The Bible and Coffee: Recent Episodes
Two Old Women
Our series on God's Ruach takes us deep into the Hebrew word for breath, wind, mind, body. This Biblical Mind shift to change our perception of God's spirit through the ancient writer's eyes has Belinda all in a tizzy. Ruach has many different meanings within the movement of God's word.
Amy and Belinda try to untangle this Hebrew word and what it does to shift their mind about the power behind God's spirit. Ruach. What does Ruach mean in the Hebrew Bible? What does the Ruach mean? In the Hebrew Bible, Ruach can refer to both God and man. The Hebrew word carries more than one meaning and therefore sends Belinda Phillips into knots as she tries to get past Genesis 1 in the opening book of the Bible. How can we have more than one meaning and how do we apply this to the way we have been taught in the past?
Yahweh is the source of life. Yahweh's Ruach gives life to all of creation. This creation includes the sky, land, and sea as well as our source. The problem is, is that we have so many words for so many things that we fail to see the power behind Yahweh and his life-giving Ruach.
The word Ruach when applied to Yahweh means a divine activity. How powerful is Yahweh Elohim as he empowers us to live for him! Show Notes: Psalms 104:28-29 Exodus 31 You Can check out our additional Podcasts at our website: The Bible and Coffee Podcast.
Check out The Bible Projects Complete Series on the Holy Spirit
You can catch some of our other series here:
Removing cultural blinders helps us to see everything that the scriptures speak to us.
You can catch our first Introduction podcast here #142 Removing Cultural Blinders- Intro
You can also catch some of our latest Podcasts here:
Dysfunctional Families of the Bible
Stepping out of the Ordinary
The Parables
We always welcome you to our table as we keep the coffee hot and the conversation flowing.
A Biblical Mind Shift From Buddhist to Christian podcast is an interview with the woman that started it all for This Series - The Biblical Mind shift. Mary Matlock was raised Buddhist in Thailand and also lived in Saudi Arabia. The most powerful testimony of what it takes to bring someone to Christ.
Mary Matlock has become a dear sweet friend that is passionate about spreading the word of God, through love and graciousness. She has the perspective of the ancient world through the eyes of her culture. It was her desire to prove God wrong. Her desire to proved Budda as a god meant spending time in the Bible.
That is where she found Christ. Show Notes: Buddhism
Misreading Scriptures with Western Eyes
Removing cultural blinders helps us to see everything that the scriptures speak to us.
A Biblical Mind shift- Introduction
You can catch our first Introduction podcast here #142 Removing Cultural Blinders- Intro
You can also catch some of our latest Podcasts here:
Dysfunctional Families of the Bible
Stepping out of the Ordinary
The Parables
We always welcome you to our table as we keep the coffee hot and the conversation flowing.
Yahweh Elohim Podcast between Belinda Phillips and Amy Hubbard starts us on a Biblical Mind Shift. Who can carve out and divide the darkness from the light? What spirit can see the chaos and create peace and living water?
Yahweh Elohim. Who is Yahweh? According to www.biblestudytool.com, The name Yahweh (yah-WEH) occurs more than 6,800 times in the Old Testament. It appears in every book but Esther, Ecclesiastes, and the Song of Songs. As the sacred, personal name of Israel's God, it was eventually spoken aloud only by priests worshiping in the Jerusalem temple.
Understanding the way the ancient writers saw Yahweh vs other spirits of the Biblical narrative has profoundly changed how the Bible and Coffee Podcast see the scriptures.
What is life-changing is the remarkable way in which the people of ancient times saw Yahweh and understood his power. How do we understand Elohim vs Yahweh Elohim? Understanding Elohim vs Yahweh Elohim under the microscope of the Hebrew Bible can give us a 3-dimensional look at the way we should view Yahweh. Amy and Belinda give in to the notion that maybe we should take a minute to understand the Hebrew words as they were written.
Amy and Belinda talk about their struggle with the Biblical Mindshift, which has made reading the Bible so much more powerful for both of them. Therefore, using another part of our senses to hear Yahweh's words. Understanding that the translation of Elohim as GOD is not always a correct interpretation. How does creation relate back to Elohim? Who carves out light in the middle of the chaos? Genesis 1:1 speaks of the power of the spiritual being that is capable of dividing darkness from light. What did the water look like to the ancient Hebrews? What we see as powerful water is tamed by our 21st-century minds. The ancient Hebrews saw it as chaos. Belinda actually still confirms it as chaos as well, as you will hear in this podcast. Listen now to the Biblical Mindshift series Yahweh Elohim Podcast. Show notes: The Bible and Coffe Podcast - Removing Cultural Blinders
The Bible Project- Genesis 1:1
Genesis 1:1-2
Genesis 2
Monotheism - The Bible Project Monotheism
A Biblical Mind shift Podcast presents the beginning of new beginnings for us here at the Bible and Coffee Podcast. If you have followed us on our journey last year will have noticed a huge mind shift in the podcasts. As we read new books, listening to other voices, and sat at the feet of Maxine Wallace, there became a noticeable change in how we view the Biblical authors and it's history. Understanding Biblical Mind Shift through history. Understanding Bible history is a daunting task and one that not many people want to tackle. Bible History becomes important for us from the first scripture in Genesis 1:1.
Who was the author writing to? How did they see the world from their ancient worldview?
All these questions are questions that The Bible Project has put together to better help us not only understand the Bible but to better understand how we can worship Yahweh. We get so caught up in the application of the scriptures that we miss the worship.
Tim Mackie co-founder of The Bible Project We just love the visual concept that they have produced to help all kinds of learners understand the ancient writers as they wrote to the ancient people. We will be linking videos that we reference in our podcasts so that you can walk through this amazing biblical mind shift with us. What does a Biblical Mind shift look like? A biblical mind shift looks different for everyone. It might take someone a couple of times to connect a new concept and shift their mind to that new concept, others may need more time. Like Amy.
We are not asking for an echo chamber, but a new beginning of sorts to see the concepts that we all have missed through 21-century eyes.
Come join us at TheBibleandcoffeepodcast.com for more of our podcast. Show Notes: The Net Bible
The Bible Recap
The Bible Project- The Story of the Bible
The Secrets of the Vine
At the Feet of my Aunt Podcast
Happy New Year! As we start out the year 2022 I thought that we could just listen to the words of Isaiah 40. How powerful it is to ponder on the words of the prophet as he reminds the people of who God is to them. Who is Isaiah the Prophet? Isaiah was the son of Amoz. Isaiah lived during the reigns of four kings. The first, Uzziah, reigned from around 783 BC to 742 BC. The last king, Hezekiah, reigned from 715 BC to 686 BC.
Scholars estimate that he could’ve been a prophet for about 60 years. The Book of Isaiah appears to end after the Babylonian exile, which took place in the sixth century, more than 100 years after Isaiah died. Therefore surmising that the book of Isaiah may have had editors according to some scholars. What is the Book of Isaiah about? Isaiah begins his ministry at the time that Israel’s northern kingdom was on the brink of collapse. Isaiah's ministry after the fall focuses on trying to get the Judeans to trust in God in the face of the terrible threat of Assyria.
But the Judeans wanted to trust Egypt, not God. In the last critical moment, after everything else failed, King Hezekiah prayed to God, and he staked his life and his kingdom on God keeping His word. He was not disappointed.
Isaiah ministered to God's people during those critical years. Why is Isaiah 40 so special? Belinda reads Isaiah 40 to you to become a reminder for the New Year of who God Is...
Show Notes:
The Book of Isaiah Overview: The Bible Project
Isaiah 40
You can catch our first Introduction podcast here #142 Removing Cultural Blinders- Intro
You can also catch some of our latest Podcasts here:
Dysfunctional Families of the Bible
Stepping out of the Ordinary
The Parables
We always welcome you to our table as we keep the coffee hot and the conversation flowing.
Are you listening? Belinda's unplugged podcast is going Hebrew from the barn with her word of the year. Shema. Only Belinda would do her podcasts in a Barn and then choose a Hebrew word to focus on for 2022. What is Shema mean and how did she even come up with that word? What is the Shema prayer? For 1000's years' Jewish people have been praying Deuteronomy 6:4-5 as a devotion to God. The first word of the Shema is hear or listen. The Hebrew word for hearing or listen is Shema. That is where the Jewish prayer gets its name. Check out a video in the show notes from The Bible Project.
Why did Belinda choose the word Shema for 2022?
Belinda chose the word Shema because, in the Hebrew Language, Shema means more than just listening. Belinda goes unplugged about how 2022 needs to be more than just listening?
We expect our children to listen and then to respond. Belinda wants to not just listen but respond this year. How do we listen and respond to the word of God for 2022? We can Shema Shema to God's word by planning on reflecting each day on God's Word with these Questions?
What Do I feel ? In reference to the Context of my Reading. What Do I Know? In reference to the context of my Reading What do I think? In reference to the context of my Reading. John Maxwell Leadership Podcast Reflections
Belinda talks about John Maxwell and his Leadership Podcast and how that has shaped her reflections for 2021. You can find that Podcast in the Show notes below! Show Notes: Shema- The Bible Project
John Maxwell Podcast- The Year in Review
You can catch our episodes on The Bible and Coffee Podcast
Catch up on some of our Greatest Hits of 2021 Here:
.Removing cultural blinders helps us to see everything that the scriptures speak to us.
