Bold Is...

In this episode, Megan and Emily discuss 1 John 3:19-4:6. They emphasize the importance of testing the spirits and discerning between truth and deception. They also discuss the role of the heart in our emotions (which might now be what you think) and decision-making. The main takeaway is to trust in God's love and forgiveness and to be obedient to His commands.

In this episode, Megan and Emily discuss 1 John 3:7-18. They highlight the importance of practicing righteousness and not making a practice of sinning. They emphasize the need to love one another. They also discuss the importance of genuine love and sacrificial actions. The episode ends with practical applications, such as loving others unconditionally and being obedient to God's commands.Key Takeaways:Practicing righteousness and avoiding sin are important aspects of the Christian life.Loving one another and not harboring hatred or jealousy is crucial.Genuine love involves sacrificial actions and not just empty words.Being obedient to God's commands and loving others unconditionally are practical applications of this passage.00:00 | Introduction and Theme Song07:11 | Reading and Praying09:20 | Practicing Righteousness and Avoiding Sin13:33 | The Importance of Love and Not Being Like Cain16:02 | Genuine Love and Sacrificial Actions23:27 | Application: Loving Others and Being Obedient26:15 | Conclusion and Next Episode Preview

SummaryAfter a year-long hiatus, Emily and Megan return to the Better Than Ever podcast. They discuss their absence and Megan's transition to full-time ministry. They then dive into a study of 1 John 2:28-3:6, exploring the themes of being children of God, the importance of obedience, and the assurance of Christ's return. They emphasize the need for believers to live in accordance with God's will, to love one another, and to test the spirits. The episode concludes with a call to action, urging listeners to apply the teachings of scripture in their daily lives and to step up in their faith.TakeawaysBelievers are called to live as children of God and to behave accordingly.Obedience to God's commands brings confidence and assurance in His presence.Loving one another and testing the spirits are essential aspects of the Christian life.Believers should actively apply the teachings of scripture and step up in their faith.

Join Megan and Emily as they work verse by verse through 1 John 2:15-27. In this episode, Megan mentions a book and professor but could not remember his name. The book is The Unfolding Mystery: Discovering Christ in the Old Testament and the author is Edmund Clowny. For more information, visit www.theboldmovement.com. For a FREE copy of the "How to Study the Bible" guide, visit: https://theboldmovement.com/freebies. This podcast is a production of 1801 Media, Inc. Please check out our ministry partners, G.O. Ministries, at www.gomin.org.

Join Megan and Emily as they work verse by verse through 1 John 2:7-14. For more information, visit www.theboldmovement.com. The youtube channel for The Bold Movement, which is mentioned a few times is https://www.youtube.com/@tbm_ministry. For a FREE copy of the "How to Study the Bible" guide, visit: https://theboldmovement.com/freebies. This podcast is a production of 1801 Media, Inc. Please check out our ministry partners, G.O. Ministries, at www.gomin.org.

Join Megan and Emily as they work verse by verse through 1 John 1:8-2:6. For more information, visit www.theboldmovement.com. The blog Megan mentions near the beginning of the episode about annotating Scripture can be found here: https://theboldmovement.com/blog/how-to-annotate-scripture. For a FREE copy of the "How to Study the Bible" guide, visit: https://theboldmovement.com/freebies. This podcast is a production of 1801 Media, Inc. Please check out our ministry partners, G.O. Ministries, at www.gomin.org.

Join Megan and Emily as they work verse by verse through 1 John 1:1-7. For more information, visit www.theboldmovement.com. This podcast is a production of 1801 Media, Inc. Please check out our ministry partners, G.O. Ministries, at www.gomin.org.

Join Megan and Emily as they introduce 1 John to you. For more information, visit www.theboldmovement.com. This podcast is a production of 1801 Media, Inc. Please check out our ministry partners, G.O. Ministries, at www.gomin.org.

Join Megan as she walks you through what 2022 looked like and what 2023 has in store.

Join Emily and Megan as they study the last chapter of Hosea.

Join Megan and Emily as they study Hosea 13.

Join Emily and Megan as they finish 11 and 12.

Join Megan and Emily as they study Hosea 11.

Join Emily and Megan as they work through Hosea 10.

Up to this point, we've got a pretty clear picture of the cycles of Israel's sin. We've seen how often they chose other gods before the one true God. But something about chapter nine really gets at the depth of the corruption they had fallen into. As you listen to this week's podcast, you'll hear the story about the darkness of the men of Gibeah referenced in verse 9 and how Israel had become bad enough to be compared to them. All of this really sets the stage to show why God was no longer satisfied with any of their sacrifices, so much so that part of the purpose of their exile and captivity was to take away their ability to follow any of the Law when it came to sacrifices and worship. All of it brings me to think about Jesus' words in Luke 6:46-49, where he asks the question, “why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,' and no two what I tell you?” (V. 46, English Standard Version) and then goes on to talk about obedience: those that obey are like a man who builds his house on a solid foundation, and those that don't obey are like a man who builds his house with no foundation at all. Just one storm reveals the durability of the house and the wisdom (or lack thereof) of the man. The Israelites had no foundation; they relied on false gods for their provision and fulfillment, so when God's judgment came, they had nothing to stand on. Their lack of wisdom was revealed, and all that was left was their guilt. It can be so easy for us to read the Old Testament and wonder why God made so many rules! We can be tempted to scoff at the idea that anyone was ever expected to live up to the incredibly high standards, but my friends, it's not really about the laws at all. The Law was meant to help us see how desperately we need God. And while, yes, we need to follow God's commands to us, if our hearts aren't in it, then following his commands is meaningless. We see another example of this in Revelation 2. The church in Ephesus had many wonderful works to boast of; they were even accurately identifying and calling out false teachers. But God tells them he has one thing against them—“that you have abandoned the love you had at first” (Rev. 2:4, ESV). They had all these wonderful works, but without a love for the Lord, those works were pretty much worthless. It doesn't matter how “good” we try to be if we aren't willing to change our hearts. Obedience means nothing without love. But in the same way, love means nothing without obedience, and this is what the Lord desires of us. This is why the first commandment is to love God with all your heart, mind, and soul (Matthew 22:37). Because everything else should filter through our love for him. If we love him, we will obey him (John 14:15). This was the biggest piece that the Israelites were missing. The Lord was not first in their life. Sure, he was part of their life; they were still giving half-hearted sacrifices to attempt to honor him. But they had other gods before him. They had other priorities. So God took away their sacrifices and fake worship because he is not satisfied with halfhearted allegiance. He wants every bit of his people's hearts. What areas in your life might you be putting before God? Work? Kids? Maybe even church volunteer time? Let Hosea 9 be a heart check for you. Maybe you aren't as corrupt as the Israelites had become (i really hope not!), but could it be possible that you have forgotten your first love? As long as you're breathing, it's never too late to turn back to him. Recalibrate your life to put him first today. Because one day, it will be too late, and all the things you put before God will disappear. Be bold, my friend. Get rid of any sin that hinders you, and follow Jesus with your whole heart because it's your heart that he wants.

We've officially made it over halfway through the book of Hosea! This is the part where readers usually feel a bit worn out with the amount of repetition…and I get it. It's a lot. If you're exhausted reading through how many times these things must be said, then you're on track to understanding the extent to which the Israelites were betraying God. Over and over and over again, they were worshipping idols and pursuing the things of this world, and over and over again, God was merciful to give them warning after warning. It's repetitive because their sin was repetitive. It had become habitual to the point of exhaustion. Verse 12 gives us a glimpse into God's heart: “Were I to write for [Ephraim] my laws by the by the ten thousand, they would be regarded as a strange thing.” (Hosea 8:12, ESV). Basically, it didn't matter how many different ways God tried to tell them how to follow him; they simply refused to do it. They had become so familiar with their idolatry that God's will was strange and foreign to them. They were stuck in the cycle of sin, and something needed to happen in order to break that cycle. Unlike the Israelites, you have been given the way out of destruction. The Israelites had been warned and would have to pay the price by going back into slavery. But Jesus paid the price for your sin and brought you out of slavery. This is why it's so important to look at Scripture through the lens of Jesus. Everything points back to him. Everything points back to the cross. The Old Testament is one giant foreshadowing of the coming Savior; it helps us understand the enormity of sin and the depths to which Jesus went for us to pull us out of that sin. Jump back to verse three for just a moment. “Israel has spurned the good; the enemy shall pursue him” (Hosea 8:3, ESV). When I first read this verse, I immediately thought of Romans 8:28: “God works all things together for the good of those who love him.” What is the good? The good is to become more like Christ. Israel had been given the Law to become more like Christ, but they rejected it. The result was that the enemy had an open door to overtake them. We have the same opportunity to become more like Jesus. Don't miss it. Don't get stuck in cycles of sin, but get in the Word and be obedient to it. When you do, the enemy doesn't have a foothold any longer, and the cycles and repetition of sin are broken. It changes the way we read Hosea now, doesn't it? Every time you start to feel tired of reading the warnings and accusations, let it be a reminder to you of God's grace when his people turn from him time and time again. Let it frustrate you that the Israelites could be so thoughtless and evil. Let the exhaustion of sin exasperate your mind so that you might see more clearly how patient our God is with his children. Then let it be a reminder that you are also one of these people. Romans 3:23 tells us that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (emphasis mine). If you're a believer, then you've heard the Gospel. You know God's standards, and you know that you fall short. You know that you turn from him daily, even if you have heard his laws ten thousand times. Yet because of his grace, you don't have to be caught in that cycle of sin. “So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed” (John 8:36). Now with this, go out, and be bold in that freedom!

Join Emily and Megan as they discuss Hosea chapter 7.

