More Than A Song - Discovering The Truth Of Scripture Hidden In Today's Popular Christian Music

Send us a textIf you want a wonderful worship song full of Scripture and God's names, "To the Only God" by Aaron Shust is the song for you! If you want to learn three new ways to approach God's Word to inspire you to look at it in new ways, this podcast episode is for you!The Book of Jude is rich in application to our lives today. I can't wait for you to jump in with both feet!In this episode, I discuss the following:The story behind the song as told by Aaron Shust himself in a YouTube VideoThe meaning of the word "Doxology"Christian music is not a substitute for reading God's Word for yourselfThe macro approach to reading Scripture - taking in the whole pictureUsing section headlines as a toolWarning about section headlinesDescribing the book in the time it takes an elevator to change floorsThe research approach - understanding the background to add richnessJude 1:5 - read Exodus as researchJude 1:6 - read Revelation as researchJude 1:7 - read Genesis 18-19 as research

Send us a text There are many days when the moment my head hits my pillow, the prayer that rises is, "You can come back any time now, Lord." This is John's sentiment found in Revelation 22:20 and the song's message, "Even So Come" by Kristian Stanfill. This week, we will explore a small part of what God's Word says about Christ's return. Although this is one of my favorite topics to explore, the most important question remains: Will you be ready? I have created a one-page "itinerary" to guide you through 1 Thessalonians, where Christ's return is mentioned in each chapter!In this episode, I discuss:The longing we should have to see Jesus face-to-faceWhat Jesus says of His return in Luke 17 - Luke 17:26-30The writers of the New Testament were in the last days...we are in the last secondsLife will be "business as usual" on the day Christ returns...and that will be the scoffers' strongest argument - 2 Peter 3:3-4God's timetable - 2 Peter 3

Send us a textThere is an eternal hope that we can look forward to. Our salvation begins when we become followers of Christ, but it is a forever kind of salvation. "From the Day" by I Am They is a song that celebrates this salvation but also leads us to exciting descriptions of what our forever salvation will look like.I can't wait to share with you what I found in Scripture this week!In this episode, I discuss:The story behind the song as told in an article by Kevin Davis on NewReleaseToday.comOne of the key verses the band infused into the song - Isaiah 51:11When we accept the salvation our Redeemer Jesus Christ offers, we will enter the holy city crowned with everlasting joyComparing Isaiah 51:6 to Revelation 21:1-4 and Isaiah 65:17-19 to see aspects of the new heaven, new earth, and new JerusalemComparing our current state where death, sorrow, mourning, and sadness prevail with our eternal promise of joy, happiness, and delight and the ABSENCE of the formerThe promise of restoration like Ed

Send us a text With all the distractions around us, it is important to get really clear on what God wants to be the center of our attention. Like a fancy camera lens, let's focus clearly and allow the troubles of this world to blur in the background. "Cast My Cares" by Finding Favour leads us straight to 1 Peter and what God's Word teaches us about accomplishing this clarity. Are you truly willing to trade the troubles of this world for God's peace?In this episode, I discuss:The lyrics of the song that point to our memory verse this week - 1 Peter 5:7The Bible interaction tool of reading the entire text - watch the whole movie!The Bible interaction tool of listening to the text while on the go - YouVersion AppThe Bible interaction tool of prayer to ask God for His power to stay focused and understandThe Bible interaction tool of reading out loud to remove distractionsHow Peter begins with the end in mind in his letter - 1 Peter 1:3-5What our center of interest should be...what should

Send us a text"I have it all under control." That's where I like to be...or at least feel. But my Father wants me to trust HIM; He wants me to trust that HE has it all under control. That is why He allows so much of my life to be "beyond me." TobyMac's song, "Beyond Me," leads us to Jeremiah 33 this week, where we explore a group of people in desperate circumstances "beyond" their ability even to imagine a way out.Let's see what we can learn about God as we dig into God's Word.In this episode, I discuss:The thrill of knowing that God has plans for me that are "beyond me" - Isaiah 55:8The comfort of knowing that even though my circumstances may be "beyond me," they are not beyond HIMThe overwhelm I feel when I don't have everything under controlJeremiah's situation in Jeremiah 33 and the predicament of the people of God - Jeremiah 33 VOICEI consider how far "beyond me" God really is, as found in Jeremiah 33:2How

