Discover the Word Podcast

The Psalms are not a random collection of ancient poems, but are an intentionally organized testimony of a faithful God who hears all who cry out to him in praise or pain, wisdom or confusion, in confidence or doubt. The narrative arc of this anthology is not only about past movements of God in Israel, but offers future promises about where all of Creation is headed—toward a new reality where we d...

Fresh off her first ever sabbatical--an extended three month break from speaking, writing, work, and social media--Vivian Mabuni explores with the group some of the important lessons she learned while taking time to rest, reflect, and renew. Be part of these refreshing conversations that will encourage you to slow down and enjoy a renewed simplicity in your relationship with God.   WAYS TO LISTEN...

The "Fiery Furnace" plays an important role in how the story of the Bible is told. It describes how evil things can get, but the lengths to which God will go to rescue his kids and set things right. In our hands, furnaces are agents of destruction and evil—destroying what is good and promoting what is evil. In God’s hands, fiery furnaces purify, shape, and set right. And ultimately, God did this s...

The "Fiery Furnace" plays an important role in how the story of the Bible is told. It describes how evil things can get, but the lengths to which God will go to rescue his kids and set things right. In our hands, furnaces are agents of destruction and evil—destroying what is good and promoting what is evil. In God’s hands, fiery furnaces purify, shape, and set right. And ultimately, God did this s...

This week on Discover the Word, New Testament scholar Dr. Lynn Cohick joins the group to talk about how martyrdom shaped the early church. Learn the names of some of those early followers of Jesus who were willing to sacrifice their life for the cause of Christ. And discover that it was an equal opportunity thing for men and women. Because often, faithfulness requires boldness and a willingness to...

Over the course of these four weeks Bill Crowder leads the group in thinking through the four gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John), and explores some elements that could help our understanding of these important accounts as we read and study them. The more we comprehend the settings of these witnesses to the life and work of Jesus, the more accessible his story becomes to us. Join the Discover the...

Over the course of these four weeks Bill Crowder leads the group in thinking through the four gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John), and explores some elements that could help our understanding of these important accounts as we read and study them. The more we comprehend the settings of these witnesses to the life and work of Jesus, the more accessible his story becomes to us. Join the Discover the...

Over the course of these four weeks Bill Crowder leads the group in thinking through the four gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John), and explores some elements that could help our understanding of these important accounts as we read and study them. The more we comprehend the settings of these witnesses to the life and work of Jesus, the more accessible his story becomes to us. Join the Discover the...

Over the course of these four weeks Bill Crowder leads the group in thinking through the four gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John), and explores some elements that could help our understanding of these important accounts as we read and study them. The more we comprehend the settings of these witnesses to the life and work of Jesus, the more accessible his story becomes to us. Join the Discover the...

Paul mentioned praying for the churches he's writing to in several of his letters, but in the letter to the Ephesians, he actually prays . . . twice! Both of Paul’s prayers describe something we should all long for—being filled with the fullness of God (Ephesians 3:19). During these two weeks, be part of the group as they look at what it means to be filled with the fullness of God, and how praying...

Paul mentioned praying for the churches he's writing to in several of his letters, but in the letter to the Ephesians, he actually prays . . . twice! Both of Paul’s prayers describe something we should all long for—being filled with the fullness of God (Ephesians 3:19). During these two weeks, be part of the group as they look at what it means to be filled with the fullness of God, and how praying...

Old Testament theologian Carmen Imes joins the group for some captivating and thought-provoking conversations that delve into the profound subject of being made in the image of God. Explore with Carmen and the Discover the Word group how the Creation narratives throughout Scripture help us understand what it means to be human, and the distinction between "bearing" vs. "being" the image of God. Do...

"What's in a name?" is a famous question Juliet asked in Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet . And while she wasn't asking the question about the Bible, when you read the Bible, you find that names mean a lot. Great meaning is attached to both people and places. And so it should be no surprise that when it comes to God, the central figure in the Scriptures, His name—or actually His names— matters a lot...

