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

Send us Fan Mail

It doesn't matter how thick the walls are to us; it only matters how thick the walls are to God. When Andrew Ripp sings of our fears coming down like Jericho walls in his song "Jericho," I was inspired to study the story leading up to that moment.

I learned a lot about Joshua and what God commanded him. {Spoiler alert: God speaks directly to his fear.} Join me on the journey this week!

In this episode, I discuss:

• Taking a B.I.T.E. out of Scripture - this week's Bible Interaction Tool Exercises include: 
  • Context
  • Read larger chunks of Scripture
  • Consider the opposite
  • Use section headings to get your bearings
  • Read/watch an overview of the book you're studying
  • Consider the historical context
  • Meditate on God's Word
  • Follow the cross-reference
• The 30-Day Music Challenge - ACCEPT THE CHALLENGE HERE
• Not overcomplicating our time in God's Word
• Taking in the whole story - Joshua 1-6
• Considering that "courage" is the opposite of "fear"
• An overview of the book of Joshua - BibleProject.com
• Taking on Exodus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy to gain historical context (look for Joshua in these texts as well)
• God's four calls for Joshua to be strong and courageous - Joshua 1:1-9
• One more call to courage from Joshua's fellow Israelites - Joshua 1:16-18
• Trusting God and letting fear crumble to the ground because He's trustworthy
• Following the cross-reference to see Moses sending out spies - Numbers 13:18-20
• Reading on to Numbers 14:7-9 to hear Joshua's own words in the face of fear the first time they pulled up to the promised land

Additional Resources

• Lyrics - mykits.com
• Individual song - Amazon

Weekly Challenge

Read Joshua 1-6. Consider reading it multiple times in various versions. Note the repeated call to courage and meditate on the details surrounding each call. Follow the cross-reference to Numbers 13 and 14 and compare and contrast the sending of spies into the promised land.

Purchase your copy of A Seat at the Table today!

Send us Fan Mail

Words cannot describe how worthy God is of our adoration and thanksgiving. Sarah Kroger's song, "A Thousand Thank Yous," gives God all of the glory He deserves. It also inspired me to soak in some psalms of gratitude this week.

Incorporate more adoration and thanksgiving into your prayer life this week.

In this episode, I discuss:

• Taking a B.I.T.E. out of Scripture - this week's Bible Interaction Tool Exercises include: 
  • Praying the Scripture
  • Journal your interactions with Scripture and God
  • Choose one word to meditate on
  • Read the text aloud
  • Slow down
• The 30-Day Music Challenge - ACCEPT THE CHALLENGE HERE
• Utilizing the resources over at TheBereanTest.com - A Thousand Thank Yous Review
• Choosing Psalms of Gratitude with the help of SheReadsTruth.com - Psalms of Gratitude
• Using the prayer model of A.C.T.S. and focusing on adoration and thanksgiving
• Logging our interactions with God's Word in a journal
• Acknowledging the authority, validity, and claims of God in Psalm 100
• Asking God to help me tame my tongue so that the words of my mouth are acceptable to Him - Psalm 19:14, James 3:10
• Filling my heart with God's Word so that the meditations of my heart are acceptable
• Looking to the Lord to visibly reflect radiant joy - Psalm 34:4-7
• Recognizing that God's plans for and works in my life do not compare to HIM - Psalm 40:5
• Renewing my sense of awe and wonder in Psalm 66

Additional Resources

• Lyrics
• Individual song - Amazon

Weekly Challenge

Grab your Bible, thank God for His Word, and dive into five Psalms of gratitude and praise this week -- Psalm 100, Psalm 19, Psalm 34, Psalm 40, and Psalm 66. If you find yourself distracted, read the text out loud. Look for one word that jumps out at you in each psalm. Ponder the word and the context of the verse it's found in. Incorporate your thoughts into your prayers. Discover what you can learn about who God is and what His great acts include. Log your findings in a journal or a notebook as prayers of adoration and thanksgiving. Use this week's song as a soundtrack for your prayerful efforts this week.

Purchase your copy of A Seat at the Table today!

Send us Fan Mail

Happy New Year! Each new year brings an opportunity to set new goals and consider your focus before life gets in the way. Kings Kaleidoscope has a song set to the tune of the traditional New Year’s song "Auld Lang Syne." Their song “All Glory Be To Christ” reminds us ultimately what each new year is about…Jesus.

