We talk a lot in this podcast about personal Bible study - but what about those of us with kids? How can we engage them in the word as a family? How can we study the scriptures together? In this episode, we are joined by Melissa Kruger for a conversation all about family devotional time - what it is, how to create time for it, and what it can look like in order to bear fruit.  Melissa Kruger serves as director of women’s content at The Gospel Coalition. She is the author of The Envy of Eve: Finding Contentment in a Covetous World, Walking with God in the Season of Motherhood, In All Things: A Nine Week Devotional Bible Study on Unshakeable Joy, Growing Together: Taking Mentoring Beyond Small Talk and Prayer Requests, and Wherever You Go, I Want You to Know. Her husband, Mike, is the president of Reformed Theological Seminary, and they have three children. She writes at Wits End, hosted by The Gospel Coalition. You can follow her on Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter.  This Week's Reading: Jeremiah 4 - Jeremiah 21See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Elizabeth Woodson is BACK for another episode of 52 Weeks in the Word, this time, to discuss the book of Jeremiah. Jeremiah is a LONG book so we are going to discuss three questions in today’s episode: how can we keep reading? Why should we keep reading? And what should we learn about Jeremiah when reading this book? Elizabeth Woodson is a Bible teacher and author who is passionate about equipping believers to understand the rich theological truths of Scripture. She loves helping people internalize their faith and connect it practically to everyday life. She is a contributing author of World on Fire: Walking in the Wisdom of Christ When Everyone’s Fighting About Everything and the author of Embrace Your Life: How To Find Joy When The Life You Have Is Not The Life You Hoped For. She is also a graduate of Dallas Theological Seminary with a master’s in Christian education.  This Week'd Reading: Isaiah 51 - Jeremiah 3See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Isaiah was one of the 5 major prophets in the Old Testament. He was often called the “messianic prophet” - giving tangible pointers to Jesus’ coming. Isaiah is packed full of warnings, historical context, and prophecies of the coming age. We could do a whole podcast on Isaiah! Today, we are joined by Natalie Abbott for some basic building blocks on reading the book of Isaiah. Natalie Abbott is a Co-Founder and the Chief Content Officer of Dwell Differently - a ministry on a mission to memorize one million verses together! She has 5 kids and is married to Jason. She loves Earl Gray Tea, all kinds of word things like books, poetry, and podcasts, and hosts the Dwell Differently weekly podcast offering.  This Week’s Reading: Isaiah 32 - Isaiah 50 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Bible is a BIG book! We all know this. It is full of wisdom and drama and disappointment and victory and violence and desire and tells the greatest story ever told! So how do we teach our young kids the Bible? How do we instill in them a love for the scriptures? Join us for a conversation with Hunter Beless to find out!  Hunter Beless is the founder and executive director of the Journeywomen Podcast. She believes God has called her to seek after those whom he has awakened to guide them back to their Heavenly Father. Hunter exercises this God-given design through her roles as a wife, mama, and podcast host.  This Week’s Reading: Isaiah 8 - Isaiah 31See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The very first words that we read in scripture are, In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. And as we dive further into the creation story we come to realize just how creative God is! The creativity of God doesn’t stop with Genesis, however. This quality of God weaves itself throughout the entirety of the Biblical narrative.  Join host Trillia Newbell and Blair Linne today for a discussion all about God and His creativity.  Blair Linne is an author, speaker, actress, and Christian spoken word artist. She has appeared in numerous theater productions, commercials, and television shows including Days of Our Lives, Alias, Malcolm in the Middle, Boston Public, The Parkers and American Dreams, as well as her own Saturday morning show, SK8 (Skate) on NBC. Blair has toured globally and is known as one of the originators of the Christian Spoken Word genre. At 13, she was one of the youngest contributors at The World Stage Anansi writer’s workshop. Since then, she has written poetry for Sprite, Neutrogena, NBC, and the Gospel Coalition. She has been featured on ABC’s Nightline, 102.3 KJLH, Revive Our Hearts, the Los Angeles Times, and several Christian Hip Hop albums. Proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ through spoken word is her passion. She lives with her husband Shai and their three children in Philadelphia. Blair serves in discipling women at Risen Christ Fellowship. This Week’s Reading: Ecclesiastes 1- Isaiah 7See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Did you know that “proverb” is not a Biblically exclusive term? There are all sorts of proverbs from many different cultures, religions, and people groups. T There are Irish proverbs, Buddhist proverbs, and proverbs from just about every spoken language. The book of Proverbs in the Bible, however, is God breathed and God inspired - making its wisdom divine and set apart.  