Do you like fruit? Why or why not? Do you have a favorite fruit? Well, growing a life that matters, is the result of God’s fruit of the Spirit growing in our lives. But just what is "the fruit of the Spirit" and how does it grow in our lives? Galatians 5 contrasts the fruit of the Spirit with the works of the flesh and then Paul explains how the fruit of the Spirit is God’s characteristics in our...

Do you like fruit? Why or why not? Do you have a favorite fruit? Well, growing a life that matters, is the result of God’s fruit of the Spirit growing in our lives. But just what is "the fruit of the Spirit" and how does it grow in our lives? Galatians 5 contrasts the fruit of the Spirit with the works of the flesh and then Paul explains how the fruit of the Spirit is God’s characteristics in our...

When you read the Gospels, the Pharisees play a prominent role. So, when you hear the word "Pharisee," what do you think of? The dictionary defines a Pharisee as "a self-righteous person; a hypocrite." But were all Pharisees self-righteous hypocrites? Did all Pharisees reject Jesus? Or is it possible that how we think about the Pharisees is more of a stereotype? Of course, there are good reasons f...

When you read the Gospels, the Pharisees play a prominent role. So, when you hear the word "Pharisee," what do you think of? The dictionary defines a Pharisee as "a self-righteous person; a hypocrite." But were all Pharisees self-righteous hypocrites? Did all Pharisees reject Jesus? Or is it possible that how we think about the Pharisees is more of a stereotype? Of course, there are good reasons f...

The Bible uses many metaphors to teach us about God, and one of the most common of those metaphors is "shepherd." But of course, metaphors only work when you're familiar with the cultural details. Dr. Tim Laniak joins the group to take them on a fascinating journey into the world of shepherds and Biblical passages about them. Drawing on his research living with Bedouin shepherds who lead their flo...

For most Christ-followers arguably the most familiar use of the word amazing is in the hymn “Amazing Grace.” And rightly so. God’s grace is truly amazing. But recently the Discover the Word group had a series of conversations about how amazing Jesus himself was to the people who encountered him in the first century. We saw nine times in Mark’s gospel when people were described as “amazed” at somet...

Apparently entering Jerusalem as part of the preparations for the Passover celebration, Simon of Cyrene finds himself caught up in a story that would involve the sacrifice the true Passover Lamb—and change the world as well as changing Simon’s own family.   WAYS TO LISTEN & SUBSCRIBE: 📱On our website: https://www.discovertheword.org 🎧Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3x2Swlq 🎧Spotify: https:...

Author and New Testament scholar Dr. Lynn Cohick joins the Discover the Word group for a week-long walk through the New Testament letter to the Ephesians. What were the social realities in Ephesus that led Paul to address some of the most immense theological ideas of any part of Scripture? Things like the Trinity, salvation by faith, prayer, marriage, slavery and racism? Come to a better understan...

Small word--big concept. This week Rasool Berry guides the group through some conversations about... hope, and discovers that the Bible teaches that hope shines the brightest when it seems to be needed the most. But there are a lot of things that can challenge our ability to hope, so pull your chair up to the table and be part of the group for this study called "Hopefully..."   WAYS TO LISTEN &amp...

John the Baptist lived a life that pointed to Jesus. From the womb to the tomb, John understood and embraced his multiple roles in the mission of God including a chosen child, a unique man, a forerunner of the Messiah, baptizer, prophet, witness, attendant, questioner, martyr and then ultimately being labeled a “great one” by Jesus Himself. What made this man so great? As we understand more about...

John the Baptist lived a life that pointed to Jesus. From the womb to the tomb, John understood and embraced his multiple roles in the mission of God including a chosen child, a unique man, a forerunner of the Messiah, baptizer, prophet, witness, attendant, questioner, martyr and then ultimately being labeled a “great one” by Jesus Himself. What made this man so great? As we understand more about...

There is a section of scripture in the Old Testament that most of us rarely turn to—the Minor Prophets. These prophets have come to be known as the minor prophets, not because they are of minor importance, but because of their shorter length in contrast to the major prophets (Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, Daniel). We’ll take several weeks to get an overview of these important, yet often...