You can catch our first Introduction podcast here #142 Removing Cultural Blinders- Intro
You can also catch some of our latest here:
Dysfunctional Families of the BiblePodcasts
Stepping out of the Ordinary
The Parables
We always welcome you to our table where the Coffee is hot and the conversation keeps flowing.
Our Top 10 Podcast # 6 has us talking about a witch. Yes, there are witches in the Bible. Along with talking about Donkeys and other crazy things that we do not include on this podcast.
Our last Crazy lady ends with a witch that speaks to Saul. Who is this witch in the Bible? The Witch of Endor is a witch who, according to the Old Testament Hebrew Bible, was consulted by Saul to summon the spirit of the prophet Samuel. Saul was looking for advice against the Philistines in battle.
Saul had tried several times prior to this encounter to seek God through sacred lots and prophets but had failed. Amy and Belinda try to wrap our heads around the failure of Saul to continue God's answers through humility.
In this Top 10 Podcast, The Witch we see that once we begin to quit following God and things in our life we begin to start searching for answers outside of God's spiritual guidance. What does the Bible say about witchcraft? We also talk about witchcraft and how opening that pandora's box is not of God. Amy and I discuss the struggles that come to pass when we forget that Yahweh is the one true God!
Do not forget to catch some of our other podcasts throughout the year 2021. We have grown so much and we have loved having you at our table.
Summary :
1 Samuel 28:3–25
The Bible and Coffee Podcast
Removing cultural blinders helps us to see everything that the scriptures speak to us.
You can catch our first Introduction podcast here #142 Removing Cultural Blinders- Intro
You can also catch some of our latest Podcasts here:
Dysfunctional Families of the Bible
Stepping out of the Ordinary
The Parables
We always welcome you to our table as we keep the coffee hot and the conversation flowing.
Out of our Top 10 Podcast of the Bible and Coffee, we include Jezebel one of our all-time favorite Crazy Ladies. Even if you are not familiar with the actual story of Jezebel you do understand that you do not want to ever be labeled with that name " Jezebel."
Who is Jezebel? Who is the woman that we labeled as crazy? Jezebel is first mentioned in 1 Kings 16:31. She marries Ahab. She then kills God's prophets in 1 Kings 18:4. Just a couple of chapters over she orders Naboths death in 1 kings 21:8-10. This crazy woman Jezebel uses witchcraft in 2 kings 9:22. However, in the end, she ends up being eaten by the dogs 2 Kings 9:35.
There are so many things that Amy and I discuss with the storyline of Jezebel. While we want to hide our crazy, Jezebel is right there out in the open for all the world to see! What does the New Testament say about Jezebel? The book of Revelation in Chapters 2:20-21 gives plenty of references to the character traits behind Jezebel. She is listed as a prophetess, a false teacher, an immoral woman, and an Idol worshiper. But I have this against you, that you tolerate the woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, and she teaches and leads My bond-servants astray so that they commit sexual immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols. I gave her time to repent, and she does not want to repent of her sexual immorality. Revelation 2:20-21 NASB
Amy and I discuss the character traits of Jezebel and how we try to hide our own crazy!
Summary :
Removing cultural blinders helps us to see everything that the scriptures speak to us.
You can catch our first Introduction podcast here #142 Removing Cultural Blinders- Intro
You can also catch some of our latest Podcasts here:
Dysfunctional Families of the Bible
Stepping out of the Ordinary
The Parables
We always welcome you to our table as we keep the coffee hot and the conversation flowing.
The Crazy Ladies of the Bible Podcast Crazy Ladies of the Bible make our top 10 most downloaded podcasts. Crazy Lot's wife is Amy's favorite.
We totally had this woman at the top of our list as crazy as she looks back at the home that God told her to flee. Lot's wife finds herself salted. Ugh. What did Lot's wife do? Lot's wife is a woman first mentioned in Genesis 19. While Lot was busy trying to save his family and obey God, Lot's wife is totally distracted by her love for the town of Sodom and Gomorrah. In one last fleeting moment, she defies God's command not to look back.
The Book of Genesis describes how she became a pillar of salt after she looked back at Sodom.
Although She is not named in the Bible some Jewish Traditions call name her "Ado" or "Edith".
Amy and Belinda walk through what they think is the possible motive for Lot's wife to risk it all for one last look at the town that gave her power and prestige. Amy also struggles with many of the scriptures that named Lot as righteous.
As we look back at this podcast, we realize that our cultural bias played heavily in the conversation behind this story. While we had a good time comparing ourselves to Lot's wife we also understand the powerful message behind looking back just one last time.
Summary
Genesis 19
Removing cultural blinders helps us to see everything that the scriptures speak to us.
You can catch our first Introduction podcast here #142 Removing Cultural Blinders- Intro
You can also catch some of our latest Podcasts here:
Dysfunctional Families of the Bible
Stepping out of the Ordinary
The Parables
We always welcome you to our table as we keep the coffee hot and the conversation flowing.
Just a short podcast of Thanksgiving Praise from our table to yours.
Psalm 91
Happy Thanksgiving
From Amy and Belinda
The Crazy Ladies of the Bible Podcast Crazy Lady Eve make our top 10 most downloaded podcasts. We debated and processed if Eve would even make the series. Eve is the first in the Bible to have us wonder, "really Eve?" you had it so good. Why would we consider this woman to be crazy? What did Eve do? The Book of Genesis introduces us to the first woman that is in the Garden. A Beautiful garden where her fingers don't get dirty and the produce grows on its own. So what does Eve do that would deem her crazy and get her at the top of the list of crazy ladies of the Bible.
She listens to the lies of the deceiver. The liar takes the truth of God's word and twists it into a web of deception. Eve takes the bait, questions if God is really hiding something from her and her hubby, and eats the forbidden fruit. What can we learn from Eve in the Bible? There is so much to be learned from Eve. Her crazy lady status is something we can all look at and say, "yeah, Eve I have been there."
Belinda and Amy take a crank up the coffee and discuss the why's behind the decision to do what Eve did for all of humanity. It becomes obvious from our conversation that we still make those crazy stupid choices where we choose to listen to the deceiver and not to God.
Summary
Genesis 3
Removing cultural blinders helps us to see everything that the scriptures speak to us.
You can catch our first Introduction podcast here #142 Removing Cultural Blinders- Intro
You can also catch some of our latest Podcasts here:
Dysfunctional Families of the Bible
Stepping out of the Ordinary
The Parables
We always welcome you to our table as we keep the coffee hot and the conversation flowing.
The Crazy Ladies of the Bible Podcast Jael and the Wise Woman make our top 10 most downloaded podcasts. These two women make our the final cut for our most downloaded discussions.
But what do you do with these two women that literally only have a couple of lines in the Bible? Who is Jael in the Bible? If you ever wanted to meet a woman that had one job and did it well, that would be Jael. You can find her short story in Judges 4:17-24. What we see as crazy may be a little twisted by the completed story of Deborah and Jael's determination to take care of business.
Amy and Belinda find humor and truth that lies in the balance between cultural differences then and now. While this woman is probably Amy's favorite, the wise woman mention in 2 Samuel 20 is Belinda's, all-time crazy lady. Who is the wise woman spoken about in the Bible? While most would go straight to Proverbs 31. That woman is not the one that is Belinda's favorite. The wise woman found in Samuel is wise for many reasons in Belinda's opinion. What does she do to save her town?
Belinda loves talking about the woman that stood in the gap of those that stood in fear. This Podcast Jael and the Wise Woman is just the beginning of Crazy Ladies that we think might be crazy from our Western Culture. However, after talking it through it just might be that woman and their roles throughout the history of the Old Testament are not that crazy. Summary of the Podcast: Removing cultural blinders helps us to see everything that the scriptures speak to us.
You can catch our first Introduction podcast here #142 Removing Cultural Blinders- Intro
You can also catch some of our latest Podcasts here:
Dysfunctional Families of the Bible
Stepping out of the Ordinary
The Parables
We always welcome you to our table as we keep the coffee hot and the conversation flowing.
Failing Forward Podcast is a thought process that creates a powerful way to take your miss-steps and create powerful momentum. We all fail. To step into the mindset of Christ we have to change the way we think. We have to speak into our future selves. What does that look like for us? Who was Peter in the Bible? Peter was called by Jesus to follow him. He was a fisherman by trade. You will find, however, In the Gospels, no one greater at failure than Peter. His heart for the most part was always in the right place. Although his love for Christ was so big it made his failures stand out with every move.
We all feel that way at times. We love our Savior so much but we have convinced ourselves that we can not accomplish much without being perfect. Why Do I feel like a failure? We all feel like failures. The difference between the Peter's and Judas's is that Peter learned to fail forward.
We must learn to Fail Forward. To see our future self. In spite of the missteps. Even in the darkest moments when we find ourselves sinking in the storms of life. In Belinda's Unplugged Podcast # 155 Do you get out of your boat, she speaks to walking out of fear and into Christ's arms. How comforting to know that doubt is a real thing. Fear is a real thing. Failing is a real thing.
It is extremely important to note that in Matthew 16:13-20 Jesus takes Peter's failures and speaks into his future self. Jesus, God in the flesh, knew that Peter's source came from not humans but from God himself. Jesus call's him the rock. Can you only imagine the disciples laughing at the thought that the guy that got out of the boat and almost sank was going to be the foundation for a new kingdom?
Failing Forward is a mindset that can actually propel you into the future as Christ sees you. Not as others see us, but as Christ sees our future self. Take a minute to listen to the Podcast Failing Forward and we have listed some of our questions below. Belinda walks through some of these questions and we hope you will take time to see your future self.
