More Than a Song - Discovering the Truth of Scripture Hidden in Today's Popular Christian Music

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#97: "This Year (Happy New Year)" by JJ Heller Dec 28, 2015

Show notes

It is the time of year when the crystal ball drops and the calendar changes. This is definitely a season when we stop and reflect and consider what the new year will bring. JJ Heller's song "This Year (Happy New Year)" is a terrific song to help us leap into the new year while we internalize a cry from Hosea and a dramatic ending of a season in David's life in 2 Samuel 12.

We can learn from David as he journeys through a difficult season.

In this episode, I discuss:

My cry to all of us for the new year - Hosea 6:1, 3
- Renew
- Know
- Strive
My commitment to my third Bible Read Through...join me by signing up at KeithFerrin.com!
The Bible Interaction Tool for reading unfamiliar translations...I like The Voice Translation this year!
Seasons that you don't know have ended until they're gone
Seasons you can see coming to an end
A preview of some of the seasons in David's life - 2 Samuel
A tragic season in David's life and how he walked it out - 2 Samuel 12:15-23
David's fanatical plea to God calls for His grace, mercy, and intervention
The difference between living WITH regret and living IN regret
Seeing what is on the other side of this tragic season - 2 Samuel 12:24-25

Additional Resources

Lyrics
JJ Heller Music Website with links to songs and lyrics
Story Behind the Song by JJ Heller - YouTube Video

This Week's Challenge

It would be amazing if you would join me in the Bible Read Through. I won't even mind if you jump in and take a pass on my weekly challenges because you're reading so much during the Read-Through! Otherwise, pick up your Bible and start reading 2 Samuel! Start in Chapter 1 and head all the way through Chapter 12, where we are today. Consider how David ended this tragic season and what God might ask of you.

Purchase your copy of A Seat at the Table today!

#96: "Noel" by Chris Tomlin ft. Lauren Daigle Dec 21, 2015

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When you drive up to a traffic circle and encounter a red triangular sign, it triggers a behavior to yield to traffic in the circle. If you're married and gaze upon your wedding band, it may trigger memories of your wedding day or perhaps just bring your spouse's face to mind. Signs and symbols everywhere prick our memories or guide our behaviors, especially at Christmas. This week, we will use "Noel," as Lauren Daigle sings on Chris Tomlin's new Christmas album, to point us to the symbols of Christmas and Scriptural truth we can take with us all year long.

Invest some time learning Scripture references that the symbols of Christmas can spark in your mind for years to come.

In this episode, I discuss:

What the word "sign" means in the Greek - Luke 2:12
The symbols of Christmas and what they can point to in Scripture
- Christmas tree
  - Evergreen tree points to everlasting life in Christ - John 17:3
  - A tree reminds us to be rooted in Christ - Colossians 2:7
  - A Christmas tree gives up its thriving life to bring us joy and blessing in our homes, just as Christ gave up His life for us
- Star
  - The wise men from the east followed the star to find Jesus - Matthew 2:1-11
  - The star led the wise men to Jesus. Who led you to Jesus?
  - Wise men still seek Jesus
- Angels
  - Angels appear throughout the Christmas story in Luke 1, Matthew 1, and Luke 2
  - Just as the angel's role was to proclaim Jesus to the shepherds, our role is to proclaim Christ as well - Colossians 1:28
- Tree lights
  - The lights brighten the dark shadows of a Christmas tree
  - We are to shine like lights in a dark world - Matthew 5:16
- Candy cane
  - Upside down, it is a "J" for Jesus
  - Right side up, it looks like a shepherd's staff and reminds us that Jesus is our good shepherd - John 10:11
  - The red and white colors remind us of Jesus' shed blood and His pure and sinless life
- Candles
  - Jesus is the light of the world - John 8:12
- Ornaments
  - Ornaments do not shine with their own light but reflect the light instead
  - We are designed to reflect the light of Christ - 2 Corinthians 3:18
- Snowflakes
  - Snowflakes softly float to the ground - Be still and know - Psalm 46:10
  - Our scarlet sins have been made white as snow through the sacrifice of Christ - Isaiah 1:18
- Holly
  - The thorny leaves on a holly leaf can serve to remind us of the crown of thorns that tore into Christ's brow at the crucifixion - John 19:2
  - The red berries again remind us of Christ's blood shed for us
- Stockings
  - Stockings are for feet and point directly to the armor of God, where we are taught that our feet are to be fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace - Ephesians 6:15
  - Our feet should be bringing the good news and proclaiming salvation to all - Isaiah 52:7
- Gifts
  - We can remember the gifts the wise men brought Jesus in Matthew 2
  - Jesus is the best gift of all - 2 Corinthians 9:15

