The Pictured Word Podcast

In this Friday chat, I talk about watching a documentary about the 90s makeover show, The Swan, and how the way aging and beauty were talked about drove me crazy. I chat about the challenge of thinking about beauty in a photo and video-focused culture, and rethinking what really makes humans beautiful.

2027 hymn calendars are out now:https://marydeandraws.com/product/2027-hymn-calendar-a-year-of-singing-the-goodness-of-the-lord

I’ve also restocked my Christmas hymn greeting card sets:https://marydeandraws.com/product/watercolor-christmas-hymn-greeting-card-boxed-set-of-9-cards

All content copyright Marydean Draws LLC, 2026.

❤️Welcome to The Pictured Word podcast, where I look at Scripture through a curious writer and artist’s eyes, draw on the beauty found in the tradition of Christian art, and learn from the insight of Biblical scholarship. Whether you come to the Bible weary, wounded, or wondering, my goal is to help you see the Jesus revealed there. 

You can find me at www.marydeandraws.com or on my Substack page at https://marydeandraws.substack.com/

All my Bible studies are available free for anyone to read on Substack, but you can support my work by becoming a paid subscriber. Paid subscribers can download the printable study guides and coloring pages.

You can also find my hymn art prints, cards, postcards, stickers, and Bible printables on my website. On my website or on Substack, you can sign up for my mailing list and get everything in your inbox, including new Bible studies each month and weekly newsletters.

Intro and Outro Music by: Jeremiah7 on Pixabay. Other music by Denis Pavlov on Pixabay.

How does Jesus define the good life? Who gets to be in the his family? In this episode of The Pictured Word Podcast (and Chapter 7 of the Jesus Speaks to Women Series), we look at the words Jesus spoke to a woman who calls out to him in a crowd. Jesus responds with a continuation of a key theme in Luke of both hearing and obeying the words of Jesus. You can read the original, full study, see the artwork, and download the printable study and coloring pages here:https://marydeandraws.substack.com/p/jesus-speaks-to-women-chapter-7-the

The Artwork:You can see the artwork mentioned in this episode here:https://www.philamuseum.org/objects/272384You can see an album of Rembrandt’s Biblical art here:https://www.wikiart.org/en/profile/66fd79719e43633d905f0298/albums/rembrandt-bible

You can find the whole series here:https://marydeandraws.substack.com/t/jesus-speaks-to-women

All content copyright Marydean Draws LLC, 2026.

❤️Welcome to The Pictured Word podcast, where I look at Scripture through a curious writer and artist’s eyes, draw on the beauty found in the tradition of Christian art, and learn from the insight of Biblical scholarship. Whether you come to the Bible weary, wounded, or wondering, my goal is to help you see the Jesus revealed there. 

You can find me at www.marydeandraws.com or on my Substack page at https://marydeandraws.substack.com/

All my Bible studies are available free for anyone to read on Substack, but you can support my work by becoming a paid subscriber. Paid subscribers can download the printable study guides and coloring pages.

You can also find my hymn art prints, cards, postcards, stickers, and Bible printables on my website. On my website or on Substack, you can sign up for my mailing list and get everything in your inbox, including new Bible studies each month and weekly newsletters.

Intro and Outro Music by: Jeremiah7 on Pixabay. Other music by Denis Pavlov on Pixabay.

In this Friday chat, I talk about my growing understanding of the doctrine of the Trinity and what its implications are. How does it affect how we ready the Bible, how we see God, and how we relate to one another? I think the implications are profound and far-reaching.

Mentioned in this episode:

Delighting in the Trinity: An Introduction to the Christian Faith by Michael Reeves:https://www.christianbook.com/delighting-the-trinity-introduction-christian-faith/michael-reeves/9780830839834/pd/839834?srsltid=AU7gw4WVGkVTAhKiN52om6ngBeUuExE7dicYguvrPEWCS_NJA9ZnIdi5

Holy, Holy, Holy! The Trinity Pictures in Historical Christian Art:https://marydeandraws.substack.com/p/holy-holy-holy-the-trinity-pictured

Article about the Rothschild Canticles:https://artandtheology.org/2021/05/29/innovative-trinity-paintings-rothschild-canticles/

2027 HYMN CALENDARS. The theme this year is “singing the goodness of the LORD.” You can purchase them HERE:https://marydeandraws.com/product/2027-hymn-calendar-a-year-of-singing-the-goodness-of-the-lord

All content copyright Marydean Draws LLC, 2026.

❤️Welcome to The Pictured Word podcast, where I look at Scripture through a curious writer and artist’s eyes, draw on the beauty found in the tradition of Christian art, and learn from the insight of Biblical scholarship. Whether you come to the Bible weary, wounded, or wondering, my goal is to help you see the Jesus revealed there. 