Podcast Show notes
Matthew 16:13-20
Zig Ziglar Cooked in the squat
What does my Future Self look like in Christ?
What does Christ want my future self to look like?
Christ saw Peter as a foundation for his kingdom to spread, Where does Christ call you to be in the future of your kingdom?
I am fearful to embrace my future self in Christ because__________?
Belinda's unplugged podcast- Do you get out of your boat, takes a look at the those that remained in the boat as Peter stepped out to walk towards Christ. Fear can keep us from a personal relationship with the Father. What keeps you in your boat?
What Steals Your Joy? Can we just take a minute to use the boat that the disciples were in as a metophor for our lives. What steals your joy? What keeps you stuck in the boat of fear? How do we move our trembling legs forward towards a relationship with the Lord?
Joy is not found in material things but in the Lord.
...the joy of the Lord is my Strength. Nemiah 8:10 ( NASB)
The Lord is who we can take refuge in and renew our strength. We don't have to stay on the boat. We can boldly get up and walk out as Peter does in Matthew 14. Belinda speaks to the fact that fear can keep us focused on the noise that swirls around us just like the storm. But Christ is in the storm and he is calling us to get out of the boat. To keep our eyes focused on him and not on the storm.
There are so many times that we just sit in fear and don't heed the calling for Christ to invite us into something different. Something that will allow you to see your future self.
Fear does that...keeps you from seeing what Christ already sees in you.
Are you ready to step out of the boat?
Listen to the podcast and see if you are a Peter or you are those that stay in the boat. SUMMARY: We are so excited to look at fear from a scriptural context.
Fear is something that the enemy wants to convince you to carry on your shoulders. Don't allow the deceiver to convince you that you are walking through the storm without Christ.
All we have to do is call on him !
You can listen to the first lesson on fear here: Belinda unplugged - fear
You can catch some of our other podcasts here!
Removing cultural blinders helps us to see everything that the scriptures speak to us.
You can catch our first Introduction podcast here #142 Removing Cultural Blinders- Intro
You can also catch some of our latest Podcasts here:
Dysfunctional Families of the Bible
Stepping out of the Ordinary
The Parables
We always welcome you to our table as we keep the coffee hot and the conversation flowing.
Amy is out of town and Belinda is going unplugged about fear! Yikes, the biggest problem with have is creating enough faith in Christ to conquer fear. We all have fears, but how do we overcome them? How do we move forward and face our fears. Belinda breaks down the story that we all know so well. The story of Peter and walking on water. Peter Walking on Water-Faith enough to get out of the boat As you listen to Belinda Unplugged- Fear you find the very familiar story of Peter and his encounter with Jesus walking on the water during the storm. Belinda breaks down the story to address issues of the story and how Peter faced his fear.
All the disciples were in the boat but only Peter faced his fears to step out in faith. As he kept his eyes on Christ walking on water, virtually impossible to do, Peter walked faithfully towards Christ, without fear.
The Scriptures say that when Peter sees the wind he starts to sink. We have all done that have we not? Following Christ and keeping our focus on him and not on the world. However, when our boat becomes battered by the chaos of the world we start to sink.
Fear sets in and we forget where our focus is supposed to be. On the only one that can truly save us when we lose faith.
Belinda gets real as she talks to us about the truth about fear. The obstacles are not to defeat us but to grow us. How do we step out of our fear mode and become bold for Christ? Summary You can read the Bible selection here!
Matthew 14:22
Daniel 9
The Sea of Galilee
Removing cultural blinders helps us to see everything that the scriptures speak to us.
You can catch our first Introduction podcast here #142 Removing Cultural Blinders- Intro
You can also catch some of our latest Podcasts here:
Dysfunctional Families of the Bible
Stepping out of the Ordinary
The Parables
We always welcome you to our table as we keep the coffee hot and the conversation flowing.
As we podcast into the podcast of our book - Misreading Scripture Through Western Eyes, Our Podcast Removing Cultural Blinders- where do we go from here? is literally what we are asking ourselves. Where do we go from here ?
What do we do with what we have learned and how do we take it to the next level?
We cannot unsee what we have seen and we will not be the same.
Join us as we talk about the things the Holy Spirit has convicted us to change.
This not so gentle rebuke of how we have been so unopened to the context and history of God's word as we
As we podcast into the final stretch of our Book Misreading Scripture Through Western Eyes, Our Podcast Removing Cultural Blinders- at the feet of My Aunt Maxine Wallis, looks at the power behind studying Customs and Manners of the Bible.
My Aunt Maxine Wallis has been at the feet of Christ for 80 years, Her study did not include seminaries or Bible colleges but reading everything she could get her hands on about Bible Customs. Her reputation at the Southwest Church of Christ is that of honor as she teaches 9 months out of the year.
Seriously we get upset when we teach 3 months out of the year. What a blessing that Southwest Church of Christ in Jonesboro, Arkansas has to bring life to Biblical times.
The Bible Times Sunday School class is made up of hands-on learning with a Bible Meal at the end of the Year. You cannot imagine the time and effort over the years to bring the Biblical Culture to children
Teaching Sunday School from a hands-on perspective of what SOP means. How the Jewish people ate, as well as what was the Salt Covenant. These things are so important to truly glean the meanings behind the scriptures.
I hope you enjoy this podcast Removing Cultural Blinders-At the feet of My Aunt Maxine Wallis.
Summary of the Podcast: Removing cultural blinders helps us to see everything that the scriptures speak to us.
You can catch our first Introduction podcast here #142 Removing Cultural Blinders- Intro
You can also catch some of our latest Podcasts here:
Dysfunctional Families of the Bible
Stepping out of the Ordinary
The Parables
We always welcome you to our table as we keep the coffee hot and the conversation flowing.
In the Removing Cultural Blinders- it's not all about Me podcast we discuss the author's idea that when we change reading the scripture from me to the church we will change our ideas and concepts in scripture.
In the book Misreading Scripture Through Western Eyes, we at the Bible and Coffee Podcast have had to view certain stories from a whole different perspective. The final chapter on It's not about me - Finding the Center of God's Will, has made us at the podcast rethink how we apply scripture.
While in the previous podcast, Removing Cultural Blinders- Vices and Virtues we walked through the idea that we are majoring in the minors. In this Podcast Removing Cultural Blinders- It's not about me we are taking the "us" out of the equation to read the scriptures through a whole different context. How Do We Know the Will of God? As we walk through this final chapter we have a hard conversation about how we need to take the Self out of the Scripture. That seems to be hard for anyone, as we have created such a "self" type of mentality in the context of scripture.
As a Western Culture, we use scriptures like Jeremiah 29:11 as a catalyst to push forward our next generation through college. When in fact, the author argues that the context behind that scripture is different. It is that God has plans to prosper his Church. Not us as individuals but as a group.
The Lord's Church.
In our podcast, we talk about the author's idea that when we take the "we" out of our Bible reading. When we start to remove the cultural blinders off we will start to find the center of God's will.
Join us as we look at the final Chapter of Removing Cultural Blinders- It's not all about me Podcast. Summary of the Podcast: Reformation Movement
Removing cultural blinders helps us to see everything that the scriptures speak to us.
You can catch our first Introduction podcast here #142 Removing Cultural Blinders- Intro
You can also catch some of our latest Podcasts here:
Dysfunctional Families of the Bible
Stepping out of the Ordinary
The Parables
We always welcome you to our table as we keep the coffee hot and the conversation flowing.
In the Removing Cultural Blinders- Vices and Virtues Podcast we discuss the ideology of looking at the Bible through the lens of the western culture’s idea of what we get wrong.
In the book Misreading Scripture Through Western Eyes, we at the Bible and Coffee Podcast have had to view certain stories from a whole different perspective. The chapter on Vices and Virtues is the next to the last chapter in looking at what we thought we have had right all these years may have been wrong.
As the author puts it so well in his quest to remove our cultural blinders, we may have been majoring in the minors. What are examples of Vices and Virtues? While the author of Misreading Scripture Through Western Eyes touches on a few of the vices through the letters of Paul . Our discussion on the podcast brings us to some really hard conversations on the Vices WE think are important. Self-sufficiency and freedom are western blinders that we put on as Biblical Concepts that may or may not be scripturally sound.
We deem things like self-sufficiency and Biblical stewardship are virtues, the author of this book asks the hard questions. Is this scriptural or is this cultural? Some may see that wealth in the Bible while others starved was not considered a virtue. It was better to take care of our Christian brothers and sisters than to live in a big house and lots of food to eat. What do virtues mean? If you look up in the dictionary virtues you will see that it is a high moral standard. As westerners, we have a tendency to see these standards in three ways. Sexual morality, money morality, and food.
If you want to grasp a better understanding of what we are talking about you can catch the first podcast, Removing Cultural Blinders- Mores.
The truth as the Author expresses it is that the Virtues that we should be expressing have nothing to do with Sexual morality, money, or food. It goes way deeper than that.
Such becomes the question that Amy and I discuss at the back of the book. Proverbs 6:16-19 is a scripture that we have often spoken of on our podcast. These things that are detestable to God, are the things we would have listed?
We walk through this question with a heartfelt confession for putting the emphasis on the wrong things.
Removing cultural blinders helps us to see everything that the scriptures speak to us.
You can catch our first Introduction podcast here #142 Removing Cultural Blinders- Intro
You can also catch some of our latest Podcasts here:
Dysfunctional Families of the Bible
Stepping out of the Ordinary
The Parables
We always welcome you to our table as we keep the coffee hot and the conversation flowing.
