St. Mary Magdalene Orthodox Church Bible Study
Religion & Spirituality
About
Each week, under the guidance of Mr. Anthony Ally, we delve into the Holy Scriptures through the rich and timeless lens of the Orthodox Church. Drawing from the wisdom of the Church Fathers, the rhythms of liturgical life, and the sacred Tradition handed down through the ages, our studies seek to illuminate the Scriptures in the light of Christ. Whether we’re reflecting on the daily readings, commemorating a feast or saint, or exploring the practical aspects of Orthodox Christian living, our purpose remains steadfast: to encounter the living Christ more deeply and more truly. These sessions are open to everyone—whether you’re an inquirer, a catechumen, newly received into the Church, or a lifelong Orthodox Christian seeking a deeper understanding of the faith. Come and journey with us.
Episodes
- May 10th, 2026: Christ Did Not Ignore Sin, Because He Loved Her
In this sermon, Fr. John Whiteford discusses the Gospel account of the Samaritan woman at the well, highlighting Christ's approach to sin as a sickness and the importance of repentance and true worship in Orthodox Christianity. The sermon…
- May 3rd, 2026: Stop Making Excuses and Take Up Your Bed
This sermon explores the Gospel of the paralytic, discussing sin as a turning away from God and the importance of repentance and healing in Orthodox Christianity. It emphasizes moving beyond excuses, engaging in confession, and participati…
- Guarding the Heart in a Distracted World and Finding Stillness
This Bible study from St. Mary Magdalene Orthodox Church explores hesychia, the Orthodox path to inner peace through heart stillness, and addresses managing intrusive thoughts (logismoi). It draws on teachings from St. John Cassian and bib…
- April 26th, 2026: Christianity Is Not About You
This sermon discusses the Myrrh-bearing women, highlighting that Orthodox Christianity emphasizes love, humility, and closeness to Christ over personal recognition. It encourages listeners to focus on prayer, repentance, and community with…
- April 19th, 2026: You Can’t Follow Christ Part-Time
This sermon by Fr. Stephen Osburn explores the danger of part-time Christianity, using Saint Thomas Sunday as a basis. It argues that Orthodox Christian life requires full participation in worship, prayer, and the Church's teachings, not j…
- April 11th, 2026: Holy Saturday and the Life-Bearing Tomb
This sermon delves into the significance of Holy Saturday in Orthodox Christianity, highlighting its role in the overthrow of death and the emergence of resurrection. It explains how the day, often overlooked, is rich with salvific meaning…
- April 10th, 2026: The Real Victory of God
This sermon explores Holy Saturday as a day of quiet triumph and expectation in Orthodox Christianity. It delves into the mystery of Christ's presence in the tomb, presenting it as a hidden victory that destroys death from within. The mess…
- April 9th, 2026: I Killed Jesus
This sermon reflects on Holy Friday, urging listeners to confront their own sins and pride before the Cross. It emphasizes the Orthodox Christian teachings on repentance, God's mercy, and the transformative power of facing our own failings…
- April 8th, 2026: Stop Acting Like Judas
This sermon explores the spiritual lessons from Holy Thursday Matins, using Judas as an example of how sin grows from attachment to lesser things. Fr. Stephen urges listeners towards repentance, watchfulness, and a deeper love for God, emp…
- April 7, 2026: Watching at Thy Bridal Chamber
This sermon explores the Orthodox Holy Week theme of the wedding garment, emphasizing humility, repentance, and spiritual readiness. It explains the significance of the bridal chamber hymn and liturgical actions, highlighting that true rea…
- April 6th, 2026: Behold, the Bridegroom Comes, Be Ready
This sermon reflects on the meaning of Bridegroom Matins, a central theme of Holy Week in Orthodox Christianity. It stresses the importance of spiritual readiness, watchfulness, and repentance to meet Christ, encouraging listeners to step…
- April 5th, 2026: Did You Waste Lent? It’s Not Too Late.
This sermon discusses Palm Sunday within the Orthodox Church, highlighting its dual nature of celebration and solemnity as it precedes Holy Week. It emphasizes that the feast offers a chance for spiritual renewal and repentance, encouragin…
- April 1st, 2026: Holy Unction and Healing in Orthodox Christianity
This sermon explores the Orthodox Christian understanding of Holy Unction and healing, differentiating it from purely physical recovery. It highlights that true healing in Orthodoxy aims to restore the soul and body to better focus on God,…
- March 29th, 2026: What Does Laboring in Christ Mean?
