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The topic of identity is blazing across headlines daily these days. It's always been an issue. How do we define who we are? Do we identify with this group or that group? Are we defined by what we do or how much we make? As Christians we need to get a grip on this very important topic. Blanca's song, "Who I Am" brings us to our senses and reminds us that we need to have our identity in the One Who made us. It matters more Whose we are than who we are. This week we examine a potential identity crisis in the life of David.

We do well to learn as much as we can from the very human, very flawed people of God as revealed in Scripture.

On this episode I discuss:

• "When I know Whose I am, I know who I am." - Blanca in a Behind the Music "Who I Am" Air1 Radio YouTube Video
• Taking a B.I.T.E. out of Scripture - our Bible Interaction Tool Exercise this week is considering that the characters we are reading about in the Bible are REAL, picturing them in their environments and considering their probable feelings and emotions
• The main highlights of 1 Samuel leading up to our focus scene in 1 Samuel 16
• Samuel's state of mind as he heads out on a new assignment from God - 1 Samuel 16:1
• Acknowledging our sorrow, grief and sadness while picking up and moving on when God calls
• The mindset of the people of Bethlehem as they welcomed Samuel - 1 Samuel 16:4-5
• A solid revelation from God Himself...He looks on the heart - 1 Samuel 16:7, Romans 12:2
• The importance of tending to our heart more than our outside appearance so we won't be rejected by God - 1 Samuel 16:7
• Jesse and his misunderstanding of what was important to God - 1 Samuel 8-11
• Unpacking what David's thought life might entail given the complete disregard of his family
• Discovering which character in this story reflects where you are in your life

 

 

Additional Resources

• Lyrics
• Story behind the song "Who I Am" by Blanca with Kevin Davis - New Release Today Article

This Week's ChallengeRead 1 Samuel 16 for yourself. Consider all of the characters in the story. How are they affected by the circumstances? Do you see anything you have never considered before? 

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Our natural tendency is to hold tightly to our lives. We grip our hopes and dreams so tightly often little life remains in them. We cling to our way of thinking, our eyes squeezed tightly shut. All the while, our Savior reaches out to us with grace, mercy, joy and hope on the other side of our obedience to HIS way.  This week's song, "Touch the Sky" by Hillsong United paints a beautiful picture of surrender which led me to consider a most wonderful practice of surrender -- prayer.

Choose to explore Ephesians 6 this week, but most of all, determine in your heart to pray.

On this episode I discuss:

• The definition of surrender - to agree to stop fighting, hiding and resisting
• Taking a B.I.T.E. out of Scripture - our Bible Interaction Tool Exercise this week is praying before reading God's Word and asking for His wisdom, understanding and direction
• Using the memory verse from Episode 86 to ask God for the desire and power to understand His Word
• How Christ died so that we should no longer live for ourselves - 2 Corinthians 5:15
• How we find our lives in Christ when we lay down our lives - Matthew 16:24-26
• Total abandonment to God is the only way to true life in Christ
• The story behind the song, "Touch the Sky" with Joel Houston and Taya Smith - YouTube Video
• The book "How to Pray" by R.A. Torrey as my inspiration for my discussion on prayer on this episode
• The "all"s in Ephesians 6:18
  • Praying at ALL times in the Spirit
  • With ALL prayer and supplication
  • Keeping alert with ALL perseverance
  • Making supplication for ALL the saints
• That prayer is important because there is a devil
• How prayer is God's design for obtaining His favor and blessing
• Our neglect of prayer leads to the powerlessness we experience in our daily lives - James 4:2
• A scene from the movie "War Room" - YouTube Video
• Aligning our prayers with God's agenda
• How the apostles regarded prayer as the most important business of their lives - Acts 6:2-4
• How prayer occupied a very prominent place and played a very important part in the earthly life of Jesus - Mark 1:35, Luke 6:12
• Through prayer we obtain grace, mercy and fullness of joy - Hebrews 4:16, John 16:24
• How prayer is the pathway to peace - Philippians 4:6-7
• How prayer brings power into our work and leads others to salvation, in addition to promoting our own spiritual growth

 

 Additional Resources

• Lyrics

This Week's ChallengeFirst things first. PRAY! Pray each day this week before you put your feet on the floor. Pray before you crack open your Bible. Pray constantly each time it comes to your mind. Lift your petitions, your praise AND your thanksgiving to God...pray in varied ways. Humbly plead for your needs. Watch for God to answer b

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There are many times when I am cemented by the enormity of the obstacles in front of me. I am terrified, or overwhelmed, or saddened or any other host of immobilizing emotions. This is why I enjoy the song, "Move (Keep Walkin')" by TobyMac. I use the song to deploy us to 2 Timothy, where we can get "unstuck" by simply following Paul's advice to Timothy.