In the Removing Cultural Blinders- Rules and Relationships Podcast we discuss the ideology of looking at the Bible through the lens of the western culture’s idea of Rules and Relationships
In the book Misreading Scripture Through Western Eyes, we at the Bible and Coffee Podcast have had to view certain stories from a whole different perspective. The chapter on rules and relationships is another mind-bending idea that maybe the western culture has it all wrong when it comes to our relationship with the Father.
On this podcast, we discuss the gut-wrenching idea that the Authors present in this book. Does the covenant when we break the rules or when we sever the relationship? If the tipping point for all of our standards comes from rules how can we create a relationship with the Lord? How do I follow God's rules? We go deep into the discussing rules of God. What are the rules? Did God give us a standard to live by? We answer all these questions as we discuss the Greatest Command He answered, “’Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’ and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” Luke 10:27 NIV Amy and I fight our traditional pasts as we talk about how much easier it is to follow rules than it is to create a deep meaningful relationship.
Summary of the Podcast Removing Cultural Blinders- Rules and Relationships
The hardest part of our podcasts has been answering the questions in the back. We hope that you will listen to these podcasts and answer these questions for yourself.
Removing Cultural Blinders Podcast Series Here!
Grab your coffee and pull up a chair you are welcome to our table anytime!
In the Removing Cultural Blinders- Time Podcast we discuss the ideology of looking at the Bible through the lens of the western culture's idea of Time.
In the book Misreading Scripture Through Western Eyes, we at the Bible and Coffee Podcast have had to view certain stories from a whole different perspective. The chapter on time is another mind-bending idea that maybe the western culture has it all wrong when it comes to worship.
What does Kairos mean in the Bible? Webster's dictionary gives us the following definition of the word Kairos means: a time when conditions are right for the accomplishment of a crucial action: the opportune and decisive moment. So how we look deeper into the Greek words in the Bible we can see when time is mentioned in the Bible. It does not, however, always mean "at a certain time."
The Greek word Kairos means Kairos (Ancient Greek: καιρός) is an Ancient Greek word meaning the right, critical, or opportune moment. ...
How does this create issues for us as we read the Bible? A lot.
While in this western culture we would like to put everything on a clock. ( Belinda especially) the truth is there are just portions of the Bible where the writers wrote in a way that would make it easier for us to see the relationship in the story vs the quantitative value of the story. What does Chronos mean in the Bible? Chronos in the Bible means to have a quantitative type of time. A very definitive section of time. We are good with that and as we have very much built corporate worship around that Chronos.
In our podcast, Amy and I talk about the quantitative value that we put on time. "time is money or, don't waste my time. The problem with this is that it makes it difficult to create relationships when we are always rushing here and there and we do not build relationships.
According to this chapter on time, the Authors seem to stretch our ability to understand that the writers of the Bible wrote in Kairos order and not Chronos. Summary of the Podcast of Removing Cultural Blinders- Chronos or Kairos? A look at the Hispanic Culture: in this Podcast, Eli Speaks about the Kairos of time that his church in Mexico valued as members of God's family. Removing Cultural Blinders Podcast Series Here! Luke 20:1-4
Grab your coffee and pull up a chair you are welcome to our table anytime!
In the Removing Cultural Blinders- Honor and Shame Podcast we discuss the ideology of looking at the Bible through the lens of an honor and Shame Culture.
In the book Misreading Scripture Through Western Eyes, we at the Bible and Coffee Podcast have had to view certain stories from a whole different perspective. The chapter on honor and shame no doubt has shifted our perspective
While the western culture does not live in an honor and shame culture those that walked the earth during Biblical times did. This makes it very difficult to process some of the behavior patterns of those within the text of scripture. Honor and Shame and the story of King David Amy and I have a discussion on how this chapter has shaped our view on the story of King David. This book may have switched our script from our Podcast #132 Dysfunctional Families of the Bible -King David and Bathsheba.
Was Bathsheba really her name? King Davids's repentance? Did that come from a place of honor and shame or internal conviction?
All these questions Amy and I try to internalize and talk about as we walked through this chapter on Removing Cultural Blinders - Honor and Shame. What does an Honor and Shame Culture Look Like? It can be so difficult to understand a culture that really does not exist for us within our own culture. Putting all of this together for us can be hard to grasp. We have linked a great source from The Bible Project here. Take a moment to listen to this podcast to help you better understand this type of culture.
The Bible Project- Honor and Shame Culture.
This podcast just reiterates what the book was already telling us. We see things so differently from the environment and culture that we live in.
You can catch up on all the podcasts within this series here ;
Removing Cultural Blinders Podcast Series
Come join us at our table as we discuss Removing Cultural Blinders- Honor and Shame.
In the Removing Cultural Blinders- the Captain of my Soul podcast we discuss the ideology of looking at the Bible through the lens of an individualist viewpoint.
In the book Misreading Scripture Through Western Eyes, we at the Bible and Coffee Podcast have had to view certain stories from a whole different perspective.
The western viewpoint vs the collective point has but altered our sense of reality within the pages of the Bible. The Western Viewpoint Vs the Collective Viewpoint At our table, we discuss the paramount difference in looking at the scripture from our 21'st century viewpoint Vs the collective viewpoint of those that actually received the message firsthand.
We discuss the issues that arise from applying everything from the viewpoint of the individual. In other words, how does that apply to me?
This book takes us deep under the iceberg and allows us to see the faulty vision that we apply to scripture today.
While our application is not incorrect, we have to understand the actual context of the scriptures so that we can better understand what the writers are saying. This can really shake up the apple cart when we don't grasp the whole culture of collectivism.
You can get some insight into this culture by listening to our last podcast #145 Removing Cultural blinders- a Look at the Hispanic Culture. Eliseo Hinojosa gives us just a little insight into what collectivism looks like in the Hispanic Culture and what we are truly missing.
You can also catch our other Podcasts here:
Dysfunctional Families of the Bible Show Notes from Removing Cultural Blinders: We made reference to a few Scriptures and we have listed them below: Ephesians 4:28 Galatians 6:2 John 15:12 Hebrews 13:16 Hebrews 6:10 Luke 6:38 Matthew 5:42 Grab your coffee and come with us as we dive deep under the iceberg and look at our western eyes.
Our newest podcast is dedicated to Removing Cultural Blinders - A look at the Hispanic Culture.
We at the Bible and Coffee have had the pleasure of reading a book that has transformed our reading of the Biblical Text. Removing cultural blinders of our western eyes has opened up a new world for us here at the Bible and Coffee. This has created growth for both Amy and me as we seek to sit down with you each week in the word of God.
It is our desire to not only seek out the word but to go even deeper in our search for Biblical Truth. We could not go any further without seeking those that actually are of another culture.
I knew exactly who I wanted to go deeper with as we dive into deeper waters.
Eliseo Hinojos is the minister of the North Texas Church of Christ.
I consider him a great friend. He is a missionary within the western culture.
Eli ( as I call him) and I look at scriptures that we once thought we understood. We now have to reevaluate what the Lord is telling us. What Does the Bible Say about collectivism VS individualism? The Hispanic culture is a collective community. Eli takes us deep into what that culture sees as important vs. what we as westerners see as important.
Eli also describes the culture shock of what the "church" looks like within the United States Vs within the borders of Mexico.
From Catholicism to the Holy Spirit we touch on just about everything that is cultural in our "Biblical World".
I hope you enjoy this conversation with Eli Hinojosa.
You can catch the first portion of these podcasts here:
Removing Cultural Blinders
Come join us as we walk through this book Misreading Scripture with Western Eyes, removing Cultural Blinders to Better Understand the Bible. You can find this book on Amazon or Christianbooks.com.
For some great summer listening check out some of our other podcasts:
The Parables
Dysfunctional Families of the Bible
Crazy Ladies of the Bible
The Removing Cultural Blinders- Just Words our podcast discuss the bridge that we need to build to better understand the Bible.
In the book Misreading Scripture Through Western Eyes, we at the Bible and Coffee Podcast have had to view certain stories from a whole different perspective as we understand Bible Translations. How do I understand the Bible? Taking a course in Hebrew or Greek is not for everyone. Who has time for that just to understand the Bible? It is not about learning Greek or Hebrew to understand but there are a variety of translations that help us understand the text.
Translators have different goals. While some follow the grammar and syntax of the original language as faithfully as they can. Other translators are more concerned with the text being readable to the contemporary ear.
While this may all be difficult to digest. We have often preached that it is easy to understand the Bible. We still stand by our statement. It is... God's love for you reads the same in every language.
We at the Bible and Coffee Podcast have found the NET Bible. This Bible has most translations available in the notes as well as the reason certain translations were worded the way they are within the translation.
We have found it very valuable in our study of God's word and helping us to understand the true meaning of the words that are written by inspired writers of the Bible.
Summary We hope that you find Removing Cultural Blinders-Just Words as deeply convicting as we did. You can catch up with all of our Podcasts within this series here
Removing Cultural Blinders
You can check out more of our Podcast Series here :
The Bible and Coffee Podcast All episodes
Listen now, the coffee is hot and the conversation is flowing!
The Removing Cultural Blinders-The Bible in Color brings us to smack into the cultural bias of race and ethnicity. Does the Bible read in terms of a human race vs ethnic division?
We have a heartfelt discussion on the deeply divided cultural blinders that we put on as we read the Bible.