This Week's Challenge

Read the Christmas story this week. Read Matthew 1:18-24, then Luke 2:1-20, then Matthew 2:1-12 and you'll get it all in! If you're up for a greater challenge, take the list of Christmas symbols and the references found in this week's show notes and dig in!

Purchase your copy of A Seat at the Table today!

#95: "What a Glorious Night" by Sidewalk Prophets Dec 14, 2015

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Reviewing the Christmas story can warm our hearts with the familiar, but examining the characters in new ways can enrich the story you may never have considered. Sidewalk Prophet's song, "What a Glorious Night," puts the shepherds (and their experience in the Christmas story) front and center. It gives us a unique opportunity to consider this repeated story in a fresh and exciting way.

I pray my response to God's message will always be the same as the shepherds that glorious night.

In this episode, I discuss:

Several of my favorite Bible Interaction Tools that make covering familiar passages exciting
- Remembering the characters are real
- Slowing down to ponder and meditate on the details
- Reading the same section of Scripture in a variety of translations
- Reading in context
- Reading/studying with others
Considering the shepherd's five senses and what they may have experienced - Luke 2:8-12
How to define the "radiance of the Lord's glory"
- AW Tozer devotion
- Quote from Nancy Guthrie's Family Devotional - Let Every Heart Prepare Him Room
What we can learn from the shepherd's response to confirm what the angel said - Luke 2:15-16
Thinking of the shepherds as the first evangelists - Luke 2:17-18

Additional Resources

This Week's Challenge

Read Luke 2:8-20 this week. Don't forget that the shepherds were real people, living in a real place during a real epic event that would impact you and me for eternity. Consider what they may have experienced as you ponder the five senses. Slow down. Meditate on what you are reading. Read in a variety of translations. Read the story in the context of all that came before. But most of all, this week...if you use no other Bible interaction tool...read it and discuss it with a friend.

Purchase your copy of A Seat at the Table today!

#94: "Just a Girl" by Brandon Heath Dec 07, 2015

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How often have we missed the miracle because there was "no room" for the inconvenience? The birth of Jesus was messy, loud, and inconvenient, and yet some embraced it, and some, like the innkeeper sung about in Brandon Heath's song, "Just a Girl," missed out on welcoming the Savior of the World.

How many miracles have we missed because we said "no" out of inconvenience?

In this episode, I discuss:

Traditions - how my family loves them and how they were instituted by God
The perspective of this week's song as being sung by the innkeeper in the Christmas story
What Scripture really says about the inn - Luke 2:1-7
A quote from Brandon Heath on his perspective of the song - New Release Today Article
How it was inconvenient for those in the inn to make room for Mary to have a baby
What parts of God's plan for Mary's life were inconvenient - Luke 1:28-38
How Joseph threw aside inconvenience to accept God's command - Matthew 1:18-25
The inconvenience Jesus endured by leaving heaven to be born a human to save us from sin - Philippians 2:6-8
The Parable of the Good Samaritan - Luke 10:30-37
Matthew Henry's Commentary on how "selfishness governs all ranks"
A prayer to be wholly yielded to God even if it means messy, loud, and inconvenient

Additional Resources

Lyrics
About the Song by Brandon Heath on YouTube
Behind the Song with Kevin Davis - New Release Today
Unwed and Pregnant in Ancient Israel? - an article by Stephanie Landsem

This Week's Challenge

Dive into the Christmas story! Read Matthew 1 and 2 and Luke 1 and 2 for all of the epic details. Consider what messy, loud, and inconvenient experiences God is asking you to yield to. Consider the parable in Luke 10:30-37 and, in Jesus' words, "Now go and do the same."

