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

Send us a textOur God is a God of abundance. But while we are looking around thinking an abundant life has to do more with material blessings and a lack of conflict, God has a better idea. Andrew Ripp's song "Fill My Cup" inspired me to discover what God wants to fill us with, as revealed by His holy Word. Join me as we meditate on a couple of psalms and then diligently seek out what Scripture describes as a cup running over. In this week's episode, I discuss: Taking a B.I.T.E. out of Scripture - this week's Bible Interaction Tool Exercises include: Meditate on Scripture Explore a topic Make a list Compare and contrast Psalm 23 because of the phrase "my cup overflows" as inspired by our song - Psalm 23:5-6 Debbie Devries podcast on Psalm 23:5-6 - Debbie Devries Ministry Podcast Episode 30 - "Dinner" How the table of a host was a place of provision and protection Psalm 16 because of the phrase "the Lord is my chosen portion and my cup" - P

Send us a textI have a love-hate relationship with hard questions. I love that they inspire me to think critically and put in more thought and effort. I hate that the answer is often not as tidy as I would like. In her song "Kingdom Come," Rebecca St. James sings about the Kingdom of God and leads me to seek the answer to some ambitious questions this week. Join me in the book of Matthew to see what Jesus has to say about the Kingdom of God as we consider these two questions: What is the Kingdom of God? And is the Kingdom of God here, or is it coming? In this week's episode, I discuss: Taking a B.I.T.E. out of Scripture - this week's Bible Interaction Tool Exercises include: Read in context Mark up the text Slow down Make observations of the text Compare and contrast Consult outside resources Share with a friend Reading the text of Scripture for yourself first Recognizing the historical sacrifices made so we could have a copy of God's Holy Word at our fingertips in ou

Send us a textHave you ever had the privilege of praying for someone else? Lifting a prayer to God on behalf of someone else is called intercessory prayer. This week's song "In Jesus Name (God Of Possible)" by Katy Nichole is an intercessory prayer. It inspired me to read, study, and meditate on an intercessory prayer Daniel prayed. Join me on the podcast as we explore it together. In this week's episode, I discuss: Taking a B.I.T.E. out of Scripture - this week's Bible Interaction Tool Exercises include: Pray Scripture Read larger chunks of Scripture Start with God Make a list How there is no "gift of intercession" rather as followers of Christ we are ALL called upon to intercede for all in authority (1 Timothy 2:2); ministers (Philippians 1:19); friends (Job 42:8); fellow countrymen (Romans 10:1); the sick (James 5:14); enemies (Jeremiah 29:7); those who persecute us (Matthew 5:44); those who forsake us (2 Timothy 4:16); and all men (1 Timothy 2:1) Bei

Send us a textToday has not caught God off-guard. No matter the circumstance you find yourself in, He's already there, and He already knows what will happen next. JJ Heller's song, "You Already Know," reminds us of God's omniscience -- the attribute of God that means He is all-knowing. Join me in exploring this attribute of God in Scripture this week. In this week's episode, I discuss: Taking a B.I.T.E. out of Scripture - this week's Bible Interaction Tool Exercises include: Explore a topic Utilize outside resources Follow the cross-reference Consider the opposite Meditate on truth Pray Scripture How God knows everything - 1 John 3:20 How trusting man (or our own hearts) is not a good idea - Jeremiah 17:5-10 That God has never learned and cannot learn - Isaiah 40:13-14 How God's knowledge is unfathomably deep - Romans 11:33-36 Meditating on the depth of the knowledge of God AW Tozer's book, "Knowledge of the Holy" - Amazon Paid Link Tha

Send us a textWe serve a loving God. He helps us in our weakness, He causes everything to work together for our good, He gives us right standing before Him by taking away the sin nature we could never conquer on our own, and so much more. Riley Clemmons sings about this in her song "For The Good," but it all came from Paul's letter to the Romans. Let's read this letter together. Grab a Reader's Bible, and I'll meet you in the letter to the Romans. In this episode, I discuss: Taking a B.I.T.E. out of Scripture - this week's Bible Interaction Tool Exercises include: Read in context Read and keep on reading Setting our hope on WHO God is over what He can do for us How the Intitute for Bible Reading is changing the way people read the Bible - InstituteForBibleReading.org Immersing ourselves in the text of the Bible with fewer distractions - Immerse: The Reading Bible My recommended resource - Immerse: Messiah (the complete New Testament in one reading volume)