It may be simple, but it will be challenging. I hope you accept the assignment.

On this episode I discuss:

• Setting goals using strong verbs
• Taking a B.I.T.E. out of Scripture - Bible Interaction Tool Exercises this week...
  • Reading in context
  • Making lists
• Making a list of strong verbs found in 2 Timothy
• Training your mind to be curious and ask questions while you're reading or listening to teaching
• The strong verb, "share." Share what? - 2 Timothy 1:8
• The strong verb, "follow." Follow what? - 2 Timothy 1:13
• How I was inspired by the lyric "soldier keep movin' on" that led me to 2 Timothy 2:3-4
• Soldiers endure great challenges and suffering to please their commanding officer. How much more will we as soldiers of Christ?
• Avoid getting entangled in civilian pursuits - 2 Timothy 2:4

 

 Additional Resources

• Lyrics

This Week's ChallengeRead 2 Timothy all the way through in one sitting. Then go back and make a list of the strong verbs that you see in this letter of instruction to young Timothy from his mentor Paul. Choose one or two "assignments" to focus on this week. These are instructions...orders from the Captain of our Salvation - make it your aim to please Him.

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This week's song, "You Are Loved" by Stars Go Dim, has a simple but profound lyric that leads us to a conversation that Jesus had with Nicodemus in John chapter 3. We don't stop there because Jesus uses an analogy that sends us scurrying to Numbers 21 and then back to John 3 to deepen our understanding of love and salvation.

I was thrilled at the depth this week's study added to this song. It's so much richer every time I hear it now.

On this episode I discuss:

• I know that God loves me because He tells me so in John 3:16 (and all through His Word)
• Tim Tebow and his influence on Google searches for John 3:16
• Taking B.I.T.E.s out of Scripture - Bible Interaction Tool Exercises this week...
  • Reading in context
  • Chasing down cross references
• Nicodemus - who he was and how he saw Jesus
• John Piper quote - "What happens in new birth is not merely affirming the supernatural in Jesus, but experiencing the supernatural in yourself." - Sermon
• Jesus comparing Himself to the serpent Moses lifted up in the desert
• Following the cross reference to Numbers 21:4-9
• Just look up and believe...He did not come to condemn you, but to save you - John 3:16-18

 

Additional Resources

• Lyrics
• Story Behind the Song - YouTube Video
• Tebow, John 3:16 Drive Internet Evangelism - Billy Graham Evangelistic Association Article
• "The Son of Man Must Be Lifted Up - Like the Serpent" - John Piper Sermon

This Week's ChallengeI challenge you to become so familiar with John 3:1-21 that you can tell it by heart to others. Read this entire encounter with Nicodemus in context. Track down the cross references I mentioned and look up because you ARE loved.

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Why is easier to trust God for some things than for others? Do we believe He is all powerful or not? Do we trust His authority over our circumstances or not? God sweeps Ezekiel into a valley to show him the most amazing resurrection scene. This week's song, "Come Alive (Dry Bones)" by Lauren Daigle sweeps us into Ezekiel chapter 37 to encounter God's sovereignty as well.

I can't wait for you to ponder this scene and discover the ultimate power of God.

On this episode I discuss:

• How Scripture can remind us of songs and songs can remind us of Scripture
• How those of us with dead relationships, dead churches and dead communities can come alive - I mentioned this in Episode 97, too!
• The story behind the song as told by co-writers Lauren Daigle and Michael Farren - YouTube Video
• Taking a B.I.T.E. out of Scripture with this week's Bible Interaction Tool Exercise: Meditating on Scripture
• Referential representation - imagining in our mind what the words on the page represent
• My picture of the valley mentioned in Ezekiel - Ezekiel 37:1
• Another mention of a valley of death - Psalm 23:4
• The name Ezekiel used for God and what it means to all of us - Ezekiel 37:3
• Speaking out loud over our circumstances
• The part that was up to God, the part that was up to Ezekiel and the part that was up to the dry bones
• How God used the wind to breathe life back into the dry bones - Ezekiel 37:10-11
• Filling in the blank of what the dry bones represent in our own lives

 

 Additional Resources

Lyrics

This Week's ChallengeRead Ezekiel 37:1-14 for yourself, of course! Meditate on the words. Visualize the scene. Ponder it. Journal about it. Then pull out the song and sing about it. Then you will know that the Lord has spoken.

