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Does it matter the position of our body if our heart is sincere in worship? I believe we can acknowledge things about God through our physical posture. Chris Tomlin's song "I Lift My Hands" leads us to consider one position mentioned in both the Old and New Testaments. In fact, David often speaks of body position in the Psalms.

   

Join me in Psalm 28 to see what we can discover about posture, worship, prayer, and God.

On 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
  • Consider a topic
  • Make observations
  • Refer to an outside resource (this week...a sermon)
• The 30 Day Music Challenge - ACCEPT THE CHALLENGE HERE
• The "rest of the story" behind the song - A sermon by Louie Giglio, "I Lift My Hands"
• The progression of engaging God's Word
  • Skip over the parts you don't understand
  • Dig a little deeper into the meaning/definitions/stories - a Cliff's Notes of sorts
  • Read the original texts for yourself
  • Study and engage with the text for

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God is unlimited in His resources. I know this in my head, but for some reason I believe the lie that He will limit His mercy to me. As if one day I will reach my limit and get cut off. Micah Tyler in his song "New Today" reminds us of the truth found in Scripture -- His mercies are new every morning.

   

Let's explore the steadfast love of the Lord in Lamentations this week.

On 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
  • Consider the historical context
  • Read the introduction in a study Bible or other type resource
  • Follow the cross references
  • Meditate on what you're reading
• The 30 Day Music Challenge - SIGN UP HERE
• How I was inspired to head over to Lamentations by the lyrics of the song - Lamentations 3:22-23
• Reading all of Lamentations in one sitting and feeling a little confused
• Discovering the literary style of the book is poetry and the chapter I was studying is a stand-alone acrostic poem
• Exploring the historical narrative behind what the poet is lamenting about in 2 Kings 24-25
• How sometimes our view of God gets distorted in our sorrow
• The value of putting our sorrows into words, and the

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We live in the now and the not yet. So many promises of God are available to us now, but will be completely fulfilled in the future promise of the new heavens and new earth. Elevation Worship sings of God's ultimate triumph in their song "See a Victory." It sent me to the prophecies of Isaiah where we learn much about God and His promises.

   

Followers of Christ can find themselves in this text. Let's dive in!

On 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
  • Consider the historical context
  • Consult outside resources
  • Repetition
  • Follow the cross references
  • Ask questions
• The 30 Day Music Challenge - SIGN UP HERE
• Getting inspired by a song lyrics, a phrase, a sermon, or a devotion and letting it send you to sections of Scripture where you can stay and interact awhile
• My pattern of study this week
  • Read Isaiah 52-55 daily
  • Read in different translations
  • Ask questions along the way
  • Consult outside resources last
• The Bible Project overview of Isaiah
• Utilizing the resource, "How to Read the Bible Book by Book" by Gordon Fee and Douglas Stuart - Amazon Link
• Exploring Isaiah 55 - Episode 124 of More Than a Song
• The glorious

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Have you ever heard something that sounded like it came from the Bible, but in fact, didn't? Casting Crowns song "Love Moved First" reminded me of a phrase I sometimes hear that is just flat out wrong. In this case, the truth is so much more amazing.

   

Join me on a quest for truth in the book of John.

On 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
  • Follow the cross references
  • Complete a word study
• The 30 Day Music Challenge - SIGN UP HERE
• The error in the phrase "I found God"
• That salvation belongs to the Lord - John 6:44
• "The reason we think people are seeking after God when they’re not is that they are desperately and earnestly seeking for those things that only God can give them..." - Thomas Aquinas, a theologian from the middle ages
• Reading the context of John 6:45 by reading John 5-7
• Finding out "there is no one who seeks God" - Romans 3:10-12
• Following the cross references to Psalm 14 and Psalm 53
• How every aspect of man’s salvation is from God and is entirely dependent upon God -- the only work of Go

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Today has not caught God off-guard. No matter the circumstance you find yourself in, He's already there and He already knows what will happen next. JJ Heller's new song, "You Already Know," reminds us of God's omniscience -- the attribute of God that means He is all-knowing.

Join me in exploring this attribute of God in Scripture this week.