The song leads us to Psalm 127, reminding us that we are nothing without the Lord.

In this episode, I discuss:

• Taking a B.I.T.E. out of Scripture - this week's Bible Interaction Tool Exercises include: 
  • Context
  • Ask questions
  • Make observations
• The 30-Day Music Challenge - ACCEPT THE CHALLENGE HERE
• The Rapid Bible Read Through that I do every year with my friend, Keith Ferrin - information about year's read through can be found here RBRT2021
• The Psalms of Ascent - Got Questions Article
• Focusing more on the Architect than the house plans - Psalm 127:1
• The role of a watchman - Psalm 127:1
• Keeping in context the warning in verse 2 - Psalms 127:2
• Not separating the "in vain" section from the "family" section of Psalm 127
• Our duty to smooth and prepare our arrows (children) to be shot into the battle - Psalm 127:4
• How I don't want to do anything this year in vain...with my family, ministry, or career

Additional Resources

• Lyrics and chords
• Individual song or full album - Amazon

Weekly Challenge

Read Psalm 127 for yourself. While you do, make sure you don't take each verse out of context…it is one song, after all. Ask questions, make observations, and fix your eyes on the Lord. Pray and ask Him to be the architect of your life this year. Determine in your heart to bring Him glory.

Purchase your copy of A Seat at the Table today!

Send us Fan Mail

Here are a few resources I use in storing up God's Word in my heart. I sprinkle them throughout my podcast episodes, but I thought this would be a great time to put them all down in a list. In fact, you can download a free pdf with live links  HERE.

Weekly Challenge

Read Psalm 119:9-16. Take stock of the resources you have at your fingertips to store up God's Word in your heart. Perhaps you will want to try a new free resource I've listed. Maybe it's time to invest in your resource library as you continue on the path to reading and understanding the Bible for yourself.

Purchase your copy of A Seat at the Table today!

Send us Fan Mail

God's names help us get to know him better. Matt Maher's Christmas song, "He Shall Reign Forevermore," points us to an area of Scripture that reveals four powerful names of Jesus.

At Christmastime, we are reminded, "To us, a child is born." Let's get to know Him better through his names.

In this episode, I discuss:

• Taking a B.I.T.E. out of Scripture - our Bible Interaction Tool Exercises this week are: 
  • Consulting an outside resource
  • Reading in context
  • Completing a word study
  • Following the cross-references
• The 30-Day Music Challenge - ACCEPT THE CHALLENGE HERE
• Getting really good at reading, studying, and understanding Scripture, so I'm prepared for quality life application
• Soaking in Isaiah 9:1-7 inspired by our song
• Exploring Christ's kingdom, government, and eternal reign in Scripture 
• JD Greear's book "Searching for Christmas: What if There's More to the Story Than You Thought" - Amazon Link
• JD reading his short book for free on his podcast - Spotify Link
• Jesus, our Wonderful Counselor, instructs and guides us with authority so great it is beyond our understanding 
  • God's ways are higher - Isaiah 55:8
  • What we can know of God is just the fringe - Job 26:14
  • Jesus understands what we're going through - Hebrews 4:15
• Jesus is our Mighty God -- our El Gibbor
• Scanning the 159 times "gibbor" is used in Scripture to discover when it is applied to God - BibleHub.com
• Following the cross-reference to Psalm 45
• Recognizing that our Everlasting Father is the PERFECT Father 
  • He's engaged and full of love - Psalm 103:8
  • His love is sacrificial - John 3:16
  • He loves lavishly - 1 John 3:1
  • His love rejoices over us with singing - Zephaniah 3:17
• A little gem hidden in Zephaniah 3:17 that is uncovered by our study this week
• Understanding more about Biblical peace to understand better how Jesus is our Prince of Peace - BibleProject.com
• How Jesus makes everything whole - Ephesians 3:12-14

Additional Resources

• Lyrics and chords - EssentialWorship.com
• The story behind the song "He Shall Reign Forevermore" - YouTube Video
• Chris Tomlin sharing "He Shall Reign Forevermore" in the New Song Cafe - WorshipTogether.com

Weekly Challenge

Read all about the promised Christ child in Isaiah 9. Meditate on the names given to Jesus in this text. Consider the significance of what we learn about Him through these names. Try exploring one of His titles further in Hebrew through an online resource. Chase down a few cross-references -- you never know where they may lead. Respond to God's lavish love by placing your faith in our Wonderful Counselor, our Mighty God, our Everlasting Father, our Prince of Peace.

