More Than a Song - Discovering the Truth of Scripture Hidden in Today's Popular Christian Music

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Sometimes Christians say things that are meant to be a comfort to others but aren't theologically sound. Shocking, I know. Some of my favorite videos to watch are when the guest has to guess if it's something that comes from the Bible or a quote. Today on the podcast, we prove the comforting ideas found in Matthew West's song "Me On Your Mind" come from Scripture.

We'll study a wonderful prayer of Jesus to encourage us that He, indeed, had us on His mind.

In this week's episode, I discuss:

• Taking a B.I.T.E. out of Scripture - this week's Bible Interaction Tool Exercises include:
  • Meditate on Scripture
  • Read in context
  • Use the subheadings to gain your bearings
  • Follow the cross-references
  • Slow down
  • Look up words in the dictionary
  • Consult an outside resource
• Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis - Amazon Paid Link
• How Jesus had us on His mind in his recorded prayer in John 17
• Backing up to John 13 and reading forward to get the full context of what was happening
• Contrasting two gardens in Scripture - "Two Gardens, Two Betrayals, Two Outcomes" by Dr. Jim and Janean Reish
• Jesus' posture - John 17:1
• Exploring when Jesus' hour "had not yet come" compared to the hour that has come at the time of Christ's prayer
  • John 2:4
  • John 7:30
  • John 8:20
• "Glory" and "glorification" and what they mean
• Eternal life through Christ - John 17:2-3
• Christ's role in bringing attention to God's character through His obedient life
• What it means that Christ "manifested" the name of God - John 17:6
• Highlighting themes of sanctification and unity in addition to glorification
• A pattern we can follow from this prayer (see the Fire Bible Amazon Paid Link)
  • Pray that they may know Jesus Christ and his Word intimately (John 17:2-3, 17, 19)
  • Pray that God may protect them from the evil influences of the world, keep them from turning away from him and give them discernment to recognize and reject ungodly beliefs and false spiritual teaching (John 17:6, 11, 14-17)
  • Pray that they may constantly possess the full joy of serving Christ (John 17:13)
  • Pray that they may live by God's standards of purity and truth in thoughts, actions, and character (John 17:17)
  • Pray that they may be unified in love and purpose, just as Jesus and his Father are (John 17:11, 21-22)
  • Pray that they may lead others to Christ (John 17:21, 23)
  • pray that their faith will endure so they will one day be with Christ in heaven (John 17:24)
  • Pray that they may constantly experience God's love and presence (John 17:26)

 

Am I following Christ's pattern in my own life? Do I look at my obedience to God's ways as a way to magnify His character, or as something I'm supposed to do?

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The rule and reign of Christ will never end. Local Sound sings about this when they declare the faithfulness of our "King through all the ages" in their song "Time And Time Again."

Explore Scripture with me this week as learn more about our King of the Ages.

In this week's episode, I discuss:

• Taking a B.I.T.E. out of Scripture - this week's Bible Interaction Tool Exercises include:
  • Read in various translations
  • Use your imagination
  • Explore a theme
  • Read in context
  • Follow cross-references
• My special Friday With Friends interview with Emily and Drew, members of Local Sound - A link to the audio or video version of the interview
• Reading various translations to see the name King of the Ages also translated as King Eternal - BibleHub.org
• The office of king in the Old Testament as a mediatorial office
• God's chosen people rejected God from being king over them - 1 Samuel 8:7
• God revealing his Kingdom plan for a coming king in the line of David that will last forever - 2 Samuel 7:16
• Visiting the throne room of heaven in Daniel 7:9-14
• Seeing Jesus as the fulfillment of God's promised King of the Ages in the line of David - Matthew 1:1
• The Abrahamic covenant where God promises Abraham land, descendants, and blessing
• The Davidic covenant where promises a king in the line of David to secure the promises of land, descendants, and blessing
• Reading every New Testament mention of the Son of David in context - BibleHub.org
• Jesus as Son of David according to the flesh, but declared Son of God by the Spirit - Romans 1:3-4
• Son of David as the Messiah - Matthew 22:41-46
• Son of David as a miracle worker - Matthew 12:22-23
• Son of David for all peoples - Matthew 15:21-28
• The authority of the Son of David - Matthew 9:27-29
• Following the cross-references inspired by Matthew 21:9
  • Zechariah 9:9
  • Psalm 118:8-9
  • Psalm 118:22-23
    • Matt 21:42, Mark 12:10, Luke 20:17
    • Acts 4:11-12
    • 1 Peter 2:4
  • Psalm 118:26-27
    • Luke 1:78-79

More Than a Song Playlist

Additional Resources

• Lyrics - NewReleaseToday.com
• Behind the song "Time And Time Again" by Local Sound -

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Welcome to Friday With Friends! I have the distinct privilege of meeting incredible followers of Christ who have amazing ministries, fascinating careers, and incredible hobbies and pet projects that flow out of their identity in Christ.