 

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Hearing the stories of others can give us hope and encouragement in our own struggles. This week's song, "Worn" by Tenth Avenue North, describes what many of us feel in our wearying circumstances. This week, we meet up with Jacob in the book of Genesis. I start to feel worn just recapping his life's journey!

Let's see what we can learn from Jacob's encounter with God.

In this episode, I discuss:

• A video discussing the inspiration for writing the song
• A video journal of the lead singer of Tenth Avenue North examining a time in his life when he was worn
• Stating our sorrows but rehearsing God's faithfulness
• Admitting our weariness in our circumstances but confessing God's greatness
• Taking a B.I.T.E. out of Scripture with this week's Bible Interaction Tool Exercise of reading greater sections of Scripture to get the big picture
• A recap of Jacob's life...I got wiped out just reading the highlights!
• Jacob's experience with God in Genesis 28:10-22
• Jesus is the "ladder" leading to heaven - John 1:51
• Taking our hard places, setting them up as stones of remembrance, and anointing them for God's holy use in our lives and His kingdom
• Taking ownership of our own faith 

Additional Resources

Lyrics

This Week's Challenge

Put this week's Bible Interaction Tool Exercise into practice by reading about Jacob in Genesis 25-35. This is a chance for you to take ownership of your own faith and see an example of redemption winning.

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Have you ever arrived at a familiar destination only to discover you don't remember experiencing the journey? Tim Timmons's "Awake Our Souls" is a cry for us to wake up and experience the Kingdom of God all around us! It inspires me to pick up God's Word and consider what it teaches about the Kingdom.

God asks for our efforts to be focused on His agenda and His way of doing things. God's Word can teach us how.

In this episode, I discuss:

• The story behind the song - Tim Timmons on YouTube
• Getting to the heart...the true source of who we are
• Taking a B.I.T.E. out of Scripture with the Bible Interaction Tool Exercise of a topical search - use this free resource
• Not stopping at the short list of topical Scriptures...you must read them in CONTEXT
• Combating the lies of the enemy with the truth of Scripture
• Using commentaries AFTER you have read and considered God's Word for yourself
• Experiencing the Fruit of the Spirit rather than just the fruit of my own labor
• The story behind the album - Tim Timmons on YouTube
• Seeking first the Kingdom of God and HIS righteousness - Matthew 6:33
• How the Kingdom of God doesn't look like I expect it to look
• When the King was arriving - John 12:12-16
• When the King declares His Kingdom is eternal - John 18:36
• How the theological truth that the Kingdom of God is eternal in nature changes my posture
• Allowing this week's song to be a prayer in our own lives

Additional Resources

• Lyrics
• Shattered Magazine Article on Tim Timmons and "Awake Our Souls" - Read the article here

This Week's Challenge

Start where I started: with a topical search of the Kingdom of God. Download this week's free resource to walk you through the steps. Then, progress to reading as much as possible about what Jesus taught about the Kingdom of God. Matthew 13 contains seven different parables describing the Kingdom of God. It is a great place to start.

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When the storms of life come out of nowhere and send us titling out of control, do we hang tight or let go? Casting Crowns encourages us to let go and "Just Be Held." This act of surrender and trust in God truly means we abandon our control, but it does not mean we will be out of control. God Himself can carry us through in His capable hands if we will let him.

In Acts 27, Paul's sailing companions learned this the hard way. Let's see what we can learn from their experiences.

