Unmarked Trail

In this episode of Unmarked Trail, Don Hornsby moves to the second question in a simple three-part approach to reading the Bible well:

What does it mean?

This is the work of interpretation.

We look at why context matters, why genre matters, why the original audience matters, and why a passage cannot simply mean whatever we want it to mean.

Using Philippians 4:13 as an example, Don shows how a familiar verse can sound very different when we read the surrounding paragraph and pay attention to the situation Paul was actually addressing.

Along the way, we also talk about humility in interpretation, responsible disagreement, and why “I don’t know yet” can sometimes be the most honest answer.

These early episodes are building reading skills that we’ll soon use together when we begin reading the Gospel of Mark with fresh eyes.

If you haven’t heard the earlier episodes yet, this is a good time to go back and listen. They’re laying the groundwork for the way we’re going to read Mark together.

If you’d like a copy of the Unmarked Trail study card, send me a note at [email protected].

And if this was a helpful episode, and if you know someone who might appreciate it, please share it with them.

Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

You don’t have to belong anywhere to be here.

Just come curious.

What does the Bible actually say before we decide what it means?

In this episode of Unmarked Trail, Don Hornsby focuses on the first of three simple Bible-reading questions:

What does it say?

This is the work of observation.

Don explores a principle a mentor taught him years ago:

“Know what you see, not see what you know.”

Then he walks through Mark 2:1–12, the healing of the paralytic, showing how much we can notice before we rush into interpretation or application.

Along the way, we look for repeated words, people, movement, questions, contrasts, reactions, and details that are easy to miss when we assume we already know the story.

The goal is simple:

Look first. Explain later.

If you’d like a copy of the Unmarked Trail study card, send a note to [email protected], and I’ll be glad to send one your way.

And if this was a helpful episode, and if you know someone who might appreciate it, please share it with them.

Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

You don’t have to belong anywhere to be here.

Just come curious.

In this fourth episode of Unmarked Trail, Don Hornsby revisits a Bible study idea he once used at summer camp: putting the Bible “on trial” and asking it to testify about itself.

What does Scripture say about its own purpose, authority, and function?

We look at passages including 2 Timothy 3, Psalm 119, Hebrews 4, Luke 24, and John 20, and ask what these texts actually claim before rushing to conclusions.

Along the way, we return to a principle that continues to shape Unmarked Trail:

Know what you see, not see what you know.

This episode is not about pretending every question is settled. It is about listening carefully to the testimony, asking good questions, and reading the Bible for yourself.

If you’d like a copy of the Unmarked Trail study card, send a note to [email protected].

And if this was a helpful episode, and if you know someone who might appreciate it, please share it with them.

You don’t have to belong anywhere to be here.

Just come curious.

Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

In this third episode of Unmarked Trail, Don Hornsby shares a simple way to approach any Bible passage with three questions:

What does it say?

Observe.

What does it mean?

Interpret.

What should I do, think, or feel in response?

Respond.

Along the way, Don explores the importance of context, genre, curiosity, and the willingness to say, “I don’t know.” He also shares a principle a mentor taught him: “Know what you see, not see what you know.”

Then we put the method into practice with a short passage from Mark 1.

If you’d like a copy of the Unmarked Trail study card, send a note to [email protected].

And if this was a helpful episode, and if you know someone who might appreciate it, please share it with them.

You don’t have to belong anywhere to be here.

Just come curious.

Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

In Episode 2 of Unmarked Trail, Don Hornsby asks a basic but important question: What is the Bible, anyway?

Beginning with a childhood memory of receiving a small red New Testament in fifth grade, Don introduces the Bible as a library made up of many kinds of writing, including law, history, poetry, wisdom, prophecy, Gospels, letters, and apocalyptic literature.

Along the way, he explains why genre matters and context matters, and why not every part of the Bible should be read the same way.

If you’d like a copy of the Unmarked Trail study card that goes with this episode, send a note to [email protected].

You don’t have to belong anywhere to be here.

Just come curious.

In the first episode of Unmarked Trail, Don Hornsby shares three things he wishes someone had told him when he first became curious about the Bible: it is not always easy to read, it is not always clear, and you should learn to read it for yourself. Along the way, we begin exploring what it means to approach the Bible carefully, honestly, and in context.