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How can we boldly proclaim that Calvary is enough in a world constantly demanding more? In this episode, let me take you on a rich, multi-layered journey from Golgotha to your heart as we explore the power and meaning behind the place, the sacrifice, and the impact of Jesus’ crucifixion. Anchored in Scripture and inspired by Brooke Ligertwood’s compelling lyrics in her song "Calvary's Enough," we will slow down and soak in the truth of what happened on the cross—and why it still matters today.

Key Points

• "Calvary" is a Place and a Symbol: The word Calvary is Latin for Golgotha, meaning the skull. While we often refer to it symbolically, it’s helpful to remember it is an actual location where Christ was crucified.
• The Power of the Sacrifice: The episode guides listeners from the literal place of Calvary, through the crucifixion event, to the profound spiritual implications of Christ's sacrifice.
• Learning for Learning’s Sake: It’s okay to explore Scripture with curiosity even when there’s no immediate application—this builds a foundation for future understanding.
• Jesus's Last Words Matter: “It is finished” (John 19:30) refers to the completed work of atonement—the payment of our sin debt.
• Christ Our High Priest: The Gospels and Hebrews reference Jesus seated at the right hand of God, which shows the fulfillment of His role post-Calvary.
• Response Matters: Like Paul, we are called to "resolve to know nothing but Christ crucified" (1 Corinthians 2:2). This is a deliberate decision to center our lives on the gospel.
• Don’t Idolize Messengers: Paul confronted the church in Corinth about elevating personalities over the message of Christ crucified, a reminder that is still relevant today.

Bible Interaction Tool Exercises (BITEs)

• Listen to Scripture
• Repetition
• Cross-referencing
• Compare & Contrast
• Use Your Imagination
• Ask Questions
• Study in Context

Additional Resources

• Lyrics - New Release Today
• What did Jesus mean when He said, “It is finished”? - GotQuestion.org Article
• Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible - Place of the Skull Article - Logos Bible Software Affiliate Link
• Learn more about my favorite Bible Study Software with a 30-day free trial and links to my all-time favorite Bible resources - Logos Bible Software Affiliate Link

This Week's Challenge

Read or listen to all four accounts of the scenes leading up to and at Calvary. Use the Episode Guide to help. It’s free and uncomplicated. It’s just a one-page PDF to guide you. After you’ve read or listened to the gospels a time or two, consider what details pop out to you. This is a good place to meditate, follow cross-references, and jot down observations. Make observations about the place of Calvary, the details of what happened there, its significance and meaning, and potential responses to it. At some point, hop over to 1 Corinthians chapters 1-2 to see why Paul resolved to know nothing but Christ and Him c

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“It’s hopeless.” That’s what fear whispers in the middle of the night when anxiety tightens its grip and your heart pounds with uncertainty. But what if you could argue back? Inspired by Hannah Kerr’s “Fear Not,” we learn the powerful truth that God’s presence isn’t just near—it’s active, bringing comfort, consolation, and even delight amid chaos. Let’s uncover how Scripture teaches us to confront fear, embrace God’s comfort, and step into the peace only He can provide.

We'll see how a suffering poet's words reflect our fears and anxieties and where to go from there.

In this episode, I discuss:

• Song insight: How Hannah wrote this song to express her struggles with anxiety and to remind listeners that they are not alone.
• Biblical lament: Acknowledging fear and anxiety is the first step before moving toward truth and comfort.
• Lifting our eyes: Calling to mind the "capital T" Truths about God and what that means for us

Key Scripture Passages:

• Psalm 34:4 - "I sought the Lord, and He answered me; He delivered me from all my fears."
• Psalm 94:19 - "When anxiety overwhelms me, Your consolation delights my soul."
• John 14:16, 25-27 - Jesus promises the Holy Spirit as our Comforter.
• Lamentations 3 - The poet expresses deep despair but shifts to hope in God’s faithfulness.

