Bible for Newbies

This episode wraps up a Psalms series by showing how the book of Psalms is not a random collection of 150 songs, but an intentionally arranged whole with a clear movement and story. Russ uses David Crowder concept albums as a creative lens to explain how the Psalter moves from wisdom and kingship through crisis and then into sustained praise.

Inside the episode:

• Russ frames the book of Psalms like a concept album, especially comparing it to David Crowder’s albums A Collision, B Collision, and American Prodigal.
• He explains that Psalms is not just a loose collection of songs, but an intentionally arranged book often called the Psalter.
• He highlights Psalms 1 and 2 as the introduction to the whole collection.
• Psalm 1 emphasizes wisdom through listening to God’s instruction, or Torah.
• Psalm 2 emphasizes wisdom through following God’s anointed king, the Messiah, or Christ.
• He points out the five-book structure of Psalms and the doxologies that mark the end of each book.
• Psalm 89 is presented as a turning point where David’s kingdom appears to fail, raising the question of God’s promises.
• Book 4 shifts the focus to the truth that Yahweh is king, even when human kings and kingdoms fall.
• Book 5 closes with Psalms 146 through 150, a crescendo of praise that feels like a symphony.
• Russ closes by emphasizing that Psalms teaches believers how to bring every emotion to God, ending with praise.

This episode looks at one of the Bible’s most unsettling prayers, Psalm 137, and why it matters for anyone who has ever felt deep betrayal, rage, or the urge to get even. Russ walks through the psalm’s historical background, explains what imprecatory psalms are, and shows how Romans 12 and Jesus’ teaching in Matthew 5 reshape how anger and forgiveness work together.In this episode, Russ explores how Scripture gives language for grief and rage without sanitizing it, and why bringing anger to God is different from taking revenge into your own hands. The episode ends with a reading challenge and a practical invitation to pray honestly about someone who has hurt you.

• Russ opens with the kind of anger that comes from betrayal, slander, abuse, or harm done to someone you love.
• He introduces

• as prayers that ask God to judge an enemy, noting that these prayers can sound shocking.
• The backstory for Psalm 137 is the Babylonian destruction of Jerusalem in 586 BC, including the ruined temple and the exile of the Jewish people.
• Psalm 137 moves from sorrow beside the rivers of Babylon to rage at Edom and Babylon, ending with one of the Bible’s most disturbing lines.
• Russ explains that imprecatory language usually appears inside lament psalms where people bring real grievance, pain, and anger to God.
• He argues that the Bible does not edit out ugly emotions, and that the Psalms give believers words for joy, grief, fear, doubt, thanksgiving, and rage.
• Romans 12 is used to show that vengeance belongs to God, not to the believer, and that Christians are called to bless enemies rather than repay evil.
• Jesus’ words in Matthew 5 raise the standard further: love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.
• Russ distinguishes between emotions, prayers, and actions—anger can be prayed honestly, but the final posture toward the enemy must move toward forgiveness and love.
• The episode closes with a practical challenge to read Psalm 35 and take honest anger to God without sanitizing it.

Russ shares how a devotional reading unexpectedly echoed his recent episode on pilgrimage psalms and became a personal reminder about the value of God’s presence. This short solo reflection connects Psalm language with Hebrews 10 and invites listeners to move from self-reliance to waiting on the Lord.

• In this episode, Russ explains how his devotional, The Daily Light, lined up with his recent teaching on pilgrimage psalms and the Songs of Ascent.
• He reads a devotional selection built from Psalms and Hebrews 10, centered on the idea that “it is good for me to draw near to God.”
• Russ notes how the repeated theme of God’s presence made it clear to him that the Lord was getting his attention.
• He shares a personal conviction that he had drifted back into “cowboy up” self-reliance instead of waiting on God.
• The episode emphasizes that, because of Jesus, believers can approach God with boldness and no shame.
• Russ stresses that coming to God does not excuse sin, but it does mean forgiveness and cleansing are available through Christ.
• He reflects on prayer as partnership with God, not a vending machine for getting what we want.
• He describes practical ways he experiences God’s presence: in his prayer chair, in the car, in worship music, and at church.
• The core takeaway is that being in God’s presence strengthens, comforts, and fills believers with joy.

These show notes cover a solo teaching episode with Russ. He explains what a biblical pilgrimage is, why Psalm 84 matters, and how Psalms 120 through 134 form the Song of Ascents. The main takeaway is simple and practical: faith is often a journey, and these psalms give language for the road.

