Bible Geeks Podcast

What advice might “Younger You” have for you today? What’s the difference between a typical January resolution and an effective goal? And how can sharing a commitment with a brother or sister give you a rocket boost toward success? Here, in session 9 of the What’s Good guided study, we take a hard look at the difference between satisfaction and striving. Or to put it another way, between plateauing and pursuing excellence. Something Jesus Said shows us how the church is a City of Excellence where everyone tries to “be excellent to each other.” And we spend some time with arete — the Heavy Word the New Testament often translates as “excellence.” We both left this conversation challenged to press on to “higher ground,” and we think you will too! Find the guide for this conversation and all the other resources for this series at biblegeeks.fm/good.

The Big Idea: Though we're not perfect, we glorify God by stretching daily to be better and do better.

This Week's Challenge: Share a short-term goal with a friend and ask them to check in with you soon.

Show Notes

• What’s Good Study Guide - Session 9 (PDF)
• "Cheese Doodles" (DAILY DOWNLOAD)
• Jesus Said: Matthew 5:14-16 (VERSE)
• Young Folks (EPISODE SERIES)
• "The Magic Word" (DAILY DOWNLOAD)
• What’s Good Guided Study (WEBSITE)

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What’s the difference between valuing someone and having a friendship with them? How does humor lighten our load? And what does the old metaphor of “investing” in someone like a bank account teach us about the “brother born for adversity”? We go Finding Jesus in third John and also find how much that short book tells us about good friends. And from communicating without a word to late night conversations, we count down some of our Favorite Things about friendship. It’s session 8 of What’s Good, and all the resources are at Bible geeks.fm/good.

The Big Idea: Through consistent acts of loyal love, we stockpile trust that friends draw on for a lifetime.

This Week's Challenge: Make a list of a few friends you're thankful for and pray for them.

Show Notes

• What’s Good Study Guide - Session 8 (PDF)
• "An Odd Couple" (DAILY DOWNLOAD)
• Jesus Starter (VERSE)
• "Cheese Doodles" (DAILY DOWNLOAD)
• What’s Good Guided Study (WEBSITE)

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How does God provide for us through our loved ones? What does Ruth teach us about prayer? And how do our familial roles change as we get older? This week, in session 7 of our What’s Good study, we appreciate God’s gift of family, from blessings like our moms and kids to our brothers and sisters in Christ. What Jesus Said about honoring parents in Matthew 15:3-6 leaves us thinking about the false dichotomies and how serving God leads us to serve our families. Flying Through the book of Ruth, we see a picture of family lost and restored as folks find the kindness of family in surprising places. You can find the video and study guide for this conversation (and lots more) at biblegeeks.fm/good.

The Big Idea: Family bonds can give us love and acceptance that reflects our Heavenly Father's.

This Week's Challenge: Share with a family member how they've blessed your life.

Show Notes

• What’s Good Study Guide - Session 7 (PDF)
• "Grandma Nine-Pies" (DAILY DOWNLOAD)
• Jesus Said: Matthew 15:3-6 (VERSE)
• Flying Through the Book: Ruth (VERSE)
• "An Odd Couple" (DAILY DOWNLOAD)
• What’s Good Guided Study (WEBSITE)
• “Turned Tables” by Bryan Schiele (SERMON)
• XKCD — False Dichotomy (WEBSITE)

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Is “dill pickle” Christianity God’s way? Does he want us permanently somber and stoic, embracing asceticism and austerity? Or is there a place in God’s will for enjoying his blessings? This week, we challenge these ideas with a look at celebration in Scripture. We start with what Jesus Said about the joy in heaven over the return of a sinner, learning to smile at what makes God happy, and to be there for each other in happy times. Then it’s time for some Deeeep Thoughts on enjoyment. Along the way, we learn that the Christian life is both a festival and an adventure. We hope you find it encouraging as you “go on your way rejoicing” (cf. Acts 8:39). Go to biblegeeks.fm/good for all the guides, videos, and other resources for this series.

The Big Idea: It pleases and glorifies God when we gratefully enjoy his blessings together.

This Week's Challenge: Get together with a friend to share a meal.

Show Notes

• What’s Good Study Guide - Session 6 (PDF)
• "Party Planning" (DAILY DOWNLOAD)
• Jesus Said: Luke 15:3-10 (VERSE)
• "Grandma Nine-Pies" (DAILY DOWNLOAD)
• What’s Good Guided Study (WEBSITE)
• Rock Springs Cafe (WEBSITE)

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How have hymns shaped your thinking? What songs have gotten you through tough times? This week’s conversation is a celebration of singing! First, we look to an example of Jesus singing a hymn before his betrayal, imagining what it was like in that upper room. Then we bring back one of our favorite segments, as each of us drafts an A-Team of praise songs in Scripture. What an amazing gift God gave us in music! And what a difference spiritual songs make in the life of his church! Find the starter video, the guide, and all the resources at biblegeeks.fm/good.

The Big Idea: Singing expresses what's inside us — what we believe, feel, and decide.

This Week's Challenge: Ask a friend to sing a meaningful song with you this week.