Is there someone you've been following on Instagram for so long you feel like you know them personally? You could name all of their kids; you know what their house looks like, what happened to them last summer, and what their vacation plans are. It sounds weird to know all of these things about a person and not know them in real life, but such is the nature of social media. But I think, in a sense, we do the same thing with God. We read about him, we talk to our friends about him, maybe even go to church and learn about him, but do we really know him? In chapter six of Hosea, God is fleshing out his frustrations with the Israelites, and one of his biggest arguments against them is that none of them really knows him. He tells them their “love is like a morning cloud, like the dew that goes early away (Hosea 6:4, ESV). In essence, they act like they love him, but when really tested in the heat of the moment, that love disappears. It's conditional. If they truly knew God, however, that love would last. Just a few verses later, God tells him what he wants from them: “For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings” (6:6). This might have come as a bit of a shock to those Old Testament Israelites. I mean, just read a few pages in the Old Testament and it looks like everything is about sacrifice and the Law. But God is telling them it's not actually about their works. He wants their hearts. He wants a relationship with them. He wants to be known by them! The word knowledge here is the same word used for the tree of knowledge of good and evil in the Creation story in Genesis. When Eve took the bite of the fruit, she gained a total understanding of the things she had been innocent of before. She understood fully how far she could go not only in goodness but in evil. Shame was introduced into Adam and Eve's world when they had a full understanding of both good and evil. In other words, the knowledge being spoken of here and in Hosea is a TRUE understanding, not just a reference point. So why does God want his people to know him with this deep level of understanding? Because he knows that when we truly know who he is, we cannot help but love him, and that love forms the foundation for true faith and obedience, which leads us to righteous living and true love in action. And then it becomes a cycle. When we live righteously and love the way God intended, it spurs us to love him even more, to want to know him more, which leads to deeper faith and obedience. See how that works? True love seeks to know and understand the source of Love. It's not works that give us knowledge of God, but love. God didn't want a “morning cloud” kind of love from his people. He wanted them to reflect the love he had for them, steadfast and lasting. And he wants the same for you, my friend! He wants you to experience that love and to come to a full knowledge of who he is, so that you cannot help but want to stay in a faithful relationship with him. Why? Because he loves you so much!! So go out, and be bold in that love today!

How timely that on this week's podcast we're talking about sin and the slow movement of the boundary lines between right and wrong. We are seeing this now more than ever with the overturn of Roe V. Wade in our country last Friday. Americans, even some Christians, are outraged over the decision, going far as to tell other believers not to celebrate because of the emotional harm it may do to unbelieving pro-choicers. And while I'm not going to get into those details—that's for a whole other article—I do think there is so much to learn in this fifth chapter of Hosea. This chapter contains the warnings to the priests, people, and king of Israel. Their punishments are laid out, along with the reasons why they're about to be punished. The Israelites were pretending to love the Lord, going so far as to bring him sacrifices, but God is clear with them that their hearts were far from him. In verse four, it says “Their deeds do not permit them to return to their God” (Hosea 5:4, ESV). They were spending all their time in sin, not in obedience, and the consequence was that they no longer had access to their Creator. The verse that really stood out to me though, was verse 10. “The princes of Judah have become like those who move the landmark; upon them I will pour out my wrath like water” (Hosea 5:10, ESV). In ancient times, boundary lines between neighbors were made by laying out stones in a line, so moving the landmark implied moving the stones—in this case likely in the secrecy of night. In essence, they were stealing land that was not theirs. But God is not talking about physical boundaries here; he's talking about spiritual ones. His people were slowly moving the boundaries between right and wrong, between the true God and the idols they had created. In the same way moving physical boundary lines probably didn't happen overnight, spiritual boundaries don't change overnight either. It starts with one little push past what we know to be right and good. “It's not a baby, it's just a fetus.” Right? Little by little, we allow ourselves to believe things that are not only lies, but completely fly in the face of what God says is right. And just like the Israelites got themselves into deep trouble by shifting these boundaries, we will do the same if we aren't actively searching God's word for His truth. There are consequences for opposing God's truth in search of our own “truth.” Our “truth” will not save us. Only God's truth will. Take heed from the Israelites downfall. Go back to that simple verse: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take” (Proverbs 3:5-6, NLT). Our understanding will always cause us to shift those boundaries according to what feels right in that moment. Trusting in the Lord alone will keep those boundaries straight. Trust Him, my friend! Now go out and be bold!

I have been a lover of TJMaxx for countless years now. I'd go shopping with my mom for school clothes, then after getting married and having kids of my own it became one of my places to escape for a few hours of solitude. Coffee in hand I would wander the aisles and inevitably I would end up in the journal and book aisle. I always loved that I could find notepads with scripture or maybe a discounted book from my favorite Christian author, but over the last few years, I've noticed a shift in products, at least in my part of the country. Prayer journals are being replaced with witchcraft and meditation journals; books about deepening your faith are being replaced with books teaching how to read your tarot cards. Where you might have simply found home decor you can now find crystals to use for their healing energy and good fortune. I'd like to think no one is actually buying these things, but I've seen the trends myself and I've had conversations with women I know who believe they're harmless, even helpful tools. Y'all. I hate to tell you but tarot cards are just pieces of paper. Crystals are just rocks. And getting into these things is getting into a false religion that can lead to dangerous places. Why? Because the point of tarot cards and witchcraft and crystals is to find some special kind of knowledge, right? We want to know our future or we want to know peace. When we meditate with a crystal, we're looking for a way to connect with something, to know ourselves or the world around us better. And in Hosea 4, we see repeatedly that looking for knowledge outside of God leads to destruction. Specifically, we see in 4:12 that using a physical, manmade or natural, object for wisdom is considered idolatry. “My people inquire of a piece of wood, and their walking staff gives them oracles. For a spirit of whoredom has led them astray, and they have left their God to play the whore.” (Hosea 4:12). Yikes. God is showing how ridiculous it was for the people to worship their man-made idols by reducing their elaborate carven images to “a piece of wood.” But what makes worshipping these things or inquiring of them for knowledge so dangerous is shown in the next sentence: a spirit of whoredom had led them astray. When we dabble into the spiritual world, we are opening ourselves up to real spirits that can gain access to our lives. Deuteronomy 32:17 shows that the spirits we entertain are actually demons. There can be real power in meditating on crystals, but I'll tell you it's not the kind of power that will save you but destroy you. The bottom line in the whole of Hosea is that the people were seeking knowledge outside of the Lord, and it led to their total destruction. Seeking knowledge apart from God gives us a worldly wisdom that isn't wisdom at all, it's actually foolishness. First Corinthians 3:19 says “For the wisdom of this world is foolishness to God.” So if you want to find wisdom from a rock, let it come from the Rock of Ages. If you want to find a spirit of understanding, let your understanding come from the Holy Spirit. His ways are higher than our ways, and his way is the only way that leads to life. Let's follow it. Now go out and be bold!

Can we just dream together for a minute? I want you to picture life without sin. Maybe that means you imagine the Creation story. Or maybe you have an idea of heaven with all sorts of new adventures like being able to fly or swim underwater for unlimited amounts of time! Now I cannot personally tell you all the details of what life without sin will be like after Jesus comes back and the world is made new but I can tell you enough details that God gives us in Scripture that should be enough to make us long for his return and the redemption of our broken world.  This next section of Hosea is beautifully hope-filled after all those verses of wrath and destruction, and the section I want to focus on is 2:19-20. Flip it open in your Bible—it's okay, I'll wait!  Now let's make sure we keep the context Now let's make sure we keep the context: God is talking to the Israelites here. He's just finished telling them about all their unfaithfulness, and that despite their unfaithfulness he still wants to betroth himself to them. This is the fulfillment of the picture of Hosea's life and God's call for him to commit himself to unfaithful Gomer. And the beauty of these verses are the legal and emotional implications.  God says he will betroth himself “in righteousness and in justice, in steadfast love and mercy” (v19).  He's given us two pairs here. Righteousness and justice; steadfast love and mercy. So often we see God's commitment to us in one of these two pairs. Some of us only see his commitment based on righteousness and justice. We see God as a cold, distant God, who only deals with us to tell us how wrong we are. Those of us that see God this way probably spend our lives either trying to live up to his expectations or completely throwing his expectations out the window because we want nothing to do with this kind of creator. Others of us only see God's commitment to us based on his steadfast love and mercy. This creates an “anything goes” worldview, because we think no matter what, God is going to love us anyway!  But just like anything else in life But just like anything else in life, if you only have half the picture, then you're probably missing some vital pieces of information. God is showing us here that he cares just as much about righteousness as he does love. He cares just as much about justice as he does mercy. These things are not interchangeable. They can't be separated from his full character. So this had two implications for the Israelites:  God's betrothal in righteousness and in justice meant all the legal standards would be met. Everything he promised in the Law would be fulfilled, down to his full commitment and his promises of judgment on those who broke their commitments back to him.  God's betrothal in love and mercy meant all of the emotional needs would be met. He is not just a God of judgment and wrath, but a God who cares deeply about every single one of his people.  Okay, so what on earth does this have to do with eternity and heaven and all that stuff I mentioned at the beginning?  When God fulfills all of His promises, his righteousness and justice mean all of the evil in this world will be dealt with.  Satan will be defeated for good, and the world we live in will be rid of all the sadness and pain that we wish would go away. This is also a little bit scary for a minute when we realize that we have also been the cause of some of the brokenness in this world. But before you freak out, remember the second half! His steadfast love and mercy will also be fulfilled. Those of us that know and follow Jesus will be recipients of that love and mercy. We won't be judged according to our evil works, but by Jesus's perfect works! And finally, in verse 20, God says he betroths himself in faithfulness. This means he will do what he says he's going to do! This is the Good News, y'all!!! So let's be confident in it!  Now go out, and be bold! 

