Ben Lippen Podcast

The God of Peace

• Ben Lippen Podcast • Season 2 • Episode 4

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Peace isn’t the same as quiet. Together with high school Bible teacher Nathan Aylestock, we unpack why Scripture’s vision of shalom is more than a calm moment; it’s restored relationship with God that reshapes our inner world and our everyday conflicts. From Genesis 3:15 to Isaiah 9:6 and John 14:27, we trace the promise of a Prince of Peace who bridges the gap sin created and offers a wholeness the world can’t replicate or revoke.

Nathan helps us draw a clear line between circumstantial calm and Christ-centered peace. We talk through what it means to let Jesus guard our hearts and minds, why his presence, not our control, anchors us, and how trust grows when circumstances refuse to change. Then we get practical: listening before reacting, forgiving as we’ve been forgiven, answering gently, and seeing every person as an image bearer. Those practices aren’t niceties; they’re the visible fruit of peace at work in a reconciled heart.

We also step into the stories of Moses and Peter, two people with public failures who encountered God’s restoring peace and stepped into renewed purpose. Their journeys remind us that past mistakes don’t get the final say. Finally, we name the quiet thieves of peace, comparison, envy, fear, and the urge to control, and offer Advent-ready habits to turn your focus back to Jesus. If you’re hungry for a peace that outlasts chaos and heals relationships, this conversation will help you live it with courage and love.

If this encouraged you, follow the show, share it with a friend who needs peace today, and leave a review to help others find the message.

Speaker:

Welcome to our Advent Podcast series, where we prepare our hearts to celebrate the coming of Christ. During Advent, we remember that God entered our world bringing hope, peace, love, and joy, not as distant concepts, but as gifts fulfilled in Jesus. Each week, you'll hear from a special guest who will share scripture and personal testimony as we reflect on what it means to live in Christ's presence. Whether you're listening at home, in the classroom, or on the go, our prayer is that this conversation draws you closer to the heart of Jesus, who is Emmanuel, God with us.

Mrs. Erin Kay:

Welcome to another episode of the Ben Lippen Podcast. This is our Advent series that we are so excited to bring to you all. And today I have with me Nathan Aylestock. So welcome, Nathan. Tell us a little bit about who you are and what you do here at Ben Lippen.

Mr. Nathan Aylestock:

So I'm a high school Bible teacher here at Ben Lippen. This is my third year here at Ben Lippen, and my wife graduated a while ago. And we have three wonderful children who attend Ben Lippen, and we love it so much.

Mrs. Erin Kay:

So let's just dive right in. Nathan's going to be talking to us today about peace, which is one of the pillars of Advent. So how would you define peace as the Bible uses it, especially in contrast to war, inner turmoil, fear, or disturbance?

Mr. Nathan Aylestock:

We can see that the word peace is used in the Old Testament over 250 times with the word shalom, and then the Greek irony, which is used over 92 times, and that is a much deeper concept than just freedom from disturbances. In the Bible, we see that it is more wholeness, it is completeness, rightness, it's harmony between God and also ourselves, but also with ourselves. And so peace in scripture refers to a restored relationship, which means that relationship was broken. And so a restored relationship with God means reconciliation. And so peace brings reconciliation. And then we go even further than that, and that shapes our relationship with others. It calms the crazy storms that we have inside our hearts, inside of our minds. It's not just quieted circumstances, but it's actually God bringing his presence into us and therefore brings order. And that means it reconciles our brokenness.

Mrs. Erin Kay:

So why do we need peace that came down with the birth of Christ?

Mr. Nathan Aylestock:

So when we look at the birth of Christ, we can see that Jesus fulfilled hundreds of biblical prophecies regarding the coming Messiah. And we first get this picture of Jesus all the way back in Genesis chapter 3, verse 15. And that's commonly known as the proto-evangelium. And this is when we see how the offspring of the woman, Eve, will crush the head of the serpent in the Garden of Eden. And so we get early on a beautiful picture of what Jesus is going to do with peace by allowing restoration to take place. And so we see that. And then from there we see how God promised Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, our patriarchs, that they would become a great nation, and that all the people of earth would be blessed through them, and that they would become a great blessing. And this blessing would come from them. We go on throughout the entire Old Testament and see that God's redemptive channel in the Old Testament is the nation of Israel, meaning God is using Israel, this nation, to bring us Jesus, to bring us our Redeemer, to bring us our Prince of Peace. So we need Christ's peace, especially at Christmas time as we celebrate this Prince of Peace, because we're separated from God because of our sin. All of our relationships are broken. And therefore, we need restoration. And Christ's coming bridges that gap. That peace bridges that gap between God and humanity, which offers us forgiveness. It offers us healing, it offers us restoration. Without Christ, we're doomed, we're dead. But with Christ and the peace that he offers, there's freedom, there's salvation, there's redemption.

