All Episodes

In this episode, we will look at Philippians 4:2-9. This podcast is recorded by The BoldMovement. The Bold Movement is a women's ministry that offers an allied collective to help women with Biblical literacy so they can boldly step into their role in the kingdom of God.

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 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!!!” This 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

 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 t

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 l

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.

In this episode, we will look at Philippians 1:19-30. This podcast is recorded by The BoldMovement. The Bold Movement is a women's ministry that offers an allied collective to help women with Biblical literacy so they can boldly step into their role in the kingdom of God.

In this episode, we will look at Philippians 1:12-18. This podcast is recorded by The BoldMovement. The Bold Movement is a women's ministry that offers an allied collective to help women with Biblical literacy so they can boldly step into their role in the kingdom of God.

In this episode, we will look at the first 11 verses of Philippians. This is the beginning of Paul's letter to the church in Philippi. This podcast is recorded by The BoldMovement. The Bold Movement is a women's ministry that offers an allied collective to help women with Biblical literacy so they can boldly step into their role in the kingdom of God.

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 

In this episode, we will look at Esther 9:1-10:3. This podcast is recorded by The BoldMovement. The Bold Movement is a women's ministry that offers an allied collective to help women with Biblical literacy so they can boldly step into their role in the kingdom of God.

In this episode, we will look at Esther 8:1-17. This podcast is recorded by The BoldMovement. The Bold Movement is a women's ministry that offers an allied collective to help women with Biblical literacy so they can boldly step into their role in the kingdom of God.

In this episode, we will look at Esther 7:1-10. This podcast is recorded by The BoldMovement. The Bold Movement is a women's ministry that offers an allied collective to help women with Biblical literacy so they can boldly step into their role in the kingdom of God.

In this episode, we will look at Esther 6:1-14. This podcast is recorded by The BoldMovement. The Bold Movement is a women's ministry that offers an allied collective to help women with Biblical literacy so they can boldly step into their role in the kingdom of God.

In this episode, we will look at Esther 5:1-14. This podcast is recorded by The BoldMovement. The Bold Movement is a women's ministry that offers an allied collective to help women with Biblical literacy so they can boldly step into their role in the kingdom of God.

In this episode, we will look at Esther 4:1-17. This podcast is recorded by The BoldMovement. The Bold Movement is a women's ministry that offers an allied collective to help women with Biblical literacy so they can boldly step into their role in the kingdom of God.

In this episode, we will look at Esther 3:1-15. This podcast is recorded by The BoldMovement. The Bold Movement is a women's ministry that offers an allied collective to help women with Biblical literacy so they can boldly step into their role in the kingdom of God.

In this episode, we will look at Esther 2:1-23. This podcast is recorded by The BoldMovement. The Bold Movement is a women's ministry that offers an allied collective to help women with Biblical literacy so they can boldly step into their role in the kingdom of God.

In this episode, we will look at Esther 1:1-22. This podcast is recorded by The BoldMovement. The Bold Movement is a women's ministry that offers an allied collective to help women with Biblical literacy so they can boldly step into their role in the kingdom of God.

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.

Join us as we take a look at what John Mark tells us in his 13th chapter of the gospel he wrote. It is fascinating how Christ knew His mission, but pushed on and finished the race. As Christians, we must remind ourselves that we have someone who went before us and we can follow in this crazy thing called life.In this episode, you will…Gain clarity on what Jesus is talking about in reference to the temple being destroyed.Learn how to follow ChristDiscover how to avoid false teachers.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.

Have you ever wondered who you are? Like — where does your identity come from? Is it in your job? Maybe in the way that the opposite sex perceives you.Look, I am not condoning these things, but I am saying that you are not alone. We all struggle with this because we’re human and sin. The beauty that we can find in this comes from the word of God. Today, we are going to talk about where identity is found. When you start taking your faith seriously, you are absolutely going to mess up. Give yourself some grace, girlfriend. These things take time.In this episode, you will…Gain clarity on where your identity comes fromLearn how to find Christ in these parablesDiscover the greatest commandmentsRelated 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.

Have you ever read Mark 11? I am sure you’ve at least heard the story that opens up this chapter. Jesus tells his disciples to go grab a colt and to bring it back. Guys, this is the beginning of the end of the beginning. Okay, I know that made no sense, but you just have to trust me. I want you all to see Jesus in chapter 11. He probably does not match the Jesus your Sunday school teacher taught you about, but trust me… He is so much more. He is the superhero hero that stops the bad guy, the humble servant that people don’t even think about, and the father who protects you. Let’s see what Mark 11 offers us, today.In this episode, you will…Learn about Jesus riding a donkey into town and people going crazy for it.Learn about Jesus cursing a tree (don’t worry it’s symbolic)Learn about Jesus cleaning out His father’s houseResources:The Bible (We use the ESV in this podcast)Edwards, J. R. (2002). The Gospel according to Mark (p. 353). Grand Rapids, MI; Leicester, England: Eerdmans; Apollos. (We basically quote him the whole time. It’s such good stuff.)Click here to get the transcript for this episode.