Inside the episode:

• In this episode, Russ opens with a personal story about a life-changing trip to China with Eugene Bach and Cameron Robinson, using it as a picture of how a journey begins long before departure.
• He defines a pilgrimage as a journey to a sacred place for a spiritual purpose, then connects that idea to ancient Israel traveling to Jerusalem for festivals like Passover and the Feast of Booths.
• Russ reads Psalm 84 and highlights its longing for God’s house, including the image of “highways” in the heart and the journey through the “valley of weeping.”
• He explains the phrase “Selah” as a pause to reflect, and points out the repeated theme of growing stronger on the way to God’s presence.
• Russ introduces Psalms 120 through 134 as the Song of Ascents, a 15-psalm collection traditionally associated with pilgrims going up to Jerusalem.
• He traces the movement of the collection from conflict and distance in Psalm 120, to trust and protection in Psalm 121, to arrival and gladness in Psalm 122.
• He notes that the songs are not only about travel, but about life on the journey - including suffering, work, family, forgiveness, waiting, and learning to be still before God.
• Russ highlights Psalm 132’s focus on God choosing Jerusalem as his dwelling place among his people, while clarifying that this does not mean God is confined to a building.
• He closes with Psalm 133’s unity and Psalm 134’s blessing, showing the collection’s movement from far away conflict to worship and harmony in Jerusalem.
• The practical challenge is to read Psalms 120 through 134 in one sitting as preparation for worship.

This episode explains how the royal psalms first made sense in the context of Israel’s kings, then take on fuller meaning when read through Jesus. Russ uses the image of mountains in Bozeman to show how later revelation helps us see what was there all along in Scripture.We discuss Psalm 2, Psalm 72, and Psalm 110 as three key royal psalms, then close with a reading challenge from Psalm 89. Along the way, Russ connects the Hebrew Mashiach, the Greek Christos, Davidic kingship, and Jesus as both King and High Priest.

Inside the episode:

• In this episode, Russ introduces the “mountain behind the mountain” idea using the Bridger Mountains near Bozeman as a picture of how Scripture can have an original meaning and a later, fuller meaning.
• He explains that royal psalms were written about Israel’s kings, celebrating their rule, praying for them, and remembering God’s promises to David and his descendants.
• Russ unpacks the word Messiah from the Hebrew Mashiach, meaning “anointed one,” and explains the Old Testament practice of pouring oil over prophets, priests, and kings.
• He connects the Greek Christos to the word Christ, showing that “Jesus Christ” means Jesus the Messiah, or Jesus the anointed king.
• Psalm 2 is presented as a royal psalm about the king of Israel, especially the line “You are my son,” which Russ connects to God’s covenant with David.
• He notes that New Testament writers repeatedly quote Psalm 2 and apply it to Jesus, showing Jesus as the Son of David and God’s anointed one.
• Psalm 72 is discussed as a portrait of the ideal king, marked by justice, righteousness, concern for the poor, defense of the oppressed, and blessing for the nations.
• Russ emphasizes that no king in Israel’s history fully matched Psalm 72 until Jesus, who fulfills the vision of a righteous worldwide king.
• Psalm 110 is highlighted as unique because it describes a king who is also a priest, but not from Aaron’s line, instead “after the order of Melchizedek.”
• He explains how Psalm 110 becomes crucial in the New Testament, especially in Jesus’ teaching, Peter’s Pentecost sermon, and the book of Hebrews.
• Russ reads Hebrews 4 to show Jesus as the great high priest who sympathizes with human weakness and invites believers to draw near with confidence to receive mercy and grace.
• The episode closes by tying the three psalms together: Psalm 2 reveals the King, Psalm 72 shows the kingdom, and Psalm 110 shows the King as Priest.
• Russ ends with a reading challenge from Psalm 89, inviting listeners to reflect on what happens when God’s promise to David seems to clash with visible history.

This episode explores the difference between head knowledge and true relationship with God through the Greek word epignosis. Russ uses several New Testament passages to show that Bible reading is meant to lead to deeper encounter, not just more information.He also shares personal stories from a small group conversation, a college church service, Glacier Bible Camp, and his own devotional time to show how God reveals himself in both dramatic and quiet ways.

Inside the episode:

• Russ opens with a story from a small group where a young woman described a powerful prayer meeting experience that confirmed her faith.
• The main theme is the difference between knowing about God and knowing God personally.
• He introduces the Greek word epignosis as a fuller, deeper, more definite kind of knowledge.
• In Ephesians 1, Paul prays that believers would grow in the epignosis of God, showing that even Christians need deeper relationship, not just conversion.
• In Colossians 1, Paul prays for epignosis of God’s will, connecting spiritual insight with wise decisions and fruitful living.
• Russ contrasts this with 2 Timothy 3, where people are “always learning and never able to arrive at an epignosis of the truth.”
• He warns that Bible knowledge without obedience or relationship can leave a person spiritually unchanged.
• Russ reframes the goal of Bible reading: not to know all the stories or ace a theology exam, but to know God.
• He shares personal examples of God speaking through camp, a church service in college, and daily Scripture reading.
• He closes by encouraging listeners to read the Bible expectantly, asking God what he is saying through the text.

Russ walks through wisdom psalms as a distinct category in the book of Psalms, showing how they teach the way of the Lord that leads to life. He focuses on Psalm 1 and Psalm 73 to explore how choices become patterns, patterns become paths, and why the presence of God matters more than the appearance of success.