You can find me at www.marydeandraws.com or on my Substack page at https://marydeandraws.substack.com/

All my Bible studies are available free for anyone to read on Substack, but you can support my work by becoming a paid subscriber. Paid subscribers can download the printable study guides and coloring pages.

You can also find my hymn art prints, cards, postcards, stickers, and Bible printables on my website. On my website or on Substack, you can sign up for my mailing list and get everything in your inbox, including new Bible studies each month and weekly newsletters.

Intro and Outro Music by: Jeremiah7 on Pixabay. Other music by Denis Pavlov on Pixabay.

This episode of The Pictured Word Podcast is Chapter 6 of the Jesus Speaks to Women Series on the words Jesus spoke to a woman, a known sinner in her town, who anoints Jesus with oil, found in Luke 7:36-50. You can read the original, full study, see the artwork, and download the printable study and coloring pages here:https://marydeandraws.substack.com/p/jesus-speaks-to-women-chapter-6-the

In this episode, I explain the differences between the four different accounts of a woman anointing Jesus in the Gospels, and why I’m treating Luke’s as a separate story.

The Artwork:You can see more of Henry Ossawa Tanner’s artwork here:https://americanart.si.edu/search/artworks?content_type=artwork&persons[]=8291

You can find the whole series here:https://marydeandraws.substack.com/t/jesus-speaks-to-women

All content copyright Marydean Draws LLC, 2026.

❤️Welcome to The Pictured Word podcast, where I look at Scripture through a curious writer and artist’s eyes, draw on the beauty found in the tradition of Christian art, and learn from the insight of Biblical scholarship. Whether you come to the Bible weary, wounded, or wondering, my goal is to help you see the Jesus revealed there. 

You can find me at www.marydeandraws.com or on my Substack page at https://marydeandraws.substack.com/

All my Bible studies are available free for anyone to read on Substack, but you can support my work by becoming a paid subscriber. Paid subscribers can download the printable study guides and coloring pages.

You can also find my hymn art prints, cards, postcards, stickers, and Bible printables on my website. On my website or on Substack, you can sign up for my mailing list and get everything in your inbox, including new Bible studies each month and weekly newsletters.

Intro and Outro Music by: Jeremiah7 on Pixabay. Other music by Denis Pavlov on Pixabay.

This episode of The Pictured Word Podcast is Chapter 5 of the Jesus Speaks to Women Series on the words Jesus spoke to widow in the town of Nain, found in Luke 7:11-17. You can read the original, full study, see the artwork, and download the printable study and coloring pages here:https://marydeandraws.substack.com/p/jesus-speaks-to-women-chapter-5-the

The Artwork:James Tissot (1836–1902), The Resurrection of the Widow’s Son at Nain (1886–1896), Public Domain. You can see a large collection of James Tissot’s watercolors at the Brooklyn Museum of Art here:https://www.brooklynmuseum.org/search/collection?portfolio=The+Life+of+Our+Lord+Jesus+Christ+%28La+Vie+de+Notre-Seigneur+J%C3%A9sus-Christ%29

Mentioned in this episode:

The Morning and the Joyful Morning Podcast (website and podcast) for women experiencing pregnancy or infant loss (and for those who love them). https://www.themorning.com/https://www.themorning.com/podcast

You can find the whole series here:https://marydeandraws.substack.com/t/jesus-speaks-to-women

All content copyright Marydean Draws LLC, 2026.

❤️Welcome to The Pictured Word podcast, where I look at Scripture through a curious writer and artist’s eyes, draw on the beauty found in the tradition of Christian art, and learn from the insight of Biblical scholarship. Whether you come to the Bible weary, wounded, or wondering, my goal is to help you see the Jesus revealed there. 

You can find me at www.marydeandraws.com or on my Substack page at https://marydeandraws.substack.com/

All my Bible studies are available free for anyone to read on Substack, but you can support my work by becoming a paid subscriber. Paid subscribers can download the printable study guides and coloring pages.

You can also find my hymn art prints, cards, postcards, stickers, and Bible printables on my website. On my website or on Substack, you can sign up for my mailing list and get everything in your inbox, including new Bible studies each month and weekly newsletters.

Intro and Outro Music by: Jeremiah7 on Pixabay. Other music by Denis Pavlov on Pixabay.

In this episode, my friend Emma and I discuss Chapter 3 of the Jesus Speaks to Women Series on the words Jesus spoke to the woman at a well in Samaria found in John 4:1-42. We talk about how this story has been distorted, what the conversation is actually about, and how it relates to God’s global mission today. I think you’ll be encouraged and challenged!