Have you ever been given a gift from someone and instead of telling them “thank you”, you go to some other random person and tell them “thank you” instead? No? I mean that would be super weird and rude, right? Or if someone did this to you after you'd given them a gift, you would be totally offended! But what if I told you the person giving the gift is actually God, and that most of us have done this countless times… probably without ever thinking twice about it. We get a pretty real picture of this exact situation in this next section of Hosea when God is talking to the Israelites about their behavior. He had bestowed many gifts on them, but instead of giving God the credit, the Israelites credited other nations for all of their provisions and then sought out those nations for further provision. Naturally, God becomes angry about this. He had given Israel everything, but in return, Israel had betrayed him. So he vows to take everything back from them, forcing them to come to terms with their unfaithfulness. It's easy to look at this as just some crazy Old Testament story It's easy to look at this as just some crazy Old Testament story that might be hard to relate to, but let's be honest: when was the last time you gave God credit for the things you have in your life? Maybe you prayed for something for a long time, got it, and then completely forgot to go to the Lord with thanksgiving. I'm not saying this from some higher place either—I do the same thing every single day. It's so easy to cry out to God when things are going wrong. When we are suffering, we feel the need for His presence and even his intervention in our lives. But when things are good, when we feel like we have everything we need, we're quick to not only forget our Creator but we might even give the credit to someone else, maybe even ourselves! Look how hard I've worked. I deserve all that I have because I built this life myself. I am just thriving right now! But then the convicting part—how quick are we to take the credit when things go wrong? We usually don't. It's a lot more convenient to blame God when things don't go the way we planned, so instead of taking the credit like we did when we had all the provisions, we cast the blame when it seems like those provisions are gone. God, why would you do this to me? Why would you allow me to go through this? Again, I'm preaching to myself here. Again, I'm preaching to myself here. My friends, we have to remember that “every good and perfect gift comes from above” (James 1:17). When things are going well, let's not forget to give the praise to the one who gives us everything we have. Sure, we work hard and we steward well, but we are not the owners of our belongings. In fact, no one else is the owner but God. The Israelites had to learn this difficult lesson by losing all of their gifts so that they might seek the Giver of gifts instead. None of us will do this perfectly, but really it all just comes down to the heart. The Israelites had a heart far from God, so even when they did give him credit it really didn't matter. They didn't love him or truly seek his will for their lives. But I believe when we are truly pursuing our Father, thankfulness will come naturally. When we understand the depth of his love for us, we won't be able to help reciprocate that and thank him whenever we can. So this week, let's let boldness look like humility; being humble enough to give God credit for the gifts in our lives! Now go out, and be bold!

The start of the book of Hosea is like one of these dramas. We're introduced to his family and, poor guy, not one of his family members has a good character description, aside from himself. We've got his wife, Gomer, the unfaithful betrayer. Then you've got his three children who are so much like their wayward mother that even the names they're given are a representation of how far the family has fallen from God. And it's easy to look at this first chapter with two reactions; either you're awkwardly laughing at how messy this family seems to be, or you're thinking it's a bit unfair that faithful prophet Hosea has been tasked with such an awful family situation. Either way, you're not totally wrong, but here's the thing: we are this family.

The story of Hosea is not just a scandalous love story between husband/wife God/chosen people, it is also a glimpse into the catastrophe of what happens when we stray away and the ramifications our children have. It's a tale of redemption, hope, and the Gospel. Tune in to see all that the minor prophet Hosea has for us.

Join Emily and Megan as the wrap up this book with Philippians 4:21-23.

In this episode, Emily and Megan navigate through Philippians 4:10-20.

Read our Philippians 4:2-9 blog at www.theboldmovement.com

Hey friends! I've got a question for you: If you could tell me what you spend most of your time thinking about, what would it be? If you're not sure, it might help to think about what you pray about the most. I've heard it said that “prayer expresses desire” and it totally makes sense when you think about it: We pray about whatever is most important to us in the moment. Whether it's health, peace of mind, money, friends, relief, comfort, and regardless of the depth of your faith, what you pray about expresses what you care about because taking the time to talk to your Creator is something you have to be pretty intentional about, right? And I think it gives us a glimpse into what takes up the most space in our heads. Paul is in the middle of talking about what is important in life when he throws out this little nugget: “But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead.” (Philippians 3:13). There's a couple of things we can understand from this verse: 1. What we think about matters. 2. What we do with those thoughts has an impact. In the first half, Paul tells us about the importance of forgetting what lies behind. Now, he's not saying don't ever think of the past. Remembrance is all over Scripture! But what he is saying is that we should not dwell on the past. All the things we've done, all the things we have been through, have shaped who we are and who we are becoming. But those things are not our focus. So this is why I asked what you think about the most: is your focus usually on yourself or your problems? Or is your focus on eternity? In the very next verse, Paul says “I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” (V. 14). If you're been watching any of the pre-Olympic footage, you've probably seen some of the runners. Paul is using Greek Olympic games language here! The word “goal” literally means “goal marker.” A goal marker is the focus of the eye when a runner runs the race. Paul's focus, his goal marker, was on Christ and eternity with him. What Paul thought about most was eternity! So the second half of verse 13, Paul encourages us to “strain forward to what lies ahead.” The original phrase for “straining forward” was another athletic metaphor. It brings to mind the straining of muscles, the clarity of focus needed to run the race, and the complete dedication required to finish for the prize. Straining forward required both mental and physical discipline! Basically what he's saying is this: staying focused on Christ and eternity is difficult, but rewarding. It will impact the way you live your life. Just like an Olympic runner, you don't make it to the Olympic Games without being intentional with mental and physical disciplines. You can't just go for a run once and call yourself an Olympian. It takes hard work and dedication. In the same way, our lives as believers should be intentional and dedicated. It will take the hard work of getting in the Word often and being in relationship with other believers so that you stay encouraged to walk with Jesus toward eternity with him! While it's easy to spend our days thinking about all of our problems or wants, both great and small, those thoughts won't benefit to us! When you're tempted to complain about your circumstances, try to lay them at the feet of Jesus and turn your eyes toward eternity. Pay special attention to your prayers

Have you ever noticed how hard kids sometimes work for something make-believe? My kids will go outside, gather sticks and buckets of rocks almost as big as they are, drag them to another side of the yard, drop them into a useless pile, and then go right back to get more, sweating and grunting the whole way. I've often watched in wonder at how hard they'll work for nothing, but the second I tell them to clean their room they fall on the floor crying “BUT IT'S TOO MUCH WORK!!!” Like, what? But if you think about it, don't people kind of do the same thing with God? So many of us spend our entire lives working and straining to achieve goodness and righteousness, picking up spiritual sticks and rock buckets full of “good works” and then carrying them across our yards only to drop them into a pile that does absolutely nothing for us. We're just doing the same things over and over again in hopes that it'll make us into better humans. It's truly amazing how hard we'll work for nothing.Paul gives the church in Philippi a similar story in Philippians 3:1-11 when he talks about the religious leaders who were doing the very same thing. They were spending their days boasting about their buckets of good works and how everyone else should pick up their own buckets and get to work, but Paul argues back that their buckets are full of trash.(Yes, he literally says those kinds of good works are trash. Paul was not boring!) And the only way he knows this is because he too used to carry buckets full of trash until he realized Jesus had a better way: faith.See, there are only two ways to try to become good enough to get to God: through works or through faith. When you try to get to God through works, you have to be able to meet the standard he's set. And if you've ever read one page of Leviticus you'll quickly realize there's just no way you'll ever be able to do it all. Or if you're like the religious leaders and you think for a second you can, then you've missed why God actually gave us the Law. He didn't give it expecting us to actually meet the standard. He gave it to us so that we realize we can't. Because the minute we think we're good enough, we've just put pride in our hearts and made ourselves equal to God and broken the Law. It's kind of a brain bender isn't it? To keep it simple: we will never be as good or holy as God. Which takes us to the second (and truly only) way to get to God.Faith.A super church-y word, but Biblical faith just means means “confidence” or “assurance.” Paul tells us in verse 9 that we can get to God through “faith in Christ.” In other words, we get to God when we have the assurance that Jesus is enough. When we have the confidence that our works are useless in getting favor with God. And that faith opens our eyes to all the people around us carrying those rock buckets back and forth and makes us want to tell them “stop!!!” Which is exactly what Paul is doing for the Philippians here. He's saying “guys, I've been there! I was the best of the best according to the standard, but my heart was prideful. I completely missed the need for a Savior. Don't do what I did. Stop following the people teaching these things and follow Christ!” In the same way, put down your spiritual sticks and rock buckets, ladies. Quit letting yourself believe that going to church every week and picking up your Bible once a month is making you holy. Quit believing you have to have a perfect, put together family. Stop carrying heavy loads you weren't meant to carry. Feeling like you have to do it all and then some. Jesus did it all already. Rejoice in that! I pray you stop working for nothing and find rest in knowing that whatever you aren't, he is, and because of that, we have everything we need.