Hey, there! Welcome to Bold is where we have made it our goal to help you learn the Bible verse-by-verse. Today, we are continuing in our study of Mark with chapter 10! If you are new to our podcast, we are glad you’re here! Just so you know, I will be reading from the English Standard Version (also commonly referred to as the ESV) today if you are interested in following along. Let’s get started.This is Mark chapter 10...10 And he left there and went to the region of Judea and beyond the Jordan, and crowds gathered to him again. And again, as was his custom, he taught them. 2 And Pharisees came up and in order to test him asked, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?” 3 He answered them, “What did Moses command you?” 4 They said, “Moses allowed a man to write a certificate of divorce and to send her away.” 5 And Jesus said to them, “Because of your hardness of heart he wrote you this commandment. 6 But from the beginning of creation, ‘God made them male and female.’ 7 ‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, 8 and the two shall become one flesh.’ So they are no longer two but one flesh. 9 What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.” 10 And in the house the disciples asked him again about this matter. 11 And he said to them, “Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her, 12 and if she divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery.”  Marriage and divorce were in Jesus’ day, as they are in ours, matters of great interest and controversy. In ancient Judaism, marriage was not regarded as a union of equals for the mutual benefit of both husband and wife but rather as an institution whose chief purpose was the establishment and continuance of the family and whose chief enemy was childlessness. Mark’s placement of Jesus’ teaching on marriage at the beginning of this section signals the importance of the marital union in the kingdom of God. In Judaism the foremost responsibility of an observant Jewish male was knowledge and mastery of the Torah, under which he was expected to order the necessities of life, among them marriage. Jesus, however, teaches that marriage is not a male-dominated institution but a new creation of God, to which both husband and wife are equally responsible to practice discipleship in lifelong obedience. Edwards, J. R. (2002). The Gospel according to Mark (pp. 297–298). Grand Rapids, MI; Leicester, England: Eerdmans; Apollos. This final phrase was the crux of the controversy over divorce in Jesus’ day, as is reflected in a celebrated passage in the Mishnah:The School of Shammai say: A man may not divorce his wife unless he has found unchastity in her, for it is written, “Because he hath found in her indecency in anything.” And the School of Hillel say: [He may divorce her] even if she spoiled a dish for him, for it is written, “Because he hath found in her indecency in anything.” R. Akiba says: Even if he found another fairer than she, for it is written, “And it shall be if she find no favour in his eyes.” (m. Git. 9:10)As this passage indicates, Jews and Jewish law were agreed that divorce was permissible. The more conservative school of Shammai argued that the sole ground was “indecency,” that is, adultery, whereas the liberal school of Hillel argued that divorce could be granted “for any matter”

Hey, there! Welcome to Bold is. Have you ever heard of the transfiguration? Do you know what that word even means? Well, if you have great! If you haven’t, no swear! We have made it our goal to help you learn the Bible verse-by-verse and we started with the book of Mark.It is hard to believe, but we have slowly made our way to chapter 9! If you have not heard the first few chapters of Mark, I highly encourage you to check it out! I cannot contain my excitement any longer -- are you ready to study into Mark 9?!If you are new to our podcast, we are glad you’re here! Real quick, let me explain how our podcast works. I will read a passage of Scripture and then we break it down as we go. I will be reading from the English Standard Version (also commonly referred to as the ESV) today if you are interested in following along.*So, here’s the thing. We don’t really know how long Jesus ministered on earth.  It may have been for 2-3 years or longer. British scholar N.T. Wright argues given that amount of time and the rather limited amount of material we have in the Gospels, Jesus could have said the things recorded in the New Testament many, many times—just think of how often a preacher repeats things from the pulpit to the same audience! *In Mark 9:1 Jesus says, “Truly, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God after it has come with power.”  He also states this in Matthew 16 and Luke 9.  What was He referring to? One Bible commentary lists eight different interpretations!   Some say He was referring to His second coming, some say He is referring to God’s judgment on the Temple, which happened in 70 AD, some say it is His death and resurrection,  and some say He is referring to what is about to happen, the Transfiguration of Jesus. Following N.T. Wright’s point that if Jesus said it once, He may have said it a dozen times or more, so it might mean many things depending on the context BUT in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke, He is recorded as saying it right before the transfiguration, so, for now, let’s assume that’s what He was referring to… 2 And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James and John, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, 3 and his clothes became radiant, intensely white, as no one on earth could bleach them. 4 And there appeared to them Elijah with Moses, and they were talking with Jesus. 5 And Peter said to Jesus, “Rabbi, it is good that we are here. Let us make three tents, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah.” 6 For he did not know what to say, for they were terrified. 7 And a cloud overshadowed them, and a voice came out of the cloud, “This is my beloved Son; listen to him.” 8 And suddenly, looking around, they no longer saw anyone with them but Jesus only.  *Notice that Mark records this happened on a “high mountain.”  This is an allusion to Exodus 19-20. God descends on Mount Sinai and forbids anyone to approach except Moses and Aaron to approach.  God then gives the 10 Commandments to Moses, which is the heart of the covenant. Now God is preparing a new covenant where only a few disciples are allowed to witness.  *Jesus is “transfigured” before them into purity showing them who He truly is.  But why Moses and Elijah? In his commentary, James Edwards argues, following Acts 10:43 that it supports the assertion that all the prophets testify to Jesus or, as John 5:39 records, “the law and the prophets testify about me” and Moses and Elijah represent the law and prophets.  BUT, it also may point to the fact that it w

