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

Send us Fan Mail

With all of the talk these days about what is and is not "essential," it's good to be reminded that God's presence IS essential. Natalie Grant goes so far to declare God's presence as our weapon against the darkness in her song, "My Weapon."

Let's discover how essential God's presence was to Moses in Exodus 33.

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
  • Use the section titles to get your bearings
  • Write out Scripture in your own words
• The 30 Day Music Challenge - ACCEPT THE CHALLENGE HERE
• God's initial response to NOT go with His people - Exodus 33:1-4
• Getting really good at discovering what the Word of God says before moving on to other steps
• Getting our bearings in large books of the Bible by using section headings
• Discovering when Moses went up the mountain - Exodus 24:9-14
• Acknowledging WHY God was so angry with the people that He would not accompany them to the promised land - Exodus 32:11-14
• Writing out the scene in your own words (maybe even dramatizing it as I did)
• Moses interceding for the people - Exodus 32:11-14, Exodus 33:12-17
• A reminder from Episode 338 that joy accompanies the presence of God
• A reminder from Episode 337 that our Great High Priest intercedes for us to this day
• Really considering what it would be like taking even one more step without the presence of God

Purchase your copy of A Seat at the Table today!

Send us Fan Mail

Forrest Gump's mama said, "Life's like a box of chocolates...you never know what you're going to get!" And while that may be true, 2020 has turned into a big bite of cocoa powder. We had great hopes and expectations for this year, but in many ways, it has turned into a chalky, bitter disappointment. However, For King and Country's song "joy." reminds us that even in the midst of missed expectations, we can choose joy.

Let's consider what God's Word has to say on the matter on a journey from James to the Psalms to Romans.

On this week's episode I discuss:

Check out the official music video for this week's song below!

• Taking a B.I.T.E. out of Scripture - this week's Bible Interaction Tool Exercises include:
  • Complete a word study
  • Read in context
  • Write out Scripture
  • Make observations
  • Write out Scripture in your own words
  • Observe/Reflect/Respond
• The 30 Day Music Challenge - ACCEPT THE CHALLENGE HERE
• Here's a link to the video I talked about at the top of the episode - YouTube Video
• Choosing joy with perspective - James 1:2-4
• Word study on "consider" - hégeomai - BibleHub.com
• Finding joy in God's presence
  • 1 Chronicles 16:27
  • Psalm 16:11
  • Psalm 28:7 (We soak in this Psalm on

Purchase your copy of A Seat at the Table today!

Send us Fan Mail

My daughter read "Animal Farm" in middle school. Luckily she had a teacher who could unpack the symbolism and interpret the text in such a way that she understood and enjoyed the Orwell classic. Sometimes it takes a little extra study to understand the things we read in Scripture, too. Shane & Shane's rendition of "Before the Throne of God Above" sends us from Hebrews to the Old Testament and back to learn more about Jesus as our Great High Priest.

Pack your bags with a few nuggets of information mined on this week's podcast before you journey into the book of Hebrews for yourself.

On this episode I discuss:

• Taking a B.I.T.E. out of Scripture - our Bible Interaction Tool Exercises this week are:
  • Read in context
  • Listen to an audio version of the text
  • Consult outside resources
  • Start with God/Jesus
  • Make a list
  • Compare and contrast
• The 30 Day Music Challenge - ACCEPT THE CHALLENGE HERE
• Sneaking in a hymn because of the great truths repeated in every line
• The author and the original title of the hymn - Hymnary.org
• Getting distracted studying about Jesus as our advocate in 1 John 2:1-2
• Reading the entire text of Hebrews to place your detailed study in context
• How "high priest" is mentioned 17 times in the book of Hebrews, making the priesthood of Jesus Christ a central theme
• Consulting outside resources to learn more about the role of the high priest - GotQuestions.org and Warren Wiersbe's Commentary on Hebrews
• Learning about the role of the high priest in the Old Testament (specifically duties on the Day of Atonement) - Leviticus 16
• Starting with Jesus as we approach the text (in

Purchase your copy of A Seat at the Table today!

Send us Fan Mail

The invitation is out there. It's been sent. Will you open it, read it, and toss it aside? Perhaps you'll open it and put it on the fridge intending to respond "one day." We The Kingdom sings the invitation to "come" in their song "God So Loved."

Come, let us explore the call to follow and where it might lead.

