Genesis 24-25 & 1 Corinthians 9

Jonny Radcliff joins Gail Martin this week as Encounter with God Together guest and he brings the kind of curiosity that makes familiar chapters feel brand new.

We are at the far end of Abraham’s story now, where a man near the close of his life starts thinking hard about what comes after it. Jonny opens with a question about promises, the schoolyard kind and the ancient kind, and from there walks into one of the strangest oaths in Scripture. Then he pulls out a family tree most readers pass over without a second glance and traces a thread from a little-noticed name in Genesis 25 all the way to a moment you will recognize immediately.

From there we turn to 1 Corinthians 9, where Paul makes a careful case about how those who serve the gospel should be supported, and then does something unexpected with his own conclusion.

Following along with the Encounter with God daily Bible reading guide? Find it at⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ scriptureunion.org⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Featured Guest: Jonny Radcliff is a youth minister and speaker who serves as Philly Area Coordinator for the National Network of Youth Ministries and Program Director of the Union Network, a model for a multi-church, community-wide youth group. He invests in youth leaders across the Greater Philadelphia area, creates and facilitates trainings, and preaches at retreats, camps, chapels, and conferences. A Philly native, he felt called to youth ministry while at Liberty University.

 Featured Guest: Jonny Radcliff, youth minister
Jonny Radcliff is a youth minister and speaker who serves as Philly Area Coordinator for the National Network of Youth Ministries and Program Director of the Union Network, a model for a multi-church, community-wide youth group. He invests in youth leaders across the Greater Philadelphia area, creates and facilitates trainings, and preaches at retreats, camps, chapels, and conferences. A Philly native, he felt called to youth ministry while at Liberty University.

Genesis 19-24

This week on Encounter with God Together, Gail welcomes back Whitney Kuniholm, President Emeritus of Scripture Union-USA, as we move into Genesis 19 to 23 in our daily reading guide. Whitney opens with a warning. These chapters hold some of the most difficult material in all of Genesis, and rather than skip past it, he invites us to face into it. He offers three questions to carry through the week: what we are meant to do with the unsavory parts of Scripture, what a hundred years of Abraham’s life teaches us about the slow work of spiritual formation, and whether Abraham finished well. Along the way there is a bit of Bible trivia, a word from Flannery O’Connor on why the darkness makes the light easier to see, and a closing phrase from the baptismal covenant that Whitney suggests we hold onto all week long.

Following along with the Encounter with God daily Bible reading guide? Find it at⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ scriptureunion.org

Featured Guest: Whitney T. Kuniholm, SU-USA President Emeritus
Mr. Kuniholm is President Emeritus of Scripture Union-USA. He is a speaker and the author of several books on personal and group Bible study, including The Essential Series, three church-wide Bible reading programs based on his books. To date, the Essential Series has reached more than 20 million people and has been translated into 25 languages. His newest book, Top 10 Bible Stories, walks readers through five stories from the Old Testament and five from the New, offering a warm and unpressured way into Scripture for the curious and the skeptical alike. You can see previous episodes and read his blog at www.BibleEssentials.org

Genesis 12-16SU-USA President Gail Martin is joined this week by Dennis Brice, pastor and church planter, as they discuss readings in the book of Genesis. This week's readings take us into Genesis 12 through 16, the chapters where the story of faith begins. We have seasons set aside for Advent and for Easter, but very little that turns our attention to foundations.

Dennis makes the case that these few chapters are exactly that: the ground everything else stands on. Along the way we meet a man who is asked to leave everything familiar, a household straining under waiting and disappointment, quarreling kings, and a mysterious priest who brings out bread and wine. We also meet a servant woman in the wilderness who gives God a name no one else in Scripture gives him. Come and see how a four-thousand-year-old promise still reaches us, and what it means to be blessed so that we can be a blessing to others.

A note on this recording: our guest's video froze early on and stayed that way for most of the conversation. The audio is clear throughout, so settle in and listen. 

