Bible Geeks Podcast

What do you look forward to so much it can keep you going when things get hard? It’s “hope” week in our Cross Training, so this week Jesus teaches us to pray with hope and Noah teaches us to live with confidence. How is hoping for heaven like waiting for a car alarm to go off? What words help us triangulate our hope? If you’re like us, you might appreciate a reminder of the spectacular future God has in store for us! We hope you enjoy it!

The Big Idea: Our hope is not in an outcome, but in the God who faithfully brings a good ending.

Weekly Challenges: Find this week’s Through the Week challenges here

Show Notes

• Cross Training - "This Won’t Last Forever" (DAILY DOWNLOAD)
• Cross Training - Through the Week Challenges - Week 18
• Like the Teacher: John 11:17-44 (VERSE)
• When people call you 'The Armpit of America,' take it as a compliment (BLOG)
• The Bible Geeks Facebook Group (FACEBOOK)

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This week we’re moving onto another mark of the Master: joy! We’ll see how God rejoices over us with shouts of joy. A man and woman are thrilled to meet the redeemer of all humanity in the temple. And we’ll answer some questions about the earliest converts to Christ. How does acknowledging bad news highlight the greatness of good news? Why do some reject that fantastic news? And could our joy be stolen from us? Find out this week as we continue our Cross Training series.

The Big Idea: The gospel of Jesus is grand and vast, solving the chronic problem of our human condition — sin — for all time.

Weekly Challenges: Find this week’s Through the Week challenges here.

Show Notes

• Cross Training - "Instant Joy" (DAILY DOWNLOAD)
• Cross Training - Through the Week Challenges - Week 17
• Like the Teacher: Luke 2:22-38 (VERSE)
• The Bible Geeks Facebook Group (FACEBOOK)

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If you've ever sent a "Thank You" card for someone's "Thank You" card, this episode's for you! What does slingin' lattes at Starbucks or scoopin' ice cream at TCBY teach us about serving others? We're wrapping up our conversation of servanthood — a mark of the Master we're working on this year — with a discussion about showing honor to others. Jesus wasn't honored in his hometown, but how can we avoid treating those closest to us disrespectfully? We rejoice to know that he's restoring dignity to the disgraced. And we find a strange boy-meets-girl story where a Moabitess named Ruth sleeps at Boaz's feet while she shows honor to her mother-in-law. Plus, we're covering five Through the Week challenges. Thanks for tuning in!

The Big Idea: The Master made humanity in his image, so we honor his creation by treating people with the utmost respect.

Weekly Challenges: Find this week’s Through the Week challenges here.

Show Notes

• Cross Training - "Gone for Good?" (DAILY DOWNLOAD)
• Cross Training - Through the Week Challenges - Week 16
• Like the Teacher: Luke 4:16-30 (VERSE)
• The Bible Geeks Facebook Group (FACEBOOK)

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"For God so loved the world, he gave ..." This week, we find some surprises in the verses surrounding the world's most beloved verse — John 3:16 — and also look at another John 3:16 (First John 3:16, that is!). We dive into some Crosswords — Heavy Words spoken at the cross — finding potent irony and some guidance for life and death. We close with some challenges to help us "Cross Train" in sacrificial love. We hope the conversation leads you back to Calvary, as it did for us. May we all learn to love like He does!

The Big Idea: We don’t have inexhaustible resources, but we trust God to provide as we joyfully imitate Christ’s sacrificial service.

Weekly Challenges: Find this week’s Through the Week challenges here.

Show Notes

• Cross Training - "As You Wish" (DAILY DOWNLOAD)
• Cross Training - Through the Week Challenges - Week 15
• Like the Teacher: John 3:1-21 (VERSE)
• CrossWords - Near the Cross (PDF)
• CrossWords - From the Cross (PDF)
• The Servant by Ryan Joy (SERMON)
• The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg (BOOK)
• The Bible Geeks Facebook Group (FACEBOOK)

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Programming Note: This week, we're replaying one of our favorite episodes from the past. We'll be back next week with a brand new episode.

Why is spiritual development like monkey bars or the American Ninja Warrior obstacle course? On this episode, we're talking about humility and learning to learn! We cover the pervasive problem of male pride, raising children in God's discipline and instruction, and the value of wounds from a friend. And we look to Jesus' perfect pattern of humility, as one who had "the tongue of those who are taught" in Isaiah 50:4-7. We also lament our kids' muddy shoes and discuss how to save a failing restaurant.

The Big Idea: Hearing about our failures isn’t easy, but it’s necessary for leading us to spiritual growth. And developing a tongue taught by God and ears open to his instruction leads us to stability and confidence.

Weekly Challenge: Ask someone close to you what step you could take toward spiritual growth.