On this week's episode I discuss:

• Taking a B.I.T.E. out of Scripture - this week's Bible Interaction Tool Exercises include:
  • Explore a topic
  • Utilize outside resources
  • Follow the cross-reference
  • Consider the opposite
  • Meditate on truth
  • Pray Scripture
• God knows everything - 1 John 3:20
• Trusting man (or our own hearts) is not a good idea - Jeremiah 17:5-10
• God has never learned and cannot learn - Isaiah 40:13-14
• God's knowledge is unfathomably deep - Romans 11:33-36
• Meditating on the depth of the knowledge of God
• AW Tozer's book, "Knowledge of the Holy"
• God's deep and purposeful knowledge - Isaiah 46:8-11
• The deeply personal nature of God's knowledge - Psalm 90:8
• Our inability to "hide" from our all-knowing God - Psalm 139:7-12
• God's steadfast love (despite knowing everything about us) - Isaiah 54:10
• Jen Wilkin's book, "None Like Him"
• Praying for God to reveal and enlighten our hearts - Ephesians 1:16-21

Additional Resources

• Lyrics - genius.com
• "What does it mean that God is omniscient?" - GotQuestions.org
• "The Knowledge of the Holy" by AW Tozer - Amazon.com
• "None Like Him" by Jen Wilkin - Amazon.com

This Week's Challenge

Meditate on God’s omniscience this week — we’ve only scratched the surface. Follow-up on the listing of Scriptures found in the show notes to read them for yourself in context. Perhaps even consider reading one of the outside resources I referenced to increase your understanding of the attributes of God.

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I'm on a mission to allow awe and wonder to be a part of my daily existence. I don't have to look far, I just have to let it in. I also have to reorient where I'm looking. Most of all, I need to lay myself down. In Matt Redman's song, "Let There Be Wonder," he calls us to worship the King in reverence and awe.

   

The lyrics of this week's song also brings us to the birthplace of the Christian church. The perfect segue post resurrection Sunday.

On 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
  • Meditate on Scripture
  • Storying - retelling the story of Scripture in your own words
  • Utilize outside resources
• Luke as the author of both Luke and Acts - Acts 1:1-3
• Considering the end of Luke before diving into Acts - Luke 24:44-53
• Following the cross reference to Luke 3:16 in anticipation of baptism of Holy Spirit
• Jesus ascending to heaven on a cloud...a HUGE source of wonder - Acts 1:6-11
• Letting yourself sit in the scene of the narrative
• The relevance of what comes after the BUT in Acts 1:8
• Becomin

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God is not a "because I said so" Father. He is patient with our shortcomings and proves Himself over and over. He explains, and displays, and explains again. Tauren Wells in his song, "Like You Love Me" reminds us that every moment given to worry is wasted time. Jesus makes the same argument...and several others to support His instruction not to be anxious.

In these times of uncertainty, let's look to what Jesus teaches as arguments why we should NOT be anxious.

On 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
  • Ask questions
  • Remember the people you're reading about were real
  • Follow the cross reference
  • Compare and contrast
• Reading the Sermon on the Mount in its entirety - Matthew 5-7
• Asking the questions, "Who are Jesus' disciples?" and "What would their needs be as they are listening to this sermon?"
• Our focus text - Matthew 6:24-34
• Jesus' main point repeated FIVE times - "DO NOT BE ANXIOUS"
• A valuable video resource by John Piper called "Look at the Book" - Part 1, Part 2, Part 3
• The nine arguments of Christ to prove that we should not be anxious
• Following the cross-reference to 1 Kings 3 to study about how Solomon asked for wisdom, but God lavished more
• The final argument that there will be trouble every day, but Lamentations 3:20-24 reminds us that His mercies are new every morning

Additional Resources

• Lyrics - Klove
• "Do Not Be Anxious About Your Life" - audio and transcribed sermon by John Piper - DesiringGod.org

This Week's Challenge

Read the entire sermon of Jesus beginning in Matthew 5 and ending in Matthew 7. Take your time considering the section of teaching found Matthew 6:24-34. Consider the main point that Jesus is trying to make -- "Do not be anxious." Analyze the supporting arguments found in this text. Contemplate if you have fully received each argument and been transformed by its teaching and truth.

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"Did you hear me?" When I don't receive a response from my husband or my children after I asked them to do something, I often ask, "Did you hear me?" How many times do we wonder if God hears us? Big Daddy Weave's song "I Know" recounts the goodness of God, but it's a lyric in the opening verse that caught my attention this week.

Join me in exploring Solomon's prayer of dedication of the newly constructed temple. His prayer repeats a request that God would hear when we call to him.