Send us a textIf the gospel message were a song, it would be "Thank You Jesus For The Blood" by Charity Gayle. The good news is that Christ's sacrifice covers our sins offering us eternal salvation. Join me as we explore the Day of Atonement in the Old Testament and how it foreshadowed the "once and for all" sacrifice of Jesus. In this episode, I discuss: Taking a B.I.T.E. out of Scripture - this week's Bible Interaction Tool Exercises include: Consult an overview of the book Read larger chunks of Scripture Read and keep on reading by setting a timer rather than focusing on chapters read A resource for breaking apart this song lyric by lyric and pointing to Scripture - TheBereanTest.com Leviticus - The Most Exciting Book You've (N)ever Read - David Schrock Article The chiastic structure of Leviticus (so fascinating) - Meeting God in the Margin Article Consulting an overview of Leviticus before reading - BibleProject.com Video The Day of Atonement as the pinn

Send us a textHave you ever put your trust in something or someone you thought would never change, only to have them change? With our God, there is no chance of change. God's immutability is one of His attributes that brings me comfort and joy every time I meditate on it. This week I use Sanctus Real's song "My God Is Still The Same" to ponder our unchanging Lord. Join me as we explore various Scripture references that remind us "our God is still the same." Get inspired to read a larger section of Scripture in the book of Numbers where God makes his unchanging nature known. In this episode, I discuss: Taking a B.I.T.E. out of Scripture - this week's Bible Interaction Tool Exercises include: Use your imagination Compare and contrast Read learger chunks of Scripture NEW BITE! Apples, Bananas, Coconuts Ask questions Meditate on Scripture Storying God's immutability - the attribute of God that means He does not change The Immutability of God - Tabletalk Art

Send us a textWe often forget the people described in the Bible were real. Can I add, especially Jesus? We read of Jesus' triumphant victory over death and the grave in each gospel and His instructions to His disciples before He ascends to the Father. CAIN's song "The Commission" beautifully portrays this transition reminding us how precious His disciples are to Him. May we explore the "end" of each gospel with a renewed sense of Christ's humanity, never taking our eyes off of His authority and divinity. In this episode, I discuss: Taking a B.I.T.E. out of Scripture - this week's Bible Interaction Tool Exercises include: Read in context Share with friend How the "helps" in our Bible might actually distract us more than help us Glenn Paauw quote, "We have made it hard for people to just flat out read the Bible..." - DesiringGod.org Interview "Saving the Bible from Ourselves: Learning to Read and Live the Bible Well" by Glenn

Send us a textWe are the workmanship of a creative God. Our new lives in Christ are supposed to mean something. We are called to walk in a manner worthy of the calling on our lives, and God planned out the good works for us to walk in. Taylor Leonhardt's song "Poetry" led me to ponder this, and more, in Paul's letter to the Ephesians. Join me in spending time in this letter, with a deep look at the profound transformation we experience in Christ and what it's all for. In this episode, I discuss: Taking a B.I.T.E. out of Scripture - this week's Bible Interaction Tool Exercises include: Read in context Consider historical context Consult an overview Follow the cross-references Mark up the text Make a list Meditate on Scripture Differentiating the art from the inspiration for the art Seeking to know more about Scripture to better appreciate the art created inspired by it The focus verse - Ephesians 2:10 Reading the entire letter to the Ephesians Consulting overvie

Send us a textWe like choices, but God is an exclusive God. He demands our exclusive worship. More than that, he ALONE is our refuge -- all others are lacking. Both Scripture and Skillet's song "Refuge" remind us of this fact. Let's link our song to a psalm to meditate on God's Word. In this episode, I discuss: Taking a B.I.T.E. out of Scripture - this week's Bible Interaction Tool Exercises include: Consider the historical background Start with God Ask questions Make a list The 30 Day Music Challenge - ACCEPT THE CHALLENGE HERE Behind the song "Refuge" by Skillet - Behind the Song With Kevin Davis Behind the track "Refuge" by Skillet - a message from Jon Cooper - YouTube Video Exploring Psalm 46 on a previous episode - Episode 233 How ten psalms talk about God being our refuge, but we chose to focus on Psalm 62 Looking up the word "refuge" in the dictionary and thesaurus God ALONE is our refuge - Psalm 62:1-2 Making observations about David&