On this episode I discuss:

• Taking a B.I.T.E. out of Scripture - our Bible Interaction Tool Exercises this week are:
  • Complete a word study
  • Study a theme of Scripture
  • Read in context
• The 30 Day Music Challenge - ACCEPT THE CHALLENGE HERE
• Completing a word study on the word "come" found in Matthew 11:28 - BibleHub.com
• Using the word "come" as my study theme for the week
• 12 instances of the Greek word deute - "come and follow"
  • Matthew 4:19
  • Matthew 11:28
  • Matthew 21:38
  • Matthew 22:4
  • Matthew 25:34
  • Matthew 28:6
  • Mark 1:17
  • Mark 6:31
  • Mark 12:7
  • John 4:29
  • John 21:12
  • Revelation 19:17
• Coming to and following Jesus out of our weariness - Matthew 11:28-30
• The beginning of a great adventure for the disciples - Matthew 4:18-22
• How the call to come and follow isn't always a righteous call - Matthew 21:33-46
• The invitation to the wedding feast that is an open invitation to us today - Matthew 22:1-14
• A recap of the reason why the invitation was opened up to Gentiles - Acts 13:44:-49
• How wearing our own self-righteousness wi

Purchase your copy of A Seat at the Table today!

Send us Fan Mail

When we declare our praises to God it impacts our own heart AND acts as a testimony to the world around us. Phil Wickham's song "Great Things" echoes another song in the Bible. It's a song that is part of a longer "playlist."

Let's discover one of the psalms on the "Song of Ascents" playlist together!

On this episode I discuss:

• Taking a B.I.T.E. out of Scripture - our Bible Interaction Tool Exercises this week are:
  • Meditate on Scripture
  • Repetition
  • Read in a variety of translations
  • Listen to an audio version of the text
  • Consult an outside resource
• The 30 Day Music Challenge - ACCEPT THE CHALLENGE HERE
• What the Songs of Ascent were - GotQuestions.org
• The great things of God sung about in Psalm 126 - Psalm 126:3
• What Zion is - then and now
• Rejoicing in the great things of God in such a way that it draws the attention of others
• How the singers of this psalm were actually singing God's Word - Jeremiah 33:7-9
• Referencing The Treasury of David by Charles Spurgeon
• "Present distress must not be viewed as if it would last forever; it is not the end, by any means, but only a means to the end." - Charles Spurgeon

Purchase your copy of A Seat at the Table today!

Send us Fan Mail

We can hide from God about as well as a toddler hiding under the dining room table in plain sight with eyes tightly shut. Just as He doesn't abandon us when we are trying to hide from Him, God doesn't abandon us when we stray from Him either. Jordan Feliz' song "Never Too Far Gone" leads us to consider the "before Christ" and "after Christ" impact on Paul.

Join me in two sections of Scripture this week as we reflect on the life of someone who seemed "too far gone."

On this episode I discuss:

• Taking a B.I.T.E. out of Scripture - our Bible Interaction Tool Exercises this week are:
  • Complete a character study
  • Remember that Paul was a real person
  • Read or study to epic music playing in the background
• The 30 Day Music Challenge - ACCEPT THE CHALLENGE HERE
• Christian songs solve the riddles of life with inspiration from music - Psalms 49:3-4
• You can't hide from God...and He doesn't want you to - Psalm 139:7-12
• Communion with God is summam bonum - the highest good - not checking off items on a list
• The summary Paul gives of himself and his conversion - Galatians 1:11-24
• The actual account of Saul's conversion - Acts 9:1-25
• The idea that Saul was HORRIBLE (think ISIS beheading kind of horrible) and even he was not "too far gone" for God to set apart and use
• Creating an environment to increase your probability of communion with God

Purchase your copy of A Seat at the Table today!

Send us Fan Mail

There is a poem that was popular in Christian circles when I was growing up about the journey of life. The poet questioned why God seemed missing in the most difficult seasons of life only to discover that He truly was there all the while. That is the same sentiment Zach Williams and Dolly Parton sing about in "There Was Jesus."

Similarly, we often don't realize Christ was present in the Old Testament, but this week's study shows He was there all the while.

