Bryce Bible Podcast

Hiraeth: A deep, inborn sense of yearning for a home, a feeling, a place, or a person that is beyond this plane of existence.We have this yearning in our hearts—God has set eternity in the heart of man (Ecc. 3:11.) We know there is more for us, and I find it comforting to remember that there is. "The new [Narnia] was a deeper country: every rock and flower and blade of grass looked as if it meant more.I have come home at last! This is my real country: I belong here. This is the land I have been looking for all my life, though I never knew it till now…. Come further up, come further in!"

Life gets confusing pretty fast. Stuff happens around us that hurts, and confuses us—and we have to make choices about how we are going to live. In the middle of this chaos, we have a hope that the "suffering of this present moment" is not worthy to be compared to the "weight of Glory that will be revealed in us." We should take heart then in times of suffering—remembering we have a Companion, Advocate, and Savior who suffered for us.

In Jeremiah 50 we read about the pride the Babylonians had against the Lord, and the punishment levied on them for this decision to promote themselves in their own eyes, and to look down upon the ways of righteousness and peace. Who will we choose to align with—the Babylonians and their pride, or Jesus and the peace He offers?

"May you be covered in the dust of your rabbi." Our goal is to be so close to Jesus that we are covered by His shadow, and that we no longer feel the urge to make our own way—because He has done so already, and perfectly.

HAPPY EASTER! Why is it so important that Jesus rose again? Why did Paul say, "If Christ is not risen, we are of all men most miserable?" Praise the Lord for His life, His promises, and His Resurrection!

The man who trusts in the Lord will be blessed, since He is our fountain of living waters! But the man who trusts in himself will be cursed—he will not prosper. Which will we be?

Life can be very confusing and difficult. I believe there's only one way through it. If we follow Jesus, regardless of how we feel, we will make it to the light. If we follow our own way, we will never have a firm foundation, and we will never know what the light is.

How can praise be a Sacrifice? Why should we praise God even when things are bad, or painful? We serve a perfect and unchanging God who promises us that ALL things work together for our good, even the bad stuff. We can trust in Him.

Jesus is perfect, we are not. Because of this, He must increase, and we must decrease. Our ways are wicked and perverse, His are perfect. It makes perfect sense—now will we do it?

What does it mean to "make yourself poor?" What is the ultimate reward the Righteous Man gets from fearing the commandment? In Proverbs 13 we learn a lot about the way we are called to walk—and the comfort that Jesus' way and commandments provide.

The Righteous is planted in a Firm Foundation like a tree. The fool finds their own way to be pleasant, and wanders into destruction. Which will we choose to be?

It is of His mercies that we are not consumed. We are so inherently bad, wicked, and our desires are evil—yet He loves us. It is of His mercies that we are not continually consumed into our old ways, to follow old paths, and old sins. Only by His mercy and grace can we walk in this Newness of Life. Praise Him for His mercies—which are new every morning.

What are the TRUE riches Proverbs speaks of, and that we should live for? Walking through the concepts of God's riches versus the world's riches—what we can live for and enjoy in this life through Him!

It's truly insane how awesome and powerful our God is. How detailed he is. Our God is not a meager, quiet, modest, or simple God—He is a God of extreme excess and extravagance! A God of mountains and valleys, of the intricacies of the snowflake and the beauties of a sunset. Our God is unequaled in his glory—and He invites us to join Him in His delights! To live in a way that is sustainable, full of joy, and peaceful!In HIS PRESENCE is FULLNESS OF JOY! Will we partake of it?

Talking about what it means to live for "Treasures of Wickedness" versus "Righteousness that delivers from Death," and how life often feels like a void, or a hollow, without having His presence in it. How can we live in light of the fact that the Lord will not suffer our souls to famish? The blessing of the Lord makes us rich, and adds no sorrow with it. This world will give us sorrow unending—if we live without Jesus behind what we do. 

A fascinating chapter and literary structure in Proverbs 9 compares the call of Wisdom to the call of the Foolish Woman. Discussing the ramifications of our actions, who we will choose to follow, how we can gain Wisdom, and what the Fear of the Lord is.

Starting this year talking about the concept of Worry, how it infiltrates and eats away at our lives, and how we can combat it with the Armor of God and practically taking thoughts captive to the reality that we believe Jesus is an all-powerful God who WILL do that which is good and that which is right, and that He is bigger than ALL the things we worry about.

It is Christmas! A Savior is Born. Let's remember Jesus, the reason for this season, this day, and every day!

Talking about Mary's Prayer in Luke 1, and how beautiful it is that in this monumental moment, her heart was full of gratitude towards the Lord, and joy in the way she responded.