Send us a textWe spend so much time trying to make things happen in our lives. The pandemic has shown us how little control we have on a global level. Elevation Worship's song "Graves Into Gardens" reminds us that God does transformational things -- and He's the only One Who can. Let's use this song to send us to the words of a prophet and a king to learn more about our transformational God. In this episode, I discuss: Taking a B.I.T.E. out of Scripture - this week's Bible Interaction Tool Exercises include: Consider the historical background Start with God Ask questions Make a list The 30 Day Music Challenge - ACCEPT THE CHALLENGE HERE My prayer for my listeners -- that God will give you an unreasonable desire for His Word that leads to an unsurpassable relationship with Him God, Himself is our goal, and our priority must be our Father and His kingdom Spending time in Isaiah 61 in Episode 282 Our starting-point verse that uses the phrase "mourning to danci

Send us a textThere's a shortage of truth in the world today. Of course, the definition of truth seems to be up for grabs for some, but today we're talking about sincerity in action without pretense. Matthew West sings about this in his song "Truth Be Told." Jesus teaches about it in the Gospel of Matthew. Spend some time this week examining the words of Jesus with an open heart. In this episode I discuss: Taking a B.I.T.E. out of Scripture - this week's Bible Interaction Tool Exercises include: Consider the historical background Follow the cross-references Utilize a trusted outside resource (like a commentary or Study Bible) Read in context Summarize the text in your own words Ask questions of the text Remember, the people in the Bible were real The 30 Day Music Challenge - ACCEPT THE CHALLENGE HERE Matthew West's story behind the song - YouTube Video The book Matthew West wrote that he mentioned in the video - "Hello My Name Is" by Matthew West The ve

Send us a text There was a national crisis, and the king didn't know what to do. At that moment, the king had choices. He could turn to his own wisdom, the advisors of those around him, or any number of places for advice. In the Scripture inspired by Phil Wickham's song "Battle Belongs," the king chose to seek the Lord. May we follow his example...well, mostly. Let's read the whole account of King Jehoshaphat's crisis in 2 Chronicles 20 and then read past it to see "the rest of the story." In this episode, I discuss: Taking a B.I.T.E. out of Scripture - this week's Bible Interaction Tool Exercises include: Reading in context Storying Sharing with a friend Compare and contrast Remembering the people described in the Bible were REAL Prayer Praying Scripture The 30 Day Music Challenge Heading over to 2 Chronicles 20 for the week How I've used this area of Scripture in previous episodes - Episode 151 and Episode 305 Watching Phil Wickham take the B

Send us a textWhat does Scripture say about the house of the Lord? That's what I set out to discover with Phil Wickham's new song, "House Of The Lord," playing in the background. The answer weaves through the Old and New Testaments. We only scratch the surface, but let's see how much we can explore. In this episode, I discuss: Taking a B.I.T.E. out of Scripture - this week's Bible Interaction Tool Exercises include: Read in context Explore a topic Make observations Slow down Share with a friend Follow the cross-references The 30 Day Music Challenge Phil Wickham's thoughts in the story behind the song - YouTube Video David's own joy at the thought of going to the house of the Lord - Psalm 122:1 Expressing curiosity at the thought that David implies going to the temple, but it wasn't built in his lifetime The story of David's desire to build a house for the Lord and God's response - 2 Samuel 7:1-7 A wonderful resource to explore the tabernacle and what

Send us a text It doesn't matter how thick the walls are to us; it only matters how thick the walls are to God. When Andrew Ripp sings of our fears coming down like Jericho walls in his song "Jericho," I was inspired to study the story leading up to that moment. I learned a lot about Joshua and what God commanded him. {Spoiler alert: God speaks directly to his fear.} Join me on the journey this week! In this encore episode, I discuss: Taking a B.I.T.E. out of Scripture - this week's Bible Interaction Tool Exercises include: Context Read larger chunks of Scripture Consider the opposite Use section headings to get your bearings Read/watch an overview of the book you're studying Consider the historical context Meditate on God's Word Follow the cross-reference The 30 Day Music Challenge - ACCEPT THE CHALLENGE HERE Not overcomplicating our time in God's Word Taking in the whole story - Joshua 1-6 Considering that "courage" is the opposite of "fear&qu

