How to Study the Bible - Bible Study Made Simple

We are part of a very big story. Every single one of us who calls on Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior is a living stone. Every single one of us has a precious and important part to play in creating this spiritual house, this place where God dwells. I am living my life out as a piece of the dwelling place of God! I take my little piece everywhere I go. Everywhere you go, you bring a dwelling place of God with you. WHAT DOES IT SAY?Jacob’s Dream at Bethel - Genesis 28:10-22:10 Jacob left Beersheba and set out for Harran. 11 When he reached a certain place, he stopped for the night because the sun had set. Taking one of the stones there, he put it under his head and lay down to sleep. 12 He had a dream in which he saw a stairway resting on the earth, with its top reaching to heaven, and the angels of God were ascending and descending on it. 13 There above it[a] stood the Lord, and he said: “I am the Lord, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac. I will give you and your descendants the land on which you are lying. 14 Your descendants will be like the dust of the earth, and you will spread out to the west and to the east, to the north and to the south. All peoples on earth will be blessed through you and your offspring.[b] 15 I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.”16 When Jacob awoke from his sleep, he thought, “Surely the Lord is in this place, and I was not aware of it.” 17 He was afraid and said, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God; this is the gate of heaven.”18 Early the next morning, Jacob took the stone he had placed under his head and set it up as a pillar and poured oil on top of it. 19 He called that place Bethel,[c] though the city used to be called Luz.20 Then Jacob made a vow, saying, “If God will be with me and will watch over me on this journey I am taking and will give me food to eat and clothes to wear 21 so that I return safely to my father’s household, then the Lord[d] will be my God 22 and[e] this stone that I have set up as a pillar will be God’s house, and of all that you give me I will give you a tenth.”Questions you might ask the text:1. What does the dream mean?2. Jacob receives the blessing?3. Do the stones matter?4. Call the place Bethel? Observations:1. Standard approach: humans quake with fear when God shows up2. Same blessing is again repeated--maybe we also need to hear things a lot to believe them, especially when they take faith.3. Gen 28:13-15: Sounds like a covenant4. Gen 28: 20-21: IF God is with me… Jacob is not totally sold?5. Gen 28:22: Promised sanctuary, the stone is the consecration…WHAT IS THE BACKSTORY?1. Jacob’s childhood and adolescence - he has swindled his brother out of this birthright AND blessing2. His father Isaac sends him away and confers God’s blessing on him3. God then confirms the blessing through the dream.WHAT DOES IT MEAN?1. God is committed to making the earth his dwelling place.2. This story is linked to the bigger story of lineage in Genesis, which is linked to the BIGGER story of a coming king, which is the story of Jesus and the story of you and me.WHAT DOES IT MEAN FOR ME?1. God is committed to dwelling with us.2. Are you committed to dwelling with him?3. Jacob’s stone is a signpost pointing us toward the promised sanctuary in 1 Peter 2:4-6:4 As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by humans but chosen by God and precious to him— 5 you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house[a] to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6 For in Scripture... Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