This sermon by Deacon Vassily explores the meaning of laboring in Christ, using the Gospel account of Jesus leading His disciples to Jerusalem and the example of St. Mary of Egypt. It emphasizes that the Christian life involves repentance,…
- March 25th, 2026: The Obedience of Mary to God’s Will
This sermon explores the meaning of the Annunciation and Mary’s obedience to God’s will, highlighting her humility and trust. It connects her example to Christian life, emphasizing surrender to God’s purpose over self-will, especially duri…
- Q&A: How Should Christians Understand Spiritual Dreams?
This Q&A episode from St. Mary Magdalene Orthodox Church Bible Study addresses how Christians should understand spiritual dreams. The discussion emphasizes the Orthodox Church's teaching of caution, sobriety, and humility when interpreting…
- Learning to Pray Without Ceasing
This Bible study discusses spiritual growth in Orthodox Christianity, emphasizing the lifelong journey toward Christ through prayer and repentance, and the concept of becoming an 'unfinished icon.' It covers the levels of prayer, the eight…
- March 22nd, 2026: The Ladder of Great Lent
This sermon reflects on St. John Climacus's Ladder of Divine Ascent, explaining how the Orthodox Christian life involves a steady climb toward Christ. Increased spiritual struggle during Great Lent is presented not as failure, but as a sig…
- What Happens After Death?
This Bible study explores the Orthodox Christian understanding of death, emphasizing that it is not an end but a transition. It discusses the soul's continued existence, the body's rest in hope of resurrection, and the concept of judgment.…
- March 15th, 2026: Lent Feels Hard But Leads to Resurrection
This sermon discusses the Orthodox Christian understanding of Great Lent, emphasizing that spiritual struggles with prayer, fasting, and repentance are not signs of defeat but paths toward the healing of the soul and the victory of Christ’…
- Equipping the Saints: Feeding the Body of Christ: Session Q & A
This Q&A session from St. Mary Magdalene Orthodox Church
- Equipping the Saints: Feeding the Body of Christ: Session Two
This episode discusses stewardship in the Orthodox Church, emphasizing that it encompasses more than just finances. It examines scriptural concepts of offerings and first fruits, highlighting how Christian giving, including time, talents,…
- Equipping the Saints: Feeding the Body of Christ: Session One
This retreat talk by Fr. John Dresko explores Orthodox Christian stewardship, defining it as offering one's entire life to God. It clarifies that stewardship is about putting Christ first and living as faithful servants, using Great Lent a…
- March 8th, 2026: Great Lent and the Paralysis of the Soul
Fr. John Dresko discusses the Gospel reading of the paralytic during Great Lent, explaining how sin can paralyze the soul and how Christ offers forgiveness and healing. The homily highlights the importance of spiritual desire and the Chris…
- March 4th, 2026: You Sinful and Useless Servant
This episode discusses the Orthodox Christian understanding of the prayer calling believers "sinful and useless servants," explaining it as a reflection of humanity's need for God's healing and mercy, especially during Great Lent.
- From Liturgy to Monday Morning: Living the Faith at Work
This Bible study explains that holiness extends beyond religious life into daily responsibilities like work and family. Worship and labor are presented as complementary activities that shape individuals toward Christ's likeness, emphasizin…
- March 1st, 2026: Sunday of Orthodoxy and the Identity Crisis of Our Age
This St. Mary Magdalene Bible Study for March 1st, 2026, discusses the Sunday of Orthodoxy, explaining that true identity is received in Christ through baptism, not created by external elements. The episode connects the defense of icons to…
- February 28th, 2026: If Christ Is God, Why Are We So Quiet?
This episode discusses the Orthodox Christian imperative to openly share faith, highlighting the defense of icons as a defense of the Incarnation. It emphasizes that a belief in Christ as God necessitates an active, public proclamation and…
- February 26th, 2026: You Are Not Invincible
The February 26th, 2026 Bible study discusses how 'Clean Week' and the Great Canon confront human weakness, emphasizing that acknowledging brokenness leads to seeking healing through repentance and transformation. The story of St. Mary of…
- February 25th, 2026: Understanding the Presanctified Liturgy - The Light in the Darkness
This homily by Fr. Stephen explores the significance of the Presanctified Liturgy, an ancient service crucial for Great Lent that reminds attendees of heaven's presence amidst repentance and prepares them for Pascha.