Mrs. Erin Kay:

And that brings us to another question within this concept of peace from a biblical perspective. When we talk about Jesus as the Prince of Peace, how does Christ's peace differ from that peace that you originally talked about that's defined by the world?

Mr. Nathan Aylestock:

Yeah, so the world's peace, it's temporary, it's fragile. It is based upon our circumstances. If life is going well and our friends are good and our coworkers are good, we have, as the world would say, quote, peace. But that's different because that's only temporary. It's based upon our circumstances. Christ's peace, that prince of peace, that's eternal because it's rooted in him. And Jesus doesn't remove all of our conflict. We still have conflict, right? But he reconciles and he brings us back. That's what reconciliation is. He brings us back to God. And once we accept that peace, that restoration, our relationships begin to change. Yes, they can still have conflict, but when we accept and the restoration that Jesus gives us, our relationships will begin to change as well. And so when we talk about this prince of peace, it's different than the world's peace. Scripture says in the Gospel of John, chapter 14, verse 27, Jesus says, Peace I leave with you. My peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. So when we often find ourselves searching for peace in a world that's filled with chaos and uncertainty, it's only going to leave us empty. But when we receive the peace that Jesus offers us, that different kind of peace that's eternal, not circumstantial, that's the peace that transcends all of our circumstances and it goes well beyond what we can comprehend. See, the peace of Christ is not determined upon our external circumstances, our external situations. Instead, the peace of Christ is rooted in our relationship with Him. And when we fully embrace that and we understand His peace, we learn to trust God more deeply, allowing His calm presence to guide us through our circumstances, through our feelings. Which is why I love Philippians chapter four, verse seven. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Mrs. Erin Kay:

And when we have that peace and we're experiencing that peace that surpasses all understanding, how do you think that shows in our lives?

Mr. Nathan Aylestock:

So, a couple things that I think of in scripture. What James tells us in chapter one, we need to listen before reacting, before speaking. Scripture says to be quick to listen, slow to speak. So the peace of Christ shows up when we have that kind of self-control and we're able to listen before reacting. Ephesians chapter four tells us to forgive as God has forgiven us. We're called to forgive. So when we accept the peace of Christ, we're able to look past the sins of others that they've done towards us, and we're able to forgive them because Christ has forgiven us. We've accepted that peace. We're able to offer that peace as well. Proverbs 15 tells us to speak gently, not harshly. When we accept the peace of Christ, it should be seen and heard by the way we act, react, and we respond to people by speaking gently. Again, in Proverbs and James, we are able to seek out the understanding behind what people say to us, but we're able to listen, we're able to understand what they're saying and not just trying to respond quickly and to end the conversation. I also think we go all the way back to Genesis again and see that we are created in the image of God. We are image bearers. Not one of us is any better than anybody else because we're all created equally in the image of God. And when we accept the peace of Christ, we also get to see others through the lens of which God has given to us through a biblical worldview. And that's we are all image bearers. We need each other because you share the image of Christ to me just as much as I share the image of Christ to you. Therefore, when we accept that peace, we're living it out by the way we treat others, by the way we listen to others, by the way we forgive others, and by the way we remember, we are all image bearers. Peacemaking is active love, not passive tolerance. And that's the peace of Christ.

Mrs. Erin Kay:

What are some things that keep believers anchored in that peace, even when either their circumstances don't change immediately or the circumstances just, it's not going to change?

Mr. Nathan Aylestock:

Christmas time can bring up a lot of past hurt, a lot of past memories that have changed how people view the peace of Christ. And that's why we go back to Isaiah 9, verse 6, which says, For unto us a child is born. To us a son is given. The government will be on his shoulders, and he will be called wonderful counselor, mighty God, everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. And so when we go through those difficult situations, when we remember those past hurts and we feel overwhelmed or frustrated or even burdened because of our situations, we can be comforted knowing that Jesus is called that Prince of Peace. And that title, Prince of Peace, it holds a profound meaning, reminding us that his very presence in our lives can bring a sense of calmness. It can bring reassurance. And so that means that we have to lean on him. And when we lean on him, we get to experience that peace that he gives us, knowing that he's with us throughout all of our circumstances helps us to remain faithful in the midst of difficulties. And the world wants us to rely upon our own understanding, but the peace of God transcends all understanding because he is that prince of peace. God's unchanging nature, his peace is what anchors us in those difficult situations. And we can't seek out the peace in our circumstances if we have not first anchored ourselves, our hearts, our minds in the peace that God gives us.

Mrs. Erin Kay:

Are there any individuals in the Bible or stories in the Bible that can help us to conceptualize this concept of integrating this peace that surpasses understanding into our lives?