While my podcast is a solo show, I still want a venue to introduce you to these friends as examples of the multifaceted ways God works in and through His people.

Today I have the privilege of hosting Emily and Drew of the band Local Sound to talk about their new song "Time And Time Again," where they are currently reading in God's Word, the role of Scripture in Christian music, and more.  Of course, I get them to share their favorite Bible Interaction Tool Exercises, too.

Connect with Local Sound

• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/localsoundmusic
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/localsoundofficial/
• Website: https://www.localsoundband.com/
• Listen to their music: https://slinky.to/ThisIsMyLocal

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When God created the universe, He did not wind it up like a watch and cast it aside until time ran out. Instead, God has been working and continues to work. God has plans. Rend Collective sings of God's continued participation in their song "Plans."

We'll explore evidence of God's plans for some key people in history. Without God's plans for these critical people coming to pass, His eternal plans for us would never be fulfilled. Come! Let's explore God's plans together.

In this week's episode, I discuss:

• Taking a B.I.T.E. out of Scripture - this week's Bible Interaction Tool Exercises include:
  • Share with a friend
  • Read the text aloud
  • Read for a set amount of time
  • Read and keep on reading
  • Read with a pen/highlighter in hand
  • Ask questions
  • Write in a journal
  • Make a list
• How Rend Collective said this song reflects "the grey space between faith and fear" - CCM Magazine Article
• My morning Bible routine with my daughter, who is homeschooling this year (I share all the BITEs we use and how we use them)
• Looking at the song through the lens of Scripture versus finding Scripture as inspired by the song
• Considering the plans of God for:
  • Zechariah and Elizabeth
  • Mary and Joseph
  • John, the son of Zechariah and Elizabeth
  • and Jesus, the son of Mary
• How God's plans for Zechariah and Elizabeth took time to come to pass - Luke 1:11-17
• Pondering what it would be like for God's plans to include you raising the forerunner of Christ
• God's plans for Mary - Luke 1:28-33
• Mary's interpretation of God's plans for her - Luke 1:46-55
• Considering how Mary will feel about God's plans when the reality sets in that they are both powerful and painful, hopeful and harrowing
• Seeing that people surrendered to God's plans for them do not live pain-free lives
• How a consecrated journey is woven into eternity in ways that cannot be measured

 

Mary believes God's plans for her are GREAT, but how will she feel when Joseph doesn't believe her, or she is an unwed mother in a culture that stoned such women to death? You see, God's plans for Mary were both powerful and painful -- hopeful and harrowing.

 

More Than a Song Playlist

Additional Resources

• Lyrics -

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Stepping out into the unknown with God is made possible through His grace bestowed upon us, and the evidence of His faithfulness He gives us. "Build A Boat" by Colton Dixon sings about walking with God to do the impossible. This is reflected in the life of Noah -- a man of great faith whose life is worth exploring.

Join me as we dig in and think deeply about the lessons we can learn from the life of Noah in the Old and New Testaments.

In this week's episode, I discuss:

• Taking a B.I.T.E. out of Scripture - this week's Bible Interaction Tool Exercises include:
  • Meditate on Scripture
  • Use your imagination
  • Share with a friend
  • Consult an outside resource
  • Define words
  • Read in context
  • Remember the people reflected in the Bible were real
• Interview with Colton Dixon about the story behind the song - Wally Show YouTube Video
• Where to read about Noah - Genesis 6-9; Hebrews 11
• The favor of the Lord allowing Noah to be described later as righteous, blameless in his generation, and a man who walked with God
• Thinking through the benefits of walking with someone
• How God thinks it's important that we walk with Him - Micah 6:8
• Reflecting the character of God the more we walk with Him
• Noah's role in saving his family - "One factor which possibly helped was that their father probably kept them busy for many years in building the ark and making preparations for the flood." - Henry Morris - The Genesis Record - Amazon Paid Link
• How the record shows Noah's actions over Noah's words
• Recognizing that Noah was not silent in his generation, but was a "herald of righteousness" - 2 Peter 2:5
• Colton Dixon's own words as it relates to the song and Scripture, "When God asks you to step out and do something big, He’s not trying to rob you of anything. He wants to give you something greater." - New Release Today Article
• Seeing Noah's faith celebrated in the New Testament - Hebrews 10:32-Hebrews 11:7
• "True Bible faith is confident obedience to God's Word in spite of circumstances and consequences." - Warren Wiersbe's Hebrews Commentary - Amazon Paid Link
• Growing in our faith by walking with the faithful -- both God and His faithful followers