In the book Misreading Scripture Through Western Eyes, we at the Bible and Coffee Podcast have had to view certain stories from a whole different perspective.
What does the Bible say about racism? In this podcast, we discuss the way the Bible authors use descriptive words to determine the location of people, as well as their value. While I ( Belinda ) would like to say that I am not racist, I have had to confront the internal mindset of using the terms "wrong side of the tracks " to devalue people.
Talking deeply about the stories of Ruth and Samson to Christ himself can turn our attention to our own value system. “Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?”
Nathanael asked. “Come and see,” said Philip. John 1:46 (NIV)
How does Paul's citizenship as a Roman citizen play into the scripture in Philippians 3:20? We find it difficult at times to read that even those that walked with Christ struggled with a cultural bias that at times devalued all that are made in the image of God.
Do not think for a minute that this podcast of Removing Cultural Blinders- The Bible in Color was an easy podcast. It was convicting and moving as we discover our own cultural bias towards God's people. Show Summary We are listing a few links in the Show Notes to enhance your knowledge of cultural issues within the context of Bible Times. We hope that you purchase the book to enhance your own study through the Bible as well.
NOTES:
The Cush People Map of Cush The Moabites The Story of Ruth Types of Jewish People in the Bible
We hope that you find Removing Cultural Blinders-the Bible in Color as deeply convicting as we did. You can catch up with all of our Podcasts within this series here
Removing Cultural Blinders
You can check out more of our Podcast Series here :
The Bible and Coffee Podcast All episodes
Listen now, the coffee is hot and the conversation is flowing!
In our Podcast Removing Cultural Blinders- Mores, we talk about a technical term for behaviors like smoking, drinking, and cussing.
Mores ( pronounced mawr-eyz) are acceptable community views that go without question.
Mores develop the cultural views that shape our worldview of scripture.
We discuss openly the mores within our church family and what that looks like for us as Christians.
The Book Misreading Scriptures with Western Eyes by E. Randolph Richards and Brandon J. O'Brien has made us question stories that we thought we knew.
In the story of Sodom and Gomorrah, we see that Ezekiel 16:49 states that Sodom's sin was inhospitality. That being said, Jude 7 states that Sodom gave themselves over to sexual immorality and perversion.
So which is it?
The truth is it is both and yet we seem to gloss over the inhospitality. In this podcast, we discuss the way the western culture sees modesty vs the way that Paul saw modesty.
Was it the hair or was it the economic modesty that Paul is referencing in Timothy 2:9?
Amy puts Belinda on the spot with a question about failing to become our brother's and sister's keeper. Belinda responds with a breaking heart as she realizes that we have not been true to the scriptures.
Here are just a few of those scriptures; Romans 13:8 Galatians 6:2 Do we really see the scriptures as were written during biblical times?
We have begun to realize that we have skewed our view of scriptures to fit our western narrative.
Removing cultural blinders helps us to see everything that the scriptures speak to us.
You can catch our first Introduction podcast here #142 Removing Cultural Blinders- Intro
You can also catch some of our latest Podcasts here: Dysfunctional Families of the Bible Stepping out of the Ordinary The Parables We always welcome you to our table as we keep the coffee hot and the conversation flowing.
We at the Bible and Coffee have had the pleasure of reading a book that has transformed our reading of the Biblical Text. Removing cultural blinders of our western culture has opened up a new world for us here at the Bible and Coffee.
This has created growth for both Amy and me as we seek to sit down with you each week in the word of God. Why is Historical Context so Important? Historical context is important as we read the Bible. It will enrich our understanding of the scripture and create a deeper understanding of God's word. We at the Bible and Coffee have discovered a book that has brought to light how our western eyes can at times color the cultural difference between us and the world of those in the Bible. After both reading the book Misreading Scripture with Western Eyes by E. Randolph Richards and Brandon J. O'Brien we had to stop what we were doing and discuss this book together. Amy and I had to share this with our listeners as well.
We cannot unsee what we have seen
We have certainly realized our cultural bias within our old podcasts.
Why should I remove my cultural blinders as I read the Bible? better understand the empowerment that Christ gave those that sought after him. From Government Oppression to understanding how that culture saw "modesty" can enrich our walk with the Lord. Amy and I discuss how we may need to rediscuss our previous podcasts. From the Ladies of Shame Podcast Series to the Crazy Ladies of the Bible Podcast Series, this book has thrown everything up in the air. Removing our cultural blinders is extremely important as we read the Bible. It helps us to Have we not given those ladies, like Tamar, or Jael, or others a fair shake? Do we deserve a harsh rebuke? Come join us as we walk through this book Misreading Scripture with Western Eyes, removing Cultural Blinders to Better Understand the Bible. You can find this book on Amazon or Christianbooks.com. Keep the Coffee Hot and the Conversation Flowing
The Last of our Podcast series of the Parable of the Four Soils- the Good Soil has been a sobering look at us (Christians)as the soils! Amy gives us a clue as to what good soil should actually look like.
The Parable of the Sower (sometimes called the Parable of the Soils) is a parable of Jesus found in Matthew 13:1–23, Mark 4:1–20, Luke 8:4–15. What is the Spiritual meaning behind the Good The fourth soil mentioned in the Parable is good soil.
While we all strive to achieve good soil, is it just going to church? We must produce fruit. But what does that look like for us as Christians?
Amy takes us down a hard look at how to cultivate good soil. I just basically throw my notes out the window.
Kingdom living, in God's kingdom, is more that of having great soil to plant the word of God. It is knowing when to cultivate it and harvest and prepare for the next season. What is the spiritual meaning behind the Parable of the Four Soils? Amy and I discuss the spiritual meaning behind each soil starting with Podcast # 138 of our series on the Parable of the Four Soils.
We also look at the words of Christ as he relays the kingdom principles behind becoming hardened, shallow, rocky, and thorny.
Summary of the Parable of the Four Soils We have thoroughly enjoyed the parables and have learned so much from Christ's words as he taught those that sought earnestly after him.
We hope that you enjoy them as well. Listen now to our podcast and determine where your spiritual life is at this moment and how can you improve the soil, to become rich in Christ. You can also catch up on our previous podcasts here: The Bible and Coffee Podcasts All Episodes So as we say here at the Bible and Coffee Podcast.
Keep the Coffee Hot and the Conversation Flowing
Our Podcast series of the Parable of the Four Soils has been a sobering look at us (Christians )as the soils! Amy and discuss how we personally have, at times been that selfish person, choked out by the seductiveness of the world in the thorny soil.
The Parable of the Sower (sometimes called the Parable of the Soils) is a parable of Jesus found in Matthew 13:1–23, Mark 4:1–20, Luke 8:4–15. What is the Spiritual meaning behind the Thorny Soil? The third soil mentioned in the Parable is the soil wrapped full of thorns.
What happens when we realize that we been caught up in our own selfish desires of the world. The conversation between Amy and me about how we become selfish and unfruitful has been a strong reminder of what the kingdom of heaven should look like. What is the spiritual meaning behind the Parable of the Four Soils? Amy and I discuss the spiritual meaning behind each soil starting with Podcast # 138 of our series on the Parable of the Four Soils.
We also look at the words of Christ as he relays the kingdom principles behind being stuck in the thorns.
Amy takes us further into a discussion on what it looks like to be unfruitful. Unfruitful Soil
Hear the word but do nothing with it. Know the word but don't accept what it says Teach the word but not living it out.
All this leads to indifference
Summary What can we do to keep us out of the world and into the world? This podcast has become a reminder to both Amy and me of how we can get caught in that trap.
Listen now to our podcast and determine whether or not your spiritual life has become stuck in the thorns. You can also catch up on our previous podcasts here: The Bible and Coffee Podcasts All Episodes So as we say here at the Bible and Coffee Podcast. Keep the Coffee Hot and the Conversation Flowing
Our Podcast series of the parable of the four soils has been a sobering look at us (Christians )as the soils! Amy and discuss how we personally have, at times been that rocky person, not rooted in the word of God.
The Parable of the Sower (sometimes called the Parable of the Soils) is a parable of Jesus found in Matthew 13:1–23, Mark 4:1–20, Luke 8:4–15. What does the rocky soil represent? The discussion between Belinda and Amy turns pretty quickly to the idea of what persecution looks like today Belinda looks at the future for us as Christians in a post-covid reality.
How can we face real persecution when we allow people to determine when and where we can worship.
What does that look like for you? Being bold may be exciting at first but facing death can make us shut up rather quickly. How can I apply this parable to me in my spiritual walk? Amy discusses with me how we should walk in the spirit. Better yet how that applies to our ability to become good soil.
Listen now to our podcast on the Parable of the Four Soils-the Shallow.
Catch up on all of our podcasts on The Parables. If you need a good podcast for the weekend feel free to go back to some of our favorites:
Dysfunctional families of the Bible Crazy Ladies of the Bible Girls Got Game
Keep the Coffee Hot and the Conversation Flowing
Our Podcast series of the parable of the four soils has been a sobering look at us (Christians )as the soils! Amy and discuss how we personally have, at times been that shallow person, hardened to the word of God.
The Parable of the Sower (sometimes called the Parable of the Soils) is a parable of Jesus found in Matthew 13:1–23, Mark 4:1–20, Luke 8:4–15. The Shallow Soil The first soil mentioned in the Parable is the hard and shallow soil.