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 and keep on reading
  • Follow the cross references
  • Complete a word study
• The 30 Day Music Challenge - ACCEPT THE CHALLENGE HERE
• The story behind the song - YouTube
• Recognizing Jesus throughout Scripture - Luke 24:25
• Reading the narrative of the exodus...starting at the beginning
• Finding ourselves wondering if the Lord is among us or not - Exodus 17:1-7
• Discovering Jesus was there in the midst of the Hebrew people all along - 1 Corinthians 10:1-4
• Understanding that the needs of the people were real
• How "quarreling" in the text really meant screaming in Moses' face - BibleHub.com Word Study
• How even though they were lobbing their complaints at Moses, they were really showing a lack of trust in God
• Following the cross reference to Deuteronomy 8:11-20
• Taking the warning of Scripture personally in my own journey
• Following the cross reference to Psalm 78
• Rec

Purchase your copy of A Seat at the Table today!

Send us Fan Mail

I recently read, "One danger of the internet is the temptation to constantly be everywhere except where we are." How do we stay in the moment? Jeremy Camp sings of this in his song "Keep Me in the Moment." My preferred method is to immerse myself in Scripture.

Join me in soaking in the benefits of God as found in Psalm 103.

On this week's episode I discuss:

• Taking a B.I.T.E. out of Scripture - this week's Bible Interaction Tool Exercises include:
  • Consider the opposite
  • Start with God
  • Make a list
  • Pray Scripture
  • Meditate on Scripture
  • Read in context
  • Considering the opposite
• The 30 Day Music Challenge - ACCEPT THE CHALLENGE HERE
• Recognizing that our lives are fleeting - Psalm 103:15-16
• Staying in the moment by refocusing on God
• Studying the benefits we have in the Lord in Psalm 103
• How blessing the Lord rightly places us on our knees before a holy God and reorients us from our relentless focus on self to ardent devotion to God
• Turning the benefits we discover in Psalm 103 into prayers of adoration and thanksgiving
• Considering the opposite of God's characteristics to amplify the truth
• Ending the way the psalm began

Purchase your copy of A Seat at the Table today!

Send us Fan Mail

When my daughter was in driver's education, I experienced something first hand...you steer where you stare. As you become a more seasoned driver you may be able to take your eyes off of the road and not immediately swerve, but you cannot stay straight without fixing your eyes on the path ahead. Scripture confirms this, and King's Kaleidoscope's song "Fix Your Eyes" helps up meditate on this truth.

Let's fix our eyes this week on what Scripture has to teach us about our faith and more.

On this week's episode I discuss:

• Taking a B.I.T.E. out of Scripture - this week's Bible Interaction Tool Exercises include:
  • Meditate
  • Complete a word study
  • Read in context
  • Use different translations
• The 30 Day Music Challenge - ACCEPT THE CHALLENGE HERE
• How I originally wanted to put word-for-word Scripture to song and how others do it better - Music and resources at seedsfamilyworship.com
• God’s Word is Truth. Don’t let Christian music be a substitute for God’s Word.
• Using song as a form of meditation - Psalm 119:15
• The Hebrew word translated "meditation" - Word Study on BibleHub
• Our Scripture focus areas - Hebrews 12:1-4, 2 Corinthians 4:17-18, Psalm 119:1-8
• Meditating on
  • Fixing my eyes
  • Jesus as the founder and finisher of my faith
  • The phrase in the lyrics…”the solace in your suffering is my strength”

Purchase your copy of A Seat at the Table today!

Send us Fan Mail

I love songs that sing Scripture word-for-word. Elevation Worship does just that with their song "The Blessing." It takes us straight to Numbers 6 where we have an opportunity to really soak in God's Word.

Let's meditate on Scripture this week as we hide God's Word in our hearts through song.

On 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
  • Complete a word study
  • Start with God
  • Consider the opposite
• The 30 Day Music Challenge - ACCEPT THE CHALLENGE HERE
• The call in Scripture to meditate on God's precepts - Psalm 119:15
• If you know how to worry, you know how to meditate
• The blessing given by God in Numbers 6:22-27
• Focusing on God first as we ponder this blessing
  • The origin of this blessing was from the desire of the LORD to bless His people 
  • The benefits of the blessing are dependent upon the characteristics and actions of the LORD
• Noticing all of the references to speaking
• Recognizing that priests were to speak the blessing
• Pondering the fact that believers in Christ are a royal priesthood - 1 Peter 2:9-10
• How the favor and protection spoken in this blessing is repeated in 2 Thessalonians 3:3
• Picturing the shining face of God leaned over in favor and unmerited grace
• Considering the opposite of God's face turned toward us - Isaiah 59:1-2
• The blessing of being a people belonging to God

Purchase your copy of A Seat at the Table today!