Purchase your copy of A Seat at the Table today!

#93: "Be One" by Natalie Grant Nov 30, 2015

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The message of this week's song, "Be One," by Natalie Grant, challenges us to be miracles in the lives of others. Instead of pointing our fingers at others and saying, "I need," we should raise our hands and say, "I will!" Deborah, in the Book of Judges, was this type of person. What can we learn from her story?

Also, Deborah's story ends in a song. I always love that!

In this episode, I discuss:

Meditation and what Biblical meditation looks like - Psalm 119:15
How Deborah is introduced in Scripture - Judges 4:4-5
What it might have been like to be a woman in the social and political position she was in
Understanding the environment Deborah served God in by reading in context - Judges 2:7, 10-16, 18-19
That judges were placed in authority by God to rescue His people
How God left hardships in place to test and teach His people - Judges 2:22-23, Judges 3:1-2
Barak and his inclusion in the "Hall of Faith" - Hebrews 11:32-33
The story of how God used Deborah, Barak, and another woman, Jael, to accomplish His purposes - Judges 4
How the story ends with a song!

Additional Resources

Lyrics
After a live performance, Natalie talks about the story behind the song - Natalie Grant Sings "Be One" Live on The Wally Show - on YouTube

This Week's Challenge

Read Deborah's story in Judges 4-5 for yourself! Hopefully, I've given you a few footholds to begin scaling the walls of Judges. You may even consider starting in chapter one and making your way to and through chapters 4 and 5! Don't just read it, though. Meditate on it! Think your way through the characters and their stories.

Purchase your copy of A Seat at the Table today!

#92: "No Man Is An Island" by Tenth Avenue North Nov 23, 2015

Show notes

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Community. It's a place where we share interests and goals with other people. Once we are joined with other believers in Christ, we share the same Spirit and heritage. These truths are the foundation of the Scripture we will explore this week and are also found in the song "No Man Is An Island" by Tenth Avenue North.

This week, we learn that we are not an island unto ourselves; we are part of something unique...the body of Christ.

In this episode, I discuss:

The poem by John Donne that the phrase "no man is an island" comes from
One Body with Many Parts - 1 Corinthians 12:12-26
The number and variety of the members of the body of Christ
The various duties represented in the body of Christ
The intimate connection the body shares
The common importance of the members of the body of Christ

Additional Resources

Lyrics
Behind the Song - Air 1 Behind the Music on YouTube
Behind the Song - New Release Today Article

This Week's Challenge

Read 1 Corinthians 12 and Romans 12 for yourself. Stay right there in the areas that talk about the body, or venture out into the gifts, roles, and behaviors discussed in both letters from Paul.

Purchase your copy of A Seat at the Table today!

#91: "Deliverer" by Matt Maher Nov 16, 2015

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Music and lyrics have always played an important role in helping us to remember. Sometimes, I remember where I was in 1980-something, just by hearing a tune waft through the air in the grocery store. That's powerful! The Israelites used a song in Exodus 15 declaring their Deliverer's wondrous acts and mighty power to help them remember the details of that experience. We can use Matt Maher's song, "Deliverer," to direct us to study that same place in God's Word and then allow it to help us remember what we've learned!

There are some powerful lessons in the song and this area of Scripture. Dive in today!

In this episode, I discuss:

How quickly the Israelites freaked out after they left Egypt - Exodus 14:11-12
Moses' response - Exodus 14:13-14
God's response - Exodus 14:15-18
A verse-by-verse breakdown of the Song of Deliverance in Exodus 15
The importance of celebrating what God has done
Where the resistance in our lives comes from
- Ourselves
- Our Enemy
- God Himself
A quick peek at part of Psalm 66...another song that remembers that glorious day

Additional Resources

Lyrics
Behind the Song - Matt Maher Share Your Story on YouTube

This Week's Challenge

Learn more about your Deliverer in Exodus 14 and 15...He's the same God! Then, hop over to Psalm 66 and read it in its entirety. Spend some time meditating on the truths you see in God's Word this week.

