Bible Geeks Podcast

How would your life change if you could — like Elisha’s servant — see into the unseen realm? And what does Ephesians tell us about the meaning of life, the universe, and everything? This week we launch our new guided study, Talking Through Ephesians, with an introduction to this “mind-blowing” letter. Somehow, we also talk about Steve Jobs and Jesse Owens, about what it really takes to make a scratch apple pie, and the idea of being watched by loved ones in heaven. Finding Jesus in Ephesians, we discuss why Paul emphasizes the title Christ and what it means to see Jesus as the church’s husband. Then, Flying Through Ephesians, we go from the debate over the recipients, to insights from each section, to the main theme of the book. We’re super excited to get ok into this book and invite you to find a friend or group to talk through the book with as well! Go to biblegeeks.fm/ephesians each week to find the videos and guides.

The Big Idea: Your choices are central to God's eternal purpose for everything.

This Week's Challenge: Invite someone to talk through Ephesians with you over the next few months.

Show Notes

• Talking Through Ephesians Study Guide - Session 1 (PDF)
• "Zooming Out" (CONVERSATION STARTER)
• Finding Jesus: Ephesians 1-6 (VERSE)
• Talking Through Ephesians Guided Study (WEBSITE)

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How can Peter say, both “look at us” and “stop staring at us” in the same story (Acts 3)? And for that matter, how does Jesus tell us to both, “let people see your good works” and NOT to do them “to be seen” in the same sermon (Matt. 5-7)? How do we practically pivot to Jesus from ourselves? We get into a lot of challenging questions this week in a Do You Understand segment drawn from the lame man’s healing at the temple gate. It takes us from the purpose of miracles to setting our spiritual GPS to the right destination. We hope you find it encouraging and helpful!

Show Notes

• “Stop Staring” (DAILY DOWNLOAD)
• Like the Teacher: Acts 3:4-6 (VERSE)

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It’s Acapeldridge week at the Bible Geeks! We’re excited to welcome our dear friend, Michael Eldridge, to this conversation all about spiritual songs and how they impact us. If you’re not familiar with Michael’s singing and hymn writing (@acapeldridge on YouTube) you’re missing out on some beautiful and edifying music. So we enlisted his help building an A-Team of beloved hymns. And along the way we talk about our secret un-favorite songs of the church and some stories about how spiritual music weaves into every part of our lives.

The Big Idea: Spiritual songs are life-bringing treasures worth spending time with each day.

This Week's Challenge: Sing!

Show Notes

• Like the Teacher: Hebrews 2:11-12 (VERSE)
• Acapeldridge (WEBSITE)
• Acapeldridge on YouTube (YOUTUBE)
• Timeless Psalter (WEBSITE)
• “It Is Well With My Soul” (HYMN)
• “El Elyon” (HYMN)
• “In Christ Alone” (HYMN)
• “Abide With Me” (HYMN)
• “On Jordan’s Stormy Banks I Stand” (HYMN)
• “On Zion’s Glorious Summit” (HYMN)
• “My Soul Waits” - “Timeless: Ancient Psalms for the Church Today” (HYMN)
• “My Soul Waits” - “Timeless: Ancient Psalms for the Church Today” (HYMN)
• “The New Song” (HYMN)
• “Soldiers of Christ Arise” (HYMN)

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What traditions help you build connection with others? What did people mean when they said Jesus was a “friend of sinners”? It’s our second week in a row of the Bible Geeks AV Club, as we work our way into episode two of The Chosen. We kick things off with a conversation about which of these Sabbath meals we would probably find ourselves in, then we dive into a Like the Teacher discussion based on Matthew 11:19. At the heart of this episode is the statement of Mary, “I was one way, and now I am completely different.” Any disciple of Christ could surely say the same, and we explore the way the Lord touches each of these lives differently in a segment we call Deep Thoughts. You can find The Chosen on most streaming services or for free on The Chosen app (see link in the notes below). Looking ahead, don’t miss next week’s conversation about great hymns with special guest, Michael Eldridge, of Acapeldridge.

The Big Idea: No one is forgotten by Jesus, the friend of outcasts and savior of sinners.

This Week's Challenge: Connect with someone over a meal.

Show Notes

• The Chosen (WEBSITE)
• Like the Teacher: Matthew 11:19 (VERSE)
• Watch the Chosen (WEBSITE)
• Where to Stream the Chosen (WEBSITE)
• The Chosen - S1E2 - “Shabbat” (WIKI)

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The next two weeks, we’re kicking off the Bible Geeks A.V. Club — our chance to watch films and shows and talk about them — with a conversation about the first two episodes of The Chosen. If (somehow) you haven’t heard of it, The Chosen is a historical drama about Jesus’ life that has caught people’s attention in a big way, with reportedly over 100 million viewers generating lots of conversations about — our favorite subject — Jesus. So this week we go Finding Jesus in a passage quoted throughout this episode, Isaiah 43:1. And after recapping the story, we share a few of our Favorite Things and discuss the place of media like this in our modern religious landscape. If you haven’t watched the show, you can check it out on the free The Chosen app, or almost any major streaming platform (Netflix, Amazon Prime, Peacock).

The Big Idea: When Jesus becomes part of our story, he changes us.

This Week's Challenge: Find a way to start a conversation about Jesus.

