The Year I Read the Bible with Laurie Larsen

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Why listen to The Year I Read the Bible podcast?  A quick half-hour burst of Christian Bible learning and discussion every week.  Research that maybe will teach you something you didn’t know or present a new way to think about a concept you’re already familiar with.  Then, a discussion between friends, sharing experiences and insight.  

Let's face it, the way the world is going, can you think of a better way to spend thirty minutes?

Included is an insightful excerpt from my interview with Bible expert Beth Sprinkle.  And for today only!  A money back guarantee if you listen to the podcast and don't enjoy it!  That's quite a bargain!  :)  

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Welcome back to the second of Laurie's 2-part series on Who Were the Authors of the Gospels?  Today she covers Luke and John.  From debating who Luke was referring to when he addressed "The Most Excellent Theophilus" to why John repeatedly referred to himself as "the one Jesus most loved," you will learn all you ever wanted to know about these two far-reaching gospel writers.

Next, Laurie welcomes back inspirational and informative guest Robin Stearns Lee, back from her first appearance in episode 13. Robin shares such wonderful insight about both Luke and John, and being a very prolific reader, she discusses many resources which are linked here in the show notes in case you want to research more about them.

The Chosen tv series

The Case for Christ by Lee Stroebel

Heaven by Randy Alcorn

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Laurie starts a two-part series on the authors of the four gospels.  Today is a deep dive into what we know about Matthew and Mark.  Matthew was a despised tax collector who cheated his countrymen when Jesus asked him to follow him.  Matthew dropped everything to do just that.  Mark is only mentioned obscurely once in the story of Jesus.  He didn't know him personally.  How is he qualified to write a gospel?

Laurie's guest today is the delightful Melissa Henderson, friend and author of children's books and hundreds of short inspirational stories and articles.  You will love hearing her insights on this topic.

Check out Melissa's website for all the details about her work.

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This is Laurie's final essay covering the Old Testament, before venturing into the New Testament next week.  She explores the prophet Malachi's final warnings from God. It only takes a second to turn the page from the end of the Old Testament to the beginning of the New, but for the people of Malachi's time, it seemed like endless silence.  Was God there?  Was he listening?  Did he even care anymore?

Laurie's repeat guest today is Jody Stallings -- teacher, writer, columnist and church youth worker.  He returns after chatting with Laurie on episode 12, and he is amazingly entertaining, knowledgeable, insightful and full of wisdom.  Have you ever heard a comparison of Jesus to Willie Wonka?  How about The Great Gatsby?  Tune in and hear it for yourself!

Check out Jody's work on his website. 

Check out Laurie's work on her website. 

If you have interest in American Christian Fiction Writers, check it out here. 

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Hi friends!  Have you made The Year I Read the Bible podcast a part of your weekly listening?  Laurie has 40 episodes planned, so she's more than a quarter of the way through!  Get your 30-minute burst of godly Bible knowledge every Tuesday morning, complete with an insightful chat with a guest, a prayer, and sometimes a bit of music too!  

Discover this podcast and you won't want to miss it.  

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"God hates divorce."  Pretty hard to misinterpret the meaning of that Bible verse: Malachi 2:16.  But in modern times, 50% of marriages end in divorce!  What does that mean for faithful Christians and Jews who have been divorced, or are considering one in their future?  Listen to Laurie's take on that topic.

Then, Laurie welcomes her charming guest Robin Stearns Lee. Together, the ladies go deep into such topics as marriage for love vs. arranged marriages; highly recommended pre-marital discussion topics; Laurie's True Crime addiction; and God's expectation for a wife to submit to her husband.  (Gasp!) Buckle up and get ready for a great episode!

Useful links:

Laurie's book Journey to Fulfillment

Robin's website

Robin's Amazon author page

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Have you ever noticed as you're reading along through the Bible, there will occasionally be a bullet-pointed summary list to rehash a bunch of events that have already occurred?  This reminded Laurie of the old Cliffs Notes she used in school (in the olden days ...) 

Laurie's guest today is the very insightful Jody Stallings.  Jody is a very busy teacher, columnist, author and church youth worker, in addition to being a husband and father.  He's very well versed on literature and the Bible and added bonus: he's absolutely hilarious!  Join Laurie and Jody as they discuss this concept along with other topics!

Learn more about Jody:  here's his website and a link to purchase his 4-book Shadow Point series.

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Did you know that there is a book in the Bible that never mentions God, never includes a prophesy or a prayer?  It's the book of Esther, one of only two books in the Bible named after a woman.  But despite not mentioning God at all, Esther's story illustrates that even when you don't know it, even when you can't see it, God the Father is working on our behalf all the time -- even if it's just the middle of our story.

Laurie reads the Esther story in the style of a classic fairy tale. Then ... we have the repeat of Laurie's guest Elizabeth Sprinkle who was our very informed and inspirational guest in Episode 2.  Beth is an absolute master of the Book of Esther.  You will learn so much from her insight just like Laurie did when she attended a Bible study season on the book of Esther taught by Beth.

Here's a little more about Beth.

And for those who have been asking ... here's where you can get your hands on the other The Year I Read the Bible resources: 

The blog

The video channel

The book (ebook, paperback, hardcover and audio!)

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Stay tuned for a powerful episode of The Year I Read the Bible!  What does the Bible tell us happens when we pray?  Does God hear it?  Does He respond to it?  What if we're asking for something different that His will?

Laurie welcomes back return guest Elizabeth Ann Wallace, author, talk show host and above all else, a Christian receptive to God's direction in her life.  They talk about examples of prayers, recognizing results and Laurie even shares the story of meeting her very own guardian angel on a dark night in the middle of nowhere.  Don't miss it!

Check out Ann's book Extraordinary Hope and her website.

Check out Laurie's book The Year I Read the Bible, her blog and her website.

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Laurie shares the essay she wrote the morning after her grandson was born! With joy and love she creates the message, We Learn How to Parent From Him. We don't have to learn how to love our children -- it's in our DNA because it's how God our Father loves us.

Laurie welcomes as her guest Elizabeth Ann Wallace -- her dear friend Ann.  Together, they discuss the joys and challenges of parenting (and grandparenting) and they also discuss the award-winning classic Inspirational romance novel, Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers and what it can teach us about love, forgiveness and redemption.

Check out Ann's book, Extraordinary Hope

And Ann's website: