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

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How could I miss that? The answer is usually because I'm not paying attention. Dennis Jernigan's song, "Thank You, Lord," might not be a new worship anthem, but it gives us a great structure to linger in some areas of Scripture we've covered previously on the podcast. It will do our hearts good to go back over some ground we've covered to see if there might be something we missed that we can turn into thanksgiving to our God.

Try a new technique to tarry in God's Word with new purpose.

On this week's episode I discuss:

• Taking a B.I.T.E. out of Scripture - this week's Bible Interaction Tool Exercises include:
  • The color method
  • Annotate
  • Define words
  • Pray Scripture
• Where I first heard this song (hint: it was a while back)
• Learning to linger by going back to sections of Scripture we've covered in previous episodes
  • Psalm 148 - Episode 244
  • Daniel 6 - Episode 245
  • Jonah 2 - Episode 246
  • Isaiah 26 - Episode 247
• Using this week's song as the structure for our study and the color method to interact with God's Word
  • for all that You've done
  • for all that You're going to do
  • for all that You've promised
  • for all that You are
• How God is splendorous - Psalm 148:13
• Using this week's BITE to help you pray better
• The law of God as a promise - Joshua 1:7-9
• Daniel with a heart of gratitude in every circumstance - 1 Thessalonians 5:17-18
• How what God has done, and what He will do, and what He promises, and Who He is are so tightly woven together it's difficult to separate the strands
• Summarizing what we're learning into a prayer back to God
• Recognizing that it doesn't seem to bother Scripture to declare God as One who both hurls Jonah into the deep and brings his life up from the pit
• Being thankful for God as
  • the Rock Eternal
  • the Upright One
  • Majestic
  • and the Establisher of peace - Isaiah 26

• Lyrics and chords - Higher Praise

Try these BITEs (Bible Interaction Tool Exercises) for yourself! Take four colors and print out Scripture with wide margins. (On this episode we used Psalm 148, Daniel 6, Jonah 2, and Isaiah 26 to coincide with four previous podcast episodes.) Underline what God has done in one color, what He is going to do in another, what He has pr

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We are a people in need of rescuing. Praise God that He has already provided our Rescuer! Zach Williams sings of this in his song, "Rescue Story." It leads us to explore another rescue story in Scripture that whispers the name of Jesus.

Join me as we head back to the book of Ruth for one more week.

On this 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
  • Repetition
  • Listen to an audio version of the text
  • Read/listen in various translations
  • Storying
  • Share with a friend
• Don't treat the stories of the Bible in chunks...read and keep on reading
• Storying...what it is and how to do it on your own
• How I chose the book of Ruth again because it is a story of redemption that is a type and shadow of the ultimate rescue story
• How every story whispers Jesus' name
  • John 5:39-40
  • Luke 24:39-40
• A recap of Ruth 1-4
• How Naomi was rescued from her emptiness, Ruth was rescued from her barrenness, the people of Israel were ultimately rescued from their disobedience, and we are rescued from an eternity separated from God
• A discussion of what a kinsman redeemer is and where you find it baked into God's law
  • Exodus 6:6
  • Leviticus 25:25-28
• Christ as our redeemer - Galatians 3:13-14, Hebrews 9:15
• Christ is our bridegroom and we are His bride - Ephesians 5
• In Ruth we see ourselves when we see someone in need, unable to rescue ourselves, requiring a redeemer to cover us with His protection, requesting His redemption, and asking Him to make us his wife

• The story behind the song "Rescue Story" by Zach Williams - YouTube Video
• Chords and lyrics - Essential Worship
• What is a kinsman redeemer? - GotQuestions.org

Explore the rescue story as told in the Book of Ruth. Read the entire account several times. Read it in different translations. Admire the beauty of this bright spot shining in a very dark age. Delight in the details of a charming story (that really happened to real people) and rehearse it often enough that you can then share it with a friend. Finally, consider how this story whispers the name of our own Redeemer, Jesus Christ.

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You know the saying, "There's no going back?" Well, thank goodness that sentiment doesn't apply to returning to the people and the ways of God. Our song this week by Cochran and Co. is "Church (Take Me Back)" and inspired me to explore a story of returning in the Old Testament.