This week I made a poll on my Instagram to see how many of my Christian friends currently have an older mentor in their life, and then I asked how many of them are currently mentoring someone younger. The results were actually pretty interesting: First of all, more than 60% of these women do not have an older mentor and are not mentoring someone younger. Of those that do have an older mentor, almost 100% of them were also mentoring someone younger, a statistic I found to be fascinating! I'll get to why in a minute. On the other hand, of those who do not have an older mentor in their lives, 100% were also not mentoring someone younger. Is there a correlation? I absolutely believe the answer is yes. We live in a culture that really struggles with multigenerational relationships. Most church groups are divided by age or phase of life. We've got children's ministry, youth group, young adult ministry, young marrieds, young families, and senior groups. But you rarely find a church where the groups are intentionally mixed regarding age and phase of life, and I truly believe we are missing out on something God has actually called us to. Throughout Scripture, we see examples of these relationships. Moses and Joshua. Eli and Samuel. Naomi and Ruth. Jesus and his disciples. Yet, in our own churches and our own relationships, we struggle to find mentors and become mentors. Somewhere along the generational lines in America, older women stopped teaching younger women. Younger women stopped seeking out or even respecting older women. But we need these relationships more than we could ever imagine.In Philippians 2:19-24, we see the results of what mentoring does to spread the Gospel. One of the most impactful mentor relationships we see in all of Scripture is Paul and Timothy. Now, in this section, we don't get to see how their relationship has been built, but we see the impact it has made! Paul trained up a very young man named Timothy to become his apprentice in the faith. Timothy followed Paul and joined him in the good and the bad of ministry. We see in 2:22 that they had become so close that they were like a father and son, and because of this relationship, Timothy became a leader who was key in spreading the Gospel in ancient times.How do we have one of these mentor relationships? The common phrases I hear about why women are not in mentor relationships is that “there is no one seeking me out” or “there is no one that wants to hear what I have to say.” Philippians 2:21-22 helps us out!Seek Jesus' interests, not your own (v21). Our flesh says, “wait for someone to come find us” instead of “seek her out.” Our interests might say “find the popular one,” where Jesus might say “the quiet one will have more for you.” Our flesh is intimidated. Jesus says, “perfect love casts out fear.” Boldly seek out this relationship, ladies. It's more than worth it.Seek service above comfort (v22). It's uncomfortable to seek out a mentor relationship. But Jesus doesn't call us to comfort. He calls us to serve. And we desperately need women who are willing to serve other women, whether by mentoring them or being mentored by them, because it is one of the surest ways to spread the gospel. This means having a relationship that withstands the good, the bad, and the ugly. Older women: let the younger ones see the real you, not the polished you. Younger women: let the older women speak into those hard moments; be willing to hear where you need to grow and mature.Going back to those statistics: The fact that those not being mentored were also not mentoring is fascinating because I believe it's proof that mentorship begets mentorship. When one woman steps out of her comfort zone and mentors another woman (or asks another woman to mentor her!), it creates boldness on both ends and spurs both to replicate that mentorship relationship with others. You are never too old to be mentored, and you are never too young to mentor!So go out and be bold, share your life with another woman, do ministry together, and then do it again, and again, and again.

Last week, we talked a little about humble obedience and how important it is in becoming more Christ-like. But what does that look like, practically speaking? How do we know if we are being obedient to the Lord and why is it really that important? In Philippians 2:12-18 Paul gives us three ways to practice humble obedience and why it matters:LIVE OUT YOUR FAITH (verses 12-13) Paul says to “work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.” Okay, Emily, what does that mean..I thought we were saved by grace, not by working it out ourselves in fear!I promise this verse isn't a contradiction! What Paul is saying here is that when you are saved, you want to act on it because you don't want to live the life you lived before (that's the working out your salvation part) and you do this with a holy reverence of God that trembles at the thought of sin (that's the fear and trembling part). It's kind of like if you were raised in a Christian home, you live out your parents' faith until you come to the realization that it has to be a personal choice. Paul is telling the Philippians “don't live out my faith, live out your own!” And once you make that choice and you start becoming more like Christ, the thought of sin will be totally awful to you so you'll do anything you can to run from it! Living out your faith looks like desiring a different way than the way of the world.2. BE JOYFULLY STEADFAST (verses 14-16) So now that you're living out your own faith with a hate for sin, you've got to find a way to be in it for the long haul, because it is a loooooong haul, amiright? How do we do this? Paul tells us to “do all things without complaining or arguing.” The Greek word for “all things” is literally all things. Try this: throughout your day, every time you complain or argue about something, make a tally on a piece of paper or your phone. Then go crawl into bed and cry and complain about how hard it is to not complain! Boop. This one feels impossible.We can laugh (or cry) about how impossible it feels, but Paul says it's super important because people who don't complain or argue stand out. Think about that person in your life who always seems to just joyfully go with the flow. If you're even able to think of someone like this, they're probably rare. Paul is telling us that in order to look like Jesus in this world, we must become this rare person! And we all know our world desperately needs this kind of influence because each day this world becomes darker and more hopeless. When we are joyfully steadfast in our run towards eternity with the Lord, we will “shine as lights in the world” against “a crooked and twisted generation” of unbelievers. 3. LET MINISTRY BRING JOY (verses 17-18) Paul uses some Jewish/religious language in verses 17-18, but what he's essentially saying is “even if I have to sacrifice everything in order to help you know Jesus better, I will do it with joy!” Wow. I know I don't feel this way about ministry super often, and I'm a pastor's wife! People can be really draining or hurtful, and I naturally just want to run away and get comfy on my couch to protect myself from getting hurt instead of drawing myself deeper into those people's lives. Ministry is messy. But Paul says we're supposed to live the same way, choosing joy in the mess instead of avoiding the mess. So friends, joyfully (and boldly!) go live out your love for Jesus in humble obedience, so the world can see it and want more of it!

Humility. It's not a word we find much in our self-love, self-affirming world, right? Yet we wonder why our world is so divided. After Paul has made an exhortation to the Philippians to become united with the same love and the same mind, he gives them the practical way to do this: “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others as more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.” (Phil. 2:3-4)In other words: Be Humble. Ugh. Paul is telling us that in order to be united, we have to put others before ourselves. It makes sense, really. Every time I get into a fight with my husband, we both have this horrible tendency to fight to win. But when we stop to actually care about each other's thoughts and feelings, we listen more. We talk less. One of us might still be right (usually me, of course...HA) but when we aren't trying to shove our own ideas in each other's faces we're much more likely to listen and then we become united in trying to come to an agreement instead of divided in trying to win. Paul knows what he's talking about here, friends. But this humility thing is really hard for us. Why? Because humility does not come naturally to us. We believe we deserve so much. We deserve to have a night off from the dishes when we're the ones who made dinner! We deserve a thank you from our kids for all the work we do for them! We deserve a raise for all the hours we put in over everyone else! Treat yourself, you're the best! All the while, we've forgotten that we aren't actually the best. We're completely full of sin, and we actually deserve death because of that sin. We see this exact situation in Genesis, when Adam and Eve choose to eat the forbidden fruit. Satan tells them they will be just like God if they eat of the tree. But this was the big lie: Disobeying and trying to be like God made them as opposite of “like God” as they could have ever been. It made them prideful. Of all the people who had the right to self-love and pridefulness, it was Jesus. He is literally equal to God, he IS God, yet he didn't use this against anyone. He could have said he was too mighty for death (he was!) but he chose to go through it because obedience to God's will was more important than his significance. It was because of this humble obedience that he was exalted. (Phil. 2:8-9). Humble obedience makes us most in God's image. That's the great irony. The more humble we become, the less we want to be like God because we know he is the only one who deserves all the glory. Yet the more humble we become the more we become like God. And while we will never become God, because of his humble death on the cross, all of our sin is covered and we will get to share in his victory when he returns. Incredible! So when your home, your marriage, or your church family feels divided, maybe you can ask yourself: am I putting my family's needs above my own? Or do I feel like I deserve all the glory right now? Am I putting down the thoughts of my brothers and sisters in Christ because I feel like mine are better? Or am I humbly listening to their side and choosing to look to their interests in the same way I look to my own?And if and when you fail to be humble, look to Christ and praise him that he chose humility every step of the way to cover when you couldn't.Blog Post by: Emily RichardsonResources Used:

Resources Used: Megan: Hey guys this is Megan Rawlings and Emily: Emily Richardson Megan: and you are listening to the Talk Bible to Me podcast presented by The Bold Movement.Hey sweet friends! Welcome to season 3 episode 4 of the Talk Bible to Me podcast. Where we will be working through Philippians 1:19-30.Emily: Ladies, we are so excited you are here. Go ahead and grab your Bible if you can because we want to study this passage with you verse-by-verse. We have a goal here at The Bold Movement to increase Biblical literacy. What better time to start than now? Megan: If this is your first time listening to our podcast, welcome! We are really glad you found us. For our returners, THANK YOU SO MUCH for keeping up with us and tuning in. Emily: We love being a place for you to grow and learn and we hope that through this study you gain some extra boldness and confidence to start teaching your own Bible study. Megan: Before we begin, I want to let you know that this podcast is an extension of The Bold Movement which is a ministry that trains women to boldly step into their role in the kingdom of God. There are tons of free resources on the website as well as Bible studies that not only teach you Scripture but also how to study it, and podcasts episodes just like this one. Emily: This is all designed to help you grow in your faith and find your role and purpose in the kingdom of God. You can visit our website at www.theboldmovement.com. Today's episode is presented by listeners like you who have committed to supporting The Bold Movement through our Patreon page. Those supporters are mentioned later on and you can be too, just visit www.patreon.com/theboldmovement. Megan: Okay sis, here's how we work. We will read a verse or two of Scripture and then we will pause to work through it and discuss what it means. I will name the resources we are using as well as post them on our website so you can familiarize yourself with them as well. With that being said -- let's study Philippians chapter 1 verses 19 through 30.Emily: Today, we are going to be reading from the English Standard Version, often referred to as the ESV. Let's start with verse 19.19 for I know that through your prayers and God's provision of the Spirit of Jesus Christ what has happened to me will turn out for my deliverance. Hey -- remember that one time we stopped a podcast in the middle of a sentence and then started the next episode in the middle of that same sentence? (haha oops)Verse 18: But what does it matter? The important thing is that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached. And because of this, I rejoice. Yes, and I will continue to rejoice,20 I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. 19 and 20 … for I know that through your prayers: “37 Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; 38 therefore (which is how) pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.””Their prayers are part of the process.“In this context “deliverance” does not mean release from imprisonment, but something more important: his ultimate vindication, whether in life or in death. This will come about through their prayers. That is, owing not least to their prayers and the consequent “help given by the Spirit of Jesus Christ,” Paul will be so faithful that he will be entirely vindicated before God in the end. That Paul wants above all else to be found faithful is made clear by verse 20: “I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death.”” - D.A. Carson EMILY: So in a sense Paul's deliverance that he's talking about is a spiritual deliverance. He is saying regardless of the outcome of his time in prison, he has every reason to eagerly expect and hope for spiritual victory. Because he wasn't relying on his own courage but on the courage the Holy Spirit gifted him.“Thus Paul's driving concern is not that he should be released from jail or that, if he must die, he should have a relatively painless departure, but that he should do nothing of which he would some day be ashamed. He wants courage, so that Christ may be exalted in his body, “whether by life or by death” (1:20). He wants to hear Christ's blessed “Well done!” on the last day. And he openly solicits the prayers of God's people in Philippi that he might be strengthened toward that end.” - Carson“What is Paul expecting and hoping? That, in the final hour, he will not fail in his testimony. Paul does not want to “be ashamed,” to experience the public humiliation that would come with a denial of his faith. When we today hear the term “shame,” we think of someone who feels bad for a wrong they did. But in Paul's day, to be ashamed was to be publicly humiliated. Thus when Hebrews declares that Jesus Christ ignored the shame of the cross (12:1–2), or when Paul announces that he is not ashamed of the gospel (Rom 1:16), the message is that the social stigma of the cross should not deter believers in their public testimony, any more than it deterred Christ from dying on a cross. Note Paul's own imitation of Christ's meekness in accepting public humiliation for the sake of the gospel.” - Lynn Cohick21 For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. These are Paul's values.Honestly, when I first started studying Philippians (a couple years ago) I had to ask my husband what this meant because I was taking it so literally instead of putting it in context.“In the context, “to live is Christ” surely means that for Paul to keep on living here means ministry, Christ-centered ministry, Christ-empowered ministry, Christ's presence in his ministry. To die is to bring that ministry to an end. But even so there is only gain, since the ministry is not an end in itself, and it is now swallowed up in the glorious delight of the unshielded presence of the exalted Jesus himself.” -CarsonEMILY: his courage to live or die for Christ came because Christ had become the motive of everything he did, and the source of all of his strength. To die after such a life would only mean gain because death was his ticket to be in the presence of Christ , and also, dying before Rome would bear witness to the power of the gospel. What man would die for something he didn't fully believe in? 22 If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know! 23 I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far; 24 but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body. Sorry Emily, I am on a Carson kick lol“What can you possibly do with Christians like that? Kill them?! You simply cannot hush them up; Christ means too much to them, the gospel is too central for them. As for Paul, it is not in his power to choose between service here and departing to be with Christ, between living and dying, between being released from prison for more gospel ministry and paying the ultimate price—thus being released into the presence of the exalted Christ. Yet suppose he could choose. What would he do? “I do not know!” (1:22b), he frankly admits. That is, he has no word from the Lord as to what is going to happen and therefore what he ought to choose under such hypothetical circumstances. “I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far; but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body” (1:23–24). By “remain in the body” he means being acquitted before the imperial court and released from prison, for then he would be free to continue his apostolic ministry to the benefit of the Philippians and others.” - CarsonEMILY: I think verse 24 is a prime example of the importance and the urgency of the Gospel. Because when Paul is saying it's better for him to stay alive for the sake of his brothers and sisters, rather than move on to that eternal rest and joy in the presence of the Lord, for something to be temporarily better than that must be pretty important. Sharing the Gospel, and also encouraging other believers. This verse shows us how vital it is that we are doing these things.“There is, however, no interest in Paul's state of health as such! Everything is subordinate to the preaching of the gospel. Paul's ultimate vindication from God is assured, and he is confident that just as always in the past so, too, now Christ will be glorified in his body. In v. 20 the issues of life and death are clearly subordinated to Christ's being glorified in Paul. But within the paragraph of vv. 21–26 death and life are examined as alternatives in the light of their benefit for Paul and his readers. The perspective has changed somewhat.” - O'Brien25 Convinced of this, I know that I will remain, and I will continue with all of you for your progress and joy in the faith, 26 so that through my being with you again your boasting in Christ Jesus will abound on account of me.“Throughout this passage, Paul uses “I” extensively, which speaks to his intimate relationship with the Philippians. However, he also speaks as a representative believer, for every Christian can say that death is gain, for our hope of salvation is sure. Paul uses the representative “I” in 1 Corinthians 13:1–13, as he similarly includes all believers: “If I speak in human or angelic tongues, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.”” - Cohick“...Thus 1:25–26 turns to look ahead in the letter. Yet these verses also serve to complete Paul's argument that began in 1:12, where he spoke of the “advance” or progress of the gospel, and here he speaks of the Philippians' “progress,” repeating the same verb. In 1:12 the advancement is both the gospel being made known to many and the emboldening of believers in testifying to that message. The same meaning can be understood in 1:25, that the Philippians will boldly preach the gospel and live a life that matches the message they proclaim.” - Cohick Life Worthy of the Gospel27 Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or only hear about you in my absence, I will know that you stand firm in the one Spirit, striving together as one for the faith of the gospel 28 without being frightened in any way by those who oppose you. This is a sign to them that they will be destroyed, but that you will be saved—and that by God. Striving together = συναθλοῦντες which is like fighting together, vigorously cooperating with each other, or competing together with others. This is also a military-type term.Last week we talked about εὐαγγέλιον and προκοπὴν also being military-esqu. Remember, Philippi is a town full of the retired Roman military! Paul wanted to make sure that this letter spoke to his audience!“Paul offers a second way the Philippians can think about standing firm, that is, to not fear their opponents. The verb “to fear” can be used to describe a herd of stampeding horses, wild and out of control in their panic. While horses are created with the “flight, not fight” instinct, Paul indicates that believers need not run blindly or anxiously from those who harbor ill will toward them.Why should the Philippians bravely stand firm? Because God has accomplished their salvation. The term “salvation” in Paul generally means one's eternal life with God, but it also carries a more mundane meaning in Greek: deliverance from trouble. Paul has both meanings in view, as he is convinced that the Philippians' steadfast declaration of the gospel will prevail against any forces of evil. In this Paul reveals a mystery of the faith, namely, that a believer's steadfastness in the face of opposition has spiritual ramifications greater than the immediate situation. For example, in the beginning of Job, God and the Adversary discuss Job's potential reaction to suffering. What Job does not realize is that his subsequent faithfulness in the face of dreadful circumstances has ramifications in the spiritual realm; Job helps defeat the Adversary's plan and advance the larger cause of righteousness through his own obedience. In a similar manner, Paul shows the Philippians that their lack of fear in the face of suffering carries with it greater spiritual ramifications than their personal maturity in the faith. It also signals the ultimate overthrow of evil and the victory of God in Christ. The guilt of the oppressors is displayed in their persecution of the righteous, and their ultimate destruction comforts those afflicted now. Paul reminds the Philippians that God's victory in Christ is sure. He is not arguing that believers chase down suffering and oppression as though to prove their faith, only that they stand fast when waves of suffering and struggle threaten to knock them over.” - CohickEMILY: Yes, and I think a key thing here in Paul telling them not to be frightened is that he tells them they need to be standing firm in ONE spirit, with ONE mind, striving side by side. He's showing them the need for unity when moving the Gospel forward. If we are going to be victorious in standing strong in our faith and not waver on truth, we have to be in community with one another, studying together and encouraging each other in the Gospel we know is true. It's why Jesus says in John 13:35 that people will know his disciples by their love for one another. When God's people stand together, those who are against God will see that. But when we don't stand firm together, we are more vulnerable to the enemy's schemes, and that includes being intimidated by culture and being afraid of what people will think or do to us because of our faith. And when the church stands firm, we are a picture of the victory of Christ. 29 For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe in him, but also to suffer for him, 30 since you are going through the same struggle you saw I had, and now hear that I still have.“Paul writes here that God gave to the Philippians two things: belief in Christ and suffering for Christ. Both of these infinitives are in the present tense, indicating a current and continuing situation. Looking at the first phrase, “to believe in him [Christ],” Paul uses this phrase when speaking to the Galatians: “we have come to believe in Christ Jesus” (2:16; see also Rom 10:10, 14). In Galatians, Paul stresses the distinction between works of the law and belief in Christ in terms of justification. In Philippians, Paul emphasizes the present and ongoing action of believing in Christ, parallel with the current and ongoing suffering experienced by the Philippians. This is the only place in Philippians where Paul uses the verb “to believe,” but its cognate noun “faith, belief” is used several times (e.g., 1:25, 27). In 1:27, “the faith of the gospel” is a unique phrase in Paul and likely carries both the sense of faith as the content of the gospel message and the act of faith that the gospel message generates in believers. Lest we imagine that faith in Christ is merely intellectual acceptance of cold facts, Paul conjoins faith and suffering in his picture of the Christian life. For Paul, suffering only makes sense and is bearable because of the immeasurably rich faith—our belief in the sure, faithful work of Christ—that is the gift God gives to every believer. Paul reassures the Philippians that suffering is redemptive inasmuch as it testifies to Christ's work on the cross. Suffering is an expected aspect of the end of the current age dominated by sin and oppression. But suffering does not have the final word; God will gain the victory, as evidenced already in Christ's resurrection, which is the gospel that the Philippians confess.” - CohickEMILY: The privileges enjoyed by Christians include the ability not only to believe in Christ, but also to suffer for him. If we're questioning if it's okay to see suffering as a privilege and a gracious gift, we must remember that the NT rewards suffering as God's means of achieving his gracious purposes both in his own SON (HEB 2:10 where it talks about bringing sons and daughters to glory through Christ's suffering) and in all believers JAMES 1:3-4 (testing of faith produces perseverance) 1 PETER 1:6-7 (rejoice in trials because they prove the genuineness of your faith). While in our human minds suffering sounds awful, you would never call that a privilege, but here Paul is saying that suffering brings you closer to unity with Christ, and also to unity with your Christian brothers and sisters that are being persecuted. Which is the whole goal, right? To be united with Christ and that his bride would be united as well.“Sin is not a living thing, of course, so one cannot suppose that sin literally has a perspective. But the category is useful, even if metaphorical, because it helps us see what the cross achieved with respect to sin. The answer to that question is highly diverse in the Bible, because sin can be thought of in so many ways. Sin can be thought of as a debt: I owe something I cannot pay. In that case the cross is seen as the means by which the debt is paid. One sometimes reads on Christmas cards the two-line poem, He came to pay a debt he did not owe, Because we owed a debt we could not pay. That is exactly right. That is what the cross achieved. Sin can also be thought of as a stain. In that case the dirt is removed by the death of Christ. Or sin is offense before God. In that case we insist that the cross expiates our sin, it cancels it and thus removes it. But regardless of what imagery is used to depict the foulness and odiousness of sin, the cross is the solution, the sole solution.” - CarsonEndingMegan: The Bold Movement is a ministry that helps Christian women gain confidence in their Biblical literacy, faith, and evangelism through customizable content strategically created to work with our community support to enhance and expand the kingdom of God. Emily: We'll be back next week and we hope you join us. This is a quick reminder that you can partner with us through our patreon at patreon.com/theboldmovement. Okay ladies until next time, go out and be bold.