Talking about Proverbs 8, how Wisdom contrasts with the Strange Woman, and how we can live as the Scripture says, to live a full and meaningful life!

Talking about the Strange Woman that seeks to send us astray! Keep your eyes clean, keep your heart clean, don't even go NEAR the places that the Strange Woman might be found.I heard this analogy recently and really liked it—you can't help if a bird flies over your head, but you can stop the bird from landing on your head and building a nest. When these fleeting lustful thoughts enter our mind, take them captive in obedience to God (2 Cor. 10:5) and FLEE! Like Joseph did! (Genesis 39:12.) Don't let the flock of Satan build a nest on your head, or in your mind. FLEE FROM THE STRANGE WOMAN!“Hearken unto me now therefore, O ye children, And attend to the words of my mouth. Let not thine heart decline to her ways, Go not astray in her paths. For she hath cast down many wounded: Yea, many strong men have been slain by her. Her house is the way to hell, Going down to the chambers of death.”‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭7‬:‭24‬-‭27‬

Praise the Lord that He loves us forever and eternally. Our sin and shortcomings cannot change that. His desire is that we be with Him eternally (John 17:24)!

Talking about Proverbs 6, what it means to be a surety, Pride and Lies as the core of so much evil in our lives, and the way to live as the Proverbs say!

Walking through Proverbs 5, a little introduction to the "strange woman" who pulls us away from who we should be and where we should go, talking about lust and how it perverts our mindset from how it should be focused.

Walking through Proverbs 4, the concept of seeking wisdom and understanding, making tough decisions to prioritize what is right for our long-term good, and walking the straight and narrow road towards life!

Who do we say Jesus is? Do our actions line up with our beliefs? Walking through Matthew 16:13-20, and seeing how Jesus pointed out clearly to Peter who He is, and how we can live accordingly. Because Jesus is who He is (an all-powerful, perfect God who sees all possibilities and options and forges the best way ahead for us to live—for His glory and our good) WE CAN TRUST HIM! Will we do it?

What would it look like if we lived our lives FULLY trusting Him, knowing that He has a perfect plan for our lives, whether or not it makes sense in the moment? In this podcast, we talk about what we read in Romans 8:28, that "All things work together for the good of those who LOVE GOD and who are called according to HIS PURPOSE!" Do we buy into it? Will we live that way, with hands emptied and turned over, giving control of our lives to Him?

We get the opportunity to be transformed into the image of Jesus as we seek Him in our lives. The more we spend time with Him, the more we will look like Him!

In the wicked days of this world, Satan seeks to deceive all of us. Don't listen to the Accuser of the Brethren—listen to Jesus Christ through His word!

2 Corinthians 4:7-9: "But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; CAST DOWN, BUT NOT DESTROYED."Jesus stands by us in the fires, in the deep waters, and in the tribulations of life. We might be persecuted, but we are never abandoned.

Ezekiel 22:30: "I looked for someone among them who would build up the wall and stand before me in the gap on behalf of the land so I would not have to destroy it, but I found no one." Who will we be? Will we stand in the gap, or will we fall by the wayside?

A terrible thing happened today. Charlie Kirk has gone to be with the Lord. Pray for his wife and two small children.2 Timothy 4:7-8: "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing."

Talking about 1 Peter 2, and what it means to live in this world as a Stranger and a Pilgrim—and how that is a blessing in our lives!HONOR ALL MEN. LOVE THE BROTHERHOOD. FEAR GOD. HONOR THE KING.

Talking about Proverbs 4, and some thoughts on what it might look like to live a meaningful and intentional life.

Talking about our new identity in Jesus as believers, what it means to love our brothers, and what 'love' really is!

Talking about the reasons behind why I tangibly believe in Jesus in my life, and why you should too!

Talking about what it looks like to live according to the glory and virtue of our calling in Jesus!

Talking about Paul's first command to the Romans in Romans 6, and what it means to reckon yourself dead to sin - and alive to Christ!

Talking about the story of Nebuchadnezzar and Daniel from Daniel 4, and what it should look like to obey Jesus!

Talking about what it means to trust God, no matter what He chooses to do!

Going through 1 Corinthians 1 - talking about what it means to live life without fear in God's purposes and plans, and about the blessing it is that He has chosen us!

"For we walk by FAITH, not by sight." 2 Corinthians 5:7

Talking about Proverbs 3, living life to honor God first, and what it means to live like Lucilla the Wemmick!

Talking about Proverbs 2 & what it looks like to live into the knowledge that Jesus has to offer!

Breaking down Philippians 4:8, and talking about what it means to dwell on the things this verse talks about!

Talking about Proverbs 1, Solomon, and the foundations of the book of Proverbs!