Naomi returns to her homeland, her people, and the ways of God. Let's explore it together in the book of Ruth.

On this episode I discuss:

• Taking a B.I.T.E. out of Scripture - this week's Bible Interaction Tool Exercises include:
  • Explore the historical background
  • Write in your Bible
  • Read in context
  • Read and keep on reading
• The theme of returning found in Ruth 1
• Exploring where Naomi is returning FROM - Ruth 1:1-5
  • How the Moabites got their start - Genesis 19:30-38
  • How the leaders of Moab hired Balaam to curse Israel (entire context is Numbers 22-24) - Numbers 22:1-6
  • Moabites sent in the ladies to seduce the Israelite men into sexual immorality and ultimately idolatry by the people of Israel - Numbers 25:1-3, Numbers 31:16
  • Lasting consequences were placed by God on the Moabites - Deuteronomy 23:3-4
  • How King Eglon of Moab tormented the people for 18 years - Judges 3
  • The god of the Moabites, Chemosh, was worshipped through child sacrifice
• A quote by Christopher Ash from his book, "Teaching Ruth and Esther" - Amazon link
• Looking for the theme of "returning" in Ruth 1 - Ruth 1:6-22
• How God is a restorer of life...a causer of us to return...to Him and His land of promise through the life, death, and resurrection of His Son the ultimate Redeemer of our souls

• The story behind the song "Church (Take Me Back)" by Cochran and Co. - YouTube Video
• Chords and lyrics - CochrenMusic.com

Read the book of Ruth for yourself. Highlight or mark all instances of turning back or returning. Really meditate on this theme and consider what God may be saying to you through His Holy Word.

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What if I could train myself to stop focusing on my circumstances rather than the Lord? Kristian Stanfill's song "Always" reminds us of the greatness of our God as compared to the trouble that may surround us.

David's Psalm 3 offers this same option. Let's explore it together.

On this episode I discuss:

• Taking a B.I.T.E. out of Scripture - this week's Bible Interaction Tool Exercises include:
  • Writing in your Bible
  • Annotating
  • Making observations
  • Making a list
  • Consult and outside resource
  • Listen/Read in a variety of translations
  • Share with a friend!
  • Following the cross references
• How the first verse of the song leads us to the first verse of Psalm 3
• Copying and pasting the Psalm into a word processing document in order to print out and annotate
• Annotating - marking up a text to indicate places of importance or something you don't understand, thereby increasing deeper understanding
• Bracketing the Psalm
  • Psalm 3:1-2 - Looking at circumstances
  • Psalm 3:3-4 - Refocusing on God
  • Psalm 3:5-6 - Resulting in rest and peace
  • Psalm 3:7 - A request
  • Psalm 3:8 - A declaration
• Following the cross reference to 2 Samuel 13-18 to read about David and Absalom - the inspiration for David to write this psalm in the first place

• The story behind the song "Always" by Kristian Stanfill - New Release Today Article
• Lyrics - KLove
• Chords and lyrics - Worship Together

Read Psalm 3 for yourself. Make your own observations and identify your own patterns in this song of lament. David offers us an example of sincere faith we can follow in the midst of troubling times. Let this Psalm change your prayers and remind you of the rest and peace offered by our Deliverer.

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Tell me if you've done this before (because I have). You look at your Bible, but you pick up another book instead. If you're feeling super spiritual, you pick up a book that will help you understand the Bible better...but you still don't pick up your Bible. Or, you look at your Bible, but you start up a podcast instead. If you're feeling super spiritual, you choose a podcast that will talk to you about the Bible...but you still don't pick up your Bible.

This week's podcast is fairly short for a reason. Tune in to find out why and what God has shown me.

On this episode I discuss:

• Taking a B.I.T.E. out of Scripture - this week's Bible Interaction Tool Exercises include:
  • Listening to an audio version of God's Word
  • Read and keep on reading
• Testimony night - Revelation 12:10-11
• Others are capable
• My word's aren't necessary
• God can use others in the same way He uses me
• It's not about me and my story
• God's words are the only words that matter

• YouVersion Bible App
• Dwell Bible App

Turn off the podcast and turn on an audio version of God’s Word. What Scripture references did your pastor use on Sunday? Grab that book of the Bible, start at the beginning, and press play. Get lost in the story of Scripture. Read and keep on reading (or perhaps, listen and keep on listening).

