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

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We have an enemy known as the Father of Lies, so it makes sense that one of his tactics is to convince us to believe lies about ourselves AND lies about how God sees us. We combat these lies with the truth from Scripture, and Megan Woods sings about this in her song "The Truth."

Let's take the message from this song and see where it comes from in Scripture. And let's take it a step further to examine the WHOLE truth.

Key Points Covered in This Episode:

1. Song Introduction - "The Truth" by Megan Woods
   • A powerful song that speaks against negative self-talk and replaces lies with biblical truth.
   • Michelle’s initial hesitation in using this song on the podcast and how she overcomes it.
2. The Dangers of Misapplying Scripture
   • The fine line between biblical encouragement and self-centered theology.
   • How the church can sometimes distort Scripture to make it more about us than about God.
   • A snippet from Michelle's novel, "A Seat at the Table" - Purchase on Amazon
3. Breaking Down the Lies vs. The Whole Truth
   • Lies we tell ourselves: I’m not enough, I’m unlovable, I’m a failure.
   • The enemy’s tactics: Repeating accusations that become deeply ingrained.
   • The exercise of writing down accusations to recognize patterns.
4. Developing a Biblical Worldview
   • Why knowing Scripture for yourself is crucial.
   • The balance between focusing on God and understanding our identity in Him.
   • Scripture’s direct response to self-doubt and identity crises.
5. Song Lyric Analysis & Supporting Scriptures
   • "The truth is I am my Father’s child. I make Him proud, and I make Him smile."
     • 1 John 3:1 – We are called children of God.
     • Romans 8:16 – The Spirit testifies that we are God’s children.
     • Numbers 6:24–26 – God's face shines upon His people.
     • Psalm 18:19 – God delights in us.
   • "I was made in the image of a perfect King."
     • Genesis 1:26-27 – Created in God’s image.
   • "He looks at me and wouldn’t change a thing."
     • Ephesians 2:4-5 – God loved us even when we were dead in sin.
     • God’s love is unconditional, but it transforms us (Galatians 2:20, Colossians 3:9-10).
   • "The truth is I am truly loved by a God who’s good when I’m not good enough."
     • A reminder that our worth isn’t found in ourselves but in the goodness of God.
   • "I don’t belong to the lies; I belong to You."
     • John 8:44 vs. Galatians 5:24 – The contrast between belonging to the enemy and belonging to Christ.

This Week's Challenge

Read Psalm 139, but look for what you learn about God more than what you think it says about you. Read 1 John and the context of Romans 8 and observe what you learn about God’s love and our status as God’s children. Make two columns - the first column should list truths about God’s love toward us, and the second column should list the truths of how we respond to that love.

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Does giving your dreams and desires to God feel like giving up? Sarai Rivera sings about surrendering control of her life to God in her song "I Give You My Dreams." In this episode, I explore the alternative to letting God take control displayed in a song of David.

Dive into Psalm 37 with me to uncover how we can surrender our dreams and desires to God. With personal stories, Bible Interaction Tool Exercises (BITEs), and practical insights, you'll be equipped to trust God’s plan, even when it feels uncertain.

Episode Highlights

• Surrender vs. Giving Up: Discover what it means to hand your dreams to God without abandoning hope.
• A Personal Lens: Michelle shares how her family is learning to trust God’s plan amidst college applications, med school, and wedding planning.
• Diving into Psalm 37: Learn how to study Scripture using BITEs like reading in context, exploring multiple translations, and recognizing repetitive themes.
• Key Takeaways: 
  • Replace fretting with proactive steps like trusting, doing good, and delighting in the Lord.
  • Embrace stillness and patience as you commit your way to God.
  • Let go of anger and frustration, trusting in God’s ways.

Your Next Steps

1. Read Psalm 37: Use the BITEs shared in this episode to deepen your understanding of God’s Word.
2. Download the Episode Guide: Grab this week’s guide at michellenezat.com/509download for tools to help you interact with Psalm 37 and apply its truths to your life.
3. Reflect & Respond: What dreams or desires are you holding tightly to? How can you commit them to the Lord today?