If you’d like to get on Emma’s email newsletter/prayer list, support her work, or get more information, email me at [email protected] and I’ll pass on your contact information to her!

You can read the original, full study, see the artwork, and download the printable study and coloring pages here:

Chapter 3, Part 1:https://marydeandraws.substack.com/publish/post/214635318

Chapter 3, Part 2:https://marydeandraws.substack.com/p/jesus-speaks-to-women-chapter-3-the-4adYou can listen to the podcast episode here:https://marydeandraws.substack.com/p/episode-12-the-jesus-speaks-to-women

Mentioned in this episode:

The Joshua Project https://joshuaproject.net/ This organization aims to help connect believers to the least reached groups of people around the world.

The Artwork:The artwork for this post is a 14th century Fresco of Christ and St-Photini, by Greek artist Panselinos found HERE.

You can find the whole series here:https://marydeandraws.substack.com/t/jesus-speaks-to-women

All content copyright Marydean Draws LLC, 2026.

❤️Welcome to The Pictured Word podcast, where I look at Scripture through a curious writer and artist’s eyes, draw on the beauty found in the tradition of Christian art, and learn from the insight of Biblical scholarship. Whether you come to the Bible weary, wounded, or wondering, my goal is to help you see the Jesus revealed there. 

You can find me at www.marydeandraws.com or on my Substack page at https://marydeandraws.substack.com/

All my Bible studies are available free for anyone to read on Substack, but you can support my work by becoming a paid subscriber. Paid subscribers can download the printable study guides and coloring pages.

You can also find my hymn art prints, cards, postcards, stickers, and Bible printables on my website. On my website or on Substack, you can sign up for my mailing list and get everything in your inbox, including new Bible studies each month and weekly newsletters.

Intro and Outro Music by: Jeremiah7 on Pixabay.Other music by SigmaMusicArt on Pixabay

In this Friday chat, I talk about why I found the story of the temptation of Jesus so encouraging, why Jesus faced temptation with more than just Scripture memory, and how Jesus placed himself in a larger story. I also preview a few upcoming projects and talk about how I’m finding my historical art.

Mentioned in this episode:

The Luke study on Jesus’ temptation: https://marydeandraws.substack.com/p/the-gospel-of-luke-eyewitnesses-to-e91

The temptation art round-up1:https://marydeandraws.substack.com/p/art-round-up-the-temptation-of-jesus

Vanderbilt University Divinity School Art in the Christian Tradition Collection:https://act.library.vanderbilt.edu/search

Sheila Wray Gregoire’s article about the myth of the 93%:

https://baremarriage.com/2024/10/podcast-the-93-myth-that-fathers-matter-more-than-mothers/

and here:https://baremarriage.substack.com/p/how-the-93-myth-about-men-gets-perpetuated

All content copyright Marydean Draws LLC, 2026.

❤️Welcome to The Pictured Word podcast, where I look at Scripture through a curious writer and artist’s eyes, draw on the beauty found in the tradition of Christian art, and learn from the insight of Biblical scholarship. Whether you come to the Bible weary, wounded, or wondering, my goal is to help you see the Jesus revealed there. 

You can find me at www.marydeandraws.com or on my Substack page at https://marydeandraws.substack.com/

All my Bible studies are available free for anyone to read on Substack, but you can support my work by becoming a paid subscriber. Paid subscribers can download the printable study guides and coloring pages.

You can also find my hymn art prints, cards, postcards, stickers, and Bible printables on my website. On my website or on Substack, you can sign up for my mailing list and get everything in your inbox, including new Bible studies each month and weekly newsletters.

Intro and Outro Music by: Jeremiah7 on Pixabay.Other music by SigmaMusicArt on Pixabay

This episode of The Pictured Word Podcast is Chapter 4 of the Jesus Speaks to Women Series on the words Jesus spoke to the woman caught in adultery, found in John 8:1-11. You can read the original, full study, see the artwork, and download the printable study and coloring pages here:

https://marydeandraws.substack.com/p/jesus-speaks-to-women-chapter-4-the

In this study, I examine the context in John and how this story fits within this context, ponder the ways of the kingdom of God, and tell parts of my family history.

The Artwork: Christ and the Sinner, Vasily Polenov (1888). Public Domain*

You can find the whole series here:https://marydeandraws.substack.com/t/jesus-speaks-to-women

All content copyright Marydean Draws LLC, 2026.