Resources Used:

Resources Used: Hey guys this is Megan Rawlings and you are listening to the Talk Bible to Me podcast presented by The Bold Movement.Hey there, and welcome back to season 3 of the Talk Bible to Me podcast. I am so pumped that you are here to study the book of Philippians with me. If you are new to our podcast, YAY!!! I am glad you found us. Go ahead and grab a Bible and we can study together. If you're driving or something else, don't worry about it, I will read it to you. Real quick, I want to let you know that this podcast is an extension of The Bold Movement which is a ministry that trains women to boldly step into their role in the kingdom of God. There are tons of free resources on the website as well as Bible studies that not only teach you Scripture but also how to study it, and podcasts episodes just like this one. This is all designed to help you grow in your faith and find your role and purpose. You can visit our website at www.theboldmovement.com. Today's episode is presented by listeners like you who have committed to supporting The Bold Movement through our Patreon page. Those supporters are mentioned later on and you can be too, just visit www.patreon.com/theboldmovement. Okay sis, Here's how we work. We will read a verse or two of Scripture and then we will pause to work through it and discuss what it means. I will name the resources we are using as well as post them on our website so you can familiarize yourself with them too. With that being said -- let's study Philippians chapter 1 verses 1 through 11.Today, I am going to be reading from the New Living Translation, often referred to as the NLT.1 This letter is from Paul and Timothy, slaves of Christ Jesus.Okay, I am going to stop here because there are a few things I want to talk about with this first part of verse 1. You may know that Paul was Saul. Some have preached that there was a name change when he converted to Christianity. There is actually not a lot of evidence of this theory. In reality, most scholars agree that Paul and Saul were the same, just said differently based on region and language. For example, George and Jorge. Same name, just different region, and language. So, according to Peter O'Brien, Παῦλος (‘Paul') in Greek is the name used by the apostle in the Hellenistic-Roman world in place of the Jewish name ‘Saul'. Does that make sense? Email us or contact us on social media and let us know what you think about Paul/Saul and show us how you came to the conclusion. Now, let's talk about Timothy. God ole' Timmy traveled with Paul and was mentioned in quite a few of his letters; 2 Corinthians, Colossians, Philemon, 1 Thessalonians, and 2 Thessalonians. Later in this letter, we learn that the Philippians have a “special attachment” with Timothy and we address this and learn about it in chapter 2. Finally, I want to talk about the last part of this sentence when Paul calls himself and Timothy “slaves of Christ Jesus.” In his commentary on Philippians, Gordon Fee said, “To be sure, the institution of slavery in antiquity was a far cry from the racial slavery that blighted American society—and the English society that made it possible by the slave trade. Even so, the slave in the Roman Empire was not a free person, but “belonged to” another.” So what I want to do is dive into this a little deeper because the word doulos, or slave, holds a lot of weight. This phrase is lost on us in translation and I want it to be more clear what Paul is saying. Translations in the English language sometimes refer to this word as a servant. However, this seems to take the significance out of the word. In Paul's day, a slave was owned legally by someone and had no freedom outside of what their owner allowed. This concept was understood among the church in Philippi as some of the members were slaves, and some could have owned slaves. So, Paul uses this idea as a metaphor for his allegiance and sacrifice to Jesus. I do want to give a better understanding of slavery during this time though! As stated earlier, slavery was very different than what was happening in America during the nineteenth century. In her commentary on Philippians, Lynn Cohick said, “Ancient Israel practiced slavery, and the Old Testament includes numerous stories about it. One of the most famous slaves is Hagar, the mother of Ishmael, Abraham's first son (Gen 16:1–15). Recall too Israel's enslavement in Egypt, the defining moment in their history when God delivered them out of Egypt, “the land of slavery,” and brought them to the land he had promised (Exod 12:40–13:3). Thus at key points in Israel's history, slavery played a role. But later Israelites owned other Israelites or Gentiles, who were enslaved through wars or to pay debts. Laws established appropriate treatment of slaves and restricted abuse (21:1–27). God's people were to release fellow slaves in the seventh year of their enslavement (Lev 25:39–43).In addition, in the Old Testament the terms “slavery” and “slave” are used metaphorically, often translated as “the servant of the Lord” (ʿebed YHWH). Such a person had divine authority from God to speak and act on his behalf. For example, Numbers 12:7 speaks of his servant/slave Moses, who was faithful in God's house and to whom God spoke face to face (see also Jer 25:4; Ezek 38:17). Drawing on the Exodus narrative, Israel understood itself as God's slave, based on the exclusive covenant that Israel's God had established at Mount Sinai. Like a slave, Israel was to obey their God in all things, especially by rejecting idolatry.”Okay, now that we have dissected the first part of verse one, let's continue with the second part. I am writing to all of God's holy people in Philippi who belong to Christ Jesus, including the church leaders and deacons.Holy people can also be translated as saints. Cohick said, “Our modern understanding of the term carries a sense of human perfection preserved in stained glass windows -- a dar cry from our average existence.” The Old Testament tells us that a holy nation (or holy people) are those who keep God's commandments. In the second century, the church started a process of how to become a saint for both the Roman Catholics and Eastern Orthodox. Cohick says, “They define a sain as one who has demonstrated extraordinary piety, such as Mother Teresa, or attribute to him or her miracles based o the intercession before God.” Do not confuse second-century sainthood with the way Paul terms the members of the church in Philippi.Notice that at the end of the verse, Paul includes church leaders and deacons. Church leaders here come from the Greek word episkopos. Because I want you to really understand this, I am going to quote Peter O'Brien. He says, “ἐπίσκοπος in classical and Septuagint Greek (from Homer on) meant an ‘overseer', and was used to describe a deity (cf. Job 20:29) as the one who keeps watch over a country or people. The title was also given to men who held responsible positions in the state, including those with judicial functions, councillors, treasurers, and military strategists, or who were overseers of religious communities, such as temple officials (cf. Nu. 4:16; 31:14; Jdg. 9:28, etc.). This one word described a variety of offices and functions, although the notion of ‘oversight' appears to have been common to all of them. At Qumran, the ‘overseer' or ‘supervisor' (meḇaqqēr) was regarded as the shepherd and spiritual father of the community. Although not a priest, he knew the law and was responsible for all decisions about ‘the camp' and the full members. He also controlled the community's welfare funds (CD 13:7–9; 1QS 6:12, 20). Some writers have argued that the title corresponds literally to the Greek ἐπίσκοπος and might have been the model for the NT ‘overseer'.The word group was less common in the NT than in the LXX, with ἐπίσκοπος occurring five times, ἐπισκοπή on four occasions, ἐπισκέπτομαι eleven times, and ἐπισκοπέω once. The Ephesian elders (πρεσβύτεροι) who meet Paul at Miletus are called ἐπίσκοποι (Acts 20:28), and according to H. W. Beyer they are a definite circle of members from this settled congregation who are its regular leaders. The qualifications required for this office are spelled out in the Pastorals at 1 Tim. 3:2 and Tit. 1:7. Although the exact nature of the work performed by ἐπίσκοποι is not mentioned, at the heart of it lies the ministry of oversight, supervision, or protective care. The climactic use of this title occurs at 1 Pet. 2:25, where Jesus is described as ‘the shepherd and guardian (ἐπίσκοπος) of your souls'.” The word deacon comes from the Greek word diakonos. This is often associated with someone who serves. In the early church, these were the folks who ministered to the sick and shut-in. They helped take care of the day-to-day stuff so that the elders (or teacher/preachers) could study and prepare their messages. These two positions are addressed with the rest of the members of the church of Philippi.So, now we have verse one complete, let's move on to the next. 2 May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace.If you will remember, Philippi is under Roman authority. Paul is declaring Jesus as Lord which is probably in response to the culture of this day claiming that the Roman Emporer, probably Nero. was lord. This is a pretty big deal at this time.Alright, ladies, I know we are only on verse 2 -- but we are going to make a lot of headway in these next 9 verses, I promise. However, before we move on to the rest of our passage today, we have a quick message from our sponsors.We interrupt this broadcast to bring you a message from our sponsors. We are able to continue podcast episodes like this because of our Patreon supporters, Jerri Lewis, Kelsey Graf, Soyon Barber, Julie Carter, Amy Mathis, Jill Walters, and Dave Hanzel. If you like what you hear, would you consider becoming a partner of The Bold Movement? Our plans range from $5 a month to $50 a month with exciting incentives for growing Christian women. Just visit www.patreon.com/theboldmovement.Listen, sis, you can get your name read off too if you join our Patreon supporters and become financial supporters of this podcast and ministry. We hope you will consider supporting our ministry with your prayers we would love for you to become a patreon supporter. Now let's get back to the Philippians.3 Every time I think of you, I give thanks to my God. 4 Whenever I pray, I make my requests for all of you with joy, 5 for you have been my partners in spreading the Good News about Christ from the time you first heard it until now. 6 And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.This part of Philippians is the thanksgiving paragraph. Remember that Paul and the members of the Church in Philippi have a close relationship for years at this point. Notice he says he thanks God every time he thinks of them. I recently heard a clinical psychologist say that your brain is incapable of experiencing fear or anxiety when it is experiencing gratitude. We will talk more in-depth about this later on in Philippians, but I want you to keep that nugget of truth in your back pocket. When we are grateful and give our thanks to God even over simple things like knowing special people in our lives, we are not allowing room for things that are not of God. Name your blessings out loud. Let your head hear your heart. Let me say that again… let your head hear your heart. This is literally the way God wired us.Okay ladies, time for a fun fact… but if you get confused easily… don't pay attention to this part. According to D.A. Carson, “The NIV reads, “I thank my God every time I remember you” (1:3). But others suggest “I thank my God every time you remember me,” or something similar. The original is ambiguous. Lynn Cohick mentions this very thing in her commentary on Philippians too! Nonetheless, as stated here, the original language is ambiguous. But something that is not is the word used for thanks in Philippians.Peter O'Brien says, “Certainly the English word ‘thanksgiving' is rather more limited in its range of meanings since it normally denotes the expression of gratitude for personal benefits received and is to that extent rather man-centered. But this sort of notion does not fit Paul's language, for, as here, he regularly gives thanks for graces wrought in the lives of others by God, particularly those within the churches of the Gentile mission.” The final part of this section says, “And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.” This passage is very popular and used on thank you cards. I love this passage because Paul has such an extreme confidence in these Christians; however, his confidence is not reliant on them, but rather what God is doing and will continue to do with them. Pauls's assurance is found in His knowledge that God works all things out for the good of those who love Him -- and the Philippians have proven they love Him.7 So it is right that I should feel as I do about all of you, for you have a special place in my heart. You share with me the special favor of God, both in my imprisonment and in defending and confirming the truth of the Good News. Cohick says, “Paul also underscores his own strong affections toward them. The Greek text literally reads that Paul's “affection” lies deep in the bowels—not the place most moderns locate their affections! But even if we use a different body part to locate our intense emotions, we can appreciate Paul's sentiment. He wants the Philippians to know that he is sincerely thankful for and appreciative of their unending generosity. This “affection” is the love “of Christ Jesus”; no deeper love can a person express than that demonstrated in and through Christ. Such affection creates in Paul a deep yearning for this church, and he is likely alluding to his hope to be reunited with them.” The bowel thing is true -- have you ever had a nervous stomach? Have you ever had “butterflies in your tunny” this is the reason Paul (and most in that culture) associate emotions with the stomach because that is where we feel things. Funny, right?8 God knows how much I love you and long for you with the tender compassion of Christ Jesus.Most other translations will say something to the tune of “God as my witness.” Something I find interesting is that some scholars say that Paul claims God as his witness because people during this time were careful to watch for flatterers. Again, Cohick says, “In the ancient world, orators told you what you wanted to hear in order to get what they wanted from you: food, recommendations, and social advancement. But no one in Paul's day would have been as cavalier with God's name as to bring it forward as a witness if they were lying. Chrysostom asks: “Now had he been flattering them, he would not have called God to witness, for this cannot be done without peril.”9 I pray that your love will overflow more and more, and that you will keep on growing in knowledge and understanding. 10 For I want you to understand what really matters, so that you may live pure and blameless lives until the day of Christ's return. 11 May you always be filled with the fruit of your salvation—the righteous character produced in your life by Jesus Christ—for this will bring much glory and praise to God.So up to this point, Paul has addressed that he is constantly praying for the Philippians. This is the part where he tells us what he's praying about. Let's bullet these:He prays thatTheir love will overflow more and moreThey will keep on growing in knowledge and understanding - because he wants them to see what actually matters so they can live pure and blameless lives.Let me ask you a question… have you ever thought about praying these things over your closest Christian friends? What would the Church, as a whole, look like if we actually did this?Finally, let's break down verse 11:Okay, what I am about to share with you hurt me a little, so if it hurts you too -- I am sorry, but I am not actually sorry.D.A. Carson dropped this truth bomb on me, “For Paul, this is not an idolatrous prayer. For some people, of course, it could become just that. For perfectionists, perfection, at least in some arenas where they excel, becomes a kind of fetish, even a large idol. But this is not the case with Paul. The excellence for which he prays, for himself and for others, is further defined in verse 11: being “filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ. . . .” Moreover, none of this will be allowed simply to enhance our reputations—for sad to say, some people are more interested in a reputation for holiness and excellence than in holiness and excellence. But all such petty alternatives are swept aside in Paul's final constraint: his prayer is offered up “to the glory and praise of God” (1:11).”Now it's time for the what now portion of Talk Bible to Me:I want to ask you a question. What do your prayers look like? Are you only praying a rehearsed mantra before you eat? Are you praying for matters that are mostly removed from gospel interests? Those who pray, in themselves, are not bad, but if we are only praying about our health, comfort, job, kids, etc. I think we start to miss the entire point.I want you to truly grasp the weight of prayers and the force behind them. D.A. Carson asks, “But where is our gospel focus? Read through the letters of Paul and copy out his prayers. Ask yourself what it is he asks for. Observe how consistently most of his petitions are gospel-related. Are we being faithful to Scripture if most of our petitions are not? Put the gospel first. And that means you must put the priorities of the gospel at the center of your prayer life.”Okay, sis, that's all I got for you this time. Be sure to tune in next week to study Philippians 1:12-18.The Bold Movement is a ministry that helps Christian women gain confidence in their Biblical literacy, faith, and evangelism through customizable content strategically created to work with our community support to enhance and expand the kingdom of God. I'll be back next week and I hope you join me. This is a quick reminder that you can partner with us through our patreon at patreon.com/theboldmovement. Okay ladies next time, go out and be bold.

