Online fellowship, teaching and encouragement
Updated: Aug 31
When I first started on this journey, I thought I was alone. Maybe even becoming a heretic... I felt like what I was starting to believe was possibly wrong because it seemed there was no one else around thinking the same way.
Thank God for the internet. For all it's problems, we can be thankful that it connects us with others. I found that I was NOT alone! There were MANY others who had come to the same understanding! The number of helpful Messianic resources has grown exponentially since the time I first came to understand about the truth of the whole Bible and obedience to it.
As outlined in my blog post about the pitfalls of the Messianic or Hebrew Roots movement, there are some teachers out there that may lead you down the wrong path. I'm not suggesting that the ones I'm recommending are perfect or have flawless theology, because I don't think ANYONE has perfect theology. There are many, many more teachers out there but I have not spent enough time listening to them to really know if I agree with them.
It's impossible to agree with every thing that someone teaches - unless it's Yeshua.
It is up to each of us to carefully weigh up each teaching in the light of the whole of scripture. This point is so important - before we can assess whether a teacher or preacher is presenting a Biblical message inspired by the whole of Scripture, we have to have a good grasp of the whole of Scripture ourselves. That means we not only have to read it (a lot!), but also ask the Holy Spirit to open our eyes to the Truth and to help us to understand and to teach us.
I am thankful to God for helping me to read the Bible and seek Him for truth and for ministries that encourage my faith.
I hope you will find some useful resources, online support, teaching and encouragement in the following suggestions.
119 Ministries
A lot of great, sound teaching. Clearly presented in a logical manner.
(The name is based on Psalm 119, which focuses on God's law.)
I particularly like the teaching of David Wilber who has his own ministry and website at https://davidwilber.com/
I'm currently not a fan of the AI content they have started using, but that's a personal preference thing.
Rise on Fire
PD & Christina Vander Westhuizen
If you're looking for something more charismatic, with more of a focus on the gifts and work of The Spirit, you might enjoy this. We have found that PD's messages are often spot-on for where we are at and have often provided encouragement, much needed correction and edification, just at the right time.
Torah Sisters - Amy Guenther
Amy has a great blog, uploads to YouTube and has a podcast.
She's down to earth and is concerned with the practical matters of keeping Torah. Her printables are beautiful and many are free to download. https://torah-sisters.myshopify.com/collections/free-printables She also has lovely products you can purchase.
Amy produced a gorgeous and helpful magazine which you can download for free! Torah Sisters Magazine is a collection of useful tips and practical articles related to the Torah lifestyle, feasts, sabbath and life in general. It is a quality magazine that is delightfully presented and beautifully designed. Included are some beautiful pages you can print and display as posters in your home. She has turned these into books which you can purchase.
Torah Class
I particularly like Tom Bradford for his thorough teaching. He is a not charismatic preacher, but a good, solid teacher. Even my teenage boys have enjoyed his teaching and have learned a lot from him. Start at his messages on Genesis - you won't be disappointed if you're looking for some in-depth teaching.
The Ancient Bridge - Tyler Dawn Rosenquist
Studies in Biblical context, Sabbaths, feasts.
Tyler also has a website called Context for Kids that has messages for kids that explain the historical background of Bible passages. I have found that although it is aimed at kids, it is not just for kids!
I have followed Tyler on Facebook for many years. She provides much needed balance and sensibility to Torah observance. Plus she is super smart and has a great sense of humour.
Hoshana Rabbah
A website by Natan Lawrence. There's so much information here! I have found the Torah Portion Study Guides https://hoshanarabbah.org/parshiot.html very helpful and relevant. Each Torah Study guide relates the Torah Portion to real life, with explanations, questions and discussion on how the reading could relate to our everyday life. This has been a great help with our teenagers. There seems to be a lot of Torah 'stuff' for kids, but not so much for teens that is really relevant to what they experience. It's also amazing for adults.
There's a lot in the Old Testament that can be hard to relate to our lives, so I have really appreciated these study guides which show how it relates to us.
For a while we had stopped reading the Torah Portion, as we felt we were focusing too much on the Old Testament and not being balanced in our Scripture reading and not focusing enough on Yeshua. The Scripture Reading schedule (available to download on the website), really helped with this as the New Testament readings really compliment the Torah Portion each week.
Seeking Scripture
As stated on the website, "Christy Jordan founded SeekingScripture for the purpose of helping as many people as possible develop a firsthand relationship with the whole word of God. You can find her writings on Seeking Scripture, all podcasting platforms, and in the Seeking Scripture Front Porch Fellowship group on Facebook."
Lots of wonderful scripture study on this page.
I have listened to Christy speak online at a Torah Sisters women's retreat and found her messages full of wisdom and grace.
Hebrew for Christians - John J Parsons
Learn Hebrew letters, grammar and gain a better understanding of Scriptures from a Hebraic viewpoint. So much information on this site about all things Messianic. In- depth and thorough. John also has a podcast on his site.
There are many people on this path who currently do not have fellowship. Having some fellowship and support online can be a great help.
Where do you go for online fellowship?
Since writing this article, there are so many more people online who offer teachings, support and other things helpful to this walk.
Do you have any other suggestions for online support, teaching and encouragement, fellowship or resources? Please let me know!
Who do you connect with online?
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