Purchase your copy of A Seat at the Table today!

#90: "Good Good Father" by Chris Tomlin Nov 09, 2015

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Think about the person you love the deepest. Are you picturing that person in your mind? Now, think of the top three qualities you love about that person. What a great exercise to put into words why our feelings are so strong. A better exercise is to turn around and tell that person the top three qualities you thought of! This week's song, "Good Good Father," by Chris Tomlin, led me to consider why I think of God as my good, good Father.

This song also leads us to Scripture to add more qualities to our own mental lists.

In this episode, I discuss:

My story and why I consider God my good, good Father
The exercise I went through to describe God's qualities most precious to me
My list of God's characteristics and what they mean to me
How the song led me to this week's memory verse - Psalm 18:30
Considering God's perfect ways, His trustworthiness, and His protection
Adding characteristics to my list from Psalm 18

Additional Resources

Lyrics
Behind the Song - Watch the YouTube Video here

This Week's Challenge

Download this week's free resource and explore Psalm 18 to learn more about your good, good Father.

Purchase your copy of A Seat at the Table today!

#89: "The River" by Jordan Feliz Nov 02, 2015

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Are you setting yourself up to experience God regularly with other believers? I got this from exploring a brief story in Acts 16 this week, inspired by the song "The River" by Jordan Feliz.

Like Lydia, down by the river in Acts 16, I pray that you will have an open heart to the life-changing truth of God's Word.

In this episode, I discuss:

Some of the places in Scripture we could explore as it relates to "river"
- John 7 mentions rivers of living water flowing from within believers (this was the inspiration for Jordan Feliz, by the way)
- Psalm 46 speaks of a river whose streams make glad the city of God
- Revelation 22 talks about a river of water of life flowing from the throne of God
Why I was drawn to Acts 16
Background of Acts 16 and the city of Philippi
The story of Lydia and what we can learn from her
- She made it her practice to gather with other believers
- She had an open heart to the truth of God's Word and the gospel message
- She invited other believers to "do life" with her

Additional Resources

Lyrics
Behind the Song - New Release Today Article

This Week's Challenge

Read all of Acts 16 and then go read Paul's letter to the Philippians. Everyone you meet in Acts 16 is a "founding member" of the church at Philippi, whom Paul is writing to in Philippians. Reading it once you have studied the characters in Acts 16 will change your perspective.

Purchase your copy of A Seat at the Table today!

#88: "The Words I Would Say" by Sidewalk Prophets Oct 26, 2015

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Our stories mirror the stories of old, so the words that brought comfort and direction to their lives can help us as we take each step of our own. "The Words I Would Say" by Sidewalk Prophets renders a tremendous amount of truth just in the chorus—some of the very words spoken by God Himself to Joshua.

Join me as we consider Joshua's experiences and how they may mirror ours. What did God say to Joshua that we can learn from today?

In this episode, I discuss:

The story of the daughter of a friend that could have been my own...could have been yours, too
The elements of story that affect us and Joshua in the Old Testament
- Transition
- Identity development
- Failure of authority figures
- Failure of friends
- Faithful Guide
Meeting Joshua in transition - Joshua 1:1-9
The first mention of Joshua - Exodus 17:8-15
The Bible interaction tool of referential representation - picturing in your mind what you are reading
Seeing the disappointing actions of Aaron, an authority figure Joshua would have trusted and loved - Exodus 32
Joshua's epic friend failure in Numbers 13-14
The advice of Joshua's Faithful Guide - Joshua 1:7-9

Additional Resources

Lyrics
Behind the Song - New Release Today Article

This Week's Challenge

I want to challenge you to read larger chunks of Scripture this week to understand the big picture better. To really understand Joshua, you should start reading the book of Exodus. Don't forget that whatever happened to the "people of Israel" happened to Joshua.

Purchase your copy of A Seat at the Table today!

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