Send us a textWhat does your life breathe out? What is your exhale? Plumb's song, "Exhale," inspires me to breathe in as much truth, love, and grace as I can hold so that truth, love, and grace are what I breathe out. This week, we explore the story of Rahab and discover what her life's "exhale" was.Rahab's confession was a declaration of her faith in God. What is your confession? Use this week's free resource to guide you!In this episode, I discuss:The opportunity we have to respond to the revelation of God and to learn from the experiences of othersRahab's story, as told in Joshua 2Rahab's confession to the spies - Joshua 2:9-11Rahab's choice to see God's works as a revelation of Who He is and Who He could be to her rather than something to fight againstThe free resource I developed to go along with this episode to help you dig deeperThe story behind the song - New Release Today ArticleWhat Rahab's life "exhaled" or sent forthSalvati

Send us a textRelationships. Can't live with them, can't live without them. This week's song, "Brother" by NeedToBreathe, leads us to discover some of the brother relationships in the Bible. Just like in the band, these relationships are not always smooth sailing. There is, however, a wonderful example of two "spiritual brothers" that is worth looking into.I can't wait to discover new things as we look at the friendship between Jonathan and David.In this episode, I discuss the following:The story behind the song "Brother" by NeedToBreathe - Tennessean ArticleThe free resource I created to help you explore the topic of "brothers"The five elements of adventure and how I relate them to interacting with God's Word - Source: MattWalker.comMeet Jonathon, son of King Saul - 1 Samuel 14Meet David, son of Jesse - 1 Samuel 16How alike David and Jonathan areThe significance of the items Jonathan gave David in their covenant relationship - 1 Samuel 18:3-4Wh

Send us a textThere are many more mundane moments in our lives than magnificent. This week, we will take Steven Curtis Chapman's song, "Do Everything," to point us to the book of Colossians and ponder what it may look like to "do everything as unto the Lord."How do you relate to my personal ponderings this week?In this episode, I discuss:The story behind the song "Do Everything" by Steven Curtis Chapman - New Release Today ArticleSteven Curtis Chapman's inspirational verse for this song - 1 Corinthians 10:31Why I chose to study the book of Colossians insteadUnpacking the lyrics of "Do Everything" to discover if you can see yourself in the lyrics or if they inspire you to evaluate how you "see" lifeDoing everything for the Lord and not for men - Colossians 3:23The context of this instruction...it was directed to slaves - Colossians 3:22-24Feeling trapped by our commitments (chosen or not)Oswald Chambers teaching on the "shallow aspects of life&qu

Send us a textThe song "Impossible" by Building 429 reminds us of an amazing characteristic of God...that He is all-powerful. In fact, Scripture makes it very clear that nothing is impossible to God.Let's ensure we fully understand Scripture and what it is not saying about this. I can't wait to discover what it might mean for you in the midst of what you are dealing with right now in your life.In this episode, I discuss:How our hearts are full of plans, but God's purpose prevails - Proverbs 19:21Some bad advice about what is and is not impossible and whyHow it was not impossible for God to make an old barren woman bear a son - Genesis 18:14How it was not impossible for God to fill an empty stream bed with water for a thirsty army - 2 Kings 3:18How it was not impossible for God to have a young virgin bear the Son of God - Luke 1:37How with man there are things that ARE impossible - Matthew 19:23-26How with God NOTHING is impossible - Matthew 19:23-26Jeremiah's confession to God th

Send us a textThe Bible has a lot to say about functioning in vibrant relationships. While the song by Casting Crowns, "Broken Together," speaks of a couple dealing with brokenness in marriage, we will use it to uncover some gems that will help us in ALL of our relationships.Great relationships (especially great marriages) don't "just happen." Allowing Scripture to define how we should treat one another is definitely the way to go! Along with the podcast, I've created a resource to challenge you to "one up" those most important to you. Check it out here!In this episode, I discuss:The "mystery" of marriage - Ephesians 5:31The Bible interaction tool of chasing down cross-referencesMarriage is an illustration of Christ and the churchThe cross reference mentioned in Ephesians 5:31 that leads us to Genesis 2:24Asking questions like "What explains why?" and reading Genesis 2:18-24 to discover the answerFinding a wife is a good thing - Proverbs 18:22Be sure