Bible Interaction Tools (BITEs) for Personal Study:

• Word Study – Explore the meaning of consolation in Psalm 94:19.
• Read in Context – Study all of Lamentations to see the pattern of grief, confession, and hope.
• Consult an outside resource - Dark Clouds, Deep Mercy: Discovering the Grace of Lament by Mark Vroegop
• Engage in Biblical Lament – Journal your fears before turning to God’s truth.
• Community Prayer – Instead of saying, “I’ll pray for you,” ask, “Can I pray with you now?”
• Compare and contrast
• Make observations
• Explore a theme
• Read and keep on reading

Additional Resources

• Lyrics - New Release Today
• Behind the song "Fear Not" by Hannah Kerr - Behind the Song with Kevin Davis - New Release Today Article
• Dark Clouds, Deep Mercy: Discovering the Grace of Lament by Mark Vroegop - Amazon Paid Link
• Learn more about my favorite Bible Study Software with a 30-day free trial and links to my all-time favorite Bible resources - Logos Bible Software Affiliate Link

This Week's Challenge

Read Lamentations. Read it as intended — as poetry reflecting great emotion amid great tragedy that ultimately turns toward hope in the Lord. Observe any emotions or feelings that feel familiar to you. Pattern the freedom of the author of Lamentations and journal your own crazy out. Write down all of your complaints and how you are feeling. Don’t hold back. Then, unfurl your soul to lift your eyes to Jesus and rehearse the goodness of God. Speak the truths of Lamentations. Speak the truths of other verses you know. Use the Episode Gu

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In a world filled with uncertainty, it’s comforting to know that we serve an unchanging God. "Constant" by Anthony Gargiula, Jordin Sparks, and Maverick City Music reminds us of this powerful truth—God is constant. This episode explores the biblical foundation of God’s immutability and how it affects our faith and daily lives.

Explore this attribute of God with me and then settle in to a Psalm.

In this episode, I discuss:

• Episode Guide Available: – Download your free Episode Guide at michellenezat.com/512download to help you interact with Scripture.
• God’s Immutability: Unlike humans, who change constantly, God remains the same. His attributes, promises, and purposes never shift.
• Communicable vs. Incommunicable Attributes: God shares some of His attributes (like love and mercy) with us, but others (like omniscience and immutability) belong to Him alone.
• Implications of God’s Unchanging Nature: Because God is constant, His love, promises, and salvation are secure. We don’t have to fear that He will change His mind or go back on His word.
• Practical Application: How understanding God’s immutability can bring peace and stability to our lives.

Key Scriptures:

• Malachi 3:6 - “For I the Lord do not change.”
• Hebrews 13:8 - “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.”
• Numbers 23:19 - “God is not man, that he should lie, or a son of man, that he should change his mind.”
• James 1:17 - “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.”
• Psalm 102:25-28 - A declaration of God’s eternal nature.

BITEs (Bible Interaction Tool Exercises) Used:

• Read in context
• Make observations
• Read in various translations
• Studying a topic
• Meditate on Scripture
• Compare and contrast

Additional Resources

• Lyrics - New Release Today
• Does God’s Immutability Need to Change? - Credo Podcast
• Does God Suffer? - Credo Podcast
• The Immutability and Impassibility of God - The Gospel Coalition Essay
• What are the communicable and incommunicable attributes of God? - GotQuestions.org Article
• Learn more about my favorite Bible Study Software with a 30-day free trial and links to my all-time favorite Bible resources - Logos Bible Software Affiliate Link

This Week's Challenge

Examine the Scriptures that declare the immutability of God in their context. (Use the Episode Guide to help.) Malachi 3:6, James 1:17, Hebrews 13:8, Numbers 23:19, Hebrews 6:15-18. Then with all you’ve learned about God’s unchanging nature, head over to Psalm 102 to read in context, make observations, compare and contrast, and meditate. In the end, lift your eyes from your turbulent circumstances to our constant God.