What happens when we realize that we have hardened ourselves to the path that we think is correct? The conversation between Amy and me about how we have been path (hardened people) has made us take a step back and look at how we as Christians should look at scripture. What is the spiritual meaning behind the Soils? Amy and me discuss the spiritual meaning behind each soil starting with the shallow soil in vs 4.
We also look at the words of Christ as he relays the kingdom principles behind not becoming a path person. Belinda breaks down Matthew 23 and the woes that Christ warned that about.
Not allowing others to enter the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 23:17 ) Conversions that create followers of you instead of followers of Christ ( Matthew 23:15) Blindly leading God's people down a path of man-made traditions ( Matthew 23:16-22) Involving yourself in every last little detail and ignoring what is really important: Justice, mercy, and Faith ( Matthew 23:23-24) Keeping up appearances while your private world is corrupt. ( Matthew 23:25-26) Acting Spiritual to cover up sin ( Matthew 23:25-26) Pretending to have learned from past history but your present behavior shows you have learned nothing. ( Matthew 23:29-36 ) * All breakdowns of woes taken from the Life Application Study Bible
Listen now to our podcast and determine whether or not your spiritual life has become shallow and hard. You can also catch up on our previous podcasts here: The Bible and Coffee Podcasts All Episodes
Our podcast this week on the Parable of the Four Soils gives us a great conversation about who is the farmer.
It is a parable with kingdom-reaching principles that can be applied to everyone. If you ever thought that the farmer was someone else and not you guess again. The farmer is not the preacher or the youth minister, or the evangelist it is us!
This parable has so many internal applications that Amy and I needed to break each one down and we started of course with the farmer. What are the 4 kinds of soils? Christ list's the soils as the hard soil, the rocky soil, the thorny soil, and then the good soil. Amy and I break down the farmer, and then each individual soil and how it would apply to our lives. Better yet has there been a time when we have been each of these soils? What is the spiritual meaning of the parable of the four soils? The spiritual meaning behind this parable is probably one of the most powerful spiritual explanations of how we are to grow the kingdom of Christ. We talk about the spiritual ramifications of those soils that have caused us to become what Christ has planned for us in his kingdom. What is the spiritual application of the four Soils? Amy decides in this podcast that the four soils could possibly represent us at different times in our lives and that is the way that we take the podcast. Starting with the Sower ( farmer) and how he should be sowing the seed of Christ around the world or better yet within our own homes. The Parable of the four soils is found in Matthew 13:1–23, Mark 4:1–20, Luke 8:4–15. Listen to the podcast below and you can catch up on other podcasts as well. The Parables The Dysfunctional Families of the Bible You can also catch us on Spotify, google podcast, and Apple Podcast
Come join us as we continue our journey of the parables.
Amy and I decide to dive further into Christ's words as he spoke to the Disciples and those that followed him.
Get an insider's look at what changed our outlook as we started to dive into the words of Christ.
Thank You to Free Bible Images for all the great teaching tool images available for Free !!!
The Parable of the Mustard Seed found in Matthew 13:31 - 32, Mark 4:30 - 32. The Parable of the Leaven is found in Matthew 13:33 and Luke 13:20-21.
Both parables were spoken by Christ to give us further insight into kingdom living. What is the meaning of the Parable of the Mustard Seed and the Leaven? On the podcast, Amy and I discuss the parallels between the two parables. Jesus finds a way to bring in both the farmer and the cook to better understand just how the kingdom grows.
What better way to step into horticulture than with the words of Christ. Jesus explains with just two short scriptures how big the kingdom can expand.
A small seed like the mustard seed can expand up to 15 feet tall. How incredible is that concept that a little seed can expand into a huge tree?
Just like the mustard seed, yeast has expansion capabilities as well. Christ wanted to bring us to a place where we all can have hope of spreading the gospel.
The disciples were 12 nobodies that helped spur on a wildfire called Christianity. What does the yeast have to do with God's kingdom? The parable of the yeast is a small story told by Christ after the parable of the mustard seed.
This parable gives us great insight as to how the kingdom can grow if we just incorporate it all through our lives!
Christ also uses a woman within her own home to demonstrate how everyone can spread the wonderful news of the Kingdom. Summary of the Podcast Matthew 17:20
Luke 17:5-6
Mark 4:30-32
Luke 13:18-19
Listen now to our podcast on The Parable of the Mustard Seed and the Leaven. You can also catch our latest series of podcasts below.
Dysfunctional Families of the Bible
Stepping out of the Ordinary
The Parable of the Ten Virgins is found in Matthew 25. This parable is taught by Christ as a reminder that we might all be wanting to be a part of the wedding feast. However, we must be prepared to wait and what does that look like as Christians. In this podcast with Amy and we look at the separation between two types of those that are waiting for Christ's return. How many virgins are in the Parable? There are 10 virgins that have prepared their lamps are ready for the wedding feast. However, there are 5 that have been prepared just in case the groom ( Christ) does not show up at the time they are expecting. How many were foolish? Then there are the 5 virgins represented in the Parable of the 10 Virgins that was foolish and did not prepare for the possibility of a long return.
The truth is that all Christians should be awaiting the return of Christ, as prepared people. What do the foolish virgins represent? Listen as Amy and I talk about modern-day Christians and learn how we can apply this parable to our everyday lives.
We also discuss the problems of being a foolish Christian and how that can apply to every one of us today. What can we learn from this Parable of the 10 Virgins? Amy and I have learned as we have study some of the parables that there is so much to glean from Christ's words and this Parable is no different.
Listen now to the different takeaways that both Amy and I had over the foolish virgins. Show notes for the Parable of the 10 Virgins. Here are the show notes from this podcast. We try to include most of the scriptures that we reference in the show. However, if you listen to us regularly you will find that we sometimes just ramble out scripture without referencing the scripture. LOL Proverbs 1:7 Proverbs 13 Matthew 7:21 Peter 2:20-21 Revelation 22:6
Listen to our latest podcasts in the Parables Series here.
The Parables Other Series you might like;
Dysfunctional Families of the Bible
Praying the Psalms
Ladies of Shame
The Parable of the Persistent Widow spoken by Christ is a great Parable told to those that followed Christ. The woman that never gives up and continues to bring her injustice to an unjust judge gives us hope that even in our worst moments of injustice we can prevail. What is a Parable? A parable is a carefully told story that communicates a familiar idea or a principle of life. “Para” combines two Greek words – para, which means alongside,” with “bole” to throw. So Christ told stories to blend an unfamiliar idea alongside a familiar one. The Parable of the Persistent Widow speaks to the injustice that can befall all of those that come before someone that does not have mercy on those that are wronged. Who was the Unjust Judge? The unjust Judge was someone that did not respect God nor respect the plight of the woman in the parable. Amy and I take very different views of the parable as we sit down and discuss the scriptures that give us hope even though we might face an unjust judge here on earth.
In our podcast, Amy and I explore the hope that we have in bringing our plight before God continually. We speak openly and honestly about how prayer can change our circumstances if we stay constantly on our knees. In Summary In Summary Amy and I have discovered that you can be forever changed by the parables that Christ spoke to the disciples and to those that chose to follow Christ. Christ gives us great insight as to the power of becoming persistent on our knees for life-changing results.
You can find the parable in the link below. Don't forget to listen to the first parable in this series The Lost Coin.
Luke 18:1-8
Don't forget to catch our latest downloads below:
Dysfunctional families of the Bible
Stepping out of the Ordinary
Thanks again for sitting at our table as we discuss the Parable of the Persistent Widow.
The Parable of the Lost Coin is in Matthew Chapter 15. Matthew chapter 15 starts us on a journey in which Jesus formally addresses three groups of people. Those that are following him, his disciples, and his accusers. In the parable of the Lost, Coin Christ speaks directly to the sinners and the tax collectors using this story to throw out an unfamiliar idea alongside a familiar one. What is a parable? A parable is a carefully told story that communicates a familiar idea or a principle of life. "Para" combines two Greek words - para, which means alongside," with "bole" to throw. So Christ told stories to blend an unfamiliar idea alongside a familiar one. The Parable of the Lost coin does exactly that as Christ uses a woman, which would put her in a higher position than that of his accusers, and the value of a coin as his concept.
A woman and her search for the one lost coin symbolizes much within this short parable. What does the coin represent in the Parable? As you listen to our podcast you will find that Amy and I saw this parable from different eyes, however, we both came to the same conclusion. If you have listened to any of our previous podcasts you will find that sometimes that is rare. The Parable of the Lost Coin Summary. Jesus was the greatest storyteller and every parable gave us more and more insight into the kingdom principles that he wants each of us to understand.
It is possible for you to understand the words of Christ through his Parables.
If you want to have a deeper understanding of the Parables listen Now. Feel free to read the parable along with us in the following verses:
Mathew 15
Feel Free to catch our latest podcast series
Dysfunctional Families of the Bible
Stepping out of the Ordinary
Praying the Psalms
We come to the end of our Dysfunctional Families Series with David and Bathsheba. Wow, can I say these families just wore us out at times? The funny truth is we all live in Dysfunctional Families. Why? Because we no longer live in the garden. We find out the last lesson with David and Bathsheba and a whole lot of dysfunction. Dysfunctional Families of the Bible -David and Bathsheba King David has come to a place of retreat and rest. It was well deserved as a man who helped bring peace to nations as well as bringing the Ark back to its rightful home. Yet, he finds himself restless and possibly seeking another adrenalin rush. Doing nothing wrong, Bathsheba is taking care of a Jewish custom of cleansing herself after her time of the month.