Following along with the Encounter with God daily Bible reading guide? Find it at⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ scriptureunion.org⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.Featured Guest: Dennis Brice, pastor and church planter
Rev. Dennis Brice is an ordained minister from the Church of Scotland who has spent his life engaged with church planting efforts. He has served as a campus pastor with InterVarsity, a pastor in Taiwan for 10 years and spent several years equipping others for ministry as Candidate Director of Arab World Ministries. Most recently, Dennis has served as a seasonal pastor in Portugal while continuing to support church-planting efforts in the U.S. He is known for his workshops on Luke and Mark, and his seminar "Tomorrow is Another Culture."

Genesis 12-14

Join us for this week’s episode of Encounter with God Together, the weekly companion to Scripture Union’s daily Bible reading guide, Encounter with God.

This week’s readings take us through Genesis 12–14, tracing Abraham’s call to leave everything familiar and step out in trust. Along the way we watch his faith tested, his family stretched, and a mysterious encounter unfold — one that points forward across the whole of Scripture to something far greater than Abraham could have known.

Our guest, Yvonne Vitale, brings a wealth of insight to these chapters, drawing connections from Genesis all the way through the Psalms and the book of Hebrews. Come explore what it means to walk with God through uncertainty, conflict, and unexpected grace.

Follow along with the Encounter with God daily Bible reading guide? Find it at⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ scriptureunion.org⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Featured Guest: Yvonne Vitale,
Yvonne Vitale has been serving with SU for many years, is a frequent guest on EWGT and shares Scripture on our social media channels. Yvonne works at East Christian School in NY, teaching performing arts to younger students. She was trained at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts and has worked as a teaching actor.

Show Notes — Scripture ReferencesGenesis 12–14Genesis 12 — God's call to Abram to leave Haran for CanaanJoshua 24:2 — background on Abram's family serving other gods before the callGenesis 12 — Abram and Sarai in EgyptGenesis 13 — Abram and Lot separate; Abram settles near the trees of Mamre at HebronGenesis 14 — the war of the kings, Lot's capture and rescue, and Abram's meeting with MelchizedekGenesis 14:18–20 — Melchizedek blesses Abram and receives a titheMelchizedek in the rest of ScripturePsalm 110:4 — David speaks of a priest forever in the order of MelchizedekHebrews 4:14 — Jesus as our great high priestHebrews 5 — Jesus exalted as high priest in the order of MelchizedekHebrews 6:19 — Jesus entered the Most Holy Place on our behalfHebrews 7:1–2 — Melchizedek as both king and priestHebrews 7:3 — a priesthood without recorded beginning or endHebrews 7:11 — Christ's priesthood surpasses the Levitical priesthoodHebrews 7:14 — Jesus, from Judah, greater than the Levitical lineHebrews 7:18 — a better covenant than the old oneHebrews 7:23 — Jesus saves completely and foreverAlso referencedPsalm 52 — David's rebuke of Doeg the Edomite (referred to as Psalm 53 in the discussion — worth a quick check before publishing, as Doeg's story is usually tied to Psalm 52)A brief mention of Lot's eventual return to Sodom, previewed for a future week's reading in Genesis 18–19

1 Corinthians 4–7

This week on Encounter with God Together, Gail welcomes back Janet Morgan. Janet walks through 1 Corinthians 4–7, exploring the contrast Paul draws between the Corinthians’ old, status-driven culture and their new life in Christ. Janet unpacks why intellect isn’t the same thing as wisdom, works through some of the harder material in these chapters, and shares a fascinating insight from a N.T. Wright podcast tracing the church’s story back to Acts 18 — including why a church free from persecution can be more vulnerable to certain temptations than one un

Following along with the Encounter with God daily Bible reading guide? Find it at⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ scriptureunion.org⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.Featured Guest: Janet Morgan, Executive Vice-President, SU-USA
Janet Morgan is Executive Vice-President of Scripture Union-USA, overseeing Curriculum Development. She previously served as International Director for Scripture Union, as well as Missions Director for SU England and Wales and State Director for SU Victoria, bringing decades of global ministry experience to her regular conversations on Encounter with God Together.