On 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
  • Reference section headings to get your bearings
  • Mark up the text
  • Make a list
  • Repetition
• Reading the Bible through in a year by reading for a set amount of time vs. a specific number of chapters
• Getting our bearings in 2 Chronicles using section headings to bring us to the prayer of dedication for the temple
• Marking up the text in 2 Chronicles 6, noting every mention of the word "hear"
• The poetic form and structure of Solomon's prayer - 2 Chronicles 6
• Making a list of "if" and "when" statements in Solomon's prayer
• Noting that almost every request for God to "hear" is paired with a request for forgiveness due to a heart of repentance
• The prayer that God would give according to our hearts and our ways (a.k.a. scary prayer) - 2 Chronicles 6:30
• Acknowledging God's power - 2 Chronicles 6:3-4
• A sincere desire to glorify the name of God - 2 Chronicles 6:7-9
• God's response to Solomon's prayer - 2 Chronicles 7:12-14

Additional Resources

• Lyrics and chords - Praise Charts
• The Story Behind the Album with "I Know" by Big Daddy Weave - TheChristianBeat.org

This Week's Challenge

Read 2 Chronicles 1-7. Sit awhile in chapter 6 as you read, study, and interact with Solomon's prayer of dedication of the temple. Consider the Lord's response in chapter 7 in context of the prayer. Ask the Lord to hear your prayer that He would reveal your ways and your heart. Repent, and then ask Him to align your heart and your ways to HIS ways.

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God is worthy of our praise. If He did nothing else for us until the day we see Him face-to-face, we could spend the rest of our days praising Him because of Who He is and what He has already done. Matt Maher's song "Alive and Breathing" reminds us of this truth and then leads us in praise to The One Who is worthy.

Follow me to the psalms as we interact with God's Word this week.

On this week's episode I discuss:

• Taking a B.I.T.E. out of Scripture - this week's Bible Interaction Tool Exercises include:
  • Consult outside resources
  • Slow down
  • Write out Scripture by hand
  • Write out Scripture in your own words
• The current world pandemic and how if we're still alive and breathing we need to be praising the Lord
• How Matt Maher mentions Psalm 150 in an interview about the song - Psalm 150
• The introduction to Psalm 150 in The Treasury of David by Charles Spurgeon
• A previous episode where I dove into Psalm 150 in depth - Episode 280
• Everywhere, in every way, for who He is AND what He does…if we have breath in our lungs we are to PRAISE. THE. LORD.
• Writing out Scripture by hand and then writing it out in our own words
• How the lyric "joy still comes in the morning" sent me over to Psalm 30
• Joy coming in the morning and Jesus being our bright and morning start - Revelation 22:16
• God's Word and current revelation is a lamp, but Jesus' return is the day dawning - 1 Peter 1:16-21
• A new resource I tried - Ask Ligonier
• Taking off our funeral clothes and putting on a garment of gladness and praise

Additional Resources

• Lyrics, chords, and song session - Essential Worship
• The Story Behind the Song "Alive and Breathing" by Matt Maher - Radio Station Article

This Week's Challenge

I hope that you can take some really intentional time this week to sing your praises and not be silent. If you are still alive and breathing, PRAISE THE LORD knowing that joy comes in the morning. Write out Psalm 150 — then write it out in your own words. Study Psalm 30 and meditate on the glory of our bright and morning star, Jesus Christ.

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There are times in life with something Scripture teaches smacks you right in the face and causes you to sit up and pay attention. When I was growing up in church people would say the pastor was "stepping on their toes" in a sermon. The lyrics in the song "Smile" by Sidewalk Prophets are reflective of truth found in Scripture. Perhaps choosing joy during difficulty is easier to sing about than do.

Come spend some time in a few verses in the book of James with me this week as learn more about choosing joy.

On 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
  • Listen to an audio version of Scripture
  • Read the envelope
  • Review the introduction in your study Bible or online
  • Consult a variety of translations
  • Complete a word study
• A women's conference next month where I am the guest speaker - Event Information
• The coronavirus pandemic causing us all to sit up straight when we read in Scripture to choose joy - James 1:2-4
• How the Bible has a lot to say about joy (59+ occurrences in the New Testament and 93+ in the Old Testament)
• Reading the envelope of the letter from James - who is the letter from, to, and when was it written?
• How scholars believe the letter from James was the first of its kind as it is probably the oldest book of the New Testament
• The joy that James is talking about is not an emotional response, but rather a deep seated sense of confidence and well-being that transcends circumstances
• Reading in a variety of translations to get a fuller picture of a word or phrase - BibleHub.com
• Letting joy have authority in our lives when we face trials - Episode 224
• Doing a word study on "steadfastness" - BibleHub.com
• Doing a word study on "perfect" - BibleHub.com
• Christ-like character as my ultimate destination

Additional Resources

• How do I know James is possible the oldest book in the New Testament? - BibleStudyTools.com Article
• Lyrics - Klove.com
• The Story Behind the Song "Smile" by Sidewalk Prophets - New Release Today Article

This Week's Challenge

Dive into the letter from James this week. If you’re like me, you read it through once (or listen to it in less than 15 minutes) and then sit and soak in verses 2-4. Read in a variety of translations. Take a shot at reading

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