Send us a textMy thoughts looked like frayed rope after a hard game of tug-of-war as I sought what Scripture would tell me about my sin-nature vs. Spirit control. This all came about after choosing "Flawless" by MercyMe as my inspiration song this week.How can I be flawless when, just this week, I've proven that I'm flawed? Let's find out together! Along with the podcast, I've created a resource to challenge you to seek truth in context. Check it out!On this episode, I discuss the following:Team Grace vs. Team Sin-NatureAn example of Paul's own tug-of-war - Romans 7:18-20The war waged in our minds - Romans 7:23 and Galatians 5:17Team Grace says, "It's paid for," while Team Sin-Nature says, "I'm still in charge."Truth is defined by God regardless of perception or observationSin-Nature is NOT in charge if the Spirit of the Living God lives in me - Romans 8:9Don't fall prey to our drive-through, fast-food, sound-bite societyA great article by

Send us a textThis week's song, "Holy Spirit," as performed by Francesca Battistelli, gets me so excited! I can't wait to talk about one of my most precious relationships...my relationship with the Holy Spirit. I have personally only begun to scratch the surface of Who He is, and so I cherish every chance I get to dig in deeper.The Holy Spirit is mysterious and powerful yet revealing and intimate. Don't you want to learn more about Him, too? Along with the podcast, I've created a resource to help you dig into Scripture in a fresh way.In this episode, I discuss:A sweet memory that comes to mind when I hear this songWelcoming the Holy Spirit here (cue thumb pointing to your own chest)Why I don't consider this a worship songA discussion about confession (as it relates to the ACTS pattern for prayer...see Episode 17 for more details)The difference between inviting the Holy Spirit over and declaring Him welcomeFrancis Chan's book, "Forgotten God - Reversing Our Tragic N

Send us a textEven though the phrase "the unmaking" does not appear in Scripture, you can vividly see various characters in God's Word go through deconstruction, and we can learn from their journey. This week, I take Nichole Nordeman's song, "The Unmaking," and use it to examine Naomi's journey found in the Book of Ruth.God really used Naomi's journey to teach me what should stay and what should go in my own rubble pile; perhaps He will do the same for you. I even created a resource to help walk you through that process.In this episode, I discuss the following:Nichole Nordeman's story behind the song - YouTubeNichole Nordeman's story behind the song written thoughtsDiscovering strength and vulnerability in recognizing we all need to go through the unmakingUnpacking the story of Naomi found in The Book of RuthEvery good and perfect gift comes from God, but not every tragedy can be interpreted as God turning against youComing to a new and renewed perspective of

Send us a textOur culture seems to be addicted to extreme makeovers. Whether it is a house or a person, we LOVE to see dramatic pictures of before and after. This week's song, "That Was Then, This Is Now" by Josh Wilson, leads us to Ephesians, where we discover a dramatic picture of us before Christ and after Christ.I introduce a pretty neat tool to help you visualize this contrast clearly. I hope you try it for yourself!In this episode, I discuss:Listening to Scripture using YouVersionReading the entire letter to the EphesiansThe contrast of who we were before and after Christ - Ephesians 5:8The Bible Interaction Tool - "Pick a Side: Charting Contrasts in Scripture"Unpacking Ephesians 4 to discover "that was then" vs. "this is now"Reading in unfamiliar translations for things to jump out at youNot allowing anger to control usThe poverty spirit and what it is contrasted withHow God's characteristics spans both columnsAdditional ResourcesLyricsStory behind the

Send us a textWhen such a short Psalm reveals so many inspiring characteristics of God, it's worth spending some time in it. This week's song, "Shoulders" by For King & Country, leads us right to Psalm 121. In fact, the song begins by quoting the opening verses of Psalm 121!We will try something new this week to keep your Bible reading engaging! Let's dive in!In this episode, I discuss:Reading Scripture out loudUsing background music to keep it interestingAsk questions...out loud! (And then write them down in your journal)Psalm 121The significance of the mountains to the PsalmistComparing and contrasting the characteristics of home with the characteristics of GodReading individual verses in the parallel setting using BibleHub.comThis picture...you'll have to visit my website and listen to understand!The difference between the Hebrew word for sleep and slumber in Psalm 121:4Making sense of the idea that the Lord keeps us from all harmIf our enemy is relentless, God's merc