I Corinthians 1-4:5

This week on Encounter with God Together, Gail sits down with Rev. Dr. Peter Morden, author of this week’s 1 Corinthians notes in our Encounter with God Bible guide. Dr. Morden explores Paul’s letter to a church wrestling with contrasts — called holy, yet struggling toward it; weak, yet strengthened by God’s power made perfect in that very weakness. Peter unpacks the cross-shaped pattern of discipleship at the heart of 1 Corinthians, the surprising wisdom of humility in everyday life and leadership, and Paul’s unwavering commitment to church community even amid real conflict and disunity. Join us as we dig into the week’s readings and discover fresh encouragement for walking faithfully — in our workplaces, our churches, and our daily walk with Jesus.

Following along with the Encounter with God daily Bible reading guide? Find it at⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ scriptureunion.org⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

 Featured Guest: Rev. Dr. Peter Morden, Principal of Bristol Baptist College
Rev Dr Peter Morden is Principal of Bristol Baptist College, a role he took up in 2023. He previously served as Senior Pastor of Cornerstone Baptist Church in Leeds, and spent a decade at Spurgeon's College, London, in roles including Acting Principal, Vice Principal, and Tutor. He has published widely, particularly in the fields of Baptist identity and spirituality, and is known internationally in Baptist and evangelical circles through his speaking engagements and writing. The Baptist Union of Great Britain Peter is the author of The Message of Discipleship: Authentic Followers of Jesus in Today's World in the Bible Speaks Today Themes series, along with several works on Baptist history, including books on Charles Spurgeon and Andrew Fuller. He has contributed a number of studies to the Encounter with God Bible reading guide over the years, including this issue's notes on 1 Corinthians.

Isaiah 52-55This week on Encounter with God Together, Gail welcomes back Whitney Cunningham, President Emeritus of Scripture Union-USA, as we step into Isaiah 52–55 in our daily reading guide.Whitney makes the case for what he calls "the fifth Gospel"—the Gospel according to Isaiah—walking us through the historical background of Israel's divided kingdom before landing on the fourth and final Servant Song, one of the most detailed Old Testament pictures of Jesus in all of Scripture. Along the way he unpacks the "already, not yet" tension running through the book, and closes with three questions to carry into your own reading this week.

Featured Guest: Whitney T. Kuniholm, SU-USA President Emeritus
Whitney Kuniholm is President Emeritus of Scripture Union-USA. He is a speaker and the author of several books on personal and group Bible study, including The Essential Series, three church-wide Bible reading programs based on his books. To date, the Essential Series has reached more than 20 million people and has been translated into 25 languages. You can see previous episodes and read his blog at www.BibleEssentials.org

Isaiah 46-51

Andre Curtis, defensive safeties coach of the Kansas City Chiefs, joins Gail Martin for this latest Coaches in the Word interview, reflecting on the Encounter with God reading from Isaiah 46–51. He walks through God’s challenge to every idol — “I am God, and there is no one like Me” — and shares how nearly two decades in the fellowship have shown him a God whose plans are established from beginning to end and whose salvation will be fulfilled. This is the last episode in our Coaches in the Word series this summer.

Following along with the Encounter with God daily Bible reading guide? Find it at⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ scriptureunion.org⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

 Featured Guest: Andre Curtis, Defensive Backs and Safeties Coach, Kansas City Chiefs
Andre Curtis is the defensive backs and safeties coach for the Kansas City Chiefs, a role he took on in 2026 after two decades of NFL coaching experience. A native of Beaverdam, Virginia, and a former linebacker at Virginia Military Institute, Curtis began his coaching career at his alma mater before coaching at Georgia Southern. His NFL journey includes stops with the New York Giants, where he was part of a Super Bowl XLII championship staff, followed by the St. Louis Rams, New Orleans Saints, Seattle Seahawks, Chicago Bears, and Dallas Cowboys before joining the Chiefs.