God calls himself the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, over and over in Scripture, in both the Old and New Testaments. God is establishing his covenant through these families; God’s chosen people is created – these families become the Israelites. And we, through Christ, are the new Israel as believers. As Galatians 3:18 tells us, “we are all one through Christ Jesus.”*WHAT DOES IT SAY?*Genesis 26:22-25He moved on from there and dug another well, and no one quarreled over it. He named it Rehoboth, saying, “Now the Lord has given us room and we will flourish in the land.”23 From there he went up to Beersheba. 24 That night the Lord appeared to him and said, “I am the God of your father Abraham. Do not be afraid, for I am with you; I will bless you and will increase the number of your descendants for the sake of my servant Abraham.”25 Isaac built an altar there and called on the name of the Lord. There he pitched his tent, and there his servants dug a well.-- There is so much humanness playing out in these verses - arguments, playing favorites, lying! Humanity makes mistakes, even God’s chosen people. Isaac lied about his wife just like Abraham did.-- Just because you are struggling or in conflict, doesn’t mean you are outside of God’s favor.*WHAT’S THE BACKSTORY?*-- There is a famine in the land, but God tells Isaac to stay in the land and promises blessing.-- Both Abraham and Isaac fall prey to being scared about their wives’ beauty and lies about them – a pattern of lying for self-protection (and not trusting God). -- God’s chosen people are not perfect. Isaac and Rebekah, and their children, lie and manipulate. Human family disfunction is playing out.*WHAT DOES IT MEAN?*-- “The Lord has given us room.” This phrase points to the idea of “a spacious place” told to us in scripture, such as in Psalm 118:5. “When hard pressed, I cried to the Lord; he brought me into a spacious place.” We are most likely to sin any time we get into a scarcity mindset – there’s not going to be enough for us, that God is not actually going to provide, that God is not trustworthy to make sure we’re going to be okay. We see this in Abraham and Isaac’s lives. -- A world of anxiety exists when we believe we must protect ourselves and our stuff. When we do this, we become small people. OR – we can have a centered place in us, a spacious place – where we trust what God is doing and will do for us. Do you believe God will bring you into a spacious place?*WHAT DOES IT MEAN FOR ME?*-- Does your family still struggle with generational sin? You’re not alone. These patterns of living are as old as the stories in the Bible. God still faithfully shows up and works in the people who trust him – not the people who are necessarily righteous. We have to deal with pain caused by other people’s sin, and our own. -- God is faithful even when we mess up. 1 John 3:16 – we can keep coming back to God, every day, to experience God’s spacious place for us.-- The priority is your availability. Are you available to God? Do you put God’s plans in front of your own? “God, what you want is more important than what I want. What you want leads to spacious places, so I’m going to want what you want.”A simple prayer for today – “God make me aware of your presence, make me available for your interruptions. Make me purposeful on my path and restful in the spacious place of your grace. Amen.”WANT MORE? Check out Nicole’s book Help! My Bible Is Alive: 30 Days of Learning to Love and Understand God’s Word - https://www.amazon.com/Help-My-Bible-Alive-Understand/dp/1641580216FOLLOW NICOLE:Website: Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Why does it matter that we study these Old Testament stories? When we’re able to zoom way out and see what God has been stepping in to help the generations before us, we’re able to place our own sufferings and struggles in context. The God of our Fathers is our God, too. The covenants God has made with our forefathers are for us, too.WHAT DOES IT SAY?11 But the angel of the Lord called out to him from heaven, “Abraham! Abraham!”“Here I am,” he replied.12 “Do not lay a hand on the boy,” he said. “Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son.”13 Abraham looked up and there in a thicket he saw a ram[a] caught by its horns. He went over and took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son. 14 So Abraham called that place The Lord Will Provide. And to this day it is said, “On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided.” - Genesis 22:11-14God appeared to Abraham and told him to sacrifice Isaac. We have to remember; this is a different time and day. Abraham trusts God and obeys. As he moves toward the action of sacrifice, God intervenes. God calls out personally to Abraham, and he provides an alternative. He doesn’t just cancel the plan, he provides a substitute sacrifice. WHAT IS THE BACKSTORY?If you’ve been reading Genesis, you know a few weeks ago that God made a covenant with Abraham through his descendants, promising him that he will in fact have children. Sarah does in fact get pregnant even though she’s ninety years old.Then the bizarre happens: God tells Abraham to sacrifice this son, who is the fulfillment of the covenant. What is going on here?This is another chapter in a long life with a faithful God. Many commentators believe that Abraham might have thought even if he killed Isaac, God could bring him back to life.God tests us to show us what’s already there. He tests us to show us the strength of our faith that is already present. When we go through testing, we’re getting more and more anchored in our identity in God, who he is. Something eternal is growing and developing in us.WHAT DOES IT MEAN?The Lord Will Provide--beginning of a pattern of substitutionary atonement. God is faithful to his promises. We are seeing the start of God’s people, the Israelites. Romans 3:24-25:24 and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. 25 God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith. Redemption means something is bought back, recovered, or handled. God redeems us through Christ. Abraham was required to take his beloved, one and only son to sacrificed, but God stayed his hand, and provided a sacrifice instead.But when God sent his one and only son to the mountain to be sacrificed, he did not stay his hand. He allowed Christ to be sacrificed for our sins, once and for all.WHAT DOES IT MEAN FOR ME?1. Even when all hope seems lost, God will still provide. 2. Sometimes going backward in our story can give us the strength to face what’s ahead3. Our faith in Christ’s substitution is built on generations upon generations of God showing his faithfulness to us as his people.WANT MORE? Check out Nicole’s book Help! My Bible Is Alive: 30 Days of Learning to Love and Understand God’s Word - https://www.amazon.com/Help-My-Bible-Alive-Understand/dp/1641580216FOLLOW NICOLE:Website: https://nicoleunice.com/ YouTube: Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

