Bridge to God’s Word

This podcast finishes the "Observation" phase of our study of Mark 1:21-28. It looks at the "why" questions - questions that get deeper into the structure and meaning of the passage. You will discover that this passage has an interesting literary structure which highlights the main point of the story. 

Today we apply the Bridge Bible Study method that I introduced last week by looking at Mark 1:21-28, which is the story of Jesus casting out an impure spirit. We begin the process of observation by considering who, when, and where the passage takes place, along with observing some keys to understanding "what" the text means.     Photo by  João Silas  on  Unsplash

We are so priviledged to have the Bible in so many versions to read and study! It is essential that we take advantage of this great wealth that we have and study the Bible on our own. However, that is not always easy to do. This podcast gives a brief overview of one Bible study method, using a bridge as an illustration: Observe what it means for them, Interpret the overarching principles, and Appl...

Rejoice! The Lord has come! In this final Advent Reflection, we consider the rejoicing of those who saw Christ's birth, and how we can rejoice in the hope of His second coming.

Part of preparing for Christ's first and second comings is repenting, which is bringing ourselves in line with Christ. We agree that we have sinned, and we agree to change. Hear about Zechariah's repentance, and our response of repentance as well. This podcast is a recording of the live Advent Reflections Webinar! There were a few sound issues, so in places I re-recorded so you could hear things t...

Part of waiting for Christ's return is preparing ourselves for Him. This Advent Reflection considers how Mary prepared for the birth of Christ and how we can prepare for His second coming.

The first in a four part series of Advent Reflections. Advent is a time to remember and celebrate Christ's first coming, and to anticipate His second coming. How did the Israelites wait for the Messiah, and how can we wait with joy for His return?

The next step of the translation process is to print the Scriptures, distribute them, and help people engage with Scriptures. This podcast ends with a challenge to those of us who have had the Scripture for many years, and introduces the next podcast series to help us answer that challenge.

The next step in the translation process is the consultant check. This is where someone with training in both translation and in exegesis (bible study) looks at the translation and checks it for accuracy. This job will be a large part of my role with Pioneer Bible Translators.

Get a glimpse of a real translation in progress! This episode is an interview with Steve, who is a translation facilitator for the Kono Project in Africa. This project is at the beginning stages, and Steve is working on linguistics. Steve and Carla met to finalize the Kono alphabet and write spelling rules for the language. Hear about some of the challenges the Kono Project has faced, their reason...

After a translation is drafted, it goes through several different checks to make sure that it is accurate to the Biblical text, as well as clear to the readers, and natural sounding in the language. This podcast talks about the process of "comprehension checking" - meeting with language speakers to make sure the translation is easily understood by a mother-tongue language speaker.

The next step in the translation process is drafting. This podcast explores two things that drafters must keep in mind - the meanings of the words and the structures of sentences.

When people find out I am a linguist, they often ask how many languages I speak, and are kind of disappointed to learn that I really only speak English! This podcast explains a little bit about how linguistics plays into translation, and how my linguistics training allows me to work with a language that I don't speak.

Welcome to the podcast for Building a Bridge to God's Word! In this episode, you will learn a little bit about the process of Bible translation. There are many steps to translating the Bible, and this will give you a broad overview of everything that is involved in bringing God's word to people in their own languages!