Show Notes

• The Chosen (WEBSITE)
• Finding Jesus: Isaiah 43:1 (VERSE)
• Watch the Chosen (WEBSITE)
• Where to Stream the Chosen (WEBSITE)
• The Chosen - S1E1 - “I Have Called You By Name” (WIKI)
• The Chosen - S1E2 - “Shabbat” (WIKI)

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How can God’s word interrupt our internal dialogue and focus us on what matters? And what’s better than a “360 degree turnaround”? This week we complete the Talking to Yourself guided study. First we discuss what Jesus Said in his six “But I say to you” statements in Matthew 5. Then we dive into the parable of the Rich Fool in a Here’s the Story that leads us to reexamine our lives in light of eternity. From Swifties to monkeys, basketball blocks to the Emperor’s Groove, we cover a lot of ground but the focus is on the way Jesus’ teaching redirects our thinking. Go to biblegeeks.fm/talkingtoyourself for all the videos and guides for this study.

The Big Idea: The best thing that can happen to our inner dialogue is to bring God into the conversation.

This Week's Challenge: Write a helpful memory verse on a slip of paper and repeat it to yourself throughout the week.

Show Notes

• Talking to Yourself - Session 3 - Study Guide(PDF)
• Talking to Yourself - Session 3 - Conversation Starter (VIDEO)
• Talking to Yourself Guided Study (WEBSITE)
• Jesus Said: Matt. 5:22, 28, 32, 34, 39, 44 (VERSE)
• Here’s the Story: The Rich Fool (VERSE)

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What’s the problem with advice that starts with, “All you have to do is just ...”? How are our struggles like epic beetle battles? And how do we find our special hiding place in God? In this week’s Jesus Said, we draw encouragement from the Lord’s words to Peter as he sank into the sea. And we set Poetry in Motion with two psalms that repeat the refrain, “Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me?” (Ps. 42 & 43). Then in our Reach Out segment, we talk about the quicksand in our own lives, from obsessing over sickness and death to spiraling in our doubts and relationship struggles. The big theme of the episode is God’s faithfulness and strength to deliver, and it’s a message worth returning to again and again. Find the study guide and videos for this series at biblegeeks.fm/talkingtoyourself.

The Big Idea: God can calm our fears, anxieties, and crippling uncertainties.

This Week's Challenge: Lift someone up by offering them an encouraging word.

Show Notes

• Talking to Yourself - Session 2 - Study Guide(PDF)
• Talking to Yourself - Session 2 - Conversation Starter (VIDEO)
• Talking to Yourself Guided Study (WEBSITE)
• Jesus Said: Matt. 14:31 (VERSE)
• Poetry in Motion: Psalm 42 (VERSE)
• Poetry in Motion: Psalm 43 (VERSE)

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This week we're starting a new 3-session Guided Study called "Talking to Yourself," where we probe the depths of our thoughts. Caution: things get "really real" as we start to tell ourselves the truth! What do we learn from Jesus' teaching style about eyes and ears that don't work correctly? How does this simple phrase, "Do not be deceived," pop up throughout the Scriptures? And what are we not seeing clearly in our own lives? And as a bonus, don't miss Ryan's true feelings toward beets and Bryan's thoughts on the combination of chocolate, strawberry, and vanilla ice cream. Find this Guided Study at biblegeeks.fm/talkingtoyourself!

The Big Idea: We get to choose which inner voice we obey.

This Week's Challenge: Acknowledge any falsehood in your heart and ask God to forgive you.

Show Notes

• Talking to Yourself - Session 1 - Study Guide(PDF)
• Talking to Yourself - Session 1 - Conversation Starter (VIDEO)
• Talking to Yourself Guided Study (WEBSITE)
• Like the Teacher: Matt. 13:13-15 (VERSE)

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How are our thoughts like looping commercials? And how is your heart like a fish tank? We’re thinking about thinking again this week as we kick off a new guided study called Talking to Yourself, all about what we say in our hearts. We kick it off with what Jesus Said about the source of evil. Then we share some Deep Thoughts about what people in Scripture say to themselves. Look for five short videos in this series to break next week on our YouTube channel, Facebook page, and website. And then follow along with the whole series of studies at biblegeeks.fm/talkingtoyourself.

The Big Idea: What we tell ourselves can impact us in ways we don’t even realize.

This Week's Challenge: Catch a conversation with yourself in progress and notice if it’s edifying or unproductive.

Show Notes

• Jesus Said: Mark 7:21-23 (VERSE)
• “No!” (WEEKLY EPISODE)
• I Love Lucy and the Chocolate Factory (YOUTUBE)

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And we have a winner! This week we wrap up our 2023 Bible Bracket, surveying the life and writings of Paul the Apostle, who voters identified as a Favorite Figure of Faith (biblegeeks.fm/bracket). We’re also excited to have Jeff O’Rear join us on this week’s episode. Jeff is an evangelist with the Judson Road church of Christ in Longview, Texas, and seemed like the perfect guest co-host for a review of the Bible Bracket. Together, we talk about our biggest upsets (Barnbabas!!!), why we appreciate Paul, and who else has impacted us by their example in Scripture. We hope you find the conversation encouraging!

The Big Idea: God preserved the stories of the faithful so we can reflect on them and learn.

This Week's Challenge: Ask someone about their favorite figure of faith.

Show Notes

• The Bible Bracket: Favorite Figures (WEBSITE)
• “From A to Z” (EPISODE)
• Working with the Word (PODCAST)
• Judson Road YouTube (YOUTUBE)
• Finding Jesus:1 Corinthians 10:31–11:1 

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