Street Preachers Podcast

Episode: A Small Letter For The Times We Are In.

Hosts: Phillip Anthony Mitchell & Tim Timberlake

Release Date: August 19, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode of Street Preachers focuses on an in-depth, impromptu Bible study of the Book of Jude—one of the shortest and most overlooked letters in the New Testament. Phillip Anthony Mitchell and Tim Timberlake frame Jude’s message as “a letter for the times we are in,” emphasizing its urgent relevance to the state of the church today, particularly in the West. Through passionate discussion and personal conviction, the hosts issue a clarion call for believers to “contend for the faith”—both outwardly in culture and inwardly in the face of doubts and struggles.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Introduction: The State of the Church & the Need for Scripture

• The hosts express concern over the current state of the church, especially in America and the West, stressing the need to return to Biblical authority rather than personal opinion (02:27).
• The episode’s purpose: "We want to inject the Word of God into the narrative... We want to try to empower as many of you as possible, give you some handles on how we respond right now to what's happening in the church." (01:29–02:27 A)

Why the Letter of Jude?

• Jude’s message is described as “necessary for the times.” Though written almost 2,000 years ago, its themes of vigilance, discernment, and spiritual perseverance resonate now more than ever (05:35–08:16 A).
• Jude’s context: writing 30–35 years after Christ’s resurrection, amidst Roman persecution and doctrinal drift (07:12–08:16 A).

Opening Verses of Jude: Identity, Audience, and Blessing

Servant Leadership & Humility (09:01–11:42)

• Jude identifies himself not as Jesus’s biological brother, but as His servant: “He didn’t use his relationship with Jesus for clout... That title [servant]’s almost a lost title.” (09:12–10:12 A)
• Tim draws a vivid analogy: “A servant... doesn’t cook the food. Their job is to deliver what the chef has prepared... Jude is telling us, what you are hearing has not come from me.” (10:53–11:22 B)

The Recipients: Called, Beloved, and Kept (12:10–17:03)

• Called: Not about having a platform or public ministry, but being saved, ransomed, and brought into the kingdom. “The majority of times the word call comes up in the New Testament, it is connected to being saved, being ransomed, being rescued.” (12:48–13:24 F)
• Beloved: More than proximity to Jesus—living in intimate relationship with Him. “Sometimes we settle for living like Jesus instead of living with Jesus... I become like who I live with.” (13:52–14:18 B)
• Kept: Implies protection and being set apart by God. “Kept... also implies set aside. God lays up things for the just... those that have been covered... safeguarded...” (17:28–17:59 B)

Blessing: Mercy, Peace, and Love Multiplied (18:38–22:57)

• “Mercy is God keeping us from what we deserve... What you and I deserve is wrath...” (19:19–20:20 A)
• Personal stories of near-death experiences demonstrate the reality of mercy. “You could be burning in flames right now. But what you have experienced by the hands of God was mercy...” (20:36–21:19 F)

Jude’s Urgency: Contending for the Faith

A Shift in Focus (23:19–24:25)

• Jude wanted to write about “our common salvation,” but felt compelled to address threats against orthodox faith due to false teachings (24:20–25:21 A).
• “Truth is not fragile, but it is under fire.” (23:43–23:51 B)

The Call to Contend (25:43–27:07)

• “Appealing to you to do what? Contend, man. To contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints.” (25:42–25:53 B)
• Not about contending for “a faith,” but the faith, the apostolic and biblical faith (26:14–26:42 F).

What It Means to Contend: Practical Handles (28:20–32:33)

• “You don’t need a platform to contend… There’s a great majority of people listening... that are going through mental warfare right now. That are going through real life, seasons and situations. And they are contending.” (29:13–29:39 B)
• Practical ways to contend:
  • Daily Christian witness (work, family, social life).
  • How you “govern yourself”—integrity in all settings (30:27–32:33 A).
  • Caring deeply about personal testimony and influence. “If we don’t care about our Christian witness, we can’t contend at all.” (33:04–33:40 F)
• Inward vs. Outward Contending: “There is an outward contending and there’s an inward contending... when you’re dealing with depression, with suicidal ideations, there are people watching right now who feel unworthy... For some of you, you got to contend maybe more on the inside, to hold on to the faith…” (34:22–35:26 A)

The Threat: Deception from Within

• “Certain people have crept in unnoticed... ungodly people who pervert the grace of God into sensuality and deny our Lord...” (36:43–36:58 A)
• Analogy of the relay race: the faith as a precious baton handed down “in blood”—challenging today’s generation to consider what they will pass on (36:35–38:57 A/F).
• Tim’s insight: "Deception doesn’t storm the gates. It knocks and we let it in. One poor decision after another, one podcast after another, one service after another." (41:02–41:14 B)