This is not a story of love between David and Bathsheba, but a story of a man who gave way to lustful thoughts. Without confessing right then he gave into thoughts that gave way to actions that God hated. Even worse David's actions created a child and worse yet the husband of Bathsheba, Uriah, has more character than David. Uriah the Hittite Uriah, a clueless husband, in the sense that he was loyal to the King and his men that served under him, probably had no idea that King David had taken his wife. Much less that she was pregnant with King David's child. Uriah was just a man of character and yet David has Uriah killed on the battlefield. Uriah was an innocent man that died fighting for a king that had taken his wife and got her pregnant.
King David not only acted on his thoughts of lust but in an effort to cover up his sin he kills Uriah the Hittite. Conclusion Press play and listen to the last episodes on Dysfunctional Families of the Bible- David and Bathsheba. We find comfort in the fact that King David had a contrite heart and was remorseful. God forgave David and created a union that was blessed by God between David and Bathsheba with the birth of Solomon. Additional Bible References 2 Samuel 11
Psalm 51
Ephesians 4:25
Additional Podcasts you might want to catch.
Praying the Psalms
Girls Got Game
The Ladies of Shame
Until death do us part... Dysfunctional Families of the Bible David and Abigail
That just may have been the words of Abigail as she watched the last of her drunk and idiot husband breathe his last breath. Little did she know that soon after that she would become part of a king's dynasty and part of a man that loved God, but with a lot of dysfunction. This podcast centers on the dysfunctional marriage of Abigail and Nabal and then becoming the wife of a King. (One of many wives) Abigail and Nabal If you had to pick a bad marriage this is the one! Abigail married the drunk fool Nabal. Nabal had no respect for the Lord or for David. Nabal shuns David's help giving cover to his vast herd of animals, leaving David and his band of warriors without so much of a morsel to fill their bellies.
What could turn out to be a war where David leaves no one to live, in swoops Abigail with tons of food. Enough to feed an army! As well as the respect for who David was and the God he served.
Submitting herself to David and being a great PR woman, Abigail is able to soothe David's temper and save her household.
God puts an end to Abigail's dysfunctional family by sending Nabal to an early grave. David and Abigail If you are into big marriage proposals, this is probably not the story for you. There was no dropping down off the camel and bending on one knee, professing his undying love for Abigail.
Abigail just plain and simply becomes the wife of David and he brings her into a merry band of warriors on the run. When he becomes king, however, he then requests for his first wife Michal to be brought to him. Talk about a dysfunctional family. It's bad enough when your hubby travels so much, but when you get home there is the ex-wife.
Brings you right back into the pit of dysfunction, doesn't it? Summary Come listen to our podcast about David and Abigail as part of our Dysfunctional Families of the Bible Podcast. You can catch up on all the other podcasts in this series here;
Dysfunctional Families of the Bible
The story of David and Abigail can be found in the following Scriptures:1Samuel 25
Let us introduce you to the 2nd family of Dysfunction in the Bible. David and Michal.
Dysfunctional Families of the Bible - David and Michal In this podcast, Amy and I talk about dysfunctional families in the Bible- David and Michal. Yes, there is more than one in God's word! There can come a sigh of relief as we understand that we all are dysfunctional here in the 21 century. No one is immune to the dysfunctional mess our flesh can get us into at times.
Let's also praise a loving and forgiving God who understands our dysfunctional family and loves us through it. David is called a man after God's own heart. (1 Samuel 13:14,Acts 13:22 ) David loved God even through his mistakes. Michal was David's first wife and there were serious father-in-law issues.
The Wives of David- Dysfunction at its best Only eight wives are listed in the Bible. However, scripture indicates that there were more than that and concubines as well. You can read about David and his wives in 1 Samuel, 2 Samuel, and in 1's Chronicles.
Michal- David's First Wife- Dysfunctional Marriage The spoils of victory are that of fine food, gold, and the king's daughter. Michal becomes David's first wife. While this may have been out of convenience for Saul in search of finding a way to keep David ( his number one enemy) closer. Michal loved David.
Michal was one of Saul’s two daughters (1 Samuel 14:49) and the younger of the two daughters. We are told in 1 Samuel 18:20 that Michal loved David. Why wouldn't she love David? A mighty warrior and bringing foreskins home to her Daddy. ( yes, double the required amount) What girl would not die to marry such a man?
Conclusion Amy and I are totally enjoying the dysfunctional issues that God shows us in the Bible. It makes us feel so much better about our own disfunction.!
Need to catch up on the past Podcasts on Dysfunctional Families in the Bible. You can find them all here:
Dysfunctional families of the Bible
Here are some other podcasts you might want to catch up on as well.
Girls Got Game Podcast
The Story of Leah, Rachel, and Jacob in the Bible, Dysfunctional at best As Amy and I talk about the latest family drama down, we realize that nothing changes. What we don't learn from history we end up repeating and so goes our family of dysfunction. The Story of Leah, Rachel, and Jacob is more of the same, but with a twist. The sisters who soon become sister wives pit each other's jealousy against each other with Jacob the only winner in this contest.
Our podcast has turned from a Dysfunctional family to a Dysfunctional Dynasty and we find it all the same issues here with Jacob. The grandson of Father Abraham Jacob becomes the middle man (literally ) for Leah and Rebeckah.
Sisters, and now rivals, they pit themselves and their maidservants against each other, in hopes of being the best in the eyes of Jacob. It is an ongoing attempt to become a dynasty, but yet God's hand is in all of it, from the start. Leah and Rachel's jealousy create drama There is nothing more ugly than the craziness of trying to compete against one another for the favor of your man. These girls were truly sister wives and yet could not get along for the sake of the family.
Come sit at our table as we discuss the craziness of these guys and how God still works through Jacob to bring about the messiah. Summary As you listen to our podcast you will find the following links for additional information referenced in our podcast.
Jacobs travel map. Thank you John Paul Stanley / YoPlace.com. for putting out images for public use Genesis 28 Deuteronomy 31:6 Girls Got Game Podcast- Judah and Tamar
You can also and check out the remaining podcast in our series of Girls Got Game Podcast.
Get caught up on all of our podcasts as well as our Blog on Encouraging Psalms of hope when things seem out of control.
Thank you for sitting with us at our table as we discuss the dysfunction between Leah and Rachel and hubs, Jacob.
The Bible Story of Isaac and Rebekah What a great story we find in the Bible about Isaac and Rebekah. You can find the story of Isaac and Rebekah in Genesis 21- 25. Our Podcasts #128 Dysfunctional Families of the Bible continues on with the son of Abraham moving out and moving on to better pastures and a hand-picked wife for Isaac. Who better to pick your wife, than your father's servant. The Bible Story of Isaac and Rebekah, take on a new slant as we look at the way God weaves in the romance while watering camels. Rebekah will do a lot to catch a man. But does that continue after marriage? We will never know.
But what we do know is that Rebekah is finally blessed with twins Jacob and Esau. Life should be blissful. But the reality is it was not really happy ever after. Jacob and Esau in the Bible The saga continues with this family in Genesis 25-27. Jacob and Esau are fighting it out before they were even born. While mommy is overworking the birthright thing with her favorite son, Jacob. Esau is out hunting wild game.
This family just continues the ongoing saga of Dysfunctional families in the Bible. Feel free to catch up on our previous podcasts from the series Dysfunctional families of the Bible.
#126 Dysfunctional Families of the Bible - Abraham, and Sarah #127 Dysfunctional Families of the Bible - Sarah and Hagar
You can also find a quick summary of the Book of Genesis here from the Bible Project- Genesis. Do not forget to get your copy of Father Abrahams's family tree. The family is growing just as God promised Abraham. So it can start to get a little confusing. Summary As we start to break down the family tree of Abraham and Sarah, we can rest on the truth that God does not expect perfection but a heart that is constantly striving to serve God. God is bigger than any of our dysfunction!
The story of Isaac, Rebekah, and Jacob, and Esau makes us realize that our everyday issues today, were the same issues of the past. We can rest in the assurance that only God can bring function to a dysfunctional world.
What are some Signs of a Dysfunctional Family? One of the characteristics that may define a dysfunctional family is creating drama within your family. Making a functional family dysfunctional because of your behavior.
That is what we have in the story of Abraham and Sarah and the "sister" wife, Hagar. It is hard enough to have a functional marriage, but when you throw another woman into the mix you have just thrown your family into chaos! Even when it was permissible it was not always functional.
Genesis 16, we see that Sarah, in her over-functioning for God sends Abrahams's family into a new world of turmoil and utter dysfunction. Sarah extends her husband to Hagar for the purpose of producing offspring. Abraham takes her up on this offer!
Yikes, Abraham, maybe you should have thought this through a little?
This may be in hopes of creating the promise of God through Hagar. The reality is that God does not need us to set his plan in motion. Who was Hagar in the Bible? Hagar is the maidservant that becomes Abrahams's wife and bears a son, Ishmael for Abraham. One innocent maidservant, thrown into the middle of a dysfunctional family. By no fault of her own, she bears the cruel punishment of Sarah over the birth of Ismael.
Hagar's tears are heard by God and promises are made to Hagar through her son Ishmael.
Sarah becomes the over-functioning wife who tries to control her marriage and the promises of God. How can I learn more about the history of Abraham and Sarah? The Bible and Coffee Podcast is linking the Bible Project Video here below for more overall information on Genesis. We also ask that you read Genesis 16 to get a greater grasp of the actual Story. We will link the Bible Verses referenced in our podcast.