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I'm inspired by the music that is inspired by the Word. This week's song by Jeremy Camp, "Dead Man Walking," is no exception. Where does Jeremy Camp get the idea that he was a dead man walking until he was a man walking with Christ? That is what we'll explore together.

Scripture actually has a lot to say about this topic. Let's explore it together.

On this episode I discuss:

• Taking a B.I.T.E. out of Scripture - this week's Bible Interaction Tool Exercises include:
  • Explore a topic
  • Compare and Contrast
  • Make a list
  • Read in a variety of translations
• Dead men walking...walking around in the flesh, but spiritually dead - Ephesians 2:1-10
• Exploring Ephesians 2 some more by review Episode 278
• Spending a lifetime interacting with God's Word and always discovering something new
• Making a list of what we were like when we were dead in our trespasses and sins according to Ephesians 2:1-10
• What we are when we are made alive together Christ by God according to Ephesians 2:1-10
• Exploring another of Paul's letters that discusses being dead in our trespasses - Colossians 2:6-15
• What it looks like when we are walking with Christ - Colossians 2:6-15
• Looking closely at exactly WHO makes us alive {spoiler alert...it has NOTHING to do with you}
• Jesus' own explanation around new birth/regeneration - John 3:3-8
• Additional verse references around our new birth
  • John 1:9-13
  • 1 Peter 1:3
  • Ezekiel 36:26-27
  • John 6:65
• A reminder of what it's like before our new birth - 1 Corinthians 2:14

• Lyrics
• The topic of Regeneration from Systematic Theology by Wayne Grudem - MP3
• The outline of the topic of Regeneration from Wayne Grudem's presentation - PDF

Explore Ephesians and Colossians with an eye out for evidence that we were dead men walking before God stepped in and gave us new life. Really ponder this idea that it is GOD that makes us alive in Christ. Then lift your head, your hands, and your heart in worship to our merciful God Who rescued you from the ways of this world that you may walk in newness of life.

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Go all in. It looks good on a t-shirt. It looks good on a Christ-follower, too. Unfortunately, we are really good at half-way when it comes to our devotion to the Lord. I find myself going in spurts. I'm all in for awhile and then I get distracted. I'm gung-ho in one area, but not in another. Brandon Heath's song, "Whole Heart" reminds us to love God the way He wants us to...with our whole heart.

There's a wonderful story found in 2 Chronicles about King Asa and all of Judah going "all in."  Will you join me in exploring it this week?

On this episode I discuss:

• Taking a B.I.T.E. out of Scripture - this week's Bible Interaction Tool Exercises include:
  • Slow down (digest smaller chunks)
  • Explore a topic
  • Read in context (don't read part of the story...especially this week)
• The heart as inner man - a place where affections, will, and inclinations reside
• How God asks for our wholehearted love and devotion - Matthew 22:37
• The combination life -- half-in and half-out
• God as our example of wholeheartedness - Jeremiah 32:37-41
• A quote from Andrew Murray - The Two Covenants
• King Asa's story in 2 Chronicles 14-16 and 1 Kings 15
• The peace King Asa and all of Judah enjoyed because of their wholehearted devotion to God
• King Asa and the people entering into a covenant to seek the LORD with all their heart and with all their soul
• The comparison and contrast of when King Asa relied on God and when he relied on other men
• How we get a new heart that can maintain wholehearted devotion. God will give it to us!

• Link to get Brandon's Whole Heart Devotional Series emailed to you! - Brandon Heath's Website
• Lyrics

Read all about King Asa in 2 Chronicles 14-16. Read the entire story and compare and contrast the wholeheartedness and divided hearts of the king and his people and consider the results of each. Seek the Lord with your whole heart and thank Him for the good that He freely pours out with His whole heart.

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What kinds of choices do you make in the face of fear? Building 429's song "Fear No More" is an anthem born out of a personal time when fear led the songwriters to seek God. There's a king in Scripture that was faced with fear more than once. His story gives us two separate examples of choices and two distinct responses from God.