Hey, ladies! Welcome to our podcast. We have made it our goal to help you learn the Bible verse-by-verse. We are currently working through the gospel of Mark and are very thankful for your interest in studying with us! Okay, friend -- are you ready to dive into Mark 8?!If you are new to our podcast, salutations! You have found a group of women eager to support you and help you grow in faith! You are always welcome here where you can learn and ask questions! Let me explain how our podcast works. I will read a passage of Scripture and then we break it down as we go. I will be reading from the English Standard Version (also commonly referred to as the ESV) today if you are interested in following along.I do want to take a second and give a background real quick. In chapter six we talked about Jesus feeding the five thousand. This took place in a primarily Galilee which was mostly a Jewish region. Now, in chapter 8, Jesus is feeding four thousand in the Decapolis which is mainly made up of Gentiles. Now, let’s start reading.This is God-breathed and profitable for you:1 During those days another large crowd gathered. Since they had nothing to eat, Jesus called his disciples to him and said, 2 “I have compassion for these people; they have already been with me three days and have nothing to eat. (“‘I have compassion for these people’ ” expresses Jesus’ gut-wrenching emotion on behalf of the crowd. Equally importantly, in Mark, this word is not used of people for whom one would naturally feel compassion (such as friends or compatriots), but for those far removed and even offensive: lepers (1:41), revolutionaries (6:34), Gentiles (8:2), and demon-possessed (9:22).)[1] 3 If I send them home hungry, they will collapse on the way, because some of them have come a long distance.” J.R. Edwards says, “The “large crowd” gathered around Jesus (7:33; Matt 15:29–31) has accompanied him for three days and begins to run short of food. In describing the crowd Mark uses a rare and intensified form of the word for “remain,” prosmenein, connoting a special adherence and commitment to Jesus. The crowd has not been coincidentally present but intentionally with him. This is an unusually positive description of a crowd in Mark. Jesus again finds a reception among Gentiles that he has not found among Jews.” [2]4 His disciples answered, “But where in this remote place can anyone get enough bread to feed them?” Why do you think the disciples are so confused or lacking in faith at this point? It’s not like Jesus was incapable of feeding them. He literally made this happen a few chapters before this. Well, his disciples [could] not have believed God would provide an Exodus like feeding for a mixed audience.” [3]5 “How many loaves do you have?” Jesus asked. “Seven,” they replied. 6 He told the crowd to sit down on the ground. When he had taken the seven loaves and given thanks, he broke them and gave them to his disciples to distribute to the people, and they did so. 7 They had a few small fish as well; he gave thanks for them also and told the disciples to distribute them. 8 The people ate and were satisfied. Afterward, the disciples picked up seven basketfuls of broken pieces that were leftover. 9 About four thousand were present. After he had sent them away, 10 he got into the boat with his disciples and went to the region of Dalmanutha. 11 The Pharisees came and began to question Jesus. To test him, they asked him for a sign from heaven.