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I don't know if you've ever lifted a desperate prayer that asked, "Lord, why are you keeping me here?" but that line in Samantha Ebert's song "Flowers" gets me every time. That one that acknowledges the valley I'm in but reminds me that God has something beautiful in mind that will bloom from the soil of suffering.

Scripture details what good comes from suffering. Join me as we explore part of a letter from Paul to the Romans together.

In this episode, I discuss:

• Episode Guide Available – Download your free Episode Guide at michellenezat.com/511download to help you interact with Scripture.
• Personal Connection to the Song – I share how Flowers ministered to me during my waiting season.
• Mountaintop vs. Valley Perspective – Drawing from personal experiences hiking in the Smoky Mountains and biblical wisdom from Henry Blackaby’s Experiencing God, I discuss how our circumstances can cloud our view of God, but seeking His perspective brings clarity.
• Romans 5:3–5 Breakdown – Exploring how suffering produces endurance, endurance produces character, and character produces hope—the flowers that grow in the valley.
• Cross-References & Biblical Themes:
  • Psalm 126:5–6 – Sowing in tears, reaping in joy.
  • James 1:2–4 – Trials produce steadfastness, leading to spiritual maturity.
  • 2 Corinthians 2:9-10 – Proven character results in obedience and forgiveness.
  • Romans 4:18-25 – Abraham’s unwavering hope in God’s promises.

BITE (Bible Interaction Tool Exercises) Used:

• Following cross-references
• Studying words in original Greek (hypomone – endurance, dokime – character, elpis – hope)
• Reading in context (Romans 4–6)
• Making lists (evidence of faith and hope in Scripture)
• Comparing and contrasting passages

Takeaways:

• God is growing something beautiful even in your suffering.
• Biblical hope is not wishful thinking—it’s a well-grounded expectation in God’s faithfulness.
• Viewing your circumstances through God’s perspective changes everything.

Additional Resources

• Lyrics - New Release Today
• Experiencing God by Henry Blackaby - Amazon Paid Link
• BibleHub.com for cross-references
• Learn more about my favorite Bible Study Software with a 30-day free trial and links to my all-time favorite Bible resources - Logos Bible Software Affiliate Link

This Week's Challenge

Read Romans 4-6 before focusing in on Romans 5:3-4. Look for the flowers that grow in the valley of our suffering. Make lists, define words, and complete word studies. Follow the cross-references and take time to meditate on what you are reading and studying. Use the Episode Guide to help.

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Get the Episode Guide at https://michellenezat.com/510download

We have an enemy known as the Father of Lies, so it makes sense that one of his tactics is to convince us to believe lies about ourselves AND lies about how God sees us. We combat these lies with the truth from Scripture, and Megan Woods sings about this in her song "The Truth."

Let's take the message from this song and see where it comes from in Scripture. And let's take it a step further to examine the WHOLE truth.

Key Points Covered in This Episode:

1. Song Introduction - "The Truth" by Megan Woods
   • A powerful song that speaks against negative self-talk and replaces lies with biblical truth.
   • Michelle’s initial hesitation in using this song on the podcast and how she overcomes it.
2. The Dangers of Misapplying Scripture
   • The fine line between biblical encouragement and self-centered theology.
   • How the church can sometimes distort Scripture to make it more about us than about God.
   • A snippet from Michelle's novel, "A Seat at the Table" - Purchase on Amazon
3. Breaking Down the Lies vs. The Whole Truth
   • Lies we tell ourselves: I’m not enough, I’m unlovable, I’m a failure.
   • The enemy’s tactics: Repeating accusations that become deeply ingrained.
   • The exercise of writing down accusations to recognize patterns.
4. Developing a Biblical Worldview
   • Why knowing Scripture for yourself is crucial.
   • The balance between focusing on God and understanding our identity in Him.
   • Scripture’s direct response to self-doubt and identity crises.
5. Song Lyric Analysis & Supporting Scriptures
   • "The truth is I am my Father’s child. I make Him proud, and I make Him smile."
     • 1 John 3:1 – We are called children of God.
     • Romans 8:16 – The Spirit testifies that we are God’s children.
     • Numbers 6:24–26 – God's face shines upon His people.
     • Psalm 18:19 – God delights in us.
   • "I was made in the image of a perfect King."
     • Genesis 1:26-27 – Created in God’s image.
   • "He looks at me and wouldn’t change a thing."
     • Ephesians 2:4-5 – God loved us even when we were dead in sin.
     • God’s love is unconditional, but it transforms us (Galatians 2:20, Colossians 3:9-10).
   • "The truth is I am truly loved by a God who’s good when I’m not good enough."
     • A reminder that our worth isn’t found in ourselves but in the goodness of God.
   • "I don’t belong to the lies; I belong to You."
     • John 8:44 vs. Galatians 5:24 – The contrast between belonging to the enemy and belonging to Christ.