Send us a text The hustle and bustle of the holiday season are coming to an end. So many details remind us of Christ. What a tragedy it will be if we make room for the traditions that point to Him but fail to make room in our hearts for HIM. Casting Crowns' song, "Make Room," inspired me to take a step back and view the details from a different perspective. Join me as we explore just how long ago the details of the Christmas narrative were set in motion. In this episode, I discuss: Taking a B.I.T.E. out of Scripture - this week's Bible Interaction Tool Exercises include: Storying - retelling the story of Scripture in your own words Share with a friend Slow down Repetition The 30 Day Music Challenge The Lifeway report revealing 90% of Americans celebrate Christmas, but 17% of them can't remember any of the narrative - BreakPoint Podcast Letting the narrative of the birth of Christ sink in, to the point where you can retell it in your own words (a.k.a. taking the BITE of

Send us a text The symbols of Christmas have become the traditions of Christmas -- traditions like an evening drive to see grand light displays. When you hear a song like "Christmas Lights" by Love & the Outcome, allow it to point your heart toward Jesus, the Light of the World. You can't consider the Christmas story without remembering the true Light that invaded the darkness when He put on flesh and dwelled among us. In this episode, I discuss: Taking a B.I.T.E. out of Scripture - this week's Bible Interaction Tool Exercises include: Read in context Listen to an audio version of the text Repetition Make a list Meditate on Scripture Use your imagination The 30 Day Music Challenge Seeing Jesus as the true light in John 1 Following the cross-reference to Genesis 1 Comparing and contrasting the themes we see in Genesis 1 and John 1 Seeing Jesus in Zechariah's prophecy over his son John - Luke 1:76-79 Slowing down and letting the truths of Scripture sink in as we look

Send us a text Many of the details of Christmas get embellished, altered, or even left out of our traditional scenes, songs, and readings. Keith and Kristyn Getty, along with Ellie Holcomb, sing a song, "Elizabeth," that inspired me to dive into the details of her life. You won't want to miss what Elizabeth's story has to teach us. In this episode, I discuss: Taking a B.I.T.E. out of Scripture - this week's Bible Interaction Tool Exercises include: Read in context Listen to an audio version of the text Repetition Make a list Meditate on Scripture Use your imagination The 30 Day Music Challenge Having certainty concerning the things we have been taught - Luke 1:1-4 Things we learn about Elizabeth She was in the line of Aaron - Luke 1:5 She was righteous before God - Luke 1:6 She walked blamelessly in all commandments and statutes - Luke 1:6 She couldn't have children - Luke 1:7 She was advanced in years - Luke 1:7 An angel declared to her husband that she would bea

Send us a text We have felt needs and "real" needs. God cares about them both, but He prioritizes real needs. Brandon Heath sings about both in his song, "We Need Emmanuel." Our real need stems from our separation from God, but our felt needs are addressed through His ongoing presence in our lives. Join me as we see why the fulfillment of the prophecy promising "God with us" was necessary. In this episode, I discuss: Taking a B.I.T.E. out of Scripture - this week's Bible Interaction Tool Exercises include: Follow the cross-references Read and keep on reading Read in context The 30 Day Music Challenge How we are eternally separated from God because of sin - Galatians 3:19 Obeying ALL of God's laws is impossible and can't save us - Romans 3:20 How we're under a curse - Galatians 3:10 How Jesus is THE offspring - Galatians 3:16 Moses as the intermediary between God and the people - Galatians 3:19 Following the cross-references to understand the phr

Send us a text Is there room for rejoicing in the midst of fear? Charles Spurgeon writes, "Fear, without joy, is torment; and joy, without holy fear, would be presumption." Using Andrew Ripp's song "Rejoice" we explore a variety of responses (one of which is rejoicing) to the miracle of our risen Savior. Come with me to an open tomb with a lightning-bright angel perched atop a stone. In this episode, I discuss: Taking a B.I.T.E. out of Scripture - this week's Bible Interaction Tool Exercises include: Make a list Slow down Remember the people described in the Bible were REAL The 30 Day Music Challenge A quote from Andrew Ripp about the genesis of this song - KLove Article Our inspiration verse - Psalm 2:11 How our inspiration verse brings together weeks of Bible study Episode 398 - talking about awe and wonder Episode 403 - talking about trembling before the Lord This week - talking about rejoicing with trembling Charles Spurgeon reminding us that, "There mu