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Episodes
Following Jesus by Learning and Living the Bible
Episodes
Aug 24, 2023
Aug 24, 2023
25 min
What are Bible stories (narratives) trying to communicate?
The most common type of literature in the Bible is historical narratives, what we typically call Bible stories. And there are some exciting stories. There are hard to makes sense of stories.
And it's not uncommon to turn those stories into allegories or to make them teach moral lessons. But this is not how they were intended to function.
So how can we read Bible narratives well?
That's what we explore in this episode of the Bible in Life.
Free 30 Page eBook to help you Hear and Heed the Bible:
Support this ministry:
Set up a recurring monthly or a one-time donation at the link below.
http://worldfamilymissions.org/john-whittaker/
The Listener’s Commentary - In-depth teaching through books of the Bible to help you learn the Bible for yourself:
https://www.listenerscommentary.com
Connect with John:
Social Media- connect on facebook and instagram
Email - john@johnwhittaker.net
If you've been helped by this teaching leave a review and share freely - on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, via email.
Aug 17, 2023
Aug 17, 2023
36 min
How does Proverbs describe our aim when raising kids? And what are some things we need to do in order to achieve this aim?
Proverbs has great wisdom for parents. And what it teaches holds true for any who seek to mentor or guide young people, whether as a grandparent or aunt or uncle or even just mentor in general.
Take a listen to this message I shared recently at a church in my area.
Free 30 Page eBook to help you Hear and Heed the Bible:
Support this ministry:
Set up a recurring monthly or a one-time donation at the link below.
http://worldfamilymissions.org/john-whittaker/
The Listener’s Commentary - In-depth teaching through books of the Bible to help you learn the Bible for yourself:
https://www.listenerscommentary.com
Connect with John:
Social Media- connect on facebook and instagram
Email - john@johnwhittaker.net
If you've been helped by this teaching leave a review and share freely - on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, via email.
Aug 10, 2023
Aug 10, 2023
20 min
Four Measures of Spiritual Growth
How can we measure spiritual growth?
We can easily use the wrong metrics and arrive at the wrong conclusion.
Pastors often measure how well the church is doing by things like attendance, buildings, and giving. But those are secondary measures, not ones central to the mission Jesus gave us - to make disciples.
Or individually we can measure ourselves by religious activity, things like church involvement, leading bible studies, doing our devotions, and the like. And if we're doing well in those areas feel like we're doing well spiritually. But those aren't the primary measures either.
So how can we measure spiritual growth?
In this episode I give four measures for spiritual growth.
Free 30 Page eBook to help you Hear and Heed the Bible:
Support this ministry:
Set up a recurring monthly or a one-time donation at the link below.
http://worldfamilymissions.org/john-whittaker/
The Listener’s Commentary - In-depth teaching through books of the Bible to help you learn the Bible for yourself:
https://www.listenerscommentary.com
Connect with John:
Social Media- connect on facebook and instagram
Email - john@johnwhittaker.net
If you've been helped by this teaching leave a review and share freely - on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, via email.
Aug 3, 2023
Aug 3, 2023
16 min
In this episode I share some reflections on two thoughts: 1. am I a disciple worth reproducing? And 2. obedience is the prerequisite to intimacy.
Free 30 Page eBook to help you Hear and Heed the Bible:
Support this ministry:
Set up a recurring monthly or a one-time donation at the link below.
http://worldfamilymissions.org/john-whittaker/
The Listener’s Commentary - In-depth teaching through books of the Bible to help you learn the Bible for yourself:
https://www.listenerscommentary.com
Connect with John:
Social Media- connect on facebook and instagram
Email - john@johnwhittaker.net
If you've been helped by this teaching leave a review and share freely - on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, via email.
Jul 27, 2023
Jul 27, 2023
20 min
We often make two opposite errors when reading the Bible. On one hand, too often we bypass understanding the original meaning altogether and go straight to "what this says to me." On the other hand, we exegete the text and strive to grasp the author's intended meaning (Inductive Bible Study from last week's episode) and stop there thinking we've completed the task.
Neither of these approaches to the Bible honor the full nature of what the Bible is. We've got to understand the text but there's more to a God-honoring reading than that.
What is that more? Tune as John uses a story from James Bryan Smith about a jogging monk to explore what's the ultimate aim of our Bible reading.