Hi sweet ladies! You are listening to Bold is… a women’s ministry podcast with the goal of helping you learn the Bible verse-by-verse. This season we are working our way through the Gospel of Mark. I’m sure you’ve noticed, but it’s been a minute since our last podcast. Our team as shrunk over the past few months, but The Bold Movement has grown. We are now ministering to 30,000 women worldwide in 77 countries. God is moving in powerful and mighty ways, and I believe He is teaching us to trust Him more. So, with that being said, I think we are back on track to get everything out to you all! One more thing before we get into Mark, I want to let you know that everything we make is 100% free. If you believe in what we are doing and would like to consider helping support our ministry, would you pray about joining us as a sponsor? We would love for you to subscribe to our patreon which is a community of folks just like you with plans ranging from $1/month to $25/month. Your monetary donation gives you access to discounts on our merchandise, additional resources on our website, and early access to all of our content. With your support, you are ensuring that we can effectively deliver daily content to help women better understand their Bible which in turn creates disciples who impact the kingdom in greater ways. If you cannot afford to help, we ask that you send us some love by praying for our ministry! Okay, friend -- are you ready to study Mark 7?! INTRO If you are new here, welcome to the podcast! Our goal is to walk you through Scripture verse by verse, so we will read a section of the passage and then try to break it down for you. Just an FYI, it is easy to take Scripture out of context, so make sure when studying you read before this section and after to ensure you are reading it within the correct frame that the original author intended. Ladies, let’s get started. I am going to be reading from the (ESV) English Standard Version. This is the Word of God and is profitable for you: 1 Now when the Pharisees gathered to him, with some of the scribes who had come from Jerusalem, 2 they saw that some of his disciples ate with hands that were defiled, that is, unwashed. 3 (For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they wash their hands properly, holding to the tradition of the elders, 4 and when they come from the marketplace, they do not eat unless they wash. And there are many other traditions that they observe, such as the washing of cups and pots and copper vessels and dining couches.) 5 And the Pharisees and the scribes asked him, “Why do your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat with defiled hands?” 6 And he said to them, “Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written,   “ ‘This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me;  7  in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’ 8 You leave the commandment of God and hold to the tradition of men.” 9 And he said to them, “You have a fine way of rejecting the commandment of God in order to establish your tradition! 10 For Moses said, ‘Honor your father and your mother’; and, ‘Whoever reviles father or mother must surely die.’ 11 But you say, ‘If a man tells his father or his mother, “Whatever you would have gained from me is Corban” ’ (that is, given to God)— 12 then you no longer permit him to do anything for his father or mother, 13 thus making void the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down. And many such things you do.” 

Hey friends! You are listening to Bold is… a women’s ministry podcast with the goal of helping you learn the Bible verse-by-verse. As you may know by now, we are working our way through the Gospel of Mark. Before we get to that, there is something I need you to know -- everything we make is 100% free. We never want a woman to not learn Scripture due to money. However, running a ministry does cost money. So, if you believe in what we are doing would you consider helping support our ministry? We would love for you to subscribe to our patreon which is a community of folks just like you with plans ranging from $1/month to $25/month. Your monetary donation gives you access to discounts on our merchandise, additional resources on our website, and early access to all of our content. With your support, you are ensuring that we can effectively deliver daily content to help women better understand their Bible which in turn creates disciples who impact the kingdom in greater ways. If you cannot afford to help, we ask that you send us some love by praying for our ministry! We also have merchandise available on our website at www.theboldmovement.com/products. When you receive your new shirts or hat, take a photo and tag us on social media so we can see how great you look in it! Okay, friend -- are you ready to learn the conclusion of Mark 6?! INTRO If you are new here, welcome to the podcast! Our goal is to walk you through Scripture verse by verse, so we will read a section of the passage and then try to break it down for you. I am going to be reading from the (ESV) English Standard Version for those who want to follow along! This is the Word of God and is profitable for you: The Death of John the Baptist14 King Herod heard of it, for Jesus' name had become known. Some said, “John the Baptist has been raised from the dead. That is why these miraculous powers are at work in him.” 15 But others said, “He is Elijah.” And others said, “He is a prophet, like one of the prophets of old.” 16 But when Herod heard of it, he said, “John, whom I beheaded, has been raised.” Before I go any further, I think I need to shine a light on John the Baptist here before we go any further! Matthew 11:11 says, “[A]mong those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist.” This was from the mouth of Jesus. Before he was born he had the Holy Spirit. This is Jesus’ cousin too. If you all get a chance, I would love for you to check out more on John the Baptist, but today for the sake of time, let’s continue on.17 For it was Herod who had sent and seized John and bound him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife because he had married her. 18 For John had been saying to Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother's wife.” … and you thought your family was messed up… let’s break this down. Herodias was the daughter of Herod’s half-brother Aristobulus. This makes her Herod’s niece, okay? Not only was she Herod’s niece, but she was married to his other half-brother, Herod-Philip. So, she was also his sister-in-law. He still convinced her to leave his brother and become his wide. Obviously this was not okay, and John the Baptizer had something to say about it. (see Leviticus 18:16; 20:21).19 And Herodias had a grudge against him and wanted to put him to death. But she could not, 20 for Herod feared John, knowing that he was a righteous and holy man, and he kept him safe. When he heard him, he was greatly perplexed, and yet he heard him gladly.When I first read this, I was am