This episode is the second in a series we are calling God of Our Fathers. Find all of our episodes here: https://www.lifeaudio.com/how-to-study-the-bible/1. WHAT DOES IT SAY?Notice how God is personal and relational. “After this, the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision: “Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your very great reward.”2. WHAT IS THE BACKSTORY?Abram is childless but knows God’s promise to make a nation from his.In Genesis 14, he’s just been tempted to gain power by making a treaty with another king and resists that temptation. His faithfulness has been tested. Covenant ceremony: You cut the animal and walk between in as a sign. “Let me be like these dead animals if I don’t keep my promise.” 3. WHAT DOES IT MEAN?Covenant is an incredibly important part of our faith.Abram believed the Lord, and he credited it to him as righteousness. – This is incredibly important! It is his faith, not his work, that God counts his righteousness. Faith is belief in action.This idea carries us into our relationship with a Christ, who made a new covenant--he cut a new deal, or more importantly, a “fulfilled” deal, Hebrews 7:22 “Jesus is the guarantor of a better covenant…”No longer under the law as a sign of our citizenship and acceptance as God’s people--we are under the covenant, an inward reality.Old Covenant required a series of laws and birthright to be God’s chosen people.Old Covenant required sacrifices made over and over.Old Covenant required a priest to mediate between the people and God, not direct access.New Covenant calls all people by faith.New Covenant means Christ is the ultimate sacrifice made for all our sins.New Covenant means Jesus is our great high priest, mediating on our behalf so we have access, full communion with God through him.4. WHAT DOES IT MEAN FOR ME?Because of our acceptance, our worth comes from what’s been done for us, not what we do for God.Our response, our obedience to God comes from love and worship, not obligation and dutyThis is what love looks like.WANT MORE? Check out Nicole’s book Help! My Bible Is Alive: 30 Days of Learning to Love and Understand God’s Word - https://www.amazon.com/Help-My-Bible-Alive-Understand/dp/1641580216FOLLOW NICOLE:Website: https://nicoleunice.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/nicoleuniceInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/nicoleunice/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nicole.unice/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

WHAT DOES IT SAY?1 Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father's house to the land that I will show you. 2 And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”We see “blessed” 5 times in the text – the central message of this passage is blessing!WHAT’S THE BACKSTORY?Genesis 3-11: A dumpster fire of what happens when sin separates people from GodGenesis 11: Terah (Abram’s dad) is going to Canaan, but settles in Haran. Abram is going to be told to go to the place his father never made it to.“I will bless you so you will be a blessing” – this is the purpose of blessings, to bless others.WHAT DOES IT MEAN?Questions to consider – What does it mean to be a representative?What does it mean to bless?What does it mean that Abram is a blessing?What does it look like to move blessing on?WHAT DOES IT MEAN FOR ME?God always has a plan. He pursues blessing for his people despite our failings.Abraham’s part to play was obedience.Everything in your life is part of a bigger plan. God is constantly working his plan out in the world, and you a part of that plan.WANT MORE? Check out Nicole’s book Help! My Bible Is Alive: 30 Days of Learning to Love and Understand God’s Word - https://www.amazon.com/Help-My-Bible-Alive-Understand/dp/1641580216FOLLOW NICOLE:Website: https://nicoleunice.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/nicoleuniceInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/nicoleunice/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nicole.unice/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