Isaiah 42:10–45:25

Todd Downing, wide receivers coach of the New England Patriots, has been part of the pro football coaches’ fellowship for almost twenty years. From Tennessee to the Jets to New England, his family has journeyed through Encounter with God for decades — and through every team change, the fellowship has been the one hat that never changed.

Downing is a returning guest on Encounter with God Together, and this time he dove into Isaiah with a theme that stopped him in his tracks: God’s exclusivity. Seven times across Isaiah 42–45, God reminds his people exactly who he is. We may not carve idols out of wood anymore, Downing says, but plenty of things compete for the attention that belongs to God alone — and even the strongest followers of Jesus can let those things creep in if they’re not careful.

Following along with the Encounter with God daily Bible reading guide? Find it at⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ scriptureunion.org⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

 Featured Guest: Todd Downing, Wide Receivers Coach, New England Patriots
Todd Downing is the wide receivers coach for the New England Patriots. A native of Eden Prairie, Minnesota, he has spent more than two decades in the NFL, with stops that include the Minnesota Vikings, St. Louis Rams, Detroit Lions, Buffalo Bills, Oakland Raiders, Tennessee Titans, and New York Jets. He served as offensive coordinator for both the Raiders and the Titans and reunited with head coach Mike Vrabel in New England after their years together in Tennessee. A longtime member of the NFL coaches fellowship, Todd has journeyed through the Encounter with God guide with his family for many years.

Brad Idzik is the offensive coordinator for the Carolina Panthers, a role he has held since 2024. A Durham, North Carolina native, he played college football at Wake Forest before beginning his coaching career as a graduate assistant at Stanford. In 2019 he joined the Seattle Seahawks as assistant wide receivers coach, the start of a partnership with Dave Canales that has shaped his entire NFL journey. When Canales became offensive coordinator in Tampa Bay in 2023, Idzik followed as wide receivers coach, and when Canales was named head coach in Carolina the next year, Idzik came with him to lead the offense. Widely regarded as the architect of that system, he was among the youngest coordinators in the league when he took the job.

His introduction to the NFL coaches fellowship came through Canales during their years together in Seattle, and Encounter with God has since become a daily foundation for his faith, a practice he now shares with his wife and one that keeps him connected to fellow coaches across the league no matter where the season takes them. Coaching runs deep in the Idzik family: his father, John Idzik Jr., served as an NFL executive and general manager, and his grandfather coached in the league for years before him.

Following along with the Encounter with God daily Bible reading guide? Find it at⁠⁠⁠⁠ scriptureunion.org⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Featured Guest: Brad Idzik, Offensive Coordinator, Carolina Panthers

Brad Idzik is the offensive coordinator for the Carolina Panthers, a role he has held since 2024. A Durham, North Carolina native, he played college football at Wake Forest before beginning his coaching career as a graduate assistant at Stanford. In 2019 he joined the Seattle Seahawks as assistant wide receivers coach, the start of a partnership with Dave Canales that has shaped his entire NFL journey. When Canales became offensive coordinator in Tampa Bay in 2023, Idzik followed as wide receivers coach, and when Canales was named head coach in Carolina the next year, Idzik came with him to lead the offense. Widely regarded as the architect of that system, he was among the youngest coordinators in the league when he took the job.

His introduction to the NFL coaches fellowship came through Canales during their years together in Seattle, and Encounter with God has since become a daily foundation for his faith, a practice he now shares with his wife and one that keeps him connected to fellow coaches across the league no matter where the season takes them. Coaching runs deep in the Idzik family: his father, John Idzik Jr., served as an NFL executive and general manager, and his grandfather coached in the league for years before him.