Inside the episode:

• In this episode, Russ introduces wisdom psalms as poems that teach how to live, not just how to pray.
• Psalm 1 contrasts the way of the righteous with the way of the wicked through a deliberate progression: walking, standing, sitting.
• Russ explains Hebrew-style meditation as filling the mind with God’s word, not emptying the mind.
• He highlights the image of a tree planted by streams of water as a picture of slow, season-based fruitfulness.
• The episode wrestles with the problem that wicked people sometimes prosper while righteous people suffer.
• Psalm 73 is used to show Asaph’s envy, frustration, and eventual shift in perspective when he enters God’s sanctuary.
• Russ emphasizes that the wise life is not about using God to get a good life, but discovering that life with God is the good life.
• He closes by pairing Psalm 1 and Psalm 73 as a summary of wisdom: stay rooted, watch your path, and trust God’s presence for perspective.
• Russ recommends reading Psalm 37 as a next step, paying attention to the actions the writer calls for.

Russ explains what biblical trust really means by walking through Psalm 46 and comparing it with other trust psalms like Psalm 23, Psalm 27, Psalm 62, and Psalm 121. He uses the story of moving to Bozeman and living with his blind aunt Esther to show that trust is not pretending danger is unreal, but knowing where refuge is when life feels unstable.

Inside the episode:

• In this episode: what “Psalms of trust” are and how they differ from praise, lament, and thanksgiving psalms
• Russ shares how Psalm 46 pictures security through images like a shepherd, light, stronghold, rock, and fortress
• In this episode: why Psalm 46 is a trust psalm even though it describes chaos in nature, war among nations, and collapsing kingdoms
• Russ explains the repeated word Selah and how it likely marks musical pauses or interludes in the psalm
• In this episode: how “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble” frames the whole psalm
• Russ walks through the three sections of Psalm 46, from natural chaos to political chaos to God’s command to be still
• In this episode: why “Be still and know that I am God” is better understood as letting go or ceasing, not merely being quiet
• Russ warns against reading trust psalms as promises that nothing bad will happen
• In this episode: the difference between protection from trouble and God’s presence in trouble
• Russ closes by pointing listeners to Psalm 121 as a practical prayer for seasons of uncertainty

Russ ties Labor Day to the Bible’s bigger picture of work and rest, then reads Psalm 92 as a Sabbath psalm for reflection. It’s a short, devotional episode that moves from holiday trivia into a simple reminder: God made people for both labor and rest.

Inside the episode

• In this episode, Russ opens with Labor Day traditions and trivia, including the old custom of putting away white clothes and straw hats after the holiday.
• He traces Labor Day’s history from Oregon’s 1887 state holiday to the federal holiday established in 1894.
• Russ explains how Labor Day emerged from the 19th-century labor movement, especially the fight for the eight-hour day.
• He shares the lyrics of an old labor song: “Eight hours for work, eight hours for rest, eight hours for what we will.”
• Russ connects the holiday to Scripture by pointing to God’s pattern of work and rest in Genesis 2.
• He also notes the Sabbath command in Exodus 20 as a biblical foundation for regular rest.
• The main devotional focus is Psalm 92, described as a psalm for the Sabbath day.
• Russ reads the psalm’s themes of thanksgiving, praise, God’s unfailing love, and faithfulness morning and evening.
• He highlights the contrast between the flourishing of the wicked and the lasting fruitfulness of the godly.
• The episode ends with a simple blessing for Labor Day and Russ signing off to rest from his own work.

Russ continues his Psalms series by unpacking what a Thanksgiving Psalm really is, using Psalm 116 as the main example. He shows how gratitude in the Psalms is never just a feeling - it becomes a testimony about what God did in a real crisis, and why remembering that story matters for faith today.He also shares a personal story about his healing and tells the surprising path of Psalm 116’s words from Scripture to Isaac Watts to African American church singing to Richard Smallwood to Whitney Houston.

Inside the episode:

• In this episode, Russ explains the difference between lament, praise, and Thanksgiving Psalms, with Psalm 116 as the clearest example of gratitude rooted in a specific rescue.
• He reads Psalm 116 closely and highlights the flow of the psalm: trouble, a simple cry for help, God’s response, and then public thanksgiving.
• Russ emphasizes that prayer does not need polished religious language, using “Please, Lord, save me” as a model of honest, direct prayer.
• He focuses on the phrase “God bends down to listen,” explaining it as a picture of God’s closeness and attention, especially to the humble and childlike.
• Russ shares how Thanksgiving includes speaking to your own soul - remembering what God has done so that present anxiety does not erase past faithfulness.
• He tells his own story of childhood eye healing and ongoing gratitude, using it as an example of how remembering past help strengthens trust in God now.
• The episode explores why Thanksgiving in Psalm 116 is public, not private - the psalmist tells the story in the presence of God’s people and turns gratitude into testimony.
• Russ reflects on the line about God caring deeply when his loved ones die, noting that Thanksgiving does not require pretending loss is unreal or that every story ends the same way.
• He traces the hymn’s journey from Psalm 116 to Isaac Watts, then through church tradition, Richard Smallwood, and Whitney Houston’s version of “I Love the Lord,” showing how testimony travels across generations.
• Russ closes by inviting listeners to read Psalm 30, look for the story behind the gratitude, and remember one personal story they may need to tell again.