This week kicks off our 5th annual Dayton Women in the Word Summer Study! This summer, we will be working through the book of Mark. Over the next 8 weeks, we'll be sharing recordings from one of the sessions here with you on the podcast. To find both the Monday evening and the Wednesday morning recordings, as well as all of our other summer study resources, visit our Mark Resources page.

In Session 1, Heidi gives an overview of what to expect during our summer study and gives us a quick overview of some of the resources available this summer. She then gives a sweeping overview of the Big Story of the Bible and tells us how Mark fits into that Story. She walks through the five context questions helpful to ask before we read, highlights some major themes in the book, and explains the homework for Session 2.

For our last Summer Study Preview episode, Natalie chats with the two ladies who will be teaching the main sessions of the Mark Summer Study. As you get to know Heidi’s and Kaitlyn’s personal stories a bit more, you’ll also hear why they are so excited to teach Mark this summer, and how ladies can prepare their hearts coming into the study. If you have questions about summer study or anything else, you can contact the DWITW team at [email protected].

On today’s episode of the Summer Study Preview, Natalie sits down with Kate Haas to discuss the DWITW kids program that goes on during Wednesday morning sessions of the summer study. They reflect on how this aspect of the summer study began and how God has been faithful in continuing to grow the opportunities for DWITW to minister to children through the summer study. They also talk through what really it’s like to volunteer with the kids and which roles you can volunteer to fill.

Today, May 17th, is the last day to register! Also, if you have additional questions or would like to volunteer (there’s still a few openings!), email us at [email protected].

Summer study is nearly here! Natalie Herr and Lauren Steckling, the DWITW Bible Study Director, sit down to share details about summer study from registration and location to a high-level look at the kids program and how to volunteer. Registration is open until May 17th, and we would love to have you join us if you haven’t already signed up! If you have any additional questions about summer study, or would like to volunteer, feel free to send us an email at [email protected].

As we wrap up our season of At Home in the Word, Lindsey Fulton joins Jillian to discuss on last genre of Scripture: apocalyptic. Lindsey and Jillian look at the challenges of symbolism, structure, and sequence within apocryphal writings, as well as pausing to reflect on what this genre reveals about Christ before considering what is means for the future. While this can be a daunting genre to jump into, at its core it is meant to be an encouragement to the people of God who are living in the reality of the current world, while anticipating their forever home with God to come.

Bethany and Jillian sit down to talk all things epistolary on this episode of the DWITW podcast and how this literary style helps us gain a big picture view of Jesus. They discuss who wrote which epistles, why they were written, and what we can learn from them today as 21st century followers of Christ. They also touch on how these letters help us value understanding historical context and the surprising importance the people mentioned in these letters can carry.

This week, Erin Shaw joins Jillian on the podcast to dive into exploring the gospel literary genre and how to get started studying the books that fall into this category. They discuss how the gospels highlight the redemption portion of the Bible’s metanarrative arc and the good news they are infused with. They also look at how these books are theological biographies of Jesus, which describe teachings and events from His life that reveal how He fulfilled the law for all as the Messiah to all nations.

On this episode of the DWITW podcast, Mary Thomas joins Jillian to take a look at the biblical genre of prophecy. They discuss how God uses the prophetic genre to speak, guide, and give hope to His people to lead them toward repentance. They also take time to reflect on the value of taking time to gain your bearings in study and the incomparable worth of engaging in prayer before, during, and after reading the Word. The prophetic genre enables us to gain a clearer picture of God’s sovereignty and the hope we have because of His Son Jesus.

Jillian is joined by Lisa Meiners on the DWITW podcast today to take a look at the Psalms and biblical poetry. They discuss the depth and range of emotion found in the Psalms, and how poetry calls us to respond to God and interact with Him in the midst of all life’s aspects. While looking at challenges and resources for studying this genre, Lisa also highlights the images of Jesus that fill the Psalms and the power of Scripture interpreting Scripture.

This week on the DWITW podcast, Elise Herzing offers guidance as we take a look at what wisdom literature is, where we can find it in Scripture, and how a deeper understanding of ancient metaphors can affect and direct our everyday lives.