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

Latest Episodes:

#37: "You Amaze Us" by Selah Nov 03, 2014

Show notes

What began as merely adding a song of praise to my playlist launched me into God's Word and thrilling discovery as God revealed new things. I can't wait to share where this week's song by Selah, "You Amaze Us," leads us in Scripture!

Music is key in our worship, but we discovered what our worship needs to include this week. You might be surprised!

In this week's episode, I discuss:

The story behind the song - New Release Tuesday article
More Than a Song - Episode 1
Hebrew word siach
Psalm 119:15
Psalm 105
1 Chronicles 16
The professional worship team appointed by David
The assignment given by David to the worship team
More Than a Song - Episode 17
Psalm 143
The meaning of Selah
More Than a Song - Episode 34, Episode 35 & Episode 36
Quote from the Reformation Study Bible found on BibleGateway.com

Additional Resources

Lyrics

This Week's Challenge

First, slow down and remember. Perhaps this is the first episode you have heard, and you have never heard the challenge to write down what God has done for you in Episode 35. Perhaps you heard the challenge and kept thinking you'd get "around to it." Slow down and remember. In Psalm 105, where the verses in common end, the remembrances begin. A recounting of what God had done in the history of Israel. Recount what God has done in your life. Remember. Write it down. Then, add what you have learned and challenge yourself to discover if you responded in faith and obedience. Use Psalm 105 as inspiration for what a Psalm of remembrance looks like. Use Psalm 143 as an example of what an earnest appeal for guidance and deliverance looks like if that is the season you are in. Meditate on 1 Chronicles 16 and focus on the Levites, whom Scripture says were "expressly named to give thanks to the Lord," and see what you can learn from their assignment and response.

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#36: "He Knows" by Jeremy Camp Oct 27, 2014

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The wound is deep and beyond your control. You're tempted to blame God, but then again, He is the only One you can turn to...He is the only One who truly KNOWS. This week's song, "He Knows," by Jeremy Camp, reflects this and leads us straight to Scripture and Hannah's story in 1 Samuel chapter one.

I hope this story will draw you into God's Word in a way that invigorates and comforts your soul.

In this week's episode, I discuss:

Jeremy Camp's YouTube video story behind the song
Jesus' compassion and sorrow in John 11:35
The fact that Jesus understands us because He was human - Hebrews 4:15-16
Boldly approaching the throne of grace like Hannah - 1 Samuel 1
Reading God's Word for longer periods of time
Christ as a sufferer and an example in 1 Peter 2:19, 21
Our comforting memory verse found in Psalms 34:18

This Week's Challenge

Spend time in 1 Samuel this week. Familiarize yourself with Hannah's story and prayer, and maybe, just maybe, get lost in the story and keep on reading. Don't be so analytical this week. Read and keep on reading to see big-picture ideas you miss when reading small sections at a time.

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#35: "You Carry Me" by Moriah Peters Oct 20, 2014

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This week's song, "You Carry Me" by Moriah Peters, led me to two different metaphors describing how God carries us in Scripture. Pondering how God carries us and truly taking the time to identify the seasons of our own lives when God has carried us are what we'll be talking about on the podcast this week.

When you invest in reflecting on the seasons of your life this week, you will be encouraged to see God's hand in your history.

In this week's episode, I discuss:

God carries us like a shepherd carrying lambs - Isaiah 40:11
God carries us like an eagle - Deuteronomy 32:10-12
How an eagle stirs her nest
What we have to do to soar like eagles ourselves - Isaiah 40:27-31
Looking back on every season
Creating a timeline reflecting God's faithfulness
Believing that God will work ALL things together for good - Romans 8:28

This Week's Challenge

Do your own research to see other references of God carrying us. Or if the picture of the Shepherd really impacted you today, spend some time in Isaiah 40 and Psalm 23 and seek out other Shepherd references to begin to get perspective and understanding. If the picture of the Eagle really impacted you, spend some time in Deuteronomy 32 and ponder what these truths might mean in your current situation. At some point this week, you need to take the time to write out a timeline of the seasons in your life and determine how God's hand was there carrying you. Write it down and then share it with someone!

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#34: "Let Them See You" by JJ Weeks Band Oct 13, 2014

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Before this week's song, "Let Them See You" by the JJ Weeks Band was a song, it was a prayer that the lead singer, JJ, would pray every day. This prayer has led me to Psalm 78 and a discussion on legacy found in God's Word.

Scripture will challenge us this week to remember His promises and repeat them to others. I can't wait to see what God will do in you this week.

In this week's episode, I discuss:

Letting our children see God working in and around us by sharing more
Our responsibility to teach our children found in Deuteronomy 6:5-9
God's call to tell the next generation of His glorious deeds found in Psalm 78
The idea of repeating and remembering
How can you repeat God's commands if you do not know them?
How can you remember what God has done if you do not record it?
Allowing God to strip away all that "defines us"

This Week's Challenge

Read Psalm 78. Then, read or listen to it every day for an entire week. Through that repetition and the Spirit's prompting, underline any phrases or verses that jump out at you and write them on a sticky note or note card to review separately. At some point during the week or near the week's end, write a summary of the Psalm in your own words and then share it with someone. Identify your "aha" moment in the Psalm and write that down. Write down how you think that should impact your life right now and what you are supposed to DO as a result of this new insight. Finally, sow that seed into someone else's life before the week is up.

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#33: "Live With Abandon" by Newsboys Oct 06, 2014

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Do you ever get lost in God's Word? I'm not talking about when you can't find your way, but rather when you are exploring so intently that you look up and realize you've spent way more time than you realized in the Bible and it wasn't even a chore! This week's song, Live With Abandon by Newsboys, inspired me to take a journey that I share with you that I hope will lead you deep into God's Word...maybe you'll even get lost in it with me!