Key Scriptures

• Psalm 37:4-5: “Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him, and he will act.”
• Psalm 37:7: “Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him.”

Additional Resources

• Lyrics - MusicMatch
• Faith Behind the Song "I Give You My Dreams" by Sarai Rivera - Air1 Worship Article
• Learn more about my favorite Bible Study Software with a 30-day free trial and links to my all-time favorite Bible resources - Logos Bible Software Affiliate Link

This Week's Challenge

Read Psalm 37 for yourself. Read it repetitively and in various translations before interacting with it further. Once you have the Psalm firmly planted in your mind, jot down some observations. Do you see any repetitive words or phrases? Consider the contrast of what action words David uses instead of fretting. As you give over your dreams and desires to the Lord — committing wholeheartedly to His ways — incorporate the actions you uncover into your day as you meditate on this Psalm.

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Our hope in the Lord is that He will draw near to us if we draw near to Him (see James 4:8). Seph Schlueter sings about drawing near to God in his song "Running Back to You." But the song made me ask, "How do we get so far from God in the first place?" We gain insight when we search Scripture to see how it happened for God's chosen people in the Old Testament.

Join me in exploring the pages of the prophet Jeremiah, expecting God to reveal Himself to us (and hopefully either draw us back or keep us close).

In this episode, I discuss:

• Taking a B.I.T.E. out of Scripture - our Bible Interaction Tool Exercises this week are: 
  • Read and keep on reading
  • Consult an overview
  • Repetition
  • Make observations
  • Complete a word study
  • Start with God
  • Make a list
  • Meditate on Scripture
• Episode Guide
• Watching an overview of Jeremiah - BibleProject.com
• Beginning with the end in mind -- running back to God and Him receiving His people (Jeremiah 30-33) 
  • Jeremiah 30:3
  • Jeremiah 30:10
  • Jeremiah 31:3
  • Jeremiah 31:4-5
  • Jeremiah 31:7
  • Jeremiah 31:13-14
• Exploring the questions posed in Jeremiah 2-6
• The angst in God's question found in Jeremiah 2:5
• Completing a word study on "worthlessness" - BibleHub.com
• How the people of God forfeited their identity of treasured possession (Deuteronomy 14:2) and became worthless (Jeremiah 2:5)
• Exploring the question "Where is the Lord?" - Jeremiah 2:6" Jeremiah 2:8

Additional Resources

• Lyrics - New Release Today
• K-LOVE Conversations With Seph Schlueter - KLove.com
• Learn more about my favorite Bible Study Software with a 30-day free trial and links to my all-time favorite Bible resources - Logos Bible Software Affiliate Link

This Week's Challenge

Read Jeremiah 1-6 Week's-33 (or Jeremiah 1-33 if you feel adventurous). Read or watch an overview of the book of Jeremiah. Examine the questions asked in Jeremiah 2-6, beginning with seeking to understand God’s character, conduct, and concerns. Then, move to make observations of the questions and the context around the questions. Finally, ask God to help you understand how you should respond to what you’ve learned.

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Family is beautiful, frustrating, glorious, embarrassing, and diverse—even Christ's family line includes some characters and heroes. Christy Nockels' song " Amaryllis" inspired me to explore a few of the people in Christ's lineage. It seemed appropriate at this time of year when many of us have just made another year of Christmas memories with family and friends.

Whether your family is on the glorious side, the tragic, or somewhere in between, we see God weave all kinds of people into the lineage of the Savior of the world…so surely there's hope for us!