Resources Used: Hey guys this is Megan Rawlings and you are listening to the Talk Bible to Me podcast presented by The Bold Movement.How are you, friend? I am thrilled that you are joining me on this very first episode of season 3. This season, we are going to be working verse-by-verse through the book of Philippians. If you are new to our podcast, howdy, -- so glad you found us and I hope you like the podcast. Real quick, I want to let you know that this podcast is an extension of The Bold Movement which is a ministry that trains women to boldly step into their role in the kingdom of God. There are tons of free resources on the website as well as Bible studies that not only teach you Scripture but also how to study it, and podcasts episodes just like this one. This is all designed to help you grow in your faith and find your role and purpose. You can visit our website at www.theboldmovement.com.Okay sis, Here's how we work. We will read a verse or two of Scripture and then we will pause to work through it and discuss what it means. Easy enough? Cool. With that being said -- get ready, get set, study! (Can you tell I've been watching the Great British Bake Off?)Today we are actually going to be doing an introduction to Philippians. It is so helpful understanding a book of the Bible when you have Who, what's, when, and wheres all figured out beforehand. This also helps us not to make it what we want it. I like to equate taking Scripture out of context to pulled muscles and let's face it, if you have not completed the warm-up, you are more likely to pull a muscle. (my husband totally rolled his eyes at that cheesy analogy, but he's not my target audience… so, there's that.)Alright, let's start with the author of Philippians, Paul. For those of you who are not familiar with our good pal, Paul, here are some quick facts about him:In Acts 22:3-5 Paul says, “I am a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia (which is in south-central Turkey), but brought up in this city. I studied under Gamaliel and was thoroughly trained in the law of our ancestors. I was just as zealous for God as any of you are today. 4 I persecuted the followers of this Way to their death, arresting both men and women and throwing them into prison, 5 as the high priest and all the Council can themselves testify. I even obtained letters from them to their associates in Damascus, and went there to bring these people as prisoners to Jerusalem to be punished.Paul was a Jew trained under GamalielHere's why that was important, “Gamaliel was a doctor of the law and a member of the Sanhedrin. Paul acknowledged him as his teacher in (Acts 22:3), and he was held in such high honour that he was designated ‘Rabban' (‘our teacher'), a higher title than ‘Rabbi' (‘my teacher').” (from The New Bible Dictionary third edition)As stated above, he did indeed persecute the early Church which was called “The Way.” It was on his way to Damascus that Jesus appeared to HIm and Paul converted.After Paul's conversion, he spent 3 years evangelizing to those in Damascus and the surrounding area (Arabia). He wasted no time in proclaiming that Jesus was Christ. You can read more about that in Acts 9 and Galatians 1.Paul was a Roman citizen (which is actually a big deal for this book and I will tell you why shortly)Paul was a zealous man who cared deeply about the Church. He planted so many churches and even wrote letters requesting funds or thanking the churches he planted for investing in new churches.Paul wrote a lot of the books we have in the New Testament and eventually, died as a martyr for the cause of Christ.There is so much we could say about Paul, but I feel like this gives you a pretty good handle on who he is.Now let's learn about who he was writing to and why. Get ready because it's about to get nerdy. Paul was writing to the Church of Philippi. Now, Philippi is located in northeastern Greece and this was actually the first major center where Paul preached the gospel in Europe. The church in Philippi began when Paul saw a man from Macedonia beckon him to come help which is found in Acts 16:6-10. Since you are possibly driving, cleaning, working out (is working out to podcasts a thing?) or doing something, I am going to go ahead and read this passage to you. If you aren't busy, follow along. “6 Paul and his companions traveled throughout the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been kept by the Holy Spirit from preaching the word in the province of Asia. 7 When they came to the border of Mysia, they tried to enter Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus would not allow them to. 8 So they passed by Mysia and went down to Troas. 9 During the night Paul had a vision of a man of Macedonia standing and begging him, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” 10 After Paul had seen the vision, we got ready at once to leave for Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.” Okay, so this is where it gets good. Ladies, what I am about to tell you is soooo interesting. Now, Philippi was given an incredibly high distinction call the ius italicum (but I don't speak latin so that's probably not how you say it). This meant that Philippi was foverned by Roman law. O'Brien says, “The rights of purchase, ownership, and transference of property, together with the right to civil lawsuits, were privileges included in the ius Italicum. The citizens of this colony were Roman citizens, while the constitution was modeled on that of Rome itself, with two collegiate magistrates at the head (referred to by Luke as στρατηγοί).”Even though there was a strong Roman influence here, the religious aspect suggests that the inhabitants of Philippi were from mixed backgrounds although the official imperial religion tended to dominate the city as a whole. The Jewish community was not huge considering there was not a regular synagogue congregation (for which ten men were required). In Acts 16:13 we learn of Paul informally meeting outside the city by the river where several women met on the Sabbath for prayer (Acts 16:13). It says, “13 On the Sabbath we went outside the city gate to the river, where we expected to find a place of prayer. We sat down and began to speak to the women who had gathered there. 14 One of those listening was a woman from the city of Thyatira named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth. She was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul's message. 15 When she and the members of her household were baptized, she invited us to her home. “If you consider me a believer in the Lord,” she said, “come and stay at my house.” And she persuaded us.”Get this, In Peter O'Brien's commentary on Philippians, he says, “Acts 16:13, 16 identifies the gathering of the Jews on the Sabbath as a proseuchē (“house of prayer”) and notes that Paul spoke only to women gathered at the river. From these details, some postulate that this group had fewer than ten Jewish men and thus lacked the minimum number established in the rabbinic texts to form a minyan or quorum. However, this position fails to appreciate that proseuchē was a common term used to identify Diaspora meetings, and synagōgē (“house of assembly”) was the preferred choice for those gatherings in Judea. Additionally, Luke states that Paul spoke with the women there; he does not state that few men were present. Luke's emphasis on women here counterbalances his later emphasis on the Philippian jailer. Luke often pairs stories about men and about women; thus, his focus on Lydia as one among this group of women matches his wider practices. We need not read into his argument from silence that Jewish men were not present or were few in number. Jews in Paul's day were not only part of a religion; they were also an ethnic group that had a political presence in Roman cities and often had limited self-governing privileges. Jews were one of many Eastern ethnic groups that puzzled and intrigued Romans. Today some Christians, especially those without many Jewish neighbors, tend to see Jews only through the lens of religion, but the ancient world held a broader definition of what constituted a Jew and the Jewish community.” Isn't that wild?!Okay, this is so good, but I don't want to overwhelm you too much so we are going to take a quick commercial break.We interrupt this broadcast to bring you a message from our sponsors. We are able to continue podcast episodes like this because of our Patreon supporters, Jerri Lewis, Kelsey Graf, Soyon Barber, Julie Carter, Amy Mathis, Jill Walters, and Dave Hanzel. If you like what you hear, would you consider becoming a partner of The Bold Movement? Our plans range from $5 a month to $50 a month with exciting incentives for growing Christian women. Just visit www.patreon.com/theboldmovement.Okay, that was fun… you can get your name read off too if you join our Patreon supporters and become financial supporters of this podcast and ministry. Enough about that, let's get back to the intro to Philippians.If we continue in Acts 16, we learn of a slave girl who was possessed following Paul and Silas. Let's read about that, “16 Once when we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a female slave who had a spirit by which she predicted the future. She earned a great deal of money for her owners by fortune-telling. 17 She followed Paul and the rest of us, shouting, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who are telling you the way to be saved.” 18 She kept this up for many days. Finally, Paul became so annoyed that he turned around and said to the spirit, “In the name of Jesus Christ I command you to come out of her!” At that moment the spirit left her.19 When her owners realized that their hope of making money was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace to face the authorities. 20 They brought them before the magistrates and said, “These men are Jews, and are throwing our city into an uproar 21 by advocating customs unlawful for us Romans to accept or practice.”22 The crowd joined in the attack against Paul and Silas, and the magistrates ordered them to be stripped and beaten with rods. 23 After they had been severely flogged, they were thrown into prison, and the jailer was commanded to guard them carefully. 24 When he received these orders, he put them in the inner cell and fastened their feet in the stocks.” Do you guys remember when I mentioned Paul was a Roman citizen? Yeah, you can't do that without a trial. CRAZY! O'Brien said, “The charge brought against Paul and Silas (16:20–21) by the owners of the slave girl, though dictated by commercial interests, appears to have played on the anti-Jewish prejudices of the Philippians, and it is possible that animosity against the Jews at Philippi may account for the continuing hatred of the populace against the infant Christian church. Claudius had taken steps to discourage Judaism and had expelled the Jews from Rome.” I want to encourage you all to read the rest of Acts chapter 16. While Paul and Silas were in prison, some pretty crazy things happened and it is really cool what else happens. Later on, they get out of jail and the point that they are Roman citizens is made. Trust me, read it.Philippians was written in the early 60 A.D. and according to Gordan Fee it “reflects all the characteristics of a “letter of friendship,” combined with those of a “letter of moral exhortation.” The main theme of Philippians is to encourage the church in Philippi. Paul wants the Philippians to live their lives as solid Christians who obey the commands of God. I hope that as we study Philippians you and I find that same encouragement and become movers and shakers for the kingdom of God. I cannot wait to continue with you. Now that we have completed our warm-up exercise (was Matt right? Is that lame?) tune in next week to study Philippians 1:1-2 “The Salutation.” The Bold Movement is a ministry that helps Christian women gain confidence in their Biblical literacy, faith, and evangelism through customizable content strategically created to work with our community support to enhance and expand the kingdom of God. I'll be back next week and I hope you join me. This is a quick reminder that you can partner with us through our patreon at patreon.com/theboldmovement. Okay ladies next time, go out and be bold.