When walking with God, He never runs ahead, leaving me behind. Sometimes I like to run ahead of God. But then that ceases to be walking with Him.

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The best way to explore deeper water fast is to dive in. You would never dive in the shallows -- that's dangerous. There's no place to dive in the shallows. You can pretty much see everything from the surface. But God calls us to deeper waters as it relates to exploring His Word. This week I use Stephen Curtis Chapman's 90's hit "Dive" to inspire us to dive into the book of Hebrews.

Are you ready to go deeper? Hebrews offers deep waters that lead to endless opportunities to explore many other areas of God's Word.

In this week's episode, I discuss:

• Taking a B.I.T.E. out of Scripture - this week's Bible Interaction Tool Exercises include:
  • Read in context
  • Read and keep on reading
  • Consult an overview
  • Ask questions
  • Remembering the people of the Bible were real
  • Compare and contrast
  • Make a list
  • Journal your thoughts and/or share with a friend
• Partner podcast for this episode - Mixtape Theology
• Stephen Curtis Chapman's Scriptural inspiration from his liner notes
  • Romans 11:33-36
  • Ephesians 3:16-19
• The area of Scripture I was first inspired to explore - Hebrews 5:11-14
• How Hebrews may raise more questions at first, especially if you are not deeply acquainted with the first five books of the Bible
• The reminder that Hebrews was originally written to real people with real struggles, real questions, and real tendencies to turn from truth to their own ways
• The accusation that the audience no longer tries to understand the deep truths of Scripture
• Comparing and contrasting
  • Student/teacher
  • Infant/mature
  • Lazy/diligent
• Foundational teachings - Hebrews 6:1-3
• Final encouragement and warnings - Hebrews 6:9-12

Remember that the audience this letter was originally written to was made up of real people with real struggles, questions, and real tendencies to turn from truth to their own ways.

Just like us.

More Than a Song Playlist

Additional Resources

• Lyrics - NewReleaseToday.com
• Overview of the book of Hebrews - BibleProject.com
• "How to Read the Bible Book by Book" by Fee and Stuart -

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For the first time in over 430 weekly episodes of More Than a Song, I will be taking a brief break from the podcast.

I'll be diving back in with fresh episodes on August 15th using 90's Christian throwback song "Dive" by Steven Curtis Chapman. (See what I did there?) I'll also be over at Mixtape Theology (a fellow New Release Today Podcast Network member) for a partner episode on that same day.

In the meantime, subscribe to my email list and follow me on social media platforms (specifically Instagram @michellenezat), as my daughter Emily will be highlighting a weekly featured episode from the archives you may have missed. We will also be producing a series of reels on my Bible Interaction Tool Exercises (BITEs) -- the exercises I use to keep my time in God's Word varied and effective. This way, you can keep reading God's Word for yourself and catch up on forgotten or missed episodes from the archives.

Why take a break?

In the past, if I've needed to take some time off, I've always played Encore Episodes, so why the break?

In a nutshell? Obedience and a big assignment. Listen to this episode to hear a brief description of both.

Why have I never done this before?

My shiny reasons? I'm dedicated to creating fresh content each week, and God keeps meeting me in it!

My not-so-shiny reasons? Fear and pride. Listen to this episode to hear my full confession. (I'm not the only one who struggles with this, right?)

Until next time, take time to meditate on God's Word and consider His ways.

Resource Mentioned in This Episode

I mentioned Compel Training - a Proverbs31 membership site for writers. I am a volunteer leader in their Podcasting Community Group and have learned SO much from this community. Check it out if you are a writer or speaker (or want to become one).

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I think it's an excellent problem to have. The problem that Zach Bolen, lead singer of Citizens, shared with me as the foundation for the song "Everything And More" by Citizens. The problem is that words don't seem to express our God accurately. Any descriptor we can come up with God is all that and more.