- February 24th, 2026: Courage Like Abraham: A Call to Action
This homily reflects on the Canon of St. Andrew, urging listeners to cultivate courage like Abraham for Great Lent. It defines repentance as an active process involving responsibility, confession, prayer, almsgiving, service, and recognizi…
- February 23rd, 2026: You Can Fast Perfectly and Still Miss the Point
In a homily on the Canon of St. Andrew, Fr. Stephen explains that perfect fasting without outward action, service, and forgiveness misses the point of Lent. True spiritual healing occurs when fasting and prayer lead to love and serving oth…
- February 22nd, 2026: Seeing Others in the Image of God
Fr. Stephen Osburn discusses the meaning of true forgiveness, stating it involves being able to wish well to those who have wronged you. He explains that forgiveness frees the heart for repentance and prayer, especially relevant as Great L…
- Your Spiritual Family: The Saints and Godparents
Anthony Ally teaches on
- February 15th, 2026: You Will Be Judged on This
This homily reflects on Matthew 25, emphasizing that Christ identifies with those in need. It highlights the importance of serving the hungry, sick, and forgotten as serving Christ, especially as Great Lent approaches, focusing on training…
- February 8th, 2026: The Father Who Waits
Fr. Stephen Osburn discusses the Parable of the Prodigal Son, emphasizing that repentance is a joyful return to God's awaiting mercy, not driven by fear. The homily highlights God's restoration and the concept of repentance as resurrection…
- January 25th, 2026: Defending Life Is the Most Christian Issue of Our Time
In this homily, Fr. Stephen Osburn argues that abortion is a spiritual crisis, asserting that life's sacredness stems from God and destroying it rejects the Creator. He challenges common excuses, urging Christians towards sacrificial actio…
- Are We Forming Saints or Pharisees?
This Bible study examines the Orthodox principle of oikonomia, contrasting legalism with mercy and pastoral care. It emphasizes inner transformation through repentance and grace, highlighting the Church as a place of healing, not judgment.
- January 18th, 2026: The Miracle at Jericho Was Not About Eyes
Bishop Gerasim preached on the healing of the blind man near Jericho, emphasizing that Jesus Christ is both fully God and fully man. The sermon highlights how Christ's healing restores dignity and calls individuals to discipleship, urging…
- What the Bible Actually Says About Worship
Anthony Ally examines biblical teachings on worship, contrasting human preference with divine revelation. He explains how Orthodox worship, rooted in Scripture and Tradition, serves as spiritual medicine, mirroring heavenly patterns to res…
- January 11th, 2026: He Said Repent
This episode discusses repentance as a call to healing and restoration, enabling communion with God. It emphasizes focusing on divine teachings rather than shifting cultural standards, with prayer, fasting, forgiveness, and service as tool…
- January 6th, 2026: The Baptism of Christ Was the Beginning of Your Healing
On The Feast of Theophany, this episode discusses Jesus' baptism, emphasizing that Christ entered the Jordan not for cleansing, but to sanctify and heal humanity by embracing our brokenness. It highlights how God uses ordinary elements lik…
- Why the Eucharist Is the Center of Everything
Anthony Ally explains the Eucharist's central role in Orthodox Christianity, detailing its scriptural basis, connection to the Church Fathers, and function as the "medicine of immortality" that unifies creation in Christ.
- January 4th, 2026: Maybe We Need a Little Tyranny
This St. Mary Magdalene Orthodox Church Bible Study reflects on spiritual zeal and the heart's condition when attending worship, using a story from St. Basil the Great to illustrate the difference between genuine longing for healing and ro…
- The Church Is Not Optional If You Want to Be Healed
The Orthodox Church views salvation as a process of healing, with Christ as the Great Physician and the Church as the spiritual hospital. This healing, or theosis, occurs through communal life, prayer, repentance, and mutual support, empha…
- December 28th, 2025: If You Want to Watch God Laugh, Tell Him Your Plans
Fr. Stephen Osburn reflects on Herod's attempts to control his destiny and contrasts them with God's plan of salvation, emphasizing that God invites us to follow Him freely and calls us to share His light.
- December 25th, 2025: Christmas Is Simpler Than We Make It
This episode reflects on the simplicity and humility of Christmas, contrasting it with our tendency to overcomplicate things. It encourages listeners to focus on Christ, trust Him, and find peace in His message, especially during stressful…
- December 24th, 2025: God Is With Us. Now What?
This episode discusses the Incarnation as a present reality, emphasizing that God's presence calls for submission to His Kingdom. It defines repentance as turning towards Christ and highlights the Nativity as a call to imitate Christ's lif…
- Who Protects the Orthodox Faith From Heresy
This Bible study examines the Orthodox Church's role in protecting the faith from heresy, as described in Scripture. It discusses how God preserves revelation through the Church, the reasons for the existence of false teachings, and the me…
- December 21, 2025: Christ Is Born for Our Salvation
The podcast episode explains that Christmas is a call to renewal, emphasizing that Christ's birth offers healing and salvation through union with Him, not self-improvement. It highlights that the Nativity provides a chance for repentance a…