This week, we introduce the evil villain in the story of Esther, Haman. There is some seriously good background information that you won’t want to miss! Check it out. Don’t forget to subscribe, rate, and review.

It’s time t0 study an old favorite with depth. We are going back to the Old Testament and working through the book of Esther. Are you ready to be bold?In this episode, you will…Learn the meaning of Hadassah’s nameEmbrace the second chapter of EstherDiscover how we can apply this information to our lives today

It’s time t0 study an old favorite with depth. We are going back to the Old Testament and working through the book of Esther. Are you ready to be bold? In this episode, you will… * Learn the meaning of Hadassah’s name * Embrace the second chapter of Esther * Discover how we can apply this information to our lives today

It’s a new season and Megan is excited to walk you through a new book of the Bible. We are going back to the Old Testament and working through the book of Esther. Are you ready to be bold?In this episode, you will…Learn how to approach reading a new book of the BibleEmbrace the first chapter of EstherDiscover how we can apply this information to our lives today

It’s a new season and Megan is excited to walk you through a new book of the Bible. We are going back to the Old Testament and working through the book of Esther. Are you ready to be bold?In this episode, you will…Learn how to approach reading a new book of the BibleEmbrace the first chapter of EstherDiscover how we can apply this information to our lives today

In Mark 15 we begin the discussion of Christ’s crucifixion. This is what His entire ministry and life lead up to. Join us as we discover the horrific events that took place against Jesus by the Romans and Jews. In this episode, you will… Gain insight into what took place at Christ’s crucifixion Learn the ultimate price of salvation Discover how we can apply this information to our lives today Related Resources: Edwards, J. R. (2002). The Gospel according to Mark. Grand Rapids, MI; Leicester, England: Eerdmans; Apollos.

We are finishing Mark chapter 14 this week. This section discusses what happens in the garden of Gethsemene with Peter, James, and John. There are some connections between what happens while Jesus is praying and what the disciples are doing. You won’t want to miss this! In this episode, you will… Gain insight into the connections between the three disciples sleeping and Peter’s denial Learn the true cost of what Christ did on the cross Discover how this affects our relationship with Christ today Related Resources: Edwards, J. R. (2002). The Gospel according to Mark (p. 371). Grand Rapids, MI; Leicester, England: Eerdmans; Apollos. Click here to download the transcript for this episode.

Join us as we take a look at what the gospel of Mark tells us the first part of the 14th chapter. There is so much symbolism connected from here from the Old Testament. Before listening to the podcast, try to read through Mark 14 and find it for yourself! In this episode, you will… Gain clarity on how Jesus is our ultimate sacrifice Learn the layout the Gospel of Mark presents Discover how to truly worship Jesus with a pure heart.