Let's explore the life and choices of King Asa this week.

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It's easy to believe that a traumatic event can be the end of your story. It often feels very much like the end. Tauren Wells' song, "God's Not Done With You," reminds us that God is not done writing your story. There are examples of this all over Scripture.

Join me as we sit in a section of Scripture this week that is hard, yet hopeful.

On this episode I discuss:

• Taking a B.I.T.E. out of Scripture - this week's Bible Interaction Tool Exercises include:
  • Read in context
  • Repetition
  • Read in different translations
  • Listen to epic music while reading
  • Follow the cross references
• The abundance of wounds, scars, brokenness, hard things, and things that had absolutely fallen apart in the lyrics of our song AND in Lamentations
• How God is not absent in the midst of despair
• How Lamentations is a set of five acrostic poems of lament
• The literary devices found in Scripture -- specifically in Lamentations 1:1
• The hard things to read in Israel's story vividly described in Lamentations - Lamentations 2:20-22
• Following the cross-reference to 2 Kings 25:1-7
• The comparison between the massacre in Jerusalem to the Holocaust or the Nanjing Massacre
• A traumatic story of my own - Lamentations 1:20
• How, in our trauma, we might be as innocent as the children described in Lamentations or as guilty as the adults who rebelled against God
• Recognizing the warnings of God - Lamentations 2:17, Deuteronomy 28:15
• Acknowledging responsibility - Lamentations 3:37-39
• Examining our ways and turning back (repentance) - Lamentations 3:40-42
• Hitting rock bottom and crying out - Lamentations 3:54-58
• Understanding that naming, facing, and turning from our sin IS our salvation from false hope - Lamentations 2:14
• Genuine hope is found in our Redeemer - Lamentations 2:20-26

• Lyrics - Klove
• God's Not Done With You 10-Day Devotion Series - Bible.com

Have I inspired you at all to take a crack at Lamentations? I hope so. There is great pain and sorrow to be found there, but there is great repentance and hope as well. I’ve only scratched the surface. I pray you allow God to meet you in your sorrow but, as in Lamentations, that you are honest in your sorrow. Read all five chapters and really give yourself a chance to process slowly -- chase down a few cross references for perspective while you’re at it.

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Are you on the verge of giving up on God? You read all about how He redeems and restores, but you haven't seen it come to pass yet. Unspoken's song "Reason" reminds us that God's love underpins everything and is enough to keep us believing.

I can't wait to introduce you to Sarah (the gal formerly known as Sarai). She had reason to stop believing. Let's dive into her story this week.

On this episode I discuss:

• Taking a B.I.T.E. out of Scripture - this week's Bible Interaction Tool Exercises include:
  • Read in context
  • Remember the characters in the Bible were REAL
  • Explore a topic
  • Follow the cross references
  • Read and keep on reading
• How the people described in the Bible were real
  • They laugh when they're not supposed to
  • They lie to avoid conflict
  • They trust and obey
  • They doubt and take things into their own hands
• Starting at the beginning of Sarai's story and reading to the "end" - Genesis 11-23
• How whatever happened to Abram was happening to Sarai
• The whispers of God's promise over and over again to Abram and Sarai without the results coming as they expected
• The story within the stories told in Scripture - considering what it would have been like for Sarai in Pharoah's harem in Egypt
• Sarah's continued example to us as a "holy woman of the past" - 1 Peter 3:1-6
• A life story that includes war and heartache and a big family business
• Moving from "she strives" to "kings of peoples shall be of her"

• Lyrics - Klove
• Behind the song "Reason" by Unspoken - YouTube Video

Dive into Genesis 11 through 23. Read with Sarah on your mind. Take notes -- begin to understand who she was as a woman, who she was as a wife, who she was as a mother, and who she was as a woman of God. Get creative and write a historical-fiction account of something that happened to her in this text. But most of all, remember that Sarah was real. She was a part of God's overarching plan to rescue all of us from sin and death -- but she was a real woman with real feelings, real fears, and was a real example that nothing is impossible with God.

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