Genesis 16 The Bible Project -Genesis 2 Thessalonians 3:3
Summary We are so grateful for the truthful stories that God shares with us about families. We are not perfect wives, husbands, maidservants, and stepchildren. That does not mean that God does not love us or forgive us when we fail. If you are a step-parent or a blended family, please jump over to our sister website, WWW. Gritty-Grace.com for specific with blended family issues.
The Story of Abraham in the Bible As we study the story of Father Abraham we realize that the Bible does not hold back the personal issues that plagued Abraham and his wife Sarah. Amy and I go through the Bible story of Abraham, starting in Genesis 11:27. We recommend that you take some time to read the story of Abraham in the Bible starting in Genesis 12 so that you can better understand our discussion on the faith that Abraham had and his trust in God's promise.
You will also come to realize that Father Abraham had a lying problem. Yikes! Talk about dysfunction. We all can agree that none of us are perfect and yet God can still use us for his glory, time, and time again. Abrahams Family Tree You might start to find it confusing to follow just by our podcast. We actually started out with 5 episodes, however, there was so much meat in these divine words from the Bible that we actually extended this series. So this week we will just be talking about Abram and where he was supposed to go according to God.
However, we are including in this week's lesson Abrahams Family tree. We also thought you might find it fitting to go back and listen to the podcast below about Abraham's nephew Lot. We talk about him for about a bit in the podcast.
Follow the links below and print it Abraham's family tree or save it for your convenience.
Abrahams Family Tree PDF Crazy Lot's wife Podcast
Summary of Abrahams Story The truth is his story goes on long after his death and is referenced many times in the Bible. We reference a few of these as well in our podcast. Check out those Bible references below.
Genesis 18:19 Acts 7:2
Abraham is a man that messes up, after all, he is human. Our hope at the Bible and Coffee Podcasts is for everyone to be able to live out God's Grace one Bible story at a time.
We all think that God's people must have perfect lives and perfect marriages. Far from the truth my friend. The Bible is filled with dysfunctional families. So many that it was hard to pick which families full of unfunctional messes to even discuss.
From Church in PJ's to moving forward Amy and I look back for a minute and then look forward to what lies ahead in 2021.
Amy may have made a commitment to journal a little bit...!
The topic of healthy eating is not an overly discussed matter in Christian circles. Our lives are often centered around potluck dinners and large tables with slices of pie and cream-filled desserts that we label as heavenly.
But the truth is God discusses through scripture our diet and how food is to be to God's glory and not our demise.
Listen to my conversation with a great friend Brandy Wegley, a health coach and a pastor's wife who has walked with me through my journey to become healthy!
If you want to get more information from my friend Brandy Wegley, please feel free to email us at twooldwomen@thebibleandcoffee.com
I sit down with my friend Julie Holland as we talk about how her faith and the service of others are helping her walk through covid issues as an administrator for a school district in Texas.
We also talk about our journey together as we are finishing up a year-long Bible Study together through the Bible Recap.
If you are struggling with fear and anxiety, feel free to catch our podcast with Jerryd Wallace, episode #122 How to handle fear in a chaotic world.
As always, keep the coffee hot and the conversation flowing!
How to overcome fear in life
Fear and anxiety are hard to handle especially when we cannot control certain aspects of our lives. Fear is a normal human emotion that everyone battles at one time or another. But what happens when the world seems to be topsy-turvy and chaotic. How to remove fear from my heart and my mind. How do we calm our nerves and rest in the peace that surpasses all understanding? In this podcast, I get the opportunity to sit down with my friend Jerryd Wallace, a licensed counselor, and open up about my fears and how to handle those fears in our lives. Exercises to overcome fear. Jerryd gives us some great examples to help remove fear from our lives. I have put them in a pdf form that you can print out and use weekly or daily. You can download our self-analysis to help walk through your fear and anxiety.
You can catch the podcast below as we walk through fear and anxiety together. As always keep the coffee hot and the conversation flowing.
Witches in the Bible, Yep, and this girl well if you think bewitched of the '70s was a little weird wait till you see Come join our podcast as we study the Bible and the Crazy Ladies that were in it from the beginning. You can catch all of our Bible Studies podcast from Jezebel to the on the Crazy Ladies of the Bible Page. Don't forget to check out our new series the Girls got Game and the Free PDF Bible Study. Sign up to catch all the upcoming Free Bible Studies and new Podcasts.
So let's get this straight, you don't have to cook, clean or worry about your clothes. Yet, a talking reptile convinces you that there is something greener on the other side of the garden. Of course, that makes you crazy!
Come join our podcast as we study the Bible and the Crazy Ladies that were in it from the beginning. You can catch all of our Bible Studies podcast from Jezebel to the Witch of Endor on the Crazy Ladies of the Bible Page.
Don't forget to check out our new series the Girls got Game and the Free PDF Bible Study.
Sign up to catch all the upcoming Free Bible Studies and new Podcasts.
So any girl that lives in a town like Sodom and Gomorrah would be crazy if she didn't want to get out of the town and never look back, right? But what is even crazier is that there is part of her that just can't help but look back. Join us at our table with the Bible and Coffee Podcast and our Bible Study on Crazy Lot's wife. Cause really that is her name, Lot's wife. You can catch our Bible study series on the Crazy Ladies of the Bible here. Check out our newest series Girls Got Game and the Bible Study pdf that goes with the podcast. Don't forget to sign up to be the first to grab our Free Bible Study Series PDF's
We love this Bible Study Podcast on Crazy Ladies of the Bible. We all like to think that everyone in the Bible was a miss goodie two shoes, lol but the reality is that it was not. We could not have picked a more crazy lady ( more like evil) than this chick is the one! Join our podcast as we study about that evil woman Jezebel. Don't forget to get caught up on Girls Got Game Podcast. You can link here in the Show notes and print out the Free Bible Study that goes with the Girls Got Game Podcast.
The Crazy Ladies of the Bible Podcast Jael and the Wise Woman was one of our most downloaded podcasts. But what do you do with these two women that literally only have a couple of lines in the Bible? Who is Jael in the Bible? If you ever wanted to meet a woman that had one job and did it well, that would be Jael. You can find her short story in Judges 4:17-24. What we see as crazy may be a little twisted by the completed story of Deborah and Jael's determination to take care of business. Amy and Belinda find humor and truth that lies in the balance between cultural differences then and now. While this woman is probably Amy's favorite, the wise woman mention in 2 Samuel 20 is Belinda's, all-time crazy lady. Who is the wise woman spoken about in the Bible? While most would go straight to Proverbs 31. That woman is not the one that is Belinda's favorite. The wise woman found in Samuel is wise for many reasons in Belinda's opinion. What does she do to save her town? Belinda loves talking about the woman that stood in the gap of those that stood in fear. This Podcast Jael and the Wise Woman is just the beginning of Crazy Ladies that we think might be crazy from our Western Culture. However, after talking it through it just might be that woman and their roles throughout the history of the Old Testament are not that crazy. Summary of the Podcast: Removing cultural blinders helps us to see everything that the scriptures speak to us. You can catch our first Introduction podcast here #142 Removing Cultural Blinders- Intro You can also catch some of our latest Podcasts here: Dysfunctional Families of the Bible Stepping out of the Ordinary The Parables We always welcome you to our table as we keep the coffee hot and the conversation flowing.
As we finish up our series on Stepping out of the Ordinary, Podcast we asked the question how do we step out of the ordinary?
Looking at all the Marys' we see how God took ordinary Marys to do extraordinary things for him.
What is your belief system? Do you believe that God can work through you to do extraordinary things for him?
If you haven't listened to our first few podcasts on the series you can check them out here.
Stepping out of the Ordinary Podcast.
Sign up now so that you can have our PDF Bible lessons in your inbox for private study or in a group setting.
There is something about the Marys'
The last Mary of the Stepping out of the Ordinary podcast brings us to the ultimate Bible Story about sitting at Jesus's feet, not worried about what other people thought of her she was always found to be pouring out her heart at Jesus's feet.
If you haven't listened to the other Mary's you can find them here.
If you want to go deeper in Bible Study with our Series be sure to subscribe for individual Bible Studies.
Listen to our latest podcast as we talk about Mary Magdaline and what people think they know about her and what is scripturally true about her.
There is just something about Mary!
Welcome to our series on stepping out of the ordinary. We have revamped our old podcast to share a life long passion for stepping out of
Praying the Psalms…How majestic is the name of the Lord and how grateful we are for the salvation through Jesus Christ.
In a previous podcast Amy and I discussed the idea behind transformation. The Holy spirit led me into a new outlook and then having to admit I was wrong !
The woman at the well becomes a preacher and converts the whole village. What can Chist do with your past ?
Jesus knows our past but it does not define us. Come join our conversation as we discuss our past and our future with Christ.
Prayer is so hard for us sometimes. Come join the conversation as we discuss the difficulties we have with prayer and how we have overcome our struggle.
Strength can come in the midst of the worst-case scenario. Listen to part 1 of a 3 part series on Esther.
The Gospel is really simple. We have made it extremely complicated. Join the conversation as we look at discipleship and how we must look at the lost through the eyes of Christ.
Loved teaching to a great group of Ladies in Clifton, Texas Last week. This is Lesson one of a 3 part lesson on Wearing Grace. Hope you enjoy! Caveat: The questions at the end of this lesson are not my own. I found them through a deep study on grace. These questions from a study called Encased in Grace through Lifeway, changed the way I looked at grace and gave me a deeper understanding of my struggles with wearing Grace.