Send us a textDo you fully understand the POWER that lives inside of you? If you are a follower of Christ, the SAME Spirit that raised Christ from the dead lives in you! And just like Mercy Me, I'm here to tell you that He is GREATER than he that lives in the world! This is my most popular episode, and I can't wait to revisit it and the Truth it leads us to.This song contains truths that are so prevalent in many of the songs I've already used to launch into God's Word in previous episodes. There is such unity in the Spirit.In this episode, I discuss:The script the enemy uses to keep us useless1 John 5:19Our memory verse, 1 John 4:4Story behind the song with Bart, the lead singer of Mercy Me1 Corinthians 6:19 - we were bought with a priceRomans 7:21-23 - the war we are inEphesians 1:13-14A discussion on how much GREATER God is than he who is in the worldEpisode 13 - Hello My Name IsEpisode 10 - My LighthouseEpisode 4 - OvercomerAdditional ResourcesIf you have never heard this song before, y

Send us a textWe all love a good story. I especially love stories that grab my attention from the beginning. I don't even mind reading long stories when they have lots of twists and turns, unexpected developments, climactic moments, and where the good guy wins in the end. Allow me to introduce you to a story like this in the Bible. It is the story of Abraham, and we will use Colton Dixon's song "Through All Of It" to explore Abraham's journey.By closely observing Abraham's life journey, we can learn about him, God, and ourselves.In this episode, I discuss:Listening carefully to the lyrics of the music you listen to most frequentlyUsing a song not only to inspire us to read God's Word but to bring back to mind the stories we are readingAbraham's story in Genesis 11-25Taking Keith Ferrin's advice in his book, "How To Enjoy Reading Your Bible" to "watch the whole movie"The Bible interaction tool of reading moreUsing the lyrics of our song to identi

Send us a textDo you ever feel like you are leaving one battle for another day after day? "Good Fight" by Unspoken leads us to the New and Old Testaments to see what Scripture teaches us about "fighting the good fight."I cover a lot of ground this week, and I hope you will take the time to dig into Scripture for yourself. We can all use tips to better "fight the good fight" of our faith.In this episode, I discuss the following:Reading 1st and 2nd Timothy all at once to get the big pictureIf you are not familiar with these letters from Paul to Timothy, read them in an easy-to-read translation like New Living Translation or New International VersionIf you are familiar with many of the passages in these letters, read them in an unfamiliar version. I used The Voice translation online at www.BibleGateway.comThe background of the relationship between Paul and TimothyFocusing in on the three verses that specifically mention the "good fight" - 1 Timothy 1:18, 1 Timothy 6:12 &am

Send us a textSometimes, we need to stop the struggle and just worship. While this week's song might show up more in Sunday Morning Praise than on the weekly radio playlist, it is full of inspiration to jump into Scripture. Join me as I take "You Are Holy (Prince of Peace)" by Michael W. Smith and jump into God's Word this week.I'll give you a "behind the scenes" look at how I develop each podcast episode!In this episode, I discuss the following:Being inspired by the kids at Christian Youth TheaterMy secret weapon in finding Scripture...GoogleIn seeking to find Scripture about God being holy, I couldn't hide from His call that I be holy as well - 1 Peter 1:16The power of the cross reference and how it led me to Leviticus 11:44The interlinear tool in BibleHub.com and how it led to Strong's #6918Following the same process for "mighty" and how it led to Zephaniah 3:17Following the same process for "worthy" and how it led to Revelation 4:11The A.C.T

Send us a textEven though we don't build idols out of wood in modern-day America, we still worship "things" made with our own two hands. This week's song, "American Dream" by Casting Crowns, weaves a tale all too familiar in our culture today. However, Jesus gives us a different path to take.Join me on a journey through Scripture this week as we consider our idols and our response to the challenge given by Christ Himself.In this episode, I discuss:How we glamorize investing in "success"How anything we build with our own two hands is an idol - Habakkuk 2:4-5, 18-19Striving for wealth is treacherous and keeps us from restBuilding our life with our own two hands is like building a house on the sand - Matthew 7:24-27The Bible interaction tool of using section headings in Scripture to build an outlineThe danger of thinking you are safe whether you obey or not - Deuteronomy 29:18-19The danger of viewing your circumstances as "proof" of anything - Jeremiah 44:16-18Ad