This Week's Challenge

Read Psalm 139, but look for what you learn about God more than what you think it says about you. Read 1 John and the context of Romans 8 and observe what you learn about God’s love and our status as God’s children. Make two columns - the first column should list truths about God’s love toward us, and the second column should list the truths of how we respond to that love.

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Does giving your dreams and desires to God feel like giving up? Sarai Rivera sings about surrendering control of her life to God in her song "I Give You My Dreams." In this episode, I explore the alternative to letting God take control displayed in a song of David.

Dive into Psalm 37 with me to uncover how we can surrender our dreams and desires to God. With personal stories, Bible Interaction Tool Exercises (BITEs), and practical insights, you'll be equipped to trust God’s plan, even when it feels uncertain.

Episode Highlights

• Surrender vs. Giving Up: Discover what it means to hand your dreams to God without abandoning hope.
• A Personal Lens: Michelle shares how her family is learning to trust God’s plan amidst college applications, med school, and wedding planning.
• Diving into Psalm 37: Learn how to study Scripture using BITEs like reading in context, exploring multiple translations, and recognizing repetitive themes.
• Key Takeaways:
  • Replace fretting with proactive steps like trusting, doing good, and delighting in the Lord.
  • Embrace stillness and patience as you commit your way to God.
  • Let go of anger and frustration, trusting in God’s ways.

Your Next Steps

1. Read Psalm 37: Use the BITEs shared in this episode to deepen your understanding of God’s Word.
2. Download the Episode Guide: Grab this week’s guide at michellenezat.com/509download for tools to help you interact with Psalm 37 and apply its truths to your life.
3. Reflect & Respond: What dreams or desires are you holding tightly to? How can you commit them to the Lord today?

Key Scriptures

• Psalm 37:4-5: “Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him, and he will act.”
• Psalm 37:7: “Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him.”

Additional Resources

• Lyrics - MusicMatch
• Faith Behind the Song "I Give You My Dreams" by Sarai Rivera - Air1 Worship Article
• Learn more about my favorite Bible Study Software with a 30-day free trial and links to my all-time favorite Bible resources - Logos Bible Software Affiliate Link

This Week's Challenge

Read Psalm 37 for yourself. Read it repetitively and in various translations before interacting with it further. Once you have the Psalm firmly planted in your mind, jot down some observations. Do you see any repetitive words or phrases? Consider the contrast of what action words David uses instead of fretting. As you give over your dreams and desires to the Lord — committing wholeheartedly to His ways — incorporate the actions you uncover into your day as you meditate on this Psalm.

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Our hope in the Lord is that He will draw near to us if we draw near to Him (see James 4:8). Seph Schlueter sings about drawing near to God in his song "Running Back to You." But the song made me ask, "How do we get so far from God in the first place?" We gain insight when we search Scripture to see how it happened for God's chosen people in the Old Testament.

Join me in exploring the pages of the prophet Jeremiah, expecting God to reveal Himself to us (and hopefully either draw us back or keep us close).

