII, episode 13: The Manhattan Project 02.05.2026 1h 50m

World War II came to a radically-unpredictable conclusion when Japan was bombed - twice - by the most powerful individual weapons ever used on human beings. The scientific knowledge necessary to accomplish the creation of the atomic bomb was only made possible a few short years before this when non-Nazi Germany scientists discovered nuclear fission in 1938. Determined to unlock the power of the atom before Hitler could, the United States & the United Kingdom got quickly to work - eventually combining their efforts - to master the chemistry, physics, engineering, industry, and logistics necessary (costing $2 Billion in 1945 money) to create the first nuclear weapons. This episode does not attempt to explain the bombs on a scientific level. Rather, we will survey the history surrounding the formation, the maintenance, and the successful conclusion of the Manhattan Project.

Comparing World Religions, episode 13: Sikhism (and other Asian religions) 28.04.2026 1h 45m

This episode gives brief (repeat: brief) overviews of Sikhism, Jainism, Shinto, Taoism, Chinese traditional religions (including Confucianism), the Taiping Rebellion (1850-1964), the Boxer Rebellion (1899-1901), Zoroastrianism, and the Baháʼí Faith.

Sermon - Celebrate with Joy!, part 3: Who Am I? 27.04.2026 37m

For the person who has been redeemed by Jesus, the answer to "Who Am I?" has changed. For the one who is in Christ, the answer to "Who Am I?" is that I am redeemed, I am a friend of Jesus, I am chosen & adopted by God, I am a child of God, I am used by God, I have a future of resurrection & royalty, and I am destined for Heaven!

WWII, episode 12: The Final Push to Allied Victory 26.04.2026 1h 38m

As the Second World War approached the final year, Allied victory became inevitable. But that did not mean that the war was over. Nazi Germany, Fascist Italy, and Imperial Japan fought fiercely, making the Allies earn every island, every mile, every air strip, every bridge, etc. Yet, by the end of Spring 1945, the war in Europe came to an end with a smashing Allied victory. The war against Japan raged on through the summer, but on the eve of America's use of the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Allied victory over Japan was a foregone conclusion. But how long it would take to secure victory, and just how victory was going to be secured, those were open questions.

Comparing World Religions, episode 12: Buddhism 21.04.2026 1h 38m

Buddhism is the major world religion that branched out of Hinduism in a way very similar to how Christianity branched out of Judaism. It is a fascinating religious system, technically non-theistic but deeply spiritual. This episode attempts to provide a broad overview of one of the world's most popular religions, popular mostly in East, Southeast, & Central Asia.

Sermon - Celebrate with Joy!, part 2: Pride & False Humility are Joykillers 20.04.2026 34m

The Easter Sermon Series continues as we "Celebrate with Joy!" However, there are things in life that kill our joy: depression, despair, and apathy can drain joy. I contend that pride and false humility can be some of the biggest joykillers there are. In this sermon I will explain what pride and false humility are, and why they can kill our joy.