In this episode, I discuss:

• Taking a B.I.T.E. out of Scripture - our Bible Interaction Tool Exercises this week are: 
  • Follow cross-references
  • Consider the historical context - the article I found on the "silent period" between Micah and Matthew
• Episode Guide
• Considering the context of your birth
• How the Old Testament ends on a note of expectation - Micah 4:4-6
• Exploring the lineage of Christ - Matthew 1:17
• Learning more about "Grandpa" Perez in Genesis 38
• King Hezekiah and his good start - 2 Chronicles 29:1-3
• The influence Hezekiah had on his nation - 2 Chronicles 30:6-10
• A portion of Hezekiah's legacy - 2 Chronicles 31:20-21
• The "rest of the story" of Hezekiah's life - Isaiah 36-39
• Zerubbabel and his role in the rebuilding of the altar and the temple - Ezra 3-6

Additional Resources

• Lyrics - New Release Today
• Behind the song "Amaryllis" by Christy Nockels - New Release Today Article
• The Song Story of "Amaryllis" - YouTube Video
• Learn more about my favorite Bible Study Software with a 30-day free trial and links to my all-time favorite Bible resources - Logos Bible Software Affiliate Link

This Week's Challenge

Follow my lead and learn about Judah, Tamar, and Perez in Genesis 38. 2 Chronicles 29-31 tells much of the life of Hezekiah, but Isaiah 36-39 tells the "rest of the story." Zerubabbel, son of Shealtiel, has a major role in the rebuilding of the altar and the temple after the Babylonian deportation, and you can read all about it in chapters 3-6 of Ezra. All of these are in the lineage of Christ. It's an interesting network of people, some with sordid pasts and questionable choices, but woven into the family of Christ nonetheless. Our song says, "Through a fragile people, the Light of Life will come." He continues to use fragile people in HIS story today.

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God, the Author, chose to show rather than tell us how far He would go to redeem His people. Consider the highest of highs, where Jesus came from, and the lowest of lows, where he descended to lay His head in a pile of straw. Josiah Queen sings about this in his song, "lowest of lows." This sent me to explore Scriptures that detail Jesus went to humble Himself and why.

We're going to spend some time on a letter from Paul. But don't worry. We'll swing back into the Christmas story in Matthew.

In this episode, I discuss the following:

Taking a B.I.T.E. out of Scripture – this week's Bible Interaction Tool Exercises include:

• Reading in context
• Asking questions of the text
• Comparing translations
• Observing repeated themes
• Connecting passages across Scripture
• Meditating on key verses
• Sharing with a friend

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Don't forget to download the Episode Guide!

Exploring the Incarnation of Christ

• Understanding the humility of Christ as described in Philippians 2:5-11.
• Comparing translations of Philippians 2:7 to explore the meaning of Jesus "emptying Himself."
• Examining the biblical doctrine of the incarnation and its importance in our faith.
• Refuting common misunderstandings about Christ setting aside His divinity.
• Recognizing the paradox of Jesus as both servant and King.

Scripture References:

• Colossians 1:16-17 – Jesus as Creator and Sustainer of all things.
• 1 Corinthians 8:6 – Jesus as the source and purpose of our existence.
• Philippians 2:5-11 – Christ's example of humility and obedience.
• Matthew 2:1-16 – The earthly implications of Christ’s kingship.

Theology in Focus

• What does it mean that Jesus “emptied Himself”? 
  • Diving into multiple translations and connecting them with Scripture to reveal that Jesus did not cease to be God but set aside His divine privileges to serve and save.
• The significance of accurate doctrine: Why understanding the incarnation matters for our faith.

Application:

• Reflecting on Philippians 2:3: "Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves."
• Living a life of significance by reflecting Christ’s humility and prioritizing others’ needs.

Additional Resources

• Lyrics - New Release Today Link
• The King and the Maiden By Søren Kierkegaard - ReadingTheology.com article
• Learn more about my favorite Bible Study Software with a 30-day free trial and links to my all-time favorite Bible resources - Logos Bible Software Affiliate Link

This Week's Challenge

Read Matthew’s account of the birth of Christ in Matthew 1-2. Then read Paul’s letter to the Philippians and circle back to Philippians 2 to shore up your doctrine — your set of beliefs — about Christ. Meditate on what God really did, and in response, bend your knee and raise your voice in adoration for the God who traded His throne and came to earth for us — the lowest of lows.