Mr. Nathan Aylestock:

Yeah, absolutely. We got plenty of examples in scripture. Let's talk about Moses in the book of Exodus in the Old Testament. Moses grew up in Pharaoh's palace as a Hebrew, but adopted into the Egyptian royal family. But then as he gets older, around 40 years of age, he realizes he does not fit into the Egyptian mindset. He sees his people being persecuted and he goes as far as to actually murder an Egyptian slave master as he saw him beating one of his fellow Hebrew men. Moses intentionally killed the Egyptian taskmaster. Because of that, he had to flee. He ran away from his problems out of Egypt. Otherwise, he would have been punished. He ran away and fled to Midian, and where he became a shepherd for the next 40 years. And it is there that God worked in his heart. Moses accepted who he was as an Israelite, as a Hebrew, not as an Egyptian. And God worked in his heart through the peace of God. God called Moses to go back to Egypt to serve the Lord by rescuing the Hebrews out of the Egyptian hand. Moses would not have accepted God's peace. He would not have been able to go back to Egypt for God to use him. However, Moses' past life in Egypt did not dictate who he was to become in the future by being one of our major leaders in the Old Testament for the Israelite community. Moses accepted God's peace and God used him despite his past failures. We also see in the New Testament when Jesus is having his disciples, Peter being one of his disciples, Peter was our let's act before we think kind of guy, right? And so speak before we think kind of guy. And while Jesus is being arrested and tried during this Passover week, Peter denies Jesus three times, of which Jesus, of course, told Peter he was going to do that. And that really affected Peter, but that did not stop Peter. He was able to receive the forgiveness, receive the peace that Jesus offered him. And after Jesus died on the cross, was buried for three days, rose back to life, Jesus tells Peter, Hey, you are going to be the rock I build my church on. He messed up. He denied Jesus in difficult situations, but his life didn't end there. His ministry did not end there. Because of Christ's peace, God used Peter to build his church. And that's the redemptive channel we see God using to bring others to know Christ in the New Testament. The Old Testament was the nation of Israel. In the New Testament, it's us, it's the church. And so we are part of God's redemptive channel. And if we have received the peace that Christ offers us, God wants to use us to bring others to know that same peace.

Mrs. Erin Kay:

When we step forward and accept that peace of the Lord, what are some things, some thoughts, some experiences that are important for us to let go of?

Mr. Nathan Aylestock:

Well, I think the first thing that comes to my mind is comparison. When we begin to compare ourselves with other people in this life, it robs us of peace, robs us of joy, robs us of love and hope. Comparison and envy are major downfalls for all of us, but also we quickly lose our peace. Same thing with fear. When we are so anxious and fearful over what's to come, our future or present situations, it robs us of our peace. Also, trying to control what is out of our control will rob us of our peace. Again, in scripture, we can see how many times people forgot God. They forgot his presence, they forgot his promises, they forgot his peace that he offers us. When we forget God, we forget his peace. When we treat others terribly, when we fail to forgive others, and therefore we have unresolved conflict and relational tension, that robs us of our peace. And again, I mean, we look here, the common problem is that we're focusing on ourselves, not God. We're focusing on earthly peace, trying to maintain earthly peace and not eternal peace. We're forgetting God because we're too focused on ourselves and not Him. And our hearts can become easily distracted from the Lord and onto other things. And when our hearts are distracted and taken and our heart focus is taken off the Lord, the peace that God offers us easily slips away.

Mrs. Erin Kay:

Thank you for this very relevant conversation today, especially as we enter into the depths of Advent. As we wrap this up, what encouragement would you give to a listener who is in the throes of Advent and is desiring, pining for this peace that surpasses all understanding?

Mr. Nathan Aylestock:

Turn to the Lord. Number one, turn to God. We can't do anything without Him. We need, desperately need His peace. Treat others with love. Treat others with forgiveness. Treat others with patience. Let's truly live out these fruits of the Spirit, because that's how we show that we've received the peace of God. That's how we show we've received the love of Christ by showing others we have the love of Christ, which is the fruit of the Spirit. Let's go out and serve others. If we are serving others actively, we are showing them the love of Christ. And if we're not serving others, if we're not showing this love of Christ, this peace of Christ, it's going to slip away from us. So this Advent season, let's focus on the peace of Christ because his peace truly transcends all of our understanding. And if when we do that, we are actively loving the Lord, not just passively tolerating people.

Mrs. Erin Kay:

Thanks so much for being here with us today. And if anyone has any questions or wants to reach out to you, what's the best way for them to be in contact?

Mr. Nathan Aylestock:

Come by and see me in my classroom, or you can always email me, just on our Ben Lippen website.

Mrs. Erin Kay:

Awesome. All right, everyone. We look forward to engaging with you in the next episode of the Ben Lippen Podcast with our special Advent series. Merry Christmas.

Mr. Nathan Aylestock:

Merry Christmas.

Speaker:

Thank you so much for being with us today as we explore the beautiful promises of Advent. We hope these truths deeply inspire you throughout the week, turning the story of Christ into a personal invitation, calling you to walk daily in his hope, peace, love, and joy. We truly look forward to sharing the next step of our Advent journey with you soon.

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Nathan Aylestock

Guest