RESOURCES:Help, My Bible Is Alive!: https://www.amazon.com/Help-My-Bible-Alive-Understand/dp/1641580216Subscribe to Nicole’s weekly podcast, Let's Be Real: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/lets-be-real-with-nicole-unice/id1505817001FOLLOW NICOLE:Website: https://nicoleunice.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/nicoleuniceInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/nicoleunice/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nicole.unice/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

In this episode of the Happy Rant, Ted Kluck, Ronnie Martin, and Barnabas Piper wander to and fro through a variety of topics:1. Who we are, a brief introduction for new listeners2. What we love about podcasting together3. How we would describe our show: The Seinfeld of podcasts, a Piper family dinner party, and a description to aspirational college studentsSubscribe to Happy Rant:Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-happy-rant/id878250651Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3iIwABQZ3mTsFtOx6hOafXListen on LifeAudio: https://www.lifeaudio.com/the-happy-rant/episodes Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

This month we are re-airing Nicole’s 2020, 4-part miniseries called "Comfort in God’s Promises." We'll be using what we learned through the Alive Method of Bible Study in order to apply God’s never-changing truth to the ever-changing circumstances of our lives.“When the things we have found our comfort and security in are failing, it is at that point Jesus invites us to go deeper with him.” - Nicole UniceIn this episode, Nicole walks us through Luke 5:4-11 using the Alive Method of Bible Study, guiding us to our true source of security when life is uncertain.RESOURCES:Help, My Bible Is Alive!: https://www.amazon.com/Help-My-Bible-Alive-Understand/dp/1641580216Subscribe to Nicole’s weekly podcast, Let's Be Real: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/lets-be-real-with-nicole-unice/id1505817001FOLLOW NICOLE:Website: https://nicoleunice.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/nicoleuniceInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/nicoleunice/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nicole.unice/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

This month we are re-airing Nicole’s 2020, 4-part miniseries called "Comfort in God’s Promises." We'll be using what we learned through the Alive Method of Bible Study in order to apply God’s never-changing truth to the ever-changing circumstances of our lives.“As a people of God, we are called to bold and courageous action. But when our lives get smaller and smaller because of the fear of what we think might happen, we actually are out of accord with God’s purpose and design for our lives.” Fear is real, and it’s because we do have real things to be afraid of. But sometimes, our survival instincts, like fear, can begin to work overtime and unnecessarily become anxiety. In today’s episode, Nicole unpacks what to do when our fears become anxieties that begin to impact how we make decisions. If you struggle with anxiety, this is a must-listen episode.This is episode #2 in Nicole's 4-part series "Finding Comfort in the Promises of God." You can listen to part one here: Finding Hope in Stressful TimesRESOURCES:Help, My Bible Is Alive!: https://www.amazon.com/Help-My-Bible-Alive-Understand/dp/1641580216Subscribe to Nicole’s weekly podcast, Let's Be Real: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/lets-be-real-with-nicole-unice/id1505817001FOLLOW NICOLE:Website: https://nicoleunice.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/nicoleuniceInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/nicoleunice/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nicole.unice/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

This month we are re-airing Nicole’s 2020, 4-part miniseries called "Comfort in God’s Promises." We'll be using what we learned through the Alive Method of Bible Study in order to apply God’s never-changing truth to the ever-changing circumstances of our lives. In this episode, Nicole unpacks how to go to Scripture to find hope in stressful times. Learn what it looks like to "go back to home base” whenever you feel discouraged or confused.Scripture References: Matthew 13:44; Matthew 6:19-21; Ecclesiastes 2; Philippians 4:19RESOURCES:Help, My Bible Is Alive!: https://www.amazon.com/Help-My-Bible-Alive-Understand/dp/1641580216Subscribe to Nicole’s weekly podcast, Let's Be Real: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/lets-be-real-with-nicole-unice/id1505817001FOLLOW NICOLE:Website: https://nicoleunice.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/nicoleuniceInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/nicoleunice/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nicole.unice/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.