In this episode, I discuss:

• Using published devotions to take a B.I.T.E. out of Scripture (Bible Interaction Tool Exercise)
• Casting Crowns' Thrive Challenge Devotion on this song
• B.I.T.E. of reading more Scripture
  • Commit to a daily devotion and read the referenced Scripture out loud
  • Progress to reading the referenced Scripture in the context of the section it is included in
  • Progress to reading the referenced Scripture in the context of the chapter it is included in
  • Progress to reading the referenced Scripture in the context of several chapters leading up to it
  • Progress to reading the referenced Scripture in the context of the entire book (or a large portion of chapters)
• Paul's journey leading up to Acts 27 - Acts 21-27
• The storm Paul and his companions encountered on a ship heading to Rome as a prisoner and how the sailors responded
  • First, they abandoned their purpose
  • Then, they abandoned the tools they needed to function
  • Then, they abandoned all hope
• My thoughts this week
  • Stop rehearsing your sorrows
  • Don't try to play out the entire story in your mind - trust God
  • Sometimes, it is your brokenness that will lead to your rescue

Additional Resources

• Lyrics

This Week's Challenge

I encourage you to read Acts 21-27 and even beyond. Don't you want to see Paul make it to Rome? Also, take my challenge to take baby steps in your regular devotion times to consume more Scripture.

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Have you ever gazed at a soaring eagle? The eagle flies high above the world with a peace and perspective that we "land dwellers" do not share. This week's song, "Soar" by Meredith Andrews, encourages us with the very words of Scripture. Let's swoop in to take a closer look at what else we can glean from Isaiah 40.

Isaiah 40 begins the Book of Comfort. I pray that it brings you comfort today.

In this episode, I discuss:

• Reading Isaiah 40 in context - Isaiah 36-39
• Taking a "bite" out of Scripture using Bible Interaction Tool Exercises - B.I.T.E.
• The children's book set in the prophet Isaiah's time, "The Prophet, the Shepherd and the Star" by Jenny Cote
• The B.I.T.E. of reading with friends
• Matthew Henry's Commentary on Isaiah 40:1-2
• The B.I.T.E. of chasing down cross-references
• How Isaiah 40 is referenced in all four gospels referring to John the Baptist
• How to straighten out a crooked path - Proverbs 10:9
• Following the cross reference from Isaiah 40:6-8 to I Peter 1:13-25 and a discussion on holy living
• The B.I.T.E. of taking Scripture and turning it into praise or prayer
• The Old Testament understanding of meditation is more than just thought life, but includes the spoken word - "Believing God" by Beth Moore
• How "wait" can be translated as "hope" or "trust"
• Considering how we can rise above things in our life and soar

 

Additional Resources

• Lyrics

This Week's Challenge

Grab your Bible and read Isaiah 40 for yourself! Follow some of the cross-references and get a clear picture of how God is calling you to prepare your heart for Christ. Rise above your circumstances and replace false thinking with the truth of God's Word.

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It is the time of year when the crystal ball drops and the calendar changes. This is definitely a season when we stop and reflect and consider what the new year will bring. JJ Heller's song "This Year (Happy New Year)" is a terrific song to help us leap into the new year while we internalize a cry from Hosea and a dramatic ending of a season in David's life in 2 Samuel 12.

We can learn from David as he journeys through a difficult season.

In this episode, I discuss:

• My cry to all of us for the new year - Hosea 6:1, 3
  • Renew
  • Know
  • Strive
• My commitment to my third Bible Read Through...join me by signing up at KeithFerrin.com!
• The Bible Interaction Tool for reading unfamiliar translations...I like The Voice Translation this year!
• Seasons that you don't know have ended until they're gone
• Seasons you can see coming to an end
• A preview of some of the seasons in David's life - 2 Samuel
• A tragic season in David's life and how he walked it out - 2 Samuel 12:15-23
• David's fanatical plea to God calls for His grace, mercy, and intervention
• The difference between living WITH regret and living IN regret
• Seeing what is on the other side of this tragic season - 2 Samuel 12:24-25

Additional Resources

• Lyrics
• JJ Heller Music Website with links to songs and lyrics
• Story Behind the Song by JJ Heller - YouTube Video

This Week's Challenge

It would be amazing if you would join me in the Bible Read Through. I won't even mind if you jump in and take a pass on my weekly challenges because you're reading so much during the Read-Through! Otherwise, pick up your Bible and start reading 2 Samuel! Start in Chapter 1 and head all the way through Chapter 12, where we are today. Consider how David ended this tragic season and what God might ask of you.

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