Read the article by James Bryan Smith here:
https://renovare.org/articles/the-jogging-monk-and-the-exegesis-of-the-heart
Free 30 Page eBook to help you Hear and Heed the Bible:
Support this ministry:
Set up a recurring monthly or a one-time donation at the link below.
http://worldfamilymissions.org/john-whittaker/
The Listener’s Commentary - In-depth teaching through books of the Bible to help you learn the Bible for yourself:
https://www.listenerscommentary.com
Connect with John:
Social Media- connect on facebook and instagram
Email - john@johnwhittaker.net
If you've been helped by this teaching leave a review and share freely - on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, via email.
Jul 20, 2023
Jul 20, 2023
19 min
How do you study the Bible?
Sine the Bible is an old book and a big book, how can you read it to understand it? In this episode of the Bible in Life, John explores the Inductive Bible Study method and gives an example from Psalm 1.
Inductive Bible Study consists of three parts: Observation, Interpretation, Application.
Free 30 Page eBook to help you Hear and Heed the Bible:
Support this ministry:
Set up a recurring monthly or a one-time donation at the link below.
http://worldfamilymissions.org/john-whittaker/
The Listener’s Commentary - In-depth teaching through books of the Bible to help you learn the Bible for yourself:
https://www.listenerscommentary.com
Connect with John:
Social Media- connect on facebook and instagram
Email - john@johnwhittaker.net
If you've been helped by this teaching leave a review and share freely - on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, via email.
Jul 14, 2023
Jul 14, 2023
21 min
Have you ever read the Bible and got nothing out of it? It was just kind of blah? You weren't even sure what it was about. It didn't inspire you or stir any sense of devotion in you.
Why is that? And what should you do about it?
Tune in to this episode as I share my own experience of this, diagnose it, and encourage you how to respond to it.
Free 30 Page eBook to help you Hear and Heed the Bible:
Support this ministry:
Set up a recurring monthly or a one-time donation at the link below.
http://worldfamilymissions.org/john-whittaker/
The Listener’s Commentary - In-depth teaching through books of the Bible to help you learn the Bible for yourself:
https://www.listenerscommentary.com
Connect with John:
Social Media- connect on facebook and instagram
Email - john@johnwhittaker.net
If you've been helped by this teaching leave a review and share freely - on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, via email.
Jul 6, 2023
Jul 6, 2023
16 min
Everyone says to plan ahead and work hard. But if God's in charge and his he's going to do whatever he does, then what difference does our planning make?
Proverbs has some wisdom on that.
Free 30 Page eBook to help you Hear and Heed the Bible:
Support this ministry:
Set up a recurring monthly or a one-time donation at the link below.
http://worldfamilymissions.org/john-whittaker/
The Listener’s Commentary - In-depth teaching through books of the Bible to help you learn the Bible for yourself:
https://www.listenerscommentary.com
Connect with John:
Social Media- connect on facebook and instagram
Email - john@johnwhittaker.net
If you've been helped by this teaching leave a review and share freely - on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, via email.
Jun 30, 2023
Jun 30, 2023
21 min
Perhaps you were told as a child "sticks and stones can break your bones, but words can never hurt you."
But you know that's not true!
Words are incredibly powerful. In fact Proverbs says words have the power of life or death.
Death and life are in the power of the tongue and those who love it will eat its fruit. -Proverbs 18:21
So in this episode we look at some of the wisdom of Proverbs concerning how we talk.
Free 30 Page eBook to help you Hear and Heed the Bible:
Support this ministry:
Set up a recurring monthly or a one-time donation at the link below.
http://worldfamilymissions.org/john-whittaker/
The Listener’s Commentary - In-depth teaching through books of the Bible to help you learn the Bible for yourself:
https://www.listenerscommentary.com
Connect with John:
Social Media- connect on facebook and instagram
Email - john@johnwhittaker.net
If you've been helped by this teaching leave a review and share freely - on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, via email.
Jun 22, 2023
Jun 22, 2023
17 min
Proverbs 9:10 says, "the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom."
What is the fear of the Lord? And how is it the beginning of wisdom?
That's the question we explore in this episode.
Free 30 Page eBook to help you Hear and Heed the Bible:
Support this ministry:
Set up a recurring monthly or a one-time donation at the link below.
http://worldfamilymissions.org/john-whittaker/
The Listener’s Commentary - In-depth teaching through books of the Bible to help you learn the Bible for yourself:
https://www.listenerscommentary.com
Connect with John:
Social Media- connect on facebook and instagram
Email - john@johnwhittaker.net
If you've been helped by this teaching leave a review and share freely - on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, via email.