How to Study the Bible - Bible Study Made Simple

This week, Nicole and her friend Rev. Rachel dive into Matthew 5 together and discuss the implications of the greatest sermon ever told. For now, the invitation is just to read the Sermon of the Mount. Let it sit with you. Don’t worry about perfect understanding. Over the coming weeks, we will dive deep and unlock interpretation and application. Want more from Nicole? Sign up for Nicole’s free new...

Today it is my great privilege to talk with author Kelly Balarie about her latest book, Take Every Thought Captive: Exchange Lies of the Enemy for the Mind of Christ ABOUT KELLY: Kelly is a speaker, blogger, and author of the books Fear Fighting and Battle Ready. She comes alongside women to help them live wholeheartedly, rather than in uncertainty, fear, and doubt. Her work has been featured on T...

If you’re a parent, you might have several of Sandy’s books on your shelves! Sandy is the award-winning creator of the Great Bible Adventure children’s series, several joke books for kids,  The Best Worst Dad Jokes , and  Kids' Big Questions for God . He says, “There’s something about children – their innocence and trust – I truly believe that that’s why Jesus said we need to become child-like to...

Jesus has not only beaten death and fulfilled all the promises he said he would, but he is telling us that our greatest purpose in life is the way we pass along our faith to others, and how we baptize and disciple them. This is the commission of the church. We are wrapping up our Jesus 101 series this week by looking closely at Jesus’ resurrection and what it means for us. Want more from Nicole? S...

Has the true story of the cosmic reality of what Jesus has done for us on the cross and through his resurrection been lost on you? Has the story grown stale? My prayer is this passion week, you might here something in this chapter you haven’t noticed before, and remember the joy your salvation. This is week 4 of our Jesus 101 series, where we look at 5 foundational movements of Christ. Be sure to...

When we come to the end of ourselves, we enter the blessing of God. This is week 3 of our Jesus 101 series. Be sure to go back and listen to weeks 1 and 2! You can find the full show notes at https://www.lifeaudio.com/how-to-study-the-bible/ Free Resource: check out and sign up for Nicole’s newsletter: nicoleunice.com/realtalk RESOURCES: Nicole’s Book:  Help My Bible Is Alive ! Ask Nicole a Bible...

What type of mindset makes us vulnerable to chronic stress, anxiety & depression? When you are stressed, what automatic coping mechanisms have you adopted that don’t help, but diminish your wellness?  What holds you back from getting the rest that you need when you’re stressed?   In this episode from Breathe: The Stress Less Podcast  (another free show from LifeAudio), soul care coach Bonnie s...

Every time you fail, God’s grace outruns your failure. He is ultimately merciful, so don’t let your failure separate you from God. That’s what the enemy wants you to do. What God wants you to know is that he is always willing to welcome you back, he is always ready to embrace you. Come back to him today. This is Week 2 of our Jesus 101 series. Be sure to go back and listen to Week 1! You can find...

Can you believe that the God of the universe knows you? He knows your sin and limitations, and yet loves you beyond what we can imagine. He gives us belonging, he gives us his acceptance, he gives us his approval. Which one of those do you need to believe is true? As we approach Easter, we’re getting back to the basics of Jesus' life, the movements of his earthly ministry that lead to his death an...

What does it look like to live wisely? When you don’t know what to do, go find a commandment of God, and say to yourself, “I can work on this in my life today.” We never outgrow God’s Word. At the end of the day, we are all to “fear God, and keep his commands.” You can find the full show notes at https://www.lifeaudio.com/how-to-study-the-bible/ WHAT DOES IT MEAN? If you just read these words as t...

You and I were made for righteousness. But sin entered in and created brokenness beyond repair, and it has caused us to seek out many different schemes to make ourselves feel okay. Today, we return to what we are focusing on throughout the book: How do we make sense of a dark and broken, and complicated world in light of God’s promises and goodness? You can find the full show notes at https://www....

Have you ever struggled with being content? Have you ever had that little thought in your mind, “if only I had more, if I only had that thing, then I would be at peace.” Today, we’re talking about the superpower of contentment for your lives. This ancient Scripture is incredibly relevant for our age, as we wrestle with our own contentment and the American Dream culture in which we live. Truly, our...

