Year of the Word Companion Podcast

In Week 30 of Year of the Word, we conclude the Old Testament with Nehemiah 13 and Malachi 1–4. These chapters reveal that although Jerusalem’s walls and temple had been rebuilt, God’s people still needed their hearts restored. Malachi closes the Old Testament with a call to renewed faithfulness and the hopeful promise that God’s messenger is coming.

Week 29 of the Year of the Word takes us through Nehemiah 7–8, 9, 10, 11, and 12. With Jerusalem’s wall completed, the focus shifts from rebuilding the city to renewing its people through God’s Word, confession, obedience, community, and worship. This episode reminds us that true restoration involves more than repairing what is broken around us—God desires to transform what is happening within us.

In Week 28 of Year of the Word, we journey through Esther 5–10 and Nehemiah 1–6, witnessing God’s providence, protection, and restoration. Esther courageously stands for her people, while Nehemiah prayerfully leads the rebuilding of Jerusalem’s walls despite opposition. Together, these passages remind us that God works through faithful people who are willing to act courageously and persevere in the work He has given them.

As we continue our Year of the Word journey, we'll explore Zechariah 1–2 and 12, Ezra 7–10, and Esther 1–4, discovering God's call to return to Him, His work of restoring His people, and His providential care even when He seems unseen. Together, we'll see how God faithfully keeps His promises through repentance, renewal, and His sovereign hand at work behind the scenes. This episode reminds us that even when God's timing seems delayed or His presence feels hidden, His purposes are always moving forward.

Season 2 begins as we celebrate the halfway point of the Year of the Word journey and witness one of the greatest turning points in the Old Testament. This week, we'll explore Daniel 5–6, Daniel 9–10 and 12, and Ezra 1–6 as Babylon falls, God's people begin returning from exile, and the work of restoration begins. Together, we'll discover that while kingdoms rise and fall, God remains faithful to His promises and continues His work of restoring His people.

Week 25: Hope Beyond the Ruins explores Jeremiah 31:31–40, Jeremiah 32–33, Jeremiah 52, 2 Kings 24–25, Ezekiel 1:1–3, Ezekiel 36:16–38, Ezekiel 37, and Daniel 1–4, as God's people experience the fall of Jerusalem and begin life in exile. Together, we'll discover how Jeremiah points to the New Covenant, Ezekiel proclaims God's promise of new hearts and restoration, and Daniel demonstrates what it looks like to live faithfully in a culture that doesn't share our beliefs. Through these pivotal passages, we're reminded that while exile changed God's people's location, it never changed His presence, His promises, or His purpose.

In Week 24, we journey through 2 Kings 17–23, Jeremiah 1–3:5, Jeremiah 25, and Jeremiah 29, witnessing the fall of the Northern Kingdom of Israel, the faithful leadership of Hezekiah and Josiah, and the devastating consequences of Judah's continued rebellion under kings like Manasseh. As Jeremiah begins his prophetic ministry, he calls God's people to return to the Lord, warning of coming judgment while revealing God's persistent mercy and faithfulness. Through stories of exile, repentance, and renewal, these passages remind us that while God's judgment is real, His invitation to return and His promise of hope remain available to all who seek Him.

Week 23 of the Year of the Word Companion Podcast explores some of Scripture's most powerful prophetic passages, including Isaiah 6, 9, 44–45, 52–53, 65–66, and Micah 1, 4–5. Together, these readings reveal God's holiness, the promise of the coming Messiah, the sacrifice of the Suffering Servant, and the hope of a future restoration for God's people. Join us as we discover how Isaiah and Micah point us to Jesus—the Holy One, the Suffering Servant, and the Coming King. 

This week, we begin our journey through the Prophets as we explore Jonah 1–4, Hosea 1–3, Amos 1 and 9, and Joel 1–3, discovering how God used these covenant messengers to call His people back to faithfulness during a time of growing idolatry, injustice, and spiritual compromise. Through Jonah's mission to Nineveh, Amos's plumb line of justice, Hosea's picture of covenant love, and Joel's call to repentance, we see a God who relentlessly pursues both His people and the nations with mercy, truth, and restoration. Join us as we uncover how these prophetic books reveal God's heart for justice, His unwavering love for the unfaithful, and His invitation to return to Him and experience the transforming power of His Spirit.

Week 21 of the Year of the Word takes us through 1 Kings 16:29–34; 17; 18–19; 21–22 and 2 Kings 2; 5; 6:1–23 as we explore the ministries of Elijah and Elisha during one of the most spiritually turbulent periods in Israel's history. As King Ahab and Queen Jezebel lead the nation into idolatry and compromise, God raises up prophets to call His people back to covenant faithfulness through dramatic confrontations, miraculous provision, powerful acts of mercy, and unmistakable demonstrations of His sovereignty. Join us as we examine the battle for Israel's heart and discover why the central message of these chapters remains just as relevant today: The Lord alone is God.