The Need for Discernment (41:17–43:30)

• “Discernment is a supernatural knowing that something is wrong, something is off, something is not of God... Discernment increases. The more intimacy we have with Christ, the more knowledge we have of this Word, the more we grow in discernment.” (41:41–42:53 A)
• “Our heart should not be a freeway... Access is something that should be earned." (43:19–43:23 F/A)

Final Exhortations

• Jude’s message: applicable today as a “clarion call” for all who are called, beloved, and kept to contend (47:14–47:27 F/A).
• Contending must happen both outwardly (in public spheres, daily life) and inwardly (heart, mind, faith struggles), with reminders to those battling discouragement or doubt that the struggle itself is proof of not being overtaken (48:30–49:20 F).
• “Don’t give up... Go back to the scriptures. Go back to your prayer room. Go back to your Father who loves you...” (49:32–50:00 F)
• Prayer for listeners: “I pray a siren right now would go off in the hearts of those who are watching right now. An alarm would go off... awaken, strengthen... in the mighty and matchless name of our sun coming king, the Lord Jesus Christ.” (51:00–53:55 F)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Servant Leadership:
  “He didn’t use his relationship with Jesus for clout. That title [servant]’s almost a lost title.”
  — Philip Anthony Mitchell (09:12–10:12)

• Analogy on Delivering God’s Message:
  “A servant... doesn’t cook the food. Their job is to deliver what the chef has prepared... Jude is telling us, what you are hearing has not come from me.”
  — Tim Timberlake (10:53–11:22)

• On Being Beloved:
  “Sometimes we settle for living like Jesus instead of living with Jesus... I become like who I live with.”
  — Tim Timberlake (13:52–14:18)

• On Mercy and Grace:
  “What you and I deserve is wrath... God owes us nothing. But look at what He’s done.”
  — Phillip Anthony Mitchell (19:19–20:35)

• On the Faith:
  “Not a faith that has come from Google, but the faith, the faith that was handed down for us from the Lord Jesus Christ and the apostles.”
  — Philip Anthony Mitchell (26:16–26:39)

• Practical Contending:
  “You don’t need a platform to contend. And you don’t need a platform to be in battle every single day... they are grappling with this idea that they are loved... that they are kept... that they are called.”
  — Tim Timberlake (29:13–29:41)

• On Deception:
  “Deception doesn’t storm the gates. It knocks and we let it in. We let it in. One poor decision after another.”
  — Tim Timberlake (41:02–41:14)

• On Discernment:
  “Discernment is a supernatural knowing that something is wrong, something is off, something is not of God... Discernment increases the more intimacy we have with Christ, the more knowledge we have this Word.”
  — Phillip Anthony Mitchell (41:39–42:53)

• Final Charge:
  “Don’t give up... Go back to the scriptures. Go back to your prayer room. Go back to your Father who loves you, who has your best interest at heart...”
  — Philip Anthony Mitchell (49:32–50:00)

Important Timestamps

• State of the Church & Purpose of Episode: 00:48–02:27
• Context and Importance of Jude: 05:35–08:16
• Jude’s Self-Description as Servant: 09:01–11:42
• The Meaning of Called, Beloved, Kept: 12:10–17:03
• Mercy, Peace, and Love Multiplied: 18:38–22:57
• Shift from Common Salvation to Contending: 23:19–25:56
• Practical Contending for All Believers: 28:20–34:46
• External & Internal Contending: 34:22–35:26
• Warning Against False Teachers/Deceivers: 36:43–41:14
• Discernment & Voice of God: 41:17–43:30
• Call to Contend Outwardly and Inwardly: 47:14–53:55
• Closing Charge & Prayer: 47:14–53:55

Conclusion

This episode is a heartfelt challenge to take Jude’s warning as a mandate for all disciples, not just leaders or pastors. Through raw personal testimonies and lively, scripturally-grounded dialogue, Phillip and Tim urge believers to rise up against deception, contend for the historic faith, and keep both outward and inward watch over their lives.

Listeners are left with a pressing call to:

• Return to Scripture as authority
• Maintain discerning, humble servant hearts
• Be ever-grateful for God’s mercy
• Live out a consistent Christian witness
• Contend for the faith passed down through the generations

Read Jude. Rise up. Contend for the faith—outwardly, inwardly, today.

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