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Scripture teaches us that the "message declared by angels proved to be reliable" (Heb. 2:2). No wonder the traditional Christmas carol instructs us to "hark" -- pay attention to -- what the angels are declaring. There's no better way to celebrate a time-honored hymn like "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing" than by adding the fun Celtic version by We Are Messengers to your playlist.

Let's follow the call to action in our song and pay attention to what Scripture teaches us in Luke's narrative of Christ's birth.

In this episode, I discuss the following:

• Taking a B.I.T.E. out of Scripture – this week's Bible Interaction Tool Exercises include: 
  • Read in context
  • Slow down
  • Repetition
  • Listen to an audio of the text
  • Make observations
  • Make a list
  • Share with a friend
• Episode Guide
• Catch me on my podcast book tour! Click here and scroll to the bottom to see all the podcasts/interviews I've completed and those yet to come. And take advantage of the freebies, too!
• Building biblical literacy
• Reading Luke's narrative of the birth of Christ - Luke 1-2
• Observing that angel(s) are mentioned 14 times in two chapters
• Making a list of what we learn about angels in these chapters
• Allowing Scripture to change the way we think about things we may have pictured wrong for years
• Recognizing shared language with Psalm 23, as we learned in Episode 504
• Comparing the declaration of the angels in Luke 2:13-16 to what we learned from studying worship responses in Revelation as inspired by Episode 499
• Heading over to Hebrews 1-2 to make another list of what we learn about angels and comparing to our list from Luke 1-2 
  • Hebrews 1:4
  • Hebrews 1:5
  • Hebrews 1:6
  • Hebrews 1:7
  • Hebrews 1:14
  • and more
• Looking a little closer at what Scripture says about angels and what it DOESN'T say

Additional Resources

• Lyrics - New Release Today Link
• The story behind the song "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing" by - Hymnology Archive
• Learn more about my favorite Bible Study Software with a 30-day free trial and links to my all-time favorite Bible resources - Logos Bible Software Affiliate Link

This Week's Challenge

Take this as your call to read the birth of Jesus narrative as recorded by Luke. The second (or third, or fourth) time you read through Luke 1 and 2, watch for what you learn about angels by what is shown and said in the text. Make a list of what you learn about angels. Then, head over to Hebrews 1 and 2 and compare your list to what you learn there. You’ll uncover additions to your list. And while you may not be in danger of worshipping angels, you will now know what the Bible actually says about these important — and very real — beings.

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There’s a phrase I often use in my prayers for others. I pray that God will go before them, behind them, and that His hand of blessing will be on their heads. Little did I know that Leanna Crawford's song "Still Waters (Psalm 23)" would guide me to a place that beautifully depicts our Father's conduct. Nor did I know how refreshing God‘s words would be during turbulent times.

Writing Scripture on your heart for when you need it is good advice. And Psalm 23 is the perfect place to start.

In this episode, I discuss the following:

• Taking a B.I.T.E. out of Scripture – this week's Bible Interaction Tool Exercises include: 
  • Internalizing Scripture
  • Meditation 
  • Repetition
  • Imagination
  • Start with God
  • Consult an outside resource
• Episode Guide
• Internalizing scripture, then repeating it out loud
• Keith Ferrin’s Bible Talk interview with Mike Santoro - YouTube Video
  • Mike's Bible memory card website - https://bsbversememorycards.carrd.co/
• Committing the words of Psalm 23 to memory
• Rehearsing the words of Psalm 23 to calm my spirit
• God speaking His words back to me regarding my situation
• The historical context of some of the phrases in Psalm 23 
• Being led by the Good Shepherd - John 10:27 - Episode #479
• making it our goal to know the Word, not just the words
• Being hemmed in by the Father in Psalm 139:5
• Using the title of my novel, A Seat at the Table, to inspire a study of tables in Scripture
• Kenneth Bailey’s commentary, The Good Shepherd: A Thousand Year Journey from Psalm 23 to the New Testament - Amazon paid link