Purchase your copy of A Seat at the Table today!

Send us Fan Mail

Sitting in a dark room, even the flame from the smallest candle can invade. No wonder Isaiah describes the impact of Christ on our dark world as a "great light." Inspired by We The Kingdom's song "Light of the World" I explore what we can learn about Jesus as the Light of the world.

Come along for the journey as we sit in a large chunk of Scripture and then explore the theme of "light" this week.

In this episode, I discuss:

• Taking a B.I.T.E. out of Scripture - our Bible Interaction Tool Exercises this week are:
  • Studying a theme
  • Reading in context
  • Reading larger chunks of Scripture
  • Making observations of the text
  • Making a list
  • Consulting an outside resource
  • Considering the historical context
• The 30 Day Music Challenge - ACCEPT THE CHALLENGE HERE
• Using Christmas lights to remind us that Christ is the "Light of the world"
• Studying the context of John 1:1-18 because of verse 9 - John 1:9
• Observing the details in the text
  • "Light" is repeated 7 times
  • "Word" is introduced and repeated four times
  • "He/Him" is repeated 18 times
• Using an outside resource to deepen my understanding of why John used the Greek word "logos" to describe Jesus - GotQuestions.org Article
• Listing out the times John talks about Jesus being "the Word" and what we learn about Him
  • Jesus is eternal
  • Jesus was with God before coming to earth
  • Jesus is God
  • Jesus is Creator
  • Jesus is the giver of life
  • Jesus became human
• The theme of light pointing to Christ throughout Scripture
  • Creation of the first light - Genesis 1:3-4; with the Jesus connection in 2 Corinthians 4:6
  • God is the source of Israel's light - Exodus 13:21-22
  • God is the source of our individual light - Psalm 27:1 and Psalm 18:28
  • God's Word is our source of light - Psalm 119:105 and Psalm 119:130
  • Jesus is the greatest light of all - John 1:4-5
  • Jesus declares himself the "light of the world" - John 8:12
  • The prophet Isaiah speaks of the future glory of a restored Israel - Isaiah 60:1-3
  • Jesus is the lamp for all eternity in

Purchase your copy of A Seat at the Table today!

Send us Fan Mail

Joseph was faced with a life-altering, gut-wrenching situation, yet he didn't question when God spoke. Rather, Joseph trusted and obeyed. for King & Country inspired me to ponder the details of Joseph in the Christmas account through their song, "The Carol of Joseph (I Believe In You)."

Join me as we continue pondering the details of Christ's birth.

In this episode, I discuss:

• Taking a B.I.T.E. out of Scripture - our Bible Interaction Tool Exercises this week are:
  • Repetition
  • Remember, the people described in these accounts are real
  • Make a list
  • Observation
  • Meditation
• The 30 Day Music Challenge - ACCEPT THE CHALLENGE HERE
• Searching the Scriptures for what we can learn about Joseph
• How remembering the people described in the Bible were real helps Scripture come to life
• Making a list of times Joseph was mentioned or most likely present in documented events
• Looking back at Episode 149 to explore the genealogy of Christ
• The first mention of Joseph - Matthew 1:16
• Meditating on the emotional turmoil of Joseph during this time
• My friend Chris Syme's new Bible study coming out - womenfinishingwell.com
• Considering the contrast of Moses' response to the Lord in Exodus 3

Purchase your copy of A Seat at the Table today!

Send us Fan Mail

There is a difference between optimism and hope that is displayed in the Bible. Before the birth of Christ, there was a tension in the waiting as all of creation anticipated the coming Messiah. Because of Jesus, we live in an age of hope. Building 429 sings about this in their new Christmas song, "Hope is Here (Do Not Fear)."

Jesus is our hope of salvation. Let's celebrate Him this week.