Join me as we explore the Old Testament book of Job this week to see a group of friends giving their best effort to figure God out. Spoiler alert -- they fail.

In this week's episode, I discuss:

• Taking a B.I.T.E. out of Scripture - this week's Bible Interaction Tool Exercises include:
  • Read in context
  • Read and keep on reading
  • Consult an overview
  • Follow the cross-reference
  • Look up words in the dictionary
  • Make a list
• My special Friday With Friends interview with Zach Bolen, the lead singer of Citizens - A link to the audio or video version of the interview
• Reading the book of Job for yourself
• The two main resources I used for an overview of Job
  • Reformation Study Bible - Amazon Paid Link
  • How to Read the Bible Book by Book - Amazon Paid Link
• The literary classifications found in Job
  • lawsuit
  • lament
  • disputation (debate)
• How the author of Job raises the question: "Where is wisdom found?"
• How God's answer to Job's questions is more of Himself
• Job's profound suffering - Job 3:11-13, Job 6:2-3
• Job's friend's truthful but unhelpful response - Job 5:9-11
• Discovering a truth like we discovered last week -- God may have a purpose for your suffering -- and sometimes that is so hard to accept
• Job's poetic discussion about how wisdom comes from God alone - Job 28
• Following the cross-references that lead to more verses about the wisdom of God
  • Deuteronomy 4:5-6
  • Psalm 111:10
  • Proverbs 9:10
• God's revelation of Himself to Job - Job 38-41
• Making a list of the characteristics of God's wisdom found in Romans 11:33

 

We want insight, do we not? Then we need to set our faces and our efforts toward gaining knowledge of the Holy One. And where is the best place for that? In His revealed Word.

 

More Than a Song Playlist

Purchase your copy of A Seat at the Table today!

Send us Fan Mail

Welcome to Friday With Friends! I have the distinct privilege of meeting incredible followers of Christ who have amazing ministries, fascinating careers, and incredible hobbies and pet projects that flow out of their identity in Christ.

While my podcast is a solo show, I still want to have a venue to introduce you to these friends as examples of the multifaceted ways God works in and through His people.

Today I have the privilege of hosting Zach Bolen, lead singer with Citizens to talk about their new song "Everything And More," his Bible study habits, Contemporary Christian Music as art, and more.  Of course, I get him to share his favorite Bible Interaction Tool Exercises, too.

Connect with Zach

• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/zachbolenmusic
• Band Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/MUSIC.CITIZENS
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zachbolen/Band
• Instagram Page: https://www.instagram.com/citizens_music/

Purchase your copy of A Seat at the Table today!

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There are truths in Scripture that make us feel uncomfortable. Sometimes we don't think they make sense. Other times they bump up against a belief we hold that doesn't align with Scripture itself. Riley Clemmons' song "Godsend" sent me to 2 Corinthians, where Paul describes something that seems a little "thorny" on the surface.

Join me on the journey this week as we allow Scripture to change how we think -- despite the discomfort.

In this week's episode, I discuss:

• Taking a B.I.T.E. out of Scripture - this week's Bible Interaction Tool Exercises include:
  • Read in context
  • Consult an overview
  • Utilize an outside resource
  • Follow the cross-reference
  • Look up words in the dictionary
  • Read in a variety of translations
  • Historical context
  • Meditate on Scripture
• The elements of our feature verse reflected in the lyrics - 2 Corinthians 12:7
• How God may send painful circumstances to protect us
• How 2 Corinthians is tricky to read
• Consulting an overview
  • The Bible Project Overview of 2 Corinthians - YouTube Video
  • "How to Read the Bible Book by Book" by Fee and Stuart - Amazon paid link
  • Reformation Study Bible Introduction to 2 Corinthians - Amazon paid link
• What those in opposition to Paul value vs. what Paul values
• Paul's bold speech to the Corinthian believers
• Paul's argument against the "super-apostles"
• Considering what the Christian culture of our day values and celebrates and lining it up against Scripture
• How the thorn in Paul's flesh was a Godsend - 2 Corinthians 2:9
• How "we can't receive God's strength until we know our weakness. We can't receive the sufficiency of God's grace until we know our own insufficiency." - David Guzik, BlueLetterBible.org

 

As long as we are operating in our own sufficiency we don't truly believe God's grace is sufficient. Our self-exalting actions scream that we don't need God's grace.

 

More Than a Song Playlist

Additional Resources

• Lyrics - NewReleaseToday.com
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