Show Notes

• Jesus Said … Isaiah 50:4-7
• 12 Rules for Life: An Antidote to Chaos by Jordan B. Peterson (BOOK)
• American Ninja Warrior (SHOW)
• Restaurant: Impossible (SHOW)
• Handling Hard Words by Bryan Schiele (SERMON)
• How Do You Handle A Situation Where You Feel You Have Been Unfairly Rebuked? By Ryan Joy (SERMON)

Is it time for an eye exam? Like a funhouse mirror, a distorted lens can lead us in fear and pride, but Christ gives new eyes through his example and teaching. This week we start with "sons of thunder" and their bold request for glory. Then, Saul's conversion shows us what happens when the "scales" fall from our eyes, in our newest Here's the Story segment. Finally, our Through the Week challenges show us how to get personal without taking things too personally.

The Big Idea: Joyful service comes from catching Christ’s vision of true blessedness.

Weekly Challenges: Find this week’s Through the Week challenges here.

Show Notes

• Cross Training - "Bionic Vision" (DAILY DOWNLOAD)
• Cross Training - Through the Week Challenges - Week 13
• Like the Teacher: Mark 10:35-52 (VERSE)
• Here’s the Story - Saul’s Conversion: Acts 9:1:25(VERSE)
• "The Skinny Mirror" on Shark Tank (YOUTUBE)

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Are you “open” for business, ready to serve and connect with others? In this week’s Like the Teacher, we discover the childlike goodness of Jesus and learn to evaluate interruptions like he does. We also share some Deeep Thoughts about the early church’s availability to each other. Finally, we throw down five challenges you can do with us Through the Week. It’s a conversation about friendship and fellowship, two of the best things God has given us in this world. Hope you’ll join us!

The Big Idea: To love others well, we need to commit to their worth and believe the best in them.

Weekly Challenges: Find this week’s Through the Week challenges here.

Show Notes

• Cross Training - “When You Need It” (DAILY DOWNLOAD)
• Cross Training - Through the Week Challenges - Week 12
• Like the Teacher: Mark 10:13-16 (VERSE)
• Bear It All by Bryan Schiele (SERMON)

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“Baby steps to the door, baby steps down the stairs ...” Like Bill Murray in What About Bob, this week we’re learning it’s sometimes hard to plan a future beyond the next right step. Mary and Martha teach us to slow down and ask a timely question in a Like the Teacher story. We also give our Top 4 Proverbs on priorities and discover that our most fertile mission field might be closer than we think. And we close with five challenges we can do together to help establish God-honoring priorities.

The Big Idea: Our ever-changing lives require vigilant attention to prioritize the Lord and do what matters most NOW.

Weekly Challenges: Find this week’s Through the Week challenges here.

Show Notes

• Cross Training - “Things That Matter Most” (DAILY DOWNLOAD)
• Cross Training - Through the Week Challenges - Week 11
• Like the Teacher: Luke 10:38-42 (VERSE)
• Baby Steps (YOUTUBE)
• One Sec — Take a Deep Breath (iOS APP)
• Seven Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey (BOOK)

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Living dangerously ... but with discernment? This week we start with Jesus’ consuming zeal, as he cleanses the temple, guns blazing, so to speak. What if we acted with that kind of force and passion? That leads into a Shema Edition of Heavy Words, as we seek to live the Greatest Commandment. Finally, we take on (maybe) our toughest set of challenges yet, working on giving our whole hearts to the Lord.

The Big Idea: Wholehearted service to God requires honesty before him.

Weekly Challenges: Find this week’s Through the Week challenges here.

Show Notes

• Cross Training - “Squish Like Grape” (DAILY DOWNLOAD)
• Cross Training - Through the Week Challenges - Week 10
• Like the Teacher: John 2:13-17 (VERSE)
• Heavy Words: Shema Edition (VERSE)
• Quote by William Hutchinson Murray (WEBSITE)
• Episode 21 - “That’s Bad Advertising” (EPISODE)
• Weeble’s Commercial (VIDEO)
• Bible Geeks Patreon (WEBSITE)
• Bible Geeks Facebook Group (FACEBOOK)

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What's your Impenetrable Barrier? And what does counting the cost have to do with life in a Vietnam POW camp? This week we look at the DEDICATION required of a disciple, taking on some hard words of Jesus about who "cannot" follow him. Plus, Bryan explains what it means to be the apple of God's eye, and we appreciate the "prayer of a righteous man" in a Psalm 17 edition of Poetry in Motion. As usual, we end by working through 5 challenges you can do with us Through the Week. We hope you'll join us!

The Big Idea: If we’re not prepared for difficulty and sacrifice, we won’t have the will to finish.

Weekly Challenges: Find this week’s Through the Week challenges here.

Show Notes

• Cross Training - “Pay the Price” (DAILY DOWNLOAD)
• Cross Training - Through the Week Challenges - Week 9
• Like the Teacher: Luke 14:25-33 (VERSE)
• Poetry in Motion: Psalm 17 (VERSE)

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