Don't worry, I'll be your guide. It will be fun! Let's jump in together with abandon...not counting the costs!

On this week's episode I discuss:

King Solomon, the wisest man that ever lived
1 Kings 3:3-14
Ecclesiastes
This week's process that led me to God's Word
The importance of repetition in the Bible
The phrase "like chasing the wind" found 8 times in Ecclesiastes
"My Utmost for His Highest" by Oswald Chambers
The daily devotion app
Oswald Chambers' article on Abandonment
Mark 10:17-31

This Week's Challenge

Search for the 8 references to "like chasing the wind" found in Ecclesiastes. Write down the verse references and then read the context around those verses to discover what "the teacher" uses to compare to that phrase. Then write down how you think that might apply to life today. Perhaps reference a situation in your own life when your life fit that description (maybe it even fits today).

If you want to know more about the presumed author of Ecclesiastes, you can read Solomon's story beginning in 1 Kings.

To explore the catalyst verse for Oswald Chambers' article on Abandonment, read and ponder Mark 10:17-31.

Purchase your copy of A Seat at the Table today!

#32: "How Can It Be" by Lauren Daigle Sep 29, 2014

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If we truly take the time to process our own sinful nature and then pair that with a time of meditation on all that Christ is and has done for us, we too will proclaim, "How Can It Be?" like Lauren Daigle in this week's song.

However, the conviction of our guilt should not lead us to a place of shame, but to repentance.

On this episode I discuss:

The story behind the song from New Release Tuesday
The story of the adulterous woman found in John 8:1-11
Where my unfiltered writing took me this week
God's answer to the prayer found at the end of Psalm 139
Conviction leading us to repentance not shame
How we "hide" from God
1 John 2:1-2 teaching us not to sin, but reminding us that if we do, we have an Advocate
My experience as a Court Appointed Special Advocate
The awe-filled conclusion when considering God's grace...how...can...it...be?
2 Corinthians 5:14-21

This Week's Challenge

Read John 8 for yourself and then pull out your journal or a notepad and list the characters in the story. Underline key words or phrases in the text itself in your Bible. List out the challenges given by Christ to the various characters in this story. List out the challenges the Holy Spirit may be giving you.

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#31: "He Knows My Name" by Francesca Battistelli Sep 22, 2014

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How much emphasis do you give to what others think of you? "He Knows My Name" by Francesca Battistelli celebrates the names that God calls us. God knows us intimately, and because He is our Creator, He gets to name us.

You are adored by God. Will you let Him search you, test you, and lead you?

In this episode, I discuss:

Psalm 139
The Hebrew word for "examined" or "search" found in Psalm 139:1
The ravioli prayer
How intimately God knows us
David's prayer to God to search, test, point out anything offensive and lead
"The Best Yes" by Lysa Terkheurst and her advice to "cut the but"
Isaiah 41:10
Isaiah 54:17
Zephaniah 3:17
Psalm 119:105
The story of Gideon found in Judges 6
How God sees us and has already equipped us for what we need

Additional Resources

This Week's Challenge

Psalm 139 is a great place to spend some time this week. You will begin to see how adored and how KNOWN you really are. If you choose to spend some time there, I challenge you to read this Psalm daily and in different translations so that you can let it really sink in.
Perhaps you're like me, and characters of the Bible intrigue you. If that is the case, spend some time getting to know Gideon this week. His story begins in Judges 6, but to get perspective, you could start at the beginning of Judges!
Whether you camp in Psalm 139, Judges, or another reading plan you are currently on, PLEASE spend time in God's Word this week...you won't regret it!

Purchase your copy of A Seat at the Table today!

**#30: "I Can Just Be Me" by Laura Story** Sep 15, 2014
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Once we begin to understand the names of God, we can more fully understand WHO He is, because God's character is reflected in His names. In Laura Story's song, "I Can Just Be Me", she helps us see that we struggle with roles GOD never intended for us to play. Knowing the roles He desires to play in our lives frees us up to only retain the roles He has for us.
Will you get lost with me in God's Word today as we explore a few of His names?
On this episode I discuss:
The weight of spiritual battles
Filling our empty places with WHO God truly is
God as Healer - Exodus 15:26
Moses and Miriam's song in Exodus 15
God as Peace - 1 Thessalonians 5:23
God as Comforter - John 14:26
A reminder that this is not our home - Hebrews 13:14
An endless list of names of God
" target="_blank">Quote from Staci Eldridge's book "Becoming Myself"
Quote from "Behind the Song with Kevin Davis" of New Release Tuesday
This Week's Challenge
Take a more academic approach to interacting with God's Word this week. Head over to BibleHub.com (or your favorite online resource) and search for Scriptures related to God being Comforter or Peace, or whatever name of God that means the most to you right now in your journey. Once you find a verse or two that includes that name, allow yourself to get lost in the context and stories surrounding the Scriptures you find.
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#28: "This is Amazing Grace" by Phil Wickham Sep 01, 2014

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Are you ready to go on a fantastical journey into God's Word? Phil Wickham's song, "This is Amazing Grace" led me straight to the book of Revelation this week where we see strange creatures and an epic worship service.

I can't wait to join in on a worship service in heaven...we can't even fathom how amazing it will be.

On this episode I discuss:

Mystery and worship
Revelation chapter 5
The context of Revelation
What I might miss in Revelation chapter 5 if I get bogged down in the parts I don't understand
Romans 6:9-10 - Jesus breaking the power of sin
Jeremiah 10:13 - God's voice shaking the earth
Psalm 9:8 - God's rule with truth and justice
The amazing grace shown in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus for you and me!

This Week's Challenge

Read the Book of Revelation. Try reading it out loud! Let yourself be carried away by the mystery and the fantasy-like elements. Let God surprise you!

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