By Pastor Dave McGarrah
It’s an old invitation, one you find threaded throughout the Gospels, but its power is as fresh today as it was 2,000 years ago: “Come and see.”
Philip said it to Nathanael, urging his skeptical friend to just spend a little time with Jesus. And Nathanael, that honest soul, put aside his preconceptions, went, and had his life changed.
My friends, I’m issuing that same invitation to you today. In a world that is so loud, so complex, and so rapidly changing, I want to invite you to a place – a time, really – where you can ground yourself in the eternal truths of Scripture, wrestle with the issues of the day, and connect the dots between your faith’s deep historical roots and your life right now. I’m talking about our weekly gathering: Tuesday Night Live with Master Minded Ministries.
Master Minded Ministries
For those who don’t know my wife, Jerri, and me, our life’s work through Master Minded Ministries has been a journey of discovery and bridge-building. For decades, I’ve served as a pastor and teacher, currently here in Caldwell at Deer Flat Church. But the journey that led us to found Master Minded Ministries was a deeply personal one – a spiritual awakening to the incredible, tangible reality of God’s covenant with Israel and the Jewish people.
I’ll admit it: like many of you, I grew up in a Christian tradition that often treated the Old Testament as a distant, preparatory work – a stage set that was mostly packed up once the curtain rose on the New Covenant. But the more Jerri and I studied, the more we traveled (nearly 40 trips to Israel so far!), the more we realized that the tapestry of our faith is one single, beautiful, and indivisible whole. We’ve been utterly “smitten” by Israel, transformed by connecting the biblical narrative to the physical land where it unfolded.
Our purpose became crystal clear: to help the Christian community understand its Jewish roots, to foster a deep, biblical love and support for Israel and the Jewish people, and to, in the words of Romans 12:2, be “transformed by the renewing of your mind.” This is the essence of what it means to be Master Minded: to think God’s thoughts after Him, to apply the mind of Christ to the world around us.
This ministry finds expression in a few different ways. On the airwaves, you might know our radio program, “The Teacher and the Preacher,” where I have the profound privilege of engaging in an ongoing, respectful dialogue with an Orthodox Jew, Aaron Lipkin. This show, airing on dozens of stations across the U.S., is a living, breathing example of the bridge we’re trying to build – celebrating the common ground we share while openly discussing our theological differences. It’s an act of courageous, loving engagement in a society that so often defaults to shouting across divides. As we like to say, the discussion is “always a dialogue, never a debate. Mutual respect and friendship is what makes the success of each conversation.”
But the cornerstone of our local ministry, the beating heart where we connect as a community and truly live out our mission of bridging the gap, is Tuesday Night Live.
Bridging the Gap, Right Here, Right Now
When we envisioned Tuesday Night Live, we wanted to create a unique space that goes beyond the typical Sunday sermon or mid-week prayer meeting. We wanted a setting where we could do two essential things: provide an up-to-the-minute current events briefing seen through a biblical lens, and then dive deep into an in-depth Bible study that directly confronts the complex issues of our contemporary world.
Each week, we start with the headlines. I’ll share an update on the geopolitical situation in the Middle East, a conflict that is so often misunderstood and misrepresented in the popular media. We’ll discuss societal polarization, cultural flashpoints, or the latest technological and ethical dilemmas facing the church. But we don’t just talk about the problems. We immediately pivot, rolling up our sleeves and opening our Bibles to ask the most crucial question: What does God’s Word say about this?
This is the power of Tuesday Night Live. It’s not about finding comfort in an echo chamber; it’s about confronting reality with conviction. It’s about taking the timeless truth of Scripture – truth rooted in the Jewish faith that Jesus Himself lived and taught – and applying it as the ultimate operating manual for navigating this changing world.
You see, I firmly believe that the Christian who understands the covenant God made with Israel, the one who grasps the historical and theological foundation of their faith, is the Christian best equipped to handle the shifting sands of modern culture.
This isn’t dry academic study; it’s a vital, transformative process. It’s the moment when the ancient history of Israel connects to your Tuesday morning at the office. It’s when a prophetic passage from Isaiah informs your perspective on the news you read on your phone. It’s the intentional process of seeking truth – a powerful, counter-cultural act in an era of quick takes and superficial engagement.
Why You Need to “Come and See”
Perhaps you’ve found yourself feeling disconnected. Maybe the pace of change in the world is causing you to wonder how your faith fits into it all. Or perhaps, like many dedicated believers, you’re looking for a deeper, more rooted understanding of the faith you already hold dear.
This is precisely why I urge you to join us. Tuesday Night Live offers three gifts that I believe are essential for every believer in this era:
An Invitation to Be Master Minded
This ministry’s commitment is simple: We are here to help you live a vibrant faith at the dynamic intersection of history and culture. We blend biblical scholarship, cross-cultural appreciation (like our work supporting local synagogues and taking students on study tours), and a hands-on, community-focused approach.
We are helping to equip a new generation of believers – a Master Minded generation – to stand firm in their convictions, engage with the world with grace and love, and ultimately, to fulfill the call of Christ.
So, here is my personal invitation: Put aside your Tuesday evening plans. Come early, connect with others, maybe enjoy the live music we sometimes have before the study begins, and then settle in for a night of challenging, rewarding, and deeply grounding study. During our intermission period, have a cup of coffee with a new friend.
Don’t just hear about our mission. Don’t just read the headlines. Come and be a part of the answer. Come and see how God is using the deep, rich history of our faith to inform your life today.
Your Tuesday night is calling you to be transformed.
We meet at 6:30 every Tuesday evening at Nampa Christian High School. All are invited to join us for an update on current events briefing and in-depth Bible study. To find out more about the ministry, our radio program, and our upcoming events, please visit us online at www.mastermindedministries.org.