Additional Resources

• Lyrics - New Release Today Link
• The story behind the song "Still Waters" by Leanna Crawford - New Release Today Article by Kevin Davis
• Three-part video series on "Bible Memorization for Normal People" by Keith Ferrin - Video #1, Video #2, Video #3
• Learn more about my favorite Bible Study Software with a 30-day free trial and links to my all-time favorite Bible resources - Logos Bible Software Affiliate Link

This Week's Challenge

Read Psalm 23 and then take the challenge to internalize the words. Memorize them with the goal to know the Word not just the words. Repeat the words aloud until you have them down pat. Then, transition to imagination and meditation. Perhaps I share something in this episode you hadn’t known before that will enhance your meditation efforts. Grab the Episode Guide because there are a couple of things I wanted to go over in this episode that I couldn’t fit in but are helpful as you study/internalize this Psalm.

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In a day and age where you can't seem to trust anyone, Cody Carnes and Benjamin William Hastings sing an anthem that resonates with me. "Take You At Your Word" caused me to explore why we can take God at His Word and how to do it.

Let's take our cue from a group of people in Acts and examine the Scriptures together.

In this episode, I discuss the following:

• Taking a B.I.T.E. out of Scripture – this week's Bible Interaction Tool Exercises include: 
  • Making observations
  • Consider the opposite
  • Read in context
  • Use section headings to get your bearings
• Episode Guide
• To take someone at their word is to believe exactly what they say
• Being a little gun-shy in our culture today to take others at their word
• Following the pattern of the Bereans to receive God's Word from others, but test it against the standard of Scripture for ourselves - Acts 17:1-11
• Giving authority to Scripture because Jesus did
• Authority of Scripture as an underlying theme of my debut novel, A Seat at the Table - Learn More
• Jesus' direct statements about the divine origin and permanent validity of Scripture 
  • Matthew 5:17-18
  • John 10:35
• Examining the temptation of Jesus in Matthew 3 as an example of using Scripture to guide our lives
• As we look to Jesus as our example of handling Scripture, we cannot possibly have a lower view of Scripture than our Teacher.
• If you claim to follow Christ, you are His disciple. Jesus defines a disciple as one who abides in His Word - John 8:31
• Recognizing the use of Scripture does not make it a good use of Scripture. Satan uses Scripture in Matthew 4:5-6, but Jesus' response with alternate Scriptures reveals God's true heart.

Additional Resources

• Lyrics - New Release Today Link
• "The Authority of the Bible" pamphlet by John Stott - Amazon Paid Link
• Learn more about my favorite Bible Study Software with a 30-day free trial and links to my all-time favorite Bible resources - Logos Bible Software Affiliate Link

This Week's Challenge

Recognize that we can take God at His Word because Jesus did. As disciples of Christ, we are to follow His instruction to abide in His Word and His example. Consider the example of the Bereans in Acts 17. Meditate on the example of Christ in Matthew 4. Bring all of the voices in your life under the standard and authority of Scripture.

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Some truths we use in our everyday language might change how we think and respond to life if we think deeply about them. Forrest Frank has a song out, "Good Day," that I've used as the celebration theme song for the release of my new novel, "A Seat at the Table." However, the lyrics inspired me to meditate on Scripture in a new way. 

Lift your eyes to the heavens as we meditate on the God who made the universe.

In this episode, I discuss the following:

• Taking a B.I.T.E. out of Scripture – this week's Bible Interaction Tool Exercises include: 
  • Meditate on Scripture
  • Pray Scripture
  • Share with a friend
• Episode Guide
• My debut novel, A Seat at the Table - Learn More
• God knows my name - Isaiah 43:1-4
• God made the universe 
  • Psalm 115:15
  • Jeremiah 10:16
  • Revelation 4:11
  • 2 Kings 19:15
• Borrowing a prayer from Scripture - 2 Kings 19:15
• The two times ESV translators used the word "universe" in Scripture 
  • Hebrews 11:3
  • Hebrews 1:1-3
• The unique vantage point of an astronaut - Chaos and the Cosmos: An Astronaut Interview by The Bible Project
• "God’s daily work of preserving and governing the world cannot be separated from his act of calling the world into existence.” - Creation Regained by Albert Wolters - Amazon Paid Link
• ‌Christ is the one holding everything together 
  • Hebrews 1:1-3
  • Colossians 1:15-17
• How balanced our universe really is, or it would fly apart
• The Greek word for "universe" in Hebrews 1:3 is panta - literally "the all"