Ecclesiastes is a book designed to provoke emotion and get us thinking. The preacher – probably Solomon – wrote this to make sense of a good God in a broken and dark world. In this section, he ponders what it means to number our days wisely. You can find the full show notes at https://www.lifeaudio.com/how-to-study-the-bible/ Bible Reading Tip: When we read the bible, we should look for the tone a...

Ecclesiastes is a complicated book. It’s meant to be provocative. It’s meant to be emotional, to create emotion in you. It’s meant to raise questions. Ecclesiastes means assembly. Most people think it’s written by Solomon. You can think of it as a preacher’s manifesto. The opening line is “vanity of vanities, all is vanity." Vanity of vanities is repeated 38 times in this book! The meaning of whic...

Today we’re exploring the highest call we have in following Jesus: what it means to crucify the self. Why does the call to Christ have to seem so wholesale, so violent, so destructive to ourselves? Why does following Christ have to feel like a death? How do we reconcile being made in the image of God with this sense that we are worthless? Let’s explore all of that together today. You can find the...

Your life is meant to change when you begin to follow Jesus. But for so many of us, that doesn’t happen. Why the disconnect? This series is all about unlocking the good life in Christ, and what it really means to be changed by him. Secrets of the Good Life Series: Week 1: The First Secret of the Good Life: Consider God Week 2: Confess and Receive: The Second Secret of the Good Life (Psalm 51) Week...

Have you ever wondered how your fear overlaps with other people’s fears? I think we’d find we are far more fearful that we realize. There is healthy fear, and unhealthy fear. One of the roles of Christianity is a new way to understand what fear is and how God helps us be confident even in the most trying circumstances. Today, we’re going to look at what God has given us to fight the fear in our li...

Today, we’re going to be working through Psalm 51, and we’re going to work through it as a devotional using the Alive Method. I encourage you to get out your bible and journal as you listen. WHAT DOES IT SAY? Notice what you notice. Write down what stands out to you – that is God speaking to you through his Word. That alone is a beginning of a conversation with the Spirit. In Psalm 51: David ackno...

At the start of the year, I like to get back to the basics. What does the good life look like, according to Jesus? We have an opportunity to be a winsome follower of Jesus. If people were to see that hope in me and ask me about it, what would I say? How would I describe what the good news of Jesus is and the true, full life he offers us? The spiritual questions of this generation are centered on p...

WHAT DOES IT SAY? Luke 1 28 The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.” 29 Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. 30 But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. WHAT’S THE BACKSTORY? What do we know about Mary: -she knew some scripture -she was faithful -she w...

Get Your FREE Gift from Nicole! Nicole has written a free Christmas Eve liturgy for you and your family: https://www.nicoleunice.com/christmas When you sign up for Nicole’s newsletter, you’ll also be entered to win Lineage of Grace by Francine Rivers! TODAY’S PASSAGE: 1 Kings 1:28-31: 28 Then King David said, “Call in Bathsheba.” So, she came into the king’s presence and stood before him. 29 The k...

We live in a broken world filled with broken people. Because of this, everyone experiences some level of trauma. Unfortunately, past trauma experiences can greatly impact our lives, perceptions, and interactions in the present. This special bonus episode (from the podcast Faith Over Fear) sheds a light on this topic and offers valuable resources you can use in your life to gain courage.  To hear m...

**Giveaway! Enter to Win Lineage of Grace by Francine Rivers by signing up for Nicole’s newsletter at: https://nicoleunice.com/christmas/ Today’s Passage: Ruth 1:15-18: 15 “Look,” said Naomi, “your sister-in-law is going back to her people and her gods. Go back with her.” 16 But Ruth replied, “Don’t urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will st...

Get Your FREE Gift From Nicole! Nicole has written a free Christmas Eve liturgy for you and your family: https://www.nicoleunice.com/christmas WHAT DOES IT SAY? This week, we’re looking at Joshua 2 and Joshua 6 The stories of the God of the Israelites have spread to the cities surrounding them and have gotten to Rahab. She decides to go all-in based on what she has heard about God. WHAT IS THE CON...

We are kicking off a new Advent series! We are going to be looking at the women in Jesus’ lineage in a ‘God of Our Mothers’ series. In Matthew 1, we get a genealogy of Jesus’ family. Genealogies are put in place because the people matter to the story, and there are several women named in his family line. Over the next few weeks, we’ll look closely at the women in Jesus’ lineage and what they have...