Show Notes

• What’s Good Study Guide - Session 5 (PDF)
• "Bursting Into Song" (DAILY DOWNLOAD)
• Like the Teacher: Mark 14:26 (VERSE)
• "Party Planning" (DAILY DOWNLOAD)
• What’s Good Guided Study (WEBSITE)

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Have you ever thought about how many blessings you enjoy because of the God-given talents of others? Or about the strange and wonderful mix of different abilities and interests people have? This week we continue our What’s Good guided study with a discussion of God’s gifts of talents. We go finding Jesus in the Bible’s “body” passages, noticing how often we fail to appreciate other people’s gifts — and our own! Then we dive into a character study of two inspired craftsmen who built masterworks for God. Find the study guide and all the videos and resources for this 13-session study at biblegeeks.fm/good.

The Big Idea: God manifests his wisdom and glory in the diversity he has filled his good world with.

This Week's Challenge: Mention someone’s unique talent to them, and thank them.

Show Notes

• What’s Good Study Guide - Session 4 (PDF)
• "Teenage Talents on Tape" (DAILY DOWNLOAD)
• Finding Jesus: Rom. 12:3-8 (VERSE)
• Finding Jesus: 1 Cor. 12:12-26 (VERSE)
• "Bursting Into Song" (DAILY DOWNLOAD)
• What’s Good Guided Study (WEBSITE)
• “Sudden Skill” by Bryan Schiele (SERMON)

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We know biblical rest means more than taking a break, but what’s it really about? What would a weekly Sabbath communicate to a bunch of former Egyptian slaves? And What’s The Deal with God resting on the seventh day of creation? This week we continue the What’s Good guided study, pausing to appreciate God’s gift of rest. We learn to get away from it all Like the Teacher, Jesus, did in Mark 6:30-32. And we share what keeps us from relaxing, realizing we’re still learning how to rest. Go to biblegeeks.fm/good for the guides, videos, and all the What’s Good resources.

The Big Idea: Work is good, but God also created us to enjoy the sweetness of rest.

This Week's Challenge: Give someone you love a break.

Show Notes

• What’s Good Study Guide - Session 3 (PDF)
• "Stop!" (DAILY DOWNLOAD)
• Like the Teacher: Mark 6:30-32 (VERSE)
• "Teenage Talents on Tape" (DAILY DOWNLOAD)
• What’s Good Guided Study (WEBSITE)

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Who’s the boss in your life? Who really signs your paychecks? And is work a curse or a gift? This week, we take on session 2 of the What’s Good guided study, celebrating God’s gift of work - both ours, and the work of others. We count down our Top 4 Proverbs on work and discover a surprising “destroyer.” And after Finding Jesus in a commandment to slaves, our Reach Out question looks at the source of our work ethic. From the tasks you secretly love to those frustrating aspects of your job, Scripture gives a lot of direction and leaves no doubt that work is a blessing from our loving God! Go to biblegeeks.fm/good to find the study guide and all the resources for this What’s Good study.

The Big Idea: The chance to do good work and appreciate the work of others is worth celebrating.

This Week's Challenge: Identify and do a task at work specifically for God.

Show Notes

• What’s Good Study Guide - Session 2 (PDF)
• "Off to Work I Go" (DAILY DOWNLOAD)
• Finding Jesus: Col. 3:22-24 (VERSE)
• "Stop!" (DAILY DOWNLOAD)
• What’s Good Guided Study (WEBSITE)

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What do creepy bugs, bubbling paint pots, and acorn woodpeckers have in common? They’re all part of God’s created world, and all part of this week’s episode. Here in session one of our new “What’s Good” series, we start exploring God’s good gifts with a discussion of the natural world He’s made for us to enjoy. What Jesus Said in Matthew 6:28-30 gets us thinking about bird watching and all that we can learn by looking around. Then we set Poetry in Motion, moving through Psalm 148 and wondering at the idea of angels, “dragons,” and inanimate objects praising the Lord. We hope that after this episode you — like us — can’t wait to step outside and take in God’s amazing creation, meditating on the unimaginable power, wisdom, and love of the One who made us all.

The Big Idea: When we don't take in the natural world, we miss a window into the wonder of God's goodness and greatness.

This Week's Challenge: Go on a nature walk and meditate on God's wondrous works.

Show Notes

• What’s Good Study Guide - Session 1 (PDF)
• "Samurai Squirrels" (DAILY DOWNLOAD)
• Jesus Said: Matt. 6:28-30 (VERSE)
• Poetry in Motion: Psalm 148 (VERSE)
• "Off to Work I Go" (DAILY DOWNLOAD)
• What’s Good Guided Study (WEBSITE)

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It’s been awhile, but we’re excited to be back to our normal recording schedule, starting this week. And we’re introducing our next big, thirteen-session Guided Study, called “What’s Good.” Our goal with the series is to direct our attention to some of the “pure ... lovely ... commendable” things we should “think on” (Phil. 4:8). Because in the midst of “this present darkness” (Eph. 6:12), can’t we all use some help focusing on the light? So on Monday, we’ll start three weeks of Daily Download videos — fifteen short videos on good things worth dwelling on. Then we hope you’ll join us for our regular, weekly episodes each Thursday over the next quarter, as we talk about God’s good gifts and some virtues worthy of reflection. In this episode, we kick the series off with what Jesus said about healthy eyes and then a dive into Philippians 4:8, our Scripture du Jour. Thanks everyone for your patience and for coming back as we start up this encouraging, new series!

The Big Idea: The Lord doesn't just want us to do good things, he also wants us to think about good things.

This Week's Challenge: Change your environment to support praiseworthy thinking.

Show Notes

Gamechanger: Dwell on the Good (SERMON)

Training Wheels Guided Study (PDF)

What’s Good Guided Study (WEBSITE)

Steve Jobs’ iPhone Keynote (VIDEO)

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