❤️Welcome to The Pictured Word podcast, where I look at Scripture through a curious writer and artist’s eyes, draw on the beauty found in the tradition of Christian art, and learn from the insight of Biblical scholarship. Whether you come to the Bible weary, wounded, or wondering, my goal is to help you see the Jesus revealed there. 

You can find me at www.marydeandraws.com or on my Substack page at https://marydeandraws.substack.com/

All my Bible studies are available free for anyone to read on Substack, but you can support my work by becoming a paid subscriber. Paid subscribers can download the printable study guides and coloring pages.

You can also find my hymn art prints, cards, postcards, stickers, and Bible printables on my website. On my website or on Substack, you can sign up for my mailing list and get everything in your inbox, including new Bible studies each month and weekly newsletters.

Intro and Outro Music by: Jeremiah7 on Pixabay.Other music by SigmaMusicArt on Pixabay

In this episode of The Pictured Word Podcast, my friend Katie and I discuss Chapters 1 and 2 of the Jesus Speaks to Women study (and episodes 8 and 11 of the podcast) about the first two Mary stories. You can read the original studies, see the artwork, and download the printable study guides and coloring pages here:

Chapter 1: Mary at the Templehttps://marydeandraws.substack.com/p/jesus-speaks-to-women-mary-at-theChapter 2: Mary at the Weddinghttps://marydeandraws.substack.com/p/jesus-speaks-to-women-chapter-2-mary

We talk about the importance of seeing Bible characters as complex humans rather than flat one-dimensional Sunday School flannelgraph figures, what we can learn from Mary as the first disciple of Jesus, and how reading characters as complex is transformative.

Mentioned in the study:The Widow of Zaraphath in 1 Kings 17Jesus’ Mother and Brothers come to see him:Mark 3:21-35, Matthew 12:46–50, and Luke 8:19–21

About the artwork in the image above: Ethiopian icon from the African Art Museum found HERE:https://www.si.edu/object/icon%3Anmafa_98-3-2

You can find the whole series here:https://marydeandraws.substack.com/t/jesus-speaks-to-women

All content copyright Marydean Draws LLC, 2026.

❤️Welcome to The Pictured Word podcast, where I look at Scripture through a curious writer and artist’s eyes, draw on the beauty found in the tradition of Christian art, and learn from the insight of Biblical scholarship. Whether you come to the Bible weary, wounded, or wondering, my goal is to help you see the Jesus revealed there. 

You can find me at www.marydeandraws.com or on my Substack page at https://marydeandraws.substack.com/

All my Bible studies are available free for anyone to read on Substack, but you can support my work by becoming a paid subscriber. Paid subscribers can download the printable study guides and coloring pages.

You can also find my hymn art prints, cards, postcards, stickers, and Bible printables on my website. On my website or on Substack, you can sign up for my mailing list and get everything in your inbox, including new Bible studies each month and weekly newsletters.

Intro and Outro Music by: Jeremiah7 on Pixabay.

This episode of The Pictured Word Podcast is Chapter 3 of the Jesus Speaks to Women Series on the words Jesus spoke to the Samaritan woman at the well, found in John 4:1-42. You can read the original, full study, see the artwork, and download the printable study and coloring pages here:

Chapter 3: The Samaritan Woman at the Well, Part 1:https://marydeandraws.substack.com/p/jesus-speaks-to-women-chapter-3-theChapter 3: The Samaritan Woman at the Well, Part 2:https://marydeandraws.substack.com/p/jesus-speaks-to-women-chapter-3-the-4ad

In this study, I examine the common assumptions we often hear about this story, provide important cultural context, and try to understand what the conversation between Jesus and the woman, the longest recorded between Jesus and anyone in the Gospels, is actually about.

You can find the whole series here:https://marydeandraws.substack.com/t/jesus-speaks-to-women

All content copyright Marydean Draws LLC, 2026.

❤️Welcome to The Pictured Word podcast, where I look at Scripture through a curious writer and artist’s eyes, draw on the beauty found in the tradition of Christian art, and learn from the insight of Biblical scholarship. Whether you come to the Bible weary, wounded, or wondering, my goal is to help you see the Jesus revealed there. 

You can find me at www.marydeandraws.com or on my Substack page at https://marydeandraws.substack.com/

All my Bible studies are available free for anyone to read on Substack, but you can support my work by becoming a paid subscriber. Paid subscribers can download the printable study guides and coloring pages.

You can also find my hymn art prints, cards, postcards, stickers, and Bible printables on my website. On my website or on Substack, you can sign up for my mailing list and get everything in your inbox, including new Bible studies each month and weekly newsletters.

Intro and Outro Music by: Jeremiah7 on Pixabay.Other music by SigmaMusicArt on Pixabay