In this episode, I discuss:

• Taking a B.I.T.E. out of Scripture - our Bible Interaction Tool Exercises this week are:
  • Read in context
  • Repetition
  • Listen to an audio version
  • Read in a variety of translations
  • Read the text aloud
  • Study with a friend
  • Remember, the people described in these accounts are real
  • Make a list
  • Utilize outside resources - Bible Project
• The 30 Day Music Challenge - ACCEPT THE CHALLENGE HERE
• How the angel told Joseph, "Do not fear" - Matthew 1:18-25
• Reading the details of Jesus' birth repetitively for
  • Increased comprehension
  • Increased comfort with the text
  • Richer conversations around the text
  • A deeper understanding of the characters
  • Noticing new things in the story
  • Shifting your focus to big ideas
  • Increased ability to make more associations
• Making a list of what the angel told Joseph about Jesus
  • He came from the Holy Spirit
  • He would save his people from their sins
  • He will be called Immanuel (which means God with us)
• Recognizing the difference between optimism and biblical hope - Bible Project Resources
• Beginning with the end in mind - Romans 5:1-11
• Making Old Testament connections with Pau

Purchase your copy of A Seat at the Table today!

Send us Fan Mail

Is it possible to actively serve Christ and miss Him all at the same time? It sure is! I don't want to miss Him, though. Cody Carnes' song, "Nothing Else," inspired me to consider what it looks like to sit at the feet of Jesus, taking in his preeminence, and ultimately repenting for where I've gone off track.

Join me in exploring a few Scripture areas as we discover that "nothing else will do" besides Jesus.

In this episode, I discuss:

• Taking a B.I.T.E. out of Scripture - our Bible Interaction Tool Exercises this week are:
  • Remember, the people described in the Bible were real
  • Compare and contrast
  • Make observations
  • Utilize outside resources (this week, it was my study Bible)
  • Meditate on Scripture
• The 30 Day Music Challenge - ACCEPT THE CHALLENGE HERE
• Sitting at the feet of Jesus - Luke 10:38-42
• The "good portion" discussed in the Old Testament - Psalm 73:26, Psalm 16:5
• How the preeminence of Christ inspires us to sit at his feet as disciples - Colossians 1:15-20
• Returning to our first love - Revelation 2:2-7
• How we can get so much right and so much wrong at the same time -- requiring our repentance - Revelation 2:5
• The three steps we should take
  • Remember
  • Repent
  • Return

Christ's preeminence in our lives should reflect a centrality that emanates, impacts, and rules every other part of our lives.

Purchase your copy of A Seat at the Table today!

Send us Fan Mail

Do you know what God is famous for? I mean, can you describe some of the wondrous deeds of the Lord that He is most famous for? Tauren Wells sings out a list in his song "Famous For (I Believe)." Being able to remember and recount the miracles and judgments of God is required by Scripture.

Let's get better at remembering and recounting by reading and interacting with God's Word this week.

In this episode, I discuss:

• Taking a B.I.T.E. out of Scripture - our Bible Interaction Tool Exercises this week are:
  • Read in context
  • Mark up the text
  • Make observations
  • Repetition
  • Ask questions
  • Make a list
  • Start with God
• The 30 Day Music Challenge - ACCEPT THE CHALLENGE HERE
• Some of the areas of Scripture the song describes
  • Making a way through the waters in Exodus 14
  • Walking in the fire with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in Daniel 3
  • Shutting the mouths of lions in Daniel 6
  • Bringing bones back to life in Ezekiel 37
• Using Psalm 105 as a pattern to declare praise and recounting specific works of the Lord
• Marking up the text - click here for my rudimentary example (ignore my poor handwriting)
• Circling verbs and noticing repeated words
• Stopping to ask what we can learn about God before seeking to apply the text to ourselves
  • He performs deeds
  • He performs wondrous works
  • His name is holy
  • He offers strength
  • He offers His presence
  • He performs miracles
  • He proclaims judgment
  • He remembers His covenant forever
• What our response should be
  • Give thanks
  • Call upon His name
  • Make known His deeds
  • Sing praises to Him
  • Tell of all his wondrous works
  • Glory in his holy name
  • Let our heart rejoice
  • Seek the Lord
  • Seek His strength
  • Seek His presence
  • Remember the wondrous works He has done
  • Remember His miracles
  • Remember His judgments
• Remembering that when we call o

Purchase your copy of A Seat at the Table today!