Additional Resources

• Lyrics - New Release Today Link
• The unique vantage point of an astronaut - Chaos and the Cosmos: An Astronaut Interview by The Bible Project
• Creation Regained by Albert Wolters - Amazon Paid Link
• Learn more about my favorite Bible Study Software with links to my all-time favorite Bible resources - Logos Bible Software Affiliate Link

This Week's Challenge

Meditate on our God who made the universe. Treat this idea like you would something you worry about. Read about what the Bible says about it, talk about it with a friend, listen to a podcast to get a fresh perspective, roll it around in your mind a bit, and let what you’ve learned to change the way you pray. If you need help incorporating all of this, download the episode guide at michellenezat.com/502download.

Purchase your copy of A Seat at the Table today!

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When my mom shared Jonathan Traylor's song "The Table" with me, I knew I wanted to use it as a launching point on the podcast closest to my debut novel release, "A Seat at the Table." I contend that the world sees a "seat at the table" as an opportunity for power and influence. But what does Scripture say about having a seat at the table of Christ? That is what we'll explore in this episode.

Let's examine a table in the Old Testament and the table of the Last Supper in the New Testament.

In this episode, I discuss the following:

• Taking a B.I.T.E. out of Scripture – this week's Bible Interaction Tool Exercises include: 
  • Read in context
  • Exploring a theme
• Special Episode Gift
• My debut novel, A Seat at the Table - Learn More
• How to evaluate the tables you are sitting at
• My newest endeavor, Story Sessions, where I use a story as inspiration to study Scripture (much like I do on the podcast)
• Exploring the theme of tables in Scripture
• Exploring the Table of the Bread of Presence in the context of the design/construction of The Tabernacle - Exodus 25-31
• The Tabernacle was God's dwelling place among His people - Exodus 25:8
• The Bread of the Presence was a part of the priests' regular interaction with God - Exodus 25:30, Leviticus 24
• The 12 loaves of bread on the Table of the Bread of Presence represented the 12 tribes. "Each tribe had a seat at the table." - Exalting Jesus in Exodus Commentary - Amazon Paid Link
• The bread of the Presence can also be translated as "'bread of the face,' referring to the fact that bread was in the presence of God, set before Him." - Exalting Jesus in Leviticus Commentary - Amazon Paid Link
• The Lord's Table, as enacted by Christ at the Last Supper - 1 Corinthians 11:24-25
• The account of the Last Supper in Luke 22:14-20 
• The cost of Christ's invitation to His table - Matthew 16:24, Galatians 2:20, Romans 6:4
• The example of humility and a heart for others set at Christ's table - John 13:12-16
• The betrayal at Christ's table - John 13:21
• Counting the cost before we accept the invitation - Luke 14:27-28
• The intimacy at Christ's table - John 13:23-25
• In Christ, our seat in heavenly places - Ephesians 2:4-6
• Our future seat at the banquet table of the marriage supper of the Lamb - Revelation 19:9
• To accept this invitation to the table of Christ 
  • Don't get cleaned up first - Romans 5:8
  • Confess and believe - Romans 10:9-10

This Week's Challenge

Learn about the Table of the Bread of Presence by reading Exodus 25-31. Read about the Bread of Presence in Leviticus 24. Then consider the Bread of Life, Jesus, at a table described in all four gospels—Luke 22, Matthew 26, Mark 14, and John 13.

I hope you take advantage of the free video series I created for you-- Story Sessions: A Seat at the Table. In it, we harness the power of story to unlock God’s Word. Do you have to read the novel to complete these online studies? Absolutely not. I use the book as a parable—a story to point back to—to teach truths. The story can act as a series of pegs to hang future truth. And I promise not to spoil the story, so you can complete the studies before or after you read the book.

Purchase your copy of A Seat at the Table today!