Today we are joined by Karen Ellis for a conversation all about the book of Proverbs - what it is, how to read it, and how its wisdom applies to our life today.  Karen Ellis is the Director of the Center for the Study of the Bible & Ethnicity at Reformed Theological Seminary (Atlanta). She holds Master’s degrees from Yale University and Westminster Theological Seminary, and is a Ph.D. candidate at Oxford Center for Mission Studies in Oxford, England. Since 2003, she has worked as an advocate for the global persecuted Church, raising awareness and promoting indigenous leadership in countries where Christianity is restricted or repressed. Karen is married to Dr. Carl F. Ellis, Jr., a Professor of Theology and Culture at RTS.  This Week’s Reading: Proverbs 9 - Proverbs 31 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If you believe that God is love, then you know full well that God loves you. Praise the Lord for His love! But…do you believe that God knows you? That he fully knows you and fully loves you? That He knit you together in your mother's womb? Join us today for a conversation with Chris Brooks all about Psalm 139 and God’s deep knowledge of us.  Chris Brooks is the senior pastor of Woodside Bible Church, a multisite congregation across the Detroit metropolitan area. Chris served for 20 years as the senior pastor of Evangel Ministries, a thriving 1,600-member church in the heart of Detroit. He also served as the campus dean of Moody Theological Seminary in Plymouth, Michigan. A popular Detroit radio host since 2005, Chris is the author of Kingdom Dreaming and Urban Apologetics. He graduated from Michigan State University with a BA in Finance, completed his MA in Christian Apologetics at Biola University, and graduated from the Oxford Centre for Christian Apologetics. He is currently pursuing a Doctor of Ministry degree at Asbury Theological Seminary. He and his wife, Yodit, are the proud parents of six children: Christopher, Zewditu, Cameron, Judah, Sophia, and Christyana. This Week’s Reading: Psalm 119 - Proverbs 8See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Psalm 119 is a lengthy meditation on a love for God’s precepts. How do we apply this Psalm to our life today as lovers and doers of the Word? Join Trillia Newbell and Kristie Anyabwile for a discussion on this chapter of scripture - what it is, why it matters, and how we can apply it today.  Kristie Anyabwile is a pastor’s wife and the mother of Afiya, Eden, and Titus. She joyfully supports her husband of 24 years, Thabiti, as he pastors Anacostia River Church in Southeast Washington, D.C. Kristie enjoys spending time with family, cooking, and discipling women, as well as speaking and writing about marriage, motherhood, and ministry.  This Week’s Reading: Psalm 78 - Psalm 118 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Have you ever heard an old hymn that contains the words, the Lord make His face shine upon you? This theme of the Lord’s face shining upon His people is seen as a theme throughout all of scripture - including Psalm 67. Join us for this episode for a discussion of this Psalm with Isaac Adams.  Isaac Adams serves as lead pastor at Iron City Church in Birmingham, Alabama, and is the founder of United? We Pray, a ministry devoted to praying about racial strife. He is a speaker and author of the new book, Talking About Race: Gospel Hope for Hard Convos. You can follow him on Twitter.  This Week’s Reading: Psalm 41 - Psalm 77See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The book of Psalms is a collection of poems, lyrics, and musical musings from various Old Testament authors. What can we learn from these Psalms? In this episode, we focus in on Psalm 46 with Courtney Resissig - focusing on God as our refuge, fortress, and strength.  Courtney Reissig is the author of Glory in the Ordinary: Why Your Work in the Home Matters to God, The Accidental Feminist: Restoring Our Delight in God’s Good Design, and Teach Me to Feel: Worshiping Through the Psalms in Every Season of Life. She is married to Daniel, has four sons, and they belong to Immanuel Baptist Church in Little Rock, Arkansas. You can read more of her writing on her blog or follow her on Twitter.  This Week’s Reading: Psalm 9 - Psalm 40See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.