Jesus Predicts the Fall of Jerusalem
Jerusalem, a city rich in tradition and history, is home to the world’s greatest concentration of religious sites, sacred to Jews, Christians, and Muslims alike. Encircled by walls that have seen countless sieges and reconstructions, it remains the most sacred city in the world. Despite its fortifications, Jerusalem has faced numerous attacks and destructions, the most devastating being Rome’s destruction of the city and its temple. This dark chapter, foretold in the Bible by Jesus through seven chilling predictions, serves as a powerful reminder of lost opportunities and a message that resonates even today. Join Gary in Jerusalem as he explores the city’s tragic past and the enduring lessons it offers.
Dinosaurs and the Bible
Planet Earth is filled with a dazzling diversity of life, but few animals can compete with the extinct dinosaurs for variety, size, and sheer magnificence. They roamed the earth away back in the ancient past and came in incredible shapes and sizes. Some of these ancient creatures had enormous bodies and were the most colossal creatures ever to have lived on land, while others were only the size of chickens.
Part 3: The Exodus – Moses: A Hero for Our Time Series
On the shores of the Red Sea, God performed his final act of judgment against the Egyptians and his most powerful act of deliverance on behalf of the Israelites. While the Egyptian armies rushed to slaughter their recently released slaves, God parted the waters of the Red Sea and commanded the Israelites to cross on dry land. The very path that offered the Israelites their freedom turned into a watery grave for their enemies when the Egyptians raced into the middle of the sea only to have the walls of water collapse around them. From the Red Sea, God led the Israelites through the wilderness, performing one miracle after another. Instead of trusting God, the Israelites constantly complained when faced with challenges. Moses was receiving much of their disgruntlement, largely because he was their visible leader. Despite all his challenges, however, Moses remained faithful to God and cared for the Israelites as tenderly as a shepherd caring for his sheep.
The Oxford Martyrs
Oxford, England, is a wonderful place to wander, the narrow cobblestone lanes take you on a journey back through the centuries as you cross old stone bridges and pass some of the most famous landmarks in Britain. But not all the cobblestone streets in Oxford lead to places of romance and beauty, one led to a place of execution and death. The small area of cobblestones forming a cross in the centre of Broad Street beside one of Oxford’s most famous colleges marks the site where three men were led and publicly executed. It was right here that the Oxford martyrs were tied to a stake, wood piled up around them, bags of gunpowder placed around their necks and burnt alive. Who were these men and why did they die? Well, their story will surprise, shock and inspire you, make sure you stay tuned for our program: The Oxford Martyrs
The Wonders Of Space
Space! Immeasurable distances! Incalculable numbers! Incomparable speeds! Incomprehensible spheres! Inconceivable power. The magnitude of space is awe-inspiring. The sheer vastness of it, along with the trillions upon trillions of objects in the many billion galaxies of the universe is almost incomprehensible to the human brain. For instance, there are more stars in space than grains of sand in the world. In fact, there are 10 times more stars in the night sky than grains of sand on all the beaches of planet earth. There are 100 sextillion stars visible from Earth through a telescope. That’s 100 with 21 zeros. And then, in addition, there are probably more planets than stars. And, remember this, we can only see a small percentage of the universe from Earth, even with an optical telescope. The sheer size of space makes it impossible to accurately predict just how many stars we have – they’re really completely uncountable.
Gen Y and Z – Born to be Digital
The Internet. It’s our gateway to a wealth of knowledge and social connection. From the invention of the world-wide web in 1990, to the current day, technology has taken the world by storm and in some ways taken over our lives. Almost all teenagers and around 2/3 of primary school kids now have their own mobile screen-based device, spending as many as 5 hours a day on social media, texting, video chatting, viewing content, and playing multi-platform video games. In this program we uncover research on the impact all of this technology is having on our lives and on our kid’s mental health.
Jesse Owens – Gold Medal Hero
James Cleveland “Jesse” Owens grew up in a poor, small town in Alabama in the early 1900s, where he faced racial discrimination and health issues. Despite these challenges, Owens’ Christian family believed in a better future. When he was nine, they moved to Cleveland, Ohio, seeking better opportunities. In Cleveland, Owens excelled in school sports, setting national high school records in track events. He later attended Ohio State University, where he continued to shine as an athlete.
In 1935, despite an injury, Owens achieved remarkable success, setting multiple world records. His athletic prowess earned him a place in the 1936 Berlin Olympics, held under the Nazi regime. Owens’ stunning performances at the Olympics, winning four gold medals, defied Nazi propaganda and made him a global icon.
While in Berlin, Owens formed an unlikely friendship with German athlete Luz Long, who offered him crucial advice during the long jump competition, helping Owens secure the gold medal. This act of sportsmanship transcended racial and political barriers, highlighting the human spirit’s capacity for connection and compassion.
John Bunyan – The Prisoner’s Journey
Join us on this fascinating journey as we unravel the life of one of the most best-selling authors in history, John Bunyan, the man responsible for penning “Pilgrim’s Progress,” a literary masterpiece that has sold more copies than almost any other book in publishing history, second only to the Bible itself. From a poor, unknown family, mending pots by day and getting into trouble with local gangs by night, Bunyan’s early years were far from the conventional path to fame. But his destiny took an unexpected turn when he found himself behind bars, not for his hooliganism, but for something far more profound.
Tour De France, Cycling and Adventures with Heart
The Tour De France has been revered as one of the most significant feats of human endurance for over one hundred years. A gruelling multiple-week race, with long distances and enormous elevation gains and losses, brings nothing but the highest quality athletes together to compete. Inspired by this world-class journey, a group of 24 cyclists will also embark on a charity bike ride from London to Paris in time to welcome home the Tour De France athletes. Whether we realise it or not, we are all in the race of life and like the cycling team, we will need endurance, perseverance, and resilience to keep on going.
Part 2: The Exile – Moses: A Hero for Our Time Series
After fleeing Egypt after a single reckless act, Moses wandered through the desert. He managed to make his way to the wilderness of Midian, where he was welcomed into the family of Jethro, the high priest of Midian and a follower of the God of the Hebrews. Moses spent forty years in the wilderness of Midian, caring for Jethro’s sheep and carving out a new life for himself far away from the Royal Courts of Egypt. He married, had children, and wrote the first five books of the Bible. It would have been tempting for him to think that God had given him a new direction in life. But God had other plans for Moses. Appearing to him in a burning bush consumed by flame but not destroyed, God called Moses to his life’s work, liberating the Hebrews and establishing the nation of Israel. Moses’ first reaction was to shrink from the responsibility. Still, he eventually accepted and returned to Egypt, where he became the spokesman as God revealed His power to the mightiest superpower in the ancient world.