In this episode, I discuss:

• Taking a B.I.T.E. out of Scripture - our Bible Interaction Tool Exercises this week are:
  • Read and keep on reading
  • Consult an overview
  • Repetition
  • Make observations
  • Complete a word study
  • Start with God
  • Make a list
  • Meditate on Scripture
• Episode Guide
• Watching an overview of Jeremiah - BibleProject.com
• Beginning with the end in mind -- running back to God and Him receiving His people (Jeremiah 30-33)
  • Jeremiah 30:3
  • Jeremiah 30:10
  • Jeremiah 31:3
  • Jeremiah 31:4-5
  • Jeremiah 31:7
  • Jeremiah 31:13-14
• Exploring the questions posed in Jeremiah 2-6
• The angst in God's question found in Jeremiah 2:5
• Completing a word study on "worthlessness" - BibleHub.com
• How the people of God forfeited their identity of treasured possession (Deuteronomy 14:2) and became worthless (Jeremiah 2:5)
• Exploring the question "Where is the Lord?" - Jeremiah 2:6" Jeremiah 2:8

Additional Resources

• Lyrics - New Release Today
• K-LOVE Conversations With Seph Schlueter - KLove.com
• Learn more about my favorite Bible Study Software with a 30-day free trial and links to my all-time favorite Bible resources - Logos Bible Software Affiliate Link

This Week's Challenge

Read Jeremiah 1-6 Week's-33 (or Jeremiah 1-33 if you feel adventurous). Read or watch an overview of the book of Jeremiah. Examine the questions asked in Jeremiah 2-6, beginning with seeking to understand God’s character, conduct, and concerns. Then, move to make observations of the questions and the context around the questions. Finally, ask God to help you understand how you should respond to what you’ve learned.

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Family is beautiful, frustrating, glorious, embarrassing, and diverse—even Christ's family line includes some characters and heroes. Christy Nockels' song " Amaryllis" inspired me to explore a few of the people in Christ's lineage. It seemed appropriate at this time of year when many of us have just made another year of Christmas memories with family and friends.

Whether your family is on the glorious side, the tragic, or somewhere in between, we see God weave all kinds of people into the lineage of the Savior of the world…so surely there's hope for us!

In this episode, I discuss:

• Taking a B.I.T.E. out of Scripture - our Bible Interaction Tool Exercises this week are:
  • Follow cross-references
  • Consider the historical context - the article I found on the "silent period" between Micah and Matthew
• Episode Guide
• Considering the context of your birth
• How the Old Testament ends on a note of expectation - Micah 4:4-6
• Exploring the lineage of Christ - Matthew 1:17
• Learning more about "Grandpa" Perez in Genesis 38
• King Hezekiah and his good start - 2 Chronicles 29:1-3
• The influence Hezekiah had on his nation - 2 Chronicles 30:6-10
• A portion of Hezekiah's legacy - 2 Chronicles 31:20-21
• The "rest of the story" of Hezekiah's life - Isaiah 36-39
• Zerubbabel and his role in the rebuilding of the altar and the temple - Ezra 3-6

Additional Resources

• Lyrics - New Release Today
• Behind the song "Amaryllis" by Christy Nockels - New Release Today Article
• The Song Story of "Amaryllis" - YouTube Video
• Learn more about my favorite Bible Study Software with a 30-day free trial and links to my all-time favorite Bible resources - Logos Bible Software Affiliate Link

This Week's Challenge

Follow my lead and learn about Judah, Tamar, and Perez in Genesis 38. 2 Chronicles 29-31 tells much of the life of Hezekiah, but Isaiah 36-39 tells the "rest of the story." Zerubabbel, son of Shealtiel, has a major role in the rebuilding of the altar and the temple after the Babylonian deportation, and you can read all about it in chapters 3-6 of Ezra. All of these are in the lineage of Christ. It's an interesting network of people, some with sordid pasts and questionable choices, but woven into the family of Christ nonetheless. Our song says, "Through a fragile people, the Light of Life will come." He continues to use fragile people in HIS story today.

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